by: Jason Hahn
 

Microscope kits may invoke a sweet nostalgia for many adults today, but future generations of children in science classes may enjoy an entirely different microscopy experience. A research team at Stanford University has created a foldable paper microscope to help democratize science education for less than a dollar.

The origami-based paper microscope, Foldscope, comprises a simple list of parts: a sheet of plastic-coated paper (6 cents), a ball lens (17 cents for low magnification, 56 cents for high magnification), a 3-volt battery (6 cents), an LED light (21 cents), a switch (5 cents) and some copper tape (3 cents). Don’t pull out your calculator – that’s 58 cents for the low-magnification version of the Foldscope and 97 cents for the high-magnification version, based on a 10,000-unit production. 

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