by Lee Bishop This amazing movie was made using a microscope that can visualize atoms at 100 million times magnification. This microscope, known as a scanning tunneling microscope, can also move atoms around. For more, see …
Year: 2013
New Nanomaterial for Increased Energy Efficiency – Friday Video
by Lee Bishop A research group at Drexel University has developed a set of material that show promise in increasing the energy storage capacity and charge/discharge speeds of lithium ion batteries. Batteries with greater storage capacity …
The Cautionary Tale of DDT – Biomagnification, Bioaccumulation, and Research Motivation
by Laura Olenick We perform many different kinds of experiments in the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology—some that you might expect (like making new kinds of nanoparticles), and some that you might not (like feeding nanoparticles …
How the 2013 Government Shutdown Forced a Retreat from the Frontier of Science
by Franz Geiger Federal science funding is at the heart of the American enterprise. Sustained science funding was first established as the core of US science policy in July 1945, when Vannevar Bush, Science advisor …
Nature’s nanotechnology, bio-mimicry, and making the superpowers of your dreams a reality
by Devrah Arndt Only over the past 20 years have we begun to harness the unique properties of nano-scale materials, while nature has been using nano- “technology” since the beginning of time to prevent infections, …
One of the Most Sensitive Balances on the Planet – Quartz Crystal Microbalance
by Arielle Mensch Take a look at your wrist. Have you ever wonder what makes your watch tick with such precision? What if I told you the same technology that causes your watch to work …
Kadir Hussein Wins a Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity Award
by Lee Bishop The University of Minnesota’s Office for Equity and Diversity awarded Kadir Hussein with their Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) Award. Kadir is an undergraduate student who does research as part …
Explainer: How does an LED work?
by Kurt Jacobson An acronym you have probably seen a whole lot of in recent years is LED, or Light Emitting Diode. Long used only for low-intensity illumination (think of the blinking lights on the …
Scientists work to prevent a nano-crisis
by Anna Bisaro This post was originally appeared on Medill Reports, a project of Northwestern University graduate journalism students. Sustainability. The magic word that rings with the promises of a better world and cost savings. …
Zooming in on the Nano World: Limitations and Breakthroughs in Light Microscopy
by Ian Gunsolus The idea that an image is worth a thousand words applies just as much in science as it does in other contexts. Using images, scientists can convey complex information more quickly and …