https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=108.162.254.88&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T17:41:48ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1447:_Meta-Analysis&diff=79770Talk:1447: Meta-Analysis2014-11-26T09:04:59Z<p>108.162.254.88: </p>
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<div>The term "too meta" means that something is too self referential. Not "so abstract that they can't be easily interpreted."<br />
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What is this "Medline, Embase and Cochrane" ? Thanks. Dams. {{unsigned ip|108.162.254.30}}<br />
:Databases of Medical Publications [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.30|108.162.254.30]] 08:19, 14 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
:Medline[http://www.medline.com/], Embase[http://www.elsevier.com/online-tools/embase/about] and Cochrane[http://www.cochrane.org/] are medical research databases. You can find there studies on various drug uses or treatment plans. A useful information source if you want to compare studies on use of Allopurinol for chronic gout or else. [[User:Jkotek|Jkotek]] ([[User talk:Jkotek|talk]]) 08:28, 14 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
::Seems to me that should be in the explanation, no? -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 15:03, 14 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
Would it be helpful to include a breakdown of the terms?<br />
*Meta-Analysis = "We searched M, E, & C for [keyword]"<br />
*Meta-Meta-Analysis = "We searched M, E, & C for 'We searched M, E, & C for [keyword]'"<br />
*Meta-Meta-Meta-Analysis = "We searched M, E, & C for 'We searched M, E, & C for 'We searched M, E, & C for [keyword]""<br />
[[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 08:46, 14 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Your paper is rejected. //"TOO META"--[[User:Theme|Theme]] ([[User talk:Theme|talk]]) 08:49, 14 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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IMHO a better would be this:<br />
*Meta-Analysis = "We searched M, E, & C for [keyword] and compared results between each other"<br />
*Meta-Meta-Analysis = "We analyzed how others 'search the M, E, & C for for [keyword] and compare the results'"<br />
*Meta-Meta-Meta-Analysis = "We analyzed how other 'analyze how others search the M, E, & C for for [keyword] and compare the results'"<br />
too meta [[User:Jkotek|Jkotek]] ([[User talk:Jkotek|talk]]) 15:22, 14 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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I don't understand this explanation! Why isn't there an "Explain Explain XKCD" site? --[[User:RenniePet|RenniePet]] ([[User talk:RenniePet|talk]]) 23:43, 15 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
:I don't understand this comment! We need a Explain XKCD comment comments section!--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.199|108.162.231.199]] 09:51, 19 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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It seems that Randall actually enjoys rejections. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.139|173.245.50.139]] 03:18, 18 November 2014 (UTC)</div>108.162.254.88https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=165:_Turn_Signals&diff=60845165: Turn Signals2014-02-22T21:54:44Z<p>108.162.254.88: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 165<br />
| date = October 2, 2006<br />
| title = Turn Signals<br />
| image = turn_signals.png<br />
| titletext = I'm not very good at meeting people.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|Automotive lighting#Turn signals|Turn Signals}} are designed to flash between 60 and 120 times per minute. Most turn signals are driven by an {{w|electromechanical}} device. Due to manufacturing tolerances, battery state of charge, ambient temperature, and various other factors, two different turn signals rarely flash at the same rate, even among cars of the same make and model. Having two cars with turn signals flashing at the same rate would be a rare event.<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]] notices this event, and expresses his excitement to the driver of the other car, despite being stopped at an intersection. The other driver is confused by this. Turn signal frequency is something that most people don't take notice of. Cueball however takes it as an opportunity to strike up a conversation, and make a new friend. The title text refers to the fact that this is probably not a good strategy for making friends.<br />
<br />
The {{w|Beat (acoustics)|beat frequency}} is more known in acoustics where it is the rate at which two frequencies transition from being ''{{w|phase (waves)|in phase}}'' with each other to being ''out of phase'' and then to being ''in phase'' again. In other words, two turn signals that begin by flashing together will transition to flashing opposite each other and then back to flashing together, and the rate at which this process cycles is the beat frequency. <br />
The beat frequency depends on the lowest common multiple (LCM) of the two turn signals' cycle durations: Let's call the two cycle durations a and b. If there are natural numbers n and m so that n*a equals m*b, this means, that at the time t=n*a both signals have the exact relative phase as they have had at t=0. If you chose the lowest natural numbers n and m which still fulfill this criterion, 1/(n*a) is your beat frequency.<br />
This implies: If the ratio between the two signals' frequencies is an irrational number (as it most certainly is, in reality), the signals will never be exactly in phase.<br />
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The beating of turn signals is an easy phenomenon to observe when one is stopped at a {{w|traffic light}} with nothing to do but watch the flashing turn signals, and it is the lack of beating that Cueball noticed and excitedly reported. <br />
<br />
Cueball's obviously been [[277|stuck at this light]] for too long.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Two cars are seen sitting at a red light. One person is seen walking from his car up to the driver of the car in front of him. The turn signals of both cars seem to be blinking at the same time.]<br />
:Person in Street: Hey, our turn signals are in sync!<br />
:Person in Car: What the hell?<br />
<br />
:Person in Street: Usually they're at least a little off. But I've been watching like 30 seconds and haven't seen any beat frequency!<br />
:Person in Car: Who are you?<br />
<br />
:Person in Street: You know, from the beat frequency you can tell the difference in timing of the two signals.<br />
:Person in Car: ...<br />
:Person in Street: But ours are the same!<br />
:Person in Car: ...<br />
:Person in Street: So, wanna hang out later?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Traffic light]]</div>108.162.254.88https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=165:_Turn_Signals&diff=60780165: Turn Signals2014-02-22T01:10:15Z<p>108.162.254.88: /* Explanation */ Beat frequency is certainly not proportional to the two frequencies delta</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 165<br />
| date = October 2, 2006<br />
| title = Turn Signals<br />
| image = turn_signals.png<br />
| titletext = I'm not very good at meeting people.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|Automotive lighting#Turn signals|Turn Signals}} are designed to flash between 60 and 120 times per minute. Most turn signals are driven by an {{w|electromechanical}} device. Due to manufacturing tolerances, battery state of charge, ambient temperature, and various other factors, two different turn signals rarely flash at the same rate, even among cars of the same make and model. Having two cars with turn signals flashing at the same rate would be a rare event.<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]] notices this event, and expresses his excitement to the driver of the other car, despite being stopped at an intersection. The other driver is confused by this. Turn signal frequency is something that most people don't take notice of. Cueball however takes it as an opportunity to strike up a conversation, and make a new friend. The title text refers to the fact that this is probably not a good strategy for making friends.<br />
<br />
The beat frequency is the rate at which two frequencies transition from being {{w|phase (waves)|in phase}} with each other to being {{w|phase (waves)|out of phase}} and then to being {{w|phase (waves)|in phase}} again. In other words, two turn signals that begin by flashing together will transition to flashing opposite each other and then back to flashing together, and the rate at which this process cycles is the beat frequency. The beat frequency is related to the ''difference'' between the two turn signal frequencies; more precisely, two turn signals whose frequencies are closer together will take longer to pass through the in-phase/out-of-phase cycle, and two signals whose frequencies are identical would take an infinite time (because their relative phase never changes). The beating of turn signals is an easy phenomenon to observe when one is stopped at a {{w|traffic light}} with nothing to do but watch the flashing turn signals, and it is the lack of beating that Cueball noticed and excitedly reported. <br />
<br />
Cueball's obviously been [[277|stuck at this light]] for too long.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Two cars are seen sitting at a red light. One person is seen walking from his car up to the driver of the car in front of him. The turn signals of both cars seem to be blinking at the same time.]<br />
:Person in Street: Hey, our turn signals are in sync!<br />
:Person in Car: What the hell?<br />
<br />
:Person in Street: Usually they're at least a little off. But I've been watching like 30 seconds and haven't seen any beat frequency!<br />
:Person in Car: Who are you?<br />
<br />
:Person in Street: You know, from the beat frequency you can tell the difference in timing of the two signals.<br />
:Person in Car: ...<br />
:Person in Street: But ours are the same!<br />
:Person in Car: ...<br />
:Person in Street: So, wanna hang out later?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Traffic light]]</div>108.162.254.88https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:86:_Digital_Rights_Management&diff=59762Talk:86: Digital Rights Management2014-02-11T12:53:10Z<p>108.162.254.88: </p>
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<div>And cue global warming...<br />
[[User:Krev|Semicolon here]] ([[User talk:Krev|talk]]) 14:50, 27 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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i might sound daft here, but is the wall of ice explained in any way? it feels like the humour here derives from it, and i'm not sure what to make of it. the explanation focusing on the details of the antipiracy laws and regulations feels a tad superfluous while i feel it doesn't really add anything that explains the joke. again, i'm a romanian, so my grasp of the english language (and the american culture) is below par, so this might be a silly question. feel free to remove my comment here if that's the case.</div>108.162.254.88