丁香园AV

Beyond the formulas and theories that can make chemistry daunting to many of us, 丁香园AV professor Vance Williams is attracting students and the general public by showcasing another side of chemistry鈥攊ts beauty. Using images of stunning patterns created through his microscopic work with crystal and other materials, art is helping to make chemistry more accessible.

His extensive photo library鈥攚ith more than 10,000 images, and counting鈥攊s creating a bridge between science and art and helping others to see chemistry in a new light.

鈥淰isual art has the capacity to create connections and break free from the tyranny of chemical jargon,鈥� says Williams, a , who鈥檒l present the first talk in 丁香园AV鈥檚  series on September 26. He鈥檒l demonstrate how science and art, often considered opposites, might be more connected than we think.

鈥淭hose of us in chemistry, like any science, have a language of our own, and to new students or the general public, using art can help to give a little glimpse into our world,鈥� says Williams, who began following his passion for 鈥淪ciArt鈥� after stumbling upon it more than 30 years ago. Today he shares his art routinely in class and on his  sites.

He first found interesting patterns in a molecule of menthol, and decided to further explore the molecular structure of the antibiotic isoniazid, used to treat tuberculosis infection. The drug benefited his mother who was diagnosed with the illness as a youth.

While his images highlight his artistic side, they sometimes help inform his scientific understanding of materials by illuminating things he might not have noticed.

鈥淚鈥檓 not breaking new ground鈥攖his is art for art鈥檚 sake鈥攁nd there are certainly others doing it,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n the days before film, some scientists would create beautiful drawings and renderings of what they saw through the microscope, bringing the science to life. My hope is that what I鈥檓 capturing can open a new window to chemistry鈥攁nd science in general.鈥�

Williams says sharing the work on its own merits or as part of a wider effort to communicate science is time well spent鈥攁nd is one more example of how all science fields have their own visual appeal. 鈥淲e have little to lose by sharing the beauty of our disciplines,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd much to gain.鈥�