A gentle wave guardian

"Life is all about balance. You don’t always need to be getting stuff done. Sometimes it’s perfectly okay, and absolutely necessary, to shut down, kick back, and do nothing." - Lori Deschene. This lines perfectly align with the image of a top view of a giant whale logging at the surface of the sea, remaining relatively motionless, resembling a log. Whales may engage in logging for various reasons, such as resting, socializing, or simply enjoying the buoyancy provided by the water. This idea of “A gentle wave guardian" can be visually imagined in this Transmission Electron Microscopy image of tiny spherical Cu nanocrystals (average size: 60 nm). Here, the surfactants used during the synthesis process not only help prevent the nanocrystals from aggregating but also aid in arranging them in a specific fashion, much like a whale. As the solvent used to disperse the nanocrystals dried, it visualized as gentle waves in the mid-ocean. This artwork imparts a valuable lesson, emphasizing the importance of taking care of our physical and mental health, so that we can continue working happily.