explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1475: Technically

2024-09-03T17:08:49Z

172.71.30.150:

Technically, it's poor form and rude to ignore someone based on *Clicks Random page* [[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 13:45, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

It's also possible that Cueball is purposefully inviting another "technically" sentence by stating he's looking at a bug, since it's unlikely he's looking at a member of the order Hemiptera. 14:21, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

Well, it seems that White hat is responding to being asked if he is taking drugs, and technically, any food item that is consumed only for its taste or other effect on the body and mind, such as chocolate, could be argued to be a drug by a combination of both definitions given in the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.85|108.162.254.85]] 17:39, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

Along the same lines as the "bug" statement, does "a rock with a fossil in it" invite any sort of technical correction? I wouldn't know, personally, but there might be some people out there who would argue that since the fossil was a rock, or some other quibble about the phrase? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.192|108.162.238.192]] 20:19, 19 January 2015 (UTC)
:At that point, I'd say we're drastically overthinking this. Rocks are not in and of themselves fossils, but they are the most common substance in which fossils are found. (And anyway, most of the discussion about refining that definition would probably include several sentences starting with "technically", which I'd immediately ignore. ;)) [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 21:56, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

Even though the comic doesn't state this specifically, I wonder if this one goes under his "My Hobby" series. It certainly seems to be in the same spirit. [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 21:57, 19 January 2015 (UTC)
:If it's not labeled "My Hobby", it doesn't belong in that series. There are similarities, but they aren't exactly the same, and it's not labeled as part of the "My Hobby" series. [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 03:30, 21 January 2015 (UTC)
::I think it's rather an opposing behavior. In "My Hobby" it is usually Cueball driving others nuts, here he ignores someone else who is trying to drive him nuts. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.217|141.101.105.217]] 06:53, 28 January 2015 (UTC)
:techically,you can make a fruit salad with only tomatoes and cucumbers [[User:Sci0927|Sci0927]] ([[User talk:Sci0927|talk]]) 15:23, 15 February 2022 (UTC)
:: Hey, look at that cool bird! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.30.150|172.71.30.150]] 17:08, 3 September 2024 (UTC)

Please explain what is meant by "third type" and "fourth type" in the current comic description [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.157|173.245.54.157]] 22:59, 19 January 2015 (UTC)
:It referred to a chart (now deleted) giving the "types" of sentences beginning with "technically". I have replaced this with the definition originally in the chart.--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.169|108.162.216.169]] 23:24, 19 January 2015 (UTC)
::Just my opinion, but I think that the table with four "types" originally made by [[User:Pudder|Pudder]] was pretty good and educating, maybe we should restore it.[[User:Nyq|Nyq]] ([[User talk:Nyq|talk]]) 17:05, 20 January 2015 (UTC)
:::I agree. The deleting editor just said it was unnecessary, without any application as to why. I think it's perfectly okay to give people a quick overview of whatever the comic's topic is. The chart improves the article, so I've decided to be bold and restore it. If anyone has objections, bring them up here. [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 17:28, 20 January 2015 (UTC)
::::Fully support the restoration and the reasoning for it! [[User:Nyq|Nyq]] ([[User talk:Nyq|talk]]) 19:48, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

Maybe related to comic 1240? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.191|108.162.238.191]] 00:29, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

It seems highly likely that, as per previous comments, both the bug and fossil inclusions are not just purely distractions, but references to items that would commonly invoke pedantic 'technical corrections'. I suggest it is worth including in the explanation [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.211|108.162.249.211]] 02:32, 20 January 2015 (UTC)
:I agree on the bug which has already been mentioned. Have included that. But I do not know ennough about fossils to see why the sentence from the title text could be corrected. You domhave fossils in rocks? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:39, 20 January 2015 (UTC)
::Technically, rocks aren't fossils, but rather they CONTAIN foss-- oh, you're not listening to me anymore. Nevermind. :) [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 22:01, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

Technically, does it make a difference if there is a comma behind the word technically? (see examples) I never really understood English punctuation rules ... --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.217|141.101.105.217]] 06:53, 28 January 2015 (UTC)
:Hey, look at this cool tree! --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.248.148|172.69.248.148]] 23:29, 14 January 2021 (UTC)

His sentence didn't start with "Technically"; it started with "Well". Does not compute.[[User:DouglasHeld|DouglasHeld]] ([[User talk:DouglasHeld|talk]]) 21:34, 28 January 2015 (UTC)

: "The title text starts to pedantically over-apply Cueball's rule to the comic panel, noting that technically White Hat's sentence started with the word 'well' instead of the word 'technically', and thus Cueball is wrong to have ignored it." Part of the joke is that there are a certain type of people who will pick apart every little detail of a statement or rule, and apply its 'technical' interpretation, rather than the spirit of rule. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 22:04, 28 January 2015 (UTC)

"Whales are not fish" is a very poor example: it's not a technicality, but a very major and quite obvious difference. At least where I live, most people are aware of this, except for very small children or *extremely* uneducated persons. The other examples ("Peanuts are not nuts" and "Tomatoes are fruit") are *way* more appropriate. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.55|108.162.231.55]] 00:48, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

:I would disagree that its a poor example, and I would wager that the majority of people couldn't give the basic definition of a mammal. Whales and fish both swim in the sea, both look alike (albeit on different scales), and are markedly similar in other ways. I know that whales are mammals rather than fish, but I couldn't explain all the differences. I certainly wouldn't call someone extremely uneducated if they thought whales were fish, as to me it is a fairly logical conclusion to come to. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 17:21, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

::Actually, the non-technical definition of "fish" is that it swims in water, does not walk on land, and breaths water. And any modern third grader knows that whales breath air, despite fitting the other criteria. Anonymous 20:16, 10 March 2015 (UTC)

::: "Actually" is another zero-content indicator... --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.226|108.162.237.226]] 04:54, 30 January 2017 (UTC)

:::Zoology major here: many fishes breathe air (armored catfishes, gouramis and paradise fishes, and [of course] lungfishes, to name three groups). Now ''technically'', if you use cladistic taxonomy, the fishes must include reptiles, which in turn includes the birds and mammals, but you didn't read this far. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 03:36, 24 June 2023 (UTC)

:::: Hey, look at that cool plane! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.30.150|172.71.30.150]] 17:08, 3 September 2024 (UTC)

Oh my gosh, a Sandra Boynton reference! Those are rare (aardvark quote is from her book Philadelphia Chickens) :)

Technically, the comment about American flag napkins is correct only in Washington, D.C. [https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/4/3 4 USC 3] '''prohibits''' flag napkins in DC as a misdemeanor. [https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/4/8 4 USC 8] '''discourages''' flag napkins but does not criminalize them. (At least based on the law cited by the article, [https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/4/chapter-1 4 USC Chapter 1]. State or local laws or other sections of the USC might say more.) [[User:Jordan Brown|Jordan Brown]] ([[User talk:Jordan Brown|talk]]) 03:14, 14 October 2023 (UTC)
: Ooh, look at that cool spring!

2860: Decay Modes

2023-11-29T14:03:28Z

172.71.30.150: /* Transcript */ adding additional details and correcting formatting I missed up yesterday.

{{comic
| number = 2860
| date = November 27, 2023
| title = Decay Modes
| image = decay_modes_2x.png
| imagesize = 586x360px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Unlike an Iron Age collapse, a Bronze Age collapse releases energy, since copper and tin are past the iron peak on the curve of binding energy.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an EXTANT MODE OF DECAY - Please change this comment when editing this page. Title text not explained. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{{w|radioactive decay|Decay modes}} refer to the different ways in which unstable atomic nuclei transform into more stable ones, typically by emitting particles or radiation. The process of decay is a natural phenomenon that occurs in radioactive substances. There are several types of decay mode, each characterized by the particles emitted or the energy released during the process.
In the comic's diagram, protons are white and neutrons are gray.

The first six modes are real, and most occur relatively frequently:

In '''{{w|alpha decay}}''', an unstable nucleus emits an alpha particle, composed of two protons and two neutrons. Alpha decay is the primary source of helium on Earth, as alpha particles are 4He nuclei.

In '''{{w|beta decay}}''' (more properly beta-minus decay), a neutron-rich nucleus emits a W⁻ boson, converting one neutron into a proton — as shown in the supplementary diagram — which in turn decays into an electron (the titular beta (minus) particle) and an electron antineutrino. The main diagram shows only the release of the beta particle, which was the only thing expelled from the nucleus that could be observed directly when the types of nuclear decay were first described and enumerated.

In '''{{w|gamma decay}}''', an unstable nucleus (represented by the lumpy, prolate nucleus in the diagram – representing a high-energy {{w|nuclear isomer}}) emits a high-energy photon known as a {{w|gamma ray}} and settles into a stabler, lower-energy state.

In '''{{w|electron capture}}''', a proton-rich atom slurps an electron from the K or L electron shell. This converts a proton into a neutron and emits an electron neutrino. No 'slurp' sound is actually produced in real electron capture event.{{Citation needed}}

In '''{{w|positron emission}}''', or beta plus decay, a proton-rich nucleus emits a W⁺ boson, converting one proton into a neutron, which in turn decays into a positron, the beta plus particle, and an electron neutrino. Again, the main diagram shows only the beta particle, presumably for simplicity, the nucleon conversion being shown separately. This is much rarer than beta minus decay.

In '''{{w|neutron emission}}''', a neutron-rich/proton-deficient unstable nucleus emits a neutron (which then goes on to decay into further daughter particles).

The other six modes are fictional:

'''Baryon panic''': In this mode, all the subatomic particles flee the atom simultaneously, similar to a crowd fleeing a building during a fire alarm, or other similar states of panic in people. In reality, this mode of decay would require an incredible amount of energy. The like charges of protons do repel each other, but they are held together more tightly by the residual {{w|nuclear force}} in the presence of neutrons.

'''Omega decay''': The atom has decayed and left behind a skull in its wake, leaving cracks in the area surrounding it and send neutrons and protons flying everywhere. Whereas ''alpha'', ''beta'', ''gamma'' are the first three letters of the Greek alphabet, ''omega'' is the last, so the name ''omega'' might suggest the ultimate, final decay. The skull presumably represents the finality of such a decay, given that the end stage of human decay leaves behind a skeleton, something that does not exist in nucleons.{{Citation needed}} Many works of science fiction propose forms of radiation and/or particles with further letters in the Greek alphabet, such as {{w|The Omega Directive}} in Star Trek. In real life, the {{w|omega baryon}} was predicted to exist by Murray Gell-Mann's early quark theory, and then discovered several years later with the properties he had predicted. This mode may also represent the atom becoming the origin of a {{w|false vacuum decay}}, a theoretical decay of space itself, which would indeed spread outward and be very final and lethal.

'''Electron wilt''': The electrons surrounding the atom fall to the ground. Some plants are subject to diseases that cause this kind of wilting of their leaves. Electrons will attempt to settle into a 'ground state' but this does not involve them literally slumping to the ground, rather they will be as close as possible to the nucleus subject to the limitations of energy levels and the Pauli exclusion principle. In addition, since the ground is made of atoms,{{citation needed}} the electrons will just keep falling.

'''One big nucleon''': The protons and neutrons combine to form a single huge baryon. {{w|Exotic baryon|Exotic baryons}} with more than the usual three quarks, such as {{w|pentaquarks}}, have been created in the lab but are not known to exist in nature. String theorists propose that black holes are actually {{w|Fuzzball (string theory)|fuzzballs}}, single "subatomic" particles which are macroscopic in size (namely that of their event horizon) formed by the fusion of the strings of in-falling matter under extreme gravitational conditions.

'''Fungal decay''': The nucleus rots, and fungal fruiting bodies (toadstools and mushrooms) grow around it. This plays on the meaning of "decay".

'''Collapse due to invasion by the Sea Peoples''': The atom floats in water, with boats on either side full of Cueballs shooting arrows at it, and the atom is breaking up. The {{w|Sea Peoples}} are a somewhat mysterious group that attacked Egypt and other regions of the eastern Mediterranean in the late Bronze Age (1200-900 BCE). Due to a combination of factors, such as climate change, mass migration and invasions (including from the Sea Peoples), several nations around the central and eastern Mediterranean underwent societal decline or outright collapse, an occurrence known as the {{w|Late Bronze Age collapse}}. Randall has mentioned the Sea Peoples previously in [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]].

'''Bronze/Iron Age Collapse (Title text)''': Continuing from the last panel of the comic, and making a pun on the Iron Age of civilization with the properties of iron atoms. Nuclear fusion – the merging of small light elements – expels energy, powering stars and creating increasingly heavier elements which also fuse until the process reaches iron, predominantly 56Fe. Fusing iron nuclei does not release energy, so the previous cycle of fusion abruptly stops and the star contracts under gravity (whereupon it can now create the different conditions from which small amounts of heavier nuclei ''do'' form, and disperse to be discovered in later star systems). In contrast, nuclear fission – where atoms spontaneously split into lighter elements, releasing the energy ultimately imbued into them during their synthesis – applies increasingly so to the more heavy nuclei with increasing instabilities as they 'collapse' out into their various fission products. The atomic components of bronze, {{w|tin}} and {{w|copper}}, ''could'' potentially release energy, in the right conditions. Tin's main isotopes (114Sn across to 124Sn, with more than two thirds being of weight 116, 118 or 120) are considered stable, as are the two for copper (63Cu and 65Cu, being practically all that is naturally present), but trace/synthesized isotopes beyond that range (e.g., actively induced by initiating a neutron bombardment) are known to, eventually, beta(±) decay/'collapse' to forms of antimony (from the tin) or nickel/zinc (from the copper).

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

[Label:] Radioactive Decay Modes

[A 6x2 table of illustrations depicting types of atomic decay.]

:[First row]
:[Label: "alpha decay". An illustration of alpha decay, a small group of 2 protons and 2 neutrons are shown leaving a larger nucleus.]
:[Label: "beta decay". An illustration of beta decay, a small particle is shown being ejected from a nucleus while a neutron is shown converting to a proton as indicated by a shaded circle becoming white.]
:[Label: "gamma decay". An illustration of gamma decay, a nucleus is shown emitting waves, while a diagram shows the nucleus changing from a ellipsoid (supposedly unstable) shape to a more spherical one (supposedly more stable).]
:[Label: "electron capture". An illustration of electron capture, a nucleus is shown absorbing one of its electrons along with the text "slurp".]
:[Label: "positron emission". An illustration of positron emission, a small particle is shown being ejected from a nucleus while a proton is shown converting to a neutron as indicated by a white circle becoming shaded.]
:[Label: "neutron emission". An illustration of neutron emission, a shaded particle is shown being ejected from a nucleus.]

:[Second row]
:[Label: "baryon panic"]
:[Label: "omega decay"]
:[Label: "electron wilt"]
:[Label: "one big nucleon"]
:[Label: "fungal decay". A nucleus is shows with fungi sprouting from it.]
:[:Label: "collapse due to invasion by sea peoples". A nucleus is shown being attacked on both sides by Cueballs in boats.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Physics]]