The Microscopist's Bench

An experimental, visual-first lab simulation adapted from the JoVE 'Introduction to Light Microscopy' video. Across five stages the learner builds the optical train, sets magnification, focuses without crashing the objective, dials Koehler illumination, and reaches the diffraction limit on real specimens (onion epidermis, blood smear, plant cell, bacteria, diatom). A live eyepiece viewport renders the specimen and blurs or resolves its finest detail in real time, teaching the core lesson: magnification is cheap, resolution is everything.