Aiden Haas, left, and Lilli Alcala pose after being crowned Mud King and Mud Queen at the 29th annual Mud Day, Tuesday, July 12, 2016 in Westland, Mich. The event, open to children 12 and younger, was at the Hines Park-Nankin Mills Area west of Detroit. Children 12 and younger were able to slosh around in the pit while participating in mud limbo, wheelbarrow races and other free activities. (Photo by Carlos Osorio/AP Photo)

Beautiful, strange and occasionally alarming pictures from the shortlist for this year’s Wellcome image awards – which celebrate the very best in science photography and imaging – from an x-ray of a bat to a micrograph of a kidney stone. The exhibition opens on 12 March at three science centres and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. Photo: Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an Arabidopsis thaliana flower, also commonly known as thale cress. Some of the anthers are open, revealing pollen grains ready for dispersal. Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced and is widely used as a model organism in molecular and plant biology. Horizontal width of image is 1200 microns. Magnification 100x. (Photo by Stefan Eberhard/Wellcome Images)

A little girl seen waiting in a queue to participate in the Kumari Puja ritual in Kolkata, India on March 30, 2023. Kumari Puja is an Indian Hindu Tradition mainly celebrated during the Durga Puja / Basanti Puja / Navratri according to Hindu calendar. Kumari actually describes a young virgin girl from the age 1 to 16 who is getting worshipped during the transition of Ashtami / Navami tithi of Durga Puja / Navaratri according to Hindu mythology. (Photo by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Emily Ratajkowski filming DKNY commercial on January 20, 2017 in New York City, USA. The 25-year-old model braved the freezing New York temperatures as she wore just a black lace bra and matching French knickers, with a pair of clumpy biker boots. (Photo by Startraks Photo/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

An Indian girl, Aritri Bannerjee, gets dressed as the Goddess Durga, during the Kumari Puja as part of the Durga Puja festival at Shidaspur village, far north of Kolkata, eastern India, 22 October 2023. During the Kumari Puja, devotees worship a girl aged between six and twelve, symbolizing the Kanya Kumari (virgin) form of the Goddess Durga Devi. Hindu devotees believe that Kanya is a living embodiment of the goddess Durga. (Photo by Piyal Adhikary/EPA/EFE)

Dancers take part in a parade to mark the opening of the annual Bali Art Festival on a main road in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, 12 June 2022. The Bali Art Festival runs from 12 June to 10 July 2022 and features hundreds of performers. (Photo by Made Nagi/EPA/EFE)

Texas Longhorns cheerleaders pose for photos after defeating the Iowa State Cyclones in the Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament championship game at T-Mobile Center on March 12, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)

A girl marches alongside Salvadoran soldiers during the parade commemorating Independence Day in San Salvador, El Salvador September 15, 2016. (Photo by Jose Cabezas/Reuters)