Amazing Nano-Sculptures The Size Of A Grain Of Sand

Allow me to reiterate: THESE ARE THE SIZE OF A FREAKING GRAIN OF SAND. Researchers in Vienna set a world record by making these astoundingly tiny sculptures in four minutes.

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HANDOUT / Reuters

A handout electron microscope photograph shows a nano-scale model of Wormser gate in Frankenthal, Germany, created by a newly developed 3D printing technique for nano structures, made available to Reuters March 29, 2012. Researchers from the Vienna University of Technology have set a new world speed record for creating 3D nano objects. The University team create their grain of sand-size structures in just four minutes, a fraction of the time that other items have previously been printed. Previously making complex large 3D structures would take hours or even days but with the newly developed 3D laser printer the scientists can speed that up by a factor of 500 or in some cases 1,000 times. The process called "two-photon lithography" involves using a focused laser beam to harden liquid resin in order to create micro objects of solid polymer. The scientists said the technique could be developed to make small biomedical parts to be used by doctors.

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HANDOUT / Reuters

The Vienna Technical University logo.

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HANDOUT / Reuters

Vienna's St. Stephans cathedral.

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HANDOUT / Reuters

F1 racing car.

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HANDOUT / Reuters

London's Tower-Bridge.

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HANDOUT / Reuters

A human figure.