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I agree so much! Funny what you say about flowers, it's true, they are so easy to look at that they even make me question my work with them sometimes! (I make art under the microscope using plants).

Recently I started looking at soil under the microscope too. It got me thinking about the high diversity it has, both biologically and aesthetically, that can be seen at just 10X magnification. Aesthetically i find it beautiful, it's like a set design from a George Lucas movie.

Although I know theoretically about the biodiversity and complexities of soil I felt an extra connection when looking at it under the microscope. After seeing these beautiful micro-landscapes with their cute and monstrous inhabitants I wanted to keep the little soil samples as if they were living treasures.

I think the direct and magnified visual connection is a key point of access to the interest and love for soils.

Thanks for the writings and for giving art a place in science!

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Thanks very much for writing!

Soil is definitely love at second sight....and I agree that with the unaided eye it is very difficult to appreciate what's going on.

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Nov 20, 2023Liked by Matthias C. Rillig

We really need more soil art. I've been diving deep into the world of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) during my PhD., snapping loads of microscope pics of their structures in soil and roots. It's not just for research—it's crazy beautiful and fascinating stuff. On the side, I've got artists getting inspired by what I see through the microscope, turning it into awesome drawings and paintings. I think we got to shout more about the underground microbial scene, giving unseen microbes an artistic spotlight, from microscope to f(r)ame.

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Couldn't agree more!!

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