Remember to look at the big picture

        With many advancements over the years since its introduction, the electron microscope has advanced to a point where it uses lasers to record the movement of gaseous molecules. Recently, a group of scientists at Michigan State University have developed a new microscope which allow scientists to observe atoms on an even smaller scale. By creating this technology, scientists now have goals of advancement in nanotechnology and environmental friendly fuel sources. This new microscope observes atoms on a femtosecond (one millionth of a billionth of a second). Forget the nerdy term femtosecond, but just marvel how fast this unit of time must be! Alright back to the matter at hand, by observing on a femtosecond, scientists will be able to observe the stabilization of electrical charges among atoms and their roles in chemical reactions. Chong-Yu Ruan, leader of the team behind this microscope, hopes to be able to observe transformations such as chemical reactions with this microscope. In a smart move, Ruan decided to add components of the microscope in modules so they are inexpensive and can therefore be advanced by other scientists. With this technology, the team will soon be holding a conference to explain the future goals of this area of development.
Read more in the article: http://www.chemistrytimes.com/research/New_microscope_captures_movements_of_atoms_and_molecules.asp
       Since only a module of this microscope costs $500,000, I'm obviously not excited about this microscope because I hope to buy one. There should be excitement for this technology because for once scientists will be able to see first hand the movement of molecules during a chemical reaction. In my chemistry class, we recently conducted two exothermic reactions which yielded impressive results. Though these chemical reactions were interesting, we only saw the reactants and the products. Unfortunately we cannot see what happens in between to create this change from a crystalline mixture to a charred muffin looking substance. With this technology, hopefully scientists can make advancements in our understanding of atoms and how they behave.