1520: Degree-Off - Revision history

158.41.69.194: Grammar fix in last paragraph of "Explanation"

2025-11-03T10:02:03Z

Grammar fix in last paragraph of "Explanation"

Boilersuit: /* Explanation */

2025-08-26T07:26:33Z

‎Explanation

RadiantRainwing at 00:07, 5 March 2025

2025-03-05T00:07:27Z

172.69.22.31: /* Explanation */

2024-07-19T03:13:10Z

‎Explanation

172.69.58.33: Pandemics are plenty common. The coronavirus simply received ridiculous amounts of attention.

2024-02-08T00:40:28Z

Pandemics are plenty common. The coronavirus simply received ridiculous amounts of attention.

Tsuchinoko: Fixed missing bracket

2024-02-01T01:12:06Z

Fixed missing bracket

172.70.162.244: /* Transcript */

2023-07-26T15:03:02Z

‎Transcript

172.70.162.242: /* Transcript */

2023-07-26T15:02:22Z

‎Transcript

172.70.162.243: /* Transcript */

2023-07-26T15:00:51Z

‎Transcript

172.70.162.242: /* Transcript */

2023-07-26T15:00:16Z

‎Transcript

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 In [[520: Cuttlefish]] Randall shows that he personally respects biologists — or at least fears them.
-Within a year Randall has made several other comics about nuclear weapons, this one was the first of these the second, [[1539: Planning]], came out just 1½ month after this one and after that these two were released early in 2016: [[1626: Judgment Day]] and [[1655: Doomsday Clock]]. Nuclear weapons are also mentioned twice in ''[[Thing Explainer]]'', specifically they are explained in the explanation for ''Machine for burning cities'' about {{w|Thermonuclear weapon|thermonuclear bombs}}, but they are also mentioned in ''Boat that goes under the sea'' about a submarine that carries nuclear missiles. All three comics and both explanations in the book, does like this comic, comment on how insane it is that we have created enough firepower to obliterate Earth several times (or at least scourge it for any human life).
+Within a year Randall has made several other comics about nuclear weapons. This comic was the first of these, while the second, [[1539: Planning]], came out just 1½ months later. After that, [[1626: Judgment Day]] and [[1655: Doomsday Clock]] were released early in 2016. Nuclear weapons are also mentioned twice in ''[[Thing Explainer]]'': in ''Machine for burning cities'' about {{w|Thermonuclear weapon|thermonuclear bombs}}, as well as in ''Boat that goes under the sea'' about a submarine that carries nuclear missiles. All three comics and both explanations in the book comment on how insane it is that we have created enough firepower to obliterate Earth several times (or at least scourge it for any human life), just like this comic.
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 [[Cueball]] (physics), [[Hairbun]] (biology), and [[Megan]] (chemistry) appear to be on a talk show stylized as a game show called Degree-Off, hosted by [[Hairy]], where representatives of different fields, try to explain why their field is the best and why to get a degree in their field. The title "Degree-Off" is a portmanteau of "{{w|Academic degree|degree}}", as in the recognized completion of studies at a school or university, and "{{w|face-off}}", a direct confrontation between people. A face-off has its roots in combat but does not always involve violence.
-The host asks the physicist Cueball to go first. He light-heartedly begins to tell what appears to be long story, beginning with a {{w|Richard Feynman}} anecdote. During the {{w|Manhattan Project}} in Los Alamos, Richard Feynman got bored because of the isolation and started learning {{w|lock picking}} on the secret documents' safes. Using these new skills, he played lots of pranks on his colleagues, like leaving notes and spooking them into believing there was a spy among them (which, of course, {{w|Klaus_Fuchs|there was}}). He finishes his case with [http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford a quote] from {{w|Ernest Rutherford}}, implying that his speech was quite long and winding. The quote communicates the idea that physics is the only fundamental framework, so that the job of chemists, biologists and other scientist simply is to catalog and systematize observations ("collect stamps") on phenomena too complicated to presently be fully described in terms of physics. This idea was earlier lampooned by [[Randall]] in [[435: Purity]] (and is also stated in the title text of [[1158: Rubber Sheet]]).
+The host asks the physicist Cueball to go first. He light-heartedly begins to tell what appears to be long story, beginning with a {{w|Richard Feynman}} anecdote. During the {{w|Manhattan Project}} in Los Alamos, Richard Feynman got bored because of the isolation and started learning {{w|lock picking}} on the secret documents' safes. Using these new skills, he played lots of pranks on his colleagues, like leaving notes and spooking them into believing there was a spy among them (which, of course, {{w|Klaus_Fuchs|there was}}). He finishes his case with [http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford a quote] from {{w|Ernest Rutherford}}, implying that his speech was quite long and winding. The quote communicates the idea that physics is the only fundamental framework, so that the job of chemists, biologists and other scientists is simply to catalog and systematize observations ("collect stamps") on phenomena too complicated to presently be fully described in terms of physics. This idea was earlier lampooned by [[Randall]] in [[435: Purity]] (and is also stated in the title text of [[1158: Rubber Sheet]]).
 The biologist goes next, showing with a graph (see below) that the field of biology has helped reduce disease. She then goes on to claim that the heroes in biology (the part known as Medicine) have even "{{w|Eradication_of_infectious_diseases|slain}}" one of the {{w|Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse}}. Different traditions designate the Four Horsemen differently, but it is common for their number to include Plague or Pestilence. Hairbun claims that the field of biology has eliminated widespread {{w|Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse#As_infectious_disease|Pestilence}}. The imagery of Pestilence being thwarted by modern medicine was also used in the book {{w|Good Omens}}, by {{w|Terry Pratchett}} (of whom Randall is a fan, see [[1498: Terry Pratchett]]) and {{w|Neil Gaiman}}, where Pestilence has retired after the discovery of {{w|Penicillin}}, and been replaced by {{w|Pollution}}.

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 In [[520: Cuttlefish]] Randall shows that he personally respects biologists — or at least fears them.
-Within a year Randall has made several other comics about nuclear weapons, this one was the first of these the second, [[1539: Planning]], came out just 1½ month after this one and after that these two were released early in 2016: [[1626: Judgment Day]] and [[1655: Doomsday Clock]]. Nuclear weapons are also mentioned twice in ''[[Thing Explainer]]'', specifically they are explained in the explanation for ''Machine for burning cities'' about {{w|Thermonuclear weapon|thermonuclear bombs}}, but they are also mentioned in ''Boat that goes under the sea'' about a submarine that carries nukes. All three comics and both explanations in the book, does like this comic, comment on how insane it is that we have created enough firepower to obliterate Earth several times (or at least scourge it for any human life).
+Within a year Randall has made several other comics about nuclear weapons, this one was the first of these the second, [[1539: Planning]], came out just 1½ month after this one and after that these two were released early in 2016: [[1626: Judgment Day]] and [[1655: Doomsday Clock]]. Nuclear weapons are also mentioned twice in ''[[Thing Explainer]]'', specifically they are explained in the explanation for ''Machine for burning cities'' about {{w|Thermonuclear weapon|thermonuclear bombs}}, but they are also mentioned in ''Boat that goes under the sea'' about a submarine that carries nuclear missiles. All three comics and both explanations in the book, does like this comic, comment on how insane it is that we have created enough firepower to obliterate Earth several times (or at least scourge it for any human life).
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 }}
 ==Explanation==
-[[Cueball]] (physics), [[Hairbun]] (biology), and [[Megan]] (chemistry) appear to be on a talk show stylized as a game show called Degree-Off, hosted by [[Hairy]], where representatives of different fields, try to explain why their field is the best and why to get a degree in their field. The title "Degree-Off" is a portmanteau of "{{w|Academic degree|degree}}", as in the recognized completion of studies at a school or university, and "{{w|face-off}}", a direct confrontation between two people or groups. Since there are three participants, this is not a true face-off, unless Megan, who does not speak, is not counted.
+[[Cueball]] (physics), [[Hairbun]] (biology), and [[Megan]] (chemistry) appear to be on a talk show stylized as a game show called Degree-Off, hosted by [[Hairy]], where representatives of different fields, try to explain why their field is the best and why to get a degree in their field. The title "Degree-Off" is a portmanteau of "{{w|Academic degree|degree}}", as in the recognized completion of studies at a school or university, and "{{w|face-off}}", a direct confrontation between people. A face-off has its roots in combat but does not always involve violence.
 The host asks the physicist Cueball to go first. He light-heartedly begins to tell what appears to be long story, beginning with a {{w|Richard Feynman}} anecdote. During the {{w|Manhattan Project}} in Los Alamos, Richard Feynman got bored because of the isolation and started learning {{w|lock picking}} on the secret documents' safes. Using these new skills, he played lots of pranks on his colleagues, like leaving notes and spooking them into believing there was a spy among them (which, of course, {{w|Klaus_Fuchs|there was}}). He finishes his case with [http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford a quote] from {{w|Ernest Rutherford}}, implying that his speech was quite long and winding. The quote communicates the idea that physics is the only fundamental framework, so that the job of chemists, biologists and other scientist simply is to catalog and systematize observations ("collect stamps") on phenomena too complicated to presently be fully described in terms of physics. This idea was earlier lampooned by [[Randall]] in [[435: Purity]] (and is also stated in the title text of [[1158: Rubber Sheet]]).

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 The host asks the physicist Cueball to go first. He light-heartedly begins to tell what appears to be long story, beginning with a {{w|Richard Feynman}} anecdote. During the {{w|Manhattan Project}} in Los Alamos, Richard Feynman got bored because of the isolation and started learning {{w|lock picking}} on the secret documents' safes. Using these new skills, he played lots of pranks on his colleagues, like leaving notes and spooking them into believing there was a spy among them (which, of course, {{w|Klaus_Fuchs|there was}}). He finishes his case with [http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford a quote] from {{w|Ernest Rutherford}}, implying that his speech was quite long and winding. The quote communicates the idea that physics is the only fundamental framework, so that the job of chemists, biologists and other scientist simply is to catalog and systematize observations ("collect stamps") on phenomena too complicated to presently be fully described in terms of physics. This idea was earlier lampooned by [[Randall]] in [[435: Purity]] (and is also stated in the title text of [[1158: Rubber Sheet]]).
-The biologist goes next, showing with a graph (see below) that the field of biology has helped reduce disease. She then goes on to claim that the heroes in biology (the part known as Medicine) have even "{{w|Eradication_of_infectious_diseases|slain}}" one of the {{w|Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse}}. Different traditions designate the Four Horsemen differently, but it is common for their number to include Plague or Pestilence. Hairbun claims that the field of biology has eliminated widespread {{w|Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse#As_infectious_disease|Pestilence}}; at the time of writing it was not readily apparent that {{w|COVID-19_pandemic|the old dog still has some teeth}} (although the rate of death from infectious disease in 2020–21 is still less than 200 per 100 thousand, far lower than the early 20th century). The imagery of Pestilence being thwarted by modern medicine was also used in the book {{w|Good Omens}}, by {{w|Terry Pratchett}} (of whom Randall is a fan, see [[1498: Terry Pratchett]]) and {{w|Neil Gaiman}}, where Pestilence has retired after the discovery of {{w|Penicillin}}, and been replaced by {{w|Pollution}}.
+The biologist goes next, showing with a graph (see below) that the field of biology has helped reduce disease. She then goes on to claim that the heroes in biology (the part known as Medicine) have even "{{w|Eradication_of_infectious_diseases|slain}}" one of the {{w|Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse}}. Different traditions designate the Four Horsemen differently, but it is common for their number to include Plague or Pestilence. Hairbun claims that the field of biology has eliminated widespread {{w|Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse#As_infectious_disease|Pestilence}}. The imagery of Pestilence being thwarted by modern medicine was also used in the book {{w|Good Omens}}, by {{w|Terry Pratchett}} (of whom Randall is a fan, see [[1498: Terry Pratchett]]) and {{w|Neil Gaiman}}, where Pestilence has retired after the discovery of {{w|Penicillin}}, and been replaced by {{w|Pollution}}.
 The graph shows the death rate from infectious disease in the USA with the range of 1900-2000. The spike is attributable to the {{w|1918 flu pandemic}}. It has been published in the paper [http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=768249 Trends in Infectious Disease Mortality in the United States During the 20th Century].

@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
-[[Category:Science]
+[[Category:Science]]
 [[Category:Timelines]]
 [[Category:Line graphs]]

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 :Labels: Phys Bio
-:[Zoom in on Hairbun so only she and her lectern are shown. A graph is shown above her. There us a label for the y-axis to the left of the axis which has four ticks with numbers. The x-axis is a timeline without ticks but three years indicating the start center and end of the axis. The graph shows a curve falling off, with one great spike up around 1920.]
+:[Zoom in on Hairbun so only she and her lectern are shown. A graph is shown above her. There is a label for the y-axis to the left of the axis which has four ticks with numbers. The x-axis is a timeline without ticks but three years indicating the start center and end of the axis. The graph shows a curve falling off, with one great spike up around 1920.]
 :Y-axis label: Per 100,000
 :Y-axis:

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 ::200
 :X-axis: 1900 1950 2000
-:GUSG (Bio): This is a graph of the death rate from infectious disease in this country.
+:Hairbun (Bio): This is a graph of the death rate from infectious disease in this country.
 :Labels: Bio
 :[Zoom back to original scene with Hairy holding the microphone down and Hairbun raising her left hand, while Cueball looks at her.]
-:GUSG (Bio): The heroes of my field have '''''slain''''' one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
+:Hairbun (Bio): The heroes of my field have '''''slain''''' one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
 :Labels: Phys Bio Chem
 :[Zoom in on only Cueball and Hairbun who is pointing aggressively at Cueball who leans away from her one hand on his lectern for support.]
-:GUSG (Bio): While the heroes of '''''your''''' field gathered in the desert to create a new one.
+:Hairbun (Bio): While the heroes of '''''your''''' field gathered in the desert to create a new one.
 :Labels: Phys Bio
 :[Zoom back to previous scene all are holding their hands down.]
 :Cueball (Phys): ...Jeez, what the hell? I thought this was supposed to be fun and lighthearted!
-:GUSG (Bio): '''''You must have been thinking of stamp collecting.'''''
+:Hairbun (Bio): '''''You must have been thinking of stamp collecting.'''''
 :Labels: Phys Bio Chem

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 ==Transcript==
-:[Hairy is acting as the host of a TV talk show, ''Degree-Off'' holding a microphone up. Cueball, a woman with a bun, and Megan are acting as representatives of physics, biology, and chemistry, respectively. They each stand behind their own lectern with the respective subject label.]
+:[Hairy is acting as the host of a TV talk show, ''Degree-Off'' holding a microphone up. Cueball, Hairbun, and Megan are acting as representatives of physics, biology, and chemistry, respectively. They each stand behind their own lectern with the respective subject label.]
 :Hairy: Welcome to the '''''Degree-Off''''', where we determine which field is the best! Physics, wanna go first?
 :Cueball (Phys): Sure! I'd like to tell the story of Richard Feynman's Manhattan project lockpicking pranks...