Editing 688: Self-Description
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| title = Self-Description | | title = Self-Description | ||
| image = self_description.png | | image = self_description.png | ||
− | | | + | | mouseovertext = The contents of any one panel are dependent on the contents of every panel including itself. The graph of panel dependencies is complete and bidirectional, and each node has a loop. The mouseover text has two hundred and forty-two characters. |
}} | }} | ||
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The third panel features a {{w|scatter plot}} labeled "Location of black ink in this image." It is the first {{w|Quadrant (plane geometry)|quadrant}} of a {{w|Cartesian coordinate system|cartesian plane}} with the zeroes marked. The graph is the whole comic scaled proportionally to fit the axes, so the last panel also has to contain an image of itself having an image of itself ad infinitum thus displaying the {{w|Droste effect}}, a type of visual {{w|recursion}}. | The third panel features a {{w|scatter plot}} labeled "Location of black ink in this image." It is the first {{w|Quadrant (plane geometry)|quadrant}} of a {{w|Cartesian coordinate system|cartesian plane}} with the zeroes marked. The graph is the whole comic scaled proportionally to fit the axes, so the last panel also has to contain an image of itself having an image of itself ad infinitum thus displaying the {{w|Droste effect}}, a type of visual {{w|recursion}}. | ||
− | The | + | The mouseover text refers to the comic's own self-reference, but it is also self-referencing because of the character count in it. It would be difficult to write this sentence, as just one more character would not be solved by writing 243, as "three" has two more characters than "two", and "four" has only one more character... |
− | "The graph of panel dependencies is complete and bidirectional, and every node has a loop." This means that if we draw a dot corresponding to each panel, and then we draw arrows connecting the dots to indicate dependencies, the resulting {{w | + | "The graph of panel dependencies is complete and bidirectional, and every node has a loop." This means that if we draw a dot corresponding to each panel, and then we draw arrows connecting the dots to indicate dependencies, the resulting {{w|graph}} is {{w|complete graph|complete}} (meaning that all the points are connected to one another) and bidirectional (meaning that if point A has an arrow to point B, then point B also has an arrow to point A). "Every node has a loop" means that each point also has an arrow connecting to itself. |
This is an observation of the interdependent relationship between description and creation that pertains to all things perceived by humans, including the concept of "Self". | This is an observation of the interdependent relationship between description and creation that pertains to all things perceived by humans, including the concept of "Self". | ||
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==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
+ | * This is one of the six [[Footer comics|footer comics]] featured in the bottom segment of [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com]. | ||
* This comic has seen interest from several computer programmers who have [https://mathematica.stackexchange.com/questions/121160/reproducing-the-xkcd-self-description-comic taken up on the challenge] to recreate this comic. Jon McLoone of the Wolfram blog [https://blog.wolfram.com/2010/09/07/self-description/ seems to have done it] quite well. | * This comic has seen interest from several computer programmers who have [https://mathematica.stackexchange.com/questions/121160/reproducing-the-xkcd-self-description-comic taken up on the challenge] to recreate this comic. Jon McLoone of the Wolfram blog [https://blog.wolfram.com/2010/09/07/self-description/ seems to have done it] quite well. | ||
− | * The {{w|Mathematical Association of America}} [https://www.maa.org/press/periodicals/math-horizons/the-mathematics-behind-xkcd-a-conversation-with-randall-munroe-0 interviewed] [[Randall Munroe | + | * The {{w|Mathematical Association of America}} [https://www.maa.org/press/periodicals/math-horizons/the-mathematics-behind-xkcd-a-conversation-with-randall-munroe-0 interviewed] [[Randall Munroe]] about this topic. |
− | * This is one of the | + | * This is one of the comics available as signed prints at the xkcd store. |
− | * | + | * A T-shirt based on this comic is available in the [https://store.xkcd.com/products/self-reference xkcd store]. |
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} |