But I reject it.
It’s a silly argument. All science is built on observation and hypothesis testing, or it isn’t science. Physicists and biologists don’t need to argue with each other.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Agreed.
“Physicists and biologists don’t need to argue with each other.” Oh, you are just being reasonable now. None of that!
Of course it’s a silly argument — this is SMBC.
I interpret it as a dig at “physics envy” — the claim that everyone else is jealous of physicists because their field is so pure and mathematically precise — a science of beautiful generalizations rather than messy particulars (like biology). The comic turns that argument on its head.
“Okay, assume a uniform spherical cell…”
According to one of my undergraduate professors;
Given the same unsolved problem, a physicist would reduce the number of variables, and a biologist would collect more data.
stevewatson @3:
First, I’ve never met or heard any physicist who has said that. Second, every model in physics is an approximation.
What is being referenced in the first panel is a quote attributed to Ernest Rutherford.
All science Is either physics or stamp collecting.
As I just posted elsethread, Quote Investigator hasn’t found it in his works, but maybe Bernal heard Rutherford say it.
And the comic is clearly a snarky response that a biologist might come up with, on hearing their entire field dismissed as being “stamp collecting”. Weinersmith likes staging slapfights and similar absurdities between academics.
Compare and contrast, Weinersmith on antenna engineering:
https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/frequency-2