Happy National Chemistry Week! This year's theme is "Sticking with Chemistry," a celebration of the science of glues and adhesives. It's no coincidence that today is also Mole Day, the annual festival honoring Avogadro's Number - the number of molecules or atoms that comprise a mole of a substance: 6.02 x 1023. That's 602,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules …
Spider-Man or Suction Cup Man?
Like many people, I fantasized about being a super hero when I was younger. How cool would it be to save the day from a criminal mastermind who’s out to steal the world’s supply of chocolate?? Now that I’ve grown up a bit (debatable), I find myself still thinking about super heroes, although with a …
Ivy League Nanoparticles
Climbing ivy is a part of the everyday landscape. For some, it is a nuisance plant which is notoriously difficult to remove from the sides of buildings. For others, it is a welcome verdant addition to the landscape. For recent college graduates and grad students like myself, it is a symbol of the noble pursuits …
Nature’s nanotechnology, bio-mimicry, and making the superpowers of your dreams a reality
Only over the past 20 years have we begun to harness the unique properties of nano-scale materials, while nature has been using nano- “technology” since the beginning of time to prevent infections, repel water, create colors, and climb vertical surfaces. Inspired by nature’s advances, scientists and engineers are generating biomimetic applications for nanotechnology in today’s …