The Magic of the Microscopic World #CelebratePhotography
Biologist and teacher Carrie Norin uses photography to reveal the unseen beauty around us Via Scientific American
It’s no news to those who follow science that the natural world is astoundingly beautiful—not just on the scale of our ordinary lives, but also in realms too far away or too tiny to be seen with our eyes alone. Artists have discovered this as well, and sometimes, the artists are themselves scientists.
That’s certainly the case with Carrie Norin, an evolutionary biologist who teaches science at Princeton Day School, in New Jersey. Her photographs of the microscopic world reveal a spectacular universe of form and color we would never otherwise notice or have access to. They’re not simply striking to look at, however; they’re also proof that the invisible, relentless hand of evolution by natural selection is responsible for the seemingly infinite variety of life forms on our planet.
Here’s how Norin puts it:
“Through my photography, I explore the interplay between two imperceptible worlds: the infinitesimal scale of cellular biology and the profoundly slow pace of biological evolution. These two worlds lie beyond the boundaries of observation, yet intersect harmoniously, shaping the form and function of all living things. This work aims to honor the evolutionary adaptations that have shaped the plant kingdom for hundreds of millions of years, while revealing their hidden beauty at the cellular level.”
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: Open Hardware is In, New CircuitPython and Pi 5 16GB, and much more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
