1904: Research Risks

2017-10-19T09:18:04Z

Sagilia: Added example for Genetic Engineering under comments

{{comic
| number = 1904
| date = October 18, 2017
| title = Research Risks
| image = research_risks.png
| titletext = The 1919 Great Boston Molasses Flood remained the deadliest confectionery containment accident until the Canadian Space Agency's 2031 orbital maple syrup delivery disaster.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BUN - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is a comparison of the possibility of the subjects of various sciences being a threat to humanity. It can either be an autonomous threat to the local population (i.e. by escape from a lab), or as part of a supervillain's scheme to rule the world. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBkT19uH2RQ]

There have so far been several similar comics with such [[:Category:Scatter plots|scatter plots]]. See for instance [[388: Fuck Grapefruit]], [[1242: Scary Names]], [[1468: Worrying]], [[1501: Mysteries]] and [[1701: Speed and Danger]].

The title text is related to the Molasses Storage entry at the bottom left of the chart, and references the {{w|Great Molasses Flood}}, also known as the Great Boston Molasses Flood. It occurred on January 15, 1919 in the North End neighborhood of {{w|Boston}}, {{w|Massachusetts}} (the state in which [[Randall]] lives). A large {{w|molasses}} storage tank burst and a wave of molasses rushed through the streets at an estimated 35 mph (56 km/h), killing 21 and injuring 150. The joke in the title text is that in 2031 (14 years after the release of this comic) the {{w|Canadian Space Agency}} has an even more serious disaster, which will be known as the orbital {{w|maple syrup}} delivery disaster. The title text claims that this disaster then became the deadliest {{w|confectionery}} containment accident, thus killing more than 21 people...

==Table==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Risk of Breaking Free !! Risk of Supervillain !! Research field !! Research Risks !! Comments
|-
| data-sort-value="1" | very low || data-sort-value="6" | very high || Prosthetics || Cyborgs || This is probably a joke related to the fact that many movie supervillains have some handicap, and it is thus likely that such a villain would use some kind of prosthetics, although this might not directly help his evil plan...
|-
| data-sort-value="2" | low || data-sort-value="5" | high || Neuroscience || Mind Control ||
|-
| data-sort-value="1" | very low || data-sort-value="5" | high || Laser Optics || Something like {{w|Laser Weapon System}}. Or a powerful laser could be used to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoQwKe0lggw cut the hero in two] as in {{w|Goldfinger}}. || See {{w|Directed-energy weapon}}.
|-
| data-sort-value="3" | medium low || data-sort-value="5" | high || Pharmacology || Poisons ||
|-
| data-sort-value="2" | low || data-sort-value="5" | high || Materials Science || Nanobots || See {{w|Grey goo}}
|-
| data-sort-value="2" | low || data-sort-value="4" | medium high || Sociology || Sociological research may help in becoming a tyrant and then lead nation to war. ||
|-
| data-sort-value="1" | very low || data-sort-value="4" | medium high || History || Ministry of Truth ||
|-
| data-sort-value="3" | medium low || data-sort-value="4" | medium high || Psychology || Ministry of Truth, Hannibal Lecter ||
|-
| data-sort-value="5" | high || data-sort-value="6" | very high || Robotics || Villains: Robot minions. Escape: robots gaining sentience and killing everything, or nanobots going rogue and devouring everything in their path. ||
|-
| data-sort-value="5" | high || data-sort-value="6" | very high || Genetic Engineering || Villains: Modify troops to make super powered minions. Escape: Modified life could cause havoc || See {{w|Gene drive}}
|-
| data-sort-value="4" | medium high || data-sort-value="5" | high || Chemistry || Explosives ||
|-
| data-sort-value="6" | very high || data-sort-value="5" | high || Microbiology || Lethal diseases || See for instance {{w|12 Monkeys}}
|-
| data-sort-value="1" | very low || data-sort-value="3" | medium low || Geology || Golems, Earthquake machines || Study of rocks. Scores below average on the supervillain scale despite Lex Luthor's plan in the 1978 ''Superman'' movie hinging on setting off the San Andreas Fault.
|-
| data-sort-value="1" | very low || data-sort-value="3" | medium low || Linguistics || 1984 Newspeak ||
|-
| data-sort-value="2" | low || data-sort-value="2" | low || Paleontology || Jurassic Park || Study of fossils
|-
| data-sort-value="1" | very low || data-sort-value="1" | very low || Astronomy || Asteroid impact ||
|-
| data-sort-value="3" | medium low || data-sort-value="1" | very low || Molasses Storage || || See {{w|Great Molasses Flood}}, as referenced in the title text
|-
| data-sort-value="1" | very low || data-sort-value="1" | very low || Dentistry || Torture/Interrogation ||
|-
| data-sort-value="4" | medium high || data-sort-value="3" | medium low || Botany || Audrey II, Triffids || Study of plants
|-
| data-sort-value="5" | high || data-sort-value="3" | medium low || Entomology || Insects are small and can often escape through even small cracks, and are known for carrying diseases. They could also mutate into terrifying threats - see for example the documentary {{w|Arachnophobia_(film)}}|| Study of insects
|-
| data-sort-value="4" | medium high || data-sort-value="2" | low || Mycology || Fungi cannot move, but their spores could easily spread, therefore, escape probability has been deemed medium high.|| {{w|Mycology}} is the study of {{w|fungi}}.
|-
| data-sort-value="6" | very high || data-sort-value="2" | low || Marine Biology || Sharknado, Jaws ||
|-
| data-sort-value="4" | medium high || data-sort-value="1" | very low || Ornithology || Flying is a useful escape mechanism. || Study of birds.
|-
|}

==Transcript==
:[A chart with two crossing lines with double arrows. Each arrow is labeled:]
:Y axis top: High
:Y axis bottom: Low
:X axis left: Low
:X axis right: High

:[Near each of the "high" ends of the two axis there is a label written in gray, with a line pointing to the relevant axis:]
:Y axis: Risk of your research being used by a supervillain for world domination
:X axis: Risk of the thing you're studying breaking free from your facility and threatening the local population

:[The following points are on the charts upper left quadrant (in reading order):]
:Prosthetics
:Neuroscience
:Laser Optics
:Pharmacology
:Materials Science
:Sociology
:History
:Psychology

:[The following points are on the charts upper right quadrant (in reading order):]
:Robotics
:Genetic Engineering
:Chemistry
:Microbiology

:[The following points are on the charts lower left quadrant (in reading order):]
:Geology
:Linguistics
:Paleontology
:Astronomy
:Molasses Storage
:Dentistry

:[The following points are on the charts lower right quadrant (in reading order):]
:Botany
:Entomology
:Mycology
:Marine Biology
:Ornithology

==Trivia==
* The comic initially had the erroneous spelling "Entymology" (possibly a mistaken mix-up between etymology and entomology, similar to [[1012: Wrong Superhero]]). This was later changed to the correct "Entomology".

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Scatter plots]]
[[Category:Rankings]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Space]]

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1904: Research Risks