Day 5 of Crayola Creativity Week
Jan 31, 2025 • 3:35 PM UTC
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Holly Stuart (Foldscope Team)
Education Specialist at Foldscope Instruments
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Today's book is "In Praise of Mystery" by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón and illustrated by Peter Sis. The book is the poem that Limón wrote that is engraved on the outside of the Europa Clipper spacecraft that is currently on its way to Jupiter's moon Europa. Europa was chosen for this mission because it is a world of ice - and NASA scientists want to search the universe for places where life could possibly exist. Scientists know that life as we know it requires water, so they decided that Europa would be a great place to start!
For me, I love the connection between astronomy and microscopy. I often feel that the images I capture with my Foldscope look like planets floating in the vast darkness of space. This image below is a drop of vital stain that I let evaporate on the slide. The bands of color look very "Jupiter" like, don't you think?
For me, I love the connection between astronomy and microscopy. I often feel that the images I capture with my Foldscope look like planets floating in the vast darkness of space. This image below is a drop of vital stain that I let evaporate on the slide. The bands of color look very "Jupiter" like, don't you think?
The second creativity prompt focuses on interfaces, specifically the place where water meets the land. It is thought that this is where scientists will most likely find evidence of life (if there is any to find). What kind of life forms could be living there? When you think about the variety of life forms here on Earth (some of which are so fantastical they seem like science fiction!), the possibilities of what can exist elsewhere are endless! The picture below features a heliozoa (a single-celled aquatic animal that has needle-like projections surrounding it giving it a "sun" like look).
Wouldn't it be great if one day astronomers explore other worlds with Foldscopes to discover and study alien life forms?? What if that astronomer is you or one of your students? Happy Foldscoping!
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