Lindsay France/University Photography

Freelance science writer Neil Savage, left, and producer Jon Palfreman, founder of the Palfreman Film Group, learn about polymer chemistry in a hands-on experiment at the Kavli Institute at Cornell Journalist's Workshop in Nanotechnology, June 13.

Close to 30 journalists, from local news media to as far away as the United Kingdom, got a firsthand look at nanotechnology research at the Journalist's Workshop in Nanotechnology, June 13.

Hosted by the Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, the all-day workshop invited members of the news media to get a rare glimpse into the inner workings of complex nanoscience research, by taking the journalists on tours of Cornell facilities, connecting them with researchers, and allowing them to try their hands at scientific experiments.

One highlight was a tour of the microscopy equipment in the Duffield Hall clean room, a specialized environment for nanofabrication that requires visitors to don protective suits and safety glasses.

Other activities included hands-on experiences in polymer chemistry, tomography, carbon nanotubes and nanofibers, as well as two sessions on nanotechnology basics led by materials science and engineering assistant professor Kit Umbach.

The day capped off with a "speed pitch" session, in which researchers sitting at tables around a room in the Statler gave groups of journalists three-minute summaries of their research as the journalists switched from table to table. Also near day's end, journalists attended a presentation about scientific collaborations in fiber science and nanotechnology.