By Claus Grupen
Universitätsverlag Siegen
Paperback: €5
Cartoons about science often take on a life of their own, as people copy them to add interest to their presentations, hand them on, add them to their websites, blogs and so on. I once found an excellent one about neutrinos left on a photocopier, which later became a key part of some of my talks. What often happens is that the name of the cartoonist becomes lost as the cartoons become widely spread – especially if the signature is small and becomes blurred with multiple copying. That seems to be the case with some of Claus Grupen’s work. Indeed, I was recently asked to identify the source of a familiar cartoon about the Higgs boson. Only after failing to find the answer via Google, did I remember that Grupen draws cartoons – and, yes, it was one of his.
Probably better known as a physicist and author of a number of textbooks, for example, on astroparticle physics, he also has a talent for sketching, and so could create his own amusing visuals to accompany his lectures. He has now assembled a range of his output in this small book published by Siegen University, where he has been professor of physics for many years.
As advertised in the subtitle, the cartoons cover a variety of topics in physics, but mainly focus on phenomena at the largest and smallest scales. Some are decidedly whimsical, while others are more didactic, and some seem to hark back to an earlier age in terms of the representation of women. This said, there is enough variety to bring a smile to most physicists, and at least now when people use one of Grupen’s cartoons, they might know whom to credit.
