Quora's compelling most upvoted

-


What is the geekiest joke?

Answer by - Jeff Eddings, Recovering Jokaholic -------------------
Upvotes - 529
Views - 20.4 k
Two mathematicians were having lunch at a diner, and got into a rousing discussion about the state of mathematics education in the US. The first mathematician insisted that the general American populace was woefully inadequate when it came to understanding even basic math, while the second felt the average person knew more than they were given credit. They made a friendly wager, and agreed that the next time their waitress came by, they would ask the waitress a simple calculus question: the integral of 2x dx. If she didn't know the answer, the first mathematician would win. If, however, the waitress was able to give the correct answer, the second mathematician would win.

After a short while, the first mathematician excused himself to go to the restroom, and the second mathematician urgently called over the waitress.

"Hi, sorry to bother you," said the second mathematician, "but my colleague and I have a bet going and I'd like to ask a favor: the next time you swing by the table, we'll ask you a question. Would you mind just answering 'x-squared'?" The waitress nodded approvingly with a "Sure thing," and headed off.

The first mathematician returned to the table, and soon enough, the waitress came back to the table to check on them.
The first mathematician looked up at the waitress. "I have a bet going with my colleague here. I was wondering if I could ask you a math question."
"OK, shoot."
"What is the integral of 2x dx?" he asked, a wry and slightly condescending smile appearing on his face. The waitress looked at the pair of them, and said plainly, "x-squared."
"A-ha!" said the second mathematician. "You see, my good man, the average person does know more than you assumed!" Shrugging, the first man reluctantly agreed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. How much did we wager again?"
Before the first mathematician could fish out the money from his wallet and grumble, the waitress cut in: "I'm sorry, but you forgot the constant."

Comments

Post a Comment

Please comment on this blog-

Popular posts from this blog

What would it be like if your neurons could regenerate?

-
Image
  What If Neurons Could Regenerate? Imagine a world where your brain could heal and renew itself like your skin or liver. How would that change your life? Would you still be the same person, or would you evolve into someone entirely different? Let’s dive into this mind-bending idea together. The top image shows fluorescently labeled cells in the spinal cord of a zebrafish recovering one week after an injury, and the bottom image shows recovery four weeks after an injury. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis describe the dramatic changes within nerve cells that make regeneration possible. Such findings could inspire the development of new therapies for spinal cord injuries in people. (Image: Mokalled lab) A New Era for Memory and Learning Think about the last time you struggled to remember something important. What if your brain had the ability to replace lost or damaged neurons? Learning could become faster and more efficient, making knowledge ret...
Read more

Sweetener saccharin shows surprising power against antibiotic resistance

-
Image
Abstract Artificial sweeteners like saccharin, commonly used as sugar substitutes, are revealing surprising capabilities in combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Recent research indicates that saccharin and similar compounds, such as acesulfame-K and sucralose, can inhibit the growth of multidrug-resistant pathogens like Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . These sweeteners disrupt bacterial biofilm formation and motility, and they can enhance the effectiveness of existing antibiotics by increasing bacterial membrane permeability, leading to cell lysis. Notably, acesulfame-K demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity in ex vivo wound models, suggesting potential therapeutic applications. ​ However, there's a complex side to this narrative. Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can also promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. They do this by increasing bacterial cell membrane permeability and stimulating the expression of genes involved in D...
Read more

Soon, human organs for transplant may be grown in animal hosts

-
Image
TOKYO: Japan  has given the green light to a controversial research process involving implanting animals with human stem cells that could eventually help grow human organs for transplant inside animal hosts. The decision by the education and science ministry on Friday to revise its guidelines means Japanese researchers can now apply for permits to carry out studies employing the technique, a ministry official said. The process involves implanting embryonic animals, likely first pigs, with human “induced pluripotent stem” (iPS) cells, which can transform into the building blocks of any part of the body. The idea is for the iPS cells to grow into transplantable human organs inside the animal embryos. Japan had previously required researche rs to terminate animal embryos implanted with human cells after 14 days “due to ethical concerns over the vague line between human beings and animals,” the official said. The old regulations also prevented researchers from placing th...
Read more