Photography Project - How Instant Photographs Work

How do normal cameras work?

To understand instant photography, one first has the know the basics of conventional photography. Normal cameras project the image onto the film, which then has to be developed externally. The film needed for normal pictures consists of a plastic base which is coated with three layers of light-sensitive silver compound. Each of the three layers reacts to a different light spectrum. The top layer is sensitive to blue light, the middle layer to green light while the bottom layer reacts to red light. When hit with light, each of the layers react to the light and form metallic silver in the according layer. This chemical record is then developed with the help of chemicals called developers.

What is the difference between this and instant photos?

Instant photographs develop the photograph inside the camera itself. To facilitate this, special instant film is required, which is loaded into the camera. Each of these films results in a print, just like paper that is loaded into a printer.

How does instant film work?

Instant film consists of the conventional three light-sensitive layers and special additional layers for instant photography. Under each of the three color layers, there lies one developer layer. On top of these layers, lie three more layers: the image layer, the timing layer and the acid layer. All these layers together sit on top of a black base layer. There is one more layer, which sits between the light-sensitive layer and the image layer. This layer contains the reagent, which together with the reagent material breaks loose the chain reaction that results in the developed photograph. At first the reagent material is collected at the border of the film, but when the picture is snapped, the film is passed through rollers, which spread the material out into the middle of the film. As a consequence the reagent reacts and the chain reaction starts. When the chemicals have taken full effect the picture will appear on the film.

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CAJ 8 - Online Course!

There is something even more interesting. There is an online course about organic solar cells. I have never done such a course, but it is free and it starts on June 2^nd. I already signed up to take it, even though the CAJ will be near its end by then. I am thrilled to see what this course will look like and what I have to do in order to pass it. Here is the link to the online course, which is organised by the Technical University of Denmark:

https://www.coursera.org/course/opv

CAJ 7 - Organic Solar Cells

I just found out that there are even more advances in the field of solar energy. Everybody knows the typical silicon solar cells but there also are organic solar cells. They are called organic because they use carbon-based materials to convert light into electric energy. Right now there still are some challenges to be overcome, such as only 5% efficiency compared to 15% efficiency in silicon solar cells. Furthermore the efficiency is worsened by instabilities against oxidation and reduction and by temperature variations. However, they also have major advantages. To start with, these solar cells are cheap to produce and it is possible to use roll-to-roll processing, which makes the production even more cost-effective. The manufacturing also consumes less energy than usual silicon cells. Moreover, the material is light and flexible and is therefore easy to transport, store and install. Due to the flexibility of the material it is also less prone to damage and failure.  One possible application for the material is the use on laptops, phone and even clothes. Even the military uses it by putting it on its tents to generate energy. What is special about it is that the molecule properties can be tailored by molecular engineering to fit the intended application. These organic cells can also be combined with conventional solar cells to form a hybrid solar cell, which combines the advantages of both. Hybrid solar cells have higher efficiency and could be printed in any form or color.

Abstract of “When Zombies Attack!: Mathematical Modelling of an Outbreak of Zombie Infection”

The purpose of this paper is to mathematically calculate the possible outcomes of a theoretical outbreak of zombie infection. Due to the fact that the mythical concept of a zombie can differ considerably, one specific type of undead had to be chosen. Accordingly, the type of zombie calculated in this model is the slow moving, cannibalistic and undead kind of zombie that spreads the infection through saliva. To calculate the prospects of human civilization which is attacked by zombies, one basic model was developed and was calculated similarly to usual infectious diseases. This model assumes three classes: the Susceptible (S), the Zombie (Z) and the Removed (R).  It then continues to clarify how S, Z and R interact with each other and uses Euler’s method to solve the equation. On this basis, different scenarios for the human civilization were modeled, such as latent infection, quarantine of the infected, treatment for the disease and impulsive eradication of the zombies. The only two cases in which the outcome for human civilization was not complete extermination, were the model with treatment and the impulsive eradication. However, the impulsive eradication was the only one to actually defeat the zombies, as the treatment only accomplished that a small group of humans could survive. Thus, the recommendation derived from this purely theoretical mathematical model is that humans would have to deal with the new zombies as quickly as possible to avoid human extinction.

CAJ 6 - New Material for Solar Panels

Even though solar energy is a very useful source of energy right now, the technology improves almost every day. Just now a new material for solar panels, called Perovskite, has been discovered. This new material is five times cheaper than the current material and has one special feature. It can not only absorb light to convert it into electricity, it can also emit light. In addition to that it can be produced in different colors. That means that in its semi-translucent form, it could replace current windows. These new windows could produce electricity in sunlight and serve as light decorations or as space for adverts during night. Due to the multitude of colors this material can take, even flat screen displays could be made out of it. That way smart phones, tablets or any kind of electrical device with a flat screen could be recharged by lying in the sun. Clearly, Perovskite is a huge advance in terms of energy safety in the future.

http://www.zeitnews.org/applied-sciences/energy/solar-cell-material-can-absorb-light-during-day-and-emit-light-night

Photography Project - Evaluate Instructions

The instructions for making a camera lucida are generally not well organized but still manage to give the most essential information. As soon as looking at the instructions, one gets confused as where to begin. After eventually finding the start and continuing reading, the confusion grows as one does not know what to glue together exactly. The general lack of numbered steps makes the instructions seem more complicated than necessary. While the drawings provide details for the construction of the camera, the text merely instructs the reader briefly in terms of what actions to perform. The text also does not contain a list of needed materials or tools, which would be very helpful. Another unhelpful part is that a certain David Hockney is mentioned but the reader has no idea who this is supposed to be, so it is a irrelevant information and could simply be left out. Although the text is rather confusing than helpful and although its references to the drawings are unclear, the construction of a camera lucida with the help of these instructions is generally speaking doable.

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CAJ 5 - Infrared energy?

I just stumbled upon a very interesting article on the website “www.zeitnews.org”. It is about a possible new way of creating energy be using temperature differences. Physicists found out that heat that leaves the atmosphere could be used as a power source just like solar energy, which is basically heat entering our atmosphere. This could be accomplished by devices collecting energy by releasing infrared light. One possible model for this would be a solar cell which collects incoming sunlight during the day and collects leaving infrared light during the night. I must say that I like this idea very much. It would mean that solar energy is even more efficient and also that there would be just one device that can generate both types of energy.

http://www.zeitnews.org/applied-sciences/energy/infrared-new-renewable-energy-source