explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2989: Physics Lab Thermostat

2024-09-24T16:14:40Z

172.69.33.63: Bad bad bad

Assuming I did the math right (Units proved the units worked out, but I wouldn't otherwise assume that), holding the energy constant at "room temperature with the normal, global Boltzmann constant" this thermostat varies from 13°C (56°F) on the left to 28°C (82°F) on the right. Holding the ''temperature'' constant gives a much harder to interpret range of energies from 4.2 zeptojoules on the left to 4.0 zJ on the right. Turning those back into temperatures with the normal Boltzmann constant gives 29°C (84°F) to 15°C (59°F). Given the reversed scale, I'd assume the former is the intended interpretation, and this thermostat has no effect on local thermal energy, it just adjusts the temperature scale so the number on your (local physical constant variance-compliant) measuring device matches what you asked for. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.243|162.158.62.243]] 05:28, 24 September 2024 (UTC) Will

No matter the scale, I'm sure glad that this one doesn't go up to 11. [[User:Zaktduck|Zaktduck]] ([[User talk:Zaktduck|talk]]) 07:56, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

Looking at the page history, I'm wondering if the "edit conflict" didn't kick in for some people. If [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2989:_Physics_Lab_Thermostat&diff=next&oldid=351061 this edit] was performed over at least half an hour (quite possible), it would seem that useful edits (submitted after the start of that big addition) got wiped out. Seems unlikely that warnings happened but were deliberately over-ridden. I know this can sort of happen very soon after article creation (usually doubling-up 'first' edits), but it should have highlit any inadvertant re-editing of an interim-changed paragraph. I generally thought. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.18|172.70.85.18]] 09:39, 24 September 2024 (UTC) ((Ironically, I got hit by an edit-conflict just now, someone having removed linefeeds above where I'm merely appending this!))

I don't understand it the same way as you guys. Through setting the Boltzmann constant to k=1.380649×10−23 Joules per Kelvin, it's actually the Kelvin that the SI is setting. Thus, changing k in an unchanged universe changes the definition of the Kelvin, and (presumably) of Celsius or Fahrenheit too, meaning that the "temperature" reading of the room is changed without any need for heating or aircon, it's just the number which is adjusted to whatever people ask. --[[Special:Contributions/172.71.164.106|172.71.164.106]] 10:25, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
:I like this explanation. We have a thermostat like that where I work. The numbers change, but the actual temperature does not. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.188|162.158.158.188]] 11:27, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
::As I read it, yes it just changes the thing that relates heat to temperature (thus not changing the sum quantity of heat), but I am not convinced that the derivative idea of Temperature doesn't have some latent qualitative effect upon the experience. The additional amount of heat in a cinder might ignite some flammable substance, the same additional heat in a brick would be barely above its normal temperature, for example. Thus conceivably the temperature from the concentrated heat-source has more bearing upon what results than the less dense 'additional heat' with lower temperature that may never invoke the vapour-threshold/flashpoint.
::Without being able to divorce or disassociate the interdependency (together with density/heat-capacith/etc), I can't be sure that such weirdness won't happen, and would not be surprised if things did (e.g. key phase-changes shift around). Like making inertial and gravitational mass independantly evaluated from each kter (if possible) would have certain real-world implications. (As well as hint that there's far more fundamental 'physics' at work than it is assumed that either/both currently are, in either newtonian or einsteinian respects.)
::I think the explanation can cover both "just recorded different" and "changes physics" in a broad scope (which is somewhat hinted at right now). But it might be in the eye of the reader (and editor) how well it does that. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.38|172.70.86.38]] 12:26, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

I note that "AIR" is in all caps. Is it supposed to be an Acronym? 12:28, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
:No, that's just for emphasis: it's only the AIR that changes. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.194.171|172.71.194.171]] 12:33, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
::You are both right. AIR means AIR In Room. Caution: This comment contains recursive text: First you curse, then you curse again. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.167.213|172.71.167.213]] 14:07, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

Huh... Everyone's saying "Energy is constant, Temperature number is changing.". But in that case, why would he be worried about it affecting things other than air? What if the Temperature was constant, and the Energy was what was changing? Then the dial would be doing something, and his concern over it affecting solids and liquids would be more warranted. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.137|172.70.178.137]] 15:04, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

The current explanation is terrible: (1) It doesn't explain well, spending way too much time on introductory and trivial pedantry than getting to the point of the joke and the concepts necessary to understand it. (2) It's way too long. And (3) the prose is terrible. My high schoolers wouldn't be allowed to use / as a synonym for "or", but that's just the beginning of the poor style, confusing grammar, and the kind of English which screams neurodiversity and home schooling. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.63|172.69.33.63]] 16:14, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

2922: Pub Trivia

2024-04-20T05:30:44Z

172.69.33.63: uncertain

{{comic
| number = 2922
| date = April 19, 2024
| title = Pub Trivia
| image = pub_trivia_2x.png
| imagesize = 422x666px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Bonus question: Where is London located? (a) The British Isles (b) Great Britain and Northern Ireland (c) The UK (d) Europe (or 'the EU') (e) Greater London
}}

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

Many pubs have {{w|pub trivia|trivia nights}}, where patrons form teams and compete to answer questions about a range of topics. The typical goal for trivia games is that they be challenging, yet possible, and so the questions whose answers are too difficult or too easy generally make for a poor game. In addition, it's usually preferable that questions are clearly worded with a single, objective answer, so as to avoid disputes about which answers are correct.

Cueball has apparently been hired by one bar to infiltrate ''other'' bars' quiz nights and ask particularly bad questions. The implication is that this will make the games unpleasant, in the hopes that people will leave, and possibly go to the bar that hired Cueball.

Cueball uses a variety of strategies to write bad questions, including questions that are trivial (where the answer is painfully obvious), unanswerable (either because there is no answer, or because the answer is unknown), ambiguously worded or arguable.

Many of his questions could be altered slightly to make them more reasonable for such a game, but that would defeat Cueball's purpose.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Question !! Problem with the Question !! Explanation !! More Reasonable Alternative(s)
|-
|1. Which member of {{w|BTS}} has a birthday this year?||Multiple correct answers||All people have birthdays every year{{Citation needed}} (other than pedantic exceptions due to calendar issues or timezone alterations, or someone dying before their birthday, none of which apply in this case). Therefore, all seven members of BTS have birthdays this year.||Which member of BTS has a birthday today/this week/this month? Which member of BTS turns [a specific age] this year?
|-
|2. How many sides does a {{w|platonic solid}} have?||Multiple answers, ambiguous language||There are five {{w|Platonic solids}}, with 4, 6, 8, 12 or 20 faces (colloquially called sides) in {{w|Euclid|Euclidean}} {{w|Euclidean geometry|3-space}}. The solids have, respectively, 6, 12, 8, 30 and 30 edges (also occasionally called sides colloquially). A more devious quizmaster might actually include this as a trick question with the correct answer being 'zero', since strictly speaking solids do not have 'sides'.||How many Platonic solids are there? What is the highest number of faces on a Platonic solid? How many faces does a [specific platonic solid] have? How many faces (or edges, or vertices) do ''all'' the platonic solids have (i.e., added together)?
|-
|3. What is the smallest lake in the world?||Arguable||While the largest lakes are relatively straightforward to categorize, smaller bodies of water range in size down to individual puddles. There is no clear, definitional line at which a body goes from being a lake to a pond, for example. In addition, the size of small lakes will fluctuate due to variability in precipitation, and other weather effects, and some lakes only exist for brief periods (intermittent lakes). Hence, which small bodies of water are "lakes" and which is the smallest can't be clearly answered, without specifying a whole list of parameters and standards.||What lake has the largest surface area in the world? What is the world's deepest lake? What lake is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's smallest? (Benxi Lake in China).
|-
|4. Which Steven Spielberg movie features more shark attacks, {{w|Jaws (movie)|Jaws (1975)}} or {{w|Lincoln (movie)|Lincoln (2012)}}?||Trivial||Jaws is a famous movie about a killer shark, and features at least five fatal shark attacks. Lincoln is a movie about the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, containing zero shark attacks.{{Citation needed}} Anyone with even a passing familiarity with American popular culture should be able to get this one right, and someone with no knowledge could likely guess the answer from the titles alone.||How many fatal shark attacks occur in "Jaws"? How many times is the shark seen on screen? Which film won more {{w|Academy Awards}}?
|-
|5. How many planets were there originally?||Ambiguous||The question doesn't specify a time frame or culture, and also doesn't specify that it's referring to our solar system (in the observable universe, there are almost certainly trillions of planets, as there are trillions of stars and almost every one of them has a planet orbiting it). Additionally, it asks how many "were there", as opposed to how many planets were known (the number which are known and defined as such is far smaller than the number of planets in the universe). The word "originally" could imply the origin of the solar system, or the origin of the universe, in which case the answer would be 'zero' as no planets had yet accreted.||How many planets were known to Ancient Greece? How many planets were known to science prior to the invention of the telescope? How many planets were called as such in our Solar System prior to Pluto's reclassification?
|-
|6. What {{w|NFL}} player has scored the most points outside of a game?||Ambiguous, Unknowable||The term "scored the most points" generally only applies within the context of a game, making it very unclear what kind of "points" the question is referring to. Does it mean points in non-NFL games? Points in games other than football? Points outside the context of any game at all (such as 'making a point' in conversation)? Even if this were clarified, points scored in official games in professional sports leagues are meticulously recorded and published, points scored in any other context are not, so the question is likely impossible to answer. Arguably, Brian Jordan would be an answer, with 121 Minor League and 755 MLB runs scored (points).||Which NFL player scored the most points in a game/season/career?
|-
|7. The {{w|Wright brothers}} built the first airplane. Who built the last one?||Unknowable||Orville and Wilbur Wright are widely credited with designing and building the first airplane (in the sense of a heavier-than-air flying machine that could take off, steer and land under its own power). In modern times, design and construction of airplanes has become a huge, international industry, with many airplanes of widely varying sizings being built each year. Since airplanes are built continuously, which one was made most recently depends on when the question is asked (and would be very difficult for the average person to know -- and not trivial for even a member of the aerospace industry to know). If it's asking about the last airplane ''ever'', that's impossible to know, since that plane hasn't been built yet (and hopefully won't for a very long time). Also, the question seems to be asking for a name, but modern airplanes are generally designed and built by companies, without a single person (or even a small number of people) being responsible.||Who built the first airplane '''after''' the Wright brothers? When was the final Wright Model B aircraft built?
|-
|8. Is every even number greater than 2 the sum of two primes?||Unknown, Possibly unknowable||This is a famous, centuries-old {{w|open question}} in math known as {{w|Goldbach's conjecture}}. Mathematicians widely believe that it is true, and it has held true for every number checked up to 4 ⋅ 1018, but since it's impossible to check every number, we can't assume it's universally true. No mathematical proof of its veracity exists at this point. Since it is {{w|Gödel's incompleteness theorems|known}} that something can be true but impossible to prove (and, being true, impossible to disprove), this may be the situation forever.||According to which mathematical conjecture is every even number greater than 2 the sum of two primes?
|-
|9. Not counting {{w|Canberra}}, what city is the capital of {{w|Australia}}?||No answer exists||Australia has only one capital (unlike some countries, which divide the legislative and administrative capitals, for example), and that capital is Canberra. Hence, by definition, there is no national capital "not counting Canberra". Though each constituent state also has its state capital (inclusive of Canberra, which is the entirety of its {{w|Australian Capital Territory|own state territory}}), this would still leave us with an ambiguous choice. Before 1927, the answer could be Melbourne, as that was where the Parliament sat at that time. ||What city is the capital of Australia? What is currently the largest city in Australia? What is the smallest state capital in Australia? Not counting Canberra, what city was the most recently founded state capital of Australia? What city was the capital city before Canberra?
|-
|10. Who played the drums?||Trivial, yet unknowable without context||As worded, the question could be answered with anyone who's ever played the drums, in any context, whether professional or not, in all of history. This would include a huge number of people, most of whom would not be well-known. Most people would be able to offer a technically correct answer, and almost none of them would be interesting. Or maybe the host is wondering who it was that played drums that night, as part of the bar's live music.||Who played the drums for some specific band/album/track/concert?
|-
|(Title text) Where is {{w|London}} located? (a) the {{w|British Isles}} (b) {{w|Great Britain and Northern Ireland}} (c) the {{w|United Kingdom|UK}} (d) {{w|Europe}} (or 'the {{w|European Union|EU}}') (e) {{w|Greater London}}||Multiple answers||All choices are technically correct as they are various geographical areas that include the city of London, England. Also note that the City of London is different from the city ''named'' London as it is technically surrounded by it, hence (e) as an answer. Answer (d) is both correct and incorrect, as it conflates a geographic region, Europe, and a political body, the European Union. The United Kingdom (and therefore London) {{w|Brexit|left the EU}} in 2020, but is still geographically included in Europe. In addition, 'the UK' is short for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, so answers (b) and (c) refer to the same thing. This also does not get into cities named London outside of the UK, so for example "Ontario" or "Canada" could also be possible answers if the test designer were truly evil, thus making none of the answers correct. ||What is the capital of the United Kingdom? (answer: London) Where is London, England '''not''' located? (a) the British Isles (b) Great Britain and Northern Ireland (c) the UK (d) Europe (e) the EU (answer: (e))
|}

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

:[Cueball, holding a wireless microphone in one hand and a pencil and notebook in the other, reading from the notebook]:
:Welcome to pub trivia! Round one is 10 questions:

# Which member of BTS has a birthday this year?
# How many sides does a platonic solid have?
# What is the smallest lake in the world?
# Which Steven Spielberg movie features more shark attacks - ''Jaws'' (1975) or ''Lincoln'' (2012)?
# How many planets were there originally?
# What NFL player has scored the most points outside of a game?
# The Wright brothers built the first airplane. Who built the last one?
# Is every even number greater than 2 the sum of two primes?
# Not counting Canberra, what city is the capital of Australia?
# Who played the drums?

:[Caption below the panel]:
:A local pub trivia place hired me to run bad quizzes at competing bars.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category: American football]]
[[Category: Astronomy]]
[[Category: Geography]]
[[Category: Math]]
[[Category: Music]]

2739: Data Quality

2024-02-01T22:07:39Z

172.69.33.63: Integrating the title text into the chart

{{comic
| number = 2739
| date = February 17, 2023
| title = Data Quality
| image = data_quality_2x.png
| imagesize = 671x211px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = [exclamation about how cute your cat is] -> [last 4 digits of your cat's chip ID] -> [your cat's full chip ID] -> [a drawing of your cat] -> [photo of your cat] -> [clone of your cat] -> [your actual cat] -> [my better cat]
}}

==Explanation==


Digital data can be compressed to make transmission and/or storage more efficient; some {{w|compression algorithms}} discard some information to improve the compression, which is known as lossy compression, since some of the information is lost (this can be acceptable in audio or visual data, since the difference may be hard for humans to perceive).

This comic shows a chart in the form of a line, increasing quality from very lossy to most lossless. This means that it goes, at the extremes, from having so little information as to make it effectively meaningless, to having significant extra information included (eventually making the original actually an unnecessary distraction). Some of this extra information mitigates the risk of another sense of 'loss' in data - digital data are transferred in bits, and {{w|data loss}} is the process by which some of these bits are lost or altered during data transport. However the highest quality, "better data", is using a different sense of the term "quality", referring more to the general excellence of the data than how accurately it represents the original.

The title text uses your cat as an example of this range of losses (or, in the case of the latter reaches of the graph, gains) in the information. This is possibly a reference to [https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8157292-the-best-material-model-of-a-cat-is-another-or Norbert Wiener]'s quote, "The best material model of a cat is another, or preferably the same, cat." The most lossy is an exclamation about how cute your cat is, which is ephemeral and obviously carries very little significance in terms of actually providing specific, transferable information about your cat. The example then progresses into your cat's chip ID; presumably your cat has been microchipped, and between the last four digits (commonly used in sensitive information as an identifier without revealing the full number) or the entire chip ID, provides a still-uninformative yet slightly improved way of identifying your cat. A drawing of your cat and a photo of your cat would portray the cat reasonably well, while a clone of your cat and (of course) your actual cat would be the best way of gaining information about your cat. However, as in the actual comic, the final, most lossless (in this case, with the most gain) form of data transfer has nothing to do with your cat, but is simply Randall's better cat. This is apparently made out by Randall to be the pinnacle of cat data.

=== Details ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Item
! Title Text
! Explanation
|-
| Someone who once saw the data describing it at a party
| exclamation about how cute your cat is
| This is referring to how unreliable and inaccurate it is to get information verbally second-hand, as humans are naturally terrible at maintaining accuracy when passing on information received. This is the basic premise behind {{w|Chinese whispers|the Telephone Game}}. People naturally and instinctively mentally summarize information received in the way they understand, often in their own words instead of what they literally heard or read.
|-
| {{w|Bloom filter}}
| last 4 digits of your cat's chip ID
| A Bloom filter is a probabilistic data structure that can efficiently say whether an element is ''probably'' part of the dataset, while it can say "element is not in set" with 100% accuracy. If a Bloom filter is used to represent the contents of a book, reference to the Bloom filter could perhaps reconstruct everything, just by guessing, but in a highly inefficient and potentially inaccurate way.
|-
| {{w|Hash table}}
| your cat's full chip ID
| A hash table allows you to find data very fast. Randall probably means hashing the contents of entire books. Calculating a hash value for an entire book means that there is (most probably) a unique relationship between the book and a hash value - e.g. "58b8893b172d00e9". This means this exact version of the book will yield this exact hash value, though it's practically impossible to reconstruct the book's potential content from a hash value. It is a method of checking that a copy is the same as the original, but is meaningless on its own and has the possibility of being wrong. An average book contains several millions of bits, yet the SHA-2 hash has only 256 bits, so there are theoretically many (mostly nonsensical, but not necessarily) 'wrong' versions that might look correct.
|-
| {{w|JPEG|JPG}}, {{w|GIF}}, {{w|MPEG-1|MPEG}}
| a drawing of your cat
| Image and video formats that are considered 'lossy'. JPG (or "JPEG") format and the MPEG {{w|MPEG-2|group}} {{w|Advanced Video Coding|of}} formats typically use a range of data-compression methods that save space by selectively fudging (thus losing) what details it can of the image (and audio, where appropriate), to make disproportionate gains in compression; best used for real world images (and films) where real-world 'noise' can afford to be replaced by a more compressible version, without too much obvious change.
GIF compression is not 'lossy' in the same way, i.e. whatever it is asked to encode can be faithfully decoded, but Randall may consider its limitations (it can only write images of 256 unique hues, albeit that these can come from anywhere across the whole 65,536 "True color" range, plus transparency) to be a form of loss, as conversion from a more sophisticated format (e.g. PNG, below) could lose many of the subtle shades of the original and produce an inferior image. For this reason, GIF format becomes one best left to render diagrams and other computer-generated imagery with swathes of identical pixels and mostly sharp edges (and to utilize the optional transparent mask), for which JPEG compression will create prominant image artefacts. Alternatively, he may just have included it as a joke/nerd-snipe.
|-
| {{w|PNG}}, {{w|ZIP (file format)|ZIP}}, {{w|TIFF}}, {{w|WAV}}
| photo of your cat
| A series of formats using lossless compression. PNG and TIFF are image formats that are suitable for photos, but without (necessarily) resorting to reduced accuracy in order to assist compression. WAV is an audio format that also does not arbitrarily sacrifice 'unnecessary' details, unlike the more recently developed {{w|MP3|MPEG Audio Layer III}} which has become the de-facto consumer audio format for many.
ZIP is a generic compression algorithm (and the name of the format it creates) that can be used to store any other digital files. Anything put within a ZIP file can be exactly decompressed into the original state later on, although any such file already compressed in some way (such as any of the image formats mentioned in this comic, or other ZIPs) are unlikely to recompress significantly more.
|-
| Parity bits for error detection
| clone of your cat
| In the number 135, the sum of its digits is 9. So the number 135 could be written as "1359", for example, slightly increasing the amount of data that needs to be sent. But with the slight advantage that, if the number was tampered with, the parity bits may be able tell you that an error has occured. (Possibly that the parity itself was the digit that was miswritten.) But a change from "1359" to "1539" could not be detected, in this method, when extracting the parity digit and using this to presume that the first three digits are indeed 'correct'.
There are more reliable means to detect errors, such as CRC-32 (now considered obsolete), MD5 and the much more modern {{w|Secure Hash Algorithm|SHA}}. Such values were alluded to in the Hash Table section. But here they are sent ''alongside'' the data, slightly increasing the amount of data transmitted/stored (in order to establish its accuracy), rather than instead of it and vastly decreasing the amount of 'necessary' data (but leaving the virtually impossible task of performing a correct reconstruction).

However it is done, if the check indicates a problem then you can only seek a new copy (of the data, and/or the parity or hash), hoping that the problems encountered can be resolved.
|-
| Parity bits for error correction
| your actual cat
| With extra error-checking, there are ways to immediately restore the original data with the given additional data. One method is to 'overlap' multiple error-detection parities such that any small enough corruption of data (including of parity bits themselves) can be reconstructed to the correct original value by cross-comparison between all parity bits and the supposed data. One of the first modern methods developed was {{w|Hamming(7,4)}}, invented around 1950, which was a balanced approach designed to handle the typical error conditions typically encountered at the time and has inspired even contemporary electronic methods of maintaining data integrity. Another practical application of error correction bits would be that present in {{w|QR_code#Error_correction|QR Codes}}, using {{w|Reed–Solomon error correction|Reed–Solomon error correction}}.
|-
| Better data
| my better cat
| This gives up on the data in question and suggests swapping it for different data entirely. It is no longer about the quality of the transfer of data, but judging the actual data instead.
|}

==Transcript==
:[A line chart is shown with eight unevenly-spaced ticks each one with a label beneath the line. Above the middle of the line there is a dotted vertical line with a word on either side of this divider. Above the chart there is a big caption with an arrow beneath it pointing right.]
:<big>Data Quality</big>
:Lossy ┊ Lossless

:[Labels to the left of the dotted line from left to right:]
:Someone who once saw the data describing it at a party
:Bloom filter
:Hash table
:JPEG, GIF MPEG

:[Labels to the right of the dotted line from left to right:]
:PNG, ZIP, TIFF, WAV, Raw data
:Raw data + parity bits for error detection
:Raw data + parity bits for error ''correction''
:Better data

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Cats]]

2641: Mouse Turbines

2022-07-05T08:08:16Z

172.69.33.63: /* Transcript */ cat

{{comic
| number = 2641
| date = July 4, 2022
| title = Mouse Turbines
| image = mouse_turbines.png
| titletext = It's sad seeing those videos of turbine blade being torn apart in high winds, but it's the only way they can disperse their seeds.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a RENEWABLE ENERGY RODENT - Elaborate on the title text. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Beret Guy]] and [[Megan]] are walking during the summer, where Beret Guy expresses his appreciation for typical features of a summer day. He also mentions "wind turbines" put up by field mice, which Megan initially assumes to be referring to dandelions (similar to the wordplay that Beret Guy utilized in [[1322: Winter]].) However, Beret Guy turns out to be speaking literally, as he picks up what is in fact a tiny {{w|wind turbine}}, says to [https://www.dandelionpress.com/dandelion-blog/2015/4/6/how-to-wish-on-a-dandelion make a wish,] and blows into it. This causes the blades of the turbine to spin rapidly, generating a lot of power for the structure it is connected to, thus causing a field mouse to cheer in excitement.

Sadly, the power output per size of wind turbines increases with their size,[https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/wind-turbines-bigger-better] a limitation not shared by other forms of renewable energy such as {{w|solar panel}}s and {{w|pico hydro}}. According to [https://www.omnicalculator.com/ecology/wind-turbine this calculator], a 10 centimeter radius wind turbine powered by a 5.7 meter/second breath[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215098616300830] would produce one watt at just 26% efficiency.

Further frustrating mouse use of wind power, {{w|Wind gradient|windspeed increases logarithmically with height}} above ground. Windspeed is reported as its value 10 meters above ground, where it is 1.5 times faster than at ground level.[https://www.nooutage.com/wind.htm] In the U.S., where Randall lives, average year-round windspeed is about 15 km/h,[https://sciencing.com/average-daily-wind-speed-24011.html] or about 2.8 m/s at ground level, yielding only 0.11 watts from such turbines. However, a typical adult mouse weighs 25 grams,[https://web.jhu.edu/animalcare/procedures/mouse.html] compared to about 81 kilograms for humans in the U.S.,[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3408371/] so presumably mouse electricity needs would be about 0.03% of people's. The average U.S. residential customer uses 1,242 watts of electricity,[https://www.electricchoice.com/blog/electricity-on-average-do-homes/] 0.03% of which is 0.37 watts. Therefore, three such turbines could be able to serve about 89% of a mouse's needs. While this figure does not account for necessary {{w|home energy storage}} efficiency (92.5% for the {{w|Tesla Powerwall}}) overhead, mice usually live much less extravagantly than typical Americans,{{citation needed}} so three turbines per mouse should be sufficient.

The title text adds to the similarities between wind turbines and dandelions by claiming that turbines reproduce by dispersing their blades, in the manner of dandelion {{w|seed dispersal}}. Randall's suggestion of turbine seeds conflicts with Beret Guy's assertion that the turbines were built by field mice.

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

:[Megan and Beret Guy are walking on grass.]
:Beret Guy: Ahh, summer!
:Beret Guy: The clouds are big, the bugs are zooming,

:[Beret Guy stops walking. There are three small trefoil structures and a tiny building on the grass in front of him.]
:Beret Guy: and the field mice have put up their little wind turbines.

:[Beret Guy picks up one of the turbines. Under the turbine there is a wire attached to the ground.]
:Megan (off-panel): You mean dandelions?
:Beret Guy: No.

:[Beret Guy holds the turbine in front of him.]
:Beret Guy: Make a wish!

:[Beret Guy blows into the turbine blades and makes them spin. The wire transfers electricity towards the ground.]
:''Puff''
:⚡ ⚡ ⚡ ⚡
:Voice at ground level: Yaaay!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Animals]]

Talk:2641: Mouse Turbines

2022-07-05T00:01:17Z

172.69.33.63: Reply

Is anybody going to try to calculate the amount of power such a turbine could collect? -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 19:24, 4 July 2022 (UTC)
:Good idea; what should we use for an estimate of the geometry for https://www.omnicalculator.com/ecology/wind-turbine ? The final panel makes it look like the blade diameter is about twice the size of a fist. [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215098616300830] says "exhaled air velocity varies from 2.2 m/s to 9.9 m/s (5.66 ± 1.57 m/s, mean ± SD) and exhalation time varies from 2.10 s to 8.21 s (4.42 ± 1.73s, mean ± SD)."
:I guessed 10 cm radius and used that mean breath speed. I should have used the top 9.9 m/s though, shouldn't I? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.185|172.70.214.185]] 20:56, 4 July 2022 (UTC)
:After a closer look at that article, the mean is more appropriate. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.95|172.70.206.95]] 21:19, 4 July 2022 (UTC)

Although these miniscule wind turbines don't generate much power, mice probably don't need much. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:17, 4 July 2022 (UTC)
:That's certainly a fair point. How much power would a mouse-sized fridge need? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.95|172.70.206.95]] 21:23, 4 July 2022 (UTC)

Someone please check my mouse energy needs math and assumptions. I made a couple misplaced decimal mistakes getting to where it is now, and I'm going to have another beer. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.52|172.70.211.52]] 22:17, 4 July 2022 (UTC)

I'm confused by the statement that smaller turbines are less "efficient". There's nothing about efficiency at that link. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.43|172.70.114.43]] 22:33, 4 July 2022 (UTC)
:The graph shows the ratio between size and output has risen from about half to 85%. What is a better term for this? I'm pretty sure one of the multiple definitions of efficiency is technically correct, but it can never hurt explaining better. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.113|172.69.33.113]] 22:42, 4 July 2022 (UTC)
:Changed to "relative power output" but I'm not sure that captures the idea very well either. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.113|172.69.33.113]] 22:44, 4 July 2022 (UTC)

Well wind turbines may not scale down ideally but still better than nuclear power plants. I suspect those have fixed minimal size and it's pretty big. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:32, 4 July 2022 (UTC)

:Apparently nuclear power can be [https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/LAR-TOPS-294 "as small as a button cell"] but mice are vulnerable to radioactive hazards, and haven't solved the waste disposal problem. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.185|172.70.214.185]] 23:45, 4 July 2022 (UTC)

Isn't the power output of a solar panel directly dependent on its size (and wether it's covered with snow, angle to the sun, clouds? And prolly something I'll think of as soon as I hit save).[[Special:Contributions/172.70.131.106|172.70.131.106]] 23:55, 4 July 2022 (UTC)
:Yes, but the power per size doesn't increase with size like wind turbines do. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.63|172.69.33.63]] 00:01, 5 July 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2641: Mouse Turbines

2022-07-04T23:59:31Z

172.69.33.63: Replace deleted reply

2640: The Universe by Scientific Field

2022-07-04T15:49:16Z

172.69.33.63: Cosmology

{{comic
| number = 2640
| date = July 1, 2022
| title = The Universe by Scientific Field
| image = the_universe_by_scientific_field.png
| titletext = The math and philosophy people also claim everything, but the astronomers argue that the stuff they study really only comprises a small number of paper surfaces.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by A TINY PROPORTION OF A PIE CHART REPRESENTING THE UNIVERSE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Astronomy}} is the study of outer space and celestial phenomena. This comic makes a joke that most of the "universe" falls under the study of astronomy, which makes sense because it is so vast and large and is not studied directly by other fields of science.

The volume of the {{w|observable universe}} is 3.566×1080 cubic meters. The volume of Earth is 1.08321×1021 cubic meters.

1.08321×1021 m3 ÷ 3.566×1080 m3 × 100% ≈ 3×10-58%, which is scientific notation for the second of the two percentages, the first being its difference from 100%.

The title text says that mathematicians and philosophers claim that what they study also represents everything. But astronomers counter this by saying that they just study things that are written down, and this comprises just tiny amounts of "paper" on the Earth. This claim by mathematicians also appears in [[435: Purity]]. A conceivable counterargument by philosophers could rely on the fact that all the knowledge gathered by astronomers is necessarily processed by human minds, a primary subject of philosophical study.

The information provided by {{w|Observational astronomy|astronomical observations}} of light, subatomic particles, and gravity's effects represents only a tiny fraction of the scientific properties of the extraterrestrial substances in the volume of space that astronomers study. Moreover, the adjacent fields of optics, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and geometry underpin almost all aspects of astronomy other than {{w|Astronomical naming conventions|nomenclature}}, so proponents of those disciplines may see the comic as biased. Other objections could conceivably include the fact that most matter in the universe is described just as well by the laws of chemistry or physics as by astronomy. Or the fact that almost everyone's subjective life experiences are overwhelmingly more involved with events best described by fields other than astronomy, even in the case of professional astronomers (who often complain about how little time they can allocate to making actual astronomical observations) although this is to be expected as all but typically a handful of people are terrestrial. Finally, astronomy and astrophysics publications comprise only about 0.5% of academic science and engineering output worldwide, making them the smallest of fourteen such categories.[https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20214/table/SPBS-34]

However, astronomy, {{w|cosmology}}, and astrophysics are the only scientific disciplines that study the {{w|Big Bang}} and subsequent {{w|Inflation (cosmology)|inflation}} from which all matter and energy arose. The ordinary laws of physics can describe neither of those events.

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

:The Universe by Scientific Field

:[A pie chart is shown.]
:Astronomy
:99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999997%

:Other
:0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003%

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Pie charts]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]

2640: The Universe by Scientific Field

2022-07-04T03:34:34Z

172.69.33.63: /* Explanation */ differentiate from physics

{{comic
| number = 2640
| date = July 1, 2022
| title = The Universe by Scientific Field
| image = the_universe_by_scientific_field.png
| titletext = The math and philosophy people also claim everything, but the astronomers argue that the stuff they study really only comprises a small number of paper surfaces.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by A TINY PROPORTION OF THE UNIVERSE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Astronomy}} is the study of outer space and celestial phenomena. This comic makes a joke that most of the "universe" falls under the study of astronomy, which makes sense because it is so vast and large and is not studied directly by other fields of science.

The volume of the {{w|observable universe}} is 3.566×1080 cubic meters. The volume of Earth is 1.08321×1021 cubic meters.

1.08321×1021 m3 ÷ 3.566×1080 m3 × 100% ≈ 3×10-58%, which is scientific notation for the second of the two percentages, the first being its difference from 100%.

The title text says that mathematicians and philosophers claim that what they study also represents everything. But astronomers counter this by saying that they just study things that are written down, and this comprises just tiny amounts of "paper" on the Earth. This claim by mathematicians also appears in [[435: Purity]]. A conceivable counterargument by philosophers could rely on the fact that all the knowledge gathered by astronomers is necessarily processed by human minds, a primary subject of philosophical study.

The information provided by {{w|Observational astronomy|astronomical observations}} of light, subatomic particles, and gravity's effects represents only a tiny fraction of the scientific properties of the extraterrestrial substances in the volume of space that astronomers study. Moreover, the adjacent fields of optics, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and geometry underpin almost all aspects of astronomy other than {{w|Astronomical naming conventions|nomenclature}}, so proponents of those disciplines may see the comic as biased. Other objections could conceivably include the fact that most matter in the universe is described just as well by the laws of chemistry or physics as by astronomy. Or the fact that almost everyone's subjective life experiences are overwhelmingly more involved with events best described by fields other than astronomy, even in the case of professional astronomers (who often complain about how little time they can allocate to making actual astronomical observations) although this is to be expected as all but typically a handful of people are terrestrial. Finally, astronomy and astrophysics publications comprise only about 0.5% of academic science and engineering output worldwide, making them the smallest of fourteen such categories.[https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20214/table/SPBS-34]

However, astronomy and astrophysics are the only scientific disciplines that study the {{w|Big Bang}} and subsequent {{w|Inflation (cosmology)|inflation}} from which all matter and energy arose. The ordinary laws of physics can describe neither of those events.

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

:The Universe by Scientific Field

:[A pie chart is shown.]
:Astronomy
:99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999997%

:Other
:0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003%

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Pie charts]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]

2640: The Universe by Scientific Field

2022-07-04T03:31:34Z

172.69.33.63: Counterpoint

{{comic
| number = 2640
| date = July 1, 2022
| title = The Universe by Scientific Field
| image = the_universe_by_scientific_field.png
| titletext = The math and philosophy people also claim everything, but the astronomers argue that the stuff they study really only comprises a small number of paper surfaces.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by A TINY PROPORTION OF THE UNIVERSE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Astronomy}} is the study of outer space and celestial phenomena. This comic makes a joke that most of the "universe" falls under the study of astronomy, which makes sense because it is so vast and large and is not studied directly by other fields of science.

The volume of the {{w|observable universe}} is 3.566×1080 cubic meters. The volume of Earth is 1.08321×1021 cubic meters.

1.08321×1021 m3 ÷ 3.566×1080 m3 × 100% ≈ 3×10-58%, which is scientific notation for the second of the two percentages, the first being its difference from 100%.

The title text says that mathematicians and philosophers claim that what they study also represents everything. But astronomers counter this by saying that they just study things that are written down, and this comprises just tiny amounts of "paper" on the Earth. This claim by mathematicians also appears in [[435: Purity]]. A conceivable counterargument by philosophers could rely on the fact that all the knowledge gathered by astronomers is necessarily processed by human minds, a primary subject of philosophical study.

The information provided by {{w|Observational astronomy|astronomical observations}} of light, subatomic particles, and gravity's effects represents only a tiny fraction of the scientific properties of the extraterrestrial substances in the volume of space that astronomers study. Moreover, the adjacent fields of optics, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and geometry underpin almost all aspects of astronomy other than {{w|Astronomical naming conventions|nomenclature}}, so proponents of those disciplines may see the comic as biased. Other objections could conceivably include the fact that most matter in the universe is described just as well by the laws of chemistry or physics as by astronomy. Or the fact that almost everyone's subjective life experiences are overwhelmingly more involved with events best described by fields other than astronomy, even in the case of professional astronomers (who often complain about how little time they can allocate to making actual astronomical observations) although this is to be expected as all but typically a handful of people are terrestrial. Finally, astronomy and astrophysics publications comprise only about 0.5% of academic science and engineering output worldwide, making them the smallest of fourteen such categories.[https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20214/table/SPBS-34]

However, astronomy and astrophysics are the only scientific disciplines that study the {{w|Big Bang}} and subsequent {{w|Inflation (cosmology)|inflation}} from which all matter and energy arose.

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

:The Universe by Scientific Field

:[A pie chart is shown.]
:Astronomy
:99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999997%

:Other
:0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003%

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Pie charts]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]

2640: The Universe by Scientific Field

2022-07-02T15:38:37Z

172.69.33.63: /* Explanation */ technically correct is the best kind

{{comic
| number = 2640
| date = July 1, 2022
| title = The Universe by Scientific Field
| image = the_universe_by_scientific_field.png
| titletext = The math and philosophy people also claim everything, but the astronomers argue that the stuff they study really only comprises a small number of paper surfaces.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by A TINY PROPORTION OF THE UNIVERSE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Astronomy}} is the study of outer space and celestial phenomena. This comic makes a joke that most of the "universe" falls under the study of astronomy, which makes sense because it is so vast and large and is not studied directly by other fields of science.

The volume of the {{w|observable universe}} is 3.566×1080 cubic meters. The volume of Earth is 1.08321×1021 cubic meters.

1.08321×1021 m3 ÷ 3.566×1080 m3 × 100% ≈ 3×10-58%, which is scientific notation for the second of the two percentages, the first being its difference from 100%.

The title text says that mathematicians and philosophers claim that what they study also represents everything. But astronomers counter this by saying that they just study things that are written down, and this comprises just tiny amounts of "paper" on the Earth. This claim by mathematicians also appears in [[435: Purity]]. A conceivable counterargument by philosophers could rely on the fact that all the knowledge gathered by astronomers is necessarily processed by human minds, a primary subject of philosophical study.

The information provided by {{w|Observational astronomy|astronomical observations}} of light, subatomic particles, and gravity's effects represents only a tiny fraction of the scientific properties of the extraterrestrial substances in the volume of space that astronomers study. Moreover, the adjacent fields of optics, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and geometry underpin almost all aspects of astronomy other than {{w|Astronomical naming conventions|nomenclature}}, so proponents of those disciplines may see the comic as biased. Other objections could conceivably include the fact that most matter in the universe is described just as well by the laws of chemistry or physics as by astronomy. Or the fact that almost everyone's subjective life experiences are overwhelmingly more involved with events best described by fields other than astronomy, even in the case of professional astronomers (who often complain about how little time they can allocate to making actual astronomical observations) although this is to be expected as all but typically a handful of people are terrestrial. Finally, astronomy and astrophysics publications comprise only about 0.5% of science and engineering output worldwide, making them the smallest of fourteen such categories.[https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20214/table/SPBS-34]

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

:The Universe by Scientific Field

:[A pie chart is shown.]
:Astronomy
:99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999997%

:Other
:0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003%

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Pie charts]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]

2640: The Universe by Scientific Field

2022-07-02T15:36:22Z

172.69.33.63: /* Transcript */ correct way to do this

{{comic
| number = 2640
| date = July 1, 2022
| title = The Universe by Scientific Field
| image = the_universe_by_scientific_field.png
| titletext = The math and philosophy people also claim everything, but the astronomers argue that the stuff they study really only comprises a small number of paper surfaces.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by A TINY PROPORTION OF THE UNIVERSE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Astronomy}} is the study of outer space and celestial phenomena. This comic makes a joke that most of the "universe" falls under the study of astronomy, which makes sense because it is so vast and large and is not studied directly by other fields of science.

The volume of the {{w|observable universe}} is 3.566×1080 cubic meters. The volume of Earth is 1.08321×1021 cubic meters.

1.08321×1021 m3 ÷ 3.566×1080 m3 × 100% ≈ 3×10-58%, which is scientific notation for the second of the two percentages, the first being its difference from 100%.

The title text says that mathematicians and philosophers claim that what they study also represents everything. But astronomers counter this by saying that they just study things that are written down, and this comprises just tiny amounts of "paper" on the Earth. This claim by mathematicians also appears in [[435: Purity]]. A conceivable counterargument by philosophers could rely on the fact that all the information gathered by astronomers is necessarily processed by human minds, a primary subject of philosophical study.

The information provided by {{w|Observational astronomy|astronomical observations}} of light, subatomic particles, and gravity's effects represents only a tiny fraction of the scientific properties of the extraterrestrial substances in the volume of space that astronomers study. Moreover, the adjacent fields of optics, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and geometry underpin almost all aspects of astronomy other than {{w|Astronomical naming conventions|nomenclature}}, so proponents of those disciplines may see the comic as biased. Other objections could conceivably include the fact that most matter in the universe is described just as well by the laws of chemistry or physics as by astronomy. Or the fact that almost everyone's subjective life experiences are overwhelmingly more involved with events best described by fields other than astronomy, even in the case of professional astronomers (who often complain about how little time they can allocate to making actual astronomical observations) although this is to be expected as all but typically a handful of people are terrestrial. Finally, astronomy and astrophysics publications comprise only about 0.5% of science and engineering output worldwide, making them the smallest of fourteen such categories.[https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20214/table/SPBS-34]

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

:The Universe by Scientific Field

:[A pie chart is shown.]
:Astronomy
:99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999997%

:Other
:0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003%

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Pie charts]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]

2382: Ballot Tracker Tracker

2020-11-07T02:32:04Z

172.69.33.63: /* Explanation */ spelling

{{comic
| number = 2382
| date = November 6, 2020
| title = Ballot Tracker Tracker
| image = ballot_tracker_tracker.png
| titletext = Good luck to Democrats in the upcoming Georgia runoff elections, and to the Google Sheets SREs in the current run-on elections.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BALLOT TRACKER TRACKER TRACKER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic was posted 3 days after the 2020 election day in the United States (November 3, 2020). As of the date of posting, the {{w|2020 United States presidential election}} still had not been "called" for either candidate, President {{w|Donald Trump}}, or the challenger, former Vice President {{w|Joe Biden}}. This is untypical for most US presidential elections, which were "called" either on election day or on the morning following.

A major reason for the slowness in deciding the results of the election is the use of {{w|mail-in ballot}}s, caused by social distancing concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mail-in ballots in some states were counted after the in-person voting, which has caused delays in the vote-counting.

As of the date of posting, the electoral vote counts were 253-214 in favor of Biden, with 270 electoral votes needed to win the election. Six states were considered "too close to call", with no determined winner until more ballots were counted.

Cueball in this comic has created an app or a website which tracks in real-time how fast "ballot trackers" update. This probably refers to news organizations, which are constantly updating reported vote counts as they are published by the states. Cueball (representing Randall) is anxiously waiting for a resolution to this long election season and is constantly checking to see if the race has been decided yet.

In the title text, Randall wishes good luck to the Democrats in the state of Georgia who are running in later run-off elections. Two Senate seats were being voted on in the state of Georgia in 2020, but no candidate achieved over 50% of the vote in either race. By law in the state of Georgia, these two races will be decided in run-off elections on January 5, 2021. Randall also wishes good luck to the Google Sheets SREs (probably {{w|Site Reliability Engineer}}s), who will be in charge of maintaining the Google infrastructure when people like him are constantly refreshing websites for that election date.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball is sitting behind a desk, pointing at a laptop. White Hat is standing behind him.]
:Cueball: And this tab is my ballot tracker tracker, which tracks how quickly other ballot trackers update.
:White Hat: You should add a tracker for how often you breathe so you don't forget.
:Cueball: '''''I will breathe when they call it.'''''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]

2382: Ballot Tracker Tracker

2020-11-07T02:31:30Z

172.69.33.63: /* Explanation */ In English, sentences are supposed to begin with letters, not digits., also reverted vandalism to spelling of Trump's name

{{comic
| number = 2382
| date = November 6, 2020
| title = Ballot Tracker Tracker
| image = ballot_tracker_tracker.png
| titletext = Good luck to Democrats in the upcoming Georgia runoff elections, and to the Google Sheets SREs in the current run-on elections.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BALLOT TRACKER TRACKER TRACKER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic was posted 3 days after the 2020 election day in the United States (November 3, 2020). As of the date of posting, the {{w|2020 United States presidential election}} still had not been "called" for either candidate, President {{w|Donald Trump}}, or the challenger, former Vice President {{w|Joe Biden}}. This is untypical for most US presidential elections, which were "called" either on election day or on the morning following.

A major reason for the slowness in deciding the results of the election is the use of {{w|mail-in ballot}}s, caused by social distancing concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mail-in ballots in some states were counted after the in-person voting, which has caused delays in the vote-counting.

As of the date of posting, the electoral vote counts were 253-214 in favor of Biden, with 270 electoral votes needed to win the election. Sox states were considered "too close to call", with no determined winner until more ballots were counted.

Cueball in this comic has created an app or a website which tracks in real-time how fast "ballot trackers" update. This probably refers to news organizations, which are constantly updating reported vote counts as they are published by the states. Cueball (representing Randall) is anxiously waiting for a resolution to this long election season and is constantly checking to see if the race has been decided yet.

In the title text, Randall wishes good luck to the Democrats in the state of Georgia who are running in later run-off elections. Two Senate seats were being voted on in the state of Georgia in 2020, but no candidate achieved over 50% of the vote in either race. By law in the state of Georgia, these two races will be decided in run-off elections on January 5, 2021. Randall also wishes good luck to the Google Sheets SREs (probably {{w|Site Reliability Engineer}}s), who will be in charge of maintaining the Google infrastructure when people like him are constantly refreshing websites for that election date.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball is sitting behind a desk, pointing at a laptop. White Hat is standing behind him.]
:Cueball: And this tab is my ballot tracker tracker, which tracks how quickly other ballot trackers update.
:White Hat: You should add a tracker for how often you breathe so you don't forget.
:Cueball: '''''I will breathe when they call it.'''''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]

2354: Stellar Evolution

2020-09-03T19:31:34Z

172.69.33.63:

{{comic
| number = 2354
| date = September 2, 2020
| title = Stellar Evolution
| image = stellar_evolution.png
| titletext = It may remain in equilibrium for some time, slowly growing, and then suddenly become significantly redder.
}}

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

This is a pun on the {{w|main sequence}}, the continuous and distinctive band of stars that appear on {{w|Hertzsprung–Russell diagram}}s. Stars on this band are known as main-sequence stars. These are the most numerous stars in the universe, and include the Earth's Sun. The main sequence forms a major part of a star's life cycle, with smaller stars spending more time on it, where they transform hydrogen to helium via nuclear fusion to generate energy and sustain themselves.

[[Miss Lenhart]] starts off apparently describing the main sequence. However, she veers off into the {{w|history of Maine}}, the most northeastern of the 50 United States. She mentions the separation of Maine from {{w|Massachusetts}} and its {{w|lobstering}} industry, similar to how towards the end of their lifespans, stars break off from the main sequence to form red or blue giants and move away from the main sequence line on the diagram, and rounds it all off by making a play between "main" and the U.S. state of "{{w|Maine}}", which are {{w|homophones}}.

The title text puns on either the state or the star becoming "redder". In the case of the state, in American politics, "red" most recently refers to the Republican party (in multiple decades before 2001 they were blue and Democrats were red). As Maine has tended towards voting for that party (half the state voted for Trump in 2016) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states#Table_of_presidential_elections_by_states_since_1972 for recent presidential elections], it is said to have become "redder". Meanwhile, a main sequence star transitions eventually into a {{w|red giant}}, also becoming "redder". Alternatively, the color change could refer to lobsters; when one is cooked, it turns from a bluish-green to a bright red-orange.

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart stands in front of a chalkboard. On the board are squiggly lines of text and a series of growing circles]
:Miss Lenhart: After a star begins fusing hydrogen, it may reach a stable equilibrium in which it separates from Massachusetts and develops a thriving lobster industry.
:Miss Lenhart: This is known as the Maine Sequence.
:Title text: <nowiki>It may remain in equilibrium for some time, slowly growing, and then suddenly become significantly redder.</nowiki>

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Puns]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Food]]

2321: Low-Background Metal

2020-06-18T01:49:26Z

172.69.33.63: /* Explanation */ salvage

{{comic
| number = 2321
| date = June 17, 2020
| title = Low-Background Metal
| image = low_background_metal.png
| titletext = The only effect on the history books were a few confusing accounts of something called 'Greek fire.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TIME TRAVELER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In this comic, a team including [[Megan]] and [[Black Hat]] have invented {{w|time travel}}. Time travel is a common trope in science fiction, and such a discovery would be likely to change the world as we know it. However, Megan and Black Hat's machine requires the use of "low-background" metal, which is in short supply.

Megan explains that, while delicate equipment is often shielded from radiation by lead, metal produced in modern times is contaminated by {{w|nuclear fallout}} in the atmosphere, which means that the shielding itself has enough radioactivity to interfere with highly delicate equipment. In order to shield this equipment, "low-background metal" is salvaged from sunken Roman ships. This metal, primarily lead, was used as ballast in the ships. The Roman lead was produced before atmospheric nuclear tests occurred and therefore did not have {{w|radionuclides}} in the air used in its manufacture. Because it has spent many centuries continually underwater, it is both shielded from radioactive particles, and has had time for natural radioactivity to fade.

The number of shipwrecks of that age that can be found and successfully salvaged for metal is quite small, which puts this material in short supply. Megan mentions that they have only enough for a single trip. The team realizes (apparently at [[Black Hat]]'s suggestion), that a solution is to use their single trip to take modern military hardware back to the era of the {{w|Roman Empire}} and use it to sink multiple ships. This would both provide for many more shipwrecks to salvage, and give the team a good idea of where those wrecks were, when they returned to modern times. They could also specifically target ships that were in waters that are well-suited for salvage operations.

Megan is most likely referring to {{w|low-background steel}}, used in real life as shielding for highly sensitive particle detectors in physics and medicine. Low-background steel is in actuality salvaged from ships sunk before 1945 (the {{w|Trinity (nuclear test)|Trinity nuclear test}}), however, the ships used typically date back to World War I or World War II, and not the Roman Empire.

The title text refers to {{w|Greek fire}}, which was an incendiary weapon invented and employed by the Byzantine empire. It was a flammable liquid, famously said to burn on water, that was used in naval combat to set fire to enemy ships. As it was a closely-guarded military secret, many of the details have been lost to time, and modern chemists have only been able to develop educated guesses of what it ''probably'' was. Randall proposes a rather outlandish alternative hypothesis: that all records of Greek fire were actually in reference to the modern weapons used by the time travelers.

This is the second time a single-use time machine is available. The first occurrence was [[1063: Kill Hitler]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan, Black Hat and Cueball stand around a time machine on a table.]
:Megan: Our time machine works.
:Megan: But we're almost out of low-background metal.
:Cueball: What's that?

:[Close-up on Megan.]
:Megan: Modern metal is contaminated by fallout from nuclear testing, and lead also has natural radioactivity that fades over time.
:Megan: To shield sensitive equipment, physicists use lead from sunken Roman ships.
:Megan: But shipwreck lead is hard to find.

:[Zoomed back out to the group. Megan is facing Black Hat, who has his hand on his chin.]

:Black Hat: How much do we have?
:Megan: Enough for one trip through time.
:Black Hat: ''Hmmm...''

:[The scene changes to the group having traveled through time. They are in a helicopter, with Megan piloting, Cueball as a passenger, and Black Hat firing a flamethrower at a Roman ship. The sailors on the ship are alarmed and attempting to escape. Two already-burning ships can also be seen, with one almost completely sunk.]
:Flamethrower: FWOOOSH

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Time travel]]

2321: Low-Background Metal

2020-06-18T01:47:51Z

172.69.33.63: /* Explanation */ low-background steel

{{comic
| number = 2321
| date = June 17, 2020
| title = Low-Background Metal
| image = low_background_metal.png
| titletext = The only effect on the history books were a few confusing accounts of something called 'Greek fire.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TIME TRAVELER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In this comic, a team including [[Megan]] and [[Black Hat]] have invented {{w|time travel}}. Time travel is a common trope in science fiction, and such a discovery would be likely to change the world as we know it. However, Megan and Black Hat's machine requires the use of "low-background" metal, which is in short supply.

Megan explains that, while delicate equipment is often shielded from radiation by lead, metal produced in modern times is contaminated by {{w|nuclear fallout}} in the atmosphere, which means that the shielding itself has enough radioactivity to interfere with highly delicate equipment. In order to shield this equipment, "low-background metal" is salvaged from sunken Roman ships. This metal, primarily lead, was used as ballast in the ships. The Roman lead was produced before atmospheric nuclear tests occurred and therefore did not have {{w|radionuclides}} in the air used in its manufacture. Because it has spent many centuries continually underwater, it is both shielded from radioactive particles, and has had time for natural radioactivity to fade.

The number of shipwrecks of that age that can be found and successfully salvaged for metal is quite small, which puts this material in short supply. Megan mentions that they have only enough for a single trip. The team realizes (apparently at [[Black Hat]]'s suggestion), that a solution is to use their single trip to take modern military hardware back to the era of the {{w|Roman Empire}} and use it to sink multiple ships. This would both provide for many more shipwrecks to salvage, and give the team a good idea of where those wrecks were, when they returned to modern times. They could also specifically target ships that were in waters that are well-suited for salvage operations.

Megan is most likely referring to {{w|low-background steel}}, used in real life as shielding for highly sensitive particle detectors in physics and medicine. Low-background steel is in actuality found from ships sunk before 1945 (the {{w|Trinity (nuclear test)|Trinity nuclear test}}), however, the ships used typically date back to World War I or World War II, and not the Roman Empire.

The title text refers to {{w|Greek fire}}, which was an incendiary weapon invented and employed by the Byzantine empire. It was a flammable liquid, famously said to burn on water, that was used in naval combat to set fire to enemy ships. As it was a closely-guarded military secret, many of the details have been lost to time, and modern chemists have only been able to develop educated guesses of what it ''probably'' was. Randall proposes a rather outlandish alternative hypothesis: that all records of Greek fire were actually in reference to the modern weapons used by the time travelers.

This is the second time a single-use time machine is available. The first occurrence was [[1063: Kill Hitler]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan, Black Hat and Cueball stand around a time machine on a table.]
:Megan: Our time machine works.
:Megan: But we're almost out of low-background metal.
:Cueball: What's that?

:[Close-up on Megan.]
:Megan: Modern metal is contaminated by fallout from nuclear testing, and lead also has natural radioactivity that fades over time.
:Megan: To shield sensitive equipment, physicists use lead from sunken Roman ships.
:Megan: But shipwreck lead is hard to find.

:[Zoomed back out to the group. Megan is facing Black Hat, who has his hand on his chin.]

:Black Hat: How much do we have?
:Megan: Enough for one trip through time.
:Black Hat: ''Hmmm...''

:[The scene changes to the group having traveled through time. They are in a helicopter, with Megan piloting, Cueball as a passenger, and Black Hat firing a flamethrower at a Roman ship. The sailors on the ship are alarmed and attempting to escape. Two already-burning ships can also be seen, with one almost completely sunk.]
:Flamethrower: FWOOOSH

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Time travel]]