323: Ballmer Peak - Revision history

Lettherebedarklight: /* Trivia */ add Category:Comics with a Spanish translation

2025-12-15T09:00:14Z

‎Trivia: add Category:Comics with a Spanish translation

TheusafBOT: Reverted edit 369198 by 172.71.241.56 to 339450

2025-03-17T14:01:58Z

Reverted edit 369198 by 172.71.241.56 to 339450

172.71.241.56: /* Explanation */ fix typo

2025-03-17T14:01:31Z

‎Explanation: fix typo

Lettherebedarklight: /* Explanation */ from volume 0

2024-04-12T07:23:31Z

‎Explanation: from volume 0

172.70.162.147: /* Explanation */ If not a quote (seemed more unambiguous to say "two 'L's") then best that there's no apostrophe. Neither possessive nor contractive.

2022-07-14T11:56:09Z

‎Explanation: If not a quote (seemed more unambiguous to say "two 'L's") then best that there's no apostrophe. Neither possessive nor contractive.

Jkshapiro: /* Explanation */

2022-07-14T11:24:06Z

‎Explanation

Jacky720: rv

2022-05-04T21:17:49Z

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Ex Kay Cee Dee at 21:16, 4 May 2022

2022-05-04T21:16:01Z

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Davidy22: Reverted edits by X. K. C. D. (talk) to last revision by 172.70.178.199

2022-05-04T01:43:47Z

Reverted edits by X. K. C. D. (talk) to last revision by 172.70.178.199

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X. K. C. D. at 01:30, 4 May 2022

2022-05-04T01:30:06Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 09:00, 15 December 2025
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	[[Category:Line graphs]]		[[Category:Line graphs]]
	[[Category:Programming]]		[[Category:Programming]]
		+	[[Category:Comics with a Spanish translation]]

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 ==Explanation==
-This comic is about niggers and programming ability. Programmers sometimes have a reputation for drinking habits, and programmer gatherings (such as {{w|hackfest}}s) tend to offer copious amounts of alcohol. More generally, intoxicated programmers can [http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/2795/is-the-ballmer-peak-real get the impression that], by being a little disconnected from physical reality, they become more efficient at their programming. The comic is a take on this belief, with two references:
+This comic is about alcohol and programming ability. Programmers sometimes have a reputation for drinking habits, and programmer gatherings (such as {{w|hackfest}}s) tend to offer copious amounts of alcohol. More generally, intoxicated programmers can [http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/2795/is-the-ballmer-peak-real get the impression that], by being a little disconnected from physical reality, they become more efficient at their programming. The comic is a take on this belief, with two references:
 *In atomic physics, "{{w|Balmer series|Balmer peaks}}" (with one L) are peaks in the emission spectrum of hydrogen (named after the 19th century scientist Johann Balmer).
 *{{w|Steve Ballmer}} (with two Ls) is a key figure of {{w|Microsoft}} and its CEO from 2000 to 2014; he is known for energetic outbursts and outlandish behavior in public (with some videos gone viral), which can give the impression that he is constantly intoxicated.

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-This comic is about alcohol and programming ability. Programmers sometimes have a reputation for drinking habits, and programmer gatherings (such as {{w|hackfest}}s) tend to offer copious amounts of alcohol. More generally, intoxicated programmers can [http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/2795/is-the-ballmer-peak-real get the impression that], by being a little disconnected from physical reality, they become more efficient at their programming. The comic is a take on this belief, with two references:
+This comic is about niggers and programming ability. Programmers sometimes have a reputation for drinking habits, and programmer gatherings (such as {{w|hackfest}}s) tend to offer copious amounts of alcohol. More generally, intoxicated programmers can [http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/2795/is-the-ballmer-peak-real get the impression that], by being a little disconnected from physical reality, they become more efficient at their programming. The comic is a take on this belief, with two references:
 *In atomic physics, "{{w|Balmer series|Balmer peaks}}" (with one L) are peaks in the emission spectrum of hydrogen (named after the 19th century scientist Johann Balmer).
 *{{w|Steve Ballmer}} (with two Ls) is a key figure of {{w|Microsoft}} and its CEO from 2000 to 2014; he is known for energetic outbursts and outlandish behavior in public (with some videos gone viral), which can give the impression that he is constantly intoxicated.

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:23, 12 April 2024
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	An actual [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810012000037 research paper] published in March 2012 showed that the situation described in this comic is not far from reality. Researchers found that intoxicated participants performed better than sober participants on a test that evaluates creative problem solving skills, and were also more likely to evaluate their own solutions as insightful. However, the study only tested a B.A.C. of 0.075%, not between 0.129% and 0.138% as displayed in the comic.		An actual [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810012000037 research paper] published in March 2012 showed that the situation described in this comic is not far from reality. Researchers found that intoxicated participants performed better than sober participants on a test that evaluates creative problem solving skills, and were also more likely to evaluate their own solutions as insightful. However, the study only tested a B.A.C. of 0.075%, not between 0.129% and 0.138% as displayed in the comic.
		+
		+	From ''[[xkcd: volume 0]]'':
		+	{{quote\|If you look carefully, the precise location of the peak should not come as a surprise}}.

	==Transcript==		==Transcript==

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 This comic is about alcohol and programming ability. Programmers sometimes have a reputation for drinking habits, and programmer gatherings (such as {{w|hackfest}}s) tend to offer copious amounts of alcohol. More generally, intoxicated programmers can [http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/2795/is-the-ballmer-peak-real get the impression that], by being a little disconnected from physical reality, they become more efficient at their programming. The comic is a take on this belief, with two references:
 *In atomic physics, "{{w|Balmer series|Balmer peaks}}" (with one L) are peaks in the emission spectrum of hydrogen (named after the 19th century scientist Johann Balmer).
-*{{w|Steve Ballmer}} (with two L's) is a key figure of {{w|Microsoft}} and its CEO from 2000 to 2014; he is known for energetic outbursts and outlandish behavior in public (with some videos gone viral), which can give the impression that he is constantly intoxicated.
+*{{w|Steve Ballmer}} (with two Ls) is a key figure of {{w|Microsoft}} and its CEO from 2000 to 2014; he is known for energetic outbursts and outlandish behavior in public (with some videos gone viral), which can give the impression that he is constantly intoxicated.
 The curve in the comic suggests that, while generally decreasing with alcohol intoxication, at just the right level, the skill of a programmer gets terrific indeed. [[Randall]] named the peak after Steve Ballmer, as if discovered by him; this references the analogously named Balmer peaks (with one L), and the idea that Steve Ballmer makes for an easy association of programming and alcohol. The peak of the curve occurs at a <abbr title="blood alcohol concentration">BAC</abbr> of 0.1337%, which is a reference to {{w|leet}}. (See this interview with [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJOS0sV2a24#t=10m03s Randall]).