popsci.com — today?s advanced micromachining techniques give scientists the ability to fabricate complex objects on a scale never before possible. And things just keep getting more interesting. See for yourself in this gallery of tiny wonders, from miniature submarines capable of sailing through your blood vessels to tiny eyeglasses for houseflies.
May 11, 2006 View in Crawl 4
robschraerMay 12, 2006
Dugg just for the last pic, ah bible jokes
beejayMay 12, 2006
Technically it's a thunderbird--but point taken.
moeqMay 12, 2006
The "eye of the neddle" the bible refers to isn't a eye on an needleat all... it refers to the name of one of the gates of the Temple of Solomon. That biblical passage literaly meat that getting into heaven is dificult and takes a lot of effort.. just like going through that particular gate of the Temple of Solomon. See, that gate was just barely wide enough for a man to squeese through sideways. Rich men of the time (who would have normal ridden a camel) were aparantkly very rotund and would have had one hell of a time going through the "eye of the needle" gate.But of course if you're a fundamentalist literalist moron you think it has something to do with sewing.So: Making a tiny camel and a tiny eye on a tiny needle is a tiny little excersise in pointless stupidity.
carlislecockneyMay 12, 2006
Truly fascinating - Especially the 'Fantastic Voyage' inference. :o)
tungfuMay 12, 2006
psh, big deal. when they create micro PCs so that flies can order their stylish eyeglasses online THEN i will be impressed.
phluxMay 12, 2006
Wow - didnt realize this quote (sic) from Dune would have been lost to you all...@Moeg,Thanks for that reply - I too am a fan of "true history" - I like to know the true origin of things, and dont fall prey to the distortion of meaning that happens to information throughout the ages.Vade Mecum Volventibus Annis
drgnmstrnikMay 12, 2006
This is really REALLY old stuff, I'd say by about 10 years. As for the gears, it should be noted that everyone in the MEMS comunity knows they are 100% useless. This is because as you shrink in size, the effect of friction overpowers any inertia that the gear has, making it virtually impossible to move. Most of these devices break before they move. The only reason that MEMS people make these devices is because they impress the people who don't know about this fundamental law.Also notice that the little submarine has no propulsion mechanism? It's all made of plastic, again, just to look cool. When you get down to that size things like fans/propellors are useless and you need to use electric field/chemical/ or flagella based propulsion mechanisms.
sinembarg0May 13, 2006
How can they use a micro computer if they can't see it?