Posted on 07/10/2006 4:54:33 PM PDT by annie laurie
Ever wondered what’s going on in the tiny mind of a newborn baby, or how a footballer takes that perfect kick? Or even why brain scanning kits often look like mental torture instruments from a sci-fi B-movie?
I met some researchers yesterday from University College London who are shedding light on (most of) these questions using new optical imaging systems that can probe beneath our skin.
What stands out about these systems is far greater clarity – you can actually see a 3-D map of individual blood vessels and tell from the colour how oxygenated the blood is. They are also safe enough to be used continuously, unlike other imaging methods
One such device uses optical tomography to assess brain function in newborn and premature babies, by measuring the flight times of photons across the head. The result is 3-D images of blood volume and oxygenation.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...
More interesting stuff from the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2006:
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/exhibition.asp?id=4198
I hate it when links don't work:
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/exhibition.asp?id=4198
Ping
The number you're thinking of is seven. ;')
Ms Cleo, is that you? ;-)
Pass the ganja.
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