This, I Believe
Friday, June 08, 2012
A blog I frequent, Skepchick, is one of my favorite skeptic/science blogs sites on the interwebs, and it has really quality writing from honest-to-goodness scientists on topics from their field of study to feminism to pop culture. Skepchick is part of a network (the lead site in the network). One of the other sites in this network is Mad Art Lab, a skeptics-meets-artists bog.
That's an "around the ass to scratch my elbow" way of getting us to Zen Pencils. Zen Pencils is the work of an Asian-Autrialian named Gavin Aung Than who illustrates quotes and parts of speeches of famous and interesting people. I really dig his work, and am always inspired by TR's "Man in the Arena" speech, illustrated here.
Two of Than's illustrations really jumped out at me.
This one, an excerpt from Carl Sagan, when used in conjunction with the last 5 paragraphs of Pale Blue Dot (animated here), sums up pretty much my entire belief system. Than's illustration to Sagan's words that mean so much to what I hold true - somehow, "cartoony" lends a certain innocent simplicity and credibility to those words - that I get a little throat-lumpy and am pleased to share.
Finally, this illustration is one I am having Smitty Jr read, and one I'll share with the Wonder Twins. This is how excited I want them to be when it comes to uncovering - in a real way - their world. I want them to embrace science and learning and questioning and searching. The cartoon, based on Phil Plait's (Bad Astronomy, another favorite blog) speech to a science fair, I think is built perfectly to reach a smart kid.
I like where Than is headed with Zen Pencils. Not only did I not want to monkey with putting jpgs of his illustrations on here, I really want you to go to his site, hunt around, get inspired, and maybe even support him.
Happy Friday!
3 comments:
Gotta say, both of those brought a tear to this aging, increasingly cynical scientist's eye. Great stuff.
In dealing with state legislators, I have often remarked that not only are they only one of 148, but they are only one of the thousands that came before them in one of 50 states. Realizing this, maybe they should know that they are not very unique, so there is no reason to take themselves too seriously or get too big an ego.
Sagan takes humility to whole new level. We are but a tiny speck of the Universe. Maybe we will be remembered, maybe we will be forgotten, but all we can do is improve the lives of those around us, bring joy to them, and hope that what we do makes a small, permanent mark on our descendents..
I think these are very good illustrations, and real Science and real Faith are never enemies for very long... at least in my opinion.
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