MHB Help with a hard word problem on Facebook

  • Thread starter Thread starter soroban
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Word problem
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around a nonsensical joke that combines unrelated elements, such as pencils, apples, and pancakes, leading to an absurd answer about aliens and hats. Participants express confusion over the joke's meaning, debating whether it is an example of absurdist humor or simply a failed punchline. The consensus suggests that the joke serves as a parody of traditional word problems, reflecting how they may appear to the majority of people who find them perplexing.
soroban
Messages
191
Reaction score
0

My wife found this on Facebook.

If I have four pencils and you have seven apples,
how many pancakes will fit on the roof?

Answer: Purple, because aliens don't wear hats.

 
Physics news on Phys.org
Would someone please explain the joke for me? Can't decide whether it's absurdest or just missed the punchline.
 
Jameson said:
Would someone please explain the joke for me? Can't decide whether it's absurdest or just missed the punchline.

Seconded.
 

Do I really have to explain the joke?

It is a parody of all word problems.

This is probably the way word problems look
. . to 99% of the general population.
 

Thread 'Status Update by JRMichler'

Just ONCE, I wanted to see a post titled Status Update that was not a blatant, annoying spam post by a new member. So here it is. Today was a good day here in Northern Wisconsin. Fall colors are here, no mosquitos, no deer flies, and mild temperature, so my morning run was unusually nice. Only two meetings today, and both went well. The deer that was road killed just down the road two weeks ago is now fully decomposed, so no more smell. Somebody has a spike buck skull for their...
View full post »
Thread 'RIP George F. Smoot III (1945-2025)'

Thread 'RIP George F. Smoot III (1945-2025)'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Smoot https://physics.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/george-smoot-iii https://apc.u-paris.fr/fr/memory-george-fitzgerald-smoot-iii https://elements.lbl.gov/news/honoring-the-legacy-of-george-smoot/ https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2006/smoot/facts/ https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200611/nobel.cfm https://inspirehep.net/authors/988263 Structure in the COBE Differential Microwave Radiometer First-Year Maps (Astrophysical Journal...
View full post »

Similar threads

The Problem Making Clear the Problems
Replies
20
Views
1K
MHB Can this forum help me improve my word problem skills?
Replies
8
Views
2K
Facebooking the PF: Has it ruined us?
Replies
26
Views
5K
Facebook: Check Written to Verizon Using Summation Notation
Replies
8
Views
7K
MHB Algebra word problem solve for x
Replies
4
Views
2K
Can Mathematical Sharpness Puzzles Challenge Your Problem-Solving Skills?
Replies
13
Views
4K
B Really simple mistake in this combinatorics problem?
Replies
19
Views
3K
MHB Word Problem for slope intercept graph equation
Replies
4
Views
2K
Using a Problem Solving Technique for a simple word problem
Replies
24
Views
3K
Do you press hard when writing? Is it related to your emotions?
Replies
17
Views
12K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top