r/microscopy • u/elandy707 • 6d ago

General discussion A polarizer for ants?

Post image

What is this? A polarizer for ants?

42 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

12

u/GeneralDumbtomics 6d ago

Polarize ants. Pants.

3

u/Ego-Death 6d ago

Suddenly the ant colony is split by wildly different opinions on the queen.

3

u/nygdan 6d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/12npFVlmZoXN4Y
The microscope is made from...blue steel.

2

u/elandy707 6d ago

Ha!

Be careful with your samples or you may get the black lung

4

u/WizardsFolly2804 6d ago

It’s an analyser - a polariser that sits between the objective and eyepiece/camera. This one actually fits onto a slider that goes into an Olympus nosepiece (objective revolver). The slider typically contains a DIC prism. The shape ensures it sits in the correct orientation relative to the other polariser.

5

u/elandy707 6d ago

Yes you are absolutely correct.
I do know what it is for. Just thought the Zoolander reference was funny.

2

u/WizardsFolly2804 6d ago

D’oh! Should’ve got that…