https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=141.101.98.214&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T07:23:27ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1491:_Stories_of_the_Past_and_Future&diff=3245741491: Stories of the Past and Future2023-09-29T06:12:47Z<p>141.101.98.214: /* Works listed */ Missing work added. (Note markup compromises, other choices made.)</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1491<br />
| date = February 25, 2015<br />
| title = Stories of the Past and Future<br />
| image = stories_of_the_past_and_future.png<br />
| titletext = Little-known fact: The 'Dawn of Man' opening sequence in 2001 cuts away seconds before the Flintstones theme becomes recognizable.<br />
}}<br />
{{TOC}}<br />
*A larger version of this image can be found [https://xkcd.com/1491/large/ here].<br />
<br />
== Explanation ==<br />
It's long been common for narrative works to be set in the past, and this tendency goes back to ancient mythology. The opposite approach, setting a work in a speculative future, has been less common prior to modern times. The oldest example Randall presents is from 1733, but it didn't really become a trend until well into the 19th century, and didn't become really common until the 20th century.<br />
<br />
For works set in the future, particularly in the near future, there's a real possibility that audiences will still read or watch it past the date in which is was set, allowing them to compare the real world of this era to the one the author projected. This doesn't make the work less valuable, necessarily, but it does make the limits of such speculation painfully obvious, and tends to make the [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Zeerust future presented there look dated and quaint]. Randall labels these futuristic works as "obsolete".<br />
<br />
For works set in the past, there's an opposite and somewhat more subtle effect. Once the work itself is old enough, audiences tend to forget that they were intended as historical fiction in the first place. If an old work is set in the past, it's often assumed that they were set in their own time, not in the still more distant past. That impacts how we experience the work, because we tend to assume that it's a faithful representation of its own time, not a later interpretation that was intended to be old (and possibly nostalgic) even in its own time.<br />
<br />
On top of this, in a similar situation to the failed attempt at {{w|futurology}}, for future-facing works of fiction, even a conscientiously faithful 'historic' film can age badly. Later understanding of previously hazy historical situations can be developed between the time of the fictional work being authored and your experience of it.<br />
<br />
To demonstrate those impacts, this chart sorts various works by the year they were created, graphed against how far in the past or future they were originally set. Lines on the chart are added to separate when each work ceases to work as either a prediction or as a [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PeriodPiece period piece]. For future works, the cut-off is obvious: if it was set in a year prior to the current year, we know that the predictions are obsolete (and can easily determine how accurate or inaccurate that future is). Hence, at the time the chart was written (in 2015), works like ''1984'' and ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' are obsolete, while works like ''Star Trek'', which take place in a more distant future, are still theoretically possible. (''Back to the Future Part II'' is deliberately right on the line, as it was set in 2015). <br />
<br />
For the past works, Randall sets the cut-off as when the work itself is older than the events in question were when it was first written/made. Hence, modern audiences are unlikely to realize that the Epic of Gilgamesh was intended to sound ancient, even when it was new, or that novels like ''Les Miserables'' were intended as historical fiction, or even that films like ''Chinatown'' or shows like ''Happy Days'' were intended as period pieces when they were made. To modern audiences, we just see an old work set in an old time, and tend to assume that the two periods were the same.<br />
<br />
The setup of the chart points to the reality that, in process of time, more and more works will cross those lines. Future audiences will likely assume that films like ''Apollo 13'' and ''Schindler's List'' were made around the time of the events in question. And modern science fiction works, if they're still remembered in the future, will become just as obsolete as past works. And Randall even indicates "this chart" on the chart, apparently acknowledging that it will become dated as time goes by. <br />
<br />
How to read the graph:<br />
* X-axis: Date of publication.<br />
* Y-axis, "Years in the future": Number of years the story's events take place, after the story's publication.<br />
* Y-axis, "Years in the past": Number of years the story's events take place, before the story's publication.<br />
: For example, "Water Margin" was published in the 14th century (x ~= 1300) and relates events from the 12th century, about 200 years before its publication (y ~= 200 in the past).<br />
: Another example: The film ''{{w|The Bridge on the River Kwai}}'' was released in 1957 and it was set around 14 years before (~1942-43).<br />
* Grey area in the "Years in the future" part: Stories set in the future (relative to their publication date), for which the date of the events in the story is already in the past (relative to the publication date of the comic). The white and gray areas in this part of the graph are defined as "still possible" and "obsolete", respectively. The gray area (obsolete) will expand over time, assuming more works aren't added in the future: predictions from science fiction or futuristic work that are not confirmed by reality are doomed to be obsolete.<br />
* Grey area in the "Years in the past" part: Stories set in the past (relative to their publication date) but published closer to their setting than to today. The warning "Modern audiences may not recognize which part were supposed to sound old" is a recurrent theme in the author's work, being already formulated in [[771: Period Speech|Period Speech]] comic. The white area seems to be the region where modern readers will be able to distinguish the past setting of a work from the age of the work itself. This gray area will grow over time (again assuming new works set in the past are not added) with more and more works being indistinguishable as works set in the past.<br />
<br />
Taking the "years in the past" on the y-axis to be read as negatives like in most graphs one can write<br />
* Dates on the lower line satisfy the equation y = x-2015. Corresponding works were published in the year x = 2015+y and are set in the year x+y = 2015+2y.<br />
* Dates on the upper line satisfy the equation y = 2015-x. Corresponding works were published in the year x = 2015-y and are set in the year x+y = 2015.<br />
Thus it's clear that the definitions of the lines are consistent with each other as they follow similar but inverted functions.<br />
The graph uses variable {{w|logarithmic scale}}s, adjusting the scale in various regions to the temporal density of works being plotted. If the scale were linear, the graph would in fact represent a (bidimensional) {{w|Minkowski diagram}}, which depicts the moving cones of past and future in spacetime as one's present advances in time.<br />
<br />
The title text jokes that ''2001'' cuts from prehistoria to the future before ''The Flintstones'' theme can become recognizable. This references the fact that, despite being primarily set in what was then the future, the film opens in the ancient past, thus appearing in both parts of the graph, with one part being very close to ''The Flintstones''. This plays on the fact that one of these was a very serious work and the other a playful animated show that was intended as family comedy. <br />
<br />
=== Works listed ===<br />
Differences listed in <span style="color:#FF0000;">bright red</span> are "former period pieces." Differences listed in <span style="color:#8B0000;">dark red</span> are other works set in the past. Differences listed in <span style="color:#32cd32;">bright green</span> are "obsolete" works set in the future. Differences listed in <span style="color:#006400;">dark green</span> are other works set in the future.<br />
<br />
Asterisks (*) after a year of publication denote that it applies to the first installment in a series that spanned more than one year.<br />
<br />
You can sort by a specific column in this table by clicking on its header.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
! align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Publication'''<br />
! align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Description'''<br />
! align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;" data-sort-type="number"|'''Year written'''<br />
! align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;" data-sort-type="number"|'''Year difference'''<br />
! align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;" data-sort-type="number"|'''Year set in'''<br />
! align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Notes'''<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Epic of Gilgamesh}}''|| ancient Mesopotamian epic poem || data-sort-value="-2100"|~2100 BCE||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="500" | ~500|| data-sort-value="-2600"|~2600 BCE|| {{w|Enmebaragesi}}, a historically attested ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' character, is thought to have lived around 2600 BCE<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Iliad|The Iliad}}''||epic written by Greek poet Homer || data-sort-value="-750"|700s BCE ||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="500" | ~500 || data-sort-value="-1260"| 1260–1240 BCE ||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Book of Genesis}}''||first book of the Bible, describing the creation of the world || data-sort-value="-500"|500s–400s BCE ||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="3200" | ~3200 || data-sort-value="-3761"| 3761 BCE || The ''{{w|Anno Mundi}}'' epoch, the product of scriptural calculations by {{w|Maimonides}}, places the Genesis date of the creation of the world at October 7, 3761 BCE in the {{w|proleptic Julian calendar}}<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|History of the Peloponnesian War}}''||history written by Thucydides|| data-sort-value="-400"|~400 BCE||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="10" | ~10|| data-sort-value="-431"|431–411 BCE||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Gospels}}''|| collection of literary works detailing the life of Jesus of Nazareth || data-sort-value="65"|~65–110 CE ||style="color:#FF0000;" | 25–75 || data-sort-value="-7"|7–2 BCE – 30–33 CE || Setting dates are those of Jesus' estimated lifetime. Writing dates are as follows: Mark 65–73 CE; Matthew 70–100 CE; Luke 80–100 CE; John 90–110 CE. Randall's difference calculation seems to be based on the date of Jesus' death, as the majority of the Gospels' events takes place during the three years prior to Jesus's death.<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Ashokavadana}}''||narrative of the life of Ashoka the Great||100s CE||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="400" | ~400|| data-sort-value="-304"|304–232 BCE||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Pillow Book}}''||book written by Sei Shōnagon||1002||style="color:#FF0000;" | 6||996||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Water Margin}}''||novel by Shi Nai'an|| data-sort-value="1375"|late 1300s||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="150" | ~150|| data-sort-value="1100"|early 1100s<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Richard III (play)|Richard III}}''||play by William Shakespeare||1597||style="color:#FF0000;" | 112–119||1478–1485||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Henry IV (play)|Henry IV}}''||plays by William Shakespeare||1598*||style="color:#FF0000;" | 185–196||1402–1413||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|King Lear}}''||play by William Shakespeare||1608||style="color:#8B0000;" | 2400|| data-sort-value="-700"|700s BCE||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|King John (play)|King John}}''||play by William Shakespeare||1623||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="400" | ~400|| data-sort-value="1200"|~1200–1216||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Henry VIII (play)|Henry VIII}}''||play by William Shakespeare||1623||style="color:#FF0000;" | 90–102||1521–1533||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar}}''||play by William Shakespeare||1623||style="color:#8B0000;" | 1667–1670|| data-sort-value="-45"|45–42 BCE||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Memoirs of the Twentieth Century}}''|| book written by Samuel Madden||1733||style="color:#32cd32;" | 264||1997||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Rip Van Winkle|Rip Van Winkel}}'' [sic]||short story by Washington Irving||1819||style="color:#FF0000;" | 32–52||1767–1787||It's not clear why Randall has chosen 1787 as the year that Rip Van Winkle awakes.<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Last of the Mohicans}}''||novel by James Cooper||1826||style="color:#FF0000;" | 69||1757||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Moby-Dick}}''||novel by Herman Melville||1851||style="color:#FF0000;" | 5+|| data-sort-value="1845"|before 1846 || Inspired by events occurring in 1820, the late 1830s, and the early 1840s<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|A Tale of Two Cities}}''|| book by Charles Dickens ||1859||style="color:#FF0000;" | 84||1775<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Les Misérables|Les Miserábles}}'' [sic]||novel by Victor Hugo||1862||style="color:#FF0000;" | 47||1815–1832||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Treasure Island}}''||novel by Robert Louis Stevenson||1883||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="120" | ~120|| data-sort-value="1760"|~1760||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Looking Backward}}''|| novel written by Edward Bellamy||1888||style="color:#32cd32;" | 112||2000||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court}}''||novel by Mark Twain||1889||style="color:#8B0000;" | 1361||528||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Golf in the Year 2000}}''|| novel written by J. McCullough||1892||style="color:#32cd32;" | 108||2000||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Time Machine}}''|| novel written by H.G. Wells||1895||style="color:#006400;" | 800,000–<br />1 billion||802,701–<br/>1 billion|| Note that Randall has included only part of the book; which includes scenes all the way from the time of writing to the death of the last life on Earth. The novel itself identifies the latest part as being "more than thirty million years" in the future, based on the theories of the Sun's lifespan at the time.<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Enoch Soames}}''|| short story by Max Beerbohm||1916||style="color:#32cd32;" | 81||1997||Soames was transported from 1897 to 1997 and back.<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Gone With The Wind}}''|| novel by Margaret Mitchel ||1936||style="color:#FF0000;" | 75||1861<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Lest Darkness Fall}}''||alternate history SF novel by L. Sprague de Camp||1939||style="color:#8B0000;" | 1404||535||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Casablanca (film)|Casablanca}}''||film directed by Michael Curtiz||1942||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="0.9" | <1||1941||The film was released 26 November 1942 and is set in early December 1941.<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Oklahoma!}}''||Broadway musical||1943||style="color:#FF0000;" | 37||1906||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984}}''||novel written by George Orwell||1949||style="color:#32cd32;" | 35||1984||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Bridge on the River Kwai}}''||film by David Lean||1952||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="10" | ~10||1942–1943||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Gunsmoke}}''||American radio and television series||1952*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="75" | ~75||1870s||1952 is when the radio series started. The TV series didn't start until 1955.<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Ten Commandments (1956 film)|The Ten Commandments}}''||film by Cecil B. DeMille||1956||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="3000" | ~3000|| data-sort-value="-1446"|{{w|The Exodus#Date|~1446 BCE}}||The full timespan is supposedly 80 years (40 before Moses is exiled, then 40 in exile).<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Music Man}}''||Broadway musical||1957||style="color:#FF0000;" | 45||1912||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd|A Week in the Wales of the Future}}''||novel written by Islwyn Ffowc Elis||1957||style="color:#006400;" | 76||2033||<br />
|-<br />
|''{{w|Asterix}}''||French comic by Goscinny and Uderzo||1959*||style="color:#8B0000;" | 2009|| data-sort-value="-50"|50 BCE||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Flintstones}}''||TV series produced by Hanna-Barbera||1960*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="2,500,000" | ~2.5 million|| data-sort-value="-2,500,000"|{{w|Stone Age|Stone Age}}||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Catch-22}}'' (Book)||novel by Joseph Heller||1961||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="17" | ~17||1942–44||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Jetsons}}''||TV series produced by Hanna-Barbera||1962*||style="color:#006400;" | 100||data-sort-value="2062"|~2062||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Lawrence of Arabia}}''||film by David Lean||1962||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="44" | ~44||1916–1918||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Great Escape (film)|The Great Escape}}''||film by John Sturges||1963||style="color:#FF0000;" | 20||1943–1944||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek}}'' (TOS)||TV series created by Gene Roddenberry||1966*||style="color:#006400;" | 298||2264||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde}}''||film by Arthur Penn||1967||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="33" | ~33||1932–1934||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey}}''||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1968||style="color:#32cd32;" | 33||2001||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|2001: A Space Odyssey|2001: A Space Odyssey}}'' (prologue)||prologue to novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1968||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="3,000,000" | 3 million|| data-sort-value="-3,000,000"|3 million BCE||4 million years BCE in the movie<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Catch-22 (film)|Catch-22}}'' (Movie)||film by Mike Nichols||1970||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="26" | ~26||1942–1944||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|MASH (film)|M*A*S*H}}''||film by Robert Altman||1970||style="color:#FF0000;" | 19||1951||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Patton (film)|Patton}}''||film by Franklin J. Schaffner||1970||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="25" | ~25||1943–1945||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|American Graffiti}}''||film by George Lucas||1973||style="color:#FF0000;" | 11||1962||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Blazing Saddles}}''||film by Mel Brooks||1974||style="color:#8B0000;" | 100||1874||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Chinatown (1974 film)|Chinatown}}''||film by Roman Polanski||1974||style="color:#FF0000;" | 37||1937||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Happy Days}}''||TV series||1974*||style="color:#FF0000;" | 19–29||1955–1965||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Space: 1999}}''||TV series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson||1975*||style="color:#32cd32;" | 24||1999||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Annie (musical)|Annie}}'' (play)||Broadway musical||1977||style="color:#8B0000;" | 44||1933||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Roots (miniseries)|Roots}}''||TV series, adapted from eponymous novel||1977||style="color:#8B0000;" | 90–227||1750–1882||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Star Wars#Original trilogy|Star Wars}}'' (IV – VI)||original film trilogy ||1977*|| style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="1,000,000,000" | 1 billion || data-sort-value="-1,000,000,000"|"A long time ago"|| It's not clear why Randall has chosen 1 billion years here. Wookieepedia puts the age of the ''Star Wars'' galaxy at [https://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/13,000,000,000_BBY ~13 billion years], and our Universe is only 13.8 billion years old, and the oldest known galaxy took 380 million years to form... So it would seem ''Star Wars'' should be no farther than 400 million years in the past, give or take.<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Grease (film)|Grease}}''||film by Randall Kleiser||1978||style="color:#FF0000;" | 20||1958||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Apocalypse Now}}''||film by Francis Ford Coppola||1979||style="color:#FF0000;" | 10||1969||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Chariots of Fire}}''||film by Hugh Hudson||1981||style="color:#8B0000;" | 57||1924||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|2010: Odyssey Two}}''||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1982||style="color:#32cd32;" | 28||2010||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Annie (1982 film)|Annie}}'' (movie)||film adaptation of the above by John Huston||1982||style="color:#8B0000;" | 49||1933||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Gandhi (film)|Gandhi}}''||film by Richard Attenborough||1982||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="34" | ~34||1893–1948||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Right Stuff (film)|The Right Stuff}}''||film by Philip Kaufman||1983||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="20" | ~20||1947–63||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Transformers (TV series)|Transformers}}'' (TV Series)||TV series||1984*||style="color:#32cd32;" data-sort-value="20" | ~20||data-sort-value="2004"|~2004||Only seasons 3 and 4 are set in the year 2005 onwards. Seasons 1 and 2 were set in 1984-85.<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Back to the Future}}''||film by Robert Zemeckis||1985||style="color:#FF0000;" | 30||1955||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Platoon (film)|Platoon}}''||film by Oliver Stone||1986||style="color:#FF0000;" | 21||1967||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Dirty Dancing}}''||film by Emile Ardolino||1987||style="color:#FF0000;" | 24||1963||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: The Next Generation}}''||TV series created by Gene Roddenberry||1987*||style="color:#006400;" | 377||2364||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|2061: Odyssey Three}}''||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1987||style="color:#006400;" | 74||2061||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Wonder Years}}''||TV series||1988*||style="color:#FF0000;" | 20–25||1968–1973||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Back to the Future Part II|Back to the Future Part II}}''||film directed by Robert Zemeckis||1989||style="color:#32cd32;" | 26||2015||Only the first part of the movie is set in 2015; later the setting moves to an alternate 1985 and a revisit of 1955.<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Zero Wing}}''||arcade/computer game||1989||style="color:#006400;" | 112||2101||Previously referenced in [[887: Future Timeline]]<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Back to the Future Part III}}''||film by Robert Zemeckis||1990||style="color:#8B0000;" | 105||1885||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|JFK (film)|JFK}}''||film by Oliver Stone||1991||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="22" | ~22||1963–1969||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Terminator 2: Judgment Day|Terminator 2}}'' (1995 Portion)||film directed by James Cameron||1991||style="color:#32cd32;" | 4||1995||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Sandlot}}''||film by David Mickey Evans||1993||style="color:#8B0000;" | 31||1962||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Schindler's List}}''||film by Steven Spielberg||1993||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="50" | ~50||1939–1945||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Apollo 13 (film)|Apollo 13}}''||film by Ron Howard||1995||style="color:#8B0000;" | 25||1970||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Raptor Red}}''||novel by Robert Bakker||1995||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="65,000,000" | ~65 million|| data-sort-value="-65,000,000"|{{w|Cretaceous Period}}||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Evita (1996 film)|Evita}}''||film by Alan Parker||1996||style="color:#8B0000;" | 44||1952||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|3001: The Final Odyssey}}''||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1997||style="color:#006400;" | 1004||3001||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Big Lebowski}}''||film by the Coen Brothers||1998||style="color:#FF0000;" | 7||1991||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Prince of Egypt}}''||animated film by DreamWorks||1998||style="color:#8B0000;" | 3400||data-sort-value="-1446"|{{w|The Exodus#Date|~1446 BCE}}||Despite the same plot of ''The Ten Commandments'', it covers only about 30 years given its Moses is much younger.<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Saving Private Ryan}}''||film by Steven Spielberg||1998||style="color:#8B0000;" | 54||1944||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|That '70s Show}}''||TV series||1998*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="22" | ~22|||1976–1979||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Freaks and Geeks}}''||TV series||1999*||style="color:#8B0000;" | 19||1980–1981||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Star Wars#Prequel trilogy|Star Wars}}'' (I – III)||prequel film trilogy||1999*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="1,000,000,000" | 1 billion || data-sort-value="-1,000,000,000"|"A long time ago"|| See note at episodes IV–VI<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Pearl Harbor (film)|Pearl Harbor}}''||film by Michael Bay||2001||style="color:#8B0000;" | 60||1941||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Star Trek: Enterprise|Enterprise}}''||TV series||2001*||style="color:#006400;" | 150||2151||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|I Love the '80s (U.S. TV series)|I Love the '80s}}''||TV miniseries by VH1||2002||style="color:#8B0000;" | 13–22||1980–1989||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Ice Age (film series)|Ice Age}}''||animated films by Blue Sky Studios||2002*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="12,000" | ~12,000|| data-sort-value="-12,000"|{{w|Last glacial period|Paleolithic-Mesolithic}}||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Hotel Rwanda}}''|| film directed by Terry George||2004||style="color:#FF0000;" | 10||1994||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|I Love the '90s (U.S. TV series)|I Love the '90s}}''|| TV miniseries on VH1||2004||style="color:#FF0000;" | 5–14||1990–1999||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|United 93 (film)|United 93}}''|| film directed by Paul Greengrass||2006||style="color:#FF0000;" | 5||2001||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|300 (film)|300}}''||film by Zack Snyder||2007||style="color:#8B0000;" | 2487|| data-sort-value="-480"|{{w|Battle of Thermopylae|480 BCE}}||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Mad Men}}''||TV series||2007*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="47" | ~47||1960–1970||<br />
|-<br />
|''{{w|10,000 BC (film)|10,000 BC}}''||film by Roland Emmerich||2008||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="12007" | 12,007|| data-sort-value="-10,000"|10,000 BCE||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Year One (film)|Year One}}''||film by Harold Ramis||2009||style="color:#8B0000;" | 2008||data-sort-value="1"|1 CE|| The movie title is not intended to refer to 1 CE, as it is clearly set well before that; it is difficult to determine the film's actual year as it depicts Cain and Abel (c. 4000 BCE) existing simultaneously with Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah (c. 2000 BCE).<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Downton Abbey}}''||TV series||2010*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="90" | ~90||1912–1923||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|The Wolf of Wall Street}}''||film by Martin Scorsese||2013||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="18" | ~18||1987–1995||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|I Love the 2000s|I Love the 2000s}}''|| TV miniseries on VH1||2014||style="color:#8B0000;" | 14||2000||<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{w|Star Wars sequel trilogy|Star Wars}}'' (VII – IX)||sequel film trilogy||2015*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="1,000,000,000" | 1 billion || data-sort-value="-1,000,000,000"|"A long time ago"|| See note at episodes IV–VI<br />
|-<br />
| ''{{xkcd|1491|This chart}}''||xkcd comic||2015-02-25|| 0.000 || data-sort-value="2015" | 2015-02-25||<!-- *would be cleaner as* [[1491: Stories of the Past and Future|Self-referential]] *but param-pipe apparently gets broken by table-pipe, so...* -->[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1491:_Stories_of_the_Past_and_Future Self-referential]<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Errors==<br />
<br />
===Dates===<br />
*''{{w|Star Trek: The Next Generation}}'' is vertically positioned at about 500 years in the future, slightly too high for its actual date. This may be to allow room for other nearby labels.<br />
*The {{w|Gospels}} are horizontally positioned at about the year 250 CE, when they should be positioned slightly further to the left, near the 100 CE line. (While there is debate on their date of authorship, the range of "years in the past" indicated on the graph would require authorship between roughly 50 and 100 CE.)<br />
*''{{w|Lest Darkness Fall}}'' takes place about 1400 years in the past, in the year 535. Its placement on the graph indicates it takes place about ''535'' years in the past, in the year ''1400''.<br />
<br />
===Spelling===<br />
*Author Washington Irving titled his work ''{{w|Rip Van Winkle}}'', not ''Rip van Winkel'' as [[Randall]] spells it. That said, ''van {{w|nl:Winkel|Winkel}}'' may be a more historically authentic spelling.<br />
*''{{w|Les Misérables}}'' has been misspelled ''Les Miserábles'' (note that French doesn't use the character "á").<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
:'''Date of publication'''<br />
:[A logarithmic scale running horizontally, from 3000 BCE to past 2015 CE.]<br />
:'''Years in the future'''<br />
:[A logarithmic scale running vertically, from 1 billion down to 0.]<br />
:'''Stories set in the future''' (science fiction, prediction)<br />
::Stories set in 2015<br />
::[A line divides this region into two. The upper side is labelled "still possible"; the lower side is labelled "obsolete".]<br />
:[From left to right.]<br />
::Memoirs of the Twentieth Century [1700, 265 years in the future]<br />
::Looking Backward [1888, 112 years in the future]<br />
::Golf in the Year 2000 [1892, 108 years in the future]<br />
::The Time Machine [1895, 800 thousand to 30 million years in the future]<br />
::Enoch Soames [1916, ''circa'' 60 years in the future]<br />
::1984 [1949, 35 years in the future]<br />
::A Week in the Wales of the Future [1957, 76 years in the future]<br />
::The Jetsons [1962-63, 100 years in the future]<br />
::Star Trek [1966-69, 300 years in the future]<br />
::2001: A Space Odyssey [1968, 33 years in the future]<br />
::Space: 1999 [1975-77, 24 years in the future]<br />
::2010: Odyssey Two [1982, 28 years in the future]<br />
::Transformers (TV series) [1984-87, 20 years in the future]<br />
::2061: Odyssey Three [1987, 74 years in the future]<br />
::Star Trek: The Next Generation [1987-94, ''circa'' 500 years in the future]<br />
::Back to the Future Part II [1989, 26 years in the future]<br />
::Zero Wing [1989, 112 years in the future]<br />
::Terminator 2 (1995 portion) [1991, 4 years in the future]<br />
::3001: The Final Odyssey [1997, 1004 years in the future]<br />
::Enterprise [2001-2005, 150 years in the future]<br />
::This chart [2015, 0 years in the future]<br />
:'''Years in the past'''<br />
:[A logarithmic scale running vertically, from 0 down past 1 billion to "Big Bang"]<br />
:'''Stories set in the past''' (History, Period Fiction)<br />
::Stories written X years ago and set 2X years ago<br />
::[A line divides this region into two. The upper side is labelled as follows.]<br />
::'''Former period pieces'''<br />
::Stories set in the past, but<br/>created long enough ago that<br/>they were published closer<br/>to their setting than to today.<br />
::Modern audiences may not<br/>recognize which parts were<br/>''supposed'' to sound old.<br />
:[From left to right.]<br />
::The Epic of Gilgamesh [''circa'' 2100 BCE, 600 years in the past]<br />
::The Iliad [''circa'' 800 BCE, 450 years in the past]<br />
::History of the Peloponnesian War [''circa'' 390 BCE, 10 years in the past]<br />
::Book of Genesis [''circa'' 500 BCE, 4000 years in the past]<br />
::Ashokavadana [''circa'' 100 BCE, 300 years in the past]<br />
::Gospels (various estimates) [''circa'' 250 CE, 24 to 75 years in the past]<br />
::The Pillow Book [1000 CE, 5 years in the past]<br />
::Water Margin [''circa'' 1300, 195 years in the past]<br />
::Richard III [''circa'' 1590, 115 years in the past]<br />
::Julius Caesar [1599, 1650 years in the past]<br />
::King John [''circa'' 1600, 500 years in the past]<br />
::Henry IV [''circa'' 1600, 190 years in the past]<br />
::King Lear [''circa'' 1606, 3000 years in the past]<br />
::Henry VIII [''circa'' 1612, 105 years in the past]<br />
::The Last of the Mohicans [1826, 69 years in the past]<br />
::Rip Van Winkel [1819, 31-51 years in the past]<br />
::A Tale of Two Cities [1859, 60 years in the past]<br />
::Moby-Dick [1851, anywhere from 4 to 14 years ago]<br />
:::"Some years ago--never mind how long precisely..."<br />
::Les Miserábles [1862, 30 years in the past]<br />
::Treasure Island [1883, 130 years in the past]<br />
::A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court [1889, 2000 years in the past]<br />
::Gone with the Wind [1936, 70 years in the past]<br />
::Lest Darkness Fall [1939, 550 years in the past]<br />
::Casablanca [1942, 1 year in the past]<br />
::Oklahoma! [1943, 37 years in the past]<br />
::The Ten Commandments [1956, 1400 years in the past]<br />
::The Bridge on the River Kwai [1957, 13 years in the past]<br />
::Gunsmoke [1952-61, 80 years in the past]<br />
::The Flintstones [1960-66, 100,000 years in the past]<br />
::Catch-22 (book) [1961, 18 years in the past]<br />
::The Great Escape [1963, 20 years in the past]<br />
::Asterix<br />
::Lawrence of Arabia<br />
::The Music Man<br />
::Bonnie and Clyde<br />
::2001: A Space Odyssey (prologue)<br />
::American Graffiti<br />
::Patton<br />
::Catch-22 (movie) [1970, 27 years in the past]<br />
::Chinatown<br />
::Blazing Saddles<br />
::Apocalypse Now<br />
::Happy Days<br />
::Grease<br />
::M*A*S*H<br />
::Annie (play)<br />
::Roots<br />
::Chariots of Fire<br />
::Star Wars (IV-VI)<br />
::Annie (movie)<br />
::The Right Stuff<br />
::Back to the Future<br />
::Gandhi<br />
::Platoon<br />
::Dirty Dancing<br />
::Back to the Future Part III<br />
::The Wonder Years<br />
::JFK<br />
::The Sandlot<br />
::Schindler's List<br />
::Raptor Red<br />
::Apollo 13<br />
::Star Wars (I-III)<br />
::The Big Lebowski<br />
::Evita<br />
::Saving Private Ryan<br />
::The Prince of Egypt<br />
::Freaks and Geeks<br />
::Hotel Rwanda<br />
::I Love the '80s<br />
::That '70s Show<br />
::Pearl Harbor<br />
::Ice Age<br />
::I Love the '90s<br />
::United 93<br />
::300<br />
::10,000 BC<br />
::Year One<br />
::The Wolf of Wall Street<br />
::I Love the 2000s<br />
::Mad Men<br />
::Downton Abbey<br />
::Star Wars (VII-IX)<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*Later after the initial release of this comic Randall added a link to this page. It's viewable in the HTML-source or here: [https://xkcd.com/1491/info.0.json https://xkcd.com/1491/info.0.json]. The text is: ''"this is a massive fucking graph beyond the limits of normal transcription. you can find a full listing of data points at http:\n\nwww.explainxkcd.com\nwiki\nindex.php\n1491"''.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Large drawings]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Timelines]]<br />
[[Category:Time]]<br />
[[Category:Star Trek]]<br />
[[Category:Terminator]]<br />
[[Category:Back to the Future]]</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2022:_Sports_Champions&diff=160381Talk:2022: Sports Champions2018-07-22T16:27:28Z<p>141.101.98.214: replies</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Since Kate Dopingscandal has a bike, it seems to me she's actually likely a direct reference to Lance Armstrong. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:46, 20 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Yeah, that's why I included him as an example. Feel free to clarify if you want, of course.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.68|162.158.155.68]] 06:09, 20 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
::Why is a bike directly a direct reference to Lance Armstrong? and why are additionally only "many russians" listed? It is clearly not a phenomena only seen with mr. Armstrong, and Russians, but with cylcing sports in general. The biggest Cycling event, the {{w|Tour_de_France}} is hit by a doping scandal every year. Also other events have many {{w|List_of_doping_cases_in_cycling|cases}}. Lately actually there have even be cases of [http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/542/motor-doping-is-happening-and-weve-tested-it Motor Doping]. So I think Lance Armstrong can stay as maybe the most famous example, but we should say that it is many others and not Lance Armstrong and Russians. [[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:22, 21 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
:::Because he's easily the most famous example. I realize there are plenty of others - the France native below portrays it as downright epidemic in the sport - but Lance was so highly unbelievably visible. My impression is that in North America (which is where both Randall and I live), cycling as a professional sport enjoys notably less popularity than most other sports, and less than it might elsewhere in the world. Yet virtually EVERYBODY has heard of Lance (I follow no sports whatsoever, and I can even discuss him here). Lance attained nearly a hero status, he beat cancer... He started and/or inspired The LiveStrong movement, its support bracelets spread far and wide, inspiring imitators. At which point the scandal hit. Now combine this heightened visibility with Randall's history of comics portraying him - as Cueball - as knowing nothing about sports. Lance is the only cycling doping scandal _I_ can name, or even cyclist I can name at all, chances are it's the same for Randall. This comic is certainly referencing Lance. I only commented because the description was only listing him as an example. (I said nothing about Russians, I don't know of any Russian doping scandal) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 13:46, 22 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
:::Having re-checked the description, I can answer the Russian portion: It says "many Russians" because those words link to a Wikipedia article about Russia in general, not one particular incident. The mere existence of the article tells me that enough Russians have been hit by doping scandals that they rate their own Wikipedia article. It's a great find for this ExplainXKCD article, no wonder somebody made sure to include it. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 13:55, 22 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
::::I put both those in. In fact, I wrote almost the entire article. I'm English, but I try to "think American" when editing. I immediately thought of Armstrong,and totally agree with your reasoning; if you do searches for "doping scandal" you immediately see him, but also, the Russian thing. Centered on the 2012 Olympics, and state-sponsored doping, their subsequent exclusion from the 2016 Olympics is amongst the biggest ever sporting scandals of all time, worldwide. Perhaps more so outside America, but it's certainly of epic proportions. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.13|162.158.154.13]] 16:18, 22 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
::I'm 46 and live in France. As far as I can remember (1980 ?) cycling has always been THE sport associated with doping. I can remember some famous cases in other sports (Ben Johnson in the 1988 olympics) but for cycling it was said to be quasi systematic. The Armstong case was a worldwide scandal, but Tour de France had a much severe problem in 1998 where entire teams were involved and excluded from the race. Five years later, after several trials and new analysis of the 1998 samples with more evolved techniques it was revealed that at least the 5 first finishers (and many more) were doped. If you consult the Wikipedia article “doping in sport”, you will note that cycling is by far the largest section, and almost 100 years old in Tour de France. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.34|108.162.229.34]] 12:57, 22 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
:::Ah, but in cases like this, where different cultures can have an effect, I always bring it back to this: Where does Randall live? In America. While people in France (and cycling fans) might be well aware of many, many, MANY cycling doping scandals, I'd say the average American is not. Plus, Randall has been quite vocal about not knowing sports. Chances are, Lance Armstrong is the only cyclist he can even name at all, never mind doping scandals. And now I cause myself to wonder, did Randall think of Armstrong because his last name is also one made of words, that Lance Armstrong would be on this list himself if he had excelled at arm wrestling? :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 13:46, 22 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
He should have listed, in the sport of eXtreme Software Engineering, the dominance of Little Bobby Tables in the late 2020's. ---- {{unsigned ip|172.68.141.136}}<br />
:Damn, what a missed opportunity. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 13:46, 22 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Would Jebediah be a reference to Kerbal Space Program? Things tend to go disaterously in it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.160|108.162.210.160]] 12:54, 20 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It's worth noting that the all-star right fielder for the Boston Red Sox, who are currently in first place in the MLB, is named Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts, with the initials "MLB." Aside from the fact that he's already won several divisional titles with his team, there's a good chance he'll soon be on a world series winning team as well, perhaps to become the next high-profile example. (Full disclosure: I'm a huge Red Sox fan) [[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.22|172.68.54.22]] 13:47, 20 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Art Ball (1890’s)<br />
Full name Arthur Ball<br />
Born April , 1872, Madison, Indiana<br />
Died December 26, 1915, Chicago, Illinois<br />
Buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois<br />
First MLB Game: August 1, 1894; Final MLB Game: October 15, 1898<br />
Bat: Unknown Throw: Right Weight: 168 {{unsigned ip|172.68.54.76}}<br />
<br />
What, no Cecil Fielder? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.46|162.158.63.46]] 19:32, 20 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
What, no [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Moneymaker Chris Moneymaker? (Poker, 2000's)] [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 01:10, 22 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Moved from the main talk page: --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:30, 21 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
Misspelling in today's comic<br />
<br />
Your article says: "Randall has chosen to spell his name as "Disasterous", rather than the more conventional "Disastrous"." Presumably he hasn't "chosen" to do this but merely made a spelling error. In that case, your comment is misleading. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.21|162.158.158.21]] 23:25, 20 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Brandon Sponsorship may also be read as Brand On Sponsorship, having two terms related.<br />
:I know what you mean, and thought about it at the time, but the connection isn't completely obvious and I didn't want to bring in too much assumption on my part. I tried to reference it without making a judgement, by mentioning the word in the text, but not putting it in bold or directly saying that there was a connection. I think that's OK? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 16:27, 22 July 2018 (UTC) <br />
(Previous person didn't sign) About the misspelling, I feel like that's a perfectly acceptable version of the word. It's how I'd instinctually spell it, he just added "ous" to the word "disaster". That's where the word comes from! It's actually ridiculous that this ISN'T the correct spelling! I blame the English language on this one. I'd guess that centuries ago that WAS the correct spelling, and the E just got dropped at some point, to streamline the pronunciation of the word. I just Googled it, and MANY articles showed up defining it as a common misspelling of the word, that's how common this spelling is. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 14:11, 22 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:There is no right or wrong spelling for a surname. You can be Mr. Tailor or Mr.Taylor, or a hundred other versions. That's why I deliberately wrote that Randall ''chose'' that spelling, and I think it's obvious from the way I phrased it that it's not the normal spelling of the word. I don't think we should pass judgement about his decision, even though there's a very high chance he just made a typo. I also concur with the opinion of NiceGuy1, so I have changed it back to the way it was. Best, [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 16:27, 22 July 2018 (UTC)</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2022:_Sports_Champions&diff=1602712022: Sports Champions2018-07-20T05:57:06Z<p>141.101.98.214: /* Explanation */ fixw|</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2022<br />
| date = July 20, 2018<br />
| title = Sports Champions<br />
| image = sports_champions.png<br />
| titletext = For a long time, people thought maybe Usain Bolt was the one for running, until the 2090s and the incredible dominance of Derek Legs.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a CHAMPION - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
In an example of {{w|nominative determinism}}, the cartoon lists people whose surname relates to their participation in various sports. The first three are real sportspeople, the remainder are fictional, imaginary players of the future.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!style="width:20%"|Name<br />
!style="width:10%"|Year<br />
!style="width:70%"|Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|Margaret Court<br />
|1960s<br />
|{{w|Margaret Court}} is a retired Australian tennis player, former world number 1, who won many competitions in the 1960s and 70s. A {{w|tennis court}} is the playing arena used in that sport.<br />
|-<br />
|Gary Player<br />
|1970s<br />
|{{w|Gary Player}} is a South African golf player who won nine major championships in the 1960s and 70s. Game contestants are often known as "players".<br />
|-<br />
|Lonzo Ball<br />
|2020s<br />
|{{w|Lonzo Ball}} is an American professional basketball player, currently with the Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, basketball is a {{w|ball game}}.<br />
|-<br />
|Jake Halfpipe<br />
|2030s<br />
|A {{w|half-pipe}} is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding.<br />
|-<br />
|Sarah Goggles<br />
|2030s<br />
|{{w|Goggles}} are protective eyewear used in many sports, such as skiing.<br />
|-<br />
|Julia Chairlift<br />
|2050s<br />
|A {{w|chairlift}} is an aerial machine often used to transport winter sportsmen and women up mountains.<br />
|-<br />
|Dwight Shuttlecock<br />
|2060s<br />
|A {{w|shuttlecock}} is a projectile used in the sport of badminton.<br />
|-<br />
|Brandon Sponsorship<br />
|2060s<br />
|Sporting professionals are often {{w|Sponsor (commercial)|sponsored}} by corporations<br />
|-<br />
|Kate Dopingscandal<br />
|2070s<br />
|There have been many {{w|Doping in sport|doping}} scandals in the world of sport, notably cyclist {{w|Lance Armstrong}}, and {{w|Doping in Russia|many Russian competitors}} in the Olympics<br />
|-<br />
|Jebediah Disasterous Postgame PressConference<br />
|2080s<br />
|At the end of sporting events - ie post-game - there is often a {{w|News conference|press conference}} where the competitors discuss the result. Sometimes, these live interviews are a disaster. Randall has chosen to spell their name as "Disasterous",rather than the more conventional "Disastrous".<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2022:_Sports_Champions&diff=1602702022: Sports Champions2018-07-20T05:56:10Z<p>141.101.98.214: /* Explanation */ |Disasterous</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2022<br />
| date = July 20, 2018<br />
| title = Sports Champions<br />
| image = sports_champions.png<br />
| titletext = For a long time, people thought maybe Usain Bolt was the one for running, until the 2090s and the incredible dominance of Derek Legs.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a CHAMPION - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
In an example of {{w|nominative determinism}}, the cartoon lists people whose surname relates to their participation in various sports. The first three are real sportspeople, the remainder are fictional, imaginary players of the future.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!style="width:20%"|Name<br />
!style="width:10%"|Year<br />
!style="width:70%"|Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|Margaret Court<br />
|1960s<br />
|{{w|Margaret Court}} is a retired Australian tennis player, former world number 1, who won many competitions in the 1960s and 70s. A {{w|tennis court}} is the playing arena used in that sport.<br />
|-<br />
|Gary Player<br />
|1970s<br />
|{{w|Gary Player}} is a South African golf player who won nine major championships in the 1960s and 70s. Game contestants are often known as "players".<br />
|-<br />
|Lonzo Ball<br />
|2020s<br />
|{{w|Lonzo Ball}} is an American professional basketball player, currently with the Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, basketball is a {{w|ball game}}.<br />
|-<br />
|Jake Halfpipe<br />
|2030s<br />
|A {{w|half-pipe}} is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding.<br />
|-<br />
|Sarah Goggles<br />
|2030s<br />
|{{w|Goggles}} are protective eyewear used in many sports, such as skiing.<br />
|-<br />
|Julia Chairlift<br />
|2050s<br />
|A {{w|chairlift}} is an aerial machine often used to transport winter sportsmen and women up mountains.<br />
|-<br />
|Dwight Shuttlecock<br />
|2060s<br />
|A {{w|shuttlecock}} is a projectile used in the sport of badminton.<br />
|-<br />
|Brandon Sponsorship<br />
|2060s<br />
|Sporting professionals are often {{w|Sponsor (commercial)|sponsored}} by corporations<br />
|-<br />
|Kate Dopingscandal<br />
|2070s<br />
|There have been many {{w|Doping in sport|doping}} scandals in the world of sport, notably cyclist {{w|Lance Armstrong}}, and {{w|Doping in Russia|many Russian competitors}} in the Olympics<br />
|-<br />
|Jebediah Disasterous Postgame PressConference<br />
|2080s<br />
|At the end of sporting events - ie post-game - there is often a {{News conference|press conference}} where the competitors discuss the result. Sometimes, these live interviews are a disaster. Randall has chosen to spell their name as "Disasterous",rather than the more conventional "Disastrous".<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2022:_Sports_Champions&diff=1602542022: Sports Champions2018-07-20T05:17:03Z<p>141.101.98.214: /* Explanation */ start, table</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2022<br />
| date = July 20, 2018<br />
| title = Sports Champions<br />
| image = sports_champions.png<br />
| titletext = For a long time, people thought maybe Usain Bolt was the one for running, until the 2090s and the incredible dominance of Derek Legs.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a CHAMPION - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!style="width:20%"|Name<br />
!style="width:10%"|Year<br />
!style="width:70%"|Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|Margaret Court<br />
|1960s<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Gary Player<br />
|1970s<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Lonzo Ball<br />
|2020s<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Jake Halfpipe<br />
|2030s<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sarah Goggles<br />
|2030s<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Julia Chairlift<br />
|2050s<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Dwight Shuttlecock<br />
|2060s<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Brandon Sponsorship<br />
|2060s<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Kate Dopingscandal<br />
|2070s<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Jebediah Disasterous Postgame PressConference<br />
|2080s<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1957:_2018_CVE_List&diff=1527991957: 2018 CVE List2018-02-19T20:57:26Z<p>141.101.98.214: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1957<br />
| date = February 19, 2018<br />
| title = 2018 CVE List<br />
| image = 2018_cve_list.png<br />
| titletext = CVE-2018-?????: It turns out Bruce Schneier is just two mischevious kids in a trenchcoat.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by HACKING THIS WIKI VIA THE EDIT BOX - The explanation looks like a list. Explain the comic and put the security vulnerabilities in a table. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
{{w|Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures|CVE}} (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) is a standardized format for assigning an identity to a cybersecurity vulnerability (similar to the way that astronomical bodies are assigned unique identifiers by committees). Giving vulnerabilities a unique identifier makes them easier to talk about and helps in keeping track of the progress made toward resolving them. The typical format of a CVE identifier is '''CVE-[YEAR]-[NUMBER]'''. For example, the CVE identifier for 2017's widespread {{w|Meltdown (security vulnerability|Meltdown vulnerability}} is [https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2017-5754 CVE-2017-5754]. CVEs also contain a short description of the issue.<br />
<br />
In this comic (released in February 2018), Randall presents a number of spurious predicted CVEs for later in 2018. Each CVE identifier is given as "CVE-2018-?????", reflecting the fact that they have not yet happened so we don't know exactly what their CVE identifier will be.<br />
<br />
{|class="wikitable"<br />
! style="width: 30%;" | Security Vulnerability<br />
! style="width: 70%;" | Notes<br />
|-<br />
|Apple products crash when displaying certain Telugu or Bengali letter combinations.<br />
|This refers to a real vulnerability in iOS and MacOS publicized a few days before the comic released <ref>https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/15/iphone-text-bomb-ios-mac-crash-apple/</ref>, as well as past similar iOS vulnerabilities<ref>https://thenextweb.com/apps/2017/01/18/iphone-ipad-apple-text-ios-bug/</ref><ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2018/01/18/apple-text-bomb-can-crash-iphones-single-message/</ref>.<br />
|-<br />
|An attacker can use a timing attack to extploit [''sic''] a race condition in garbage collection to extract a limited number of bits from the Wikipedia article on Claude Shannon.<br />
|Timing Attack to exploit a race condition in garbage collection refers to Meltdown and Spectre CPU flaws that can be exploited in cloud server like the ones in Wikipedia. {{w|Claude Shannon}} was an early and highly influential information scientist whose work underlies compression, encryption, security, and the theory behind how information is encoded into binary digits - hence the pertinence of extracting just some of the bits from his Wikipedia entry.<br />
|-<br />
|At the cafe on Third Street, the Post-it note with the WiFi password is visible from the sidewalk.<br />
|Writing passwords in a visible place is a major security flaw. For instance, following the [[wikipedia:2018 Hawaii false missile alert|2018 Hawaii false missile alert]] the agency received criticism for a press photo showing a password written on a sticky note attached to a monitor.<ref>http://uk.businessinsider.com/hawaii-emergency-agency-password-discovered-in-photo-sparks-security-criticism-2018-1?r=US&IR=T</ref> However, if a cafe posts their wifi password for customers, this suggests that it's ''supposed'' to be public knowledge. However, being visible from outside would allow people to use the wifi without ever entering the building or purchasing anything.<br />
|-<br />
|A remote attacker can inject arbitrary text into public-facing pages via the comments box.<br />
|Describes a common feature on news sites or social media sites like Facebook. The possibility for users to "inject" text into the page is by design. This is a humorous reference to the relatively common security vulnerability "[[Wikipedia:Cross-site_scripting|persistent cross-site scripting]]", where input provided by the user is displayed to other users in a dangerous fashion that allows attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or Javascript code into e.g. a comment section. It might also be a humorous reference to the events before, during and after the 2016 US Presidential elections where Internet Research Agency employees based remotely in St. Petersburg, Russia, but disguised as US citizens, "injected" arbitrary text in the form of political propaganda into comments on multiple web sites, according to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on February 16, 2018.<br />
|-<br />
|MySQL server 5.5.45 secretly runs two parallel databases for people who say "S-Q-L" and "sequel."<br />
|Some people pronounce "{{w|SQL}}" like "sequel", after SQL's predecessor "SEQUEL (Structured English Query Language)". The standard for SQL suggests that it should be pronounced as separate letters; however, the author of SQL pronounces it "sequel", so the debate is persisting (with even more justification than arguments about how to pronounce "GIF"). MySQL is an open-source relational database management system, the latest GA version (at the time of writing) is MySQL 5.7.<br />
|-<br />
|A flaw in some x86 CPUs could allow a root user to de-escalate to normal account privileges.<br />
|{{w|Privilege escalation}} refers to any illegitimate means of giving a system user greater privilege than they are supposed to have, and most hackers will seek to achieve this if they can. The most highly-sought privilege is that of the root user, which allows complete access to an entire system.<br />
<br />
This CVE, however, presents the reverse situation; that a flaw can allow a root user to ''de-escalate'', the exact opposite of what a hacker would want to achieve.{{Citation needed}} (In any case, the root user can always de-escalate manually if they so choose, as they have complete control).<br />
|-<br />
|Apple products catch fire when displaying emoji with diacritics.<br />
|Diacritics are the accents found on letters in some languages (eg. č, ģ ķ, ļ, ņ, š, ž). These would not be found on emojis. It is also a reference to a common problem of modern gadgets catching fire (usually related to flaws in Lithium-Ion batteries).<br />
|-<br />
|An oversight in the rules allows a dog to join a basketball team.<br />
|This likely refers to the movie {{w|Air Bud}}. It is a movie about a dog playing basketball. This has been a common theme in xkcd comics, see [[115: Meerkat]], [[1439: Rack Unit]], [[1819: Sweet 16]], [[1552: Rulebook]]<br />
|-<br />
|Haskell isn't side-effect-free after all; the effects are all just concentrated in this one. computer [''sic''] in Missouri that no one's checked on in a while.<br />
|{{w|Haskell}} is a functional programming language, functional programming is characterized by using functions that don't have side effects in other parts of the program, as in [[1312: Haskell]]. The joke here is discovering that indeed it does have side-effects, but for some unknown (and highly absurd) reason they only manifest on a specific computer in a nondescript location, but no one has noticed.<br />
|-<br />
|Nobody really knows how hypervisors work.<br />
|[[wikipedia:Hypervisor|"Hypervisors"]] are a tool for computer virtualization. Virtualization is an extremely complex topic, as it requires a computer to completely emulate a different computer with its own unique hardware and software. Many IT professionals and businesses rely heavily on various forms of virtualization, but the individual employees would be hard-pressed to explain how it works. Meltdown and Specter are related to this.<br />
|-<br />
|Critical: Under Linux 3.14.8 on System/390 in a UTC+14 time zone, a local user could potentially use a buffer overflow to change another user's default system clock from 12-hour to 24-hour.<br />
|This joke is about arcane systems that are running Linux in exceedingly unique situations, such that reproducing the error would be incredibly difficult or inconvenient, and would only affect a very tiny user base (if any at all). Other xkcd comics make references to such obscure computer-time issues relating to time zones and time conversions, and how many programmers find these issues frustrating or even traumatizing. UTC+14 is a time zone used only on some islands in the Pacific Ocean, i.e., [[Wikipedia:Line_Islands|the Line Islands]], and is also the earliest time zone on earth. The joke continues by stating that even if all of these absurd conditions were met, the resulting vulnerability would still be relatively benign: simply changing a user's preferred clock display format.<br />
|-<br />
|x86 has way too many instructions.<br />
|The x86 architecture is considered "CISC" (a "complex instruction set computer"), having many instructions originally provided to make programming by a human simpler; other examples include the 68000 series used in the first Apple Mac. In the 1980s, this design philosophy was countered by the "RISC" ("reduced instruction set computer") design movement exemplified by SPARC, MIPS, PowerPC (previously used by Apple) and the ARM chips common in mobile phones - based on the observation that computer programs were increasingly generated by compilers (which only used a few instructions) rather than directly by people, and that the chip area dedicated to extra instructions could be better dedicated to, for example, cache. At the time, there was an internet war about the merits of each approach (with the Mac and PC being on different sides, at one time; owners of other competing systems such as the Archimedes and Amiga had similar arguments on usenet in the early 1990s); this "issue" may be posted by someone who still recalls these debates. Technically, the extra instructions do slightly complicate the task of validating correct chip behaviour and complicate the tool chains that manage software, which could be seen as a minor security risk; however, the 64-bit architecture introduced by AMD and since adopted by Intel does rationalise things somewhat, and all recent x86 chips break down instructions into RISC-like micro-operations, so the complication from a hardware perspective is localised. Recent security issues such as the speculative cache load issue in Meltdown and Spectre depend more on details of implementation rather than instruction set, and have been exhibited both by x86 (CISC) and ARM (RISC) processors.<br />
|-<br />
|NumPy 1.8.0 can factor primes in ''O''(log ''n'') time and must be quietly deprecated before anyone notices.<br />
|NumPy is the fundamental package for scientific computing with Python. If something can find the prime factors of a number this quickly, especially a [[wikipedia:semiprime|semiprime]] with two large factors, there are attacks to break many crypto functions used in internet security. However, prime numbers have only a single factor, and "factoring primes" quickly is a simpler problem, that of [[wikipedia:Primality test|proving that a number is in fact a prime]]. <br />
|-<br />
|Apple products grant remote access if you send them words that break the "I before E" rule.<br />
|Another joke on the first CVE and a common English writing rule of thumb, which fails almost as often as it succeeds. Possibly a jab at Apple's image, portraying their software as unable to handle improper grammar or spelling.<br />
|-<br />
|Skylake x86 chips can be pried from their sockets using certain flathead screwdrivers.<br />
|Skylake x86 chips are a line of microprocessors made by Intel. Some processors are soldered directly to a system board or daughter board, while others are attached to boards that plug into the system board by means of a socket (pins or connectors that make physical contact with receptacles or connectors on a system board). Some sockets, especially older ones, require force to insert or remove and often require the use of a flat blade screwdriver or a specialized tool to remove, but most modern ones use ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) techniques, often involving a lever or similar to tighten or loosen the friction/tightness of the contacts. No screwdriver is needed in this case. Yes, you can forcefully remove any processor from its socket with a screwdriver.{{Citation needed}} There are many reports from people not using common sense. <br />
|-<br />
|Apparently Linus Torvalds can be bribed pretty easily.<br />
|{{w|Linus Torvalds}} is the benevolent dictator of the Linux kernel codebase. Normally it is hard to pass a change because he has the last word about what merge to the code base because that code is replicated in all Linux installations. Linus made the news in January 2018 when, having looked at one of Intel's proposed fixes for the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities, he declared "the patches are COMPLETE AND UTTER GARBAGE"<ref>https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/22/linus-torvalds-declares-intel-fix-for-meltdown-spectre-complete-and-utter-garbage/</ref>. Presumably in the future they will successfully bribe him to be less blunt and/or less critical of vulnerability fixes that are complete and/or utter garbage. If this were the case, this would be a severe critical vulnerability to all Linux servers and machines.<br />
|-<br />
|An attacker can execute malicious code on their own machine and no one can stop them.<br />
|The point of an attack is to make someone else's machine perform actions against the owner's will. Anyone can make their own machine execute any code{{Citation needed}}, but this would usually not be described as an attack except in the case of a locked-down appliance, such as a video game console or pay TV decoder.<br />
|-<br />
|Apple products execute any code printed over a photo of a dog with a saddle and a baby riding it.<br />
|This could refer to a CVE vulnerability of JPG files where javascript embedded within the image file is executed by some application, only this time is in a printed photo instead of encoded into the image itself. <br />
|-<br />
|Under rare circumstances, a flaw in some versions of Windows could allow Flash to be installed.<br />
|Flash was discontinued because of its notoriously abysmal security record. All security experts advise against install. The joke here relates to the perceived difficulty with keeping Flash up to date or even installed properly to begin with. A common user experience which is the subject of numerous jokes and memes is the constant nagging notification to install or update Flash in order for web pages to display properly. While anecdotal, many IT professionals will bemoan the trouble that Flash has given them in the workplace due to these notifications and problems related to them.<br />
|-<br />
|Turns out the cloud is just other people's computers.<br />
|This refers to a computer meme where replace "cloud" with "other people's computers" must be used in all marketing presentation to CEOs and not computer literate persons to evaluate the security impact of using "Cloud services". Part of the humor here is that "the cloud", in actuality, is simply a term for hosted services, i.e., computers being run by other people (typically businesses that specialize in this type of "Platform As A Service" or "PAAS" service model). Calling "the cloud" as "other people's computers" is, at its core, entirely accurate, though it takes away the business jargon and simplifies the situation in such a way that it might cast doubt on the security, reliability, and general effectiveness of using "cloud" solutions.<br />
|-<br />
|A flaw in Mitre's CVE database allows arbitrary code insertion.[[779|[~~CLICK HERE FOR CHEAP VIAGRA~~]]]<br />
|Mitre's CVE database is the database where all CVE are stored. This log message forms the punchline of the comic, as it implies that all of the exaggerated error messages above were inserted by hackers exploiting the vulnerability. To pour salt in the wound, they then included in a typical spam link purporting to offer cheap viagra.<br />
|-<br />
|It turns out Bruce Schneier is just two mischevious kids in a trenchcoat.<br />
|Appears in the title text. {{w|Bruce Schneier}} is security researcher and blogger. He was mentioned in the title texts of [[748: Worst-Case Scenario]] and [[1039: RuBisCO]]. The "two kids in a trenchcoat" is a reference to the {{tvtropes|TotemPoleTrench|Totem Pole Trench}} trope.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
LEAKED LIST OF MAJOR 2018 SECURITY VULNERABILITIES<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? Apple products crash when displaying certain Telugu or Bengali letter combinations.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? An attacker can use a timing attack to extploit a race condition in garbage collection to extract a limited number of bits from the Wikipedia article on Claude Shannon.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? At the cafe on Third Street, the Post-it note with the WiFi password is visible from the sidewalk.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? A remote attacker can inject arbitrary text into public-facing pages via the comments box.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? MySQL server 5.5.45 secretly runs two parallel databases for people who say "S-Q-L" and "sequel."<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? A flaw in some x86 CPUs could allow a root user to de-escalate to normal account privileges.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? Apple products catch fire when displaying emoji with diacritics.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? An oversight in the rules allows a dog to join a basketball team.<br />
<br />
CUE-2018-????? Haskell isn't side-effect-free after all; the effects are all just concentrated in this one. computer in Missouri that no one's checked on in a while.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? Nobody really knows how hypervisors work.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? Critical: Under Linux 3.14.8 on System/390 in a UTC+14 time zone, a local user could potentially use a buffer overflow to change another user's default system clock from 12-hour to 24-hour.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? x86 has way too many instructions.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? NumPy 1.8.0 can factor primes in ''O''(log ''n'') time and must be quietly deprecated before anyone notices.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? Apple products grant remote access if you send them words that break the "I before E" rule.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? Skylake x86 chips can be pried from their sockets using certain flathead screwdrivers.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? Apparently Linus Torvalds can be bribed pretty easily.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? An attacker can execute malicious code on their own machine and no one can stop them.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? Apple products execute any code printed over a photo of a dog with a saddle and a baby riding it.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? Under rare circumstances, a flaw in some versions of Windows could allow Flash to be installed.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? Turns out the cloud is just other people's computers.<br />
<br />
CVE-2018-????? A flaw in Mitre's CVE database allows arbitrary code insertion.<span style="color:blue">[~~CLICK HERE FOR CHEAP VIAGRA~~]</span><br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1799:_Bad_Map_Projection:_Time_Zones&diff=1352561799: Bad Map Projection: Time Zones2017-02-15T08:31:29Z<p>141.101.98.214: I thought that calling Finland, Mongolia and the DRC 'lesser-known' was at best subjective, and didn't add much to the explanation.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1799<br />
| date = February 15, 2017<br />
| title = Bad Map Projection: Time Zones<br />
| image = bad_map_projection_time_zones.png<br />
| titletext = This is probably the first projection in cartographic history that can be criticized for its disproportionate focus on Finland, Mongolia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|First draft}}This comic shows a [[wikipedia:Map projection|map projection]] in which countries are placed according to the [[wikipedia:Time zone|time zones]] that they fall under. Based on the way the Sun shines on the Earth, these time zones, which are based on the sun's position in the sky, would best be divided by roughly longitudinal (North-to-South Pole) lines.<br />
<br />
However, this is not the case in practice, as the defined time zones tend to have very jagged boundaries. Since [[Randall]] knows he cannot fix the boundaries of the time zones, he instead "fixes" the world by making a map appear to match up with the time zone system. This results in bizarre distortions such as the large, gum-like strands of Greenland and enormous gulfs in parts of northern Russia.<br />
<br />
Due to the projection, small countries that happen to cross the boundaries of time zones appear as much wider than they actually are. Conversely, countries that choose to use fewer timezones, such as China, appear far thinner than their geographic shapes. Other map projections distort countries this way as well, but based on their actual physical location as opposed to their position on imaginary time zones. The [[wikipedia:Mercator projection|Mercator projection]] is infamous for distorting Greenland in this way, to the point that it appears to be larger than Africa despite being nowhere near the same size. The title text lampoons the fact that the same phenomenon occurs on Randall's bad map projection, but for countries that do not tend to experience this on typical projections. Several smaller countries such as Finland, Mongolia, and the DRC, appear much larger than their actual size due to being stretched across time zone boundaries.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
:Bad map projection #79:<br />
:'''Time Zones'''<br />
:Where each country should be, <br />
:based on its time zone(s)<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1794:_Fire&diff=1351041794: Fire2017-02-11T10:36:39Z<p>141.101.98.214: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1794<br />
| date = February 3, 2017<br />
| title = Fire<br />
| image = fire.png<br />
| titletext = Billy Joel briefly detained<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In the United States and Canada, the term {{w|multiple-alarm fire}} is used to categorize the level of response to fires by local authorities, for instance how many units responded to the alarm. The range typically only goes through a small number of levels: typically a one-alarm fire, two-alarm fire, and three-alarm fire, perhaps up to five or six alarms in some cities, though a ten-alarm fire did occur two months before the comic near where Randall lives.<br />
<br />
In the comic, a newspaper front page is shown with its cover story reporting a fire at a level of 50,000-alarm fire, with a picture of a factory on fire. However, this is not to indicate the severity of the fire but just because the fire is at an alarm factory with at least 50,000 alarms in it at the time of the fire.<br />
<br />
As indicated by the sound-waves in the image, at least some of those alarms appear to have been set off. It is unclear whether this is the cause or the result of the fire. It is also unclear how those sound-waves were captured in a newspaper photograph, aside from the fact that this is a cartoon and that's how cartoons work.<br />
<br />
The title text mentions the musician {{w|Billy Joel}} being detained briefly as a suspect for the fire. But he was quickly released, likely because ''{{w|We Didn't Start the Fire|he didn't start the fire}}'', which is a reference to his song "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFTLKWw542g We Didn't Start the Fire]". In other words, Billy Joel's claim that he is not responsible for the fire at the alarm factory has been taken seriously enough for him to be released. Also, the reference is humorous because it compares the literal fire depicted in the factory to the metaphorical fire in people's hearts, in the song.<br />
<br />
The incident where Billy Joel got arrested for {{w|arson}} was earlier shown on a similar folded newspaper with only one line of text visible next to an image. This was in comic #4 of [[821: Five-Minute Comics: Part 3]].<br />
<br />
This all fits together as [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2a/WeDidntStarttheFire.jpg the cover of the single] is also a newspaper page with a picture of Billy Joel beneath a headline which is the title of the song. The column of text to the right of the picture is readable here. It is not easy to read it through as some of the text continues outside the image. (The text is a section of the [http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billyjoel/wedidntstartthefire.html lyrics for the song] starting from "Richard Nixon" after the fourth chorus continuing in to the next chorus).<br />
<br />
The lyrics of the song is also mentioned in [[1775: Things You Learn]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[The comic shows the top part of the front page of a folded newspaper. There are several sections with unreadable text above the main headline, where the papers name, date of issue and other daily info would be. Centered below the large two line heading of the cover story there is a photo covering half of the pages width. In the photo a white factory, with one large and one smaller building, is on fire, with sound waves emanating to all sides. Large flames are coming out the top of both buildings and above them heavy black smoke make the sky black. Where there is no smoke the sky is white. A small black building to the right has not yet caught fire. On either side of the picture there are a column and below the picture there are two more columns. All four continues to the bottom of the visible part of the paper and consist of more unreadable text. These columns constitute the main body of text of the cover story. The only readable text on the paper is the headline which is:] <br />
:'''50,000-Alarm Fire'''<br />
:'''at Alarm Factory'''<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]] <!--Billy Joel title text--></div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1797:_Stardew_Valley&diff=135094Talk:1797: Stardew Valley2017-02-10T21:39:03Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~--><br />
Expanded the explanation. Feel free to add on to my post. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|'''JayRules''XKCD''' ]]<sup>[[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|what's up?]]</sup> 12:16, 10 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
:OK ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:19, 10 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Is it just me or is Cueball drawn "fatter" than usual? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.89|162.158.91.89]] 14:00, 10 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
:I was thinking that the whole style of this comic is rather uncharacteristically of xkcd. Maybe someone who have played the game, could confirm (or not) my suspicion that there are some of these differences that comes from him "copying" parts from the game. The first I noticed was that the caption was in a frame. This almost never happens. Either it is just above the panel below, or at the top of the panel inside it. The second was the many speech bubbles which are not used for the speech, but for sounds made by things or involuntarily (yawning, snooring and splishing). Only when the cat wakes up and mrowls and Cueballs spoken word is normal style. And yes I had not seen this but maybe the lines are in general a bit fatter, not just Cueballs. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:19, 10 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
::Randall was probably just deciding to go for a more organized comic. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|'''JayRules''XKCD''' ]]<sup>[[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|what's up?]]</sup> 18:30, 10 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
:::I think he has done something similar before, but it is rare. And that was why I wondered if there were also such bubbles in the game, or captions etc. I do not think he tried to make it look organized. The only organized about it is the caption frame. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:41, 10 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I haven't played Stardew Valley, but it did remind me of similar situations in other video games, such as hitting a villager with a net in Animal Crossing. ...Also, "virtually"? Heh. [[User:Nyperold|Nyperold]] ([[User talk:Nyperold|talk]]) 17:47, 10 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Yes I also thought about that pun. Have tried to add it into the title text explanation, but this could probably be phrased better by someone native to the English language. ;-) But usualy it is easier to make someone edit what they do not like to something better than to get them to start the explanation ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:41, 10 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I get the feeling Randall's feeling down at the moment, and he's using Stardew Valley as an escape, especially so soon after being mentioned in #1790. It seems like a bit of a random time to start talking about Stardew Valley. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 21:39, 10 February 2017 (UTC)</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1797:_Stardew_Valley&diff=1350361797: Stardew Valley2017-02-10T07:11:51Z<p>141.101.98.214: add note about #1790</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1797<br />
| date = February 10, 2017<br />
| title = Stardew Valley<br />
| image = stardew_valley.png<br />
| titletext = I have accidentally watered virtually every person and object in Pelican Town.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
== Explanation ==<br />
{{incomplete|needs expansion}}<br />
<br />
''{{w|Stardew Valley}}'' is an indie farming simulation role-playing video game published by Chucklefish Games. Pelican Town is where the player moves to at the start of the game, located in Stardew Valley. Pelican Town is where most of the villagers live, work, and socialize.<br />
<br />
Stardew Valley was also mentioned two weeks ago in [[1790: Sad]].<br />
<br />
== Transcript ==<br />
STARDEW VALLEY MORNING ROUTINE<br />
<br />
[Cueball wakes up]<br />
<br />
Cueball: YAWN<br />
<br />
[Cueball walks toward right side of the panel with watering can]<br />
<br />
[Cueball waters some flowers]<br />
<br />
SPLISH<br />
<br />
[Cueball walks toward left side of the panel with watering can]<br />
<br />
[Cueball sees a cat]<br />
<br />
Cat: Z<br />
<br />
[Cueball waters the cat]<br />
<br />
SPLISH<br />
<br />
Cat: MROWL!!<br />
<br />
Cueball: -DAMMIT</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1794:_Fire&diff=1347651794: Fire2017-02-03T19:06:50Z<p>141.101.98.214: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1794<br />
| date = February 3, 2017<br />
| title = Fire<br />
| image = fire.png<br />
| titletext = Billy Joel briefly detained<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In the United States and Canada, the terms {{w|Multiple-alarm fire|one-alarm fire, two-alarm fire, and three-alarm fire}} are used to categorize the level of response to fires by local authorities. The term multiple-alarm fire is also used to indicate a severe fire.<br />
<br />
A newspaper is shown reporting on a fire at an alarm factory. However, due to the very nature of the location, the alarms in the factory (at least 50,000 of which are functioning smoke, heat and/or carbon monoxide alarms) have been set off, leading to the event being described as a "50,000-alarm fire", which does not relate necessarily to the severity of the fire, but to the number of alarms that have been triggered in the factory.<br />
<br />
The cartoon shows visible sound waves from the alarms, which would be impossible to capture in real life ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKXOucXB4a8 unless it's a video recording at several thousand frames per second]). It also shows other differences to real life common in comics such as squiggly lines instead of text on the newspaper, whereas real life newspapers normally include words [Citation Needed].<br />
<br />
The title text mentions the musician {{w|Billy Joel}} being questioned as a suspect for the fire, which is a reference to his song "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFTLKWw542g We Didn't Start the Fire]". In other words, Billy Joel claims that he is not responsible for the fire at the alarm factory.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[The panel shows the front page of a newspaper and several unreadable sections left of, right of, and below the main front page news. A large heading is written above a photo. In the photo an alarm factory is on fire, with "alarm" symbols depicting sound waves. Below the headline and below the picture are black lines indicating the main text in the article.] <br />
<br />
:Headline: '''50,000-Alarm Fire at Alarm Factory'''<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1147:_Evolving&diff=133129Talk:1147: Evolving2017-01-01T11:04:43Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div>Actually the title text is a valid traning method in Pokemon, called switch-training.We keep a weaker 'Mon in the front, then switch out to stronger one to defeat the Opponent, gaining split Exp.So, Those Microbiologists will still have their bacteria evolving, but at a slower rate.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 11:04, 1 January 2017 (UTC)<br />
Bacteria can indeed "instantly" evolve within a generation instead of waiting for its descendents. It's called horizontal gene transfer and it's the primary mechanism for the propagation of antibiotic resistance. --[[User:Prooffreader|Prooffreader]] ([[User talk:Prooffreader|talk]]) 13:07, 14 December 2012 (UTC)<br />
:Its sentences like that which make {{w|Microbiology|Microbiologists}} my heros. [[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 14:25, 14 December 2012 (UTC)<br />
Should there be a reference to Arceus (the "ultimate creator Pokémon") here? I do not mean this for making a joke; I just thought that the coincidence can be appropriate here, since the bacteria is called "Aureus". [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 15:48, 14 December 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The evolved form looks the same to me. --[[Special:Contributions/178.26.121.97|178.26.121.97]] 07:54, 15 December 2012 (UTC)<br />
: Because the difference is internal, in antibiotic resistance --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 11:56, 15 December 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The first external link (to the Cephas Ministry tract) seems to be broken.{{unsigned ip|173.245.56.211}}<br />
<br />
When biologists make some sort of drug to counter this, I REALLY hope they call it "The Everstone" [[Special:Contributions/108.162.223.65|108.162.223.65]] 12:08, 6 January 2016 (UTC) C</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1775:_Things_You_Learn&diff=1328511775: Things You Learn2016-12-23T01:04:09Z<p>141.101.98.214: The cat bite was mentioned on IRC days before the strip</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1775<br />
| date = December 21, 2016<br />
| title = Things You Learn<br />
| image = things_you_learn.png<br />
| titletext = Guess who has two thumbs and spent the night in an ER after trying to rescue a kitten that ran under his car at a stoplight and climbed up into the engine compartment? And, thanks to antibiotics, will continue having two thumbs? THIS GUY. (P.S. kitten is safe!)<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This graph shows various items of information plotted by two criteria: a horizontal "How Bad Is It If You Don't Know [THING]" axis and a vertical "How Easy It Is To Grow Up Without Learning [THING]" axis. Specifically, the vertical axis measures roughly how likely the average person is to remain ignorant of a particular item. The horizontal axis measures the likelihood and severity of bad consequences arising from such ignorance.<br />
<br />
The title text describes an encounter Randall had where a cat climbed into the engine compartment of his car. It probably serves as an explanation for the seemingly out of place point on the graph about how serious cat bites are. The "two thumbs" is a reference to a well known type of jokes among English speakers. One of the most frequent forms is one person interrupting another mid-speech and asking "what has two thumbs and doesn't give a f*ck? THIS GUY!", before pointing to themselves with their thumbs. The idea is that you only direct the attention to your thumbs so that they can point back to you, though mentioning the thumbs was not actually required except as a topic change. Randall plays on an inversion of this joke as he might not have been able to make it at all without the intervention of the ER people. So here the "who has two thumbs", is not a deceiving distraction out of a boring conversation, and the thumbs are actually the focus of the phrase.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
! Ignorance is Bad !! Ignorance is Easy !! Information !! Comments<br />
|-<br />
| not bad || (very, very) easy || 100 digits of {{w|pi}} || Most people know pi to only a few digits (3.14 or 3.1416). The latter is accurate to almost one part in half a million, which is close enough for almost any practical purpose.<br />
|-<br />
| not bad || (very) easy || Lyrics to "{{w|We Didn't Start the Fire}}" || "We Didn't Start the Fire" is a 1989 hit song by Billy Joel. Its lyrics include brief, rapid-fire allusions to more than 100 headline events between 1949, the year of Joel's birth, and 1989. While the chorus is memorable, the verses of the song are just a list of people, events and random things from popular culture. The average person is somewhat more likely to know the lyrics to Billy Joel's 1989 hit song than 100 digits of pi, but not knowing them doesn't really have any serious consequences. <br />
|-<br />
| (very) bad || (very) easy || That cat bites are really serious and if bitten you need to wash the bite and call a doctor immediately || Most people assume that a cat bite is just a minor injury. In fact, it carries a fairly high risk of infection, which can be dangerous if not treated (by cleaning the bite to reduce the risk, and having a doctor examine the bite victim and apply additional treatments such as antibiotics if needed). At the same time, cat bites are quite rare, as cats default to their claws rather than their teeth when they need to attack something.<br />
|-<br />
| (very) bad || (very) easy || The red flags for an abusive relationship || It is fairly easy for someone to fall into a pattern of accepting abuse (particularly if the abuser is skilled at emotional manipulation) without realizing it, and the consequences can be mentally and physically devastating.<br />
|-<br />
| (very, very) bad || easy || The {{w|Stroke#Signs_and_symptoms|signs of a stroke}} || The symptoms of a {{w|stroke}} are somewhat variable, including facial drooping, arm weakness and slurred speech, depending on what areas of the brain are affected, and can be mistaken for other conditions. Identifying a stroke quickly and seeking treatment can make the difference between life and death, or between full recovery and permanent impairment.<br />
|-<br />
| bad || easy || Cough into your elbow, not your hand || Covering a cough with the inside of your elbow helps prevent spreading airborne germs and is generally recommended by medical organisations. Coughing into your hand deposits them onto your hand, where they are much more likely to be spread to another person (via handshake, food preparation, shared objects, etc)<br />
|-<br />
| not (too) bad || hard || How to ride a bike || Most children, especially in the United States[http://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/category/participation-statistics#youth], learn to ride a bike at a fairly young age. While this is a useful skill to know for both entertainment and transportation, it would generally not be terrible to not learn this skill, particularly if other forms of transporation are readily available.<br />
|-<br />
| not bad (at all) || hard || How to escape movie {{w|quicksand}} || Quicksand in movies is a common trope, and while its physics often differ from real quicksand, escaping from it is commonly done using similar methods (e.g., not struggling, which increases the quicksand's viscosity). Knowing how to escape from quicksand is important if you sink into it, which is a situation most people are very unlikely to encounter.<br />
|-<br />
| not bad (at all) || (very) hard || Lyrics to "{{w|The Twelve Days of Christmas (song)|12 Days of Christmas}}" || Hearing the same Christmas songs over and over each year makes it hard not to learn the lyrics over time. However, the consequences of not doing so are minimal; at most, ignorance of popular culture may leave your friends [[1769|a bit surprised and dismayed]].<br />
|-<br />
| not bad (at all) || (very, very) hard || {{w|Theme music|TV theme songs}} || Most children in developed countries grow up watching at least some television. Many of these television shows play the same theme song before the show starts, and many of these have catchy lyrics. Therefore, by repetition, most children will learn at least one of these growing up, and often many.<br />
|-<br />
| bad || hard || That you have to empty the dryer lint trap || A {{w|clothes dryer}} resembles a washing machine, it uses hot air to heat the clothes so that the water evaporates more quickly.<br />
<br />
The dryer's air exhaust and air filter are getting gradually covered with lint (= a kind of dust composed mainly of fiber) and must be cleaned regularly. Failing to remove the lint can cause the dryer to stop working effectively, introduce lint back onto your clothes, or (in extreme cases) start a fire.<br />
|-<br />
| (very) bad || (very) hard || {{w|Stop, drop and roll}} || This is a technique to extinguish a fire on one's own clothing, and is frequently taught to children for safety. Not knowing it (or forgetting it in a panic when the situation arises) can result in severe burns that could have been avoided by following the recommendation.<br />
|-<br />
| (very) bad || (very) hard || That you have to pay taxes || Most residents of most countries are legally obligated to pay taxes to their government. Penalties for not doing so often include large fines, and possibly prison sentences. Fortunately, it is something that children hear about quite a bit so it is very difficult to grow up without learning that it must be done.<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Rankings==<br />
<br />
100% not bad: not bad at all . . . 100%>not-badness≥50%: not bad . . . 50%>not-badness≥0%: not too bad<br />
<br />
100% very bad: very, very bad . . . 100%>very badness≥50%: very bad . . . 50%>very badness>0%: bad<br />
<br />
100% hard: very, very hard . . . 100%>hardness≥50%: very hard . . . 50%>hardness>0%: hard<br />
<br />
100% easy: very, very easy . . . 100%>easiness≥50%: very easy . . . 50%>easiness≥0%: easy<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[A simple x and y graph, with the X labeled "how bad it is if you don't know {thing}", and you labeled "how easy it is to grow up without learning {thing}] <br />
<br />
Points on graph from top to bottom on the left side of the x axis:<br />
<br />
> 100 digits of pi<br />
> Lyrics to ''We Didn't Start the Fire''<br />
> How to ride a bike<br />
> How to escape movie quicksand<br />
> Lyrics to ''12 Days of Christmas''<br />
> TV theme songs<br />
<br />
Points on graph from top to bottom on the right side of the y axis:<br />
<br />
> That cat bites are really serious and if bitten you should wash the bite and call a doctor immediately<br />
> Red flags for an abusive relationship<br />
> Signs for a stroke<br />
> Cough into your elbow, not your hand<br />
> That you have to empty the dryer lint trap<br />
> Stop, drop, and roll<br />
> That you have to pay taxes<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1583:_NASA_Press_Conference&diff=1025131583: NASA Press Conference2015-09-28T11:11:48Z<p>141.101.98.214: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1583<br />
| date = September 28, 2015<br />
| title = NASA Press Conference<br />
| image = nasa_press_conference.png<br />
| titletext = Why are we spending billions to ruin Mars with swarms of robots when Elon Musk has promised to ruin Mars for a FRACTION of the cost?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
A reference to the Press Conference to be held by NASA on 28th September 2015, (the same day this comic is published), which promises to solve "The Mars Mystery", and possibly announce the discovery of water or Life on Mars.<br />
<br />
The "questions" portion of the press conference is derailed by a reporter from a dubious news network, known only as "The News", asking irrelevant questions, including comparisons to other fields, and questions related to the Star Wars movie franchise. This causes the other reporters to forget their original questions, and join in, much to the dismay of the NASA Scientist.<br />
<br />
The subtext refers to Elon Musk, suggested to [http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/11/us/elon-musk-mars-nuclear-bomb-colbert-feat/ just bombing Mars].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
:[Cueball is standing at a podium with the NASA logo on it]<br />
:Cueball: That concludes the press conference. <br />
:Cueball: Any questions?<br />
:Cueball: Yes, you, from... it just says "The News"?<br />
:[Beret Guy is standing in a crowd holding a microphone]<br />
:Beret Guy: Hi! I have a microphone so I'm real loud now.<br />
:Beret Guy: How does this Mars data compare to data from other fields? <br />
:Beret Guy: Like medicine? Or sports?<br />
:Cueball (offscreen): That question makes no sense. <br />
:Beret Guy: If there's water on Mars, is it ruined?<br />
:Beret Guy: Or will it be okay when it dries out?<br />
:Cueball (offscreen): Any ''other'' questions?<br />
:[The shot zooms out, now showing both Cueball at the podium and the crowd]<br />
:Beret Guy: What were those guys hassling Luke in the Mos Eisley Cantina trying to accomplish?<br />
:Beret Guy: I felt like I was supposed to understand that. <br />
:Cueball: Anyone ''else?''<br />
:Ponytail: That's now my question, too.<br />
:Megan: Were they just picking a fight?<br />
:Ponytail: If so, why did...<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1572:_xkcd_Survey&diff=100812Talk:1572: xkcd Survey2015-09-02T11:58:47Z<p>141.101.98.214: Pondering</p>
<hr />
<div>Mildly interesting to note that the ordering of most of the checkbox/radiobutton lists randomise each time the survery is loaded. Also, there is at least one other comic where Randall comments about not having figured out HTML imagemaps. Anyone remember which? --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 10:52, 2 September 2015 (UTC)<br />
:It was in one of his "under the logo" news bars, about him starting What If, iirc --[[User:Aescula|Aescula]] ([[User talk:Aescula|talk]]) 11:28, 2 September 2015 (UTC)<br />
I wonder how many people, on reading 'Type "cat" here:', typed '"cat" here:'? I know I did... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 11:58, 2 September 2015 (UTC)</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1519:_Venus&diff=919041519: Venus2015-05-01T08:13:57Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1519<br />
| date = May 1, 2015<br />
| title = Venus<br />
| image = venus.png<br />
| titletext = The sudden introduction of Venusian flowers led to an explosive growth of unusual Earth pollinators, which became known as the "butterfly effect."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|This explanation requires some touching up.}}<br />
[[Miss Lenhart]] is teaching a class blatantly wrong facts about Venus, and using actual scientific terms incorrectly to support her claims.<br />
<br />
In the first panel we see Miss Lenhart teaching the history of Venus. This is the history currently accepted by most scientists, aside from the Venusians cultivating flowers.<br />
In the second panel, "runaway greenhouse effect" is a pun, referring to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_greenhouse_effect Runaway Greenhouse Effect]. The comic takes the term literally and assumes the greenhouses were actually running away.<br />
The third panel is just absolute nonsense, fabricated by Miss Lenhart. In the final panel we see that she is a month away from retirement and doesn't care about relaying acurate information anymore.<br />
<br />
The title text is a pun on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect Butterfly Effect], misattributing it to Miss Lenhart's false history.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Miss Lenhart is standing in front of an image, presumably a temperate Venus, with greenhouses, grass, flowers and a river flowing into a sea.]<br />
:Miss Lenhart: Venus once was temperate. It had seas and rivers, and Venusians cultivated vast fields of beautiful flowers.<br />
<br />
:[The image is now zoomed out to see the entirety of Venus, with continents and oceans. The greenhouses are shown moving (running) away from Venus.]<br />
:Miss Lenhart: Until their greenhouses fled the planet due to the runaway greenhouse effect.<br />
<br />
:[Miss Lenhart is now standing in front of a classroom and addressing the students.]<br />
:Miss Lenhart: The Venusians pursued their greenhouses to Earth, settling in the Netherlands and kickstarting the Dutch floral industry. Any questions?<br />
<br />
:Offscreen: Because you're retiring in a month, do you just not care what you say anymore?<br />
:Miss Lenhart: What?! I '''ride the skies''' atop a screaming bird of truth! Also, yes, I do not.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<!-- Include any categories below this line. --></div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1519:_Venus&diff=919031519: Venus2015-05-01T08:11:56Z<p>141.101.98.214: Added rudimentary explanation.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1519<br />
| date = May 1, 2015<br />
| title = Venus<br />
| image = venus.png<br />
| titletext = The sudden introduction of Venusian flowers led to an explosive growth of unusual Earth pollinators, which became known as the "butterfly effect."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|This comic's joke is not thoroughly explained}}<br />
[[Miss Lenhart]] is teaching a class blatantly wrong facts about Venus, and using actual scientific terms incorrectly to support her claims.<br />
<br />
In the first panel we see Miss Lenhart teaching the history of Venus. This is the history currently accepted by most scientists, aside from the Venusians cultivating flowers.<br />
In the second panel, "runaway greenhouse effect" is a pun, referring to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_greenhouse_effect Runaway Greenhouse Effect]. The comic takes the term literally and assumes the greenhouses were actually running away.<br />
The third panel is just absolute nonsense, fabricated by Miss Lenhart. In the final panel we see that she is a month away from retirement and doesn't care about relaying acurate information anymore.<br />
<br />
The title text is a pun on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect Butterfly Effect], misattributing it to Miss Lenhart's false history.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Miss Lenhart is standing in front of an image, presumably a temperate Venus, with greenhouses, grass, flowers and a river flowing into a sea.]<br />
:Miss Lenhart: Venus once was temperate. It had seas and rivers, and Venusians cultivated vast fields of beautiful flowers.<br />
<br />
:[The image is now zoomed out to see the entirety of Venus, with continents and oceans. The greenhouses are shown moving (running) away from Venus.]<br />
:Miss Lenhart: Until their greenhouses fled the planet due to the runaway greenhouse effect.<br />
<br />
:[Miss Lenhart is now standing in front of a classroom and addressing the students.]<br />
:Miss Lenhart: The Venusians pursued their greenhouses to Earth, settling in the Netherlands and kickstarting the Dutch floral industry. Any questions?<br />
<br />
:Offscreen: Because you're retiring in a month, do you just not care what you say anymore?<br />
:Miss Lenhart: What?! I '''ride the skies''' atop a screaming bird of truth! Also, yes, I do not.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<!-- Include any categories below this line. --></div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:977:_Map_Projections&diff=78354Talk:977: Map Projections2014-11-05T14:51:38Z<p>141.101.98.214: proper signature</p>
<hr />
<div>I have a Plate Carrée hanging on my wall myself. Never failed me yet. '''[[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 07:05, 2 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Dymaxion<br />
Dymaxion is clearly the best. There's nothing like a map made out of an unfolded d20. [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 19:43, 23 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: Makes you wonder what if a dodecahedron had been used instead of an icosahedron. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 18:02, 17 August 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Quincunx<br />
Peirce Quincuncial has 4 non-conformal points, but not the 4 corners, which are the south pole, but instead are the 4 midpoints of the sides. These are on the equator and seem to be 90 degrees apart.--DrMath 06:30, 30 August 2013 (UTC)<br />
: I love Peirce Quincuncial, yet I slept throughout that "Inception". [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.228|141.101.99.228]] 11:36, 27 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
xkcd 1051's title text - "meta lucid dreaming". I really got excited that there was an article about and ironically, it leads to meta and lucid dreaming separately. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.67|173.245.55.67]] 21:23, 25 March 2014 (UTC)BK201<br />
;Waterman<br />
<br />
In actual fact, the Waterman butterfly map used a truncated octahedron based upon the mathematics of close packing of spheres and is not at all based upon any of CaHill's work/math. <br />
-- steve waterman {{unsigned ip|65.92.20.61}}<br />
:Perhaps the explanation should mention that Waterman himself signed up at forum.xkcd.com and vigorously denied that his map has anything to do with Cahill. At the time, it was unclear whether the account was really Waterman, or just a troll trying to make him look bad. - [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 21:39, 25 March 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Kavrayskiy VII<br />
Kavrayskiy is the best projection, despite being so far out of the mainstream that no-one west of Ukraine has seen one for the past 20 years. {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.64}}<br />
:Wow, I looked into it and it really seems like an excellent projection. It's been a while since I've looked at projections but I think it's my new favourite as it has everything that I've been looking for in a projection. It's a more accurate (in extremes) and more pleasing Robinson projection that still has a reasonable amount cut off the top. Also, the indicatrix for it is very simple, as is the formula, and simple things please simple minds (like mine, apparently) -- without taking it to an extreme like the equirectangular projection does. I swear I've come across it before, but then again I grew up in a country which wasn't far from the Eastern Bloc. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 14:51, 5 November 2014 (UTC)</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:977:_Map_Projections&diff=78353Talk:977: Map Projections2014-11-05T14:50:27Z<p>141.101.98.214: my opinion on this great projection</p>
<hr />
<div>I have a Plate Carrée hanging on my wall myself. Never failed me yet. '''[[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 07:05, 2 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Dymaxion<br />
Dymaxion is clearly the best. There's nothing like a map made out of an unfolded d20. [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 19:43, 23 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: Makes you wonder what if a dodecahedron had been used instead of an icosahedron. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 18:02, 17 August 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Quincunx<br />
Peirce Quincuncial has 4 non-conformal points, but not the 4 corners, which are the south pole, but instead are the 4 midpoints of the sides. These are on the equator and seem to be 90 degrees apart.--DrMath 06:30, 30 August 2013 (UTC)<br />
: I love Peirce Quincuncial, yet I slept throughout that "Inception". [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.228|141.101.99.228]] 11:36, 27 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
xkcd 1051's title text - "meta lucid dreaming". I really got excited that there was an article about and ironically, it leads to meta and lucid dreaming separately. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.67|173.245.55.67]] 21:23, 25 March 2014 (UTC)BK201<br />
;Waterman<br />
<br />
In actual fact, the Waterman butterfly map used a truncated octahedron based upon the mathematics of close packing of spheres and is not at all based upon any of CaHill's work/math. <br />
-- steve waterman {{unsigned ip|65.92.20.61}}<br />
:Perhaps the explanation should mention that Waterman himself signed up at forum.xkcd.com and vigorously denied that his map has anything to do with Cahill. At the time, it was unclear whether the account was really Waterman, or just a troll trying to make him look bad. - [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 21:39, 25 March 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Kavrayskiy VII<br />
Kavrayskiy is the best projection, despite being so far out of the mainstream that no-one west of Ukraine has seen one for the past 20 years. {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.64}}<br />
:Wow, I looked into it and it really seems like an excellent projection. It's been a while since I've looked at projections but I think it's my new favourite as it has everything that I've been looking for in a projection. It's a more accurate (in extremes) and more pleasing Robinson projection that still has a reasonable amount cut off the top. Also, the indicatrix for it is very simple, as is the formula, and simple things please simple minds (like mine, apparently) -- without taking it to an extreme like the equirectangular projection does. I swear I've come across it before, but then again I grew up in Greece which wasn't far from the commies. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]]</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1020:_Orion_Nebula&diff=756161020: Orion Nebula2014-09-10T14:20:44Z<p>141.101.98.214: Rick Astley reference</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1020<br />
| date = February 22, 2012<br />
| title = Orion Nebula<br />
| image = orion_nebula.png<br />
| titletext = Also on the agenda: what's with his hips?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The {{w|Orion nebula}} is a diffuse nebula situated south of the three stars that compose {{w|Orion's Belt}} in the {{w|Orion constellation}}. In terms of the comic, it is the middle "star" in the sword/dong of Orion. Dong is an American slang word for penis. The star appears fuzzy to sharp-eyed observers, and the nebulosity is obvious through binoculars or a small telescope.<br />
<br />
When the speaker says "We are no strangers to controversy" he is probably referring to {{w|Pluto}}'s {{w|IAU definition of planet#Criticism|demotion}} from {{w|planet}} to a {{w|dwarf planet}}, or {{w|Plutoid}}, or whatever it's called these days. It could also be a reference to Rick Astley's song "Never gonna give you up", the original line is "We're no strangers to love".<br />
<br />
The title text is a quip about how small and off-kilter the hips are in Orion the constellation compared to the rest of its body.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball stands behind a lectern decorated with the indicators of the International Astronomical Union.]<br />
:Cueball: Welcome to IAU Symposium #279.<br />
<br />
:Cueball: We are no strangers to controversy, and we will not shy away from the tough issues. Which brings us to the subject at hand.<br />
<br />
:[An anatomically uncensored projection of the Constellation Orion appears before the speaker.]<br />
:Cueball: It's time to talk about the fact that Orion clearly has a dong.<br />
:Attendee in crowd #1: It's hard to miss.<br />
:Attendee #2: We could keep telling people it's a sword.<br />
:Attendee #3: C'mon, no one's buying that anymore.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Penis]]</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:313:_Insomnia&diff=74196Talk:313: Insomnia2014-08-25T01:15:48Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div>We know it must not be a 24-hour clock. On that setting, 4:31 would be in the afternoon, not at night.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.202|108.162.219.202]] 15:11, 22 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I cannot tell if you are misguided, trolling or just hallucinating in the style of this comic. So - well done! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.223|108.162.219.223]] 18:18, 23 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Quite the opposite. 13:00 is 1 in the afternoon, and 4:31 would be 4:31 at night. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.144|199.27.128.144]] 04:48, 9 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I know it's quite a long shot, but polish writer Bruno Shulz wrote a novel "Cinamon Shops", which surprisingly have a style of insomnia-crazy visions. More : http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Street_of_Crocodiles<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.117|108.162.249.117]] 11:48, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
A typical situation with insomnia is when you blink your eyes for just a moment, then look at the clock and find that in reality a couple of hours have passed (with you asleep though all this time even though you didn't feel like it). Focusing the eyes on the clock afterwards is not an easy task either, so the creative readings are not unusual. Overall, the situation is much more realistic than it seems at first. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.5|108.162.246.5]] 22:27, 30 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
This happens to me all the time actually, I wake up in and check my watch, but since I'm not really fast at waking up I fall asleep for a few minutes before actually checking the watch, and I dream about it. So maybe I've dreamed that it was 6:30 when in fact it is still 4:30. But only real numbers so far (Miguelinileugim)</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=255:_Subjectivity&diff=74033255: Subjectivity2014-08-20T15:29:55Z<p>141.101.98.214: The scale was wrong</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 255<br />
| date = April 30, 2007<br />
| title = Subjectivity<br />
| image = subjectivity.png<br />
| titletext = Or maybe the slide is like Aslan, and gets taller as I do (except without the feeling of discomfort when I reach my teens and suddenly get the Christ stuff)<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Parodies the experience of finding that things you saw as a child are much smaller than you'd perceived them to be: [[Cueball]] is convinced that this will be the case with his childhood slide, only to find that it is indeed quite large. (As a child it's roughly nine times his height, whilst as an adult it's only about triple.)<br />
<br />
The title text references {{w|Aslan}}, a character from ''{{w|The Chronicles of Narnia}}''. Aslan is often regarded as a Christ figure, but since ''Narnia'' is a children's series many readers don't realize this until long after they've read the books – another instance of how perspective changes with age, and of the comic's title, "subjectivity".<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Tall slide, seen from the ground.]<br />
:When I was a kid, my school playground had a really tall slide that always made me nervous.<br />
<br />
:[Tall slide, seen from the side.]<br />
:We moved away, but the slide stuck in my memory, becoming a skyscraping monster.<br />
<br />
:[Car and a sign pointing to school zone.]<br />
:Years later, I was passing through my old town and remembered the playground.<br />
:I drove to the school to see the slide that my inner six-year-old thought was so towering.<br />
<br />
:[Huge slide, Cueball beside it.]<br />
:AND IT <u>WAS</u> HUGE!<br />
:I <u>KNEW</u> IT!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1406:_Universal_Converter_Box&diff=73532Talk:1406: Universal Converter Box2014-08-12T08:59:44Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div>Would like to see what a gender changer for the petrol pump looks like... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 04:37, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: It’s a funnel. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.129|108.162.216.129]] 04:45, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: Im more intereted in understanding how the conversion between 87, 91 and 93 octane and Diesel is taking place -- some mini refinery most be included [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:34, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: No need for a mini refinery if you simply have 4 feed lines multiplexed through a valve.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 18:57, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: I guess those folks still using their ADB keyboards are out of luck.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.129|108.162.216.129]] 04:45, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Oh god... there are quite a few blank spots on that gas pump, and we all know what Randall likes to do with [http://what-if.xkcd.com/35/ tape]. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.211|173.245.56.211]] 04:55, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Where's the old Mac DIN based serial port? I've got a Color Classic I'd like to resurrect! (No, seriously. It's got a math program on it that I paid about one <i>fifteenth </i> of what they're going for today!) [[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 05:21, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Probably related: [http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/21b3ob/walking_through_my_local_electronic_store_i_found/ HDMI — garden hose adapter] for pouring sh*t from the TV directly on your lawn. {{unsigned ip|141.101.75.19}}<br />
<br />
The above garden hose comment reminds me of the classic Three Stooges film in which they are bungling plumbers who get confused and connect the electric wires to the pipes with impossible but hilarious results -- for instance a TV shows Niagara Falls then suddenly water comes gushing out of it.<br />
<br />
[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.99|173.245.52.99]] 03:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: The original Ethernet used a fat coaxial cable known as "Garden Hose". There were no hubs or switches, each station had a 'stinger' tap clamped to the coax. I used such a setup in the 1970s. [[User:Jim E|Jim E]] ([[User talk:Jim E|talk]]) 15:54, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I hate the fact that I can think of multiple standards that are not covered here. A gazillion DIN connectors, mini HDMI, RS232, Canon/XLR,... All the AC power adapters just on their own will weigh more than 22.7 kilograms. And seriously, how are we meant to connect our coaxial network cable to an iPhone2 with this? --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 06:04, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: +1 [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:30, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm just a little pissed that all those plugs and it still doesn't include an Australian 240v power plug... sigh. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 06:09, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: There are no power adapters in this afaik -- the title text talks about DC adapters, but they come in a separate bag [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:30, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: I can see just one. I think it's the American plug, but I'm not sure (not familiar with what it looks like). It's got a removable ground pin. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.217|108.162.249.217]] 14:01, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::: Absolutely right, not sure how I missed that [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:14, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
While we're mentioning things Randall forgot, we have eSATA, 9-pin serial, there are at least three types of firewire, Multiple SCSI interface sizes, TRRS audio/mic connectors, 1/4" inch audio connectors, XLR, varous RF connectors, and a ton of power connectors. {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.210}}<br />
<br />
:: The STA and SCSI are mostly internal connections which users rarely had to worry about [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:30, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::But there is external SCSI as well. Which sometimes needed to be manually numbered using DIP switches and properly terminated. --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the magsafe 4 connector was the 'hair connector' from the avatar movie. That would really be the ultimate self-connecting magsafe successor. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.78|141.101.104.78]] 08:05, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Many of the video cables in this comic actually are compatible: DVI is backwards-compatible with VGA, HDMI is (mostly) compatible with DVI, S-video is compatible with composite RCA, and SCART is compatible with VGA in addition to supporting both types of composite. Might want to note that somewhere in the article. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.195|108.162.219.195]] 08:20, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
: Display Port? --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The male/female adapters has me wondering slightly... Does the kit come with adapters for the fuel and the power plug? Might make for a light generator. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.75|108.162.215.75]] 08:26, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I was mildly sad to see that the token ring was not accompanied by a Tolkien ring. —[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 08:58, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
:+1 --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
'''Some more "missing" items, and I'm wondering if we need to add all our suggestions in a single list to the main article.''' -- BigMal // [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.209|108.162.216.209]] 12:08, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
:IBM PC keyboard DIN<br />
:IBM PC joystick<br />
:Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)<br />
:GPIB/HPIB (RS-485?) -- for electronics lab equipment (power supplies, desktop DMM, oscilloscope -- before USB and Ethernet)<br />
:BNC (compostie video or analog signals)<br />
:12V DC automotive power (old "cigarette lighter" port)<br />
:Off-Board Diagnostic Connector (ODBC II -- automotive per SAE).<br />
:Deutsch triangular SAE J1939/CAN connectors and "H1939" circular 9-pin Service Tool connector<br />
:Other kinds of plumbing, inspired by the fuel pump -- US garden hose, various sizes of US NPT (National Pipe Thread?), various sizes of US "compression" thread<br />
:and Pneumatic too -- all four of the most common pneumatic tool quick disconnects plus Schrader valve fitting (US standard for pneumatic tires) {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.209}}<br />
<br />
According to Wikipedia, the 1st and 2nd gen MagSafe connectors in this image are swapped: What Randall labeled as MagSafe 1 is actually MagSafe 2 and vice-versa. [[User:Mezgrman|Mezgrman]] ([[User talk:Mezgrman|talk]]) 10:31, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
:No, this isn't talking about generations, it's talking about actual connections. The ''MagSafe'' adapter was first developed with what Apple calls the "T" style form factor, then was aesthetically updated to the "L" style, which is labeled as "MagSafe" in the comic. The two form factors were interchangeable due to the actual connection and power flow being identical. ''MagSafe 2'' has returned to the "T" style, and was introduced with the Retina Display and newer MacBook Air models, and has a longer, thinner profile that is NOT interchangeable with regular MagSafe adapters, though a small adapter is available. [http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1713 MagSafe Troubleshooting] [http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2346 Identifying Power Adapters] --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.57|108.162.245.57]] 00:22, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Do any of these connectors interface with the Raspberry Pi's GPIO? (Wow, it took me surprisingly long to find the name of that.) If not, can we add that to the list? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.41|108.162.216.41]] 13:57, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
:The Floppy, IDE and SCSI IDC connectors will fit (but only using 2x13 pins of the 2x17/20/25 pins). So, no - none of these will interface directly with the Raspberry Pi. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 15:53, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The one gender changer that bag won't have is the one for Token Ring... of all the adapters this thing can handle, I believe the Token Ring one is the only one without a gender -- one Token Ring plug plugs into another, or into the wall socket, etc. without needing to worry about whether you have a mail connector or a female one. Though I guess the Bluetooth Dongle and string also don't need adapters, pe se... [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 14:28, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
:One Token Ring to rule them all? --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:08, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Is the Magsafe 4 a reference to the connectors for hands and things from the movie A.I.?<br />
<br />
I think that the Magsafe 4 is supposed to look like those fancy auto-moving connectors from A.I. Artificial Intelligence.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.142|199.27.133.142]] 15:50, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The Magsafe 4 could also be a reference to the Na'vi tendril/braid from Avatar. {{unsigned ip|108.162.238.156}}<br />
<br />
I wonder where the 30-pin and the Lightning plug that Apple loves so much is. I could see if the 30-pin is hiding int the Floppy or something, but nowhere is the Lightning plug. What gives? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.71|199.27.128.71]] 19:47, 11 August 2014 (UTC<br />
<br />
;Universal Business Adapter<br />
<br />
There might be a hidden reference to a famous [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIOqOxI0K_I IBM TV Ad] from, dunno, late 90's or so, in this. I read somewhere that the joke was lost to some viewers and IBM actually put resources into developing an "universal adapter" for business clients due to the demand. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.203|141.101.80.203]] 19:15, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
; Diesel .v. petrol nozzles<br />
<br />
"A standard diesel nozzle is a bit thicker than a standard petrol nozzle so you cannot tank diesel into a petrol car but if this nozzle has the petrol nozzle diameter you are still able to tank with it into a diesel car."<br />
<br />
This statement may be true in some countries, but not here in the UK, for standard pumps for<br />
use with normal cars, vans, etc. That said, we also have separate, high speed, pump nozzles for lorries (=trucks :-) ) which are quite a bit larger than the standard petrol/diesel nozzle. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 08:16, 12 August 2014 (UTC)</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1406:_Universal_Converter_Box&diff=73531Talk:1406: Universal Converter Box2014-08-12T08:16:44Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div>Would like to see what a gender changer for the petrol pump looks like... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 04:37, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: It’s a funnel. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.129|108.162.216.129]] 04:45, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: Im more intereted in understanding how the conversion between 87, 91 and 93 octane and Diesel is taking place -- some mini refinery most be included [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:34, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: No need for a mini refinery if you simply have 4 feed lines multiplexed through a valve.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 18:57, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: I guess those folks still using their ADB keyboards are out of luck.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.129|108.162.216.129]] 04:45, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Oh god... there are quite a few blank spots on that gas pump, and we all know what Randall likes to do with [http://what-if.xkcd.com/35/ tape]. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.211|173.245.56.211]] 04:55, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Where's the old Mac DIN based serial port? I've got a Color Classic I'd like to resurrect! (No, seriously. It's got a math program on it that I paid about one <i>fifteenth </i> of what they're going for today!) [[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 05:21, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Probably related: [http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/21b3ob/walking_through_my_local_electronic_store_i_found/ HDMI — garden hose adapter] for pouring sh*t from the TV directly on your lawn. {{unsigned ip|141.101.75.19}}<br />
<br />
The above garden hose comment reminds me of the classic Three Stooges film in which they are bungling plumbers who get confused and connect the electric wires to the pipes with impossible but hilarious results -- for instance a TV shows Niagara Falls then suddenly water comes gushing out of it.<br />
<br />
[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.99|173.245.52.99]] 03:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: The original Ethernet used a fat coaxial cable known as "Garden Hose". There were no hubs or switches, each station had a 'stinger' tap clamped to the coax. I used such a setup in the 1970s. [[User:Jim E|Jim E]] ([[User talk:Jim E|talk]]) 15:54, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I hate the fact that I can think of multiple standards that are not covered here. A gazillion DIN connectors, mini HDMI, RS232, Canon/XLR,... All the AC power adapters just on their own will weigh more than 22.7 kilograms. And seriously, how are we meant to connect our coaxial network cable to an iPhone2 with this? --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 06:04, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: +1 [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:30, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm just a little pissed that all those plugs and it still doesn't include an Australian 240v power plug... sigh. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 06:09, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: There are no power adapters in this afaik -- the title text talks about DC adapters, but they come in a separate bag [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:30, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: I can see just one. I think it's the American plug, but I'm not sure (not familiar with what it looks like). It's got a removable ground pin. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.217|108.162.249.217]] 14:01, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::: Absolutely right, not sure how I missed that [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:14, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
While we're mentioning things Randall forgot, we have eSATA, 9-pin serial, there are at least three types of firewire, Multiple SCSI interface sizes, TRRS audio/mic connectors, 1/4" inch audio connectors, XLR, varous RF connectors, and a ton of power connectors. {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.210}}<br />
<br />
:: The STA and SCSI are mostly internal connections which users rarely had to worry about [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:30, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::But there is external SCSI as well. Which sometimes needed to be manually numbered using DIP switches and properly terminated. --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the magsafe 4 connector was the 'hair connector' from the avatar movie. That would really be the ultimate self-connecting magsafe successor. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.78|141.101.104.78]] 08:05, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Many of the video cables in this comic actually are compatible: DVI is backwards-compatible with VGA, HDMI is (mostly) compatible with DVI, S-video is compatible with composite RCA, and SCART is compatible with VGA in addition to supporting both types of composite. Might want to note that somewhere in the article. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.195|108.162.219.195]] 08:20, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
: Display Port? --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The male/female adapters has me wondering slightly... Does the kit come with adapters for the fuel and the power plug? Might make for a light generator. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.75|108.162.215.75]] 08:26, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I was mildly sad to see that the token ring was not accompanied by a Tolkien ring. —[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 08:58, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
:+1 --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
'''Some more "missing" items, and I'm wondering if we need to add all our suggestions in a single list to the main article.''' -- BigMal // [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.209|108.162.216.209]] 12:08, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
:IBM PC keyboard DIN<br />
:IBM PC joystick<br />
:Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)<br />
:GPIB/HPIB (RS-485?) -- for electronics lab equipment (power supplies, desktop DMM, oscilloscope -- before USB and Ethernet)<br />
:BNC (compostie video or analog signals)<br />
:12V DC automotive power (old "cigarette lighter" port)<br />
:Off-Board Diagnostic Connector (ODBC II -- automotive per SAE).<br />
:Deutsch triangular SAE J1939/CAN connectors and "H1939" circular 9-pin Service Tool connector<br />
:Other kinds of plumbing, inspired by the fuel pump -- US garden hose, various sizes of US NPT (National Pipe Thread?), various sizes of US "compression" thread<br />
:and Pneumatic too -- all four of the most common pneumatic tool quick disconnects plus Schrader valve fitting (US standard for pneumatic tires) {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.209}}<br />
<br />
According to Wikipedia, the 1st and 2nd gen MagSafe connectors in this image are swapped: What Randall labeled as MagSafe 1 is actually MagSafe 2 and vice-versa. [[User:Mezgrman|Mezgrman]] ([[User talk:Mezgrman|talk]]) 10:31, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
:No, this isn't talking about generations, it's talking about actual connections. The ''MagSafe'' adapter was first developed with what Apple calls the "T" style form factor, then was aesthetically updated to the "L" style, which is labeled as "MagSafe" in the comic. The two form factors were interchangeable due to the actual connection and power flow being identical. ''MagSafe 2'' has returned to the "T" style, and was introduced with the Retina Display and newer MacBook Air models, and has a longer, thinner profile that is NOT interchangeable with regular MagSafe adapters, though a small adapter is available. [http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1713 MagSafe Troubleshooting] [http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2346 Identifying Power Adapters] --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.57|108.162.245.57]] 00:22, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Do any of these connectors interface with the Raspberry Pi's GPIO? (Wow, it took me surprisingly long to find the name of that.) If not, can we add that to the list? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.41|108.162.216.41]] 13:57, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
:The Floppy, IDE and SCSI IDC connectors will fit (but only using 2x13 pins of the 2x17/20/25 pins). So, no - none of these will interface directly with the Raspberry Pi. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 15:53, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
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The one gender changer that bag won't have is the one for Token Ring... of all the adapters this thing can handle, I believe the Token Ring one is the only one without a gender -- one Token Ring plug plugs into another, or into the wall socket, etc. without needing to worry about whether you have a mail connector or a female one. Though I guess the Bluetooth Dongle and string also don't need adapters, pe se... [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 14:28, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
:One Token Ring to rule them all? --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:08, 12 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Is the Magsafe 4 a reference to the connectors for hands and things from the movie A.I.?<br />
<br />
I think that the Magsafe 4 is supposed to look like those fancy auto-moving connectors from A.I. Artificial Intelligence.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.142|199.27.133.142]] 15:50, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
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The Magsafe 4 could also be a reference to the Na'vi tendril/braid from Avatar. {{unsigned ip|108.162.238.156}}<br />
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I wonder where the 30-pin and the Lightning plug that Apple loves so much is. I could see if the 30-pin is hiding int the Floppy or something, but nowhere is the Lightning plug. What gives? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.71|199.27.128.71]] 19:47, 11 August 2014 (UTC<br />
<br />
;Universal Business Adapter<br />
<br />
There might be a hidden reference to a famous [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIOqOxI0K_I IBM TV Ad] from, dunno, late 90's or so, in this. I read somewhere that the joke was lost to some viewers and IBM actually put resources into developing an "universal adapter" for business clients due to the demand. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.203|141.101.80.203]] 19:15, 11 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
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"A standard diesel nozzle is a bit thicker than a standard petrol nozzle so you cannot tank diesel into a petrol car but if this nozzle has the petrol nozzle diameter you are still able to tank with it into a diesel car."<br />
<br />
This statement may be true in some countries, but not here in the UK, for standard pumps for<br />
use with normal cars, vans, etc. That said, we also have separate, high speed, pump nozzles for lorries (=trucks :-) ) which are quite a bit larger than the standard petrol/diesel nozzle. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 08:16, 12 August 2014 (UTC)</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1401:_New&diff=72876Talk:1401: New2014-08-04T09:04:46Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
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<div>Why are there three ''n'''s in ''headcannnon'' in the title text?<br />
[[User:Keavon|Keavon]] ([[User talk:Keavon|talk]])<br />
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:Or as n increases the effort to convince others that the existence/correctness of headca(n)+on decreases? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.26|108.162.216.26]] 20:31, 30 July 2014 (UTC)arcturius<br />
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:I think it's as simple as 1 n in canon (what the pun is based on), 2 n's in cannon (in the comic), and just to keep the pattern going, 3 n's in cannnon (in the title text).--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.175|173.245.54.175]] 05:35, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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That reminds me on Neil Stephensons - The Diamond Age: or A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer... Very nerdy! {{unsigned ip|108.162.254.21}}<br />
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Another very common usage of headcanon is when you REMOVE something from your headcanon - that is, pretend that it never happened, despite it being canon. Often it's case of not-really-good sequels. Or later edits: see {{w|Han shot first}}. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:35, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
:I thought that headcanon was everything fans imagined, not just what contradicts canon. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.204|141.101.105.204]] 16:32, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Anyone note that the computer is completely undamaged (from the cannonfire at least, no telling about when it strikes the floor), despite the desk being demolished? [[User:Zowayix|Zowayix]] ([[User talk:Zowayix|talk]]) 13:14, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Worth mentioning the alternate term "fanon", at all? (Currently third but unlinking item {{w|Fanon|Wikipedia link}}, or the more dangerous (in the [[214|Comic 214]] sense) [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Fanon TVTropes link]... <!-- And remind me again why there are so many different wiki formats for embedding different forms of link?!? -->) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.7|141.101.99.7]] 13:22, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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:I'd say no, fanon is headcanon that is accepted in huge parts of the fandom. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.204|141.101.105.204]] 16:32, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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New headcanon: Black Hat Guy always has a headcannon under his hat, and in this comic he is simply showing Cueball that he got a new one. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.73|108.162.216.73]] 14:12, 30 July 2014 (UTC)Matthew<br />
:Not true. In other comics where he hasn't had his hat, he did not have a cannon on his head. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 15:40, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Canon (in Greek: Kanon, Arabic: Qanon, Hebrew: Kaneh) means reed, or straight. Thus trustworthy. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_law#Etymology] [[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 14:38, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Black Hat is shown to have short dark hair. That's new xkcd canon. As far as I know, he'd always been shown wearing a hat completely covering his hair until now. --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 15:33, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
: Not new. http://xkcd.com/377/ [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 15:40, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
:I always assumed black hat and white hat(perhaps all the cast) were aspects of Cueball,s psyc, a jungian zoo. {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.167}}<br />
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Ra-Ra-Rasputin {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.170}}<br />
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"The title text is a pun on the homophones *canon* and *cannon*" ... uh, the whole entire COMIC is a pun on the homophones *canon* and *cannon*. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.149|173.245.56.149]] 18:16, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Kudos to the author(s) of the example using Quark. One of the best-written explanations on this wiki. [[User:Jameslucas|jameslucas]] <small>([[User talk:Jameslucas|" "]] / [[Special:Contributions/Jameslucas|+]])</small> 22:42, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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''"Fans might wonder why, on a station that has "replicators" (devices that can create any food or drink out of energy on demand), anyone would patronize a bar"'' - perhaps because they might want to, you know, socialise with other people? Call me old-fashioned... --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.37|141.101.99.37]] 14:23, 31 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Anyone know if this weeks what if is different depending on region? I only ask because it mentions my small town and I am skeptical based on past comics. [[1037: Umwelt]][[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.208|173.245.56.208]] 06:25, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Well, it doesn't mention anyplace close to me :-)<br />
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 09:04, 4 August 2014 (UTC)</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1398:_Snake_Facts&diff=721671398: Snake Facts2014-07-23T10:34:16Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1398<br />
| date = July 23, 2014<br />
| title = Snake Facts<br />
| image = snake_facts_new.png<br />
| titletext = Biologically speaking, what we call a 'snake' is actually a human digestive tract which has escaped from its host.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The comic lists a few '{{w|factoid}}s' about snakes, ranging from the mildly informative to the strictly tongue-in-cheek. The first factoid references the hypothesis that {{w|snake venom}} was an evolutionary development of {{w|saliva}} that, over time, gradually became more toxic as snakes with saliva that was able to assist in subduing their prey possessed an evolutionary advantage. It then posits that the entire evolutionary branch that developed into venomous snakes began with a snake whose mutation gave him a mouth that was 'slightly more gross than usual'.<br />
<br />
The second factoid references the 'longest snake in the world', citing a South American habitat. Given the habitat listed, it is possible the comic is referring to the Green Anaconda ({{w|Eunectes murinus}}), but the Green Anaconda, while an impressive creature and one of the longest snakes in the world, is generally not as long as the Reticulated Python ({{w|Python reticulatus}}) of Southeast Asia, which is generally recognized as the world's longest snake, though not its largest by mass. The factoid then states that the world's longest snake is 'believed to be over 60 years old'. As Anacondas generally do not live beyond 20 years in captivity, and likely less in the wild, the factoid appears to be in error once again. Its wording seems intended to imply that the snake in question is not a ''species'', but rather a ''single specimen''. Also, this information can be disappointing, as one could expect to learn about the length of the snake, not his age.<br />
<br />
Additionally, the comic illustration accompanying the second factoid colors in a '{{w|habitat}} range' on a map of South America that is snake-shaped, possibly implying that when it states 'The longest snake is found in {{w|Brazil}} into {{w|Chile}} and {{w|Peru}}' that this snake is so long that it literally stretches from Brazil, Chile, and Peru, and that the 'habitat' shaded on the map is, in fact, this {{w|mammoth}} snake's {{w|silhouette}}.<br />
<br />
The final factoid is entirely tongue-in-cheek, beginning with a typical factoid trope in which a collection of related items are laid end-to-end, then the length is compared to something else in a way intended to surprise the reader that the collection of items is indeed, so extensive (literally and figuratively). For example, "If you laid all the veins and arteries in the human body end-to-end, they would stretch 60,000 miles". The third factoid takes the form of that trope and turns it into a joke, "If you laid all the bones in a snake end to end, you would have a snake." Obviously, you would not have an entire snake, literally, but you would have a skeleton that was recognizably that of a snake and could reasonably be referred to as 'a snake', albeit a skeletal one.<br />
<br />
The title text continues the progression away from somewhat reasonable factoid toward outlandish claim by stating as fact the patently absurd idea that 'snakes' as we know them are not, in fact, a suborder of reptiles but are instead human {{w|digestive tract}}s that, rather than being a system of organs are parasitic creatures capable of escaping from their 'host' human and living independently. The claim appears to be based on nothing more than a superficial resemblance between snakes and the human digestive tract as long, roughly tubular collections of animal matter, which can process the food entering the top end, and getting rid of the waste in the other end. (Actually the human digestive tract is a closed off volume, that has no direct openings into the rest of the human body. Any transfer of matter between this and the rest is through migration and osmosis etc.)<br />
<br />
==Correction==<br />
*Randall had previously posted an incorrect map, that included the snake's habitat in {{w|Bolivia}} instead of Peru. [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/0e/snake_facts.png]<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:'''Snake Facts:'''<br />
:Snake venom evolved from saliva, which means it all started with a snake whose mouth was slightly more gross than usual.<br />
:[Picture of a snake below the text above] <br />
:Snake: Hi guys!<br />
:Off-panel voice: Eww, it's Frank.<br />
:[Map of South America with gray shade in the form of a snake. Text to the left of it] <br />
:The world's longest snake is found in Brazil, Peru and Chile. It is believed to be over 60 years old. <br />
:[Picture of a snake skeleton between the first and the second of the lines below] <br />
:If you laid all the bones in a snake end-to-end,<br />
:you would have a snake<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1314:_Photos&diff=569691314: Photos2014-01-08T16:49:20Z<p>141.101.98.214: suggestion, bit less of a paraphrase: better?</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1314<br />
| date = January 8, 2014<br />
| title = Photos<br />
| image = photos.png<br />
| titletext = I hate when people take photos of their meal instead of eating it, because there's nothing I love more than the sound of other people chewing.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Rewrite to explain punchline. Rewrite to explain title-text. Remove paraphrasing of transcript.}}<br />
<br />
White Hat expresses his intense dislike of seeing people distract themselves from experiencing life to the full by taking pictures. Cueball expresses a contrary view that taking a photo of something helps focus attention on it. He further points out how annoying it is when ''at that point of maximum focus'' someone complains that you are not appreciating the moment satisfactorily.<br />
<br />
The logic of Cueball's argument reduces White Hat to inarticulacy, then speechlessness, whereupon Cueball takes a photograph, implying that he wants to intensify his enjoyment of White Hat's discomfiture.<br />
<br />
The title text alludes to an alternative formulation of White Hat's position, although the justification here is not White Hat's egocentricity, but a more immediately sensual stipulation. It points up the moral that, no matter how you defend it, it is irrational to require that others should perceive the world in a way calculated to gratify you.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Three people are seen, two of them taking photos of a sunset in a city. Cueball and White Hat are seen in the foreground.]<br />
:White Hat: Ugh, I hate how people take pictures instead of just enjoying the view.<br />
:Cueball: Why?<br />
<br />
:[Just Cueball and White Hat.]<br />
:White Hat: Documenting your life distracts you from '''''living''''' it. You're not really—<br />
:Cueball: Oh, come on.<br />
<br />
:Cueball: Trying to take a picture of a thing makes me pay more attention to it. Some of my best adventures are built around trying to photograph something.<br />
<br />
:[Closeup of Cueball.]<br />
:Cueball: If "other people having experiences incorrectly" is annoying you, think how unbearable it must be to have a condescending stranger tell you they hate the way you're experiencing your life at just the moment you've found something you want to remember. Why the fuck do you care how someone '''else''' enjoys a sunset?<br />
<br />
:White Hat: Well, they... Because I just, uh... ...<br />
<br />
:[Cueball takes a photo of White Hat.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1287:_Puzzle&diff=52111Talk:1287: Puzzle2013-11-06T14:26:55Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div>Black thinks he's playing Go and white thinks he's playing chess. Although a 7 x 7 board is a bit small for go, it is not unusual for a beginner to play on such a board {{unsigned|hax}}<br />
<br />
It is a 9x9 go board! (usually used for learning, as its smaller, less strategic, and quicker to finish game, whereas regular go is played on 19x19 intersections). Olivier.<br />
<br />
::You beat me to it. "Less strategic" also means "more tactical". In my experience, 9x9 boards are rare (mostly, people would just use part of a 19x19 board), but when they do exist, they have 4 handicap intersections marked with dots. [[User:Homunq|Homunq]] ([[User talk:Homunq|talk]]) 08:28, 6 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The picture on xkcd.com is changed. The bishop on e4 is removed and the one on c1 moved to d2. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.11|141.101.93.11]] 08:48, 6 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Would it be better to use algebraic notation instead, seeing as FIDE stopped recognizing descriptive notation in 1981?<br />
<br />
::Possibly - I was trying to distinguish between Go moves and Chess moves by using the older Chess notation as a disambiguation, but... eh. I'm ambinotational - I read metric and imperial and barely notice the conversion. :) [[User:SleekWeasel|SleekWeasel]] ([[User talk:SleekWeasel|talk]]) 11:18, 6 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
:::Then you may have a career at NASA ahead of you... ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 14:26, 6 November 2013 (UTC)</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1286:_Encryptic&diff=51749Talk:1286: Encryptic2013-11-04T14:46:45Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div>It is unclear to me if these are actual hashes from Adobe file? That would be very cool... but actual file seems to have passwords in slightly different format. http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/11/how-an-epic-blunder-by-adobe-could-strengthen-hand-of-password-crackers/ [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.211|108.162.229.211]] 09:05, 4 November 2013 (UTC) pavel<br />
<br />
:I wouldn't call 3DES secure ... but yes, in this situation the real problem is not using per-user salt. Note that I would expect that at least some of those examples would be solvable ...any idea? Hmmm ... sword of weather vane and one of apostles might be Martin ([http://redwall.wikia.com/wiki/Sword_of_Martin]) ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:00, 4 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
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::It's Jonathon (for John). Not sure what it has to do with weather vane swords though... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.240.18|108.162.240.18]] 12:42, 4 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:Umm. "Peter" does not seem to have 8 characters, does it? Encryption method suggests it should be 8 characters, as do 8 character boxes on the right... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.211|108.162.229.211]] 10:43, 4 November 2013 (UTC) pavel<br />
<br />
::I'd say "weather vane sword", "name1" and "favorite of 12 apostles" is (Saint) Peter. "Weather vane" as symbol for the rooster in the denial, and the sword Peter used when Jesus was arrested. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.177|108.162.254.177]] 10:25, 4 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
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::: ... interesting that google search didn't mentioned it :-) Seems bible have too low pagerank. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:32, 4 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: The 'favourite' apostle was John the Evangelist though. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disciple_whom_Jesus_loved . The other biblical clue here is 'with your own hand you have done all this' - Judith 15:10. If that's Judith1510 then the 'name and shirt number' is 'Judith15'. The TOS/earlobes clue seems to be "Spock's brain" and "Spock's (ears?)". And the Michael Jackson one is (obviously) ABC123. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.214|141.101.99.214]] 11:14, 4 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
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::: Given that name1 is two blocks long, I would guess that the apostle's name is going to be eight characters long, with the second hash block being 1+seven spaces (or nulls if Adobe pads it with nulls and not spaces). But then again, as the only disciple with a name eight letters long is Thaddeus maybe not {{unsigned ip|141.101.99.214}}<br />
<br />
:::: "St.Peter" is 8 characters, and having a "special" character (the period) makes it a good choice for passwords that might require 1 non-alphanumeric character (and ban spaces). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.223|141.101.99.223]] 11:47, 4 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
Another article about using passwords hints from multiple users to find the passwords from the breach. http://7habitsofhighlyeffectivehackers.blogspot.com/2013/11/can-someone-be-targeted-using-adobe.html [[User:Bugefun|Bugefun]] ([[User talk:Bugefun|talk]]) 11:06, 4 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"Sexy earlobes" makes me think of [http://misswiu.livejournal.com/5385.html "The ABC of Aerobics"], but that would make that Shirley Clarke, and nothing in Star Trek has anything to do with Shirley that I am aware of, except possible [http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Ruth Shirley Bonne as Ruth]. I skimmed a list of episode titles, but nothing jumps out at me as particularly earlobish. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.187|108.162.219.187]] 11:20, 4 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Sexy earlobes might have something to do with Ferengi, but they didn't appeared in TOS. 141.101.99.214's idea is better. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:42, 4 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Note that you should not ever use cipher in {{w|Block_cipher_mode_of_operation#Electronic_codebook_.28ECB.29|ECB (electronic codebook)}} mode, i.e. encrypt each block separately and independently, but use chaining. --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 12:15, 4 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hmm, i'm rather confused about the last few on the list though. Assumedly the password for "he did the mash, he did the" would be "monster mash", but that would leave "purloined" with a password of either "monsterm" or "monster ". which doesn't make much sense. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.240.18|108.162.240.18]] 13:47, 4 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
(charlie sheen) a1f9b2b6299e7a2b eadec1e6ab797397 sexy earlobes - He did a 2 and a half men episode on sexy earlobes<br />
:(charlie x) a1f9b2b6299e7a2b 617ab0277727ad85 best tos episode - Star Trek has so many good episodes...<br />
::(houstontx) 39738b7adb0b8af7 617ab0277727ad85 sugarland - Sugarland is in Houston, TX<br />
<br />
I don't know about anyone else, but the "hints" column incidentally reminded me of {{w|Darwinian poetry|Darwinian Poetry}}... Not intentionally, I'm sure. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 14:46, 4 November 2013 (UTC)</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1286:_Encryptic&diff=517431286: Encryptic2013-11-04T12:56:00Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1286<br />
| date = November 4, 2013<br />
| title = Encryptic<br />
| image = encryptic.png<br />
| titletext = It was bound to happen eventually. This data theft will enable almost limitless [xkcd.com/792]-style password reuse attacks in the coming weeks. There's only one group that comes out of this looking smart: Everyone who pirated Photoshop.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|1286: Encryptic}}<br />
<br />
{{w|Triple DES}} is an older, but still relatively secure, encryption algorithm that uses 64bit block size. Assuming that the passwords are stored in ASCII format, this means that a sequence of 8 characters is always encrypted to the same result.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, since DES only encrypts in blocks of 64 bits (8 bytes) then encrypting and keeping the length of blocks means that you actually get a very good idea of the length of the password - that is, anything with only one block is a password length between 1 and 8 characters, with two blocks between 9 and 16 characters etc. In addition a password of "1234567812345678" would encrypt into two identical blocks. Best practice is to NOT encrypt passwords, but to generate a oneway hash, using a suitable cryptographical hashing function, and make sure that there is a salt value specific to each user (like their username) included in the input so two users with same password does not hash to the same value.<br />
<br />
Adobe also stored hints users selected. That means that we now know if the same 8 characters are used for multiple passwords, and we have hints from more than one user. That should mean that common password portions should be easy to recover, and that user may be "compromised" by someone else using part of same password (and perhaps providing good hint).<br />
<br />
As an example, a password having the three hints "Big Apple", "Twin Towers" and "If you can make it there" is probably "New York". The weakness here is that no decryption actually has to take place - you sort passwords by cyphertext and try to solve them like a crossword puzzle, one with multiple clues.<br />
<br />
People that pirated photoshop are lucky, because their passwords are not revealed by Adobe incompetence.<br />
<br />
It looks like actual examples are not taken from the leaked file, as that seems to use different format for. [http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/11/how-an-epic-blunder-by-adobe-could-strengthen-hand-of-password-crackers/]<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:Hackers recently leaked '''''153 million''''' Adobe user emails, encrypted passwords, and password hints.<br />
:Adobe encrypted the passwords improperly, misusing block-mode 3DES. The result is something wonderful:<br />
<br />
<pre><br />
User password Hint<br />
------------- ----<br />
<br />
4e18acc1ab27a2d6 weather vane sword<br />
4e18acc1ab27a2d6<br />
4e18acc1ab27a2d6 a0a2876eb1ea1fea name1<br />
8babb6299e06eb6d duh<br />
8babb6299e06eb6d a0a2876eb1ea1fea<br />
8babb6299e06eb6d 85e9da81a8a78adc 57<br />
4e18acc1ab27a2d6 favorite of 12 apostles<br />
1ab29ae86da6e5ca 7a2d6a0a2876eb1e with your own hand you<br />
have done all this<br />
a1f9b2b6299e7a2b eadec1e6ab797397 sexy earlobes<br />
a1f9b2b6299e7a2b 617ab0277727ad85 best tos episode<br />
39738b7adb0b8af7 617ab0277727ad85 sugarland<br />
1ab29ae86da6e5ca name + jersey#<br />
877ab7889d3862b1 alpha<br />
877ab7889d3862b1<br />
877ab7889d3862b1<br />
877ab7889d3862b1 obvious<br />
877ab7889d3862b1 Michael Jackson<br />
38a7c9279cadeb44 9dca1d79d4dec6d5<br />
38a7c9279cadeb44 9dca1d79d4dec6d5 he did the MASH, he did the<br />
38a7c9279cadeb44 Purloined<br />
a8ae5754a2b7af7a 9dca1d79d4dec6d5 fav water=3 pokemon<br />
</pre><br />
<br />
:The greatest crossword puzzle in the history of the world<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1285:_Third_Way&diff=51630Talk:1285: Third Way2013-11-02T01:38:31Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div>ONE SPACE AFTER A PERIOD. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 04:38, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
:MY VOTE TOO!!! --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:36, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Writing plaintext, I always do two spaces after a sentence ending period.<br />
This is probably because I did in fact start typing on a real typewriter.<br />
In an environment where automatic formatting will take place, like a web page or wiki text, I use the newline.<br />
I have had people in this wiki collapse my multiple line forms to one of the others.<br />
(I was disappointed.)<br />
--[[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 04:48, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I prefer double spacing, but I used single spacing in writing the explanation, just to make people happy. Perhaps I should have used new lines. [[User:Concomitant|Concomitant]] ([[User talk:Concomitant|talk]]) 05:10, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
: I'm a double-spacer too. Am I wrong? I can't break myself of the habit, I even do it in tweets! --[[User:Jeff|<b><font color="orange">Jeff</font></b>]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 16:43, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The 'third way' is a little underappreciated here: it divides the text into self contained logical units, and makes text processing tools (grep, diff etc.) much more usable.<br />
Proper text rendering engines (TeX, HTML, etc.) already make this assumption and group sentences accordingly.<br />
If only I realized this earlier, it would have made my thesis revisions much more easier.<br />
In fact, up to this moment, I thought I was that lone guy in the comic.<br />
EDIT: this comment in xkcd forums makes my point clear: http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=106217#p3489055<br />
--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.11|141.101.96.11]] 05:42, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:As a programmer, I find nothing weird in adapting your style to language. Writing two spaces in HTML or TeX is useless, as they won't render as two spaces anyway. (While using for this purpose nonbreakable spaces, which would render, is a crime.) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:48, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
::It would also render incorrectly if the period was close to the end of a line. If the markup is [last word of sentence][period][nbsp][space][next sentence], the last word of the first sentence could end up on the next line unnecessarily. But if it's [last word of sentence][period][space][nbsp][next sentence], the next line of text would start with a space, which is much worse.--[[User:Rael|Rael]] ([[User talk:Rael|talk]]) 15:16, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I always just find and replace double space with single space. If formatting suffers, someone did a bad job.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.228|108.162.231.228]] 06:33, 1 November 2013 (UTC) Synthetica<br />
<br />
So, why did double spacing after a period ever exist? It doesn't seem necessary. [[User:PheagleAdler|PheagleAdler]] ([[User talk:PheagleAdler|talk]]) 07:31, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Here's the standard explanation: on typewriters, each character takes up the same amount of space. So a lower-case "i" takes up the same amount of space as a capital "M". This is called a monospace font. When typing, if you just put a single space after the end of period ending a sentence, the reader doesn't necessarily get the sense that a new sentence has started. This is particularly true if you were typing in all caps, as might be common on some types of forms or documents. Two spaces, however, does the job nicely. In theory, with modern proportional-width fonts, this is unnecessary. [[User:Rylon|Rylon]] ([[User talk:Rylon|talk]]) 23:36, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
even though i learned typing on a typewriter, to this day i had never heard of the double space thing. maybe it's a US only thing, like the stupid french with spaces BEFORE punctuation marks. [[User:Peter|Peter]] ([[User talk:Peter|talk]]) 07:54, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
:I've always taken the double-space thing as a US thing. Some editors like emacs default to it, which is really annoying. That said, as a frenchman, the "space before punctuation" is normal to me and it is part of the ''codified'' typography -- and I think this is actually an important distinction to make. Is this double-space vs single-space something codified somehow? As a last word, I need to be nitpicky: the exact French typography rule is "a space before punctuation made of two parts (namely colon, semi-colon, exclamation/question mark) and no space before punctuation made of a single part (dots, commas.)" It's a very deterministic rule that is easy to apply (whether one agrees to it or not.) [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 16:40, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
As a german typographer I have to say I’m ''shocked''! ''Two'' spaces per period? A space ''before'' punctuation?! My scientific opinion: you all are completely crazy ;-) (Just kidding, but seriously, two spaces? In Germany, the first possibility to do that safely is your last will …) [[User:Quoti|Quoti]] ([[User talk:Quoti|talk]]) 10:34, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The doubled spaces appear in my browser's tooltips. (Maybe someone should add some non breaking spaces to the quotation of the tooltip text?) --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.236|141.101.98.236]] 10:45, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
As a(n automatic) two-spacer person (just you watch, I'll use 'em here, despite it obviously not being rendered), it's just what I learnt, back in the '70s, here in the UK. I've no idea ''why'' I learnt it. However, it may stem from the same root as the 'rule' in handwriting (not biros, but nibbed pens dipped in ink... wow, I feel old, but it ''was'' at primary school) that we use a gap as big as our our (very little) little-fingers to separate sentences. I imagine differentiating full-stops (US: periods) from commas in the messy medium of ink might be a valuable visual indicator as to what a given smudge might ''actually'' be. So, anyway, double-spacing. On the other hand I should report that, "I've dropped the habit it of appropriate punctuation prior to quotes," I say, "despite being the way I learnt it." And instead I will drop "<- Commas from that sort of position," you see, "even through I'll keep the ones that are semantic pauses." You see how my standards are slipping? Anyway, good comic. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled programme. <!-- (Oh look at me and my predecessor's IPs. We're ''not'' the same person, but I imagine they're using the same ISP as me.) --> [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 14:44, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I'm in the same boat this this bloke. I don't get the typewriter tie in. I seem to recall being taught to use a finger gage correct gap of whitespace to leave between the end of one sentence and the beginning of the next. This was in an American small town southern school in the early 1980s. I assume it was for readability. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.236.25|108.162.236.25]] 16:16, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The "third way" is used for articles on the [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news BBC News] website :-) --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 14:52, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Actually, they put each sentence into a paragraph of its own, which is yet different. (In HTML: <code>&lt;p>... .&lt;/p></code> vs. <code>... .&lt;br /></code>) --[[User:Das-g|Das-g]] ([[User talk:Das-g|talk]]) 16:07, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
:That's what I came here to say, that the Third Way is common-place on the web today, it is the tabloid style. This headline article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24775846 off the BBC right now only has full-stops (periods in en-US) before paragraph breaks, apart from quotations (ie what the BBC did not write). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.229|141.101.98.229]] 16:11, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
There's a FOURTH way! I receive a "Weekly Update from Senator Tim Scott" HTML formatted email about once a week (unsurprisingly) which, in lieu of spaces between words, uses a carriage return and a linefeed. This alleviates the question of how many spaces between sentences completely! It also renders as oneverylongword in my email client. Ie: <blockquote>Thankyouforsubscribingtomye-newsletter.</blockquote> [[Special:Contributions/108.162.236.25|108.162.236.25]] 16:16, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
: And a fifth: In France, they use one whitespace before and after double punctions (:;?!) but only one whitespace after single punctuation (.,). --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.79.25|141.101.79.25]] 20:15, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think the finger space was to help kids create clear separation while developing their proficiency at penmanship.<br />
I think the 2x space is a fall out from the fixed width formatting of typewriters to help assist the reader (or proof reader) with the start and end of a sentence.<br />
Double spacing has almost become OCD for me. I can't help it. Of course I also leave paragraph marks on while I type as well. I wonder if the French would require a space before a double quote, "The author ponders. "<br />
<br />
I think we could improve old school cryptography if we just used carriage returns and ignored the 'new' line.<br />
I might be able to accept and adopt the single space rule if I can make my spaces default to twice the point size of every other character in the style.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.186|199.27.128.186]] 19:00, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
:FOROL DSCHO OLCRY PTOGR APHYT AKEYO URCUE FROME NIGMA DECOD ESAND ARRAN GEEVE RYTHI NGING ROUPS OFFIV EWITH OUT''AN Y''PUNC TUAT IONAN DINAL LCAPS <!-- For 'old-school cryptography', take your cue from Enigma decodes and arrange everything in groups of five, without /any/ punctuation and in ALL-CAPS ;) --> [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 01:38, 2 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I have my word processor set to a a gap equal to one and a half spaces after a sentence ends[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.198|173.245.52.198]] 19:05, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
New paragraph (TWO line brakes) after every sentence :-) --[[User:Sten|Sten]] ([[User talk:Sten|talk]]) 20:36, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I love how the explanation uses the third method. Nice touch. [[User:JRDeBo|JRDeBo]] ([[User talk:JRDeBo|talk]]) 23:29, 1 November 2013 (UTC)</div>141.101.98.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1285:_Third_Way&diff=51595Talk:1285: Third Way2013-11-01T14:44:27Z<p>141.101.98.214: </p>
<hr />
<div>ONE SPACE AFTER A PERIOD. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 04:38, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Writing plaintext, I always do two spaces after a sentence ending period.<br />
This is probably because I did in fact start typing on a real typewriter.<br />
In an environment where automatic formatting will take place, like a web page or wiki text, I use the newline.<br />
I have had people in this wiki collapse my multiple line forms to one of the others.<br />
(I was disappointed.)<br />
--[[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 04:48, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I prefer double spacing, but I used single spacing in writing the explanation, just to make people happy. Perhaps I should have used new lines. [[User:Concomitant|Concomitant]] ([[User talk:Concomitant|talk]]) 05:10, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The 'third way' is a little underappreciated here: it divides the text into self contained logical units, and makes text processing tools (grep, diff etc.) much more usable.<br />
Proper text rendering engines (TeX, HTML, etc.) already make this assumption and group sentences accordingly.<br />
If only I realized this earlier, it would have made my thesis revisions much more easier.<br />
In fact, up to this moment, I thought I was that lone guy in the comic.<br />
EDIT: this comment in xkcd forums makes my point clear: http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=106217#p3489055<br />
--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.11|141.101.96.11]] 05:42, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:As a programmer, I find nothing weird in adapting your style to language. Writing two spaces in HTML or TeX is useless, as they won't render as two spaces anyway. (While using for this purpose nonbreakable spaces, which would render, is a crime.) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:48, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I always just find and replace double space with single space. If formatting suffers, someone did a bad job.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.228|108.162.231.228]] 06:33, 1 November 2013 (UTC) Synthetica<br />
<br />
So, why did double spacing after a period ever exist? It doesn't seem necessary. [[User:PheagleAdler|PheagleAdler]] ([[User talk:PheagleAdler|talk]]) 07:31, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
even though i learned typing on a typewriter, to this day i had never heard of the double space thing. maybe it's a US only thing, like the stupid french with spaces BEFORE punctuation marks. [[User:Peter|Peter]] ([[User talk:Peter|talk]]) 07:54, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
As a german typographer I have to say I’m ''shocked''! ''Two'' spaces per period? A space ''before'' punctuation?! My scientific opinion: you all are completely crazy ;-) (Just kidding, but seriously, two spaces? In Germany, the first possibility to do that safely is your last will …) [[User:Quoti|Quoti]] ([[User talk:Quoti|talk]]) 10:34, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The doubled spaces appear in my browser's tooltips. (Maybe someone should add some non breaking spaces to the quotation of the tooltip text?) --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.236|141.101.98.236]] 10:45, 1 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
As a(n automatic) two-spacer person (just you watch, I'll use 'em here, despite it obviously not being rendered), it's just what I learnt, back in the '70s, here in the UK. I've no idea ''why'' I learnt it. However, it may stem from the same root as the 'rule' in handwriting (not biros, but nibbed pens dipped in ink... wow, I feel old, but it ''was'' at primary school) that we use a gap as big as our our (very little) little-fingers to separate sentences. I imagine differentiating full-stops (US: periods) from commas in the messy medium of ink might be a valuable visual indicator as to what a given smudge might ''actually'' be. So, anyway, double-spacing. On the other hand I should report that, "I've dropped the habit it of appropriate punctuation prior to quotes," I say, "despite being the way I learnt it." And instead I will drop "<- Commas from that sort of position," you see, "even through I'll keep the ones that are semantic pauses." You see how my standards are slipping? Anyway, good comic. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled programme. <!-- (Oh look at me and my predecessor's IPs. We're ''not'' the same person, but I imagine they're using the same ISP as me.) --> [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 14:44, 1 November 2013 (UTC)</div>141.101.98.214