Difference between revisions of "485: Depth"

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| number    = 485
 
| number    = 485
 
| date      = October 6, 2008
 
| date      = October 6, 2008
 +
| before    = [[#Explanation|↓ Skip to explanation ↓]]
 
| title    = Depth
 
| title    = Depth
 
| image    = depth.png
 
| image    = depth.png
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The comic is a companion piece to [[482: Height]], which explored a {{w|logarithmic scale}} from the edge of the observable universe down to the Earth's surface. ''Depth'' continues the process, viewing logarithmically smaller scales from Earth's atmosphere down to the interior of a single {{w|proton}}. This combination is reminiscent of Charles and Ray Eames' 1977 short film [http://youtu.be/0fKBhvDjuy0 Powers of Ten].
 
The comic is a companion piece to [[482: Height]], which explored a {{w|logarithmic scale}} from the edge of the observable universe down to the Earth's surface. ''Depth'' continues the process, viewing logarithmically smaller scales from Earth's atmosphere down to the interior of a single {{w|proton}}. This combination is reminiscent of Charles and Ray Eames' 1977 short film [http://youtu.be/0fKBhvDjuy0 Powers of Ten].
  
Starting from the Earth's surface, the view descends into a house, a tower PC, its CPU, and eventually a proton inside a silicon atom, with various humorous
+
Here's a walk through the entire comic:
incongruities.
 
  
What should be a computer mouse is an actual rodent, yet still somehow plugged into the PS/2 (6-pin mini-DIN) connector that is clearly labelled.
+
* At the top we see a cutaway view of a story apartment complex. From left to right are a reference to [[150: Grownups]], [[Megan]] {{w|exorcising}} {{w|Windows Vista}}, [[Ponytail]] and Megan playing {{w|Guitar Hero}} or a similar game, [[Cueball]] at a desk, and what appear to be some sexytimes.
 
+
* The view descends into Cueball's tower PC.
From a possibly punning connection between a chip's connector pin to the pin of "how many angels can dance on the head of..?" fame, we are given a joke based upon a 2's-complement overflow/rollover condition, changing from maxint (greatest positive) to minint (greatest negative). A negative angel might well be a demon. Another version of this joke appears in [[571: Can't Sleep]].
+
* Entering the computer's internals, we see a mouse plugged into the PS/2 (6-pin mini-DIN) connector. This is a visual pun, since the mouse is an actual rodent and not a handheld device.
 
+
* Next we dive into the CPU. We see a multi-layered pun on the question "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" There may be a pun with a chip's connector pin, but the more obvious reference is Randall's answer of 32,767 = 2<sup>15</sup> - 1, the largest possible value of a signed 16-bit integer. Adding one rolls back over to -32,768, which is 32,768 devils or "negative angels." (See [[571: Can't Sleep]] for a similar joke and a more elaborate explanation.)
A blood-sucking insect appears to be 'leeching' a torrent.
+
* A blood-sucking mosquito appears to be "leeching" a torrent.
 
+
* A {{w|segfault}} is a problem with memory access.
There is a suggestion that the computer concerned is being {{w|Rickrolling|Rick-rolled}}, seeing that it contains the observation (at probably the scale of memory address storing circuitry in the CPU's cache) that there is at least one pixel's-worth of Rick Astley's image being stored at the moment but, one imagines, probably enough for the current video frame.
+
* We zoom into a memory unit on the CPU. Cueball is being {{w|rickrolled}}, as indicated by the label "pixel on {{w|Rick Astley|Rick Astley's}} shoulder."
 
+
* A "fork();" command points at one of several unlabeled spermatazoa. Forking and sperm are capable of spawning "child processes."
A "fork();" command points at one of several unlabeled spermatazoa. Both the 'fork' function (mostly in various C-family programming languages) and the spermatazoon (after joining with an ovum, one of which ''is'' labelled slightly higher up in a position appropriate to its corresponding size) are capable of spawning 'child processes'.
+
* {{w|Peter Norton}} is the founder of {{w|Norton Antivirus}}. He is shown fighting a biological virus, rather than informatic malware.
 
+
* Showing the relative scale of {{w|carbon nanotubes}}, the suggestion is that these then lead on to a more megastructural {{w|Space Elevator}}, for which carbon nanotubes are often cited as a suitably strong component needed for the cable.
Peter Norton is famous for being the person behind Norton Antivirus <!-- Note, I expected this to be a reference to The Fantastic Voyage, at first... -->, who is therefore appropriately attacking a virus.  Though in this case a bacteriophage, rather than informatic malware.
+
* We soon zoom into a silicon atom in the CPU. In the {{w|electron cloud}}, the squiggles made out of arrows are {{w|Feynman diagram}}s. A Feynman diagram in the shape of a stick figure is saying "Sup?", a pun on the "Sup" particle (supersymmetric partner 'squark' to the Up quark) and an abbreviation of the greeting "What's up?."
 
+
* An 'iPod Femto' is shown, as a pun on the '{{w|iPod Nano}}' (both are {{w|SI prefixes}}), both of which refer to units far smaller than any iPod that has ever, or likely will ever, be created.
Showing the relative scale of carbon nanotubes, the suggestion is that these then lead on to a more megastructural Space Elevator, for which carbon nanotubes are often cited as a suitably strong component needed for the cable.
+
* {{w|Brian Greene}} is a theoretical physicist and {{w|Popular science|pop scientist}} who discusses the nature of the universe. The picture of him knitting is a pun on {{w|string theory}} and PBS miniseries, {{w|The Fabric of the Cosmos}}.
 
+
* The {{w|Planck length}} (<big>ℓ</big><sub>P</sub>) is the smallest theoretically measurable distance, defined by three fundamental constants in physics: the {{w|speed of light}} in a vacuum (c), {{w|Planck constant|Planck's constant}} (h), and the {{w|gravitational constant}} (G). The Planck length is vastly smaller than any known particle that isn't a point mass, and modern physics is a long way from being able to investigate such a scale.
In the {{w|electron cloud}}, the squiggles made out of arrows are {{w|Feynman diagram}}s.
 
 
 
Such a diagram, in the shape of a stick figure, is saying "Sup?", which may reference both the "Wassuuup..!" meme and the "Sup" particle (supersymmetric partner 'squark' to the Up quark).
 
 
 
An 'iPod Femto' is shown (presumably at the femtometre level of scale), as a pun on the 'iPod Nano' (which, despite its name, is ''not'' mere nanometres in size).
 
 
 
Brian Greene is a theoretical physicist and {{w|Popular science|pop scientist}} who discusses the nature of the universe. The picture of him knitting is a pun on his book and PBS miniseries, {{w|The Fabric of the Cosmos}}.
 
 
 
The {{w|Planck length}} is the smallest theoretically measurable distance, due to the {{w|Uncertainty principle}} of quantum mechanics. Planck length is vastly smaller than any known particle, and modern physics is a long way from being able investigate such a scale.
 
  
 
[[1162: Log Scale]] and [[482: Height]] are other comics about the use of log scales.
 
[[1162: Log Scale]] and [[482: Height]] are other comics about the use of log scales.
Line 45: Line 36:
 
:Megan using witchcraft to ban vista "Out, Vista!"
 
:Megan using witchcraft to ban vista "Out, Vista!"
 
:Ponytail and Megan play Rock Band  
 
:Ponytail and Megan play Rock Band  
:Man and woman are having "fun" on a shaking bed.
+
:A couple is having sex under the cover in bed.
 
:[Below this series of images, an image of a man on the computer.]
 
:[Below this series of images, an image of a man on the computer.]
 
:Cueball is on a computer and the image expands as it goes down. Here are the labels from left to right, up to down:
 
:Cueball is on a computer and the image expands as it goes down. Here are the labels from left to right, up to down:
Line 53: Line 44:
 
:North Bridge
 
:North Bridge
 
:PS/2
 
:PS/2
:Mouse (a physical mouse)
+
:Mouse (rodent)
 
:RAM
 
:RAM
 
:CPU Socket Pin
 
:CPU Socket Pin
:32,767 Angels Dancing (one more and they'd roll over and become 32,768 Devils), Rice, Torrent (a bug), CPU, upcoming segfault
+
:32,767 Angels Dancing (one more and they'd roll over and become {{w|Two's complement|32,768 Devils}}), Rice, Torrent (a bug), CPU, upcoming segfault
 
:dust mite
 
:dust mite
 
:hair
 
:hair
Line 68: Line 59:
 
:silicon nucleus
 
:silicon nucleus
 
:IPod femto
 
:IPod femto
:Brian Greene knitting furiously ''clank, clunk''
+
:Brian Greene knitting furiously ''clink, clink''
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
 +
 +
[[Category:Large drawings]]
 
[[Category:Charts]]
 
[[Category:Charts]]
 
[[Category:Physics]]
 
[[Category:Physics]]
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[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
 +
[[Category:Guitar Hero]]

Revision as of 19:27, 6 August 2017

Depth
↓ Skip to explanation ↓
The Planck length is another thousand or two pixels below the comic.
Title text: The Planck length is another thousand or two pixels below the comic.

Explanation

The comic is a companion piece to 482: Height, which explored a logarithmic scale from the edge of the observable universe down to the Earth's surface. Depth continues the process, viewing logarithmically smaller scales from Earth's atmosphere down to the interior of a single proton. This combination is reminiscent of Charles and Ray Eames' 1977 short film Powers of Ten.

Here's a walk through the entire comic:

  • At the top we see a cutaway view of a story apartment complex. From left to right are a reference to 150: Grownups, Megan exorcising Windows Vista, Ponytail and Megan playing Guitar Hero or a similar game, Cueball at a desk, and what appear to be some sexytimes.
  • The view descends into Cueball's tower PC.
  • Entering the computer's internals, we see a mouse plugged into the PS/2 (6-pin mini-DIN) connector. This is a visual pun, since the mouse is an actual rodent and not a handheld device.
  • Next we dive into the CPU. We see a multi-layered pun on the question "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" There may be a pun with a chip's connector pin, but the more obvious reference is Randall's answer of 32,767 = 215 - 1, the largest possible value of a signed 16-bit integer. Adding one rolls back over to -32,768, which is 32,768 devils or "negative angels." (See 571: Can't Sleep for a similar joke and a more elaborate explanation.)
  • A blood-sucking mosquito appears to be "leeching" a torrent.
  • A segfault is a problem with memory access.
  • We zoom into a memory unit on the CPU. Cueball is being rickrolled, as indicated by the label "pixel on Rick Astley's shoulder."
  • A "fork();" command points at one of several unlabeled spermatazoa. Forking and sperm are capable of spawning "child processes."
  • Peter Norton is the founder of Norton Antivirus. He is shown fighting a biological virus, rather than informatic malware.
  • Showing the relative scale of carbon nanotubes, the suggestion is that these then lead on to a more megastructural Space Elevator, for which carbon nanotubes are often cited as a suitably strong component needed for the cable.
  • We soon zoom into a silicon atom in the CPU. In the electron cloud, the squiggles made out of arrows are Feynman diagrams. A Feynman diagram in the shape of a stick figure is saying "Sup?", a pun on the "Sup" particle (supersymmetric partner 'squark' to the Up quark) and an abbreviation of the greeting "What's up?."
  • An 'iPod Femto' is shown, as a pun on the 'iPod Nano' (both are SI prefixes), both of which refer to units far smaller than any iPod that has ever, or likely will ever, be created.
  • Brian Greene is a theoretical physicist and pop scientist who discusses the nature of the universe. The picture of him knitting is a pun on string theory and PBS miniseries, The Fabric of the Cosmos.
  • The Planck length (P) is the smallest theoretically measurable distance, defined by three fundamental constants in physics: the speed of light in a vacuum (c), Planck's constant (h), and the gravitational constant (G). The Planck length is vastly smaller than any known particle that isn't a point mass, and modern physics is a long way from being able to investigate such a scale.

1162: Log Scale and 482: Height are other comics about the use of log scales.

Transcript

Sizes Accurate on a vertical log scale
[Series of images of characters doing various things. The things they are doing are listed in left to right order.]
Cueball and Megan playing in a ball pen
Megan using witchcraft to ban vista "Out, Vista!"
Ponytail and Megan play Rock Band
A couple is having sex under the cover in bed.
[Below this series of images, an image of a man on the computer.]
Cueball is on a computer and the image expands as it goes down. Here are the labels from left to right, up to down:
CD
DVD
Case
North Bridge
PS/2
Mouse (rodent)
RAM
CPU Socket Pin
32,767 Angels Dancing (one more and they'd roll over and become 32,768 Devils), Rice, Torrent (a bug), CPU, upcoming segfault
dust mite
hair
OVUM
Data (a pixel on Rick Astley's shoulder), rust mite, fork();
Peter Norton fighting a baxteriophage
memory
carbon nanotubes
space elevator
a line of silicon (Si), Electron Cloud, a man made out of arrows saying "sup?"
silicon nucleus
IPod femto
Brian Greene knitting furiously clink, clink


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Discussion

123.211.217.96 01:39, 3 September 2013 (UTC) Is the bed actually shaking or are the people/person under the sheet just moving on their own? The squiggle lines doesn't show. PS Oh, yeeeaaah! That's what being the first poster feels like, especially on an old comic that hasn't been touched for five years. Until now: at 4:38 am and 50 seconds, 2013/03/09. (GMT).

Three bugs:

1. In the explanation, someone forgot to mention how many stories high the apartment building is. I'd say it's at least two stories tall; possibly more, but if so, the upper stories are all obscured by foreshortening.
2. Still in the explanation, I disagree that the person at the computer on the second floor (between the Guitar Hero players & the bed) is our protagonist Cueball; he's on the first floor, under the Guitar Hero folks, sitting at his computer.
3. In the transcript, that person at the computer on the second floor is omitted.
108.162.219.40 06:34, 13 March 2014 (UTC)

It looks like the comment on Brian Greene may also refer to Noam Chomsky's "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously" -adamaustin (talk) 21:28, 13 March 2014 (UTC)

Does the last room on the right contain an ellptical reflector dish? I think I can barely make one out on the edge of the comic. 108.162.241.244 23:35, 22 August 2019 (UTC)