Glowing Ceramic Tardigrade Night Light

Tardigrades (aka water bears) are some of the most resilient animals on earth, able to survive even the harshest conditions, from extreme heat and cold, to air and food deprivation, to radiation. They’re practically unkillable, so what better animal to keep a watchful eye over you at night than this $16 Tardigrade Night Night from Archie McPhee? Sure, its mouth looks like a nightmare, but that will keep all the other monsters away.

Measuring 4-1/8″ x 2-1/4″, the night light is a traditional ceramic white when not in use but glows a phosphorescent green when turned on (powered by two LR44 batteries, included). Of course, being over four inches long, it’s significantly larger than actual tardigrades, which top out at around 0.5mm full grown. Those are some tiny bears! I still wouldn’t poke one, though, just for the record.

This kind of reminds me of those light-up Hasbro Glo Worm plushies from the ’80s. I think I might still have mine in a box in the basement somewhere. Just don’t listen to my wife if she tries to tell me it’s not in a box because I sleep with it every night. She’s lying. The same goes for whatever she says about my blankie.

Physicists 3D Print a Boat Small Enough to Fit Inside a Human Hair

Because our scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should, physicists at Leiden University have 3D printed a tiny tugboat only 30-microns in length. For reference, an average human hair is about 90-microns in width, although mine is much thicker because I shampoo with a product specifically formulated for bears.

The microscopic printing of 3DBenchy the tugboat (a commonly printed 3D test object due to its challenging features, namely its open cockpit) was created as scientists explore the development of uniquely shaped synthetic microswimmers, and can be propelled via onboard platinum reacting with hydrogen peroxide.

So basically in the future, there are going to be a bunch of tiny tugboats cruising around in your bloodstream, monitoring your vitals and administering medicine, and helping you live longer. Of course, you know what else would help you live longer? An apple a day. And, based on my entire apple pie and half-gallon of ice cream a day habit, I should practically be immortal.

[via Gizmodo]

World’s Smallest House Is Invisible to the Naked Eye

Look at this house. It looks a bit old and dilapidated, but it is the world’s smallest house. It measures a scant 300 x 300 micrometers, which means it’s too tiny for even a dust mite to make it into the door.

It was built by the nanorobotics team from the Femto-ST Institute in Besancon, France. The building of the tiniest house ever was to show off their µRobotex nanofactory. The construction was completed inside a vacuum chamber and required a process almost surgical in execution.

The team used a focused ion bean like scissors to cut a silica membrane. Once cut, a gas injection system was used to stick the edges of the structure in place. This project is the first time that the team was able to realize patterning and assembly with less than 2 nanometers of accuracy. This might be just the place for Antman to hang out when he’s really, really small.

[via Geek.com]

Microorganisms Play in a Pac-Man Maze: Protozoan-Man

Scientists at the University of Southeast Norway apparently have nothing better to do, so they released microorganisms into a Pac-Man-style maze made out of fluid to observe how the single-celled euglena (Pac-Men) avoid their predators, the multi-celled rotifers (Ghosts). I love how scientists will use any excuse to get their geek on.

pac_man_science_1zoom in


These “micromazes” make it easier to view and study microorganisms, which can normally be found bunched together in a Petri dish. Now they are spread out and you can see what’s going on better.

So why the tiny Pac-Man imitation? Well, that is maybe the most brilliant part of all of this. It is a good way for the researchers to better communicate their findings to the public. It certainly got our attention. Next I want to see Dig-Dug.

[Motherboard via Gizmodo]