Editorial and Comment Archive.
Current Editorial: January, 2003.
The Aerodynamics of Pollen -- GM Products and labelling.
The Death of Eric Marson.
Past Editorials:
Welcome and introduction to the site: Jan 2000 - Dec 2002.
Articles Archive.
The Microscopy of Inkjet Printing.
Have you ever wondered why different kinds of paper produce such different results when used in colour inkjet printers? -- even with the same printer and image file? This article takes a microscopic look at both the technology and its results.
The Ideal Microscope Lamp.
The concept of an ideal Köhler lamp and the compromises which must be made in the real world between conflicting requirements are discussed in this article. An actual lamp design is illustrated, along with its advantages and disadvantages in use.
Videomicrography in the Field.
Normally an elaborate business best carried out in a well equipped lab, this article describes how videomicrography (of a kind) can now be conducted in the field with low cost, pocket-sized, battery-operated equipment connected to a notebook computer.
The MSC Camera.
The discussion of a design concept for a multi - CCD digital camera which would enable greatly increased depth of focus when applied to the light microscope. Patent searches have revealed that key elements of its construction are contained within patents held by major camera manufacturers, who, as far as is known, have made no move to exploit or develop their intellectual property.
A case is made to persuade those companies, or other companies or indeed anyone at all, to develop the MSC camera for the clear advantages it would represent to light microscopists.
Photomicrography using Electronic Flash.
Electronic flash is a well established light source in normal photography, and the advantages it offers are of particular benefit to photomicrography.
This article discusses the points to be considered in adapting electronic flash to the light microscope, and gives practical advice to those wishing to construct their own apparatus.
Some Microscopic Inhabitants of Homebush Bay, Sydney.
Homebush Bay is a shallow inlet off the upper reaches of Sydney Harbour, and its marshy shores, with extensive growths of mangroves, is the location from which the samples containing these creatures were obtained.
A vistor to the page has kindly identified the ciliate with the obtuse-angled lorica as Folliculina, and the crustacean is a "pill bug", closely related to the common (terrestrial) wood louse.
Projects and Applications Archive.
Photographing Feeding Mosquitoes.
To observe the behaviour of a mosquito feeding on human blood, a total field diameter of only four or five millimetres is required, but at sufficient distance from the imaging optics to allow room for manipulation and adequate illumination. An apparatus is described which enables a clear view of the way in which mosquitoes infected with microfilariae pass the parasite to a human host.
It provides a general approach to the problem of viewing from the side processes which would have to be viewed from directly above with a normal microscope setup.
Photographing Spiders using Electronic Flash.
(Part 7 of an
article on flash photomicrography).
Even a tiny newly hatched spiderling moves at high speed when magnified sufficiently to fill the frame of a photomicrographic camera. And since it is so small, the magnification required is accompanied by limited depth of field, making it a difficult subject to photograph in action -- even impossible, unless the light source is short-duration electronic flash.
A system using two electronic flash sources is described in which the fill-in illumination is provided by four acrylic light guides, and the background illumination is provided by a dual-source flash/modeling lamp giving Köhler illumination.
The Microscopy of Vinyl Recordings.
An investigation into the causes of clicks and pops with suggestions as to how they may be located and removed.
Tutorials Archive.
Basic Microscopy Tutorial.
An introduction for beginners and a refresher course for the more experienced microscopist on setting up the laboratory microscope for brightfield Köhler illumination.
Feature Picture Archive.
Airborne Particles on a Lens Surface.
(Current Feature Pic: 30/12/2002).
An unusually complex image formed when oily airborne particles settle on an exposed eyepiece lens.
Microorganisms in Polluted Water
An active community of micro organisms in bacterially polluted pond water -- click on individual creatures for more detail.
References Archive.
A listing of the reference books and other sources used in the identification of specimens, provision of technical data for Micrographia articles etc, with comments.
