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Bad Hair Day
Image courtesy Jamie Barr and Clif Brangwynne, Princeton Art of Science
Paralyzed worms frozen in a falling leaf pattern, color-tagged proteins that look like marbles, and a video reconstruction of a human face that resembles an Impressionist portrait—all these images were created during the course of scientific research, and all are on display this month at Princeton University as part of its sixth Art of Science competition.
Above, color-stained worms reveal the location of their DNA (blue) and RNA (red) while curling wildly like the hair atop Medusa.
The image, which won third place in the "People's Choice" category, was submitted along with images from academic fields spanning psychology to plasma physics.
The competition celebrates the unexpected beauty that can emerge from analytical work in the sciences.
And in keeping with the Art of Science concept, the three winning artists were awarded cash prizes in amounts determined by the golden ratio, a mathematical proportion whose influence extends to art and architecture: $250, $154.51, and $95.49 for first, second, and third place, respectively.
Our gallery presents some of the winning images, as well as other Art of Science highlights.
—Sharon Jacobs
Published May 29, 2013
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Windy Ways
Image courtesy Martin Jucker, Princeton Art of Science
The first-place winner, "East-West, West-East," represents the directions of Earth's winds. Submitted by atmospheric researcher Martin Jucker, this computer simulation shows average wind motion over ten years, demonstrating that winds on Earth blow east-west or west-east, rather than north-south or south-north.
Winds blowing from the east are rendered in blue, and those coming in from the west are in red. Darker regions in the simulation correspond with areas where the winds are stronger. (Learn more about wind.)
Published May 29, 2013
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Saving Face
Image courtesy Ohad Fried, Princeton Art of Science
Individual frames taken from a video of a blurred, indiscernible face were combined to create "Exposed," a computer approximation of the face before it was blurred.
Published May 29, 2013
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Frozen in Motion
Image courtesy Meredith Wright, Princeton Art of Science
The aptly named Caenorhabditis elegansworms imitate silver leaves in "Weaving Worms." These smooth, unsegmented worms were paralyzed with sodium azide as part of an experiment testing how they associate smells with food.
Published May 29, 2013
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Marblelike Marvel
Image courtesy Jess Brooks, Esteban Engel, and Lynn Enquist, Princeton Art of Science
In "Brainbow Rainbow," Vero cells from the kidney of a monkey have been exposed to a herpes virus. The virus causes them to express proteins tagged by the scientists in a rainbow of colors, bringing to mind a collection of jelly beans or marbles.
Published May 29, 2013
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Shine a Light
Image courtesy Celeste Nelson and Joe Tien, Princeton Art of Science
Fluorescent light illuminates an embryo's inner workings in "Baby Mouse." The unborn mouse's vascular system, usually red with blood, is rendered here in green. The blue coloring reveals its DNA.
Published May 29, 2013
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See Some of the Best Science Pictures of 2012
Image courtesy Pupa U.P.A. Gilbert and Christopher E. Killian, U.W. Madison via Science/AAAS
Published May 29, 2013
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