Nantenna

Okay kiddo, do you know what an antenna is? It's a piece of metal that can pick up signals, like the ones that let you watch TV or listen to the radio.

Well, a "nantenna" is a really tiny version of an antenna. "Nan" means really, really small! Nantennas are so small that they are made up of tiny particles called "nanoparticles."

These nanoparticles are able to pick up really tiny wavelengths of light - we call these "infrared" wavelengths. When the nantenna picks up these wavelengths, it starts to vibrate!

This vibration creates a tiny bit of electricity, which then can be used to power things like small sensors. Scientists are still trying to figure out how to use nantennas in everyday objects, but they're really excited about the possibilities!