IBM Makes World's Smallest Movie Using Atoms

It seems every summer brings bigger and badder movies than the year before; however, IBM decided to go the complete opposite direction when it set out to make a movie. The company today announced that it had obtained a Guinness World Record for the smallest movie ever made. 

Dubbed "A Boy and His Atom," the movie (which IBM assures has been verified by Guinness World Records) is comprised of just under 250 frames and is a stop-motion action movie that uses thousands of precisely placed atoms to create a story of a friendship that lasts just over a minute.

"Capturing, positioning and shaping atoms to create an original motion picture on the atomic-level is a precise science and entirely novel," said Andreas Heinrich, Principle Investigator, IBM Research. "At IBM, researchers don’t just read about science, we do it. This movie is a fun way to share the atomic-scale world while opening up a dialogue with students and others on the new frontiers of math and science."

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Jane McEntegart
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.