Talk:513: Friends

2024-09-24T08:05:49Z

172.70.114.14:

Tried it, doesn't work. --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.154|173.245.53.154]] 21:04, 22 November 2013 (UTC)
:Are you the real Cueball? --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:01, 22 November 2013 (UTC)
::Sometimes we're all the real Cueball.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.9|173.245.54.9]] 00:22, 4 February 2014 (UTC)

I believe the explanation was incorrect as it stated that Cueball actually explains this idea to Megan. To be it seems obvious that he just explains his plans (to us), but by telling it to Megan it is even more obvious how unpleasant such a plan is. I have thus changed the explanation to fit this. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:08, 5 February 2014 (UTC)

Also I think the title text explanation about Cueball entering into a relationship with Megan must be wrong. If they do that they are no longer friends. So I have added a different explanation. but will not yet delete the alternative. I will leave that up to others to decide if it makes sence to be friends with detriements/benefits if you are in a relationship...? [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:58, 6 February 2014 (UTC)

Do we have evidence of Megan,s preivious romances and relationships? I believe a Cueball marriage was postulated15:14, 29 August 2014 (UTC) {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.191}}

Reminds me of something I heard recently "If you're the kind of person who worries about girls putting you in the 'Friend Zone', don't worry! You're probably not the kind of person they'd want to be friends with anyway". -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 00:51, 25 June 2015 (UTC)

I've had a crush on a girl I know - a girl I am good friends with - for a few months now, and this comic is is the push I needed. I'm going to ask her out.
[[User:Pawtiko|Pawtiko]] ([[User talk:Pawtiko|talk]]) 15:11, 29 January 2016 (UTC)

;Culture
First para-->sentence on dating, I clarified that this is only common in Western cultures, and wrote in brackets what would be the normal route in some other cultures. Actually, it's interesting to consider how the scenario displayed in this comic would be very difficult to play out in, say, Saudi Arabia or India, because you would never get that close to a member of the opposite sex like that, and if you did have a crush on them, you would have to ask your family to approach their family for a marriage proposal, and thus arrange a marriage, as "dating" is considered immoral. On the other hand, I suppose lonely people (especially men) who aren't that attractive/confident who live in Western cultures might be prone to the kind of manipulative behaviour shown in this comic. [[User:Verizoned|Verizoned]] ([[User talk:Verizoned|talk]]) 22:40, 12 April 2017 (UTC)
:While in India arranged marriages are still very common and the default, people often date and have relationships before that, which sometimes even result in love-marriages, or more commonly get broken up in favor of an arrenged ones. At least this is true with the "younger" generation born in the mid 80s or later. (Source: Been to India, talked to Indians) --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 10:49, 3 May 2019 (UTC)

I don't know about this comic... yes, if you fake a friendship for the sole purpose of trying to enter a relationship, that's the mark of a horrible person. But if you DON'T try to be friends first, how else are the two of you supposed to know whether or not your interests are wildly incompatible? This is just a confusing topic... [[Special:Contributions/172.68.143.132|172.68.143.132]] 12:51, 12 June 2018 (UTC)
:It's a hard topic to wrap your head around and one I am currently trying to understand. I think, specifically with this comic, it's saying that you're doing something terrible if you cut people off from a prospective dating pool. i.e. making yourself the only potential suitor for a person by process of elimination and eliminating. However, it okay to start off by being friends with someone. Finding out if your chemistry works or not. Not making the first move is also okay, but it also means they may *never* make the first move. If you are afraid of making the first move, then you have to be okay with only ever being friends and being okay with the fact that the someone you are interested in might not be interested in you and ask other people out. It eventually comes down to a risk-reward: take a chance, and risk alienating them as a friend (we wish it weren't the case, but it might just end up too awkward for lots of people) but maybe start a relationship; never take a chance and "risk" being "friend-zoned" (but, really, from the other person's perspective there was no risk; you only ever gave the signal you wanted to be friends, so they maintained that). Pardon, this is mostly me thinking through my own thoughts on this topic. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.183|172.70.114.183]] 18:15, 18 November 2022 (UTC)
::Yes, but the comic adds the important layer that the "romantic idea" that the friend will some day, one day, fall for you, perhaps after a string of failed relationships with "jerks", is actually nothing to strive or hope for, because this would most probably mean that the other person only chose you as a second, third, or likely nth choice, out of frustration, and not out of love. It would also mean that you would be fine to be the fill-in, which is also not a healthy self-perspective. --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.14|172.70.114.14]] 08:05, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

Doesn't the "*hug*" part reference comic 352? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.143.162|172.68.143.162]] 07:23, 27 January 2019 (UTC)

2924: Pendulum Types

2024-04-24T20:42:54Z

172.70.114.14: some thoughts about the placement of the citation

{{comic
| number = 2924
| date = April 24, 2024
| title = Pendulum Types
| image = pendulum_types_2x.png
| imagesize = 589x302px
| noexpand = false

| titletext = The creepy fingers that grow from a vibrating cornstarch-water mix can be modeled as a chain of inverted vertical pendulums (DOI:10.1039/c4sm00265b) and are believed to be the fingers of Maxwell's Demon trying to push through into our universe.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by CREEPING TENDRILS OF STARCH - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic shows and describes several {{w|pendulums}}. The first three are actual physics models, while the last one is made up for the comic.

The simple pendulum consists of a joint, rod, and weight, and when released, it swings in a regular fashion. The "period" of a pendulum is the amount of time it takes to complete one cycle, swinging back and forth. In a simple pendulum, the period is consistent, predictable, and depends primarily on the length of the pendulum (being largely independent of both mass and length of arc). This predictability makes pendulums useful in applications such as timekeeping, where the earliest accurate clocks made use of pendulums as regulators.

The {{w|double pendulum}} consists of 2 joints, 2 rods, and a weight, and when released, it swings in a chaotic fashion. Interestingly, this follows by the mathematical definition of chaotic, being that small changes result in vast differences. This pendulum is thus nearly unpredictable, and due to this chaotic nature, real life applications are very limited.

The {{w|inverted pendulum}} consists of a simple pendulum that is placed upside down, with some apparatus underneath vibrating it vertically to keep it upwards. If left unpowered (or improperly controlled from positional feedback) it will fall, hence the "unstable" part. (The comic, however, appears to depict {{w|Kapitza's pendulum}}, a powered version that does not rely upon monitoring and feedback-control.)

The nightmare pendulum appears to be an inverted double pendulum, with an additional uninverted pendulum swinging within its much more substantial weight (which is also adorned with archaic/mystical symbols). The comic claims that this pendulum summons {{w|Maxwell's Demon}}, and jokingly implies that Maxwell’s Demon is an actual entity, and not a thought experiment.

The title text continues this joke explicitly, by referencing a real paper titled [https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2014/sm/c4sm00265b Vibro-levitation and inverted pendulum: parametric resonance in vibrating droplets and soft materials] and implying that the paper ties the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zoTKXXNQIU "creepy fingers"] to Maxwell's (real) Demon. The paper only actually suggests that the phenomenon is related to inverted pendulum dynamics (and the position of the reference does indicate that it supports only the statement coming before it). So the citation is technically correct, but still gives apparent support to the humorous claim about Maxwell's Demon.)
==Transcript==
:[Four types of pendulums are shown in a single panel. Each has a bullet list below the depiction.]

:[Label:]
:Simple pendulum
:[A basic pendulum consisting of a joint, rod, and weight swinging in a regular arc]
:* Periodic
:* Stable
:* Useful for timekeeping

:[Label:]
:Double pendulum
:[A pendulum consisting of 2 joints, 2 rods, and a weight swinging in a more loopy arc]
:* Aperiodic
:* Chaotic
:* Moderately cursed

:[Label:]
:Inverted pendulum
:[An upside-down basic pendulum with some apparatus underneath vibrating up and down]
:* Finely balanced
:* Unstable
:* Becomes stable when vibrated

:[Label:]
:Nightmare pendulum
:[An inverted double pendulum, with an additional uninverted pendulum swinging within a large weight adorned with archaic/mystical symbols]
:* Forbidden
:* Unphysical
:* Summons Maxwell's Demon

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with cursed items]] 
[[Category:Physics]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:513: Friends

2924: Pendulum Types