Suzy Snowflake joins Typhoid Mary.
At the core of snowflakes, bacteria
“Bacteria are by far the most active ice nuclei in nature,” said Brent C. Christner, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Louisiana State University.
Moisture must cling to something in order to condense into precipitation, but scientists were surprised to learn how frequently that something is bacteria.
From the Associated Press
March 1, 2008
Those beautiful snowflakes drifting out of the sky may have a surprise inside — bacteria.
“Bacteria are by far the most active ice nuclei in nature,” said Brent C. Christner, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Louisiana State University.
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To the untrained eye, this is the paragon of cleanliness.
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Health officials have issued this grim photograph as a warning
to those who believe in the purity of driven snow.
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Don’t let this happen to your snowmen and women.
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Images: (snowflake) ssec.wisc.edu; (snowman before illness) thefuntimesguide.com; (bacteria) whyfiles.org; (stick) chineseclayart.com;