"Exploring Size - Powers of Ten" is a card game exploring the relative sizes of various objects. Visitors compete to organize their hand of cards into lists of objects from largest to smallest.
“Macro, Micro and Nano Memory” is a memory game that teaches visitors about the macroscale, microscale and nanoscale, the objects within those scales and the way we measure these objects.
"Nanotechnology: What's the Big Deal?" is a broad overview of the unique challenges and opportunities presented by nanoscale science, and dives into the super tiny scale of nanotechnology.
What is a nanometer? What things are measured in nanometers? Is a red blood cell bigger or smaller than a bacteria? This video takes you on an adventure of scale from the macrosize to the microsize to the nanosize!
The Intro to Nanotechnology exhibition introduces the basics of nanoscience through four interactive exhibit components. These exhibits were developed by the NISE Network; copies are located at the Museum of Science in Boston, OMSI in Oregon, and the Arkansas Discovery Network.
This poster aligns zooms into three familiar objects - a human heart, a butterfly's wing, and a laptop computer. Using the conventions of visual perspective the image travels in one continuous “landscape” from the human scale at the top to the atomic scale in the foreground. As the scale gets smaller and smaller, these disparate objects resolve to individual atoms, highlighting the concept that everything is made of atoms.
“Macro, Micro and Nano Stretch-Ability” is a fun, hands AND feet on game which explores objects on several different scales. This activity teaches visitors about the macroscale, microscale and nanoscale, the objects within those scales and the way we measure these objects.
What is a nanometer? What things are measured in nanometers? Is a red blood cell bigger or smaller than a bacteria? Step down in size to find out the answers and learn about different types of units that are used to measure very tiny things. This children's book may be downloaded for free from or purchased in hard copy at www.lulu.com or www.amazon.com. See Resources tab for links.
"Invisible Sunblock" is a hands-on activity exploring how nano-scale particles are used in mineral sunblocks to increase their transparency. Visitors compare nano and non-nano sunblocks to a visual representation of the effect of particle size on visibility.
In this interactive piece, visitors can zoom into the structures on the surface of a nasturtium leaf. Electron micrographs reveal the nanoscale structures that make water bead on the surface of the leaf. Zoom Into a Nasturtium Leaf can be used alone, or to accompany an exhibit or demonstration of the lotus effect, in which water beads and rolls off highly water-repellent leaves.