NP interactions with media and the public
NanoPhotonics is a perfect field to showcase nanoscience to a wider audience since it is so visual. For instance chopping plastics into regular patterns a thousand times smaller than a human hair creates new optical properties, such as opals.
Our activities showcase the value of nano-advances to the public and we easily demonstrate optical effects based on structuring materials at the smallest nanoscales. Past successes are Royal Society Exhibitions (’11,’06) in which we talked to over 10000 people in a single week. Others include BBC Radio and TV appearances (most recently Dara O’Brian’s Science Club on BBC1 Aug 2013), Science Museum exhibits, Cafe Scientifique, and publicity in newspapers across the globe, including a full focus gallery spread in Wired. For our most recent activities, see the news feed on the right of this page.
‘Weird Nanophotonic Materials Bend and Trap Light to Make Crazy Colors‘: Wired
‘Dress to Impress‘: Royal Society Summer Exhibition 2011
See also “How Nature Dresses to Impress” website
Locally we partner with the Cambridge NanoForum and the NanoDTC (Nano Centre for Doctoral Training) to bring events to wider audiences.
Demonstrations we currently provide include:
- Bouncing lasers
- Hefty magnets, motors, and ferrofluids
- Seeing nano
- Interactive wave tank (download the installer for Windows PCs)
Please contact us for more information