In support of NanoDays, a nationwide festival organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net), MOSH will host a nanoscience- themed day on March 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Interactive booths and demonstrations will take place throughout the Museum to engage families and educate visitors about a science discipline growing in popularity called nanoscience. Visitors will use their noses as nanodetectors, measure themselves in nanometers and more.
What exactly is nano science? In the simplest of terms, it’s the science of really small stuff. It’s the study of the world and how it functions at the atomic and molecular level. To put into perspective how small the nanoscale is, a single strand of hair on your head is about 100,000 nanometers thick! Many everyday items have emerged because of research in nanoscience. Examples include automobile bumpers, stain resistant clothing, sunscreen and cosmetics, UV protected clothing and tennis balls.
Thanks to the WJCT Kids Club, NanoDays will also include a special appearance by Sid the Science Kid. Our littlest visitors can meet the popular PBS character, enjoy special “Sid the Science Kid” programs in the JEA Science Theater, and conduct experiments created just for them.
NanoDays is included with Museum admission which is $10 for adults; $8 for students, active and retired military and seniors; and $6 for children ages 3 through 12. There is no admission fee for children 2 and under, Museum members, or WJCT Kids Club Members.
Originally launched by the Museum of Science in Boston, the Science Museum of Minnesota, and San Francisco’s Exploratorium, the NISE Network is now led by 14 museums and universities across the nation. In 2005, an initial grant funded formation of NISE Network to collaboratively develop and distribute innovative approaches to engaging Americans in nanoscale science and engineering. The NISE Network has won its second five-year $21 million grant from the National Science Foundation allowing partners to continue the work of the NISE Net into the next decade.
Through activities like NanoDays, the NISE Network is actively building partnerships between science museums and research centers to increase their capacity to engage the public in learning about nanoscale science and engineering. In addition to the individual museums and research centers, two major professional organizations–the Materials Research Society and the Association of Science-Technology Centers—support the NISE Network and annual NanoDays activities.
For more information about NISE Net or to download a digital NanoDays kit please visit http://www.nisenet.org/nanodays. This project is based on work supported by the NSF under Award Numbers ESI-05322536 and 0940143. NanoDays™ is trademarked by North Carolina State University and used by NISE Net with permission.