this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2025
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xkcd #3154: Physics Insight

Title text:

When Galileo dropped two weights from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, they put him in the history books. But when I do it, I get 'detained by security' for 'injuring several tourists.'

Transcript:

Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com

Source: https://xkcd.com/3154/

explainxkcd for #3154

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[–] axexrx@lemmy.world 23 points 2 weeks ago

I once heard it took Robert Frost almost two years to write "the road not taken" well, with a little practice, I was able to write it ib a little less than two minutes!

[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 21 points 2 weeks ago

When Faraday demonstrates his electric motor to his peers, everyone calls him a genius. When I do it, I get arrested for driving through the convention floor.

[–] Delta_V@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

The most disappointing part of school is taking a 101 class and making a bunch of deductions based on what you learn, and then taking the 201 and learning that other people had the same ideas first.

[–] balsoft@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 weeks ago

I dunno, I kind of enjoyed that. What is more disappointing is when those people thought of similar ideas but then made a very inconvenient way to describe them the "convention", e.g the direction of electrical current or pi.

That's good, it means you're on the right track.

[–] dil@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 weeks ago

Nah its way worse when all of your ideas are wrong and in the complete opposite direction, better to think in the right direction and get confirmation that you are thinking correctly as you go

[–] Novocirab@feddit.org 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Poincaré? (I know, his insight somehow still came short of Einstein's, but it's interesting how close he came.)