One of the shortlisted photos from the 2018 ZEISS Photography Competition in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, "CNT mess" by Sarah Jessl shows carbon nanotubes in their most messy state forming an intricate pattern.
(Image courtesy of University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering.)
With so much emphasis on hard facts and figures, it’s easy to think that the engineering craft is about as far as you can possibly get from artistic expression. However, some of the most famous engineers in history have recognized the important connection between beauty and engineering. As Gustave Eiffel once said, “Can one think that because we are engineers, beauty does not preoccupy us or that we do not try to build beautiful, as well as solid and long-lasting, structures?”
The Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge has recognized the importance of finding the beauty in engineering for a while now, reflected in its annual photography competition. Sponsored by ZEISS (scanning electron microscopy division), the winners of this year’s competition were recently announced.
First Prize – Desert vs forest, who is winning?
(Image courtesy of the University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering.)
First prize for this year went to Dr. Kun Li, a research associate in the Cambridge Centre for Photonic Devices and Sensors, whose photo shows liquid crystal molecules between cross-polarisers. It was taken when Dr. Li was examining the uniformity of the structural 'floor' of nanoscale grooves for rod-shaped liquid crystal molecules to rest on. The thin liquid crystal layer can modulate the polarised light and selectively attenuate certain wavelength ranges within the visible spectrum, producing various colors depending on the modulated phase values.
Second Prize – Aftermath of a flow visualization experiment
(Image courtesy of the University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering.)
Second prize went to Dr. Ivor Day and Dr. Anna Young from the Whittle Laboratory for an image of a splatterboard after multiple wind tunnel tests using paint. Engineers can visualize flow patterns on turbine aerofoils by applying paint to their surfaces and then blowing air over them in a wind tunnel. Using different colored paints on different parts helps observe the movement on air on the aerofoil surface, though only a fraction of the paint remains on the surface.
Third Prize – Sea of imperfection
(Image courtesy of the University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering.)
Third prize went to a photo from PhD candidate Cyan A. Williams, who works in the Cambridge Graphene Centre. Williams aims to functionalize cellulose nanocrystals with graphene to produce colored materials that are biocompatible, renewable and environmentally-friendly. A perfectly-ordered film would have a uniform structure and color, whereas the structure of the film in the image above was “disrupted” by carbon black. Graphene would have a less disruptive effect.
SEM Prize – Nanotube bouquet
(Image courtesy of the University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering.)
The prize for best image captured with a scanning electron microscope went to Sarah Jessl, a PhD student in the Institute for Manufacturing. While this might initially look like a ball of carbon nanotubes, it’s actually a bunch of them—the top of which forms a hexagonal bud. Organizing carbon nanotubes into specific structures such as this one allows researchers to tweak their properties for specific applications.
Head of Department Prize – Gaseke’s Bridge to Prosperity
(Image courtesy of the University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering.)
With a photo that stands in stark contrast to the other, more abstract submissions, Cambridge alumnus Hannis Whittam won the Head of Department Prize for a photo taken during the construction of a new pedestrian suspension bridge in Rwanda. Beneath the new bridge you can see a pre-existing crossing still in use: a narrow steel beam that got swept away every time the heavy rains came. “I love the contrast between the old and new bridges, and the number of locals in the shot show just how busy the river crossing is,” Whittam said.
You can see more shortlisted images and videos from this year’s competition here, or visit the Engineering at Cambridge Flickr page to see submissions and winners from previous competitions.