Science Visualized

  1. Space

    The James Webb telescope took some stunning images in 2023

    Star nurseries. Planets. Supernova remnants. Here’s a look at some of this year’s stellar JWST images. And the mission is still just getting started.

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  2. Planetary Science

    JWST spotted a new speedy jet stream in Jupiter’s atmosphere

    Seen in images from the James Webb Space Telescope, the high-altitude feature may help untangle the inner workings of the giant planet’s atmosphere.

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  3. Life

    The inside of a rat’s eye won the 2023 Nikon Small World photo contest

    The annual competition puts the spotlight on science and nature in all its smallest glory.

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  4. Astronomy

    This ‘polar ring’ galaxy looks like an eye. Others might be hiding in plain sight

    New images of two galaxies reveal what look like rarely seen rings of hydrogen gas nearly perpendicular to the galaxies’ starry disks.

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  5. Life

    A fantastical world of potential giant viruses lurks beneath the soil

    Giant viruses were already known for their large sizes. A close look at a scoop of soil shows that they may come in a variety of funky shapes as well.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    With a new body mapping technique, mouse innards glow with exquisite detail

    Removing cholesterol from mouse bodies lets fluorescently labeled proteins infiltrate every tissue, helping researchers to map entire body systems.

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  7. Animals

    In a ‘perfect comeback,’ some birds use antibird spikes to build their nests

    The spikes were meant to keep birds away. But five corvid nests in Europe use the bird-deterrents as structural support and to ward off predators.

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  8. Climate

    Antarctic sea ice has been hitting record lows for most of this year

    Since hitting a record low minimum back in February, the amount of Antarctic sea ice has stayed well below normal all year.

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  9. Paleontology

    Paleontology has a ‘parachute science’ problem. Here’s how it plays out in 3 nations

    When researchers study fossils from lower-income countries, they often engage in dubious or illegal practices that can stifle science.

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  10. Climate

    The summer of 2021 was the Pacific Northwest’s hottest in a millennium

    Tree ring data from the Pacific Northwest reveal that the region’s average summer temperature in 2021 was the highest since at least the year 950.

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  11. Physics

    Videos of gold nanoparticles snapping together show how some crystals grow

    Real-time electron microscopy shows gold nanoparticles tumbling and sliding in a fluid before snapping together in crystalline structures.

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  12. Animals

    These transparent fish turn rainbow with white light. Now, we know why

    Repeated structures in the ghost catfish’s muscles separate white light that passes through their bodies into different wavelengths.

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