this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2023
227 points (97.1% liked)

xkcd

8836 readers
198 users here now

A community for a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

https://xkcd.com/2853

Alt text:

So do you have any plans for z=-0.000000000000045?

all 8 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

5 years ago or so and 5 or 6 hours in the future

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thanks! What is the unite?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

z values refer to red/blueshifts and correspond to time periods in the universe's history. In reality thats a vast oversimplification but given the way the comic is using z values, those two time periods are what they were intending to convey

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Ok, cool that makes sense. I have a rough idea what redshift is, I just didn't read the title. Thanks!

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

I enjoy that explainxkcd explains not only the science but the mechanics of human dating.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

i didnt know redshift had an actual meaning i thought it was just a fun name for a linux program