https://www.thefarside.com/2026/10/12/0
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ELECTRON MICROSCOPE LAB
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This isn’t something you can do with an electron microscope, but I do stuff like this with optical microscopes all the time
Electron microscopy is usually used for kidney specimens right? I don’t get the joke intended with the picture though
It’s just the janitor fucking around with the equipment after hours.
Guess I just missed the joke. I have a lab background so I probably am looking at this whole thing too literal
Hey if someone is using the equipment for pleasure and raw curiosity, I see no issue here. Just because he’s the janitor doesn’t mean he’s not entitled to discovery.
electron microscopes usually operate in a vacuum. If you put organic stuff in there without properly treating the sample, it will damage the equipment
Oh wow. Didn’t know that. I saw a kidney biopsy in an electron microscope before but I never really learned how they worked because I figured I’d never work with one.
They’re super cool! The reason for the vacuum is that electrons are much more likely to scatter in atmosphere than photons, so you want as little air present in the chamber as possible. Also many microscopes generate their electron beams with a heated tungsten filament (which is soo expensive), so iirc the vacuum prevents it from burning up quickly.
Electron miscroscopes often have a “low vacuum” setting for when samples can’t be subjected to such a high vacuum. Usually you need some training before anyone will let you use their electron microscopes.
Wow thanks for the information. An electron microscope has to be the coolest microscope. The images I’ve seen were always interesting
If they’re in vacuum, they probably are pretty cool! Other than that tungsten filament that other commenter mentioned, apparently.
I used to do stuff like that all the time with the CT scanners and x-ray machines at work. I still have an old pic of my wrist watch’s scan somewhere.
I used to work at a research facility … Back before 3d printers were common or particularly good, one of the researchers showed me that they’d done a detailed scan of their brain, then 3d printed a miniature version of it.
i don’t get the joke. this seems very reasonable
The janitor use the expensive/complex equipment to look at his lunch leftovers like a curious child with his toy microscope. The panel shows some kind of optical microscope and not an electron microscope.
seems very reasonable to me. who wouldn’t want to look at lunch leftovers magnified?
