Members of the Nanoscience group participate in many outreach activities. The group is strongly committed to widening participation in Nanoscience based activities, and broadening interest in science amongst members of the public generally. Some examples of previous activities are described below.
Members of the group travelled to the MAGNA Science Adventure Centre near Sheffield for a day of nanoscience. The event allowed visitors a chance to meet researchers and artists working in the nanoscience field of science and technology. Demonstrations included exploring optics, bubble rafts, atomic force microscopes and smart pens, along with the ever popular vortex cannon and liquid nitrogen demonstrations (see the video to the top right!).
Members of the group put on a live show for the Physics Department at the University's annual Mayfest event. The theme of the show was 'air' and demonstrations including vacuum cannons, vortex rings and ultrasonic acoustic levitation were shown off to a packed lecture theatre of eager audience members. The video the right (in the middle) shows group member Dave Farmer performing the grand finale to the show: The Nitrogen Cloud…
These annual masterclasses, titled, "Exploration and Manipulation at the Nanoscale" are held for A-Level students from around the country in the School of Physics & Astronomy. Sessions include hands-on atomic force microscope (AFM)-driven nanolithography (example shown to the right), scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), AFM demonstrations and problems classes. Each session is led by staff and student demonstrators from the group.
Previous feedback comments from the A-level students include:
"Increased my knowledge and understanding of quantum mechanics and nanoscience";
"Opened my eyes to a whole branch of science that I had previously thought was just abstract";
"Thoroughly enjoyed it!"
Members of the group have participated in the Sixty Symbols video project, a Youtube channel that aims to explain the arcane letters and squiggles used by scientists in their work. Prof. Philip Moriarty in particular is a regular contributor, enjoy some of his finest work in the videos on this page! The complete list of videos, as well as more information about the project, can be found at the Sixty Symbols webpage.
Some of the members of the group blog about a variety of physics-related topics (including education, politics, the unexpected beauty of science, and, errmm, the links between heavy metal and quantum physics) over at the Institute of Physics’ physicsfocus site.
