this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2026
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xkcd #3275: Calibration Nobel

Title text:

We would like to once again apologize to Dr. Jones for last year's mistaken announcement. We should really have double-checked the envelope for this award in particular.

Transcript:

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Source: https://xkcd.com/3275/

explainxkcd for #3275

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[–] drcobaltjedi@programming.dev 40 points 2 days ago (2 children)

As an example, I remember back in highschool physics we heard that some scientics just discover tychions travel faster than light. Well, it turns out that those scientists didn't have some piece of equipment plugged in all the way or something thus giving them those results.

[–] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 29 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The semi-recent room temperature superconductor reporting and all the buzz around the EMdrive are the two that spring to mind most readily.

[–] Tai@piefed.world 11 points 2 days ago

My mind went to phosphine on Venus first. I'd forgotten about the EM drive, was always skeptical but hopeful on that one.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

Oh right, it’s not that tachyons don’t exist it’s that those dudes at CERN were all like “bro we just picked up FTL travel, check it out lol”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachyon#History