Examples of science analogies – Science-Education-Research

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Analogy is a device commonly used to make something unfamiliar seem familiar by suggesting it is somewhat like something that is already familiar. The idea or phenomenon being introduced or explained is called the target, and the familiar comparison an analogue.

An analogy goes further than simply suggesting one thing is like another (simile) but includes some degree of 'mapping' between the target and analogue.

Read about analogy in science and science teaching

This page presents examples of analogies for science concepts from sources such as the writings of scientists, popular science books and science journalism.

A document listing a wide range of examples of science analogies, similes, metaphors and the like, drawn from diverse sources, can be downloaded using this link: 'Creative Comparisons: Making Science Familiar through Language. An illustrative catalogue of figurative comparisons and analogies for science concepts.'

Examples of analogies

For brevity, many examples are paraphrased or edited – the links lead to the full quotation. Most of these examples

use everyday phenomena as analogues for science concepts, but in some examples
- a science concept is used as the analogue of an everyday phenomenon (⟸),
- or as an analogue for another science or technology concept (⟺).

anthropology

archaeology

Egyptian embalming techniques were like preserving pears in sugar ('The Royal Society & the Invention of Modern Science')

astronomy

atoms, ions, and molecules

adenosine triphosphate is like a tiny molecular spring ('Einstein's Fridge: The science of fire, ice and the universe')
atom model was like a watermelon with electrons for seeds (George Gamow)
atomic energy levels are like a gear lever (scienceanalogies.com website)
atomic energy levels are like rows in a parking lot (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
atomic energy levels are like standing on a ladder (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
atoms and ions are more like gas giant planets than billiard balls ('Chemical Pedagogy: Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟺
atoms are like letters of an alphabet (Robert Boyle)
atoms are like people in seeking out one or several partners ('Explaining Humans: What science can teach us about life, love and relationships')
Brownian motion is like ping-pong balls bumping into a beach ball ('Einstein's Fridge: The science of fire, ice and the universe')
covalent and ionic bonds are like different kinds of human relationships ('Explaining Humans: What science can teach us about life, love and relationships')
diatomic molecule is a discuss thrower that can spin only at certain speeds (Norwood Russell Hanson)
electrolytes are like nuts and bolts (Journal of Chemical Education)
electrons circling the nucleus as planets might have mountains and oceans ('Patterns of Discovery: An inquiry into the conceptual foundations of science')
empirical formula is like a box of Lego bricks (John Denker)
exciting ions – like swinging a child – requires the right driving frequency (Alan Holden)
Hund's rule is like strangers getting on a bus (Journal of Chemical Education)
if men were like atoms we could not detect them (J. J. Thomson)
material chunked in memory is like a complex ion ('Chemical Pedagogy: Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
molecules can be like gloves or socks ('Serendipity. Accidental discoveries in science')
molecules in a solid are like angry dogs on short chains (George Gamow)
molecules often possess handed forms similar to gloves and snails (George Gamow)
steps in student learning may be like forbidden transitions ('Chemical Pedagogy: Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
we are built like houses (H. E. Armstrong, chemist and educational reformer)

biochemistry

chemical 'messenger' molecules are the biological equivalent of the postal system ('Vital Principles: The molecular mechanisms of life')
DNA is like an encyclopedia but metabolites are like a Twitter feed (Ally Morton-Hayward, University of Oxford)
enzymes are like workstations on a production line ('Vital Principles: The molecular mechanisms of life')
expression of long non-coding RNA molecules is like producing sawdust when cutting branches into logs ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
haemoglobin is like a four-seater car or an unstable four-man boat ('Vital Principles: The molecular mechanisms of life')
learning from teaching is like a ligand binding to the appropriate protein ('Chemical pedagogy. Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
life has common chemical basis like the root words of a language family (J. D. Bernal)
mRNA stop signals are like LEGO roof bricks ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
processes of life are like those found in a chemical factory (J. D. Bernal)
proteins are upgrades like matches (N. W. Pirie)
proteins build up from CENP-A like adding LEGO bricks in a particular order ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
proteins outside the nucleus are like a removal company outside your house ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
ribosome to mRNA is like a bead on a thread ('Vital Principles: The molecular mechanisms of life')
structural proteins are molecular scaffolding ('Vital Principles: The molecular mechanisms of life')
teaching sequence is like the primary structure of a protein ('Chemical pedagogy. Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸

biodiversity

Banca species are as if the Isle of Man had distinct fauna from the rest of the British Isles (Alfred Russel Wallace)

cause and effect

final causes are like virgins consecrated to God (Francis Bacon)

cells

brain's processing function is to the human physiological response system like the nucleus in a cell ⟺ ('The Reenchantment of the World')
cells are biological atoms (George Gamow)
cells are built up like a Lego kit (Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee, Columbia University)
DNA is wrapped around a histone octamer like a skipping rope around eight tennis ball ('Junk DNA:A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
DNA is wrapped up like carefully stored Christmas lights ('Junk DNA:A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
duvet cover in the wash is like a cell membrane ⟸ (Dr Penny Sarchet, New Scientist)
ego is like a cell nucleus ⟸ ('The Reenchantment of the World')
membrane ion channel is like a turnstile ('Vital Principles: The molecular mechanisms of life')
nucleus is like the brain of the cell (secondary school student)
observing a cell nucleus is like revealing invisible writing (George Gamow)
relationships are like cell division ⟸ ('Explaining Humans. What science can teach us about life, love and relationships')
semipermeable cell membrane is like a chain link fence (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)

chemical bonding and structure

chemical bonds are like relationships ('Explaining Humans: What science can teach us about life, love and relationships')
covalent bond types are like eating in a restaurant (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
dative bonding is like borrowing library books (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
effective learning experiences are like compounds located in the bonding triangle ('Chemical pedagogy. Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
ideal learning types are like pure bonding types ('Chemical pedagogy. Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
ignoring modest differences on pretest scores is like considering polar bonds as covalent ('Chemical pedagogy: Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
meaningful learning is often like polar bonding ('Chemical pedagogy: Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
resonance hybrid is like a mule (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)

chemical substances

a field called 'host-guest' chemistry ('Serendipity. Accidental discoveries in science')
benzene has Jekyll and Hyde behaviour (Chemistry World)
microcomponents of matter collectively give new properties like the assembled parts of a watch (Robert Boyle)
mind is to brain as substance is to molecules ('Chemical pedagogy. Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
trace elements are like seasoning added to food (Allison Britt, Geoscience Australia)
working memory is like a triglyceride molecule ('Chemical pedagogy: Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸

chemical reactions

activated complex is like a window sill (Science Teacher)
alchemical processes correspond to church sacraments ('The Reenchantment of the World')
alchemy is a type of midwifery ('The Reenchantment of the World')
catalyst behaviour is like lowering the bar in a high jump competition (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
catalyst is like a minister at a wedding (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
collision geometry is like fitting a piece to a jigsaw (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
compound formation is like a marriage ('The Chemical Philosophy of Robert Boyle. Mechanicism, Chymical Atoms, and Emergence')
conservation of mass in chemical reactions is like not distinguishing Eskimos (Mario Bunge)
endothermic reaction is like pouring water into a sponge (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
exothermic reaction is like squeezing water from a sponge (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
familiar analogies may catalyse learning intermediate conceptions may be like reaction intermediates ('Chemical pedagogy: Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
flames are alive (J. D. Bernal)
intermediate conceptions may be like reaction intermediates ('Chemical pedagogy: Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
limiting reagent is like ingredient in short supply in a cafeteria (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
phlogiston was the wrong road (Sir John F. W. Herschel)
polymer backbone modification is like editing text (Dr Alex Zhukhovitskiy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, U.S.A.)
postmodernism is like an acid (Wolfgang Smith – 'Ancient Wisdom and Modern Misconceptions')
rate of reaction is like rate of production at a factory (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
reactant molecules are like wrestlers (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
rusting of iron is murder (H. E. Armstrong, chemist and educational reformer)
student learning may follow a reaction profile ('Chemical pedagogy: Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
syn addition is like a UFO returning a cow (Dr. Nick Chiappini, University of North Carolina Wilmington)

computer science

computer app analyses neural network like an MRI scanner (Gareth Mitchell, Imperial College London)

cosmology

development

human development is like a lightbulb giving rise to a massive office block ('Vital Principles: The molecular mechanisms of life')

dynamic equilibria

chemical equilibrium is like substituting players in a sports game (The Science Teacher)
hydronium ion concentration and hydroxide ion concentration can be imagined on opposite ends of a seesaw (Journal of Chemical Education)

Earth and geology

Antarctica is the heartbeat of the world (Prof. Steven L. Chown, Monash University)
as with the building of an Egyptian pyramid the raising up of a continent consists of many events happening in succession (James Hutton)
channels from various volcanic eruptions are like the arteries of the heart (Charles Darwin)
cicadas are the earth's dandruff ('The Reenchantment of the World')
crust of earth is like a thin sheet of ice over a frozen pool (Charles Darwin)
earth's magnetosphere is like a stone in a stream (Prof. Jim Al-Khalili, University of Surrey)
indentations in gravel resemble sutures in the cranium ⟺ (James Hutton)
lead in radioactive rocks is like beer cans on Pacific islands (George Gamow)
outermost shell of the Earth is like a massive jigsaw ('Catching Stardust: Comets, asteroids and the birth of the solar system')
ores develop from seed like an embryo in the womb (William Gilbert)
rupture of crust is like fracturing a long bar of steel (Charles Darwin)
simultaneous volcanic activity was like water splashing up through holes in the ice of a frozen pool when a person stamps on the surface (Charles Darwin)
the underground world is like a house (Athanasius Kircher)

ecology

coral reefs probably grow like forests (Charles Darwin)
salt marsh is like a big trifle (Orlando Venn, Principal Project Manager for Coastal Wetland Restoration)

electricity

electrical supply is like a waterfall (Dr Daniel Mitchard, Cardiff University)
teaching-learning is like the national grid supplying power for domestic electrical appliances ⟸ (Chemical pedagogy. Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry)
thermionic valves are like early steam engines ('Einstein's Fridge: The science of fire, ice and the universe')
to cross a pn junction holes have to climb a hill (Alan Holden)

energy

creation of living things is like raising water vapour from the sea into the sky ('Vital Principles: The molecular mechanisms of life')
there is an exchange rate between work and heat ('Einstein's Fridge: The science of fire, ice and the universe')

entropy

entropy is like shaking a box of ordered marbles ('Chemistry: A modern course')

evolution

extant species are like the finite wavelength of light (Clifford Geertz) ⟺
gene-selectionist and developmental-systemist perspectives are like thermodynamcs and mechanics (David Haig, George Putnam Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University) ⟺
life claws its way up the tree of life (Geoffrey C. Bowker: 'Memory practices in the sciences')
man reasoning without language is like a chimpanzee copulating without imitation (Clifford Geertz)
researching the development of life is like inferring a play from the last few lines (J. D. Bernal)
selection pressure summarises many reproductive outcomes just as gas pressure summarises many molecular motions (David Haig, George Putnam Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University) ⟺

forces

electromagnetic force is like two footballers exchanging passes

fungi

mushroom is just the apple on the fungal tree (Prof. Katie Field, University of Sheffield)
mycorrhizal fungi is like fibre optic cables (Tony Kirkham, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

genetics and inheritance

a chromosome is like a string of pearls (Ludwig von Bertalanffy)
bands in prepared chromosomes are like GPS with poor satellite coverage ('Some Assembly Required: Decoding four billion years of life, from ancient fossils to DNA')
bases in a gene are like pendants attached to a bracelet (George Gamow)
bits of genome are like a coin in the bottom of your pocket ('Science in Action')
cells with the myotonic dystrophy mutation are like cities with riots ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
chromosome is like a music tape containing many songs ('Vital Principles: The molecular mechanisms of life')
chromosomes have their own aglets that maintain the integrity of genomes ('Junk DNA. A journey through the dark matter of the genome.')
cultural patterns are sources of information like genes (Clifford Geertz) ⟸
DNA is a most extraordinary script ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
evaluating athletic potential by genetic tests is like drawing conclusions about a jigsaw picture based on a few pieces (Prof. Alun Williams, Manchester Metropolitan University)
fragile X syndrome mutation is like snow covering roads and railway tracks ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
gene mutation acts like a document with pages glued together in a photocopier ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
genes are like atomic nuclei in how they determine macroscopic structures ⟺ (George Gamow)
genes on a chromosome are like beads on a string ('Some Assembly Required. Decoding four billion years of life, from ancient fossils to DNA')
genetic shuffling is like cutting a pack of cards (George Gamow)
genomes develop as if built from standard LEGO sets ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
junk DNA is like all the Ferrari staff that do not work on the production line ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
hunt for mutation is like searching 65 freight cars for one bad orange (Dr Anne Child, St. George's Hospital, University of London)
junk DNA is like all the Ferrari staff that do not work on the production line ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
mutation is like a mistake in a knitting pattern ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')
the genetic code is a written text (Wolfgang Smith)

geology and planetary science

tug of war for Io is like bending a paperclip back and forwards (Dr Paul Abel, University of Leicester)

gravitation

gravitation is like an uneven building (Albert Einstein)

heat and thermodynamics

estimating temperature at core of sun is like calculating temperature inside a hot potato (George Gamow)
for temperature as for height only differences can be measured (Max Planck) ⟺
heat dissipation is like wealth redistribution ('Einstein's Fridge: The science of fire, ice and the universe')
heat engines are like water mills ('Einstein's Fridge: The science of fire, ice and the universe')
heating is like moving noisy people ('Einstein's Fridge: The science of fire, ice and the universe')
latent heat of vaporisation is analogous to latent heat of fusion ⟺ (Joseph Black)
leaves on wind-blown branches are warmed like waved hot hands are cooled (Charles Darwin)
passing of heat was considered analogous to the sinking of a weight (Max Planck) ⟺

infectious disease and immune system

a phthisical soldier is like a glandered horse (Jean-Antoine Villemin)
allergic responses are like having different PIN codes (Dr Theresa MacPhail, Stevens Institute of Technology)
antigen to antibody is not like paint to wall (Jules Bordet)
COVID is like a fire (Prof. Andrew Hayward, UCL)
immune system is like a computer programmed by old friends (Prof. Sally Bloomfield, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
infection is more revolution than invasion (Ludwik Fleck)
plague is like the rain (Dr John Radcliffe)

information and communications technology

redundancy in communicating information is like extra layers of clothing ('Einstein's Fridge: The science of fire, ice and the universe')
sharing understanding is not like communication between computers ('Chemical pedagogy. Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸

kinetic theory

escaping high density gas is like a crowd leaving a burning theatre (George Gamow)
Graham's law of diffusion is like running a race ('Foundations of Chemistry')
mean free path is like riding a bumper car (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)

laboratory work /techniques

demonstrating in the laboratory is like taking a cycle ride ('Chemical pedagogy. Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry')
imaging lens of an electron microscope is its heart (Prof. Pratibha Gai, York University)
interpreting X-ray data of protein structures was like archaeologists discovering rock inscriptions in an unreadable script (J. D. Bernal)
seeing atoms is like looking at moving golf balls on the surface of the moon (Prof. Pratibha Gai, York University)
teaching needs to be customised like laboratory techniques ('Chemical pedagogy. Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸

life

light

coloured rays blend like powder paint (Isaac Newton)
light dragged into the vortices in Bose-Einstein condensate is like a car sucked into a tornado ('Light Years: The extraordinary story of mankind' fascination with light')
light reflects from particles in a body as from a field of corn (Herbert Butterfield)
light transmission is like a bird passing through branches (Sir John F. W. Herschel)
light was imagined as a wave in the ether analogous to waves on the sea ('Companion to the Cosmos')
red light is like feathers whereas ultraviolet is like bullets ('Einstein's Fridge: The science of fire, ice and the universe')
spontaneous emission of light is similar to radioactive decay (Albert Einstein) ⟺

mathematical methods

materials

a solid body is like an artefact (Sir John F. W. Herschel)
battery recycling is like trying to reclaim jam and cream from a Victoria sponge after shredding (Prof. Emma Kendrick, University of Birmingham)
crystals have imperfections just as people do (Prof. Pratibha Gai, York University)
crystals in minerals are like an encrusted statue (Sir John F. W. Herschel)
gold develops from lead as insects from dung (Bernard Trevisan)
nylon molecules are like strands in a rope ('Serendipity: Accidental discoveries in science')
physicist identifies as a quantum black dot (Physics World) ⟸
safety glass is like a sandwich ('Serendipity. Accidental discoveries in science')

mechanics

medicine

idiosyncratic misconceptions are like rare medical conditions ('Chemical pedagogy. Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry') ⟸
lithium is the penicillin of mental health ('Finding Sanity: John Cade, lithium and the taming of bipolar disorder')
spindle apparatus that does not disassemble is like a fire appliance with its ladder extended ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')

microbes

bacterium experiences molecular impacts as if in an excited crowd (George Gamow)
gut microbes have a cleaning team that work the night shift (Prof. Tim Spector, King's College London)
multicellular and acellular slime moulds are like bubbles that clump together or join into one big bubble (Dr Merlin Sheldrake, Oxford University and the Vrije University Amsterdam)
tobacco-mosaic virus is like a solenoid (George Gamow)

nutrition

mixing of ocean water is like ploughing a field (Professor Angus Atkinson, Plymouth Marine Laboratory)

nature of science and scientific methodology

nuclear processes

catalysts enable nuclear chain reaction ⟺ (George Gamow)
nuclear fission is like cellular fission (Otto Robert Frisch)
nucleons are like sardines in a can (George Gamow)
neutron triggering nuclear fission is like an invisible bullet (George Gamow)
neutrons could multiply like rabbits or bacteria (George Gamow)
strong nuclear force acts like an elastic band ('Companion to the Cosmos')
the strong force is like love ('Explaining Humans: What science can teach us about life, love and relationships')
unstable atom is like a miser (Albert Einstein)
U-238 acts like water in wet wood (George Gamow)

organisms

clock acts as an organism as long as it runs properly (Georg Ernst Stahl)
an organism is like a symphony (Jakob von Uexküll)
soul of an organism resembles the movement of a clock (Lucas John Mix)

periodic table and periodicity

atomic size is like the spots on a giraffe's neck (Murray Hart, retired science teacher) ⟺
atomic size is like growth rings on a tree (Murray Hart, retired science teacher) ⟺

physics

physiology

blood maturation is like wine fermentation (Abū Bakr al-Rāzī)
nerves are to wires as blood vessels are to pipes (Neils Bohr)
nervous system as a telephone switchboard (Ivan Pavlov)
neurone is like an automatic ballot machine ('Vital Principles: The molecular mechanisms of life')
reflexes can operate in peaceful republics (Jakob von Uexküll)
rigidity of spindle apparatus is more like a a boiled sweet than a blob of jelly ('Junk DNA: A journey through the dark matter of the genome')

plants

psychology and mental health

executive functioning is like air traffic control (Dr Jules Montagu)
human mind is like atomic physics (Neils Bohr) ⟺
Rorschach test is like an X-ray picture ('The Inkblots: Hermann Rorschach, his iconic test & the power of seeing') ⟺

quantum mechanics / theory / systems

atomic mechanics is like psychological analysis (Neils Bohr)
complementarity in quantum mechanics is like a reference frame in relativity ⟺ (Neils Bohr)
ethnographers face similar observational challenges to physicists ⟸ (Neils Bohr)
fermions are opera-lovers whereas bosons are rock fans ('Companion to the Cosmos')
giving up mechanical particle trajectories is like giving up optical rays ⟺ (George Gamow)
photoelectric effect is like shooting with different guns (Journal of Chemical Education)
photons are like backpacks (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
QBism is to science as Cubism was to art (Prof. N. David Mermin, Cornell University)
quantum/classical is like baldness/hairiness (Prof. Mauro Dorato)
quantum mechanics is an embarrassing intruder in the camp ('The Reenchantment of the World')
unfamiliar scale of the quantum of action is like the unfamiliar scale of the speed of light ⟺ (Neils Bohr)
velocity of light is like the quantum of action ⟺ (Max Planck)
wave mechanical model is like a power boat (Murray Hart, retired science teacher)
wave-particle duality is like watching a television screen (Science Teacher)

radioactivity

atomic electrons influence alpha particles as mosquitoes influence a charging elephant (George Gamow)

reasoning

people exhibit naturalistic fallacies as bees fly (Clifford Geertz) ⟸

science teaching

teacher demonstrations are like miracles (H. E. Armstrong, chemist and educational reformer)

scientists

Kepler was like a child trying out different arrangements of wild flowers (Herbert Butterfield)

solar system

states of matter and physical change

school students behave like the phases of matter (retired science teacher Murray Hart)

technology

pre-nuclear age was like living in subzero temperatures (George Gamow)

waves

luminiferous ether is like sealing wax (George Gamow)
people interfere with each other like waves ('Explaining Humans: What science can teach us about life, love and relationships') ⟸
the Doppler effect is like swimming away from or towards the shore (Hubert Krivine)

Further examples may be found here:

Further examples of science analogies

The following examples are discussed elsewhere on the site (follow the links):

The nucleus as the brain of the cell (Bert in Y10)

A duster and matchboxes used to explain spectroscopy (a teacher analogy reported by Amy, college student)

Scaffolding learning as akin to enzymatic catalysis (using catalysis as a comparison to explain 'scaffolding' of learning)

Perceiving and remembering are like palaeontology (a text book analogy to explain cognitive processes)

A black hole with a magnetic field is like a shaggy dog (science news item)

A faecal transplant is like wild flower seeds in some soil (an analogy used in a radio science programme/podcast)

Medical screening is like job-shortlisting (an analogy used in a public science talk / podcast)

Viral infection triggering an immune response is like igniting a fire (an analogy used by a scientist interviewed for the radio)

Effect of a plant toxin is like the valves of a car's engine being stuck open (example from a scientist's blog)

NASA's solar probe entering the Sun's corona is like putting your hand in the oven (analogy used by NASA scientist in media interview)

Working memory is a bit like triglyceride structure (an analogy for explaining 'chunking' to science teachers?)

A well-planned curriculum is like an enzyme (an analogy for thinking about curriculum structure)

Animals and plants are like two different types of engine (a historical analogy)

A synchrotron is like a race track (scientist's comparison used in a public talk)

Photosynthesis as an analogy for the COVID-19 pandemic (used by an academic explaining his work on ther social impacts of the pandemic)

The brain's reward pathway is like a teeter-totter (see-saw) (used by an academic and clinician work on addition)

Popping corn is like radioactive decay (a teaching analogy)

Stars are like trees in a forest, in that you can infer life cycles from observing them at one time (Prof. Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, talking on the radio – compare with the Herschel analogy below)

A molecular chain reaction is like a Newton's cradle (analogy used to report a scientific study)

An atomic nucleus may behave like a liquid droplet that divides into two smaller droplets (Meitner & Frisch propose nuclear fission in the scientific literature)

The structure of buckminsterfullerene is like a football (Kroto and colleagues report the discovery of a new allotrope of the element carbon)

Mea culpa

And as a teacher, it almost becomes instinctive to use them!

Determining redshift by spectroscopy is a bit like identifying a fingerprint on a balloon that has been stretched.

Nuclear fusion is like cooking rice in that mass may appear to not be conserved.

Children next to a garden fence as an analogy for the photoelectric effect threshold

Learning from one's own teaching analogy: using an analogy from biochemistry to explain what can go wrong in teaching

Note on analogies, similes and metaphors.

In practice the precise demarcations between similes, metaphors (and anthropomorphisms) and analogies may not be absolutely clear. I have tried to follow the rule that if a comparison is set out to make a structural mapping clear (even if this is not spelt out as a mapping: e.g., an atom with its electrons is like a sun with its planets) this counts as an analogy. Where I do not think a comparison is an analogy, but the comparison is made explicit ("…as if…", "…like…": e.g., the atom, like a tiny solar system) I consider this a simile. When the audience is left to spot a comparison (rather than a literal identity) is being made (e.g., the oxygen atom, this tiny solar system) I class this a metaphor.

Anthropomorphism may be seen as a particular kind of metaphor where a metaphorical feature implies a non-human entity has human attributes (e.g., meteors can be impetuous).

I reserve the right to reassign some of these comparisons in due course!

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