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Science Askew

Stella Daily writes "When the cool kids make fun of the geeks, the results are often lacking in wit ('Hey, Four-Eyes!') or simply inaccurate. We've all heard the joke about the computer programmer who, when given the choice of transforming a frog into a beautiful princess with a kiss, declines, saying he has no need for a beautiful woman, 'but a talking frog is REALLY cool!'" Read on for the rest of Stella's brief review of Science Askew to find out whether insiders can do a better job. Science Askew: A Light-Hearted Look at the Scientific World author Donald E. Simanek and John C. Holden pages 310 publisher Institute of Physics Publishing rating 7 reviewer Stella Daily ISBN 0750307145 summary Geeks poking fun at themselves, with mixed success.

Whoever came up with that joke definitely doesn't know geeks, or he'd know that they most certainly do appreciate the opposite sex and that that programmer would have been all over the frog in a second. But when geeks make fun of themselves? Now that's something to see -- and Science Askew is a collection of just such humor. The jokes run the gamut from one-liner to extended essay, and almost every major branch of science is represented.

The great strength of Science Askew is that, unlike so many collections of humor about a particular group of people, these aren't just blonde jokes with "chemist" or "computer programmer" or "mathematician" substituted for the word "blonde." It's subject-specific humor -- and at its best, it's good for some serious belly laughs. (An example: "Never lend a geologist money. They consider a million years ago to be recent.") Most of the time, a specialized knowledge of a particular branch of science isn't necessary to get the jokes -- merely being a generalist geek is more than enough.

You'll find many old chestnuts gathered here, such as the "Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide!" essay, mixed in with original material by Donald Simanek and lesser-known pieces plucked from magazines. John Holden's illustrations, which range from the brilliantly funny to the incomprehensible, are sprinkled throughout.

Why does Science Askew rate only a 7? While it's nice to have so many science jokes gathered in one place, you're likely to have heard a good number of them before -- and even if you haven't, you can find them (and many more) for free here. While there is a significant amount of original and hard-to-find material, it tends to be of lesser quality than the stuff you can find on the Web. Thus, it's hard to justify the $30 price tag. Plus, as a chemist, I can't help but be miffed that there's no section for chemistry (though there are a few chemistry jokes scattered in other parts of the book). There's an entire 23-page chapter devoted to the life and times of a single fictitious scientist, so why not a chapter for the chemists?

When geeks lampoon each other, the results can be dangerously funny. Unfortunately, as Science Askew shows, the jokes can also fall flat -- but there's enough good material inside to make it worth a look.

You can purchase Science Askew from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.

139 of 380 comments (clear)

  1. Actually... by kaosrain · · Score: 4, Funny

    We've all heard the joke about the computer programmer who, when given the choice of transforming a frog into a beautiful princess with a kiss, declines, saying he has no need for a beautiful woman, 'but a talking frog is REALLY cool!'

    Actually no, I haven't.

    1. Re:Actually... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      We've all heard the joke...
      Actually no, I haven't.


      Your first mistake was assuming that you were part of we.

    2. Re:Actually... by tmark · · Score: 5, Funny

      I bet a goodly part of the audience here WOULD choose to transform the frog into a beautiful virtual anime princess.

    3. Re:Actually... by cscx · · Score: 5, Funny

      An engineering student is walking along when a fellow student arrives on a new bicycle. Impressed, he asks, "Where did you got this beautiful bicycle?"

      "Well," the second engineering student says, "A couple of days ago I was just walking along when this gorgeous blonde pulls up, hops off the bike, rips off all her clothes, and says 'take what you want'."

      The other engineering student nods and says "Good choice. The clothes probably wouldn't have fit."

      * NOTE: I'm not the quoted person(s) above :P

    4. Re:Actually... by tanveer1979 · · Score: 2
      We've all heard the joke about the computer programmer who, when given the choice of transforming a frog into a beautiful princess with a kiss, declines, saying he has no need for a beautiful woman, 'but a talking frog is REALLY cool!'

      Actually no, I haven't.

      You better sue taco for slashdotting your ears, but its good you read it before your eyes got slashdotted ;-)

      --
      My Aurora : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o91ZsGwJYyg
      FB : https://www.facebook.com/TanveersPhotography
    5. Re:Actually... by mstyne · · Score: 2, Funny

      Huh?

      --
      mstyne: real name, no gimmicks
    6. Re:Actually... by Otter · · Score: 5, Funny

      A true story:

      A guy I went to grad school with (molecular biology) was riding his bicycle to UCLA. A beautiful woman in a Porsche pulled up next to him at a light and asked him, "You look sweaty. Do you want a lift?" He said, "No, I'm almost there," came into work and told the story to his labmates, who nearly lynched him for his stupidity.

      And I'll throw in a joke:

      A physicist, a biologist and a mathematician are standing outside a building. They watch one person walk in, and two people walk out.

      The physicist says: The law of conservation of mass holds, after accounting for experimental error.

      The biologist says: Apparently they're breeding.

      The mathematician says: If one more person enters the building, it will be empty!

    7. Re:Actually... by Pathetic+Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually, it would be more logical (gasp) to use the talking frog to generate money at circus-like shows.

      For a refutation of this statement, see Jones, C., One Froggy Evening

    8. Re:Actually... by Sparks23 · · Score: 2, Informative
      • What is your experience, is geek taste in female beauty different than "normal" guy's taste? (It better be, because we will never get a chance to touch such a girl anyhow.)
      Hey, some geeks /are/ girls! And while I consider myself merely 'average,' some geek girls are fairly pretty, or even beautiful by "normal" standards. ;)
      --
      --Rachel
    9. Re:Actually... by JudgeDredd · · Score: 2, Funny

      To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

    10. Re:Actually... by Trinn · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Umm...unless you've managed to see an anime I haven't, beautiful and anime princess do not belong in the same sentence. Those legs are incredibly too long, and skinny. They have no hips and ludicrously pinched waists. Call me old fashioned but I want wide hips, big behind, thick legs to match a big chest, straightish waist, etc. Pear-shaped. Natural.

    11. Re:Actually... by sketerpot · · Score: 2
      To the engineer, the glass is (I'm just estimating here) ~25% too big.

      A good engineer leaves good slop on measurements. When the meter on you car's gas tank reads empty, it probably isn't empty yet.

    12. Re:Actually... by dillon_rinker · · Score: 2

      The NASA engineer pours out half the beer and says "Triple redundancy!"

    13. Re:Actually... by FireballFreddy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Sheesh. Way to kill a funny joke.

      You know how they say comedy is all about timing? Well, you must be underclocking.

      -FF

      --
      SQUEAK, the Death of Rats explained.
    14. Re:Actually... by perfessor+multigeek · · Score: 2

      That's because you're still busy talking to the frog.

      --
      Data is the lever, rigor the fulcrum, brains the force that drives it all.
    15. Re:Actually... by connorbd · · Score: 2

      I tend to agree with you about "exotic" looks. I'd say in general that geek standards tend to at least be higher than most, probably because the closest a lot of us get to getting any is porn.

      In my case, I've actually known a couple of women who are way above the curve as far as looks go (of course in true geek style saying that I "dated" either one is a slight stretch...), so I'm a little spoiled. /Brian

    16. Re:Actually... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 2

      Just like an engineer, isn't it?

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
  2. Might as well post a joke - by L.+VeGas · · Score: 5, Funny

    Q: How many [insert geek type here] does it take to screw in a light bulb?

    A: What are you, an idiot?

    1. Re:Might as well post a joke - by jackal! · · Score: 5, Funny
      Q: How many [insert geek type here] does it take to screw in a light bulb?

      RTFM.

      --

      Who moderates the meta-moderators?

    2. Re:Might as well post a joke - by Verteiron · · Score: 5, Funny

      A priest, a rabbi, and a minister walk into a bar.

      The bartender says, "What is this, some sort of joke?"

      --
      End of lesson. You may press the button.
    3. Re:Might as well post a joke - by bpfinn · · Score: 5, Funny

      Q: How many [insert geek type here] does it take to screw in a light bulb?

      Software Engineer: "It's a hardware problem."

    4. Re:Might as well post a joke - by tanveer1979 · · Score: 4, Funny
      Q: How many [slashdotters] does it take to screw in a light bulb?

      A: None, the bulb gets screwed as soon as it is slashdotted

      --
      My Aurora : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o91ZsGwJYyg
      FB : https://www.facebook.com/TanveersPhotography
    5. Re:Might as well post a joke - by david.given · · Score: 4, Funny
      A priest, a rabbi, and a minister walk into a bar.

      I'd have thought at least one of them would have ducked.

    6. Re:Might as well post a joke - by br0ck · · Score: 5, Funny

      If you're in the mood to laugh.. you can find some great geek humor at the QDB Top 50 and Top 50-100 IRC quotes.

      Disclaimer: Above links only intended for use by intoxicated consenting adults

    7. Re:Might as well post a joke - by psych031337 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Q: How many [insert geek type here] does it take to screw in a light bulb?

      MS coders: 0. This is a marketing job. Redefine the industrial standard to "Darkness".

      --
      +++ath0
    8. Re:Might as well post a joke - by banzai51 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ok, a dyslexic walks into a bra...

    9. Re:Might as well post a joke - by Amazing+Quantum+Man · · Score: 5, Funny

      Q: How many [insert geek type here] does it take to screw in a light bulb?

      Software Engineer: "It's a hardware problem."


      Hardware Engineer: "We'll just work around it in software."

      --
      Fascism starts when the efficiency of the government becomes more important than the rights of the people.
    10. Re:Might as well post a joke - by .sig · · Score: 2

      Hardware Engineer: "It's a software problem."

      repeat as necessary

      --
      -Space for rent
  3. Science and humor by sisukapalli1 · · Score: 3, Informative
    About scientists making jokes on other subjects using scientific/computer tools... I am extremely amused by this postmodernism generator. It may seem a little bitter though, but I find it as harmless fun.

    S

  4. Yuck, Yuck, Yuck! by bigsexyjoe · · Score: 5, Funny
    Heisenberg is driving down the autobahn. A police officer pulls him over.
    The officer says, "Excuse me, sir, do you know how fast you were going?"
    Heisenberg says, "No, but I know where I am."

    Gets better every time I hear it.

    1. Re:Yuck, Yuck, Yuck! by dark_panda · · Score: 2

      For those who don't get the joke, Heisenberg may or may not have been responsible for the Uncertainty Principle.

      J

    2. Re:Yuck, Yuck, Yuck! by CaseyB · · Score: 5, Funny
      Why did the chicken cross the Moebius strip?

      To get to the same side!

    3. Re:Yuck, Yuck, Yuck! by Ann+Coulter · · Score: 5, Funny
      This quantum quirk is better:

      schroedinbug /shroh'din-buhg/ n.

      [MIT: from the Schroedinger's Cat thought-experiment in quantum physics] A design or implementation bug in a program that doesn't manifest until someone reading source or using the program in an unusual way notices that it never should have worked, at which point the program promptly stops working for everybody until fixed. Though (like bit rot ) this sounds impossible, it happens; some programs have harbored latent schroedinbugs for years. Compare heisenbug , Bohr bug , mandelbug .

      Leeched from the Jargon Files.

    4. Re:Yuck, Yuck, Yuck! by CaseyB · · Score: 5, Funny

      Three statisticians are out hunting. A duck flies overhead. The first statistician shoots, but misses by a foot to the left. The second shoots and misses by a foot to the right. The third shouts "WE GOT HIM!".

    5. Re:Yuck, Yuck, Yuck! by GMontag · · Score: 2

      Are you the real Ann Coulter or am I just happy to see you?

  5. We're forgetting about one group of readers by tmark · · Score: 2, Funny

    Whoever came up with that joke definitely doesn't know geeks, or he'd know that they most certainly do appreciate the opposite sex and that that programmer would have been all over the frog in a second.

    What about the presumed 10% of Slashdotters who are gay ?

    Disclaimer: I'm not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that....

    1. Re:We're forgetting about one group of readers by corbettw · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Disclaimer: I'm not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that...."

      You're right, there's absolutely nothing wrong with not being gay.

      --
      God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
    2. Re:We're forgetting about one group of readers by dillon_rinker · · Score: 2

      Proof of moderators' stupidity...one guy makes a joke and is at 1. Someone else explains it and goes to 4, Funny.

  6. two strings by trybywrench · · Score: 5, Funny

    two strings walk into a bar.

    The first one says "I'll have a beer"

    The second says "Yeah, I'll have a beer tooadsfjjl45080f4[].(&$#@jhf,f324...."

    The first one replies "sorry my friend isn't null terminated"

    *badaboomski*

    --
    I came to the datacenter drunk with a fake ID, don't you want to be just like me?
    1. Re:two strings by NeuroKoan · · Score: 5, Funny

      Three strings walk into a bar. The first one goes up to the bar and orders a drink. The bar tender takes a long hard look at him and says "We don't serve your kind around here." The first string goes to sit down, a bit miffed. The second one goes up to get a drink, but since this is a joke, the same thing happens to him. Then the third string stands up, starts wiggling around sporadically, twisting and turning until he is all messed up. He then walks up to the bar and orders three drinks. The bartender says "You a'int with those pieces of string are you?" and the third piece of string says "Sorry, I'm a frayed knot."

      Ba-dum-ching

      --

      "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation."
    2. Re:two strings by MajroMax · · Score: 2
      and the third piece of string says "Sorry, I'm a frayed knot."

      And in a real feat of obscure knowledge, I'll identify this as the joke told in the SimCity 2k credits.

      --
      "Evil company X is threatening to restrict our rights! Let's all get together to stop--OOOH! SHINEY!!!" -- AC
  7. Not to be nitpicking... by PontifexPrimus · · Score: 5, Funny
    To quote:
    Whoever came up with that joke definitely doesn't know geeks, or he'd know that they most certainly do appreciate the opposite sex and that that programmer would have been all over the frog in a second.
    I personally would still prefer a human girl, but tastes may vary...
    --
    -- Language is a virus from outer space.
    1. Re:Not to be nitpicking... by Ed+Avis · · Score: 2

      I still remember the Bagpuss episode where the frog tries to woo the princess after retrieving her silver ball, but she's not too keen on the idea. Then at the end he jumps up and kisses her, she turns into a frog and they live happily ever after. At least that's how I think it went.

      --
      -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
    2. Re:Not to be nitpicking... by elmegil · · Score: 3, Interesting
      There was a good story turning the frog princess fairy tale on its head in Fantasy & Science Fiction, about a year ago (that's how far behind I am in reading them, so I actually read it very recently.

      Some research on the fsfmag website turns up "Warts and All" by Esther Friesner in the March 2001 issue. Strongly recommended.

      --
      7 November 2006: The day Americans realized corruption and incompetence weren't addressing 11 September 2001
  8. the frog joke by mattdm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Oh come on. That's *totally* a good geek joke. Of course not every geek fits the stereotype, but that doesn't mean there isn't truth to it. You've made it more negative by making the programmer say that he has no need for a girlfriend -- I've often heard it as having no *time* for one. Or that there's plenty of beautiful women in the world already. Either way, the concept of a programmer-geek not acting in the "traditional" manner here is amusing -- much better than that lame geologist joke.

    1. Re:the frog joke by hey! · · Score: 2

      Plus, you have to admit that a talking frog would be extremely cool.

      For me this joke is funny, not because it pokes fun at geeks' supposed social ineptness, but because it has a kind of shock-of-truth quality. One of the things that sets geeks apart is an interest in things that other people take for granted.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    2. Re:the frog joke by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
      > Oh come on. That's *totally* a good geek joke. Of course not every geek fits the stereotype, but that doesn't mean there isn't truth to it. You've made it more negative by making the programmer say that he has no need for a girlfriend -- I've often heard it as having no *time* for one.

      I always liked the frog joke, but my favorite in that vein is still the following "adultery koan":

      Junior Developer: "My wife's always on my case because I'm working too hard and never see her anymore, but I can't spend any time with her if we're gonna get this project done."

      Senior Developer: "I had that same problem until I found a mistress."

      Junior Developer: "What? How so? Doesn't that make it worse?"

      Senior Developer: "Not at all, Grasshopper. Every engineer should have both a wife and a mistress. That way, you can tell your wife you're with your mistress, and tell your mistress you're with your wife. Only then will you have enough time to get to the lab and work!"

      Upon hearing this, the junior developer was enlightened.

  9. Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide! by Swannie · · Score: 2, Funny
    I thought you guys would appreciate this web site regarding the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide....

    - Swannie

    --
    :q!
  10. One of my favourites... by Thornae · · Score: 5, Funny
    Seen on the Physics Dept. notice board...


    WANTED:
    Schroedinger's Cat.
    DEAD OR ALIVE.

    (This whole discussion is going to degenerate into our favourite sci/geek jokes, isn't it? Not that I'm complaining, mind...)
    --
    |>
    Here be Dragons
  11. Ah, physics jokes by AntiFreeze · · Score: 2
    Imageine a spherical horse . . .
    Well, actually, I think I've even seen that in textbooks.

    And of course, there are the three laws of thermodynamics:

    • You can't win
    • You can't break even
    • You can't quit
    --

    ---
    "Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong." --Dennis Miller

    1. Re:Ah, physics jokes by daeley · · Score: 5, Funny

      That reminds me of:

      A red sign on the door of a physics professor: 'If this sign is blue, you're going too fast.'

      --
      I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
    2. Re:Ah, physics jokes by Daniel · · Score: 2

      Even better: I have that bumper sticker.

      Daniel

      (well, mine says "if this sticker is red, you're going too fast", but close enough)

      --
      Hurry up and jump on the individualist bandwagon!
    3. Re:Ah, physics jokes by EnlightenmentFan · · Score: 2
      Go, AntiFreeze! And the postscript

      Successful philosophies claim to break one of these rules:
      1. Capitalism promises that you can win.
      2. Socialism promises that you can break even.
      3. Mysticism says you can quit the game.

      --
      Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
  12. this one I never forget.. by tanveer1979 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Law 1: A cat always lands on its feet
    Law 2: A toast always falls with buttered side down

    New Technology: Scientists have proposed that we will glue cats to unbuttered sides of toasts. By law one and 2, both will never fall and keep spinning above the ground. This buttered cat array will be used for high speed cat-but-lev trains.

    *ducks*

    --
    My Aurora : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o91ZsGwJYyg
    FB : https://www.facebook.com/TanveersPhotography
    1. Re:this one I never forget.. by hikeran · · Score: 2, Funny

      now .. if we can figure a way of generating power from these spinning cats... can you imagine how much power a beowolf cluster of these would generate???

    2. Re:this one I never forget.. by haa...jesus+christ · · Score: 2, Funny

      mmmmmm.....buttered cat toast.

    3. Re:this one I never forget.. by Skyshadow · · Score: 2

      Granted it's been a while since I was in school, but wouldn't the CatToast actually enter a superposition in which all results are equally likely until observed?

      --
      Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
    4. Re:this one I never forget.. by Doppler00 · · Score: 2

      This joke wasn't funny the first time I heard it.

  13. Re:Idea by ebbomega · · Score: 2

    Yeah, except the first 12 jokes will be "FIRST JOKE MUTHAFUKKAS!!!!" And half of them would involve

    Step 1) [Something innate]
    Step 2) ????
    Step 3) Profit!

    Not to mention a couple billion Beowulf cluster jokes and "all your base" references.

    --
    Karma: Non-Heinous
  14. Groan by digitalhermit · · Score: 5, Funny

    Many years ago, Richard Feynman and Carl Sagan were spending some time in North Carolina to attend a scientific conference. North Carolina is well known for its scenery, and as they were driving back through one of the many forests, Feynman proposed that they buy a tent and spend the night in the forest instead of at a stuffy hotel room. They found a local Outdoor World shop and bought a tent. Then they found a beautiful spot along Mile Marker 42 to pitch their tent. They had a supper of beans and Vienna Sausages then hopped in their tent to sleep.

    That night Feynman nudged Sagan.

    "Look up," he said. "What do you see?"

    "Billions and billions of stars," said Sagan.

    "Yes, yes," said Feynman. "What can you deduce from these stars?"

    "There are billions and billions of stars. If only a fraction of a percent can support life, then surely we are not alone in the Universe."

    "No, you idiot! Someone has stolen our tent!"

    1. Re:Groan by Gabey · · Score: 5, Informative

      This is a modification of what was considered (at one point, at least) the "funniest joke", only it contained Sherlock Holmes and Watson as the protagonists.

      Reference: http://www.laughlab.co.uk/press/press.html

      (The final results and the winning joke can be found at http://www.laughlab.co.uk)

  15. More jokes by GuyMannDude · · Score: 5, Funny
    Q: Why did the jetliner crash over Warsaw?
    A: There were Poles on the right half of the plane!

    Q: What is the Fourier Transform of this? (moves hand in a horizontal fashion to indicate a constand function)
    A: This! (give person The Finger to indicate the Dirac Delta function).

    A mathematician, a physicist and an industrial enginner are asked "Are all odd numbers prime?". So the mathematican goes "Let's see 1 is odd and prime, 3 is odd and prime ... okay by mathematican inducation all odd numbers are prime." The physicist is next. "1 works, 3 works, 5 does, 7 does, 9 doesn't, 11 does, 13 does ... okay that 9 is probably experimental error so, yes, all odd numbers are prime." The industrial engineer is last. "Okay 1 is odd and prime, 3 is odd and prime, 5 is odd and prime, 7 is odd and prime, 9 is odd and prime ..."

    Laugh, damn you!

    GMD

    1. Re:More jokes by targo · · Score: 2

      You forgot the last one:
      Software engineer: "1 is odd and prime, 3 is odd and prime, 3 is odd and prime, 3 is odd and prime, 3 is odd and prime ..."

    2. Re:More jokes by Mr+Guy · · Score: 2

      You are talking to computer geeks here as well. I have no problem with defining prime such that the two numbers allow for 1 and 1.

    3. Re:More jokes by CaseyB · · Score: 2

      No, a prime is any number whose only divisors are 1 and itself. Those divisors need not be distinct.

    4. Re:More jokes by dillon_rinker · · Score: 2

      you have to exclude one so that numbers will have unique prime factorizations. 6=2*3 - there's only one way to factor it into primes. If you include one, the 6=2*3=1*2*3=1*1*2*3=1*1*1*2*3, etc. There are an infinitude of factorizations. Of course, if you call one prime, you can work around this by saying that tere is only one prime factorization that does not include one.

      Now, consider that this (the uniqueness of prime factorizations) is often known as the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. There are thousands of other theorems that depend on prime numbers. It would be a lot more difficult to communicate about them if you always had to say "all prime numbers except for one." Mathematicians are as lazy as programmers (with their ls and their cp) so the clarified the definition of prime numbes.

      It completely does not matter mathematically how you define the set of prime numbers; it simply makes everything a little more straightforward. In fact, you could define 4 as prime if you were so inclined.

    5. Re:More jokes by NeuroKoan · · Score: 2

      IIRC the divisors *do* need to be distinct. Eitherway, here is a link to people smarter then me arguing about it.

      --

      "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation."
    6. Re:More jokes by dillon_rinker · · Score: 2

      I meant by analogy with defining 1 as a prime; you have to change the wording on a lot of theorems to say something like all primes (except for one). If you defined four to be prime, you'd have to modify lots of theorems to say all primes (except four). My point is that what you call a thing doesn't matter; how the numbers actually relate and operate on each other DOES matter. You can call things anything you want, and even giving them 'contradictory' names is acceptable as long as you use your naming convention consistently.

      So each prime (except four) has a single non-unit factor that is equal to itself.

  16. The cat problem.... by tanveer1979 · · Score: 2

    This is an actual incident !

    From: Johan Blixt blixt@trantor.math.kth.se
    I found this in "The Guardian." (UK)

    Disregarding the metaphysical aspects of Schrodinger's cats, (Letters,
    April 28) I must protest at the use of (possibly live) animals for
    experiments such as these. I urge readers to boycott whatever product
    this research is leading to.

    Roger Bisby, Reigate, Surrey.

    [Note - originally appeared in RHF during second quarter of 1990 - ed]

    From: "Anthony Coulter" c17gmaster@earthlink.net
    There is nothing wrong with the Schroedinger's Cat experiment! You aren't
    actually killing the cat until you measure it... When the Humane Society
    comes up and looks into your box, you can rest assured that the cat's death
    is their fault...

    --
    My Aurora : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o91ZsGwJYyg
    FB : https://www.facebook.com/TanveersPhotography
    1. Re:The cat problem.... by Hard_Code · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Funny how an as-yet-undetermined-to-be-dead-shot-cat will totally rot and stink and funk up a place though.

      --

      It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
  17. So why do machine-level programmers confuse... by CSG_SurferDude · · Score: 4, Funny

    So why do machine-level programmers confuse Christmas and Halloween?

    Because Oct 31 = Dec 25

    (Thats OCTal 31 = DECimal 25, for those who don't get it.)

  18. Just Desserts by drxenos · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I love it that the guys that were SO cool in my high school are now pumping my gas or asking if I want fries with that.

    --


    Anonymous Cowards suck.
    1. Re:Just Desserts by Nintendork · · Score: 2

      Except for the rich ones who will extend their H.S. vacation into college, then into daddy's company. That's okay though. Money and job title are not a good measure of a successful life.

  19. Jokes are OK, but don't tolerate the untolerable by LM741N · · Score: 5, Funny

    One of the coolest things I had ever seen as a kid was in middle school. One of the kids that was always being picked on, picked up one of those combo desk-chairs and smashed it over the head of one of his tormenters. No one ever teased him again. (Now that was back before the days of mandatory mininimums, Ritalin, etc, so be careful :)

  20. Joining the merry throng by Kphrak · · Score: 5, Funny

    One of my favorites, stolen from the Canonical List of Math Jokes:

    A project manager, a hardware engineer, and a programmer were in a car. Coming down a hill, a tyre got a puncture, the car went out of control, and a bad crash was only narrowly averted.

    The project manager wanted everyone to help draw up a plan of how to fix the car and carry on.

    The hardware engineer wanted to change the tyre and carry on.

    The programmer wanted to go back to the top of the hill, drive down again, and see if the problem happened again.

    --

    There's no sig like this sig anywhere near this sig, so this must be the sig.
  21. MC Hawking's crib by buzzdecafe · · Score: 4, Informative

    Lots of amusing stuff here, including Hawking MP3s.

  22. Einstein's Joke Paper by Frodo2002 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Has anyone ever read Einstein's joke paper on relativity? Basically opens like this:

    "Spend an hour with a beautiful woman and it feels like a minute. Spend a minute sitting on a hot iron and it feels like an hour - this is relativity." He then goes on to describe his experiment where he first finds a beautiful woman and spends an hour with her and indeed it feels like only a minute has passed and then describes how he sat on his wife's stove for a few seconds and how it felt like an eternity of pain...

  23. New Jersey trilogy?? by HungWeiLo · · Score: 2, Funny

    I misread the headline and thought Kevin Smith/Silent Bob is going the Bill Nye the Science Guy route...

    --
    There are a huge number of yeast infections in this county. Probably because we're downriver from the bread factory.
  24. Uncertainity principle by tanveer1979 · · Score: 2

    The Heineken Uncertainty Principle:
    You can never be sure how many beers you had last night.

    --
    My Aurora : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o91ZsGwJYyg
    FB : https://www.facebook.com/TanveersPhotography
  25. It would be cool! by DarkHelmet · · Score: 2
    'but a talking frog is REALLY cool!'

    It would! I always wondered what that frog in FROGGER would have said as he/she was getting splattered while crossing the road.

    --
    /^[A-Z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$/i
  26. OT: Did you know that... by jmichaelg · · Score: 2

    ... 1 isn't prime and 2 is?

  27. wow by tps12 · · Score: 4, Funny

    it tends to be of lesser quality than the stuff you can find on the Web

    I didn't know such a thing existed.

    --

    Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
  28. Phun with Physics by Net0ps · · Score: 3, Funny

    The chemistry/physics folks who worked with lasers at the college I attended had a large sign on their laser lab:

    CAUTION: DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT LASER WITH REMAINING EYE

  29. All Nerds think about... by karlandtanya · · Score: 4, Funny

    From "Revenge of the Nerds II"

    Girl: Are all Nerds as good as you?
    Nerd: Yes!
    Girl: Wow! Why is that?
    Nerd: Because all jocks think about is sports. All Nerds think about is sex.

    From experience, this is true.

    --
    "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick
    1. Re:All Nerds think about... by connorbd · · Score: 2

      I'm hearing Anthony Edwards saying that. Didn't see the movie, though. /Brian

  30. Science Askew 2 by nucal · · Score: 4, Funny

    When this thread is done, there will probably be enough material for a sequel.

  31. 30 Bucks !!?? by serutan · · Score: 4, Funny

    For a joke book? That's how much I paid for Wolfram's A New Kind of Science!
    .
    .
    .
    [silence... crickets chirping...]

  32. Absolute Zero Gravity by Nate+Eldredge · · Score: 2, Funny
    On a similar note, I highly recommend the book Absolute Zero Gravity, another book of science and math jokes, as well as anecdotes about famous scientists, by Betsy Devine and Joel E. Cohen. Full of some very funny jokes, and only $15 US.


    You can get it from your local bookstore or favorite online site (ISBN 0671740601).


    Here are a couple of my favorites (from memory):


    Q: What do you get when you cross a mosquito with a mountain climber?

    A: Nothing. You can't cross a vector with a scaler.


    A group of gamblers wanted to try to make horse racing pay by studying it scientifically. So they hired three teams of scientists: a team of biologists, a team of mathematicians, and a team of physicists.

    After six months, the teams were called in to give their reports. The biologists, who had spent the most money, went first. They told the gamblers, "We've solved the problem completely. We can set up a selective breeding and genetic engineering program to breed the perfect racehorse within 20 years, at a cost of only $200 million per year."

    That seemed a bit steep to the gamblers, so they called in the mathematicians, who had the longest paper. The head of the team told them, "We're happy to announce we have a complete solution to your problem. We've been able to prove that every race is won by at least one horse. In fact, we've gone further and shown uniqueness: every race is won by exactly one horse!"

    That didn't satisfy the gamblers either, and the physicists were called in. They, too, assured the gamblers that their troubles were over. "We've performed a complete physical analysis of horse racing and understand it completely. However, we've had to make a few simplifying assumptions. First, let each horse be a perfect rolling sphere..."

    1. Re:Absolute Zero Gravity by EnlightenmentFan · · Score: 2
      What a nice review--thanks! AZG is out of print, but there are used copies available from AddAll Books at prices from $6.83 (delivered) to $28.98 (ridiculously overpriced!) Seriously, this is a little paperback, published at $8--don't pay more than $15--it's free at the library.

      Betsy Devine, aka EnlightenmentFan

      p.s. No, I don't get money if you buy a copy. No, I don't know Nate Elldredge, but he has great taste in books. No, I'm not writing a book of /. jokes, and if anybody here wants to write such a book, I wish that person well. Yes, I am too a nerd (engineer/physics type), despite my gender. Yes, I am writing another book, just not one about /.

      --
      Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
  33. Re:There's one group that has it worse! by Cpt_Kirks · · Score: 2

    Well, nothing says they have to kiss the frog...

  34. Old but good light bulb jokes by wxyze · · Score: 5, Funny
    Q: How many existentialists does it take to screw in a light bulb?

    A: Two. One to screw it in, and one to recognize that the lightbulb itself symbolizes a single incandescent beacon of subjective reality inside a netherworld of endless obscurity reaching out toward a maudlin cosmos of nothingness.

    Q: How many surrealists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

    A: Fish.

    1. Re:Old but good light bulb jokes by theNeophile · · Score: 2, Funny
      Q: How many feminists does it take to screw in a light bulb?

      A: THAT'S NOT FUNNY

    2. Re:Old but good light bulb jokes by NeuroKoan · · Score: 2

      Q: How many Ani (pronounced annie) DiFranco fans does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

      A: ITS PRONOUNCED AH-NI YOU NEO-NAZI CHAUVINIST PIG

      --

      "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation."
  35. Re:Not all of us by Cpt_Kirks · · Score: 3, Funny

    Drug dealers don't count.

  36. Car Troubles by RailGunner · · Score: 5, Funny
    An Electrical Engineer, a Mechanical Engineer, and a Software Engineer are driving in the hills when the car suddenly veers off the road, down a steep incline, and into a ditch.

    The Mechanical Engineer, surveying the wreckage, says "I think the steering column may have broke, causing the wheel to turn violently to the right."
    The Electrical Engineer, disagreeing, says "No, I think there may have been a short circuit in the power assisted steering system."
    The Software Engineer, looks at the other two, and says "Well anyways, let's push the car back up the hill, on to the road, and see if it happens again."

    (Disclaimer: I am a Software Engineer with a CSE degree.)

    1. Re:Car Troubles by dillon_rinker · · Score: 2

      OMIGOSH! What just happened? The whole world went dark...(CTRL-2)...Ah, that's better.

  37. Gotta love science comics by DeadMeat+(TM) · · Score: 2
    Somewhere I've got a comic of a man sitting at a restaurant table, pointing at the menu and saying "yes, no, no, no, yes, no . . ."

    The caption reads "George Boole Ordering Lunch."

  38. geek jokes by Transient0 · · Score: 3, Funny

    self promotion(I write a comic about a scientist):

    Comic 1
    Comic 2

    I know that there's an error in the calculation in the second comic, i just haven't fixed it yet. If you spot it you win... nothing.

    oh... and here's the link to the comic's website.

    1. Re:geek jokes by j-beda · · Score: 2
      Those are pretty funny.

      I think Neptune is a bit closer than 200 light years away...

  39. Did you hear about the statistician ... by benedict · · Score: 2

    ... who drowned in a lake that was only three feet deep on average?

    --
    Ben "You have your mind on computers, it seems."
  40. while we are discussing splattered animals... by smartfart · · Score: 3, Funny
    Q. What's the last thing that passes through the mind of a fly as he strikes the windshield of a speeding car?

    A. His rear end.

    Ba-da-boom.

  41. Thanks Fortune by RainbowSix · · Score: 4, Funny

    A sociologist, a psychologist, and an engineer were discussing the
    consequences and implications of a married man having a mistress. The
    sociologist's opinion was that it is absolutely and categorically
    unforgivable for a married man to forfeit the bond of matrimony, and
    engage in such lowly and lustful pursuits.
    The psychologist's opinion was that although morally reprehensible,
    if a man MUST have a mistress to achieve his full potential as a human
    being, then -- well -- he may go ahead and choose to have a mistress,
    as long as he is considerate enough to keep this secret from his wife.
    The engineer then interjected: "I also believe that, if necessary,
    a married man is entitled to a mistress. However, I do not see why
    the affair should be concealed from the wife. On the contrary, if the
    affair is out in the open, then on Friday evenings he may tell his wife
    that he is going to see his mistress, tell his mistress that he is
    going
    to be with his wife, then go to his office and get some work done!"

    --
    --------
    It's OK to be social, just don't tell anyone about it.
  42. Reminds me of an old cartoon I saw by Dirtside · · Score: 2

    I thing it was a Ziggy strip (who knew Ziggy could be funny?), but it was a picture of him looking at a map of the "Heisenberg Science Institute"... and there's about thirty arrows, pointing all over the map, which are marked, "You may be here."

    A similar joke was a sign outside a motel in Las Vegas during a physicists' convention:

    "HEISENBERG MAY HAVE SLEPT HERE"

    --
    "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
  43. Sooooo... by wunderhorn1 · · Score: 3, Funny

    What's the difference between an introverted computer scientist and an extroverted computer scientist?

    The extroverted computer scientist looks at YOUR shoes.

    --
    Karma: Bored. (Thinking about resurrecting the "Anyone else is an imposter" joke.)
    1. Re:Sooooo... by Dynedain · · Score: 2

      trust me, this joke works much better w/ accountants:

      An extroverted accountant looks at your shoes when talking with you.

      --
      I'm out of my mind right now, but feel free to leave a message.....
  44. Re:Jokes are OK, but don't tolerate the untolerabl by jnik · · Score: 2

    I've had to do that a few times. Once was in French class when this girl was INCESSANTLY talking to me, finally just stood up, said SHUT UP! and slammed a book on her head.

    She was probably trying to hit on me but, well, I was in grade six and a geek. And people gave me a little more space after that.

    Unfortunately, these days "zero tolerance" means that you can be tormented all day long, but as soon as you push the bully out of your way you're expelled.

  45. Fun with Nuetrons!!! by LordYUK · · Score: 5, Funny

    while we're doing bad geek jokes...

    A proton, an electron, and a neutron walk into a bar. They approach the bar tender and the proton orders a drink. The bartender asks him for a buck. The electron steps up and orders the same drink, again the bartender asks him for a buck. Finally, the neutron walks up, orders and the same drink, and the bartender merely hands it to him stating "For you, no charge"!

    *bada ba boom!*

    =)

    --
    This is my sig. Its pathetic.
  46. It's a question of limits by (void*) · · Score: 2
    The Web, although large, is not infinite. So it has an infimum. As we all know, the infimum need not be a minimum.


    (It's not entirely technically correct, but that's not the point of the joke.)

  47. Mnemonics by Plutor · · Score: 5, Funny

    My wife was looking up mnemonics for memorizing medical terms the other day, and found this gem:

    Columbus sailed the ocean blue
    In Fourteen-hundred and ninety-two
    Divide that son-of-a-bitch by two
    And that's how many watts are in a horsepower.

  48. Truth is rarer than fiction by buckeyeguy · · Score: 3, Funny
    Not too much real-life humor comes up, vs. the plethora of geek jokes that are out there. One story that came to mind was told by one of my Astronomy teachers in college... had to look it up on Google to remember the details, but it ran something like this:

    "Shortly after the discovery of the huge Tharsis volcanoes on Mars, various names were proposed for them. Someone ([Carl] Sagan discreetly described him as "a European savant") suggested that the mountains should be named after various Roman deities - there would be a Mons Martis, a Mons Jovis ... and a Mons Veneris. Planetary scientists seem to lead very sheltered lives - it fell to Sagan to point out that "mons veneris" is a phrase already used to designate a well-loved portion of the female anatomy, and that it could only induce sniggering at the back of the class if the same name were given to a 20-kilometre-high volcano." (snippet from this page.)

    Any other good real-life science humor out there?

    --
    I'd have a personalized plate on my car, but "toxic bachelor" won't fit into 7 letters.
  49. Science Humor - Annals of Improbable Research by caesar-auf-nihil · · Score: 2

    I suspect many here may already know of this "scientific journal" but for those who don't, and would enjoy scientific humor, I would stronly suggest you either get a subscription to, or at least check out the Annals of Improbable Research (AIR)
    www.improbable.com

    It is "THE Journal of Record for Inflated Research and Personalities" This journal is also the sponsor for the IgNobel awards.

    If you get a chance, read the article "Electron Band Structure in Germanium, My Ass" by Lucas Kovar, in the May/June 2001 Issue (Vol. VII, No. 3)
    By far, the best in scientific humor I have ever read, and the best part is that most of the really funny stuff is based on REAL research actually done by a researcher.

    --
    -When going for broke, go for Ithaca!
  50. A comp-sci joke by spitzak · · Score: 2
    How does a person cross a road?

    First he looks both ways to check if any cars are coming.

    How does a computer programmer cross a road?

    First he looks to check if there is a road.

    1. Re:A comp-sci joke by captaineo · · Score: 2

      Or he assumes a road is there, closes his eyes, and then steps off a cliff.

  51. On the gold course by JudgeDredd · · Score: 5, Funny

    A pastor, a doctor and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. The engineer fumed, "What's with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15 minutes!"

    The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such ineptitude!

    "The pastor said, "Hey, here comes the greenskeeper. Let's have a word with him." [dramatic pause]

    "Hi George. Say, what's with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't! they?"

    The greenskeeper replied, "Oh, yes, that's a group of blind firefighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime."

    The group was silent for a moment.

    The pastor said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight."

    The doctor said, "Good idea. And I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist buddy and see if there's anything he can do for them."

    The engineer said, "Why can't these guys play at night?"

  52. Human Body by JudgeDredd · · Score: 4, Funny

    Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body. One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints,"

    Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections."

    The last said, "Actually it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"

  53. Looking for an electron joke... by meridoc · · Score: 3, Funny

    A family of atoms is walking down the street and the little baby atom runs up to his parents and says, "Momma! Momma! I think I lost an electron!" and the Momma atom says, "Are you sure?" and the baby atom says, "Yes, I'm positive!"

    A neutron walks into a bar and orders a drink. The bartender plunks the mug down in front of the neutron. The neutron asks the bartender how much he owes, but the bartender says, "For you, no charge."

    --
    "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." -- Albert Einstein
  54. Re:Not all of us by L.+VeGas · · Score: 3, Funny

    True story:
    Some years ago when I was working for a toxicology laboratory, I happened to run into an old high school acquaintance.

    Him: So what do you do now?
    Me: I test drugs.
    [pause]
    Him: Cool. So, do they just like give them to you?

  55. Re:Humour.. by Discoflamingo13 · · Score: 2

    I think it was Mel Brooks who said: "Tragedy is when I prick my finger. Comedy is when you fall in a manhole and die."

  56. koan -> doctoer/lawyer/mathematician by lysander · · Score: 2, Funny
    Actually, I prefer the joke in this form. Cut out then zen and instead annoy doctors and especially lawyers.
    A doctor, a lawyer, and a mathematician were discussing the relative merits of having a wife or a mistress.

    The lawyer says: "For sure a mistress is better. If you have a wife and want a divorce, it causes all sorts of legal problems."

    The doctor says: "It's better to have a wife because the sense of security lowers your stress and is good for your health."

    The mathematician says: "You're both wrong. It's best to have both, so that when the wife thinks you're with the mistress and the mistress thinks you're with your wife --- you can do some mathematics."

    Tresi
    --
    GET YOUR WEAPONS READY! --DR.LIGHT
  57. Best Lightbulb joke by sielwolf · · Score: 2

    Q: "How many PhD's does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"

    P: "Two. One to screw it in, the other to pull the chair out from under him."

    That's about as clean as I get. I usually take to more *ahem* cynical jokes (ex: "What do you say to a woman with two black eyes?").

    --
    What is music when you despise all sound?
  58. Nope, you wouldn't get energy out by smcv · · Score: 2

    now .. if we can figure a way of generating power from these spinning cats...

    According to the laws of thermodynamics, that can't happen (perpetual motion and all that).

    (The reason for this, of course, is that the buttered-toast effect is stronger on an expensive carpet; as the carpet gets covered in cat hair and toast crumbs, its value decreases until the buttered side of the toast isn't attracted enough. So you have to put energy in by cleaning the carpet, so there is no net energy gain :-)

  59. Extended version by Cryogenes · · Score: 2

    1o people get on a bus, at the next station, 11 get off.

    The theologist: A miracle! A miracle!
    The biologist: They're breeding
    The theoretical physicist: One must have tunnelled in.
    The experimental physicist: 10% tolerance is ok
    The mathematician: One must go in to make it empty

  60. Another Attempt at Humour by RembrandtX · · Score: 2

    A Mathametician, An Engineer, and A Physicist were all kidnapped by aliens.

    On the Alien's Science Ship , they were all placed at one end of a 1,000 foot hallway, with the sexiest nude human woman they had ever seen located at the opposite end of the hall.

    A gutteral alien voice came over a hidden intercom and explained to them .. that upon hearing a chime - they would be allowed to move 1/2 the distance to the female, and every chime after that they would be allowed to move 1/2 the remaining distance. When they reached her, they were allowed to do what came naturally.

    The mathamatician and the Physicsit were locked into a heated discussion when the first gong shouted. The Engineer was off like a SHOT. After about the 3rd chime - The mathamatician shouted down the hall to the Engineer:

    "Hey ! We determined that if you move only 1/2 the remaining distance every chime, you will never actually reach the girl."

    To which the Engineer responded "So what ??! , in another 10 minutes i'll be close enough for practicle purposes."

    *ba-rump-bum*

    --

    --Ne auderis delere orbem rigidum meum, non erravi pernicose!
  61. Fireman by Chris+Y+Taylor · · Score: 2

    A doctor, a priest, and an engineer were playing golf together. The foursome ahead of them was taking forever to play. They would hit the balls in all directions, and wander around randomly to find them. Finally the greenskeeper drives by in a cart and the three complain about the delay the foursome is causing. The greenskeeper explains that those four people are blind firefighters. Years ago there was a terrible fire at the course's clubhouse. These four firemen had responded to the fire and helped rescue a lot of people, but were burned badly and blinded in the proccess. Out of gratitude the golf course allowed them to play whenever they wanted, even though it was an inconvinience for the other players. The doctor was very moved by this, and said "I have a co-worker who is a great opthamologist, I will see if there is anything he can do to help restore these poor firefighter's sight." The minister, empathetic to the firefighter's plight, said that he would ask his congregation to pray for the firefighter's recover. The engineer thought for a moment and asked, "Why don't they just play at night?"

  62. Some of my favorites, short ones only... by EnlightenmentFan · · Score: 2
    ...(copied from AZG)

    FIRST LAW OF COMPUTER SANITY (FORMULATED BY VON NEUMANN0
    "In a day consisting of 24 hours, it is desirable that any computer should require less than 24 hours of maintenance."

    COMPUTER START-UP COMPANIES FROM HELL
    Did you hear about the computer start-up in Idaho that went nowhere faster than most? Seems they based their hardware on a potato chip.
    How about the start-up over in Texas? Their selling point: in the whole world, you won't find a bigger microcomputer!"

    SIGN OF THE TIMES (ON THE DOOR OF A CHEMICAL STOCKROOM)
    Please do not smoke.
    If you must smoke, please exit as quickly as possible
    through the large hole that will appear in the roof.

    --
    Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
  63. Re:Jokes are OK, but don't tolerate the untolerabl by dillon_rinker · · Score: 2

    In these days of zero tolerance I can get a kid suspended for teasing my kid.

    P.S. I salute your user number.

  64. Geek Horse Racing Joke by Inexile2002 · · Score: 2

    A physicist, a mathematician and a statistician all go to the horse races, each assuring the other that they have an infallible system to pick the winners.

    They agree to meet at the end of the day to share their stories of victories.

    At the end of the day they meet in a pub to talk. The mathematician laments, "I had it all perfectly worked out. I had devised a calculation that factored in horse muscle mass, jocky wieght, turf consistency on the track and a dozen other variables. It was perfect and yet I didn't even win above chance."

    The statistician nods, "I did an analysis of every horse, jocky, weather condition track rating and previous race and was sure I had the winning formula and still won at chance."

    The physistist smiles, pulls out a HUGE role of bills and peels a few off. "I guess drinks are on me tonight."

    The other two look at the money and one demands, "What's your system?"

    The physisists pulls out a pen and paper and starts, "First, I assume that all horses are identical and spherical..."

  65. Re:Jokes are OK, but don't tolerate the untolerabl by MikeFM · · Score: 2

    No violence is needed. Just be really weird and people will fear you especially if you're a lot smarter than they are. I burned all my hair and facial hair off in an explosion early on in highschool and had ashes falling off my head for months afterwards.. That went a long way. Also would peel my own skin off and eat it in class. That really disturbed the teachers.

    Also about 10th grade I suddenly grew a foot and a half (to be 6'6 and about 250lbs) and was suddenly gone from the smallest guy in highschool to the tallest. Made quite a few of those people that picked on me very nervous. ;)

    --
    At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
  66. A different car joke: by Mac+Degger · · Score: 2

    Three engineer are in a car which breaks down, smoke streaming out of the front. They all get out, look at it and start discussing the problem.

    The mechanical engineer says: "it's the engine, we'll have to look at that!"

    The electrical engineer says: "No, no, no; it's the wiring! Either that or the sparkplugs!"

    The MSCE chimes in: "What's the problem? We'll just get back in, close all the windows, restart the engine and we'll be off again!".

    And then there's the ancient art of maximizing efficiency:

    We have all been to those meetings where someone wants over 100%. How about
    achieving 103%? Here's a little math that might prove helpful.
    What makes life 100%?

    If:
    A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

    is represented as:

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

    Then:

    H A R D W O R K
    8 1 18 4 23 15 18 11 = 98%

    K N O W L E D G E
    11 14 15 23 12 5 4 7 5 = 96%

    But,

    A T T I T U D E
    1 20 20 9 20 21 4 5 = 100%

    And,

    B U L L S H I T
    2 21 12 12 19 8 9 20 = 103%

    So, it stands to reason that hard work and knowledge will get you close,
    attitude will get you there, and bullshit will put you over the top.

    But, look how far ass kissing will take you.

    A S S K I S S I N G
    1 19 19 11 9 19 19 9 14 7 = 118%

    --
    -- Waht? Tehr's a preveiw buottn?
  67. That's the best joke... by codexus · · Score: 2

    ...I've heard in years. But if I try to tell it to people I know they'll just stare at me with "those eyes" (if you're a geek you probably know what that means).

    --
    True warriors use the Klingon Google
  68. psych expirement by djdead · · Score: 3, Funny

    a group of psychologist are running an expirement. the place the subject in a room with a sink, a bucket and a garbage can with a fire in it.

    They start with an engineer. The engineer grabs the bucket, runs to the sink, fills it with water and throw it on the fire which promptly goes out.

    Next up was a physicist. The physicist whips out his slide rule, does some quick calculations, take the bucket over to the sink, fills it and throws it on the fire. The fire goes out exponentially.

    Then they let an applied mathematician try it. The Amath guy fills bucket, sets it down next to the fire and leaves. Astonished, the psychologists ask why he didn't put the fire out. The Amath guy repplied that he had reduced it to an already solved problem.

    Last up was a mathematician. The mathematician looked at the fire. Then he walked over and looked at the bucket. Then he walked over to the sink, looked at it, and nodded. He then left the room. The psychologists were completely baffeled by this and asked the mathematician about his behavior. "Simple," he replied. "I just proved that a solution existed."

    --
    -1: flamebait should really be -1: inciteful
  69. Put out the fire by El+Volio · · Score: 3, Funny

    A psychologist went out to eat with an engineer and a mathematician. The three sat next to a window and ordered several waters. The psychologist then took out a lighter, set a napkin on fire, then placed the napkin on the floor. He asked the engineer to put out the fire. The engineer quickly picked up his water from the table and doused the fire. Undeterred, the psychologist lit a second napkin on fire and asked the mathematician to put out the fire. The mathematician moved his water from the windowsill to the table and replied, "It is now reduced to a previously solved problem."

    --

    "You can never have too many elephants on your team."

  70. Not all nerd sex jokes... by EnlightenmentFan · · Score: 4, Funny
    ...are nerds-not-getting-laid jokes. Here's one of my favorites.

    A man boards an airplane and takes his seat. As he settles in, he glances up and sees the most beautiful woman boarding the plane. He soon realizes that she is headed straight toward his seat. A wave of nervous anticipation sweeps over him.

    Lo and behold, she takes the seat right beside his. Anxious to strike up a conversation, he blurts out, "So where are you flying to today?" She turns and smiles and says, "I'm giving a talk to the Sexual Freedom League."

    Whoa! He swallows hard--here's the most gorgeous woman he's ever seen, sitting right next to him, and she's talking about sex! Struggling to maintain his outward cool, he calmly asks, "And what's your talk about?" She looks into his eyes, and says, "I plan to debunk some of the popular myths about sexuality."

    "Really," he says, swallowing hard, again. "And what myths are those?" She explains: "Well, one popular myth is that African American men are the most well-endowed. In my experience, the Native American is the most likely to possess this trait. Another popular myth is that Frenchmen are the best lovers. I have found, instead that men of Jewish descent make the very best lovers, on average."

    "Very interesting," the man responds. Suddenly, the woman looks embarrassed and starts to blush. "I'm sorry," she says, "I feel awkward discussing this with you--why, I don't even know your name." The man extends his hand and replies, "It's Tonto. Tonto Goldstein."

    --
    Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
  71. imaginary scientist by danny · · Score: 2
    Who is the imaginary scientist who gets 30 pages? Is it by any chance Isidore Nabi?

    Danny.

    --
    I have written over 900 book reviews
  72. Sucks to be you. by RatBastard · · Score: 2

    Oh, not only redundant, but wrong! Boxing Day is Dec 26, not Dec 25.

    Sad. So sad.

    --
    Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
  73. Obligatory binary types of people by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 2

    There are 10 types of people in the world.
    Those that can count in binary and those that can't.
    - Unknown

  74. Nerd humor, Tom Lehrer by EnlightenmentFan · · Score: 2

    The irreverent songs of Tom Lehrer, then a young math instructor, were big hits with nerds in the 60s/70s. Some cool modern Flash-guru recently created an animation of Tom Lehrer's song "The Elements."

    --
    Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
  75. Oldie but ... by HalfFlat · · Score: 2

    A topologist walks into a bar and orders a drink. The bartender, being a number theorist, says, "I'm sorry, but we don't serve topologists here."

    The disgruntled topologist walks outside, but then gets an idea and performs Dahn surgery upon herself. She walks into the bar, and the bartender, who does not recognize her since she is now a different manifold, serves her a drink. However, the bartender thinks she looks familiar, or at least locally similar, and asks, "Aren't you that topologist that just came in here?"

    To which she responds, "No, I'm a frayed knot."

  76. Re:Jokes are OK, but don't tolerate the untolerabl by kasparov · · Score: 2

    I have actually done a similar thing. In 7th grade, a bully sat behind me in my Life Sciences class. He continually kept flipping me in the ear and generally being a jerk. One day, the teacher left the room. I just stood up, turned around, grabbed the front of his desk (those great integrated chair/desks), and pulled up on it as hard and fast as I could. The entire class cheered as he lay sprawled on the floor with a desk on top of him... God, that was a good day. :-)

    --
    There's no place I can be, since I found Serenity.