Microscopical Society of Southern California
What's New?

This page logs updates to this web site and is organized in date order, most recent first:

June 30, 2008: Updated membership list, see members area. Added some new links: SKS Science and James McHone's geological microscope site.

June 17, 2008: See program schedule for details of the June meeting which will be held on the 18th.

April 14, 2008: See program schedule for details of the April meeting which will be held on the 16th. Also start collecting your pond water samples - the May meeting is the much-loved and very practical annual Pond Life meeting.

March 17, 2008: See program schedule for details of the March meeting which will be held on the 19th.

January 3, 2008: Happy New Year! See program schedule for details of the January meeting which will be held on the 16th at CalTech in Pasadena - don't forget to rsvp to Jim Solliday by January 6 if you want to attend. Also check out Richard J. Nelson's article on the electron microscope, "Seeing the Very Small."

November 18, 2007: Please note the date change for the November exhibition meeting. This will now be held on the 4th Wednesday of the month (November, 28, 2007) instead of our usual 3rd Wednesday, see program schedule. Also if you plan to attend the MSSC Holiday Banquet on Sunday, December 9, 2007, don't forget to rsvp to Jim Solliday by December 2, see program schedule for more details.

September 20, 2007: Added details of the October meeting, Wednesday, October 17, 2007, see program schedule. Also check out this new link to the Virtual Museum of the History of Mineralogy.

September 17, 2007: Added details of the September meeting, Wednesday, September 19, 2007, see program schedule.

August 15, 2007: Updated membership list, see members area.

August 12, 2007: Added details of the August meeting, Wednesday, August 15, 2007, see program schedule.

July 19, 2007: Updated membership list, see members area.

June 19, 2007: Added details of the June meeting, Wednesday, June 20, 2007, see program schedule. Updated membership list, see members area.

May 11, 2007: Remember this month's meeting is the annual Pond Water night, see program schedule.

April 17, 2007: Added details of the April meeting, Wednesday, April 18, 2007, see program schedule and updated the Links page.

March 19, 2007: Added details of the March meeting, Wednesday, March 21, 2007, see program schedule.

February 19, 2007: Added details of the February meeting, Wednesday, February 21, 2007, see program schedule.

January 15, 2007: Added details of the January meeting, Wednesday, January 17, 2007, see program schedule. For those going on the tour of the Getty Conservation Institute's labs see workshop details under the members area for further information (this tour is now full).

October 16, 2006: Added details of the October meeting, Wednesday, October 18, 2006, see program schedule.

September 18, 2006: Added details of the September meeting, Wednesday, September 20, 2006, see program schedule.

September 12, 2006: This September marks the ten year anniversary of our efforts to provide workshop opportunities under the MSSC label.  MSSC member, George Vitt has put together a copy of the Workshop notes from September 7th 1996, which will bring back to our memory the events of that time.

August 15, 2006: Added details of the August meeting, Wednesday, August 16, 2006, see program schedule.

August 5, 2006: Check out this great presentation by MSSC member Stuart Warter on the "Origin and Development of the Light Microscope." See books and articles section of the news and events page.

July 17, 2006: Added details of the July meeting, Wednesday, July 19, 2006, see program schedule.

June 28, 2006: Don't miss this Saturday's workshop, July 1, 2006, at which Professor Brian Ford will present on the "World's Worst Microscopy," see workshop details under the members area.

June 11, 2006: Added details of the June meeting, Wednesday, June 21, 2006, see program schedule.

April 21, 2006: Remember the next meeting, Wednesday, May 17, 2006, is the annual May Pond Life meeting, see program schedule. Updated membership list, see members area.

April 18, 2006: Added details of the April meeting, Wednesday, April 19, 2006, see program schedule.

March 14, 2006: Added details of the March meeting, Wednesday, March 15, 2006, see program schedule.

February 13, 2006: Added details of the February meeting, Wednesday, February 15, 2006, see program schedule.

January 13, 2006: Added details of the January meeting, Wednesday, January 18, 2006, see program schedule.

January 2, 2006:Check out Richard J. Nelson's new article on "Evaluating A Macro Photography Camera."

January 1, 2006:Happy New Year! Dates for the 2006 program and workshop schedule are now live. Descriptions for each meeting will be posted nearer the meeting date, see program schedule.

The deadline for entry to Nikon's annual Small World Photomicrography Competition is April 28, 2006, and that for Olympus's annual Bioscapes Digital Imaging Competition is September 29, 2006, see news and events page for further information.

December 1, 2005: No meeting this month, instead members are invited to gather for a celebratory dinner on Saturday, December 10, see program schedule.

November 1, 2005: Don't forget this month's meeting on Wednesday, November 16, our annual exhibition night! See program schedule.

October 16, 2005: Added details of the October meeting, Wednesday, October 19, 2005, see program schedule.

September 30, 2005: Vol. 9, No. 2 March/April 2004 Journal available for download from the web site (check the members area).

September 19, 2005: Added details of the September meeting, Wednesday, September 21, 2005, see program schedule.

September 14, 2005: Updated members list, check the members area. See news and events page for details of the 2005 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition, deadline for entries is September 30, 2005.

August 25, 2005: Updated members list, check the members area.

August 15, 2005: Added details of the August meeting, Wednesday, August 17, 2005, see program schedule.

July 19, 2005: Added details of the July meeting, Wednesday, July 20, 2005, see program schedule.

July 14, 2005: Added details of the hands-on workshop on Saturday July 16, 2005, on the fertilization of a Sea Urchin and facilitated by Dr. John Moss, check the members area.

June 13, 2005: Added details of the June meeting, Wednesday, June 15, 2005, see program schedule. Added details of the hands-on workshop on Saturday June 18, 2005, on the preparation of marine specimen slides facilitated by Ed Tarvyd, check the members area.

May 30, 2005: Vol. 8, No. 6 November/December 2003 Journal available for download from the web site (check the members area). Added details of the hands-on workshop on phase contrast, Saturday, August 20, 2005, see workshop information in the members area. The Tri-Ess Science (Student Science) store in Burbank is closing its doors, see Sales for details of its forthcoming final sale dates.

As many of you may know, the Postal Microscopic Society has ceased circulating slides to US members. Alexander Cummins is working to establish a new postal slide exchange for the US, called the American Postal Microscopical Society (APMS), see News and Events for further information.

May 2, 2005: Updated members list see members area. Also don't forget, the annual Pond Water Meeting, Wednesday, May 18, 2005, see program schedule.

April 11, 2005: Added details of the April meeting, Wednesday, April 20, 2005, see program schedule.

March 19, 2005: Vol. 8, No. 5 September/October 2003 Journal available for download from the web site (check the members area). Also if your are interested in photomicrography, check out three new sites added to the Links area: Amateur Microscopy a forum for exchanging microscopy information and photomicrographs, On Closer Inspection is Tom Webster's web site on photomicrography which also includes a gallery of Jim Solliday's work, and Photomacrography.net a resource for photomacrography imagery and information (and sister site to Amateur Photography). Reminder annual membership fee is due.

March 15, 2005: Added details of the March meeting, Wednesday, March 16, 2005, see program schedule. Also uploaded details of the forthcoming MSSC field trip to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium on April 2, 2005, and details of a trip Ed Tarvyd is arranging to San Simeon State Park on April 29 - May 2, 2005, see workshop listings under the members area.

February 13, 2005: Added details of the February meeting, Wednesday, February 16, 2005, see program schedule. Also uploaded Jim Solliday's powerpoint presentation of the Madrona Marsh Field Trip in 2003 (see workshop descriptions under members area) and the 2003 Holiday Banquet Slideshow of crystal forms, see 2003 meeting schedule.

January 26, 2005: Updated membership list, see members area.

January 18, 2005: Added details of the January meeting, Wednesday, January 19, 2005, see program schedule.

January 2, 2005: The members' area is working again. The 2005 meeting schedule has been posted to the web site.

December 29, 2004: The web site is back up, but the members' pages are still unavailable. Please bear with us while we try to get this resolved. Added details of the 2005 meeting schedule, see program schedule. Added some new links to the Links Page for identifying diatoms, check out Microscopy-UK's Pond Life Identification Kit, Indiana University's Paleolimnology & Diatom Home Page, a site cataloging the inventory of diatoms of the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America, and Cardiff University's Diatom and desmid identification site. Finally, ever been stuck needing an illuminant, but with no batteries or power source to hand, then check out Richard J. Nelson's article on the LED "Forever Flashlight."

December 27, 2004: We have been experiencing some intermittent web site hosting problems. Please bear with us while we try to get this resolved.

November 1, 2004: Added details of the November exhibition meeting, Wednesday, November 17, 2004, see program schedule.

October 9, 2004: Added details of the October meeting, Wednesday, October 20, 2004, see program schedule.

September 10, 2004: Added details of the September meeting, Wednesday, September 15, 2004, see program schedule.

August 16, 2004: Added details of the August meeting, Wednesday, August 18, 2004, see program schedule.

August 13, 2004: Updated membership list, see members area. Added a link to Askland Scientific on the links page. New McCrone sponsored online Microscopy Journal, and the Fourth Annual Southeast Micromounters Gathering and Workshop in February 2005 - see news and events page.

August 2, 2004: Updated membership list, see members area.

July 17, 2004: Updated contacts page and membership list, see members area.

July 7, 2004: Updated membership list, see members area. Remember the practical diatom mounting workshop in July (check the members area).

June 25, 2004: Deadline for entries to the 2004 Nikon Small World competition is approaching (June 30), course on light microscopy at UC Santa Barbara (September 13-17), next Mineralogical Society of Southern California show is in Long Beach (October 16-17) - see news and events for further details on all these. Updated membership list, see members area.

June 11, 2004: Added further details of the June meeting, see program schedule. Also updated membership list, see members area.

June 6, 2004: Added details of the June, July, and September meetings, see program schedule. Also new items for sale on the sales page. Membership list updated and added details of the practical diatom mounting workshop in July (check the members area).

June 4 , 2004: Vol. 8, No. 4 July/August 2003 Journal available for download from the web site (check the members area).

May 15, 2004: Sales page added. See microscope equipment for sale under Items for Sale. Also updated membership list, see members area. Don't forget the annual Pond Life meeting on Wednesday, May 19, 2004. An old friend of the MSSC, Bill Akersten is looking for invertebrate specimens - can you help?, see news and events.

May 13, 2004: Added details of the practical workshop on Saturday May 14, 2004 at Santa Monica College at 9:00am (for members only - check the members area for full details).

April 23, 2004: Celebrating the one year anniversary of the MSSC's new Web site! Check out the picture of George Vitt and Gaylord Moss on MSSC's first anniversary in 1997, on the home page temporarily and also at the end of the MSSC history page. Updated links. Added a link to Mathew Cobb's site on Swammerdam's work. Added details of the annual pond life meeting on May 19, 2004. Also don't forget about Opfer's forthcoming microscope auction of antique microscopes on May 3, 2004 in Timonium, Maryland, see Items for Sale.

April 12, 2004: Added details of the meeting on April 21, 2004.

March 17, 2004: Added details of the meeting on March 17, 2004. Also practical workshop on fresh water pond life coming up this Saturday for members only (check the members area).

March 13, 2004: Vol. 8, No. 3 May/June 2003 Journal available for download from the web site (check the members area). Also added more to the MSSC History.

February 15, 2004: Added details of the meeting on February 18, 2004. Also added a link to Steve Durr's Web site which provides an introduction to photomicrography with many good photos of protozoa, algae and bacteria. Also check out UC Santa Barbara's Advance Course on Light Microscopy, March 22-26, 2004.

Remember that annual membership dues are now due - see the new process, checks made payable to our new Treasurer "Herb Gold - MSSC".

For members only (remember to sign in first if you haven't already done so, to access these links) - please note the change of workshop location for the next three months. Also check out details of the hand-ons practical workshops.

January 28, 2004: Added 2004 Meeting Schedule. Also updated the membership list (check the members area). Interested in polarized light microscopy? - check out the course offered by the New York Microscopical Society on the news and events page.

January 17, 2004: Due to health issues our Treasurer, Dave Hirsch, has resigned and will be turning his duties over to MSSC member Herb Gold. Dave has been serving as our Treasurer for over 27 years and has flawlessly maintained the fiscal order of our group, we all offer him our deepest gratitude for his long service. If you have any receipts or claims that have not yet been paid you have until the end of January 2004 to submit them to Dave Hirsch (see Contacts). Members dues are normally collected at the beginning of each year for the period Jan to Dec, however, the By-Laws provide for a grace period of up to but not to exceed three months. For this year only, we will be collecting the dues from February to December with no interruption in membership.

December 5, 2003: Please join members at the MSSC Holiday Banquet on December 14, 2004, click here for more details. Also updated the membership list (check the members area).

November 17, 2003: Sorry for the delay in updating the site, I've not had computer access for a while due to moving house. Come and join us for the Society's Annual Exhibition Meeting on Wednesday October 19, see program schedule for full details. Vol. 8, No. 2 March/April 2003 Journal available for download from the web site (check the members area).

October 11, 2003: Come and join us for a lecture on Zoonotic Larval Nematode Infections and Childhood Diseases by Dr. Lawrence Ash, Department of Biological Sciences, UCLA on Wednesday October 15, see program schedule for full details. Updated news and events page. Replaced image on homepage to an incredible diatom photo by MSSC member John deHaas.

September 12, 2003: Come and join us for a lecture on oral biofilms by Dr. Clifton Franklund, Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach on Wednesday September 17, see program schedule for full details.

September 1 , 2003: Added photo of Ken Miller to the contact us page. Added links to the web sites for The Postal Microscopic Society, Virtual Museum of Microscopy, MicroLinks, Molecular Expressions Microscopy Primer, and WARD'S Natural Science Establishment, Inc. under links.

August 15, 2003: August meeting details added.

August 1, 2003: MSSC History pages added.

July 10, 2003: 2003 Journal archives updated (check the members area).

June 16, 2003: How to Join page added.

May 16, 2003: Added photos of the MSSC Officers on the contact us page.

April 23, 2003: News and Events pages added.

April 16, 2003: MSSC web site relaunched at www.msscweb.org