Embracing Science through Art

Scientists have often invited the public to see what they see, using everything from engraved woodblocks to electron microscopes to explore the complexity of the scientific enterprise and the beauty of life. S

haring these visions through illustrations, photography and videos have allowed laypeople to explore a ran

ge of discoveries, from new bird species to the inner workings of the human cell.

The BioArt Scientific Image and Video Competition, administered by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, shares images rarely seen outside the laboratory with the public in order to introduce and educate people about the wonder often associated with biological research. BioArt and similar contests reflect the long history of using imagery to elucidate science.

The Renaissance, a period in European history between the 14th and 17th centuries, breathed new life into both science and art. It brought together the field of natural history—a field of inquiry observing animals, plants, and fungi in their ordinary environments—with an artistic illustration. This allowed for wider study and classification of the natural world.

Artists and artistic naturalists were also able to advance approaches to the study of nature by illustrating the discoveries of early botanists and anatomists. Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, for example, offered remarkable insight into human anatomy in his famous anatomical drawings. This art-science formula was further known in the 17th and 18th centuries as the printing process became more sophisticated and allowed early ornithologists to publish their elegant drawings.

Today, scientific publications including Nature and The Scientist have taken to sharing their favorites with readers. Visualizations, whether through photography or video, are one more method for scientists to document, test, and affirm their research.

These science visualizations have found their way into classrooms, as K-12 schools add scientific photographs and videos to lesson plans. Art museums, for example, have developed science curricula based on art to give students a glimpse of what science looks like. This can help promote scientific literacy, increasing both their understanding of basic scientific principles and their critical thinking skills.