Difference between revisions of "Main Page"
(→New here?: use new list which is easier to traverse than the full list) |
|||
| (40 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
__NOTOC__{{DISPLAYTITLE:explain xkcd}} | __NOTOC__{{DISPLAYTITLE:explain xkcd}} | ||
<center> | <center> | ||
| − | |||
| − | We have | + | <font size=5px>''Welcome to the '''explain [[xkcd]]''' wiki!''</font><br> |
| − | <!-- Note: the - | + | We have an explanation for all [[:Category:Comics|'''{{#expr:{{PAGESINCAT:Comics|R}}-13}}''' xkcd comics]], |
| − | as well as [[List of all comics]], which is | + | <!-- Note: the -13 in the calculation above is to discount subcategories (there are 8 of them as of 2013-02-27), |
| − | and only | + | as well as [[List of all comics]] and the pages it has been split across, which are obviously not comic pages. |
| − | ({{#expr: | + | The extra one difference corresponds to 404, which is not really a comic, even though we've categorised it so. |
| − | + | --> | |
| + | and only {{PAGESINCAT:Incomplete explanations|R}} | ||
| + | ({{#expr: {{PAGESINCAT:Incomplete explanations|R}} / {{LATESTCOMIC}} * 100 round 0}}%) [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|are incomplete]]. Help us finish them! | ||
</center> | </center> | ||
== Latest comic == | == Latest comic == | ||
| Line 24: | Line 25: | ||
<div style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em">{{Special:ContributionScores/10/7/nosort,notools}}<div style="font-size:0.85em; width:25em; font-style:italic">[[Special:ContributionScores|Lots of people]] contribute to make this wiki a success. Many of the recent contributors, listed above, have just joined. You can do it too! Create your account [[Special:UserLogin/signup|here]].</div></div> | <div style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em">{{Special:ContributionScores/10/7/nosort,notools}}<div style="font-size:0.85em; width:25em; font-style:italic">[[Special:ContributionScores|Lots of people]] contribute to make this wiki a success. Many of the recent contributors, listed above, have just joined. You can do it too! Create your account [[Special:UserLogin/signup|here]].</div></div> | ||
| − | You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at [[explain xkcd]]. Feel free to sign up for an account and contribute to the wiki! | + | You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at [[explain xkcd]]. Feel free to [[Special:UserLogin/signup|sign up for an account]] and contribute to the wiki! We need explanations for [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|comics]], [[:Category:Characters|characters]], [[:Category:Comics by topic|themes]] and [[:Category:Meta|everything in between]]. If it is referenced in an [[xkcd]] web comic, it should be here. |
| − | * If you're new to wikis like this, | + | * If you're new to wikis like this, see [[mw:Help:Editing pages|how to edit wiki pages]]. There's also a handy {{w|Help:Cheatsheet|wikicode cheatsheet}}. |
| − | * Discussion about | + | * Discussion about the wiki itself happens at the [[explain xkcd:Community portal|Community portal]]. |
| − | * [[List of all comics]] | + | * You can browse the comics from [[List of all comics]] or by navigating the category tree at [[:Category:Comics]]. |
| + | |||
| + | * There are incomplete explanations listed [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|here]]. Feel free to help out by expanding them! | ||
| + | |||
| + | * We sell advertising space to pay for our server costs. To learn more, go [[explain xkcd:Advertise Here|here]]. | ||
== Rules == | == Rules == | ||
| Line 37: | Line 42: | ||
If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page. | If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page. | ||
| − | Please only submit material directly related to | + | Please only submit material directly related to — and helping everyone better understand — xkcd... and of course ''only'' submit material that can legally be posted (and freely edited). Off-topic or other inappropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked. |
If you need assistance from an [[explain xkcd:Administrators|admin]], post a message to the [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Admin requests|Admin requests]] board. | If you need assistance from an [[explain xkcd:Administrators|admin]], post a message to the [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Admin requests|Admin requests]] board. | ||
[[Category:Root category]] | [[Category:Root category]] | ||
Revision as of 01:23, 30 June 2014
Welcome to the explain xkcd wiki!
We have an explanation for all 2 xkcd comics,
and only 6
(0%) are incomplete. Help us finish them!
Latest comic
| Pendulum Types |
 Title text: The creepy fingers that grow from a vibrating cornstarch-water mix can be modeled as a chain of inverted vertical pendulums (DOI:10.1039/c4sm00265b) and are believed to be the fingers of Maxwell's Demon trying to push through into our universe. |
Explanation
|
This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Created by CREEPING TENDRILS OF STARCH - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. |
This comic shows and describes several pendulums. The first three are actual physics models, while the last one is made up for the comic.
The simple pendulum consists of a joint, rod, and weight, and when released, it swings in a regular fashion. These are used commonly in pendulum clocks to keep time.
The double pendulum consists of 2 joints, 2 rods, and a weight, and when released, it swings in a chaotic fashion. Interestingly, this follows by the mathematical definition of chaotic, being that small changes result in vast differences. This pendulum is thus nearly unpredictable, and due to this chaotic nature, real life applications are very limited.
The inverted pendulum consists of a simple pendulum that is placed upside down, with some apparatus underneath moving it side to side to keep it upwards. If left unpowered (or improperly controlled from positional feedback) it will fall, hence the "unstable" part. (The comic, however, appears to depict Kapitza's pendulum, a powered version that does not rely upon monitoring and feedback-control.)
The nightmare pendulum appears to be an inverted double pendulum, with an additional uninverted pendulum swinging within its much morecsubstantial weight (which is also adorned with archaic/mystical symbols). The comic claims that this pendulum summons Maxwell’s Demon, and jokingly implies that Maxwell’s Demon is an actual entity, and not a thought experiment.
The title text continues this joke explicitly, by referencing a real paper titled Vibro-levitation and inverted pendulum: parametric resonance in vibrating droplets and soft materials and implying that the paper ties the "creepy fingers" to Maxwell's (real) Demon. The paper only actually suggests that the phenomenon is related to inverted pendulum dynamics
Transcript
|
|
This transcript is incomplete. Please help editing it! Thanks. |
Is this out of date? .
New here?
Last 7 days (Top 10) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at explain xkcd. Feel free to sign up for an account and contribute to the wiki! We need explanations for comics, characters, themes and everything in between. If it is referenced in an xkcd web comic, it should be here.
- If you're new to wikis like this, see how to edit wiki pages. There's also a handy wikicode cheatsheet.
- Discussion about the wiki itself happens at the Community portal.
- You can browse the comics from List of all comics or by navigating the category tree at Category:Comics.
- There are incomplete explanations listed here. Feel free to help out by expanding them!
- We sell advertising space to pay for our server costs. To learn more, go here.
Rules
Don't be a jerk. There are a lot of comics that don't have set in stone explanations; feel free to put multiple interpretations in the wiki page for each comic.
If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page.
Please only submit material directly related to — and helping everyone better understand — xkcd... and of course only submit material that can legally be posted (and freely edited). Off-topic or other inappropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked.
If you need assistance from an admin, post a message to the Admin requests board.
