From a Cell Phone Into a Fluorescent Microscope
Human technology grows by leaps and bounds in many ways. And in so doing, it has also benefited human lives in many forms, be it in the manufacture of products and delivery of services from metals to health care. One such advance that can spell better lives through better health is the cell phone that can be used as a portable fluorescent microscope.
Said technological advance was developed by the researchers at the famed University of California Berkeley using a camera phone as a foundation. Initially called CellScope, which is obviously a play of the words cell phone and microscope, takes color images of tuberculosis and malaria parasites that are labeled with fluorescent markers.
Tags: images of tuberculosis, malaria parasites, mobile phone networks, red blood cells, university of california berkeleyDIY – Lighting, Incandescent or Fluorescent
For many years the pros and cons of incandescent versus fluorescent lights have been described. With the addition of CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights), LED and other technologies the debate has shifted somewhat. But, first, some elementary science…
Incandescent bulbs acquired the name because what they do is, in essence, burn (i.e. incandesce, or glow with heat). A thin tungsten filament sits inside a partial vacuum. Electricity passes through the wire and, because it offers resistance to the flow of electrons, it heats up. Quickly, the temperature rises enough to make the metal glow.
The interior of the incandescent bulb is usually coated with a diffusing material to cut down on the bright glare of a clear, glass bulb. Though, of course, there are many clear glass lightbulbs around. That doesn’t alter the basic way the bulb operates, but it does change the look.
Tags: bright glare, incandescent bulbs, mercury atoms, tungsten filament, wavelengths of lightRelated posts
Fluorescent Light Bulbs Over Regular Light Bulbs
A regular yellow light bulb is also known as the incandescent light bulb. These light bulbs utilize a thin layer that is made of tungsten. When the electricity passes through this layer, it heats up until it becomes fully hot. This heat produces the light coming from the bulb. Aside from the light, the bulb also produces plenty of heat. Technically, this is a waste of energy. The attempt to reduce this waste of energy resulted to the creation of the fluorescent lamp. These light bulbs are energy efficient. Unlike the regular light bulb, fluorescent lamps do not use tungsten to produce light.
A fluorescent light bulb utilizes a different process to produce light. It uses electrodes on both ends of the tube of a fluorescent bulb. A river of electrons flows in the gas from one electrode to another one. These tiny electrons collapse in the mercury atoms and ignite them. As the mercury atoms alternate from ignition to inactive state, they produce ultraviolet photons. These particles called photons bumps into the phosphor coating of the tube of the fluorescent bulb. This phosphor activity produces the visible light. A fluorescent light bulb can produce the light equivalent of four to six incandescent light bulbs. For example, a 20 watt fluorescent light bulb gives of the same amount of light as an 80 watt incandescent light bulb.
Tags: fluorescent light bulbs, incandescent light bulb, incandescent light bulbs, mercury atoms, phosphor coating