WHEN Carl Zimmer asked on his blog whether tattoos were common among scientists, he unwittingly became the curator of a set of incredible images, and of intimate stories that reveal a love affair with science. We are familiar with the idea that people tattoo themselves with a name or symbol representing the great love in their life. Those who love science are no different. Zimmer was inundated with responses.
Many are literal representations of a scientist’s obsession with their profession: a tree of life covering a zoology graduate’s back (see right), or a cross section through a mountain chain for…
