The laser used on previous 'scopes was a million times the strength of summer sunlight, Phys.org says, which had a fatal effect on cells. Kind of like if you'd spent too much time staring at the eclipse today without protective eyewear.

In addition to being around 1,000 times faster than previous models, Shenwang said that this could grant scientists the ability to see how certain diseases are formed at the cellular level. This has been your confocal microscope update for the day.