Newswise — For centuries, humans have looked to the skies to solve the mysteries of the Universe. By measuring radio waves, the electromagnetic radiation from objects in outer space, astronomers have gained great insight into how stars and planets form, the composition of black holes, and the evolution of the Universe itself. Since the discovery of X-ray imaging, an ever-expanding range of medical imaging methods have revolutionized the practice of medicine, noninvasively enabling better diagnoses and more effective treatments.
Despite the differences in the nature and scale of medical and astronomical imaging, studying the Universe, and the human body, have more in common than one might think. Exploring the ongoing potential of this overlap, experts from the U.S.
National Science Foundation ’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the medical imaging field presented to an audience of around 2,000 at the prestigious International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) Conference in Singapore. Their talk, “ From Innerspace to Outer Space: How? A Point-Counterpoint Exchange and Discussion ,” highlighted the cross-section between radio astronomy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. Urvashi Rau , an NRAO scientist, and Klaas Pruessman , a professor and institute leader with ETH Zurich, explored the similarities, unique challenges, and solutions bridging astronomical and medical imaging.
"Astronomy has a history of contributing technology .
