I'm pretty sure the fly was already dead when they did this. If not, I'm even more certain that the intense electron beam involved in the electronmicroscopy used to make the image would have finished him off.

The hard vacuum and the deposited metal coating are also not things calculated to make a critter thrive.

a waste of money??? they can test their abilities in making things small without worrying about screwing up. its not the fact that they put glasses on a fly that people would give them money for. its the fact that they CAN do it.

its like saying youre going to stop cheering for a team because they waste time and effort practising for a game when all they do is play against each other and do drills.

Sure, it's just a demonstration of their micro-machining capabilities. If they made a tiny gear and magnified it enough for you to see, it would just look like a gear big enough to see.
This puts the scale into perspective in a way people can relate to. :)

I'd like to see a lot more of these micro shots. Hell, I had a fly in my eye yesterday and I couldn't see him this well. Time to break out the old microscope. Fleas are really weird to see in this magnafication. I'm glad insects are small. Imagine a 150 lb. fly. ouch.

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/micr...nsect/flea.jpg gross