Climbing the Learning Curve

Climbing the Learning Curve

I’m beginning to get the hang of this, doing experiments out of a book aimed at children. It’s very simple -  just my speed. It uses everyday things such as vegetables, hair, and skin plus many more things found around the house.

Experiments include using stains.  The Methylene Blue that came with the slide kit I bought was in a tiny container such that I couldn’t control the flow – could not get a single drop; it came out in blobs. A new larger bottle works just fine. Iodine is the only other stain I’ve tried so far.

My biggest challenge is focus. This inexpensive student microscope doesn’t have the delicate calibration of a more expensive scope. With practice I’ll get better. Using a hand-held microtome is another learning experience.

My “lab” is one end of the dining room table. A small wheeled cart holds all my paraphernalia. The microscope sits on the bottom shelf of the cart when the “lab” is closed down, and the cart rolls into a small space in another room.

I’m having fun looking at the microworld and learning a lot in the process.