Molecularium Explores the World of Materials
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EDUCATION EXCHANGE
Molecularium Explores the World of Materials “If only one idea had to be passed on to the next generation, it is the concept of atoms and molecules, and that everything is made of them,” wrote physicist Richard Feynman in his famous Lectures on Physics in 1970. Indeed, even today, one cannot think of a more powerful message to pass on to our children. The world of atoms and molecules is intricately integrated into the thinking of every materials scientist and engineer. Be it a new car bumper, the next generation of computer chips, or a discovery of the latest drug molecule—the understanding of molecular structure and how it influences the behavior and properties of molecules and materials is the fundamental goal of much of our current materials research effort. As we enter the 21st century, a truly grand challenge facing our materials research community is to educate and excite the general public about our scientific world, and help create a scientifically literate society. A more informed public will naturally be better prepared to understand complex issues ranging from global warming and energy conservation to genetically modified foods and nutrition. Fascinated by the world of atoms, molecules, and materials, we decided to take up this grand challenge and contribute in our own way by reaching out to the next generation early. The concept of the Molecularium™ was thus conceived and has gradually taken shape over the last two years. Like the words “aquarium” or “planetarium,” Molecularium conjures up images—in this case, of the fascinating world of molecules, where we meet characters based on atoms, take rides through materials they constitute, and with them learn more about the world around us. That is precisely our vision. To begin, we have developed our first show—“Molecularium: Riding Snowflakes”—which uses a dome theater setting like a planetarium, but instead of taking children on a journey to distant planets, the show immerses them in the nanoscale world. The theater can be either a permanent installment, as in existing planetariums, or a portable, inflatable dome that can be easily transported to schools and other venues. For the show to be really effective, we realized that it had to be not only scientifically accurate, but also entertaining, engaging, and fun. We have now been able to make significant advances in this direction, thanks to a supplemental grant in 2003 from the U.S. National Science Foundation to our Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures. 132
Figure 1. In the Molecularium show, children meet Oxy, an oxygen atom (red), who shows Hydra and Hydro, two hydrogen atoms, the world of materials.
In the first show, debuting in February 2005, the children meet Oxy (see Figure 1), an oxygen atom with the voice of an eightyear-old girl, who takes the younger Hydra and Hydro, two hydrogen atoms, on a test drive of the ship of the Molecularium show. The ship is amazing—it can shrink to molecular sizes and move as fast as the speed of light
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