You tend to hang out with people who are often much the same as yourself, same interests, same personality type, etc. But sometimes you make friends with someone who surprises you. I didn't know I had a friend who is a nerd, but it was apparent the other day when he asked me, "Did you see that Archimedes special on Nova last night?"

Shoot, I meant to TIVO that, but I was at a Copernicus Festival.

My friend explained that Archimedes invented calculus 1400 years before we discovered it. It was lost for a time. You see? Even 1400 years ago calculus was so unpopular that it was lost.

"Where's your calculus assignment?"

"I lost it."

For 1400 years this kept up.

Archimedes lived in a castle that was stormed (more information supplied by my friend). Enemies would use boats to cross the moat and then scale the wall. Archimedes invented a pulley system with grappling hooks that grabbed the boats from above and rocked the enemies out of their boats by pulling on the ropes. You see how practical calculus is? Especially if you live in a castle that's being stormed.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I think nerd's are great. I have more in common with people who read, but calculus is another story. I was lucky to get through that here's-how-to-balance-a-checkbook class. I never took anyone's lunch money, but I hung out with the athletes and cheerleaders, the people who were apt to laugh at the kids who got their lunch money nabbed. The thing that makes me uneasy about all this is that if I lived 1400 years ago I probably would have been one of the guys storming the castle (because I hung with the castle storming crowd). My friend would have been one of the guys who hung out with Archimedes and that's truly the revenge of the nerds.

"A man of many friends will come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24

Thor Ramsey is the host of the T.V. comedy show,  Bananas.
Watch it free online!