explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

explain xkcd:Editor FAQ

2019-06-05T18:17:05Z

172.68.59.144: /* The picture at xkcd was updated, how do I upload this here? */

'''Frequently Asked Questions for editors'''

This FAQ is a short description about editing pages at this wiki. Please read this carefully and if you have any further questions do not hesitate to enter them into this [[explain xkcd talk:Editor FAQ|talk page]].

For general questions please read first the MediaWiki help pages about [[mw:Help:Editing pages|Editing pages]] or look at the full overview here: [[mw:Help:Contents|Help Contents]]. You also can use your preferred search engine by entering "MediaWiki mytopic". Change mytopic to the theme you're searching for, i.e. "MediaWiki tables" will show you many useful sites about editing tables.

Please always use the preview button to verify your edit before finally pressing the save button.

This FAQ focuses only on topics related to this specific Wiki.

==What is the general layout of a comic page?==
In general, you don't have to care about this because the pages are generated by a bot nearly immediately after a new comic is released. If the bot fails please follow exactly the instructions here [[User:dgbrtBOT]] to do all the needed actions.

The layout and order is always this:
*Comic ''picture'' with the ''title text'' below
*''Explanation''
*''Transcript''
*''Trivia'' (optional)
*''Discussion'' (embedded Talk page)
*List of non standard ''categories''

==What should I include in the explanation?==
Everything is welcome as long as it explains the content of the comic. Everybody can edit here and when others disagree about your contributions they may change it.

==In which cases are tables meaningful, and when are they not?==
At the transcript tables should never be used, even when there is a table in the comic image it should be described by text.

At the explanation tables only make sense when the content is compact. When a single row contains more than a small item like a number, a small phrase, or something similar a table isn't the proper layout because it's hard to read. Instead it should be written in floating text chapters with distinct headers above (see next section below.)

Instead of using a two-column table (e.g. "sentence from comic", "explanation"), consider using a description list (''bold text''). Place a semicolon (<code>;</code>) at the beginning of the sentence to be explained and a colon (<code>:</code>) at the beginning of each paragraph of the explanation, like this (from [[1987: Python Environment#Explanation|1987]]):
; Anaconda Python
: Anaconda is a Python distribution for data science and machine learning related applications.
: A second paragraph for the explanation.

The Wikipedia's {{w|WP:WHENTABLE#Appropriate use|Manual of Style/Tables}} describes it best:
<blockquote>Often a list is best left as a list. Before reformatting a list into table form, consider whether the information will be more clearly conveyed by virtue of having rows and columns. If so, then a table is probably a good choice. If there is no obvious benefit to having rows and columns, then a table is probably not the best choice. </blockquote>

==What is the proper layout for headers?==
For headlines you have to use Wiki-style code. The simplest way is a preceding semicolon at the beginning of the line which causes the entire line to be rendered in bold.

On large explanations it can be handy to divide it into subsections. In this case the header is written like this: <code><nowiki>===Sub header===</nowiki></code>. But in most cases the simple semicolon is just enough.

==What is the format of the transcript section?==
The transcript should describe the content (think about explaining the comic to a visually impaired person, or to someone on phone). It should do this in a compact manner, and cite all written words. Every line should begin with an indent (a simple <code>:</code> at the beginning), and every panel from the comic should be separated by a blank line. The transcript must not contain any links, nor rich math markup, which once again relies on visuals. Tables should generally be avoided, although not all transcripts comply with this. Furthermore the title text is not included in the transcript. Checking the pages for the older comics will help understand this.

==One or two spaces after a period? And what about newlines?==
There is a controversy if one or two spaces after a period ending a sentence should be used. The fact is that even three or more spaces are rendered as only one.
Furthermore a single newline is also just rendered as a space.

A new paragraph like this needs an empty line before, not just a single newline. Click the edit/source button to see how this chapter is written.

==What belongs to the trivia section?==
As implied by the section name, it's just trivia, consisting of unimportant odds-and-ends related to the comic. Since this wiki focuses on explaining this section is not part of the default layout. If a word has been misspelled in the comic or title text, or the image was originally broken at xkcd and reuploaded... basically the things that don't belong in the explanation but should still be mentioned, then it should be mentioned in the trivia section.

==How do I behave on the talk page (discussion)?==
Everybody can add here any thoughts about the comic and more. Please follow the common netiquette and don't be rude. Unless you are replying to a previous comment, in which you should add a colon before your comment, you should add comments at the bottom. Every comment has to be signed at the end with <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> or just click the sign button [[File:Button sig.png]] at the top of the editor.

==What does the incomplete tag mean?==
There are two templates to indicate that an explanation or the transcript do need further rework. Just enter <nowiki>{{incomplete|YOUR REASON}}</nowiki> or respectively <nowiki>{{incomplete transcript|YOUR REASON}}</nowiki> and don't forget to enter a proper reason to replace the filler text left by the bot (Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.), or if the reason said in the tag has been dealt with. The reason at the transcript is not shown to the viewer.

==How do I enter links to other pages?==
The three mostly used options are:
*an internal link like <code><nowiki>[[Cueball]]</nowiki></code> which renders like this: [[Cueball]]
*a link to the English Wikipedia should use this template: <code><nowiki>{{w|Page}}</nowiki></code> links to the Wikipedia article on "Page" or <code><nowiki>{{w|Page|Display}}</nowiki></code> prints "Display" which links to the Wikipedia article on "Page"
*other external links can be done in three ways:
**just write the URL and it will be shown like this: http://www.example.com
**put it into single brackets: <code><nowiki>[http://www.example.com]</nowiki></code> and you will see this [http://www.example.com] (please avoid this)
**and add a text: <code><nowiki>[http://www.example.com Example Homepage]</nowiki></code> everything after the first space is shown: [http://www.example.com Example Homepage]

==Why can't I upload pictures or create pages?==
Only registered and trusted users can create pages or upload images. After the registration you have to wait at least three days and you must have done a small amount of edits, then you will be able to create pages and upload images at will.

==How do I embed images?==
This Wiki isn't a picture book, use this feature only sparingly and reduce the size as much as possible. An example can be seen here: [[1400: D.B. Cooper]]. The syntax in this case is <code><nowiki>[[File:DBCooper.jpg|thumb|150px|Cooper]]</nowiki></code> and the picture is taken from Commons, the main source for Wikipedia images. The full syntax can be found at [[mw:Help:Images|MediaWiki]].

You also can upload pictures directly to this Wiki by using the [[Special:Upload]] link from the menu. But do not violate any copyright rules or it will be deleted. And when the picture is available at Commons there is no need to upload it here.

==The picture at xkcd was updated, how do I upload this here?==
Sometimes the initial picture at [[xkcd]] contains typos or other errors. When that has been fixed the comic picture here should also be updated. Save the picture from xkcd to your local PC but be careful, there are two versions available. We here use only the smaller version ''picture.png'' and not the larger one ''picture_2x.png''. So change <code><nowiki>https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/picture_2x.png</nowiki></code> t[.,jhgffvgb h]ode> when your browser shows the 2x version.

To update it here just click the image in the comic page and then click "Upload a new version of this file" below the file history. And please be patient, you wont see your upload immediately because it still comes from the cache at the server. But when you see your upload in the file history everything is OK. Just wait...

==How do I enter mathematical or chemical formulas?==
You can use the Math markup <code><nowiki><math>...</math></nowiki></code>. The other known code from Wikipedia <code><nowiki><chem>...</chem></nowiki></code> is NOT supported yet. It's based on LaTeX syntax and a general overview can be found at this {{w|Help:Displaying a formula|Wikipedia help page}} -- don't use it unless you understand what you are doing.

Furthermore never use this markup at the ''transcript'' because that math code is rendered to a picture -- at the transcript we try to describe the comic ''image'' by ''words'', a picture there wouldn't be helpful.

==Is the ''Citation needed'' template here similar to the analog at Wikipedia?==
Simple answer: NO. In fact that template just links to [[285: Wikipedian Protester]], a comic from July 4, 2007 and was meant to be a joke. Adding this template to every comic doesn't explain anything at all (that's what this Wiki aims to do) and should be placed only when there is a deeper sense of humor.

Talk:2158: Qualifiers

2019-06-04T15:03:23Z

172.68.59.144:

I'm not entirely sure he's "run out of" qualifiers after 20 minutes per se. It may just be that he has finally decided what he wanted to say was "hi" and he otherwise may have still gone on with additional qualifiers (potentially even repeating some of them since there is no indication that they must be unique). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.13|108.162.242.13]] 16:49, 3 June 2019 (UTC)
:I agree. Given the punch line of the main comic, the message "hi" is probably just the first applicable message Cueball came up with. Don't get me wrong, hear me out on this, I know everything is subjective, I'm not an expert or anything, correct me if I'm mistaken, anything is possible, I've been wrong before, Lord only knows, life is funny, your mileage may vary, I can't believe I'm saying this, it's just an impression I get, it could be any other explanation, maybe the jury is still out on this, but I don't think there's any practical limitation to gratuitous preamble or equivocation. I think when it's done professionally that's called politics.
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 01:30, 4 June 2019 (UTC)
:: When has a politician ever said "correct me if I'm mistaken" or "I've been wrong before"..?[[Special:Contributions/172.68.59.144|172.68.59.144]] 15:03, 4 June 2019 (UTC)

"although it actually fits in White Hat's unusual mentality." I disagree. All of the xkcd figures usually think a little outside the box; that's why it's funny. I haven't seen anything anywhere suggesting that White Hat is the type to listen endlessly either. Thoughts? [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 20:46, 3 June 2019 (UTC)
:Aren't ''all'' white hats rule-obsessed compulsives with completion fixation?
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 01:30, 4 June 2019 (UTC)

I removed the "good" from in front of patience because, well, when is patience a bad thing? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 11:42, 4 June 2019 (UTC)
:The word you are looking for is hestitation. Still agree, that the good in that place was not needed. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 11:52, 4 June 2019 (UTC)

Hi, I just wanted to say, apropos of nothing, probably, that, IMO (YMMV!) and FYI, there's not ''necessarily'' even that much content in the "Hi", either. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.205|162.158.154.205]] 14:50, 4 June 2019 (UTC)

2158: Qualifiers

2019-06-03T16:10:29Z

172.68.59.144:

{{comic
| number = 2158
| date = June 3, 2019
| title = Qualifiers
| image = qualifiers.png
| titletext = [20 minutes later] ", hi."
}}

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

Hi.

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

{{comic discussion}}

2110: Error Bars

2019-05-24T03:56:17Z

172.68.59.144: Explained the 95% CI concept with frequentist instead of bayesian POV

{{comic
| number = 2110
| date = February 11, 2019
| title = Error Bars
| image = error_bars.png
| titletext = ...an effect size of 1.68 (95% CI: 1.56 (95% CI: 1.52 (95% CI: 1.504 (95% CI: 1.494 (95% CI: 1.488 (95% CI: 1.485 (95% CI: 1.482 (95% CI: 1.481 (95% CI: 1.4799 (95% CI: 1.4791 (95% CI: 1.4784...
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an INFINITE SERIES OF ERROR BARS. Readers apparently develop three different views depending on their expertise with statistics. Views should be listed separately (see comments). Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

On statistical charts and graphs, it is common to include {{w|error bars}} showing the probable variation of the actual value from the value shown (or the possible error of the value shown). Since there is always uncertainty in any given measurement, the error bars help an observer evaluate how accurate the data shown is, or the implications if the true value is within the likely error, rather than the exact value shown. There are statistical methods for calculating error bars (they can show a {{w|standard deviation}}, a {{w|standard error}}, or a {{w|confidence interval}}) but the fact that there are multiple ways of calculating them - plus general unfamiliarity with statistical methods - means that people often misinterpret or misunderstand them.

As charts may be of data that has been mathematically processed, the known error from the recording process must also be mathematically processed in order to determine the likely error in the final result. Different transformations of the data result in different transformations of the error, and the correctness of the transformations used can sometimes depend on the subtle differences in the distribution of the source data. At a loss as to how to correctly propagate his error, [[Randall]] instead puts error bars on the ends of his error bars, to reflect the fact that the error has been combined with other error, or the fact that the error bars also have uncertainty or errors themselves. However, since his second error bar calculations are also suspect, he puts a third set of error bars on them. This repeats {{w|ad infinitum}} creating a fractal similar to a {{w|Cantor set}}.

In the title text, he states that the {{w|effect size}} is 1.68 and follows it with the 95% confidence interval (a range of possible values, which, under repeated sampling, would contain a number within the interval 95% of the time), which would normally be represented by something like "1.68 (95% CI 1.56 - 1.80)." Since he is stating that those bounds are uncertain, he starts with "1.68 (95% CI 1.56" but then puts the 95% CI for that lower bound of the interval, "95% CI 1.52," followed by the lower bound for that value, "95% CI 1.504," and so on. He goes 11 layers deep before resorting to an ellipsis.

Normally, there is not enough data to compute an error bar on error bars. The data being measured have a sampling distribution, e.g. one might make ten measurements of something which come out to 1, 1, 1.1, 1, 1.4, 1, 1, 0.5, 1, and 1, suggesting it is probably close to 1, so there is a range of values that could likely be. However, properties such as the average and standard deviation do not themselves have ranges. If one is uncertain that one has computed these correctly, there is not enough data to compute one's own uncertainty in one's skills in any meaningful way; one can claim error bars on error bars, as in this example, but those are just guesses with no statistically useful backing.

==Transcript==
:[A line graph with eight marks on the Y-axis and five marks on the X-axis. The graph has four points represented by dots and connected by three lines between them. Each dot has error bars coming out of the top and bottom of it. The horizontal line delineating the end of each error bar has another set of smaller error bars attached to it. These second error bars in turn have a still smaller third set of error bars attached to the end of them. There is a final fourth set of very small error bars attached to the third set, for a total of 56 error bars]

:[Caption below the panels:]
:I don't know how to propagate error correctly, so I just put error bars on all my error bars.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Statistics]]
[[Category:Line graphs]]

1103: Nine

2019-05-10T19:07:13Z

172.68.59.144: adding some more things from ''Thing Explainer''

{{comic
| number = 1103
| date = September 03, 2012
| title = Nine
| image = nine.png
| titletext = FYI: If you get curious and start trying to calculate the time adjustment function that minimizes the gap between the most-used and least-used digit (for a representative sample of common cook times) without altering any time by more than 10%, and someone asks you what you are doing, it is easier to just lie.
}}

==Explanation==
Most common cook times are given in either whole, half, or quarter minute increments; e.g., 2:00 min. or 1:30 min, meaning that 1,2,3,4,5 and 0 are the most used digits on the microwave (because microwave times are usually less than 6 minutes), and to use numbers like 6,7,8, or 9, one would have to cook something for that number of minutes. Cueball, however, feels bad for the under-used number '9,' so he microwaves his food for one minute fifty-nine seconds instead of two minutes, as a one-second difference is negligible.

Also, in [[Randall|Randall's]] book [[Thing Explainer|Thing Explainer,]] every number from one to ten are in the top thousand most used words except nine, which is labeled 'the number after eight', 'one more than eight', or (when referring to the Ninth Amendment) 'Change After Eight'. This evidences how the other numbers are used much more than nine.

The title text is reminiscent of comic [[245: Floor Tiles]].

== Trivia ==
The disproportionately high frequency of low digits appearing in a random number is a similar concept to {{w|Benford's Law}}, which states that the lower a non-zero digit is, the more likely it will appear as the first (non-zero) digit of a random number; eg, you are far more likely to encounter a number beginning with the digit 1 than a number whose first digit is 9. However, in the case of microwaves, the reason low digits are usually at the beginning of the number is more due to the relatively short times used on microwaves, whereas Benford's Law has to do with logarithmic scale. And in the case of microwaves, 3s and 0s have an increased likelihood of appearing in later digits because times are usually given in units of minutes or half-minutes, and while it is possible to extend Benford's Law to a few digits beyond the first digit, there is certainly no preference for 3 over other digits.

Taken together, one could probably infer that the amount of time something is cooked in an oven, which is usually longer than things are cooked in a microwave, is more likely to include early digits such as 0, 1, 2, and 3 as opposed to digits such as 7, 8, and 9.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball stands at a microwave, which hangs on the wall above the stove.]
:Cueball: How long do you zap these?
:Character off-frame: Two minutes.
:Cueball: Thanks!
:[Buttons being pushed.]
:*Beep* 1
:*Beep* 5
:*Beep* 9
:Cueball:'' It's ok, nine.''
:Cueball:'' You are not forgotten.''

:[Caption below the frame:]
:Ever since I heard the simile "As neglected as the nine button on the microwave." I've found myself adjusting cook times.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Food]]

Talk:195: Map of the Internet

2019-04-28T21:35:07Z

172.68.59.144: 10.0.0.0/8 subnet aka ::ffff:a00:0/104 subnet

Why am I in various registrars?[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.186|141.101.104.186]]
: Simply because one of those various registrars is your interwebz provider. [[User:Sobsz|Sobsz]] ([[User talk:Sobsz|talk]]) 19:55, 21 November 2015 (UTC)

I'd like to see an updated version, 10 years later. I think all the green would be gone. [[User:Microbe|Microbe]]

He forgot the 172.16-172.31 private block. Way late, I know but I only just noticed. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.253.203|172.68.253.203]] 01:51, 7 July 2017 (UTC)

Since the table is for the first octet only, it's not possible to show the 172.16-172.31 block. Drawing a table big enough is left to you as an exercise. However, he shows Class E addresses (240-255) as "unallocated", which is a bit misleading because routers are required by [https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1812#section-5.3.7 RFC 1812] to discard packets with these addresses, which are reserved for "future use". [[Special:Contributions/172.68.142.89|172.68.142.89]] 18:21, 15 June 2018 (UTC)
:However, 10.0.0.0/8 is a full class A subnet that is on the same footing as 172.16.0.0/12 and 192.168.0.0/16, yet is labeled "VPNs" in this comic. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.59.144|172.68.59.144]] 21:35, 28 April 2019 (UTC)

2142: Dangerous Fields

2019-04-27T16:02:50Z

172.68.59.144:

{{comic
| number = 2142
| date = April 26, 2019
| title = Dangerous Fields
| image = dangerous_fields.png
| titletext = Eventually, every epidemiologist becomes another statistic, a dedication to record-keeping which their colleagues sincerely appreciate.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an INEXORABLE PROCESS. Percentages needed to be added (like [[1895: Worrying Scientist Interviews]]). Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is a chart of "fields of study by danger", with mathematics being the least dangerous and gerontology being the most. Gerontology is shown as multiple times more dangerous than the other fields, so it is far on the right side of the graph. Generally speaking, the "study of ageing" does not seem likely to kill you, but approaching it philosophically, ageing is a cause of death.

This comic was posted the day after {{w|Joe Biden}} entered the race for the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, which is shaping up to feature the [https://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/national-today-newsletter-american-politics-scarecrow-1.5107181 oldest set of candidates] in history.

===Fields===
*{{W|Mathematics}} is such a pure non-physical field that the probability of it being the direct cause of death is extremely low, barring workplace disputes or absent-mindedly wandering in front of traffic while pondering (as in xkcd [[356: Nerd Sniping]]).

*{{W|Astronomy}} mostly deals with extremely far-away things, so assuming there isn't a meteor impact, astronomy is probably not going to kill you. Astronomy is slightly more dangerous than mathematics though, since it studies physical objects instead of abstract concepts. In addition to meteor or asteroid impacts, astronomical phenomena that might cause death include nearby supernovas, distant magnetar quakes, a solar flare or solar nova (the likelihood of which will increase over the next billion-odd years), perturbations in earth's orbit, increased or decreased solar radiation, alien invasion, etc. Given that the density of magnetars and potentially hostile alien civilizations in the potentially lethal radius is (like the radius itself) completely unknown, and not all past mass extinctions are explained, this one might be misplaced a bit. The lethal stroke may be unlikely, in absolute terms, but most cut quite a broad swath. Altitude sickness can be deadly; some 29 observatories are located above 10,000 feet / 3000 m, high enough to cause altitude sickness to susceptible individuals. Astronomers no longer spend time at observatories, but in the old days could succumb to the cold.

*{{W|Economics}} is the study of markets, which through recessions and scarcity can kill you in any way that capitalism or other economic systems can affect the availability of goods and services you need to survive.

*{{W|Law}} in this context refers to the rules people have to follow in society, and given the nature of laws (civil and criminal), the odds that your death is related to law is low. Possible causes of death more-or-less directly related to the study of law would include attacks by someone you are prosecuting or defending, prosecution for a capital crime, persecution under legal authority (such as being shot or strangled by an officer of the law), attack by a guard or fellow prisoner, or for lack of medical treatment, while incarcerated, or death by exposure after expulsion from one's repossessed or otherwise legally confiscated home. Perhaps most ironically, a lawyer who committed a capital crime and was executed for it would be directly killed by the thing s/he studies.

*{{W|Criminology}} is very similar to law, but is the study of crime, meaning it's more dangerous than just "law." Criminologists may be directly involved with criminals in the course of their studies, increasing their exposure to potentially life-threatening behavior.

*{{W|Meteorology}} is the study of weather, and in large weather events such as hurricanes and tornadoes, death is a distinct possibility.

*{{W|Chemistry}} is the study of chemicals and reactions of those chemicals. Since everything in existence is made up of chemicals (and chemists often use especially reactive or dangerous chemicals), the likelihood of a chemist's death being caused by chemistry (e.g., explosions, poisoning, chemical burns, suffocation...) is not insignificant.

*{{W|Marine Biology}} is the study of marine life. Many marine creatures are venomous, many are very large, many are very hungry. Death could result from exposure to pathogenic bacteria, toxins (such as those produced by cone snails, and "red tide" dinoflagellates), allergies to shellfish, drowning (e.g. in strong ocean currents), scuba accidents, or water pollution, in addition to such perhaps more obvious (but overwhelmingly rarer) risks as shark attacks.

*{{w|Volcanology}} involves the study of {{w|volcanoes}}, {{w|lava}}, and {{w|magma}}, with obvious risks to the scientists studying them in the field. At least 67 scientists have been killed in volcanic eruptions, as of 2017 ("[https://cosmosmagazine.com/geoscience/volcanologists-lose-their-lives-in-pursuit-of-knowledge Volcanologists lose their lives in pursuit of knowledge]").

*{{w|Gerontology}} involves the study of aging, and of growing old in general. As everyone ages and eventually dies, those who study gerontology are not immune to dying in old age even if they evade all the other possible causes of death - thus making it the most likely among all shown fields. A gerontologist still can die from something else first, though.

The title text is about {{w|Epidemiology}}: the study of health and disease conditions in populations. In the event of an epidemic, there is a strong chance that epidemiologists in the search for the causation, transmission and treatment will be exposed and become victims of the disease in their own right. However, the title text refers more broadly to the role of epidemiology in maintaining detailed statistical records of diseases and other causes of death, such that eventually any epidemiologist (whatever the cause of death) will become one of his/her own statistics.

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

:[A line chart is shown going from left to right with two arrows on either side. On the line are ten dots spread out unevenly from close to each end. The first four dots are clustered together on the left side. Then follows 5 more dots unevenly spaced, all to the left of center. On the far right of the line, near the end, there is one dot. Beneath each dot there goes a line down to a label written beneath each line. Above the chart there is a big title and below that an explanation. Below that again, there is a small arrow pointing to the right with a label above it.]
:<big>Probability that you'll be killed by the thing you study</big>
:By field

:[Arrow label:]
:More likely

:[Labels for the ten dots from left to right:]
:Mathematics
:Astronomy
:Economics
:Law
:Criminology
:Meteorology
:Chemistry
:Marine Biology
:Volcanology
:Gerontology

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Rankings]]

Talk:2142: Dangerous Fields

2019-04-26T19:58:11Z

172.68.59.144: cardiology conspicuously missing

Many more chemists have job related deaths than gets recorded. It sometimes takes years for the effects of on the job actions to show up. For example, washing your hands in benzene was common practice in the 1960's in Chemistry departments across the US. The result decades later was bone barrow cancer.

Oncology, the study of cancer, should probably be in the diagram, probably not far behind gerontology. What's the name for the study of traffic accidents? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:08, 26 April 2019 (UTC)
:I don't know, but what about cardiology (heart disease)? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.59.144|172.68.59.144]] 19:58, 26 April 2019 (UTC)

2138: Wanna See the Code?

2019-04-17T15:30:10Z

172.68.59.144:

{{comic
| number = 2138
| date = April 17, 2019
| title = Wanna See the Code?
| image = wanna_see_the_code.png
| titletext = And because if you just leave it there, it's going to start contaminating things downstream even if no one touches it directly.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a DEAD BODY. 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}}

Talk:376: Bug

2019-04-16T22:36:07Z

172.68.59.144: how do I always manage to mess the links up

That is why on Unix epoch (the <nowiki>time_t</nowiki> type) is '''signed''' type, and covers dates before ''epoch''. --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 19:52, 5 July 2013 (UTC)
:Ohh, and much more is missing. I did mark it as incomplete. We also have to talk about the time frame the 32bit ''epoch'' does cover, and what would be changed by using a 64bit variable. What will happen on 19 January 2038?--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:17, 5 July 2013 (UTC)
::The general hope, it appears, is that 64-bit integers will be firmly in place, having ousted the feeble 32-bit integers from the system time. As has been demonstrated in innumerable instances, it's rather difficult to eliminate legacy code from systems due to attempts to support older systems in a backward-compatible methodology. In short, however, it will take time to resolve time. [[User:Thokling|Thokling]] ([[User talk:Thokling|talk]]) 05:34, 22 September 2013 (UTC)
::: I so look forward to seeing Epoch boom to hurriedly uplift 32 bit code before the 'end'. Similar to the Y2K boom. I might consider lending my expertise at a considerable markup. :) [[User:Puck0687|Puck0687]] ([[User talk:Puck0687|talk]]) 17:57, 4 December 2015 (UTC)
;Rewrite needed

The current explanation barely has to do with the actual topic of the comic. Instead it explains several unrelated qualities of Unix time, and petty much skips over the actual epoch thing. Needs a rewrite.
--NeatNit [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.58|141.101.99.58]] 05:59, 8 February 2015 (UTC)

Why would anyone want to take the square root of a timestamp? It is much more likely that Cueballs program just handles negative time values incorrectly. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 07:15, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

:I agree, I changed the page to reflect that [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 03:33, 14 December 2017 (UTC)

http://coolepochcountdown.com/ links to this site saying that XKCD captured moment when Unix time counter reached 1234567890, so maybe this comic is released at that moment {{unsigned ip|172.68.154.88}}
:No, that time would occur about a year from this comic's publication (13 February 2009 at 23:31:30 UTC). [[607: 2038]] was published 8 July 2009, which is about five months too late, and I have no idea how [[543: Sierpinski Valentine]] had to do with Unix time. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.59.144|172.68.59.144]] 22:34, 16 April 2019 (UTC)

Talk:376: Bug

2019-04-16T22:34:51Z

172.68.59.144: 1234567890: not really

That is why on Unix epoch (the <nowiki>time_t</nowiki> type) is '''signed''' type, and covers dates before ''epoch''. --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 19:52, 5 July 2013 (UTC)
:Ohh, and much more is missing. I did mark it as incomplete. We also have to talk about the time frame the 32bit ''epoch'' does cover, and what would be changed by using a 64bit variable. What will happen on 19 January 2038?--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:17, 5 July 2013 (UTC)
::The general hope, it appears, is that 64-bit integers will be firmly in place, having ousted the feeble 32-bit integers from the system time. As has been demonstrated in innumerable instances, it's rather difficult to eliminate legacy code from systems due to attempts to support older systems in a backward-compatible methodology. In short, however, it will take time to resolve time. [[User:Thokling|Thokling]] ([[User talk:Thokling|talk]]) 05:34, 22 September 2013 (UTC)
::: I so look forward to seeing Epoch boom to hurriedly uplift 32 bit code before the 'end'. Similar to the Y2K boom. I might consider lending my expertise at a considerable markup. :) [[User:Puck0687|Puck0687]] ([[User talk:Puck0687|talk]]) 17:57, 4 December 2015 (UTC)
;Rewrite needed

The current explanation barely has to do with the actual topic of the comic. Instead it explains several unrelated qualities of Unix time, and petty much skips over the actual epoch thing. Needs a rewrite.
--NeatNit [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.58|141.101.99.58]] 05:59, 8 February 2015 (UTC)

Why would anyone want to take the square root of a timestamp? It is much more likely that Cueballs program just handles negative time values incorrectly. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 07:15, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

:I agree, I changed the page to reflect that [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 03:33, 14 December 2017 (UTC)

http://coolepochcountdown.com/ links to this site saying that XKCD captured moment when Unix time counter reached 1234567890, so maybe this comic is released at that moment {{unsigned ip|172.68.154.88}}
:No, that time would occur about a year from this comic's publication (13 February 2009 at 23:31:30 UTC). [607: 2038] was published 8 July 2009, which is about five months too late, and I have no idea how [543: Sierpinski Valentine] had to do with Unix time. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.59.144|172.68.59.144]] 22:34, 16 April 2019 (UTC)