Christine Roeger is someone who grew up blowing glass bubbles while other kids were blowing soap bubbles. The bubbles would shimmer as they expanded and got bigger until they popped. Once they popped, light tissues of glass would float to the ground. For Christine, this was a typical childhood as her father was a scientific glassblower.
Mowing Forward With the Glass Blowing Tradition
She followed in both her father and her grandfather’s footsteps to become a scientific glassblower. On a daily basis, you can find her heating and shaping glass to form custom scientific instruments.
There are differences when it comes to the glassblowing industry her grandfather was in and the industry now. In modern days, glassblowers still learn on the job, but now, there are new techniques involved and research that is needed to design.
Roeger says that for her to make her glass creations, the glass tubes have to be heated over a flame, which is usually at 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Once they are heated, she can make almost anything. The items range from chambers for holding various items to massive glass instruments.
Glass Blowing is More Than an Artform
Aside from learning firsthand how to shape glass, Roeger also had to take chemistry courses. If she didn’t have a background in chemistry, she would not have had an idea of what her clients were talking about when it came to their custom needs.
Roeger teaches graduate students and works with them to design custom instruments for them to use for their projects. Without her there, they would order custom pieces from distant shops that would possibly take weeks for them to arrive.
With her there, it allows the university to innovate as they are able to fail and make mistakes without worrying about too much downtime.
Glass is continuously playing a large and important role in our modern lives which is why the art of traditional glassblowing isn’t going anywhere.
Wondering What Your Cat is Feeling? Here is an App That Will Tell You What’s Going On
Being a cat parent can be very challenging, especially when you are still bonding with your feline. Every day we see thousands of uploads of funny videos and photos that pet parents share with the world. In general, taking care of any animal can be challenging, especially when you cannot pinpoint what is going on with it. Keeping this factor in mind, a company specializing in animal health technology has developed a unique app. Let us get to know what it is all about and how it can help you.
Introducing Tably, the Intelligent App Designed for a Cat Parent
Slyvester.ai, a company in Calgary, Alberta, developed an app that allows you to use a smartphone’s camera to understand what your feline is feeling. The app quickly detects if the feline is in distress by scanning the change of the whiskers, muzzle tension, narrowing of the eyes, the position of ears and head.
So, How Did the Developers Decide on Something Like This?
In a recent interview, Miche Priest, the venture lead of Sylvester.ai, stated that this app works around the same concept of the FGS or feline grimace scale. FGS is said to be a reliable and valid tool that helps to assess feline pain levels. Through this app, owners will get to know if their feline is experiencing any pain or not. He further added that they could train the machine using a series of images and machine learning technology.
Who Can Benefit From This App?
As per Calgary’s Wild Rose, Cat Clinic’s Dr. Liz Ruelle stated that this app is beneficial not just for feline owners but even young veterinarians. Dr. Rulle, also part of the team of developers who train algorithms, further stated that this app would be a boon for cat owners to know exactly what is going on with their furbabies.