2004 First Place Winner: Seth A. Coe-Sullivan, MIT (USA), Quantum dot nanocrystals deposited on a silicon substrate (200x)

In the everyday world of science and industry, photomicrographs (photos of microscopic phenomena) are mere technical documents, tools to aid research or verify a process. Sometimes, however, they are also objects of beauty ‹ magical passports to an enchanting, miniature world we can see, but never visit.

  In 1974, Nikon chose to honor and promote these wondrous images with a competition. The most recent Nikon International Small World Competition celebrated 30 years of photography through the microscope, with past and current winners invited to Manhattan in New York City for the 2004 awards ceremony.

Second Place Winner: Dr. Shirley A. Owens, Center for Advanced Microscopy, Spiderwort flower anther and immature pollen, Confocal (laser)

  Throughout the celebration, astonished New Yorkers were treated to a display of magnificent winning images from past and present competitions on a giant LCD screen in Times Square. Popular with researchers since its inception, this year, the Small World Competition was featured in the popular press, including Newsweek and USA Today, indicating the huge appeal of this once-tiny competition.

  You will find colorful screen savers and a gallery of these wondrous award-winning photomicrographs at www.nikonsmallworld.com.

Last August, 48 university students from 7 countries came together in Tokyo to build robots that fulfilled a unique challenge. Formally named The International Design Contest (IDC), participants prefer to call it ø Robocon. Ó Mitsubishi Electric was proud to be an official sponsor of ø Robocon '04 Ó and help promote global cooperation through these contests, a role it has played since 2002.

  Themed, ø The Ring Master, Ó the 2004 contest challenged robots to delicately place rings atop poles, while blocking the competitors' robots from doing so. It demanded speed, strategy, endurance and cunning. This year's results, as in previous contests, were full of exciting, brilliant, unexpected results as the teams (or rather, their robots) battled for the top spot.

Children's illustrated diaries on display

  During the planning and development phase, each team was given limited resources and time to build one robot. Meeting for the first time, the multinational 4-person teams not only had to quickly overcome language, cultural and technical barriers, but also come up with the right moves and personal chemistry to design, build and manipulate their robots to victory.

  On the fight date, set for the final day of the contest, Team Yellow defeated Team Pink. The new champion's name is ø Left finger/Right finger, Ó a small, but feisty machine built simply, yet with good speed and operability. Mitsubishi Electric congratulates the winners and all participants for their wonderful performance.

As a contribution to society and in celebration of its founding in January 2004, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance, together with NPO Able Art Japan, launched ø Able Art Onstage, Ó a performing arts project featuring physically challenged people.

  Able Arts Onstage is a new attempt at social action. It aims to bring together local businesses, NPOs and participants publicly selected from local communities to produce and popularize stage acts by physically challenged people, who have only recently begun expressing their unique talents in the performing arts, including plays, dance and music.

  Each year, the program will select local sponsors and participants (including both physically challenged and non-impaired persons) from about ten cities to join in performance workshops leading to original productions at local venues. A selection of these productions will later be brought to the capital for a ø Tokyo Performance, Ó which will be attended by special guests invited from foreign acting and dance companies. The best acts will receive further grants to support the cost of continuing their performances.