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Molecular Expressions can be viewed via the Internet.

By MICHAEL McCARTHY
Tallahassee Democrat

If you think that scientists in lab coats looking through electron microscopes all day are nerds with no life, you never thought of putting a slide of Budweiser or Ben and Jerry's ice cream under the microscope.

At the National High Magnetic Laboratory's Optical Microscopy Division, the scientists seem to thrill at putting anything under the microscope. Their collection of images -- interactive exercises and downloadable wallpapers -- makes Molecular Expressions (http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/) a fascinating Web site for just browsing through pictures or learning how to manipulate a microscope.

Science can point out some interesting things.

Such as how Guinness Stout, under the beer collection, appears under a microscope. When you arrive at the site, enter the photo gallery, and you will quickly see why this is one of the largest collections of microscope photographs, also known as photomicrographs, on the Web.

Choose from man-made objects, such the ice cream, beer, cocktails (including recipes) and computer products. You can also view natural items, such as DNA, amino acids and hormones. And there are out-of-this-world items, such as meteorites and moon rocks, to name a few. The newest collection, silicon creatures, captures cartoon characters and even the FSU Seminole head in the circuitry of computer chips.

The images take a few moments to appear on your screen, but it's about the same amount of time that it would take you to adjust your eye to a microscope. The photos dazzle you with bright colors or intricate patterns, or they're just blobs.

I quickly found myself going from one category to another, looking at objects I use in daily life, from medications, to food, to drink. A special collection called Microscapes includes multiple-layered images creatively arranged to create a landscape scene. My personal favorite is Mount Meatloaf, created with images of vitamin C, penicillin, and a stretched polyurethane bag.

In addition to the images, Molecular Expressions has a virtual microscope and a microscope primary that provide interactive activities and additional information for visitors.

Especially well-suited for students, the virtual microscope allows you to focus and zoom in on several different items, including vitamin C and a moon rock.

The microscope primary has numerous interactive demonstrations related to using a microscope, and many more are expected to be added in the near future. To take advantage of these features, however, you must use Internet Explorer 4.0 or better, or Netscape 4.0 or better.

The optical microscopy division has used these images in various ways, including transposing them on silk ties and other clothing, and bed linens. They're for sale in retail stores. On the Web site, however, some of the designs are available for free, either as wallpaper or as a demo screen saver.

If a screen saver is available for a particular collection, you can usually find it at the top of the list of images. But please heed the warnings about using their images without permission.

Visiting Molecular Expressions may cause you to look at the world around you differently and look at science differently, too. By focusing on everyday items and the occasional humor, this site shows that science isn't always stuffy presentations.

Michael McCarthy is a public-information specialist and Web Master for the City of Tallahassee. To suggest local sites for review for this column, write him at webmaster@mail.ci.tlh.fl.us.

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