0.05 Millimeter Giraffe Wins First Place at Science as Art Competition
Posted on June 1, 2012
Shaahin Amini, a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Riverside won first place at the Science as Art competition with a 0.05 millimeter giraffe. The competition is run by the Materials Research Society.
Amini says, "Exploration under the microscope will give you the chance to detach yourself from this world and momentarily live in a microscopic wonderland where beauty can be found in unexpected spots. At the meeting I saw attendees taking pictures of the giraffe and laughing at it. I was glad that people found it quite fascinating."
The feature that Amini turned into a giraffe was created during the melting process of nickel, aluminum and carbon mixture. As the molten alloy solidified, the nickel and aluminum formed the body of the giraffe while the carbon was rejected and crystallized as a graphite cover. After further cooling, the graphitic cover wrinkled, due to less contraction than the metallic substrate. This created a network of creases resembling the familiar skin patches of a giraffe.
The tiny giraffe is magnified 3,800 times in this video. Amini used photoshop to color the giraffe and add green to the background so it would resemble a jungle. Take a look: