3212: Little Red Dots

2026-02-26T08:00:37Z

2001:FB1:15D:FF6E:4991:261B:31FD:9FB: /* Explanation */ Added an explanation of the Alt Text referencing the funny Father Ted scene

{{comic
| number = 3212
| date = February 25, 2026
| title = Little Red Dots
| image = little_red_dots_2x.png
| imagesize = 634x306px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = After a lot of analysis, I've determined that they're actually big red dots; they're just very far away.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a LITTLE RED BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

Cueball asks researchers in different subjects to identify "little red dots" in an image from the {{w|James Webb Space Telescope}} (referred to in the caption as "JWST").

The {{w|Little red dot (astronomical object)|little red dot}}s that the comic refers to are actually young black holes from 500-700 million years after the Big Bang in the JWST telescope, the comic instead jokingly asks several different experts their thoughts

According to the Entomologist they are: {{w|Clover mite | Clover mites}} (Bryobia praetiosa) are very small [[Red Spiders]].

According to the Computer Scientist they are: {{w|Defective pixel|Stuck pixels}}, pixels that do not work properly, and are stuck to one single color.

According to the Dermatologist they are: {{w|Cherry angioma|Cherry angiomas}}, harmless, non-cancerous skin growths made of clusters of dilated capillaries, appearing as bright red, smooth, or slightly raised spots.

According to the Graphic Designer they are: Colors of type [https://www.colorhexa.com/d73b3e Jasper] (<span style="color:#d73b3e">●</span> #d73b3e) and [https://www.colorhexa.com/e34234 Vermillion] (<span style="color:#e34234">●</span> #e34234, sometimes called Cinnabar). Part of the punchline is the shift in focus: instead of trying to identify the object, the designer is nitpicking the description of "red dot."

The alt text is a reference to the Father Ted scene from Series 2, Episode 1, titled "Hell", where Ted tries to explain perspective to Dougal while they are on holiday in a cramped caravan, using plastic toy cows to illustrate that real cows in a distant field are not smally, they're just "far away" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMiKyfd6hA0 YouTube]

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Caption above all the panels:]
:Astronomers asking researchers from different departments to help them identify the "little red dots" in JWST images:

:[In each panel, Cueball stands at the left of an easel. The easel is shown each time as having a black image with three red dots on it. At the right of the easel in each panel is a different character looking at the image on the easel and commenting on it. At the top of each panel is a caption indicating the type of researcher commenting on the image.]

:Caption: Entomologists
:Megan: Clover mites.

:Caption: Computer scientists
:Knit Cap: Stuck pixels.

:Caption: Dermatologists
:Ponytail: Cherry angiomas.

:Caption: Graphic designers
:Hairy: No, those are vermillion, or maybe jasper.
:Hairy: Can I see your color settings?

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Knit Cap]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Telescopes]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Graphic designers]]

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3212: Little Red Dots