The year 2015 marks the UN international year of light. Light has influenced across multi-disciplines of sciences, engineering, energy and medicine. Lenses form the most important elements of almost all standard optical systems. In refractive lenses, the focal length is intricately linked to the curvature of the lenses.
For centuries, lenses are traditionally made with complex machinery because the need for fine grinding and re-flow moulding techniques to create smooth lens surface. So, how can we simplify such a complex process? Microscopy is the ability to see the very small, is a simple but powerful technique to illustrate the marvels and power of light. The appeal of microscopy, much like astronomy, let us look beyond just focusing light through a simple lens. Microscopy has transformed many fundamental understanding in biology and medicine. in this talk, I shall discuss the role of liquid droplets in optics and our recent discovery in harvesting solid polymer lenses from hanging liquid droplets. These lenses are powerful enough to transform your smartphone into an optical microscope and opens up the world of microscopy to the masses.