Mudpies and Silicon

This is a book of basic crystalline atomic structures plus a few scientific building blocks - light, dimensions, graph paper, axes, scientific notation, distance, electrons, photons, atoms, protons, neutrons, wavelength, and frequency. It is for children from very young to any age. The purpose is dual. First, to map the territory of basic crystal structures. Second is to give a SMALL taste of those aspects of science that are some building blocks for good citizenship and to think in the age of quantum mechanics, not the 1800s of Newtonian physics. It is a start. Today we use computers not slide rules and technology is understandable. It is for WORK and PLAY. Color, build, draw in the sand or dirt, carve or cut a potato or use seeds, sticks, stones, clay, pasta, flour and water to make glue or anything that can be shaped to build or show structures or their images. Everyone can be familiar with atoms, materials, scientific notation and basic definitions needed for modern life. We all want to be able to make informed decisions about technology and everyone is capable of understanding basic ideas, images and how things are put together. Science is ordinary and normal, fun and has its own language. It is constantly expanding and our world needs to understand it better.