explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2648: Chemicals

2022-07-21T07:07:30Z

108.162.216.17: Figured it out

{{comic
| number = 2648
| date = July 20, 2022
| title = Chemicals
| image = chemicals.png
| titletext = It's hard to believe, but lots of kids these days ONLY know how to buy prepackaged molecules.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by BIG ISOMER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In this comic, [[Megan]] mentions that her company spends a lot on chemicals for which you can find formulas online. She suggests assembling chemicals from atoms "bought in bulk," holding a sheet of paper with the {{w|empirical formula}} C5H6NO2 which designates [https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/#query=C5H6NO2 more than a hundred compounds and ions] including {{w|nitrobenzene}}, {{w|niacin}}, {{w|isonicotinic acid}}, and {{w|picolinic acid}}, followed by their component elements listed with prices. The ambiguity of chemical formulae is one of the jokes in the comic.

While in-house {{w|chemical synthesis}} is sometimes cost effective, usually it is not, because end users are often unable to leverage the {{w|economies of scale}} inherent in bulk manufacturing by specialist industrial firms.[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2880393/] However, we don't know whether Megan and [[Cueball]] work in a laboratory, factory, or some other industrial setting. In-house chemical syntheses in factories using large volumes often ''are'' cost-effective, as can be laboratory syntheses of very small quantities.

In any case, producing chemicals from their constituent elements or {{w|Precursor (chemistry)|precursor compound}}s is difficult, time-consuming, requires expensive equipment, and is often fraught with peril.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QwW2owNWgc] Nitrobenzene, one of the C5H6NO2 compounds, is an excellent example because it is explosive, extremely toxic, and its synthesis is highly exothermic, making it one of the most dangerous syntheses in the chemical industry.[https://www.icheme.org/media/10339/xiii-paper-36.pdf] Such issues answer Cueball's question as to why more places don't manufacture their own chemicals. The characters' naivety also gives rise to the humor of the comic, which may also be mocking DIY lifehacks where the cost savings only make sense if their massive time investment is ignored. "Big Molecule" is an [[2130: Industry Nicknames|industry nickname like Big Oil or Big Pharma]], and amusing in its own right.

The title text refers to the fact that many people believe that "kids these days" don't do enough work or are spoiled. Randall has expressed that he dislikes statements like these in [[2165: Millennials|previous comics]].

This comic may have been prompted by recent news that [https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2022-07-15/for-the-first-time-in-history-we-can-modify-atomic-bonds-in-a-single-molecule.html scientists have found a way to assemble and change atoms in individual molecules] by modifying their bonds.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Megan and Cueball standing next to each other. Megan has her palms raised.]
:Megan: You know how our company spends a lot on expensive chemicals?
:Cueball: Yeah?

:[Megan holding up a piece of paper with a chemical formula on it, as well as some computation for the number of atoms needed]
:Megan: Well, I just learned you can look up all of the formulas online!
:Megan: We can just buy the atoms in bulk and assemble them here!
:[The paper reads as follows. The illegible items appear to be prices.]
:C6H5NO2
:Carbon 6 $[illegible]
:Hydrogen 5 $[illegible]
:Nitrogen 1 $[illegible]
:Oxygen 2 $[illegible]
:Total 14 $[illegible]

:[Cueball still standing. Megan walking off-panel to the right]
:Cueball: I wonder why more places don't do that.
:Megan: People have no idea they're getting ripped off by Big Molecule!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]

Talk:2613: Bad Map Projection: Madagascator

2022-05-01T16:27:07Z

108.162.216.17: /* holave */

Anyone else want to play this (and the other bad map projections) as maps in a 4X/Grand Strategy game? [[User:Mazz0|Mazz0]] ([[User talk:Mazz0|talk]]) 18:02, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

Clicking on the original comic brings up the actual projection used, it looks like.

I'm on an old machine here (because it usually doesn't matter), and clicked on the image on the xkcd site to get the image, to be told that ''Your browser does not support WebGL :'('' by the URL https://mrgris.com/projects/merc-extreme/#-4.64274,55.45253 - I will have to check from a less 'primitive' device, but it looks like it's got a special click-through, which might be worth mentioning in the Explanation. I can check myself in a few minutes, but noting here first in case I get delay. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.11|141.101.98.11]] 19:38, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

I have added the click. It opens an website app showing a Mercator with the North Pole set to wherever you want, with this one in particular set Mahé just as Randall said. [[User:Mapron01|Mapron01]] ([[User talk:Mapron01|talk]]) 19:40, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

Added a table, based upon some rapid pixel-analysis I did. No, I didn't include Indonesia, etc, and the "Africa size probably includes Madagascar" sort of thing could need sorting, but I mentioned that below so nobody is under misapprehension. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.221|162.158.34.221]] 22:04, 29 April 2022 (UTC)
: I think having the official size also be a percent of the world (or at least another column like that) would make it easier to see how the distortion affects the size. And/or distortion from a normal Mercator projection {{unsigned ip|172.70.230.143}}
:: That was my initial intention, or at least a percentage-of-reality column alongside (plus adding sorting to the columns), and maybe a differential between the two percentages just for fun. But I wanted to take time to make sure I was correctly counting how much area was (say) Eurasia but without Japan, etc. Maybe I'll actually get around to that shortly. There are other (formatting) tweaks I wasn't overly happy with in my original. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.11|141.101.98.11]] 19:00, 30 April 2022 (UTC)
::Okey dokey. New table. Sortable, extra columns and 'real world' figures improved on. (e.g. "North America" is land-areas of Canada through to Panama minus all significant islands (though some of the Canadian archipelago might have been drawn in as contiguous, etc, etc, and I ''think'' I only included Alaska in my sums just the once). Which took a lot more effort than I'd have prefered, like including Peninsula Malaysia and not the offshore bits. I wish I could say I spent as much time on the initial image-analysis (at least include NZ N+S Islands as an entry, right?) and the raw data is now archived elsewhere.
::I also augmented with footnote references, but not sure if I've done it right. Readable (defined in first instance, where used multiple times) in the source if anyone thinks there's any better ways of doing it (had my heart set on dagger/double-dagger/etc, but never mind). But there you are.
::Enjoy! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.63|172.70.90.63]] 23:11, 30 April 2022 (UTC)

Hopefully the vandal won't bother this one. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.18|172.70.211.18]] 17:23, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

:Looks like they did, but they seem to be done because someone gave them the emoticon. --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.87|172.70.126.87]] 22:36, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

::A mistake. We already know it's likely they'll be back at a later date with some other stunt to stroke their supremely fragile ego. (Whether or not things like this comment provokes them, I definitely consider my conscience clear in this regard.) But what happens, happens. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.223|172.69.79.223]] 22:43, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

:::Is it any surprise they're already back? The emoticon was a cheap excuse for the infantile, childish behaviour of someone without a life that gets their shits and giggles out of being nothing more than a pest.[[User:Mapron01|Mapron01]] ([[User talk:Mapron01|talk]]) 23:01, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

this page is kinda sussy tbh [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.81|172.70.214.81]] 18:11, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

[spam]

I have looked at the Wikipedia pages, and there is _no_ reference to Among Us on any map-related pages (and vice versa). What is your problem? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.242.195|172.70.242.195]] 18:43, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

[spam]

I take it you're the vandal... [[User:Something|Something]] ([[User talk:Something|talk]]) 19:00, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

ID does imply they are the vandal, they were adding the lyricis earlier today...[[User:Mapron01|Mapron01]] ([[User talk:Mapron01|talk]]) 19:23, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

I fixed the redirect they made of Danish going to the main page. I think some other pages got redirected into a redirect loop that should now be fixed. [[User:Flumnble|Flumnble]] ([[User talk:Flumnble|talk]]) 15:24, 1 May 2022 (UTC)

== holave ==

exclamacioneve holave inefe eguntapre omoce uedope ayudareve ave esteve itiose inefe [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.43|108.162.245.43]] 02:53, 1 May 2022 (UTC)
:Does anyone know what language this is written in? I have no idea what this person is saying (asking?) and Google Translate wasn't much help. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.178|108.162.246.178]] 03:09, 1 May 2022 (UTC)
::eclaracionde oye one hablove ingleseve erope oye ieroque ayudareve esteve ikiwe inefe [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.143|108.162.216.143]] 04:01, 1 May 2022 (UTC)
:::My first thought was esperanto (or ido or interlingua, given lack of accents), certainly a latinesque-based language or conlang, but given the edits put onto this effort, it's possibly even sabotaged, or was written by someone for whom it most definitely not was their first language. (I even thought it was "Pig-esperanto"... This is that idiot who changed entire Explanations to Pig-Latin, I'm sure.)
:::I've got no real affinity to languages but I can recognise the possible roots of a lot of that. Some use of "...speak(ing) English..." is obvious in the latter post, for example, at an educated guess.
:::But I would say this is a prelude to some "I want you to wear bunny-ears when you revert stuff" thing, which I for one won't try to solve this puzzle for. (I'll just revert and revert and revert, if I'm around, and ignore the "trying to be clever" stuff. Nearly deleted this, actually, but restrained myself.) Otherwise, I leave it to those who know their conlangs better than me. Once it strays too far beyond technical English and its classical roots, I'm not really a linguistics person as I said, so it's useless to me whether it's an international message of friendship or extortion instructions. "Holave", whoever you are, but no thanks. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.155|172.70.162.155]] 10:10, 1 May 2022 (UTC)

How will they shut down all their ports?

::::Yeah, it definitely looks like a conlang based on a Latinesque language, probably Spanish. "exclamacioneve" is probably "exclamacion" = "exclamation" (not sure why a sentence would begin with "exclamation"), holave=hola=hello, ayudareve=ayudar=help, hablove=hablo="I speak" (could actually be a different conjugation, but this is the most likely), and ingleseve=ingles=English. They seem to be saying "I speak English" (or "I don't speak English" if "one" means "no"). [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.5|172.70.130.5]] 14:11, 1 May 2022 (UTC)
:::::"I don't speak English" seems more likely, so it's probably a good guess that "one" does mean "no." [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.199|172.70.178.199]] 14:15, 1 May 2022 (UTC)
::::::It seems to be some sort of pig-Spanish, with punctuation written out. Decoded, it's “exclamacion hola fine pregunta como puedo ayudar a este sitio fine” and “declaracion yo no hablo ingles pero yo quiero ayudar este wiki fine”, meaning “exclamation hi end question how can i help on this site end” and “statement i dont speak english but i want to help this wiki end”. [[User:Kapostamas|Kapostamas]] ([[User talk:Kapostamas|talk]]) 15:15, 1 May 2022 (UTC)
How will they shut down all their ports?
:::::::(Somehow the thread got duplicated; I merged the threads) That makes sense. It seems like if someone wanted to help, they would at least use a real language. Do you think this is the vandal? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.33|172.70.178.33]] 15:31, 1 May 2022 (UTC)
::::::::Definitely the vandal. These were some of the vandal edit summaries on the last comic: "Orpe avorfe one andalizarve esteve aginape" "ise eviertere estove eve incluyeve unve emojive ede a'rbolve ede avidadne enve use esumenre ede edicio'nve, one ole olvere've ave acerehve" "one incluyesteve uneve emojive ede a'rboleve ede avidadene" @Kapostamas can you understand those? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.33|172.70.178.33]] 15:42, 1 May 2022 (UTC)
:::::::::“Por favor no vandalizar este pagina”; “Si revierte esto e incluye un emoji de árbol de navidad ne su resumen de edición, no lo volveré a hacere”; “No incluyeste une emoji de árbol de navidade”.
:::::::::That is, “Please do not vandalize this page”; “If you revert this and include a Christmas tree emoji in the edit summary, I will not do it again”; “You haven't included a Christmas tree emoji”. Must be some earlier version of this “dialect”, since there is punctuation and diacritics are marked by apostrophes, making it somewhat easier to recognize as mangled Spanish. [[User:Kapostamas|Kapostamas]] ([[User talk:Kapostamas|talk]]) 16:08, 1 May 2022 (UTC)

::::::::(Written before 172.70.178.33 got posted, just above.) I'd stake my bottom dollar/peso/euro/whatever on it. Still, marginally entertaining, but not in the intended way (which is good).
::::::::As for the "Exclamation" start, two basic theories:
::::::::* It's word-literal of "¡Some punctuation!" (partnered eith "inefe"=>"end), because the encoding system doesn't have punctuation, it reads it out (maybe literally, e.g. via screen-reader) and it's like a telegram convention "HAVE REACHED NORTH POLE STOP PLEASE ADVISE WHICH DIRECTION NOW STOP" (i.e. full-stop/period in word form).
::::::::* It's a start that says "I exclaim (that)...", and the other "I declare (that)..." in a sort of grammatical necessity for this particular lingo. Similar to "Statement: I am a computer. Question: Are you a computer?" in (deliberately-?)bad scifi dialogue.
::::::::Possibly a mix of both, and also some tertiary ideas I have. And the word-for-word translations make a sort of sense in either/both/all these contexts. Not that I'd respond to them, but I'll gladly talk about them and actually do something intellectually interesting with the mess. Silk purse from sow's ear, etc. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.63|172.70.90.63]] 15:55, 1 May 2022 (UTC)
:::::::::What's the rule for "translating" into this "dialect"? It seems like it is very similar to pig Latin, but with a few changes? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.17|108.162.216.17]] 16:27, 1 May 2022 (UTC)

2595: Advanced Techniques

2022-03-21T13:40:33Z

108.162.216.17: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2595
| date = March 18, 2022
| title = Advanced Techniques
| image = advanced_techniques.png
| titletext = A blow from Emmy's Cutlass of Variations will transport the dragon to a corresponding symmetric position in the Noetherworld.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by AN EULISH CLAUSS- Please slay the CORRECT dragon when editing this page. Do NOT travel to the Noetherworld. Do NOT pass Go. Please collect the correct sedenion.}}
In typical [[Miss Lenhart]] fashion, she is teaching a mathematics class where she outlines a process by which a mathematical result is achieved through steps which sound suspiciously like magical "{{w|Role-playing game}} (RPG) logic." She both includes dragons and arrows to slay it.

One of her students asks if this is a metaphor for the technique, but her rather tetchy reply ''Does this look like English class?!''' seems to imply that she literally means that dragons and arrows will be employed in the resolution of the problem. It is also clear from the slide she is pointing at that she has drawn a dragon and a man with a bow that is aiming an arrow at the dragon.

The caption beneath the comic states that this approach describes "All advanced math techniques." This is probably a reference to {{w|Arthur C. Clarke}}'s {{W|Clarke's three laws|third law}} that ''Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'', but re-framed for mathematics. What [[Randall]] is implying is that all advanced math techniques looks like magic to normal people.

Whilst metaphor is an important part of many languages, and so definitely taught in for instance English and French classes, it is not usually used in math classes. The process of algebra denoting variables with letters could though be considered related to metaphorical thinking.

Invocations are a common classification for spoken or vocalized types of spell. In the logic Miss Lenhart used, 'invoking' Gauss's operator may refer to casting a magical spell with verbal components (such as [https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/True%20Polymorph True Polymorph]). The operator is named after the famous German mathematician {{w|Carl Friedrich Gauss}}. There is nothing on Wikipedia called Guass's operator, but there is both {{w|Gauss's law}} and the {{w|Gauss–Kuzmin–Wirsing operator}}. As neither can transform an equation into a dragon, it is not certain what, if anything real, Miss Lenhart references.

Slaying the dragon with Hilbert's arrow, indicate that the arrow has some magical properties. The arrow could be named after {{w|David Hilbert}}, for instance, known for {{w|Hilbert space}}. Hilbert space converts subsets of an infinite vector space into a complete metric space, allowing the use of linear algebra & calculus methods which might otherwise be applicable only to finite Euclidean spaces. Vectors could be compared with an arrow.

Magical arrows are frequently used to slay dragons, in myth and role-playing games. Magical items in RPGs such as {{w|Dungeons & Dragons}}, are often named after a creator or famous user; hence, a magical "Arrow of Hilbert," might traverse infinite spaces or affect targets for which one or more stats are effectively infinite.

{{w|Conway chained arrow notation}} (2→3→4) is a means of expressing extremely large numbers and one of many uses for arrows in mathematics.

There is in fact a class of {{w|Dragon curve}}s, which do have the sort of S-shape shown on the whiteboard, but they have no connection to Gauss's operator, and are not actual dragons which need slaying.

Basically Miss Lenhart will turn the unsolvable equation into a dragon using Gauss's operator, then kill it with Hilbert's arrow. The now dead dragons corpse will then be transformed into the solution of the original equation, QED.

Miss Lenhart could be describing techniques like {{w|Fourier analysis}}, in which a problem is transformed from one domain into another which is more tractable (e.g. from the time domain to the frequency domain, commonly done for analyzing the behavior of signals or dynamical systems) and then back again.

The title text contains two puns and a reference. The phrase "{{w|Cutlass}} of Variations" is a pun on the mathematical technique called "{{w|Calculus of variations}}". The word "Noetherworld" is a pun on "{{w|underworld|netherworld}}". The reference is to the mathematician {{w|Emmy Noether}}, who was a giant in the field of abstract algebra. Furthermore, so-called {{w|Noether's Theorem}} is used in the Calculus of Variations. She was previously referenced as one of many important women in science back in [[896: Marie Curie]].

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart is using a stick to point at a whiteboard behind her while facing, presumably, a crowd of off-panel students. The white board has a drawing of a snake-shaped dragon with wings, flying with it's body in an S-shape. An archer is pointing an arrow up at the dragon above him. Above the drawings there are three and below two rows of unreadable text and equations.]
:Miss Lenhart: To solve this equation, we invoke Gauss's operator to transform it into a dragon.
:Miss Lenhart: Then we slay the dragon with Hilbert's Arrow, and transform its corpse back into the solution.
:Off-panel voice: Just to be clear, this is a metaphor, right?
:Miss Lenhart: Does this '''''look''''' like English class?!

:[Caption below the panel:]
:All advanced math techniques

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Math]]

565: Security Question

2016-01-22T00:15:32Z

108.162.216.17: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 565
| date = April 3, 2009
| title = Security Question
| image = security_question.png
| titletext = Let's invite him to a party and play 'I never'. Okay, I never hid any bodies SOUTH of Main Street. ...he's taking a drink!
}}

==Explanation==
Security questions are sensitive questions that allow a user to retrieve or reset his password if the password is lost or stolen. Because of this powerful function, security questions should be treated just as seriously as passwords. Typical security questions include "What's your mother's maiden name?" or "What's your secondary school?" and are intended to be easy for the user to answer but hard for anyone else to answer.

In this comic, however, the security question is deployed in a strange way, as the question "Where are the bodies buried?" assumes that one had buried bodies, hence had killed someone. The question turns out to be a ploy by the police, who were trying to bait Cueball into confessing his crime, as well as revealing the location of the incriminating evidence.

[http://www.wikihow.com/Play-the-%22I%27ve-Never%22-Game "I never"] is a drinking game that somebody says "I never did something" to the others. If you never did it, you don't need to drink, otherwise, drink. Since he takes a drink for "I never hid any bodies SOUTH of Main Street", the police have narrowed down the search area. The next statement in the game could be "I never hid any bodies WEST of Central Avenue" (or whatever road dividing the area), further localizing the bodies to a quarter of the original search area, in a {{w|Twenty Questions}} manner. Of course, by taking the drink Cueball also admits having buried bodies ''at all'', albeit not in a way likely to be accepted by any court.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball sits at a computer.]
:Computer Screen: -Email Account Setup- To verify your identity, we need to ask you a question nobody else could answer.

:Computer Screen: Q: Where are the bodies buried? A:
:[A text field is shown with "Behind the" typed.]

:[Three stick figures, two wearing police hats and one wearing headphones, watch another computer.]
:[The same text field is shown with "Behind the ... nice try." typed.]
:Figure in Headphones: Damn.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Internet]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T15:17:37Z

108.162.216.17: /* Explanation */ grammar

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an [https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS app] that allows one to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic, sharing his named, was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. Cueball could actually have beaten Magnus when he was just 8½-year-old, but already half a year later Magnus had progressed beyond Cueball's chess skills.

Megan then exclaims that she wants to have such an app for other games as well, and mentions two types of sport, {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where a persons skill cannot be simulated in an app as with chess. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a professional tennis player who was ranked no. 1 on the women's singles player world ranking when this comic was released. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}} who is the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three {{w|Olympiads}}.

Cueball is not even satisfied with just looking into sport, and wish to find out if he could cook better than for instance an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. ''Martha Stewart's Cooking School'', debuted on {{w|PBS}} in October 2012. Each episode covers cooking techniques based on her book of the same name. Megan suggest finding out if she could have won the eating contest against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th President of the United States, and got assassinated in 1963.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continues developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus' swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both loose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious. This is a reference to Rousey's {{w|UFC_193#Rousey_vs._Holm_fight|fight}} against {{w|Holly Holm}}. When this comic was released, Rousey was the top ranked female {{w|bantamweight}} fighter in the world according to the {{w|Ultimate Fighting Championship}} (UFC). Rousey, who was then the female bantamweight champion for five championships straight, was largely expected to come out on top before being knocked out in less than 30 seconds.

Others famous/known people are mentioned in the title text. The first is {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport", as it says on his wiki page. The 9-year-old Ali manages to beat a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented when Ali was a kid, but it came out in the early 70s so maybe JFK actually played while he was a kid (he was from 1961).

The horse is also mentioned again in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ken currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the age that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his pokédex.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the pokédex down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

Talk:660: Sympathy

2015-11-18T21:10:00Z

108.162.216.17: Created page with "Someone might want to fix this - I don't know how. When I click the "next" arrow at the top, instead of taking this page to 661, it opens up an entirely new window for 661. ~~~~"

Someone might want to fix this - I don't know how. When I click the "next" arrow at the top, instead of taking this page to 661, it opens up an entirely new window for 661. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.17|108.162.216.17]] 21:10, 18 November 2015 (UTC)

1550: Episode VII

2015-07-13T17:44:01Z

108.162.216.17: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1550
| date = July 13, 2015
| title = Episode VII
| image = episode_vii.png
| titletext = The Lord of the Rings sequel, set years after the Ring hubbub has died down, is just Samwise discreetly creeping back to Bag End to finish dropping the eaves.
}}

{{Incomplete|Clean up background, keep trivia out of explanation}}

==Explanation==
Sequels are often made to resolve issues that are left unresolved in the original works. In this comic Randell attempts to humorously resolves all the unresolved issues in the Star Wars Franchise in a single scene.

In ''{{w|Star Wars (film)|Star Wars}}'' (''Episode IV: A New Hope''), {{w|Owen Lars}} tells his (step-)nephew, {{w|Luke Skywalker}}, to clean two newly purchased droids ({{w|R2-D2}} and {{w|C-3PO}}), to which Luke complains that he was was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters. Ultimately, while cleaning the droids, Luke discovers a message which leads directly to almost all of the events in the original trilogy.

In Randall's vision of the unreleased, at the time of the comic, Star Wars movie ''{{w|Star Wars: The Force Awakens}}'' (also known as ''Episode VII'') directed by {{w|J. J. Abrams}}, Luke returns to {{w|Tatooine}} years later with R2-D2 to finish the errand that was interrupted. Luke goes to Tosche Station and says "I'm here for '''those''' power converters", thus completing this unresolved task from the first movie. The action is framed by the opening and {{w|closing credits}}, suggesting this uneventful scene comprises the entire film. Thus the joke being that there where not many, if any unresolved issues in the other films, and that getting the power converters was the most pressing. It is clear that this might possibly be the most boring event that could have formed the basis for a film.

The title text alludes to another fantasy franchise, ''{{w|Lord of the Rings}}'', and how {{w|Samwise Gamgee}} was similarly interrupted from a menial task of gardening and listening in on conversations outside {{w|Bag End}} by {{w|Gandalf}} and his quest to save the world at the start of the first film. The title text uses the term "dropping eaves" as Samwise did in his denial of eavesdropping in on the conversation between Frodo and Gandalf. In both cases, the issue of collecting power converters and Sam's gardening duties were left unresolved in their respective stories.

That said, there is something to be said that Abrams might consider such a plot to be worth filming (if not basing the entire film around) simply because it is a callback to a memorable "loose end" from the original trilogy, which could make many fans happy to see resolved or even just referenced. These types of references are often included merely as "easter eggs" for hardcore fans, rather than as the basis for the plot of the film.

===Star Wars background===
Ultimately, while cleaning the droids, Luke discovers a message which leads directly to almost all of the events in the original trilogy:
:'''Uncle Owen:''' Luke! Take these two over to the garage will ya? I want 'em cleaned up before dinner
:'''Luke:''' But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!
:'''Uncle Owen:''' You can waste time with your friends when your chores are done. Now, come on. Get to it.

Luke's line in this exchange is among many well-known and oft-quoted lines from the films. This line in particular is often quoted as an example of how Luke is initially portrayed as a whiny teenager. By the end of the {{W|Return of the Jedi|''Episode VI:Return of the Jedi''}}, Luke has grown into a mature and powerful Jedi, completing his transformation though the original trilogy.
''{{w|Star Wars: The Force Awakens}}'' (also known as ''Episode VII''), directed by {{w|J. J. Abrams}}, is the upcoming seventh live-action film in the {{w|Star Wars}} franchise. The franchise features some of the most well-known science fiction films of all time, and several of the highest-grossing films of all-time. The primary films consist of a trilogy released between 1977 and 1983, and a prequel trilogy released between 1999 and 2005. The highly-anticipated prequel trilogy (and particularly the first film) was heavily criticized by many and considered poor in comparison to the original trilogy. Further, creator George Lucas has been criticized for decades over his constant "tinkering" with the films, frequently amending them even after their release. Notably, he revisited the original trilogy starting in the 1990s to use the advents in computer graphics to replace or add special effects to the films. As a result, many consider George Lucas to have made many negative contributions to the film franchise since the original trilogy was released.

The upcoming film is the first since the rights to the franchise were sold by Lucas to the Disney Company. The film has also been entrusted to producer/director J.J. Abrams, who in 2009 produced and directed the highly acclaimed (although still highly criticized in certain circles) ''{{w|Star Trek (film)|Star Trek}}'' reboot. As such, the new ''Star Wars'' film is as highly anticipated, or more highly anticipated than the prequel trilogy, and has a strong buzz around it. Much of the early buzz surrounded the nature of the new film's plot: For example, whether it would be a prequel or a sequel, and whether it would feature any of the original cast/characters.

The weekend prior to this comic's release, Abrams and others involved in the film appeared in a panel at San Diego Comic-Con to unveil many important details about the film.

==Transcript==
[Black background, lettering in the style of the Star Wars logo]
Star Wars The Force Awakens

[Building in the desert, two men in the background, one running in front of the building. Next to the building is a sign]
sign: Tosche Station

[Hooded man standing next to R2D2]
Hooded man: Hello

[closeup of hooded man. The man has a mustache and a beard.]
Hooded man: I'm here for those power converters

[Black background, white letters (to resemble movie credits)]
Directed By J.J.Abrams

Title text: The Lord of the Rings sequel, set years after the Ring hubbub has died down, is just Samwise discreetly creeping back to Bag End to finish dropping the eaves.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]

Talk:1037: Umwelt

2015-03-26T02:23:08Z

108.162.216.17:

Normally I understand xkcd. But this one hurts my head. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 20:35, 15 August 2012 (UTC)
: I sorted all of them out. Phew!!! That was some work. The ones at the end have no appropriate picture in the image part. Atleast the hurricane one should be added. Please do so. [[User:TheOriginalSoni|TheOriginalSoni]] ([[User talk:TheOriginalSoni|talk]]) 11:09, 8 September 2012 (UTC)
:: I live in one of Umwelt's "hurricane areas", and that's the one I see. How do we add it? [[User:Ekedolphin|Ekedolphin]] ([[User talk:Ekedolphin|talk]]) 06:06, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

There is a fixed image used if your browser does not support javascript, which is missing. Additionally, the alt text varies at times. [[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 20:16, 4 October 2012 (UTC)

I can't see any of them neither in Firefox nor in IE :( --[[User:Kronf|Kronf]] ([[User talk:Kronf|talk]]) 11:32, 13 October 2012 (UTC)

This has got to be one of my favourite xkcd's! That amount of ingenuity in one edition! [[User:D3KN0W|Dean]] ([[User talk:D3KN0W|talk]]) 22:33, 01 January 2013 (UTC)

There is now also a category page for Jurassic Park, but I'm not sure how to work that into the explanation. [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 09:04, 28 January 2013 (UTC)

I can't resist noting that Chrome is sadly mistaken in thinking that its puzzle piece links up to a corner piece - it would have to be an edge piece to do that. Firefox would never have that kind of issue... [[User:Natf|Natf]] ([[User talk:Natf|talk]])
: Supposedly, if there were a puzzle with inner corners, such as one with a plus cut out of it, this could link up as shown. ... I wanna make a puzzle like that now. [[Special:Contributions/99.44.200.140|99.44.200.140]] 08:00, 1 June 2013 (UTC)

It would be difficult to compile, but I think this page would benefit from having the conditions along with the image (for instance, "Displays when running Netscape:") [[Special:Contributions/24.41.66.114|24.41.66.114]] 03:27, 6 September 2013 (UTC)

Hey, um, I think there is an AniMega Mega Mega Mega Maniacs reference. Namely, the question about hot dogs resembles Yakko's question to the Wally Llama except it dealt with packages of eight and packages of ten. (I forget which is which) {{unsigned ip|71.166.47.84}}

I came here to seek informartion about how each strip was seen. Disappointed... Especially after seeing there is a hebrew one!?!?!?!? (number 29) Is it real? Because I assume it should be visible from Israel and I can't see it [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.228|141.101.99.228]] 22:26, 30 December 2013 (UTC)

Added two location references to the 2Fast2Furious and Snake comics, with browser references. Anyone know why I got those results? {{unsigned ip|173.245.50.77}}
: I don't, especially since I live in the UK (not Texas) and yet I see the Snake comic? [[User:Enchantedsleeper|Enchantedsleeper]] ([[User talk:Enchantedsleeper|talk]]) 14:14, 7 April 2014 (UTC)

I found a new one, it seems to display when using TOR. Should I add it? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.49.60|173.245.49.60]] 02:22, 7 May 2014 (UTC)
:Yes definitely. [[User:Chriswampler|Chriswampler]] ([[User talk:Chriswampler|talk]]) 16:07, 7 May 2014 (UTC)
::The Reviews comic just as appearing under TOR is actually comic #1036. Can you confirm that it is actually showing up under Umwelt? [[User:Chriswampler|Chriswampler]] ([[User talk:Chriswampler|talk]]) 20:34, 7 May 2014 (UTC)
:::Yes. I checked like ten times. I just did it again.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.153|173.245.53.153]] 20:40, 7 May 2014 (UTC)
:Honestly I can't do much explaining. Does anyone get it? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.61|108.162.219.61]] 20:54, 7 May 2014 (UTC)

Has anyone tested the Steam browser, whatever it is, with this comic? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.66|108.162.219.66]] 18:50, 26 May 2014 (UTC)

I tested the Steam browser and got the "This plugin requires Sergey Brin's permission to run" comic, same as when I use Chrome.[[User:RobotSnake|RobotSnake]] ([[User talk:RobotSnake|talk]]) 18:16, 5 July 2014 (UTC)
:That is because the Steam browser is WebKit/Chromium-based. (Now you know something!)[[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.88|173.245.50.88]] 03:34, 2 September 2014 (UTC)

For the Yahoo Chrome one with Sergey Brin, it reminds me a bit like how GerMega Mega Mega Mega Man tanks were unable to be moved on D-Day because Hitler, whose order was needed to move them, slept through the first five hours of the batter. It's the same theme of failure due to having only one person able to give permission, and that person being asleep.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.188|173.245.54.188]] 14:53, 19 July 2014 (UTC)

I get Pond on both my laptop (Firefox) and iPhone 3. I live in North Holland. Hope it helps, ask some other Dutch people about it for affirmation. On Opera, I get the turtle one. I should also note that if I make my browser window smaller, the right part of it is cut off. This page is clearly incomplete... -Maplestrip

...Uhm, have you guys ever tried looking at this page in Lynx? Because, seriously, this is amazing. It's basically this entire page. The start in particular is hilarious: "[[two people...]] <<..wait.. <scrolls through a listing of everything> oh goddammit Randall. Thanks a bunch, dude. I better get a raise for typing out all of this>> [[Two people standing next to eachother..." Reading some of this, is this where you got all the transcripts for these comics from? -Maplestrip

In Ireland I get no comic strip loading at all! Just nothing in between the direction buttons, on Chrome or Safari! :/ {{unsigned ip|173.245.53.215}}

Just something I feel should be added to the "Blizzard" comic: it seems to also change the distance measurement (magnitude and system), in the last panel, depending on your location; for instance, the final panel refers to them only having [https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/22279334/Screen%20Shot%202015-03-25%20at%2010.03.06%20PM.png six more kilometres to travel] for me: fitting given that I'm located in central Ontario. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.17|108.162.216.17]] 02:23, 26 March 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1487: Tornado

2015-02-17T06:31:35Z

108.162.216.17:

Are we sure this is cueball? it seems like it might be just a generic newscaster cartoon.
[[User:Reywas|Reywas]] ([[User talk:Reywas|talk]]) 07:41, 16 February 2015 (UTC)
: Cueball is not a character; it's a name given to any featureless stick figure in XKCD. [[User:ImVeryAngryItsNotButter|ImVeryAngryItsNotButter]] ([[User talk:ImVeryAngryItsNotButter|talk]]) 15:14, 16 February 2015 (UTC)

:Actually, while the blank figure is used throughout XKCD, at least on this wiki, cueball refers to the recurring character, who I don't think is the one here.[[User:Reywas|Reywas]] ([[User talk:Reywas|talk]]) 20:49, 16 February 2015 (UTC)
: I just checked, [[User:ImVeryAngryItsNotButter|ImVeryAngryItsNotButter]] is correct. [[Cueball]] is a name (or more accurately, a title) given to any featureless stickman. Cueball isn't a 'recurring character' because it's impossible to distinguish any instance from another by any way other than their personality (which has no clear rules to go by). Could you imagine how tough it would be to go through eg. [[610]] and name each one consistently with Cueballs from other comics? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.162|108.162.249.162]] 04:24, 17 February 2015 (UTC)
Can a weather expert verify the claim that a tornado will destroy a merry-go-round? From what little I read and understood (Weather is confusing, and there was no graph!), a F0 or F1 tornado would not destroy it. From my estimations, a merry-go-round weighs 1350kg (2976.24054 lbs). Thanks, [[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.95|141.101.106.95]] 08:53, 16 February 2015 (UTC)

:: The F scale is based on the amount of damage done, by definition an F0 does no damage and F5 Does vast amounts of damage, F1 would damage it but it may be repairable.

Another type of "merry-go-round" is a very common playground device, much simpler than the type with seats or horses. This https://smilekiddo.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/zipline_merry-go-round.jpg is what I envisioned from the comic, although it could refer to either type. The freely-rotating small platform, usually with bars for children to hold onto while standing, and rotated merely by people-power, is probably the most common type of merry-go-round in the US. They may weigh from 500 to 2000 lbs, or mass from about 15 to 60 slugs (I'll assume xkcd readers can convert to other mass units if desired.) [[User:Taibhse|Taibhse]] ([[User talk:Taibhse|talk]]) 09:24, 16 February 2015 (UTC)

I think tornado can destroy the merry-go-round of either type and STILL make it a fun ride. The part of "no injuries" is the suspicious one. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:25, 16 February 2015 (UTC)

Wait, what I got from this comic is the classical mass media sensationalism joke, there is no tornado, they simply invented one by taking a merry go round as one, that's why the victims say "Fun and Awesome", they interviewed the kids as victims while they were just enjoying the ride. The title text does the same, with the difference they went further this time, as trying to pass a teacup ride as a multi-vortex tornado is even more hilarious. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.103.206|141.101.103.206]] 11:29, 16 February 2015 (UTC)

I think that the tornado in question is ''caused'' by the merry-go-round because physics and similarly for the tea cup ride -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.150|108.162.216.150]] 18:05, 16 February 2015 (UTC)

Is there any point in including "like most amusement rides, it is for children"? I don't know about others but most of the amusement parks near me are for late teens-twenties. They all have a childrens section but it is pretty tiny. --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.202|173.245.56.202]] 14:29, 16 February 2015 (UTC)

I would like to point out that [http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/physics/phys06/bcentrif/centrif.htm Centrifugal Force] Does not exist. What you are describing is Tethered forward momentum. If the rider was not bolted to the Horse then the rider would fly forward as described by the feeling of being pushed away from the center. You can test this yourself by putting a bolt on a string, spin the string and let go. IF there was Centrifugal force then the bolt would keep on a curve. Instead it flies away in a line till gravity takes over.

:: Centrifugal force does actually exist. See comic [[123]]. It may not be real in the sense that it exists in inertial reference frames, but it exists in the sense that it's a well-defined and useful way of arranging the math. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.17|108.162.216.17]] 06:31, 17 February 2015 (UTC)

560: Lithium Batteries

2013-12-10T07:14:34Z

108.162.216.17:

{{comic
| number = 560
| date = March 25, 2009
| title = Lithium Batteries
| image = lithium_batteries.png
| titletext = I'm normally a pretty frugal person, but I still compulsively buy any R/C aircraft that's less than $30. In the last few years, this has become a problem.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Randall]] muses that his life would have been better if he aged in reverse based on a timeline of the usage of {{w|Lithium-ion battery|lithium-ion batteries}}. Presumably, the reason is that each of these uses would come to realization when he most needed it (i.e. cheap RC aircraft as a child, a pacemaker when he is old, a phone when he is a rich businessperson, etc.). It might also be a shout-out to "{{w|The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (short story)|The Curious Case of Benjamin Button}}", by {{w|F. Scott Fitzgerald}} or "{{w|The Once and Future King}}" by {{w|T. H. White}} where {{w|Merlin}} is described as a man living backwards through time as shown in this comic: [[ 270: Merlin ]].

Lithium-ion batteries have one of the best energy densities and are common in most modern electronic devices like laptops, smartphones, and also air-planes like the {{w|Boeing 787 Dreamliner}}. The batteries have a serious risk of fire and in January 2013 the world wide Boeing 787 fleet was grounded for more than three months after such an incident.

In the title text Randall states that he is a big fan of cheap {{w|Radio-controlled aircraft|radio-controlled aircraft}} (powered by cheap lithium-ion batteries), which he direly wished he would have had as a child (as the main comic expresses). As such, he has an uncontrollable, instinctive urge to make up for his childhood lack of RC aircraft by buying every cheap one he sees, which is becoming a huge financial problem as RC aircraft get cheaper and cheaper.

==Transcript==
:Timeline of Commercial Uses of Lithium Batteries:
:[The panel has a timeline that goes from Past to Present. The timeline has 4 notches on it.]
:Past
:[the first notch, closest to the past side, has a picture of an old man with a walking stick.]
:Pacemakers
:[The second notch has an image of a man in a car, who is talking on his cell phone.]
:Phones for Rich Business People
:[The third notch, has a teen taking on his cellphone.]
:Phones for Teenagers
:[The forth notch, closest to the present on the timeline, and an image of a toy plane box with $10 written on it.]
:Really cheap r/c planes and helicopters
:Present
:[Below the main panel.]
:Life would be so much better if I was one of those people who aged backward.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Randall Munroe]]

303: Compiling

2013-11-25T20:04:11Z

108.162.216.17: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 303
| date = August 15, 2007
| title = Compiling
| image = compiling.png
| titletext = 'Are you stealing those LCDs?' 'Yeah, but I'm doing it while my code compiles.'
}}

==Explanation==
When programming, simply writing the source code is not sufficient. One must {{w|Compiler|compile}} the code, turning it into {{w|executable}} files. For larger projects, this can take a long time depending on the size of the project and the power of the computer. As of 2013, the {{w|Linux Kernel}} contains over 15 million lines of code, a massive job for any compiler.

In general, programming languages are implemented in two ways: interpreters and compilers. Interpreters convert the code at the time when it is currently running ({{w|PHP}} for one example), but compilers convert the source code all at once into executable files. After compiling, the resulting code will run much faster than interpreted code, since it has already been translated into the proper binary language. However, compiling code can take a long time, especially if the compiler is set up to correct {{w|syntax error|syntax errors}}. When Cueball is caught wasting time at work, he is able to successfully deploy this knowledge in order to avoid reprimand from his superiors.

In the title text, Cueball admits that he stole LCD displays, but only because he had to wait for the compiler.

==Transcript==
:The #1 Programmer Excuse for Legitimately Slacking Off: “My code's compiling.”
:[Two programmers are sword-fighting on office chairs in a hallway. An unseen manager calls them back to work through an open office door.]
:Manager: Hey! Get back to work!
:Cueball: Compiling!
:Manager: Oh. Carry on.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Programming]]

303: Compiling

2013-11-25T19:58:43Z

108.162.216.17: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 303
| date = August 15, 2007
| title = Compiling
| image = compiling.png
| titletext = 'Are you stealing those LCDs?' 'Yeah, but I'm doing it while my code compiles.'
}}

==Explanation==
Simply writing the source code is not sufficient. You have to {{w|Compiler|compile}} this, turning it into {{w|executable}} files. For larger projects, this can take a long time depending on the size of the project and the power of the computer. As of 2013, the {{w|Linux Kernel}} contains over 15 million lines of code, a hard job for the compiler.

In general, programming languages are implemented in two ways: interpreters and compilers. Interpreters convert the code at the time when it is currently running ({{w|PHP}} is only one example), but compilers convert the source code all at once into executable files. After compiling, the resulting code will run much faster than interpreted code, since it has already all been translated into the proper binary language. But compiling code can be a long task, including to fix some {{w|syntax error|syntax errors}}. Cueball does not care about this so far, because he is only waiting for a slow machine to finish its job.

In the title text, Cueball admits that he did steal LCD displays, but only because he had to wait for the compiler.

==Transcript==
:The #1 Programmer Excuse for Legitimately Slacking Off: “My code's compiling.”
:[Two programmers are sword-fighting on office chairs in a hallway. An unseen manager calls them back to work through an open office door.]
:Manager: Hey! Get back to work!
:Cueball: Compiling!
:Manager: Oh. Carry on.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Programming]]

217: e to the pi Minus pi

2013-11-23T04:40:12Z

108.162.216.17: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 217
| date = January 31, 2007
| title = e to the pi Minus pi
| image = e_to_the_pi_minus_pi.png
| titletext = Also, I hear the 4th root of (9^2 + 19^2/22) is pi.
}}

==Explanation==

''e'' is a mathematical constant that is an {{w|irrational number}} roughly equal to 2.71828182846. ''π'' is another irrational number roughly equal to 3.14159265359. An important feature of irrational numbers is that their decimal forms neither terminate nor repeat.

But computers use {{w|Floating point|floating point}} numbers to store decimals, and with only a finite amount of data for a given number, they can never represent ''e'', ''π'', or ''e''''π'' - ''π'' exactly. (It is nontrivial that ''e''''π'' - ''π'' is irrational. It was proven by {{w|Yuri Valentinovich Nesterenko}} in the late 20th century.) As noted in the comic, ''e''''π'' - ''π'' is about 19.999099979. However, [[Black Hat]]'s teammates didn't know enough about mathematics and let Black Hat trick them into believing that ''e''''π'' - ''π'' = 20, exactly. Therefore they thought their algorithm had a slight programming error.

ACM is the {{w|Association for Computing Machinery}} sponsoring the {{w|ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest|International Collegiate Programming Contest}}.

In the title text, another {{w|mathematical coincidence}} is presented. The 4th root of (9^2 + 19^2/22) is 3.1415926525, which is extremely close to ''π'' (≈3.1415926535). A much later comic, [[1047: Approximations]], puts forth quite a few more mathematical coincidences.

==Transcript==
:Cueball: Hey, check it out: e^pi-pi is 19.999099979. That's weird.
:Black Hat: Yeah. That's how I got kicked out of the ACM in college.
:Cueball: ...what?
:Black Hat: During a competition, I told the programmers on our team that e^pi-pi was a standard test of floating-point handlers--it would come out to 20 unless they had rounding errors.
:Cueball: That's awful.
:Black Hat: Yeah, they dug through half their algorithms looking for the bug before they figured it out.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Programming]]

216: Romantic Drama Equation

2013-11-23T04:36:21Z

108.162.216.17: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 216
| date = January 29, 2007
| title = Romantic Drama Equation
| image = romantic drama equation.png
| titletext = Real-life prospective-pairing curves over things like age can get depressing.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|The formulars are missing}}
The equations in the comic and the graph show how many different love pairs can be made if you know the number of females and males in a group. The text explains that it was inspired by TV Romantic Drama (in this case, the gay drama {{w|Queer as Folk (U.S. TV series)|Queer as Folk}}), but of course the formula is valid for any group of people. There are two graphs and equations - gay option is the case when we are looking for pairs with same gender, straight option in for heterosexual equations. The interesting/funny part about the results is that in most cases there are more possibilities when we consider the homosexual option. Also it is interesting to observe what is kind of obvious - in the heterosexual case the "best" case is if both genders are present equally and the possibilities drop very fast if there is substantial difference between genders.

It should be noted that the chart assumes that the ENTIRE cast, male AND female, will ALL be of the same sexuality (homo OR hetero).

The graph makes a note that it only holds true for large casts. Case in point, with a cast of only four people: a two-to-two female-to-male ratio will have four straight pairings to two gay pairings, while a three-to-one female-to-male ratio will have three straight pairings and three gay pairings.

The title-text mentions that Randall made a chart of his own prospective dating pool as he gets older, and was depressed by the results.

==Transcript==
:TV Romantic Drama Equation (Derived during a series of "Queer as Folk" episodes)
:[A table shows equations for possible romantic pairings in a TV show. The equation under "gay" is n(n-1)/2+x(x-n); the equation under "straight" is x(n-x).]
:x: Number of male (or female) cast members.
:n: total number of cast members.
:[A graph plots pairings (for large casts) against cast makeup. Each of the above equations forms a curve. "Gay cast" starts high for an all male cast, dips down at 50/50 cast makeup, and then rises again for all female. "Straight cast" starts at zero for an all male cast, peaks at 50/50 cast makeup, and then drops to zero again for an all female cast. The two curves intersect at two points close to the middle.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Romance]]