The copyright of articles and images printed remains with the author unless otherwise indicated. In order to establish standardized principles, it is useful to look at examples where visualization has led to new types of experiment. In the image on the front cover, the nanoManipulator application adds a virtual reality interface to the scanned-probe microscope.
Haptic feedback allows the user to feel and modify the microscopic surface.
Haptic feedback is used to feel as the ball is pushed and to determine when it has slipped off the tip. As ecological researchers, Deutschman, Devine and Buttel examine the effects of disturbed and undisturbed forest canopy gaps to learn about the growth and effect of tree populations. This allows for efficient communication of the forest s structure, function and the ability to make predictions about the future structure and function. This particular visualization shows that in undisturbed forests, there is a striking spatial pattern. While the canopy is fairly uniform, the species distribution is not random.