Fairview Students Introduced to Nanoscience

Published May 9, 2014

A group of students from Fairview High School got a crash course in the world of nanoscience during a visit to Vanderbilt University. The students participated in a lab at the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE) as part of the institute's educational outreach program.

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of extremely small things. VINSE brings together faculty from the Vanderbilt College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the Medical Center to discover and utilize nanomaterials and nanoscale phenomena.

On April 22, the Fairview students took part in an experiment where they used blackberries to fabricate and test a nano-structured solar cell. Some of the students were even allowed to use electron microscopes, which are worth more than $1 million apiece, to observe the solar panels and examine the structure on the nano-scale.

Fairview High is one of several Williamson County schools to participate in the program this year. A video featuring Summit High School's visit is available on Vanderbilt University's website by going to http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2013/10/vucast-extra-blackberries-electricity-and-high-school-students/