What Makes XKCD a Must-See for Science and Math Geeks?

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The discussion centers around the webcomic XKCD, highlighting its appeal to fans of math, science, and technology. Participants express a mix of admiration and criticism, noting that while XKCD has a rich archive of clever humor and insightful commentary, some feel the quality of recent comics has declined. Concerns are raised about the superficiality of newer strips and a perceived shift away from advanced topics. The importance of the comic's alt text for additional humor is emphasized. Some users mention alternative comics like PhD Comics and a physics teacher's blog as worthy reads. Overall, opinions vary, with some still enjoying XKCD while others find it less engaging over time.
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For anyone not aware of the absolute genius of the webcomic XKCD, I think http://www.xkcd.com/438//" comic should resonate with many of the members here :smile:

Seriously, if you are a maths/science/physics/computer science/dinosaur geek check out the archives, there are some very funny comics there.

Edit: oh make sure you 'mouse over' the comic image and red the alt text that pops up. There is always an extra punch line in that for XKCD.
 
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LOL, just got it bookmarked.

Warning: this comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors).
:smile:
 
I think Hurkyl links to this in his signature. Or at least he used to if not now.
 
I'm actually becoming less impressed with xkcd over time. I think the author is slowly losing his touch. I wonder if it's a side effect of leaving academia to draw comics full-time. Most of his more recent strips are pretty superficial (no "advanced mathematics", or advanced linguistics topics, or anything really), and many of the recent ones are not even all that funny, except maybe to high-school students.
 
I agree there hasn't been a good maths/science one for ages.
The current ones are nice art but the boy-girl-hat thing is a bit self-referential.
Maybe he/she needs to do two strips, a science one and a new name for the boy-girl.

Less frequently updated but also worth reading is http://www.wellingtongrey.net/miscellanea/archive/index.html he is a physics teacher with a geeks-eye view of the world.
He also became famous for 15mins for a letter about the decline in standards of science teaching in (UK) schools which is also on his site.
 
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I never really liked XKCD. They're pretty lame. Once in a blue moon there's a mildly amusing one, but most are just WAY too geeky, even for a self-proclaimed geek.

But, now we have PhD Comics right here at PF, so I'm happy. :biggrin:
 
I love xkcd! very amusing, and pretty good hand drawings too. I already had it on my favourite list.