I like to write ... a little

Peering through a powerful microscope that can magnify objects 180 times, Chen Xiaolin is a picture of concentration. In his hand is a carving knife, 10 times thinner than a strand of human hair. His wrist and breath are almost still, the movement of his hand barely perceptible.

"My biggest challenge is keep so still that even my pulse is not a source of disturbance," says Chen, a master of the art of micro-carving, whose latest project is to transfer the Olympic emblem onto the transverse section of a strand of human hair.

Before he gets started on any piece, Chen avoids talking or any kind of sports. "I even avoid household chores or much walking," he says. In fact, anything that can step up the pulse rate.