explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1168: tar

2023-02-01T23:32:50Z

172.70.211.136: /* Transcript */ better

{{comic
| number = 1168
| date = February 1, 2013
| title = tar
| image = tar.png
| titletext = I don't know what's worse--the fact that after 15 years of using tar I still can't keep the flags straight, or that after 15 years of technological advancement I'm still mucking with tar flags that were 15 years old when I started.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Tar (computing)|tar}} ("tape archive") is a {{w|Unix|Unix}} application that creates (and extracts) archives in the ".tar" format. It is typically used through the text-based terminal, using cryptic single-letter arguments such as "<code>tar -cvf archive.tar *</code>". Many Unix executables are distributed via tar archives; as a result tar files would be encountered by Unix users as commonly as Windows users encounter EXE files. Depending on the flavor of Unix, the order of the flags, or the exclusion of the hyphen, could render the command incorrect, which would either throw up an error or worse, cause one to accidentally overwrite or delete important files.

The comic alludes to the fact that, despite years of use of the command, it is incredibly hard to remember what the letters stand for without looking them up, such as with Google. The joke here is that a "tar" command with perfect syntax on the first try without outside help is such a daunting task that even [[Rob]] can't overcome it with confidence, and apologizes for not being able to prevent their imminent death.

The title text points out that while much of computing changes very quickly, the tar program, which is very old (originating ca. 1975), is still around and heavily used. [[Randall]] points out the paradox that after 15 years he is still unable to write out a proper tar command from memory, yet at the same time he feels that he shouldn't ''have'' to and a newer, better tool really should have come along already.

There is probably also a pun on "{{w|tarbomb}}," a poorly created tar archive that, when extracted, dumps a load of files into the current directory that the user has to clean up. And although the bomb looks more like {{w|Fat Man}}, the type of bomb that was used over {{w|Nagasaki}}, at least size-wise, it may also be a pun on the name of the largest ever {{w|hydrogen bomb}} which was called the {{w|Tsar Bomba}} (translation: "emperor bomb").

In [[208: Regular Expressions]] [[Cueball]] saves the day by knowing {{w|regular expression}}s, although in the title text it is alluded to how easy these may also miss a character.

Rob may refer to {{w|Rob Pike}}, who was a member of the team at AT&T who created Unix.

==Transcript==
:[Megan and White Hat stand next to a nuclear bomb. The bomb has a hatch open on top, and a small blinking screen. The two people are shouting off-screen.]
:Megan: Rob!
:Megan: You use Unix!
:White Hat: Come quick!

:[Megan, White Hat, and Rob look at the screen on the bomb. Rob peers closely. The screen is on the bomb, but is shown at the top of the panel in black with white letters, except "tar" and the last underscore which is in gray and "ten" which is black but written in a white box. The text reads:]

<div style="background-color:black; padding:5px; width:fit-content; margin-left: 2em">
To disarm the bomb, simply enter a valid ''<tt>tar</tt>'' command on your first try. No Googling. You have <code>ten</code> seconds. ~# _
</div>

:[They all stand in the same position, but without the text displayed. Beat panel.]

:[Still in the same position but White Hat becomes impatient.]
:White Hat: ...Rob?
:Rob: I'm so sorry.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Rob]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Linux]]
[[Category:Nuclear weapons]]

Talk:2731: K-Means Clustering

2023-01-30T22:53:11Z

172.70.211.136:

{{w|K-means_clustering|The wikipedia article}} does not clear anything up [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.228|162.158.78.228]] 13:53, 30 January 2023 (UTC)Bumpf

The "Convergence of ''k''-means" animation is reasonably distinctive for a two-dimensional case, showing at least the motivation for the problem . Could it be attached here? [[User:Mia yun Ruse|Mia yun Ruse]] ([[User talk:Mia yun Ruse|talk]]) 14:08, 30 January 2023 (UTC)

Yeah, this is probably the least explanatory Explain xkcd I've read in the past 3 years. Still a lot of heavy math. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.95|162.158.186.95]] 16:50, 30 January 2023 (UTC)

This feels very similar to the joke "There are 10 types of people: those who know binary and those who don't." Except that the real joke here is that Ponytail doesn't have anything meaningful to justify her version. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.150|172.70.206.150]] 17:45, 30 January 2023 (UTC)

Current explanation claims that since every human is unique, clusters can only be formed by ignoring some traits. This seems false; a cluster could depend on multiple traits, so there's no obvious limit to the number of traits that could be used when forming clusters. Perhaps they mean that clusters can only be formed by combining non-identical points into the same cluster, but that's literally the entire purpose of clustering and applies to all clustering ever, so it seems like both a trivial observation and a non-sequitur. Am I missing something? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.90|172.70.211.90]] 19:54, 30 January 2023 (UTC)
:Yes, the joke about why there are 8 billion clusters mentioned in the title text. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.220|162.158.78.220]] 20:47, 30 January 2023 (UTC)
::No, I did not miss that. --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.136|172.70.211.136]] 22:53, 30 January 2023 (UTC)
:While it's true that clusters can depend on multiple traits, a cluster that depends on ALL human traits at once (or a very large number of them) is useless in practice. A useful cluster depends on a relatively limited number of traits. I think that's where the "ignoring" comes in. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.208|162.158.146.208]] 22:30, 30 January 2023 (UTC)
::Supposing that's true, that would apply to any sample of humans. The "since all humans are unique" part would still be false, and the comment still wouldn't make sense in context as a response to the specific scenario of 8 billion humans. --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.136|172.70.211.136]] 22:53, 30 January 2023 (UTC)

2659: Unreliable Connection

2023-01-28T01:41:41Z

172.70.211.136:

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2719: Hydrogen Isotopes

2023-01-08T04:42:00Z

172.70.211.136: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2719
| date = January 2, 2023
| title = Hydrogen Isotopes
| image = hydrogen_isotopes_2x.png
| imagesize = 442x250px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Oops, All Neutrons is also known as Neutral Quadrium, Nydnonen, and Goth Tritium.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BREAK ROOM DE BROGLIE MICROWAVE USER. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{W|Hydrogen}} is the simplest of the chemical atoms, usually consisting of an electron orbiting a lone proton, but has two other naturally occurring {{w|isotope}}s. This comic shows real and humorously fictional forms of hydrogen, generally depicted according to the {{w|Discovery of the neutron#Proton–neutron model of the nucleus|Chadwick model}} of the atom; see [[2100: Models of the Atom]] for details.

{| class="wikitable"
! "Isotope"
! Real?
! Description
|-
|Hydrogen
|Yes
|Hydrogen-1 is the most common isotope of hydrogen, with one proton and one electron, ordinarily depicted with the electron orbiting the central proton. It is also occasionally known as protium.
|-
|Deuterium
|Yes
|{{w|Deuterium}} is the second most common isotope of hydrogen, with one electron and both a neutron and proton in its nucleus. About one of every 6,760 hydrogen atoms in seawater is deuterium. Its chemical symbol is D, or [[2614: 2|2H]], and it's also called heavy hydrogen or hydrogen-2.
|-
|Tritium
|Yes
|{{w|Tritium}} is the third most common isotope of hydrogen, with an electron orbiting a nucleus of one proton and two neutrons to give it an atomic mass of about three {{w|Dalton (unit)|daltons}}. It is radioactive with a half-life of about twelve years and is very rare (but not as rare as unbound "instant hydrogen" neutrons). It can also be designated as hydrogen-3, with the symbol T or, more often, 3H.
|-
|Ium
|Only in the lab
|This is a free electron orbiting around nothing. Following the naming of the heavier hydrogen isotopes, where a prefix designating the number of {{w|nucleons}} is followed by the suffix "-ium", the lack of a nucleus is designated here by the absence of a prefix. A free electron will not circle around nothing but ''will'' react to electromagnetic fields. A {{w|Penning trap}} can confine electrons to move in circles.
|-
|Wheelium
|No
|This fictional form consists of a proton, electron and neutron orbiting around nothing, with the appearance of all rotating as if on a wheel rim. The neutron could bind to the proton, but will more likely {{w|Elastic_scattering#Nuclear particle physics|elastically scatter}} away.
|-
|Instant hydrogen (ready in 15 minutes)
|Yes, but rare[https://radioactivity.eu.com/phenomenon/neutronic_radiation]
|This is just a single neutron. An unbound neutron will decay into a proton, an electron and an antineutrino, with a mean lifetime of just under fifteen minutes. A free proton is technically a hydrogen ion on its own. Otherwise, the proton and electron ''can'' form into a neutral hydrogen atom, but that only happens [https://van.physics.illinois.edu/ask/listing/1207 about four times in a million]. The name is likely a reference to "instant" food, such as noodles, which are reduced for convenience and can be quickly reconstituted when required.
|-
|Hydrogen (maximum strength)
|No
|This fictional isotope consists of an electron, a proton and what appear to be [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/hydrogen_isotopes_2x.png at least 15] neutrons. For comparison, the heaviest {{w|Isotopes of hydrogen#List of isotopes|hydrogen isotope known}} at the time of this comic is 7H (6 neutrons). All isotopes heavier than 3H decay almost immediately, most likely by {{w|Nuclear drip line|dripping}} one or more neutrons away and emitting a large amount of energy. "Maximum strength" may be a reference to over-the-counter medicines that contain the largest permitted quantity of active ingredients.
|-
|Oops, All Neutrons
|Extremely unlikely
|This fictional form consists of four neutrons, with one orbiting around a group of three. As the existence of {{w|tetraneutron|tetraneutrons}} is still uncertain, their possible configurations are unknown but the depicted configuration is very unlikely given the characteristics of the fundamental forces. The name is probably a reference to an American breakfast cereal called {{w|Cap'n Crunch#Variations|Oops! All Berries}}, which has also been referenced in [[2256]].
|}

The title text provides three other names for Oops, All Neutrons:
# "Neutral Quadrium": {{w|Isotopes_of_hydrogen#Hydrogen-4|Quadrium}} is the extremely rare artificial isotope hydrogen-4, with a proton and three neutrons.[https://www.chem.ccu.edu.tw/~hu/Web_Lib/articles/Muonium+H2_Science_2011.pdf][https://www.lenr-canr.org/acrobat/GodesRcontrolled.pdf] The proton and electron have been replaced with neutrons.
# "Nydnonen" is the word "hydrogen" with three consonants replaced by the letter 'n' so that it has four of them, representing the four neutrons.
# "Goth Tritium": All the particles in the depiction are black, resembling typical {{w|gothic fashion}}, and in the same configuration as the particles of tritium.

==Transcript==
:[Eight drawings of different versions of hydrogen atoms are shown. They are arranged in two rows of four. The depictions use the planetary model version with for instance a negative electron (with a "-" written inside a small circle) orbiting a positive proton (with a "+" written inside a larger circle) and a black neutron depicted as a circle of the same size as the neutron, as in the second atom - Deuterium. Each has a label underneath. Here, they are listed in reading order:]
:[An electron orbiting a proton:]
:Hydrogen

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with a neutron:]
:Deuterium

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with two neutrons, so that they form a triangle:]
:Tritium

:[An electron orbiting nothing:]
:Ium

:[An electron, a proton and a neutron placed equidistant from each other on the same circular orbit around nothing:]
:Wheelium

:[A single neutron:]
:Instant Hydrogen (ready in 15 minutes)

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with many neutrons, 13 visible with six touching the proton which are in front. Four more are close to those six and mostly shown and then three are only just visible behind the others. Looking closely there are also two smaller dots near the edge indicating at least two more, for 15 that can be seen. And several more would be behind the visible neutrons if this forms a spherical shape. The electron's orbit just barely goes around the outer neutrons:]
:Hydrogen (maximum strength)

:[Four neutrons, arranged like the particles in Tritium but with a neutron orbiting a triangle of neutrons.]
:Oops, All Neutrons

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]

2720: Biology vs Robotics

2023-01-05T01:09:05Z

172.70.211.136: He is not humbled nor put into perspective

{{comic
| number = 2720
| date = January 4, 2023
| title = Biology vs Robotics
| image = biology_vs_robotics_2x.png
| imagesize = 546x260px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Sorry, I've just always had these random things I don't like--like olives, or robots drilling holes in me without warning.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a ROBOT HOMEOMORPHIC TO A HUMAN WITH A HANDLE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In this comic, [[Cueball]] is walking along next to an apparently-{{w|Sentience|sentient}}/[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sapience sapient] robot, complaining to said robot about the problems of biology. Cueball, being a biological entity, has experience, while the robot, an abiological entity ([https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/robotic-future/0/steps/26359 some] [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BrainInAJar exceptions] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biorobotics apply]) does not have as much experience.

While walking, Cueball complains to the robot that biology (And presumably being biological) is annoying/bad, stating "Biology sucks" and "Bodies have all these problems". This is to some extent true. The human body has many flaws, ranging from {{w|Recurrent laryngeal nerve|mildly inneficient}} to {{w|Stroke|lethal-without-warning}}. The robot counters that the human body, and bodies in general, have many advantages. One such advantage is that human bodies heal while metal robots don't.

However, Cueball immediately counters that this ability only works "Sometimes", and is often painful. Holes can be different sizes,{{Citation needed}} so it is hardly surprising that their outcomes will vary. For example, a small hole made for an earring would be easy to close, whereas one carved by {{w|List of the largest cannon by caliber|an 91.4cm mortar shell}} would be less easy to heal. Survivablility is also a key factor is whether or not someone survives a hole, as dying greatly impacts someone's ability to heal. There is also ambiguity in what counts as a hole (Is a cut a hole? Is surgery? etc.). This variability is likely why Cueball says "Sometimes".

He also states that "it" is "not exactly fun". This is an understatement, as {{w|Gunshot wound|some holes}} can really hurt. "It" is implied to be the holes themselves, as while the healing process can hurt, the formation of the hole (Such as being shot) is often a LOT more painful.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball is walking alongside a medium-sized, boxy robot with small wheels.]
:Cueball: Ugh, Biology is the worst. Bodies have all these random problems.

:Robot: Is it true that if someone makes a hole in you, it just closes up on its own?

:Cueball: Only '''''sometimes'''''. And it's not exactly '''''fun'''''.
:Robot: Noted. I'll try to avoid perforating your surface.
:Cueball: Thanks! It's kind of a pet peeve.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Biology]]

2719: Hydrogen Isotopes

2023-01-04T05:53:15Z

172.70.211.136: /* Explanation */ Bohr not Chadwick

{{comic
| number = 2719
| date = January 2, 2023
| title = Hydrogen Isotopes
| image = hydrogen_isotopes_2x.png
| imagesize = 442x250px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Oops, All Neutrons is also known as Neutral Quadrium, Nydnonen, and Goth Tritium.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BREAK ROOM DE BROGLIE MICROWAVE USER. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{W|Hydrogen}} is the simplest of the chemical atoms, usually consisting of a lone electron orbiting a lone proton. This comic shows real and humorously fictional forms of hydrogen, generally depicted according the {{w|Bohr model}} of the atom; see [[2100: Models of the Atom]] for details.

{| class="wikitable"
! "Isotope"
! Real?
! Description
|-
|Hydrogen
|Yes
|Hydrogen-1 is the most common {{w|isotope}} of hydrogen, with one proton and one electron, shown with the electron orbiting the proton. It is also known as protium.
|-
|Deuterium
|Yes
|{{w|Deuterium}} is the second most common isotope of hydrogen, with one electron and both a neutron and proton in its nucleus. About one of every 6,760 hydrogen atoms in seawater is deuterium.
|-
|Tritium
|Yes
|{{w|Tritium}} is the third most common isotope of hydrogen, with one electron and a nucleus of one proton and two neutrons, for an atomic mass of about three {{w|Dalton (unit)|daltons}}. It is radioactive with a half-life of about twelve years, and is very rare (but not as rare as unbound "instant hydrogen" neutrons.)
|-
|Ium
|Not as shown
|This isotope depicts one electron orbiting around nothing. Heavier hydrogen isotopes are named from a prefix designating the number of {{w|nucleons}} followed by the suffix "-ium" (which is also {{w|systematic element name|used to name newly discovered elements}} before they are given a proper name, e.g. {{w|unununium}} for element 111) so no nucleus is designated with no prefix. A free electron will not circle around nothing, but instead will gain momentum towards positive electric field potentials including those created by moving magnetic fields.
|-
|Wheelium
|No
|This fictional form consists of a proton, electron, and neutron orbiting around nothing, shaped similarly to a wheel. The neutron would either bind to the proton, or much more likely, be {{w|Elastic_scattering#Nuclear particle physics|elastically scattered}} away.
|-
|Instant hydrogen (ready in 15 minutes)
|Yes, but rare
|This is just a single neutron. An unbound neutron will decay into a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino, with a mean lifetime of about 14 min, 39.6 s (half-life = about 10 min, 11 s). The antineutrino will carry away momentum, while the proton and electron ''can'' form into a hydrogen atom. However, this [https://van.physics.illinois.edu/ask/listing/1207 only happens about four times in a million.] The name is likely a reference to "instant" meals (e.g. instant noodles) which are typically reduced for convenient storage, and can be quickly reconstituted.
|-
|Hydrogen (maximum strength)
|No
|This fictional isotope consists of a proton, an electron, and what appear to be at least 14 neutrons. This isotope's proton would not be bound to all the neutrons. It would immediately decay by {{w|Nuclear drip line|dripping}} most all of them away, producing a large amount of energy. "Maximum strength" may be a reference to over-the-counter medicines containing the greatest legal quantity of active ingredients.
|-
|Oops, All Neutrons
|Maybe
|This fictional form consists of four neutrons, a {{w|tetraneutron}}, with one orbiting around a group of three. The name is likely a reference to an American breakfast cereal called {{w|Cap'n Crunch#Variations|Oops! All Berries}}.

The title text provides three other names of this form: 1. "Neutral Quadrium": Quadrium is an extremely rare isotope of hydrogen with four nucleons, a proton and three neutrons.[https://www.chem.ccu.edu.tw/~hu/Web_Lib/articles/Muonium+H2_Science_2011.pdf][https://www.lenr-canr.org/acrobat/GodesRcontrolled.pdf] The proton and electron have been replaced with neutrons, making a fictional neutral atom. 2. "Nydnonen" is likely a derivation of "hydrogen" with three of its consonants replaced with the letter 'n' so it has four of them representing the four neutrons. 3. "Goth Tritium": All the particles in the depiction are black, resembling typical {{w|gothic fashion}}, and in the same configuration as the particles of tritium.
|}

{{notice2|The Mountain View, California Public Library is hosting an online chat with [[Randall Munroe]] Tuesday, January 31 at 11am Pacific. [https://libraryc.org/mountainviewlibrary/22032 Register here to send your question(s) to the moderators.]|image=Crystal Project Agt announcements.png}} 

==Transcript==
:[Eight drawings of different versions of hydrogen atoms are shown. They are arranged in two rows of four. The depictions use the planetary model version with for instance a negative electron (with a "-" written inside a small circle) orbiting a positive proton (with a "+" written inside a larger circle) and a black neutron depicted as a circle of the same size as the neutron, as in the second atom - Deuterium. Each has a label underneath. Here, they are listed in reading order:]
:[An electron orbiting a proton:]
:Hydrogen

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with a neutron:]
:Deuterium

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with two neutrons, so they form a triangle:]
:Tritium

:[An electron orbiting nothing:]
:Ium

:[An electron a proton and a neutron all orbiting on the same circle around nothing. They are placed equidistant from each other forming a large triangle:]
:Wheelium

:[A single neutron:]
:Instant Hydrogen (ready in 15 minutes)

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with many neutrons, 13 visible with six touching the proton which are in front. Four more are close to those six and mostly shown and then three are only just visible behind the others. Looking closely there are also two smaller dots near the edge indicating at least two more, for 15 that can be seen. And several more would be behind the visible neutrons if this forms a spherical shape. The electrons orbit just barely goes around the outer neutrons:]
:Hydrogen (maximum strength)

:[Four neutrons arranged like the particles in Tritium with a neutron orbiting a triangle of neutrons.]
:Oops, all neutrons

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]

2719: Hydrogen Isotopes

2023-01-03T05:13:13Z

172.70.211.136: /* Explanation */ comment on rarity

2718: New Year's Eve Party

2023-01-02T12:34:05Z

172.70.211.136: /* Explanation */ nonpronoun

{{comic
| number = 2718
| date = December 30, 2022
| title = New Year's Eve 2023
| image = new_years_eve_2023_2x.png
| imagesize = 306x274px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = [Earlier, at the eye doctor] 'No, for the last time, the numerals on the paper aren't my prescription, it's the shape I want you to make with the laser.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a "2023" LASER EYE SURGEON. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|New Year's glasses}} are novelty eyeglasses typically worn at New Year's Eve parties, shaped like the digits of the upcoming year. They were popularized in the late 1990s and early 2000s since the middle digits (9 and 0) had holes large enough to look through or mount lenses into.

[[Ponytail]], [[White Hat]], [[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are at a party. The first three are wearing novelty glasses in the shape of the numerals "2023", representing the upcoming New Year. Cueball has chosen to obtain cosmetic {{w|laser eye surgery}} instead. Usually, such procedures are intended to adjust a patient's corneas to correct vision problems, as an alternative to glasses and contact lenses. Cueball has apparently had the digits 2023 etched into his eyes as an alternative to wearing novelty glasses. While {{w|scleral tattooing}} is performed for cosmetic reasons, and {{w|corneal tattooing}} for both cosmetic and vision benefits, the efficacy and safety of either process is not universally accepted. The procedure has damaged Cueball's vision so much that he mistakes a newcomer to the party resembling [[Hairy]] as [[Rob]]. Realizing he made a mistake, his second guess is that the new arrival is named Mike.

In the title text, an earlier conversation with his {{w|ophthalmologist}} has established Cueball's problems are due to the laser burning the digits straight onto his eyeballs, without regard to endangering his vision. This is darkly satirical because preservation of eyesight is very important to most people.

Most previous depictions of Cueball have not shown him wearing glasses. Laser eye surgery was referenced along with other laser equipment in [[1681: Laser Products]].

{{notice2|The Mountain View, California Public Library is hosting an online chat with [[Randall Munroe]] Tuesday, January 31 at 11am Pacific. [https://libraryc.org/mountainviewlibrary/22032 Register here to send your question(s) to the moderators.]|image=Crystal Project Agt announcements.png}} 

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Ponytail, White Hat, Megan, Cueball, and Hairy are standing around. Ponytail, White Hat, and Megan are wearing glasses in the shape of the number 2023 and holding party-related items. Hairy is on the other side of Cueball from them and is only carrying some item of clothing, probably a recently removed coat. Cueball carries nothing, and his attention is on the new arrival, possibly having to squint at him, as depicted by a set of short radial lines projecting away from where Cueball's eyes would be if they were ever drawn.]
:Cueball: Hey Rob! Or, uh...
:Cueball: Sorry, is that Mike?

:[Caption below the panel]:
:I'm regretting my New Year's Eve novelty "2023" laser eye surgery.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:New Year]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]

Talk:2715: Pando

2022-12-24T05:41:45Z

172.70.211.136: complain gripe whine

Mass is around 6 million kg.
Area is 43.6 ha. In SI units, that's 436,000 square metres... but I'd be tempted to say "over 400,000".

c/f https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ingino_Christmas_Tree

I was about to write the following as a first explanation, but by the time I'd drafted it, there already was one. Anyway, here it is,
<hr>
Pando is a large colony of aspen trees in Utah, USA, which are all natural clones, connected by a root system. It is the largest single living organism by mass, at around 6 million kilograms.

Randall postulates that, if wrapped in fairy lights, it would count as the world's largest Christmas Tree, surpassing others such as Mount Ingino.

[[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.75|162.158.34.75]] 12:24, 23 December 2022 (UTC)

How do you add pictures? There are some things here which a piture would be great for, but I don't know how. I'll check the manual later if I don't get a reply. [[User:SqueakSquawk4|SqueakSquawk4]] ([[User talk:SqueakSquawk4|talk]]) 12:33, 23 December 2022 (UTC)

According to scientist, this is the largest living organism: https://theconversation.com/meet-the-worlds-largest-plant-a-single-seagrass-clone-stretching-180-km-in-western-australias-shark-bay-184056 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.239.26|162.158.239.26]] 12:58, 23 December 2022 (UTC)
:It doesn't say organism.
:Sea grass clones split up into separate entities.
:The point about Pando is, it's all connected.
:--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.21|162.158.74.21]] 13:26, 23 December 2022 (UTC)

I like the attitude of article about biggest organism (the fungus): What is the organism most likely to survive climate change and how it tastes. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:45, 23 December 2022 (UTC)

I hit an Edit Conflict in which my change was in the same (sub-)part of the Conflict text as outright dismissed the pre-Christian origins of a Christmas (or pre-Christmas seasonal) tree as having no proof, but with no citation itself. The whole basis of the Saint Boniface episode (or at least the inspiration that forked its telling), as included in the links already there, and the acknowledged existence of such midwinter tree-veneration (forerunner of apple-wassailing, etc; not directly linked, but a short wikihop away) makes me think you cannot so easily deny the roots (NPI!) in 'pagan' worship and go on to claim that only under the influence of the new religion was the spark of wintery tree-veneration. So I didn't spend much effort on mingling my new bits and the 'old new' bits. But it seems useful to note that it was mentioned. Perhaps with a hedged 'cite' towards any mainstream doubts/contraindications, original re-editor can slip it back into whatever form that bit of the explanation has reached by then. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.75|172.70.91.75]] 14:40, 23 December 2022 (UTC)

:The main thing that Christmass took from pagan celebration is DATE. There are no reasons to think Jesus was born in December, much less specifically on 25th, and several good arguments why he wasn't. Meanwhile, pagan celebrations of winter solstice are {{w|Stonehenge|quite easy to prove when they were}}. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:45, 23 December 2022 (UTC)

Sidenote (moved from explanation): A lot of articles say that the Gubbio tree has a Guinness world record. However, I can't find a citation for that. If anyone can, please add it. That would be appreciated.

Wow! This explanation is really well done! I thought I was looking at a Good-Class Wikipedia article for a bit there! (also, is the crapper 2.0 gone now?) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.105|162.158.78.105]] 22:59, 23 December 2022 (UTC)Bumpf

This is a terrible sentence: "The celebration is often claimed to be built heavily upon pagan traditions,[2] though this is disputed by some historians[3], as well as on annual social customs, then arguably converted into a far more secular event for many." [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.136|172.70.211.136]] 05:41, 24 December 2022 (UTC)

2715: Pando

2022-12-24T03:44:12Z

172.70.211.136: /* Explanation */ typographical convention

{{comic
| number = 2715
| date = December 23, 2022
| title = Pando
| image = pando_2x.png
| imagesize = 422x372px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The presents under the tree are actually a single gift connected by an underground ribbon system.
}}

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

{{w|Pando_(tree)|Pando}} is a {{w|Populus tremuloides|quaking aspen}} tree colony in {{w|Fishlake National Forest}}, Utah. Depending on the measurement method,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWAA-SrrFUQ] Pando is the largest living organism on earth, and is thereby also the largest tree on earth. By dry mass (mass not including water), Pando is the largest living thing humans have found. There is [https://www.forbes.com/sites/linhanhcat/2019/02/22/largest-organism-in-the-world/?sh=43fdf2a444ac one fungus in Oregon] which may weigh more including water, but a fungus is [[1749: Mushrooms|not a tree]].

Pando is a tree colony, a type of {{w|clonal colony}} made of trees. Clonal colonies all form from the same seed or other origin, and are all genetically identical. Tree colonies spread using their extensive root system. Under all trees are {{w|Root|roots}}, which gather nutrients and water from soil. On clonal trees (such as the {{w|Populus tremuloides|quaking aspen}}, Pando's species), when roots from one tree surface they can form another stalk/tree, remaining the same genetic stock; this is unlike propagation by seeds. This clone then grows its own root network and is part of the clonal colony. Crucially, the linking roots between 'generations' of the plant do not naturally separate, so all effective clones stay attached. Each such stalk still has an individually limited lifespan of decades to centuries, but the colony can persist and propagate in this manner for millennia. For example, the only known wild example of {{w|Lomatia tasmanica|''Lomatia tasmanica'', also known as King's lomatia}}, is a clonal shrub thought to be at least 43,600 years old, and Pando itself is thought to be around 14,000 years old.

{{w|Christmas}} is a celebration on the 25th of December, traditionally celebrating the birth of {{w|Jesus}}. The celebration is often claimed to be built heavily upon pagan traditions,[https://chefin.com.au/blog/these-6-christmas-traditions-are-actually-pagan-customs/] though this is disputed by some historians[https://historyforatheists.com/2020/12/pagan-christmas/], as well as on annual social customs, then arguably converted into a far more secular event for many. This comic was published on the 23rd of December, two days before Christmas, or [[Christmas Eve Eve]].

The concept of a {{w|Christmas tree}} is rooted in various pre-Christian folkloric traditions and, in the modern era, may be adapted or adopted as desired by local and personal circumstances. It need not be an {{w|evergreen}} tree with an angel or star atop, though that is the oft-depicted image, but can be any handy plant or artificial substitute strewn with decorations and/or {{w|Christmas lights|lights}} as the owner wishes. People and places often compete to hold the record for the largest Christmas tree. At time of writing, the officially tallest Christmas tree was a 64.36 m (221 ft) tall {{w|Douglas-fir}} that was displayed in {{w|Northgate Station (shopping mall)|Northgate Shopping Center}}{{Actual citation needed}}, Seattle, WA in 1950.[https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/77271-tallest-christmas-tree][https://www.historylink.org/File/21359] The one with the most area is likely the [https://www.italybyevents.com/en/events/umbria/world-largest-christmas-tree-gubbio/ Christmas tree display] in {{w|Gubbio}}, a town in {{w|Umbria, Italy}}, where hundreds of trees on a mountain face are lit up with light to form a Christmas tree shape.

In this comic, [[Randall]] proposes putting Christmas lights all the way around Pando to turn it into (technically) a Christmas tree. As Pando is the world's largest tree, if this plan were carried out, it would safely take the record for largest Christmas tree and hold it for quite some time. In the inset map, Randall has drawn the path of the Christmas lights as a {{w|convex hull}} around the edge of Pando. [https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1Wgz5CxvxHC7FKMHWp5zkPQuQsZevBqU&usp=sharing Roughly tracing Pando on Google Maps] reveals its perimeter to be roughly 2.77 km or 1.72 miles, or roughly 9,000 ft. Allowing a little wiggle-room for differing levels of accuracy, and possibly the extra length required to suspend the shallow {{w|catenary}} loops of the lights and wrap them around the various supporting branches, 9,300 ft of Christmas lights seems about right.

The title text suggests that similarly to how trees that make up Pando are interconnected by underground roots, the gifts under the proposed Christmas tree are interconnected by underground ribbons.

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

:[The main comic frame is a profile view of a number of separated trees, of varying heights and maturity, across each of which (of those with sufficient height) has apparently been draped a single chain of decorative lights that goes from off-image at one side to off-image at the other.]

:[Inset in the bottom right is a mini-map implicating that these light-linked 'trees' are actually all risers from a single large superorganism (as a shaded complex but contiguous shape labelled "Pando"), the map has a "N"orth pointer, a scale bar indicating the length of "1,000 ft" (approximately a third of the shaded mass's full width) and a convex hull perimeter line tightly fitting the shaded area that has an indicative arrow from a label informing us that its length would be "9,300 ft".]

:[Caption below:] Christmas Science Fact: Pando is approximately 9,300 feet of lights away from being the world's largest Christmas Tree.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]] 
[[Category:Christmas]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Facts]]

2715: Pando

2022-12-24T03:43:29Z

172.70.211.136: /* Explanation */ typographical convention

{{comic
| number = 2715
| date = December 23, 2022
| title = Pando
| image = pando_2x.png
| imagesize = 422x372px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The presents under the tree are actually a single gift connected by an underground ribbon system.
}}

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

{{w|Pando_(tree)|Pando}} is a {{w|Populus tremuloides|quaking aspen}} tree colony in {{w|Fishlake National Forest}}, Utah. Depending on the measurement method,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWAA-SrrFUQ] Pando is the largest living organism on earth, and is thereby also the largest tree on earth. By dry mass (mass not including water), Pando is the largest living thing humans have found. There is [https://www.forbes.com/sites/linhanhcat/2019/02/22/largest-organism-in-the-world/?sh=43fdf2a444ac one fungus in Oregon] which may weigh more including water, but a fungus is [[1749: Mushrooms|not a tree]].

Pando is a tree colony, a type of {{w|clonal colony}} made of trees. Clonal colonies all form from the same seed or other origin, and are all genetically identical. Tree colonies spread using their extensive root system. Under all trees are {{w|Root|roots}}, which gather nutrients and water from soil. On clonal trees (such as the {{w|Populus tremuloides|quaking aspen}}, Pando's species), when roots from one tree surface they can form another stalk/tree, remaining the same genetic stock; this is unlike propagation by seeds. This clone then grows its own root network and is part of the clonal colony. Crucially, the linking roots between 'generations' of the plant do not naturally separate, so all effective clones stay attached. Each such stalk still has an individually limited lifespan of decades to centuries, but the colony can persist and propagate in this manner for millennia. For example, the only known wild example of {{w|Lomatia tasmanica|''Lomatia tasmanica'', also known as King's lomatia}}, is a clonal shrub thought to be at least 43,600 years old, and Pando itself is thought to be around 14,000 years old.

{{w|Christmas}} is a celebration on the 25th of December, traditionally celebrating the birth of {{w|Jesus}}. The celebration is often claimed to be built heavily upon pagan traditions,[https://chefin.com.au/blog/these-6-christmas-traditions-are-actually-pagan-customs/] though this is disputed by some historians[https://historyforatheists.com/2020/12/pagan-christmas/], as well as on annual social customs, then arguably converted into a far more secular event for many. This comic was published on the 23rd of December, two days before Christmas, or [[Christmas Eve Eve]].

The concept of a {{w|Christmas tree}} is rooted in various pre-Christian folkloric traditions and, in the modern era, may be adapted or adopted as desired by local and personal circumstances. It need not be an {{w|evergreen}} tree with an angel or star atop, though that is the oft-depicted image, but can be any handy plant or artificial substitute strewn with decorations and/or {{w|Christmas lights|lights}} as the owner wishes. People and places often compete to hold the record for the largest Christmas tree. At time of writing, the officially tallest Christmas tree was a 64.36 m (221 ft) tall {{w|Douglas-fir}} that was displayed in {{w|Northgate Station (shopping mall)|Northgate Shopping Center}}{{Actual citation needed}}, Seattle, WA in 1950[https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/77271-tallest-christmas-tree][https://www.historylink.org/File/21359]. The one with the most area is likely the [https://www.italybyevents.com/en/events/umbria/world-largest-christmas-tree-gubbio/ Christmas tree display] in {{w|Gubbio}}, a town in {{w|Umbria, Italy}}, where hundreds of trees on a mountain face are lit up with light to form a Christmas tree shape.

In this comic, [[Randall]] proposes putting Christmas lights all the way around Pando to turn it into (technically) a Christmas tree. As Pando is the world's largest tree, if this plan were carried out, it would safely take the record for largest Christmas tree and hold it for quite some time. In the inset map, Randall has drawn the path of the Christmas lights as a {{w|convex hull}} around the edge of Pando. [https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1Wgz5CxvxHC7FKMHWp5zkPQuQsZevBqU&usp=sharing Roughly tracing Pando on Google Maps] reveals its perimeter to be roughly 2.77 km or 1.72 miles, or roughly 9,000 ft. Allowing a little wiggle-room for differing levels of accuracy, and possibly the extra length required to suspend the shallow {{w|catenary}} loops of the lights and wrap them around the various supporting branches, 9,300 ft of Christmas lights seems about right.

The title text suggests that similarly to how trees that make up Pando are interconnected by underground roots, the gifts under the proposed Christmas tree are interconnected by underground ribbons.

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

:[The main comic frame is a profile view of a number of separated trees, of varying heights and maturity, across each of which (of those with sufficient height) has apparently been draped a single chain of decorative lights that goes from off-image at one side to off-image at the other.]

:[Inset in the bottom right is a mini-map implicating that these light-linked 'trees' are actually all risers from a single large superorganism (as a shaded complex but contiguous shape labelled "Pando"), the map has a "N"orth pointer, a scale bar indicating the length of "1,000 ft" (approximately a third of the shaded mass's full width) and a convex hull perimeter line tightly fitting the shaded area that has an indicative arrow from a label informing us that its length would be "9,300 ft".]

:[Caption below:] Christmas Science Fact: Pando is approximately 9,300 feet of lights away from being the world's largest Christmas Tree.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]] 
[[Category:Christmas]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Facts]]

Talk:2713: Data Point

2022-12-22T03:48:56Z

172.70.211.136: Caveat

My theory: Randall got some interesting patterns drawing stars for the previous [[Gravity]] game, and wanted to show us how cool this one looks. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.130|172.69.134.130]] 10:53, 20 December 2022 (UTC)

Kudos to whomever used "datum" in its correct singular form. And also a kudo to the same person for their use of "data" correctly. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.179.3|172.70.179.3]] 12:27, 20 December 2022 (UTC)

: Anti-kudos for neglecting the etymology of kudos, ancient Greek κῦδος. In spite of ending in "s" it's a singular noun that means praise. Would a singular kudo be a pray or a prey? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.134.94|172.70.134.94]] 13:14, 20 December 2022 (UTC)
::The irony is sweet as a molass. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.27|162.158.78.27]] 18:11, 20 December 2022 (UTC)
:::This reminds me of a “dad joke” my mom would make every time we had molasses out on the dining table: she would inevitably, at some point, ask me to “pass the lasses.” And I would follow the script, and say, “don’t you mean MOlasses?” To which she would reply, in her best (meaning: awful) fake southern drawl, “hows ken it be MOlasses, whens I ain’t had none yet.”[[User:John|John]] ([[User talk:John|talk]]) 05:25, 21 December 2022 (UTC)
::::Molasses are one of the most irony foods they is. I have a molass to increase my iron all the time![[Special:Contributions/172.71.254.26|172.71.254.26]] 10:07, 21 December 2022 (UTC)

In the business of quality engineering it's all too common for the lab to be asked to neglect "bad" data points. The method is known as "Test until good." -- "Aha! You finally got one data point that says the stuff's okay. Ship it!" [[Special:Contributions/172.70.134.94|172.70.134.94]] 13:14, 20 December 2022 (UTC)

This comic finally explains the reason for the diffraction spikes on the stars in JWST images.

to be fair, there are certain data points which are mainly important in comparison to widely understood baselines, not to other data points in the actual test. things like fusion-energy-gain numbers, rocket ISP, nuclear warhead yield, etc. For those types of results, one valid data point that breaks the previous record is all that really matters. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.232|172.70.126.232]] 01:32, 21 December 2022 (UTC)

Isn't there a TIE fighter in the center of the picture? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.129.80|162.158.129.80]] 11:50, 21 December 2022 (UTC)
:The usual convention is that whiskers around a solitary point are standard deviations (68% confidence intervals of normal distributions) but if they have perpendicular caps they're two standard deviations (95% confidence), although I am more than a little concerned I can't easily confirm this which I thought was common knowledge. The convention for box-and-whiskers plots are different, where the whiskers are 95% confidence intervals whether they have caps or not, and the boxes are two quartiles (50% confidence intervals), and an off-center designation inside the box, by notches, or by the shape of the box represents the arithmetic mean (the median necessarily always being at the center of the box, which is often designated with a single perpendicular line.) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.158.230|172.71.158.230]] 03:03, 22 December 2022 (UTC)

Talk:1014: Car Problems

2022-12-21T21:42:53Z

172.70.211.136: o

From what I can see of the picture, it ''is'' a little over-saturated. The colors look a little too pastelly too. At least decent cameras are cheaper than they used to be. '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:11, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

Does this seem like it might be political commentary? A subtle dig at certain legislative bodies which, when confronted with an urgent problem like "the economy is burning," choose to dicker about the quality of the photograph? Just a thought... [[Special:Contributions/174.253.193.137|174.253.193.137]] 05:10, 13 September 2013 (UTC)

I disagree with the apparent majority view that the critics are disingenuous. This might be a satire on camera nerds in particular but also on overspecialized individuals in general. What if the critics are sincere, but just... overfocussed on picture issues, and simply see the world through that lens at all times? Isn't that consistent with the general themes of xkcd? {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.77}}

I feel like the explanation is incomplete, but I don't know what the standard is here. What is "chromatic aberration", "white balance", and what is the significance of "the most megapixels"? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.64|108.162.237.64]] 04:54, 8 February 2014 (UTC)
:Also. "The title text reveals what she was looking for; one of them really did set her trousers on fire." How? It seems ambiguous. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.64|108.162.237.64]] 14:53, 8 February 2014 (UTC)
::'chromatic aberration' is when different colors in the source are mapped to slightly different locations in the image. A bright white point of light like a star might show up in a photo as a slightly smeared point with a rainbow-like quality in the smearing. Refractive lenses nowadays have coatings to reduce this effect, but they don't eliminate it altogether; there is a similar small effect due to diffraction as well. 'white balance' refers to adjusting the overall color spectrum of the image to compensate for not-perfectly-white source light; imagine if you looked at the same person in 'warm' candlelight versus 'cold, harsh' hospital flourescents. If you are there in person, your eyes quite brilliantly do a little computation to compensate for the difference in source light so that they look human; if you just have a little unbalanced photo in your hand and don't /see/ a roomful of source light for your eye to use as reference background, one of the pictures looks like a zombie and the other might look like your friend is quite flushed. You can use various forms of processing to adjust the 'color temperature' and other details to make the picture look natural, this is white balancing. Note that you might not want to white-balance all photographs, for example you might want to capture the orangey quality of a candlelit scene.

:'the most megapixels' refers to the size of the camera's images in megapixels. More megapixels is in some sense good, it means the camera is commiting more details to memory; the accusation here is that the photographer bought the camera on the basis of the easily-advertised number of pixels instead of a sensible balance of many important qualities. It is relatively easily to make a camera that has "lots of megapixels" and it looks good in ads, but without a good lens, for example, those extra megapixels are just recording lots and lots of blur. Buying on 'number of megapixels' alone is considered naive, it would be like looking at computer ads and buying a system on "how many gigabytes does it have" without looking at any other quality.{{unsigned ip|173.245.56.77}}

:
::Thanks for your statements here. This comic is marked as incomplete and a first attempt on the details is done.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 15:48, 8 February 2014 (UTC)

The title text is written as if from the point of view of somebody who was there watching the presentation, since they're talking about getting the shot, and "we'll set your trousers on fire AGAIN" implies that they did it the first time. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.81.216|141.101.81.216]] 09:51, 25 February 2014 (UTC)

: I am not convinced. "again" might simply mean 'for a second time, regardless of who did it the first time' - that is, the event they are offering to make happen again is 'the trousers being on fire' not 'us setting the trousers on fire' {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.77}}

I think the three of them might be genuinely raising the photographic concerns, possibly out of ignorance of the problem of trousers being on fire or lack of concern for Megan's (possibly) "trivial matter". This wouldn't be the first time xkcd characters have [[Mission|strange]] [[Priorities|priorities]]. '''''[[User:LockmanCapulet|LockmanCapulet]][[User talk:LockmanCapulet| I plead the third!]]''''' 19:07, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

This seems to be a tribute to Magritte's 'Ceci n'est pas un pipe' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Treachery_of_Images). It is reminiscent of the unfortunate triumph of appearance over reality (as in TornadoGuard - http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/937:_TornadoGuard) [[ophiochos]]

The issue with this photo is that the trousers are ON FIRE!Boeing-787lover 10:55, 18 August 2018 (UTC)