'Nanogardens' Sprout Up On The Surface Of A Penny

by MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF, NPR The Picture Show

May 21, 201312:55 PM

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  Courtesy of Wim Noorduin/Harvard University
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  Courtesy of Wim Noorduin/Harvard University
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  Courtesy of Wim Noorduin/Harvard University
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  Courtesy of Wim Noorduin/Harvard University
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  Courtesy of Wim Noorduin/Harvard University
• 
  Courtesy of Wim Noorduin/Harvard University
• 
  Courtesy of Wim Noorduin/Harvard University

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April showers bring May flowers. But in this case, the blossoms are too small for even a bumblebee to see.

Engineers at Harvard University have figured out a way to make microscopic sculptures of roses, tulips and violets, each smaller than a strand of hair.

To get a sense of just how small these flower sculptures are, grab a penny and flip it on its back. Right in the middle of the Lincoln Memorial, you'll see a faint impression of Abraham Lincoln. These roses would make a perfect corsage for the president's jacket lapel.

Growing the gardens is similar to making crystals with a Magic Rock kit.

The flowers sprout up spontaneously when a glass plate is dipped into a beaker filled with silicon and minerals (specifically, barium chloride). Then Wim Noorduin at Harvard coaxes the salts to spiral and swirl into smooth, curvaceous shapes, like vases, leaves and petals.

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Sense Of Scale:Microflower sculptures row in front of the Lincoln Memorial imprinted on the back of a penny.

Courtesy of Wim Noorduin

Click for link to article at NPR