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  5. Vol.16: The Many Become One

The Many Become One

When we use expressions such as “two heads are better than one,” “there is strength in numbers” and “E pluribus unum” (“Out of many, one”), we are extolling the virtues of working collectively. An ancient tribe hunting big game, a community working together to build a barn, people teaming up to solve a problem — humans have always known that the strength or intelligence of many often far outweighs what one person can accomplish alone.

Cooperation is also a staple in nature, science and industry, where multiple components combine synergistically to create spectacular results. In some cases, it is a collaboration of individual parts of the same kind. From an insect’s eyes to the “eyes” scientists use to peer into the universe to one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, an astounding array of teamwork proves that there really is strength in numbers.

1. Insects: Eyes that See the World in a Different Way

Insects have been around for roughly 300 million years, and many species are virtually the same as they were when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Their eyes, collections of sight receptors called ommatidia, have helped them flourish as the planet’s most abundant class of species. Find out why insects have compound eyes, how they work and if they are stronger than human eyes.

2. Our “Super Vision” into the Universe

As we learned in volume 15 of Nikon Horizons, visible light shows us just a tiny fraction of the universe. Since the 1930s, radio telescopes have been collecting radio waves from deep space and revealing what’s been hiding in the universe. Now, with 66 linked “dish” antennas, ALMA, the world’s largest radio telescope, is set to begin a new era of astronomy.

3. The K computer: A New Way of Looking at the World

What does the inside of an exploding star look like? What medicine is best for a patient? How can we build safer cars? With astounding power and versatility, the K computer, one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, is helping researchers find answers to these and many other complex questions. Discover how it works — including the significance of its speed of 10 petaflops — and what it can do to help the world.

Column

  • Nikon Multi-Lens Projection System for Advanced LCDs

    Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are getting larger and increasing their resolution every year. Nikon is contributing to the evolution of LCDs with its Multi-Lens Projection System. Capable of processing large glass plates by controlling a bundle of lenses as one large lens, this system has improved the quality and production efficiency of LCDs.

Contributors’ Profiles

We introduce the profiles of contributors to this edition.

Related links

  • ALMA[Open in a new window]

    The official website of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has photo galleries, videos, and a live video feed from its central array on the Chajnantor Plateau in Chile. Take a virtual tour of ALMA’s facilities or explore the technologies that drive its operations.

  • The K computer[Open in a new window]

    What can the K computer do? How was it built? Just how powerful is it? This site, maintained by the RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science (RIKEN AICS), has the answers to those and many other questions. Learn more about the amazing things researchers expect the K to accomplish.

Updated November 8, 2012