When I heard that today’s topic would be “Seeing the Invisible,” I wasn’t so sure what to expect. Immediately, I thought of supernatural phenomena such as X-Ray vision or crazy magic Harry Potter powers. My imagination thought of all sorts of wild, impossible things that could never be done. Instead, we learned about visualization in art and medicine. The use of the camera obscura greatly transformed the world of art, allowing painters to make more realistic pictures than ever before, as seen in the famous “Arnolfini’s Marriage” by Jan Van Eyck. 
Although the camera obscura was an advancement in both art and technology, I believe that process of making the paints by mixing different pigments was an advancement in science as well. By improving the formula of the paints (which of course, is chemistry), they appeared more vibrant, had a smoother texture, and laster longer thus making the portrait seem more realistic as well. In addition to art, the “invisible” was also seen in medicine. The French scientist Louis Pastuer explored the multiplication of bacteria in his “Germ Theory.” This allowed us to see the millions of bacteria and microbes that are constantly growing and developing everywhere around us.
We also discussed X Ray diffraction and Bragg’s Law, which says that X Rays diffract at twice the incident angle. Later, we went to see the different labs and microscopes. My favorite researcher was Sergay, because he had a friendly disposition and a charming accent. I loved looking at the different specimens, it was a million times better than the crappy cheap Wal-Mart microscopes that my school provides.
Even though I didn’t learn about any Harry Potter voodoo invisibility seeing magic, I still enjoyed today’s fascinating lecture.