Final Regular Update Friday January 26, 2007
We just got back from our final Exploravision meeting. We finished off with a dinner out with all the parents and siblings at East Side Mario's. Our entry was sent via Fedex today with tracking number 8591 9483 1836. The content has also been moved to the wiki pages, so take a look at our Abstract and various Description sections. The kids did a great job! It was a lot of fun. I hope everyone learned more about nanotechnology, sunscreen and working together. Best of luck to the team.
Update Friday January 12, 2007
We visited the Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University today. Our visit made the McMaster website. http://epic.mcmaster.ca/%7Elapierre/Outreach.htm
The project team met our host Dr. Ray LaPierre at the John Hodgins Engineering Annex. The students demonstrated their K’Nex Nanoscreen models for Dr. LaPierre in his office. Next we moved into the basement where various electron and atomic force microscopes are located. We met Steve Koprich whose job it is to operate the electron microscope.
Steve told us many things about the operation of the microscope. We learned about vacuums, the temperature of liquid nitrogen, electrons, x-rays and more. We looked at the compound eye of a fly under the microscope as well as a microchip and were able to see details that we could not without the microscope. Steve also showed us how he was able to determine what elements the samples were made of using the microscope. Next we took some pictures in a room that is still under construction, but will be the home of a new 17 million dollar microscope. When it is installed this May it will be the most powerful microscope in the world.
We took a quick walk outside to a laboratory in another building where we met Brad operating a very impressive looking electron beam epitaxy system.
The electron beam epitaxy system is used to create nanowires and other nanostructures. It works by condensing evaporated or gas vapours onto another material called a substrate. The substrate is created in such a way that the atoms or molecules attach and arrange themselves in a very thin layer of a desired pattern or shape. We saw some pictures of some very short nanowires that were created using this method. This is one way we are creating nano structures today. However, we need to learn how to create these structures in greater varieties, size and quantities to meet our requirements. We also need to learn to produce them more easily and for less money.
Finally we visited a clean room where researchers create and prepare various electronic components some of which are on the nano scale.
It is called a class 10 clean room because there are less than 10 particles of dust per cubic foot of air in the room. Dust is a problem when working with things at the nanoscale because a particle of dust is huge compared to atoms and molecules and can interfere or hide the smaller nano particles. We learned that most dust is dead skin that has fallen from our bodies. The room is kept clean by filtering the air and by ensuring that anyone entering the room is wearing special suits, booties, hoodies, and gloves. Each of the students was given a pair of booties and a hoody from the clean room to take home. The students noticed that the lighting in the room is yellow. We were told this is because blue light wavelengths can damage the incredibly small electronic devices much like ultraviolet light damages our skin. In regular white light there are blue light wavelengths. Creating a light bulb that does not create blue light wavelengths results in a yellow light.
Many thanks to Dr. LaPierre, Steve Kopich and a few others we met along the way.
Update Sunday January 7, 2007
We spent the first hour today answering some basic questions I had prepared, and coming up with some general statements regarding the design we intend to submit. The questions and main points are listed below. We finished the morning with a second nanotechnology video that is available on the European Union CORDIS site. It can be downloaded by registering here http://cordis.europa.eu/nanotechnology/src/pressroom_films.htm, or streamed from here: rtsp://rtsppress.cec.eu.int/Archive/video/mpeg/i047944/i047944_en.rm
- What technology is our improved sunscreen application system based upon?
- What is nanotechnology?
- Did you know that nanotechnology is already used in the creation of sunscreens?
- Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide (previously the very white sunscreen) are both used mainly for their reflective capabilities.
- As with most things we make and used today, relatively huge amounts of sunscreen is spread over the skin in order to distribute small amounts of active ingredients like zinc or titanium oxides.
- Our invention will use nanotechnology to distribute zinc oxide nano particles that have already proven to be effective sunscreens.
- We will create nanomachines designed to create an even layer of sun blocking nanoparticles over exposed skin.
- The nanomachines will use the energy from the sun to enable their movement.
- They will detect and only cover the outer layer of normal skin and the eyes that is exposed to the sun. They will be able to detect and avoid cuts and various entry points into the skin.
- They will have a concentrated source of titanium or zinc molecules that they will bind with oxygen molecules in the air to create TiO2
Update Friday January 5, 2007
I missed a couple updates just before Christmas, and then we took a couple weeks off. We're back at it now though. Ryan showed a couple nanomachine designs he cooked up using lego. Then we reinforced some things we already learned about Nanotechnology by reviewing a presentation for kids ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/nanotechnology/docs/yp_en_vi-fp.pdf from the European Commission. Following our review we watched an excellent video from the same organization. The videos can be downloaded from here http://cordis.europa.eu/nanotechnology/src/pressroom_films.htm after registering, or streamed from here: rtsp://rtsppress.cec.eu.int/Archive/video/mpeg/i045354/i045354_en.rm
Update Sunday December 10, 2006
The kids began brainstorming innovations to sunscreen application systems that would address the issues with the current technology as outlined in our Present Technology section. The majority of the morning was spent drawing/colouring some of the ideas they came up with. As mentioned to some of the parents, I had previously introduced the kids to things on the nano scale through a half-hour show on the Internet called “When Things Get Small”. My thoughts are that nanotechnology may naturally fit into our improved sunscreen application system, either through topical or internal application. I’m trying to steer the kids in the direction of at least exploring some of the ideas they have already communicated on a larger scale, in terms of how they may be applied on the nano scale. I suspect their focus may be on the miniaturization of mechanical processes, which is fine; although it would obviously also be welcomed and perhaps more appropriate if they were to look to a biological or medical application. As mentioned, I hope to steer the kids in the direction of ideas that might be applicable on a nano scale at this Friday’s meeting.
•bucket
•bathtub
•shower
•mister
•sunscreen band with microscopic sponges
•motorized sunscreen star
•robot
•sponge
•electron gun
•laser
•patch
•smoke
•sprinkler
•needle/injection
•pill
•tomato juice / lypocene
Update Saturday December 8th.
Our Present Technology and Technology History pages are complete. You don't need to add anything further to these pages on the wiki. You can always download and read the evolving entry document found here. /start/exploravision2007-aag.doc
Friday December 8th Update
We started tonight's meeting with a quick review of some points we covered this past Sunday around innovations since the invention of sunscreen. Next I introduced a couple new pieces of knowledge with respect to current technology. We briefly discussed the human body's natural sunscreen melanin; as well as the variety of chemicals and natural minerals that are found in current sunscreens. I had previously input these items, plus those I corrected for spelling and grammar into a document. From this I was able to print approximately 25 discrete thoughts on cards in large print. The kids and I used these cards to group each of the items into five categories. One Technology History and four Present Technology; 1) sunburn, skin damage and skin cancer, 2) sunlight, 3) sunscreen, and 4) application systems.
With our thoughts organized, I will be updating and finalizing the Present Technology and Technology History pages before we meet on Sunday and begin our creative process. I'm looking forward to it!
Here are a couple shots of before, during and at the completion of our session - plus some bonus video. Enjoy.
Sunday December 3rd Update
Today we talked more about how sunscreen actually works, as well as some of the improvements and enhancements that have been made to sunscreens since they were first invented. I demonstrated the difference between reflection and absorbtion with a bouncy ball and a bowl of macaroni. We discussed how most sunscreen works by absorbing (some) harmful ultraviolet rays, converting them into longer waves that are emitted as heat or flouresence. I will be adding a couple points that we discussed during the session to the Present Technology page, and then I hope to have the kids organize all of these thoughts using an organizational web at Friday's meeting. We ended the session with a video called "When Things Get Small", to introduce some thoughts around things on the nano scale.
Friday December 1st Update
We continued working on some questions that I felt the Present Technolgoy and Technology History pages left unanswered, and would be important to answer for the submission. We made some good progress that we planned to continue with on the weekend.
November 26th Update
The kids put in a full two hours today. We spent the first hour beginning our research into the Present Technology and Technology History components. We focused on a Google search that took us to http://www.coppertone.ca/english/solar/sun_care_history/ and a visit to the wikipedia sunscreen page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunscreen. In the second hour we broke into two groups and began composing the respective pages on the wiki.
If the parents could assist the kids with being able to login independently that would be appreciated. Then the kids can be encouraged to continue to build on the work they started on these pages on their own. However, parents should feel free to work with the team interactively as well as encouraging their independent work.
So far the content has focused on sunscreen itself. I believe this is valuable and to be expected, however we need to ensure we move towards the delivery/application systems also - given this was a key component of our project idea.
Next meeting is Friday December 1st after school, followed by Sunday December 3rd at 10:00 AM. I hope we will have the Present Technology and Technology History sections complete by the end of Sunday so we can move forward with the creative work. See you then.
Great work kids!!
Update! November 24th
Today we learned from three demonstrations. We learned that sunlight is different than artificial light because UV beads reacted differently in the sunlight than they did in the classroom light. In the classroom they were clear. In the sunlight they turned colours.
We learned that visble light is a form of electromagnetic energy that we see as colours. Sunlight contains forms of electromagnetic energy that the bulbs we use to light our homes do not. For example, the sun produces ultraviolet light that can cause sunburns, skin damage and skin cancer. Other forms of electromagnetic energy are radio waves, microwaves, infra red light, visible light, ultraviolet light, x-rays and gamma rays.
We saw a demonstration of ink that was invisible in classroom and sunlight, but was visible when we shined an ultraviolet light on it, once again demonstrating that not all light is the same. (Question: If the sun produces ultraviolet light, why didn't the ink show in the sunlight?)
Finally, with a skipping rope wave demonstration we learned shorter, more frequent waves take more energy to create, and therefore have more energy than longer less frequent waves.
If you look at the chart above you will see that ultraviolet rays have a shorter wavelength than visible light. The shorter wavelength and greater energy of ultraviolet light compared to visible light is what makes it dangerous if we are exposed to too much of it. Fortunately for us, the earth's atmosphere blocks much of the harmful electromagnetic energy that the sun produces before it reaches the earth's surface. However when we are exposed to too much ultraviolet light we will get a sunburn, damage our skin, and even increase our chances of getting skin cancer.
Armed with some background in the science of what sunscreen was invented to protect us from, we can start to research some more about the history of sunscreen as well as the current technology.
See you on our first Sunday meeting.
Update! November 19th
Each member of our project team voted for their four favourite brainstorming ideas this past Friday November 17th. The two most popular ideas were limb regeneration and an improved sunscreen application system. After a short roundtable we unanimously chose to pursue the sunscreen application system. We discussed some (not all, feel free to add to the list) of the issues that we hope to address in our project, including:
- Easier and faster application (Who can do it? How long does it take?)
- Ensuring correct application (How do you properly apply it?)
- Ensuring complete application (Where do you need it and how does it get there?)
- Improved activation times (How long do you wait before it works?)
- Reduced re-application (How often do you have to reapply?)
- Skin cancer prevention (Why do we need sunsreen? How does it work? What is in it?)
- Atmospheric changes (Why has sunscreen recently become even more important?)
Mrs. MacLeod and I would like the project team to start researching and answering some of these questions, and begin writing the Present Technology and Technology History sections of our entry. I've created a Project Research page where the project team can freely add any thoughts at all surrounding the technology. If a team member has something to contribute to the Present Technology or Technology History please add those thoughts, complete or otherwise, to the applicable pages. We've got alot of work ahead, so….
Let's get started!
Original Welcome Screen
Hi Ryan, Lauren, Maddison, Sydney and parents!
Welcome to your ExploraVision 2007 Project wiki.
You can use this wiki to collaborate on your project through the Internet when you can't get together in person. Mrs. MacLeod and I will also be using this wiki to communicate with you and your parents about the project.
As we progress with our project we will add more and more content to this wiki. On the right hand side of this page you will find a navigation bar that contains links to pages that make up all of our entry components. You are encouraged to add, enhance or correct any of the pages on the wiki. Don't worry about making a mistake, we can always undo your changes. When we are satisfied with the content of our entry components we will format them for printing and send them in the mail.
I'm looking forward to helping you with your project, and hope this technology might help.
Here some links that might help inspire some project ideas
Strategic Technologies for 2020
Top 10 Challenges for 2008
Top 10 Energy Innovations for 2010
