Functional Microscope

 

The three main goals with this model were the looks, playability and sturdiness. This 1316-piece microscope is jam-packed with useful features and creative building techniques. It is meant to be fun, but also to inspire to take a deeper look into the world of the micro!

 

-              Working eyepiece

-              Revolving nose piece with 3 lenses

-              3-level magnification difference represented by models of a bacteria sample

-              Coarse image sharpness adjustment

-              Fine image sharpness adjustment (around 15 times more precise)

-              Microscope angle selection

-              Illumination light with an on/off feature

-              Stage with a working sprung sample clip

-              Detachable light condenser

-              Two bacteria samples

-              Additional press-activated light (to ease with the viewing of the samples)

 

When it comes to the looks, the design combines elements from beautiful, antique microscopes with those taken straight from the modern, more sophisticated machines. It is around 15 cm wide (5.9 In), 19 cm deep (7.5 In) and 42 cm tall (16.5 In) or, in LEGO terms, 18.5 x 24 x 52 studs.

 

Inside, normal bricks are supported by LEGO TECHNIC pieces, to make sure that the structure is properly rigid. Various building angles, internal mechanisms and connection techniques should make this microscope a treat to assemble.

 

 

 

Many sources disagree on the date of the creation of a microscope. The generally agreed upon timeframe would suggest that the first compound microscope with an objective lens and an eyepiece was created around the year 1600. The term ‘microscope’ was first used by Giovanni Faber to describe an instrument designed by Galileo in 1609.

 

Since then, microscopes facilitated hundreds if not thousands of discoveries, including ones which could be coined as the most impactful for the whole world, e.g. discovery of cells, chromosomes, viruses or even DNA.

 

In the modern days, apart from optical microscopes, we can distinguish electron microscopes (e.g. imagining a structure of a virus to the level of individual atoms), fluorescence microscopes (e.g. observing the movement of synapses between nerve cells in the brain) or even dark-field microscopes (e.g. very clear images of individual microorganisms which are normally invisible under bright-field illumination).

 

 

 

My motivation for this set was twofold. The first aim is to show that science can be fun! If approached right, it is not a limitation but an opportunity …and I can’t imagine a better thing that can spark (or rekindle) a passion more than a LEGO set ;)

The second motivation was to show an appreciation for people who dedicate their life to science - many hours of research and determined work, so that all of us can have better lives. Kudos for that!

 

 

 

If you like this project, I would be very thankful for a support and a potential follow <3

For those really excited about this microscope, sharing it with your friends would really make my day ;)

Please do make sure to comment any suggestion if you have additional ideas for improvements - it is always better to grow a project together!

 

 

 Sources: