How Can You Put a Rainbow in a Science Kit?
February 3rd, 2010 // 3:44 pm @ admin
We live in a very curious world; One that is recreating itself at the atomic level every second we breath. Our bodies are changing out cells with new ones, photosynthesis occurs in tree leaves to replenish oxygen in our atmosphere, and somewhere, right at this very moment, a child is marveling a rainbow. [...]
Category : Blog & Science Kits
Manipulate Light Like No Other Human Can With Photonic Crystals & Opal
February 2nd, 2010 // 4:41 am @ admin
It has long been theorized that the hidden mysteries found in gemstone opal could ultimately unlock a revolution in the computer chip world known as quantum computing. Recently a new chemistry project developed by NanoScienceKits.org has been introduced in a simple format that can be conducted by both scientists and novices alike. But first, [...]
Category : Blog
Why an Opal Doesn’t Hold Color Like a Green Leaf or Blue Car
February 1st, 2010 // 3:35 pm @ admin
A miner in Australia stands tired and alone next to a hole in the ground. He is surrounded by desolate plains of dirt. The sun is hot, there is no water, and the distance is distorted in all directions by waves of heat. With his back to the sun, he wipes hard [...]
Nanotechnology for the Masses -No, We’re NOT Kidding
January 30th, 2010 // 1:31 am @ admin
Unless you have been living on a deserted island for the past few years you have no doubt heard the media report on the impending promise that lies in the realm of nanotechnology. The problem is if you are like most people, you probably don’t really understand what that means exactly. A [...]
Category : Blog & Science Kits
Silica Dioxide Renews Kids Interests In Science
January 29th, 2010 // 3:25 pm @ admin
If you haven’t already heard, nanotechnology is getting ready to change the world. In fact, in many ways it already has. Just recently scientists were able to create a lithium ion battery using silicon that holds up to 10 times the charge of a traditional battery. So what could all of this [...]
Category : Blog & Science Kits
What Does a $200,000 Butterfly Wing & Photonic Crystals Have in Common?
January 28th, 2010 // 10:19 am @ admin
The Morpho butterfly has long been a fascination to scientists around the world. The dark blue hues of its wings are striking to anyone who has the good fortune to see one of these delicate creatures. This color however, is not generated from pigment. Nearly all colors that are produced in nature [...]
Category : Blog & Nanotechnology
Science Kits Can Help Save Our Educational System & Standardized Test Scores
January 27th, 2010 // 8:12 am @ admin
In the last few decades, American schools have fallen in rank in comparison to schools in other countries around the world. Math and science scores have plummeted in the same comparison. Today in the U.S., 6 out of 10 engineering doctorates are awarded to foreign students. It is a problem when 30% [...]
Category : Blog & Science Kits
Wired.com: “What’s That Stuff? The Chemistry Behind Everyday Products”
January 26th, 2010 // 5:08 pm @ admin
I found this fascinating quote today:
As we discovered, the kind of hand warmers we were investigating contained iron powder, which quickly began to rust when exposed to air. Ignoring the warning (!) and opening the packet lets in more oxygen and speeds up the reaction, creating so much heat that your iron mixture will start [...]
Category : Around the Web & Blog
A Surprising Little Trick to Get the Right Color From Your Photonic Crystals
January 26th, 2010 // 3:06 pm @ admin
How do your opal crystals look?
Here at NanoScienceKits.org, we have a really good lesson learned nugget to pass on.
When you set your opal science kit into motion and begin to watch your photonic spheres settle and the opal crystals start to grow in the bottom, it is really important to use the right light to [...]
Get Students Mesmerized With Photonic Crystals & Self Assembly
January 25th, 2010 // 10:01 am @ admin
Self-assembly alone is by no means a novel idea. Human beings are self-assembled for starters. That’s right, back when you were still in the womb your body, in a quite miraculous manner, simply knew how to assemble itself. And it doesn’t stop there. The earth is self-assembled. The universe is [...]
Category : Blog & Nanotechnology