Week-34

Writing/STEM Principles: 

Hi Everyone! Welcome to the long awaited April edition!!!! Spring is officially here, and with it comes a fresh wave of curiosity, hands-on learning, and exploration at Faces of Silicon Valley. This month’s post highlights a technology that lets us observe the world at a scale far beyond what our eyes can normally see happening to begin revealing details that are usually hidden in plain sight.

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1) Learning Beyond the Classroom
One of the goals of Faces of Silicon Valley is to highlight learning experiences that extend past textbooks. Recently, we’ve been focusing more on experiential science with seeing, testing, and interacting with real-world technology whenever possible. Posts like this one are part of that shift!

2) Blending Science with Storytelling
Future posts will continue combining technical explanations with personal experiences and observations. If you enjoy learning how science shows up in real environments with labs, campuses, or everyday objects, make sure let me know in the comments!

3) What’s Next?
As the year continues, expect more content centered on engineering, local innovation, and behind-the-scenes looks at how science is actually practiced. Suggestions are always welcome!

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Introduction to this week's post! 

Some scanning electron microscopes can magnify objects over 500,000 times, meaning something smaller than a grain of sand can appear larger than a human hand.

This month’s post explores scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) and a recent hands-on experience using this powerful technology.

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Scanning Electron Microscopes: Seeing the Unseen! 👀

When you hear the word "microscope," you might picture the classic lab instrument found in classrooms and biology labs, using lenses and light to reveal cells and tissues. But there's another kind of microscope that takes imaging to an entirely new level: the scanning electron microscope, or SEM.

Recently, we had the chance to explore how SEM technology works. Visiting UCSC’s Baskin School of Engineering, students split into two groups to examine everything from ants and glitter all rendered at a microscopic scale.

But what is a scanning electron microscope? A scanning electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses electrons instead of light to produce an image. Instead of passing through the object like in a light microscope, a focused beam of electrons scans the surface of a sample. When these electrons interact with the atoms in the material, they release different signals, similar to secondary electrons, backscattered electrons, or X-rays that are collected to form a highly detailed image. Since electrons can’t travel far in air, SEMs operate in a vacuum chamber, so samples must be specially prepared (usually coated with a thin layer of conductive material like gold or carbon) to ensure clear imaging.
Using the SEM, we were able to take an up-close look at a few ordinary objects such as…

• Ants: At high magnification, the ant’s body looked nothing like the tiny specks we casually brush away from ourselves and our food. Instead we saw tiny hairs on its legs, complex eyes, and more as it all came into sharp focus, showing us features invisible to the human eye.
• Glitter: The shiny, colorful flakes took on an entirely new form under the microscope. We could see the layered materials, sharp edges, and even microscopic damage on the surface of each piece. 

Under the scanning electron microscope, the glitter didn’t shine in the colorful way we’re used to. Instead, it appeared in varying shades of grey. That’s because SEM images are not captured using light or color. Since the microscope works by detecting electrons, not visible light, it produces monochrome (black-and-white) images based on the intensity of electron signals coming off the surface. Areas that reflect more electrons appear brighter, and those that reflect fewer appear darker. So while glitter might sparkle with rainbow hues under a regular light, the SEM shows us only its true surface structure and texture, without any of the optical effects we usually associate with color.

SEMs are used in a wide range of industries, including materials science, biology, electronics, forensics, and nanotechnology. They’re essential for inspecting surface structures at the smallest scales; whether that's examining a circuit board for defects or analyzing the wing of an insect for aerodynamic studies.

In research and manufacturing alike, SEMs help scientists and engineers solve problems, innovate, and understand the hidden details of the world around us.

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Comment Prompt!

1. What object would you want to see under a scanning electron microscope, and why?

2. Did anything about SEM technology surprise you while reading this post?

3. Do you enjoy posts that combine hands-on experiences with science explanations?

4. What other lab tools or technologies would you like Faces of Silicon Valley to explore in future posts?

As always, thank you for reading and engaging with Faces of Silicon Valley. Your curiosity keeps this space growing 🌟