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[2018-07-25] Literary Analysis

Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 3:04 pm
by HikaruYami
https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/literary-analysis

So, I'm aware that we've defined an avoirdupois pound as a unit of mass (rather than merely weight), and on earth this is essentially exchangeable with a pound in terms of weight (which is not mass).

But then he goes and specifies the chipmunk's weight instead of its mass just to trigger pedants. WHY :(

Re: [2018-07-25] Literary Analysis

Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 1:29 am
by 5jr8
I'm a little disappointed the chipmunk doesn't have a wooden leg

Re: [2018-07-25] Literary Analysis

Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 10:59 pm
by Showsni
HikaruYami wrote:https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/literary-analysis

So, I'm aware that we've defined an avoirdupois pound as a unit of mass (rather than merely weight), and on earth this is essentially exchangeable with a pound in terms of weight (which is not mass).

But then he goes and specifies the chipmunk's weight instead of its mass just to trigger pedants. WHY :(
The pedant in me wants to say that the whole thing is pointless and we should be looking at relative volumes. For all I know whales are extremely dense compared to humans, so that despite the difference in mass we are exactly the same size.

Re: [2018-07-25] Literary Analysis

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 12:37 pm
by cellocgw
5jr8 wrote:I'm a little disappointed the chipmunk doesn't have a wooden leg
First you have to find a human willing to chomp down on a live chipmunk's leg.

Re: [2018-07-25] Literary Analysis

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2018 3:21 am
by Bleak
I have a taste for Squab, mind you.

Re: [2018-07-25] Literary Analysis

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2018 3:23 am
by Bleak
HikaruYami wrote:https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/literary-analysis

So, I'm aware that we've defined an avoirdupois pound as a unit of mass (rather than merely weight), and on earth this is essentially exchangeable with a pound in terms of weight (which is not mass).

But then he goes and specifies the chipmunk's weight instead of its mass just to trigger pedants. WHY :(
You should be getting more triggered by the fact that the visual aspect of the comic is about volume, not physical mass.

Re: [2018-07-25] Literary Analysis

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2018 1:59 pm
by Kit.
Showsni wrote:For all I know whales are extremely dense compared to humans, so that despite the difference in mass we are exactly the same size.
For all I know, humans represent an extreme diversity of density.

Re: [2018-07-25] Literary Analysis

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 2:19 am
by Bleak
Bleak wrote:
HikaruYami wrote:https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/literary-analysis

So, I'm aware that we've defined an avoirdupois pound as a unit of mass (rather than merely weight), and on earth this is essentially exchangeable with a pound in terms of weight (which is not mass).

But then he goes and specifies the chipmunk's weight instead of its mass just to trigger pedants. WHY :(
You should be getting more triggered by the fact that the visual aspect of the comic is about volume, not physical mass.
Or even more specifically speaking, subjective 2D visual cross section.

Re: [2018-07-25] Literary Analysis

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 3:52 pm
by NeatNit
Bleak wrote:
Bleak wrote:
HikaruYami wrote:https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/literary-analysis

So, I'm aware that we've defined an avoirdupois pound as a unit of mass (rather than merely weight), and on earth this is essentially exchangeable with a pound in terms of weight (which is not mass).

But then he goes and specifies the chipmunk's weight instead of its mass just to trigger pedants. WHY :(
You should be getting more triggered by the fact that the visual aspect of the comic is about volume, not physical mass.
Or even more specifically speaking, subjective 2D visual cross section.
The comparison is actually presented using a ratio in solid angle from the eyes of the viewer

Re: [2018-07-25] Literary Analysis

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 2:59 pm
by HikaruYami
Showsni wrote:
HikaruYami wrote:https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/literary-analysis

So, I'm aware that we've defined an avoirdupois pound as a unit of mass (rather than merely weight), and on earth this is essentially exchangeable with a pound in terms of weight (which is not mass).

But then he goes and specifies the chipmunk's weight instead of its mass just to trigger pedants. WHY :(
The pedant in me wants to say that the whole thing is pointless and we should be looking at relative volumes. For all I know whales are extremely dense compared to humans, so that despite the difference in mass we are exactly the same size.
That's an excellent point--an alien who has studied our mathematical systems but not our biological ones could be incredibly confused.
Kit. wrote:
Showsni wrote:For all I know whales are extremely dense compared to humans, so that despite the difference in mass we are exactly the same size.
For all I know, humans represent an extreme diversity of density.
Which is actually sort of *true*, but to be fair, we also represent an extreme diversity of, separately, volumes and heights, so assuming that the presented measurements are a sort of "estimated average" seems fine.

Re: [2018-07-25] Literary Analysis

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 7:28 pm
by Kit.
HikaruYami wrote:
Kit. wrote:
Showsni wrote:For all I know whales are extremely dense compared to humans, so that despite the difference in mass we are exactly the same size.
For all I know, humans represent an extreme diversity of density.
Which is actually sort of *true*, but to be fair, we also represent an extreme diversity of, separately, volumes and heights, so assuming that the presented measurements are a sort of "estimated average" seems fine.
Try looking at human density from a sperm whale's point of view.

An "estimated average" human cannot even float properly, let alone dive a kilometer deep and then float back unharmed.