Author: ipsawonders

  • The new money crops

    It is perhaps not surprising that any crop grown is not just food or material, but also a value based commodity. As such, the choice of crops to be grown for an individual or a nation is a social, political and economic decision. Curious about shifts in agriculture practices across the globe, I analysed economic valuation of crops across three decades. It became clear that a lot fresh produce vegetables and fruits have seen higher change in their valuation, with production treading along (Figure 1). Tomatoes, apples and cucumbers & gherkins have the highest valuation among fresh produce items, globally. This may be indicative of growing population, higher demand for fresh foods and nutrition, a shift towards vegan/vegetarian diets, and higher demands for exotic produce. 

    Figure 1: Line chart showing increase in economic values (USD, shown in green) & production values (tonnes, shown in purple) for a subset of fresh produce crops that have shown a high change in valuation between 1992 & 2022. While the guide shows end point data and line is not indicative of linear regression slope, the trend remains true to a steady rise.
    Figure 1: Line chart showing increase in economic values (USD, shown in green) & production values (tonnes, shown in purple) for a subset of fresh produce crops that have shown a high change in valuation between 1992 & 2022. While the guide shows end point data and line is not indicative of linear regression slope, the trend remains true to a steady rise.

    It is to be noted that the staple cereal crops still have a higher valuation and much higher production, but the change in valuation of fresh produce if of interest (Figure 2).

    Figure 2: Change in valuation in USD, production value and area of land harvested for each cereal crops across 1992 & 2022. Rice, corn and wheat have a substantial increase in valuation and yield.
    Figure 2: Change in valuation in USD, production value and area of land harvested for each cereal crops across 1992 & 2022. Rice, corn and wheat have a substantial increase in valuation and yield.

    Next, I looked for countries that had started to dedicate more land to these high-value fresh produce crops (Table 1).

    Curious if the crops were grown for local consumption or exports, I looked up each country’s export share for these produce items (Table 1). It revealed that many fresh produce like cucumber, tomatoes, and eggplants are grown for local consumption.

    Table 1: Produce-wise list of top three countries that increased land use for specific item from 1992 to 2022. These are top producers as well, except for ‘Apple’ which are most produced in China & India. The export share marks the percentage of global trade for the product in 2022. Please note that export includes fresh and processed items.
    Table 1: Produce-wise list of top three countries that increased land use for specific item from 1992 to 2022. These are top producers as well, except for ‘Apple’ which are most produced in China & India. The export share marks the percentage of global trade for the product in 2022. Please note that export includes fresh and processed items.

    China and India are the most populated countries in the world and consequently have higher requirements for all food items. While more exotic items like avocados, dates, and apples are made for export. It reiterated the importance of choice that a nation has to make about consumption and trade regarding crops it chooses to farm.  

    Since all these items are land-based crops, with their production increasing, one would expect that land harvested for these crops would rise as was seen in the analysis (Figure 3). 

    One would expect that most countries have also increased land used for agriculture. However, amongst the countries analyzed only China (and India, data not shown) have shown a substantiative increase in agricultural land (Figure 3). Iraq has a huge shift in land dedicated to agriculture, with an acute dip concurrent with the American invasion of Iraq (data not shown).

    Figure 3: Fold change in land harvested for agriculture across 1992 & 2022 for a subset of countries from Table 1. For total land harvested for any crop is marked in yellow. For cereal crops is marked in green. For specific fresh produce is marked in purple. The values indicate land area in hectares. 
Please note that the figure shows fold change and is not representative of proportions of cereals and fresh produce. Without exception, the cereal production and land used for harvesting is proportionally much higher than that used for any of the fresh produce items.
    Figure 3: Fold change in land harvested for agriculture across 1992 & 2022 for a subset of countries from Table 1. For total land harvested for any crop is marked in yellow. For cereal crops is marked in green. For specific fresh produce is marked in purple. The values indicate land area in hectares. Please note that the figure shows fold change and is not representative of proportions of cereals and fresh produce. Without exception, the cereal production and land used for harvesting is proportionally much higher than that used for any of the fresh produce items.

    Interestingly, data shows that some countries have reduced the area dedicated to certain cereal crops. Mexico, for example, has reduced the area used for wheat crops, and Algeria and Iraq have done the same for barley crops. China, while has increased the area for corn harvest, has decreased so for wheat harvest. Uzbekistan, on the other hand, has increased land used for wheat cultivation, with a decrease in land used for barley and cotton, another economic crop.

    I also inquired if these countries that use less land for cereal crops are able to fulfill local needs or rely on imports. China, actually, is the largest importer of cereals in the world, followed by Mexico. Algeria and Turkey rely heavily on cereal imports to meet their local needs (Table 2).

    Table 2: Global cereal trade share of specific countries expressed in percentages in 2022.
    Table 2: Global cereal trade share of specific countries expressed in percentages in 2022.

    While this analysis doesn’t bring me closer to understanding how each country decides what crops to grow, it highlights that it is indeed a strategic decision. If a country foresees potential in export opportunity for a crop with high valuation, it may do so at ‘expense’ of other crops that are locally needed. Understanding agricultural trade dynamics across globe might be revelatory of barters and exploits between producers and consumers. 

    Data sources:

    FAO datasets

    1. Value of agricultural production

    2. Crops and Livestock Products 

    https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QV/metadata

    Retrieved in September 2024

    OEC reports

    https://oec.world/en/profile/hs/cereals#exporters-importers

    Retrieved in December 2024

    All the datasets were first analyzed using Tableau and then recreated in Illustrator.

  • A Nobel Organism

    Biographies of scientists are important as they allow a window into science as a way of life and the cultures of science. They also highlight/hint at socio-political-cultural complexes within scientific institutions. They betray the values of a scientist, scientific, social, and personal.

    Nobel Prize winners, the highest achievement in sciences, deliver Nobel prize speeches and are also directed to write autobiographical notes for the Nobel Prize website. These autobiographical notes are a reflective piece where the scientist charts their journey from the beginning, sharing how events and people have shaped their scientific journey and work. They mention upbringing, education, training in science, institutional associations and roles, movements across institutes, meetings with people, references that influenced the work, interactions with mentors, friends and collaborators, students, love life, engagement with arts and more. Different scientists bring up different aspects to their journey, from joy of friendship to grief of war to loneliness of being a head strong scientist in their time. It was remarkable that a lot of the winners, (in some cases, even with apparent grandiosity) acknowledged how other people have contributed to the life and work that led to the Nobel Prize award. As Newton said, “if I have seen further [than others], it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” If the giants could include not only previous thinkers, but all the people in scientific ecosystem from mentors to students to technicians that contributed to the work! Awards like Noble Prize may glorify the idea of a lone scientific genius but a study of these autobiographical notes is a reminder that it is anything but that.

    Poussin, Nicolas - Landscape with blind Orion seeking the sun - 1658
    Poussin, Nicolas – Landscape with blind Orion seeking the sun – 1658

    In this project, I started out to analyse the humility, acknowledgement of others in the writing of each women Nobel Prize winner and their male counterparts. I theorised that perhaps women are more grateful than men. The markers I used were, mention of names in the notes, mention of social interactions, words to praise/express gratitude towards specific people, words written towards lab cultures like meetings and conferences that are social in nature, on situations where others open doors/created opportunities for them. Using these markers there were no obvious gendered differences in dataset I worked with. Perhaps other methods like discourse analysis or larger dataset might make these clarified.

    Nobel prize layout V1
    Nobel prize layout V12

    Method: I read each biographical note 2-3 times. I placed sections of text under each subheading as outlined in analysis in an excel sheet and counted number of words. Simple arithmetic was used to scale down number of words by a factor of 50. Words for social aspects and war were similarly extracted from the notes and counted.

    Full data available on request.
    Full data available on request.

    My favourite reads included Carol Grieder, Christian Nelson-Volhard, Richard Axel and Gunther Blobel.

    Some things that I noted but didn’t come up in the visuals:

    Eric Kandel has influenced many a scientists directly and indirectly.
    DNA structure discovery and people associated were also mentioned often.
    Women scientists mentioned Rosalind Franklin or Barbara McClintock as inspirational figures.
    Most of the winners had shifted institutions/cities within their research journeys.
    Most of the winners had good relationship with their research mentors (and few even shared awards with them).
    Some winners that didn’t speak much towards social aspects of science were research centric in their notes.
    A few women winners mentioned how their life partners have influenced their decisions and research journeys. Fewer men mentioned the same.

    My fav story from all the notes is this one by Carol Greider:

    “The friends in Stanley Hall were a very close group. We would walk to get a latte at least once every day. We would talk science, tell jokes, tease each other and complain to each other about experiments that did not work. There were a lot of practical jokes that we played on each other. I was having trouble with experiments one afternoon and complained to Jeff that I was “bored”. So late that night Jeff filled my umbrella with home made confetti with the word bored on each piece. The next day I was leaving genetics class, it was raining so I opened my umbrella and thousands of pieces of paper fell out. I knew I had to retaliate. The next day I got into the lab very early. I went to Jeff’s lab bench; he had 40 bottles of different chemical reagents for his experiments lined up on the shelf above his bench. They were all glass bottles filled with clear liquid, I removed the labels that were taped on for every one of them (I marked each with a number underneath and kept a paper key). When Jeff came in to work in the morning, he started his experiment for the day, reached up for his TE buffer and found 40 identical unlabeled bottles. He was shocked at first, then, being clever, he saw the small numbers on the bottom and realized what I had done. He came into our lab and said “OK so where is the key?” I pretended to not know what he was talking about, but was glad when he admitted I had gotten him back. These kinds of jokes were common in Stanley Hall. Often they involved dry ice inside plastic tubes, which would burst and sounds like a bomb when placed in a metal garbage can.”

    Reading and plotting these notes has been source of joy. A peek in the life of science in a way that I can relate to as well as the one I shall not experience.

     

  • What a year, 2023!

    What a year, 2023!

    This year has been plenty, plenty of work, dancing, friendships, and frankly, exhaustion.

    I do take my time in December to slow down, unwind, and reflect on the year that has been. But this year, December was a frenzy with crazy new tasks, responsibilities, family visits, etc. While it means a life lived full, it also means delaying the reflection, rumination, and planning for hopes for this year a bit. 

    To keep up the ritual to draw the lines around ebbs and flows, here is a note.

    On bridging Science and communities

    In the past year, I was able to work on two important projects. Hoping to build on them further this year.

    (be)living science

    It is an exploration of what is the public’s relationship with science. It was born out of reading of ‘Why trust Science?’ By Naomi Oreskes during the pandemic, and a chance meeting with a now friend and collaborator, Debanshu Bhaumik.

    In the pilot, we explored the perception of science that people outside and inside of science have in terms of its potential, role in deciding the future, and more. We did this using data visualisation, interactive data collection, and interactive storytelling. We presented this pilot at the India Science Festival in Hyderabad last year. We got some good feedback on our work that will allow us to make the work richer in the future.

    While there was a huge mismatch between the audience we expected and the audience we got, it was still a great place to learn and share.

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    We also asked scientists at YIM, IIT Gandhinagar to share their ideas and preferences on a mural to understand what kind of resources and references that community relies on. 

    Canvas-mural_yim

    Later in the year, we presented a part of the work at the Curiosity Conference where the work was well engaged with and well received. We got great feedback on how the audience was provoked to think about important questions not under the limelight.

    MG_2897_YIM
    IMG20230812194536

    Fistful of mud

    It is an attempt to bridge science and the public by bringing scientific inquiry to our backyards and public spaces. It started with an afternoon lunch conversation and has morphed into its being. With a group of students at Srishti School of Art, Design, and Technology, we created a space for the exploration of these ideas, where the students took the imagination and scope of this project further. 

    We started the project by going on nature walks, organizing nature walks, and then thought of ways to enrich that experience with self-guided exploration, play, competition, storytelling, and debate. There was a whole lot of joy, surprises, learning, and setbacks throughout the project. It in all felt like life lived well, and work done well. 

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    students and participants engaging on observation and documentation

    Both these projects also helped me realise that I am more interested in direct engagement with audiences, and want to do work that is beyond content creation. 

    Some of our work also got featured in the newspaper! Here is the link.

    We also presented some of the student work at Curiosity Conference which was also very well received, particularly by educators in the crowd.

    Scientists and Drawing

    In a pursuit to rediscover drawing as an idea generation tool among scientists, I have been doing some work. In a first, I shared these ideas with scientists at YIM organized by IndiaBioscience in the past year. In this interactive talk, there was a lot of interaction and drawing, which led to loads of laughter and learning. Ankita Rathore from IndiaBioscience documented it here.

    MG_2897_YIM

    Inspired by the drawings made in these workshops, I also made a zine with a compilation of imaginary beings. 

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    I followed up this talk with a workshop at the Curiosity conference at IIT Gandhinagar, where I used multiple ways of prompt generation to build stories and to ask questions. While the prompts were not limited to science, it has the potential to drive scientific idea generation in a focused manner. I look forward to experimenting with it this year. 

    Participants at IITGN workshop sharing stories based on prompted drawings

    On ‘Zine-ing’ Science

    I made a few new ones that were about experimentation with materials. With Sofy, we attempted to make circuits on zines with a carbon-based pigment. We shared our techniques and tricks with a writing school cohort led by Jamie Barber for Science Gallery. 

    I also made some zines using transparency sheets, scanning experiments, paper pop-ups, and book forms. It resulted in some zines around cellular layers, knowledge generations, and plant form. Hoping to push on these experiments this year. 

    On teaching and sharing

    This year, besides the fistful of mud, I also facilitated two other courses at my workplace. One of them is around plant ecologies and evolution is documented here.

    The other course around information visualization also panned out well. We discovered many aspects of the subject matter together through conversations, debates, tricks, and assignments. We tried many little things from drawing imaginary processes, to understanding perceptions of a class, to making data-based performances and graphs made out of shadows, clothes, or water and ice. 

    I found a lot of joy in teaching this past year, a revelation.

    I also got the opportunity to mentor two students from IISER Pune as part of IISER Pune’s collaboration with SJAI. You can read about the program and project here. Eagerly awaiting the finish pf the project to share the work with you. We are working on a sensitive subject matter where science and human emotions stand divided. Trying to work on something like this allowed for good discussions on whether one is neutral as a science communicator, and if yes, where to hold it in and where to share it with no holds barred.

    Continuing with habits, I took a module for scicomm course at IISER Mohali on information visualisation and visual storytelling in science. It is always nourishing to be there, with students and faculty. Hoping for richer interactions like this.

    I also shared about science communication and science visualization with students at the Summer School of Women at ICTS and Xavier College, Mumbai. Divya from Azim Premji University and I also recorded a session on Science and Art for an NPTEL course on iThinkBio. I also delivered two workshops on graphic design and illustration for scientists at inStem and LVPEI. The participant enthusiasm and persistence in these workshops were remarkable. 

    On growing as a human

    As this was a year of exhaustion, physical and emotional, the focus on self was limited. I did begin to re-learn tango, which is going well. 

    I also contributed to projects made by some friends, making space for laughter and joy. I hope to make pay more attention to the communities I have built and nurture them.

    I hope to pay more attention to self-care and well-being this year. 

    Cheers, and A very Happy New Year!

     

    PC: Lam Duc Hien
  • What a year 2022!

    What a year 2022!

    Usually, the year-end affords time for reflection on the past year, with a list of hopes for the upcoming year. The circumstances this year have me rushing this note a few hours before the year ends. But in the spirit of keeping up with the tradition, here is a short note.

    This year has been great, both in terms of doing, making, and working as well as slowing down, when needed.

    The book

    This year started with the release of our book, “Actually, Colors Speak”. It was great to finally place the book in the world, and it made me feel accomplished. This accomplishment came not from the feedback or sales of the book, but from finishing a first-of-its-kind (for me) project. Thanks to Minhaj, Somdatta, and Rabin for being partners on this project. It was the pandemic season, so we ‘released’ the book at a memorable interaction at ISF 2022. We were able to hook up the microscope and show a bunch of specimens through the microscope and do a delightful book reading with a brilliant kid. One of the feedback for the book is visible here.

    Book release at ISF 2022

    I was also able to share the process of making the book at the annual conference by GNSI, the Bioticks club, and some other invited talks. We also took the idea of color in animals to interactions with a young crowd at BIC during the summer and to the public at the metro station with Bangalore Design Week.

    The talk at GNSI
    The Color in nature workshop at BIC

    The new job

    The second big change in my life was joining SMI as a facilitator. I have always wanted to be in an environment where I get to interact with people of diverse backgrounds and interests. This experience has been enriching for personal growth and has given me a safe space and the courage to try new and experiment. What I am most grateful for is new friendships!

    I also am learning a lot about myself as a human being, during my interaction with students. In this year, I worked with a great bunch of students to create part of an exhibit called the Interlude. The interactions and process of putting together the exhibit were a very fun-filled experience. I also got to offer a course on information visualization which led me to build a small project of my own (More on that in next year’s note, I suppose). The most interesting interaction was a course on scientific illustration and objectivity based on this brilliant essay, Image of Objectivity. As I come close to finishing a year at this new workplace, I am excited to work with students and colleagues in the time to come.

    The student group that worked on the Interlude exhibit

    The science studies

    Zines

    Building on some work from the last year, I continued to work on a zine series around science. This included conversations on choices a scientist makes, the idea of beauty in science, and the sense of space and time among others. As the Indie comix fest returned to Bangalore, I was able to share this work with the public to a phenomenal response.

    Some of my old zines on cells made it to an exhibit, called Bodies at Sea, by Devika and Kamini at the Archives at NCBS. I also got to present some of my work at a talk there as part of exhibit programming.

    Craft in Science

    This summer I spent a week at the Fly facility at NCBS, observing the folks in the lab do their thing! They make transgenic flies. Being the lab, sketching, and learning the process of ‘doing’ science, I uncovered ideas on the craft that is required to perform these time-sensitive tasks with finesse and technique that involves training of the hand. I also realized how much labor goes into science, and a whole lot of it is unrecognized. I was able to share some of it with my zine: Crafting a mutant fly. I hope, to build on this work sometime in the future.

    Snippet from Crafting the mutant fly zine

    This zine and the conversations that came from it also became the focal point of collaboration with Line Krom who was an artist in residence at the Archives at NCBS.

    Drawing in Science

    I shared my ideas on drawing in scientific pursuit at my Tedex talk at MNNIIT Allahabad. I elaborated on how drawing unlocks creativity that is required for original thinking and hypothesis building. While I have not been able to do real work on this. I hope to bring the drawing to studies on craft in science and trust in science in upcoming collaborations with scientists and science students in the coming years.

    Glimpses from a ‘drawing atoms’ session done with Somdatta Karak

    Trust in Science

    Following up on the trust in science zine created last year, I planned to understand the relationship between science and society more intimately. I started with a direct translation of the zine and found a lot of responses from the scientist. The most meaningful insight (for me) was that scientists acknowledge that existential questions can’t be answered by science. In the next run, I am collaborating with Debanshu Bhowmick to look at the same understanding of science among people not trained in sciences. (If you are one, or know some: consider filling out or sharing the form). This line of inquiry will continue to grow in the next year.

    Even with the Image of Objectivity course at SMI, I got design students to talk to scientists and ask them questions about their relationship with ideas such as objectivity, truth, ethics, etc. These conversations all showed the level of honesty scientists have! I hope to create a set of public conversations around these ideas in the coming year.

    Art and Design students interacting with scientists

    Science in Public

    After much resistance to the idea, prepping for a specific talk made me acknowledge that a whole lot of work I have done over the years is in fact about enabling access to science. With Bangalore Design Week, I brought conversations on science to the public in a more literal sense, myself, and with help from other friends. This endeavor to bring science, and the scientific method to the public, in public spaces, is a definite direction in the coming year. (hey, Scicomm and Science peeps, I need your help with this).

    Exploring soil in public garden

    The scicomm thing

    Scicomm workshops and courses and talks are always a big part of my work year. This year it meant interactions with students at Miranda college, BHU, Sri Venkateshwara College, IISER Mohali, and IIT Gandhinagar. I was also part of sessions with SciRio and SicommSci Club. My favorite workshop was a zine-making workshop at TIFR Hyderabad, where people created together with such force and joy that felt ‘wow’.

    Crowd at TIFR interacting with zines made during the workshop

    The human thing

    This year, I turned 35 years old. It felt landmark-ish as imagining a future for me at 35 was hard for my 25-year-old self (it was not an ageist thing but a mental health thing). This year I also decided to invest better in people and communities. I found folks to work with, paint with, make zines with, play games with, do science with and etc. I am hoping that these communities will stay with me in time to come and perhaps grow.

    So I end this year’s note with gratitude and hope, as always. Hoping that your year has been kind to you and that the next one is what you need it to be. Happy New Year!

  • About the book, ‘Actually, Colors Speak’

    About the book, ‘Actually, Colors Speak’

    The Book!

    We have recently self-published a science, illustrated, popular science book on concepts from animal coloration. Find it here. Making of this has been a long learning journey for those involved. Sharing the perspective from my point of view.

    MOTIVATION

    As scientists working on science communication, the idea of an illustrated science book was an exciting one. Could we make a popular science book? As cell and molecular biologists, we were enthused to diversify the subjects accessible in popular science book spectrum, ecology, and astronomy. 

    Scientists are habituated to write for a scientifically educated audience and often rely on a lot of complex and technical concepts. We wanted to write a book that can be enjoyed and understood by a wider audience by using simpler language and illustrations.

    INSPIRATION

    We had books from Big Picture Press, Laura Redniss, Pratham Books, and Rohan Chakravarty for inspiration. We first had to identify a subject that is of general interest. A subject with an intrigue of its own and also a subject that has a large interest in the scientific community to have scientific data to present and represent.

    PROCESS

    Once we had our subject matter in mind, what followed was an intensive period of reading and learning about color change and behavior. This gave us much-needed clarity about the knowledge that we wanted to communicate.

    During our research, we uncovered a lot of examples of color changes in animals, both slow-paced and fast-paced. Biased by our interests, we certainly wanted to talk about molecular processes and dug those up.

    A fraction of material that went into the book

    As the themes of our work began to get clearer, our next plan of action was to figure out what the voice of the story was going to be. How exactly were we going to present our content and what was going to be the source it was coming from?

    We started off with rough sketches and storyboards on newspaper print rolls, going through a lot of ideas and iterations in the process. The first version of our book ended up being a mix of poetry and watercolor drawings in two sample chapters.

    Rough plans for the book

    The idea of working with scales initially came up during this stage, which made it into the final book, where we go from the level outside the animal all the way inside its cells, taking the reader through the origins of natural color and color change.

    Since we had just recently read about a lot of ideas and research and we had a lot of exciting ideas of our own, the amount of content that we were initially planning to include was also quite high.

    There was a lot of articulate and complex research work, such as the story of the Stony Creek frog that shows animal color changing throughout the day, which was the first one we thought of including, alongside the basics of color.

    Old version of the book

    During one of our open presentations on campus, however, where we shared our work with a lot of people, we realised that our poetic writing was quite cryptic, and not quite working for science communication to a wide audience.

    When we spoke to other artists scientists beyond the campus for feedback, we once again realised that what we wanted to communicate wasn’t being communicated very well, which is what led us to get back to the drawing board once again.

    This is where the idea of making the story more fun and accessible came about and we decided to make it a conversation between three instruments in a color lab. The writing was made simpler and the content was reduced to a digestible amount.

    Finally, we had clarity on what was to be the final product of our efforts and through storyboarding once again, we were able to pick out the three examples that have made it into the book’s stories now.

    The way we have presented concepts and information lets readers focus and learn about the phenomena themselves without having to unnecessarily worry about the different subjects such as biology, chemistry, or physics.

    Concepts from all science feature in the book

    We picked three examples of animal color change to elaborate. What was really cool and interesting was that although the common thread was the color change, the processes going on behind the phenomena and the behavior associated with the phenomena in each organism were fairly different.

    Once we had our stories in hand and the groundwork for research covered, we were ready to execute our idea of going from the outermost view of the animal right to the inside of the cell. A lot of time was spent looking for references for each level of this scale.

    Our process was also somewhat unique in that our illustrations came before the text. This was probably because we had a lot of clarity about what we wanted to say and express and how we wanted to structure it through a graphic narrative.

    A key step in the process was taking microscopy images of specimens like chameleon or octopus skin sections and translating them into sketches appropriate for page spreads. This initially involved a lot of playing around with scale and thinking in terms of cross-sectioning of tissue.

    Rough sketches that shaped the final drawings in the book

    A final factor that affected the illustration work was figuring out how much creative freedom to take. Keeping in mind the size of the page, how much of the visuals would should reality and how much of it would I have to bend to effectively communicate the science of a process?

    Studying and drawing individual cells was also an interesting and challenging task. Particularly in the cells of the chameleon, the changes were subtle but the effect that they had was quite significant. It was a fair bit of struggle to represent and pronounce the subtle changes in the cells themselves to reflect the overall change in the color of the skin.

    A lot of fun trial-and-error ensued, with the primary focus remaining the expression of color, rather than technical details such as the number of cells or the cell layers. This would ensure that readers could relate the content back to the central theme at any given time.

    It was an interesting challenge where we had the core idea in mind and then had to think about translating it to dialogue between the three characters in the book, while also building suspense, surprise, and excitement wherever needed. We also had to ensure that we are not merely describing the images, but talking about the processes in a way that images and words complement each other.

    A lot of great feedback came from people across the campus and lab, with ideas shared in lab meetings and chai-breaks alike being incorporated into the drawings and visuals. To everyone who worked with us and helped us out, cheers!

    Something that really helped us through the process was the assistance of our amazing editor, Somdatta, whose input on writing, especially on streamlining the connections across stories was brilliant. We also had great help from a designer extraordinaire, Rabin Jacob who helped us with design and layout.

    Now that the book is out in the world, we hope that it reaches the intended audience and gets the love that was invested in making the book.

    Buy it here.

  • What a year 2021!

    What a year 2021!

    This has been a hard year. I began this year with hopes and aspirations, but the pandemic has been a mind-bender and mind twister that clouded ‘unbridled hope’ with exhausting socio-political as well as personal realities. Since it is a matter of practice, here is me documenting my reflections of the past year with the idea it gives me direction for what’s next.

    Making

    Corporate shenanigans

    This job (which I am no longer pursuing) has been one of the most surprisingly intense experiences of my life. I felt I did the work that some people might do across a couple of years, in less than a year. It is no surprise that I was exhausted and burnt out when I decided to quit it.
    While it might sound like a complaint, there is so much I gained from that experience working on brilliant projects. From creative work to team management and project management, I picked a lot of skills that would be helpful in the long run.

    I learned that I am a good team enabler (if the team is small, at least). I worked with a team of four lovely folks. We did a lot of creatively challenging work together. My favorite team project was an internal newsletter. In one of the issues, we documented how we helped each other and this is what the whole team said.

    Snapshot of the learning map. Note, how confidence has improved for all.

    This image is my badge of honor!

    A book!

    During my postdoc work at inStem, Minhaj and I started working on a book. It is finally going to make its way for the public eyes. Spent a fair amount of this year working on it. The project has been made richer by our amazing editor Somdatta Karak and brilliant designer Rabin Jacob. More soon!! It comes out in Jan 2022.

    A glimpse into the theme of the book. Take a guess!

    Drawing for iTHINKBio

    This ebook is meant to be open-source, for enabling students with critical thinking, reading, and analyzing skills in a way that connects them to the way science is done, biology is practiced. My contribution is minuscule to what the whole project is, but I got to make the diagrams and drawings for the book! So happy that I got to be part of it and also very proud of the outcome.
    My favorite image, and a social media post with my thoughts on it.

    Cover for iThinkBio ebook

    My amazing intern also deserves a mention for laboriously working with me on this project- Pearl D Souza.

    CCMB videos

    I worked with my ever-so-fav collaborator Somdatta at CCMB on a series of videos. We worked on visualizing science that happens at the institute with the Mokshar team.
    It was fun to develop the storytelling universe, keeping the audience and other logistics in mind. Watch them here.

    Zines

    Have adopted zine-making as a part of my identity now.

    Zines

    Here is a zine on fate and development with CCMB https://www.ccmb.res.in/docs/zines/Fate_cells_molecules.pdf

    This year I read Why Trust Science by N. Oreskes. For me as a science communicator, the book enriched ideas on how to build bridges with people who don’t believe in science or specific parts of science and technology. In response I am making a series of zines, part one was realized in collaboration with TLOS. This participatory zine invites the audience to gauze their relationship with science.


    A zine on lichens, which inquires how associations between algae and fungi are formed.

    A poetry zine with Somdatta Karak on ideas of the observed and the observer. Purchase here.

    Sharing

    Workshops and talks

    As always this year was filled with sharing ideas, including at the India Science Festival, the IUCCA sciomm workshop, workshops with Scirio, IISER Kolkatta, and IIT Jodhpur. I shared different aspects of drawing, science, zines, and science communication at these spaces. I was also part of the instruction team for the scicomm course at IISER Mohali. This year I also gave a lot of talks at colleges in two-tier cities. This time, the challenge was to get out of the science bubble and host a workshop for the public, not based on a science theme. It was a gratifying and fun experience.

    In another first, I collaborated with the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum for a session on Dinosaurs with really young students. Such joy!

    Screaming made up dino sounds and drawing with participants

    In the most flattering experiences, Binita, a participant in one of my zine-making workshops made a zine on me!

    Mentorship

    I also did a formal mentorship for a talented up-and-coming illustrator Pranjal Gupta. It was a great learning experience. I attempted to help him navigate his current problems with an eye on future plans. Here is what he said about the experience:

    So in past three months I have learned a lot of value. Organized my first workshop. Practiced some digital illustrations. I think it is still a long way for me to create a more space/networks for myself in the community. But I have become bit more confident on various aspects e.g. client handling etc. Identified focus areas for coming months. Became a bit more clear headed about my approach and what to focus on and what not to. Thanks for extremely extremely helpful advices all through.

    Pranjal Gupta

    Discussions

    There were a few conversations with student bodies that gave me opportunities to speak to young people about my experiences. SciRio, Kitchen lab, IISER Tvm, Midday.

    Growing

    This year was slow for personal growth, I managed to do some new things. One, I was able to make some hard calls, say NO despite the appeal and glamour of some opportunities. Next, my (perceived) success at the corporate job helped me erase some of my imposter syndrome issues, by affirming my talent, skills, capabilities.

    I need a personal revolution and evolution in the coming year.

    Evolving path for what’s next

    Hope the new year (for all of us) is fuelled by ambition, by hope, in our pursuit of beauty and joy.
    Happy New Year!

    Painted wall for a friend. Maybe more murals in the coming year. Give me a wall.
  • What a year, 2020!

    What a year, 2020!

    This year has been so slow and fast depending on the mood. Punctuated with several small and big events, I reflect on the work of the past year and aspire for learning and doing more in the coming year.

    I struggled with writing this blog for obvious reasons. But in the spirit of tradition and fighting against demons of 2020, here it is. 

    Making and creating

    Lots of zines

    About microbes: The year started with me working on a zine for a conference on microbial communities. Later I worked on a series of drawings for a scientist friend for his website (under preparation). For these works, I read a bit about microbial communities and evolution. One thing that was emergent from the works was cooperation and competition shape the way evolutionary force fields. Sharing glimpses of all these works here.

    Glimpse into zines on microbes and viruses

    About time: Perception of time at microscopic scales and at large time frames fascinates me. How the story of our past is based on clues we decipher today. So many assumptions and deductions! I explore this is in my first Mobius strip zine (more in the coming year). I hope to make more work on the idea of sensing time at the cellular level.

    About life: I collaborated with my fav Somdatta Karak again. We developed zines on the stuff of life. We wanted to share how tiny atoms, tiny molecules, tiny macromolecules bring out the symptoms of life by interacting with each other.

    On proteins and membranes, with CCMB

    On science: As a scientist, I am interested in questions about subjectivity in science and processes in sciences. I reflected on some of these during the summer.

    Process of science

    On culture: In response to a call from Zindabaad Collective, I created a zine on the act of making.

    I also secured a grant with Meghna Krishnadass, CCMB, Hyderabad to make zines about forest ecology. Read about our plans and the grant here.

    I also organized online sessions for making zines and wrote something about it. After making these zines, I feel comfortable in calling myself a zine maker.

    #Zinedabaad

    Lots of ink drawings

    This year I spent my time with cheap writing inks. With brushes dipped in red and blue, I created volcanoes, strange lands with several moons, visited van Gogh’s landscapes, met Klimt’s heroines, and found joy and peace.

    Some of these drawings are part of an award-winning movie on GN Ramachandran produced by IISER Pune. Never imagined I would be saying this at any point!

    Young GN Ramachandran

    Some scientific illustrations

    I collaborated with several scientists to prepare images for their reviews and grant submissions. Find some of them here and here.

    Some science communication

    Being part of the voluntary group, IndSciCovid, gave meaning to the times I call myself a science communicator. I worked towards the creation of illustrated stories in several languages with some fabulous volunteers.

    Teaching and sharing

    Sci-art series with TLoS

    This year, I teamed up with thelifeofScience.com to make a lot of new work. My pet project was a series of discussions with artists from across the world to understand the hashtag sci-art. Like a gatekeeper of an imaginary landscape, I wanted to demarcate what is good sci-art and what is not sci-art. My conversations with several artists helped me open up my bracket of sci-art is, can mean to individuals, to science, and society. This hashtag belongs to anyone who wants to make work that is inspired by, based on, related to science and society. I also identified and suggested what we need in the scientific community to have a better culture that fosters and encourages sci-art beyond social media laurels. Working with TLoS also helped me learn a lot from how to coordinate projects to clarify my own values.

    Sci-art has many meanings

    On science visualization

    I presented talks at STEMPeers, IIT Kharagpur, and IBAB Bangalore. Conducted workshops at TIFR Hyderabad, IISER Pune, Deen Dayal College, Delhi. I also conducted zoom sessions on these ideas during the summer, for anyone to attend. I concluded my course on the art of seeing and observing at Sant Joseph College (SJC), Bangalore.

    On role of drawing in science

    I presented talks at TIFR Mumbai, IISc Bangalore, SJC Bangalore. Conducted workshops at CCMB Hyderabad. This is an idea I want to explore further during my personal practice as well as a training module.

    Drawings fill the gap between words and imagination

    On role of visualization in science communication

    I presented a talk at Scicomm Sciclub, participated in a panel at the City Scripts festival at IIHS Bangalore. I conducted a course at IISER Mohali. I also participated in a group brainstorming session at the Principal Scientific Advisor office on how science communication should grow in India. Shared my journey in science communication with students via Madhura Panse and IISER Pune.

    Where do we need science visualization

    On how I think of science visualization

    I shared my thoughts about my work on science visualization with Nature India and science historian Amelia Bonea.

    I always learn so much by sharing and teaching. If you wish to grow I recommend teaching. And some of the people who interacted with me during several workshops and such have gone one to make their niche in the science art field. Proud of you, Pearl (now an Ipsawonders intern), Kadambri, and Rachna.

    Here is some feedback I got from students and teachers:

    The course was the first trial at looking at art in science that we have ever attempted. For a couple of classes, I was there, I learned so much too! I believe courses like these give the opportunity to down walls of their disciplines and appreciate the beauty and joy that can be found in learning something.‘-Susan, the teacher at SJC Bangalore.

    Ipsa offers a unique and interesting set of sessions in Science Visualization. The sessions are mostly interactive and the conversations allow for critical analyses and individual perspectives while maintaining the overall structure of the session. Ipsa brings forth various facets of science and science visualizations, which have eluded me in spite of being in science for more than 10 years. Not only are these sessions a must for all aspiring science communicators, but will be equally beneficial for anyone excited about science.‘-Chavvi, a scientist and participant at SciViz summer sessions.

    Personal growth

    Lowering time spent on social media

    In a time when we have been bombarded with a lot of opportunities to grow, learn, and network with online media, I worked towards reducing the time spent on social media. It has been alienating as well as regenerative. I need more time to accept and embrace and use social media.

    Learned to say NO

    Often, as a freelancer, there is an overwhelming sense of insecurity if you refuse work. As someone who is trying to shape how science illustrators are treated within the scientific enterprise, I decided to say NO if the payment or the treatment from the collaborator was not professional.

    With freelance work taking a dip during this hard year, I made some major professional change. I now work at an EdTech company as an Instructional Designer. Still trying to find the balance in making personal sci-art work and professional work.

    In the coming year, I want to make some personal sci-art work. I have some ideas on the depiction of processual concepts in biology. I also want to research instances from the history of physical and chemical sciences where image-making advanced the process of discovery. I also hope to continue exploring the idea of how drawing is a legit way of inquiry in science.

    Grow.

    Hoping that 2021 is a year of growth for all of us.

    Happy New Year.

  • What a year! 2019

    Liz Lemon said, ‘What a week, huh?’

    Let me say, ‘What a year, ah!’

    This year, it now feels, has been so long. So much was done and so much still remains on my ever-growing to-do list. In this blog post, I will list out all the goals I planned for the past year and share how much progress I have made towards achieving them. This exercise is not to judge myself, but for an annual record keeping of my growth, all replete with stumbles, bruises, smiles, and hope and small wins!

    Lab stories

    The biggest change that happened this year is that I moved on from the Cytoskeleton Lab at inStem. The experience has been of tremendous professional and personal growth, learning how to accept my own shortcomings and identifying prejudices. In the lab this year, I continued my work on drawing and science. I also worked with an amazing intern, Aurelie to try my hands at making an educational video

    Minhaj, the PI and I also developed a relative scale for use by teachers and science communicators in navigating stories set in the microscopic world. 

    Collaborating more

    This year I got a chance to create a lot of work with old friends and new friends. The best part of the collaborations was not just the exchange of ideas but the friendships that happen as an accident. 

    Zines! Working with old friends at Centre for Cell and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, we made zines around science stories from the lab of Manjula Reddy and K Thangaraj. I got to learn about their science as well as develop the narrative in collaboration with Somdatta Karak, SciComm and Public Outreach Officer at CCMB. If you would like to buy a copy, write to her at [email protected]  

    Zines based on Science at CCMB

    She, Dr. Meghna Krishnadas from Lacones, CCMB, and I also collaborated for a zine-making workshop centered around ideas of climate change.

    Zine making workshop at Hyderabad Maker Faire

    Book! When I started my journey as an illustrator, the dream was to make a science children’s book. Thanks to Yamini Vijayan, Sindhu Ravindran, CG Salamander, and Anjali Alappat of Pratham Books; it’s happening! We are making a book about some tiny things. 

    Sneak Peak of work in progress for the book

    Covers! I also made some covers for Connect, a magazine by the Archives and Publication Cell at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Find here.

    Monsoon on the cover

    Editorials! I collaborated with the sisterhood of The Life of Science to create some illustrations for their mental health series. The series raises some truly important discussions. Please go through it of you are associated with academia in any way, or are interested in conversations around mental health issues. 

    When quitting is a happy and brave thing.

    I made several editorials for my dear friend Rituparna Chakrabarti for her blog Serendipity Brain. Find the blog here.

    Brain in distortion

    Some other collaborations involved outreach content for Dr. Arjun Guha, Dr. Himani Nailwal, product illustrations for Dr. Joyshree Chanam, CloudKrate, and spot illustrations for Current conservation.

    For Current Conservation, Joyshree, Himani, Arjun (top right to top left, clockwise)

    This year I also collaborated with a new crop of science writers, Dibya Saha and Sujoy Deb for content on blogs and products.

    Hope is to continue collaborating and finding new friendships.

    More Products

    Zines! I did not do all that I had in mind, but I did create a lot of zines, especially in terms of exploring, ‘what it means to be a cell’. These contemplative zines are available as a part of ongoing, brain-picking series. Get a copy here.

    Bunch of zines

    As a personal breakthrough, I set up an online shop on Instamojo for people to be able to buy my work.

    I also got to display and sell my work at various different platforms including scientific conferences and comix festivals.

    Sharing more

    As I promised to myself, I have been more forthcoming and more prompt in sharing on social media. Check (and follow!) me on Instagram and Twitter.

    Apart from that, I got several opportunities to share my journey and my process and even some gyan

    Interviews about my journey so far, and that of sci-art in general for multiple platforms like IndiaBioscience, Science Media Centre, Interview Portal, Indian Express, Hindustan Times.

    Talks and interactions with students at Bangalore University, National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore, Saint Joseph’s College, Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Centre For Learning, Bangalore, MES Kishore Kendra, Bangalore.

    Snapshots from talks at Public spaces, colleges, and schools

    Presented work and zines at several academic and public venues, including JNCASR, Bangalore, IISER, Mohali, Bangalore Comix Fest, IISER, Pune. I learned so much about audience interests and expectations.

    Stalls and audience engagement at various venues

    Gyan! I shared some of my ideas and opinions at Confluence and We Talk Science.

    At Science high, we shared science and logic of symmetry and of immunity with Mamata and Kashyap,  respectively. This was done at our favorite bookshop, Goode’s Book Republic. 

    Thanks to all the people who made these engagements possible. To more in the future!

    Teach more

    Thanks to Susan Philip at Saint Joseph’s College, I got to explore teaching ideas around visualization and visual documentation with an interested and interesting group of students. Read more about each class on Instagram.

    Snapshots from the classes

    Another truly interesting opportunity was an interaction with 20 people (school student to senior Ph.D. students) on discussions around science illustration. This was facilitated by Science Media Centre at IISER, Pune. 

    Snapshot of Science Illustration workshop at IISER Pune

    I also took several workshops this year, including those on graphic design for scientists looking to learn how to create graphical abstracts. These were at NCBS, inStem, IISER Pune, CCMB.

    Read and Learn More

    I did better at reading books this year. 

    The Birth of a Cell by Henry Harris, Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, What to do when I am gone by Suzy Hopkins, I see that by Romanyshyn and Lesiv, A velocity of being compiled by Maria Popova, Beauty by Sagmeister and Walsh, Beauty -A very short introduction, by Scruton, Aya Life in the Yop City by Abouet and Oubrerie, Step Aside, pops by Kate Beaton, Neurocomic by Matteo Farinella, Ways of Seeing by John Berger. 

    I have also joined the ScicommSci Club to learn more about the science of science communication. I attended the SCWBI workshop by Priya Kurian.

    Overall, in the coming year, I really hope to try more new techniques, interact with more artists, create more science art, learn more science-art-humanity.

    Happy New Year!

    All these opportunities and interactions with collaborators, audiences, participants, and clients have enriched my mind and my work. Thank you! I am hoping that the process of learning and growing continues in the coming year, and sincerely hope that you achieve your goals in 2020.

    Editing credits: Siddharth Kankaria

  • An Experiment to engage with the audience

    A bird sings.

    Wondering what happened there?

    Sound travels as a wave through the air, water, or solid. The singing bird produces vibrations in the air which reach our ear and vibrate the eardrum, like the ripples produced in a pond when you throw a stone. The eardrum is connected to a fluid-filled coil called the cochlea, via three tiny bones. The vibrations traveling through these bones are amplified and then passed on to the cochlea. The cochlea has a membrane with a variable thickness which resonates locally to different frequencies of sound. On this membrane, rest cells bearing hairs. These hairy structures of varying length on the tips of these cells form a meshwork. Remember running your fingers through the teeth of a comb and hearing the sound changes with change in teeth thickness/length? Similarly, the variation of hair length on these cells serves to tune these cells to different pitches of sounds. The sound vibrations which are now traveling like waves in the cochlear fluid cause the interlinked hairs to sway and these disturbances in the meshwork of hair are picked up by the nerves which convey the information to the brain, helping you understand if the singing bird is a crow or jay. 

    Are you listening?

    In the zine, ‘Are you listening?’ there is the story of how the sounds travel. Apart from the story, each drawing on the page is a prompt for the audience to draw anything around it. Whether it is an intricate repetitive pattern or imaginary landscape or faces or whatever you come up with.

    Images of the zine.

    I am hoping you will support the experiment. If you draw something, do share on Instagram/ facebook/ twitter using the hashtag #iwlistens.

    If you would like to buy and send this within India, you can buy through Instamojo. Some of my other work can also be bought here.

    https://www.instamojo.com/ipsawonders

    The note on listening was written by Dibya Saha. A science nut trying to figure how life works, both biologically and practically. Science communication is a newfound interest and he is looking forward to experiments in this field.
  • An informational interview with Indiabioscience

    Indiabioscience has been conducting a series of informational interviews with several science professionals. This serves as a useful resource for science students and graduates for career planning.

    Lakshmi Ganesan from Indiabioscience invited me to talk about science illustration. I am sharing the link to the original podcast and chunks of the transcript below. Hoping that some of you would find it useful.

    https://indiabioscience.org/indiabiospeaks/crafting-your-career-episode-6-informational-interview-with-ipsa-jain-science-illustration

    Transcript (abridged, not edited)

    Lakshmi Ganesan 0:01 
    ….
    Ipsa is a great friend and a wonderfully talented illustrator who has boldly taken the path less traveled. Ipsa has her PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, where she worked on cancer cell migration and drug resistance. She then became a freelance writer and illustrator at Club SciWri. She’s currently a postdoctoral fellow at inSTEM, Bangalore, where she creates stylized representations of biology in the form of popular science books to generate public interest in science.

    Hello Ipsa, thanks for joining us. Can you tell us a bit about your current projects? And how did you get here? 

    Ipsa Jain 1:25 
    Hello Lakshmi thanks for inviting me here. Currently I am a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Minhaj Sirajuddin at inSTEM Bangalore. And with him, we are together trying to create a popular science book using illustrations as the medium of science storytelling, where we are talking about the science of color and color change in animals.

    I also have my own freelancing brand called Ipsa wonders, where I work with scientists, book publishers, and other kinds of clients to create work that is inspired by science.

    Somewhere along my PhD, I realized that I am more interested in science communication. And while thinking about what are the kinds of things I would like to do, and I can do, I realized that visual modes of communication were more appealing to me.

    Lakshmi Ganesan 0:01 
    ….
    We have with us in the studio Ipsa Jain. Ipsa is a great friend and a wonderfully talented illustrator who has boldly taken the path less traveled. Ipsa has her PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, where she worked on cancer cell migration and drug resistance. She then became a freelance writer and illustrator at Club SciWri. She’s currently a postdoctoral fellow at inSTEM, Bangalore, where she creates stylized representations of biology in the form of popular science books to generate public interest in science.

    Hello Ipsa, thanks for joining us. Can you tell us a bit about your current projects? And how did you get here? 

    Ipsa Jain 1:25 
    Hello Lakshmi thanks for inviting me here. Currently I am a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Minhaj Sirajuddin at inSTEM Bangalore. And with him, we are together trying to create a popular science book using illustrations as the medium of science storytelling, where we are talking about the science of color and color change in animals.

    I also have my own freelancing brand called Ipsa wonders, where I work with scientists, book publishers, and other kinds of clients to create work that is inspired by science.

    Somewhere along my PhD, I realised that I am more interested in science communication. And while thinking about what are the kinds of things I would like to do, and I can do, I realised that visual modes of communication were more appealing to me.

    Lakshmi Ganesan 2:46 
    That’s a really unique story. I would like to begin by asking you what In your opinion, are the signs and symptoms of someone that could become a science illustrator? 

    Ipsa Jain 2:58 
    One needs to be a visual thinker. Although I believe that people who are verbal thinkers can also acquire this quality. If you are someone who doodles a lot and scribbles a lot, you’re a visual thinker. While the processes are being described in a lecture or a talk, and you are there imagining those molecules in the cellular landscape, doing their bit, you are a visual thinker.

    Lakshmi Ganesan 3:46 
    Ipsa I would like to know what are your primary deliverables or outcomes of work as an illustrator? 

    Ipsa Jain 3:54 
    For the projects in the lab, the book would be the ultimate outcome. Under the brand of Ipsa Wonders, I create editorial illustrations for web pages, for blogs, schematics, and graphical abstracts for scientific papers and I also create some of my own products, which include art prints, notebooks, calendars, short stories, storyboards, and so on. 

    Lakshmi Ganeshan
    Ipsa, before we delve deeper into this fascinating world of yours, would you please explain to our listeners the difference between science illustration and scientific illustrations?

    Ipsa Jain

    Scientific illustration, is an accurate and comprehensive representation of the molecules or the process that you’re describing. It involves reading up the literature, interacting with experts, and trying to figure out the best way to put all of that together in one image. Science illustration would include graphical abstracts, schematic, flows of processes, diagrams, and so on.

    I would also like to include sci art as one of the categories, which is more evocative and expression-based artwork that is inspired by science, but is not necessarily made for communicating science.

    With respect to scientific illustration, I would like to talk about the work of David Goodsell. He creates these detailed drawings of cellular processes, those drawings are hand drawn, and they incorporate details in terms of number of molecules, orientations of molecules, their placement within the cell, their interaction with other molecules, and so on. And why his work is really brilliant is because it also feeds back into science. His work has led to correction in several cases, hypothesis building, and asking new questions. So scientific illustration, is actually not only meant for education or communicating science, but it’s also a tool in the advancement of science itself.

    Lakshmi Ganesan 6:17 
    Ipsa now I’m really curious to know, since you do both science and scientific illustrations, what is your process of storytelling? For example, for science illustration, how do you simplify without dumbing things down? in scientific illustrations? Where do you limit the detail? 

    Ipsa Jain 6:52 


    For science illustration, you really need to know your intended message and you need to know your audience. Whether you’re working for a student audience, whether you’re designing for a general public audience, or you’re designing for scientific peer audience. Your audience defines the level of details that are needed, and what you need to highlight. Then you use design elements to highlight and hide based on the need.

    In terms of scientific illustration, you really need to know the literature, and you have to talk to the experts in the field. Often in such a project, you will be working with a team of scientists, and you have to carefully choose what shows up. And what is something that can be can be seen after you spend a little more time with it and things that don’t show up at all.

    I’ll share an example. Suppose I was describing the cellular process, where the cell size as well as the nucleus to cytoplasm ratio changes, which one do you highlight? The scientific team will provide you with feedback, and then you make your choice. So the contrast between cell boundaries and the nuclear boundaries can be used to define whether the audience perceives the change in cell size first, or the change in nuclear-cytoplasm ratio. There are also limitations to the medium. If I were making a 2D drawing of the said process, I perhaps cannot show all cells that are there. So I have to arrive at an optimal balance while maintaining accuracy, but also comprehension. If I crowd the drawing with too many cells, that information of change in size and nuclear to cytoplasm ratio would be lost. While accuracy is needed, the ultimate intention for the work is to communicate. So the end product has to arrive at that balance, which can be done based on the feedback from the scientific team and your own input. So it’s a creative process. 


    Lakshmi Ganesan 12:39 
    Ipsa, thanks for explaining the kind of rigour that goes into the process of creating both science and scientific illustrations, how important they are, in being a part of creation of science itself. It seems to me that science and art does seem like a great marriage. If you agree with me, how much would you credit your initial years of training in sciences to where you are? Can someone do without it? Or vice versa? How will someone that has training in the arts apply art to science with flair. 

    Ipsa Jain 13:11 
    So during the initial years speaking as a biologist, we draw diagrams, a lot of them. So drawing is something that’s part of a training itself. So to do it later, also becomes easier. However, I think all kinds of scientists can practice all kinds of art forms, whether it be dance, music, theatre, what have you, and they could choose to talk about science using these mediums. Though I also think that there is also a place for art, which has roots in science, but it’s not necessarily meant for science communication, but purely as evocative art itself. Likewise, I think, people who are trained in arts can read up science or collaborate with scientists to create works that are inspired by science. I’ll share an example, a dear friend of mine, created this performance piece around the ecology of figs, which was presented at a conference in Bangalore. She interacted with scientists and read up science books. Interestingly, in this piece, the performers on the stage were also scientists. So this is an interesting collaboration, where an artist is making scientists move and speak the story of science.



    Lakshmi Ganesan 15:56 
    How then would a science graduate train themselves? What tools are available? What skills need be acquired?

    Ipsa Jain 16:07 
    The easiest way would be to enroll at an illustration or a design course at an institute. However, I did not choose that particular path. There are also online courses available for illustration, and design and art on platforms like edX and Coursera which one could take. You could learn hand-based drawing, which is, I think, very important for ideation of a project that you will end up doing digitally later. And then learn digital tools like Illustrator and Photoshop, maybe some animation and 3D model generating tools. 

    You have to practice every day to learn and compensate for the lack of a degree. And then you need to look at work of people like Janet Iwasa, David Goodsell, Graham Johnson, Drew Barry, and others that are out there and study how they have drawn their lines, how have they drawn their forms? How have they applied color, how have they shown motion, and as much as possible, volunteer initially, and make work that is out there, so that people get to notice your work. Create a portfolio and then exhibit and share it in whichever way possible. In my own story, I got the chance to exhibit my work at a student festival at Indian Institute of Science. That festival was a huge crowd puller, and a lot of people noticed my work, which then even lead to projects later. I would also suggest that you start looking for opportunities around you.

    Lakshmi Ganesan 18:04 
    Ipsa, finally, I would like to ask you what are the words of career wisdom that you could give someone that’s looking for a career as an illustrator. 

    Ipsa Jain 18:14 
    The first one would be to practice hard, you will see that with practice your work improves within months. Talk to a lot of people. Tell them about the work you do and the kind of work you want to do. You never know how that will take the shape of an opportunity. Observe and learn from other people’s work. And if you can find a natural history illustrator or a scientific illustrator around you or online and connect with them, mail them, message them, ask them about their work, their creative process and learn as much as you can. The other thing would be to look for opportunities around you. If you are in a campus. There’s a conference happening, maybe design the poster for them. You are in a lab and there’s a paper going out design the graphical abstract for them. Do that for your neighbouring lab, make more work and soon you will start building a good body of work and people will take notice and you will get more work. 

    Lakshmi Ganesan 19:21 
    Thank you for sharing your journey and experience. I do feel inspired already to take a pen and paper and drawing something really interesting and cool. 

    Interview by Lakshmi Ganesan, Sound recording and editing by Manoj.