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With its huge eyes, comical name and diminutive size, Mark R. Smith’s image of a baby Hawaiian bobtail squid can’t help but raise a smile. A curiously endearing creature, the cephalopod is just 1.5cm across, its mantle cavity bearing more than a passing resemblance to a rather natty shower cap. But it is also a beautiful example of symbiosis – nature’s version of “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” – for on the underside of the squid is a light organ which houses bioluminescent bacteria. The squid offers the bacteria protection and food, while the bacteria emit a glow – a handy trait that the squid uses to offset its silhouette, helping it to evade predators in the depths below. Mark R. Smith’s entry combines several images of a Hawaiian bobtail squid with different focus lengths to create a final picture with greater depth of field than normal. (Photo by Mark R. Smith/Wellcome Images/Macroscopic Solutions)

With its huge eyes, comical name and diminutive size, Mark R. Smith’s image of a baby Hawaiian bobtail squid can’t help but raise a smile. A curiously endearing creature, the cephalopod is just 1.5cm across, its mantle cavity bearing more than a passing resemblance to a rather natty shower cap. But it is also a beautiful example of symbiosis – nature’s version of “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” – for on the underside of the squid is a light organ which houses bioluminescent bacteria. The squid offers the bacteria protection and food, while the bacteria emit a glow – a handy trait that the squid uses to offset its silhouette, helping it to evade predators in the depths below. Mark R. Smith’s entry combines several images of a Hawaiian bobtail squid with different focus lengths to create a final picture with greater depth of field than normal. (Photo by Mark R. Smith/Wellcome Images/Macroscopic Solutions)
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08 Mar 2017 00:05:00
An India Christian devotee reenacts the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the occasion of Good Friday in Mumbai, India, Friday, March 29, 2013. Christians all over the world are marking Good Friday, the day when Christ was crucified. (Photo by Rajanish Kakade/AP Photo)

An India Christian devotee reenacts the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the occasion of Good Friday in Mumbai, India, Friday, March 29, 2013. Christians all over the world are marking Good Friday, the day when Christ was crucified. (Photo by Rajanish Kakade/AP Photo)
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30 Mar 2013 08:10:00
Passengers climb to board an overcrowded train at a railway station in Dhaka August 8, 2013. Millions of residents in Dhaka are travelling home from the capital city to celebrate the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. (Photo by Andrew Biraj/Reuters)

Passengers climb to board an overcrowded train at a railway station in Dhaka August 8, 2013. Millions of residents in Dhaka are travelling home from the capital city to celebrate the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. (Photo by Andrew Biraj/Reuters)
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09 Aug 2013 08:48:00
Boys dressed in historical uniforms stand before a military parade in Red Square in Moscow November 7, 2014. The parade marked the anniversary of the 1941 parade when Soviet soldiers marched through the Red Square towards the front lines of World War Two. (Photo by Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

Boys dressed in historical uniforms stand before a military parade in Red Square in Moscow November 7, 2014. The parade marked the anniversary of the 1941 parade when Soviet soldiers marched through the Red Square towards the front lines of World War Two. (Photo by Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
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07 Nov 2014 12:38:00
History enthusiasts dressed as soldiers fight during the re-enactment of Napoleon's famous battle of Austerlitz near the southern Moravian town of Slavkov u Brna November 29, 2014. Hundreds of history enthusiasts took part in the re-enactment of the battle to mark its 209th anniversary. (Photo by David W. Cerny/Reuters)

History enthusiasts dressed as soldiers fight during the re-enactment of Napoleon's famous battle of Austerlitz near the southern Moravian town of Slavkov u Brna November 29, 2014. Hundreds of history enthusiasts took part in the re-enactment of the battle to mark its 209th anniversary. (Photo by David W. Cerny/Reuters)
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30 Nov 2014 12:15:00
Henry Leese drives a 1952 British Rail Ivatt number 46512 at Strathspey Steam Railway on August 27, 2013 in Aviemore,Scotland. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Highland Main Line built as a transportation link to the South for lairds and landowners living in northern Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

Henry Leese drives a 1952 British Rail Ivatt number 46512 at Strathspey Steam Railway on August 27, 2013 in Aviemore,Scotland. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Highland Main Line built as a transportation link to the South for lairds and landowners living in northern Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell)
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03 Sep 2013 10:36:00
North Korean soldiers participate in a mass military parade at Kim Il-Sung square in Pyongyang on October 10, 2015. North Korea was marking the 70th anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party. (Photo by Ed Jones/AFP Photo)

North Korean soldiers participate in a mass military parade at Kim Il-Sung square in Pyongyang on October 10, 2015. North Korea was marking the 70th anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party. (Photo by Ed Jones/AFP Photo)
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12 Oct 2015 08:05:00
A decades-old television. (Photo by Mark C. O'Flaherty)

The official name for this tiny speck of land – the size of 12 football pitches – is Hashima, but few call it that. In English, its most commonly used name means “Battleship Island” and, viewed from a certain angle offshore, its silhouette is uncannily dreadnought in nature. It was a mining facility until 1974, when it was abandoned to the elements, before partially reopening as a tourist attraction in 2009. Photo: A decades-old television. (Photo by Mark C. O'Flaherty)
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15 Jun 2014 11:24:00