NanoTube Contest Brings Out the Hollywood Side of Nano Things

(PhysOrg.com) -- How would you describe "nano" to someone who had never heard of it before? In a video contest held by the American Chemical Society (ACS), scientists-turned-filmmakers are explaining what exactly nano is, and where the future of nanotechnology is headed.

The NanoTube Contest will be accepting video submissions from January 5 - March 15, 2009. So far, dozens of videos have been entered in categories including "My Research," "Tutorials," and "Data Visualization." As the ACS explains on its Web site, videos will be judged on creativity, scientific clarity of explanation, originality and quality of the video. The winner will receive $500 in cash.

The contest is open to all registered users, and anyone can vote on the videos by rating them. Currently, viewers can watch videos such as French cheese being cut into ever-smaller cubes; the history of nanoparticles before nanotechnology; and a Sesame Street-like musical with puppets called "Nano Song." This last video, created by Berkeley researchers Patrick Bennett and Ryan Miyakawa, is posted here. Be sure to check out the other entries at the ACS NanoTube page.