Discover Magazine | Visual Science

Visual Science: The New View From Space

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:28:52 -0600

A peek through the International Space Station's new windows [PIC].

Visual Science: The Ultimate X-Ray Generator

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:05:00 -0600

Pictured: A generator at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France powers what are known as “kicker magnets,” which help direct beams of high-energy electrons that whiz around the facility at high speeds. Other magnets wiggle the circulating particle beams, causing them to emit intense X-rays. ESRF’s accelerator is the most powerful synchrotron light source in Europe. Researchers at the facility use this energetic radiation to probe the structures of diverse targets that include superstrong glass, fossils trapped in amber, and proteins produced by malaria parasites.

Visual Science: A Striking Visualization of Hurricane Katrina

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:55:00 -0600

Scientists at LSU’s Center for Computation & Technology used the university’s supercomputer to integrate wind, temperature, and sea surge simulations with satellite data.

Visual Science: Polishing a Cosmic Spyglass

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0600

A tune-up for one of the most sophisticated imaging devices ever made

Visual Science: A Stimulating View

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:15:00 -0500

Researchers are using a new laser-like technique for looking inside of tissues.

Visual Science: NASA Unveils Its New Rocket

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:20:00 -0500

Visual Science: The Rollout of a New Rocket [pic]

Visual Science: Vulcan Awakes

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:55:00 -0500

Visual Science: The Red Badge of Climate Change

Mon, 18 May 2009 10:45:00 -0500

Tracing the flow of a blood-red fluorescent dye may reveal the ultimate fate of the Greenland's ice.

Visual Science: The Achilles Heel on Michelangelo's David: His Shin

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:35:00 -0500

3-D scanning shows where the statue is most stressed—and where it will probably fail.

Visual Science: A Close Look at the Original Information Superhighway

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:30:00 -0600

A detailed microscope image shows the complicated structure of a fish's nervous system.

Visual Science: A Glow Below

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:20:00 -0600

Fluorescent coral captured on film

Visual Science: The Rocket That Could Save Astronauts' Lives

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:00:00 -0600

NASA's Orion space capsule features a new escape clause.

Visual Science: A (Dormant) Volcano Is a Great Place to Look at the Sky

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:25:00 -0600

Hawaii's Mauna Kea isn't just home to the world’s largest astronomical observatory—it's also a dormant volcano.

Visual Science: The Remote-Controlled Helicopter That Predicts Volcanic Eruptions

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:30:00 -0600

Aerovolc 1 has a very sharp sense of smell—it can detect the sulfur dioxide that may signal an eruption—and not a shred of fear.

Visual Science: The History of the World, Contained in a Block of Ice

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:40:00 -0500

What was in the air 200,000 years ago? Scientists are finding out using ice cores from the two poles, which captured snapshots from Earth's atmosphere as far back as 400,000 years.

Visual Science: The Daredevils Who Chase One of the Sky's Greatest Mysteries

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:05:00 +0000

Some brave pilots fly tiny gliders into an amazing type of cloud that forms only in Australia.

Visual Science: What Does Alzheimer's Look Like in Your Brain?

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:05:00 +0000

What does Alzheimer's look like? An artist's 3-D rendering of a peptide that is a surefire marker for the disease gives researchers a clearer picture of what to look for—and possibly how to stop it.

Visual Science: The Laser to End All Lasers

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:35:00 +0000

Scientists are completing the world's largest laser—but will it work?