https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=172.69.22.71&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T13:36:17ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2778:_Cuisine&diff=3214892778: Cuisine2023-08-21T21:09:30Z<p>172.69.22.71: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2778<br />
| date = May 19, 2023<br />
| title = Cuisine<br />
| image = cuisine_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 200x312px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = My connection to it goes way back, to my early days, when I was just a cloud of primordial hydrogen collapsing in the darkness of space.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]] is explaining a recipe to [[White Hat]], describing it as {{w|Fusion cuisine}}, typically used to describe a style of cuisine based on combining aspects of the cuisines of two or more cultures{{Citation needed}}, such as a combination of French and Chinese food, or Mexican and Korean food. However, he conflates this with {{w|nuclear fusion}}, combining atomic nuclei to create new kinds of atoms.<br />
<br />
The recipe is described as the initiation of {{w|deuterium}} fusion in a kilogram ("four cups") of {{w|heavy water}} and allowing the reaction to continue to its endpoint, {{w|iron}}. The "very high heat" specified in the recipe would start at the four million-plus Kelvin at which {{w|deuterium fusion}} is initiated in stars, and could possibly reach the billions of Kelvin at which {{w|supernova}}s synthesize atoms heavier than iron, such as copper, zinc, selenium, and iodine, which are essential in trace quantities for mammals. Unfortunately, heating a saucepan to even four million Kelvin would likely vaporize even the largest of kitchens, and any cooks therein. Most heavier elements are probably created when two Neutron stars spiral into each other (but they are remnants of super nova explosions)<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the time before {{w|stellar fusion}}, just after the Big Bang when most matter was hydrogen atoms. See [[2723: Outdated Periodic Table]] for more on what other atoms where present. These primordial hydrogen atoms formed clouds that eventually collapsed into galaxies, forming stars that then created all heavier elements in one way or the other. It took a long time but eventually some of these hydrogen atoms created Cueball and everything else on Earth. See [[1123: The Universal Label]]. People often say that an interest of theirs goes back to their "early days", referencing their childhood, but in this case it appears that Cueball's interest goes back to several billions of years before he was born, indicating that it is his atoms that are interested in this cuisine not himself, as they were the ones around when his interest began. Actually mainly his protons. And it was because of their interest in fusing together that Cueball came to be.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[White Hat stands behind Cueball, who is cooking on a stove seen from the side. Cueball has his left hand on the handle of a pot which is on one of the stove's burners. In Cueball's right hand is a small cup.]<br />
:Cueball: Next, we heat four cups of heavy water over '''''very''''' high heat until it thickens and becomes rich in iron.<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:I'm getting really into fusion cuisine.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Physics]]<br />
[[Category:Food]]<br />
[[Category:Puns]]</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2752:_Salt_Dome&diff=308981Talk:2752: Salt Dome2023-03-21T14:40:52Z<p>172.69.22.71: reply</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 />
<br />
Made a guess. [[User:No Idea If There&#39;s A Character Limit LMAO|By me.]] ([[User talk:No Idea If There&#39;s A Character Limit LMAO|talk]]) 22:39, 20 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Odd that Beret Guy’s not the one doing it. We’ve seen White Hat act a normal extra character before, but having Beret Guy in a comic not doing anything strange feels wrong. [[User:Intara|Intara]] ([[User talk:Intara|talk]]) 04:09, 21 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
: Agree. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:37, 21 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
:: I have just mentioned this in the explanation and compared Cueball's power with Beret Guys strange powers. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:39, 21 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
:: My reading of it is that Beret Guy does strange things because he doesn't truly understand how things work (the way that scientific consensus understands, c.f. Vacuum Energy). This geologist is doing a strange thing because he is ''just so good'' at the regular science he knows. Success through hypercompetancy, not hypernaïvity, in modulating pressure-waves (like a phased-array transmitter?) from the four chair-leg points sent through ''theoretically'' knowable layers of floor and bedrock.<br />
:: It's a stretch, but given the changes needed to put Beret Guy into protagonist position (it'd be just "don't ask this guy...", not a geologist) then I think it's a perfectly valid compositional choice on behalf of Randall. (Who can do as he likes, without my trying to be apologist for him, but I'll explain my conclusions anyway.) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.64|172.71.178.64]] 10:28, 21 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The text mentions the UK Salt reserve, used to prevent black ice on roads. I assume that US states that get sufficient snowfall also maintain reserves of salt and grit to keep their roads open. Or does it simply get too cold for ice to be of any use? {{unsigned|Arachrah}}<br />
: Yes, states and municipalities in the US definitely maintain reserves of salt for use in treating roads during winter weather. Such reserves are commonly stored in dome-shaped structures (often seen near highway interchanges), which I assume is part of the allusion in the title text. I don't believe this statement in the current explanation is completely accurate: "Ordinary salt is also available in abundance throughout the U.S. so there is no need for any kind of salt reserves, strategic or otherwise." This may be true at a Federal level, but having grown up in the northeastern U.S., I recall hearing of some of the smaller municipalities running low on/out of salt during especially harsh winters. [[User:CarLuva|CarLuva]] ([[User talk:CarLuva|talk]]) 14:25, 21 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
:: Agreed and fixed. Can you find a photograph of such dome structures? I've lived in areas dependent on road salting most of my life without ever having any idea what the stockpiles look like. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.71|172.69.22.71]] 14:40, 21 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
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Hmmm, I also see a somewhat indecent connotation between passing the salt and passing a kidney stone, in particular that the salt in the picture is being extruded through an orifice in the ground... -- [[Special:Contributions/172.68.138.179|172.68.138.179]] 09:55, 21 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Maybe Beret guy lended his powers to a geologist.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.204|172.68.51.204]]</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2719:_Hydrogen_Isotopes&diff=3039742719: Hydrogen Isotopes2023-01-03T07:43:16Z<p>172.69.22.71: /* Explanation */ cap.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2719<br />
| date = January 2, 2023<br />
| title = Hydrogen Isotopes<br />
| image = hydrogen_isotopes_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 442x250px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Oops, All Neutrons is also known as Neutral Quadrium, Nydnonen, and Goth Tritium.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BREAK ROOM DE BROGLIE MICROWAVE USER. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{W|Hydrogen}} is the simplest of the chemical atoms, usually consisting of an electron orbiting an proton. This comic imagines other humorous fictional forms of hydrogen as follows:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! "Isotope"<br />
! Real?<br />
! Description<br />
|-<br />
|Hydrogen<br />
|Yes<br />
|Hydrogen is the most common {{w|isotope}} of hydrogen, with one proton and one electron, shown with the electron orbiting the proton. It is also known as protium.<br />
|-<br />
|Deuterium<br />
|Yes<br />
|Deuterium is the second most common isotope of hydrogen, with one electron, and both a neutron and proton in its nucleus. About one of every 6,760 hydrogen atoms in seawater is deuterium.<br />
|-<br />
|Tritium<br />
|Yes<br />
|Tritium is the third most common isotope of hydrogen, with one electron, and a nucleus of one proton and two neutrons, for an atomic mass of three {{w|Dalton (unit)|daltons}}. It is radioactive with a half-life of about twelve years, and is very rare (but not as rare as unbound "instant hydrogen" neutrons.)<br />
|-<br />
|Ium<br />
|Not as such<br />
|This imaginary isotope consists of one electron orbiting around nothing. The name relates to the fact that the two heavier isotopes are named from a prefix designating the number of {{w|nucleons}} followed by the suffix "-ium", which is sometimes used satirically, e.g., in "unobtainium." Free electrons are always in motion {{w|Fermi energy|even at absolute zero temperature}} but not in stationary orbits.<br />
|-o<br />
|Wheelium<br />
|No<br />
|This fictional form consists of a proton, electron, and neutron orbiting around nothing, shaped similarly to a wheel.<br />
|-<br />
|Instant hydrogen (ready in 15 minutes)<br />
|Yes, but rare<br />
|This is just a single neutron. Unbound neutrons will take about fifteen minutes to decay into a proton, an electron, and a neutrino, which ''can'' then form into a hydrogen atom, [https://van.physics.illinois.edu/ask/listing/1207 but do only four times in a million.] The name is likely a reference to "instant" meals that require less preparation time than traditional varieties, e.g., instant noodles.<br />
|-<br />
|Hydrogen (maximum strength)<br />
|No<br />
|This fictional isotope consists of a proton, an electron, and what appear to be at least 14 neutrons. This isotope's proton would not be bound to all the neutrons. It would immediately {{w|Nuclear drip line|drip}} away most of them.<br />
|-<br />
|Oops, All Neutrons<br />
|Maybe<br />
|This fictional form consists of four neutrons, a {{w|tetraneutron}}, with one orbiting around a group of three. The name is likely a reference to an American breakfast cereal called {{w|Cap'n Crunch#Variations|Oops! All Berries}}.<br />
<br />
The title text provides three other names of this form: 1. "Neutral Quadrium": The proton and electron in tritium have both been replaced with neutrons, making this fictional atom neutral, and it's named with the "quad-" prefix designating four nucleons. 2. "Nydnonen" is likely a derivation of "hydrogen" with most of its consonants replaced with the letter 'n' representing four neutrons. 3. "Goth Tritium": All the particles in the depiction are black, resembling stereotypical {{w|goth fashion}}.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{{notice2|The Mountain View, California Public Library is hosting an online chat with [[Randall Munroe]] Tuesday, January 31 at 11am Pacific.<br/>[https://libraryc.org/mountainviewlibrary/22032 Register here to send your question(s) to the moderators.]|image=Crystal Project Agt announcements.png}} <!-- pending admin request to add blurb to sitenotice --><br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
There are 8 drawings of atoms, arranges 4 across and 2 down, as planetary models. Each has a label underneath. Here, they are listed left-to-right top-to-bottom.<br />
<br />
1 electron, 1 proton: Hydrogen<br />
<br />
1 electron, 1 proton, 1 neutron: Deuterium<br />
<br />
1 electron, 1 proton, 1 neutron: Tritium<br />
<br />
1 electron only: ium<br />
<br />
1 electron, 1 proton, 1 neutron, all orbiting together around nothing: Wheelium<br />
<br />
1 proton only: Instant Hydrogen (ready in 15 minutes)<br />
<br />
1 proton, 1 electron, lots of neutrons: Hydrogen (Maximum Strength)<br />
<br />
1 neutron orbiting 3 other neutrons: Oops, all neutrons<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Chemistry]]</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2708:_Mystery_Asterisk_Destination&diff=3008042708: Mystery Asterisk Destination2022-12-08T05:52:28Z<p>172.69.22.71: /* Explanation */ not really worse given the stated context</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2708<br />
| date = December 7, 2022<br />
| title = Mystery Asterisk Destination<br />
| image = mystery_asterisk_destination_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 288x248px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = If you ever see the † dagger symbol with no unmatched footnote, it means the writer is saying the phrase while threatening you with a dagger.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT*. Do NOT delete this tag too soon†.}}<br />
<br />
This comic is a reference to the use of asterisks and other symbols for footnotes or endnotes. It humorously indicates that when asterisks appear after words without corresponding footnotes, they are in fact referring to this comic. <br />
<br />
It offers closure for missing footnotes (similarly to [[391: Anti-Mindvirus]]), perhaps to make up for the unmatched parenthesis [[Randall]] willingly set loose onto the world eleven years ago in [[859: (]].<br />
<br />
However, some terms, like {{w|A* search}} and {{w|C* algebra}}, contain asterisks that are not meant to be matched by footnotes. Instead, they are just there as a name, and read out verbally as "star". Programming languages and math uses asterisks regularly for various reasons other then footnotes, such as for the multiplication operator. <br />
<br />
The title text reveals that unmatched instances of † (a dagger; a symbol for a secondary footnote) are threats being made by the author to the reader with a physical dagger. As of this writing, it states "If you ever see the † dagger symbol with no '''''un'''''matched footnote....", forming a double negative. This is likely a typo.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A blank panel with some text at the bottom.]<br />
:'''*'''Whenever you see a mystery asterisk that doesn't have a matching footnote, it points here.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2708:_Mystery_Asterisk_Destination&diff=3008032708: Mystery Asterisk Destination2022-12-08T05:51:36Z<p>172.69.22.71: /* Explanation */ more specific</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2708<br />
| date = December 7, 2022<br />
| title = Mystery Asterisk Destination<br />
| image = mystery_asterisk_destination_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 288x248px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = If you ever see the † dagger symbol with no unmatched footnote, it means the writer is saying the phrase while threatening you with a dagger.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT*. Do NOT delete this tag too soon†.}}<br />
<br />
This comic is a reference to the use of asterisks and other symbols for footnotes or endnotes. It humorously indicates that when asterisks appear after words without corresponding footnotes, they are in fact referring to this comic. <br />
<br />
It offers closure for missing footnotes (similarly to [[391: Anti-Mindvirus]]), perhaps to make up for the unmatched parenthesis [[Randall]] willingly set loose onto the world eleven years ago in [[859: (]].<br />
<br />
However, some terms, like {{w|A* search}} and {{w|C* algebra}}, contain asterisks that are not meant to be matched by footnotes. Instead, they are just there as a name, and read out verbally as "star". Even worse, programming languages and math uses asterisks regularly for various reasons other then footnotes, such as for the multiplication operator. <br />
<br />
The title text reveals that unmatched instances of † (a dagger; a symbol for a secondary footnote) are threats being made by the author to the reader with a physical dagger. As of this writing, it states "If you ever see the † dagger symbol with no '''''un'''''matched footnote....", forming a double negative. This is likely a typo.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A blank panel with some text at the bottom.]<br />
:'''*'''Whenever you see a mystery asterisk that doesn't have a matching footnote, it points here.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2703:_Paper_Title&diff=2999192703: Paper Title2022-11-26T04:39:41Z<p>172.69.22.71: /* Transcript */ replace line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2703<br />
| date = November 25, 2022<br />
| title = Paper Title<br />
| image = paper_title_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 557x261px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT: The authors hope these results are correct because we all want to be cool people who are good at science.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MICROBE TRYING TO LURE YOU WITH CLICKBAIT. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Many if not most scientific research papers present a {{w|hypothesis}} and the result of testing the hypothesis. Scientific papers should also have titles which describe the content of the papers. See [[2456: Types of Scientific Paper]].<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]] is writing a research paper with a {{w|clickbait}}, {{w|puffery}}, and insufficiently descriptive title, "Check out this cool microbe we found." His colleague [[Megan]] asks him whether science is supposed to be about formulating a hypothesis and testing it. Cueball agrees, changing the title to, "Is our lab really good at finding cool microbes? Some preliminary data." However, that is still an overly promotional and insufficiently descriptive clickbait title, purporting to be a study of the authors' own competence, which would be highly unusual because of the lack of objectivity due to the authors being the subject of investigation. [[:Category:Clickbait|Clickbait]] is a recurring theme on xkcd, recently considered within science publications in [[2001: Clickbait-Corrected p-Value]]. The title of a research article describing a novel organism will often contain the author(s) proposed {{w|Linnaean taxonomy|Linnaean}} name for it, which is granted as their prerogative within certain limitations.[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8808/]<br />
<br />
{{w|Empirical research|''Empirical investigations''}} and ''{{w|analysis}} papers'' almost always state and test a hypothesis, but there are many kinds of scientific papers which usually do not, including ''{{w|literature review}}s,'' which qualitatively summarize the results of other papers; ''{{w|meta-analysis|meta-analyses}},'' which quantitatively summarize the results and quality of other work; ''observational reports'' (or ''{{w|case study|case studies}}'' — not to be confused with {{w|observational study|observational studies}}, a kind of empirical analysis), which present data and a chronicle of its collection often without analysis, testing, or interpretation; ''{{w|Conference proceeding|conference papers}},'' which present preliminary work without peer review; ''definition papers,'' which attempt to formalize terms used in divergent ways in prior work; ''{{w|Dialectic#Hegelian dialectic|syntheses}},'' which present alternative views combining multiple and often conflicting concepts; ''{{w|Comparison|comparative studies}},'' which compare and contrast a class of concepts; ''{{w|Interpretive discussion|interpretive}} papers,'' showing a different perspective on previous work; ''{{w|technical report}}s,'' which may present information on a specific procedural topic or progress and results, if any, in a field; ''opinion'' and ''editorial essays,'' which are intended to argue a point of view persuasively; ''book reviews,'' which summarize monographs or biographies; and ''grant proposals,'' which make the case for funding a project. Mathematical or logic research papers which don't involve empirical observations or uncertainty would be considered technical reports in other fields. Engineering work can be reported as an empirical investigation or a technical report. Research articles which do present and test a hypothesis are usually written in [https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/writing/writing-resources/how-to-write-an-apa-research-paper American Psychological Association (APA) style].<br />
<br />
Cueball seems to want to author an observational report, but Megan would prefer an empirical investigation or analysis, perhaps because they may be more likely to be accepted by peer reviewed journals, and as such are more prestigious than mere conference papers, "letters," or "communications" as observational reports are often published. However, research articles describing the discovery of new {{w|microbe}}s in prestigious peer-reviewed journals are often published as observational reports,[https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.004029][http://calamar.univ-ag.fr/mangroveSAE/articles/2022/Volland%20et%20al%202022.pdf][https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10482-021-01656-x] so Megan's concerns may be unfounded; even if so, the editors of any reputable journal would almost certainly require a far more descriptive and less overtly promotional title from Cueball. The question remains whether an intial submission with a catchy clickbait title might get more prompt attention from editors and reviewers.<br />
<br />
In the title text, the {{w|conflict of interest}} statement says that the authors hope their results are correct because, "we all want to be cool people who are good at science." A scientific publication's potential conflict of interest usually refers to the authors' financial, familial, or other external interests in the research outcomes. The disclosure statement does not describe a conflict between the authors' {{w|extrinsic motivation}}s and factors influencing the accuracy and neutrality of their work; in fact it claims the opposite, an alignment between their {{w|intrinsic motivation}}s and the goal of producing high quality work, which should go without saying.{{cn}}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Megan is standing behind and looking over the shoulder of Cueball who is sitting in his office chair at his desk typing on the keyboard. A line from the keyboard goes up to two boxes above them. A smaller one at the top, half the length and a third the height of the larger box below. There are text in both boxes. The bottom box is not filled out with text. At the end of the text in the bottom box the line indicating where the cursor are can be seen, as in this is what Megan can see on the screen:]<br />
<br />
:Paper title:<br />
: ''Check out this cool microbe we found''|<br />
<br />
:[Pan to only showing Megan who has taken a hand up to her chin. Cueball replies from off-panel.]<br />
:Megan: Isn’t science supposed to be about formulating a hypothesis and then testing it?<br />
:Cueball - off panel: Oh. Yeah, I guess.<br />
<br />
:[Same setting as in the first panel, but now the bottom box is filled out with text, but still with the cursor shown at the end:]<br />
<br />
:Paper title:<br />
: ''Is our lab really good at finding cool microbes? Some preliminary data''|<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Scientific research]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Clickbait]]</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2687:_Division_Notation&diff=2971892687: Division Notation2022-10-20T17:52:27Z<p>172.69.22.71: tyop</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2687<br />
| date = October 19, 2022<br />
| title = Division Notation<br />
| image = division_notation_new_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 235x310px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Science tip: Scientists hardly ever use the two-dot division sign, and when they do it often doesn't even mean division, but they still get REALLY mad when you repurpose it to write stuff like SALE! ALL SHOES 30÷ OFF!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a GROUP OF SCHOOLCHILDREN DIVIDED AMONGST THEMSELVES. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This comic pokes fun at some of the ways to write the {{w|Division (mathematics)|division}} operation in math. In this comic, [[Randall]] has used A as the dividend (the number being divided) and B as the divisor (the number that A is divided by). Division is the fourth simplest arithmetic operation in mathematics, after addition, subtraction, and multiplication.[https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/principia-mathematica/#PartIVRelaArit]<br />
<br />
The first two of the seven notations shown are the {{w|division sign}} (÷) and the {{w|long division}} notation used for {{w|short division}} and {{w|long division}} in beginning arithmetic. (Note: division typography is only used in some countries, and there are [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_division#Notation_in_non-English-speaking_countries different notations in the non-English speaking world]). These methods of division are often used by school children because the ÷ sign is what most people use when first learning division, and the short division format is usually the first algorithm learned for dividing arbitrary dividends, typically starting with the easier abbreviated short division form.<br />
<br />
The expression on the third line, A/B, is the way division is usually written in software code. The four simple arithmetic operations in programming usually are +, -, *, /. This line was not in the [[media:division_notation_2x.png|first version]] of the comic. This is most commonly seen in regular mathematics as it somewhat saves space, and is easy to type with the slash key. Additionally, it uses standard {{w|ASCII}} characters instead of sophisticated notation. A notable exception is {{w|APL_(programming_language)|APL}}, which uses an idiosyncratic character set modeled after traditional arithmetic.<br />
<br />
The expression on the fourth line, <sup>a</sup>/<sub>b</sub>, is how division is usually written by hand. It is nearly identical to the fraction notation that follows, but the diagonal line allows each number to be bigger while still fitting into a single line of text. It takes more effort to type with this notation; however, the Unicode character sets provide some specific fractions such as ⅓ as well as some superscript and subscript characters, so someone familiar with it might use it to write fractions such as ²²⁄₇.<br />
<br />
The fifth notation is the way division is written in science: the dividend on the top of the expression over the divisor on the bottom under a horizontal line. This is how a {{w|Fraction|fraction}} would be written. It has the advantage of clearly separating the numerator and denominator when they are longer expressions, such as polynomials, without needing to add parentheses. This format is mostly used in written and professionally typeset math, as it can't be typed without something like {{w|MathML}}, {{w|LaTeX}} or HTML tables.<br />
<br />
The sixth, "fancy," notation uses a negative exponent. The exponent -1 is equivalent to {{w|Multiplicative inverse|reciprocation}}. It can be used to keep an entire division expression on one line. Note that AB<sup>-1</sup> is equal to <sup>A</sup>/<sub>B</sub> only if A and B are in a commutative ring (and B has an inverse). If A and B are, for example, matrices, AB<sup>-1</sup> is not the same in general as B<sup>-1</sup>A (and the notation <sup>A</sup>/<sub>B</sub> is never used in this case as it would be ambiguous).<br />
<br />
The AB<sup>-1</sup> format is also often used to express physical units.<br />
<br />
The final form of notation declares a function. The writer defines a new function, F, that takes in the parameters A and B, before listing out the function's definition (trailing off in increasingly smaller text). Randall warns the reader they should escape while they still can, because both the function itself and the math environment as a whole are going to get relatively tedious. Integer division can be defined in terms of multiplicative inequalities and the remainder, or modulo ('%' in Python), operator. This situation is likely to occur in many sorts of algebra, where one might have to define what "division" means for two elements of a mathematical object such as a group, ring, or magma. One example would be an object G, such that, for two elements A and B of G, "A divided by B" is defined as an element C such that CB=A, or alternatively as an element C such that BC=A. These definitions will differ if multiplication in G is not commutative. Furthermore, if such a C is not unique, the function F(A,B) will need to include a method to select a unique value for "A divided by B" for each A and B. Thus, the F(A,B) in the comic might not even refer to a uniquely defined operation, but simply to the property of a function F(A,B) that is a valid division operation on G, given some definition of division. You were warned.<br />
<br />
The title text discusses how the division sign (÷) has fallen out of favor in most professional contexts (the ISO-80000 guidelines even specify the symbol "should not be used") yet has resisted all efforts to repurpose it as a new function. Specifically, it pokes fun at how similar the division sign is to a percent sign. A scientist might be really mad at the use of the division sign as an alternative to a percent sign not just because it is the wrong symbol in that context, but also because of the tedium of modern consumerist practices.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:<u>Division notation</u><br />
:A÷B <br />
:B⟌A Schoolchild.<br />
:A/B Software engineer.<br />
<span style="display:inline-flex;flex-direction:column;vertical-align:middle;"><br />
<span>A</span><br />
<span style="border-top:1px solid">B</span><br />
</span> Scientist<br />
:AB<sup>-1</sup> Fancy scientist.<br />
:F(A, B) such that F(G)= (text getting smaller) Oh no, run<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Math]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Programming]]<br />
[[Category:Science tip]]</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2685:_2045&diff=2967722685: 20452022-10-15T09:08:10Z<p>172.69.22.71: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2685<br />
| date = October 14, 2022<br />
| title = 2045<br />
| image = 2045_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 350x457px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = "Sorry, doctor, I'm going to have to come in on a different day--I have another appointment that would be really hard to move, in terms of the kinetic energy requirements."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation== <br />
{{incomplete|Created by a GIGANTIC NUCLEAR FURNACE (THE SUN) - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The characters are talking about upcoming total {{w|solar eclipses}}. Partial solar eclipses are fairly frequent (2–5 per year), but total eclipses are less frequent (about every 18 months), and most of them will not be in convenient locations for a particular set of people. Cueball seems to be talking about total eclipses visible in much of North America: {{w|Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024|April 8, 2024}} and {{w|Solar eclipse of August 12, 2045|August 12, 2045}}. (There's also a {{w|annular eclipse}} on October 14, 2025.) Making plans for eclipses is awkward given the uncertainty present for anything else far in the future, such as whether the attendees will have children by then, and even whether another scheduling program will catch on and replace Google Calendar.<br />
<br />
Black Hat claims he can't make it, as he has "a thing" on August 12, 2045. Events for that far in the future usually have not yet been scheduled for a precise date{{Citation needed}}, and this combined with the fact that Black Hat remembers this date without checking implies that this could be another of his grand and sinister plans... or he just doesn't want to go.<br />
<br />
The title text is someone cancelling a medical appointment to see the eclipse. The eclipse is hard to move because that would require hastening or delaying it by moving the Earth, Moon or Sun, any of which would require vast amounts of energy.{{Citation needed}} People also don't often schedule doctor's appointments decades in advance.{{Citation needed}} This was published a year before the next eclipse so, if you're someone who plans things a year in advance this serves as a reminder to put it on your calendar.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Cueball, a friend also drawn as Cueball, Danish, and Black Hat are standing together. Danish is looking at her phone.]<br />
:Cueball: ...And then after the one in 2024, there's another on August 12, 2045.<br />
:Friend: We're in! We can invite our kids, assuming we have any.<br />
:Danish: I'll create an event. Do you think we'll still be using Google Calendar in 2045?<br />
:Black Hat: Sorry, I'd love to make it, but I have a thing that day.<br />
<br />
:Caption: It's weird making plans for eclipses.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2685:_2045&diff=2967692685: 20452022-10-15T09:03:25Z<p>172.69.22.71: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2685<br />
| date = October 14, 2022<br />
| title = 2045<br />
| image = 2045_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 350x457px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = "Sorry, doctor, I'm going to have to come in on a different day--I have another appointment that would be really hard to move, in terms of the kinetic energy requirements."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation== <br />
{{incomplete|Created by a GIGANTIC NUCLEAR FURNACE (THE SUN) - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The characters are talking about upcoming total {{w|solar eclipses}}. Partial solar eclipses are fairly frequent (2–5 per year), but total eclipses are less frequent (about every 18 months), and most of them will not be in convenient locations for a particular set of people. Cueball seems to be talking about total eclipses visible in much of North America: {{w|Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024|April 8, 2024}} and {{w|Solar eclipse of August 12, 2045|August 12, 2045}}. (There's also a {{w|annular eclipse}} on October 14, 2025.) Making plans for eclipses is awkward given the uncertainty present for anything else far in the future, such as whether the attendees will have children by then, and even whether another scheduling program will catch on and replace Google Calendar.<br />
<br />
Black Hat claims he can't make it, as he has "a thing" on August 12, 2045. Events for that far in the future usually have not yet been scheduled for a precise date{{Citation needed}}, and this combined with the fact that Black Hat remembers this date without checking implies that this could be another of his grand and sinister plans... or he just doesn't want to go.<br />
<br />
The title text is someone cancelling a medical appointment to see the eclipse. The eclipse is hard to move because that would require hastening or delaying it by moving the Earth, Moon or Sun, any of which would require vast amounts of energy.{{Citation needed}} People also don't often schedule doctor's appointments decades in advance.{{Citation needed}} This was published a year before the next eclipse so, if you're someone who plans things a year in advance this serves as a reminder to put it on your calendar.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Cueball, a friend also drawn as Cueball, Danish, and Black Hat are standing together. Danish is looking at her phone.]<br />
:Cueball: ...And then after the one in 2024, there's another on August 12, 2045.<br />
:Friend: We're in! We can invite our kids, assuming we have any.<br />
:Danish: I'll create an event. Do you think we'll still be using Google Calendar in 2045?<br />
:Black Hat: Sorry, I'd love to make it, but I have a thing that day.<br />
<br />
:Caption: It's weird making plans for eclipses.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2685:_2045&diff=2967482685: 20452022-10-15T08:28:26Z<p>172.69.22.71: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2685<br />
| date = October 14, 2022<br />
| title = 2045<br />
| image = 2045_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 350x457px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = "Sorry, doctor, I'm going to have to come in on a different day--I have another appointment that would be really hard to move, in terms of the kinetic energy requirements."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a GIGANTIC NUCLEAR FURNACE (THE SUN) - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The characters are talking about upcoming total {{w|solar eclipses}}. Partial solar eclipses are fairly frequent (2–5 per year), but total eclipses are less frequent (about every 18 months), and most of them will not be in convenient locations for a particular set of people. Cueball seems to be talking about total eclipses visible in much of North America: {{w|Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024|April 8, 2024}} and {{w|Solar eclipse of August 12, 2045|August 12, 2045}}. (There's also a {{w|annular eclipse}} on October 14, 2025.) Making plans for eclipses is awkward given the uncertainty present for anything else far in the future, such as whether the attendees will have children by then, and even whether another scheduling program will catch on and replace Google Calendar.<br />
<br />
Black Hat claims he can't make it, as he has "a thing" on August 12, 2045. Events for that far in the future usually have not yet been scheduled for a precise date{{Citation needed}}, and this combined with the fact that Black Hat remembers this date without checking implies that this could be another of his grand and sinister plans... or he just doesn't want to go.<br />
<br />
The title text is someone cancelling a medical appointment to see the eclipse. The eclipse is hard to move because that would require hastening or delaying it by moving the Earth, Moon or Sun, any of which would require vast amounts of energy.{{Citation needed}} People also don't often schedule doctor's appointments decades in advance.{{Citation needed}} This was published a year before the next eclipse so, if you're someone who plans things a year in advance this serves as a reminder to put it on your calendar.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Cueball, a friend also drawn as Cueball, Danish, and Black Hat are standing together. Danish is looking at her phone.]<br />
:Cueball: ...And then after the one in 2024, there's another on August 12, 2045.<br />
:Friend: We're in! We can invite our kids, assuming we have any.<br />
:Danish: I'll create an event. Do you think we'll still be using Google Calendar in 2045?<br />
:Black Hat: Sorry, I'd love to make it, but I have a thing that day.<br />
<br />
:Caption: It's weird making plans for eclipses.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2676:_Historical_Dates&diff=295442Talk:2676: Historical Dates2022-09-24T12:59:55Z<p>172.69.22.71: GPT-3</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Source for the Excel/Lotus 123 relation with Dec 30th, 1899: https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/f1eef5fe-ef5e-4ab6-9d92-0998d3fa6e14/what-is-story-behind-december-30-1899-as-base-date?forum=accessdev<br />
[[User:Victor|Victor]] ([[User talk:Victor|talk]]) 08:14, 24 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I feel this one. My birthday happens to be within 24 hours of [[1179: ISO 8601|1970-01-01]], so I keep getting caught off guard for a moment whenever I see my birthday showing up in one of these contexts. -- [[User:KarMann|KarMann]] ([[User talk:KarMann|talk]]) 08:35, 24 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
We're going to need the date stamp format for 1890 ticker tape for this one. Anyone? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.183|172.70.214.183]] 11:59, 24 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
:MM/DD/YY, with leading zeros omitted, and no I don't know why, but I suggest Google Books Ngrams might have a clue as to when that abomination started. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.61|172.69.22.61]] 12:03, 24 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
::Not necessarily with pairs of the slash '/' _ . . _ . but also hyphens '-' _ . . . . _ and periods '.' . _ . _ . _ were used as delimiters in MM?DD?YY, which if I remember right dates to the 1500s when accounting ledgers were invented. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.207.8|172.70.207.8]] 12:10, 24 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
::::Are you with the NSA and have a data warehouse of all the ticker tapes ever sent or something? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.185|162.158.166.185]] 12:45, 24 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
:::::No, but my great grandparents thought ticker tape parades were littering, because Great Grandma worked in an office and Great Grandpa worked for sanitation, so we have a bunch of boxes in the attic filled with what she was supposed to throw out her window. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.158.75|172.71.158.75]] 12:54, 24 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
:::That would be [https://www.jstor.org/stable/40697544 1299]. But I'm not sure how this is going to help us explain the comic, unless you perhaps are suggesting we enumerate date representation clusters somehow? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.61|172.69.22.61]] 12:32, 24 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
:::: Someone should ask GPT-3 for a list of the top ten dates. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.71|172.69.22.71]] 12:59, 24 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Just putting January 2, 2006 here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/20530327/origin-of-mon-jan-2-150405-mst-2006-in-golang [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.161|172.69.22.161]] 12:28, 24 September 2022 (UTC)</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2673:_Cursed_mRNA_Cocktail&diff=2950662673: Cursed mRNA Cocktail2022-09-19T05:02:26Z<p>172.69.22.71: /* Explanation */ first try to explain cocktail - please improve!</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2673<br />
| date = September 16, 2022<br />
| title = Cursed mRNA Cocktail<br />
| image = cursed_mrna_cocktail_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 331x513px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Serve one each to guests whose last cursed cocktail was more than 2 months ago.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a VACCINE DRINKER. Do NOT drink the mRNA Cocktail. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This comic describes a recipe to approximate the molecular composition of certain {{w|mRNA}}-based vaccines, in drinkable form. It contains the variety and relative concentrations of the simple molecular constituents found in the injectable mixture. Coronavirus mRNA vaccines contain mostly water, with some mRNA, a few fats (e.g., a {{w|PEGylation|PEGylated}} lipid and cholesterol), sugar (sucrose), and {{w|tromethamine}} {{w|Buffer solution|buffer}} to stabilize pH.[https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/overview-COVID-19-vaccines.html] The cocktail contains mostly water, some sugar, fats, either an {{w|Glutamic acid|amino acid}} salt ''or'' biological and genetic material, and the other constituents of {{w|mayonnaise}}.<br />
<br />
The word cocktail in the context of drugs can mean several things, including medically designed combinations of drugs.[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161208121908.htm] That's not so far in concept from the current formulation of COVID-19 booster, which targets both the original and BA.5 variants of the virus.<br />
<br />
Like much of what we eat or drink, the stomach and intestines will neutralise much of the complexity of either the vaccines or this ersatz replica of them, reducing them to simpler components of some nutritional value. For the vaccine to work, it has been designed to be injected into the body e.g. {{w|intramuscular}}ly to bypass the hostile environment of the human digestive system. While there are similar vaccines administered as a nasal spray, the fragility of mRNA in the digestive system has curtailed the search for ingestible analogs. [[Randall]]'s replacement mixture is nontoxic, and contains water, proteins and calories, all important nutritional components. Because it doesn't contain a complete spectrum of essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals,[http://www.foodpro.huds.harvard.edu/foodpro/label.asp?locationNum=15&locationName=Dining+Hall&dtdate=5%2F8%2F2015&RecNumAndPort=051021*1] you can't live on it alone.<br />
<br />
The {{w|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)}} is the US national public health agency. They make recommendations about vaccine use. {{w|Anthony Fauci|Dr. Anthony Fauci}} has been the chief infectious disease advisor to numerous US Presidents and has often been interviewed regarding COVID-19 vaccines.<br />
<br />
The instruction to serve in {{w|shot glasses}} is a play on words, as "shot" can mean {{w|Injection (medicine)|injection}} in medicine. One {{w|Jigger (bartending)|jigger}} is only 0.19 of a cup, so the recipe serves up to five.<br />
<br />
The title text suggests the mixture can be served as a "booster" to a prior dose. The comic recommends not redosing within two months of the last attempt. The current mRNA coronavirus booster is approved for use at least 2 months after previous immunization. Too little time between doses of a vaccine may reduce benefit from the booster. However most pairs of distinct vaccines work well if delivered on the same day.{{Actual citation needed}}<br />
<br />
This comic coincided with the [https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-moderna-pfizer-biontech-bivalent-covid-19-vaccines-use widespread availability of the bivalent COVID vaccines in the US.] It's another entry in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] related to the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}}, specifically regarding the [[:Category:COVID-19 vaccine|COVID-19 vaccine]]. It was, however, almost a year since the vaccines were mentioned last in [[2532: Censored Vaccine Card]], released almost 11 month before this one, and more than 8 months since the last comic to directly feature COVID-19, which was [[2563: Throat and Nasal Passages]], that came out as the first comic in 2022. It's also another comic featuring [[:Category:Comics featuring cursed items|"cursed" items]]. Disgusting drinks served in shot glasses, and related to people with colds, as mentioned in the volume section of [[526: Converting to Metric]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:Ever wondered what it would be like to drink the new COVID booster?<br />
:This recipe approximately recreates the taste and nutritional profile!<br />
:''(Note: does not protect against COVID.)''<br />
<br />
:[The following two testimonies are displayed in spiky bubbles.]<br />
:"...What? Eww." -CDC spokesperson<br />
:"Please stop." -Dr. Anthony Fauci<br />
<br />
:<u>Ingredients</u><br />
:2 cups water<br />
:3 tbsp mayonnaise<br />
:¼ tsp MSG or nutritional yeast<br />
:1 tbsp sugar<br />
<br />
:<u>Directions</u><br />
:Pour 1 cup of water into a blender. Add the mayonnaise and MSG. Blend until smooth.<br />
:Pour the other cup of water into a glass. Add the sugar and 1 tsp of the mixture from the blender. Stir well.<br />
:Serve in shot glasses.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19 vaccine]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring cursed items]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Food]]</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2658:_Coffee_Cup_Holes&diff=292774Talk:2658: Coffee Cup Holes2022-08-14T18:27:37Z<p>172.69.22.71: Response</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
I was confused for a moment. That's a coffee ''mug''. And the correct answer is either one (the handle) or none (because below the macroscopic level (and above the theoretical sub-Planck scale of string-theory loops) it's increasingly not even mostly holes but very, very barely anything 'solid' jostling about in empty space giving no real impediment to any theoretical quantum-scale cheesewire without even being cut through). A coffee ''cup'' has no holes (regardless) if you don't count any form of sippy-lid it might have. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.13|172.70.85.13]] 22:25, 12 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Actually, the mug has two at the macro level (the hole that makes up the handle and the hole on the top). There could conceivably be more shallow holes inside the mug where the handle connects to the cup. At a plank-length level, the atoms could be viewed as holes in the vacuum bending space time around it.<br />
::You're not a topologist, certainly. And a ''hydrogen-nucleus'' is approximately 10^20 times the planck-length. The whole atom on the order of 10,000 times larger, and the constiuent quarks 'only' 1,000th, or so, smaller, with the differences being the space betweenn that anything that cares isn't going to consider much of an obstruction. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.155|172.70.162.155]] 23:43, 12 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
:There is no "hole" at the top - at best it count as an indention in the surface {{unsigned ip|172.70.211.134|23:38, 12 August 2022}}<br />
::Hole has multiple meanings. A hole in the ground doesn't have to go all the way through the Earth. The point of panel three is that we don't know what definition the question is using, which makes it impossible to answer correctly.[[User:Zzyzx|Zzyzx]] ([[User talk:Zzyzx|talk]]) 00:47, 13 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Do coffee “cups” not have handles wherever you are? Google image search shows white ceramic cups with rounded bottoms, wider than they are high, ''with round handles'' that a finger or two can pass through, on saucers; and that is indeed what I think of when I hear “coffee cup”. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_cup Wikipedia] shows similar examples in other colours and materials. In my understanding, it is entirely equivalent to a mug-with-a-handle topologically and has the same one hole. Oh, are you perhaps thinking of those cardboard cups you get from vending machines and cheap coffee shops? I wouldn’t call them “coffee cups” at all; just “paper cups”. [[User:Chortos-2|Chortos-2]] ([[User talk:Chortos-2|talk]]) 13:01, 13 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
::For my part, "wider than tall and rounded (or even very tapered)" is a cup (it cups the liquid), hence "teacup", and they mostly do have handles, whilst the shape held in the comic is a mug for being more a height-dominant cylinder (or close to it). Topologically the same, but distinct in fully-fleshed form (at least for those of either not morphologically distorted towards the other, a tall cup or a wide mug, say).<br />
::A "paper cup that coffee comes in" (or a similar re-usable "cup-for-life") that does not have a handle is, however, always a ''cup'' even if it's taller than wide, for reasons clearly more descriptivist than prescriptivist in origin. There are no "paper mugs", that I'm aware of; I know you have plastic cup-holding things that give you a (re-usable) handle to hold the thing that the cup sits in so that you don't have to grip a thin, fragile and ''very heated'' disposable/vendable cup skin-on-'skin', but that's a holder for a cup and it's still a cup that it holds.<br />
::I have no compunction in calling the comic's container a mug, based entirely upon its appearance, though obviously applying my own cultural/learnt distinctions to this. YMMV. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.171|172.69.79.171]] 19:08, 13 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Mug_and_Torus_morph.gif] [[Special:Contributions/172.70.179.4|172.70.179.4]] 23:54, 12 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
For something to be a hole, you need to consider what is capable of passing through the hole. For instance, a mesh screen might have no holes that my fingers can pass through, but it is full of holes for water or air to pass through. And while atoms might be mostly space, other atoms can't usually just pass through that space, although high-energy particles may. Also, the space can be considered filled with forces, which may act as barriers to certain things. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.171|172.70.130.171]] 00:36, 13 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Sure, for one definition of “hole.” That’s the whole point of the comic: there are multiple definitions, and no single definition is correct. [[User:Szeth Pancakes|Szeth Pancakes]] ([[User talk:Szeth Pancakes|talk]]) 01:01, 13 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Is “cup” or “mug” better for the explanation? “Mug” is a better descriptor, but it’s described as “cup” in the comic, so that would be more faithful to what Randall intended. [[User:Szeth Pancakes|Szeth Pancakes]] ([[User talk:Szeth Pancakes|talk]]) 01:25, 13 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Linguist: Zero to Two... mostly. Given linguistic variation and local functional style the object being referred to may not have a closed handle, or any handle at all (Cup vs Mug), and the top may be considered a hole in the common usage. --- [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.34|172.69.71.34]] 01:33, 13 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Part of the joke is that all five methods don't discern between a cup and a mug, the original cliché being that topologists are unusual because they don't. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.134|172.70.211.134]] 03:06, 13 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Someone should mention that part of the joke is that when the topologist says it has one hole, they're referring to the hole in the handle, while in the next panel the "normal person" assumes the one hole they mentioned is the opening and questions its validity. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.51|108.162.241.51]] 03:25, 13 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
All frames except the first and last depict a mug; a topologist most definitely discerns between a a cup and a mug because they give different answers, the "normal" person is only questioning a specific feature, and the philosopher is clearly considering a mug. If it's part of the joke the only contrast is the question. Seems way too subtle for Mr Munroes normal style. probably just what he is used to calling it. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.69.208|172.69.69.208]] 07:04, 13 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
We have a lot of visual aids for topology in this comic, and none for the article about 2625: Field Topology. That seems backwards to me.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.39|172.69.22.39]] 22:47, 13 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
:That's a good point. Please find photos of the various sports fields and edit them to overlay brightly colored and contrastive lines showing where their holes are, link to them on the admin noticeboard, and I'm sure someone will upload and add them. I think they turned off uploads by IPs and new users to discourage troll vandals. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.119|172.69.22.119]] 01:07, 14 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
In the physicist paragraph, I put an Actual Citation Needed tag after "factorial of the number of particles in the universe" because, while I see what is being got at, with string theory of force mediation e.g. photons (and gravitons? or Higgs bosons?) it would be really nice to have a reference for that topic. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 01:37, 14 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Gotchu fam [https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-02341882/document] [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.17|172.69.134.17]] 18:19, 14 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
In LQG, at each instant of time, geometry is concentrated on one dimensional structures, called graphs, which can be arbitrarily complicated. But I don't think this implies uncountable holes?<br />
<br />
<br />
Look, I know you're all having a super-important topology discussion or whatever you call it, but did you know today is ''Star Trek'' day on [[2636: What If? 2 Countdown]]? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.71|172.69.22.71]] 18:27, 14 August 2022 (UTC)</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2658:_Coffee_Cup_Holes&diff=2927232658: Coffee Cup Holes2022-08-13T13:24:57Z<p>172.69.22.71: /* Explanation */ Alternative</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2658<br />
| date = August 12, 2022<br />
| title = Coffee Cup Holes<br />
| image = coffee_cup_holes.png<br />
| titletext = Theoretical physicist: At the Planck length, uncountably many.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a CAFFEINE MOLECULE WITH A HOLE DRILLED IN ITS SIDE. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Mug and Torus morph.gif|thumb|150px|The coffee mug and donut shown in this animation both have genus one.]]<br />
<br />
This comic depicts people in different fields of study answering the question, "How many holes are there in a coffee cup?" This question can have multiple interpretations, in particular concerning the definition of a hole.<br />
<br />
[[Ponytail]], a {{w|topology|topologist}}, states the coffee cup belongs in the {{w|Genus (mathematics)#Topology|genus}} of one hole. A common joke is that topologists can't tell the difference between a coffee cup and a donut since they're homeomorphic to each other — they have the same genus. <!-- From the point of view of (reduced) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homology_(mathematics)#Informal_examples homology] (in this case also homotopy), the coffee cup has one 1 dimensional hole and no other dimensional holes. Hence.... -- Way too jargony, topology is too obscure to reasonably ask this of readers. --> From the topologist's point of view, the coffee cup definitely has one hole. See [[2625: Field Topology]] for more information about topology. <br />
<br />
[[Hairy]], a normal person is not sure (the acronym "IDK" stands for "I don't know"), and asks for clarification about whether the opening at the top counts as a hole. This shows flaws in the question, which suffers from the mathematically imprecise, ambiguous common usage of the word hole. Topologists would refer to the opening as a concavity, not a hole, and while they consider such geometrical properties generally outside their field, most practical applications of topology do involve geometrical components.{{cn}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Double torus illustration.png|thumb|150px|A genus-2 surface]]<br />
<br />
[[Hairbun]], a philosopher, answers the question with an elucidating counter-question, considering a hypothetical scenario. Drilling a new hole should increase the number of holes by one, and after the hole has been drilled, a common teacup or mug has two holes according to topologists. Since drilling a hole increases the number of holes by one, the philosopher's question requires the original questioner to reveal the answer to their own question.<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]], a chemist, looks at the cup on a molecular level, which naturally means it has lots and lots of holes: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (10<sup>21</sup> or 1 sextillion) “in the [https://chemapps.stolaf.edu/jmol/jmol.php?model=CN1C%3DNC2%3DC1C%28%3DO%29N%28C%28%3DO%29N2C%29C caffeine] alone.” The implication is that there are more in the cup itself, depending on what material it’s made out of. Also, the coffee itself could have other holes, depending on the type of coffee. For example, espresso contains significant amounts of niacin and riboflavin, each of which has at least one hole in its chemical structure. However, this ignores the fact that bonds are not discrete sticks as portrayed in many molecular models. The "holes" in the middle of a caffeine molecule are not completely empty but instead merely have lower electron densities/probabilities. In a {{w|space-filling model}}, a caffeine molecule has zero holes. So the point-cloud duality of electron orbitals and bonds might not satisfy a topologist's, normal person's, or philosopher's criteria for a connected substrate in which holes may be formed.<br />
<br />
In the title text, the theoretical physicist looks even deeper, at the subatomic scale of {{w|Planck units}}. Since fundamental particle interaction is governed by fundamental forces and collision (per the {{w|Pauli exclusion principle}}) instead of tensile or ductile solid connectedness, the theoretical physicist posits that any definition providing for a single hole would also describe a number of holes akin to the factorial of the number of particles in the universe, or at least within the cup's {{w|light cone}}, which is a number impractical to accurately count, but not uncountable in a mathematical sense.<br />
<br />
Part of the joke could be that all five methods of inquiry don't discern between a cup (as described) and a mug (as depicted), the cliché being that topologists are unusual because they don't. Or, as many people use the terms interchangeably, [[Randall]] may too.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[The first panel has text only. The "Q:" below is a large letter Q representing a question, not a character name.]<br />
:Q:<br />
:How many holes are there in a coffee cup?<br />
<br />
:[Each of the next four panels has a caption at the top to indicate the kind of person answering the question.]<br />
:Caption: Topologist<br />
:[Ponytail stands holding a coffee mug.]<br />
:Ponytail: One.<br />
<br />
:Caption: Normal person<br />
:[Hairy stands to the right of Ponytail, holding a coffee mug at an angle to look into it.]<br />
:Hairy: IDK, does the opening count as a hole?<br />
<br />
:Caption: Philosopher<br />
:[Hairbun is shown in closeup, with two drawings of coffee mugs to her left.]<br />
:Hairbun: To answer that question, consider another: If we drill a hole in the side, how many holes are there now?<br />
<br />
:Caption: Chemist<br />
:[Cueball stands with a drawing of a caffeine molecule above him and to the right.]<br />
:Cueball: 10<sup>21</sup> in the caffeine alone<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Math]]<br />
[[Category:Food]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Chemistry]]<br />
[[Category:Philosophy]]</div>172.69.22.71https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2658:_Coffee_Cup_Holes&diff=2927162658: Coffee Cup Holes2022-08-13T13:09:33Z<p>172.69.22.71: Punctuation</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2658<br />
| date = August 12, 2022<br />
| title = Coffee Cup Holes<br />
| image = coffee_cup_holes.png<br />
| titletext = Theoretical physicist: At the Planck length, uncountably many.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a CAFFEINE MOLECULE WITH A HOLE DRILLED IN ITS SIDE. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Mug and Torus morph.gif|thumb|150px|The coffee cup and donut shown in this animation both have genus one.]]<br />
<br />
This comic depicts people in different fields of study answering the question, "How many holes are there in a coffee cup?" This question can have multiple interpretations, in particular concerning the definition of a hole.<br />
<br />
[[Ponytail]], a {{w|topology|topologist}}, states the coffee cup belongs in the {{w|Genus (mathematics)#Topology|genus}} of one hole. A common joke is that topologists can't tell the difference between a coffee cup and a donut since they're homeomorphic to each other — they have the same genus. <!-- From the point of view of (reduced) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homology_(mathematics)#Informal_examples homology] (in this case also homotopy), the coffee cup has one 1 dimensional hole and no other dimensional holes. Hence.... -- Way too jargony, topology is too obscure to reasonably ask this of readers. --> From the topologist's point of view, the coffee cup definitely has one hole. See [[2625: Field Topology]] for more information about topology. <br />
<br />
[[Hairy]], a normal person is not sure (the acronym "IDK" stands for "I don't know"), and asks for clarification about whether the opening at the top counts as a hole. This shows flaws in the question, which suffers from the mathematically imprecise, ambiguous common usage of the word hole. Topologists would refer to the opening as a concavity, not a hole, and while they consider such geometrical properties generally outside their field, most practical applications of topology do involve geometrical components.{{cn}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Double torus illustration.png|thumb|150px|A genus-2 surface]]<br />
<br />
[[Hairbun]], a philosopher, answers the question with an elucidating counter-question, considering a hypothetical scenario. Drilling a new hole should increase the number of holes by one, and after the hole has been drilled, a common teacup or mug has two holes according to topologists. Since drilling a hole increases the number of holes by one, the philosopher's question requires the original questioner to reveal the answer to their own question.<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]], a chemist, looks at the cup on a molecular level, which naturally means it has lots and lots of holes: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (10<sup>21</sup> or 1 sextillion) “in the [https://chemapps.stolaf.edu/jmol/jmol.php?model=CN1C%3DNC2%3DC1C%28%3DO%29N%28C%28%3DO%29N2C%29C caffeine] alone.” The implication is that there are more in the cup itself, depending on what material it’s made out of. Also, the coffee itself could have other holes, depending on the type of coffee. For example, espresso contains significant amounts of niacin and riboflavin, each of which has at least one hole in its chemical structure. However, this ignores the fact that bonds are not discrete sticks as portrayed in many molecular models. The "holes" in the middle of a caffeine molecule are not completely empty but instead merely have lower electron densities/probabilities. In a {{w|space-filling model}}, a caffeine molecule has zero holes. So the point-cloud duality of electron orbitals and bonds might not satisfy a topologist's, normal person's, or philosopher's criteria for a connected substrate in which holes may be formed.<br />
<br />
In the title text, the theoretical physicist looks even deeper, at a subatomic level. Since fundamental particle interaction is governed by fundamental forces and collision instead of tensile or ductile solid connectedness, the theoretical physicist posits that any definition providing for a single hole would also describe a number of holes akin to the factorial of the number of particles in the universe, or at least within the cup's {{w|light cone}}, which is a number impractical to accurately count, but not uncountable in a mathematical sense.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[The first panel has text only. The "Q:" below is a large letter Q representing a question, not a character name.]<br />
:Q:<br />
:How many holes are there in a coffee cup?<br />
<br />
:[Each of the next four panels has a caption at the top to indicate the kind of person answering the question.]<br />
:Caption: Topologist<br />
:[Ponytail stands holding a coffee mug.]<br />
:Ponytail: One.<br />
<br />
:Caption: Normal person<br />
:[Hairy stands to the right of Ponytail, holding a coffee mug at an angle to look into it.]<br />
:Hairy: IDK, does the opening count as a hole?<br />
<br />
:Caption: Philosopher<br />
:[Hairbun is shown in closeup, with two drawings of coffee mugs to her left.]<br />
:Hairbun: To answer that question, consider another: If we drill a hole in the side, how many holes are there now?<br />
<br />
:Caption: Chemist<br />
:[Cueball stands with a drawing of a caffeine molecule above him and to the right.]<br />
:Cueball: 10<sup>21</sup> in the caffeine alone<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Math]]<br />
[[Category:Food]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Chemistry]]<br />
[[Category:Philosophy]]</div>172.69.22.71