Editing 3254: Detector

{{comic
| number    = 3254
| date      = June 3, 2026
| title     = Detector
| image     = detector_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x272px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = No other experiment has a lower false negative rate.
}}

==Explanation==
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[[Ponytail]] and [[Hairy]] are showing [[Cueball]] a machine, claiming it is their most sensitive detector. Normally, detectors have a designated detecting job, such as smoke detectors which detect smoke. Being more sensitive means that it can detect (and perhaps quantify) far lower quantities/magnitudes of the target of its deterctions.

In this case, "more sensitive" seems to mean that it is sensitive to more ''different'' things. To quote Ponytail, it detects "gas, dust, particles, light, radio waves, gamma rays, protons, neutrons, electrons, fields, forces, events, potentials, or states", which runs almost the entire gamut of things that ''might'' be detectable, and leaves little room for there being any situation in which none of the aforementioned items are there to be detected.

Cueball points this out and Hairy says that it ''has'' been continuously running since they turned it on. And Ponytail is left shocked when Cueball asks what would happen if the light labeled "not detected" were to shine. Hairy claims that such a thing would be pretty bad. The presumption being that, if that were to happen, there would have to be no matter, light, forces, etc within the detector's range of detection. (With almost no reason for the not detected light to shine, they could have simply made a simple circuit board with a led and written a program so that the light is always on, but the reaction shows that neither of the existing experts think that this has been done.)

The title text states that the machine has the lowest false-negative rate out of any other machine as the "Detected" light will always continue shining. If it never ''ever'' states a negative, then it can never be wrong about it being negative, even though it is not clear what circumstances would result in a negative state being required, nor whether the detectore will (corretly) state that, rather than just continue to provide a (now) false-positive.

Randell had recently talked about detectors in [[3249: Neutrino Project]].

==Transcript==
[Hairy is standing next to a large machine labeled "Detector". The front of the machine has two lights, labeled "Detected" and "Not detected". The "detected" light is lit up in green. Ponytail and Cueball walk towards the machine]

Ponytail: Over there are our electron microscope, XRF scanner, and mass spectrometer. And this is our most sensitive detector.

Cueball: What does it detect?

[The next panel zooms in on the detector]

Ponytail: (off-screen) Lots of stuff.

Ponytail: Gas, dust, particles, light, radio waves, gamma rays, protons, neutrons, electrons, fields, forces, events, potentials, or states.

[The next panel zooms out.]

Cueball: I don't understand. Aren't most of those always present?

Hairy: Yeah, it's been saying "detected" continuously since we turned it on.

Cueball: What happens if it says "not detected"?

Ponytail: Oh gosh.

Hairy: That would be pretty bad, I think.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Science]]