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 [...]
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
What the Heck is Opal Anyway?!
January 23rd, 2010 // 6:54 am @ admin
What is opal?
Opal is one of the most beautiful and precious gemstones found on the earth. It is predominantly found in Australia, which makes up 85% of the total opal in the world today. Opal is made over millions of years by water trickling through sandstone and picking up tiny particles of silica on [...]
How Can “Settling” Be Magic & What Does It Have To Do With Photonic Crystals?!
January 22nd, 2010 // 2:52 pm @ admin
“Opal is a crystal-like lattice of objects in space, in this case, silica microspheres”
One of the cool things about NanoScienceKits.org and our nano science kits is something called ‘natural order’ which is the way the photonic spheres settle into a lattice formation in the test tube. It is important for the nanospheres to be almost [...]
Category : Blog & Nanotechnology
The Building Blocks of Opal Explained
January 15th, 2010 // 7:11 pm @ admin
Silicon Dioxide or “Silica” is an oxide of Silicon. Under a scanning electron microscope, silica looks like tiny spheres. Although they range in size and shape naturally, the image below shows silica that is extremely uniform. Imagine trying to stack these little spheres into a pyramid. Because they are the same size and shape it [...]
Category : Blog
Settling Exhibit
January 14th, 2010 // 4:42 am @ admin
A clear tube with lid holds the experiment while the opal is forming and acts as an viewing window for observations.
Category : Featured Work
Funnel
January 14th, 2010 // 4:41 am @ admin
The polypropylene funnel and reservoir holds and gathers the solution while it settles gradually and delicately into place.
Category : Featured Work