A Molecular Journey

So what will students see when they view the “Riding Snowflakes” show? The show follows a cast of characters, based on atoms, as they move throughout the universe from the perspective of a magical ship, also called the Molecularium. The ship can view matter on both the human and molecular levels. At first, a character representing an oxygen atom (“Oxy”) meets two hydrogen atoms (“Hydro” and “Hydra”), and teaches them to use the ship. “She’s taking them on their first lesson on how to fly the ship,” says Bush. The atoms, who combine to form a water molecule, descend to earth and ride snowflakes, flying around and through them. As a snowflake melts and becomes a raindrop, the Molecularium voyages inside it, where the characters greet their fellow water molecules.

More adventures quickly ensue: The Molecularium voyages to another galaxy, returns to Earth with the steering help of a lonely carbon atom (“Carbón”) seeking life forms, rides a polymer roller-coaster, and explores the objects in a kid’s pocket, from a penny to a stick of gum. The adventure concludes with a “DNA ride” as the characters discover the secret of life. All this in a mere 19 minutes.

“It’s very fast-paced, it’s got a very light touch, and it’s very light-hearted,” says Bush. “Even if the kids don’t come out having memorized everything they learned in the show, it should definitely spark their interest about the topic. If we can do that, then it will be a life-long gift that we can give to these kids.”

The show will be viewed in places like the Junior Museum in Troy, N.Y., and other digital-dome theaters both large and small throughout the country. A sneak-preview clip was shown in Washington, D.C., in June, on Capitol Hill as part of the Coalition for National Science Funding’s 10th annual science fair for politicians. The screenings will work in conjunction with additional learning materials for young students: Activities, written materials and quizzes, to reinforce the ideas presented in the show.

“The overall goal is to create an immersive environment for elementary school children to learn about molecular science and materials,” says Schadler. A typical school group venturing into the planetarium might spend an hour, all told, learning how the world works at the atomic scale. The topics are tied to the New York state curriculum for primary schools — which does not specify that students must learn about atoms and molecules, but requires them to learn about states of matter, starting in the first grade.

“The technology we are using to coordinate talents both on and off campus is an exciting story on its own, but we didn’t stop there,” says Garde. “By merging technology with art, education, and community, we are developing a teaching tool that explores molecular science in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by people of all ages.”

It is also no coincidence that the Molecularium(SM) project has been a Rensselaer effort, since it stems from one of the university’s strengths. The project is an outgrowth of the extensive educational and outreach program of Rensselaer’s Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures – one of the original six such nanotechnology centers in the U.S. funded by the NSF in 2001.

For his part, Bush says he is impressed by how easily he has managed to coordinate his own creative work with the scientists from Rensselaer. “Basically anything we want, we can get it in five minutes,” says Bush. “For all of the molecular and scientific information, I can make a phone call and I have it on my desk in five minutes … It’s a great resource for the project.”

Related Web sites:

Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures

Additional Information:

Rensselaer Showcases Molecularium(SM) Project on Capitol Hill

Rensselaer to Create New Molecularium(SM) Show and Take it on the Road

Rensselaer Ignites the Imagination of Young Scholars-to-Be

What Really Matters: Rensselaer, Junior Museum, and NSF Open the Country’s Only “Molecularium(SM)”