Exploring Nano & Society - Invisibility Cloak

TYPE: Short Activities
AUDIENCE: Ages 4 - Adult
TOPIC: Science and Society
In this activity, learners explore how refraction can be used to make a glass stir rod "disappear" in a cup of baby oil, while having conversations about new technologies.
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DESCRIPTION

"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 nano researchers are trying to make invisibility cloaks by manipulating the refraction of light. Conversation around this possible new technology leads visitors to explore how technologies and society influence each other.

 

Also see the  Exploring Properties - Invisibility activity.

JUMP TO BROWSE RELATED RESOURCES
  • Hands holding glass objects on a string in a beaker of liquid
  • Girl looking at objects in a beaker filled with liquid that appear to be invisible
  • Children and adult explore invisibility using borosilicate glass and societal issues in Invisibility and Invisible Cloak activities
  • Hands holding glass objects on a string in a beaker of liquid
  • Girl looking at objects in a beaker filled with liquid that appear to be invisible
  • Children and adult explore invisibility using borosilicate glass and societal issues in Invisibility and Invisible Cloak activities

DESCRIPTION

"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 nano researchers are trying to make invisibility cloaks by manipulating the refraction of light. Conversation around this possible new technology leads visitors to explore how technologies and society influence each other.

 

Also see the  Exploring Properties - Invisibility activity.

JUMP TO BROWSE RELATED RESOURCES

TRAINING VIDEOS

OBJECTIVES

BIG IDEA

Nano is part of our society and our future.

LEARNING GOALS

  • The way a material behaves on the macroscale is affected by its structure on the nanoscale.

  • Technologies and society influence each other.

NANO CONTENT MAP

Nanotechnologies—and their costs, utility, risks, and benefits—are closely interconnected with society and with our values.

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TYPE:
Educational Resources
AUDIENCE:
Ages 4 - Adult
LANGUAGES:
English
ADDITIONAL TOPICS: Engineering and Technology Nanotechnology Physical Sciences Light and Optics Materials Science Societal Topics Science and Society
KIT: Purple NanoDays logo - the Biggest Event for the Smallest Science Browse kit
KEYWORDS:

Credits

YEAR CREATED
2012
PROJECT
OWNING INSTITUTION

Sciencenter

FUNDING

Developed for the NISE Network with funding from the National Science Foundation under Award Numbers 0532536 and 0940143. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

PERMISSIONS

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US).
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DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

NISE Network products are developed through an iterative collaborative process that includes scientific review, peer review, and visitor evaluation in accordance with an inclusive audiences approach. Products are designed to be easily edited and adapted for different audiences under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license. To learn more, visit our Development Process page.