Using the power of digital image processing, Dr. Paddock translates the pit and land pattern from the two-dimensional reflected light image of a compact disc into the spiral arrangement actually utilized on the disc. To go a step further, he also adds some special touches to create a masterpiece of digital imaging.

Compact Disc Specimen: Compact Disc Technique: Confocal Reflected Light

In the 1980's, the compact disc was popularized as the preferred form of audio information storage and playback because of the crisp, clear quality of the sound produced, as well as the superior storage capacity. Today, with homes and businesses increasingly relying on digital communication systems, the compact disc is often the preferred medium for saving, exchanging, and moving large digital files from one computer to another. Not only does the disc's small size make it quite handy, its storage capacity is significantly greater than that of the archaic floppy.