Images Dated 10th March 2004

Praying hands, art by Durer

Durer's Praying Hands. Sketch by the German artist Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) of praying hands (1508). Durer did much to introduce the Renaissance style of art to northern Europe. He travelled to Italy in 1494 and 1505 and studied the new art. He was one of the first to study and use perspective, and his mathematical rigour meant his works were among the best of the time

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Allergens in trachea

Allergens in trachea. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the surface of the trachea (windpipe) with a number of pollen grains (yellow) attached. These airborne particles, which are breathed in those the nose or mouth, may cause asthma or hayfever (allergic rhinitis). The surface of the trachea is made up of cells with hair-like cilia (brown). Together with mucus produced by goblet cells, these cilia serve to trap airborne particles and by beating upwards in a wave-like motion they remove foreign matter from the air tubes and lungs. In asthmatic or allergic patients, such particles may lead to a hyper- sensitive reaction causing breathing difficulties

© STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Quantum entanglement equipment

Quantum physicists with equipment used in a quantum entanglement experiment. Entanglement is a property of a pair of particles in which a change to one has an instantaneous effect on the other, no matter how far apart they are. Researchers at Vienna University, Austria, split entangled photon pairs and sent each photon to a separate receiver. They performed this both in fibre optic wires and through the air. Entanglement was confirmed by the detectors in both cases. It is hoped that this entanglement will find uses in cryptography, quantum computing and satellite communications. Photographed in 2003. The double exposure effect illustrates the oddness of the quantum world

© VOLKER STEGER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY