Seeing science The art of making the invisible visible

Jack Challoner

Book - 2022

"We live among patterns of delicate beauty and exquisite chaos that our eyes can't detect; we are surrounded by invisible particles and shifting fields of matter that permeate all of space. Our very cells are intricate molecular machines, and the story of our origins stretches back through an unimaginable amount of time. How can we see the richness of what lies beyond our sensory perception? Scientists have developed visualization tools that can make the invisible visible. This bountifully illustrated book demonstrates the power of images to represent the unseeable, offering stunning visualizations of science that range from the microscopic to the incredibly vast. With more than 200 color images and an engaging text by leading sci...ence writer Jack Challoner, Seeing Science explains and illustrates the techniques by which scientists create visualizations of their discoveries. We see the first detection of a black hole as represented by an image from an Xray telescope, get a direct view of DNA through an electron microscope, and much more. Visualizations are also used to make sense of an avalanche of data--concisely presenting information from the 20,000 or so human genes, for example. Scientists represent complex theories in computer models, which take on a curious beauty of their own. And scientists and artists collaborate to create art from science visualizations, with intriguing results"--

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Subjects
Genres
Illustrated works
Pictorial works
Published
Cambridge, Massachusetts : MIT Press 2022.
Language
English
Main Author
Jack Challoner (author)
Edition
MIT Press edition
Physical Description
272 pages : color illustrations, color maps ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes index and bibliographical references.
ISBN
9780262544351
  • Introduction: The Importance of Seeing
  • 1. Making the Invisible Visible
  • Microscopes and Telescopes
  • Photography and Electron Microscopes
  • Beyond the Visible Spectrum
  • Fields and Particles
  • 2. Data, Information, Knowledge
  • Visualizing Data
  • Communicating Information
  • Passing on Knowledge
  • 3. Mathematical Models and Simulations
  • Matthematics as a Model of Reality
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • 4. Art in Science
  • Art of Science
  • Paleoart
  • Space Art
  • Endnotes
  • Index
  • Image credits
Review by Library Journal Review

The release of the first dramatic images from the James Webb Space Telescope coincides perfectly with the publication of this brilliantly visual book of scientific photography, with text by Challoner (Water: A Visual and Scientific History). This extraordinary collection of images is accompanied by astounding revelations about the technology used to capture the photographs and deeper insights into the subjects of the images. Casual readers will be delighted as they flip through this tome; the striking images illustrate a wide range of scientific and mathematic concepts and phenomena, including early drawings of bacteria, daguerreotypes of sunspots, microscopic magnifications of mummies, and the translation of sounds to imagery. More serious readers will be able to engage with the accompanying prose to deepen their knowledge of the subjects and methods of obtaining these amazing shots. VERDICT A worthy addition to any science collection, featuring stunning full-color images with broad appeal for multiple levels of engagement.--Jennifer Moore

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