this post was submitted on 19 May 2024
1044 points (97.8% liked)

Science Memes

13543 readers
2642 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.



Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
all 49 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] d00ery@lemmy.world 100 points 10 months ago (5 children)

As a fan of both authors I'd just like to point out the quote is from Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

I've never really thought about it and I don't have the vocabulary to describe it, but they have similar humour in the way they look at humans and social interaction.

[–] bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone 47 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

spoilersdfsaf

[–] wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 46 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Likewise in one of the later books they visit "God's last message to the universe" or something like that and if I recall correctly it's "Sorry for the inconvenience"

Great great author.

[–] CEbbinghaus@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

I was listening to the audiobook and had tu de cypher it by writing onto the paper. Almost shat myself laughing when I realize what it said. You will be missed Douglas.

[–] d00phy@lemmy.world 22 points 10 months ago (2 children)

There’s a certain irony in using a Douglas Adams quote to support saying something is reminiscent of Terry Pratchett.

[–] Timecircleline@sh.itjust.works 21 points 10 months ago

British humour, both lean into the absurd. I love them both, and can admit there are similarities.

[–] watersnipje@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I think that person just misremembered the author of the quote.

[–] lunarul@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Those are two different people though. One thought or Terry Pratchett, the other of Douglas Adams.

[–] notabot@lemm.ee 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Have you ever seen them both in the same room at the same time? I know I haven't. :)

[–] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

One of them wears glasses and the other doesn't, so clearly they're separate people.

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 8 points 10 months ago

It does actually attribute the quote to Douglas Adams at the bottom of the image.

[–] MuAraeOracle@real.lemmy.fan 53 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Terry Pratchett the Douglas Adams of Fantasy.

Both are legends!

[–] Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago

Both had major insight in to the bureaucrats soul.

[–] zurohki@aussie.zone 33 points 10 months ago
[–] slurpinderpin@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Why do people in the UK and US say “maths” vs “math”?

[–] criticon 44 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] felbane@lemmy.world 18 points 10 months ago (2 children)

There should be a trail of Us that have fallen off the ship.

[–] criticon 15 points 10 months ago (2 children)
[–] Dicska@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago

The rightmost one? The last of Us.

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 5 points 10 months ago

What about Z and S??

[–] snooggums@midwest.social 10 points 10 months ago

colour> color

spourts > sports

[–] Doubleohdonut 35 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Because it's the short form of "mathematics"

Although typically I've seen the UK call it maths and North Americans call it math.

[–] RandomWalker@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

Is the ending s kept on abbreviations of other singular nouns ending in s? Or is that unique to maths?

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I would say we disagree with the premise of the question. Mathematics is not a singular noun. It's a plural. It's the field of all mathematics. Therefore you preserve the "s" because you abbreviate the singular and re-pluralise it.

So somebody in the UK might (not commonally) say "it's a math(matic) concept", but more likely to say "it's a concept from math(ematic)s" or "it's a mathematical concept".

[–] RandomWalker@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

That’s interesting. What about talking about it as a subject or a class? Would you say maths are my favorite subject(s?) in school? Maths are my favorite class?

[–] insaneinthemembrane@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

Good one, no way say maths is... I guess it's the subject of mathematics is my favourite.

[–] Doubleohdonut 3 points 10 months ago

To the best of my understanding, mathematics isn't referencing a singular object but is used as an encompassing term to refer to content from multiple schools of mathematics e.g. geometry, statistics, calculus, algebra etc. Or in other words, all the subjects covered in math/maths class! 😊

[–] mranachi@aussie.zone 16 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] Tomato666@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Maphs could be used here too...

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 11 points 10 months ago (4 children)

There's more than one type of math. Would you say physic?

[–] PrimeErective@startrek.website 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

C m8 they'res only 1 kinda reel sport nd thats footie.

[–] onion@feddit.de 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Germans and French do

[–] slurpinderpin@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Yeah I get it, but I’m more curious why it’s said differently?

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 2 points 10 months ago

You should be asking yourself that. ;)

[–] nyctre@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

There's usually a long explanation for these types of things which most of the time boils down to "because that's how people have been saying it and it's become the norm."

Many linguistical mistakes have been overused to the point of them changing their meaning. Take "decimation". It used to mean to kill 1 in every 10. Because it sounds cool and has been used in a lot of media, it now mainly means to kill or destroy a large part of something.

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 2 points 10 months ago

The meaning of “siege” has gone from sitting outside a castle or town until everyone starves to just about any kind of military action involving a building. Probably partly because the Iran embassy Siege off the 80s was endlessly represented on TV by footage of the SAS breaking the siege by abseiling through the windows.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

Do you guys also say Geographies? Or Histories? Do you take Arts classes? You take Physics, do you also have Chemistries and Biologies?

[–] d00ery@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Let me go count all my Lego.

[–] JackFrostNCola@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Lego is the only correct version though, it is defined by the company that created it so its not 'open to interpretation' imo.

[–] d00ery@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

I agree with you. A sheep and some sheep are the same to me 😂

[–] Etterra@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

We can blame beer.

Growing beer demand using wild grain bread for the yeast source ⟩ settling permanently allowed increased agriculture ⟩ agriculture necessitated protection from thieves and raids ⟩ establishment of nobility (military) and temples (religion, math, and literacy ⟩ money is invented to facilitate the collection of taxes for protection and public works (yes, government and organized religion started as a parasitic voluntary protection racket) ⟩ life got harder, nourishment got worse, but hey, at least they had beer.

[–] halvar@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago

Douglas Adams <3