tagged w/ microscope
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In search of a third member, Stefan and Mike try to clone the best parts of themselves. See more videos at BangBoomCrash.comIn search of a third member, Stefan and Mike try to clone the best parts of... more
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The official video for the new Kelpe single, 'Microscope Contents' from the album 'Cambio Wechsel' out on DC Recordings October 12th. An infectious bass-driven, electro melody which pulses over a constantly evolving percussive groove.
Video directed by Kelpe.
http://www.myspace.com/kelpemusic
http://www.dcrecordings.com/kelpeThe official video for the new Kelpe single, 'Microscope Contents' from the... more
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Thanks to specialised microscopes, we have long been able to see the beauty of single atoms. But strange though it might seem, imaging larger molecules at the same level of detail has not been possible – atoms are robust enough to withstand existing tools, but the structures of molecules are not. Now researchers at IBM have come up with a way to do it.
The earliest pictures of individual atoms were captured in the 1970s by blasting a target – typically a chunk of metal – with a beam of electrons, a technique known as transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Later refinements of this technique, such as the TEAM project at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California achieved resolutions of less than the radius of a single hydrogen atom. But while this method works for atoms in a lattice or thin layer, the electron bombardment destroys the arrangement of atoms in molecules.
Other techniques use a tiny stylus-like scanning probe to explore the atom-scale world. One method uses such a probe to measure the charge density associated with individual atoms – a technique called scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM).
Another, called atomic force microscopy (AFM), measures the attractive force between atoms in the probe and the target. The image is created by bumping the probe over the atoms of the molecule – much in the way we might feel our way around in a dark bedroom.
Both methods build up a picture of a target's surface and should be suitable for imaging individual molecules. But they have not been able to approach the detail of TEM.
Leo Gross and his colleagues at IBM in Zurich, Switzerland, modified the AFM technique to make the most detailed image yet of pentacene, an organic molecule consisting of five benzene rings (see picture).
The molecule is very fragile, but the researchers were able to capture the details of the hexagonal carbon rings and deduce the positions of the surrounding hydrogen atoms.
One key breakthrough was finding a way to stop the microscope's tip from sticking to the fragile pentacene molecule because of attraction due to electrostatic and van der Waals forces – van der Waals is a weak force that operates only at an intermolecular level.
The team achieved this by fixing a single carbon monoxide molecule to the end of the probe so that only one atom of relatively inactive oxygen came into contact with the pentacene.
Although van der Waals force attracted the tip to its target, a quantum-mechanical effect called the Pauli exclusion principle pushed back. This happens because electrons in the same quantum state cannot approach each other too closely. As the electrons around the pentacene and carbon monoxide molecules are in the same state, a small repulsive force operates between them.
The researchers measured the repulsive force the probe encountered at each point, and from this they could construct a "force map" of the molecule. The level of detail available depends on the size of the probe: the smaller the tip, the better the picture.
The image is "astonishing", says Oscar Custance of Japan's National Institute for Materials Science in Tsukuba. In 2007, his team used AFM to distinguish individual atoms on a silicon surface, but he acknowledges that the IBM team has surpassed this achievement. "This is the highest resolution I have ever seen," he says.
The IBM researchers believe their technique may open the door to super-powerful computers whose components are built with precisely positioned atoms and molecules. The work may also provide insights into the actions of catalysts in reactions, allowing researchers to understand what is happening at the atomic level, says Gross.Thanks to specialised microscopes, we have long been able to see the beauty of single... more
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A USB microscope sounds interesting. Probably because it's a gadget that can be used to photograph and video-record, places you can't get to up-close and personal.
The Thanko USB microscope has six LEDs and a minscule CMOS camera, which can capture photos in 640 × 480 resolution or video in 1,280 × 1,024. The captured images/footage can instantly be uploaded to your computer.
The image below shows a guy using it to check out his teeth, which is a sensible idea, however i think once this hits the market, some people are going to take this self-examination a little thing too far.A USB microscope sounds interesting. Probably because it's a gadget that can be... more
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Viewing microscopic things that appear under the microscope as ultra visual effects is really fun and interesting.Viewing microscopic things that appear under the microscope as ultra visual effects is... more
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When you visit a sandy beach, do you ever stop to think about those tiny grains under your feet, contemplate where they came from or what they might look like up close? Composed of the “remnants of volcanic explosions, eroded mountains, dead organisms, and even degraded man-made structures”, sand, when examined under a microscope, can reveal its true colors, shapes and textures.When you visit a sandy beach, do you ever stop to think about those tiny grains under... more
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Willard Wigen scrapes out miniscule sculptures from a fraction of the size of a grain of sand.Willard Wigen scrapes out miniscule sculptures from a fraction of the size of a grain... more
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Some absolutely spectacular microscopic images from National Geographic. Well worth a look (gallery through link).
Make sure you check out the snail's teeth!Some absolutely spectacular microscopic images from National Geographic. Well worth a... more
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This very handy field microscopes are very portable you could bring them anywhere, but still has the ability to give you powerful magnification. They are also easy to use that even children can have fun using them.This very handy field microscopes are very portable you could bring them anywhere, but... more
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Fluorescence microscopy is of importance today, especially in modern day living. This kind of microscopy is very sensitive, thus, it requires very accurate microscope that can give precise results.Fluorescence microscopy is of importance today, especially in modern day living. This... more
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Scientists have developed and built a thumbnail sized microscope that magnifies without lenses.
They said it is one of the biggest innovations since the microscope was invented 500 years ago. They believe it could be mass produced for less than £5 and, powered by sunlight, could help doctors in the developing world diagnose conditions such as malaria, or help in the detection of water-borne parasites.
The "microscopic microscope" has the same magnifying power as a top-quality device, yet is far easier to carry around in the field, said Changhuie Yang, an assistant professor at the California Institute of Technology, where it was built.
"The whole thing is truly compact, it could be put in a cell phone, and it can use just sunlight for illumination, which makes it very appealing for Third World applications," he said. Scientists have developed and built a thumbnail sized microscope that magnifies... more
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Every six months, the Materials Research Society holds an art competition. Researchers from around the globe pick their favorite microscope images and often enhance them with Adobe Photoshop or other image editing software. Here are the winners from the meeting that was held in Boston this November.
The images look best at full size.Every six months, the Materials Research Society holds an art competition. Researchers... more
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Ok... that's just awesome.
From the Flickr Description:
Ever wonder how the power LED shows through the aluminum of Apple's new wireless keyboard when it's on, but blends into the metal when it's off? Here's how.
This design feature caught my eye as soon as I powered the keyboard up, so I brought it into work the next day and took a picture at 40X magnification using the scope in our lab. A small patter of what must be laser cut holes allows the light from the LED to shine through, but hides it from view when it's turned off.
Ok... that's just awesome.
From the Flickr Description:
Ever wonder how... more
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