https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=141.101.99.123&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T15:11:29ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2902:_Ice_Core&diff=3366222902: Ice Core2024-03-05T09:39:14Z<p>141.101.99.123: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2902<br />
| date = March 4, 2024<br />
| title = Ice Core<br />
| image = ice_core_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 318x333px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = If you find an ash deposition layer from a year in which an eruption destroyed an island that had Camellia sinensis growing on it, you can make a Gone Island Ice_τ.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a PALEOCLIMATOLOGIST CELEBRATING HIS 21st BIRTHDAY - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
Some people may like to taste a wine dated to the year they were born, or perhaps are subject to it as a family tradition, This would more typically be for a special occasion such as a milestone birthday than because it happens to be a 'good year' for the wine(s) they favor (unless they were particularly fortunate). Reaching the legal drinking age would be an appropriate opportunity to partake in a wine that is the same age as themselves. This comic extends this practice into a joke that paleoclimatologists, who study the climate, use dated ice instead of dated wine, drilling into the ground to find the layer of ice matching the birth year of the recipient, either to drink 'neat' (once sufficiently melted) or as the '{{w|Bartending terminology#On the rocks|on the rocks}}' part of another drink, perhaps a cocktail.<br />
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[[Megan]], a {{w|paleoclimatologist}}, decides to make a cocktail with the ice from the icesheets (present in the Arctic and Antarctic, for example). Normally, scientists would try to date the ice and then use it to describe the state of the climate when these icesheets formed. Here, Megan tries to find the ice layer corresponding to [[Knit Cap]]'s birth year with the intent of using the ice for the chosen drink. The caption asserts that this method of creating drinks is “traditional” for paleoclimatologists. She then asks if Knit Cap has the cocktail shaker that they presumably brought to the site ready. Cocktail shakers are used in the preparation of many mixed drinks, which often contain ice (usually produced by refrigeration, rather than harvested from natural sources).<br />
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The title text says that if they manage to find some ice with ash coming from an eruption which destroyed an island with {{w|Camellia sinensis}} (common name, "tea plant") growing on it, they'll be able to get a cocktail with tea infused in it. Camellia sinensis is generally used for making tea. Gone Island Ice_τ is a punning reference to the cocktail known in the United States as a {{w|Long Island iced tea}}. The use of tau for "tea" may be a reference to the [https://icecube.wisc.edu/news/research/2023/01/icecube-reports-first-detection-of-candidate-astrophysical-tau-neutrinos/ IceCube Collaboration's] "reported two candidate events for the final unobserved Standard Model cosmic messenger: astrophysical tau neutrinos". Who knew that the rapper and actor was also an astrophysics stud?<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[Knit Cap and Megan both wearing knit caps and scarves in a snowy environment taking a look at an ice drill. There is a helicopter on the ground in the background, with their footprints between them and the helicopter. Knit Cap is holding a small container between her hands while Megan is holding the middle of the drill.]<br />
:Megan: Next, we'll identify the ice core layer matching your birth year. Do you have the shaker ready?<br />
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:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Making the traditional paleoclimatologist cocktail<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
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[[Category:Comics featuring Knit Cap]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Characters with hats]]<br />
[[Category:Geology]]<br />
[[Category:Food]]</div>141.101.99.123https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2842:_Inspiraling_Roundabout&diff=326461Talk:2842: Inspiraling Roundabout2023-10-20T05:43:49Z<p>141.101.99.123: </p>
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<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
First edit. I'm unfamiliar with the road rules in the comic so I just added the transcript in it's most basic form. [[User:OmniDoom|OmniDoom]] ([[User talk:OmniDoom|talk]]) 02:00, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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:don't worry, even a wrong explanation is better than no explanation because it tricks people into being correct for you [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]]<sup>&#91;[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]&#93;[[Category:Pages using the "citation needed" template]]</sup> 03:15, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
: New here, not sure of the procedure for discussing interpretation: I disagree with the interpretation that this is navigable by entering all the way into the center then driving out in a clockwise direction - that would be driving against traffic, which would be illegal and seem to violate the assertion that this is "technically navigable" (anything is "technically navigable" if you have a big enough vehicle and disregard for other people's property, but I'm assuming that we want to stay legal). I believe that the "correct way" to navigate this would be to signal and change to the right-lane until you get to your exit. The inward spiral may give cars a circuit or two to wait for a clear lane to the right, but the deeper you get, the faster you have to change lanes to get out again? --[[User:Candu|Candu]] ([[User talk:Candu|talk]]) 14:37, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
::Dangerous, probably, but 'illegal' is kind of out the window here, since Randall has thrown all notions of sensible road design language out of the window. The lanes permit access to the other lanes at the centre, even if it's not a sensible move.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.50|172.70.85.50]] 09:39, 18 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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added longer explanation [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]]<sup>&#91;[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]&#93;[[Category:Pages using the "citation needed" template]]</sup> 03:05, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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Could we create a category for these "traffic" or "driving" related comics? This would include this comic and the previous, and others that relate to driving/cars/traffic. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.37|172.70.211.37]] 04:02, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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in left lane driving countries this would work pretty well as a roundabout<br />
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I've heard the Spanish and British road authorities are planing to implement this for roads going to France. [[Special:Contributions/172.64.236.144|172.64.236.144]] 06:39, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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Actually, the correct solution is an out-spiraling roundabout, which if properly designed means that if you start in the correct lane, you end up at the correct exit without changing lanes. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 07:37, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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Well if it spiralled the other way it would be a great roundabout design.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.28|162.158.203.28]] 08:14, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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Out-spiraling roundabouts are getting more popular in the UK - they recently repainted the Wandsworth Bridge Roundabout as an out-spiral, and it's gone from one being one of the worst roundabouts in the area to one of the best. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.153|172.70.90.153]] 10:04, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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An example I designed several years ago... :https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5071913,-3.1457705,18z/data=!3m1!1e3 [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 19:34, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
About driving in circles for hours: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAgX6qlJEMc --[[User:Itub|Itub]] ([[User talk:Itub|talk]]) 11:32, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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Uzumaki??? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.22.99|172.71.22.99]] 12:24, 17 October 2023 (UTC)Bumpf<br />
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I think the author of the explanation completely misunderstood the design. This is the turbo roundabout, except instead of getting everybody out it pulls everybody into the center, just like the highway supercollider from early xkcd. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.242.239|172.70.242.239]] 12:29, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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Alternative ending/version - there is a singularity at the center of the roundabout [[User:Dllahr|Dllahr]] ([[User talk:Dllahr|talk]]) 12:42, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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I think the explanation as currently written is way overcomplicating the situation, it seems clear to me that this roundabout is designed (much like in the recent comic #[[2728]]), to require lane changes for some paths, and the inward spiral is simply to guide anyone that's indecisive or otherwise missing their exist out of the way of other drivers, and forcing them to make a decision rather than circling indefinitely to avoid a collision. The current description of having you go backwards out the spiral after reaching the end seems ridiculously over complicated and doesn't match any of the design elements of the path. [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 14:36, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
:I agree. The broken lines indicate that lane changes are intended. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.230.25|162.158.230.25]] 15:42, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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This design has a regulating effect on the traffic mass. (Assuming changing lanes is allowed.) When there is light traffic, cars can easily change on the next lane to reach their destination. When there is heavy traffic, some cars will fail to change lanes quickly enough, and they become trapped in the spiral. When the traffic becomes light again, the outermost cars will be able to leave the spiral. I estimate that up to 50 cars can be temporarily removed from the local traffic this way. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.150.31|172.69.150.31]] 16:57, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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Should there be a category for this comic, [[2728: Lane Change Highway]], [[253: Highway Engineer Pranks]], and similar ones? --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.253.137|172.68.253.137]] 18:12, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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Why hasn't the next comic been added to explainXKCD yet? I thought a bot posted the comics on explainXKCD. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.228|162.158.90.228]] 04:16, 19 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Magic Roundabouts ==<br />
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See these two "unusual" roundabouts in England<br />
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Hemel_Hempstead)<br />
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)<br />
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Actually, they are (no longer) roundabouts, but Ring Junctions. Effectively mini Ring Roads. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 07:37, 17 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Yeah, I've never quite got the mystique of the "Magic Roundabout" - yes, it's kind of pretty and neat to look at, but in terms of usage, it's just a load of mini-roundabouts near each other. And "mini-roundabouts near each other" is just another name for "Britain's road network". [[User:Yorkshire Pudding|Yorkshire Pudding]] ([[User talk:Yorkshire Pudding|talk]]) 20:14, 19 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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In France at least this design would not create any conundrum because roundabout rules are clearly stated and independent of ground markings. It could still be somewhat confusing.{{unsigned ip|141.101.68.239|10:43, 17 October 2023}}<br />
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Pretty sure it isn't a reference to the {{w|Inspiral Carpets}}, but thought I should note them in passing... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.103|172.69.195.103]] 22:17, 18 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
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The added link to the hours-long roundabout circling bicyclist is my first edit on this site, let me know if something should be done differently [[Special:Contributions/172.71.254.43|172.71.254.43]] 04:40, 20 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Looks good, as it is. The sentence in which it is set could be slightly rewritten, perhaps, but that's just a personal reading (and not yet sure how I'd improve it) and doesn't make your workable markup addition at all wrong. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.123|141.101.99.123]] 05:43, 20 October 2023 (UTC)</div>141.101.99.123https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1571:_Car_Model_Names&diff=100719Talk:1571: Car Model Names2015-09-01T08:47:14Z<p>141.101.99.123: </p>
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<div>Suzuki Sexism kinda has a ring to it... [[User:Bbruzzo|Bbruzzo]] ([[User talk:Bbruzzo|talk]]) 14:39, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== Averages ==<br />
<br />
Anyone know how the averages are calculated? I tried a couple but I don't arrive at the same numbers:<br />
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HONDA { -44 -80 -46 -21 -14 } Sum: -205 Avg: -41<br><br />
2CHAINZ { +6 +27 -44 -14 -21 -46 +83 } Sum: -9 Avg: -1.2857142857142857142857142857143<br><br />
Combined: (-205 -9) / (5 + 7) = -17.833333333333333333333333333333<br><br />
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[[User:SG 01|SG 01]] ([[User talk:SG 01|talk]]) 15:29, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I think only the model should be considered. [[User:Xhfz|Xhfz]] ([[User talk:Xhfz|talk]]) 15:36, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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:2CHAINZ { +6 +27 -44 -14 -21 -46 +83 } Sum: -9 Avg: -1.29 Index: -0.13<br />
:CLIMAX { +27 +12 -21 +19 -14 +126} Sum: 149 Avg: 24.83 Index: 2.48<br />
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Obvioulsy it's the average divided by 10. [[User:Xhfz|Xhfz]] ([[User talk:Xhfz|talk]]) 15:44, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Ah, it's so obvious now, thanks :) [[User:SG 01|SG 01]] ([[User talk:SG 01|talk]]) 16:00, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I worked it out to be average divided by 10 early on but why divided by 10? Is it because each category has 10 cars listed? This is the piece I've been stuck at. Understanding that part of the logic. --[[User:R0hrshach|R0hrshach]] ([[User talk:R0hrshach|talk]]) 16:05, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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The only thing I can think of is to make the numbers be below 10 as a lot of scoring is done in that scale, then again, that doesn't include numbers below 1 usually (On a scale from 1 - 10).<br />
Oh, also the 3x3cutrix, the i is worth -21, not -45 (which is E), the x in 3x3 is treated as a normal x with score 126<br />
:3X3CUTRIX { +55 -126 +55 +27 -68 -18 8 -21 +126 } Sum: 290 Avg: 32.222... Index: 3.22<br />
[[User:SG 01|SG 01]] ([[User talk:SG 01|talk]]) 16:17, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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OK, my mistake. Thanks. [[User:Xhfz|Xhfz]] ([[User talk:Xhfz|talk]]) 16:27, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
BTW: 3X3CUTRIX { +55 +126 +55 +27 -68 -18 +8 -21 +126 } Sum: 290<br />
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Yea, made a typo there originally, did edit-fix it ^^ Also SIXAXLE4x4 { +15 -21 +126 -14 +126 +12 -45 +35 +126 +35 } Sum: 395 Avg: 39.5 Index: 3.95 (which is the number next to it)<br />
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[[User:SG 01|SG 01]] ([[User talk:SG 01|talk]]) 16:33, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Mercedes 3X-WIF3 scores a decent 3,33 [[Special:Contributions/198.41.243.9|198.41.243.9]] 18:46, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Anyone want a Porsche 911? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 18:53, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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:The Saab Y. Worst possible car name. The Oldsmobile XXX. Best possible car name. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.4|173.245.54.4]] 19:33, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Seems worth mentioning somewhere that 3x3cutrix is semi leet/133+ for the English word executrix, the feminine form of executor, but I don't know quite where it belongs. [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 20:49, 31 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
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"The letters F and B, with scores of 5 and -5, respectively, are about as common in English as in car models." Looked odd, at first reading. May need re-writing to point out that ±5 is as close to zero (parity between English and car-speak) as you get in this example. Perhaps "...scores of ''merely'' +5 and -5, respectively", or similar? But that also seems too brief. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.108|141.101.99.108]] 01:37, 1 September 2015 (UTC)<br />
:Forgot to add what I meant to put here... Apostrophes. Very rare in car names (just the {{w|Kia_Cee%27d|Kia Cee'd}}), fairly often (over)used in standard English text. I wonder what its value is? (Not as easily 'assume it's a letter' as the x/times symbol.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.108|141.101.99.108]] 01:44, 1 September 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== Typo or Deliberate? ==<br />
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Randall gave REV-4 as an example car name. Did he accidentally misspell the (Toyota) RAV4, or was this a deliberate reference to chapter 4 of Revelations?--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.26|173.245.54.26]] 02:31, 1 September 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== Old Goths ==<br />
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49 is a reasonable age for those who grew up Goth in the 80s, just sayin'.<br />
--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.123|141.101.99.123]] 08:47, 1 September 2015 (UTC)</div>141.101.99.123https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1552:_Rulebook&diff=982561552: Rulebook2015-07-23T17:44:06Z<p>141.101.99.123: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1552<br />
| date = July 17, 2015<br />
| title = Rulebook<br />
| image = rulebook.png<br />
| titletext = It's definitely an intentional foul, but we've decided it's worth it.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
This comic is a direct reference to the film ''{{w|Air Bud}}''. In the film, a golden retriever becomes the star player on a basketball team. The opposing team contests the legality of having a dog as a player, but the referee, having reviewed the rulebook, responds "Ain't no rule says a dog can't play basketball." Here, the opposing team turns the rulebook loophole against the first team. Because rulebooks are considered the final arbiter of decisions in most sports, [[Ponytail]] suggests that, since it isn't explicitly prohibited, her team is allowed kill and eat the dog. Randall is using this logical fallacy to highlight the absurdity of the plot of ''Air Bud'' (and other similar movies in which ordinary animals have been given human roles). At the same time, Randall has created an absurd and anticlimactic premise for such a movie, and he may be making a more general commentary on Hollywood's habit of making movies by combining basic tropes that, by themselves, tend to do well in the box office.<br />
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The title text acknowledges that killing and eating the dog would result in a {{w|technical foul|foul}} (interfering inappropriately with other players), but the benefit of committing the foul would be worth the resulting penalty (giving the other team a couple of free throws). This of course ignores any local laws that could cover the proposed killing, such as animal cruelty laws. Randall is poking fun at the common practice of intentional fouls, something that happens particularly often in basketball. Although a foul is by definition against the rules, a team may deliberately break those rules and accept the penalty in order to gain some perceived advantage. For example, in association football (soccer), a player may intentionally foul an opposing player with a strong attack to allow his team to regroup and increase its defensive position, starting with blocking the resulting free kick. In basketball, an intentional foul can stop the clock and turn over the ball, or may simply give the team time to rest and/or discuss strategy that it otherwise may not have had.<br />
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The dog in the comic is wearing a jersey with the number 9. In ''Air Bud'', the dog wore a jersey with "K" on one side and "9" on the other, forming "K-9", a popular shortening of the word "canine". However, it is also worth noting that this comic was posted just three days after the {{w|New Horizons}} space probe completed its fly-by of {{w|Pluto}} and sent back new information that changed some prior assumptions about it, including its recorded size. Pluto had been regarded as the ninth planet in the Solar System until the {{w|International Astronomical Union|International Astronomical Union (IAU)}} removed its status as a planet in 2006 - a controversial decision that is still disputed today{{Citation needed}}. Additionally, [http://www.new-dog-survival-guide.com/popular-dog-names.html "Pluto" is one of the most popular dog names], partly due to the popularity of Disney's cartoon dog {{w|Pluto (Disney)|Pluto}}. Given this comic's timing so soon after the New Horizons event and Randall's known interest in planetary science, it is possible that he used the "9" on the dog's jersey as a subtle message, ''a la'' "Pluto is #9".<br />
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Randall previously parodied the "animal-as-player" loophole in [[115: Meerkat]]. Rule books are also mentioned in [[330: Indecision]] and [[393: Ultimate Game]].<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and Megan are standing with a dog wearing jersey number 9, Ponytail and Hairy are facing them holding a rulebook. The horizon is visible behind them.]<br />
:Ponytail: There's nothing in the rulebook that says we can't kill and eat your dog.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>141.101.99.123https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1532:_New_Horizons&diff=95309Talk:1532: New Horizons2015-06-12T11:17:52Z<p>141.101.99.123: The crisis of multiple Earths. rja.carnegie@excite.com</p>
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<div>Anyone know why the text on the comic was heavily aliased (pixelated edges), although it's since been fixed on the xkcd website? [[User:Keavon|Keavon]] ([[User talk:Keavon|talk]]) 07:45, 1 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
:Probably a bad setting on the PNG compression by Randall when saving. Maybe he's trying to optimize file size (although in this case, the quality suffered). --BigMal // [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.192|108.162.238.192]] 11:53, 1 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
:Did the quality of the comic improve over time? Might have been a reference to the images provided by new horizons becoming more clear as it approached[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.113|108.162.215.113]] 12:51, 5 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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According to Wikipedia, "in August 2014, astronomers made high-precision measurements of Pluto's location and orbit around the Sun using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to help NASA's New Horizons spacecraft accurately home in on Pluto." Was Steve involved in these measurements too? (And any of the numerous ways by which it can be determined how far away NH is and which way it is travelling!)--[[User:Laverock|Laverock]] ([[User talk:Laverock|talk]]) 12:43, 1 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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This joke appears to be aimed at the implausibility of the Horizon Mission’s concept art, which looks suspiciously like earth. The image shows deserts, mountains and oceans which appear to be “riffs off” of a satellite image of the Horn of Africa, western Asia, and the Indian Ocean. <br />
Examples: <br />
Artist's conception of New Horizons at Pluto. Image Credit: NASA<br />
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/15-011a.jpg<br />
Image usage:<br />
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/solar-system/new-horizons-starts-first-phase-pluto-encounter/<br />
:I think that -is- Earth, a view of the probe right after it was launched. Then again... Classic Star Trek episode "Miri" is set on a distant planet with identical continents to Earth for no reason except to get you interested quickly. It was made before "Planet of the Apes" by the way (spoiler). An unsatisfactory novel called "Preserver" revisits it and proposes there are super-powered aliens just messing with us. Actually in Star Trek there are super-powered aliens just messing with us about every third week and they usually constructed their own gonzo planet just for that purpose, so the assumption that these are new, unknown super-powered aliens is unjustified, but of course true (The Preservers), unless they are really Organians or Q but they just don't say so. And if the Planet Copiers are abroad, who's to say that Earth is the original. Outside Trek, it's also even odds that a fictional Counter-Earth planet on the other side of the sun - there have been several although it's physically impossible - has identical continents to Earth. And in "D.R. and Quinch Have Fun On Earth", our continents are alien graffiti, unfortunately leading to cleanup. Love, Robert Carnegie rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.123|141.101.99.123]] 11:17, 12 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I do not know if the image is concept art for the New Horizon mission from back in 2006; or if it is a more generic space exploration art work. It is hard to imagine that it is specific to the New Horizon’s Mission.<br />
One should ask New Horizons mission members to comment. There must be an interesting inside story. [[User:Dfh42|Dfh42]] ([[User talk:Dfh42|talk]]) 15:49, 1 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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This earlier mission art is probably closer to what Randall would consider plausible:<br />
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_267.html [[User:Dfh42|Dfh42]] ([[User talk:Dfh42|talk]]) 16:29, 1 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Waitasec, wouldn't the people on the ground know pretty much the exact position of this probe at all times? If nothing else they know its direction and distance from earth just by monitoring their communications with it. [[User:Odysseus654|Odysseus654]] ([[User talk:Odysseus654|talk]]) 17:45, 1 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
:Yes, that is the joke.[[User:Zeimusu|Zeimusu]] ([[User talk:Zeimusu|talk]]) 21:18, 3 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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;Slingshot maneuver<br />
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It uses the gravity of a planet to alter the path and speed of a spacecraft. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_assist Reference] I guess Steve miscalculated the maneuver. --[[User:Arturotena|Arturotena]] ([[User talk:Arturotena|talk]]) 06:41, 1 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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;References<br />
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# Related tweet: [https://twitter.com/NASANewHorizons/status/603652798622920704 As @NASANewHorizons gets closer, our view of #Pluto gets better and better!].<br />
# Related link: [http://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-new-horizons-sees-more-detail-as-it-draws-closer-to-pluto NASA’s New Horizons Sees More Detail as It Draws Closer to Pluto].<br />
# [http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/team/ NASA Dawn Team]<br />
--[[User:Arturotena|Arturotena]] ([[User talk:Arturotena|talk]]) 06:34, 1 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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;Distance?<br />
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If Pluto is 39.26 AU from the Sun, how can New Horizons be 0.34 AU from Pluto and 32.55 AU from the Sun? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.64.35|141.101.64.35]] 20:54, 1 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
:I reinserted the sentence semi-major axis, and I added a Wikipedia link: {{w|semi-major axis}}. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.144|108.162.238.144]] 21:47, 1 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Why is the distance even in the explanation ? -- I move to strike and delete [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:02, 2 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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;Steve?<br />
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So is Steve a character now? What about a dwarf character? [[User:Z|Z]] ([[User talk:Z|talk]]) 20:22, 2 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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: There must be other people named "Steve" ! [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 06:35, 3 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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:: No, Steve was an {{w|only child}} . . . . [[User:Spongebog|BingoBash]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 06:45, 3 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Btw, Steve was also mentioned in comic 228. [[User:TronX7|TronX7]] ([[User talk:TronX7|talk]]) 06:59, 5 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I didn't even see this as a representation of Earth. As I looked at each image, I thought I was seeing an image of Goofy (rather than Pluto) as seen through a glass orb. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.165|108.162.237.165]] 20:26, 9 June 2015 (UTC)</div>141.101.99.123https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1535:_Words_for_Pets&diff=951801535: Words for Pets2015-06-10T11:40:47Z<p>141.101.99.123: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1535<br />
| date = June 8, 2015<br />
| title = Words for Pets<br />
| image = words_for_pets.png<br />
| titletext = Seventh year: Perfectly coherent words, but in the pet's language, not mine.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
The comic shows four similar {{w|Euler diagram}}s, one for each of the first four years of living with a {{w|pet}}. The diagrams depict sets of words which have varying efficacy in actually identifying the pet, and each one shows how the words used by [[Randall]] to refer to his pet change year by year and becoming less and less specific as time goes on.<br />
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In the first year it is dominated by the actual name of the pet or words closely related. For example a dog named Lassie might be called either "{{w|Lassie}}", "dog", "collie" or "boy/girl".<br />
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Moving on to the second year, these related words like "dog" and "collie" get more abundant while the actual name is seldom used. Phrases such as "good dog" or "here, boy" are likely common. Giving a dog the name "Dog" is so common that there is a [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ADogNamedDog trope] about that.<br />
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In the third year, the pet's name is no longer used at all and the owner probably uses simple phrases like "come" or "come here" to call the pet, omitting the name.<br />
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The fourth year entails the use of just any sound, not {{w|Coherence (linguistics)|coherent words}}. This may be referring to something like {{w|baby talk}} or attempted mimicry of the pet's vocalizations.<br />
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This development can be attributed to the fact that some animals don't listen to their own name but rather react to the sound of the voice of their owner. It could also refer to the growing bond between owner and the pet, as well as the effect described in [[231: Cat Proximity]].<br />
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The title text suggests that the inevitable result of this continuing pattern is that by the seventh year, Randall will be communicating with the pet in its own language. This might refer to the tendency of some pet owners to mimic or imitate their pets' vocalizations, as if speaking to them. Alternatively, this could be interpreted as a joke that pets don't have proper {{w|language}} and the owner has degenerated into lack on language his/herself as time goes on.<br />
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The title text and the caption makes it a little difficult to be certain if the comic refers to when you talk about your pet to other people ("my ''dog'' is always hungry") or when you call at it, which would be the only time it would make sense to use ''coherent words in the animals own language'' - "Woof" = come here.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:Words I use to refer to a pet over the years I live with it:<br />
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:[Inside the box are four diagrams. Each diagram contains three elliptical sections containing the previous one, each section is drawn identical from diagram to diagram and they are labeled the same way from diagram to diagram. A fourth section (a red ellipse) moves from diagram to diagram and it's label changes from diagram to diagram.]<br />
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:[The red section of the first diagram mainly overlaps the innermost section, but about a third of it is in the second section. The labels are written above the three white sections and then inside the red section. The labels from inside and out and last the label of the red section:]<br />
:The pet's name <br />
:Words related to the pet<br />
:Coherent words of any kind<br />
:First year<br />
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:[The red section of the second diagram mainly overlaps the right part of the second section, but it just touches both the first and the third section. The labels are written above the three white sections and then inside the red section. The labels from inside and out and last the label of the red section:]<br />
:The pet's name <br />
:Words related to the pet<br />
:Coherent words of any kind<br />
:Second year<br />
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:[The red section of the third diagram mainly overlaps the right part of the third section, but about a third of it is inside the second section and a small part is outside of the third section. The labels are written above the three white sections and then inside the red section. The labels from inside and out and last the label of the red section:]<br />
:The pet's name <br />
:Words related to the pet<br />
:Coherent words of any kind<br />
:Third year<br />
<br />
:[The red section of the fourth diagram is completely outside the third section and has to be so far to the right, that the other sections has been moved from the center of the frame to the left. The labels are written above the three white sections and then inside the red section. The labels from inside and out and last the label of the red section:]<br />
:The pet's name <br />
:Words related to the pet<br />
:Coherent words of any kind<br />
:Fourth year onward<br />
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==See also==<br />
*The idea of pets having a detrimental effect on human vocabulary was previously visited in [[231: Cat Proximity]], also with a graphical representation of the effect.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>141.101.99.123https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:482:_Height&diff=89732Talk:482: Height2015-04-14T20:10:34Z<p>141.101.99.123: </p>
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<div>Are you sure it reads "missing winds"? It looks like "missing WMDs" to me, which would suggest a political reference to the US engagement of 2003 in Iraq.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/109.40.138.109|109.40.138.109]] 02:48, 22 May 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Yeah. Agreed. Changed. [[User:PinkAmpersand|PinkAmpersand]] ([[User talk:PinkAmpersand|talk]]) 11:23, 23 May 2013 (UTC)<br />
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"The comic starts with Black Hat throwing a cat off the edge of the universe, probably a reference to Schrodinger's cat" <br />
::Has the editor here never heard of the "cats always land on their feet" myth? Black Hat would appear to be testing this from the extreme. Anonymous 01:43, 4 December 2013 (UTC) (and yes, that would be WMDs)<br />
:::If I am not mistaken, this is a wiki; there is no set editor. If you have a suggestion for how to improve a page, it would be apt to edit it yourself. The discussion tends to be a forum for matters that may be tangentially related to the comic, or uncertain suggestions for improving the article. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 03:18, 4 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
::Sorry, I wasn't aware of the proper terminology. I'll add my line shortly. Anonymous 05:13, 13 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
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Why is there a "(?)" in "Oort Cloud"? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.196|108.162.212.196]] 02:10, 15 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Because it's not known if this cloud really does exist. Many objects are assumed to be there at that vast distance to the sun, but that distance is also the reason they could not be detected from earth. {{w|Voyager 1}}, the farthest humanmade object from Earth, will reach that region in many thousand years. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:37, 15 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
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Why is Snoop Dogg in space? {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.223}}<br />
:Because he's high as shit, man--he's so high, he's the second-furthest any person's ever been from the earth. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.76|108.162.216.76]] 10:12, 6 February 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Diameter of milky way: 100 - 120 kly (Lets call it 110 kly)<br />
Suns distance to galactic centre: 27.2 kly<br />
Distance to edge of galaxy: (0.5*110)-27.2 = 27.8 kly = 263E18<br />
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Is my understanding and maths right? --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 08:08, 11 September 2014 (UTC)<br />
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;Conversion of pixels to height<br />
Because it is a log graph for the y axis<br />
height<sub>final</sub> = height<sub>initial</sub> * factor<br />
pixels = Log<sub>base</sub>(height)<br />
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Using identities to show that a vertical distance on this graph represents a multiplicative change in true distance from the starting point of measure, and that a vertical change (delta) in the same number of pixels represents a corresponding multiplicative factor on total height.<br />
pixels<sub>final</sub> = Log<sub>base</sub>(height<sub>initial</sub> * factor) = Log<sub>base</sub>(initial) + Log<sub>base</sub>(factor)<br />
pixels<sub>final</sub> - pixels<sub>initial</sub> = Log<sub>base</sub>(factor) = pixels<sub>delta</sub><br />
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Solving for the factor and the base of the log function<br />
factor = base<sup>pixels<sub>delta</sub></sup><br />
base = factor<sup>1/pixels<sub>delta</sub></sup><br />
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From the diagram it appears that a change (delta) of 550 pixels represents a change of x*1000000 therefore we can determine the base and determine the multiplicative factor for any change in pixels in the original drawing.<br />
base = 1000000<sup>1/550</sup> <br />
factor = (1000000<sup>1/550</sup>)<sup>pixels<sub>delta</sub></sup> = 1000000<sup>pixels<sub>delta</sub>/550</sup><br />
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Therefore:<br />
height<sub>final</sub> = height<sub>initial</sub> * 1000000<sup>pixels<sub>delta</sub>/550</sup><br />
The above can be used as an equation to estimate and validate the heights on the diagram, where height<sub>initial</sub> is the height of the reference point in meters, pixels<sub>delta</sub> is the vertical change in pixels on the diagram, and is positive if height increases and negative if height decreases.<br />
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[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.149|108.162.216.149]] 12:40, 30 September 2014 (UTC)<br />
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:We just need to be careful that the existing heights (which in ''most'' cases have been fairly thoroughly researched) are not replaced by heights determined by their 'pixel position'. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 11:16, 1 October 2014 (UTC)<br />
::Wrong, the explanation is intended to explain the comic not the real world. Before you get excited though let me explain, we may be on the same page. <br />
Many height values can be determined from external research, and can be shown to be consistent with the graph (e.g. center of the galaxy). In these cases the researched number should be used in the height column, as clearly these numbers represent the authors intent.<br />
There or other cases where the height is labeled. These should always be used as height, as these numbers represent the authors intent. If they are inconsistent with the scale of the graph this should be noted in the description.<br />
There are other cases, such as where the space shuttle disintegrated, where we can research the numbers, but they are inconstant with the graph by more than an order of magnitude. Any large inconsistencies should be noted in the description, but in these cases the graph position, not the actual position should be in the height column, because this is the closest representation we can have to authors intent.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.106|108.162.216.106]] 11:50, 1 October 2014 (UTC)<br />
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:Completely agree with the basis that authors intent is priority, and with pretty much everything written above. What I was concerned about was the possibility of someone indiscriminately changing existing height values based solely on its pixel position, with no cross-checking against the real world height. I would venture that the heights of the real items on the graph are intended by Randall to be at their correct positions, but there may be exceptions. I have a personal bias here, in that I spent quite considerable time doing research on many of the heights. That said, I don't in any way expect the height entries I worked on to be taken as correct, simply that there is some degree of reasoning behind the existing heights, and to change them without checking any discrepancies would be reckless. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 12:48, 1 October 2014 (UTC)<br />
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::The Bodes Law ratio of one planet to the next but one is:<br />
:::Pi^(9/4Pi): 20Pi^(3/2Pi)<br />
::thus rendering:<br />
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*Mercury : Mars<br />
*Venus: Jupiter<br />
*Earth : Saturn<br />
*Mars : Uranus<br />
*Asteroids : Neptune<br />
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Not that the inner asteroids appear between Mars and Jupiter on the right hand column.<br />
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[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 01:09, 31 January 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I think the "pulsar" at the top right might actually be a quasar (an active galaxy). They certainly are distant objects, so someone more versed with the wiki may want to have a look. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.123|141.101.99.123]] 20:10, 14 April 2015 (UTC)</div>141.101.99.123