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Untitled (Eye)
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This image is a scientific visualization of light scattered by gold nanorods (S. Baxter - Mech. Eng., E. Goldsmith - Cell Biology, C. Murphy -_ Chemistry, C. Robinson – Art; University of South Carolina NanoCenter). The nanorods are embedded in a cell-populated collagen gel and scatter light as viewed through a dark field microscope. This image has been manipulated, but with sincere effort to retain the inherent or true characteristics of the original sample - yet it may still confuse. Does the viewer perceive it as big or little, inner or outer space, and do we wonder what constitutes scientific information, meaning, or accuracy?
This work is supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation.
We have the privilege of watching this fascinating science develop and can assist in providing information about its meaning, assets, and liabilities. But we should be careful to make sure that we provide accurate information and inform rather than confuse and deter public understanding.
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