On the surface of things

the long version

"How many electrons can dance on the head of a pin? What do DNA strands look like when chased by an electrical charge? Using innovative photographic technology, MIT artist-in-residence Felice Frankel finds startling abstract beauty in the undulations of liquid crystal film, the gymnastics of plastic microstructures, the migratory trudge of bacteria, and other scientific wonders." "What do these experiments teach us, and how might such scientific innovations affect our world? A fascinating text by world-renowned Harvard chemistry professor George M. Whitesides explains each photograph, describing why and how each of these phenomena occur."--Jacket.