Why Do People Find This Equation Hilarious?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the humorous interpretation of Maxwell's Equations, particularly in relation to a playful phrase attributed to God. Participants explore the comedic aspects of the equations while referencing their significance in physics, particularly in describing electromagnetic phenomena and light.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express confusion about the humor in the equation, questioning its meaning and relevance.
  • Others suggest that the phrase "Let there be light" humorously connects to the equations, implying a divine origin of electromagnetic theory.
  • A few participants note that attributing the work solely to God overlooks the contributions of scientists like Maxwell, Gauss, and Faraday.
  • One participant mentions that the equations can be simplified using exterior calculus, hinting at a deeper mathematical structure.
  • There is a discussion about whether Maxwell invented electromagnetic waves or merely described their properties, with comparisons made to other historical figures and their contributions.
  • Several participants express a desire for clarification on the symbols and equations, indicating varying levels of understanding among the group.
  • Humor is noted in the context of personal anecdotes, such as a participant's experience with a laminated copy of the equations being discarded by someone offended by it.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally do not reach a consensus on the humor or the implications of the equations. There are multiple competing views regarding the attribution of credit for electromagnetic theory and varying levels of understanding of the equations themselves.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the mathematical symbols and their meanings, indicating that not all contributors share the same level of expertise in the subject matter.

JamesU
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I don't get it:

AND GOD SAID...
http://www.main.com/~anns/other/humor/equation.gif
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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And god said "Let the magnetic flux through a closed surface be zero." ?
 
LOL ok i get it now. Let there be light
 
What's funny in them becomes a brain teaser for me too! :smile:
Well i would not let God take the credit for what Gauss,Ampere,Faraday did! :biggrin:
 
gravenewworld said:
LOL ok i get it now. Let there be light

i guess it's sound somewhat familiar for Newton!
 
o ok. That is a bunch of symols to me, half of which I do not understand. ;)
 
Those are Maxwell's Equations which describe electromagnetic phenomena. Light is an electromagnetic wave.

Somebody is giving God the credit for work done by Maxwell (and Gauss, Faraday, Weber, Helmholtz, Lorentz, Ampere and others)
 
A shorter version...

It can be whittled down to only 2 equations by applying exterior calculus. :wink:
 
I doubt Maxwell, et al, would be offended.

I think Maxwell just described the properties of electromagnetic phenomena. I don't think he actually invented electromagnetic waves. :rolleyes:

(Saying Maxwell invented ectromagnetic waves is like saying Gore invented the Internet, just because he initiated legislation that made the Internet possible).
 
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  • #10
BobG said:
I doubt Maxwell, et al, would be offended.

I think Maxwell just described the properties of electromagnetic phenomena. I don't think he actually invented electromagnetic waves. :rolleyes:

(Saying Maxwell invented ectromagnetic waves is like saying Gore invented the Internet, just because he initiated legislation that made the Internet possible).
He didn't?
Didn't Newton invent universal gravitation either??

How do you think the big dragons could fly unless they were unaffected by gravity, then? :confused:
 
  • #11
I see symbols.
 
  • #12
gravenewworld said:
LOL ok i get it now. Let there be light

I've seen t-shirts with

"And god said
*maxwell eqs here*

and there was light"
 
  • #13
During the world championships, in Helsinki?

Fiat rain!
 
  • #14
And god said "Let the magnetic flux through a closed surface be zero." ?


LOL what a dumbazz
 
  • #15
I had a laminated copy of that hanging on our refrigerator for years, and after that, in my cubicle at work. A fundamentalist christian saw it and was so offended than when I was away from my desk one day she threw it away. :rolleyes:
 
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  • #16
can anyone basically explain some of those symbols to me?
 
  • #17
yomamma said:
can anyone basically explain some of those symbols to me?

Loosely speaking, the first equation says that the sum [integral, an adding up process] of the electric field E over a surface A is equal to the charge q enclosed by that surface. We also use something called the dot product, which selects the part of the field pointing in the same direction as the differential area vector dA. :rolleyes:

The next one says that the integral of the magnetic field around a path S on the surface A is equal to the electric current flowing through that surface plus any changing electric field inside.

The third equation says that the electric field integrated over a path around a surface is equal to the rate of change of the magnetic flux through that surface.

The last one effectively says that there are no magnetic monopoles.
 
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  • #18
I don't get it:

AND GOD SAID...

the equations predict the properties of light, speed as well as it's dual nature, universal constant and the "speed limit"
 
  • #19
Yomamma,

I am not sure of these eqns, but you are certainly Funny! :biggrin:
 

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