by Randy Goldsmith Now that we’ve passed the winter solstice and are starting to get some more daylight here in Wisconsin, it seems like a good time to talk about how valuable photons are. And …
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How do we measure the size of nanoparticles in a solution?
by Hyunho Kang The size of the materials in nanotechnology is one of the most important factors that power and define the properties of the nanomaterials. But there are many different techniques for measuring that …
What gives gold nanoparticles their color?
by Meng Wu edited by Natalie Hudson-Smith In a previous post, Can gold melt at room temperature? Melting temperature depression!, we talked about how the color of gold changes from shiny yellow to dark red …
Seeing the Invisible
by Xiaoxiao Yaoedited by Natalie Hudson-Smith Human beings have been trying to figure out the elementary composition of the universe since the era of ancient Greece. Democritus, an ancient Greek philosopher, created atomic theory. In …
Nanostructures in chameleons, damselflies, and peacocks (oh my!)
by Jenny Orbeckedit by Emily Caudill My favorite rain jacket is bright blue. So bright, in fact, that my first semester chemistry professor was able to point it out in a class of 300 people …
Solar Eclipse 2017 – A Multi-Sensory Experience
by Caley Allen As many of you may have witnessed, on August 21st there was a total solar eclipse (where the view of the sun was entirely blocked by the moon) across much of the …
Aerogels: Nanotechnology to Space and Beyond
by Merve Doğangün edited by Eric Melby Humans have been dreaming about space travel since the early ages. As many of you recall from the opening lines of Star Trek, it has been fascinating for …
Sunburns and Circuits: How Nanotechnology is Pushing the Boundaries of Computing
by John Van Gilder edited by Ian Gunsolus and Alicia McGeachy Last July, IBM announced that it had developed a new computer chip that could boost computer speeds by 50%.1 The company achieved this performance …
Turkeys and Photonic Crystals: Lots to Be Thankful For
by Mimi Hang edited by Joe Buchman and Ian Gunsolus Did you know that Americans consume a whopping average of 46 million turkeys at Thanksgiving? That’s about 1 turkey for every 7 Americans!1,2 With the …
How the Fruits Got Their Colors
by Alicia McGeachy edited by Arielle Mensch It’s Sunday night and I am watching one of my favorite shows, which of course revolves around food. In this particular episode, competitors were challenged to incorporate blue …