"Exploring Materials—Oobleck" is a hands on activity in which visitors investigate the properties of a cornstarch and water mixture and test its ability to protect from impacts. Visitors learn that similar nanomaterials can be used in new personal protective equipment.
"Exploring Nano & Society - Invisibility Cloak" is a hands-on activity in which visitors learn about refraction and how it can be used to make a glass stir rod "disappear" in a cup of baby oil. They also learn how...
"Exploring Size - Scented Solutions" is a hands on activity illustrating how small nano is. By sniffing a series of diluted scent solutions, visitors discover that nano-sized particles may be too small to see, but they're not too small to...
"Exploring Earth: Investigating Clouds" is a hands-on activity in which visitors create a cloud in a bottle and explore it with laser light. The activity is connected to current and ongoing NASA mission research. Participants learn about ways that NASA...
"Exploring Size - Powers of Ten" is a card game exploring the relative sizes of various objects. Visitors compete to organize their hand of cards into lists of objects from largest to smallest. "Explore Science - Zoom into Nano Powers...
This 50-minute program includes an introduction to the nanoscale science, conversation time for the participants and 2 ten-minute plays that stimulate conversation about the impact the field of nanoscale science may have on our lives. It also gets the audience...
In "Exploring the Universe: Exoplanet Transits," participants simulate one of the methods scientists use to discover planets orbiting distant stars. Even when a planet is too far away to observe directly, scientists can infer its presence by watching for slight,...
This cart demonstration reviews the basics about nanotechnology. Visitors learn that nanoscale objects are very small and have surprising properties because of their size. They also learn about some of the possible technologies that may lead to. They mix chemicals,...
"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...
"Exploring Nano & Society - Tell a Nano Story" is a hands-on activity in which visitors are inspired by picture cards to tell a story about nanotechnologies in the future. Visitors explore how technologies and society influence each other and...
"Kitchen Chemistry" is a live stage presentation about recognizing and exploring the science that we practice every day in our very own homes. We take a look at the chemistry behind a seemingly simple bowl of spaghetti – from boiling...
In this Building with Biology activity, visitors explore the potential for engineered viruses to deliver beneficial, targeted genetic information to sites throughout the body, and discuss their hopes and concerns regarding this technology. Visitors create a model of the technology...
This is a large group version of the Surface Area program. In this interactive stage presentation, audience members are measured in nanometers and demonstrate the effectiveness of "nano" silver in killing germs. Other highlights include a fireball that starts and...
In this activity, learners make a “creature” by mixing and matching different parts of toys. The activity is designed to prompt conversation and reflection about responsible innovation, inspired by themes raised in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein.
In this activity, museum visitors will be exposed to the term ‘Photonic Crystals’. They will see and explore some of the well-known photonic crystals in nature and will also be able observe one method that scientists use in trying to...
This activity is designed for high school students. In this experiment students use UV light to transfer a pattern (either a network of very small metal wires or self-drawn patterns) onto a surface-- a plastic board. The pattern is transferred...
"Exploring the Universe: Imagining Life" is a hands-on activity in which visitors imagine and draw an extreme environment beyond Earth, then invent a living thing that could thrive in it. They learn that NASA scientists study extremophiles on Earth to...
Every time we use a credit card, swipe a subway pass, or send an email we are sharing personal information about ourselves. Just how is the information used? How do we balance an individual’s right to privacy vs. community safety?...
What can you do today to help create a more sustainable world tomorrow? Visitors to High Five for the Future can write or draw their idea for a sustainable future, and take a photo of themselves high-fiving the future kid....
This cart demo is about Biobarcodes, a nanomedical technology that allows for massively parallel testing for disease diagnosis. Visitors learn about antibodies, how each antibody binds to a unique protein, and how biobarcoding uses nanoparticles, antibodies, DNA and magnetism to...
This forum explores nanotechnology-enabled medical technologies and their potential to transform health care, while considering the societal, ethical, environmental and economic impacts of this emerging technology. This forum asks participants to consider and discuss two nanotechnology application scenarios and the...
"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 -...
"Build a Giant Puzzle!" is a hands-on activity in which visitors assembly large cubes to make nano related images. They learn how different objects are related to nano.
The Building with Biology kit is designed to help museum and scientist partners engage public audiences in conversations and hands-on activities about the field of synthetic biology and the ways this emerging technology is interconnected with society.