Light Symposium: Light in Industry

For the Light in Industry segment of the symposium, we had two speakers from nearby companies. Horiba Scientific and Newport Corp. are two big names in the light industry and their products find application in a plethora of light technologies. Dr. Eunah Lee, Applications Scientist at Horiba Scientific was our first speaker. In the first part of the talk, she spoke about the career paths and directions open for a student in the fields of optics and photonics and how one can make their career choices. She shared her own experiences with an engaged audience. Being an expert in Raman spectroscopy, the second part of her talk comprised of various application of Raman spectroscopy, including biology and drug industry. Her presentation educated us about the capabilities of Raman spectroscopy to answer various scientific questions.
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Our second speaker was Mr. James Fisher who is the Vice President of Newport Corporation. He gave an inspirational talk on how light is being used every day to derive innovation. The talk focused on Newport’s mission statement “To develop & deliver photonics technology and products that extend the frontiers of science and improve our world”. He spoke to us about the products developed at Newport Corp., which supports a myriad of light based technologies, with every day utility. Through various examples and videos, Mr. Fisher showed us the application of light to ‘make’, ‘manage’ and ‘measure’.
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Light Symposium – Light in Arts

Light as material and metaphor

Stephen Barker’s talk, “Light as Material and Metaphor” was one of the most
engaging talks I’ve attended while at UCI. Stephen Barker is currently serv-
ing as Interim Dean of Arts, but nevertheless enthusiastically answered our call
for talks when we first dreamed of the Light Symposium, an interdisciplinary
collaboration of various departments on campus. Stephen opened up with a
general walkthrough of light in art, and how its use has always been the center-
fold for many of the great artists. The evolution of light in art, however, as a
sort of tool to the focus and crux of a piece, was the most englightening part of
the talk for me. Stephan, speaking with increasing excitement, navigated us
through various interpretations of light, opening up new meanings and discus-
sions. Especially illuminating was the discussion of J.M. Turner’s use of light
as it progressed from tool to subject.
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Improv game: how to create a graveyard in East Texas

Dr. Jaymi Lee Smith, a skilled lighting director and professor in the Theatre
department here at UC Irvine, good-naturedly took the random suggestions
from a bunch of over-caeinated scientists:
J: So how are we going to place our character in a graveyard in East Texas?
Audience: backlighting!
J: How much?
Someone in the audience: …63
Jaymi walked us through how a lighting director thinks and experiences the
stage. In the smallish, but intimate, Nixon Theatre nestled into a crook of the
arts department, next to buckets of chemicals used for developing photographs,
we were able to create outlandish scenes and asburd storylines using Jaymi’s
suggestions and expertise. It was one of the most unique experiences of the
Light Symposium: I think it’s safe to say that not many of us have, or will
have, the experinces of lighting an entire stage using top-notching technology,
and with Jaymi’s guidance, it was a blast.
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Reception at Play: in Three Acts

To celebrate the end of the Light Symposium, we partnered with Samantha
Young from the Beall Center of Art+Technology to bring you Play: in Three
Acts. Each interactive exhibit by artists from around the country explored
dierent aspects of light in exceptionally entertaining ways. In the first exhibit,
one creates waves by moving through a fixture hanging from the ceiling, and
so sparks a cacaphony of previously recorded sounds that are on a 20 minutes
loop, so every iteration is different. In the other, two people race using various
lamps from different eras found at yard sales form around the country. In the
third – and I will fully admit to be scared out of my wits – one is submerged in

total darkness, and like in the first exhibit, one’s body movements through the
space sparks sounds that follow you around as you try to find your way back
to the light. Although spooky, it was interesting, and important, to recall that
we only have light because we also have darkness, a theme that we seemed to
explore in one way or another through all the exhibits and talks at the Light
Symposium.
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Light Symposium – Light in everyday life

That light dictates our everyday lives is unquestionable. The day is defined by the Sun light, at night we turn on the lamps, we have all become instant photographers, and we connect to each other with video calls.
But does everyone know what light is? The most adventurers will enter the wave-particle discussion. Others will say light is a positive glowing energy. Prof. Eric Potma guided us through the history of light as a concept until the word “photon” was coined, which funny enough was not to define light. Eric started the journey in the ancient Greece, when Leucippus considered light as particles, idea that was vastly ignored until centuries later. He then discussed the origin of light: were the objects emitting it, or were our eyes, as Plato sustained? With the introduction of the light ray concept from Euclide and Diocles, we started to suspect that light was something independent of our own eyes. Eric explained to us the Archimedes mirror, which might have been used to burn down roman vessels by creating heat rays. You can find out if this is a myth in this episode of the Myth-busters. We then travelled forward in time with Alhazen contribtions, Zacharias Janssen’s microscope, Newton, Huygens and Maxwell’s theories, all the way to Einstein’s points of view and Lewis naming. Today, a photon is considered to be the elementary unit of light, or quanta of light, as Einstein and Planck referred to.
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Donn Silberman was our second invited speaker. He provided a detailed explanation on why we are celebrating the International Year of Light, you can find facts, figures, and all the activities around the Globe in the official website. Light impacts so many areas of our lives that it is important to be aware of what is being done with it and what possibilities it offers. Donn also emphasized the excellent light-based research that is being done at UC Irvine.
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Light Symposium Instagram Contest Winners!

Check out the excellent photographs that won the Light Symposium Instagram Contest! To see the other great submissions, visit the club’s instagram @photonicsuci or look for the hashtag #lightsymposiumuci

Light Symposium

The Light Symposium is here!

May 4 – 5, at the Student Center Doheny Beach A and B.
Celebrate the International Year of Light with Photonics@UCI!
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There is still time to RSVP for all events. Check the schedule here.
Participate in the photography and literature contest for the chance of winning fantastic LED pens, laser pointers, and IYL t-shirts!

Follow updates and share your experience with us!

@PhotonicsUCI

#LightSymposiumUCI

#IYL2015

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!
Photonics@UCI team.