Event #3: LightFest

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A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend UNESCO's Lightfest. I listened to Dr. Scott Fraser talk about how he uses different dimensions to grasp a better understanding of biology. One topic that he kept referring back to is the 'Pyramid of Frustration'. A paper by Ohja explains that the elements on the pyramid are all connected to one another, therefore they cannot coexist with one another without changing a certain aspect of one to improve the other. This will lead to the pyramid being unbalanced and collapsing (Ohja). 

A photo talking about synapses

Dr. Fraser also brings up the multiple tools he uses within his lab to explore different dimensions.he first starts speaking about the confocal microscope as it's a commonly used tool in the lab. It's responsible for rejecting scattered light which allows it to photograph inactive specimen's muscle sections in high resolutions. One downside to using this microscopy is that it'll damage the surrounding planes/dimensions due to you collecting light from just one plane. Another tool he was fond of was the two-photon light-sheet. This machine allows for the user to view an intact brain and watch all of the synapses that were taking place. You could use the machine to figure out whether the animal was sleeping or awake. The downsides to using this machine is that it's costly and that its power resolution is so high that it'll burn the specimen if you're not careful. 

A photo of Dr. Fraser speaking

Fraser closes out his presentation by talking about artists and how their skills are used to interpret the data he collects from light microscopy to create beautiful images. This is similar to how artists are utilized by NASA to reimagine and add color to the pictures they collect from space. Viewing pictures of space in color instead of their original black and white form is a way to invoke people to become interested in space and the sciences (Gerl). This will allow for more people to opt for the scientific stance while also being a part of the art.

A Photo of me at Lightfest

Overall, Dr. Fraser's talk at Lightfest was a way to not only share his findings but also a way to inspire others that his work wouldn't be able to come to life without the artists working beside him. 

Images 

  1. A photo talking about synapses, California NanoSystems Institute, 15 May 2024
  2. A photo of Dr. Fraser speaking, California NanoSystems Institute, 15 May 2024
  3. A photo of me in front of Lightfest, California NanoSystems Institute, 15 May 2024

References

  1. Gerl, E. J., & Morris, M. R. (2008). The Causes and Consequences of Color Vision. Evolution: Education and Outreach, 1(4), 476–486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12052-008-0088-x
  2. Ohja, A., & Ohja, N. K. (2021, June 22). Excitation light-induced phototoxicity during fluorescence imaging. Indian Academy of Science. https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/jbsc/046/0078#:~:text=(b)%20Pyramid%20of%20frustration.,the%20pyramid%20will%20be%20deformed.

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