# Dope-A-Ween II: Attack of the Dopers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 9, 2002, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736 "2002-09-09T23:55:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/61 "2002-10-02T23:01:31Z")
Airman explained the joke to me. Now I don’t feel quite so stupid. Robin ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/62 "2002-10-03T01:11:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > It’s called math, pun. > > I could send you a brochure if you’d like. Your ideas intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter;) ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/63 "2002-10-03T01:17:01Z")
Okay, just to clarify: I thought Sec (-1) was 0. Just to be sure, I checked with a calculator. What I got was a value fairly close to 0, as numbers go. like .0001-something. What I _don’t_ get is **RT** ’s subsequent post about getting close to 0. I figured _that_ was the pop culture reference, which I thought **JC** was continuing. So 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/64 "2002-10-03T01:26:48Z")
Well, I **was** riffing of RT’s lead but I wasn’t implying any particular pop culture thing. If anything I was referring to the lateness of acceptance of the concept of ‘zero’. Stay away from me with those seashells! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/65 "2002-10-03T02:06:20Z")
Nah, **pun** , my subscript about zero was just a riff - 100% free of references to Firesign Theatre, Tom Lehrer, the Marx Brothers, or other stuff from their respective eras. Now, the math: _a_ = cos[sup]-1/sup \<==\> _b_ = cos(_a_), so long as _a_ is in the [0,pi] interval. So _a_ = cos[sup]-1/sup ==\> -1 = cos(_a_), with _a_ in the [0,pi] interval. And cos(_a_), with _a_ in radians, is the x-coordinate of the point you get to by traveling CCW around the unit circle from (1,0) a distance of _a_. The only place the x-coordinate on the unit circle is -1 is at (-1,0) which you get to by going **pi** units CCW from (1,0) around the unit circle. So _a_ = pi. So now you get the joke, which wasn’t worth that much to begin with, but has now had a stake driven through its heart by overexplanation. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/66 "2002-10-03T02:13:54Z")
Heh! ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/67 "2002-10-03T02:24:03Z")
I’m not coming if you’re all going to talk about math all day. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/68 "2002-10-03T09:47:16Z")
I dunno. Suddenly I find RT strangely attractive. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/69 "2002-10-03T10:04:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GingerOfTheNorth \* > I’m not coming if you’re all going to talk about math all day. 😛 Most of my girlfriends were that way too - _they_ wouldn’t come if I talked about math! Wimmin - who can figure them out, huh? 😕 😉 ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/70 "2002-10-03T10:40:24Z")
See, that’s why you name important functions after them … so they think you **are** talking about them;) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/71 "2002-10-03T11:01:00Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by RTFirefly \* > \*\* they wouldn’t come if I talked about math!_\* Boy, I wouldn’t have admitted that! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/72 "2002-10-03T13:03:51Z")
Hey, let’s face it, not too many women are turned on by sweet nothings about Noetherian rings. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/73 "2002-10-03T15:28:49Z")
**’punha** , the first “important functions” that came to mind revolved around excriment. For once I’m glad I have no ex-girlfriends. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/74 "2002-10-03T16:37:59Z")
I’m gonna dress as premature ejaculation. I’ll wear nothing but my skivies and tell everyone I came in my underpants. Math! Feh! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/75 "2002-10-03T18:18:27Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m gonna dress as premature ejaculation. I’ll wear nothing but my skivies and tell everyone I came in my underpants. Hey, I had to give you the Last Rites last year – now absolution this year – what are we doing, working through the Seven Sacraments one Hallowe’en at a time? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/76 "2002-10-03T18:58:23Z")
He’s already married, so _that_ sacrament is out. And if (Weird)Dave comes in his skivvies, I think I’ll show up as Oedipus Rex, so it’ll work with my costume when I pull my eyes out. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/77 "2002-10-03T20:06:20Z")
Dave isn’t allowed to leave the house in only his underwear. You obviously weren’t listening at the wedding, during the vows part. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/78 "2002-10-03T20:15:32Z")
Dave isn’t allowed to leave the house in only his underwear. You obviously weren’t listening at the wedding, during the vows part. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/79 "2002-10-03T20:27:28Z")
Wedding vows? Pshaw! Who takes _those_ seriously? Or is it a Canadian thing? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736/80 "2002-10-04T17:02:53Z")
Hmm…I spoke with Angie yesterday and she may be willing to come along (not in costume, of course) but right now I don’t know if either of us will be able to go. She may need to work that day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dope-a-ween-ii-attack-of-the-dopers/127736.md?page=5)