a-guide-to-science-writing
Explanation
The Joke
The comic presents a simple 2x2 matrix titled "Science Articles: A Guide." The two axes are sentence complexity (easy vs. hard to understand) and subject matter complexity (complex vs. simple). The four quadrants are:
- Complex subject + easy sentences = "Great Writing" (green)
- Complex subject + hard sentences = "Typical Writing" (yellow)
- Simple subject + easy sentences = "Honest Writing" (green)
- Simple subject + hard sentences = "Probably Just Bullshit" (red)
The joke is in the bottom-right quadrant: if someone is writing about a simple topic but using impenetrable language, they are probably obscuring the simplicity of their subject (or lack of substance) behind unnecessarily complex prose.
The Humor
The humor is a pointed critique of science journalism and pop-science writing. The matrix elegantly captures a real phenomenon: truly great science communicators take complex ideas and make them accessible, while bad ones take simple ideas and dress them up in jargon to appear more impressive. The red "Probably Just Bullshit" quadrant is the punchline — it calls out writers who use unnecessarily complex language on simple topics, suggesting that the complexity is a smokescreen for a lack of real content. This resonates with anyone who has read a breathlessly complicated article only to realize the underlying finding was trivial.
References
The comic reflects longstanding debates about science communication and the "curse of knowledge." It echoes sentiments expressed by figures like Richard Feynman, who famously said that if you cannot explain something simply, you do not truly understand it.