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In summary: Usually it's been commentated as being 'real'. Actually the joke dates back to the 30's and whether it's real or not cannot be said anymore.
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Baluncore
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This reminds me that; all the really big mistakes we make in life, are made in the very short period between the first and second childhoods.
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Klystron
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Klystron invited Magnetron to a party but lost track of time.
K: Sorry, Maggie. I'm Oh so late. Time just drifts.
M: No, K. I oscillate. You are just a big TWiT.
[Explanation for mathematicians: both devices are radio frequency oscillators. Klystrons, also called traveling wave tubes, utilize electron drift in 'bunches' while cavity magnetrons rely on cycloid rotation of electrons in transverse magnetic field... (@WWGD falls asleep).
K: Sorry, Maggie. I'm Oh so late. Time just drifts.
M: No, K. I oscillate. You are just a big TWiT.
[Explanation for mathematicians: both devices are radio frequency oscillators. Klystrons, also called traveling wave tubes, utilize electron drift in 'bunches' while cavity magnetrons rely on cycloid rotation of electrons in transverse magnetic field... (@WWGD falls asleep).
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pinball1970
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That deserves some sort of mention. For geek factor at the very least.Klystron said:Klystron invited Magnetron to a party but lost track of time.
K: Sorry, Maggie. I'm Oh so late. Time just drifts.
M: No, K. I oscillate. You are just a big TWiT.
[Explanation for mathematicians: both devices are radio frequency oscillators. Klystrons, also called traveling wave tubes, utilize electron drift in 'bunches' while cavity magnetrons rely on cycloid rotation of electrons in transverse magnetic field... (@WWGD falls asleep).
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BillTre
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I like the "with ease" part.
Last edited:
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gmax137
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BillTre said:
Look at the telephone, when was this, ~1910? Now you know where Buck Henry got the idea for his Cone of Silence.
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I wonder how he could possibly hear the telephone ring if outside noises are "eliminated".gmax137 said:
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Baluncore
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More info on the anti-distraction helmet, invented in 1925, here...
https://www.boredpanda.com/anti-dis...oogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
https://www.boredpanda.com/anti-dis...oogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
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pinball1970
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Its great I want one for the office.BillTre said:
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Klystron
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Good catch, as they say in baseball. Gernsbach reputedly introduced his favorite writers, rocketmen, and tinkerers to the joyful bliss of hashish among other ethereal substances.Baluncore said:
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Jodo
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A machinist buys a used ferris wheel off eBay. He is in the process of disassembling the wheel. For every part he takes off, he then machines a duplicate part from aluminum.
A friend comes along and asks what he is doing.
He replies once finished he will have both a "ferris wheel" and a "non-ferrous wheel".
A friend comes along and asks what he is doing.
He replies once finished he will have both a "ferris wheel" and a "non-ferrous wheel".
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Jodo
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Jodo
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thegoldbering
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Baluncore said:
I'll counterfeit the bejesus out of this product! xD
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thegoldbering
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"that crowbar" OMG it made me laugh so hard xD!Hamiltonian said:
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I suspect this has been posted on PF before. I know I've heard it before but a friend just sent it to me. Don't know if it's a true story or apocryphal but it's worth repeating in either case.The following concerns a question in a physics degree exam at the University of Copenhagen:
"Describe how to determine the height of a skyscraper with a barometer."
One student replied:
"You tie a long piece of string to the neck of the barometer, then lower the barometer from the roof of the skyscraper to the ground. The length of the string plus the length of the barometer will equal the height of the building."
This highly original answer so incensed the examiner that the student was failed. The student appealed on the grounds that his answer was indisputably correct, and the university appointed an independent arbiter to decide the case. The arbiter judged that the answer was indeed correct, but did not display any noticeable knowledge of physics. To resolve the problem it was decided to call the student in and allow him six minutes in which to provide a verbal answer which showed at least a minimal familiarity with the basic principles of physics.
For five minutes the student sat in silence, forehead creased in thought. The arbiter reminded him that time was running out, to which the student replied that he had several extremely relevant answers, but couldn't make up his mind which to use.
On being advised to hurry up the student replied as follows:
"Firstly, you could take the barometer up to the roof of the skyscraper, drop it over the edge, and measure the time it takes to reach the ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the formula H = 0.5g x t squared. But bad luck on the barometer."
"Or if the sun is shining you could measure the height of the barometer, then set it on end and measure the length of its shadow. Then you measure the length of the skyscraper's shadow, and thereafter it is a simple matter of proportional arithmetic to work out the height of the skyscraper."
"But if you wanted to be highly scientific about it, you could tie a short piece of string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum, first at ground level and then on the roof of the skyscraper. The height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring force T = 2 pi sqroot (l / g)."
"Or if the skyscraper has an outside emergency staircase, it would be easier to walk up it and mark off the height of the skyscraper in barometer lengths, then add them up."
"If you merely wanted to be boring and orthodox about it, of course, you could use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof of the skyscraper and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars into feet to give the height of the building."
"But since we are constantly being exhorted to exercise independence of mind and apply scientific methods, undoubtedly the best way would be to knock on the janitor's door and say to him 'If you would like a nice new barometer, I will give you this one if you tell me the height of this skyscraper'."
The student was Niels Bohr, the only person from Denmark to win the Nobel prize for Physics.
"Describe how to determine the height of a skyscraper with a barometer."
One student replied:
"You tie a long piece of string to the neck of the barometer, then lower the barometer from the roof of the skyscraper to the ground. The length of the string plus the length of the barometer will equal the height of the building."
This highly original answer so incensed the examiner that the student was failed. The student appealed on the grounds that his answer was indisputably correct, and the university appointed an independent arbiter to decide the case. The arbiter judged that the answer was indeed correct, but did not display any noticeable knowledge of physics. To resolve the problem it was decided to call the student in and allow him six minutes in which to provide a verbal answer which showed at least a minimal familiarity with the basic principles of physics.
For five minutes the student sat in silence, forehead creased in thought. The arbiter reminded him that time was running out, to which the student replied that he had several extremely relevant answers, but couldn't make up his mind which to use.
On being advised to hurry up the student replied as follows:
"Firstly, you could take the barometer up to the roof of the skyscraper, drop it over the edge, and measure the time it takes to reach the ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the formula H = 0.5g x t squared. But bad luck on the barometer."
"Or if the sun is shining you could measure the height of the barometer, then set it on end and measure the length of its shadow. Then you measure the length of the skyscraper's shadow, and thereafter it is a simple matter of proportional arithmetic to work out the height of the skyscraper."
"But if you wanted to be highly scientific about it, you could tie a short piece of string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum, first at ground level and then on the roof of the skyscraper. The height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring force T = 2 pi sqroot (l / g)."
"Or if the skyscraper has an outside emergency staircase, it would be easier to walk up it and mark off the height of the skyscraper in barometer lengths, then add them up."
"If you merely wanted to be boring and orthodox about it, of course, you could use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof of the skyscraper and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars into feet to give the height of the building."
"But since we are constantly being exhorted to exercise independence of mind and apply scientific methods, undoubtedly the best way would be to knock on the janitor's door and say to him 'If you would like a nice new barometer, I will give you this one if you tell me the height of this skyscraper'."
The student was Niels Bohr, the only person from Denmark to win the Nobel prize for Physics.
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DrGreg
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Time to recycle a joke I've told before:phinds said:
For sale: 1 barometer, dropped off the roof of a skyscraper. No pressure.
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pinball1970
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That story reminds me of the hell and souls story.kuruman said:
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BillTre
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How do you tell the gender of an ant?
Drop it in water.
If it sinks, GIRL ANT.
If it floats ...
If it sinks, GIRL ANT.
If it floats ...
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BillTre
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pinball1970
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Like it, Russell would approve!BillTre said:
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Bandersnatch
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Jokes_I_don't_get_but_will_pretend_otherwise_to_look_smart.jpg:
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pinball1970
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I'm clueless. Is that Sanders? Something to do with taxes?Bandersnatch said:
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BillTre
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He's turning into a laser cat.
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and why is that funny?BillTre said:
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BillTre
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Laser cats are generally funny.
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berkeman
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Ibix
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I think the point is that the sums on the left are one of those funny series where the sum is zero for the first n terms, then suddenly it has a finite sum (somebody named them the last time this came up). Which is weird.phinds said:
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fair enough. I think it would have been funnier if the last panel had beenIbix said:
But clearly the intent was the same.