explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2356: Constellation Monstrosity

2020-09-08T05:19:03Z

108.162.229.230: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2356
| date = September 7, 2020
| title = Constellation Monstrosity
| image = constellation_monstrosity.png
| titletext = It's rare to get both astronomers and astrologers equally mad at you, but apparently I've messed up both a bunch of star location databases AND the will of the fates.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THE WILL OF THE SAGICAPRIQUARIUS. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Constellation}}s in the night sky are formed by pattern-forming various {{w|Asterism (astronomy)|asterisms}} and other stellar relationships in the night sky.

Being rather subjective, {{w|Chinese constellations|different cultures}} have inculcated differences in their interpretations, some subtle and others less so, for the exact same objective views of the night sky. Even where the same groupings are recognised, different cultures can 'see' different forms behind that group of stars. However, observers in the southern hemisphere will see entirely new constellations not visible to those in the northern one, and vice-versa, whilst observing those patterns fully visible to both (on the {{w|ecliptic}}) as inverted and therefore may inspire vastly different conceptualised images or even connectivities.

Randall has taken one particular {{w|zodiac}} (or at least part of the one associated with western astrology and used historically as the organisational references that modern astronomy uses for its cataloguing nomenclature) and imagined further lines connecting stars to link up four separate constellations, to create a portmanteau constellation with a {{w|portmanteau}} name. As a matter of fact, this connection is half true, since Libra used to be the two claws of a much larger Scorpio, the larger constellation having been split in two when the twelve zodiac signs were theorized.

The four constellations used here are Scorpio (the scorpion), Libra (the scales), Virgo (the virgin/maiden) and Leo (the lion), sequentially spread across the sky in positions relating to a span of astrological dates running 'backwards' from late November through to late July. The name Randall gave this meta-constellation, however, uses a different order to combine as "Virg(o, l)ibra(, )scorp(io & )leo". Possibly "Scorlibirgoleo", or a similar mash-up with the same source order, did not roll together nicely enough for his liking.

In reality, apparent proximity of constellations on the {{w|celestial sphere}} does not guarantee actual proximity radially. Naming issues should not change any scientific understanding, but it could have a knock-on effect to the cataloguing if that is rearranged to obey the new object grouping.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Within a frame, a long title is written in a short arc above the drawn elements]
:Virgibrascorpleo

:[Upon a background of astrological imagery merged in accord, basic point-and-line astronomical/astrological representations of Scorpio, Libra, Virgo and Leo are illustrated.]
:[(Scorpio ''may'' be slightly rotated/translated for aesthetic reasons.)]

:[Red lines have been added to link stars in adjacent constellations.]
:[ {{w|Beta Scorpii}} may be connected to {{w|Sigma Librae}} (once known as Gamma Scorpii)]
:[ ...also {{w|Pi Scorpii}} may be connected to {{w|Tau Librae}}]
:[ {{w|Beta Librae}} may be connected to {{w|Mu Virginis}}]
:[ {{w|Nu Virginis}} may be connected to Beta Leonis (better known as {{w|Denebola}})]

:[Caption below the frame]
:I got kicked out of the International Astronomical Union for adding extra lines between the constellations to create a monstrosity.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Portmanteau]]

Talk:2350: Deer Turrets

2020-08-25T16:03:35Z

108.162.229.230: upvote satirical analysis about political handling of covid crisis

There's no "next" button on [[2349]]? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.250|108.162.219.250]] 18:44, 24 August 2020 (UTC)
:The reason there's no Next button is that it's the newest comic. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.43|162.158.158.43]] 21:04, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

Is this about something? I mean, it could be a commentary on the way politics handled Covid, some politicians taking terrible decisions, then saying it was a mistake and that science is still learning, but then still taking terrible decisions afterwards. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.69.83|141.101.69.83]] 21:02, 24 August 2020 (UTC)
:That's definitely my take on this comic. The similarity with certain political meetings in the covid situation is quite abvious, in my opinion. [[Special:Contributions/90.127.120.72|90.127.120.72]] 16:02, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

The thing about icebergs, is that 9/10ths of them would be ''on fire'', if they weren't kept underwater. Truth! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.192|162.158.155.192]] 22:17, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

(to the tune of “Do-Re-Mi”) ''Does are near, now flee in fear; The ray will boil everyone; The antlered gun is taking aim; Now it’s vaporised my lung...'' [[User:Lightcaller|Lightcaller]] ([[User talk:Lightcaller|talk]]) 22:43, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

Deer don't gallop. Are you sure that's about the deer? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.187|172.69.33.187]] 22:54, 24 August 2020 (UTC) Dear IP_address, deer most certainly do gallop. Since I'm a nice guy (rarely), I LMGTFYed that to confirm. [[User:Cellocgw|Cellocgw]] ([[User talk:Cellocgw|talk]]) 12:35, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

I don't think you can build an iceberk-proof airship. Or at least, you won't get it into air because it would be too heavy. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:21, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

You make a ship iceberg proof by making it fly. You can't be sunk if you fly over. [[User:Hax|Hax]] ([[User talk:Hax|talk]]) 07:16, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

I think the "Is it really??" means "Is it really okay?", not "Is it really a mistake?". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.183.137|162.158.183.137]] 11:03, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

Gotta keep on trying 'til you run out of cake. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.188|108.162.210.188]] 13:18, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

== When Mao went to clear the sparrow but for the locust, it was 42% as deadly as fauna-mounted autocannons ==

Just saying. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.150|172.69.34.150]] 07:17, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

2251: Alignment Chart Alignment Chart

2020-01-06T11:08:18Z

108.162.229.230:

{{comic
| number = 2251
| date = January 6, 2020
| title = Alignment Chart Alignment Chart
| image = alignment_chart_alignment_chart.png
| titletext = I would describe my personal alignment as "lawful heterozygous silty liquid."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created using the [[User:DgbrtBOT|BOT template]]. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

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

{{comic discussion}}



[[Category:Charts]]

Talk:1823: Hottest Editors

2020-01-05T00:18:32Z

108.162.229.230: 2005 - Vim

So Randall is saying that in 2005 Vim as the most popular editor, and no Emacs user bat an eye? I came here to see why, highly disappointed
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.230|108.162.229.230]] 00:18, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR, a procaryotic immune defense system that, coupled with Cas9, has been used by molecular biologists as a technology for precise edition of a the genome of virtually any organism.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.216|141.101.105.216]] 14:59, 12 April 2017 (UTC) LinVl

So.. the M-x crispr command? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.172|172.68.51.172]] 15:54, 12 April 2017 (UTC)ZZ
You mean `ESC:crispr` ? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.183|162.158.62.183]] 13:54, 15 April 2017 (UTC)
The first editors are not for machine-readable Text. But for sourcecode which is human-readable.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.192|162.158.90.192]] 16:49, 12 April 2017 (UTC)
:Well, the compiler or interpreter can hopefully read your source code, so in some sense it's machine-readable :P. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.112|172.68.54.112]] 18:13, 12 April 2017 (UTC)

i noticed the article fails to mention the comic declaring vim as the winner in 2005... kind of a huge oversight. mayhaps there is bias in the author of this wiki? mayhaps the author is a huge emacs fan?
:Maybe he's alluding to this with CRISPR-VIM in 2025.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.51|162.158.74.51]] 22:12, 12 April 2017 (UTC)
:As a 30+ year Emacs user, I too wanted to know why vim was declared the winner. Is there some sort of objective basis for the declaration, or is it just a joke in the context of Emacs versus vi debate STILL going on? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.100|172.68.54.100]] 19:33, 20 April 2017 (UTC)

I'm surprised no female name is included. I mean, there must be lot of newspapers with female editors and some of them are likely hot. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 02:06, 13 April 2017 (UTC)

Could CRISPR being the hottest editor refer to DNA computing? https://www.britannica.com/technology/DNA-computing

"Sublime Text is the current "most popular" text editor according to Randall[citation needed]". Citation needed? Someone should link that phrase to this comic then, LOL!

And I want to mention, this site has been looking all wrong and messed up on my iPad 1 for the last week or two. The entire left side is missing, being relegated to looking wrong below, the logo is gone, the buttons are in some different Times-looking font, and this comment text box is only using the centre half of the screen, horizontally. It's like a style sheet got corrupted. Or it's been made prejudiced against older devices and OSes. :) - NiceGuy1 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.88|108.162.219.88]] 03:18, 14 April 2017 (UTC) I finally signed up! This comment is mine. (and the site was fixed, maybe when it went down for maintenance?) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:45, 13 June 2017 (UTC)

:Have you tried turning it off and on again? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.46|162.158.114.46]] 21:06, 14 April 2017 (UTC)

A modal editor with a modal modem : In the days of Hayes modems, using "+" in vi to move down a line (similar to "j") would not always work because "+++" sent in a short time period changes the modem from data mode to command mode. One could imagine a future Tesla having a debug mode entered through a similar key sequence.

: "Vim will make a comeback in DNA editing, thus having 'won' the battle with Emacs" - Why would Vim only win the battle with Emacs in 2025, when, according to the chart, Vim already was the hottest editor in 2005 (which Emacs never was)? --[[User:YMS|YMS]] ([[User talk:YMS|talk]]) 15:07, 19 April 2017 (UTC)