explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3002: RNAWorld

2024-10-25T11:58:10Z

172.69.71.84:

Is any of this specific to Disneyland or could it be Disney World, which would be more fitting for the title? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.43.93|172.70.43.93]] 18:43, 23 October 2024 (UTC)
:Yes, Ariel is from The Little Mermaid, which is a Disney film, Ratatouille is another Disney film, and Elsa is from Frozen and Frozen II, both of which are Disney films. I believe that RNAWorld is a play on Disneyworld. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 19:04, 23 October 2024 (UTC)
::I'm sure .43.93, above, understands that they are definitely Disney characters that are equally relevent to either Disney World or Disneyland (or Eurodisney, or...). It's the "World" bit that was important (and now is correctly referenced, so far as I can see). [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.10|172.69.194.10]] 19:48, 23 October 2024 (UTC)
:::Pfft. "Euro Disney" is 'so' 1994. It reminds me of the arguments I had with people ~20 years ago who honestly thought the currency in much of Europe was officialy the "Eurodollar". Sure, Joachimsthal is in Europe... [[Special:Contributions/172.71.103.172|172.71.103.172]] 21:11, 23 October 2024 (UTC)
::::Depends what they meant by {{w|Eurodollar|'officially'}}, and when. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.186.107|172.68.186.107]] 22:08, 23 October 2024 (UTC)

the rat's name is Remy [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 20:06, 23 October 2024 (UTC)

What should we call the girl with the Mickey/Minnie ears? Or is a physical description good enough? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 01:08, 24 October 2024 (UTC)
:Is he not a boy? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.206|172.70.90.206]] 02:59, 24 October 2024 (UTC)
::can't tell tbh [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 06:31, 24 October 2024 (UTC)
:::'He' has short hair and no ponytail, so probability 79% a XY mutant (all men are{{Dubious}} ;-) )' so for symmetry, how about Jack? [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 07:16, 24 October 2024 (UTC)
:::: https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1662:_Jack_and_Jill --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.252|162.158.134.252]] 09:07, 24 October 2024 (UTC)

Okay so some guy removed literally everything, I undid that. But just for good measure, I also got rid of the guy saying there isn't abiogenesis. I didn't think a comic about RNAWorld would get as much controversy as the COVID comics but I guess I was wrong. Thanks guys for proving my theory that most people are just stupid [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.84|172.69.71.84]] 11:46, 25 October 2024 (UTC)

Recommend locking the page because the same guy keeps doing it. Stupid human being. I hope he steps on some hot Legos. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.84|172.69.71.84]] 11:58, 25 October 2024 (UTC)

2977: Three Kinds of Research

2024-10-25T11:50:15Z

172.69.71.84: Again, Miss Lenhart isn't here. Nothing specifies this as Miss Lenhart. It just make sense to change this.

{{comic
| number = 2977
| date = August 26, 2024
| title = Three Kinds of Research
| image = three_kinds_of_research_2x.png
| imagesize = 501x306px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The secret fourth kind is 'we applied a standard theory to their map of every tree and got some suspicious results.'
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, three types of research are presented. First, [[Cueball]] presents an analysis of an existing theory, testing to see if it holds up under unusual circumstances. Second, [[Blondie]] presents a new theory; to prove that it has merit, it is tested on "standard" circumstances, presumably older data that the existing theories have already been tested on. As Blondie's data graph looks similar in form to Cueball's, it is possible that they are approaching the same field from two different directions.

The punchline is a disheveled [[Hairy]] presenting the third kind of research: not a theory, but a survey that collects the data to test theories on. Rather than sit around their laboratory crunching numbers, Hairy has gotten deep in the weeds — literally, judging by the leaves stuck to their body — to [https://www.google.com/search?q=lidar+tree+survey somehow] map out "every tree." How far their {{w|Forest inventory|survey}} of "every tree" reaches isn't clear but it's implied to be a massive area such as most of a country, continent or even the world (though the appearance of the graph doesn't have any obvious relationship to any [[977: Map Projections|global projection]]), and they're raising their arms in exhausted triumph over the fact that they're finally finished.

The comic thus presents a message about science: while it is perceived to be a high-minded affair with lots of very smart people performing calculations well over most people's heads, it still relies on getting down and dirty — again, literally in Hairy's case — with the rather basic challenges of measuring what the problems are to begin with. [[2456: Types of Scientific Paper|Some scientific papers]] are simply descriptions of measured phenomena.

The title text brings everything together by testing theories on the tree map (this is similar to Cueball's approach), with suspicious results. There can be multiple interpretations of these results: the "map of every tree" was manipulated or simply inaccurate, someone is messing with trees on a global level or the tree survey methods and/or mapping techniques are questionable. This could also be a reference to the discovery of General and Special relativity, which sprouted from the fact that the "standard theory" at the time, Newtonian gravity, was unable to account for certain observed phenomena, such as the orbit of Mercury.

For example, the {{w|Lambda-CDM_model|ΛCDM standard model of cosmology}} could be 
1) supported or challenged by new empirical data on the distribution of galaxies, new simulations or a mathematical thought experiment based on that model 
2) challenged by a new model that is better at explaining some oddities of the model, such as {{w|dark energy}} 
3) complemented with a survey of the timeline of everything in the universe :-) 

In this case the fourth kind of researcher would apply the cosmological standard model to the map of everything and find something suspicious.

Randall has previously created a similar type of comic in [[2529: Unsolved Math Problems]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A single panel with three separate drawings.]
:[Caption above the drawings:]
:The Three Kinds of Scientific Research:
:[Cueball is pointing to a scatter plot with a best-fit curve.]
:Cueball: We applied a standard theory to novel circumstances and got some surprising results.
:[Blondie is pointing to a similar scatter plot.]
:Blondie: We applied a novel theory to standard circumstances and got some intriguing results.
:[Hairy, with leaves in their messy hair and on their body, is pointing to another chart that is covered in random dots and unidentifiable shapes, while having both arms raised. Leaves are falling from their body and are scattered on the ground at their feet. A stick is stuck in their hair.]
:Hairy: ''Finally, a map of every tree.''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Scientific research]]

Talk:3002: RNAWorld

2024-10-25T11:46:05Z

172.69.71.84: do I need to explain

Talk:3002: RNAWorld

2024-10-25T11:44:43Z

172.69.71.84: Undo revision 354335 by 172.68.64.222 (talk) seriously??? just get rid of the bad parts and keep the good. God..

Talk:2978: Stranded

2024-08-29T18:54:00Z

172.69.71.84:

This reminds me of the apocryphal UK newspaper headline (sometimes claimed to be The Times in 1957): "Fog in (the English) Channel - Continent Cut Off"
See e.g. https://www.quora.com/Is-the-famous-headline-Fog-in-Channel-Continent-Cut-Off-an-urban-myth

It gets worse, SpaceX's Falcon 9 is grounded too: [https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/spacexs-falcon-9-grounded-after-failing-landing-attempt-2024-08-28/ SpaceX's Falcon 9 grounded after failing landing attempt]:
:{{quote|Falcon 9 is also due to launch two NASA astronauts in late September on a Crew Dragon spacecraft that will bring home next year the two astronauts who have been stuck on the International Space Station after riding Boeing's troubled Starliner spacecraft. NASA regulates Falcon 9 for its own missions. It was not immediately clear how the rocket's latest grounding will affect that NASA mission. The U.S. space agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.}}
Here's hoping those guys like the view. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.166.165|172.71.166.165]] 20:48, 28 August 2024 (UTC)

I was going to add something about how the people on Earth not being alone may not be a benefit, considering all the political division and wars going on down here. But I think that's too much editorializing for an explanation. But we can say what we like in the comments. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:18, 28 August 2024 (UTC)

I just noticed that howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com doesn't list Wilmore and Williams. [[User:RegularSizedGuy|RegularSizedGuy]] ([[User talk:RegularSizedGuy|talk]]) 22:13, 28 August 2024 (UTC)
:But it lists people who got back in July 2022, so I'd say it's not kept up to date....
:--[[Special:Contributions/188.114.102.116|188.114.102.116]] 22:19, 28 August 2024 (UTC)

wow this is JUST like the jevil  [[Special:Contributions/172.69.64.184|172.69.64.184]] 23:16, 28 August 2024 (UTC)Bumpf

The transcript currently includes the statement “There's an elliptical window through which they can see the planet below”. Analysing the image carefully, that’s clearly correct - but at first, second and third glance I can’t help but see it as a circular porthole on an isometric view of a non-existent bulkhead on the left… I guess I’m just conditioned to expect things at ~30 degree angles to be isometric, rather than “floating in space”… [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.83|172.69.194.83]] 07:06, 29 August 2024 (UTC)
:In a few moments, I'm going to change it to "large round". Roundedness does not admit to (nor deny) circularity, so covers any orientation of the bulkhead (also not sure what you mean by "non-existent", as the whole greebled wall you see is the probably-at-an-angle outer bulkhead).
:It is also ''very'' large, in keeping with xkcd's illustrative fiction (bigger, but more believably non-cornered than [[2906: Earth]], if that's supposed to be a window/porthole; a variety seen looked out of in [[865: Nanobots]]; I recall at least one other with a large window, but can't recall the circumstances at the moment). Noting that the ISS's {{w|Cupola (ISS module)|cupola}} is probably the most "windowy window" actually in use, due to practical concerns that I'm sure we'd all have about a huge (necessarily thick) spread of 'glass' that's needed in this sort of scene for aesthetic reasons.
:Not as bad as "Hollywood"-type submersible picture-windows, of course. You have to resist no more than one atmosphere of pressure, outwards, in space. You have to resist multiple atmosphere's of pressure, ''inwards'', at depth. A hemispherical bubble-end (or a symmetric slice of one) could be adopted from deep-sea applications, but the window would have to bulge inwards for best strength and safety purposes against the outwards pressure, making a more awkward method of viewing at all angles (and possibly distorting astronomical photographs in ways that reduce their convenient usefulness). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.218|141.101.99.218]] 12:04, 29 August 2024 (UTC)

This is basically the plot of Seveneves [[Special:Contributions/162.158.33.196|162.158.33.196]] 08:58, 29 August 2024 (UTC)

I can see why they wanna stay in space today, and probably forever tbh [[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.231|172.70.160.231]] 10:53, 29 August 2024 (UTC)

I'm fairly concerned that nobody else is concerned that the astronauts will die from 8 MONTHS in space. Unless I'm wrong, prolonged space stays usually lead to atrophy of pretty much every human organ due to the nonexistence of gravity, right? But they'll be there for 8 months... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.84|172.69.71.84]] 18:54, 29 August 2024 (UTC)