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| − | {{comic
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| − | | number = 2552
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| − | | date = December 8, 2021
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| − | | title = The Last Molecule
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| − | | image = the_last_molecule.png
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| − | | titletext = Biology is really struggling; they're barely at 93% and they keep finding more ants.
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| − | | |
| − | ==Explanation==
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| − | {{incomplete|Created by a FRUSTRATED BIOLOGIST - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
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| − | There are an infinite number of ways to arrange atoms into molecules, and chemistry is the study of the interaction of subatomic particles, atoms, and molecules, not simply the cataloging of all specimens of molecule.
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| − | This is reminiscent of biology's focus on previous centuries on simply cataloging the species on Earth.
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| − | Further, the goal of science is not to "complete" a field, but to understand it better and better. No scientific field, with the possible exception of optics, is considered fully understood.
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| − | Putting Biology at 93% and Physics at 98% is patently absurd. As mentioned in the comic, we don't even know how many kinds of ants there are yet. When J.B.S Haldane, founder of the field of population genetics, was asked what could be inferred about the creator from the creation, he reportedly said, "He has an inordinate fondness for beetles". Insects aside, fundamental and important problems such as what genes promote which traits, the nature of cognition, and the mechanism behind several diseases remain complete mysteries. We know less about our own ocean floor than we do about the surface of Mars. Needless to say, Biology is nowhere close to 93% solved. As for Physics, questions such as "what the actual hell is dark matter?" and "how do we unify the four fundamental forces?" and "how do we make nuclear fusion possible on earth?" and "how fast does light travel in one direction?" make it clear that the field still has a long, long way to go.
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| − | ==Transcript==
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| − | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
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| − | [Ponytail is presenting on a stage. To the top-center of the slide displays "Chemistry" at a circled "100% complete", then to the left is "Biology" at "93% complete" and to the right is "Physics" at "98% complete". The bottom of the slide shows the [[Wikipedia:structural formula|structural formula]] of a molecule captioned "The last one", along with a few smaller captions around it drawn as squiggles.]
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| − | Ponytail:
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| − | :With the discovery of the last molecule, I'm pleased to announce that chemistry is finally complete.
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| − | | |
| − | :Best of luck to our competitors in their race for second place.
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| − | {{comic discussion}}
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