Search: Society, policy, and economics, Facilitated activity

"Exploring Properties - Invisibility" is a hands on activity in which visitors investigate how glass objects can be "hidden" in some liquids. They learn that researchers can use nanotechnology to engineer new materials that interact with light in special ways.

"Exploring Nano & Society - Flying Cars" is a hands-on activity in which visitors imagine and build a flying car out of small foam pieces. Conversations around this process lead visitors to explore how technologies and society influence each other and how nanotechnologies are part of a bigger system.

"Exploring Nano & Society - You Decide!" is a hands-on activity in which visitors sort and prioritize cards with new nanotechnologies according to their own values and the values of others. Visitors explore how technologies and society influence each other and how people’s values shape how nanotechnologies are developed and adopted.

"Exploring Nano & Society - Space Elevator" is a open-ended conversational experience in which visitors imagine and draw what a space elevator might look like, what support systems would surround it, and what other technologies it might enable. Conversation around the space elevator lead visitors to explore how technologies and society influence each other and how people’s values shape the ways nanotechnologies are developed and adopted.

The objective of this facilitated activity is for participants to come to a consensus over the distribution of federal funds for nanotechnology in different research areas. Participants are assigned a specific area of nanotechnology research and are provided with background materials in that area. They go through the materials of their assigned area and choose three benefits to research in that area and three perceived risks. They share these benefits and risks with the whole group, and then collectively the group decides how to distribute funds among the areas.

These 'Do It Yourself' Nano activities and experiments allow families to experience and learn about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology at home or on the go! They are are designed to be done in the comfort of your own home. Each activity includes lists of widely available, inexpensive materials, step-by-step instructions, and detailed explanations. Go ahead, give 'em a try!

"Exploring Nano & Society - Tippy Table: is an open-ended conversational experience in which visitors have additional blocks to place on the tippy table component of the Nano Mini-Exhibition. Conversations around where visitors place these new blocks lead them to explore how technologies and society influence each other and how nanotechnologies are part of a bigger system.

Visitors will engage in a variety of survey type questions focusing on different aspects of nanotechnology. For each question posed, they will be provided short descriptions about the possible options. They will then place their vote using a marble in the container labeled with their selection. Throughout the day the public will be able to visualize how others have answered the same question by looking at the quantity of marbles in each container. Museum staff can use the data to chart trends in public knowledge about nanotechnology.

Scientist Speed Dating is a facilitated, yet informal and high-energy, social activity to encourage a large group of people to speak with one another, ask questions, and learn about specific areas of research and practice within the field of nanoscale science and engineering, as well as the related societal and ethical implications of work in this field.

Nano Around the World is a card game designed to get participants to reflect on the potential uses of nanotechnology across the globe. Players each receive three cards: a character card, a current technology card, and a future technology card. They are asked to assume the role of their character to find nanotechnologies that might benefit them. After game play there is a facilitated discussion to help players reflect on the choices they made, the difficulty in finding appropriate technologies for many of the characters, and the possible nanotechnologies that could benefit a wider array of people than current nanotechnologies do.