by Bob Hamers Millions of people across the US recently got their first view of the Aurora Borealis, or “Northern Lights”, as the night sky turned a rainbow of unusual colors. When I mentioned the …
electrons
Happy 75th Birthday to the Transistor!
by Miriam Krause Earlier this week I heard a quick piece on NPR’s Marketplace called “75 years ago, the transistor ignited the fire of modern innovation,” about how the transistor was “born” exactly 75 years …
Molecular music: Patterns of vibrations at the quantum level
by Laura Kesneredited by Natalie Hudson-Smith Hearing of the fire at Notre Dame de Paris a year ago broke my heart. I have only been there once in my life, but that visit is one …
Are transistors getting too small? (How small is too small?)
by Diamond Jonesedited by Emily Caudill Did you know that the world’s first computers filled entire rooms? Now we can carry even more computing power than those early machines in the palm of our hands, …
Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Periodic Table: Nano-Style!
by Cathy Murphy Did you know that 2019 is the International Year of the Periodic Table? We chemists in the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology are happy to celebrate this all year long!
How does nanoscale chemistry make fireflies glow brightly?
by Laura Satterfieldedited by Arielle Mensch The United States celebrated Independence Day last week, and most people in the US probably managed to see some fireworks. Besides the fireworks, one of my favorite things this …
Electrocuting a Pickle: Demonstrating Major Concepts in Science
by Cathy Murphy Have you ever made lightning in a pickle? I have. It involves putting two iron nails in a pickle and applying 110 volts of electricity. It’s pretty smelly, but it is worth …
Our Hidden Bacterial Friends Keep Us All Alive – Shewanella oneidensis
by Lyle Nyberg While the word “bacteria” conjures images of human illness and death for many people, the vast majority of bacteria in the world allow for the healthy functioning of humans and ecosystems. The …
What’s the Difference between Magnification and Resolution? Dog of Science Demonstrates.
by Tom Kuech Seeing small objects is no simple task, but it is an essential one for scientists from fields as diverse as astronomy and nanotechnology. In order to see tiny things, we need to …