'Nano to Nature' display at Pioneers Park Nature Center

            The Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will sponsor a Nano to Nature display at the Pioneers Park Nature Center from Nov. 19 through January.

            This public presentation, "Nanoscience: Natural Beauty and Incredible Functions," introduces nanoscale science (measured in billionths of meters) through snowflakes, lotus leaves, butterflies and minerals. Learn how nanoscientists mimic nanostructure principles and phenomena in nature to develop new products that are revolutionizing our lives. Some real-world applications include nano stain-resistant clothing, kitchen countertops that have hydrophobic properties like the lotus leaf, and computer screens inspired by irridescent butterfly wings.

            For more than 50 years, Pioneers Park Nature Center has been helping children and families discover nature and is now part of sharing how nature's best ideas are being imitated to address human problems through nanotechnology. The Nature Center is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. and every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.  Admission is free.

            The UNL Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience is on the forefront of nanoscience research. Founded in 1988, the center supports more than 85 research scientists from the University of Nebraska's departments of physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, engineering mechanics, chemical engineering and others. The center also works with state and national industries in support of Nebraska's overall economic development.

Writer: Terese Janovec