Editing 1935: 2018
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{{comic | {{comic | ||
| number = 1935 | | number = 1935 | ||
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | In this | + | In this comic, [[Megan]] is bizarrely incredulous about basic arithmetic. The dialogue contains several outrageous and blatantly false assertions; we do in fact know that 2018 is ''not'' a leap year, it is easy to accurately determine without guessing that 2018 is evenly divisible by 4 (it's not), and 2018 is not by any stretch a large number when compared to the several-hundred-digit numbers used in modern cryptography. [[Cueball]] seems to be the voice of reason, yet can't seem to formulate a counter-argument against her aggressively stupid statements. |
− | The last panel expresses a misunderstanding of modern | + | The last panel expresses a misunderstanding of modern cryptography. Modern cryptography relies on the fact that it is extremely difficult and resource-intensive for even top-of-the-line computer farms to factorize large numbers, on the order of hundreds or thousands of digits; moreover, the challenge lies in finding prime factors that themselves are dozens or hundreds of digits long. It is trivial for a human to determine whether an arbitrarily large number is evenly divisible by 4; only the last two digits affect the result. Factoring any four-digit number is also simple, if potentially slightly more time-consuming. |
− | At the end of the strip, Megan hopes the answer can be | + | At the end of the strip, Megan hopes the answer can be brute-forced by February. Brute force is a method of breaking cryptography by trying every possible option until one works; this is clearly overkill for something as simple as determining whether 2018 is a leap year (which, we'll reiterate, it is not). |
− | The | + | The Gregorian Calendar's leap year system is far from the most complex subject in the world. Leap years occur every four years, adding an extra day to account for the fact that Earth takes a bit longer than 365 days to orbit the Sun. The only exception to the above rule is that, when the year is divisible by 100 but not by 400, it is not a leap year (therefore the years 2100, 2200, 2300, 2500, etc. will not be leap years). With the current state of medical technology, very few humans will encounter the above issue more than once in their lives, and no humans will encounter it more than twice, so it is hardly a great source of confusion for any given person. |
− | + | The title text contains the bewilderingly idiotic allegation that determining the date of Christmas each year is a resource-intensive group effort. This is especially ludicrous, because {{w|Christmas|Christmas Day always falls on December 25th}}, and this knowledge would not have to be rediscovered each year only to be forgotten the next. Moreover, Megan suggests that the effort to discover Christmas Day lasts until Christmas Day itself; this would imply that Megan is incapable of realizing that Christmas is approaching until the day that it happens. Woe to any friends and family that expect to receive gifts from her. | |
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+ | Released on Friday, December 29, this is the last comic of 2017. The next scheduled comic will be on New Year's Day of 2018. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
+ | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | ||
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:Megan: I wonder if 2018 will be a leap year. | :Megan: I wonder if 2018 will be a leap year. | ||
− | + | :Cueball: ... It won't be, right? | |
− | :Cueball: ... | ||
:Megan: I doubt anyone knows at this point. | :Megan: I doubt anyone knows at this point. | ||
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:Cueball: No, it's definitely not. Leap years are divisible by 4. | :Cueball: No, it's definitely not. Leap years are divisible by 4. | ||
:Megan: Right, and for odd numbers, that's easy. | :Megan: Right, and for odd numbers, that's easy. | ||
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:Megan: 50/50 chance. | :Megan: 50/50 chance. | ||
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:Cueball: I can settle this with a calculator. | :Cueball: I can settle this with a calculator. | ||
:Megan: No way. If it were easy to factor large numbers like that, modern cryptography would collapse. | :Megan: No way. If it were easy to factor large numbers like that, modern cryptography would collapse. | ||
:Cueball: I see. | :Cueball: I see. | ||
:Megan: I just hope we manage to brute-force it by February. | :Megan: I just hope we manage to brute-force it by February. | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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