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