Why do I try so hard?

I thought that I had come so far in my mission to ensure that my lecturers do not mis-use mathematical terminology. I was wrong. Today was a slap in the face. Like ashes in my mouth. It was like inhaling rather too much mandarin-peel-vapour, rather than the intended refreshing spritz.

Here's the situation - the Learned Professor was discussing the kidney. (Ever notice that medicine is like hunting? Everything happens only singularly. You never see zebras, you only see zebra. And doctors never discuss kidneys, only the kidney.)

More specifically, he was discussing the effects of plasma concentration of aldosterone and potassium on tubular secretion of potassium. He showed us a graph, showing how each one has an independent effect. Then, in what I thought was my moment of triumph, he correctly characterized the combination of the two as "additive".

O frabjous day! I was so happy.

But then Defeat was snatched from the jaws of Victory. In his very next breath, the Learned Professor described this additive combination as "synergistic". What!?? Synergy occurs when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, not equal to them.

For example: take an ordinary med student like me, add the boring old internet, and what is the result? The magic of Prone To Reverie - synergizing you up since 2008.