IBM created a stop-motion video by manipulating and filming individual atoms:
Alex Knapp explains the significance of this technology:
Okay, so scientists can animate atoms. While that’s intrinsically cool, why does it matter? Well, it matters because these techniques can be applied to practical technologies. For example, use of a scanning, tunnelling electron microscope enabled scientists to store a bit of computer data into only 12 atoms last year. On your computer, it takes about 1 million atoms to store that data.