Fort Wayne – Science Central has introduced a new permanent exhibition, “Nano,” that brings both small-scale science and large-scale fun to the popular science center.

“Nano” is an interactive exhibition that will engage visitors in nanoscale science, engineering and technology. Hands-on exhibits present the basics of nanoscience and engineering, introducing some real world applications, and exploring the societal and ethical implications of this new technology.

“Nano” was created by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Network) with support from the National Science Foundation. The 400’ square foot exhibition features bilingual signage, and several interactive challenges, including “I Spy Nano,” where visitors search a complex image for examples of real nano products and phenomena; “Small, Smaller, Nano,”where visitors explore progressively smaller magnetic materials; “Build a Giant Carbon Nanotube;” “Balance our Nano Future,” where visitors balance blocks on a tippy table to represent the challenge of working together to build a stable nano future; and “Static vs. Gravity,” where visitors spin disks containing small and large plastic beads to compare the relative effectives of static electricity and gravity.

Nanoscience and nanotechnology involve the ability to see and to control individual atoms and molecules. Everything on Earth is made up of atoms – the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the buildings and houses we live in, and our own bodies. But something as small as an atom is impossible to see with the naked eye. In fact, it’s impossible to see with the microscopes typically used in a high school science classes. The microscopes needed to see things at the nanoscale were invented relatively recently – about 30 years ago.

Once scientists had the right tools, such as the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and the atomic force microscope (AFM), the age of nanotechnology was born. Today’s scientists and engineers are finding a wide variety of ways to deliberately make materials at the nanoscale to take advantage of their enhanced properties such as higher strength, lighter weight, increased control of light spectrum, and greater chemical reactivity than their larger-scale counterparts.

“Nano is a great new permanent addition to Science Central,” said Executive Director Martin S. Fisher. “We’ve been waiting over a year to receive this exhibition, and we think our visitors will enjoy learning about nanoscience and the future it will play in science, technology, and medicine. This exhibit is the culmination of a great partnership with science centers and science museums around the country.”

Visiting the exhibition is free with the purchase of a paid admission to Science Central.

Science Central, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, has provided a hands-on fun learning environment for over 17 years.  Through our 120+ exhibits, school tours, distance learning programs and weekend public events, we bring the excitement of science and technology to nearly 140,000 children and adults annually. For more information, contact Science Central at 260-424-2400 or visit us on the web at www.sciencecentral.org.