ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Nanocar race

Okay kiddo, have you ever played with toy cars before? Well, imagine that instead of big cars that we can ride in, we have tiny little cars that are so small, you can't even see them without a special kind of microscope called a scanning tunneling microscope.

Scientists and engineers have been working hard to make these tiny cars move by themselves. They call them "nanocars" because they are so small. And just like big cars, they can now drive around on a special track made out of a surface that is only a few atoms thick.

Now, imagine that we have lots of these little nanocars, and we want to see which one is the fastest. That's what a nanocar race is! The scientists and engineers test their nanocars to see which one can go the fastest and the farthest on the track.

The race is really exciting because these tiny cars move in a way that is different from the cars we're used to seeing. They don't have wheels or engines like big cars do. Instead, they move by using a special kind of molecule that is attached to the bottom of the car. The molecule can push the car forward when it receives a jolt of energy.

So, basically, a nanocar race is a competition between tiny cars that are so small you need special equipment to see them. The cars move around on a special track made out of a very thin surface, and they're powered by molecules that give them a little push. It's a really fascinating way for scientists and engineers to explore and understand the world of nano-sized materials.