Now celebrating its 40th year, Nikon Small World is widely regarded as the leading forum to recognize proficiency and photographic excellence of photography taken under the microscope. To select the winners, competition judges analyzed entries from all over the world covering subjects ranging from chemical compounds to up-close-and-personal looks at biological specimens. The 2014 winners will be revealed on October 30th. In 2014, the competition received over 1,200 entries from more than 79 countries around the world. (Photo by Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz/Nikon Small World 2014)

A mouse rides on the back of a frog in floodwaters in the northern Indian city Lucknow June 30, 2006. (Photo by Pawan Kumar/Reuters)

David and Lana Fechter have recently adopted two adorable Siberian bear cubs that were rejected by their mother at a Chicago zoo. The two nine-week-old male cubs, Lewis and Clark, are being kept in an inside closure and are being bottle fed. When the twins get bigger and more independent, they’ll be be given a large natural enclosure with ponds and ridges to live in at Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary.

The 37-year-old French artist Anne-Catherine Becker Echivard’s latest artworks were inspired by the silent movies of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton; she uses real-life smelly fish heads as her models for some photos that depict everyday life to address topics.

Colonel Meow is a Himalayan Persian known for his unique & interesting fluffy coat and intense facial expressions. The cat rose to internet fame after being featured on the internet news site The Daily What in September 2012.

On Thursday evening, Meow’s owner announced that the feline, who was two years old, died on Wednesday evening for causes not yet released.

“Romain Laurent is 29 years old, originally from the french Alps, living and working in Paris. Romain Laurent studied design for 3 years at ENSAAMA Olivier de Serres (National school of applied arts) in Paris and then switched to Photography at Gobelins, l’ecole de l’image, also in Paris. Working as a professional photographer since 2006”.

Members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment place American flags at the graves of U.S. soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day May 26, 2011 in Arlington, Virginia. “Flags-In” has become an annual event since the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) was appointed an Army official ceremonial unit in 1948. Every available soldier in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment participates in these annual ceremonies. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Hwang Bo-young (L), a North Korean defector who was a member of the North Korean National female ice hockey team, prepares for practice with South Korean teammates on March 13, 2006 in Seoul, South Korea. Young, 27-years-old, became a captain of the South Korean National Female Ice Hockey Team. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)