Editing 1394: Superm*n
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | By depicting how unimpressive the superhero {{w|Superman}} would be if his increase in powers, when compared to humans, were the same as the moon's increase in apparent size during a {{w|supermoon}}, Randall points that the use of the term supermoon is an exaggeration | + | By depicting how unimpressive the superhero {{w|Superman}} would be if his increase in powers, when compared to humans, were the same as the moon's increase in apparent size during a {{w|supermoon}}, Randall points that the use of the term supermoon is an exaggeration. |
− | + | This comic was posted one day after a supermoon, an informal astronomical event where a full moon occurs when it is closest to earth, causing the moon to appear 10% brighter and about 7% larger. This is due to the {{w|apsidal precession}} of moon's {{w|elliptic orbit}} which has an {{w|orbital eccentricity}} of about 0.0549. The conditions for a supermoon happen once every 411 days, and the loose definition of the term means that the supermoon lasts for about two or three full moons. | |
− | Returning to the not-so-Superman, the average American adult man is 69 inches tall, with a {{w|standard deviation}} of 2.9 inches. Not-so-Superman, at an assumed 74 inches (188 cm) tall, is within the 94th percentile - certainly a tall man, but by no means phenomenal. Basketball players, | + | Returning to the not-so-Superman, the average American adult man is 69 inches tall, with a {{w|standard deviation}} of 2.9 inches. Not-so-Superman, at an assumed 74 inches (188 cm) tall, is within the 94th percentile - certainly a tall man, but by no means phenomenal. Basketball players, for sake of example, range an upwards of 80 inches. "7% stronger" (most likely a reference to how the supermoon is 7% larger) is a bit harder to quantify, but it communicates "not actually impressive" to the reader all the same. For example, if an average man can lift 50 kg, the not-so-Superman would lift 53.5 kg. |
− | The comic's title makes use of an asterisk that is being used as a wildcard. When using search queries an asterisk represents one or more characters. Therefore, Superm*n can represent the strings "Superman" and "Supermoon | + | The comic's title makes use of an asterisk that is being used as a wildcard. When using search queries an asterisk represents one or more characters. Therefore, Superm*n can represent the strings "Superman" and "Supermoon". |
− | The title text refers makes this same comparison with {{w|Spider-Man}}. Spider | + | The title text refers makes this same comparison with {{w|Spider-Man}}. Spider man is capable of firing large amounts of webbing, can cling to surfaces with superhuman gripping abilities, and has a sixth sense, "spider sense", that warns him about impending danger. The title text describes trivially minimal versions of these powers, analogous to the trivial size and brightness difference between a "supermoon" and a normal full moon. This also shows a much more accurate depiction of an actual spider's abilities, where they can produce several inches of a thin web, not the unrealistic amounts depicted in use by Spider Man. |
− | Supermoon is also referenced in [[1052: Every Major's Terrible#Verse 3|panel 25]] of [[1052: Every Major's Terrible]] and shortly thereafter in [[1080: Visual Field]]. In both cases displaying the same distaste for the formulation. Although not as clearly as here | + | Supermoon is also referenced in [[1052: Every Major's Terrible#Verse 3|panel 25]] of [[1052: Every Major's Terrible]] and shortly thereafter in [[1080: Visual Field]]. In both cases displaying the same distaste for the formulation. Although not as clearly as here. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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[[Category:Comics with color]] | [[Category:Comics with color]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
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