Drawing is inquiring

Images are a rich source of information and knowledge. The information is gathered at the end of the maker and is received at the end of the viewer. Different knowledge is created at either end based on context and memory. Creating images allows one to look, document, understand, ask, disseminate. These words are reminiscent of observation, documentation, analysis, hypothesis building, and communication.

Images have been part and parcel in the progress of science. Whether it is Vesalius’s anatomical drawings, Hooke’s drawing of the cork cells, Mendeleev’s periodic table, the photograph of the black hole, or Crick’s DNA drawing, they all advanced science. In the talk, I will discuss some of these images that have enabled scientific inquiry and science storytelling. I will also share ideas on how scientist-artist collaboration can contribute to the scientific pursuit using a case study.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Ipsa Jain a scientist turned illustrator from Bangalore, India. After pursuing a PhD, she forayed into science illustration. During an unusual post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Minhaj Sirajuddin at inStem, she got the opportunity to work on scientific visualization and science storytelling. Dr. Jain works with various scientists, and scientific institutes to share their science with varied audiences, peers as well as the public. She makes STEM-based zines and children's books. She also spends a lot of her time sharing what she has learned via courses, talks, and workshops across the country. More about her work can found at ipsawonders.com or on social media.