[Dry voice] Oh, really.

Sep 14, 2021 5:49 PM

confanity

Views

95460

Likes

992

Dislikes

28

Anybody who's been to grad school knows the terrifying, spiraling depths that research can take you to, and the importance of good citation and close reading.

This is an idea we've seen expressed pretty often of late (among the people who aren't part of the death cult, at least), but as usual Randall Munroe (the XKCD guy) puts it very well. (Source: https://xkcd.com/2515)

- Most Viral Edit: by popular demand, the mouseover text!
'Honestly feel a little sheepish about the amount of time and effort I spent confirming "yes, the vaccine helps protect people from getting sick and dying" but I guess everyone needs a hobby.'

did_my_research

vaccines

jstor

xkcd

It turns out that doing your own research on the internet is actually quite easy and effective if you're not a complete moron.

4 years ago | Likes 49 Dislikes 1

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I like when I see something useful with a citation in a paper, read the cited paper, and find no trace of the claim that sent me there.

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Mouseover: "Honestly feel a little sheepish about the amount of time and effort I spent confirming 'yes, the vaccine helps protect (1/2)

4 years ago | Likes 21 Dislikes 0

"Yeah, you should feel sheepish, you goddamn gov-loving sheeple." - some idiot, probably

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

people from getting sick and dying' but I guess everyone needs a hobby." (2/2)

4 years ago | Likes 17 Dislikes 0

If my research can’t be done by drunkenly scrolling through unintelligible stack overflow posts I’m not interested

4 years ago | Likes 34 Dislikes 2

Spoken like a true expert

4 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

We need a rule that if you post XKCD you put the mousover text in the bottom text.

4 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

That's not a bad idea. Thanks!

4 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

Thanks for the edit.

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

"I do my own research" "cool, can I see the results of your double blind perspective study on the effectiveness of the vaccine?"

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

prospective* fuck

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

:D

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

FYI, you missed a backslash, OP. https://xkcd.com/2515/

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 2

And yet the link works. I must be something really special. ;p

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I got a 404 Error when I tried OP's link.

4 years ago | Likes 0 Dislikes 0

4 years ago | Likes 176 Dislikes 6

I think I know 3 as T Cells but that's literally just from watching an episode of Cells At Work.

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

4 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Hey my research is on the RNA/nucleic acid biochemistry side of things. It's been like 12 years since I took any immuno classes...

4 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 0

What's this gibberish. It was so much more understandable on Facebook.

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

#1 Ooh I know number 3. The T cell.

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I'm also going with lymphocyte. Not conjuring a guess on the next 5 though

4 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

It's a plasma cell. They look really similar though.

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Mitochondria

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Is the powerhouse of the cell.

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Have to disagree... I got the vax after my research. Mine was listening and reading and then tracking sources to ID what was real or 1/*

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

based on something concrete. But just because I don't have med background doesn't discount my desire to not blindly follow directions 2/*

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

even from experts. I don't guy why research on an individual level like this is being painted as a negative! It should be encouraged! 3/3

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

What caused 3 people to downvote this?

4 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Maybe an impulsive response to being reminded of school quizzes they failed (I didn't downvote but I feel attacked)

4 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Thank you for your honesty and forbearance. May healing come to you soon.

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I forgot I'd commented and I was so confused at why this was in my inbox

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

They failed the quiz

4 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

I also failed this quiz.

4 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Me too, but I'm not salty about it ?

4 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Actual research: read two papers and eight abstracts to support your opening paragraph about a very basic premise.

4 years ago | Likes 153 Dislikes 0

One of my reviewers wanted a second source on the definition of Ultimate Tensile Strength.

4 years ago | Likes 25 Dislikes 0

Got you fam v

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

“My overdraft”?

4 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

Did they so happen to be an author of said source? I saw that on a comment I just got back from a reviewer

4 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

I once had to do this to the effect of ‘catastrophes are catastrophic’

4 years ago | Likes 41 Dislikes 0

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

TLDR: they are

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0