2004: Sun and Earth - Revision history

Lp0 on fire: removed Category:Science; added Category:Geology using HotCat

2025-12-24T15:39:51Z

removed Category:Science; added Category:Geology using HotCat

1234231587678 at 02:52, 16 March 2025

2025-03-16T02:52:56Z

PoolloverNathan: your mom

2022-09-07T16:55:00Z

your mom

NightWolf1223: Undo revision 271707 by Explain xkcd server admin (talk)

2022-05-20T22:44:55Z

Undo revision 271707 by Explain xkcd server admin (talk)

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Explain xkcd server admin at 22:03, 20 May 2022

2022-05-20T22:03:55Z

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Theusaf: Reverted edits by 👖🔥 (talk) to last revision by Jacky720

2022-05-11T18:44:38Z

Reverted edits by 👖🔥 (talk) to last revision by Jacky720

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👖🔥 at 17:44, 11 May 2022

2022-05-11T17:44:53Z

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Jacky720: rv

2022-05-04T22:36:16Z

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Ex Kay Cee Dee at 22:33, 4 May 2022

2022-05-04T22:33:33Z

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Ex Kay Cee Dee at 22:21, 4 May 2022

2022-05-04T22:21:08Z

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@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
-[[Category:Science]]
+[[Category:Geology]]
 [[Category:Volcanoes]]
 [[Category:Astronomy]]

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 This could sound like a very bad scenario, but the title text reminds us that the real scenario we live in is far worse, as we are not likely to die from a Sun blast or volcano eruption. In doing this, he indirectly points out the hard truth about our lives: that they're limited and they're short, and it is far easier to die of because of other things. In this way Randall attempts to give the reader an existential crisis; he concludes that his statement did not help to reassure himself.
-This comic was likely inspired by the recent eruptions of the {{w|Kīlauea}} and {{w|Volcán de Fuego}}. In contrast, solar activity is currently low, because the {{w|Sunspot#Solar_cycle|sunspot solar cycle}} is in the low end of the 11-year cycle.
+This comic was likely inspired by the recent eruptions of the {{w|Kīlauea}} and {{w|Volcán de Fuego}}. In contrast, solar activity was low, as the {{w|Sunspot#Solar_cycle|sunspot solar cycle}} was nearing a minimum in 2018.
 ==Transcript==

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 The magnitude of these systems gives you an idea of the size of the fluctuations you can expect. The sun is very massive, meaning the fluctuations in its convective or heat-dissipating behavior are very large. This is an instance of the {{w|Fluctuation-dissipation_theorem|Fluctuation-Dissipation theorem}}. These fluctuations take the form of a solar flare, as explained below. For a more thorough (but non-technical) explanation of the role of gravity and entropy in such systems, see [https://arxiv.org/abs/0907.0659 this].
-The {{w|Sun}} produces great amounts of light and heat and blasts it towards us, which is why we can live on Earth. Since Ludwig Boltzmann pointed out the fact in 1875, people have been working on establishing exactly how such far from equilibrium systems as life might depend upon, or be formed by ([https://www.quantamagazine.org/first-support-for-a-physics-theory-of-life-20170726/ like this article]), such massive entropy gradients as between the sun and earth (or rather the sun and empty space). Main sequence stars like the sun transport energy by {{w|Radiation_zone|radiation}} and by {{w|Convection_zone|convective currents}} of {{w|Plasma (physics)|plasma}}, bringing the heat generated in the core of the sun to its surface.  These quickly moving charged particles create a massive magnetic field, which occasionally gets concentrated into a {{w|solar prominence}} which can snap, causing a large amount of charged particles to get shot into space as a {{w|solar flare}}.  If the Earth happens to be in the direction of the solar flare, we can notice all sorts of interesting and often damaging effects.  Thankfully, there are lots of other directions for the sun to shoot solar flares, so they don't come by the Earth that often.
+The {{w|Sun}} produces great amounts of light and heat and blasts it towards us, which is why we can live on Earth. Since Ludwig Boltzmann pointed out the fact in 1875, people have been working on establishing exactly how such far from equilibrium systems as life might depend upon, or be formed by ([https://www.quantamagazine.org/first-support-for-a-physics-theory-of-life-20170726/ like this article]), such massive entropy gradients as between the sun and earth (or rather the sun and empty space). Main sequence stars like the sun transport energy by {{w|Radiation_zone|radiation}} and by {{w|Convection_zone|convective currents}} of {{w|Plasma (physics)|plasma}}, bringing the heat generated in the core of the sun to its surface.  These quickly moving charged particles create a massive magnetic field, which occasionally gets concentrated into a {{w|solar prominence}} which can snap, causing a large amount of charged particles to get shot into space as a {{w|solar flare}}.  If the Earth happens to be in the direction of the solar flare, we can notice all sorts of interesting and often damaging effects.  Thankfully, there are lots of other directions{{Citation needed}} for the sun to shoot solar flares, so they don't come by the Earth that often.
 The {{w|Earth#Internal_structure|Earth's interior}} is also very hot. {{w|Mantle convection}} causes {{w|plate tectonics}} which is the main cause of {{w|Volcano|volcanic activity}} (next to {{w|Mantle_plume|mantle plumes}}), which essentially also consists of huge blasts of heat.