https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=108.162.215.224&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T16:16:02ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1084:_Server_Problem&diff=193876Talk:1084: Server Problem2020-06-25T16:06:23Z<p>108.162.215.224: </p>
<hr />
<div>It should be noted that some android apps are written in Kotlin and not Java. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.224|108.162.215.224]] 16:06, 25 June 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It reminded me of the [http://articles.cnn.com/2012-04-13/tech/tech_web_apple-mac-virus-fix_1_mac-users-malware-mac-os?_s=PM:TECH Flashback Virus] that happened on Macs --[[User:Toddr|Toddr]] ([[User talk:Toddr|talk]]) 21:41, 9 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;WooWoo Science from La-La Land<br />
<br />
I love this paragraph:<br />
"Proponents of the singularity typically state that an "intelligence explosion",where superintelligences design successive generations of increasingly powerful minds, might occur very quickly and might not stop until the agent's cognitive abilities greatly surpass that of any human."<br />
<br />
"OK team, you can stop now, we are much more intelligent than they are"<br />
"Don't we need to keep learning"<br />
"Nah!" {{unsigned ip| 86.16.130.17|12:59, 16 August 2012 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
:Whence comes the quote (and the follow-up commentary)? Attribution requested. Posted by an IP-address contributor; if you'd like to see this retained, please follow up with sources, explanation, and signature... otherwise, I think the content is just tangential enough to be removed. -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 14:42, 16 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
::I don't know what the section heading is referring to, but I'm pretty sure the quote is from {{w|Technological singularity|wikipedia}} ([http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Technological_singularity&diff=next&oldid=501171200 diff]). [[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 15:16, 13 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I believe the assumption is that they will hit some sort of fundamental physical limit on intelligence (At the extreme long-term end, perhaps latency due to the finite speed of light) and stop, rather than simply grow tired of advancing and focus attention elsewhere. [[User:Thirgfloorgreg|Thirgfloorgreg]] ([[User talk:Thirgfloorgreg|talk]]) 23:02, 17 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think there are two ways of interpreting it. The most likely is that Megan's "What did you do!?" is a cry of frustration and amazement that Cueball has managed to *so* break the server. First, how on earth did Cueball's $PATH get changed *at all* so that executing "ls" in the shell ran anything but the usual /bin/ls? Second, how did it end up pointing to that ls.jar? And third, what the heck did Cueball do to end up with that ls.jar being installed there anyway!? Then her "You should shut down..." comment should be interpreted as being preceded with the phrase "You are so clearly not qualified to use a computer that ...". On the other hand, she may be expressing awe and amazement at his ability to interact with his system in such a bizarre way. And then her "You should shut down ..." comment should be preceded with the phrase, "You are clearly so at one with computing machinery that ..." TK 2012-08-17<br />
<br />
:alias ls='sudo java usr/share/Adobe/doc/example/android_vm/root/sbin/ls.jar' [[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]] ([[User talk:Davidy22|talk]]) 23:35, 16 September 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
or you could edit $PATH and do a soft link from the first member of PATH/ls to /usr/share/Adobe/doc/example/android_vm/root/sbin/ls.jar, anyway if i was Megan i wouldn't give up just yet, i still have /bin/ls and dir in my disposal... (and always check the environment variables... never assume the user's environment is clean.. it's just most likely that $PATH got screwed up (happened a bit too often for my liking in my previous company.. some people just love to use the command "set PATH=/myprog" instead of set PATH=${PATH}:/myprog ) and all you had to do is to reset the variable and we are done :) (but ya.. Megan's reaction is also my reaction.. it's fun to see people helpless and think that they have royally screwed up their system when you swoop in like a super hero to miraculously repair their system) [[Special:Contributions/118.101.220.167|118.101.220.167]] 09:59, 4 December 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Considering Cueball's response, which suggests he is completely unaware of the unlikeliness of the error message, we can assume that the latter is not the case. Cueball totally fails to miss the point by suggesting a simple solution while not realizing how messed up his system would need to be to not even be able to operate the ls command. --[[Special:Contributions/88.75.181.101|88.75.181.101]] 02:45, 20 September 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Cueball has somehow messed up his path so that 'ls' now points to ls.jar, which executes the command on an external device (presumably an Android device). {{unsigned ip|134.134.139.72|18:15, 28 August 2012 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
Cueball's last line is a reference to an error message from the 8-bit era that went something like "Device not ready" or "device busy, try again later" which led some people to interpret it (literally) that they should try again later, when it really meant "the drive can't read the floppy disc that's in it". [[Special:Contributions/75.103.23.206|75.103.23.206]] 20:39, 7 December 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:"Device not ready" and "Device busy, try again later" messages are usually emited when the driver tries to communicate with device and doesn't get expected response in some defined time. If there would be no timeout for its actions, the computer would freeze. Sometimes (especially in case of old devices), the choosen timeout is too short and trying later actually WILL solve the problem - for example, if you insert CD in optical drive and immediately try to access it, you may get timeout because it takes the drive some time to determine what type of medium was inserted and read TOC. More often, though, the "not ready" is actually caused by persistent problem which will not solve itself - for example again with CD, the CD may be unreadable. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:44, 21 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Why Ray Kurzweil would be annoyed by 'Cybersingularity' ? [[User:Osias|Osias]] ([[User talk:Osias|talk]]) 01:03, 19 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I agree - the explanation on Ray is not good enough. I have amended it a bit by putting in four relevant links to Wikipedia in the last phrase - but I cannot explain the title text, and has just assigned the explanation to be incomplete. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:13, 14 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
If Megan actually knows whats going on, wouldn't she run "PATH="/usr/share/Adobe/doc/example/android_vm/root/sbin:$PATH"? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.212|173.245.54.212]] 16:18, 12 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Just wonder if part of the joke is "is ajar" - cars often complain about a door being ajar and will not function until closed.--- {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.133}}<br />
<br />
Java executables DO end in .jar on linux <br />
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.90|162.158.255.90]] 18:50, 28 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think the explanation should touch on what it means for a device to be busy and whether or not that makes sense for a magical Java archive core Linux system binary for (chrooted?) Android. Because there's a lot going on in that line, it's important to touch on it all. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.141.226|172.68.141.226]] 07:03, 12 December 2018 (UTC)</div>108.162.215.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2323:_Modeling_Study&diff=1937642323: Modeling Study2020-06-23T00:31:32Z<p>108.162.215.224: /* Transcript */ more</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2323<br />
| date = June 22, 2020<br />
| title = Modeling Study<br />
| image = modeling_study.png<br />
| titletext = You've got questions, we've got assumptions.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an ABSTRACTLY MODELED BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
In this comic, a humorous comparison is drawn between two common types of scientific studies: {{w|empirical research}}, where an experiment is designed to test a scientific theory, and {{w|mathematical modeling}}, where mathematical formulations are produced to predict how physical systems behave under given circumstances. In empirical studies, hard questions about the limitations of existing theory tend to be addressed in the abstract, the brief summary of the paper that is presented at the beginning of most scientific articles. In modeling studies, assumptions based on existing theory are built into the model, and any problems associated with these assumptions tend to be discussed in the methods section, which outlines the design of an experiment in the case of an empirical study, or how the model was designed and the reasoning behind the choices made in the case of a modeling study. In the empirical study, the proverbial "big red problem box" is stated up-front where everyone who finds the paper will read it, while in the modeling study, it's buried in the middle of the paper, where it's less likely to be read.<br />
<br />
The caption opens like a typical statement in favor of modeling studies, "A mathematical model is a powerful tool for taking hard problems," but while a researcher who works with models might go on to say "...and breaking them down," or "...and studying them in ways that would be impractical for empirical studies," Randall concludes that they can't actually make hard problems any easier. His title text, "You've got questions, we've got assumptions," plays on the usual platitude of "You've got questions, we've got answers" by pointing out that any answers provided are built on assumptions by the modelers. In other words, {{w|garbage in, garbage out}}.<br />
<br />
For a more concrete example, consider the 2020 pandemic of COVID-19. Empirical studies measure things like infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, and the circumstances that lead to those events, and attempt to answer questions about how COVID-19 spreads, what measures are effective in preventing its transmission, what those measures' other costs and side effects are, and what therapies are effective in treating cases. These are made difficult by gaps in testing capability, the imperfections of those tests which are available, and the fact that all of the conditions of society are interconnected and constantly changing -- there is no "control universe" or any way to go back and try different ideas. Modeling studies offer the possibility to simulate thousands or millions of possible pandemics, to hopefully figure out those variables' effects in advance and offer guidance to governments and health workers, but without specific knowledge of COVID-19's properties, especially in the early days of the pandemic, modelers must make assumptions about how COVID-19 spreads, kills, and is (or is not) treated. For pandemics especially, which behave exponentially until they are brought under control (or the pathogen burns through its host population), even small changes in model assumptions can lead to orders of magnitude difference between equally-plausible predictions (such as [https://www.newscientist.com/article/2238578-uk-has-enough-intensive-care-units-for-coronavirus-expert-predicts/ predicted deaths falling from half a million to 20,000]). Even if all such predictions are made earnestly, with the best available information, it can lead to distrust of the models and their results, especially if the models are presented to non-experts with too much certainty.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
(There are two columns)<br />
<br />
(The column on the left is a piece of paper labeled "Empirical Study". The paper consists of the sections "Abstract", "Introduction", "Methods", "Results", and "Discussion". Each section consists of several horizontal lines meant to represent blocks of text. In the middle of the "Abstract" section, there is a large red rectangle. Inside this rectangle is the word "Problem" in large red letters.)<br />
<br />
(The column on the right is a piece of paper labeled "Modelling Study". It consists of the same sections, but the large red rectangle with the word "Problem" is in the "Methods" section instead of the "Abstract" section.)<br />
<br />
(There is a curvy arrow pointing from the red box in the paper on the left to the red box in the paper on the right.)<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:A mathematical model is a powerful tool for taking hard problems and moving them to the methods section.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Math]]<br />
[[Category:Research Papers]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]</div>108.162.215.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2323:_Modeling_Study&diff=1937632323: Modeling Study2020-06-23T00:29:32Z<p>108.162.215.224: /* Transcript */ more</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2323<br />
| date = June 22, 2020<br />
| title = Modeling Study<br />
| image = modeling_study.png<br />
| titletext = You've got questions, we've got assumptions.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an ABSTRACTLY MODELED BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
In this comic, a humorous comparison is drawn between two common types of scientific studies: {{w|empirical research}}, where an experiment is designed to test a scientific theory, and {{w|mathematical modeling}}, where mathematical formulations are produced to predict how physical systems behave under given circumstances. In empirical studies, hard questions about the limitations of existing theory tend to be addressed in the abstract, the brief summary of the paper that is presented at the beginning of most scientific articles. In modeling studies, assumptions based on existing theory are built into the model, and any problems associated with these assumptions tend to be discussed in the methods section, which outlines the design of an experiment in the case of an empirical study, or how the model was designed and the reasoning behind the choices made in the case of a modeling study. In the empirical study, the proverbial "big red problem box" is stated up-front where everyone who finds the paper will read it, while in the modeling study, it's buried in the middle of the paper, where it's less likely to be read.<br />
<br />
The caption opens like a typical statement in favor of modeling studies, "A mathematical model is a powerful tool for taking hard problems," but while a researcher who works with models might go on to say "...and breaking them down," or "...and studying them in ways that would be impractical for empirical studies," Randall concludes that they can't actually make hard problems any easier. His title text, "You've got questions, we've got assumptions," plays on the usual platitude of "You've got questions, we've got answers" by pointing out that any answers provided are built on assumptions by the modelers. In other words, {{w|garbage in, garbage out}}.<br />
<br />
For a more concrete example, consider the 2020 pandemic of COVID-19. Empirical studies measure things like infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, and the circumstances that lead to those events, and attempt to answer questions about how COVID-19 spreads, what measures are effective in preventing its transmission, what those measures' other costs and side effects are, and what therapies are effective in treating cases. These are made difficult by gaps in testing capability, the imperfections of those tests which are available, and the fact that all of the conditions of society are interconnected and constantly changing -- there is no "control universe" or any way to go back and try different ideas. Modeling studies offer the possibility to simulate thousands or millions of possible pandemics, to hopefully figure out those variables' effects in advance and offer guidance to governments and health workers, but without specific knowledge of COVID-19's properties, especially in the early days of the pandemic, modelers must make assumptions about how COVID-19 spreads, kills, and is (or is not) treated. For pandemics especially, which behave exponentially until they are brought under control (or the pathogen burns through its host population), even small changes in model assumptions can lead to orders of magnitude difference between equally-plausible predictions (such as [https://www.newscientist.com/article/2238578-uk-has-enough-intensive-care-units-for-coronavirus-expert-predicts/ predicted deaths falling from half a million to 20,000]). Even if all such predictions are made earnestly, with the best available information, it can lead to distrust of the models and their results, especially if the models are presented to non-experts with too much certainty.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
(There are two columns)<br />
<br />
(The column on the left is a piece of paper labeled "EMPIRICAL STUDY". The paper consists of the sections "ABSTRACT", "INTRODUCTION", "METHODS", "RESULTS", and "DISCUSSION". Each section consists of several horizontal lines meant to represent blocks of text. In the middle of the "ABSTRACT" section, there is a large red rectangle. Inside this rectangle is the word "PROBLEM" in large red letters.)<br />
<br />
(The column on the right is a piece of paper labeled "MODELLING STUDY". It consists of the same sections, but the large red rectangle with the word "PROBLEM" is in the "METHODS" section instead of the "ABSTRACT" section.)<br />
<br />
(There is a curvy arrow pointing from the red box in the paper on the left to the red box in the paper on the right.)<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:A mathematical model is a powerful tool for taking hard problems and moving them to the methods section.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Math]]<br />
[[Category:Research Papers]]</div>108.162.215.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2323:_Modeling_Study&diff=1937622323: Modeling Study2020-06-23T00:27:07Z<p>108.162.215.224: /* Explanation */ wlinks</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2323<br />
| date = June 22, 2020<br />
| title = Modeling Study<br />
| image = modeling_study.png<br />
| titletext = You've got questions, we've got assumptions.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an ABSTRACTLY MODELED BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
In this comic, a humorous comparison is drawn between two common types of scientific studies: {{w|empirical research}}, where an experiment is designed to test a scientific theory, and {{w|mathematical modeling}}, where mathematical formulations are produced to predict how physical systems behave under given circumstances. In empirical studies, hard questions about the limitations of existing theory tend to be addressed in the abstract, the brief summary of the paper that is presented at the beginning of most scientific articles. In modeling studies, assumptions based on existing theory are built into the model, and any problems associated with these assumptions tend to be discussed in the methods section, which outlines the design of an experiment in the case of an empirical study, or how the model was designed and the reasoning behind the choices made in the case of a modeling study. In the empirical study, the proverbial "big red problem box" is stated up-front where everyone who finds the paper will read it, while in the modeling study, it's buried in the middle of the paper, where it's less likely to be read.<br />
<br />
The caption opens like a typical statement in favor of modeling studies, "A mathematical model is a powerful tool for taking hard problems," but while a researcher who works with models might go on to say "...and breaking them down," or "...and studying them in ways that would be impractical for empirical studies," Randall concludes that they can't actually make hard problems any easier. His title text, "You've got questions, we've got assumptions," plays on the usual platitude of "You've got questions, we've got answers" by pointing out that any answers provided are built on assumptions by the modelers. In other words, {{w|garbage in, garbage out}}.<br />
<br />
For a more concrete example, consider the 2020 pandemic of COVID-19. Empirical studies measure things like infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, and the circumstances that lead to those events, and attempt to answer questions about how COVID-19 spreads, what measures are effective in preventing its transmission, what those measures' other costs and side effects are, and what therapies are effective in treating cases. These are made difficult by gaps in testing capability, the imperfections of those tests which are available, and the fact that all of the conditions of society are interconnected and constantly changing -- there is no "control universe" or any way to go back and try different ideas. Modeling studies offer the possibility to simulate thousands or millions of possible pandemics, to hopefully figure out those variables' effects in advance and offer guidance to governments and health workers, but without specific knowledge of COVID-19's properties, especially in the early days of the pandemic, modelers must make assumptions about how COVID-19 spreads, kills, and is (or is not) treated. For pandemics especially, which behave exponentially until they are brought under control (or the pathogen burns through its host population), even small changes in model assumptions can lead to orders of magnitude difference between equally-plausible predictions (such as [https://www.newscientist.com/article/2238578-uk-has-enough-intensive-care-units-for-coronavirus-expert-predicts/ predicted deaths falling from half a million to 20,000]). Even if all such predictions are made earnestly, with the best available information, it can lead to distrust of the models and their results, especially if the models are presented to non-experts with too much certainty.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
(There are two columns)<br />
<br />
(The column on the left is a piece of paper labeled "EMPIRICAL STUDY". The paper consists of the sections "ABSTRACT", "INTRODUCTION", "METHODS", "RESULTS", and "DISCUSSION". Each section consists of several horizontal lines meant to represent blocks of text. In the middle of the "ABSTRACT" section, there is a large red rectangle. Inside this rectangle is the word "PROBLEM" in large red letters.)<br />
<br />
(The column on the right is a piece of paper labeled "MODELLING STUDY". It consists of the same sections, but the large red rectangle with the word "PROBLEM" is in the "METHODS" section instead of the "ABSTRACT" section.)<br />
<br />
(There is a curvy arrow pointing from the red box in the paper on the left to the red box in the paper on the right.)<br />
<br />
(The caption reads "A MATHEMATICAL MODEL IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR TAKING HARD PROBLEMS AND MOVING THEM TO THE METHODS SECTION."<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.215.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2317:_Pinouts&diff=1931452317: Pinouts2020-06-10T01:40:51Z<p>108.162.215.224: don't center, rearrange for consistency</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2317<br />
| date = June 8, 2020<br />
| title = Pinouts<br />
| image = pinouts.png<br />
| titletext = The other side of USB-C is rotationally symmetric except that the 3rd pin from the top is designated FIREWIRE TRIBUTE PIN.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a FIREWIRE TRIBUTE PIN. Should include a column for the actual purpose of the pin. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
Electronics connecters are designed to transport both information and power. A {{w|pinout}} diagram describes the function of each pin such as to communicate data, transport power, physical function (keying), etc. In this comic there is an absurd alternative to the actual pins used in connectors. The pin labels are references to many tech issues and attributes, and not all may be documented correctly here.<br />
<br />
Hardware hobbyists might feel excitement at seeing a unified specification for these common connectors, but the comic is of course humorous. The real life diagrams are as follows: [http://unitedtechnologies.com.pk/Nti/image/10ci.png HDMI], [https://www.arrow.com/en/research-and-events/articles/micro-connector-usb-pinout Micro USB], [https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/technical-articles/introduction-to-usb-type-c-which-pins-power-delivery-data-transfer/ USB-C].<br />
<br />
=== HDMI ===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Label !! Explanation !! Pin No. !! Actual purpose<br />
|-<br />
| +3.3V DC<br />
| 3.3V is a typical voltage in digital electronics. The "+" Indicates a voltage positive with respect to Ground.<br />
| 1<br />
| TMDS Data2+<br />
|-<br />
| Data<br />
| Most digital communications cables contain at least one wire that carries data. Typically there will be a more descriptive name if there are multiple data pins. "Data" and "3.3V" set up the appearance of a normal pinout diagram to experienced readers.<br />
| 2<br />
| TMDS Data2 Shield<br />
|-<br />
| -3.3V DC<br />
| Negative voltages were used more frequently in the past; however, modern systems typically generate any negative voltages they might require internally from the given positive voltages. This could be a reference to frustration specification implementers have to go through when handling hardware quirks: negative voltages are very abnormal, and would require design alteration to meet, but the designers of a ubiquitous plug can do whatever they want.<br />
| 3<br />
| TMDS Data2-<br />
|-<br />
| +5V<br />
| 5V is a typical voltage in digital electronics. The "+" Indicates a voltage positive with respect to Ground. Typically this is assumed to be DC. V is also the Roman numeral for 5.<br />
| 4<br />
| TMDS Data1+<br />
|-<br />
| Tx<br />
| "Tx" typically refers to pins used to transmit as opposed to "Rx"/receive<br />
| 5<br />
| TMDS Data1 Shield<br />
|-<br />
| +6VI<br />
| V is usually used to represent volts, but here, VI represents the Roman numeral 6. Voltages above 5 are not usually used in microcircuitry cables. (See Pin 4) The product VI (Voltage x Current) is equal to the Power.<br />
| 6<br />
| TMDS Data1-<br />
|-<br />
| Wx<br />
| "Wx" does not typically exist in the "Tx"/"Rx" scheme. In the weather forecasting community, Wx means "weather" .<br />
| 7<br />
| TMDS Data0+<br />
|-<br />
| +7VII<br />
| V is usually used to represent volts, but here, VII represents the Roman numeral 7, continuing the pattern from above.<br />
| 8<br />
| TMDS Data0 Shield<br />
|-<br />
| Rx Only<br />
| "Rx" typically refers to pins used to receive as opposed to "Tx"/transmit. In this case "Rx" is used as part of a pun on "Rx (prescription) only." This description might also be related to the fact that most ethernet devices can exchange the Rx and Tx port automatically, if needed, in order to eliminate the need for crossover cables and the fact that it is possible to insert the USB-C connector rotated by 180°. Additionally, "Rx", standing for the Latin "recipe" is a common abbreviation for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_prescription medical prescriptions]. Some medicines are prescription only or, in other words, "Rx Only".<br />
| 9<br />
| TMDS Data0-<br />
|-<br />
| Antidata<br />
| Some ports use differential signaling, where a signal and its inverse are sent over a pair of pins (e.g. D+ and D-). The combined signal is more robust to interferences. This mixes that practice with a humorous reference to the notion of matter versus antimatter. Currently there is no such thing as antidata. Antidata pins could be needed in the future as low-entropy or high-entropy source in quantum communication connectors to securely dispose of data.<br />
| 10<br />
| TMDS Clock+<br />
|-<br />
| Unknown<br />
| Occasionally extra pins will be included for future use; however they will typically be labeled "reserved" to point out that their usage is not yet defined. The use of "unknown" suggests that this pinout is based on an incomplete reverse-engineering of the HDMI format, instead of on the official documentation, or maybe the official documentation doesn't explain it and this pin's function is being kept as a secret by the ones who designed it.<br />
| 11<br />
| TMDS Clock Shield<br />
|-<br />
| Water<br />
| Labs often have ports connecting to common sources of various supplies (oxygen, water, fuel, vacuum).<br />
| 12<br />
| TMDS Clock-<br />
|-<br />
| +240V DC<br />
| This is a reference to heavy-duty home and commercial appliances, which use 240V AC for power. Additionally, many cable specifications try to provide a way to power devices over them (PS/2, USB, Power over Ethernet,) but these small communication cables usually carry only DC and not AC electricity.<br />
High voltage power is only sometimes used in small communications connectors. It might help to keep the current of power lines low to avoid generating excess heat. With +240V DC inside the HDMI cable, monitors would not need any longer a separate power plug. This is similar to Power-over-Ethernet, which does not exceed 60V, or ISDN, which goes up to 110V depending on country, and helps surveillance cameras or telephones to work with one connecting cable only. But with this much voltage on such a small cable, a short could lead more likely to melting the insulation and wiring in a sudden burst of toxic smoke. The produced thermal power through a short with resistance R_short that is building up is U²/R_short, increasing with the square of the voltage (also the breakdown voltage of the isolation is more easily reached). However, a high voltage reduces the chance of a peripheral drawing too much current, which could cause a fire on thin wires otherwise: The current through the cable for a device, needing a given power of P, is I = P_dev/U, the thermal power of the cables with resistance R is P_cables = R_cables*I² = R_cables*P_dev²/U², so it is reduced by the square of the voltage.<br />
| 13<br />
| CEC<br />
|-<br />
| Vacuum<br />
| Labs often have ports connecting to common sources of various supplies (oxygen, water, fuel, vacuum).<br />
| 14<br />
| Reserved (1.0-1.3a), Utility (1.4+, optional)<br />
|-<br />
| 5V AC<br />
| Pins often supply low voltage direct current to devices. This pin supplies 5V alternating current, which is not typically supplied. AC is used in electrical transmission because it can be stepped up to high voltage to minimize transmission losses, then stepped down to more useful voltages right before loads. DC power is required for logic circuitry like in computers. Conversion between the the two kinds of power everywhere would make for transformers being embedded in most modern devices, taking extra materials to manufacture and losing a significant percentage of all electricity in the conversion. Having both is not entirely unheard of: the Commodore 64 power supply provides both DC, for the logic of the motherboard; and AC, for powering the tape drive.<br />
| 15<br />
| SCL (I²C serial clock for DDC)<br />
|-<br />
| Amazon Copyright Pin<br />
| HDMI can optionally be protected by a digital rights management (DRM) scheme, known as HDCP. This pin humorously implies the presence of a different DRM scheme specific to Amazon.com, as well as poking fun at the fact that copyright is an explicit part of the HDMI protocol (although it is not assigned to a specific pin). This is likely a reference to how chips and cables and specifications often have specific strange additions or functionality in them to meet the requests of various bodies invested in the design process: additionally after reverse engineering many strange things have been found laying around in the functionality of hardware that do unexpected special things.<br />
| 16<br />
| SDA (I²C serial data for DDC)<br />
|-<br />
| GND<br />
| GND typically refers to "ground" on pinout diagrams. Remarkably, this is correct.<br />
| 17<br />
| DDC/CEC Ground<br />
|-<br />
| Decorative<br />
| Decorative elements are pieces of an assembly that serve only an aesthetic purpose without any technical function. This would not be particularly useful inside a connector, as almost no one will ever see it--however, in HDMI, pin 14 was reserved for future use in versions 1.0–1.3a (and was only assigned an official use in 1.4). A decorative pin is also a popular piece of jewelry.<br />
| 18<br />
| +5V<br />
|-<br />
| Ground<br />
| Compared to Pin 17 ("GND"), this appears to be the same ground pin. However, the presence of both GND and Ground seems to imply that GND represents something other than the standard "ground" pin, unless it is this one that supplies something like soil (like [[1293|soup]]). Some systems have different grounds for analog and digital sections, but they would typically be disambiguated by terms like AGND. Many pinouts have multiple grounds or dc supplies with no apparent explanation, seen more prominently on Randall's USB connector.<br />
| 19<br />
| Hot Plug Detect<br />
|}<br />
<br />
HDMI uses four pairs of shielded twisted-pair connectors, along with seven other connectors. (Twisted-pair means a wire is wrapped with the other wire that returns the current to the original device, thus minimizing electromagnetic noise. Shielding refers to wrapping a cable with a conductor to absorb the energy of noise.) Three of these pairs are for data (TMDS Data0, Data1, and Data2) and the other is a clock. These pairs take up three pins as one of them is a ground pin for the shielding wrapped around each pair. TMDS stands for "{{w|Transition-minimized differential signaling}}" and is also used in the DVI standard.<br />
<br />
DDC stands for "Display Data Channel" and is based on the {{w|I²C}} serial standard. It is used to allow the transmitting device to learn what formats of data the receiving device can accept.<br />
<br />
CEC stands for "Consumer Electronics Control" and is supposed to allow a single remote control to control multiple devices.<br />
<br />
"Hot Plug Detect" refers to hot-plugging, where a cable is connected to a device already turned on. The device should then ideally detect that the cable has been plugged in and respond appropriately.<br />
<br />
=== Micro USB ===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Label !! Explanation !! Pin No. !! Actual Purpose<br />
|-<br />
| GND<br />
| A ground pin<br />
| 1<br />
| +5 V<br />
|-<br />
| GND<br />
| A second ground pin<br />
| 2<br />
| Data- (Differential signalling)<br />
|-<br />
| GND<br />
| A third ground pin<br />
| 3<br />
| Data+<br />
|-<br />
| USB<br />
| Apparently the only data pin in this connector. This could be a play on how the USB specification tries to squeeze all data onto a single channel as if it is a software protocol rather than specializing the structure of a physical cable to provide for rapidly carrying the information likely to flow over it. USB is an external packet network similar to ethernet, but uses a totally new design without any reuse of prior similar specification. Ironically, in the real Micro- and Mini-USB standards, this pin is not connected to a wire in the cable.<br />
| 4<br />
| On-The-Go ID, does not have a wire in the cable.<br />
|-<br />
| GND<br />
| A fourth ground pin. A real micro USB only has one ground pin, in addition to the metal plug housing. This is the location of the actual ground pin.<br />
| 5<br />
| Ground.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
A ground pin is commonly found on USB and other pin connectors. At least one ground is necessary to complete the circuit, and some cables use multiple ground lines to distribute current or to support {{w|twisted pair}}s. However, there is no purpose served by having many more ground pins than data pins. Therefore, it seems rather silly for the micro USB to have 4 ground pins and only 1 functional "USB" pin. It also does not give much information about what the "USB" pin would do, as opposed to a standard pinout diagram. This diagram also leaves out the +5V power pin that is present in the real micro USB connector, which would render most USB peripherals unable to function.<br />
<br />
The ordering and count of the pins may be an allusion to {{w|Monty Python}}'s {{w|Spam (Monty Python)|"Spam"}} sketch, in which one of the many Spam-related menu items is "Spam, Spam, Spam, egg, and Spam".<br />
<br />
<br />
=== USB-C ===<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Label !! Explanation !! Pin No. !! Actual Purpose<br />
|-<br />
| +5V DC<br />
| A common electronics supply voltage.<br />
| A12<br />
| Ground<br />
|-<br />
| +3.3V DC<br />
| Another common electronics supply voltage. This pin is not present on USB type C, mostly because the voltage is too low to supply useful levels of power at the current limit of the pins.<br />
| A11<br />
| Rx2+ (Differental Signalling for Superspeed or alternate modes)<br />
|-<br />
| +120V AC<br />
| Residential supply voltage in the United States; its use on an electronics connector would be very unusual, as it would burn out any unguarded transistor-logic electronics, producing smoke and melting the metal together such that the cable likely couldn't be removed. But this high a voltage might be an allusion to the high voltages USB-C screens and similar devices can request in order to get enough energy without exceeding the cable's current limit.<br />
| A10<br />
| Rx2-<br />
|-<br />
| Boobytrap Pin (Pure Solder)<br />
| {{w|Solder}} is a metal alloy with a low melting temperature (typically around 360°C, but in special cases melting points between 90°C and 450°C or above are available), used to bond electronic components together permanently. Most solder materials are quite ductile so it might be too easy for the forces a connector is subject to to permanently change their shape. Along with the fact that the resistance of solder is typically way higher than that for copper the pin under heavy electrical stress could overheat and melt, thus bonding the connector to its receptacle, and thereby "trapping" the receptacle. Additionally putting a pin that might slightly change their shape directly next to a high voltage pin means risking to accidentally connect two power rails with entirely different voltages together (causing an overvoltage in the lower-voltage rail that is likely to break the circuit, as has happened with some Apple devices). In this case the +120V AC pin might be able to deliver enough power to actually fuse the solder-only pin. This could also be a reference to increasing publicity around the fields of electronics security: hobby reverse engineers have been finding ways for some time now to evade the blown fuses in microcircuitry preventing them from being reprogrammed, using glitching techniques.<br />
| A9<br />
| VBUS (+5V)<br />
|-<br />
| Mechanical<br />
| All connectors include portions whose job is to ensure a solid connection between the cable and the port. This is typically not the job of the pins, however. In real USB type C connectors, this task is performed by the center tongue of the female connector. It could also imply transmission of energy or signal through a mechanical principle, such as torque or reciprocating motion.<br />
| A8<br />
| SBU1 (Sideband Use)<br />
|-<br />
| +3.3eV/C<br />
| {{w|Electron-volts}} per {{w|coulomb}} would be a very unusual unit to see in a pinout. These units are used in particle physics, but the appearance is very similar to the common 3.3V supply. It would be a unit of electric potential equivalent to approximately 1.60217662 * 10<sup>-19</sup> volts. There 3.3eV/C would be 5.287183 * 10<sup>-19</sup> volts, or slightly more than 1/2 attovolts. It could also be read as +3.3 eV/c (per {{w|speed of light}}), in which case it is equivalent to a momentum of 5.3E-28 kg m/s, In high-energy physics, the momentum of particles is sometimes expressed in MeV/c or GeV/c units.<br />
| A7<br />
| D- (USB 2.0 Data)<br />
|-<br />
| Candlepin<br />
| Randall is making a pun on the word ''pin'', which refers to a electrical connector pin as well as a thing to knock down in bowling. {{w|Candlepin bowling}} is a form of bowling.<br />
| A6<br />
| D+<br />
|-<br />
| Facebook use<br />
| This would imply that Facebook had a hand in specifying USB type C, and had a pin dedicated to their use. This could be seen as strange given Facebook's primary business is web technology and would have little need for a dedicated pin in the USB standard, but a lot of back doors have been found in electronics.<br />
| A5<br />
| CC1 (Configuration Channel)<br />
|-<br />
| +5V (Positrons)<br />
| {{w|Positron}}s are the antimatter counterparts to electrons. So this pin is supplying +5V, but does so by sourcing positrons into the device rather than sinking electrons out. NOTE: Positrons cannot be conducted through normal matter conductors as they would annihilate with the electrons.<br />
| A4<br />
| VBUS (+5V)<br />
|-<br />
| Pin Roulette<br />
| Presumably in the same vein as "Chat Roulette", this pin's purpose is not rigidly defined and is instead left to chance. According to the title text, this pin's counterpart on the other side of the connector is the "FireWire Tribute Pin", so this cable would only be truly rotationally symmetric (which is the whole point of the USB-C connector) when the pin roulette ball lands on that same function.<br />
| A3<br />
| Tx1- (Differental Signalling for Superspeed or alternate modes)<br />
|-<br />
| GND<br />
| Ground pin. Typically denoted as "GND".<br />
| A2<br />
| Tx1+<br />
|-<br />
| SKY<br />
| Reference to the ground pin, which refers to the common grounding on the larger metal body. There is no corresponding "sky" pin, although sky is often thought as the opposite of ground.<br />
| A1<br />
| GND<br />
|-<br />
| FireWire Tribute Pin<br />
| ''In Title text:'' {{w|FireWire}} is Apple's version of IEEE 1394 which is a 6 pin connector that has a ground pin, a power pin and two pairs of data pins. It was something of a competitor to USB, and had faster data rates than USB 2.0, but is much less popular now, and has essentially been replaced by Thunderbolt. Presumably the writers of the USB-C standard (which far outpaces its data rates) wished to memorialize it somehow, although it's not clear how the pin actually works for that purpose.<br />
| B3<br />
| Tx2-<br />
|}<br />
The two sides of a USB C connector are labeled "A" and "B". These are rotationally symmetric, mostly. For example, B10 and B11 are Rx1, a separate twisted-pair for receiving information in Superspeed mode compared to A10 and A11's Rx2. This gives two Rx/Tx pairs for Superspeed use. CC1 and SBU1 are mirrored to CC2 and SBU2. However, the D, VBUS, and GND pins are perfectly mirrored.<br />
<br />
The fact that only half of the USB-C pins are documented might hint to an alternative way to manufacture connectors that can be inserted rotated by 180°: Make the receiver use only the right side of the pins and make the sender connect both the left and the right side so all Pins that might match a function are connected correctly no matter if the cable is rotated by 180°. However, doing this would result in only having one Rx/Tx pair for Superspeed use.<br />
<br />
=== Coax ===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Label !! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
| Pin<br />
| An {{w|RF connector|coaxial RF connector}} has two contacts - one pin, and the shield; typically the whole connector is labeled with whatever function/signal is carried by the pair. The joke here is that the label is ''technically'' correct (the best kind of correct), but not very useful to the end user, as it does not specify the voltage rating, impedance, connector size, or other useful information about the cable.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
:[Caption at top]<br />
:Pinouts<br />
:Quick Reference Guide<br />
<br />
:[Four common connectors are depicted - vertically, rather than the usual horizontal orientation.]<br />
<br />
:[The first connector is a 19-pin HDMI connector.]<br />
:[The nine pins on the left are labeled:]<br />
:*Data<br />
:*+5V<br />
:*+6VI<br />
:*+7VII<br />
:*Antidata<br />
:*Water<br />
:*Vacuum<br />
:*Amazon Copyright Pin<br />
:*Decorative<br />
:[The ten pins on the right are labeled:]<br />
:*+3.3V DC<br />
:*-3.3V DC<br />
:*Tx<br />
:*Wx<br />
:*Rx Only<br />
:*Unknown<br />
:*+240V DC<br />
:*5V AC<br />
:*GND<br />
:*Ground<br />
<br />
:[The second connector is a 5-pin Micro USB connector.]<br />
:[The five pins are labeled:]<br />
:*GND<br />
:*GND<br />
:*GND<br />
:*USB<br />
:*GND<br />
<br />
:[The third connector is a 24-pin USB-C connector, with only the right side labeled.]<br />
:[The twelve pins on the right are labeled:]<br />
:*+5V DC<br />
:*+3.3V DC<br />
:*+120V AC<br />
:*Boobytrap Pin (Pure Solder)<br />
:*Mechanical<br />
:*+3.3eV/C<br />
:*Candlepin<br />
:*Facebook Use<br />
:*+5V (Positrons)<br />
:*Pin Roulette<br />
:*GND<br />
:*SKY<br />
<br />
:[The fourth and final connector is a 1-pin COAX connector.]<br />
:[The one pin in the center is labeled:]<br />
:*Pin<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Computers]]</div>108.162.215.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1761:_Blame&diff=131162Talk:1761: Blame2016-11-18T08:16:49Z<p>108.162.215.224: In particular the recent election</p>
<hr />
<div>By focusing on blame he has cleverly shifted thinking to Q:"are your friends on Facebook to blame?" A:"probably not as they are almost all likely to have similar views to you" Q:"So why vent anger on Facebook to people who aren't to blame and you don't want to change?" A:"errrrrr...."<br />
It seems like he's talking about all of the bad things that have happened in 2016 so far making fun of Facebook posts that blame everyone for the things that are happening <br />
[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.119|173.245.52.119]] 05:21, 18 November 2016 (UTC)<br />
: In particular the recent election[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.224|108.162.215.224]] 08:16, 18 November 2016 (UTC)</div>108.162.215.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1756:_I%27m_With_Her&diff=1302791756: I'm With Her2016-11-08T04:45:51Z<p>108.162.215.224: Fixed "for whom ... for"</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1756<br />
| date = November 7, 2016<br />
| title = I'm With Her<br />
| image = im_with_her.png<br />
| titletext = We can do this.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete| Title text - is that also a Hillary slogan? Explanation of the phone number and the reminder in the [[#How to help|table]]!}}<br />
In this serious, ''no joke'', comic released the day before the {{w|2016 United States presidential election}}, [[Randall]] urges his American viewership to vote, and shows his {{w|Political endorsement|endorsement}} for {{w|Hillary Clinton}}, the {{w|US Democratic Party|Democratic}} nominee in the election. She is up against the {{w|US Republican Party|Republican}} nominee {{w|Donald Trump}}, {{w|Green Party of the United States|Green Party}} nominee {{w|Jill Stein}}, and {{w|Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian}} nominee {{w|Gary Johnson}}.<br />
<br />
The "H" with an arrow is {{w|Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016|Clinton's campaign}} logo, and '''I'm with her''' is an official slogan of the campaign and it is thus widely used by her supporters, and explains the title and the caption below the H. Randall then lists tips to help you cast your vote, [[#How to help|see table below]]. This suggests he is invested in the election. Clinton herself may be represented by [[Blondie]] sitting on top of the H looking out at the reader as the only of the 11 characters (see [[#Character gallery|character gallery]] below).<br />
<br />
It is the second time Randall refers to this election, the first being [[1748: Future Archaeology]] three weeks before the election, but here it was just a wish to know the result using time travel (of course he did not learn the result...) <br />
<br />
This is the first time Randall has used a comic to directly support a presidential campaign, although he did [https://blog.xkcd.com/2008/01/28/obama/ endorse] {{w|Barack Obama}} in 2008 on his [[Blag]]. He wrote himself later that it was very controversial when he endorsed Obama, but that is was not the most [[388:_Fuck_Grapefruit#Controversy|controversial comic he had published]] at that time. This comic might take that prize now, given that this is likely one of the most discussed elections ever, especially in the rest of the world outside the US, where for instance European leaders have made it clear that they are against Trump. That was mainly earlier on, before they realized he might actually stand a chance of winning. <br />
<br />
Randall's support for Hillary Clinton may be to do with Donald Trump being a prominent {{w|climate change denier}}. Randall has published comics opposing climate change denial such as this: [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]], published less than two month before the election, and the general [[:Category:Climate change|comics on Climate change]].<br />
<br />
All the information on the bottom half of the comic includes sites, numbers, info, etc that will help US voters to vote, regardless of for whom. Including this information helps voters because every election many voters don't vote because they feel they don't know how or that it isn't worth it. It seems like Randall wants to boost voter turnout, perhaps because he believes that could prevent a Trump win.<br />
<br />
The title text states that "We can do this" refers to Randall's wish that the democratic voters united can put Hillary in the White House rather than Trump. It is possible to [https://www.lookhuman.com/design/86542-hillary-clinton-we-can-do-it/tshirt buy t-shirts] with the famed {{w|We Can Do It!}} logo from the war time poster, but with Hillary Clinton in the famed position. However it is not the "We can do this" sentence Randall uses.<br />
<br />
==How to help==<br />
The list of things that can help, is all about getting people to vote. This could be interpreted as if Randall just wished people to support the democracy and use their right to vote. But with the endorsement of Clinton in the main comic, there can be no doubt that he means that this advice should help Clinton. Generally there is evidence that certain more heavily Democratic-leaning demographics are less likely to vote, so increasing turnout is likely to help Clinton. In general, however, it is likely that Randall always would wish for more voters to support the democracy by actually voting.<br />
<br />
Here are Randall's lists four suggestion for how to help Hillary Clinton winning the election:<br />
{|class="wikitable"<br />
!What to do<br />
!How to do it<br />
!Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|Vote<br />
|[https://iwillvote.com/ iwillvote.com]<br />
|A site to look up polling location, ID requirements, etc.<br />
|-<br />
|Get a ride to the polls: <br />
|[http://www.drive2vote.org/ drive2vote.org]<br />
|For voters in Douglas or Sarpy County, Nebraska, who need a ride to the polls from {{w|Warren Buffett}} or his friends.<br />
|-<br />
|If you're having problems voting <br />
|866-OUR-VOTE <br />
|In many states, racism or other biases on the part of people running polling places is a real issue for minorities. Though it is illegal in theory, people may lie or deny rights to would-be-voters who they believe will not vote for the candidate they agree with. In some instances, these people may require backup from someone with legal understanding to get to vote, which is a service this phone number provides. Since Donald Trump has had a history of racist remarks, Randall may want to empower minorities because he believes they will more likely try to vote for Hillary. More likely, he is trying to protect due democratic process. The phone number written out as numbers is (866) 687-8683<br />
|-<br />
|Experimental social turnout project <br />
|[http://www.civicinnovation.com/ civicinnovation.com]<br>App Store: VoteWithMe <br />
|An app which "gives you a list of the top 10 highest-impact potential voters in your address book to get in touch with -- based on the likelihood that they support progressive candidates, and that they live in states with the most competitive races". This app is for Android and iOS, with the App Store ID as "VoteWithMe". The "VoteWithMe" app is created by Civic Innovation Works and "uses publicly available voter records to predict which of your contacts are likely to support Democratic candidates, but might not have a plan to vote", as it says on its [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/votewithme/id1170104517/ App Store Page].<br />
|-<br />
|Reminder: <br />
|If you're in line when the polls close, they have to let you vote. <br />
|This is correct. Being turned down for trying to vote after the polling place is officially closed might be an instance where you want to use the phone number mentioned above.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Character gallery==<br />
The comic show a gallery of 11 xkcd characters including all the main characters from xkcd (except [[Hairy]]), which stand united behind Randall and Clinton despite their lack of agreement in many other comics. <br />
<br />
*From left to right on the left side of the H are:<br />
**[[Ponytail]] with a ray gun for melting computers, (the one she also wielded in [[322: Pix Plz]], a comic where she was named Joanna)<br />
**[[Black Hat]] (who was the one introducing Joanna/Ponytail in the mentioned comic)<br />
**[[Danish]] (Black Hat's girlfriend setting up a kite for him, although it could be Megan, but she is also shown later with her regular shorter hair). However it has mainly been Megan in comics with kites, like [[235: Kite]] and [[1614: Kites]]. Kites are a [[:Category:Kites|recurring theme]] on xkcd. <br />
**[[White Hat]] looking at the kite. <br />
*On top of the H are: <br />
**[[Blondie]] (looking out at us, maybe representing Clinton herself)<br />
**[[Megan]] (next to Cueball)<br />
**[[Cueball]] (forming the standard couple in xkcd with Megan) <br />
**[[Hairbun]] with glasses (so specifically not the one from the previous comic [[1755: Old Days]], but rather like in [[1637: Salt Mine]]). <br />
*On the right side of the H are:<br />
**[[Science Girl]] (The adult version of her, is holding her hand out towards a cute squirrel. Of course she could also be the girl from [[635: Locke and Demosthenes]] where the squirrel is poisoned...)<br />
**[[Beret Guy]] is holding a squirrel out towards Science Girl. (The first time squirrels was mentioned was actually when Beret Guy found them in a tree in [[167: Nihilism]] and since then they have become a [[:Category:Squirrels|recurring theme]] on xkcd and a similar squirrel can for instance be seen in [[1503: Squirrel Plan]]. Beret Guy has not been seen together with a squirrel before, but has been shown to care for animals, for instance in [[614: Woodpecker]]). <br />
**[[:Category:Multiple Cueballs|Another Cueball]] is standing on an office chair wielding a sword as he was shown in [[303: Compiling]]. (Interestingly enough the previous comic [[1755: Old Days]] was about Cueball asking Hairbun about {{w|compiling}} in the old days. Seems realistic that Randall has this comic ready for this Monday before the election for some time, and when finding this 9 year old version of Cueball in the old comics, he may have gotten inspired to make a comic about compiling in the old days).<br />
<br />
Note that the two characters at either side of the comic wields weapons pointing out defending the other nine. Those next to the characters with weapons are doing recreational things like kiting and admiring adorable squirrels, both are recurring subjects in xkcd.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Eleven characters are drawn left, right and on top of a huge H with an arrow as the horizontal bar connecting the two vertical towers. The arrow breaks the right part of the H. It represents the logo from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign for 2016. From left to right on the left side of the H are Ponytail with an exotic looking futuristic ray gun like weapon looking to the left away from the H and the others. Behind her is Black Hat who looks at a girl that might be Danish or Megan (but with longer hair than Megan typically has). She is setting up a kite that flies above the first two characters. Behind her and looking up at the kite is White Hat. The H is right behind him, and on top of the left tower of the H sits Blondie looking straight out at the reader with her legs dangling over the edge and her arms resting on her knees. On the arrow between the two H towers sits Megan leaning against the left H tower, also dangling her legs over the edge and arms resting on her knees. Cueball is standing to her right, just left of the right H tower. On top of the right H towers sits Hairbun with glasses looking straight right with her legs dangling over the edge one arm resting on a knee and leaning back on the other arm. On the right side of the H is an adult version of Science Girl holding a hand out towards the squirrel which Beret Guy is holding out in both arms towards her. Behind them is another Cueball standing on an office chair holding a sword high up in front of him to the right away from the others. He keeps his balance by holding his other arm out behind him. Below the H there is a large caption.]<br />
:<big><big><big>H</big></big></big><br />
: <big><big>I'm with her.</big></big> <br />
<br />
:[Below the panel there are several lines of text. The first header line refers to the next four lines with solutions to problems, title/problem on one side then a long dash and the web-link or other information on the right side of that. Below those there is a reminder.]<br />
:<big><u>How to help</u></big> <br />
:Vote - iwillvote.com<br />
:Get a ride to the polls - drive2vote.org<br />
:If you're having problems voting - 866-OUR-VOTE<br />
:Experimental social turnout project - civicinnovation.com App Store: VoteWithMe<br />
<br />
:<big>Reminder:</big> <br />
:If you're in line when the polls close, they have to let you vote.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]] <!--Hillary is directly referenced with the H logo --><br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Kites]]<br />
[[Category:Squirrels]]</div>108.162.215.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1750:_Life_Goals&diff=129063Talk:1750: Life Goals2016-10-24T16:21:06Z<p>108.162.215.224: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~--><br />
The last line is actually a real punch-line... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.201.78|162.158.201.78]] 14:51, 24 October 2016 (UTC)<br />
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With "Unfortunately (the two protobirds) lived in different time periods, so we can only speculate which one would win a fight.", as per current explanation text, I first of all thought 'the latter, as it was alive and the other had already died' (so maybe not a ''fair'' fight, but definitely indicates a survivor), but I'm not ''entirely''sure whether I'd even overcome an Australopithocus (despite the height advantage), if I ever suddenly encountered a suitably enraged (and live) one whilst not equipped with my own contemporary tools, so maybe I ought to be less certain about the other fight ''if'' it happened in sight of an artist... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.48|141.101.98.48]] 14:54, 24 October 2016 (UTC)<br />
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A lot of these are proper nouns and so shall not be used in scrabble. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.224|108.162.215.224]] 16:21, 24 October 2016 (UTC)BLuDgeons</div>108.162.215.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1702:_Home_Itch_Remedies&diff=1233391702: Home Itch Remedies2016-07-15T10:02:47Z<p>108.162.215.224: /* Explanation */ Corrected the reported error. Thanks!</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1702<br />
| date = July 4, 2016<br />
| title = Home Itch Remedies<br />
| image = home_itch_remedies.png<br />
| titletext = In my experience, mosquitos and poison ivy are bad, but the very worst itch comes from bites from chiggers (Trombicula alfreddugesi). They're found across the American south and great plains, so the best home remedy is to move to Iceland.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
Bug bites, such as mosquito bites, are itchy. Home remedies are often ineffective, and in some cases very complicated -- think of the number of suggestions on how to cure hiccups. In this case [[Cueball]]'s suggestion starts out plausible but rapidly gets increasingly and insanely complicated, involving finding rare French orchids. [[Megan]] is not actually interested in trying out a complex home remedy, she really just wants sympathy.<br />
<br />
The suggested remedy is a mix of many popular home remedies such as :<br />
* Taking a hot shower: supposed to stimulate nerve endings, it can also destroy some toxins.<br />
* Applying vinegar: supposedly effective on mosquito bites.<br />
* Applying ice: numbs the pain, more commonly used on bruises.<br />
* Using aspirin: as an anti-inflammatory drug aspirin may have an effect on itches, although it may cause more itches than provide relief.<br />
* Tea and a "rare French orchid": orchids, like many other plants, are commonly used in traditional medicine to cure various ailments, and tea is a common route of administration.<br />
<br />
Megan's answer is a {{w|sarcastic}} comment stating that her own family home remedy is to keep scratching until the skin falls off -- which is a natural tendency, although not until the skin literally falls off; hence it is not really a home remedy, just a natural reaction.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to {{w|chigger|chiggers}} or {{w|Trombicula alfreddugesi}} as the worst source for itches; in fact only in the larval stages are these mites parasitic. ''Chigger'' can also refer to the chigoe flea or "jigger", {{w|Tunga penetrans}}, a parasitic flea which also causes bad itching, but [[Randall]] explicitly mentions the mite ''Trombicula alfreddugesi''. A move to a more northerly region of the world like Iceland might seem to be a perfect cure, because those parasites are only found in warmer southern regions (similarly, since mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, moving to a dry place with no water usable by mosquitoes would be a "cure" for mosquito bites). Unusually, Iceland does not support native mosquitoes, despite similarities to other northern regions which do. [http://icelandreview.com/news/2013/06/27/no-mosquitoes-iceland-puzzles-scientists] One might fallaciously assume it does not support parasites in general &mdash; but it ''does'' support parasitic insects in other genera, and it has other species of mites. [https://books.google.com/books?id=I4pD5t_y05YC] Thus, "move to Iceland" is a weird home remedy that will work if the person wants to prevent chiggers, however it won't work if the person wants to stay away from all parasites.<br />
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This comic could be seen as a continuation of the title text from [[1693: Oxidation]], where that is interpreted as Ponytail ineffectively reassuring Megan that her bug bites should not be a concern.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Megan and Cueball stand together while Megan loudly scratches her itches and Cueball holds a hand up.] <br />
:Megan: Argh, bug bites are the ''worst''. I shouldn't scratch, but... so itchy. <br />
:Cueball: Oh, you know what's great for that? <br />
:''Scratch scratch''<br />
<br />
:[Zoom-in to Megan's head.] <br />
:Megan: No, don't tell me. Everyone always has weird home remedies that never work. I just want sympathy. <br />
:Cueball (off-panel): No, this one isn't weird, I promise. It really helps! <br />
<br />
:[A frame less panel with a zoom-out back to Megan and Cueball. Megan is still scratching loudly and Cueball still holds his hand up.] <br />
:Cueball: First, take a hot shower. Then dip some ice cubes in vinegar and use them to crush one baby aspirin. Then make some tea, and... <br />
:''Scratch scratch''<br />
<br />
:[Megan walks past Cueball and away from him while Cueball turns and looks after her.] <br />
:Cueball: ...then, you need a rare French orchid- <br />
:Megan: I'm going to try a different home remedy where I complain a lot and scratch until my skin comes off. <br />
:Cueball: Sounds effective. <br />
:Megan: It's an old family trick. <br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>108.162.215.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1478:_P-Values&diff=1233381478: P-Values2016-07-15T09:57:42Z<p>108.162.215.224: /* Explanation */ Corrected the p-value error by explaining the difference of the significance level and the p-value itself.</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1478<br />
| date = January 26, 2015<br />
| title = P-Values<br />
| image = p_values.png<br />
| titletext = If all else fails, use "significant at a p>0.05 level" and hope no one notices.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic plays on how scientific experiments interpret the significance of their data. {{w|P-value}} is a statistical measure indicating how likely that the results could have happened by accident, using a value called the {{w|significance value|Significance value}}. Usually, the significance value (which is denoted by the Greek letter alpha, '''α''') is set to α=0.05, which means that for every 100 experiments with positive results, 5 of these are not true due to pure coincidence. By the standard significance level, analyses with a ''p''-value less than .05 are said to be 'statistically significant'. Although the difference between .04 and .06 may seem minor, the practical consequences can be major. For example, scientific journals are much more likely to publish statistically significant results. In medical research, billions of dollars of sales may ride on whether a drug shows statistically significant benefits or not. A result which does not show the proper significance can ruin months or years of work, and might inspire desperate attempts to 'encourage' the desired outcome.<br />
<br />
When performing a comparison (for example, seeing whether listening to various types of music can influence test scores), a properly designed experiment includes an ''experimental group'' (of people who listen to music while taking tests) and a ''control group'' (of people who take tests without listening to music), as well as a ''{{w|null hypothesis}}'' that "music has no effect on test scores". The test scores of each group are gathered, and a series of statistical tests are performed to produce the ''p''-value. In a nutshell, this is the probability that any observed difference in scores between the experimental and control group could occur due to random chance, rather than the actual experimental stimuli. For a more drastic example, an experiment could test whether wearing glasses affects the outcome of coin flips - there would likely be some amount of difference between the coin results when wearing glasses and not wearing glasses, and the ''p''-value serves to essentially test whether this difference is small enough to be attributed to random chance, or whether it can be said that wearing glasses actually had a significant difference on the results.<br />
<br />
If the ''p''-value is low, then the null hypothesis is said to be ''rejected'', and it can be fairly said that, in this case, music does have a significant effect on test scores. Otherwise if the ''p''-value is too high, the data is said to ''fail to reject'' the null hypothesis, meaning that it is not necessarily counter-evidence, but rather more results are needed. The standard and generally accepted ''p''-value for experiments is <0.05, hence why all values below that number in the comic are marked "significant" at the least.<br />
<br />
The chart labels a ''p''-value of exactly 0.050 as "Oh crap. Redo calculations" because the ''p''-value is very close to being considered significant, but isn't. The desperate researcher might be able to redo the calculations in order to nudge the result under 0.050. For example, problems can often have a number of slightly different and equally plausible methods of analysis, so by arbitrarily choosing one it can be easy to tweak the ''p''-value. This could also be achieved if an error is found in the calculations or data set, or by erasing certain unwelcome data points. While correcting errors is usually valid, correcting only the errors that lead to unwelcome results is not. Plausible justifications can also be found for deleting certain data points, though again, only doing this to the unwelcome ones is invalid. All of these effectively introduce sampling bias into the reports.<br />
<br />
Values between 0.051 and 0.06 are labelled as being "on the edge of significance". This illustrates the regular use of "creative language" to qualify significance in reports, as a flat "not significant" result may look 'bad'. The validity of such use is of course a contested topic, with debates centering on whether ''p''-values slightly larger than the significance level should be noted as nearly significant or flatly classed as not-significant. The logic of having such an absolute cutoff point for significance may be questioned.<br />
<br />
Values between 0.07 and 0.099 continue the trend of using qualifying language, calling the results "suggestive" or "relevant". This category also illustrates the 'technique' of resorting to adjusting the significance threshold. Appropriate {{w|Design of experiments|experimental design}} requires that the significance threshold be set prior to the experiment, not allowing changes afterward in order to "get a better experiment report", as this would again insert bias into the result. A simple change of the threshold (e.g. from 0.05 to 0.1) can change an experiment's result from "not significant" to "significant". Although the statement "significant at the ''p''<0.10 level" is technically true, it would be highly frowned upon to use in an actual report.<br />
<br />
Values higher than 0.1 are usually considered not significant at all, however the comic suggests taking a part of the sample (a ''subgroup'') and analyzing that subgroup without regard to the rest of the sample. Choosing to analyze a subgroup ''in advance for scientifically plausible reasons'' is good practice. For example, a drug to prevent heart attacks is likely to benefit men more than women, since men are more likely to have heart attacks. Choosing to focus on a subgroup after conducting an experiment may also be valid if there is a credible scientific justification - sometimes researchers learn something new from experiments. However, the danger is that it is usually possible to find and pick an arbitrary subgroup that happens to have a better ''p''-value simply due to chance. A researcher reporting results for subgroups that have little scientific basis (the pill only benefits people with black hair, or only people who took it on a Wednesday, etc.) would clearly be "cheating." Even when the subgroup has a plausible scientific justification, skeptics will rightly be suspicious that the researcher might have considered numerous possible subgroups (men, older people, fat people, sedentary people, diabetes suffers, etc.) and only reported the subgroups for which there are statistically significant results. This is an example of the {{w|multiple comparisons problem}}, which is also the topic of comic [[882]].<br />
<br />
If the results cannot be normally considered significant, the title text suggests as a last resort to invert p<0.050, making it p>0.050. This leaves the statement mathematically true, but may fool casual readers, as the single-character change may go unnoticed or be dismissed as a typographical error ("no one would claim their results aren't significant, they must mean p<0.050"). Of course, the statement on its face is useless, as it is equivalent to stating that the results are "not significant".<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A two-column table where the second column selects various areas of the first column using square brackets.]<br />
<br />
:{| class="wikitable alternance"<br />
! P-value<br />
! Interpretation<br />
|-<br />
| 0.001<br />
| rowspan="4"| Highly significant<br />
|-<br />
| 0.01<br />
|-<br />
| 0.02<br />
|-<br />
| 0.03<br />
|-<br />
| 0.04<br />
| rowspan="2"| Significant<br />
|-<br />
| 0.049<br />
|-<br />
| 0.050<br />
| Oh crap. Redo calculations.<br />
|-<br />
| 0.051<br />
| rowspan="2"| On the edge of significance<br />
|-<br />
| 0.06<br />
|-<br />
| 0.07<br />
| rowspan="4"| Highly suggestive, relevant at the p<0.10 level<br />
|-<br />
| 0.08<br />
|-<br />
| 0.09<br />
|-<br />
| 0.099<br />
|-<br />
| ≥0.1<br />
| Hey, look at this interesting subgroup analysis<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Statistics]]</div>108.162.215.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=384:_The_Drake_Equation&diff=123337384: The Drake Equation2016-07-15T09:29:31Z<p>108.162.215.224: /* Explanation */ Completed explanation by clarifying Drake's contributions.</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 384<br />
| date = February 15, 2008<br />
| title = The Drake Equation<br />
| image = the_drake_equation.png<br />
| titletext = But seriously, there's loads of intelligent life. It's just not screaming constantly in all directions on the handful of frequencies we search.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
This comic is multi-layered, and seems to be [[Randall]]'s take on the {{w|Fermi paradox}}.<br />
<br />
For starters, the {{w|Drake equation}} is a model developed by (and named for) {{w|Frank Drake}}, an American astrophysicist, for estimating the number of communicating life forms in our galaxy.<br />
<br />
Even if there is life on other planets, most life forms will not establish civilizations. However, if there are any communicating civilizations, their messages would have to travel for hundreds, thousands, or hundreds of thousands of years to reach us, and then our response would take an equivalent amount of time, leaving them waiting for thousands and thousands of years or more, and probably even more than that. Any response, from their perspective, would take at least twice as long as the message took to reach its destination.<br />
<br />
All the factors involved in the equation are difficult to measure or estimate, no number is determined with sufficient accuracy, so the equation is a guideline for a thought experiment at best, and just "bullshit" at worst.<br />
<br />
The title text makes fun of the {{w|SETI|Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI)}} project, which was founded by Frank Drake, about the searches for intelligent life on other planets by looking for radio communications and the intelligence of their researchers. Nearly nothing, if not nothing, restricts potential extraterrestrial communications to the frequencies that SETI searches at any given moment. Even if another civilization communicated on one of SETI's search frequencies, they would most likely live extremely far away. Additionally, an extraterrestrial source that doesn't know we're here would have to send a constant and powerful signal in all directions for us to notice it. This serves to show how ludicrous it may seem to assume any intelligent species is wasting too many resources trying to communicate with us or any other species in the galaxy.<br />
<br />
The SETI project is searching at the 21 cm {{w|Hydrogen line}}, which, although considered a favorable frequency by potential extraterrestrial civilizations, is not used by humans. Therefore, a SETI-like organization would have a hard time finding earth.<br />
<br />
The title text suggests Randall does not think Drake is a nutjob; he just has a more conservative expectation of discovering extraterrestrial life.<br />
<br />
[[638: The Search]] further discusses the difficulty of methods of finding extraterrestrial life.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:The Drake Equation:<br />
:N = R* f<sub>p</sub> n<sub>e</sub> f<sub>l</sub> f<sub>i</sub> f<sub>c</sub> L B<sub>s</sub><br />
:N: Number of communicating civilizations in our galaxy<br />
:n<sub>e</sub>: Number of life-supporting planets per solar system<br />
:f<sub>i</sub>: Probability that life on a planet becomes intelligent<br />
:B<sub>s</sub>: Amount of bullshit you're willing to buy from Frank Drake<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Statistics]]<br />
[[Category:Space]]</div>108.162.215.224