Natural Sciences

The Big Picture

New big screen perfect for seeing galaxies--and nanoparticles

Big data needs a big screen. In this data visualization lab, part of the university’s new Allan Price Science Commons & Research Library, 24 flat-panel, high-definition screens create a viewing area that is 20 feet wide and 8 feet high—perfect for displaying gigantic images (like galaxies) or infinitesimal ones (like a nanoparticle). The lab can handle pictures with more than 48 million pixels, which means it provides roughly 25 times more definition than your laptop. Scientists can view huge amounts of data—say, the genome sequences for hundreds of bacteria—and the room holds 30 people, so they can collaborate on projects and view all elements at once without needing to huddle around one computer. Here, Stanley Hall, classroom technology support manager with UO Libraries, gets into the details of a high-resolution scan of A New Chart of History, a timeline published in 1769 by British educator Joseph Priestley.

 

Photo credit: Dean Walton