Nanolitho... Nanilitha... Hmm. Ahem. Nanolithography is the process of fabricating, etching, or printing patterns on a material’s surface at the nanometer (one billionth of a meter) scale. It’s OK, we had to look it up, too.
It’s probably not a word you hear in everyday life, but you’re likely familiar with some of the results. You’re probably reading this on one of those results, because it’s a prominent part of building phones and computers — both things that rely on technology that allows manufacturers to pattern incredibly small things. The process is similar to screen printing, where you create a stencil of your design, lay your screen onto your material, pour on the paint, and lift your screen to reveal the design. Nanolithography uses a similar method, but on a much, much, much smaller scale. Way smaller stuff than you’d ever get your pencil sharp enough to sketch!
For example, scientists have created the world’s smallest violin at 13 microns wide and 40 microns tall. To put it in perspective, a micron is 0.000001 m, and one single human hair is between 15 and 120 microns. So you probably can’t play the violin, but it’d be really easy to pack in your bag.
Aside from being cool, learning how to work with material at this teeny tiny scale can open up new possibilities in technology, and is crucial for making improvements.
Every family has a story — and JoJo is about to find out just how big hers really is. With Gran Gran's help, she traces her roots all the way back to a great-great-gran gran, discovers that Auntie Dee is actually Mummy's cousin, and learns she was named after an ancestor called Josephine. (JoJo. Josephine. Mind. Blown.) A real-life family then gets their hands literally covered in paint to make their own handprint family tree — because what's better than turning family history into a craft project? This one's guaranteed to send kids running to ask their parents a hundred questions about grandparents and great grandparents!
Crack open your crayons! Follow the steps to draw Bluey:
- Draw a rectangle body and doodle these bits.
- Add the ears, arms, legs, and tail.
- Finish by adding Bluey's markings.
On the next page, use the key to color in a still-life painting. Don't forget to sign your work of art when you're finished. It truly is a masterpiece!
How ya goin'? This page is for making your very own Bluey. Read a fruit-batty story, color in a keepy-uppy ballon, and drop Bluey off at school. All you need is a cereal box, paint, glue, and this Make Your Own Bluey template. Did you know that Bluey is a 6-year-old blue heeler? She has three spots on her back. Her bedding has bone pics on it and her bed has a big B!
The article "World’s Deadliest Spiders: The Top 10 Most Venomous Arachnids" from BBC's Science Focus explores which spiders around the globe have the most dangerous venom. While most spiders aren't harmful to humans, some can cause pain, sickness, and even death. From the Australian funnel-web to the Chilean recluse, this list ranks the spiders you’d never want to meet.
The article "The Gender Pain Gap: Why It’s Time To Take Women’s Health More Seriously" from BBC's Science Focus discusses the disparities in how women's pain is treated compared with men's. Women often face longer wait times for diagnoses and treatment, and their pain is frequently dismissed or misunderstood.
The article "Polar Bears Are Suffering From Painful Ice Blocks on Their Paws Due to Climate Change" from BBC's Discover Wildlife explains how polar bears are experiencing painful ice blocks on their paws, some as large as 12 inches in diameter. Researchers from the University of Washington found that these ice blocks are causing deep injuries, and climate change is to blame for the freeze-thaw cycles that cause the blocks.
In Picasso's Iconic Guernica, host Lily Cole examines the iconic Cubist painting "Guernica," created by Pablo Picasso during World War II. Discover how Picasso's masterpiece reflects the horrors of war, particularly the bombing of the Spanish town of Guernica by Nazi forces. Through abstract imagery, Picasso conveyed the anguish and chaos of the conflict. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century, a documentary series celebrating the achievements of the most influential figures of the era.
In How Patagonia's Pumas Shape the Wild, host Simon Reeve explores Torres del Paine, a national reserve in Patagonia. His guide explains how pumas play a crucial role in the ecosystem, leaving behind kills like guanacos for other animals like foxes, condors, and armadillos to survive. However, climate change is pushing guanacos out of the wilderness and onto farmland, leading to conflicts as farmers try to protect their livestock from pumas. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Wilderness With Simon Reeve, an epic adventure into the heart of Earth’s last great wild areas, where nature is at its most beautiful and fragile.
In Who Were the Sogdians?, Joanna Lumley uncovers the long-forgotten Sogdian civilization, which thrived between the fourth and eighth centuries in what is now Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Sogdians, known for their pivotal role in trade, formed merchant communities along the Silk Road, connecting distant cultures. Recent archaeological discoveries, including fresco paintings and evidence of cranial deformation, shed light on their culture and practices. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure, a documentary series uncovering the rich history and cultural treasures of the Silk Road.
In Disagreements on the Declaration of Independence, historian Lucy Worsley researches the ambiguity of the first drafts of the agreement. It had to satisfy people from 13 states, with opposing views on divisive subjects such as slavery and religion. This video is excerpted from BBC's American History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley, in which Worsley reveals the myths and manipulations behind American history.
In Some People Don't Feel Pain, Paul describes his unique condition. Paul was born with congenital insensitivity to pain, a rare genetic condition that prevents his brain from processing pain sensations. Explore how pain is created in the body, the risks associated with not feeling pain, and the science behind this rare condition. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The World’s Most Extraordinary People, a documentary series revealing how rare medical conditions inspire groundbreaking scientific discoveries.
Nanolitho... Nanilitha... Hmm. Ahem. Nanolithography is the process of fabricating, etching, or printing patterns on a material’s surface at the nanometer (one billionth of a meter) scale. It’s OK, we had to look it up, too.
It’s probably not a word you hear in everyday life, but you’re likely familiar with some of the results. You’re probably reading this on one of those results, because it’s a prominent part of building phones and computers — both things that rely on technology that allows manufacturers to pattern incredibly small things. The process is similar to screen printing, where you create a stencil of your design, lay your screen onto your material, pour on the paint, and lift your screen to reveal the design. Nanolithography uses a similar method, but on a much, much, much smaller scale. Way smaller stuff than you’d ever get your pencil sharp enough to sketch!
For example, scientists have created the world’s smallest violin at 13 microns wide and 40 microns tall. To put it in perspective, a micron is 0.000001 m, and one single human hair is between 15 and 120 microns. So you probably can’t play the violin, but it’d be really easy to pack in your bag.
Aside from being cool, learning how to work with material at this teeny tiny scale can open up new possibilities in technology, and is crucial for making improvements.
Every family has a story — and JoJo is about to find out just how big hers really is. With Gran Gran's help, she traces her roots all the way back to a great-great-gran gran, discovers that Auntie Dee is actually Mummy's cousin, and learns she was named after an ancestor called Josephine. (JoJo. Josephine. Mind. Blown.) A real-life family then gets their hands literally covered in paint to make their own handprint family tree — because what's better than turning family history into a craft project? This one's guaranteed to send kids running to ask their parents a hundred questions about grandparents and great grandparents!
Crack open your crayons! Follow the steps to draw Bluey:
- Draw a rectangle body and doodle these bits.
- Add the ears, arms, legs, and tail.
- Finish by adding Bluey's markings.
On the next page, use the key to color in a still-life painting. Don't forget to sign your work of art when you're finished. It truly is a masterpiece!
How ya goin'? This page is for making your very own Bluey. Read a fruit-batty story, color in a keepy-uppy ballon, and drop Bluey off at school. All you need is a cereal box, paint, glue, and this Make Your Own Bluey template. Did you know that Bluey is a 6-year-old blue heeler? She has three spots on her back. Her bedding has bone pics on it and her bed has a big B!
The article "World’s Deadliest Spiders: The Top 10 Most Venomous Arachnids" from BBC's Science Focus explores which spiders around the globe have the most dangerous venom. While most spiders aren't harmful to humans, some can cause pain, sickness, and even death. From the Australian funnel-web to the Chilean recluse, this list ranks the spiders you’d never want to meet.
The article "The Gender Pain Gap: Why It’s Time To Take Women’s Health More Seriously" from BBC's Science Focus discusses the disparities in how women's pain is treated compared with men's. Women often face longer wait times for diagnoses and treatment, and their pain is frequently dismissed or misunderstood.
The article "Polar Bears Are Suffering From Painful Ice Blocks on Their Paws Due to Climate Change" from BBC's Discover Wildlife explains how polar bears are experiencing painful ice blocks on their paws, some as large as 12 inches in diameter. Researchers from the University of Washington found that these ice blocks are causing deep injuries, and climate change is to blame for the freeze-thaw cycles that cause the blocks.
In Picasso's Iconic Guernica, host Lily Cole examines the iconic Cubist painting "Guernica," created by Pablo Picasso during World War II. Discover how Picasso's masterpiece reflects the horrors of war, particularly the bombing of the Spanish town of Guernica by Nazi forces. Through abstract imagery, Picasso conveyed the anguish and chaos of the conflict. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century, a documentary series celebrating the achievements of the most influential figures of the era.
In How Patagonia's Pumas Shape the Wild, host Simon Reeve explores Torres del Paine, a national reserve in Patagonia. His guide explains how pumas play a crucial role in the ecosystem, leaving behind kills like guanacos for other animals like foxes, condors, and armadillos to survive. However, climate change is pushing guanacos out of the wilderness and onto farmland, leading to conflicts as farmers try to protect their livestock from pumas. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Wilderness With Simon Reeve, an epic adventure into the heart of Earth’s last great wild areas, where nature is at its most beautiful and fragile.
In Who Were the Sogdians?, Joanna Lumley uncovers the long-forgotten Sogdian civilization, which thrived between the fourth and eighth centuries in what is now Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Sogdians, known for their pivotal role in trade, formed merchant communities along the Silk Road, connecting distant cultures. Recent archaeological discoveries, including fresco paintings and evidence of cranial deformation, shed light on their culture and practices. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure, a documentary series uncovering the rich history and cultural treasures of the Silk Road.
In Disagreements on the Declaration of Independence, historian Lucy Worsley researches the ambiguity of the first drafts of the agreement. It had to satisfy people from 13 states, with opposing views on divisive subjects such as slavery and religion. This video is excerpted from BBC's American History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley, in which Worsley reveals the myths and manipulations behind American history.
In Some People Don't Feel Pain, Paul describes his unique condition. Paul was born with congenital insensitivity to pain, a rare genetic condition that prevents his brain from processing pain sensations. Explore how pain is created in the body, the risks associated with not feeling pain, and the science behind this rare condition. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The World’s Most Extraordinary People, a documentary series revealing how rare medical conditions inspire groundbreaking scientific discoveries.