Virtual reality: Ralph Hollis, IBM, NY "Feeling" Gold Atoms working with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) (at right) linked to a tele-robotic manipulation system with atomic scale force-feedback. The minute movements of the STM's probe as its traverses the gold sample surface is linked to a force-feedback magic wrist, enabling the scientist, whose hand is in contact with the magic wrist, to feel the texture of the gold atoms. In background is a false-color STM image of the gold surface, revealing the cobbled pattern of individual atoms. The photo was taken at IBM's Thomas Watson Research Centre, Yorktown Heights, New York. (1990)