Using the infinitesimal to see the invisible: A pollen love story

For a century, paleoecologists have extracted tiny pollen grains from mud, soil, and peat. From Mickey Mouse ears to spiky balls, these "endless forms most beautiful" are a powerful forensic tool to reconstruct ancient ecosystems. Incredibly resilient, pollen grains have been extracted from rocks as old as land plants themselves. Diverse, strong, maddening, and even cute, pollen has a rich life beyond allergies or reproduction. All you need is a decent microscope (and some good podcasts), and the invisible comes alive. This talk is a love story about the plants I've known through the microgametophytes that never found an ovule.