March 24, 2011

UCSB, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Present ‘NanoDays'

George Foulsham

The science of very small things is the focus of "NanoDays," sponsored by UC Santa Barbara and hosted by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History on Saturday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Sunday, April 10, from noon to 4 p.m.

The events will be held at the museum, 2559 Puesta del Sol Road, Santa Barbara, and all festival activities are included in the price of general admission to the museum. Admission is free for children under 3; $6 for children 3-12; $7 for teens and senior citizens; and $10 for adults. There is no charge for members of the museum.

According to Angela Berenstein, academic coordinator for UCSB's National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN), participants will discover a world smaller than a hair on the eye of a bee. And they will learn how things behave differently at the nano scale, including how geckos can climb walls and why they are able to defy gravity.

Another activity will allow participants to zoom inside the wing of a Blue morpho butterfly, where it can be seen that nanoscale structures, not dye, create the iridescent blue color of the wings.

The event is appropriate for all ages, from kindergarten to post-college, Berenstein said. One unusual activity will allow visitors access to an atomic force microscope, with an opportunity to use this machine to manipulate nanoscale objects and measure them. Visitors will also be able to choose an insect and manipulate a scanning electron microscope to get a close-up view.

The event is organized by the UCSB Nanofabrication Facility and is sponsored by NNIN, California NanoSystems Institute, and the Nanoscale Informal Science Education.

More information about the museum, including directions, can be found at www.sbnature.org. The phone number for the museum is (805) 682-4711.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.