Physicists assemble world's smallest snowman

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Laughing Man
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Physicists assemble world's smallest snowman

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The National Physics Laboratory has deployed a range of techniques to create the world's smallest snowman - a diminutive fellow just 10 µm across, or "1/5th the width of a human hair".

The NPL explains: "The snowman was made from two tin beads used to calibrate electron microscope astigmatism. The 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.

"A nanomanipulation system was used to assemble the parts 'by hand' and platinum deposition was used to weld all elements together. The snowman is mounted on a silicon cantilever from an atomic force microscope whose sharp tip 'feels' surfaces creating topographic surveys at almost atomic scales."

Sadly, the NPL appears to currently lack the technology to create a nanocarrot or miniature Santa hat, but we have no doubt it's working on a deposited platinum system capable of tackling these decorative shortcomings.

Image
Last edited by Captain Seafort on Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Fixed img tags
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Re: Physicists assemble world's smallest snowman

Post by Captain Seafort »

Pretty cool.

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Re: Physicists assemble world's smallest snowman

Post by Sionnach Glic »

Ah, scientists. Always doing random stuff for the hell of it.

To quote Mock The Week:
"Hey, should we get started on that cure for cancer?"
"Maybe later. Right now I'm going to find out how many fruit pastiles it takes to choke a kestrel."

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Re: Physicists assemble world's smallest snowman

Post by IanKennedy »

That is so cool. I want one for the site.
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Re: Physicists assemble world's smallest snowman

Post by Monroe »

The carrot is optional anyway. Pretty cool stuff.
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Re: Physicists assemble world's smallest snowman

Post by Uzume »

Welcome Laughingman............. you look like a hoot :mrgreen:
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Re: Physicists assemble world's smallest snowman

Post by IanKennedy »

Uzume wrote:Welcome Laughingman............. you look like a hoot :mrgreen:
I'm sorry but someone from Texas saying that word has be thinking of Boston Legal. :)
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Re: Physicists assemble world's smallest snowman

Post by RK_Striker_JK_5 »

lol, that's cute. :)

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Re: Physicists assemble world's smallest snowman

Post by Captain Picard's Hair »

With Christmas coming, a question comes to mind: would the recipients of these physicists gifts need an atomic force microscope to enjoy them? :girl:
"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wonderous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross... but it's not for the timid." Q, Q Who
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