Sounds of Science
"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka' but 'That's funny...'"
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Science is Serious Business. That's why any self-respecting practitioner of theoretical or applied science, mathematician or philosopher will refuse to study samples, examine specimens or patients, look through a microscope, make calculations or even read - in silence. Not being able to contain their interest in the very scientific matter at hand is considered the mark of the true Absent-Minded Professor, who will mutter, murmur and mumble incessantly to prove beyond doubt that, yes, science is going on right now.
Common Sounds of Science include:
- "For Science!!";
- Prolonged "hmmmm"s;
- Thinking Out Loud;
- Techno Babble;
- "A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside An Enigma...";
- "Hm-hm...";
- "Carry the One...";
- "Aha!";
- "Interesting..."/"Fascinating..."/"Intriguing...";
- Series of "tsk"s;
- "That's funny...";
- "If My Calculations Are Correct...";
- "Oh!";
- "Eureka!";
- "The Readings Are Off the Scale!";
- "I've Never Seen Anything Like This Before...";
- "It's alive!"
- "My God, What Have I Done?!"
- "NOOOOOOOO!"
Please don't list single instances of the Sounds of Science listed above, but rather significant or Egregious uses of this trope as well as cases where this is played with!
- Gloriously hammed up in the Invader Zim episode Rise of the Zitboy where Zim lays some wicked science on a pair of hapless chickens: "Hmm.. HMMMM! Hmmmmmm! Hm? Hmmm... chicken!"
- Justified in Warhammer 40,000 where the tech-priests pray to machine spirits.
- A textbook example from Wondermark.
- This Island Earth had some kind of experiment with nuclear reactions. The Mystery Science Theater 3000 guys had a field day with it.
Cal Meachem: Monitor the rate of radioactive decay. |
- Steve Urkel had Sounds of Science Catch Phrases: "I'm a genius!" and the strange "Shhh.. not while I'm pouring."
- Oingo Boingo's "Weird Science" is sung by a scientist and includes cries of "It's Alive!" The movie it was made for shows that the scientist is actually singing while doing science.
- In Schlock Mercenary, The issue of "Eureka!" versus "That's funny," is discussed here and in the subsequent strip, directly mentioning Asimov's quote above.
- Calvin and Hobbes: "Scientific progress goes 'boink'?"