1653: United States Map - Revision history

PaintspotInfez: /* Table */ no spce

2026-04-07T00:15:27Z

‎Table: no spce

PaintspotInfez: /* Explanation */ have.

2026-04-07T00:14:44Z

‎Explanation: have.

FaviFake: /* Table */

2025-08-08T12:49:22Z

‎Table

Show changes

ConscriptGlossary at 11:26, 11 November 2024

2024-11-11T11:26:44Z

172.70.91.33: /* Trivia */ missing "been" / simpler clausal ending

2024-11-11T04:30:10Z

‎Trivia: missing "been" / simpler clausal ending

172.68.205.150: /* Trivia */ Minor reword.

2024-11-11T01:17:01Z

‎Trivia: Minor reword.

162.158.33.214: /* Trivia */ The obvious(?) conclusion.

2024-11-11T01:14:28Z

‎Trivia: The obvious(?) conclusion.

172.69.79.183: Undo revision 356389 by Jkshapiro (talk) Not entirely sure what the objection (and reason for removal) actually is, here. (And ditto the prior removal. Agree it's wordy; suggest rewrite of it?)

2024-11-11T00:58:46Z

Undo revision 356389 by Jkshapiro (talk) Not entirely sure what the objection (and reason for removal) actually is, here. (And ditto the prior removal. Agree it's wordy; suggest rewrite of it?)

Jkshapiro: /* Trivia */ Omit unrelated paragraph

2024-11-11T00:47:40Z

‎Trivia: Omit unrelated paragraph

Jkshapiro: /* Explanation */ Omit wordy paragraph

2024-11-11T00:44:33Z

‎Explanation: Omit wordy paragraph

@@ Line 203: / Line 203: @@
+|
 |-
-! {{w|Rhode Island}} (as RI )
+! {{w|Rhode Island}} (as RI)
 | Unclear rotation, perhaps counter clockwise
 | Louisiana (New Orleans area)

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 The comic is a map with the (rough) outline of the {{w|Contiguous United States|mainland}} of the {{w|United States of America}}. At first it looks like the real map, but actually all the states have been shuffled around in it. It seems that [[Randall]] took all of the states (minus {{w|Alaska}} and {{w|Hawaii}}, the two states that are not part of this map and are only mentioned in the title text, see below), and then reassembled them in the style of a jigsaw puzzle, with the end result being a map with a similar outline to the original [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/National-atlas-blank-state-outlines.png unaltered mainland state map]. They can thus be reassembled into the real map as can be seen [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/8/88/1653-rearranged.png here] (see also the [[#Trivia|trivia section]]).
-Previously Randall has played with the shapes of the United States in [[1079: United Shapes]]. In that map he did two separate drawings for {{w|Michigan}} with a mitten in the {{w|Lower Peninsula of Michigan|lower part}} and an eagle in the {{w|Upper Peninsula of Michigan|upper part}}. Once again in this version he has split Michigan in two, the lower main part, the mitten just labeled ''Michigan'', is on the west coast on part of {{w|California|California's}} location, but the upper part is located on the east coast over {{w|New York|New York's}} location and has been labeled ''MI (upper)''. So even without Hawaii and Alaska, there are 49 "states" in this map, consisting of 47 states plus the two halves of Michigan. In the [[#Table|table]] below all 49 states in the map has been listed to indicate where the puzzle pieces have been moved to.
+Previously Randall has played with the shapes of the United States in [[1079: United Shapes]]. In that map he did two separate drawings for {{w|Michigan}} with a mitten in the {{w|Lower Peninsula of Michigan|lower part}} and an eagle in the {{w|Upper Peninsula of Michigan|upper part}}. Once again in this version he has split Michigan in two, the lower main part, the mitten just labeled ''Michigan'', is on the west coast on part of {{w|California|California's}} location, but the upper part is located on the east coast over {{w|New York|New York's}} location and has been labeled ''MI (upper)''. So even without Hawaii and Alaska, there are 49 "states" in this map, consisting of 47 states plus the two halves of Michigan. In the [[#Table|table]] below all 49 states in the map have been listed to indicate where the puzzle pieces have been moved to.
 It seems at a first glance that the names have been written on the states as they would appear in a normal map, and that they have all then been rotated with the rotation of the states. But this is not the case for all states. For instance it seems like {{w|Utah}} has hardly been moved at all, and with the name written normally this may be intentionally to deceive the readers. Because Utah has been turned upside down, and according to how for instance {{w|Texas}}, clearly turned upside down, has its name written upside down as well, Utah should thus also have been written like that.

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 **To list the rotation of the state compared to the real orientation of the state in the real world map
 **To list which state/states the states, in this comics map, have been moved over/inside.
-**Finally it a note can be made for interesting swaps.
+**Finally a note can be made for interesting swaps.
 {| class="wikitable sortable"
 |-
@@ Line 129: / Line 129: @@
 |-
 | {{w|Vermont}} (as VT) || Upside down || Either New Jersey or Delaware (unclear) ||
 |}

@@ Line 190: / Line 190: @@
 *Using two A3 printouts of both the [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/National-atlas-blank-state-outlines.png real map] from Wikipedia and this comic, is approximately the same scale it was possible to reassemble US putting the states in their correct place.
 **The result displayed surprisingly accurate drawings of the states, although it is clear that on the borders between states that are not drawn by a ruler, they cannot be correct for both states in all cases.
-**From this map it becomes clear that not only Utah but also Montana has the text written upside down according to the correct position of the state. The former could have followed the rules of other inverted states, and having been inverted ''only'' in the rearrangement. The latter is sideways (as rearranged), with no apparent rotation convention amongst other sideways-aligned state labels, so could easily have in a 180° format. With all other states generally conforming to real-world expectations (or, having enough rotational symmetry to be ambiguously correct), the conclusion may therefore be that the intention was to represent a re-arrangement of a correctly labeled correct map, but these particular exceptions were (trivial) errors in the process of creation.
+**From this map it becomes clear that not only Utah but also Montana has the text written upside down according to the correct position of the state. The former could have followed the rules of other inverted states, and having been inverted ''only'' in the rearrangement. The latter is sideways (as rearranged), with no apparent rotation convention amongst other sideways-aligned state labels, so could easily have been turned 180°. With all other states generally conforming to real-world expectations (or, having enough rotational symmetry to be ambiguously correct), the conclusion may therefore be that the intention was to represent a re-arrangement of a correctly labeled correct map, but these particular exceptions were (trivial) errors in the process of creation.
 [[File:1653_United_States_Map_49_piece_jigsaw_solved.jpg]]
 *This comic may be an input to the way the {{w|voting districts}} in the US are so random that you can not guess where your vote will count.

@@ Line 190: / Line 190: @@
 *Using two A3 printouts of both the [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/National-atlas-blank-state-outlines.png real map] from Wikipedia and this comic, is approximately the same scale it was possible to reassemble US putting the states in their correct place.
 **The result displayed surprisingly accurate drawings of the states, although it is clear that on the borders between states that are not drawn by a ruler, they cannot be correct for both states in all cases.
-**From this map it becomes clear that not only Utah but also Montana has the text written upside down according to the correct position of the state. The former could have followed the rules of other inverted states, and having been inverted ''only'' in the rearrangement. The latter is sideways (as rearranged), with no apparent rotation convention amongst other sideways-aligned state labels, so could easily have in a 180° format. With all other states conforming (or, having enough rotational symmetry to be ambiguously correct), the conclusion may therefore be that the intention was to represent a re-arrangement of a correctly labeled correct map, but these particular exceptions were (trivial) errors in the process of creation.
+**From this map it becomes clear that not only Utah but also Montana has the text written upside down according to the correct position of the state. The former could have followed the rules of other inverted states, and having been inverted ''only'' in the rearrangement. The latter is sideways (as rearranged), with no apparent rotation convention amongst other sideways-aligned state labels, so could easily have in a 180° format. With all other states generally conforming to real-world expectations (or, having enough rotational symmetry to be ambiguously correct), the conclusion may therefore be that the intention was to represent a re-arrangement of a correctly labeled correct map, but these particular exceptions were (trivial) errors in the process of creation.
 [[File:1653_United_States_Map_49_piece_jigsaw_solved.jpg]]
 *This comic may be an input to the way the {{w|voting districts}} in the US are so random that you can not guess where your vote will count.

@@ Line 192: / Line 192: @@
 **From this map it becomes clear that not only Utah but also Montana has the text written upside down according to the correct position of the state.
 [[File:1653_United_States_Map_49_piece_jigsaw_solved.jpg]]
 * This raises an interesting math problem: How many colors (see the four color theorem) are needed to color the normal US map and the xkcd map so that the states under the same name should be in the same color (e. g. the two Washingtons should be in the same color. The four Michigans should also be in the same color. However, the North Dakota and South Dakota are considered different.) while different states that share borders on either map should be in different colors? (Detail needed)
 {{comic discussion}}
 [[Category:US maps]]

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 It seems at a first glance that the names have been written on the states as they would appear in a normal map, and that they have all then been rotated with the rotation of the states. But this is not the case for all states. For instance it seems like {{w|Utah}} has hardly been moved at all, and with the name written normally this may be intentionally to deceive the readers. Because Utah has been turned upside down, and according to how for instance {{w|Texas}}, clearly turned upside down, has its name written upside down as well, Utah should thus also have been written like that.
-It seems likely that this could be a trick by Randall, to see if anyone spots that Utah has actually been moved. But it could of course be a mistake, as seems more likely with {{w|Montana}} where the same "error" has occurred, but since this state has been moved far from its real position there would be no sport in doing so (see the [[#Trivia|trivia section]]). Of course there is the possibility that "Utah" was on purpose and Montana by mistake. With 47 of 49 ending up rotated as expected on the map and only two exactly upside down, there can be no doubt that it was on purpose that the names in general have been written according to the states rotation. Note that for instance the state California has been rotated, but in a way so the text is written normally. But due to the direction of the state, it is normal to write the name tilted down along the state, which just coincidentally ends up being rotated normal in the position it has in the comic.
+California has only been pushed down the length of the west border of the US (and thus rotated accordingly) so the top part still overlaps with the bottom part California, but also covers the bottom part of {{w|Arizona}} and {{w|New Mexico}}. Other states that likewise haven't been moved a lot include {{w|Maine}} which has only been rolled left (i.e. turned upside down) to just outside its normal position. {{w|Colorado}} has been moved up a state to where {{w|Wyoming}} usually is, and Wyoming has then just been shifted right, still covering part of its original position. But both have been turned 90 degrees, whichever way would be impossible to say for these rectangular states, but the text, if you dare believe in that, seems to indicate they have been turned counter clockwise. {{w|Wisconsin}} has only been shifted down below its usual position but then turned upside down.
 The title text mentions how it would be unfair to use a [http://i.imgur.com/Mvi8j9s.jpg blank version] of this shuffled-up map as a quiz for knowledge of U.S. geography (the link is to such a map created by a user of this site); most people recognize states primarily by their relative locations, not their shape (and especially not their shape after being rotated). It also suggests a corresponding mean trick to play if you include Alaska and Hawaii, which are not present in the comic itself, namely to interchange the volcanic island of Hawaii (consisting of 8 main islands and hundreds of smaller ones) with those of the {{w|Aleutian Islands}}, also a chain of volcanic islands (14 large and 55 small) that partly belongs to the US and partly to Russia. The island extends from the {{w|Alaska Peninsula}}. It would thus be possible to even make it difficult to correctly name these last two states, even though it would be obvious to begin with that it must be the two not belonging to the mainland.