World’s smallest magazine cover is the size of a red blood cell
Simon Ostrovsky, the US reporter for Vice News who was abducted two days ago by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, has been freed. He was kidnapped in Slavyansk because, according to the city’s self-proclaimed mayor, Viacheslav Ponomariov, earlier today, he had been guilty of “one-sided” reporting (see interview here).
But Ostrovsky was released without harm about 40 minutes ago. Vice News then issued this statement:
Vice News is delighted to confirm that our colleague and friend Simon Ostrovsky has been safely released and is in good health.
We would like to thank everyone for their support during this difficult time. Out of respect for Simon and his family’s privacy, we have no further statement at this time.
Other journalists are still being held by the separatists, such as Irma Krat. Others have disappeared in eastern Ukraine.
Sources: Vice News/ABC
This nanoscale version of the cover of National Geographic Kids measures 11 by 14 thousandths of a millimetre. Photograph: National Geographic It looks much like any other cover of the children’s magazine National Geographic Kids. Cuddly animals: check. Free Sea Turtle poster: check. Story about rescued hippos: check. Only the lack of colour and the slight graininess make you suspect it might be something other than the real thing. In fact the reason for these imperfections is that this magazine cover is so small that a single human red blood cell would cover most of it. It measures just 11 by 14 thousandths of a millimetre, and is invisible to the naked eye.
On Friday at the US National Science and Engineering Festival in Washington DC, the Guinness Book of Records confirmed that this is the smallest magazine cover in the world. It has been carved out of a lump of plastic using a silicon needle 100,000 times sharper than the sharpest pencil tip. The contrast of the image reflects the topography of the surface: the higher it is, the lighter it appears. The National Geographic Kids cover was created by physicists after the magazine ran a readers’ poll to discover their favourite image. Although the researchers expect the technique will be used mainly as a research tool for universities, novelty applications like this might prove popular too. It could be used to add security tags to artworks, passports and personalised Swiss watches that would be virtually impossible to forge. Some companies have already used nanopatterning methods to write the entire Bible on a crucifix for especially devout customers, and even to engrave tiny patterns on the surface of chocolate that scatter light to create different colours.
Culled from theguardian