The Wellesley Education Foundation Board of Directors has announced a featured exhibit for Wellesley STEM Expo on April 6. “Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies,” an exhibition of more than 20 sets of striking large-format prints, showcases advanced imaging technologies used by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History and reveals once-hidden, intricate details of both natural phenomena and cultural artifacts.
The exhibition features images that were created in pursuit of scientific knowledge, but also resulted in visually arresting art. It explores how such imaging technologies — including infrared photography, scanning electron microscopy, and computed tomography (CT) — 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.
The exhibition curator for “Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies” is Mark Siddall, curator in the American Museum of Natural History’s Division of Invertebrate Zoology.
The images in Picturing Science were taken as part of research, including studies of evolving supernovas, long-buried ancient villages, microscopic hairs on wasp antennae, biological fluorescence, and more. This exhibition features the work of 27 scientists, students, and staff from the American Museum of Natural History’s Divisions of Anthropology, Invertebrate Zoology, Physical Sciences, Vertebrate Zoology, and Paleontology, as well as from the Richard Gilder Graduate School. The images in this exhibition were produced with a range of optical tools and equipment, many of which are housed in the American Museum of Natural History’s Microscopy and Imaging Facility (MIF), which provides Museum research staff with opportunities to use advanced imaging technology.
Wellesley STEM Expo 2019 is a hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) exposition including a speaker series, hands-on exhibits, workshops and a student work showcase – transforming Wellesley High School (WHS) into an interactive science center for a day. Wellesley STEM Expo is a biennial event. It is expected that the event will draw over 4,000 attendees from across the MetroWest area to enjoy the wide range of inspiring and interactive exhibits, attend of the many engaging workshops, or learn from the keynote speaker.
The 2019 Expo is the fourth hosted by WEF, and the scope of the event represents the ongoing commitment of WEF to the advancement of STEM, and enthusiastic support of the Wellesley community, local colleges, and nine Platinum-level donors so far. For further information, visit https://www.wellesleyeducationfoundation.org/stem-expo.
