The NISE (nanoscale informal science education) Network has announced that its Nano Days programs for 2009 will take place between March 28 and April 5. From their website,

NanoDays is the NISE Network’s annual celebration of nanoscale science, technology, and engineering. NISE Net encourages its partners and any other community-based educational organizations, such as museums, research institutions, universities, and libraries, to focus their efforts on bringing nano to the public during one week each spring. NISE Net provides access to hands-on activities, downloadable media, and science and education professionals that can all help support institutions as they organize their events

You can check out the website and get more details here.

There was a big announcement from Intel made yesterday about investing $7B US to allow manufacturing of 32 nanometre (nm) chips in their existing plants in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. From a Feb. 10, 2009 news release on the Azonano website,

“We’re investing in America to keep Intel and our nation at the forefront of innovation,” [Paul] Otellini [Intel President and CEO] said. “These manufacturing facilities will produce the most advanced computing technology in the world. The capabilities of our 32nm factories are truly extraordinary, and the chips they produce will become the basic building blocks of the digital world, generating economic returns far beyond our industry.”

Otellini also gave a talk at the Economic Club of Washington, DC on the morning of Feb. 10, 2009. They haven’t posted the webcast yet but when they do, it should be here.

The intel announcement is interesting in light of the education program announcements made a few weeks ago which I mentioned here. There does seem to be a general mobilization towards re-establishing the US as a technological powerhouse.

I’ve also seen allusions to the space race of the 1950s and 60s which was instigated when the Russians were the first to explore space. That incident spurred the US to focus on technological goals and I wonder if this economic meltdown might not have some of the same effect as the space race did.