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EranFowler — Infinite Complexity
Published: 2009-07-27 07:36:23 +0000 UTC; Views: 10858; Favourites: 67; Downloads: 2011
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Description
Download for full size at 1920x1200.This is a creative commons image. Do with it as you will, so long as you credit the source.
(I wish there was a "technical" or "educational" category...)
A wallpaper based upon the David Hillis, Derrick Zwickl, and Robin Gutell version of the circular phylogenetic "tree of life." I admit that I am rather aesthetically biased, but circular versions are widely considered to be the most accurate, thanks to the lack of any suggested hierarchy.
The caption, "The Blind Watchmaker," is of course a reference to the Intelligent Design debate, and was used as the title of Richard Dawkins' famous book. Intelligent Design supporters claim that life contains irreducible complexity, which can only be explained by an intelligent designer. This is not the case: what we see instead is a clear progression of transitional forms extending into the past, each level of complexity being easily reduced and explained by the natural processes of evolution. From simplicity may arise infinite complexity, which is why evolution itself may be considered "the blind watchmaker."
Because I fully expect someone to begin foaming at the mouth in the comments section, I would like to direct anyone curious about evolution to this explanatory series of videos: [link]
Any questions about evolution, or suggestions regarding typography etc. are welcome.
I was delighted to find the resource stock for this massive image here, [link] which is available to anyone so long as the application is non-profit and gives credit to the source. I warn you, it prints to a full size of almost five feet across.
Background paper texture was used courtesy of this deviant: [link]
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Comments: 26
It is beautiful! I like how you visualized it as a gear.
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Incredible. The level of detail alone, it baffles me. And the overall design, the way you have put it all together.
Gah, I would need a thousand words to describe the way I feel about it, eh?
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I love your wallpaper, but on 1280x800 letters are too small. Is it possible to create version for smaller screens? I mean, with bigger letters. If i set "fit to screen", they are to small, if i set "center", title and part of graph are outside screen.
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I'm afraid the scale of the ring of text is so huge, that to fit any of it on the screen at all, the text had to be very small. Even at very high resolutions it's almost unreadable. When I scale up the text and not the ring, the words overlap; when I scale up the whole ring, I lose the curve of the circle and end up with a flat wall of text.
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awesome! I love how informative you are too, as well as the way you present it.
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Brilliant!
I used the same phylogenic tree in a logo I was designing. [link]
I've always liked the look and complexity of it, as well as the shape of it tying back nicely to my notions of "life on earth".
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I really appreciate this piece, both for its aesthetic appeal and for its intent. This is the first time I've seen "the tree of life" represented in this way, but it's a lovely design. I can only imagine how complex and confusing a "web of life" would be, now that we're discovering that there's been so much horizontal gene transfer among so many species!
This is now my desktop.
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I'm pleased that you referenced Dawkins, who is a scientist rather than a politician.
Science and politics have always mixed badly, as in Stalin's Russia, with Lysenkoism, whivh was an attempt to deny Mendel's genetics.
Since there is need to defend the truth, your efforts are valuable.
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A politician? What use would I have for THEIR opinions? (Or anyone's "opinion.")
It is appalling to me that objective, scientific knowledge has come under attack for the sake of religious and political agendas. I wouldn't have thought it possible, in this century, in this country.
I glad you agree.
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The possibilities of human folly appear to be infinite?
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This is really pleasing to me; the overall design and set up is great. Cool idea, and informative too, as I had never heard of this setup as a sort of evolutionary map.
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It can get pretty complicated, yes. 
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Is what true? Evolution, or this particular visualization of it? The answers are "Yes," and "as close as you can get using this kind of chart."
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Oh i've been watching some documentaries that shows evolution is not that possible... Anyway i love your stuff : )
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I'm glad you like my work.
Would you happen to have the links to the documentaries you mentioned? I'm curious about the source, because evolution is a theory with a similarly overwhelming body of evidence as the theory of gravity, or cell theory. Less than 00.02% of all scientists have any trouble with it, and those that do have only small criticisms about HOW it works, not the fact that it DOES work. I'm afraid the only people propagating the impression that evolution is in any kind of reasonable doubt are those from the religious community.
Would that be your source?
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i can only remember the last one i watched is called... [link]
i just afraid you took offence
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No offense at all.
The link you showed me was (not surprisingly) the work of an organization known as "The Discovery Institute," which is a political organization begun with the sole intention of pushing creationism. Google them, and you'll find all sorts of news articles defrauding them for their poor science and unethical tactics, including fabricating results, omitting undesired results, and outright lying. They're in the habit of citing the supposed "support" of scientists without permission, and when those scientists ask for their names to be removed their requests are ignored. I would guess that maybe two or three of any name you see mentioned on that website was given voluntarily.
The "Intelligent Design" idea they keep pushing was fabricated by the Creationist movement, and was influenced by political advisors well-known for dirty campaign tactics. Their goal is not to disprove evolution, because they're incapable of doing so. Their only goal is to create the impression that evolution is somehow in doubt, and legitimize themselves as an opponent. The classic "don't argue with an idiot, he'll only bring you down to his level and beat you with experience" routine.
I'm not surprised you were in doubt, if you hadn't researched biology prior to seeing this video. Again, I highly recommend the explanatory series of videos I linked to in my description.
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