explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2356: Constellation Monstrosity

2020-09-08T03:17:35Z

108.162.215.110: /* Transcript */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2356
| date = September 7, 2020
| title = Constellation Monstrosity
| image = constellation_monstrosity.png
| titletext = It's rare to get both astronomers and astrologers equally mad at you, but apparently I've messed up both a bunch of star location databases AND the will of the fates.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THE WILL OF THE SAGICAPRIQUARIUS. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Constellation}}s in the night sky are formed by pattern-forming various {{w|Asterism (astronomy)|asterisms}} and other stellar relationships in the night sky.

Being rather subjective, {{w|Chinese constellations|different cultures}} have inculcated differences in their interpretations, some subtle and others less so, for the exact same objective views of the night sky. Even where the same groupings are recognised, different cultures can 'see' different forms behind that group of stars. However, observers in the southern hemisphere will see entirely new constellations not visible to those in the northern one, and vice-versa, whilst observing those patterns fully visible to both (on the {{w|ecliptic}}) as inverted and therefore may inspire vastly different conceptualised images or even connectivities.

Randall has taken one particular {{w|zodiac}} (or at least part of the one associated with western astrology and used historically as the organisational references that modern astronomy uses for its cataloguing nomenclature) and imagined further lines connecting stars to link up four separate constellations, to create a portmanteau constellation with a {{w|portmanteau}} name.

The four constellations used here are Scorpio (the scorpion), Libra (the scales), Virgo (the virgin/maiden) and Leo (the lion), sequentially spread across the sky in positions relating to a span of astrological dates running 'backwards' from late November through to late July. The name Randall gave this meta-constellation, however, uses a different order to combine as "Virg(o, l)ibra(, )scorp(io & )leo". Possibly "Scorlibirgoleo", or a similar mash-up with the same source order, did not roll together nicely enough for his liking.

In reality, apparent proximity of constellations on the {{w|celestial sphere}} does not guarantee actual proximity radially. Naming issues should not change any scientific understanding, but it could have a knock-on effect to the cataloguing if that is rearranged to obey the new object grouping.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Within a frame, a long title is written in a short arc above the drawn elements]
:Virgibrascorpleo

:[Upon a background of astrological imagery merged in accord, basic point-and-line astronomical/astrological representations of Scorpio, Libra, Virgo and Leo are illustrated.]
:[(Scorpio ''may'' be slightly rotated/translated for aesthetic reasons.)]

:[Red lines have been added to link stars in adjacent constellations.]
:[ {{w|Beta Scorpii}} may be connected to {{w|Sigma Librae}} (once known as Gamma Scorpii)]
:[ ...also {{w|Pi Scorpii}} may be connected to {{w|Tau Librae}}]
:[ {{w|Beta Librae}} may be connected to {{w|Mu Virginis}}]
:[ {{w|Nu Virginis}} may be connected to Beta Leonis (better known as {{w|Denebola}})]

:[Caption below the frame]
:I got kicked out of the International Astronomical Union for adding extra lines between the constellations to create a monstrosity.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Portmanteau]]

2356: Constellation Monstrosity

2020-09-08T03:16:45Z

108.162.215.110: /* Transcript */ category, ce

{{comic
| number = 2356
| date = September 7, 2020
| title = Constellation Monstrosity
| image = constellation_monstrosity.png
| titletext = It's rare to get both astronomers and astrologers equally mad at you, but apparently I've messed up both a bunch of star location databases AND the will of the fates.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THE WILL OF THE SAGICAPRIQUARIUS. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Constellation}}s in the night sky are formed by pattern-forming various {{w|Asterism (astronomy)|asterisms}} and other stellar relationships in the night sky.

Being rather subjective, {{w|Chinese constellations|different cultures}} have inculcated differences in their interpretations, some subtle and others less so, for the exact same objective views of the night sky. Even where the same groupings are recognised, different cultures can 'see' different forms behind that group of stars. However, observers in the southern hemisphere will see entirely new constellations not visible to those in the northern one, and vice-versa, whilst observing those patterns fully visible to both (on the {{w|ecliptic}}) as inverted and therefore may inspire vastly different conceptualised images or even connectivities.

Randall has taken one particular {{w|zodiac}} (or at least part of the one associated with western astrology and used historically as the organisational references that modern astronomy uses for its cataloguing nomenclature) and imagined further lines connecting stars to link up four separate constellations, to create a portmanteau constellation with a {{w|portmanteau}} name.

The four constellations used here are Scorpio (the scorpion), Libra (the scales), Virgo (the virgin/maiden) and Leo (the lion), sequentially spread across the sky in positions relating to a span of astrological dates running 'backwards' from late November through to late July. The name Randall gave this meta-constellation, however, uses a different order to combine as "Virg(o, l)ibra(, )scorp(io & )leo". Possibly "Scorlibirgoleo", or a similar mash-up with the same source order, did not roll together nicely enough for his liking.

In reality, apparent proximity of constellations on the {{w|celestial sphere}} does not guarantee actual proximity radially. Naming issues should not change any scientific understanding, but it could have a knock-on effect to the cataloguing if that is rearranged to obey the new object grouping.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Within a frame, a long title is written in a short arc above the drawn elements] :Virgibrascorpleo

:[Upon a background of astrological imagery merged in accord, basic point-and-line astronomical/astrological representations of Scorpio, Libra, Virgo and Leo are illustrated.]
:[(Scorpio ''may'' be slightly rotated/translated for aesthetic reasons.)]

:[Red lines have been added to link stars in adjacent constellations.]
:[ {{w|Beta Scorpii}} may be connected to {{w|Sigma Librae}} (once known as Gamma Scorpii)]
:[ ...also {{w|Pi Scorpii}} may be connected to {{w|Tau Librae}}]
:[ {{w|Beta Librae}} may be connected to {{w|Mu Virginis}}]
:[ {{w|Nu Virginis}} may be connected to Beta Leonis (better known as {{w|Denebola}})]

:[Caption below the frame]
:I got kicked out of the International Astronomical Union for adding extra lines between the constellations to create a monstrosity.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Portmanteau]]

2356: Constellation Monstrosity

2020-09-08T03:11:21Z

108.162.215.110: Date

{{comic
| number = 2356
| date = September 7, 2020
| title = Constellation Monstrosity
| image = constellation_monstrosity.png
| titletext = It's rare to get both astronomers and astrologers equally mad at you, but apparently I've messed up both a bunch of star location databases AND the will of the fates.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THE WILL OF THE SAGICAPRIQUARIUS. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Constellation}}s in the night sky are formed by pattern-forming various {{w|Asterism (astronomy)|asterisms}} and other stellar relationships in the night sky.

Being rather subjective, {{w|Chinese constellations|different cultures}} have inculcated differences in their interpretations, some subtle and others less so, for the exact same objective views of the night sky. Even where the same groupings are recognised, different cultures can 'see' different forms behind that group of stars. However, observers in the southern hemisphere will see entirely new constellations not visible to those in the northern one, and vice-versa, whilst observing those patterns fully visible to both (on the {{w|ecliptic}}) as inverted and therefore may inspire vastly different conceptualised images or even connectivities.

Randall has taken one particular {{w|zodiac}} (or at least part of the one associated with western astrology and used historically as the organisational references that modern astronomy uses for its cataloguing nomenclature) and imagined further lines connecting stars to link up four separate constellations, to create a portmanteau constellation with a {{w|portmanteau}} name.

The four constellations used here are Scorpio (the scorpion), Libra (the scales), Virgo (the virgin/maiden) and Leo (the lion), sequentially spread across the sky in positions relating to a span of astrological dates running 'backwards' from late November through to late July. The name Randall gave this meta-constellation, however, uses a different order to combine as "Virg(o, l)ibra(, )scorp(io & )leo". Possibly "Scorlibirgoleo", or a similar mash-up with the same source order, did not roll together nicely enough for his liking.

In reality, apparent proximity of constellations on the {{w|celestial sphere}} does not guarantee actual proximity radially. Naming issues should not change any scientific understanding, but it could have a knock-on effect to the cataloguing if that is rearranged to obey the new object grouping.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[Within a frame, a long title is written in a short arc above the drawn elements] VIRGIBRASCORPLEO

[Upon a background of astrological imagery merged in accord, basic point-and-line astronomical/astrological representations of Scorpio, Libra, Virgo and Leo are illustrated.]
[(Scorpio ''may'' be slightly rotated/translated for aesthetic reasons.)]

[Red lines have been added to link stars in adjacent constellations.]
:[ {{w|Beta Scorpii}} may be connected to {{w|Sigma Librae}} (once known as Gamma Scorpii)]
:[ ...also {{w|Pi Scorpii}} may be connected to {{w|Tau Librae}}]
:[ {{w|Beta Librae}} may be connected to {{w|Mu Virginis}}]
:[ {{w|Nu Virginis}} may be connected to Beta Leonis (better known as {{w|Denebola}})]

[Below the frame is further text] I got kicked out of the International Astronomical Union for adding extra lines between the constellations to create a monstrosity.

[Titletext] It's rare to get both astronomers and astrologers equally mad at you, but apparently I've messed up both a bunch of star location databases AND the will of the fates.

{{comic discussion}}

2314: Carcinization

2020-06-13T08:49:50Z

108.162.215.110: /* Explanation */ done

{{comic
| number = 2314
| date = June 1, 2020
| title = Carcinization
| image = carcinization.png
| titletext = Nature abhors a vacuum and also anything that's not a crab.
}}

==Explanation==
As [[Megan]] is telling [[Cueball]], separate species of animals have evolved into "crab-like" forms at different times. Naturalists who noticed the tendency gave it the name {{w|Carcinisation|carcinization}}.

It is a specific form of {{w|convergent evolution}}, where differing families of animals (in this case, nominally across the {{w|crustacea}}) develop a tendency towards developing a 'crab' bodyplan to a greater degree than their origins would suggest. A similar process has created several varieties of {{w|river dolphin}} with similar adaptations to their environments, despite being 'stranded' offshoots of different forerunner pelagic species.

"True crabs" ({{w|Brachyura}}) form just a small subset of the Crustacea subphylum, and the Cancer genus is a subset of that, yet there appears to be something about the bodyplan and even resulting behaviour that has meant a number of species have arisen from alternate areas of the family tree that are now trivially indistinguishable without extensive study.

Carl Linnaeus even initially included all Crustacea under the 'Cancer' genus (using the Latin name for crabs), and his taxonomic classification has been heavily refined as further knowledge has come to light, in order to reveal this phenomenon.

Apparently this principle is much stronger in the webcomic than in real life, as shortly after being told this, Megan notices that Cueball (not a crustacean!) has himself turned into a crab. This isn't really evolution as we know it (outside of Pokémon at least), which refers to changes (usually gradual changes, but not always) in a species across generations caused by random mutations. The organisms individually never change{{Citation needed}}, they are merely different from their ancestors, and the organisms with changes that make them more fit for their environment are the ones who are more likely to survive long enough to pass down those changes. What happens to Cueball is more like a transformation, but it could still be called 'carcinization', since he becomes crab-like.

Cueball's sudden transformation is perhaps explained by the title text, that "Nature abhors a vacuum and anything that's not a crab". The text is a reference to Aristotle's {{w|Horror_vacui_(physics)|Horror vacui}}, a statement about how empty space tends to be immediately refilled by surrounding things, so vacuums seem to be impossible to maintain. As does "not being a crab", it seems.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan are walking next to each other towards the left with Megan looking back at Cueball.]
:Megan: Have you heard of "carcinization"?
:Megan: The tendency of nature to evolve things into crabs.
:Cueball: Oh?

:[They continue to walk, both of them looking forward.]
:Megan: Yeah, the basic "crab" design has evolved separately a number of times.
:Cueball: Evolution just loves making crabs, I guess!

:[Narrower panel with only Megan seen walking on while lifting both her arms slightly to each side.]
:Megan: Apparently!

:[Two smaller beat panels are drawn between the previous and next normal sized panels. The first is a bit lower than the top of the normal panels, and is partly lying in over the other small panel, which is below and to the right of the first. The top panel shows Megan continuing to walk along. The second shows Megan stopping and turning to look back.]

:[Megan has turned completely and is looking down at a small crab scuttling along on the ground where Cueball was before.]
:Megan: Oh no

==Trivia==
In January 2020, less than half a year before this comic was released, the Dinosaur Comic also released a [http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=3547 comic about Carcinization]. This web comic is on [[Randall|Randall's]] list of [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Comics_I_enjoy|Comics I enjoy]] and was also used in [[145: Parody Week: Dinosaur Comics]]. Another popular webcomic, Questionable Content, had a [https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4276 crab-themed comic] the day before this comic was released.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Physics]]

2303: Error Types

2020-05-07T01:27:30Z

108.162.215.110: statistics catgegory

{{comic
| number = 2303
| date = May 6, 2020
| title = Error Types
| image = error_types.png
| titletext = Type IIII error: Mistaking tally marks for Roman neumerals
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TYPE IX DROID. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The comic is riffing on {{w|Type I and type II errors}}, also known as "false positive" and "false negative", respectively. The first two rows of the comic's table are correct definitions for established terms in statistics. Further rows contain suggestions for new terminology.

This comic may have been inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, as there is a lot of medical testing being done for the disease, and thus there are instances of false positives and negatives for the disease.

{|class = "wikitable"
|+Explanation of error types
|-
!Type
!Description
!Explanation
|-
|Type I
|{{w|False_positives_and_false_negatives#False_positive_error|False positive}}
|A false positive is a result that indicates a correlation, when there is no correlation in reality. For example, a person may test positive (indicating that he has a disease), but in actuality he ''does not'' have the disease.
|-
|Type II
|{{w|False_positives_and_false_negatives#False_negative_error|False negative}}
|A false negative is a result that indicates no correlation, when there is a correlation in reality. For example, a person may test negative (indicating that he does not have a disease), but in actuality he ''does'' have the disease.
|-
|Type III
|True positive for incorrect reasons
|"{{w|Type III error}}" is a nonstandard term meant to build off the notion of type I and II errors. Randall's explanations of this and of Type IV errors line up with some definitions of them, but others have been proposed. None have yet been widely adopted.
|-
|Type IV
|True negative for incorrect reasons
|As with "Type III", this definition is nonstandard and often a bit tongue-in-cheek.
|-
|Type V
|Incorrect result which leads you to a correct conclusion due to unrelated errors
|Here we get into errors entirely made up by Randall. The idea behind this one is that a botched statistical test might accidentally result in a true conclusion due to completely unrelated errors in the other direction--perhaps during data collection or aggregation.
|-
|Type VI
|Correct result which you interpret wrong
|This has actually been proposed as a definition of a Type IV error by Marascuilo and Levin.
|-
|Type VII
|Incorrect result which produces a cool graph
|It is commonly believed that [https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/ data is beautiful]. Sometimes, that's still true even when the data is bogus!
|-
|Type VIII
|Incorrect result which sparks further research and the development of new tools which reveal the flaw in the original results while producing novel correct results
|A hypothetical example might be if the Fleischmann–Pons {{w|cold fusion}} experiment, discredited as it was, had by its investigation successfully prompted the discovery of a truly usable alternate technique. (So far, in reality, it seems not to have.)
|-
|Type IX
|The Rise of Skywalker
|''{{w|Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker}}'' is the ninth and final film in the ''Star Wars'' Skywalker saga. It received far less critical acclaim than the previous two films in the sequel trilogy.
|-
|Type IIII
|Mistaking tally marks for Roman neumerals ''[sic]''
|Title text. "I", "II", and "III" could be representations of the numbers one, two, and three in either {{w|tally marks}} or {{w|Roman numerals}}. It's only when you get to "IV" or "IIII" that it becomes apparent which system is being used. Ironically, Randall seems to have made a typographical error of his own when spelling the word "numerals".
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
* Type I Error: False positive
* Type II Error: False negative
* Type III Error: True positive for incorrect reasons
* Type IV Error: True negative for incorrect reasons
* Type V Error: Incorrect result which leads you to a correct conclusion due to unrelated errors
* Type VI Error: Correct result which you interpret wrong
* Type VII Error: Incorrect result which produces a cool graph
* Type VIII Error: Incorrect result which sparks further research and the development of new tools which reveal the flaw in the original results while producing novel correct results
* Type IX Error: The Rise of Skywalker

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Statistics]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]

2303: Error Types

2020-05-07T01:25:49Z

108.162.215.110: /* Explanation */ more

Talk:1399: Chaos

2016-09-23T23:17:00Z

108.162.215.110:

Dr. Ian Malcolm: Dr. Sattler, Dr. Grant, you've heard of chaos theory? No? Non-linear equations? Strange attractions? Dr. Sattler, I refuse to believe that you aren't familiar with the concept of attraction.[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/quotes?item=qt1744884] [[Special:Contributions/173.245.62.62|173.245.62.62]] 05:09, 25 July 2014 (UTC)
:Dr. Ian Malcolm: See, here I'm now sitting by myself, uh, er, talking to myself. That's, that's chaos theory. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/quotes?item=qt0463062] [[Special:Contributions/173.245.62.62|173.245.62.62]] 05:12, 25 July 2014 (UTC)
::Thanks for the quotes -- they really helped with writing the explanation! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.175|108.162.238.175]] 06:07, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

Why write 'third sequel' instead of 'fourth film'? It's quite confusing as I initially misread it to be the third instalment instead of sequel. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.92.203|141.101.92.203]] 06:43, 25 July 2014 (UTC)
:No particular reason. I've changed it.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.175|108.162.238.175]] 06:51, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

Reference URL for the remix cited in title text... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zXr9GLa0Jo[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.84|108.162.216.84]] 06:44, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

Top-left in the in-comic diagram(s) appears to be a 'fern', another fractal construct which may ''also'' be an incidental reference to the native flora of the Jurassic (and non-Jurassic) eras of the dinosaurs. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 08:49, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

"phase space, nonlinear equations, and strange attractors" is not a quote from the movie. The [http://sfy.ru/?script=jurassic_park script] contains:
:MALCOLM
::Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler -- you've heard of Chaos Theory?
:ELLIE
::(shaking her head)
::No.
:MALCOLM
::No? Non-linear equations? Strange attractions?
::(again, she shrugs)
::Dr. Sattler, I refuse to believe that you are not familiar with the concept of attraction!

The [http://jurassicpark.wikia.com/wiki/Chaos_theory book] mentions all three terms, but not in order. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]])

It is from the book. The chapters are labeled iteration 1, 2, 3 etc...