Boy and Girl Scouts to examine chocolate, gold under the microscope

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern University’s annual All Scout Nano Day returns for its 22nd year tomorrow (April 12).

Hosted by the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN), the event will feature interactive presentations, laboratory demonstrations and hands-on activities for young scouts. Print and broadcast media are invited to attend. To cover the event, contact Amanda Morris at amandamo@northwestern.edu or 217-417-4846.

“With All Scout Nano Day, we’re inspiring young people and showing them that anyone can be a scientist,” said Sarah Petrosko, associate director of IIN. “We hope they consider careers in science and engineering as they grow.”

Activities will include: 

• Chocolate diffraction: Scouts will examine the patterns and colors that appear when melted chocolate solidifies.
• Cell phone microscope: Scouts will use cell phones to magnify tiny drops of liquid plastic, which change shape when heated.
• Gold colloid: In the lab, Scouts will pipette sugar and salt into vials of colloidal gold, causing the colors to change.

Dozens of Scouts will break into groups of four, spending 20 minutes at each location. All activities will take place in the Pancoe Life Sciences Building, 2200 Campus Drive on the Evanston campus.

Schedule of events:
8:45 a.m.: Scouts arrive; light breakfast
9:15 a.m.: Welcome and introduction to nanotechnology
9:30 a.m.: “Being a Scientist”
10 a.m.: Break
10:15 a.m.: Lab tours and demonstrations
Noon: Pizza party and award ceremony
1 p.m.: Conclusion