
Mystery of superior Leeuwenhoek microscope solved after 350 years (2018) - Bud
https://phys.org/news/2018-03-mystery-superior-leeuwenhoek-microscope-years.html
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credit_guy
Since we are at the topic of microscopes, here's the best pocket microscope I
know of: Carson MicrcoBrite Plus. It has magnification 60-120x [1]. The same
manufacturer makes a few more models. I personally bought this model and 3
others, some of them multiple times (they make for nice presents):20-60x,
60-75x, 60-120x (this one), and 100-250x. I also bought some other pocket
microscopes from other manufacturers, Carson leaves them in the dust. And
among Carsons, this one is in my opinion the best. I am not affiliated with
them in any way, I'm simply a happy customer.

Now, I'd like to make the jump to a higher magnification microscope, like
1000x, but they start being expensive, and you can't just use the strategy
"buy and throw if you don't like" with them. If anyone from the HN crowd has
any recommendations, that would be much appreciated.

[1]
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LAX52IQ/](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LAX52IQ/)

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ramraj07
Curious, what do you use this for? What are some of the samples you look at
typically?

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credit_guy
Paper towels, cloth, coins, written words on paper, the edge of a knife etc. I
tried using slides too, but I don't remember being too successful.

One thing to note for whoever is interested: being pocket microscopes, you
don't treat them as precision instruments. You (and your kids) drop them
frequently. They are quite sturdy, but after countless drops the quality of
the image starts to suffer.

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nick_kline
The interesting summary is they decided after using neutron tomography to scan
the "too expensive and fragile to disassemble" microscopes that he was just
really great at grinding them. Still uncertain is if he used some unusual
variety of glass. I hate teaser titles.

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eru
Agreed. Though at least the article wasn't just all fluff only.

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jtrip
There was this 1977 science fiction book called 'Inherit the Stars' by James
Hogan [0] about finding the corpse of 50,000 year old astronaut on the moon.
He carried a 'book' that was too fragile to read and to explore with any kind
of electromagnetic radiation. They used neutron tomography, like they do here,
to 'read' the book.

The author predicted something like to emerge by 2027. Neutron tomography has
been around for a while [1].

[0]
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/776489.Inherit_the_Stars](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/776489.Inherit_the_Stars)

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_tomography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_tomography)

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egberts1
Probably made other larger lenses for the purpose of assisting the grinding
that smallest lens.

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aliswe
I dont think the lenses were that small though. They seem to be at least a
couple of millimeters if not more, because the article mentions the lens being
mainly concealed inside the contraption.

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JPLeRouzic
I read somewhere that today a 100 times magnification requires a oil objective
and very sturdy microscope frame.

In Wikipedia they wrote that _The single-lens microscopes of van Leeuwenhoek
were relatively small devices, the largest being about 5 cm long. They are
used by placing the lens very close in front of the eye, while looking in the
direction of the sun._

So van Leeuwenhoek was able to look in tiny device pointed to the sun and
incredibly close to his eye and magnifying up to 275 time or more? Incredible,
specially for someone like me who has shaky hands and poor vision!

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projektfu
That would be 10x100 or 1000X. 100X (10x10) is easily achievable with a high
objective.

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analog31
Indeed, a typical research microscope gets magnification from both the
objective and the eyepiece. A scope with 100x objective and 10x eyepiece is no
longer considered high tech, though not cheap. The oil objectives are still
useful, and particularly so when specimens are mounted under cover glass.

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tauwauwau
Just going to leave it here. Leeuwenhoek microscope made an appearance in a
Manga Isekai Yakkyoku [Other world pharmacist]

[https://mangadex.org/chapter/10571/18](https://mangadex.org/chapter/10571/18)

