explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

User talk:Zeke

2013-01-17T08:01:46Z

Zeke: /* Mind passing a Turing test? */

== Mind passing a Turing test? ==
It's just the we get a lot of spam bots that come by, and their only edit is to create their userpage and try to spam links to external pages, which makes us look like a terrible SEO link farm.

If you are a human, great name! That's what I go by irl because it's easier to say than my full name. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 07:33, 17 January 2013 (UTC)

* Sure, I can do that... but if you check my contributions, you'll notice I had already made an edit about a recent strip. I don't think spambots can actually explain xkcd yet. And come to think of it, if they could, and their edits were good, and they only spammed on their userpages, would there be any reason to ban them?

:Zeke is a nickname my grandpa gave me when I was little. I have no idea why -- it's not short for Ezekiel or anything -- but I kinda like it. Of course, on most large enough sites, it's already taken. Even at the xkcd forum I'm CZeke for disambiguation. ~ [[User:Zeke|Zeke]] ([[User talk:Zeke|talk]]) 08:01, 17 January 2013 (UTC)

User talk:Zeke

2013-01-17T08:01:18Z

Zeke: /* Mind passing a Turing test? */

== Mind passing a Turing test? ==
It's just the we get a lot of spam bots that come by, and their only edit is to create their userpage and try to spam links to external pages, which makes us look like a terrible SEO link farm.

If you are a human, great name! That's what I go by irl because it's easier to say than my full name. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 07:33, 17 January 2013 (UTC)

* Sure, I can do that... but if you check my contributions, you'll notice I had already made an edit about a recent strip. I don't think spambots can actually explain xkcd yet. And come to think of it, if they could, and their edits were good, and they only spammed on their userpages, would there be any reason to ban them?\\
:Zeke is a nickname my grandpa gave me when I was little. I have no idea why -- it's not short for Ezekiel or anything -- but I kinda like it. Of course, on most large enough sites, it's already taken. Even at the xkcd forum I'm CZeke for disambiguation. ~ [[User:Zeke|Zeke]] ([[User talk:Zeke|talk]]) 08:01, 17 January 2013 (UTC)

User:Zeke

2013-01-17T06:42:59Z

Zeke: Created page with "I'm Zeke. In real life I'm a PhD student in number theory; online I run a parody site, [http://www.fiveminute.net FiveMinute.net]."

I'm Zeke. In real life I'm a PhD student in number theory; online I run a parody site, [http://www.fiveminute.net FiveMinute.net].

1159: Countdown

2013-01-17T06:39:13Z

Zeke: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1159
| date = January 11, 2013
| title = Countdown
| image = countdown.png
| titletext = For all we know, the odds are in our favor.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic shows a {{w|seven segment display}} (aka [http://www.ece.mtu.edu/labs/EElabs/EE2304/pages/bcd_to_seven_segment_TAversion.html calculator-style numbers]) with a countdown. [[Black Hat]] explains that it is a countdown to a {{w|supervolcano}} eruption. However, an unfortunately placed picture blocks view of the full display. Due to the form of a seven-segment display, the first digit could be 0, 6, or 8, and five digits are completely blocked by the picture, which Black Hat lazily refuses to move.

The fully visible part starts at 2409, and based on the pace of the scene, it seems to be in seconds. Thus, it is unclear when the eruption might occur. If the obscured digits are all 0s, it could be as soon as 40 minutes. On the other hand, if the obscured digits are '899 999', there's another 2.85 million years to go; if they are '000 001', we have a little more than 3 years.

The title text: "For all we know, the odds are in our favor" could imply the assumption that since we can't see the digits behind the picture, we can treat them as random. If so, chances are only 1 in 300 000 they are all zeroes. However, because of statistical principles such as {{w|Benford's law}}, the digits are not entirely random, and the {{w|odds}} are higer than 1/299 999 for all the digits to be zero, since the middle 4 digits are zero.

Using a countdown theme for comic #1159 is itself a subtle joke, as 11:59 is one minute to midnight.

==Transcript==
:[Counter: ____00002409]
:Cueball: What is that?
:Black Hat: Countdown.

:[Counter: ____00002400]
:Cueball: To what?
:Black Hat: Supervolcano, I think. I forget which one.

:[Counter: ____00002396]

:[Counter: ____00002382]
:Cueball: Maybe we should move that picture?
:Black Hat: Too hard to reach. It's probably fine.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Statistics]]