Archive: Around Town

March 27, will be NanoDay 2010 at the Sciencenter Saturday with free admission all day, and more than 25 special hands-on activity stations, live shows and demonstrations, all about nanoscience and nanotechnology—super small stuff that’s a pretty big deal.

Co-sponsored by the Sciencenter and Cornell University’s Nanobiotechnology Center, NanoDay in Ithaca is part of a nationwide festival of nanoscale science and engineering. The Sciencenter in Ithaca developed twelve NanoDays activities that will be used across the country at more than 200 science museums and research centers.

During the third annual NanoDays celebration, Sciencenter visitors can explore fluids that act like magnets, race balloon rockets containing different gases, and test sunblock containing nanoparticles. Kids can dress up as a nanoscientist in a head-to-toe "bunny suit," and investigate surprising materials like sand that doesn't get wet—even under water!


From 10 a.m. to noon, the Sciencenter will air a special episode of DragonflyTV, the PBS television series that was filmed right here in Ithaca at the Sciencenter and Cornell University.  The episode features two local kids, Sarah and Mande, who learn about nanosilver and test out socks that are supposed to keep your feet from getting stinky.  Also featured are Cornell scientist Anil Netravali and CEO of Comet Skateboards, Jason Salfi, who use nanotechnology to create biodegradable skateboards.

Starting at 1 p.m, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., visitors can enjoy zany science theater with “Attack of the Nanoscientist!”  In this short play, a supervillain from the future attempts to conquer the audience using nanoscience.

NanoDays, which takes place nationally from March 27 through April 4, 2010, is a large public outreach effort, involving science museums and research centers from Maine to Hawaii. Regionally, science museums in Rochester, Schenectady, Syracuse, Buffalo and Troy will join the Sciencenter in hosting NanoDays activities. The Sciencenter is one of seven hubs nationally in the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net). Through activities like NanoDays, NISE Net is building partnerships between science museums and research centers to engage the public in learning about nanoscale science and engineering.

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