Lesson 4 Creative Ideas for a Better World
Science for All
Microscopes have been an essential tool for science for over 400 ____.
If microscopes had not been invented, we might not have discovered bacteria or the microscopic ____ of living organisms.
In certain areas of the world, however, even basic light microscopes are not ____ due to their cost.
It was the Foldscope that ____ Prakash and Jim Cybulski presented as a solution to the problem.
The Foldscope, a paper microscope they ____, achieved powerful magnification, and cost less than a dollar in parts.
“The idea has been to make science accessible to everybody,” said ____.
While researching methods for ____ infectious diseases in Thailand in 2011, Prakash came across an expensive microscope that was meant for malaria testing but was unused.
Malaria takes ____ half a million lives annually, so early diagnosis is crucial in preventing its spread.
But then, ____ was the microscope sitting unused?
Prakash found that there were ____ reasons.
The microscope was bulky and awkward to ____, required training to operate, and was difficult to maintain.
As it was a delicate and expensive instrument, ____ trained lab workers felt nervous about using it.
Prakash began wondering.
A ____, strong microscope could save thousands of lives.
After he returned to Stanford University, where he was a professor, he started to reflect on the ____.
It was not until he met Jim Cybulski that his idea of an affordable and accessible microscope began to ____ shape.
A graduate student at Stanford, Cybulski was looking for ways to apply his engineering background to ____ a difference in the real world.
After ____ Prakash’s vision, Cybulski quickly recognized its potential and was eager to contribute.
For a microscope to function properly, it must ____ certain minimum requirements.
These ____ an eyepiece, a tube through which the viewer looks, and a lens for magnification.
The microscope must also have a component that can hold a specimen and move from side to side to explore different areas of the ____.
Furthermore, a mechanism to bring the specimen into focus, usually accomplished by moving it closer to or ____ from the lens, is necessary.
Finally, a light ____ is required to illuminate the specimen.
An ideal microscope
An ideal microscope would be made with the ____ performing materials and mechanisms for each component.
However, such a microscope would likely be ____ expensive.
On the other hand, a cheap microscope ____ not be able to deliver high performance.
Prakash and Cybulski experimented with various designs and materials in ____ to find a suitable compromise.
While many manufacturers might have settled for a middle ground between these ____ extremes, Prakash and Cybulski were determined to create a microscope that was both inexpensive and high-performing, while remaining accessible to all.
After drawing various designs on paper, ____ and Cybulski realized that paper could be an excellent medium for their microscope.
It was cheap, easy to cut and fold with ____, and widely available.
They faced many challenges ____ their attempts to develop the perfect design.
Ultimately, they settled on waterproof cardboard paper with a small glass ball lens and named their invention the ____.
The Foldscope provides a magnification of 140 times, making it ____ of examining blood cells, bacteria, and single-celled organisms.
It is incredibly portable, weighs just 8 grams, fits easily in a pocket, and requires no external ____ source.
Moreover,
____, the Foldscope is built to last, capable of surviving a three-story fall.
Its usefulness is further enhanced by its compatibility with phone ____, allowing users to take pictures and record images of the specimen.
It is ____ possible to project a high-resolution image on a wall using the phone light.
It is no surprise that over 1.8 ____ Foldscopes have been distributed in over 160 countries, making it an invaluable tool for scientists worldwide.
The Foldscope has been utilized for various ____ beyond malaria diagnosis.
In Nigeria, it has also been instrumental in detecting ____ antimalarial drugs.
The drugs are responsible for over 100,000 deaths annually in sub-Saharan ____, mostly among children under five.
When crushed into powder and examined under a Foldscope, real drugs appear as uniform ____, while fake drugs appear as mere powder.
Furthermore, over 400 scientific papers have been published using Foldscope data, and around 1,200 ____ are currently in progress in India.
In the United States, Foldscope programs in public libraries have ____ many children to the wonders of science.
If Prakash and Cybulski had given up on their ____ of the Foldscope, these achievements could not have occurred.
As billions of people lack access to health care and thousands of preventable deaths occur, science is playing a ____ role in finding solutions to these challenges.
Tools like the Foldscope, ____ make science accessible to everyone, are becoming increasingly important.