Visions of Science is a photographic awards scheme

Visions of Science is a photographic awards scheme organised by Novartis Pharmaceuticals. to encourage ongoing discussion about science So, what is a Vision of Science? To the judges of the Awards, a Vision of Science is an attentiongrabbing image that gives new insight into the world of science and the workings of nature. It may show something never seen before, it may explain a scientific phenomenon, it may illustrate scientific data or it may simply be an image that shows the beauty of science

This image mimics the look of human chromosomes, which • when viewed under the microscope have the banded appearance of stripy socks. Each chromosome, like a sock, is made of a long thread, although in the case of chromosomes the thread is made of DNA. Each parent contributes one chromosome to each of the 23 pairs

Puffballs are the fruiting bodies of soil-dwelling fungi. They contain the spores that will develop into new puffballs. The release of spores happens very quickly, but high-speed photography can reveal it in detail

This Culex mosquito is just emerging from its pupa (brown). Culex mosquitoes are found worldwide and carry a number of diseases. A single female can lay some 400 eggs, which are deposited on the surface of still water. The larvae filter plankton from the water before pupating at the surface. Adults emerge from the pupae a few days later, using the floating pupa as a raft prior to flying free

The surface tension of water can support even a metal paperclip. By photographing it using a grill in front of the light source, the deformation of the water caused by the clip's weight can be seen. This bending of light is similar to the bending of light by strong gravitational fields, as predicted by Einstein's theories. Surface tension is due to an attraction between the molecules in water, which cause its surface to act in an elastic manner

The hairs on a tarantula don't just make it look scary; they are valuable weapons as well. When threatened, the tarantula can flick these hairs off with its legs, firing them at would-be attackers. The spiky, branching hairs are extremely irritating to the eyes, skin and mucous membranes. This deters all but the most determined assailant, allowing the spider to make its escape

Blue ink diffusing into water takes on the appearance of jubilant figures with raised arms, as if in prayer

This image of a whole peppercorn with a grain of sea salt offers a close-up glimpse of the structure of. simple everyday products we use on our food

The orientation of molecules within a liquid crystal can be seen by viewing the crystals using polarised light. Regions that have the same colour here have the same orientation of their constituent molecules

These are not orange starfish on a rocky seabed, but tiny star-shaped hairs on the underside of a plant’s leaf. These projections, called trichomes, have a protective function. They can help to stop insects from feeding on the leaf and also prevent excessive water loss

The back wall of this eyeball has been severely distorted by a large haemorrhaged region covering much of the lightsensitive retina. This led to temporary blindness in this eye. The retina has detached from the back of the eye and the resulting space has half filled with blood. The optic disc, where the optic nerve joins the eyeball, is the yellow area at upper left.

This tiny shrimp fearlessly enters the mouth of a fish to clean its teeth. Fish value this service as the shrimp removes and eats harmful parasites. The shrimp lives in the sea anemone in the background. Fish recognize the anemone as a cleaning station, and when they need a clean they approach it and open their mouths, encouraging the shrimp in. This is mutualism - a form of symbiosis in which both partners benefit

This highly magnified image reveals the dynamic life of cells in culture as they extend growth cones to move around, interact with other cells and investigate their environment. Here three main parts of the cells can be seen: their nuclei (blue) containing the cell's DNA, the structural protein tubulin (green) which is like an escalator moving things around inside the cell and actin (red), acontractile protein that helps the cells to move around

These synthesized nanowires, grown on grids, have developed into 3 D nanoflowers. Whilst pleasing to look at, the aim of researching synthesised nano-materials is that tiny wires like this could one day be used in the smallest computers and cellsized machines. Each wire here is about a fifth of a micron. wide, some 400 times thinner than a human hair

We’ve all heard a balloon pop, but it happens too fast for us to see in detail. Highspeed photography shows what is happening at the time of the pop, the stretched skin of the balloon rupturing rapidly and. violently

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