Return to Start Page


Since my last letter, I have not visited the airport where my flying machine languishes, awaiting my tender ministrations. Since one of my priorities is making that pile of nylon fabric and aluminum tubing fulfill its design destiny, that statement is a little surprising. It is as if the elements, events, and crises of my life are conspiring against me. The Brazilians have a saying that translates roughly to, "I'm going! Even raining open pocket knives wouldn't stop me." I keep expressing that sentiment, but I just cannot seem to make it happen. Maybe next month...



I offered the collection of vacuum tubes (mentioned in my last letter) for sale on ebay and, much to my surprise, they sold. Based on the postal services flat rate boxes, I set the shipping at $12. I got one bid ($0.99) and that was the selling price. The postal service played a bit fast and loose with their rates (imagine that) so, not counting the time it took to encase each tube individually in bubble warp, I just about broke even. At least that was what I thought until ebay assessed their listing fee of $1.50. All things considered I would have been ahead to have followed my first instinct and made of gift of them to Waste Management. Still, it certainly wasn't worst deal I have ever made.


I appears that I might be developing an addiction to ebay. Since August second, I have made 22 purchases. Now if I could just figure out how to buy groceries on ebay, I could get rid of my car...
No, it's not really that bad, but it is easy to get hooked. One of my last "finds" was a microscope that plugs directly into a computer. The image appears on the screen, and can be captured using software supplied with the device. The purchase price was $21 (plus $7.99 shipping), and you could correctly surmise that the quality of the images produced isn't exactly publication grade. Still it has been fun to play with.

Our health continued to deteriorate, and with the exception of that ongoing saga, there wasn't much news-worthy copy generated by this household this month. Given that protracted discussions of senescence are boring (even to me), I will forebear. Instead, I have created a game--an identification challenge--(aimed mostly at my older grandkids) that will fill the remainder of this epistle.



These photos are taken through a microscope. There is a black "pointer" that is part of the microscope lens, and is present in each picture. Make your best guess. Guess at all 12 pictures before looking at the answers, listed at the bottom of the page.

Micrograph #1.


                                               
Micrograph #2



                                               
Micrograph #3


                                               
Micrograph #4



                                               
Micrograph #5


                                               
Micrograph #6



                                               
Micrograph #7


                                               
Micrograph #8



                                               
Micrograph #9


                                               
Micrograph #10



                                               
Micrograph #11


                                               
Micrograph #12



There 10 differences between these two pictures. Can you find all of them?


Micrograph #1.
Ball point pen ink on paper.

Micrograph #2
The wing of a mosquito. Note the fine hairs along the trailing edge. Could it be that those make the hum when a mosquito flies?

Micrograph #3
Printed ink on paper.

Micrograph #4
Halftone printing. Pictures in newspapers are made up of dots. The light and dark are achieved by making the dots larger or smaller.

Micrograph #5
A gnat with a broken wing.

Micrograph #6
A second gnat with an intact wing. Ok, that was unfair, but look at the hair on the leading edge of the wing.

Micrograph #7
Wire rope. The magnification of all these pictures is 100 X.

Micrograph #8
A dermestid. This is a stored food pest. It's larva (immature form) is a small white worm that is often found in stored food. The reason that your great grandmother sifted her flour was to remove these larva.

Micrograph #9
A wooden dowel. When you look a something round through a microscope, only part of it will be in focus.

Micrograph #10
A penny. On the back of a penny is the Lincoln Memorial. If you look closely, you can see the statue of Lincoln.

Micrograph #11
A peppercorn, like you will find in your pepper grinder.

Micrograph #12
Two spider legs. Note the fine hair on both legs.



The differences are marked. How many did you find?



Return to Start Page