A web comic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.
Caption above panels–”Where Citations Come From:”
First Panel: Stick figure with short, spiky hair, seated at a desk, typing on a laptop.
Caption–Citogenesis Step # 1: Through a convoluted process, a user’s brain generates facts. These are typed into Wikipedia.
Laptop: The “Scroll Lock” key was designed by future Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a college project.
Panel Two: A stick figure with a ponytail sits at a desk with a monitor, typing on a keyboard.
Caption–Step # 2: A rushed writer checks Wikipedia for a summary of their subject.
From keyboard: US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, (Nobel prizewinner and creator of the ubiquitous “Scroll Lock” key) testified before Congress today…
Panel 3: A stick figure is seated in an easy chair, typing on a laptop.
Caption–Step #3: Surprised readers check Wikipedia, see the claim, and flag it for review. A passing editor finds the piece and adds it as a citation.
Editor: “Google is your friend, people.”
Laptop: <REF>{{cite web| url=
Panel Four: Diagram– “Brain” has an arrow pointing to “Wikipedia” which points to “Cited Facts” which points to “Slightly Careful Writers” from which comes an arrow labeled “More Citations” pointing back to “Wikipedia.” Below “Wikipedia” is “Citations” with another cycle of arrows, “Words” to “Careless Writers” and back to “Citations”.
Caption–Step #4: Now that other writers have a real source, they repeat the fact. References proliferate, completing the citogenesis process.
Hover text: I just read a pop-science book by a respected author. One chapter, and much of the thesis, was based around wildly inaccurate data which traced back to … Wikipedia. To encourage people to be on their toes, I’m not going to say what book or author.
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).
Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.
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