Education outreach is one of the most important and significant ways OSA and its members support local communities and inspire tomorrow's young scientists. OSA offers a variety of educator resources, including instructional classroom videos.
Bringing Math to Life With Light. Presentation by John Noe, State University of New York (SUNY).
Demonstration of a spectroscope to understand absorption and emission spectra, the Bohr model of the atom, and the discovery of elements.Presentation by John Nemechek, Metrology Concepts.
Demonstration of how light and sound can interact. Presentation by Wayne Knox, Institute of Optics, University of Rochester.
Colorful demonstration of polarization effects using an overhead projector, plastic silverware, a plastic CD case, and a LCD monitor. Presentation by Meredith Lee, Stanford Student OSA/SPIE Chapter, Stanford University.
Demonstration of a thermal camera & how the atmosphere can be transparent to visible light but absorb long-wave infrared light (the greenhouse effect). Presentation by Ying (Melissa) Geng and Ben Masella/ Institute of Optics, University of Rochester.
Demonstration of photovoltaic silicon solar cells and concentrators, leading-edge solar power technologies. Presentation by Eric Christensen, Institute of Optics, University of Rochester.
Discussion of Rochester Solar Technologies' photovoltaic solar cell panel business, including federal, state, and NYSERDA tax credits and incentives. Presentation by Floyd Bayley, Rochester Solar Technologies, LLC.
Demonstration of reverse-perspective optical illusions, which are easy to make and illustrate the different ways the human brain tries to perceive depth. Presentation by Duje Tadin and Rebecca Achtman, University of Rochester.
Demonstration of the "Optics Suitcase," a portable kit for demonstrating optics to students. Presentation by Theresa Pfunter, Steve Jacobs, and colleagues, Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), University of Rochester.
Demonstration of fluorescence in many some household items, such as dish detergent, a tennis ball, and dollar bills. Presentation by Rebecca Wilson and Kathleen Adelsberger, Institute of Optics, University of Rochester.