Like being there: The next generation of 3-D holograms

 

Center for Integrated Access Networks tackles bandwidth challenge to bring 3-D holograms to your living room Imagine watching the World Cup or the Super Bowl in 3-D in the comfort of your own home. That option may be available sooner than you think. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), optical scientist Nasser Peyghambarian and his team at the University of Arizona are working to make next-generation holograms possible. The researchers foresee the day, possibly within the next decade, when laser-generated holograms will be transmitted anywhere in the world, in real time. Transmitting a video rate hologram takes an enormous amount of bandwidth and power--think 10,000 times the rates for high-definition television. At the Center for Integrated Access Networks (CIAN), the vision is to create transformative technologies for optical access networks that can do just that--transmit huge amounts of data to a broad population anywhere, at any time. The broader impacts of CIAN’s research could be felt in almost every home. Ultra-high data bandwidth and cost effective services could contribute to business innovation, improve educational opportunities, enhance distribution of medical services, minimize the environmental impact from infrastructure and pollution, enable new and varied entertainment opportunities, and increase overall national security, just to name a few possibilities. CIAN is one of the NSF Engineering Research Centers, which are interdisciplinary, multi-institutional centers that join academia, industry and government in partnership to produce transformational engineered systems, along with engineering graduates who are adept at innovation and primed for leadership in the global economy. CIAN is a multi-institutional research effort consisting of the University of Arizona (lead) and its partner institutions--the University of California at San Diego, the University of Southern California, the California Institute of Technology, the University of California at Berkeley, Columbia University, the University of California at Los Angeles, Norfolk State University and Tuskegee University. The research in this episode was supported by NSF award #0812072, NSF Engineering Research Center for Integrated Access Networks (CIAN). Miles O'Brien, Science Nation Correspondent Marsha Walton, Science Nation Producer http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/nextgenhologram.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_51

The future of encryption

 

With so much of our information now stored or processed in the cloud, how can we make sure it's safe from unauthorized access? The National Science Foundation is funding researchers looking for answers to cyber-security challenges and exploring the future of encryption. The goal is that, one day, we will be able to ensure the security of important information wherever it may be: on our computers, mobile devices, and even in the cloud. Credit: Amina Khan, NSF

An energy hungry world

 

Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies (QESST) Center tackles the 'terawatt challenge,' looking for game changers in photovoltaics Modern society is very much defined by its access to electricity. What if researchers could advance sustainable energy technologies to the point where everyone around the world had access to clean, cheap energy sources? Richard Smalley, 1996 Nobel Prize winning chemist, called it the greatest challenge facing the world in the 21st century and coined the phrase 'terawatt challenge.' Researchers at the Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies (QESST) Center are hoping to meet much of the terawatt challenge with solar technology alone by vastly improving the performance of photovoltaic cells. QESST is an engineering research center supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy. Nearly a dozen universities participate in the center’s research. The center’s headquarters are at Arizona State University. The research in this episode is funded by NSF grant#1041895, NSF Engineering Research Center for Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies: QESST at Arizona State University. Miles O'Brien, Science Nation Correspondent Marsha Walton, Science Nation Producer http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/terawattchallenge.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_51

Videotaped interrogations: a matter of perspective

 

What if there were one simple trick to presenting a police interrogation video that would make people more likely to believe a confession was voluntary--or coerced? Research by Ohio University psychology professor G. Daniel Lassiter indicates that one actually exists. When the camera is focused on a suspect--the interrogator either is nowhere in sight, or only his back is visible--viewers are more likely to believe that any self-incriminating statement is voluntary. That perception persists even if the interrogator coerces or threatens the suspect. But take the simple step of moving the camera, positioning it so that both the interrogator and suspect can be seen in profile, and the exact same interview can leave viewers with a much different impression. Using that alternate camera angle can eliminate the sort of bias that can lead to wrongful convictions. Lassiter provided NSF with more insight into his work. Credit: NSF

Computer science: Not just for boys or geeks

 

Mathematics and computer science teacher Jackie Corricelli is out to counter the myths about who should study what. She is a recipient of the 2013 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Credit: NSF

Learning fearlessly

 

Science teacher Marni Landry encourages students in understanding that failure is often part of the process, particularly in emerging fields like biotechnology. Landry is a recipient of the 2013 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Credit: NSF

Making math relevant

 

Math teacher Shelby Aaberg encourages members of the community to send in problems for his students to work on using mathematics. Aaberg is a recipient of the 2013 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Credit: NSF

Studying geometry in a pool hall

 

Math teacher Valerie Camille Jones gets students out of the classroom to see the real-world context of mathematics. Jones is a recipient of the 2013 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Credit: NSF

How reliable is eyewitness testimony?

 

Eyewitness testimony--it's often thought of as solid evidence in criminal cases, but researchers including Iowa State University's Gary Wells have found that our memories aren't as reliable as we think. Sometimes, we can even build false recollections about people we only think we saw. Credit: National Science Foundation

Mysteries of the Brain–Frontiers in Neuroscience

 

NSF-funded scientists and engineers have studied the brain for decades, yet a host of mysteries remain unsolved. In this July 9, 2015 briefing on Capitol Hill, leading experts in brain science discuss some of the latest cross-disciplinary research and cutting-edge technologies to better understand the brain and advance the frontiers of neuroscience. The briefing was hosted by Congressman Chaka Fattah and sponsored by NSF, Society for Neuroscience, and The Optical Society.

Credit: National Science Foundation

How well can you focus your brain?

 

Seven digits is the "magic number" for neuroscientists. It's just about the maximum your short-term memory can retain. Can you remember a seven-digit number? Find out with Barbara Shinn-Cunningham, head of the NSF-funded CELEST Science of Learning Center at Boston University​.

Shinn-Cunningham and other leaders from the Science of Learning Centers provided a Capitol Hill briefing June 24, 2015 on their work studying how the brain learns and develops. Rep. Chaka Fattah hosted the briefing.
Find more information on CELEST (the Center for Learning in Education, Science, and Technology).

The other Science of Learning Centers are:

• The Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center TDLC) -
• The Learning in Informal and Formal Environments (LIFE) center
• The Science of Learning Center, Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2)
• The Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center (SILC)
• The Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center (PSLC)

Credit: National Science Foundation

Nanosponge decoy fights superbug infections

 

 

Nanosponge decoy fights superbug infections Our first instinct with infection in the body is often to find it and get rid of it! But, engineer Liangfang Zhang had another idea. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Zhang and his team at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), have created a nanosponge to combat drug-resistant infections, such as those caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Original air date: April 26, 2014

Credit: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Mysteries of the Brain: Perceiving Brain

 

Sabine Kastner, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Princeton University, is studying how the brain determines what information is most important in everyday scenes. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, Kastner is able to peek inside the brain and see what areas are active when a person sees a face, place or object. "Mysteries of the Brain" is produced by NBC Learn in partnership with the NSF.

Credit: NBC Learn and the National Science Foundation

Mysteries of the Brain: Brain-Computer Interface

 

Neuroengineer Rajesh Rao of the University of Washington is developing brain-computer interfaces, devices that can monitor and extract brain activity to enable a machine or computer to accomplish tasks, from playing video games to controlling a prosthetic arm. "Mysteries of the Brain" is produced by NBC Learn in partnership with the NSF.

Credit: NBC Learn and the National Science Foundation (NSF)

Science Now - Episode 35

 

In this week's episode we learn about models that simulate how a majority of Americans can actually eat food grown locally, how robots learn, fun and educational video games for the classroom and finally we explore a future forest.

Credit: NSF

Communicating science for a more informed electorate

 

Laurie Howell of the National Science Foundation sits down with Dr. Moira Gunn in this Scientists & Engineers on Sofas (and other furnishings). Dr. Gunn is an engineer and science communicator, hosting the popular TechNation radio show. Credit: National Science Foundation

Mysteries of the Brain: Emotional Brain

 

For years, researchers have struggled to understand how emotions are formed and processed by the brain. Now, neuroscientist Kevin LaBar and his graduate students at Duke University are using a virtual reality room to study how the brain reacts to both negative and positive emotions. "Mysteries of the Brain" is produced by NBC Learn in partnership with the NSF. Credit: NBC Learn and the National Science Foundation

Mysteries of the Brain: Searching for Answers

 

For more than a century, scientists have studied the brain, and yet, there is still so much about it that remains a mystery. New research is underway to develop and use cutting-edge technologies, and scientists across disciplines are working together to better understand the brain and how it works. "Mysteries of the Brain" is produced by NBC Learn in partnership with the NSF. (Published 6/11/15) Find more Mysteries of the Brain videos at NSF.gov/brain Credit: NBC Learn and the National Science Foundation (NSF)

Mysteries of the brain

 

Through neural connections, called synapses, the brain can process and store enormous amounts of information. Neuroscientist Gary Lynch at the University of California, Irvine, explains how this incredibly complex communication process allows animals to learn and remember. "Mysteries of the Brain" is produced by NBC Learn in partnership with the NSF. (Published 6/11/15)

Energy from the Sun

 

Solar power to go!

More energy from our sun hits the Earth in one hour than is consumed on the planet in a whole year! But, the burning question is--how can we put all that sunshine to work making usable fuel? With support from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) chemical engineer Sossina Haile and University of Minnesota mechanical engineer Jane Davidson are working to expand the nation's renewable energy storage capacity. Their mission is to put the heat of the sun to work creating renewable fuels from sources that don't need to be drilled out of the ground. The researchers are collecting sunlight to drive chemical reactions that break apart water and carbon dioxide molecules in order to make alternative fuels, such as hydrogen fuel. Solar-powered fuels, or "sun gas," would power the vehicles we drive today, as well as airplanes. In this case, the sky really is the limit!

Credit: National Science Foundation