Mathemalchemy: A comic book adventure in math and art
Story and art by Jay and Maxwell Hosler. This is is a comic story set in an amazing world created by mathematicians and artists. Mathemalchemy is a multimedia art installation designed, fabricated and constructed by a team of 24 artists and mathematicians, celebrating the beauty, joy and creativity of mathematics in all its forms. The Mathemalchemists worked on the installation mostly during the two calendar years 2020 and ‘21, when they were all constrained by pandemic restrictions on meeting and travel. The online comic has been translated from English into seven languages (Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish)
Learn more about the exhibit
Read the comic online.
Story and art by Jay and Maxwell Hosler. This is is a comic story set in an amazing world created by mathematicians and artists. Mathemalchemy is a multimedia art installation designed, fabricated and constructed by a team of 24 artists and mathematicians, celebrating the beauty, joy and creativity of mathematics in all its forms. The Mathemalchemists worked on the installation mostly during the two calendar years 2020 and ‘21, when they were all constrained by pandemic restrictions on meeting and travel. The online comic has been translated from English into seven languages (Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish)
Learn more about the exhibit
Read the comic online.
On My Nerves
Wilbur and Aunt Edna explore the basic building blocks of the nervous system. Originally designed to help middle school teachers in Pennsylvania to teach a new PA science standard on information processing (3.1.6-8.H), this story is an excellent for any teacher who wants to introduce the three basic types of nerve cells and the cause and effect relationship of sensory perception and behavior output. Plus, Wilbur gets the better of Edna for once.
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Wilbur and Aunt Edna explore the basic building blocks of the nervous system. Originally designed to help middle school teachers in Pennsylvania to teach a new PA science standard on information processing (3.1.6-8.H), this story is an excellent for any teacher who wants to introduce the three basic types of nerve cells and the cause and effect relationship of sensory perception and behavior output. Plus, Wilbur gets the better of Edna for once.
Download the PDF
Colwell's Cholera/Climate Conundrum
Rita Colwell challenged the prevailing theory of how cholera is transmitted. She showed that the bacteria that causes cholera, Vibrio cholerae, is a common species found in the environment, has a dormant form between outbreaks, and lives on the cuticles of small marine arthropods called copepods. She faced sexism and resistance in here career and her perseverance is inspirational. This short comic captures the basics of her cholera research.
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Rita Colwell challenged the prevailing theory of how cholera is transmitted. She showed that the bacteria that causes cholera, Vibrio cholerae, is a common species found in the environment, has a dormant form between outbreaks, and lives on the cuticles of small marine arthropods called copepods. She faced sexism and resistance in here career and her perseverance is inspirational. This short comic captures the basics of her cholera research.
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How to Make a Jewel Wasp
Jewel wasps are remarkable parasites. They turn a cockroach into a zombie by stinging it's brain with a special concoction of neurotransmitters. The result is a docile yet still alive cockroach that sits idly by as it is consumed by the wasps larva. This cartoon shows the basics of the entire lifecycle of a female jewel wasp.
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Jewel wasps are remarkable parasites. They turn a cockroach into a zombie by stinging it's brain with a special concoction of neurotransmitters. The result is a docile yet still alive cockroach that sits idly by as it is consumed by the wasps larva. This cartoon shows the basics of the entire lifecycle of a female jewel wasp.
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Photosynthesis (or Gimme Some Sugar)
Photosynthesis one of the most important chemical reactions on the planet. It can literally build trees out of air. That may sound unbelievable, but Wilbur and Any Edna are here to walk you through the entire process.
Note of caution: Watch you head.
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Photosynthesis one of the most important chemical reactions on the planet. It can literally build trees out of air. That may sound unbelievable, but Wilbur and Any Edna are here to walk you through the entire process.
Note of caution: Watch you head.
Download PDF
You're so negative; an ATP Story
Wilbur and Any Edna explore how a fleeting, highly reactive little molecule of ATP makes the machinery of life run properly. Why is it so unstable and how does it make giant proteins do its bidding?
Note of caution: Seriously. Watch your head.
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Wilbur and Any Edna explore how a fleeting, highly reactive little molecule of ATP makes the machinery of life run properly. Why is it so unstable and how does it make giant proteins do its bidding?
Note of caution: Seriously. Watch your head.
Download PDF
The Great Respiration Caper
The energy in a sugar molecule is unlocked through a process of chemical reactions called cellular respiration. Getting the maximum amount of energy from a sugar molecule is a heist that requires the specialized teams of molecules.
Final warning: Watch. Your. Head.
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The energy in a sugar molecule is unlocked through a process of chemical reactions called cellular respiration. Getting the maximum amount of energy from a sugar molecule is a heist that requires the specialized teams of molecules.
Final warning: Watch. Your. Head.
Download PDF
Surface Area, Volume and The Meaning of Life
Wilbur wants to be as big as a house but Ant Edna has some bad news for him. Wilbur gets bent out of shape, Edna gets him a pet and things blow up. What more could you ask for in a story about surface area to volume ratios?
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For Bitter or Worse
What do you do when you have better taste that your boyfriend? This two page comic was published with the article
"Female Behaviour Drives Expression and Evolution of Gustatory Receptors in Butterflies" by Adirane Briscoe, et al.
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For Bitter or Worse
What do you do when you have better taste that your boyfriend? This two page comic was published with the article
"Female Behaviour Drives Expression and Evolution of Gustatory Receptors in Butterflies" by Adirane Briscoe, et al.
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Killer Bee
A short story about my brief brush with anaphylaxis and how medical professionals help people with bee
sting allergies become desensitized to bee venom.
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A short story about my brief brush with anaphylaxis and how medical professionals help people with bee
sting allergies become desensitized to bee venom.
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The Life Cycle of a Liver Fluke
Cows pooping! Snails eating the poop! Ants eating snail slime balls! And mind control!. This one illustration is the wonderful
convergence of science and everything a middle schooler loves.
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Cows pooping! Snails eating the poop! Ants eating snail slime balls! And mind control!. This one illustration is the wonderful
convergence of science and everything a middle schooler loves.
Download PDF
The Low-Down Stinking Cheater
In this extra Nyuki adventure, Nyuki and Bloomington encounter an orchid that violates the sacred pact between pollinator and flower.
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In this extra Nyuki adventure, Nyuki and Bloomington encounter an orchid that violates the sacred pact between pollinator and flower.
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Colony Collapse Disorder, or Who Cares About a Bunch of Dead Bees?
Our beloved honey bee is under assault from several different directions. This is a two-page primer on the basics of colony
collapse disorder I did for my alma mater's publication, DePauw Magazine.
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Our beloved honey bee is under assault from several different directions. This is a two-page primer on the basics of colony
collapse disorder I did for my alma mater's publication, DePauw Magazine.
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To Queen Bee or Not to Queen Bee (story/art by Jay Hosler, colors by Maxwell Hosler)
You are what you eat and if you eat the right thing, you might be Queen!
This story originally appeared in the Ask Magazine (Vol 16, No. 7, August 2017)
Read online
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You are what you eat and if you eat the right thing, you might be Queen!
This story originally appeared in the Ask Magazine (Vol 16, No. 7, August 2017)
Read online
Download PDF
A Small Problem (story/art by Jay Hosler, colors by Max Hosler)
They may be small, but they're mighty. Mighty abundant, that is.
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They may be small, but they're mighty. Mighty abundant, that is.
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Zombie Ant Dance Party (story/art by Jay Hosler, colors by Max Hosler)
Everybody is scared of zombies. Especially those that boogie down!
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Everybody is scared of zombies. Especially those that boogie down!
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The Diabolical Dr. Nonono
An essay on the joy of active learning form the early 2000s, originally published in the Association for Women in Science
Magazine.
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An essay on the joy of active learning form the early 2000s, originally published in the Association for Women in Science
Magazine.
Download PDF
Optical Allusions
Optical Allusions is a comic book text book funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. It follows Wrinkles the Wonder Brain as he has a series of eye-related adventures. Chapters cover eye evolution, anatomy, development, sexual selection, color vision, cellular signal transduction and phylogenetic relationships.
You can download the whole shebang for FREE here: Optical Allusions PDF
If you want to purchase a hard copy, they are available print on demand from Amazon.
We tested Optical Allusions in the classroom and published our results in CBE Life Science Education
Here's a review of the book from Evolution: Education and Outreach
Optical Allusions is a comic book text book funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. It follows Wrinkles the Wonder Brain as he has a series of eye-related adventures. Chapters cover eye evolution, anatomy, development, sexual selection, color vision, cellular signal transduction and phylogenetic relationships.
You can download the whole shebang for FREE here: Optical Allusions PDF
If you want to purchase a hard copy, they are available print on demand from Amazon.
We tested Optical Allusions in the classroom and published our results in CBE Life Science Education
Here's a review of the book from Evolution: Education and Outreach
Student Gallery: Respiration
I am so excited to present student work when I can. These amazing comics are from Mrs. Bryk's ninth grade biology class at the Tuxedo Park School, in Tuxedo Park, NY (http://www.tuxedoparkschool.org/)!
Respiration Cooking Cat Respiration CO2 Army Flower
I am so excited to present student work when I can. These amazing comics are from Mrs. Bryk's ninth grade biology class at the Tuxedo Park School, in Tuxedo Park, NY (http://www.tuxedoparkschool.org/)!
Respiration Cooking Cat Respiration CO2 Army Flower
And This Little Piggy Saved a Life!
Biotechnology around the camp fire.
The Conundrum of the Killer Corona Virus
SARS was a stone cold killer that gave detectives a run for their money.
The Scary Story
Miller and Urey's experiment would probably have a much different ending if Hollywood got a hold of it. Still, it is a scary story for some.
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Miller and Urey's experiment would probably have a much different ending if Hollywood got a hold of it. Still, it is a scary story for some.
Download the PDF
Darwin Saves the World
The life of a Victorian naturalist is never dull. This cartoon eventually was worked into the third chapter of my book "The Sandwalk Adventures."
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The life of a Victorian naturalist is never dull. This cartoon eventually was worked into the third chapter of my book "The Sandwalk Adventures."
Download the PDF
The Moth, the Bat and the Mercury Vapor Lamp
Insects are amazing, but that is no reason to get cocky.
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Now you see me, now you don't
A story of bad puns and blinding speed based on the work of Cole Gilbert's lab.
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Tag
Wilbur and Ant Edna play tag. Its all fun and games until someone uses a weaver ant larva to web their friend up.
The Flame
What is a flame and how does it work? This comic was my contribution to the Alan Alda Flame Challenge.
Owen the Sponge
Being a sponge can be straining.