Talk:3228: Day Counter - Revision history

Eunakria: Addendum to my earlier question about the origin of the -0.0[...]017 thing

2026-04-09T23:56:29Z

Addendum to my earlier question about the origin of the -0.0[...]017 thing

81.179.199.253 at 22:49, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T22:49:11Z

Qprz: short ref. to Astronomical Year Numbering

2026-04-07T20:35:49Z

short ref. to Astronomical Year Numbering

Cream Starlight: suggesting correction stuff

2026-04-07T10:34:36Z

suggesting correction stuff

82.13.184.33 at 08:50, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T08:50:38Z

82.13.184.33 at 08:49, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T08:49:03Z

Eunakria at 22:39, 6 April 2026

2026-04-06T22:39:42Z

Qprz: Off-by-one error in the main explanation.

2026-04-06T14:20:26Z

Off-by-one error in the main explanation.

57.140.28.54 at 13:57, 6 April 2026

2026-04-06T13:57:58Z

82.132.239.70: Really need a better way of saying "when you're not ignoring the positive/nature of the number, and treating ±0 as the baseline"... But shorter than that, and not at all misusable/misunderstandable.

2026-04-06T13:05:31Z

Really need a better way of saying "when you're not ignoring the positive/nature of the number, and treating ±0 as the baseline"... But shorter than that, and not at all misusable/misunderstandable.

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:56, 9 April 2026
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	What is the source of the claim that the original version of the comic has -0.0[...]017? If anyone has a copy of that version, it belongs in a "Trivia" section. Until then, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence... [[User:Eunakria\|Eunakria]] ([[User talk:Eunakria\|talk]]) 22:39, 6 April 2026 (UTC)		What is the source of the claim that the original version of the comic has -0.0[...]017? If anyone has a copy of that version, it belongs in a "Trivia" section. Until then, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence... [[User:Eunakria\|Eunakria]] ([[User talk:Eunakria\|talk]]) 22:39, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
		+
		+	:Hmm. I'm starting to believe actually that this was just entirely erroneous. All edits pertaining to the value of -0.0[...]017 were made by [[User:GSLikesCats307]] who has made a number of small edits with no descriptions, which is a little difficult to sort through. Relevant diffs:
		+	:*The [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3228:_Day_Counter&diff=prev&oldid=409525 original edit] transcribing the comic as reading -0.0[...]017, made minutes after an [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:day_counter_2x.png image] of the comic was uploaded to the wiki containing the figure -0.0[...]044
		+	:*The [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3228:_Day_Counter&diff=prev&oldid=409529 edit] where the transcript was corrected
		+	:*The [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3228:_Day_Counter&diff=prev&oldid=409558 edit] making the claim that the comic originally had the figure -0.0[...]017
		+	:Can anyone other than [[User:GSLikesCats307]] attest to this? Or, for that matter, can [[User:GSLikesCats307]] provide an archived copy of the original image? Otherwise, I'm inclined to believe the claim should be removed.
		+	:[[User:Eunakria\|Eunakria]] ([[User talk:Eunakria\|talk]]) 23:56, 9 April 2026 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:49, 7 April 2026
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	:...I think year 0 technically ''does not exist''?? [[User:Cream Starlight\|Cream Starlight]] ([[User talk:Cream Starlight\|talk]]) 10:34, 7 April 2026 (UTC)		:...I think year 0 technically ''does not exist''?? [[User:Cream Starlight\|Cream Starlight]] ([[User talk:Cream Starlight\|talk]]) 10:34, 7 April 2026 (UTC)
	:: Year 0 exists in [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_year_numbering Astronomical Year Numbering]]. Astronomer count years -1, 0, 1, 2 while historian 2BC, 1BC, 1CE, 2CE (BC is Before Christ, CE is Common Era). [[User:Qprz\|Qprz]] ([[User talk:Qprz\|talk]]) 20:35, 7 April 2026 (UTC)		:: Year 0 exists in [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_year_numbering Astronomical Year Numbering]]. Astronomer count years -1, 0, 1, 2 while historian 2BC, 1BC, 1CE, 2CE (BC is Before Christ, CE is Common Era). [[User:Qprz\|Qprz]] ([[User talk:Qprz\|talk]]) 20:35, 7 April 2026 (UTC)
		+	:::If you're using "Common Era", you're probably also using "Before the Common Era", too, you know. If you're still using "Anno Domini", ''then'' it's "Before Christ". (With an alternative CE/BCE notation talking of (Before) the ''Christian'' Era, recognising the non-secular basis but with still maintaining a more secular/unaffiliated approach. They're all the same, in the long-run, but you might as well be consistant. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253\|81.179.199.253]] 22:49, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

@@ Line 68: / Line 68: @@
 [[User:Qprz|Qprz]] ([[User talk:Qprz|talk]]) 12:59, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
 :...I think year 0 technically ''does not exist''?? [[User:Cream Starlight|Cream Starlight]] ([[User talk:Cream Starlight|talk]]) 10:34, 7 April 2026 (UTC)
 <Skeletor Voice>Remember! When a company celebrates 365 days since an incident, they are celebrating the anniversary of said incident. ...Until we meet again!</Skeletor Voice> [[Special:Contributions/57.140.28.54|57.140.28.54]] 13:57, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:34, 7 April 2026
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	[[User:Qprz\|Qprz]] ([[User talk:Qprz\|talk]]) 12:59, 6 April 2026 (UTC)		[[User:Qprz\|Qprz]] ([[User talk:Qprz\|talk]]) 12:59, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
		+	:...I think year 0 technically ''does not exist''?? [[User:Cream Starlight\|Cream Starlight]] ([[User talk:Cream Starlight\|talk]]) 10:34, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

	<Skeletor Voice>Remember! When a company celebrates 365 days since an incident, they are celebrating the anniversary of said incident. ...Until we meet again!</Skeletor Voice> [[Special:Contributions/57.140.28.54\|57.140.28.54]] 13:57, 6 April 2026 (UTC)		<Skeletor Voice>Remember! When a company celebrates 365 days since an incident, they are celebrating the anniversary of said incident. ...Until we meet again!</Skeletor Voice> [[Special:Contributions/57.140.28.54\|57.140.28.54]] 13:57, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 This comic was published during NASA's Artemis II moon mission. Could Cueball seeming to be floating above his chair be a reference to null gravity? [[User:PDesbeginner|PDesbeginner]] ([[User talk:PDesbeginner|talk]]) 17:12, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
 My guess is that irrational numbers have "infinite digits" in any base, but my math education is not good enough even to know how to start to prove it, an informal confirmation would be appreciated. [[Special:Contributions/5.91.22.162|5.91.22.162]] 22:14, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
@@ Line 31: / Line 33: @@
 If anyone's wondering, it appears that they made it roughly 5,879 millennia, six centuries, and one decade without an integer overflow error. [[User:DL Draco Rex|DL Draco Rex]] ([[User talk:DL Draco Rex|talk]]) 19:34, 5 April 2026 (UTC)
 :...I rather think it means that it will be that long until they ''aren't'' having one. ;) [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 21:08, 5 April 2026 (UTC)
 I agree with [[User:DL Draco Rex|DL Draco Rex]]: they started a 32 bit signed integer counter on -5877585-09-23 of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proleptic_Gregorian_calendar#  proleptic Gregorian calendar], so that the counter goes

@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 The computation above is exact with respect of the Gregorian calendar rules, not approximate.
-Concerns about changes in the length of day (LOD) due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_acceleration tidal braking]] are not relevant here, since the Gregorian Calendar counts days, irrespective of their measured length in SI seconds. What matters is the discrepancy between the mean Gregorian year with respect to mean tropical year, which is also slowly changing. This discrepancy will require a calendar reform if the vernal equinox is to be kept close to the current date (March 21), in about 1200 years, see [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year#Calendar_year Calendar Year]]. But the Gregorian Calendar is strictly algoritmical, not observational, so its extrapolation in a distant future is legitimate.
+Concerns about changes in the length of day (LOD) due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_acceleration tidal braking]] are not relevant here, since the Gregorian Calendar counts days, irrespective of their measured length in SI seconds. What matters is the discrepancy between the mean Gregorian year with respect to mean tropical year, which is also slowly changing. This discrepancy will require a calendar reform if the vernal equinox is to be kept close to the current date (March 21), in about 1200 years, see [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year#Calendar_year Calendar Year]]. But the Gregorian Calendar is strictly algoritmical, not observational, so its extrapolation in a distant future is legitimate. [[User:Qprz|Qprz]] ([[User talk:Qprz|talk]]) 14:20, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
 What is the source of the claim that the original version of the comic has -0.0[...]017? If anyone has a copy of that version, it belongs in a "Trivia" section. Until then, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence... [[User:Eunakria|Eunakria]] ([[User talk:Eunakria|talk]]) 22:39, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:39, 6 April 2026
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	[[User:Qprz\|Qprz]] ([[User talk:Qprz\|talk]]) 14:20, 6 April 2026 (UTC)		[[User:Qprz\|Qprz]] ([[User talk:Qprz\|talk]]) 14:20, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
		+
		+	What is the source of the claim that the original version of the comic has -0.0[...]017? If anyone has a copy of that version, it belongs in a "Trivia" section. Until then, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence... [[User:Eunakria\|Eunakria]] ([[User talk:Eunakria\|talk]]) 22:39, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:20, 6 April 2026
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	<Skeletor Voice>Remember! When a company celebrates 365 days since an incident, they are celebrating the anniversary of said incident. ...Until we meet again!</Skeletor Voice> [[Special:Contributions/57.140.28.54\|57.140.28.54]] 13:57, 6 April 2026 (UTC)		<Skeletor Voice>Remember! When a company celebrates 365 days since an incident, they are celebrating the anniversary of said incident. ...Until we meet again!</Skeletor Voice> [[Special:Contributions/57.140.28.54\|57.140.28.54]] 13:57, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
		+
		+	BTW there is an off-by-one error in the sentence
		+
		+	:2,147,483,647 days from the comic's date of publication (April 3rd, 2026) is approximately October 12th of the year 5,881,636.
		+
		+	According to numpy datetime64 we have
		+
		+	<pre>
		+	>>> np.datetime64('2026-04-03', 'D') + 2147483647
		+	np.datetime64('5881636-10-11')
		+	</pre>
		+
		+	so I would rather say "2,147,483,647 days from the comic's date of publication (April 3rd, 2026) is October ''11th'' of the year 5,881,636 of the Gregorian calendar".
		+
		+	The computation above is exact with respect of the Gregorian calendar rules, not approximate.
		+	Concerns about changes in the length of day (LOD) due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_acceleration tidal braking]] are not relevant here, since the Gregorian Calendar counts days, irrespective of their measured length in SI seconds. What matters is the discrepancy between the mean Gregorian year with respect to mean tropical year, which is also slowly changing. This discrepancy will require a calendar reform if the vernal equinox is to be kept close to the current date (March 21), in about 1200 years, see [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_year#Calendar_year Calendar Year]]. But the Gregorian Calendar is strictly algoritmical, not observational, so its extrapolation in a distant future is legitimate.
		+
		+	[[User:Qprz\|Qprz]] ([[User talk:Qprz\|talk]]) 14:20, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

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	[[User:Qprz\|Qprz]] ([[User talk:Qprz\|talk]]) 12:59, 6 April 2026 (UTC)		[[User:Qprz\|Qprz]] ([[User talk:Qprz\|talk]]) 12:59, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
		+
		+	<Skeletor Voice>Remember! When a company celebrates 365 days since an incident, they are celebrating the anniversary of said incident. ...Until we meet again!</Skeletor Voice> [[Special:Contributions/57.140.28.54\|57.140.28.54]] 13:57, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 :"Greater" and "lesser" work like that (with -1 being greater than -2), but "larger" and "smaller" are more ambiguous, and often refer to the absolute value. [[Special:Contributions/192.112.253.21|192.112.253.21]] 02:58, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
 ::One generally would not describe −0.00000000000000044 as "large" (rather than "larger", in direct comparison), except maybe in the implicit context of numbers that routinely are orders of magnitude less (in absolute terms) ''or'' are consistently more negative (e.g. zero is an ''upper'' limit and one or other of -0.5, -5 or -5,000,000 could be more typical value).
-::In the context of natural numbers, it is "small" in the grand scheme of things (or 'extremely middling', on a non-absolute basis, given how close to zero it is), especially given the implied floating precision which might suggest that 44,000,000,000,000,000 (or something not too disimilar to it — same {{w|significand}}, as above, but the most positive version of the base-exponent, not the nost negative) is another possible stored value that can be represented. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.239.70|82.132.239.70]] 12:58, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
+::In the context of natural numbers, it is "small" in the grand scheme of things (or 'extremely middling', on a signum-observing basis, given how close to zero it is), especially given the implied floating precision which might suggest that 44,000,000,000,000,000 (or something not too disimilar to it — same {{w|significand}}, as above, but the most positive version of the base-exponent, not the nost negative) is another possible stored value that can be represented. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.239.70|82.132.239.70]] 12:58, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
 Considering how close to April Fools this comic is, it could be a remnant of such a prank that they haven't bothered to clean up yet. [[Special:Contributions/2001:1C02:1A9D:9700:A420:F4F:966C:167E|2001:1C02:1A9D:9700:A420:F4F:966C:167E]] 16:32, 4 April 2026 (UTC)