a-guide-to-science-writing
Original: a-guide-to-science-writing on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Title: SCIENCE ARTICLES: A GUIDE
The comic is a 2x2 grid (a matrix). The two columns and two rows are labeled, and each of the four cells contains a verdict.
Column headers:
- Left column: AVERAGE SENTENCE IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND
- Right column: AVERAGE SENTENCE IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND
Row headers:
- Top row: SUBJECT MATTER IS COMPLEX
- Bottom row: SUBJECT MATTER IS SIMPLE
Grid cells:
- Complex subject / Easy sentences (green cell): GREAT WRITING
- Complex subject / Hard sentences (yellow cell): TYPICAL WRITING
- Simple subject / Easy sentences (yellow cell): HONEST WRITING
- Simple subject / Hard sentences (red cell): PROBABLY JUST BULLSHIT
Footer: smbc-comics.com
Votey:
A small 2x2 grid drawn loosely by hand. The top-right cell reads: contains no pictures. The bottom-left cell reads: claims to be "comic". The large bottom-right cell reads, in big letters: LIES.
The comic is a 2x2 grid (a matrix). The two columns and two rows are labeled, and each of the four cells contains a verdict.
Column headers:
- Left column: AVERAGE SENTENCE IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND
- Right column: AVERAGE SENTENCE IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND
Row headers:
- Top row: SUBJECT MATTER IS COMPLEX
- Bottom row: SUBJECT MATTER IS SIMPLE
Grid cells:
- Complex subject / Easy sentences (green cell): GREAT WRITING
- Complex subject / Hard sentences (yellow cell): TYPICAL WRITING
- Simple subject / Easy sentences (yellow cell): HONEST WRITING
- Simple subject / Hard sentences (red cell): PROBABLY JUST BULLSHIT
Footer: smbc-comics.com
Votey:
A small 2x2 grid drawn loosely by hand. The top-right cell reads: contains no pictures. The bottom-left cell reads: claims to be "comic". The large bottom-right cell reads, in big letters: LIES.
Alt text
A comic titled "SCIENCE ARTICLES: A GUIDE" presented as a 2x2 matrix evaluating science writing. Columns are labeled by sentence difficulty: left = "average sentence is easy to understand," right = "average sentence is hard to understand." Rows are labeled by subject difficulty: top = "subject matter is complex," bottom = "subject matter is simple." Each cell gives a verdict, color-coded. Complex subject with easy sentences (green) = GREAT WRITING. Complex subject with hard sentences (yellow) = TYPICAL WRITING. Simple subject with easy sentences (yellow) = HONEST WRITING. Simple subject with hard sentences (red) = PROBABLY JUST BULLSHIT. The joke: hard-to-read sentences are only justified by genuinely complex material; obscuring simple ideas is bullshit. Votey (aftercomic): a small hand-drawn 2x2 grid; one cell says "contains no pictures," another says "claims to be 'comic'," and a large cell reads "LIES" -- a self-deprecating jab at this very text-only/chart comic.
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.