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Sunday, June 21, 1992

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Calvin wonders how scientists can imagine all the matter of the universe exploding out of a dot smaller than the head of a pin but couldn't name it better than "the big bang". Hobbes asks what Calvin would call it. Calvin says "the horrendous space kablooie". Hobbes thinks that is better. He suggests they lobby to change it.

Transcript

I've been reading about the beginning of the universe. They call it "The Big Bang." Isn't it weird how scientists can imagine all the matter of the universe exploding out of a dot smaller than the head of a pin, but they can't come up with a more evocative name for it than "The Big Bang"? That's the whole problem with science. You've got a bunch of empiricists trying to describe things of unimaginable wonder. What would you call the creation of the universe? "The HOrrendous Space Kablooie!" Hmmm...that is better. Almost anything would be. We should lobby to change that. And I think "Tyrannosaur" should be changed to "Monstrous Killer Death Lizard."

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