explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Jill

2019-12-03T18:45:02Z

172.68.65.186: Girl -> Child, I've gotten to this page via random a handful of times and had to think about why a "girl" is different from Hairbun each time

{{Infobox character
| image = Science_Girl.png
| imagesize =
| caption = Science Girl as seen in [[1611: Baking Soda and Vinegar]]
| first_appearance = [[585: Outreach]]
}}
'''Science Girl''' is a [[stick figure]] character in [[xkcd]].

She became the first child to have her own character category. She is distinguished by being clearly a child (compared to adults around her or her behavior), her hair is typically set in a hair bun but compared to [[Hairbun]] it is more loose, she may have more curly hair and typically there is a string of hair hanging down her back from the hair bun. As she is also clearly a child she cannot be confused with Hairbun under normal conditions.

She can have several different hair styles though with [[1058: Old-Timers|two buns]] or no buns but a [[585: Outreach|ponytail]]. The best way to recognize her is from her behavior, where she is very interested in science, and typically more knowledgeable about the subject at hand than the adults around her, which may either results in embarrassment, enlightenment or even dangerous situations depending on how obtuse or condescending the adults around her behaves...

==Characteristics==
Science Girl is a minor character in xkcd. But she has had several comics where she is the main protagonist (or antagonist in some cases).

She is not necessarily the same character from comic to comic, but can be used to represent the general kid interested in science. She seems, however, to be more of a character like [[Black Hat]], with her ability to make other people feel uncomfortable, than an every woman like [[Hairbun]]. But she is not generic evil, and thus in no way would she represent a young version of [[Danish]].

One of her largest parts is in [[1611: Baking Soda and Vinegar]] (see her character image), which is one of those that becomes dangerous for the obtuse adults. She is also ready to commit crime, even though she knows about environmental issues in [[1659: Tire Swing]] (the only comic with her so far where there are no adults, but it is clear that she is a girl), where she, along with another girl, steal the tires off a man's car, and then fight him. But she may also just induce new interest for science in [[Megan]] as in [[1104: Feathers]], or just display general interest in science as in [[1352: Cosmologist on a Tire Swing]] or the first comic (found so far) with her [[585: Outreach]] (where she only had a ponytail). It was also in this first esperance we learn why she wants to become a scientist.

In two cases she is depicted as a young '''adult woman'''. That is in [[1520: Degree-Off]] where the hair and behavior fits perfectly with a grown up Science Girl and [[1737: Datacenter Scale]] where she appears to be running a data center.
*There are other comics with women looking like this, but in those instances there is no scientific context that could relate to science girls to they have been listed as Hairbun for now:
**[[703: Honor Societies]]
**[[708: Sex Dice]]
**[[1601: Isolation]]
**[[1608: Hoverboard]] in every instance.
**[[1737: Datacenter Scale]]
*Maybe this will be changed later, when the community has had a chance to look into this new character.

==Gallery==
Since Science Girl is depicted in different ways so here is a gallery of some of these different appearances, her first appearance, her standard appearance, two buns and adult:

[[File:Science Girl with ponytail 585.png]][[File:Science_Girl.png]] [[File:Science Girl with two hair buns 1058.png]] [[File:Hair Bun Girl with curly hair and ponytail biologist.png]]

==See also==
*[[:Category:Comics featuring Science Girl|Comics featuring Science Girl]]

{{navbox-characters}}

Talk:1938: Meltdown and Spectre

2018-01-08T02:30:34Z

172.68.65.186: /* Thoughts by someone who just arrived */ new section

The "trolley problem" is the ethical dilemma thought experiment where an out-of-control trolley is heading to a junction (which you have control over) - to one side it'll kill one group of people - to the other, some others. Your moral dilemma is deciding which is the "best" outcome (eg, hitting a dozen five year old children or three Nobel laureats). This is like a software "if" statement. Speculative execution in most CPU chips is where the computer always takes both sides of a decision like this - explores what will happen down each path - and only causes the effects of the decision to happen when the decision as to which way to proceed is decided. This allows it to keep on doing useful work while some slower decision is made. The "quantum" aspect of this is that in some versions of quantum theory, quantum-level particles take every possible path at once and the result is the sum of all of them.

In a sense, the computer is exploring the consequences of the trolley problem in a quantum-like manner.
:There's so much wrong with this sentence. You totally did it intentionally. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.118|108.162.216.118]] 05:56, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

This would all be OK if it were not for the fact that devious black-hat hackers can come up with devious ways to see the information that should have been discarded in the "path-not-taken". So even though the computer will eventually decide that some piece of information should not be accessible - you can find out the value it would hypothetically read - even though it will soon decide that it should not access the information.

The "rowhammer" problem is something entirely different. Computer memories are organized as a two-dimensional grid of rows and columns - and are physically constructed from tiny capacitors. If you apply just the RIGHT pattern of rapid changes to one row of the grid, you can cause one of the capacitors on the next row to incorrectly change state. This is a design flaw in the memory chip - and it allows (in some circumstances) programs to change data in memory locations that they have no right to change.

[[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 19:33, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

uhhh did you just copy and paste your entire edit into talk? [[User:DPS2004|DPS2004'); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:DPS2004|talk]]) 20:19, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

: Pretty much. When I got here, there was no information about the comic at all. Since I'm unfamiliar with all of the other stuff that goes into an explain, I left it as a comment so someone else could use it...but after a while, nobody did, so I copy-pasted it into the explanation...with some tweaks! Sorry if that was a faux-pas of some variety! [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 21:53, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

What? Servers are vulnerable to actual hammers? Huh, do you suppose they're be vulnerable to an actual trolley as well? I have a spare server, does anyone have a spare trolley? ~~ SiliconWolf

: My server is actually mounted inside a trolley - precisely to avoid this kind of issue. [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 23:02, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

:I wouldn't recommend that. A collision would anger the honeybees. <span style="background:#0064de;font-size:12px;padding:4px 12px;border-radius:8px;">[[User talk:AgentMuffin|<span style="color:#f0faff;">~AgentMuffin</span>]]</span>

The most helpful technical explanation I’ve found is here: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/why-raspberry-pi-isnt-vulnerable-to-spectre-or-meltdown/ ;the comments also provide useful clarification. [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 02:54, 6 January 2018 (UTC)

Could an explanation be added as to what a trolley is? Being in the UK, my first thought was that of a shopping trolley (US: Shopping cart). Over here, we call trollies "trams" [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.4|162.158.34.4]] 11:39, 6 January 2018 (UTC)
:The analogy is the same, just the speed and engine that changes. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.9|162.158.74.9]]
::...As does the lethality... I expect the worst case scenario to be a bruised hip. In fact I'd send a shopping cart at the 5 people, they'd have a greater chance of stopping it without harm. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:09, 7 January 2018 (UTC)
:Actually, I find "trolley" to be a very UK word. Outside of this Trolley Problem I never hear it here in North America. Without looking it up, I would expect the mere name means it probably was thought up in the UK in the fist place, or by someone using UK English to name it. Only other term I can think of right now is "streetcar", but I never hear that either. Blanking on what they usually are called (perhaps "tram" as well), but they don't have any anymore in my city. This commonality of terms might be different in cities equipped with them. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:09, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

I totally expected "Schrodinger's Cat's Cat" to be a popular meme, but apparently it is not. [https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s+cat%27s+cat%22&safe=off&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjX7NuzssXYAhWwSd8KHWKGCVQQ_AUICSgA&biw=1920&bih=949&dpr=1 Google search] I hereby claim it.[[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 08:18, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

== Thoughts by someone who just arrived ==

I just read the available explanation, and it seems fairly complete to me, someone who knew next to nothing about spectre and meltdown besides their names before reading. In my opinion, the 'something seems to be missing' tag can be removed. However, as I am no expert on the matter, I will leave someone else to decide and perform (or not perform) the action of removing it. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.186|172.68.65.186]] 02:30, 8 January 2018 (UTC)

1885: Ensemble Model

2017-09-04T15:19:32Z

172.68.65.186: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1885
| date = September 4, 2017
| title = Ensemble Model
| image = ensemble_model.png
| titletext = I'm in talks with Netflix to produce an alternate-universe crime drama about the world where sliced bread was never re-legalized, but it's going slowly because they keep changing their phone numbers and the door lock codes at their headquarters.
}}

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

An ensemble model is a combination of two similar models to show a wider range of possible outcomes. In this comic, Randall starts out describing actual changes that ensemble models show, but sinks into absurdity, describing strange alternate universes and scenarios that likely would not be necessary in an actual model.

"What if Germany won World War II" is a {{w|Hypothetical Axis victory in World War II|very popular}} subject for {{w|alternate history}} stories.

Actor {{w|Will Smith}} famously turned down the lead role of {{w|Neo (The Matrix)|Neo}} in ''{{w|The Matrix}}'', instead taking the role of Captain James T. West in the widely-panned action-comedy ''{{w|Wild Wild West}}''. The role of Neo ultimately went to {{w|Keanu Reeves}}. For a more detailed discuss of how the cinematic world would have been different had Smith taken the role, see [https://moviepilot.com/posts/2481780 "How Will Smith Turned Down "The Matrix" - And Blew A Chance To Change Hollywood Forever."]

The title text suggests that [[Randall]] has been pitching his absurd "alternate-universe crime drama" to {{w|Netflix}}, only that Netflix is uninterested and is attempting to prevent Randall from contacting them (or trespassing into the building).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In a ensemble model, forecasters run many different versions of a whether model with slightly different initial conditions. This helps account for uncertainty and shows forecasters a spread of possible outcomes.

[Picture of several grey overlapping lines emitted from a point, then gradually diverging]

Numbers in a typical ensemble:

A universe where...

...rain is 0.5% less likely in some areas

...wind speeds are lightly lower

...pressure levels are randomly tweaked

...dogs run slightly faster

...there is one extra cloud in the Bahamas

...Germany won WWII

...Snakes are wide instead of long

...Will smith took the lead in ''The Matrix'' instead of ''Wild Wild West''

...Swimming pools are carbonated

...Sliced bread, after being banned in January 1943, was never re-legalized.
{{comic discussion}}

1885: Ensemble Model

2017-09-04T15:18:19Z

172.68.65.186: /* Explanation */ Amazon produces MitHC, not Netflix.

{{comic
| number = 1885
| date = September 4, 2017
| title = Ensemble Model
| image = ensemble_model.png
| titletext = I'm in talks with Netflix to produce an alternate-universe crime drama about the world where sliced bread was never re-legalized, but it's going slowly because they keep changing their phone numbers and the door lock codes at their headquarters.
}}

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

An ensemble model is a combination of two similar models to show a wider range of possible outcomes. In this comic, Randall starts out describing actual changes that ensemble models show, but sinks into absurdity, describing strange alternate universes and scenarios that likely would not be necessary in an actual model.

"What if Germany won World War II" is a {{w|Hypothetical Axis victory in World War II|very popular}} subject for {{w|alternate history}} stories.

Actor {{w|Will Smith}} famously turned down the lead role of {{w|Neo (The Matrix)|Neo}} in ''{{w|The Matrix}}'', instead taking the role of Captain James T. West in the widely-panned action-comedy ''{{w|Wild Wild West}}''. The role of Neo ultimately went to {{w|Keanu Reeves}}. For a more detailed discuss of how the cinematic world would have been different had Smith taken the role, see [https://moviepilot.com/posts/2481780 "How Will Smith Turned Down "The Matrix" - And Blew A Chance To Change Hollywood Forever."]

The title text suggests that [[Randall]] has been pitching his absurd "alternate-universe crime drama" to {{w|Netflix}}, only that Netflix is uninterested and is attempting to prevent Randall from contacting them (or trespassing into the building).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In a ensemble model, forecasters run many different versions of a whether model with slightly different initial conditions. This helps account for uncertainty and shows forecasters a spread of possible outcomes.

[Picture of several grey overlapping lines emitted from a point, then gradually diverging]

Numbers in a typical ensemble:

A universe where...

...rain is 0.5% less likely in some areas

...wind speeds are lightly lower

...pressure levels are randomly tweaked

...dogs run slightly faster

...there is one extra cloud in the Bahamas

...Gemrany won WWII

...Snakes are wide instead of long

...Will smith took the lead in ''The Matrix'' instead of ''Wild Wild West''

...Swimming pools are carbonated

...Sliced bread, after being banned in January 1943, was never re-legalized.
{{comic discussion}}

1885: Ensemble Model

2017-09-04T15:14:55Z

172.68.65.186: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1885
| date = September 4, 2017
| title = Ensemble Model
| image = ensemble_model.png
| titletext = I'm in talks with Netflix to produce an alternate-universe crime drama about the world where sliced bread was never re-legalized, but it's going slowly because they keep changing their phone numbers and the door lock codes at their headquarters.
}}

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

An ensemble model is a combination of two similar models to show a wider range of possible outcomes. In this comic, Randall starts out describing actual changes that ensemble models show, but sinks into absurdity, describing strange alternate universes and scenarios that likely would not be necessary in an actual model.

"What if Germany won World War II" is a {{w|Hypothetical Axis victory in World War II|very popular}} subject for {{w|alternate history}} stories.

Actor {{w|Will Smith}} famously turned down the lead role of {{w|Neo (The Matrix)|Neo}} in ''{{w|The Matrix}}'', instead taking the role of Captain James T. West in the widely-panned action-comedy ''{{w|Wild Wild West}}''. The role of Neo ultimately went to {{w|Keanu Reeves}}. For a more detailed discuss of how the cinematic world would have been different had Smith taken the role, see [https://moviepilot.com/posts/2481780 "How Will Smith Turned Down "The Matrix" - And Blew A Chance To Change Hollywood Forever."]

The title text suggests that [[Randall]] has been pitching his absurd "alternate-universe crime drama" to {{w|Netflix}}, only that Netflix is uninterested and is attempting to prevent Randall from contacting them (or trespassing into the building). Netflix is notably the producer of ''{{w|The Man in the High Castle (TV series)|The Man in the High Castle}}'', a TV series based on a {{w|Philip K. Dick}} {{w|The Man in the High Castle|novel}} where Nazi Germany won World War II.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In a ensemble model, forecasters run many different versions of a whether model with slightly different initial conditions. This helps account for uncertainty and shows forecasters a spread of possible outcomes.

[Picture of several grey overlapping lines emitted from a point, then gradually diverging]

Numbers in a typical ensemble:

A universe where...

...rain is 0.5% less likely in some areas

...wind speeds are lightly lower

...pressure levels are randomly tweaked

...dogs run slightly faster

...there is one extra cloud in the Bahamas

...Gemrany won WWII

...Snakes are wide instead of long

...Will smith took the lead in ''The Matrix'' instead of ''Wild Wild West''

...Swimming pools are carbonated

...Sliced bread, after being banned in January 1943, was never re-legalized.
{{comic discussion}}

1775: Things You Learn

2017-08-24T16:52:37Z

172.68.65.186: /* Explanation */ Explain more directly why "thumb" is a possible focus in particular.

{{comic
| number = 1775
| date = December 21, 2016
| title = Things You Learn
| image = things_you_learn.png
| titletext = Guess who has two thumbs and spent the night in an ER after trying to rescue a kitten that ran under his car at a stoplight and climbed up into the engine compartment? And, thanks to antibiotics, will continue having two thumbs? THIS GUY. (P.S. kitten is safe!)
}}

==Explanation==
This graph shows various items of information plotted by two criteria: a horizontal "How Bad Is It If You Don't Know [THING]" axis and a vertical "How Easy It Is To Grow Up Without Learning [THING]" axis. Specifically, the vertical axis measures roughly how likely the average person is to remain ignorant of a particular item. The horizontal axis measures the likelihood and severity of bad consequences arising from such ignorance.

The title text describes an encounter Randall had where a cat climbed into the engine compartment of his car. It probably serves as an explanation for the seemingly out of place point on the graph about how serious cat bites are. The "two thumbs" is a reference to a well known type of jokes among English speakers. One of the most frequent forms is one person interrupting another mid-speech and asking "what has two thumbs and doesn't give a f*ck? THIS GUY!", before pointing to themselves with their thumbs. The idea is that you only direct the attention to your thumbs so that they can point back to you, though mentioning the thumbs was not actually required except as a topic change. Randall plays on an inversion of this joke as he (presumably) was bitten on the thumb might have {{w|Amputation|lost a thumb}} or perhaps not have been able to make it at all without the intervention of the ER people. So here the "who has two thumbs", is not a deceiving distraction out of a boring conversation, and the thumbs are actually the focus of the phrase.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Ignorance is Bad !! Ignorance is Easy !! Information !! Comments
|-
| not bad || (very, very) easy || 100 digits of {{w|pi}} || Most people know pi to only a few digits (3.14 or 3.1416). The latter is accurate to almost one part in half a million, which is close enough for almost any practical purpose.
|-
| not bad || (very) easy || Lyrics to "{{w|We Didn't Start the Fire}}" || "We Didn't Start the Fire" is a 1989 hit song by Billy Joel. Its lyrics include brief, rapid-fire allusions to more than 100 headline events between 1949, the year of Joel's birth, and 1989. While the chorus is memorable, the verses of the song are just a list of people, events and random things from popular culture. The average person is somewhat more likely to know the lyrics to Billy Joel's 1989 hit song than 100 digits of pi, but not knowing them doesn't really have any serious consequences. This song was again the pun in the title text of [[1794: Fire]], which was a follow up to comic #4 in [[821: Five-Minute Comics: Part 3]].
|-
| (very) bad || (very) easy || That cat bites are really serious and if bitten you need to wash the bite and call a doctor immediately || Most people assume that a cat bite is just a minor injury. In fact, it carries a fairly high risk of infection, which can be dangerous if not treated (by cleaning the bite to reduce the risk, and having a doctor examine the bite victim and apply additional treatments such as antibiotics if needed). At the same time, cat bites are quite rare, as cats default to their claws rather than their teeth when they need to attack something (not that cat claws are bacteria-free zones either, quite the opposite).
|-
| (very, very) bad || (very) easy || The red flags for an abusive relationship || It is fairly easy for someone to fall into a pattern of accepting abuse (particularly if the abuser is skilled at emotional manipulation) without realizing it, and the consequences can be mentally and physically devastating.
|-
| (very, very) bad || easy || The {{w|Stroke#Signs_and_symptoms|signs of a stroke}} || The symptoms of a {{w|stroke}} are somewhat variable, including facial drooping, arm weakness and slurred speech, depending on what areas of the brain are affected, and can be mistaken for other conditions. Identifying a stroke quickly and seeking treatment can make the difference between life and death, or between full recovery and permanent impairment.
|-
| bad || easy || Cough into your elbow, not your hand || Covering a cough with the inside of your elbow helps prevent spreading airborne germs and is generally recommended by medical organisations. Coughing into your hand deposits them onto your hand, where they are much more likely to be spread to another person (via handshake, food preparation, shared objects, etc)
|-
| not (too) bad || hard || How to ride a bike || Most children, especially in the United States[http://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/category/participation-statistics#youth], learn to ride a bike at a fairly young age. While this is a useful skill to know for both entertainment and transportation, it would generally not be terrible to not learn this skill, particularly if other forms of transporation are readily available.
|-
| not bad (at all) || hard || How to escape movie {{w|quicksand}} || Quicksand in movies is a common trope, and while its physics often differ from real quicksand, escaping from it is commonly done using similar methods (e.g., not struggling, which increases the quicksand's viscosity). Knowing how to escape from quicksand is important if you sink into it, which is a situation most people are very unlikely to encounter in real life. It is much more likely for characters in movies and TV shows, especially in the 1960s, to encounter and become mired in quicksand than for a real individual to do so as real quicksand is a rare occurrence in most climates on Earth.
|-
| not bad (at all) || (very) hard || Lyrics to "{{w|The Twelve Days of Christmas (song)|12 Days of Christmas}}" || Hearing the same Christmas songs over and over each year makes it hard not to learn the lyrics over time. However, the consequences of not doing so are minimal; at most, ignorance of popular culture may leave your friends [[1769|a bit surprised and dismayed]]. Note that this only refers to learning the lyrics of the "Twelve Days of Christmas," not learning all the lyrics. Most people do not know many of the combination once one gets substantially past five. It is very hard to avoid learning some of the lyrics (especially One and Five), but easy to not know many of the later random ones (such as Eight or Eleven).
|-
| not bad (at all) || (very, very) hard || {{w|Theme music|TV theme songs}} || Most children in developed countries grow up watching at least some television. Many of these television shows play the same theme song before the show starts, and many of these have catchy lyrics. Therefore, by repetition, most children will learn at least one of these growing up, and often many.
|-
| bad || hard || That you have to empty the dryer lint trap || A {{w|clothes dryer}} resembles a washing machine, using hot air to heat clothes so that the water evaporates more quickly.

The dryer's air exhaust and air filter get gradually covered with {{w|lint (material)|lint}} (a kind of dust composed mainly of fiber) and must be cleaned regularly. Failing to remove the lint can cause the dryer to stop working effectively, introduce lint back onto your clothes, or (in extreme cases) start a fire.
|-
| (very) bad || (very) hard || {{w|Stop, drop and roll}} || This is a technique to extinguish a fire on one's own clothing, and is frequently taught to children for safety. Not knowing it (or forgetting it in a panic when the situation arises) can result in severe burns that could have been avoided by following the recommendation.
|-
| (very) bad || (very) hard || That you have to pay taxes || Most residents of most countries are legally obligated to pay taxes to their government. Penalties for not doing so often include large fines, and possibly prison sentences. Fortunately, it is something that children hear about quite a bit so it is very difficult to grow up without learning that it must be done.
|-
|}

==Rankings==

100% not bad: not bad at all . . . 100%>not-badness≥50%: not bad . . . 50%>not-badness≥0%: not too bad

100% very bad: very, very bad . . . 100%>very badness≥50%: very bad . . . 50%>very badness>0%: bad

100% hard: very, very hard . . . 100%>hardness≥50%: very hard . . . 50%>hardness>0%: hard

100% easy: very, very easy . . . 100%>easiness≥50%: very easy . . . 50%>easiness≥0%: easy

==Transcript==
:[A simple X and Y graph, with the X labeled "how bad it is if you don't know {thing}" and ranging from "not bad" to "very bad", and Y labeled "how easy it is to grow up without learning {thing}" and ranging from "easy" to "hard" from top to bottom.]

:[Points on graph from top to bottom on the left side of the Y-axis:]

:100 digits of pi
:Lyrics to ''We Didn't Start the Fire''
:How to ride a bike
:How to escape movie quicksand
:Lyrics to ''12 Days of Christmas''
:TV theme songs

:[Points on graph from top to bottom on the right side of the Y-axis:]

:That cat bites are really serious and if bitten you should wash the bite and call a doctor immediately
:Red flags for an abusive relationship
:Signs for a stroke
:Cough into your elbow, not your hand
:That you have to empty the dryer lint trap
:Stop, drop, and roll
:That you have to pay taxes

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]