explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3207: Bad Map Projection: Zero Declination

2026-02-15T04:07:41Z

Onestay: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3207
| date = February 13, 2026
| title = Bad Map Projection: Zero Declination
| image = bad_map_projection_zero_declination.png
| imagesize = 740x544px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'The zero line in WMM2025 passes through a lot of population centers; I wonder what year the largest share of the population lived in a zone of less than 5° of declination,' he thought, derailing all other tasks for the rest of the day.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by a misaligned map. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This is the tenth comic in the [[:Category:Bad Map Projections|Bad Map Projections]] series, displaying Bad Map Projection #216: Zero Declination.

While the Earth's magnetic field is broadly aligned North-South, the actual alignment of the magnetic field varies over time and position. The difference between True North (the axis of Earth's rotation) and Magnetic North (the direction a compass will point) will vary depending on your position, and is known as the {{w|Magnetic Declination}} of that point.

The comic shows a map that has been distorted based on the Magnetic Declination such that Magnetic North for every point is pointed toward the top of the map. If this were reality, then Magnetic North would always be aligned with True North, or in other words, there would be Zero Declination at all points.

The red arrows indicate the distortions from the starting map required to make Magnetic North be at the top.

In the title text, "WMM2025" refers to the 2025 version of the {{w|World Magnetic Model}}, a representation of the Earth's magnetic field. You can see it [https://web.archive.org/web/20260212034745/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/inline-images/D.jpg here]. The "zero line" is in green, which shows where in the world magnetic declination is 0°. [[Randall]] has presumably wasted a day trying to figure out what year has had the most population living in an area of less than 5° declination by searching through previous WMM maps. He appears to have not found the answer, so explainxkcd requests its readers [[356|finish the job]]. Judging by magnetic declination [https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/maps/historical-declination/ historical data] lines with 0 degree declination were near India and China at some points recently, so maybe it is reasonable to assume it happened. Unfortunately declination can easily go up to 15 degrees or even higher, so when one high population density area has declination close to 0, some other one often has an extremely high declination.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with red annotations]]
[[Category:Bad Map Projections]]

3158: Shielding Chart

2025-10-23T20:07:55Z

Onestay: Deduplication

{{comic
| number = 3158
| date = October 22, 2025
| title = Shielding Chart
| image = shielding_chart_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x720px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Sharks can occasionally travel short distances through air when pursuing prey, but their attenuation coefficient is pretty high.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a SPACE-BASED SHARK DEFENSE BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic is part of a series on [[:Category:Confusion matrices|confusion matrices]].

Various hazardous (or merely obnoxious) materials, objects, and effects can have their danger reduced with specialized protective equipment. The yellow squares are where the shield fails to protect against the object. The grey-yellow squares are where the shield is partially successful, but still presents some risk. The grey squares are where the shield succeeds.

The first five barriers are materials/conditions which may be used to block some things and not others, which makes for a relatively normal comparison matrix. The last five barriers are devices which are deliberately designed and manufactured to block the last five materials/effects. Comparing those with effects for which they aren't designed is presented for absurdity.

All but two tiles feature [[Cueball]] who tries to make use of that column's chosen 'protective shield', although in the case of some scenarios (involving vacuum or water) he may also be sufficiently equipped against the environment he finds himself in. Also present will be the row's specific 'effect', either in its own right (an object or creature that embodies the phenomenon automatically) or as conveyed by [[Megan]] (when not just present as onlooker) who may also have had the 'shield' primarily delegated to her. The two main exceptions are where Cueball himself emits the sound (from within 'protective' suits that turn out to be ineffectual sound-blockers), to apparently annoy Megan, and depictions of radio reception (which always shows Cueball's attempt to transmit, whether or not it shows a successful incoming message).

Some hazards, such as {{w|alpha particles}}, a form of radiation with particularly low penetrative power, can be easily deterred by common things; even a relatively short distance through air is enough to minimize their impact. Comparatively, more dangerous hazards, such as the far more penetrative {{w|gamma rays}}, are unaffected by all but the shielding methods actually intended for them. No effect is either all effective or all ineffective, against each form of 'shielding', and neither is any instance of shield consistent against all effects.

The title text notes that, while the shark hazard is shown on the chart to be entirely nullified by a sufficient air barrier, in reality sharks are capable of attacking prey even if it is a short distance out of the water.

===Table===
{| class="wikitable" | style="background:#E6C3C3;"
! Shielding Chart
! scope="col"| {{w|Air}}
! scope="col"| {{w|Lead}}
! scope="col"| {{w|Water}}
! scope="col"| {{w|Glass}}
! scope="col"| {{w|Vacuum}}
! scope="col"| {{w|Oven mitts}}
! scope="col"| {{w|Armor}}
! scope="col"| {{w|Hazmat suit|Bio-hazard suit}}
! scope="col"| {{w|Faraday cage}}
! scope="col"| {{w|Shark cage}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{w|Gamma rays}}
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Gamma rays are not significantly shielded by air.
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|Lead is commonly used as {{w|Lead shielding|shielding}} against gamma rays. Lead works because of its density and high atomic number, scattering gamma rays.
| style="background:#D5C58A;"|Water can be used to shield against gamma rays, but you need at least 10 feet of water between you and the gamma rays for it to work.
|colspan=7; style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Gamma rays have the highest energy of any type of light, and has no mass and no charge, making them pass through most materials easily.

|-
! scope="row"| {{w|Neutrons}}
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Neutrons are not stopped by low densitiy materials such as air.
| style="background:#D5C58A;"|Leads high density means that the neutrons will keep bumping into lead nuclei loosing their energy through inelastic scattering. However since the lead nuclei are much heavier than neutrons most of the energy will remain with the neutron, as a result many collisions are needed to slow the neutrons. Some neutrons will also be absorbed by the nuclei although the cross section is rather low.
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|Since protons an neutrons have almost the same mass, a collision with a hydrogen atom in water will result in the neutron losing almost half of its energy resulting in a very rapid attenuation. Moreover the cross section for the fusion of neutrons and protons is high, leading to most neutrons being captured to form deuterium.
|colspan=7; style="background:#FBF8CE;"|None of these materials is dense enough to slow or absorb neutrons in significant quantities.

|-
! scope="row"| {{w|Alpha particles}}
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
|colspan=2; style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Outside of a vacuum, Alpha particles are only detectable within short distances (millimeter scale), and the presence of the two cages is incidental. In both cases, the emitter has been moved closer to the observer, because otherwise the effect would be masked by the intervening air.

|-
! scope="row"| {{w|Light}}
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Light is able to pass through air easily; if it weren't, we wouldn't normally be able to see.
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|As lead is a solid, opaque material, light is not able to pass through it.
| style="background:#D5C58A;"|Water is mostly transparent to visible light. It will attenuate over long distances, but won't be quickly blocked.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|As glass is a largely transparent substance, light is usually able to pass through it (though very thick glass would block light out).
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Because a lack of air does not impact the travel of light, it reaches Cueball without issue
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|Cueball is able to use the opaque oven mitts to cover the light source, successfully preventing the light from reaching him.
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|The helmet Cueball is wearing is opaque, blocking the light from reaching him. It also makes this a fairly useless set of armor.
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|As with the oven mitts, Hairy uses the helmet part of the biohazard suit to block the light source.
|colspan=2; style="background:#FBF8CE;"|As both types of cages have holes in them, it is easy for the light to pass through the holes and reach Cueball.

|-
! scope="row"| {{w|Sound}}
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|"In space, no one can hear you scream". In a vacuum (like space), there are no atoms or molecules to carry sound waves.
| style="background:#D5C58A;"|
| colspan=2; style="background:#FBF8CE;"| The two cases of whether sound can penetrate suits are the only two cases where Cueball is trying (successfully) to inflict the phemonenon against [[Megan]], who otherwise features only as the (attempted) instigater. Neither suit is able (or intended) to significantly block sound waves.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|

|-
! scope="row"| {{w|Heat}}
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Lead conducts heat, allowing Cueball to toast a marshmallow on the surface of the shield. However, since lead is poisonous, he should not do this.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#D5C58A;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|

|-
! scope="row"| {{w|Swords}}
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Air has a negligible force against objects and is unable to stop Meghan's sword's thrust.
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|Lead is a heavy and dense metal, and as a result, it can stop blows from a sword.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|While water has a greater force than air against objects, it is still not enough to stop Meghan's attack.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Glass is easily broken by sharp blows, especially if it wasn't tempered, and as a result was not able to stop Meghan's sword.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|A vacuum has no resistance against objects and unsurprisingly is not able to stop Meghan's attack.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|The armor Cueball is wearing is presumably made of metal and is able to stop the sword.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Swords are sharp, and as such are able to break through the thin Hazmat Cueball is wearing.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|A Faraday cage has holes which Megan's sword is able to go through.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|A shark cage, while able to provide resistance against larger threats, has holes through which Megan's sword can go.

|-
! scope="row"| {{w|Particulate matter#Health problems|Toxic dust}}
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#D5C58A;"|{{w|Lead poisoning|Lead is poisonous}}, so while a solid lead barrier would prevent toxic dust from passing through, any dust or metal fragments from the shield would still be dangerous.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|With no air to slow it down, dust in space can move at dangerously high speeds, possibly fast enough to tear through Cueball's space suit.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|

|-
! scope="row"| {{w|Radio}}
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|

|-
! scope="row"| {{w|Sharks}}
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|Sharks cannot travel very far on land or in the air.
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|Shielding yourself with lead plates will effectively protect you against sharks.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Sharks live underwater, so water is not an effective shield against sharks. {{Citation needed}}
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|Glass will effectively protect you against sharks, provided that it is thick enough. In fact, sharks are commonly (and safely) shown to the public in aquariums.
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|As sharks are confined in water {{Citation needed}}, the vacuum of space protects you against them.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|Oven mitts are not very effective at stopping sharks. {{Citation needed}}
| style="background:#D5C58A;"|Depending on the armor, a shark might still be able to bite you through it.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|A biohazard suit is weak enough that a shark can rip through it.
| style="background:#FBF8CE;"|A Faraday cage is weak enough that a shark can rip through the cage, failing to protect the human inside.
| style="background:#C4C5C7;"|A shark cage is an invention specifically designed to protect against sharks, and as such is good at preventing sharks from getting inside.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
The whole comic is in one panel
A confusion matrix sits in the middle

Air:
*Gamma rays - Yellow
*Neutrons - Yellow
*Alpha particles - Gray
*Light - Yellow
*Sound - Yellow
*Heat - Yellow
*Swords - Yellow
*Toxic dust - Yellow
*Radio - Yellow
*Sharks - Gray

Lead:
*Gamma rays - Gray
*Neutrons - Grayish-yellow
*Alpha particles - Gray
*Light - Gray
*Sound - Yellow
*Heat - Yellow
*Swords - Gray
*Toxic dust - Grayish-yellow
*Radio - Gray
*Sharks - Gray

Water:
*Gamma rays - Grayish-yellow
*Neutrons - Gray
*Alpha particles
*Light - Grayish-yellow
*Sound - Yellow
*Heat - Yellow
*Swords - Yellow
*Toxic dust - Yellow
*Radio - Gray
*Sharks - Yellow

*Glass:
*Gamma rays
*Neutrons
*Alpha particles
*Light
*Sound
*Heat
*Swords
*Toxic dust
*Radio
*Sharks

Vacuum:
*Gamma rays
*Neutrons
*Alpha particles
*Light
*Sound
*Heat
*Swords
*Toxic dust
*Radio
*Sharks

Oven mitts:
*Gamma rays
*Neutrons
*Alpha particles
*Light
*Sound
*Heat
*Swords
*Toxic dust
*Radio
*Sharks

Armor:
*Gamma rays
*Neutrons
*Alpha particles
*Light
*Sound
*Heat
*Swords
*Toxic dust
*Radio
*Sharks

Biohazard suit:
*Gamma rays
*Neutrons
*Alpha particles
*Light
*Sound
*Heat
*Swords
*Toxic dust
*Radio
*Sharks

Faraday cage:
*Gamma rays
*Neutrons
*Alpha particles
*Light
*Sound
*Heat
*Swords
*Toxic dust
*Radio
*Sharks

Shark cage:
*Gamma rays
*Neutrons
*Alpha particles
*Light
*Sound
*Heat
*Swords
*Toxic dust
*Radio
*Sharks

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Confusion matrices]]
[[Category:Sharks]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1354: Heartbleed Explanation

2025-04-25T03:51:30Z

Onestay: I know, I know. Let a man whom a who.

{{comic
| number = 1354
| date = April 11, 2014
| title = Heartbleed Explanation
| image = heartbleed_explanation.png
| titletext = Are you still there, server? It's me, Margaret.
}}

==Explanation==
The {{w|Heartbleed bug}} was, at the time of publication of this comic, receiving a lot of news coverage recently and was also the topic of the previous comic [[1353: Heartbleed]]. This comic explains how the bug may have been discovered and can be exploited to reveal a server's memory contents.

A [[Megan]]-like character named Margaret (or "Meg") sends heartbeat requests to the server, the server responds to the heartbeat request by returning the contents of the body of the request up to the number of letters requested. The first two requests are well formed, requesting exactly the number of characters in the request body. The server's memory is showing Meg's request with many other requests going on at the same time.

Meg then ponders this and tries to submit another request asking for "HAT" but requests that it be 500 letters long instead of only 3; the server —not checking it or simply unaware that 500 letters is larger than the request body— returns "HAT" plus 497 letters that happened to be next to the word "HAT" in its memory (more will follow than are shown in the server's speech bubble as there are only 251 letters/symbols in the shown reply). Included are many sensitive bits of information, including a master key and user passwords. One of the passwords shown is "CoHoBaSt", a reference to [[936: Password Strength]], which suggests using "correct horse battery staple" as a password.

Often popular explanations of security bugs require the issue to be simplified a lot and to leave out a lot of details. In this case [[Randall]] didn't have to do much simplifying; the bug is actually that simple. Also, any client that can connect to the server can typically exploit this bug in the underlying {{w|OpenSSL}} software — the use of the term "User Meg" does not imply that Meg had to authenticate first.

Although Randall shows Meg recording the data by hand, on paper, it is more likely that a person exploiting the bug would have a computer record the data, perhaps on its hard drive or on a flash drive. However one could argue that such a person would not communicate to the server by speaking out loud either.

The title text is a reference to ''{{w|Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.}}'', a novel by {{w|Judy Blume}}, and plays off of the "server, are you still there?" line in every panel where she did start a request. The novel is the theme of another comic [[1544: Margaret]] too. ''Meg'' can be a nickname for ''Margaret'' as well as ''[[Megan]]'' whom Margaret resembles.

==Transcript==
:[Caption above the panels:]
:'''How the Heartbleed Bug works:'''

:[Meg, a girl with more curly hair than Megan, stands to the left in a panel. At the center of the panel is a black and gray server with red and green diode lights showing. During all six panels the server stays the same. Meg is standing with her arms down in four panels. It will be noted when she does not. Meg talks to the server. The server "thinks" all the time, i.e. we see its memory in all panels. The top and bottom line is breaking the edge of the thought bubble making it difficult to discern. In every second panel it replies to Meg. In these panels the number of letters requested by Meg is highlighted with yellow color.]

:[Meg speaks, server thinks:]
:Meg: Server, are you still there? If so, reply "POTATO" (6 letters).
:Server thinking: <tt>wants pages about "boats". User Erica requests secure connection using key "4538538374224" '''User Meg wants these 6 letters: POTATO.''' User Ada wants pages about "irl games". Unlocking secure records with master key 5130985733435. Maggie (chrome user) sends this message: "Hi</tt>

:[Server thinks, the same as above, although cut a little different at the edges, with POTATO highlighted in yellow and it replies the highlighted part in a rectangular speak bubble.]
:Server thinking: <tt>wants pages about "boats". User Erica requests secure connection using key "4538538374224" '''User Meg wants these 6 letters: POTATO.''' User Ada wants pages about "irl games". Unlocking secure records with master key 5130985733435. Maggie (chrome user) sends this message: "Hi</tt>
:Server: <tt>POTATO</tt>

:[Meg speaks, server thinks:]
:Meg: Server, are you still there? If so, reply "BIRD" (4 letters).
:Server thinking: <tt>User Olivia from London wants pages about "man bees in car why". Note: Files for IP 375.381.283.17 are in /tmp/files-3843. '''User Meg wants these 4 letters: BIRD.''' There are currently 348 connections open. User Brendan uploaded the file selfie.jpg (contents: 834ba962e2ceb9ff89bd3bff8c</tt>...

:[Server thinks, the same as above, although cut a little different at the edges, with BIRD highlighted in yellow and it replies the highlighted part in a rectangular speak bubble. Meg has taken her hand to her chin thinking:]

:Server thinking: <tt>User Olivia from London wants pages about "man bees in car why". Note: Files for IP 375.381.283.17 are in /tmp/files-3843. '''User Meg wants these 4 letters: BIRD.''' There are currently 348 connections open. User Brendan uploaded the file selfie.jpg (contents: 834ba962e2ceb9ff89bd3bff8c</tt>...
:Server: <tt>BIRD</tt>
:Meg: ''Hmm...''

:[Meg has taken her hand down again and speaks, server thinks, now with her line at the top:]

:Meg: Server, are you still there? If so, reply "HAT" (500 letters).
:Server memory: <tt>a connection. Jake requested pictures of deer. '''User Meg wants these 500 letters: HAT.''' Lucas requests the "missed connections" page. Eve (administrator) wants to set server's master key to "14835038534". Isabel wants pages about "snakes but not too long". User Karen wants to change account password to "CoHoBaSt". User</tt>

:[Server thinks, the same as above, although cut a little different at the edges, with everything from (and including) "HAT" highlighted in yellow and it replies the highlighted part and even more in a rectangular speech bubble. Meg has taken a notepad and a pen and is writing something.:]

:Server memory: <tt>a connection. Jake requested pictures of deer. '''User Meg wants these 500 letters: HAT.''' Lucas requests the "missed connections" page. Eve (administrator) wants to set server's master key to "14835038534". Isabel wants pages about "snakes but not too long". User Karen wants to change account password to "CoHoBaSt". User</tt>
:Server: <tt>HAT. Lucas requests the "missed connections" page. Eve (administrator) wants to set server's key to "14835038534". Isabel wants pages about "snakes but not too long". User Karen wants to change account password to "CoHoBaSt". User Amber requests pages</tt>

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Computer security]]

Talk:3071: Decay Chain

2025-04-03T01:58:15Z

Onestay:

... should have gone down to the 5S. That was really rock bottom... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.36|172.70.114.36]] 01:53, 3 April 2025 (UTC)

No april fools' comic? Sad. [[User:Onestay|Onestay]] ([[User talk:Onestay|talk]]) 01:58, 3 April 2025 (UTC)

Talk:2976: Time Traveler Causes of Death

2024-08-23T18:01:13Z

Onestay:

How'd I do for my first 'explanation?' I know it's short...[[User:Onestay|Onestay]] ([[User talk:Onestay|talk]]) 17:56, 23 August 2024 (UTC)
:I added to it. It's a good start.
::Please sign your comments[[User:Onestay|Onestay]] ([[User talk:Onestay|talk]]) 18:01, 23 August 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2976: Time Traveler Causes of Death

2024-08-23T18:00:53Z

Onestay:

Talk:2976: Time Traveler Causes of Death

2024-08-23T17:56:19Z

Onestay:

2976: Time Traveler Causes of Death

2024-08-23T17:55:20Z

Onestay: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2976
| date = August 23, 2024
| title = Time Traveler Causes of Death
| image = time_traveler_causes_of_death_2x.png
| imagesize = 332x677px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Many a hungry time traveler has Googled 'trilobites shellfish allergy' only to find their carrier had no coverage in the Ordovician.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TARDIS - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic showcases different causes of death for time travelers through the ages.

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

{{comic discussion}}

2971: Celestial Event

2024-08-13T03:48:18Z

Onestay:

{{comic
| number = 2971
| date = August 12, 2024
| title = Celestial Event
| image = celestial_event_2x.png
| imagesize = 471x300px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = If we can get a brood of 13-year cicadas going, we might have a chance at making this happen before the oceans evaporate under the expanding sun.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT THAT APPEARS EVERY FOUR BILLION YEARS - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic multiplies the fraction of time that a number of events occur in the sky. The resulting product is the expected frequency that all of them would occur at the same time. The value he calculates is once every 4.3 billion years. This is in the same ballpark as the current age of the Earth, about 4.5 billion years.

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

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2966: Exam Numbers

2024-07-31T20:43:17Z

Onestay:

pre-algebra: 4, calculus: pi^2 / 4 (about 2.467), physics: cosmological constant: depends on how you measure it [[Special:Contributions/162.158.167.48|162.158.167.48]] 18:11, 31 July 2024 (UTC)

Game theory: -5x10⁶ (maybe helpful, maybe not... just be thankful I didn't include an ''i'' factor in there somewhere...) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.185|172.70.162.185]] 18:20, 31 July 2024 (UTC)

Could somebody reformat all the math here in whatever LaTeX plugin this wiki uses? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.222.102|162.158.222.102]] 18:35, 31 July 2024 (UTC)
:Probably not, because the MathML here is broken. But, also, nothing I see requires anything particularly complicated, it can all stay in fairly straightforward (standardly formatted) text. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.224|141.101.98.224]] 18:44, 31 July 2024 (UTC)
I had to look up "TREE(3)." Seriousness aside, I think the largest number would be the astrological sign 1 that has its end_points_ as galaxy clusters.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.245.184|172.68.245.184]] 19:26, 31 July 2024 (UTC)
Which astrological sign? Search engines aren't helping. [[User:Onestay|Onestay]] ([[User talk:Onestay|talk]]) 20:41, 31 July 2024 (UTC)
Infinity is _not_ a number. [[User:Dúthomhas|Dúthomhas]] ([[User talk:Dúthomhas|talk]]) 19:39, 31 July 2024 (UTC)

If infinity _is_ a number, it might be a possible solution to the game theory question. The average of any set of numbers that includes infinity is infinity, and infinity + 10 is still infinity. I probably wouldn't try that in most classes, but a game theory professor might approve "gaming" the system, as it were.
:If I would prefer no-one (else) to win, I might submit -∞ as my answer. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.74|172.70.90.74]] 20:13, 31 July 2024 (UTC)

Infinity is absolutely not a number, and is the one answer I would mark as unambiguously wrong for the last one. Just say TREE(G_64) or something. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.31|162.158.154.31]] 20:15, 31 July 2024 (UTC)

I did a bit of a deep dive into wikipedia and the googology wiki and the answer to the last question depends on a few things (along with assuming ZFC). If transfinite ordinals count as numbers, then those at the end of {{w|List of large cardinal properties}} take the cake (if i'm reading it right). Otherwise, something based off [https://googology.fandom.com/wiki/Rayo%27s_number Rayo's number] is the best googologists have come up with so far. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.246.149|172.69.246.149]] 20:18, 31 July 2024 (UTC)Bumpf

Isn’t the joke in the pre-algebra that it would require algebra in order ro calculate? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.70.135|172.68.70.135]] 20:36, 31 July 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2966: Exam Numbers

2024-07-31T20:42:37Z

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Talk:2966: Exam Numbers

2024-07-31T20:41:57Z

Onestay: