#Atomic Force Microscope

[labtroncc]

Atomic force microscope

An atomic force microscope (AFM) is a high-resolution imaging technique used to observe the surface of materials at the atomic scale. It operates by scanning a sharp probe, typically a few nanometers in diameter, over the surface of a sample.

[analabtron]

Atomic Force Microscope

Atomic Force Microscope features a scan head and sample stage for robust anti-vibration performance, servomotor for precise scanning, and precision laser detection and probe alignment device. Shop online at Labtron.us

[miss-biophys]

Still my very favorite machine in physics and biotechnology research!

Feeling like a pro in Atomic Force Microscopy

...to be honest I probably should really tell myself that at this point I really am the professional in this method. After 4 years of working with 2 different atomic force microscopes, now I started with a 3rd one, again a new type from a different company.

Only after 2 hours of training on the new machine, I could observe membranes of resistant bacteria all by myself. The membranes are the yellow pancakes sitting flat on the dark support. They are less than 8 nm high (0.000000008 m), as is visible in the blue and red profile lines. So it's super tricky to actually see them. Atomic force microscope touches the surface of my membranes and surrounding support with a tiny tip like with a finger and reconstructs the surface topology. On top of the small size, the cellular membranes are super soft so also the touching finger must be super soft to see them without damaging them.

[whats-in-a-sentence]

A typical AFM image is shown in figure 1.6.

"Chemistry" 2e - Blackman, A., Bottle, S., Schmid, S., Mocerino, M., Wille, U.

[science-sculpt]

A Journey into the World of Microscopy: From Humble Beginnings to High-Tech Magnification

The science of looking into the hidden invisible Microscopy has transformed our understanding of the world around us. It can explore the universe beyond the reach of our naked eyes, with complex cellular structures, red blood cells, viruses and other viruses and microorganisms taking on amazing perspectives

The history of the microscope is a fascinating story of human curiosity, scientific genius, and relentless exploration. From the humble beginnings of simple magnifying glasses to the sophistication of modern electronic microscopes, the invention of microscopes has shaped our understanding of the microscopic world

In the 1600s, Dutch opticians such as Hans and Zachary Janssen are credited with inventing the first microscope. Known for this hybrid microscope, many lenses were used to magnify objects up to 30 times.At the end of the 17th century, Antony van Leeuwenhoek, Dutch draper some changed our perception of thumbnails. Armed with a well-made single-lens microscope, and explored the hidden reaches of nature. In 1674, Leeuwenhoek discovered microorganisms in lake water, which he aptly named “animalcules”. His discovery laid the foundations of biology and inspired generations of scientists. This incredible feat allowed him to uncover a hidden universe – the first sightings of bacteria, red blood cells, and other microorganisms.

Formation of the scientific environment (17th-19th centuries): Leeuwenhoek’s discoveries boosted scientific research. Robert Hooke, an English scientist, established these developments. In 1665, his book "Micrographia" recorded his observations with a compound microscope. Notably, the term "cell" was coined by Hooke when he examined cork tissue, laying the foundation for cell biology.Microscope systems flourished throughout the 18th and 19th centuries Joseph Lister and other scientists addressed the limitations of the early lenses, introducing improvements that reduced image distortion.

Beyond the Limits of Light: The Beginning of the New Age (19th-20th century): As the 19th century progressed, the limitations of optical microscopy became apparent and scientists yearned for a tool which can go deeper into cells. This research culminated in the development of the electron microscope in the 1930s. The 20th century was revolutionary with the invention of the electron microscope. Unlike light microscopes, which use visible light, electron microscopes use electron beams to achieve much higher magnification.Formation of the scientific environment (17th-19th centuries): Leeuwenhoek’s discoveries boosted scientific research. Robert Hooke, an English scientist, established these developments. In 1665, his book "Micrographia" recorded his observations with a compound microscope. Notably, the term "cell" was coined by Hooke when he examined cork tissue, laying the foundation for cell biology.Microscope systems flourished throughout the 18th and 19th centuries Joseph Lister and other scientists addressed the limitations of the early lenses, introducing improvements that reduced image distortion.

Beyond the Limits of Light: The Beginning of the New Age (19th-20th century): As the 19th century progressed, the limitations of optical microscopy became apparent and scientists yearned for a tool which can go deeper into cells. This research culminated in the development of the electron microscope in the 1930s. The 20th century was revolutionary with the invention of the electron microscope. Unlike light microscopes, which use visible light, electron microscopes use electron beams to achieve much higher magnification.

In the 1930s, German experts Max Knoll and Ernst Ruska made the first electron microscope. This tool let us see tiny things like cells and even atoms by using electron beams, not light, getting images many times bigger. This cool invention showed us the tiny parts inside cells, viruses, and stuff too small to see before. The 1900s brought even more cool microscopes. New kinds like phase-contrast and confocal microscopy let scientists look at live cells without using stuff that could hurt them. Now, the world of looking at tiny things is getting even better. Today, we have high-tech microscopes that use computers and lasers. These let us see and even change tiny things in ways we never could before.

Modern Microscopy's Diverse Arsenal - Today, the field of microscopy boasts a diverse range of specialized instruments, each tailored to address specific scientific needs. Here's a glimpse into some remarkable examples:

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM): Imagine a high-tech camera that captures images using a beam of electrons instead of light. That's the essence of a SEM. By scanning the surface of a sample with a focused electron beam, SEMs generate detailed information about its topography and composition. This makes them ideal for studying the intricate structures of materials like insect wings, microchips, and even pollen grains.

Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM): While SEMs provide exceptional surface detail, TEMs take us a step further. They function by transmitting a beam of electrons through a very thin sample, allowing us to observe its internal structure. TEMs are the go-to instruments for visualizing the intricate world of viruses, organelles within cells, and macromolecules like proteins.

Confocal Microscopy: Ever wished to focus on a specific layer within a thick biological sample and blur out the rest? Confocal microscopy makes this possible. It utilizes a laser beam to precisely illuminate a chosen plane within the sample, effectively eliminating information from out-of-focus regions. This allows researchers to create sharp, three-dimensional images of cells, tissues, and even small organisms.

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM): This technique takes a completely different approach, venturing into the realm of physical interaction. AFM employs a tiny cantilever, akin to a microscopic feeler, to physically scan the surface of a sample. By measuring the minute forces between the cantilever and the sample's surface, AFM can map its topography at an atomic level. This provides invaluable insights into the properties of materials at an unimaginable scale, making it crucial for research in fields like nanotechnology and surface science.

Fluorescence Microscopy: Imagine illuminating a sample with specific wavelengths of light and observing it glowing in response. That's the essence of fluorescence microscopy. This technique utilizes fluorescent molecules or tags that bind to specific structures within a cell or tissue. When excited by light, these tags emit their own light, highlighting the target structures with remarkable clarity. This allows researchers to visualize specific proteins, DNA, or even pathogens within biological samples.

Super-resolution Microscopy (SRM): Overcoming the limitations imposed by the wavelength of light, SRM techniques like STED (Stimulated Emission Depletion) and PALM (Photoactivated Localization Microscopy) achieve resolutions surpassing the diffraction limit. This allows researchers to visualize structures as small as 20 nanometers, enabling the observation of intricate cellular machinery and the dynamics of individual molecules within living cells.

Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM): This powerful technique takes a snapshot of biological samples in their near-life state. Samples are rapidly frozen at ultra-low temperatures, preserving their native structure and minimizing damage caused by traditional fixation methods. Cryo-EM has been instrumental in determining the three-dimensional structures of complex molecules like proteins and viruses, providing crucial insights into their function and potential drug targets.

Correlative Microscopy: Combining the strengths of multiple microscopy techniques, correlative microscopy offers a comprehensive view of biological samples. For instance, researchers can utilize fluorescence microscopy to identify specific structures within a cell and then switch to electron microscopy to examine those structures in high detail. This integrated approach provides a deeper understanding of cellular processes and their underlying mechanisms.

Light Sheet Microscopy (LSM): Imagine illuminating a thin slice of a sample within a living organism. LSM achieves this feat by focusing a laser beam into a thin sheet of light, minimizing photobleaching and phototoxicity – damaging effects caused by prolonged exposure to light. This allows researchers to observe dynamic processes within living organisms over extended periods, providing valuable insights into cellular behavior and development.

Expansion Microscopy (ExM): This innovative technique physically expands biological samples by several folds while preserving their structural integrity. This expansion allows for better resolution and visualization of intricate cellular structures that would otherwise be difficult to distinguish using traditional microscopy methods. ExM holds immense potential for studying the organization and function of organelles within cells.

Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy (SNOM): This innovative technique pushes the boundaries of resolution by utilizing a tiny probe that interacts with the sample at an extremely close range. SNOM can not only image the surface features of a sample with exceptional detail but also probe its optical properties at the nanoscale. This opens doors for research in areas like material science and photonics, allowing scientists to study the behavior of light at the interface between materials.

X-ray Microscopy: Stepping outside the realm of light and electrons, X-ray microscopy offers unique capabilities. By utilizing high-energy X-rays, this technique can penetrate deep into samples, making it ideal for studying the internal structure of dense materials like bones and minerals. Additionally, it allows for the visualization of elements within a sample, providing valuable information about their distribution and composition.

From revealing the building blocks of life to aiding in the development of new medicines, the microscope has played an undeniable role in shaping our scientific understanding. As technology continues to evolve, one can only imagine the future breakthroughs this remarkable invention holds in unveiling the secrets of our universe, both seen and unseen. These advancements hold the potential to revolutionize our understanding of biological processes, develop new materials with extraordinary properties, and ultimately pave the way for breakthroughs in medicine, nanotechnology, and countless other fields. As we continue to refine and develop novel microscopy techniques and the future holds immense promise for further groundbreaking discoveries that will undoubtedly revolutionize our perception of the world around us.

[tenderwatches]

summary: Viktor and Jayce get a little too close in the lab + a look at how viktor learnt the rules of surviving in Piltover as an Undercity transplant cw: this chapter contains ableist language (canon, self-referential) and descriptions of medical suturing

When Viktor first became aware that he’d die early, he’d been angry.

It hadn’t been pretty. He’d yelled at his mother, at his father, had thrown things—his cane, books, half-assembled inventions. He’d cried and screamed until he’d worked himself up so badly that his father had needed to sprint to a breathing station with Viktor on his back in hopes that the cleaner air would dampen his desperate wheezing.

After that, he’d been listless for days, lying in bed, trying to conjure up the motivation to work for anything when his time would be so short, so inconsequential.

And then he remembered Rio.

The waverider was a huge creature he visited where a strange man in a strange place beyond the ravine kept her. She was like a salamander glistening in shades of blush and blossom, with big eyes full of curiosity and a tongue that craved sweet nectar. Such a simple creature, but he still thought of her, even years after he’d last seen her. He still thought of her and of the man who was so determined to keep her alive that he had not cared if she lived.

He thought of infants, cold in their cradles, their lives snuffed out, breaths robbed by the Gray. He thought of children wasting away, disfigured by the slicks of toxic chemicals oozing from chemtech seams deep in crevasses, and how he, at least, knew sunlight.

Since then, Viktor has done his best to ensure that every moment of his short life contributes to something greater than himself. The people whose lives he’s saved in the Undercity will go on to have families; they’ll impart their knowledge upon others who will do the same, who will do the same, who will do the same.

Life, like an object in motion, stays in motion.

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed—it can only be transformed.

Viktor hopes that after his death, the energy that was once heat in his body will permeate into the ether, atoms ricocheting into the endless universe.

Until then, he’s resolved to stay in motion.

This determination presses his lips into a thin line of concentration as he makes minute adjustments to the dials on the microscope before him. Crystalline structures resolve into sharp focus, forming wild geometries that defy every principle of natural formation. Unlike genuine hex crystals with their orderly lattices, the synthetics’ birefringent patterns are irregular, and the arcane’s response is unlike anything he’s ever seen.

Viktor pauses to scribble a few words alongside one of Jayce’s diagrams, adding to the existing maze of their notations. They’ve managed to offset interference caused by the unexpected new compounds identified in their lab tests, but there is still residual output to deal with. He takes this moment to rest his forehead in his hand, momentarily closing his eyes. The urge to surrender to sleep swells slowly, like a building tidal wave, and he forces his eyes open before it can break over him.

One of Jayce’s hexscopes (an adaptation of one of his early designs) sits open on the table, tracking arcane energy as it moves through the crystal matrix. He stares hard at the pen attached to the end of its thin metal arm, scratching softly on continuously rolling paper as it records the waveforms. The resulting bonds are irregular with equally unpredictable chemical reactions—

Chemical reactions! Viktor straightens up so quickly that the momentum almost carries him over backwards. Head reeling, he stumbles to steady himself against the desk, pulling the diagrams in for a better look before jamming the microscope against his eye again, squinting hard at what he sees under the lens. These erratic bonds must be the cause of the arcane’s volatile reactions and inconsistencies. They’re brittle instead of strong, releasing energy in unexpected spurts. They’re illogical, full of contradictions. Only chemtech can force such incompatible combinations to hold.

Simultaneous thoughts fire off in all directions—what this means for the outputs they’re attempting to handle (harness? Eliminate? Neutralise?), the tenuous nature of these bonds, the undersized reactions sustained by the crystals—and the nagging feeling he’s seen this all somewhere before. Somewhere in Zaun, near the seams, where, in his youth, anger at the injustice of his life had gotten the better of him. Somewhere he'd nearly gotten buried in collapsing pipes, flashing fuchsia and green in the darkness of the sump.

He drops away from the microscope and back into his chair. Perhaps he should consider bringing some of this work back to the lab Heimerdinger had set aside for him. It’s closer to his Academy-issued apartment than Jayce’s lab is, and with the constant travel across the city, he often finds himself exhausted before he’s even really gotten started. Today, just like many other days, his leg aches as if he’s been standing for the entire morning, though it’s only been a couple of hours since he arrived. The considerations of the crystals, his small inconveniences, the way they all still stagger him, make the walls begin to feel oppressive. The clean lines and polished brass are a far cry from the corrugated metal and improvisation he was used to in the Undercity, and yet—he’s now facing the same kind of problem. These synthetic crystals with their arcane violations bear toxicity here, whilst below, poison is a by-product of unholy greed.

In both places, they stand to lose so much, and yet the eyes of the elite are perpetually closed.

Viktor’s teeth grind as he grips the edge of the workbench to pull himself up again, ignoring how his muscles protest. He begins recalibrating the containment field to account for an array of chemical reactions, instead of only the ones they’d adjusted for earlier in the week. If he can just isolate the unstable compounds, maybe apply some of the principles he’d developed during his academy years, they can counteract or capture the arcane fluctuations.

He’s so deep in focus that he almost jumps when Jayce walks in, chatting before he’s even crossed the threshold. “I thought you might want to see the latest stability readings from—” He breaks off, and Viktor knows his eyes are fixed on the modified containment field setup. “What are you doing?”

“Testing a theory.” Viktor doesn’t look up from the controls. The crystal’s glow intensifies, casting flickering shadows across his hands. “The synthetic crystals are made with chemtech. The instability isn’t a flaw—it’s a signature.”

“Testing a wh—wait, chemtech?” Jayce’s footsteps quicken across the floor. He unceremoniously drops his papers onto the desk, knocking the pen of the hexscope out of alignment. It continues to dutifully work through arching waves, up and down. “Hold on, you can’t just—we don’t even have protocols for working with—”

“We don’t have time for protocols,” he hisses, sharper than he intends. He forces patience into his voice. “It’s like Councillor Medarda told you—every day, Clan Ferros grows more restless—”

“Viktor, wait—”

The crystal flares with brilliant lances of blue-white light, shattering into shards that streak across the lab, acid green and electric purple tails in their wake. Viktor recoils from it and finds himself crashing first into the chair behind him, then the ground.

His breath leaves his lungs without being replaced by another—it’s a second too long before he can gasp again, sucking in air that smells of Jayce’s aftershave. Sandalwood mingles with the smell of sulphur and iron. Stars shrink and grow in his eyes.

“Are you—” When Jayce speaks, Viktor slowly becomes aware that he’s caged by a pair of smooth, sturdy forearms. His former partner is propped above him, but not so much that their bodies aren’t pressed flush together. Heat grows between them. Jayce’s chest heaves as his own gives, and for a moment, Viktor can’t speak.

A gentle furrow forms between Jayce's brows as he quickly pushes himself up onto one palm, the other coming up to cup Viktor's cheek. The motion is gentle and unthinking, fraught with the effortless care these kinds of gestures bore in their past. His eyes search Viktor's face with worried intensity, thumb brushing along the angular line of his cheekbone and coming away bright red and wet. “Hey, V—” he soothes, voice soft with an intimacy that makes Viktor's chest tight. “V-Viktor—hey.” The feeling dissipates.

Viktor pushes Jayce’s touch away and tries to sit up. He slides his hand back to support himself as he does, successfully forcing Jayce back on to his heels. Viktor finds the resulting breadth of air between them too cool on his skin, and wheezing feels like a flurry of knives in his chest. “I’m fine, Jayce,” he dismisses, muffling an accompanying cough in the crook of his elbow. He winces at the taste of copper in the back of his throat, hot embarrassment coursing through him. He can’t meet Jayce’s eyes; they are too bright with concern, honest anxiety spilling forth, unguarded. “You did not have to—” But both the words and his irritation die in his throat as dark droplets begin to dot the tiles at Jayce’s feet. “You’re bleeding.”

“Oh.” Jayce twists slightly to look over his shoulder, but immediately relaxes his posture when the movement elicits a wince. “It’s nothing. Besides, you are, too,” he points out, vaguely indicating Viktor’s cheek.

“A scratch.” Viktor feels nauseous. Not only did Jayce need to protect him like a helpless child, but he’d gotten himself hurt in the process. He leans forward, breath escaping him in a frustrated huff. “You’re bleeding on the floor. Let me see.”

“Viktor, really, it��s—”

“Take off your shirt.”

Jayce’s amber eyes turn into burning discs, his dark brows lost in his messy hair. Viktor feels the back of his neck flush with heat. “Your back, Jayce. Let me see,” he repeats, mortification sharpening the edges of his demand.

Viktor tries to ignore the inherent eroticism of demanding that Jayce turn around and strip—only to immediately fail when Jayce simply does it. By the time the two of them settle again (the lab’s robust first aid kit to one side of Viktor, Jayce sitting cross-legged in front), Viktor is dizzy. He wishes he could say it’s purely due to the sheer amount of bronze skin on display, but the headache blooming up from the base of his skull tells him otherwise. He concentrates on applying a local anaesthetic to the scattering of gashes across Jayce’s broad shoulders, then dabbing each with an antiseptic. “Well, the good news is you’ll live,” he jests, managing to thread a thin, curved surgical needle. His movements are slow but steady, and when he leans in closer to begin his work, the room rocks by only a small margin.

“Thanks, doc, what a relief.” Jayce turns his laugh into a soft snort, presumably so as to not disrupt Viktor’s stitching. Though he hasn’t needed to exercise this skill in months, the repetitive motions return to him with ease. They sit in stillness a while longer before Jayce hesitantly raises the question, “What… were you saying about chemtech?”

In spite of himself, Viktor smiles. What he wouldn’t give for the world to have the kind of insatiable curiosity that Jayce Talis has.

He walks his former partner through the process of his discovery, naming the impossibilities, the idiosyncrasies, and the ways in which he suspects the arcane clashes with the chemical compounds. Jayce is just as intrigued as Viktor, and Viktor can’t help but think that, had Jayce been in his position, they might have ended up in this same situation despite the other man’s usual adherence to safety precautions. Words of science, math, and discovery pass between them with the easiness of butterflies on a breeze, punctuated by an occasional excited exclamation from Jayce.

His progress on Jayce’s back is clean and methodical—habits formed from years of treating injuries in the Undercity, where wounds proved you couldn't stay out of trouble and seeking proper care marked dependency. He uses a pair of forceps to guide the needle through each wound, stopping only to tie off each suture as he moves from one cut to the next.

“When did you learn to do this?” Jayce has never been good at silences.

“Long ago.” Viktor keeps his eyes fixed on his work, feeling perverse as he notices the warmth radiating from Jayce’s skin, even through the sterile gloves he’s donned. “I have always fixed things. Mending clothes or skin, it makes little difference to me.”

His hands have moved now, lower down, from the broad muscle of the trapezius. He rests his fingers there for a second too long, and the name of the muscle floats through his mind, 'latissimus dorsi', as if the words are a subconscious effort to pull him from other thoughts.

“I had to learn some of this too, actually. In the forge—hot metal doesn't always go where you want it to,” Jayce offers, and Viktor’s hands still, his thoughts returning to the present.

The differences in their circumstances are not lost on him, but he recognises Jayce’s attempt to… relate to him. “I suppose we both learnt through trial and error,” he acknowledges.

“Not that—not that it’s, uh, the same.”

Viktor hears the uncertainty in Jayce’s hurried addition, as if he’s waiting for a sign from Viktor to indicate he’s irritated that Jayce has drawn the comparison. “You can relax, Jayce.”

Viktor pulls the gloves from his hands and sits back to survey his handiwork. He’s stitched four lacerations in total, covering each with neat squares of gauze taped down over Jayce’s tanned skin. The damage, thankfully, wasn’t worse than any of the other countless accidents they’ve had in the lab, but Viktor still feels that curl of shame at being impatient enough to have caused this one.

Silence expands to fill the gulf between their differences—Viktor’s skills hard-won through necessity, Jayce’s forged with the security of his family and promises of a bright future. And yet, an uncanny symmetry has brought them to this point, just as it had years ago; one extraordinary moment in which their paths converged.

“Why would you risk this?”

Back then, he’d told Jayce that he hadn’t aspired to be an assistant for the rest of his life—and that was true. But beyond that, he’d known he was running out of options.

Every action, every movement, all the things he’s ever contributed, has an impact, however imperceptible in the long line of the universe. But it’s not enough for him to simply have been; he wants to be remembered.

Though energy can neither be created nor destroyed, human legacies are far more fragile things.

𐡸.:𐫱:.𐡷

Summertime, 978 AN - fifteen years ago

Nothing tasted as bitter as cruel irony, Viktor thought, as he made his way up what had to be the seventh staircase between him and the first stage on which he’d have to parade himself like a show dog. Progress Day in Piltover arrived with fanfare, as always, and the usual thrum of city life had become more of a coursing roar.

From Glasswell Street to Sidereal Avenue and Incognia Plaza, crowds gathered around vendor carts and at the colourful merchant tents, blissfully caught up in the spirit of innovation and promise.

Not one seemed to remember that, centuries ago, this day had not been marked by celebration but by terror and half a city being swallowed by the sea.

In the four years since his arrival at the University of Piltover, Viktor had marked each Progress Day by lighting a candle in remembrance of those Zaun had lost in the disaster. Earthquakes, resulting from the blasts detonated to clear the way for the Sun Gates, had thrashed the streets of the Undercity, sacrificing thousands of lives to the ocean—all in the name of progress.

Now, here he was, prepared to submit himself to the judgement of those who had so greatly benefitted from the influx of trade the Sun Gates had ushered in. He had only two destinations in mind, but the journey to the merchant families’ tents was already enough to send pain lancing up his leg. Maybe it was his penance walking over those watery graves to attend their school, study their sciences, and pretend like he was one of them.

He felt that he was doing a rather shoddy job of it, by the way the artificers peered at him with narrowed eyes that flicked between him and his papers. This overt display of suspicion made him curse Professor Heimerdinger for forcing him into this lavish ordeal. Auditioning had never been in Viktor’s plans—he knew better than to fool himself into thinking he could join the ranks of Piltover’s apprenta.

Rule number one: They will not make space for you.

He could build bridges upon bridges over the work his classmates created, but the city’s artificers, ruled by the wealthiest of the merchant class, would sooner retrofit their workshops with last year’s scrap metal than take on a cripple from the Undercity, even when the dean of the academy and head of the council himself had singled him out.

Graduation loomed ever closer, and despite his time at the academy, the future felt uncertain. Piltover’s clean air and bright sunlight had undoubtedly improved his health (incredible what being able to breathe did for a person), and the prospect of returning to the Undercity daunted him. He needed an apprenticeship probably more than anyone else stood waiting in the chamber, and yet, he was certain that he was the least likely to receive one, no matter how sound his work was.

“Name?” One of the artificers asked as she handed back the paper that clearly bore his name. He tightened his grip on his invention in an effort to hold his tongue.

“Viktor.”

“Full name?”

“It’s… just Viktor.”

She treated him with the kind of disdain that only someone with a meagre amount of power could manage. He hated her for it, and then hated that he did. It was too petty to warrant such a response from him, but his entire body was sore now. He’d pushed himself through the uneven cobblestone streets faster than he should have dared. He’d even risen with the sun, well before he’d needed to. He wanted to give them as few reasons to dismiss him as he could manage, thinking his dedication to punctuality might also communicate his regard for their time and win some small amount of their favour.

From the placid way the artificers looked at him, he could see that was not the case.

Of course, he’d known this and had even explained such to Heimerdinger when the dean had urged him to take on the auditions. How difficult it would be for him to simply make the physical journey in a process that was designed to showcase resilience and determination; how his accent would immediately mark him as ‘other’, and how the inventions he was proudest of were things that would not sparkle and flash the way Piltover expected. His progress was for the Undercity, and thus, it might as well have been invisible.

Already, their attention drifted, and other hopefuls surrounding the tent seemed to bear down on him. He grimaced as he set up his contraption of pipes and dials that looked out of place within the sleek lines of the tent. It wasn’t until his machine began hissing shrilly and emitting puffs of Gray that the artificers paid him any mind. One of them started shrieking, making it very difficult to explain that he’d also released an aerosolised alkali to neutralise the toxicity—the whole point of the showy demonstration.

Rule number two: their grace is precarious.

Whilst he’d never been foolish enough to think that the artificers might like what he brought to the auditions, he’d not been expecting their fury. With stomach-piercing fear, he realised that they, in all their self-aggrandising glory, seemed to think that his audition was an assassination attempt of the mercantile family. The absurdity nearly made him long for simpler days, when people merely saw his mistakes as proof of unworthiness, and his greatest lament was how they judged his errors more harshly than his peers' mere learning experiences.

He’d packed his machine in a hurry and practically fled the tent, almost tripping himself like he’d not done since he was a child in his haste to slip into the crowd.

Rule number three: They will lie to you.

By the time the day ended, he’d attended only one more audition, though he was hardly sure that it counted. He hadn’t spent very much time at the Holloran tent, but the experience still clung to him like a stubborn mood, even as he sat in the safety of his favourite haunt in Piltover. The mechanical oasis overlooked the promenade level of the Undercity, waters running through the ravine below, where he’d played as a child. He’d always appreciated the serenity of this place, finding even in his youth that its quiet tranquillity suited him.

“Viktor, my boy,” called a reedy voice from behind him, and he lifted a hand off his cane in greeting without turning to look at Professor Heimerdinger. “How did your ventures go today?”

“I don’t believe it really ‘went,’” he responded wryly, easing himself into a seated position in the arch of the open-air window, legs relaxing over the ledge. “Can you say it ‘went’ if one family thought I was attempting a murder, and the other refused me at the door?” Heimerdinger’s poro scurried over his lap and around his back, which he found both ridiculous and… cute. It made his bitter remark come out with a slightly amused lilt, even if there wasn’t much to find amusing in being turned away, only to almost be knocked over by the next hopeful student when the Holloran family admitted them mere moments after.

The professor gave a soft hum, a gloved hand at his chin in the perfect pose of refined thought. “What will you do?”

Viktor rolled his shoulders in a noncommittal shrug. “I still have some time. I will need to finish the year, of course, and then… Well, then, probably the, ah, how do they say? ‘Crunch time’? Comes?”

Heimerdinger’s moustache twitched in a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes, even though Viktor thought that his use of the colloquialism had been rather apt. When the professor spoke next, his words were soft and cautious, as if he thought that Viktor might snap. “Why don’t you consider being my assistant, lad? You could stay on at the academy, and though I’m sure you’d rather be doing something more ambitious, you’d have time to pursue your own projects.”

Silence hung in the air between them for a moment. Viktor tried to read the expression in Heimerdinger’s eyes but only saw a soft sorrow there. “I appreciate your offer, Professor,” he started, the words tasting of defeat even before he’d spoken of any decision.

Heimerdinger seemed to sense Viktor’s aversion and interjected before he could continue. “So you’re aware, Viktor, this isn’t mere charity.” The professor turned inwards, eyes downcast, a slight droop to his large ears. “I was… perhaps hasty,” he admitted, still looking at the cement floor, “in urging you to audition.”

Viktor had never known Professor Heimerdinger to be prideful, but the dean’s guilty posture struck him, even so. His kindness still burnt; Viktor’s stubborn independence made him reactive to the idea of being handed anything out of pity, particularly given the assumptions of other students who already believed his mere presence was an excess of anything he had any right to. “Thank you, Professor.” He found that he meant it. Heimerdinger had always believed in his potential, even when doing so set him at odds with the rest of the faculty. “Perhaps… give me some time to think it over,” he relented, looking back out at the city below. The streets still bustled with the activity of Progress Day, even as the sun began to cast warm, dusky shadows amidst the revelry.

“Take the time you need, my boy. The offer stands.” With that, the professor retreated at a quick trot, his ever-present poro shuffling along behind him. Viktor sat in the wake of their departure, contemplating the glint of mechanical contraptions dotting the landscape (so far as he could tell, they were only constructed as decor for the day, which was an awful waste, considering what you could buy in the Undercity after selling parts of just one). Perhaps it had been a blessing that he’d not managed a successful audition. Being the assistant to the academy's dean would mean he would have access to lab spaces and materials that most others would not, including unusual things that would need to be assessed for danger.

That could be interesting.

𓊈 first chapter | previous chapter | next chapter on AO3 𓊉

an: this chapter was SO fun to write - definitely one of the ones we were most looking forward to when we were posting on AO3!! i'm so bad at these tumblr updates im going to try to get a bunch of them scheduled at once and see what happens haha anyways tho we just posted chapter 23 yesterday on AO3! 🙌🏽 fic come so far 😭

[venusianbarbiedoll]

—MY SUPERPOWERS: MCU EDITION

Cosmic Manipulation

I can create, shape, absorb, and manipulate cosmic forces and energies, granting me dominion over the fabric of the unverse. I can generate and control cosmic energy, allowing me to unleash devastating blasts, construct impenetrable force fields, and enhance my own physical and mental capabilities beyond mortal limits.

I can move objects with my mind, from manipulating atomic particles to effortlessly shifting celestial bodies and warping space itself. I can crush stars, shape planetary landscapes, or construct vast structures out of cosmic energy with pure willpower. My control is not limited to physical objects; I can extend my influence over energy itself, weaving light, gravity, and plasma into new forms.

At the highest levels, I am a force of both creation and destruction, capable of shaping the fate of entire galaxies, rewriting the nature of reality, and bending the very laws of the cosmos to my will. My existence transcends mortal understanding, embodying the infinite potential of the universe itself.

Chaos Magic

I can utilize chaos-related magic; a rare but incredibly powerful type of magic that taps into and utilizes the chaotic forces of the universe, granting me a chaotic form of magic that can utilize and reconstruct the probabilities as well as the very fabric of existence that is interconnected to reality, bestowing magical powers and mastery of spells that are capable of warping the actualities of reality.

Energy Manipulation

I can control and transform the fundamental force that causes change and does work in various forms. I can freely create, shape, and manipulate energy. I possess complete control over energy, the capacity or ability to cause change or do work, one of the most basic quantitative properties of a system, such as an object or a field of energy.

Enhanced Senses

I have extremely accurate senses, allowing me to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel better than the best member of his species. On this level, it allows me to perceive small objects, hear distant sounds at different frequencies, detect specific people, objects, substances, or places, locate their origin, and track targets by smelling.

I can also automatically detect harmful and beneficial things by tasting and sense vibrations through solids, liquids, and air-pressure. I am also highly resistant to illusion (depending on the level or scale) and can process information at such speeds that time appears to have slowed down, allowing me to perceive what would otherwise be too quick to see/hear and respond appropriately.

Force Fields

I can create a field formed from energy, elements, the environment, or by manipulating smaller items to form a greater whole. I’m capable of blocking or impeding approaching objects and nullifying attacks, including physical and energy-based attacks or even repelling or reflecting them, as well being used as a means of containment to imprison others.

Telekinetic Force Manipulation

I can manipulate an extraordinarily potent and immense variation of telekinesis, capable of enacting destruction and creation on a grand scale. This formidable power primarily interacts with objects and entities visible to the naked eye, excluding the microscopic realm of atoms, molecules, and subatomic particles. Unlike its nuanced counterpart, telekinesis, telekinetic force focuses on pure, unrestrained strength rather than precision and fine manipulation.

More straightforward telekinetic applications are within my capabilities, such as lifting, moving, or rearranging objects. However, this power shines in situations demanding pure strength and magnitude. I can compress heavily armored vehicles into miniature spheres or shred them apart, manipulate enormous structures like buildings, skyscrapers, or even mountains and continents, and project devastating telekinetic blasts capable of annihilating entire armies.

Illusion

I can manipulate illusions and hallucinations, allowing me to alter the perceptions of others and create entirely fabricated experiences. Illusions are false interpretations of existing stimuli, such as making a small object appear larger or masking a real location by disguising it.

Hallucinations, on the other hand, involve creating sensory experiences without any basis in reality, such as making someone see a nonexistent creature, hear imaginary voices, or feel phantom sensations. This power enables me to distort the way targets see, hear, touch, smell, or taste, leading to a variety of deceptive and strategic effects.

Flight

I possess the ability to fly in a gaseous atmosphere or vacuum can do so through various means. In addition to flight, I have the capability to glide, levitate, or slide through space without external assistance. I can achieve high speeds and maneuver freely while in flight.

Regenerative Healing Factor

I can automatically, rapidly, and flawlessly heal and regenerate from any physical, spiritual, and mental damage, attacks, harm, assault, and injuries I take and get restored to my optimal and full health/state at an extremely fast rate.

I can recreate lost or damaged tissues, organs, and limbs, sometimes slowing, or even stop aging, something natural regeneration can never accomplish (or do so extremely slowly).

Amokinesis

I can sense and manipulate all the aspects of love, of myself, people, animals and other creatures, whether by increasing, decreasing, causing or otherwise channeling love, even manifesting the emotional energy to a physical level. Love includes a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes that ranges from interpersonal affection ("I love my mother") to pleasure ("I loved that meal") to an emotion of a strong attraction and personal attachment. It can also include basic kindness, compassion, and affection.

Biokinesis

I can manipulate every biological structure and function, enabling me to shape and mold the living world to their will, from the smallest microscopic organisms to the most complex sentient beings. It is not limited to merely influencing biology but rewriting it entirely, making the impossible a reality.

With this ability, I can alter genetic structures at will, allowing for instant evolution, the eradication of genetic disorders, or the creation of new species altogether. I can enhance my own biology, optimizing every system for peak efficiency, enabling boundless strength, heightened intelligence, and perfect adaptability to any environment. I can heal any wound, regenerate lost limbs, and even halt the aging process indefinitely, achieving practical immortality. Diseases, viruses, and infections are mere playthings in the hands of a true master, capable of eliminating them entirely or weaponizing them against foes.

Beyond my own form, I can exert my influence on others, modifying their physiology, enhancing or suppressing abilities, or inducing biological states such as sleep, paralysis, or hyperactivity. I can control cellular processes, forcing regeneration, accelerating metabolism, or even commanding the body’s very functions to shut down or go into overdrive. This extends to the manipulation of organs, allowing for the creation of additional biological structures or even the rearrangement of an entire body’s anatomy. Furthermore, this ability allows me to shape my own or another’s appearance at will, altering features, height, physique, or even entirely reconstructing their identity on a biological level.

[tseecka]

There are two men of progress, in truth. One in shadow, one in light; each defined by the other. Piltover may call it one, but Jayce knows better. Consider: one man or two, they are inseparable regardless, sides of a coin, as complete as an atom.

But the council's words and cutting glares are sharp as a scalpel's edge, surgical in their precision, and finer still, applied with microscopic accuracy and cruel dexterity; science in the hands of politicians who don't know hydrogen from carbon.

They'll learn the separation of an atom is the most destructive force known to mankind.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Making the physics of glass more transparent

For centuries, humans have made use of glass in their art, tools, and technology. Despite the ubiquity of this material, however, many of its microscopic properties are not well understood, and it continues to defy conventional physical description. Enter Koun Shirai of the University of Osaka. In an article published in Foundations, Shirai bridges conventional physical theory and the study of nonequilibrium materials to provide a robust description for the thermodynamics of glasses. Most materials exist in an equilibrium state, meaning that the forces and torques on the material's atoms are all balanced. Glasses, however, are a famous exception: they are amorphous solid materials whose atoms are always rearranging, albeit very slowly, toward an equilibrium state but do not exist in equilibrium.

Read more.

[draconesmundi]

happy sts! What is your favourite aspect of your WIPs that you love to explain to people? (This is @the-starlight-writer)

So for Dracones Mundi I do like explaining my magic system; magic as a biologically evolved process.

The IRL Science Bit...

So in most vertebrate animals there are fatty tissues, adipose tissues. The normal kind of adipose tissues are White Adipose Tissues (WAT), which are cells full of fat stores. Mammals are special because they also have Brown Adipose Tissues (BAT). In BAT, there are special mitochondria.

A normal mitochondrion converts oxygen and carbohydrates into a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It does this (in simplified terms), by shuffling protons on either side of a wobbly membrane using a chain of proteins called the electron transport chain, and the final protein takes atoms and uses the energy of the proton movement to bash together the ATP; think of it like a complicated series of small waterfalls and pumps used to case a little water wheel to turn in a mill to produce bread. But protons instead of water. And ATP instead of bread. And proteins instead of a little miller and his wife.

So ATP stores energy in chemical bonds. Breaking these bonds gives a little zap of energy, but while the molecule is bonded together it can be safely moved around the body to where it needs to go - energy to move muscles for example.

So a NORMAL mitochondrion makes 'energy' in the form of ATP.

A BROWN ADIPOSE MITOCHONDRION makes energy and just. Releases it into the cell. Not stored chemically. A tiny microscopic burst of heat let loose. It just makes heat. BAT = has special mitochondria for heat generation. So mammals can just make heat using Brown Adipose Tissue. This is where our heat comes from, how we can be 'warm blooded'.

The Dracones Mundi bit...

Brown adipose tissue but instead of heat it produces magical energy :)

This makes a kind of force-field of magic around the dragon's body, that allows it to interact with the atmospheric magic around it. Magic is intangible otherwise; cannot be touched. With a magic-field, a dragon can push against magic in the air, and indeed 'swim' through it. And that's how dragons fly!

[archaic-stranger]

the gemology students

using your expertise to sort glass imitations from the real thing

rich colors that captivate the eye

picking up pretty rocks wherever you go

looking for vintage jewelry at thrift stores and garage sales

reading legends of cursed jewels and ancient treasure hoards

memorizing the optical properties of different gems

the feel of polished stones against your fingertips, cool and smooth

seeking out the microscopic imperfections and inclusions that signal authenticity

refusing to support the harmful practices of the mining industry

analyzing the cultural forces that assign value to crystals and minerals

a comfort with your tools, handling your spectroscope and refractometer as if it were second nature

a deep appreciation of light and color

researching techniques for synthesizing gems in a lab

cut stones glittering in the sun, light bouncing off each of their innumerable facets

studying crystal structure, how atoms combine to create different minerals

learning the geological conditions that create our most prized gemstones

[mindblowingscience]

Atomic force microscopy, or AFM, is a widely used technique that can quantitatively map material surfaces in three dimensions, but its accuracy is limited by the size of the microscope's probe. A new AI technique overcomes this limitation and allows microscopes to resolve material features smaller than the probe's tip. The deep learning algorithm developed by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is trained to remove the effects of the probe's width from AFM microscope images. As reported in the journal Nano Letters, the algorithm surpasses other methods in giving the first true three-dimensional surface profiles at resolutions below the width of the microscope probe tip.

Continue Reading.

[whats-in-a-sentence]

An AFM (illustrated in figure 1.5) is used to study nonconducting samples.

"Chemistry" 2e - Blackman, A., Bottle, S., Schmid, S., Mocerino, M., Wille, U.

[thoth777]

Parallel Orbits: Exploring the Resemblance Between Atomic and Planetary Structures

The similarity between the structure of an atom and the structure of a planetary system is a fascinating topic that reveals the harmony and regularity present in both the microscopic and macroscopic realms of the universe. Although they are vastly different in scale, these two systems share some fundamental principles of organization and motion.

First, let's consider the structure of an atom. An atom consists of a central nucleus that houses protons and neutrons and a cloud of electrons orbiting around it. Electrons revolve around the nucleus in discrete orbits, referred to as energy levels or electron shells. This organization is akin to how planets orbit the Sun in a planetary system.

In a planetary system, the Sun represents the nucleus, while planets like Earth, Mars, and Jupiter, among others, orbit around it. Just like electrons in an atom, planets in our solar system follow specific and regular paths, maintaining a constant distance from their central stars. Moreover, gravitational force plays a fundamental role on both scales, keeping objects in orbit.

Another notable similarity is the concept of quantization. In atoms, electrons can only exist in specific orbits, meaning they have quantized energy levels. In the solar system, the energy of planets is also quantized, with each planet occupying a specific orbit. This quantized nature is one of the reasons why these systems are so stable and predictable.

Furthermore, the stability of these systems is maintained by a delicate balance of opposing forces. In atoms, the electrostatic attraction between protons and electrons is counteracted by the orbital motion of electrons. In the planetary system, the gravitational force pulling planets toward the Sun is balanced by the orbital motion of these celestial bodies.

Although the scales are vastly different, the similarity in organization and underlying principles between the structure of an atom and the structure of a planetary system is a remarkable demonstration of the universality of physical laws. These analogies also serve as captivating examples of the beauty of science and how the same natural laws apply in different contexts throughout the universe.