Perspective: Bright Ideas

In this episode of the Perspective series, viewers learn about chemiluminescence and the ways it is being used in medicine, the textile industry, and its promise for communications. Beginning with a look at the pioneering work of scientist Frank McCapra who found a way to chemically reproduce light in a test tube (sort of like a firefly in a bottle), the program shows how chemiluminescence could eventually replace standard X-ray tests as a means of diagnostic medical testing, a move which would completely eliminate radioactive materials from the process; another application involves testing for mildew in textiles, a presently costly and time-consuming procedure (taking about a month on average), which would provide textile inspectors with instantaneous measurements for mildew; and finally the tape examines the use of chemiluminescence in fiber optic threads, a process that could even further revolutionize the communications industry. This is a fairly interesting program, though at this point many of the ideas for the use of chemiluminescence are still in the developmental stage. High school and university libraries with strong chemistry/physics programs may want to consider. (See BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA for availability.)