What if you just keep zooming in?

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Here’s what happens when you just keep zooming in. Use code veritasium at to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan.

A big thank you to Magnus Garbrecht from the University of Sydney for showing us around the lab and for his feedback on the script.

Special thanks to Quentin Ramasse for his expertise on the video.

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0:00 Why is it hard to see atoms?
2:12 How does an electron microscope work?
4:09 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)
5:11 Spherical Aberration
8:55 Field Ion Microscope
11:05 Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM)
13:24 Probe microscopes
14:02 An unlikely solution
18:08 Seeing atoms

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If you’re looking for a molecular modeling kit, try Snatoms, a kit I invented where the atoms snap together magnetically -


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References:
Busch, H. (1926). Berechnung der Bahn von Kathodenstrahlen im axialsymmetrischen elektromagnetischen Felde. Annalen Der Physik -
Ruska, E. (1986). The development of the electron microscope and of electron microscopy. Nobel Lecture -
Scherzer, O. (1936) -
Jensen, G. (2015). Part 1: EM Lenses. Caltech -
Field Ion Microscope via Wikipedia -
Transmission Electron Microscope via Wikipedia -
Albert V. Crewe biography via UChicagoNews Microscopy Society of America -
McMullan, D. (1993). Scanning Electron Microscopy 1928 - 1965. Microscopy Society of America, Cincinnati -
Electric and Magnetic Field Lenses via MIT -
Haider, M. et al. (1998). Towards 0.1 nm resolution with the first spherically corrected transmission electron microscope. Journal of Electron Microscopy -
Haider, M. et al. (1998). Electron microscopy image enhanced. Nature -
Krivanek, O. et al. (2022). Aberration correction in the STEM. CRC Press EBooks -
Crewe, A. V., et al. (1970). Visibility of Single Atoms. Science -
Secrets of Size: Atoms to Supergalaxies via the BBC -
Pennycook, S. J. (2012). Seeing the atoms more clearly: STEM imaging from the Crewe era to today. Ultramicroscopy -
Rose, H. H. (2009). Historical aspects of aberration correction. Journal of Electron Microscopy -
Kavli Prize in Nanoscience via kavliprize.org -
Vogt, T. (2019) Aberration-Corrected Electron Microscopy -

Images & Video:
Available here -

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Directed by Gregor Čavlović, Derek Muller, and Tim Usborne
Written by Gregor Čavlović, Tim Usborne, Emily Zhang, and Casper Mebius
Edited by Trenton Oliver and Charlie Grayley
Animated by Mike Radjabov, Fabio Albertelli, Ivy Tello, Emma Wright, and Andrew Neet
Illustrated by Jakub Misiek and Maria Gusakovich
Filmed by Charles Clements
Additional research by Gabe Bean, Geeta Thakur, and Emili Gyles
Produced by Casper Mebius, Derek Muller, Emily Zhang, Gregor Čavlović, Rob Beasley Spence, Tori Brittain, Gabe Bean, Luke Lewis, and Matthew Cavanagh
Thumbnail contributions by Ben Powell, Ren Hurley, and Peter Sheppard
Additional video/photos supplied by Getty Images, Storyblocks
Music from Epidemic Sound