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They are not microscopic! I can easily see the balls in the tips of ballpoint pens.

The ball is not microscopic, but the tolerances required to make the ball spherical and fit into the socket are.

Exactly, so this sentence is incorrect:

> Ballpoint pen tips are microscopic tungsten carbide ball held inside ultra-thin steel sockets

Yes indeed, you are correct. My mistake.

The BBC article even mentions that they are milliscopic, not microscopic.

> 2.3-millimetre