THIS IS A BUTTERFLY! (Scanning Electron Microscope) - Part 2 - Smarter Every Day 105 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Butterfly wings use nanotechnology to create vibrant colors and intricate patterns.

Key Insights

• 🙂 Butterfly wings have scales with intricate nanostructures that interact with light to create vibrant colors.
• 😘 Scanning electron microscopes are instrumental in studying the structure of butterfly wings and their scales.
• 🙂 The colors we see on butterfly wings are often not their true colors and are a result of interactions with light.

Transcript

[music] Hey it's me Destin. Welcome back to Smarter Every Day. I am crossing the street in Atlanta Georgia, you can see the dome in the background and I'm at Georgia State University and I've got a box of butterfly wings. I'm trying to unravel a mystery that I uncovered in the rainforest. We discovered that when we dropped a butterfly and he starte... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How do scanning electron microscopes work?

Scanning electron microscopes work by using electrons to scan the surface of a sample, measuring secondary electrons that are produced and creating a grey scale image.

Q: How do butterfly wings achieve their vibrant colors?

Butterfly wings achieve their vibrant colors through nanostructures on their scales, which interact with light and strip out certain wavelengths, creating colors such as blue and green.

Q: Are the colors we see on butterfly wings their true colors?

No, the colors we see on butterfly wings are not their true colors. Scanning electron microscopes use electrons instead of light, so scientists often create false color images to help visualize the nanostructures on the wings.

Q: How are scales attached to butterfly wings?

Scales are attached to butterfly wings through small, hollow stumps. These stumps can be worn away through normal wear and tear, causing the scales to be plucked out.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Researchers at Georgia State University used scanning electron microscopes to study the structure of butterfly wings and the scales that give them color.

• They discovered that the scales on butterfly wings have a complex nanostructure that interacts with light to create colors, such as blue and green.

• The scales are attached to the wings through small, hollow stumps, which can be worn away through normal wear and tear.