this post was submitted on 06 Aug 2025
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xkcd #3125: Snake-in-the-Box Problem

Title text:

Chemistry grad students have been spotted trying to lure campus squirrels into laundry hampers in the hope that it sparks inspiration.

Transcript:

Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com

Source: https://xkcd.com/3125/

explainxkcd for #3125

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[–] Tangent5280@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I feel like the answer should be much simpler than that equation salad.

[–] peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 12 points 1 week ago

Equation salad? It's elegant. Well, according to my father who was a math professor.

Deriving that monstrosity must be something out of a grad school horror novel.

[–] bstix 12 points 1 week ago

The difficulty is that the goat is tied to the fence.

It would be a lot easier to put a pole in the center of the circle.

The length of the rope would then be 0.5 x sqr(2) x fence radius.