News from Rochester Museum & Science Center. 

 In Brief:

Title: New Nano Mini-Exhibit Magnifies the World of the Very Small at the Rochester Museum & Science Center

Date: Permanent exhibit opens June 1

Location: 657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607

Admission: Free with regular Museum admission: $13 adults, $12 seniors and college students with ID, $11 ages 3 to 18, free for RMSC members and children under 3.

Media Contact: Debra Jacobson, Director of Marketing and Community Affairs

                          585.697.1944 • debra_jacobson@rmsc.org

 
 

New Nano Mini-Exhibit Magnifies the World of the Very Small at the Rochester Museum & Science Center

 

ROCHESTER, NY-Just how small is nano? Visitors discover this and much moreExplore Nano Technology at the Rochester Museum & Science Center as they explore Nano, a new permanent exhibit at the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC). A hands-on experience, Nano features the exploration of powerful small-scale science and technology, like the miniscule world of atoms, molecules and nanoscale forces, in a way that's fun, simple and easy to understand. Nano opens to the public on June 1 at the RMSC.

Through Nano, the very tiny science and technology changing our lives becomes a hands-on reality. Families explore the importance of nanotechnology, which is science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale-about 1 to 100 nanometers. Exhibit components present the basics of nanoscience and engineering, introduce some real-world applications, and explore the societal and ethical implications of this new technology. Encouraged to imagine and discover this tiny out-of-sight world, families become enthralled with the many fascinating aspects of nano.

The five interactive exhibit components include:

  • What happens when things get smaller?

-Small, Smaller, Nano: Visitors explore progressively smaller magnetic materials including magnetite sand, iron powder and ferrofluid.

  • What's new with nano?

-Build a Giant Carbon Nanotube: Families have fun together and build a giant model of a carbon nanotube out of foam pieces. They work atom by atom-just like scientists who are creating new nano technologies.

  • Where can you find nano?

-I Spy Nano: Exhibit goers try a series of interactive challenges, and 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: While spinning disks containing small and large plastic beads, visitors compare the relative effects of static electricity and gravity on different size beads.

-Reading Area: Families sit comfortably while learning more about nano by reading books and boards.

         Nano was created by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Network) with support from the National Science Foundation. The Nano exhibit is designed for a core audience of families with children ages 6-12.

Nano is open during regular Museum hours: Monday-Saturday from 9am-5pm and Sunday from 11am-5pm. Visit www.rmsc.org for holiday hours.

         Admission to Nano is free with regular Museum admission: $13 adults, $12 seniors and college students with ID, $11 ages 3 to 18, free for RMSC members and children under 3. For group reservations and rates, call 585.697.1942.    

         For high-resolution images and additional information, contact Debra Jacobson, Director of Marketing and Community Affairs, RMSC at 585.697.1944 or debra_jacobson@rmsc.org.

Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) includes the Science Museum, Strasenburgh Planetarium and Cumming Nature Center. Offering experiences at the Museum with more than 200 interactive exhibits, Planetarium with a 65-foot dome and Nature Center on 900 acres, the RMSC stimulates community interest in exploration. In addition, the more than 1.2 million RMSC collection items tell the story of Rochester's past including its rich history of innovation and invention. RMSC receives major funding from Monroe County, where it is one of the top three most visited attractions serving children and families. For more information about RMSC, visit www.rmsc.org. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

 

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