Spectroscopy-12-01-2006

After due consideration in his copious free time, columnist David Ball comes to the conclusion that the world's original scientific instrument was the clock. This might provoke a question: What does it have to do with spectroscopy? The answer might surprise readers.

Spectroscopy editor Brian Johnson discusses how, by using near-infrared spectroscopy to examine the human brain's higher cognitive capacities, researchers at Dartmouth College have discovered areas in the brain that indicate bilingualism. Their goal is to unravel the mystery of how a bilingual person enhances the brain?s language centers as opposed to a monolingual person.

Fourier Transform Near Infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy is the most recent addition to laboratory NIR technologies. This technological advancement is heavily utilized in the most modern and fastest growing industries, examples of which include pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

Columnist Bob McDowall takes an NIR spectrometer through the process outlined in his November column, in which he suggested an integrated approach to equipment qualification and computerized system validation for spectroscopy systems.