Buckyball Workshop with Nobel Laureate Kroto
Saturday, February 9, 2008
11:30-12:30 College of Medicine
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306
Sir Harlod Kroto, Professor of Chemistry and Nobel Laureate held a Buckyball workshop for Tallahassee area children during Darwin Day 2008 celebrations in the FSU College Medicine Atrium. During that workshop about 20 children ranging in age 6 to 14 participated.
Sir Harry (as he is called) spoke to the children about atoms, molecules, and compounds. He showed them how we our selves are made of atoms and we all came from a star, “The Sun”. So explained we are all made of star-dust. Then he brought up the subject of Buckyball and 60 fold symmetry found in Carbon-60 (C60).
He gave the children modelling materials and asked them to make a Buckyball using simple geometrical shapes of pentagons and hexagons. It took some time do the job correctly. However, once it was completed the results looked fantastic. All the children then played with the ball.