explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3047: Rotary Tool

2025-02-24T16:27:32Z

Denver87: adding note

{{comic
| number = 3047
| date = February 5, 2025
| title = Rotary Tool
| image = rotary_tool_2x.png
| imagesize = 528x468px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It was great until my thumb slipped and I accidentally launched my telescope into the air at Mach 8.
}}

==Explanation==
It is common to find multipurpose handheld tools that can function as higher-speed drills and lower-speed screwdrivers, switching between modes with a slider. The tool in this comic appears to have extended that concept to the extreme, covering both very high-speed and very low-speed tools. Presumably the tool has a rotating part at one end that can accept multiple attachments to facilitate the different uses.

All of these speeds are sensible for the specified uses. However, engineering a single tool to perform reliably across the required range of speeds is likely to be deeply impractical. Equally, designing the base unit such that it can be usefully employed to all these purposes would be a substantial challenge. For example, a household drill needs to be both portable and reasonably bulky, whereas a record player needs good stability, and a dental drill needs to be small enough to be moved flexibly and delicately. In any case, it's highly unlikely that any individual would have a need for all these uses,{{citation needed}} so the market for such a tool would be extremely limited.

The title text highlights one of the downsides of combining functions in this way — the potential for using the wrong setting for the task at hand, by carelessness or clumsiness, with detrimental effects. In this case, while attempting to use the "sidereal telescope mount" option with an actual telescope, the user accidentally changed the tool to a much higher speed setting, launching it into the air, on a ballistic trajectory with {{w|hypersonic speed}}. More commonly, attempting to insert a screw while on the drill setting could cause damage to the item being screwed together, the screw itself, or the screwdriver bit.

The precession setting refers to the {{w|Precession of the equinoxes|precession of the equinoxes (axial precession)}}, which happens on a 26,000-year cycle that corresponds to the {{w|Revolutions per minute|RPM}} rate shown. The average person does not need to adjust their telescope for such minor shifts, certainly not on a constant basis. This may be beneficial for scientists making precise measurements but they would have more powerful and dedicated tools to this end. For commercial use by the public, this would not be remotely necessary.

The {{w|Dremel#Rotary tools|Dremel}} tool referred to is a high-speed, low-torque {{w|rotary tool}} that can be fitted with a variety of bits for cutting, sanding, grinding, sharpening, polishing, engraving, machining, etc.

The speed of the dental drill might seem excessive, but according to [https://sableindustriesinc.com/what-is-a-high-speed-handpiece-how-it-works-speed-more/ Sable Industries], a manufacturer of high-speed dental drills, they can run "at speeds of between 300,000 and 450,000 RPM." They squirt water as they rotate to cool the bits down, so they don't overheat (a further design complication for this multitool).

The speeds labeled "record player" are intended to correspond to standard rotational speeds of {{w|Phonograph record|phonograph records}}. The intended playback speed standardized at 78 rpm (not 72 rpm as depicted in the comic) in the 1920s, with a record diameter of 10 inches. The speed and size, as well as the required width of the groove encoding the music, dictated a playing time of about 3½ minutes per side; collections of 78 rpm records were released as albums. Beginning in the late 1940s, records designed to be played back at 33⅓ rpm (close enough to the 33 rpm in the comic) were produced, to allow longer play times (hence the LP designation, for "long play") on similar-sized records, which standardized on a 12 inch diameter. This was commonly used to release an collection of songs on a single disc, still called an "album", totaling about 22 minutes per side. Concurrently, an alternative format, 7 inch diameter records designed to be played at 45 rpm, was produced, allowing about 5 minutes per side. This was often used to release "singles" (a single song on each side of the record). The 33⅓ and 45 rpm playback speeds supplanted 78 rpm, and remain the standards today.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Function !! Speed (rpm) !! Rotation / Revolution Period !! Diameter of Bit for Mach 8 Launch Speed !! Notes
|-
| Sidereal mount precession adapter || 0.000000000073 || ~26,000 years || 4799 au || see {{w|axial precession}}
|-
| Sidereal telescope mount || 0.00070 || 23.93 hours || 74,866 km || rotates once per {{w|Sidereal time|sidereal day}}
|-
| Hour hand on a clock || 0.0014 || 12 hours || 37,733 km || Typical 12-hour analog dial (as opposed to a {{w|24-hour analog dial}})
|-
| Minute hand on a clock || 0.017 || 60 minutes || 3,144 km
|-
| Second hand on a clock || 1 || 1 minute || 52.4 km || By definition a second hand rotates at 1 rpm because it completes a single rotation each minute
|-
| 33 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 33 || 1.8 seconds || 1,588 m || It's actually 33⅓ rpm
|-
| 45 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 45 || 1.3 seconds || 1,165 m
|-
| 72 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 72 || 0.8 seconds || 727.9 m || probable typo for 78 rpm
|-
| {{w|Screwdriver#Powered screwdrivers|Screwdriver}} || 300 || 0.2 seconds || 174.7 m || Screwdrivers rotate much slower than similar looking drills to avoid stripping the screws
|-
| Drill || 1,500|| 40 milliseconds || 34.9 m
|-
| Airplane propeller ||2,500|| 24 milliseconds || 21.0 m
|-
| {{w|Dremel#Rotary tools|Dremel}} || 35,000 || 1.7 milliseconds || 149.7 cm || The speed of a basic Dremel, many Dremel tools have variable speeds from 5,000 to 35,000 rpm
|-
| {{w|Zippe-type centrifuge|Uranium enrichment centrifuge}} || 60,000 || 1 millisecond || 87.3 cm
|-
| {{w|Dental drill}} || 300,000 || 0.2 milliseconds || 174.7 mm
|-
|}
[Notes:
1) All speeds are rounded to two significant figures, which may result in some variance from the intended result when trying to calculate revolution times from them.
2) Mach 8 launch speeds based on stated RPMs]

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

:Multi-function rotary tool

:[A close-up of a stick-shaped tool, where on the side of a section is a panel with a slider adjustable in various levels annotated with numbers and texts. Besides the panel there are some invisible inlays. One visible end of the section is attached to another section.]
:Speed (rpm) Function
:0.000000000073: Sidereal mount precession adapter
:0.00070: Sidereal telescope mount
:[Following three are labeled "clock hands":]
:0.0014: h
:0.017: m
:1: s
:[Following three are labeled "record player":]
:33: 33
:45: 45
:72: 72
:300: Screwdriver [Current setting]
:1500: Drill
:2500: Airplane propeller
:35 000: Dremel
:60 000: Uranium enrichment centrifuge
:300 000: Dental drill

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Telescopes]]

3047: Rotary Tool

2025-02-24T16:25:02Z

Denver87: correcting calculations - see discussion page for discussion of inclusion and calculation support

{{comic
| number = 3047
| date = February 5, 2025
| title = Rotary Tool
| image = rotary_tool_2x.png
| imagesize = 528x468px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It was great until my thumb slipped and I accidentally launched my telescope into the air at Mach 8.
}}

==Explanation==
It is common to find multipurpose handheld tools that can function as higher-speed drills and lower-speed screwdrivers, switching between modes with a slider. The tool in this comic appears to have extended that concept to the extreme, covering both very high-speed and very low-speed tools. Presumably the tool has a rotating part at one end that can accept multiple attachments to facilitate the different uses.

All of these speeds are sensible for the specified uses. However, engineering a single tool to perform reliably across the required range of speeds is likely to be deeply impractical. Equally, designing the base unit such that it can be usefully employed to all these purposes would be a substantial challenge. For example, a household drill needs to be both portable and reasonably bulky, whereas a record player needs good stability, and a dental drill needs to be small enough to be moved flexibly and delicately. In any case, it's highly unlikely that any individual would have a need for all these uses,{{citation needed}} so the market for such a tool would be extremely limited.

The title text highlights one of the downsides of combining functions in this way — the potential for using the wrong setting for the task at hand, by carelessness or clumsiness, with detrimental effects. In this case, while attempting to use the "sidereal telescope mount" option with an actual telescope, the user accidentally changed the tool to a much higher speed setting, launching it into the air, on a ballistic trajectory with {{w|hypersonic speed}}. More commonly, attempting to insert a screw while on the drill setting could cause damage to the item being screwed together, the screw itself, or the screwdriver bit.

The precession setting refers to the {{w|Precession of the equinoxes|precession of the equinoxes (axial precession)}}, which happens on a 26,000-year cycle that corresponds to the {{w|Revolutions per minute|RPM}} rate shown. The average person does not need to adjust their telescope for such minor shifts, certainly not on a constant basis. This may be beneficial for scientists making precise measurements but they would have more powerful and dedicated tools to this end. For commercial use by the public, this would not be remotely necessary.

The {{w|Dremel#Rotary tools|Dremel}} tool referred to is a high-speed, low-torque {{w|rotary tool}} that can be fitted with a variety of bits for cutting, sanding, grinding, sharpening, polishing, engraving, machining, etc.

The speed of the dental drill might seem excessive, but according to [https://sableindustriesinc.com/what-is-a-high-speed-handpiece-how-it-works-speed-more/ Sable Industries], a manufacturer of high-speed dental drills, they can run "at speeds of between 300,000 and 450,000 RPM." They squirt water as they rotate to cool the bits down, so they don't overheat (a further design complication for this multitool).

The speeds labeled "record player" are intended to correspond to standard rotational speeds of {{w|Phonograph record|phonograph records}}. The intended playback speed standardized at 78 rpm (not 72 rpm as depicted in the comic) in the 1920s, with a record diameter of 10 inches. The speed and size, as well as the required width of the groove encoding the music, dictated a playing time of about 3½ minutes per side; collections of 78 rpm records were released as albums. Beginning in the late 1940s, records designed to be played back at 33⅓ rpm (close enough to the 33 rpm in the comic) were produced, to allow longer play times (hence the LP designation, for "long play") on similar-sized records, which standardized on a 12 inch diameter. This was commonly used to release an collection of songs on a single disc, still called an "album", totaling about 22 minutes per side. Concurrently, an alternative format, 7 inch diameter records designed to be played at 45 rpm, was produced, allowing about 5 minutes per side. This was often used to release "singles" (a single song on each side of the record). The 33⅓ and 45 rpm playback speeds supplanted 78 rpm, and remain the standards today.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Function !! Speed (rpm) !! Rotation / Revolution Period !! Diameter of Bit for Mach 8 Launch Speed !! Notes
|-
| Sidereal mount precession adapter || 0.000000000073 || ~26,000 years || 4799 au || see {{w|axial precession}}
|-
| Sidereal telescope mount || 0.00070 || 23.93 hours || 74,866 km || rotates once per {{w|Sidereal time|sidereal day}}
|-
| Hour hand on a clock || 0.0014 || 12 hours || 37,733 km || Typical 12-hour analog dial (as opposed to a {{w|24-hour analog dial}})
|-
| Minute hand on a clock || 0.017 || 60 minutes || 3,144 km
|-
| Second hand on a clock || 1 || 1 minute || 52.4 km || By definition a second hand rotates at 1 rpm because it completes a single rotation each minute
|-
| 33 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 33 || 1.8 seconds || 1,588 m || It's actually 33⅓ rpm
|-
| 45 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 45 || 1.3 seconds || 1,165 m
|-
| 72 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 72 || 0.8 seconds || 727.9 m || probable typo for 78 rpm
|-
| {{w|Screwdriver#Powered screwdrivers|Screwdriver}} || 300 || 0.2 seconds || 174.7 m || Screwdrivers rotate much slower than similar looking drills to avoid stripping the screws
|-
| Drill || 1,500|| 40 milliseconds || 34.9 m
|-
| Airplane propeller ||2,500|| 24 milliseconds || 21.0 m
|-
| {{w|Dremel#Rotary tools|Dremel}} || 35,000 || 1.7 milliseconds || 149.7 cm || The speed of a basic Dremel, many Dremel tools have variable speeds from 5,000 to 35,000 rpm
|-
| {{w|Zippe-type centrifuge|Uranium enrichment centrifuge}} || 60,000 || 1 millisecond || 87.3 cm
|-
| {{w|Dental drill}} || 300,000 || 0.2 milliseconds || 174.7 mm
|-
|}
[Note that all speeds are rounded to two significant figures, which may result in some variance from the intended result when trying to calculate revolution times from them.]

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

:Multi-function rotary tool

:[A close-up of a stick-shaped tool, where on the side of a section is a panel with a slider adjustable in various levels annotated with numbers and texts. Besides the panel there are some invisible inlays. One visible end of the section is attached to another section.]
:Speed (rpm) Function
:0.000000000073: Sidereal mount precession adapter
:0.00070: Sidereal telescope mount
:[Following three are labeled "clock hands":]
:0.0014: h
:0.017: m
:1: s
:[Following three are labeled "record player":]
:33: 33
:45: 45
:72: 72
:300: Screwdriver [Current setting]
:1500: Drill
:2500: Airplane propeller
:35 000: Dremel
:60 000: Uranium enrichment centrifuge
:300 000: Dental drill

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Telescopes]]

Talk:3047: Rotary Tool

2025-02-24T16:21:47Z

Denver87: discussing added column for bit diameter

How come it's at 0.017 RPM for a minute?? and yet 1 RPM for a second? pls fix this randall [[User:Midnightvortigaunt|Midnightvortigaunt]] ([[User talk:Midnightvortigaunt|talk]]) 18:01, 5 February 2025 (UTC)
:Its 0.017 RPM for the minute hand. The minute hand revolves once per hour or at 1/60 RPM ≈ 0,017 RPM --[[Special:Contributions/172.71.148.59|172.71.148.59]] 18:14, 5 February 2025 (UTC)
::Ohhh that makes sense I didn't think about it like that [[User:Midnightvortigaunt|Midnightvortigaunt]] ([[User talk:Midnightvortigaunt|talk]]) 19:27, 5 February 2025 (UTC)

[[User:Mr.Dude|Mr.Dude]] ([[User talk:Mr.Dude|talk]]) 17:20, 7 February 2025 (UTC) I wonder what torque is needed to launch the average backyard telescope worthy of a tracking mount at Mach 8 given standard state pressures and temperatures of perhaps average conditions found in Randall’s back yard.

How come the comment above is invisible to me? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.245.229|172.68.245.229]] 18:03, 5 February 2025 (UTC)
:Possibly because people indented with spaces rather than with colons? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.77|162.158.79.77]] 19:40, 5 February 2025 (UTC)

72 RPM for a record player...? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.25|162.158.74.25]] 18:08, 5 February 2025 (UTC)
:I could only find 78 RPM disks in the german wikipedia. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.56|172.70.114.56]] 18:41, 5 February 2025 (UTC)
:I came here to make the same comment: 72 is most probably a typo. The old records (at this date, '''very''' old, since the transition to vinyl records was 1948 to 1958 (in the US)) were 78 rpm, not 72 rpm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph_record [[User:Rps|Rps]] ([[User talk:Rps|talk]]) 19:30, 5 February 2025 (UTC)
::72 is (for example) relevent to font sizes (size 1 = 1/72 of an inch, size 72 = 1 inch), which might therefore have envaigled Randall's head for numbers by a different route, and got him confused. Conceivably he ''has'' had to deal with playing old 78s, but probably not for a long time... even the retro-revival of vinyl, recently, has probably not had quite so many ''old'' old records released to fill such nostalgic needs. So an easy brain-fudge/thinko to trip over on. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.48|162.158.74.48]] 00:54, 6 February 2025 (UTC)
:There used to be a record label call 72RPM records. {{unsigned ip|172.69.229.146|19:07, 5 February 2025 (UTC)}}

We need one of those tables in here. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 18:37, 5 February 2025 (UTC)

I made a change to the explanation that all of these numbers are realistic because, I checked out the speed of dental drills and they really do rotate that fast. I haven't checked out all of the other tools, but I suspect that they are also accurate. If you find that any of them are misstated, please correct my correction. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 22:38, 5 February 2025 (UTC)

'''TABLE REQUEST'''
When someone uploads a table, I'd like to recommend a second column for the frequency / reciprocal of the speed. "0.000000000073 minutes" is one every 13.7 billion minutes, or ~26,000 years. Thanks! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.107|172.70.46.107]] 20:20, 5 February 2025 (UTC)

: Me again. Should the column header "revolution time" be "rotation time"? In every instance, the axis of motion is within the object itself; even the second/minute/hour hands go around the axis. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.73|141.101.76.73]] 16:41, 6 February 2025 (UTC)

'''TRIVIA''' 16 2/3 RPM phonographs were used for some voice-recorings back in the day. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.26.24|172.68.26.24]] 21:01, 5 February 2025 (UTC)
: My parent's old record player (60's, probably) had 4 possible speeds: 16, 33, 45, 78. By the early 80's the current ones only had 33 and 45. [[User:Rps|Rps]] ([[User talk:Rps|talk]]) 16:59, 7 February 2025 (UTC)

'''Album''' goes back to stacks of 78s. A symphony or opera would be 2, 3, 4 or more disks. They were bound like a photo-album with a leaf for each disk. '''"78"''' wasn't "standardized" until the format was fading. ''3600-rpm motor and 46-tooth gear'' is incomplete (one tooth gear??) Early discs were from 60 to 130 rpm. Users would adjust speed by ear (also to ease pitch-matching for karaoke). Only as LPs arrived did someone invent the number "78.26 rpm" (no recordplayer and few lathes of the period were near that accurate). --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 02:34, 6 February 2025 (UTC)
: Indeed, my parents had a large collection of old records and at least one had a speed marking of 80rpm.--[[Special:Contributions/172.68.186.43|172.68.186.43]] 09:17, 6 February 2025 (UTC)
:With wind-up players, a lot of them started off playing at one speed and ended playing at a completely different one anyway...[[Special:Contributions/172.68.186.50|172.68.186.50]] 09:43, 6 February 2025 (UTC)

I suspect there's not many consumers needing a Uranium Enrichment Centrifuge... at least outside of a few countries in the Middle East. --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.58.6|172.70.58.6]] 08:50, 6 February 2025 (UTC)
:Might face some regulatory / export license issues too.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.129|172.70.86.129]] 11:34, 6 February 2025 (UTC)

I feel like there was a lost opportunity to have Dr. Who's Sonic Screwdriver on the list. Maybe the rpms are unknown.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.107|162.158.159.107]] 13:05, 6 February 2025 (UTC)

The table says that 0.00070 ''"seems off; a sidereal day is 23.93 hours"''. That's just because (like all of the other settings) 0.00070 is quoted with only 2 significant digits. Every period between 23.64 and 23.98 hours would round to 0.00070 RPM. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.199|162.158.134.199]] 13:58, 6 February 2025 (UTC)

The question I have is: why are dental drill speeds so high? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.247.92|172.70.247.92]] 17:21, 6 February 2025 (UTC)

:: "''why are dental drill speeds so high?''" It hurts less. (Are you old enough to remember routine use of belt-driven dental drills?) You can cut a given amount of material (wood, steel, tooth) quickly with heavy force or high speed. Neither is really fun, but hi-speed is generally preferred. --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 19:08, 6 February 2025 (UTC)
:::Although some materials behave badly to heat (either work-hardening, for some alloys, or melting/burning, like plastics) and that's why variable-speed hand-drills/etc usefully have low speeds (for essentially the same force, when that's done via reostat rather than an actual gearbox). On the few occasions I've had my teeth drilled, I'm pretty sure I've detected the pungent smell of fried tooth-fragments, but it was nothing like as strong as smelling my own nose-flesh being burnt one of the times I had it cauterised to try (and fail) to prevent excessive nosebleeds. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.139|172.69.79.139]] 21:15, 6 February 2025 (UTC)

The latest NMR CPMAS probes send their rotors to go at 9.6 Mrpm, M=mega. [https://www.bruker.com/en/products-and-solutions/mr/nmr/probes/Solids-Probes.html] --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.109.172|172.69.109.172]] 21:56, 7 February 2025 (UTC)

Should we list the rotor diameters to achieve the mach 8 speed mentioned in the title text in the table? I don't think that we should. [[User:Firestar233|guess who]] ([[User talk:Firestar233|if you desire conversing]] | [[Special:Contributions/Firestar233|what i have done]]) 06:01, 24 February 2025 (UTC)

I (obviously since I worked it all out) think it is in the spirit of the ridiculous idea of the comic and XKCD generally to do these calculations. That said, I'm getting different numbers than your update to make it Mach 8. [[User:Denver87|Denver87]] ([[User talk:Denver87|talk]]) 16:21, 24 February 2025 (UTC)
:I get the following: 4,799au, 74,866km, 37,733km, 3,144km, 52.4km, 1,588m, 1,165m, 728m, 175m, 34.9m, 21.0m, 149.7cm, 87.3cm, 174.7mm. [[User:Denver87|Denver87]] ([[User talk:Denver87|talk]]) 16:21, 24 February 2025 (UTC)
::Happy to share calculation notes, but here's the example for the dental drill: 300,000rpm = 5,000 rps; diameter of: 174.7mm --> circumference of: pi * 174.7mm = 548.8mm; 548.8mm * 5000rps = 2,744,000mm/sec = 2744m/sec; Mach 8 = 8 * 343m/sec = 2744m/sec. [[User:Denver87|Denver87]] ([[User talk:Denver87|talk]]) 16:21, 24 February 2025 (UTC)
:::If you agree with the calculations, one of us can at least update it. [[User:Denver87|Denver87]] ([[User talk:Denver87|talk]]) 16:21, 24 February 2025 (UTC)

3047: Rotary Tool

2025-02-24T05:18:33Z

Denver87: Undo revision 366487 - the added column goes to further dig into the ridiculous concept alluded to in the title text concept of launching objects with the tool

{{comic
| number = 3047
| date = February 5, 2025
| title = Rotary Tool
| image = rotary_tool_2x.png
| imagesize = 528x468px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It was great until my thumb slipped and I accidentally launched my telescope into the air at Mach 8.
}}

==Explanation==
It is common to find multipurpose handheld tools that can function as higher-speed drills and lower-speed screwdrivers, switching between modes with a slider. The tool in this comic appears to have extended that concept to the extreme, covering both very high-speed and very low-speed tools. Presumably the tool has a rotating part at one end that can accept multiple attachments to facilitate the different uses.

All of these speeds are sensible for the specified uses. However, engineering a single tool to perform reliably across the required range of speeds is likely to be deeply impractical. Equally, designing the base unit such that it can be usefully employed to all these purposes would be a substantial challenge. For example, a household drill needs to be both portable and reasonably bulky, whereas a record player needs good stability, and a dental drill needs to be small enough to be moved flexibly and delicately. In any case, it's highly unlikely that any individual would have a need for all these uses,{{citation needed}} so the market for such a tool would be extremely limited.

The title text highlights one of the downsides of combining functions in this way — the potential for using the wrong setting for the task at hand, by carelessness or clumsiness, with detrimental effects. In this case, while attempting to use the "sidereal telescope mount" option with an actual telescope, the user accidentally changed the tool to a much higher speed setting, launching it into the air, on a ballistic trajectory with {{w|hypersonic speed}}. More commonly, attempting to insert a screw while on the drill setting could cause damage to the item being screwed together, the screw itself, or the screwdriver bit.

The precession setting refers to the {{w|Precession of the equinoxes|precession of the equinoxes (axial precession)}}, which happens on a 26,000-year cycle that corresponds to the {{w|Revolutions per minute|RPM}} rate shown. The average person does not need to adjust their telescope for such minor shifts, certainly not on a constant basis. This may be beneficial for scientists making precise measurements but they would have more powerful and dedicated tools to this end. For commercial use by the public, this would not be remotely necessary.

The {{w|Dremel#Rotary tools|Dremel}} tool referred to is a high-speed, low-torque {{w|rotary tool}} that can be fitted with a variety of bits for cutting, sanding, grinding, sharpening, polishing, engraving, machining, etc.

The speed of the dental drill might seem excessive, but according to [https://sableindustriesinc.com/what-is-a-high-speed-handpiece-how-it-works-speed-more/ Sable Industries], a manufacturer of high-speed dental drills, they can run "at speeds of between 300,000 and 450,000 RPM." They squirt water as they rotate to cool the bits down, so they don't overheat (a further design complication for this multitool).

The speeds labeled "record player" are intended to correspond to standard rotational speeds of {{w|Phonograph record|phonograph records}}. The intended playback speed standardized at 78 rpm (not 72 rpm as depicted in the comic) in the 1920s, with a record diameter of 10 inches. The speed and size, as well as the required width of the groove encoding the music, dictated a playing time of about 3½ minutes per side; collections of 78 rpm records were released as albums. Beginning in the late 1940s, records designed to be played back at 33⅓ rpm (close enough to the 33 rpm in the comic) were produced, to allow longer play times (hence the LP designation, for "long play") on similar-sized records, which standardized on a 12 inch diameter. This was commonly used to release an collection of songs on a single disc, still called an "album", totaling about 22 minutes per side. Concurrently, an alternative format, 7 inch diameter records designed to be played at 45 rpm, was produced, allowing about 5 minutes per side. This was often used to release "singles" (a single song on each side of the record). The 33⅓ and 45 rpm playback speeds supplanted 78 rpm, and remain the standards today.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Function !! Speed (rpm) !! Rotation / Revolution Period !! Diameter of Bit for Mach 1 Launch Speed !! Notes
|-
| Sidereal mount precession adapter || 0.000000000073 || ~26,000 years || 599.9 au || see {{w|axial precession}}
|-
| Sidereal telescope mount || 0.00070 || 23.93 hours || 9358.3 km || rotates once per {{w|Sidereal time|sidereal day}}
|-
| Hour hand on a clock || 0.0014 || 12 hours || 4,716.6 km || Typical 12-hour analog dial (as opposed to a {{w|24-hour analog dial}})
|-
| Minute hand on a clock || 0.017 || 60 minutes || 393.0 km
|-
| Second hand on a clock || 1 || 1 minute || 6.551 km || By definition a second hand rotates at 1 rpm because it completes a single rotation each minute
|-
| 33 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 33 || 1.8 seconds || 198.5 m || It's actually 33⅓ rpm
|-
| 45 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 45 || 1.3 seconds || 145.6 m
|-
| 72 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 72 || 0.8 seconds || 90.983 m || probable typo for 78 rpm
|-
| {{w|Screwdriver#Powered screwdrivers|Screwdriver}} || 300 || 0.2 seconds || 21.836 m || Screwdrivers rotate much slower than similar looking drills to avoid stripping the screws
|-
| Drill || 1,500|| 40 milliseconds || 4.367 m
|-
| Airplane propeller ||2,500|| 24 milliseconds || 2.620 m
|-
| {{w|Dremel#Rotary tools|Dremel}} || 35,000 || 1.7 milliseconds || 187.2 mm || The speed of a basic Dremel, many Dremel tools have variable speeds from 5,000 to 35,000 rpm
|-
| {{w|Zippe-type centrifuge|Uranium enrichment centrifuge}} || 60,000 || 1 millisecond || 109.2 mm
|-
| {{w|Dental drill}} || 300,000 || 0.2 milliseconds || 21.8 mm
|-
|}
[Note that all speeds are rounded to two significant figures, which may result in some variance from the intended result when trying to calculate revolution times from them.]

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

:Multi-function rotary tool

:[A slider on the side of a tool with various settings.]
:Speed (rpm) Function
:0.000000000073: Sidereal mount precession adapter
:0.00070: Sidereal telescope mount
:[Following three are labeled "clock hands":]
:0.0014: h
:0.017: m
:1: s
:[Following three are labeled "record player":]
:33: 33
:45: 45
:72: 72
:300: Screwdriver [Current setting]
:1500: Drill
:2500: Airplane propeller
:35 000: Dremel
:60 000: Uranium enrichment centrifuge
:300 000: Dental drill

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Telescopes]]

3047: Rotary Tool

2025-02-22T17:59:25Z

Denver87: Adding column to illustrate the diameter of a rotary tool bit required to achieve a surface/launch speed of Mach 1. Formula: (rps * pi) / (343m/sec) = diameter of bit in meters

{{comic
| number = 3047
| date = February 5, 2025
| title = Rotary Tool
| image = rotary_tool_2x.png
| imagesize = 528x468px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It was great until my thumb slipped and I accidentally launched my telescope into the air at Mach 8.
}}

==Explanation==
It is common to find multipurpose handheld tools that can function as higher-speed drills and lower-speed screwdrivers, switching between modes with a slider. The tool in this comic appears to have extended that concept to the extreme, covering both very high-speed and very low-speed tools. Presumably the tool has a rotating part at one end that can accept multiple attachments to facilitate the different uses.

All of these speeds are sensible for the specified uses. However, engineering a single tool to perform reliably across the required range of speeds is likely to be deeply impractical. Equally, designing the base unit such that it can be usefully employed to all these purposes would be a substantial challenge. For example, a household drill needs to be both portable and reasonably bulky, whereas a record player needs good stability, and a dental drill needs to be small enough to be moved flexibly and delicately. In any case, it's highly unlikely that any individual would have a need for all these uses,{{citation needed}} so the market for such a tool would be extremely limited.

The title text highlights one of the downsides of combining functions in this way — the potential for using the wrong setting for the task at hand, by carelessness or clumsiness, with detrimental effects. In this case, while attempting to use the "sidereal telescope mount" option with an actual telescope, the user accidentally changed the tool to a much higher speed setting, launching it into the air, on a ballistic trajectory with {{w|hypersonic speed}}. More commonly, attempting to insert a screw while on the drill setting could cause damage to the item being screwed together, the screw itself, or the screwdriver bit.

The precession setting refers to the {{w|Precession of the equinoxes|precession of the equinoxes (axial precession)}}, which happens on a 26,000-year cycle that corresponds to the {{w|Revolutions per minute|RPM}} rate shown. The average person does not need to adjust their telescope for such minor shifts, certainly not on a constant basis. This may be beneficial for scientists making precise measurements but they would have more powerful and dedicated tools to this end. For commercial use by the public, this would not be remotely necessary.

The {{w|Dremel#Rotary tools|Dremel}} tool referred to is a high-speed, low-torque {{w|rotary tool}} that can be fitted with a variety of bits for cutting, sanding, grinding, sharpening, polishing, engraving, machining, etc.

The speed of the dental drill might seem excessive, but according to [https://sableindustriesinc.com/what-is-a-high-speed-handpiece-how-it-works-speed-more/ Sable Industries], a manufacturer of high-speed dental drills, they can run "at speeds of between 300,000 and 450,000 RPM." They squirt water as they rotate to cool the bits down, so they don't overheat (a further design complication for this multitool).

The speeds labeled "record player" are intended to correspond to standard rotational speeds of {{w|Phonograph record|phonograph records}}. The intended playback speed standardized at 78 rpm (not 72 rpm as depicted in the comic) in the 1920s, with a record diameter of 10 inches. The speed and size, as well as the required width of the groove encoding the music, dictated a playing time of about 3½ minutes per side; collections of 78 rpm records were released as albums. Beginning in the late 1940s, records designed to be played back at 33⅓ rpm (close enough to the 33 rpm in the comic) were produced, to allow longer play times (hence the LP designation, for "long play") on similar-sized records, which standardized on a 12 inch diameter. This was commonly used to release an collection of songs on a single disc, still called an "album", totaling about 22 minutes per side. Concurrently, an alternative format, 7 inch diameter records designed to be played at 45 rpm, was produced, allowing about 5 minutes per side. This was often used to release "singles" (a single song on each side of the record). The 33⅓ and 45 rpm playback speeds supplanted 78 rpm, and remain the standards today.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Function !! Speed (rpm) !! Rotation / Revolution Period !! Diameter of Bit for Mach 1 Launch Speed !! Notes
|-
| Sidereal mount precession adapter || 0.000000000073 || ~26,000 years || 599.9 au || see {{w|axial precession}}
|-
| Sidereal telescope mount || 0.00070 || 23.93 hours || 9358.3 km || rotates once per {{w|Sidereal time|sidereal day}}
|-
| Hour hand on a clock || 0.0014 || 12 hours || 4,716.6 km || Typical 12-hour analog dial (as opposed to a {{w|24-hour analog dial}})
|-
| Minute hand on a clock || 0.017 || 60 minutes || 393.0 km
|-
| Second hand on a clock || 1 || 1 minute || 6.551 km || By definition a second hand rotates at 1 rpm because it completes a single rotation each minute
|-
| 33 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 33 || 1.8 seconds || 198.5 m || It's actually 33⅓ rpm
|-
| 45 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 45 || 1.3 seconds || 145.6 m
|-
| 72 rpm {{w|Phonograph|record player}} || 72 || 0.8 seconds || 90.983 m || probable typo for 78 rpm
|-
| {{w|Screwdriver#Powered screwdrivers|Screwdriver}} || 300 || 0.2 seconds || 21.836 m || Screwdrivers rotate much slower than similar looking drills to avoid stripping the screws
|-
| Drill || 1,500|| 40 milliseconds || 4.367 m
|-
| Airplane propeller ||2,500|| 24 milliseconds || 2.620 m
|-
| {{w|Dremel#Rotary tools|Dremel}} || 35,000 || 1.7 milliseconds || 187.2 mm || The speed of a basic Dremel, many Dremel tools have variable speeds from 5,000 to 35,000 rpm
|-
| {{w|Zippe-type centrifuge|Uranium enrichment centrifuge}} || 60,000 || 1 millisecond || 109.2 mm
|-
| {{w|Dental drill}} || 300,000 || 0.2 milliseconds || 21.8 mm
|-
|}
[Note that all speeds are rounded to two significant figures, which may result in some variance from the intended result when trying to calculate revolution times from them.]

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

:Multi-function rotary tool

:[A slider on the side of a tool with various settings.]
:Speed (rpm) Function
:0.000000000073: Sidereal mount precession adapter
:0.00070: Sidereal telescope mount
:[Following three are labeled "clock hands":]
:0.0014: h
:0.017: m
:1: s
:[Following three are labeled "record player":]
:33: 33
:45: 45
:72: 72
:300: Screwdriver [Current setting]
:1500: Drill
:2500: Airplane propeller
:35 000: Dremel
:60 000: Uranium enrichment centrifuge
:300 000: Dental drill

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Telescopes]]

2863: Space Typography

2023-12-19T16:27:00Z

Denver87:

{{comic
| number = 2863
| date = December 4, 2023
| title = Space Typography
| image = space_typography_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x239px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = And over heeee[...]eeeere (i)s Saturn.
}}

==Explanation==
Randall has created a sentence with the property wherein, when printed in {{w|Times New Roman}} font, the distances of the "i" letters from the first letter are proportional to the radii of the orbits of the innermost five planets in the {{w|Solar System}}. These are the only letters in the sentence that have a dot over the letter (there are no "j"s in the sentence) or elsewhere (there are no periods, colons, semicolons, or other dot-containing symbols). He suggests that if you get lost traveling among these planets, you can use the dots as a map.

This won't actually be a very useful map. When traveling between planets, it's not enough to know where the planet's orbit is, you also need to know where it is along the orbit. Additionally, if you are truly lost then you likely do not know where ''you'' actually are, and which 'way' you are heading, though you can probably at least locate the sun if you are indeed within our inner solar system.

The sentence is self-referential, since it talks about using typography to measure distances in space, and this makes it a useful mnemonic. The "optimistic" in the sentence could indicate that the aliens in question are highly optimistic that this kind of "map" would be useful for navigating a star system where planets orbit in ellipses, rather than being in static positions along a line (as is so often depicted in line-ups of the Solar System's planets).

The title text appends the sentence with a section for identifying Saturn. It contains an ellipsis in brackets, which normally signifies that an indeterminate number of 'e's has been omitted from the sentence, seemingly to represent Saturn's large orbital radius as the next "i" in "is". The trick is that actually appending the sentence literally, brackets and all, after the original sentence (so that we get "Optimistic aliens measure space typographically. And over heeee[...]eeeere (i)s Saturn.") actually puts the dot on the last "i" at Saturn's orbit. The extra dots and periods beside the six 'i's only serve as punctuation and spacing; the parentheses, besides spacing, call attention to the 'i' in the title text, where the black emphasis of the comic is not available. They're also reminiscent of {{w|Saturn's rings}}, although they are much too large and off-center.

Similar sentences with varying numbers of "e"s could be used to continue out to any planet or other body which does not contain the letter "i" – which is all of the remaining planets and minor planets, with the exception of Eris. However, the strings of "e"s would get longer and longer, to the point that it might be necessary to write down how many of them are to be used – about 59 "e"s for Saturn, starting from the Sun – which negates any mnemonic value the sentence may have had and might as well just be replaced with a table of orbital ephemerides.

==Accuracy==
[[File:2863OrbitComparison.png|thumb|Comparison between orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter to the dots in the comic]]
Measuring the distances based on the provided image results in these approximate distances:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Planet !! Pixel offset !! Relative Distance in Comic !! Actual Distance in AU<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/pdfs/scaless_reference.pdf</ref>
|-
| Mercury || 93 || 0.3907 || 0.39
|-
| Venus || 169 || 0.7101 || 0.72
|-
| Earth || 238 || 1 || 1
|-
| Mars || 362 || 1.5210 || 1.52
|-
| Jupiter || 1229 || 5.1639 || 5.2
|}

Saturn is 9.54 astronomical units from the sun, for which 13 middle 'e's would be required in "here" to make the title text work.

The picture also contains a standard representation of Times New Roman, with no changes to kerning or tracking.

Continuing the idea would look like this:

"Optimistic aliens measure space typographically. And over heeeeeeeeeeeeere (i)s Saturn. And over heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere is Uranus. And over heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere is Neptune."

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Planet !! Number of middle 'e's needed in "here"
|-
| Saturn || 13
|-
| Uranus || 49
|-
| Neptune || 58
|}

==Transcript==
:[A grayed-out sentence in the Times New Roman font reads "Optimistic aliens measure space typographically". The "O" in "Optimistic" is dark black and indicated as representing the Sun (not to scale). The dots of the letters "i" in the sentence are similarly dark black. The dot in the first "i" in "Optimistic" is indicated as representing Mercury; the dot in the second "i" represents Venus; the dot in the third "i" represents Earth. The dot in the "i" in "aliens" is indicated as representing Mars. The dot in the "i" in "typographically" is indicated as representing Jupiter. A measurement bar indicates that the distance between the "O" and the third "i" in "Optimistic" (representing Earth) is equivalent to 1 AU (astronomical unit).]

:[Caption below the panel:]

:Space tip: if you're ever lost in the inner Solar System, you can just type out the phrase "Optimistic aliens measure space typographically" in Times New Roman and use the dots as a map.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Tips]]

2863: Space Typography

2023-12-11T20:37:23Z

Denver87: Putting Neptune back in if there's no disagreement on the number of 'e's needed.

{{comic
| number = 2863
| date = December 4, 2023
| title = Space Typography
| image = space_typography_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x239px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = And over heeee[...]eeeere (i)s Saturn.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an OPTIMISTIC ALIEN WHO MESURES SPACE TYPOGRAPHICALY - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Randall has created a sentence with the property wherein, when printed in {{w|Times New Roman}} font, the distances of the "i" letters from the first letter are proportional to the radii of the orbits of the innermost five planets in the {{w|Solar System}}. These are the only letters in the sentence that have a dot over the letter (there are no "j"s in the sentence) or elsewhere (there are no periods, colons, semicolons, or other dot-containing symbols). He suggests that if you get lost traveling among these planets, you can use the dots as a map.

This won't actually be a very useful map. When traveling between planets, it's not enough to know where the planet's orbit is, you also need to know where it is along the orbit. Additionally, if you are truly lost then you likely do not know where ''you'' actually are, and which 'way' you are heading, though you can probably at least locate the sun if you are indeed within our inner solar system.

The sentence is self-referential, since it talks about using typography to measure distances in space, and this makes it a useful mnemonic. The "optimistic" in the sentence could indicate that the aliens in question are highly optimistic that this kind of "map" would be useful for navigating a star system where planets orbit in ellipses, rather than being in static positions along a line (as is so often depicted in line-ups of the Solar System's planets).

The title text appends the sentence with a section for identifying Saturn. It contains an ellipsis in brackets, which normally signifies that an indeterminate number of 'e's has been omitted from the sentence, seemingly to represent Saturn's large orbital radius as the next "i" in "is". The trick is that actually appending the sentence literally, brackets and all, after the original sentence (so that we get "Optimistic aliens measure space typographically. And over heeee[...]eeeere (i)s Saturn.") actually puts the dot on the last "i" at Saturn's orbit. The extra dots and periods beside the six 'i's only serve as punctuation and spacing; the parentheses, besides spacing, call attention to the 'i' in the title text, where the black emphasis of the comic is not available. They're also reminiscent of {{w|Saturn's rings}}, although they are much too large and off-center.

Similar sentences with varying numbers of "e"s could be used to continue out to any planet or other body which does not contain the letter "i" – which is all of the remaining planets and minor planets, with the exception of Eris. However, the strings of "e"s would get longer and longer, to the point that it might be necessary to write down how many of them are to be used – about 59 "e"s for Saturn, starting from the Sun – which negates any mnemonic value the sentence may have had and might as well just be replaced with a table of orbital ephemerides.

==Accuracy==
[[File:2863OrbitComparison.png|thumb|Comparison between orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter to the dots in the comic]]
Measuring the distances based on the provided image results in these approximate distances:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Planet !! Pixel offset !! Relative Distance in Comic !! Actual Distance in AU<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/pdfs/scaless_reference.pdf</ref>
|-
| Mercury || 93 || 0.3907 || 0.39
|-
| Venus || 169 || 0.7101 || 0.72
|-
| Earth || 238 || 1 || 1
|-
| Mars || 362 || 1.5210 || 1.52
|-
| Jupiter || 1229 || 5.1639 || 5.2
|}

Saturn is 9.54 astronomical units from the sun, for which 13 middle 'e's would be required in "here" to make the title text work.

The picture also contains a standard representation of Times New Roman, with no changes to kerning or tracking.

Continuing the idea would look like this:

"Optimistic aliens measure space typographically. And over heeeeeeeeeeeeere (i)s Saturn. And over heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere is Uranus. And over heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere is Neptune."

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Planet !! Number of 'e's needed in "here"
|-
| Saturn || 13
|-
| Uranus || 49
|-
| Neptune || 58
|}

==Transcript==
:[A grayed-out sentence in the Times New Roman font reads "Optimistic aliens measure space typographically". The "O" in "Optimistic" is dark black and indicated as representing the Sun (not to scale). The dots of the letters "i" in the sentence are similarly dark black. The dot in the first "i" in "Optimistic" is indicated as representing Mercury; the dot in the second "i" represents Venus; the dot in the third "i" represents Earth. The dot in the "i" in "aliens" is indicated as representing Mars. The dot in the "i" in "typographically" is indicated as representing Jupiter. A measurement bar indicates that the distance between the "O" and the third "i" in "Optimistic" (representing Earth) is equivalent to 1 AU (astronomical unit).]

:[Caption below the panel:]

:Space tip: if you're ever lost in the inner Solar System, you can just type out the phrase "Optimistic aliens measure space typographically" in Times New Roman and use the dots as a map.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Tips]]

Talk:2863: Space Typography

2023-12-05T15:30:45Z

Denver87:

Are the dot's actually roughly in line with the distances?

[[Special:Contributions/172.71.135.78|172.71.135.78]] 21:31, 4 December 2023 (UTC)

Yes they are. I eyeballed with a screenruler and calculated

* 0.40 AU for Mercury (Should be 0.37)
* 0.72 AU for Venus (0.72)
* 1 AU for earth (reference)
* 1.54 AU for Mars (1.52)
* 5.24 AU for Jupiter (4.98)

[[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.94|162.158.202.94]] 21:48, 4 December 2023 (UTC)

But what size font?[[User:Danger Kitty|Danger Kitty]] ([[User talk:Danger Kitty|talk]])
:129 trillion pt, give or take. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.109|141.101.105.109]] 23:02, 4 December 2023 (UTC)
:: Thanks for the decimal-point check. This is my worksheet: [https://i.postimg.cc/tRsmk3c6/Oprimistic-AU.gif Image] (open in new tab) [[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 02:13, 5 December 2023 (UTC)

The number of "e"s between h and r required to make Saturn line up is about 59 (tested using 27.2 pt font) [[User:Digin|Digin]] ([[User talk:Digin|talk]]) 22:17, 4 December 2023 (UTC)
: There are currently three different figures in the explanation for how many "e"s are needed. One says the title text is correct as written, brackets and ellipsis and all. One says 59. One says 85. They can't all be right. [[User:LtPowers|LtPowers]] ([[User talk:LtPowers|talk]]) 13:22, 5 December 2023 (UTC)

I’m curious whether randall brute forced this, trained a neural network, or did it by hand. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.175.179|172.70.175.179]] 22:31, 4 December 2023 (UTC)
:He would probably answer: [[2173: Trained a Neural Net]] [[Special:Contributions/172.70.42.217|172.70.42.217]] 22:45, 4 December 2023 (UTC)

Trying to prep an image of a comparison between actual orbits and the comic, but it's taking longer than i'd like [[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]|[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]]) 23:20, 4 December 2023 (UTC)

I assume brackets around (i) are for the Saturn's rings? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.102.71|162.158.102.71]] 23:26, 4 December 2023 (UTC)
:Ooh, good call. Put that in. [[User:LtPowers|LtPowers]] ([[User talk:LtPowers|talk]]) 13:22, 5 December 2023 (UTC)

The long, rambling diatribe about literature seemed odd at first, but I think Charlotte Brontë would be proud she was able to represent Pluto and Charon. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.56|172.69.247.56]] 04:07, 5 December 2023 (UTC)

For what it's worth, the asteroid belt spans the area covered by the word "measure" [[Special:Contributions/172.71.222.152|172.71.222.152]] 14:10, 5 December 2023 (UTC)

I added the table with the count of 'e's and adjusted the wording where it said 85 'e's from the Sun to say an extra 13 'e's in the word "here". I worked this out using an image from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System#/media/File:Solar_System_distance_to_scale.svg) in PowerPoint but don't have upload privileges to post. Would be nice if someone could do that. [[User:Denver87|Denver87]] ([[User talk:Denver87|talk]]) 15:30, 5 December 2023 (UTC)

2863: Space Typography

2023-12-05T15:17:52Z

Denver87: /* Accuracy */ Continued the idea with 'e's. Used an image from Wikipedia to measure, but someone could do the pixel counting better.

{{comic
| number = 2863
| date = December 4, 2023
| title = Space Typography
| image = space_typography_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x239px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = And over heeee[...]eeeere (i)s Saturn.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an OPTIMISTIC ALIEN OVER THEEEE[...]EEEERE (i)N... NEPTÜNE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Randall has created a sentence with the property that, when printed in {{w|Times New Roman}} font, the distances of the "i" letters from the first letter are proportional to the radii of the orbits of the innermost 5 planets in the {{w|Solar System}}. These are the only letters in the sentence that have a dot over the letter (there are no "j"s in the sentence). He suggests that if you get lost traveling among these planets, you can use the dots as a map.

This won't actually be a very useful map. When traveling between planets, it's not enough to know where the planet's orbit is, you also need to know where it is along the orbit. Additionally, if you are truly lost then you likely do not know where ''you'' actually are, and which 'way' you are heading.

The sentence is self-referential, since it talks about using typography to measure distances in space, and this makes it a useful mnemonic. The "optimistic" in the sentence could indicate that the aliens in question are highly optimistic that this kind of "map" would be useful for navigating a star system where planets orbit in ellipses, rather than being in static positions along a line (as is so often depicted in line-ups of the Solar System's planets).

The title text appends the sentence with a section for identifying Saturn. It contains an ellipsis in brackets, which normally signifies that an indeterminate number of 'e's has been omitted from the sentence, seemingly to represent Saturn's large orbital radius as the next "i" in "is". The trick is that actually appending the sentence literally, brackets and all, after the original sentence (so that we get "Optimistic aliens measure space typographically. And over heeee[...]eeeere (i)s Saturn.") actually puts the dot on the last "i" at Saturn's orbit. The parentheses are likely there to draw attention to the "i" so that it, and its dot, is not missed by the reader. However, they may also be there to push the "i" into the correct spot, or represent {{w|Saturn's rings}}.

Similar sentences with varying numbers of "e"s could be used to continue out to any planet or other body which does not contain the letter "i" – which is all of the remaining planets and minor planets, with the exception of Eris. However, the strings of "e"s would get longer and longer, to the point that it might be necessary to write down how many of them are to be used – about 59 "e"s for Saturn, starting from the Sun – which might as well just be replaced with a table of orbital ephemerides.

==Accuracy==
[[File:2863OrbitComparison.png|thumb|Comparison between orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter to the dots in the comic]]
Measuring the distances based on the provided image results in these approximate distances:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Planet !! Pixel offset !! Relative Distance in Comic !! Actual Distance in AU<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/pdfs/scaless_reference.pdf</ref>
|-
| Mercury || 93 || 0.3907 || 0.39
|-
| Venus || 169 || 0.7101 || 0.72
|-
| Earth || 238 || 1 || 1
|-
| Mars || 362 || 1.5210 || 1.52
|-
| Jupiter || 1229 || 5.1639 || 5.2
|}

Saturn is 9.54 astronomical units from the sun, for which 13 middle 'e's would be required in "here" to make the title text work.

The picture also contains a standard-representation of Times New Roman, with no changes to kerning or tracking.

Continuing the idea would look like this:

"Optimistic aliens measure space typographically. And over heeeeeeeeeeeeere (i)s Saturn. And over heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere is Uranus. And over heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere is Neptune."

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Planet !! Number of 'e's needed in "here"
|-
| Saturn || 13
|-
| Uranus || 49
|-
| Neptune || 58
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A grayed-out sentence in the Times New Roman font reads "Optimistic aliens measure space typographically". The "O" in "Optimistic" is dark black and indicated as representing the Sun (not to scale). The dots of the letters "i" in the sentence are similarly dark black. The dot in the first "i" in "Optimistic" is indicated as representing Mercury; the dot in the second "i" represents Venus; the dot in the third "i" represents Earth. The dot in the "i" in "aliens" is indicated as representing Mars. The dot in the "i" in "typographically" is indicated as representing Jupiter. A measurement bar indicates that the distance between the "O" and the third "i" in "Optimistic" is equivalent to 1 AU (astronomical unit).]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Space tip: if you're ever lost in the inner Solar System, you can just type out the phrase "Optimistic aliens measure space typographically" in Times New Roman and use the dots as a map.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Tips]]