explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1584: Moments of Inspiration

2015-10-02T19:41:30Z

Magdalen: Ref for Darwin Mendel

Needs to explain who Lise Meitner is - I'd never heard of her, she's not on a level with the others in public consciousness. {{unsigned ip|141.101.70.43}}
: Using Marie Skłodowska Curie (instead of Lise Meitner) would be more understandable - both of them made groundbreaking discoveries in radioactivity research and Ms Curie is definitely more famous than Ms Meitner. But the author probably did not want to join everyone else in using Ms Curie as "the only one token lady scientist" - as discussed in [[896: Marie Curie]], where Lise Meitner (as well as Emmy Noether) is mentioned.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.77|141.101.106.77]] 07:52, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:: Never let it be said that XKCD doesn't educate! (I think it's a good thing to have used Lise as the example. If everyone knows just about Marie Curie but few people know Lise Meitner, having read the comic they now know ''two'' influential women in physics, twice as many as before! Compare and contrast others such as Florence Nightingale and Rosalind Franklin. Ada Lovelace and Dame Stephanie 'Steve' Shirley.) Also, can anyone think of an observation that Marie could have made that wasn't what she did anyway, i.e. the ability of an electrometer to measure radiation, or that pitchblende is more radioactive than uranium.
::: Reading the {{w|Steve_Shirley|wiki article about Dame Stephanie 'Steve' Shirley}}, I suspect that being woman in man-dominated field was her only notable accomplishment. Not comparable with {{w|Ada Lovelace|Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace}}, who was at worst second programmer ever and discovered first computer bug. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:45, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:::: But I assume you'd probably not heard of her, before just now, so it works as the example I was trying to give as a comparison to the fame of Lord Byron's daughter. I was actually tempted to use {{w|Joan Clarke}}, but doubtless everyone here has seen {{w|The Imitation Game}} if they didn't know about her already. And then there's {{w|Grace Hopper}}, if you want to talk about the ''term'' "computer bug". (Meanwhile {{w|Sophie Wilson}} is probably also probably just too niche, and British, to be worth a mention if you didn't think Steve was good enough.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.188|141.101.98.188]] 15:15, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:: Anyway, who do you think {{w|Meitnerium|element 109}} was named after? ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.188|141.101.98.188]] 10:05, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

Does anyone know who "John and Mildred" might be?
--[[User:Lou Crazy|Lou Crazy]] ([[User talk:Lou Crazy|talk]]) 09:13, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:May Mildred be [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Lager Mildred Lager]? An "american pioneer of natural foods and health food", but there's no mention of "John" in this article. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.217|162.158.114.217]] 11:19, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

::I doubt it since Mildred Larger was born after Darwin's death. I was wondering too who they might be, but I'm coming up empty. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 12:47, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
I'd like to point out that Newton really was inspired by watching apple fall, that isn't a myth. The myth is that he was actually hit by the apple. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton#Apple_incident [[User:KingSupernova|KingSupernova]] ([[User talk:KingSupernova|talk]]) 12:17, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

according to the german wikipedia, today's the tenth birthday of xkcd. i wonder if there's a connection between that and this strip's title... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.157|162.158.114.157]] 14:43, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

This comic seems to be about our desire to have neat stories that explain scientific discoveries. Each panel has an increasingly ridiculous story that explains a "Moment of Inspiration". [[User:Bartash|Bartash]] ([[User talk:Bartash|talk]]) 16:27, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

The phrase "Hey Lise" seems like a possible Simpsons reference? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.239|141.101.98.239]] 18:03, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

This comic may or may not be inspired by SMBC http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2353 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.42|162.158.93.42]] 19:52, 1 October 2015 (UTC)

The explanation says Darwin had understood Mendel's work on genetics. I understand that there is no evidence he read Mendel's work, or understood the implications it had for the theory of evolution. I know some have claimed he had some version of Mendel's work in his papers when he died, but this appears to be disputed and I have never seen any evidence. Considering the profound implications Medelian inheritance would have on the theory I'd
have thought Darein would have mentioned it if he was aware...[[User:Magdalen|Magdalen]] ([[User talk:Magdalen|talk]]) 19:25, 2 October 2015 (UTC)
Reference for the Darwin Mendel situation: http://members.shaw.ca/mcfetridge/darwin.html [[User:Magdalen|Magdalen]] ([[User talk:Magdalen|talk]]) 19:41, 2 October 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1584: Moments of Inspiration

2015-10-02T19:25:58Z

Magdalen: Darwin and Mendel

Needs to explain who Lise Meitner is - I'd never heard of her, she's not on a level with the others in public consciousness. {{unsigned ip|141.101.70.43}}
: Using Marie Skłodowska Curie (instead of Lise Meitner) would be more understandable - both of them made groundbreaking discoveries in radioactivity research and Ms Curie is definitely more famous than Ms Meitner. But the author probably did not want to join everyone else in using Ms Curie as "the only one token lady scientist" - as discussed in [[896: Marie Curie]], where Lise Meitner (as well as Emmy Noether) is mentioned.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.77|141.101.106.77]] 07:52, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:: Never let it be said that XKCD doesn't educate! (I think it's a good thing to have used Lise as the example. If everyone knows just about Marie Curie but few people know Lise Meitner, having read the comic they now know ''two'' influential women in physics, twice as many as before! Compare and contrast others such as Florence Nightingale and Rosalind Franklin. Ada Lovelace and Dame Stephanie 'Steve' Shirley.) Also, can anyone think of an observation that Marie could have made that wasn't what she did anyway, i.e. the ability of an electrometer to measure radiation, or that pitchblende is more radioactive than uranium.
::: Reading the {{w|Steve_Shirley|wiki article about Dame Stephanie 'Steve' Shirley}}, I suspect that being woman in man-dominated field was her only notable accomplishment. Not comparable with {{w|Ada Lovelace|Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace}}, who was at worst second programmer ever and discovered first computer bug. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:45, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:::: But I assume you'd probably not heard of her, before just now, so it works as the example I was trying to give as a comparison to the fame of Lord Byron's daughter. I was actually tempted to use {{w|Joan Clarke}}, but doubtless everyone here has seen {{w|The Imitation Game}} if they didn't know about her already. And then there's {{w|Grace Hopper}}, if you want to talk about the ''term'' "computer bug". (Meanwhile {{w|Sophie Wilson}} is probably also probably just too niche, and British, to be worth a mention if you didn't think Steve was good enough.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.188|141.101.98.188]] 15:15, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:: Anyway, who do you think {{w|Meitnerium|element 109}} was named after? ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.188|141.101.98.188]] 10:05, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

Does anyone know who "John and Mildred" might be?
--[[User:Lou Crazy|Lou Crazy]] ([[User talk:Lou Crazy|talk]]) 09:13, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:May Mildred be [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Lager Mildred Lager]? An "american pioneer of natural foods and health food", but there's no mention of "John" in this article. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.217|162.158.114.217]] 11:19, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

::I doubt it since Mildred Larger was born after Darwin's death. I was wondering too who they might be, but I'm coming up empty. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 12:47, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
I'd like to point out that Newton really was inspired by watching apple fall, that isn't a myth. The myth is that he was actually hit by the apple. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton#Apple_incident [[User:KingSupernova|KingSupernova]] ([[User talk:KingSupernova|talk]]) 12:17, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

according to the german wikipedia, today's the tenth birthday of xkcd. i wonder if there's a connection between that and this strip's title... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.157|162.158.114.157]] 14:43, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

This comic seems to be about our desire to have neat stories that explain scientific discoveries. Each panel has an increasingly ridiculous story that explains a "Moment of Inspiration". [[User:Bartash|Bartash]] ([[User talk:Bartash|talk]]) 16:27, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

The phrase "Hey Lise" seems like a possible Simpsons reference? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.239|141.101.98.239]] 18:03, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

This comic may or may not be inspired by SMBC http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2353 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.42|162.158.93.42]] 19:52, 1 October 2015 (UTC)

The explanation says Darwin had understood Mendel's work on genetics. I understand that there is no evidence he read Mendel's work, or understood the implications it had for the theory of evolution. I know some have claimed he had some version of Mendel's work in his papers when he died, but this appears to be disputed and I have never seen any evidence. Considering the profound implications Medelian inheritance would have on the theory I'd have thought Darein would have mentioned it if he was aware...[[User:Magdalen|Magdalen]] ([[User talk:Magdalen|talk]]) 19:25, 2 October 2015 (UTC)