Make your own Leeuwenhoek microscope

[Pb]

The father of microbiology found out that you can make a high-power lens simply, by creating a small droplet of molten glass, and letting it cool...

It is quite easy to replicate a simple version.

I found some fun instructions and did it.  I've looked at a feather and it works pretty well, though focusing is difficult.

Here are instructions:

http://www3.botany.ubc.ca/keeling/resources.html

Here is mine- I've got a feather barb stuck (with spit!) to the plastic coverslip so I can manipulate it to view.



It's pretty fun, I'd suggest you try it if you can rustle up the parts.

Here are video instructions:

https://itsyourexperiment08.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/diy-microscope-macgyver-does-leeuwenhoek/

[230RN]

I thought he used a drop of water as the lens, at least at first... no?

Seems a lot simpler than trying to make one out of glass for playing-around purposes.

Spherical aberration is pretty bad, though.

At one point I used one of my crystal balls to demonstrate spherical aberration (where you need a curved focal plane to keep everything in focus.)

Terry

(Don't think this is good enough, but might help):

[Pb]

You can make a lens out of a drop of water.

At the time, his scopes were the best in the world... no one made a better one for over 100 years.

He was the first to see single celled life.