Scientists Create World's Smallest "Snowman"

[mr blur]

Very cool!

Scientists have created the world’s smallest 'snowman', measuring about a fifth of the width of a human hair.

However, far from the thrill of rolling balls of snow around a field to build their masterpiece, it was assembled using tools designed for manipulating nanoparticles.

The snowman is made of two tiny tin beads, normally used to calibrate electron microscope lenses, which were welded together with platinum.

A focused ion beam was used to carve the snowman's eyes and smile, and to deposit a tiny blob of platinum for the nose

It was put together by Dr David Cox, a member of the Quantum Detection group at the laboratory, who also took the picture.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6724969/Scientists-create-the-worlds-smallest-snowman.html

[realisticphish]

1. that's pretty damn cool nt

[LeftishBrit]

2. Great! (Though come to think of it, this snowman is cool but NOT great...)

[greyl]

4. Yeah, why didn't they just go ahead and make a damn tin man? nt

[LeftishBrit]

7. A tiny man is better than a tin man,

[greyl]

10. Since they used tin, wouldn't a tiny tin man be even better? ;) nt

[progressoid]

3. Yet another thing to email my brother.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

5. I worship tin beads! This is an insult!

Change you can believe in indeed!

[uriel1972]

6. what the people who claim scientists aren't creative

don't understand is that underneath all the discipline is a creative mind who just wants to do something like this for hell of it. I applaud you, you uncreative garbage (sarcasm)

[LeftishBrit]

8. Good point...

I've come across a number of people who think you can't be both Scientific and Creative. Often accompanied by the neuromyth that the Left Hemisphere is Logical and Scientific, and the Right Hemisphere is Creative, and Never the Twain Shall Meet.

[TZ]

9. Hell yes.

Some of the most creative people were also some of the most brilliant scientists I know..One of them, a world renowned ecologist and ornithologist ALSO is such a talented singer he was the PRESIDENT of the Washington Choral Arts Society (sing at the Kennedy Center to give you an idea of the prestige of that group). He busts the left right hemisphere bullshit wide open.