The nanotech revolution waits for no man, woman...or child. To revitalize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) performance, the U.S. educational system requires a practical strategy to better educate students about nanoscale science and engineering research. This is particularly important in grades K–12, the effective gestation point for future ideas and information. Optimize your use of free resources from the National Science Foundation The first book of its kind, Nanoscience Education, Workforce Training, and K–12 Resources promotes nano-awareness in both the public and private sectors, presenting an overview of the current obstacles that must be overcome within the complex U.S. educational system before any reform is possible. It’s a race against time—and other countries—and the fear is that U.S. students could lag behind for decades, with ineffective teaching and learning methods handicapping their ability to compete globally. Focusing on the application of new knowledge, this concise and highly readable book explores the transdisciplinary nature of nanoscience and its societal impact, also addressing workforce training and risk management. Illustrating the historical perspective of the complexity of K–12 education communities, it defines nanotechnology and evaluates pertinent global and national landscapes, presenting examples of successful change within them. This book is composed of four sections: Foundations—addresses the national educational matrix, exploring the scientific and social implications associated with the delay in adopting nanoscience education in public schools Teaching Nanotechnology—discusses the critical process of teaching K–12 students the skills to understand and evaluate emerging technologies they will encounter Nanoscience Resources and Programs—provides a wide overview of the resources offered by funded outreach programs from universities with nanoscience centers Framework Applied—analyzes the structure of national government programs and skill level recommendations for nanoeducation from the National Nanotechnology Initiatives This book offers plans of action and links to sustainable (largely free) development tools to help K–12 students acquire the skills to understand and evaluate emerging technologies. Promoting a holistic teaching approach that encompasses all aspects of science, the authors strive to help readers implement change so that decisions about resources and learning are no longer made "from the top down" by policymakers, but rather "from the bottom up" by teachers, parents, and students at the local level. Akhlesh Lakhtakia, one of the contributors to this volume, was recently featured on CNN in a discussion on solar energy.

Advances in nanotechnology are transforming the ways of creating materials and products, leading society to the threshold of a second industrial revolution. However, future opportunities will depend significantly on how nanotechnology stakeholders deal with the short-term and long-term benefits, limitations, uncertainties and risks of nanotechnolog

No longer the hidden genius of scientists, nanotechnology is now appearing in products manufactured for everyday life—products that can heal, save lives, be more durable, and last longer. It is also attracting the attention of investors interested in participating in this nano revolution. Nanotechnology: Business Applications and Commercialization is a guide for businesses, investors, and research universities who want to bring nanotechnology products to the commercial market. Showing how academia and business can partner to commercialize nanomaterial research, it delineates business aspects for scientists and highlights opportunities for business professionals. Some of the key topics covered include: Questions to ask before writing a business plan Products consumers are currently using Grant and funding options Standardization that will affect domestic and international production Dangers that must be managed to ensure the safety of nanotechnology Commercialization centers and organizations that provide support Barriers to nanotechnology commercialization Competitive factors that can help bring the international economy more stability Areas where nanotechnology is expanding This timely book outlines how to harness nanotechnology innovations through the application of strong business principles, drive the standards and development, and take the knowledge to the commercial level with business applications. Filled with case studies and useful resources, it helps readers bridge the "valley of death"—the gap period in capital financing that exists between research and the market adoption of new technologies.

Nanotechnology is changing the world in a very big way, but at the atomic and sub-atomic level. Although the roots of nanotechnology can be traced back to more than a century ago, the last three decades have witnessed an explosion of nano-based technologies and products. This reference work examines the history, current status, and future directions of nanotechnology through an exhaustive search of the technical and scientific literature. The more than 4000 bibliographic citations it includes are carefully organized into core subject areas, and a geographic and subject index allows readers to quickly locate documents of interest. Although a sense of the global reach and interest in nanotechnology can be gleaned from the reference sections of countless journal articles, conference papers, and books, this is the only reference work providing an in-depth global perspective that is ready-made for nanotechnology professionals and those interested in learning more about all things nanotechnology. Despite the abundance of online resources, there is still an urgent need for well-researched, well-presented, concise, and thematically organized reference works. Instead of relying on wiki pages, citation aggregators, and related websites, the author searched the databases and databanks of scholarly literature search providers such as EBSCO, ProQuest, PUBMED, STN International, and Thomson Reuters. In addition, he used select serials-related databases to account for pertinent documents from countries in which English is not the primary national language (i.e., China Online Journals, e-periodica, J-STAGE, and SciELO Brazil among others).

This book presents the perspectives of nanotechnology educators from around the world. Experts present the pressing challenges of teaching nanoscience and engineering to students in all levels of education, postsecondary and informal environments. The book was inspired by the 2014 NSF workshop for Nanoscience and Engineering Education. Since nanotechnology is a relatively new field, authors present recommendations for designing nanotechnology education programs. The chapters describe methods to teach specific topics, such as probe microscopy, size and scale, and nanomaterial safety, in classrooms around the world. Other chapters describe the ways that organizations like NNIN and the NISE Network have influenced informal nanotechnology education. Information technology plays a growing role in all types of education and several chapters are devoted to describing ways how educators can use online curricula for teaching nanotechnology to students from preschool to graduate school.

This comprehensive handbook has become the definitive reference work in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology, and this 4th edition incorporates a number of recent new developments. It integrates nanofabrication, nanomaterials, nanodevices, nanomechanics, nanotribology, materials science, and reliability engineering knowledge in just one volume. Furthermore, it discusses various nanostructures; micro/nanofabrication; micro/nanodevices and biomicro/nanodevices, as well as scanning probe microscopy; nanotribology and nanomechanics; molecularly thick films; industrial applications and nanodevice reliability; societal, environmental, health and safety issues; and nanotechnology education. In this new edition, written by an international team of over 140 distinguished experts and put together by an experienced editor with a comprehensive understanding of the field, almost all the chapters are either new or substantially revised and expanded, with new topics of interest added. It is an essential resource for anyone working in the rapidly evolving field of key technology, including mechanical and electrical engineers, materials scientists, physicists, and chemists.