Summer 2007 Alumnae Quarterly Web Extra

Small Wonders: Small-Scale
Nanoscience Is a Big Thing on Campus

by Christine Palm

Nanoscience happens at a scale so different from that which most people experience that it’s initially hard to grasp. We hope the following links will help ease readers into a greater understanding of all things nano.

• The Scale of Things

How small is a nano-scale object compared with a human hair? The head of a pin? A virus? The Department of Energy’s National Nanotechnology Initiative site has visual comparisons of natural and human-made objects at various scales.

• A Beginner’s Guide to Nanotechnology
If you’re wondering what the heck nanotechnology is all about, this article from the Dallas Business Journal is for you.

• Nanooze is a primer for kids (and adults who appreciate simple, clear language) on nanotechnology

• The ETC Group (whose mission is to “address the socioeconomic and ecological issues surrounding new technologies that could have an impact on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable”) has published “A Tiny Primer on Nano-scale Technologies … and The Little BANG Theory,” a twenty-page, downloadable pocket guide.