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The Pluto’s Cave images are of the general view featuring the suspended tree under scrutiny attached to several devices that are analyzing the tree specimen.  The tree is pierced by probes that are connected to a bank of oscilloscopes emitting readings of the trees subtle processes.

By quite deliberately dating itself in the decades on both sides of 1950, Pluto’s Cave conspicuously sets in relief the ethos of the scientific inquiry that succeeded this heyday.  As we peruse some of the gadgetry that might have been in ample evidence in your garage or mine, we bask, conceptually, in the comfort of a Kantian universe that was still very much prevalent in the cultures of science and academic inquiry.  The purpose of science?  Why of course, to penetrate the noumenal, to render it visible, to bring it home. Excerpted from a text by Henry Sussman

 

Atom Smasher

These images are of an electron accelerator operating with the power of 400,000 electron volts. The accelerator’s tube consists of alternate rings of aluminum and high-molecular-density plastic.  The electrons produced can hit a solid object (they’re like bullets) or they can enter an attached cloud chamber in which each leaves a vapor trail in the alcohol vapor of the chamber-where these subatomic particles can be “seen.” 

 

Spark Chamber1-2 

Is a cosmic-ray spark chamber, constructed of a large bell jar with aluminum plates, each of which has a 7,000-volt positive or negative charge. Helium and neon are pumped into the bell jar and when muons produced by cosmic rays that come from deep space-from black holes or exploding stars – travel through the spark chamber, the neon and helium will become ionized and conduct electricity resulting in a bolt of lightening inside the bell jar.