Joke in "The Origin of the PC's"

[I_R_Thog]

I didn't get it too much, Rich told us there was a joke in the name at the beginning. I read it aloud, and it kinda sounded like "The Origin of the feces"

Is that the joke? :smallconfused:

[Shraik]

It would make more sense if it was based on "The Origin of the Species"

[dont_ask]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Origin_of_Species

Charles Darwin wrote a book about evolution and natural selection called "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life"

[NerfTW]

As in, adventurers face natural selection every day. It's a perfect example of survival of the fittest.

[osyluth]

As in, adventurers face natural selection every day. It's a perfect example of survival of the fittest.

Are you sure? Because in the intro he said "if you don't get it, just say it out loud," or something like that, and most people wouldn't make the connection.

[vivi]

PCs sounds a lot like species

[Nerd-o-rama]

Are you sure? Because in the intro he said "if you don't get it, just say it out loud," or something like that, and most people wouldn't make the connection.
Most people who have heard of evolutionary biology would. It's the book that basically invented an entire branch of science, not to mention the century-plus of controversy over that subject.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

And just so you know, it's a theme with the prequel books.

Start of Darkness <—> Heart of Darkness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Darkness)

[Porthos]

Are you sure? Because in the intro he said "if you don't get it, just say it out loud," or something like that, and most people wouldn't make the connection.

Maybe I have too high a belief in the cultural literacy of people, but I would think that Darwin's book would be rather well known. :smallsmile: Especially in America when the Evolution Debate has raged for almost 80 years (using the Scopes Monkey Trial (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_Trial) as the kickoff).

But trust me on this:
On the Origins of ssPEE-shEEz (Species)
On the Origins of PEE-cEEz (PCs)
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We're going to have to go through this all over again when War and XPs comes out, aren't we? :smallfrown:

[Caractacus]

Are you sure? Because in the intro he said "if you don't get it, just say it out loud," or something like that, and most people wouldn't make the connection.

I think the majority of educated English speakers over the age of 16 would get it. It is especially clear when said aloud, I think.

Start of Darkness is slightly harder as it is based on a novel rather than a scientific work...so there is a chance of missing it in school...

[Legendary]

I'm pretty sure that "Dungeon Crawlin' Fools" and "NCftPB" also have jokes about them, as their sequel, "War and XP's" is a joke off of "War and Peace"

[Herbert]

I think the majority of educated English speakers over the age of 16 would get it. It is especially clear when said aloud, I think.

Start of Darkness is slightly harder as it is based on a novel rather than a scientific work...so there is a chance of missing it in school...

Eh, I disagree. I consider myself educated and I didn't get the joke at all. In case you are wondering I have a MS in Computer Science. My wife also has a college degree and she didn't get it either.

I didn't get the "Heart of Darkness" reference either, but I think I would have been more likely to get it because I have actually read "Heart of Darkness."

[Deleran]

I'm pretty sure that "Dungeon Crawlin' Fools" and "NCftPB" also have jokes about them, as their sequel, "War and XP's" is a joke off of "War and Peace"

No Cure for the Paladin Blues is a play on the song Summertime Blues (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summertime_Blues). Unsure about Dungeon Crawlin' Fools.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

We're going to have to go through this all over again when War and XPs comes out, aren't we? :smallfrown:

Actually, we'll have people being confused that the title is War and War.

XPs=ExPeace=War

:smallwink:

What I'm hoping for is a book on Nale and the Linear Guild titled: A Broef History of Crime (Not my pun, someone elses!)

I haven't seen anything on "The Order of the Scribble." I think it would have to be numbered -.5 or something. On the Origins of PCs was numbered 0, and Start of Darkness was numbered -1.

[ZFR]

Eh, I disagree. I consider myself educated and I didn't get the joke at all. In case you are wondering I have a MS in Computer Science. My wife also has a college degree and she didn't get it either.


Are you educated enough to know the meaning of the word "majority"? :smallbiggrin:

[Nerd-o-rama]

Eh, I disagree. I consider myself educated and I didn't get the joke at all. In case you are wondering I have a MS in Computer Science. My wife also has a college degree and she didn't get it either.

I didn't get the "Heart of Darkness" reference either, but I think I would have been more likely to get it because I have actually read "Heart of Darkness."
How did you get through school without ever once taking a macrobiology class? Or a history class involving the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?

[Herbert]

Are you educated enough to know the meaning of the word "majority"? :smallbiggrin:

I'll be more explicit. I disagree that the "majority" of educated English speakers would get the joke without some hint. I think if people were told that it is a pun of a famous book then most would get it.

A quick forum search shows that this question has come up several times before. Evidently I'm not the only one who didn't get this joke. Do you really think that those people who didn't get the reference are probably uneducated? I think getting that pun has more to do with remembering trivia than having an education.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Do you really think that those people who didn't get the reference are probably uneducated?
I plead no contest to this question.

[Herbert]

How did you get through school without ever once taking a macrobiology class? Or a history class involving the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?

I took a GE biology class and did quite well in it. On the Origins of the Species wasn't required reading. Also, my history class didn't test me on the names of published books (thankfully, that would have been *boring*).

What a person gets out of an education will depend on their interests. How many people do you think know the name of anything Einstein wrote? How many people do you think know the name of anything written by Newton? Heck, how many people do you think even know who Euler was?

[Nerd-o-rama]

I took a GE biology class and did quite well in it. On the Origins of the Species wasn't required reading. Also, my history class didn't test me on the names of published books (thankfully, that would have been *boring*).

What a person gets out of an education will depend on their interests. How many people do you think know the name of anything Einstein wrote? How many people do you think know the name of anything written by Newton? Heck, how many people do you think even know who Euler was?
Well, I do. I assume most people who have been educated similarly to me (one semester left for my BSCS) would have access to similar information.

I'm just saying that On the Origin of Species had such a profound and lasting impact on both science and culture that I'm amazed when people don't think of it as such. It's not really a slight to your education or intelligence, just surprise.

EDIT: After thinking about it, I lied. I could not have given you a precise title of a published work by Einsten, though I could have given you the Theory of Relativity, which is about a third of the title of "Fundamental Ideas and Problems of the Theory of Relativity".