How a particle accelerator illuminated 56 human organs episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 17, 2026 · 18 MIN

How a particle accelerator illuminated 56 human organs

from Science Friday · host Science Friday

A new imaging technique using a particle accelerator is giving researchers an unprecedented level of detail of our organs, producing scans 100 billion times brighter than a CT scanner. Those 3D models are now part of a public database called the Human Organ Atlas, available to researchers and the medically curious.Joining Host Ira Flatow to explain why they needed so much power and what kind of research advances will follow is imaging scientist Claire Walsh, director of the Human Organ Atlas hub.Check out images from the Human Organ Atlas on our website.Guest: Dr. Claire Walsh is an associate professor at the UCL department of mechanical engineering and director of the Human Organ Atlas Hub.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 17, 2026

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The Human Organ Atlas gives an extremely detailed look at 56 human organs, scanned with the help of a particle accelerator.

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How a particle accelerator illuminated 56 human organs

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