2014-06-01
Explanation
The Joke
The comic is titled "Science Tip" and advises: "Make a paper sound better by referencing much older work."
Two examples are shown side by side. The "Boring Paper" abstract reads: "We present additional confirmation of previous work pertaining to the composition of regolith." The "Exciting Paper" abstract reads: "We completely overturn the previously held theory that the moon is a giant orb chased across the sky by evil dogs."
The Humor
The joke plays on how scientific papers frame their contributions relative to prior work. A paper that "overturns" existing theory sounds far more impressive and groundbreaking than one that merely "confirms" previous findings, even though confirmatory research is vital to science.
The trick revealed here is that by choosing sufficiently old and outdated prior work to reference, any paper can sound revolutionary. If you compare your findings to an ancient mythological belief (that the moon is chased by evil dogs, reminiscent of Norse mythology where the wolf Hati chases the moon), then even the most mundane finding about lunar soil composition becomes a dramatic overthrow of previous understanding.
This satirizes the real tendency in academic publishing to oversell incremental results, as well as the pressure on scientists to frame their work as paradigm-shifting to get published and attract attention. It also pokes fun at sensationalist science journalism that amplifies these claims.
References
- Regolith is the layer of loose material covering bedrock on the Moon and other celestial bodies, a common subject in planetary science.
- The idea of the moon being chased by a supernatural creature echoes Norse mythology, in which the wolf Hati Hrodvitnisson chases the moon (Mani) across the sky.