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A Canadian scientist is bringing all new meaning to "tiny house" with a holiday treat.
Travis Casagrande is an Electron Microscopy researcher in Ontario, Canada has created the world's smallest "gingerbread house".
The gingerbread-style house is 10 times smaller than the width of a human hair.
The creator described the figure's size in more detail.
"Compared to the size of a typical gingerbread house that you might buy in a grocery store kit, mine is 20,000 times smaller."
Casagrande is a researcher at Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) and he created the miniature Christmas treat in order to raise awareness for the Centre's ground-breaking research.
"Our facility contributes to future technology, and that ultimately makes the world a better place."
The house was made out of silicon and the walls were carved out with an ion beam microscope. The ion beam was also used to etch teeny details onto the house, including a wreath, a brick chimney, a Canadian flag doormat, and McMaster University and CCEM logos.
Casagrande placed the house on top of a snowman that is also smaller than a human hair. In a video posted by McMasterUTV, the camera pans out from the house and snowman and shows a hair next to it.
holiday video www.youtube.com
The Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy also posted the video to their Twitter saying,
"Love gingerbread houses but too many calories? The CCEM's got you covered! The world's smallest "gingerbread" house was created in our FIB by staff Research Associate, Travis Casagrande."
The internet is marveling over this tiny wonder.
This is truly incredible work by Travis Casagrande. Wow! https://t.co/ybqffwFYsh— Peter (@Peter)1576883362.0
@CCEMCanada So Lovely! Thanks Travis.— Reza Esmaeilizadeh (@Reza Esmaeilizadeh)1576811808.0
Amazing work by Travis Casagrande of @CCEMCanada at @McMasterU! At @Westbrook_U we focus on small things too. We al… https://t.co/kSDG2yyhdL— Westbrook University (@Westbrook University)1576886481.0
Tiny houses are all the craze and this must be the ultimate one!! Made by @TravisCasagrande with the #Canadian Cent… https://t.co/8yObZ3jLOG— Robert Lufkin MD (@Robert Lufkin MD)1576869195.0
@robertlufkinmd Holy ionics Batman! Cool af.— Goodernu2 (@Goodernu2)1576876178.0
Love this. @McMasterEng researcher Travis Casagrande made this microscopic house to stir scientific curiosity this… https://t.co/qObP7Pxjav— Jessie Park (@Jessie Park)1576851166.0
Love this story! What talent Travis Casagrande! Teeny gingerbread house on top of tiny, tiny snowman, smaller than… https://t.co/6ZTF1jXdkS— Patricia Hughes (@Patricia Hughes)1576759098.0
Very cool! A house that's just 10 microns long 😍 https://t.co/xCWmP7ifhR— Peter Jürgen (@Peter Jürgen)1576771595.0
@CCEMCanada This 6x10µm gingerbread house is over the top, of a snowman ☃️ and cute. Kudos @McMasterU and… https://t.co/OEQhL68ZcX— jon (@jon)1576781903.0
@CCEMCanada Travis is awesome! The Canadian nano-flag is still the winner though.— Mohsen Danaie (@Mohsen Danaie)1576706369.0
No amount of Christmas cheer is too small!
If you have a budding scientist, the AmScope 120X-1200X 52-pcs Kids Beginner Microscope STEM Kit is available here.
