BBI’s Dr. Albert Folch has three passions in life: microfluidics, art, and soccer. It might be difficult to combine all three in one book, but in his latest manuscript, he deftly integrates the first two.
“Hidden in Plain Sight: The History, Science, And Engineering Of Microfluidic Technology,” was published in April by MIT Press. It explores the fascinating intersection of liquid and science and the ways microfluidics are incorporated into everyday activities – from inkjet printers to pregnancy tests.
The book, as Folch writes in the prologue: “is my attempt to unveil not only the inner workings of the devices hidden in plain sight, but also the efforts, teams, places and circumstances that enabled those inventions and that, once archived in memory, end up below the surface as well…. I intend this book to be for people with some background and interest in science, but no background in microfluidics…. If this book raises the awareness of microfluidics among a wider audience I will have done my job.”
Indeed, Folch has met – or exceeded – his goal.
Through his engaging prose and equally engaging images, both his own and those of other artists, the UW professor of bioengineering takes readers on an inspiring tour de force of microfluidics. Where else might one encounter references to Albert Einstein and John Quincy Adams on the same page in a prologue?
