Light Symposium

Photonics@UCI presents a Light Symposium. A celebration of the International Year of Light 2015 (IYL2015) at UCI. Join us in the discovery of the wonders of lights in multiple fields: everyday life, arts, sciences and industry. Talks from professionals from each field to discuss the diverse uses and meanings of light, hands-on demos where you can enjoy light and light-based technologies and much more!

May 4 – 5, 2015, Doheny Beach, Student Center.

RSVP now for any section and for free!

NEW!!! Demo visits at CalPlug Wall of Power. Discover the efficiency of house appliances: lamps, TVs, videogame stations, etc.

Two demo sessions available on Monday May, 4, 2015: at 1pm and at 2pm. Register here.

Check the schedule of the Light Symposium or download it here.

CONTEST: Participate in the literature contest.

CONTEST: Participate in the instagram photography contest.

Special thanks to our collaborators!

Download the this or this other poster and share it with your friends and colleagues.

UCI Light Symposium-poster06 copia


Light symposium schedule

Monday, May 4th

 

LIGHT IN EVERYDAY LIFE (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

9:00 a.m. Welcome Breakfast

Coffee and croissants will be served.

Student Center, Doheny Beach A

9:30 a.m. “Your Daily Portion of Photons”

Professor Eric O. Potma, from the Chemistry Department here at UC Irvine, will answer the fundamental question “What is Light?”

Student Center, Doheny Beach A

10 a.m. “Let there be Light !!  Light @ UC Irvine” / “Light Research at UCI”

Donn Silberman, the Twill give a talk on the importance of learning about, and studying light, to help us kick off the Light Symposium

Student Center, Doheny Beach A

1 p.m. “Light Beyond the Bulb” exhibit reception

Beautiful prints from the international “Light: Beyond the Bulb” exhibit will be shown as the inaugural event for the campus-wide Illuminations initiative, which seeks to create links between the sciences and arts. For more information on Illuminations, follow the link.

Light snacks and drinks will be provided.

Student Center Lobby

LIGHT IN ARTS (2:30 - 5:30 p.m.)

2:00 p.m. “Designing with Light: Using Light in the Performing Arts”

Professor Jaymi Lee Smith from UCI’s esteemed Theatre department will use her expertise in theatre to explain how lighting is crucial for creating drama, mood, and setting the scene.

Student Center Doheny Beach A

2:3M0 p.m. “Light as Material and Metaphor”

Professor Stephen Barker, the interim Dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, will navigate us between the multiple meanings of light.

Student Center Doheny Beach A

3:30-4:30 p.m. “Lighting Improv: Using Angle, Color and Intensity for Storytelling”

Professor Jaymi Lee Smith and her talented team will walk us through a game of improv in which we only use light to weave our tale.

Nixon Theatre, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, UC Irvine

TEDx SCREENINGS (6 - 8 p.m)

Join us for watching and discussing a selection of inspiring TED talks. You’ll perceive the light that surround us from another point of view.

“Why Light Needs Darkness” – Rogier van der Heide

The duality of light and darkness is discussed, and the importance of structure in separating, and enhancing the two.

“Imaging at a trilion frames a second” – Ramesh Raskar

A femtosecond camera and slow-motion light is discussed from a scientific perspective.

More “Playing with Light”

Demos based on what we just watched.

“A mouse. A laser beam. A manipulated memory” – Steve Ramirez and Xu Liu

Experimenters use a laser to manipulate a fearful memory of a mouse, and subsequent discussion of the dynamics, and morality of such experiments.

Snacks and refreshments will be served.

Student Center Doheny Beach B

 

Tuesday, May 5th

 

LIGHT IN SCIENCE (9 a.m. - 12 p.m.)

9 a.m. Breakfast

Coffee and croissants will be served. 

Student Center, Doheny Beach A

9 :30 a.m. “Light in Medicine”

Professor Bruce Tromberg will bring us up to date with the broad uses of light in medicine. Cut gently, inspect deeper, and act faster with the use of light.

Student Center, Doheny Beach A

10 a.m. Live Demos

Schlieren photography, fiber optics and robots.

Student Center, Doheny Beach A

LIGHT IN INDUSTRY (2 - 5 p.m.)

2 p.m. “Many Hands Make Light Work – The Role of Optical Spectroscopy in Improving our Daily Lives” presented by Dr. Eunah Lee, Horiba Instruments

Horiba, Ltd. is a manufacturer of precision instruments for measurement and analysis. They make instruments that measure and analyze automobile exhaust gas, and environmental, medical and scientific applications, and are often used on UC Irvine’s campus. Corporate headquarters for Horiba is here in Irvine, so this will also serve as a networking opportunity.

Student Center, Doheny Beach A

3 p.m. “Light in our Everyday Lives – How light is being used to drive Innovation” presented by Mr. James Fisher, VP at Newport Corporation

Newport Corporation specializes in optics, and as such, its employees have great insight into how important light is in industrial applications. Newport Corporation also has corporate headquarters right here in Irvine.

Student Center, Doheny Beach A

CELEBRATING LIGHT RECEPTION (6 - 8 p.m.)

6 p.m. Literature of Light contest and Light Symposium Instagram contest awards ceremony.

7 p.m. Concluding remarks

Snacks and refreshments will be served.

Outside the Beall Center for Art+Technology at UC Irvine.

ONGOING EXHIBITS (all days, 4 and 5 May)

“Art in Science”

A series of contests by the Photonics Club yielded amazing examples of “Art in Science” from various departments on campus. Past winners and honorable mentions are exhibited.

Natural Sciences 2 lobby/hallway

“Play: in Three Acts”

An amazing exhibits exploring different facets of light. Play: In Three Acts highlights the work of three artists – Joe McKay, David Rokeby, and Nina Waisman.  Each artist explores various modes of interaction within their work: Waisman and Rokeby incorporate sound and embodied interaction; McKay incorporates playful interaction around competition and cooperation. For more information, follow the link.

Beall Center for Art + Technology, UC Irvine

“Playing with Light”

A collaboration with the NSF-CCI, Chemistry at the Space-Time Limit (CaSTL), several games and demos are laid out like a hand-on museum, for us to explore and play with light!

Student Center, Doheny Beach B

“Light: Beyond the Bulb”

Beautiful prints from the international “Light: Beyond the Bulb” exhibit will be in display in the art gallery at the Student Center Lobby from Friday, 1 May to Wednesday, 6 May.

Student Center Art Gallery

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Literature contest guidelines

PhotonicsUCI presents:

Light in Performance and Literature Contest

Have you ever waxed poetic on a sparkling, light-filled day? We want to hear about it!
Submit to our email, photonics@uci.edu, your musing on light or light-related topics for a chance to win a beautiful poster from SPIE’s “Light Beyond the Bulb” exhibit, on display in the Student Center Lobby starting May 4th, at the kick-off of PhotonicsUCI Light Symposium! If you have Twitter, tweet us @PhotonicsUCI to let us know about your work!
Acceptable Formats
Participants are encouraged to submit a five-minute (or less) ORIGINAL performance or written piece of the very general theme of “Light”. We are really open to any format — monologue, poem, short story, stand-up comedy, interpretive dance, etc. Submissions may be written or videotaped and sent to photonics@uci.edu.
Rules

    1. You must be the author of the work in its entirety. For collaborative works, all authors must agree to submitting their work, and their names and contributions clear. Works that have in any way plagiarized will be disqualified.
    2. You can submit more than one work for consideration in the contest.
    3. The deadline for submission is Tuesday, May 5th at 12pm. Submissions must be through our official email, photonics@uci.edu. In addition to an attached file of your work, leave an email/Twitter account we can use to follow up with you. If you would like confirmation that we have received your work, please tweet us at @PhotonicsUCI
    4. All works must be submitted in PDF format to prevent compatibility issues.
    5. Several submissions will be chosen to have the option of performing their piece before a live audience of students and professors during the Light Symposium on Tuesday, May 5th.

Any questions regarding format, content, or specifics can be directed to Kate Rodriguez (kater@uci.edu).
Winners will be determined based on creativity, relevance to the topic of light, and originality. Judges will include faculty from UCI’s English Department for their expertise. Winners will be announced at the Celebrating Light Reception at the conclusion of the Light Symposium, on Tuesday, May 5th, at 7p.m., outside of the Beall Center for Art+Technology at UC Irvine. If you cannot attend, we will contact you via email or Twitter.

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Instagram photography contest guidelines

@PhotonicsUCI presents,

The Light Symposium Instagram Contest!

As we all know, light is a crucial component of photography. The first photograph was taken by Josphe Niepce in 1825. We wonder what he would think of our selfies!
We want to see your Instagram photos! Take a picture of/relating to light, and enter our contest for a chance to win a beautiful poster from the “Light: Beyond the Bulb” exhibit, on display in the lobby of the Student Center from Friday May 1 to Wednesday May 6!
Submit a photograph via our club’s Instagram (@photonicsuci) along with a few words describing your inspiration. Tag us and include the hashtag #LightSymposiumUCI. If you have Twitter, tweet us @PhotonicsUCI about your submission!
Rules

  1. You must be the photographer. You cannot submit something else someone has taken.
  2. The subject of the photo must be light-related. Did you see an interesting reflection? An optical illusion? Be creative!
  3. You can submit more than one photo for consideration in the contest.
  4. The deadline for submission is May 5th, 2015 at 12 p.m.
  5. Tag @photonicsuci and include the hashtag #LightSymposiumUCI.

Additional Information

  • Not an instagram user? Send your photos to photonics@uci.edu!
  • Winners will be announced at the Celebrating Light Reception at the conclusion of the Light Symposium, on Tuesday, May 5th, at 7p.m., outside of the Beall Center for Art+Technology at UC Irvine. If you cannot attend, we will contact you via Twitter or Instagram.
  • Winners will be determined based on originality, creativity, and relevance to the topic of light. Special consideration will be given to those affiliated with UCI.

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Special thanks

These event wouldn’t be possible without the appreciated collaboration from:
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