explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

84: National Language

2012-09-03T10:24:28Z

Henriksten65: "millenia" -> "milllennia"

{{comic
| number = 84
| date = April 23, 2006
| title = National Language
| image = national_language.jpg
| titletext = She's pretty sharp when provoked.
| imagesize =
}}

==Explanation==

A group of people is waiting for the bus, or are standing in a queue, or whatever. One man is complaining about immigrants unwilling to learn English, the "language of the land". A woman has overheard his "speech" and makes a remark in Cherokee.
I could not find a first rate source for Cherokee language, but a web search suggests the phrase "osio Sarah dawado" translates to "Hello, I am Sarah", which is of little interest for the conversation. The real message is that English itself is an immigrated language; other languages were spoken in America before English speaking settlers arrived.
Although Cherokee seems to be a relatively {{w|Cherokee#Origins|young culture}}, it is much more native to America than any European culture. Some Indian culture reach back millennia.
So the man complaining about immigrants not willing to adapt the local language is basically one himself.

==Transcript==
This happened to my friend:

[Men and women are standing in a row]

Man: English should be the national language. These immigrants should have to learn English when they come here.

Woman: Yeah

Man: When you go to live somewhere, you learn the language they speak there. English is the language of the land.

Other Woman: Excuse me, but osio Sarah dawado.

Man: What the hell was that?

Other Woman: Woman: Cherokee.
==Trivia==

{{Comic discussion}}

54: Science

2012-08-27T15:12:02Z

Henriksten65: "160.4GHz" -> "160.4 GHz"

{{comic
| number = 54
| date = January 18th, 2006
| title = Science
| image = science.jpg
| titletext = Bonus point if you can identify the science in question
| imagesize =
}}

==Explanation==

The graph shows the relationship between energy density and frequency for two sources: the solid line represents the theoretical {{w|Blackbody Radiation}}, and the dots represent measurements of the {{w|Cosmic Background Radiation}}. The equation is {{w|Planck's Law}}, derived in 1900 by {{w|Max Planck}} for the energy density of blackbody radiation.

This comic shows the very close match between theory and prediction, showing that the Cosmic Background Radiation looks exactly like a blackbody at 2.73 K, which is what we would expect if the CMB is the result of the light of the {{w|Big Bang}} cooled by the expansion of the universe.

==Transcript==
[Graph of cosmic microwave background radiation: Y axis is energy density, X axis is frequency in GHz. Energy density peaks at 160.4 GHz]

I(f) = ((2hf^3)
(c^2))(1
(((hf)
(e^kT))-1))

SCIENCE.

It works, bitches.

==Trivia==
* This is the 48th comic posted to livejournal. The previous comic was {{explain|50}}, the next is {{explain|51}}.
* This comic is available on a t-shirt at [http://store.xkcd.com/xkcd/#Science the xkcd store].

{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]

54: Science

2012-08-27T15:11:25Z

Henriksten65: "2.73K" -> "2.73 K"

{{comic
| number = 54
| date = January 18th, 2006
| title = Science
| image = science.jpg
| titletext = Bonus point if you can identify the science in question
| imagesize =
}}

==Explanation==

The graph shows the relationship between energy density and frequency for two sources: the solid line represents the theoretical {{w|Blackbody Radiation}}, and the dots represent measurements of the {{w|Cosmic Background Radiation}}. The equation is {{w|Planck's Law}}, derived in 1900 by {{w|Max Planck}} for the energy density of blackbody radiation.

This comic shows the very close match between theory and prediction, showing that the Cosmic Background Radiation looks exactly like a blackbody at 2.73 K, which is what we would expect if the CMB is the result of the light of the {{w|Big Bang}} cooled by the expansion of the universe.

==Transcript==
[Graph of cosmic microwave background radiation: Y axis is energy density, X axis is frequency in GHz. Energy density peaks at 160.4GHz]

I(f) = ((2hf^3)
(c^2))(1
(((hf)
(e^kT))-1))

SCIENCE.

It works, bitches.
==Trivia==
* This is the 48th comic posted to livejournal. The previous comic was {{explain|50}}, the next is {{explain|51}}.
* This comic is available on a t-shirt at [http://store.xkcd.com/xkcd/#Science the xkcd store].

{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]