[Ads-l] to "science"

[Ben Zimmer]

I wrote about the line from "The Martian" on the Strong Language blog in
2015:

https://stronglang.wordpress.com/2015/09/16/im-going-to-have-to-science-the-shit-out-of-this/

>From the post: "The webcomic Questionable Content has been averring since
2009 that 'science is a verb now' -- you can even get it on a T-shirt."

The T-shirt is still on sale here:
https://topatoco.com/products/qc-scienceverb

The accompanying blurb says: "Pay no attention to the cat sciencing through
space. She was sciencing where she wasn't supposed to science and it is our
hope that in the end her sciencing will help further the cause of science."

Commentary on that from 2009:
https://www.hrsfans.org/2009/10/18/new-qc-shirt/

--bgz

On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 9:44 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <
00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> A quick search in Andy Weir's 2011 novel "The Martian" (using the
> Internet Archive) produces no matches for "have to science the shit
> out of this". Hence, Drew Goddard may have introduced this line in his
> screenplay.
>
> Here are some examples from x-twitter of science used as a verb,
> beginning in 2007. The second tweet below points to a cartoon that may
> have helped popularize the verb form. (I have not checked this in the
> cartoon.) Verbing is a perennial topic.
>
> [Begin xtwitter info]
> https://x.com/makingagame/status/467523382
> Christine Brownell @makingagame
> I'm sciencing as fast as I can!
> 2:12 AM, Dec 4, 2007
> [End xtwitter info]
>
> [Begin xtwitter info]
> https://x.com/amberayoder/status/40803474765520899
> Amber Yoder @amberayoder
> I'm sciencing as fast as I can! - Professor Farnsworth, Futurama
> 11:01 AM, Feb 24, 2011
> [End xtwitter info]
>
> [Begin xtwitter info]
> https://x.com/nazmraz/status/109651142585237504
> return of the naz @nazmraz
> It's a valid concern. Why are scientists always looking into
> microscopes and playing with rats and never actually sciencing?
> @writingcrap
> 11:37 AM. Sep 2, 2011
> [End xtwitter info]
>
> [Begin xtwitter info]
> https://x.com/asampson/status/187659300213239808
> asampson @asampson
> I HAVE TO... SCIENCE!
> 5:53 PM, Apr 4, 2012
> [End xtwitter info]
>
> [Begin xtwitter info]
> https://x.com/doctorhotpants/status/331949036380753922
> Dr Lauren Lewis @doctorhotpants
> @Drsilb If I told you, I'd have to science you to death...You remember
>  Dr. Taft, don't you?
> 9:49 PM · May 7, 2013
> [End xtwitter info]
>
> [Begin xtwitter info]
> https://x.com/Emiliee_lili/status/467645676873347072
> Emilie @Emiliee_lili
> After this physics exam I never ever ever have to science again!
> 8:39 AM · May 17, 2014
> [End xtwitter info]
>
> Garson
>
> On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 8:35 AM Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
> >
> > The _locus classicus_ for this is the 2015 movie _The Martian_, where
> Matt Damon declares "I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this."
> >
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7CJrnaauHM
> >
> > Jesse Sheidlower
> >
> > On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 07:47:55AM -0400, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > > "to iapply scientific findings."
> > >
> > > TV Commercial: "So we scienced it !"
> > >
> > >
>

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