10/14/2012 2:24:25 PM

Times Union: Creating big dreams with science of small

Times Union

NORTH GREENBUSH — A museum in Rensselaer Technology Park is trying to give small fry a chance to understand the tiniest of technologies.

The Children's Museum of Science and Technology opened a new permanent exhibit on nanotechnology, hoping to help children grasp a concept far too small for them to see. The exhibit enables children to build a giant carbon nanotube and contains displays explaining in simple terms what nano is and how it can be found in their lives.

To celebrate, the museum held a "grand reopening" Saturday, though  it was only closed a few weeks as it is every September.

The nano exhibit is sponsored by the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering.

"This exhibit is designed to introduce people to what nano is," said Laurie Miedema, CMOST's director of museum and guest relations. "It's really the science of the small. This whole room is to get students inspired by science."

The hope is that by getting children interested in nanotechnology early, they might grow up to enter the field and stay in the region.

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