It's always the same old story, a case of x or y... And I'm shocked -- SHOCKED! -- to find math in this comic!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Applying the Fundamentals
(Click on the cartoon to see the full image.)
(C)Copyright 2010, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
It's always the same old story, a case of x or y... And I'm shocked -- SHOCKED! -- to find math in this comic!
It's always the same old story, a case of x or y... And I'm shocked -- SHOCKED! -- to find math in this comic!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Numerical Turn of Phrase
I enjoy numbers, and I enjoy reading even though I don't always enjoy reading about numbers because it can get very tedious. Nevertheless, occasionally someone puts chocolate in my peanut butter (or gets peanut butter on my chocolate), and you get something like this:
I just enjoyed that line and thought it a great way to open a chapter and introduce a character. And two things occurred to me only as I type it: even though it's science fiction, the measurements are not in metric, and the weight of 90 pounds is given without any consideration for actual gravity of the planet. What would the Galactic Empire think?
Unfortunately, I was left scratching my head by a phrase used two pages later:
Now, since "at least" means no less than, what this sentence is saying is that ever "Lady" is expected to have no less than nor no more than two children. In other words, two children. Now, I'd want to call this guy some kind of hack, but since it was Isaac Asimov, most would likely disagree with me.
So, okay, so maybe "hack" is too strong, but it was still a weird way to say "two and only two", or simply "exactly two".
|
I just enjoyed that line and thought it a great way to open a chapter and introduce a character. And two things occurred to me only as I type it: even though it's science fiction, the measurements are not in metric, and the weight of 90 pounds is given without any consideration for actual gravity of the planet. What would the Galactic Empire think?
Unfortunately, I was left scratching my head by a phrase used two pages later:
|
Now, since "at least" means no less than, what this sentence is saying is that ever "Lady" is expected to have no less than nor no more than two children. In other words, two children. Now, I'd want to call this guy some kind of hack, but since it was Isaac Asimov, most would likely disagree with me.
So, okay, so maybe "hack" is too strong, but it was still a weird way to say "two and only two", or simply "exactly two".
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Four-Color Theorem
(Click on the cartoon to see the full image.)
(C)Copyright 2010, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
According to the Four-Color Theorem, four crayons should be enough to color in any turkey.
This year, I'm thanking for places like Raising Our Kids for having pictures of turkeys to color in because I didn't have the time nor patience to make my own. For that matter, I didn't have the patience to color in a turkey that had 2 or 3 times the number of sections. (And let's not even get into the grayscale pixelation issues!)
Happy Thanksgiving!
According to the Four-Color Theorem, four crayons should be enough to color in any turkey.
This year, I'm thanking for places like Raising Our Kids for having pictures of turkeys to color in because I didn't have the time nor patience to make my own. For that matter, I didn't have the patience to color in a turkey that had 2 or 3 times the number of sections. (And let's not even get into the grayscale pixelation issues!)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
New Additions
(Click on the cartoon to see the full image.)
(C)Copyright 2010, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
The last of the original sketches from the year before I started the comic. It was on the back of an index card and slightly faded, so it didn't scan too well, but you get the idea.
The last of the original sketches from the year before I started the comic. It was on the back of an index card and slightly faded, so it didn't scan too well, but you get the idea.
Monday, November 22, 2010
It's About Time
(Click on the cartoon to see the full image.)
(C)Copyright 2010, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
B.C. or not B.C, that is the question ...
B.C. or not B.C, that is the question ...
You know why there is no metric time? Because they tried it and everyone thought it was stupid.
A cm is not the same as an inch, a meter is not a yard, a liter is not a quart, so "BCE" should not be the same as "B.C."
If they need a new calendar with a different start date, might I suggest "After Ford"?
Friday, November 19, 2010
Try, Try Again
(Click on the cartoon to see the full image.)
(C)Copyright 2010, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
Yes, it should be "Seven of Thirteen", but any geek would rather have "Seven of Nine".
Yes, it should be "Seven of Thirteen", but any geek would rather have "Seven of Nine".
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Banach-Tarski Comics
In the comments on reddit about this Luke Surl comic involving Banach-Tarski, there was the following list of Banach-Tarski-inspired comics:
http://mrburkemath.blogspot.com/2009/10/humpty-dumpty.html
http://brownsharpie.courtneygibbons.org/?p=82
http://spikedmath.com/234.html
http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2339.html
I was happy to be included. 8-)
http://mrburkemath.blogspot.com/2009/10/humpty-dumpty.html
http://brownsharpie.courtneygibbons.org/?p=82
http://spikedmath.com/234.html
http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2339.html
I was happy to be included. 8-)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
On the Run
(Click on the cartoon to see the full image.)
(C)Copyright 2010, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
They should catch it. It's a relatively slow bus.
They should catch it. It's a relatively slow bus.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Frigg's Day
Friday is "Frigg's Day" name for Frigg, the Norse Goddess of Foreknowledge.
This explains why when I walked into a classroom today which had gone bezerk and hollered, "What's friggin' goin' on?", I already knew the answer even before I asked.
This explains why when I walked into a classroom today which had gone bezerk and hollered, "What's friggin' goin' on?", I already knew the answer even before I asked.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Mouse Troubles
(Click on the cartoon to see the full image.)
(C)Copyright 2010, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
The farmer's wife and his grandfather clock -- oh, the murinity!
The farmer's wife and his grandfather clock -- oh, the murinity!
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Minus X? Why?
(Click on the cartoon to see the full image.)
(C)Copyright 2010, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
I hope branching out into a new quadrant doesn't reflect poorly on the comic.
This bonus comic brought to you courtesy of "Supplyman" and "SpikedMath".
Yes, my own stuff is coming...
I hope branching out into a new quadrant doesn't reflect poorly on the comic.
This bonus comic brought to you courtesy of "Supplyman" and "SpikedMath".
Yes, my own stuff is coming...
Monday, November 08, 2010
Transcendental Addition
(Click on the cartoon to see the full image.)
(C)Copyright 2010, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
Some numbers transcend ordinary mathematics the way a good pie transcends ordinary desserts.
Some numbers transcend ordinary mathematics the way a good pie transcends ordinary desserts.
Oddly enough, it isn't known whether the sum of pi and e is transcendental.
Evenly enough, this comic was suggested from a comment made on a recent Spiked Math comic.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Daylight Savings
(Click on the cartoon to see the full image.)
(C)Copyright 2010, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
And the funny thing isn't that I get to go back to "EST", but that everyone I know uses the abbreviation "EST" all year long even when "EDT" would be correct (for those in the Eastern Time Zone).
And the funny thing isn't that I get to go back to "EST", but that everyone I know uses the abbreviation "EST" all year long even when "EDT" would be correct (for those in the Eastern Time Zone).
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)