Science Visualized
- Astronomy
To find ET, look at who’s (maybe) looking at us
To listen for aliens, two astronomers suggest that we focus on stars whose inhabitants can see Earth periodically cross in front of our sun.
- Astronomy
There’s far more to the galaxy than meets the eye
A new map of the galaxy as seen in submillimeter light reveals intricate details from nearby nebulas to the far-flung galactic center.
- Astronomy
The moon’s poles have no fixed address
Ancient deposits of lunar water ice mark where the moon’s poles used to be.
- Science & Society
Science gives clues to ‘The Bedroom’ as van Gogh painted it
Art and science converge in a visualization of the original colors of Vincent van Gogh’s “The Bedroom.”
- Oceans
Swirls of plankton decorate the Arabian Sea
The dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans is taking over in the Arabian Sea, posing a potential threat to its ecosystem.
- Neuroscience
Brain cells aglow after viral delivery
The virus AAV-PHP.B proves best at delivering genes to brain cells in mice. Similar viruses may eventually be used for gene therapy in humans.
- Life
Images probe artery-hardening plaques
Zooming in on hardened arteries shows researchers which plaques pose heart attack risks.
- Chemistry
Frozen oil droplets morph and shine
Scientists can turn oil droplets into an array of crystalline shapes by manipulating the chemistry and temperature of the droplets’ surroundings.
- Animals
Capturing the wonders of hummingbird flight
Recent computer simulations reveal how hummingbirds manipulate the air around them to aid in flight.
- Physics
Halo of light crowns Antarctica
Ice crystals in the air bend sunlight into a ring over a research base in eastern Antarctica.
- Health & Medicine
Anatomy of the South Korean MERS outbreak
The Middle East respiratory syndrome virus, which infected 186 people in South Korea in 2015, quickly spread within and between hospitals via a handful of “superspreaders.”
- Planetary Science
A defenseless Mars is losing its atmosphere
Measurements of Mars’ atmosphere leaking into space could help scientists explain how the Red Planet lost its once life-friendly climate.
