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Is a picture worth 1,000 words?

Nature volume 421, pages 474–476 (2003)Cite this article

Exciting new illustration technologies should be used with care.

A quick look at Nature or Science immediately shows how the role of images in science has increased over the past 20 years. It is now rare to find a research article that has no images. Indeed, it is hard to remember that colour is a relatively recent addition to scientific publishing. This increase in illustrations is undoubtedly due to the widespread use of computer graphics — images can readily be enhanced, modified and morphed. It is now relatively easy to draw figures with shadows and multiple reflections between mirror-like surfaces.

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Figure 1

BIBLIOTHECA NAZIONALE CENTRALE, FLORENCE

Figure 2

MIKE AGLIOLO / SPL

Figure 3: Could this device function?

WWW.CONEYLJAY.COM

Figure 5: A nanocircuit from the cover of Science.

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM SCIENCE 294, 9 NOV 2001 & 298, 11 OCT 2002. © 2003 AAAS

Figure 4

SHEILA TERRY / SPL

Figure 6: Science as art.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge discussions with Philip Ball, Howard Stone, Mark Ratner, Darell Velegol and Joe Zasadzinski.

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  1. the R.R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, 60208, Illinois, USA

    Julio M. Ottino

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  1. Julio M. Ottino
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Ottino, J. Is a picture worth 1,000 words?. Nature 421, 474–476 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/421474a

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