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[JoshuaFH]

I'm sure one of you geniuses understood it. Can you elaborate on it for me?

I mean, I KNOW that skynet was the self-aware computer network from the Terminator movies. I just have no idea what is up with the comic.

[Duke 2.0]

 Basically, every function should include the chance of that function becoming self-aware.

 It is in Python, which makes sense being one of the more readable languages for people who don't know it.

[qwertyuiopas]

No, it is in Genetic Alorgriththithimsesmsblahblahblah..

Those things where it generates countless nearly identical solutions and takes the best couple, before randomly spawing countless slight variations looking for a better answer...

Basically, evolution for programs.


The comic is about making sure that the solutions do NOT become skynet.

[Makrond]

To expand on the blah blah blah, genetic algorithms run a series of generations. Similar to evolution, each 'child' of the parent generation is slightly mutated. Evolutionary fitness is determined by how close the generation of code came to optimum.

In this case, it's a navigation genetic algorithm (for example for a GPS). Normal routes would be 1 point per distance unit (whatever that unit is, usually miles or kilometers). A fuel stop is not desired unless absolutely necessary, as are water crossings (via ferries), so they have much higher costs. In this example, if it cannot calculate a route without a fuel stop that is less than 15 points (kilometers/miles) longer than the route with a fuel stop, then it takes the fuel stop option. Similarly, if you need to go less than 45 miles out of the way to avoid a water crossing, then the navigation algorithm will take you the longer way.

The 'fittest' algorithm would be the route that takes the least number of points, and is therefore the 'shortest' route (this may or may not be true, of course, depending on how well its weighting is set).

If the cost of a genetic algorithm turning into Skynet is some huge number, and it's looking for the lowest possible, then it probably won't. Just don't set your GPS to circumnavigate the globe 1000 or so times.

Hope that was clear. It's hard to be articulate at 2am.

[Siquo]

The one two before that took me a lot longer to understand.

Makrond explains it nicely. XKCD assumes you have basic knowledge of just about every hard-science subject currently known to mankind. Which you should have if you aspire to become a real nerd. Like us.

[JoshuaFH]

it took you a while to remember the "little piano" joke? I got that right away.

made me laugh.

[Jude]

I got the "little piano" one right away...

[Sean Mirrsen]

Can someone explain the "little piano" thing to a russian? I don't know anything related to that, except that "piano" is indicating low volume/tone.

[JoshuaFH]

sure, it's sort of a dirty joke though.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

the man has a tiny piano right? he asked a genie for someone that could play it right?

therefore, his phrase to the genie was "I wish for a tiny pianist".

the funny part is, he said the genie misheard him, and "pianist" in english sounds very similar to "Penis"

[penguinofhonor]

Chaoticjosh:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Wrong, it comes from a joke where a man asks for a 12-inch penis and a the genie mishears him and gives him a 12-inch tall pianist. So this joke is reversing that, and that's why the girl asks him if he's doing anything later.

Edit: Accidentally hit the post button way too early.

[Vactor]

Can someone explain the "little piano" thing to a russian? I don't know anything related to that, except that "piano" is indicating low volume/tone.

There is a joke:

A man walks into a bar sits down, pulls out a tiny grand piano and sets it on the bar, pulls a tiny man out of his breast pocket and puts him on the bar next to it, and the little man starts playing some tunes. 
The bartender comes up to him and asks him where the tiny piano and player came from.  The man pulls out an antique oil lamp and tells the bartender "If you rub this lamp a genie will come out and grant you one wish"
The bartender takes the lamp, rubs it and, poof, out comes a genie.  "I will grant you one wish" he says to the bartender. 
"I wish for a million bucks!"

The genie nods and dissapears in a puff of smoke.  The two men wait silently for a few seconds.  Suddenly the sunlight grows dim and a deafening chorus of quacking comes from outside the bar.  The bartender looks out and sees Ducks everywhere, trying to get into the bar.

"Goddamnit, a million BUCKS, not a million Ducks! what is wrong with that genie!" curses the bartender.

The man levels his gaze at the bartender "Do you really think i wished for a 12 inch pianist?"


tips for russians:
(piano is an instrument, pianos are played by pianists, and pianist sounds very similar to penis)
in the strip the insiuation is that he asked the genie for a 12 inch pianist, but the genie misheard and gave him something else, the opposite of the joke, which is why the girl is suddenly interested in spending time with him

[Sean Mirrsen]

Yes, I am aware of what the piano is, I just didn't know the joke. Yeah, now it makes sense.

I did play this "classic impressions" game on the NES, but it didn't include such words.

[ToonyMan]

It's so the program doesn't become self aware, every program has it.  Except America's defense system.

[Duke 2.0]

 I understood it like how chaoticjosh understood it, although why the girl was interested afterwords was puzzling. I then figured that the girl was looking for somebody who would not make advances on her, but I figured then that the maker(s) of XKCD made a comic just a bit too obscure for how funny it is.

[Mephisto]

although why the girl was interested afterwords was puzzling.

I figured she wanted to play with his twelve-inch pianist.

Punny, huh?