BEAUTIFULLY INFECTIOUS: INFLUENZA'S PRETTY PORTRAIT

Right now, in the dead of winter, it’s all around us, but we can’t normally see it. In this microphotograph, the influenza virus blooms in a burst of regal violet, wrapped in lacy orange, chocolate, and stark white. It might look like a cross section of some exotic tree, a painting by a new, modern artist, or a snowflake on an alien planet. The tiny virus reminds us that beauty can be found in the unexpected, even things that cause death and destruction.