Basic ChemistryJune 25, 2024
What Vitamins and Minerals Really Do in Your Body
Humans need around 30 vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies functioning
Stories by Jen Christiansen
Jen Christiansen is author of the book Building Science Graphics: An Illustrated Guide to Communicating Science through Diagrams and Visualizations (CRC Press) and senior graphics editor at Scientific American, where she art directs and produces illustrated explanatory diagrams and data visualizations. In 1996 she began her publishing career in New York City at Scientific American. Subsequently she moved to Washington, D.C., to join the staff of National Geographic (first as an assistant art director–researcher hybrid and then as a designer), spent four years as a freelance science communicator and returned to Scientific American in 2007. Christiansen presents and writes on topics ranging from reconciling her love for art and science to her quest to learn more about the pulsar chart on the cover of Joy Division's album Unknown Pleasures. She holds a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a B.A. in geology and studio art from Smith College. Follow Christiansen on X (formerly Twitter) @ChristiansenJen
MicrobiologyJanuary 1, 2024
See Your Body’s Cells in Size and Number
The larger a cell type is, the rarer it is in the body—and vice versa—a new study shows
Space ExplorationDecember 1, 2022
Are the James Webb Space Telescope’s Pictures ‘Real’?
How the JWST’s cosmic images are made
OceansAugust 1, 2022
How the Ocean Sustains Complex Life
Detailed data about a host of physical and chemical forces are shaping a new view of the sea
Climate ChangeJuly 1, 2022
Wildfires Followed by Severe Rain Will Become More Common
Graphics show how the two weather extremes will more often pair up
PolicyMarch 1, 2022
COVID’s Uneven Toll Captured in Data
Visualizing ongoing stories of loss, adaptation and inequality
Basic ChemistryDecember 1, 2021
Mammoth Tusk Reveals Ancient Mammal’s Travels
Chemical analyses showed an individual mammoth made an epic journey across Alaska
Health CareSeptember 1, 2021
The Terrible Toll of 76 Autoimmune Diseases
About 80 conditions can be described as autoimmune disorders, although definitions are still changing
AnimalsAugust 1, 2021
Bird Species Abundances, from Biggest to Smallest
A new study found large species are rare, but those with fewer individuals are abundant
FitnessApril 1, 2021
Our Bodies Replace Billions of Cells Every Day
Blood and the gut dominate cell turnover
EARTHMarch 1, 2021
Sunlight Changes Unequally All Year Long
Some days we gain one minute; some days we gain three
Public HealthJanuary 1, 2021
Cholesterol Drops in the West and Rises in the East
Blood levels change as people alter diets and the use of statin medications
Public HealthNovember 9, 2020
Coronavirus Vaccine Is 90 Percent Effective in Large Trial, Pfizer Says
Genetic engineering could allow for speedy production as well
CultureSeptember 1, 2020
The Language of Science
How the words we use have evolved over the past 175 years
CultureSeptember 1, 2020
The Pulsar Chart That Became a Pop Icon Turns 50: Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures
A classic data visualization brought an astronomical curiosity to music lovers
Public HealthJuly 1, 2020
A Visual Guide to the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus
What scientists know about the inner workings of the pathogen that has infected the world
CultureJanuary 1, 2020
Scientific American’s Colorful Covers Reveal 175 Years of Change
The magazine’s hues provide a record of publishing technology and trends
CultureOctober 25, 2018
Visualizing Science: Illustration and Beyond
Where does the illustrator end and the infographer begin? How does data visualization fit in? And what does science have to say about the design decisions we make?
ComputingSeptember 1, 2018
Only 150 of Your Facebook Contacts Are Real Friends
Even with social media, we max out at 150 real relationships
MedicineMay 1, 2018
Global Infections by the Numbers
The SciencesMarch 14, 2018
Pi City
Data visualizers Martin Krzywinski and Jake Lever map city centers for an annual Pi Day art exploration
BiologyJanuary 1, 2018
Mass Extinction in Earth’s Oceans Could Begin by 2100
FitnessOctober 13, 2017
The Evolution of a Scientific American Graphic: Pregnancy in Progress
When we return to a topic where the research has advanced, our visual explanations need to be updated accordingly
MedicineOctober 2, 2017
Circadian Rhythms, Illustrated
A graphic from the Scientific American archive provides a look into the brain’s molecular clock—research that contributed to this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine