If we were to burn NH4Cr2O7 with HgSCN in the Dark Ages in Europe and show it to anyone, it is us who would be burning next on a fiery cross of Inquisition. And it’s no wonder, since this experiment produces a truly marvelous result. At first, as you ignite the mixture of NH4Cr2O7 and HgSCN, all you can see is that it is slowly burning with a reddish flame. After a while, however, a crater is formed in the middle of the burning pile, and then, suddenly, tentacle-like appendages start sprouting from the burning mixture. And you can almost hear the scream of the mad occultist – “Come forth, Kraken! Come forth!” But of course, this is simply a chemical reaction that is called the "Pharoah's Serpent". It was also often sold in firework stores until people realized that it was toxic.

Blind and visually impaired Palestinian students walk down the stairs at a school, where they are taught English through song and music, at a school in the West Bank city of Hebron March 2, 2016. Palestinian students at a school for the blind in the West Bank are learning English through song, a welcome departure from using braille and memorising grammar rules. While students are delighted with the change, some parents in the religiously conservative town of Hebron are concerned that using music in the classroom jars with Islamic tradition. (Photo by Ammar Awad/Reuters)

These tiny worlds created in a tiny glass bottle, literally, are the work of Akinobu Izumi. Akinobu uses paper, clay, wax and resin among other materials to create these intricate miniature worlds.

Ray Massey is a London-based photographer who shoots mainly liquids, drinks, hands and still life.

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Barcelona-based visual effects/3D animation company Big Lazy Robot brings us a beautiful animated video that uses an alternate robotic world to satirize our dependence on technology.