# ­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:** 72
**Author:** ![ThisOneGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@ThisOneGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisOneGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1422 "2022-05-31T17:19:54Z")
I thought the D65536 looked too large, so I did the math. If you assume each face is the same size as a 0.5 in D6 (or 0.25 in^2 per face) and approximate it as a sphere, the radius would only be abour 36 inches. So it should only be about as tall as the person. Either that D65536 has big faces, or the person is very small. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1423 "2022-05-31T18:44:24Z")
Your math looks right to me. It’s surprising that Randall would get something like this wrong, are we missing something? ---
**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:** [May 31, 2022, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1424 "2022-05-31T19:05:23Z")
A D6 only has one digit per face; the D65536 has up to 5. So each face should be about 5x the linear dimension to keep the digit size consistent. Then again, that logic would make an average D20 much larger than it normally is. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1425 "2022-05-31T19:37:17Z")
But it could be _any_ size, couldn’t it? I mean, you could build a 12-foot tall six-sided die if you wanted to. Or am I missing some gamer criterion regarding dice? ---
**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:** [May 31, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1426 "2022-05-31T21:17:25Z")
Did somebody forget to post this: > **[d65536](https://xkcd.com/2626/)** > > They're robust against quantum attacks because it's hard to make a quantum system that large. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2022, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1427 "2022-05-31T21:30:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > topologically, it’s not well-defined when you pass through a hole. Maybe not _when_, but you can be sure that you _did_ pass through a hole if the ball is returned to the same place later. Really, you can just not bother with the scoring until the end of the game, where you close the loop and then count the winding numbers through each hole. ---
**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 31, 2022, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1428 "2022-05-31T22:08:53Z")
My d120 is about 5 cm in diameter (5.013, according to my micrometer). Which does leave the faces smaller than a standard d6, and they can have up to 3 digits, but it’s not particularly difficult to read the numbers, nor to determine which face is uppermost. Incidentally, 120 is the largest number of sides possible for a truly fair die, unless you go with something like a dipyramid (which gets impractical long before you get to that size). Though of course, for a very large die, it takes a great many rolls to confidently statistically detect any unfairness. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1429 "2022-05-31T22:11:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > My d120 is about 5 cm in diameter (5.013, according to my micrometer). Which does leave the faces smaller than a standard d6, and they can have up to 3 digits, but it’s not particularly difficult to read the numbers, nor to determine which face is uppermost. Does it maybe have sharper corners so that it doesn’t tumble as easily? I have always thought that higher faced dice need sharper corners to avoid being a ball. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1430 "2022-05-31T22:27:27Z")
> [@Ponderoid](#): > > Did somebody forget to post this: I posted it upthread a ways. We’ve had lots of discussion, not only that one, but also the previous one, so it’s quite a ways back. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2022, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1431 "2022-05-31T22:32:35Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I posted it upthread a ways. This is weird. I just scrolled back and there it was, but the first time I read your post that said “The second hardest part is determining exactly which face is showing straight up” I didn’t see the comic in it at all. And Discourse did not warn me I was about to post a duplicate link, which confirmed to me that the comic had not yet been posted in the thread. ---
**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 31, 2022, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1432 "2022-05-31T22:47:09Z")
It does have some fileting on the edges, though how much compared to a typical d6 is hard to say, since of course the angles themselves are much flatter. When rolled on a dining-room table, it does usually stop rolling before going off the edge, which is good enough. At least, as long as the table is completely flat. Forget about rolling this thing on a classroom desk, or the like. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1433 "2022-06-02T05:47:33Z")
> **[Types of Scopes](https://xkcd.com/2627/)** > > An x-ray gyroscope is used to determine exactly which toppings they included in the pita. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1434 "2022-06-02T14:36:57Z")
Now I want a radio stethoscope! ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1435 "2022-06-02T16:01:08Z")
Now _I_ want a gyro. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2022, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1436 "2022-06-03T02:02:22Z")
The spinning toy, the flying thing, or the Greek meat slices? ---
**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:** [June 3, 2022, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1437 "2022-06-03T10:54:59Z")
Porquois no los tres? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2022, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1438 "2022-06-03T12:41:27Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > The spinning toy, the flying thing, or the Greek meat slices? Do I have to be picky, or may I choose all three? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2022, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1439 "2022-06-03T13:57:10Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Do I have to be picky, or may I choose all three? > [@Chronos](#): > > Porquois no los tres? As a relative newcomer to the Board, I stand in awe at @Chronos’ prescient ability to answer questions 2 hours before they are posed. I think it’s all those years in FQ. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1440 "2022-06-03T20:10:02Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > As a relative newcomer to the Board… Eh, I’ll cut you some slack. It took you 10.3 billion years to get here, and you had to detour halfway here. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2022, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1441 "2022-06-04T07:57:11Z")
> **[Motion Blur](https://xkcd.com/2628/)** > > I can't speak for your other subjects, but MY motion was as smooth and natural as the framerate allowed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=71) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=73)