Tangential question: does anyone have recommendation for a good beginner's microscope? Preferably that plays well with Linux and can be used to record photos/short videos etc. Something to get the kids excited :)
https://imgshare.io/image/ppVR4g https://imgshare.io/image/ppVlc7 https://imgshare.io/image/ppVaiq
My kids really enjoy it, so that’s good enough for me. I’d definitely take a look around for cheap used stuff!
I’d happily pay closer to that amount for this scope. When I got it I thought I’d be getting something much worse given the price, but it’s a real lab-capable device.
If you got something considerably less powerful I bet you could spend very little and still have a ton of fun. You definitely don’t need something this powerful.
I hope you find something awesome!
Model names seem to change daily, but they are all very similar. Standard USB video device-class, so no software necessary. I just use guvcview under Linux.
Pick one that has "full HD" in the name - it's usually not true 1080p, but in my experience the picture quality is still better than the other ones that will have a PAL-like sensor in it.
Also, get one with a stand where you can adjust the height of the scope above the object with a screw.
> To use a regular usb computer web-cam as a microscope, only a few modifications are needed. Basically flipping the lens upside down does the trick. No extra optics needed
Try pointing at at your fingerprint, then try to control a sweat gland (which sits between the ridges) with thought alone. With practice you can do it!
The first time you see a sweat gland erupt with sweat you'll be disgusted..