VANDERBILT VIRTUAL SCHOOL announces "NANOTECHNOLOGY: The next BIG waveof innovation" videoconference on THURSDAY October 18, 2007, in the HOTTOPICS series for students in grades 7 - 12. Please feel free to share this announcement with your colleagues.Videoconference: "NANOTECHNOLOGY: The next BIG wave of innovation"Presenter: Vanderbilt Professor of Chemistry Sandra RosenthalDate: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2007Target Audience: Students in grades 7 - 12Time: 9:00 and 10:00 AM (CENTRAL time zone)Format: 45-minute videoconference: format is a 30-minute presentationand 15-20 minute interactive Q & A with studentsCost: $75 per siteRegistration: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/registration.htmQuestions: Phone administrative assistant, Chandra Allison, at (615)322-6511 or email Chandra at chandra.allison@vanderbilt.eduBefore the videoconference, students should prepare advance questions toask during the interactive question and answer period. DESCRIPTION: "NANOTECHNOLOGY: The next BIG wave of innovation"Join Vanderbilt Professor of Chemistry Sandra Rosenthal as she discusses"NANOTECHNOLOGY: The next BIG wave of innovation".Please view the entire LESSON PLAN on "NANOTECHNOLOGY: The next BIG waveof innovation"http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/programs/hot-topics/nanotechnology.htmThink small, really, really small. Imagine the smallest thing that youcan see and then imagine that we can make things that are 1/1000 thatsize. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter at a scale of 1 to100 nanometers. Teachers may help students think about the world on thescale of the nanometer using movies such as "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" or"Incredible Voyage" as a springboard for discussion. How big is ananometer? Nano means "billionth". A nanometer is a billionth of ameter. As a reference point, a hair is approximately 100,000nanometers. A red blood cell is approximately 10,000 nanometers. Why does nanotechnology generate such worldwide excitement? Changes madeat the atomic level create significant changes in the physical,chemical, biological, mechanical, and/or electrical properties ofindividual elements. So the properties of materials can be changed bynanotechnology. Molecules can be arranged in a way that they do notnormally occur in nature. The material strength, electronic and opticalproperties of materials can all be altered using nanotechnology.Working at the nanoscale, scientists are creating new tools, products,and technologies to address some of the world's biggest challenges, toimprove lives, and to contribute to worldwide economic growth. These include:* clean, affordable energy* stronger, lighter, more durable materials* low-cost filters to provide clean drinking water* medical devices and drugs to detect and treat diseases moreeffectively with fewer side effects* lighting that uses only a fraction of energy* sensors to detect and identify harmful chemical and biologicalagents* techniques to clean up hazardous chemicals in the environment* current applications in various industries, including medicine,space development, environmental protection, and defenseThere is a big interest and a driving effort from all sectors ofindustry towards the development of technology based on the nanoscale.As an enabling technology, nanotechnology is expected to have an impacton a wide range of applications in industry including materials andmanufacturing, nanoelectronics and computing, health and medicine(including biopharmaceuticals), environment and energy, automotive,national security, and aeronautics and space exploration. Usingnanotechnology scientists can control molecules at an atomic level andcreate materials with unique properties. Nanotechnology is being used toeven make everyday things like clothing, sports equipment and medicaldevices better. For example, carbon nanotubes, thin tubes made ofcarbon that are 1/50,000 the width of a hair, are being used to maketennis rackets that are super strong.Come join Sandra Rosenthal in this videoconference and learn aboutemerging consumer products that take advantage of these possibilities,and what we can expect to see on the market in the near future. For more information about Rosenthal and her team's quantum dotdiscovery, visitwww.vanderbilt.edu/exploration/stories/breakthrough.htmlPlease view the entire LESSON PLAN on "NANOTECHNOLOGY: The next BIG waveof innovation"http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/programs/hot-topics/nanotechnology.htmA 15-20 minute interactive question and answer session posed by studentsfrom the participating classes will follow each presentation. *****************************Videotaping of Virtual School videoconferences is not allowed due tolegal issues such as informed consent, jurisdiction, confidentiality,standards of practice, and supervision. REGISTER today! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Patsy Partin, M.EdDirector, Virtual SchoolVanderbilt University2007 Terrace PlaceNashville, TN 37203(615) 322-6384Email: patsy.partin@vanderbilt.eduWeb: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool