Hitachi's TM-1000 tabletop electron microscope proved to be a popular attraction at the recent 'Rising Seas' Lyme Regis Fossil Festival in Dorset, UK
The TM-1000 microscope was located in the Natural History Museum (NHM) marquee thoughout the event, which was attended by 500 schoolchildren visiting on the schools day, and several thousand family groups through the weekend.
It was used 'hands-on' to give an extra dimension to the NHM's 'Discovering Microfossils' activity, where participants searched for and collected foraminifera and other microfossils from geological samples.
They then learned how these fossils are used to determine the age of sedimentary rocks, determine the environments they formed in, and provide records of past climate change.
The TM-1000 enabled the diversity and complexity of these minute fossils to be illustrated and to show how high-technology tools are used in modern palaeontology.
The microscope was a real highlight of the festival and greatly impressed visitors.
Most adult visitors had heard of electron microscopes but never seen one before and were very impressed that this type of technology is now becoming accessible.
The intuitive interface allowed rapid training of team members who had never used an SEM before and enabled members of the public to drive the SEM themselves.
In addition to a specially prepared stub with about 50 individually picked microfossils and four plankton filter samples, visitors were able to image specimens they found themselves during the microfossil activity, as well as specimens they brought in, including foraminifera from Lyme Regis harbour collected by some enterprising young visitors.
The event was also filmed by the BBC for its CBBC children's channel for a future 'red button' interactive TV feature enabling viewers to learn more about fossils.
