"Symphony in B-Flat" by Adrian Borsa

A composition for seismic and geodetic time series

It is a historical accident that seismic and geodetic data are housed in separate archives and formats, even though it is costly and a barrier to analysis. The point of this piece is that from a slightly different perspective––here, the heavy saturation of both datasets and ambiguous transition between positive and negative space.

Adrian Borsa is a faculty member at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

"Our Ocean on Fire" by Mitchell L. Chandler

Extreme ocean warming events can have devastating consequences on ecosystems and societies

Periods of extreme ocean warming – known as marine heatwaves – can have severe impacts on marine ecosystems and the people that depend on these ecosystems. Shown here are the strongest marine heatwaves measured by satellites in a section of the North Pacific Ocean. By improving our understanding of these marine heatwaves we can better predict and prepare for future events.

Mitchell L. Chandler is a graduate student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

"Crystal Habit(at)" by Sean P. Dunphy

Molecules pack together to form crystals of different shapes and colors

The macroscopic shape of single crystals is determined by how the molecules pack together. A well-grown single crystal can be used to determine the exact structure of the constituent molecule through X-ray crystallography.

Sean P. Dunphy is a graduate student in the UC San Diego Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Figueroa Lab.

"A Quest for Healthy Food" by Claudia Espinoza

When What And How much to eat? Flies help us understand how dietary fats shape foraging behavior

A fly wandering among yeast colonies, relying on its inner metabolic programs to choose wisely. Not all yeast are the same. Some contain the right type of lipid (fat) that will allow it to survive to a fluctuating environment.

Claudia Espinoza postdoctoral scholar in the UC San Diego Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Budin Lab.

"A PiNC Ocean Mosaic" by Sarah Giddings

Pink for a day - a multispectral drone measures dyed fresh outflow spreading in the coastal ocean

This mosaic includes multispectral drone images collected during the 2023 Plumes in Nearshore Conditions (PiNC) experiment, a project designed to understand the fate of freshwater outflow and pollutants. Pink dye was used to track fresh outflow from Los Peñasquitos Lagoon through the Torrey Pines State Beach surf; measured with drones, jet skis, and other in-situ platforms.

Sarah Giddings is a faculty member at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

Contributors: Alex Simpson, Maya Vanderschuit, Robert Grenzeback, and Sierra Byrne

"Botanical Beauty in Brown" by Adi Khen

Scanned pressings of brown seaweeds: natural historical specimens as natural works of art

Scientists use macroalgal herbarium collections (i.e., seaweed pressings) to preserve and catalog specimens. This is useful for tracking biodiversity across space and time— not to mention, they are natural works of art! This image depicts pressings of brown macroalgae scanned as part of the Smith Lab’s efforts to reestablish an herbarium collection at Scripps Oceanography.

Adi Khen is a postdoctoral scholar at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, Smith Lab.

Contributor: Jennifer Smith

"Sonic Habitat no.115" by Akari Komura

Musical five-line staff against the sky

The image is in a form of an experimental musical notation. Musician may freely interpret the image as a score to embody on their instrument and/or voices.

Akari Komura is a graduate student in the UC San Diego Department of Music.

"From Sphere to Snowflake" by Benjamin A. Lam

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) assemble into a snowflake-like structure

AgNPs possess a spherical shape and are coated to have a negative charge. The AgNPs aggregate upon addition of a positively charged peptide because opposite charges are attracted to one another, resulting in the snowflake shown in the TEM image. The assembly of the AgNPs produces color changes that can be utilized for diagnostics and even the detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Benjamin A. Lam is a graduate student in the UC San Diego Department of NanoEngineering.

"Guardians of the Gut-laxy" by Elena Lin

Immune cells in the gut ride into battle to protect us against invading pathogens

Our immune system is essential to keeping us and our communities healthy. I research what makes immune cells that live in the different tissues across our body so good at their job. Inspired by Albrecht Dürer’s “Four Horsemen,” I depict immune cells in action as they trample harmful microbes. Their shields bear the letters “Eomes,” a nod to the molecule that I investigate.

Elena Lin is a graduate student in the UC San Diego Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chang Lab.

"Topographic Spectrum of a National Monument" by Sarah Mctague

Programming reveals how Earth's terrain shapes local biology, such as the Organ Pipe cactus

This image depicts the terrain of a section of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in AZ, and the colors display the direction the downhill slope faces. The warm-loving Organ Pipe cactus grows primarily on south-facing slopes to prevent death from severe frosts during the winter months. Images such as this allow us to model habitat locations where we may find this species.

Sarah Mctague is a faculty member in the UC San Diego Department of Urban Studies and Planning.

Data credit: United States Geological Survey (USGS)

"Thermal Neuristors for Neuromorphic Computing" by Erbin Qiu

Unleash the future of computing with groundbreaking thermal neuristor, leaving transistors in dust

Two thermal neuristors communicate exclusively through thermal interaction and emit spiking trains that closely resemble those of biological neurons, advancing brain-inspired computing.

Erbin Qiu is a graduate student in the UC San Diego Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and Physics, Schuller Nanoscience Group.

Contributors: Ivan Schuller and Mario Rojas

"Surface of the Sun in a Petri Dish" by Abhishek Saha

Bénard Cells, also observed on the surface of the Sun, appear in fluids heated from the bottom

Fluid instabilities, while fascinatingly pleasing to look at, are critical in understanding several natural and engineering systems, including breaking waves, atmospheric turbulence, and rocket engines. The image shows one of the instabilities, called Bénard Cells, created by heating oil in a Petri dish. When the oil thickness and heating are right, beautiful cells appear.

Abhishek Saha is a faculty member in the UC San Diego Department of Mechanical and Aerospce Engineering, Saha Research Group.