New Microscopes Made From Paper

On this week’s news update…

Paper Microscope

A microscope made of paper…

Underwater Archaeologists

Archaeologists who work underwater…

New Use for Mattresses

And a surprising new use for old mattresses!

First up...

At the recent Design Indaba conference in Cape Town, South Africa, people from all over the world presented their ideas.

Cape Town, South Africa

Scientist Manu Prakash told the audience about one of his inventions.

Manu Prakash, Scientist

It’s called Foldscope, and it’s a microscope made of paper!

Foldscope

Microscopes allow us to study objects that are too small to see with just our eyes—like blood cells, pollen, or tiny animals!

However, most microscopes are big, heavy, and expensive.

So Manu and his team designed Foldscope to be cheap, light, and easy to carry around.

It’s made by folding paper into a precise shape, and fitting it with a small lens, which magnifies objects, making them look 140 times bigger than they actually are!

Manu says his goal is to make microscopes available everywhere, so everyone can explore the microscopic world!

Next up…

Archaeologists investigate history by uncovering and studying objects from the past.

archaeologists

You might think they all work in dusty deserts, but archaeologists also work in cities, and even underwater!

These archaeologists have been exploring the wreck of a ship named HMS Erebus, which sank off the coast of Canada in the 1840s.

HMS Erebus

They’ve collected more than 350 objects, including dishes and a toothbrush!

They also found these decorations from a sailor’s uniform.

Now, they’re recording these objects with detailed drawings, X-rays, and photographs.

By studying objects like these, archaeologists can help us understand what life was like in the past—on ships, in deserts, and everywhere else!

And finally…

Zaatari Refugee Camp, in Jordan, is home to people who have fled their countries due to war.

Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan

The soil is in poor condition and there’s not much water, so it’s difficult to grow plants in the ground.

However, there are lots of old, foam mattresses, left behind by people working in the camp.

Now, residents have teamed up with scientists to grow plants in the foam!

The foam is placed in cups, and soaked in the nutrients and water the plants need to survive.

Because the foam doesn’t dry out as quickly as soil, less water is needed.

Now, for the first time in many years, people here are growing their own fresh food.

Scientists think the technique could be used in other refugee camps as well!

That’s all for this week. We’ll see you next time.