The End of the Line
Bats are very difficult to observe. Most of them are tiny, fast, nocturnal, secretive, and well camouflaged. As technologies such as infrared detectors develop and improve, false color images allow us to see captivating details of their activities without disturbing their habitats and communities.
Thermographic image of bats
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In many infrared images the warm bodies of bats are displayed as bright orange or yellow, and they fly out of their warm caves like sparks from a fire. This enables researchers to tally their numbers as they exit.
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The End of the Line is based on the harmonic pattern of The Traveling Wilburys' song The End of the Line. Much like a false color image, the colors of the musical pattern are enhanced to make them take on the striking blues, greens, reds, and oranges of thermal images of roosts.
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Artist sketch for The End of the Line
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The End of the Line contains text from Walt Whitman's Song of the Open Road.
Image - Creative Commons Infrared bats
Banner Image credit - Creative Commons False Color Topographic Map - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Banner Image credit - Creative Commons False Color Topographic Map - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory