explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2607: Geiger Counter

2022-04-15T20:03:08Z

MrYellow04: Minor grammar error i made

Vanilla joke, but funny. [[User:Nafedalbi|Nafedalbi]] ([[User talk:Nafedalbi|talk]]) 18:41, 15 April 2022 (UTC)Nafedalbi
:It's Randall's "dad joke". [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:23, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

I added telegraph wires (UK-only term, possibly, and anachronistic as they are telephone cables, so feel free to change to be US-centric) and birds seem happy to sit on pole-suspended POTS cables as much as power-lines, so the linked heat-effect thing is definitely a minority necessity. I think it's just a perch. Though we probably have more signal-wires. Most(?) streets more than a few decades old have telegraph poles feeding wires to established properties (even if cable/FTTP has been dug into trenches) but mains electricity tends to have been subsurface for much longer, with only HV national/rural-area transmission grids up on pylons/poles. Obviously there ''are'' a lot more perching birds out in the countryside, where they may dominate (but still the 'telegraph' may follow road or rail routes to service the villages and isolated inhabitations along them) but you don't tend to see birds atop the larger lines at all... Too high up? ''Too'' hot? I've seen rooks/etc happily doing a Hitchcock upon a pylon itself, apparently enjoying the communal view. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.63|172.70.90.63]] 18:54, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

The title text joke may be understood more easily by reading "stood under" in place of "understood". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.124|162.158.107.124]] 19:37, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

Living in Manhattan, you learn to notice when an area is full of bird droppings and avoid standing there. You also need to pay attention when parking your car. Certain lamp posts (where the lamp is cantilevered over the street) near Central Park often tend to have a large accumulation under them. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.178|108.162.246.178]] 19:47, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

I do not understand the joke in the title text, so if somebody could please write an explanation, that would be great.
Also, this is my first ever full comic description! Yay!
I don't know what categories this fits in, if somebody could also put those in that would be great. [[User:MrYellow04|MrYellow04]] ([[User talk:MrYellow04|talk]]) 19:58, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

2607: Geiger Counter

2022-04-15T20:02:27Z

MrYellow04: Fixed some minor mistakes i made

{{comic
| number = 2607
| date = April 15, 2022
| title = Geiger Counter
| image = geiger_counter.png
| titletext = At first I didn't get why they were warning me about all those birds sitting on the wire, but then I understood.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by A CLICKING GEIGER COUNTER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a simple {{w|pun}}. [[Cueball]] and [[Ponytail]] are standing in what looks to be a desert, and Cueball is holding a {{w|Geiger Counter}} in his hand. Cueball remarks that he did not understand why he was asked to carry a Geiger counter, but that it then "clicked" with him.

Geiger counters are devices used to measure the amount of {{w|radiation}} in an area. When a particle of ionizing radiation hits the sensor of a Geiger counter, it will give off a distinct "clicking" noise. The pun in this comic insinuates that cueball realized why he was asked to bring the Geiger counter when it clicked, indicating radiation nearby. In radioactive areas, it is usually a good idea to carry around some sort of radiation detector for safety reasons.

==Transcript==

{{incomplete transcript}}
:[Cueball and Ponytail are wearing hard hats and standing in what looks to be some sort of dessert or rocky area. Cueball is holding a Geiger Counter in his hands.]
:Cueball: At first I was confused about why they wanted me to carry a Geiger Counter here, but then it clicked.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2607: Geiger Counter

2022-04-15T19:58:11Z

MrYellow04: Commented some additions that could be made

Vanilla joke, but funny. [[User:Nafedalbi|Nafedalbi]] ([[User talk:Nafedalbi|talk]]) 18:41, 15 April 2022 (UTC)Nafedalbi
:It's Randall's "dad joke". [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:23, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

I added telegraph wires (UK-only term, possibly, and anachronistic as they are telephone cables, so feel free to change to be US-centric) and birds seem happy to sit on pole-suspended POTS cables as much as power-lines, so the linked heat-effect thing is definitely a minority necessity. I think it's just a perch. Though we probably have more signal-wires. Most(?) streets more than a few decades old have telegraph poles feeding wires to established properties (even if cable/FTTP has been dug into trenches) but mains electricity tends to have been subsurface for much longer, with only HV national/rural-area transmission grids up on pylons/poles. Obviously there ''are'' a lot more perching birds out in the countryside, where they may dominate (but still the 'telegraph' may follow road or rail routes to service the villages and isolated inhabitations along them) but you don't tend to see birds atop the larger lines at all... Too high up? ''Too'' hot? I've seen rooks/etc happily doing a Hitchcock upon a pylon itself, apparently enjoying the communal view. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.63|172.70.90.63]] 18:54, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

The title text joke may be understood more easily by reading "stood under" in place of "understood". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.124|162.158.107.124]] 19:37, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

Living in Manhattan, you learn to notice when an area is full of bird droppings and avoid standing there. You also need to pay attention when parking your car. Certain lamp posts (where the lamp is cantilevered over the street) near Central Park often tend to have a large accumulation under them. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.178|108.162.246.178]] 19:47, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

I do not understand the Title text, so if somebody could please write an explanation, that would be great.
Also, this is my first ever full comic description! Yay!
I don't know what categories this fits in, if somebody could also put those in that would be great. [[User:MrYellow04|MrYellow04]] ([[User talk:MrYellow04|talk]]) 19:58, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

2607: Geiger Counter

2022-04-15T19:56:00Z

MrYellow04: Writing a description for the comic, as it had none when I found it.

{{comic
| number = 2607
| date = April 15, 2022
| title = Geiger Counter
| image = geiger_counter.png
| titletext = At first I didn't get why they were warning me about all those birds sitting on the wire, but then I understood.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by A CLICKING GEIGER COUNTER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a simple {{w|pun}}. Cueball and Megan are standing in what looks to be a desert, and Cueball is holding a {{w|Geiger Counter}} in his hand. Cueball remarks that he did not understand why he was asked to carry a Geiger counter, but that it then "clicked" with him.

Geiger counters are devices used to measure the amount of {{w|radiation}} in an area. When a particle of ionizing radiation hits the sensor of a Geiger counter, it will give off a distinct "clicking" noise. The pun in this comic insinuates that cueball realized why he was asked to bring the Geiger counter when it clicked, indicating radiation nearby. In radioactive areas, it is usually a good idea to carry around some sort of radiation detector for safety reasons.

==Transcript==

{{incomplete transcript}}
:[Cueball and Megan are wearing hard hats and standing in what looks to be some sort of dessert or rocky area. Cueball is holding a Geiger Counter in his hands.]
:Cueball: At first I was confused about why they wanted me to carry a Geiger Counter here, but then it clicked.

{{comic discussion}}

2593: Deviled Eggs

2022-03-15T17:33:01Z

MrYellow04: Minor spelling and grammar edit, "smoother" language, relevant hyperlinks added.

{{comic
| number = 2593
| date = March 14, 2022
| title = Deviled Eggs
| image = deviled_eggs.png
| titletext = The foil on the toothpick represents the blue flash.
}}

==Explanation==

{{incomplete|Created by a SUBCRITICAL EGG - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

A {{w|deviled egg}} is a dish created by cutting a hard-boiled egg into halves and replacing the yolk with a paste frequently made using the yolk itself, additional ingredients such as {{w|mustard}} and {{w|mayonaise}}, and topped with a red spice (usually {{w|paprika}}). Importantly, the paste has a larger volume than the original yolk because of the added ingredients. Randall Munroe parodies the dish by creating several alternative versions of the dish for other professions using word plays on the name of the dish.

;Chef - Deviled egg
The original dish with the excess paste piled above the egg white.
;Landscaper - Leveled egg
Many landscaping projects require a leveled ground to work on.{{Citation needed}} As such, a landscaper may prefer serve their deviled egg with a perfectly flat surface.
;Designer - Beveled egg
{{w|Bevel}}s are a design pattern of creating non-perpendicular surfaces between adjacent edges. A designer may prefer to serve their egg with the edge of the white beveled to give their eggs a more modern, aesthetically pleasing look.
;Physicist - Demon egg
This deviled egg is designed to look like the {{w|Demon Core}} which was a sub-critical plutonium sphere manufactured during the {{w|Manhattan Project}} to investigate the properties of {{w|Critical_mass|criticality}}. The Demon Core consisted of three parts: two plutonium-gallium hemispheres and a ring designed to keep neutron flux from "jetting" out of the joined surface between the hemispheres during implosion. The set of plutonium pieces got their name from the 2 {{w|criticality_accident|criticality incidents}} that occurred when scientists were investigating this property. The first accident resulted in the death of {{w|Harry Daghlian}}. In the second incident, experimenters covered the core with two neutron reflecting shells separated only by a handheld screwdriver (no, really). The screwdriver slipped, causing the core to become completely covered by the neutron reflecting shell, bringing the core past its criticality limit. A large amount of radiation caused the subsequent death of physicist {{w|Louis Slotin}}. The dome of the boiled egg and the toothpick resemble the configuration of the experiment.

The demon core was also referred to in [[1242: Scary Names]].

The title texts refers to {{w|ionized-air glow}}, a blue light emitted by air submitted to an energy flux from radiation and seen during the [https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/56722 incidents involving the demon core].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
:[The comic consists of four variations of deviled eggs.]

:[A typical deviled egg, with half of the white part of a hard-boiled egg and a paste of yolk.]
:Chef
:Deviled egg

:[A deviled egg, except the paste has been flattened to be level with the white.]
:Landscaper
:Leveled egg

:[A deviled egg, except the edge of the white has bevels.]
:Designer
:Beveled egg

:[A deviled egg, except the paste is now a hemisphere and there is a toothpick stuck into it with a blue wrap on the tip.]
:Physicist
:Demon egg

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:2537: Painbow Award

2021-11-04T16:56:07Z

MrYellow04: adding my experience as a colorblind person with Deuteranomaly to the discussion

LOL [[Special:Contributions/127.0.0.1|127.0.0.1]] 19:49, 3 November 2021 (UTC)
:f!rst p0st [[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.53|172.69.170.53]] 19:50, 3 November 2021 (UTC)

Mein gott, this color palette IS actually painful to look at. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.161|172.70.178.161]] 20:02, 3 November 2021 (UTC)

The caption has changed since the image was captured ("color gradient" changed to "color scale"), we need to pull the new comic. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:08, 3 November 2021 (UTC)
:I updated the file, although the changes haven't taken effect yet. [[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 20:37, 3 November 2021 (UTC)

Does anyone know what Lambda is often used for in physics (or other sciences) as it relates to Theta, where Theta is phase? [[Special:Contributions/127.0.0.1|127.0.0.1]] 20:48, 3 November 2021 (UTC).
:I'm surprised YOU don't know. {{w|Wavelength}}. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:38, 3 November 2021 (UTC)
::Why are you talking to yourself? [[Special:Contributions/127.0.0.1|127.0.0.1]] 21:07, 3 November 2021 (UTC).
::Wouldn't that make this chart self-referential, in that each color output at any particular x,y coordinate can somehow be measured in terms of wavelength and phasing (red shift)? [[Special:Contributions/127.0.0.1|127.0.0.1]] 21:17, 3 November 2021 (UTC).
:::I think you're responding to my comment (it seems to be above it, though?). Not sure exactly what you mean by self-referential either, but I suppose somewhat. Assuming this is a black body curve, the emission spectra has a peak at the point where the graph shows "peak" intensity; this wavelength is based off the temperature of the black body itself (see Wien's displacement law), whilst the redshift is based on the relative velocity of an observer & the black body (i.e. a star, usually).--[[User:Sapphirejulia|Sapphirejulia]] ([[User talk:Sapphirejulia|talk]]) 23:28, 3 November 2021 (UTC)
:If I had to guess (as an "armchair" astronomer), it seems to be similar to that of a black body (Planck curve) but also showing the phase. A phase shift to me means change in wavelength, i.e. Delta lambda / lambda, but that's normally denoted by the z-parameter (see Wikipedia's redshift article). There's also a phase angle listed under astronomy on Wikipedia, which could relate but never heard of it before. --[[User:Sapphirejulia|Sapphirejulia]] ([[User talk:Sapphirejulia|talk]]) 23:28, 3 November 2021 (UTC)

Scientific publications aren't the only contenders for the award. I see a Painbow during almost every TV weather report. Captured an image of one of them, hope it displays correctly.
[[file:WeatherBow.png|thumb|center|550px|alt=Painbow used by a TV weather forecast]]

[[User:JohnB|JohnB]] ([[User talk:JohnB|talk]]) 22:20, 3 November 2021 (UTC)

This subreddit has a lot of these scales: https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisugly [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 00:03, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

When I'm developing a continuum of colours on a scale (or scale-like) system I tend to try one of two things:
* Hue-based angle, going from one hue-angle to another hue-angle (usually normalised for fullest saturation) at no more than ⅚ths of a rotation between, to keep maximum looking too like minimum, and choosing the endpoints and via-point to be meaningful (e.g. red to green via blue, or magenta to yellow via cyan - whatever best works).
* A series of connected straight-lines through the RGB colour-cube, without too much criss-crossings, again with meaning. I'll make that more complex if necessary, e.g. for eightmap of the Earth, deepest depth #000 (or #002ish, maybe) to #0FF at the minimum depth, linearly #0(n)(n) for n inversely normalised to depth; quickly use #0FF->#FF8->#0F0 across the intertidal range; then from lowest elevations to highest #0F0 shades to something like #A50 (or maybe a grey) then onward to #FFF for the top. All done with simple gradient-based formulae linking height(/depth) directly to whatever changing component there is.
...though I don't usually thing about dichromatic vision (let alone monochromatic), in either case, so I may indeed make things difficult for some people. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.249|172.70.85.249]] 01:19, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

At the moment it states: "The red then turns back into green as the intensity increases further." Is there something I misunderstands or is the intensity not decreasing when going from top to bottom? I would have said "when the intensity decreases further" --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:18, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

I just like to share some great 'further reads' on scientific colormaps for the ones interested. A must watch on this topic is the talk by [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAoljeRJ3lU Nathaniel Smith and Stéfan van der Walt on the development of matplotlibs colormap]. Apart from very entertaining, it has been the best introduction to color theory I've ever seen.
If you're more into scientific literature, just get directly to the [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19160-7?s=09 Nature article explaining proper color maps]. Fabio Crameri, the author of this article is advocating good colormap practice and also has a [https://www.fabiocrameri.ch/colourmaps/ website providing scientific colormaps] that I found very beneficial. [[User:Lvdgraaff|Lvdgraaff]] ([[User talk:Lvdgraaff|talk]]) 13:34, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

Ribbon colors appear to only be consistent about first and second place - after that, they're all over. See https://www.mclaughlinribbonawards.com/award-ribbon-place-color-guide/ and https://www.classicdesignawards.com/ribbonstock.shtml#horsecolors for examples. I've tweaked the third place note - leaving these links for anyone curious. --[[User:Bobson|Bobson]] ([[User talk:Bobson|talk]]) 14:15, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

I found this to describe phase as it relates to wavelength: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/%28Gh%29/guides/rs/rad/basics/wv.rxml#:~:text=The%20phase%20of%20a%20wave%2C%20measured%20in%20degrees%2C,position%20of%20the%20wave%20along%20the%20vertical%20line. It's similar to how phase is used to measure any sine wave (including alternating current, audio, etc.). While in this case, wavelength is not necessarily based on the electromagnetic spectrum, you could argue that given that this could be a graph indicating the amount of energy at any given wavelength during the different phases of a wave, that what is plotted on the y axis are the different wavelengths of light (though I would expect to see shorter wave lengths producing more energy, not less, which may be what this graph is indicating given that white is at both extremes, notwithstanding the black curve).

That said, if indeed wavelength refers to light, then it would indeed make the chart self-referential, in that you could look at any produced color and run that color (or in the case of white light, colors) through the y axis in order to determine the amount of energy (depicted as colors) produced at different phases for that particular wave length. [[Special:Contributions/127.0.0.1|127.0.0.1]] 16:25, 4 November 2021 (UTC)
:I'll add that wavelength (measured as hertz and referred to as frequency) and phase are very common measurements in alternating current (in that you cannot connect a generator that is out of phase with a high voltage line without risking damage to the generator), however there are other factors that feed into energy produced beyond hertz or phase (particularly, frequency (hertz), voltage, and amps). [[Special:Contributions/127.0.0.1|127.0.0.1]] 16:34, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

== Color blind representations ==

I made color blind representations of this comic to show how bad the color scale is then: original, grayscale, protanopia, deuteranopia, tritanopia. But I can't upload them here as a new account. Could someone grab them and add them to the page? https://imgur.com/a/tyS28Hd [[User:R0uge|R0uge]] ([[User talk:R0uge|talk]]) 15:32, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

I am someone with Deuteranomaly, a different (and more common) form of colorblindness than protanopia. I also have extreme difficulty in distinguishing the red and green in the graph; however, the description only lists protanopic individuals as those with difficulty seeing it. Because deuteranopia is much more common than protanopia and also affects the vision of the graph, the description should list both. [[User:MrYellow04|MrYellow04]] ([[User talk:MrYellow04|talk]]) 16:56, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2527: New Nobel Prizes

2021-10-13T18:00:58Z

MrYellow04: Commented on the possibility of renaming "Doctor Ponytail" to "Dr. Adams"

I can't understand the title text --[[User:GcGYSF(asterisk)P(vertical line)e|GcGYSF(asterisk)P(vertical line)e]] ([[User talk:GcGYSF(asterisk)P(vertical line)e|talk]]) 02:33, 12 October 2021 (UTC)
:I think it's implying that they're so desperate to stop Dr. Adams that they're offering a Nobel Prize to whoever gets her to stop. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.21|162.158.63.21]] 03:09, 12 October 2021 (UTC)
I think the comic is riffing on the gender imbalance. We're led to expect the dialogue to say all this year's Nobel prizes went to men (which in 2021 they did - which was newsworthy). ---- {{unsigned|141.101.107.229 who didn't use tildes}}
: Indeed, because there is no Nobel Prize for Mathematics laureate to tell them that the odds of this happening are 1/64, which isn't *that* surprising, especially given that the gender imbalance, (for whatever reason(s), good or bad) mean that the odds are actually higher because it's not an even 50/50 chance to pick a specific gender per 'coin flip.' For instance if the split were 75:25 in favor of women, then the odds of an all-female prize winning year would be ~18%, which means that at least every 6th year random chance should deliver a all-female-winner year if genders really do have no role in awarding winners. Ergo, it's only newsworthy if you have a political angle.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.235|172.69.68.235]] 16:40, 12 October 2021 (UTC)
::You're assuming that there are only 6 winners, when in fact there were 13. Assuming a 75:25 split, that's only a 2% chance. [[User:Ahecht|Ahecht]] ([[User talk:Ahecht|talk]]) 17:22, 13 October 2021 (UTC)
:Not all of them went to men. The Peace prize was shared by Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov. [[User:Ahecht|Ahecht]] ([[User talk:Ahecht|talk]]) 17:22, 13 October 2021 (UTC)

I think it's more like discovering new particles, than elements, with some sort of Enhanced Standard Model of Nobel Prizes probably being added to by the likes of supersymmetric partners, Higgses, etc. (But might be worth a mention that (pure) Mathematicians conspicuously miss out Nobel glory due to a deliberate oversight/snub? Not that I have skin in that game, but it's a known fact.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.53|162.158.159.53]] 08:29, 12 October 2021 (UTC)

This is probably also a jab at the "Nobel prize for Economics", which was awarded yesterday. That prize exists since the 1970s, but is often not regarded as a "real" Nobel prize because it was not specified in Alfred Nobel's will, but is rather the result of an outside donation. One could say it is a unrelated prize that is just cleverly marketed by smuggling Alfred Nobel's name into it and by awarding it one day after the "real" Nobel prizes. In that way, one could thoretically create a near infinite number of new "Nobel prizes" for irrelevant stuff, as the comic suggests. -[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.90|162.158.91.90]] 09:05, 12 October 2021 (UTC)
:The Economics prize isn't unrelated. It's administered by the Nobel Foundation, and winners are chosen by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (which also chooses the winners for Physics and Chemistry). It's only the funding source that is different. Incidentally, the Nobel Foundation has decided that they will not allow any new exernally-funded prizes to be added after Economics. [[User:Ahecht|Ahecht]] ([[User talk:Ahecht|talk]]) 17:28, 13 October 2021 (UTC)

Could this be a riff on the AAAI Squirrel AI award given recently, which people are calling a "new Nobel"? https://pratt.duke.edu/about/news/rudin-squirrel-award --[[User:Sophira|Sophira]] ([[User talk:Sophira|talk]]) 10:49, 12 October 2021 (UTC)
:It's pretty cmomon for the most prestigious award in some other field of study to be figuratively called the "Nobel of X". For instance, the Turing Award could be considered the Nobel Prize of computing. So I doubt this is a riff on any particular industry award, especially since it was published just after all the Nobel Awards were announced. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 18:13, 12 October 2021 (UTC)

Swede here, on a little minor issue. As far as I know, Alfred Nobel was never knighted, so he should not be called Sir, which he currently is in the text.

I added an explanation for the title text as there was none previously. I feel like someone else could've explained it much better that I could, however.[[User:MrYellow04|MrYellow04]] ([[User talk:MrYellow04|talk]]) 17:33, 12 October 2021 (UTC)

Today is the 42nd anniversary of Douglas Adams's ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'', so it is possible Randall is referencing him with the name of Dr. Adams. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.3|172.70.114.3]] 18:48, 12 October 2021 (UTC)

It may be worth noting that Dr. Adams [[1954: Impostor Syndrome|is a social psychologist and the world's top expert on impostor syndrome]]. [[Special:Random|Kpalion]] 10:59, 13 October 2021 (UTC)
: Oh man, you're right. [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Doctor_Ponytail And she's also frequently depicted wearing a lab coat in the role of a medical doctor.] I know there's a lot of precedent in this wiki for calling her Ponytail, but I'm wondering if "Dr. Adams" could theoretically be used ''whenever'' she appears, as we do with Megan. --mezimm [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.167|172.69.71.167]] 13:29, 13 October 2021 (UTC)
: Wow, that could be right! We'll probably need at least one more comic for evidence to be sure about referring to lab-coat ponytail as "Dr. Adams". Someone should look at that list of [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Doctor_Ponytail Doctor Ponytail] comics and see if there's any other precedent for this. [[User:MrYellow04|MrYellow04]] ([[User talk:MrYellow04|talk]]) 18:00, 13 October 2021 (UTC)

2527: New Nobel Prizes

2021-10-12T22:35:58Z

MrYellow04: minor edit to add a "citation needed" joke

{{comic
| number = 2527
| date = October 11, 2021
| title = New Nobel Prizes
| image = new_nobel_prizes.png
| titletext = They've endowed a separate prize in Physiology or Medicine or Stopping Dr. Adams.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE OR STOPPING DOCTOR ADAMS - This explanation may be incomplete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|Nobel Prize}} is a set of prizes awarded in memory of Alfred Nobel to, "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind."

In this comic a Nobel prize is being awarded for the discovery of two new Nobel prizes. This parallels [[2214:_Chemistry_Nobel|Nobel Prizes awarded for the discovery of new elements]]. However, unlike elements, Nobel Prizes cannot be discovered.{{citation needed}}

The comic suggests that the doctor being awarded the prize came up with the idea of "discovering" Nobel Prizes, and no one can figure out how to stop awarding them to her.
In reality, the categories were established by Alfred Nobel's will for contributions or discoveries in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. In 1968, Sweden's central bank funded an award for economics in honor of its 300th anniversary that is also colloquially called the Nobel Prize in Economics. While there is currently a petition to add a Nobel prize for contributions to environmental conservation, it would presumably also need external funding, although the decision process is unclear.

The title text is a play on the {{w|Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine}}, insinuating that the {{w|Nobel Assembly}} (the group in charge of awarding Nobel Prizes) has become so desperate to stop Doctor Adams that they have decided to award a Nobel Prize to anyone who can stop them. The joke also plays on the name of the said prize, because as of the writing of this comic the {{w|Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine}} is the only Nobel Prize with two subjects (e.g. with "or" in the title). This may also be a jab by Randall at the fields of Physiology and Medicine, as poking fun at other disciplines is a recurring theme on xkcd.

This comic was published on the Monday the week following the announcements of the 2021 Nobel Prize recipients.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan stands at a podium on a stage, facing right. Behind her is a screen showing eight Nobel Prizes. Ponytail is approaching the front of the stage while waving.]
:Megan: And all eight Nobel Prizes for the Discovery of New Nobel Prizes have been awarded to...
:Megan: ''*sigh*''
:Megan: ...Doctor Adams, '''''again''''', for the discovery of two new Prizes.
:Ponytail: Thank you, thank you!

:[Caption below frame:]
:We don't know how she started this and now we can't figure out how to stop her.

:[Title text:]
:They've endowed a separate prize in Physiology or Medicine or Stopping Dr. Adams.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Science]]

2527: New Nobel Prizes

2021-10-12T17:35:23Z

MrYellow04: edited the template to show that changes have been made

{{comic
| number = 2527
| date = October 11, 2021
| title = New Nobel Prizes
| image = new_nobel_prizes.png
| titletext = They've endowed a separate prize in Physiology or Medicine or Stopping Dr. Adams.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE OR STOPPING DOCTOR ADAMS - This explanation may be incomplete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The Nobel Prize is a set of prizes awarded in memory of Alfred Nobel to, "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind."
In this comic a Nobel prize is being awarded for the discovery of two new Nobel prizes. This parallels [[2214:_Chemistry_Nobel|Nobel Prizes awarded for the discovery of new elements]]. However, unlike elements, Nobel Prizes cannot be discovered.
The comic suggests that the doctor being awarded the prize came up with the idea of "discovering" Nobel Prizes, and no one can figure out how to stop awarding them to her.
In reality, the categories were established by Alfred Nobel's will for contributions or discoveries in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. The latest addition was in 1968 when Sweden's central bank, in honor of its 300th anniversary, funded an award for economics. While there is currently a petition to add a Nobel prize for contributions to environmental conservation, it would presumably also need external funding, although the decision process is unclear.

The title text is a play on the {{w|Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine}}, insinuating that the {{w|Nobel Assembly}} (the group in charge of awarding Nobel Prizes) has become so desperate to stop Doctor Adams that they have decided to award a Nobel Prize to anyone who can stop them. The joke also plays on the name of the said prize, because as of the writing of this comic the {{w|Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine}} is the only Nobel Prize with two subjects (e.g. with "or" in the title). This may also be a jab by Randal at the fields of Physiology and Medicine, as poking fun at other disciplines is a recurring theme on xkcd.{{Citation needed}}

This comic was published on the Monday the week following the announcements of the 2021 Nobel Prize recipients.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan stands at a podium on a stage, facing right. Behind her is a screen showing eight Nobel Prizes. Ponytail is approaching the front of the stage while waving.]
:Megan: And all eight Nobel Prizes for the Discovery of New Nobel Prizes have been awarded to...
:Megan: ''*sigh*''
:Megan: ...Doctor Adams, '''''again''''', for the discovery of two new Prizes.
:Ponytail: Thank you, thank you!

:[Caption below frame:]
:We don't know how she started this and now we can't figure out how to stop her.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Science]]

Talk:2527: New Nobel Prizes

2021-10-12T17:33:40Z

MrYellow04:

2527: New Nobel Prizes

2021-10-12T17:32:12Z

MrYellow04: Added an explanation for the title text.

{{comic
| number = 2527
| date = October 11, 2021
| title = New Nobel Prizes
| image = new_nobel_prizes.png
| titletext = They've endowed a separate prize in Physiology or Medicine or Stopping Dr. Adams.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The Nobel Prize is a set of prizes awarded in memory of Alfred Nobel to, "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind."
In this comic a Nobel prize is being awarded for the discovery of two new Nobel prizes. This parallels [[2214:_Chemistry_Nobel|Nobel Prizes awarded for the discovery of new elements]]. However, unlike elements, Nobel Prizes cannot be discovered.
The comic suggests that the doctor being awarded the prize came up with the idea of "discovering" Nobel Prizes, and no one can figure out how to stop awarding them to her.
In reality, the categories were established by Alfred Nobel's will for contributions or discoveries in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. The latest addition was in 1968 when Sweden's central bank, in honor of its 300th anniversary, funded an award for economics. While there is currently a petition to add a Nobel prize for contributions to environmental conservation, it would presumably also need external funding, although the decision process is unclear.

The title text is a play on the {{w|Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine}}, insinuating that the {{w|Nobel Assembly}} (the group in charge of awarding Nobel Prizes) has become so desperate to stop Doctor Adams that they have decided to award a Nobel Prize to anyone who can stop them. The joke also plays on the name of the said prize, because as of the writing of this comic the {{w|Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine}} is the only Nobel Prize with two subjects (e.g. with "or" in the title). This may also be a jab by Randal at the fields of Physiology and Medicine, as poking fun at other disciplines is a recurring theme on xkcd.{{Citation needed}}

This comic was published on the Monday the week following the announcements of the 2021 Nobel Prize recipients.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan stands at a podium on a stage, facing right. Behind her is a screen showing eight Nobel Prizes. Ponytail is approaching the front of the stage while waving.]
:Megan: And all eight Nobel Prizes for the Discovery of New Nobel Prizes have been awarded to...
:Megan: ''*sigh*''
:Megan: ...Doctor Adams, '''''again''''', for the discovery of two new Prizes.
:Ponytail: Thank you, thank you!

:[Caption below frame:]
:We don't know how she started this and now we can't figure out how to stop her.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Science]]

2497: Logic Gates

2021-10-11T17:57:53Z

MrYellow04: /* Added a link to https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2360:_Common_Star_Types to once again explain the joke about gorgons being "beige" to those who may have skimmed through the previous sections of this comic's explanation. */

{{comic
| number = 2497
| date = August 2, 2021
| title = Logic Gates
| image = logic_gates.png
| titletext = In C, the multiocular O represents the bitwise norxondor gorgonax.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SILICON LOGIC GATE TO A DIFFERENT DIMENSION AND/OR/XOR PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE. The table explaining what the made-up gates would do is incomplete. If it is going to reference quantum logic it could be nice to have a brief description of any differences first. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The comic lists {{w|logic gate}}s. The first six are real but the last six are made up and get increasingly absurd. The names for these last six are made up of the same letters and syllables as the first six so as to appear at a glance to be consistent with their naming conventions.

Some of the ways the gate parts are combined seemingly-impossibly can raise ideas in the mind of the reader of how quantum computing involves processing multiple possibilities at once, or how machine learning involves solving systems backward from their outputs to their inputs. The names ring of calling more and more profoundly to some mythological catastrophe.

{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Explanation
|-
|{{w|AND gate}}
|An AND gate outputs true if and only if both inputs are true. (Inputs 1 '''and''' 2 must be true.)

By convention it is a symbol with a flat input end leading to a semicircular output end.
|-
|{{w|OR gate}}
| An OR gate outputs true if one or the other or both of the inputs are true. (Input 1 '''or''' 2 may be true.)

By convention it is a symbol with a concave input edge leading to an output end resembling a gothic pointed-arch, turned to point onwards.
|-
|{{w|NOT gate}}
|A NOT gate outputs true if and only if the input is false. (The sole input must '''not''' be true.)

The convention for the isolated NOT gate is to be a triangle (reminiscent of a diode or op-amp comparator), that conspicuously points in the direction of logical passage, tipped with a circle.
|-
|{{w|NOR gate}}
|A NOR gate outputs true if and only if both inputs are false. (Neither 1 '''nor''' 2 must be true; alternately interpreted as it must '''n'''ot be true that either 1 '''or''' 2 are true.)

The symbol is the OR shape with the NOT-circle at its tip.
|-
|{{w|XOR gate}}
|A XOR (short for "eXclusive OR") gate outputs true if one, or the other, but not both of the inputs are true. (Mutually e'''x'''cusively, either 1 '''or''' 2 must be true.)

This symbol is the standard OR one but with a further concave line stood-off slightly from the usual one to connect to the input lines to distinguish its more discriminating behaviour.
|-
|{{w|NAND gate}}
|A NAND (short for "Not AND") gate outputs true if one or the other or both of the inputs is false. (It must '''n'''ot be true that both 1 '''and''' 2 are true.)

The symbol is the AND gate with the NOT-circle at its tip.
|-
|NORX gate
|A ''single'' feedline leads into a standard OR-style input end, while two lines are seen departing from an AND-style output front.

If the gate obeys only AND logic and the input is not internally duplicated for the purpose then the result would always be false.

If the gate uses OR logic ''and/or'' the input is internally used for both traditionally-required inputs then the output would be exactly of the state of the original input.

The two outputs appear to be duplications (unlike Out And Not Out pairings) so the overall effect may be to act as a non-interfering 'splitter' gate.

Alternately, if the single input carries a superposition of two signals (see NORG XORT, below) then this might be teased apart into two inputs, internally, processed (optionally making a new superposition of AND and OR results upon the separated inputs) and propagating onwards into two different and deliberately unentangled (but possibly still each superpositonal) outputs for further quantum processing.

(There are no NOT-type or XOR-type elements to the diagram, yet it is notable as being a partially-rearranged anagram of "XNOR Gate".)
|-
|GAND Ate
|Two inputs feed into an AND-style receiving end. The presumed output end features a mirrored XOR input design complete with two connections onwards.

Assuming it still accepts inputs from the left and produces outputs to the right, it is possible this gate initially acts as an AND-gate to the inward pair but then (randomly?) generates output signals that would, as inputs to an XOR, produce the same output. i.e., if both inputs are true then the two outputs are paired as one as true and one as false (in either order); for any other inputs both outputs are in the same and identical (not-specified) logic-state.

(The name is a spoonerism of "AND Gate", but may not have meaning beyond that.)
|-
|XAND Gort
|Two inputs, unconventionally, feed into what is otherwise a perfectly standard NOT-symbol with the traditional single output.

How a single NOT is intended to handle two inputs and merge them is not obvious. All obvious functions are already met by existing two-input gates. Perhaps it is logically identical to the NOR gate, but drawn and named to express its nature as "not A and not B" rather than the less intuitive equivalent "not (A or B)".

Or possibly this is intended to create (and then invert) a combined quantum superposition of the two singular input feeds and therefore act as a form of signal multiplexer.

(The name seems only trivially related to the gate names associated with the drawn elements of functionality. "Xand" is a familar form of the name "Alexander" that is sometimes used for major figures in fantasy novels for its striking "X", while "Gort" is the name of a particularly powerful alien robot seen in various versions of the film The Day The Earth Stood Still. Neither of these facts may bear true relevance, however.)
|-
|NORG Xort
|The initial input end resembles an XOR gate, but with 'negation'-nodes unconventionally sited where the inputs lead inwards. The output end is given a NAND appearance.

An XOR gate should not ultimately react any differently with both inputs pre-negated, compared to how the straight inputs would be handled, but the promise of NANDness may not make things quite so simple, without straying into the possibility of quantum-logic (as suggested above) where it may 'merely' be just highly complex to understand.

(The name given references NOR and XOR, but may be entirely divorced from any logical interpretation of its logical implications.)
|-
|ANDORX Gant
|Two inputs appear to feed into an OR-receiving end-cap, but this transitions into feedlines into a follow-up XOR-receiver, which in turn transitions (without output-capping) into two output tracks each with an 'orphaned' NOT-node upon them.

Generously, it could be interpreted as an OR-gate whose internal result is sent to one output track while the opposite is output to the other track, then both are inverted. Or quantum (re-)superposition and separations may again be at work in this case in ways hard to narrow down.

(The nominal title is yet further lacking in obvious logic, starting with a possible rearrangement of XOR and AND followed by part of GATE with an N inserted. "Gant" could possibly be a reference to a particular sportswear manufacturer/retailer. There is, of course, also the {{w|Gantt chart}}.)
|-
|NORXONDOR Gorgonax
|Two inputs lead into a (N)OR-like entry, the continuing sides of which repurpose as connectors leading through a pair of full anti-parallel NOT gates, before resuming drawn purpose as a NOR-gate output tip.

It is possible the peculiarly placed NOTs are acting as indications of some kind of two-way signal filter/rectifier, if they were to be taken seriously.

(The gate name, however, is a bizarre construct that may even be echoing fantasy/mythology references, such as Gondor and the Gorgon.)
|}

The only real-life logic gate that was omitted is the XNOR gate (short for "eXclusive Not OR"; it compares the inputs, and if and only if they are equal, it outputs true). Note that the "NORG XORT" gate would be logically equivalent to it if it were tipped to match its uniquely XOR-style tail, since it would then be an XNOR gate with NOT on both inputs, a modification that has no ultimate effect on the logic as it merely switches the case of which exclusivity it needs to be, and does not care which version of same-input it might be responding to.

A double-NOT on an input would produce the identical output again (...if the input is '''not not''' true). Two NOTs preapplied to a (N)AND or (N)OR would produce the same output as a (further-)NOTted version of the (N)OR or (N)AND, conversely (...if '''not'''-1 '''and''' '''not'''-2 then this also means that neither 1 '''nor''' 2). Normally this would be shown, if necessary, as full NOT gates on the lead-in inputs but (see Transcript, below, and the NORG XORT description above) the shortcut element is occasionally used in further mix'n'match symbology (together with reinterpreting connectivity lines as partial shape-edges and vice-versa) in 'understandable' but definitely non-standard ways.

Along with the deliberate confusion of connector and shape-edge lines, directionality is also played with in several cases, with input 'ends' perhaps also at the (implied) output end and reversed sub-symbols implying a composite gate with substructural feedback or perhaps diode-rectification upon a bidirectional logic path.

Much like [[2360: Common Star Types]], as the list progresses, the names start to sound more like mythical creatures, closing with the "Norxondor gorgonax". As with the symbology, the names appear to be nonsensical recombinations of the standard ones (perhaps with off-subject inspirations, in some cases) but often do not match up with the symbolic (mis)use, such as an X in the name not implying/being implied by an XOR's unique drawn feature.

In the title text [[Randall]] claims that in the {{w|C (programming language)|programming language C}} the {{w|multiocular O}} (ꙮ) character, an exotic glyph variant of the Cyrillic letter O, is used to represent the bitwise version of the last operator Norxondor gorgonax (presumably ꙮꙮ represents the non-bitwise version), fitting as the multiocular O is used to refer to "many-eyed {{w|seraphim}}" (angels) in some religious literature. {{w|Gorgon}}s ([https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2360:_Common_Star_Types beige] or otherwise) have heads covered with snakes instead of hair, and so possess multiple eyes, the most famous was known as {{w|Medusa}} (which was [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e5/1608_1088x1074y_Medusa_and_floating_earth.png depicted] in [[1608: Hoverboard]]). The ꙮ character abstractly inspires ideas of great otherworldly demons like those of the Cthulhu mythos.

C is a low-level programming language, and as such, it has many operations that correspond to logical (i. e. bitwise) operations. These contrast with operations that work in a non-bitwise way. For example, "&&" is the non-bitwise "AND" operator that takes the operands as a whole, while "&" is the bitwise "AND" that combines the respective bits of its two inputs independently before spitting out the new single composite value the output bits represent. In non-bitwise operations, 0 always represents "FALSE", while any non-zero value means "TRUE" for inputs, and 1 is used to represent TRUE for outputs. Thus, "14 && 3" gives the result 1: TRUE AND TRUE -> TRUE. In the bitwise operation, using the same values, the decimal value 14 has the binary value 1110 and the decimal value 3 has the binary value 0011, and for this example we get:
1110 = 14
& 0011 = 3
0010 = 2

==Transcript==
:[The comic shows a chart with twelve electronic logic gates arranged in three rows of four. Each gate is depicted as a schematic symbol, with a label underneath. Above them is a header:]
:Common logic gate symbols

:[Here below follows a description of the 12 gates in the three rows, with their label given beneath each description:]

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. Two inputs on the left lead to the vertical left edge of a solid D-shaped symbol. From the right side of the D there is one output.]
:AND gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. Two inputs on the left lead to a convex-crescent left edge of a crescent-shaped symbol. The right side of the crescent symbol's shape forms a point at its output. From the right side of the crescent there is one output.]
:OR gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. One input leads to a triangular symbol pointing to the right. There is a small bubble symbol connected to the triangle on the output, which leads right.]
:NOT gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. This is identical to the OR GATE, except the output has a bubble attached, like the NOT GATE's output.)
:NOR gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. This is identical to the OR GATE, except the left-hand arc at the input has a double-stroked line.]
:XOR gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. This is identical to the AND GATE, except the output has a bubble attached, like the NOT GATE's output.]
:NAND gate

:[An unusual symbol. This symbol has one input on the left leading to a convex-crescent left edge, like the OR GATE. The output side as a smooth crescent like the AND GATE but has two outputs.]
:NORX gate

:[An unusual symbol. This symbol has two inputs on the left leading to a vertical left edge input, like the AND GATE. The output side has a convex-crescent double-stroked output like the mirror image of the XOR GATE's input. There are two outputs.]
:GAND ate

:[An unusual symbol. This resembles the NOT GATE except there are two inputs instead of one leading into the left side.]
:XAND gort

:[An unusual symbol. This has a double-stroked convex-crescent input like the XOR GATE, but the two inputs have bubbles attached. The single output has a smooth crescent shape with a bubble, like a NAND GATE.]
:NORG xort

:[An unusual symbol. Two inputs lead to a convex-crescent edge, and the two lines of this symbol now enter a double-stroked convex-crescent input like the XOR GATE. The two lines of -this- symbol have bubbles placed half way across their horizontal length, and are presumably the outputs.]
:ANDORX gant

:[An unusual symbol. The symbol is identical to the NOR GATE, except the upper and lower horizontal parts of the symbols hull have a NOT GATE placed on them - one pointing to the left on the upper line, and to the right on the lower line. There is one output to the symbol, with a bubble attached.]
:NORXONDOR gorgonax

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Programming]]

Talk:2526: TSP vs TBSP

2021-10-11T17:42:24Z

MrYellow04: Retracting my previous statement about adding a citation, and apologizing for my novice misunderstanding.

The title text refers to lyrics in the Alanis Morissette song Ironic -MonteCarloe [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.211|172.70.126.211]] 16:59, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

I wonder why Randall used 1024^4 instead of 2^40. -MonteCarlo [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.150|162.158.74.150]] 17:10, 8 October 2021 (UTC)
:To highlight the similarity between 1000 and 1024, I suppose.--[[User:Pere prlpz|Pere prlpz]] ([[User talk:Pere prlpz|talk]]) 18:03, 8 October 2021 (UTC)
:And a byte is 1024^0 bytes, kilobyte=1024^1, megabyte=1024^3, etc. Talking entirely in terms of 2^10N loses the sheer simplicity and easy approximation.
:(Though not as much as 'short' -illions. 5.45 trillion? That's 5, then the decimal padded/shortened to exactly three figures (450), ''then'' three sets of three zeros. Stupid system.) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.54.136|172.69.54.136]] 18:20, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

A table with common or interesting volumes measured in teraspoons would be a good addition.--[[User:Pere prlpz|Pere prlpz]] ([[User talk:Pere prlpz|talk]]) 18:03, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

he did kilonife kiloknife because the k in knife stands for kilo [[Special:Contributions/172.70.34.91|172.70.34.91]] 18:26, 8 October 2021 (UTC)Bumpf

I thought this was a play on storage (esp. hard drives) advertising 1000-based capacities (1TB=1000GB) whereas computers tend to measure in 2^ sizes (1TB=1024GB) to make them seem bigger on the packaging. IIRC some cloud platforms distinguish between GB and GiB of Ram, for instance. [[User:Mike-jed|Mike-jed]] ([[User talk:Mike-jed|talk]]) 19:38, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

XKCD again with its timing… Just 3 days ago I used a TBSP when I should have used a TSP. Two comics earlier, #2524, was about a long-period comet coming close to Earth and on the same date (October 4th) as a long-period comet coming close to Earth in the movie "Your name". [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 21:47, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

1 mL = 1 cm * 1 cm * 1 cm. 1 m = 100 cm. 1 m^3 = 100 cm * 100 cm *100 cm = 10^6 cm^3. 1 tera-whatever = 10^12. 10 ^ 12 / 10 ^ 6 = 10 ^ 6. I respectfully submit that the estimate of how many cubic meters there are in a tea-teraspoon is off by three orders of magnitude, and should be approx. 5 * 10 ^6 cubic meters, not 5 * 10 ^ 3 cubic meters. However, it is late afternoon locally, and my math skills typically erode severely at this time of day, I could well be embarrassingly wrong. Someone meticulous and more awake should check and cast a deciding vote. -E. Schori

Alanis Morissette describes a situation where the ratio between available spoons and required "nifes" is 10:1 (10 kspoon vs 1 knife). Why doesn't the title text say "one teraspoon when all you need are 10^8 kilonife"? Is there a reason I don't get? Or does it simply sound better to have a single kilonife? Or are the numbers from the title text arbitrary? This conundrum is totally bugging me out! -mape

Most importantly: What is a nife? In German "Nife" is the name for Earth's inner core (Ni+Fe = Nife). But in English the word doesn't seem to exist. I get the joke of a knife being 1k nifes (or nives?) but the joke would be even better if "nife" existed in the first place. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 11:20, 11 October 2021 (UTC)
: Addendum: If "nife" does indeed not exist wouldn't that mean that a (kilo)nife is simply nothing? (Yes, I know that I'm overthinking this, but I find it curious) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 11:23, 11 October 2021 (UTC)

It seems nearly impossible to add a citation to the statement that "All these units have fairly limited uses in cooking". Perhaps it might be better to state something along the lines of "All these units are very large and not commonly used in cooking", and then cite the NIST.gov Metric Cooking Resources page (https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights-and-measures/metric-cooking-resources) which lists TSP & TBSP but does not list Teraspoons and Tebispoons? [[User:MrYellow04|MrYellow04]] ([[User talk:MrYellow04|talk]]) 17:33, 11 October 2021 (UTC)

I retract my previous statement. After reviewing the FAQ for this wiki, I've learned that the "citation needed" template is meant to be used only when it conveys a deeper sense of humor, not necessarily as an actual call for a citation. I apologize for my previous statement; I am new to this wiki and did not understand all of the etiquette and common practices. I have not edited the wiki page, and the original statement "All these units have fairly limited uses in cooking" that I had previously discussed possibly changing has not been altered. [[User:MrYellow04|MrYellow04]] ([[User talk:MrYellow04|talk]]) 17:42, 11 October 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2526: TSP vs TBSP

2021-10-11T17:33:06Z

MrYellow04: Changing the statement "All these units have fairly limited uses in cooking", which is hard to cite, to "All these units are very large and not commonly used in cooking" and citing (https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights-and-measures/metric-cooking-resources)