explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2310: Great Attractor

2020-05-25T17:05:41Z

Xiong: GA motion, fantasy >> astrophysics

Is Beret Guy talking about the {{w|Great Attractor}}? or simply about the Sun? It would fit in Beret Guy's quirkiness to call the Sun "the Great Attractor". Also, I didn't even know there was actually something called the Great Attractor... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.229|172.69.33.229]] 23:42, 22 May 2020 (UTC)

Well, given that it's "below him all day" and on the horizion at night, it's probably not the Sun. [[User:Argis13|Argis13]] ([[User talk:Argis13|talk]]) 23:58, 22 May 2020 (UTC)

Has anyone (inc Randall) done an analyses on TGA similar to https://what-if.xkcd.com/25/ does for other things? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.242|162.158.155.242]] 01:44, 23 May 2020 (UTC)

"The unexpected onset of summer daylight patterns may be further commentary on the ongoing COVID-19 measures and how they have affected perception of time." <-- what the heck is this even supposed to mean?
::It's not there any more, but it sounds like it might be a comment on how the sun is not really rising much earlier yet, and our sense of that is warped because we're staying inside so much [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.250|108.162.216.250]] 23:27, 24 May 2020 (UTC)

"Pull harder, Mom. I miss you." [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.150|172.69.34.150]] 08:07, 23 May 2020 (UTC)
:I have added [[502: Dark Flow]] as it has some similarities, but it was not the great attractor in that comic. But also the first I though about. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

It currently says “Beret Guy is not standing straight up [...]. This is presumably due to the extra downwards force that the Great Attractor is currently exerting on him, so he has to exert more effort to hold himself upright and seems quite content”. Am I the only one who thinks this makes no sense? Beret Guy is going to sleep because the Great Attractor starts pulling him sideways. And if there was more force downwards, instead of sidewars, it would not help to bend the knee and stand tilted. If you have to carry heavy things, the easiest way is to put them on your head and stand as much vertical as possible (although this method is unpopular in some countries). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.222|141.101.98.222]] 19:31, 23 May 2020 (UTC)
:It's not just you. I interpreted the final frame as him being dragged sideways. This fits with the movement lines along the side covering most of his body, and the "drag lines" left by his feet. His stance makes more sense if he's resisting a sideways force. It also fits better with the time, since the Great Attractor is said to currently be on the horizon at night, and it's 8PM when they are talking. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.196|162.158.75.196]] 21:19, 23 May 2020 (UTC)
::I guess the one who wrote that part of the explanation forgot that it was evening. I have corrected the explanation to indicate that the pull is to the right - i.e. south --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

Whenever I am standing on a moving Bus or Train, I always bend the knee on my leading leg in order to counteract the inertia trying to force me forwards if the vehicle rapidly slows or stops [adjusting or resisting changes to my center of gravity]. If I tried to lead with a stiff leg I would topple forward. Beret Guy's stance would only work if he intends to slide on his feet. [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 04:26, 24 May 2020 (UTC)

But why does the Great Attractor pin Berret Guy to the wall, while it won't make him fly?[[User:Gunterkoenigsmann|Gunterkoenigsmann]] ([[User talk:Gunterkoenigsmann|talk]]) 07:07, 24 May 2020 (UTC)
:There is friction so if it is pulling hard enough the the south he could stay on a wall facing south. But it is also Beret Guy so maybe not think too much. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure the local Supercluster is called Laniakea, and Virgo is just a smaller supercluster within it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laniakea_Supercluster
:True has added this to the extra explanation. Great Attractor is withing than. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

The mysterious analyses of Dark Flow near the great attractor are consistent with Beret Guy's strange experience. Scientists have said it looks like the universe functions by different laws over there. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.250|108.162.216.250]] 23:27, 24 May 2020 (UTC)

:''Although the location of the Great Attractor should not be linked directly to daylight here on Earth.'': Literally, no; but like everything else above Luna's orbit, the GA appears to circle the groundpounding observer at about the same rate as Sol. What's really meant by this sentence is obscure.
:''But it is also Beret Guy so maybe not think too much.'': Absolutely! Is our purpose to explain '''XKCD''' or only to lecture science with "just enough" pedantry? If the former, which implies the reader may not count such a rare character as a personal friend, it might be well to drop a word or two about [[Beret Guy]]'s fantastic nature.
: [[User:Xiong|Xiong]] ([[User talk:Xiong|talk]]) 17:05, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

2309: X

2020-05-22T20:26:39Z

Xiong: /* Explanation */ naturals not real

{{comic
| number = 2309
| date = May 20, 2020
| title = X
| image = x.png
| titletext = The worst is when you run out of monospaced fonts and have to use variable-width variables.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a COMIC SANS X AND A NEW PROGRAMMER. This page needs an expanded explanation of what esoteric languages are. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Cueball]] has developed a new {{w|programming language}} with novel syntax. Such languages are usually classified as {{w|esoteric language}}s - programming languages developed for no practical use other than novelty or academic interest (although that doesn't stop people from trying to use them). Some classic examples of these are {{w|INTERCAL}} and {{w|brainfuck}}.

Normally, there is no law against developing bad programming languages or bad code (although some would argue there should be). The law often has to play catch-up with technology. However, as when the EPA took an interest in Cueball's [[Laptop Issues]], and [[:Category:Cueball Computer Problems|Cueball's other tech support problems]], it seems that a judge has previously ordered Cueball to stop developing new programming languages, possibly because the result was so egregious as to cause real harm. However, the ruling was overturned on appeal, and Cueball is free to inflict his work on the world once again, unless and until there is another appeal. Cueball's use of the phrase "''higher'' court" suggests that he did not get a ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States or whatever state has jurisdiction over him, or else he would have said so, and evidently the offscreen voices hope to appeal to them and get Cueball's injunction reinstated.

A {{w|Variable (computer science)|variable}} is a piece of data (such as an integer or a string of text) whose value can change over the run of a program. Variables are identified by name and can usually be named any string of alphanumeric characters. To make code easier for a human to follow, variables are usually given a name that indicates what the variable is for; for example, a variable counting how many seconds have passed since the program was launched might be called '''elapsedTime'''.

Some programmers, particularly if they are working under time pressure, may give their variables nondescript names such as '''x'''. This is considered bad coding practice, because anyone reading the code will not immediately understand what the variable does unless they are familiar with it. Even the original programmer may come back to it and find that they have forgotten what the variable was for.

Here, Cueball is developing a language where ''all'' variables are named '''X''' - and the only way to differentiate different Xs is to write it in different typefaces. Needless to say, this is a terrible idea. The language would be a nightmare to program in, as all of the variables would look very similar unless careful attention is being paid, and there would be little to no way to determine what each one does, since font names are typically not very descriptive. Additionally, the fact that some fonts look similar (such as Arial and Helvetica) would require the programmer to have an intricate knowledge of different fonts and how to distinguish them from only one letter.

Such a language would also require the source code files to be in some rich text format such as a Word document, in order to store the font information. Additionally, it would also require the use of a word processor or similar in order to edit the code. Programs would also run into difficulties if the system does not have the required fonts installed, or if the font is not licensed for them to use.

By contrast, normal code is always written in plain text (usually with ASCII or UTF-8 encoding), which does not specify a typeface and can be edited by even the most basic of text editors.

This comic may also be a jab at mathematicians, who by convention use variable names which are short and nondescript (e.g. "x"), and which can also be "typeface sensitive" - for example, ℕ denotes the set of natural numbers, and is distinct from '''N''', which could be assigned a different meaning but used in the same expression.

The title text references the fact that most code editors use a monospaced font (i.e., one where every character is the same width), as opposed to variable-width fonts, in which some characters like 'I' are narrower than others. This is partly because fixed horizontal alignment is sometimes useful when dealing with certain text strings.

'Variable-width variables', a pun on two meanings of the word 'variable', refers to the fact that the letter X, like all letters, has different widths in different fonts. This would make this fixed alignment almost impossible, thus creating yet another reason why Cueball's language would be highly unpleasant to use. It likely also directly (mis)refers to systems such as {{w|variable-width encoding}} in which the ''data'' linked to in a variable storage is packed into an unfixed number of bits and/or bytes. Such systems often use Huffman-type encoding to progressively differentiate, from the initial elements, how many more elements are needed to fully define the value, but a reserved deliminating value marking the end of a cummulative arbitrary-length array might be considered another form.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Cueball holds a laptop with code visible on the screen.]
:Cueball: I've developed a new programming language!
:Offpanel voice: Didn't a judge order you to stop doing that?

:[In a frameless panel, Cueball holds the laptop with one hand and types on the keyboard.]
:Cueball: Higher court threw out the ruling!
:Cueball: I'm back, suckers!
:Offpanel voice: ''Dammit.''

:[Cueball holds the folded down laptop at his side.]
:Cueball: But I promise it's good this time!
:Cueball: Just normal code. Good clean syntax. Nothing weird.
:Offpanel voice: Okay...

:[Cueball holds the laptop at his side, and raises a finger on his other hand.]
:Cueball: Except the only variable name is "X". To refer to different variables you have to write "X" in different fonts.
:Offpanel voice: I'm calling the court.
:Another offpanel voice: Maybe we can appeal.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Programming]]