https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Obwexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-04-19T18:35:49ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2576:_Control_Group&diff=226400Talk:2576: Control Group2022-02-03T00:45:41Z<p>Obw: </p>
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<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
This is my first explanation, feel free to improve upon it. [[User:KirbyDude25|KirbyDude25]] ([[User talk:KirbyDude25|talk]]) 00:30, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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Ran into your edit when I tried to submit mine, hah.<br />
I don't actually like Know Your Meme that much but I'm not sure where else I could source that joke. Maybe it's unnecessary. [[User:Obw|Obw]] ([[User talk:Obw|talk]]) 00:36, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Sorry about that. Thanks for expanding my explanation, especially the description of the "study" aspect. I think the joke is fine, though we'll see what others think. [[User:KirbyDude25|KirbyDude25]] ([[User talk:KirbyDude25|talk]]) 00:43, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Your explanation of the title text actually helped me understand the joke there! I added a bit more to flesh out the explanation [[User:Obw|Obw]] ([[User talk:Obw|talk]]) 00:45, 3 February 2022 (UTC)</div>Obwhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2576:_Control_Group&diff=2263992576: Control Group2022-02-03T00:44:25Z<p>Obw: Expand title text explanation</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2576<br />
| date = February 2, 2022<br />
| title = Control Group<br />
| image = control_group.png<br />
| titletext = Placeble 228 x/6<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a CONTROL GROUP - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{w|Wordle}} is a web-based word puzzle game that was popular when this comic was released. In the comic, [[Ponytail]] asks [[Cueball]] whether he's playing the game; Cueball replies that he isn't, because he's "in the control group".<br />
<br />
In scientific studies, the {{w|control group}} stands in opposition to the treatment group; whereas the treatment group receives the experimental "treatment", the control group does not, instead receiving a {{w|placebo}} or nothing at all. This is done to ensure that the result of the experimental treatment actually differs from the baseline.<br />
<br />
When Cueball replies that he's "in the control group", this implies that Ponytail and other Wordle players are part of a treatment group.<br />
This jokingly implies that Wordle is some sort of {{w|social experiment}}, perhaps a [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sociological-study-conducted-by-harvard-university sociological study conducted by Harvard].<br />
<br />
The title text contains Wordle's 5x6 grid, but calls it "Placeble" (a {{w|pormanteau}} of Wordle and placebo) and has a number after it, suggesting that not only is the game a social experiment, but that a "placebo version" is being given to the control group.<br />
The placebo version of Wordle appears to be fully blank, implying that there is no correct word, and has a score of "x/6" which is a loss in Wordle.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:Ponytail: Are you playing Wordle?<br />
:Cueball: No, I'm in the control group.<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:My new all-purpose excuse for when I'm not doing something<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Obwhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2576:_Control_Group&diff=226395Talk:2576: Control Group2022-02-03T00:36:28Z<p>Obw: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
This is my first explanation, feel free to improve upon it. [[User:KirbyDude25|KirbyDude25]] ([[User talk:KirbyDude25|talk]]) 00:30, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Ran into your edit when I tried to submit mine, hah.<br />
I don't actually like Know Your Meme that much but I'm not sure where else I could source that joke. Maybe it's unnecessary. [[User:Obw|Obw]] ([[User talk:Obw|talk]]) 00:36, 3 February 2022 (UTC)</div>Obwhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2576:_Control_Group&diff=2263932576: Control Group2022-02-03T00:33:58Z<p>Obw: Expand explanation</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2576<br />
| date = February 2, 2022<br />
| title = Control Group<br />
| image = control_group.png<br />
| titletext = Placeble 228 x/6<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a CONTROL GROUP - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{w|Wordle}} is a web-based word puzzle game which was popular when this comic was released.<br />
In the comic, [[Ponytail]] asks [[Cueball]] whether he's playing the game; Cueball replies that he isn't, because he's "in the control group".<br />
<br />
In scientific studies, the {{w|control group}} stands in opposition to the treatment group;<br />
where the treatment group receives the experimental "treatment", the control group does not, instead receiving a placebo or nothing at all. This<br />
is done to ensure the result of the experimental treatment actually differs from the baseline.<br />
<br />
When Cueball replies that he's "in the control group", this implies that Ponytail and other Wordle players are part of a treatment group.<br />
This jokingly implies that Wordle is some sort of {{w|social experiment}}, perhaps a [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sociological-study-conducted-by-harvard-university sociological study conducted by Harvard].<br />
<br />
The title-text contains Wordle's 5x6 grid, but calls it "Placeble" and has a number after it, implying that Cueball actually is part of a study related to the game.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:Ponytail: Are you playing Wordle?<br />
:Cueball: No, I'm in the control group.<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:My new all-purpose excuse for when I'm not doing something<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Obw