Xkcd's take on representing money.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ryan_m_b
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Money
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around an xkcd comic that presents a visual representation of money, including various comparisons and statistics related to financial markets and expenditures. Participants explore the implications of the data presented in the comic, discussing its insights and the emotional responses it evokes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight the interesting comparisons made in the xkcd comic, particularly regarding the cost of wars and the value of financial markets.
  • Others express difficulty in reading the comic without zooming in, suggesting the need for clearer presentation or additional resources for understanding.
  • A participant mentions the surprising statistic that the derivatives market holds five times more value than the world's combined liquid assets, prompting further discussion on its implications.
  • Some find the information presented to be overwhelming or lacking a clear punchline, while others see significant insights in the statistics provided.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying interpretations of the comic's message and the significance of the statistics. While some find value in the insights, others question the clarity and emotional impact of the information, indicating a lack of consensus on the overall takeaway.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the need for clearer visuals or additional context to fully grasp the information presented in the xkcd comic. There are also references to specific statistics that may require further verification or exploration.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in financial statistics, visual data representation, or the cultural commentary provided by xkcd comics may find this discussion engaging.

Ryan_m_b
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Insights Author
Messages
5,964
Reaction score
727
I'd put this in the thread but it would stretch it from here to Mars;

http://xkcd.com/980/

Well worth a look for some interesting comparisons.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I couldn't zoom it enough to read it. http://www.explainxkcd.com/2011/11/21/money-chart/" "embiggens" enough to read all of the detail. A very interesting poster!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You can click on the xkcd one to enlarge it. Very interesting indeed, I particularly had (somewhat depressing) fun totalling up the cost of things like the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and looking up what I could buy with it.
 
Wow. There is a lot of info there.

I didn't find the punch line yet, unless it was to the gut.
 
S_Happens said:
I didn't find the punch line yet, unless it was to the gut.

Really? I found a lot! How about the fact that the derivatives market holds five times more value than the entire world's combined liquid assets. And that, when compared to the same derivatives market value, the entire Iraq War works out to a rounding error.
 
FlexGunship said:
Really? I found a lot! How about the fact that the derivatives market holds five times more value than the entire world's combined liquid assets. And that, when compared to the same derivatives market value, the entire Iraq War works out to a rounding error.

Dang. I thought for sure it was J.K. Rowling's salary as a rapper.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 41 ·
2
Replies
41
Views
6K
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
4K
  • · Replies 28 ·
Replies
28
Views
5K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • · Replies 107 ·
4
Replies
107
Views
32K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K
  • · Replies 29 ·
Replies
29
Views
4K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
10K