How instant photographs work:

In order to understand how instant photographs are developed within a few seconds, some information on the structure of traditional photographic film, as well as film used in polaroid cameras has to be given. Traditional color films used in photography consist of a plastic base coated with three layers of light sensitive silver compounds. The top layer is sensitive to blue light, the middle one to green light and the bottom layer to red light. When the film is exposed to light the sensitive grain on each layer reacts to it, forming metallic silver at that layer. Therefore, a chemical record of the light and color pattern is created. In order to receive a picture from this, the film has to be developed. 

The developing process in polaroid cameras is similar to that of normal film, but the developing chemicals are already present in the film itself. It has its own built-in developing studio. The undeveloped polaroid has different layers. The base is formed by the black layer, followed by three light-sensitive layers in red, green and blue, which are separated from each other by dye coupler layers. On the very top there are the image, timing and acid layers. 

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com

The chemical that is needed to set off the developing process is called reagent. It is situated between the light-sensitive layer and the image layer. The reagent is a mixture of opacifiers, which block light, alkali and white pigments that make the undeveloped polaroid opaque, to prevent light from further exposing the photograph. When the picture is ejected by the camera in between two metal rollers, the chemical packets in the camera are pinched on bottom of the film, broken open and the reagent is spread over the surface of the image, starting a series of chemical reactions. The reagent chemicals move downwards, changing the exposed particles in each layer into metallic silver. The reagent also dissolves the dye couplers, causing them to move towards the image layer. The silver compounds stop the dye from moving further. Therefore, only dye from the unexposed sections continues to move upwards to the image layer to form the picture. In the meantime the alkali and the opacifier in the reagent react with the acid layer of the paper, making the opacifier layer become clear. In this vein the image starts to appear. The timing layer is used to slow down the reagent on its path to the acid layer, so the opacifiers do not turn clear before the image is fully developed underneath. As soon as the opacifiers are cleared up by the acid layers, the fully developed photograph can be seen. 

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How to go back in time and prevent other time travelers from killing Hitler (following 14 simple steps):

Requirements: 

• a time machine
• charme
• eagle eyes 
• talent for observation 
• acting talent 
• persuading-skills 
• sleeping pills 
• a wheelbarrow (when needed) 
• patience 
• willingness to undergo plastic surgery 
• a general's uniform 
• the article: "Time Travelers: Please don‘t kill Hitler" by Dean Burnett
• blackmailing skills
• be able to give a lecture
• "puppy face skills"

1. Enter the time machine and choose a point in time in Hitlers youth at which it was still possible to get close to him. 
2. Attend the same school as Hitler and become his "best friend forever til the end". 
3. Always stay close by his side, preferably avoid to eat, to sleep and to go to the toilet, so nobody can seize the chance to attack him, while you are not around him.
4. If time travelers appear in front of you and attempt to kill Hitler, start crying hysterically and try to explain that, behind the facade of being a complete, cold-hearted bastard, he is not a completely lost soul. 
5. Tell them to leave him alone. 
6. Make sure they enter their time machine and go back into their decade. 
7. If they refuse to voluntarily return, administer sleeping pills to them, and carry them back to their time machine (you might want to use a wheelbarrow to do so). 
8. If this does not work, keep waiting until Hitler establishes his Nazi Party, change your face through plastic surgery, so he does not recognize you, and become one of his generals. 
9. Position hundreds of security guards around Hitler, his residence and the Reich Chancellery and make sure that they lie on look out in case suspicious people appear. 
10. If time travelers arrive to kill Hitler, let the guards bring them to you. 
11. Show them the article “Time Travelers: Please don‘t kill Hitler” by Dean Burnett and try to explain why it is a bad idea to get rid of him just yet. 
12. If they do not listen, threaten them that their smart phones will disappear if they kill Hitler and he will be safe. 
13. If they do listen, assure them that you do not like Hitler as well, but in order not to change the future it is better not to change things in the past.
14. While saying that do the "puppy face". They will understand and Hitler will not be killed. 

Rating Instructions – How to make a camera lucida

The handwritten and hand-drawn instructions on “How to make a camera lucida” are not very helpful. By looking at these instructions you feel disoriented and confused. They are hard to understand, especially for children, that are likely to be the main target group. There are several reasons for this. The first major point is that the instructions are not properly structured. There is no numbering which makes it easy to accidentally miss a step. The same applies to the pictures, where there is no chronological order. The drawings are arranged randomly on the page, which might cause confusion. Additionally, there is no list of components. The only way to find out which parts and measurements are needed is by looking at the drawings. These, in turn, can only be understood in connection with the text. Another important point concerns the macro and micro structure of the instructions. First of all, many separate points are written together in one paragraph, which again can confuse the reader. Furthermore, the text never mentions what the camera is used for. Another crucial point is that essential instructions are left out (for example how to glue the piece of plastic into the box). In addition, there are several articles missing in front of nouns and the “and”s in the text are replaced by ampersands. In conclusion can be said that the instructions can be misleading and complicated for people who are ungifted in handcrafting and/or who do not know what a camera lucida is. 

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Lik to Ines's blog:
http://ines-mitterhuemer-suk4.blogspot.co.at/

Migrant Mother

www.uiowa.edu

This picture shows a miserable-looking woman with two children, one on each side of her. Her seated body is slightly slumped forward clothed in old garments, frayed at the seams. The woman‘s gaze is directed into the distance and she seems to be lost in thought. She wears an expression of worry on her face, emphasized by the deep wrinkles on her forehead and around her eyes. Her frowning mouth and tightly closed lips also reflect her concern, pulling the corners of her mouth downwards. She is touching her cheek with her right hand, as if her head needs support, while she herself needs to lend strength to the children at her sides. The children‘s faces are turned away and buried in the woman‘s shoulders. The child to her right has short dark hair and seems to seek shelter behind her. The one on her left has short, light hair and has the arms crossed on her shoulder, leaning on her.

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Link to blogs:

Ella Fedorchuk: http://ukrainerin.blogspot.co.at/
Ines Mitterhuemer: http://ines-mitterhuemer-suk4.blogspot.co.at/

High-tech clothing – The attempt at a definition

www.gadgetreview.com

What do we understand when we hear the expression “high-tech clothing”? It can be a number of various things, as this is a really vague term. The term high-tech clothing includes jackets with built-in electronic equipment, jeans equipped with an iPod docking station, sweaters that regulate body temperature, bulletproof suits as well as nano-waterproof clothing. On the other side it also includes different fashion styles, dresses with laser tags sewed on it, glowing leggings, or illuminated sneakers. For this reason high-tech clothing in the sense of fulfilling a certain function is called “functional fashion” or “smart clothing”. 

As this is a very complex and wide ranging topic, this CAJ focuses on functional fashion designed as a second skin. Therefor, in the following blog posts different types of high-tech clothing, such as bulletproof and waterproof suits as well as sweaters regulating body temperature are to be presented and looked at in more detail. 

Sources: 

http://www.catii.com/hightech/hightech036.html

http://www.forbes.com/2007/03/19/hightech-function-clothing-forbeslife-cx_hp_0320smartclothes.html

High-tech clothing – More than just fashion

High-tech clothing does not only look good, but fulfills a wide range of different functions. This functional fashion can be tight-or loose-fitting, casual or elegant, extravagant or it can look like everyday clothes. As can be seen by its functions technology has also reached the fashion world. Smart clothes for men and women come in all forms: from waterproof suits, similar to Laura Crafts garment in Tomb raider, bulletproof clothing in style of a man's suit to sweaters that regulate body temperature. Nothing seems to be impossible. These characteristics and functions are tried to be demonstrated and examined in the course of this CAJ.

In order to make high-tech clothing and its functions more understandable to the readers, the structure as well as the physical and chemical functions of this kind of fashion are to be explained and appropriate examples given. 

First of all a definition of the vague term high-tech fashion is tried to be found, followed by some background information by giving a short insight into the contemporary history of high-tech clothing. Furthermore different types of this functional fashion are named and later introduced one ofter the other, providing information on its characteristics and functions.

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