Seeing Further
Posted by Eva Amsen, on 29 March 2011
The Royal Society has collected a series of images that illustrate the moment important scientific discoveries were made. This “Moments of Seeing Further” collection includes a notebook sketch from 1980, contributed by Sir John E. Sulston and depicting cell division in C. elegans – work that contributed to the discovery of the fate map of the worm.
Another, much older, image is a 17th century sketch of the process of bean sprouting, by Marcello Malpighi. He didn’t look at plants alone: His microscopy studies in many different organisms has contributed to the early study of development, and his name lives on in several microscopic structures, including the Malpighian corpuscles in the kidneys.
Have a look at the rest of the gallery as well. It even includes a photo of a letter to the Royal Society from Isaac Newton.
(Image © the Royal Society; used with permission)