NISE Network Blog
There's nano in that summer camp! Part 1
June 1, 2009
Vrylena Olney
Photo by Carl Mydans from the LIFE Photo Archive As I mention in the June Nano Bite newsletter, lots of NISE Net partners are either planning nano-themed summer camps or using nano activities from the NanoDays kit or other sources...
How did you market NanoDays?
June 1, 2009
Beck Tench
How did you explain NanoDays to your PR team? First, thanks to the folks who've contributed examples to the Kit Activities vs. Non-Kit Activities post. Second, I have more questions. This time in reference to how you promoted NanoDays with...
Nanotechnology transforms dessert (Brad's recipe for super-smooth ice cream)
May 29, 2009
Vrylena Olney
Photo by roboppy Smooth ice cream comes from really small, fine-grained crystals. So what happens if you cool ice cream so quickly that the crystals are nanosized? You get super-smooth nano ice cream! The Museum of Life and Science in...
Can Nanotechnology Save the Planet? Perspectives from INC5
May 26, 2009
Larry Bell
Some science fiction stories, like Michael Crichton’s novel Prey, portray nanotechnology as leading to developments that can destroy the world, but some of the presenters at this year’s International Nanotechnology Conference for Communication and Collaboration (INC5) told a story that...
Where's Nano?
May 26, 2009
Vrylena Olney
I recently discovered (courtesy of Andrew Maynard's recent nanotechnology primer blog post ) the Project for Emerging Nanotechnologies' NanoMetro map . It's an interactive map that shows the locations of companies, universities, labs, etc. that are working in nanotechnology in...
A Vaccine for Last-Minute-Itis
May 26, 2009
Carol Lynn Alpert
Several times in the past (check the RISE Group Page ), I’ve written about the problem of last-minute-itis among NSF grant proposal writers. Symptoms of this illness are well-known to grant administrators at universities as well as at science museums...
Nano Jobs: Post-doc position at ASU
May 22, 2009
Vrylena Olney
Robin Marks from the Exploratorium forwarded me an announcement for another post-doctoral position opening up with the Center for Nanotechnology in Society , this time at Arizona State University. They're looking for a coordinator for private sector outreach. The coordinator...
Nano is bigger than you think: Perspectives on the NNI from INC5
May 21, 2009
Larry Bell
While nano may be about things on a very tiny scale – around 10-9 meters, there is nothing small about the government’s investment in nanoscale research -- it’s now around 10+9 dollars. There were many presentations about the National Nanotechnology...
NanoDays 2009: What went well & what you'd do differently next time.
May 20, 2009
Beck Tench
NanoDays at Da Vinci Science Center ( See more pictures on Facebook ) LeHigh University and the Da Vinci Science Center sent us an addendum to their NanoDays 2009 Report , which didn't surprise me considering how creatively they've summarized...
Why fund the NISE Net?
May 20, 2009
Carol Lynn Alpert
A short time ago, I heard from a veteran program officer in one of the NSF science research directorates that she was skeptical about the strategy of apportioning funds from these directorates to fund the NISE Net. Why not give...