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Picturing Science Special Exhibition

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature Welcomes American Museum of Natural History Exhibition Shedding Light on Stunning Sights

Opening on March 5, Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies reveals the hidden art of the universe’s infinitesimal detail

Ichthyologist John Sparks treated fish with a calibrated series of chemical dyes. Red dye tints bones, blue dye clings to cartilage, and enzymes “clear” tissues, rendering them transparent. These and other stunning images are featured in The Bishop’s newest exhibition Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies opening to the public March 5. Image by John S. Sparks, Associate Curator, Division of Vertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History.

Scientists see a great deal more than most of us do, thanks to a range of sophisticated imaging techniques. Tools such as remote sensors, scanning electron microscopes, CT scanners and high-powered telescopes allow researchers to detect evolving supernovas, long-buried ancient villages, microscopic hairs on wasp antennae and much more.

With the opening of Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies on March 5 — the first exhibition of its 75th Anniversary Year of Light — The Bishop makes it possible for visitors to see what scientists do, using technology to reveal once-hidden, intricate details of both natural phenomena and cultural artifacts.

This graphic panel exhibition features the work of scientists from the American Museum of Natural History, showcasing more than 20 sets of striking large-format images that were created in pursuit of scientific knowledge, but also resulted in visually arresting art. The exhibition — which also features items from the The Bishop’s own collections — also explores how new imaging technologies make it possible to examine and analyze a range of specimens and phenomena at levels of detail previously unimaginable, advancing science and providing new insights into the visual splendor of the universe.

Visitors will be introduced to scientific imaging technologies such as:

  • Confocal laser scanning microscopy
  • SEM (scanning electron microscopy)
  • Electron microscopy
  • CT scanning (computed tomography)
  • X-Ray imaging
  • UV Fluorescence

The exhibition opens on March 5 in the Museum’s Gallery 1. Visiting is included in the price of admission. Adults (18-64) $23.95 | Seniors (65+) $21.95 | Youth (12-17) and College Students (with ID) $17.95 | Children (5-11) $14.95 | Pre-K (2-4) $8.95 | Children younger than 2 admitted FREE with paying adult | Discovery Society Members get in FREE

Picturing Science is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org).