Latest news with #CCD
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Science
- Boston Globe
George Smith, Nobel laureate who created a digital eye, dies at 95
Their work helped build 'the foundation to our modern information society,' Gunnar Oquist, the Nobel academy's secretary-general, said when it was announced that Mr. Smith and Boyle would share the 2009 prize for physics. (They split the award with Charles K. Kao, who was recognized for work that resulted in the development of fiber-optic cables.) Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Mr. Smith and Boyle had been trying to create better memory storage for computers when the idea for the CCD arose. They thought the photoelectric effect — which Albert Einstein had explained, an explanation that won him a 1921 Nobel Prize — might offer a solution. Advertisement The photoelectric phenomenon occurs when electromagnetic radiation, such as light, hits a metal surface, dislodging electrons from atoms and causing a current to flow through the metal. The device that Mr. Smith and Boyle created employs rows of tiny capacitors to store and transfer the electrical charge — essentially capturing light — and uses the information to construct an image. Advertisement It took them an hour, they later said, to come up with the concept and design. They wrote up the idea in a 1970 paper and filed a patent for it, which was registered in 1974. One of the great advantages of the device is that it distinguishes, measures and records almost every photon of light, making it possible to take far more precise and detailed photographs, particularly of intergalactic bodies, than had been possible with film. 'The challenge when designing an image sensor was to gather and read out the signals in a large number of image points, or pixels, in a short time,' the Nobel committee said, adding that the two men's invention had 'transformed photography, as sight could now be captured electronically instead of on film.' Mr. Smith and Boyle's Nobel win was not without controversy. Michael F. Tompsett and Eugene I. Gordon, scientists who also worked at Bell Laboratories, claimed that they should receive at least equal credit for developing the CCD, as they were the ones who had demonstrated its implications for imaging. Mr. Smith and Boyle, they said, had set out to create a memory circuit, not a digital imaging device. A 1978 article in The New York Times would seem to back up that claim, at least in part, noting that Tompsett had patented technology that made it possible to build a video camera small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand. But that was four years after Mr. Smith and Boyle had patented their device, which is often credited with laying the groundwork for Tompsett's research. Advertisement Shortly after being awarded the Nobel, Mr. Smith told The Chronicle Herald, a Canadian newspaper, that he had 'documentation' that disproved Tompsett and Gordon's claims, adding that 'what they are saying is not at all logical.' George Elwood Smith was born May 10, 1930, in White Plains, New York, the eldest of four children of George and Lillian (Voorhies) Smith. His father, an insurance underwriter, was unhappy at work, and because of his job-hopping the family was constantly on the move. In a 2001 interview with the Engineering and Technology History Wiki website, Mr. Smith said that he grew up in seven states and attended nine elementary schools and five high schools. Following high school, he joined the Navy; he served for four years, partly during the Korean War, as an aerographer's mate, or weather forecaster. He went on to study mathematics, first at the University of Miami and then at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1955. He married Janet Carson the same year. He studied physics at the University of Chicago and received a doctorate in 1959, with a three-page dissertation on the electronic properties of semimetals. (At the time, it was the shortest doctoral dissertation in the history of the University of Chicago; still, it was accepted for publication in Physical Review, a prestigious scientific journal.) After graduating, Mr. Smith accepted a job in the research division of Bell Laboratories in New Jersey, where he remained until he retired in 1986. Mr. Smith held 30 patents, including the one for the CCD, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. The invention of the CCD brought him many awards in addition to the Nobel, including the Stuart Ballantine Medal from the Franklin Institute and the Charles Stark Draper Prize from the National Academy of Engineering. He also helped found Electron Device Letters, a publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Advertisement Mr. Smith was an avid sailor, a passion he shared with his wife; after he was hired by Bell Laboratories, they bought a 19-foot sailboat, which they used on weekends. Janet Smith died in 1975, and two years later he began a relationship with Janet Murphy, a teacher who also loved sailing. Murphy died in 2020. In addition to Lanning, Mr. Smith is survived by two other children, Leslie Collins and Carson Smith; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Laura Hordeski and Nancy Bell. His brother, Stephen, died in 2015. When Mr. Smith retired, he and Murphy bought a 31-foot Southern Cross sailboat that they called Apogee and left their home in New Jersey to circumnavigate the world. Apart from a few short visits, they did not return to the United States until 2003. During those 17 years, they crossed the Atlantic Ocean twice and sailed through the Panama Canal. They explored the Galápagos Islands for a month and then sailed to Tahiti and the Cook Islands. They spent seven years sailing around New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, and then traveled to Indonesia, Thailand, across the Indian Ocean and through the Red and Mediterranean seas. As Mr. Smith told Soundings, an online sailing publication, in 2009, 'I wanted to go sailing long before I got into physics.' This article originally appeared in
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Health
- Wales Online
Four key signs of ‘dementia' in dogs affecting one in three pets
Four key signs of 'dementia' in dogs affecting one in three pets While there is no cure for this progressive condition, there are therapies available to help improve your pet's quality of life. Dogs can experience something called canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome, which is similar to dementia (Image: Getty ) Experts have shared four key signs of 'dementia' in dogs that is thought to affects around a third of pooches by the age of 11. These symptoms could mean your pet has canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome, a condition related to the ageing of a dog's brain. Also known as CCD or CDS, this condition is often compared to dementia or Alzheimer's in humans. It leads to changes in awareness, deficits in learning and memory, and decreased responsiveness to stimuli. According to experts at Pet MD, the symptoms of CCD often start mild and get progressively worse, similar to the effects of dementia. They said: 'Although the initial symptoms of the disorder are mild, they gradually worsen over time, beyond what can be expected with normal ageing. 'These pets experience 'cognitive decline', which is the slow decrease in the brain's ability to perform normal tasks. In fact, clinical signs of cognitive dysfunction syndrome are found in nearly one in three dogs over the age of 11, and by the age of 16, nearly all dogs display at least one sign.' While there is no cure for CCD, there are therapies available to ensure your pet has the best quality of life possible. Therefore, getting diagnosed sooner rather than later is important. Pet MD listed four of the 'most common' symptoms of dementia in dogs. These are: Disorientation/confusion Changes in behaviour Anxiety/restlessness/impaired memory Changes in sleep cycle Disorientation or confusion caused by CCD might translate as getting stuck going around objects, not recognising familiar people or pets, staring blankly at walls, and pacing. Whereas changes in behaviour can be spotted in extreme irritability, decreased desire to play, excessive licking, lack of self-grooming, or loss of appetite. Anxiety, restlessness and an impaired memory could lead to seeming disregard for previously learned training or house rules, your pet being slow to learn new tasks, an inability to follow familiar routes, and faecal and urinary soiling in the home. Signs of changes in sleep cycle can include night waking, night vocalisation, and night pacing. If you think your dog is displaying signs of CCD you should speak to your vet. Charity PDSA says: 'Contact your vet if you've noticed changes in your dog's behaviour because symptoms of cognitive dysfunction usually get worse with time.' The exact causes of CCD are not known, but it is thought many of the same changes that cause problems as people age are likely to also cause problems as our pets age. How to care for a dog with CCD 'Dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome require lifelong therapy and support,' Pet MD says. 'While there is no cure, there are several things that you can do at home to help your dog's cognitive functions.' Article continues below These include: Maintaining a healthy and stimulating environment including daily routine of exercise, play and mental stimulation Maintaining a strict routine Making your home more accessible and safer Night lights can help your senior dog navigate in the dark Potty pads near doors give your pup a place to go if they can't make it until you come home or wake up Orthopaedic foam beds (with washable covers) can make sleep more comfortable Your vet may also recommend medication and behavioural therapy, a special, balanced diet, supplements and anti-anxiety tablets.
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
George E. Smith, Nobel Winner Who Created a Digital Eye, Dies at 95
George E. Smith, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing a revolutionary imaging device that has not only allowed scientists see the universe more clearly but has also made it possible for hundreds of millions of people to record every birthday and vacation for posterity, died on Wednesday at his home in Barnegat Township, N.J. He was 95. His death was confirmed by his daughter Lauren Lanning. It was while he was working at Bell Laboratories in 1969 that Dr. Smith and a colleague, Willard S. Boyle, came up with the idea for what is known as the charge-coupled device, or CCD — a technology that is an essential component of nearly every telescope, medical scanner, photocopier and digital camera in use today. Their work helped build 'the foundation to our modern information society,' Gunnar Oquist, the Nobel academy's secretary general, said when it was announced that Dr. Smith and Dr. Boyle would share the 2009 prize for physics. (They split the award with Charles K. Kao, who was recognized for work that resulted in the development of fiber-optic cables.) Dr. Smith and Dr. Boyle had been trying to create better memory storage for computers when the idea for the CCD arose. They thought the photoelectric effect — which Einstein had explained, an explanation that won him a 1921 Nobel Prize — might offer a solution. The photoelectric phenomenon occurs when electromagnetic radiation, such as light, hits a metal surface, dislodging electrons from atoms and causing a current to flow through the metal. The device that Dr. Smith and Dr. Boyle created employs rows of tiny capacitors to store and transfer the electrical charge — essentially capturing light — and uses the information to construct an image. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Humans Give Off a Light That Is Extinguished in Death, Study Reveals
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. While auras may come from the realm of pseudoscience, all living beings do emit a faint light, invisible to the human eye—one that is extinguished upon death. This is the conclusion of a team of researchers from the University of Calgary, Canada, who used a special camera to study such "ultraweak photon emission" (UPE) in mice. UPE is closely linked to vitality," explained physicist Vahid Salari and colleagues in their paper, published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. "The study of UPE has fundamental importance for basic research, as it can be used for non-invasive insights into the biochemical and metabolic processes of living organisms." Stock image of a man glowing. Stock image of a man glowing. bestdesigns/iStock / Getty Images Plus UPE has been detected coming from a multitude of life forms—all the way up from single-celled organisms to plants, animals and even us humans. Unlike bioluminescence (as seen in creatures like fireflies and glowworms), which releases high-intensity visible light, UPE results in extremely low-intensity light our eyes cannot see. It is also separate to the blackbody radiation emitted as a result of temperature. According to the researchers, at the heart of UPE is the production of so-called reactive oxygen species, or ROS for short. (These, as their name might suggest, are highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules that result as a byproduct of the chemical reactions that sustain all living things.) ROS play a role as signaling molecules in the cellular response to stress. If too many of these molecules are produced, however, they can actually cause oxidative stress. When this overwhelms a cell's antioxidant defenses, cells and tissues can be damaged and electron excitation and transfer processes can be induced, leading to photon emission. In their study, the researchers created ultradark enclosures to block out environmental light and allow UPE from living organisms to be detected via specialist cameras. A so-called Electron-Multiplying Charge-Coupled Device (EMCCD) camera was used to capture UPE from plants, while a "regular" Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) to observe the changes in ultraweak photon emission between live and dead mice. While live mice gave off robust emissions, the team found just-euthanized mice—despite having the same body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit—gave off robust UPE. UPE from live (top) and dead (bottom) mice. UPE from live (top) and dead (bottom) mice. Salari et al. / The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters Experimenting on plants, meanwhile, the researchers found that UPE emissions increased with both temperature and injuries—although the latter could be mitigated with chemical treatment. The findings, the team concluded, highlight how "UPE imaging provides the possibility of non-invasive label-free imaging of vitality in animals and the responses of plants to stress." Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about physics? Let us know via science@ Reference Salari, V., Seshan, V., Frankle, L., England, D., Simon, C., & Oblak, D. (2025). Imaging Ultraweak Photon Emission from Living and Dead Mice and from Plants under Stress. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 16(17), 4354–4362.
Business Wire
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
SoluPet Taps Forsman & Bodenfors for Global AOR Duties to Launch Breakthrough Solution for Aging Dogs
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SoluPet Supplements, a science-driven startup dedicated to improving the lives of senior dogs suffering from cognitive decline, has named global advertising agency Forsman & Bodenfors (F&B) as its agency of record. F&B is a solutions-driven, creative collective that is part of the global marketing network, Stagwell. 'We're not just launching a product—we're launching a movement to give senior dogs more good years. And we've broken some traditional start up rules to do this safely and quickly,' said Bill Mohri, Founder and CEO of SoluPet. The partnership will focus on launching SoluPet's flagship supplement—a first-of-its-kind product backed by neuroscience, nanotechnology, and more than 10 years of scientific research. The move comes as SoluPet prepares for its commercial debut later this year, aiming to address the growing crisis of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD), an underdiagnosed yet widespread neurodegenerative condition affecting over 30M dogs in the U.S. alone. 'We're not just launching a product—we're launching a movement to give senior dogs more good years. And we've broken some traditional start up rules to do this safely and quickly,' said Bill Mohri, Founder and CEO of SoluPet. 'Choosing Forsman & Bodenfors is a key step in that journey. Their creativity, strategic rigor, and understanding of disruptive brands will help us shape how the world understands pet cognition.' F&B's North America Chief Solutions Officer/Managing Director, Julien Bissuel shared, 'SoluPet has incredible potential, and during our first conversation, we quickly realized how aligned our visions were, from our approach to business, being growth-oriented, believing in the power of a brand to drive long term growth, and focusing on continuous innovations. A relationship is a true partnership, and in this partnership, I became an advisor on the commercial advisory board where we worked hand in hand on shaping the identity and positioning of their brand. At Forsman we obsess over finding new ways to grow for our clients and applying creativity to solve business problems, values that are essential for a start-up in launch mode.' SoluPet's story is deeply personal. Mohri, a seasoned CPG executive with over 25 years of leadership experience at Kraft Foods and Microsoft, was inspired to start the company after watching his beloved dog, Lily, struggle with the effects of dementia. Realizing that current solutions lacked scientific credibility and effectiveness, he set out to build something better. 'I realized there were no effective solutions in the market. So I decided to build one,' Mohri said. 'We've since assembled a world-class advisory board—veterinary scientists, neuroscientists, and business leaders—who share our mission of transforming pet health through innovation.' The supplement, which is a proven-safe approach to easing the progression of canine dementia, is poised to fill a major gap in the market. While awareness of cognitive decline in pets is rising, most current products lack robust clinical validation. SoluPet aims to change that. 'Pet dementia isn't just a medical issue—it's an emotional one,' said Dr. Paul Dick, SoluPet's Chief Veterinary Science Advisor. 'We believe the science we've developed can truly make a difference in the lives of pets and their families.' The F&B campaign will bring SoluPet's mission to life through brand storytelling, digital outreach, and creative content that elevates the emotional and scientific case for action. As Mohri puts it: 'We believe every dog deserves not just more years—but more good years. That's the future we're fighting for.' F&B's full scope of work includes: brand strategy, positioning, values, proposition, RTBs, launch strategy, communication strategy and creative execution, research and testing, packaging design, e-commerce website design and development and media planning. For more information, visit Social Media: About SoluPet: SoluPet is a science and data driven company focused on transforming pet health care that is revolutionizing the pet sector's companion animal health category with its advanced supplement offering. SoluPet offers pet owners an effective option for easing the progression of debilitating pet conditions like Canine Cognitive Dysfunction.
