This cartoon by Adams from The Daily Telegraph is inspired by the death of the American astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.
The year is 3012 AD, and Armstrong's iconic footprint is still present on the moon's surface. But wait a minute, something is missing. Oh yes, it's the Earth.
COMMENTARY
Of course, the planet Earth will probably still be here a thousand years hence, so the cartoon can be seen as a metaphor for the end of the human race, a more likely scenario in view of all the various ecological and societal problems we face.
VOCABULARY
AD stands for anno domini, which is Latin for 'in the year of the Lord', in other words after the birth of Jesus Christ. BC (before Christ) is used to denote years before the start of the epoch.
ALSO SEE
• Bob Englehart cartoon (Hartford Courant)
