An Invention that would make microscope an household item

It is believed that life started on earth when various biochemicals came together and formed the first micro-organism which is believed to be the amoeba. This life form constantly evolved into complex organisms birds, dinosaurs, various mammals and ultimately humans. Humans by their advanced, constantly evolving and improving brains invented the microscope to understand the microscopic world. To know about the various cells that constitute the human body, how do the microorganisms look like , to know how does finer particles of matter  look like. 

                              

Optical Microscope

• Eyepiece (ocular lens) (1)
• Objective turret, revolver, or revolving nose piece (to hold multiple objective lenses) (2)
• Objective lenses (3)
• Focus knobs (to move the stage)
  • Coarse adjustment (4)
  • Fine adjustment (5)
• Stage (to hold the specimen) (6)
• Light source (a light or a mirror) (7)
• Diaphragm and condenser (8)
• Mechanical stage (9)

   The optical microscope has been in use for a long time and there has been hardly any change to its design. However more advanced microscopes like electron microscopes did come into existence and provided great magnification. But for the sake of detection of diseases - to observe the microorganisms that causes the diseases an optical microscope is normally enough. 

Now the problem we have this microscope is , its bulky and expensive and it is not easy to carry around. Thus except for research institutes, scientists , laboratories  and educational institutions very few people use microscopes. 

Manu Prakash , Assistant Professor at School of Medicine at Stanford University along with his students have come out with a new kind of microscope named "Foldscope". It is essentially made of stout paper that needs to be folded and then it can be used as a projection microscope. As shown in the below video which is Manu Prakash's speech at the a TED event in  he describes the Foldscope.

This foldscope can make microscope a common item at home just like we have the thermometer or the mobile phone. The inventors of Foldscope want to make it as common as a pencil , Manu Prakash says "The vision we are pursuing is to make a microscope akin to a "pencil" - wherever you have a pencil, you should have a microscope". It will surely boost children's curiosity towards exploring the microscopic world. It is very very light , very easy to carry , waterproof and extremely sturdy. Last but not the least the most attractive feature of this new invention is that it will cost not more than $ 1 or in India terms less than Rs 65.

        I just hope that I can get hands on one of these very soon would love to have one and explore the microscopic world. Watch magnified samples of my skin, blood, saliva, semen ;)  and everything microscopic I find around me. I will upload all the pics on this blog and on my Facebook pages. Simple people investigating the microscopic aspect of nature ... how wonderful that would be. 

      I am absolutely sure that around the world there would be millions of people who would do the same and in fact observing microscopic world would become a pastime for many (the numbers will be in millions). When kids are introduced to such gadgets from childhood many of them would be inspired to turn into scientists of the future. That's how cool and wonderful this invention is. 

  For all of you who are  interested to be a beta tester for the foldscope project they can register at www.foldscope.com/beta-signup

Some exiting innovations

      Science and Technology has changed human lives in a big way and it is going to change it further , one can now safely say that in the next 3 years solar energy and grid electricity costs would be same , so one is sure that we have a much greener future, man will move back to nature something that he has destroyed in the process of development. 

                      Here in this blog I will talk about a few recent videos and innovations that I have come across on the Internet that will have great impact. Go throughout the  link A 50cent sturdy fold able and printable microscope . If you have seen this video you will be surprised to know that the microscope that is used in schools and collages and in laboratories have not changed for decades it costs over $ 1000 and are difficult to carry around and maintain whereas here you have a microscope made out of paper that's sturdy , easy to carry and costs over 2000 times less than a traditional microscope.  As Manu Prakash said in this video this microscope adds a new paradigm to microscopy and that is use and throw microscopy. Its absolutely unbelievable that one can use a microscope that too a projection microscope for a mere 50 cents so everyone on this planet can very easily afford this microscope.

        Now go through the following exiting video to see how one can do computing in a totally different way sixth sense technology where computers will work on the gestures of the user taking them for input and output a really very exiting video about the possible ways we would be using computers and phone in the future rather than sitting like machine in front of another machine.

         Here in this blog I had mentioned about high speed cameras but recently I came across  a video that shows a technology that can have a trillion frames per second video. Its so fast that once you play the video in normal speed of 32 frames a second you can actually see light move , this is called Femtophotography . If you see this video you will find how you can see light pass through an empty Coke bottle.