A white whale wears a wreath at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium-amusement park complex in Yokohama, Japan, on October 3, 2012. (Photo by Associated Press)
A young anoa, also known as midget buffalo, named Tycoon runs around at the Zoo in Berlin, Germany, on November 9, 2012. (Photo by Maurizio Gambarini/EPA)
Miss USA Alyssa Campanella arrives at the 2nd Annual American Giving Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on December 7, 2012 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)
Microscope images forge an extraordinary bond between science and art, said Hidenao Tsuchiya, Olympus America's Vice President and General Manager for the Scientific Equipment Group. We founded this competition to focus on the fascinating stories coming out of today's life science research laboratories. The thousands of images that people have shared with the competition over the years reflect some of the most exciting work going on in research today – work that can help shed light on the living universe and ultimately save lives. We look at BioScapes and these beautiful images as sources of education and inspiration to us and the world
German football fans before the start of the EURO 2012 Group A qualifier match between Germany and Kazakhstan at Fritz-Walter-Stadium on March 26, 2011 in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
A model backstage before the Issa London runway show at London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012 on September 17, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Tim Whitby/Getty Images)
A model showcases designs on the catwalk during the NE(degrees)¤TIGER Couture 2012 on the second day of China Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012 on October 25, 2011 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)