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Materials

Chemistry In Pictures

Chemistry in Pictures: Technology, a mirror to nature

by Sydney Smith
March 28, 2023

A reflection of a deep green tree canopy, through which silvery sunlight is filtered. A burst of red, green, and blue lines emerges around the brightest spot of sunlight.
Credit: Constance Walker

Sitting shaded under a tree along the riverbank, Constance Walker took in the peacefulness of Eno River State Park in Durham, North Carolina. Not needing her phone to enjoy the moment, she set it on the ground nearby. She was startled when, taking a glance at its dark screen, she witnessed this ethereal reflection. The sunlight, filtered through the leaf canopy above Constance, was scattered on the active-matrix organic light-emitting diode display of her cell phone. The scattering created a “star of light” in the three colors of the organic light-emitting diodes. She quickly captured the phenomenon with her hiking camera.

In extension of her appreciation of both nature and technology, Constance Walker spent much of her career studying the phenomenology of nuclear reactions as a senior research scientist. She retired from Duke University.

Submitted by Constance Walker

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