Neutron tomography of Van Leeuwenhoek's microscopes

The technique of neutron tomography has, after 350 years, enabled a first look inside the iconic single-lens microscopes of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek. Van Leeuwenhoek's 17th-century discovery of animalcules marks the birth of microbiology. His skillfully self-produced microscope lenses remained unsurpassed for over 150 years. Neutron tomography now enabled us to reveal the lens types Van Leeuwenhoek used. We argue that Van Leeuwenhoek's instruments incorporate some innovations that testify to an awareness of concurrent developments. In particular, our analysis shows that for making his best-performing microscopes, Van Leeuwenhoek deployed a lens-making procedure popularized in 1678 by Robert Hooke. This is notable, as Hooke always wanted to find the secret of Van Leeuwenhoek's lenses, but never managed to do so. Therefore, Van Leeuwenhoek was far from the isolated scholar he is often claimed to be; rather, his secrecy about his lenses was motivated by an attempt to conceal his indebtedness to Hooke.

Automated summary

Neutron tomography has allowed us to peer inside Antoni van Leeuwenhoek's single-lens microscopes for the first time, revealing the types of lenses he used. Analysis shows that his microscopes incorporated some innovations indicating awareness of contemporary developments. Van Leeuwenhoek's use of a lens-making procedure popularized by Robert Hooke in 1678 suggests he was not an isolated scholar, but rather influenced by the trends of his time.