explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2780: Physical Quantities

2023-06-01T02:03:34Z

172.70.114.159: Comic has now been corrected to show area as m^2

{{comic
| number = 2780
| date = May 24, 2023
| title = Physical Quantities
| image = physical_quantities_2x.png
| imagesize = 338x183px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The Hubble length is about 1.9 meters lying down; Edwin Hubble was a tall guy.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TALL SCIENTIST - Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic plays on the name of various established physical definitions by simply taking them overly literally. Each one is treated as being a bodily measure of the scientist after which they are named, rather than describing/estimating the eponymous feature within the scientist's field of study. Interestingly, of the many {{w|List of scientific units named after people|units named for people}}, only one is actually a measurement of its namesake: the {{w|Smoot}}.

;Hubble volume
In cosmology, a {{w|Hubble volume}} (named for the astronomer {{w|Edwin Hubble}}) is a spherical region of the observable universe.
The Hubble volume is approximately equal to 1031 cubic light years (or about 1079 cubic meters).
The value given in the comic is the estimated volume of Edwin Hubble's body. The mean volume of a human body is around 65L[https://bionumbers.hms.harvard.edu/bionumber.aspx?s=n&v=3&id=109718], but Edwin Hubble was a big guy (see title text) and likely had an above-average volume.

;Schwarzschild radius
The {{w|Schwarzschild radius}} of a black hole refers to the event horizon: the radius beyond which light cannot escape. Curling up in a ball tends to reduce people's radii,{{fact}} while making them more spherical and easier to measure, so {{w|Karl Schwarzschild}}'s is given as 0.34 m, corresponding to a black hole of about 40 times the mass of Earth.

;Broca's area
{{w|Broca's area}} is a region of the brain whose functions are linked to speech. It is not a measurement of area in the sense of length times width. The measurement shown here purports to be the area of {{w|Paul Broca}}, which probably refers to the {{w|Body surface area|surface area of his body}} - about 1.7-1.8 m2 for a typical adult. This area was recently mentioned in the title text of [[2732: Bursa of Fabricius]].

;Fermi temperature
The concept of Fermi Temperature is {{w|Fermi energy#Related quantities|related to the Fermi Energy}}, a quantum value inherent to very cold substances. The {{w|Human body temperature|temperature of an average human}} is about 37 degrees Celsius, so it makes sense that {{w|Enrico Fermi}}’s baseline body temperature was, likewise, 37 degrees Celsius. Since Fermi lived in the 20th century, and it may be possible to reference his medical records, this assertion is potentially testable, perhaps more readily than those made for the 19th-century persons named in this comic.

;Planck length
{{w|Planck units}} are naturally-derived measurements invented by {{w|Max Planck}}; the Planck length (approximately 1.6×10-35 m) is one of the smallest meaningful distances. However, Randall measures the length of Max Planck, not the units. It is specifically when Planck was lying down (as to not decrease his height from a days exposure to gravity which may shorten a human by a centimeter or so, and also because lying down turns a human’s height into a length, as well as being a pun on the plank exercise, which is done in a horizontal position).

;Hubble length (title text)
A {{w|Hubble's_law#Hubble_length|Hubble length}} is 14.4 billion light years. This is a joke similar to the above play on the Planck length. The Hubble distance would be the distance between the Earth and the galaxies which are currently receding from us at the speed of light. The joke is that the Hubble length is 14 cm longer than the Planck length because Hubble was a tall man. Another joke by comparing these two are that these two distances are about as far from each other as possible on scales that make sense. The smallest distance to something on the order of the size of the visible universe.

==Transcript==

:[A centered header appears above a list of constant names and corresponding values, each item horizontally aligned to line up the gaps between the two.]
:Reference Physical Quantities

:Hubble volume: 96L
:Schwarzchild radius: 0.34m (curled up)
:Broca's area: 1.7m3
:Fermi temperature: 37°C
:Planck length: 1.76m (lying down)

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Science]]

Talk:2557: Immunity

2021-12-22T05:31:15Z

172.70.114.159:

well, if you look at society as a whole it makes more sense. the reason we have so many mutations is that we have a significant portion of the populous with no immunity [[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.125|172.68.110.125]] 20:49, 20 December 2021 (UTC) mark ifi
:But the mutations come about from the virus replicating a lot, i.e in people with the virus. It still doesn't make sense to catch it, because you have a chance of your infection being the one that produces a terrible mutation [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.130|141.101.77.130]] 22:02, 20 December 2021 (UTC)
::That isn't how mutations work. Mutations are able to propagate strongly only in environments where there is something killing off the parent species, and where the mutation provides better survivability. Like a functioning immune system attacking the parent virus, but a mutation allows something to slip by. Thus, people with the partial immunity provided by either vaccines or infection, are the ones more likely to create a mutation than new patients with no inherent immunity, or people with natural immunity from previous bouts with related diseases.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 14:11, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
:::Even immune system without vaccine or prior infection is killing Covid a lot, providing plenty of opportunities for more effective mutation. And infection typically last LONGER if patient is not vaccinated, providing more TIME for virus to mutate. So, mutation can occur in both vaccinated or unvaccinated, with hard to compare probabilities. It's true that mutation from someone vaccinated has higher CHANCE to be vaccine-resistant, but on the other hand, seems omikron is from unvaccinated population ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:32, 21 December 2021 (UTC)

I can see this one annoying a lot of people. It's the lot of people who can already be annoying, so I don't think that's a big problem. (A few, who misread it as about ''vaccination'' giving immunity, may actually think it supports them. I'm not sure we can do anything about that either.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.85|162.158.159.85]] 21:51, 20 December 2021 (UTC)

Would you kindly provide a link to the "Mount Stupid" comic for reference.{{unsigned|172.70.174.119}}

To be fair, if the vaccination would only protect you for ONE infection it wouldn't be worth it. The idea about immunity is that immunity trained by either vaccination or infection will then protect you from '''multiple''' following infections. The problem with it is that in case of covid (or flu), the immunity wanes off with time AND the virus mutates into new variants the immunity doesn't work as well against. Sure, it still makes sense to vaccinate, but just because the virus spread so much you are very likely to catch it. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:32, 20 December 2021 (UTC)
:Are you making the mistake (without the other baggage) I mentioned above about misreading the comic? This comic isn't about the vaccination at all. It's about infection. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.22|172.70.86.22]] 22:51, 20 December 2021 (UTC)
::Infection is the normal method of vaccination. Until recently with mRNA vaccines, almost all vaccines were about infection- either with the disease itself, a weakened version of the disease, or a related disease.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 14:11, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
:(And, to add, if the vaccine just protected against ONE infection, where that one infection was sufficiently dangerous, it would indeed be worth it. Better than chancing the infection on a naïve immune system and hoping to come out the other side with a similarly infection-specific immune effect (c.f. annual flu waves) but without the QC and care given to the vector.) ((See, I knew it'd spark response, didn't intend to say much. Maybe I should just stay out of this until it blows over.)) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.79|172.70.85.79]] 23:01, 20 December 2021 (UTC)
::Of course it is about the vaccination - this supports Randall's earlier statements for being pro vaccine, that you should get the immunity from vaccination and not from infection! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:24, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
:::Hmmm, no. It's about COVID (and that by inference). It doesn't mention the vaccine. The conversation ''might'' have been about the vaccine, but the comic (and its discussion of what it is sensible to do, or not) is vaccine free. It's "anti-infection", but not directly "pro-vaccine". (He, I and you ''are'' all sensibly pro-vaccine, I think. The comic itself is only vocal on that subject by omission and a chain of logic that will never occur to those stuck at the original fallacy.) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.73|172.70.85.73]] 13:06, 21 December 2021 (UTC)

People who know a lot about the immune system could also be referring to people who are aware of possibilities like the varicella zoster virus which causes chickenpox, but stays dormant in your body after you recover and can come back later as shingles. This is less likely to happen if you get the vaccine to prevent chickenpox in the first place. --[[User:Norgaladir|Norgaladir]] ([[User talk:Norgaladir|talk]]) 00:32, 21 December 2021 (UTC)

A vaccination doesn't necessarily give you immunity, e.g. with the Covid or influenca vaccines, so you still can get infected. But being vaccinated reduces the risk of suffering complications like death that can ruin your and other peoples' life.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.94.229|162.158.94.229]] 07:59, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
:...''significantly'' reduces the risk, in fact. It likely also (though it's a harder thing to establish) reduces the catch-and-transmit rate, thus yet another thing to do to help others, even those you'll never meet directly, who are unable or (ugh!) unwilling to think this far ahead. Unmitigated (and, especially, sought-after) 'natural' infection as represented in the comic just helps spread the thing further and faster and does a gross disservice to onward contacts, contacts-of-contacts, etc, etc. Excuse my preaching to the choir here, but it needs to be said. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.73|172.70.85.73]] 13:06, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
::You're not preaching to the choir exclusively, plenty of lurkers (like me) are reading along. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.143|108.162.241.143]] 17:01, 21 December 2021 (UTC)

While trying to update the explanation for 'neutrality of tone' and address some infectious disease history, I came across this [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7120728/#!po=44.6721|Highly Infectious Diseases in Critical Care] article
from the NIH published January 3 of 2020 which includes a comparison of smallpox, measles, SARS-1, and MERS-cov illustrating how significantly vaccination has reduced global infections. Check out the graph of measles from 1980. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.227|172.70.110.227]] 13:46, 21 December 2021 (UTC)

My hero is the person who added the citation needed to "Diseases are bad", as well as those who realize that vaccination is largely a form of infection on purpose (within one of the following five options: infection by the disease itself, infection by a weakened disease, infection by a killed and inactive version of the disease, infection by a related less dangerous disease that shares some characteristics with the original disease, infection by a laboratory created RNA strands that mimic the disease being attacked). Therefore, catching the disease on purpose, is a form of vaccination. Israel did a study on infection by the disease itself and found 6.7 times stronger immune response than other forms of COVID-19 vaccination. [https://www.science.org/content/article/having-sars-cov-2-once-confers-much-greater-immunity-vaccine-vaccination-remains-vital] [[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 14:11, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
:This should indicate that a better (at preparing your immune system to resist future infection) vaccine (process) may be possible. Without saying that current vaccines are ineffective. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.97|108.162.241.97]] 17:06, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
:I like how you make sure to use the "laboratory created" modifier for the RNA vaccine, but not the other types. As if they all grew on trees or something. Here's a hint: all vaccines were created in a lab, though many were created more directly by modifying an existing virus, in that lab. [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 21:15, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
I would like to add that the comic criticizes only a part of ''anti-vaxxers'' population that show the circular logic presented. There are other parts, e.g. those who are not quite sure if the cost/benefit (or rather risk/risk) calculus is right for the rapidly developed and hastily officially approved (in comparison to long-established vaccines against other diseases) and/or novel (mRNA) vaccine products, fearing long-time side effects of the vaccine. On the other hand, long-term effects of the disease itself are also not known yet, even if some middle-term ones are known or being investigated already. There are still other parts like those who oppose governmental obligations or pressure to vaccinate against covid and related restrictions, and take the refusal as a personal freedom stance. There may be others. -- [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.219|198.41.242.219]] 15:09, 21 December 2021 (UTC)

This very much feels like a straw man. I get that it's a webcomic, but can we talk about this? The description says that natural immunity is "short lived" (as in, how short-lived, and how much compared to vaccination?) but meanwhile I hear like one in five COVID hospitalizations were vaccinated patients. Are there studies on reinfection with COVID in vaccinated vs non-vaccinated patients? It seems to me from the latest comics that Randall is frustrated. I think everyone is frustrated. Citation needed, haha. But I get tired of reading "haha the other side is dumb" from both sides of every damn issue these days, and the bigger the impact an issue has, the more furious the mudslinging. One could, for example, make the same "circular argument" jab at trusting the FDA in this example, or in a more agnostic case, the value of a college degree or a certification: Ex. "we're qualified to make decisions about what's right or smart for the populace because we're a bunch of people who say so, and we have a pretty looking seal to prove it, and also please keep giving us a lot of money." I mean, for those of us who have been to college, haven't we all churned our way through that just to get into the workforce and discover that it's completely different than what we actually needed to know? Would we call people "anti-uni's" and laugh at their incompetence for questioning the system? Even at the unlikely minimum of "anti-vaxxers (or x-person who disagrees with me) are 100% dumb and wrong and that's a fact", isn't the discourse important? I understand that the opposite extreme is "I'd rather let my child die of Polio than trust another human being", but isn't that just another straw man? When are we going to stop polarizing? Thoughts?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.147|108.162.237.147]] 16:28, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
:It might be Randall is (intentionally or accidentally) touching on your point by making this comic's thesis ambiguous. People who aren't thinking deeply about the topic on both sides will initially think it confirms their worldview, until they see more discussion on the matter. So the comic's ambiguity might prompt more discussion by and between both sides. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.143|108.162.241.143]] 17:18, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
:Re: "I hear like one in five COVID hospitalizations were vaccinated patients." ....if less than one in five people are vaccinated, this is a problem. Either it means there is a problem with the vaccine (unlikely) or that the vaccinated are putting themselves more at risk thinking they are more 'virusproof' than they are. If more (and hopefully significantly more) than 20% of the populace are vaccinated then this is actually a positive sign for the whole issue - even if there's still social hubris underestimating the precautions they still may need to take.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.73|162.158.159.73]] 17:34, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
::At least in the US, significantly more than 1 in 5 people are vaccinated. It's a little over 3 in 5 fully vaccinated. But I would suggest that even that isn't necessarily the statistic to look at - pretty sure covid is still more likely to be serious for older people and folks with preexisting conditions, all else being equal, and those populations have an even higher vaccination rate. 78% of folks 50-64 are fully vaccinated, and 84% 65+, per the CDC. So that makes the 1 in 5 represent *even less* risk.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.45|172.70.110.45]] 18:30, 21 December 2021 (UTC)

(Re: The "Why does my IP keep changing?" asked as an Edit-comment (see page history)... Because your gateway/pathway between yourself and the site goes through a limited and shared ''set'' of possible IPv4s. There's no guarantee you'll get the same IP (or even obvious range!) between edits, nor that your current IP won't be used by someone else in a few minutes. It's just a technical thing that greases the wheels of the Internet, even if it has funny repurcussions for some things like this.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.73|162.158.159.73]] 17:34, 21 December 2021 (UTC)

"However, what Cueball (and by extension Randall) fail to note is that bad or not, there are plenty of instances where someone has already recovered, and therefore already in possession of natural immunity." - Isn't that what the comic is about? I'm confused as to why this is on the explanation page? --[[User:Enchantedsleeper|enchantedsleeper]] ([[User talk:Enchantedsleeper|talk]]) 19:45, 21 December 2021 (UTC)

I think people are overcomplicating this. A common anti-covax trope you sometimes see is that natural immunity is "better than" the immunity provided by a vaccine. But it is a total non sequitur The *only way* the vaccine could prevent you from acquiring the coveted "natural" immunity would be if it saved you from getting infected in the first place. If you never end up infected, then I guess you didn't need the natural immunity after all. If you do get infected, well now you have it. There is no sense rushing out to get infected on purpose, which is the equivalent of refusing a vaccine. Of course, people can have many other reasons for not vaccinating, but this particular "reason" truly makes no sense.

2557: Immunity

2021-12-22T05:30:47Z

172.70.114.159: Undo revision 222925 by 108.162.219.157 (talk)

{{comic
| number = 2557
| date = December 20, 2021
| title = Immunity
| image = immunity.png
| titletext = This plan may sound appealing to people who know a little about the immune system, but the drawbacks are clear to people who know a lot about the immune system and also to people who don't know anything about it.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by SOMEONE WITH IMMUNITY DUE TO GETTING INFECTED - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is, although not directly referenced, another entry in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] related to the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic|2020-21 pandemic}} of the {{w|SARS-CoV-2}} virus, which causes {{w|COVID-19}}.

A common issue posited by people opposed to {{w|vaccination}}, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, is that there are other ways to become immune to diseases caused by viruses or bacteria — most notably, contracting the disease "naturally".

[[Cueball]], by way of questioning, points out to [[White Hat]] that this makes no sense. Contracting the natural disease is the thing people are trying to ''prevent''. Diseases are bad.{{citation needed}}

Although there are plenty of instances where someone has already recovered, and therefore is in possession of [https://www.statista.com/statistics/1087466/covid19-cases-recoveries-deaths-worldwide/ natural immunity], it would be better to have that immunity without getting sick at all. Especially with a disease like COVID that can cause permanent damage even to those who eventually clear the virus. Vaccination provides similar immunity without the negative effects of infection. While explaining that getting infected is the best way to avoid getting infected, White Hat thus realizes the {{w|Circular reasoning|circular logic}} presented by {{w|Vaccine hesitancy|anti-vaxxers}}, and thus stops mid sentence.

The title text elaborates on this by pointing out that people with ''no'' understanding of the immune system will understand that contracting a disease to avoid contracting a disease is a bad idea, and that people with a ''strong'' understanding of the immune system will understand the specific ways it can fail (and that vaccines provide a greater benefit for less risk). It is thus only people with a ''limited'' understanding of the immune system, who know that infection can provide immunity but haven't thought out the disadvantages of catching the disease, who would [https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-12-28 make a claim] such as White Hat does.

The comic does not specifically reference vaccines and anti-vaxxers. It could also be about people who refuse to wear masks and social distance during the pandemic, who do not understand how much they are putting other people at risk. White Hat may even be fumbling an explanation of his previous [[2515: Vaccine Research]] into why vaccines are good.

Older folks may be familiar with the "infection gives you immunity" trope due to their experience with so-called "childhood diseases". Before there were vaccines for e.g. measles, mumps, and chickenpox, it was seen as preferable for young children to contract these diseases, because the risk of serious illness is greater for those who get "first infections" later in life. Children run a comparatively smaller risk of serious illness in return for (usually) life-long immunity. The trope has outlived its context. Small as the risk to children of serious illness from measles, mumps, and chickenpox might be, vaccines all but eliminate the risk of contracting serious symptoms at all, so there is no sensible reason to subject oneself to infection.

The trope, moreover, is misapplied to COVID-19, because, on present evidence, immunity from infection is short-lived, so there is no benefit to be gained by running the risk of winding up in the hospital - or the morgue. The better comparison is to influenza, which people get vaccinated against every year. Instead of childhood diseases, think of diseases that had a high probability of serious illness at any age, such as poliomyelitis and smallpox, for which few accepted the "infection gives you immunity" trope (even though, for those diseases, infection typically yielded life-long immunity), and there was far less resistance to effective vaccines once these became available.

==Transcript==
:[White Hat has raised his hand, palm up, as he addresses Cueball.]
:White Hat: See, it's ''good'' to get infected, because it gives you immunity.

:[White Hat has lowered his arm.]
:Cueball: Why would I want immunity?

:[Same setting.]
:White Hat: To protect you from getting inf...
:White Hat: ...wait.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:COVID-19 vaccine]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:2554: Gift Exchange

2021-12-14T15:39:32Z

172.70.114.159:

I assumed this comic was saying that political scientists ''like'' looking at the data from "surveys". And "it's complicated" reminds me of a survey option. The title text seems to be about survey ratings, which are from a 1-5 or 1-10 scale. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.244|172.69.35.244]] 17:57, 13 December 2021 (UTC)

Shouldn't someone mention that this comic came out a few weeks before Christmas, when it is customary for people in certain Christian countries to give gifts to each other (citation needed)?

305: Rule 34

2021-12-09T15:44:08Z

172.70.114.159: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number =305
| date =August 20, 2007
| title =Rule 34
| image =rule 34.png
| titletext =Okay, Lance. For entry into the college bowl, spell 'Throbbing'
}}

==Explanation==

[[Cueball]] is rather surprised to find {{w|slash fiction}} (same-sex erotic fiction featuring characters from popular media, often from unrelated series) featuring characters from the {{w|Thomas the Tank Engine}} television series, but [[Megan]] isn't remotely surprised, citing {{w|Rule 34 (meme)|Rule 34}}: "If it exists, there is porn of it. No exceptions."

Cueball denies the truism of the rule, coming up with several examples of porn that doesn't exist yet, until he comes across one that they both agree would be pretty hot: Women playing electric guitar in the shower. Megan proceeds to get ahead of the curve by registering WetRiffs.com.
By doing this, Megan invoked {{w|Rule 34 (meme)#Variations and corollaries|Rule 35}}, an additional rule based around rule 34. Rule 35 states: "If there is not porn of it, porn will be made of it."

In the title text, we can assume that the presenter in a spelling bee is asking a male participant with the name "Lance" to spell "[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Throb throbbing]," a term sometimes used to describe the swelling of a person's genitals. The scene thus plays out like the start of a hypothetical homoerotic {{w|spelling bee}} that could contain rude words or innuendo.

Rule 34 is mentioned in the title text of [[505: A Bunch of Rocks]] and [[860: Never Do This]].

==Transcript==
:Cueball: Huh-- Thomas the Tank Engine slash fiction.
:Megan: It's rule 34 of the internet. If you can imagine it, there is porn of it.
:Cueball: Nah. The web is freaky, but it can't begin to have everything.
:Cueball: There's no porn set atop storm-chasing vans. No homoerotic spelling bees. No women playing electric guitar in the shower.
:Megan: Actually, that last one would look pretty hot. As long as they were unplugged or waterproofed...
:Megan: Rivulets of water run down her chest, the smooth body of the guitar firm against her hips.
:Megan: She twangs the E-string and it shakes off tiny droplets in all directions.
:[She rises into a crouch.]
:Megan: You're sure it doesn't exist?
:Cueball: Not yet.
:Megan: I'm registering WetRiffs.com. Let's get on this.

==Trivia==
*Randall actually ''did'' register WetRiffs.com (archive [http://web.archive.org/web/20130518191217/http://wetriffs.com/ here]), and people submitted pictures of themselves in the shower holding electric guitars. Randall would later create a tumblr page called "[http://raccoonsexdungeon.tumblr.com Raccoon Sex Dungeon]" to coincide with Cueball referencing it in [[1025: Tumblr]].
*Since this comic, there has been actual Rule 34 on homoerotic spelling bees: **https://inkbunny.net/submissionview.php?id=8430
**https://archiveofourown.org/works/18586171

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

305: Rule 34

2021-12-09T15:43:07Z

172.70.114.159: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number =305
| date =August 20, 2007
| title =Rule 34
| image =rule 34.png
| titletext =Okay, Lance. For entry into the college bowl, spell 'Throbbing'
}}

==Explanation==

[[Cueball]] is rather surprised to find {{w|slash fiction}} (same-sex erotic fiction featuring characters from popular media, often from unrelated series) featuring characters from the {{w|Thomas the Tank Engine}} television series, but [[Megan]] isn't remotely surprised, citing {{w|Rule 34 (meme)|Rule 34}}: "If it exists, there is porn of it. No exceptions."

Cueball denies the truism of the rule, coming up with several examples of porn that doesn't exist yet, until he comes across one that they both agree would be pretty hot: Women playing electric guitar in the shower. Megan proceeds to get ahead of the curve by registering WetRiffs.com.
By doing this, Megan invoked {{w|Rule 34 (meme)#Variations and corollaries|Rule 35}}, an additional rule based around rule 34. Rule 35 states: "If there is not porn of it, porn will be made of it."

In the title text, we can assume that the presenter in a spelling bee is asking a male participant with the name "Lance" to spell "[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Throb throbbing]," a term sometimes used to describe the swelling of a person's genitals. The scene thus plays out like the start of a hypothetical homoerotic {{w|spelling bee}} that could contain rude words or innuendo.

Rule 34 is mentioned in the title text of [[505: A Bunch of Rocks]] and [[860: Never Do This]].

==Transcript==
:Cueball: Huh-- Thomas the Tank Engine slash fiction.
:Megan: It's rule 34 of the internet. If you can imagine it, there is porn of it.
:Cueball: Nah. The web is freaky, but it can't begin to have everything.
:Cueball: There's no porn set atop storm-chasing vans. No homoerotic spelling bees. No women playing electric guitar in the shower.
:Megan: Actually, that last one would look pretty hot. As long as they were unplugged or waterproofed...
:Megan: Rivulets of water run down her chest, the smooth body of the guitar firm against her hips.
:Megan: She twangs the E-string and it shakes off tiny droplets in all directions.
:[She rises into a crouch.]
:Megan: You're sure it doesn't exist?
:Cueball: Not yet.
:Megan: I'm registering WetRiffs.com. Let's get on this.

==Trivia==
*Randall actually ''did'' register WetRiffs.com (archive [http://web.archive.org/web/20130518191217/http://wetriffs.com/ here]), and people submitted pictures of themselves in the shower holding electric guitars. Randall would later create a tumblr page called "[http://raccoonsexdungeon.tumblr.com Raccoon Sex Dungeon]" to coincide with Cueball referencing it in [[1025: Tumblr]].
*Since this comic, there has been actual Rule 34 on homoerotic spelling bees: [https://inkbunny.net/submissionview.php?id=8430 1] [https://archiveofourown.org/works/18586171]

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

Talk:305: Rule 34

2021-12-09T15:41:55Z

172.70.114.159:

Who is Lance from the title text, throbbing..., is it Lance Armstrong? Sounds odd.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:06, 8 August 2013 (UTC)
: Very good question. I don't know. In any case, wetriffs.com died less than 3 months ago. What a shame. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 21:34, 21 August 2013 (UTC)
::It being Lance Armstrong seems like a stretch to me, but a lance is a kind of spear, and spears are reasonably phallic, so there you go. --[[User:Alex|Alex]] ([[User talk:Alex|talk]]) 13:51, 4 May 2014 (UTC)
:::I'm sorry, but the Rule 34 isn't about gays. The title text is more about shocking youngsters. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:19, 4 May 2014 (UTC)
::::When did I say Rule 34 is "about gays"?? It's just a spelling bee joke about penises. --[[User:Alex|Alex]] ([[User talk:Alex|talk]]) 09:18, 27 May 2014 (UTC)
::::I reverted your edit 'cuz it makes no sense to me whatsoever. If you want, please explain at my talk page. --[[User:Alex|Alex]] ([[User talk:Alex|talk]]) 09:20, 27 May 2014 (UTC)
::::Wait, no, I've figured it out: It's {{w|spelling bee}} porn, so it's rule 34. --[[User:Alex|Alex]] ([[User talk:Alex|talk]]) 10:11, 27 May 2014 (UTC)
:::::Sorry again, and I'm not saying you are wrong. But the explain should be also understood by non US citizens. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:28, 27 May 2014 (UTC)
::::::To clarify: No, Rule 34 isn't about gays, but this particular invocation of it IS. The title text is expanding on the second panel, one of the examples Cueball gives is "homoerotic spelling bees", the example specifies it's homoerotic, and thus homosexual. Furthermore, at least in North America, "Lance" is thought of as a stereotypically common name for a homosexual man, such that some people, upon hearing the name Lance, might simply assume he's a gay man, making this name a perfect choice for the title text in order to increase the connection to Cueball's example. It seems to me that the explanation is missing connecting the title text to Cueball's example in the second panel. - NiceGuy1 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.160|108.162.218.160]] 13:34, 9 February 2016 (UTC)

Know this comic has been out for years, and not commented on in over a year, but first time seeing this. I actually knew someone named Lance that would have immediately registered that domain if he thought it would work at making money. When I knew him he already had about a dozen domains of Celebrity Fake-Porn that he made his living off of. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.231|162.158.62.231]] 19:21, 7 July 2017 (UTC)

I can't believe nobody made a g-string joke yet. Actually, I'm disappointed Randall didn't make one in the first place. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.251|162.158.91.251]] 11:44, 16 August 2018 (UTC)

So, we had wetriffs.com and spelling bees, but did anyone ever see any porn set atop storm-chasing vans? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.216|162.158.75.216]] 11:01, 2 January 2021 (UTC)

:: Yes. Here’s a link to some (written not filmed): https://archiveofourown.org/works/18586171

And here’s a link to homoerotic spelling bees on the Internet (written not filmed): https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13980753/1/Homoerotic-Spelling-Bees

:And here’s a link to a drawing of a homoerotic spelling bee: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/739646/

Talk:701: Science Valentine

2021-11-30T19:02:27Z

172.70.114.159: Added note on possible Postal Service reference

If he really did figure out, by sitting down and thinking his life and their relation through, that he doesn't really love her, then he did the right thing. Of course he may not have been scientific enough, if the reasons his feelings and happiness decreases is caused by some outside agency... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:56, 29 April 2015 (UTC)

I think the r0, r1, r2 are correlation coefficients. They are all between -1 and 1, and all called r, which is a common name for a correlation coefficient. Also, this would mean r2 shows a strong negative correlation between two things. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.39|108.162.215.39]] 06:57, 11 May 2015 (UTC)

I agree with the above comment, great explanation for this statistical variable which shows that his love becomes negatively correlated with time, complementing the first panel's graph. [[User:Barrtender|Barrtender]] ([[User talk:Barrtender|talk]]) 14:26, 16 September 2015 (UTC)

:I also think that the correlation coefficient interpretation is right. Moreover, it looks like r0 refers to the time just after the first meeting (slightly positive trend), r1 to the time when they were dating (negative trend) and r2 to the time after engagement (with even stronger negative trend). --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.245|198.41.242.245]] 18:26, 3 December 2015 (UTC)

::You are conflating correlation with slope. While they share the same sign, a gentle slope and steep slope can have the same correlation coefficient. It might be better to look at the correlation probability, which for the three values are 4.0%, 37.21%, and 64.0%. All other things being equal, these are the probabilities that the two variables are actually correlated. Thus, only the last measurements should be considered significant. It does '''not''' imply A strong negative trend. --[[User:Rhmcoff|Rhmcoff]] ([[User talk:Rhmcoff|talk]]) 04:59, 26 May 2017 (UTC)

Maybe [[833: Convincing]] would be worth mentioning in the explanation, where Megan draws a relationship themed graph (and Cueball complains about missing axis lables) -- [[User:Ruffy314|Ruffy314]] ([[User talk:Ruffy314|talk]]) 02:35, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

This reminds me of Ted Chiang's short story, ''Division By Zero,'' where a character looks for proof of love and finds none, deciding he doesn't love them... Though I interpreted the end as positive, if a little ambiguous. Ted Chiang is a great author for XKCD fans, I think. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.147|172.69.68.147]] 18:14, 25 November 2019 (UTC)

I am pretty damn sure (and am surprised it was not corrected before) that correlation is not of v1 or v2 to t, but v1 to v2 (over t). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.9|162.158.238.9]]M-ree

The phrase "Charts and Graphs" could be a reference to the song Nothing Better by The Postal Service, which would be fitting as it's a song about a similar scenario. "I've made charts and graphs that should finally make it clear / I've prepared a lecture on why I have to leave" The album was released in 2003 so the timing works.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.159|172.70.114.159]] 19:02, 30 November 2021 (UTC)

2545: Bayes' Theorem

2021-11-23T02:53:02Z

172.70.114.159:

{{comic
| number = 2545
| date = November 22, 2021
| title = Bayes' Theorem
| image = bayes_theorem.png
| titletext = <nowiki>P((B|A)|(A|B)) represents the probability that you'll mix up the order of the terms when using Bayesian notation.</nowiki>
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by <nowiki> P(d/dx x^x | d/dx x^(1/x)) </nowiki> - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Bayes' theorem}} describes the probability of an event, given knowledge of conditions related to the event. It is typically used to update the probability that a starting condition occurred, given an outcome. This can reveal unintuitive results when the probability involved is very small. For example, when testing a large number of people for a rare disease, even a fairly accurate test will produce more false positives than the number of people actually afflicted with the disease, and hence a positive result is more likely to be false than true.

In this comic, a teacher is presenting a problem which the students are supposed to use Bayes' theorem to solve. However, the off-panel student knows that they are studying Bayes' theorem, so they use that prior knowledge to guess the usual answer to such problems. The punch line is the caption - if you know Bayes' theorem well enough, you don't need to actually calculate the probabilities.

The title text refers to the mathematical definition of Bayes' theorem: P(A | B) = P(B|A) * P(A) / P(B). Here, P(A|B) represents the probability of some event A occurring, given that B has occurred. This is often referred to as "the probability of A given B". It can be hard to remember if P(A|B) means probability of A given B, or if it's B given A, especially when talking about the probability of a cause given an effect. Randall's joke is based on this difficulty. Here P((B|A)|(A|B)) is the probability that you ''write'' (A|B) given that the correct expression is (B|A), which makes it the probability that you got the order of the notation mixed up.

==Trivia==
When this comic came out, the title text was only "P((B" and the "Black Lives Matter" image in the header replaced by "(A", but this was quickly corrected. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211122212442/https://xkcd.com/2545/ archive])

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Miss Lenhart using a pointer and pointing to a white-board with statistical formulae]
:Miss Lenhart: Given these prevalences, is it likely that the test result is a false positive?
:(off-panel voice): Well, this chapter is on Bayes' Theorem, so yes.

:[Caption below the panel]:
:Sometimes, if you understand Bayes' Theorem well enough, you don't need it.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Statistics]]

2540: TTSLTSWBD

2021-11-13T00:38:51Z

172.70.114.159: /* Explanation */ No it isn't.

{{comic
| number = 2540
| date = November 10, 2021
| title = TTSLTSWBD
| image = ttsltswbd.png
| titletext = Tomorrow's sessions will be entirely devoted to sewing machine rotary hooks.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an EXCESSIVELY LONG ACRONYM THAT SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD WORK BUT DOESN'T. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Cueball]] is standing at a lectern on a [[1661: Podium|podium]], addressing a large crowd. He is describing the program of some event, listing the different topics that will be covered. These appear to be random, but the caption gives the punchline: it is a conference on things that seem like they shouldn't work but do.

By "things that seem like they shouldn't work", it means things that the average person would have some intuitive sense that the function of thing was impossible, and yet ample real-world experience shows that they do, and may become a routine function that people depend upon. TTSLTSWBD in the title and the banner is the abbreviation for "Things That Seem Like They Shouldn't Work, But Do".

{{w|Organ transplantation}}, where a functioning organ is cut out of one person (possibly a dead one) and put into another person where it will now operate for their benefit. Given the very complex and delicate nature of living tissue, it's rather surprising that this could work at all. In reality, it's not a simple process, and a lot of things could go wrong, but modern medicine is advanced enough that organ transplantation is widely accepted and regularly practiced, usually functioning well enough to extend life.

{{w|Airship|Airships}}, or dirigibles, are [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Giant_Aircraft_Comparison.svg huge], rigid structures which are filled with bags of lighter-than-air gas, which causes the entire structure to float, and could carry both passengers and significant loads. The idea of such a huge vessel traveling, able to both move rapidly and float in place, would be hard to imagine if it didn't exist, yet zeppelins functioned and were a practical mode of transportation for a time. Unlike the other things mentioned, airships are largely obsolete (having lost favor due to {{w|Hindenburg_disaster|safety concerns}} and surpassed by other technologies)

Mechanical {{w|gyroscope}}s are simple devices consisting of a spinning disc mounted inside three concentric {{w|gimbal}}s as a fixture, or more often observed at work as a single spindle in a free-standing external frame that can be held or moved around by hand. The rotational inertia of the spinning disc resists change in orientation, and tends to remain in a single orientation (if free to do so) or else exert counter-intuitive forces (where directly encouraged to change its central axis). The notion that a disc can remain so steady can be counterintuitive even to those who understand the physical principles. This weirdness has been previously referenced in [[332: Gyroscopes]]. An {{w|Ring laser gyroscope|optical gyroscope}} does not mechanically resist any motion but (relying upon {{w|Sagnac effect|an effect}} originally exploited in a failed attempt to disprove {{w|Special Relativity}}) ultimately provides similar feedback about the rotation of the unit into which it is mounted.

{{w|Butterfly|Butterflies}} fly with an unusual fluttering pattern, which works in part due to the {{w|Ornithopter#Aerodynamics|notoriously complex principles of fluid dynamics}} that may look like uncontrolled fluttering but yet somehow allows the creature to land directly on specific flowerheads to feed. This is not as intuitively understandable as the flight of larger creatures such as birds.

The title text refers to {{w|Rotary hook|rotary hooks}} on sewing machines, which are a complicated (and complicated looking) mechanism whose purpose is to feed one thread in a loop around a whole spool of another thread, and are apparently counterintuitive enough that the conference feels they need a whole day to cover them.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball stands at a lectern gesturing with one hand held out, speaking to an audience. A banner hangs on the wall with the acronym "TTSLTSWBD" displayed in large text, with illegible smaller text under it.]
:Cueball: Next we have a session on organ transplants and another on airships.
:Cueball: Then lunch, then we'll have one on gyroscopes and one on butterflies.
:[Caption below panel:]
:The first annual conference on Things That Seem Like They Shouldn't Work But Do

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Animals]]

2541: Occam

2021-11-12T21:23:30Z

172.70.114.159:

{{comic
| number = 2541
| date = November 12, 2021
| title = Occam
| image = occam.png
| titletext = Oh no, Murphy just picked up the razor.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT THAT ONLY CREATES ALL PAGES NOT MENTIONING ITSELF - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic conflates three conceptual approaches. {{w|Occam's Razor}}, the {{w|Barber paradox}} and {{w|Murphy's Law}}.

Occam's Razor suggests that explanations should not postulate more entities than necessary. It is often phrased as "the simplest explanation is usually correct". In philosophy a '{{w|Philosophical razor|razor}}' is a principle that conceptually cuts away alternative explanations.

The Barber Paradox is a paradox, derived from {{w|Russell's paradox}}, in which a barber is known to shave (presumably with a physical razor) all men in his town who do not shave themselves, and none of the men who shave themselves. The paradox is whether the barber does or does not shave himself. One solution is for the barber not to be a man.

Megan invokes Occam's Razor with the words "the simplest explanation" as well as Occam's name, and goes on to propose a solution to who shaves the barber. (Her proposal does not resolve the paradox, as someone other than the barber would shave someone who doesn't shave himself.)

The titletext invokes Murphy's Law: the expectation that if anything can go wrong it will. Shaving with a {{w|Straight razor|cut-throat razor}} has failure modes including one explained by this name.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[One panel. Megan and Cueball walking.]

Megan: The simplest explanation is that Occam shaves the barber.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2536: Wirecutter

2021-11-01T19:41:34Z

172.70.114.159:

Note: they don't say they tried out a large number of *religions* but a large number of _belief systems_. This could include things like "Libertarianism" or "Monarchists".

713: GeoIP

2021-10-31T14:32:21Z

172.70.114.159: /* Explanation */ fixed typo

{{comic
| number = 713
| date = March 12, 2010
| title = GeoIP
| image = geoip.png
| titletext = 'Meet hot young singles in your mom's basement today'? Man, screw you, GeoIP.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Geolocation|GeoIP}} is a service that converts IP addresses to their respective location on the Earth. This is done by looking up the IP address in a database maintained by various internet service providers. Advertisers often take advantage of the {{w|Keeping up with the Joneses|Jones effect}} by creating localized ads which misleadingly appear to be specific to your location, but are often simply stock photographs with the name of the nearest town superimposed on top.

The comic satirizes this phenomenon. The {{w|International Space Station}} (ISS) has a high speed data downlink, but no direct connection to the internet. But here, [[Cueball]] trolls the advertisers from on board the ISS, by inserting his actual location on {{w|low Earth orbit}} into the database under that IP address. He proudly presents his result to [[Ponytail]] where the advertisements claim that there are "local girls" in low Earth orbit; a distance of roughly 420 kilometers above the Earth surface, and thus at least that far away from all other girls in the world if they are not on the space station (or a nearby spacecraft, such as one bringing supplies to the space station).

The title text shows GeoIP has become so accurate that it can now pinpoint the user's location to his Mom's basement. In United States, an adult living with his parents is considered shameful for that person, since it means that the adult does not have a job and cannot support himself. The ads are typically of the form -- "Meet hot young singles in <user's location>" where the <user's location> part is filled in from GeoIP. In this case, the GeoIP is so accurate that it not just identifies that user is in his parents' house, but it also pinpoints the location that he's hiding in the basement, perhaps because he does not want to be seen by people visiting his parents. Thus GeoIP is unknowingly shaming the user by reminding him that he is in his mom's basement, and hence the "Screw you" response. However, this would also prove the false nature of these advertisements, as the user is unlikely to have not noticed any hot young singles currently sharing his mom's basement.

==Transcript==
:[External view of a the International Space Station (ISS) orbiting the blue Earth below, shown with white clouds as stripes below and black sky above. Dialog, written in white on the black sky, comes from within the ISS.]
:Cueball (inside the ISS): ''Yes!''
:Ponytail (inside the ISS): What?
:Cueball (inside the ISS): I got our downlink into a GeoIP database.

:[Internal view of the satellite, Cueball and Ponytail are floating weightlessly around, Cueball is at a laptop style computer mounted to the wall. They are in a white room, with black around, but due to being weightless in space, the room is turned on edge as to not give any semblance of a given up/down direction.]
:Ponytail: Why?
:Cueball: To mess with advertisers. Check it out.

:[A zoom in on the computer screen is shown, it shows an ad on a pink background. The ad has a heading and then shows two photos of long haired girls in sexy poses each with captions below and a labeled button at the bottom. The location (as messed up by Cueball) is written in gray, the rest of the text is in black, to indicate that this part of the text has been inserted in the ad based on the location.]
:Meet local girls in
:Low Earth Orbit
:tonight!
:Tanya, 18
:Amber, 19
:Chat live

{{Comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Sex]]
[[Category:Your Mom]]

Talk:305: Rule 34

2021-10-29T17:48:40Z

172.70.114.159: Adding relevant story I wrote

2533: Slope Hypothesis Testing

2021-10-26T14:35:03Z

172.70.114.159: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2533
| date = October 25, 2021
| title = Slope Hypothesis Testing
| image = slope_hypothesis_testing.png
| titletext = "What? I can't hear--" "What? I said, are you sure--" "CAN YOU PLEASE SPEAK--"
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SCREAMINGLY SIGNIFICANT STAT STUDENT. Note: there's a name for when the bone in your ear pulls away after exposure to loud noise, could be thematic to reference it. There's probably also a name for the statistical mistake the comic demonstrates. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
"Slope hypothesis testing" is a method of testing the significance of a hypothesis involving a scatter plot.

In this comic, [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] are performing a study comparing student exam grades to the volume of their screams. Student A has the worst grade and softest scream, but Student B has the ''best'' grades and Student C the ''loudest'' scream. A trendline has been plotted, indicating a positive correlation between grades and volume...but the p-value is extremely high, indicating little statistical significance to the trend. P-value is based on both how well the data fits the trendline and how many data points have been taken; the more data points and the better they fit, the lower the p-value and more significant the data.

Megan complains about the insignificance of their results, so Cueball suggests having each student scream into the microphone a few more times (the three students are still there as they can be seen behind them. The three students looks like school kids, one of them is [[Science Girl]]).

Having the students scream again will not help though, because it only provides more data on the screaming without providing more data on its relation to exam scores, and is a joke around poor statistical calculations likely made in the field today. The p-value is incorrectly recalculated based on the increased number of measurements. Each student has exactly the same test scores (probably referencing the same datum as before) and have vocal volume ranges that don't drift far either (each seems to have a range of scream that is fairly consistent and far from overlapping). Megan is pleased by these results, but Cueball belatedly realizes this technique may not be scientifically valid.

Measuring data multiple times can be a way to increase its accuracy, but does not increase the number of data points with regard to another metric, and the horizontally clustered points on the chart make this visually clear.

The common p-value formulae assume the data points are statistically independent, that is, that the test score and volume measurement from one point don't reveal anything about those of the other points. By reusing the same exam scores separately across several measurements each, Cueball and Megan violate the independence assumption and invalidate their significance calculation. This is an example of pseudoreplication.

In current AI, there's a push toward "few-shot learning", where only a few data items are used to form conclusions, rather than the usual millions of them. This comic displays danger associated with using such approaches without understanding them in depth.

Additionally, a common theme in some research is the discovery of correlations that do not survive independent reproduction. This is because randomness with too few samples produces apparent correlations, and Randall has repeatedly made comics about this hopeful error.

In the title text, Megan and Cueball are trying to yell over each other, asking each other to speak up so they can be heard, presumably because they are having trouble hearing from the yelling experiment. Or possibly they have trouble speaking audibly because they score lowly on statistics exams.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Three points labeled "Student A", "Student B" and "Student C" in a scatter plot with axes labeled "Stats exam grade" (60-100) and "Scream loudness (decibel)" (86-94) with a trend line]
:[A line goes from the trend line to a text box with the text:]
:β=1.94
:p=0.586

:[In a frameless panel, Megan (holding a piece of paper) and Cueball are facing each other with three kids in the background]
:Megan: Darn, not significant.
:Cueball: We need more data. Have them each try yelling in to the mic a few more times.

:[The same scatter plot as in the first panel except with more points for each of the students with slightly different decibel values, and the text in the text box changed to:]
:β=1.94
:p=0.037*
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Significant!

:[Similar panel to the second one]
:Megan: Perfect!
:Cueball: Are you ''sure'' we're doing slope hypothesis testing right?

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]] 
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Charts]]

2527: New Nobel Prizes

2021-10-12T03:06:14Z

172.70.114.159: /* Explanation */ Add reference to 2214

{{comic
| number = 2527
| date = October 11, 2021
| title = New Nobel Prizes
| image = new_nobel_prizes.png
| titletext = They've endowed a separate prize in Physiology or Medicine or Stopping Dr. Adams.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The Nobel Prize is a set of prizes awarded in memory of Sir Alfred Nobel to, "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind."
In this comment a nobel prize is being awarded for the discovery of two new Nobel prizes. This parallels [[2214:_Chemistry_Nobel|Nobel Prizes awarded for the discovery of new elements]]. However, unlike elements, Nobel Prizes cannot be discovered.
The comic suggests that the doctor being awarded the prize came up with the idea of "discovering" Nobel Prizes, and no one can figure out how to stop awarding them to her.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan stands at a podium on a stage, facing right. Behind her is a screen showing eight Nobel Prizes. Ponytail is approaching the front of the stage while waving.]
:Megan: And all eight Nobel Prizes for the Discovery of New Nobel Prizes have been awarded to...
:Megan: ''*sigh*''
:Megan: ...Doctor Adams, '''''again''''', for the discovery of two new Prizes.
:Ponytail: Thank you, thank you!

:[Caption below frame:]
:We don't know how she started this and now we can't figure out how to stop her.

{{comic discussion}}

2525: Air Travel Packing List

2021-10-07T01:49:08Z

172.70.114.159: I did mah bestest.

{{comic
| number = 2525
| date = October 6, 2021
| title = Air Travel Packing List
| image = air_travel_packing_list.png
| titletext = I know the etiquette is controversial, but I think it's rude when the person in front of me reclines their seat into the bell of my trumpet.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an AUTOMATED SEAT RECLINER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is about a packing list, and the humor is found because most of the items are either found on the plane, would be useful in a plane crash, or SOUND like they are useful on a plane. a quick summary of each:

*Seat cushion
This, in a crash, can be used as a flotation device, and is provided by the airliner. some people also bring cushions to make the occasionally uncomfy airline chairs more comfy

*Parachute
useful to keep yourself from falling out of the sky in a crash

*Wing glue
to repair wings int he event of damage, potentially in a crash. unclear on how you would apply mid-flight

*Air horn
to draw attention to yourself in the event of a crash, or potentially to be used to celebrate a successful flight and make everyone else on the plane hate you.

*Sextant
to be able to determine your position based on the stars and find your way home. could be useful in a crash if you know star charts and HOW TO USE A SEXTANT.

*Nose plugs and goggles for pressure
in case of a crash, to help with depressurization of the cabin and rapid pressure changes during a crash.

*Airplane shoes
some people have indoor shoes or their house to keep floors cleaner. unclear as to why you'd need it on a plane

*Navigation crystal
mystical form of navigation, presumably to help you home after a crash.

*Spare batteries in case the plane runs out
Like car batteries, but for the plane in case of crash

*Birdseed
so you can attract birds, and use THEM to fly the plane in case of crash

*Homing beacon
so people can find you in the event of a crash, similar to flares. carry one at all times.

*Meteorite antidote
just in case.

*USB wing connector
this is a just a wire connector, but because it has wing in the name is on the list. alternatively, the plane wings connect by USB, and this can be used to reattach wings.

*Emergency siren
USE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

*Spare flaps
If the elevator flaps fail in a crash, it is good to have spares.

*Mouthpiece (pandemic restriction; airlines still provide the trumpet)
could be a reference to the mouthpiece on oxygen masks that drop down in case of rapid depressurization in the cabin. for some reason you are choosing to put it on a trumpet

*Luggage ballast
for keeping your luggage upright in the water. obviously.

*Flag (international flights)
used to communicate between boats without electricity, in the event the boats are in distress. to be used in the event of a crash.

*Decoy tickets
For sneaking onto the plane without paying.

*Keys to the plane
so you can fly the plane, and to make sure the pilots don't get locked out.

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

<big>Air Travel Packing List</big>

If you haven't flown in a while, you might not remember what you need to bring. Use this handy checklist to pack!

[Two columns of lists of items. Each item is preceded by a checkbox.]
*Seat cushion
*Parachute
*Wing glue
*Air horn
*Sextant
*Nose plugs and goggles for pressure
*Airplane shoes
*Navigation crystal
*Spare batteries in case the plane runs out
*Birdseed
*Homing beacon
*Meteorite antidote
*USB wing connector
*Emergency siren
*Spare flaps
*Mouthpiece (pandemic restriction; airlines still provide the trumpet)
*Luggage ballast
*Flag (international flights)
*Decoy tickets
*Keys to the plane

{{comic discussion}}

2518: Lumpers and Splitters

2021-09-21T06:37:55Z

172.70.114.159:

{{comic
| number = 2518
| date = September 20, 2021
| title = Lumpers and Splitters
| image = lumpers_and_splitters.png
| titletext = Anna Karenina is a happy family lumper and unhappy family splitter.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a FAT CATEGORIZATION META-PEDANT NAMED ANNA- Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
It is common to categorize groups of people into certain categories. "Lumpers" group what might at first seem to be many distinct things into a small number of categories, while "Splitters" do the opposite: split what seems to be a cohesive group of things into many smaller categories.

The comic points out the meta-ness of categorizing people based on how they categorize. It labels [[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] as those two types of categorizers. [[Megan]], the lumper, describes herself and [[Cueball]] as as both being "categorization pedants", lumping the two distinct categories "lumpers" and "splitters" into one. [[Cueball]], the splitter, subcategorizes [[Megan]] into a more specific type of lumper: a "meta-lumper", since the things Megan was lumping includes lumpers themselves. If [[Cueball]] further categorized himself he would be a meta-splitter.

The title text references the opening line of the novel ''Anna Karenina'' by Leo Tolstoy which reads (as translated into English), “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Randall is drawing a parallel between this line and the lumper/splitter distinction because the line lumps one group of things together (happy families) while splitting another group (unhappy families)

Most people (especially the children) are happy when their family is lumped together as opposes to when it is split apart (divorce).

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball are standing looking at each other. There are boxes beneath each of them with a label.]
:Megan: Really, we're both just categorization pedants.
:Label: Lumper

:Cueball: Ahh, so you're a '''''meta'''''-lumper.
:Label: Splitter

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Fiction]]

Talk:2517: Rover Replies

2021-09-20T14:56:50Z

172.70.114.159:

Hi! I have added most of the description, but this is my first major edit so could someone please review it? Thank you! [[User:SqueakSquawk4|SqueakSquawk4]] ([[User talk:SqueakSquawk4|talk]]) 16:19, 18 September 2021 (UTC)

I checked out the linked account. First reply to it that I saw was dramatically lamenting about the rover account being a mockery of "proper scientific communication", second reply I saw was sneering at the rover and claiming SpaceX would build Mars bases or something while NASA was "playing with rocks". I don't want to read any more comments. All I can say is that my experience with the rover replies was not the wholesome experience that was promised. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.133.87|172.68.133.87]] 17:09, 18 September 2021 (UTC)
: I too am disappointed. Poor Rover is not getting the enthusiasm that Rover deserves... [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 05:12, 19 September 2021 (UTC)
: Maybe we should take this as a call to action and go give the rover the love it deserves. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.159|172.70.114.159]] 14:56, 20 September 2021 (UTC)

I think the title text may also be assuming that the rover is using its phone to post the tweets. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]])
: Also, Perseverance has a camera mounted on a flexible arm as opposed to previous rovers' mast mounted cameras, allowing it to take pictures of itself. That could give the impression that it is taking selfies with a phone. I understand that the next generation of rovers will be equipped to make duckface. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.210|162.158.187.210]] 12:49, 20 September 2021 (UTC)

I'm torn between the anti-conspiracy response being basically "We don't want you trollers here, let us have our happy shiny place" at an intruder or "This is considered holy ground, and we shall all be back trolling elsewhere shortly..." directed at a shitposting-padawan who hasn't learnt the subtleties of (mis)behaviour from the more experienced ones. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.106|162.158.91.106]] 20:46, 18 September 2021 (UTC)

2514: Lab Equipment

2021-09-11T11:02:02Z

172.70.114.159: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2514
| date = September 10, 2021
| title = Lab Equipment
| image = lab_equipment.png
| titletext = I've been working on chocolate bar annealing techniques to try to produce the perfect laser s'more. Maybe don't mention that on the grant application though.
}}

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

This comic claims that in every science lab, there exist some piece of equipment that sticks around less for being useful, and more because the scientists and technicians just think the device is really cool.

The comic presents a laser technician lab. While giving a tour [[Ponytail]] shows a spectrometer — a device that examines light emitted from or through samples, this one might be a mass spectrometer which works by firing lasers at the sample to convert it into ions. Next she shows the "Nd:YAG" laser. "Nd:YAG" stands for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nd:YAG_laser neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet]; it is a lasing medium commonly used in lasers. Lastly she shows off a decommissioned laser not used in experiments, but rather for toasting marshmallows.

Contrariwise, laser etching and cutting is commonly available in hackerspaces or makerspaces, and toasted marshmallows can be made with high-definition shapes and textures. Food products have also been fed through 3d printers in place of plastic filament, and the printer will heat and plot them into arbitrarily shaped volumes.

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

:Ponytail: The spectrometer is over here, the Nd:YAG lasers are over here,
:Ponytail: and in the corner is a laser that turned out not to be useful for us, but we keep it because it's fun to toast marshmallows with it.

:[Caption below the panel]
:Every lab in every field has some piece of equipment like this.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Food]]

214: The Problem with Wikipedia

2021-08-30T04:44:34Z

172.70.114.159: the story's not actually true

{{comic
| number = 214
| date = January 24, 2007
| title = The Problem with Wikipedia
| image = the_problem_with_wikipedia.png
| titletext = 'Taft in a wet t-shirt contest' is the key image here.
}}

==Explanation==
This {{w|Comics|comic}} {{w|Illustration|illustrates}} the {{w|Problem|"problems"}} of {{w|information explosion}} coupled with a {{w|Density|dense}} {{w|World_Wide_Web|web}} of {{w|hypertext}} {{w|Hyperlink|links}}. Through most of human history, written media has been both slow and linear. Hypertext allows a new type of information consumption, through small chunks of information linked together in a web of related concepts, and by being digital, each new chunk can be retrieved quickly and effortlessly. Wikipedia applies this principle very strongly, and because it covers so many topics, it is common for a reader to skim an article about a topic they need or want to know about, and end up following a series of links out of curiosity. Since each new page also has several links, the overall navigation pattern resembles a tree that branches out, "exploding" in size with each new level of link-clicking, thus resulting in many wasted hours (over three in this case) of reading stuff unrelated to the original goal, and lots of open browser tabs holding a wide variety of articles, which are seemingly unrelated, but have common "ancestors." (The problem, for [[Randall]], of wasting time on Wikipedia was later referenced in the title text of [[1501: Mysteries]], and the more general problem of getting trapped following a never-ending chain of interesting links was covered in [[609: Tab Explosion]].) The large diversity in end links may also be a reference to {{w|Wikipedia:Wiki Game|the Wikipedia game}}.

One can also see this effect occur in other {{w|MediaWiki}}-powered wikis such as this very website, where one comic can lead to another of similar relation or category. In the [[#Table|table]] below, a possible route for each entry has been found.

Finding routes between the start and end points of the two pages above and the six below makes good challenges in {{w|Wikipedia:Wiki Game|the Wikipedia game}}.

The title text refers to two of the articles that were supposedly reached at the bottom. {{w|William Howard Taft}} was the 27th President of the U.S., in office from 1909 to 1913, who was notorious for being so overweight that when a humorist invented a story about him getting stuck in the White House bathtub, people took it seriously. A {{w|wet T-shirt contest}} ''is an {{w|Exhibitionism|exhibitionistic}} competition typically featuring young women contestants at a nightclub, bar, or resort.'' Clearly the combination of these two would be rather bizarre.

There is an online game that involves trying to get from one Wikipedia page to another in the shortest possible route: http://thewikigame.com/.

;Table of paths
Due to the ever changing nature of Wikipedia, the {{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} entry on Wikipedia no longer links to [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Structural_collapse&redirect=no Structural collapse], requiring an intermediate step via {{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940)}}, and since {{w|Structural collapse}} now redirects to {{w|Structural integrity and failure}}, most pages on Wikipedia that linked to Structural collapse have been changed to rename this link.

The table below lists one valid route for each destination article, though it is not necessarily the most efficient route. ''And that these routes may become invalid as articles are edited.'' They all have been updated on March 21, 2015. All links then could be found directly on the page. This was not the case in the original version of the paths, where some links were in hidden parts of the page.

{| class="wikitable"
!Target
!Wikipath
|-
|{{w|William Howard Taft}}
|{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension bridge}} > {{w|George Washington Bridge}} > {{w|Washington Heights, Manhattan}} > {{w|George Washington}} > {{w|President of the United States}} > {{w|William Howard Taft}}
|-
|{{w|24-hour analog dial}}
|{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension bridge}} > {{w|Steel rope}} (now redirecting to ''Wire rope'') > {{w|Steel}} > {{w|Watch}} > {{w|24-hour analog dial}}
|-
|{{w|Lesbianism in erotica}}
|{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension bridge}} > {{w|Fausto Veranzio}} > {{w|Zagreb}} > {{w|Animation}} > {{w|Anime}} > {{w|Hentai}} > {{w|Cartoon pornography}} > {{w|Pornography}} > {{w|Lesbianism in erotica}}
|-
|{{w|Fatal hilarity}} via {{w|Batman}}
|{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension Bridge}} > {{w|New York City}} > {{w|Washington Irving}} > {{w|Batman}} > {{w|Batman (1989 film)}} (this extra link now needed to go to the final page) > {{w|Fatal hilarity}} (this page now redirects to ''Death from laughter''. On the previous page the link to that page is called ''laugh to death'')
|-
|{{w|Taylor Hanson}}
|{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940)}} (this extra link now needed to go to the next page) > {{w|Structural collapse}} (this page now redirects to ''Structural integrity and failure'' and is also called this on the previous page) > {{w|Burj Khalifa}} > {{w|Chicago}} > {{w|Baseball}} > {{w|Baseball rules}} > {{w|Hit by pitch}} > {{w|Homer Simpson}} > {{w|Namesake}} > {{w|Taylor Hanson}}
|-
|{{w|Wet T-Shirt Contest}} via {{w|T-Shirt}} and {{w|Cotton}}
|{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940)}} (this extra link now needed to go to the next page) > {{w|Structural collapse}} (this page now redirects to ''Structural integrity and failure'' and is also called this on the previous page) > {{w|Maharashtra}} > {{w|Cotton}} > {{w|T-Shirt}} > {{w|Wet T-Shirt Contest}}
|}

==Transcript==
:[Heading above the chart:]
:The PROBLEM with WIKIPEDIA:

:[Text in a frame below the heading:]
:Tacoma Narrows Bridge

:[Lines lead down both left and right to two new frames with the following entries:]
:Suspension bridge
:Structural collapse

:[Two more lines lead down from the left frame and one from the right frame, and all lines end on a wiggling line from left to right. Below this wiggled line in square brackets it reads:]
:Three hours of fascinated clicking

:[Further below there is a similar wiggling line, from where six lines lead to new frames below:]
:William Howard Taft
:24-hour analog dial
:Lesbianism in erotica
:[This frame is followed by a second:]
:Batman; Fatal hilarity
:Taylor Hanson
:[This frame is followed by a chain of two others:]
:Cotton; T-Shirt; Wet T-shirt contest

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Flowcharts]]