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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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{{incomplete|Created by a BOT THAT OWNS 1200 BALLOONS - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
 
In popular music, a {{w|supergroup (music)|supergroup}} is a musical group formed by collaboration of existing solo artists and members of other musical groups.
 
In popular music, a {{w|supergroup (music)|supergroup}} is a musical group formed by collaboration of existing solo artists and members of other musical groups.
  
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This comic shows a marquee announcing a concert by a supergroup formed from members of 10 musical groups whose names all begin with a number. The name of the supergroup is the sum of all those numbers, 176, followed by the names of the original groups without their numbers. It's reasonable to estimate that there could be up to 32 members of the supergroup (see [[#band_member_numbers|below]]).
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This comic shows a marquee announcing a concert by a supergroup formed from members of 10 musical groups whose names all begin with a number. The name of the supergroup is the sum of all those numbers, followed by the names of the original groups without their numbers. It's reasonable to estimate that there could be around 32 members of the supergroup (see below).
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The title text indicates that there's a song that's a {{w|medley (music)|medley}} or {{w|mashup (music)|mashup}} of songs whose titles begin with numbers. The title of this "supersong" is similarly formed by adding the numbers and following with the rest of all the titles.
  
 
Musical groups mentioned in the comic:
 
Musical groups mentioned in the comic:
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* {{w|Nine Inch Nails}}
 
* {{w|Nine Inch Nails}}
 
* {{w|OneRepublic}}
 
* {{w|OneRepublic}}
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* {{w|One Direction}}
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* {{w|One Direction}} (now disbanded)
 
* {{w|Thirty Seconds to Mars}}
 
* {{w|Thirty Seconds to Mars}}
  
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Sum: 21 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 100 + 3 + 9 + 1 + 1 + 30 = 176
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Sum: [https://www.google.com/search?q=21+%2B+5+%2B+4+%2B+2+%2B+100+%2B+3+%2B+9+%2B+1+%2B+1+%2B+30+%3D+176&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1073US1073&oq=21+%2B+5+%2B+4+%2B+2+%2B+100+%2B+3+%2B+9+%2B+1+%2B+1+%2B+30+%3D+176&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBBzM0MWowajmoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on 21 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 100 + 3 + 9 + 1 + 1 + 30 = 176]
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It should be noted that this summation, taken literally, is mathematically wrong, as it not only adds numbers with different units and dimensionality (eg, pilots are not the same dimensionality as seconds), but one of the summands (3 in 3 Doors Down) is an ordinal number and another (9 in Nine Inch Nails) is part of an adjective phrase, which is analogous to saying that four metres and one metre cubed add up to seven metres.
 
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The title text indicates that this supergroup performs a {{w|medley (music)|medley}} or {{w|mashup (music)|mashup}} of songs whose titles begin with numbers. The title of this "supersong" is similarly formed by adding the numbers and following with the rest of all the titles. Notably, none of the referenced songs were written by any of the referenced artists.
 
  
 
Songs mentioned in the title text:
 
Songs mentioned in the title text:
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* {{w|A Thousand Miles}} (by {{w|Vanessa Carlton}}). Other songs titled "{{w|1000 Miles}}" or "Thousand Miles" also exist.
 
* {{w|A Thousand Miles}} (by {{w|Vanessa Carlton}}). Other songs titled "{{w|1000 Miles}}" or "Thousand Miles" also exist.
  
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Sum: 99 + 101 + 1000 = 1200
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Sum: [https://www.google.com/search?q=99+%2B+101+%2B+1000+%3D+1200&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1073US1073&oq=99+%2B+101+%2B+1000+%3D+1200&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBBzcyNGowajmoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on 99 + 101 + 1000 = 1200]
  
 
"{{w|I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)}}" by {{w|the Proclaimers}} is about walking "500 miles, and [...] 500 more", therefore a thousand miles in total. There are two more songs titled (or known as) {{w|500 Miles (disambiguation)|"500 Miles"}}, by Hedy West and Tori Amos, which could be added up to replace "A Thousand Miles" (or "1000 Miles") in the tally as well.
 
"{{w|I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)}}" by {{w|the Proclaimers}} is about walking "500 miles, and [...] 500 more", therefore a thousand miles in total. There are two more songs titled (or known as) {{w|500 Miles (disambiguation)|"500 Miles"}}, by Hedy West and Tori Amos, which could be added up to replace "A Thousand Miles" (or "1000 Miles") in the tally as well.
  
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<span id="band_member_numbers">The supergroup could have 32 members:</span>
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The supergroup could have 32 members:
 
* Twenty One Pilots: This band has 2 members, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun.
 
* Twenty One Pilots: This band has 2 members, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun.
 
* 5 Seconds of Summer: There are 4 members in this band, including Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood, and Ashton Irwin.
 
* 5 Seconds of Summer: There are 4 members in this band, including Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood, and Ashton Irwin.
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* Thirty Seconds to Mars: This band has had various lineups but is centered around Jared Leto and Shannon Leto, with other members joining and leaving at different times.
 
* Thirty Seconds to Mars: This band has had various lineups but is centered around Jared Leto and Shannon Leto, with other members joining and leaving at different times.
  
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Sum: 2 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 5 + 2 + 5 + 4 + 2 = 32
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Sum: [https://www.google.com/search?q=2+%2B+4+%2B+4+%2B+2+%2B+2+%2B+5+%2B+2+%2B+5+%2B+4+%2B+2+%3D+32&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1073US1073&oq=2+%2B+4+%2B+4+%2B+2+%2B+2+%2B+5+%2B+2+%2B+5+%2B+4+%2B+2+%3D+32&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggAEEUYOzIGCAAQRRg7MgYIARBFGDwyBggCEEUYPNIBBzk0MmowajmoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on 2 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 5 + 2 + 5 + 4 + 2 = 32]
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These counts mostly reflect the bands' most well-known lineups and may vary with time due to changes in membership or the band's status. Combined groups may feature {{w|McBusted|fewer than}} the sum of their original memberships, even down to just single musicians/vocalists coming from any or all of their prior collaborations. On the other hand, especially for {{w|Charity supergroup|worthy causes}}, it is possible that groups with {{w|List of Hawkwind band members#Members|many changing lineups}} could perhaps rustle up far more members than they ever had at a given time, never mind any prominent artists who may guest-star in their own right. It is unclear whether the band names would be pro rated in these circumstances (for example, if only one of 100 gecs joined the supergroup, would they only count for 50?).
 
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=== Potential connection to mathematical supergroups ===
 
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Randall may be making a subtle reference to mathematical physics, in which a {{w|supergroup (physics)|supergroup}} is a generalization of a group based on the concept of {{w|supersymmetry}}.
 
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Readers with a background in mathematics or physics might find their expectations thwarted upon realizing that the comic is about mundane musical collaborations. But then, "every supergroup carries a natural group structure, but there may be more than one way to structure a given group as a supergroup"<ref name="wiki_supergroup">{{w|Supergroup (physics)|Supergroup (physics) on Wikipedia}}, accessed 2024-03-13</ref>, which applies to both contexts.
 
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=== Miscellaneous numeric observations ===
 
  
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100 gecs provides the most "bandname per member" (100 / 2 = 50), with OneRepublic and One Direction each vying for most "members per bandname" (both 5, at their most complete). Counting the songname mashup ratios is more complex: if it is not a single "1000 miles", ''perhaps'' the two Proclaimers can be said to be each singing 500 miles, to match the other solo artists' alternate 500s (depending upon which source(s) are chosen as canon), but a single luftballon requires just slightly over 1% of Nena (whether the {{w|Nena|eponymous singer}} or shared throughout {{w|Nena (band)|her band of five}}) and a lone Dalmatian slightly less than 1% split amongst {{w|101 Dalmatians|an uncertain number of originators}}.
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These counts mostly reflect the bands' most well-known lineups and may vary with time due to changes in membership or the band's status. Combined groups may feature {{w|McBusted|fewer than}} the sum of their original memberships, even down to just single musicians/vocalists coming from any or all of their prior collaborations. On the other hand, especially for {{w|Charity supergroup|worthy causes}}, it is possible that groups with {{w|List of Hawkwind band members#Members|many changing lineups}} could perhaps rustle up far more members than it ever had together on a single stage, never mind any prominently solo-headlining artists who may guest-star (possibly unannounced) in their own right.
  
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== References ==
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100 gecs provides the most "bandname per member" (100/2=50), with OneRepublic and One Direction each vying for most "members per bandname" (both 5, at their most complete). Counting the songname mashup ratios is more complex: ''perhaps'' the two Proclaimers can be said to be each singing 500 miles, to match the other solo artists' alternate 500s (depending upon which source(s) are chosen as canon), but a single luftballon requires just slightly over 1% of Nena (whether the {{w|Nena|eponymous singer}} or shared throughout {{w|Nena (band)|her band of five}}) and a lone dalmation slightly less than 1% split amongst {{w|101 Dalmatians|an uncertain number of originators}}.
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<references/>
 
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==

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