Madison Reporter

Science is a visual enterprise. Scientific imagery created with microscopes, telescopes, cameras — even paint on canvas — makes parts of the world that our eyes can’t perceive visible, understandable, and often beautiful. This sentiment is echoed by Robert Johnson, assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, who captured an image of a queen conch nervously peering out from an overturned shell in a seagrass meadow in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Johnson highlights the importance of such visuals, stating that conchs play a vital role in seagrass habitats by eating and recycling organic matter, which helps in stabilizing shorelines with their dense root systems.

The 14th annual Cool Science Image Contest, hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is now open for submissions. The contest celebrates the exploratory and artistic value of scientific images and welcomes entries from any member of the UW–Madison community. According to the announcement by Chris Barncard, more than 1,000 pictures and videos have been submitted over the past 13 years, showcasing a diverse range of subjects such as animals, insects, plants, cells, stars, weather, and nanoscale structures.

Previous winners of the contest include both distinguished scientists and relative novices, with some going on to win prestigious international image contests. The contest, sponsored by Promega Corp., provides a platform for showcasing the best visuals produced during research, scholarship, or self-guided discovery within the university community. Winning entries are featured on university websites, in exhibits on and off campus, and at Promega's Fitchburg headquarters.

Interested participants can submit up to three science images or videos by visiting the contest website and following the guidelines and submission requirements. The submission deadline for the Cool Science Image Contest is June 15, with winners set to be announced this summer by a panel of judges with expertise in scientific imagery, visual art, and storytelling. Prizes for winning entries include a large-format print of the submission and the opportunity for display during various science events throughout the year on campus.

Don't miss this chance to share your amazing science visuals and be part of a community that celebrates the intersection of science and art. Showcasing the beauty and significance of scientific images, the Cool Science Image Contest offers a unique platform for individuals to display their creativity and curiosity within the scientific realm.