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Incredible Closeups of Nanoscale Materials as Art


April 15, 2013 | Julia Dawidowicz

Art as science as art as science as art: it’s a never ending cycle of mind-blowing. Science as Art is an annual competition hosted by the Materials Research Society that asks participants to showcase their creative sides by manipulating microscopic nanostructures to take on artistic forms, then digitally enhancing the results. This year’s first place winners include zinc-infused tin oxide “nanoflowers,” tranquil beach dunes that are actually “electron microscope images of a carbonized silicon nanowire array,” and Organic nanowires with a “nanoparticle frost coating” that resemble frosty pine needles. Other favorites are shown above.