From The Editor

  1. Clear Vision: Optical Coatings, Rain Sensors, And Safer Roads 9/26/2023

    Rain sensors play a critical role in the automotive industry, enhancing safety while driving. Optical coatings, thin layers applied to optical components to control light reflection, transmission, and absorption, help rain sensors do their thing.

  2. Optifab 2023: Who, What, Where, When, And Why 9/22/2023

    Rochester, New York will be the site for SPIE Optifab 2023. Check out all you need to know about North America’s largest optical manufacturing conference and exhibition.

  3. 24 Ways Biophotonics Improves Medical Imaging And Robotic Surgery 9/19/2023

    Biophotonics, when applied to medical imaging or robotic surgery, significantly advances healthcare by offering a multifaceted approach to diagnosis, treatment, and surgery while improving patient care and outcomes.

  4. Why Connected Cars Are A Privacy Nightmare 9/15/2023

    When it comes to connected cars and privacy consider this: sex toys typically provide more detailed security information about their products. So, when your privacy policies and protections are worse than those of a sex toy, you might have a problem.

  5. How Hexapods Improve Confocal Microscopy 9/12/2023

    Hexapods enhance confocal microscopy with precise 3D positioning, vibration damping, autofocusing, image stabilization, and large-scale scanning. They're ideal for complex imaging tasks in biological and materials science research, easily integrated with other imaging modalities, and user-friendly.

  6. The Wow! Signal: 72 Seconds That Still Remain A Mystery 9/7/2023

    The "Wow! signal" is the name given to a strong and unusual radio signal detected by Dr. Jerry R. Ehman on August 15, 1977. This signal was detected at Ohio State University's Big Ear radio telescope, which was used for the SETI program. The Wow! signal is notable for being one of the most famous and intriguing potential instances of a signal from an extraterrestrial civilization.

  7. Nuclear Dreams: The Race To Build Project Orion 9/6/2023

    ​Project Orion was a conceptual design for a spacecraft propulsion system that was developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Ambitious and innovative, the project's goal was to develop a spacecraft capable of carrying humans to distant destinations – including Mars and beyond – using nuclear explosions for propulsion.

  8. SWIR, MWIR, And LWIR: One Use Case For Each 8/31/2023

    SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR describe different ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, primarily in the context of infrared (IR) radiation. All three correspond to a specific range of wavelengths within the IR spectrum, and they are commonly used in various applications including remote sensing, thermal imaging, and spectroscopy.

  9. Hyperspectral Imaging’s Role In Life Sciences 8/28/2023

    ​Hyperspectral imaging is a rapidly developing technique with a multitude of spectral imaging systems having been explored over the last few decades. These systems are being researched for their potential use in the life sciences industry.

  10. Improving The Military’s Use Of Night Vision 8/24/2023

    The use of night vision devices by the military first started in 1939. Numerous technological advances have been made since then, to the point we may soon see contact lenses provide the same advantages without the bulkiness of cumbersome headgear.