Comics about mathematics, science, and the student life.

Information Telephone

A lineup of people are transmitting a piece of scientific news. As it passes from the researcher to the university committee to the science journalist to the media organization to the social media influencer to the news anchor to a family member, the message can't help but get garbled.

The best is when it comes full circle and I get back “noisy” news.

31 Jul 2019

Labels

In the first panel, a student is unsure if their supervisor is actually invested in their research. In the second panel, he explains that his supervisor has given labels to the equations as "ThatOneINeverUnderstood".

You can tell a lot about a person by how they label their equation in LaTeX.

29 Jul 2019

Filter

In the first panel, the physics professor tells the class that they won't be studying the real world, and instead will live in the land of approximation. The professor lists off a bunch of handwaving that will be done, and this makes the math student in the class get up and leave.

Becoming better in physics means getting used to the fact that you’re only ever approximating reality. That’s the price to use those shiny mathematical tools we know and love.

26 Jul 2019

Existence

In the first panel, a mathematician shows their friend what they think is a treasure map. The friend confirms that it is a map, and wants to go find it. The mathematician just shakes their head and says they are satisfied with knowing it exists.

“I bet you’re one of those people who enjoy being the “team player” instead of getting to be the star, huh?”

24 Jul 2019

Overgeneralizing

A student keeps on ramping up the generality of the problem until it gets away from the point.

I’ve been known to do this, and I have yet to impress anyone by it.

22 Jul 2019

Sudden Free Time

A student forgets that they need to be studying during the week before exams, not lounging around.

When the semester ends, it’s like an abrupt switch in pace. I don’t think I would forget about an upcoming test (I would be stressed out), but I know there are many who would be a bit too care-free.

19 Jul 2019

Incorrectly Correct

A student makes a mistake while simplifying sin(x) = sin(2) by "cancelling" the "sin".

If you don’t handle this well, students will start thinking there’s a conspiracy against them.

17 Jul 2019

Maturity of Field

A graph depicting when it is the optimal time for a student to enter a field. The optimal point occurs when the number of textbooks is low and the potential for contributions is high.

As soon as that textbook market saturates, you’re toast.

15 Jul 2019

Search History

A search history for a physics student, including a lot of trigonometric identities and electromagnetism textbook answers.

Sooner or later, I’ll probably commit those identities to memory.

12 Jul 2019

Field Horizon

After a certain number of years, the speed at which the "edge" of a field recedes from view exceeds the speed at which a student can catch up.

Maybe then we will start dropping students into the middle of a field without making them learn all of the history.

10 Jul 2019