[quote]
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 world's smallest snowman. Pic: NPLThe 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. [/quote]
Source: [url]http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/12/04/smallest_snowman/[/url]
[img]http://regmedia.co.uk/2009/12/04/smallest_snowman.jpg[/img]
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmK8ec9MruM[/media]
Awesome. :buddy:
It looks cool, but I don't see the point in it, since it probably cost them loads to do.
Everyone knows that bigger snowmen are better.
[QUOTE=Bengley;18730155]It looks cool, but I don't see the point in it, since it probably cost them loads to do.[/QUOTE]
Yea, the materials must have cost a fortune.
[QUOTE=Bengley;18730155]It looks cool, but I don't see the point in it, since it probably cost them loads to do.[/QUOTE]
it's fun.
Now do you see why I want to be a physicist, Facepunch? This is what they do.
[QUOTE=Bengley;18730155]It looks cool, but I don't see the point in it, since it probably cost them loads to do.[/QUOTE]
The point? Who needs a point.
They're doing it for [I][B]SCIENCE![/B][/I] :science:
[QUOTE=Bengley;18730155]It looks cool, but I don't see the point in it, since it probably cost them loads to do.[/QUOTE]
Just to see if they could?
[QUOTE=Madman_Andre;18730262]The point? Who needs a point.
They're doing it for [I][B]SCIENCE![/B][/I] :science:[/QUOTE]
[IMG]http://filesmelt.com/downloader/20091018.gif[/IMG]
[QUOTE=Bengley;18730155]It looks cool, but I don't see the point in it, since it probably cost them loads to do.[/QUOTE]
Actually I would guess it didn't. They already had the equipment and they just toyed around with it. The material costs were obviously minimal and were probably some leftovers.
Since the Hadron Collider isn't functioning correctly, this is their backup project.
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;18730325][IMG]http://filesmelt.com/downloader/20091018.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE]
Though shooting bears in the air is somewhat cruel, I could totally agree to his statement :science:
It would be even [b]cooler[/b] if they made it out of real ice.
That's how it starts, first they make a snowman, then they make a village of snowmen. After that they decide to experiment with computer chips in these snowmen. Before you know it you have a most obedient and violent army of very tiny snowmen destined on taking over the world and wreaking snowy havoc.
[QUOTE=Metaphysix;18730829]That's how it starts, first they make a snowman, then they make a village of snowmen. After that they decide to experiment with computer chips in these snowmen. Before you know it you have a most obedient and violent army of very tiny snowmen destined on taking over the world and wreaking snowy havoc.[/QUOTE]
Can you imagine the tintinnabulation?
gordon freeman has nothing better to do
It's not a real snowman if it's not made out of snow
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;18730511]Actually I would guess it didn't. They already had the equipment and they just toyed around with it. The material costs were obviously minimal and were probably some leftovers.[/QUOTE]
And they're raising interest in microtech and nanotech in the process. Win win!
If I make a smaller one, whose is going in the record book?
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;18730325][IMG]http://filesmelt.com/downloader/20091018.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE]
Exactly.
Screw the why, we do it because we can.
:3:
[QUOTE=Metaphysix;18730829]That's how it starts, first they make a snowman, then they make a village of snowmen. After that they decide to experiment with computer chips in these snowmen. Before you know it you have a most obedient and violent army of very tiny snowmen destined on taking over the world and wreaking snowy havoc.[/QUOTE]
[img]http://pics.drugstore.com/prodimg/205353/200.JPG[/img]
[QUOTE=Pepsi-cola;18730191]Yea, the materials must have cost a fortune.[/QUOTE]
It would of actually: with a scanning electron microscope you need to coat specimens in gold.
[QUOTE=Dr. Doctor;18732671]It would of actually: with a scanning electron microscope you need to coat specimens in gold.[/QUOTE]
With the tiniest amount of gold possible, still not that expensive.
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