explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1525: Emojic 8 Ball

2015-05-15T05:55:46Z

BinaryDigit: "This is obvious" is not an explanation

I'm not sure that "This is an obvious parody" counts as an explanation of the cartoon. I looked up "Magic 8 ball" (with which I was unfamiliar). I looked up "Emoji" (with which, too, I was unfamiliar). I then turned back to the cartoon, and I still don't understand it. What's more, there is no explanation of the practically unique absence of mouseover text. [[User:BinaryDigit|BinaryDigit]] ([[User talk:BinaryDigit|talk]]) 05:55, 15 May 2015 (UTC)

Talk:153: Cryptography

2014-08-08T15:08:18Z

BinaryDigit:

I think that executing that S-box twice would get you back where you started. [[User:gijobarts|gijobarts]] ([[User Talk:gijobarts|talk]]) 05:28, 30 July 2013 (UTC)
:Actually that's not true. Regardless of the bit in position 1 to begin with, you will always have a 1 in position 8 in the result. When you shift, you're adding a 0 in position 1 (assuming a 0 shift in), then the inverse is 1, and flipping would put the 1 in position 8. [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 14:06, 5 March 2014 (UTC)
::I was expecting the last bit to wrap around to the front. It could go either way. [[User:gijobarts|gijobarts]] ([[User Talk:gijobarts|talk]]) 05:57, 6 March 2014 (UTC)
" and so is the author Randall Munroe at [http://pycon.blogspot.com/2009/02/randall-munroe.html PyCon]"
:I think that post is a joke.
:* It links to [[541: TED Talk]].
:* It says "Registration volunteers have been instructed to refuse admission to Randall Munroe personally, and in fact, to any '''stick figures''' who may attempt to register"
:* There isn't anything on YouTube or {{w|Randall Munroe}}'s Wikipedia page about it.
:* [http://www.blog.pythonlibrary.org/2009/02/11/xkcd-artist-banned-from-pycon/ Another Python blog] says that it was a publicity stunt, citing the organizers' mailing list archives. I didn't bother to sign up for access to the archive.
:[http://catherinedevlin.pythoneers.com/leadership.html Catherine Devlin] claims that she banned Randall, so we could try asking her if she's serious.
:[http://holdenweb.blogspot.com/2009/02/randall-munroe-banned-from-pycon.html Another blog post about it]
:[[User:gijobarts|gijobarts]] ([[User Talk:gijobarts|talk]]) 16:48, 2 September 2013 (UTC) (edited 20:29 UTC)
::I've signed up for access to the mailing list, and am currently waiting for moderator approval. [[User:gijobarts|gijobarts]] ([[User Talk:gijobarts|talk]]) 20:38, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

''In the same way, a steps to a feistel cipher based algorithm are executed in reverse to obtain the original plain text from a cipher text.'' is not true. The whole point of a Feistel network is that you execute the same steps ''in the same order''. The only thing that is reversed is the key. You can do almost any amount of mangling of the input, without having to worry about how to reverse it, because the magic of XOR ensures that All Will Be Well when you come to decrypt. There are limits to the kinds of mangling you can do, of course, but the basic principle is that the same function used for encryption is also used for decryption. It's quite startling, really. Horst Feistel - kudos!
--[[User:BinaryDigit|BinaryDigit]] ([[User talk:BinaryDigit|talk]]) 15:08, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

Talk:153: Cryptography

2014-08-08T15:07:20Z

BinaryDigit: Feistel networks do not require a reverse of the encryption function, only of the key schedule.

Talk:54: Science

2014-04-08T07:17:16Z

BinaryDigit: Minor contribution to title text semantics debate

It's also commonly called "Microwave Background Radiation" because where the radiation peaks at 160.4 GHz is in the microwave range of the electromagnetic spectrum. --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 18:02, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

;Title Text Meaning

As can easily be seen from the page's history, Dgbrt and I have been locked in a minor edit war over the meaning of the title text. I claim that Randall is simply complimenting the readers who happen to know what the formula and curve mean. Dgbrt thinks otherwise; I will let him explain his interpretation.

Please add to this discussion so we may come to a consensus on its meaning. Thanks. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 23:18, 25 August 2013 (UTC)

Glad to oblige. I think we need to draw a distinction between what Randall means and what some people might like him to mean. Many people don't agree that the universe started with a Big Bang, whether because they're cosmologists who support an alternative scientific theory, or because they're young earth Creationists who hold that God created the universe about 6000 years ago, or because they're philosophers who hold it self-evident that something can't come out of nothing, or for whatever reason.

Now, I'm not going to say which of those (if any) I believe, because it really doesn't matter in this context - and neither is it important (''in this context'') what Quicksilver or Dgbrt believes. What we have to keep clear in our minds is that this site is about explaining the cartoons, not projecting particular philosophical standpoints onto Randall's mildly ambiguous phrasing. (When he wrote it, I doubt very much whether he realised he was writing ambiguously.)

The xkcd series, throughout its history, shows not only Randall's firm belief in the scientific method for establishing plausible explanations of the way the universe works, but also his antipathy towards historical explanations that seem to be at odds with observable evidence and even historical record. See #803 and #1255 for obvious examples.

Given Randall's known love of science and the absence of any firm clues that he was being heavily ironic and running massively against type, I think we have to conclude that he was either praising those who could identify the science he was talking about, or just possibly was trying to cause a Wikipedia search spike! --[[User:BinaryDigit|BinaryDigit]] ([[User talk:BinaryDigit|talk]]) 07:17, 8 April 2014 (UTC)

Talk:32: Pillar

2013-03-30T09:23:47Z

BinaryDigit:

I have oft wondered about the color thing.
[[Special:Contributions/71.178.11.180|71.178.11.180]] 21:49, 23 October 2012 (UTC)
Bigger problem- how do you know there are other people?

The incessantly thumping bass from your neighbour's "music" is a bit of a clue. :-)
[[User:BinaryDigit|BinaryDigit]] ([[User talk:BinaryDigit|talk]]) 09:23, 30 March 2013 (UTC)

Talk:22: Barrel - Part 3

2013-03-23T11:12:20Z

BinaryDigit: Thematic

Like the previous cartoons in this series, the theme is '''wonder'''. In a situation that would have almost all of us screaming with fear, this little boy somehow sees the grandeur and majesty before him rather than the danger.
[[User:BinaryDigit|BinaryDigit]] ([[User talk:BinaryDigit|talk]]) 11:12, 23 March 2013 (UTC)