2014-02-25
Explanation
The Joke
A genie offers a person three wishes with the standard rule that they cannot wish for more wishes. The person makes two clever setup wishes: first, that each wish be considered separately, and second, that wishes be calculated in absolute value. The genie agrees to both, seemingly not seeing the trap. The person then says "I wish for a thousand fewer wishes." Because of the absolute value rule, negative one thousand wishes becomes positive one thousand wishes. The genie, realizing he has been outsmarted by mathematical trickery, grumbles "This is why no one likes mathematicians." The person cheerfully agrees: "This is one reason why."
The Humor
The comedy operates on multiple levels. First, there is the clever mathematical loophole: by requesting that wishes be calculated in absolute value (which converts any negative number to its positive equivalent), the person turns a wish for "fewer" wishes into a wish for more wishes, circumventing the genie's rule. Second, the genie's exasperated response -- "This is why no one likes mathematicians" -- is a funny acknowledgment that mathematicians have a reputation for finding technical loopholes and exploiting the precise wording of rules. Third, the person's self-aware agreement ("This is one reason why") adds an extra layer of humor, suggesting mathematicians are fully aware of and unbothered by their unpopularity.
References
- Absolute value is a mathematical function that returns the non-negative magnitude of a number. For any real number x, |x| equals x if x is positive and -x if x is negative. So |-1000| = 1000.
- The "three wishes" scenario with a genie is a classic folklore setup, and SMBC frequently subverts the trope with mathematical or logical tricks.