How Paper Microscopes Can Change the World

The experience of exploring the world on a microscopic level is out of the question for a lot of children around the world, but this innovation is changing that.

Microscopes are often priced so high that they’re unavailable to most classrooms, and in some places in the world, they are even unavailable to health professionals.

Without access to microscopes, the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases is far more complicated. Luckily there are innovators like Manu Prakash and the Foldscope team. They’ve created a nearly indestructible paper microscope that costs less than one dollar to build, yet has the power to change the world.

Bending Light with a New Kind of Microscope | Science Spotlight - YouTube

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Bending Light with a New Kind of Microscope | Science Spotlight KQED QUEST

KQED QUEST29.7K subscribers

Why It Matters

Beyond the obvious medical implications, the Foldscope offers a unique opportunity for students to explore the world around them. When you put the right tools in the hands of the curious students who face unique problems on a daily basis, the solutions you get to those problems are opened up to a world of innovative thought.

We all grow when more people are able to share their observations!

Let's Talk About It

Why is the Foldscope so important?
What would you want to use it for?
If you had to come up with a low-cost solution for something in your life, what would you do?

KQED QUEST

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Citations

“Bending Light with a New Kind of Microscope | Science Spotlight.” YouTube. KQED QUEST, 7 May 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2016. < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwLBw13NKNU >.