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Kilgore, Jason-2 on
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When I was in 5th grade, my mother bought a kid's microscope for me. Had one eyepiece and was barely good enough quality for imaging much, and a nice wooden case. Not digital, of course, but it opened a whole new world that led to the career I'm in. I started with looking at pond scum. :) What a great gift.
Someday I'll surely do the same for my kids. Sorry, I don't have one in particular to recommend, but I'd probably go with digital. I'd avoid the pocket ones -- I have yet to be impressed with the few I've looked into. Why make it harder for your nephew? If a computer interface is required, you can get an older, used laptop for the purpose for pretty cheap these days. (televisions are a lot less portable, after all).
Jason
Jason A. Kilgore
Technical Application Scientist
Molecular Probes Labeling and Detection Technologies
Cells Systems Division
T 1 800 955 6288 then option 4, then option 6, or 541 335 0353 . F 541 335 0238
29851 Willow Creek Rd . Eugene . OR . 97402-9132 . United States
www.invitrogen.com/technicalsupport
-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:
[hidden email]] On Behalf Of John Oreopoulos
Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2011 7:42 PM
To:
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Subject: A digital microscope for kids - any recommendations?
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Hello list server,
This is not a confocal question, but I figure the people here might have some good experience with this. I have a 7-year old nephew who says he wants to find a cure cancer someday. I figure the best Christmas gift for him this year would therefore be a decent children's microscope. My problem is that there seems to be hundreds of different kids microscope brands, some with just eyepieces, some that can be interfaced to a computer via USB, etc. Does anyone here have any recommendations for one model brand over another?
Ron Vale makes a good argument for having kids go straight to digital microscopes instead of using eyepieces (and many modern research grade microscopes don't require eyepieces either):
http://microscopy4kids.org/http://microscopy4kids.org/webpage/pages/whydiglookma.htmlMy only issue with this is that my nephew does not have access to a computer of his own. I think what would be better is a kids microscope that hooks up to a television screen directly, and these do exist. For example:
http://www.bonpal.com/product/usb-microscope/bp-m8200t.html(no commercial interest)
And the other great thing about a pocket TV microscope like that is that it has a built in LED light source. So, what do you think? This is isn't so different from when list server members ask for opinions on various confocal microscopes, is it? Commercial responses offline to me are welcome as well.
Thanks, and a happy upcoming winter holiday to all confocalists out there!
John Oreopoulos
Research Assistant
Spectral Applied Research
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Canada
www.spectral.ca