A design was sketched and an exciting idea
jumped into life; what if paper could be
used to build this piece of equipment?
After all, it’s versatile, light, cheap and you
can fold it into specific configurations with
great precision. Jim and Manu decided to try
and get the new tool into as many hands as
possible.
Since its inception, the team at Foldscope
have succeeded in getting their origami
microscope into the pockets of 500,000
people across at least 135 countries. By the
end of 2019, they intend to have distributed
one million Foldscopes across the globe.
Microcosmos
But this isn’t just the story of a very clever $1
paper toy. This is the story of an entire global
community coming together online to share
observations, answer questions, solve
problems and have fun with science.
OK, that ’s great and everything, but
what has it actually done? Ed
Access to cheap and portable microscopes
has led to lots of breakthroughs across the
planet. Let’s look at some case studies to see
how the Foldscope is working in real life:
H ow would you like the chance
to win your very own Deluxe
Foldscope PLUS an extra 20
Foldscopes for your school or
community group?
All you have to do is write to us
explaining what you and your
group would love to explore
with your Foldscopes, and we’ll
pick our favourite.
Dr K. Indumathy is a project investigator
working in the Vellore district of India, near
the city of Chennai. Dr Indumathy and her
team are committed to collecting,
identifying and classifying the various
pests and diseases that can affect crops in
the region. They show farmers and local
students how to assemble Foldscopes and
use them in the field (literally) to examine
disease pathogens and pests so they can
treat them effectively.
https://tinyurl.com/y5ywrjzj
Marine scientist Dr Jorge Mardones and
his team from Prakash Labs have been in
Chile looking at the effect of salinity
(saltiness) on toxic algae in Chilean waters.
Their research will have a big impact on fish
farming in the area.
https://tinyurl.com/y2f57m24
Dr S. Meignanalakshmi uses the
Foldscope to study the stomach juices of
cows and diagnose acidosis and parasitic
infections. Farmers can use the
technology to help ensure the wellbeing of
their cattle.
https://tinyurl.com/y5hk6r2c
Frugal science
Prakash and his team believe that access to
science and science education is a human
right, and they’re doing everything in their
power to make it so. It’s all part of a frugal
science revolution; the idea that, if
humanity is ever going to reach its
potential as a species, the 1 billion people
who currently haven’t got access to proper
healthcare or infrastructure must be able to
make discoveries alongside those who do.
Five fantastic things to look
at through a Foldscope:
1 Cheek cells
2 Pollen grains
3 Tomato skin
4 Fungi
5 Belly button fluff
TAKING THINGS FURTHER
Why not have a go at reinventing a useful
device for modern living using the frugal
science model? Take a high-tech object
– it might be a food processor, a tumble
dryer or a heart rate monitor. What are
the essential components of that device?
Can it be made simpler, cheaper and with
fewer parts? How about making it from
recycled materials? If you had to make
the same device with a budget of £1,
how would you go about it?
LET’S DEBATE
Do you agree that access to science is a
human right? Why not write to us and let
us know.
Send your entries to:
AQUILA Foldscope Competition
Studio 2, 67a Willowfield Road
Eastbourne, East Sussex
BN22 8AP
Email entries also accepted at
[email protected]
Closing Date: Monday 7th October 2019
*Competition is open to AQUILA subscribers only.
**Class entries are accepted if the school subscribes.
To learn more about foldscope instruments and join the frugal science revolution go to www.foldscope.com
An invention to
benefit humanity