Fun Ways to Celebrate National Nanotechnology Day on October 9
Last updated 9/23/2024
In The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote, “It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.” Some of the most important things in our daily lives are little indeed—1 to 100 x 10-9 m (or 1 – 100 nm), to be specific. In 2016, October 9 (10/9—wink, wink) was established as National Nanotechnology Day to celebrate everything made possible by the manipulation of atomic-scale materials and devices.
National Nanotechnology Day features a series of community-led events and activities to raise awareness of nanotechnology, including how it is currently used in products that enrich our daily lives and the challenges and opportunities it holds for the future.
Although examples of nanotechnology date back to 4th century Rome, colloidal gold and silver (metal particles sizes around 10–100 nm) were used to create glass that changed color depending on the angle at which light struck the surface. The field itself didn’t emerge until the late 20th century, however, when advances in scientific theory and equipment made it possible to see and manipulate individual atoms.
In just a few decades, nanotechnology has gone from a hypothesis to a practical reality. From clothes to electronics, nanotechnology touches every aspect of our daily lives. And the field continues to grow. Whether you choose to explore on your own or with your chapter, there are many ways to investigate the advances in nanotechnology and how it is impacting our everyday lives.
Learn about evolutions in technology and industry
- Play the Nano around the World card game, from the National Informal STEM Education (NISE) Network, and reflect on the potential uses of nanotechnology across the globe.
- Discover how nanotechnology is already improving your life using a scavenger hunt. This scavenger hunt for kids, organized by the Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor at Georgia Tech, highlights some examples of household nanotechnology-enabled products. Post on social media about nanotechnology-enabled products that you find in your home!
- Watch this Wired video, in which nanotechnology researcher George Tulevski, from IBM Research, explain what nanotechnology is and how it’s applied to make high-performance electronics and more efficient batteries to five different people; a child, a teen, a college student, a grad student, and an expert.
- Curious about a nanotechnology-enabled product you’ve seen in a movie, TV show, cartoon, or comic book? Post about it on social media (and use #NationalNanoDay), and we’ll try to figure out if it could actually work in the real world. What did you think was appealing about these products?
- Watch this short video (from PBS NewsHour) on the critical role of lipid nanoparticles in mRNA vaccines that protect us against COVID-19; what other diseases could be addressed with lipid nanoparticle vaccines? Let us know on social media (and use #NationalNanoDay)!
Try these fun outreach activities
- 100-Billion Nanometer Dash: Run #100BillionNanometers (100 meters) and share your pictures and videos on social media with #NationalNanoDay! Print a Certificate of Achievement and a Gold Medal for you or anyone who runs with youHost a Science Café or an informal discussion on nanotechnology in your town.
- Host a Science Café or an informal discussion on nanotechnology in your town.
- Organize lab tours and open houses.
- Coordinate outreach events with demonstrations about nanotechnology. (Check out resources at acs.org/nano and nano.gov).
Fun activities to do at home
- Exploring Nano: Even though we can’t see things at the nanoscale with our eyes, there are fun ways to explore the surprising properties of nanomaterials. Check out the following science experiments: Egg Drop, Mystery Sand, Rainbow Film, and Invisible Sunblock. You can do these activities at home using items purchased at your local store.
- Sizing Up Nano: How do objects at the nanoscale compare with bigger things that we see around us? Check out the following science experiments that help illustrate how small the nanoscale is and the tools that are available to “see” at the nanoscale: Exploring Size - Memory Game (Card Deck), Exploring Size - Powers of 10 Game (Card Deck), Ready, Set, Fizz!, Noodling Around: Powers of 10, Mitten Challenge, and Mystery Shapes. You can do these experiments at home using items you can buy at your local store.
So, what do you think? Would you be interested in celebrating National Nanotechnology Day? It can be as simple as sending a Tweet (#NationalNanoDay) on October 9!
If you have questions about National Nanotechnology Day, please feel free to contact the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office at nnd@nnco.nano.gov.
Infographics
Learn more
Nano.gov
The National Nanotechnology Initiative website features information, events, educational resources, publications, and initiatives of over 20 U.S. government departments and independent agencies agencies focused on nanotechnology R&D.
NextTech Student Network
Learn about the student network dedicated to raising awareness of nanotechnology and other emerging technologies.
NanoInFocus Image Contest
In celebration of National Nanotechnology Day and National Chemistry Week (Oct. 20–26), cast your vote for the best three images in the NanoInFocus image contest. Voting starts on National Nanotechnology Day (Oct. 9) and ends at midnight on Oct. 16. The top three winning images will be announced on Oct 24 during National Chemistry Week.
About Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at the nanoscale, at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nm, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. Matter can exhibit unusual physical, chemical, and biological properties at the nanoscale, differing in important ways from the properties of bulk materials, single atoms, and molecules. Some nanostructured materials are stronger or have different magnetic properties compared with other forms or sizes of the same material. Others are better at conducting heat or electricity. They may become more chemically reactive, reflect light better, or change color as their size or structure is altered.
Nanotechnology encompasses nanoscale science, engineering, and technology in fields such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering. Nanotechnology research and development involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter between approximately 1 and 100 nm.
It’s difficult to imagine just how small that is, so here are some examples:
∎ A sheet of paper is about 100,000 nm thick.
∎ A strand of human DNA is 2.5 nm in diameter.
∎ There are 25,400,000 nm in one inch.
∎ A human hair is approximately 80,000–100,000 nm wide.
∎ A single gold atom is about one-third of a nanometer in diameter.
More information about nanotechnology and the National Nanotechnology Initiative can be found at nano.gov
