Chris Madden Cartoons

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  • Cartoon about the threat of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    artificial intelligence AI cartoon

    AI cartoon (Artificial intelligence).

    A cartoon about AI, or artificial intelligence. The cartoon shows concern for the fact that it may be impossible to programme safeguards into AI systems, as the AI system will become intelligent enough to find a loophole to overcome the programmed safeguards.
    Concern about AI has existed ever since the conncept of AI was thought of – now that AI is becoming a practical possibility the concern is becoming more widely held. People who believe that AI is an existential threat to humanity are sometimes called doomers.

    Drawn: 3rd April 2023
    Cartoon reference number: a947

    How to obtain license to use cartoon

  • The threat of Artificial Intelligence (AI): cartoon

    AI artificial intelligence cartoon

    Artificial intelligence cartoon.

    A cartoon about the possible dangers of AI, or artificial intelligence. The cartoon is based on the computer cliché that to fix a computer you need to turn it off and turn it on again. The cartoon coveys the message that AI may become so clever that it can thwart our attempts to control it. People who believe that AI is an existential threat to humanity are sometimes called doomers.

    Drawn: 3rd April 2023
    First published: Private Eye, issue 1596, April 2023
    Cartoon reference number: a946

    How to obtain license to use cartoon

  • Placebo cartoon

    placebo cartoon

    Placebo effect cartoon

    A cartoon about the placebo effect.

    The placebo effect is the phenomenon of people reacting to a placebo in the same way that they would if the placebo was an active drug.
    Drawn: 2011
    Cartoon reference number: a925

  • Covid-19 vaccination cartoon – several arrive at once

    covid-19 vaccine cartoon illustration

    Covid-19 vaccine illustration.

    A cartoon showing three Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine syringes arriving at the same time (just like buses).

    The vaccines have been developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZenica and Moderna.
    A cartoon about the pandemic caused by the covid-19 virus.
    Drawn: 23rd November 2020
    Cartoon reference number: a866

  • Covid-19 vaccine illustration

    covid-19 vaccine cartoon illustration

    Covid-19 vaccine illustration.

    A cartoon or illustration showing the Covid-19 coronavirus being attacked by syringes of vaccines.

    The illustration is drawn in a style to suggest that the Covid-19 virus is an alien form and the syringes of vaccine are rockets, planes or missiles that are attacking the virus.
    A cartoon about the pandemic caused by the covid-19 virus.

     

    Drawn: 20th November 2020
    Cartoon reference number: a864

  • Bioplastics cartoon

    bioplastic packaging cartoon - bioplastic pea pods

    Bioplastics cartoon

    In this cartoon the cellulose of the pea pod has been modified to form plastic packaging.
    Plastics produced from plants are known as bioplastics.

    Bioplastics are in some ways a good substitute for plastics produced from oil, however they may have a downside in that if they were extensively used vast amounts of agricultural land may have to be set aside for the production of plastics instead of food.
    Original version drawn: 1999
    Cartoon reference: env116b

  • Galileo cartoon

    Galileo cartoon

    Galileo cartoon.

    The cartoon shows Galileo describing the discoveries that he has made about astronomy using his telescope to the pope.

    Original version: 1996
    This version: Sept 2020
    Cartoon reference number: rel014b

  • An artist’s vision cartoon

    Artist painting the moon cartoon

    Cartoon about artistic vision

    A cartoon showing an artist creating a painting of something that is not actually visible with the unaided eye.

    The cartoon shows one artist painting a landscape while another artist does a painting of the moon, which is a tiny detail in the landscape.
    A cartoon about art, the moon, eyesight, vision, insight.
    Original version drawn: 1998
    This version drawn: 2019
    Cartoon reference number: art009
    This cartoon features in my book of cartoons about art.
    See the book here.
    How to search for cartoons by subject

  • Living organic material in contemporary art – cartoon

    contemporary art cartoon genetic sculpture

    Cartoon of sculptures created using organic material.

    The concept behind this cartoon is that there is a way of incorporating living genetic material or dna into contemporary artworks so that the material manifests itself in some bizarre and unsettling way.

    Cartoon drawn: 2019
    Cartoon reference number: art044
    This cartoon features in my book of cartoons about art.
    See the book here.
    How to search for cartoons by subject

  • Anti-enlightenment cartoon – the Endarkenment

    Anti-enlightenment cartoon – the endarkenment

    From the Enlightenment to the Endarkenment – cartoon.

    When I drew this cartoon I was very pleased when the term “The Endarkenment” came into my head as an original thought. I looked it up later and found that it’s been thought of before, to describe the same phenomenon.
    I use it as a term for the current trend towards anti-rational thought, which includes anti-scientific, anti-historical and anti-establishment thought (I like to think I’m a bit anti-establishment myself, but definitely not anti-scientific or anti-historical).

    The statue that is being toppled in the Endarkenment frame of the cartoon is based on the current phenomenon of the iconoclastic toppling of statues of establishment figures who are possibly linked to the slave trade (Many of them are, but the action is largely motivated by emotion, with little regard for historical context).

    Drawn: September 2020
    Cartoon reference number: a851

  • Critical race theory and science in universities – cartoon

    culture wars cartoon universities race and science

    Culture wars cartoon – race and science in universities.

    Update:

    I drew this cartoon in 2020. At the time I thought that the idea that CRT could be applied to scientific subjects such as mathematics or cosmology was so outlandish that a cartoon that suggested such a thing would be funny due to its sheer absurdity. It’s started to happen.

    ––––––––––––––––––––

    Culture wars are raging in universities and academic institutions across the western world. They are raging elsewhere too, but the culture wars in, say, the Islamic world, are different to the ones in the west.
    The west’s culture wars often circle around subjects such as race and gender and identity politics that exist within the ‘woke’ analysis of culture.

    At the time of drawing this cartoon the subject of race is very much to the fore, with movements such as BLM (Black Lives Matter) having a very high profile.
    In academia many subjects in the social sciences are currently analysed through the perspective of critical race theory (CRT).
    This cartoon illustrates a tendency to apply critical race theory to subjects where it has no relevance or where its relevance is overstated.
    Drawn: September 2020
    Cartoon reference number: a849

  • Cutbacks in science funding – cartoon

    Cutbacks in science funding - cartoon

    A cartoon about science budgets and cutbacks in science funding.

    This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry, round 2014 – 2015.
    Cartoon reference number: a725

    How to obtain license to use cartoon

  • Women in science

    women in science - cartoon

    A cartoon about women in science and their relationship with the media.

    A cartoon about one of the problems that confront women in the workplace.

    This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry, round 2014 – 2015.
    Cartoon reference number: a724

    How to obtain license to use cartoon

  • Genetically modified pigs will fly

    Genetically modified pigs will fly - cartoon

    Genetically modified pigs will fly – cartoon.

    A cartoon about genetic modification.

    This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry, round 2014 – 2015.
    Cartoon reference number: a721

    How to obtain license to use cartoon

  • Genetic modification of food.

    genetic modification of food cartoon

    A cartoon about scientific research into genetically modified food.

    A cartoon about genetic modification.

    This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry, round 2014 – 2015.
    Cartoon reference number: a720

    How to obtain license to use cartoon

  • A dye that changes colour to reflect your thoughts.

    mind reading dye cartoon

    A cartoon about a dye that changes colour depending on your thoughts.

    A thought-sensitive dye.

    This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry, round 2014 – 2015.
    Cartoon reference number: a719

  • Internet dating for scientists

    Internet dating for scientists

    A cartoon about the language that scientists (may) use when internet dating.

    A cartoon about the way that different types of people use different language in interpersonal encounters.

    This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry, round 2014 – 2015.
    Cartoon reference number: a718

  • Memory-altering drugs – cartoon

    Chemistry cartoon - mind-altering drugs

    A cartoon about drugs that alter the functioning of the memory.

    A cartoon about research into drugs that enhance or inhibit brain function.

    This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry, round 2014 – 2015.
    Cartoon reference number: a717

  • Scientific research funding

    Chemistry cartoon - scientific research funding

    A cartoon about the funding of scientific research.

    A cartoon about a clash between scientific research and the vested interests of the funder of the research.

    It’s also a cartoon about alchemy and the quest to turn base metal into gold.
    This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry, round 2014 – 2015.

    Here are more of my chemistry cartoons from Chemistry World magazine.

    Cartoon reference number: a716

  • Invisible paint cartoon

    Chemistry cartoon - invisible paint

    A cartoon about paint that makes things invisible.

    A cartoon about scientific research into the properties of paint.

    This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry, round 2014 – 2015.

    Here are more of my chemistry cartoons from Chemistry World magazine.

    Cartoon reference number: a714

  • Arsenic poisoning cartoon

    Chemistry cartoon - arsenic poisoning, arsenicosis

    A cartoon about using arsenic as poison.

    A cartoon about arsenicosis.

    This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry, round 2014 – 2015.

    Here are more of my chemistry cartoons from Chemistry World magazine.

    Cartoon reference number: a715

  • Kekule’s snake dream about molecular structure

    Chemistry cartoon - Kekule's snake dream about molecular structure

    A cartoon about Kekule’s snake dream about the molecular structure of benzene.

    Friedrich August Kekulé (1829 – 1896) was a German organic chemist.

    He is reputed to have had a dream in which snakes held their own tails, giving him a clue to the molecular structure of benzene.
    This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

    Here are more of my chemistry cartoons from Chemistry World magazine.

    Cartoon reference number: a713

  • Truth drugs – a cartoon from Chemistry World magazine

    chemistry cartoon - truth drug

    A cartoon about the potential use of truth drugs by repressive political regimes.

    In the cartoon the truth drugs are not designed to make people tell the truth, but to make them believe in lies.

    An example from my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

    Here are more of my chemistry cartoons from Chemistry World magazine.

    A cartoon about espionage, spying, subversion, secret police, state repression.

    Cartoon reference number: a723

    How to obtain license to use cartoon

  • Personality profiling for job applicants – cartoon from Chemistry World

    chemistry cartoon - rorschach test

    A cartoon about the use of personality profiling in job interviews.

    The use of Rorscharch tests for assessing people’s personalities.

    The interviewee is interpreting an X-ray crystallography image that resembles a spider
    An example from my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
    A cartoon about espionage, spying, subversion, secret police, state repression.

    Here are more of my chemistry cartoons from Chemistry World magazine.

    Cartoon reference number: a722

    How to obtain license to use cartoon

  • Super moons are not as super as the media make out

    Cartoon about the media coverage of supermoons

    Cartoon about the media’s distortion of the visual impact of a super moon

    Super moons were unheard of in the media until the last few years. Now every time the moon gets close to the earth in its orbit the press is full of it, with misleading photographs to make the moon look huge and spectacular (taken with telephoto lenses so that the moon looks large compared to objects such as people or buildings in the distance).

    Cartoon reference number: a755

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  • Scientific discovery – reach for the stars – cartoon

    cartoon - studying the stars with a telescope

    A cartoon showing an astronomer reaching for the stars by reaching up inside an astronomical telescope.
    The astronomer’s hand is appearing out or the top of the telescope as though it is grasping for the stars.

    An illustration concerning people’s urge to discover more about the universe through scientific exploration.

    A cartoon about scientific exploration, inquiring minds, curiosity, curiousity, reaching for the stats.
    In recent years telescopes in space such as the Hubble telescope and the James Webb telescope have pushed our understanding of the universe further.
    Original version drawn: 1999
    Cartoon reference number: a698

    How to obtain license to use cartoon

  • Man’s relationship with cars

    car as a protective shell - cartoon

    Cartoon – a car as a protective shell or carapace.

    An image illustrating the psychology of motoring and the human relationship with cars
    A cartoon about cars, car use, traffic, psychology.
    Original version drawn: 1990
    Cartoon reference number: a680

  • Genetically modified pigs will fly.

    pigs will fly gmo cartoon

    A cartoon showing a genetically modified pig flying.

    A cartoon about gmo food and genetics.
    The cartoon strip shows people talking about ‘scare stories’ about ‘Frankenstein food’, with the final frame of the strip showing a flying pig.

    A cartoon about gmo, genetically modified organisms, pigs will fly.
    Original version created: 2008
    Cartoon reference number: a695

  • Will increased gmo food yields cause human population increase?

    gmo food cartoon

    A cartoon dealing with the issue of genetically modified crops increasing crop yield to feed more people

    The cartoon shows scientists considering the consequences of increasing food yields and the possible resulting population increase.

    A cartoon about gmo, genetically modified organisms, human population increase.
    Original version created: 2012
    Cartoon reference number: a677

  • From stone age to phone age

    Stone age man/phone age man cartoon

    A joke about the evolution of technology

    A stone age man using stones and a modern man using a phone

    Part of the humor behind the cartoon is that people haven’t changed much, despite the advanced of technology
    Cartoon drawn: 2013
    Cartoon reference number: a651