The pinhole camera, a technique known since ancient times, has inspired a futuristic technology for lensless, three-dimensional imaging. Working at both the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at the U.S.

A plant-like micro-organism mostly found in oceans could make the manufacture of products, from iridescent cosmetics, paints and fabrics to credit card holograms, cheaper and ‘greener’.

A new paper published in the July 1 issue of OSA's Optics Letters shows that researchers in Australia have created a new one-step test that uses holograms to diagnose the astigmatic error of the human eye, a key measurement in determining the appropriate prescriptions for eye glasses in patients.