Wired Mag Commissions Thanksgiving Microphotos

We're not above self-promotion here at Wired, so we want to make sure you check out the images that Wired Mag commissioned from Mike Davidson, a noted Florida State expert in microphotography. They asked him to turn his camera on Thanksgiving standards like turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes. Pictured at right is cranberry at 600x zoom. The original caption for the image:

The substance that gives this classic ingredient its essential flavor crystallizes upon evaporation. "Crystallization is a guiding motif in the organization of matter," Davidson says. "In biology, it's a way of packaging molecules."

I think the cranberry-essence they are referring to is peonidin, a proanthocyanidin, the group of phytochemicals that are thought to prevent urinary tract infections, but correct me if I'm wrong.

In any case, the images are worth checking out, as is Davidson's microphotography page at FSU. My favorite gallery is Beershots, featuring the always excellent Newcastle Brown Ale, although you're probably more interested in checking out what Zima looks like under the microscope. (Zima strangely reminds me of work by the great pre-Revolution Russian avant garde painter, Liubov Popova.)