never
Explanation
This comic is set in a university classroom. A student raises their hand and asks, "Professor, will we never use this in real life?" The professor enthusiastically responds: "Of course!"
The caption reads: "The first day of a pure mathematics degree is always inspirational."
The humor comes from inverting the classic student complaint. Typically, students ask "Will we EVER use this in real life?" as a complaint, hoping the teacher will justify the material's practical relevance. Here, the student asks the opposite — "Will we NEVER use this?" — and the professor cheerfully confirms that no, they will absolutely never use this in real life.
The joke captures the ethos of pure mathematics, where impracticality is a feature, not a bug. Pure mathematicians often take pride in the abstract, non-applied nature of their work. The student isn't complaining; they're hopeful that they've found a discipline gloriously unburdened by real-world application. The professor's enthusiastic confirmation is genuinely inspirational to this audience — a promise that they can spend years exploring beautiful mathematical structures without ever having to worry about whether any of it is "useful." It's a love letter to the joyful uselessness of pure math.