"At MIT… we make new ways of seeing, and we see new ways of making."
—L. Rafael Reif, MIT President
Images are part of our everyday world. They are essential for newspapers and magazines—social media would be nothing without them! Images are also an essential part of science. Scientific images can transcend disciplines, represent complex situations, communicate across languages, and ignite curiosity.
This stunning image, made by Reveal contributor Felice Frankel, could be abstract art appropriate for a museum collection, But it actually shows in microscopic detail the surface of a wristwatch!
MIT scientists use imagery to explore unknown worlds, from the depths of the oceans to the surface of a thin strip of photographic film, and they invite you to come along on their adventures. This week’s package highlights the work of three MIT experts—Allan Adams, Felice Frankel, and Jim Collins—for you to use as inspiration for developing your own tools of discovery, striking visual representations, and problem-solving devices.
Images are an essential part of the currency of the 21st century. But their importance extends far beyond YouTube and Instagram. At MIT, images are an integral part of science and discovery.
This week’s Full STEAM Ahead package is Reveal! Discovering Science Through Compelling Images. We highlight the work of three MIT experts—along with their graduate students and research teams—for you to use as inspiration for developing your own ways to see the world in a new perspective.
A Different Lens
Learn from Felice Frankel, photographer and research scientist at MIT Chemical Engineering, how to experience the wonders of science through photography! Use thoughtful decisions about medium, lighting, composition, and digital manipulation to communicate complex scientific concepts to international audiences!
Create imaging tools that let you explore places you’ve never dared to examine before with Dr. Allan Adams, lead investigator for the Future Ocean Lab at MIT!
Follow the work of Professor Jim Collins, a pioneer in the burgeoning field of synthetic biology! Combine imaging knowledge and biology to invent a product, repurpose a technology, or design a new medical tool.
Make sure you scroll to the bottom for additional activities.
Photographing science is an act of discovery. Through judicious decisions about medium, lighting, composition, and digital manipulation, Felice Frankel constructs visually stunning images that also convey important information.
The objective of A Different Lens is to create images with new perspectives that engage and inform viewers. You can capture a compelling scientific image that, when paired with text, conveys a complex concept.
“The making of pictures gets you, as the scientist, to look and see things that you would not ordinarily pay attention to.” — Felice Frankel
If you aren’t comfortable with equations or charts and stumble over the wordy explanations in science books and journals, it can be hard to see the beauty in science. That may be one reason some people don’t like science.
But the truth is; we are all scientists trying to make sense of the world around us. Images and graphics are powerful tools that can allow anyone to understand a process or a phenomenon, or at least to be drawn into it enough to marvel and be curious.
The process of creating striking images doesn’t just benefit the viewer—it can also be an act of discovery for the scientists who make them, nudging them to see things they might not otherwise pay attention to.
The following activities and resources are designed to help you create your own compelling image to help communicate a science concept.
Meet the Expert: Felice Frankel
A Glimpse into MIT: Koch Institute Public Galleries
Activities
| A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words (All Ages) | |
| Explore what makes a good scientific image. Capture, caption, and share your own scientific image! | |
| Illustrating Science (All Ages) | |
| Use your drawing skills to explain everyday science! | |
| Scanning Science (All Ages with Adult Supervision) | |
| Use your scanner to zoom in and explore everyday objects. | |
| Ethical Dilemma of Image Enhancement (6-12) | |
| Discover how scientists create images of deep space phenomenon and reflect the ethics of image enhancement. | |
| Interested in learning more about using a camera to explore your world? | |
| The MIT Museum and Koch institute will be hosting a 2-week celebration of scientific imaging starting June 6th, 2020. Keep an eye on the MIT Museum website to learn more about this series of webinars, technique tutorials, and photo challenges. | |
Reading List
This annotated reading list was curated in collaboration with the youth librarian team at the Lucius Beebe Library in Wakefield, MA. All titles were selected based on their relevance to the theme.
YouTube Playlist
This video playlist provides additional information about Felice Frankel and her work on making science and engineering pictures. You can use these videos as background information for additional exploration as you explore the activities above.
Pinterest Board
This Pinterest board provides additional information about Felice Frankel and her work with making beautiful science and engineering pictures. Check out some of the ideas before creating your own images!
Share-Out
Be sure to get adult permission before sharing…
- Your explorations with us on social media using #MITFullSTEAM and #ADifferentLens
- Your questions with us on the A Different Lens Forums!
What’s an extreme environment? Space and the deep ocean easily come to mind but what about extreme environments closer to home? Are there environments in your house or backyard that you either can’t or don’t want to disturb but still want to explore. Perhaps a bird’s nest on your porch or backyard or the area behind your washing machine or refrigerator. Design a tool or imaging system that would allow you to see what is going on without disturbing the environment.
The objective of Extreme Exposure is to brainstorm an environment you would like to explore—perhaps one you’ve never dared to look into before—then learn about the imaging tools needed to do that and design a version of at least one of them.
Earth’s deep oceans may hold as many mysteries for scientists as deep space. Allan Adams, a MIT research scientist, believes that the depths of the world’s oceans may provide clues to solving climate change, help people live on Mars, better understand evolution, and more. That’s why his lab is developing low-cost, low-power imaging technologies that make marine research more accessible.
Meet the Expert: Allan Adams
A Glimpse into MIT: Girls Who Build Cameras
Activities
| Build a Pinhole Camera with the Curiosity Correspondents! (All Ages) | |
| Tools of Discovery (6-12) | |
| Create a tool designed to the specifications of your favorite extreme environment! | |
| Make a Sundial! (K-5) | |
| Recreate this ancient scientific tool and calibrate it to your location! Can you compare your results with a friend in a different time zone or latitude? | |
| Make a Compass! (6-12) | |
| Recreate this ancient tool of discovery and exploration at home! | |
| Make a Sextant! (6-12) | |
| Navigate the world using the position of celestial bodies as you guide! | |
Reading List
This annotated reading list was curated in collaboration with the youth librarian team at the Lucius Beebe Library in Wakefield, MA. All titles were selected based on their relevance to the theme.
YouTube Playlist
This video playlist provides additional information about Allan Adams and his work on ocean conservation.
Pinterest Board
This Pinterest board provides additional information about Allan Adams and his work on ocean conservation.
Share-Out
Be sure to get adult permission before sharing…
- Your explorations with us on social media using #MITFullSTEAM and #ExtremeExposure
- Your questions with us on the Extreme Exposure Forums!
Millions of people around the world die each year because simple infections aren’t detected and treated in time. Jim Collins and his team at MIT aim to change that by building accurate and inexpensive tests for a variety of disease-causing microbes.
The objective of The Picture of Health is to define a problem of personal importance—anything from asthma and peanut allergies to the physical challenges of navigating different environments using a wheelchair—then seek input from one or more individuals experiencing that problem about potential solutions. Through the engineering design process, you can create prototypes of those solutions.
The World Health Organization asserts that health is a fundamental human right. But it is a right that is out of reach for billions of women, men, and children around the globe. Some have no access to physicians, nurses, or other trained healers. Others do, but their clinicians lack even simple diagnostic tools.
Take the ability to diagnose an infection. In countries and regions with developed health care systems, a blood sample is all that’s needed to diagnose malaria or confirm the potentially deadly blood condition known as sepsis. Such tests aren’t available in countries with developing or undeveloped health care systems, meaning proper treatment is delayed or never started at all. In developing countries, infectious diseases such as pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhea—all potentially treatable—are among the leading causes of death among children under age 5, and also affect millions of adults.
Creating ways to diagnose disease quickly, accurately, and inexpensively can have a huge impact on global health. That’s an important area of focus for Jim Collins, professor of bioengineering at MIT, and his team.
Meet the Expert: Jim Collins
A Glimpse into MIT: Assistive Technology Hackathon
Activities
| Invisible Ink (All Ages) | |
| Check out this classic science activity and turn the invisible…visible! | |
| Light Painting (All Ages) | |
| Get hands on with light and your camera to create a cool visual! | |
| Light Sensors (6-12) | |
| Experiment with light sensors around your house – your cell phone, a night life, or your eyes! | |
| Open Ended Engineering Project (6-12) | |
| Tackle a health challenge using the engineering design process! | |
Reading List
This annotated reading list was curated in collaboration with the youth librarian team at the Lucius Beebe Library in Wakefield, MA. All titles were selected based on their relevance to the theme.
YouTube Playlist
This video playlist provides additional information about Jim Collins, his work, and the subject matter of The Picture of Health.
Pinterest Board
This Pinterest board links to articles and resources that provide additional information about Jim Collins and the subject matter of The Picture of Health.
Share-Out
Be sure to get adult permission before sharing…
- Your explorations with us on social media using #MITFullSTEAM and #PictureofHealth
- Your questions with us on The Picture of Health Forums!