Editing 1242: Scary Names
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|incomplete because that references still look strange}} | |
+ | The chart shows that things toward the right are scary, while things toward the top <em>sound</em> scary, without <em>necessarily</em> being scary. | ||
− | + | This humorously explores the how things are often named colloquially and without regard to accuracy in correlating actual scariness with apparent scariness. It is interesting to note how people react to the items near the bottom right of the chart "scary things with not-very-scary names" when compared to how they may react to items in the upper left "not-very-scary things with scary names". Some of the entries on the chart are especially interesting examples considering that portions of the names that are associated with significant historical or cultural events and themes. IE: Chernobyl Packet, Demon Core. | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" | {| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Name | ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Name | ||
− | ! scope="col"| | + | ! scope="col" class="headerSortUp"| Apparent Scariness<sup id="ref_note-1">[[#cite_note-1|1]]</sup> |
− | ! scope="col"| | + | ! scope="col"| True Scariness<sup>[[#cite_note-1|1]]</sup> |
− | ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Description | + | ! scope="col" class="unsortable"|Description |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
|{{Nowrap|[http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/C/Chernobyl-packet.html Chernobyl Packet]}} | |{{Nowrap|[http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/C/Chernobyl-packet.html Chernobyl Packet]}} | ||
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}95%}} | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}95%}} | ||
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|a !}}4%}} | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|a !}}4%}} | ||
− | |A network packet that induces a {{w| | + | |A network packet that induces a broadcast storm or network meltdown. |
+ | |- | ||
+ | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Calorimeter#Bomb calorimeters|Bomb Calorimeters}}}} | ||
+ | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|h !}}67%}} | ||
+ | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|b !}}28%}} | ||
+ | |A device for measuring heat of combustion of a reaction in a pressure vessel. | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Sulfur mustard|Mustard Gas}}}} | ||
+ | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|f !}}47%}} | ||
+ | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|c !}}50%}} | ||
+ | |A chemical warfare agent which causes blisters and severe irritation on skin and lung tissue. | ||
|- | |- | ||
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Kessler syndrome|Kessler Syndrome}}}} | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Kessler syndrome|Kessler Syndrome}}}} | ||
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}} | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}87%}} |
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|d !}}53%}} | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|d !}}53%}} | ||
− | |A hypothetical scenario where low Earth orbit objects collide, creating | + | |A hypothetical scenario where low Earth orbit objects collide, creating space debris which increases the risk of more collisions, leading to a cascade effect which could severely hinder space exploration and satellite technologies for many years. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |{{Nowrap|{{w| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Soil liquefaction|Soil Liquefaction}}}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|c !}}16%}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|e !}}54%}} |
− | |A | + | |A phenomenon where wet soil loses its strength, leading to potholes, road and terrain damage, and even building collapses, especially after earthquakes or torrential rains. Liquefaction can cause landslides; landslides can cause more liquefaction. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |{{Nowrap|{{w| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Grey goo|Grey Goo}}}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|b !}}5%}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|f !}}68%}} |
− | |A | + | |A hypothetical end-of-world scenario where self-replicating nanobots consume all matter. |
|- | |- | ||
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Avian influenza virus|Bird Flu}}}} | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Avian influenza virus|Bird Flu}}}} | ||
Line 57: | Line 55: | ||
|An illness caused by strains of influenza adapted for birds, which is generally very deadly in humans. Should the virus adapt for human to human transmission, a pandemic can quickly result. Since birds can travel great distances quickly, it is generally already widespread and difficult to contain. | |An illness caused by strains of influenza adapted for birds, which is generally very deadly in humans. Should the virus adapt for human to human transmission, a pandemic can quickly result. Since birds can travel great distances quickly, it is generally already widespread and difficult to contain. | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |{{Nowrap|{{w| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Demon core|Demon Core}}}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|j !}}90%}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|h !}}73%}} |
− | | | + | |A subcritical mass of plutonium that was involved in two separate fatal incidents at Los Alamos laboratory in 1945 and 1946. In both cases, the core was accidentally placed into a configuration where it went supercritical and exposed an experimenter to fatal doses of radiation. The second is more notable, where Louis Slotin held two halves of a beryllium neutron reflector apart with a flat head screwdriver which slipped, suddenly causing the contained plutonium core to become supercritical and delivering a fatal dose of radiation. |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Criticality accident|Criticality Incident}}}} | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Criticality accident|Criticality Incident}}}} | ||
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|d!}}22%}} | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|d!}}22%}} | ||
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|i !}}74%}} | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|i !}}74%}} | ||
− | |An | + | |An uncontrolled nuclear reaction. This occurs when a system running at exact criticality experiences an increase of one dollar of criticality (a term devised by Louis Slotin, as seen above). |
|- | |- | ||
− | |{{Nowrap|{{w| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Antibiotic resistance|Superbug}}}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|e !}}39%}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|j !}}83%}} |
− | |A | + | |Antibiotic resistant bacteria. The growing use of antibiotics has caused some bacteria to evolve to become resistant to the antibiotics. A superbug refers to a scenario where a bacteria evolves to become resistant to all antibiotics, for example, {{w|MRSA}}. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |{{Nowrap|{{w| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Nuclear football|Nuclear Football}}}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|g !}}52%}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}94%}} |
− | | | + | |An aluminum Zero Halliburton briefcase which is used by the President of the United States to authorize nuclear attack. A military aide carrying the football is always near the president. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |Helvetica Scenario<br>( | + | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Necrotizing fasciitis|Flesh-eating bacteria}}}} |
+ | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|m !}}100%}} | ||
+ | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|l !}}100%}} | ||
+ | |As the name suggests, bacteria that eats (or more accurately, releases toxins that destroy) your skin and muscle. | ||
+ | |-class="sortbottom" | ||
+ | |Helvetica Scenario<br>(Title Text) | ||
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|z !}}N/A}} | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|z !}}N/A}} | ||
− | |{{Hs|m !}}Off | + | |{{Hs|m !}}Literally Off-The-Chart |
− | |This scenario is also in the title text of [[683: Science Montage]]: "...We have a Helvetica scenario!". The scenario is a fictional experiment, presented in Switzerland (Helvetica), which assumes that removing only the nucleus (the center of an atom) of a calcium | + | |This scenario is also in the title text of [[683: Science Montage]]: "...We have a Helvetica scenario!". The scenario is a fictional experiment, presented in Switzerland (Helvetica), which assumes that removing only the nucleus (the center of an atom) of a calcium molecule in one's skin, but still leaving the electron shell at its position, would cause a massive reaction ending up in heavy mutations.<sup id="ref_note-2">[[#cite_note-2|2]]</sup> The Helvetica scenario was made up by the BBC comedy show {{w|Look Around You}} in the pilot episode, which can be seen [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZPTM0PGQPE&feature=player_detailpage&t=389 here (at 6:29)]. The fact that the term {{w|Helvetica}} is more commonly known as referring to a very-commonly-used modern typeface makes the name sound like it should refer to a much less serious situation. |
|} | |} | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete transcript|A transcript doesn't need an official transcript, but it's still missing here}} | |
− | + | A scatter plot is drawn, x-axis "Scariness of thing name refers to", y-axis "Scariness of name". Items within the scatter plot are listed in the table above. | |
− | |||
− | : | + | ==References== |
− | : | + | <div style="padding:10px 10px 10px 0;border-radius: 3px;margin-right:1em;margin-bottom:1em;"> |
− | :[ | + | #<span style="padding: 3px 5px 0px 5px;border-radius: 5px;" id="cite_note-1">[[#ref_note-1|^]]</span> Note: Values in the chart are given as a percentage of the values of "Flesh-eating bacteria", which is the upper-right-most entry in the chart. |
− | + | #<span style="padding: 3px 5px 0px 5px;border-radius: 5px;" id="cite_note-2">[[#ref_note-2|^]]</span> [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The%20Helvetica%20Scenario Helvetica Scenario at Urban Dictionary]. | |
− | : | + | </div> |
− | :[ | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Charts]] |
− | |||
− |