Frazz by Jef Mallett for May 17, 2021

Numerology done on the alphabet?

“When you don’t know where you’re going, any road’ll take you there.” (Thank you Father Dodgson)

Mr’s Olsen’s response also began with the same letter!

It must be cosmic alliteration!

Caulfield is practicing for government grants.

That should be good for a grant or two.

It’s significant because I can get a paper out of it.

Are we now expecting Leo the MGM Lion to roar after this?

My motto in life: “I never get lost. I often visit places I hadn’t intended to visit, but I never get lost.”

You can fall off a six-foot ladder and not get hurt if you haven’t moved past the bottom step.

the whole premise of IgNobel

“Wherever you go, there you are.” – Jim Russel

Caulfield is a force to be reckoned with.

Hmm. I am not sure if this was the intent… but I find the words of Caulfield (Jef) a bit annoying today:

Again, I am not sure if this was the intent, but as a scientist, the last statement by Caulfiled rubbed me the wrong way….. “Research for research’s sake” is often used as a way to denigrate scientific research that does not have a clearly identifiable, immediate benefit. It is sometimes referred to as “pure” science (as opposed to “applied” science with is more immediately applicable). If the comparison of the word “aphorism” and the 45-letter aphorism phrase is going to be equated with “pure” research… then it feels like Caulfield is slamming pure research.

But, the reality is that pure research (while it may NOT have an immediate, direct benefit) IS carefully structured, well-thought-out, and designed to discover truly new information about the natural world. And, a GREAT deal of pure research in all scientific fields has CONTRIBUTED greatly to scientific and societal advancement.

Caulfield’s words today just grind me… because they sound much like the balderdash that a lot of anti-science folks spew all the time.

That’s the thinking that gets you a government grant…