SPIE members and friends are active around the world furthering the field of optics and photonics in numerous ways -- and often being recorded in memorable photographs and video. Our gallery presents some of the images that caught our photo editor's attention.
Sunni Robertson of the San Diego Zoo, California, USA, is accustomed to sharing podiums with animals. Above, Robertson and Shaman, a great horned owl, demonstrate the role of bio-inspiration in engineering at the recent SPIE Smart Structures and Non-destructive Evaluation symposium in San Diego. Observing the silent flight of the owl, engineers emulated the serated edges of owls' wings to decrease noise of bullet trains in Japan.
SPIE Student Chapter members at the Centro de investigaciones en Optica in León, Mexico, recently sent SPIE the laser-"drawn" photo message above along with their report on how they are spending an education outreach grant awarded by the society. CIO students are giving optics workshops to children and teenagers in isolated communities situated from 30 to 200 miles from León. CIO students have developed a variety of workshops, but focus on a solar kitchen lesson that not only teaches about alternative energy sources, but also can be used in helping to improve the local economy. So far, 5,000 children and teenagers -- mostly 10- to 12-year-olds -- in 100 communities have been reached through the program, said CIO outreach coordinator and SPIE Senior Member Cristina Solano. As part of its education outreach mission, SPIE provides support for optics- and photonics-related education outreach projects all over the world. The next deadline for the competitive award process is 31 May.
The Grammy-nominated 3D music video "All Is Not Lost" by OK Go featuring the dance group Pilobolus was among presentations booked for the 3D cinema session at IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging 2012 in January in San Francisco, California, USA. (Photo provided by Eric Kurland, 3D director and editor of the video.)
Getting it on video: "Ecology will be the economy of the 21st century, and the most energy-efficient company or region will be the most competitive," Matthias Machnig (above), Thuringian Minister of Economy, Labor and Technology said in a plenary talk at SPIE Photonics West. Machnig was one of nearly two dozen partipants interviewed during the meeting by the SPIE Newsroom -- see them all on SPIE.tv.
Cool drinks of a sort were served during a reception at the optics.org booth at the Photonics West 2012 exhibition in San Francisco. With lights activated by liquid, the ice cubes were more about looking cool than lowering the temperature of drinks being enjoyed -- still, very cool.
First rule of laser camp? Don't look into the laser! STEM ed maven and SPIE Senior Member Judith Donnelly and colleagues from Three Rivers Community College taught students about optics technology during a recent "laser camp" event in Connecticut. The event is one of numerous outreach activities and programs supported by SPIE.
Tobias Weiler (SPECTARIS), at left, awards SPIE Board Member and SPIE Photonics Europe symposium chair Peter Hartmann (SCHOTT AG Advanced Optics) with an Honorary Bear award. Named after the mascot of Berlin, where SPECTARIS has its offices, the award was given to Hartmann at SPECTARIS' annual Imaging + Phototechnik meeting in recognition of his role in obtaining an exemption of the EU directive RoHS for indispensable optical glass.
ALOP volunteer Alex Mazzolini (Swinburne University of Technology, Australia) got a close-up look at a mountain gorilla in a Rwanda game park while in the country in November for an ALOP workshop to train optics teachers.
SPIE 2012 President Eustace Dereniak (College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, USA) stays true to his roots: the optical engineering scientist also spends time tending the family farm in Michigan.
From the archives: SPIE Board of Directors and committee member Hugo Thienpont (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium), at left, dons a hard hat for a look at reconstruction of the Square conference center in Brussels with project managers (September 2008). The Square will again be the venue for SPIE Photonics Europe in 2012.
