BAND OF CODE ́
Numerical traces on a Blu-ray
disc, 100x
High magnification disguises a
familiar object in this abstract
artwork. The black and yellow bands
in this image come from a Blu-ray
disc, where they act along with
an alphanumeric key (not shown)
as a unique barcode, allowing
distributors to identify individual
copies of a disc. The ‘blu’ section of
the Blu-ray contains the data, such
as the movie stored on the disc. The
striking colours in this image were
achieved with angled lighting using
optical fibres.
Massimo Brizzi, Empoli, ItalySHOOTING STARS ¶
Twinned crystals of 4,4’-dibromobiphenyl, 25x
This otherworldly scene shows tiny crystals of a chemical known as dibromobiphenyl.
Here, molecules of the substance have spontaneously self-organised into regular
star patterns, coloured in this image using polarised light. The brominated biphenyl
group of chemicals to which dibromobiphenyl belongs were once used widely in flame
retardants, pesticides and plastic manufacturing. These days, however, its commercial
use is limited due to uncertainty surrounding the health risks associated with it.
Dr Ryoji Tanaka, Kanagawa, Japan
MINERALS
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