This is because NAND and NOR are universal gates.
Okay, here’s my attempt:
Joke Poo: Pharmaceutical Factoid
Pharmaceutical factoid: Compounding pharmacies never use pure sodium chloride when creating saline solutions.
This is because sodium chloride is a saline generator.
Okay, let’s break down that (very concise!) joke and then build something fun from it.
Joke Dissection:
- Core Statement: Animatronics at Disney World don’t use NAND or NOR gates.
- The Twist: This seems counterintuitive because NAND and NOR gates are universal (meaning any logic circuit can be built using only one type of gate).
- Humor: The humor lies in the unexpected contradiction and the implied absurdity of not using the most versatile components available. It plays on the audience’s presumed knowledge of basic digital logic. It has the feel of a joke setup, but it is presented as a statement of engineering fact.
Key Elements:
- Animatronics: These are complex robotic puppets used for entertainment, especially at theme parks like Disney World.
- NAND/NOR Gates: Fundamental building blocks of digital circuits. Their “universality” is a key fact.
- Disney World: Connotes magic, illusion, and meticulously crafted experiences.
New Humor Creation:
Let’s go for a “Did You Know?” style observation that enhances the absurdity:
Original ‘Did You Know’ (enhanced):
Did you know? It’s rumored the animatronics at Disney World meticulously avoid using NAND or NOR gates in their programming. Reportedly, it’s because Walt Disney himself believed those gates were “too logical” and would break the immersive magic. Instead, they use a highly complex system based entirely on meticulously hand-wired relays and the existential angst of cast members forced to perform binary arithmetic with abacuses hidden in the Swiss Family Treehouse.
Explanation of the new piece:
- Builds on the Original Absurdity: We take the initial improbable claim and add layers of increasingly ridiculous explanations.
- Disney Specific: We inject Disney history and folklore (Walt’s “vision,” the Swiss Family Treehouse) to make it more specific and relevant to the setting.
- Exaggeration and Contradiction: We heighten the absurdity by contrasting the cutting-edge animatronics with outdated technology (relays, abacuses) and inject a dark humor element (cast member suffering).
- Implied Narrative: The new joke implies a behind-the-scenes narrative of engineering struggling against impractical artistic demands.
This creates a more complete and, hopefully, funnier observation by playing off the core elements of the original statement.

