How 3D Medical Animation is Changing the Way We Learn

Many of us remember taking biology and anatomy courses in high school or college. We would peer into our textbooks and try to soak in the labels attached to an illustration of an animal cell. Some of us were lucky enough to crowd around a model of a skeleton at the front of the class and watch the instructor point out important anatomical landmarks.

Those of us who were able to observe a physical model of a biological structure may have noticed that it was much easier to retain information if we could see a 360-degree view of the object. If we could hold it in our hands, turn it around to look at the front and back, and maybe take different pieces of the model apart, we were able to interact with the structure enough to feel more familiar with how it looked and what the nomenclature was.

RF and RM Videos of 3D Medical Animations

Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible for a classroom to have physical models of every scientific topic that needs to be learned. However, the birth of 3D animation has made it possible for us to watch countless structures move, be taken apart, and rotate 360-degrees.

3D animations are composed of 3D models, which in the most basic terms are digital sculptures, that are manipulated and moved around throughout the course of the video. Surprisingly, the process used to make 3D models is just as mathematical as it is design-oriented. An artist is essentially creating instructions for a computer to follow in order to create the model, thus equations and geometry are taken into account to ensure that the computer is able to process the object without experiencing glitches.

Because these models are crafted to represent 3D objects or a 3D terrain, they open up the doors to a digital world that mimics the physical world we live in. 3D medical animation can exhibit clinically accurate surgeries, obscure biological processes, and isolated molecules or anatomical parts.

Instead of staring at a book and reading complicated descriptions about how our bodies work, viewers with access to computers can now watch different parts of the brain light up in glowing colors in order to learn the nomenclature, or observe the motion of glucose molecules as they interact with other structures to pass through a cell membrane.

Studies show that if viewers can be presented with learning material that connects with their creative side, the lesson will not only grab more of the audience’s attention, but will allow the audience to retain the information better because they are having fun watching the video as more active participants.

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Businesses surrounding 3D animation have been responding in parallel to these communication benefits. The Market Research Gazette reports that the market has been projected to grow by 20.8% from 2016 to 2021.

As medical animation becomes more popular and receives more funding, animations will become more accessible to more learners worldwide, which will create a brighter future for our students and our healthcare.

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NASA and the Space Age

In 1957, an amazing spectacle appeared in the North American night sky – Sputnik, the first satellite to enter Earth’s orbit. The USSR had successfully sent a rocket into outer space, thus beginning the space race, an event which would last a decade and challenge the best and brightest of two nations.

In response to Sputnik, President Dwight D. Eisenhower created NASA, the first American administration for space exploration in 1958. With Project Mercury, NASA attempted to make the first manned mission into space but failed to beat the Russians, who sent Yuri Gagarin into orbit in 1961. A month later Alan Shepard became the first American in space and John Glenn followed soon after, orbiting the Earth three times in 1962.

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In the Sixties, NASA entered a new era. With the cold war raging and the threat of nuclear armament on the horizon, President John F Kennedy vowed to redouble NASA’s efforts and put an American on the moon by the end of the decade. In 1965, NASA began the Spacelab project, sending the first space station into Earth’s orbit. Despite sustaining damage during take off, the station was repaired in space and orbited the Earth until 1979.

The success of Spacelab led to NASA’s famous Apollo missions to the moon. After many failed attempts, Apollo 8 became the first shuttle to circle the moon in 1968. The following year, the USSR accomplished its first moon tour, leaving the space race at a stalemate.

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With the cold war raging in the east, astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong of Apollo 11 successfully landed on the moon in 1969. The mission effectively ended the space race and cemented America’s place as the world leader in space exploration. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became national heroes and were awarded the Presidential Metal of Freedom later that year.

Since then, NASA has continued its exploration of space sending probes to every planet in our solar system, including the dwarf planet, Pluto. It also landed four rovers on Mars, the last of which, Curiosity, is still collecting data from its craters today.

The recent image of a black hole in the M87 galaxy is more proof of human potential in space exploration. For the Space Age to advance, we must continue NASA’s legacy into the future. For more astronomy images check out the gallery above, and for unique astronomy gifts check out our store front below.

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Don't Sweat It: How Mosquitos Find Us

Scientists recently came one step closer to figuring out how to stop mosquitoes from biting us.

Mosquitos have plagued humans and other warm-blooded mammals for eons. Aside from ruining an otherwise beautiful summer evening with their itchy bites, they transmit some of the worst diseases known to man. Malaria, zika, yellow fever, dengue, West Nile Virus, encephalitis, and chikungunya are some of the deadliest.

RF & RM Stock Images of Mosquitos

Many of these have no cure and may cause congenital disabilities or death.

In the United States West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, dengue, and yellow fever are all transmitted by mosquitoes.

The good news is that scientists continue to discover precisely how mosquitoes find us? It will help us figure out how to stop them from biting us.

The recent finding confirms that it is the acids in our sweat that attract them. Genetically altered mosquitoes that couldn't sense these acids were not drawn to us.

For now, the best method is still to use repellent with DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) or another chemical that masks the smell of our sweat.

The future is looking brighter than ever for us to prevent mosquito bites and thereby eradicate many diseases.