[Schrödinger's hat]

Does anyone else think of this when they tell someone to label their axes?


(Yes, I realise I didn't bother with units, scale, or a title.)

Or do you have any other weird associations with common phrases?

This post has been edited by Schrödinger's hat: 1 February 2012 - 07:35 PM

[John Cuthber]

From time to time I have a problem with this stuff.
http://en.wikipedia....i/Periodic_acid

[Phi for All]

For a long time, whenever I would read the word "boson", my mind would unconsciously play the little three-note call they use on navy ships when the bosun pipes aboard officers. It actually took me a while to figure out why stories about the LHC made me think about the ocean.

I was never in the navy but when you say Higgs, I salute.

[CaptainPanic]

Let me start by saying: "Higgs".

When I'm working, I pronounce a lot of words in my mind in the accents of (former) teachers, colleagues or other people I know through work.
So, it is quite a mix of (mostly) European accents. I never say any of them out loud, of course...

[TonyMcC]

A common sign near building sites that I often see is "Heavy Plant Crossing". I always get a picture in my mind of a 15ft cabbage shuffling across the road.

[Klaynos]

I cannot see a rho without hearing the voice of one of my lectures who taught us maths as an undergraduate. A very russian accent he has and it is apparently very common with others taught by him.

[hypervalent_iodine]

The way I remembered the difference between anions and cations in high school was by realising that anion sounds like onion and since onions make you cry (which is bad), anions are negatively charged. Most people tend to relate cations to fluffy cats, but I came to the conclusion early on that my hatred of cats would cause some confusion when trying to apply that logic. These days whenever I see or use the word anion, I still think of onions. There are worse things, I suppose.

[Leader Bee]

I work as admin in a large financial services firm. We come accross terms like FSA (Financial Services Authority) and MMR (Mortgage Market Review) rather often but always, ALWAYS I think Food Standard Agency and Measles, Mumps and Rubella.

[Xittenn]

When I was younger a gentleman had informed me of the branch of mathematics known as menstruation. I have on numerous occasions gone back and searched for this rather obscure classification to no avail. Still to this day, when I think of mathematics, I picture a uterus. :/

[Schrödinger's hat]

CaptainPanic, on 2 February 2012 - 03:18 PM, said:

Let me start by saying: "Higgs".

When I'm working, I pronounce a lot of words in my mind in the accents of (former) teachers, colleagues or other people I know through work.
So, it is quite a mix of (mostly) European accents. I never say any of them out loud, of course...

Heh, whenever I see an exponential of something other than a number I think of a chinese lecturer I had who had a lot of trouble pronouncing 'exponential map'. As a result I often call it the exploitation map, which is somewhat fitting as it is so useful.

[Appolinaria]

hypervalent_iodine said:

1328198337[/url]' post='655534']
The way I remembered the difference between anions and cations in high school was by realising that anion sounds like onion and since onions make you cry (which is bad), anions are negatively charged. Most people tend to relate cations to fluffy cats, but I came to the conclusion early on that my hatred of cats would cause some confusion when trying to apply that logic. These days whenever I see or use the word anion, I still think of onions. There are worse things, I suppose.

I do crap like that all the time.. Yesterday we reviewed writing equations for ellipses and to remember b^2=a^2-c^2 I think of Bacchus, or the god of wine and disorder, so I know how a b & c relate and also it's a minus because Bacchus has a negative connotation. Screw understanding the underlying reasoning behind it. Lazy student ftw.
Hyperbolas are same thing but b c a, so even though it's embarrassing to have to do things like that, oh well... It saves me time

This post has been edited by Appolinaria: 2 February 2012 - 06:17 PM

[Schrödinger's hat]

Xittenn, on 2 February 2012 - 04:57 PM, said:

When I was younger a gentleman had informed me of the branch of mathematics known as menstruation. I have on numerous occasions gone back and searched for this rather obscure classification to no avail. Still to this day, when I think of mathematics, I picture a uterus. :/

This is tantalisingly familiar, and brings connotations of surveying and naviagtion to my mind.
A word similar to menstruation (but not exactly), cannot think of exactly when/where I heard it.

Aha, this seems to back up my vague recollections, although I'm still no closer to knowing where I originally heard it.
http://www.ayton.id....nce/Ma_mens.htm

[Xittenn]

Schrödinger, on 2 February 2012 - 07:47 PM, said:

This is tantalisingly familiar, and brings connotations of surveying and naviagtion to my mind.
A word similar to menstruation (but not exactly), cannot think of exactly when/where I heard it.

Aha, this seems to back up my vague recollections, although I'm still no closer to knowing where I originally heard it.
http://www.ayton.id....nce/Ma_mens.htm

Well I think that this observation satisfies my future needs to go back and look for a non-existent branch of mathematics. I'm still, however, stuck with the imagery. : D

[John Cuthber]

TonyMcC, on 2 February 2012 - 03:26 PM, said:

A common sign near building sites that I often see is "Heavy Plant Crossing". I always get a picture in my mind of a 15ft cabbage shuffling across the road.

I have a similar reaction to the signs on emergency exits that say "This door is alarmed". I'm always tempted to write "Well calm it down then" under it.

[TonyMcC]

A sign that conjures up rather an unfortunate image is "Disabled Toilet". I'm sure that disabled people need and expect a fully functioning toilet.

[Phi for All]

TonyMcC, on 2 February 2012 - 03:26 PM, said:

A common sign near building sites that I often see is "Heavy Plant Crossing". I always get a picture in my mind of a 15ft cabbage shuffling across the road.

I've always seen my two favorite signs separately, but once I saw "Slow Children Playing" together with "$1000 Fine For Littering" and I thought to myself, "Hey! Maybe those children aren't so slow after all".

[doG]

Xittenn, on 2 February 2012 - 04:57 PM, said:

When I was younger a gentleman had informed me of the branch of mathematics known as menstruation. I have on numerous occasions gone back and searched for this rather obscure classification to no avail. Still to this day, when I think of mathematics, I picture a uterus. :/

I think perhaps you are looking for mensuration, a branch of math dealing with measurements of geometric shapes.

[Leader Bee]

Anyone ever been to a resteraunt with those signs that say "Please not not eat your own food"?

[Schrödinger's hat]

Leader Bee, on 3 February 2012 - 10:04 AM, said:

Anyone ever been to a resteraunt with those signs that say "Please not not eat your own food"?

No. What're you supposed to do, come with someone and only eat from their plate?

[Leader Bee]

They're really there so that you don't just bring your own lunchbox and sit in the resteraunt using their facilities without paying up. But yes, thats what always crossed my mind when I see them either that or you and your friend pre-plan what you want to eat then just order each others food for yourself.