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Nano is an interactive exhibition that engages family audiences in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. Hands-on exhibits present the basics of nanoscience and engineering, introduce some real world applications, and explore the societal and ethical implications of this new technology....

"Exploring Products - Kinetic Sand" is a hands-on activity in which visitors investigate and compare the properties of Kinetic Sand and regular sand. They learn that nanotechnology takes advantage of special properties at the nanoscale to create new materials.

In this episode of O Wow Moments from the Children’s Museum of Houston, Mr. O is up against the supervillain Dr. Blot and his desire to stain everyone! Actually, it's just a fun excuse to examine how nanotechnology and nanoscale...

"Nanoparticle Stained Glass" is a cart demonstration that introduces the connection between medieval stained glass artisans and nanotechnology. Visitors learn that the red and yellow colors in stained glass windows come from nanoparticles of gold and silver embedded in the...

Vector illustrations of ball-and-stick models of ice structure on a black or white background.

"Exploring Tools - Mystery Shapes" is a hands-on activity in which visitors use their sense of touch to investigate hidden objects. They learn that researchers use special tools, including scanning probe microscopes, to detect and make images of nanoscale objects....

Photograph of drops of water sitting on a purple hydrophobic sand. The sand coated with a nano thin layer that makes it repel the water.

Transmission Electron Microscope image of nanoparticles of ferrofluid. • SIZE: The nanoparticles in the image are about 15-20 nanometers across. Scale bar representes 20 nm. • IMAGING TOOL: Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

Through hands-on activities, visitors learn how inkjet printers produce tiny, precise drops of ink. They examine printed paper with magnifying glasses, see a few demonstrations of how liquids behave differently at the small scale, and see an explosive demonstration of...

"Exploring the Universe: Orbiting Objects" is a hands-on activity that invites visitors to experiment with different sized and weighted balls on a stretchy fabric gravity well. The activity models gravitational attraction in space. Participants investigate how changing conditions can cause...

"Exploring Forces - Static Electricity" is a hands-on activity in which visitors discover that electrostatic forces cause smaller balls to be suspended in a tube while larger ones fall to the bottom. They learn that size can affect the way...

Nanoscale science and technology ("nano" for short) is all around us and growing rapidly. Explore how nanoscale science impacts even simple, childhood pleasures like blowing bubbles.

In this activity, learners make a mask with a special feature: an LED bulb that lights up. The activity is designed to prompt conversation and reflection about responsible innovation, inspired by themes raised in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein.

This program demonstrates the importance of scale (macro vs. micro vs. nano) and surface features in materials science and nanotechnology. Visitors will examine three different slides macroscopically (with their eyes) and microscopically (with a microscope). Each of the three slides...

In this activity, students learn what composite materials are and why they are used in many industries. Students put these ideas to work as they design and create their own bricks. After the bricks are made, students employ a variety...

Meet Macro and Nano. Nano is WAY smaller than Macro and has some very surprising properties! These short (~30 second) clips introduce visitors to simple fundamentals about the nanoscale.

"Exploring Structures - Butterfly" is a hands-on activity in which visitors investigate how some butterfly wings get their color. They learn that some wings get their color from the nanoscale structures on the wings instead of pigments. "Explore Science -...

Scanning Electron Microscope image of polyethylene, a common plastic. • SIZE: Scale bar representes 20 µm • IMAGING TOOL: Scanning Electron Microscope

During the winter of 2011, SMM survey associates and NISE Exhibits Team members collected a range of data on the mini-exhibition on the floor at SMM. This included interviews with visitors in January, and observations in January and March. The...

NanoBuzz is a web-based kiosk featuring exhibit-ready access to current nanoscale science, technology and engineering and emerging research in the news. Website includes four online puzzle games: Help assemble the carbon nanotubes, Help filter the water, Try to find the...

"Exploring Materials - Nano Gold" is a hands-on activity in which visitors discover that nanoparticles of gold can appear red, orange or even blue. They learn that a material can act differently when it’s nanometer-sized.

"Exploring the Universe: Objects in Motion" encourages participants to explore the complex but predictable ways objects in the universe interact with each other. Stars, planets, moons, and other objects in space orbit around each other because of gravity, and NASA...

Bump and Roll is an interactive exhibit that demonstrates nanomaterial properties using an everyday object: a leaf of cabbage. The nanoscale structures on a cabbage leaf cause water to bead up and slide off its surface. Scientists are replicating these...

"Nanotube Models" is a facilitated tabletop program aimed at educating the public about the properties and applications of carbon nanotubes. Visitors will be able to use Molecular Visions model kits to build carbon nanotubes. The models can be started by...

This is a framework for a summer camp for campers aged 8 - 10 years. Campers learn about nanoscale science and engineering through hands-on activities. The framework can be delivered in 5 half-day (1.5 – 2 hour) sessions. Alternately, the...