Scientific plots with a smile

A new comic series from the creator of the Weizmann Institute of Science is based on and makes accessible the research at the institute

Are there any ingredients that can be used in advanced medical treatments? (Yes)
Is oil absorbed in the sand a lost resource? (No)
Will nanotubes make it possible to build an elevator from Earth to a space station? (Maybe)

These are just three questions among the thousands of questions that preoccupy the scientists of the Weizmann Institute of Science, and are described briefly, and in a comical style, in a new comic series that is launched today, published by the Weizmann Institute of Science. The series, called "Nano-comics", tells the story of five permanent heroes and another like that number of heroes-for-the-moment, who work in a scientific research institute that takes place, in fact, anywhere and at any time. The protagonist of the series is Nano, a boy of about 10, whose parents went on a long journey in space, and he spends a lot of time at his grandmother's workplace, who is the cook in the cafeteria of the scientific institute. His natural curiosity leads Nano to get involved in scientific adventures that take place at the forefront of scientific research, close to the edge of human knowledge. The other stars of the series are Femto, a senior and mature scientist, with the mind of a child; Giga, a young and energetic multidisciplinary scientist; Mega, a postdoctoral researcher who hides the fact of being a time traveler; And Tara, a graphic designer working at the institute, who sometimes has to remind her scientist friends of the simple facts of life.

Each story in the series is based on real scientific work by scientists of the Weizmann Institute, and yet, of course, the comic brings the stories in an unexpected way and accompanied by subtle humor, which leaves a "taste of more". The stories move in space and time, change places and cultures, and bring Nano and his friends together with Indians, Chinese, Eskimos, industrial spies and more. Each story includes a "scientific rectangle" that tells in a few simple words about the scientific work on which the story is based.

Nano-comics stories, based on publications of the Weizmann Institute of Science, were written by Meir Goldberg (known, among other things, as the one who wrote the song "A small country with a mustache"). The drawings of the characters and the plots are the work of the illustrator Yaniv Shimoni. Editor: Bisham Azgad. Nanocomics stories will be published in the magazine "The Institute" of the Weizmann Institute of Science, and in other media.