https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Westley 2026-04-30T18:14:10Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.30.0 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1365:_Inflation&diff=66823 2014-05-07T04:53:46Z

<p>Westley: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1365<br /> | date = May 7, 2014<br /> | title = Inflation<br /> | image = inflation.png<br /> | titletext = Wait till they notice the faint reflection of Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny in the E-mode.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Added a basic explanation. Still needs some work.}}<br /> The comic is inspired by the recent [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BICEP2 BICEP2 BICEP2] discovery of gravitational waves from the early universe, hence proving evidence for the Cosmic Inflationary hypothesis. Megan is excited about this and tells Ponytail all about it. She is impressed by the fact that the these waves were created when the universe was extremely small and the expanding universe has &quot;imprinted&quot; the gravity waves.<br /> <br /> She compares this to the nature of a microscope - which optically expands a small image, just like the universe has done to itself. Ponytail is impressed by it until Megan looks at the actual image captured by the BICEP2 instrument. Since most Cosmic Background images (due to the observable globe of the universe) are flattened into distorted ovals on paper, it looks much like a basketball, complete with Spalding company logo and name imprinted across it, along with the traditional curves that are visible on a basketball.<br /> <br /> They are both disconcerted by this, and the title text references the 1996 fim &quot;Space Jam&quot; by promising images of Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny (more cultural icons) if the polarization of the view is changed to E-mode.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript}}<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Westley https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1365:_Inflation&diff=66822 2014-05-07T04:51:45Z

<p>Westley: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1365<br /> | date = May 7, 2014<br /> | title = Inflation<br /> | image = inflation.png<br /> | titletext = Wait till they notice the faint reflection of Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny in the E-mode.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Added a basic explanation. Still needs some work.}}<br /> The comic is inspired by the recent [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BICEP2 BICEP2 BICEP2] discovery of gravitational waves from the early universe, hence proving evidence for the Cosmic Inflationary hypothesis. Megan is excited about this and tells Ponytail all about it. She is impressed by the fact that the these waves were created when the universe was extremely small and the expanding universe has &quot;imprinted&quot; the gravity waves.<br /> <br /> She compares this to the nature of a microscope - which optically expands a small image, just like the universe has done to itself. Ponytail is impressed by it until Megan looks at the actual image captured by the BICEP2 instrument. Since most Cosmic Background images (due to the observable globe of the universe) are flattened into distorted ovals on paper, it looks much like a basketball, complete with Spalding company logo and name imprinted across it, along with the traditional curves that are visible on a basketball.<br /> <br /> They are both disconcerted by this, and the title text references the movie Space Jam by promising images of Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny (more cultural icons) if the polarization of the view is changed to E-mode.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript}}<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Westley