Footnotes Memes

Posts tagged with Footnotes

Average Math Paper Footnote

Average Math Paper Footnote
Mathematicians: spending 40 pages proving something is divisible by 3, then casually throwing their colleagues under the bus in the footnotes. Conway's passive-aggressive footnote is the academic equivalent of saying "I'm being held hostage in this publication against my will." The real theorem here is proving that mathematical pettiness divided by professional courtesy equals zero.

The Quadratic Formula's Recursive Nightmare

The Quadratic Formula's Recursive Nightmare
The mathematical equivalent of a recursive function! That tiny "2" is pulling double duty as both a footnote reference AND an exponent in the quadratic formula. The author is basically saying "Hey, see this superscript? Yeah, it's actually squared... but also check the footnote where I explain that it's squared." Talk about mathematical inception! This is peak academic humor where even the footnotes need footnotes. Next level: footnotes with their own bibliographies.

Remember What's Really Important

Remember What's Really Important
The ultimate academic mic drop! This brilliant footnote about T.J. Kaczynski being "better known for other work" is the scientific equivalent of saying "Oh, that elegant mathematical proof? Just a side hustle before becoming the Unabomber." Academia in a nutshell: spend years crafting perfect proofs and publishing papers nobody reads, while history remembers you for something completely different. That tiny footnote is basically saying "Sure, he solved this complex mathematical problem... but that's not why he's in the history books!" Next time you're stressing about your publication record, remember that your CV might not be what defines your legacy. Sometimes it's your "other work" that steals the spotlight—hopefully not in the Unabomber way though!