explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1245: 10-Day Forecast

2013-08-01T21:11:28Z

84.197.94.196:

Can't believe multi mention of apocalypse but no mention of my first guess (due to -), that place below.
[[User:Monteletourneau|Monteletourneau]] ([[User talk:Monteletourneau|talk]]) 07:00, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

Any possible significance of people seeming having longer legs that usuall on "monday" frame? Also, why should that "tuesday" figure be {{w|antichrist}}? Looks more like {{w|Loki_(comics)|Loki}} to me (although if it SHOULD be Loki he would probably look even more similar). And "sunday" frame looks more like {{w|Bee}}s that {{w|Locust}}, but it's true I never heard of plague of bees :-). (On the other hand, if {{w|Plagues of Egypt|Plague of locusts}} would be referenced, one would expect the other plagues as well.) Also note that if that should reference {{w|Book of Revelation|Christian Apocalypse}}, it should include more horses. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:16, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:I think the "legs" thing is indicating they're floating up due to the {{w|Rapture}}. --[[User:Druid816|Druid816]] ([[User talk:Druid816|talk]]) 10:26, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

Also, WHY negative zip codes? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:53, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:It may be a reference to [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MinusWorld Minus Worlds], implying that the ZIP codes are levels in a video game and the negative ones are glitches, although that's a stretch. [[Special:Contributions/38.108.195.69|38.108.195.69]] 13:41, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

The person in the tuesday picture reminded me of the Rabbit "Frank" from Donnie Darko / S. Darko. --[[Special:Contributions/95.33.125.63|95.33.125.63]] 10:33, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:If he is, it may mean that negative zip codes are located in a [http://www.donniedarko.org.uk/explanation/ Tangent Universe] --[[User:Danroa|Danroa]] ([[User talk:Danroa|talk]]) 11:02, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

I think that it's actually Megan that says the title text, and not Cueball, mainly because the title text is agreeing with what Cueball said ("Oh, definitely not"). If Cueball were to confirm his own sentence, it wouldn't make sense. {{User:Grep/signature|11:20, 31 July 2013}}

Isn't Sunday a plague of flies? And, judging by the curvature of the earth (I assume) on Tuesday One, wouldn't the character be the size of Galactus? With horns like Galactus? I think it makes sense that it's Galactus. And Monday is just a weird day, just like in my zip code. [[Special:Contributions/67.60.145.86|67.60.145.86]] 13:36, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

: I assume he's just standing on a hill.[[Special:Contributions/153.31.113.20|153.31.113.20]] 18:53, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

What's a zip code? [[Special:Contributions/80.2.179.200|80.2.179.200]] 14:15, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
: Seriously? See {{w|ZIP code}}. [[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 15:09, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:: Not so off-the-wall. The zip code is an American-only thing. Might be worth a mention for non-American readers. [[User:Vyzen|Vyzen]] ([[User talk:Vyzen|talk]]) 16:21, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:::Strongly disagree with that statement. I live in Israel and we have and use zip codes. [[Special:Contributions/95.35.56.169|95.35.56.169]] 17:42, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
::::Well, here in the UK we use {{w|Postcodes_in_the_United_Kingdom|Postcodes}} that are alphanumeric in nature but pretty much have the same purpose behind them. Although thanks to US imports on TV/films I think most people know that the US call theirs ZIP Codes, even if not that it's a simple number (like I believe most of European postcodes are). However, it doesn't harm to give the link referencing it (as has been done) for anyone who really doesn't know or just appreciates a push towards a bit of [[214|Wikicreep]]. (Which I've just self-inflicted on myself by reading down the Postcode article... Forsooth! Hoist by my own {{w|petard}}!) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.215.19|178.98.215.19]] 19:19, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:::::Uhhh, your Postcodes are a horror for programmers, just because the length vary. The first official implementation for this was during {{w|WWII}} in Germany, the UK did implement this in the range of 1959-1974, and the US did start this system in 1963. But there are still many countries not using this system (like Ireland), which is just a double horror for programmers.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:18, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
::::::Start with "m/(\w+) (\w+)/" and then subdivide into branches according to $1's further matching? At each stage checked for more specific validity (and even existence!). If not that, "m/[A..Z]{1,2}\d{1,2}[A..Z]? \d[A..Z]{2}/i" should work if you want just a single test (with ()s around elements for the geographic validation checking part). Ok, so it's not "\d{howevermany}", then check it exists on the database, but it'd do for starters, and personally I relish such programming challenges... ;) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.215.19|178.98.215.19]] 11:36, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

:Something like "YKK". [[Special:Contributions/121.72.110.10|121.72.110.10]] 23:30, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

Doesn't the Monday guy sort of look like ''{{w|The Scream}}''?
[[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 15:09, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

Did anyone else try to put in a negative zipcode because of this? I think Google should use this as one of the easter eggs they're so fond of. [[Special:Contributions/138.162.8.57|138.162.8.57]] 16:14, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
: at weather.com a negative ZIP code gets you a "can't find" type result with Cancun, Mazatlan and Amsterdam offered as suggestions for where you were interested in. (I tried ZIPs from 10012 to 98072, same result for all I tried). Google Maps just ignores the negative and gives correct results. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:48, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

Does anyone agree that Randall is playing with the fact that 10day forecast are very inaccurate. We can trust 3, max 4 days of accuracy. After that, is pretty meaningless since the divergence of the models is a likely scenario. No?[[User:Claudionico|cinico]] ([[User talk:Claudionico|talk]])
: Agree [[Special:Contributions/153.31.113.20|153.31.113.20]] 18:53, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
: I often say that the "five day forecast" is fiction after two days. --[[User:Mr. I|Mr. I]] ([[User talk:Mr. I|talk]]) 19:17, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

The forecast shows much more than expected from a normal "weather forecast". I like that. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/178.26.118.249|178.26.118.249]] 19:34, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

What happens to time, when the world ends? It is a 10-day-forecast. That coincides with 10 image frames. We have the days of the week at the bottom of the frames, which are an independent scale, because there is more than one frame for Tuesday. Interpretation/Assumption: 10 days (the forecast) is subjective for the people being in each location (here: ZIP code). Days of week and generally dates are a global reference time. So in these hells time locally stretches for eternity and this day will never end. But from an outside view time goes on normally.
Megan says they are all like that. That does not sound like it would be a special occasion to be there, when the world ends, or having found a ZIP number, where the world ends some days from now. Possible solution: Like a function with several poles the world could end at every location with negative ZIP about every week. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/178.26.118.249|178.26.118.249]] 19:49, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

:The fact that the "negative ZIP" universe ends while the normal one keeps going, points again to my theory (above) that this is a reference to Donnie Darko, Frank the rabbit (not the antichrist), and where negative ZIPs are for [http://www.donniedarko.org.uk/explanation/ Tangent Universes]. However I'm not a Donnie Darko expert (I think I started to understand it now reading that website, and the one time I watched it was in theaters...) and I'm not able to provide a theory for the bees/locusts... --[[User:Danroa|Danroa]] ([[User talk:Danroa|talk]]) 12:47, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

What about negative people, or negative areas where everyone is negative. Doom and Gloom, end of the world type of deal. Seems like a lot of negative people are always talking about the end of the world, and that negative zip code and what's occurring sounds exactly like how the end of the world is pictured. She says all negative zip codes are like that.{{unsigned|Glitch}}

Do certain zip codes not have Amazon Prime? [[User:Bugefun|Bugefun]] ([[User talk:Bugefun|talk]]) 01:45, 1 August 2013 (UTC)
: From the [http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=201118050 website]: Nearly all addresses in the continental U.S. are eligible. Explicitly excluded are Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, P.O. Boxes, APO/FPO addresses. [[User:Odysseus654|Odysseus654]] ([[User talk:Odysseus654|talk]]) 03:19, 1 August 2013 (UTC)
:Amazon needs to add "Negative ZIP codes excluded" on that page. --13:59, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

"Megan, however, assumes that the negative zip code represents an actual geographical location, and that the weather forecaster is showing an accurate forecast for the area. She further states that, since all negative zip codes produce similar forecasts, that all negative zip codes represent actual geographical locations for which the weather is like that."
: I think that's reading too much in the comic; I wouldn't say she's making such an assumption. [[Special:Contributions/84.197.94.196|84.197.94.196]] 21:11, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1237: QR Code

2013-07-15T19:06:40Z

84.197.94.196:

It might be a pun on '''Quick Response''' Code --[[Special:Contributions/109.91.114.82|109.91.114.82]] 10:25, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
: It's not a pun, it's a widely used abbreviation [[User:Hippyjim|Hippyjim]] ([[User talk:Hippyjim|talk]]) 11:25, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
:: I meant that needing to scan it in 12 seconds might be a pun on "Quick Response". --[[Special:Contributions/93.232.203.46|93.232.203.46]] 14:11, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
The only real way would be to screenshot, print, and scan... possible in about 30 seconds. Anyone want to run a time trial?--[[Special:Contributions/69.140.11.243|69.140.11.243]] 11:05, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
: No it's possible. With the right Emacs command and a Delorean [[User:Hippyjim|Hippyjim]] ([[User talk:Hippyjim|talk]]) 11:25, 12 July 2013 (UTC)

:What about simply using other phone or camera to make a photo and display it on its display for the camera of this phone? BTW, why are the phones so stupid they can't display two applications at once? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:30, 12 July 2013 (UTC)

You can take a screenshot of your screen (at least in Android) and then read the image with your qr-reading-program. Then it'll display the decoded QR-code, and you'll type it in the app. [[Special:Contributions/189.125.162.182|189.125.162.182]] 14:00, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
:The title text says that additionally the checksum of the camera is checked. So no trick with screenshots would be possible. However I don't see a problem with second camera which displays the photo (as suggested above). --[[User:Chtz|Chtz]] ([[User talk:Chtz|talk]]) 14:05, 12 July 2013 (UTC)

I think that most phones and computers are kind of shoddily programmed, like the developers never take enough time to think of conveniences or solve problems. For example, I should be able to scan QRCs that are on my own screen. [[Special:Contributions/24.98.10.180|24.98.10.180]] 17:29, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
:That's a great idea! Shouldn't a browser be able to interpret them and just make it clickable, like a link? Seems straightforward. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 12:32, 13 July 2013 (UTC)
::It's not that easy, an image is just an image. We would need a tag like <barcode-image>, maybe available at HTML 6.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 13:36, 13 July 2013 (UTC)
::Putting a QR Code on a webpage wouldn't make sense in the first place, unless it is intended to be read by smart phones. But I don't think it would be very hard to implement. Just pass every image on a webpage to a QR decoder (which of course also detects if something is a valid QR code). --[[User:Chtz|Chtz]] ([[User talk:Chtz|talk]]) 14:16, 13 July 2013 (UTC)

What about using mirrors? That'd be doable. [[Special:Contributions/88.200.105.99|88.200.105.99]] 12:53, 13 July 2013 (UTC)

I've actually needed to do this once. I was browsing the web on my phone and it only displayed a QR code to download an app I needed. I wondered what the least number of mirrors required would be to achieve this. Assuming it doesn't read inverse images, it would be necessary to flip it on both axes. [[User:Keavon|Keavon]] ([[User talk:Keavon|talk]]) 05:36, 14 July 2013 (UTC)
:: QR codes are invariant upon rotation, but not upon reflection. So yes, you'd need at least two mirrors (or any even number of them). [[Special:Contributions/88.24.184.87|88.24.184.87]] 17:09, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

It's not hard. All you need is to move your phone faster than light for a short distance, and tadaa, you have scanned it. [[Special:Contributions/84.197.94.196|84.197.94.196]] 19:06, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

== Link at Transcript ==

I think the link should be shown at "Explanation". I can't see it at the original comic, so "Transcript" is the wrong section.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 17:11, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
:OK, understood. I just did not try to read that QR code. But the link is still not correct at "Transcript", you have to do some actions to figure out and so it still belongs to "Explanation".--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:13, 12 July 2013 (UTC)

== Real-life use for something like this ==

Before I saw the title text, I thought the scenario involved scanning one device's display on another device to set up a key exchange between applications on the two devices, sort of like a [http://bu.mp/ Bump]. --[[User:Tepples|Tepples]] ([[User talk:Tepples|talk]]) 00:35, 13 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1182: Rembrandt Photo

2013-03-06T09:21:47Z

84.197.94.196:

I don't get it. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 07:57, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

It is a pun. Artist's conception can either mean an artist's description of an event where no real photo is available; or the artist's biological conception, meaning the sex that led to his birth. [[Special:Contributions/84.199.78.189|84.199.78.189]] 08:02, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

:Ohhh and Artist's conception, I get it! [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 08:15, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

I don't get the "whistler" reference in the title text... anyone? [[Special:Contributions/84.197.94.196|84.197.94.196]] 09:21, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1180: Virus Venn Diagram

2013-03-05T20:29:34Z

84.197.94.196: moo

If nothing else, defragging the Singularity would keep it busy for a few hours. ~ [[User:Quackslikeaduck|Quackslikeaduck]] ([[User talk:Quackslikeaduck|talk]]) 13:40, 1 March 2013 (UTC)

I wonder if defragging the Singularity would actually erase/ruin it. Just imagine what would have happened to the first multi-cellular organism if someone had rearranged its molecules in what it considered to be a more "efficient" manner!--[[User:Joehammer79|Joehammer79]] ([[User talk:Joehammer79|talk]]) 15:00, 1 March 2013 (UTC)

And for a minute I was asking myself what black holes had to do with it... --[[Special:Contributions/65.222.165.65|65.222.165.65]] 16:14, 1 March 2013 (UTC)

: Well, beyond borrowing the name from the black-hole concept, there's something else too. You could say defragging decreases entropy. Decreasing the entropy of a black-hole would lead to what? Not a black hole? Bear in mind that black holes are tricky from a physics POV, and to top that, entropy, in the context of gravitation is a tricky thing. Also, the entire concept of "efficiency" is governed by the second law. So... Damn. I've tied this into all sorts of knots. But I'm going to say, if you tried defragging the singularity, it would actually prevent it from acting (since any action increases entropy), and therefore, IS a viable method to slow down the AI takeover. [[Special:Contributions/220.224.246.97|220.224.246.97]] 22:39, 1 March 2013 (UTC)

I've managed to put someone in the "Maybe it has a Virus" category. I added an implementation of "{{w|Neko_(computer_program)|neko}}" to an application we where working on, and the little cat following the mouse just confused a user who had never seen it before. [[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 19:15, 1 March 2013 (UTC)

It's actually an Euler diagram, not a Venn diagram. --[[Special:Contributions/23.17.150.29|23.17.150.29]] 21:04, 1 March 2013 (UTC)
:I looked it up and agree. I wonder if someone has told Randall. I know he would appreciate it ([[1053: Ten Thousand]]). I'm not sure whether or not to change the "a Euler diagram" to "an Euler diagram" though. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 21:31, 1 March 2013 (UTC)
:It's no less a Venn Diagram than it is a Euler. --[[User:Shine|Shine]] ([[User talk:Shine|talk]]) 05:27, 2 March 2013 (UTC)
::Since Euler is pronounced "Oiler" the "an" is appropriate no matter what your thoughts are regarding it's conventions.[[User:Schmammel|Schmammel]] ([[User talk:Schmammel|talk]]) 03:05, 2 March 2013 (UTC)
:Also, one of the most fascinating things from the Euler Wiki article was [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Euler_diagram_of_triangle_types.svg this image] on a Euler diagram of traingles. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 21:41, 1 March 2013 (UTC)
:Actually, this IS a Venn Diagram, not an Euler diagram. In an Euler diagram, one thins is a subset of another, which in this case would suggest that either all suspected cases of computer viruses are a subset of actual computer viruses, or the reverse, which I really don't think Randall is trying to imply, or rather NOT imply by his joke. For one thing, the joke is that problems that are caused by computer viruses and problems that people suspect are caused by computer viruses should have some overlap, but don't. This does not fit with an Euler interpretation of the graph as that would say (if one of the circles was inside the other) that every time the problem is a computer virus, people always correctly identify them but also assume other non-computer virus problems are viruses - or the reverse - all problems are caused by a computer virus but only a few are identified as computer viruses. Secondly, and more importantly, in an Euler diagram one circle is always SMALLER than the other, where as in a Venn diagram they are always the SAME size. Oh, and last but not least, I'd be very surprised if Randall didn't know the difference between a Venn and an Euler diagram, since I'm sure he's had to use both many times.--[[User:7OO Tnega Terces|7OO Tnega Terces]] ([[User talk:7OO Tnega Terces|talk]]) 07:43, 3 March 2013 (UTC)
::I'm citing Wikipedia: "Euler diagrams consist of simple closed curves (usually circles) in the plane that depict sets. The sizes or shapes of the curves are not important: the significance of the diagram is in how they overlap." I didn't know about this before, but I learned it because of DanB's cunning. No one knows everything, not even Mr. Munroe, and I'm sure you can use both kinds of diagrams many times without knowing their definitions. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Euler-venn-example.png Diagram.] –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 18:07, 3 March 2013 (UTC)

:I was about to make a post about unnecessary amounts of pedantry, but after reading both wikipedia articles, I've decided that this is exactly the kind of "Learn something new every day" material that I really liked about the old explain xkcd blog, and I'm happy that its continuing. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 06:32, 2 March 2013 (UTC)

:I'm not so sure whether this really is a standard Venn diagram. According to quite some sources ([1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venn_diagram, section "Overview"; as well as these papers: [2] [http://arxiv.org/abs/1207.6452 arXiv:1207.6452], [3] [http://arxiv.org/abs/math/0603068 arXiv:math/0603068], have a look at p. 1 and pp. 1/2 respectively, also: [4] [http://arxiv.org/abs/cs/0512001 arXiv:cs/0512001], Wolfram MathWold agrees: [5] http://mathworld.wolfram.com/VennDiagram.html), a Venn diagram is "[...] a set of n [– in this case 2 – ...] closed curves [– circles –] that subdivide the plane into 2^n connected regions [...]." [3, p. 1]. So we would actually expect to see 4 regions – in a standard Venn diagram. Obviously here the intersection is supposed to be empty (yielding only three regions), making this effectively an Euler diagram, in which circles are allowed to be the same size -- why should they not (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hamilton_1881_example.jpg). Additionally, Euler diagrams are not only used to illustrate "(for all x) if A, then B" or "all A are B", but also "no A are B" etc. You might also want to have a look at this blogpost concerning Euler vs. Venn: [http://blog.stevemould.com/venn-vs-euler-diagrams/ Venn Vs Euler: The Diagrams]. As this comic is titled "Virus Venn Diagram" one expects to see a classical Venn diagram, one does, however, not get to see one, but rather an Euler diagram showing very drastically that there is no intersection of the set of problems that make one think there might be a virus causing it and the set of problems actually caused by a virus. That's my amount of unnecessary pedantry for today. [[Special:Contributions/89.182.242.115|89.182.242.115]] 12:19, 3 March 2013 (UTC)

: Either way, "Virus Euler" doesn't alliterate --[[User:H|H]] ([[User talk:H|talk]]) 16:21, 3 March 2013 (UTC)

Haha, how often do I have this conversation with my parents! They: "I think we are being hacked." Me: "?!" They: "Yeah, this morning when I started my computer, X wasn't working and now Y is acting all weird." ... Yes, of course. --[[Special:Contributions/83.84.33.170|83.84.33.170]] 08:49, 2 March 2013 (UTC)

'''"Defragging" is [...] an easy, user-friendly action that PC users can undertake to supposedly make their computers run faster.'''

Defragging rearranges the blocks of a file system to avoid skipping while reading. It's actually just for some file systems (on Linux it's done automatically) and it does make reading faster if you're using a hard drive as storage. [[Special:Contributions/86.124.186.201|86.124.186.201]] 07:45, 4 March 2013 (UTC)
:Please, go ahead and fix it! Since I don't know the stuff, the risk is that I would just screw it up more! –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 10:42, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

:actually, defragging is unkilling people in Quake ;-)

:(SCNR) [[Special:Contributions/84.197.94.196|84.197.94.196]] 20:29, 5 March 2013 (UTC)