SPIE's 47th Annual Meeting on Optical Science and Technology was off to a "brilliant start" with the well-attended all-symposium welcome reception Sunday evening, SPIE media staff said. After the opening day of the symposium, attendees enjoyed chowder and fish & chips at the start of a busy week. The conference sessions and short courses began in the morning and will continue through Thursday. Sunday's conference topics included sessions on nanotechnology, organic photonics and electronics and crystal materials. Short course offerings covered electro-optic sensors and imagers, and classes on fiber optics, among others. Special events throughout the week include a members' reception at the Space Needle, technical group meetings, and a day of astronomy workshops and lectures designed for students and educators at the Pacific Science Center. Photo: Attendees enjoyed the all-symposium Welcome Reception on Sunday evening.(Photo courtesy SPIE)