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{{comic | {{comic | ||
| number = 54 | | number = 54 | ||
| − | | date = January 18, 2006 | + | | date = January 18, 2006 |
| title = Science | | title = Science | ||
| − | |||
| image = science.jpg | | image = science.jpg | ||
| − | | titletext = Bonus points if you can identify the science in question | + | | titletext = Bonus points if you can identify the science in question |
}} | }} | ||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | + | The solid line represents the theoretical {{w|blackbody radiation|radiation for a blackbody}} at 2.73 K according to {{w|Planck's Law}} (derived as early as 1900 by {{w|Max Planck}}). The formula, almost as written in the graph, can be found {{w|Black-body radiation#Planck's law of black-body radiation|here}}. The only changes are that on Wikipedia, the frequency f is represented by the Greek letter ν (nu) and the temperature T is included as an independent variable, so I(f) becomes I(v,T). However, I(v,T) still represents the {{w|Radiance#Spectral radiance|spectral radiance}} (similar to energy density). In this formula, h is the Planck constant, c is the speed of light in a vacuum, and k is the Boltzmann constant. The frequency (f or v) along the x-axis is measured in {{w|GHz}} (Giga (or billion) Hertz). The curve peaks at 160.4 GHz. There is no scale or unit on the {{w|energy density}} on the y-axis. | |
| − | |||
| − | The solid line represents the theoretical {{w|blackbody radiation|radiation for a blackbody}} at 2.73 | ||
The theory is that the blackbody in question was the universe at the point when it had cooled down enough {{w|Decoupling (cosmology)|to allow photons to escape}}, {{w|Chronology of the universe|0.38 million years}} into its {{w|Big Bang|13.8 billion years}} history. The photons that reach us today are the ones that have been travelling to us at lightspeed since then. As the light from astronomical objects suffers from {{w|redshift}} due to the expansion of the universe, and this shift becomes more pronounced with distance from the observer, this light displays in the infrared range. | The theory is that the blackbody in question was the universe at the point when it had cooled down enough {{w|Decoupling (cosmology)|to allow photons to escape}}, {{w|Chronology of the universe|0.38 million years}} into its {{w|Big Bang|13.8 billion years}} history. The photons that reach us today are the ones that have been travelling to us at lightspeed since then. As the light from astronomical objects suffers from {{w|redshift}} due to the expansion of the universe, and this shift becomes more pronounced with distance from the observer, this light displays in the infrared range. | ||
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The title text praises viewers who can identify where this equation and corresponding graph come from (without consulting this wiki, of course). | The title text praises viewers who can identify where this equation and corresponding graph come from (without consulting this wiki, of course). | ||
| − | ===T-shirt explanation=== | + | ===Official T-shirt explanation=== |
| − | This comic was made into a T-shirt | + | This comic was made into a T-shirt. [http://store-xkcd-com.myshopify.com/products/science-works xkcd stores]. |
| − | <!-- DO NOT CORRECT This is a copy paste from xkcd with errors.--> | + | |
| − | + | On the xkcd store, there is both an '''explanation for the title:''' | |
| − | <!-- DO NOT CORRECT --> | + | <!-- Begin Quote DO NOT CORRECT This is a copy paste from xkcd with errors.--> |
| − | <!-- DO NOT CORRECT This is a copy paste from xkcd with errors.--> | + | Science: We finally figured out that you could separate fact from superstition by a completely radical method: observation. You can try things, measure them, and see how they work! {{w|Bitch (insult)|Bitches}}. |
| − | + | <!-- End Quote DO NOT CORRECT --> | |
| − | + | ||
| + | And specifically an '''explanation for the graph:''' | ||
| + | <!-- Begin Quote DO NOT CORRECT This is a copy paste from xkcd with errors.--> | ||
| + | The graph on the back of the shirt is data from the {{w|COBE|COBE mission}} which looked at the background microwave glow of the universe and found that it fit perfectly with the idea that the universe used to be really hot everywhere. This strongly reinforced the Big Bang theory and was one of the most dramatic examples of an experiment agreeing with a theory in history -- the data points fit perfectly, with error bars too small to draw on the graph. It's one of the most triumphant scientific results in history. | ||
| + | <!-- End Quote DO NOT CORRECT --> | ||
| + | |||
| + | The above is a direct copy paste, with errors. The current wiki page of the COBE mission can be found at {{w|Cosmic Background Explorer|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Background_Explorer}} | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
| − | :[A graph with a curve that begins at zero, then peaks at a given frequency, indicated via a thin vertical line, and then fades down towards zero. It is possible to see the data | + | :[A graph with a curve that begins at zero, then peaks at a given frequency, indicated via a thin vertical line, and then fades down towards zero. It is possible to see the data point, which the curve fits perfectly. The y-axis is labeled. Along the x-axis, the zero point and the frequency where the peak has its maximum are labeled and close to the arrow the unit of this axis is written.] |
:y-axis: Energy Density | :y-axis: Energy Density | ||
:Along the x-axis: | :Along the x-axis: | ||
| Line 40: | Line 43: | ||
==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
| − | * | + | *This was the 48th comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]]. |
| − | + | **The previous was [[50: Penny Arcade]]. | |
| + | **The next was [[51: Malaria]]. | ||
| + | *This comic kept its original title: "Science" | ||
| + | **It is part of the last six comics on LiveJournal that all had a title without the word "Drawing" in it. | ||
| + | **Five of these had exactly the same title on both sites. | ||
| + | **Only 11 comics have the same title on both sites. | ||
| + | **Apart from the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|thirteen first comics]] posted to LiveJournal, there were only three other comics without the word "Drawing" in the title before these last six. | ||
| + | *Original [[Randall]] quote: "Bonus points if you can identify the science in question." | ||
| + | **Only difference between this and the title text on xkcd is the last period: "." | ||
| + | **It is rare that these two texts are so similar. | ||
| + | *This comic was one of the last 11 comics posted on LiveJournal. | ||
| + | **These 11 comics were [[:Category:Posted on LiveJournal after xkcd|posted both on LiveJournal and xkcd]] after the [[xkcd]] site opened on the 1st of January 2006. | ||
| + | **The first six comics were posted on both sites on the same day. But not this one. | ||
| + | *For some reason, this comic was first posted a week later on xkcd (25 January 2006), on the day that [[53: Hobby]] was released on LiveJournal. | ||
| + | **On the day 54: Science was released on LiveJournal (18 January 2006), another comic ([[51: Malaria]]) was released on xkcd. | ||
| + | **[[51: Malaria]] also became the next comic released on LiveJournal, but this meant that three comics in a row were posted a release day earlier on xkcd than on LiveJournal. | ||
| + | **Only with the last comic released on LiveJournal, [[55: Useless]], did the two sites release the same comic on the same day again. | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Comics posted on livejournal| 48]] |
| − | [[Category:Posted on LiveJournal after xkcd | + | [[Category:Posted on LiveJournal after xkcd]] |
[[Category:Line graphs]] | [[Category:Line graphs]] | ||
| − | |||
[[Category:Math]] | [[Category:Math]] | ||
[[Category:Physics]] | [[Category:Physics]] | ||
[[Category:Science]] | [[Category:Science]] | ||
| − | |||
