a blog by the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
My favorite rain jacket is bright blue. So bright, in fact, that my first semester chemistry professor was able to point it out in a class of 300 people to explain principles of visible light and color. As it happened, the class benefited from two examples that day, my jacket and my face which turned …
Continue reading "Nanostructures in chameleons, damselflies, and peacocks (oh my!)"
Some time ago, my labmates and I invented a character named āNano Personā as a way of giving some frame of reference for the nano-scale. Nano Person fights nano-crime as well as societal biases and restrictive mindsets, but thatās a digression for another blog post. This thought experiment got me wondering, what would the world …
Continue reading "Zack’s Nano Adventure"
Why do glaciers sometimes look blue? Hint: it's not for the same reason we see blue as the color of the sky!
On this episode of the podcast, we have an interview with Dr. Robert Hamers, following up on his recent blog post. Bob is the Director of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, and he tells us about a recent family trip to Alaska that got him wondering about why some glaciers have an amazing blue color.
Here is the underside of a ladybug. Click the image to enlarge. You won't regret it! In this post I hope to help you appreciate just how small "nano" is, using the official ladybug of science! Before we get there, let me explain how I took this image. Step 1 - Find a dead ladybug. …
Continue reading "Animated Ladybug Super Zoom-In"
For many people the celebration of the 4th of July is not totally complete without a good aerial fireworks show. A good firework show needs to have two essential components to deliver that thrilling experience most of us love to seeāsound and color effects. Nanotechnology could make it possible for these fireworks effects to be …
Continue reading "Nanomaterials Making Their Way into Fireworks"
Introducing the Friday Video series! This one will melt your mind!
I was talking to my mom the other day, about nanoparticles of course, and she said: "Wait a second! Are there different sizes of nanoparticles?? Ā I thoughtĀ nano was justĀ nano! You know?" Thanks for the question Ā mom! Ā š Refresher: nanoparticles are just spherical or nearly-spherical nanomaterials. To answer my mom's question: There are LOTS of different …
Continue reading "In which my Mom questions the size of my nanoparticles"
I love a good dystopian novel where technology has gotten out of hand and changed some futuristic society into a place none of us would want to live ā think Brave New World, 1984, Catās Cradle, or Oryx and Crake. I think these fictional stories are great thought experiments, revealing the importance of science done …
Continue reading "To Label or Not To Label"
Youāre looking at an electron micrograph of gold nanoparticles; a snap shot of tiny gold crystals that are 1/10,000th the diameter of a human hair. Nanoparticles just these like may soon transform every aspect of our day to day lives, from the size of our personal electronic devices to the way diagnose and treat cancer; …
Continue reading "Nanoparticles Are All Around Us"
Today weāve got some important things to talk about. Iām not talking about the how or why weāre here on this planet, or settling the great cake vs. pie debate (because clearly pie is the correct choice). No, today weāre thinking big thoughts on small things. First things first though. Gone are the days when …
Continue reading "“Why all the nano-hype?” or “Do nanoparticles fall in love?”"
Sustainable Nano 