#55 – Canned
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 12:00 am by Chris
Chapter: Comic
Please stay on the designated paths. We don’t need you leaving any footprints in the mud. Do not taunt the plants, they will fight back. The raptors will not play fetch. Please stop spreading false information.
Tags: dinosaurs, litter bug, time travel
But it’s the only way to truly test those pesky theories on just how long it takes certain types of garbage to break down.
Yes I know that they are actually hypotheses, but for some dumb reason conversational English replaces the word hypothesis with theory.
Hypothesis: Educated guess.
Theory: Hypothesis that has been rigorously tested, with all (or at least a majority of) evidence so far pointing to it being true, but still lacking enough conclusive evidence to be considered irrefutably true.
Law: A hypothesis that has been so rigorously tested, and with all evidence so conclusive, that its being true is irrefutable.
With this in mind, we can now see that the pseudo-scientific phrase constantly thrown about in various media outlets: “Well, it works in THEORY but WE HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY TESTED it.” is an oxymoron, and should go “Well, we HYPOTHESIZE that it will work, but we have never actually tested it.” Unfortunately, as stated above, in conversational English, the first phrase is the one that sounds “correct”, and the second one, despite being actually correct, comes off as sounding “wrong” and “just plane stupid.”
Sorry to divert from the original subject at hand, but this is a major pet peeve of mine. (Both hearing the wrong term used constantly, and having the whole “If I use the right term it will make me sound like an idiot, but to not sound like an idiot I have to use the wrong term.” contradiction going on in my head anytime I have something to say on the subject.)
And lastly, “It will take (millions/billions/trillions/quadrillions/quintillion/hectillions/sextillions/septillions/octillions/nonillions/decillions/undecillions/duodecillions/tredecillions/quattuordecillions/quindecillions/sexdecillions/septdecillions/octodecillions/novendecillions/vigintillions/centillions) of years in a landfill.” is just a trendy catch phrase based on conjecture that has not been adequately studied, and as soda cans and other litter consisting of man made materials have not been around for “(millions/billions/trillions/quadrillions/quintillion/hectillions/sextillions/septillions/octillions/nonillions/decillions/undecillions/duodecillions/tredecillions/quattuordecillions/quindecillions/sexdecillions/septdecillions/octodecillions/novendecillions/vigintillions/centillions) of years” just yet, they cannot be. Hence my original comment.
Is that the sound of thunder I hear?
One of my favourite high school reads.
Still read it every once in a while.
I read that story and a few years later someone made a movie. I watched it all and it wasn’t until the end that i realized I already knew what was going on, or at least i should have….
I liked Homer’s “Eh, close enough” version of the story as well. I don’t smush butterflies, just in case.
Silly Biff…
i am currently getting trained as an archeologist. Every now and then among the students someone will inevitably come up with some way to mess with future archeologists, usually by having something weird placed in their grave (no longer in use technology, clothing in a weird place or the occasional dinosaur bone in your grave, just to name a few examples). Also I reckon that future archeologists will still explain most things they cannot make sense of as ”ritual”. Hurray proffesional enthusiasm…