Editing 136: Science Fair

{{comic
| number    = 136
| date      = August 2, 2006
| title     = Science Fair
| image     = science_fair.png
| titletext = This poster actually inspired a two-hour powerpoint presentation that Al Gore gave around the country.
}}

==Explanation==

A {{w|science fair}} involves schoolchildren doing research on a subject of their choice. The purpose is to give them hands-on experience with scientific techniques. Even so, a project based on {{w|cunnilingus}}, oral stimulation of the female genitalia for sexual enjoyment, would not likely be acceptable in a science fair, a setting that is not only public but also involving children. However, adolescents are often very curious about sex and can often misjudge what is appropriate behaviour.

Especially cute are the notations for a {{w|Function (mathematics)|function}} <code>f(t)</code>, its {{w|Fourier transform}} <code>F(ω)</code>, and its {{w|Laplace transform}} <code>ℒ(s)</code>. The section titled "Challenges in frequency domain analysis" show four graphs that may be representative of {{w|Amplitude modulation|amplitude modulation}} (variation in the depth of licking), {{w|Frequency modulation|frequency modulation}} (variation of the rate of licking), a small high frequency signal superimposed on a larger, slower one, and a periodic but non-continuous signal, perhaps a {{w|Trigonometric functions|tangent function}}. These would have more complex Fourier and Laplace transforms than a simple sinusoidal licking function.  

The title text is probably a reference to {{w|An Inconvenient Truth}}, a 94-minute documentary film where former US vice president {{w|Al Gore}} teaches the general public about the dangers of global warming. It has been included in science curricula in schools around the world, to the ire of easily bored students everywhere.

This comic was mentioned in [http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/02/25/fruit-opinions/ FRUIT OPINIONS!] on the [http://blog.xkcd.com/ Blag]. Although this comic must have been one of the more controversial, it had nothing on the impact of [[388: Fuck Grapefruit]], which was the cause of the Blag entry, as it became the most controversial comic written to that point (i.e. 2008): ''...beating out comics about cunnilingus, the Obama endorsement, and my making 4chan tiny on the map of the internet''. (See the grapefruit comic for more details).

==Transcript==
:[Text above the drawing:]
:Although it caught me by surprise at the time, looking back I understand why my senior science fair project went over as badly as it did.

:[A science fair project consisting of eight posters on three pink walls is set up for presenting such a project, so it is possible to step in between the walls to read about the project. There are two posters on both the left and the right wall, all four with unreadable text. Three of them clearly have a bolder heading at the top (still unreadable). The last to the right, which has no header, has instead some kind of drawing or formula in the middle, still unreadable.]

:[The central wall has some readable and discernible parts. The top poster is the title of the project, written in very large letters:]
:<big>The <big>Mathematics</big> of <big>Cunnilingus</big> </big> 

:[Below the title poster, there are three posters. Two of these are right below, one to the left and one to the right, and the last poster below takes up the rest of the wall. The left of the two posters next to each other has a table with three rows and three columns. The text in each box is unreadable, but some of the text seems to be formulas though. Above the three columns, there are readable legends:]
:f(t);&nbsp;&nbsp; F(ω);&nbsp;&nbsp; ℒ(s)

:[The next poster to the right shows a drawing of female genitalia with the clitoris and both sets of Labia shown. It is displayed on a chart with X and Y axes with ticks (but no labels), and there is a box with three lines of unreadable text/legends.]

:[The last poster at the bottom of the central panel shows four line graphs with what looks like modulated signals or other time-domain signals or functions. These are displayed in two rows/columns to the left. To the right of these, there is a readable heading, and below that is more unreadable text:]
:Challenges in frequency-domain analysis

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Sex]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Line graphs]]