This one really misses the mark because physicists come up with the coolest names. I think it’s a requirement for getting your theory accepted. Besides quark, and the names for the quarks – truth, beauty, charm – there’s supernovae, special relativity, general relativy, sub-atomic particles, positrons, string theory, big bang, lasers, quantum theory, leptons, quantum tunnelling, black holes, and cosmic background radiation. Scientists recently determined that the Higgs boson must exist because it’s name is too cool not to exist.
Physicists are much better than biologists – “Dark matter”, “quarks”, “photons”, “strings”, “Black holes” is something i can live with, But protozoa, ectoplasm, superior vena cava, et al. makes me shudder even today.
Dark matter is real in the scientific sense of existence: the best way so far to interpret the current data — not in the normal sense of reality meaning something that actually exists.
It’s stupid the way some people think that truth can be found in science, which it never can be. Absolute truth is found in religion. Science can only arrive at the best explanation for the data that has been collected so far at the current moment. That is always in a state of change. So nothing in science can ever be called “true” is the strict sense of the word.
The problem is that there are so many people who confuse religion with science, thinking that truth in religion changes (which it doesn’t) and truth in science is permanent (which is impossible).
Pedantry alert: 4 – 5 % of matter is visible; 20-23% is dark matter; and a whopping 70+% is dark energy (according to the calculations), and no one knows what dark energy is! Go figure!
margueritem over 11 years ago
I think you’ll go broke soon…
Montaholic over 11 years ago
This one really misses the mark because physicists come up with the coolest names. I think it’s a requirement for getting your theory accepted. Besides quark, and the names for the quarks – truth, beauty, charm – there’s supernovae, special relativity, general relativy, sub-atomic particles, positrons, string theory, big bang, lasers, quantum theory, leptons, quantum tunnelling, black holes, and cosmic background radiation. Scientists recently determined that the Higgs boson must exist because it’s name is too cool not to exist.
in.amongst over 11 years ago
Physicists are much better than biologists – “Dark matter”, “quarks”, “photons”, “strings”, “Black holes” is something i can live with, But protozoa, ectoplasm, superior vena cava, et al. makes me shudder even today.
Linux0s over 11 years ago
Working pre-press in print I generally don’t like to say Quark.
ratlum over 11 years ago
Boy this is way over my head maybe thats why they kept Latin around.need a fuzzy name to explain something you really dont understand ,use Latin.
Mister-Edd over 11 years ago
LOL
Your comment got a big grin from me!
rentier over 11 years ago
It’s something on with the Quarks, only Hobbes knows!!
orinoco womble over 11 years ago
In my local supermarket, sour cream is labelled in several languages. One of them (German, I believe, though not sure) calls it “Quark.” Who knew.
Bittermelon of Truth over 11 years ago
Trekkies will know that there is a certain bartender called Quark.
JGordonFan24 over 11 years ago
What goes quark, quark, quark and swims? A duck with a P.H.D. in Astrology.
caremedy over 11 years ago
Calvin needs to work with fruit flies. They come up with the best names for everything. A few examples:
tinman (embryo with no heart)lilliputian (very small)luxh (a protein which mediates the response to alcohol)lava lamp hedgehogsonic hedgehogdisheveled
And there are many, many more
in.amongst over 11 years ago
that made my day!
joecomerford over 11 years ago
Had to look that one up…‘quark’ is a central European soft-cheese…not exactly sour cream:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark_(dairy_product)
RickMK over 11 years ago
Dark matter is real in the scientific sense of existence: the best way so far to interpret the current data — not in the normal sense of reality meaning something that actually exists.
It’s stupid the way some people think that truth can be found in science, which it never can be. Absolute truth is found in religion. Science can only arrive at the best explanation for the data that has been collected so far at the current moment. That is always in a state of change. So nothing in science can ever be called “true” is the strict sense of the word.
The problem is that there are so many people who confuse religion with science, thinking that truth in religion changes (which it doesn’t) and truth in science is permanent (which is impossible).
Thomas Linquist over 11 years ago
So you say your Penny left you for Raj? (Well, it had to be said. Big Bang Theory rules.)
djmalloy over 11 years ago
I thought Hobbes would a scientific name like Panthera tigris.
ahnk_2000 over 11 years ago
In addition to “quark”, Hobbes also likes to say “smock”.
jadoo823 over 11 years ago
…and I’ll bet you married her just for the bazooms…
PoodleGroomer over 11 years ago
Bill Watterson was jealous that Gary Larson’s name was used in the scientific name of several insects.
The Life I Draw Upon over 11 years ago
You forgot up, down. charm, strange, top, bottom, spin, flavor, color, … Hobbes should have got charm. felinus intelligesis
Rickapolis over 11 years ago
And the sun revolves around the earth because WE are the center of the universe.
Number Three over 11 years ago
Hahahaha… This made me laugh.
xxx
Vonne Anton over 11 years ago
Pedantry alert: 4 – 5 % of matter is visible; 20-23% is dark matter; and a whopping 70+% is dark energy (according to the calculations), and no one knows what dark energy is! Go figure!
joylion over 11 years ago
Quark! What the quark!! Oh my Quark! Love it.
JP Steve Premium Member over 11 years ago
And two of the leading candidates for dark matter are WIMPS and MACHOS.