explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1245: 10-Day Forecast

2013-08-01T07:00:24Z

Monteletourneau:

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)
: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)

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.

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)

1242: Scary Names

2013-08-01T05:49:16Z

Monteletourneau:

{{comic
| number = 1242
| date = July 24, 2013
| title = Scary Names
| image = scary_names.png
| titletext = Far off to the right of the chart is the Helvetica Scenario.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
The chart shows that things toward the right are scary, while things toward the top sound scary, without necessarily being scary.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Name
! scope="col" class="headerSortUp"| Apparent Scariness[[#cite_note-1|1]]
! scope="col"| True Scariness[[#cite_note-1|1]]
! scope="col" class="unsortable"|Description
|-
|{{Nowrap|[http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/C/Chernobyl-packet.html Chernobyl Packet]}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}95%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|a !}}4%}}
|A network packet that induces a broadcast storm or network meltdown.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Calorimeter#Bomb calorimeters|Bomb Calorimeters}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|h !}}67%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|b !}}28%}}
|A device for measuring heat of combustion of a reaction in a pressure vessel.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Sulfur mustard|Mustard Gas}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|f !}}47%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|c !}}50%}}
|A chemical warfare agent which causes blisters and severe irritation on skin and lung tissue.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Kessler syndrome|Kessler Syndrome}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}87%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|d !}}53%}}
|A hypothetical scenario where low Earth orbit objects collide, creating space debris which increases the risk of more collisions, leading to a cascade effect which could severely hinder space exploration and satellite technologies for many years.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Soil liquefaction|Soil Liquefaction}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|c !}}16%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|e !}}54%}}
|A phenomenon where wet soil loses its strength, leading to potholes, road and terrain damage, and even building collapses, especially after earthquakes or torrential rains. Liquefaction can cause landslides, landslides can cause more liquefaction.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Grey goo|Grey Goo}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|b !}}5%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|f !}}68%}}
|A hypothetical end-of-world scenario where self-replicating nanobots consume all matter.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Avian influenza virus|Bird Flu}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|h !}}57%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|g !}}72%}}
|An illness caused by strains of influenza adapted for birds, which is generally very deadly in humans. Should the virus adapt for human to human transmission, a pandemic can quickly result. Since birds can travel great distances quickly, it is generally already widespread and difficult to contain.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Demon core|Demon Core}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|j !}}90%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|h !}}73%}}
|An incident where a subcritical mass of plutonium briefly went critical on two separate occasions at Los Alamos laboratory in 1945 and 1946. The second is more notable, where Louis Slotin held two halves of a beryllium neutron reflector apart with a flat head screwdriver which slipped, suddenly causing the contained plutonium core to become supercritical and delivering a fatal dose of radiation. In both instances the scientists performing the experiment died.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Criticality accident|Criticality Incident}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|d!}}22%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|i !}}74%}}
|An uncontrolled nuclear reaction. This occurs when a system running at exact criticality experiences an increase of one dollar of criticality (a term devised by Louis Slotin, as seen above).
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Antibiotic resistance|Superbug}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|e !}}39%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|j !}}83%}}
|Antibiotic resistant bacteria. The growing use of antibiotics has caused some bacteria to evolve to become resistant to the antibiotics. A superbug refers to a scenario where a bacteria evolves to become resistant to all antibiotics, for example, {{w|MRSA}}.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Nuclear football|Nuclear Football}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|g !}}52%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}94%}}
|An aluminum Zero Halliburton briefcase which is used by the President of the United States to authorize nuclear attack. A military aide carrying the football is always near the president.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Necrotizing fasciitis|Flesh-eating bacteria}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|m !}}100%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|l !}}100%}}
|As the name suggests, bacteria that eats (or more accurately, releases toxins that destroy) your skin and muscle.
|-class="sortbottom"
|Helvetica Scenario (Title Text)
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|z !}}N/A}}
|{{Hs|m !}}Literally Off-The-Chart
|This scenario is also in the title text of [[683: Science Montage]]: "...We have a Helvetica scenario!". The scenario is a fictional experiment, presented in Switzerland (Helvetica), assuming removing the nucleus (only the center of an atom) of a calcium molecule in skin, but still leaving the electron shell at its position, would cause a massive reaction end up in heavy mutations.[[#cite_note-2|2]] The Helvetica scenario was made up by the BBC comedy show {{w|Look Around You}} in the pilot episode, which can be seen [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZPTM0PGQPE&feature=player_detailpage&t=389 here (at 6:29)].
|}

==Transcript==
No official transcript.

A scatter plot is drawn, x-axis "Scariness of thing name refers to", y-axis "Scariness of name". Items within the scatter plot are listed in the table above.

==References==
<div style="padding:10px 10px 10px 0;border-radius: 3px;margin-right:1em;margin-bottom:1em;">
#[[#ref_note-1|^]] Note: Values in the chart are given as a percentage of the values of "Flesh-eating bacteria", which is the upper-right-most entry in the chart.
#[[#ref_note-2|^]] [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The%20Helvetica%20Scenario Helvetica Scenario at Urban Dictionary].
</div>

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]

1242: Scary Names

2013-08-01T05:47:41Z

Monteletourneau:

{{comic
| number = 1242
| date = July 24, 2013
| title = Scary Names
| image = scary_names.png
| titletext = Far off to the right of the chart is the Helvetica Scenario.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
The chart shows that things toward the right are scary, while things toward the top sound scary, without necessarily being scary.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Name
! scope="col" class="headerSortUp"| Apparent Scariness[[#cite_note-1|1]]
! scope="col"| True Scariness[[#cite_note-1|1]]
! scope="col" class="unsortable"|Description
|-
|{{Nowrap|[http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/C/Chernobyl-packet.html Chernobyl Packet]}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}95%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|a !}}4%}}
|A network packet that induces a broadcast storm or network meltdown.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Calorimeter#Bomb calorimeters|Bomb Calorimeters}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|h !}}67%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|b !}}28%}}
|A device for measuring heat of combustion of a reaction in a pressure vessel.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Sulfur mustard|Mustard Gas}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|f !}}47%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|c !}}50%}}
|A chemical warfare agent which causes blisters and severe irritation on skin and lung tissue.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Kessler syndrome|Kessler Syndrome}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}87%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|d !}}53%}}
|A hypothetical scenario where low Earth orbit objects collide, creating space debris which increases the risk of more collisions, leading to a cascade effect which could severely hinder space exploration and satellite technologies for many years.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Soil liquefaction|Soil Liquefaction}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|c !}}16%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|e !}}54%}}
|A phenomenon where wet soil loses its strength, leading to potholes, road and terrain damage, and even building collapses, especially after earthquakes. Liquefaction causes landslides, landslides cause more liquefaction.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Grey goo|Grey Goo}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|b !}}5%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|f !}}68%}}
|A hypothetical end-of-world scenario where self-replicating nanobots consume all matter.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Avian influenza virus|Bird Flu}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|h !}}57%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|g !}}72%}}
|An illness caused by strains of influenza adapted for birds, which is generally very deadly in humans. Should the virus adapt for human to human transmission, a pandemic can quickly result. Since birds can travel great distances quickly, it is generally already widespread and difficult to contain.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Demon core|Demon Core}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|j !}}90%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|h !}}73%}}
|An incident where a subcritical mass of plutonium briefly went critical on two separate occasions at Los Alamos laboratory in 1945 and 1946. The second is more notable, where Louis Slotin held two halves of a beryllium neutron reflector apart with a flat head screwdriver which slipped, suddenly causing the contained plutonium core to become supercritical and delivering a fatal dose of radiation. In both instances the scientists performing the experiment died.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Criticality accident|Criticality Incident}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|d!}}22%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|i !}}74%}}
|An uncontrolled nuclear reaction. This occurs when a system running at exact criticality experiences an increase of one dollar of criticality (a term devised by Louis Slotin, as seen above).
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Antibiotic resistance|Superbug}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|e !}}39%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|j !}}83%}}
|Antibiotic resistant bacteria. The growing use of antibiotics has caused some bacteria to evolve to become resistant to the antibiotics. A superbug refers to a scenario where a bacteria evolves to become resistant to all antibiotics, for example, {{w|MRSA}}.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Nuclear football|Nuclear Football}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|g !}}52%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}94%}}
|An aluminum Zero Halliburton briefcase which is used by the President of the United States to authorize nuclear attack. A military aide carrying the football is always near the president.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Necrotizing fasciitis|Flesh-eating bacteria}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|m !}}100%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|l !}}100%}}
|As the name suggests, bacteria that eats (or more accurately, releases toxins that destroy) your skin and muscle.
|-class="sortbottom"
|Helvetica Scenario (Title Text)
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|z !}}N/A}}
|{{Hs|m !}}Literally Off-The-Chart
|This scenario is also in the title text of [[683: Science Montage]]: "...We have a Helvetica scenario!". The scenario is a fictional experiment, presented in Switzerland (Helvetica), assuming removing the nucleus (only the center of an atom) of a calcium molecule in skin, but still leaving the electron shell at its position, would cause a massive reaction end up in heavy mutations.[[#cite_note-2|2]] The Helvetica scenario was made up by the BBC comedy show {{w|Look Around You}} in the pilot episode, which can be seen [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZPTM0PGQPE&feature=player_detailpage&t=389 here (at 6:29)].
|}

==Transcript==
No official transcript.

A scatter plot is drawn, x-axis "Scariness of thing name refers to", y-axis "Scariness of name". Items within the scatter plot are listed in the table above.

==References==
<div style="padding:10px 10px 10px 0;border-radius: 3px;margin-right:1em;margin-bottom:1em;">
#[[#ref_note-1|^]] Note: Values in the chart are given as a percentage of the values of "Flesh-eating bacteria", which is the upper-right-most entry in the chart.
#[[#ref_note-2|^]] [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The%20Helvetica%20Scenario Helvetica Scenario at Urban Dictionary].
</div>

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]

Talk:1240: Quantum Mechanics

2013-08-01T05:39:58Z

Monteletourneau: not wrong, just fuzzy

To me, it's not about "probably wrong" it's about irrelevant. QM itself says nothing about anything but quantum (particle component) probable vector(s).
Recent success of Bayesian probability in these regards implies more about lack of "common sense" understanding or meaning, than about subjectivity of universe (as if there was a difference?).
QM is not really knowledge in itself, it's just illuminating math (in a very limited realm).
not wrong, just fuzzy [[User:Monteletourneau|Monteletourneau]] ([[User talk:Monteletourneau|talk]]) 05:39, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

Who is CueBall talking to? It is not Meg, unless she dyed her hair. [[Special:Contributions/65.215.93.238|65.215.93.238]]
:[[Ponytail]] --[[Special:Contributions/92.230.59.41|92.230.59.41]] 14:33, 19 July 2013 (UTC)

Are "almost" against common sense? I see you don't know much about quantum mechanics. In quantum mechanics, common sense is about as usefull as in {{w|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice's Wonderland}}. Possibly less. And that bit about {{w|Quantum tunnelling|going through the wall}} is used in {{w|Flash_memory#NAND_flash|Flash memories}}. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 14:36, 20 July 2013 (UTC)
:Sure. You can see that people do not understand anything about something because you think you know a lot about that something. WRONG! I know exactly what I was talking about and "almost" was a word that I did not chose lightly.[[User:Claudionico|cinico]] ([[User talk:Claudionico|talk]]) 13:48, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
It applies to us all - the more you think you know the more wrong you are, the more you actually know, the less right you think you are.
[[User:Monteletourneau|Monteletourneau]] ([[User talk:Monteletourneau|talk]]) 05:39, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

"You can safely ignore any sentence that includes the phrase 'according to quantum mechanics'" Including, of course, that one. [[User:Tbrosz|Tbrosz]] ([[User talk:Tbrosz|talk]]) 16:13, 20 July 2013 (UTC)

awe some
[[User:Monteletourneau|Monteletourneau]] ([[User talk:Monteletourneau|talk]]) 05:39, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

"Albert Einstein being famously ''wrong''", isn't that a bit subjective? Although there is little evidence supporting the hidden variable theory, it is not out of the question to consider it, Einstein might've been right you know. --[[Special:Contributions/79.160.93.211|79.160.93.211]] 21:02, 20 July 2013 (UTC)
:Einstein was not ''wrong'', he just was searching to unify relativity mechanics with quantum mechanics. That sentence "God does not play dice" is often misunderstood and in wrong context here. I did remove it.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:27, 20 July 2013 (UTC)
::I don't know about ANY evidence supporting {{w|Hidden variable theory}}, on the other hand I heard that {{w|Bell's_theorem|Bell inequalities}} were experimentally tested and results are against Einstein. Wikipedia itself states that "Most advocates of the hidden variables idea ... are ready to give up locality". Einstein {{w|Principle_of_locality|assumed that the principle of locality was necessary, and that there could be no violations of it}}. Are you seriously saying that someone managed to put their subjective position into that many articles on wikipedia? ; The point of "wrong content" may be more valid, especially considering that Einstein probably was able to understand quantum mechanics, just didn't believe it. It would be very interresting what he would say about the issue if he wouldn't died 9 years before the Bell inequalities were formulated. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:21, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

I recall hearing an argument along these lines... Something about the "fact" that a dog observing a quantum wave form will cause it to collapse, thus the observer is "conscious", and thus has a "soul". How exactly you explain all the misnomers in that set of assumptions, let alone test the hypothesis to begin with, I've no clue. Can we train monkeys to read particle detectors? And what consequence might this have for Schrodinger's poor cat? ;) [[Special:Contributions/99.42.81.32|99.42.81.32]] 06:46, 21 July 2013 (UTC)

:I'm not sure how they managed to actually prove dogs can collapse quantum wave form, but I'm definitely sure that if dog can do that cat can too. Remember that {{w|Schrödinger's cat}} was THOUGH experiment, we don't know if someone really tried it (unless {{w|Cheshire Cat|Lewis Carol did}}). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:21, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

Dog = soul, cat does not, it's proven all right!
Isn't it right there in the equation?
I thought S = soul???
Besides, the bible (NO the devil) tol' me so.
[[User:Monteletourneau|Monteletourneau]] ([[User talk:Monteletourneau|talk]]) 05:39, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1240: Quantum Mechanics

2013-08-01T05:29:45Z

Monteletourneau: not wrong, just fuzzy

To me, it's not about "probably wrong" it's about irrelevant. QM itself says nothing about anything but quantum (particle component) probable vector(s).
Recent success of Bayesian probability in these regards implies more about lack of "common sense" understanding or meaning, than about subjectivity of universe (as if there was a difference?).
QM is not really knowledge in itself, it's just illuminating math (in a very limited realm).
not wrong, just fuzzy [[User:Monteletourneau|Monteletourneau]] ([[User talk:Monteletourneau|talk]]) 05:29, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

Who is CueBall talking to? It is not Meg, unless she dyed her hair. [[Special:Contributions/65.215.93.238|65.215.93.238]]
:[[Ponytail]] --[[Special:Contributions/92.230.59.41|92.230.59.41]] 14:33, 19 July 2013 (UTC)

Are "almost" against common sense? I see you don't know much about quantum mechanics. In quantum mechanics, common sense is about as usefull as in {{w|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice's Wonderland}}. Possibly less. And that bit about {{w|Quantum tunnelling|going through the wall}} is used in {{w|Flash_memory#NAND_flash|Flash memories}}. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 14:36, 20 July 2013 (UTC)
:Sure. You can see that people do not understand anything about something because you think you know a lot about that something. WRONG! I know exactly what I was talking about and "almost" was a word that I did not chose lightly.[[User:Claudionico|cinico]] ([[User talk:Claudionico|talk]]) 13:48, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

"You can safely ignore any sentence that includes the phrase 'according to quantum mechanics'" Including, of course, that one. [[User:Tbrosz|Tbrosz]] ([[User talk:Tbrosz|talk]]) 16:13, 20 July 2013 (UTC)

"Albert Einstein being famously ''wrong''", isn't that a bit subjective? Although there is little evidence supporting the hidden variable theory, it is not out of the question to consider it, Einstein might've been right you know. --[[Special:Contributions/79.160.93.211|79.160.93.211]] 21:02, 20 July 2013 (UTC)
:Einstein was not ''wrong'', he just was searching to unify relativity mechanics with quantum mechanics. That sentence "God does not play dice" is often misunderstood and in wrong context here. I did remove it.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:27, 20 July 2013 (UTC)
::I don't know about ANY evidence supporting {{w|Hidden variable theory}}, on the other hand I heard that {{w|Bell's_theorem|Bell inequalities}} were experimentally tested and results are against Einstein. Wikipedia itself states that "Most advocates of the hidden variables idea ... are ready to give up locality". Einstein {{w|Principle_of_locality|assumed that the principle of locality was necessary, and that there could be no violations of it}}. Are you seriously saying that someone managed to put their subjective position into that many articles on wikipedia? ; The point of "wrong content" may be more valid, especially considering that Einstein probably was able to understand quantum mechanics, just didn't believe it. It would be very interresting what he would say about the issue if he wouldn't died 9 years before the Bell inequalities were formulated. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:21, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

I recall hearing an argument along these lines... Something about the "fact" that a dog observing a quantum wave form will cause it to collapse, thus the observer is "conscious", and thus has a "soul". How exactly you explain all the misnomers in that set of assumptions, let alone test the hypothesis to begin with, I've no clue. Can we train monkeys to read particle detectors? And what consequence might this have for Schrodinger's poor cat? ;) [[Special:Contributions/99.42.81.32|99.42.81.32]] 06:46, 21 July 2013 (UTC)

:I'm not sure how they managed to actually prove dogs can collapse quantum wave form, but I'm definitely sure that if dog can do that cat can too. Remember that {{w|Schrödinger's cat}} was THOUGH experiment, we don't know if someone really tried it (unless {{w|Cheshire Cat|Lewis Carol did}}). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:21, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1239: Social Media

2013-08-01T05:21:14Z

Monteletourneau: Not ironic, opening line less than 140 characters

So how have folks responded to this one on Twitter? [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 15:57, 17 July 2013 (UTC)

—girl look at that body. [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 17:09, 17 July 2013 (UTC)

This question might have initiated the comic: http://youtu.be/AdHGhSeYcq0?t=51m9s [[Special:Contributions/91.46.145.123|91.46.145.123]] 20:07, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
:Maybe, this Bill Gates video was released two days before this comic.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:22, 17 July 2013 (UTC)

It's somewhat ironic, that the first statement of Cueball is less than 140 characters long. Also, the whole situation seems similar to that in {{w|Earth Unaware}} by Orson Scott Card ... or maybe I should not tell the ending of the book.
[[Special:Contributions/78.8.147.90|78.8.147.90]] 20:47, 17 July 2013 (UTC) qbolec
:I did edit your wiki link, it was broken.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:22, 17 July 2013 (UTC)

Not ironic, opening line less than 140 characters because social media?!
[[User:Monteletourneau|Monteletourneau]] ([[User talk:Monteletourneau|talk]]) 05:21, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1238: Enlightenment

2013-08-01T05:13:55Z

Monteletourneau: I can't help but feel he toadaly missed out on "herd"! Should this make me feel icky? Please help! Monteletourneau ~~~~

I can't help but feel he toadaly missed out on "herd"!
Should this make me feel icky? Please help!
Monteletourneau [[User:Monteletourneau|Monteletourneau]] ([[User talk:Monteletourneau|talk]]) 05:13, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

Did anyone else notice the (most likely intentional) typos in that sentence they told her to type? "... and THEIR DEFINATELY good" (they're definitely) {{unsigned ip|‎115.30.33.36}}

Didn't you notice "you're" and "idea's" as well. I would assume it is highly improbable that these were not intentional. [[Special:Contributions/74.125.16.2|74.125.16.2]] 04:51, 15 July 2013 (UTC)GusGold

Of course those were intentional. That was the joke. The exercise for INTERNET enlightenment and getting rid of insecurities is to make typos and grammatical errors freely. You may also notice them saying on the last panel "wasnt" and "its", instead of "wasn't" and "it's".
Megan just wasn't able to do this task of making intentional mistakes, which would result in people online thinking she's dumb (insecurities), so she broke the laptop and left. [[Special:Contributions/95.35.58.179|95.35.58.179]] 05:20, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:Why do we think she broke the laptop and left? What's the circle on the ground for? (Looks like a StarTrek Transporter pad. And the pedestal just appeared as needed, must be virtual. Rather, I think she got UN-enlightened and zapped away into nothing-ness. [[Special:Contributions/12.234.99.131|12.234.99.131]] 16:41, 16 July 2013 (UTC) Zake

There's a huge difference between accepting others' misspellings and repeating them yourself...not commenting on someone typing "definately" is completely different than being told to spell it that way yourself. [[User:Wotpsycho|Wotpsycho]] ([[User talk:Wotpsycho|talk]])

I read you're explanation's and their definately helpful! --[[Special:Contributions/129.187.90.96|129.187.90.96]] 09:07, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Having your ideas "approved" by someone who can't even spell might feel much worse than having them simply shot down.{{unsigned ip|89.31.118.161}}

Does anyone else think Ponytail appears to be levitating? --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 16:07, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Someone deleted my edit, so I'm bringing it up here on the discussion page. The sentence contains more than just common misspellings; it also contains a common grammatical error. "I read your ideas and they're definitely good" is a run-on sentence. Joining two independent clauses requires BOTH a comma and a coordinating conjunction ("I read your ideas, and they're definitely good"). The sentence omits the comma. While certain style guides allow the comma to be left out when the two clauses are short enough, Megan's obstinate grammar-nazism is the entire point of the comic. It is unlikely she would let it slide. [[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 16:49, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:"they're" refers to "ideas", the sentences are not independent.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 17:59, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
::That's not what an independent clause means. Can they be separated into two sentences? "I read your ideas. They're definitely good." Yes - it still makes sense as two sentences, thus the two clauses are independent. (An example of a dependent clause would be "I read your ideas while I was driving home." "While I was driving home" cannot stand on its own as a sentence, so it is not an independent clause.)[[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 18:17, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:::I'm not a native English speaker, and I have learned only British English at school. But your statement makes sense. My first sentence is correct?--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:59, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
::::Yep, your first sentence is fine. I'm going to add the note about run-on sentences back into the Explanation; I hope nobody has any more objections. [[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 19:35, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:::"...''whilst'' I was driving home"? ;) (And bear in mind as well that "while" can more commonly mean "until", instead of "during", in certain English-speaking dialects. Ok, I'm being picky, now.) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.50.23|178.98.50.23]] 05:40, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
::::Gr8 example of Internet forum tangental one-upmanship! [[Special:Contributions/12.234.99.131|12.234.99.131]] 16:41, 16 July 2013 (UTC) Zake
:This explanation makes a lot of sense. It helped me to stop being angry at the sentence they wanted her to type, and to pay attention to the bigger picture, especially when combined with the alt-text. Randall, I heard you're idea's and their definately good. (Also, I'm assuming that Internet Enlightenment allows me to be disgusted with myself for writing that, as long as I was willing to do so.) [[Special:Contributions/68.231.138.149|68.231.138.149]] 04:49, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
::It is perfectly correct to join two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction and no comma. In fact it is often considered bad style (if not actually incorrect) to include both a comma and a conjunction when joining only two clauses.[[Special:Contributions/129.22.117.158|129.22.117.158]] 17:50, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
:::I'm not native English, as I explained before, but please give some more background information and not only a statement of your mind. And consider: This is American English, there are some odd commas. I'm still not sure what's correct.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:24, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
::::I'm not native either. What I've found on several sites [http://pages.uoregon.edu/munno/Writing/ClausesandCommas.html], [http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/writing/comma?09] is ''two independent clauses connected by "and" or "but" are separated by a comma''—basically, because you would make a little pause at that point when used in speech. Contradicting this on {{w|simple:Run-on sentence}} I currently see ''"I looked over the hill and I saw the bear." is a complete sentence.'' (not two independent clauses—although grammatically possible), so simple-wikipedia could be wrong, or there is some tolerance, when two clauses are actually connected. In the end, I'd say this comma is not really worth that discussion, and I would suggest making some kind of neutral statement, e.g. ''and there might be a {{w|Run-on sentence|comma}} missing''. --[[User:Chtz|Chtz]] ([[User talk:Chtz|talk]]) 22:52, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
:::It is not perfectly correct to omit the comma. Chtz cited two sources above, here are a few more: [http://www.towson.edu/ows/conjunctions.htm], [http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm], [http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/020204WhenCommaBfAnd.htm]. There is a little leeway for stylistic reasons, but as I mentioned above, the entire point of the comic is that Megan does not give leeway when it comes to grammar nazism. The corrected sentence in the explanation should be actually correct, not mostly-correct-but-given-a-little-stylistic-leeway.[[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 18:37, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
::::I (poster from 129.22.117.158 above) have looked into things more and stand corrected. I heard all you're ideas, and their definately good.[[Special:Contributions/209.152.196.210|209.152.196.210]] 13:04, 19 July 2013 (UTC)

I wonder if there's an additional level of meaning here. To me, the most striking thing about the sentence Megan won't type is not the bad spelling, but the fact that it involves agreeing with someone. On the Internet, people are always arguing with other (as in, for example, http://xkcd.com/386/). Maybe what Megan had to do to become "enlightened" was not just to ignore the rules of spelling, but actually to agree with someone for a change?{{unsigned ip|134.226.254.178}}
:Well, that's why I wrote the third paragraph, about how important agreement can be. Do you have any suggestions as to how we could emphasize this point more? [[User:PinkAmpersand|PinkAmpersand]] ([[User talk:PinkAmpersand|talk]]) 22:03, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

Be associated with bad grammar, Yoda would not. [[User:Alcatraz ii|Alcatraz ii]] ([[User talk:Alcatraz ii|talk]]) 08:22, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
;Incomplete or not?
I did add the tag again because there are too many edits at this page and also the discussion is still not clear. I would like to see the grammar issue solved by more explain, even when it's not easy.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:16, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

I'm not sure if it's worth mentioning any more comparisons, but I'd put it don't here at least: It reminds me of Schindler's List when Schindler tries to convince Amon Goeth, a commander of a Nazi concentration camp, that true power is when you have the power (and justification) to kill someone, but you spare them. This is an attempt to change the behaviour of Amon, who has a habit of killing random camp internees (and _believes_ he has the right to do so).{{unsigned ip|Svend}}
:Hey, you compared something to the Nazis! I invoke Godwin's Law! http://xkcd.com/261/{{unsigned ip|134.226.254.178}}

'''HEY,'''
I just want to talk about that fucking ''comma'', nothing else. Is it correct or not? Do your Nazi posts somewhere else, I will participate. But your statements are not very helpful here!--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:06, 18 July 2013 (UTC)

This xkcd is all about how hard it is not to be a grammar nazi. --[[Special:Contributions/84.60.134.161|84.60.134.161]] 02:12, 24 July 2013 (UTC)