Talk:2690: Cool S

2022-10-26T20:52:18Z

172.71.186.163:

Wow. Never seen a blank one before [[User:Boatster|Boatster]] ([[User talk:Boatster|talk]]) 14:23, 26 October 2022 (UTC)
: Apologies for my mediocre attempt, new to this [[User:Boatster|Boatster]] ([[User talk:Boatster|talk]]) 14:30, 26 October 2022 (UTC)

I used to do these chains! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.25|108.162.237.25]] 15:38, 26 October 2022 (UTC)Bumpf
:You must have used to be {{w|DNA polymerase}}, then! —[[User:While False|While False]] ([[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|'''museum''']] | [[User talk:While False|talk]] | [[special:Contributions/While_False|contributions]] | [[special:Log/While_False|logs]] | [[Special:UserRights/While_False|rights]]) 19:27, 26 October 2022 (UTC)

As a molecular biologist, I'm a bit annoyed any time I see DNA drawn as a left-handed helix. Perhaps this was intentional on Randall's part.

: To expand on Bumpf's comment -- DNA is typically right-handed, so it was most probably derived from the "cool Z". (Yes, Z-DNA (q.v.) is left-handed -- perhaps leading to Randall's presentation) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.221|172.70.178.221]] 17:04, 26 October 2022 (UTC)
: I mean, I've never seen on so angular before either. 17:15, 26 October 2022 (UTC)

This was actually a rediscovery, Celtic decorators had discovered it before. [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 18:56, 26 October 2022 (UTC)

Dosen't the transcript generally not have the title text included? --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.82.167|172.70.82.167]] 19:14, 26 October 2022 (UTC)
:Correct. The transcript is of the image only. —[[User:While False|While False]] ([[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|'''museum''']] | [[User talk:While False|talk]] | [[special:Contributions/While_False|contributions]] | [[special:Log/While_False|logs]] | [[Special:UserRights/While_False|rights]]) 19:23, 26 October 2022 (UTC)

Not giving her the Prize because she was already dead is still discrimination. Didn't Pratchett even had word for that? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 19:29, 26 October 2022 (UTC)
:There is debate to be had on whether it is or isn't discrimination when as a rule, the prize isn't awared posthumously unless the person recieved the award before death.--[[User:Mapron01|Mapron01]] ([[User talk:Mapron01|talk]]) 19:44, 26 October 2022 (UTC)
:From the world of Pratchett: "Undead, not Unperson!" - Although that might only count if Franklin also became like [[896: Marie Curie]], at least in time for the original award being decided). [[Special:Contributions/172.71.186.163|172.71.186.163]] 20:52, 26 October 2022 (UTC)

I think there's more to the controversy over Rosalind Franklin than just being omitted from the Nobel Prize. The significance of her contribution was downplayed in the media in general. Practically everyone has heard of Watson and Crick, but relatively few lay people have heard of Franklin. Although I guess that can be considered a natural result of them receiving the Nobel. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:08, 26 October 2022 (UTC)
:She's at least getting (assuming it can be rearranged) a {{w|Rosalind Franklin (rover)|Mars rover}}... I think C&W aren't getting anything like that, whatever past supplemental honours they got in response/parallel to their Nobelisations... [[Special:Contributions/172.71.186.163|172.71.186.163]] 20:52, 26 October 2022 (UTC)

2690: Cool S

2022-10-26T20:42:27Z

172.71.186.163: /* Explanation */ Tweaks

{{comic
| number = 2690
| date = October 26, 2022
| title = Cool S
| image = cool_s_2x.png
| imagesize = 325x327px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Although I hear they were caught cheating off of Rosalind, who sat at a desk in front of them.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a COOL MIDDLE SCHOOL RESEARCHER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The '{{w|Cool S}}' is a stylized drawing of the letter "S". It is a popular doodle among teenagers as it can be quickly hashed out using six vertical lines which are then connected with an appropriate pattern of diagonal lines.

Randall posits that somebody decided to chain the pattern of the Cool S, then separate the different elements, and created something that turns out to have a visual similarity to the discovered helical structure of {{w|DNA}}.

Title text is a reference to {{w|Rosalind Franklin}}, who made a material contribution to the discovery of DNA but was [https://web.archive.org/web/20160927113256/http://www.biomath.nyu.edu/index/course/hw_articles/nature4.pdf controversially not included in the subsequent Nobel Prize], although the reason was not as biased as common belief supposes. She wasn't excluded due to sexism, but because she died in 1958, five years before {{w|Francis Crick}} and {{w|James Watson}} were awarded the Prize and as such was ineligible regardless.

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

:[10 drawings evolving from simple dashes, to a "cool S" symbol, to a representation of DNA.]

:The structure of DNA was originally discovered by a group of especially cool middle school researchers.

{{comic discussion}}

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2690: Cool S

2690: Cool S