Inaugural editorial for Discovery Imaging

Imaging in its various forms plays a pivotal role across multiple disciplines in science, technology, and medicine. It is undeniable that advancements in the biological and medical sciences closely correlate with the evolution of computers and consequently of imaging technologies at the scientists’ disposal. Throughout human history, we as a species have worked to understand the world through the most basic action—by observing what is around us. Over time, we began innovating and inventing tools that helped us better observe the natural world. Imaging science exemplifies this progression, evolving significantly, from analogical imaging to the current digital era, from the observations of Robert Hooke in the seventeenth century to today’s highly advanced digital tools. These contemporary tools afford us unprecedented insights into the intricate processes occurring within cells and organisms, operating across various temporal and spatial scales—from the microscopic to the mesoscopic and macroscopic levels.