current paper i'm reading

"High-precision modular microfluidics by micromilling of interlocking injection-molded blocks"

http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2017/LC/C7LC00951H

yep

it's about making microfluidic systems out of lego

like, literally lego

#heckin #science

"Repeatability of mounting LEGO bricks on a LEGO baseplate was measured by placing randomly selected pairs of same-size bricks onto a baseplate, and measuring brick position using an optical microscope (Zeiss Z1m)"

2/?

@bea ... please tell me taxpayer dollars were not spent on this

@Elizafox i mean... i have to assume they were but i don't really see why it's a bad thing?

@bea cause this would be a frivolous use that could be better put to something else, given there's not much to go around? (thanks government)

@Elizafox frivolous how?! if you can make good microfluidic systems from this stuff it's important!

@bea ... you need a microscope to do it

those things are not cheap

you might as well 3D print this stuff or focus on making that possible

@Elizafox the paper is LITERALLY about why 3d printing is unsuitable for things and why using stock injection molded parts can have advantages?????

@bea @Elizafox irrelevent nitpick too: it's the micromill that's gonna cost you, not the microscope

@er1n @Elizafox the mill is only 5k, microscope probably similar honestly

@bea @Elizafox hmmmm wow
but yeah the whole point is that you just _can't_ 3dp most microfluidics stuff because 3d prints end up weird and ridgy and leaky and terrible
and this is a cheap way of actually making something that works lol