5 Coolest Modern Ways X Ray Technicians are Using X-Rays

X-rays aren’t just being used in medicine to locate unidentified growths or identify slipped discs in the spines of Sea-Doo owners who have more money than sense on their hands. X ray technician experts are using the awesome power of see-through technology in all sectors of the economy and various other industries for all sorts of interesting and groundbreaking uses such as astronomy, archaeology, anthropology and even art. These are just some of the ingenious ways that X rays have been used to be even more awesome than they already are.

1. Deep space astronomy

X-rays aren’t just on Earth. They blanket the universe, emitted from high temperature objects such as suns, stars and black holes. Naturally, science has found a way to harness this awesome natural energy to find and observe some of the most breathtaking sights in the galaxy.

NASA’s “Chandra” X-ray Observatory has been able to observe powerful, awe-inspiring stars, suns, nebulas and other celestial objects from light years away, some of which have never been seen or discovered before by mankind. The craft has been in space since 1999 and has managed to bring back some awesome images that have helped mankind reach new heights in space exploration such as the first light image of a supernova, the discovery of a new type of black hole and the infamous “Hand of God” photograph of a pulsar located over 17,000 light years away from Earth.

2. Preventing heart problems in kidney patients

When it comes to medicine, most forms of treatment and assessment, especially x-rays, are usually used to assess injuries and illnesses that have already occurred or require immediate medical attention.

One method hopes to change the mindset of the usefulness of X-rays by turning it into into a form of prevention rather than an necessity for treatment. A doctor with the MIOT Institute of Nephrology found that increased levels of phosphorus in the blood could increase the calcification of major arteries and the heart values in the circulatory system and these symptoms could be examined simply by examining abdominal X-rays of kidney patients to determine their risk of heart disease.

3. Unlock an ancient ancestor’s brain

For a long time, anthropologists have made great strides in studying the rise and survival of ancient human species through the fossil record but often at the expense of preserving those fossils or even keeping them whole to truly understand their history and development.

That’s when highly advanced X-ray technology stepped in to help anthropologists learn the intricate inner workings of mankind’s ancestors while preserving their specimens for future study. Most recently, anthropologists were able to discover the two-million-year-old brain of Australopithecus sediba, a full skeleton discovered in South Africa. X-ray technicians did a full scan of the subject’s primitive brain using “x-ray synchrotron microtomography” that allows them to see inside the skull and brain without splitting it open and ruining its preserved features.

4. Discovering lost artwork

X-rays haven’t just been used to prolong health in human beings or increase the betterment of scientific discovery for years to come. It’s also been used to discovery unknown histories of art and culture, particularly in paintings.

For instance, a new x-ray technique was used to find a long lost piece of art history painted by 17th century painter Francisco de Goya who actually hid one of his lesser known works under one of his more famous works. His “Portrait of Don Ramon Sature” contained an unfinished portrait underneath that may have been of Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother, Joseph. The discovery opened an untapped pocket of art and politics for historians about the man’s work and the incredible pressure he faced from political powers in times of war.

5. Catching crooks

Having to go through airport security and hear the metal detector beep a thousand times, only to discover someone’s car keys or loose change might make you think that the x-ray machines they use aren’t doing much good either. Believe it or not, one X-ray helped discover a would-be diamond thief who almost got away with a high priced piece of jewelry.

A thief in Spain tried to steal a diamond pendant from two British women while they were having lunch and as he fled from police, he actually swallowed the high priced diamond for sake keeping. The officers took him to a medical clinic to confirm whether or not he had the stolen loot and found the $16,000 diamond sitting in his belly, according to an X-ray scan of his abdomen.