The science of very small things is the focus of "NanoDay," sponsored by UCSB and hosted by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History on Saturday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The event will be held at the museum, at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road, and all festival activities are included with general admission to the museum. Admission is free for children under 3; $6 for children 3 through 12; $7 for teens and senior citizens; and $10 for adults. There is no charge for members of the museum.
Participants will discover a world smaller than a hair on an ant's elbow. 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 the nanoscale structures, not coloration, create the iridescent blue color of the wings.
The event is appropriate for all ages, from kindergarten to post-college. One unusual activity will allow access to an atomic force microscope, with an opportunity to use this machine to manipulate nanoscale objects and measure them. Participants will also have the opportunity to make a laminated, liquid crystal bookmark to take home.
The event is organized by the UCSB Nanofabrication Facility and is sponsored by UCSB's National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network, California NanoSystems Institute, Center for Nanotechnology in Society, and Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology.
More information about the museum, including directions, can be found at www.sbnature.org. The phone number for the museum is (805) 682-4711.
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