Science Visualized
- Particle Physics
Map captures Earth’s antineutrino glow
Tiny subatomic particles called antineutrinos stream away from Earth at different concentrations across the globe, a new map illustrates.
- Climate
Virtual twister reveals possible source of tornado longevity
First computer simulation of a long-lived EF5 tornado may reveal why some twisters stick around.
- Science & Society
How dollhouse crime scenes schooled 1940s cops
In the 1940s, Frances Glessner Lee’s dollhouse murder dioramas trained investigators to look at crime scenes through a scientific lens.
- Animals
Long-tongued fly sips from afar
Long-tongued flies can dabble in shallow blossoms or reach into flowers with roomier nectar tubes.
- Planetary Science
New exoplanet: Big Earth or small Neptune?
NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has discovered a “cousin” of Earth 1,400 light-years away. But even though the new planet bears many similarities to Earth, experts say much about it remains a mystery.
- Ecosystems
Encased algae create kaleidoscope of color
The skeletons of diatoms, algae that produce oxygen but also form toxic blooms, can create beautiful microscopic designs.
- Genetics
Genetic switch wipes out tumors in mice
By switching on a single gene, researchers turned cancer cells in mice back into normal intestinal tissue.
- Astronomy
A loopy look at sunspots
In visible light, sunspots look like dark blotches that often expel flares of searing plasma. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory offers a different view.
- Life
Twisty chains of proteins keep cells oriented
The counterclockwise twist of protein fibers jutting out from the edge of human cells allow the cells to distinguish right from left.
- Astronomy
Cosmic superlens gives telescopes a boost
A map of galaxy cluster Abell 2744 unveils how gravity magnifies and smears images of far more distant galaxies.
- Life
Male stag beetles face weighty problem for flight
Male stag beetles need enormous mandibles to fend off other males and find a mate, but computer simulations show that the giant jaws make running and flying very difficult.
- Genetics
‘Brainbow’ illuminates cellular connections
A mouse’s optic nerve fluoresces in a rainbow of colors. The image offers a detailed look at nerve-protector cells called oligodendrocytes.
