a blog by the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
Now that we’ve passed the winter solstice and are starting to get some more daylight here in Wisconsin, it seems like a good time to talk about how valuable photons are. And not just big groups of photons like what are emitted from lasers or LEDs – I’m talking about the importance of just one …
Continue reading "A Photon Saved is a Photon Earned"
The dwindling supply of non-renewable energy sources (I’m looking at you, fossil fuels!) and their impact on the environment have driven the pursuit for more sustainable energy sources. 1 According to the International Energy Agency, global energy demands decreased by 1% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this statistic is quickly turning around, …
Continue reading "Electrifying the night: supporting solar energy conversion in the dark"
With winter and our first snowfall right around the corner where I live in Wisconsin, I am really looking forward to playing in the snow! One of my favorite activities is to throw snowballs up in the air while on a walk with my dog, Ginny. She jumps to catch the snowball on its way …
Continue reading "Snowballs and… Nanoparticles?"
Now that children from 5 to 11 years old are eligible to receive COVID vaccines, many people are wondering again about exactly how they work. You may have heard that both Moderna and Pfizer make mRNA vaccines (more on that in a minute). But the vaccines would not be effective with mRNA alone. Another significant …
Continue reading "Lipid Nanoparticles in COVID Vaccines"
If you’ve read our blog before, you probably remember that nanotechnology is the study and manipulation of matter at incredibly small sizes. It is used across all scientific fields, including chemistry, biology, physics, materials science and engineering, and it is at the forefront of some incredible discoveries and technological advances. In honor of Veterans Day …
Continue reading "Nanotechnology and the Military"
Happy Nano Day, Everyone! Though you might be looking at me weird if you use the dd/mm dating system, tomorrow (10/9 in the U.S.) is the day to celebrate the scale that’s minuter than micro and more prodigious than pico. So what is Nano Day? Nano Day, or National Nanotechnology Day, is a celebration started …
Even if you didn’t watch the Olympics this summer, chances are you heard something about gymnast Simone Biles dropping out of the team and individual all-round competition. I won’t rehash any of the public discussion that occurred, but I am grateful that some athletes are starting the discussion about mental health. It is long overdue …
Continue reading "Anxiety can make graduate school feel like an Olympic balance beam"
How can creative output at the nexus of art and science help with the much-needed efforts to promote diversity in science? In this post, I'm excited to tell you about one initiative I've been involved with, and highlight the amazing artists who have contributed their work to the project. Dr. Jeanita Pritchett next to her …
Continue reading "Artivism in Chemistry"
Living in the 21st century, many of us are used to electronic gadgets that make our lives a little easier. I am still in awe that my smartphone can give me directions to anywhere in the world with just a press of a finger. Now, imagine the next technological advancement that could potentially replace our …
Continue reading "Why Honeybees Never Ask for Directions"
Back in 2016 you might have read about a computer called AlphaGo that beat some of the best Go players in the world (I even wrote a blog post about it). At the end of 2020, DeepMind (the same company that developed AlphaGo), made news again. This time, their latest version of an artificial intelligence …
Sustainable Nano 