Dr. Andrew Greenberg watches children make gummy worms.

"Our slogan is to 'ignite wonder,'" said Marilynn Sikes of the Discovery Place museum in Charlotte, N.C. And, referring to a particular scientific demonstration involving a smoky-like substance called aerogel: "It certainly ignited wonder. It expanded people's mental boundaries and got people thinking about what science is all about."

The aerogel demonstration--which involves guessing which canister is holding the lightweight substance--is part of a series of demonstrations in a "Materials Matter" museum show designed by a team from the Penn State Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) and the Philadelphia-based Franklin Institute. The "micro makes macro" show explores material from the atomic level to what's visible to the naked eye.

Discovery Place uses demonstrations from the show in its outreach education efforts in elementary schools throughout Charlotte, as well as in its museum. An additional 21 museums carry the show in some form or another. For example, the Rochester Museum and Science Center incorporates a couple of the Materials Matter demonstrations--one involving the making of gummy worms and another involving nitinol, a flexible material that remembers its shape when heated with a hair dryer--in its own regular shows.

"We were doing projects centered on material sciences, and we decided it was important to also show what's happening on the nanoscale level," said Dr. Andrew Greenberg, Penn State chemistry instructor and co-director with Dr. Ronald Redwing of the MRSEC outreach effort, of Materials Matter. "Nanotechnology is one of the next burgeoning scientific areas. There are a lot of different fields locking onto it, doing things we've never been able to do before. The computer industry uses it to build computer chips, and the medical industry uses the technology to make pharmaceuticals."

One demonstration teaches visitors how vision works.

Up and Coming
The Penn State-Franklin Institute partnership is producing a new show based solely on the nano theme, scheduled for rollout in January. Focusing on the human body, the show is called "Our Bodies: The Ultimate Nanotechnology Factory."

"Many processes in our bodies function at the nanoscale level," explained Greenberg.

One demonstration will feature an "eye box," in which visitors can manipulate "molecules" like a switch to make a light shine--modeling how the eye delivers information to the brain. Another demonstration will show biological images at different magnifications--the meter scale, the centimeter scale and so on.

Most of the same museums carrying Materials Matter are expected to run the new show, with representatives from the institutions receiving training and materials from the two partners. Beth Tinker of the Franklin Institute is the force behind working with those organizations, said Greenberg. "The feedback has been wonderful," he added.

It used to be that forestry professionals or geographers relied solely on maps and compasses for fieldwork. But traditional techniques are increasingly being replaced by the Global Positioning System (GPS), a high-tech mapping tool applied to a wide range of sectors--from automobiles to agriculture. That's why Penn State Mont Alto Forestry Professor Dr. Peter Linehan introduces high schoolers to the technology during hands-on lectures.

In his seminars he combines the basics of map and compass reading with a brief explanation of the GPS satellite system and how a unit can determine location and store waypoints. Then he takes the class outside to experiment.

Said Thomas Coy, whose geography class at the Shippensburg Area Senior High School recently participated: "It was an excellent opportunity for students to be exposed not just to the GPS, but also to the overall rapidly growing technological aspect of geography."

Dr. Brian Cameron (left) and students examine devices for AT&T Wireless. Paul Hazi Photography

With 14 years of industry experience under his belt, Dr. Brian Cameron gives students in his IT class a bonus: corporate contacts.

Cameron uses his background to create a unique classroom experience involving real-world consulting. Students split up into groups to work on a wide variety of technologies--from wireless communications for AT&T Wireless to a corporate intranet site for the Pennsylvania-based company Computer Aid Inc.

"I scope out projects to make sure the experience will be good for both students and the company," he said. "It's up to me to work with the companies and make sure the projects add a good value and that the students have a great learning experience."

Other projects have included a configuration management system for Malvern, Pa.-based Vanguard Investments and a customer relations management system for the Philadelphia offices of the consulting firm Accenture.

The students' work often results in internships or job offers. Cameron reports that when he started the program two years ago he had to seek out companies to participate. Now, he says, "I have more projects than I know what to do with."

Steve Heilenman of Computer Aid Inc. is sold. "I am very impressed with [the students'] professionalism, communication skills and overall work ethics," he said. "We will continue to be supportive."