MICSCAPE
 (ISSN 1365 - 070x)

Exploring the miniature world

Issue 203: September 2012.
Next update October 13th.


Image left: A female parasitic wasp, Family Braconidae, image by Tony Thomas.

 

 

 

Microscopy-UK welcomes you to Micscape Magazine

This magazine is best viewed at 1024 x768, 24 bit colour.

About Micscape

 
Issue 203 - September 2012 : Articles this month

Micscape Contacts
Micscape Editor:
David Walker
Comments on Micscape and
contributions welcomed.

Micscape submission guidelines .

Microscopy-UK
parent site coordinator:
Maurice Smith
David vs Goliath - a tiny parasitoid wasp and its caterpillar host explored by Tony Thomas (Canada). (Acrobat pdf format.)

Playing with the LOMO microscope using different condensers - Bill Resch (USA) illustrates brightfield and darkfield condenser use with diatoms.

Some notes on Watson's early mounters - Peter Paisley (Australia) discusses and illustrates potential early suppliers of prepared slides to the Watson firm. (In doc format.)

A close up view of a foliose lichen - Brian Johnston (Canada) explores a lichen on the macro and microscopic scale.

The stereo microscope. Part 3 - Common main objective stereo microscopes - R. Jordan Kreindler (USA) continues his series on this important instrument. (In Acrobat pdf format.)

Resolving Amphipleura pellucida using LED flashlight illuminators - Ted Clarke (USA) illustrates the use of this lighting to resolve this classic test object.

Three illustrated articles on makers of prepared microscope slides by Brian Stevenson (USA). (In Acrobat pdf format.)
Arthur John Doherty 1860 - 1906 - a professional slide maker offering a wide variety of subjects.
Hubert John Gray 1882 - 1963 - a slide maker offering a variety of subjects of variable quality.
Joseph Wellington ca. 1800 - 1864 - a maker who made attractive papered slides of distinctive design.

Pickled Plankton, Polychaetes, Platyhelminths, Phoronids, Pisaster, Porifera, Placozoa, Protozoa, and Pyrosoma - Richard Howey (USA) discusses and illustrates the range of fascinating organisms that can be found in preserved marine samples.

Focus stacking in light microscopy - Michael Much (USA) illustrates the value of stacking for histology subjects.
The Reichert Zetopan and Neozet microscopes - notes and comparisons - Ian Walker (UK) compares the features of the very well documented Zetopan with the rarer but contemporary Neozet. Information on the Neozet is welcomed (e.g. manual, brochures).

Exploring the cultivated silk moth Bombyx mori. Part II:  Further microscopical studies of aspects of the life cycle with notes on Leeuwenhoek's observations - David Walker continues an exploration of an insect intensely studied by the early workers. SEM imagery courtesy of Oliver Meckes, 'Eyes of Science'.

Other articles: Reprint from the 'Beyond Magazine', a science e-zine for the young and young at heart edited by the late Marly Cain-Fryman:

On lunar landings ... and scrapbooks - David Walker (UK) reflects on a scrapbook kept when aged 13 and the potential value of modern equivalents.
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! Have a chat with us , to see how we can help share your interests. Submission guidelines .
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.

Newsgroups
sci.techniques.microscopy (spoilt by excessive spam nowadays)

Yahoo groups: a ' P' denotes current and archived messages are public i.e. not limited to members.
'Amateur Microscopy' P (started November2008)
'Yahoo Diatom Forum' P
' Microscope 'P (>1500 members, very active)
' Microscopes '
'Microscopehobby' P (started Apr 2005)
'RealMicroscopy' P (started Sep 2005)
' Óptica Roma foro Microscopía' for Spanish speakers
' Wild M20 microscope '
' Nikon Coolpix photomicro and macrophoto '
' 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. W ide 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
Clubs / Socs (Pro/Am) Mic-UK links page
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 paper 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
Society for Amateur Scientists resources and support
A Cabinet of Curiosities a resource on Victorian microscope slides by Howard Lynk
www.viewsfromscience.com projects 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

Web rings
Lightscapes polarised light macroscopy/microscopy, both artistic and scientific.

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