The Ferguson essay presents a vision of the world ten years hence—a world reeling from the effects of more than just one act of terrorism. It cautions attaching too much importance to a single event and suggests that the destruction of the Twin Towers is only one part of a rippling effect which began before September 11 and which would continue after. Christoph Niemann created an image of a tidal wave that contains a small reflection of the Twin Towers. The editors wrote the headline in response to his solution.

“This seemed perfect, of the moment. We were looking for illustration that goes beyond having an interesting style or a good grasp of the medium. We asked, ‘Is there a nice idea behind it?’”