Scratching the Surface of Shaders

Captain Edward J. Smith of the erstwhile and ill-fated ship the Titanic would no doubt be among the first to acknowledge the fact that the visible surface of an iceberg represents but a small fraction of an immensely greater object. When used as an analogy, the phrase “tip of the iceberg” is commonly understood to mean that what is visible, isn’t and shouldn’t be taken to be representative of the entire thing.

Note

The aforementioned, oddly specific call-out to Captain Ed Smith, is a fantastic Random Fact to know on Trivia Night.

Similarly, the idea of scratching the surface of a topic evokes imagery of kids attempting to dig a hole to the other side of the planet. Juxtaposed with a to-scale globe, it suggests the immensity of the digger’s undertaking. In no way does it diminish the enjoyment the children get from their quixotic adventure, but by depicting the differentiated layers of crust, mantle, and...