a blog by the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
Autumn is here, which means summer colors are beginning to fade and many leaves are starting to change from green to red and yellow. Although it’s all around us, we might not often think about what color actually is. Color is the characteristic that describes the light waves that are absorbed by, and bounce off, …
Continue reading "The Chemistry of Color Tests"
Human beings have been trying to figure out the elementary composition of the universe since the era of ancient Greece. Democritus, an ancient Greek philosopher, created atomic theory. In the atomic theory, everything is composed of “atoms” (from the Greek meaning “can’t be cut”) and these atoms are physically indivisible.1 The ancient Greeks speculated on …
Continue reading "Seeing the Invisible"
As Kermit the Frog says, “It’s not easy being green.” But for plants and exuberant celebrators of March 17, it is very natural. The color green becomes very prominent in the month of March as St. Patrick’s Day produces extravagant festivities coated in the color. The beginning of spring brings the blooming of flowers and …
Continue reading "From Plants to St. Patrick’s Day, It’s Hard to Avoid the Color Green"
Scientists have discovered that tiny particles of gold injected into fat tissues can offer a new and potentially safer way to carry out liposuction procedures. Liposuction by definition is the process of removing excess fat found underneath the skin by suction. Although liposuction has a reputation as a low risk cosmetic surgery, this procedure is …
Continue reading "Liposuction and Gold Nanoparticles"
Spring is officially here and I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to welcome back COLOR: the bright rays of sunshine, the baby blue sky, the lively green grass, and of course, the plethora of vibrantly colored flowers. But have you ever wondered what is color? To understand the marvels of color and how …
Continue reading "What is Color and How Can It Help Kill Cancer Cells?"
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