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Geologists Angry About New 'Pluton' Definition

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the what's-in-a-name dept.

An anonymous reader writes "According to a story over at Nature, some geologists are ticked off at the International Astronomical Union for using the word 'pluton' to describe a round object orbiting the sun with a period more than 200 years. A pluton, it seems, is a common type of rock formation that exists in most Geology 101 curricula. IAU head Owen Gingerich is quoted as saying that he was only peripherally aware of the definition, and because it didn't show up on MS Word's spell check, he didn't think it was that important."

9 of 390 comments (clear)

  1. Wow, that's an interesting take... by snowgirl · · Score: 5, Funny

    IAU head Owen Gingerich is quoted as saying that he was only peripherally aware of the definition, and because it didn't show up on MS Word's spell check, he didn't think it was that important.

    In other news, the US Congress voted not to move to Linux, after Senator Binghaman discovered that MS Word's spell checker doesn't recognize it.

    --
    WARNING! This girl exceeds the MAXIMUM SAFE standards established by the FDA for BRATTINESS
  2. obvious solution by casehardened · · Score: 5, Funny

    Today, the UFC brings you: Scientist Cage Match! My money's on the geologists. Despite their tendencies towards excessive beer consumption, at least they run around outdoors occasionally.

  3. Suggested replacements... by Russ+Steffen · · Score: 5, Funny

    Plutrino
    Plutonite
    Mini-Pluto
    iPluto Nano

    1. Re:Suggested replacements... by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 5, Funny

      pluton27 pluton234 pluton342 pluton542 pluton654 pluton8234

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      Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
  4. Re:say what now? by kfg · · Score: 5, Funny

    . . . does it actually merit a new word?

    Yes, yes it does. Precision of technical terms is always desirable, so the trick is to find one that no one else is already using.

    I suggest we look for some distinctive feature of Pluto and form the new word around that. Lesseeeeeee, it' been variously suggested that it's either an ex-moon of Neptune, or an ex-Kuiper belt object, so I suggest:

    Exxon.

    That one should be safe. I can' imagine anyone else wanting such an obviosly made up; and utterly stupid, word.

    KFG

  5. Re:Perhaps next time by Tatarize · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe the geologists shouldn't name shit associated with Roman Gods. The damned astronomers called dibs years ago!

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    It is no longer uncommon to be uncommon.
  6. Re:BFD. That's what those numbers are for... by Tatarize · · Score: 5, Funny

    It still will cause problems.

    Because of their distance from the Sun (and lack of magma), plutons typically lack plutons. So a pluton such as Pluto and its pluton Charon, would both likely be devoid of any plutons.

    --

    It is no longer uncommon to be uncommon.
  7. You mean? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    joule: (n) a gemstone, such as amber, from which energy can be generated

    candella: (n) a scented candle, usually used to illuminate bubble baths

    angstrom: (n) a digital write-once medium for storing memories of fear and anxiety

  8. Re:I'm sort of embarrased by lxs · · Score: 5, Funny

    As a burglar, I'm furious of geology's use of the word "intrusion".

    For what it's worth, as a mathematician, I'm furious at the use of the word "matrix" by geologists, "integration" by sociologists, "differentiation" by biologists, the use of the word "domain" by web users, and the use of the verb "to commute" by ordinary people stuck in traffic.

    Then again, I'd better watch out for those geologists, they walk around with pointy hammers in their pocket.