explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3118: iNaturalist Animals and Plants

2025-07-22T07:36:45Z

176.199.208.178:

we probably need to add something about how bacteria are more common but not observable to the average person [[Special:Contributions/72.203.83.113|72.203.83.113]] 16:36, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Why? Bacteria are not animals or plants. [[Special:Contributions/2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C|2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C]] 17:45, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

Why are some states missing their postal code? IA, FL, AK, HI don't have them.
[[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 18:27, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

I am curious which animal and which plant are mentioned for the most states? [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 18:43, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Common Eastern Bumble Bee with 7 states [CT, IL, MD, MA, MN, VT, WI] and Common Milkweed with 6 states [IL, IA, MI, MN, NE, WI][[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 18:53, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:White-tailed Deer also has 7 states [IO, MI, MT, NH, PA, VI, WV] [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 19:16, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:You're right! My python script missed Iowa because of a capitalization error in the transcription. [[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 19:32, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

Is there a hidden joke in this one that needs explaining, or is it simply an interesting data map? [[Special:Contributions/37.19.197.233|37.19.197.233]]
: Looks like just an interesting map. Nothing wrong with that. --[[Special:Contributions/81.96.108.67|81.96.108.67]] 20:50, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:: Wrong. What's wrong with it is that there's no joke. It's not "comic" in any way.

Big question: what does "most-observed" mean? Most reported? Most likely for a resident to see? Most likely for a resident to pay attention to? -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 19:38, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:The comic already answers that question: "Not the most common species in the state, just the one people have reported the most times." [[Special:Contributions/174.53.211.85|174.53.211.85]] 20:06, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:iNaturalist is a phone app used by people to help contribute to citizen science (i.e. help collect data for research), so people scan animals/plants that they see to send to iNaturalist databases to be identified automatically. Most-observed means the species that are most reported to the database (so the species with the most scans). The comic notes most reported ≠ most common since many people just ignore species of animals/plants they don't believe to be notable enough to take the effort to scan such as grass. [[Special:Contributions/97.126.175.170|97.126.175.170]] 20:10, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
::If people were reporting common animals they see, they'd probably be dogs and cats. And even more common would be insects -- a backyard probably has hundreds of ants living in it. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 23:30, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
::: "''reporting common animals they see,''" iNat members report what they think is worth reporting. I aint got time to figure if I see more cedar or maple-- in fact I reported a maple only cuz I found a spectaculary colorful maple leaf, a great picture. It is casual observations, not a strict census. (Yes, some observers get a bit obsessive, but still.......) Yes, dogs get reported a lot-- it is a great way to learn the process and you may already have good photos of Rover.
:::: Does this app double as an identification tool? In that case it might also be animals/plants that people don't know and are curious about. (I live in Germany and have a similar app for plants, but I admit I mostly use it for stuff that catches my eye, not for stuff I think is scientifically worth reporting.)--[[Special:Contributions/176.199.208.178|176.199.208.178]] 07:36, 22 July 2025 (UTC)

For the other {{w|U.S. Territories}} not mentioned (sorted animal, plant):
* Guam: Hawaiian Garden Spider, Coconut Palm
* Northern Marianas: Mariana Kingfisher, Alim
* American Samoa: Striped Surgeonfish, Fish Poison Tree
* US Virgin Islands: Green Iguana, Portia Tree

United States Minor Outlying Islands (collectively): Laysan Albatross, Stalky Grass
* Baker Island: Painted Lady, Rugosa Rose
* Howland Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
* Jarvis Island: Masked Booby, Sooty Tern (tie), (no plant)
* Johnston Atoll: Great Frigatebird, Beach Plant
* Kingman Reef: (no animal or plant)
* Midway Atoll: Laysan Albatross, Beach Naupaka
* Navassa Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
* Palmyra Atoll: Red-Footed Booby, Grand-Devil's Claws
* Wake Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
[[Special:Contributions/122.56.85.105|122.56.85.105]] 21:44, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

The surprising part is that palmettos isn't South Carolina's and deer isn't Maine's, and ''Virginia'' Springbeauty is in Ohio.

[[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 03:21, 22 July 2025 (UTC)

Talk:3118: iNaturalist Animals and Plants

2025-07-22T07:36:16Z

176.199.208.178:

we probably need to add something about how bacteria are more common but not observable to the average person [[Special:Contributions/72.203.83.113|72.203.83.113]] 16:36, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Why? Bacteria are not animals or plants. [[Special:Contributions/2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C|2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C]] 17:45, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

Why are some states missing their postal code? IA, FL, AK, HI don't have them.
[[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 18:27, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

I am curious which animal and which plant are mentioned for the most states? [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 18:43, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Common Eastern Bumble Bee with 7 states [CT, IL, MD, MA, MN, VT, WI] and Common Milkweed with 6 states [IL, IA, MI, MN, NE, WI][[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 18:53, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:White-tailed Deer also has 7 states [IO, MI, MT, NH, PA, VI, WV] [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 19:16, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:You're right! My python script missed Iowa because of a capitalization error in the transcription. [[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 19:32, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

Is there a hidden joke in this one that needs explaining, or is it simply an interesting data map? [[Special:Contributions/37.19.197.233|37.19.197.233]]
: Looks like just an interesting map. Nothing wrong with that. --[[Special:Contributions/81.96.108.67|81.96.108.67]] 20:50, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:: Wrong. What's wrong with it is that there's no joke. It's not "comic" in any way.

Big question: what does "most-observed" mean? Most reported? Most likely for a resident to see? Most likely for a resident to pay attention to? -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 19:38, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:The comic already answers that question: "Not the most common species in the state, just the one people have reported the most times." [[Special:Contributions/174.53.211.85|174.53.211.85]] 20:06, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:iNaturalist is a phone app used by people to help contribute to citizen science (i.e. help collect data for research), so people scan animals/plants that they see to send to iNaturalist databases to be identified automatically. Most-observed means the species that are most reported to the database (so the species with the most scans). The comic notes most reported ≠ most common since many people just ignore species of animals/plants they don't believe to be notable enough to take the effort to scan such as grass. [[Special:Contributions/97.126.175.170|97.126.175.170]] 20:10, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
::If people were reporting common animals they see, they'd probably be dogs and cats. And even more common would be insects -- a backyard probably has hundreds of ants living in it. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 23:30, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
::: "''reporting common animals they see,''" iNat members report what they think is worth reporting. I aint got time to figure if I see more cedar or maple-- in fact I reported a maple only cuz I found a spectaculary colorful maple leaf, a great picture. It is casual observations, not a strict census. (Yes, some observers get a bit obsessive, but still.......) Yes, dogs get reported a lot-- it is a great way to learn the process and you may already have good photos of Rover.
:::: Does this app double as an identification tool? In that case it might also be animals/plants that people don't know and are curious about. (I live in Germany and have a similar app for plants, but I admit I mostly use it for stuff that catches my eye, not for stuff I think is scientifically worth reporting.)

For the other {{w|U.S. Territories}} not mentioned (sorted animal, plant):
* Guam: Hawaiian Garden Spider, Coconut Palm
* Northern Marianas: Mariana Kingfisher, Alim
* American Samoa: Striped Surgeonfish, Fish Poison Tree
* US Virgin Islands: Green Iguana, Portia Tree

United States Minor Outlying Islands (collectively): Laysan Albatross, Stalky Grass
* Baker Island: Painted Lady, Rugosa Rose
* Howland Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
* Jarvis Island: Masked Booby, Sooty Tern (tie), (no plant)
* Johnston Atoll: Great Frigatebird, Beach Plant
* Kingman Reef: (no animal or plant)
* Midway Atoll: Laysan Albatross, Beach Naupaka
* Navassa Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
* Palmyra Atoll: Red-Footed Booby, Grand-Devil's Claws
* Wake Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
[[Special:Contributions/122.56.85.105|122.56.85.105]] 21:44, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

The surprising part is that palmettos isn't South Carolina's and deer isn't Maine's, and ''Virginia'' Springbeauty is in Ohio.

[[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 03:21, 22 July 2025 (UTC)