MICSCAPE - Exploring the miniature world

Issue 301 : April 2021 (ISSN 1365 - 070x)      Monthly, next issue May 13th 2021.


An appealing collecting habitat.
Image by Al Milano.

 

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Micscape Contacts
Micscape Editor:
David Walker
Email: micscape AT ntlworld DOT com

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.

The new issue has been uploaded on April 12th, a day early, to highlight World Microscope Day tomorrow.
A full 24 hour online Zoom programme starting at 00:00 BST (23:00 GMT) can be enjoyed on the 
world.microscopeday.org website
where worldwide resources for microscopy enthusiasts are also being compiled.

Microscopy and micrographs vs astronomy and astrophotography - Al Milano (USA) shares an illustrated essay discussing the relative merits of two of his interests. PDF

Current control LED dimmer - Joop de Wolde (Netherlands) describes and illustrates one of the commercially available designs from his company TDKK.

Beam splitters, a simple idea - Christian Autotte (Canada) describes and illustrates both simple and more complex designs. PDF

Who was Horatio Saltonstall Greenough. Part 4 - Berndt Joachim Lau (Germany) and R Jordan Kreindler (USA) continue their detailed biography of this pioneer of stereo microscope design. PDF

Photomicrography with hybrid eyepieces - R H A M Vossen (Netherlands) shows how mixing the optics of different eyepieces can produce superior projection eyepieces. PDF

Mrs Malaprop on the failures of academics. Lecture #43 - Richard L. Howey (USA) shares a further essay on behalf of Mrs Malaprop.

Micscape Lite - contributors sharing their other interests

Product Review. Cochranes of Oxford Minit Proview DNA kit - David Walker (UK) occupies some time during Covid-19 lockdown building a DNA model.


yearbookIn Focus: Mol Smith has been very busy liaising with contributors to prepare and publish Micscape Yearbook 2. It is now available from Amazon stores.

Robert Pavlis 1941 - 2017 RIP of Girard, Kansas - We have only recently learnt that one of our regular contributors passed away in 2017. Robert shared a number of valuable articles on many aspects of microscopy where his passion for the subject clearly shined through. I enjoyed our virtual conversations via email. An obituary page where his many interests in a life well lived are shared. His articles can be found using his surname on our search page. Micscape Ed.

logoWorld Microscope Day, April 13th. Robert Ratford along with various microscopy societies have come up with an excellent idea to promote microscopy. A Facebook Group to cover the promotions has been set up. Official logo on the left. Quoting from the About text from the page:

This group exists to celebrate the development and use of the microscope. The term microscope was first used on the 13th of April 1625. Giovanni Faber coined the name ‘microscope’ for Galileo Galilei’s compound microscope. World Microscope day is the 13th of April. On the 13th of April 2025 it will be 400 years since the term was first used.


 


    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:
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(read articles online using the original illustrated index for each month).
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News - special notices - misc.


External links. Updated April 2020. 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.

groups.io (formerly Yahoo groups):
Amateur Microscopy
Diatom Forum
Microscopy as a hobby or profession
Wild Microscopes

Facebook groups:
Amateur Microscopy (>21000 members, very active). Also specialist groups e.g. for users of given maker's microscopes (e.g. Zeiss, Olympus, Wild, Vickers). Also try a Facebook Group search with keywords like microscope or microscopy to find these.

Other:
Microbe hunter the website ably run by Oliver Kim has built up a popular and valuable forum with help for both the beginner and more advanced user.

Listservers:
Algae-L
'Forum for marine, freshwater and terrestrial algae'. Access to Archives possible for non-subscribers.
Diatom-L 'Research on the diatom algae.' Access to Archives for subscribers only. Link was current March 2016. Many online diatom resources point to an outdated Indiana Univ. listserver. (With thanks to Rob Kimmich for the current link.)

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 collated by Steve Gill formerly on CD and now free on Micscape.
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 microscopy enthusiast website, forum and 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 in English and Italian.
Independent Generation of Research (IGoR) - Wiki style resource for citizen scientists to share their work.
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
Klaus Kemp's 'Diatoms' website - offers regional strews and arranged prepared slides of diatoms, an 8 form test slide, radiolaria, insect scales etc and prepares arranged slides on commission.
'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
David Jackson's Better Microscopy blog. Regularly updated free resources extending from his 'Better Microscopy' series of books.
Stefano Barone's Diatom Shop
sale of his own prepared and arranged slides of diatoms, radiolaria, forams and scales.
www.testslides.com website devoted to Stefano Barone's Diatom Lab test slides.
Darwin Biological a UK company for 'biological education' supplies. Including live cultures of protozoa and algae.
Microscopie van de Natuur Dutch microscopy resource site by Rolf Vossen.
 

Microscopy-UK
parent site coordinator:
Maurice Smith


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