Feeling the pinch of sequester? Take the survey, have your say



Scientists, researchers, and engineers attend conferences
(such as SPIE Advanced Lithography, above) to learn
about the latest research and industry developments,
network with others in the field, and locate
high-quality, right-cost vendors.

You know that scientific conferences are not junkets and that cutting national investments in technology R&D will cut national competitiveness in the global market. We hear it from every segment of photonics, and heard it particularly loud and clear at SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing in Baltimore recently.

Now you have a new chance to join with others in getting the message out.

A survey has been opened to gather input from the scientific community about the impacts of the sequester.  We are passing along the invitation from Benjamin Corb, Director of Public Affairs at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, for you to take part and provide the photonics perspective in this cross-disciplinary effort.

Ben says:

"As science advocates continue to advocate for increases in federal investments in research – and against the sequester – we constantly hear from our meetings the need for stories and data on impacts of sequester.  In an effort to collect the data, the attached survey was developed to poll how individual scientists in the field are feeling the pinch not only of sequester, but also the impact shrinking budgets have had on the enterprise over the past few years.

"The survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NDDScienceSequesterSurvey

"Once data is collected, we will convert the results into a usable report with statistics and hopefully anecdotal stories told by respondents."

We hope you’ll take part in the survey, and are looking forward to see the results. Comments are welcome here, as well.

And if you didn’t catch our “no junket” post on 12 April featuring testimony to Congress on the topic from Scientist and U.S. Congressman Rush Holt of New Jersey, here’s the link: Scientific conferences promote advances that grow the economy, save money, and improve lives.

The miracle of photonics is taken for granted

You know that signature file you may have – “Sent from my [fabulous device name here]”? Our CEO here at SPIE, Eugene Arthurs, has one that gives credit where credit is due, to photonics: “Multiple laser processes were used to make this iPad. Many photons worked to bring you this message.”

This blog makes the case that photonics can make the world a better place, and who can argue with the convenience and ease that is enabled by these great smartphones and tablets? Yes indeed, there are photons aplenty at work. But the latest column from Mark Morford, creatively infuriating (to some) writer for SFGate, points out that those who get worked up over what’s the latest and greatest, and the absolute best, are just wasting their energy, because tomorrow it will be something else.

It’s reminiscent of the legend of the conquering Roman generals, who were accompanied in their victory parades by a slave to whisper a reminder in their ear: “All glory is fleeting.” Because, as Morford says, “The wow factor of what our consumer tech can do is now so routinely high, so commonplace, we look right past the fact we’re no longer heading toward a truly miraculous tech age; we’re already there.”

He talks about the megapixel wars: “Digital photography has been completely adequate for most consumers since about megapixel number three” as well as endless geeky debates about operating systems, apps and whatnot. He makes a great point…we take it for granted. “We all have access to everyday tech so advanced, it is indistinguishable from magic.”

So it’s a good time to take a breath and acknowledge what makes a lot of that everyday tech GO…optics and photonics. And in the interests of raising awareness, keeping the industry strong, and generating more interest in science among students, we have the National Photonics Initiative (NPI), unveiled just last week. SPIE is a cosponsor. Think about how you can contribute. How can you share what you do with people who don’t appreciate its value? Convince a politician to continue/increase science funding? Help in the schools to raise the profile of science in the curriculum? There are lots of ways. Stay tuned to the latest news from the NPI.

Pythons, beetles, and jellyfish: bioinspiration for photonics applications

Ever wondered why a snake doesn’t slide sideways when headed uphill or across a slippery surface? It isn’t just a matter of muscle and motivation.

The python's underbelly scales
and heat-seeking nose are cause
for inspiration in photonics R&D.

The underbelly scales of pythons have hooks that find traction to propel them in the direction they want to go -- a concept that has been applicable in developing mechanical propulsion systems.

The heat-sensitive cells in the python’s nose help him find food; humans can use information about the creature’s nervous system to develop more effective and adaptable thermal sensors with applications from digital medical thermometers to car radiators and much more.

A 35-year-old python named Monty was the latest “animal ambassador” from the San Diego Zoo’s Centre for Bioinspiration to demonstrate to photonics researchers at a recent meeting how they and others can learn from nature to solve the world’s problems.

In addition to Monty’s visit this year, staff from the Centre for Bioinspiration at the San Diego Zoo brought a great horned owl and a caiman for bioinspiration demostrations in recent years to SPIE Smart Structures/NDE in San Diego. Zoo staff will be back in March 2014 with more as part of an ongoing collaboration between SPIE and the San Diego Zoo to promote bioinspired engineering design.



The eyes and vision of great
horned owls such as Shaman have
informed the work of optical designers.
Acoustical engineers found inspiration
in the construction of the owl's wings
for reducing the noise of high-speed trains.

Two additional projects reported on at the meeting borrowed inspiration from nature to help save trees and to explore the ocean depths:

A team from Pennsylvania State University is developing decoys to blunt the spread of tree-killing emerald ash borer beetles. Their larvae feed on the sap of ash trees, killing by depriving trees of nourishment. Entomology professor Thomas Baker teamed up with the research group of engineering science and mechanics professor Akhlesh Lakhtakia, who replicate biological structures such as fly eyes and butterfly wings. The groups developed a decoy that visually replicates the female borer, enabling researchers to trap the males to decrease breeding and thereby larvae. (Read the paper via open access in the SPIE Digital Library through 31 July: "Fabrication and testing of artificial emerald ash borer visual decoys.")

Virginia Tech College of Engineering researchers have built a man-size, autonomous robotic jellyfish, a larger model of a previous robotic jellyfish built by the same team headed by Shashank Priya, professor of mechanical engineering. Jellyfish are attractive candidates to mimic because of their ability to consume little energy owing to a lower metabolic rate than other marine species, the researchers said. With no central nervous system, jellyfish instead use a diffused nerve net to control movement and can complete complex functions. “A larger vehicle will allow for more payload, longer duration, and longer range of operation,” said Alex Villanueva, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering working under Priya. (Read the paper via open access in the SPIE Digital Library through 31 July: "Modeling and control of a jellyfish-inspired AUV.")

 

Tomatoes, juicy, delicious and even more nutritious -- thanks to LED lighting

In the Netherlands, they have been growing food in greenhouses for a long time. Lighting systems have improved production and extended growing seasons -- now they're pumping up the nutrition too.

Research by Wageningen University (Netherlands) Greenhouse Horticulture in collaboration with Philips has shown that tomatoes can be even more nutritious when grown with LED lighting. The partnership will be continued in a joint facility for research into the application of LED lamps in horticulture (IDC LED), which was to be opened in Bleiswijk (NL) this week.

In the tomato variety that showed the strongest reaction, the tomatoes receiving extra light from the LEDs contained up to twice as much vitamin C as the tomatoes not exposed to the LEDs. The doubling of the vitamin C level was achieved with an extra dose of light similar to a quarter of the natural light intensity on a sunny day.

Wageningen University and Research Greenhouse Horticulture performed its research within the framework of the project Gezond uit de Kas (Health from the Greenhouse), financed by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Solar-powered broadband expands connectivity

What better opportunity than Earth Day to point out another way that photonics plays a role in improving the planet?

Awareness of the importance of taking care of the earth is becoming more widespread, and most importantly, not just in the affluent countries of the world. In fact, the developing nations are where some of the most innovative efforts are taking place. We've highlighted micro-solar projects in Africa and elsewhere, and the previous post about the LEDs being used to protect livestock from lions shows another brilliant but simple use of photonics.

Here's one that combines solar energy and an expanding communications infrastructure in India. AirJaldi Networks, a company that provides solar-powered Wi-Fi for the rural masses, was plagued by the difficulty of maintaining power to its mobile phone towers in remote areas, especially during the monsoon season. Battery backups were expensive and frequently necessary. As GreenTech Solar reports:

Here’s how it works: every client has a router (just like you or I have at home) that gets connectivity via the airwaves and bandwidth provided by the telecom companies. AirJaldi mounts relays on small towers that receive a signal from other relays or a main distribution point. Those relays send the signal to AirJaldi’s clients. The main difference between our systems and theirs is the vast distance covered, which requires stronger routers.

Next up is converting AirJaldi's network operations centers to solar, a more expensive proposition. But the first one will be converted soon.

This is a step along the road toward making broadband available to everyone. In 2010, Finland declared that access to broadband is a human right. At present the majority of subscribers in the five Indian states served by AirJaldi (jaldi = "fast" in Hindi) are schools, nonprofits, and the like. But the company is hoping to change that.

AirJaldi believes internet access is a right for every citizen and must be provided by fiat. As founder Michael Ginguld puts it: “We have come to expect and accept that electricity, water and roads are a given. Internet should be the same.” He’s got a good argument, too. For every 10 percent increase in internet access, a country sees a 1 percent increase in GDP.

'Lion Lights': A bright solution with LEDs

Sometimes innovative technologies come from the wildest places.

Such was the case for Richard Turere, a teen-age Maasai boy from Kitengela, Kenya, who only wanted to protect his family's herd of cattle, goats and sheep from the lions who roamed the savannah near the border of the Nairobi National Park.

At the age of nine, Turere was given the responsibility of  looking after the family cattle. After two years of losing too many of the livestock to lions while the family was sleeping, and with little access to technical information, he found a photonics-based method to keep the predators at bay.

Turere explained at a recent TED conference how he had noticed that the lions were unafraid of the fires he built to keep them away. They learned to skirt around them and remain in the shadows, still able to hunt vulnerable animals.

However, the lions were afraid of moving lights. They wouldn’t come near the Turere family stockade if someone walked around with a flashlight at night. After a few weeks of contemplation and experimentation, he came up with a simple and low-cost system to protect his family's source of meat and milk.

Turere, 11 at the time, put together an automated lighting system with LED bulbs from broken flashlights and a car battery powered by a solar panel. His system of “Lion Lights” is designed to flash light intermittently into the dark night, tricking lions into thinking someone is walking around with a flashlight.

His solution has been so successful, according to SPIE Professional magazine, that several neighboring families have asked for Lion Lights. So far, 75 such systems have been installed around Kenya.

In addition, Turere's Lion Lights provided a solution that benefits the animals that inhabit Nairobi National Park, which has the world's largest density of lions, and the tourist economy built around the wildlife of Africa.

It's an inspiring story and a true example of photonics for a better world. (Watch Richard's TED talk to hear him tell the story.)

No junket: Scientific conferences promote advances that grow the economy, save money, and improve lives

In order for research to become useful, researchers and developers from academia, industry and government have to share their needs and ideas. Everyone in the field knows that. Most people would agree that much of the value and action-steps come from hallway conversations among presenters and attendees.

And nearly everyone in the field has a great deal of apprehension about the serious threat to global technology leadership and economic viability wrought by current U.S. restrictions on travel by government employees.

In the photonics sector, this includes the scientists and engineers at NASA, NIST, NIH, DOD, DOE, NSF, NOAA, and several other agencies.

Rep. Rush Holt is one of a very few
professional scientists serving in the
U.S. Congress. (Photo: Kate Bohler,
Asia Society/Flickr)

Scientist and U.S. Congressman Rush Holt of New Jersey, formerly the assistant director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (and the man who beat “Watson,” IBM’s computer system in a simulated round of “Jeopardy” in 2011) told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in February how he views scientific conferences.


"I know firsthand how important scientific conferences and meetings are. The informal conversations, as well as the formal presentations and poster sessions that go into a conference among scientists from different institutions, lead to new collaborations that have the promise of new discoveries. These are not fancy junkets.

"Many of the insights that have driven our understanding of science forward in recent years have been possible only through the collaboration of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of scientists scattered across the globe … many insights are possible only because of close, personal interactions among scientists who see each regularly: those who do not work at the same university or laboratory must rely on interacting with each other at conferences."

In optics and photonics alone, these insights are responsible for night vision and laser targeting, cures for disease, broadband communications, sustainable energy generation, cyber security for business and law enforcement, more effective surgical techniques, and much more.

And these insights are the fuel that drives technology innovation, creating new business opportunities and ensuring leadership in the global economy.

Holt is not alone in bringing this message to Congress and lobbying for adjustment to the regulations. Scientific and engineering societies such as SPIE are taking action as well.

Robert Lieberman, chair of the SPIE committee on Engineering Science, and Technology Policy, and Eugene Arthurs, SPIE CEO, have written to influential Members of Congress and the OSTP with a similar message, and SPIE President William Arnold and Arthurs have contacted society constituents who are working in government with a message of support.

"While SPIE recognizes the importance of reining in wasteful spending and improving governmental accountability, these new restrictions are extreme in their efforts to limit federal employees' participation in the scientific process,” Lieberman wrote to Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland. Mikulski is chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science and a member of several appropriations and other committees. “These regulations will have long-term repercussions for the ability of scientists to exchange information and for the economic recovery of this nation."

As Arnold’s and Arthurs’ letter to constituents pointed out, the impact of the regulations is heightened by federal budget cuts mandated by sequestration.

A move by SPIE of its Defense, Security, and Sensing from Orlando, Florida, to Baltimore, Maryland, was prompted in part by recognition that federal agencies need to control costs.

Congressional Visits Day gave voluntees from the photonics
community a chance to talk with Members of Congress
about community concerns -- including the ability for
government scientists, researchers, and engineers to meet
in person with colleagues at conferences. (SPIE photo)

SPIE sponsored volunteers who were among approximately 200 from around the country at the recent Science-Engineering-Technology Congressional Visits Day. They asked for revision of regulations in order to support travel of government employees to scienfic conferences. (They also urged support for the National Photonics Initiative (NPI), to foster increased collaboration and coordination between industry, government, and academia to identify and advance areas of photonics that are critical for maintaining U.S. competitiveness and national security.)

You can help, too: Add your voice to those informing Congress about why scientific meetings are important to your work.