Tabla de contenidos para Issue 7 en NatureVolve

Graphene is made of carbon atoms only around one atom thick. Essentially, it is a single layer derived from graphite - a natural material many artists use for sketching with. To the right we can see the geometrically uniform, simple structure of graphene - in a hexagonal lattice. This material is not only aesthetic to look at on the atomic scale, but a promising material for use in sustainable technologies. Dr. Prabhuraj utilizes graphene to create increasingly sustainable fuel cells for a low carbon future, helping to reduce battery waste and support sustainability. Many of us have heard of hydrogen cars which derive energy from hydrogen fuel cells instead of fossil fuels, yet, for these sustainable technologies to become more common, enhanced performance is needed. © Prabhuraj PhD. All rights…

When we think of comic books our minds usually jump to stories of myth and fiction - such as the famous superhero comics, Spider-Man and Super-Man. Andy Cruz shows that we don’t need to write purely fictional stories for comic books to be captivating. This format can be education, as demonstrated with Andy’s paleoart project Dinosaurcomics - shared graphically on Instagram and Twitter. Andy’s designs have led to a successful Kickstarter campaign for unique dinosaur pins based on Cretaceous species from the geological Hell Creek formation. We speak with Andy about the creative process behind Dinosaurcomics. © Andy Cruz 2020. All rights reserved. Q & A - Andy Cruz Please tell us about how your interest in paleontology was sparked and how you went on to pursue that subject further.…

Laura Bundesen is primarily a fiber artist focusing on the fascinating human brain, using thread. Her first two brain pieces were made in 2014 and she was instantly hooked. Since then, Laura has been spurred on by the reception the pieces received in the neuro-world, by scientists, medical professionals, and anyone with a brain injury or illness. Some of her work is representational, exploring how the brain functions, and some of it is much more abstracted and playful. Artwork There is a Riot Going On (below) © Laura Bundesen. All rights reserved. ‘There is a Riot Going On’ is hand embroidered and painted. It represents the riot of thought processes and interplay of neurons in the brain - always going, not always under control. The brain is hand embroidered with…

Prawns in a rockpool Prawns in a rockpool are like our first attempts at flight, captured on film, and then played back, very slowly, in black and white. Or, like some prehistoric insects, caught for an instant that has somehow lasted forever, held in suspension, preserved in amber. Fog I am not so sure as to what it is I miss the most no longer living on the coast. It would be easy to say it is the sound of the sea. And, yes, on certain days that would, indeed, be true. But, at other times, the occasional blast of a foghorn has its own very different appeal. Silence may well be golden but, for myself, you just can’t beat the sound of a breaking wave, nor the moaning of…

As the globe fights against the Covid-19 pandemic, which has sadly taken over a million lives, our news feeds are flooded with coronavirus news endlessly updating across the world. Overwhelming as many find it, what adds to the news of surging case numbers are the theories of the virus and conspiracies – from the idea the virus is not even real, to its suspected origin in a Wuhan laboratory. Speculations and ‘fake news’ circulate the internet, successfully convincing huge numbers of people. Is there validity to the idea Covid-19 originated in a lab or should this be labelled ‘misinformation’? In response, there have been scientific studies to get to the bottom of this question. In March 2020, a genomic study pointed to the natural origin of the virus. Published in…

EDUCATION As colleges and universities grapple with reopening plans, they now have a third alternative to in-person classes or traditional online lectures. That’s why Dr. Gene Levinson has invented a groundbreaking solution that will lead to an entirely new approach to online and hybrid education, not only during the pandemic, but for years to come... Press release re-printed from EurekAlert! July 27, 2020 See more at Eurekalert.org “With the very survival of colleges and universities in serious jeopardy, I asked my team to focus on a practical, scalable convergent learning solution that brings out the best in both college professors and students,” says Dr. Levinson, a scientist and educator-turned software inventor, now founder and CEO of SmartNoter Inc., a Northern Virginia…

Chris Styles speaks to the ethical taxidermist, Krysten Newby, about the truth behind the art of taxidermy and how she turned her passion for art and nature into a business. There is something about seeing an animal in the flesh; something you cannot get from an image. It is tangible, you can understand its weight, its height, its literal embodiment. In a previous life, I studied Zoology and Ecology, and I remember reading books of animal keys (imagine a pick-your-own adventure but in the end, you always end up being an animal of some sort) or books on animal mechanics, where the technical illustrations always looked a little... off. Even the best illustrations or videos cannot do the real creatures justice. Then, I would step into the university’s Zoology Museum,…

ART SCIENCE COMPLEX was founded with the intention of investigating our conjecture that the exercises of art and science (as well as all of the other speculative vocations, such as engineering, philosophy, mathematics, etcetera) stem from singular, rather than different and disparate, fundamental desires. As a result of our own work, and collaborations with our colleagues—and our ASC outreach and education programs—we set out to explore this initial hypothesis. Artwork Feast For the Starving: Host Recipes From An Obligate Parasite Banquet (below) © Julie Rauer Co-Founder of ART SCIENCE COMPLEX. Ingenious mechanisms for progressive host obligate parasitism are revealed from ostracized microscopic shadowed realms, illuminated with stark metaphorical ferocity in Julie Rauer’s elegantly unsettling macroscopic world of a human scaled vanitas banquet. Ribeiroia ondatrae begins its insidious life cycle inside…

When we spend quality time with someone, the areas of the brain linked to motivation are activated. When we feel lonely, areas associated with distress are activated instead. ‘Feel’ is the important word. It’s possible to be alone, without feeling lonely, and it’s possible to feel lonely in the company of others. Loneliness is, at its essence, a set of mis-matched expectations – where the quality of one’s interpersonal relationships does not match one’s expectation or hope for them. The Covid-19 pandemic physically cut people off from their family and friends. People who have been living alone since the pandemic started are one group who have had to radically rethink their expectations around social contact. There are a lot of misperceptions about solo living, and the most widespread is that…

Health workers across the globe have been under great pressure during the global Covid-19 pandemic as countries dealt with equipment shortages and limited facilities. In many regions, medical staff have been praised for their heroic efforts in continuously taking care of overwhelming numbers of infected patients. Yet, in some regions, health workers face social challenges and stigma for their medical work during the pandemic. They do not only deal with hospital beds filling up with coronavirus cases and the fear of contracting the virus themselves, but risk the well-being of their own mental health. In countries where resources are particularly stretched, such as in Nepal, pressure comes from many directions. Pratik Khanal is a public health professional who explains more, having recently co-authored a published study exploring the mental health…

Founded by two children passionate about protecting the enigmatic nautilus, the project Save the Nautilus has evolved through a decade to raise awareness of this beautiful creature that we do not often see in its natural habitat, but only on display. The nautilus has been under threat for a time now due to commercial demand for their ornamental shells. In 2010, a study in Fisheries Research revealed catch populations in the Philippines dropped by 80% since 1980, providing evidence for the chambered nautilus to be protected. Only two years ago, in 2018, the species was listed as endangered. Now, the nautilus needs our help more than ever in its conservation. This inspired the launch of the project Save the Nautilus a decade ago, to research and raise awareness of this…

ANNOUNCEMENT If you enjoyed issue 7 you can get access to more science-art stories in our other issues! Download these for free and new releases at naturevolve.com/subscribe Want to get in touch? If interested in sending in your feedback or being featured, you can contact Clarissa (Editor-in-Chief) atClarissa@naturevolve.com You can also find us on twitter with our handle @naturevolve or facebook on the pageNatureVolve Magazine. Another big thank you to all contributors to our issues, our dedicated readers, online following, as well as those who shared their thoughts of the publication by sharing their testimonials.…