On Google Earth, we can fly from outer space into our back yards. There are linked photos of interesting places, 3D reconstructions of many cities, and you can go for a virtual walk. What if we could continue the zoom, the Power of Ten film brought to reality?
I envision a network of biologists takings surface samples 1 cm square all over the planet. This can be done with very clear, transparent cello-tape, simply by pressing it to the surface of interest. The tapes would be mounted on microscope slides and photographed at either 400x or 1000x (depending on the distortion imparted by the tape and its glue), using motorized stages, automated focussing, and scanning to digital cameras, with all the resulting images for each sample stitched together into one vista. These images could then be annotated by a wiki process, with identification of all the microorganisms, crystals and fibres made by expert microscopists.
If we want to get really fancy, we will begin with sterile tape (the kind used to seal 96-well microplates, perhaps) and sterile microscope slides, and then after assembling the photoscape, perform in situ PCR so that DNA barcodes can be applied to identify each cell on the matrix.
A few intermediate hi-res images of the collecting spot would enable the zoom from outer space to be convincing. Perhaps an image of the spot from 10 metres away, another from 1 m, another a macro image from a few cm away.
To start small, I suggest a modest website to demonstrate the concept. If you think this is an interesting idea, and have the resources or will to make it a reality, I release the idea to the Commons and hope to participate.
Note: After writing this short article, I became aware of a book called A World in One Cubic Foot by David Liittschwager. It's a similar idea, mostly focused on macro organisms (visible ones) in sea water or soil. Some of the wonderful photographs are included with E.O. Wilson's article on the National Geographic website.
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