Dr. Eleanor and friends have a fun new blog called Buzz Hoot Roar. In each post, they explain a scientific concept that interests or excites them (for example, the best thing about baby ants) in 300 words or less, and then work with graphic artists to illustrate it in a snazzy, jazzy way. We’re SUPER FANS and think you should be too – Below, Dr. Eleanor explains why she’s melding science and art together in this really cool and innovative way.

Ever since the folks in the Middle Ages revolutionized medicine by peeking into corpses, scientists have appreciated the power of the visual aid.

Actually, scientists LOVE visual aids. We’re always turning our complicated (or sometimes, not-so-complicated) datasets into graphs and figures. Here’s how I feel about that:

Credit: Eleanor Spicer Rice

Credit: Eleanor Spicer Rice

Scientists turn their numbers into graphs, and that helps. But artists can take those graphs and make their data points matter to people who never cared before. They can turn all this:

Into THIS:

Credit: Christine Fleming on buzzhootroar.com

Credit: Christine Fleming on buzzhootroar.com

 
I’m inspired by the great #SciArt online, and think you will be too. Maybe start by checking out these awesome people:

Michele Banks, Glendon Mellow, Beatrice the Biologist, Myrmex, and some of the talented SciArtists featured on my blog, Buzz Hoot Roar.