Physicists - A Certain State of Mind?

Chris got these photos in an email from a (non-physicist) friend. He, and the friend that sent it to him, thought they were pathetic. Needless to say, I thought they were brilliant! I sent them off to my physicist friends who seem to think the same as I. On the other hand, all the non-physicists who recieved them think that the idea is stupid. Hmmm... Is this a trend? Do physicists share a strange sense of humour that others just don't *get*? I want some more data and better statistics...So...

...What do you think?

   
 

Are the pictures:

A) cool and funny,
           or
B) stupid and pathetic.

NB: Please be sure to mention whether you are a physicist or non-physicist!

Relevance of this experiment: It should shed some light as to whether being a physicist is about the physics, or about your state of mind
: P

Comments

[Helge]

I like them, and I am studying physics. How did they do the third one? I love it, with the head missing.

[aalu paneer]

Me: Software Engineer
Pictures: Cool and Funny (and very creative!)

Helge, the guy just pulled up his t-shirt and the head is nice squeezed in and well hidden!

[Steve]

I'm a Physics Honours student and I think they are well, kinda lame... sorry.

[Aaron]

I'm not a physicist yet, but I'm probably going to major in physics when I go off to college next year, and those are HILARIOUS!!!! Keep in mind, though, that I'm writing this at 3am after doing six annotated bibliographies for an English class, so my current lucidity is questionable at best. :)

p.s. I love the one with the flying head!

[mick]

I am a physicist. I think they are stupid and pathetic yet pretty funny...

[mick]

PS. are you going to go and watch the Reds vs Bulls match this weekend??? I'm in Austria now and am absolutely starved of Rugby action...

[piero]

Me:
man, degree in maths, I think they're very funny, but my judgment can be overidden by the main fact that I am a man.
Bye

[Simmoril]

I'm a computer engineer (though I pretend to be a physicist when no one's looking).

I gotta vote cool and funny on this one, although I have to admit I'm a little biased 'cause I can remember wasting many hours of my youth in front of the Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II arcade machines ;-)

[niraj]

physics grad student. funny and creative, also, well choreographed (if that's an appropriate term for this). By the way, to anyone who's played any of the versions 'street fighter' or 'mortal kombat', does this not look familiar ? (think : E. Honda, Ken, jax, johnny cage)?

[Anuj]

I am a physicist. Definitely funny and creative.

[Alejandro Rivero]

I vote A, and I am also physics graduate. Hmm no non-physicists here?

There could be something about cultural background, not exactly nerdy but nearby. This week a guest in my house asked me about the coincidences in cultural sources and books with other physicists she knew, and I have also found that when I go to visit other colleagues, the library contents are very similar.

[Karen]

????

I think I'm showing my age and my non-physicist status. I can't imagine what the point of the pictures is - tho I'm intrigued by the case of the Disappearing Head.

Enlighten me!!

[Tommaso Dorigo]

Claire, great post and fantastic pictures!
I'm... well you know I'm a physicist, and those
pictures made me LAUGH! Very creative and very
well done!

BTW I have a way to telling a theoretical physicist from an experimental physicist... But I envy your post here, you're breaking my record for the most comments, so I will post it on mine ;)

xxx
T.

[Joni]

Hello, non physicist here!! Those photos are very funny and extremely entertaining. I think creative illustration goes a long way toward explaining the difficult concepts physicists grapple with. Levity is always a good teaching tool! My science classes in college were brought to life by great chalkboard illustrations of the human brain and other anatomy. Much better than looking at ancient overhead transparancy.

[emil]

i like them. I thought they were funny. I am not a physicist, but an engineer that worked with bunch of Physicists.

[Simon Rodan]

Funny - but then I am an ex-physicist (undergad from 1982) - an now a part time C++ coder...

[Colleen]

Non-physicist:
Definitely funny, but I'm thinking personality type would be the deciding factor on who finds this funny. What I find interesting is how much time and planning this idea took. BTW- pretty sure software was involved with the missing head and you can find the pictures on albinoblacksheep.com

[sam]

non-physicist by vocation
physicist in spirit

C.) "stupid-funny"

I wonder what the poor girl in picture #4 is thinking... the one just walking into the classroom.

[little miss demosthenes]

not a physicist, find it wonderfully creative.

[Ciro]

Here's a fairly well-balanced sample for you:

I am a film student (with aspirations toward rock-star artist), and my roommate is a computer repairman with a comp. sci. background.

And yes, the humor took our heads off. My abs hurt.
--

Ciro

[niraj]

Regarding the case of the missing head, there was no software involved, the picture wasn't doctored. The guy in question simply pulled his t-shirt over his head, which is obvious if you look carefully.

[Marcello]

wish I would have thought of that first.
:-(
genius.

(BTW, I am a physicist)

[foolbird]

haha~~
i choose A).it's interesting!
I'm the student of physics.

[physicst]

COOL

[Sheryl]

These pictures ar very entertaining and prove if you let your mind go no telling where it will take you. They are cool and funny... non physicist..too bad. Cool field.