Microscopic mold never looked so beautiful
By Kate Ryan
First place: Four-day-old zebrafish embryo (10x) by Dr. Oscar Ruiz
Second place: Polished slab of Teepee Canyon agate (90x) by Douglas L. Moore
Third place: Brain cells from skin cells—specifically, a culture of neurons (stained green) derived from human skin cells, and Schwann cells, a second type of brain cell (stained red), which have started to cover the neuron in the same way these cells interact in the brain (20x) by Rebecca Nutbrown
Fourth place: Butterfly proboscis (6.3x) by Jochen Schroeder
Fifth place: Front foot (tarsus) of a male diving beetle (100x) by Dr. Igor Siwanowicz
Sixth place: Air bubbles formed from melted ascorbic acid (vitamin C) crystals (50x) by Marek Miś
Ninth place: Espresso coffee crystals by Vin Kitayama and Sanae Kitayama
Eleventh place: Scales of a butterfly wing underside (10x) by Francis Sneyers
Seventeenth place: Slime mold (5x) by José R. Almodóvar
If seeing is believing, then we have a very small fraction of the world to believe in. It’s true that we miss much of what’s available to be seen as a result of our brain not wanting to give us more than we can handle. Carnegie Mellon University psychology and neuroscience assistant professor Timothy Verstynen asserts that as much as 90 percent of what we “see” could be fabricated by our brains. Compared to the limited version of reality we’ve grown accustomed to, processing the inessential would likely be paralyzing—or just plain weird.
Trippy perception theories aside, cutting edge photographic technology has given us a window into realms previously unknown to human perception—and we’re not just talking about faraway planets brought to our smartphone screens by NASA. No, Nikon’s Small World Photomicrography Competition has given us an inside look into a world hidden right before our very eyes. The best part? You can experience these micro-worlds for as long or as little as you like.
- Originally appeared at GOOD.is