https://xkcd.com/2897

Alt text:

When Pope Gregory XIII briefly shortened the light-year in 1582, it led to navigational chaos and the loss of several Papal starships.

  • Sibbo@sopuli.xyz
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    2 years ago

    Why not redefine lightyears to include a leap year every four years. Except when the number ends on 00, but only if it is not divisible by 400. Physics would be so much easier!

  • someguy3@lemmy.ca
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    2 years ago

    Hmmm now that I think about this a light year would be (should be) based on an average year, not what we observe in any given year.

    365.2425 days. Different searches give different results but that’s what I’m going with.

    • cally [he/they]@pawb.social
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      2 years ago

      idk, it feels more intuitive for it to be based on the mode (most common) year length (365) instead of the average year length (365.2425).

  • MidRomney@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Just wondering, but do people actually find xkcd funny? Are these comics supposed to be funny?

    • Opafi@feddit.de
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      2 years ago

      do people actually find xkcd funny?

      Yes. And I should know, I’m a people.

          • thepreciousboar@lemm.ee
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            2 years ago

            You can try insulting me as much as you want, your elementary school comeback is not going to land

          • psud@lemmy.world
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            2 years ago

            I see people like you, and I am reminded that Lemmy has nothing to dissuade those who chase the largest negative score.

            Not saying that’s what you’re doing, just that if you aren’t, you should consider it since you seem good at it

            • suction@lemmy.world
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              2 years ago

              The day I start caring for internet points I want to be shot on the spot, please. I know, hard concept to grasp for low-to-middle educated Japanese culture aficionados.

      • sleen@lemmy.zip
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        2 years ago

        If not for nerds you wouldn’t be typing this paragraph due to the internet being non existent.

      • BeigeAgenda@lemmy.ca
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        2 years ago

        I think it’s hilarious that you promote nerd bashing on a platform where the majority is working with IT, just look how often posts from Programmer Humor trend.

        • suction@lemmy.world
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          2 years ago

          Is it „bashing“ though to point out the well researched fact that the new right wing demagogues and fascists are finding a lot of sympathy from nerd circles ? The „manosphere“, gamers, Japanese culture afficionados (because alleged racial purity), 4chan trolls, etc.

          Just saying „that’s not all nerds“ isn’t doing a good job of convincing anyone that they’re a problem and they didn’t use to be one. Something has changed.

          • Miaou@jlai.lu
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            2 years ago

            I think your average afd voter is more likely to bully nerds than befriend them.

            Academia, the place where the woke idealogy is propped up by… Querdenker nerds? Lol give me a break

          • BeigeAgenda@lemmy.ca
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            2 years ago

            What a depressing load of conspiracy nonsense you got hold of there. 🙄

            I really don’t want to get any links to pages that “prove” your point.

          • Sage the Lawyer@lemmy.world
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            2 years ago

            Fucking what?

            It is well documented that the more educated someone is, the more likely they are to vote for left-wing politics. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2016/04/26/a-wider-ideological-gap-between-more-and-less-educated-adults/

            Thus the right’s war on education. They want uneducated masses to inundate with propaganda, not critical thinkers.

            Also I think your definition of “nerd” is absurdly narrow. Dictionary says it’s someone who is either highly enthusiastic about a particular topic or someone who is boringly studious. That’s like, virtually everyone with a college degree. People tend to major in things they’re enthusiastic about. Or, if they’re just after the “best” diploma, they’re probably in the “boringly studious” category.

            You can be a nerd about anything, and I’d actually wager most people are a nerd about at least one thing. It’s not limited to the categories you arbitrarily selected to make your point (without any actual evidence presented, I might add).

      • nfh@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        There hasn’t been a Papal starship yet. I’m pretty sure he could Christen one, or delegate that authority to the bishop of the moon, an actual thing that technically exists.