So, when he was 10 years old Dennis Kunkel got a microscope for Christmas, and the rest of the presents just about went unopened! He had one of those inquisitive, curious, why-minds that come in some young folks. He looked at=2 0all the slides in the kit and then started to collect pond water and blades of grass ... because living things were much more interesting. Today, he is a microscopist, and his work, collecting samples and photographing the slides under incredibly powerful microscopes, is helping other scientists to understand things like how muscles work and how habitats re-create themselves after a volcanic eruption. Wow! The pictures are the gems here. Enjoy!