Cloaking
Monday, March 8, 2010
Blog entry by Ambrea Kuhn, The Leonardo's Intern
Humans see only a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and we are "see" an object when light bounces off of it into our eyes. To mimic or create invisibility, there are several ways you can can disrupt the process of "seeing" an object.
Let's start with this simplest: camouflage. Animals, soldiers, and hunters use it everyday. Wilderness settings are relatively easy to blend into, but what if you want to blend into a more complicated terrain? You could mimic artist and extreme camouflage-er, Liu Bolin, who paints himself to blend in with his surroundings.
Check out more of Bolin's art here.
But what if you need to blend in at a moment's notice? The folks over at the Tachi Laboratory at the University of Tokyo have developed an invisibility cloak of sorts. The cloak films objects behind you and projects them onto your jacket so you will blend into any background.
These are all just optical illusions, but scientists are well on the way to true invisibility. To make an object truly invisible, the waves need to pass through an object with no interference. Scientists from all over the world have been developing different ways to make objects invisible. Most of these researchers focus on meta-materials that let waves pass through with little interference.
But researchers at the University of Utah have taken a different approach to developing cloaking devices, and University of Utah mathematics professor Graeme Milton hopes to achieve the ultimate goal of true invisibility from all visible light. Milton's team has an object that generates waves to cloak an object from oncoming waves. The technology may also be used to protect buildings from earthquakes by deflecting seismic waves.
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Labels: art, events, technology, university
From Helix to Healthcare
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Blog entry by Ambrea Kuhn, The Leonardo's Intern
The Leonardo After Hours: Energy Revolution event in Logan last week was a huge success with a ton of audience participation. Thanks to our presenters and our host, The Italian Place, which supplied nourishment (energy!) for the crowd. Take a look at our recap video, with interviews with all three presenters:
If you missed us in Logan, catch us next week in Salt Lake City. Leonardo After Hours: From Helix to Healthcare will look at genetic research and personal healthcare on Tuesday, March 9.
Our presenters are Jeff Botkin, the University of Utah's Associate VP for Research; Julie R. Korenberg, a USTAR professor of pediatric genetics at the University of Utah; and Jennifer Logan, the program director for personalized health care at the University of Utah's Eccles Institute of Human Genetics. The presenters will talk about how your genetic profile can help a doctor shape your health care in a hyper-personalized way, and what that means for patients, physicians and the health-care industry.
The event runs 5:30 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 9 at the Olive Bistro at 57 W. 200 South. RSVP to Chris Davies at 801-531-9800 or rsvp@theleonardo.org -- but hurry because only a few spots are left!
Labels: events, Leo, locals, science, technology, USTAR, video
Ignite Salt Lake
Monday, March 1, 2010
Blog entry by Kersten Swinyard, The Leonardo's exhibits project manager
If you said yes to any of those three, then the March 4 Ignite Salt Lake is for you. The most lovable group of enthusiasts you'll ever meet gathers several times a year to woo and wow a local crowd with 5-minute presentations. The catch? Each of 20 slides auto-rotates after five seconds. Stay on your toes or risk embarrassment and heckling.
The beauty of Ignite events (a global franchise from O'Reilly Media) is that the topic is up to you — the only requirement is to cover something you're passionate about. Past Ignite Salt Lake presentations have covered building an internet radio station, interface design, why cats make lousy business consultants, and, of course, zombie defense for n00bs.
This Ignite's list of speakers promises to be just as entertaining and oddball as previous events. So, head over to The Stateroom on March 4 from 6 to 10 p.m. for the traditional building contest, 18 presentations, and live music for the evening.
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Become a fan of The Leonardo on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!
Labels: events, locals, technology
Energy Revolution
Monday, February 22, 2010
Blog entry by Ambrea Kuhn, The Leonardo's Intern
Leonardo After Hours has been such a great success that we decided to take it on the road to Logan, home of some of the leading experts in the energy revolution. Join us Feb. 24 as we talk about new ways to make and store energy.
Jeff Muhs, executive director at Utah State University Energy Lab, will discuss new initiatives from his lab, such as creating biofuels from algae and automated electric transportation, which will make energy mobile. Other presenters include Kevin Shurtleff, who is a member of the USTAR Technology Outreach team, and Lynsey Talbot, who is a student energy researcher at Utah State University.
The event will be held at The Italian Place, Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 5:30 until 7 p.m. Space is limited and we're already filling up so RSVP by contacting Chris Davies at 801-531-9800, or email rsvp@theleonardo.org. And, as ever, thanks to USTAR for co-sponsoring this event.
Algae solutions from Muhs' lab
The event will be held at The Italian Place, Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 5:30 until 7 p.m. Space is limited and we're already filling up so RSVP by contacting Chris Davies at 801-531-9800, or email rsvp@theleonardo.org. And, as ever, thanks to USTAR for co-sponsoring this event.
(And, if you can't make it to Logan this Wednesday, put our next Leonardo After Hours event on your calendar: March 9 we'll look at how technology and advancements in genetics are changing your healthcare.)
Labels: education, energy, events, Leo, locals, science, technology, university, USTAR
EVE
Friday, December 18, 2009
Blog entry by Ambrea Kuhn, The Leonardo's Intern
Highlights include a battle of the tribute bands, with echoes of The Beatles, Nirvana, and KISS. And "eBay It Forward" allows folks to re-gift items to charity. The gifts, along with the story of why the item was important to you, will be collected at the Gateway, and proceeds will be donated to Family Promise, a program that assists homeless families.
EVE organizers have mapped out alternate transportation to the festival, spots to stay the night, and multiple ways to buy tickets. And Salt Lake City will still ring in 2010 the old-fashioned way -- with a giant fireworks display at Gallivan Center. See you there!
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EVE organizers have mapped out alternate transportation to the festival, spots to stay the night, and multiple ways to buy tickets. And Salt Lake City will still ring in 2010 the old-fashioned way -- with a giant fireworks display at Gallivan Center. See you there!
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Cashing in on Green (Energy)!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Blog entry by Ambrea Kuhn, The Leonardo's Fall 2009 Intern
Bob Barson, executive director at the Center for Active Sensing and Imaging at Utah State University, showed us how CASI uses new technologies to improve wind energies, including pinpointing the best spots for new wind turbines. Nathan Furr, from the business management department at Brigham Young University, discussed the importance of an entrepreneurial spirit in energy innovation. Kent Udell from the University of Utah talked about using heat banking to store our currently bitter cold weather to air condition buildings on hot summer days (and storing heat from those 105-degree days to comfort us in this 9-degree weather!).
A 10-minute presentation from each speaker sprinkled with questions from the audience and some friendly moderation from the Salt Lake Tribune's Kirsten Stewart made for a successful and lively evening where audience members got to participate in the discussion about what will make Utah a better innovation center in green energy. Stay tuned for details about our next Leonardo After Hours, which will be March 9.
Labels: energy, events, Leo, sustainability, technology, USTAR, video
Countdown to The Leonardo
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Blog entry by Ambrea Kuhn, The Leonardo's Fall 2009 Intern
Countdown to The Leonardo event recap.
One of the highlight of the event was the soap-film wall prototype. Our exhibits team worked hard this past month to make the wall. Viewers learned the science behind the bubble -- light refraction, wave patterns and surface tension -- and stuck their hands in it and blew bubbles. All in all, it was a delightful evening for the 150-or-so attendees!
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Exhibits designers Ben and Christopher building the soap-film wall prototype.
You can check out more about the event and view pictures here. Be sure to check out all of the great media coverage we have been getting lately!
National Chemistry Week
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Blog entry by Mary Anter from The Leonardo staff
The Leonardo is celebrating National Chemistry Week on Oct. 10. Our free event, "Chemistry—It’s Elemental!”, will be held in the Urban Room and on the Plaza of the Salt Lake City Public Library. (The elements are highlighted at this year’s event because 2009 is the 140th anniversary of Mendeleev's Periodic Table of Elements.)
Families will have an opportunity to learn about different elements on the periodic table by participating in hands-on art and science projects: investigate the size of the different elements with bubbles, learn about the elemental composition of minerals through a treasure hunt, find out about properties of elements by using magnets, and discover reaction properties of oxygen. There will be 33 different activities to engage children and family members of all ages. The Leonardo also will be introducing our "Radiation and You" exhibit with facilitated activities and discussions on radioisotopes, elements, and radiation.
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