# ­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:** 297
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5923 "2026-05-22T21:23:18Z")
Follow-up question. There’s an anecdote that when they first did an exact surveying measurement of Mount Everest, they found that its height, measured to the nearest foot, was 29,000 feet. The surveyors were supposedly upset with this measurement. Because if they reported that Mount Everest was 29,000 feet high, people would assume they meant “Mount Everest is somewhere between 28,501 feet and 29,499 feet tall” rather than “Mount Everest is somewhere between 28,999 feet and 29,001 feet tall.” So they supposedly reported that Mount Everest was 29,002 feet tall so people would appreciate the precision of the measurement. Even though the reported figure was less accurate than the one they had actually produced. Is there a term for a measurement like 29,000 as used in this example, which looks like it has fewer significant figures than it actually does? ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5924 "2026-05-22T21:30:33Z")
Rounding coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5925 "2026-05-22T21:32:22Z")
And the proper way to report precision to the nearest foot in this case would be “29,000. ft” with a decimal point at the end of the figure. Or you could write 29,000 ft +/- 1 ft. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5926 "2026-05-22T21:32:35Z")
[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LudicrousPrecision](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LudicrousPrecision) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5927 "2026-05-22T21:35:35Z")
I don’t know any terminology for it, but I’ll mention a notation that I learned in high school to deal with such cases: an overline is placed over the last significant figure. So 29,00\overline{0} has five significant digits, while 29,\overline{0}00 has only three. However I don’t know how widely used this is; I personally haven’t seen it much. I think in technical works, scientific notation is generally used to avoid the ambiguity: 2.9000 \times 10^4 vs. 2.90 \times 10^4. An explicit uncertainty range is even better. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5928 "2026-05-22T21:38:44Z")
Exactly right, @markn_1. I’ve seen all of these notations as well. Scientific notation in particular usually resolves all ambiguity with significant figures. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2026, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5929 "2026-05-22T21:56:26Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > John could say “Bob, you made an error caused by the misuse of significant figures.” But it’s quicker if John says “Bob, that’s a \*\*\*\* error.” > > Is there a term that replaces \*\*\*\*? It’s a variation on “garbage in/garbage out”. The houses were not _precisely_ 20 miles apart, so entering “20 miles” into the equation will give you an incorrect result. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2026, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5930 "2026-05-22T23:11:58Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Or you could write 29,000 ft +/- 1 ft. IIRC the precision was ±10-ft. Pretty good for 1852. What got me when I was growing up were the people who’d calculate their gas mileage to four decimals. This was back in the mechanical pump days when to the nearest tenth gallon was all you were going to get. [![](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2YRHK2M/close-up-of-a-vintage-gas-pump-with-faded-rusty-and-peeling-paint-situated-in-a-junkyard-the-worn-texture-captures-nostalgia-and-industrial-decay-2YRHK2M.jpg) ](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2YRHK2M/close-up-of-a-vintage-gas-pump-with-faded-rusty-and-peeling-paint-situated-in-a-junkyard-the-worn-texture-captures-nostalgia-and-industrial-decay-2YRHK2M.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2026, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5931 "2026-05-25T23:13:37Z")
> **[Flag Design](https://xkcd.com/3250/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/flag_design.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/flag_design.png) > [@](#): > > “Every place has a local cryptid; more places need a local Pictish Beast, a creature in historical art that's drawn so weirdly that no one can tell what animal it's supposed to be.” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2026, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5932 "2026-05-25T23:21:51Z")
Now add a captcha … ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2026, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5933 "2026-05-25T23:34:18Z")
… and play Captcha the Flag? ---
**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:** [May 26, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5934 "2026-05-26T00:18:00Z")
For those, like me, who didn’t know of the **[Pictish Beast - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictish_Beast)**. ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2026, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5935 "2026-05-26T01:04:21Z")
The Aquatic Aardvark of Aberdeen ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2026, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5936 "2026-05-26T01:13:11Z")
There should be an infinite nest of flags within flags. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5937 "2026-05-26T01:20:06Z")
I’d assumed there was one. But a careful look says you’re right; there’s not. Which makes me real curious why he made that artistic decision. I’m with you. An infinite descent would be soo much better. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2026, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5938 "2026-05-26T01:26:06Z")
Maybe a comment on its being done by committee? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2026, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5939 "2026-05-26T20:02:59Z")
A (relatively) non destructive What If? I am not the only surprised many bowling balls would float. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FYoHYq8VRt0/maxresdefault.jpg "What if you dropped a bowling ball in the Mariana Trench?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYoHYq8VRt0) Brian ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5940 "2026-05-28T03:48:18Z")
> **[Time Machine Conversation](https://xkcd.com/3251/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/time_machine_conversation.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/time_machine_conversation.png) “It’s possible to do sea navigation without a compass, but you’ll have to get some spoilers from the Polynesians.” ---
**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:** [May 28, 2026, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5941 "2026-05-28T07:52:12Z")
Or a [sunstone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunstone_(medieval)#Possibility_of_use_for_orientation_and_navigation). ---
**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:** [May 28, 2026, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5942 "2026-05-28T10:53:28Z")
I’ve often thought about having a convo with an educated somebody from, say, the 1700s. Handwaving aside basic word usage barriers, a big problem would be that probably 90% of the nouns I use in a week’s modern conversation are naming things the 1700s person would have no idea what the noun refers to. Nor upon seeing a [whatever], have any idea what it was, how it was used, how it works, or how it was built. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=296) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=298)