explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2807: Bad Map Projection: ABS(Longitude)

2023-07-27T01:20:34Z

172.71.242.195:

...actually, there's quite a bit of 'foldover' that's covered by the Atlantic, but it's still not quite so much as the Pacific gap across the ±180° edge-to-edge, so forgive me if consider the likes of places in India partnered with the over-adopted American locations as being trans-Atlantic (and across the whole width of Africa and some of the Indian Ocean too) rather than anything else. It could definitely do with a more precise analysis/description, though. Plus how bits of western Western Europe are folded over onto more-central Western Europe (not a very good mirror of Scotland, I think, but I'm particularly more familiar with its effective profile than Randall has any reason to be). [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.195|172.71.242.195]] 01:20, 27 July 2023 (UTC)

2799: Frankenstein Claim Permutations

2023-07-09T15:11:00Z

172.71.242.195: /* Explanation */ More in keeping with the tense

{{comic
| number = 2799
| date = July 7, 2023
| title = Frankenstein Claim Permutations
| image = frankenstein_claim_permutations_2x.png
| imagesize = 596x612px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = When I began trying to form a new claim by stitching together these parts in such an unnatural way, some called me mad.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by LORD BYRON THROWS THE WEIRDEST PARTIES - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Frankenstein}} is an 1818 novel by Mary Shelley about a young scientist named Victor Frankenstein who creates a sapient, humanoid lifeform through an unorthodox experiment, and then rejects his creation, which eventually turns on him. The novel is a classic in both the horror and speculative fiction genres, and has been argued to represent the first major example of true science fiction in literature. The lifeform he creates is never named in the original novel, only being referred to as "the Creature".

In the two centuries since the novel's publication, the story and its characters have been adapted and reused in various forms, and the term "Frankenstein" has come to be commonly used to refer to the the creature, rather than the scientist who created him. Literary didacts are often quick to point out this error, but are generally ignored, as the name has become accepted, common usage. The debate has become something of a meme. (Some argue that, given that the creature refers to himself as effectively being Frankenstein's son, it makes sense that he would share the last name.) These disputes have previously been touched upon in [[1589]] and [[2604]].

The title text points out that he's "stitching together" various claims to create something new, and people consider him mad as a result. This refers to the notion of Frankenstein's creation having been stitched together from dead bodies, and Dr. Frankenstein himself being denounced as a madman. It should be noted that these perceptions come from later adaptations (most notably {{w|Frankenstein_(1931_film)|the 1931 film}}) rather than the original novel, but have become closely associated with the Frankenstein mythos. Following similar meta-textual logic, the title "Frankenstein Claim Permutations" is a double entendre, meaning both (1) permutations of claims regarding the novel ''Frankenstein'' and (2) permutations of claims of a Frankenstein nature (i.e. a franken-claim) in that they are formed by haphazardly joining together different parts.

This comic explores the possible [[wikipedia:Permutation|permutations]] that can be made by matching the names of Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, and '?' (for the unnamed monster) to the positions of author, creator, and monster. The positions are indicated in the drawing by a circle to the left of the book for the author, a box on the left-hand page for the creator, and a labeled picture of the monster lying under a sheet (the traditional image of the monster before being animated) for the monster. Three elements can be arranged in six different ways, as the first element can be placed in any of the three positions, the second in either of the two remaining, and the last in the only remaining space, giving 3 x 2 x 1 options. The same concept was used in [[1613]], where Randall depicted six possible permutations of the {{w|Three Laws of Robotics}}.

{| class="wikitable"
|- style = "text-align: center;"
!Claim!!Notes!!Permutation!!Explanation
|-
|"No, the monster in Mary Shelley's book is unnamed. Frankenstein is the doctor who created him."||This is the normal claim||MS-F-?||This is the claim that is generally considered correct. The POV character of the novel is, in fact, Victor Frankenstein. The monster is never given a name, although many fans name him Adam because of a line he speaks to Victor: "'I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy". The only error in this claim is referring to Victor as a doctor. (In the novel, Victor has not finished his schooling, returning home before finishing his education at the University of Ingolstadt.)
|-
|"No, the monster in Mary Shelley's novel is named Frankenstein."||Also common, and not worth getting mad about IMO||MS-?-F||This is a common misconception, but Randall believes it's not something to get upset about. Randall has previously touched upon this in [[1589]] and [[2604]]. This permutation places the '?' in the creator position, and so avoids talking about the doctor's name at all.
|-
|"No, Frankenstein is the name of the author. The monster Mary Shelley created is unnamed."||At a glance this could pass for one of the normal claims||F-MS-?||While slightly stretching the meaning of those words, Mary Shelley did "create" the monster (as it's a character in the book she wrote) and Frankenstein is the "author" (creator) of the monster. Alternately, one can consider the story a mostly first hand account of Victor's exploits, as it is initially told to the book's opening narrator (the otherwise sidelined Captain Robert Walton), with Mary having created Monster, Victor, the Captain and all others within the novel (of the Captain's tale of Victor's tale of the apparent nature of the Monster).
This could also be a reference to a tweet[https://twitter.com/MedCrisis/status/1511644464544104452] featuring a photo of a collection of classic books[https://i.redd.it/bnab4cu39dqa1.jpg] in which "Frankenstein" is printed in the position and format of the author's name for the other books of the collection, while "Mary Shelley" is printed in the title position.
|-
|"No one knows who wrote the novel about Doctor Mary Shelley creating the monster Frankenstein."||I would read this book||?-MS-F|| This statement combines the second claim (that Frankenstein is the monster's name) with the third claim (that Mary Shelley created the monster). This time, however, it is claimed that the ''author'' is unknown, while the monster is named. Once again, this claim is almost reasonable, as it could be argued that Mary Shelley, as the author, did create Frankenstein (although she was also not a doctor).
A novel about author Mary Shelley getting a doctorate and actually creating the creature she wrote about could be an interesting twist on the story, hence Randall's comment that he would read this book.
|-
|"No, Frankenstein is the name of the doctor. The monster he created is Mary Shelley."||rowspan=2|Fully chaotic||?-F-MS|| This claim is similar to the others, in that it twists the ordering of the components (author, doctor, monster), but this time it gets the doctor's name correct whilst insinuating that Mary Shelley was the monster he created. This is described as "fully chaotic", likely because the idea of the real-life human author being created by a doctor in the story that was written by her is much less believable and much further from any solid literary footing than the others.
|-
|"No, the doctor who creates Mary Shelley in Frankenstein's novel doesn't have a name."||F-?-MS||Possible Doctor Who reference.
|}

==Transcript==
[A two-column table.]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style = "text-align: center;"
|Claim||Notes
|-
|[Open book. Left page says "F", right page shows the monster labeled "?". Arrow pointing to book says "by MS".] "No, the monster in Mary Shelley's book is unnamed. Frankenstein is the doctor who created him."||This is the normal claim
|-
|[Open book. Left page says "?", right page shows the monster labeled "F". Arrow pointing to book says "by MS".] "No, the monster in Mary Shelley's novel is named Frankenstein."||Also common, and not worth getting mad about IMO
|-
|[Open book. Left page says "MS", right page shows the monster labeled "?". Arrow pointing to book says "by F".] "No, Frankenstein is the name of the author. The monster Mary Shelley created is unnamed."||At a glance this could pass for one of the normal claims
|-
|[Open book. Left page says "MS", right page shows the monster labeled "F". Arrow pointing to book says "by ?".] "No one knows who wrote the novel about Doctor Mary Shelley creating the monster Frankenstein."||I would read this book
|-
|[Open book. Left page says "F", right page shows the monster labeled "MS". Arrow pointing to book says "by ?".] "No, Frankenstein is the name of the doctor. The monster he created is Mary Shelley."||rowspan=2|Fully chaotic
|-
|[Open book. Left page says "?", right page shows the monster labeled "MS". Arrow pointing to book says "by F".] "No, the doctor who creates Mary Shelley in Frankenstein's novel doesn't have a name."
|}
[[Category:Frankenstein]]
{{comic discussion}}

2747: Presents for Biologists

2023-07-06T10:18:48Z

172.71.242.195: /* Transcript */ As bad as serial 'and's.

{{comic
| number = 2747
| date = March 8, 2023
| title = Presents for Biologists
| image = presents_for_biologists_2x.png
| imagesize = 396x353px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = A lot of these are actually non-venomous, but I can see which species you mistook them for. If you pause the crane for a sec I can give you some ID pointers for next time!
}}

==Explanation==
In this strip, [[Black Hat]] is a supervillain subjecting '{{w|James Bond}}' (drawn as [[Hairy]]) to a death trap. The James Bond film franchise (particularly in its early years) had a reputation for villains capturing James (often alongside a {{w|Bond Girl|female companion}}) and placing him or them in overly complex death traps, rather than simply shooting them (which, of course, consistently allows Bond to engineer an escape).

In this scenario, the trap consists of slowly lowering Bond and his companion into a pit of venomous snakes. The intent, presumably, being that the very common fear of snakes, combined with a likely slow and painful death from the snakebites, would kill them in a particularly gruesome way. However, Bond's companion in this strip is [[Hairbun]]. Rather than being frightened, she's fascinated by the various species of snakes represented there, including one she hasn't seen before, and asks to be lowered ''faster'', so she can observe it more closely before she loses sight of it.

The caption reveals that Hairbun is a biologist, and comments that many things that would be considered elaborate death traps in fiction (such as a giant pit full of different kinds of snakes), would be a good gift for a biologist.

The title text reveals that Hairbun has identified at least some of the species represented in the pit and points out that a lot of them are non-venomous. While that might seem mildly reassuring, the way she phrases it implies that she's also identified venomous varieties in there. Moreover, she can also guess which species the villain mistook them for and offers help in correctly finding and selecting venomous species in the future. Her unprompted willingness to do this suggests that she's genuinely so enthusiastic about snakes that it overwhelms any fear for her own safety.

The scientific implications of Bond villain traps were also referenced in [[123: Centrifugal Force]].

==Transcript==
:[James Bond, drawn as Hairy, and Hairbun are hanging upside down from ropes attached to one of their ankles. Underneath them is a pit with many snakes. Hairbun is pointing down, while Black Hat to the left is operating a lever. Bond is yelling at Black Hat, indicated by lines emanating from his head. Hairbun is also yelling, but that is in the direction of the snakes beneath them. There seems to be many snakes in the pit, at least eight heads can be seen, and there are also snakes whose heads are not visible. At least six snakes are partly outside the pit. They have different patterns of spots, shades and stripes.]
:Bond: You won't get away with this!
:Hairbun: Ooh! Ooh! That one is a new species for me!
:Hairbun: Hey, can you lower me faster? It's getting away!

:[Caption below the panel:]
:There's a surprising amount of overlap between "Good presents for biologists" and "Things villains want to do to James Bond."

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Fiction]]

2798: Room Temperature

2023-07-06T08:30:59Z

172.71.242.195: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2798
| date = July 5, 2023
| title = Room Temperature
| image = room_temperature_2x.png
| imagesize = 299x352px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = They're also refusing to fund my device that demonstrates uncontrolled hot fusion.
}}

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

In this comic, Cueball presents a room-temperature [[wikipedia:Semiconductor|semiconductor]], consisting of layered silicon crystals. He enthusiastically describes the properties of his "discovery", namely that it can be tweaked to amplify or switch the flow of electric currents, but his audience is not impressed. This might be because silicon crystal semiconductors are already widely in use as a [[wikipedia:Semiconductor_device|key component of electronic systems]].

It appears that Cueball has confused semiconductors with [[wikipedia:Superconductivity|superconductors]] - materials that have an electrical resistance of absolute zero if cooled below a certain temperature, meaning the flow of electrons is not slowed down at all (resistance can be thought of as the electrical equivalence of friction). Superconducting properties are extremely desirable since they allow for the lossless flow of electric current, as opposed to regular conductors like copper which have a low but non-zero resistance so the electric current decreases over time and distance. However, the known superconductors only work at extremely low temperatures close to 0 K, so their practical use is very limited. The discovery of superconductors that work above the boiling point of nitrogen (77 K or -196 °C) was a big deal because it meant that relatively cheap liquid nitrogen could be used as coolant rather than liquid helium. The discovery of a superconductor that works at room temperature (293 K) would be an much bigger deal and would likely earn the discovering scientist(s) a Nobel prize.

In the title text, Cueball talks about a device that produces “uncontrolled [[wikipedia:Nuclear_fusion|hot fusion]]” which is also not met with enthusiasm. Again, this is likely due to the fact that it has already been discovered and used - in the form of [[wikipedia:Thermonuclear weapon| hydrogen bombs]]. ''Controlled'' hot fusion could be useful as an [[wikipedia:Fusion_power|alternative power source]] of nuclear reactors (which currently use nuclear ''fission''); however, [[wikipedia:Tokamak|current implementations]] still require more energy than they create. Cueball probably confused this with [[wikipedia:Cold_fusion|''cold'' fusion]] which is a purely hypothetical nuclear reaction that would take place at room temperature. If real, this process could provide large amount of cheap energy but so far, all experiments that were claimed to have achieved cold fusion were found to be severely flawed and the results could not be replicated.

It should be noted that both "discoveries" presented in the comic were in fact very big and important discoveries back in their day. The proposal that nuclear fusion is what powers stars earned [[wikipedia:Hans_Bethe|Hans Bethe]] the Nobel price in Physics, and semiconductors are what allows modern electronic devices to be so small as their properties make it possible to selectively steer the flow of electrical current [[wikipedia:Integrated_circuit|even over an extremely small area]].

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

[A single frame with a table in the middle. To the left of the table stands a Cueball, and to the right of the table stands Megan and another Cueball.]

:Cueball: My layered silicon crystals can amplify or switch current while sitting right here on the table!
:Ponytail: Uh huh.
:Another Cueball: I see.

:Caption: No one is impressed by my discovery of room-temperature semiconductors.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Physics]]