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.”
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