Editing 1242: Scary Names
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | This chart humorously explores 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. | + | This chart 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. |
On the chart, things toward the right are scary/dangerous/very bad, while things toward the top ''sound'' scary without ''necessarily'' being scary. | On the chart, things toward the right are scary/dangerous/very bad, while things toward the top ''sound'' scary without ''necessarily'' being scary. | ||
− | + | The table below list the entries from least to most scary, including the ''entry'' mentioned in the title text. The assigned percentage values assumes a linear scale and assigns ''flesh eating bacteria'' with the point (100%, 100%). This is simply the easiest way to list the entries as there is no mention of the scale. As is clear from the title text, "flesh eating bacteria" is not an absolute, simply the highest in this particular sample; there are things more scary than 100%! | |
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{| class="wikitable sortable" | {| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Name | ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Name | ||
− | ! scope="col"| | + | ! scope="col" class="headerSortUp"| Apparent Scariness |
− | ! scope="col"| | + | ! scope="col"| True Scariness |
− | ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Description | + | ! scope="col" class="unsortable"|Description |
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|{{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 | + | |A network packet that induces a broadcast storm or network meltdown. Despite the name, it does not necessarily refer to the {{w|Chernobyl disaster}}. |
+ | |- | ||
+ | |{{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. It does not interact with explosive devices directly, though the chemicals a bomb calorimeter would be called upon to measure are occasionally explosive or dangerous. | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |{{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 and becomes temporarily liquid, capable of swallowing people and buildings, especially after earthquakes or torrential rains. Liquefaction can cause landslides; landslides can cause more liquefaction. Once the earthquake stops, the ground becomes solid again, trapping whatever was submerged. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |{{Nowrap|{{w| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Grey goo|Grey Goo}}}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|b !}}5%}} |
− | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs| | + | |{{Nowrap|{{Hs|f !}}69%}} |
− | |A | + | |A hypothetical end-of-world scenario where self-replicating nanobots consume all matter. It is (partially) illustrated in [[865: Nanobots]]. |
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|{{Nowrap|{{w|Avian influenza virus|Bird Flu}}}} | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Avian influenza virus|Bird Flu}}}} | ||
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|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. |
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|{{Nowrap|{{w|Criticality accident|Criticality Incident}}}} | |{{Nowrap|{{w|Criticality accident|Criticality Incident}}}} | ||
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|An unexpected and uncontrolled nuclear reaction. This occurs when a system that should be sub-critical becomes critical by accident (a term devised by Louis Slotin, as seen above). | |An unexpected and uncontrolled nuclear reaction. This occurs when a system that should be sub-critical becomes critical by accident (a term devised by Louis Slotin, as seen above). | ||
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− | |{{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}}. Thanks to popular culture, however, the term "superbug" usually makes the audience think "a bug with superpowers", such as {{w|Atom Ant}}. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |{{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. |
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+ | |{{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>(from the title text) | |Helvetica Scenario<br>(from the 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. The Helvetica scenario was made up by the BBC comedy show {{w|Look Around You}} in the pilot episode, which can be seen [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4CRCJUmWsM here (at 5:53)]. 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. |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[A | + | :[A scatterplot, with the y-axis labeled "scariness of name" and the x-axis labeled "scariness of thing name refers to. |
− | + | :At the top-left is "chernobyl packet". | |
− | + | :Slightly right and downwards of that is "bomb calorimeter". | |
− | + | :Towards the middle-top is "kessler syndrome". | |
− | : | + | :Towards the middle-bottom is "soil liquefaction". |
− | : | + | :Towards the center is "mustard gas". |
− | : | + | :Along the bottom, two-thirds of the way to the right, is "grey goo". |
− | + | :Slightly up and to the right from that is "criticality incident". | |
− | : | + | :About midway up from there is "bird flu". |
− | : | + | :Further up, not quite at the top, is "demon core". |
− | : | + | :Back towards the middle vertically, but slightly farther to the right, is "superbug". |
− | : | + | :Almost all the way to the right but still near the middle vertically is "nuclear football". |
− | : | + | :At the far top-right is "flesh-eating bacteria".] |
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
− | + | [[Category:Charts]] | |
− | [[Category: | ||
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