http://www.sciencephotogallery.com Science Photo Library Print Store > Counterpoint http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/templates/sciencephotogallery/images/printlogo.jpg http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/templates/sciencephotogallery/images/mobilogo.gif Copyright Science Photo Library - All Rights Reserved 2008-12-01T05:41:55Z en-gb 86400 Digital Media Commerce Server from Media Storehouse Ltd Magnetic field. Bar magnet with iron filings aligned around it. The magnetic field induces magnetism in each of the filings, which then line up in the field. Although the field is actually continuous, interactions between the filings cause them to accumulate in thin arcing lines. > Counterpoint Copyright Cordelia Molloy / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041141/Magnetic-field.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041141/1041141.jpg 2008-05-25T16:36:36Z dmcs-1041141 Young sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) growing in woodland. Photographed in Niedersachsen, Germany. > Counterpoint Copyright Bjorn Svensson / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041142/Young-sycamore-Acer-pseudoplatanus.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041142/1041142.jpg 2008-05-25T16:36:46Z dmcs-1041142 Hybrid tea rose flowers (Rosa 'Sunny Eudora'). > Counterpoint Copyright Brian Gadsby / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041143/Hybrid-tea-rose-Rosa-Sunny-Eudora.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041143/1041143.jpg 2008-05-25T16:37:14Z dmcs-1041143 Europe at night. Satellite image of the Earth at night, set against a background of stars, centred on the continent of Europe. North is at top. City lights (yellow) show areas of dense population. Europe's highest population concentration is in the Netherlands (centre left). Paris and Madrid are clearly visible, along with large cities in the UK, Germany, Italy and on the densely populated Mediterranean coast. In contrast, Eastern Europe is less well developed. The Sahara Desert (lower centre) and the Arctic (top) are uninhabited. India (lower right) and part of Canada (upper left) are also seen. Image data obtained in 2001 by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). > Counterpoint Copyright Nasa / Noaa / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041144/Europe-at-night-satellite-image.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041144/1041144.jpg 2008-05-25T16:37:51Z dmcs-1041144 Aurora borealis over the treeline. The aurora borealis (northern lights) is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs at high latitudes, appearing as shimmering bands of coloured light in the sky. It occurs when charged particles in the solar wind are directed towards the poles by Earth's magnetic field. There they collide with atoms in the upper atmosphere, causing them to emit light. The colour of the light depends on the gas involved. Green is produced by excited atomic oxygen. Photographed in Bettles, northern Alaska. > Counterpoint Copyright Chris Madeley / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041145/Aurora-borealis-in-Alaska.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041145/1041145.jpg 2008-05-25T16:37:58Z dmcs-1041145 Cracked mud bleached and dried out by the sun. > Counterpoint Copyright Paul Rapson / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041146/Cracked-mud.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041146/1041146.jpg 2008-05-25T16:38:51Z dmcs-1041146 Tornado moving over rural land creating a large debris cloud. A tornado is a violent rotating column of air characterised by a funnel-shaped cloud that forms within thunderstorms. They can measure up to 100 metres in diameter, contain winds moving at over 500 kilometres an hour, and cause widespread devastation. Tornadoes are most common in the mid-west USA. Photographed in Kansas, USA. > Counterpoint Copyright Eric Nguyen / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041147/Tornado.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041147/1041147.jpg 2008-05-25T16:39:02Z dmcs-1041147 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Fissure in a paved street in San Francisco, California, USA, caused by the large earthquake that occurred on the San Andreas fault on 18 April 1906. The epicentre was just off the coast of the city. This is in the area of Eighteenth Street, looking east to Folsom Street. Ruptures like these occurred along the fault line for 470 kilometres. The earthquake was one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the USA. Most of the damage and deaths were from the fire caused by the earthquake. This was one of the first major disasters to be recorded by photography. This photograph, now in the Karl V. Steinbrugge Collection, is from the Bear Photo Collection. > Counterpoint Copyright Uc Regents, Natl. Information Service For Earthquake Engineering / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041149/1906-San-Francisco-earthquake-damage.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041149/1041149.jpg 2008-05-25T16:39:59Z dmcs-1041149 Stone age burial remains. Fossilised skeleton of a late stone age (neolithic) human. This skeleton is thought to be that of a young woman who died about 5000 years ago. At this time, the inhabitants of the region were anatomically-modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens). The small discs seen around her neck are the remnants of jewellery. The skeleton was found during the construction of a road in France, and is known as the Lady of Caissargues. > Counterpoint Copyright Pascal Goetgheluck / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041150/Stone-age-human-skeleton.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041150/1041150.jpg 2008-05-25T16:41:53Z dmcs-1041150 Amazon Basin. Satellite image of the Amazon Basin (highlighted area) in northern South America. North is at top. Water is blue, and land is colour-coded according to elevation above sea level: dark green (sea level), pink (2000 metres), and white (4500 metres). The Amazon Basin, over 7 million square kilometres in area, is the drainage basin of the Amazon River and is the largest in the world. The source of the Amazon lies high in the Andes mountain (down left). The waters drain eastward through the vast Amazon Rainforest, emerging at the mouth of the Amazon (upper right). In 2007, a new source for the Amazon was reported in southern Peru, which would make the Amazon the world's longest river. This image combines Shuttle Radar Topography Data and HydroSHEDS river data. > Counterpoint Copyright Nasa / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041151/Amazon-Basin-satellite-image.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041151/1041151.jpg 2008-05-25T16:42:03Z dmcs-1041151 Salt pans. Aerial photograph of man-made salt pans in the western Sahara desert. These shallow pools are filled with salt water from underground springs. The water is left to evaporate leaving a crust of salt that is then mixed with soil. The soil contains minerals and bacteria that enrich the salt and produce the various colours seen here. The mixture is then left to dry to allow the salt to crystallise. This enrichment process may be repeated several times. The final product is sold as an animal feed supplement. Photographed in Teguidda-n-Tessoumt, Niger, Africa. > Counterpoint Copyright George Steinmetz / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041152/Salt-pans-Niger.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041152/1041152.jpg 2008-05-25T16:43:42Z dmcs-1041152 Terracotta warriors, Xian, China. A full army of terracotta warriors were created to guard the tomb of Quin Shihuang, the first emperor of China, who died in 210 BC. It was discovered by farmers digging a well in 1974. This is a view of pit #1. It is now a World Heritage site. > Counterpoint Copyright Nature's Images / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041153/Tomb-of-Terra-cotta-warriors-near-Xian.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041153/1041153.jpg 2008-05-25T16:43:59Z dmcs-1041153 Razor blades. > Counterpoint Copyright Daniel Sambraus / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041154/Razor-blades.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041154/1041154.jpg 2008-05-25T16:44:30Z dmcs-1041154 Alzheimer's disease. Coloured axial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain of a 65- year-old patient with Alzheimer's disease. The front of the brain is at top in this view from below. The progression of this degenerative disease has caused atrophy in both halves of the brain, but especially at upper right and upper left (brown areas). The ventricles (centre, purple) have also been affected and are dilated from their normal size. The causes of Alzheimer's are poorly understood, but it is associated with the formation of plaques of an insoluble protein (amyloid) in the brain, and decreased levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It is incurable, but the symptoms can be treated with drugs to raise acetylcholine levels. > Counterpoint Copyright Zephyr / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041155/Alzheimers-disease-MRI-scan.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041155/1041155.jpg 2008-05-25T16:44:35Z dmcs-1041155 Kidney stone crystals, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Kidney stones are usually formed by the precipitation of the mineral salt calcium oxalate from the urine. The resulting hard, round stones (calculi) may cause severe pain, especially as they pass down the urinary tract. Large stones may need to be surgically removed or broken down using ultrasound therapy. > Counterpoint Copyright Steve Gschmeissner / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041156/Kidney-stone-crystals-SEM.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041156/1041156.jpg 2008-05-25T16:45:42Z dmcs-1041156 MODEL RELEASED. Malnourished child. The child's swollen abdomen is a sign of malnutrition. It is caused by an accumulation of fluid (oedema) and is due to a poor diet or lack of food. Photographed in Gulu, Uganda. > Counterpoint Copyright Mauro Fermariello / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041157/Malnourished-child.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041157/1041157.jpg 2008-05-25T16:45:57Z dmcs-1041157 Scarring caused by self harm on a woman's arm. Self harm is physical injury inflicted by an individual upon themselves. It is often a manifestation of emotional distress - the physical pain inflicted serving to briefly relieve emotional pain. One of the most common forms of self harm is cutting, which over a prolonged period of time leads to the scarring seen in this image. > Counterpoint Copyright La La / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041158/Scarring-caused-by-self-harm.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041158/1041158.jpg 2008-05-25T16:47:13Z dmcs-1041158 MODEL RELEASED. Weight loss. Protruding ribs of a nude woman, illustrating severe weight loss. This could be the result of an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, a disorder that mostly affects teenage girls and young women. Food is avoided for fear of becoming fat, and severe weight loss can require hospital treatment to regain weight and a healthy body. Psychotherapy may be necessary to prevent a relapse. > Counterpoint Copyright Helen Mcardle / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041159/Weight-loss.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041159/1041159.jpg 2008-05-25T16:47:20Z dmcs-1041159 Fractured leg bones. Coloured X-ray of a double fracture in the lower right leg of a male patient. Both the thicker tibia (shin bone) and the thinner fibula behind it have broken in the same place. At upper left is the knee, where these bones meet with the femur (thigh bone). Such fractures are usually caused by severe force, such as a fall or a car accident. This fracture was treated by surgical realignment performed under anaesthesia. The bone ends were then immobilised, using metal pins and plates, to allow the broken pieces to reunite firmly. In an adult a weight-bearing bone such as the tibia may take up to six months to knit together completely. See M330/1681 and M330/1682 for the fracture after treatment. > Counterpoint Copyright Gustoimages / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041160/Fractured-leg-bones-X-ray.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041160/1041160.jpg 2008-05-25T16:48:15Z dmcs-1041160 MODEL RELEASED. Ageing. Faces of an elderly woman and a girl side by side. > Counterpoint Copyright Coneyl Jay / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041161/Generations.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041161/1041161.jpg 2008-05-25T16:50:52Z dmcs-1041161 Blood-filled syringe. Old fashioned syringe filled with blood. > Counterpoint Copyright Helen Mcardle / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041162/Blood-filled-syringe.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041162/1041162.jpg 2008-05-25T16:52:02Z dmcs-1041162 Foot in shoe. Coloured X-ray of a woman's foot seen in side view, wearing a high-heel shoe. In this shoe the foot is forced to rest mainly on its toes. Bones and soft tissues of the lower leg and foot are visible. The ankle (at centre) links the leg to the foot. The lower leg bones are the tibia and fibula. The foot comprises many bones, including the calcaneus (heel bone), several tarsal bones, five metatarsals, culminating in the phalanges bones of the toes. > Counterpoint Copyright Gustoimages / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041164/Foot-in-high-heel-shoe.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041164/1041164.jpg 2008-05-25T16:53:06Z dmcs-1041164 Blood vessels. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a resin cast of blood vessels in the penis. A branching network of fine vessels infiltrates the tissue of the penis, supplying it with blood. Gases and nutrients are exchanged between the blood and surrounding tissue through the permeable walls of capillaries, the smallest blood vessels. The cast was made by injecting resin into the blood vessels. The surrounding tissues were then chemically digested. Magnification: x36 at 6x7cm size. > Counterpoint Copyright Susumu Nishinaga / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041165/Blood-vessels-SEM.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041165/1041165.jpg 2008-05-25T16:53:13Z dmcs-1041165 Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. Fluorescent light micrograph of Purkinje cells (green) in the cerebellum of the brain. Purkinje nerve cells have a flask-like body from which numerous highly branched dendrites extend. They are found in the grey matter (cortex) of the cerebellum, at the boundary between the granular layer (blue/red) and the molecular layer (red/green). The dendrites relay signals to the cell body, which passes them on through its single axon (green) in the granular layer. The cerebellum is a structure at the base of the brain that plays an important role in motor control, sensory perception and learning. Magnification: x380 when printed 10cm wide. > Counterpoint Copyright Thomas Deerinck, Ncmir / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041166/Purkinje-nerve-cells-in-the-cerebellum.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041166/1041166.jpg 2008-05-25T16:53:56Z dmcs-1041166 A close up view of a human eye. > Counterpoint Copyright Raul Gonzalez Perez / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041167/Human-Eye.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041167/1041167.jpg 2008-05-25T16:54:04Z dmcs-1041167 Fertilisation. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of sperm (blue) attempting to penetrate a human egg (brown). Each sperm (spermatozoa) has a rounded head and a long tail with which it swims. Women usually release one egg (ovum) per month, whereas men release millions of sperm in each ejaculation. Only one of these sperm can penetrate the egg's thick outer layer (zona pellucida) and fertilise it. Fertilisation occurs when the sperm's genetic material (deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA) fuses with the egg's DNA. When this occurs the egg forms a barrier to other sperm. Magnification: x650 when printed 10 centimetres wide. > Counterpoint Copyright Eye Of Science / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041168/Fertilisation-SEM.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041168/1041168.jpg 2008-05-25T16:54:39Z dmcs-1041168 Skin surface. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the pattern seen on the skin of the lower arm and hand. This skin is taken from a 40-year-old man. The outer layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, is made up of dead cells that are constantly shed and replaced by new cells from the epidermis below. Magnification: x30 when printed 10cm wide. > Counterpoint Copyright Eye Of Science / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041169/Human-skin-SEM.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041169/1041169.jpg 2008-05-25T16:54:46Z dmcs-1041169 MODEL RELEASED. Naked woman bowing her head, with her arms behind her back. > Counterpoint Copyright Franklyn Rodgers / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041170/Naked-woman-bowing.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041170/1041170.jpg 2008-05-25T16:55:32Z dmcs-1041170 MODEL RELEASED. Long jump. Composite high-speed photograph of an athlete performing a long jump.This effect was achieved by photographing the athlete by sequentially triggering several cameras using shutter speeds of around 1/1000 s and high-speed strobe units. > Counterpoint Copyright Gustoimages / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041171/Long-jump.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041171/1041171.jpg 2008-05-25T16:55:43Z dmcs-1041171 Total solar eclipse. Sequence of images of the sun during a total solar eclipse. The disc of the moon is seen moving over the disc of the sun. At totality the moon fits over the sun and only the sun's corona (atmosphere) is visible. The moment of totality lasts for only a few minutes. Total solar eclipses usually occur less than once a year and can only be seen from a small area of the Earth's surface. Photographed on 29th March 2006. > Counterpoint Copyright Eckhard Slawik / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041172/Total-solar-eclipse-29-03-2006.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041172/1041172.jpg 2008-05-25T16:56:48Z dmcs-1041172 Starbirth region NGC 602, Hubble Space Telescope image. A cluster of bright, newly formed stars (blue) are blowing a cavity in the centre of a nebula (gas and dust), which is glowing under the impact of the stellar radiation. This starbirth region is 196,000 light years from Earth, in the Small Magellanic Cloud, in the constellation Tucana. This image was obtained with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys instrument. The results were published in January 2007. > Counterpoint Copyright Hubble Heritage Team / Nasa / Esa / Stsci / Aura / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041173/Starbirth-region-NGC-602.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041173/1041173.jpg 2008-05-25T16:56:52Z dmcs-1041173 Helix nebula (NGC 7293), infrared Spitzer Space Telescope image. This is a planetary nebula, a series of shells of gas cast off by a dying star. The ejection of the star's outer layers exposes its hot core, whose radiation ionises the shells, causing them to glow. This image was taken at wavelengths of varying energy: high (blue), medium (green) and low (red). The gas in the central regions has been ionised more than the outer gas, which is shielded from the stellar core. The most highly ionised areas (cometary heads) are round the edge of the central void. Foreground and background stars are blue. The Helix nebula is 650 light years from Earth, in the constellation of Aquarius. Image data obtained by the IRAC sensor in October 2004. > Counterpoint Copyright Nasa / Jpl-caltech / J. Hora (harvard-smithsonian Cfa) / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041174/Helix-nebula-infrared-Spitzer-image.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041174/1041174.jpg 2008-05-25T16:57:44Z dmcs-1041174 X-48B Blended Wing Body aircraft model. Technicians inspect the sub-sized X-48B Blended Wing Body concept demonstrator in a wind tunnel at NASA's Langley Research Center, Virginia, USA. The X-48B prototype, a cross between a conventional plane and a flying wing design, was created based on a need for a multi-role, long- range and high- capacity military transport aircraft. Boeing Phantom Works partnered with NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory to study the structural, aerodynamic and operational advantages of this advanced aircraft concept. Photo taken May 2006. > Counterpoint Copyright Nasa / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041175/X-48B-Blended-Wing-Body-aircraft-model.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041175/1041175.jpg 2008-05-25T16:57:53Z dmcs-1041175 Solar panels in sunlight. The energy of the light falling on the panels is converted to electricity by a semiconducting material. This is a very clean and environmentally-friendly form of energy. These solar panels are manufactured by BP. Photographed in England. > Counterpoint Copyright Carlos Dominguez / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041176/Solar-panels.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041176/1041176.jpg 2008-05-25T16:58:51Z dmcs-1041176 Hong Kong Stock Exchange (SEHK), Hong Kong, China. In 2004, over 3.8 trillion Hong Kong dollars were traded on the SEHK (nearly 500 billion US dollars) and the hundreds of listed companies had a market value of about 6.6 trillion Hong Kong dollars (846 billion US dollars). Financial trading in Hong Kong dates back to 1866. The present SEHK formed in 1986 from a merger between four different stock exchanges. Thousands of traders use sophisticated telecommunication systems and computer databases to trade financial products on the world markets. The SEHK is one of the world's leading stock exchanges. From 2000, it became a subsidiary of HKEx (Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited). > Counterpoint Copyright Peter Bowater / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041177/Hong-Kong-Stock-Exchange.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041177/1041177.jpg 2008-05-25T16:58:59Z dmcs-1041177 ACE computer. The ACE (Automated Computing Engine) computer was the first electronic computer. It was designed by Alan Turing in 1946. In 1952 it was taken into service by the mathematics department of the NPL (National Physical Laboratory), who produced a full-scale and improved version in 1958. This version of ACE was three times faster than the original 1952 pilot model and was capable of adding 30,000 14-figure numbers per second. Photographed at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, UK, in 1958. > Counterpoint National Physical Laboratory (c) Crown Copyright / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041178/ACE-computer-1958.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041178/1041178.jpg 2008-05-25T16:59:30Z dmcs-1041178 Goblet illusion. This image is simultaneously a drawing of a goblet and two faces. When there are two competing interpretations of an ambiguous image the brain will often switch between them. So a viewer of this image, which has been around in some form since the 18th century, may see a white goblet for a while, but then change to seeing two black faces in profile. It is impossible to see both at the same time. It is also impossible to view this as abstract shapes - once the brain knows the form of a goblet and of a face in profile it must assign one of the two to its interpretation of this image. > Counterpoint Copyright Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041179/Goblet-illusion.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041179/1041179.jpg 2008-05-25T16:59:37Z dmcs-1041179 Traffic at night. Time-exposure of vehicles travelling on a rural road. Photographed in the Great Smoky Mountains, USA. > Counterpoint Copyright Gustoimages / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041181/Traffic-at-night.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041181/1041181.jpg 2008-05-25T17:00:39Z dmcs-1041181 Testing an audio system. Loudness tests being carried out in an anechoic chamber, a room that absorbs sound and has little echoing from its surfaces. The tests are comparing the loudness of diffuse (multidirectional) and progressive (unidirectional) sound fields. Photographed at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, UK, in 1959. > Counterpoint National Physical Laboratory (c) Crown Copyright / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041183/Testing-an-audio-system-1959.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041183/1041183.jpg 2008-05-25T17:01:37Z dmcs-1041183 Horse and rider. High-speed photographic sequence of a rider on a galloping horse (Equus caballus). This sequence, by the British-American photographer Eadweard James Muybridge (1830-1904), was published in Animal Locomotion (1887). The action runs from left to right starting at the top left. Muybridge pioneered the use of high-speed photography and employed novel techniques to study animal and human locomotion. He began his work on high-speed photography when he was commissioned to discover whether galloping horses have all of their feet off the ground at certain times. He proved that they did (as shown by images 2-4). > Counterpoint Copyright Eadweard Muybridge Collection / Kingston Museum / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041184/High-speed-sequence-of-a-galloping-horse-and-rider.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041184/1041184.jpg 2008-05-25T17:01:45Z dmcs-1041184 First World War helmet eye screen. First World War soldier wearing a helmet with a chain mail screen designed to protect his eyes from shrapnel and rock fragments during shelling. The First World War (1914-1918) saw a large number of head wounds due to shrapnel from the immense number of artillery shells used by each side to try and break the deadlock of trench warfare on the Western Front. The modern steel helmet was developed in response to this, though most did not have screens like the one seen here. This helmet and screen was manufactured by the E. J. Codd Company of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The USA entered the war on 6 April 1917, playing a crucial role in helping Britain and France to defeat Germany and its allies. Photographed in 1918. > Counterpoint Copyright Us Army / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041185/First-World-War-helmet-eye-screen.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041185/1041185.jpg 2008-05-25T17:02:49Z dmcs-1041185 Yellow fever mosquito. Coloured Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) of a female yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. The head of the mosquito is seen at centre, with compound eyes (red) consisting of many facets. There are two hairy antennae, and a long proboscis used for sucking blood. The swollen abdomen of this mosquito suggests it has just had a blood meal. Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are carriers of an arbovirus which causes yellow fever in humans. Patients develop a fever, and the skin becomes yellow due to jaundice. Yellow fever was once a fatal infection throughout the tropics, but now occurs only in parts of tropical Africa and South America. Magnification: x20 at 6x6cm size. x30 at 4x4' > Counterpoint Copyright David Scharf / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041186/Coloured-SEM-of-the-mosquito-Aedes-aegypti.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041186/1041186.jpg 2008-05-25T17:02:55Z dmcs-1041186 Agrias claudina butterfly wing macrophotograph. The wing is covered in scales, which together make up the colourful patterns. These scales can be lost without impairing the butterfly in flight. This butterfly is native to central and south America. > Counterpoint Copyright Dr Keith Wheeler / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041187/Macrophotograph-of-Agrias-claudina-wing.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041187/1041187.jpg 2008-05-25T17:03:53Z dmcs-1041187 Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio thoas). The thoas swallowtail is native to the American continent, inhabiting tropical forests and lowland forest edges. It has a wingspan of up to 13 centimetres. > Counterpoint Copyright Lawrence Lawry / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041188/Swallowtail-butterfly.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041188/1041188.jpg 2008-05-25T17:04:04Z dmcs-1041188 Shark skin. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of scales from the skin of a shark. These sharply pointed placoid scales are also known as dermal teeth or denticles. They give the shark's skin the feel of sandpaper. The tip of each scale is made of dentine overlayed with dental enamel. The lower part of each scale, which anchors it into the skin, is made of bone. The scales disrupt turbulence over the skin, considerably reducing the drag on the shark as it swims. This design has been investigated by engineers for use on the surfaces of aircraft and boats. Magnification: x60 when printed 10cm wide. > Counterpoint Copyright Eye Of Science / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041190/Shark-skin-SEM.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041190/1041190.jpg 2008-05-25T17:05:18Z dmcs-1041190 Tortoise (family Testudinidae). The body of this reptile is enclosed completely in a horny shell. Only its head, legs and tail protrude. > Counterpoint Copyright Gustoimages / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041191/Tortoise.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041191/1041191.jpg 2008-05-25T17:06:27Z dmcs-1041191 European starling flock. These dense flocks of european starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), which can contain thousands of individuals, are most often seen at twilight. Photographed in Rome, Italy. > Counterpoint Copyright Manuel Presti / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041193/European-starling-flock.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041193/1041193.jpg 2008-05-25T17:07:38Z dmcs-1041193 Mandrill. Face of a male mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx). The vivid colouration on males' faces is used in threat displays between members of the troop. The females do not have the prominent red stripe on their noses, and their 'mane' (yellow) is less pronounced. Mandrill troops usually contain around 50 individuals. They inhabit the forests of western equatorial Africa, but spend most of their time on the ground. They retreat to the trees to sleep at night. Mandrills are omnivorous, eating roots and fruits as well as frogs, lizards and snakes. Small mammals are sometimes taken as well. Mandrills may reach a length of almost a metre. > Counterpoint Copyright Toni Angermayer / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041194/Mandrill.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041194/1041194.jpg 2008-05-25T17:07:44Z dmcs-1041194 Face of a pipistrelle bat. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). Bats, of the order Chiroptera, are the only mammals in the world naturally capable of flight. About 70 per cent of bats are insectivorous, and many are nocturnal. They are not blind, although many species have small eyes and poor eyesight. Instead they rely on echolocation, emitting high-pitched sounds in regular patterns and using the returning echo to locate and identify objects. > Counterpoint Copyright Steve Gschmeissner / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041195/Face-of-a-pipistrelle-bat.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041195/1041195.jpg 2008-05-25T17:08:23Z dmcs-1041195 African elephant's eye (Loxodonta africana). This is the world's largest land animal. It weighs up to 10,000 kilograms and measures 3.5 meters in height. It is a sociable animal, living in family units of adult females and juveniles. The adult male leads a solitary existence, until the mating season when it will approach females. Although found in many habitats throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the African elephant is considered to be a vulnerable species. Photographed near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. > Counterpoint Copyright Tony Camacho / Science Photo Library http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041196/African-elephants-eye.html http://www.sciencephotogallery.com/pictures_1041196/1041196.jpg 2008-05-25T17:08:33Z dmcs-1041196