EVENTS For information on JPL tours and the speakers bureau, visit our PUBLIC SERVICES site. The Solar System Ambassador Program sponsors events in communities around the country. Find out how to become a volunteer Solar System Ambassador.		Topic - : Space Science and Medical Technology "To See or Not to See... Tools for Early Detection, Diagnosis and Prevention of Eye Disorders in Space and on Earth" Presented by Dr. Wolfgang Fink JPL Senior Research Scientist & Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Southern California If you wish to view a tape of this show please contact Sherri Rowe-Lopez at (818) 354-6170. Thursday, November 18 The von Kármán Auditorium at JPL 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena, CA For directions, click here. Friday, November 19 The Vosloh Forum at Pasadena City College 1570 East Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA For directions, click here. Both lectures begin at 7 p.m. PST and run for approximately an hour. Admission is free. Seating is limited. For more information, call (818) 354-0112. Vision is the primary sense used by astronauts in space. Visual information is essential during critical phases of spaceflight, such as rendezvous and docking, robotic operations, and landing. The spaceflight environment has many significant effects on the visual and ocular system that can adversely affect astronaut performance, and may lead to long-term health consequences. On Earth, there are many conditions that, if not detected, may lead to irreversible vision loss or blindness. The human eye and vision system can be likened to a camera consisting of an optical lens system (cornea and eye lens), film (retina), and an image-processing unit (retina and visual cortex). The malfunctioning of only one of these components will impair vision. To learn more about technology transfer and applications, click here.