For the rest of the week, we’ll publish a strip each day from Tom Gauld’s new collection Department of Mind-Blowing Theories, in which the acclaimed cartoonistand illustrator trains his trademark wit on the wonderful world of science.

Tom Gauld was born in 1976 and grew up in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He is a cartoonist and illustrator, and his work is published in the Guardian, The New Yorker, and New Scientist. His comic books—Baking with Kafka, Mooncop, You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack, and Goliath—are published by Drawn & Quarterly. He lives in London with his family.

FromDepartment of Mind-Blowing Theories, by Tom Gauld. Excerpt courtesy of Drawn & Quarterly.