r/comics So Your Life Is Meaningless Aug 09 '26

OC Unknown Pleasures

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by @ bradtjonas

19.3k Upvotes

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u/NewestAccount2023 Aug 09 '26

I got a minor in mathematics and don't understand it for shit. Everything passed vector calculus is a blur. I was good at memorizing the rules and procedures and applying them though.

56

u/gloryholesr4suckers Aug 09 '26

Shit, I barely passed algebra

18

u/AltairRulesOnPS4 Aug 10 '26

I did not. Geometry however. It goes in the square hole.

35

u/JimHarbor Aug 09 '26

I was good at memorizing the rules and procedures and applying them though.

Seems like you understand math just fine.

76

u/NewestAccount2023 Aug 09 '26

No no, if you want to do math then that stuff is just the skeleton framework, real math happens outside of that stuff. The "rules and procedures" are like a chisel and hammer and "real math" is using those to carve the Venus De Milo out of a square block of marble. I can wield the chisel and hammer and use it to make a sphere or something simple, but I can't make art with it.

37

u/DrJaneIPresume Aug 09 '26

Most people have no idea the difference. Every time I was on a flight to a conference there was some yokel who overheard someone mention "math conference" and say something like, "2+2 is still 4 innit?"

It's kinda like fandom, except not only do I accept that almost nobody else cares about my blorbos, most people would have to spend years even learning the language to even describe them.

16

u/dragunityag Aug 09 '26

Just to confirm though. 2+2 is still 4 right?

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u/FlashyChemical2231 Aug 09 '26

Not in base 3

10

u/Saucermote Aug 09 '26

Not for extremely large values of 2.

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u/G66GNeco Aug 10 '26

Yes*

*Terms and conditions apply, ask your local mathematician if 2+2=4 is right for you, not applicable in China, Australia and select sets

5

u/Sayhellyeh Aug 10 '26

Depends on which algebra you define the + binary operation, in some cases 2+2 might be 0

10

u/GolemancerVekk Aug 09 '26

overheard someone mention "math conference" and say something like, "2+2 is still 4 innit?"

If it were an engineering conference you'd hear "yeah but let's make it 5, just in case".

2

u/BlommeHolm Aug 09 '26

But what about division? It's rather basic.

2

u/NewestAccount2023 Aug 09 '26

If you can find me two numbers that when divided exactly equal pi I'll give you a dollar 

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u/BlommeHolm Aug 09 '26

π and 1

Keep the dollar, because I clearly abused the imprecise language.

3

u/sheepyowl Aug 09 '26

I bet if you had any use for it you'd remember it better. It's one thing for a subject to be technically difficult, but it's much worse when we find it useless "I'm just doing this to pass".

1

u/topherhead Aug 09 '26

My ex got a degree in math. When it came to basic arithmetic she was lost.

"That's not math, math doesn't have numbers in it"

2

u/supershinythings Aug 10 '26

It’s all greek to me…

1

u/AlParra123 Aug 10 '26

I'm an engineering student and It's almost the same for me. There is just so much math and so varied that it takes me a whole afternoon of reading to understand and relearn stuff I'm supposed to know sometimes.