But it’s totally out of character Artie would break the fourth wall by any means necessary to correct such a hanouse misspelling in one of his text bubbles.
No, that isn’t semantics. Semantics is when you behave like you can’t understand pain English simply because it does not conform to your completely arbitrary and made-up grammar rues.
Um, no. Semantics is the link between map and territory: it’s the part of grammar (and indeed language) that relates to what things mean. Syntax and semantics are the two broad sections of grammar. Syntax describes whether a construction is valid, and semantics determines what it means. Of course, in actuality choice of syntax can itself carry semantic information, because it turns out language doesn’t actually divide quite that neatly, but the point stands.
And by the way, “potato swims green pants” isn’t correct (for most reasonable values of “correct”, assuming English syntax and word-classes on the basis that those are English words) even without semantics, because syntatically it’s “[noun[subj]] [verb[intr]] [noun-phrase[adj,noun][obj]]” and intransitive verbs don’t have an objective-case argument.
Godel’s Incompleteness Theorum is probably what he’s drinking. It contains rum, obviously, but the other ingredients vary on who is serving it, and the recipe may never be complete…
You’re very close to the truth there, Matt. The orthography of Artie’s fourth-panel line is a little misleading, but you’ve nearly got it.
It’s a little-known* fact that, in addition to his work in mathematics and philosophy, Godel also indulged in some not-altogether-legal home distilling projects, which, for reasons he alone best knew, he would name after famous cryptids and/or children in his family. One such project, a spirit made from byproducts of sugarcane and named for both a certain Scottish lake beast and Godel’s great-nephew Theodore, he always felt unsatisfied with, as though it was lacking some ingredient he never managed to identify. Even so, however, most batches of it were tasty enough for consumption, and he and his friends and relatives would drink the stuff. A few bottles–including one that Artie evidently got his hands on–somehow made it into circulation in the wider world, bearing the label “Godel’s Incomplete Ness-Theo Rum.”
… Verily, like unto Pearls Before Swine creator Stephan Pastis, I too can say, “I will go to great lengths for a bad pun.”
It’s quite impressive that Dr Lee is able to keep up with Artie. I think it’s a strong indicator of just how clever she truly is (aside from being able to make the insane, sane)
Man, I hate it when that happens! The last time that I dropped my anthropic mechanism, some of the parts rolled away and it took me weeks to get it back together and working correctly!
Unity HAS become worryingly brighter, hasn’t she. I keep on forgetting that she has motivations beyond being Sweetheart’s friend and team muscle. And Dead Rights is something she’s been working on for ages.
Yes, when actually motivated she can be frighteningly focussed, even with Purina Zombie Chow to assist her. It’s just that “Oh, my friends / team are doing this, and I’m doing it with them, and they want me to pay attention and remember details” doesn’t usually come anywhere CLOSE to motivating her.
Is it just me, or are pretty much all Sweetheart’s lines something in the frame of “I don’t want to think about this” or “this frustrates me” or “blank makes my head hurt”? Sweetheart never wants to ponder or investigate anything. She just huffs and grumbles, whining for the world to be easier for her to deal with, rather than ever trying to grow into the sort of person who is better equipped to deal with the world.
You’re not wrong at all. Its her main character flaw, being so hidebound and serious. Not that the team doesn’t desperately need someone like that, but she still needs to loosen up.
The phrase “I don’t want to even think about it” (etc) doesn’t mean that she can’t; it means that she already has, that she knows exactly what’s probably happening based on prior experience, and that she disapproves of it. She’s coping just fine; she is just expressing her disapproval.
I don’t know dr lee are you speculateing that logic machine exist that cannot be model as turing machine? As a scientist I can say that the human brain is mechanical in all it’s functions. As a human I like theories that imply that my mind is greater than the sum of it’s parts I am very at odds with this idea of self.
Thank you once again Jeff and Shaenon for forcing me to wander around the internet and discover neat new knowledges!
I had heard of the Anthropic Principle, but never Anthropic Mechanism, but now (thanks to Wikipedia) I know enough about it to feel comfortable saying I don’t really need to know any more about it at this point in my life. XD
Had to post the filk this morning on GoComics, since this site hadn’t updated yet … just for the sake of my completeness, I’ll re-post it here …
(TUNE: “Unforgettable”, Nat King Cole)
Intellectual … that’s what we are!
Philosophical … here at the bar!
That anthropic mechanism’s swell!
Can’t mix incompleteness of Godel!
Artie says not …
Lee takes a shot!
Oh, so tedious … Tip finds their talk!
He will catch the bus, or maybe walk …
Tip will mosey back to his hotel,
Seems his mojo cannot break the spell
Of these highly intellectual
Two!
I’m a Misanthropic Mechanic… I know how to fix your incompleteness; be it theoretical, existential, or rational. Much licking is usually involved, as well as copious amounts of mind-altering sex along with varied forms of alcohol used as both lubricant and universal solvent.
Tip, you really shouldn’t leave the principal alone. For all you know, Artie has been doing this to drive you away for exactly that purpose! Ain’t nobody can tell what that guy is up to.
Theorem, with two “e”s.
As a dress-wearing dude who studied math, I’m sort of torn with sentiments.
Theorum is a neologism proposed by Richard Dawkins to distinguish the scientific meaning of the word “theory” from its colloquial meaning.
Neither meaning of “theory” applies to Gödel’s incompleteness theorems (of which there are two).
There are two other words that are relevant here. One is ‘pedant’ and the other is ‘semantic’.
But it’s totally out of character Artie would break the fourth wall by any means necessary to correct such a hanouse misspelling in one of his text bubbles.
If you ignore semantics, then “Potato swims green pants” is a perfectly fine sentence.
No, that isn’t semantics. Semantics is when you behave like you can’t understand pain English simply because it does not conform to your completely arbitrary and made-up grammar rues.
Um, no. Semantics is the link between map and territory: it’s the part of grammar (and indeed language) that relates to what things mean. Syntax and semantics are the two broad sections of grammar. Syntax describes whether a construction is valid, and semantics determines what it means. Of course, in actuality choice of syntax can itself carry semantic information, because it turns out language doesn’t actually divide quite that neatly, but the point stands.
And by the way, “potato swims green pants” isn’t correct (for most reasonable values of “correct”, assuming English syntax and word-classes on the basis that those are English words) even without semantics, because syntatically it’s “[noun[subj]] [verb[intr]] [noun-phrase[adj,noun][obj]]” and intransitive verbs don’t have an objective-case argument.
When you’re smarter than the human race you spell theorem with a u
Now that you mention it, Artie probably has uttered the sentence “but my spelling system makes so much more sense!”
Godel’s Incompleteness Theorum is probably what he’s drinking. It contains rum, obviously, but the other ingredients vary on who is serving it, and the recipe may never be complete…
You’re very close to the truth there, Matt. The orthography of Artie’s fourth-panel line is a little misleading, but you’ve nearly got it.
It’s a little-known* fact that, in addition to his work in mathematics and philosophy, Godel also indulged in some not-altogether-legal home distilling projects, which, for reasons he alone best knew, he would name after famous cryptids and/or children in his family. One such project, a spirit made from byproducts of sugarcane and named for both a certain Scottish lake beast and Godel’s great-nephew Theodore, he always felt unsatisfied with, as though it was lacking some ingredient he never managed to identify. Even so, however, most batches of it were tasty enough for consumption, and he and his friends and relatives would drink the stuff. A few bottles–including one that Artie evidently got his hands on–somehow made it into circulation in the wider world, bearing the label “Godel’s Incomplete Ness-Theo Rum.”
… Verily, like unto Pearls Before Swine creator Stephan Pastis, I too can say, “I will go to great lengths for a bad pun.”
*’Cause I made it up.
It’s quite impressive that Dr Lee is able to keep up with Artie. I think it’s a strong indicator of just how clever she truly is (aside from being able to make the insane, sane)
Man, I hate it when that happens! The last time that I dropped my anthropic mechanism, some of the parts rolled away and it took me weeks to get it back together and working correctly!
Unity HAS become worryingly brighter, hasn’t she. I keep on forgetting that she has motivations beyond being Sweetheart’s friend and team muscle. And Dead Rights is something she’s been working on for ages.
Yes, when actually motivated she can be frighteningly focussed, even with Purina Zombie Chow to assist her. It’s just that “Oh, my friends / team are doing this, and I’m doing it with them, and they want me to pay attention and remember details” doesn’t usually come anywhere CLOSE to motivating her.
–Dave
*without. grrr.
–Dave
Is it just me, or are pretty much all Sweetheart’s lines something in the frame of “I don’t want to think about this” or “this frustrates me” or “blank makes my head hurt”? Sweetheart never wants to ponder or investigate anything. She just huffs and grumbles, whining for the world to be easier for her to deal with, rather than ever trying to grow into the sort of person who is better equipped to deal with the world.
You’re not wrong at all. Its her main character flaw, being so hidebound and serious. Not that the team doesn’t desperately need someone like that, but she still needs to loosen up.
I don’t think Sweetheart would be able to see any of this at all if she weren’t a talking dog herself.
The phrase “I don’t want to even think about it” (etc) doesn’t mean that she can’t; it means that she already has, that she knows exactly what’s probably happening based on prior experience, and that she disapproves of it. She’s coping just fine; she is just expressing her disapproval.
She’s a civil servant. Whatcha gonna do.
I don’t know dr lee are you speculateing that logic machine exist that cannot be model as turing machine? As a scientist I can say that the human brain is mechanical in all it’s functions. As a human I like theories that imply that my mind is greater than the sum of it’s parts I am very at odds with this idea of self.
Yeaaaah, when two people who have just met start developing in-jokes on you, it’s time to relocate to somewhere else.
Thank you once again Jeff and Shaenon for forcing me to wander around the internet and discover neat new knowledges!
I had heard of the Anthropic Principle, but never Anthropic Mechanism, but now (thanks to Wikipedia) I know enough about it to feel comfortable saying I don’t really need to know any more about it at this point in my life. XD
Had to post the filk this morning on GoComics, since this site hadn’t updated yet … just for the sake of my completeness, I’ll re-post it here …
(TUNE: “Unforgettable”, Nat King Cole)
Intellectual … that’s what we are!
Philosophical … here at the bar!
That anthropic mechanism’s swell!
Can’t mix incompleteness of Godel!
Artie says not …
Lee takes a shot!
Oh, so tedious … Tip finds their talk!
He will catch the bus, or maybe walk …
Tip will mosey back to his hotel,
Seems his mojo cannot break the spell
Of these highly intellectual
Two!
I’m a Misanthropic Mechanic… I know how to fix your incompleteness; be it theoretical, existential, or rational. Much licking is usually involved, as well as copious amounts of mind-altering sex along with varied forms of alcohol used as both lubricant and universal solvent.
mnem
Make me lick you.
Uggh. I think I had a little too much “solvent” last night.
mnem
*Goes back to bed*
Ooh! A reference I know! …Being that I majored in Philosophy of Math, it would be sad if I didn’t…
Tip, you really shouldn’t leave the principal alone. For all you know, Artie has been doing this to drive you away for exactly that purpose! Ain’t nobody can tell what that guy is up to.