Lithophane of butterfly wing (IMAGE)
Caption
Baylor University chemist Bryan F. Shaw shows a tactile lithophane codex of a butterfly, which high-school students from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired used as the base image, allowing them to go deeper into the innerworkings of the insect. They started with the shape of a butterfly, which many of the students had never felt. From there, students felt a butterfly wing image as viewed through a microscope, with fish scale-like images making the intricacy of the butterfly’s wing accessible. Magnified even higher through a microscope, a third image featured a single scale, with the final image showing the chemical structures that comprise the scaled wings of a butterfly. Students were tested for their understanding of the layers of scales and cells on each lithophane, with students demonstrating mastery of the images through touch.
Credit
Matthew Minard/Baylor University
Usage Restrictions
None
License
Original content