Comment by Dowwie
5 years ago
The Foldscope Project has been an interesting one-- a low-cost microscope made primarily from paper, offering 140x magnification: https://www.foldscope.com/
"Foldscope Instruments Inc’s mission is to break down the price barrier between people & the curiosity and excitement of scientific exploration!"
A piece of paper and glass for $10? I own $5 pocket microscope from aliexpress with good tube optics (as for $5), bright LED and easy one-hand operation, and it is excellent https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000574841522.html
It is $10 because the money from individual kits is being used to subsidize the foldscopes for classroom kits.
See "Why the difference in price between Deluxe Individual Kits and Classroom Kits?" in the FAQ: https://www.foldscope.com/faq