Smug

[major_clanger]

I have spotted a scientific error in today's xkcd. (Hint: it's in the first panel).

Comments

[nmg.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see. Atmospheric pressure versus density, right?

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

Yep - at 95K, Titan is about 2.8 times colder in absolute terms than Earth, so for a given pressure the atmosphere is 2.8 times denser. Given that the surface pressure on Titan is 1.4 times that on Earth (the comic gets the number right, just not what it refers to) then Titan's atmospheric density is four times that on earth. With the gravity being a seventh what is is here, it thus ought to be about thirty times easier to fly (although the increased density means extra drag as well).

A hot hydrogen balloon ought to work really, really well on Titan!

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Hope you're sending them a comment.

[hatusu.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the science lesson. I actually looked it up before I read the answers to see if I could figure it out.