Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller

Non Sequitur

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  1. SaintRCat

    SaintRCat said, 11 months ago

    They’re going to have some really, really interesting kids someday.

  2. baslim_the_begger

    baslim_the_beggerGenius_badge said, 11 months ago

    Hmmm, you start with zero velocity on earth and end up with zero velocity on mars. Of course, with Danae’s method you could end up with any number of velocity solutions at the earth, some of which will kill you… Let’s have Danae try those out.

  3. prasrinivara

    prasrinivara said, 11 months ago

    Danae’s “magic math” is akin basically to Calvin’s “time-travel math” (which Calvin can’t explain when Hobbes asks him).

  4. Wenthral

    Wenthral said, 11 months ago

    Didn’t NASA do this with one of the Mars probes a few years back?

    It did turn out so well as I recall.

  5. prasrinivara

    prasrinivara said, 11 months ago

    Another analogue of Danae’s “magic math” was an old Daffy Duck cartoon where Daffy installs pushbuttons in Elmer Fudd’s home (after force-boarding Elmer on a nonstop bus to Duluth). Specifically, the “Elevator Area” scene where Daffy says “we’ll bring the upstairs downstairs” and then pushes the button; the aftermath (when he retakes Elmer downstairs) is the downstairs being totally wrecked–and ticks off Elmer who orders a robot from Acme to eject Daffy.

  6. jack75287

    jack75287 said, 11 months ago

    I love Dinae

  7. jdfoot

    jdfoot said, 11 months ago

    Wiley may be aware that Danae’s recent jag is not as prepostrous as it may sound to non-mathematicians. Not one myself, still I appreciate their craft, and it is one of their time-honored approach to thorny problems. You can see some of the 11 thousand examples found by google for this process, in which mathematicians ASSUME THE SOLUTION to their problem has a certain form, then just find the right numbers to plug in, just like Danae. http://tinyurl.com/dnx5kv

  8. Doctor Toon

    Doctor ToonGenius_badge said, 11 months ago

    That’s not how science works!

    It will be once Danaes’ magic math method re-works reality to suit her will.

  9. fogey

    fogeyGenius_badge said, 11 months ago

    This technique is used by good Engineers and crooked research scientists. It is also the core of psycho-cybernetics and bunting a baseball.

  10. grazer

    grazer said, 11 months ago

    Don’t knock it, Jeffrey. Danae’s magic math can help your Mars probe land on the dark side of the moon.

  11. bunnyface (bmonk)

    bunnyface (bmonk) said, 11 months ago

    “That’s not how science works!!”

    Oh, just assume that’s how it does, and work backwards until you get the right question. Then it will.

  12. plus4

    plus4 said, 11 months ago

    If he grows up to be a scientist, depending on what area he gets into, he may not always be able to say that…

  13. Paudil

    Paudil said, 11 months ago

    Actually… sometimes it is easier to start with the solution, and work your way backwards. As long as it’s a well-defined problem, you can go either way.

  14. kzapfe

    kzapfe said, 11 months ago

    Hey Wiley:

    Have you heard about the inverse problem in mathematics? It is just what Danae is proposing and using. And much of science does work that way (not so easy, but usually very insightfull).

  15. #1 redskins fan

    #1 redskins fan said, 11 months ago

    The way I complete mazes is to start at the Finish and work my way back to Start. I can’t complete them by starting at Start. (seriously!) Some people say this means dyslexic mildly I’m!

  16. Wildmustang1262

    Wildmustang1262 said, 11 months ago

    Sorry, Math is not my subject! I dismiss and then, I have no comment, tho’.

  17. joy

    joyGenius_badge said, 11 months ago

    …and just how do we come by the Solutions, Danae?? If there is no ‘problem’ there is no solution. If there is no solution was there a ‘problem’? Oh I get it, if there is a solution there was a ‘problem’!! Cool. No, that’s not it… oh who cares?

    As soon as I can get out of this Institution I’m going to eat a whole box of “chocalot’s”.

    Enjoyed the strip Wiley. ;-D

  18. alife

    alife said, 11 months ago

    Today’s scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality.


    • Nikola Tesla

  19. Caddy57

    Caddy57 said, 11 months ago

    Unless they kill each other first SaintRcat

  20. C1PNR

    C1PNR said, 11 months ago

    I think we’ve just seen the origin of the “Global Warming” religion! And, of course, Jeffrey is the quintessential “Denier.”

  21. bald 716

    bald 716 said, 11 months ago

    that is how math already works in washington d.c. they have proven it over and over again
    danae learned from them

  22. runar

    runarGenius_badge said, 11 months ago

    Wenthral says:
    Didn’t NASA do this with one of the Mars probes a few years back?

    That happened because the project was specced out in English and built in metric. (or something like that). A half liter of beer is bigger than a pint with or without a punt.

  23. Radical-Knight

    Radical-KnightGenius_badge said, 11 months ago

    Perhaps Wile E. Coyote could just tutor Danae.