◢ The tale of the disproportionate reaction to a minor scientific innacuracy in a text
themanfromnantucket submitted:
Mind you, it’s is not a logical thing; far from it. This is the sort of reaction that occurs when a Science Student tries to focus on the ideas and the stories but is overcome by the Cry Of The Scientist. Imagine this:
It all begins on a dark and story evening. The Science student can be found in his dorm, alone and unsuspecting. He has had a long, and engaging day of classes and is reading a comic book when it starts. He hears a plaintive howl “….thaaat’ssss innnnaaacurrraate…”, but he dismisses it, as he is not weak of heart and willing to succumb. He reads on. As the plot thickens, the Cry becomes louder. “No,” he mumbles to himself, ” I can resist. The accuracy of this detail does not detract from the greater meaning of the story!” The Student once again pushes on.
The night grows long and the Student becomes weary. He rubs his eyes sleepily but stops short when he hears the hiss: “that defies the internal logic of the story.” He looks frantically about. Seeing that he is alone, he rationalizes the noise away. It must have been his imagination. Whatever semblance of calm he managed to attain is suddenly shattered by a gasping sob, “that set of equations is completely gibberish!”He tries to scream but his desperate appeal for help is drowned out by the overwhelming Cry Of The Scientist.
The shrieks seems to come at home from every corner of the room,
“PHYSICS DOESN’T TURN ON AND OFF WHEN YOU WANT IT TO-“
“-NO ONE GETS LAB RESULTS THAT QUICKLY-“
“-ONLY AN IDIOT WOULD THINK MIXING THOSE TWO CHEMICALS WOULD-“
”- IN LAMARKIAN EVOLUTION MAYBE, BUT THAT’S CERTAINLY NOT HOW IT WORKS-“
He thrashes violently and crumples to the floor. With his last reserves of strength pulls himself into rhe corner where he has no choice but to let the horror wash over him. Finally, mercifully, it ends. As the ruckus fades and the Science Student can be heard mumbling “inaccurate….inaccurate….inaccurate” softly as he holds his knees and rocks himself back and forth. At last, collapses into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Try as he might to deny the events of the night before, the Student wakes a different person; he is a man forever changed by Science. It is not noticeable by most, but occasionally an unusually perceptive colleague will catch his odd behavior here or there. Nothing can be done for the Student; he is too far gone. Let him suffer without indignity, for this is the life of a man succumbed to The Cry Of The Scientist.
oh my god
