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Nano Bite: October 2012

Welcome to the October Nano Bite, the monthly e-newsletter for the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net).

What's new?

Annual Patner Survey
Check your inbox - you may have recently received an invitation to participate in the upcoming NISE Net Annual Partner Survey!
 
Your unique perspectives and input are vital in helping us to assess and improve the experience of participating in NISE Net.  To show our appreciation for your time, completion of the online survey will automatically qualify you to be entered in a drawing for one of several great prizes.  Please click here for more information.

 New in the Catalog: Nano & Society Training Materials
The NISE Network recently developed a set of training materials to help museum educators engage their public audiences in conversations about the relationship between nanotechnology and society. The products include educational programs, card games, training video guides, powerpoint slides, improv exercises, and more. You can find an overview of all the new products and training materials availabel at: 
http://www.nisenet.org/events/other/nano-society-workshop.

→ New in the Catalog: Nano Mini-Exhibition Student Worksheet
Student worksheets for use with school field trips visiting the Nano mini-exhibition have been added to the catalog. Go to http://www.nisenet.org/catalog/exhibits/nano_mini-exhibition, click on the "Resources" tab, and select "
Nano mini-exhibition worksheet answer key for school field trips" and "Nano mini-exhibition student worksheet for school field trips."

→ NanoDays 2012 Report is Now Available
The NanoDays 2012 Report summarizes NISE Network partner activities related to NanoDays 2012 events. Participant responses are being used by the NanoDays team to improve future NanoDays materials and resources. Other Network workgroups, such as the Community workgroup, also use this report to improve partner communication, products, and resources.


 
What Else?

Upcoming NISE Net Deadlines and Events
The NISE Network has a number of events and deadlines approaching in the next few months. Be sure to add these to your calendar!:
  • 2013 Mini-Grants - applications due November 4: The NISE Network is making available a limited number of small, one-time awards to support initiatives by NISE Net partners to engage their local audiences in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology topics. Requests can be made for an award up to $3,000 dollars to fund a small project or be put towards a larger endeavor.  Applications are due November 4, 2012. For more on how to apply, sample projects, and eligibility requirements, click here. A list of previously funded mini-grant projects is also available at: www.nisenet.org/community/mini-grants.

  • NanoDays 2013 - applications due December 1: NanoDays will be held March 30-April 7, 2013. Applications for physical kits are now available online. To learn more about how to apply and eligibility, please visit: /blog/post/nanodays-2013-kit-applications-due-december-1-2012.
     

  • NISE Net at ASTC 2012, Columbus, Ohio October 13-16: For those of you or your colleagues attending the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) annual conference, the NISE Network will have many activities and professional development opportunities. For details click here. NISE Net events include:

    • ​Happy Hour - we invite NISE Network partners to gather together informally: Friday, Ocober 12, 5:00 - 7:00 pm, Bartley's Brewing Company, 467 North High Street.

    • Partner Breakfast - the NISE Net will be hosting a breakfast for NISE Network partners to hear about our plans for the coming year, learn about new educational products and opportunities to get involved, and talk with other NISE Net partners from across the country: Monday, Octover 15, 7:30 - 8:45 am, Hyatt Regency Columbus, Franklin D Room.

  • National Chemistry Week - October 21-27: The theme this year is "Nanotechnology: The Smallest BIG Idea in Science."  This year the NISE Network has teamed up with the American Chemical Society (ACS) to provide online outreach resources for the event.  We encourage you to visit http://www.nisenet.org/national-chemistry-week to find out how you can get involved and get links to chemistry activities from past NanoDays kits and the online catalog. You can also find a link to ACS's website listing events and chemistry collaborators nationwide including some that may be located near you.
     

Universal Design for Public Programs - recording of online workshop
A recording of the August online universal design workshop is now available for those who were unable to attend. For information on the workshop and the link to the recording, click here. The workshop focused specifically on the NISE Net's Universal Design Guide for Public Programs. If you are interested in learning more about developing or implementing public programs (such as interpretation carts, stage demonstrations, and science theater) that are inclusive of the wide range of museum visitors, including those with disabilities, then please check out the recording.
 
 
Nano in the News
  • First Images of Chemical Bond Differences Captured: The most detailed images yet made of chemical bonds show what large-scale models had long assumed: the more electrons two atoms share, the shorter the bond. The new pictures, taken with a modified atomic force microscope, marks the first time that scientists have been able to observe the true physical differences between these bond types at the nanoscale, which could give a deeper understanding of chemical reactions.
     
  • Nanotechnology Offers Big Changes from Small Packages: In this opinion piece from Newsday, the author speaks about the world of nanotechnology as the newest and most fascinating frontier for this generation.
     
  • Nanotubes Used to Create Smallest Ever Hologram Pixels: Scientists have generated holograms from carbon nanotubes for the first time, which could lead to much sharper holograms with a vastly increased field of view. Researchers believe these results pave the way towards utilizing nanostructures to produce 3D holograms with a wide field of view and the very highest resolution.

Nano Haiku
 
Sharing more leads to
Tighter bonds - even in the
World of molecules

The above haiku was drawn from the first sentence of the linked article First Images of Chemical Bond Differences Captured by Lisa Grossman of New Scientist.

 

Questions? Haikus? Contributions to the newsletter? Contact Eli Bossin at [email protected]
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