A Picture is Worth... A Nano Close-Up of the Animal Kingdom

bear guard hairs image

I have to admit I'm a sucker when it comes to scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Many of the objects and patterns we see in nature that we may think of being bland or uninteresting take on new resonance when seen through the prism of an electron microscope. The microscope allows for an unprecedented level of detail (with magnifications of 1,000 or more) about the object's surface topography, composition and, in some cas...