UNL’s fourth annual NanoDays celebration will allow families to learn about the world of nanoscale. The free event, 1 to 4 p.m. April 5 at Gateway Mall, 60th and O streets, is part of a national festival of educational programs about nanoscience and engineering.
The “NanoDays 2014: The Secrets of Nanoscience” celebration will include 12 interactive demonstrations and three games that introduce individuals to the magic-like properties of nanomaterials. The first 100 students that visit each station will receive an “I Heart Nano” T-shirt. And, the elementary and middle school with the most participants will receive a nanoscience education kit.
The event is organized by UNL faculty, staff and students who work with Lincoln Public Schools educators.
Demonstrations will reveal key insights into how researchers are using the miniscule world of atoms, molecules and nanoscale forces to invent technologies like the invisibility cloak, a liquid that becomes body armor and floor tiles that generate electricity when walked on.
The event is co-hosted by Nebraska EPSCoR, the University of Nebraska’s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center and the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience.
Research at a nano level is done in many areas including physics, chemistry, material sciences, engineering, biology, and medicine. Nanoscientists study and make new applications that improve computers, medical treatments, energy efficiency and more.
NanoDays is organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network and takes place nationally from March 29 through April 6.
For more information about NanoDays or nanoscience, go to https://epscor.nebraska.edu/events.shtml.
