What's the coolest subject for stereo?

[Adun]

Hi.

I'm a newcomer. I have been reading an lot, and watching lots of microscopy videos.

Microbehunter's YouTube videos were particularly useful to help me to realize that slide preparation is not a hobby I'm interested in.

Checking catalogs of commercial prepared slides also helped me realize I'm not interested in microscopic observation of dog gut, pig nerves, rabbit testes, and the like. That leaves plant slides, but after reading here about the (terribly poor) quality of commercial slides, its just seems a compound microscope would be (for me) mostly about observing pond life.

On the other hand there are stereo microscopes, which are still appealing.

However, most microscopy videos of stereo microscopes seem to be made by electronics repair guys. While microbehunter's YouTube channel features lots of microscopy and slide preparation videos where he uses compound microscope, he has very few videos showing through a stereo microscope, or giving ideas of cool opaque objects suitable for this.

So that's why I ask:

¿What are the coolest subjects you have observed with your stereo microscope?

[Hobbyst46]

From the point of view of a hobbyist, not trying to be "educative" in any sense:
the preparation of a specimen and watching it - no matter with which type of instrument - is totally different from reading about the same type of specimen and seeing its image. That difference provides much of the fun. Like, playing a musical instrument and painting are sources of pleasure that listening to a concert and watching pictures at exhibition, respectively, cannot give.

More specifically, the microscope satisfies curiosity and creativity. The "coolness" of an object is something each of us invents in his/her mind, not a specified feature of that object.

Examples (related to stereo scopes):
How smooth is the tip of a needle ?
What is the true color of a tiny sand grain ?
What is the difference between the leg tips of a housefly and an ant ?
How thin is a leaf of common green moss ?
Is the mesh of my new filter cloth as described by the supplier ?
What is the texture of a foraminifera ?
And a myriad of other common life and still forms. Why not try it ? find an inexpensive stereo microscope, set an inexpensive spot reading lamp, and look around. Possibly a parent will bring along a sample of his child's hair and ask - is that a louse egg, or what ?

[PeteM]

One way to start is with something that already interests you - that you could more fully understand at micro scale.

Are you a gardener, hiker, engineer, carpenter, artist, chemist, geologist, surfer, paper pusher, fitness buff . . . .? That interest might lead to additional answers. About the only kind of curious person that might not benefit from appreciating reality at a micro level, IMO, is a hypochondriac .

[KurtM]

Three answers immediately spring up in my mind:

Using the stereo to examine pond life samples in their containers, before making slides and taking them to the big scope, gives wonderful perspective on the organisms you simply don't get any other way.

Using the stereo to monitor knife sharpening progress revolutionized my whetstone procedure, and my blades have been consistently razor sharp ever since!

Using the stereo to pull tiny splinters from fingers results in success on the first attempt every time, no matter how teensy the splinter. (I also use the stereo scope to fine tune tweezers and forceps so they meet perfectly and really grab at their extreme tips.)

I love the stereo scope, and use it for almost everything almost every day. I probably have half a dozen of them scattered around by now.

[apochronaut]

About the only kind of curious person that might not benefit from appreciating reality at a micro level, IMO, is a hypochondriac .

....how about a hyperchondriac?

[PeteM]

Oops. Though, I do have a friend with a fear of hypodermic invasions.

[BramHuntingNematodes]

Coolest subject for a stereo microscope is clearly inspecting microscope objectives for cracks and lens separation

[Adun]

Coolest subject for a stereo microscope is clearly inspecting microscope objectives for cracks and lens separation

I wonder if this applies to astronomy equipment as well.

[Scarodactyl]

Gems and minerals!

[Larry060]

How about things like insects, feathers, dirt or sand?

[Adun]

How about things like insects, feathers, dirt or sand?

In videos I've seen, sand looks very interesting indeed.

I recently had a chance to look at a butterfly through a microscope (that I now reinterpret to be a stereo microscope) and it was lovely. Indeed it was one of the reasons I remembered to take a look at microscopy.

[mintakax]

Pond creatures such as Copepods, hydras and dragonfly larvae are pretty common in the pond samples I've taken and very cool to observe in my stereo scope. I also agree with Kurt that it is fun to observe first in a stereo scope and then transfer specimens to a slide. And also, my next splinter removal will definitely be done under my stereo scope

[Adun]

Pond creatures such as Copepods, hydras and dragonfly larvae are pretty common in the pond samples I've taken and very cool to observe in my stereo scope. I also agree with Kurt that it is fun to observe first in a stereo scope and then transfer specimens to a slide.

What would you say are the differences in observing pond life, between a stereo vs compound microscope?

Microbehunter's pond life videos are interesting. The lack of pond life videos using stereo microscopes had led me to believe it just wasn't possible.

[mintakax]

Pond creatures such as Copepods, hydras and dragonfly larvae are pretty common in the pond samples I've taken and very cool to observe in my stereo scope. I also agree with Kurt that it is fun to observe first in a stereo scope and then transfer specimens to a slide.

What would you say are the differences in observing pond life, between a stereo vs compound microscope?

Microbehunter's pond life videos are interesting. The lack of pond life videos using stereo microscopes had led me to believe it just wasn't possible.

I haven't tried videos through my stereo scope yet, but plan on it. One issue might be that some of the larger creatures might not "show" as well because they take up so much depth of field and are not as easily isolated and the magnification is much less. I guess it depends on the size. From my limited experience, a compound scope gives a much more interesting view of ciliates, flagellates, algae, desmids and amoebas.

[pigboy1537]

I think beach sand is the coolest for you never know what you might see.

[KurtM]

^^^ This guy clearly has a point.