Mad scientists of an earlier era were content with using a microtome and glass slides to examine odd cell structures through a dusty lens.
Modern mad scientists know that there’s something a bit clearer available: the Celestron LCD Digital Microscope.
While it uses the same slide system as earlier microscopes, this model has a 3.5-inch LCD screen in place of an eyepiece. The objective lens has up to a 40x optical zoom and a 4x digital zoom, and it has a built-in digital camera with 128 megabytes of storage for taking pictures of minuscule subjects. It also has a color filter wheel and two LEDs to illuminate the specimen.
The microscope costs $300 and comes with five slides, a carrying case and a USB cable. It will be available in stores in February.
While it won’t replace a crackling Jacob’s ladder and a comically large electrical switch, the LCD Digital Microscope should offer outdated creature hunters — or creators — a leg up into the 21st century.
