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André Messager

André Messager (30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer and conductor, whose best-known works are the ballet Les Deux Pigeons (1886) and the opéra comique Véronique (1898). His successes span the period from the late 19th century (Les p'tites Michu, 1897) to early 20th century (Monsieur Beaucaire, 1919), including musical comedies with Sacha Guitry and Yvonne Printemps. Many of his works were also produced in the West End and some on Broadway, some with long runs and numerous international revivals. Messager became a major figure in the musical life of Paris and then London, as a composer and as a prominent conductor in the concert hall and opera house, leading the Paris Opéra, among others. His music was known for its melodic and orchestral invention, musical craftsmanship, and characteristically French elegance and grace. Although most of his works have been infrequently revived, historians of music consider him the last major figure in French opéra comique and opérette. (Full article...)

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Cathodoluminescence of a round-cut diamond

Diamond is a solid form of carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure known as diamond cubic. It is metastable at standard temperature and pressure, converting to the chemically stable form graphite under those conditions but at a negligible rate. Diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any natural material, properties that are useful in major industrial applications such as cutting and polishing tools. In addition to its industrial uses, diamond is much sought-after as a gemstone for use in jewelry. Most natural diamonds were formed between 1 billion and 3.5 billion years ago, at depths between 150 to 250 kilometres (93 to 155 mi) in the Earth's mantle. They were then carried to the surface more recently in volcanic eruptions and deposited in igneous rocks known as kimberlites and lamproites. This photograph shows the cathodoluminescence of a round-cut diamond, taken with the use of a scanning electron microscope. The image has a field of view of 3.45 millimetres (0.136 in).

Photograph credit: Pavel Somov

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