explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

388: Fuck Grapefruit

2018-02-01T11:29:31Z

162.158.114.46: Fixing spelling and grammar errors

{{comic
| number = 388
| date = February 25, 2008
| title = Fuck Grapefruit
| image = fuck_grapefruit.png
| titletext = Coconuts are so far down to the left they couldn't be fit on the chart. Ever spent half an hour trying to open a coconut with a rock? Fuck coconuts.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic consists of a chart where [[Randall]] has plotted {{w|fruits}} according to two criteria: ease/difficulty to eat on the horizontal axis, and tastiness on the vertical axis. The Y-axis goes from "tasty" at the top, to "untasty" at the bottom. The X-axis goes from "easy" on the right to "difficult" on the left.

For instance, {{w|pineapples}} are deemed fairly tasty but very difficult to eat, whereas (seeded) {{w|grapes}} are very tasty and somewhat easy, and logically {{w|Grape#Seedless_grapes|seedless grapes}} are roughly equally tasty but easier to eat.

Obviously being easy to eat is preferable to being difficult, and being tasty is preferable to being untasty, so the "best" fruits (regarding these two aspects only) are in the top-right corner, and the worst in the bottom-left; additionally, in the top-left corner are the "difficult-but-worthy" fruits, and in the bottom-right one, the "not-so-tasty-but-easy-anyway" ones.

The individual ratings of each fruit are subjective; very obviously in the case of tastiness, and more subtly for difficulty. Randall does not explain his criteria for ranking the difficulty of each fruit, and it is likely based on only personal experiences. Someone who has grown up in an area where pineapples are plentiful is likely to be more adept at skillfully preparing them. The discrepancies between how Randall has rated certain fruits and how others believe they should have been rated caused a [[#Controversy|surprising level of controversy]]. Later Randall suggests using a [[1949: Fruit Collider]] to create a pineapple with apple skin, thus combining tastiness with ease to eat.

According to the chart, {{w|Grapefruit}} is the third hardest fruit to eat as well as the second least tasty fruit (from the ones listed at least). Eating one of them is like spending too much of one's time and energy without much reward. Hence Randall's quip in the title: "Fuck grapefruit".

The comic created a lot of [[#Controversy|controversy]] at the time of its release. Nine years later a comic about the best tasting foods [[1811: Best-Tasting Colors]] was released, which also generated a lot of discussions. That comic indicated that Randall had [[#Change of taste|changed his taste]] over the years.

In the title text Randall mentions {{w|coconuts}}. Randall mentions that he would have to put them so far down to the left on the chart (not far down, just far down towards the left), that they would not fit in this chart. He thus states that it is so much more difficult to eat (especially to open) coconuts than the usual mainstream fruits such as the ones plotted here. If he did include coconuts in the chart the rest of the fruits would all be pushed to the right side of the chart. He does not say that he does not like to eat the fruit. (Although it has "{{w|nut}}" in its name, the coconut is actually a {{w|Drupe|stone fruit}} and thus belongs on a chart of fruit.) Having spent half an hour trying (in vain?) to open a coconut, Randall also only has one thing to say about them: "Fuck coconuts". However, harvesting just the "milk" is pretty easy as you can poke a sturdy stick or metal pole into one of three spots located on the coconut. these spots are lighter and slightly indented from the rest of the coconut and form a triangle shape.

In [[1701: Speed and Danger]] another scatter plot shows exactly what happens when one point is inserted into such a plot if it is far removed from all the other points, in this case even on both axes.

Note that [[Randall]] uses similar diagrams in both [[1242: Scary Names]] and [[1501: Mysteries]] which also contain different items. Both of these also have an extra point mentioned in the title text, but only the first is also off the chart, whereas for the second the description of the point is too long to fit on the chart. Extra info outside the chart is also used in the title text of [[1785: Wifi]], but this is a line graph.

===Table===
The table below lists approximate coordinates for each fruit using a scale of -100% (untasty/difficult) to 100% (tasty/easy). The coordinates are based on the included fruits, any new items added outside the current range (e.g. Coconuts) would cause the scales to be reassigned, and thus change the coordinate values of existing items.

The coordinates have been found by measuring each fruit from the center of the drawing (not the center of mass, but center from left to right/top to bottom) to the two axes. The axes are hand drawn which is clearly visible. The numbers have been obtained by measuring to the nearest point of each axis, not taking into account that the axes are not perfect straight perpendicular lines.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Tastiness !! Easiness !! Fruit !! Comments
|-
| 100% || 68% || {{w|Peaches}} || Among Randall's favorite fruits, as it is the one deemed most tasty and it is far tastier than the four fruits that are deemed easier to eat. While it does contain a stone/pit which may be annoying due to the disposal of the sticky remains, it's large enough to eat around and Randall apparently sees it not to be that big a problem in the long run.
|-
| 85% || 13% || {{w|Grape|Seeded grapes}} || Randall apparently subscribes to the theory that seeded grapes are tastier than unseeded grapes due to higher genetic diversity but are harder to eat because of the seeds.
|-
| 75% || 75% || {{w|Strawberries}} || Actually not a berry but an {{w|accessory fruit}}, like many of the other fruits on the chart
|-
| 72% || 100% || {{w|Grape#Seedless_grapes|Seedless grapes}} || Randall apparently subscribes to the theory that seeded grapes are tastier than unseeded grapes due to higher genetic diversity but are harder to eat because of the seeds.
|-
| 68% || -100% || {{w|Pineapples}} || Requires a knife to prepare and can be tricky to dissect without wasting a lot of the fruit.
|-
| 58% || 87% || {{w|Blueberries}} || Usually not listed as a fruit but as a {{w|berry}} although this is still a type of fruit.
|-
| 38% || 42% || {{w|Cherries}} || Containing a stone/pit which may be annoying due to the disposal of the sticky remains and taking care not to swallow them.
|-
| 37% || 66% || {{w|Pear}}s || Most people will not eat the core of the pear and is thus left with some sticky part that needs to be disposed of.
|-
| 22% || 79% || {{w|Green apples}} || Most people will not eat the apple core and is thus left with some sticky part that needs to be disposed of. It is unclear why green apples are shown as tastier than red.
|-
| 17% || 59% || {{w|Plums}} || Containing a stone/pit which may be annoying due to the disposal of the sticky remains and taking care not to swallow them.
|-
| 15% || -20% || {{w|Watermelons}} || Surprisingly considered by Randall to be easier than oranges, which are fairly easy to peel. A watermelon is larger, so the effort to reward ratio is better, but this shouldn't affect its 'ease of eating' position. On the other hand, it is easy to cut a watermelon into edible pieces. You cannot cut an orange like this and they can sometimes be very difficult to peel and you will get very sticky when trying. This can be avoided with the watermelon.
|-
| -12% || 79% || {{w|Apple|Red apples}} || Most people will not eat the apple core and is thus left with some sticky part that need to be disposed. It is unclear why green apples are shown as tastier than red; in his "What If?" book, Randall mentions a specific dislike of "red delicious" apples.
|-
| -18% || 16% || {{w|Bananas}} || Shown in the chart as difficult to eat, even though they are among the most easily peeled fruit. This could be because of the skin which must be disposed of, or the stringy pith which some people refuse to eat and thus have to pick off. Also, you do have to peel it, which is not the case for the easier fruits.
|-
| -20% || -85% || {{w|Pomegranates}} || Pomegranates have a very large number of tart, juice-filled arils surrounded in inedible pith and a fairly tough skin. Retrieving the arils is notoriously messy.
|-
| -46% || -49% || {{w|Oranges}} || Considered more difficult than lemons, perhaps due to the layer of pith which is rarely encountered when preparing lemons.
|-
| -74% || 26% || {{w|Tomatoes}} || The culinary arts, nutritional sciences, and United States tax and customs regulations all treat tomatoes as a {{w|vegetable}}, mostly due to its taste. In the botanical sense, however, it is actually a fruit (specifically, a {{w|berry}}).
|-
| -86% || -75% || {{w|Grapefruit}} || Grapefruits are very difficult fruit to peel, and thus eat. They are also deemed very untasty. ie. "Fuck grapefruit."
|-
| -100% || -15% || {{w|Lemons}} || Considered easier than oranges, perhaps due to the layer of pith which is rarely encountered when preparing lemons. Very untasty in and of themselves; lemons are a common baking ingredient, but are so sour they are rarely eaten as a fruit.
|-
| Off chart || Off Chart || {{w|Coconuts}} || Coconuts are incredibly difficult to open due to their hard outer shell. It is unclear what stance Randall has on the taste of Coconuts.
|}

==Transcript==
:[An X-Y scatter plot of fruit where both axes have arrows in both ends. At the end of each arrow is a label.]
:[The X-axis from left to right:]
:Difficult
:Easy
:[The Y-axis from top to bottom:]
:Tasty
:Untasty

:[The fruit names are listed here below from top to bottom according to the how tasty the fruit is, not necessarily in the same order that the names are written if one fruit is tall/large and the other low:]
:Peaches
:Seeded grapes
:Strawberries
:Seedless grapes
:Pineapples
:Blueberries
:Cherries
:Pears
:Green apples
:Plums
:Watermelons
:Red apples
:Bananas
:Pomegranates
:Oranges
:Tomatoes
:Grapefruit
:Lemons

==Trivia==
===Controversy===
*As evident from the above section, and according to [http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/02/25/fruit-opinions/ FRUIT OPINIONS!] on the [http://blog.xkcd.com/ Blag], this was the most controversial comic written to this point, ''beating out comics about cunnilingus, the Obama endorsement, and my making 4chan tiny on the map of the internet''.
**{{w|Cunnilingus}} see [[136: Science Fair]].
**{{w|List of Barack Obama presidential campaign endorsements, 2008|The Obama endorsement}} See [http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/01/28/obama/ Politics] also from the Blag.
***The only comic mentioning {{w|Obama}} before this comic was [[360: Writers Strike]].
**{{w|4chan}} is tiny on the map of the internet called [[256: Online Communities]]. (See the small island to the far right - left of "dragons" in the sentence ''Here there be anthropomorphic dragons''.)
***Not to be confused with the comic that is actually named [[195: Map of the Internet]].
*A later food taste comic [[1811: Best-Tasting Colors]] also generated a lot of [[Talk:1811: Best-Tasting Colors|talk on these pages]] (see more about it [[#Change of taste|below]]).
**Similarly the [[Talk:1534: Beer|talk page]] for [[1534: Beer]] was also used a lot because Randall said he did not like beer.
**So it seems that food is almost as sensitive as politics, although Randall's endorsement of {{w|Hillary Clinton}} in [[1756: I'm With Her]] the day before the {{w|United_States_presidential_election,_2016|presidential election in 2016}} where {{w|Donald Trump}} won, seems to have generated even more [[Talk:1756: I'm With Her|talk here]] than any food related comic.

===Change of taste===
Later, in [[1811: Best-Tasting Colors]], Randall once again rates food taste in general but this time based on the color of the food. So not just fruit and nothing about how easy it is to eat. There are, however, several of the fruits from this charts included, but not grapefruit. Instead it is the similar names {{w|Concord grape|purple grapes}} that is rated as the worst fruit on the chart with less than 1.5 on a scale from 1-9. This is interesting as he did not include those in this chart, but has rated green/white {{w|Table grape|grapes}} very high in tastiness. It seems like he has altered his taste over the nine years between releases since lemon which was the worst taste on this chart has moved up to 3/9 while Oranges have moved further down to a 2/9. Watermelon is also included (both for pink and green) with 6/9 making it seem better than in this chart. Green apples has also moved almost to the top with nearly 8/9 vs. only just above 50% here. Finally there is cherry (as good as the apple) and strawberry (8.5/9), which fits here for strawberry, but it seems like cherries has moved up a notch. Three fruits not included here are Lime (as lemon), and red and blue raspberries (5.5/9). But it turns out that the worst taste for Randall is not grape, but licorice at 1/9, with both popcorn and coffee worse than grape at about 1.5/9 . The best is cotton candy which beats strawberry by a nose.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Scatter plots]]
[[Category:Rankings]]
[[Category:Food]]

1902: State Borders

2017-10-14T22:12:17Z

162.158.114.46: cetacean needed

{{comic
| number = 1902
| date = October 13, 2017
| title = State Borders
| image = state_borders.png
| titletext = A schism between the pro-panhandle and anti-panhandle factions eventually led to war, but both sides spent too much time working on their flag designs to actually do much fighting.
}}

==Explanation==

In this comic, graphic designers take control of the United States, but the only thing they do is to change the state and national borders, using primarily aesthetic criteria.

Despite the caption's rather blasé reaction to the graphic designers' master plan, the changes they propose could be rather tumultuous. Many U.S. residents will be made to live in new states, and thus be required to pay different taxes and obey different state laws, and even root for different sports teams. Some particularly unlucky U.S. citizens living in Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, and Minnesota could be required to file for citizenship in Mexico or Canada if they wish to continue living in their current homes. And aside from the comic implying that the Trump administration has been ousted by the graphic designer regime, there would probably be no other upside to the ensuing international bureaucratic nightmare.

This comic hints at the fact that it is indeed Randall who wants to see these changes made.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Proposed change !! Explanation
|-
| Give to Canada || {{w|Minnesota}} has a small northern exclave (the {{w|Northwest Angle}}) which is accessible from the rest of the US only via the {{w| Lake of the Woods}} or by travelling through Canada. The new borders suggest giving this territory to Canada to simplify the state and national border.
|-
| This should be {{w|Wisconsin}} || {{w|Michigan}} is divided into two parts by {{w|Lake Michigan}}. The graphic designers suggest eliminating a boundary line by assigning the upper peninsula of Michigan to Wisconsin.
|-
| Move Long Island to NJ or CT, or make it its own state || {{w|Connecticut}} and {{w|New Jersey}} are very close to each other but don't actually border, separated only a few miles by {{w|New York State}}. {{w|Long Island}} is part of New York State, which visibly juts out into the Atlantic (extending so far to the east that it gives New York a maritime border with Rhode Island) and apparently drives graphic designers crazy who see an association with New Jersey or Connecticut or even becoming its own state more logical than being a part of New York State. This would have some issues, not least of which is that Long Island contains two of {{w|New York City}}'s five boroughs ({{w|Brooklyn}} and {{w|Queens}}) and more than half the city's population.
|-
| Align to Grid || Most of the Western states are variations on "Let's have a large box", but there's something a bit irregular about them. Never fear, the Design Team has fixed!
|-
| Clean Up (Maryland/Pennsylvania/Virginia/West Virginia) || Maryland's western panhandle and both of West Virginia's to the east and north would be smoothed out to have nice, straight, shorter lines.
|-
|Enlarge Rhode Island & Delaware || {{w|Rhode Island}} and {{w|Delaware}}, the two {{w|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_area#Area_by_state.2Fterritory|smallest U.S. states by area}}, are often difficult to make out on a map of the United States.
Expanding Delaware to occupy the entire {{w|Delmarva_Peninsula|Delmarva peninsula}} eliminates some boundary lines the designers apparently consider excessively fiddly, as well as solving another "Michigan" problem, as the "VA" of "Delmarva" refers to its {{w|Eastern Shore of Virginia|Eastern Shore}}, which is separated from the rest of Virginia by the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

Expanding Rhode Island eastward would reduce the number of land borders it has to two (one to its west with Connecticut and one to its north with Massachusetts) and make it easier to see on a map.
|-
| If we're going to have a panhandle, why not commit to it? || {{w|Oklahoma}} has a "panhandle" to its west, which is a kind of {{w|Salient (geography)|Salient}}. The obvious fix would be to give it to Texas. In a twist, the graphic designers suggest extending it even further, across the northern parts of {{w|Arizona}} and {{w|New Mexico}}. This would make the {{w|Four Corners Monument}} obsolete, since Arizona and New Mexico would no longer border {{w|Utah}} and {{w|Colorado}} respectively, let alone all four states sharing a corner.
|-
| Fix this thing || The border of {{w|Missouri}} cuts into {{w|Arkansas}}, in the so-called {{w|Missouri Bootheel}}. The Design Team has awarded that piece to {{w|Arkansas}}, straightening the border.
|-
| Unlabelled cleanup at the junction of {{w|Kentucky}}/{{w|Virginia}} || Virginia's western border is shifted east to align it with the borders to the north and south, forming a continuous line along the {{w|Appalachian_Mountains|Appalachians}}.
|-
| Unlabelled cleanup at the junction of {{w|Nevada}}/{{w|Arizona}} || Continue the line of Utah's western border and Arizona's far northwestern border south (replacing part of the {{w|Colorado River}} boundary), transferring part of Arizona's {{w|Mohave_County,_Arizona|Mohave county}} to Nevada.
|-
| Unlabelled cleanup at the junction of {{w|Texas}}/{{w|Oklahoma}}/{{w|Arkansas}}/{{w|Louisiana}} || Square off {{w|Southwest Arkansas}}, and move {{w|Lousiana's}} northwest border to meet up, presumably because square corners are better.
|-
| Clean up (Arizona/New Mexico/Texas) || One of {{w|New Mexico}}'s borders should be extended into a single line. This results in ceding some land to Mexico, having {{w|El Paso}} split across New Mexico and Texas, and Highway 62 alternating between two states.
|-
| Straighten to fix survey errors (Tennessee) || {{w|Tennessee}}'s southern border is supposed to be the 35th parallel north, but due to surveying errors made in the 19th Century the marked border is one mile south of that line. At many times since, Georgia has sought to fix this by various means (at least partly because doing so would net them some rights to the water from the Tennessee River) including bringing its case to the US Supreme Court - with the Design Team in charge, they wouldn't need those lawyers any more. Farther westward, Tennessee's actual southern border suddenly juts south at the Tennessee River between Alabama and Mississippi - again, the Design Team would rather see it smoothed out. Tennessee's northern border with Kentucky has similar hitches that prevent it from being a straight line that the Design Team wants to address.
|-
| Good Curve! Keep (Florida/Georgia/South Carolina) || The only thing the design team likes already about the shape of the US is the shape of the Atlantic coast in northern {{w|Florida}}, Georgia, and {{w|South Carolina}}, as it seems to bend into the US smoothly. Given the curve is the border between land and water, it's good they like it as changing it would be very difficult and expensive.{{Citation needed}}
|-
| Let's be honest, this should be Canada too || {{w|Southeast Alaska}} should be given to {{w|Canada}}, presumably because it more neatly fits with {{w|British Columbia}}. This is slightly problematic, as the state capital, {{w|Juneau}}, is within this section.
|-
| Why should Florida get Alabama's coastline? It has plenty. ||
The {{w|Florida Panhandle}} borders southern {{w|Alabama}} denying the state all but a sliver of coastline. Given that Florida already has an abundance of coast, the Graphic Designers consider the present arrangement unfair. Ceding the Florida counties west of the {{w|Apalachicola River}} has actually been {{w|Florida_Panhandle#Alabama_annexation_proposals|raised since the 19th century}}. This change would have the additional benfit of more neatly aligning Florida's western border with that of neighboring {{w|Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia}}.
|}

In the title text, the graphic designers have a civil war between the ones that favor "panhandles" in the borders, such as the Oklahoma one which is enlarged in the map, the Florida one which is removed in the map, and maybe others such as the Texas region known as the "Texas panhandle". However, as graphic designers, they get too caught up in making the flag designs for their faction to actually fight. Randall has shown interest for vexillology (the study of flags) in the past.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[An outline map of the United States is shown, including state boundaries. The following edit marks are shown in red text:]
:[Minnesota's Northwest Angle is circled] Give to Canada
:[Border between Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula is crossed out] This should be Wisconsin
:[New York's Long Island is circled, with arrows and question marks pointing to New Jersey and Connecticut] Move Long Island to NJ or CT or make it its own state
:[New York's eastern border has been straightened]
:[Wyoming's western border is moved to align with that of Colorado. The Montana/Idaho and Idaho/Utah borders are extended to reach the new border. Similarly, Colorado's eastern border is moved to align with that of Wyoming, and the Nebraska/Kansas border has been extended] Align to grid
:[West Virginia's northern panhandle has been given to Ohio and part of its eastern panhandle has been given to Maryland. In return, Western Maryland has been given to West Virginia. The altogether effect is that West Virginia and Maryland have more compact shapes] Clean Up
:[Rhode Island has been enlarged to encompass southeastern Massachusetts, and Delaware now takes up the entire Delmarva Peninsula] Enlarge Rhode Island & Delaware
:[The Oklahoma Panhandle has been extended west until it reaches Nevada, taking the northernmost parts of Arizona and New Mexico with it] If we're going to have a panhandle, why not commit to it?
:[The Missouri Bootheel has been given to Arkansas] Fix this thing
:[The part of Virginia west of the Appalachian Mountains has been given to Kentucky]
:[The southwestern and eastern borders of Nevada have been extended into Arizona until they meet a point. A part of California is slightly extended to reach the revised border]
:[Parts of Arizona and New Mexico have been ceded to Mexico, and part of Texas has been given to New Mexico, so that the southern borders of Arizona and New Mexico and the northern border of the Trans-Pecos area of Texas collectively form a straight line] Clean Up
:[Parts of northeastern Texas have been given to Arkansas and Louisiana]
:[The northern and southern borders of Tennessee have been straightened] Straighten to fix survey errors
:[A line has been traced along the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia, and northern Florida] Good curve! Keep.
:[Alaska's southeastern panhandle has been circled] Let's be honest - this should be Canada, too.
:[The Alabama/Florida border has been erased, and Alabama's eastern border has been extended south until it meets the Gulf of Mexico] Why should Florida get Alabama's coastline? It has plenty.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:It was scary when graphic designers seized control of the country, but it turned out they just wanted to fix some things about the state borders that had always bothered them. 

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Maps]]

1895: Worrying Scientist Interviews

2017-09-27T16:32:11Z

162.158.114.46: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1895
| date = September 27, 2017
| title = Worrying Scientist Interviews
| image = worrying_scientist_interviews.png
| titletext = They always try to explain that they're called 'solar physicists', but the reporters interrupt with "NEVER MIND THAT, TELL US WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE SUN!"
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Intreviewee !! Worry level !! Explanation
|-
| Archeologist || Minimum || Likely just dug up some old ruins or bones. Unlikely to involve bad news, though it may possibly cause problems (e.g. if a construction project is delayed to accomodate an archaeological investigation).
|-
| Economist || Very low || News about the economy could be either good or bad, and in most cases is just more of the usual ups and downs rather than anything catyclysmic.
|-
| Nutritionist || Very low || Possible fad diet. Note that nutritionists tend not to be a protected profession, compared to dietitians. May be alarming if it involves credible information about bad health consequences of eating, or not eating, a particular food.
|-
| Criminologist || Low || Probably just crime statistics. Usually just correcting people who mistakingly believe crime is on the rise, or been hired to suggest crime is on the rise without actually saying it. Could be dangerous in the unlikely case crime is on the rise.
|-
| Ornithologist || Medium || Possible strange flying dinosaur behavior
|-
| Botanist || Medium || There might be a new invasive species to worry about.
|-
| Marine Biologist || Medium || There might be a new invasive species to worry about.
|-
| Entomologist || Medium high || There might be a new invasive species to worry about.
|-
| Astronomer || High || Possible [[Wikipedia:Deep Impact (film)|Deep Impact]], inbound meteor, or perhaps sighting of incoming alien ships
|-
| Virologist || Very high || Some disease is likely spreading
|-
| Vulcanologist || Very high || A volcano might erupt soon, danger level depending on what volcano.
|-
| Astronomer who studies the sun || Maximum || There might be something wrong with the sun, the consequences of which could range from [[Wikipedia:Solar_storm_of_1859|major disruption to modern technology]] to the end of life on earth.
|}

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

How worried you should be if you see local reporters interviewing scientists about a breaking news story, by field:

[Chart showing "More worried" with an arrow to the right with these marks in progressively more worrying sequence.]
Archeologist 
Economist 
Nutritionist 
Criminologist 
Ornithologist 
Botanist 
Marine Biologist 
Entomologist 
Astronomer 
Virologist 
Vulcanologist 
Astronomer who studies the sun

Tag:They always try to explain that they're called 'solar physicists', but the reporters interrupt with "NEVER MIND THAT, TELL US WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE SUN!"

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1891: Obsolete Technology

2017-09-20T12:10:55Z

162.158.114.46:

Wasn't DOS still running behind Win95, and integrated into the OS similarly to the Linux shell? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.59.154|162.158.59.154]] 14:48, 18 September 2017 (UTC)
:Even worse than that. DOS was not "integrated" into Win95 or Win98, but Win95 and Win98 were built to run atop DOS. Windows NT did away with that dependency on DOS.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.102|141.101.105.102]] 22:48, 18 September 2017 (UTC)
::Win Me were also built to run atop DOS. Win NT were considered server system, only later Win 2000 and Win XP brought NT-based Windows to home machines. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:38, 18 September 2017 (UTC)
::Not quite. Windows NT was a concurrent line with the more mainstream 95/98/ME line (I think ME also was on top of DOS, but I never used it so I'm not sure). At the same timeline as those versions of Windows was Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 (NT 5.0), and maybe NT 3.5 earlier than that. Windows 95 was originally supposed to only be a temporary stepping stone from DOS with Windows 3.11 to bring people over to NT, so they kept DOS as the underlying foundation of Windows (which was a good thing because power programs and high end games still used DOS, to avoid the resource suck that is Windows. Not being in Windows frees up processing power). But so many people liked and adopted 95 that they came out with a "sequel", 98. This two-lines idiocy ended rather with Windows XP in the early 2000s, which combined the two lines, having elements of the NT line - like the NTFS system for larger hard drives, literally "NT File System", which is still in use today - with elements of the 95 line - like removing and relaxing the restrictions that blocked certain programs and games from running in Windows NT in favour of greater system stability (my NT 4.0 computer crashed the least of every Windows I've ever run). [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:27, 19 September 2017 (UTC)

This reminds me of this Raganwald article on Blub: [http://weblog.raganwald.com/2006/10/are-we-blub-programmers.html Are we blub programmers?] Adequate doesn't mean best for the job; this comic presents the other side of the coin, don't upgrade just for upgrade's sake. --[[User:Jgt|Jgt]] ([[User talk:Jgt|talk]]) 14:51, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

The computer doesn't look like an early PC from the MS-DOS era. Reminds me more of the previous generation: à so-called mini-computer or a terminal connected to a mainframe.
Zetfr 15:32, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

:You are right, but I think we should make allowances to the look as this is stated to be an 'industrial' computer. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.52|172.68.110.52]] 16:24, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Fireworks has a link to the 2016 Fireworks Annual Report, which has some useful statistics on page 2, the executive summary.
--[[User:Ozmandias42|Ozmandias42]] ([[User talk:Ozmandias42|talk]]) 20:08, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

I just finished working on upgrading an industrial control system. In the plant's control rooms, the interfaces and terminals were relatively new, running Windows 7 Ultimate. However, the DBMs in the server room that managed the control network were running MS-DOS 6.22, and they still worked just fine. The client was only upgrading the system because the OEM no longer provided support or replacement components.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.11|108.162.238.11]] 21:44, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

What bothers me about old technology is that security updates stop while the rest of the world gains an ever-increasing exploit advantage over people connecting to the same Internet. Along with the risks to them, it's worse when compromised devices act as workhorses to leverage "millions of papercuts" against the rest of the system. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 00:27, 19 September 2017 (UTC)

Hm, while it makes sense to stick to a DOS based system if nothing newer is required, the comparative of fireworks/nuclear weapons is incorrect. Upgrading those MSDOS systems to something newer (which could be just freedos) would perhaps incur on huge unnecessary expenses at most, while "upgrading" fireworks to nuclear energy would not only would make them far more expensive, it would make them far, far more dangerous and deadly. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.69.123|162.158.69.123]] 00:32, 19 September 2017 (UTC)

:What surprises me is that anything for which MS-DOS includes drivers would still be physically running after this long... in the comic scenario, they went 20 years without needing to replace key components? That said, for a lot of the older industrial systems, running something LIKE Dos, such as FREEDOS, or various custom boot environments which use DOS command formats, would probably make perfect sense. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.47|172.68.58.47]]

Neutrino beams would also mostly go straight through (without interacting with) any sort of detector you might wish to use to intercept the signal.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 07:39, 19 September 2017 (UTC)

141.101.99.233, there are neutrino detectors, and they have been used to detect artificially generated neutrinos. For an example from 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/29/science/team-detects-neutrino-fired-through-earth-s-crust.html and more recently for communications at http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2012/mar/19/neutrino-based-communication-is-a-first . The problem is partially the cost, but market traders would pay a lot to get a small speedup in communications from, say, NYC to London. The bigger problem is the bandwidth and latency. The experiment in the second link has a bandwidth of less than 1 bit per second. You can send a lot of data around the world in less than a second.

I still use MS-DOS. Unless there's an easier way to get a list of all the files in a folder in text file format. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.62|162.158.155.62]] 09:25, 19 September 2017 (UTC)
: Is that a joke? Is that a real question? In Windows 10; Win Key, type "command line", press enter to open Command Line. Type "CD <Address>" and press enter, where address is desired address. You can also right-click the address bar of any File Explorer location and choose Copy Address As Text, and just paste it into the address bar. Then type "dir > list.txt". DONE. If you want to trim out the extra information so that it's literally just a list of files with no extra information, like if you want to plug it into a program to process those files, use "dir /b > list.txt". Windows 10 doesn't have DOS. It still supports all the usual basic command line stuff. The ''hardest part'' about doing this in Windows 10 ''is having to install Windows 10''. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.106|162.158.2.106]] 11:21, 19 September 2017 (UTC)
:: I suspect the guy at "162.158.155.62" is the kind of user who confuses the NT's cmd prompt as "MS-DOS" (which is quite common, unfortunately) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.69.159|162.158.69.159]] 08:51, 20 September 2017 (UTC)

: So you use a Windows 10 Dos emulator to run what are effectively dos commands and disparage the guy that uses dos? (I suspect even they are not using a real MSDOS but do use dos commands)
:: No, what I'm saying is that using DOS to run simple command line operations is like having Linux so you can program in C. They have failed to address any actual reason to use DOS over a modern OS. If he was running a potato, or a Pi, or he was running a server, that'd make sense. Or, you know, run a DOS game that literally doesn't work on an NT PC. I totally agree that upgrades without measurable advantages aren't good ideas, but this was a bad example. Though, I also failed to note that the NT Command Line can be mistaken for MS-DOS, and assumed he was using some sort of dual boot. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.106|162.158.2.106]] 09:56, 20 September 2017 (UTC)
: I use a calculator app occasionally that has many fewer functions than my first HP35 back in 1973 - the point is it does the job I need, and updating it to 200 scientific functions while entirely possible would not make it "better". Somebody wrote that Windows 10 Dos emulator because for some file and directory manipulations dos does what is needed in the most efficient manner.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.166|162.158.75.166]] 02:35, 20 September 2017 (UTC)

Chernobyl and Fukushima were nuclear reactor meltdowns, not nuclear explosions. Also I think three citation needed-jokes in one explanation is too much and not fun anymore. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.29|162.158.238.29]] 09:38, 19 September 2017 (UTC)
:I wholeheartedly agree. I've become tired of the general overuse of that joke in explainxkcd. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.143|162.158.79.143]] 13:55, 19 September 2017 (UTC)
:I agree. I am usually a fan of well placed "citation needed" jokes, but not only are these three to rapidly following each other, they also don't fit the usual joke as the statements they acompany can - in my oppinion - be reasonably challenged. Would nuclear fireworks really necasarily cause larger, immediately lethal explosions? Couldn't one build a tiny nuke suitable for a firework? (And with that statement I will probably find myself on a no-fly list)[[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.199|162.158.89.199]] 13:56, 19 September 2017 (UTC)
::Heh, I had once theorized building a mock-up of a nuclear explosion audio-visual effects out of conventional materials: some contained explosive for the bang (just a big firecracker), some magnesium mixture for the flash and some hydrocarbons for the raising mushroom-shaped fireball. Then build up a model town and set the whole contraption off while filming it in slow-motion... Never actually followed that idea. Those were happy times, playing with chemistry and making a small flash or bang once in a while. Today, I can't even buy basic reagents...

"Real-world fax detractors would rather replace it with other electronic communication systems, not neutronic ones." Wouldn't neuTRONic systems use neuTRONs? Would these be neutrinic, neutrinoic? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.143|162.158.79.143]] 13:55, 19 September 2017 (UTC)

"Would nuclear fireworks really necasarily cause larger, immediately lethal explosions?" asked 162.158.89.199. No. Starfish Prime, described in "A Very Scary Light Show: Exploding H-Bombs In Space" at http://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2010/07/01/128170775/a-very-scary-light-show-exploding-h-bombs-in-space .

I think the joke about electrons is based on the speed of electons not the speed of electronic signals. An electronic signal travels much faster than the electrons themselves, which moves more glacially between high and low points (about walking speed).[[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.46|162.158.114.46]] 12:10, 20 September 2017 (UTC)

54: Science

2017-04-14T22:08:57Z

162.158.114.46: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 54
| date = January 18, 2006
| title = Science
| image = science.jpg
| titletext = Bonus points if you can identify the science in question
}}

==Explanation==
The solid line represents the theoretical {{w|blackbody radiation|radiation for a blackbody}} at 2.73 K according to {{w|Planck's Law}} (derived as early as 1900 by {{w|Max Planck}}). The formula, almost as written in the graph, can be found {{w|Black-body radiation#Planck's law of black-body radiation|here}}. The only changes are that on Wikipedia, the frequency f is represented by the Greek letter ν (nu) and the temperature T is included as an independent variable, so I(f) becomes I(v,T). However, I(v,T) still represents the {{w|Radiance#Spectral radiance|spectral radiance}} (similar to energy density). In this formula, h is the Planck constant, c is the speed of light in a vacuum and k is the Boltzmann constant. The frequency (f or v) along the X-axis is measured in {{w|GHz}} (Giga (or billion) Hertz). The curve peaks at 160.4 GHz. There is no scale or unit on the {{w|energy density}} on the Y-axis.

The theory is that the blackbody in question was in fact the universe at the point when it had cooled down enough {{w|Decoupling (cosmology)|to allow photons to escape}}, {{w|Chronology of the universe|0.38 million years}} into the universe's {{w|Big Bang|13.8 billion years}} history. The photons that reach us today are the ones that have been travelling to us at lightspeed since then. As the light from astronomical objects suffers from {{w|redshift}} due to the expansion of the universe, and this shift becomes more pronounced with distance from the observer, this light displays in the infrared range.

The title text praises viewers who can identify where this equation and corresponding graph come from (without consulting this wiki, of course).

===Official T-shirt explanation===
This comic was made into a T-shirt. [http://store-xkcd-com.myshopify.com/products/science-works xkcd stores].

On the xkcd store there is both an '''explanation for the title:'''

Science: We finally figured out that you could separate fact from superstition by a completely radical method: observation. You can try things, measure them, and see how they work! {{w|Bitch (insult)|Bitches}}.


And specifically an '''explanation for the graph:'''

The graph on the back of the shirt is data from the {{w|COBE|COBE mission}} which looked at the background microwave glow of the universe and found that it fit perfectly with the idea that the universe used to be really hot everywhere. This strongly reinforced the Big Bang theory and was one of the most dramatic examples of an experiment agreeing with a theory in history -- the data points fit perfectly, with error bars too small to draw on the graph. It's one of the most triumphant scientific results in history.


The above is a direct copy paste, with errors. The current wiki page of the COBE mission can be found at {{w|Cosmic Background Explorer|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Background_Explorer}}

==Transcript==
:[A graph with a curve that begins at zero, then peaks at a given frequency, indicated via a thin vertical line, and then fades down towards zero. It is possible to see the data point, which the curve fits perfectly. The Y-axis is labeled. Along the X-axis the zero point and the frequency where the peak has its maximum are labeled and close to the arrow the unit of this axis is written.]
:Y-axis: Energy Density
:Along the X-axis:
::0
::160.4
::GHz
:[Above the graph to the right is the following formula, with the last inner parentheses only included to make the formula clear, since in the drawing the fractions are written above and below horizontal lines:]
:I(f) = (2hf3/c2)(1/(ehf/kT-1))
:[Below the graph is written the following:]
:'''Science.'''
:It works, bitches.

==Trivia==
*This was the 48th comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]].
**The previous was [[50: Penny Arcade]].
**The next was [[51: Malaria]].
*This comic kept its original title: "Science"
**It is part of the last six comics on LiveJournal which all had a title without the word "Drawing" in it.
**Five of these had exactly the same title on both sites.
**Only 11 comics have the same title on both sites.
**Apart from the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|thirteen first comics]] posted to LiveJournal, there were only three other comics without the word "Drawing" in the title before these last six.
*Original [[Randall]] quote: "Bonus points if you can identify the science in question."
**Only difference between this and the title text on xkcd is the last period: "."
**It was rare that these two texts were so similar.
*This comic was one of the last 11 comics posted on LiveJournal.
**These 11 comics were [[:Category:Posted on LiveJournal after xkcd|posted both on LiveJournal and xkcd]] after the [[xkcd]] site opened on the 1st of January 2006.
**The first six comics were posted on both sites on the same day. But not this one.
*For some reason this comic was first posted a week later on xkcd (25 January 2006), on the day that [[53: Hobby]] was released on LiveJournal.
**On the day 54: Science was released on LiveJournal (18 January 2006), another comic ([[51: Malaria]]) was released on xkcd.
**[[51: Malaria]] also became the next comic released on LiveJournal, but this meant that three comics in a row were posted a release day earlier on xkcd than on LiveJournal.
**Only with the last comic released on LiveJournal, [[55: Useless]], did the two sites release the same comic on the same day again.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal| 48]]
[[Category:Posted on LiveJournal after xkcd]]
[[Category:Line graphs]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Science]]

Talk:1823: Hottest Editors

2017-04-14T21:06:26Z

162.158.114.46:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR, a procaryotic immune defense system that, coupled with Cas9, has been used by molecular biologists as a technology for precise edition of a the genome of virtually any organism.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.216|141.101.105.216]] 14:59, 12 April 2017 (UTC) LinVl

So.. the M-x crispr command? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.172|172.68.51.172]] 15:54, 12 April 2017 (UTC)ZZ

The first editors are not for machine-readable Text. But for sourcecode which is human-readable.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.192|162.158.90.192]] 16:49, 12 April 2017 (UTC)
:Well, the compiler or interpreter can hopefully read your source code, so in some sense it's machine-readable :P. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.112|172.68.54.112]] 18:13, 12 April 2017 (UTC)

i noticed the article fails to mention the comic declaring vim as the winner in 2005... kind of a huge oversight. mayhaps there is bias in the author of this wiki? mayhaps the author is a huge emacs fan?
:Maybe he's alluding to this with CRISPR-VIM in 2025.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.51|162.158.74.51]] 22:12, 12 April 2017 (UTC)

I'm surprised no female name is included. I mean, there must be lot of newspapers with female editors and some of them are likely hot. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 02:06, 13 April 2017 (UTC)

Could CRISPR being the hottest editor refer to DNA computing? https://www.britannica.com/technology/DNA-computing

"Sublime Text is the current "most popular" text editor according to Randall[citation needed]". Citation needed? Someone should link that phrase to this comic then, LOL!

And I want to mention, this site has been looking all wrong and messed up on my iPad 1 for the last week or two. The entire left side is missing, being relegated to looking wrong below, the logo is gone, the buttons are in some different Times-looking font, and this comment text box is only using the centre half of the screen, horizontally. It's like a style sheet got corrupted. Or it's been made prejudiced against older devices and OSes. :) - NiceGuy1 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.88|108.162.219.88]] 03:18, 14 April 2017 (UTC)

:Have you tried turning it off and on again? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.46|162.158.114.46]] 21:06, 14 April 2017 (UTC)

378: Real Programmers

2017-04-14T21:05:00Z

162.158.114.46: /* Explanation */ - refer forward to mention of Editor Wars in #1823

{{comic
| number = 378
| date = February 1, 2008
| title = Real Programmers
| image = real_programmers.png
| titletext = Real programmers set the universal constants at the start such that the universe evolves to contain the disk with the data they want.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a satire on the idea of a {{w|Real Programmer}}. To quote Wikipedia "...the computer folklore term Real Programmer has come to describe the archetypical 'hardcore' programmer who eschews the modern languages and tools of the day in favour of more direct and efficient solutions—closer to the hardware." The implication is that modern programmers are coddled by today's tools of the trade, which eschew detailed understanding for simple workflows.

The first figure is writing a piece of code when another programmer ridicules him for using {{w|GNU nano}}. Nano is a {{w|text editor}} - a program often used to edit the source code of other programs; it is modern, simple, and easy-to-use. He goes on to say that "REAL" programmers use {{w|Emacs}}. {{w|GNU Emacs}} is a popular editor known for its vast profusion of features and extensions to perform all sorts of functions beyond simple text editing, and is widely regarded as one of the best examples of software. The comic continues from here as a series of programmers state progressively more obscure or outdated methods. Culminating in the final programmer who claims that "real" programmers use butterflies.

His description of his rather surreal programming method is ludicrously complicated and would require an absurd amount of knowledge and forethought to pull off, bordering on omniscience. In the final panel the Emacs programmer claims that there's an Emacs code to do that.

Emacs and {{w|Vim (text editor)|Vim}} are both text editors. {{w|ed (text editor)|ed}} is a {{w|line editor}}. These represent progressively more "old school" solutions to the problem of editing code. {{w|cat (Unix)|cat}} is a Unix program that concatenates and outputs the contents of files; and it's usually run from a {{w|Unix shell}}, which allows its output to be written or appended to a file.

Using a magnetised needle to flip bits on a hard drive requires nanometric precision and intuitive mastery of binary code, but in the early days of programming people did use needles sometimes to fix bugs on {{w|Punched card|Punched cards}}.

When final character suggests the utterly surreal idea of using butterflies he is referring to the {{w|Butterfly effect in popular culture|Butterfly effect}}, a "phenomenon whereby a minor change in circumstances can cause a large change in outcome". The joke at this point relies on stretching the connection between the ideas of "difficult-to-use" and "requires detailed understanding of underlying principles", to suggest that not only do ''Real'' Programmers know everything about how computers work, but they know how to manipulate the ambient physical environment in elaborate ways to cause computers to do what they want, akin to performing {{w|trick shot}}s that accomplish feats of programming.

The fact that Emacs already has a command for this simply exasperates the programmers frustration with modern programming tools.

{{w|GNU Emacs}} succeeds despite being riddled with {{w|Feature creep|featuritis}}.

Emacs commands are usually referred to by the key sequence required to activate them, such as "C-x M-c" (Control-x Meta-c, though this exact key sequence is a bit different from most Emacs commands). The macro referenced is a pun on the play/movie titled "{{w|M. Butterfly}}". The butterfly programmer saying "Dammit, Emacs" plays on Emacs' notoriety for its kitchen sink design approach of tossing in all the features and options that anybody might ever conceivably want. By way of example, later versions of Emacs actually added a totally useless "M-x butterfly" command as an easter egg, in reference to this very comic: see the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQtxhuX6ano YouTube demo] and [http://www.screenr.com/a2s screenr demo].

The title text further suggests manipulating the {{w|Physical constant|universal constants}} in order to create a universe in which the required computer data will exist. Programming of this sort would require power and knowledge akin to the Abrahamic God.

According to the logic, the programmers shown may even represent the fulfillment of this master programmers plan. The universe may have been designed in such a way that the programmers ancestry would result in his parents, who would meet and have a child, who would learn programming and eventually find himself in a position where he undertakes the task of creating a program, which fills the disk with the desired data. In tandem, of course, all of the people involved with creating and developing all the required hardware, software, raw materials, computer science, electricity, logic (etc., etc., etc.) would have to be part of the master plan. Put simply, it would probably be simpler just to use Emacs.

The use of a magnetized needle may also be a reference to the {{w|Apollo Guidance Computer|Apollo AGC guidance computer}}, whose instructions were physically written as patterns of wires looped around or through cylindrical magnets in order to record binary code.

This comic hints at the "{{w|editor wars}}", an ongoing debate of Vim and Emacs users over which of the two editors is the best. The editor wars are mentioned again in [[1823: Hottest Editors]].

==Transcript==
:[A Cueball like man sits at a computer, programming. Cueball stands behind him and looks over his shoulder.]
:Cueball: <code>nano</code>? Real Programmers use <code>emacs</code>.

:[Megan appears behind him.]
:Megan: Hey. Real Programmers use <code>vim</code>.

:[A second Cueball like man appears behind her.]
:Ed Cueball: Well, Real Programmers use <code>ed</code>.

:[A third Cueball like man appears behind him.]
:Cat Cueball: No, Real Programmers use <code>cat</code>.

:[Hairbun appears behind him.]
:Hairbun: Real Programmers use a magnetized needle and a steady hand.

:[A fourth Cueball like man enters, facing them all. We see him facing the last two Cueball like men and Hairbun.]
:Butterfly Cueball: Excuse me, but Real Programmers use butterflies.

:[A Cueball like programmer is standing and holding out a butterfly in front of his computer. The butterfly flaps its wings.]
:Butterfly Cueball (narrating off-screen): They open their hands and let the delicate wings flap once.

:[The next two panels are smaller and the two texts below are written uninterrupted respectively above and below both panels. The first panel is the Cueball like programmer with the butterfly, and above him four curved arrows pointing up or down. The second panel shows the upper atmosphere, with large clouds far below and the earth even further down. Also here are shown seven of the same type of arrows.]
:Butterfly Cueball (narrating off-screen): The disturbances ripple outward, changing the flow of the eddy currents in the upper atmosphere.
:Butterfly Cueball (narrating off-screen): These cause momentary pockets of higher-pressure air to form,

:[Also the next two panels are smaller and the texts below are written uninterrupted above both panels. The first panel shows the atmosphere, again with clouds, and four parallel lines coming from above, and then they begin to merge, getting quite close at the bottom of the panel. The second panel shows the four lines merging on a driver platter.]
:Butterfly Cueball (narrating off-screen): Which act as lenses that deflect incoming cosmic rays, focusing them to strike the drive platter and flip the desired bit.

:[All the programmers who has commented so far stands in the order they have commented facing the last Cueball like man who slaps his forehead.]
:Cueball: Nice. 'Course, there's an Emacs command to do that.
:Cat Cueball: Oh yeah! Good ol' C-x M-c M-butterfly...
:Butterfly Cueball: Dammit, Emacs.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Emacs]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Rankings]]

1822: Existential Bug Reports

2017-04-10T21:49:34Z

162.158.114.46: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1822
| date = April 10, 2017
| title = Existential Bug Reports
| image = existential_bug_reports.png
| titletext = ISSUE: If we wait long enough, eventually the Earth will be consumed by the Sun. WORKAROUND: None.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|What does "update broke support for hardware" mean?}}

[[Megan]] is sitting at her desk, writing an error report. Her description of the issue is fairly standard, albeit somewhat vague: A recent software update has broken the support for hardware she needs for her job. This is very problematic for her, as it could prevent her from doing important work which in the end could cause her to lose her job.

The humor in this strip comes from her own suggested {{w|workaround}} (a short-term method of working despite the problem), which is absurd as she proposes simply waiting for the {{w|Sun}} to consume the {{w|Earth}} when it turns into a {{w|red giant}} towards the end of its lifetime approximately {{w|Sun#After_core_hydrogen_exhaustion|5 billion years}} from now.

While this would eliminate the issue, as both the hardware and software as well as Megan and her job would all cease to exist, this would not be helpful to Megan as it does not address the underlying problem of her being unable to work in the present. It would also be impossible to wait the 5 billion years until this occurs, and thus in no way represents a short-term (or long term) fix.

Megan and all other humans will almost certainly have died billions of years before this happens. It is expected that the constantly increasing output from the Sun, will cause Earth to {{w|Future_of_Earth#Loss_of_oceans|loose its oceans}} in about 1.1 billion years from now. Note, that albeit likely, it is not {{w|Future_of_Earth#Red_giant_stage|certain that Earth will be consumed}} by the red giant Sun.

In the title text, [[Randall]] asks for a workaround from Megan's "workaround". He writes it down as another bug report, as though it were a software problem. The answer is that there is '''none'''. Randall in his crisis see no way to prevent Earth from being consumed by the Sun. However, one possible workaround could be evacuation of the Solar System, as if humanity still exists by the time the Earth's destruction occurs, we will likely have highly advanced technology. Maybe at that time it would even be [https://qntm.org/moving possible to move the Earth], first further out to prevent both the engulfment and also the earlier evaporation of the oceans and later it could then be moved back in when the sun turns into a {{w|white dwarf}}.

Megan appears to be having an {{w|Existential_crisis|existential crisis}}, hence the title of the comic, questioning the purpose of her work if everything will eventually be destroyed anyway, albeit first in 5 billion years. And Randall continues that in the title text. Also the title text for the comic preceding this one, [[1821: Incinerator]], references existential crises, suggesting perhaps that Randall is feeling particularly existential at the moment, see more regarding this [[I'm_With_Her#Sad_comics|here]].

Megan has previously expressed such existential problems in [[220: Philosophy]], where Randall presented a solution for it. Similar she was depressed in [[1111: Premiere]], where it was the boiling away of the oceans, mentioned above, that was her concern.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is sitting in an office chair at her desk typing on her laptop. Above her are two light-gray frames with text. Above each frame is a bold header:]
:'''Issue:'''
:Recent update broke support for hardware I need for my job.

:'''Workaround:'''
:If we wait long enough, the Earth will eventually be consumed by the Sun.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Time]]