The black box activity described in this article, created as part of the National Science Foundation-funded Internships in Public Science Education Program (IPSE) at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, introduces students to the idea of remote imaging and scanning probe microscopy (SPM). The activity can be incorporated into chemistry or other physical science classes to meet content standards on the structure and properties of matter, and technological design (NRC 1996, pp. 178 and 192).