Nanotechnology Expert to visit with Coaches

This Wednesday, November 1 from 4-5 p.m. Casper College will be hosting a Wyoming First Lego League Coaches Forum. Dr. Christopher Rothfuss, a local nanotechnology expert will discuss nanotechnology as it relates to this year's FLL NanoQuest Challenge. Coaches please plan to attend this incredible opportunity.

Dr. Christopher Rothfuss - Bio Statement
Dr. Christopher Rothfuss represented the US Department of State, Office of Space and Advanced Technology from 2003 through 2006. Dr. Rothfuss was the State Department lead on nanotechnology and supported a variety of space policy and advanced technology issues. He represented the Department on the Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) that coordinates the US National Nanotechnology Initiative. In addition, Dr. Rothfuss chaired the NSET Global Issues in Nanotechnology (GIN) working group which focuses specifically on US international policy and activities related to nanotechnology. Dr. Rothfuss was a 2003 AAAS Science and Technology Diplomacy Fellow. He received a PhD in Chemical Engineering and MS in Applied Physics from the University of Washington, and a MS in Chemical Engineering and BA in International Political Science from the University of Wyoming.

Nanooze - Special Nano Quest Edition

The folks at Nanooze, a science magazine about nanotechnology for kids, have put together a special Nano Quest edition to tell you a bit more about the science behind some of the missions. These articles were written specifically for FLL teams so may be a great help in understanding the missions and the tiny world of nanotechnology. Go to the Nanooze website to read all about the missions. Click on 'Articles' to see their explanation of the science behind each mission.

Nanotechnology Videos

Visit this Museum of Science link to watch some great video podcasts of recent developments in Nanotechnology.

Ask a Nanoscientist!

New - and available online now. The Museum of Science, Boston and the Materials Research Society are providing a great opportunity to assist with the tough questions that FLL Teams may have as they are researching nanoscience and technology for the Nano Quest Challenge. Go to the Ask A Nanoscientist Website to post your question. Once teams have had a chance to formulate questions, the questions and answers will be posted to the "Ask a Nanoscientist Website" - including yours! You may ask as many questions as you want, just check first to see if someone else has already asked it to save yourselves some time.

Site Participation

Here is the information on numbers of students and team practice times.

1) Crest Hill Dragon Fire Breathing Programmers - 25 - W/R 7:45-8:45
2) Southridge Superstars - 25 - T/Th 3:45-4:45
3) Woods Learning Center Robo Hobos - 30 - M
4) Verda James Robo Kings - 20 -
5) McKinley/Westwood Mini-Lego Maniacs - 40 - T/Th 11:40-12:25
6) Oregon Trail Lazer Blazer - 35 - W/Th 8:00-8:50
7) Dean Morgan Comet Ryders - 20 - T/Th 7:00-7:50
8) Mills School Mills Robot Brigade - 10 - M-Th 3:00-4:00
9) North Casper Xera's Robo Kingdom - 8 - Th 3:20-4:15
10) Frontier Firewolves - 40 - M-F 2:05-2:35
11) Casper Classical Academy Geek Squad - 11 - Thur 4
12) Paradise Valley Terabyte Tigers - 17 - M/W 3:30 - 4:15
13) Sagewood Starbotics - 21 - 4X Wk 7:45-8:45, 3:30-5:30 (Sat. in Nov)
14) Boys & Girls Club -
15) Centennial Wings E-Core
16) CYJH Biohazards - 20 - TF 2:50-4
17) Midwest Elementary Techno Robots - 16 - TWR 11:40-12:10
18) St. Anthony's SAM's Robitz
19) Pineview Hippy Chic Panther Geeks - 13 - TWF 8-8:50
20) Willard ? - 13 - Thur 3:45-5
21) Midwest Jr. High Nano Robots

Teams KickOff

Each participating school has now had their official NanoQuest KickOff meeting. Please take a minute or two to comment and let us know how your site is doing. Specifically, let us know the following information:

1)Site Information (School & Team Name)
2)How many students are participating (We would like to have this number for the grant)?
3)When are your regularly scheduled team meetings (days/time/location)?
4)How are your site's students reacting to this new opportunity?