Science Visualized

  1. Animals

    See 3-D models of animal anatomy from openVertebrate’s public collection

    Over six years, researchers took CT scans of over 13,000 vertebrates to make museum collections more easily accessible to researchers and the public.

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  2. Earth

    Where are U.S. earthquakes most likely? A new map shows the hazard risks

    Updates to the National Seismic Hazard Model have elevated the average ground shaking hazard across the country.

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  3. Physics

    What happens when lawn sprinklers suck in water? Physicists answer that quirky question

    Experiments with a floating sprinkler and laser-illuminated microparticles revealed the surprisingly complex physics behind a simple question.

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  4. Paleontology

    The oldest known fossilized skin shows how life adapted to land

    The nearly 290 million-year-old cast belonged to a species of amniotes, four-legged vertebrates that today comprises all reptiles, birds and mammals.

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  5. Animals

    Ant face patterns like swirls and stubble might have practical value

    Reviewing thousands of ant photos hints that facial surface patterns might offer benefits, like structural support or abrasion protection.

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  6. Space

    The James Webb telescope took some stunning images in 2023

    Star nurseries. Planets. Supernova remnants. Here’s a look at some of this year’s stellar JWST images. And the mission is still just getting started.

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  7. Planetary Science

    JWST spotted a new speedy jet stream in Jupiter’s atmosphere

    Seen in images from the James Webb Space Telescope, the high-altitude feature may help untangle the inner workings of the giant planet’s atmosphere.

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  8. Life

    The inside of a rat’s eye won the 2023 Nikon Small World photo contest

    The annual competition puts the spotlight on science and nature in all its smallest glory.

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  9. Astronomy

    This ‘polar ring’ galaxy looks like an eye. Others might be hiding in plain sight

    New images of two galaxies reveal what look like rarely seen rings of hydrogen gas nearly perpendicular to the galaxies’ starry disks.

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  10. Life

    A fantastical world of potential giant viruses lurks beneath the soil

    Giant viruses were already known for their large sizes. A close look at a scoop of soil shows that they may come in a variety of funky shapes as well.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    With a new body mapping technique, mouse innards glow with exquisite detail

    Removing cholesterol from mouse bodies lets fluorescently labeled proteins infiltrate every tissue, helping researchers to map entire body systems.

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  12. Animals

    In a ‘perfect comeback,’ some birds use antibird spikes to build their nests

    The spikes were meant to keep birds away. But five corvid nests in Europe use the bird-deterrents as structural support and to ward off predators.

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