explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3062: Off By One

2025-03-13T15:27:04Z

141.101.98.6:

But what about floats? [[User:GreyFox|GreyFox]] ([[User talk:GreyFox|talk]]) 20:01, 12 March 2025 (UTC)

Is this dithering? [[User:Hcs|Hcs]] ([[User talk:Hcs|talk]]) 21:19, 12 March 2025 (UTC)

: Could be. --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 22:19, 12 March 2025 (UTC)

But if it's adjusted both on store and on read, then there is a chance (of about 1 in 22) that the value after read will be exactly the same as the value before store. This does not eliminate pre-existing off-by-one errors, and in fact, introduces new ones if the adjustment on read is off by one from the adjustment on store, when there was no off-by-one error in the original code. And what's worse - with a single store-read cycle, the value can never be off by 40 to 50. It can be off by up to 10, or by between 80 to 100, in either direction. --[[User:NeatNit|NeatNit]] ([[User talk:NeatNit|talk]]) 22:42, 12 March 2025 (UTC)
:I was ''just'' adjusting the explanation to imply this sort of thing (without having read your comment, just yet). Given the assumption that n=n±(40+rand(11)) at every stage (I'm assuming 'inclusive', Snaxmcgee!), two steps of 'intentional adjustment' might result in: -100 (x1), -99 (x2), -98 (x3), -97 (x4), -96 (x5), -95 (x6), -94 (x7), -93 (x8), -92 (x9), -91 (x10), -90 (x11), -89..-80 (x10..x1), -10 (x2), -9 (x4), -8 (x6), -7 (x8), -6 (x10), -5 (x12), -4 (x14), -3 (x16), -2 (x18), -1 (x20), ±0 (x22), +1..+10 (x20..x2), +80..+90..+100 (x1..x11..x1).
:This gives a chance of being entirely correct as 22/484 (4.5454...%) and ''each'' off-by-one as ''very'' slightly less (though ±1, in total is almost twice as likely!).
:Adding further steps (skipping odd step-cummulations, at least at first, until you get to nine of them and everything entirely stops being discontinuous) just spreads out an increased number of highs right next to zero deflection... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.129|172.70.86.129]] 23:38, 12 March 2025 (UTC)

::Obligatory quote:
There are two hard things in computer science: cache invalidation, naming things, and off-by-one errors.
::See here for a full story of this quote: https://twitter.com/codinghorror/status/506010907021828096
::--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.129.64|162.158.129.64]] 08:28, 13 March 2025 (UTC)
:::And 3 hard things in distributed computing: 3. Delivering messages exactly one time, 2. Making sure things happen in the correct order, and 3. Delivering messages exactly one time [[User:Jamcdonald|Jamcdonald]] ([[User talk:Jamcdonald|talk]])
::::Presumably 1 is not losing data? --[[User:NeatNit|NeatNit]] ([[User talk:NeatNit|talk]]) 10:19, 13 March 2025 (UTC)

In the comic, Cueball clearly says the adjustment amounts is ‘’between’’ 40 and 50, yet this explanation says the adjustment is from 40 to 50, ironically making an off-by-1 error on both ends of the range. Neither integers 40 nor 50 are “between 40 and 50”. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.154.39|172.71.154.39]] 10:43, 13 March 2025 (UTC)
:English language is imprecise with its use of "between", but it's usually taken as inclusive. Most people, when asked, "Pick a number between 1 and 10," will assume that 1 and 10 are both valid choices. Even in computing, you have things like Excel's RANDBETWEEN function to generate random integers between two bounds, which is inclusive. {{unsigned ip|104.23.187.72|13:28, 13 March 2025}}
::Yes, see {{wiktionary|between#Usage notes}} as one overview. Between as in "within the bounds defined by" is different from "amongst those things of which these items are the defining outer examples". Especially, but not exclusively, when that's just two distinct items which have ''no'' valid intermediate states betwixt the two to choose from ("you have to choose between me and my sister" isn't usually satisfactoraily answerable by choosing a different sibling, or perhaps parent, of the two). [[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.54|172.69.195.54]] 15:24, 13 March 2025 (UTC)

It's easy to make an off-by-one error without using a computer at all. Ask a friend how many fenceposts are needed for a 100-foot fence if the rails are ten feet long. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.30.199|172.71.30.199]] 12:58, 13 March 2025 (UTC)
:And how wide are the posts..? ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.6|141.101.98.6]] 15:27, 13 March 2025 (UTC)

3040: Chemical Formulas

2025-01-21T10:04:25Z

141.101.98.6: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3040
| date = January 20, 2025
| title = Chemical Formulas
| image = chemical_formulas_2x.png
| imagesize = 275x335px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Can you pass the nackle?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BORON-OXYGEN-TANTALUM-URANIUM-TITANIUM-MOLYBDENUM-TITANIUM-CARBON-ALUMINUM-LITHIUM - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is another comic on [[:Category:How to annoy|How to annoy]] people, in this case chemists.

In this comic, Cueball humorously mispronounces the chemical names of {{w|carboxylic acid}}s. Instead of pronouncing the individual components of "HCOOH" (for what is technically methanoic acid, or named {{w|formic acid}} from its association with {{w|Formicinae#Identification|ants}}) and "CH3COOH" (ethanoic acid, also known as {{w|acetic acid}}, most often encountered in vinegar) according to their standard chemical names, he says them phonetically as if they were words, as "hakoo" and "chuckoo," which Randall describes in the caption as "How to annoy chemists". This is similar to Randall's pronunciation guide of equations in [[2492: Commonly Mispronounced Equations]].

The title text continues this trend to the humor by referencing the phrase "Can you pass the salt?" but, instead of referring to the commonly understood "salt", Cueball uses "nackle". This is an apparent attempt to pronounce "NaCl", the chemical formula for {{w|sodium chloride}} (the primary constituent of ordinary {{w|table salt}}, as well as {{w|rock salt}}). As well as being an actual request for the {{w|condiment}} (which is not entirely in context with the comic, though may be linked to the prior interest with vinegar), the request may also be used to rhetorically reinforce a previous statement (having metaphorically 'put it on a plate', one is now fully prepared to 'dine' on it). Alternatively, it could be an expression of ''someone else's'' incredulity, as a variation upon "taking <some dubious detail> with {{w|a grain of salt}}".

Incidentally, there ''are'' three Pokémon whose names contain the letters "nacl" pronounced roughly as in the title text, introduced in ''Scarlet and Violet'': [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Nacli_(Pok%C3%A9mon) Nacli], [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Naclstack_(Pok%C3%A9mon) Naclstack], and [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Garganacl_(Pok%C3%A9mon) Garganacl].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Cueball is holding a pointer and gesturing towards a whiteboard that shows the chemical formulas HCOOH and CH₃COOH. Below these, respectively, are classic diagramatic representations of formic/methanoic acid [with an apparently accidental doubled bond between the carbon and the hydroxy group] and acetic/ethanoic acid; being, in turn, a single- and double-carbon chain molecule with a double-bonded oxygen (carbonyl group) plus an oxygen-hydrogen (hydroxy) upon one carbon of each, to form the full carboxyl grouping, and hydrogens completing all other expected bonds.]
:Cueball: The two simplest carboxylic acids are hakoo and chuckoo.
:Off-panel voice: '''''No!!'''''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:How to annoy chemists

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:How to annoy]]

Talk:2103: Midcontinent Rift System

2025-01-10T12:33:20Z

141.101.98.6: Was accidentally written in the main article, despite the 'chatty' format and style of writing. Transplanted here.

Needs an explanation of the rift system itself. What is it? When did it form? How did conservatives feel about it at the time?
(It’s definitely not a reference to Palladium Rifts, which would be a whole different thing!)
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 16:12, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

If Black Hat runs, I vote for him. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.35|141.101.104.35]] 15:15, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

:--If Black Hat runs, we all vote for him. Even if we don't vote...--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.38.190|162.158.38.190]] 00:01, 16 February 2019 (UTC)

Has anyone else thought of all the new beach front property that would be created? Lex Luthor would be proud. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.166|108.162.245.166]] 15:32, 25 January 2019 (UTC)
:I have always thought the US ought to have a large shallow inland sea.
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 15:38, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

“''It is unclear why would anyone vote for such a thing, but people directly affected (the Midwest) are likely to vote against Black Hat.''”
:In the interests of accuracy, it should be noted that 2016 showed that it being unclear why anyone would vote for a thing doesn’t stop them from doing so, eagerly. Even when they are are going to be directly affected very adversely. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.19|162.158.107.19]] 18:00, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

Actually we ended up with a large shallow outlandish president instead. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.42|162.158.106.42]] 18:31, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

The reason why people vote to abandon European Union in BRexit is obvious: they think that institutions of European Union would create laws, decisions etc which would hurt them even worse than BRexit. Now, you may not agree with this, but you can’t say it’s completely unfathomable. – [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:55, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

There is an North American Midcontinent Rift as described at the start of the comic. See for example https://eos.org/features/new-insights-into-north-americas-midcontinent-rift or the Wikipedia page about it. Someone much more knowledgeable about geology than I am probably ought to update the explanation. [[User:D Gary Grady|D Gary Grady]] ([[User talk:D Gary Grady|talk]]) 02:39, 26 January 2019 (UTC)

I was thinking the giant crowbar is just an illustration trick, and it would be likely done with explosives or something. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.131|108.162.212.131]] 12:45, 26 January 2019 (UTC)
:The crowbar would work, provided it was big enough and one had been able to resolve Archimedes' dilemma — Δώσε μου μια θέση να σταθώ, και θα μετακινήσω τη γη.[[User:RAGBRAIvet|RAGBRAIvet]] ([[User talk:RAGBRAIvet|talk]]) 09:10, 27 January 2019 (UTC)
::Hmm ... I guess you'd want your fulcrum and standing position to be affixed to the half of the earth that you want to stay put relative to you. You could probably find a fulcrum on the earth. You're likeliy in a space suit with a strong tether. You'd have to some how get the end of the crowbar deep inside the rock under the soil, or you'd just dig a trench. I'm suspecting it would have to be _really_ deep to actually split the continent and not just knock some huge rock chunks out like when blasting is done to reshape the landscape. You'd then have to travel far enough in outer space in order to move the rock with enough significance to produce the size of rift desired, and I don't expect things to get too much easier as the rock breaks because you are almost trying to shift entire tectonic plates. I'm thinking you'd run into major issues traveling far enough to push the crowbar, but this could be resolvable with machines. A remaining issue would be placing the crowbar deep enough to actually shift a plate. We've dug incredibly deep holes, but I'm not sure quite _that_ deep. The final issue is that a material would be needed that is strong enough to withstand the inner forces that would be required to shift an entire tectonic plate. The lever would have to be incredibly thick in order to withstand all the strain involved with the relatively-weak metals we have. At that point it would be so heavy and wide that countering its friction could be a monumental feat. I think that leverage is probably one tool for this job, but that other creative tools would need to be combined with it to actually succeed. I don't believe Archimedes! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.47|162.158.79.47]] 12:59, 28 January 2019 (UTC)

As a Cascadian Separatist, I'm all for this plan. Near as I can tell, the only thing the east coast does for the west coast is spend money. [[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 14:00, 26 January 2019 (UTC)

Should mention that it's also known as the Keweenawan Rift, pronounced QAnon Rift. {{unsigned ip|141.101.107.234|22:37, 26 January 2019}}

Should mention that "finish the job" is a very campaign-like statement. Nathan B-A. 3/7/2019 9:35pm EST {{unsigned ip|172.68.54.34|02:30, 8 March 2019}}

We see there is a lot of problems like how do you even get a crowbar that big!?!? {{unsigned|Ninojin3DD|11:55, 10 January 2025}}

3035: Trimix

2025-01-09T11:33:48Z

141.101.98.6: /* Explanation */ Already had a perfectly cromulant link. Removing effective repetition, and typos.

{{comic
| number = 3035
| date = January 8, 2025
| title = Trimix
| image = trimix_2x.png
| imagesize = 436x259px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = You don't want the nitrogen percentage to be too high or you run the risk of eutrophication.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a FLOATING TRIMIX SCUBA DIVER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{{w|Trimix (breathing gas)|Trimix}} is a gas used in {{w|SCUBA}} tanks that consists of {{w|helium}}, {{w|oxygen}}, and {{w|nitrogen}}. Trimix comes in some standard ratios between the component gases, depending on the required diving depth, for example 21/35/44 (percentage oxygen/helium/nitrogen), 18/45/37 and 15/55/30 for increasing depth. Helium safely substitutes a portion of the nitrogen to minimize nitrogen's narcotic effects at greater depths, and to ease the effort required for breathing, as merely reducing the nitrogen ratio in an oxygen/nitrogen mix will increase oxygen to levels that, at the pressures that exist at depth, {{w|Oxygen toxicity|creates other dangers}} (hence why the Trimix ratios also provide slightly lower proportions of oxygen). This comic suggests that if the initial helium amount is too high, a diver will float away before reaching the water to start a dive, as their tank of air suddenly acts just like a sufficiently buoyant helium balloon.

The reason a helium balloon creates lift is that it can inflate. The balloon has a thin and expandable layer, weighing almost nothing, that allows the intrinsically less dense gas to take up space at not much more than atmospheric pressure. The total weight of the filled balloon is less than the total weight of the air it displaces, thus creating {{w|buoyancy}}. A SCUBA tank is made of metal, is heavy and cannot inflate in normal (or near-normal) circumstances. Even with a {{w|vacuum balloon|perfect vacuum inside it}} (if that were possible) it would still weigh more than the equivalent volume of air. If you pumped helium (or ''any'' kind of gas) into it you would simply increase that weight, and the more you pumped in the denser and heavier it would get. (In fact, an inflating helium balloon also gets heavier, but this is over-compensated by the increase in volume.) It will never be able to create any kind of lift.

The real reason SCUBA divers need to be careful with the amount of helium is to not get too little (or too much) oxygen for the intended depth and pressure, as well as reducing the troublesome nitrogen.

The title text asserts that a trimix diver whose gas mix contains an excess of nitrogen runs "the risk of eutrophication". The term {{w|Eutrophication|eutrophication}} describes the process by which nutrients ("fertilizers") accumulate in an environment, typically a body of water, leading to consequences that are often unfortunate for inhabitants or users of that environment. The human body is an ecosystem, but one that is not typically subject to eutrophication, due to its manner of acquiring and jettisoning nutrients. Moreover, the nitrogen in trimix is diatomic elemental nitrogen, not the {{w|Nitrogen_fixation|"fixed"}} nitrogen that serves as a component of eutrophication. The diver would not breathe "fixed" nitrogen unless nitrogen-fixing bacteria were somehow incorporated into the SCUBA gear, a complex feature of dubious utility.

[[Randall]] addressed the question "how much helium is needed to lift a human body" in a [https://what-if.xkcd.com/62/ What if?] article. Helium has also featured in comics [[2766: Helium Reserve]] and [[2972: Helium Synthesis]].

==Transcript==
:[In a single frame five images of Cueball is shown as a kind of a cartoon event sequence, with each image a later time in the process. The first image to the left shows Cueball standing by the shore of a body of water. He is wearing SCUBA gear, goggles, breathing tubes, SCUBA tanks with a small H logo on it on his back, and swimming flippers, which almost touch the water.]

:[In the next four images he has the same equipment on, but with changes. It should be seen as he is still at the edge of the water, but that is not drawn in the next four depictions of Cueball.]

:[In the second image to the right of the first, Cueball's SCUBA tank is beginning to float upwards, so the end that is not teetered to Cueball move out and up, as shown with three small lines beneath the tank.]

:[In the third image the SCUBA tank is now floating above Cueball's head and the strings pull his arms a bit upwards. Cueball has turned his head looking up at the tank floating above and behind his head. Again three small lines beneath the tank indicates it is moving upwards.]

:[In the fourth image Cueball is now being lifted up, so his feet are now off the ground and he is tilting forward. The tank is now pointing it's bottom almost straight up and Cueball is looking down with his arms out the each side as the tank pulls him up. Two lines on either side of the tank indicate that it now wobbles above him as it lifts him up.]

:[In the fifth and last image the SCUBA tank is now pulling a dangling Cueball high above the ground, above his head's height in the first image. The tank is now turned so it points it's bottom to the left with lines on either side indicating wobbling motion. Cueball is floating as lying prone a bit bended on the middle as the tanks straps pulls him up. At this point he yells:]
:Cueball: ''Help!''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Trimix SCUBA divers need to be careful not to let the helium percentage get too high.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:3024: METAR

2024-12-16T23:36:34Z

141.101.98.6:

OMG RANDALL ADDED AN AO3 REFERENCE '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 19:43, 13 December 2024 (UTC)
:must've been reading the fic of bill [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 21:04, 13 December 2024 (UTC)
I love the things I learn from these things[[User:Rustykid52|Rustykid52]] ([[User talk:Rustykid52|talk]]) 19:48, 13 December 2024 (UTC)

Was the explanation of wind speed written by a European? The punctuation after "18" is a comma, not a period, so they it means over 18 thousand knots. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:59, 13 December 2024 (UTC)
: Yes, it was. I'm sorry. [[User:Janfred|Janfred]] ([[User talk:Janfred|talk]])
: If windspeed interpreted at "european style", i.e. 18 and 35/1000 knots, it s still funny, beacouse such precision of wind speed measurement is 1] unreachable (variability at space & time is several horders higher), 2] useless (fraction of knot make no difference for pilots). ([[HonzaM])

"38.08 inches of mercury" seems a very high pressure, even for a station that is well below sea level. (1290 hPa Pressure around the dead sea is typically 1060hPa).. Is that physically realistic, or is it part of the joke? I know funnel clouds, freezing and volcanic ash in the same location are unlikely outside of the apocalypse, but can be justified by the rule of funny. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.135|172.70.160.135]] 20:11, 13 December 2024 (UTC)
:Indeed, 31.80 is the reference high limit. Still, is Randall a pilot? The structure of a METAR is horribly familiar to us pilots but pretty much a blank stare to anyone else. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.245.25|172.68.245.25]] 21:03, 13 December 2024 (UTC)
:Feeding it into a [https://www.weather.gov/epz/wxcalc_pressurealtitude calculator] gives an altitude of -2080m (-6825'). So it's entirely reasonable as long as your weather station is in a deep mine. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 21:08, 13 December 2024 (UTC)
:: But isn't the value always put in reference to MSL? I.e. I'm at an airport at 1000ft, the pressure reads 977 hPa, but I'll put 1013 hPa in the METAR. (QNH in METAR vs QFE at the station) [[User:Janfred|Janfred]] ([[User talk:Janfred|talk]]) 21:14, 13 December 2024 (UTC)
::: There may be various complicated pressure differences from the tornado having dumped a load of possibly Iclandic pyroclastic tephra upon the station. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.181|141.101.98.181]] 21:36, 13 December 2024 (UTC)
:"outside of the apocalypse" - we are talking about NYC :P [[Special:Contributions/172.69.64.171|172.69.64.171]] 00:04, 14 December 2024 (UTC)
:: With a Bostonian leading the discussion 👹 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.42.157|162.158.42.157]] 16:51, 14 December 2024 (UTC)
:The difference between the altimeter setting and the SLP is also pretty concerning. My understanding (which is based only on a few minutes of googling, not any actual experience) is that one does not correct for temperature while the other does, based on a 12 hour average. So maybe the high value is due to crazy temperatures? Haven't done any calculations, but it would fit the apocalyptic scenario. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.247.9|172.70.247.9]] 08:40, 14 December 2024 (UTC)
::That sounds about right for the weather station {{w|Belvedere Castle|located}} at the ZIP code [[1245: 10-Day Forecast|-10021]]... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.11|172.70.91.11]] 09:37, 14 December 2024 (UTC)
::Your understanding is correct. Both QNH (altimeter setting) and SLP are "pressure reduced to sea level." But QNH assumes standard atmosphere while SLP attempts to use actual weather conditions. It might be just a temperature correction or it might be more. {{unsigned ip|162.158.167.192|17:53, 16 December 2024}}

Damn, Randall says you got No Bitches.[[User:Xurkitree10|Xurkitree10]] ([[User talk:Xurkitree10|talk]]) 06:20, 14 December 2024 (UTC)
:Alright, who here on this wiki lacks significant others? (I personally have zero (0) maidens) [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 19:51, 15 December 2024 (UTC)
:By "observer", the report means the person who's observed the weather and/or data and created the report, not the person who's observing the report or the comic page. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 20:42, 15 December 2024 (UTC)
llama-3.1-405b-instruct (poor context, likely contains mistakes):
<blockquote>
New York, Central Park: 25th of the month, 16:00 UTC (11:00 am local time): Wind from the south at 35 knots (about 40 mph), with gusts up to 45 knots (about 52 mph): 6 statute miles visibility: In the vicinity, a funnel cloud and freezing volcanic ash: Heavy blue precipitation: No significant change in weather expected: Lightning overhead: Altimeter at 38.08 inches of mercury (about 1022.8 hPa): Precipitation discriminator present: Sea-level pressure at 1013.0 hPa (30.00 inHg, but note that this value is not explicitly stated in the METAR report, and the 'SPL130' code is not a standard way to report sea-level pressure).

...

I should have mentioned that the codes "+BLUP" are not standard METAR codes.

METAR is specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in the document "Annex 3 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation: Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation". This document defines the standard format and codes used in METAR reports.

In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also publishes guidelines for METAR reporting in the document "Aviation Weather Services Advisory Circular" (AC 00-45).

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also publishes guidelines for METAR reporting in the document "Manual on Codes" (WMO-No. 306).

These documents define the standard codes and formats used in METAR reports, but they do not include codes like "+BLUP", which are likely used in a humorous or fictional context.

...

With this transcription, I can see that the main difference is in the "SPL" code, which is now transcribed as "SLP". This makes more sense, as "SLP" is a standard METAR code for "sea-level pressure".

Here's the updated translation:

"New York, Central Park: 25th of the month, 16:00 UTC (11:00 am local time): Wind from the south at 35 knots (about 40 mph), with gusts up to 45 knots (about 52 mph): 6 statute miles visibility: In the vicinity, a funnel cloud and freezing volcanic ash: Heavy blowing unknown precipitation: No significant change in weather expected: Lightning overhead: Altimeter at 38.08 inches of mercury (about 1022.8 hPa): Precipitation discriminator present: Sea-level pressure at 1013.0 hPa (30.00 inHg)."

...

For example, let's imagine a scenario where a massive volcanic eruption has occurred in the vicinity of New York City, causing a massive ash cloud to blanket the area. The eruption is so powerful that it's creating a rare phenomenon known as "{{w|volcanic lightning}}," which is causing the lightning overhead.

Meanwhile, the ash cloud is interacting with a severe thunderstorm system, causing the formation of a funnel cloud in the vicinity of Central Park. The winds are so strong that they're blowing the ash and precipitation around, creating a situation where the precipitation discriminator is unable to accurately determine the type of precipitation.

In this scenario, the freezing volcanic ash could be a result of the ash cloud interacting with the cold air aloft, causing the ash particles to freeze into small ice crystals.

The heavy blowing unknown precipitation could be a result of the intense winds blowing the ash and precipitation around, making it difficult to determine the exact type of precipitation.

In this highly unlikely and extreme scenario, the METAR report could be more accurate. However, it's worth noting that even in this scenario, the report is still pushing the limits of what's physically possible in terms of weather phenomena.

So, while it's possible to imagine a scenario where the METAR report is more accurate, it's still a highly unlikely and extreme situation that's not representative of typical weather conditions.
</blockquote> [[Special:Contributions/172.68.26.24|172.68.26.24]] 01:40, 15 December 2024 (UTC)

A 24h-clock is a am-by-default clock. If there is a number of 1-11 it's AM by default. 12-23 tell you it's not am but pm. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.109.92|172.69.109.92]] 14:55, 16 December 2024 (UTC)

Talk:1437: Higgs Boson

2024-02-24T00:43:24Z

141.101.98.6: Unsigned. No apparent relevence or meaning.

They can lose the DATA about Higgs Boson. To help prevent such possibility, I would like to mention that the found Higgs Boson energy is between 125 and 126 GeV/c^2 [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:18, 22 October 2014 (UTC)

:It may be nitpicking because of the 'equivalancy of mass and energy', but isn't the term ''GeV/c2'' usually used to describe a particle's mass while ''GeV'' is used to describe its energy?--[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 15:29, 22 October 2014 (UTC)

:: You are right with the terms. However, when speaking about mass the "/c^2" term is implicit. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.217.125|108.162.217.125]] 03:46, 24 October 2014 (UTC)BK201

Sorry, felt it better to change "play 'hide and seek' with" to "know the current location of", because it read too as too anthropomorphic for the tone of the explanation. Like I don't play hide-and-seek with my house-keys, when they're temporarily unlocated. (Unless the world is weirder than I'm aware of, and the voices in my head are right after all!) Apologies if the hyperbole was the intent, and feel free to revert. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.247|141.101.98.247]] 14:53, 22 October 2014 (UTC)

The 4th paragraph begins with "Meagan's mention that "The death isn't even very serious"...". Shouldn't it be Ponytail, not Meagan? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.111|108.162.216.111]] 16:28, 22 October 2014 (UTC)

:Or Cueball. Changing to "The comment..." [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.195|173.245.54.195]] 17:36, 22 October 2014 (UTC)

Though of course this is a comic and not an actual transcript of a news conference or proceedings determining actual grant money, is there something significant missing or unanswered about the Higgs Boson that would require significantly more money (for e.g. a BIGGER COLLIDER!!!!!!!!)? Or is this rather a play at the "Find/Found" difference, and Randall just used the Higgs to make the point? I believe last I heard they found something that must be it, but I suppose further study was required to confirm it (or something)... [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 20:37, 22 October 2014 (UTC)

I am like 99% sure that "the death isn't even that serious is a reference to one of the hitchhiker's guide books. {{unsigned ip| 173.245.48.135}}

Maybe they just precisely determined it's momentum? {{unsigned|Craignelson7007}}

I don't read the "just one" reference as being just one death - "... to build a death ray.' 'Just one, though.'" certainly sounds like they built just one death ray. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.62.74|173.245.62.74]] 03:11, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

:In the phrase "the death isn't even very serious", "the death" is singular. I read this to mean "we didn't even kill someone important." It is likely ambiguous intentionally. It could also mean "the death ray doesn't cause very serious death." as though you could cause a mild death. "Don't worry he's only dead. He won't mind." [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.79|173.245.48.79]] 04:31, 24 October 2014 (UTC)BLuDgeons

In the explination they mention that they caused the eventual death of a helicopter. It hasn't been proven (as of yet) that helicopter cancer caused the helicopter's early death. There are plenty of human cancers that that can smolder on for years. Prostate cancer comes to mind.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.198|173.245.56.198]] 14:36, 24 October 2014 (UTC)
:"Prostate cancer comes to mind" - ouch. Brain tumors are pretty lethal.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.228.179|108.162.228.179]] 14:34, 27 October 2014 (UTC)

Hey at least now they know its momentum! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.85|162.158.166.85]] 04:17, 26 August 2020 (UTC)

I think it would be good to mention the unusual use of "The" in "the Higgs boson" as opposed to "Higgs bosons" or "a Higgs boson". This allows the comic to suggest that the Higgs boson is a singular entity which the LHC was meant to find (and perhaps capture).
--[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.175|199.27.128.175]] 02:26, 31 December 2014 (UTC)

I was going to find the image on Wikimedia Commons, but no amount of research could allow me to find that image. So I just deleted the 'image' and removed the incomplete bar. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 11:38, 26 September 2016 (UTC)

The last sentence previously said "cause the eventual death of a helicopter". I changed it to "give a helicopter cancer."[[User:R3TRI8UTI0N|R3TRI8UTI0N]] ([[User talk:R3TRI8UTI0N|talk]]) 03:52, 26 March 2022 (UTC)

2895: Treasure Chests

2024-02-19T15:17:09Z

141.101.98.6: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2895
| date = February 16, 2024
| title = Treasure Chests
| image = treasure_chests_2x.png
| imagesize = 287x488px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = [earlier] "Your vintage-style handmade chest business is struggling. But I have a plan."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a- YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN! - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic features [[Black Hat]] proposing a way to create significant business for a "lawn care company", for which the comic narrator has an attachment (perhaps owner or employee), albeit in an extremely unethical and possibly illegal manner which is very much congruent with Black Hat's character of being a '[[classhole]]'.

His plan is to create the conditions for a large number of lawns all over a certain town to be dug out by random members of the public, via the motivation of a large potential reward for digging up a lawn (in this case, a chest with $1,000 in the form of silver and gold coins). By filming the burials in such a way that the subsequently posted videos are tantalizingly open to many interpretations as to where they actually were, and then waiting a year to let time obscure any obvious signs of disturbed earth and digging, he encourages feverish speculation among treasure-hunters about the location of the chests, and an incentive to dig up lawns more or less at random, with or without permission.

It is also possible that waiting a year leaves time for one or more chests to have been discovered prior to the 'start' of the deliberate competition to find them. So long as all three weren't (publicly) discovered, it leaves open the possibility that those competing to find the 'unfound' chests will continue with their efforts to find what is now unfindable, prolonging the exercise beyond the point at which all chests could be known to be discovered and that there are no more chances to gain their riches. Indeed, there is nothing to stop Black Hat from simply digging the chests back up once the videos have been filmed, so that he is not out $3000 and there is nothing to find, prolonging the search indefinitely.

The many homeowners who soon find themselves with ruined lawns would then proceed to contact the lawn care company in order to fix the broken lawns, thus making the business lots of money. For the maximum initial expenditure of $3000 (plus the cost of the containers, and other trivial overheads), a need for significant remediation work will be generated. According to the caption below the panel, the proposal set out by Black Hat turns out to be VERY profitable and EXTREMELY effective. It would be cheaper than most other forms of effective advertisement, such as {{w|Flyer (pamphlet)#Distribution and use|mass-flyering the catchment area}} or buying advertising time/space in traditional media, whilst being much more penetrating and focused than any but the most sophisticated (and expensive) forms of online advertising. As long as the 'competition' isn't actually linked to the lawn-care businesss, it also has the advantage that it can create a near maximum potential demand for the service without risking {{w|media fatigue}} and perhaps aversion to the product being advertised. There is no indication that this will be ever be promoted as the company's very own competition, which would probably actively drive the numerous victims of the scheme to find (or found!) rival businesses, not to mention risk the instigation of claims for recompense through civil liability.

The title text shows how Black Hat, before sharing his proposal in this comic, saw a struggling business that made vintage-style handmade chests and cooked up the lawn care plan as a way to boost their sales by generating demand for chests from the lawn company. Sales of three chests doesn't seem a significant uplift for the chest company, which potentially implies that Black Hat has pushed his treasure hunt scheme to multiple lawn care companies, perhaps each in a different town, each buying three chests. One can only speculate about what other companies he may have enticed to take part in this {{tvtropes|ChainOfDeals|chain of deals}}, at each point being paid for the pleasure (and keeping the accumulated proceeds), leaving arbitrary amounts of disruption in his wake.

As of the time of posting, [https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/silver-price/ silver prices] were roughly $23 per ounce / $8 per cm^3, and [https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/gold-price/ gold prices] were roughly $2000 per ounce / $1250 per cm^3. This means that even the fairly small chest Black Hat has procured, which appears to be around 4 litres, would be very empty if holding $1000 in pure gold or silver coins. Accounting for space between coins, a $1000 chest entirely containing silver coins would be only be filled between 1/8-1/4 liter / 1/2-1 cup, whereas $1000 would only constitute a single medium/large gold coin or a few small ones. However, 'gold' and 'silver' coins may simply refer to higher value coins made either partially from gold and silver, or from some other alloys that give gold and silver colourings. The value might also be based on the face value of gold and silver coins that differ from the market value based on the metal content, or Black Hat might be using another dollar currency rather than the US dollar.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Black Hat is holding a treasure chest in one hand and pointing with a stick to a poster that features a shovel at the top, three circled X's below it, and five question marks around them.]
:Black Hat: First, I'll fill three of these chests with $1,000 each in small silver and gold coins, and take videos of them being buried in unidentified lawns around town.
:Black Hat: Next year, I post the videos.
:Black Hat: Then we sit back and let the local kids do the rest.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:The proposal for creating business for our lawn care company was unorthodox but ''extremely'' effective.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]

2453: Excel Lambda

2021-04-22T16:46:55Z

141.101.98.6: /* Explanation */ Kyebroad eeror

{{comic
| number = 2453
| date = April 21, 2021
| title = Excel Lambda
| image = excel_lambda.png
| titletext = Extremely rude how Turing's later formulations of the halting problem called me out by name specifically.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SPREADSHEET. What is a lambda function, what does it do, and has one just been added to excel? Can what Cueball suggest in reality be used like a Lambda function? A better link to lambda function on Wikipedia is needed What is the meaning of Cueball's last statement? Another reference to a law/hypothesis about computing? Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Cueball]] is computing and [[Ponytail]] criticizes him in a way that is reminiscent of the [[:Category:Code Quality|Code Quality series]], although not so harsh. Cueball has lots of strange computer problems, and this will most likely result in another one.

The comic begins with Ponytail finding out that Excel is adding a {{w|Anonymous_function|lambda function}} to their function library, which pleases her. Cueball claims that this is unnecessary, as when he needs arbitrary computation he just adds a block of columns to the side of his sheet and has a Turing machine process it, something that would technically work as a lambda function but would be really difficult to construct and maintain.{{Citation needed}}

Ponytail finds his solution absurd and is convinced Cueball is "doing computing wrong". But he claims that all computing is equally wrong citing the {{w|Church-Turing_thesis|Church-Turing thesis}}, a hypothesis which says that a function can be computed by executing a series of instructions if and only if that function is computable by a Turing Machine. A classical {{w|Turing machine}} uses an infinitely long strip of tape as its memory. The large column acts as the "tape". All ways of computing are "equally wrong" since, according to this thesis, they can all be translated to a Turing Machine.

Ponytail then says that Turing would change his mind if he saw Cueball's spreadsheet (almost as if she was saying he would turn in his grave). Cueball's final statement is that Turing could ask him to stop, but would not be able to prove if he actually will stop which is a reference to the {{w|Halting problem|halting problem}} mentioned in the title text.

In the title text the {{w|Halting problem|halting problem}} is mentioned. It is the problem of determining whether a given Turing Machine will halt. The problem has been shown to be undecidable, i.e., there exists no algorithm that computes whether an arbitrary Turing machine will halt or not. Cueball has been specifically mentioned in a later formulation of his halting problem, because of the way Cueball has behaved. He finds this very rude. This is of course a joke, since Turing has been dead since 1954, long before Cueball was presumably born. But it would be crazy indeed, if a scientist became so mad at a person, that he would mention this person by name in his formulation of a serious problem.

Over-complicated spreadsheets were also mentioned in [[2180: Spreadsheets|Spreadsheets]]

A Lambda function is a temporary function created inside another function, typically mapped to a letter such as x, that completes a repetitive task that is too unimportant to code another function for. They are commonly found in programming languages such as python. A lambda function is also called an {{w|Anonymous function}} because in most languages it can be passed to other functions (including another lambda function) without needing to be given any formal name during coding, or given {{w|Closure_(computer_programming)|'closure'}} under whatever name(s) its calling procedures desire.

An example of a lambda function:

list(map(lambda a: a + 1, [1, 2, 3])) # -> returns [2, 3, 4]

Here, each element of the array with values 1..3 is treated as a variable 'a' that is (trivially) incremented by one, to produce values of 2..4 which are then reconstructed as a array for output.

A recursive lambda might be:

def pointless_recursion(v):
# If current value (x) is evenly divisible by 4, return the source (v) * current (x)
# Otherwise, print current, and then try the process again with the current value of x + 3
r = lambda x: x * v if x % 4 == 0 else print(x) or r(x + 3)
return r(v)

pointless_recursion(12) # returns 144
pointless_recursion(11) # prints 11, 14, 17 then returns 220

In this instance, the function is identifed as 'r', and features a (conditional) call back to this self-same 'r' within it. The 'x' is whatever value is the latest passed to 'r', while 'v' is that which was first passed to the container function.

Ideally, such techniques should be used to ''reduce'' {{w|Spaghetti code}}, not increase it but, especially in Cueball's hands, this isn't a foregone conclusion.

==Transcript==
:[In a narrow panel, Ponytail is walking in from the left, looking down at her phone]
:Ponytail: Oh cool, Excel is adding a lambda function, so you can recursively define functions.

:[Ponytail, holding her phone to her side stands behind Cueball, who is sitting in an office chair with a hand on a laptop standing on his desk. He has turned around to face her, leaning with the other arm on the back of the chair.]
:Cueball: Seems unnecessary.
:Cueball: When I need to do arbitrary computation, I just add a giant block of columns to the side of my sheet and have a Turing machine traverse down it.

:[In a frame-less panel Ponytail is standing in he same position behind Cueball, who has resumed working on his laptop with both hands on the keyboard.]
:Ponytail: I think you're doing computing wrong.
:Cueball: The Church-Turing thesis says that all ways of computing are '''''equally''''' wrong.

:[Ponytail is still behind Cueball, who has a finger raised in the air, and the other hand is on the desk. Cueball's head has a visible sketch layer which has not been erased.]
:Ponytail: I think if Turing saw '''''your''''' spreadsheets, he'd change his mind.
:Cueball: He can ask me to stop making them, but not prove whether I will!

==Trivia==
*In the final panel we can see a pencil outline that is slightly different to his head that hasn't been rubbed out.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Spreadsheets]]
[[Category:Programming]]

2452: Aviation Firsts

2021-04-20T17:37:18Z

141.101.98.6: /* Explanation */ Covering the Earheart exception. (If it were an SF plot, the tick might even only ever be in the second box!)

{{comic
| number = 2452
| date = April 19, 2021
| title = Aviation Firsts
| image = aviation_firsts.png
| titletext = Mile High Club membership [✓] [ ] Discovery of parts of Amelia Earhart's skeleton [ ] [ ] Mid-flight incident that results in safe landing on the Hudson River [✓] [ ]
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a DRONE ON MARS. Put a table detailing all the events of the achievement checklist with an Earth and Mars column. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is made in light of recent events of the [https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1384209173924089863 Ingenuity probe's first flight on Mars]. Now that Ingenuity has completed its first flight, it marks the first controlled powered flight on Mars.

The previous categories were completed by the first space probes to reach and then land on Mars. Flight, Landing and Controlled Landing were variously achieved by some or all of the prior landers, depending upon your definition of flight, but certainly by the {{w|Mars_Science_Laboratory#Sky_crane_landing|Skycrane}} element used in landing both Curiosity and Perserverence rovers. These may not have qualified as Controlled Powered Flight as they only used their power to control the landing, before 'flying off' again under power without any more precise control than that needed to intentionally 'crash elsewhere'.

The remaining have only been completed on Earth, if at all, such as the {{w|Aerobatic_maneuver|Loop}} which does not yet seem to be practical to attempt over Mars, growing steadily more bizarre and more specific further down the comic and extending into the title text.

===Cultural references===
* The {{w|Hughes H-4 Hercules}} (the "Spruce Goose") was a prototype wooden airplane, known for being the largest flying boat ever constructed. The Hercules was designed by aviation pioneer (and, latterly, famed recluse) Howard Hughes. The design was intended as a lightweight transoceanic transport for the the military, but the prototype (built out of wood because of aluminium shortages during the 1940s) was not completed until well after the end of the Second World War and only actually flew a single time in 1947.
* In 1971, Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 was famously hijacked by a man who bought a ticket under the pseudonym {{w|D. B. Cooper|"Dan Cooper"}} (but popularly known as D. B. Cooper). After being given a $200,000 ransom by the plane's crew, Cooper then proceeded to parachute jump out of the plane using the rear {{w|airstair}} and was never confirmed to have been heard from again; many experts agree that the parachute jump was very risky and it's unlikely that Cooper even survived. (Cooper was previously mentioned in [[1400: D.B. Cooper]] and [[1501: Mysteries]].)
* The "{{w|mile high club}}" is a slang term for people who have had sexual intercourse while onboard an airplane in flight. Although the notion of {{w|sex in space}} is understood to be severely hampered by the total lack of gravity, it's not known whether Mars's low gravity (compared to Earth) would make it similarly challenging to have intercourse on or near the planet's surface.
* {{w|Amelia Earhart}} was a female aviator who, along with her navigator {{w|Fred Noonan}}, went missing over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 while attempting a global circumnavigation flight and has never been found. While there's some possibility that some of Earhart and Noonan's remains will eventually be discovered somewhere on the Pacific coastline, the notion of them somehow ending up on the surface of Mars is practically impossible outside the remit of certain conspiracy theories. (Earhart was previously mentioned in [[1501: Mysteries]], [[950: Mystery Solved]], and [[2197: Game Show]].)
* The {{w|US Airways Flight 1549|Miracle on the Hudson}} was a 2009 aviation incident in which a US Airways airliner struck a flock of geese shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Despite the plane losing all its engine power as a result of the bird strike, Captain Chesley Sullenberger successfully crash-landed in the nearby Hudson River with minimal injuries to the passengers onboard. Of course, it would be highly impractical for a powered flight that encounters a problem in the sky above Mars to then fly all the way to Earth just for an emergency landing.

==Transcript==
:[A chart is shown with nine items. To the right of each item there are two check boxes. Above the top row of check boxes are two underlined labels for the two columns. The first four rows have both boxes checked, the last five have only the first box checked. The last two items are so long that they take up three and four rows of text. The first seven items can be on one line.]

Earth Mars
Flight <big>[✓]</big> <big>[✓]</big>
Landing <big>[✓]</big> <big>[✓]</big>
Controlled landing <big>[✓]</big> <big>[✓]</big>
Controlled powered flight <big>[✓]</big> <big>[✓]</big>
Loop <big>[✓]</big> <big>[ ]</big>
In-flight meal <big>[✓]</big> <big>[ ]</big>
Planetary circumnavigation <big>[✓]</big> <big>[ ]</big>

Enormous wooden aircraft <big>[✓]</big> <big>[ ]</big>
built by a reclusive billionaire
that flies exactly once

Hijacking by someone dubbed <big>[✓]</big> <big>[ ]</big>
"D.B. Cooper" who demands
money and then jumps out
mid-flight to an unknown fate

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Mars rovers]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Sex]]

2450: Post Vaccine Social Scheduling

2021-04-15T17:45:22Z

141.101.98.6: /* Explanation */ I'm not aware of this exact chart layout. In some ways, it's much less complex than a full Gantt.

{{comic
| number = 2450
| date = April 14, 2021
| title = Post Vaccine Social Scheduling
| image = post_vaccine_social_scheduling.png
| titletext = As if these problems weren't NP-hard enough.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a UNVACCINATED MOVIEGOER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The comic shows a timeline of a multitude of (presumably) friends and acquaintances getting their two doses of vaccine. Due to the CDC-recommended delay between shots, as well as few weeks needed to build antibodies from the second shot, planning get-togethers in advance becomes complicated by who is free to meet, or not yet.

The diagram is some form of Scheduling Diagram, maybe akin to a {{w|Gantt chart}}, which helps to coordinate the status of several individual 'processes' (personal vaccination schedules) and demonstrate where dependent activities (meet-ups) are mutually possible.

Eventually, everyone can start getting together, but during the time where some people have only received one dose, or neither dose, or their second dose recently, the scheduling is complicated. The complication is increased by the fact that people who have received one or two doses of vaccine, but haven't gone through the whole waiting period, can be expected to have some protection, but possibly not full protection (as represented by the dashed line). In that case, there's the added question of how important it is that the person be at an event, and how much risk the people involved are willing to tolerate. This may be the reason for the "movie" set, in which all participants will have received both doses, but one will not have completed the final waiting period.

The title text references NP-hardness, a theme that has come up in past comics. {{w|NP-hardness}} describes a particular level of computational difficulty. Scheduling problems are normally NP-hard. But when extra challenges such as having to deal with whether or not people are vaccinated they become even more difficult.

The third person being scheduled for a movie before being fully vaccinated may be a reference to [[2441: IMDb Vaccines]], discussing the number of people that needs to be vaccinated to record a particular scene.

CDC guidelines permit vaccinated individuals to visit inside a home or private setting without a mask with one household of unvaccinated people who are not at risk for severe illness. Therefore the movie gathering conforms to CDC recommendations provided that the single unvaccinated person is not at increased risk of severe illness and the movie is in a home or private setting.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[From top to bottom, there are eleven people standing on the left side of the image: Danish, Cueball #1, Hairbun, Black Hat, Ponytail, Science Girl, White Hat, Hairy, Blondie, Cueball #2, and Megan, with even-numbered characters standing slightly further to the left. Each character’s first and second doses of the vaccine are labelled ① and ②, respectively. The time before each character’s first dose is drawn with a grey solid line; the time between their first dose and after they are fully vaccinated (two weeks after their second dose) is drawn with a grey dashed line; and the time after they are fully vaccinated is drawn with a black solid line. Black Hat, Science Girl, Blondie, Cueball #2, and Megan have all received their first doses prior to the comic’s time frame. Social activities are drawn with a ellipse around the top and bottom members, and each participating character is identified with a large filled-in circle on their timeline. The ellipses are labelled:]

DINNER GAMES MOVIE BIRTHDAY DINNER CABIN

[The events that happen, in chronological order (from left to right), are:

* Cueball #1 receives his first dose;
* Blondie receives her second dose;
* Ponytail receives her first dose;
* Hairy receives his first dose;
* White Hat receives his first dose;
* Danish receives her first dose;
* Black Hat receives his second dose;
* Blondie is fully vaccinated;
* Science Girl receives her second dose;
* Cueball #2 receives his second dose;
* Megan receives her second dose;
* Hairbun receives her first dose (erroneously labelled as ②);
* Ponytail receives her second dose;
* Black Hat is fully vaccinated;
* Black Hat and Blondie go to dinner;
* Danish receives her second dose;
* Cueball #1 receives his second dose;
* Science Girl is fully vaccinated;
* Cueball #2 is fully vaccinated;
* Megan is fully vaccinated;
* Hairy receives his second dose;
* White Hat receives his second dose;
* Science Girl, Blondie, Cueball #2, and Megan play games;
* Ponytail is fully vaccinated;
* Hairbun receives her second dose;
* Hairbun, Black Hat, and Ponytail go to the movies or make a movie (the label is just "Movie");
* Danish is fully vaccinated;
* Cueball #1 is fully vaccinated;
* Hairy is fully vaccinated;
* White Hat is fully vaccinated;
* Danish, Cueball #1, Ponytail, White Hat, and Hairy attend a birthday party;
* Hairbun is fully vaccinated;
* Hairbun and Blondie go to dinner;
* Black Hat, Science Girl, White Hat, Hairy, and Cueball #2 go to a cabin.

Caption below the panel:]

Post-Vaccine Social Scheduling

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: COVID-19]]
[[Category: COVID-19 vaccine]]
[[Category:Timelines]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Science Girl]]
[[Category: Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Danish]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Black Hat]]

Talk:2448: Eradication

2021-04-10T03:58:03Z

141.101.98.6:

Is this a [[2306|slippery slope of morality]] we're heading down? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.6|141.101.98.6]]

Talk:2447: Hammer Incident

2021-04-09T18:29:05Z

141.101.98.6:

big --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.153|162.158.187.153]] 02:04, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

I added a basic explanation. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.212.224|162.158.212.224]] 02:28, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

Do we really need a huge paragraph explaining all the reasons why any damage to a space telescope is a big, expensive deal? And I'm not sure this is a trial, it's probably more like an administrative panel hearing (like the hearings after the Challenger disaster). [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:26, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

Is it meant to be that size? Does the bad luck apply to trying to upload comics at reasonable sizes?
: It's fixed now
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.19|172.69.33.19]] 02:09, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:Oooh boy, indeed... "Error creating thumbnail: File with dimensions greater than 12.5 MP" is the Wiki's assessment of the auto-uploaded image. I haven't checked the resolution, but the https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/hammer_incident.png one is apparently 4332x4838 (scales to 8% on my device), and I don't care to test the _2x version right now. I'm not sure that was the native res of it on creation, looks to be an accidental up-scaling prior to posting to xkcd itself. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.6|141.101.98.6]] 02:20, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:
::The _2x version is actually the proper size for a normal comic - 578x645 pixels. [[User:Noëlle|Noëlle]] ([[User talk:Noëlle|talk]]) 02:21, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:::Still seems larger than normal to me, even the 2x seems larger than I would expect. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.78|172.69.34.78]] 04:02, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:Maybe the extra-large image is what the original looks like using the James Webb telescope? Maybe over-thinking. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.145|172.68.132.145]] 04:19, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
::Or perhaps its an resolution/aspect ratio/zoom factor difference between it and the old telescope. Implying all other comics have secretly been placed in front of the other telescope [[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.50|172.69.170.50]] 04:56, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:Perhaps overthinking, if the main reflecting mirror was actually destroyed, the light entering the telescope would never be focused into the secondary mirror and the image would be "light size" so you would only be able to see a small portion of what you expect

:It looks to me that, while most of the text is rendered smoothly in full resolution, the caption below the panel ("Man, NASA is really on my case about the James Webb Space Telescope.") is very jaggy on a pixel level, but only on the Y-axis. There could be quite a bit of information in there. No idea what it means, though. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.36|141.101.77.36]] 07:29, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
::It could be floating-point errors that indicate the code flow of the renderer Randall used. Or it could mean anything else. Curious to compare it to a correct rendering of that text with the same font, but wouldn't know what to do with the vector of edge differences myself. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.140|162.158.63.140]] 09:03, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

:It seems to be fixed now so I am sure it was an accident
:Randall has now uploaded an even smaller resolution image of 289 × 323 ([https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/hammer_incident.png]), and I have added it to this comic explanation. [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 17:15, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

:Perhaps this should be referred to as the Thumbnail Incident. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.26|172.68.174.26]] 00:06, 9 April 2021 (UTC)

When I read this comic I was worried it might have been inspired by recent news of something breaking during the final assembly process. Fortunately this seems not to be the case. Among the many delays of the telescope, were any of them caused by mirror and/or cryo failures that might have inspired this comic? [[User:Quantum7|Quantum7]] ([[User talk:Quantum7|talk]]) 05:53, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:What caused the most recent delay? It seems it's been pushed forward more as Randall predicted in the other comic. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.140|162.158.63.140]] 09:03, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:I'm guessing that it was the recent announcement of the planned science for the first year of operation. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.21|162.158.74.21]] 16:48, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:I was also worried and figured explainxkcd would tell if there had been any real issues. [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 17:26, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

;Cryogenic?
I get the sense that the title text is inspired by liquid nitrogen ice cream. -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.252|108.162.237.252]] 13:14, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:The tern Cryogenic is often used to refer to Cryonics. A method of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryonics preserving human bodies in glass] for future generations [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.46|108.162.237.46]] 20:18, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
::Vitrification is not cryonics/cryogenics in itself, just one method of crystal-aversion during freezing (and, it seems, could be just as damaging to the fine biology it tries to preserve), and the cryonic meaning is a subset of a whole range of "making an amorphous solid" processes that are also vitrification, such as in nuclear-waste processing.
::Cryogenics is 'the creation/use of extreme coldness' (<120°K) and Cryonics is just one of a subset (via more general cryopreservation) of applications of such technology and processes.
::While interesting general knowledge remains interesting, I'm not sure either term is worth having been given such a contextless mention, above, not at all hinted at being deliberately referenced by the comic. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.6|141.101.98.6]] 18:29, 9 April 2021 (UTC)

As Quantum7, I was worried too and googled "JWST hammer" only to find this actual contributor to the project…
The Hammers Company, Inc. Greenbelt, MD in this list:
: https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/meetTheTeam/team.html
Not all JWST-engineering seams to be that delicate – should we be worried? {{unsigned|162.158.203.15}}

The James Webb Telescope only has <$2000 of gold. [[https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2017/04/05/how-much-gold-is-in-the-james-webb-space-telescope/?sh=4f80bc9d69e5]] {{unsigned|172.68.189.191}}
:Yeah, I'm going to remove the gold thing. It's a complete red herring. The materials represent such a tiny fraction of the cost of coating a mirror that it's not even worth mentioning. Coating a mirror with aluminum or protected silver costs virtually the same as coating it in gold. The fact that the mirrors are made from beryllium is a much larger factor in the cost. [[User:Ahecht|Ahecht]] ([[User talk:Ahecht|talk]]) 16:37, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:Incidentally, given some of the folk-head-canon for vampiric non-reflections in mirrors is due to the more mystical properties of silver (which crosses over with werewolf-lore, etc, and these days carries over to an inability to be captured on photographic film), imma gonna assume vampires would actually have an image if they looked in the JWST mirror(s). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.108|141.101.98.108]] 18:58, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
::I wouldn't describe the past of using photographic films as "these days". I suppose vampires can be filmed by digital cameras just fine. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:43, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:::Depends. A DigitalSLR might still give various problems. Though unless the Metal Oxide in the MOS element or any of the colour-filtering involved is part silver, as would affect even 'live-view' viewfinding, it wouldn't stop recording of silver-inhibited imagery.
:::(It makes you wonder if a part-silvered USB connector would be enough to make files of ''successfully'' recorded vampire activity to be automagically refiltered to show an 'empty' scene. In fact, if such a connector is rare enough, but can be invoked, it suggests a form of steganography in which you send 'innocent' images of a cooperative vampire directly standing in front of the secret information, in a suitably social context as to raise no suspicions. Only if you save the public image from Facebook (or OnlyFan(g)s??) then transfer it through your specially-silvered silver USB cable, the copy now shows you the mystically-'unobscured' pixels of the secret info. Right? Because magic can get around trivial stuff like bitplane (re)compression, smooth out any copy-verification/hashing mismatches, and otherwise prevent mugglishly-mundane issues from arising, obviously!) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.6|141.101.98.6]] 18:29, 9 April 2021 (UTC)

Would it count as bad luck if he has to pay for all the repairs to his damage of the space telescope? [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 03:10, 9 April 2021 (UTC)

Would have been funnier if it was 126 years of bad luck.
[[User:DrBob|DrBob]] ([[User talk:DrBob|talk]]) 12:56, 9 April 2021 (UTC)

There probably should be a category for "review boards" or something, since there's now this comic strip, [[2349: Rabbit Introduction]], and [[2148: Cubesat Launch]] (at least). --[[User:NotaBene|NotaBene]] ([[User talk:NotaBene|talk]]) 15:15, 9 April 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2447: Hammer Incident

2021-04-08T02:20:12Z

141.101.98.6: /* Giant comic */

big --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.153|162.158.187.153]] 02:04, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

== Giant comic ==

Is it meant to be that size? Does the bad luck apply to trying to upload comics at reasonable sizes?

[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.19|172.69.33.19]] 02:09, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:Oooh boy, indeed... "Error creating thumbnail: File with dimensions greater than 12.5 MP" is the Wiki's assessment of the auto-uploaded image. I haven't checked the resolution, but the https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/hammer_incident.png one is apparently 4332x4838 (scales to 8% on my device), and I don't care to test the _2x version right now. I'm not sure that was the native res of it on creation, looks to be an accidental up-scaling prior to posting to xkcd itself. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.6|141.101.98.6]] 02:20, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2441: IMDb Vaccines

2021-03-25T11:29:43Z

141.101.98.6:

So the Force doesn't protect you against COVID-19? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 03:59, 25 March 2021 (UTC)

What I got from this comic, after an initial laugh, was the realization that this has been going on long enough for something like this to develop into a hobby....[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.120|172.69.170.120]] 04:21, 25 March 2021 (UTC)

What's up with "Vader lives in that weird black egg thing". What is the black egg thing? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.108|141.101.98.108]] 09:30, 25 March 2021 (UTC)
:A combination meditation-chamber, sterile disrobing room and medical support facility. It lets him periodically divest himself of the irritatingly confining but necessarily life-supporting suit components, get a degree of respite from its relentless enclosure, let him tinker with his various biomechanical replacement parts and take time out to think suitably dark thoughts about the Dark Side. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.6|141.101.98.6]] 11:28, 25 March 2021 (UTC) (PS: Oh look, almost the same IP!)

Talk:2441: IMDb Vaccines

2021-03-25T11:28:32Z

141.101.98.6:

2439: Solar System Cartogram

2021-03-20T21:21:40Z

141.101.98.6: /* Explanation */ A few little things.

{{comic
| number = 2439
| date = March 19, 2021
| title = Solar System Cartogram
| image = solar_system_cartogram.png
| titletext = For sentimental reasons, every active Mars rover is counted as one person, although that's not enough to make Mars more than a dot.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BELOVED MARS ROVER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In this comic, [[Randall]] has made a {{w|cartogram}} showing the planets in the {{w|solar system}}. Cartograms are a type of map in which geographic area is displayed proportionately to some secondary characteristic - in this case, population. From the title text it is clear that the population in question is human (persons) (but even if all life forms where counted it it wouldn't matter, since the only confirmed life in the Solar System is on Earth). Thus the other planets have a population of 0 and are shown as nothing more than dots.

This comic is a joke about electoral cartograms. A standard {{w|United States Electoral College|American electoral map}} is very misleading. Though the split between Democrats and Republicans is about 50-50, most districts are red. That’s because many Democrats live in densely packed districts, while many Republicans live in rural ones. This has led to the rise of electoral cartograms, where districts are proportionally adjusted in direct relation to population, correcting the misimpression that most of American is conservative.

Solar system diagrams are often misleading. Illustrators are overwhelmingly forced to use a far more scaled-down spacing between planets, compared to their scaled sizes; even if they can (or care to) maintain consistency in the relative distances and/or radii on linear scales. (The huge factors of difference involved instead may lend themselves to being {{w|Solar_System_model#Scale_models_in_various_locations|physically modeled}} to better give some sense of the spacing and sizing differences.) Here, Randall has intentionally applied the wrong solution to the problem.

The title text states that, even though Randall counts every active [[:Category:Mars rovers|Mars rovers]] as a person (for sentimental reasons), they are almost nothing compared to Earth's roughly 7,800,000,000 persons. Mars therefore is still nothing more than a dot compared the Earth. There are a total of five rovers at the moment; in chronological order, they are Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance. Only the latter two were functional at the time of the comic's publication, giving Mars a rover population of two. (This is a tie for all-time high. Spirit and Opportunity were active together from 2004 to 2010, when Spirit shut down. Opportunity was still active when Curiosity arrived in 2012, and remained so until 2018. With the arrival of Perseverance in 2021, there are again two active rovers. A third rover, China's {{w|Tianwen-1}}, is currently in orbit around Mars and expected to land in May 2021.)

Mars Rovers are a [[:Category:Mars rovers|recurring theme]] on xkcd and only a few weeks earlier, a comic named [[2433: Mars Rovers]] was released. This is the fourth comic this year to reference Mars Rovers.

==Transcript==
:[Earth is shown, with an atypical rotation for an American comic, showing Asia and Australia. Beneath it is a label. To the left is two small dots, and to the right five small dots. Each dot has a line going to it from its label. The first, fourth and sixth labels are above their respective dots; the other labels are below the line made by the dots. Earth's label is below the planet as well. The dots represent the other seven planets, with equal space between each dot, and same distance from the dots next to Earth to the surface of the Earth. Above is two paragraphs with explanation:]
:Most solar system diagrams are misleading.
:This chart offers a more accurate view by showing the planets sized by population.
:Mercury
:Venus
:Earth
:Mars
:Jupiter
:Saturn
:Uranus
:Neptune

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Mars rovers]]

2439: Solar System Cartogram

2021-03-20T00:58:52Z

141.101.98.6: Actually, this is probably better.

{{comic
| number = 2439
| date = March 19, 2021
| title = Solar System Cartogram
| image = solar_system_cartogram.png
| titletext = For sentimental reasons, every active Mars rover is counted as one person, although that's not enough to make Mars more than a dot.
}}

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

In this comic, Randall has made a {{w|cartogram}} showing the planets in the {{w|solar system}}. Cartograms are a type of map in which geographic area is displayed proportionately to some secondary characteristic - in this case, population. It's not clear whether the population in question is human or all life forms, but in this case it doesn't matter. Since the only confirmed life in the Solar System is on Earth, the other planets have a population of 0{{Citation needed}} and are shown as nothing more than dots. This comic is a joke about electoral cartograms. A standard {{w|United States Electoral College|American electoral map}} is very misleading. Though the split between Democrats and Republicans is about 50-50, most districts are red. That’s because many Democrats live in densely packed districts, while many Republicans live in rural ones. This has led to the rise of electoral cartograms, where districts are inflated in relation to population, correcting the misimpression that most of American is conservative.

Solar system diagrams are also often misleading. Illustrators are overwhelmingly forced to use a far more scaled-down spacing between planets, compared to their scaled sizes; even if they can (or care to) maintain consistency in the relative distances and/or radii on linear scales. (The huge factors of difference involved instead may lend themselves to being {{w|Solar_System_model#Scale_models_in_various_locations|physically modelled}} to better give some sense of the spacing and sizing differences.) Here, Randall has mistakenly applied the wrong solution to the problem.{{Citation needed}}

The title text states that, even though the active [[:Category:Mars rovers|Mars rovers]] count as one person each, they are almost nothing compared to Earth's 7,800,000,000 and doesn't make Mars anything more than a dot. There are a total of five rovers at the moment; in chronological order, they are Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance. Only the latter two were functional at the time of the comic's publication, giving Mars a rover population of two. (This is a tie for all-time high. Spirit and Opportunity were active together from 2004 to 2010, when Spirit shut down. Opportunity was still active when Curiosity arrived in 2012, and remained so until 2018. With the arrival of Perseverance in 2021, there are again two active rovers. A third rover, China's {{w|Tianwen-1}}, is currently in orbit around Mars and expected to land in May 2021.)

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:Caption: Most solar system diagrams are misleading.
:Caption: This chart offers a more accurate view by showing the planets sized by population.
:[The eight planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) are shown in order, with equal space between. Each planet is labeled with its name. All planets other than Earth are indistinguishable tiny dots, while Earth is large and clearly drawn. The view is approximately centered on southeast Asia, the region of highest population density.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Maps]]

Talk:2436: Circles

2021-03-13T18:42:51Z

141.101.98.6:

AS for the overlapping edits, it is because this just showed up in my RSS reader. I was surprised to see that there wasn't anything written yet. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.206.92|172.68.206.92]] 18:56, 12 March 2021 (UTC)
*If Randall was willing to realign the Audi logo, I think he could have stretched the model to accommodate Disney at the 3-ring slot! [[User:Jameslucas|jameslucas]] ([[User talk:Jameslucas|" "]] / [[Special:Contributions/Jameslucas|+]]) 18:58, 12 March 2021 (UTC)
*Audi's logo has the four circles in a straight line, not staggered (</pedant>) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.58|108.162.237.58]] 19:09, 12 March 2021 (UTC)
**If we are being pedantic it was originally the Auto Union logo and Audi was one of the four rings - along with Horch, DKW and Wanderer. Augustus Horch founded Horch and Audi (horch means hark or listen so translates into Latin as Audi). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.6|141.101.98.6]] 18:42, 13 March 2021 (UTC)
**The same is true for MasterCard - the two circles are not staggered, but "in a straight line" (horizontal, that is) [[User:Mathmannix|Mathmannix]] ([[User talk:Mathmannix|talk]]) 20:15, 12 March 2021 (UTC)
ER are shared by both halves of the MC logo. Not AR. Anyone have another explanation?
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.41|172.68.132.41]]
* I was thinking about this too! Maybe Randall made a mistake, or is it something unexplained? We'll have to wait for an explanation.
::(Why are we (y'all) bullet-indenting?) Though the circles of the "(MAST(ER)CARD)" might well co-share the "ER", assuming that's correct, here the set {M A S T E R} and the set {C A R D} have clearly been put through an (unordered) set-union to highlight the {A R} that are not ''solely'' members of either original set. Don't know why that, in particular. Maybe it just worked better, and mixed things up better than the "(MAST(ER)CARD)" interpretation which doesn't really parody anything in the process... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.97|162.158.158.97]] 20:53, 12 March 2021 (UTC)
::Ok, just checked, and the word(s) "MASTERCARD" do(es) not appear on Mastercard logos any more, ''anyway'', having vanished/been relocated below the circles in various stages of cosmetic rebranding between 2006 and 2016. So "(ER)" enclosure wouldn't be strictly true for a number of years. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.97|162.158.158.97]] 21:00, 12 March 2021 (UTC)
My bad, I saw wrong. I thought it was between all the logos.[[User:Hiihaveanaccount|Hiihaveanaccount]] ([[User talk:Hiihaveanaccount|talk]]) 20:26, 12 March 2021 (UTC)
Oh no Randall, please don't turn me into an oversimplified logo! Noooooooo!

Well, the AR completes both the MSTE and the CD (ie, MasteR CarD)... as I expect one of the previous commenters was getting at. Perhaps it is a riff on picture in as much as AR completes MASTERCARD just as MASTERCARD's circles Complete Audi's circles... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.41|162.158.75.41]] 05:03, 13 March 2021 (UTC)

This bugs me more than any other xkcd comic, I could see the mastercard circles being tilted and still in a straight line, but then the Audi logo should be the same: straight line, but they line up to form the actual Olympic ring configuration giving preference to that logo... then there's the color, it would make me happy if the colors lined up with the actual Mastercard colors but they don't... so I don't know why I'm complaining here, probably because Randall doesn't have an actual comment system, so, sorry.... carry on with your day! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.40|162.158.75.40]] 15:11, 13 March 2021 (UTC) Sam

2435: Geothmetic Meandian

2021-03-11T10:48:47Z

141.101.98.6: Improve Python code

{{comic
| number = 2435
| date = March 10, 2021
| title = Geothmetic Meandian
| image = geothmetic_meandian.png
| titletext = Pythagorean means are nice and all, but throwing the median in the pot is really what turns this into random forest statistics: applying every function you can think of, and then gradually dropping the ones that make the result worse.
}}

==Explanation==

There are a number of different ways to identify the '{{w|average}}' value of a series of values, the most common unweighted methods being the {{w|median}} (take the central value from the ordered list of values if there are an odd number - or the value half-way between the two that straddle the divide between two halves if there are an even number) and the {{w|arithmetic mean}} (add all the numbers up, divide by the number of numbers). The {{w|geometric mean}} is less well known to the layman but works with multiplication and Nth-rooting, useful for some statistical analyses. The geometric mean, arithmetic mean and {{w|harmonic mean}} (not shown) are collectively known as the {{w|Pythagorean means}}.

{{w|Outlier}}s and internal biases within the original sample can make boiling down a set of values into a single 'average' sometimes overly biased by flaws in the data, with your choice of which method to use perhaps resulting in a value that is misleading.



In this depiction, the three named methods of averaging are embedded within a single function that produces a sequence of three values - one output for each of the methods. Being a series of values, Randall suggests that this is ideally suited to being ''itself'' subjected to the comparative 'averaging' method. Not just once, but as many times as it takes to narrow down to a sequence of three values that are very close to one another.

The comment in the title text about suggests that this will save you the trouble of committing to the 'wrong' analysis as it gradually shaves down any 'outlier average' that is unduly affected by anomalies in the original inputs. It is a method without any danger of divergence of values, since all three averaging methods stay within the interval covering the input values (and two of them will stay strictly within that interval).

The title text may also be a sly reference to an actual mathematical theorem, namely that if one performs this procedure only using the arithmetic mean and the harmonic mean, the result will converge to the geometric mean. Randal suggests that the (non-Pythagorean) median, which does not have such good mathematical properties with relation to convergence, is, in fact, the secret sauce in his definition.

There does exist an {{w|arithmetic-geometric mean}}, which is defined identically to this except with the arithmetic and geometric means, and sees some use in calculus. In some ways it's also philosophically similar to the {{w|truncated mean}} (extremities of the value range, e.g. the highest and lowest 10%s, are ignored as not acceptable and not counted) or {{w|Winsorized mean}} (instead of ignored, the values are readjusted to be the chosen floor/ceiling values that they lie beyond, to still effectively be counted as 'edge' conditions), only with a strange dilution-and-compromise method rather than one where quantities can be culled or neutered just for being unexpectedly different from most of the other data.

The following python code (inefficiently) implements the above algorithm:

<pre>
from functools import reduce
from itertools import count

def f(*args):
args = sorted(args)
mean = sum(args) / len(args)
gmean = reduce(lambda x, y: x * y, args) ** (1 / len(args))
if len(args) % 2:
median = args[len(args) // 2]
else:
median = (args[len(args) // 2] + args[len(args) // 2 - 1]) / 2
return mean, gmean, median

l0 = [1, 1, 2, 3, 5]
l = l0
for iterations in count():
fst, *rest = l
if all((abs(r - fst) < 0.00000001 for r in rest)):
break
l = f(*l)
print(l[0], iterations)
</pre>

And here is an implementation of the Gmdn function in R:

Gmdn <- function (..., threshold = 1E-6) {
# Function F(x) as defined in comic
f <- function (x) {
n <- length(x)
return(c(mean(x), prod(x)^(1/n), median(x)))
}
# Extract input vector from ... argument
x <- c(...)
# Iterate until the standard deviation of f(x) reaches a threshold
while (sd(x) > threshold) x <- f(x)
# Return the mean of the final triplet
return(mean(x))
}

The input sequence of numbers (1,1,2,3,5) chosen by Randall is also the opening of the {{w|Fibonacci sequence}}. This may have been selected because the Fibonacci sequence also has a convergent property: the ratio of two adjacent numbers in the sequence approaches the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio#Relationship_to_Fibonacci_sequence golden ratio] as the length of the sequence approaches infinity.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

F(x1,x2,...xn)=({x1+x2+...+xn/n [bracket: arithmetic mean]},{nx,x2...xn, [bracket: geometric mean]} {x n+1/2 [bracket: median]})

Gmdn(x1,x2,...xn)={F(F(F(...F(x1,x2,...xn)...)))[bracket: geothmetic meandian]}

Gmdn(1,1,2,3,5) [equals about sign] 2.089

Caption: Stats tip: If you aren't sure whether to use the mean, median, or geometric mean, just calculate all three, then repeat until it converges

{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Statistics]]

686: Admin Mourning

2014-08-05T02:07:25Z

141.101.98.6: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 686
| date = January 8, 2010
| title = Admin Mourning
| image = admin_mourning.png
| titletext = And every day it gets harder to fight the urge to su to the user and freak people out.
}}

==Explanation==
The background images show the output from the <code>ps</code> command of old fashioned Unix-like computer systems, which lists all running processes including all interactive users logged in to the server. If a user does not log out, their processes would continue to run until stopped by a reboot. If some specific user dies while logged in, the running sessions still appear in the <code>ps</code> output and be a reminder to other users. This comic depicts an administrator unwilling to reboot a machine that has still running processes from a deceased user named "sam".

When a session is closed its descendent processes sent the HUP (Hang-up) signal, which normally causes them to terminate. However, the popular utility {{w|GNU_Screen|screen}} enables a user to detach and reattach that output, thus surviving over sessions.

The final joke refers to the command line interface being called a {{w|Shell (computing)|shell}}, and to a particular type of shell called zshell (<code>/bin/zsh</code> in the final panel), making a [[wikt:ze#Etymology 1|pun]] with the expression "{{w|Ghost in the Shell}}", which is the title of a popular manga series, originally derived from the expression "{{w|ghost in the machine}}", used by philosopher {{w|Gilbert Ryle}} to describe Descartes' theory of mind-body dualism.

"su to the user" refers to use the ability of an administrator — i.e. root or admin user — to switch to another user account (using the {{w|su (Unix)|<code>su</code> command}}) without needing the target user's password, as would normally be necessary, which in this case would give the impression that sam's ghost were using the account.

==Transcript==
:[The text is over a white-on-black terminal showing a bit of output from ps -el, with processes running from root and sam.]
:When a user dies, their connections time out,
:but their screen sessions linger.

:[The end of the command line is a |grep sam.]
:The server's uptime grows
:because you can't bring yourself to reboot

:and wipe out
:their last earthly presence

:[The processes listed are screen, zsh, irssi, and grep sam.]
:the ghost in zshell.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Computers]]

Talk:1329: Standing

2014-02-12T10:08:23Z

141.101.98.6: Created page with "I was bold, and made a start on the page. ~~~~"

I was bold, and made a start on the page. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.6|141.101.98.6]] 10:08, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

1329: Standing

2014-02-12T10:06:06Z

141.101.98.6: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1329
| date = February 12, 2014
| title = Standing
| image = standing.png
| titletext = At first I was making fun of them, but joke's on me--the deer is surprisingly ergonomic, except for the kicks.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Start made on explanation. Please expand.}}

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_desk| Standing Desks] are a current fad in modern tech companies. Supposedly more ergonomic and comfortable than sitting all day, they can be combined with treadmills or other stationary bicycles to enable exercise to be taken while working. In the comic, Cueball tells Megan that Standing Desks are still not the most best, and straps a computer to a deer, to provide constant exercise while working.

The Title text takes this a step further, saying that the deer was surprisingly ergonomic, apart from the kicks (Which would, presumably, be quite debilitating).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:My hobby]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1329: Standing

2014-02-12T10:05:25Z

141.101.98.6: /* Explanation */ Added basic transcript

{{comic
| number = 1329
| date = February 12, 2014
| title = Standing
| image = standing.png
| titletext = At first I was making fun of them, but joke's on me--the deer is surprisingly ergonomic, except for the kicks.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Start made on explanation. Please expand.}}

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_desk|Standing Desks] are a current fad in modern tech companies. Supposedly more ergonomic and comfortable than sitting all day, they can be combined with treadmills or other stationary bicycles to enable exercise to be taken while working. In the comic, Cueball tells Megan that Standing Desks are still not the most best, and straps a computer to a deer, to provide constant exercise while working.

The Title text takes this a step further, saying that the deer was surprisingly ergonomic, apart from the kicks (Which would, presumably, be quite debilitating).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:My hobby]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]