Effects in physics are super: superconductors, superfluidity, supersolids, supersymmetry or giant: giant magnetoresistance, giant resonances, giant Nernst effect. In string theory we have giant gravitons and giant magnons, as well as superstrings.
It all makes you wonder where we got our naming conventions from. Maybe we read too many superman comics as kids? There might be some better superlatives out there to name stuff.
Of course, we also have things like mini-superspace. This should give English majors apoplexy. Because, is it mini, or is it super after all? I mean, how about super-duper-micro-mini-conduction? Why not that?
To add diversity to the above, we have bubbles of nothing, dumb holes and red giants.
Here’s one use of such jargon for completely comedic effects:
- Have you had your mini-watts this morning?
Please leave you favorite words for physics effects and objects behind. You get extra points for comedy.
Everything cool these days is nano, as already recognized in pop culture. I think we’ll fall behind the times if we stay with all the supers and don’t transition into the 21st century.
Dear David, you’re being politically incorrect. The correct physicists are mostly women who don’t watch male sci-fi movies.
Instead, they are shopping in the supermarkets and buying giant cucumbers. The first woman wants a cucumber that is really long. The second woman wants one that is really thick. The third woman doesn’t care because she is buying it for a salad.
Super and giant things are pretty common. I am much more intrigued by your super duper stuff which seems less common. Did you invent it independently of the stringy proof of a duality between Schrödinger’s cat and Witten’s dog?
http://motls.blogspot.com/2006/01/wittens-dog.html
Hi Lubos:
Let me say that I had some outside inspiration, although I can’t remember from where exactly. And indeed, Futurama is one of those places where one can find real gems.
After all, 99% of humor is copied from someone else. The other 1% is not really original either.
Exactly, David. Is it also true that all intelligent jokes fit into one of seven general logical templates?
I think that the latest craze not properly exploited by high energy physics is the “green” adjective, along with some others:
Super conformal cyber green cryo nano super fluid theory of everything
There are already some titles combining superstrings and the monster. Someone needs to get more inventive so they can use a title like “superpartner powers against the monster group”. That’s the best I can do.
Shut up, Lubos.
My favorite hyped-up physics name is quintessence. How do you top that? Beats kryptonite!
Some things in physics are really super, others not so. More on super-hype here:
http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=489&cpage=1