Photonics for a Better World

Nathan Rasmussen SPIE’s #FacesofPhotonics social media campaign connects SPIE members in the global optics, photonics, and STEM communities. It serves to highlight similarities, celebrate differences, and foster a space where conversation and community can thrive. This week on #FacesofPhotonics we are sharing the story of Nathan Rasmussen from Arcata, California. Nathan was part of the SPIE Student Chapter at Washington State University (WSU) and is now a physics and 3D math consultant, programmer, and game designer for Martian Games, a small company that focuses on multiplayer games and virtual reality (VR). He is also working on interactions and optimization for VR. Looking forward, he says, one day he hopes “to develop games and experiences for STEM classes in order to teach abstract concepts.” We hope you enjoy his interview. 1. Tell us about when you first became interested in optics and photonics. Nathan at the Seattle Indies Expo, demoing an Android game As a c...

The future happens at SPIE Optics + Photonics What will the future look like? For technologists, policy makers, and venture capitalists alike this is the million-dollar — really billion-dollar — question. For scientists and engineers working on the technology that will fuel this future, the question is more about where to secure funding, where to publish, and where to present their research. SPIE’s Optics + Photonics symposium in San Diego this August is the choice of many of these top researchers to present their latest iterations on future-impacting technology. The future of medicine Technology will most certainly play a large role in the future of healthcare, from innovative imaging techniques and personalized medicine to further understanding of the brain and how it functions and malfunctions. While not a major focus of the symposium, many healthcare-enabling technologies will be presented. A group of Italian researchers will be presenting their work utilizi...