all Initiative in Innovative Computing at Harvard University stories

Diverse ‘connectomes’ hint at genes’ limits in the nervous system

404132862 — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:01:00 -0500

Genetics may play a surprisingly small role in determining the precise wiring of the mammalian nervous system, according to painstaking mapping of every neuron projecting to a small muscle mice use to move their ears. These first-ever mammalian “connectomes,” or complete neural circuit diagrams, reveal that neural wiring can vary widely even in paired tissues on the left and right sides of the same animal.

Nature moves into 3D publishing

404132862 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:44:24 -0500

New visualization techniques yield star formation insights

404132862 — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:38:42 -0500

New computer visualization technology developed by the Harvard Initiative in Innovative Computing has helped astrophysicists understand that gravity plays a larger role than previously thought in deep space’s vast, star-forming molecular clouds.

Visualizing science focus of panel

404132862 — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:38:47 -0500

The huge load of data now coming from modern computer systems is so overwhelming that new methods must be devised to allow people to visualize the world in more understandable ways, scientists involved in computer graphics areas said in a special symposium today.

“What can humans actually understand?” asked Harvard Professor Alyssa Goodman, who arranged thea symposium on “Seeing Science” at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, held February 14 through 18 in Boston. “We just don't have the bandwidth and the receptors” to handle all the data now coming in from various disciplines, including astronomy, medicine, and the social sciences.

Frankel wins Lennart Nilsson Award

404132862 — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 23:15:10 -0400

Felice Frankel, scientific imagist and Senior Research Fellow at Harvard’s Initiative in Innovative Computing, has been named the recipient of the 2007 Lennart Nilsson Award for scientific or nature photography.

Frankel was cited for creating images described by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, which oversees the award, as “exquisite works of art and crystal-clear scientific photographs – both fascinating and valuable to the general public and scientific community alike.”

From overviews of landscapes to inner views of cells

404132862 — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:24:17 -0400

The photographs are stunning abstracts that look as though they should be hung above a mantle or in a fine art gallery. But these aren’t primarily works of art; they are images of scientific phenomena. The images were made by Felice Frankel, a senior research fellow at Harvard University’s Initiative in Innovative Computing.

Frankel brings an artistic perspective to science, enabling the world to see the work with a fresh perspective. Even her fellow researchers gain new insights.