Though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide...

September 26, 2011 8:49 AM

Since 1977, Nikon has held a Small World Photomicrography Competition, to showcase that which cannot be seen with the naked eye. This year's winner will be announced in November, but until October 31, we have been invited to vote for one of this years' 115 finalists to receive the 'Small World Popular Vote Award.'

Here are 2010's popular fan favorites.

Winners' galleries from previous years.

Neatorama has a selection of this year's finalists in a single page format.

Previously on MeFi: 2008, 2007, 2003.

"The subject matter for this year's contest was unrestricted and any type of light microscopy technique was acceptable, including phase contrast, polarized light, fluorescence, interference contrast, darkfield, confocal, deconvolution, and mixed techniques."

Nikon also runs MicroscopyU, which features a free selection of desktop wallpapers and Windows screensavers, and is now accepting digital still and video entries for the 2012 contest.

posted by zarq (13 comments total)

Missed a "previously on mefi" link: in 2005 Gator posted a link to the contest, along with a few nice photomicrography pics from other sites.
posted by zarq at 9:00 AM on September 26, 2011

You forgot 2005.
posted by Gator at 9:00 AM on September 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Heh.
posted by Gator at 9:00 AM on September 26, 2011

:D
posted by zarq at 9:02 AM on September 26, 2011

Geeze, get a room.

(Awesome links, guys)
posted by DigDoug at 9:23 AM on September 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

One of the submissions was made by the online curator of the Micropolitan Museum.
posted by zarq at 9:36 AM on September 26, 2011

Special snowflake details inside.
posted by 3FLryan at 9:39 AM on September 26, 2011

These photographs are amazing. Thank you!

I like to think that sensory augmentation will one day incorporate microscopic vision. How germy is that door handle? Is that glass beginning to crack? Is that fly looking at me funny? Are there parasites in my water? Are there viruses in my blood? Zoom in and find out!
posted by troll at 9:58 AM on September 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

You really don't want to know most of those things.
posted by maryr at 10:06 AM on September 26, 2011 [4 favorites]

Does anyone know if there is an equivilent contest for SEM images anywhere? Or repository of cool SEM images? It seems to me the amount of 'SEM micrographs as art' is dwarfed by light microscopy. One day, if I have a basement and at least 4k, I'd like to own one of these bad boys.
posted by SouthCNorthNY at 10:18 AM on September 26, 2011

thanks that was fun... some amazing pictures - reminds me of the days I was doing microscopic research!
posted by TolkienLibrary at 10:34 AM on September 26, 2011

troll, TolienLibrary, you're very welcome. :)



troll: " How germy is that door handle? Is that glass beginning to crack? Is that fly looking at me funny? Are there parasites in my water? Are there viruses in my blood?"

*shudder*

That way lies madness.
posted by zarq at 8:22 PM on September 26, 2011

Looks like we didn't have to wait until November: We have a winnah!

Gallery.
posted by zarq at 7:44 AM on October 4, 2011