8/4/2023 0 Comments Origami risk tv![]() ![]() Manu Prakash: Our vision is that every kid in the world should grow up with a microscope in his pocket and the entire world of micro-cosmos to explore. How important is it to Foldscope to give children the scientific tools from an early age and how do you think you can contribute to the teaching of science in schools and at home? This led me into the back garden with jam jars and a magnifying glass in hand to see what other wonders I could find. I remember getting a microscope one Christmas with preloaded slides of insect legs and being blown away with the intrinsic detail at such a microscopic level. Me: From a very young age I had a great interest in all things scientific. I asked Professor Prakash his thoughts on a few aspects of the project: The possibility of a universal “microscope for every child” programme which could foster a deep interest in science from an early age and the global benefits of disease-specific Foldscopes to diagnose the billion people in risk of malaria and other deadly diseases two very good reasons why this project should be big news in the coming years. Disease-specific Foldscopes can increase the availability and amount of microscopy diagnosis carried-out in field testing. A 2012 report in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, entitled How do we best diagnose Malaria in Africa?, notes “The gold standard test for the diagnosis of malaria is microscopy… microscopy is often unavailable, especially in rural settings”. There are about 10,000 malaria cases per year in Western Europe, and 1300–1500 in the United States. ![]() About 125 million pregnant women are at risk of infection each year in Sub-Saharan Africa, maternal malaria is associated with up to 200,000 estimated infant deaths yearly. Malaria alone causes over one million deaths a year and affects over one billion people, mostly in the developing countries around the tropical belt. What if every child had access to low-cost, durable microscopes from an early age, how many more young people would we have with an interest in science? The more scientists, the better I say. and Ireland) will go through their entire school experience without using a microscope. I was always interested in the world of science, thanks to my mother’s inherent enthusiasm in the stars and in nature, but so many children (even in the developed world like the U.S.A., U.K. These ingenious paper creations present an affordable brightfield, darkfield or florescence microscope designed for rugged applications in both science and education. ![]() Foldscopes, basically, have conquered all of these problems. They are heavy, bulky and hard to maintain they are not designed for field testing and cost thousands of dollars. Optical microscopes, as we know them, have not changed dramatically in the last hundred years. The possibilities for the Foldscope are massive and global. They have created a super low-cost product (less than $1 per Foldscope) that is both incredibly portable and durable. A single A4 sheet with in-built lens and LED within perforated pieces which can easily be assembled into a fully functional microscope. Manu Prakash, Jim Cybulski and their team have created something I think can really change the world for the better. I came across the video below as I delved into a TED Talks binge (which I highly recommend when seeking daily inspiration) and I was immediately blown away by the concept and plan Professor Manu Prakash and his team presented.īy combining principles of optical design with origami Prof. The idea of an origami microscope may seem completely bonkers but the inspired research team in Prakash Lab in Stanford University, California have made this insane concept a reality. ![]()
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