True. A responsible scientist would invent a brain synthesizer, rather than a mere vending machine. A fannish scientist would invent one that could also synthesize dishes from SF tv shows and movies. Now THAT would be responsible science.
“I’ll have brains with an Altairian curry sauce, and a side of 307 ale…”
It is a brain synthesizer. Where did you think the brains came from? That’s how they can have the undead and the living living together in peace like they do.
She’s quite possibly mad, but she’s not Mad with a capital M. That has a very specific meaning and it’s quite annoying when people keep insisting that if she’s a scientist who’s crazy she must be a Madgirl.
All you have to do is not read SH except for breakfast, then you have a happy, chippy tune running through your head all day and not playing in your sleep! No problemo!
Yes he did; remember he wasn’t Mad until the very end. Up until then he only had the potential to become a mad scientist. He was totally aware he was bat SHIN crazy once he went Mad.
He wasn’t aware he was a Madboy. He lacked the reality filter that most mundanes have from the beginning, and he was doing crazy physics-breaking things pretty much from day one.
Sales should be brisk. After all, there is a severe shortage of sensible brains on board. Virginia even has the right specialty, though I don’t think she’s had much experience with that variety.
Except that the defining characteristic of “Mad Science” in this universe is doing crazy, physics-defying things. Dave did those from the beginning, Ginny hasn’t done anything like that. That she’s a scientist and a little nuts does not make her a Madgirl.
No, it really, really isn’t. Not capital-M Mad. Mad Science is about building things that warp the laws of physics, and a frickin’ vending machine most definitely does not require that.
Head Canon Dr. Lee is a complete loon but some how all her inventions are reproducible through average backwards engineering unlike mad scientific invitation. Also if future sergio is any clue he is pretty sane but his inventions are completely unable to be backwards engineered
The best evidence that Dr. Lee isn’t mad is that she never does things just for the sake of SCIENCE. When she decides to create something, she starts with a purpose, designs according to that purpose, and doesn’t deviate from the purpose or add unnecessary or tangential parts to the design. The fact that she’s a sane woman working in the field of mad science is why her devices and experiments rarely end up serving that intended purpose, but that still doesn’t make her mad.
Completely? That rules out just about everyone I know. The engineers have nothing on the mathematicians, though, so it’s hard to tell about the former.
Style isn’t the same as purpose. Unnecessary elements that don’t serve a purpose aren’t the same as if, say Nick somehow accidentally had the capability to transform or travel through time, even though those things weren’t in the original design specs.
In other news, as I’m sure you’ve all noticed, we’re still working on the site issues, which have turned out to be surprisingly complicated. Garrity out.
Just tweeted tonight (2/1):
“Steve Jackson Games @SJGames
Current favorite phrase: “sensible brain vending machine.” -SJ”
(commented on today’s comic also since not sure if people will see it on this one that it references – also probably multi-commented by accident on the gocomics site –kytyn)
Six times the *radius*. It sounds fancy, but is in fact precisely what you get from a regular hexagon.
I’m getting the vague impression that ‘straight-6 tau’ is some kind of reference, though. Did perhaps “Bloody Stupid” Johnson use such a flywheel in one of his designs?
No, Dr. Lee’s not Mad at all. How could anyone think that?
She’s not mad. Just irresponsible.
True. A responsible scientist would invent a brain synthesizer, rather than a mere vending machine. A fannish scientist would invent one that could also synthesize dishes from SF tv shows and movies. Now THAT would be responsible science.
“I’ll have brains with an Altairian curry sauce, and a side of 307 ale…”
It is a brain synthesizer. Where did you think the brains came from? That’s how they can have the undead and the living living together in peace like they do.
She’s quite possibly mad, but she’s not Mad with a capital M. That has a very specific meaning and it’s quite annoying when people keep insisting that if she’s a scientist who’s crazy she must be a Madgirl.
Ah yes, Dr Lee’s “sensible” science. So much less scary than mad science…
(TUNE: “Zip-Ah-Dee-Do-Dah”, Allie Wrubel and Ray Gilbert)
Sensible science! Sensible tech!
This ma-chine is a absolute wreck!
Broken and burned up, busted to heck!
Sensible science! Sensible tech!
Not abnormal nor malicious!
I am such … a smartie,
I’ll perk up the office party!
Sensible science! Sensible tech!
Brain-O-Mat vendor, done in a sec!
*frantically digs around in junk box for an internet that’s in reasonably good awarding condition*
Ed, you really outdid yourself.
Thanks, Ed. Now I’ll have that song playing in my sleep!
All you have to do is not read SH except for breakfast, then you have a happy, chippy tune running through your head all day and not playing in your sleep! No problemo!
Sensible science.
We do what we must because we should.
She believes she is sane. It’s hardly surprising; mad people believe many peculiar things.
yes but in the narboniverse the mad scientists always know they are mad, but they just don’t care
Dave didn’t…
Yes he did; remember he wasn’t Mad until the very end. Up until then he only had the potential to become a mad scientist. He was totally aware he was bat SHIN crazy once he went Mad.
He wasn’t aware he was a Madboy. He lacked the reality filter that most mundanes have from the beginning, and he was doing crazy physics-breaking things pretty much from day one.
Of course, not everyone who has read Skin Horse has read Narbonic yet. People really should read that first, but you shouldn’t assume that they have.
But I don’t want to go among mad people…
Oh, you can’t help that. We’re all mad here.
It’s possible she’s not mad, but that doesn’t mean she’s sane.
Sales should be brisk. After all, there is a severe shortage of sensible brains on board. Virginia even has the right specialty, though I don’t think she’s had much experience with that variety.
Dave had no idea he was becoming a mad scientist until afterward. No reason for Dr. Lee to be aware that this is happening to her either.
Except that the defining characteristic of “Mad Science” in this universe is doing crazy, physics-defying things. Dave did those from the beginning, Ginny hasn’t done anything like that. That she’s a scientist and a little nuts does not make her a Madgirl.
I would say building a “sensible brain vending machine” is pretty good evidence that she is, in fact, Mad.
No, it really, really isn’t. Not capital-M Mad. Mad Science is about building things that warp the laws of physics, and a frickin’ vending machine most definitely does not require that.
Just love the third panel; that wide-eyed innocent look as she delivers a completely mad statement.
Love the use of Tau by Dr. Lee. Does she think many flywheels were built in Indiana during 1897?
Tau is more logical than it’s more famous half-brother.
That’s the only place you could get straight 6-Tau flywheels. Everywhere else, flywheels were round.
I do not understand this comment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Pi_Bill
Tau = 2 * Pi.
Man, I knew about the Pi bill, and that still went straight past me.
First I ever heard of Tau though (and I majored in math).
Mad! They called me mad!
Don’t they recognize eccentric when they see it?!
N. Tesla – I Did It My Way.
So… were slipping towards Dr. Lee’s “breakthrough” arn’t we… arn’t those generally very, well, destructive and life theatening? FUN!
Well, non-time-travel-altered Dave’s DID result in a thermonuclear war…
Head Canon Dr. Lee is a complete loon but some how all her inventions are reproducible through average backwards engineering unlike mad scientific invitation. Also if future sergio is any clue he is pretty sane but his inventions are completely unable to be backwards engineered
I’m going to start using Mendoza’s last line as a response to Pointy-Haired Bosses.
The best evidence that Dr. Lee isn’t mad is that she never does things just for the sake of SCIENCE. When she decides to create something, she starts with a purpose, designs according to that purpose, and doesn’t deviate from the purpose or add unnecessary or tangential parts to the design. The fact that she’s a sane woman working in the field of mad science is why her devices and experiments rarely end up serving that intended purpose, but that still doesn’t make her mad.
Ah, so she’s a mad engineer.
Isn’t that a bit redundant? Speaking as an engineer… how many of us do you know who would genuinely qualify as completely sane?
Completely? That rules out just about everyone I know. The engineers have nothing on the mathematicians, though, so it’s hard to tell about the former.
The Oompa-Loompas of Mad Science.
If nothing is unnecessary or tangential, how do you explain that Nick’s sound files include burps? Or, for that matter, Unity’s perky pigtails?
Style isn’t the same as purpose. Unnecessary elements that don’t serve a purpose aren’t the same as if, say Nick somehow accidentally had the capability to transform or travel through time, even though those things weren’t in the original design specs.
I will take note of the implication that Dr. Lee’s office picnics routinely include brain-eaters.
In other news, as I’m sure you’ve all noticed, we’re still working on the site issues, which have turned out to be surprisingly complicated. Garrity out.
I imagine they’re looking at your host’s server in panel one.
Just tweeted tonight (2/1):
“Steve Jackson Games @SJGames
Current favorite phrase: “sensible brain vending machine.” -SJ”
(commented on today’s comic also since not sure if people will see it on this one that it references – also probably multi-commented by accident on the gocomics site –kytyn)
“Straight-6 tau”: So a flywheel where the circumference is an even six times the diameter instead of that messy 6.18cetera?
*6.28
Six times the *radius*. It sounds fancy, but is in fact precisely what you get from a regular hexagon.
I’m getting the vague impression that ‘straight-6 tau’ is some kind of reference, though. Did perhaps “Bloody Stupid” Johnson use such a flywheel in one of his designs?