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xkcd #2908: Moon Armor Index (imgs.xkcd.com)

submitted 7 months ago by randomaccount43543@lemmy.world to c/xkcd@lemmy.world

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https://xkcd.com/2908

Alt text:

Astronomers are a little unsure of the applicability of this index, but NASA's Planetary Protection Officer is all in favor.

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[–] feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Ah, it is Chinese, interesting. I'm guessing it's not the gonggong in 公共汽车, because that's a bus.

What, it almost literally is. It's 共工, like "work together"... but not like, go to work together (on the bus).

[–] 342345@feddit.de 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

umm.

These characters have multiple entirely different meanings. How does one find out what the supposed meaning is? Or is it up to the reader to decide?

[–] feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Context, apparently the word "set" has 430 meanings in the Oxford dictionary. So there's a lot of ambiguity. It's very confusing but I think we give as good as we get in that regard.