explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2848: Breaker Box

2023-10-31T18:11:02Z

Thisfox: /* Table of the breakers labels */

{{comic
| number = 2848
| date = October 30, 2023
| title = Breaker Box
| image = breaker_box_2x.png
| imagesize = 560x776px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Any electrician will warn you to first locate and flip the house's CAUSALITY circuit breaker before touching the CIRCUIT BREAKERS one.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a HIGH-PITCHED HUM GENERATOR THAT WAS LAST MENTIONED EXACTLY 1258 COMICS AGO - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
A {{w|Distribution board}}, referred to as a "breaker box" here and commonly referred to as a "fuse box", "breaker panel", "DB box", and many other names, is a metal box attached to a wall inside a building, usually in some maintenance area, containing several {{w|circuit breakers}} that let power through to various parts of the building. A circuit breaker is an electrical switch, usually in the form of a small lever, that will physically open if too much power is flowing through, as might be the case if a fault occurs, in order to protect appliances.

In most breaker boxes, each individual breaker is labeled to let the operator know what that specific breaker controls. A breaker will usually control something like the outlets or lights in a certain room, or some large appliance.

However, in houses that have been rewired multiple times (or are poorly wired), this can quickly become overcomplicated with seemingly random connections. Randall lives in Boston where much of the housing stock is from the late 1800s or early 1900s, and he is likely to live in a house with non-ideal wiring, which may have inspired this comic.

The comic satirizes these complex wriring setups, with multiple breakers "controlling" arbitrary things, including some that -- in the classic style of XKCD -- may be impossible to hook a breaker up to, getting progressively more absurd to the point of disabling certain laws of physics.

===Table of the breakers labels===
{|class = "wikitable"
! Label next to breaker !! Explanation !! Note
|-
! colspan="3"|Left column of switches
|-
| Kitchen Lights || The lights in the kitchen. || rowspan="3"| Standard items
|-
| Living room lights || The lights in the living room.
|-
| Porch lights || The lights on the porch.
|-
| Bathroom lights and one surprise mystery outlet somewhere || The lights in the bathroom, but also a random outlet.
This kind of situation can occur if an electrician – while adding wiring – chooses to wire seemingly logically unrelated things to the same circuit because it's convient/sensible for her to do so. This can mystify future homeowners who don't know the wiring history.
| Standard, but 'kludged'
|-
| North-facing appliances || colspan="2"|Difficult, but not theoretically impossible. Presumably this house has:
#a smart wiring system that knows which outlets control which appliances,
#all appliances with magnetic compasses that report their orientation to the smart home controler, and
#this breaker is not a simple power on/off but can selectively disable only north-facing appliances.
It is unclear how strict this is as well - it could be as lax as northeast to northwest, or even as strict as {{w|Points of the compass#32-wind compass rose|north by east to north by west}}.

Or, of course, it could mean the appliances on the north-facing walls of the house.
|-
| Bathtub drain light || colspan="2"|Bathtubs typically do not have drain lights, but this breaker provides power to that and only that.
|-
| Appliances whose names contain the letter "F" || colspan="2"|Also difficult but not theoretically impossible. Similar to "North-facing appliances," this would require a smart wiring system that can detect the official names of appliances plugged into each outlet, and the ability of this breaker switch to selectively disable certain outlets. (Typical electrical systems do not carry data about names, for starters.)
Some common household appliances that this switch might control: Coffee maker, refrigerator, freezer, fan, air fryer, food processor, waffle iron, fabric steamer, fireplace (electric)
|-
| Hot water heater || Usually just a heater that creates (and typically stores) hot water. But given the next lebel "regular water heater", this label might actually refer to a water heater that pointlessly heats water that is ''already'' hot. This is a joke about the fact that the phrase "hot water heater" is commonly used but is technically redundant (a water heater might be assumed to produce ''only'' hot water) or inaccurate (residential water heaters do not heat only water that is ''already'' hot). || rowspan="2"|Two "heaters"
|-
| Regular water heater || The heater for regular water. Together with the switch above, this presumes it's for a heater for heating water that is not yet hot (usually called a "hot water heater", hence the joke).
|-
| Outlets in rooms that it's normal to eat pizza in || colspan="2"|This controls every outlet in rooms that it's normal to eat pizza in, such as the dining room and kitchen and -- depending on the "normal" habits of the inhabitants -- other rooms such as the bedroom, bathroom, or living room (if not already covered by the "living room lights" switch above).
|-
| High-pitched hum generator || colspan="2"|Controls a high-pitched hum generator. This is a call-back to [[1590: The Source]].
|-
| The solution to the cryptogram below: || colspan="2"|Likely a pun on "breaking" or solving a cryptogram, which is a puzzle where a sentence has been encoded using a cipher, usually simple, and the goal is to determine the cipher and recover the original sentence from the encoded one.
Another explanation is that this switch enables or disables the solution somehow, perhaps controlling its knowability.
|-
| Bugs || colspan="2"|This could refer to software bugs or actual bugs, both of which do not make much sense to be able to turn off, or to covert listening devices, which would be able to be switched off if wired into the house's electrical grid, but are not a common feature in most houses. If this does refer to actual bugs, it may be a reference to [[2753: Air Handler]].
Though it's unlikely that it's what Randall is referring to, computer bugs switches actually exist. It's a feature in some video game emulators to either run an unofficial patched version or to stay true to the original system, for example to allow bug-exploit speedruns of a video game.
 If this switch disables the whole category of bugs (insects, arachnids, and other small arthropods), we'd have no more pests and we'd reduce disease likes malaria and Lyme. Food webs would also collapse, and our world would be overrun with waste.
|-
! colspan="3"|Right column of switches
|-
| A whirring fan you didn't realize was on until now || colspan="2"|The AC in a building usually creates quiet white noise from fans, which people usually do not hear until they become aware that there is a sound. Other appliances, such as fridges or home servers can have similar effects.
|-
| Dishwasher || colspan="2"|The dishwasher.
|-
| Dishes || colspan="2"|Traditionally, dishes cannot be turned off, as they do not require electricity (excepting for certain light-up, battery-powered novelty plates). "Dishes" could be the label for a dishwasher on another house's breaker box, but this one already used that label. Another, unlikely explanation is that this switch controls 2 or more satellite dishes.
|-
| Hallway lights || The lights in the hallway or hallways. || rowspan="3"|"Hallway" regions
|-
| Hallway outlets || The outlets in the hallway or hallways.
|-
| Hallway floors || This breaker has several potential interpretations:
#Outlets in the floors
#Electic underfloor heating (heated bathroom floors are a feature in some houses)
#Electification of the floors -- not common outside of horror and heist movies.
#Disabling all floors entirely, so everything resting on the floors falls through.
|-
| Social media || colspan="2"|This breaker also has several potential interpretations of "turning off social media":
#1 'Digital detoxes', where someone says "I'm going to turn off my social media" and intends to deny themselves access to all their social media apps.
#A switch for a parent to turn off all social media entering the house to protect their kids and themselves, which references a type of specialized content filter available through Wi-Fi router settings, not traditionally a breaker box.
#A callback to [[908: The Cloud]]. Since most social media platforms are centralized services, it would be theoretically possible to hook up a switch to the main power supply of every server building at once, given some extremely long wires, a breaker capable of handling the abhorrently massive electric load, and agreement from every social media provider([[1439|optional]]).
#The theoretical desire by some to "turn off social media" for the world due to its harmful effects on society. As someone who lived before social media and saw its spread over two decades, Randall may be ruing the impacts of social media on civilization and channeling his desire to put the genie back in the bottle.
|-
| State law || Likely a pun on "State Law Breaker."
Taken literally, it would either disable enforcement of State Law or nullify every single one, creating a state of martial law similar to the premise of the popular movie, "The Purge". It's unclear if this referes to Randall's state of Massachusetts or State Law as a whole concept.
| rowspan="2"|"Legal" items
|-
| Federal law || Likely a pun on "Federal Law Breaker," though it could also be taken literally, as above. The ramifications of nullifying every US Federal law are immense. Disabling Federal Law while keeping State Law would theoretically fulfull the goals of the "States Rights" advocates, groups of conservatives across US history aiming to return Federal power to the States.
|-
| Second law of thermodynamics || The Second Law of Thermodynamics, in simple terms, states that the total entropy (or disorder) of an isolated system can only increase over time. It's a fundamental principle that dictates the direction of energy flow, the feasibility of many processes, and provides an arrow of time.
Turning off the second law of thermodynamics would have some pros and cons.
;GOOD STUFF
*'''Perpetual Motion Machines''': Machines that can do work indefinitely without an energy source would become possible, defying our current understanding of energy conservation.
*'''Reversibility of Processes''': Many natural processes that are irreversible under current laws could be reversed. For instance, melted ice could spontaneously turn back into a solid without energy removal.
*'''Recycling Energy''': We could theoretically use the same quantum of energy over and over again, leading to ultra-efficient systems and potentially solving many of the world's energy problems.
*'''Reversing Entropy-Driven Processes''': Things like mixing cream and coffee or ink in water could spontaneously unmix.
;BAD STUFF
*'''End Life as We Know It:''' All living organisms rely on the second law for crucial processes, including metabolism and reproduction. If the second law were negated, life, at least as we understand it, might not be possible.
*'''No Heat Engines:''' Engines rely on the flow of heat from hotter to colder bodies. Without the Second Law, our cars, power plants, refrigerators, and many other devices would not function.
*'''Breakdown of Molecular Processes:''' Molecules spontaneously move from areas of higher to lower concentration due to entropy. Without this, diffusion, osmosis, and many biochemical reactions wouldn't occur as they currently do.
*'''Loss of Directionality:''' One interpretation of the Second Law provides a directionality to time (the so-called "arrow of time"). Without it, causality and our understanding of past, present, and future could be fundamentally altered.
*'''Unpredictable Outcomes:''' Turning off the Second Law could result in a universe where outcomes are not probabilistically predictable. You couldn't rely on anything happening as it "should," leading to chaos in every sense.
 This law of physics was also explored in the What If? article [https://what-if.xkcd.com/145/ Fire From Moonlight].
| rowspan="3"|"Physics" items
|-
| Friction || Friction is the resistive force that opposes the relative motion or tendency of such motion of two surfaces in contact. Turning it off has some upsides and downsides.
;UPSIDES
*'''Perpetual Motion Machines:''' Without friction, once an object starts moving, it would continue indefinitely unless acted upon by another force. This could lead to perpetual motion machines that could generate energy.
*''Super Efficient Transport:''' Cars, trains, and other vehicles would glide effortlessly once set into motion, leading to immense energy savings.
*'''Unique Sports:''' New sports and activities would emerge, where players glide or slide over surfaces without friction.
;DOWNSIDES
*'''Walking Would Be Impossible:''' We rely on friction between our feet and the ground to move. Without it, we would be unable to walk, run, or even stand.
*'''No Manual Dexterity:''' Holding, grabbing, or manipulating objects would be impossible. Even simple tasks like holding a glass or writing with a pen would be out of reach.
*'''Catastrophic Mechanical Failures:''' Many machines rely on friction to function. Brakes in cars, for instance, use friction to slow down and stop the vehicle. Without it, uncontrollable accidents would occur.
*'''No Sound:''' Friction between air molecules creates sound waves. Without friction, the world would be silent.
*'''Breathing Difficulties:''' Our respiratory system relies on frictional forces when the alveoli in our lungs exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the bloodstream.
*'''No Fire:''' Fire relies on friction for its creation, such as when striking a match. The absence of friction would mean no traditional methods of starting a fire.
*'''Collisions:''' Objects, once set in motion, would continue to move until they hit something, leading to a myriad of unpredictable and uncontrollable collisions.
 Being in a frictionless environment (and a vacuum, as physicists love...) was the subject of [[669: Experiment]].
|-
| Gravity || Gravity is a natural force that attracts two bodies toward each other, proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
Turning off gravity would have some advantages and disadvantages.
;ADVANTAGES
* '''Flight''': Without gravity, every leap could turn into a flight. We could push off surfaces and float effortlessly through the air.
* '''No Weight Restrictions''': Large structures could be built without concern for weight-bearing loads. This would drastically change engineering and architectural designs.
* '''New Sports''': Zero-gravity sports and activities could become a reality on Earth. Imagine playing basketball or soccer without gravity!

DISADVANTAGES
* '''Loss of Atmosphere and Oceans''': Without gravity, Earth's atmosphere would dissipate into space, and water from oceans, rivers, and lakes would float away, making life as we know it impossible.
* '''Unanchored Chaos''': Everything not fixed to the ground, including people, animals, vehicles, trees, and structures, would become airborne, causing massive destruction and chaos.
* '''Disruption of Celestial Order''': Earth would no longer orbit the Sun, the Moon would drift away, and the structural integrity of the universe, including galaxies and solar systems, would be jeopardized.
|-
| Circuit breakers || colspan="2"|If this was turned off, it would presumably turn off all power in the house since no breaker is supplied or supplying power any more. (Most houses have a main circuit breaker that provides this functionality.)

However, if this circuit breaker disables all circuit breakers everywhere, it would result in Global Infrastructure Collapse, halting essential services, including transportation, healthcare, and communication, and leading to widespread chaos.
|-
! colspan="3"|Title text
|-
| colspan="2"|The title text is about causality. Turning off the circuit breaker using the CIRCUIT BREAKER switch may lead to a loop, as the disabled breaker can no longer disable itself, leading to it turning back on, etc. Turning off CAUSALITY first would prevent this loop as causes would no longer have effects.
* This might be a one way street: turning the CAUSALITY switch from OFF back to ON would be unlikely to do anything if the separation of cause and effect takes precedence over the current switch setting.
| A further "Physics" item
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[An open breaker box is shown. There are 26 labelled breakers, all of which are on, paired back to back in thirteen rows as a label, switch, switch and label.]
:Kitchen lights / A whirring fan you didn't realize was on until now
:Living room lights / Dishwasher
:Porch lights / Dishes
:Bathroom lights and one surprise mystery outlet somewhere / Hallway lights
:North-facing appliances / Hallway outlets
:Bathtub drain light / Hallway floors
:Appliances whose names contain the letter "F" / Social media
:Hot water heater / State law
:Regular water heater / Federal law
:Outlets in rooms that it's normal to eat pizza in / Second law of thermodynamics
:High-pitched hum generator / Friction
:[There are words that are too small to read on the left breaker's label.]
:The solution to the cryptogram below: / Gravity
:Bugs / Circuit breakers

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2830: Haunted House

2023-09-19T22:47:17Z

Thisfox:

I initially thought this was Randall's version of the old joke "The great thing about standards is there are so many of them." Like the zoo of USB cables and adapters to allow you to connect them. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:22, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
:Well, shoot. I was hoping to find an online old phone charger cord museum but it doesn't seem to exist. In the late 1990s-early 2000s, every time you bought a cell phone, you automatically got a different charger cord that was basically incompatible with anyone else's. Those flat, wide weird looking connectors that predated USB-anything. Thought maybe someone would have compiled a list. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.192|172.70.126.192]] 22:05, 18 September 2023 (UTC)Pat
:No mention of https://xkcd.com/927/?! [[User:TPS|TPS]] ([[User talk:TPS|talk]]) 03:10, 19 September 2023 (UTC)

This reminds me of how Eastern Japan uses 50Hz but Western Japan uses 60Hz (and how under the Articles of Confederation each state had their own form of paper currency) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.63|108.162.237.63]] 22:03, 18 September 2023 (UTC)Bumpf

Not only are doorknobs quite standardized, they are usually already IN the doors. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:29, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
:Not always, unfortunately. I once rented an apartment where the bathroom door's inside knob had to be "plugged in" in order to open the door, but would fall out when not in use. If you couldn't find it you'd be stuck in the bathroom till someone let you out. [[User:Andes|Andes]] ([[User talk:Andes|talk]]) 22:55, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
:: I've seen those. The door (or at least the knob) was on backwards. The idea is to have a knob you can remove on the outside for locking purposes in homes where you don't want someone walking in on you. I always thought it was pretty dumb, but backwards it would be worse, you'd have to stage a breakout if someone absent mindedly took the knob into the kitchen or something. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 22:47, 19 September 2023 (UTC)
:Not really standardised. From what I've heard, on a number of occasions, there are places in America (need to check, could be Canadian provinces or US States, or subset areas) where doors legally must have doorknobs, rather than door-handles, as an anti-bear measure (they can't be a 'clever girl' so easily with a doorknob). And then there are legislative areas which require ''handles'', not ''knobs'', as an accessability (or indeed egressability!) measure for those people with arthritis/other hand-disabilities for precisely the same reason (they would have difficulty with a doorknob, unassisted) but now looking for the more widely usable outcome. Thus mutually incompatible Building Codes are in force. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.241|172.70.91.241]] 00:16, 19 September 2023 (UTC)
::And now I've got an imagine in my head of a horror movie in which an arthritic grandmother is chasing the heroes, and manages to open a traditional doorknob with her walker... "Clever girl". So thank you for that. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.41|172.69.247.41]] 15:11, 19 September 2023 (UTC)

Household electrical outlets do vary from country to country in Europe, such that I have collected a variety of plug adapters. And world-wide, I have seen it asserted that there are 15 different standards, including a number that are partially compatible with each other, differing only by the arrangement of the grounds. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.197|162.158.62.197]] 22:45, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity_by_country Wikipedia list] [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.63|162.158.63.63]] 03:50, 19 September 2023 (UTC)

The Louisville Knobs are a geologic/geographic feature. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.174.252|172.71.174.252]] 02:42, 19 September 2023 (UTC)
: Kentucky, USA [[wikipedia:Knobs_region]] [[User:Iggynelix|Iggynelix]] ([[User talk:Iggynelix|talk]]) 12:51, 19 September 2023 (UTC)
The explanation so far is somewhat inaccurate, as ANSI and ISO are not the organizations that set specific electrical configurations in the US. For electrical wiring in general, the National Fire Prevention Association publishes NFPA-70, The National Electric Code, which is the basis for most electrical wiring. Plug and socket configurations in buildings are defined by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and are referred to by that organization's nomenclature, such as "NEMA 5-15" for the 125V 15A standard plug and socket for most convenience outlets and cords. Appliance connectors like the "C-13" socket used on most computers are defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission. It's too late at night for me to make something shorter than this paragraph...[[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.209|172.68.174.209]] 06:14, 19 September 2023 (UTC)

:The relationship between ANSI and NEMA is sufficiently tricky that I'm not sure "somewhat inaccurate" is a true statement. For instance, see https://www.nema.org/standards/technical/ansi-accreditation, which states in pertinent part, "NEMA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop American National Standards…" I'd not be surprised if there's a similar ISO/IEC or even ANSI/IEC thing. Dual branded standards are not unheard of. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 11:01, 19 September 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2827: Brassica

2023-09-18T07:28:29Z

Thisfox:

You can also get pretty good mileage from claiming random things (like peaches, corn, or Skittles) are actually a type of berry. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.40|172.69.247.40]] 00:51, 12 September 2023 (UTC)
:I've done that with corn before. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.76|172.69.134.76]] 01:32, 12 September 2023 (UTC)
:Easier (and often ''more'' accurate than expectations) to suggest that any number of 'berries' are not a berry (but, typically, a {{w|drupe}} or {{w|Aggregate fruit|aggregate druplets/composite/etc}}), or similar with various (most?) type of 'nuts' that really aren't.
:But of course loganberries and most types of pine nut ''are'', indeed, brassicas!{{Actual citation needed}} [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.20|172.71.242.20]] 05:08, 12 September 2023 (UTC)
: You can get even more milage by claiming that _technically_ random berry isn't a berry[[Special:Contributions/172.71.246.135|172.71.246.135]] 20:41, 12 September 2023 (UTC)
: The confusion there comes from two different definitions of the word. The culinary term simply means a small edible fruit. The botanical definition is based on how different parts of the flower develop into parts of the fruit, and much of what matches each term doesn't match the other. The botanical term excludes a lot that even has "berry" in its name, like strawberries and blackberries, but includes some things that definitely don't match the culinary term, like bananas. Most people who aren't scientists who work with plants normally think of the culinary term, so basing statements on what matches the botanical term often sounds strange. The same is true for fruits vs vegetables, as vegatable doesn't even have a non-culinary definition, unlike fruit, which has a clear botanical meaning, which includes some things considered vegetables.--[[Special:Contributions/172.71.254.46|172.71.254.46]] 06:10, 13 September 2023 (UTC)
This is like the ridiculous claims that birds descended from dinosaurs and whales from hippos. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:20, 12 September 2023 (UTC)
:What do you mean "ridiculous"? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-dinosaurs-shrank-and-became-birds/ [[Special:Contributions/172.70.100.229|172.70.100.229]] 19:06, 12 September 2023 (UTC)
:The poster was using the word "ridiculous" in the usual sense, but they omitted the "ironic" tag. [[User:Kelvin128|Kelvin128]] ([[User talk:Kelvin128|talk]]) 14:30, 15 September 2023 (UTC)
::Well, the <irony>...</irony> element and tags haven't actually been fully supported since HTML Internet Draft 1.2, and I don't think has ever had a MediaWiki markup equivalent. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.221|141.101.98.221]] 15:34, 15 September 2023 (UTC)

Do we have a category/tag for "Experts misleading the public" or "Experts manufacturing false facts"? Feels like a common theme. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.22.121|172.71.22.121]] 10:37, 13 September 2023 (UTC)

''to which many vegetables that we eat belong'' speak for yourself. I'm pretty sure neither tomato nor potato is Brassica oleracea. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:44, 13 September 2023 (UTC)
:But what about the tomahto and potahto? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.143|172.70.90.143]] 05:23, 14 September 2023 (UTC)

'''One of the issues with defining which plants are what is the definition of a ''tree'''''. It's disputed a lot, one of those "I know one when I see one" type issues, but it's relevant here because the decision of what is a tree and what isn't is fluid and changes country to country (and even state to state https://www.rgc.net.au/post/what-is-a-tree) and depends on legal definitions rather than phylogenetic ones. https://eukaryotewritesblog.com/2021/05/02/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-tree/. Brassica, on the other hand, IS a genetic definition. I tried to point out the differences and similarities but someone edited it away again, so I figured I’d add it in here. If anyone would like to re-add, I see it as relevant that although we can randomly redefine various large plants as trees, we cannot randomly redefine various broccoli-like plants as brassica. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 07:28, 18 September 2023 (UTC)

== Redwoods contain no resin. They do contain tanins, as does red wine ==

I am reluctant to edit the article but someone with that skill might want to change the line

" "Resinous" is probably a more apt adjective than "delicious", and they're probably woody...."

to something like

""Delicious" might be an apt adjective as Sequoias, like red wine, have a high content of tannins, including polyphenols, but unlike wine this variety of brussels spounts would probably still be quite woody. Because of their height, the taste, like a Zinfandel, might have a long finish"

(reference to lack of resins in redwoods:

"Redwoods, however, contain neither pitch nor resin...".

and

"The Redwoods have a high percentage of tannin, and this gives both the bark and the heartwood a reddish color during the life of the tree...."

both from from https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/shirley/sec6.htm)
[[User:WWCODY|WWCODY]] ([[User talk:WWCODY|talk]]) 21:13, 15 September 2023 (UTC)

:Presumably that article is correct as to redwoods’ lack of resin, but it inspires *very* little confidence with “Fungi are colorless plants … .” [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 22:32, 16 September 2023 (UTC)

2827: Brassica

2023-09-11T22:49:37Z

Thisfox: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2827
| date = September 11, 2023
| title = Brassica
| image = brassica_2x.png
| imagesize = 327x319px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Sequoia Brussels sprouts are delicious but it's pretty hard to finish one.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a field of Sequoia cabbage - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Brassica oleracea}} is a plant species that has many vegetables we eat that look quite different, such as {{w|cabbage}}, {{w|broccoli}}, {{w|kale}} and {{w|Brussels sprouts}}. There are 24 listed on wikipedia that all look different. These different species all originated from wild cabbage, having been cultivated by humans into several different forms.

Here we see someone (presumably a botanist) point out that the Mighty Redwood also belongs to this species. In reality it belongs to a different species, {{w|Sequoiadendron giganteum}}. In the caption, Randall jokes that for all we know, botanists have just been adding random plants to the list of B. oleracea cultivars, including an enormous tree. Adding random plants to a nonphylogenetic grouping is actually how we get the category "tree", a category in dispute to this day[https://eukaryotewritesblog.com/2021/05/02/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-tree/].

The title text refers to Sequoia Brussels sprouts. This may be another cultivar added to B. oleracea, or given that Sequoia can also be another name for redwood, the same cultivar. It may be hard to finish due to the size or possibly the bark.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:: [Cueball, Megan and another Cueball are standing in front of a Giant Sequoia]
:: Cueball: Did you know the Mighty Redwood is actually the same species as broccoli and kale? It's just a different cultivar.
:: Another Cueball: Wow!

:: [Caption below the panel]
:: Every year or two, botanists add another plant to Brassica oleracea and see if anyone calls them on it.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2813: What To Do

2023-08-17T07:52:08Z

Thisfox:

Top right kinda reminds me of https://piped.video/watch?v=5jKZ9KGtee0 [[User:Beanie|Beanie]] [[User talk:Beanie|talk]] 22:06, 9 August 2023 (UTC)
:I was thinking that that kind of thing usually works for the likes of Mick Dundee.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.178|172.70.86.178]] 11:10, 14 August 2023 (UTC)

We don't need a dang [citation needed] on every single joke in the first column. Less is more. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.135.149|172.70.135.149]] 04:55, 10 August 2023 (UTC)
: Citation needed. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.127.132|172.70.127.132]] 05:13, 10 August 2023 (UTC)
: I wholeheartedly disagree, every one is funny [[User:Tiln|Tiln]] ([[User talk:Tiln|talk]]) 07:36, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

https://tiermaker.com/create/2813-xkcd-what-to-do-16046434 <- I made a tierlist for all the panels you can fill out! idk why thought it was funny [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 11:51, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

Yeah! Finally another good/bad matrix! I love the pictures more than the selection of situations and reactions. Anyone else too? --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.247.125|172.70.247.125]] 17:00, 16 August 2023 (UTC)

== Add background color to table? ==

Should we indicate the comic's table's red/green background colors in the description table? This could either be by changing the cells' background colors to match the comic, or adding "(Red background)" or "(Green background)" to the text. -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 15:07, 10 August 2023 (UTC)
:I don't know whether that's typical, but I think it's a good idea.
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 15:50, 10 August 2023 (UTC)
:For a moment I thought you meant the Transcript, to which I would have said it was inadvisable to place a colour, seeing as in my experience the Transcript is mainly for blind people using a reader program, and I'm not sure the reader program would mention the colour of text, definitely not the background. But in the description, I would agree, and I think changing the colour is more visually informative. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:02, 12 August 2023 (UTC)
::I'd match the #RGBs of the comic (rather than #F00/#0F0). Or perhaps even tone back to half saturation. We want it to be faithful in hue but not everly distracting. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.63|162.158.74.63]] 20:03, 12 August 2023 (UTC)
:::The green in the original comic is #A4E6A1; reducing its sat by half gives #C5E6C3. The original pink is #E6A1A1, reducing its sat by half gives #E6C3C3. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 20:45, 12 August 2023 (UTC)
::::Yeah, looked good. For what my opinion i worth on the matter, a decent choice. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.47|162.158.74.47]] 23:34, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

== Yelling at lightning ==
If we really need a citation about the futility of yelling at lightning, there's King Lear, Act 3, scene 2. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 23:13, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

== Fire Alarms ==
I recently found out other peoples fire alarms can't be turned off. Mine turns off if you apply firm pressure to the test button when it is ringing (there wasn't a fire, just a lot of steam, and it was confused). Do other fire alarms not have a pressure-activated "off" button? [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 07:52, 17 August 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2803: Geohydrotypography

2023-07-18T09:52:53Z

Thisfox:

100 words per minute seems… fast. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.64|172.69.33.64]] 04:47, 18 July 2023 (UTC)
:Yes, has anyone done the maths on this claim?[[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 09:52, 18 July 2023 (UTC)

Is it accurate to say it's a portmaneau of geology, hydrology and typography? Surely the geo- and hydro- could also be considered here to have come from the root words (the same way they have in geology and hydrology) because they're just adding scope to the -ography from typography, or rather specifying that it's typography involving *geo* and *hydro*. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.15|172.70.86.15]] 06:41, 18 July 2023 (UTC)

It may see obvious to most, but I'd like to suggest a bit more literal explanation of the mechanics involved. It took me far too many readings, both of the comic and the explanation, to realize that the comic's "expansion of the ocean basin due to plate tectonics" is independent from the characters being "written" on the ocean. The word-wrap effects are just due to the existing rate of expansion due to plate tectonics. I was looking for some kind of typically Randallian closed loop (as in [[688: Self-Description]]). [[User:Der57|Der57]] ([[User talk:Der57|talk]]) 07:25, 18 July 2023 (UTC)

Why geology and hydrology when geography and hydrography are perfectly valid things? If it is a portmanteau, it could clearly be of three different "graphy" words.. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.102.108|172.71.102.108]] 09:10, 18 July 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2793: Garden Path Sentence

2023-06-23T21:46:51Z

Thisfox:

The bot didn't upload the most recent comic so I tried to do it myself, but I think I screwed it up :([[User:Szeth Pancakes|Szeth Pancakes]] ([[User talk:Szeth Pancakes|talk]]) 18:31, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

I think the term "bird strikes" should be interpreted as a plural noun, given the two Xs on the map. Something like "After bird strikes, judge ... overturned but rights and lands safely" [[Special:Contributions/172.69.59.8|172.69.59.8]] 20:30, 23 June 2023 (UTC)
: Or it could be the bird strikes judge... You know, the one who was the judge in an important and well-known "bird strikes" case, possibly environmental, possibly an insurance scam case or something.[[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 21:46, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

I don't think the current interpretation is wrong, but "olive garden" could be the lower-case-when-not-a-comics-headline descriptor for, you know, an actual garden of olive trees. That makes more sense when referring to green walkways. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 20:33, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

Can someone also parse the alt-text? I still can't figure it out. -[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.176|162.158.154.176]] 20:39, 23 June 2023 (UTC)
:I think it's saying the arboretum owner (who is appealing the case) is himself appealing. I'm still having trouble with the grounds grounds portion though. :([[User:*anonymouse*|*anonymouse*]] ([[User talk:*anonymouse*|talk]]) 20:48, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

Going by the picture I think the "bird" that struck the judge may be the plane.
:Disagree, "{{w|bird strike}}" is a term used for an incident where a bird strikes a vehicle, usually a plane. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.155|172.70.211.155]] 20:50, 23 June 2023 (UTC)
:But all these conflicting interpretations proves Randall's point that this is a garden path sentence :) [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 20:52, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

[[User:*anonymouse*|*anonymouse*]] please reconsider your edits; before them, I think I understood the meaning, but your supposed clarification messed it up :( the paragraph you removed seemed more plausible to me, and it also contained some useful wiki links to {{w|bird strike}} and {{w|vacated judgement}}. [[User:Torzsmokus|Torzsmokus]] ([[User talk:Torzsmokus|talk]]) 20:47, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

As I understood it, birds hit the plane piloted by the judge that gave the Olive Garden path sentence, overturning it (!!!), but he righted it and managed to land. [[User:J Petry|J Petry]] ([[User talk:J Petry|talk]]) 20:49, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

A [[wikipedia:bird strike]] is an aviation thing. Given the airplane in the photo and the path to what appears to be runways, I think that these are the bird strikes it's referring to. "Rights and lands safely" also would refer to the judge piloting an airplane. "Overturned" thus should also refer to the flight, but I would expect it to be something like "overturns", not "overturned", given "rights and lands". Thus: "After bird strikes, the judge who ordered the sentence overturned in the olive garden path case, his plane overturned, but rights the aircraft and lands it safely." [[User:SheeEttin|SheeEttin]] ([[User talk:SheeEttin|talk]]) 20:53, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

I see what you're saying, and I think you're right. After (multiple) bird strikes the (plane being flown by the judge) overturned but was able to right itself. :([[User:*anonymouse*|*anonymouse*]] ([[User talk:*anonymouse*|talk]]) 20:57, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

I feel certain that "olive" refers to the shade of green, because otherwise why specify "green" walkways? This makes "Olive Garden" a red herring, which seems likely. -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.244|108.162.245.244]] 21:01, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2789: Making Plans

2023-06-15T22:48:58Z

Thisfox:

Help, I can't move my comment down! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.54|AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]] 01:28, 15 June 2023 (UTC)

Here I was expecting something about cryptography and how Charlie just invited himself along.
[[Special:Contributions/172.71.146.146|172.71.146.146]] 04:08, 15 June 2023 (UTC)

The alphabetical citation bias occurred in psychology but not biology or geoscience. (Biologist married to psychologist, gloating.) ---- {{unsigned ip|162.158.186.213}}
:I think the Wikipedia quote and reference link may be obsolete. It was a big deal when it was published half a decade ago, but editors took note, and now almost every peer reviewed paper gets references listed by the order they occur in the text, don't they? Surely there must be some post-2018 sources on this from journals saying they've changed their style guides we can include? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.155.42|172.71.155.42]] 22:06, 15 June 2023 (UTC)

I disagree with the explanation about the alphabetical sorting of Cueball on Yvonne's phone. AFAIK, Cueball is only the fan nickname given on this wiki, and not an in-universe name, right?
Names starting with R would be pretty far down an alphabetical list, like in Rob... or Randall
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.233.69|162.158.233.69]] 06:49, 15 June 2023 (UTC)
:I agree and have already deleted this. Made a comment on my changes along the idea you wrote here. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:04, 15 June 2023 (UTC)

I feel like a better reference point for this than academic citations or ballot paper ordering would be old paper phone directories, where you'd find companies calling themselves things like 'AAA Assistance' in order to appear at the top of their sector listings. Can anyone find a non-anecdotal reference for this?[[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.137|172.71.178.137]] 09:06, 15 June 2023 (UTC)

If only people were like books... (I have (re)read far more Asimov and Clarke than Wells and Zelazny, but none of them complain!) ...but clearly ''no'' absolute ordering is perfect. "Most recently contacted" suffers from the problem of some new contacts shuffling someone out of the current head-of-list spot and then they plummet to the 'old' end. "''Least'' recently contacted" would be better, but would 'auto-ghost' everyone the moment contact is re-established (or attempted, if it was based upon your reaching out, not their deigning to reach back again).
 Perhaps a "rolling road-block" method of (say) today starting at A, tomorrow starting at B(/wherever you left off today), and so on until it wraps around Z->A again. Or half your "social management" spent at the top-end, a quarter of it jumps half way down, an eighth of it half of the rest of the way, a sixteenth by jumping a further half of the remainder, with discretion to look up and down from the proposed landing-point to choose a neighbouring contact with more hopefulbcontactability... That latter would work even better on a "by most recent contact" sort, as well, as it churns and refreshes the current social circles to regain valuable 'lost' contacts without overly penalising the current circle of recent acquaintences in such a paradoxical manner.
 Of course... the fewer friends you have, the simpler the problem! I have never been so happy to be a sub-Dunbar individual, and so not have all the anxieties that those with exceedingly active social lives must have! Even if it means I might just have to phone my water-company up, every now and then, to bitch about how my telephone company forgot my birthday and is now refusing to return my calls... ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.69|172.70.91.69]] 09:29, 15 June 2023 (UTC)
:Wouldn't it be easier just to have randomised ordering each time you load? Of course, all of this overlooks the primary reason for having them alphabetical in the first place - to be able to locate a specific contact when you have a specific reason for contacting them, which any of these other systems would make a pain in the arse.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.170|172.70.91.170]] 09:34, 15 June 2023 (UTC)
::But ''which'' (pseudo-)random reordering? Can you guarantee thst your LCG/LFSR/Mersenne implementation, and how it is consulted to shuffle and reprioritises your contacts, has sufficiently long cycle-periodicity to avoid you still entirely neglecting someone because they still usually end up below any cut-off point?!? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.136|172.70.85.136]] 09:47, 15 June 2023 (UTC)
:Clearly, the correct is an AI social helper who will remind you to reach out to friends you haven't contacted recently, along with keeping track of birthdays, anniversaries, and other special reasons to contact everyone in your social circle. All the while, it would be learning your language patterns and voice, so that you can eventually just let it take over your social life entirely. You can hang out with your three real friends while your AI hangs out with the AIs of the fifty people in your contact list that you don't actually remember. (Is it obvious I'm an introvert?) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.44|172.69.247.44]] 10:11, 15 June 2023 (UTC)
::("... three real friends"? You socialite. If only I were such a shameless party animal!) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.7|172.70.86.7]] 10:27, 15 June 2023 (UTC)

As a person with an A name, I find I often get pocket-dialed by various people. Discussing this with people whose names start at the other end of the alphabet, they observed that they never got pocket-dialed. Is this another example of the same phenomenon, or do I have a case of innaccurate anecdotal evidence? [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 22:48, 15 June 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2782: Wikipedia Article Titles

2023-05-31T22:23:10Z

Thisfox:

Of course, I had to search for those keywords and found this: [https://www.playbill.com/article/bulletin-meryl-streep-in-talks-to-do-seagull-in-central-park-com-87578 Playbill: Bulletin: Meryl Streep in Talks to Do Seagull in Central Park]. Couldn't find anything about a Seagull *incident*, however. We may have to wait until the production has completed. [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 13:44, 29 May 2023 (UTC)
:Or doesn't happen at all. The incident might be a fight between Streep and someone involved in the production. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:07, 29 May 2023 (UTC)
::Whatever happens we need to somehow inject the name "Meyrl Street seagull incident" into the news coverage so that the Wikipedia article can be created. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.101|172.70.162.101]] 14:24, 29 May 2023 (UTC)

'''''Ah-HAH!''''' https://www.salon.com/2001/08/27/seagull/ "a 40-ish man was found dead in the bushes from a single gunshot wound near the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, just yards away from where Philip Seymour Hoffman offs himself with a single gunshot wound every night as Konstantin Gavrilovich in Anton Chekhov's ''The Seagull.''" (in which Streep was his co-star.) Thanks to ChatGPT-4's WebPilot plug-in, by the way. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.214|172.69.134.214]] 17:24, 29 May 2023 (UTC)

Re the transcript: I don't think they're called checkmarks. Tick marks, maybe.
[[Special:Contributions/172.71.182.232|172.71.182.232]] 18:00, 29 May 2023 (UTC)
:{{done}} [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.96|172.69.134.96]] 18:14, 29 May 2023 (UTC)
::Well, given that {{w|Check mark}} and (redirected there, anyway) {{w|Tick mark}} don't actually refer to those things, I changed the transcript to use the {{w|Graduation (scale)}} terminology as the best(?) of various such terms that I'd more happily use. Which probably is going to annoy someone else, so maybe expect it to change again... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.179|172.70.162.179]] 20:36, 29 May 2023 (UTC)
:::I did not do this transcript, but I have used the tick marks in numerous transcripts using charts like this. I'm not native English speaker, and there have never been anyone changing it before, and seems like another user also believed tick mark could be used... So it would be nice to find out of it is actually normal to use tick marks for the "ticks" on a graph axis, else there will be 100 of transcripts to fix (as I have been involved in writing most of them). I have never head of the graduation scale terminology...--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:55, 30 May 2023 (UTC)
::::Quick serach came up with [https://grapherhelp.goldensoftware.com/Axes/Tick_Marks.htm this page] using tick marks as I have always done, first after the wiki article on check marks which I have never heard called tick marks before. I will correct back to tick marks --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:56, 30 May 2023 (UTC)
:::: Microsoft refers to them as Tick Marks - don't know whether or not that counts as supporting evidence.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.152|172.70.91.152]] 15:39, 30 May 2023 (UTC)
::::: (...not sure MS is an authority, but...) Personally, I read "tick" as a ✓. And "check" is either such a [[2445: Checkbox|tick]] or [[1448: Question|a cross]] (there's also one with a tick/cross ambiguity, prompting much speculation here about positive/nevative meaning, but I can't recall which that one is right now).
::::: I might accept a "tally" marker (vertically, across x-axis, it 'counts' similarly to "five-barred" tally-marks, without the barring). "Graduation" (Graduierung?) does mean both this and the event of graduating (or undertaking the Eksamen?), but has less semantic overlap than a two-stroke diagonal and a single-stroke perpendicular (both of which feature in various comics). I think I'd ignore/change prior "graph axis 'check/tick' marks", depending on context, but it ''would'' be better to be unambiguously a scale-marking and not a confirmatory "this exists" indicator. If the right word can be found. (Grad-mark? Unit-mark?) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.129|172.70.90.129]] 10:33, 31 May 2023 (UTC)
::::::just look at {{w|Hatch mark}} (which is what these are), first line claims they are also called Tick marks. The existing redirect is incorrect. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.70|108.162.245.70]] 10:49, 31 May 2023 (UTC)
:::::::Looks like that page also [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/1157853432 suffers from arguments about what means what], which I'm not at all inclined to get involved with myself. Hatching, to me is more strictly pen/pencil-line shading across an area, but that's just my understanding and it takes all sorts. (Also, you shaved off the datetime signature of the comment you replied to. Repairing that.) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.2|172.70.86.2]] 11:45, 31 May 2023 (UTC)
::::::::Hatching, Hash Marks and Hatch Marks, to me, are what the yanks call a "pound" symbol, and we call a hatch or hash mark. # (our "pound" is £, as it used to be our money before we moved on to Aussie dollars) the hatch mark does, I agree, look like pencil shading across an area. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 22:23, 31 May 2023 (UTC)

"User disambiguation pages" also exist. See http:/ /esolangs.org/wiki/User_talk:XKCD_Wrong_Times_Table and http://esolangs.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/XKCD_Wrong_Times_Table_(disambiguation) . [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.126|172.69.22.126]] 02:07, 30 May 2023 (UTC)
:Those pages are not on Explain xkcd, is this spam? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:55, 30 May 2023 (UTC)
::The first link looks like perhaps unintentional spam. I'm delinking it. In any case, the message is unclear. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.175|162.158.166.175]] 08:34, 30 May 2023 (UTC)

I think that an important addition to the possible "incident" would be one where a seagull named Meryl Streep caused or was the victim of it. I'll let you work out how to word it. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.19.7|172.68.19.7]] 14:52, 30 May 2023 (UTC)
:I suppose it could also be some incident between a mononymous Meryl and a streep seagull, whatever that is, but it feels like we're stretching. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.43|172.69.247.43]] 21:15, 30 May 2023 (UTC)

This is probably a reference to {{w|Jimmy Carter rabbit incident}} which has been previously referenced by xkcd. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.254.161|172.71.254.161]] 14:32, 31 May 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2780: Physical Quantities

2023-05-26T09:22:22Z

Thisfox:

Planck Length here actually refers to the length of Planck himself. The same may apply to other names. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 03:02, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
: And here I was thinking it meant the length of Planck ''planking''. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 22:00, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

I wonder if this is alluding to the [[wikipedia:Smoot|Smoot]], a unit of measure devised by MIT students to represent the height of Oliver R. Smoot. Probably worth a mention in the description nonetheless. [[User:Trimeta|Trimeta]] ([[User talk:Trimeta|talk]]) 03:45, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

Hawking radiation: ~100 W (through heat)

Planking is a thing.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planking_(fad) One pretends that one is a board, or plank. Are some funny pics. The opposite of planking would be good god how? How can even a cat!?!! [Special:Contributions/172.69.58.161|172.69.58.161]] 06:26, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

Hubble length is {{w|Hubble Space Telescope|13.2 m}}. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.64|141.101.98.64]] 10:30, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

The m³ unit for Broca's area is surely a typo, right? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.94.47|162.158.94.47]] 14:55, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:That would be my guess. I sent a note to Randall to ask. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 21:24, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

Just a couple of others: 1 Watt is what it takes to invent the condensing steam engine and Euler's number doesn't exist, because he died before telephones were invented. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.45|172.69.247.45]] 15:08, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:There are lots of <someone>'s Number constants. We could have an entire phonebook of these. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 17:53, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
::I tried phoning Graham's Number, once. I'm still not yet finished dialling! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.186|172.70.91.186]] 19:22, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:::I thought you meant Alexander Graham Bell's number. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.129|172.69.22.129]] 23:04, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:Chandresekhar's Limit = 3 pints? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 17:53, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:Don't forget that numbers are now [[2721|Euler letters]]! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.137|172.70.85.137]] 20:41, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

From a friend, regarding Fermi's current temperature:
''The typical ground temperature of a burial plot in Chicago depends on the depth and the season. According to the Illinois State Climatologist Office, the average soil temperature at 4 inches depth ranges from about 25°F in January to about 75°F in July. The average soil temperature at 8 inches depth ranges from about 30°F in January to about 77°F in July. These measurements are made under grass, so the soil temperature under other ground covers or under bare ground may vary somewhat from those shown here. In the winter, when the ground is frozen, cemeteries are able to continue burying the dead by using special equipment such as frost rippers or steamers to break through the frozen layer of soil. They also use heaters or blankets to keep the graves open until the burial service is completed.'' [[User:RandalSchwartz|RandalSchwartz]] ([[User talk:RandalSchwartz|talk]]) 23:09, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:Assuming his grave is 6 feet deep and his body is at 5 feet deep, he's going to be below the frost line, which is 40" in Chicago, so the temperature is never going to drop below 32°F. Based on the charts at https://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Cooling/EarthTemperatures.htm, he should see temperatures ranging from 40° to 62°. Interestingly enough, at that depth, the soil temperature will lag behind the surface temperature enough that the coldest temperatures will be in March and the warmest will be in September. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.89|162.158.63.89]] 03:36, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

Pretty sure the Schwarzschild radius is the radius of a curled up child, not of Mr. Schwarzschild. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.40|162.158.203.40]] 08:49, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2780: Physical Quantities

2023-05-25T22:00:21Z

Thisfox:

Talk:2774: Taxiing

2023-05-12T04:16:59Z

Thisfox:

I don't understand why you would buy Detour signs, when you can often so easily pick them up for free from the side of a road... :P [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.32|172.70.86.32]] 20:35, 10 May 2023 (UTC)
:I don't understand why you'd take detour signs for free, when people can pay you to watch you steal flatbed trucks. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.191|172.70.178.191]] 20:37, 10 May 2023 (UTC)

But would an airplane even fit on a truck? Or on a treadmill for that matter? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.182.47|172.71.182.47]] 21:11, 10 May 2023 (UTC)
: Depends on whether you want to take the plane complete with wings attached, and on how big the flatbed is, and for that matter on the size of the plane. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 04:16, 12 May 2023 (UTC)

On TV, you don't even need detour signs. Just hack their GPS for free. [[User:Jordan Brown|Jordan Brown]] ([[User talk:Jordan Brown|talk]]) 22:51, 10 May 2023 (UTC)

I would have expected Black Hat to be doing something like that, not Cueball. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.210.191|172.70.210.191]] 23:15, 10 May 2023 (UTC)

:That was my first thought, too. Or even Beret Guy. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.127.133|172.70.127.133]] 00:30, 11 May 2023 (UTC)Pat

:Black hat would be sending the airplane into a [[1484|recycling facility]] (see bottom lines of text), and Beret Guy would be raiding it for scones. Or turning it into scones. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.140|172.68.58.140]] 03:48, 11 May 2023 (UTC)

As a pilot, i would not follow these glowsticks onto a trailer due to safety restrictions on how far away the wheels should be. That's why airports are so big. [[Special:Contributions/172.64.238.44|172.64.238.44]] 06:36, 11 May 2023 (UTC)
:Sometimes, one could see an airplane on a flatbed truck. Some flatbed trucks (or rather trailers) are HUGE. However, presumably the plane had not taxied onto the trailer under pilot control and its own power, but had been lowered by a crane, which had a completely different set of "marshalls" -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.103.165|162.158.103.165]] 08:26, 11 May 2023 (UTC)

Weird. Almost back to back "Did you know you can just BUY...?" comics. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.11|172.69.71.11]] 08:36, 11 May 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2758: My Favorite Things

2023-04-05T23:06:19Z

Thisfox: /* Table? */

I like the copper veneer news link, can someone find a version not behind a paywall though? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.100.130|172.70.100.130]] 18:29, 4 April 2023 (UTC)

Still no April Fools' comic? 😞 ~ Megan she/her [[user talk:megan|talk]]/[[special:contribs/megan|contribs]] 23:31, 3 April 2023 (UTC)
:Sadly --[[User:Purah126|Purah126]] ([[User talk:Purah126|talk]]) 02:42, 4 April 2023 (UTC)
::guess there won't be one for this year [[User:Lettherebedarklight|youtu.be/]][[User talk:Lettherebedarklight|miLcaqq2Zpk]] 03:04, 4 April 2023 (UTC)

:Anyone have any news?[[Special:Contributions/172.70.131.182|172.70.131.182]] 23:32, 3 April 2023 (UTC)

:[[:File:Explanation length.png|Frankly, I'm worried about burnout.]] [[User:Liv2splain|Liv2splain]] ([[User talk:Liv2splain|talk]]) 10:52, 3 April 2023 (UTC)
::Naw, I think there's life in explainxkcders yet...
::If you mean Randall, however:
::# Complexity of necessary explanation doesn't necessarily tally with the quality of the comic (some might even say that the best comic is something real smart and yet perfectly understandable without much actual blather required by/from us),
::# There'll be more natural and immediate zeroing in on the 'ideal' explanation length with each emerging comics, whilst it becomes a conscious decision by someone to decide to revist an early comic and completely rewrite (solo, rather than as part of a crowd) to the 'latest' standards of verbosity/succinctity.
::# As xkcd lore grows, there's more back-referencing and expansion possible (c.f. "So... What's this boy in a barrel about?" vs the now established behaviour of any particular '<Colour> <Headwear>' character.
::# Everyone likes some types of comic and dislikes others.. If a new Map Of The Internet came out, some would enjoy it (and then maybe rail against a boring Cursed Thing comic, afterwards), and some others might think it derivative (yeah, they got a good Cursed thing joke, straight after, but the Map just sticks in their mind as a bad decision).
::...so I say enjoy or don't enjoy. There's a whole world of webcomics out there, and yet none of them is capable of being "every one a winner", by whatever aesthetic, metric or tally you might decide works for you. I'm probably missing some other rising (or risen, and favourably plateaued) star, by being right here, right now, but I feel happy enough to lurk here (and everywhere else I hang around). You do and think as you will. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.187|172.71.178.187]] 13:20, 4 April 2023 (UTC)
:::Complexity of necessary explanation doesn't necessarily correlate with length of actual explanation either, nor length of actual explanation with quality of said explanation. There examples of near-perfect explanations that are short and succinct, and others of comincs of equal complexity/simplicity that are filled with several paragraphs of tangential repetitive waffle. If anything, I'd say that longer explanations tend to be an indication of a comic that touches on enough ideas for a number of people to throw stuff into the mix, but doesn't engage people enough to edit it down into a quality article.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.28|141.101.77.28]] 11:41, 5 April 2023 (UTC)
::There's a few concerning things about this wiki, like the fact that the MediaWiki version's lagging behind the latest release by too far. If there's a security vulnerability who knows what the vandals will do with it... ~ Megan she/her [[user talk:megan|talk]]/[[special:contribs/megan|contribs]] 02:26, 5 April 2023 (UTC)
::: Vandals are capable of doing a lot. As they have done, over the last year or two, in particular (though those incidents were probably just the one idiot who is still likely around, but more subtle). The potential for security vulnerabilities is a separate issue, and there a documented reasons for how that is/isn't being dealt with, if you check. Your concerns are probably noted, they've been mentioned often enough, but I wouldn't want to speak for those with more direct influence and responsibility. I presume you all practice Safe Hex (i.e. not reusing passwords, especially in any email service you're registered with, should such stored details somehow become compromised) and that means it's 'only' an inconvenience if worst comes to worst, less so than the loss of the Forums was.
::: And this really has nothing to do with complaints about a 'decline in quality' of either comics or their explanations. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.148|172.70.86.148]] 05:47, 5 April 2023 (UTC)

== Table? ==

I'd like to add this table, but I'm not completely certain about it; it may be redundant to the transcript and comic itself, and just including the original lyrics would suffice.

{|class="wikitable"
! Original line
! Cueball's version
|-
|Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
|Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
|-
|Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
|Bright copper kettles leave... flakes on my mittens!?
|-
|Brown paper packages tied up with strings
|Hey, these are stone with a copper veneer!
|-
|These are a few of my favorite things!
|I've been bamboozled by Ea-nāṣir!
|}

Thoughts? Plus a version for the title text, most likely. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 15:11, 4 April 2023 (UTC)
:I think the transcript is fine as is. If you know the song, the way it's done in the text is sufficient. If you don't, doing it as a table won't help. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 15:18, 4 April 2023 (UTC)
: I think the table would look better, and be more understandable to people who have not heard of the song before. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 23:06, 5 April 2023 (UTC)

== XKCD forums ==

if you think randall munroe should bring back xkcd fourums sign this petition https://chng.it/MVYcybvVrJ and spread this link for every 10 people signing i will bother randall munroe about it [[Special:Contributions/172.70.42.86|172.70.42.86]] 12:42, 5 April 2023 (UTC)

:I wouldn't presume to pressure Randall into taking on the (significant) burden of moderating forums. I'm grateful for all he's done for free to date. -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 19:33, 5 April 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2754: Relative Terms

2023-03-26T19:38:41Z

Thisfox:

Does this mean that the steam calliopes which are as loud as an airplane are LARGER than that airplane? I'm not finding any examples of such. [[User:Ikidre|Ikidre]] ([[User talk:Ikidre|talk]]) 01:31, 25 March 2023 (UTC)

Holy shit what a terrible comic [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.130|172.68.58.130]] 02:24, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
:I've seen many a terrible comic and I personally don't consider this one to be terrible, but relative to other XKCD comics I would consider it one of the least interesting and entertaining, unfortunately. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.38.230|172.70.38.230]] 15:44, 25 March 2023 (UTC)

I'm somewhat terrified that "Statue" isn't considered *maximally* quiet. [[User:Trimeta|Trimeta]] ([[User talk:Trimeta|talk]]) 02:32, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
:I don't think the position in the quadrants is meant to indicate degree of loudness or size. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 04:07, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
::Yes it is, that's how such graphs work. That's why sewing machine is in the middle, Randall is declaring that it's neither small nor big, and neither quiet nor loud, it's medium on both scales. Comics like this are roughly the standard X-Y graph but without numbered scales and having words instead of points. And I too noted that statues aren't maximum quiet, LOL! Maybe he's referring to the Doctor Who Weeping Angels? DO they make any sound? [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:29, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
:::Well, that may be how such graphs sometimes work, but clearly not this one. The quadrants are positioned relative to the sewing machine, but that appears to be the only significance afforded to positioning in this layout - an item's position within its quadrant does not indicate the degree to which it qualifies as belonging there. Otherwise a firecracker and a blender would be quieter than a cricket. Unless Randall is referring to the crowd at a test match. But that seems pretty unlikely.[[User:Yorkshire Pudding|Yorkshire Pudding]] ([[User talk:Yorkshire Pudding|talk]]) 10:20, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
::::The fact that xkcd charts usually have arrows on the axes when the position within the quadrant does matter would support this claim. [[User:NcPenguin|NcPenguin]] ([[User talk:NcPenguin|talk]]) 16:45, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
:::::Came here to point out that I’ve heard a mouse that somehow got in scritch-scritching n something in my kitchen, and I’ve heard a butterfly that somehow got in battering against a window trying to get out, but I’ve never in my life heard an ant, nor even a hundred ants working together to wreck stuff. But as you pointed out, there are no arrows on the chart, so the positions in the quadrants probably aren’t intended to be meaningful.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.10|172.69.34.10]] 21:56, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
::::I am certain that this is how Randall does such graphs, and intended with this one, but he got sloppy this time. I suspect he WAS doing that, but then would think of something quieter (or louder or bigger or smaller) and have left himself no room to indicate this (like he already put "Volcano" at the biggest before he decided to add the even bigger "Moon", so now they're both at the bottom of the graph). So, yes, gradation IS supposed to be indicated, but very loosely, not vigilantly. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:22, 26 March 2023 (UTC)

:::Gartner Magic Quadrants include arrows on the axes, e.g. "completeness of vision -->" and "ability to execute-->". This is not that. However it is '''mostly''' implied by the contents of each quadrant that the items are arranged smallest to biggest (top-down) and quietest to loudest (left-to-right). I think for those who study the items carefully, this then introduces some situational irony for comedic effect in the way of the unexpected placement of certain items like "statues" (louder than a Giraffe?), "baby" (smaller than a harmonica?), and "cannon" (quieter than a riding mower?). Additionally, having spent time in a quiet room with a cricket, I think the "maximally loud" position of the cricket here feels about right. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.179.61|172.70.179.61]] 16:44, 25 March 2023 (UTC)

:: It seems that the joke is exactly that the ONLY meaningful distinction between big/small and loud/quiet is how something relates to a sewing machine. There are too many obvious deviations otherwise.

I've always considered a microwave oven to be the central item
: I concur that microwave would be excellent in the center, and less ambiguous (I mean, I feel certain that Randall didn't think of industrial sewing machines, but this community loves being uncertain, LOL!) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:22, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
:: ∃ industrial microwaves. Units of at least 1MW are available, compared to domestic units around 1kW.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.34.28|172.70.34.28]] 04:13, 26 March 2023 (UTC)
AFAIK, only Randall/xkcd uses the term "Bun" to mean bunnies... :) I feel like it should be worded that way. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:22, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
:No, it's very common in the furry community, and I swear I've heard it elsewhere as well. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.230.72|172.70.230.72]] 12:03, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
::Well, there's a reason I said this in a comment instead of editing the Explanation. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:25, 26 March 2023 (UTC)

Is the breadbox no longer the standard item for size comparison? Because I still use it that way. [[User:Mathmannix|Mathmannix]] ([[User talk:Mathmannix|talk]]) 12:43, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
:Ah, but this requires a standard for size AND sound at the same time, and I can't imagine a breadbox being the middle of any sound scale. What's quieter than a breadbox? [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:27, 26 March 2023 (UTC)

Is the moon really bigger than the northern lights? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.117|172.70.126.117]] 17:39, 25 March 2023 (UTC)
:Hmmmm... I wonder. Well, the Moon is a tad under 3,500km (diameter). Taking just a single pole's Aurora (combined, you could just say they are approx. Earth's diamater, which is bigger than the Moon,{{Citation needed}} going pole-to-pole) the height is the thickness of the (upper) atmosphere, very much of that below the altitude of satellites (e.g. ISS), which is mere hundreds of km at best. Or take its 3-6 degrees of 'band width', that is perhaps a tad over 300-600km thick. But if we go with its extent all the way round off the pole, it seems to get about the size of the Moon (linear distance, not 'over the pole') once it extends by 15-16 degrees of latitude (i.e. to less than 74 degrees N/S). It is generally accepted that it varies between 10 and 20 degrees from each geomagnetic pole (is seen at lower latitudes, but only above the horizon) so... it's a close thing. If I've done my calculations correctly. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.235|162.158.34.235]] 18:58, 25 March 2023 (UTC)

Would it be useful to add "size" and "loudness" columns to each of the tables, along with estimates of each for each item? -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 01:23, 26 March 2023 (UTC)

I don't think this comic is fully accurate... I've always assumed volcanoes were smaller than the moon. [[User:Thexkcdnerd|Thexkcdnerd]] ([[User talk:Thexkcdnerd|talk]]) 04:08, 26 March 2023 (UTC)
:The Earth is larger than the Moon. The Earth spews lava from vents, ergo the Earth is a volcano (that is larger than the Moon)...
:I actually subscribe to the idea that relationships within the quadrants mean little, I mean whales bigger than trains? Firecracker bigger than a blender? A book is noisier than a newt? ...but if you want an absurdist reason, I'm gonna say I live on a volcano, just because there's a whole lotta magma [[913: Core|underneath me]], and [[2058: Rock Wall|not as far away]] as [[1375: Astronaut Vandalism|space is above]]. ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.191|172.71.242.191]] 12:46, 26 March 2023 (UTC)
::I've slammed books closed or on to tables, but never seen/heard anyone slamming a newt, ergo books are louder. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 15:49, 26 March 2023 (UTC)
:::Books barely make any sound at all in breeding season. In fact, they hardly do anything in breeding season, not matter how long you sit still and watch them. But it's quite difficult to set up a hide in a bookshop, so many objections from the owners... [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.86|172.71.242.86]] 16:23, 26 March 2023 (UTC)
::::Book printing, however, is quite loud. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 19:37, 26 March 2023 (UTC)
How is a windmill quieter than a sewing machine? Looks like Randall never went up close to one :) Wind turbines make around 100 dB (of course you never stand close enough to experience it at this level), and the old timey windmills or water mills were very loud mechanisms too. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.112|162.158.106.112]] 15:37, 26 March 2023 (UTC)
Either I haven't been used to his sewing machines and waterfalls, but many waterfalls --very arguably most are about the size of a badly leaky faucet in volume -- much quieter than the sewing machines I'm used to.

I have found that the loudness of a sewing machine is definitely related to how old the machine is. I've got a 70-yr-old electric Singer, and my friend has a very recent model sewing machine, and mine is less than a quarter of the loudness, especially when thoroughly oiled. His sounds like a push-style lawnmower. I had no idea sewing machines were so loud until I met modern sewing machines. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 19:38, 26 March 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2580: Rest and Fluids

2022-02-15T22:48:03Z

Thisfox:

I added in an initial explanation; feel free to add anything you think is needed. [[User:KirbyDude25|KirbyDude25]] ([[User talk:KirbyDude25|talk]]) 19:45, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

I think the 'antihealing' advice is a two-edged sword. Just like the adage of "feed a fever, starve a cold" (however true that is), a hot-compress might at times be useful (hypothermia?), and similarly for the rest. Or most of them, anyway. A healthy person would need an excess of antimedicine to actually become ill again. Not sure where that limit lies with histamines, that might be the 'worst' to suffer, going by relative ease of application. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.68|172.70.86.68]] 02:18, 12 February 2022 (UTC)

this is something like the "extremely wet cough" etc etc comic i think [[Special:Contributions/172.70.135.154|172.70.135.154]] 02:11, 13 February 2022 (UTC)Bumpf
:Agree, I added [[2279: Symptoms]] to the explanation. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:03, 13 February 2022 (UTC)

I think this comic clearly is a reference to Corona pandemic... But of course it is not mentioned, but the pandemic is still raging and people get sick of it all over the world at this time. Should it be added to the list of corona comics? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:03, 13 February 2022 (UTC)
: No, I disagree. This comic is about general sickness so it should not be added to the covid category. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.43|172.70.214.43]] 05:23, 14 February 2022 (UTC)
:: +1 [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:18, 14 February 2022 (UTC)
:::I've been thinking of adding a "general sickness" category, but I don't know what the Category should be named. Sickness? Illness? [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 20:23, 14 February 2022 (UTC)
::::I think anything that *could* be covid related and is published during the "era of covid" should be put in the covid category {{unsigned ip|162.158.146.55}}
:::::Whereas I think the covid category might be relevant here, I also think that we might never get fully out of this era... So maybe not for that reason alone... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:59, 15 February 2022 (UTC)

This comic really doesn't ring true for me. I mean, when someone has recovered from something, we often say "In future, make sure you don't overdo it, or you'll get sick again". Saying the opposite is... odd, I guess. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 22:48, 15 February 2022 (UTC)

Countdown in header text

2022-01-13T06:37:12Z

Thisfox: /* The picture */

*On January 10th 2022, [[Randall]] added a countdown in the top right corner of the [[xkcd Header text]] on {{xkcd}}.
**This happened while the comic [[2565: Latency]] was up.
***First the xkcd Header text was [[xkcd_Header_text#2022-01-08_-_Back_to_standard_text|changed back]] to the [[xkcd_Header_text#Header_text|standard text]] for the first time in almost three years:
****xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
***But already while this Friday-comic was still up on the following Monday the [[xkcd_Header_text#2022-01-10_-_Standard_text_with_countdown|countdown]] was added.
****This was thus up when the Monday comic [[2566: Decorative Constants]] was released, drawing more people to the xkcd page.
*The first archived version from [https://web.archive.org/web/20220110183238/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-10] read 20d 20h 27m.
**It looks like it started on [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ 01-10 17:00 UTC].
***At that time it would have read 20d 21h 59 min. Just two hours and 1 minute short of 3 weeks.
*This countdown will reach zero on Monday 2022-01-31 at 14:59 (2:59 PM) {{w|UTC}}, or 9:59 AM in Boston, Randall's home town.
**If seconds will be added towards the end, it seems likely that it may end exactly at 15:00 UTC (10:00 AM in Boston).
*The next day on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220111153818/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-11] a diagonal black bar appeared in the lower left-hand corner of the countdown box and started to move further into the image on following changes to the [[#Images|image]].
**This development called for the creation of this dedicated [[Countdown in header text]] page.
**The line had already moved further into the image at this time, but the latest version will never be available in the web archive.
***This development is reminiscent of the huge comic [[1190: Time]].
*[https://munvoseli.github.io/ Munvoseli] is keeping [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ track of the changes] to the image on the countdown.
**Although there are (at 2022-01-12 12:35 UTC) thirteen different frames we know of, the first three looks the same (because the diagonal bar was not in the frame yet) and the seventh and the eighth also seems to be the same, even though the bar had already begun moving across the frame from the fourth. This is either on purpose, a slipup or means that The FrameTM might not be zooming out of a larger image.
***However, the images that look the same all have individual addresses on the xkcd server. See more under [[#Images|Images]] below.

==Images==
*Images will be put on this separate page [[Countdown in header text/images]]
**The images can also be found [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ here].
**See more details at the top of the image page.

==Theories==
*Here different theories for what the countdown is for and what the picture is going to reveal can be added.

===The picture===
*Theories about the picture:
**It seems after two days and 12 pictures like either something is moving into the frame or that it is a zoom out from a white area of a large picture. Maybe it is the arm of Cueball the comes in to view.
***A curve seems to begin at the top left of the line in picture 13.

Was going to say it's Hangman, but it looks like it's zooming in on the diagonal instead of continuing to make a gibbet. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 06:37, 13 January 2022 (UTC)

===Countdown===
*Theories about the countdown:
*Several have already been mentioned in the discussion:
**Randall's next book, either promoting start or it is released without other promotion than this countdown.
***Usually Randall has made month long [[:Category:Book promotion|promotions]] before release. So if is the release day it is a new way to do it. But will get a lot of attention. If it is just start of promoting it, people might get disappointed...
****For instance he began promoting his [[xkcd_Header_text#2015-05-14_-_New_book_Thing_Explainer|New book Thing Explainer]] in the header text. That was in May 2015 and the book was first released late [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ November 2015]. Most of this time the header text was promoting the book.
**{{w|James Webb Space Telescope}} (JWST) going into orbit about L2 {{w|Lagrange point}.
***Randall has already made several comics about the telescope. The latest [[2564: Sunshield]] just five days prior to the countdown was started.
***But the telescope will not reach the point but rather go into a large orbit around it, and a precise timer counting down to it, seems a bit farfetched.
***On NASA's page on JWST is seems like it will [https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/deploymentExplorer.html#25 go into orbit] 29.5 days after it's [[December 25th Launch]], on Christmas Day, so already on the 23rd or 24th of January should it start the orbit - 8 days before the countdown.
**{{w|Lunar New Year}}
***In China it starts on February 1st and a [https://yourcountdown.to/chinese-new-year countdown] for China is 8 hours behind.
****The South Korean time zone is UTC+9, hence 14:59 UTC = 23:59 in South Korea, one minute to Feb 1.
*****But weird if Randall that has basically never mentioned this holiday suddenly makes a three week countdown for it, and why choose South Korea when most would think of China in this context...?
**Randall will stop making xkcd (Goodbye in the image).
***Hopefully not.
**[https://nationaldaycalendar.com/backward-day-january-31/ National Backward Day]
***This is not a day mentioned on Wikipedia at the time of release of the countdown, so seems unlikely.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Meta]]

Talk:2566: Decorative Constants

2022-01-11T22:26:04Z

Thisfox:

I don't have any idea what to put in the actual description, but whoever does should probably note that r(in) - r(out) equals zero, not one. And multiplying by a constant 0 absolutely changes the value! [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 21:59, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
: rout and rin are different values. The subscripts represent different instances of the same variable at different point. In the same way, you might calculate something happening over a time interval tend - tstart . [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.77|172.69.71.77]] 23:02, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
::Yes for sure they are two different values. On the other hand if μ is not 1 then the it is not just decorative! D on the other hand is just a proportionality constant, which may have a value other than 1. I have tried to put something in the explanation here. Quite a bit. Do not really now anything about Drag, so just took it from the wiki page. Also I hope someone can explain the formula in the image, as I'm sure it is just something about the flow, that would relate it to a drag equation. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 23:41, 10 January 2022 (UTC)

Note that the title text is pretty much word-for-word a repeat from Randall's book *How To*. In Chapter 11: *How to Play Football*, he misuses the drag equation, and mentions this fact in more depth, in a footnote. Bit of trivia! --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.79|162.158.134.79]] 23:13, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
:Nice, I will have to check up on that. Thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 23:41, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
:Can confirm this, the book mentions that the "traditional tribute to Euler and Bernoulli" comes from Frank White's ''Fluid Mechanics'' textbook. [[User:Clam|Clam]] ([[User talk:Clam|talk]]) 01:08, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
:: There it is, page 266 in the 1986 2nd edition: "They both have a factor ½ as a traditional tribute to Bernoulli and Euler, and both are based on the projected area..." https://books.google.com/books?id=wGweAQAAIAAJ&q=traditional -- [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.5|172.70.162.5]] 02:13, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
:::Great thanks have included both references in the explanation. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:32, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
:Wait, wouldn't the values be twice as big (rather than half as big) if you left off the 1/2? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.69.154|141.101.69.154]] 12:43, 11 January 2022 (UTC)

Of course, the c^2 im e=mc^2 is just as decorative, when using natural units where c=1.... [[Special:Contributions/172.68.50.171|172.68.50.171]] 00:29, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
: And the resulting equation is then just e=m - or m=e which is beautiful and profound. "Mass is Energy". Without the complications, you stop thinking of it as a PROCESS for converting one into the other and get the more profound point that Mass and Energy are the exact same thing. [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 03:33, 11 January 2022 (UTC)

==Count down clock==
;Keep discussion of comic above this, and further discussion of countdown here below!!!
Any idea what's going on with the clock that's counting downwards in the banner? Currently counting down from 20 days 16 hours? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.95|172.70.214.95]] 22:08, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
:(Simultaneous edit) What is the days-hours-minutes in the box above the comic referring to? The image itself is dated yesterday, as you can see by saving it. Worst-case-scenario, is this a countdown to the end of XKCD? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.223|108.162.245.223]] 22:11, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
:: It's going to hit zero at around midnight on Jan 31st 2022 CST? [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 22:16, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
:::'''Posted [[Talk:2565:_Latency#Countdown|this]] on the previous comics discussion. But lets take it here where there will be more traffic:''' --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 22:44, 10 January 2022 (UTC) -- Copy paste from previous comics discussion:
::::Damn you beat me to it ;-). But I have made a [[2565:_Latency#Trivia|Trivia]] here on this comics page and links to more detail on the [[xkcd Header text]] page. I believe you are a day of, but someone will likely correct me if I'm wrong. As I can see it will be January 31st, 9:59 in Randall's home town Boston.--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:06, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
:::::But damned if I can wait. Sure millions will watch the page when it goes to zero! At least it is no April 1st. :-D --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:10, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
::::Yeah - you're right - I messed up. So as I type this, it's Jan 10th 2022 at 4pm - 1600 hrs Mountain time - which is 1800 hours EST. At this moment, the countdown reads 20d 16h 0m - so Jan 30th + (18+16) hours = which is Jan 30th + 34 hours - which is Jan 31st + 10am in Boston (EST). [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 23:05, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
:::::Hey great, can see they agree in the link to reddit below. So happy I got it right both in UTC and Boston. It will be 15:59 here in DK. Not 16:00. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 23:44, 10 January 2022 (UTC)

Counting down to Backwards Day? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.88|162.158.91.88]] 23:28, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
:There's a reddit thread discussing it: https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/s0oynl/xkcd_countdown_timer_20d_21h_49m_remaining_until/ I think the most likely guess is that Randall has a new book coming out. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 23:40, 10 January 2022 (UTC)
::Would still seem strange if it came out that day with only promotion before being a count down. But then again, he will have the xkcd communities boiling if he gives no other hint. So every one will see if he promotes a book. Also as they wrote at the time I looked at reddit I do not think it is the end of xkcd, or Webb related. Although Webb was the first I thought about. But I mean even if it came to L2 at that day, it is not going to any specific point but just in orbit. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 23:47, 10 January 2022 (UTC)

::The date fits the idea of it being Backwards Day (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/backward-day-january-31) but what about the choice of time? [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 03:38, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
:::Backwards day... Never head of it until now. Is it big in the US. I mean when looking after dates so obscure they are not mentioned on wikipedia then there are probably lots of things happening on that day? But maybe it is a think in the US? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:48, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
:::: I haven't heard of it until now either, so it is probably one of the bajillions of holidays no one actually cares about, and is unrelated to the countdown. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.163|108.162.221.163]] 13:22, 11 January 2022 (UTC)Bumpf

Someone has noticed the image is changing with pixels added at the bottom left corner and is keeping track of it here: https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.107|198.41.238.107]] 05:49, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
:Looks like an image is "moving" into the frame because at the moment you can see some white pixel in the lower left, i.e. the black part might end up as a line as part of some comic. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.8|162.158.89.8]] 08:31, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
::Thanks used that to pinpoint the start of the countdown. Have added this info to the header text page, and the original trivia. Also just added a line of trivia to this explanation with the link. This was when this comic came out most people noticed the count down. But it did came out while [[Latency]] was up. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:43, 11 January 2022 (UTC)

The header changes page says that it's forcing "Friday" to move down to the next line. Not for me. Did he fix it, or is it browser-specific? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:58, 11 January 2022 (UTC)

This is much more likely a count down related to the James Webb Space Telescope. At approximately the day the count down indicates the telescope will be orbiting the L2 gravitational spot.Perhaps most of the mirrors will be approximate place to allow for months of fine tuning. An example of a slightly similar idea is https://www.space.com/nasa-james-webb-space-telescope-next-steps
[[User:Punchcard|Punchcard]] ([[User talk:Punchcard|talk]]) 15:35, 11 January 2022 (UTC)

I think the Countdown should get its own entry. What do we think? [[User:Sure|Sure]] ([[User talk:Sure|talk]]) 16:25, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
: I think it should! What with the count itself, the speculation about what it could mean, and now the slowly arriving image (?) this seems like something beyond either of the two comics since it started! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.49|108.162.219.49]] 18:00, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
: I'm surprised it doesn't have one already. This is one of the more unique situations in a long while, more speculation could happen. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 22:26, 11 January 2022 (UTC)

If you take a look at this [[https://xkcd.com/count-wimRikmef/state|link]] it displays this: '''{"img":"72cb154b23f959f908f5dc8eb03069c6df3f0f54aae896a0e7ed27befb2ee639.png","start":"2022-01-10T17:00:00Z","target":"2022-01-31T15:00:00Z","until":"2022-01-11T20:55:38.205303701Z"}''' [[User:Hoodiesandboba|Hoodiesandboba]] ([[User talk:Hoodiesandboba|talk]]) 20:58, 11 January 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2517: Rover Replies

2021-09-19T05:12:35Z

Thisfox:

Hi! I have added most of the description, but this is my first major edit so could someone please review it? Thank you! [[User:SqueakSquawk4|SqueakSquawk4]] ([[User talk:SqueakSquawk4|talk]]) 16:19, 18 September 2021 (UTC)

I checked out the linked account. First reply to it that I saw was dramatically lamenting about the rover account being a mockery of "proper scientific communication", second reply I saw was sneering at the rover and claiming SpaceX would build Mars bases or something while NASA was "playing with rocks". I don't want to read any more comments. All I can say is that my experience with the rover replies was not the wholesome experience that was promised. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.133.87|172.68.133.87]] 17:09, 18 September 2021 (UTC)
: I too am disappointed. Poor Rover is not getting the enthusiasm that Rover deserves... [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 05:12, 19 September 2021 (UTC)

I think the title text may also be assuming that the rover is using its phone to post the tweets. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]])

I'm torn between the anti-conspiracy response being basically "We don't want you trollers here, let us have our happy shiny place" at an intruder or "This is considered holy ground, and we shall all be back trolling elsewhere shortly..." directed at a shitposting-padawan who hasn't learnt the subtleties of (mis)behaviour from the more experienced ones. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.106|162.158.91.106]] 20:46, 18 September 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2450: Post Vaccine Social Scheduling

2021-04-16T21:25:21Z

Thisfox:

That third line down in the cartoon, shouldn't the first 2 be a 1? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.116|198.41.238.116]] 02:56, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:Plus, should they really be going to a movie during their two weeks? [[User:NixillUmbreon|NixillUmbreon]] ([[User talk:NixillUmbreon|talk]]) 03:20, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:Third line down may have gotten a spoiled batch on their second shot (or could be lying, thereby creating errors the schedule), but it does look to me like a typo. NixellUmbreon correctly notes that Third Line also does ''not'' wait the requisite period after 2nd dose before going to a movie!
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 03:50, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
::Or perhaps they think that as soon as they've had their second shot, they're Good To Go? Not lying deliberately, but just plain old misinformed [[Special:Contributions/162.158.165.66|162.158.165.66]] 04:19, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:::I think the idea is because the other 2 people are vaccinated, assuming person 3 isn't at high risk, per CDC guidelines I think they're ok to socialize with vaccinated people (but that assumes there isn't anyone else at the movies) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.199|162.158.62.199]] 14:51, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:::: Perhaps they are seeing a movie at a private residence? [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 21:25, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

It seems unfair to attend any birthdays this year, considering how many could not be attended. Bobby gets a party but Susie doesn't? Hmm... Time is cruel.

Also, unrelated, but it's entirely possible that Lines 1, 2, 5, 7 & 8 are scheduling to gather on ''Line 3's'' birthday, while 3 isn't vaccinated yet.
:Line 3 doesn't attend the birthday. She's going to the movie with 4 & 5 just after the 2nd shot. Every one at the bday has had the 2nd shot for 2+ weeks. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.160|141.101.77.160]] 08:40, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
::That's my point! It is entirely possible to schedule a birthday party for someone who cannot yet attend. Case in point: Family & friends on Earth gathering to celebrate the birthday of an astronaut in space, who can only view the goings-on via a bandwidth-limited single-feed video chat. With CoViD '19 happening, who knows how many people have tried to schedule a ''surprise'' party only to discover that the birthday person won't be vaccinated in time? Mind you, I'm not saying it's the most likely scenario (far from it), I'm merely pointing out that with so many still unable to attend, it's entirely ''possible'' to schedule a party for the birthday of someone who can't attend.
::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 17:50, 15 April 2021 (UTC)

''Edit:'' Also, also, what is a chungus? (I don't come to explainxkcd because I want to search random words on DuckDuckGo...)
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 03:50, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:according to dictionary.com, “Chungus is a meme featuring a chunky version of the cartoon character Bugs Bunny, typically captioned Big Chungus. It began as gaming joke that spread online as a slang term for anything ‘(adorably) chunky,’ similar to chonky.“ (which begs the question, what does that have to do with the explanation of this comic being written by a “big chungus”)[[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.233|162.158.62.233]] 04:18, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
Just wondering, how is Big Chungus related to this? Confuuusion [[User:Eelitee|Eelitee]] ([[User talk:Eelitee|talk]]) 04:29, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:Sooo... "Chungus" seems unrelated to anything in the comic, & was replaced in the bot tag so it no longer appears on the explanation page. Maybe it was just some idle defacement by an early visitor to the comic's explanation? It's a weird term: I don't see any use of it ''except'' in reference to this ''single appearance'' of a fattened Bugs Bunny, the phrase is not spoken in the cartoon & as a portmanteau "chunky" seems a clear contributor, but the latter half is less clear. (Misspelling of "ous" from "humongous"? Does not seem to get applied to humongous things, as often as small things that are fat, though... "bulbous"?)
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 18:09, 15 April 2021 (UTC)

Question as a European: Don't Americans use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which just needs 1 shot (in addition to those that need 2 shots)? Everyone in this chart gets a "2" shot (and in the case of the 3rd person even two "2" shots.) --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 05:03, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:When scheduled for an immunisation an American may find that they are being administered Moderna, Pfizer, or until recently the J&J vaccine (currently that rollout is paused until an investigation into blood clot incidence can be concluded). The second shot if it exists needs to be the same as the first, but otherwise there is little local favouring of one manufacturer over the others. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.77|172.69.33.77]] 06:36, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
::Thanks for the information, but my question was about how J&J is applied (if it is applied at all), as to my knowledge it doesn't need a 2nd shot, but is fully functional few weeks after the first shot. But noone in this graph is getting only 1 shot. So it looks like this graph already ignores J&J/depicts a group of people in which noone got J&J. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:39, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:::J&J makes up < 5% of administered vaccines in the US even prior to the CDC freeze, so its not surprising that in a group of 11 people they all received either Moderna or Pfizer [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.199|162.158.62.199]] 14:51, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:::The people I know who've received the J&J vaccine were still advised to get a second dose (not that it's available).
:::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 17:58, 15 April 2021 (UTC)

I thought this comic was also about the CDC guidance even after getting vaccinated to stay in small groups, this, there is no group of > 4 people or so. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.143|172.69.35.143]] 05:17, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:Cabin and birthday are 5 people each. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 05:20, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:: Hmm, but by "Cabin" everyone has already been vaccinated. So should've they all be able to attend? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.19|172.69.33.19]] 05:31, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
::: Everyone still doesn't want to go everywere. If I'd schedule a Transformers movie night I'd only got most of my brothers to join and maybe two of our significant others. Also some may be unavailable for other reasons to which the alt-text seems to refer. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.244|162.158.238.244]] 07:55, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
Might this also a take on the transistor 'NPN hole' diagram? The title text states 'NP-hard' which is something different, but the diagram does look a little like transistor holes and electrons! Emitter's and Collector's? [[User:Fan2012|Fan2012]] ([[User talk:Fan2012|talk]]) 06:21, 15 April 2021 (UTC)

Hm, is this possibly the Boolean satisfiability problem (as in whether or not someone can come is TRUE or FALSE)? This is a NP-hard problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boolean_satisfiability_problem [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.195|172.68.132.195]]

Could somebody send this recent book by a whistleblower to Randall? He could make so many jokes: https://books.google.com/books/about/Mindf_ck.html?id=8AqmDwAAQBAJ [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.13|162.158.62.13]] 12:18, 15 April 2021 (UTC)

Judging by the size of the gaps, 2, 7 & 8 presumably receive Moderna, while the rest receive Pfizer (for the pedants: yes, there are other possible explanations for the discrepancy in gaps, but this is the simplest). Does someone have a way of checking whether this roughly mirrors the prevalence of the two vaccines in the US up to mid-April?
: From https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations as of April 16 6:00AM EST fully vaccinated numbers were Pfizer 39.440M, Moderna 33.333M, J&J 7.798M. For 11 people the best fit would be 5:5:1.
: We do not know if the sample is representative of the US population, but if it is we can use todays 24% fully vaccinated (actually 2 doses without the further 2 week wait) place April 16 in the first quarter, near the time the bottom person gets their 2nd dose.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.160|162.158.78.160]] 20:01, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

Anyone concerned for the four people that [[Black Hat]] is taking to a cabin? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.16|141.101.98.16]] 17:56, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:I'm more concerned that I'm not going. [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 17:58, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:There are really 5 people plus [[Black Hat]] since the person sponsoring the event is not on the chart and will also be there. I am assuming that the person doing the arranging is doing it for personal benefit and will be attending all the events. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 02:24, 16 April 2021 (UTC)
::Not an obvious conclusion. In organising one's own line (Danish from the top line, or perhaps the Danish+Cueball couple, centred entirely on hosting/attending the Birthday event?), you're drawn into accounting for everyone else who ''might'' be there and their other potential commitments. Possibly extending to friends-of-friends (Blondie, other Cueball and Meghan? ...justifiable as not even pass-through members of Birthday?) who wouldn't be expected to be birthday guests but need to be figured in as potential confounding factors.
::Alternatively, as typical author+partner avatars, Cueball+Meghan at the bottom are arranging a couple of part-shared meet-ups and it has been extended upwards to account for proxy-associationz (including the Birthday, which isn't on their own radar). Though I find the connective topology of the (definite) links slightly less convincing in support of this version.
::(i.e. bottom-up and its subsequent accumulation of activities/people is less convincing, when compared to the top-down interpretation of Hairbun unfortunately being shown necessary to skip the main Birthday bash; Black Hat and Science Girl maybe only included high up as known linked persons, via their intended involvement in the Movie/Cabin/etc...)
::There are other possible starting assumptions (positionally, it could have 'started' with any single character's line, extended up ''and'' down as deemed necessary when more linked events and individuals were discovered) but none appear to be quite as logically satisfying. YMMV. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.80|141.101.107.80]] 08:15, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

Sorry, but this looks for me not only like a {{w|Sorting network}}, but it would also give the NP-problem reference more sense. [[User:Enkidu|Enkidu]] ([[User talk:Enkidu|talk]]) 11:47, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2444: Ingenuity

2021-03-31T21:56:36Z

Thisfox:

Wow! I clicked open xkcd at 3:50 or so, I can't believe I was one of the first on the team![[User:Hiihaveanaccount|Hiihaveanaccount]] ([[User talk:Hiihaveanaccount|talk]]) 20:58, 31 March 2021 (UTC)
: Speaking as an Australian, I usually don't bother to check XKCD until well after the day after the post. It's 9am Thursday, and I'm surprised it's posted this early. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 21:56, 31 March 2021 (UTC)

Perseverance's maximum driving speed is only about 8 feet/minute (comparable to a baby's crawling speed). So Ingenuity wouldn't have to fly very fast to get it to say "Whee!". [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:40, 31 March 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2435: Geothmetic Meandian

2021-03-12T02:48:50Z

Thisfox: /* Why is this funny? */

Oh, this one's good. Just checked in (no, I wasn't hovering over the refresh button, my first visit today!) and one glance had me in paroxysms of laughter. But how to explain it? Gonna have to think about that. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.96|141.101.98.96]] 01:12, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

I made a really bad spreadsheet to understand better how it works: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fqmHwDmirJrsKPdf94PutFDw31DMAYxNeR7jef1jneE/edit?usp=sharing

Someone fix my ''awful'' transcript edits please. --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 02:31, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

Seeing the Python added to the Explanation, try this Perl (typed straight here, so not tested)...
## Your prefered variations of "#!/usr/bin/perl", "use strict;" and "use warnings;" here! ##
sub F { my (@vals)=@_; my $invVals=1/int(@vals);
my ($geo,$arith,$med)=(1); # Only defining $geo, so first *= works correctly!
while (@vals) { my($lo,$hi)=(shift @vals,pop @vals); # $hi may be undef - this is intended!
$arith+=$lo; $geo*=$lo; unless (defined $hi) { $med = $lo; last }
$arith+=$hi; $geo*=$hi; unless (@vals) { ($med)=F($lo,$hi) }
}
return ($arith*$invVals, $geo**$invVals, $med);
}
sub GMDN { my (@vals)=sort @_; my $lim=10**(-5); # Adjust $lim to taste...
return "Error: No vals!" unless @vals; # Catch!
return $vals[0] unless ($vals[$#vals]-$vals[0]) > $lim;
return GMDM(F(@vals));
}
my @test=(1,1,2,3,5);
print "Values: @test\nGeothmetic Meandian: ".GMDN(@test)."\n";
...debugged in my head, so probably fatally flawed but easily fixed/adapted anyway. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.109|141.101.99.109]] 03:04, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

Why so complicated?
perl -e 'use strict; use warnings; sub F { my ($s,$p) = (0,1); my @srt = sort {$a<=>$b} @_; for (@_) { $s += $_; $p *= $_; } return ($s/@_,$p**(1/@_),$srt[$#_/2]); } sub Gmdn { print join(", ",@_=F(@_)),"\n" for 0..20; return @_; } print join(", ",Gmdn(1,1,2,3,5)),"\n";'
(With interim results) SCNR -- [[User:Xorg|Xorg]] ([[User talk:Xorg|talk]]) 03:18, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:''I'' can read your version (and I see you do explicit {$a<=>$b}, which indeed ''may'' be necessary in mine for real use, along with additional sanity checks, I will check later) but I wanted to make mine neat, and ''slightly'' tricksy in implementation, but still not quite so entirely obfuscated to the more uninitiated. TIMTOWTDI, etc, so I like your (almost) bare-bones version too. ;)
:(Is 20 cycles enough to converge in sufficiently extreme cases? Won't give "Too deep" error, though, even if it takes at least that long. There's a definite risk that mine might, as written.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.229|141.101.99.229]] 03:45, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
::Given the lack of precision in Randall's example usage, I think 20 cycles ought to be enough for everyone ;-P. I'm trying to prove that the interval's size has to shrink by somewhat close to a factor of 1/2 every cycle, but it's tricky and it's late. If I can assume a factor of 1/2 in the long run, 64 iterations should pin down a 64-bit float.
::I actually didn't try to obfuscate, I was just too lazy to type more ;-). Otherwise I might have left out the "return"s and passing parameters at all. -- [[User:Xorg|Xorg]] ([[User talk:Xorg|talk]]) 04:21, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:::I find the one-liner more readable: it's straightforward and pretty minimal. For what its worth, here's my version: <pre>perl -MList::Util=sum,product -E 'sub F { (sum @_)/@_, (product @_)**(1/@_), (sort { $a <=> $b } @_)[$#_/2] } $, = " "; say @v = @ARGV; say @v = F(@v) for 1..30' 1 1 2 3 5</pre> 30 iterations is enough for the numbers to display identically on this system (to 14 decimal places). I think it's even cleaner in Raku (formerly Perl 6): <pre>raku -e 'sub F(@d) { @d.sum/@d, [*](@d)**(1/@d), @d.sort[@d/2] }; say my @v = +«@*ARGS; say @v = F(@v) for 1..33' 1 1 2 3 5</pre> On this system, Rakudo yields an additional decimal place, which takes another 3 iterations to converge. [[User:Smylers|Smylers]] ([[User talk:Smylers|talk]]) 06:53, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

Side-thought: is GMDN (nowhere near as logical an ETLA contraction of the title term as, say, 'GMMD' or 'GTMD') actually an oblique reference to the GNDNs as popularised/coined by Trek canon? Worth a citation/Trivia? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.97|162.158.158.97]] 04:12, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

Besides of nerdgasm is there some reason why the program code is relevant for the explanation? [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:55, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

== Proof of convergence ==

Can any of you come up with a mathematical proof that repeated application of F on a set of (say) positive real numbers is guaranteed to converge toward a single real number, i.e. that the GMDN of a set of positive real numbers is well-defined?

One observation I've made is that if you consider that maximum and minimum numbers in the original set to be x1 and xn (without loss of generality), something we know for sure is that AM(x1, ..., xn), GM(x1, ..., xn) and Median(x1, ..., xn) are all at least x1 and at most xn that is to say...

x1 <= AM(x1, ..., xn), GM(x1, ..., xn), Median(x1, ..., xn) <= xn

So range(AM(x1, ..., xn), GM(x1, ..., xn), Median(x1, ..., xn)) is necessarily <= range(x1, ..., xn).

And given that we know that unless x1, ..., xn are all equal, that x1 < AM(x1, ..., xn) < xn, we have an even stricter result (unless x1, ..., xn are all equal) that is
range(AM(x1, ..., xn), GM(x1, ..., xn), Median(x1, ..., xn)) < range(x1, ..., xn).

So, it's clear that range(x1, ..., xn) > range(F(x1, ..., xn)) > range(F(F(x1, ..., xn))) > range(F(F(F(x1, ..., xn)))) > ... and it's also clear that all of these ranges are >= 0. There is a result in number theory that says that any infinite sequence of real numbers which monotonically decreases and is bounded from below converges.

So we know for sure that range(F(F(...F(x1, ..., xn)...))) converges but we still have to show that it converges to 0 to show that the GMDN converges to a single real number.

I'm not sure how to proceed. Does anyone have any ideas?

EDIT:
I just noticed that unless x1, ..., xn are all equal, AM(x1, ..., xn) is at least ((n-1)/n) * range(x1, ..., xn) away from both x1 and xn. So not only do we have that range(x1, ..., xn) > range(F(x1, ..., xn)) from before, but we also have that ((n-1)/n) * range(x1, ..., xn) >= range(F(x1, ..., xn)). This guarantees that that the range falls exponentially on repeated applications of F. So it's certain that the the range ultimately converges to 0, and hence that the GMDN is well-defined.

It might be a good idea for someone to concretely present this idea as a proof on Page.

See my additional notes below. -Ramakarl

[[Special:Contributions/172.69.135.44|172.69.135.44]] 05:07, 11 March 2021 (UTC) Anirudh Ajith

:That doesn't quite work as it stands, since proving AM is that distance away does not say anything about the other two averages. I think it's true, but a little more rigour is required. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.120|141.101.98.120]] 09:17, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

When trying this myself I first arrived at 2.082, not 2.089. What threw me off was the incomplete formula for the median, which only works with sorted lists. The three values returned by F(...) aren't necessarily sorted.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.194|141.101.76.194]] 09:49, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

<pre>
First: almost all invocations are with exactly 3 arguments (The output of the previous invocation), so we don't have to deal with N inputs at all.
Notation: In iteration n we have the values min[n] <= mid[n] <= max[n] (in any order) and can compute AM[n], GM[n] (and median[n] = mid[n]).
Let Q[n] := max[n]/min[n] >= 1, R[n] := max[n]-min[n] = (Q[n]-1)*min[n].
We already established that R is decreasing and min is increasing, so Q is decreasing.

Theorem: There is an n0 with R[n+1] <= R[n]*2/3 for all n > n0.

Proof (by case discrimination for each n):
case 1: mid[n+1] != AM[n]:
R[n+1] <= Max(max[n]-AM[n],AM[n]-min[n])
= Max(max[n]*3-(max[n]+mid[n]+min[n]),(max[n]+mid[n]+min[n])-min[n]*3)/3
= Max(max[n]*2-(mid[n]+min[n]),(max[n]+mid[n])-min[n]*2)/3
<= (max[n]-min[n])*2/3
= R[n]*2/3
Hence: R[n+1] <= R[n]*2/3

case 2: mid[n+1] == AM[n]:
because GM <= AM: min[n+1] = GM[n], max[n+1] = mid[n]
Q[n+1] = mid[n]/GM[n]
= (mid[n]^3/(max[n]*mid[n]*min[n]))^(1/3)
= (mid[n]^2/(max[n]*min[n]))^(1/3)
<= (mid[n]/min[n])^(1/3)
<= Q[n]^(1/3)
R[n+1] = (Q[n+1]-1)*min[n+1]
<= (Q[n]^(1/3)-1)*GM[n]
<= (Q[n]^(1/3)-1)*(max[n]^2*min[n])^(1/3)
= (Q[n]^(1/3)-1)*Q[n]^(2/3)*min[n]
= (Q[n]-Q[n]^(2/3))*min[n]
= R[n]-(Q[n]^(2/3)-1)*min[n]
<= R[n]-(Q[n]-1)*min[n]/(Q[n]^(1/3)+1))
= R[n]-R[n]/(Q[n]^(1/3)+1)
= R[n]*(1-1/(Q[n]^(1/3)+1))
Now we can pick a q1 = Q(n1) with q1 > Q[n] >= 1 for n > n1 because Q is decreasing:
R[n+1] <= R[n]*(1-1/(q1^(1/3)+1))

Together with case 1, this gives R -> 0 and thus Q -> 1. So we can pick another q0 = Q(n0) with q0 <= 8:
R[n+1] <= R[n]*(1-1/(q0^(1/3)+1)) <= R[n]*2/3
</pre>
-- [[User:Xorg|Xorg]] ([[User talk:Xorg|talk]]) 17:34, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

== Better Python implementations ==

I'd like to add a somewhat more compact Python implementation based on the numpy module.
import numpy as np

def F(x):
return np.mean(x), np.exp(np.log(x).mean()), np.median(x)

def GMDN(x, tolerance=1e-6):
while np.std(x) > tolerance:
x = F(x)
return x[0]

gmdn = GMDN([1, 1, 2, 3, 5])
print(gmdn)
--[[User:Lvdgraaff|Lvdgraaff]] ([[User talk:Lvdgraaff|talk]]) 10:42, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

No need for numpy, there's the statistics module in the stdlib

import math
import statistics

def F(*nums):
return (
statistics.mean(nums),
statistics.geometric_mean(nums),
statistics.median(nums),
)

def GMDN(*nums):
while not math.isclose(max(nums), min(nums)):
nums = F(*nums)
return nums[0]

gmdn = GMDN(1, 1, 2, 3, 5)
print(gmdn)

:For something as simple as this, I always find it cheating to use a package to abstract away the few actually necessary calculations. You might as well use a DWIM module and do 'result = DWIM(input)' as the sole command. But that's me for you. I'd write my own direct-to-memory screen RAM accesses, if silly things like OS HALs and GPU acceleration (once you find a way to message them as directly as possible) hadn't long since made that pretty much moot, if not actually verboten... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.109|141.101.99.109]] 17:53, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

== Sloppy notation? ==

As a mathematician, I immediately noticed a couple of annoying niggles. Firstly, it is only implied, but never clearly stated, that the input list is ordered - which means the median is wrong unless ordered. Now F outputs an ordered triple of real numbers, and in calculating G, this is fed in to F again directly. This will frequently give inputs that are not in order, and in subsequent iterations the "median" will always be the middle number - i.e. the geometric mean - regardless of the actual median. Secondly, Randall's final line gives the output of G as a single number, but as it is just the result of a repeated application of F, the output of G should be an ordered triple. I'm sure Randall is aware of both, and chose to cut out the implied ordering of the inputs and choosing one of the three values as the output of G as they aren't necessary for the joke, but maybe we should note something about this in the explanation.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.109|141.101.99.109]] 13:07, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:First, I've never seen a definition of median which doesn't account for ordering itself, although I am a little annoyed at his definition for a different reason— that it doesn't account for even-length lists. Second, what I got from the comic initially is that GMDN is supposed to be a single number, specifically that value for which all three of its elements would become equal if implemented infinitely many times (and it ''will'' converge, because if the three elements are all the same it already has converged, and if at least two are different, both means will necessarily become greater than the least value and smaller than the greatest value due to the definition of 'mean'). Another annoyance I noted is that GMDN is real iff there are an even number of negative numbers and/or the length of the initial list is odd, but I suppose that can't be helped. Ooh, complex meandianing! [[User:BlackHat|BlackHat]] ([[User talk:BlackHat|talk]]) 15:15, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

== Is the arithmetic-geometric mean connected to geometry? ==

In the case that only the arithmetic and geometric mean are used the combined arithmetic-geometric mean can be interpreted as the radius R of a circle which has the same circumference as an ellipse with half axes a and b.

R = M(a,b)

Can the Geothmetic Meandian be interpreted are the radius R of a 3D sphere which has the same surface as an elliptic cylinder with half-axes a and b and length c ?

R = GMDN(a,b,c)

=== The RandallMunroe Set ===

Here is some MATLAB code (sorry) to generate an image showing the number of cycles required to converge, a' la' the Mandelbrot Set.
Not sure how to post an image here, but it is really cool.

% RandallMunroeSet.m
% From a suggestion by Randall Munroe in XKCD #2435 Mar 10 2021
% new statistic GMDN(x) = [mean(x), geomean(x), median(x)]
% calculation is recursive, ending when converged
% here we count the cycles required to converge and plot a' la' Madelbrot Set
% the initial X input can be any length vector, but we restrict to 3 space
% here for visualization, and fix Z so we get a 2D image
% so far, for positive values, it converges in less than 40 or not at all
% for negative x, set max cycles to something larger like 60
% I haven't plotted it, but there is logically another set that plots the
% resulting converged value.
% Explore!
% (c)2021 CC BY-NC 2.5 SBStevenson@uh.edu peace, love, trees

% here we answer the question, how many cycles does it take for GMDN to
% converge?
maxcycles = 40; stepsize = .0025;
z = 1; % pick a Z, any Z
x = stepsize:stepsize:(4-stepsize); % explore a range of x and y
y = x;
wbh = waitbar(0);
RMS = zeros(numel(x),numel(y),numel(z)); % no, not root mean square, this is the Randall Munro Set!

for idx = 1: numel(x)
waitbar(idx ./ numel(x)); % feedback on progress
for jdx = idx:numel(y) % result is symmetric across the diagonal, so we save time by computing above the diagonal

for kdx = 1:numel(z)
RMS(idx, jdx, kdx) = gmdn([x(idx),y(jdx),z(kdx)], maxcycles);
RMS(jdx, idx, kdx) = RMS(idx, jdx, kdx); % copy across the diagonal
end
end
end
close(wbh)
RMS = min(maxcycles,RMS);

if numel(z) == 1;
figure(420);
image(255*RMS./maxcycles);truesize; colormap(jet(256));
end
if numel(z) == 3; % allow for true color, but in practice it is so sensitive to initial z value it just gives three different sets unless the Zs are VERY CLOSE
figure(420);image(RMS./maxcycles);truesize;
end
title(['RandallMunro Set Z = ' num2str(z)]);

figure(3);hist(RMS(:),0:maxcycles);
%% How many cycles to converge?
function ncycles = gmdn(x, maxcycles)
ncycles = 0;
while ncycles < maxcycles
ncycles = ncycles + 1;
x = [mean(x), geomean(x), median3(x)];
if all(x(1) == x(2:3))
break
end
end

end

%% Geometric Mean
function result = geomean(x)
result = prod(x) .^ (1/numel(x));
end

%% Slightly faster median than builtin MATLAB function
function result = median3(x)
y = sort(x);
result = y(2);
end

== Proof - This is connected to the Heat Equation ==

Earlier question:
> Can any of you come up with a mathematical proof that repeated application of F on a set of (say) positive real numbers is guaranteed to converge toward a single real number

Yes. This triplet can be regarded as a partial differential equation with in a monotonically decreasing range that converges to a single value.
We observe that all three of these always result in a value which is strictly less than the min and max. Thus the PDE equations are progressively bounded by a smaller range, ie. they converge in the same way that the heat equation converges. "Under broad assumptions, an initial/boundary-value problem for a linear parabolic PDE has a solution for all time. The solution .. is generally smoother than the initial data" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_partial_differential_equation#Solution), which holds here.
The range converges to zero because the values are real numbers.

Given the real 3-vector for Fn, the range of Fn+1 must be strictly less than the range of Fn:
 
R(Fn) = max(Fn)-min(Fn) 
R(Fn+1) = max(ave(Fn),geomean(Fn),median(Fn))-min(ave(Fn),geomean(Fn),median(Fn)) 
max(ave(Fn),geomean(Fn),median(Fn)) < max(Fn) '''because''' ave(Fn),geomean(Fn),median(Fn) < max(Fn) 
min(ave(Fn),geomean(Fn),median(Fn)) > min(Fn) '''because''' ave(Fn),geomean(Fn),median(Fn) > min(Fn) 
therefore.. 
R(Fn+1) < R(Fn)| 
limit R(Fn+1) = 0 as n approaches inf.
 
The range of Fn+1 approaches 0, ie. the series converges for positive inputs.
(note the series is undefined for real negative inputs since the geomean uses the n-th root)

[[User:Ramakarl|Ramakarl]] ([[User talk:Ramakarl|talk]]) 00:00, 12 March 2021 (UTC)

== Why is this funny? ==
Wow, paragraphs and paragraphs of explanation, and calculations, and computer code describing everything about the XKCD comic.
I am impressed with how much people know. After all that explanation, can anyone tell me if there is anything comical about this comic?
Aside from the fact that Randal is combining formulas that don't usually get combined, is there anything here that strikes anyone as funny? The previous one about people asking absurd questions about what they could do after they are vaccinated had me laughing out loud. Can anyone tell me that they laughed at this comic and what was funny? Thanks. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 01:56, 12 March 2021 (UTC)
:YMMV, but I found it funny because I just spent the last fortnight teaching how to find mean (and median, and quartiles for that matter) to 15/16yrolds. And they found that hard enough. I did not inform them of Geometric mean. I guess it's funny because it's such a long reach. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 02:48, 12 March 2021 (UTC)

Talk:1138: Heatmap

2021-01-21T06:51:25Z

Thisfox:

So does this mean... that all the subscribers to Martha Stweart Living are secretly furries? *gasp* [[Special:Contributions/129.97.124.23|129.97.124.23]] 23:00, 23 November 2012 (UTC)

No. It means that to people who give motivational talks to people who want to sell you things, all the people included in such maps are called prospects or prospective customers. It is a good explanation for spam.[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 07:13, 14 January 2015 (UTC)

Clearly it means that the furries are, in general, Martha Stewart fans, not the reverse. Are you mad? {{unsigned|174.125.142.147}}

:It's a subtle hint that xkcd will be transitioning into Martha Stewart furry porn.[[Special:Contributions/76.20.159.250|76.20.159.250]] 05:05, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

I thought that it was implied that if they switched to furry advertising/content, they could be as successful as Marth Stewart... not that they should combine marth stewart and furry content into their site. {{unsigned|109.65.32.63}}

I was expecting some reference to George Lucas' ''THX 1138'' for this comics.

But then, it is not George Lucas who's editing Xkcd...

Paulo Sedrez [[Special:Contributions/139.82.111.111|139.82.111.111]] 18:39, 7 January 2013 (UTC)

There is an additional pun, and I do not know if it was intended. One adult furry publication is called Heat. A map of where furry porn is appreciated would therefore also be a Heat map. {{unsigned|Godel Fishbreath| 15:14, 17 May 2013‎ (UTC)}}
:I'm a little weirded out by the fact that our resident expert on the titles of adult furry publications has the name of "Fishbreath." Makes one wonder where his mouth has been. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.210|173.245.55.210]] 17:24, 27 December 2013 (UTC)
:: '''Godel''' Fishbreath. Obviously the answer to your question is undecidable. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.163|173.245.52.163]] 01:41, 1 March 2015 (UTC)
:It's remarkable the places I sometimes see your messages, Godel Fishbreath. Best of wishes mate. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 06:51, 21 January 2021 (UTC)

The 'incomplete' tag refers to the title text. I'm not sure if this refers to the actual title text (which has been explained in the comic), or the title "Heatmap" (which I just added an explanation for). Either way, I think it's covered; I intend to remove the incomplete tag in a few days, if nobody objects. [[User:Cosmogoblin|Cosmogoblin]] ([[User talk:Cosmogoblin|talk]]) 22:54, 24 June 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1121: Identity

2015-05-21T10:57:08Z

Thisfox:

He could also be bothered by her willingness to give away the password so easily. Anyone who has spent a sufficient amount of time with the character would have an idea of the things he's interested in. The image text supports it a little by saying how anyone he knows would be aware that he acts like that. [[Special:Contributions/76.122.5.96|76.122.5.96]] 08:57, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

They could also be using a version of Google Wave or some such IM... It was possible to view realtime what the others were typing on the window. Then Megan would be able to interrupt Cueball easily.

Notably, although the characters appear to be communicating by way of text (whether SMS, or some instant messaging protocol), Megan should not be able to interrupt Cueball. Text-based messages do not typically stream in realtime as they are typed. She wouldn't be able to read his message until he completed it and sent it. {{unsigned|TheHYPO}}

:Unless they are using something like the unix talk command, which does stream characters as they are typed. This might make sense since they are conversing about a server password, but talk might also perform proper authentication, although it could likely be spoofed as most early unix programs were not very secure. The characters are not streamed in real time, by the way, because there is no deadline for transmission of the characters. Sending something "as soon as possible" is pretty much the opposite of "real-time" and I think this wiki should make great efforts to be extra geeky about the use of the phrase "real-time" treating it like "real-time operating system" rather than "I use the web so I think the word 'real-time' means that time itself is not fake." Has Randall written a comic about the misuse of the phrase "real-time"? He should. {{unsigned|Jsbqvb}}

::I'm going to quibble over your quibbling over semantics for a moment. "Real-time communication" is not simply saying something immediately after another person. Imagine you and I are sitting in plush armchairs in my front parlour, discussing philosophy. You ask me "What is real-time communication?" I look up to the ceiling, as I formulate my response. According to your definition, this conversation has now left real-time, and become a no-deadline-for-transmission delayed communication, because I've failed to respond immediately. Another example, we're sitting in a park outside at a marble chess table. You move your rook. I study the game board before making my own move. Are you going to argue that this is no longer a real-time game because of my delay?

::A third example. I sit down in my writing room and write a lengthy letter addressed to you and put it into the mail. My postman picks up the mail later that day. It gets sorted and put onto a truck to your house. The truck drives across state lines to the distribution center near your house. The letter gets put in your postman's sack, and that day on his rounds he delivers it to your postbox. You read it and write your response. Your postman picks it up the next day, it's trucked back to my state and delivered to me 2 days after you wrote it. Is this real-time communication? I'll answer that one for you. No it isn't.

::What makes communication real-time, and what doesn't? I don't have a hard-and-fast definition for you. I consider, talking to a person whether face-to-face or over the phone real-time. I consider sending mail and email delayed communication. Instant Messages are real-time if I get an answer within five minutes of when I sent them, same with text messages. So is five minutes a good differentiating line? Here's another example.

::We're in grade school, and we're all sitting in a circle playing {{w|Telephone (game)|Telephone}}. I whisper the message to my neighbor, who whispers it on until it reaches you, at the other end of the circle. The whole game takes perhaps a minute. Is this real-time communication? No, because I'm passing the message to middle-men. But that's how messages travel the Internet, bouncing through routers until they reach you. So, it can't be that there are no middle-men involved.

::In conclusion. I think your argument that "somewhat delayed delivery of a response" would be a better phrase instead of "real-time" is fallacious, and pointless. That we need to be cautious of the usage of "real-time communication" is not one of the things I think we need to be worried about. I do think we need to be careful of how we rear the upcoming generations, pay attention to the difference between "loose" and "lose", how to spell "onomatopoeia" and "definitely" correctly, as well as using "literally" accurately, "who" vs. "whom", when to and more importantly when not to dangle prepositions, learning when to use which dashes, avoiding ''ad hominem'' arguments, trying to be a little less pedantic with others, and taking some time to slow down and smell the flowers and enjoy the scenery.

::--[[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 19:11, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

:::I agree with the action plan given in your final paragraph. However, while I don't disagree with your point, your example about the chess game might be a little confusing for some because in games there is a rather well established usage of "real time" games as being in direct opposition to "turn-based" games. Here "real time" usually means that the action all happens continuously and simultaneously, whereas "turn-based" means that everything proceeds by turns (i.e. I make a move, then you do, then me again, etc.), such as in chess. [[User:Erenan|Erenan]] ([[User talk:Erenan|talk]]) 15:51, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

:Moved here from the explanation. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 16:56, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

:::If you say something, the sound of your voice is spreading by speed of sound, which is relatively slow. What communication can actually be called real-time by the "no delay" definition? Telepathy? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 08:40, 17 October 2012 (UTC)

::::It's possible that by utilizing quantum entanglement we may be able to achieve communication of information without any delay. I may be wrong about this. Anyone with more knowledge about it care to correct me? [[User:Erenan|Erenan]] ([[User talk:Erenan|talk]]) 20:40, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

My understanding would be that instantaneous communication is impossible. Communication implies a transfer of information of some kind (regardless of how useful it is). Since in order to receive information into the human mind you atteh very least must wait the tiny amount of time for your nerves to transmit their signals from the sensory nerves to the brain. Add to that the assumption of travel via light waves which take time and or sound waves which take longer to arrive at the sensory organ. Even if a device could use a technology to have information come out as soon as it goes in somewhere else, you will have to wait again for the nerves if you surgically implant the the device. Why go through all that trouble and not go the next logical step. If time travel is incorporated you could include the lag so that the trip is finished at the same time it arrived. Of course you could also send yourself a message from the future to not waste Jorge time and to get a life. [[User:DruidDriver|DruidDriver]] ([[User talk:DruidDriver|talk]]) 22:13, 22 January 2013 (UTC)

It's possible that he was sending each sentence separately, and she's responding to one of the ones he already completed. [[Special:Contributions/76.122.5.96|76.122.5.96]] 18:33, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

The "NO!" may not be for security but the disappointment of missed opportunity to design a 'cool' identity proof protocol.

:While it's true he hasn't yet properly proved his identity, the "NO!" is DEFINITELY the disappointment of missed opportunity to design a 'cool' identity proof protocol. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 08:40, 17 October 2012 (UTC)

They could be using skype (mobile and on PC with mic) to communicate, not necessarily text.

:: Seriously, why would any of you NOT think that they were using a speakerphone to communicate? (be it through the phone, skype or gtalk or whatever service)? You even got the little "sound wave" lines coming from the devices as the character communicates. [[Special:Contributions/206.72.206.101|206.72.206.101]] 13:38, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

::: Cueball is holding his phone with two hands. He's clearly texting. The "sound wave" lines are clearly meant to indicate that it's what the character is typing/texting. Also, the transcript indicates that Megan's text in the third frame is a text message (the parenthetical is here only because it's the only place where text is present from a character not visible in the image). [[User:Erenan|Erenan]] ([[User talk:Erenan|talk]]) 00:00, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

:::: That's the dumbest thing I've ever read. And I've read a LOT. Who needs two hands to text, and why can't someone hold a phone with both hands when on speaker? Furthermore, the transcript has NO BEARING AT ALL on discussions of the comic, because it's subjective. [[Special:Contributions/174.142.37.82|174.142.37.82]] 04:54, 14 November 2012 (UTC)
:::: Never mind, Erenan, I just saw your user-page and your pages. You've got enough issues. You're right, of course, there's no conceivable way Cueball could be doing anything but texting. It's "clear", and the sound wave lines "clearly" indicate that as well. I stand corrected. Enjoy life. You're "clearly" very smart and always right. [[Special:Contributions/174.142.37.82|174.142.37.82]] 04:58, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

:::::At no point is there a need to personally attack another commenter on this site like that. Also, '''do not''' edit other people's posts on a talk page, that is rude in the extreme. Come back in a week, maybe you can keep a civil tongue in your head. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 05:12, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

:::::Wiki etiquette states that you do not touch other people's comments - replacing his name with "dumbo" is childish. As for the transcript, it came from the div with id "transcript" in the source on the XKCD website. I believe Randall knows his own comics well enough [[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]][[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>(talk)</tt>]] 05:16, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

::::::{{w|Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines#Editing comments|Link}} as source for Davidy's statement. Go forth and educate thineself. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 05:21, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

The reference to dinosaur fascination might be a last ditch attempt to try and fool people who MIT try and impersonate Randall. My understanding which may be flawed is that Randal has a fear around raptors, and close friends might hear praise for these and get suspicious if the leave out the fear part. [[User:DruidDriver|DruidDriver]] ([[User talk:DruidDriver|talk]]) 22:13, 22 January 2013 (UTC)

To support the feasibility of what happens in the last panel, it could be that Megan doesn't have the password in mind, and hit 'Enter' to go look for the password elsewhere. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.220|108.162.212.220]] 20:37, 9 February 2014 (UTC)

The paragraph about RSA encryption, though interesting, is irrelevant to the explanation of the comic, as there is nothing to indicate he intends to use it (Seriously, who can name random large primes off the top of their head?). As such, I'm going to delete it.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.30|108.162.215.30]] 02:29, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

The entire conversation is perfectly understandable if their voices were reversed, and Megan was saying Cueballs lines, while Cueball Megans lines. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 10:57, 21 May 2015 (UTC)