Human Rationale

There's something very cool about getting to see, so accurately, something that's so small it can't even have color—viruses are much smaller than the wavelengths of light. For some, however, seeing the structure of HIV may be especially potent. Luke Jerram is an artist in the U.K. who makes glass sculptures of microbes. He's made an HIV particle before, and received this letter from an anonymous fan in 2009: Dear Luke, I just saw a photo of your glass sculpture of HIV. I can't stop looking at it. Knowing that millions of those guys are in me, and will be a part of me for the rest of my life. Your sculpture, even as a photo, has made HIV much more real for me than any photo or illustration I’ve ever seen. It’s a very odd feeling seeing my enemy, and the eventual likely cause of my death, and finding it so beautiful. Thank you.