Nano Girl

Data shows women led companies are better!

Michelle Dickinson • Aug 05, 2015

How’s that for a conversation starting headline? Those who know my passion for diversity would expect a headline like that from me, but it actually stems from a report released this week by First round capital, a venture capital firm which provides seed funding to startups. After analysing 10 years of data covering 300 companies […] … Read More

How ants clean their antennae could help the nanotechnology industry

Michelle Dickinson • Jul 31, 2015

Ants, the tiny insects that we usually try to get rid of in our homes are being showcased through research out this week that highlights these fascinating little creatures. Not only can they carry 50x their own body weight, but they have incredibly sensitive hairs on their antennae which allow them to smell food, follow […] … Read More

How Mythbusters inspired me to make a live science show!

Michelle Dickinson • Jul 26, 2015

Mythbusters, we all know it, we’ve all seen it and after over 10 years on our TV screens we all have our favourite busted myth. When I found out that Mythbusters were going on tour and doing a live show, I was so excited! I imagined a real live science show full of explosions and […] … Read More

Global Impact Visas – why a technology rich New Zealand ecosystem needs them

Michelle Dickinson • Jul 26, 2015

“One hundred inspired New Zealand entrepreneurs can turn this country around.”  Sir Paul Callaghan Those words led me to being in a really unexpected place this morning, listening to the Prime Minister give his speech at the National Party’s annual conference. I was there specifically to hear his announcement on something I’m passionate about and have recently […] … Read More

Scientists create a new technique to see the first atomic-scale images of nanoparticles

Michelle Dickinson • Jul 20, 2015

Nanoparticles are tiny structures made up from a few to a few hundred atoms where their shape, size and properties are determined by how the atoms combine together. There are several ways to make nanoparticles, one of which is to grow them out of metals such as gold and platinum in a liquid. This method […] … Read More

IBM reveals a 7nm chip! Why this is awesome news!

Michelle Dickinson • Jul 15, 2015

Moore’s Law, which states that a semiconductors’ computing power will double every two years is going to survive for a few more years thanks to the creation of a new 7nm chip! Thanks to a research team led by IBM, Global Foundries, Samsung Electronics and SUNY a new prototype chip was just announced which is […] … Read More

Pretty or smart? Why do girls have to choose?

Michelle Dickinson • Jul 15, 2015

I have two lives, one as a privileged academic with a job that surrounds me with smart, interesting people and a lab which enables me to create, discover and question. The other, as Nanogirl, a female in a lab coat who visits schools inspiring curious minds while trying to understand why so few girls want […] … Read More

What if your clothes were a touchscreen? Explaining Google’s Project Jacquard

Michelle Dickinson • May 30, 2015

Imagine controlling your lights and TV just by touching the arm of your couch.  Imagine running your fingers along your sleeve to control your smartphone device.  Imagine throwing away your fitness tracking band because your clothing did the measurements instead. All of these ideas already exist at the prototype level and I’ve chatted about jackets […] … Read More

Top 10 new species of 2015!

Michelle Dickinson • May 25, 2015

Around 18,000 species were newly named and identified last year and added to the 2 million species named so far.  Estimates are that we still have around 10 million species still to be discovered on earth, and many will be extinct before they are even found. To draw public awareness to our planets amazing biodiversity, […] … Read More

How butterfly nanotechnology could inspire your next touchscreen

Michelle Dickinson • May 23, 2015

Sitting outside reading your e-book on a glorious sunny day sounds delightful, but many of us have experienced the frustration of the sun reflecting off our screens making them hard to see.  When turning up the brightness to maximum and moving under a shady tree still fail, the next solution we seek might come from butterflies. […] … Read More