Thursday, which was in my opinion the most interesting day, covered the worlds of both art and science and also focused on solutions to current problems such as energy sources.  First of all, Giacomo Chiari lectured us on the science of art conservation.  He told us of the methods used to conserve ancient and beautiful pieces of art.  A device called Fadeometer measures the effect of light on an object, such as a painting, without damaging it.  The advantage of this is being able to analyze the materials of a painted surface without having to dig into it.  Taking a tiny sample of the artwork to analyze it is another technique.  The sample has to be small enough to not distract the viewer from the focal point of the painting or sculpture.  This lecture perfectly encapsulated the idea of the collaboration between the arts and the sciences.

After the lecture we visited the labs of Dr. Dunn, Dr. Shailos, and Dr. Yang.  In the Dunn lab we were introduced to sol-gel which is glass made at room temperature and made by mixing liquid chemicals.  We also studied hydrophilic, hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces.  The Yang lab focused on alternate fuel sources so we were able to see how solar panels were created and how they work.  Also the scientists showed us how bioluminescent algae are able to produce a blue glow when they are excited or put in motion.  Finally at the Shailos lab were able to use an interactive SEM (scanning electron microscope) to see our own hair or skin magnifies thousands of times.  These lab visits gave me understanding of the enormous potential of nanotechnology.
http://www.chemat.com/html/solgel.html
http://www.buffalostate.edu/depts/artconservation/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioluminescence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrophobe
http://www.howstuffworks.com/solar-cell.htm