The Difference Between A Geek And A Nerd [Infographic]

Monday, June 17, 2013 - 12:00 in Psychology & Sociology

Geeks v. Nerds Burr Settles They're not the same. A data-geek (or nerd?) explains. Are you a geek or a nerd? Because they're not quite the same. (It's okay to admit which one you are, by the way! Popular Science is a safe place.) Burr Settles at SlackPropagation broke down the difference by using data. The methodology here is a little on the nerdy side (or is it geeky side???) but, more or less, Settles mined Twitter for the words most likely to appear near "geeky" or "nerdy." The higher along the y axis, the geekier the words; the farther along the x axis, the nerdier. Academic words show up frequently on the nerdy side of the graph: "Harvard," "#studymode," "biochemistry." (Also, inexplicably, "goths.") On the geeky side, it's more about tangible objects: "iPod," [Joss] Whedon," #appletv." Star Wars falls on the geeky side, but only barely, because, hey, everybody likes...

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