On Microscopes

[opaltiger]

Okay! That makes more sense, thanks.

 

[ultraviolet]

and thus concludes a general representation of every science class I've ever had

 

[Dannichu]

I would spin the three lenses around so the least-zoomy lens was looking at the slide, and then twiddle the twiddly thingies till it was in focus. Then I'd move to the next-most-powerful zoomy-thing and do the same, and then the most powerful one after that, focusing using the twiddly-bits each time.

The iris thingy keeps out light or something, doesn't it? We had (relatively) cheap microscopes that had the discs-with-holes-thingies instead, but we didn't do much other than look at... blood cells? Cell membranes? Christ, I can't even remember.

And that, ladies and gents, is how I got a C in biology A-level. My teacher threw something at my head every time I said the word 'thingy'. I'm amazed I was never taken to A&E with brain damage.

 

[Green]

Our gifted teacher made us say thingy instead of thing. 'ARC language,' she called it.

 

[Dannichu]

Here we go!

Sorted.

 

[opaltiger]

The ??? is the light intensity knob. :P Otherwise you're mostly right (except those move the slide horizontally; the vertical movement is from the coarse adjustment).

Actually that photo is pretty bad, you can't see the condenser very well. And yeah, the iris blocks light so only your sample is illuminated.

 

[Not Meowth]

Someone in my GCSE Biology class referred to the twiddly thingy as the "turny up-and-down thing".
Other than that I approve of Danni's terminology.

 

[Negrek]

I knew all that stuff already, yeah, and I would guess I knew it when I entered college, too. FWIW, though, I still suck at focusing microscopes (takes me ages...) and I've never actually found anything beyond the basic "put a slide on there and focus" useful. There was the occasional instance of somebody turning the lamp way down so I wouldn't be able to see anything until I cranked it, but all fiddling with the condenser seemed to do was make things harder to see than leaving it at the usual settings, for example.

 

[Skylark]

Most of the microscopes at my school are the non-electric ones and have mirrors to look for light. Yeah, my school is so behind >.>

 

[goldenquagsire]

lol, silly science folks need toys to play with. us humanities types have to make do with cold hard books. :)

 

[Rai-CH]

I've never used a microscope before (I don't think we have any at my school) but I do know that you look though the eyehole things and turn the knobs to adjust the focus or something. Isn't that all that's to it, or am I missing out on something?

Though they do look quite simple to use, so I guess it wouldn't be too hard to figure everything out and catch up with your classmates who know what they're doing.

 

[Murkrow]

Most of the microscopes at my school are the non-electric ones and have mirrors to look for light. Yeah, my school is so behind >.>

We had to use bendy lamps to shine on the mirrors. The school just saves money by not buying new things unless the current one is broken.

lol, silly science folks need toys to play with. us humanities types have to make do with cold hard books. :)

What about maths 8)

 

[goldenquagsire]

What about maths 8)

calculators
rulers
compasses
computer models

sorry bro, you're just as bad as the science kids. :D

 

[1. Luftballon]

pfft, you humanities types need books? math can all be done inside your head! we just don't feel like it most of the time.

 

[Tailsy]

I can write essays in my head! They're just not much fucking use in there, are they? :P

 

[Phantom]

We had to learn to use them for honors bio. We like had a little test... er thingy, on how to use them at the beginning of the year. Can't remember a thing though, that was three years ago...

 

[Zhorken]

Right, do any of you know how to use them beyond "put slide under lens, look into microscope, turn knobs"?

I know this much, but nothing more.

 

[Harlequin]

I can write essays in my head! They're just not much fucking use in there, are they? :P

They're not usually much use outside your head, though, are they?

I CAN USE A MICROSCOPE

it's actually bollocks right we had a whole fucking seminar on microscopy and the history of microscopes and the future of microscopes and I just wanted to cut a bitch because I was hungry and still drink from the night before. NOT GOOD TIMES.