Do you hear the world's smallest violin playing especially for you? Me neither. But that's probably because it's so minute that it's actually mute...
There's a whole other life lurking beyond what our human eyes can see. And the things we can see aren't always as they appear. If you've ever looked through a microscope, you'll know exactly what we mean. Who knew how much was really hiding on the bristles of a toothbrush? Or that grains of salt could pass for intricate artworks worthy of a place on a gallery wall?
People have been sharing exquisite microscopic images online. They give us a glimpse into a fascinating universe hiding right in not-so-plain sight. Bored Panda has put together a list of the best ones. From a flea giving birth to 6 babies, to microplastics hidden in bread, many of these pictures might change your perspective on the world around you.
Keep scrolling, and don't forget to upvote the ones that blow your mind. We also bring you the story of the world's smallest violin, which is only visible under a microscope. You'll find those details between the images.
#1 This Amoeba I Saw Through The Microscope
Image credits: LeekFever
Stop complaining! The world's tiniest violin has arrived...
The world's smallest violin is officially here. But it's so tiny that it can only be seen under a microscope. It's smaller than a speck of dust and thinner than a human hair. And while it might not be able to respond to your dramatic complaints with a smooth rendition of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, it is paving the way for scientists to do new and exciting things in the near future.
Physicists at Loughborough University used nanotechnology to make the little violin. “Though creating the world’s smallest violin may seem like fun and games, a lot of what we’ve learned in the process has actually laid the groundwork for the research we’re now undertaking,” said Professor Kelly Morrison, Head of Physics at Loughborough University in Britain.
#2 Peacock Feather Shows The Full Spectrum Under A Microscope
Image credits: jboyle1000
#3 Swallowtail Butterfly Wing Scales Up Close
Image credits: EvolutionDG
“I’m really excited about the level of control and possibilities we have with the set-up,” added Morisson. “I’m looking forward to seeing what I can achieve – but also what everyone else can do with the system.”
That research that's now possible includes things like improving the efficiency of computers to finding new ways of harvesting energy.
"The violin measures 35 microns long and 13 microns wide, with a micron being one millionth of a metre," reports the BBC. "A human hair typically ranges from 17 to 180 microns in diameter, for comparison."
#4 Caffeine Crystals Under Polarized Light At 200x
Image credits: fiveguysfries16
#5 My Friend Looked At His Microscope The Exact Second This Water Flea Was Having 6 Babies
Image credits: End3v
#6 Looked At My Hair Under A Microscope And My Gray Hair Is Actually Clear
Image credits: K33g5elig
To create it, a small chip was coated with two layers of gel-like material called a resist. It was then placed under something called the NanoFrazor, which is a nano-sculpting machine.
"The machine uses thermal scanning probe lithography, a technique where a heated, needle-like tip 'writes' highly precise patterns at the nanoscale," explains the BBC. "This allowed the violin design to be etched on to the chip's surface layer... After it was etched, the underlayer of the resist was dissolved to leave behind a violin-shaped hole."
According to the university, a thin layer of platinum was then deposited into the chip. And a final rinse in acetone removed any remaining material to reveal the finished teeny violin.
#7 Ghostly Tendrils Of Mold Rise Up From The Microscopic Hills And Valleys Of An Over-Ripe Strawberry. Who Knew Mold Could Be So Strangely Beautiful Up Close
Image credits: triple.divide.design
#8 I Balanced A Grain Of Sugar On 3 Strands Of My Hair That I Loosely Braided
Image credits: Snoo_39873
#9 New Ballpoint Pen Under The Microscope
Image credits: mikrofoto
The tiny creation involved big work. And it took the research team several months to refine and test different techniques before announcing that they'd finally made the world's smallest "violin." Now that they've laid the groundwork, it takes around three hours to create a violin using the nanolithography system.
The whole point of making the microscopic "instrument" was to test what the university's cutting-edge nanolithography system is capable of. "Our nanolithography system allows us to design experiments that probe materials in different ways – using light, magnetism, or electricity – and observe their responses," Morrison said.
"Once we understand how materials behave, we can start applying that knowledge to develop new technologies, whether it's improving computing efficiency or finding new ways to harvest energy," she added. "But first, we need to understand the fundamental science and this system enables us to do just that."
#10 Uric Acid Crystals Of Urine Sample Seen Through A Microscope
Image credits: hercs247
#11 A Single Pollen Grain On Saffron. Looks Like A Micro Sunset
Image credits: microsplored
#12 It Was Pretty Cool Seeing My Own Chromosomes. Spent A Good Amount Of Time Looking Through A Microscope During Undergrad Research. Thought I Would Share One Of The “Woah” Moments
Image credits: sullysaysit
The team said they created the nanoscale violin as a 'playful reference' to the phrase, “Can you hear the world’s smallest violin playing just for you?”
If you've never heard it, it's something said to mock exaggerated complaints or overly dramatic reactions. And it's often accompanied by a hand gesture mimicking someone playing a tiny violin between their thumb and forefinger.
"The expression is thought to have first appeared on television in the 1970s, popularised by the show M*A*S*H, and has remained part of pop culture thanks to appearances in more recent shows like SpongeBob SquarePants," reads the university's site.
#13 Insane Picture Of Ice (Through A Microscope)
Image credits: imgur.com
#14 Salt And Pepper Up Close
Image credits: XiphiasZ
#15 Ant Head - Electron Microscope Image
Image credits: Denver Microbeam Laboratory
#16 The Micro-Art Of Mykola Syadristy - A Camel Train In The Eye Of A Needle (Under Microscope)
Image credits: Alxmrlw
#17 Crack In A Smartphone Display Under The Microscope
Image credits: microscopicture
#18 Toothbrush Bristles With Toothpaste On Them
Image credits: macrofying
#19 This Is What A Cross Section Of A Pine Tree Needle Looks Like (Photo Taken Through My Microscope)
Image credits: TheCheesecakeOfDoom
#20 Human Bone Under A Microscope!
Image credits: Numerous_Egg9760
#21 Red Crayon On Paper Under A 400x Microscope
Image credits: EthanolEthan
#22 Found A Microscopic Bug While Looking At Red Onion Cells!
Image credits: FruitSmoothie12
#23 A Fly Wing Under The Microscope
Image credits: LuckyLukeFan
#24 My (Human) Hair Splitting
Image credits: feredditer
#25 Some Sem Pics. Proud Of These
In order: acoustic guitar g string: 139x/834x; diatom: 2,085x/5,560x; paramecium: 1,112x/5,560x; human baby tooth: 1,112x/2,085x.
Image credits: fvnny-bvnny
#26 Some Pictures Of Salt Under Microscope
Image credits: doctorchibanga
#27 Head Of A Flea At 400x Magnification
Image credits: JackDracona
#28 Onion Layers Under Microscope
Image credits: radoslawpusz
#29 The Difference Between My Mom's Hair (55f, Left), And Mine (25m, Right)
Image credits: YerkoAndrei
#30 Snow Flakes Highly Magnified By A Low-Temperature Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
The colors are called "pseudo colours"; they are computer-generated and are a standard technique used with SEM images.
Image credits: commons.wikimedia.org
#31 Fungus Gnat Under The Microscope. Ladies And Gentlemen, Here's The Ugly Jerk That Flies Around Your Room Whenever You Water Your Plants
Image credits: vasileiasef
#32 Surface Of A Strawberry With Strawberry Seeds Seen Through An Electron Microscope
Image credits: emc_plymuni
#33 Back Foot Of The Mouse Under Microscope
Image credits: Alexander_Klepnev
#34 An Image Of Starfish Feet Taken Using Secondary Electrons. Did You Know That There Are ~2000 Known Species Of Sea Star?
Image credits: Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre
#35 Yellow Mite (Tydeidae), Lorryia Formosa
Image credits: Eric Erbe, Chris Pooley
#36 Piece Of Paper Cut With Scissors vs. Torn Piece Of Paper Under A Microscope
Image credits: ilko_7
#37 Microplastics In Bread
Image credits: Kwantomizer
#38 0.07mm Mechanical Pencil Graphite Under An Electron Microscope (Colors Added For Visibility)
Image credits: anes_the_siologist
#39 What A Leaf Looks Like In A Microscope
Image credits: FNaF2MovieLeaks
#40 What A Potato Looks Like Under A Microscope
Image credits: PsychoticChocolate
#41 Close-Up Of An Intel Cpu From The 90s
Image credits: mx1701
#42 Vinyl Grooves Under Magnification
Image credits: ironbolsh
#43 I Put Salt In My Electron Microscope, It's So Beautiful
Image credits: DrNozman
#44 The Tip Of A Cigarette Under A Microscope (Parliament Thin)
Image credits: Alexander_Klepnev
#45 Microscope View Of A Mosquito Egg Raft
Image credits: dashingdelight
#46 An Image Of Cilia In A Rat's Windpipe
Image credits: Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre
#47 Dryer Sheet Before And After Drying
Image credits: XiphiasZ
#48 Microscopic House Dust
Image credits: NIAID
#49 Red White Blood Cells
Image credits: Electron Microscopy Facility at The National Cancer Institute at Frederick (NCI-Frederick)
#50 Pollen From A Variety Of Common Plants (Original And Retouched Picture, Coloring Is Speculative And May Differ Significantly From The Real Colors)
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus, small spiky sphericals, colorized pink), morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea, big sphericals with hexagonal cavities, colorized mint green), hollyhock (Sildalcea malviflora, big spiky sphericals, colorized yellow), lily (Lilium auratum, bean shaped, colorized dark green), primrose (Oenothera fruticosa, tripod shaped, colorized red) and castor bean (Ricinus communis, small smooth sphericals, colorized light green). The image is magnified some x500, so the bean-shaped grain in the bottom left corner is about 50 μm long.
Image credits: Dartmouth College Electron Microscope Facility
#51 Caterpillar Of Epipyrops Exigua, The Planthopper Parasite Moth
Image credits: igor_siwanowicz
#52 Cardiac Muscle Under A Microscope Looks Like A Planet
Image credits: nonwritten
#53 iPhone Charging Cable Scissor-Cut Under The Microscope
Image credits: imgur.com
#54 Dog vs. Cat Saliva Under The Microscope
Image credits: 0.7microscope
#55 Close Up Of A Peppercorn That I Took With A Microscope Attachment For My Phone
Image credits: TheHipsterRooster
#56 Pringles Crisps Under Microscope
Image credits: Alexander_Klepnev
#57 Fruit Fly Under The Microscope
Image credits: Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre
#58 My Phone Camera Has A "Microscope" Option And Here's Pictures Of Mold On A Broccoli
Image credits: JuciekWorld
#59 A Microscopic Image I Took Of A Baby Octopus (Octopus Tetricus)
Image credits: Acrobatic_Message_70
#60 An LCD Screen Under A Microscope
Image credits: nalley22
#61 Not The Best Photo, But A Picture Of A Fruit Flies Leg
Image credits: bserikstad
#62 Artist’s Fingertip Under Weak Microscope (Worked For 2h On A Pencil Drawing)
Image credits: zoyaabean
#63 Lace Underwear Under The Microscope
Image credits: Alexander_Klepnev
#64 I Took A Picture Of Orange Juice Under A Microscope And Saw A Helix. Anyone Know What It Is? Image Is Taken At 50x Magnification In Dark Field And Is 270 Microns Across
Image credits: caver_tom
#65 Any Idea What’s In Mcdonald’s Fries
KiZHXlo Monocular Mircoscope 40-1600X Magnification. I opened each fry to see close the center.
Image credits: Itchy-Ad8752
#66 Birth Of Koji On A Grain Of Rice
Image credits: fissionc
#67 My Husband Got A Microscope. Here’s My Hair, His Hair And Our Pet Rabbit’s Fur Under It
Image credits: NYCgallerydirector
#68 What Your Dorito Fingers Look Like Under A Low Power Microscope
Image credits: amerKhalil
#69 Writing Under A Microscope At 40x 100x And 400x
Image credits: Waffletin
#70 The Inside Of My Inflatable Air Mattress
Image credits: -who_knows-
