physics-is-poetry
Explanation
The Joke
A physicist declares that "physics is the poetry of reality." Another person challenges this by asking why physics people always say that -- pointing out that just last week they talked about poetry and the physicist said it was boring and pointless. Caught in the contradiction, the physicist concedes: "Uh, sure truth, I will be really I guess I have to become an accountant now."
The comic exposes the hypocrisy of scientists (particularly physicists) who use the word "poetry" as a metaphor for the beauty of their own field, while simultaneously dismissing actual poetry as worthless. The phrase "physics is the poetry of reality" is meant to elevate physics by borrowing the prestige of poetry, but the comparison only works if you actually value poetry -- which the physicist clearly does not.
The Humor
The humor comes from catching the physicist in a classic case of having it both ways. They want to claim the romantic, elevated connotations of "poetry" for their discipline while actively disdaining the art form itself. The other character's pointed observation deflates the pretension instantly. If physics is the "poetry" of reality, and poetry is boring and pointless, then by the physicist's own logic, physics is the "boring and pointless" of reality. The physicist's flustered, semi-coherent response and suggestion of becoming an accountant shows they have been completely backed into a corner by their own inconsistency. This is a recurring theme in SMBC -- skewering the cultural attitudes and blind spots of scientists.