…and this is a 
You too can be a single frame of animation
Category: Creationism
Posted on: March 27, 2007 8:18 AM, by PZ Myers
Iain is looking for photos in a particular pose.
So maybe you didn't like the Blasphemy Challenge; this is a much more restrained exercise in which the fellow is going to collect photos of people holding an apple if they accept the evidence for biological evolution, or holding a light bulb if they believe in that evidence-free creationism stuff, and they'll be strung together into an animated video. It's easy, and I figure I'll do it this week (with an apple, of course).
Watch the video, he explains exactly how to compose the picture, and he has a lovely accent, too.
Comments
Posted by: andyo | March 27, 2007 8:53 AM
Just in case...
I'll be the first (maybe only?) to say this. The "72 DPI" thing is a crappy myth. Feel free to send at any DPI. DPI (or more correctly, PPI -- pixels per inch) is just metadata on the file. It only counts when you're printing, and most of the time, not even then, since whenever you select size in inches for the print, the PPI will be adjusted accordingly. It is just a tag, and doesn't do anything at all to the digital file itself.
Check these and find the difference. One is at 1 DPI and the other one is at 10000 DPI. Can you tell which?
http://www.zenfolio.com/img/p89606365.jpg
http://www.zenfolio.com/img/p417413507.jpg
So don't worry about that, and send your apple picture without a problem.
Posted by: Heliologue | March 27, 2007 8:57 AM
And here I had you pegged as a bulb-holder.
Posted by: Umilik | March 27, 2007 9:03 AM
They get to hold a light bulb ? I don't get the analogy here. Shouldn't they be holding, hmm, I dunno, maybe some rabbit turds to reflect brain size ?
Posted by: Carlie | March 27, 2007 9:11 AM
Shouldn't it be the other way around? An apple is pretty symbolic of the adam and eve thing, and it was representative of knowledge of good and evil, not knowledge in general; a light bulb is usually a symbol of getting a good idea, not to mention the connection with brights.
Posted by: andyo | March 27, 2007 9:16 AM
But this guy seems to be working in mysterious ways, so we don't know what the apple and bulb will ultimately mean in the video. I am skeptical about this whole thing.
Posted by: Rienk | March 27, 2007 9:30 AM
Hmm... why is he holding a bulb himself? Skeptic alert!
Then again, he is a Scot and the strangest thing I've seen a Scot do is drinking Irn Bru (Iron Brew), a soda that is so artificial that even the water is synthetic. For the rest, Scots are sensible people over-all.
Anyway, Glasgow looks amazing (and to think of it that I initially planned to go to that university).
Posted by: Slacker Ninja | March 27, 2007 10:18 AM
Awesome! I'm gonna send him a picture of me with Kiyomizudera in the background. Or maybe Kinkakuji.
hmmm...decisions decisions.
Posted by: David Livesay | March 27, 2007 10:47 AM
Hmmmm. Can't decide whether to hold up a Macintosh or an iPod.
Posted by: tacitus | March 27, 2007 11:26 AM
Hey Rienk, I applied to do Natural Philosophy, as they still called Physics back then, at Glasgow University back in the 80s. (Fortunately for someone as inept at maths as I am, I thought better of it.) Now I live all the way over in Austin Texas, it's always nice to see and hear people from my old home town (even if I am really a Sassenach).
Posted by: Ithika | March 27, 2007 11:27 AM
Heretic! ;-)
Posted by: rawbob | March 27, 2007 11:37 AM
> whois iaingardner.com
Whois Server Version 2.0
Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered
with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net
for detailed information.
No match for "IAINGARDNER.COM".
Posted by: atr | March 27, 2007 12:25 PM
rawbob: try .co.uk as in the video, rather than .com
Posted by: Joshua | March 27, 2007 1:56 PM
I think you guys are overthinking this.
Posted by: T_U_T | March 27, 2007 2:41 PM
And the bulb should be 230 volt one but connected to 120 mains. To show what the holder is. A dimbulb.
Posted by: Mick | March 27, 2007 3:08 PM
@ Reink:
The lightbulb he's holding changes into an apple when he mentions holding apples.
I don't know that I approve of the symbolism, but I do know it's healthier to eat apples than lightbulbs.
Posted by: Heather Kuhn | March 27, 2007 3:51 PM
I suspect that the light bulb was chosen because it's an intelligently designed object, and the shape is somewhat similar to the piece of fruit. The apple is a) a natural object and has been used to represent inspiration in the past (think Newton and the falling apple. Admittedly it has nothing to do with biology, but it does relate to the idea of the applicability of universal law.)
Oh, as regards the whole Adam and Eve thing... The fruit of Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is never actually identified. The apple association comes from Greek mythology (Garden of the Hesperides, Golden Apples of Eris). In the Middle East, the fig is often associated with the forbidden fruit. One can get some, ah, interesting sexual symbolism from its reproductive cycle.
Posted by: PZ Myers | March 27, 2007 3:53 PM
Wait...apples have nothing to do with biology? Are you sure?
Posted by: Steve_C | March 27, 2007 4:00 PM
It's the biblical fruit of knowledge... I think it's a perfect foil to ID's "tha deziner did it" light bulb.
Posted by: Scott Hatfield | March 27, 2007 4:14 PM
PZ: I am busily coring out an apple of sufficient size to accomodate a light bulb. Talk about compartmentalization!
Cheers...SH
Posted by: Scott Hatfield | March 27, 2007 4:16 PM
(I forgot to add that it will be a special light bulb that only goes on when no one else is looking at it, kind of like my fridge.)...:)
Posted by: Slarty | March 27, 2007 5:25 PM
"Then again, he is a Scot and the strangest thing I've seen a Scot do is drinking Irn Bru (Iron Brew), a soda that is so artificial that even the water is synthetic."
Goannae no tak' the pish ootae Irn Bru ya tube! It's no jist artyfishul, its BRAW!
For the non Scots speaking amongst you, roughly translated:
Please do not demean our "Other National Drink" dear fellow, it may well be manufactured but it is actually rather refreshing also!
Posted by: Steve_C | March 27, 2007 5:35 PM
ehk-staaaseee mahn sit me freee!
Posted by: Iain Gardner | March 28, 2007 5:20 AM
I'm Iain Gardner (and so's my wife). Actually scrap the last bit, I'm not married but most of you know the reference.
I'd like to thank this site for featuring my YouTube appeal, but I wanted to make sure you had the correct link for my homepage - it's www.iaingardner.co.uk - us Brits, eh?
Thanks for clarifying DPI also - in my ignorance I thought it may keep the dimensions of the images relative (actually, it would if they were in the being scanned from the physical world and each image, were say 7inches along the top) I just pit that bit in to make the registration of the images less of a chore!
Anyhow - I'll come back in here in a few months and see if there are any unresolved issues!
Posted by: Iain Gardner | March 28, 2007 5:23 AM
D'oh. I really should have had my coffee first and then spell checked that and corrected grammatical errors. (guess that's what the preview button was for). My poor Mum. You'll all think I'm stupid now. Many apologies.
Posted by: Kimpatsu | March 28, 2007 10:50 AM
He doesn't have an accent, PZ; you do. :D
Posted by: Iain Gardner | March 29, 2007 5:36 AM
I've realised that if anybody is sending an image for this project, it has to be under 5mb.
If folks think this will further confuse, then I'll look into setting up a secondary email that may be able to handle attachments up to 10mb.