PP
Explanation
The Joke
The comic is a multi-panel strip featuring what appears to be a dramatic confrontation about physics and its relationship to other fields. It opens with a dramatic declaration: "The physicists have had it too good for too long!" followed by a character ranting about the "warrior nature of angry economists" (or similar field).
The strip proceeds through a series of escalating complaints about physics. It touches on quantum computing, computer science, and how physicists claim authority over everything. Various panels show characters arguing about topics like: physicists claiming "truths" that aren't really useful for everyday applications, the relationship between physics and other sciences, black holes and spacetime, and the general tendency of physicists to condescend to other fields.
The comic builds to a crescendo where someone proposes that physicists should "build products and sell quantum error correction tables" or something similarly practical, challenging the theoretical physics establishment to actually produce useful commercial output. The final panel shows a dramatic "CHOOSE A SIDE!" declaration, framing the entire thing as an epic battle between physics and the applied sciences.
The Humor
The humor works on multiple levels. First, it parodies the very real tension in academia between theoretical physicists (who are often seen as the "rock stars" of science) and practitioners of other fields who do more applied or immediately useful work. The escalating rhetoric and dramatic framing -- treating an academic turf war like an epic battle -- is inherently funny. SMBC creator Zach Weinersmith, who frequently draws on his knowledge of physics, economics, and philosophy, is poking fun at the academic pecking order where physics traditionally sits at the top. The comic satirizes both the arrogance of physicists who believe their field subsumes all others and the resentment of other scientists who feel overshadowed.
References
The comic references several real tensions in the academic world: the "physics envy" experienced by social scientists and other fields, the debate over whether physics is truly the most fundamental science, the hype around quantum computing and whether it will deliver practical results, and the general hierarchy of sciences (sometimes called the "hierarchy of sciences" after Auguste Comte). The "choose a side" framing parodies the way academic disagreements are sometimes treated with disproportionate intensity.