If you were a kid who had an interest in science, the chances are good that you had a microscope that you used to look at stuff like dirt and fingernail clippings up close. And it was awesome! But, sadly, your microscope sucked. It sucked, so, so much, at least compared to the Titan 80-300 Cubed, which is maybe the most badass microscope in the world.

Set up at MacMaster University in Ontario, Canada, the Titan lets researchers zoom in on molecules and atoms far closer than any other microscope ever has. It's an electron microscope, so instead of using lenses like that piece of crap your parents got you when you were a kid, it fires a focused electron beam through whatever you're trying to look at. It detects which got through and which didn't, creating a high-res image of what you're looking at. And yes, it's much too expensive for you to get for yourself, even though you're a grown up now. I'm sorry.

Eurekalert, via io9