Editing 688: Self-Description
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | This comic is {{w|Self-reference|self-referential}} because every graph is dependent on the whole comic. If you were to change anything in the comic, you would change the ink distribution, and would therefore have to update all three graphs. This would result in further changes that would have to be considered | + | This comic is {{w|Self-reference|self-referential}}, because every graph is dependent on the whole comic. If you were to change anything in the comic, you would change the ink distribution, and would therefore have to update all three graphs. This would result in further changes that would have to be considered. |
In the first panel's {{w|pie chart}}, "this image" refers to the entire comic image, the one that can be downloaded from xkcd (and the entire comic as displayed here above). This is a little confusing as it would be easy to misunderstand this meaning, and believe that the first panel only refers to itself. The title text though makes it clear that it is the entire comic that is called image here. The image size is 740x180 or 133200 pixels. Out of those, 14228 pixels are black (gray pixels are accounted based on their brightness). The ratio of black pixels to the size of the image is 0.1068, so the pie chart segment describing black part should be about 38.5 degrees wide, which is indeed true for the pie chart in the image. | In the first panel's {{w|pie chart}}, "this image" refers to the entire comic image, the one that can be downloaded from xkcd (and the entire comic as displayed here above). This is a little confusing as it would be easy to misunderstand this meaning, and believe that the first panel only refers to itself. The title text though makes it clear that it is the entire comic that is called image here. The image size is 740x180 or 133200 pixels. Out of those, 14228 pixels are black (gray pixels are accounted based on their brightness). The ratio of black pixels to the size of the image is 0.1068, so the pie chart segment describing black part should be about 38.5 degrees wide, which is indeed true for the pie chart in the image. | ||
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The title text refers to the comic's own self-reference, but it is also self-referencing because of the character count in it. It would be difficult to write this sentence, as just one more character would not be solved by writing 243, as "three" has two more characters than "two", and "four" has only one more character... | The title text refers to the comic's own self-reference, but it is also self-referencing because of the character count in it. It would be difficult to write this sentence, as just one more character would not be solved by writing 243, as "three" has two more characters than "two", and "four" has only one more character... | ||
| − | "The graph of panel dependencies is complete and bidirectional, and every node has a loop." This means that if we draw a dot corresponding to each panel, and then we draw arrows connecting the dots to indicate dependencies, the resulting {{w | + | "The graph of panel dependencies is complete and bidirectional, and every node has a loop." This means that if we draw a dot corresponding to each panel, and then we draw arrows connecting the dots to indicate dependencies, the resulting {{w|graph}} is {{w|complete graph|complete}} (meaning that all the points are connected to one another) and bidirectional (meaning that if point A has an arrow to point B, then point B also has an arrow to point A). "Every node has a loop" means that each point also has an arrow connecting to itself. |
This is an observation of the interdependent relationship between description and creation that pertains to all things perceived by humans, including the concept of "Self". | This is an observation of the interdependent relationship between description and creation that pertains to all things perceived by humans, including the concept of "Self". | ||
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
| − | :[A pie chart which is mainly white with a black slice of about 30 | + | :[A pie chart which is mainly white with a black slice of about 30 degree towards the bottom left. The two sections are labeled with a line going from the label to the sections. The line going into the black section turns white in in this last part.] |
:Fraction of this image which is white | :Fraction of this image which is white | ||
:Fraction of this image which is black | :Fraction of this image which is black | ||
| − | :[A bar graph with a label over the Y-axis. There are three black bars with a label below each bar. Bar 1 is of medium height, bar 2 highest and bar 3 the lowest.] | + | :[A bar graph labeled with a label over the Y-axis. There are three black bars with a label below each bar. Bar 1 is of medium height, bar 2 highest and bar 3 the lowest.] |
:Amount of black ink by panel: | :Amount of black ink by panel: | ||
:1 2 3 | :1 2 3 | ||
| − | :[A scatter-plot with a label over the Y-axis. In the bottom left corner of the graph, the two | + | :[A scatter-plot with a label over the Y-axis. In the bottom left corner of the graph, the two axis has a tick just away from the origo, and these are labeled with zeros. The graph shows the whole comic scaled proportionally to fit the axes. The scale is too small to actually read any of the text in this representation, which would of course be the same as that noted here for the two previous panel and for this panel here below:] |
:Location of black ink in this image: | :Location of black ink in this image: | ||
:0 | :0 | ||
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==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
| − | * This comic has seen interest from several computer programmers who have [https://mathematica.stackexchange.com/questions/121160/reproducing-the-xkcd-self-description-comic taken up on the challenge] to recreate this comic. Jon McLoone of the Wolfram blog [https://blog.wolfram.com/2010/09/07/self-description/ seems to have done it] quite well. | + | *This comic has seen interest from several computer programmers who have [https://mathematica.stackexchange.com/questions/121160/reproducing-the-xkcd-self-description-comic taken up on the challenge] to recreate this comic. Jon McLoone of the Wolfram blog [https://blog.wolfram.com/2010/09/07/self-description/ seems to have done it] quite well. |
| − | * The {{w|Mathematical Association of America}} [https://www.maa.org/press/periodicals/math-horizons/the-mathematics-behind-xkcd-a-conversation-with-randall-munroe-0 interviewed] [[Randall Munroe | + | *The {{w|Mathematical Association of America}} [https://www.maa.org/press/periodicals/math-horizons/the-mathematics-behind-xkcd-a-conversation-with-randall-munroe-0 interviewed] [[Randall Munroe]] about this topic. |
| − | * This is one of the | + | *This is one of the [[:Category:Footer comics|six footer comics]] linked at the bottom part of the {{xkcd}} website. |
| − | * This | + | *This is one of the comics available as signed prints at the xkcd store. |
| + | *A T-shirt based on this comic is available in the [https://store.xkcd.com/products/self-reference xkcd store]. | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
