Task One

 Prepare a 200- to 300- word history about the National Critical Technology (NCT) technical application your team has selected to solve a local or national problem.  

Fiber Optical Fibers are tiny strands of threaded glass smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Instead of transmitting information in the form of electric signals, fiber optics send data in light form. Each individual fiber is coated with many coats that increase the tensile strength and transfer capabilities. The individual fibers are then woven together into one cable just a few inches thick. Each cable can withstand forces up to 100,000lb/in^2.  This is a truly amazing feat when it comes to the fact that it can also send an email at the speed of light.

The year 1880 is as far back as the fiber optic system can be traced. It goes back to one man: a William Wheeling, who invented a form of light transfer known then as "piping light". In that same year, Alexander Graham Bell created the photo phone. Other advances in fiber optics slowed until the 1950's, when the huge innovation of the laser boosted the innovation of the fiber optic. In the 70's, the USA used fiber optics to speed up military transmissions. By 1980, both of the large phone companies AT&T and GTE had fiber optic phone systems in both Chicago and Boston. That set off a ripple effect, in which most of the phone companies and nearly all of the large cities had fiber optic systems.

 Today there are nearly 300 million miles of fiber optic cables buried beneath our feet. 40 million houses are wired with fiber optic cables, and 3.5 million new web pages are uploaded onto the internet everyday. You might even be reading this right now with the aid of fiber optics.

Task Two

Cite three detailed examples of research done in the past 3 to 5 years which focused on th NCT technical application your team selected. Include: the funding agency, the principal investigator's name, and the institution where the research is or was being conducted.

 
In New Jersey Rutgers University is doing work with fiber optics. They have a program called FOMRP. It has 2 main sponsors, The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology and, Center for Ceramic Research. These Partners have helped to Conduct collaborative research and provide technical support to laboratories on newly emerging fiber optic materials. This program is directed by Dr.George Sigel, JR. Also accompanied by assistant director Dr.Richard Lehman.

  The Hofstra University in Hamsted New York Works with fiber optical communication. This university also works with repairing fiber equipment. Chief engineer Joe Valerio works to help students with problems and repairing video technology. During a presidential conference school engineers installed video fiber optics through out the university so that the students could watch the conference.

Task Three

 Based on the research your team has done, explain how the NCT application chosen has advanced scientific knowledge.

The technology of transmitting information through strands of fiber in the form of light has advanced scientific knowledge in many ways.  Ever since the beginning when they first discovered that light could be bent through water, they knew the potential of this was huge.  Through the many improvements that have been made on fiber optics people have learned how to harness light and use it in many ways technology.  Through this ever expanding technology more research will be done and newer and better improvements will be made.  Already technology is being developed using lasers sent through thin air.  The future is an almost entirely wireless world.