Brain Teasers
Microscope Matt - I
Microscope Matt is an employee for a top-notch science company.
Today, he had signed up to use the big scanning electron microscope for the first time. He had received so much training and taken many classes to be privileged to use this machine.
He had prepared a sample of an ant to be examined. Matt put the ant on the plate, and activated the machine. He took a look at the monitor, and saw a red fire ant, in the process eating what appeared to be a plant leaf - exactly what he had prepared.
Matt was positive that someone was pulling a prank on him. He checked the cables from the monitor and, sure enough, they didn't connect to the microscope.
How did Microscope Matt know he was being tricked?
Today, he had signed up to use the big scanning electron microscope for the first time. He had received so much training and taken many classes to be privileged to use this machine.
He had prepared a sample of an ant to be examined. Matt put the ant on the plate, and activated the machine. He took a look at the monitor, and saw a red fire ant, in the process eating what appeared to be a plant leaf - exactly what he had prepared.
Matt was positive that someone was pulling a prank on him. He checked the cables from the monitor and, sure enough, they didn't connect to the microscope.
How did Microscope Matt know he was being tricked?
Hint
What kind of microscope?Answer
The image of the ant appeared in color - something an ELECTRON microscope cannot show. Only light microscopes can show color.Note - Images CAN be colored afterwards.
Hide Hint Show Hint Hide Answer Show Answer
What Next?
View a Similar Brain Teaser...
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Solve a Puzzle
Comments
I had a different answer, but it was still a good teaser!
Just curious, what was your answer?
Well, electron scanning microscopes have to have the specimen it's examining in a vacuum because the electrons will bounce off of anything, including air. So electron scanning microscopes can't be used to study live specimens. Or am I confusing it with something else?
I didn't find this to be a very interesting teaser, but I have to admit I am not a fan of biology!
I never said the ant was alive...
Just wait for Microscope Matt - II
Just wait for Microscope Matt - II
I haven't got a scientific bone in my body, but I love reading these science teasers. Thanks.
clever
Thanks Matt!
I had always thought your image would be unrecognizable, if you used the microscope mentioned. Besides, your mention of lack of color, too. Still, a good one to get your mind wondering about the answer.
ruroken was right! you sadi it was in the PROCESS of eating and non-living things do not eat so technaclly, ruroken was right
I meant that he had a leaf halfway in his mouth... The ant wasn't moving...
Gimme a break, you've got to be kidding me!! First of all, changing your problem: in the process. Secondly, why the heck would someone use an electron microscope to look at an ant. Electron microscopes blow up images a ton, way too much to even see an ant eating a leaf, whether the ant be alive or dead. Comon Dumb.
Gimme a break, you've got to be kidding me!! First of all, changing your problem: in the process. Secondly, why the heck would someone use an electron microscope to look at an ant. Electron microscopes blow up images a ton, way too much to even see an ant eating a leaf, whether the ant be alive or dead. Comon Dumb.
The ant would be unrecognizable since an electron microscope magnifies so much that cells themselves might be unrecognizable. You would be able to see the hairs on the ant's legs filling up the field. Poor answer, poor teaser.
My science book showed a picture of an ant holding a microchip...
Back to the drawing board.
Duh, electon microscopes are use to see CELLS, how is it possible to see the image of the ant of leaf?
Jan 14, 2007
I have actually used an Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and I can tell you that you can use it to look at anything that a light microscope can see. The only difference is that you can blow things up to an incredible magnification, but you don't have too. If you only want to blow it up to say 250x instead of 250 000x, then you can. And here is a picture of an ant using an SEM for those that would argue with me just for the sake of argument.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ant_SEM.jpg
I do agree that my answer was not as a result of the colour of the image, but the fact it was eating. Anything being viewed on the SEM will be dead due to it being in a vacuum. The colour was a misrepresentation because I just assumed you were stating the type of ant, not the fact that you could see it was red.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ant_SEM.jpg
I do agree that my answer was not as a result of the colour of the image, but the fact it was eating. Anything being viewed on the SEM will be dead due to it being in a vacuum. The colour was a misrepresentation because I just assumed you were stating the type of ant, not the fact that you could see it was red.
yep, I'm with dropzone.
Since you stated that you knew what you were supposed to be looking at, you would have known that it was a red fire ant.
Since you stated that you knew what you were supposed to be looking at, you would have known that it was a red fire ant.
DropZone, your link does not connect (at least not anymore)
How would he be able to tell that the ant was eating?! With an electron microscope!!
Thanks, dropzone.
Well done teaser. Thanks for posting.
To post a comment, please create an account and sign in.
Follow Braingle!