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'''TANSTAAFL''' is an acronym for the adage "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch," which was invented by ] ] ] and promulgated in his ] novel '']''. Simply put, it means that you can't get something for nothing. Even if something appears to be free, there's always a catch -- someone wants something from you in return. This argument may also be applied to natural physical processes. '''TANSTAAFL''' is an acronym for the adage "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch," which was invented by ] ] ] and promulgated in his ] novel '']''. Simply put, it means that you can't get something for nothing. Even if something appears to be free, there's always a catch -- someone wants something from you in return.
This argument may also be applied to natural physical processes; see ].

Revision as of 18:56, 6 November 2002

TANSTAAFL is an acronym for the adage "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch," which was invented by science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein and promulgated in his 1966 novel The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Simply put, it means that you can't get something for nothing. Even if something appears to be free, there's always a catch -- someone wants something from you in return.

This argument may also be applied to natural physical processes; see thermodynamics.