Science Visualized

  1. Neuroscience

    Brainless sponges contain early echoes of a nervous system

    Simple sponges contain cells that appear to send signals to digestive chambers, a communication system that offer hints about how brains evolved.

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  2. Life

    A beautiful oak leaf portrait won the 2021 Nikon Small World photography contest

    The annual competition showcases otherworldly photos that capture microscopic features of nature and science.

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  3. Animals

    Frog and toad pupils mainly come in seven different shapes

    Analyzing over 3,200 species revealed that the colorful eyes of frogs and toads have pupils shaped as slits, diamonds, fans and more.

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  4. Planetary Science

    See some of the most intriguing photos from NASA’s Perseverance rover so far

    Six months ago, Perseverance landed on the Red Planet. Here’s what the rover has been observing.

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  5. Climate

    A stunning visualization of Alaska’s Yukon Delta shows a land in transition

    Water and ice helped form the Yukon River’s delta. Now, climate change is reshaping it.

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  6. Animals

    How intricate Venus’s-flower-baskets manipulate the flow of seawater

    Simulations show that a deep-sea glass sponge’s intricate skeleton creates particle-trapping vortices and reduces the stress of rushing water.

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  7. Animals

    New images clarify how glasswing butterflies make their wings transparent

    Close-up views of glasswing butterflies reveal the secrets behind the insect’s see-through wings: sparse, spindly scales and a waxy coating.

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  8. Life

    Cells cram DNA into the nucleus in two distinct ways

    Heat maps of cell nuclei show that some cells pack chromosomes that look like crumpled balls of paper, while others are neatly stacked.

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  9. Climate

    The last 30 years were the hottest on record for the United States

    Typical temps across large swaths of the country are now 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit higher than their 20th-century averages.

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  10. Materials Science

    Morphing noodles start flat but bend into curly pasta shapes as they’re cooked

    Shape-shifting pasta could potentially cut down on packaging and save space during shipping.

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  11. Humans

    New depictions of ancient hominids aim to overcome artistic biases

    Artists’ intuition instead of science drive most facial reconstructions of extinct species. Some researchers hope to change that.

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  12. Materials Science

    Microscopic images reveal the science and beauty of face masks

    Important insights into the particle-filtering properties of different fabrics also offer a sense of the unseen, textured world of face masks.

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