Opinion: Through an Artist’s Eye, Scientific Tools Help Tell Vital Stories
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Image caption: Multispectral imaging depicts destruction of the the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland. In this map, reds show healthy foliage along the Rio São Lourenço, yellows show stressed plant life, while blues and blacks indicate where the forest has died. Image credit: “Burnt Pantanal II” by Richard Mosse. Opinion article by Anita Makri. Undark – December 1, 2022.
Perhaps one of the most salient marks of human ingenuity is our ability to peer into places our eyes were never designed to see. We can now glimpse the birth of distant galaxies with the Webb telescope, or spot structures hidden deep inside the human cell through electron cryomicroscopy. And for decades, scientists have been using remote sensing technologies to monitor the planet. From lidar systems creating three-dimensional images of forest biomass to satellite imagery tracking changes in tree cover, these tools can keep watch on ecosystems that serve as the lungs of the planet. […]
