Comics about mathematics, science, and the student life.

Expert Opinion

Person is reading a book and thinks the author is quite insightful. Later, a friend asks if the author has some interesting insights in their own field, and the person exclaims that the "expert" is an idiot.

“And I thought they were insightful!”

04 Jan 2019

Commutative Line

A woman cuts in line (to the anger of another customer), but she promptly informs them of the sign that says "Commutative Line".

I think we get too comfortable with commutativity in our early mathematical education.

02 Jan 2019

Technological Advancements

First panel: mathematician comes up with a result that no one cares about. Second panel: physicist realizes that this obscure result can apply to the real world. Third panel: physicist pesters an engineer until they cave to build it.

“Engineering doesn’t quite work like that…”

“Yes it does! Your job is to build my crazy ideas, and maybe get some credit for it later. Don’t you want that?”

31 Dec 2018

The Benefit of Tutoring

A student wonders how their tutor knows everything, and the tutor replies that it's a result of getting a bunch of things wrong themselves when they were in a similar position.

Helping others makes it all worth it.

28 Dec 2018

Lab Experiments

Two physics students are initially excited about their lab, but they soon realize that it's mostly tedious work.

Anyone who has taken lab classes with me will relate.

26 Dec 2018

Academic Wishlist

A wishlist that a student wants to receive for the holidays.

I think the probability of any of these happening is the limit of 1/n as n goes to infinity.

24 Dec 2018

Scheming

Professors plot their upcoming assignments in order to make the lives of the students more difficult.

I just love when I have a whole week of nothing (in which I could have done work!) and then this happens.

21 Dec 2018

Overconfidence

Physics researcher talks to some other scientists, and acts like they can figure out all of the other researchers' subjects without trouble.

I wince when I look back over this one. Hits very close to home.

19 Dec 2018

To Read

Student thinks they are going to read a bunch of science books, but ends up just having them in a pile.

After a while, it becomes painful to look at them and be reminded of the number of books I have to read.

17 Dec 2018

Academic Treadmill

Student is running on a treadmill with repeating items like "Test", "Assignment", "Study", and "Review".

It’s the end of the semester, so you’ve earned a small break before you hop back on!

14 Dec 2018