Editing 2713: Data Point

Jump to: navigation, search

Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.

The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision Your text
Line 3: Line 3:
 
| date      = December 19, 2022
 
| date      = December 19, 2022
 
| title    = Data Point
 
| title    = Data Point
−
| image    = data_point.png
+
| image    = data_point_2x.png
 
| imagesize = 315x409px
 
| imagesize = 315x409px
 
| noexpand  = true
 
| noexpand  = true
Line 9: Line 9:
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
==Explanation==  
+
==Explanation==
−
When scientific measurements are made, the conclusions are almost always based on many data points observed in relation to each other. The comic jokes that a single data point can somehow be of such interest in isolation that the other data may be disregarded. In reality, a single datum can almost never represent what the information in the related data taken together indicate.  
+
{{incomplete|Created by a REALLY COOL DATA POINT. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
  
−
[[Randall]]'s caption states that a figure illustrating a single datum thus constitutes a "science power move." (Similarly to the [[:Category:Science tip|science tips]] of previous comics.)
+
When scientific measurements are made, any conclusions are based on multiple data points observed in relation to each other. The joke being that a single data point can almost never represent what the information in all the data taken together indicate.  
  
−
This is most likely intended as facetious satire, because the purpose of a chart or graph figure is to present multiple data which would be less clear as tabular or textual data, so there is rarely any reason to devote a figure to a single datum, regardless of its importance. The canonical counterexample is presentation of [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123971609000059 the mean of a group of measurements]. ([https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/3-s2.0-B9780123971609000059-f05-01-9780123971609.jpg Figure here] — note the point's specular reflection indicating 3-D.) A less common counterexample might be when an interesting singular {{w|matrix decomposition}} such as an {{w|eigenvector}} is characterized, but this would only occur when such a datum is highly dimensional. It also could be a joke about papers which only highlight particularly interesting or significant data without including the background measurements or similar mundane information necessary to fully understand or reproduce the findings. While there are [https://www.aje.com/en/arc/data-not-shown-4-reasons-omit-figure-or-table/ accepted reasons for this practice], it can be annoying when trying to follow an otherwise useful procedure or comparing aspects of the results the authors did not anticipate.
+
This is possibly a joke about papers which only highlight particularly interesting or significant data without including the background measurements or similar mundane information necessary to fully understand or reproduce the findings. While there are [https://www.aje.com/en/arc/data-not-shown-4-reasons-omit-figure-or-table/ accepted reasons for this practice] it can be particularly annoying when trying to follow an otherwise useful procedure or comparing aspects of the results the authors did not anticipate.
  
−
The title text suggests relegating all the other data to supplementary materials, presumably to avoid detracting from the single "cool" datum.
+
The title text suggests including the remaining data in supplemental materials.
 +
 
 +
In this case the data point looks like a Tie Fighter flying at you from the direction of the Sun. This is so cool that the entire focus of the scientific paper should be on this figure alone, as stated in the caption, that gives a Science Power Move. (Similar to a Science Tip).
 +
 
 +
The title text mentions than in general you should always only include the best data point in the scientific paper. All other data can then be relegated to the section on supplementary materials.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
 +
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
  
−
:[A graph is shown. There are regularly spaced unreadable labels along both axes. In the center there is a single data point with short symmetrical vertical error bars. The graph is dominated by a round white center behind the point from where brilliant white lines emanate out radially in all directions, filling most of the background area, and looking like a star or the sun. Beneath the graph there are two lines of unreadable caption text to the left, next to a rectangular legend box on the right with one dot, indicating the data point, and an unreadable label. Above the graph it is titled:]
+
Figure 2.
  
−
:Figure 2.
+
[A large graph with axis labels and a legend is shown containing a single plotted data point in the center, with small, symmetrical, vertical error bars, and a huge halo aura of brilliant light rays emanating out from it and filling the vast majority of the graph's area.]
  
−
:[Caption beneath the panel:]
+
Science power move: When one of your data points is really cool, devote a whole figure to it.
−
:Science power move: When one of your data points is really cool, devote a whole figure to it.
 
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
−
 
 
[[Category:Science]]
 
[[Category:Science]]
−
[[Category:Scientific research]]
 

Please note that all contributions to explain xkcd may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see explain xkcd:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!

To protect the wiki against automated edit spam, we kindly ask you to solve the following CAPTCHA:

Cancel | Editing help (opens in new window)

Templates used on this page:

Retrieved from "https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2713:_Data_Point"