Seeing science: The year’s best visualizations

"Cortex in Metallic Pastels," the winner in the illustration category, depicts stylized dendrites and axons in the cerebral cortex.

Greg Dunn, Brian Edwards (Greg Dunn Design); Marty Saggese (SfN); Tracy Bale (UPenn); Rick Huganir (Johns Hopkins University)

Let’s face it: science can be complicated. Many people don’t fully understand how viruses ravage the body, how scientists quantify climate change, or even how their own tablets and smartphones work.

To help foster scientific literacy and explain complex ideas, techniques, and processes to the public, Science and the National Science Foundation have collaborated to create the International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge. Now in its 11th year, the contest rewards entries that celebrate science visualization and “communicate the complexities of science, engineering, and technology to students and the public.”

Entries in five categories—illustration, posters and graphics, photography, games and apps, and video—are judged on their originality and visual impact, as well as how effectively they communicate their message. There is also a People’s Choice award, voted on by visitors to the NSF website. This year, there were 227 submissions from a dozen countries, including 17 states and Canadian territories.