Friday- So are Humans 20% Translucent?

So today in lab we brought the samples that were prepared earlier that week over to the main faculty building to use the micro- CT. Essentially it operates extremely similarly to a traditional CT machine that a human can be imaged in; however, instead of the emitter rotating around the x-rayed object, the object rotates around the emitter. For some science behind what our aims were with a CT machine, we were wondering if different sizes of gold nanoparticles changed the imageability of the scaffolds that were made, and more importantly that there was a difference in the visibility between the control (no gold) and our samples with gold nanoparticles. Indeed we were able to confirm the original hypothesis and move forward with further tests. In the calibration process of using the micro-CT I learned something quite peculiar - in order to operate the CT and get good images, the sample has to be at least 20% translucent. In a bizarre turn of events, the opening up the micro-CT to run our sample we removed none other than a mounted piece of chocolate. So apparently this block of chocolate is also 20% translucent—aka chocolate MUST be HEALTHY! And no, I did not care to learn if CTed chocolate tastes the same as chocolate before being CTed. lol However, this did make me wonder if the same parameters required to operate our micro-CT (20% translucent samples) applies in a full CT for human use. In other words, are humans also 20% translucent?? 

CTed Chocolate

And an IPA next to the lab monitor. Clearly the last operator was having some fun. 

Today was also a day that was victim of a sudden, violent storm. For a while there were menacing clouds and then suddenly the rain started to drip and within two minutes there was a torrential downpour accompanied by vicious winds! Luckily this only lasted in intervals for about two hours, so we could transfer buildings and continue with our experiments. The walk between buildings is about twenty minutes or so through a park that was scattered with broken branches and bending trees from the recent storm. Apparently the storm was severe enough to even interrupt the service of some of the tram lines, or this is what I’m assuming after a half hour of no trams coming through the station in either direction. Luckily there was a bus stop across the street that took me close enough to my dorm that all was fine. 

Tonight I planned what things I wanted to do over the weekend and continued to look into the various things I want to do in Berlin and Budapest. :)