I came across diatoms and radiolarians–tiny little sea creatures–while looking up the history of climate change over the span of geologic time that cats and cat-like creatures evolved.

I’d never heard of either one before but noticed that the images in various scientific papers were beautiful. What a surprise to learn that Victorians knew this, too, and actually made microscopic art of diatoms!

And someone is still doing it today.

Featured image: Prof. Gordon T. Taylor, NOAA. Public domain.