The Mysteries of Life

This is a image of my mother, Dr. Evelyn Shaw, taken before I was born. She was a scientist, a writer of children's (I like Alligator) and adult science books, a researcher, a writer of scientific papers, a TV star (on Mr Wizard among others) and an ardent Feminist (check out her book Female Strategies, containing advice on mating and then biting his head off).

I love this photo because I have no idea what's in the strange murky snapshot she is holding. Is it a horseshoe crab upside down?, skate's egg case? one of her experiments with fish eggs? myself in utero? (too early for that , i think), or something else entirely? I bet I'll never find out from the snap within the snap but I love that it returns me to the moment in childhood where one's parents were as powerful and mysterious as the stars.