A little while ago, Google put a UFO in its logo and a lot of people went nuts, claiming Google was promoting flying saucer nonsense. I figured, hey, it’s Google, and it’s probably just a little joke. And it was; it was an homage to an old video game called Zero Gundam Wing ("All Your Base Are Belong To Us").
So the other day when Google put crop circles up, I figured it was another joke. Still, I saw a lot of people ready to storm Mountain View with pitchforks and torches. Turns out, yup: another joke and homage.
Hey folks, it’s Google. I think they’ve earned a wee bit of trust in these issues.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:03 am
uh…it’s Zero Wing. Not Gundam Wing.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:06 am
And I hear Google still has open positions on their Lunar Base
Google Copernicus Center is hiring
September 18th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Thanks Phil! It was a fun little puzzle… I suspect there’s more to come.
I actually did a follow-up post after a reader pointed out the computer game link — turns out that it was also the 30 year anniversary of the War of the Worlds arcade game. I think it might be a little bit more than that.
The WotW arcade game was significant in that it was one of the first arcade games to use vector graphics. This is where the “l” in the Google logo comes in. It’s being drawn by the little combine harvester… analogous to vector-drawn graphics perhaps?
Cheers, Ian
September 18th, 2009 at 11:15 am
I’m with D Williams on this one, definitely Zero Wing.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:17 am
I figure the crop circle logo is similar to having a Christmas logo in December. At least with the recent logo we know there really are crops with circles.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:27 am
The only complaint I really have with some of the little logos they put up were more a function of how the search engine itself works. If you clicked on the flying saucer one, it prought up a whole host of sites on “paranormal” activity. The first two pages (50 results each) didn’t include a single skeptical page at all. All 100 links that I dared to look at were ferverent believers in greys, bigfoot, crystal therapy, etc. THAT was my main complaint.
It’s their own page, can’t they control the links that clicking the logo will return?
September 18th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Echo comment 1. It’s “Zero Wing”.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:42 am
As #1 said, it’s not Gundam Wing. Although Gundam Wing does have a Gundam called Wing Zero.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:49 am
It’s because my believers are so fervent that I never let them get too close.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:56 am
As others have said, it Zero Wing, an old Sega Genesis game. Gundam Wing is a relatively recent Japanese cartoon.
September 18th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Wake up people! Mars faked the Earth landings. The whole thing was filmed on a soundstage in Elysium Planitia.
September 18th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Oops! I knew it was Zero Wing before I posted this but forgot to change my original text.
September 18th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
If people are convinced that Google is endorsing whatever it depicts in its themed logos, what do they imagine is going on when the logo is utterly unadorned? An endorsement of nihilism?
September 18th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Do you know what you doing?
September 18th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
The BA says: “A little while ago, Google put a UFO in its logo and a lot of people went nuts, claiming Google was promoting flying saucer nonsense.”
You say that like it’s a bad thing…
- Jack
September 18th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
The thing is, that first time they didn’t make it clear that it was Zero Wing because they didn’t link to a search for that. Rather, they linked to the search “unexplained phenomenon” – leading to hundreds of pages of nonsense. So I still call that a fail.
September 18th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
How are you gentlemen.
September 18th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Humorless skeptics? Even rationalism can be taken to irrational lengths…
September 18th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
@BJN
I couldn’t agree more.
It’s so odd what people complain about, especially since there are so many really important things that deserve our complaints.
September 18th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
“Hey folks, it’s Google. I think they’ve earned a wee bit of trust in these issues.”
Not so fast! Why would they have a motto like, “Don’t Be Evil” if the temptation wasn’t there?
September 18th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
I think it has something to do with the 21st…Zero Wing was released on the 21st in 1989, and Wells was born on the 21st, 1866. Only connection I can find between the two, other than aliens.
September 18th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
@ BJN and Molly:
I agree. I get the impression that for some skeptics, items even slightly referencing something woo need to be called out and confronted at all costs.
It’s a frickin’ cartoon of a UFO and crop circle. If it upsets you that much, go use Yahoo (or Bing, if you’re really despondent.)
September 18th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Ha. I love that Phil originally posted it Gundam Wing
September 18th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
i think the reason they are doing this is because someone “saw” nessie on google earth.
September 18th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
The thought that “skeptics” , any of them, would get their panties in a twist over this tells you a lot about “skeptics” (or a substantial subset thereof). Google employs more ph.d. level astronomers, physicists, and computer scientists (among other geek types) than lots of well respected colleges and universities . The chances of that corp doing anything newagelike is very close to zero.
September 18th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
G(o.O)gle.
[Seriously, it roocks.]
September 18th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Sigh. Pseudo scientists are evolving. I was watching this what seemed an interesting video, rated it 5 stars, until it was mentioned that the NASA is a cover up and that UFO’s are being produced at area51. It certainly attracts people. To me it became clear why there was ‘science’ in it I didn’t know anything about. Crackpots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xnh5Nd4DzM&NR=1
From now on I will watch whole videos before voting.
September 18th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
I get the impression that for some skeptics, items even slightly referencing something woo need to be called out and confronted at all costs.
I know people like that. Yet when someone from their favorite political Party spouts utter rubbish, something that can actually affect a lot of people in a serious manner, they are curiously silent. I’ve always felt the skeptical community really has many of its priorities reversed. I recall Randi giving a talk a few years back, and I heard he went on about spoon bending, of all things. Meanwhile, right at the same times there were any number of huge political and ideological myths whipping around the world causing much kerfuffle.
September 18th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
There is no need to worry about the mob attacking Google. As we all know Google is the true God, so is well prepared to ward off all evil intent.
September 18th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Calm down google just wanted to have fun with crop circles just like the two guys who were makeing them at night in farmers feilds just clean fun everyone has to have some fun to blow off steam or we will all go crazy thats why i play vedio games
September 18th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Don’t know if Y’All have heard of a Darwin Biopic called Creation currently showing world wide, everywhere, that is, except in the USA. Seems the 39 % of the US public that don’t believe in evolution are powerful enough to intimidate movie distributers in this country so the film can’t be distributed here. Rationale? It might be too divisive. So the 61 % of us who Do accept evidence based reality get shut out by those more volatile weenies.
Here’s a link to the aforementioned article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2009/sep/15/creation-darwin-evolution-usa
Check it o out. Write nasty letters to national film distributers.
Gary 7
September 19th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Whose panties are in a twist? (Thanks for the sexist reference, btw. I suppose my “panties” are in a twist about that too now. Or maybe now you can speculate about people’s “time of the month” rather than considering the rather reasoned comments on their merits. I kid.) Some people were simply commenting on some unintended consequences after the rather vague “tribute” to Zero Wing. But people are acting like we’re at home slamming our fists on our desks and writing angry hastily-written emails filled with caps and grammar mistakes. Hyperbole not necessary. It’s just a discussion. People are allowed to say stuff in a discussion. That doesn’t make us “humourless”.
September 20th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
All your base10 are belong to us ! you can keep your base 12, nobody uses it.
September 21st, 2009 at 1:39 am
21st of september, more saucers because its the birthday of a certain mr. Wells.
September 21st, 2009 at 7:24 am
Oh, Robert beat me to it! On closer inspections those saucers have tripod legs, just like a certain HG Wells story.
September 21st, 2009 at 11:57 am
Hey folks, it’s Google. I think they’ve earned a wee bit of trust in these issues.
Just ask the Chinese dissidents who Google surrendered & gave details of to that nations Totalitarian Communist dictatorship.
Trust google?
NEVER!
September 21st, 2009 at 12:18 pm
@ 35. Chris Says:
“Oh, Robert beat me to it! On closer inspections those saucers have tripod legs, just like a certain HG Wells story.”
Actually, the original 1898 ‘War of the Worlds’ novel did NOT feature Martians in flying saucers but rather had the Martians landing in meteorite-like cylinders which impacted heavily on the Earth’s surface creating a pit (crater) on their landing sites. (Starting with Horshall Common & the first cylinder.)
Nor did the Martians invaders in HG Well’s original novel ever have attacking flying machines – although they were building one & had it nearly finished when they succumbed to Earthly bacteria & it was thus lucky they never spread to the rest of Europe. The Martians machines were giant tripods with legs and arms or tentacles (I forget which now) and attacked in part by : ” Picking up men and bashing them against trees!” (To quote the musical.) These Martians did, however, also use death rays (the “heat ray” being their main weapon of first choice – something like an infra-red laser perhaps?) Plus what today we’d consider a chemical WMD, the “black smoke” gas.
One Martian was destroyed by artillary fire from a cannon and another by being rammed with an ironclad ‘ThunderChild’- the precursor vessel to the later battleship or dreadnought.
Mind you, you have to give Wells credit as WotW was written before the Wright brothers (1900-1?) first flight and before World War I so its still pretty reasonable foresight given the 1898 publishing date.
You might well be thinking of the later movie (1950 ish?) featured flying saucer type Martian attackers with their UFO’s armed with death-rays and the ability to withstand nukes but which were quite different from the original novel to the point of being almost unrecognisable. The Martian invasion taking place in the USA instead of England and in a post 1950′s McCarthyist era rather than pre-1900 Edwardian era for starters!
As for the recent Tom Cruise version of WotW well that was utterly different again and also nothing like the original book. Well very vaguely similar in theme and plot is about all you can say. Not that it was bad, although my least favourite version of the WoTW tale, it still had some spine-chilling moments – particularly towards the beginning. That burning train speeding past still sticks vividly in my memory as does the plane crash on the heroes house and the initial Martian emergence from the ground…
A truly classic tale much adapted and morphed & a good ref there but I thought I would just pick you up politely on that.
– Also an H.G. Wells fan too!
September 21st, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Kimbo Jones Says:
Whose panties are in a twist? (Thanks for the sexist reference, btw. I suppose my “panties” are in a twist about that too now. Or maybe now you can speculate about people’s “time of the month” rather than considering the rather reasoned comments on their merits. I kid.)
Hey, men can wear panties too y’know!
Just because someones wearing panties or even “womens clothes” doesnt necesarily mean they are female. Just ask any reputable cross-dresser, transvestite or drag queen.
(Putting on soundtrack to the Rocky Horror Show.)
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:49 am
Hey speaking of Gundam, you ever though about doing a review of any of those shows? It’s often praised for its scientific accuracy in its depiction of space travel & colonization (a lot of it was supposedly based on the works of Gerrard K. O’Neil), but it’d be nice to hear what a real scientist thinks.