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If a person from 1700 asked you your job, would they understand your answer, and if not, how would you explain it to them? (lemm.ee)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 5 months ago (3 children)

I try to make rocks think with electricity and then cry when it doesn't think the way I want it to (software engineer)

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (2 children)

What's electricity?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I spent about 30 seconds staring at this question, followed by 3 minutes pondering how to explain the phenomenon of electricity to someone unfamiliar with it, but nothing came to mind. Then, I went online and found that, while we have some understanding of how to detect and manipulate electricity, fundamentally, it's just how our universe works and we don't know exactly what it is.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

I was moreso pointing to the fact that it wasn't discovered until after 1700, not the fact that it could have been explained to someone in 1700. It's still wild how we don't know why it happens.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

It's just little tiny things wiggling around in wires. They're always there, and if you wiggle them just right you can make rocks think!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

I probably should have just said lightning instead

[–] textik 3 points 5 months ago

Mostly because the rocks are very stupid and will misunderstand your instructions at first opportunity. Kinda like Amelia Bedilia.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

have you tried using Bauxite?