Some people have science under their skin—literally. Instead of hearts or anchors, they get tattoos of their favorite scientific subjects--from DNA molecules and brain cells to schematics for important inventions. Keep clicking to see 11 science-centric tattoos from science writer Carl Zimmer, who wrote about science tatts in his book 'Science Ink.'
New Yorkers can catch Zimmer talking about 'Science Ink' on January 25 at the New York Academy of Sciences.
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Italian Wall Lizard
Russelll Burke, a biologist at Hofstra University, has a tattoo of a species of lizard he studies.
DNA & Tree Of Life
This tattoo belongs to Kevin Bonham, a graduate student in immunology at Harvard.
Darwin's Finches
Duygu Ozpolat, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Maryland, has a tattoo showing the finches Charles Darwin studied on the Galapagos Island that resulted in his theory of evolution.
Hemoglobin
David Mertz, a software developer, has hemoglobin tattooed above his heart, the compound responsible for oxygen transfer in red blood cells.
The Phonograph
Musician Tyler Rollins has a tattoo of a schematic drawing that accompanied Thomas Edison's 1878 patent of the phonograph.
The Golden Spiral
The geometry of the golden spiral has fascinated mathematicians for thousands of years. Dave Stroup, an information technology specialist, has it tattooed on his forearm.
Halley's Comet
Kate Devitt, a memory researcher at Queensland University of Technology, got this matching tattoo with her husband, game designer Morgan Jaffit. The image comes from the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the comet's appearance just before the Norman Conquest in 1066.
Bike Propulsion Equation
An avid bicyclist, Andy Gates, got the equation that describes the power to propel a bike forward tattooed along his leg.
Phonograph...On The Voyager
Noah Radford, a technical specialist, has a tattoo representing the gold-plated phonograph that rocketed into space aboard Voyager space probe. The images on the record include the distance from our sun to other stars, two hydrogen atoms, and instructions for how to play the disc, which contains speeches and music.
Neurons
Pato Gabriel, Brazilian biologist, has a network of neurons tattooed across his shoulder, representing the circuitry of our brains.
A Jellyfish
Dave Wolfenden is a lecturer in animal science at Reaseheath College in England, and a fan of the jellyfish.
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First Posted: 01/05/12 01:43 PM ET Updated: 01/05/12 02:55 PM ET