Western Carolina University graphic design student Sarah Cook, explains instruments that measure the nanoscale in this animation. Sarah's professor, Mary Anna LaFratta integrates science into her projects because “design is, in part, about making information easy to navigate and accessible. Visually explaining concepts related to STEM disciplines is one application of design and a potential career direction for students.”

If something is too small to see, how can you figure out what it looks like? That’s the problem scientists faced when they wanted to study the nanoscale (1 to 10 nanometers). They had to build completely new instruments that let them interact with a surface at the nanoscale.