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The Leonard Lopate Show

Please Explain: Scientific Visualizations

Friday, February 16, 2007

On today's Please Explain, we look at how images can help us understand complicated scientific ideas. We talk about the relationship between art and science, and find out what goes into creating illuminating scientific visualizations. Felice Frankel, a judge for the annual Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge, and Graham Johnson, a former challenge winner, answer your questions. Call 212-433-9692.

Felice Frankel is a Senior Research Fellow at Harvard University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, in the Initiative in Innovative Computing. Graham Johnson is a Certified Medical Illustrator and NSF Predoctoral Fellow at The Scripps Research Institute.

Envisioning Science: The Design and Craft of the Science Image is available for purchase at amazon.com

On the Surface of Things: Images of the Extraordinary in Science is available for purchase at amazon.com

Cell Biology is available for purchase at amazon.com

Slideshow: Scientific Illustrations


Comments

  • [1] Evan Rudderow from Denville, NJ March 20, 2007 - 07:35PM

    When those doing scientific visualualization use what are termed "false colors' -- or you termed "colorized" they are doing so because -- as Felice mentioned --the sensory modalities of scientific instruments overstrip the sensory modalities of humans senses, so they use the false colors to compensate for those human failings.

    As to why someone would use the ilustration of a cell vs. a photomicrograph: take a look at photomicrograh of a cell vs. an artist's renditon: as Graham said: they make sense of all those things.

This thread is closed.


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