MetaFilter posts tagged with humour and science

Grand Unification may be occurring near your vital organs.

Zero Gravitas — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:49:31 -0800

In the event that you have accidentally swallowed the Higgs boson...

Language thing this well is working now us let invent grammar.

goodnewsfortheinsane — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 10:31:28 -0800

Speculative Grammarian is the premier scholarly journal featuring research in the neglected field of satirical linguistics. Don't miss: Re-Rating the World's Languages, Hunting the Elusive Labio-Nasal, The Endangered Languages Armamentation Programme, New speech disorder linguists contracted discovered! and of course Choose Your Own Career in Linguistics.

Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted

Gator — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 21:06:29 -0800

"To dream of eating pancakes, denotes that you will have excellent success in all enterprises undertaken at this time." "To dream of lard, signifies a rise in fortune will soon gratify you." "Dairy is a good dream both to the married and unmarried." "To dream of seeing your thigh smooth and white, denotes unusual good luck and pleasure." "To dream of noodles, denotes an abnormal appetite and desires. There is little good in this dream." "To dream of seeing a marmot, denotes that sly enemies are approaching you in the shape of fair women." -- What's in a Dream? A Scientific and Practical Interpretation of Dreams by Gustavus Hindman Miller, published in 1901.

Genesis 1:3

nthdegx — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 04:34:49 -0800

Electrical lighting conspiracy theories can be paranoid, downright bizarre, or actually pretty reasonable.

Are you an Asinus Petasatus? Then you'll love this...

taz — Tue, 18 May 2004 01:42:30 -0800

Arsole? Putrescine? Dickite? Moronic Acid? This list of Molecules with Silly or Unusual Names (one NSFW image) proves that scientists can be funny, as does this Stuffy Scientists page, and Mark Isaak's terribly thorough Curiosities of Biological Nomenclature (see, especially, Puns). If you are tempted to wonder what the Father of Taxonomy might have thought of the irreverence of those last two collections, keep in mind that Linnaeus himself named this plant "Clitoria Mariana" in honor of an 'acquaintance', according to this page.

Coyotus Interruptus?

biffa — Fri, 19 Dec 2003 07:58:11 -0800

Coyotus Interruptus? New Scientists readers were asked to come up with new and necessary scientific words and their (amusing) definitions. These are the results.