World’s smallest violin’ can’t be seen without a microscope
Written by Angie Sharma on June 10, 2025
A team of physicists from a British university used nanotechnology to create what they dubbed “the world’s smallest violin,” an instrument that can’t be seen without a microscope.
The Loughborough University team said the platinum violin measures 35 microns — a measurement unit equal to one millionth of a meter — long, and 13 microns wide.
The violin is smaller than the diameter of a human hair, which ranges from 17 to 180 microns. Tardigrades, eight-legged micro animals, measure between 50 to 1,200 microns long.
The researchers created the minute musical instrument to demonstrate the abilities of their new nanolithography system, technology that allows scientists to build and study nanoscale objects and structures.
The instrument was chosen as a play on the phrase, “Can you hear the world’s smallest violin playing just for you?” The phrase is an expression of mock pity in response to exaggerated complaints or overly dramatic reactions.
Source : UPI News
