Brilliantly Dotty! by Celia Berrell

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Quantum just means very small.
A quantity so tiny,
electrons in its atoms will
behave constrained and tidy.

Quantum Dots are very small.
They’re nano-sized or less.
When energized by radiant light,
they vividly fluoresce.

Many modern TV screens
now use such Quantum Dots,
creating glowing hues for scenes
from brightly coloured spots.

Carbon Dots fluoresce in red.
If silkworms on those dots are fed,
they’ll glow in daylight – not in red …
their skin and silk glow PINK instead!

First published in Double Helix #70 magazine by CSIRO Publishing.

Image from Pixabay

Minuscule Madness by James Aitchison

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I’ve been collecting tiny things,

like frozen fleas and freckles,

and a book a centimetre long

written by a man named Eccles.

In a jar I have a nano newt,

and a full stop in another,

and a dingbat’s DNA

I’m saving for my brother.

Tiny footprints made by mice,

fingerprints of butterflies,

a spare hair from a busy hare,

and seeds I found in apple pies.

The only question really is,

what will I do with all this stuff?

I’ve got so many tiny things,

my room’s not big enough!

Photo from Pexels by srini