Very Small Science Creating Very BIG Ideas at MDM! Nano- Imagine and discover a world you can't see! Nano is an interactive exhibition that engages family audiences in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. Hands-on exhibits present the basics of nanoscience and engineering, introduce some real world applications, and explore the societal and ethical implications of this new technology. Nano was created by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net) with support from the National Science Foundation. The Nano exhibition is intended for long-term display in museums across the United States, where it will engage millions of people. Up to fifty copies of Nano will be fabricated; all copies will be identical and distributed to museum partners free of charge. The exhibition complements NanoDays events and other NISE Network education experiences. Exhibit Components! What happens when things get smaller? Small, Smaller, Nano: visitors explore progressively smaller magnetite materials -- magnetite sand, iron powder, and ferrofluid. What's new about nano? Build a Giant Carbon Nanotube: visitors work together to build a giant model of a carbon nanotube. Where can you find Nano? I spy Nano: visitors try a series of interactive challenges, then search a complex image for examples of real nano products and phenomena. What does nano mean for us? Balance our Nano Future: Visitors balance blocks on a tippy table, which represents the challenge of working together to build a stable nano future. Seating and Reading Area Static vs. Gravity: visitors spin disks containing small and large plastic beads, comparing the relative effects of static electricity and gravity on different size beads. Reading Area: visitors sit comfortably while learning more from books and reading boards. Come check out Nano today on the museum's first floor! NanoDays NanoDays is a nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering and its potential impact on the future. NanoDays events are organized by partners of NISE Net, and take place at over 200 science museums, research centers, and universities across the country from Puerto Rico to Hawaii. NanoDays engages people of all ages in learning about this emerging field of science, which holds the promise of developing revolutionary materials and technologies. The first NanoDays events took place in 2008 with more than 100 institutions participating. Since then, NanoDays has grown to over 200 events and continues to grow; NISE Net is distributing 225 physical kits in 2012. NanoDays at Maine Discovery Museum was held March 31-April 1, 2012. Look for NanoDays 2013: March 30-April 7, 2013 across the country & of course, at MDM!