Science Visualized
- 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.
- Climate
Monster storm dominates view from space station
A stunning photograph from the International Space Station captures the size and power of Typhoon Maysak, which clamored through the Western Pacific.
- Health & Medicine
Pink blobs of hope in cancer-targeting quest
Cancer drugs coated with plastic can reach a mouse’s lungs for targeted delivery, but steering the capsules to the right spots can be a challenge.
- Anthropology
How to reconstruct the face of an extinct human ancestor
3-D designer reconstructs portraits of ancestors for the human family album.
- Planetary Science
Titan’s vast seas may drive methane cycle
A phenomenon similar to Earth’s hydrological cycle on Saturn’s largest moon Titan may create different lake compositions, similar to the salinity difference between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
- Oceans
Glassy blue iceberg goes belly up
A photographer snaps a rare picture of a recently overturned iceberg near Antarctica.
- Environment
A coast-to-coast picture of America’s cacophony of sounds
The National Park Service mapped noise across the United States.
- Climate
The continental divide of 2014 temperature
According to data from NASA and NOAA, 2014 was one of the hottest years on record — in some states.
- Animals
Amazonian bird may act the part of its hairy caterpillar disguise
A rare view of a baby cinereous mourner feeds debate over whether the bird both looks and acts the part of a toxic hairy caterpillar as defense against predators.
- Genetics
The art of DNA folding
Cells must compress genetic material into a nucleus that measures only about 5 micrometers across. To accomplish the feat, cells make loops in the DNA.
- Animals
Bees, up close and personal
A photo archive from the U.S. Geological Survey's Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab offers detailed photos of bee species.
