Editing 2879: Like This One

{{comic
| number    = 2879
| date      = January 10, 2024
| title     = Like This One
| image     = like_this_one_2x.png
| imagesize = 273x464px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = A lot of sentences undergo startling shifts in mood if you add 'like this one' to the end, but high on the list is 'I'm a neurologist studying dreams.'
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Megan]] is asking [[Ponytail]] what she does, presumably in a professional context. Ponytail responds with "I'm a researcher studying gas molecules like this one" and then she indicates the air above her outstretched hand, or possibly pointing with a finger, which, indeed, does contain or point to gas molecules. However, it would not be at all clear which one molecule she was supposed to be identifying, since they are too small for human sight to distinguish. Identifying a specific gas molecule in this way does not provide the listener with any useful information.

The caption under the comic lists further examples of things that researchers study and are, by necessity, around them either all the time, or at any time they are talking to another person, making the researchers truthfully able to respond "...like this one" when asked about their research, despite the fact that such a statement doesn't tangibly identify anything to the other person.
* '''Gas molecules''': Gas molecules generally share a few basic physical characteristics simply because they're in a gaseous state. A researcher would thus be able to make reference to their study of (any particular kinds of) gas molecules as, unless they happen to be researching something incredibly exotic, the gas molecules they were studying would probably share at least something with the gas molecules found in the atmosphere. A more restrictive interpretation would be that the researcher is, in fact, studying particular kinds of {{w|Atmosphere of Earth|gas molecules that are in the atmosphere}}.
* '''Gravitational fields''': Every object with mass has a gravitational field that extends, however weakly, throughout the universe.
* '''Planetary magnetospheres''': The Earth {{w|Earth's magnetic field|has a magnetic field}}, which covers the entire planet and any conversations taking place there. 
* '''Sound waves''': Most in-person conversations are mediated with sound waves created by human vocal cords, and those that are not (text or sign languages) are almost certainly in the presence of background noise.
* '''Habitable worlds''': As of 2024, all humans converse on or near the habitable world of Earth.{{cn}}
* '''Languages''': Conversations such as this one are possible only if one or more languages are involved.
* '''Social interactions''': Any conversation constitutes a social interaction.
* '''Skin microbes''': For better or worse, a wide variety of microbial organisms {{w|Skin flora|live on the skin}} of any outstretched hand.

The title text moves into inverse cases, where it would be highly unusual or potentially disconcerting for an example of the research subject to be present at the time of the conversation. In the example given, for a neurologist to say "I'm a neurologist studying dreams ''like this one''", would imply that your conversation with them (or your entire consciousness) is itself a dream.

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball are facing Ponytail, who holds her hand out palm up.]
:Megan: So what do you do?
:Ponytail: I'm a researcher studying gas molecules like this one.

:[Below the panel there is an explanation of the comics idea.]
:Fields of research where you can add "...like this one" after you say what you study:
:[Bulleted list of various separate fields of study.]
::Gas molecules
::Gravitational fields
::Planetary magnetospheres
::Sound waves
::Habitable worlds
::Languages
::Social interactions
::Skin microbes

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Social interactions]]
[[Category:Dreams]] <!--Title text -->