MICSCAPE - Exploring the miniature world

Issue 230 : June 2015   (ISSN 1365 - 070x)     Monthly, next issue July 13th 2015.
 

Image of a diatom arrangement
 by Steve Beats.

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About Micscape

Micscape Contacts
 Micscape Editor:
 David Walker

Microscopy-UK
 parent site coordinator:
Maurice Smith

Please do not contact the above for image permissions. Each article contributor retains the copyright to their material so should be contacted directly via the link in the relevant article. Thank you.

Comments on Micscape and contributions welcomed.
Contributions: Any modern format welcomed i.e. pdf. doc/docx with embedded images, or html + jpegs.

 

 

Diatom arranging - different strokes - Steve Beats (UK) shares hints and tips for preparing diatom arrangements including geometric designs illustrated with some of his own distinctive examples. PDF

Darwin's title question: Origin of Species, a new attempt at an answer - Dale Jeffrey (Canada). Dale presents an essay that comments on some biologists' current opinion on the nature of speciation.

Optical staining, part 2 - Darkfield - Alejandro Arriel Garcia Arriaga (Mexico). Alejandro demonstrates the use of image software to create darkfield type effects.

The beetle acrobats - Anthony Thomas (Canada) shares striking images of click beetles and illustrates how their spring mechanism functions. PDF

Flatland, then and now - Dale Jeffrey (Canada). Dale presents an essay that comments on how our perspective of the world around us, changes with advancing technology.

DIY 3D microscopy. Part 2. The object escaping from the photo - Alejandro Arriel Garcia Arriaga (Mexico) shows how image software can produce an unusual 3D type effect. PDF
Papered, bone and other exotic slides: A bit of history, Part 1 - Richard Howey (USA) discusses and illustrates slide presentation methods using examples from his own collection.

Bringing an Orthoplan back to health - Robert Pavlis (USA) shares techniques for restoring a well used example of this classic microscope which he purchased as a bargain.

Is it time to reinvent the optical microscope? - Mol Smith (UK), who uses a Canon 70D DSLR for professional film making, speculates on whether the new developments in autofocus technology could be interlinked to the microscope focus for automatic focussing of moving subjects.

Living and dyeing. Further thoughts on staining - Richard Howey (USA) discusses and illustrates aspects of staining subjects.

    In Focus: Seeking Foldscope users. Both my colleague Mol Smith and myself signed up as beta testers for Stanford University's PrakashLab Foldscope but unfortunately neither of us have received the kit (10 000 free kits were planned to be sent out). A pity, as with the huge publicity this project has garnered and on exploring the world around us with a microscope, we were hoping to build up Micscape resources on its use with suggested projects best suited to the single lens design.
    If any reader has an example of the beta kit and would like to share any of their experiences on building and using it, we would be pleased to share them. (Projects should also be shared on the Foldscope Microcosmos site as the originators requested). The many uses which the microscope has been put to so far by users of all ages have been shared at microcosmos.foldscope.com
    David Walker, Micscape Ed.

     

We are delighted to receive contributions small or large from microscopy enthusiasts whether a novice or expert. If you have an image, tip or article, why not share it, this magazine is what you make it!
 

Archive
Look for that elusive article on our site:
 Micscape Magazine past issues online (read articles online using the original illustrated index for each month).
 Article Library (browse articles by category)
 Automated Search (a search engine for keyword searches in all articles)
 Contributor index (a list of all Micscape contributors to date)
News - special notices - misc.

 
External links. Below are some of our favourites, which includes sites with extensive links and/or resources for the optical microscopy enthusiast.

External Microscopy forums:  Places to discuss the hobby or to raise queries.
www.photomacrography.net forums, galleries, articles on macroscopy and photomicrography.
www.quekett.net/forum/index.php forum for both Quekett Microscopical Club members and other enthusiasts.

Yahoo groups: a 'P' denotes current and archived messages are public i.e. not limited to members.
 Amateur Microscopy P (started November 2008)
Yahoo Diatom Forum P
Microscope P (>1500 members, very active)
Microscopehobby P (started Apr 2005)
Wild M20 microscope
 microcosmo (for Italian speaking enthusiasts)
CombineZ P stacking software forum created by the software's author

Mikroskopie-Treff.de (Extensive German microscopy forum; some English categories.)
 Mikrobiologische Vereinigung München e. V. Wide range of articles and resources in German.
Le Naturaliste French based forum and image gallery for micro / macro but open to non French speaking international contributors.

Other sites (also see Societies and Clubs page.)
Royal Microscopy Society Journal, 'infocus' and other resources for members and the community.
Quekett Microscopical Club Journal, Bulletin and meetings for members.
 Light Microscopy Forum links and articles
Little Imp Publications public domain books on CD. (Hosted by Savona Books).
Mikroskop Museum German website with resources on microscopes / makers .
Molecular Expressions awesome optical microscopy resources
Dennis Kunkel's SEM images stunning images
Diatoms Ireland - resource site by Leszek Wolnik
Leitz museum an illustrated resource compiled by Robert Allen
Microbe hunter a free monthly microscopy enthusiast magazine edited by Oliver Kim
Microscopies online magazine and Forum for French speakers
Micrographia articles, projects for the enthusiast
Microscopy Today journal with online archive
Modern Microscopy online journal by McCrone Group
Fun Science Gallery projects, articles on optics
Independent Generation of Research (IGoR) - Wiki style resource for citizen scientists to share their work.
G. Couger's microscopy links extensive links
Lens On Leeuwenhoek - extensive resource online by Douglas Anderson
Collected Letters of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek ('Alle de Brieven ..') transcribed and free online at DBNL.
A Cabinet of Curiosities a resource on Victorian microscope slides by Howard Lynk
www.viewsfromscience.com projects by Ely Silk e.g. chilled stage for crystal growth studies and LED fluorescence
'Diatoms Ireland' resource by Leszek Wolnik
Historical makers of microscopes and microscope slides Brian Stevenson's extensive resource .
Victorian slide makers
Cambridge rocking microtome resources including manual
www.willemsmicroscope.com Dutch enthusiast Willem Cramer's website
 

Microscopy-UK and Micscape - established 1995
Micscape is a free magazine for enthusiasts funded by Microscopy-UK and dedicated to non-commercial microscopy.
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