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VIDEO from NNI and Synaptic Digital: NanoDays Festival Celebrated at 200+ Sites Across the U.S.

See video from NNI at: http://inr.synapticdigital.com/NNI/nanodays2011/

NanoDays activities bring university researchers together with science museum educators to create unique new learning experiences for both children and adults to explore the miniscule world of atoms, molecules, and nanoscale forces, through a combination of simple hands-on activities for young people and presentations on current research for adults.

In one of NanoDays' most popular activities, visitors work together to build a giant balloon model of a carbon nanotube. Real carbon nanotubes, which are 1/50,000 of the width of a human hair, have a unique cylindrical structure, extraordinary strength, and unusual electrical properties making them useful in electronics and materials science.

Other NanoDays activities demonstrate the unexpected properties of a variety of materials at the nanoscale, such as sand that doesn't get wet, even under water; water that won't spill from a tiny teacup when it's turned upside down; and suspensions of quantum dots that change color depending on particle size. Some sites host forum programs engaging the public in discussions about the benefits and risks of particular applications of nanotechnology, while several universities host public tours of their laboratories.

The NanoDays exhibits and events are created and organized by participants in the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network , a National Science Foundation-funded program that raises awareness about the important new field of nanotechnology. The National Science Foundation is a member of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, a Federal program that coordinates efforts in nanotechnology research and development by bringing together the expertise needed to guide and support the advancement of this broad and complex field.

04DC11-0921

SOURCE Synaptic Digital; NNI