explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1202: Girls and Boys

2013-05-18T18:09:38Z

24.70.188.179: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1202
| date = April 22, 2013
| title = Girls and Boys
| image = girls and boys.png
| titletext = To get more knowledge
}}

==Explanation==

This comic is a play on the popular school-yard taunt, "Girls go to college, to get more knowledge; boys go to Jupiter, to get more stupider," also commonly heard as "Boys go to Mars, to get more candy bars; girls go to Jupiter, to get more stupider." The words "boys" and "girls" may be interchanged depending on the gender of the person chanting. The schoolyard taunt embodies the competitiveness and separation commonly seen between young boys and girls, and ideas about the superiority of one's gender. The comic subverts the original rhyme by having both girls and boys go to college to gain knowledge, and then using that knowledge to go to Jupiter as part of a space program.

Going "to Jupiter, to get more stupider" is ironic considering that human beings have not yet even gone to Mars, so the ability to go to Jupiter would take a huge amount of knowledge that we don't currently have. Likewise, people in space programs going to Jupiter would definitely have advanced degrees, a great deal of knowledge, and a motivation to seek out more knowledge. Space programs and going to Jupiter would require the cooperation of many different people, men and women included, rather than the divisive atmosphere of the schoolyard. The scroll over text "To get more knowledge" points out that the purpose of space programs is to advance science and wouldn't actually be dumb at all. So the task of going to Jupiter is absolutely dependent on going to college, cooperation, and getting more knowledge...completely opposite of what the schoolyard taunt suggests.

==Transcript==
:Girls go to college
:To get more knowledge
:[Megan studying at a table.]

:Boys go to college
:To get more knowledge
:[Cueball studying at a table.]

:Girls and boys
:[Space launch control room with Megan and Cueball working together amongst other people.]

:Go to Jupiter
:[Rocket launch.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:1202: Girls and Boys

2013-05-18T18:08:57Z

24.70.188.179:

I figured it was a poem. Turns out it is, of a sort.
https://encrypted.google.com/search?q="girls+go+to"+"to+get+more"
[[Special:Contributions/68.151.108.107|68.151.108.107]] 04:50, 22 April 2013 (UTC)
: The original poem is "Boys go to Jupiter, to get more stupider, girls go to college, to get more knowledge. [[Special:Contributions/97.122.98.70|97.122.98.70]] 03:23, 26 April 2013 (UTC)
I thought of ''Men are from Mars Women are from Venus'' by John Gray and the response ''Men Are from Earth. Women Are from Earth: Deal with It'' by Gorge Carlin. If only the sexes could work together we could go to Jupiter.
--[[Special:Contributions/202.129.80.226|202.129.80.226]] 08:12, 22 April 2013 (UTC)
: This is wonderful and I think in the same spirit as the comic. Stop the 'sex war' jokes and admit that both boys and girls want knowledge. And to arrive to Jupiter. [[Special:Contributions/84.150.177.228|84.150.177.228]] 14:02, 22 April 2013 (UTC)
:: Both of you need to read some feminist literature (real feminist, not pop-feminist). [[Special:Contributions/66.202.132.250|66.202.132.250]] 18:03, 22 April 2013 (UTC)
::: For example?--[[Special:Contributions/58.6.224.93|58.6.224.93]] 01:26, 23 April 2013 (UTC)
:::: Anything by "bell hooks" (it's a pen name, and it is all lowercase) [[Special:Contributions/66.202.132.250|66.202.132.250]] 19:16, 23 April 2013 (UTC)
:::: https://excoradfeminisms.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/bell_hooks-feminism_is_for_everybody.pdf [[Special:Contributions/173.190.128.129|173.190.128.129]] 16:06, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

I would interpret differently the two last pictures: as girls and boys SEPARATLY go to college to get knowledge, Girls and boys TOGETHER go to Jupiter, meaning when a boy and girl interact, they generally act stupid... {{unsigned ip|217.128.49.53}}
: I cannot imagine the author of XKCD using going to Jupiter as an example of doing something stupid. Absolutely improbable IMHO.[[Special:Contributions/84.150.177.228|84.150.177.228]] 14:02, 22 April 2013 (UTC)

:isnt thw rocket quite phallic? girlsnand boysngo to colledge to getmore....ehm... knowledge? {{unsigned ip|88.119.96.51}}
:: No, is only a rocket. But, thinking about your comment like it was a response from a rorschach test, well, it tell us something about yourself [[User:Chris-l|Chris-l]] ([[User talk:Chris-l|talk]]) 15:22, 22 April 2013 (UTC)
:: It tells us that he's drunk. [[Special:Contributions/66.202.132.250|66.202.132.250]] 18:03, 22 April 2013 (UTC)

::: For rockets it's the aerodynamic, but some towers make you thinking, especially if some mayors compete who has it bigger ... I mean who has bigger tower in their city. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:34, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

: [[Special:Contributions/99.66.9.158|99.66.9.158]] 11:26, 22 April 2013 (UTC)Sometimes a rocket is just a rocket.
: Looks to me like a typical Titan rocket. [[User:Zelmo|Zelmo]] ([[User talk:Zelmo|talk]]) 14:15, 22 April 2013 (UTC)

: I wish today's comic made me laugh. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 14:30, 22 April 2013 (UTC)

: "Go to Jupiter to get knowledge" is a reference to the movie 2001. Also, I remember hearing the poem as "GIRLS, go to COLL,ege so THEY can get, KNOW,ledge, BOYS, go to JUpiter so THEY, can get STUpider" which avoids the "more stupider" construction. [[Special:Contributions/66.202.132.250|66.202.132.250]] 17:57, 22 April 2013 (UTC)

: knowledge or no knowledge, I don't want to go TO Jupiter. Near Jupiter, maybe. Ganymede? {{unsigned ip|‎24.79.11.46}}

::Not TOO near Jupiter either. Io is particularly unhospitable. Europe? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:34, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

:Frankly, I am thanfull Mr. Munroe made this. This taunt, while never directly aimed at myself, was an irritant to me, a knowledge-lover. This comic reconciles the genders and deconstructs the taunt. (Of course, from what I had seen in my life, most school-age boys, even the adolescent ones, WOULD prefer getting stupider, what with their real-life trolling and immature behaviour.) [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 12:03, 23 April 2013 (UTC)

::Nah, most boys wouldn't like to be stupider, they are perfectly satisfied with how stupid they are :-) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:34, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

By the way, I first head of the taunt (but with the clauses reversed) in Hey Arnold! [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 12:05, 23 April 2013 (UTC)

Girls think going to Jupiter is stupid? Typical. XY FTW :P [[Special:Contributions/220.224.246.97|220.224.246.97]] 12:25, 25 April 2013 (UTC)

Hmmm, I saw the rocket blasting off as sexual inuendo. And the alt text/pop up reference about going to Jupiter to get more knowledge I took as gaining carnal knowledge. {{unsigned ip|98.203.137.178}}

Currently the explanation says that '.. human beings arn't yet even capable of going to Mars.' This is patently false - it confuses ability with desire. I'm going to change the wording on that. [[Special:Contributions/24.70.188.179|24.70.188.179]] 18:08, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1205: Is It Worth the Time?

2013-05-18T17:47:59Z

24.70.188.179:

The title text is just silly.[[Special:Contributions/220.255.1.25|220.255.1.25]] 08:52, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

Is it worth all of the time we've spent on 1190, developing wikis, and wget scripts to pull the pictures efficiently, etc.? [[User:Bdemirci|Bdemirci]] ([[User talk:Bdemirci|talk]]) 08:58, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

I would just like to ask if there is an interactive version of this comit out there. I suppose it wouldn't be too hard to create...
--[[User:Charlesisbozo|Charlesisbozo]] ([[User talk:Charlesisbozo|talk]]) 09:14, 29 April 2013 (UTC)
: Well, it would be really simple indeed. For now, you can try [http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=%285+years%29+*+%285+%2F+week%29+*+%282+minutes%29 Wolfram|Alpha] --[[User:Mormegil|Mormegil]] ([[User talk:Mormegil|talk]]) 10:49, 29 April 2013 (UTC)
: I have a site up that does the calculation : http://c.albert-thompson.com/xkcd/ --[[User:Whitecat|Whitecat]] ([[User talk:Whitecat|talk]])[[User:whitecat|whitecat]] ([[User talk:whitecat|whitecat]]) 18:39, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

The graph ignores the fact that it is much more satisfying to shave off time from task, especially by automating it. Also note that it IS possible to shave off 6 hours from task you do daily and one day from task you do weekly. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:39, 29 April 2013 (UTC)
: The table also ignores all monetary costs associated with the work: e.g. buying a new tool --[[Special:Contributions/66.46.212.10|66.46.212.10]] 15:45, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

I was thinking the same, but then realised it's NOT practical if you assume a 6 hour working day and 5 day working week. [[Special:Contributions/41.134.254.53|41.134.254.53]] 12:33, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

If Momo taught us 1 thing, than it is that you can not save time ;-). --[[User:DaB.|DaB.]] ([[User talk:DaB.|talk]]) 13:56, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

Why is it "not possible" to shave a day off of a task that you perform weekly? [[User:MrBigDog2U|MrBigDog2U]] ([[User talk:MrBigDog2U|talk]]) 14:29, 29 April 2013 (UTC)
: It definitely possible, but Randall feel it's just not worth the time to put it there. :-) [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 16:09, 29 April 2013 (UTC)
:: Then the explanation is inaccurate as it states that "blacked out areas represent times which are impossible to save". It is possible, perhaps just not worthwhile. [[User:MrBigDog2U|MrBigDog2U]] ([[User talk:MrBigDog2U|talk]]) 14:35, 30 April 2013 (UTC)

For most people in most circumstances, a net present value comparison would be most relevant. Even if I can save a day every year for the next 5 years, it may not be worth 5, or event 4, days input now, because my time now is more valuable to me than my time in the future (as of now), and my opportunity cost for time spent now greater. It would be interesting to see the chart revised assuming a particular discount factor, and that all efficiency-improvement input occurs up front. [[User:RyanDonovan|RyanDonovan]] ([[User talk:RyanDonovan|talk]]) 17:29, 29 April 2013 (UTC)
Agreed! :¬D

[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/TL;DR TL;DR] --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 21:14, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

Reminds me of this chart: http://i.imgur.com/Q8kV8.png
And of course, Randall has covered similar ground before: http://xkcd.com/974/[[User:Gardnertoo|Gardnertoo]] ([[User talk:Gardnertoo|talk]]) 16:46, 30 April 2013 (UTC)

There are a few flaws with this:

# How many tasks that you were doing five years ago are you still doing? I'd give a max window of two years for most task executions.
# Whatever system you designed to save you time will itself require maintenance -- and become a task.
# Very few people can figure out when they start a time-saving task how long it will take.
# Not all attempts to create a time saving system actually work
# Not all attempts to create a time saving task actually save time
# Once you create a time saving system, you are locked in to doing the task the way that the time saving system expects you to do it -- or, continually modify your time saving task, which again, takes time.

Dave Edelhart [[Special:Contributions/70.35.47.190|70.35.47.190]] 16:56, 30 April 2013 (UTC)

: WRT your first 'flaw'. I can think of lots. Just off the top of my head - brushing my teeth, making breakfast, showering, walking my dog, commuting, responding to emails, editing documents for grammar and style, arguing on wikis, etc... There are thousands of such tasks, if not tens of thousands.[[Special:Contributions/24.70.188.179|24.70.188.179]] 17:47, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

The chart does not take into account when multiple users use the more time efficient task.
--[[User:Rhayader|Rhayader]] ([[User talk:Rhayader|talk]]) 11:20, 1 May 2013 (UTC)
: For multiple users who benefit, you multiply the number by the users. But you should recalculate it yourself, because the numbers are floored. Saving 5 seconds daily gives you 2.536111 hours in 5 years (5*365+1 days). So for example, to save a group of 15 people 5 seconds for the twice-a-day coffee break: Randalls 2 hours gives you 2*2*15= 60 hours to spent for a computerized/automated coffee system which saves everybody 5 seconds. While it's actually 76 hours and 5 minutes. :) [[Special:Contributions/131.174.90.212|131.174.90.212]] 15:54, 1 May 2013 (UTC)

1207: AirAware

2013-05-18T05:32:48Z

24.70.188.179: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1207
| date = May 3, 2013
| title = AirAware
| image = airaware.png
| titletext = It ships with a version of Google Now that alerts you when it's too late to leave for your appointments.
}}

==Explanation==
Upon being asked by [[Cueball]], [[Black Hat]] reveals his new 'business', AirAware. He explains it uses a {{w|Quadrotor}} that flies and records a persons daily schedule, if that person either deviates, forgets an appointment, or tells somebody incorrect information (including that of future events) the drone alerts the 'client' with an annoying "WRONG!".

Cueball is skeptical of the 'business plan' and questions its potential. Black Hat expands, saying that his intention is not personal profit, and he is simply releasing them himself. Cueball starts to argue that it is not a business, since there is no monetary gain, before being abruptly interrupted by the AirAware drone, declaring that his previous sentence was incorrect. This implies that Black Hat's business is not for profit; it's just another one of his sadistic schemes to torture people.

Although the Wikipedia page for {{w|business}} states that a business "may also be not-for-profit", this isn't really relevant, as 'making money' and 'making a profit' are different things. It would be better classified as a different type of organization, or even, as a [[:Category:My Hobby|hobby]].

{{w|Google Now}} is software by Google, shipped with newer Android devices. It shows you important information when you need it, like traffic on your way to work or home and upcoming events from your calendar. It also reminds you when to leave in order to reach an appointment in time. In the title text, Black Hat has modified this to tell you when you're too ''late'' to get there, instead.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Black Hat looking at a remote-controlled flying object.]
:Cueball: What's that?
:Black Hat: It's a drone for my new business, ''AirAware''.

:Black Hat (narrating): Our UAVs follow you and learn your schedule. If you miss a turn, forget an appointment, or give someone inaccurate information, they alert you.
:Megan (on phone): I'll be there in five.
:Booming voice from the sky: ''WRONG!''
:Megan: Augh!

:Cueball: That sounds annoying. Who would ''pay'' for that?
:Black Hat: Huh? Nobody pays. I'm just making these and releasing them.

:Cueball: That's not a business. You're just yelling at strangers from the sky.
:Cueball: A business has to make money somehow.
:Booming voice from the sky: ''WRONG!''
:Cueball (in smaller voice): Augh!!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1189: Voyager 1

2013-03-22T13:33:41Z

24.70.188.179: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1189
| date = March 22, 2013
| title = Voyager 1
| image = voyager_1.png
| titletext = So far Voyager 1 has 'left the Solar System' by passing through the termination shock three times, the heliopause twice, and once each through the heliosheath, heliosphere, heliodrome, auroral discontinuity, Heaviside layer, trans-Neptunian panic zone, magnetogap, US Census Bureau Solar System statistical boundary, Kuiper gauntlet, Oort void, and crystal sphere holding the fixed stars.
}}

==Explanation==
''{{w|Voyager 1}}'' is a U.S. space probe launched in 1977 to study the outer reaches of the Solar System and beyond. Popular press has on several occasions announced that it “has left the solar system” – at each point when a boundary has been confirmed or a major event has taken place – the fact is that there is no strictly defined and recognizable boundary of the solar system.

The alt-text lists several such possible boundaries, together with fictive humorous ones:

*The {{w|termination shock}} – the point in the heliosphere where the solar wind slows down to subsonic speed (relative to the star) because of interactions with the local interstellar medium.
*The {{w|heliopause}} – the theoretical boundary where the Sun’s solar wind is stopped by the interstellar medium.
*The {{w|heliosheath}} – the region of the heliosphere beyond the termination shock.
*{{w|Heliosphere}} – a region of space dominated by Earth’s Sun, a sort of bubble of charged particles in the space surrounding the Solar System.
*Heliodrome – yet another composition of ''helios'' "sun", here together with ''dromos'' "course". There is no astronomical object with this name, but it has been used variously in other contexts. One that became famous is a sports hall which was used as a concentration camp in the Bosnian war, see {{w|Heliodrom camp}}.
*Auroral discontinuity - another fictitious astronomic object, for ''auroral'' see {{w|Aurora (astronomy)}}.
*Heaviside layer – a layer of ionized gas occurring between roughly 90–150 km (56–93 mi) above the ground in the Earth's atmosphere.
*Trans-Neptunian panic zone – this fictional zone combines the word from two subject: “Trans–Neptunian” is used in astronomy to describe stuff that occurs beyond the planet Neptune. In {{w|Outdoor education}} the “panic zone” is the opposite of the {{w|comfort zone}} when trying to learn new stuff.
*{{w|Ignition magneto|Magnetogap}} – part of an {{w|ignition system}}.
*US Census Bureau Solar System statistical boundary – a fictive boundary defined by the {{w|United States Census Bureau}}, similarly to how it defines {{w|Census tract|census areas}} for the purpose of processing statistical data about regions in the United States.
*Kuiper gauntlet – this is a play on the {{w|Kuiper belt}}, which is region of the Solar System beyond the planets, extending from the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU from the Sun, notable for being full of asteroids; replacing the word “belt” with “{{w|Gauntlet (punishment)|gauntlet}}” (often spelled 'gantlet') which is a medieval punishment where one would be forced to run through two lines of men who would hit the punishee.
*Oort void – refers to the {{w|Oort cloud}}, a gigantic “cloud” of materials (mainly composed of ice) which ends around a light-year from The Sun and is deemed the (current) “edge” of the solar system.
*Crystal sphere holding the fixed stars – this refers to historical ideas about the universe, in which the stars were supposed to be fixed on a {{w|Celestial spheres|large crystal sphere}} around the Earth.

==Transcript==
:Number of times ''Voyager 1'' has left the Solar System
:[22 tally marks.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Charts]]

1189: Voyager 1

2013-03-22T13:32:33Z

24.70.188.179: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1189
| date = March 22, 2013
| title = Voyager 1
| image = voyager_1.png
| titletext = So far Voyager 1 has 'left the Solar System' by passing through the termination shock three times, the heliopause twice, and once each through the heliosheath, heliosphere, heliodrome, auroral discontinuity, Heaviside layer, trans-Neptunian panic zone, magnetogap, US Census Bureau Solar System statistical boundary, Kuiper gauntlet, Oort void, and crystal sphere holding the fixed stars.
}}

==Explanation==
''{{w|Voyager 1}}'' is a U.S. space probe launched in 1977 to study the outer reaches of the Solar System and beyond. Popular press has on several occasions announced that it “has left the solar system” – at each point when a boundary has been confirmed or a major event has taken place – the fact is that there is no strictly defined and recognizable boundary of the solar system.

The alt-text lists several such possible boundaries, together with fictive humorous ones:

*The {{w|termination shock}} – the point in the heliosphere where the solar wind slows down to subsonic speed (relative to the star) because of interactions with the local interstellar medium.
*The {{w|heliopause}} – the theoretical boundary where the Sun’s solar wind is stopped by the interstellar medium.
*The {{w|heliosheath}} – the region of the heliosphere beyond the termination shock.
*{{w|Heliosphere}} – a region of space dominated by Earth’s Sun, a sort of bubble of charged particles in the space surrounding the Solar System.
*Heliodrome – yet another composition of ''helios'' "sun", here together with ''dromos'' "course". There is no astronomical object with this name, but it has been used variously in other contexts. One that became famous is a sports hall which was used as a concentration camp in the Bosnian war, see {{w|Heliodrom camp}}.
*Auroral discontinuity - another fictitious astronomic object, for ''auroral'' see {{w|Aurora (astronomy)}}.
*Heaviside layer – a layer of ionized gas occurring between roughly 90–150 km (56–93 mi) above the ground in the Earth's atmosphere.
*Trans-Neptunian panic zone – this fictional zone combines the word from two subject: “Trans–Neptunian” is used in astronomy to describe stuff that occurs beyond the planet Neptune. In {{w|Outdoor education}} the “panic zone” is the opposite of the {{w|comfort zone}} when trying to learn new stuff.
*{{w|Ignition magneto|Magnetogap}} – part of an {{w|ignition system}}.
*US Census Bureau Solar System statistical boundary – a fictive boundary defined by the {{w|United States Census Bureau}}, similarly to how it defines {{w|Census tract|census areas}} for the purpose of processing statistical data about regions in the United States.
*Kuiper gauntlet – this is a play on the {{w|Kuiper belt}}, which is region of the Solar System beyond the planets, extending from the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU from the Sun, notable for being full of asteroids; replacing the word “belt” with “{{w|Gauntlet (glove)|gauntlet}}” (often spelled 'gantlet') which is a medieval punishment where one would be forced to run through two lines of men who would hit the punishee.
*Oort void – refers to the {{w|Oort cloud}}, a gigantic “cloud” of materials (mainly composed of ice) which ends around a light-year from The Sun and is deemed the (current) “edge” of the solar system.
*Crystal sphere holding the fixed stars – this refers to historical ideas about the universe, in which the stars were supposed to be fixed on a {{w|Celestial spheres|large crystal sphere}} around the Earth.

==Transcript==
:Number of times ''Voyager 1'' has left the Solar System
:[22 tally marks.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Charts]]

Talk:1189: Voyager 1

2013-03-22T13:31:03Z

24.70.188.179:

Uh, not all tally marks are Doctor Who references. [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 05:49, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

Oh, was he talking about the glove? I though it was referring to "running the gauntlet" for some reason. --[[Special:Contributions/123.243.217.72|123.243.217.72]] 07:17, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

No, that's "running the gantlet." Two words which are often confused for each other. Plus you could run a gantlet of people whacking you with their gauntlets. [[Special:Contributions/63.241.174.129|63.241.174.129]] 13:21, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

He almost certainly meant 'gantlet'; I think Randall just got the two words confused (it happens frequently. At this point, dictionary.com lists both spellings as synonymous.) The medieval punishment makes much more sense in context (ie: lots of things that could potentially hit Voyageur.)[[Special:Contributions/24.70.188.179|24.70.188.179]] 13:31, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

There were several stories two days ago saying it had left, then a correction from NASA saying it didn't.
http://science.time.com/2013/03/20/humanity-leaves-the-solar-system-35-years-later-voyager-offically-exits-the-heliosphere/
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2416867,00.asp
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/voyager20130320.html
[[User:Bugefun|Bugefun]] ([[User talk:Bugefun|talk]]) 07:21, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

Is it just me or is it unclear why are there sixteen leaving events described in the title text but twenty-two tally marks on the comic? [[Special:Contributions/188.221.199.135|188.221.199.135]] 07:39, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

I just keep hoping that my children will be interested in space. Too late for me, NASA wouldn't want me, but surely my genes are still ok, I hope. To follow voyager down the rabbit hole of our expectations, what else can father ever ask? [[Special:Contributions/166.147.120.177|166.147.120.177]] 08:05, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

No it is not just you why there are 22 tick marks, and only 16 countable exits.[[Special:Contributions/192.231.124.16|192.231.124.16]] 12:03, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

1182: Rembrandt Photo

2013-03-07T02:15:35Z

24.70.188.179: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1182
| date = March 6, 2013
| title = Rembrandt Photo
| image = rembrandt photo.png
| titletext = ::click:: Come back! You didn't see the one of Whistler's mother!
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Rembrandt}} was a 17th century Dutch artist. [[Megan]] shows [[Cueball]] an alleged photo of Rembrandt's parents at the time that his mother became pregnant; his {{w|human conception|conception}}. Since photography wasn't invented until the 19th century, it can't be a real photo. Megan responds to Cueball's disbelief by stating that it is an artist's conception: an artistic imagination and depiction of an event.

The joke thus is a pun on the phrase 'artist's conception': (1) Rembrandt's mother becoming pregnant with him, (2) the creation of the image.

The title text refers to {{w|James McNeill Whistler}} who painted "{{w|Whistler's Mother}}", a portrait of his mother. It is implied that there is an Oedipal connection.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is holding a laptop. Cueball is sitting at a desk and turned around to face Megan.]
:Megan: Hey, look - Rembrandt's parents having sex!
:Cueball: ''Waugh!'' Why do you-
:Cueball: ...Wait, how can there be a photo of that?
:Megan: It's an artist's conception.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Language]]

Talk:1181: PGP

2013-03-04T15:55:47Z

24.70.188.179:

Everybody below seems to have misread the comic. It says nothing about 'verifying that the email is secure' or secret, or encrypted. It says verifying that the email is AUTHENTIC. This is a significant difference in meaning.[[Special:Contributions/24.70.188.179|24.70.188.179]] 15:55, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

I don't really understand what's funny about this comic. [[Special:Contributions/76.106.251.87|76.106.251.87]] 05:53, 4 March 2013 (UTC)
: Perhaps the fact that an email is encrypted (or pretends to be) at all? Most emails aren't encrypted, or none of the ones I send or get are. :D [[Special:Contributions/59.10.72.121|59.10.72.121]] 06:28, 4 March 2013 (UTC)
: what is funny, is that nobody can read the signatures -- and therefore they a less than pointless, as the gives a false sense of security.

I think merely the fact that PGP is in the email itself suggests the sender of the email is probably just a big nerd and therefore can be trusted. {{unsigned|153.90.91.1}}

Isn't it that those markers could very simply just have been typed in, rather than being part of the decryption system? [[User:DonGoat|DonGoat]] ([[User talk:DonGoat|talk]]) 07:41, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

With public key systems like PGP you need the public key of the other person to verify the authenticity of the message. Most people do not use PGP or do not know how it works or are just lazy. Some of those are convinced enough just by the outer looks of a signed email: The starting block and the jumbled chars at the end. It is like being impressed by a signature per se in real life without knowing what the one of the person you write to looks like. I think the allusion to pretty good is coincidental. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/178.26.118.249|178.26.118.249]] 08:11, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

:Email client is supposed to automatically check the signature and report it's validity in a way which can't be counterfeited. Few if any do. On the other hand, how much do you really want to need the email is signed? Unless it's asking for password or something, which would be suspicious anyway ... (and in that case, you should reply by ENCRYPTED email. By definition, email encrypted with public key of someone you trust posted to attacker should be useless to him).
:Personally, I don't PGP sign my emails because noone I'm regularly writting to would be able to verify the signature. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:27, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

There is an interesting comparison to do with regular handwritten signature, as this is exactly how people check the authenticity of a handwritten signed document: check for a signature. If there is one, and if there is, even if you never saw a sample of that signature, trust it. However, as with cryptographic signature with an unknown key, this does rely one something: the fact that it is forbidden, and punishable, to counterfeit one's signature, even if it is badly done (as in: write a random signature, hoping that the recipient does not know the real signature of the alleged author). -- [[User:Elessar|Elessar]] ([[User talk:Elessar|talk]]) 09:02, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

I agree with the commenters above me and I think the explanation goes into the wrong direction. This cartoon has nothing to do with encryption, it's only about (cryptographically) signing an e-mail. PGP can do both, but whilst signing is done using your own secret PGP key, for encryption you must have the public key of the recipient, so they must already know how to use PGP (or GnuPG) and have it installed. The cartoon is about people who either do not have PGP installed in their e-mail program or are using a web mailer (like many) that cannot handle cryptographically signed messages. For them, the signature is useless, unless they believe that the mere existence of a signature is a proof that the message is authentic.
Oh, and the explanation is wrong on the ASCII armor. If you read the RFC correctly, this separation line is used if you ''don't have'' ASCII armored text but plaintext. [[Special:Contributions/128.7.3.55|128.7.3.55]] 09:40, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

:You may be confusing "ASCII armored" (which in OpenPGP speak is "a BASE64-encoded version of the signature or encrypted text") with the encoding of the actual data (which may also be BASE64, or it may be Quoted-Nonprintable, or it may be actual plain-text ASCII). This separation line signals that signature will be at the end, and that the mail will not be encoded in PGP-MIME, which pretty much requires that the signature is ASCII armored.[[Special:Contributions/195.144.91.202|195.144.91.202]] 12:03, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

:I also agree that the explanation doesn't really explain the point. PGP does not only provide encryption (which is in some sense privacy), but also authentication. If I publish my public key, anyone can use it to verify an email I signed with my private key. The joke is about what really happens. The text says: "If you find a header, this indicates a signed message. You are pretty safe if you assume the mail is authentic." This is funny, because email signatures are still so uncommon that there actually is no need to fake it. If you fake an email, why faking a signature? Just don't sign it. The image text goes one step further saying that you're safer when you look at the bottom of the mail and look for some weird random characters. This is what the actual signature looks like, but of course, the only way to really authenticate the mail is to use the sender's public key to verify that the random characters are a real signature. --[[User:BKA|BKA]] ([[User talk:BKA|talk]]) 12:19, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

PGP, or GPG (even in Windows) now, helps you verify the sender. If the key kept in the registry, or in your public keyring, matches, then the sender is the one known to you as the owner of that key. Of course, that doesn't stop someone from giving you a public key while pretending to be another, then maintaining the masquerade.

Incidentally nearly EVERYONE has seen a public key verified message. Visit any https website, and odds are the web browser not only established a secure channel through asymmetric (public key) encryption, but also verifies the owner of the 'site by checking with places like VeriSign. How many people here have visited their own HTTPS 'site, (while playing around with a server, for instance,) and had their browser pop up a warning about the 'site being unverified? [[Special:Contributions/156.110.38.82|156.110.38.82]] 14:50, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

1179: ISO 8601

2013-02-28T01:45:33Z

24.70.188.179: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1179
| date = February 27, 2013
| title = ISO 8601
| image = iso_8601.png
| titletext = ISO 8601 was published on 06/05/88 and most recently amended on 12/01/04.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Public service announcement}}: Two commonly used date formats are {{w|Date format by country|dd.mm.yyyy and mm/dd/yyyy}} (the symbols separating the values, as well as the year being 2 or 4 digits notwithstanding). These differences are often causes for debate. However, the comic explains that the {{w|International Organization for Standardization}} (ISO) has standardized dates in the yyyy-mm-dd format, in its {{w|ISO 8601}} standard.

The comic then lists many formats as "discouraged". This list starts with commonly used formats, which include the two above as well as other commonly used ones, such as dd/mm/yy. However the list then starts listing formats ranging from uncommon to absurd, such as writing the date partly in Roman numerals and painting the date in m/d/yy format with white paint onto a hissing black cat.

The ISO standard was published (to use yet another date format) on 5 June 1988 and amended on 1 December 2004, two dates given in the title text in mm/dd/yy format. Since the day values are less than 13, the format used demonstrates its ambiguity; it could be interpreted as other dates given in dd/mm/yy format (the last in several other formats as well). Anyway, the dates are not written in ISO 8601 format, contradicting the advice in this comic, adding a level of metahumor.

The other mentioned formats are:

{| class=wikitable
! Date !! Explanation
|-
| 02/27/2013
| MM/DD/YYYY, used mostly in the US.
|-
| 02/27/13
| MM/DD/YY
|-
| 27/02/2013
| DD/MM/YYYY, used e.g. in South America, Canada ({{w|Date_and_time_notation_in_Canada|officially uses ISO 8601}}) and Europe.
|-
| 27/02/13
| DD/MM/YY
|-
| 20130227
| YYYYMMDD, also allowed in ISO 8601
|-
| 2013.02.27
| YYYY.MM.DD
|-
| 27.02.13
| DD.MM.YY, used e.g. in Germany
|-
| 27-02-13
| DD-MM-YY
|-
| 27.2.13
| D.M.YY
|-
| 2013. II. 27.
| YYYY. MM. DD., with month as {{w|Roman numerals}}, used in Hungary.
|-
| 27⁄2-13
| D⁄M-YY
|-
| 2013.158904109
| Year and decimal fraction of year – 58/365, February 27 being the 58th day of the year. This representation marks the end of that day.
|-
| MMXIII-II-XXVII
| Year-month-day in Roman numerals
|-
| MMXIII [and] LVII [over] CCCLXV
| Year and ''57''/365. This representation marks the start of the day, which is 57 days after the year started.
|-
| 1330300800
| {{w|Unix time|UNIX Timestamp}}, but for '''2012'''-02-27.
|-
| ((3+3)×(111+1)-1)×3/3-1/33
| Year/month/day with the parts written as arithmetic expressions, using just the digits 1 and 3. (The slashes are not to be interpreted as fraction lines.)
|-
| 27 [''on''] 02 [''on''] 2013
| An obfuscated date format not used ordinarily. This can be considered a compromise between the different formats: since we cannot agree on which position in the date the day, month and year parts shall be, we just write them all in the same place; we don't even need separators, which we cannot agree on either. On the other hand, reading it gets somewhat tricky...
|-
| 10/11011/1101
| Month/day/year in {{w|Binary number|binary}}.
|-
| 02/27/20/13
| A slash is absurdly placed in the middle of "2013".
|-
| 0 [2,5] 1 [3] 2 [1,6,7] 3 [4] 7 [8]
| The large digits are to be placed at the positions listed above and below: 0 is used at positions 2 and 5, 1 is used on position 3, etc.; the result being 20130227
|-
| ''A cat, with the numerals'' 2-27-13 ''painted on it, going'' HISSSS
| The hissing black cat (with a number 13) may hint towards bad luck. The cat might also just be angry that someone painted an unstandardized date on it.
|}

==Transcript==
:Public Service Announcement:

:Our different ways of writing dates as numbers can lead to online confusion. That's why in 1988 ISO set a global standard numeric date format. This is '''''the''''' correct way to write numeric dates:

:2013-02-27

:The following formats are therefore discouraged:
*02/27/2013
*02/27/13
*27/02/2013
*27/02/13
*20130227
*2013.02.27
*27.02.13
*27-02-13
*27.2.13
*2013. II. 27.
*27⁄2-13
*2013.158904109
*MMXIII-II-XXVII
*MMXIII [and] LVII [over] CCCLXV
*1330300800
*((3+3)×(111+1)-1)×3/3-1/33
*27 [''written on top of''] 02 [''written on top of''] 2013
*10/11011/1101
*02/27/20/13
*0 [2,5] 1 [3] 2 [1,6,7] 3 [4] 7 [8]
*''A cat, with the numerals'' 2-27-13 ''painted on it, going'' HISSSS

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Math]]

Talk:1176: Those Not Present

2013-02-20T15:56:37Z

24.70.188.179:

Seems pretty straight forward. The more a group talks badly of a person who's not present, a bad habit, the less Munroe wants to be associated with it. Therefore, he slowly scoots away, until he eventually reaches an other group, who, hopefully, won't have said bad habit. [[Special:Contributions/95.35.63.88|95.35.63.88]] 05:28, 20 February 2013 (UTC)
:I don't think there's much more to say about this one. [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 06:39, 20 February 2013 (UTC)
::There's much more to say about it, actually. The comic is pointing out that it is the nature of groups to talk about those not present. The scooting from one to another (doing the same thing, even when the subject is something like squid), is to show that there's no escape from gossip.[[Special:Contributions/24.70.188.179|24.70.188.179]] 15:56, 20 February 2013 (UTC)
One can make assuptions about the age of those in the first group because of the shape of the beverage vessels. A wine or champagne glass might be used for it's name sake. Suggesting that they are older than the legal drinking age. Though the conversation seems like one expected in high school or college.{{unsigned|74.215.40.250}}
Is this actually this simple or are we missing something? Maybe it's just a bit crappy? [[Special:Contributions/134.226.83.27|134.226.83.27]] 14:03, 20 February 2013 (UTC)
:I was actually expecting it to proceed to some sort of equilibrium situation where the various groups slowly force him into some stationary position at a distance from each group relative to their various levels of behind the back talking.[[User:Schmammel|Schmammel]] ([[User talk:Schmammel|talk]]) 15:22, 20 February 2013 (UTC)

1139: Rubber and Glue

2013-01-29T06:06:20Z

24.70.188.179: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1139
| date = November 26, 2012
| title = Rubber and Glue
| image = rubber and glue.png
| titletext = I'm rubber. You're rubber. We contemplate the reality of our existence in mute, vulcanized horror.
}}

==Explanation==
"I'm rubber, you're glue; whatever you say, whatever you do, bounces off me and stick on to you" is a schoolground retort used by children to suggest that one's insults are being ignored by the intended recipient of the insult and counter that the insult rather refers to the insulter. On a deeper level, it may imply that a person insulting others is an indication of their own insecurity and weakness.

In this comic, a young [[Black Hat]] is reading a chemistry and physics handbook, which leads to a literal and graphic visualization of the phrase. He uses the retort to frighten the children bullying him, into calling for their mothers. The book is the {{w|CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics}}. It is also nicknamed the 'Rubber Bible' or the 'Rubber Book', as CRC originally stood for "Chemical Rubber Company".

==Transcript==
:[Playground. Young Megan is balancing on a swing, two kids are swinging and two more kids, Cueball and a boy are approaching a reading Black Hat.]
:Boy: Whatchya reading, hatboy?
:Black Hat: The CRC handbook of chemistry and physics.
:Cueball: You are such a loser, it's ''painful''.
:Black Hat: I'm rubber, you're glue.

:Boy: Yeah, well-
:Black Hat: ''Glue can't speak.''
:Black Hat: You try to scream, but your mouth fills with glue.
:Black Hat: Your face is glue. Your body is glue.

:Black Hat: I wrap my rubber arms around your sticky bulk.
:Black Hat: Your neoprene base bonds instantly with my surface.
:Black Hat: Never to let go.

:Black Hat: You are glue. I am rubber.
:Black Hat: Staring at you with my dead, rubber eyes-
:Black Hat: ''Forever.''
:[Off-screen]: ''MOOOOM!''
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Physics]]

980: Money

2013-01-28T05:24:34Z

24.70.188.179: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 980
| date = November 21, 2011
| title = Money
| image = money.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = There, I showed you it.
}}
As usual, click the date above the comic to go to the xkcd page, and there is a link to the ''much'' larger (Google Maps-like) version. Go find something interesting, don't worry, the wiki will still be here.

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete|980: Money}}
Well, that's why this one is late. It is MASSIVE. This is another [[:Category:Charts|chart]] that [[Randall]] does for xkcd from time to time. He has done [[Online Communities|maps of]] [[Online Communities 2|the Internet]] (twice) and other huge visualizations.

Dollar increments are different colors. Dollar increments are green. (Naturally, because American paper money is green.) Thousands are Orange/Red. Millions are gray. Billions are yellow. Trillions are blue.

In the Billions box there is a vague term called the "Economic Vortex" as well as arrows that flow between different blocks of this box. This is to show where the money goes. Where it is collected from, and where it is distributed to.

The title text is a reference to the phrase "Show me the money!" which originates from the film 'Jerry Maguire'.

;Dollars
*Middle-left: Pet Ownership. The {{w|ASPCA}} is the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
*Bottom-right: Four boxes indicate that the CEO pay has skyrocketed from 490.31 (hourly) to $5,419.97 (hourly) in the same time period in which the average worker's salary has skyrocketed 10 cents.

;Thousands
*Top-right: Hogwarts degree: a reference to {{w|Hogwarts|Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy}} from the popular book series by {{w|J.K. Rowling}} about {{w|Harry Potter}}. One box is the estimated yearly tuition for the school and the next is how much seven years at the school would cost. To get a degree at the school, it takes 7 years (starting at age 11, ending at age 18).
*Bottom: A reference to the song by {{w|Bare Naked Ladies}} entitled "{{w|If I Had $1000000}}" and all the things referenced in the song to buy the love of another person.

;Millions
*Middle-right: another reference to JK Rowling, in this case it is {{w|MC Front-A-Lot}} (The creator of the subgenre of {{w|hip-hop}} known as "{{w|Nerd Core}}") who estimated her net worth at $1 billion. But, that begs the question, why do the boxes only add up to $82,000?

;Billions
*Top-Left: Billionaires section: Fictional Billionaires sub-section:
**{{w|Carlisle Cullen}} is from the {{w|Twilight (series)|Twilight Series}} of books and movies. He is a vampire and adoptive father of {{w|Edward Cullen|Edward}}, {{w|Emmett Cullen|Emmett}} and {{w|Alice Cullen (Twilight)|Alice Cullen}}, as well as {{w|Rosalie Hale|Rosalie}} and {{w|Jasper Hale}}. He was born in the 1640s and amassed his wealth through many years of compound interest and investments.
**{{w|Scrooge McDuck}} is a cartoon character from many {{w|Disney}} properties including the afternoon cartoon, {{w|Duck Tales}}. Scrooge McDuck has a "money bin" full of coins and other sorts of collectibles that he routinely [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMU2NwaaXEA goes swimming in].
**{{w|Bruce Wayne}} is {{w|Batman}}. {{w|Batman}} is {{w|Bruce Wayne}}. He is portrayed in many comic books, graphic novels, TV shows and movies by many different actors.
**{{w|Artemis Fowl II|Artemis Fowl}} is an Irish child prodigy and a ruthless master criminal from the {{w|Artemis Fowl (series)|eponymous book series}}. He uses his intelligence to build his family fortune through crime.

;Trillions

==Trivia==
*xkcd comics are usually posted at, or around, midnight Eastern time the day of the comic (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). This one was posted at about noon on Monday
*Each amount has a source at http://xkcd.com/980/sources/ In the dollars section there is a statement that at every possible opportunity Randall used a scholarly work or government publication.

==Transcript==
Money

all of it

(this transcription is only reproducing text visible on the front page comic. There are 5 large panels, each with a series of plots, comparing the values of various things.)

*Dollars
**(This section covers single coffees up to the hourly salaries of CEOs)

*Thousands
**(This section discusses values from around $1000 to $1000000, including a dissection of the song ''If I had $1000000'')

*Millions
**(This section focuses on $1000,000 to $1000,000,000, with a large section on campaign contributions of American political presidential campaigns, values of expensive works of art, and J. K. Rowling.)

*Billions
**(This section gets into larger scale finances, profits of various sectors, costs of natural disasters, and net worths of the richest people on the planet. Also, Donald Trump.)

*Trillions
**(Global financial status is described here. It discusses derivatives, liquid assets, public debt by nation and GDP by continent, culminating with the total economic production of the human race to date.)

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Large drawings]]
[[Category:Charts]]

Talk:688: Self-Description

2013-01-27T06:52:03Z

24.70.188.179:

This is one of the comics with a direct link at the bottom of xkcd. [[Special:Contributions/173.26.186.224|173.26.186.224]] 04:18, 29 December 2012 (UTC)

I do wish they said 'comic' rather than 'image' as for the longest time, I assumed 'image' only referred to the individual box, which doesn't make each one necessarily linked.[[Special:Contributions/24.70.188.179|24.70.188.179]] 06:52, 27 January 2013 (UTC)