Cetology: from Melville to Modern Science
“Cetology: from Melville to Modern Science” is a six-page magazine story that explores Melville’s taxonomy of whales, which he lays out in chapter 32 of *Moby-Dick* (“Cetology”). The centerpiece is a two-page network chart that compares and contrasts Melville’s system to a modern taxonomy of whales. The two taxonomical trees that branch towards each other, and the space between highlights points of similarity, difference, and confusion using additional lines and annotations. Additional visualizations include a timeline of relevant events (the idea being to place Melville in the context of scientific developments), a somewhat humorous chart that shows how often Moby-Dick strays from the plot (including the chapter in question), and another chart indicating the percentage of species Meville accounts for.
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