Bridge to Nanowhere

Albany NY is an international hub for nanotechnology.  Billions of dollars have been spent on flagship buildings, state-of-the-art clean rooms, and on wooing nano-tech companies from around the world to set up in business here.  Locally most people seem to regard it as a Good Thing, for providing jobs and attracting kudos to the region.

Every November - or "Nanovember" as they have renamed it - CNSE (the College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering) opens its doors and invites the public in to find out what it's all about.  There's a lecture series, and on the first Saturday of the month a "Family Day".  Our family went along today.

There were lots of vaguely nano-related fun things to do: creating "bucky balls", threading UV-sensitive beads that change colour in sunlight, making polymers, playing video-games (our kids were particularly drawn to classic Pacman).  We attended a presentation which explained how nanotechnology is a part of all our lives now, from our clothes and make-up to our hip-replacements and pace-makers, and how it is revolutionising computers in particular (hence those video games).  There were demonstrations of DNA testing and water-repellent sand.  Some of us took a guided tour.  And to top it all there was free popcorn - probably not very nano-related, but nevertheless appreciated.

CNSE is in the process of expanding, with a huge new building going up.  So that the scientists and students don't have to risk life and limb dodging the traffic on the busy Washington Ave Extension that runs between the old and new buildings, they're installing a bridge.  In fact they started putting it up today - we caught a glimpse.