Samantha Marion

I received the Foldscope kit and after putting it together, I immediately looked around the office for things to view. The first sample I tried was a crusty piece of dead skin from my co-worker’s healing finger injury. (Yes, we tend to be gross around here)


 <a alt="01-Shaenas-Finger-Skin.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1717/01-Shaenas-Finger-Skin.jpg">
 <img alt="01 - Shaena's Finger Skin" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1718 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1718" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="01 – Shaena’s Finger Skin" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1717/01-Shaenas-Finger-Skin.jpg"/>
 </a>


 Well that was fun, but I wanted more. I wanted to learn something. So I found a dog hair on my sweater and made a slide with one dog hair and one human hair (from my head). Can you tell which one is which?


 <a alt="02-Vader-Hair.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1717/02-Vader-Hair.jpg">
 <img alt="02 - Vader Hair" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1720 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1720" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="02 – Vader Hair" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1717/02-Vader-Hair.jpg"/>
 </a>
 <a alt="02-Sam-Hair.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1717/02-Sam-Hair.jpg">
 <img alt="02 - Sam Hair" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1719 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1719" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="02 – Sam Hair" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1717/02-Sam-Hair.jpg"/>
 </a>


 By this point, I was hooked. I frantically searched around people’s desks looking for something else to put in this thing. Then I remembered that we have a bag of feathers left over from the summer (it’s a science centre, we have weird things around the office). So I put a little feather in the Foldscope and was delighted by what I saw:


 <a alt="03-Small-Feather.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1717/03-Small-Feather.jpg">
 <img alt="03 - Small Feather" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1721 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1721" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="03 – Small Feather" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1717/03-Small-Feather.jpg"/>
 </a>


 Next up, I need to figure out what I can see with the high-mag lens!

Found around the office

I was very excited to come across this post on modifying the foldscope with polarizing filters:


 <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/2015/02/05/experiments-with-cross-polarization-and-fibers/" target="_blank" title="Experiments with Cross Polarization and Fibers">
 https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/2015/02/05/experiments-with-cross-polarization-and-fibers/
 </a>


 Since I work in a science centre, there is plenty of polarizing material hanging around but I decided that the easiest thing to do was to punch the lenses out of some old 3D glasses. Then I placed one lens between the LED light module and the foldscope body and the other lens between my phone camera and the foldscope (held in place by the magnets).


 I tried to image some dog hair (as suggested by the original post) but my dog’s hair was uninteresting. However, I did have some polar bear hair samples at my desk and here’s what I saw:


 <a alt="IMG_0177.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1918/IMG_0177.jpg">
 <img alt="IMG_0177" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1921 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1921" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_0177" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1918/IMG_0177.jpg"/>
 </a>
 <a alt="IMG_0175.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1918/IMG_0175.jpg">
 <img alt="IMG_0175" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1920 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1920" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_0175" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1918/IMG_0175.jpg"/>
 </a>




 I got some mineral samples from my co-worker and I plan to try to image those with the cross-polarization technique. Hopefully, I’ll get some more beautiful images.

Polar Bear Hair (with polarization)

I found some old prepared slides of bugs so I decided to see how they look under the Foldscope. And they look great!


 Here are two different fleas:


 <a alt="Flea.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1929/Flea.jpg">
 <img alt="Flea" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1925 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1925" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Flea" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1929/Flea.jpg"/>
 </a>
 <a alt="Dog-Flea.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1929/Dog-Flea.jpg">
 <img alt="Dog Flea" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1924 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1924" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Dog Flea" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1929/Dog-Flea.jpg"/>
 </a>




 And some mosquito parts:


 <a alt="Mosquito-Legs.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1929/Mosquito-Legs.jpg">
 <img alt="Mosquito Legs" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1926 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1926" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Mosquito Legs" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1929/Mosquito-Legs.jpg"/>
 </a>
 <a alt="Mosquito-Mouth.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1929/Mosquito-Mouth.jpg">
 <img alt="Mosquito Mouth" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1927 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1927" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Mosquito Mouth" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1929/Mosquito-Mouth.jpg"/>
 
 </a>
 LEGS                                                  HEAD

Bugs!

I love patterns and a few years back I discovered that there are beautiful patterns to be found in plants at a microscopic scale. So I was delighted to find this awesome pattern in a prepared slide of a corn stem:


 <a alt="Corn-Stem.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1931/Corn-Stem.jpg">
 <img alt="Corn Stem" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1923 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1923" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Corn Stem" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1931/Corn-Stem.jpg"/>
 </a>


 To me, it looks like a bunch of tiny skulls screaming. So delightfully creepy.


 Here’s a closer look at one of the tiny skulls:


 <a alt="Corn-Stem-5.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1931/Corn-Stem-5.jpg">
 <img alt="Corn Stem (5)" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1922 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1922" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Corn Stem (5)" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1931/Corn-Stem-5.jpg"/>
 </a>

Patterns in Plants

Using some minerals samples that we had lying around at work and low budget tools (my fingernail to scrape off pieces of the minerals), I looked at crystal structures with a cross-polarized light Foldscope (see
 <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/2015/02/05/experiments-with-cross-polarization-and-fibers/" title="Experiments with Cross Polarization and Fibers">
 this post
 </a>
 for instructions).


 First, some muscovite mica which forms in very thin sheets and has high birefringence (which is what gives us beautiful colours when put under cross-polarized light).
 
 <a alt="Muscovite-Mica-Polarized.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Muscovite-Mica-Polarized.jpg">
 <img alt="Muscovite Mica - Polarized" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1946 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1946" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Muscovite Mica – Polarized" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Muscovite-Mica-Polarized.jpg"/>
 </a>
 <a alt="Muscovite-Mica-Polarized-2.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Muscovite-Mica-Polarized-2.jpg">
 <img alt="Muscovite Mica - Polarized 2" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1945 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1945" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Muscovite Mica – Polarized 2" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Muscovite-Mica-Polarized-2.jpg"/>
 </a>


 Next, some celestite. I had never heard of this mineral before, but some quick googling taught me that it is the principal source of strontium. It has lower birefringence than muscovite but we still get some lovely colours.
 
 <a alt="Celestite-Polarized.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Celestite-Polarized.jpg">
 <img alt="Celestite - Polarized" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1944 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1944" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Celestite – Polarized" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Celestite-Polarized.jpg"/>
 </a>
 <a alt="Celestite-Polarized-2.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Celestite-Polarized-2.jpg">
 <img alt="Celestite - Polarized 2" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1941 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1941" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Celestite – Polarized 2" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Celestite-Polarized-2.jpg"/>
 </a>


 And lastly, my favourite, calcite. I was expecting great things from the calcite sample since I know that calcite has many special optical properties. I wasn’t disappointed. Calcite has very high birefringence compared to the other two minerals. And, of course, I had to bust out the high-magnification lens to capture the beautiful cleavage.
 
 <a alt="Calcite-Polarized.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Calcite-Polarized.jpg">
 <img alt="Calcite - Polarized" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1940 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1940" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Calcite – Polarized" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Calcite-Polarized.jpg"/>
 </a>
 <a alt="Calcite-Polarized-4.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Calcite-Polarized-4.jpg">
 <img alt="Calcite - Polarized 4" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1939 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1939" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Calcite – Polarized 4" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Calcite-Polarized-4.jpg"/>
 </a>
 <a alt="Calcite-Polarized-2.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Calcite-Polarized-2.jpg">
 <img alt="Calcite - Polarized 2" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1938 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1938" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Calcite – Polarized 2" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_1937/Calcite-Polarized-2.jpg"/>
 </a>


 I did have a couple of issues while doing this activity. I believe they both stem from the samples being too thick. The first issue I had was with focus. The foldscope seemed to have a hard time focussing on the samples and I think it’s because the sample was too close to the lens. The other problem was that the sliding mechanism kept getting stuck on chunks of mineral. Perhaps with better tools and more careful slide preparation, these can be easily avoided.

Samantha Marion

Earth

Posts

Polar Bear Hair (with polarization)

Bugs!

Patterns in Plants

Minerals with Cross-Polarized Light

Found around the office

Polar Bear Hair (with polarization)

Bugs!

Patterns in Plants

Minerals with Cross-Polarized Light

Found around the office

Polar Bear Hair (with polarization)

Bugs!

Patterns in Plants

Minerals with Cross-Polarized Light

Locations

Statistics

Type of Sample

Foldscope Lens Magnification