MICSCAPE - Exploring the miniature world

Issue 222 - May 2014 : Articles this month       (ISSN 1365 - 070x)      Bimonthly, next issue July 13th.


Rotating retardation filter.
Image by Jay Phillips.

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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: A
ny modern format welcomed i.e. pdf. doc/docx with embedded images, or html + jpegs.

 

 

Rotating variable retardation filter: A modern version of the Victorian selenite stage - Jay Phillips (USA) PDF

Photographing cannabis under the microscope - Ted Kinsman (USA)

Moderate extremophiles - Richard Howey (USA)

A close up view of a bellflower - Brian Johnston (Canada)

A painting of 'parrot tulips' inspired by the photography of Brian Johnston - by Harva Carbone (USA)

Unusual microscopes. The Bausch & Lomb wide-field tube - Manuel del Cerro and Dietmar R Krause (USA) DOC

New book: Walter Dioni’s nine web article suite ‘Safe Microscopic Techniques for Amateurs. Slide Mounting.’ originally published on Micscape, has been compiled into a paperback by Microscopy UK’s founder Maurice Smith. Modified classic microtechnique protocols or new ones are suggested using chemicals readily available to most. Contents below.

 
It is now available on a local Amazon (e.g. US / UK / FR / DE ) for ca. $17 or local equivalent (102 pp., A5, B/W images). A cheaper Kindle version also, but the auto-convert software to keep costs down doesn’t retain all the book format.
 
Links to Amazon purchasing details are at http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/wd/ where a free eBook and links to Walter’s suite of web articles are also offered.
 
As remarked in a recent news item, Walter aged 86 has advanced lung cancer and wished to present him with a physical archive of part of his large output as well as hopefully providing a more convenient paper form for the many microtechnique protocols that he shares in the book. The book is being sold just above cost price, the small profit will go to Walter’s family to help pay for his treatment. 

Contents
Chapter 1 - Introduction – Liquid Media
Chapter 2- Solidifying Media
Chapter 3 - The Mixed Formulae
Chapter 3a - Formulae Derived From Fructose FG—Fructose-Glycerol Medium
Chapter 3b - PVA-lactic Acid And PVA-glycerol Mountants
Chapter 4c - The Mixed Formulae - Gum Arabic Media
Chapter 4 - The Glycerin Jellies
Chapter 5 - Ten Years After
Chapter 6 - Finale

 

In Focus:
This month's article by Brian Johnston ends his splendid series on macro and microscopic tours of plants. The articles can all be accessed from the Flowers Index on the top menu bar and he has created what we believe to be one of the finest compilations of studio flower photography on the web. Together with his splendid Crystals Gallery under polarised light we would like to thank Brian for sharing his skills and interests on Micscape.

'Observations' by D T Richardson published by Steve Gill. Steve Gill has meticulously compiled and presented a wide selection of the recently late Doug Richardson's work in the form of a freely downloadable pdf file and is available on Klaus Kemp's website at http://www.diatoms.co.uk/ad/downloads.htm. Heavily illustrated, it is a fitting tribute to the amazing breadth and depth of Doug's interests.

The Cladocera Interest Group (UK) - the website has a variety of resources, including a Newsletter and species checklist. The site now lists 92 species for the UK and 86 with provisional distribution maps using a variety of compiled data. It is hoped that the maps will be a starting point for interested workers to extend the knowledge of the species distribution.

New book announcement 'The Amoeba in the Room. Lives of the Microbes.' by Nicholas P. Money. Published April 24th 2014 by Oxford University Press, hardback, 220pp including extensive notes, refs, web links for each chapter plus index. 14 high quality colour plates and 16 in-page monochrome figures. UK RRP £16.99, online price typically £8.27+ (Amazon UK Marketplace.). Publisher's summary webpage with author's video and free first chapter to download.
The book's author is 'Professor of Botany and Western Program Director at Miami University in Oxford'.
An attractively presented and illustrated book and good value for a hardback. A fascinating read which illustrates the important role that microbes play in our environment, with chapters being devoted to each major ecosystem (including humans). The author discusses a selection of microorganisms associated with each system and how little we know of the role which many microbes play.
Thank you to the publishers for offering a review copy.

Leeds Microscopical Society, Morley meeting, Saturday June 7th 2014. "(See leedsmicroscopical.org.uk for a map). This year the theme is Baker Microscopes. If visitors have an exhibit or need a sales table, please contact Mike Smith, details on LMS website. Thanks to Quekett funding this meeting is free to all microscopists. Mike Smith, Hon Sec LMS."

 

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
G. Couger's microscopy links extensive links
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 on Victorian slide makers
Cambridge rocking microtome resources including manual

Microscopy-UK and Micscape - established 1995
Micscape is a free magazine for enthusiasts funded by Microscopy-UK and dedicated to non-commercial microscopy.
© Onview.net Ltd, Microscopy-UK, and all contributors 1995 onwards. All rights reserved. Main site is at www.microscopy-uk.org.uk