For the mathematically minded, the clean lines and pleasing logic of equations can be lovely things to behold. But for the uninitiated, even the most elegant math might as well be gibberish. The same holds true for fundamental laws of physics, breakthroughs in biology, and any number of scientific concepts that are highly complex but also applicable to everyday life.

So, how do researchers make their work make sense to the public? Welcome to the domain of photographer Felice Frankel.

A science devotee with a gift for lively conversation, Frankel is embedded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she helps students find ways to visually depict their ideas. Her new book, Picturing Science and Engineering, is full of examples