Comments on: New Banner, Little Bugs

By: luca

luca — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 09:57:13 +0000

Uhm, now that you’ve posted the explanation I can see the point for it. yet, although I love the single drawings, the whole thing kind of seem missing something…

By: Carl Zimmer

Carl Zimmer — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 01:29:14 +0000

Ok--banner should be up now on all pages. Thanks for catching that omission. As for Ross's comments, there's only so much catering to potential misimpressions that can go on in a banner. When I look at it, I see a set of related species, one of which now has an unprecedented relationship to the rest of the universe. Like this.

By: Ross

Ross — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:57:27 +0000

The poster shows your main writing areas – parasites and evolution, and it is very well drawn.

However, could we have a few other modern lifeforms on the right-hand side of the poser, please?

Otherwise your poster could be taken to be a sequence from left to right over time. Starting at the left:
no life 4-5 billion years ago, the development of DNA, the development of insects, a sort of shrewish mammalian ancestor, a monkey/ape ancestor, an hominid ancestor, then the stars (implying human space travel now and in the future). Read that way, it could be mis-understood to be impying that mankind is the pinnacle and purpose of creation (or a form of intelligently directed evolution) and other lifeforms are incidental.

By: The Ridger

The Ridger — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:22:11 +0000

It seems to be only showing up on the main page, not the individual post pages. But it’s definitely cool!

By: Joseph Urban

Joseph Urban — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:19:39 +0000

I’m using FF, the latest. It shows up, no problems. Must be an add on that’s blocking it, perhaps?

By: Abel Pharmboy

Abel Pharmboy — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:59:52 +0000

Er, um, Mr Zimmer? I can’t see the banner on Firefox.

By: Joseph Urban

Joseph Urban — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:36:36 +0000

The hominid looks to be a peeping Tom, the first creature back of it is smirking, no? The second is saying ” Oh, hell! Here we go again!”

The double helices and the floating, hovering parisitoids???

And…anchored to the left an erupting Volcano and over in the other corner, the Cosmos to complete it all.

Could be a poster for a Flintstones’ school room???

By: g

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:52:10 +0000

Worth it, though. That’s pretty cool.

By: David B. Benson

David B. Benson — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:59:05 +0000

Carl, pagan gods, including the tech gods, require sacrifices…