The holiday season is in full swing and what better way to mark the month than with the world's smallest snowman?
The National Physical Laboratory in the United Kingdom are celebrating the season with the world's smallest snowman. NPL built the tiny snowman by using two tin beads to calibrate electron microscope astigmatism. Measuring 10 µm across, 1/5th the width of a human hair, Mr. Snowman's eyes and smile were milled using a focused ion beam, and the nose, which is under 1 µm wide (or 0.001 mm), is ion beam deposited platinum.
NPL says they used a nanomanipulation system to assemble the parts 'by hand' and platinum deposition to weld all elements together. Mr Snowman is mounted on a silicon cantilever from an atomic force microscope whose sharp tip 'feels' surfaces creating topographic surveys at almost atomic scales.
I thought this pretty neat when I first came across it but now that I've watched the video, I think I might be in love. Look at that sweet, nano-smile! And that music! Group hug, guys.
/sarcasm....
So you're 100% productive at your job 100% of the time? You never take a break or mess about to blow off some steam ever?
An office worker makes a paper plane and it's "office behaviour", a particle physicist paints a smiley face on an atom it's suddenly not "productive"? How do you know they weren't testing a new ion beam and decided to do something light hearted as the test?
I actually do! We are identical but she's not geeky. She once had to call me to ask how to turn her computer on because she couldn't find the power button. She is a musical genius though. Don't know if that rocks your boat, at all.
I'd prefer an equal to engage in discussion instead of gazing in wonderment and jealousy!
To the beaches! The nanobot swarms may not be able to get us if we stay underwater!