Refer to your Expeditions in Reading book for a complete version of these texts.

Question

How are the ideas presented in “Make Your Own Microscope” and “Stick to Real Microscopes” different?

Responses

“Make Your Own Microscope” states that the best thing about smartphone microscopes is that they can be taken into the field, but “Stick to Real Microscopes” denies that this is an important feature.
“Make Your Own Microscope” states that the best thing about smartphone microscopes is that they can be taken into the field, but “Stick to Real Microscopes” denies that this is an important feature.

The first text includes reasons why making a smartphone microscope was positive for the author, but the second text explains how the author’s personal experience was negative.
The first text includes reasons why making a smartphone microscope was positive for the author, but the second text explains how the author’s personal experience was negative.

“Make Your Own Microscope” claims that a smartphone microscope is an effective tool for everyone, but “Stick to Real Microscopes” proves that scientists would never use a smartphone microscope.
“Make Your Own Microscope” claims that a smartphone microscope is an effective tool for everyone, but “Stick to Real Microscopes” proves that scientists would never use a smartphone microscope.

The first text states that the magnifying power of a smartphone microscope is as good as a real microscope, but the second text presents evidence that real microscopes are much more precise.

Answer 1

The differences in ideas presented in “Make Your Own Microscope” and “Stick to Real Microscopes” can be summarized in the following points:

1. Field Use: “Make Your Own Microscope” highlights the portability and convenience of smartphone microscopes for fieldwork, asserting that this feature is valuable. In contrast, “Stick to Real Microscopes” challenges the significance of this portability, suggesting it may not be as crucial for serious scientific work.

2. Personal Experience: The first text shares positive personal experiences related to making and using a smartphone microscope, while the second text provides a negative account, suggesting that the experience with smartphone microscopes may not meet expectations for some users.

3. Effectiveness for Different Users: “Make Your Own Microscope” posits that smartphone microscopes are effective tools accessible to a broad audience, whereas “Stick to Real Microscopes” argues that professional scientists would not rely on smartphone microscopes due to their limitations.

4. Magnification and Precision: The first text asserts that the magnification capability of a smartphone microscope is comparable to that of a real microscope. In contrast, the second text presents evidence showing that real microscopes offer greater precision and capability, reinforcing their superiority for scientific use.

These contrasting views illustrate the debate over the practicality and effectiveness of smartphone microscopes versus traditional microscopes.