Published on 12/27/2007
They say that time and tide wait for no man, but the former might have to slow down to a complete stop with this new ultrafast microscrope. This device is apparently capable of capturing 4D pictures of molecules (3D structural changes over time) as they form and break apart, and could be used by researchers in a wide number of fields ranging from chemistry to biology and physics. It is actually a modified transmission electron microscope lined with an extremely fast laser. There are currently negotiations being carried out in order to commercialize the instrument, enabling other scientists to take advantage of it.