https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=2600%3A4041%3A5E2F%3A9600%3A45FB%3A8E25%3A437D%3A46E5explain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-05-23T15:16:14ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3104:_Tukey&diff=3799023104: Tukey2025-06-18T21:34:17Z<p>2600:4041:5E2F:9600:45FB:8E25:437D:46E5: Barebones Explanation. Missing Title Text explanation.</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 3104<br />
| date = June 18, 2025<br />
| title = Tukey<br />
| image = tukey_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 392x276px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Numbers can be tricky. On the day of my 110th birthday, I'll be one day younger than John Tukey was on his.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|This page was created by TUKEY'S 110.000 YEAR OLD GHOST. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The comic depicts a quote from John W. Tukey: "Far better an approximate answer to the right question, which is often vague, than an exact answer to the wrong question, which can always be made precise." The quote originates <br />
from a paper called "The Future of Data Analysis" in part 11 where he discusses the importance of facing uncertainty.<br />
<br />
Randall then gives Tukey's age as 110.000 years (that is, 110 years to three decimal places), a very precise answer to the question of "how old is John Tukey?" However when it comes to his birthday (arguably the right question in this context) he only gives the approximate answer of "sometime this week." (it was actually on the 16th of June, two days before this comic was published).<br />
<br />
The title text states that Randall would be one day younger than Tukey would be on his 110th birtday. This is due to leap days: between Tukey's year of birth in 1915 and his 110th birthday in 2025 there were 28 leap days, but between Randall's year of birth in 1984 and his 110th birthday in 2094, there would only be 27 leap days (he was born after the leap day of 1984).<br />
<br />
John Tukey was born on Monday, June 16, 1915, 110 years and 2 days before the release of this comic on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Hence, while technically correct to claim Tukey was born ''110.000 years ago sometime this week,'' the number given is misleadingly exact: The three zeroes after the decimal suggest Tukey's time of birth is known to within thousandths of a year (ie. within hours), when in fact this comic was not even posted on Tukey's own birthday, and is off by about 2 days. <br />
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==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Transcribed by an idiot. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br />
<br />
[ Text formatted as a block quote ]<br />
<br />
"Far better an approximate answer to the right question, which is often vague, than an ''exact'' answer to the wrong question, which can always be made precise."<br />
<br />
- John W Turkey<br />
''The future of data analysis (1962)''<br />
<br />
[ Caption ]<br />
<br />
Happy approximate birthday to John Turkey, author of my favorite statistics quote, who was born 110.000 years ago sometime this week.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude></div>2600:4041:5E2F:9600:45FB:8E25:437D:46E5https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3104:_Tukey&diff=3798933104: Tukey2025-06-18T21:18:42Z<p>2600:4041:5E2F:9600:45FB:8E25:437D:46E5: Joke</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 3104<br />
| date = June 18, 2025<br />
| title = Tukey<br />
| image = tukey_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 392x276px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Numbers can be tricky. On the day of my 110th birthday, I'll be one day younger than John Tukey was on his.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|This page was created by TUKEY'S GHOST. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Transcribed by an idiot. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br />
<br />
[ Text formatted as a block quote ]<br />
<br />
"Far better an approximate answer to the right question, which is often vague, than an ''exact'' answer to the wrong question, which can always be made precise."<br />
<br />
- John W Turkey<br />
''The future of data analysis (1962)''<br />
<br />
[ Caption ]<br />
<br />
Happy approximate birthday to John Turkey, author of my favorite statistics quote, who was born 110.000 years ago sometime this week.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude></div>2600:4041:5E2F:9600:45FB:8E25:437D:46E5