2960: Organ Meanings

2024-07-18T12:02:54Z

Robket: Added percentages based on the lower-left corner of the label digitised from plotdigitizer.com, with a little bit of rounding where it made sense.

{{comic
| number = 2960
| date = July 17, 2024
| title = Organ Meanings
| image = organ_meanings_2x.png
| imagesize = 407x346px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = IMO the thymus is one of the coolest organs and we should really use it in metaphors more.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT'S PINEAL GLAND - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is a graph by [[Randall]] ranking how well he understands the function of certain human organs, compared to how much he understands {{w|metaphor}}s using them. 

One might expect understanding an organ's role and its use in metaphor to be strongly correlated, since the metaphors work by drawing a parallel to biological function. However, since our understanding of biological functions has evolved dramatically over time, and metaphorical language does not always keep up, the correspondence is often much looser.

The {{w|pineal gland}}, located in the center of the brain, was described as the “Seat of the Soul” by the dualist {{w|René Descartes}} in the 17th century. If this was what it was, the metaphors that might be derived from it would be pretty explicit. It was only in the mid-20th century that its real neuroendocrine (hormone-producing) biological role was grasped. Thus, the real meaning of the metaphor "the pineal gland of something" is uncertain, as is its actual function for the layman.

The {{w|thymus}}, highlighted in the title text, plays an important role in the immune system. It is not commonly used in metaphors,{{Citation needed}} but is perhaps ripe for use in ones describing such things as resilience, indomitability, and adaptability to changing circumstance, were more people to know what it was.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Organ !! Biological understanding !! Metaphor understanding !! Biological function !! Metaphor meaning
|-
| {{w|Appendix}} || 3% || 85% || ? ||
|-
| {{w|Nerves}} || 40% || 90% || ||
|-
| {{w|Spine}} || 50% || 80% || ||
|-
| {{w|Heart}} || 80% || 90% || ||
|-
| {{w|Bones}} || 75% || 80% || ||
|-
| {{w|Stomach}} || 70% || 65% || ||
|-
| {{w|Liver}} || 10% || 48% || ||
|-
| {{w|Lungs}} || 60% || 52% || ||
|-
| {{w|Spleen}} || 22% || 34% || ||
|-
| {{w|Thymus}} || 10% || 13% || ||
|-
| {{w|Kidneys}} || 47% || 19% || ||
|-
| {{w|Pineal gland}} || 2% || 2% || ||
|-
| {{w|Tongue}} || 70% || 5% || ||
|}

==Transcript==
:[A graph is shown with X and Y-axis without arrow or ticks. To the left of the Y-axis and below the X-axis there are labels with an arrow pointing up from the top of the Y-axis label and an arrow pointing right above the X-axis label, just beneath the x-axis.]
:Y-axis: How well I understand what it means when used in metaphors
:X-axis: How well I understand its actual biological function

:[On the graph is a scatter plot with 13 labels. Each label is written inside a line that goes just around the words. There are most in the top right corner, but they are spread all over the graph. Here in approximate reading order from top left with indicating of where on the graph the words are located:]
:[Top left:]
:Appendix
:[Top middle:]
:Nerves; Spine
:[Top right:]
:Heart; Bones; Stomach
:[Center left:]
:Liver; Spleen
:[Center right:]
:Lungs
:[Bottom left:]
:Thymus; Pineal gland
:[Bottom middle:]
:Kidneys
:[Bottom right:]
:Tongue

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Scatter plots]]
[[Category:Rankings]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Language]]

2137: Text Entry

2019-04-17T10:02:20Z

Robket: /* Explanation */ Dvorak typists who use software to switch their keybindings on their QWERTY keyboard are just as unfamiliar with Dvorak when using it on a system that doesn't rely on muscle memory (for example on mobile phones).

{{comic
| number = 2137
| date = April 15, 2019
| title = Text Entry
| image = text_entry.png
| titletext = I like to think that somewhere out there, there's someone whose personal quest is lobbying TV providers to add an option to switch their on-screen keyboards to Dvorak.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Loser. Explanation could be expanded, especially the second paragraph. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Randall]] is remarking on the "weirdest" things about the year 2019, the year that this comic was posted. He states that the weirdest thing is that {{w|Donald Trump}} is president. Although [[Sad comics|several comics]] may have relation to Donald Trump becoming president, this is the [[Sad_comics#Text_Entry|first time ever]], he has been mentioned by his full name (in [[1939: 2016 Election Map]] he is referred to by his surname) in a standard xkcd comic. Previously Randall has expressed support for Hilary Clinton, without mentioning Trump, in a comic posted before the 2016 election with [[1756: I'm With Her]]. In this case, why Trump being president is the weirdest thing probably has little to do with political affiliation and more because of his qualifications (or lack thereof); Donald Trump was most famous for his reality TV show ''The Apprentice'' and for being a real estate mogul, neither of which are particularly relevant to the presidential office.

However this comic is really about the second "weirdest" thing in 2019, which is the continued use of a user interface where a person has to "pick letters" to type. This can be seen when doing searches in a TV guide menu or in menus for streaming options like {{w|Netflix}} or {{w|Hulu}}. Some of these menus may allow for voice searches or support {{w|bluetooth keyboard}}s, but the traditional method is still to select letters via a cursor. Many controllers for devices only have a few buttons, which makes it necessary to use schemes such as scrolling around a picture of a keyboard to laboriously select letters. [[Cueball]] is probably looking up "{{w|Our Planet}}" which was a popular Netflix series when this comic was released. Cueball has spelled out "O U R [space] P L" so far.

Randall references the "{{w|Score (game)|high score}}" in an {{w|arcade game}}. When achieving a high score in an arcade game, the user typically is able to enter his name or initials into the machine. These are entered by picking letters one by one (and usually under a time limit, for extra stress and/or fun), as the comic mentions.

The title text mentions the keyboard system {{w|Dvorak Simplified Keyboard|Dvorak}}, a [[:Category:Dvorak|recurrent theme]] on xkcd, which is a keyboard layout patented by {{w|August Dvorak}} and {{w|William Dealey}}. As the Dvorak layout is optimized for more efficient typing with two hands, it is unlikely that using it would be more efficient than a standard {{w|Qwerty}} when limited to cursor entry methods. Another drawback would be that the Dvorak layout is visually unfamiliar to most people, even to many Dvorak typists who rarely look at their keyboard and instead rely on muscle-memory to find keys. As such it could be confusing for users to use for TV selection menus compared to either the more visually familiar {{w|Qwerty}} layout or showing letters in alphabetical order. Alternately, Randall may be referring to Dvorak’s placement of frequently used letters clustered in the center as a potential slight improvement over the linear A-Z layout of such interfaces (a half-measure offered ironically, of course).

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Cueball are sitting on a couch, with Megan standing behind them. Cueball is pointing a remote at a television. The word space is written inside a frame.]
:Television: O...U...R...SPACE...P...L...
:Remote: Click Click Click

:[Caption below the panel:]
:The weirdest thing about 2019 is obviously that Donald Trump is president, but I think the second weirdest is that you sometimes ''still'' have to type stuff in by picking letters on a screen one at a time with a cursor like you're entering a high score in a 1980s arcade game.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Dvorak]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2960: Organ Meanings

2137: Text Entry