Awards are given out each year by the National Science Foundation and the journal Science for the imagery that best conveys complex scientific information and concepts. Here’s a sampling of this year’s winners:

This looks like a flowing insect of some kind, doesn’t it? Or an awe-inspiring, never-before-seen underwater creature…

But, it’s actually a CT scan, revealing the delicate structures of a human nose and face, as seen from the top of the head, down! The multicolored pockets are human paranasal sinuses – the air-filled spaces in your skull.

Talk about merging science and art!

The image was captured by Kai-hung Fung of Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Hong Kong, the co-winner in the photography category of the 2007 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge.

Here’s a strikingly beautiful image of something you hopefully don’t have too much of in your diet…  

It’s Irish moss – Chrondrus crispus – a common Atlantic red algae that is harvested for its carrageenan, which is a chemical used as a thickening agent in many processed foods. 

This gem was taken by Andrea Ottesen of the University of Maryland‘s Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, who shared a first place prize in the photography category of the 2007 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge for natural light photography.

To see the rest of these fascinating images, make sure you check out the National Geographic site link!

National Geographic September 27, 2007