Sustainable Nano | a blog by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
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We are the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology and you have found yourself at Sustainable Nano, our outlet to communicate with the world! The Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology is an initiative funded by the National Science Foundation to carry out research that will enable the development of sustainable, societally beneficial nanotechnologies.
Sustainable Nano | a blog by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
1M ago
As part of the observance of Black History Month at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, we created a handout to honor and remember the many foundational contributions made by Black scientists in food and agricultural research, extension, and advocacy. It is designed to be accessible for elementary-aged children, and our original goal was that CAES staff could use it in their outreach. The Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology asked permission to post it here on the Sustainable Nano blog as well, so I hope it may be of use to the audience here.
Just a few prominent leaders are list ..read more
Sustainable Nano | a blog by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
1M ago
Today’s blog post is a Valentine’s Day message from our universe, sent 7500 years ago from an address 44,000,000,000,000,000,000 (that’s 44 quadrillion, or 4.4×1019) miles away.
An image of the Heart Nebula taken through my telescope. Keep reading for an explanation of the red color! (image by Bob Hamers)
As a scientist, I have always been intrigued the idea of spectroscopy—the idea that the different colors (wavelengths) of light reveal the nature of the universe around us. I even wrote another blog post about the chemistry of color after an inspiring trip to Alaska, “Bob’s Beautiful Bl ..read more
Sustainable Nano | a blog by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
1M ago
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, you may be looking for an easy, fun, do-it-yourself activity to do with your significant other or friends. Or, you may be interested in an edible science experiment that teaches some basic chemistry principles. Either way, making your own rock candy is a great way to learn more about crystal formation.
Making rock candy is a fun, delicious way to learn more about the science of crystallization. (image by Savannah Phillips)
Ingredients & equipment
For this recipe, you will need:
12 cups (about 4 lbs) of granulated sugar
4 cups of water
A l ..read more
Sustainable Nano | a blog by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
2M ago
As the world’s population grows and climate change messes with how plants grow, scientists are diving deep into ways to make plants healthier and help them grow better. They’re all about finding new ways to get nutrients and fertilizers to plants, especially through their leaves because that’s where they first meet the world.
The surface of plant leaves plays a critical role in the plant system (image by Liubov Ilchuk)
Figuring out how this tiny nutrient-to-leaf connection works, especially in nano-agriculture, is super important. It’s like a secret path for plants to soak up all the goo ..read more
Sustainable Nano | a blog by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
2M ago
The first quantum revolution occurred almost a hundred years ago and changed the world with the invention of computers, telecommunication, and satellite navigation1. Now, the second quantum revolution is underway, harnessing the power of quantum mechanics and computers to revolutionize drug research, materials discovery, and artificial intelligence!2
Quantum computing is pushing the limits of modern computers and helping scientists make discoveries faster than ever! (image from Rawpixel)
Bits & Bytes
Classical or traditional computing uses binary digits, or bits, to sto ..read more
Sustainable Nano | a blog by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
3M ago
(written with help from Ravithree Senanayake)
Leading up to our Fall 2023 CSN All-Hands meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a group of CSN students, post-docs, and faculty arrived at Deer Creek Intermediate School just outside Milwaukee in St. Francis, Wisconsin. We were greeted by a gaggle of sixth, seventh, and eight graders, all excited for a deviation from their normal school day.
We set up four stations to introduce the students to different aspects of nanotechnology.
CSN grad students Caroline Anastasia and Connor Protter and Professor Qiang Cui talking with students at our outr ..read more
Sustainable Nano | a blog by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
4M ago
The United States celebrates Veteran’s Day each year on November 11 as a way to recognize and remember those who have served in the Armed Forces. The history of the holiday dates back to the armistice of World War I on November 11, 1918, and this year some institutions are observing the holiday today since the 11th falls on a Saturday.
Here on the Sustainable Nano blog, we’ve had several posts over the years written by participants in our Research Experience for Veterans program. You can check them out here:
A Veteran’s Story of One Summer with the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology by Hyo ..read more
Sustainable Nano | a blog by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
5M ago
On October 4th, the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov for their work on quantum dots. These tiny shiny particles have been used in a wide range of applications for decades, lighting up people’s lives. But did you know that with basic chemistry lab materials you can actually make your own quantum dots? You could even use them for a fluorescent Halloween display at your school!
A colorful carbon dot rainbow (image by Bo Zhi)
What are quantum dots? Quantum dots are nano-sized semiconductor particles that exhibit quantum mechanical e ..read more
Sustainable Nano | a blog by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
5M ago
It’s National Chemistry Week for 2023! The American Chemical Society is dedicating the whole week of October 15-21 to celebrating this year’s theme — “The Healing Power of Chemistry” (otherwise known as medicinal chemistry). The National Chemistry Week website includes links to outreach events, educational resources, and social media materials to help you share this week with your neighbors. The Celebrating Chemistry site has links to articles on the week’s theme, as well as games and activities such as The Healing Power of Chemistry – The Game!
Sustainable Nano has published a number of ..read more
Sustainable Nano | a blog by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
6M ago
October 9, 2023 is both National Nanotechnology Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day! We previously posted about the co-occurrence of these celebrations in our 2017 Celebrating National Nanotechnology Day and Indigenous Peoples Day blog, but it’s been a few years. So, let’s talk about them again!
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Indigenous Peoples’ Day occurs annually on the second Monday in October. The day is a celebration of America’s Indigenous people and aims to increase the visibility of the contributions Indigenous peoples have had on the world. Further, the day aims to honor and respect the sovereig ..read more