2013-06-16
Original: 2013-06-16 on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Title: HOW TO SOLVE A PHYSICS PROBLEM
1) WRITE OUT ALL EQUATION AND FACTS
[A blue figure writes at a desk.]
2) DRAW FREE BODY DIAGRAM
[A simple free-body diagram is drawn.]
3) SOLVE
[Paper with the number 42 on it.]
4) GET WRONG ANSWER
[The figure frowns.]
5) CHECK CALCULATIONS, GET NEW WRONG ANSWER
[The figure looks more annoyed.]
6) REDO CALCULATIONS, GET THIRD WRONG ANSWER
[The figure looks angrier.]
7) SPECIAL PLEADING
Thought/note: MAYBE IT'S AVERAGE MY ANSWERS AND TAKE THE SQUARE ROOT
8) CHECK FOR ERRATA
Thought/note: STUPID AUTHORS PROBABLY GOT THE STUPID WRONG ANSWER
9) FIND NOTHING
Thought/note: EITHER EVERYONE EVERYWHERE IS WRONG, OR I AM. SO... OH GOD
10) LOCATE ALGEBRA ERROR
Note: 2 - 3 = 5
11) GET FOURTH WRONG ANSWER
[The figure is wide-eyed and gritting teeth.]
12) LOCATE SEVENTEEN MORE ALGEBRA ERRORS
Note: 2 - 3 = 5 / 5^2 = 52 / 5a = 5(a) = 10 / 10 = ZEBRA
13) GET RIGHT ANSWER
[The figure throws hands up.] HA HA HA HA
14) FEEL INTELLIGENT
Note: TODAY I SPENT FOUR HOURS ON A SINGLE MATH PROBLEM!
15) REALIZE PROBLEM HAS SIX MORE PARTS
Note: (i.) Do again with f = 3/4. (ii.) Do again for a universe where h = C_p.
16) BECOME POET
[The figure sits at the desk.] SO... HAPPY.
Votey:
Speech bubble: TODAY'S COMIC BROUGHT TO YOU BY HAND CRAMPS!
[A grinning man with flame-like orange hair holds up a cramped, claw-like hand.]
1) WRITE OUT ALL EQUATION AND FACTS
[A blue figure writes at a desk.]
2) DRAW FREE BODY DIAGRAM
[A simple free-body diagram is drawn.]
3) SOLVE
[Paper with the number 42 on it.]
4) GET WRONG ANSWER
[The figure frowns.]
5) CHECK CALCULATIONS, GET NEW WRONG ANSWER
[The figure looks more annoyed.]
6) REDO CALCULATIONS, GET THIRD WRONG ANSWER
[The figure looks angrier.]
7) SPECIAL PLEADING
Thought/note: MAYBE IT'S AVERAGE MY ANSWERS AND TAKE THE SQUARE ROOT
8) CHECK FOR ERRATA
Thought/note: STUPID AUTHORS PROBABLY GOT THE STUPID WRONG ANSWER
9) FIND NOTHING
Thought/note: EITHER EVERYONE EVERYWHERE IS WRONG, OR I AM. SO... OH GOD
10) LOCATE ALGEBRA ERROR
Note: 2 - 3 = 5
11) GET FOURTH WRONG ANSWER
[The figure is wide-eyed and gritting teeth.]
12) LOCATE SEVENTEEN MORE ALGEBRA ERRORS
Note: 2 - 3 = 5 / 5^2 = 52 / 5a = 5(a) = 10 / 10 = ZEBRA
13) GET RIGHT ANSWER
[The figure throws hands up.] HA HA HA HA
14) FEEL INTELLIGENT
Note: TODAY I SPENT FOUR HOURS ON A SINGLE MATH PROBLEM!
15) REALIZE PROBLEM HAS SIX MORE PARTS
Note: (i.) Do again with f = 3/4. (ii.) Do again for a universe where h = C_p.
16) BECOME POET
[The figure sits at the desk.] SO... HAPPY.
Votey:
Speech bubble: TODAY'S COMIC BROUGHT TO YOU BY HAND CRAMPS!
[A grinning man with flame-like orange hair holds up a cramped, claw-like hand.]
Alt text
A tall numbered list comic titled "HOW TO SOLVE A PHYSICS PROBLEM," with a blue everyman figure at a desk growing progressively more frustrated. Steps: 1) Write out all equations and facts. 2) Draw free body diagram. 3) Solve (a paper shows "42"). 4) Get wrong answer (he frowns). 5) Check calculations, get new wrong answer. 6) Redo calculations, get third wrong answer (increasingly angry). 7) Special pleading: "Maybe it's average my answers and take the square root." 8) Check for errata: "Stupid authors probably got the stupid wrong answer." 9) Find nothing: "Either everyone everywhere is wrong, or I am. So... oh God." 10) Locate algebra error, shown as "2 - 3 = 5." 11) Get fourth wrong answer (wide-eyed panic). 12) Locate seventeen more algebra errors, a list of absurd math ending in "10 = ZEBRA." 13) Get right answer (he throws his hands up laughing, "HA HA HA HA"). 14) Feel intelligent: "Today I spent four hours on a single math problem!" 15) Realize problem has six more parts (further sub-questions). 16) Become poet: he sits slumped saying "So... happy." Votey: a grinning man with flame-like orange hair holds up a clenched, claw-shaped cramped hand, with a speech bubble reading "Today's comic brought to you by hand cramps!"
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.