1405: Meteor

2014-08-08T16:30:07Z

Cpflames: /* Explanation */ meteoroid while traveling through space (not meteorite)

{{comic
| number = 1405
| date = August 8, 2014
| title = Meteor
| image = meteor.png
| titletext = No, only LAVA is called 'magma' while underground. Any other object underground is called 'lava'.
}}

==Explanation==

Cueball A tells Cueball B that he found a piece of a {{w|meteor}}. Cueball B pretends to correct Cueball A by telling him it that what he found is actually called {{w|magma}}, because that's how one refers to a meteor once it hits the ground. In doing so, Cueball B confuses two items which have multiple names depending on their location or status, which distinction [[Randall]] suggests is "pedantic" (i.e. harping on formality and trivial distinctions: 1) meteor/meteorite/meteoroid, and 2) magma/lava.

A {{w|meteoroid}} travels through space; it becomes termed a {{w|meteor}} when it enters Earth's atmosphere and produces a streak of light (arguably the term refers to the streak-of-light phenomenon rather than the object itself, but again, pedantic distinction), and becomes a {{w|meteorite}} once it hits the Earth.

Similarly, {{w|lava}} is simply {{w|magma}} which has been extruded to the surface of a planet, generally through volcanic eruption.

This is one of Randall's comics on the topic of [[:Category:My Hobby|My Hobby]]. The author makes these semantically incorrect statements to [[356: Nerd Sniping|frustrate nerds]] who know the correct word, and confuse people who don't know the precise word so they can go on to frustrate more nerds.

The word {{w|pedant|pedantic}} means correcting one's speech even when the more ambiguous or slightly incorrect term would suffice for informal communication. It is usually a pejorative term used to refer to someone who is overly fussy. For example, if one were to say "The sky is blue" and someone were to correct them saying that it is actually every color but its apparent blueness is a mere illusion, because of {{w|Diffuse sky radiation|light scattering}}, while true, that would be pedantic. (Of course, in science and other formal areas, pedantry is important so statements may be unambiguously interpreted.)

The title text expands on the trolling, as if the conversation had continued with an (unseen) response from Cueball A. Cueball B again makes a deliberately muddled statement. Indeed lava is called magma while it is underground, but it's ridiculous to suggest all other things are called lava when underground.

==Transcript==
First Cueball: Check it out -- I got a piece of a meteor!

Second Cueball: ''Actually'', it's only called that while falling. Once it lands, it's called ''Magma''

My Hobby: Mixing Pedantic Terms

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:My Hobby]]

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1405: Meteor