To Infinity, And Beyond!
A customer has been smart with combining some deals and coupons:
Me: “Wow, your total is zero!”
Customer: “Well, would you look at that!”
Me: “Better not bring any of this back for a refund, now!”
We both laugh at the lame joke when my coworker, a new hire still in high school, chimes in from one lane over.
Coworker: “Yeah, because negative zero is infinity.”
Customer: “Uh… huh?”
Me: *Thinking it was some young people joke.* “I don’t get it.”
Coworker: “Refunding a zero total would be negative zero, which is infinity.”
Me: “Zero is neither positive nor negative, it’s just zero.”
Coworker: “No, that’s wrong. I’m working on it.”
Me: “You’re working on it?”
Coworker: “Everyone said Einstein was mad until he proved everyone wrong. Just you wait and see, I’m gonna change the world.”
Me: “Sure thing, Einstein.”
A week later, my coupon customer is back.
Customer: “How’s Einstein?”
Me: “Oh, he was fired two days ago for getting high off the store’s aerosols.”
