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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | All matter | + | {{incomplete|More on White Hat's new theory from the last panel. The abstraction of the particle idea not explained.}} |
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+ | All objects on Earth are matter, meaning they are made of {{w|Atom|atoms}}, which are specifically '''not''' made up of {{w|antimatter}}. Atoms, while once (when they were named) believed to be the smallest unit of matter, are now known to be made up of {{w|Proton|protons}}, {{w|Neutron|neutrons}} and {{w|Electron|electrons}}. Protons and neutrons are in turn made up of {{w|Quark|quarks}}. Quarks come in six different "{{w|Flavour (particle physics)|flavors}}" (up, down, top, bottom, charm, and strange), with protons and neutrons being made of the first two types. Each quark also has a corresponding {{w|Antiparticle|antiparticle}}, antiquark, which would make up antiprotons and antineutrons. | ||
− | [[White Hat]] and [[Megan]] appear to be discussing the topics of antimatter and subatomic particles. White Hat makes the assertion that we (referring to people and objects) are made partially of antimatter, because, as he claims, a proton (one of the particles which | + | [[White Hat]] and [[Megan]] appear to be discussing the topics of {{w|Antimatter|antimatter}} and subatomic particles. White Hat makes the assertion that we (referring to people and objects) are made partially of antimatter, because, as he claims, a proton (one of the particles which makes up all matter) is made of two quarks and an antiquark. In fact, protons are made up of two up quarks and a down quark. He is making the simple mistake of mixing up the difference between flavors of quarks with the difference between particles and antiparticles. He continues to elaborate on his idea by mentioning neutrons, which are made of two down quarks and an up quark, but, by his reasoning, they would be made of two antiquarks and a quark. |
− | + | (White Hat may have incorrectly remembered that, while the valence quarks in a proton are all matter, quantum field theory says that protons also contain an indefinite number of "virtual" anti-quarks, quarks, and gluons. See this video ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LraNu_78sCwv What are Quarks?]'' about this. His final comment could be referring to the ontological debate over whether virtual particles are in some sense real or only an artifact of perturbation theory.) | |
− | It is rather common to | + | When Megan (accurately) doubts this claim, White Hat takes out his smartphone to look it up, in order to show Megan that he is correct. However, upon seeing results (from Wikipedia or another site), he realizes that he was in fact '''wrong''' (hence the title). Not wanting to be incorrect or give up his position in the discussion, he convinces himself that he wasn't actually wrong, (he mentally deletes the realization that he was wrong as shown in the next panel) and instead completely changes the topic (...) to try and re-frame it so he may in some convoluted way not be completely wrong. |
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+ | It is rather common to not admit fault, the whole topic of this comic, and instead trying to maintain an air on infallibility and intelligence. Some people are just too prideful to admit that they are inherently fallible; White Hat is one of those people, as depicted in several of his earlier appearances (see [[#Trivia|trivia section]]). [[Randall]] uses this comic to criticize people who are unable to put aside their ego and re-assess what they know in the face of empirical data; such thinking flies directly against scientific rigor (adding an extra layer of irony to the situation, since White Hat and Megan are discussing a ''scientific'' topic). This method had already been called ''wrong'' in [[803: Airfoil]]. | ||
− | White Hat's new topic, where he can be right, includes the {{w| | + | White Hat's new topic, where he can be right, includes the {{w|Quantum field theory}}, a very complicated field, which it is likely that Megan do not know so much about (inferred by the fact that she was not quite sure about the anti-quarks). So he could maybe tell her something she could not refute, and then claim to be right. Megan, however, recognizes exactly what he is trying to do, and can only sigh in response to his failed efforts. |
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− | White Hat | + | In the title text, White Hat just remembers another thing he's right about. This shows that he is not interested in a discussion but only in being right, and he proceeds to prove his point by explaining this other topic (hinted to at the end of the title text). This bears some similarity to [[386: Duty Calls]], in which [[Cueball]] stays up late correcting someone on the Internet. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
*This comic could be seen as a follow up to [[1605: DNA]]. Going back through the last White Hat appearances it turns out that DNA, 13 White Hat comics back, is actually the last where White Hat has been the fall guy. For instance he has the opposite role in [[1640: Super Bowl Context]], and he is not "the stupid guy" in the comics between that and this one, but often just another guy than Cueball. Further back in [[1255: Columbus]] he was again the fall guy, and again it reminds a bit about this comic. Actually Megan even begins that comic with a *sigh* like she finished this one. | *This comic could be seen as a follow up to [[1605: DNA]]. Going back through the last White Hat appearances it turns out that DNA, 13 White Hat comics back, is actually the last where White Hat has been the fall guy. For instance he has the opposite role in [[1640: Super Bowl Context]], and he is not "the stupid guy" in the comics between that and this one, but often just another guy than Cueball. Further back in [[1255: Columbus]] he was again the fall guy, and again it reminds a bit about this comic. Actually Megan even begins that comic with a *sigh* like she finished this one. | ||
− | *Quarks are also referenced in [[1418: Horse]], [[1621: Fixion]] and the first time they were mentioned, in [[474: Turn-On]], | + | *Quarks are also referenced in [[1418: Horse]], [[1621: Fixion]] and the first time they were mentioned, in [[474: Turn-On]], the up and down flavor was also mentioned. |
− | *Antimatter is also referenced in [[683: Science Montage]], [[826: Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)]] and [[1621: Fixion]] as well as being the subject of the | + | *Antimatter is also referenced in [[683: Science Montage]], [[826: Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)]] and [[1621: Fixion]] as well as being the subject of the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|114|Antimatter}}''. It was also mentioned in another ''what if?'': ''{{what if|79|Lake Tea}}''. |
*A similar thought process where earlier thoughts are scribbled out was used by Cueball in [[1650: Baby]], but for different reasons. | *A similar thought process where earlier thoughts are scribbled out was used by Cueball in [[1650: Baby]], but for different reasons. | ||