A new kind of microscope is giving scientists a way to watch life inside cells with a clarity that feels almost unfair.

Receive emails about upcoming NOVA programs and related content, as well as featured reporting about current events through a science lens. The new microscope uses a 405 nm laser—the same wavelength ...

Microscopes are of three basic types: optical, electron (or ion), and scanning probe. The modern optical or light microscope was developed in the mid-19th century. Optical microscopes use transparent ...