Snapped with a Digital Camera

A digital camera (also digicam or camera for short) is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor. Many compact digital still cameras can record sound and moving video as well as still photographs. In the Western market, digital cameras outsell their 35 mm film counterparts. Digital cameras can do things film cameras cannot: displaying images on a screen immediately after they are recorded, storing thousands of images on a single small memory device, recording video with sound, and deleting images to free storage space. Some can crop pictures and perform other elementary image editing. Fundamentally they operate in the same manner as film cameras, typically using a lens with a variable diaphragm to focus light onto an image pickup device. The combination of the diaphragm and a shutter mechanism is used to admit the correct amount of light to the imager, just as with film; the only difference is that the image pickup device is electronic rather than chemical. Digital cameras are incorporated into many devices ranging from PDAs and mobile phones (called camera phones) to vehicles. The Hubble Space Telescope and other astronomical devices are essentially specialized digital cameras. Digital cameras were developed in the last quarter of the 20th century, from predecessors including video camera tubes

Conversion of film cameras to digital Digital single-lens reflex camera

When digital cameras became common, a question many photographers asked was whether their film cameras could be converted to digital. The answer was yes and no. For the majority of 35 mm film cameras the answer is no, the reworking and cost would be too great, especially as lenses have been evolving as well as cameras. For most a conversion to digital, to give enough space for the electronics and allow a liquid crystal display to preview, would require removing the back of the camera and replacing it with a custom built digital unit. Many early professional SLR cameras, such as the NC2000 and the Kodak DCS series, were developed from 35 mm film cameras. The technology of the time, however, meant that rather than being a digital "backs" the bodies of these cameras were mounted on large, bulky digital units, often bigger than the camera portion itself. These were factory built cameras, however, not aftermarket conversions. A few 35 mm cameras have had digital camera backs made by their manufacturer, Leica being a notable example. Medium format and large format cameras (those using film stock greater than 35 mm), have a low unit production, and typical digital backs for them cost over $10,000. These cameras also tend to be highly modular, with handgrips, film backs, winders, and lenses available separately to fit various needs. The very large sensor these backs use leads to enormous image sizes. The largest in early 2006 is the Phase One's P45 39 MP imageback, creating a single TIFF image of size up to 224.6 MB. Medium format digitals are geared more towards studio and portrait photography than their smaller DSLR counterparts; the ISO speed in particular tends to have a maximum of 400, versus 6400 for some DSLR cameras.

LCD on camera A liquid crystal display (LCD) is a thin, flat panel used for electronically displaying information such as text, images, and moving pictures. Its uses include monitors for computers, televisions, instrument panels, and other devices ranging from aircraft cockpit displays, to every-day consumer devices such as video players, gaming devices, clocks, watches, calculators, and telephones. Among its major features are its lightweight construction, its

portability, and its ability to be produced in much larger screen sizes than are practical for the construction of cathode ray tube (CRT) display technology. Its low electrical power consumption enables it to be used in battery-powered electronic equipment. It is an electronically-modulated optical device made up of any number of pixels filled with liquid crystals and arrayed in front of a light source (backlight) or reflector to produce images in color or monochrome. The earliest discovery leading to the development of LCD technology, the discovery of liquid crystals, dates from 1888. By 2008, worldwide sales of televisions with LCD screens had surpassed the sale of CRT units. Pixel When digicam became popular, Filipinos learned a new word: pixel. The pixel is the measure of a cameras resolution, or the amount of detail the camera can capture. The more the pixels a camera has, the more detail it can capture. This means that the image will not become blurry or grainy when enlarged. The most expensive digicams can capture over 16million pixels, or 20 million pixels for cameras used for large billboards.

Finding Evidence via UV Ultraviolet (UV) light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than x-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV. It is so named because the spectrum consists of electromagnetic waves with frequencies higher than those that humans identify as the color violet. UV light is found in sunlight and is emitted by electric arcs and specialized lights such as black lights. As an ionizing radiation it can cause chemical

reactions, and causes many substances to glow or fluoresce. Most people are aware of the effects of UV through the painful condition of sunburn, but the UV spectrum has many other effects, both beneficial and damaging, on human health.

Human health-related effects of UV radiation UVB exposure induces the production of vitamin D in the skin. The majority of positive health effects relate to this vitamin which has regulatory roles in calcium metabolism (which is vital for normal functioning of the nervous system, as well as for bone growth and maintenance of bone density) immunity, cell proliferation, insulin secretion and blood pressure. Too little UVB radiation leads to a lack of Vitamin D. Too much UVB radiation leads to direct DNA damage, sunburn, and skin cancer. An appropriate amount of UVB (which varies according to skin color) leads to a limited amount of direct DNA damage. This is recognized and repaired by the body. Then the melanin production is increased which leads to a long lasting tan. This tan occurs with a 2-day lag phase after irradiation, but it is much less harmful and is longer lasting than the one obtained from UVA.

Ultraviolet radiation has other medical applications, in the treatment of skin conditions such as psoriasis and vitiligo. UVA radiation has been much used in conjunction with psoralens (PUVA treatment) for psoriasis, although this treatment is less used now because the combination produces dramatic increases in skin cancer, and because treatment with UVB radiation by itself is more effective. In cases of psoriasis and vitiligo, UV light with wavelength of 311 nm is most effective. It has also been scientifically proven that UV rays can help people with certain sleeping disorders. The gamma rays emitted by a UV bulb are powerful enough to travel through the body. This means the rays can easily pass through the eye lids of a human allowing them to be received by the Retina at the back of the eye. Gamma rays received by the retina are sent directly to a part of the brain called the Cingulate Sulcus that controls most of

the muscles in the body. These muscles then relax, which helps the the brain into a deep sleep and can often cure snoring. An overexposure to UVB radiation can cause sunburn and some forms of skin cancer. In humans, prolonged exposure to solar UV radiation may result in acute and chronic health effects on the skin, eye, and immune system.[13] However the most deadly form - malignant melanoma - is mostly caused by the indirect DNA damage (free radicals and oxidative stress). This can be seen from the absence of a UV-signature mutation in 92% of all melanoma. UVC rays are the highest energy, most dangerous type of ultraviolet light. Little attention has been given to UVC rays in the past since they are filtered out by the atmosphere. However, their use in equipment such as pond sterilization units may pose an exposure risk, if the lamp is switched on outside of its enclosed pond sterilization unit.

Seeing Bodies: Medical Imaging Devices in Focus Medical imaging is the technique and process used to create images of the human body (or parts and function thereof) for clinical purposes (medical procedures seeking to reveal, diagnose or examine disease) or medical science (including the study of normal anatomy and physiology). Although imaging of removed organs and tissues can be performed for medical reasons, such procedures are not usually referred to as medical imaging, but rather are a part of pathology. As a discipline and in its widest sense, it is part of biological imaging and incorporates radiology (in the wider sense), nuclear medicine, investigative radiological sciences, endoscopy, (medical) thermography, medical photography and microscopy (e.g. for human pathological investigations). Measurement and recording techniques which are not primarily designed to produce images, such as electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), Electrocardiography (EKG) and others,

but which produce data susceptible to be represented as maps (i.e. containing positional information), can be seen as forms of medical imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), is primarily a medical imaging technique most commonly used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structure and limited function of the body. MRI provides much greater contrast between the different soft tissues of the body than computed tomography does, making it especially useful in neurological , musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and oncological imaging. Unlike CT, it uses no ionizing radiation, but uses a powerful magnetic field to align the nuclear magnetization of hydrogen atoms in water in the body.

A Different Kind of Race Hot air balloons are an ingenious application of basic scientific principles. Here we will show exactly how the balloon works, what makes it rise and fall and how a pilot is able to maneuver it when it is in the air. The basis of how the balloon works is that warmer air rises in cooler air. This is because hot air is lighter than cool air as it has less mass per unit of volume. Mass can be defined by the measure of how much matter something contains. The actual balloon (called an envelope) has to be so large as it takes such a large amount of heated air to lift it off the ground. For example, to lift 1000 pounds worth of weight you would need almost 65,000 cubic feet of heated air! To help keep the balloon in the air and rising, hot air needs to be propelled upwards into the envelope using the burner A hot air balloon is made up of 3 main parts:

The Envelope The actual fabric balloon which holds the air

The Burner The unit which propels the heat up inside the envelope

The Basket Where the passengers and pilot stand

The burner uses propane gas to heat up the air in the envelope to move the balloon off the ground and into the air. The pilot must keep firing the burner at regular intervals throughout the flight to ensure that the balloon continues to be stable. Naturally, the hot air will not escape from the hole at the very bottom of the envelope as firstly, hot air rises and secondly, the buoyancy keeps it moving up.

Leech Shampoo, Anyone?

Medicinal leeches are any of several species of leeches, but most commonly Hirudo medicinalis, the European Medical Leech.

Other Hirudo species sometimes used as medicinal leeches include Hirudo orientalis, Hirudo troctina and Hirudo verbana. The Mexican Medical Leech is Hirudinaria manillensis, and the North American Medical Leech is Macrobdella decora. Medicinal leeches are now making a comeback in microsurgery. They provide an effective means to reduce blood coagulation, relieve venous pressure from pooling blood, and in reconstructive surgery to stimulate circulation in reattachment operations for organs with critical blood flow, such as eye lids, fingers, and ears. The therapeutic effect is not from the blood taken in the meal, but from the continued and steady bleeding from the wound left after the leech has detached. The most common complication from leech treatment is prolonged bleeding, which can easily be treated, although allergic reactions and bacterial infections may also occur. Because of the minuscule amounts of hirudin present in leeches, it is impractical to harvest the substance for widespread medical use. Hirudin are synthesised using recombinant techniques. Devices called "mechanical leeches" have been developed which dispense heparin and perform the same function as medicinal leeches, but they are not yet commercially available. Hirudin is a naturally occurring peptide in the salivary glands of medicinal leeches (such as Hirudo medicinalis) that has a blood anticoagulant property. This is fundamental for the leeches alimentary habit of hematophagy, since it keeps the blood flowing after the initial phlebotomy performed by the worm on the hosts skin.

Fossil Fueled Cars Contribute to Global Warming Coal, oil and natural gas are the three different forms of fossil fuels that are widely used. They are formed by the process of anaerobic decomposition of organic matter under the surface of the earth for millions of years. Large scale use of fossil fuels started since industrial revolution. Petroleum is used to fuel our vehicles while coal and natural gas are used to produce electricity for our homes and offices. Statistics show that almost three-fourth of the demands of the energy in the world is fulfilled by fossil fuels.

On burning of fossil fuels, various types of gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc., are released. A significant proportion of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere is by burning of the fossil fuels. Evidence obtained from various research studies suggest that since the middle of the nineteenth century, there have been at least 25 percent increase in the carbon dioxide content in the atmospheric air. This is all because of extensive use of fossil fuels across the globe. As a result, in the last 150 years, the temperature of the earth has already increased more than 1 degree Fahrenheit. Moreover, it is going to increase further in the next hundred years. Thus our planet will be much more hotter in the next century. This will have a severe effect on the climate of the earth. The weather conditions of various places of the earth will change drastically. Droughts and floods will occur more frequently in many inland areas that have extreme weather condition which will badly affect the agriculture. All the glaciers of the earth will be melting at a much faster pace. As a result, the areas nearby the water bodies like the coastal regions and the banks of the river will get submerged under water. Many deltas, islands, thickly populated cities are likely to go under water. Thus you can see that the issues of fossil fuels and global warming and climate change are all interwoven with each other.

Superconductor and Their Uses Superconductivity occurs in certain materials at very low temperatures. When superconductive, a material has an electrical resistance of exactly zero. It was discovered by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes in 1911. Like ferromagnetism and atomic spectral lines, superconductivity is a quantum mechanical phenomenon. It is also characterized by a phenomenon called the Meissner effect. This is the ejection of any sufficiently weak magnetic field from the interior of the superconductor as it transitions into the superconducting state. The presence of the Meissner effect indicates that superconductivity cannot

be understood simply as the idealization of "perfect conductivity" in classical physics. The electrical resistivity of a metallic conductor decreases gradually as the temperature is lowered. However, in ordinary conductors such as copper and silver, this decrease is limited by impurities and other defects. Even near absolute zero, a real sample of copper shows some resistance. In a superconductor however, despite these imperfections, the resistance drops abruptly to zero when the material is cooled below its critical temperature. Superconductivity occurs in many materials: simple elements like tin and aluminium, various metallic alloys and some heavily-doped semiconductors. Superconductivity does not occur in noble metals like gold and silver, nor in pure samples of ferromagnetic metals. In 1986, it was discovered that some cuprate-perovskite ceramic materials have critical temperatures of more than 90 kelvins. These high-temperature superconductors renewed interest in the topic because (at that time) the current theory could not explain them (they are now well explained by theory). From a practical perspective, 90 kelvins is easy to reach with the readily available liquid nitrogen (boiling point 77 kelvins). This means more experimentation and more commercial applications are feasible, especially if materials with even higher critical temperatures could be discovered.

Conserve Energy Energy conservation is achieved through efficient energy use, in which case energy use is decreased while achieving a similar outcome, or by reduced consumption of energy services. Energy conservation may result in increase of financial capital, environmental value, national security, personal security, and human comfort. Individuals and organizations that are direct consumers of energy may want to conserve energy in order to reduce energy costs and promote economic security. Industrial and commercial users may want to increase efficiency and thus maximize profit. Electrical energy conservation is an important element of energy policy. Energy conservation reduces the energy consumption and energy demand per capita and thus offsets some of the growth in energy supply needed to keep up with population growth. This reduces the rise in energy costs, and can

reduce the need for new power plants, and energy imports. The reduced energy demand can provide more flexibility in choosing the most preferred methods of energy production. By reducing emissions, energy conservation is an important part of lessening climate change. Energy conservation facilitates the replacement of nonrenewable resources with renewable energy. Energy conservation is often the most economical solution to energy shortages, and is a more environmentally benign alternative to increased energy production. Energy conservation is the practice of decreasing the quantity of energy used. It may be achieved through efficient energy use, reduced consumption of energy services and use of renewable energy sources. Energy conservation is an excellent way for PHAs to save on operating funds. It is often the most economical solution to energy shortages, and is a more environmentally benign alternative to increased energy production.

Solar Power for Clean And Renewable Energy Solar power is the generation of electricity from sunlight. This can be direct as with photovoltaics (PV), or indirect as with concentrating solar power (CSP), where the sun's energy is focused to boil water which is then used to provide power. Solar power has the potential to provide over 1,000 times total world energy consumption in 2008, though it provided only 0.02% of the total that year. If it continues to double in use every two to three years, or less, it would become the dominant energy source this century. The largest solar power plants, like the 354 MW SEGS, are concentrating solar thermal plants, but recently multi-megawatt photovoltaic plants have been built. Completed in 2008, the 46 MW Moura photovoltaic power station in Portugal and the 40 MW Waldpolenz Solar Park in Germany are characteristic of the trend toward larger photovoltaic power stations. Much larger ones are proposed, such as the 100 MW Fort Peck Solar Farm, the 550 MW Topaz Solar Farm, and the 600 MW Rancho Cielo Solar Farm. Terrestrial solar power is a predictably intermittent energy source, meaning that whilst solar power is not available at all times, we can predict with a very

good degree of accuracy when it will and will not be available. Some technologies, such as solar thermal concentrators have an element of thermal storage, such as molten salts. These store spare solar energy in the form of heat which can be made made available overnight or during periods that solar power is not available to produce electricity. Orbital solar power collection (as in solar power satellites) avoids this intermittent issue, but requires satellite launching and beaming of the collected power to receiving antennas on Earth. The increased intensity of sunlight above the atmosphere also increases generation efficiency.