explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2951: Bad Map Projection: Exterior Kansas

2024-06-27T04:07:44Z

172.68.2.101: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2951
| date = June 26, 2024
| title = Bad Map Projection: Exterior Kansas
| image = bad_map_projection_exterior_kansas_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x706px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Although Kansas is widely thought to contain the geographic center of the contiguous 48 states, topologists now believe that it's actually their outer edge.
}}

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

This is the seventh comic in the series of [[:Category:Bad Map Projections|Bad Map Projections]] displaying Bad Map Projection #45: Exterior Kansas.

This comic portrays a unique projection of a map of the contiguous United States. Maps of individual countries are common, especially in academic settings. It is typical for such maps, which only display a limited area of the globe, to use a projection that does not distort the shape of the country or its internal borders.

Here, however, Randall has opted for a much different projection. Rather than placing the geographical center of the country in the middle and the borders on the outside, this map has gone the opposite direction, with the land outside the US (which is rendered as water, despite including Canada and Mexico, two bordering nations that are normally above-water {{Citation Needed}}) in the center, and the geographical center of the US (Kansas) and surrounding states distorted to surround the entire map. This, understandably, results in the shape of both the national and state borders being largely unrecognizable.

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

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Bad Map Projections]]

Talk:2937: Room Code

2024-06-25T23:14:44Z

172.68.2.101:

Obviously, for many of us it would be more helpful as a mnemonic for a slightly older relative born on May 18, 2002. But since the author is American, it is of course reasonable for him not to have mentioned this. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.235|162.158.134.235]] 20:36, 24 May 2024 (UTC)
:ISO-8601 FTW.
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 14:05, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
::Do "many" of you use YYMMDD though? YY rather than YYYY? Many, many of us use DDMMYY though. [[User:Yorkshire Pudding|Yorkshire Pudding]] ([[User talk:Yorkshire Pudding|talk]]) 20:46, 24 May 2024 (UTC)
::::UK resident here. I have only used YYYYMMDD at the start of file names to manually produce versioning order.[[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 07:30, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
:::::Another Brit. Having dealt with transatlantic stuff, I switched to YYYY/MM/DD exclusively due to being utterly fed up with trying to work out when an ambiguous date (like in this example, or the infamous 9th of November) was supposed to be. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.131.158|172.71.131.158]] 21:40, 26 May 2024 (UTC)
::::::This particular Brit (also veteran of Y2K, at the same time as regularly "talkin' to 'Merkins" and having to make sure I don't confuzzle them either with what a Rightpondian would write or by them ''assuming'' that I'm writing in Rightpondian when I'm not) continues to tend to use DD/Mmm/YYYY for anything with a human-reading focus. Or something like YYYYMMDD(-hh(mm(ss))), as per RIIW's situational reasoning where dumb alphanumeric ordering might dominate in primarily computer-reading scenarios. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.164|172.69.79.164]] 23:32, 26 May 2024 (UTC)
:::::::I know that people in the Netherlands use YYMMDD for dates - I used to work for Philips research (a Dutch company) - and they used that format everywhere. It's actually VERY logical because if you write a decimal number 12,345 you put the most significant digit first...so YYMMDD does the same thing - the year being the more significant. One GREAT thing about that representation is that a simple numerical sort will get things into date-wise ordering. I've heard that some countries write addresses that way too: USA / Texas / Dallas / MainStreet / 123...again, putting the most significant information first. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.140.153|162.158.140.153]] 14:39, 30 May 2024 (UTC)
:::Yes, add me to the "2nd of May" club. (Or whatever young relative I can retrospectively induce to join, anyway.) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.165|172.69.79.165]] 22:58, 24 May 2024 (UTC)
:::Yes, of course DDMMYY is a thing as well (although I would have expected dots or something), I might have mentioned that. Here in Sweden, YYMMDD is very common, along with YYYY-MM-DD, D/M YYYY and YYYYMMDD (the latter increasingly so, very rare before y2k). YY-MM-DD and D/M -YY are rather less common (after y2k). Formats with dots or Roman numerals are almost unheard of, as are middle-endianness and anything with slashes before or after the year. Source: subjective experience.) (Of course, many Swedes also realize that months have names that alleviate ambiguity.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.242|162.158.134.242]] 04:30, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
::::Now I want some kind of joke about Your Mileage May Vary, but it's some variation of YYDMDM. (Yes Your Date May Deviate Massively?)
::::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 14:12, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
:::My birthday is actually May 18, XXXX, and I am American, but I always use XX0518 for a 6 number code.
::Which brings up [[2562:_Formatting_Meeting]] (I ~~don't know~~ figured out how to do internal links) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.22.80|172.71.22.80]] 20:52, 24 May 2024 (UTC)
::::I know that State Side, they say that as you write May 2nd 2024, then it's right to have MMDDYYYY, but they celebrate the 4th of July! However, in the UK we are likely to date letters 2nd May, 2024. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 07:30, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
:::::Now I want some kind of joke about Your Mileage May Vary, but it's some variation of YYDMDM. (Yes Your Date May Deviate Massively?)
:::::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 14:12, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
::::::YMMD (Your Mileage May Differ) {{unsigned ip|162.158.129.253|08:52, 27 May 2024}}
:::''"I don't know how to do internal links"'' At the very bottom of the Editing page, "'''Editing help (opens in new window)'''", which goes to https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links and you want "'''Internal links'''" --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 00:11, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
::::In case it helps, I've just [[User talk:42.book.addict#Depends what you wanted to do...|written something, at least so long as that user doesn't delete or change my contribution]] which summarises (badly?) the general gamut of linking options you might need to employ here. It's tuned to explainxkcd usage, rather than the full (in their own way) and perhaps more precise wikipedia standards that the above link gives. And it was written on the spur of the moment, not really so carefully edited. But FYI. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.38.70|162.158.38.70]] 21:04, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
::Also related [[1179:_ISO_8601]] --[[Special:Contributions/172.71.160.93|172.71.160.93]] 09:09, 27 May 2024 (UTC)
:Can totally relate as a 020506. Whichever of the six ways it may be read ig… [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.65|172.70.90.65]] 10:09, 22 June 2024 (UTC)

wait...so y'all actually don't need help with remembering numbers? oh. I can usually memorize like 10 long strings of random numbers almost instantly by finding patterns through them. order through chaos? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 02:13, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
:These patterns are a kind of mnemonic, duh. Only works if you're comfortable enough with numbers (to be able to find some pattern in any digit string), otherwise one should use a more familiar association. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.194.201|172.68.194.201]] 14:58, 25 May 2024 (UTC)

I usually remember numbers with their pattern on computer or telephone keys. When I recite π, I start moving my hand through the air at some point. Here the even position digits are ascending in the middle and the others are 001, so quite easy. [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 03:39, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
:I remember random information by putting it in my phone! [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 07:30, 25 May 2024 (UTC)

He forgot to dot the question mark. 🤭
--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.68|162.158.74.68]] 09:41, 25 May 2024 (UTC)

I always have a pen to write on my hand for this reason tbh [[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 03:31, 26 May 2024 (UTC)
:The trouble is, most people couldn't do it for this doorcode. It has six digits, but the typical hand only ever has five! [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.207|172.69.194.207]] 09:03, 26 May 2024 (UTC)
::Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.194.178|172.68.194.178]] 09:50, 26 May 2024 (UTC)
::.207, you made me laugh. Good job. (genuinely) [[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 21:09, 5 June 2024 (UTC)
::The average hand has less than 5 digits. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 01:28, 28 May 2024 (UTC)
:::Average =/= Typical (unless it's a modal average).[[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.177|172.70.90.177]] 08:13, 28 May 2024 (UTC)
::::Hey, there's a comic about this. [[2696: Precision vs Accuracy]] -[[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 21:20, 11 June 2024 (UTC)

The room code 020518 as listed consists of prime numbers 2 and 5 (with 3 missing). however both are preceded by a zero. The 18 is interpreted as non prime (it is not) but the 2x3x3 seems a bit far off from any prime. Would the alternative explanation 0-5 is a zero followed by the prime number five --- followed by 1 - 8 which is 0+1 and 7+1 which could be logical continuation of 0+0-5+0, 0+1-7+1, followed by e.g. 0+2, 11+2 etc. - as such series sometime go. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.193|172.70.46.193]] 14:10, 26 May 2024 (UTC)
:Support for this idea: 02, skip three for 05, the next prime is 07, but you are "increase"-ingly wrong, so you increase both digits to get 18.
:It may be "far off" from being prime in a factorization sense, but it's quite close to being a prime because it's right next to both 17 and 19, which are both prime. [[User:AdmiralMemo|Admiral Memo]] ([[User talk:AdmiralMemo|talk]]) 11:56, 29 May 2024 (UTC)
::What would be interesting would be to find 'twinned Mersennes', i.e. specifically that (2^n)-1 ''and'' (2^n)+1 are both prime. (Currently, I can only identify n=2 as valid for that, but I'm not immediately aware of any reason why (2^n)+1 might not be equally valid as (possible) prime, nor why it might only pair with a non-prime (2^n)-1 'mersenne miss' number.) By the above logic, (2^n) iteself would quite close to being a prime (being another prime-pair's intermediate) whilst being quite conspicuously factorisable to the ''n''th order. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.131|172.71.178.131]] 13:57, 29 May 2024 (UTC)

I remember my 628496 was my room code for a while back at uni, very easy to remember as the first three Perfect Numbers {{unsigned ip|172.70.163.121|08:25, 28 May 2024}}

It's three prime numbers if you assume two digits per number and base 9. Translating that to base 10 would be: 2, 5, 17 {{unsigned|Cwallenpoole|18:50, 12 June 2024}}

So, what about this explanation still needs work? What's incomplete, unclear, or questionably accurate? [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 04:21, 25 June 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2905: Supergroup

2024-03-13T05:43:16Z

172.68.2.101:

== Title text ==

Isn't the sum in the title text wrong? It should be ''99 Luftballoons'' (or the English cover ''99 Red Balloons'') + ''101 Dalmatians'' + ''I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)'' = 700 balloons, dalmatians and miles (not 1,200).--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.69.103|141.101.69.103]]
:Maybe it's about Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles"? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.65.245|172.69.65.245]] 22:13, 11 March 2024 (UTC)
:Note that ''I'm Gonna Be'' is actually about walking 1000 miles, not 500 miles. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.39.41|172.70.39.41]] 08:36, 12 March 2024 (UTC)
::Right! "I-hai would walk five hundred miles, and I-hai would walk five hundred more..." [[User:Transgalactic|Transgalactic]] ([[User talk:Transgalactic|talk]]) 15:29, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

"cover" implies that the combined song already exists and was performed by some other group. I would expect that this supergroup would have created the medley themselves, to fit their particular genre. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 22:23, 11 March 2024 (UTC)

"101 Dalmations" isn't a well known song AFAIK. It was written as the title song of the Disney movie, but wasn't actually used. Wikipedia says it got released on other albums. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 22:38, 11 March 2024 (UTC)

A supergroup cover of ''99 Luftballons'' would probably be ''awesome.'' --[[User:The-Daleks|The-Daleks]] ([[User talk:The-Daleks|talk]]) 20:43, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

== Comic ==

I don't know all the bands, but it looks like they are: 21 Pilots, 5 Seconds of Summer, 4 Non Blondes, 2 Live Crew, 100 GEC, 3 Doors Down, 9 Inch Nails, 1 Republic, 1 Direction, 30 Seconds to Mars.

== Missed Opportunity ==

I am surprised there were no references to orthosymplectic or superunitary groups.
:That's what I originally thought the joke would be about. This is much more mundane. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 22:34, 11 March 2024 (UTC)
:Well if ''G'' and ''H'' are groups and ''G'' ⊇ ''H'', then ''G'' is a supergroup of ''H'', isn't it? --[[User:Coconut Galaxy|Coconut Galaxy]] ([[User talk:Coconut Galaxy|talk]]) 13:39, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

== extras ==

throw in:

* {{w|23 Skidoo (band)|23 Skidoo}}
* {{w|400 Blows (British band)|400 Blows}}

--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.76|162.158.63.76]] 07:10, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

:{{w|Five Finger Death Punch}}
:{{w|Six Feet Under (band)|Six Feet Under}} --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 13:37, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

::No one's mentioned {{w|Three Days Grace}} yet? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.2.101|172.68.2.101]] 05:43, 13 March 2024 (UTC)

I remember a great film, ''The Magnificently Dirty Nineteen''. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.155|172.69.195.155]]
:Don't forget the sequel ''The Fantastic Ocean's Taking of Pelham Slaughterhouse 143'' [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:07, 12 March 2024 (UTC)
::And the supercut "The Fast and the Furious 41" --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 15:01, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

I like the alternate cut: 108 Dalmation Nation Army. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.48|172.69.247.48]]

I'm going to hold out for The Blink and Ben Folds 2162. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.189|162.158.159.189]] 22:11, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

== Group (math) connections ==

I think tat the description misses the connection to math:

* Group is a mathematical concept (**set** of elements with some properties and operations)
* Sub-group is a subset of a group that retains the properties; Super-group can be constructed similarrly;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_(mathematics) ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subgroup ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergroup_(physics)

--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.132|141.101.105.132]] 18:28, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

2900: Call My Cell

2024-02-29T15:03:44Z

172.68.2.101: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2900
| date = February 28, 2024
| title = Call My Cell
| image = call_my_cell_2x.png
| imagesize = 509x222px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Hey, can you call my cell?' '...I'm trying, but it says this number is blocked?' 'Ok, thanks, just checking.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by ''THIS'' GUY'S BOT - feel free to elaborate on any and all points. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

When a person cannot find their cell phone, it is not uncommon to ask a friend to call the phone in question. This will activate the device's ring tone and/or its haptic actuator, assuming the device is not off or silenced, making it easier to find. (This is also called [[207: What xkcd Means|being xkcd]]).

At first, [[Black Hat]] appears to have misplaced his cell phone, as he asks [[Cueball]] to call it. However, when Cueball does call Black Hat's cell, it is revealed to be in Black Hat's (supposed) pocket. He then makes a show of ''annoyance'' that Cueball ("''this'' guy") is calling him, sends the call to {{w|voicemail}}, and leaves. From this, it can be inferred that Black Hat was simply trying to demonstrate that he doesn't ''want'' Cueball to call him, showing another of his ''[[72: Classhole|classhole]]'' tendencies.

The title text is a similar situation. But instead Black Hat demonstrates that he has {{w|Call blocking|blocked Cueball's number}} so Cueball is unable to reach him.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat, with his finger raised, walks in from the right approaching Cueball.]
:Black Hat: Hey, can you call my cell?

:[Cueball has taken his phone up and is pressing the screen. Black Hat holds out his left arm as he looks down at his back pocket which is ringing.]
:Black Hat: Oh, one sec.
:''Ring''

:[Cueball, still holding his phone, looks at Black Hat. Black Hat has turned his back to Cueball and is looking at his phone which he is holding in both hands. Above his head is both his one line of speech but also a separate jagged speech bubble indicating what is written on his phone screen.]
:Black Hat: Ugh, it's '''''this''''' guy.
:Phone: ''Send to voicemail''

:[Cueball, holding his phone down, watches Black Hat walk away from him, already partly outside the right frame of the panel.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Phones]]

2885: Spelling

2024-01-24T17:41:36Z

172.68.2.101:

{{comic
| number = 2885
| date = January 24, 2024
| title = Spelling
| image = spelling_2x.png
| imagesize = 281x333px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Any time I misspell a word it's just because I have too much integrity to copy answers from the dictionary.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PLAGIARISED WIKIHOW ARTICLE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Some words are difficult to remember how to spell, but Google and other search engines have autocorrect for misspelled words in search terms, which will return results with the correct spelling, so some people enter their best guess of the spelling on Google, then copy the corrected version and paste it into their document.

Cueball isn't sure whether copying ''individual words'' without attribution is considered plagiarism (appropriating the work of others without permission or credit), and he can't avoid thinking about this moral dilemma when copying the word 'plagiarism' itself.

The title text takes the idea one step further, with Cueball saying he only ever misspells words because he would rather not "copy from the dictionary," as he considers that plagiarism. Of course, the ''entire point'' of the dictionary is to serve as a reference precisely for people to look up the spelling and definition of words, and the words defined in the dictionary cannot be individually copyrighted on their own.{{cn}}

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

:[Cueball is sitting at a desk and looking at a laptop. Megan is standing behind him and looking at the laptop as well.]
:Megan: When I can't spell a word I usually just Google and copy and paste it from the results.
:Cueball: Yeah, but I can't do that '''''HERE!!'''''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Why spelling "plagiarism" is especially hard

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]