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| title    = Science Valentine
 
| title    = Science Valentine
 
| image    = science_valentine.png
 
| image    = science_valentine.png
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| imagesize =
 
| titletext = You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right.
 
| titletext = You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right.
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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[[Cueball]] is trying to explain his love using science for a valentine card. His attempts to analyze his feelings with charts and graphs reveal to him that his happiness and romance with the recipient are declining, which presents him with a choice: Will he be a scientist and accept data that he doesn't like and publish it, or will he be romantic, and just make a cute card. He decides that he is a scientist, resulting in a sort of anti-valentine.  
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[[Cueball]] is taking a scientific approach to creating a valentine card. Based on the first chart, the recipient is his fiancée since he noted major events (first meeting and engaged, thus they are not married yet, or it should have been noted on the graph). The labels of a heart and smiley represent Cueball's feelings for her and happiness accordingly. This implies that Cueball had love and feelings for someone else before he first met the love he is breaking up with. While they were dating, the feelings and happiness levels were very unstable, as is expected for any new relationship. That later dropped to current levels, probably due to Cueball's lack of love towards her.
 
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In the second panel, there are variables r<sub>0</sub>, r<sub>1</sub>, r<sub>2</sub>, each value at 0.20, -0.61, -0.83 accordingly. Given their names and values between -1 and 1, these are probably {{w|correlation coefficient}}s. If they are based on the data in the graph in the preceding frame, they could compare how well one of the variables correlates with time passed since the relationship. For example, if they are based on the heart line, they could measure the correlation between heart (Cueball's feelings for his fiancée) and time, being a weak positive correlation for the first period (0.20), a moderate negative correlation for the second period (-0.61), and a strong negative correlation for the third period (-0.83). Alternatively, they could be comparing the correlation for the accumulated periods, 0.20 for the first, -0.61 for the first and second, -0.83 for all three. Either way, it looks like there becomes a strong negative association between times passed and Cueball's love. The same reasoning would apply if the values are based on the smiley (Cueball's happiness) line.
 
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The text in the space between 2nd and 3rd panels show that [[Randall Munroe]] is against {{w|scientific misconduct}}. It also shows that Cueball's rigorous approach makes him realize that the happiness he derives from the relationship is declining, which presents him with a choice. Will he be a true scientist by accepting data that he doesn't like, or will he be romantic and just make a cute card?
 
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The last panel is a parody of a broken(torn) heart, a common symbol used to represent people falling out of love. The line could be interpreted as a graph of the amount of love between the two or a literal tearing of the heart in two.
 
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He decides that he is a scientist and so presents his significant other with a breakup valentine even though he originally intended it as a confirmation of their love.
 
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The comic may be intended as a cautionary tale to new scientists; while the graph in the leftmost panel shows an apparent correlation between Cueball's love and his happiness, and it shows his happiness is lower than it might be expected to be without his partner, it fails to show that the falling love affects falling happiness-- it may be the case that falling happiness effects falling love, or that both happiness and love are affected by an unidentified factor. For example, temporary external crises may be weighing on Cueball's relationship as well as his happiness.
 
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The title text seems to be him trying to console himself that he did the right thing. You should not use science to prove that your theory is right, but to find out which theory is the right one!
 
  
 
This is not the first time that Cueball has had relationship difficulties related to graphing, as shown in [[523: Decline]].
 
This is not the first time that Cueball has had relationship difficulties related to graphing, as shown in [[523: Decline]].
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:I wanted to make you a science valentine
 
:I wanted to make you a science valentine
 
:with charts and graphs of my feelings for you.
 
:with charts and graphs of my feelings for you.
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:[A graph shows romance and happiness. Romance cuts off, indicating a breakup before the meeting of Cueball and his current significant other, and happiness dips accordingly.
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:[A graph shows romance and happiness. Romance cuts off, :indicating a breakup before the meeting of the narrator and his current SO, and happiness dips accordingly.
 
:A line indicates where the couple first met; romance is jagged thereafter, initially upwards but later down.
 
:A line indicates where the couple first met; romance is jagged thereafter, initially upwards but later down.
 
:Happiness climbs slightly more steadily and then dips again.
 
:Happiness climbs slightly more steadily and then dips again.
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:But the more I analyzed
 
:But the more I analyzed
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:[Cueball works at a computer.]
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:[The narrator works at a computer]
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:r<sub>0</sub> = 0.20
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:r_0 = 0.20
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:r<sub>1</sub> = -0.61
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:r_1 = -0.61
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:r<sub>2</sub> = -0.83
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:r_2 = -0.83
 
:the harder it became to defend my hypothesis.
 
:the harder it became to defend my hypothesis.
  
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:So I was left with a question: do I make graphs because they're cute and funny,
 
:So I was left with a question: do I make graphs because they're cute and funny,
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:[Cueball sits, looking at a sheet of paper.]
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:[The narrator sits, looking at a sheet of paper.]
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:or am I a ''scientist?''
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:or am I a *scientist*?
  
 
:Enclosed are my results.
 
:Enclosed are my results.
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:to be your valentine.
 
:to be your valentine.
  
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{{comic discussion}}
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{{comic discussion}}  
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[[Category:Valentines]]
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
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[[Category:Valentines]]
 
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[[Category:Math]]
 
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[[Category:Statistics]]
 
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[[Category:Science]]
 
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[[Category:Line graphs]]
 

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