# ­xkcd thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips\ **Created:** [May 28, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574 "2020-05-28T00:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 205
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4083 "2025-03-16T17:25:15Z")
Not by geologist standards, never mind astrophysisists. I imagine them at a multi-discipline conference. \>snort\< “You call 600-million years a long time? Lemme show you _this!_” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2025, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4084 "2025-03-18T12:34:29Z")
> **[Lungfish](https://xkcd.com/3064/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/lungfish.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/lungfish.png) “I know having so many base pairs makes rebasing complicated, but you’re in Bilateria, so shouldn’t you at LEAST be better at using git head?” To save people googling, Git is a distributed version control system. A head in Git is a pointer to which version you are working on. [This](https://blog.git-init.com/what-is-head-in-git/) describes it in much more detail. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4085 "2025-03-20T04:43:01Z")
> **[Square Units](https://xkcd.com/3065/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/square_units.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/square_units.png) “The biggest I’ve seen in a published source in the wild is an 80-fold error in a reported distance, which I think came from a series of at least three unit conversions and area/length misinterpretations.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4086 "2025-03-20T04:58:43Z")
I’ve seen far bigger errors than that. The worst is when exponents get stripped, either because the ^ disappears or the superscript formatting is lost. So “There are approximately 1080 atoms in the universe” becomes “There are approximately 1080 atoms in the universe.” ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4087 "2025-03-20T10:36:54Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > “There are approximately 1080 atoms in the universe” becomes “There are approximately 1080 atoms in the universe.” And then sometimes you’re left wondering why people are complaining that something changed to introduce error when it’s _obvious_ that nothing has changed at all! ( note to mods, I didn’t touch a thing in the quote, _Discourse_ did that. ) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4088 "2025-03-20T12:20:47Z")
I feel like that’s a different kind of error. As you say, it was introduced purely mechanically, and not by human misunderstanding. And it’s often quite obvious when it occurs. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4089 "2025-03-20T13:23:23Z")
There was a news item on this issue a while ago: are black plastic utensils dangerous? > **[How a simple math error sparked a panic about black plastic kitchen utensils](https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/black-plastic)** > > A study warned that people were being exposed to a toxic chemical from kitchen utensils. But the researchers misstated the safe daily limit ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4090 "2025-03-20T14:26:39Z")
I’ll also point out that insects don’t eat square-anythings. They (and all animals) eat a volume (or mass) of something. So how thick are these assumed blades of grass? What if the grass is thicker on the other side of the fence, as it so often seems? 😉 The neat part about doing volume conversions vs. area conversions is now many fewer errors it takes to create a really big mistake. So we have that to look forward to in next week’s edition about volume errors. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4091 "2025-03-20T14:30:10Z")
We’re more closely related to lungfish than they are to sharks. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4092 "2025-03-20T14:32:56Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’ll also point out that insects don’t eat square-anythings. If they’re eating leaves, square centimetrage is a fair measure, the third dimension there is negligable. [![](https://www.skynursery.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/misc_sawfly_damage_pests_sum_blog_500x350_sawflies-larvae-2465832_1920.jpg) ](https://www.skynursery.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/misc_sawfly_damage_pests_sum_blog_500x350_sawflies-larvae-2465832_1920.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4093 "2025-03-20T14:58:33Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > If they’re eating leaves, square centimetrage is a fair measure, the third dimension there is negligable. Unless they’re eating succulents. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4094 "2025-03-21T18:24:07Z")
> **[Cosmic Distance Calibration](https://xkcd.com/3066/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/cosmic_distance_calibration.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/cosmic_distance_calibration.png) “This is the biggest breakthrough since astronomers noticed that the little crosshairs around red giant stars starting to burn helium are all the same size.” ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4095 "2025-03-21T18:55:57Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > Some of us learned about the surprisingly high RPM of dental drills from Don Martin: > [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > [John K Stuff: Don Martin and the Essence of Cartooning.last dentist scene](http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2008/08/don-martin-and-essence-of.html?m=1) Ah that illustration brings back memories. Right out of high school, I got a job at an art studio doing commercial illustrations. [Seeing that Zipatone](https://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2009/05/dead-tech-zipatone.html) was a trip down memory lane. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4096 "2025-03-21T22:09:35Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@Lumpy](#): > > > > Even modest field glasses suffice. > > Heck, even Galileo’s telescope sufficed. Nowadays, even a Fischer-Price toy telescope probably has better optics. Nit-Pick: It’s [Fisher-Price](https://shop.mattel.com/pages/fisher-price). 😁 ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2025, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4097 "2025-03-25T06:53:13Z")
> **[SawStart](https://xkcd.com/3067/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/sawstart.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/sawstart.png) “Unfortunately, SawStart is one-use-only. Once started, the blade cannot be stopped, and must be replaced with a fresh blade while the running one is carefully disposed of.” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4098 "2025-03-26T20:02:34Z")
> **[Rock Identification](https://xkcd.com/3068/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/rock_identification.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/rock_identification.png) “‘Is it worth anything?’ ‘I dunno, is the answer to that question worth another $5?’” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4099 "2025-03-27T06:42:26Z")
Sorry, this one is just flat-out wrong. Identifying rocks and minerals by sight (when the rock is in your hand) without any context is, in fact, _how we got tested in geology pracs_. What’s hard is identifying them from pictures. I think he’s confusing rocks with archaeological artefacts. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4100 "2025-03-27T06:54:23Z")
I think that’s the joke. The geologist is just making an excuse in the first frame. She knew the answer right away when given a “context” of $5. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4101 "2025-03-27T07:15:14Z")
Aaah, that whooshed me. I assumed she was just bullshitting in the second one. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4102 "2025-03-27T11:04:57Z")
Years ago when on a trip to Colorado I took a mine tour, a couple hundred feet in an adit and (cautiously) peered down a shaft. Back at the entrance kids kept picking up random rocks and asked the guide if there was any silver in it. I said he should charge a dollar an assay. Later that afternoon I bought a chunk of argentite about the size of your fist in a gem and mineral shop. It was noticeably heavier than a regular rock that size. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=204) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=206)