Difference between revisions of "658: Orbitals"

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(non-gender-specific; also slightly redescribed Pauli principle to be more relevant to the comic)
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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
This is a pun on the {{w|Pauli exclusion principle |Pauli exclusion principle}}, which states that no two identical fermions (such as electrons) can be in the same place at the same time. In this case, the roommates and their guests are the electrons, which also means that only two people can be in any one room, or orbital. An orbital describes the probability of finding an electron in a given space.
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This comic is a pun on the {{w|Pauli exclusion principle}}, a principle that states (in part) that no two electrons in the same atom can ever be in the same quantum state simultaneously. The quantum state of two electrons is determined by four numbers, the first three determining its {{w|Atomic_orbital|orbital}} and the fourth its {{w|Spin_(physics)|spin}}, where spin can be one of two values, either +1/2 or -1/2. Thus there can only be two electrons in the same atom that share an orbital (and the two must have opposite spins), and such a pair of electrons is known as an ''orbital pair''.
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In this case, the people represent electrons, and rooms appear to represent orbitals, whether they be bedrooms or living rooms. "Romantic pair" is a play on "orbital pair". The "principle" at work here states that when engaging in romantic activity, only two people can be in a room at the same time, and thus any additional people are forced into different rooms. There is additionally a reference to the fact that as electrons are added to an atom, they will attempt to occupy the most stable or low-energy state/location, and so further electrons must then occupy less stable and higher energy states. Here, the romantic partners all attempt to occupy the most restful or comfortable orbitals, the bedrooms, leaving the lone roommate in a less comfortable location.
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The title text jokes about drunken party-goers, who ignore the Pauli principle perhaps out of inebriation. Thus they end up partying and sleeping together with many people in the living room, leaving the roommate stuck in the third desirable location, the hall lounge.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
:[A person is holding up a pointer in front of a diagram of a dorm apartment. On the diagram, there are two connected pairs of dots in each bedroom, and one dot on the couch.]
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:[Cueball is holding up a pointer in front of a diagram of a dorm apartment. On the diagram, there are two connected pairs of dots in each bedroom, and one dot on the couch.]
 
:Cueball: Thus, once all the dorm bedrooms are occupied by romantic pairs, additional roommates are forced into less restful "living room couch" orbitals.
 
:Cueball: Thus, once all the dorm bedrooms are occupied by romantic pairs, additional roommates are forced into less restful "living room couch" orbitals.
:[Caption: The Pauli Sexclusion Principle]
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:The Pauli Sexclusion Principle
 
 
  
{{comic discussion}}  
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{{comic discussion}}
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Physics]]
 
[[Category:Physics]]
 
[[Category:Logic]]
 
[[Category:Logic]]
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[[Category:Sex]]

Revision as of 22:15, 18 December 2014

Orbitals
Except the people filtering in late are the partiers, so you end up with drunken makeouts in the living room and the next roommate to return home has to sleep in the hall lounge orbital.
Title text: Except the people filtering in late are the partiers, so you end up with drunken makeouts in the living room and the next roommate to return home has to sleep in the hall lounge orbital.

Explanation

This comic is a pun on the Pauli exclusion principle, a principle that states (in part) that no two electrons in the same atom can ever be in the same quantum state simultaneously. The quantum state of two electrons is determined by four numbers, the first three determining its orbital and the fourth its spin, where spin can be one of two values, either +1/2 or -1/2. Thus there can only be two electrons in the same atom that share an orbital (and the two must have opposite spins), and such a pair of electrons is known as an orbital pair.

In this case, the people represent electrons, and rooms appear to represent orbitals, whether they be bedrooms or living rooms. "Romantic pair" is a play on "orbital pair". The "principle" at work here states that when engaging in romantic activity, only two people can be in a room at the same time, and thus any additional people are forced into different rooms. There is additionally a reference to the fact that as electrons are added to an atom, they will attempt to occupy the most stable or low-energy state/location, and so further electrons must then occupy less stable and higher energy states. Here, the romantic partners all attempt to occupy the most restful or comfortable orbitals, the bedrooms, leaving the lone roommate in a less comfortable location.

The title text jokes about drunken party-goers, who ignore the Pauli principle perhaps out of inebriation. Thus they end up partying and sleeping together with many people in the living room, leaving the roommate stuck in the third desirable location, the hall lounge.

Transcript

[Cueball is holding up a pointer in front of a diagram of a dorm apartment. On the diagram, there are two connected pairs of dots in each bedroom, and one dot on the couch.]
Cueball: Thus, once all the dorm bedrooms are occupied by romantic pairs, additional roommates are forced into less restful "living room couch" orbitals.
The Pauli Sexclusion Principle


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Discussion

The explanation implies that the romantic pairs must be male-female. I do not see this restriction in the comic. 108.162.219.223,

When I finally came to college, this comic was always on my mind. Then came a rather... er... covalent night. Except I didn't actually form the second pair, but came really close to doing such. But even then this comic always came to mind. International Space Station (talk) 08:59, 8 October 2015 (UTC)

sad polyamorous noises Whoop whoop pull up (talk) 17:38, 26 March 2024 (UTC)