explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2078: Popper

2018-11-29T19:14:56Z

Shishire: There's no evidence that the transcript is incomplete, so removing the incomplete tag.

{{comic
| number = 2078
| date = November 28, 2018
| title = Popper
| image = popper.png
| titletext = At least, I don't think there's evidence. My claim that there's no evidence hasn't been falsified. At least, not that I know of.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|There is no evidence that this wasn’t created by a KARL POPPER HIMSELF. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In this comic, [[Miss Lenhart]] teaches to a class comprising of [[Hairy]], [[Ponytail]], and [[Science Girl]] about {{w|Karl Popper}}. Karl Popper was a philosopher of science who endorsed the idea that science is distinguished from non-science by treating its theories as falsifiable. This means that science does not treat any theory as definitive, because future research could show that it is false.

A not uncommon reading of Popper assumes that instead of proving theories, scientists are disproving theories. This reading leads to technicalities like the ones stated in the comic: Instead of asserting that Popper was indeed born on July 28, 1902, and grew up in Vienna, a scientist can only assert that there is no evidence disproving these facts.

The title text takes this reading a couple of steps further in a kind of meta-analysis. It points out that [[Miss Lenhart]]'s claim of no evidence has not been proven false, and also that we're dealing with only the knowledge of a single individual who may not be aware of evidence that might exist.

Another reading of Popper points out that Popper’s philosophy discarded proofs altogether as a defining feature of science. Thus there is no such thing as definitive evidence in Popper’s notion of science: Even falsifying assertions themselves are seen as falsifiable.

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart is teaching a class of three students: Hairy, Ponytail, and Science Girl.]

:Miss Lenhart: There's no evidence that Karl Popper wasn't born on July 28th, 1902.

:Miss Lenhart: No one has proven that he didn't grow up in Vienna...

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]

Talk:2078: Popper

2018-11-29T19:13:12Z

Shishire: Formatting

I think this might have to do with the President's claims regarding climate change, there's no evidence that I'm not wrong [[User:Zachweix|Zachweix]] ([[User talk:Zachweix|talk]]) 18:08, 28 November 2018 (UTC)
:I don't think you're wrong. I've never seen any evidence that you're wrong. I've never met the guy (I've definitely met the guy).
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 19:49, 28 November 2018 (UTC)

I have no evidence to prove that the comic's explanation is incorrect. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.90.112|172.68.90.112]] 18:10, 28 November 2018 (UTC)SiliconWolf

: I haven't failed to find no evidence that doesn't prove that you're not incorrect. [[User:Cosmogoblin|Cosmogoblin]] ([[User talk:Cosmogoblin|talk]]) 13:03, 29 November 2018 (UTC)

This comic is almost doubly self-referential. Has Randall done that before? Has anyone asked if somebody has done that before? What about asking that: has that been done before?
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.64|172.68.174.64]] 18:39, 28 November 2018 (UTC)

So how about that? There's no evidence denying that this comic exists and has an explanation, and there's no evidence denying that the explanation is correct [[User:DiceGuy|~DiceGuy]] ([[User talk:DiceGuy|talk]]) 13:11, 29 November 2018 (UTC)

Is the transcript really incomplete? It doesn't seem like it.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.22|162.158.255.22]] 16:26, 29 November 2018 (UTC)

: Doesn't seem incomplete to me either. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.43|162.158.107.43]] 17:48, 29 November 2018 (UTC)

:: There certainly doesn't appear to be any evidence that the transcript is incomplete. [[User:Shishire|Shishire]] ([[User talk:Shishire|talk]]) 19:11, 29 November 2018 (UTC)

Talk:2078: Popper

2018-11-29T19:11:58Z

Shishire:

I think this might have to do with the President's claims regarding climate change, there's no evidence that I'm not wrong [[User:Zachweix|Zachweix]] ([[User talk:Zachweix|talk]]) 18:08, 28 November 2018 (UTC)
:I don't think you're wrong. I've never seen any evidence that you're wrong. I've never met the guy (I've definitely met the guy).
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 19:49, 28 November 2018 (UTC)

I have no evidence to prove that the comic's explanation is incorrect. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.90.112|172.68.90.112]] 18:10, 28 November 2018 (UTC)SiliconWolf

: I haven't failed to find no evidence that doesn't prove that you're not incorrect. [[User:Cosmogoblin|Cosmogoblin]] ([[User talk:Cosmogoblin|talk]]) 13:03, 29 November 2018 (UTC)

This comic is almost doubly self-referential. Has Randall done that before? Has anyone asked if somebody has done that before? What about asking that: has that been done before?
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.64|172.68.174.64]] 18:39, 28 November 2018 (UTC)

So how about that? There's no evidence denying that this comic exists and has an explanation, and there's no evidence denying that the explanation is correct [[User:DiceGuy|~DiceGuy]] ([[User talk:DiceGuy|talk]]) 13:11, 29 November 2018 (UTC)

Is the transcript really incomplete? It doesn't seem like it.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.22|162.158.255.22]] 16:26, 29 November 2018 (UTC)

Doesn't seem incomplete to me either. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.43|162.158.107.43]] 17:48, 29 November 2018 (UTC)

There certainly doesn't appear to be any evidence that the transcript is incomplete. [[User:Shishire|Shishire]] ([[User talk:Shishire|talk]]) 19:11, 29 November 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1486: Vacuum

2015-02-13T20:57:48Z

Shishire:

This is obviously a reference to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_energy Vacuum Energy].
The "Tremendous" part is because calculation based on quantum electrodynamics suggest it should be 100 order of magnitudes larger than measured (That is a "1" with 100 zeros after it). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.202|141.101.98.202]] 09:42, 13 February 2015 (UTC)
:AKA a googolplex -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 12:55, 13 February 2015 (UTC)
::No, that's just a googol. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.77|141.101.104.77]] 13:55, 13 February 2015 (UTC)

Wondering if this is a reference to Terramex [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/Terramex] {{unsigned|Stese}}

:My antivirus says this link is [[609|not safe]]. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.77|141.101.104.77]] 10:50, 13 February 2015 (UTC)
::I see what you did there. - Equinox [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.120|199.27.128.120]] 17:03, 13 February 2015 (UTC)
:::can't speak to your antivirus, but I don't see any problem with the site (TVTropes) - it's a page about a video game called "Terramex" (which in summary is a game about adventurers finding a scientist that can prevent a meteor from hitting Earth) - no idea what that might have to do with vacuum energy, vacuum cleaners, living rooms, berets, or billiard balls, or even flying, but oh well -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 12:55, 13 February 2015 (UTC)
::::You completely missed the point. xkcd comic 609 referenced TVTropes' addictive power. You can get trapped in the web of links all day. Therefore, 141.101.104.77 was simply joking that their antivirus had detected this, and warned them that the site was not safe. I understand not seeing the comic before, but the IP did provide a link to explain the joke. [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 18:00, 13 February 2015 (UTC)
I tried to read this explanation, but couldn't because of xkcd 1240 [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.63|141.101.98.63]] 10:23, 13 February 2015 (UTC)
I was expecting something related to February 14. You know, something about YouTube, IBM, ENIAC, Pale Blue Dot, Shoemaker, Hilbert, Catalan, etc. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.77|141.101.104.77]] 10:39, 13 February 2015 (UTC)

Isn't 'the universe is mine to command!' a quote from Aladdin?? {{unsigned|Atty70}}

:Yes it is a quote from Aladdin (by Jafar when he becomes a genie) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103639/quotes]. It is also a quote from "insert your bond/sci-movie here" as it is the usual goal for any scientist that creates a lot of energy or a new weapon (only exception to this is in the real world with Einstein and the atomic bomb). Maybe something to add to the description (looking at someone with better english and story telling skills than I got) [[User:Aquaplanet|Aquaplanet]] ([[User talk:Aquaplanet|talk]]) 12:44, 13 February 2015 (UTC)

faced?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.157|108.162.249.157]] 12:53, 13 February 2015 (UTC)

Has anyone found a calculation or example of how much energy would be required to run a "vacuum (in the space time sense) cleaner"? And what would it be cleaning exactly? [[User:Iggynelix|Iggynelix]] ([[User talk:Iggynelix|talk]]) 18:50, 13 February 2015 (UTC)

:I suppose it would clean a soft vacuum into a hard vacuum, so it would be cleaning particles. Which is kind of exactly what vacuum (in the household appliance sense) cleaner does, just on a larger scale. [[User:Shishire|Shishire]] ([[User talk:Shishire|talk]]) 20:57, 13 February 2015 (UTC)