explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3081: PhD Timeline

2025-04-26T04:23:31Z

Scorpion451:

What an age we live in... --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]][https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices] 15:48, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:[https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/25/politics/fbi-director-wisconsin-judge-arrested/index.html It only gets rougher... ] It's enough to radicalize a person. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.65.187|172.69.65.187]] 16:09, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:When even Randall starts freaking out, it usually indicates the most entertaining timeline. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.245.161|162.158.245.161]] 00:58, 26 April 2025 (UTC)

Events like this are scary, and they're even scarier if you have a personal or geographic connection to them like Randall does. I can understand why he would feel frustrated about his inability to do something concrete, and if this comic raises awareness for the situation then it has done a good thing. Not sure why I thought this comment was necessary; maybe it's just a way of processing the emotions that the comic made me feel. [[User:Dextrous Fred|Dextrous Fred]] ([[User talk:Dextrous Fred|talk]]) 15:49, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

I dont want to start an argument, but I am glad Randall Munroe is making a specific, reasonable point. A lot of times I see people saying either "there is no antisemitism on campus, nobody should ever get deported, ACTUAL terrorists should get green cards", and others say "EVERYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH ME SHOULD GET DEPORTED, EVERYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH ME IS A TERRORIST." I think both of them are extreme points obviously, and I am glad Randall is just taking the side, for now, of "this specific person did not violate their green card visa."

:Hi, expert-on-the-Öztürk-case but not-an-immigration-expert-really here. For clarity, Öztürk held an F-1 student visa but was not a lawful permanent resident (LPR) (green card holder), unlike the similar case of Mahmoud Khalil (Columbia university) who was a green card holder. And "green card visa" is not a thing, there's a "green card," which you cannot "violate" (although you could commit crimes that might have consequences for your LPR status), and you generally don't hear "violate their visa" although it's true that a visa is related to and may restrict that work you can do in the country. Regardless, no allegations have been made that Öztürk violated anything laws or rules or did anything other than lend her name to speech in a newspaper. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 22:51, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

as always, based randall, at least for now. [[User:Tzelofachad|Tzelofachad]] ([[User talk:Tzelofachad|talk]]) 16:04, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:Did you mean "biased"? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:31, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
::Did you mean "biased towards due process?" [[User:CharlesT|Nyrrix]] ([[User talk:CharlesT|talk]]) 16:51, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
::It's probably "based", as that's a term that can either be used in support or mockery of a philosophical position (because of Poe's Law, hard to know which in most cases, including here). It's more usually used in 4chan-like responses (and I doubt Randall would be considered "based" in those other places) than hereabouts, so perhaps it needs some clarification for those not (or not enough) in that sort of crame of mind. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.94|141.101.99.94]] 17:06, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:Yes, Randall Munroe clearly only cares about this one incident because he does not at all care about politics. He's definitely not using this as an illustrative case on the countless other identical incidents happening under the Trump administration. /s /s /s /s /s. [[User:DrMeepster|'''Dr.'''Meepster]]
(<[[User_talk:DrMeepster|chat]]> •
<[{{fullurl:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|action=edit}} reply]>) 16:53, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

I really hope this is one of those comics that does NOT stand the test of time. In other words, I hope the next generation of graduate students sees this and thinks "oh, that must've been written in 2025, we don't have to worry about those kinds of things anymore." Perhaps "hope" isn't the right word, it implies I have hope. Maybe "pray fervently" is the right phrase. Sigh. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.227.72|198.41.227.72]] 16:30, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:Sure ... "Oh, that was before third world war, we don't have to worry about those kinds of things anymore." -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:08, 26 April 2025 (UTC)
:We can go back to considering how the Ph.D. became a participation trophy for the financial benefit of the awarding institution - and, in the sciences, a source of slave labor. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.146.61|172.71.146.61]] 01:51, 26 April 2025 (UTC)

How do we edit the Categories? This should have category Politics. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:31, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:Usually, once at least one other category (not created from templates like {{template|comic}}) you can edit the page and see the other cat(s) at the bottom, beyond the comic-discussion template. Or edit the Transcript section (or any Trivia one, whatever's the last one) as that'll also have the tail-end of the page. So long as you know there's a category "Foo", you should be able to work out how to add "Category:Foo".
:But don't add Foo if it doesn't exist, hoping that someone will tire of the redlink that's created. You may be wrong about it needing to exist, or miss the ''actual'' "Category:comics featuring Foo", and unless someone is feeling generous it's possible that your edit just gets reverted as not properly researched, or checked... I ''think'' there actually is a Politics category, by that name, but I'm trying to answer the general question, not yet going out there to look it up for certain (at which point, I may have just added it myself, making it useless to have explained how you could 'easily' do it... At least in this instance).
:'''TL;DR;''', though, look at the source (wiki-edit) of another comic that is about Politics and is so categorised. Go all the way to bottom, and you'll see which 'tag' you might want to put at the bottom of this one. Should be obvious. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.94|141.101.99.94]] 17:06, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
I think I've added that category now [[Special:Contributions/104.23.190.60|104.23.190.60]] 19:33, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

I'm so tired of this administration :( [[User:CharlesT|Nyrrix]] ([[User talk:CharlesT|talk]]) 16:49, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:Are you a citizen of the USA? If so, are you dead? In exile? In jail? Have your assets been seized? No to these? Then this is your administration and mine. Own it, or act. "Tired" doesn't cut it. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.147.21|172.71.147.21]] 02:02, 26 April 2025 (UTC)

The comic on mobile has the title text has a youtube video URL, and if you click on the comic on desktop version, it links to the youtube video of the arrest. This isn't reflected in the description currently. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.121|172.70.126.121]] 16:51, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

The video URL is '''https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyypeEEOklM''' and appears to be "'''CBS Boston [282K subscribers]'''" so probably legit?
I will try to add the URL. --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 17:08, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:For the sake of consistency, I copy-pasted the "note" from [[1723]] into this comic. '''I also think we should have a category and perhaps a template to make adding notes like this easier and more uniform.''' [[Special:Contributions/172.69.67.22|172.69.67.22]] 21:11, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
::''"I copy-pasted...."'' Thank you! --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 03:56, 26 April 2025 (UTC)
::Well, you can create it right now if you want! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 22:08, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

Is this the first with an out of site link? {{unsigned}}
:No this happens often. For instance this comic {{xkcd|1723}}. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:09, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

Again, let's keep the explanation as neutral as possible. Facts only. [[User:Dogman15|Dogman15]] ([[User talk:Dogman15|talk]]) 18:49, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:Dunlap's Laws. 1. Fact is solidified opinion. 2. Facts may weaken under extreme heat and pressure. 3. Truth is elastic. (Arthur Block's "Murphy's Laws", 1977.) - "Facts are elite, facts are fungible, facts are false. And once nothing is true, anything can be true." Alan Burdick, ''Trump vs Science'', New York ''Times'' Newsletter, 25 April 2025. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.22.41|172.68.22.41]] 02:10, 26 April 2025 (UTC)
: the problem is facts have a heavy anti trump bias. You CAN NOT state basic facts and not be against this regime [[Special:Contributions/162.158.112.187|162.158.112.187]] 00:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)
:: I think it's important to emphasize that neutrality is simply a bias towards the truth rather than towards anything else. On a technical level, being unbiased precludes being neutral and being neutral precludes being unbiased, even if people mostly use the word "unbiased" in the same way as "neutral". In other words, bias isn't inherently a bad thing.[[Special:Contributions/172.71.102.219|172.71.102.219]] 00:48, 26 April 2025 (UTC)
:::"A bias towards the truth" is a bias towards what my homies and I declare to be correct - since 'absolute truth' does not exist, all 'truth' is relative, is what 'my homies and I declare to be correct'. This bias is not trivial, as you point out. Explanations on xkcd have striven to cover the "what, when, where, who, how" of the associated comic, and have striven to omit "what do we think about all this" except as is necessary to describe "what, when, where, who, how". The goal is laudable, but [''ahem''] difficult to manage when the topic is a lit match on a powder keg. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.143|108.162.245.143]] 02:34, 26 April 2025 (UTC)
:::: This "no absolute truth" false neutrality nonsense is a bad faith argument rooted in pop philosophy and obfuscating rhetoric intended to discredit the existence of inconvenient facts. There's a famous, if apocryphal, parable about the philosopher who tried to argue this sort of hogwash to the oncoming train that hit him. Gravity exists, the Earth is not flat, and the current administration is run by a bunch of idiotic narcissists actively harming people for personal profit. [[User:Scorpion451|Scorpion451]] ([[User talk:Scorpion451|talk]]) 04:23, 26 April 2025 (UTC)
Of course, the bit I was correcting (with bad grammar, and lack of facts) got totally changed about before I tried to post it. "''For instance citizens usually {{w|Deportation of Americans from the United States|cannot be deported for any reason}} (only extradited, although the US typically refuses to comply with requests even from countries that freely extradite to it), and would instead be subject only to local legal penalties, but relatively minor allegations have resulted in visitors' extraditions.''" was what I wrote. Now, I ''think'' that was neutral enough, but it doesn't fit there now anyway. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.58.113|172.70.58.113]] 22:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

:Ack, I think I'm the one who changed it before you could. My bad. Anyway, seconded. Opinion on the conflict in Gaza itself is not needed in this explanation; the edit that suggested that the student could be materially linked to Hamas by providing a link to an opinion poll of how Palestinians feel about the Oct 7 attacks is, in my opinion, very disingenuous, especially considering Ozturk is not Palestinian but Turkish, making the cited data even more blatantly irrelevant than it already would have been. [[User:Psycherprince|Psycherprince]] ([[User talk:Psycherprince|talk]]) 23:05, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

This article could potentially be a reasonable place to try to establish a norm of separately including opposing sides of political topics (rather than the usual edit conflicts). [[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.176|172.70.110.176]] 00:35, 26 April 2025 (UTC)

Step 6: Try not to lose your visa when traveling or studying abroad by being a nuisance, since visas (in any country) can be denied or revoked for virtually any reason. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.112.168|162.158.112.168]] 01:06, 26 April 2025 (UTC)
:Pray the leopards never eat your face.
::I'll bring decoy meat and try not to insult the cheetahs while visiting. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.112.186|162.158.112.186]] 01:45, 26 April 2025 (UTC)
:Do nothing whatsoever controversial, because you don't know who will be running things within a few years? Or what liberties they may take with due process or law? Certainly one wouldn't want to run afoul of officials who are, say, flat-Earthers, Biblical literalists, or holders of unusual views regarding medical practise. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 03:45, 26 April 2025 (UTC)

Talk:2989: Physics Lab Thermostat

2024-09-24T17:21:50Z

Scorpion451:

Assuming I did the math right (Units proved the units worked out, but I wouldn't otherwise assume that), holding the energy constant at "room temperature with the normal, global Boltzmann constant" this thermostat varies from 13°C (56°F) on the left to 28°C (82°F) on the right. Holding the ''temperature'' constant gives a much harder to interpret range of energies from 4.2 zeptojoules on the left to 4.0 zJ on the right. Turning those back into temperatures with the normal Boltzmann constant gives 29°C (84°F) to 15°C (59°F). Given the reversed scale, I'd assume the former is the intended interpretation, and this thermostat has no effect on local thermal energy, it just adjusts the temperature scale so the number on your (local physical constant variance-compliant) measuring device matches what you asked for. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.243|162.158.62.243]] 05:28, 24 September 2024 (UTC) Will

No matter the scale, I'm sure glad that this one doesn't go up to 11. [[User:Zaktduck|Zaktduck]] ([[User talk:Zaktduck|talk]]) 07:56, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

Looking at the page history, I'm wondering if the "edit conflict" didn't kick in for some people. If [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2989:_Physics_Lab_Thermostat&diff=next&oldid=351061 this edit] was performed over at least half an hour (quite possible), it would seem that useful edits (submitted after the start of that big addition) got wiped out. Seems unlikely that warnings happened but were deliberately over-ridden. I know this can sort of happen very soon after article creation (usually doubling-up 'first' edits), but it should have highlit any inadvertant re-editing of an interim-changed paragraph. I generally thought. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.18|172.70.85.18]] 09:39, 24 September 2024 (UTC) ((Ironically, I got hit by an edit-conflict just now, someone having removed linefeeds above where I'm merely appending this!))

I don't understand it the same way as you guys. Through setting the Boltzmann constant to k=1.380649×10−23 Joules per Kelvin, it's actually the Kelvin that the SI is setting. Thus, changing k in an unchanged universe changes the definition of the Kelvin, and (presumably) of Celsius or Fahrenheit too, meaning that the "temperature" reading of the room is changed without any need for heating or aircon, it's just the number which is adjusted to whatever people ask. --[[Special:Contributions/172.71.164.106|172.71.164.106]] 10:25, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
:I like this explanation. We have a thermostat like that where I work. The numbers change, but the actual temperature does not. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.188|162.158.158.188]] 11:27, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
::As I read it, yes it just changes the thing that relates heat to temperature (thus not changing the sum quantity of heat), but I am not convinced that the derivative idea of Temperature doesn't have some latent qualitative effect upon the experience. The additional amount of heat in a cinder might ignite some flammable substance, the same additional heat in a brick would be barely above its normal temperature, for example. Thus conceivably the temperature from the concentrated heat-source has more bearing upon what results than the less dense 'additional heat' with lower temperature that may never invoke the vapour-threshold/flashpoint.
::Without being able to divorce or disassociate the interdependency (together with density/heat-capacith/etc), I can't be sure that such weirdness won't happen, and would not be surprised if things did (e.g. key phase-changes shift around). Like making inertial and gravitational mass independantly evaluated from each kter (if possible) would have certain real-world implications. (As well as hint that there's far more fundamental 'physics' at work than it is assumed that either/both currently are, in either newtonian or einsteinian respects.)
::I think the explanation can cover both "just recorded different" and "changes physics" in a broad scope (which is somewhat hinted at right now). But it might be in the eye of the reader (and editor) how well it does that. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.38|172.70.86.38]] 12:26, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

I note that "AIR" is in all caps. Is it supposed to be an Acronym? 12:28, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
:No, that's just for emphasis: it's only the AIR that changes. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.194.171|172.71.194.171]] 12:33, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
::You are both right. AIR means AIR In Room. Caution: This comment contains recursive text: First you curse, then you curse again. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.167.213|172.71.167.213]] 14:07, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

Huh... Everyone's saying "Energy is constant, Temperature number is changing.". But in that case, why would he be worried about it affecting things other than air? What if the Temperature was constant, and the Energy was what was changing? Then the dial would be doing something, and his concern over it affecting solids and liquids would be more warranted. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.137|172.70.178.137]] 15:04, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

The current explanation is terrible: (1) It doesn't explain well, spending way too much time on introductory and trivial pedantry than getting to the point of the joke and the concepts necessary to understand it. (2) It's way too long. And (3) the prose is terrible. My high schoolers wouldn't be allowed to use / as a synonym for "or", but that's just the beginning of the poor style, confusing grammar, and the kind of English which screams neurodiversity and home schooling.

There is no doubt in my mind that ChatGPT can do better. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.63|172.69.33.63]] 16:14, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

:Proof:

::This comic is playing with the idea of a "physics lab thermostat," but instead of controlling temperature, it humorously suggests adjusting the Boltzmann constant (a constant that links temperature and energy in physics, writen as 1.38×10−23 J/K, where J is joules, a unit of energy, and K is kelvins, a unit of temperature). The dial shows different values for the constant, implying that it can be changed, which is absurd because the Boltzmann constant is a fundamental number that stays the same throughout the universe. In reality, you can't change the Boltzmann constant, so the comic is making fun of the idea of a scientist casually adjusting a fixed law of physics as if it were something simple like room temperature.

::If the Boltzmann constant could be changed, it would directly affect how we experience temperature. The constant determines how much energy particles have at a certain temperature. If the constant were increased, more energy would be associated with the same temperature, so everything would feel hotter even if the temperature stayed the same. On the other hand, if the constant were decreased, less energy would be associated with the same temperature, and everything would feel colder than usual.

::Beyond just how we feel, altering the Boltzmann constant would disrupt all sorts of processes that depend on temperature, like how fast chemical reactions happen or how heat moves around. A higher constant would make particles move faster and carry more energy at a given temperature, while a lower constant would slow things down.

::The title text builds on the absurdity of being able to adjust the Boltzmann constant. It suggests that if the constant could be changed, hopefully, it would only affect the air in the room and not the entire universe. Imagining that the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system could contain such a change to just the room's air shows the ridiculousness of trying to isolate the effects of altering a universal constant.

:How is that not better in every way than the current human version? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.157|172.70.206.157]] 16:33, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

:: It has the usual "Using wikipedia to write a book report on something you haven't read" issue that LLMs have. It retreads the same ground multiple times, explains both the humor and science only in the most surface manner, and gets the effects backwards in the section about particle energy. It also fails to explain the alternate, also humorous, interpretation of keeping pV/T constant while changing only the units we use to measure temperature with no actual effect. [[User:Scorpion451|Scorpion451]] ([[User talk:Scorpion451|talk]]) 17:16, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2989: Physics Lab Thermostat

2024-09-24T17:16:36Z

Scorpion451:

Assuming I did the math right (Units proved the units worked out, but I wouldn't otherwise assume that), holding the energy constant at "room temperature with the normal, global Boltzmann constant" this thermostat varies from 13°C (56°F) on the left to 28°C (82°F) on the right. Holding the ''temperature'' constant gives a much harder to interpret range of energies from 4.2 zeptojoules on the left to 4.0 zJ on the right. Turning those back into temperatures with the normal Boltzmann constant gives 29°C (84°F) to 15°C (59°F). Given the reversed scale, I'd assume the former is the intended interpretation, and this thermostat has no effect on local thermal energy, it just adjusts the temperature scale so the number on your (local physical constant variance-compliant) measuring device matches what you asked for. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.243|162.158.62.243]] 05:28, 24 September 2024 (UTC) Will

No matter the scale, I'm sure glad that this one doesn't go up to 11. [[User:Zaktduck|Zaktduck]] ([[User talk:Zaktduck|talk]]) 07:56, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

Looking at the page history, I'm wondering if the "edit conflict" didn't kick in for some people. If [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2989:_Physics_Lab_Thermostat&diff=next&oldid=351061 this edit] was performed over at least half an hour (quite possible), it would seem that useful edits (submitted after the start of that big addition) got wiped out. Seems unlikely that warnings happened but were deliberately over-ridden. I know this can sort of happen very soon after article creation (usually doubling-up 'first' edits), but it should have highlit any inadvertant re-editing of an interim-changed paragraph. I generally thought. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.18|172.70.85.18]] 09:39, 24 September 2024 (UTC) ((Ironically, I got hit by an edit-conflict just now, someone having removed linefeeds above where I'm merely appending this!))

I don't understand it the same way as you guys. Through setting the Boltzmann constant to k=1.380649×10−23 Joules per Kelvin, it's actually the Kelvin that the SI is setting. Thus, changing k in an unchanged universe changes the definition of the Kelvin, and (presumably) of Celsius or Fahrenheit too, meaning that the "temperature" reading of the room is changed without any need for heating or aircon, it's just the number which is adjusted to whatever people ask. --[[Special:Contributions/172.71.164.106|172.71.164.106]] 10:25, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
:I like this explanation. We have a thermostat like that where I work. The numbers change, but the actual temperature does not. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.188|162.158.158.188]] 11:27, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
::As I read it, yes it just changes the thing that relates heat to temperature (thus not changing the sum quantity of heat), but I am not convinced that the derivative idea of Temperature doesn't have some latent qualitative effect upon the experience. The additional amount of heat in a cinder might ignite some flammable substance, the same additional heat in a brick would be barely above its normal temperature, for example. Thus conceivably the temperature from the concentrated heat-source has more bearing upon what results than the less dense 'additional heat' with lower temperature that may never invoke the vapour-threshold/flashpoint.
::Without being able to divorce or disassociate the interdependency (together with density/heat-capacith/etc), I can't be sure that such weirdness won't happen, and would not be surprised if things did (e.g. key phase-changes shift around). Like making inertial and gravitational mass independantly evaluated from each kter (if possible) would have certain real-world implications. (As well as hint that there's far more fundamental 'physics' at work than it is assumed that either/both currently are, in either newtonian or einsteinian respects.)
::I think the explanation can cover both "just recorded different" and "changes physics" in a broad scope (which is somewhat hinted at right now). But it might be in the eye of the reader (and editor) how well it does that. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.38|172.70.86.38]] 12:26, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

I note that "AIR" is in all caps. Is it supposed to be an Acronym? 12:28, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
:No, that's just for emphasis: it's only the AIR that changes. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.194.171|172.71.194.171]] 12:33, 24 September 2024 (UTC)
::You are both right. AIR means AIR In Room. Caution: This comment contains recursive text: First you curse, then you curse again. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.167.213|172.71.167.213]] 14:07, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

Huh... Everyone's saying "Energy is constant, Temperature number is changing.". But in that case, why would he be worried about it affecting things other than air? What if the Temperature was constant, and the Energy was what was changing? Then the dial would be doing something, and his concern over it affecting solids and liquids would be more warranted. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.137|172.70.178.137]] 15:04, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

The current explanation is terrible: (1) It doesn't explain well, spending way too much time on introductory and trivial pedantry than getting to the point of the joke and the concepts necessary to understand it. (2) It's way too long. And (3) the prose is terrible. My high schoolers wouldn't be allowed to use / as a synonym for "or", but that's just the beginning of the poor style, confusing grammar, and the kind of English which screams neurodiversity and home schooling.

There is no doubt in my mind that ChatGPT can do better. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.63|172.69.33.63]] 16:14, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

:Proof:

::This comic is playing with the idea of a "physics lab thermostat," but instead of controlling temperature, it humorously suggests adjusting the Boltzmann constant (a constant that links temperature and energy in physics, writen as 1.38×10−23 J/K, where J is joules, a unit of energy, and K is kelvins, a unit of temperature). The dial shows different values for the constant, implying that it can be changed, which is absurd because the Boltzmann constant is a fundamental number that stays the same throughout the universe. In reality, you can't change the Boltzmann constant, so the comic is making fun of the idea of a scientist casually adjusting a fixed law of physics as if it were something simple like room temperature.

::If the Boltzmann constant could be changed, it would directly affect how we experience temperature. The constant determines how much energy particles have at a certain temperature. If the constant were increased, more energy would be associated with the same temperature, so everything would feel hotter even if the temperature stayed the same. On the other hand, if the constant were decreased, less energy would be associated with the same temperature, and everything would feel colder than usual.

::Beyond just how we feel, altering the Boltzmann constant would disrupt all sorts of processes that depend on temperature, like how fast chemical reactions happen or how heat moves around. A higher constant would make particles move faster and carry more energy at a given temperature, while a lower constant would slow things down.

::The title text builds on the absurdity of being able to adjust the Boltzmann constant. It suggests that if the constant could be changed, hopefully, it would only affect the air in the room and not the entire universe. Imagining that the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system could contain such a change to just the room's air shows the ridiculousness of trying to isolate the effects of altering a universal constant.

:How is that not better in every way than the current human version? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.157|172.70.206.157]] 16:33, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

:: It has the usual "Using wikipedia to write a book report on something you haven't read" issue that LLMs have. It retreads the same ground multiple times, explains both the humor and science only in the most surface manner, and gets the effects backwards in the section about particle energy. It also fails to explain the alternate, also humorous, interpretation of keeping E constant while changing only the units we use to measure temperature with no actual effect. [[User:Scorpion451|Scorpion451]] ([[User talk:Scorpion451|talk]]) 17:16, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2963: House Inputs and Outputs

2024-07-25T02:52:18Z

Scorpion451:

what in the heckoslovakia is panel 16 [[Special:Contributions/172.71.147.216|172.71.147.216]] 02:18, 25 July 2024 (UTC)
:I can only assume that it's from the perspective of someone inside the well looking upward toward the outside world. [[User:OmniDoom|OmniDoom]] ([[User talk:OmniDoom|talk]]) 02:23, 25 July 2024 (UTC)
:: It's a reference to The Ring (リング) films and books. This distorted view from the inside of the well is an iconic part of the franchise's imagery, and, in minimal-spoilers form, its appearance suggests that someone has watched the cursed tape and should now expect a visitor to arrive from that well in seven days. (Definitely a red intersection) [[User:Scorpion451|Scorpion451]] ([[User talk:Scorpion451|talk]]) 02:52, 25 July 2024 (UTC)

I'm assuming that a table would probably be best for this comic, but tbh I don't know how to make one and it's kinda late for me. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.137.212|162.158.137.212]] 02:48, 25 July 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2858: Thanksgiving Arguments

2023-11-27T18:03:19Z

Scorpion451:

I know it isn't important but im dying to know whether the titletext is from Cueball's or Randall's perspective - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 22:11, 22 November 2023 (UTC)

: Right, was Randall's mom mad at him for making fun of The Core in [[673: The Sun]]? [[User:Orion205|Orion205]] ([[User talk:Orion205|talk]]) 22:22, 22 November 2023 (UTC)
: I think title text is often considered to be Randall's own viewpoint, unless it's an obvious continuation of the comic. And since Cueball has already indicated that Rise of Skywalker is his family's point of contention, I think this is Randall's mother. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 22:34, 22 November 2023 (UTC)
:: We should just make a category for The Core (2003) at this point?--[[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.182|172.69.79.182]] 07:59, 23 November 2023 (UTC)

: This being at least the 5th comic with a reference to The Core (2003), it indeed looks like someone in Randall's life keeps bringing that movie up. We have: [[673: The Sun]], [[2011: Newton's Trajectories]], [[2074: Airplanes and Spaceships]], and earlier this year, [[2765: Escape Speed]] where you can find "a DVD of The Core (2003)". [[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.136|172.70.174.136]] 23:19, 22 November 2023 (UTC)

I have my doubts about the referenced Huffington Post article- in my experience it is readers of the Huffington Post who are both most likely to bring up politics at family get togethers AND most likely to deny it, thus leading to skewed statistics.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 00:06, 23 November 2023 (UTC)

: I would not be surprised if that is part of the joke. ;) also merry turkey day. SDT[[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.95|172.70.114.95]] 02:48, 23 November 2023 (UTC)
:: ermmm acktuuallyyy it's "happy thanksgiving" 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓 [[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]|[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]]) 03:47, 23 November 2023 (UTC)

The best way to win an argument about The Rise of Skywalker is to fervently insist the Star Wars franchise ceased operations after 2013 and reject any evidence to the contrary. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.237|162.158.62.237]] 09:51, 24 November 2023 (UTC)
:Well, as there was nothing after the 1980 sequel, I don't know why you say the above... [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.213|172.71.242.213]] 11:54, 24 November 2023 (UTC)
::Touché, good sir. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.237|162.158.62.237]] 04:29, 25 November 2023 (UTC)
:Or just point out that the whole thing was little more than a series of B-movies, and therefore not worth debating.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.231|172.70.90.231]] 09:19, 27 November 2023 (UTC)
:: Allow me a moment to retrieve the visual aids for my TED talk about the value of "low art" genres as a means of artistic expression and subversive commentary. [[User:Scorpion451|Scorpion451]] ([[User talk:Scorpion451|talk]]) 18:03, 27 November 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2837: Odyssey

2023-10-05T18:40:35Z

Scorpion451:

oh boy! first comment + no explanation! did i sign this correctly? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.23|162.158.186.23]] 21:37, 4 October 2023 (UTC)

added transcript, probably could be done better but i don't have the time right now to look at formatting guides [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]][[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]][[Category:Pages using the "citation needed" template]] 22:03, 4 October 2023 (UTC)
: ok maybe i ''did'' but someone can make it better [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]][[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]][[Category:Pages using the "citation needed" template]] 22:16, 4 October 2023 (UTC)
:: messed with transcript more, it has divs now [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]][[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]][[Category:Pages using the "citation needed" template]] 03:19, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
::: im removing the divs [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]][[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]][[Category:Pages using the "citation needed" template]] 14:28, 5 October 2023 (UTC)

In Emily Wilson's translation of the Odyssey (paperback edition), she writes that Odysseus says, "My name is Noman. / My family and friends call me Noman" (9.366-367). So given that the comic is about Emily Wilson's translation, shouldn't the title text say, "Noman was home," not "Nobody was home"? [[User:AoPS is superior|AoPS is superior]] ([[User talk:AoPS is superior|talk]]) 22:35, 4 October 2023 (UTC)
:It would depend upon how the original fit within the language. "Οὖτις" ('Outis') is "no one"/"nobody"/"not somebody" rather than "no man" ("man" is "ᾰ̓νήρ", roughly 'aner' and led towards "andras" in less ancient Greek, but I don't right now know how to inflect the "ou" prefix for "no"). Wilson's translation is probably borrowing the general "might be a name"ness and combining it with modern "Norman"-like names to go beyond the literal and give it 'ear-feel'.
:The trouble with that is the Macbeth/Witch-King thing whereby "no man" (of woman born, in the case of the former) is said to be able to defeat them, only for a caesarian-delivered individual to get the chance to overcome the resulting hubris in the former case and a tag-team of hobbit and woman (and arguments about which was most important!) in the latter. "No man" has baggage. (With getting hit by an exploding sundial also maybe another unforzeen Achilles' Heel for such fate-determined individuals!)
:Yes, possibly by letting these specific translations be canon, I could see it being inportant to stick to ''their'' term but... there's so much detail and the rest of the multivolume works probably differ (if you're being exact) from the rest of the paradoic reference here. So not sure it's worth worrying about this. ;) Any more than we don't describe people as having a "swollen foot complex". ;p [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.21|172.71.242.21]] 00:52, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
:: It could Randall hasn’t read the book either, but instead ordered the sequel rather than reading it. It could also be an editor was trying to help us think about the causes of these things. Criminals can force victims to deny their existence, stimulating psychological dissociation where you actually think “nobody” is causing your addiction; small things can help people connect the dots more safely. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.211|172.70.126.211]] 13:28, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
:Maybe Cueball has a dog named Nobody, and the courier refused to complete the delivery for fear of being bitten. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.68.249|141.101.68.249]] 16:28, 5 October 2023 (UTC)

It's the 21st century. He should have ordered it as an e-book. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 23:51, 4 October 2023 (UTC)
: "This file type was not recognised. It may be protected by BeggarDRM."[[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.219|172.70.85.219]] 08:28, 5 October 2023 (UTC)

The current transcript text describes the "Refresh" click as coming after the displayed screen contents. I could be wrong, but I thought the clicks on "Refresh" actually caused the display presented in the panel. Anyone else think the same thing? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 01:44, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
:I initially agreed with you, but noting the "order" process appears to happen at the end of one panel and its result in the next, I feel it's appropriate to maintain the refresh as "after" the content. But it sure does feel unnatural. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.166.66|172.71.166.66]] 02:24, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
::I thought about that as well, which is why I didn't go ahead and change it without asking. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 03:13, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
:::i put them at the end because they're lower than the rest of the text in the panel [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]][[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]][[Category:Pages using the "citation needed" template]] 03:23, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
: More likely it's happening before, after, and several times subsequently - i.e. it's a single 'Refresh' that stands for repeated refreshing.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.85|141.101.99.85]] 08:32, 5 October 2023 (UTC)

Not why the explanation suggests that buying more books than you read only happens because 'technology and marketing slowly addicts us'. Clearly whoever wrote this hasn't met many bibliophiles or book collectors. It's not a new phenomenon -- or a bad one! I suggest looking up the concept of an antilibrary.... [[User:Zoid42|Zoid42]] ([[User talk:Zoid42|talk]]) 14:35, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
:: This antilibrary thing is a strange and vaguely unpleasant concept to me. Preservation of antique texts or something is one thing, but a collection of standard-edition books you have no intention to read feels... perverse feels close to the right word. Like having a collection of paintings you lock in a closet and refuse to show to anyone, or a workshop that you refuse to use. [[User:Scorpion451|Scorpion451]] ([[User talk:Scorpion451|talk]]) 18:40, 5 October 2023 (UTC)

The Odyssey is just the most elaborate "Why were you so late getting home from work?" excuse in history. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.43|172.69.247.43]] 14:45, 5 October 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2832: Urban Planning Opinion Progression

2023-09-23T18:59:21Z

Scorpion451:

Somebody has been watching Not Just Bikes on YouTube...

I would be very interested in having a discussion based on the "livability" comment. If a city is a place to LIVE, then these are fair comments, assuming that travel outside the local area is minimal. But if a city is a place to WORK, like a lot of downtown areas in the Eastern US, then this doesn't hold up as well. People don't live in these areas, they just travel to them on a regular basis.
:Talk about missing the forest for the trees
:Agree, downtown areas SHOULD be places to work, live, shop, and play. Eastern US downtowns USED to be that way, until White Flight screwed everything up and created "car culture". It's long past due for cities to change back. - [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 15:59, 23 September 2023 (UTC)
::You can't really blame white flight considering the same thing happened in both 'racially homogenous' cities in the U.S. and in Canada. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.251|172.70.174.251]] 17:22, 23 September 2023 (UTC)
: One thing that always bugs me about these discussions is that they tend to be so city-centric in thinking. Bikes simply aren't a practical mode of transportation in a lot of areas, dating back to pre-car days. I live in a rural area of the southern midwest, and "town" is a concentration of places that people in the area go to, and always has been. Only really wealthy people had houses in town, and even then they were often "Sunday Houses" where you would stay during your weekend trip to town for groceries and church BECAUSE it was such a hassle before cars. There's a "historic" (read: tourist-friendly) walkable town square in the center of many towns in my area, but these are as a rule businesses, some of which have loft apartments because the owner lived there too as some of the town's few constant residents. Even the parking lots are basically paved versions of the spaces where people would park their wagons and tie their horses back in the day, placed near things like general stores because hauling groceries for several blocks is a pain in any era. [[User:Scorpion451|Scorpion451]] ([[User talk:Scorpion451|talk]]) 18:59, 23 September 2023 (UTC)

:Places meant for work and work alone are called 'industrial parks'. People's well-being in offices can significantly benefit from green spaces and other amenities like bars and shops.
:Especially if they feel safe walking to and from those shops. --[[User:Melle|Melle]] ([[User talk:Melle|talk]]) 16:54, 23 September 2023 (UTC)

The explainxkcd explanations have gotten kinda funny, but I wanted to add that some european cities have sidewalks wider than roads, and it’s a much different experience. People like openness. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.55|162.158.62.55]] 17:46, 23 September 2023 (UTC)

2731: K-Means Clustering

2023-01-30T17:52:20Z

Scorpion451: /* Explanation */ Adding explanation of meaning, absent from the previous explanation.

{{comic
| number = 2731
| date = January 30, 2023
| title = K-Means Clustering
| image = k_means_clustering_2x.png
| imagesize = 320x385px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = According to my especially unsupervised K-means clustering algorithm, there are currently about 8 billion types of people in the world.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by EITHER 8 BILLION OR 3 TYPES OF BOTS - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|K-means_clustering|''k''-means clustering}} is a method of categorising ''n'' vectors into ''k'' clusters. For example, we might categorise a population by two metrics, and want to best categorise this scatter graph into the distinct populations, algorithmically drawing {{w|Voronoi cell}}s to decide the within-cluster variances.

Ponytail's determination that there are three clusters is unsurprising if she herself falls into the category of those who use K=3 as a fixed value, which will inevitably result in three data clusters regardless of actual distribution. The qualitative interpretation of the other two categories- that is, what placement in the other two categories means- is unclear as Ponytail's analysis is either using a binary criteria (whether or not one sorts data into three groups) as the basis for sorting people into three categories, or is a black box using unknown criteria and she has only been able to determine that her own group shares the tendency to group things into threes.

The title text refers to a K-means algorithm with the opposite problem, with no reduction of K value to converge any two human beings into a common cluster based on shared traits. This is humorous because it would make such a clustering useless for the purposes for which a K-Means Clustering is typically used, such as of making insurance risk pools or targets of advertisement campaigns.

Interestingly, by including the entire human population, the algorithm should be immune to bias in creating its input data. However, since every human is unique,{{cn}} the only way to have the clusters converge is to "throw out" some traits of humans as unimportant. This may be objectionable to humans who disagree with that assessment. In contrast, in a supervised algorithm, the training data is tagged with traits that the trainers seek. These traits could be applied in a manner that is socially unacceptable, and lead to AI behavior that reflects the biases of the trainers.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:Ponytail is presenting on a stage, pointing a screen with a stick. The writings and possible figures on the screen are illegible.

:Ponytail: Our analysis shows that there are three kinds of people in the world: Those who use ''k''-means clustering with ''k''=3, and two other types whose qualitative interpretation is unclear.

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