https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Roguetechexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-04-14T23:29:40ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2091:_Million,_Billion,_Trillion&diff=1674772091: Million, Billion, Trillion2018-12-28T13:16:49Z<p>Roguetech: /* Explanation */ words</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2091<br />
| date = December 28, 2018<br />
| title = Million, Billion, Trillion<br />
| image = million_billion_trillion.png<br />
| titletext = You can tell most people don’t really assign an absolute meaning to these numbers because in some places and time periods, “billion” has meant 1,000x what it's meant in others, and a lot of us never even noticed.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|This needs about a thousand years of rewriting, and I assume we'll want to do a chart of X and Y positions as with most chart comics. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
Much like [[558: 1000 Times|comic 558]], this comic addresses the difficulty ordinary people have with large numbers. Though most if not all people intuitively understand the difference between one object and two objects, or one object and ten objects, or even one object and a hundred objects, as numbers increase most people's ability to innately conceive of the numbers being discussed decreases remarkably quickly. When numbers reach the millions and the billions, and especially the trillions, most people don't truly process the numbers at all, and instead conceive of them as some version of a drastically-oversimplified concept such as "very big." Where comparing one to ten is simple, comparing "very big" to a different "very big" can prove extremely challenging, and will certainly require non-intuitive, conscious thinking.<br />
<br />
The comic represents this challenge by providing a graph which represents [[Randall]]'s ''intuitive'' conception of the values of various very large numbers, and said conception's misalignment with reality. Though some trends reflect the real value of the numbers on the graph, i.e. 100 million larger than 10 million larger than 1 million and 1 billion larger than 1 million, the curve is far from the linear (exponential on the log-scaled axes) path it should take, with 1 billion being intuitively understood as less than 100 million, based, presumably, on the fact, easily comprehended on an intuitive level, that '''100 is larger than 1''', and therefore the presence of 100 in 100 million places it at a higher value than the 1 in 1 billion would place the latter. In reality, of course, 1 billion is ten times larger than 100 million, but the comic deals not with actual reality, but with the perception of reality of these numbers '''before conscious thought is applied'''. <br />
<br />
The most interesting parts of the graph, and the parts where the disconnect between intuition and reality becomes clearest, are the dashed sections labeled with question marks, the one between 100 million and 1 billion, the other between 100 billion and 1 trillion. Here two competing intuitive understandings compete for dominance. On the one hand, the intuitive understanding described above, with 100 trumping 1, would see the curve taking a sharp downturn. On the other hand, the path from 100 million to 1 billion is paved with such numbers as 500 million, 700 million, and 900 million, all of which would theoretically be seen intuitively as larger than 100 million, thanks to the fact that 9 is greater than 7, and 7 greater than 5, and so on, bending the curve up rather than down. These two conflicting intuitions leave Randall with no single intuitive path for the two dashed sections, leading to their dashed and questioned state.<br />
<br />
The comic's caption and title highlight another problem surrounding the intuitive grasping of large numbers: the flaws in the English words used for them. For instance, nothing about the word "million" suggests smallness relative to the world "billion" on an intuitive scale. This unintuitive language contributes greatly to the "100 trumps 1" intuitive fallacy described above. <br />
<br />
The title text references a classic, and highly relevant, example of a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_and_short_scales disconnect between British and American English]. For all English speakers, 1 million constitutes 1,000 thousands, or, said less ambiguously, 10^6. However, the definition of billion varies depending which side of the Atlantic Ocean you happen to land on. In America, 1 billion equals 1,000 millions, or 1000*10^6=10^9. [https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/explore/how-many-is-a-billion/ In Britain], 1 billion equals ''1 million'' millions, or 10^6*10^6=10^'''12''', with the base unit changing when you have a unit's worth multiple of the unit (for those immediately asking "what did they call a thousand million, then?", the answer is "well, naturally, a thousand million", though there is also the archiac ''"milliard"''). In other words, 1 billion objects in England would register as 1,000 billion objects to an American, despite the fact that the number of objects has remained the same. Though people in Britain often use the American definition as of the past few decades, the fact that such a staggering difference of terminology was able to remain, and be almost completely unknown, perfectly highlights Randall's point about the failure of human intuition, and English terminology, in the discussion of extremely large numbers.<br />
<br />
Also in some European languages (like French or German) the word milliard (meaning 1,000 million) still exists in some way (e.g. milliard in French, Milliarde in German, milliárd in Hungarian, etc.) and is used normally, and is different from the word billion which is a 1,000 milliard (or 1,000,000 million). These languages unlike English never used the short scale, so a billion never meant 1,000 million in them. This difference to the US numbering scheme often causes confusion when translating articles with large numbers in them, as translators sometimes forget to change the scheme from short to long, and wrongfully translate billion to billion instead to milliard which will make the number actually 1,000 times larger in the translation.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2084:_FDR&diff=167021Talk:2084: FDR2018-12-14T13:26:29Z<p>Roguetech: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
I didn't know about the Guy Fawkes date. I thought the title text might have been referring to the song {{w|Try to Remember}}, but it refers to September and December, but not November.<br />
[[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:02, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
:You clearly aren't from the UK, still a pretty big thing here. Known as Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night and is a part of everyone's primary (elementary?) education <br />
:[[User:Zbrown|Zbrown]] ([[User talk:Zbrown|talk]]) 16:50, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
::I'm not from UK and I know about that from english lessons in primary school, but I didn't know about the Pearl Harbor date. --[[Special:Contributions/188.114.102.220|188.114.102.220]] 16:55, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
::::The movie V for Vendetta which prompted the anonymous movement iconic white masks celebrates the Nov 5 rhyme, and is international. That's how I know of it. And I know from the movie and wikipedia that it's Guy Fawkes day in the nonfictional universe.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.161|108.162.246.161]] 02:06, 14 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
:::Then you're probably not from the US [[Special:Contributions/172.68.143.174|172.68.143.174]] 17:19, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
::::I'm from the US, but I couldn't tell you right now without scrolling up what date Pearl Harbor day was. Then again, I have trouble remembering the dates of anything but Christmas, New Year's, & 4th of July. Measurements of time are really weird & arbitrary perceptual artifacts, for me. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:08, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
:::::I always found it weird that they celebrate the 4th of July on the 7th of April. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.145|162.158.111.145]] 13:17, 13 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
The Crete earthquake raise the island by 3 to 9 meters. You go out on a beach in Crete, it is obvious, especially if there are ruins of an ancient city nearby where the docks are well inland [[Special:Contributions/172.68.143.174|172.68.143.174]] 17:32, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Incidental, this month I made the weird mistake of writing a date as "2016" ... I really have no idea why that happened, or that I didn't catch it to correct it in time. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.135|162.158.74.135]] 17:52, 12 December 2018 (UTC) Sam<br />
:Me too! For some reason I've recently written the date as a couple years ago a few times over the last month or so, and I normally never do! Also in response to the above discussion, I've never heard of Guy Fawkes day, and don't particularly remember the date of Pearl Harbor other than by comic [[821]] [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 07:09, 13 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
FYI, the hovertext appears to be wrong. The Med quake was July 21, AD365 -- not June 21. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.13|173.245.54.13]] 20:25, 12 December 2018 (UTC)Andrew K[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.13|173.245.54.13]] 20:25, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
::I don't think it's deliberate; he didn't get the other date in the title-text / alt-text wrong. I think the alt-text contains an unintentional error. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 22:00, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
So he's not using THE date format: https://xkcd.com/1179/<br />
:True, he's not using "the date format", but the standard applies to "numeric representations of dates and times". Randall has used a non-numeric format, so ISO 8601 isn't relevant. [[User:Roguetech|Roguetech]] ([[User talk:Roguetech|talk]]) 13:26, 14 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
:'''''Thank''''' '''you.''' Writing it the correct way (yyyy-mm-dd) would probably confuse most people though, & I think ISO-8601 does allow provision for dates written long-hand (MMM d, yyyy). I'm just glad someone else remembers that the ''proper'' way to numerically specify a date is year first, then two-digit month (01 thru 12, not 1 thru 12), & ''then'' day. This keeps the numbers in correct left-to-right sequence & will sort alphabetically too. m-d-yy is just '''''wrong''''' on so many levels. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 22:00, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
:: Don't worry, month, day then year is pretty much only found in one country, like spelling colour without the u. It should die out eventually. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.165.238|162.158.165.238]] 22:32, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
::Personally, when it's not for archival purposes I write dates d/m-yy. I don't care if it's wrong, it's how I say them in daily speech. The slash should make it clear which one is day and which one is month and the dash should make it clear that the last part is the year. I don't see myself signing any contracts that last longer than the average human lifespan, so including the century and millennia feels unnecessary. [[User:Kapten-N|Kapten-N]] ([[User talk:Kapten-N|talk]]) 12:03, 13 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I don't see any explanation for the "19" in the comic. Could that be a reference to 7:19 (the time of the Mexico City earthquake and the name of the movie about it)? [[User:Madfrog768|Madfrog768]] ([[User talk:Madfrog768|talk]]) 21:26, 12 December 2018 (UTC) <br />
:It's the year, 1941. Time would not appear in a '''Date:''' field. In the comic, Randall got all the way to writing the 4 before he realized he was putting the wrong date in. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 22:00, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I work for a bus company and work on the schedules for the next service change which usually takes place in december. Since I have this job, from the end of summer on I regularly miswrite dates a year ''ahead''. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.55|162.158.111.55]] 21:31, 12 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Any Hardcore History fans with Dan Carlin? [[User:Capncanuck|Capncanuck]] ([[User talk:Capncanuck|talk]]) 07:28, 13 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
As for catchy date mnemonics, you can't beat "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" for the armistice of The Great War. Note it wasn't called World War 1 until there was a second world war 35 years later. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 14:29, 13 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I'm trying to work out where you got the 35 for your 35 years later. WW2 started 20(-ish) years after WW1 ended, WW2 ended 31 years after WW1 started. Not sure... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.145|162.158.111.145]] 14:49, 13 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
::Well it began in 1914 and the other ended in 1945 that is 35 years... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:24, 14 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Actually, it was referred to as 'The First World War' or 'The First Great War' before it even ended. I wish I could recall who; but some general or politician, when asked what he thought it should be called, rejected 'the great war' (as there might be greater wars in future), and similar; he proposed 'The First World War', as he expected it wouldn't be the last. He wasn't wrong. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.135.124|172.69.135.124]] 00:36, 14 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm still writing "1987" on my checks. [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]]) 16:25, 13 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
:You still use cheques? I think I probably last used on in 1994 and even my dad in his 60s is slowly giving them up. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.41|108.162.250.41]] 23:50, 13 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It was actually called "the first World War" in 1914. However it wasn't called "The First World War", as the name was to show that it was a world war, not to point out that another would happen in 20 years. And the name "Great War" referred to the Napoleonic War, not the First World War. And now to leave a message beginning with four tildes. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.172|162.158.34.172]] 18:46, 13 December 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I do not see how the comic confuses Guy Fawkes Night as the explanation claims. The comic says it occurred November 5th, 1605 and that is also when it actually occurred, if I understand correctly.</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2084:_FDR&diff=1670192084: FDR2018-12-14T13:17:44Z<p>Roguetech: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2084<br />
| date = December 12, 2018<br />
| title = FDR<br />
| image = fdr.png<br />
| titletext = June 21st, 365, the date of the big Mediterranean earthquake and tsunami, lived in infamy for a few centuries before fading. Maybe the trick is a catchy rhyme; the '5th of November' thing is still going strong over 400 years later.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
The United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was {{w|Attack on Pearl Harbor| attacked in 1941}}, and is credited with starting the United States' involvement in World War II. The then US president, {{w|Franklin D. Roosevelt}} (FDR), issued a speech to the American people which begins with the line "Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, {{w|Infamy Speech| a date which will live in infamy...}}". Whenever [[Randall]] writes "December" he feels compelled to complete the line, a mistake which is visible in this comic.<br />
<br />
This may be a parody of a more common type of error in which people writing dates during January (particularly early in the month) accidentally write the previous year instead of the current one because the previous year number is an established pattern while the new one is a recent change.<br />
<br />
The title text further confuses the date of the northern hemisphere summer solstice (June 21st) with the date of the {{w|365 Crete earthquake}} that happened on July 21st 365AD. The earthquake had a magnitude of at least 8.0 which caused widespread destruction across the Eastern Mediterranean. Then it further confuses {{w|Guy Fawkes Night}}, the anniversary of the famous failed attempt to bomb Parliament on the night of November 5th, 1605. The latter event is immortalized in the rhyme "remember remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder, treason, and plot", the former event less so.<br />
<br />
Randall also may be suggesting that Roosevelt implied the degree of "infamy" of an event can be measured by how long its date is remembered. Pearl Harbor resulted in 2,458 deaths and obviously extensive damage to a military base and fleet. It has been remembered 77 years, thus far. The earth quake of 346AD resulted in an estimated 230,000 killed and numerous cities severely damaged or destroyed. Randall states it was remembered for a few centuries. The Gunpowder Plot resulted in the death of a couple of conspirators and no notable damage. It has been remembered, at least in song, for "over 400 years".<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Close-up of a form. Each field has a label (the first is assumed) and a handwritten entry. The name and country are each half visible. The numeral "4" has been only partially written before being scratched out.]<br />
:[<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">NAME</span>]<br />
:Randall Munroe<br />
:<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">DATE</span><br />
:Dec <s>7, 194</s> 12, 2018<br />
:<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">COUNTRY</span><br />
:United States<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the frame:]<br />
:FDR was so good at speeches that I spend a whole month each year writing the date wrong.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2084:_FDR&diff=1670182084: FDR2018-12-14T13:17:24Z<p>Roguetech: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2084<br />
| date = December 12, 2018<br />
| title = FDR<br />
| image = fdr.png<br />
| titletext = June 21st, 365, the date of the big Mediterranean earthquake and tsunami, lived in infamy for a few centuries before fading. Maybe the trick is a catchy rhyme; the '5th of November' thing is still going strong over 400 years later.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
The United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was {{w|Attack on Pearl Harbor| attacked in 1941}}, and is credited with starting the United States' involvement in World War II. The then US president, {{w|Franklin D. Roosevelt}} (FDR), issued a speech to the American people which begins with the line "Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, {{w|Infamy Speech| a date which will live in infamy...}}". Whenever [[Randall]] writes "December" he feels compelled to complete the line, a mistake which is visible in this comic.<br />
<br />
This may be a parody of a more common type of error in which people writing dates during January (particularly early in the month) accidentally write the previous year instead of the current one because the previous year number is an established pattern while the new one is a recent change.<br />
<br />
The title text further confuses the date of the northern hemisphere summer solstice (June 21st) with the date of the {{w|365 Crete earthquake}} that happened on July 21st 365AD. The earthquake had a magnitude of at least 8.0 which caused widespread destruction across the Eastern Mediterranean. Then it further confuses {{w|Guy Fawkes Night}}, the anniversary of the famous failed attempt to bomb Parliament on the night of November 5th, 1605. The latter event is immortalized in the rhyme "remember remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder, treason, and plot", the former event less so.<br />
<br />
Randall also may be suggesting that Roosevelt implied the degree of "infamy" of an event can be measured by how long it's date is remembered. Pearl Harbor resulted in 2,458 deaths and obviously extensive damage to a military base and fleet. It has been remembered 77 years, thus far. The earth quake of 346AD resulted in an estimated 230,000 killed and numerous cities severely damaged or destroyed. Randall states it was remembered for a few centuries. The Gunpowder Plot resulted in the death of a couple of conspirators and no notable damage. It has been remembered, at least in song, for "over 400 years".<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Close-up of a form. Each field has a label (the first is assumed) and a handwritten entry. The name and country are each half visible. The numeral "4" has been only partially written before being scratched out.]<br />
:[<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">NAME</span>]<br />
:Randall Munroe<br />
:<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">DATE</span><br />
:Dec <s>7, 194</s> 12, 2018<br />
:<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">COUNTRY</span><br />
:United States<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the frame:]<br />
:FDR was so good at speeches that I spend a whole month each year writing the date wrong.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2084:_FDR&diff=1670172084: FDR2018-12-14T13:16:52Z<p>Roguetech: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2084<br />
| date = December 12, 2018<br />
| title = FDR<br />
| image = fdr.png<br />
| titletext = June 21st, 365, the date of the big Mediterranean earthquake and tsunami, lived in infamy for a few centuries before fading. Maybe the trick is a catchy rhyme; the '5th of November' thing is still going strong over 400 years later.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
The United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was {{w|Attack on Pearl Harbor| attacked in 1941}}, and is credited with starting the United States' involvement in World War II. The then US president, {{w|Franklin D. Roosevelt}} (FDR), issued a speech to the American people which begins with the line "Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, {{w|Infamy Speech| a date which will live in infamy...}}". Whenever [[Randall]] writes "December" he feels compelled to complete the line, a mistake which is visible in this comic.<br />
<br />
This may be a parody of a more common type of error in which people writing dates during January (particularly early in the month) accidentally write the previous year instead of the current one because the previous year number is an established pattern while the new one is a recent change.<br />
<br />
The title text further confuses the date of the northern hemisphere summer solstice (June 21st) with the date of the {{w|365 Crete earthquake}} that happened on July 21st 365AD. The earthquake had a magnitude of at least 8.0 which caused widespread destruction across the Eastern Mediterranean. Then it further confuses {{w|Guy Fawkes Night}}, the anniversary of the famous failed attempt to bomb Parliament on the night of November 5th, 1605. The latter event is immortalized in the rhyme "remember remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder, treason, and plot", the former event less so.<br />
<br />
He also may be suggesting that Roosevelt implied the degree of "infamy" of an event can be measured by how long it's date is remembered. Pearl Harbor resulted in 2,458 deaths and obviously extensive damage to a military base and fleet. It has been remembered 77 years, thus far. The earth quake of 346AD resulted in an estimated 230,000 killed and numerous cities severely damaged or destroyed. Randall states it was remembered for a few centuries. The Gunpowder Plot resulted in the death of a couple of conspirators and no notable damage. It has been remembered, at least in song, for "over 400 years".<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Close-up of a form. Each field has a label (the first is assumed) and a handwritten entry. The name and country are each half visible. The numeral "4" has been only partially written before being scratched out.]<br />
:[<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">NAME</span>]<br />
:Randall Munroe<br />
:<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">DATE</span><br />
:Dec <s>7, 194</s> 12, 2018<br />
:<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">COUNTRY</span><br />
:United States<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the frame:]<br />
:FDR was so good at speeches that I spend a whole month each year writing the date wrong.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2084:_FDR&diff=1670162084: FDR2018-12-14T13:12:54Z<p>Roguetech: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2084<br />
| date = December 12, 2018<br />
| title = FDR<br />
| image = fdr.png<br />
| titletext = June 21st, 365, the date of the big Mediterranean earthquake and tsunami, lived in infamy for a few centuries before fading. Maybe the trick is a catchy rhyme; the '5th of November' thing is still going strong over 400 years later.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
The United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was {{w|Attack on Pearl Harbor| attacked in 1941}}, and is credited with starting the United States' involvement in World War II. The then US president, {{w|Franklin D. Roosevelt}} (FDR), issued a speech to the American people which begins with the line "Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, {{w|Infamy Speech| a date which will live in infamy...}}". Whenever [[Randall]] writes "December" he feels compelled to complete the line, a mistake which is visible in this comic.<br />
<br />
This may be a parody of a more common type of error in which people writing dates during January (particularly early in the month) accidentally write the previous year instead of the current one because the previous year number is an established pattern while the new one is a recent change.<br />
<br />
The title text further confuses the date of the northern hemisphere summer solstice (June 21st) with the date of the {{w|365 Crete earthquake}} that happened on July 21st 365AD. The earthquake had a magnitude of at least 8.0 which caused widespread destruction across the Eastern Mediterranean. Then it further confuses {{w|Guy Fawkes Night}}, the anniversary of the famous failed attempt to bomb Parliament on the night of November 5th, 1605. The latter event is immortalized in the rhyme "remember remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder, treason, and plot", the former event less so.<br />
<br />
He also may be addressing various "infamous" events, where the degree Roosevelt seems to suggest the degree is based on the date will be remembered. Pearl Harbor resulted in 2,458 deaths and obviously extensive damage to a military base and fleet. The earth quake of 346AD resulted in an estimated 230,000 killed and numerous cities severely damaged or destroyed. The Gunpowder Plot resulted in the death of a couple of conspirators and no notable damage.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Close-up of a form. Each field has a label (the first is assumed) and a handwritten entry. The name and country are each half visible. The numeral "4" has been only partially written before being scratched out.]<br />
:[<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">NAME</span>]<br />
:Randall Munroe<br />
:<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">DATE</span><br />
:Dec <s>7, 194</s> 12, 2018<br />
:<span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-variant:small-caps">COUNTRY</span><br />
:United States<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the frame:]<br />
:FDR was so good at speeches that I spend a whole month each year writing the date wrong.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2034:_Equations&diff=1613762034: Equations2018-08-17T12:49:58Z<p>Roguetech: /* Explanation */ Shit isn't red</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2034<br />
| date = August 17, 2018<br />
| title = Equations<br />
| image = equations.png<br />
| titletext = All electromagnetic equations: The same as all fluid dynamics equations, but with the 8 and 23 replaced with the permittivity and permeability of free space, respectively.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an EQUATION Nice with the formulas in the table, but the size wreaks hawok on how to read the page. Is it possible to change the settings, or just use the fairly accurate formulas created in the transcript? Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic gives a set of equations supposedly from different areas of mathematics and physics. To anyone not familiar with the field in question they look pretty similar to what you might find in research papers or on the relevant Wikipedia pages. To someone who knows even a little about the topic, they are clearly very wrong and only seem even worse the more you look at them.<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!style="width:20%"|Equation<br />
!style="width:20%"|Field<br />
!style="width:60%"|Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|<math>E = K_0t + \frac{1}{2}\rho vt^2</math><br />
|All kinematics equations<br />
|This equation literally states: "Energy equals a constant <math>K_0</math> multiplied by time, plus half of density multiplied by speed multiplied by time squared". The first term here is hard to interpret: it could be correct if <math>K_0</math> is a constant power applied to the system, but this symbol would more normally be used to denote an initial energy, in which case so multiplying by <math>t</math> would be wrong. The second term looks similar to the traditional kinetic energy formula <math>\frac{1}{2}mv^2</math> but with a density instead of the mass. This is then wrong without some accompanying volume term (on either side of the equation). This appears to be a play on the forumula: <math>s = ut + \frac{1}{2}\ at^2</math> where s (distance) travelled in a constantly accelerating environment, is determined by initial velocity (u), time (t) and acceleration (a)<br />
|-<br />
|<math>K_n = \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}\sum_{\pi=0}^{\infty}(n-\pi)(i-e^{\pi-\infty})</math><br />
|All number theory equations<br />
|Taken literally the equation says: "The nth K-number is equal to: for all i in 0 to infinity, for all pi in 0 to infinity; subtract pi from n, and multiply it with i minus e to the power of pi minus infinity". A twofold misconception can be seen here. The first is the reassignment of pi as a variable instead of the constant (3.14...). This might be a jab at how in number theory letters and numbers are used interchangeably, but where some letters are all of a sudden fixed constants. The second misconception is the use of infinity in the latter part of the formula. Naively this would signify that (with the reassigned pi values) the part in the power would range from minus infinity to zero. However, infinity is not a number and cannot be used as one without using a limit construct.<br />
|-<br />
|<math>\frac{\partial}{\partial t}\nabla\cdot \rho = \frac{8}{23}<br />
<br />
\int\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\;\;\bigcirc\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\;\;\int<br />
\rho\,ds\,dt\cdot \rho\frac{\partial}{\partial\nabla}<br />
</math><br />
|All fluid dynamic equations<br />
|Fluid dynamics describes the movement of non-solid material. In particular for gases, the density <math>\rho</math> is often the most interesting quantity (for liquids, this is actually just constant). A unique feature of fluid-dynamic equations is the presence of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advection advection terms], which take the form of often strange-looking spatial derivatives. This equation turns this up to a new level by differentiating with respect to a differential operator <math>\nabla</math>, which does not make any sense at all. Also it has a contour integral which seems reminiscent to a closed-circle process like in a piston engine, but this does not really fit in the context (differential description of a gas), and it has a pair of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_number_(programming) unexplained numbers] <math>8</math> and <math>23</math>, probably alluding to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_capacity_ratio specific heat ratio] which is often written out as the fraction <math>\tfrac{7}{5}</math>, whereas most other physics equations [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/899:_Number_Line avoid including any plain numbers higher than 4].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
|<math>|\psi_{x,y}\rangle = A(\psi) A(|x\rangle \otimes |y\rangle)</math><br />
|All quantum mechanic equations<br />
|This equation takes a state psi in the dimensions of x and y and equates it to an operator A performed on psi multiplied by the same operator performed on the tensor product of x and y. Seeing as the state psi is already the tensor product of the states x and y, this is equivalent to performing the same unknown operator twice on psi, and unless this operator is its own inverse such as a bit-flip or Hermitian operator, this equation is therefore incorrect.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
|<math>\mathrm{CH}_4 + \mathrm{OH} + \mathrm{HEAT} \rightarrow \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} + \mathrm{CH}_2 + \mathrm{H}_2 \mathrm{EAT}</math><br />
|All chemistry equations<br />
| A modification of the combustion of methane. The correct form is often taught and a good example problem but obviously there are more chemistry problems.<math>\mathrm{HEAT}</math> is normally shorthand for {{w|activation energy}}, but in Randall's version it's jokingly used as a chemical ingredient and becomes <math>\mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{EAT}</math>, taking the hydrogen atom freed by the combustion equation shown. To deliver the punchline while maintaining proper stoichiometry, <math>\mathrm{OH}</math> (which should be <math>\mathrm{OH}^-</math>, since the oxygen keeps a free electron when it combines with a single hydrogen) is shown instead of <math>\mathrm{O}_2</math>. The proper methane combustion equation would be: <math>\mathrm{CH}_4 + 2 \mathrm{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} + \mathrm{CO}_2</math><br />
|-<br />
|<math>\mathrm{SU}(2)\mathrm{U}(1) \times \mathrm{SU}(\mathrm{U}(2))</math><br />
|All quantum gravity equations<br />
|This is more similar to experessions which appear in {{w|Grand_Unified_Theory|Grand Unified Theory}} (GUT) than general quantum gravity. Unlike some of the other equations, this one has no interpretation which could make it mathematically correct. This is similar to the notations used to describe the symmetry group of a particular phenomena in terms of mathematical {{w|Lie_Group|Lie Groups}}. A real example would be the Standard Model of particle physics which has symmetry according to <math>\rm{SU(3)\times SU(2) \times U(1)}</math>. Here, <math>\rm{SU}</math> and <math>\rm{U}</math> denote the special unitary and unitary groups respectively with the numbers indicating the dimension of the group. Loosely, the three terms correspond to the symmetries of the strong force, weak force and electromagnetism although the exact correspondence is muddied by symmetry breaking and the Higgs mechanism.<br />
<br />
Of course, an expression missing an "=" sign, is difficult to interpret as an "equation", because equations normally express an "equality" of some kind. Nobody knows whether Randal refers to a horse here (equidae) <br />
<br />
Randall's version clearly involves some similar groups although without the <math>\times</math> symbol it is hard to work out what might be happening. A term like <math>\rm{SU(U(2))}</math> has no current interpretation in mathematics, if anyone thinks otherwise and possibly has a solution to the quantum gravity problem they should probably get in touch with someone about that.<br />
|-<br />
|[[File:All gauge theory equations.png]]<br />
|All gauge theory equations<br />
||This equation looks broadly similar to the sorts of things which appear in gauge theory such as the equations which define {{w|Yang–Mills_theory#Quantization|Yang-Mills Theory}}. By the time physics has got this far in, people have normally run out of regular symbols making a lot of the equations look very daunting. The actual equations in this field rarely go far beyond the Greek alphabet though and no-one has yet to try putting hats on brackets. The appearance of many sub- and superscripts is normal (this links to the group theory origins of these equations) and for the layperson it can be impossible to determine which additions are labels on the symbols and which are indices for an {{w|Einstein_notation|Einstein Sum}}.<br />
<br />
The left-hand side <math>S_g</math> is the symbol for some {{w|Action_(physics)|action}}, in Yang-Mills theory this is actually used for a so-called "ghost action". On the right-hand side we have a large number of terms, most of which are hard to interpret without knowing Randall's thought processes (this is why real research papers should all label their equations thoroughly). The <math>\frac{1}{2\bar{\varepsilon}}</math> looks like a constant of proportionality which often appears in gauge theories. The factor of <math>i = \sqrt{-1}</math> is not unusual as many of these equations use complex numbers. The <math>\eth</math> symbol looks similar to a <math>\partial</math> partial derivative symbol especially as the {{w|Dirac_equation#Covariant_form_and_relativistic_invariance|Dirac Equation}} uses a slashed version as a convenient shorthand. <br />
<br />
The rest of the equation cannot be mathematically correct as the choice of indices used does not match that on the left-hand side (which has none). In particle physics subscripts (or superscripts) of greek letters (usually <math>\mu</math> or <math>\nu</math>) indicate terms which transform nicely under Lorentz transformations (special relativity). Roman indices from the beginning of the alphabet relate to various gauge transformation propetries, the triple index seen on <math>p^{abc}_v</math> would likely come from some <math>\rm{SU(3)}</math> transformation (related to the strong nuclear force). Since <math>S_g</math> has none of these (and is thus a scalar which remains constant under these operations), we would need the right-hand side to behave in the same way. Most of the indices which appear are unpaired and so will not result in a scalar making the equation very wrong. For those not familiar with this type of equation, it is a similar mistake messing up units and setting a distance equal to a mass.<br />
|-<br />
|<math>H(t) + \Omega + G \cdot \Lambda \, \dots \begin{cases} \dots > 0 & \text{(Hubble model)} \\ \dots = 0 & \text{(Flat sphere model)} \\ \dots < 0 & \text{(Bright dark matter model)} \end{cases}<br />
</math><br />
|All cosmology equations<br />
|This is a parody of equations defining the {{w|Hubble's_law#Derivation_of_the_Hubble_parameter|Hubble Parameter}} <math>H(t)</math> although it looks like Randall has become bored and not bothered to finish his equation. Such equations usually have several <math>\Omega</math> terms representing the contributions of different substances to the energy-density of the Universe (matter, radiation, dark energy etc.). In this context <math>G</math> could be Newton's constant and <math>\Lambda</math> is something dark energy related although seeing them appear multiplied and on the same footing as <math>H</math> is unusual (the dot is entirely unnecessary). Choosing to make <math>H</math> a function of time <math>t</math> and not of redshift <math>z</math> is also unusual.<br />
<br />
The second section looks like the inequalities used to show how what shape the Universe, based on the value of the curvature parameter <math>\Omega_k</math>. A value of 0 indicates a flat Universe (this more or less what we observe) whilst a positive /negative value indicates an open /closed curved Universe. Randall's choice of labels further makes fun of the field as both a flat sphere and bright dark matter are oxymoronic terms which would involve some rather strange model universes.<br />
|-<br />
|[[File:All truly deep physics equations.png]]<br />
|All truly deep physics equations<br />
|<math>\hat H</math> is the Hamiltonian operator, which when applied to a system returns the total energy. In this context, U would usually be the potential energy. However, there is also a subscript 0 and a diacritic making indicating some other variable. Much of physics is based on Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. The Lagrangian is defined as <math>\hat L = \hat K - \hat U </math> with K being the kinetic energy and U the potential. Hamiltonian mechanics uses the equation <math>\hat H = \hat K + \hat U </math>. The Hamiltonian must be conserved so taking the time derivative and setting it equal to zero is a powerful tool. The principle of least action says allows most modern physics to be derived by setting the time derivative of the Lagrangian to zero.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Nine equations are listed, three in the top row and two in each of the next three rows. For the bottom equation to the left, there are three equations in one, the part that is different in each equation is given on three lines and a bracket encompassing all three points to three dots indicating the equation continues. Below each equation there are labels:]<br />
<br />
:E = K<sub>0</sub>t + 1/2 pvt<sup>2</sup><br />
:All kinematics equations<br />
<br />
:K<sub>n</sub> = &sum;<sub>i=0</sub><sup>&infin;</sup>&sum;<sub>&pi;=0</sub><sup>&infin;</sup>(n-&pi;)(i-e<sup>&pi;-&infin;</sup>)<br />
:All number theory equations<br />
<br />
:&#x2202;/&#x2202;t &nabla; &sdot; p = 8/23 (&#x222F; &rho; ds dt &sdot; &rho; &#x2202;/&#x2202;&nabla;)<br />
:All fluid dynamic equations<br />
<br />
:|&psi;<sub>x,y</sub>&#x232a; = A(&psi;) A(|x&#x232a;&#x2297; |y&#x232a;)<br />
:All quantum mechanics equations<br />
<br />
:CH<sub>4</sub> + OH + HEAT &rarr; H<sub>2</sub>O + CH<sub>2</sub> + H<sub>2</sub>EAT<br />
:All chemistry equations<br />
<br />
:SU(2)U(1) &times; SU(U(2))<br />
:All quantum gravity equations<br />
<br />
:S<sub>g</sub> = (-1)/(2&epsilon;&#x0304;) i &eth; (&#x302; &xi;<sub>0</sub> +&#x030a; p<sub>&epsilon;</sub> &rho;<sub>v</sub><sup>abc</sup> &eta;<sub>0</sub> )&#x302; f<sub>a</sub><sup>0</sup> &lambda;(3&#x0306;) &psi;(0<sub>a</sub>)<br />
:All gauge theory equations<br />
<br />
:H(t) + &Omega; + G&sdot;&Lambda; ... > 0 (Hubble model) ... = 0 (Flat sphere model) ... < 0 (Bright dark matter model)<br />
:All cosmology equations<br />
<br />
:&#x0124; - u&#x0327;<sub>0</sub> = 0<br />
:All truly deep physics equations<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Physics]]<br />
[[Category:Math]]<br />
[[Category:Chemistry]]<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1985:_Meteorologist&diff=156310Talk:1985: Meteorologist2018-04-26T12:58:45Z<p>Roguetech: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
I’ve wondered about this (from both the math and software development perspectives anyway, not the linguist), so I look forward to seeing some actual answers as the explanation gets filled in :) [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 16:36, 25 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
: The weather service has a [https://www.weather.gov/ffc/pop nice explanation] of this. After reading it you come away understanding that the percentage chance is... still almost impossible to discern :) {{unsigned ip|172.68.189.205}}<br />
<br />
I really liked this one. I don't know why though. [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 17:35, 25 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: Yep - all three of the 'experts' express problems that I have with every single weather forecast. It gets worse though. Our local TV station uses a rotating 3D graphic of downtown Austin where the shadows of the buildings flicker violently as it rotates - they've been doing this for YEARS. I'm a 3D computer graphics professional and I know PRECISELY why that is happening (they are rendering the back-faces of the building polygons in the shadow rendering pass instead of the front-faces...trust me on this one!)...I could fix the bug with ONE LINE OF CODE - and I bet I could find and fix it within 20 minutes if left alone with the source code. But when I call them and BEG to be allowed t...'''SECURITY!!!''' [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 17:36, 25 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
::Hah, that's pretty funny, but understandably frustrating. I rarely watch the weather though... that is why I find it a little strange I liked it so much. Have you actually called them though? I mean, if you have proof to show you are a professional...[[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 12:33, 26 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
; Randall<br />
: wonders about something and puts it in an xkcd comic.<br />
; Explainxkcd participants<br />
: answer Randall's questions for him (and all of his readers).<br />
—[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 20:52, 25 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Am I allowed to be slightly offended by the suggestion that "information being conveyed is to people, who would probably be able to interpret it easily"? Okay, I'm a software engineer, but even if I weren't I'd still not know whether the report system defines "12:00" as "in the period between 12:00 and 13:00" or "between 11:30 and 12:30". I usually wonder, but get so many variants of weather reports exposed to me that I can't be bothered to check which arbitrary decision any given one has made, and whether they all agree. A software engineer might instantly spot the ambiguity, but it affects everyone. [[User:Fluppeteer|Fluppeteer]] ([[User talk:Fluppeteer|talk]]) 23:58, 25 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Clearly, what that sentence is trying to convey is that software developers are no longer considered "people" - since, you know, everyone knows that software developers have actually been replaced by robots. ;p<br />
:I agree that that section is pretty poorly worded (in more ways than one) and was likely written by somebody quickly trying to get as much explanation out as possible so that future people could fix it. So, I'm going to see if I can fix that sentence and the surrounding section. [[User:Jeudi Violist|Jeudi Violist]] ([[User talk:Jeudi Violist|talk]]) 01:40, 26 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
As someone who's asked many questions along these lines, this comic makes me happy. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 01:53, 26 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
There is no such thing as "12 [post meridiem]" - it's literally at meridian. Grammatically, "pm" should be capitalized as an abbreviation. Should this be noted? (The linguist could explain it to the programmer.)[[User:Roguetech|Roguetech]] ([[User talk:Roguetech|talk]]) 12:54, 26 April 2018 (UTC)</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1985:_Meteorologist&diff=156309Talk:1985: Meteorologist2018-04-26T12:54:15Z<p>Roguetech: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
I’ve wondered about this (from both the math and software development perspectives anyway, not the linguist), so I look forward to seeing some actual answers as the explanation gets filled in :) [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 16:36, 25 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
: The weather service has a [https://www.weather.gov/ffc/pop nice explanation] of this. After reading it you come away understanding that the percentage chance is... still almost impossible to discern :) {{unsigned ip|172.68.189.205}}<br />
<br />
I really liked this one. I don't know why though. [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 17:35, 25 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: Yep - all three of the 'experts' express problems that I have with every single weather forecast. It gets worse though. Our local TV station uses a rotating 3D graphic of downtown Austin where the shadows of the buildings flicker violently as it rotates - they've been doing this for YEARS. I'm a 3D computer graphics professional and I know PRECISELY why that is happening (they are rendering the back-faces of the building polygons in the shadow rendering pass instead of the front-faces...trust me on this one!)...I could fix the bug with ONE LINE OF CODE - and I bet I could find and fix it within 20 minutes if left alone with the source code. But when I call them and BEG to be allowed t...'''SECURITY!!!''' [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 17:36, 25 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
::Hah, that's pretty funny, but understandably frustrating. I rarely watch the weather though... that is why I find it a little strange I liked it so much. Have you actually called them though? I mean, if you have proof to show you are a professional...[[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 12:33, 26 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
; Randall<br />
: wonders about something and puts it in an xkcd comic.<br />
; Explainxkcd participants<br />
: answer Randall's questions for him (and all of his readers).<br />
—[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 20:52, 25 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Am I allowed to be slightly offended by the suggestion that "information being conveyed is to people, who would probably be able to interpret it easily"? Okay, I'm a software engineer, but even if I weren't I'd still not know whether the report system defines "12:00" as "in the period between 12:00 and 13:00" or "between 11:30 and 12:30". I usually wonder, but get so many variants of weather reports exposed to me that I can't be bothered to check which arbitrary decision any given one has made, and whether they all agree. A software engineer might instantly spot the ambiguity, but it affects everyone. [[User:Fluppeteer|Fluppeteer]] ([[User talk:Fluppeteer|talk]]) 23:58, 25 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Clearly, what that sentence is trying to convey is that software developers are no longer considered "people" - since, you know, everyone knows that software developers have actually been replaced by robots. ;p<br />
:I agree that that section is pretty poorly worded (in more ways than one) and was likely written by somebody quickly trying to get as much explanation out as possible so that future people could fix it. So, I'm going to see if I can fix that sentence and the surrounding section. [[User:Jeudi Violist|Jeudi Violist]] ([[User talk:Jeudi Violist|talk]]) 01:40, 26 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
As someone who's asked many questions along these lines, this comic makes me happy. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 01:53, 26 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
There is no such thing as "12 [post meridiem]". Grammatically, "pm" should be capitalized as an abbreviation. Should this be noted? (The linguist could explain it to the programmer.)[[User:Roguetech|Roguetech]] ([[User talk:Roguetech|talk]]) 12:54, 26 April 2018 (UTC)</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1985:_Meteorologist&diff=1563081985: Meteorologist2018-04-26T12:50:58Z<p>Roguetech: /* Answering the Comic's Questions */ spelling + changed time formats for consistency</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1985<br />
| date = April 25, 2018<br />
| title = Meteorologist<br />
| image = meteorologist.png<br />
| titletext = Hi, I'm your new meteorologist and a former software developer. Hey, when we say 12pm, does that mean the hour from 12pm to 1pm, or the hour centered on 12pm? Or is it a snapshot at 12:00 exactly? Because our 24-hour forecast has midnight at both ends, and I'm worried we have an off-by-one error.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an OVERLY ANALYTICAL METEOROLOGIST. More on Cueballs 2nd panel. More on Blondie's linguistics. Explanation for {{w|dummy pronoun}}. Title text: What is "an {{w|off-by-one error}}"?. Wiki links. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Although we’re constantly exposed to them, many (most?) people don’t understand the details of how to properly interpret weather forecasts. This comic takes this to the ridiculous extreme of the weather reporters themselves not understanding, and asking questions about it while on-air. It shows questions asked by three different people with different backgrounds: mathematics, linguistics, and (in the title text) software development. In addition, many terms and numbers used by weather forecasters have very technical definitions and usages; however, because they are used so commonly (whenever someone tells us the weather), it is easy to assume we understand what it means. This comic also points at this fact by asking clarifying questions about subjects that meteorologists know but the average person doesn't (such as the definition of "scattered showers" and how it's determined, what a "chance of rain" means, and so on).<br />
<br />
The first meteorologist, [[Cueball]], has a background in pure math. His forecast states that each of the next five hours has a 20% chance of rain. It could be that rain was certain, but it would only last about an hour and will come within the next five hours. That would give 20% for rain in each hour but certainty of rain within those hours. This corresponds to his last question in the first panel. <br />
<br />
But before that he focuses on probability when he asks if each hour is independent or correlated. If each hour were independent, there would have been a 67.232% chance to rain at least once. However, if the hours had been correlated, the chance would be less, since if it didn't rain in the first hour, it would decrease the chance of rain in the next hours. However, it would make it more likely of raining in all 5 hours, as it would be a .032% chance if it wasn't correlated. But if it was correlated, rain in the first hour would make it more likely to rain in the subsequent hours.<br />
<br />
In the second panel he continues to discuss what scattered showers means. Like most of the other weather terms in this comic, the term "scattered showers" is one whose technical definition is largely unknown but appears simple enough that most people would assume they understand what it means. "Scattered" refers to when the rain covers roughly 30% to 50% of the area. To somebody who doesn't know this, like the first meteorologist, there's still the very valid question of how likely it is to rain in a specific spot, and how this is affected by the previous chance of rain. Not to mention, the percentage that defines "scattered showers" implicitly assumes a surface area that is accounted into the percent. Cueball rightly asks clarification on how large the location used to determine "scattered showers" is.<br />
<br />
Finally in that panel Cueball begins to explain that he has asked the management about these things, but that they have stopped replying to his e-mails. At this point he spots the security guy coming over, and the screen goes black in to a technical difficulty screen that excuses this behavior to the viewers.<br />
<br />
Questioning these things on air is likely confusing to the watchers, although they are all valid questions. But this may lose viewers and the news network is afraid of this. The technical difficulty panel further cements this, apologizing for hiring a person with a pure math background. Often seen as one that do not understand how to talk to regular people.<br />
<br />
When they get back on air gain a new meteorologist, [[Blondie]], steps in. The management enquires (on air) to make sure she is not also a mathematician. She states no, but tells that she has a linguistics degree, which the management thinks is fine, and thus believes they have prevented the problem with Cueball. However, this proves to be in vain, as Blondie goes into a tangent once more but from a linguistics standpoint, rather than a mathematical one, detailing the true meaning of the word "it" as referring to the weather. After one panel of this the management calls for security again.<br />
<br />
In the title text, the news station has made the same error again, by this time hiring a software developer as the third meteorologist. This last person is stating concerns about the feasibility of the time system used to correlate to the weather patterns. Because it appears simple, many people would simply assume they understand what is being said when a meteorologist talks about "12pm" or "1pm". However, because software developers frequently have to deal with things such as specifying exactly what time-label means what, the new meteorologist begins to wonder what time period is actually meant on a per-hour forecast. On such an hour forecast does 12pm refer to the hour from 12 to 1pm, from 11:30 to 12:30 or is it actually only to the weather precisely at 12:00 that is referred to? The software developer also worries about an off-by-one error, which is a common error in software development: when counting by 24 once every set period (for example), it is common to forget whether the count should stop at 23 or at 24, especially if the number 0 (midnight) is included. In the 24-hour forecast, that means there's 25 hours represented every day, and the software developer worries that these 25 hours might add up and, every progressive day, the forecast is one more hour off.<br />
<br />
Of course it should be pointed out that hiring someone without any meteorological training to read the weather does not make them an actual meteorologist, no more than say hiring a bricklayer as a doctor would actually make them a real doctor.<br />
<br />
== Answering the Comic's Questions ==<br />
<br />
Management would certainly answer the mathematician's questions! The questions themselves have been asked of meteorologists before, and NOAA has published relevant answers for [https://www.weather.gov/ffc/pop probability of precipitation], as well as [https://www.weather.gov/bgm/forecast_terms timing and the meanings of particular forecast words]. The naming is also addressed [https://www.weather.gov/media/ajk/brochures/ConvectivevsStratiform.pdf here].<br />
<br />
Regarding probability of precipitation, NOAA forecasts give the probability that it will rain at all at any given point in an area. To rephrase it, it is the probability of rain occurring '''at all''' within a forecast area, multiplied by the percentage of area affected by the rain. The "forecast area" is a clearly defined area of land and can be seen in the map of any official National Weather Service forecast. [https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=34.0732&lon=-118.3963 Here is an example].<br />
<br />
Regarding the timing of the forecast, an hourly forecast gives the probability for each particular hour, stretching from the time listed to right before the next hour listed. So, the forecast for noon describes the time period from noon to 1pm. The forecasts for individual hours can be correlated; for this reason, the NOAA generates forecasts that stretch over longer time periods, giving a useful estimate for that time range. Thus, the chance of rain for "Today" specifically means: what is the chance of it raining at any given location during any time between 6am and 6pm?<br />
<br />
Regarding phrases like "scattered showers", this specifically means a 25-54% probability of precipitation from convective cloud sources. Other phrases, and when they are used, are detailed in [https://www.weather.gov/media/ajk/brochures/ConvectivevsStratiform.pdf the chart at the end of this PDF].<br />
<br />
So, to conclude:<br />
<br />
* "How likely is it to rain this afternoon?" We don't know, you need to show the 12pm to 6pm forecast, not the hourly.<br />
* "Is each hour independent? Correlated?" Hourly values are given for that hour only. They can be correlated, hence why they can't be used to calculate the answer to "How likely is it to rain this afternoon?"<br />
* "Is rain guaranteed and we're just unsure of the timing?" It's not guaranteed for any individual spot or time. It's still probabilistic.<br />
* "It says 'scattered showers.' Is this the chance of rain '''somewhere''' in your area?" Yes, it is, and it means the the rain will come from convective cloud sources with a probability of precipitation somewhere between 25 and 54%.<br />
* "How big is your area?" It's detailed in the forecast the mathematician would be reading from.<br />
* "What if you have two locations you're worried about?" You would check two separate forecasts, one for each area.<br />
* "Hey, when we say 12pm, does that mean the hour from 12pm to 1pm, or the hour centered on 12pm? Or is it a snapshot at 12:00 exactly?" It means the hour from noon to 1:59pm.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
:[Cueball is presenting a weather forecast while seated with his arms resting on a table. The graphic to the left of Cueball shows five hours from 12pm to 4pm, each with a rainy cloud icon and the figure 20%. The "News 4 Weather" logo is shown on the bottom left.]<br />
:Cueball: Our forecast says there's a 20% chance of rain for each of the next five hours.<br />
:Cueball: How likely is it to rain this afternoon? It's a simple question, but I don't know the answer. Is each hour independent? Correlated? Or is rain guaranteed and we're just unsure of the timing?<br />
<br />
:Cueball: It says "scattered showers." Is this the chance of rain '''''somewhere''''' in your area? How big is your area? What if you have two locations you're worried about?<br />
:Cueball: I've asked management, but they've stopped answering my emails, so—hang on, the security guy is coming over.<br />
<br />
:[A black screen is shown with white text:]<br />
:''Technical Difficulties''<br />
:—<br />
:''We apologize for hiring a meteorologist with a pure math background.''<br />
:—<br />
:''We'll be back on the air shortly.''<br />
:<br />
:News 4<br />
<br />
:[Cueball is replaced with Blondie.]<br />
:Blondie: Sorry about that. Hi, I'm your new meteorologist.<br />
:Off-panel voice: And you're not a mathematician, right?<br />
:Blondie: No. I do have a linguistics degree.<br />
:Off-panel voice: That's fine.<br />
<br />
:Blondie: It might rain this afternoon.<br />
:Blondie: But what is "it" here? Is it a true dummy pronoun, as in the phrase "It's too bad?" Or is the weather an entity?<br />
:Blondie: Also, what if I say, "It's hot out, and getting bigger?"<br />
:Off-panel voice: Security!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]<br />
[[Category:News anchor]]</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1985:_Meteorologist&diff=1563031985: Meteorologist2018-04-26T12:42:59Z<p>Roguetech: wonder wonder</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1985<br />
| date = April 25, 2018<br />
| title = Meteorologist<br />
| image = meteorologist.png<br />
| titletext = Hi, I'm your new meteorologist and a former software developer. Hey, when we say 12pm, does that mean the hour from 12pm to 1pm, or the hour centered on 12pm? Or is it a snapshot at 12:00 exactly? Because our 24-hour forecast has midnight at both ends, and I'm worried we have an off-by-one error.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an OVERLY ANALYTICAL METEOROLOGIST. More on Cueballs 2nd panel. More on Blondie's linguistics. Explanation for {{w|dummy pronoun}}. Title text: What is "an {{w|off-by-one error}}"?. Wiki links. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Although we’re constantly exposed to them, many (most?) people don’t understand the details of how to properly interpret weather forecasts. This comic takes this to the ridiculous extreme of the weather reporters themselves not understanding, and asking questions about it while on-air. It shows questions asked by three different people with different backgrounds: mathematics, linguistics, and (in the title text) software development. In addition, many terms and numbers used by weather forecasters have very technical definitions and usages; however, because they are used so commonly (whenever someone tells us the weather), it is easy to assume we understand what it means. This comic also points at this fact by asking clarifying questions about subjects that meteorologists know but the average person doesn't (such as the definition of "scattered showers" and how it's determined, what a "chance of rain" means, and so on).<br />
<br />
The first meteorologist, [[Cueball]], has a background in pure math. His forecast states that each of the next five hours has a 20% chance of rain. It could be that rain was certain, but it would only last about an hour and will come within the next five hours. That would give 20% for rain in each hour but certainty of rain within those hours. This corresponds to his last question in the first panel. <br />
<br />
But before that he focuses on probability when he asks if each hour is independent or correlated. If each hour were independent, there would have been a 67.232% chance to rain at least once. However, if the hours had been correlated, the chance would be less, since if it didn't rain in the first hour, it would decrease the chance of rain in the next hours. However, it would make it more likely of raining in all 5 hours, as it would be a .032% chance if it wasn't correlated. But if it was correlated, rain in the first hour would make it more likely to rain in the subsequent hours.<br />
<br />
In the second panel he continues to discuss what scattered showers means. Like most of the other weather terms in this comic, the term "scattered showers" is one whose technical definition is largely unknown but appears simple enough that most people would assume they understand what it means. "Scattered" refers to when the rain covers roughly 30% to 50% of the area. To somebody who doesn't know this, like the first meteorologist, there's still the very valid question of how likely it is to rain in a specific spot, and how this is affected by the previous chance of rain. Not to mention, the percentage that defines "scattered showers" implicitly assumes a surface area that is accounted into the percent. Cueball rightly asks clarification on how large the location used to determine "scattered showers" is.<br />
<br />
Finally in that panel Cueball begins to explain that he has asked the management about these things, but that they have stopped replying to his e-mails. At this point he spots the security guy coming over, and the screen goes black in to a technical difficulty screen that excuses this behavior to the viewers.<br />
<br />
Questioning these things on air is likely confusing to the watchers, although they are all valid questions. But this may lose viewers and the news network is afraid of this. The technical difficulty panel further cements this, apologizing for hiring a person with a pure math background. Often seen as one that do not understand how to talk to regular people.<br />
<br />
When they get back on air gain a new meteorologist, [[Blondie]], steps in. The management enquires (on air) to make sure she is not also a mathematician. She states no, but tells that she has a linguistics degree, which the management thinks is fine, and thus believes they have prevented the problem with Cueball. However, this proves to be in vain, as Blondie goes into a tangent once more but from a linguistics standpoint, rather than a mathematical one, detailing the true meaning of the word "it" as referring to the weather. After one panel of this the management calls for security again.<br />
<br />
In the title text, the news station has made the same error again, by this time hiring a software developer as the third meteorologist. This last person is stating concerns about the feasibility of the time system used to correlate to the weather patterns. Because it appears simple, many people would simply assume they understand what is being said when a meteorologist talks about "12pm" or "1pm". However, because software developers frequently have to deal with things such as specifying exactly what time-label means what, the new meteorologist begins to wonder what time period is actually meant on a per-hour forecast. On such an hour forecast does 12pm refer to the hour from 12 to 1pm, from 11:30 to 12:30 or is it actually only to the weather precisely at 12:00 that is referred to? The software developer also worries about an off-by-one error, which is a common error in software development: when counting by 24 once every set period (for example), it is common to forget whether the count should stop at 23 or at 24, especially if the number 0 (midnight) is included. In the 24-hour forecast, that means there's 25 hours represented every day, and the software developer worries that these 25 hours might add up and, every progressive day, the forecast is one more hour off.<br />
<br />
Of course it should be pointed out that hiring someone without any meteorological training to read the weather does not make them an actual meteorologist, no more than say hiring a bricklayer as a doctor would actually make them a real doctor.<br />
<br />
== Answering the Comic's Questions ==<br />
<br />
Management would certainly answer the mathematician's questions! The questions themselves have been asked of meteorologists before, and NOAA has published relevant answers for [https://www.weather.gov/ffc/pop probability of precipitation], as well as [https://www.weather.gov/bgm/forecast_terms timing and the meanings of particular forecast words]. The naming is also addressed [https://www.weather.gov/media/ajk/brochures/ConvectivevsStratiform.pdf here].<br />
<br />
Regarding probability of precipitation, NOAA forecasts give the probability that it will rain at all at any given point in an area. To rephrase it, it is the probability of rain occurring '''at all''' within a forecast area, multiplied by the percentage of area affected by the rain. The "forecast area" is a clearly defined area of land and can be seen in the map of any official National Weather Service forecast. [https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=34.0732&lon=-118.3963 Here is an example].<br />
<br />
Regarding the timing of the forecast, an hourly forecast gives the probability for each particular hour, stretching from the time listed to right before the next hour listed. So, the forecast for 12 PM describes the time period from 12 PM to 1 PM. The forecasts for individual hours can be correlated; for this reason, the NOAA generates forecasts that stretch over longer time periods, giving a useful estimate for that time range. Thus, the chance of rain for "Today" specifically means: what is the chance of it raining at any given location during any time between 6 AM and 6 PM?<br />
<br />
Regarding phrases like "scattered showers", this specifically means a 25-54% probability of precipitation from convective cloud sources. Other phrases, and when they are used, are detailed in [https://www.weather.gov/media/ajk/brochures/ConvectivevsStratiform.pdf the chart at the end of this PDF].<br />
<br />
So, to conclude:<br />
<br />
* "How likely is it to rain this afternoon?" We don't know, you need to show the 12 PM - 6 PM forecast, not the hourly.<br />
* "Is each hour independant? Correlated?" Hourly values are given for that hour only. They can be correlated, hence why they can't be used to calculate the answer to "How likely is it to rain this afternoon?"<br />
* "Is rain guaranteed and we're just unsure of the timing?" It's not guaranteed for any individual spot or time. It's still probabilistic.<br />
* "It says 'scattered showers.' Is this the chance of rain '''somewhere''' in your area?" Yes, it is, and it means the the rain will come from convective cloud sources with a probability of precipitation somewhere between 25 and 54%.<br />
* "How big is your area?" It's detailed in the forecast the mathematician would be reading from.<br />
* "What if you have two locations you're worried about?" You would check two separate forecasts, one for each area.<br />
* "Hey, when we say 12pm, does that mean the hour from 12pm to 1pm, or the hour centered on 12pm? Or is it a snapshot at 12:00 exactly?" It means the hour from 12pm to 1pm.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
:[Cueball is presenting a weather forecast while seated with his arms resting on a table. The graphic to the left of Cueball shows five hours from 12pm to 4pm, each with a rainy cloud icon and the figure 20%. The "News 4 Weather" logo is shown on the bottom left.]<br />
:Cueball: Our forecast says there's a 20% chance of rain for each of the next five hours.<br />
:Cueball: How likely is it to rain this afternoon? It's a simple question, but I don't know the answer. Is each hour independent? Correlated? Or is rain guaranteed and we're just unsure of the timing?<br />
<br />
:Cueball: It says "scattered showers." Is this the chance of rain '''''somewhere''''' in your area? How big is your area? What if you have two locations you're worried about?<br />
:Cueball: I've asked management, but they've stopped answering my emails, so—hang on, the security guy is coming over.<br />
<br />
:[A black screen is shown with white text:]<br />
:''Technical Difficulties''<br />
:—<br />
:''We apologize for hiring a meteorologist with a pure math background.''<br />
:—<br />
:''We'll be back on the air shortly.''<br />
:<br />
:News 4<br />
<br />
:[Cueball is replaced with Blondie.]<br />
:Blondie: Sorry about that. Hi, I'm your new meteorologist.<br />
:Off-panel voice: And you're not a mathematician, right?<br />
:Blondie: No. I do have a linguistics degree.<br />
:Off-panel voice: That's fine.<br />
<br />
:Blondie: It might rain this afternoon.<br />
:Blondie: But what is "it" here? Is it a true dummy pronoun, as in the phrase "It's too bad?" Or is the weather an entity?<br />
:Blondie: Also, what if I say, "It's hot out, and getting bigger?"<br />
:Off-panel voice: Security!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]<br />
[[Category:News anchor]]</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1982:_Evangelism&diff=156079Talk:1982: Evangelism2018-04-20T12:38:23Z<p>Roguetech: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
I want to know where vi vs. emacs fits on this spectrum. <br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.53|108.162.238.53]] 15:12, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I use vi by virtue of the fact that it once opened on my computer and I don't know how to close it [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.76|108.162.219.76]] 15:20, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
When you say people open bananas from the other side, which side is the proper side and which is the other? I open from the proper side, not the side with the stem (just like the monkeys taught us) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.76|108.162.219.76]] 15:20, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Why are you being taught by monkeys? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.28|108.162.219.28]] 22:43, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Since the stem makes for a natural handle to peel from, it's the intuitive side from which to peel. Which makes it the "proper" side for that part of the discussion here. :) At one point I saw a thing say "Just check out videos of monkeys eating bananas", only videos I found showed monkeys mashing the banana out of the peel, LOL! (for reference though, I've been opening bananas from the non-stem end for months, it feels like the peel breaks apart easier). [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 03:36, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Also, by opening it away from the stem you can hold the banana from the stem while eating it [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.76|108.162.219.76]] 12:16, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The title text seems to be a reference to the big-endian/little-endian war in "Gulliver's Travels".[[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:04, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
And 3 miles to the right of the banana conflict is "iPhone vs. Android" [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 17:07, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:What about tabs vs spaces? It somehow feels like a lot of popular and appropriate conflicts and opinions were left out. Another example of high evangelism intensity is people who eat kiwis whole. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.58|162.158.134.58]] 09:00, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I ''LOVE'' the "Pun Intended" tag. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.28|108.162.219.28]] 22:43, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I suggest we use the metric system, and keep Fahrenheit, but modify it so "0" is room temperature. So a positive temp is usually warm, and vice versa. [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 02:11, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The day this comic was posted was Banana day (https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/banana-day/). I noticed because a popular radio station in my area has a recurring segment talking about "What day" it is, obviously they also talked about the "other end" factoid yesterday. I'm not sure who came up with this "day", but daysoftheyear.com may have been an inspiration for the comic. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.151|162.158.111.151]]<br />
<br />
The following paragraph was in the article:<br />
“Due to the fact that these issues have a more trivial impact on life, evangelists may become more frustrated when people refuse to adopt these ‘simple’ changes and therefore argue more strongly for them.”<br />
I removed it because an increase in frustration from unsuccessful convincement does not follow from the triviality of the issues. However, I note this here because the writer (or someone else) may be able to extract a more coherent thought from this. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.26.71|172.68.26.71]] 16:15, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
'''The CAPTCHA system for this page (and presumably others) is broken. If I'm not logged in it says reCAPTCHA V1 IS SHUTDOWN" and to tells someone about it...which is what I'm doing right now. Weirdly (or perhaps not!), typing "reCAPTCHA v1 IS SHUTDOWN" into the text entry box works just fine!''' [[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.179|172.69.70.179]] 18:24, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm sceptical that people actually aggressively promote their ideas in this order, which the comic explanation takes at face value. I want citations, and I want the number of TV station dedicated to promoting each belief taken into account. I say only National Geographic has the banana thing. Thnks for the reCAPTCHA tip. I think it's not broken but closed. Robert Carnegie rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.49|162.158.154.49]] 00:52, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm greatly amused by the fact that I tried opening bananas from the other end several months ago, have been doing it ever since (it actually opens easier, the bonds in the peel are far weaker down there, like it's waiting for it), yet I've told almost nobody about it. LOL! Then I got irritated at the Fahrenheit vs. Celsius thing. :) F allows smaller measurements without decimals? I grew up with Celsius, and I've never seen decimals except in scientific context. If I hear a summer day is 23, 24, 25, 26 Celsius, it's all about the same, mid-20s is as precise as anybody needs to know. If I hear it's 24 and it's actually 25, I won't even know. 1 degree is plenty of precision. Honestly, this whole idea of F being based on how things feel just seems horribly vague and imprecise. Celsius having 0 be the freezing temperature of water and 100 being the boiling temperature just feels scientific. Nice solid basis. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 03:31, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
: Oh, sure, play the reasonable non-fanatic. Leftist! According to the strip anyway. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.220|108.162.216.220]] 05:22, 20 April 2018 (UTC) Gene Wirchenko genew@telus.net<br />
:: But he is sooo right (not left ;-). Come one now US, start using the same system as the rest of us. And to those from the UK start driving on the RIGHT side of the road! as well as also using the metric system in daily life, not just in principle (I had a pint, a mile down the road, sitting on a four feet stool) :p --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:15, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
Arguing that people should buy all one type of sock is a no-brainer. It's far cheaper and easier. It saves a HUGE amount of time! Everyone should do it. But telling people that isn't evangelism. It's like arguing that iPhones suck, the Kia Sol is ugly or the dress is blue. It's just common sense, and anyone who disagrees can just suck it, and spend all their time folding socks. [[User:Roguetech|Roguetech]] ([[User talk:Roguetech|talk]]) 12:36, 20 April 2018 (UTC)</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1982:_Evangelism&diff=156078Talk:1982: Evangelism2018-04-20T12:37:18Z<p>Roguetech: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
I want to know where vi vs. emacs fits on this spectrum. <br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.53|108.162.238.53]] 15:12, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I use vi by virtue of the fact that it once opened on my computer and I don't know how to close it [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.76|108.162.219.76]] 15:20, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
When you say people open bananas from the other side, which side is the proper side and which is the other? I open from the proper side, not the side with the stem (just like the monkeys taught us) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.76|108.162.219.76]] 15:20, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Why are you being taught by monkeys? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.28|108.162.219.28]] 22:43, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Since the stem makes for a natural handle to peel from, it's the intuitive side from which to peel. Which makes it the "proper" side for that part of the discussion here. :) At one point I saw a thing say "Just check out videos of monkeys eating bananas", only videos I found showed monkeys mashing the banana out of the peel, LOL! (for reference though, I've been opening bananas from the non-stem end for months, it feels like the peel breaks apart easier). [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 03:36, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Also, by opening it away from the stem you can hold the banana from the stem while eating it [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.76|108.162.219.76]] 12:16, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The title text seems to be a reference to the big-endian/little-endian war in "Gulliver's Travels".[[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:04, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
And 3 miles to the right of the banana conflict is "iPhone vs. Android" [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 17:07, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:What about tabs vs spaces? It somehow feels like a lot of popular and appropriate conflicts and opinions were left out. Another example of high evangelism intensity is people who eat kiwis whole. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.58|162.158.134.58]] 09:00, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I ''LOVE'' the "Pun Intended" tag. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.28|108.162.219.28]] 22:43, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I suggest we use the metric system, and keep Fahrenheit, but modify it so "0" is room temperature. So a positive temp is usually warm, and vice versa. [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 02:11, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The day this comic was posted was Banana day (https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/banana-day/). I noticed because a popular radio station in my area has a recurring segment talking about "What day" it is, obviously they also talked about the "other end" factoid yesterday. I'm not sure who came up with this "day", but daysoftheyear.com may have been an inspiration for the comic. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.151|162.158.111.151]]<br />
<br />
The following paragraph was in the article:<br />
“Due to the fact that these issues have a more trivial impact on life, evangelists may become more frustrated when people refuse to adopt these ‘simple’ changes and therefore argue more strongly for them.”<br />
I removed it because an increase in frustration from unsuccessful convincement does not follow from the triviality of the issues. However, I note this here because the writer (or someone else) may be able to extract a more coherent thought from this. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.26.71|172.68.26.71]] 16:15, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
'''The CAPTCHA system for this page (and presumably others) is broken. If I'm not logged in it says reCAPTCHA V1 IS SHUTDOWN" and to tells someone about it...which is what I'm doing right now. Weirdly (or perhaps not!), typing "reCAPTCHA v1 IS SHUTDOWN" into the text entry box works just fine!''' [[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.179|172.69.70.179]] 18:24, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm sceptical that people actually aggressively promote their ideas in this order, which the comic explanation takes at face value. I want citations, and I want the number of TV station dedicated to promoting each belief taken into account. I say only National Geographic has the banana thing. Thnks for the reCAPTCHA tip. I think it's not broken but closed. Robert Carnegie rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.49|162.158.154.49]] 00:52, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm greatly amused by the fact that I tried opening bananas from the other end several months ago, have been doing it ever since (it actually opens easier, the bonds in the peel are far weaker down there, like it's waiting for it), yet I've told almost nobody about it. LOL! Then I got irritated at the Fahrenheit vs. Celsius thing. :) F allows smaller measurements without decimals? I grew up with Celsius, and I've never seen decimals except in scientific context. If I hear a summer day is 23, 24, 25, 26 Celsius, it's all about the same, mid-20s is as precise as anybody needs to know. If I hear it's 24 and it's actually 25, I won't even know. 1 degree is plenty of precision. Honestly, this whole idea of F being based on how things feel just seems horribly vague and imprecise. Celsius having 0 be the freezing temperature of water and 100 being the boiling temperature just feels scientific. Nice solid basis. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 03:31, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
: Oh, sure, play the reasonable non-fanatic. Leftist! According to the strip anyway. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.220|108.162.216.220]] 05:22, 20 April 2018 (UTC) Gene Wirchenko genew@telus.net<br />
:: But he is sooo right (not left ;-). Come one now US, start using the same system as the rest of us. And to those from the UK start driving on the RIGHT side of the road! as well as also using the metric system in daily life, not just in principle (I had a pint, a mile down the road, sitting on a four feet stool) :p --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:15, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
Arguing that people should buy all one type of sock is a no-brainer. It's far cheaper and easier. It saves a HUGE amount of time! Everyone should do it. But telling people that isn't evangelism. It's like arguing that iPhones suck, the Kia Sol is ugly or the dress is blue. It's just common sense. [[User:Roguetech|Roguetech]] ([[User talk:Roguetech|talk]]) 12:36, 20 April 2018 (UTC)</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1982:_Evangelism&diff=156077Talk:1982: Evangelism2018-04-20T12:36:44Z<p>Roguetech: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
I want to know where vi vs. emacs fits on this spectrum. <br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.53|108.162.238.53]] 15:12, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I use vi by virtue of the fact that it once opened on my computer and I don't know how to close it [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.76|108.162.219.76]] 15:20, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
When you say people open bananas from the other side, which side is the proper side and which is the other? I open from the proper side, not the side with the stem (just like the monkeys taught us) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.76|108.162.219.76]] 15:20, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Why are you being taught by monkeys? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.28|108.162.219.28]] 22:43, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Since the stem makes for a natural handle to peel from, it's the intuitive side from which to peel. Which makes it the "proper" side for that part of the discussion here. :) At one point I saw a thing say "Just check out videos of monkeys eating bananas", only videos I found showed monkeys mashing the banana out of the peel, LOL! (for reference though, I've been opening bananas from the non-stem end for months, it feels like the peel breaks apart easier). [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 03:36, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Also, by opening it away from the stem you can hold the banana from the stem while eating it [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.76|108.162.219.76]] 12:16, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The title text seems to be a reference to the big-endian/little-endian war in "Gulliver's Travels".[[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:04, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
And 3 miles to the right of the banana conflict is "iPhone vs. Android" [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 17:07, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
:What about tabs vs spaces? It somehow feels like a lot of popular and appropriate conflicts and opinions were left out. Another example of high evangelism intensity is people who eat kiwis whole. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.58|162.158.134.58]] 09:00, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I ''LOVE'' the "Pun Intended" tag. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.28|108.162.219.28]] 22:43, 18 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I suggest we use the metric system, and keep Fahrenheit, but modify it so "0" is room temperature. So a positive temp is usually warm, and vice versa. [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 02:11, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The day this comic was posted was Banana day (https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/banana-day/). I noticed because a popular radio station in my area has a recurring segment talking about "What day" it is, obviously they also talked about the "other end" factoid yesterday. I'm not sure who came up with this "day", but daysoftheyear.com may have been an inspiration for the comic. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.151|162.158.111.151]]<br />
<br />
The following paragraph was in the article:<br />
“Due to the fact that these issues have a more trivial impact on life, evangelists may become more frustrated when people refuse to adopt these ‘simple’ changes and therefore argue more strongly for them.”<br />
I removed it because an increase in frustration from unsuccessful convincement does not follow from the triviality of the issues. However, I note this here because the writer (or someone else) may be able to extract a more coherent thought from this. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.26.71|172.68.26.71]] 16:15, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
'''The CAPTCHA system for this page (and presumably others) is broken. If I'm not logged in it says reCAPTCHA V1 IS SHUTDOWN" and to tells someone about it...which is what I'm doing right now. Weirdly (or perhaps not!), typing "reCAPTCHA v1 IS SHUTDOWN" into the text entry box works just fine!''' [[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.179|172.69.70.179]] 18:24, 19 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm sceptical that people actually aggressively promote their ideas in this order, which the comic explanation takes at face value. I want citations, and I want the number of TV station dedicated to promoting each belief taken into account. I say only National Geographic has the banana thing. Thnks for the reCAPTCHA tip. I think it's not broken but closed. Robert Carnegie rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.49|162.158.154.49]] 00:52, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm greatly amused by the fact that I tried opening bananas from the other end several months ago, have been doing it ever since (it actually opens easier, the bonds in the peel are far weaker down there, like it's waiting for it), yet I've told almost nobody about it. LOL! Then I got irritated at the Fahrenheit vs. Celsius thing. :) F allows smaller measurements without decimals? I grew up with Celsius, and I've never seen decimals except in scientific context. If I hear a summer day is 23, 24, 25, 26 Celsius, it's all about the same, mid-20s is as precise as anybody needs to know. If I hear it's 24 and it's actually 25, I won't even know. 1 degree is plenty of precision. Honestly, this whole idea of F being based on how things feel just seems horribly vague and imprecise. Celsius having 0 be the freezing temperature of water and 100 being the boiling temperature just feels scientific. Nice solid basis. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 03:31, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
: Oh, sure, play the reasonable non-fanatic. Leftist! According to the strip anyway. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.220|108.162.216.220]] 05:22, 20 April 2018 (UTC) Gene Wirchenko genew@telus.net<br />
:: But he is sooo right (not left ;-). Come one now US, start using the same system as the rest of us. And to those from the UK start driving on the RIGHT side of the road! as well as also using the metric system in daily life, not just in principle (I had a pint, a mile down the road, sitting on a four feet stool) :p --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:15, 20 April 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
Arguing that people should buy all one type of sock is a no-brainer. That's not . It's just cheaper and easier. It saves a HUGE amount of time! Everyone should do it. But telling people that isn't evangelism. It's like arguing that iPhones suck, the Kia Sol is ugly or the dress is blue. It's just common sense. [[User:Roguetech|Roguetech]] ([[User talk:Roguetech|talk]]) 12:36, 20 April 2018 (UTC)</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1982:_Evangelism&diff=1560761982: Evangelism2018-04-20T12:29:18Z<p>Roguetech: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1982<br />
| date = April 18, 2018<br />
| title = Evangelism<br />
| image = evangelism.png<br />
| titletext = The wars between the "OTHER PRIMATES OPEN THEM FROM THE SMALL END" faction versus the "BUT THE LITTLE BIT OF BANANA AT THE SMALL END IS GROSS" faction consumed Europe for generations.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Need a citation for primates opening bananas from the “other end”. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{w|Evangelism}}, in {{w|Christianity}}, is the commitment to or act of publicly preaching of the {{w|Gospel}} with the intention of spreading the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is famously done door-to-door by the {{w|Jehovah’s Witnesses}}, for whom this practice, called “field ministry”, is paramount.<br />
<br />
“Evangelism” is also defined as any zealous advocacy for a cause, religious or not. In this comic, [[Randall]] presents a line plot where causes are listed, in increasing order, by the intensity of the evangelism of their advocates. The first punchline is that religious proselytizers, unexpectedly{{Citation needed}} are much less intense than advocates for such things as opening bananas from the other end—which is also the subject of the title text. The comic’s release date on April 18th, is likely correlated with this days assignment as the official [https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/banana-day/ “Banana Day”] in the US. (Hoverer, at the time of release of this comic, this day was not mentioned on the Wikipedia {{w|List_of_food_days#United_States|list of food days in the US}}).<br />
<br />
As the graph moves from left to right, the issues at stake have less and less impact on the life of someone who “converts”, but the intensity and fervor of those spreading the cause increases. This is counterintuitive, which is the joke.<br />
<br />
Below, each of the points on the chart, as well as the title text, is discussed.<br />
<br />
;''Religious proselytizers''<br />
{{w|Proselytism|Religious proselytizers}} are the best known evangelists, and the term “evangelism” originally applied only to them. Christian faith remains roughly as popular as ever, but Christian ''evangelism'' has become less common and less accepted in the public sphere in recent decades, and often only practiced in specific venues. Randall contrasts them in this strip with four other groups which he finds to be more intense in their “evangelism”.<br />
<br />
;''People who want the US to switch to metric'' <br />
Unlike most of the world, the US uses {{w|United States Customary Units|US customary units}} instead of {{w|metric units}}. Some people wish for this to change.<br />
<br />
Randall has made a conversion chart for helping US people with the confusing metric units: [[526: Converting to Metric]].<br />
<br />
;''People who want the US to switch to metric but keep Fahrenheit''<br />
Pro-metric people who wish to keep the {{w|Fahrenheit}} scale rather than change to {{w|Celsius}} are ranked as slightly more evangelic. A common argument for keeping the Fahrenheit scale is due to 0°F equating to “really cold” and 100°F to “really hot” when talking about weather. Fahrenheit also has smaller degrees than Celsius, so temperatures can be cited more precisely without the need to include fractional degrees. This also gives Fahrenheit the advantage that “decades” of temperatures are more useful as in saying the weather is in the 40s or the 70s, for instance. Because the Celsius degree is larger, the range of temperatures within any decade is wider and saying the temperature is in the 10s may not be as useful as it is a wider range of temperatures, compared to Fahrenheit. <br />
<br />
To many people, making the shift only partially may immediately seem very silly—and yet the people arguing for this are even more ardent than those that wish to shift entirely, perhaps precisely because of this immediate strangeness. Also, if someone is being an SI purist, supporting a full shift to SI units, one could argue they should be advocating a switch to {{w|Kelvin}} as the unit of thermodynamic temperature, even though Celsius has the status of an {{w|SI derived unit}}.<br />
<br />
Fahrenheit versus Celsius has been the topic of [[1643: Degrees]] and [[1923: Felsius]].<br />
<br />
;''People who threw away their socks and bought all one kind''<br />
The reason to do such a thing would be that any two socks in your drawer will match, saving time since they don't need to be matched or rolled/folded. It also reduces the likelihood of ending up with an unmatched sock—or a whole stack of them—in your drawer. This is a problem that [http://www.techtimes.com/articles/154000/20160427/science-reveals-why-you-always-lose-your-socks-in-the-laundry.htm scientists have researched].<br />
<br />
To ordinary people, it immediately seems quite aesthetically boring to always wear the same color of socks or other clothing. Despite this, those that do so recommend it quite ardently to all their friends based on the ease, time savings, substantial reduction is costs, according to the comic—even more so than the pro-metric advocates.<br />
<br />
Randall previously referenced this idea in the xkcd survey (see [[1572: xkcd Survey]]) from September 2015. It included this question:<br />
<br />
<blockquote><br />
Have you ever thrown out all your different pairs of socks/underwear, bought a bunch of replacements that were all one kind, and then told all your friends how great it was and how they should do it too?<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
;''People who open bananas from the other end''<br />
The most evangelic people Randall can think of is the people who open {{w|bananas}} from the “other” end! Some people prefer to open bananas from the bottom (small end) instead of the top (stem end). This thought is continued in the title text.<br />
<br />
;''Title text''<br />
The title text is a fictional argument that apparently somehow tore apart Europe between the two factions ''Other primates open them from the small end'' and ''But the little bit of banana at the small end end is gross''. It continues the most evangelic point in the chart about how bananas are supposed to be opened from the “right” end. It seems absurd that this could have actually happened, over such a trivial issue. However, major {{w|schisms}} in religion, such as that between {{w|Catholicism}} and {{w|Protestantism}} (which did split Europe) seem similarly trivial to the non-religious.<br />
The supposed argument ''stems''<sup><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[No Pun Intended|Pun Intended]]<nowiki>]</nowiki></sup> from a disagreement between those that find it easier to open a banana from the bottom and those that find the small bit at the base of a banana unappetizing. <br />
<br />
In the wild, {{w|primates}} have been observed to open bananas{{Citation needed}} from the bottom end away from the stem, as one of the two factions refers to. Less force is required to open a banana at the bottom than at the stem, causing less bruising of the fruit and generally making it easier to open. However, if not done carefully, this can result in the fruit getting squished and making a mess on the person’s fingers. Opening bananas from the stem end appears to be the predominant habit of most banana-eating humans (in Randall’s sample). One explanation is that using the stem as a lever makes for greater ease of opening and thus less damage in practice. (Bananas grow with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Banana_farm_Chinawal.jpg the stem at the bottom]).<br />
<br />
The entire “correct banana end” discussion could be a reference to the wars between the Blefuscudians, who opened their eggs at the big end, and the Lilliputians, who broke their eggs at the small end, as told in {{w|Jonathan Swift|Jonathan Swift’s}} epic novel ''{{w|Gulliver’s Travels}}''. This in turn is the origin of the terms {{w|Endianness|"Little Endian" and "Big Endian"}} which were much debated in circa 1980's computer architectures - which may also have been on Randall's mind.<br />
<br />
Randall’s thoughts on the problems with opening bananas could also explain why this fruit, which many find very easy to peel and consume, is listed in the middle of the easy/difficult scale in the [[388: Fuck Grapefruit]] chart.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A chart is shown with a line drawn from left to right with five markers on it. Each marker has a line going to it from a labeled below the main line. Above this there is a title and right below that a label above an arrow pointing to the right.]<br />
:<big>People by intensity of evangelism</big><br />
:More intense<br />
<br />
:Religious proselytizers<br />
:People who want the US to switch to metric<br />
:People who want the US to switch to metric but keep Fahrenheit<br />
:People who threw away their socks and bought all one kind<br />
:People who open bananas from the other end<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Rankings]]<br />
[[Category:Religion]]<br />
[[Category:Food]]</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1878:_Earth_Orbital_Diagram&diff=1459181878: Earth Orbital Diagram2017-09-26T15:54:07Z<p>Roguetech: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1878<br />
| date = August 18, 2017<br />
| title = Earth Orbital Diagram<br />
| image = earth_orbital_diagram.png<br />
| titletext = You shouldn't look directly at a partial eclipse because of the damage that can be caused by improperly aligning the solar-lunar orbital plane with the orbital bones around your eye.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Still needs a review and the picture without the labels needs an explanation. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This comic is the third of five consecutive comics published in the week before the {{w|solar eclipse}} occurred on Monday, {{w|Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017|August 21, 2017}} which was a total solar eclipse and visible in totality within a band across the {{w|contiguous United States}} from west to east. The other comics are [[1876: Eclipse Searches]], [[1877: Eclipse Science]], [[1879: Eclipse Birds]], and [[1880: Eclipse Review]].<br />
<br />
The comic claims that the reason that eclipses don't happen every month is simple to understand by looking at an orbital diagram. Ironically, the cartoon has so many parts and labels that it is far more difficult to understand than is implied. While the graph itself is based on {{w|Orbital elements|astronomical definitions}}, all the labels are nonsense in this context. In effect, the comic is a new take on a common joke in which a person asks a scientist a question, the scientist begins by saying "It's really quite simple", then proceeds to give a very lengthy and highly technical explanation that non-scientists would not be expected to understand. Diagrams for eclipses commonly include things that laypeople may not find relevant, without explanation, such as the umbra and penumbra.<br />
<br />
All of the labels in the diagram are complicated words or phrases. Some are related to orbital mechanics (e.g. "equinox" and "perihelion"), while others are wholly unrelated or even made up. Each label is nonsensical in its place in the diagram. Compare/contrast with the standard {{w|Kepler orbit|Kepler Orbit}} diagram.<br />
<br />
The title text references warnings to not look directly into the sun, but parodies those warnings by referring to 'orbit', the anatomical term for the eye socket.<br />
<br />
===Labels and Their Astronomical Meanings===<br />
All items are not drawn to scale. Neither the sizes of the celestial objects are that similar as shown nor the orbits are. The real scales are shown in this table:<br />
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:right;"<br />
! <br />
! real (in km)<br />
! to scale<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| Sun (radius)<br />
| 695,700<br />
| basketball<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| distance Earth-Sun<br />
| 149,600,000<br />
| length of a large truck (26 meters)<br />
|-<br />
| Earth (radius)<br />
| 6,371<br />
| pinhead (1 mm)<br />
|-<br />
| Moon (radius)<br />
| 1,737<br />
| pin (0.3 mm)<br />
|-<br />
| distance Earth-Moon<br />
| 384,399<br />
| small necklace (6.6 cm)<br />
<br />
|}<br />
When the distance Sun-Earth is scaled to one meter or below neither Moon nor Earth can be seen by the human eye.<br />
<br />
;Arctangent<br />
*{{w|Arctangent}} is the inverse function of the tangent function of trigonometry. You can determine a non-right angle of a right triangle by taking the arctangent of the length of the opposite side divided by the length of the adjacent side.<br />
*The angle shown in the comic has no astronomical meaning.<br />
<br />
;Astral plane<br />
*The {{w|Astral plane}} is a plane of existence in various esoteric theories. It features prominently in {{w|Dungeons & Dragons}} cosmology, connecting the various other planes of existence.<br />
*The picture shows the {{w|Orbit_of_the_Moon|lunar orbital plane}}, the plane in which the Moon orbits the Earth, tilted about 5.1 degrees from the ecliptic.<br />
<br />
;Declension<br />
*{{w|Declension}} is the inflection of nouns in a language. In {{w|Latin}} declension and declination are both called ''{{w|la:Declinatio|Declinatio}}''. In this comic, however, it might be a portmanteau of declination and (right) ascension.<br />
*In astronomy, the {{w|Declination|declination}} is one of the two angles that locate a point on the celestial sphere in the equatorial coordinate system. It is measured north or south of the celestial equator, like the geographical latitude on Earth. But in the picture the label is at the angle for the axial tilt of the Earth.<br />
*And the {{w|Right_ascension|right ascension}} is the angular distance measured eastward along the celestial equator from the vernal equinox to the hour circle of the point in question.<br />
<br />
;Determinant of the date of Easter<br />
*In Christianity {{w|Easter}} always falls on the first Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon after the beginning of spring (equinox). The ecclesiastical full moon is determined by a calendar that approximates the actual time of the full moon, Thus the date of easter is defined by a combination of a solar and a lunar calendar. The position of that angle isn't that bad but it should be not more than 30 degrees (slightly more than one month.)<br />
*In mathematics, the determinant is a function of numerical matrices. In this context, however, it apparently refers to something that directly determines the date of Easter.<br />
<br />
;Dimples of Venus<br />
*The {{w|Dimples of Venus}} are indentations sometimes visible on the human lower back.<br />
*In astronomy the {{w|Belt of Venus}} is a shadow cast by the Earth visible in its atmosphere.<br />
<br />
;Enceliopsis<br />
*{{w|Enceliopsis}} are small genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, appropriately known as "sunrays".<br />
*In astronomy this point has also no specific meaning. But {{w|Enceladus}} is a moon around {{w|Saturn}}.<br />
<br />
;Equinox / Solstice<br />
{{w|Equinox}} and {{w|Solstice}} have very different meanings:<br />
*An Equinox is one of two instants in the year when the sun is exactly over the equator; the length of day and night are very nearly equal that day at all locations on the planet, and it is potentially the first day of Spring or Autumn, depending on the time of year, in which hemisphere (Northern vs Southern) the observer is located, and which definition of seasons one uses.<br />
*A Solstice is one of two instants in the year when the sun's angle is maximally far from Earth's equator; when one occurs, the length of the day or night is shortest or longest (depending on whether one is in the northern or southern hemisphere), and (in the United States) it marks the first day of summer or winter.<br />
<br />
Both types occur because the Earth's rotation axis is tilted (at 23.4 degrees) from its orbital plane (ecliptic) about the Sun.<br />
<br />
Jokingly insisting that two different terms are American/British variants of the same word has been the topic of [[1677: Contrails]].<br />
<br />
;Hypothecate<br />
*{{w|Hypothecate}} is a legal verb that means something similar to "make a mortgage".<br />
*The {{w|hypotenuse}} is the longest side of a right-angled triangle. Here it is an unrelated length, approximately equal to the diameter of the sun (half the angular size of the sun times twice the distance to it).<br />
<br />
;Obsequity<br />
*Obsequity means the state of being obsequious (showing an indecorous willingness to obey or serve, or "sucking up").<br />
*In astronomy the correct word is {{w|Obliquity}}, meaning an axial tilt.<br />
<br />
;Perihelix<br />
*This is a portmanteau of helix and perihelion.<br />
*The {{w|perihelion}} is the point in a elliptical solar orbit that is closest to the Sun.<br />
<br />
;Prolapse<br />
*A {{w|Prolapse}} is a medical condition in which an internal organ is slipped forward or down.<br />
*{{w|Retrograde and prograde motion}} are terms used to describe the apparent motion of celestial objects through the sky. <br />
<br />
;Sagittal plane<br />
*The {{w|Sagittal plane}} is an anatomical plane, dividing the body in left and right.<br />
*The correct label in the picture would be the {{w|Ecliptic plane}}. The plane the Earth orbits the Sun.<br />
*{{w|Sagittarius (constellation)|Sagittarius}} is one of the stellar constellations of the Zodiac. The center of the Milky Way lies in this constellation.<br />
<br />
;Solar plexus<br />
*The {{w|Solar plexus}} is a network of nerves located in the abdomen. It was the name of [[64: Solar Plexus]].<br />
*{{w|Solar}} is an adjective referring to the Sun, the star in our solar system.<br />
<br />
;Tropopause<br />
*The {{w|Tropopause}} is the boundary in our atmosphere between the troposphere and stratosphere, defined as the boundary where air ceases to cool with increasing elevation. It is 9-17 km above sea level, not the thousands of kilometers as depicted here.<br />
*The label appears to point at the orbit of the moon.<br />
<br />
;Angle between the Astral and the Sagittal Planes<br />
* The angle depicted is the inclination of the moon orbit. The planes are marked with nonexistent symbols, derived from Greek letters. The lunar orbit plane is labeled by a mixture of a ''nu'' (ν) and a ''gamma'' (γ), the ecliptic is labeled with a double ''chi'' (χ), and the angle between is marked with a ''phi'' (ϕ) but having two vertical lines.<br />
<br />
;Errata<br />
* Errata are corrections in a published text (e.g. a newspaper article) issued after the publication.<br />
* The angle depicted lies between the direction from Earth to the Sun in the ecliptic and the line where the lunar orbit plane crosses the ecliptic. When this angle would be zero AND the Moon is between the Sun and Earth a total eclipse would occur. This is they only part of the diagram fulfilling slightly Randall's promise on top of the picture.<br />
<br />
==Explanation for "Why isn't there a (solar) eclipse every month?"==<br />
<br />
If the plane of where the Earth orbits the Sun and where the Moon orbits the Earth were completely aligned, then there would be a solar eclipse at every new moon (once every {{w|Orbit_of_the_Moon#Lunar_periods| 29.5 days}}) and a lunar eclipse at every full moon (half a lunar period about 14.7 days after a New Moon). However, the plane in which the Moon orbits the Earth is tilted with an inclination of 5 degrees relative to that of the ecliptic plane (the plane defined by the Earth's orbit around the Sun). Eclipses are only possible during two eclipse seasons each year (half a year apart) where for a period of 31 to 37 days the Sun is nearly aligned with the two points in the tilted Earth-Moon plane where the Moon crosses the ecliptic plane. During an eclipse season at the time of a new moon there will be solar eclipses visible from certain locations and during full moons there will be lunar eclipses.<br />
<br />
[[Image:Eclipse_Diagram.jpg]]<br />
<br />
The real explanation of eclipses is evident from this xkcd comic, but is labeled with a fictional character similar to a Greek phi but with two vertical lines; the remaining labels also do not contribute to this explanation and exist only to distract or misinform or entertain the reader.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[An orbital map of the Earth is shown. The Sun is in the center, the Earth is at the right bottom, and the Moon is left below the Earth.]<br />
:'''Why isn't there an eclipse every month?'''<br />
:This is a common question! The answer is made clear by a quick look at the Earth's orbital diagram:<br />
<br />
:[Label Sun:]<br />
:Solar plexus<br />
<br />
:[Label on the Earth's plane:]<br />
:Sagittal plane<br />
<br />
:[Labels on Earth's orbit (beginning at the Earth counterclockwise):]<br />
:Perihelix, Declension, Obsequity, Hypothecate, Enceliopsis, Equinox (''Solstice'' in British English)<br />
<br />
:[Two angles in the plane are labeled as:]<br />
:Determinant of the date of Easter, Arctangent<br />
<br />
:[The plane of the Moon is pictured in a small angle to the Earth's plane and named Astral Plane. The angle is presented between two lines (Greek Nu or Gamma and a double Greek Chi) and identified by a character that looks similar to a Greek Phi but with two vertical lines.]<br />
:[The labels at the Moon's path are:]<br />
:Tropopause, Prolapse, Errata.<br />
<br />
:[An arrow points to the Earth at the zero meridian on the equator. The label reads:]<br />
:Dimples of Venus<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Total Solar Eclipse 2017]]<br />
[[Category:Puns]]</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1894:_Real_Estate&diff=1459161894: Real Estate2017-09-26T15:38:29Z<p>Roguetech: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1894<br />
| date = September 25, 2017<br />
| title = Real Estate<br />
| image = real_estate.png<br />
| titletext = I tried converting the prices into pizzas, to put it in more familiar terms, and it just became a hard-to-think-about number of pizzas.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
In this comic, [[Cueball]] is speaking with [[Ponytail]], his real estate agent, about an ongoing negotiation over the price of a house he is looking to buy. This is probably his first time buying a house and he is very overwhelmed by the process, a very common feeling among first-time home buyers. The housing market is so complicated and ever-changing, that it is almost impossible for the layman to have any concept of what a piece of property is worth. One must rely on the opinions of their real estate agent, building inspector, friends and family, along with research regarding the housing market in the area (average property values, what houses recently sold for, etc). Telling the agent that you need time to think about it is a good strategy to stall for time and research further while seeming to know what you're doing.<br />
<br />
In the caption [[Randall]] makes it seem that he is in Cueball's situation in any financial negotiation, not only for such large ones as when buying real estate.<br />
<br />
In the title text Randall mentions that he tried to convert the prices into the equivalent numbers of pizzas that amount could buy (most pizza parlors charge roughly 15 dollars for a "large"-sized pizza, so this could net him over 650 pizzas). Thinking of the price of an object (or a reduction in the price) in terms of the number of pizzas (or similar objects) that amount could buy is a good strategy for weighing the pros and cons of a smaller purchase, but doesn't help in this situation, as the number of pizzas is so large that it becomes meaningless in itself. A better strategy would be to compare the large price to his average monthly cost of living (rent, utility bills, car payments, et al), or to compare to the comparatively stable average cost to build on-site, or the price of factory built homes.<br />
<br />
This comic is in line with the much older [[616: Lease]] and the more recent [[1674: Adult]] regarding buying real estate and not feeling grown up (see also [[905: Homeownership]]).<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Ponytail and Cueball sit in office chairs on either side of a desk. Ponytail looks at a piece of paper she is holding in her hand, more papers lie on the table. Cueball sits with his hands in his lap, thinking in a thought bubble before he replies to her remark.]<br />
:Ponytail: The sellers offer to drop their price by $10,000 ''and'' cover the driveway repairs.<br />
:Cueball [thinking]: These are all staggeringly large amounts of money that I have no idea how to even ''think'' about, let alone compare.<br />
:Cueball [speaking]: Tempting. We'll need a few hours to consider it.<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panels:]<br />
:Me in any financial negotiation.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category: Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>Roguetechhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1894:_Real_Estate&diff=1459151894: Real Estate2017-09-26T15:37:56Z<p>Roguetech: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1894<br />
| date = September 25, 2017<br />
| title = Real Estate<br />
| image = real_estate.png<br />
| titletext = I tried converting the prices into pizzas, to put it in more familiar terms, and it just became a hard-to-think-about number of pizzas.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
In this comic, [[Cueball]] is speaking with [[Ponytail]], his real estate agent, about an ongoing negotiation over the price of a house he is looking to buy. This is probably his first time buying a house and he is very overwhelmed by the process, a very common feeling among first-time home buyers. The housing market is so complicated and ever-changing, that it is almost impossible for the layman to have any concept of what a piece of property is worth. One must rely on the opinions of their real estate agent, building inspector, friends and family, along with research regarding the housing market in the area (average property values, what houses recently sold for, etc). Telling the agent that you need time to think about it is a good strategy to stall for time and research further while seeming to know what you're doing.<br />
<br />
In the caption [[Randall]] makes it seem that he is in Cueball's situation in any financial negotiation, not only for such large ones as when buying real estate.<br />
<br />
In the title text Randall mentions that he tried to convert the prices into the equivalent numbers of pizzas that amount could buy (most pizza parlors charge roughly 15 dollars for a "large"-sized pizza, so this could net him over 650 pizzas). Thinking of the price of an object (or a reduction in the price) in terms of the number of pizzas (or similar objects) that amount could buy is a good strategy for weighing the pros and cons of a smaller purchase, but doesn't help in this situation, as the number of pizzas is so large that it becomes meaningless in itself. A better strategy would be to compare the large price to his average monthly cost of living (rent, utility bills, car payments, et al). Another strategy would be to compare to the comparatively stable average cost to build on-site, or the price of factory built homes.<br />
<br />
This comic is in line with the much older [[616: Lease]] and the more recent [[1674: Adult]] regarding buying real estate and not feeling grown up (see also [[905: Homeownership]]).<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Ponytail and Cueball sit in office chairs on either side of a desk. Ponytail looks at a piece of paper she is holding in her hand, more papers lie on the table. Cueball sits with his hands in his lap, thinking in a thought bubble before he replies to her remark.]<br />
:Ponytail: The sellers offer to drop their price by $10,000 ''and'' cover the driveway repairs.<br />
:Cueball [thinking]: These are all staggeringly large amounts of money that I have no idea how to even ''think'' about, let alone compare.<br />
:Cueball [speaking]: Tempting. We'll need a few hours to consider it.<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panels:]<br />
:Me in any financial negotiation.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category: Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>Roguetech