The $4 Bamboo Microscope

In a village with no modern comodites (electricity and internet)….this is more effective in teaching kids than the damn $200 OLPC !!!!

There’ll be no interest in science and engineering in the US until the pay is better. Why bust your ass in school perusing a difficult science degree when you can major in business and make 2X as much after you graduate?

I didn’t begin making good money with my science degree until I made the move to the administrative side of my industry.

Only those with a passion for science will major in science. I don’t know yet how I’ll advise my kid when he starts college; I know he’s more than smart enough to major in anything he likes, but is it worth it when the business world holds no value for the scientists?

That lens holder isn’t made out of bamboo.

rasco, what type of science jobs are you referring to? The median salary for a level 1 Physicist is $50 thousand. In a best case, starting salary for a PHD in stem cell research (private sector) is $70-$90 thousand. Are those figures considered unworthy?

Speaking of someone who has a science degree (and ended up working as a computer geek instead – it’s about the money) – and still indulges in science as a “hobby”, I’d have to say the bamboo microscope is a really neat idea! Bravo to those who thought it up.

As an aside – I mourn the slow demise of the chemistry set. My first one was awesome, but that was about 25 years or more ago.

OK,
Have ANY of you seen the prices of materials to schools?
A bunch of learning tools to explain OLD math principles costs $50, for a bunch of Mathematical shapes. A bunch of Heavy duty Cardboard shapes that would cost you $1-2, IF you had the TIME to make them yourself.
A microscope starts at $100-200, for lenses in a METAL frame…

10, MOSt places want 1 person with a MAJOR degree and the REST are Peons… The job market ISNT that great for ANY of them.

MOST of science is OLD ideas that are being proven, and shown, and taught. THINK about what it took LONG ago, and how much the materials cost then, or were MADE by the person.
WHY do you need a $100 Metal frame for a Microscope.
I also want to point out 1 interesting point.
For those of you wearing Standard glasses, with nothing special about them…PLASTIC lenses cost about $2 EACH. Frames(even the MOST expensive) cost about $10-15…THE REST is PROFIT, PURE PROFIT. Until this country can get the COSTS down, and BACk to a reasonable level, it will cut into the budget of EVERY person, and every business, and Every school and hospital.

I grew up in america. But as a student of the 1960s era, I had an abacus and a slide rule. The first was also made from bamboo and wood, from some foreign land. And the slide rule was all plastic. Later in high school, I got a circular slide rule. Made by Sama & Etani, Inc. Which I rarely used. But I’ve kept around since its shape is so compact. I’m looking at it right now. If my computer, or any of my hand calculators break down, I’ll be cover for doing more than simple multiplication and division. BTW, I always thought the abacus was overly complicated, compared to some other manual adding and subtracting devices. Why don’t they make any of those anymore? One would come in handy at the grocery store. Anyway, I think students in all countries (even the US) should start out with the simple manual math and science tools, like this Bamboo microscope. Rather than only offering the relatively higher priced Tasco or whatever model, to kids of “developed” nations. I had one of those pricey things myself, and it rarely worked. The optics was very poor. In any case, it was probably priced out range of most “developing” nations’ students. Which is unnecessarily exploitive of the world’s children, in general.

i read ur article on bamboo microscope. it is a good instrument especially for children and that too at such a reasonable rates.but i felt bad that u haven’t mentioned the name of the designer of the bamboo microscope? because i know him and he has said its cost is not more than 50-60 Rupees.