Making Nanotechnology less scary

Did you notice that in many movies the evil character is illuminated with some green light from the side? It makes us feel uneasy because it is unnatural. This uncomfortable feeling can also happen when we look at some nanotechnology images. Many portray saturated laser lights in a dark background and shiny atomic particles. Moreover, scientists may like to explain in a single image multiple aspects of their experiment. This is often achieved by multiple layers including a background, a close up to the structures, and other floating elements at a different scale. It has become the default look. Scientists from the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) and the National Institute for Material Science (NIMS) in Japan wanted a different look for their outreach communications. Something away from the overused "Science fiction" theme in nanotechnology, something gentle, warm, pastel, and "sweet". 

Copyright property of NIMS, MANA and VIZCIE.

Tenjimbayashi-san and coworkers had created micro droplets coated with repellent nanoparticles which roll on surfaces without sticking, remain suspended on water, stick to surfaces upon laser illumination, merge, and split among many other behaviours.  We wanted to show all these features, so we came up with a "course race" where these so called "Micro Liquid Marbles" "compete" and "win" to solid marbles and water showcasing their physical properties. To also show how small the droplets can be, we added iconic red blood cells inside.

We wanted something tangible and approachable for broad audiences.

Thank you so much Tenjimbayashi-san and the team of MANA and NIMS for trusting me for this artistic, yet scientific image ^_^.

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Publication: https://lnkd.in/d26BAQyR

Highlights release: https://lnkd.in/diK8upqq

Image Copyright to NIMS, MANA and VIZCIE.