Science Station

Scheduled Times on Level 4

Come take a closer look at some of the tiny elements that make up our big world. Instead of using light, the Electron Microscope fires a beam of electricity! Every specimen has to go through the sputter coater that zaps the specimen with its gold ring that makes the specimen reflective. If you wanted to look at an ant more closely, the sputter coater would have to coat the ant with a thin layer of gold to be able to get its reflection.

The electron microscope allows you to zoom in up to 400,000 times larger than its original size! You will be able to see a selection of bugs, coins, fabrics and even dust from Mt. St. Helen! Explore the microscopic world during scheduled demonstrations of this region’s only scanning electron microscope (SEM) available to the public. View everyday objects – from hair follicles to newsprint to jewelry – magnified many thousands of times (check daily schedule for availability).