Bugscope: Members Page

Live Session Transcript

Connected on 2011-12-02 08:20:00 from Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States

7:16am
Bugscope Team getting ready to start...
7:26am

7:32am

7:38am

7:43am

7:49am

Bugscope Team now making presets
7:55am

Bugscope Team good morning, Gloss!
8:00am
Guest Good morning!
Bugscope Team we're making presets for today's Bugscope session, which starts in 30 minutes

Bugscope Team can you watch things for a few minutes while I run upstairs?
Bugscope Team I gave you control of the 'scope, Gloss
Bugscope Team be right back
8:06am

Bugscope Team K I am back. Please keep driving if you'd like, for a minute or so.
Guest I'm at work and lurking to see what my son's class is up to, so I'll be back and forth. This is a fantastic opportunity for the kids!
Bugscope Team cool so you are with W/T
Guest Yes.
8:12am
Bugscope Team I'm Scott, at the SEM right now. Have a few more presets to gather for the session.

Bugscope Team Mrs V!
Bugscope Team Welcome to Bugscope!
Bugscope Team or Welcome Back!
Teacher Glad to be back! :-)
Teacher Hi Scott. The kids will be here soon. Logging on around 9:20.
Bugscope Team Cool. I had to run upstairs and get some food. I left Gloss in control.
Bugscope Team I just mashed down my breakfast and will be making a few more presets before everyone logs on.
Teacher Sweet! I'm so glad a parent is checking this out. Bugscope is a hidden jewel! Getting less hidden every day, I hope!
Teacher Hello, Gloss!
Guest Good morning Mrs. V!

Teacher Gloss, so glad you can check this out with us. It's one of my favorite experiences of the year!
8:17am
Teacher I'm going to switch computers so I can see all of the kids. Be right back.

Teacher I'm back.

Student Hey Mrs.V

Student Hi this is really cool!
Bugscope Team you can see that this cricket has a mite on its face
8:22am
Student this is cool
Student ewww...
Student Cool the mite rocks

Student woah that is one big mite
Student I know it is sooo big
Student is this a fly?
Student Yea
Student look at that bug
Student i think
Student wait its a cricket?
Bugscope Team yes it is
Student what is that bug?
Student What is that
Bugscope Team this is its ovipositor, so now we know it's a female
Student cool!
Student scott
Student scott,whats a lacewing?
Teacher That was a cricket that we caught at our North campus, I think. I found it in a jar on my counter and sent it in just for the heck of it. Very cool, that mite.
Student it looks gooey
Student what kind of bug is it
Student what are all the blobs?
Student oh ok
Teacher Scott, can Lexi please drive.
Bugscope Team not quite ready yet, just a sec...
Student Coool look at the ant

Teacher OK. We can be patient. :-)
Student pretty cool bug
Bugscope Team alright Lexi is the Supreme Ruler
Student What is that hairy thing?
Student is that furry thing the compound eye
Student where is the university you work at
Student what is the fuzzy thing
Student what is all the blobby stuff in the backround?
Bugscope Team it's double-stick carbon tape
Student oh..
Student cool

Student wat is the fuzzy thing next to the ant
Student cmon, lexi
Student that is so cool
Student :)
8:27am
Student thanks
Student cool!
Student What is the hairy thing
Student cool...
Student yeah! awesome!
Student cool a fly
Student HURRY LEXI

Student toni, patience
Student woa what is that!
Student What is THAT?!
Bugscope Team these are one of my favorite critters
Student come on lexi. give us somethin cool :)
Student :0 cool bug
Student Hey
Student :p awsome
Student that looks like a small elaphant...
Student that looks very strange
Student >:(
Bugscope Team you can see its eyes are streamlines into its head on the left and right
Student why are they your favorite bug?
Bugscope Team just 'cause they look so radical
Student is that the head
Student I tried to click on something and it said it is pending
Student ELEPHANT ROCKS
Student That looks so weird!

Student looks like there are eyes!
Student i love elephants
Student keep it there
Student i wonder how caught that
Student keep it there!
Student that is my favorite
Student How do I zoom in?
Bugscope Team Gianmarco when you get to drive you can click the plus sign.
Student what is that!
Student you dont marc lexi does
Student what is that thing

Student what is that?
Bugscope Team this is a spiracle on the fly we saw earlier
Student come on lexi. do the louse mouth
Bugscope Team Lexi is doing a good job, you know.

Student what is that?it looks weird.
Student this louse, did we catch that?
Student head lice, maybe

Student oh
Student i see...
Student ewww...
Teacher Lexi is is getting a message that says "Ignored request because another microscope control command is pending."
Bugscope Team that's because everyone is trying to make her hurry and she's clicking too fast

Student it looks like a turtle

Student woah!
Student im glad it's dead
Student awkwardly creepy

Student Let's see the Silverfish maybe?
Student what is that!
Bugscope Team it's a human head louse, but it does have a human head
Bugscope Team I mean it doesn't seem to have a human head, so I'm disappointed
Student cool!!
Student cool
Student What are the spikes?
Bugscope Team this is what the tip of a fly's tongue looks like
Student weird

Student ewwwwww
Student CREEEPPPPYYYYY

Student weird
Student :P
Student tongue? awesome!

Student yea

Student oooooooooooooooooooooooh
Student wow i did not know that flies had tongues
8:32am
Student What's this?
Bugscope Team these are the sponging mouthparts of a fly. they are dried quite a bit from what they'd look like in life
Student why do they have spikes on their toungs?
Student COOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLL FLY TONGUE
Student These are really creepy

Student creepy
Student ashanti, i hadthe same responce

Student Looks like a vnus flytrap almost...
Bugscope Team yeah they do!
Student that fly mouth looked like a venus fly trap
Student ew this is really creepy

Student flies have toungs?
Student sssssswwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttt
Student KINDA CREEPY
Student totally
Student what is the white thing near the mouth
Bugscope Team sliverfish, butterflies, moths, and mosquitoes, along with very few other insects, have scales like this
Student idk

Student is this the silver fish?
Bugscope Team yes it is!

Student cool!
Student How come it keeps changing?
Teacher Scott, looks like you put a LOT of bugs on our stub and tons of presets. Thanks!
Bugscope Team yeah it was kind of fun
Student cool!
Student sometimes it's blurry
Student It looks almost like a mumified snail

Student this is so cool! It almost looks like a frog...
Bugscope Team they do look like frogs, in a way. it's kind of a nerdy looking insect
Student wasp head?
Student ewwwwww!
Student wow
Student is that a silver fish? it keeps swithching
Bugscope Team yo dude this is a wasp
Student :)
Student that is so cool
Student ew
Student I got stung by a wasp...

Bugscope Team you can see that its mandibles open from side to side like a gate
Student I don't know why it hurts so much
Student ouch
Student >:0 blech

Student his head looks like a bird with a beak
Student Is it's eye coming out or is that normal?
Bugscope Team that is an antenna, on the right, and the left one is missing

Student >.
Student >.
Student ooh ok
Student my thing hasnt changed :(
Bugscope Team refresh your browser
Student It looks like a bird skull.

Student sorry about that
Student kindof...
Student it also looks like a skull!!
Bugscope Team they have exoskeletons, so in a way you are looking at the skull

Student THIS IS SOOO COOL AND I AM ALERGIC TO THEM
Student what is that!
Student what is that
Student wat is that
Student mine hasnt changed
Bugscope Team refresh your browser if it doesn't change soon
Student whoa that is cool
Student wow that is cool
Teacher Scott, are you all alone today?
Bugscope Team yes sorry but I will do my best
Student Is that an anteanna over its eye?
Bugscope Team yes it was
Student It looks like a space ship

Student thats a tick?
Student its a claw
Student IT DOES
Student ticks have CLAWS?
Bugscope Team yeah eight of them when they are adults
Student That is kind of sharp-looking...
Student what is that poky thing in the backround
Student i don't know how to say it
8:37am

Student yeah
Student why are you under three diffrent names? Sj, Sjay, and Sem
Bugscope Team I'm on three computers, and also I can't use my name because the software thinks its in use, a glitch
Student eight claws!
Student wat is that
Student wwwwwwwoooooooooooowwwwwwwwww
Student cool glitch

Student what is that????????????????????
Student cool
Teacher Students, Scott is answering all of our questions by himself so please be patient!
Student What is this?
Bugscope Team this is a cricket, also, that you sent
Student And to think with eight claws, instead of tearing prey to shreds, it suck blood!
Student Almost like a deformed hand!
Bugscope Team yeah it does have that weird cramped shape
Student Thanks!
Student cool
Teacher Good driving, Lexi! Toni to control the microscope, please.
Bugscope Team Toni is now the Boss
Student thanks Lexi
Student It looks like it is camera shy
Student go toni!
Student What part of the silverfish is that?
Bugscope Team Isel this is now a cricket you had sent, and it's the head

Student who likes my name?
Bugscope Team I do
Student This is so cool!
Student I like it to
Student woah!

Student So that's a close up of what tries to eat my sandwiches!
Student cool!
Student I can see each lens

Student nice eye

Student jacob, that is gross

Student there are bumps on the eye
Student woa
Student Scott this is awesome how does this work
Bugscope Team the samples are in a vacuum chamber, coated with a fine layer of gold-palladium, like 20 nanometers, and we are beaming electrons at their surface, whatever we see is from the secondary electrons coming back
Student thats weird
Student Lenses are awsome
Student !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Student some of his bumps are missing
Student Scott did you invent this?
Bugscope Team no but I was on the team that started Bugscope about 13 years ago

Student Those are the lenses
Bugscope Team yes they are
Student That is preeety cool how it works
Student cool!
Teacher Juju (dirt) on the lenses.
Bugscope Team ha Yeah that is right!
Student Is that an ant?
Student Ooooh Creepy

Student coole eye of a small fly!

Student wasps are parasites?
Student Oh okay did you help devolop it a lot?
Teacher Toni, you are doing a great job!
Student is the eye missing
Student why was there dirt on it
Bugscope Team sometimes they get dirty, and it's not their fault once they're dead, of course

Student what is this thing
Student thanks
Student How old are you Scoot
Student scot

Student you can see the hairs cool
8:42am
Teacher I meant the parasitic wasp.

Student Wasps are parasites?
Bugscope Team many of the tiny ones are -- they lay eggs in insects that become hosts; and there is a parasitic wasp for nearly every insect and every stage of insect
Student you like it?
Teacher Was this a tiny one we sent in?
Bugscope Team yes it is
Student hi people
Student Ashanti what is this
Student I am pretty sure his name is Scott not Scoot.....Spencer
Student Oh.
Student >:(
Teacher setae=hairs
Student THIS ROCKS
Student THIS ROCKS
Student Are the hairs called cillia with bugs too?
Bugscope Team they usually call them setae, spines, bristles, trichae...

Student i don't know
Student oh
Student Gloss whos parent are you
Student this is cool
Student this is cool
Student THIS IS AAAAWWWWEEEEESSSSSOOOMMMMMEEEEE

Student We get it lexi.
Student what is that fly?

Student what is that
Student what is that

Student Wait is that a smaller bug on the fruitflies compund eye?
Student Whos parent is gloss
Student It's magnificent

Student jacob and ian. there is no oxygen in the room the bugs are in
Student Why does it not have legs?
Teacher Legs often break off when insect dries out.
Student where are das legs
Student i ate the legs
Student right scott??
Student whos parentis gloss
Student It's almost like an evil tower of bug doom
Student Nathaniel. "Magnificant"? Really?

Teacher trichae--that's a new one for me. Are they significantly different from setae?
Bugscope Team I think they call them whatever they want and then resort to calling them hairs as well.
Student dont cover for me mrs valenty
Student Asher keep it appropriate
Student Nate "Really?" Magnificent
Student EEEEWWWW
Student cool
Guest Sorry, I'm at work and checking in periodically to see what this is like. I'm Nathaniel's mom.
Student COOL!!!
Student where did we find the louse
Student what kind of tick is that
Student wow that is cool

Student Nathaniel, you have declared chat warfare.
Student I like lice
Bugscope Team this is the hypostome, which sticks into your skin
Student woah!!!! tick!
Student lice ew
Student ew
Student Asher, your up.
Student Woah that's disgusting
Student I am i total control

Student Is that its mouth?
Bugscope Team it's the lower surface of the mouthparts
8:48am
Student thanks toni

Teacher Toni, great driving! Asher to drive, please.
Student COOL!!!
Student what is that
Student that sucks my blood?
Bugscope Team the other side does
Student isnt this so cool?!
Student Looks like a scince fiction movie
Student good jod toni
Student Yes Eddie...it does
Student job
Student Yes Eddie...it does
Bugscope Team who was supposed to be driving now?
Student nice job toni
Student asher is the driver
Student ASHER IS DRIVING
Student o

Teacher Asher
Teacher hypostome is on end of abdomen?
Bugscope Team other end entirely
Student Asher, Asher!
Student what are all those holes

Student wow what are we looking at now

Student you are doing a great job mr.scot
Bugscope Team Thank you
Student I can see the fly? again
Student ahhhhhh i like control

Student is that a leg
Student Is that its antena?
Student yuckkyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Student Like a secret mountain lazer cannon
Student wow
Teacher We are drawing names to drive.

Student Looks like the moon
Student I cant see anything
Student what is going on
Student what are you doing asher

Student is this a grasshopper
Student whats that
Student Scot, my dad's name is also Scott, but he has 2 t's.
Student i cant see if you are offended sorry
Student whats unid.?
Student AHH BLACK NESS
Student stop changing it so quickly!
Student What is asher doing?
Student Woah what is happening?
Student wow it is cool it looks like it is all curled up
Teacher Please be patient with our driver.
Student what is that?
Teacher Gianmarco, you are asking great questions!

Student Where are its eyes?
Student probably because it is dead
Teacher Kids, that was to you....please be patient with our driver!
Bugscope Team I'm sorrry you all I am going to have to drive, looks like
Student What are the stubs that look like eyes?
Student ashanti are you there
Student what is this?

Student QUIT SINGING I AM GOING TO EXPLODE PLZ
Student NO
8:53am
Student I DONT KNOW
Student Microscope?
Student what is unid.?
Bugscope Team unidentified
Student oh.

Student woah...
Student The microscope
Student That is so cool looking at the microscope
Student cool
Student cool inside of microscope!
Student is that a bug
Student inside of a microscope? nice
Student what is this
Bugscope Team can you guys wait a few minutes? I am going to vent the chamber
Student its the inside of the microscope
Student ed where are you
Teacher We are looking at the inside of the microscope, I think. Kids, please be patient and remember that Scott is by himself!
Student That is fine Mr. Scott
Student yeah
Student wow that is so cool
Student i am seein a microscope what the heck is happenig
Student everyone, give Scot time.
Student So... we are seeing the microscope from the microscope?
Student ed where are you
Bugscope Team I'm sorry -- I can hear the stage locking up, and I think if I open the chamber and reset it manually I can fix it. You'll be seeing me, or my hands at least, in a minute
Student that is cool!
Teacher Remember that to use the SEM they have to create a vacuum--take all the air out.
Student cool!
Student cccccooooolllll
Student yay!
Student woah!
Student whats going rong we see microscope but it thiks we are near the fruit fly head
Student HAND!
Student I CAN SEE YOUR HAND
Student WOAH
Student Hi Scott!
Student you must be handy
Student i can see you...!
Student HAND HAND HAND
Student that was my joke
Bugscope Team Hello!
Teacher Only the inside chamber of the microscope has the air evacuated. The rest of the room has plenty of air.
Student Hi
Student asher stole my joke
Teacher Hi, Scott!
Student I CAN SEE YOU
Student you can see his face
Student hi Scot!!!
Student there was scott!
Student Glovey!
Student SCOT COME BACK
Bugscope Team what I just did is ask the stage to reset itself
Student Mine seems to have frozen
Teacher Thanks for peering into the scope. The kids thought that was pretty cool.
Student wave at us again
Student There we go!
Student good jokes are not made by kids thats why we have lenno
Teacher Gianmarco, refresh your browser.
Student peek into the scope again
Student Gianmarco just refresh
Student Scot cme back
8:58am
Student Eddie, c'mon
Student i see you again scot
Student I can still see
Bugscope Team you just got to see what we normally wouldn't show you
Student mine isnt working
Student wait now it is
Bugscope Team it's going to take a few minutes for the vacuum to recover
Student sorry
Bugscope Team the chamber is pumping down again
Student that is still cool
Student Yey
Bugscope Team it has to reach a good high vacuum so I can start the electron beam up again
Teacher Chamber pumping down=air coming out
Student Ed wghere are you
Student This is really fun!
Student i wont do silly stuff anymore
Student wow that is a really cool microscope
Bugscope Team the presets should, I hope, have stayed where I had made them earlier
Student cool
Student what is all that stuff
Bugscope Team you can see the sample in the middle
Student spencer im in the library
Bugscope Team that plate in the lower middle of the CCD camera view is the insects
Student This is so cool!!\
Bugscope Team to the top is the pole piece, which is where the electrons come from
Student this is cool
Student cool
Student this was really cool
Bugscope Team to the top right, in the corner, you can sometimes see a kind of glow where the secondary electron detector is
Student cool
Bugscope Team what will happen is, soon, I will be able to turn the beam on again
Student Yay!!
Student cool
Student mrs valenty can you guys see bugs or are you seeeing the microscope
Student Okay
Student ok
Bugscope Team almost to the good vacuum...
Teacher It's very light but I think we can see the glow of the secondary electron detector is.
Bugscope Team it has a 300-volt bias on it when it is on, which will be soon
Student have you fixed the bad vacuum?
9:03am
Student yay!
Student yyaaaaaaaaay\
Student yeah!!!!
Student The bugs are back
Student now i see bugs
Student 
Student It's almost like a potato
Student Thats an ant, right?
Student :-0
Teacher Can we drive or will you be doing that?
Student cool
Student :-)
Student :-)
Student 
Student Hey mom
Student wow >:)
Guest Very cool
Student 
Student 
Student :-P

Student hi spencers mom
Student :P
Student Hey mom
Student Who is joyt?
Student Hi Spencer's mom!
Guest What bug are we viewing
Student spencers mom
Student Say hi every one to my mom
Student i do
Student hi spencers mom 
Student What are the stub-like things?
Student hi spencers mom!
Guest Hi guys!
Student Elephant
Bugscope Team ugh looks like I am going to be driving
Student hi
Bugscope Team could be fun, though!
Student  hi
Student Ok
Student it is ok

Student 
Student What are the stub-like things?
Student =
Student LAUREN
Student Are it's legs missing?
Student What is that?
Student Scott are you driving?
Bugscope Team yes now I am the only one who can drive
Student oh ok
Guest I agree Mrs. V
Student legs!\
Teacher Appropriate chat, students!
Student 
Student do you do chats everyday mr. scot
Bugscope Team two times a week, usually
Student Mom always agree with the teacher
Student bye
Student can you do the mechathingy?
Student thank you
Student bye thank you scott
Student wit, nevermind
Student THANK YOU
Student wait*
Student bye thank you!
Student thank you very much
Student thanks, bye
Student that was awesome
Guest Thank You Mrs V for this opportunity
Student Thank you Scott!!!!!!!!!
Bugscope Team Thank you, Everyone!
Guest Yes, I did more bug watching than working this last hour...
9:08am
Student Thank you Scot!
Student wait vare we done
Student Thanks alot Scot! Oh that rhymed
Teacher I am so glad that you could join us, Gloss and JoyT!
Student Bye!
Teacher One class is leaving. We have break now but a few students may be in to look at bugscope.
Bugscope Team good.
Bugscope Team Mrs V I can make new presets if I have a few minutes -- I'll start now
Guest Thank You Scott this was amazing
Bugscope Team Thank You!
Teacher Antenna or setae or something else?
Bugscope Team antenna with setae and also mold spores

Student hello
Bugscope Team Hi Jacob!

Student can I drive
Bugscope Team Dude I am sorry -- there are only two presets now so it would not be much fun. Just a sec.
Student awesome
9:13am
Student I'll come back later BYE
Teacher This is cool! I see a leg, and is that a mouthpart sticking down beside it?
Bugscope Team that is what that was -- the leafhopper, which is a hemipteran, has piercing mouthparts
Teacher Are you redoing the presets? If so, I'll leave you alone for a dew minutes so you can work.
Bugscope Team I'll make a few and let you have the 'scope again soon'

Teacher Thanks.

9:18am

Bugscope Team Mrs V is this a good time to let you have the 'scope back?
9:24am
Teacher Yes! Micah to drive, please.

Student I want to drive
Bugscope Team you are the Supreme Ruler, Micah
Bugscope Team this is the tick's head, to the right now. it's called a capitulum

Bugscope Team the 'capit' part means 'head', like in capital and decapitate

Bugscope Team it sticks into your skin

Bugscope Team I think it must mean 'under mouth,' in a way

Student It kind of looks like a pinnaple
Bugscope Team the backward spines are why it is hard to get the tick's head out of your skin

Student oh interesting

Bugscope Team the other side, which we cannot see, has similar but smoother features that rasp your skin and make the blood flow
Student This is very cool

Bugscope Team ticks are dirty, covered with bacteria sometimes

Bugscope Team when there cuticle breaks open they can seal it again

Bugscope Team you can tell that this is an adult tick because it has eight arms/legs

Bugscope Team you can also see that it is capable of expanding
9:29am

Teacher "baby" ticks don't have 8 legs?
Bugscope Team they have 6 and go through a number of molts before becoming adults

Bugscope Team Micah you can also choose from among the presets on the left

Teacher 6 legs, but not an insect. Oh, nature can be so confusing!
Bugscope Team this is a moth, a small one
Bugscope Team you can see its bulbous compound eyes

Bugscope Team and lots of scales -- they are covered with scales, which are actually modified setae

Bugscope Team scales help insects that have them escape from spider webs

Student cool
Bugscope Team the scales come off so easily -- that is what you feel when you stroke a butterfly's wings
Bugscope Team they seem like powder to us because they are so small

Student i like the pixels on the eyes
Bugscope Team yes they are pixels -- I'd never thought of it that way

Student is that a fly?
Bugscope Team it's a moth

Bugscope Team Micah is it stuck on this preset?

Teacher I didn't know that silverfish have scales! Cool!
Bugscope Team saves them from spiders, sometimes, I'm sure

9:34am

Student Up close it looks like chicken feathers
Bugscope Team they are analogous to feathers in many ways

Student hi
Teacher Is the proboscis curled up? It's not obvious like I thought it would be (or like it is on butterfly)
Bugscope Team it's a short proboscis, and off to the side, split open

Bugscope Team sweet!

Bugscope Team take the mag down so you get an idea how small this really is, if you want

Student The shape of this bug makes it look sort of like a stinkbug.

Bugscope Team this is on the face of the field cricket you sent
Student is that a mite?
Bugscope Team yes it is!

Student that is a lot of magnification
Student How big is the mite really?

Teacher Good driving, Micah.

Student I agree Ria

Student I agree David. It does look like a stink bug from this view
Bugscope Team it is so very small compared to a stinkbug, but it does have that shield shape

Student That mite looks a lot like a stink bug
Bugscope Team awesome

Student cool!
Student Is that its head?
Bugscope Team this is a small cricker
Teacher Really cool!
Bugscope Team oops cricket
Student Oh wow it is REALLY small
Student its so tiny!
Student you can hardly see it
Bugscope Team the mite is about 100 micrometers wide

Teacher This is a field cricket we collected at WTN.
Student Is that a cricket?
Bugscope Team yes it is!
Student The cricket looks GIANT!

Student That's so small! The cricket has acne!
Bugscope Team acne yes exactly

Student COOL
Student Wow! that's cool!

Student what is that

Bugscope Team this is a bunch of dirt and other juju on the face

9:39am

Teacher How funny. I just told the kids that if you talked about "juju" it meant dirt (etc) :-)
Student Is the thing on the lower left its mouth?
Student what part is this?

Student mite on the mandle
Student Why do they have dirt and dust on their body????
Bugscope Team it's not entirely their fault -- they cannot clean themselves when they're dead

Student Ahhh! That's kind of scary!!!

Student Is it fun working at bugscope
Student Is that a broken mouthpart ?
Bugscope Team it's one of the palps, and it is broken -- you're right
Student Are those hairs setae?
Student Are those hairs setae?
Student I am awesome at driving

Teacher Wow. You can see a lot of the mouthparts. Remember, kids, how many mouthparts the grasshopper we dissected had.
Teacher Great driving, Micah! Ashley to drive, please.
Student Those eyes look HUGE!!!!
Student what's a palp?
Bugscope Team it's like a limb that helps insects taste and manipulate their food

Student Is that a mite on the face near the middle
Student I can't believe how small these things are and you guys make it look huge
Student where is it's simple eye?
Bugscope Team we don't see it -- if is has simple eyes they are further back on top of the head

Student it looks like an alien!

Student What is that????????

Student It's claw looks like a scorpion dagger

Student Yeah!
Student why does it have a claw
Student where are the simpler eyes
Bugscope Team the preset called 'fly head and ocellus' shows one of the simple eyes

Student what are the bowl looking things on the sides

Student ?

9:44am

Student are the hairs on the legs setae?
Bugscope Team yes -- often if they are larger the entomologists call them bristles

Student Are those spikes setae??
Bugscope Team yes they are!

Teacher Do our bugs have freezer burn? I may have left them in too long. Some of them look really "deflated"
Student ashley, what's this?
Student hiis that the mouth

Student whats that?
Student is that a mouth
Student do you know how many pixels there are on a compound eye
Bugscope Team there can be, in a large wasp for example, as many as 17,000 ommatidia (pixels)
Student what is that
Student Are you able to see the spiracles?
Bugscope Team yes on one of the flies they are easy to see
Student what is this
Student they do
Student That looks really cool, but really weird too

Student Wow what is this?
Bugscope Team this is the mouth of the louse, but it has a thin film of dried liquid on it

Student how long has this been in the freezer?????
Student is that the head?

Student Is the exoskeleton broken up, because it looks like that.

Student Those hairs look really creepy up close.
Bugscope Team that is how insects and comparable arthropods sense their surroundings

Student That looks like elephant skin!!
Student It almost looks squished!

Student What is the Beam Spotsize?
Bugscope Team that is the diameter of the electron beam that is impinging on the sample; right now it is about 2.1 nanometers
Student The skin looks leatheryish
Student It looks like a thorn bush

Student where are the eyes
Bugscope Team Norma I am not sure they have eyes -- but they may be on the other side of the head where we cannot see them

Student Oh yeah, Emma!

Student oh

Student yeah
Student That looks like a claw
Student How big is the SEM?
Bugscope Team it's kind of like a large teacher's desk with a 6-foot tall column on one end
Student is is the singular of lice marisa
Teacher Good job on zooming on the claw. No wonder those things can hang on to someone's head so easily.
Student what is that on the claw
Student one louse, many lice
Student Oh thanks Harrison!
Student What is a louse?
Bugscope Team it's a bloodsucking arthropod that lives on people, sometimes, and on animals

Student is that the claw?
Bugscope Team yes it is one of the claws

9:49am
Student they lay their eggs in you hair
Student Wow! That's sort of weird!

Bugscope Team hey that looked like a spiracle

Student Is the head near the upper right?

Student is that the mouth

Student what is this
Bugscope Team this is one of the palps

Student is that the antenna???
Student Those Bristles look like they could poke an eye out! (Up close!)
Student I hope i get to drive
Student cool

Student THIS IS SOOOOOO COOL!!!!!!!!!

Student They look dangerous!!!!
Student Oh sorry I didn't mean to enter that, that many times. Oops!
Student thank u
Teacher Ashley, fabulous driving! Hanna to drive, please.
Bugscope Team Hanna is the Supreme Commander
Student Do the silverfish
Student 
Student Cool! Mrs. V
Student what is that little bump in the "crater" on the top of the antenna?
Bugscope Team that is one of the chemosensory setae
Student what's that?

Bugscope Team this is the head of the lacewing you sent
Student do the leaf hopper

Student Those eyes are huge for his head!

Student lets see some more aliens (bugs)!!!!
Bugscope Team they really are like aliens that live among us
Student Is this an insect or arachnid

Student look at the 2 big eyes!!!

Student Ria, it's a really cool bug with green wings and lots of colors!
Student lots of dirt
Student Whats that
Student what is that??
Student what is the lacewing
Bugscope Team it's a flying insect with fragile-looking wings, and they are predatory
Student what are we looking at?
Student do the leaf hopper
9:54am
Student what is their prey?

Student we are using s
Student It looks really strange

Student if they are predatory, what is their prey?
Bugscope Team they eat aphids and small insects like that as well as feeding on nectar
Teacher Nice view of the compound eye!

Student interesting

Student It looks damaged!
Bugscope Team it was broken in half, and this is just the top half
Teacher Good job, Hanna!

Student The eye looks like a giant GOLF BALL!
Student what is the hairy thing???

Student Would it be uncomfertable with that dirt on its eye
Bugscope Team it could wipe it away; they often have a few setae on their eyes that help them sense if something is touching them

Student Sorry the Compound eye
Student it's currently dead
Bugscope Team yes it is, and not likely to change

Student fische hen hao, han na!!!

Teacher This bug looks pretty mangled.
Bugscope Team the head looks good, though, I think

Student Are the wingc cracked?

Student wow the wing looks rly cool
Student cool wing!

Student Really? Its not going to change?
Bugscope Team heh not unless it is a zombie or a vampire lacewing
Student nice wings

Student Cool Wing it looks sort of like a leaf.

Student look at the cetae
Bugscope Team there are fine sensort setae on those wing veins as well
Student looks like a leaf

Student valenty laoshi=Mrs. Valenty (in chinese)

Student looks like a leaf with a hole in it

Student Why is there a hole in the wing?

Teacher The lacewing head looks great. I think I need to be a bit more careful when I package them up, though.
Bugscope Team you really did a great job. the thorax and abdomen were dried and very loose
Student FYI, this is Gordon, but my computer crashed, so im on another one
Bugscope Team cool
Student it has been wounded

Teacher What's on the edge of the wing? It looks hairy.
Bugscope Team those are setae we often see on the edges of wings
Student The wing looks almost like a leaf
Teacher The hole in the wing is probably my fault. I think I dropped this bug out of the container while I was trying to package.

10:00am
Student IDK Ria

Student its damaged!

Teacher Seriously, I can't believe how much I learn every time I do this! I didn't know the wings could have setae!
Student Yeah it does look damaged!
Student is their any possible way to tell how it has been wounded?
Bugscope Team something poked through it -- it could have been me using fine forceps and being clumsy trying to pick it up
Student thats so cool
Student marisa's turn to drive

Student oh

Student What are the tire print things on the wing for??
Bugscope Team that is where the wing is covered with silver paint, and those fine setae are showing up through the paint
Teacher Fantastic job driving, Hanna! Marisa to drive, please.

Student Ohhh

Bugscope Team that is the tick's abdomen, to the upper left

Student Why can you only see the silver paint there?
Bugscope Team if we were to look we could see it elsewhere as well; we're just not focusing on where I put it
Student Why is it covered with silver paint
Bugscope Team I used the silver paint to help stick the wing down and also help make it conductive so the electrons would not charge it up

Student What is all of that?
Student oh cool

Student are those the spiracles?
Student what is that

Student Whats that?
Student silverfish
Student ewwwwww
Student eww

Student ewww
Student Are the bubbles around the bug glue
Bugscope Team it's doublestick tape and places where the paint did indeed bubble

Student ewwww

Student \
Student Are those the spiracles????????????

Student head..ohh

Bugscope Team silverfish are very odd looking

10:05am
Student they are
Teacher That's why I was so excited when I found one to send in. Such weird bugs.

Student they are odd
Student type chat here then hit return key
Bugscope Team this one has been rolled a bit and lost some of its features

Student cool
Student are those the mouthparts???
Bugscope Team those were some of the mouthparts, yes.

Student cool!

Student this is the head

Student i believ
Student thats not cool thats gross
Student Mrs. V, when are you going to draw another name???
Student that is so cool!
Student where are the eyes

Student what are they
Student EWWWWWWWWWWWW
Student silverfish have no true metamophisis!
Student why is everything black & white?
Bugscope Team when we use electrons to image, we get electrons back and they come to us as signal -- we're not using light

Bugscope Team Gordon I am sorry that was not a very good explanation
Student ahh

Student It looks like it has feathers
Bugscope Team those are the scales, which are quite like feathers

Student i understood that
Student silverfish have no true metamorphisis!

Bugscope Team the samples are all in a vacuum chamber
Student where are we???

Bugscope Team and they are coated with a thin (about 20 nm) layer of gold-palladium, which makes them look silver anyway

Student what part of the face is this?
Bugscope Team that is the top of the head

Student where is the sem?
Bugscope Team the antennae are busted off and those holes are where there would normally be lots more scales

Student Is there any pattern in the placement of the setae?
Bugscope Team they seem to be symmetrical and usually evenly cover the surface of the chitin
10:10am
Student yes, that is what I meant... i think
Teacher Marisa, I do think that the broken bits are where the antenna were.
Bugscope Team the two 'horns' are where the antennae were
Student I wonder if thats a broken off antennae!
Bugscope Team you got it
Teacher Marisa, excellent driving! Norma to drive, please.
Student interesting!
Student Thanks Mrs. V

Teacher Thanks, Scott. Your description of where the antenna were was MUCH more helpful than mine.
Student that is ugly!!
Bugscope Team this is the leafhopper
Student they look like gills
Student ewww

Student Its head looks like an elephant!
Bugscope Team see how its head has those ridges in the center?

Bugscope Team cicadas look much like that as well
Student Its so so so so so so so so so so... COOL!
Student Those look like ribs
Student what is that

Student what are those stringS

Bugscope Team the ridges I think are flexible and serve inside as a kind of pump mechanism to help the insect suck fluids out of plants

Student what ius that???
Student What is that???

Student Is that an eye???
Bugscope Team that is the base of one of the antennae
Student it looks like a weird laser gun

Student Oh!
Student why do you like the leafhoppers?
Student what are those holes
Bugscope Team Emma I am not sure -- they may be openings that collect scent from the air

Student is it an antennae/

Student why are there three short stub-type-things?

Student what are those things that look like spines on pufferfishes?

Bugscope Team when we get a poor image like that, with those horizontal lines, the sample is charging up with electrons
Student Cool the Eye!!!!
Teacher Here's the compound eye, part of it anyway.

Student those look like basketball prints
Student how do you afford all the gold???
Bugscope Team we use only nanometers of it at a time

Student hi Mom!
Student hi
Student Hi Harrison's mom!
Teacher Hi H Mom!
Student hi harrison's mom

Student this is cool!
10:15am
Student hi Harrison's mom

Student hi Harrisons mom!
Student why do you coat the insects in gold???
Bugscope Team we want the surface to have a conductive coat on it so the electrons do not go into the surface and make it glow, giving us a poor image
Student hi Harrison's mom
Student hi Harrison's mom

Student It looks like a parrot mixed with a Gorilla
Bugscope Team haha!

Bugscope Team you can see its claws now

Bugscope Team there is one
Bugscope Team oops not now
Student what is a proboscis
Student Cool!!
Bugscope Team this is one of the limbs
Student Mom you can chat you know
Student cool
Student Bye!!!!!!
Student Thank you!!!
Student bye
Student Bye people and thank you!!!
Student bye thankyou!
Student good bye thanks scott
Bugscope Team Thank You!
Student Bye! Thank you so much!
Bugscope Team this is really fun for us as well
Student thanks a lot!!
Student transfer control to mrs. v
Bugscope Team Thank you, Norma - done!
Guest Hi, guys! I was catching up! Very cool...
Student bye scott
Bugscope Team Bye Ria!

Bugscope Team phone ringing brb
Teacher New class coming in. Take your time
Guest Thanks for including me. Enjoy this opportunity...I won't look at a bug the same again :)
Bugscope Team I will take a super short break Mrs V, and you are the Supreme Ruler. brb
10:20am

Bugscope Team I am back
Bugscope Team you can see silver paint to the left of the silverfish
Teacher H Mom, glad you could join us.

Student Mrs. V, change the driver
Student Please
Bugscope Team this sort of thin film around each scale is what we see when the insect is starting to rot
Bugscope Team from within
Student Some of them look like they are jeans under a microscope
Student rotting bugs LOL
Student thats so cool
Student Is anyone here yet?
Bugscope Team yes we are here!
Student yep
10:25am
Student I don't think they're rotting.
Bugscope Team Julia I think they're rotting from within. When we coat them with gold-palladium and then leave them out in the air, they decay more rapidly
Teacher Isana to drive, please.
Bugscope Team got it!
Student see
Student okay, that clarifies
Student Emily is Emily Pollack and Emmy B is Emily Bassett just incase you were confused
Student Wow! That's so cool!
Bugscope Team it's something we see and that is how we interpret it

Student speaking of gold palladium, can we keep the bugs once your done?
Bugscope Team they wouldn't be much to look at and they would really dry up -- they'd start to fall off of the stub
Student awsome
Student what is that
Student The mouth parts are really cool

Student The beetle is in a funny position!
Teacher Awesome. Great view of the head.

Student that is too bad
Student what is the stuff around the mouth?

Student this is kind of creepy...:)
Student Cool..... how big would this thing be usually?
Bugscope Team it is super tiny, just 7 or 8 mm long
Student it looks like a beard
Student I think it's amazing!
Student its furry

Teacher I sent in the smallest bugs we had.
Bugscope Team perfect for us
Student wow thats weird
Student ugly
Student ohh thats kind of cool... but a bit scary....... and ewww..... :)
Student Wow, ok that is kinda creepy
Student no it isn't
Student Are those its mouth parts?

Student waht does this eat\
Student yep
Student ewwwwwwww that looks really scaryyyyy
Student this is cool its very fuzzy!!
Student icky.....
Bugscope Team so we are looking at the mandibles, at the top, and the palps, mandibular and maxillary, and also the antennae
Student ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Student AWESOME! Cool compound eyes.
Student ewwwwww
Student Are thoose fangs??

Student the small hairs, what are there purposes
Student what part of the bug is that?
Bugscope Team this is the mouth, Giovanna. they are often confusing to look at
Student This looks really weird up close
Student thay look like fangs

Student So complex.

Student are the hairs called cilia...or is that just on humans???
Bugscope Team the super small ones are often called microsetae, or microtrichae
Student i thing this is so cool
Student this is amazing
Student looks like some peach fuzz, 5:00 shadow
Student it looks spikey like a cactus
Student omg it has a shield with spikes.... ahhhhh
Student This is really weird...
Teacher 5:00 shadow magnified 600 times :-)
Student THIS IS A MOUTH??????
10:30am

Student wow

Student how much magnification can thisgo to
Student are those hairs
Bugscope Team yes -- we are supposed to call them setae because insects are not mammals and thus don't have hair. but even entomologists will call them hair.
Student NO

Student have you eaten bugs
Bugscope Team not on purpose
Student have u ever eaten A BUG TACO!??????????:)

Student are those cactuse legs sapposed to protect him... they are only protecting him from being pretty
Student Have you ever eaten bugS SEM
Bugscope Team only by accident
Student hahaha
Student this is kind of disgusting..... =D
Bugscope Team that's what makes it so cool

Student elliot and I want to make deep fried butterfly wings
Student i agree
Teacher We are going to have a bug eating day here at school.
Student by accident?
Student are they called cactus
Student what are the spikey things called??
Bugscope Team setae, or when they're small, microsetae
Student Really?
Student do we have to!!
Student It looks funny......lol
Student they should be called cactus
Student in the middle of the right there is a wierd thingy
Teacher Giovanna, everyone eats bugs or bug parts accidentally.
Student How can you eat bugs on accident??
Bugscope Team like, riding your bike with your mouth open
Student it looks like a cactus
Student ewwwwwwwwww
Student the tube on the side, what is it
Student thats soooooo grosss
Teacher Sometimes they fall into food as it is being processed, etc.

Student EWWWWWWWWWWWW
Student wat im never eating again
Student OH WOW
Student what is past the crack
Student yep yep
Student This. Is. Really. Kind of. Gross.
Student how is this a beetle!!!
Student im really grossed out rite now
Student The mouths are so complex. why?
Bugscope Team probably because they have to be broken into a lot of parts compared to our mouths, which are flexible, with muscles controlling the movement in flexible skin and tissue
Student Yuck, 50 spiders?
Student GROSSSSSSSSS!! :(
Student yea
Student This is a bit creepy and scary and

Student spookyy
Student um what are the hairy things
Student a bit try a lot

Student yup
Bugscope Team the thing to the left is one of the palps, and the things inside are like tastebuds

Student setae
Student Warning I've have prickles.....!!!!!
Student cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Teacher Great driving, Isana. Emmy B to drive, please.
Student ohhhhh
Student what is this??
Student sem, how big is the bug
Bugscope Team it's about a cm long

Student disguisting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Student Ya what is this??????
Student what is that???????????????????????????????????????????
Student ewwwwwwwwwwwwww
Student This is creepy!!!!!!!
Student EWWWWW cricket.........icky
Student and a radioactive dungbeetle?
Bugscope Team they're not likely to bite you
Student A CRICKET!!!!! EWWWWW
Student SCARY!!!!!!!!
Student crazy! awesome eye
Bugscope Team see the compound eye?
Student kind of .....um...creppy and weird a bit?
Student Thanks to me!
Student cricket is it like jimany cricket6
Student *creepy
Student icky...
10:36am
Student Amazing
Student EWWWWW OMG LOVE MICAYLA
Student My friend and I saw a huuuuugeeee cricket that was like 7 inches long.... what type would that be??
Student what is that huge lump?
Bugscope Team yo Dude that is one of the compound eyes
Student a lamp
Student can you make us a grasshoper burrito
Student can u mak a giant golden taco and burrito plz
Student please!!!!!!!!!
Student that is awsome
Student Are the mouth parts below it?
Teacher Scott, when you have a chance, could Emmy B drive, please?
Student no grossssss
Student why did u say yo dude? mr sem??

Student dont keep the bugs
Guest What a cool close up of the eye!
Student can we keep the bugs?????
Bugscope Team Elliot it's not worth sending them. They would decay rapidly.

Student Hey Mrs. Klein
Student hi mes. klein
Student hi mrs.klein
Student :)
Student Hi Mrs. Klein!!!!
Student hi mrs. klein

Student hi mrs.klein!
Student hi mrs.klein
Student hey mrs. Klein
Guest Hi Elliot and everyone! This is really cool.
Student Hi mrs. Klein.... are you enjoying this??

Student awwwwwwww. : (
Student awesome
Student Hello Mrs. Klein!

Student weird....

Student Are these the mouth parts?
Student what about giovanna?
Student ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Student Go Emily!!
Student :(

Student it looks like a persons inside
Student Wow...... What is the part we are looking at???? Im mean what part of the cricket..

Student Wow!!! What's that?
Student emily zoom in more

Student please
Student fish?
Student what

Student we zoomed in to much now
Student what are hte weild cracks in the plate?
Bugscope Team those are cracks in the doublestick carbon tape we use to put the samples on the stub
Student it does

Student What is that????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Student ew like a patatoe chip
Student potato chip[!!!!!

Student it looks like a feather or potato chip
Student it looks like feathers at the bottom
Bugscope Team yes those are scales and they are anaologous to feathers in many ways
Student I was thinking the same thing!
Student Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww potato chip......... ickkkk
Student ...What is that?
Student it looks like a potatoe chip when it's up close
Student cool

Student is that eyes?
Student what is that
Student icky...
Student know were on my lice

Student Scoorpiooooonnnnnn........ahhhhhhhhhhhh
Student the thing on the bottom-cool scales! looks like a flower and the other thing looks like a potato chip and that stickbug head is cool!

Student ew spikes

Student its hairy
Student Creeeeeeppyyyy!

Student woahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Student This is a stick bug?

Student wowwwwwwww
Student ITS REALLY WEIRDDDDD
Student oooh... aahh

Student stink BUG!!!! i think
Student woahhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Teacher The thing in the middle is the long proboscis (mouth part). Like the plant bug we looked at on our microscopes.
Student why is it so bumpy?
Student LOOKYYY A TREE

Guest What is that part that looks like a leaf?
Bugscope Team that is one of the scales
Bugscope Team butterflies, moths, silverfish (I don't know where the fish came from), and mosquitoes have tiny scales that give them color and also protect them from spiders -- they stick to the spider web and the insect itself can slip away, sometimes.

Student looks like warts
Student That's amazing!
Student what is that?
Student no it does not form micayla

10:41am

Student woops from
Student can you magnifie it on the dimple emily

Student why is microns in quotes

Student why is it so bumpy?
Student ahmazing

Student when was bugscope created?
Bugscope Team a micron is the same thing as a micrometer, which is one millionth of a meter
Student what are those bumps?
Student amazing!!!
Student eww it looks like it has worts

Student that is bumpy

Student focus please

Student stinkbug??? AHHH!!!
Student '
Student What kind of bug is this???????????
Teacher I think this is one of the bugs I could not identify. Scott, did you manage to figure out what it is?
Bugscope Team I thought it was a walking stick, or stickbug; but now I think it is related to assassin bugs, really not sure
Student BUBBLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Student is this a stink bug
Bugscope Team no a stick bug
Student assasin bags shoot acid right?
Student are those legs

Student what do the circle things do?????
Student OHHHHHHHHHHH
Student ITS A STICK BUG
Student spikes
Student I like the name another cricket

Student probocis is it's mouth, right?
Student STINKY STICK BUG
Student is that its joint?

Student oooooooooo its stick bug
Student assasin bugs!!!!!!!!!!!!
Student AWESOME!!!COOL!!!
Guest Wow! Are those hairs?
Bugscope Team yes they are setae, and they are sensory -- mechanosensory, chemosensory, and/or thermosensory
Student wat would happen if you got poked by those spikes
Student haha
Student ouch
Student would you get hurt
Student what are the hairs called
Bugscope Team setae, usually
Student when wass bugscope created???
Student its another cactus!!!
Student i wish we had a wheelbug
Student They are magnified Rachel, probably nothing:)
Student oooooooooooo
Teacher It was a really cool bug. I have photos of it from when we first got it. I'm going to send the photos to an entomologist to an entomologist at the museum here in Pgh to see if they can help point me in the right direction.
Student sry
Student is that a joint

Student What is a leafhopper?
Bugscope Team it's a true bug that sucks sap and other juices out of leaves and plant stems

Student What is this contraption???

Student theres noo such thing
Student is that its mouth??
Student as a whell bug

Student what is a wheelbug?
Bugscope Team it's an assassin bug as well. they can hurt you when they bite, but not permanently
Student me and macayla made that up
Student what are we looking at?
Student there r bumps on the backround\
Student micayla!!!
Student Heyyyyy grasss
10:46am
Student cool... the thing in the backround looks like a sweater

Student this is scaryyyyyyyyyy
Student SPAGETTI
Student when was bugscope created?????
Bugscope Team Mar 1999 was the first session, so we are older than wikipedia, older than facebook
Student wow.

Student awesome!!!!!!!!!
Student i dont want to bump into that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Student he has long hair

Student I see little scale-like things!
Student grossness
Student or a claw

Student cactus
Student is that the exosceleton in the background??
Bugscope Team the cuticle -- what the setae are sticking out of, is the exoskeleton. it's comparable to a shrimp shell
Student How long have you been workin on bugscope?

Student Wow, what is that???
Student ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Student The right part of it looks like fish scales............. heyyyy turtle
Student ooooohhhhh!

Student mmmmm. shrimp.
Student I love this photo
Student that a gross brain????????????????????????

Student that LOOKS LIKE A TURTLE
Student that doesnt look like a tick....
Student What is that??
Student cactussssssssssssssss
Student EWWWWWWWW :D :(
Student dragon!!!!
Student dragon!!!
Student what is that?
Student dragonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnns
Student wow, like a dragon
Student or chicken!!!!!!!!

Teacher Check out the barbs on this! No wonder they are difficult to get out of your skin!
Student amazing amazing amazing amazing!
Student ew how would u know what a tick looks like??????

Student TURKEY!
Student but scary mountans
Student It looks almost like the bud of a flower!

Student what is that thing?

Student spikey
Student spikes
Student EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Student scary :S
Student HEYYYY ITS A DRAGONNN
Student CACTI
Student cacti r every were
Student I see.
Student kinda like a dinosaur.....
Student CACTI RULE!!!!
Student scaryyyyyyyyyy
Student roar
Student thats kind of nasty...but cool at the same time kind of =/
Student Nahhhh a dragonnn
Student why are you using three computers SEM??
Student why are you using 3 computers
Student rooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Student what are the scales?
Student how do you get a SEM
Student it looks upsidown
Student Thank you thank you very much now i must hand my power over to elliot
Student what are those leaf things?
Bugscope Team those are recurved spines that hold it into your skin

Student it cuts into your blood does it hurt?
Student what are those scales?
Student How big is this contraption???
Bugscope Team it's like a large desk with a 6-foot column on one end
Student what part of the tick is that
Student What are we seeing in the top left corner?

10:51am
Student Are ticks like fleas?
Student what are thoae leaf things that kind of look like a flower\
Student TICK?

Student can you give control to elliot hare
Student na
Student WHAT IS THIS???? ITS KIND OF COOL AND IT HAS SCALES
Bugscope Team that is the part of the tick -- the hypostome -- that sticks into your skin
Student they dont look like flowers
Student It looks like a pattern you would see on a marble!
Teacher Isibeal, ticks are arachnids, remember. But, yes, they are icky.
Student rly?
Student ]
Student bleh
Student it looks like mr. chloes skin
Student whoa
Student what are thiose scales in the background??
Bugscope Team those are bubbles/craters in the carbon tape

Student What's that?
Student where do you purchace a SEM, Ebay?
Bugscope Team it's a $600,000 item; I guess you could buy one there
Student it lookes like sea shells on the sea shore to me

Student what is that acorn like thing
Student ew it looks like a stink bug
Student Oh, arachnid. Then I never want to encounter that arachnid...

Student is the microscope hard to use SEM? :?
Bugscope Team it is pretty easy, really, compared to some of the other microscopes
Student What is the shield thing there?
Student and dust
Student what are the rock things
Student looks like mold
Student I meant skin
Student whats that dirt

Student coolio

Student eww is that skim around it????
Bugscope Team its cuticle, or chitin -- the exoskeleton, which is like what our fingernails are made of
Student what are the dirt, rocky things????

Student it looks like a compound eye
Student ickkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
Student Are those compund eyes?
Student funny face
Student it looks like a clown
Student I mean compound...
Student what kind of bug is it
Student This looks not even real
Bugscope Team yeah sometimes it looks totally unreal
Student It has a nose that looks like elmos nose
Student funny nose...
Student it looks really cool!!!!
Student thats cool it looks like a clown why?
Student it looks like a clown

Student face
Student with chubby checks

Guest Where did we get the mite? Did we send it?
Bugscope Team it was on the field cricket that you sent -- this now is the field cricket
Student That nose looks like elmo's nose

Student So is the shield thing a mite? We were zoomed in that close? Amazing!
Student what are the circle things in the back
Student What are the polka dots in the backround?

Student yup
Student im afraid of clowns....

Student I looks a little like elmo

Student the cheeks are compound eyes!

Student Emily is Emily Pollack and Emmy B is Emily Bassett get it through your head

Student what is that???\

10:56am

Student wat is this part

Student Is that a mite?
Student the cricket has a cool texture'

Student wat is this

Student Emily is Emily P Emmy is Emily B
Student what is that
Student wer is this

Student what is on the mites back?

Student is that a spot on the mite?
Bugscope Team it's some kind of juju
Student harry donut
Student neat picture
Bugscope Team this is a mold spore
Student what are all those things???
Student they look like rock slabs
Student wats that spikey ball
Student Mold? Spore? Gross!!!
Student sorry we got logged off
Student juju means dirt dust, or other
Student thats cool!!!

Student ahhh i get it......... It looks like a snake with moles

Student JUjU
Student what is that spikey thing?
Bugscope Team that is a mold spore, a little desiccated
Student looks like a astroid
Student astroid and an alien

Student is that a boulder?
Student ewww..who wants mold on your face?

Student Elliot? Could you please get closer to the thing shaped like a donout?

Student HOW MAY SCHOOLS HAVE U HAD THIS YEAR?

Student where is the mold?
Bugscope Team that is the spikey thing
Student i cant believe its zoomed in 9527 times

Student hOW MANY SESSIONS DO U HAVE IN A YEAR THIS IS REALLY COOLIO
Bugscope Team about 2 per week
Student whoa cool spikes
Student now 19054 times
Teacher 19,000 times magnification! Amazing!

Teacher We have lunch next and some of the kids want to stay to drive and look around if you ahve the time.
Bugscope Team yeah that is fine; I will grab a sandwich
Student I meant where is the mold on the face?
Student i am first in lunch
Student Magnified 19,054 times???Wow.

Student Thanks, Elliot!

Student What is that spike thing?!?!

Student HUGE spikes!!
Student can it magnify any more?
Student 76216
11:01am

Student ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww mold
Student sem, can the mold hurt the bug???
Bugscope Team yes it will rot it eventually; happens to everything or we would be buried in corpses miles thick

Student WOW MY BROTHER LOVES CHERRIOS I BET HE WOULD JUMP RIGHT INTO THAT SCREEN AND EAT IT

Student so cool... how big is the mold?
Student emmy b. I agree with your bro
Teacher Scott, we don't want to take up your time if you are busy.
Bugscope Team I can go for another hour.
Bugscope Team It's Friday!
Teacher Scott, when you have a chance, Rachel to drive, please.
Student it is now rachels turn
Student we are back!
Student bvudfghvuj
Student GEEEEEZ yuor right this is a powerful microscope
Student yea
Student it is
Student I WIKE CHEEWIOS TOO
Student I meant your
Student can it magnify any more sem?
Bugscope Team um it can but we have to make some changes to be able to do that well
Teacher TGIF! Thanks! Students will have to go to other classes but some can stay for a while.

Student What are "bug peeps"?

Student what is a lacewing

Student what julia said
Student nice
Student its so hairy
Student omg its an owlll
Student whoa are those eyes?
Student but some of us students get pretty hungry when its llunch time (giovanna)
Student it's a bird, it's a plane, it's a bug!

Student oops
Student and nice scales
Student and me micayla!!!
Student it looks really cool!!!
Student pine coney things
Student wowahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Student heyyy its hay
Student it looks like an owl
Bugscope Team yes it does, and it sees in the dark like an owl too
Student look at the eyes!!

Student It looks like it has golf balls for eyes!
Student compound eyes
Student zoom more
Student oh god!!!
Student woahhh compound eyessss
Student the proboscous is in the center rold up

Student ooooohhhh the eyes are AMAZING!
Student look at that eye!!!!!!!!!!!
Student yea it is a compound eye
Student 85659545253652147895632510148465142310054654897602145647524525012450570154705414045/8245728245058454704695016450256108594205322+46752890612315+658876078364578967542/913264789276
Student 9+7
Student omg golf ball
Teacher Fantastic view of the compound eye!!
Student its really cool
Student What is the feather things?

Student emmy. good math
Student THATS COOLIO

Student its sooooooooo cool that you can see into the eye

Student the eye looks like a bee hive
Student zooom into the eye even more
Student it looks like a pine cone
Student is this a butterfly???
Student i didnt meen to
Teacher Save the math for later, please, kids.

11:06am
Student its 16!
Bugscope Team heh
Student it looks like a dauster

Student =16
Student its a bird, its a plane, its a butterfly

Student sorry duster
Student i leaned on the key board and it typed 9+7
Student its a moth
Bugscope Team thanks, Erica
Student hahaha
Student that looks so kol
Student heh?
Student heh
Teacher I think hunger might be getting to some of them. Sorry, Scott.
Student it looks like ginko leaves
Student what does heh mean???????
Bugscope Team like ha ha
Student Heyyy it looks like a flower
Student It looks a little like overlapping leaves on a tree.
Student ihs
Student wat r the lines on the inside of them
Student what is the size range?
Student it looks like an acorn!!!!!!!!
Student 412\
Student Pretty!!
Student i looks like a flower pretty
Student potato chip
Student 412?
Student can I have the scope, it is lunch
Student I have already called dibs
Student THANK U!!!!'
Student Thank you!
Student thnx
Bugscope Team scales provide the colors we see on moth and butterfly wings, and the colors can be both from pigments and structural -- from the width of the ridges on the scales
Student thank you. hope to do this again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guest The moth looks beautiful this close.
Bugscope Team yes it does
Teacher Scott, transfer control to Arthur, please!
Bugscope Team Got it!
Bugscope Team Thank You All!
Student Thank you so much Scott!!! It was sooo awesome!
Bugscope Team Thank you, Emily!
Student Bye SEM!
Bugscope Team Bye!
Student sorry
Teacher "Arthur Barelli" hit a button and logged off. Now he is Arthur.
Bugscope Team got it

Teacher Thanks, Scott!

11:11am
Student looks like a sweater

Bugscope Team Arthur you are the boss of the 'scope for a little while...
Bugscope Team brb

Teacher Huh. That is really interesting about the beam affecting the scale!

Student What are the bumps

Teacher Tick claw. So cool!

11:17am

Student i don't know what you mean blows it around
Bugscope Team the electron beam is very powerful, and the scale is small and fragile, so the energy from the beam can affect the scale and actually cause it to move

Student kind of like a laser gun]

Student how does this work
Bugscope Team the samples are coated with gold-palladium using a sputter coater, and for Bugscope we put about 20 nm of gold-palladium on the surface of the samples.

Bugscope Team and the samples are put in a vacuum chamber. we pump the air out so that the electrons can fly through the vacuum without bumping into air molecules.
Student this a antenea, right?
Bugscope Team yes it is!
Bugscope Team you can see the compound eye below, to the right

Student yeah, were zooming to that

Bugscope Team then we beam electrons at the sample

11:22am
Teacher This antenna is really thin! Is it just part of it?
Bugscope Team the aristate portion of the antennae -- the branched portion that is so thin -- is part of it, and part is the base portion, which I forget the name of. Leafhoppers do have very thin antennae.

Bugscope Team we beam a very fine stream of electrons at the sample - the beam is 2.1 nm in diameter, much smaller than the wavelengths of light, for example
Student I am going to get lunch, be back in 10
Bugscope Team that fine electron beam rasters across the sample like a typewriter, line by line
Teacher I can't believe that the leafhopper antenna didn't break off in transit.
Bugscope Team I am thrilled that your class collected it.
Teacher Scott, Arthur is going to eat. He likes this so much that he will be back in 10.
Bugscope Team I gave you control, Mrs V.
Teacher I know there are some other bugs on the stub. Is there any chance we could look at some of those? Or are there things on the presets you would reccommend?
Teacher Oooh, I finally get to drive! :-)

Bugscope Team there are more flies, like fruitflies, and wasps, and the tiny white jumping thing, which is hardly recognizable but might've been a springtail (Collembola).

11:27am

Bugscope Team I can find anything you wish to see that is not a preset.

Teacher I am going freewheeling to look for some while Arthur's at lunch.
Bugscope Team totally cool

Bugscope Team this has been really fun, and I appreciate everyone's patience when the stage messed up.
Teacher Sorry, I got sick tracked.

Teacher Oops. I meant side-tracked. By the cool features on the leg.
Bugscope Team look now
Bugscope Team pollen and a mold spore
Teacher We totally appreciate the experience! I can't believe how fast you fixed the computer.
Teacher Do you know what those pointy things at the joints are?
Bugscope Team some of those are for proprioception
Teacher The pollen is the spiky thing, right!
Bugscope Team yes it is!

Teacher Beautiful!

Teacher SO COOL!
Bugscope Team and you found it
Teacher I mean, I know it's small but I thought they woudl be smaller.
Teacher Is that pretty big for a pollen grain?
Bugscope Team I think it is probably in the normal range.

Bugscope Team it's about 18 microns in diameter...

Bugscope Team like 9 bacteria in a row wide

Teacher Can I look at the fruit fly if you can find it?
Bugscope Team sure I can find one now
11:33am
Teacher Holy cow! This rocks!
Bugscope Team yay!
Teacher Great! If you can find a fruit fly (or anything else you might happen upon), I'm cool with it.
Student okay, i am back
Teacher Sweet.
Student nice fruit fly

Student definetly a photo shot

Bugscope Team you can see some of the ocelli

Student great scientific purpous

Teacher These have been buzzing around my room annoying me.
Bugscope Team what I like about Bugscope is that we can be the predators and catch things that bother us; and they go to a good purpose, I think

Student lovely

Bugscope Team deus ex machina

Student to me, oh yes
Teacher Does this look focused?
Bugscope Team here you go

Student what are the small hairs
Bugscope Team they;re tiny bristles that are said to give the fruit fly info about wind speed and direction. actually I am not sure about that.

Teacher This is so amazing! I can believe I am looking at the facets of a fruit fly's eye. Maybe I don't mind them so much.
Bugscope Team haha

11:38am

Teacher Do you know why the facets of the eye have bumps?
Bugscope Team they probably make the eye more sturdy, and they give it more surface area

Student you should of made this a land mark, it is so cool
Bugscope Team I did, earlier, but we crashed the 'scope earlier and lost the presets

Teacher Is there a limit to magnification with good focus? Or am I just not focusing well?
Bugscope Team there is a limit because we are at a long working distance
Teacher oops. Went the wrong way with amg.
Teacher mag, I mean.

Teacher Makes sense, thanks.

Teacher Arthur wants to drive, pretty please.
Student can I drive

Bugscope Team when we use this for research, we go to a much shorter working distance that gives us better resolution and thus the ability to kick the mag up

Bugscope Team if we tried to work at a short working distance for Bugscope, the differences in heights of the insects from the base of the stub would be a potential problem. also, we would lose our ability to see a whole insect at low mag -- low mag would not be as low. So we would lose some of the impact of scale for the kids
Teacher Gotcha. That's how you can take pics of bacteria?
Bugscope Team yes it is

Student what is the long pole
Teacher mouthparts?
Bugscope Team sorry I was not watching to see where we are now
11:43am
Teacher no prob. This is bonus time for us.

Bugscope Team okay this is near the fruitfly's mouthparts, which are sponging mouthparts

Bugscope Team those spines let it know when it is close to something

Bugscope Team do you want to see the haltere?
Bugscope Team that's one way we know it's a fly (Diptera)

Student that is sweet, hey arthur how long is all this in real life
Bugscope Team those little dudes are about 5 or 6 mm long
Teacher The answer is always yes when you ask if we want to see something. :-)
Bugscope Team cool

Teacher ALthough I don't remember what a haltere is.
Bugscope Team halteres are modified hindwings that balance the motion of the two wings flies use to fly

Student yeah, you can give it to eddie anytime soon

Bugscope Team this is actually the proboscis, here

Bugscope Team it folds open for cleaning

Teacher Eddie to drive, please.

11:48am

Teacher About 10 more minutes for you, Scott?
Bugscope Team I can go 'til like 1:15 your time, but how about you Mrs V? did you get to eat

Teacher I'm good. I'll eat when we are done. Honestly, I'd rather do this. :-)

Bugscope Team you can see that it has tiny setae that likely help it sense when something is touching it
Teacher Eddie zoomed in for me so I could see the setae. Thanks, Eddie!

Student the juju at the top looks like a asteriod
Bugscope Team yeah that is a mystery

11:53am
Teacher leafhopper proboscis in sight.

Bugscope Team what is surprising about the leafhopper is that it is not covered with brochosomes, like they often are

Teacher They don't seem to have too many of the setae compared to some of the other critters.
Bugscope Team they are likely highly evolved, comparable to roaches; very streamlined
Student what was at the top left corner
Bugscope Team not sure -- the tick is right nextdoor

Teacher tip of the proboscis.
Teacher We caught quite a few leafhoppers on our field trip. I only saved one. Might the others have looked significantly different?
Bugscope Team they would be comparable. leafhoppers produce nanoparticles called brochosomes that they spread on their cuticle in a self-anointing behavior
Teacher Eddie, well done!
Bugscope Team I saw one or two brochosomes earlier but not the masses I'd expected
Teacher Scott, Arthur would like to drive, please.
Bugscope Team got it

Teacher Leafhoppers are much more complex than I thought.

Bugscope Team yeah Mrs V I love leafhoppers so please save some for me in the future if it's easy

Bugscope Team is it alright if I go looking for brochosomes?

Student I am fine, actualluy, please do
Bugscope Team they are formed in the Malpighian tubules.
Teacher Heck, I will start a leafhopper collection for you.
11:58am
Student And i'll put in all I founf
Bugscope Team mold spores...
Student eww, yet fun
Teacher twisty patterns on the setae?

Student is that mold
Student what is the small heart like object
Student whoa, that was quick
Student juju?
Teacher just looked up brochosomes online. way cool. Site I looked at says that there hasn't been a lot of research done on them. True?
Teacher Those twisty things are pretty!
Bugscope Team yeah if you them up in google images you should find some from Bugscope
Bugscope Team they are about 300-400 nm in diameter
Student Scott, if you could choose a few photos, what would they be, if they were put on a T-shirt
Student ?
12:04pm
Bugscope Team I will send you a link.
Student me tooo
Bugscope Team please drive while I do that.
Teacher Excellent!

Bugscope Team http://itg.beckman.illinois.edu/~sjrobin/MaggiesFarm/
Bugscope Team http://itg.beckman.illinois.edu/~sjrobin/Bugscope Images/

Bugscope Team I'd just wanted you all to see the brochs, but that's fine.

Student sorry, holes

Teacher You can look for the brochosomes. We are just talking here about putting some images on t-shirts to wear to school.

Teacher Links don't seem to be working.
Bugscope Team the first one looks like it's incomplete; you have to add that Images/

Bugscope Team If you check out some of the images I sent you should fine some you like
Bugscope Team oops typo

Student i am going to the link, please take over
Teacher OK! We are going to use some of ours for art projects, maybe.
Student what are the dots?
Bugscope Team those are places where setae broke off, pretty sure
Bugscope Team if I was going to spend the money on t-shirts I would use the better images
Student is this a eardrum
Bugscope Team no I think it is the base of a seta
Student sotty, didn't see the answer
12:09pm
Teacher Are we still looking at the leafhopper or another insect?
Teacher Sorry, didn't know I was driving.

Teacher Scott, do you want to look for brochosomes.
Bugscope Team no I want to,let you drive; otherwise I'm spending a bunch of your time

Teacher We are on bonus time (lunch). I don't mind.
Bugscope Team those places were where the scales on the head had broken off

Bugscope Team the deal about the brochs is that they are clearly not in great numbers, and if I found some I would want to change the working distance to give you a better image

Bugscope Team let's look at the fly pupae
Teacher Ok, up to you. If you want to look at brochs we are ok with if. If not, I'll have other fun.

Student hol moley

Bugscope Team fly
Teacher ok, just saw you mentioned the fly pupae. Can you take us there?

Student so this a pre fly
Bugscope Team um I can drive to those, got sidetracked

12:14pm

Bugscope Team haha let me know when you want me to do that

Student how do you get the bugs off the plate
Bugscope Team with a razor blade, right into the trash ; )
Teacher You can go to fly pupa any time you want.

Bugscope Team okay I'm driving now...

Student how can you drive faster
Student nice, polen
Teacher See the pupa.
Student so that is the pupa
Bugscope Team nasty little beastie
Teacher What are those little spikes?
Student this is like a crysalis
Teacher Yeah, definitely nasty.
Bugscope Team ooh yeah it has a trap door
Student can you stay longer?
Teacher I was just going to ask that.
Student trap door, so the pupa isn't their
Teacher About the trap door and the fly getting out.
12:19pm
Bugscope Team insect gang signs
Teacher Scott, I know you have to go soon. Please let us know when you need to pull the plug or we would be tempted to stay all day.
Teacher Cool claw.
Teacher Insect gang signs---haha!
Student why can you drive faster, because you go from the pupa to the pollen in 2 seconds
Bugscope Team I'm using the microscope, not the Bugscope software interface.
Student what is this
Teacher What are we looking at?
Bugscope Team this is one of the wasp's limbs. I'm going to check out another wasp I didn't look at earlier.
Teacher I think the insect here is making a W (for WT--our school)
Student explained
Student mrs. valenty has to do NO teaching today, and is SO happy
Teacher Making me look bad, Arthur. grrr
Student Grrr?
Teacher Will the images you are showing us now be on our "transcript" so we can access them? I don't see them below.
Bugscope Team http://bugscope.beckman.illinois.edu/members/2011-126
12:24pm
Bugscope Team yeah it looks like we're good for that - the images on the transcript
Teacher THanks, Scott. Will the ones from when you were driving the scope be on there?
Student bye scott i have to go
Bugscope Team Bye! Thank You, Eddie!
Teacher THanks. You are too quick for me....you answered before I could ask.
Bugscope Team I think it's time for me to shut down.
Student Bye scott, we have a reading period, and mrs. green has some really comfy chairs
Bugscope Team haha Thank You, Arthur!
Student contact you
Teacher Scott, studyhall is just about over so we need to go, too. Thank you SO much for all of the extra time. As always, it was a fantastic experience!
Student hope that I can get another time with you, how can I contact
Bugscope Team watch the Bugscope page
Bugscope Team sjrobin@illinois.edu
Student I will, see ya
Bugscope Team see ya!
Bugscope Team alright see you, Mrs V!
Bugscope Team Thank You!
Teacher I think we might have a few web mentions. I'll make sure to forward to you! HAve a great weekend!
Teacher Bye!
Bugscope Team Bye!
Bugscope Team You too!

School Name	Winchester Thurston School
School Homepage	www.winchesterthurston.org
Location	Allegheny Pennsylvania, United States
Community	Urban
Type	Private

Subjects Taught	science
Grades Taught	6th Grade
Number of Students	44

Project Title	Insect Adaptations
Insects To Study	will collect on 9/19
Project Description	I have participated in Bugscope for several years. Every year this is one of the most exciting and memorable experiences for my students during our unit about insects. We are taking a field trip to our Lower School campus in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh and will spend the morning there collecting and identifying insects and other small arthropods to send in to Bugscope. During our Bugscope session, we hope to be able to look at some of the specialized features of the bugs we collected, both in terms of specialized adaptations and generalized features all insects share (such as spiracles, antennae, etc). We will then be able to compare these features to others we have seen using standard compound light microscopes. In addition, we can then have a conversation about the limitations and advantages of different kinds of microscopes and why scientists might choose to use each kind. Finally, the live chat with the Bugscope staffers is invaluable as students get to ask questions about the experience of being a scientist as well as about the insects. We also reference this experience in our chemistry unit late r in the year; as we discuss the structure of atoms we refer back to our experience with the SEM and talk more in depth about how it works and why it can take such detailed images.

Session 2011-126 with Winchester Thurston School

Application

The School

The Class

The Project

Miscellaneous

Live Session Transcript

Connected on 2011-12-02 08:20:00 from Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States