explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2962: President Venn Diagram

2024-07-25T13:58:44Z

108.162.216.75:

<noinclude>{{notice|This site is intended to explain the technical details and inspirations (perhaps humorous) behind the comics. This particular page is for Discussion/Talk about the particular comic in question, which ''will'' involve some personal overviews and meta-discussion. But it is not the ideal place to reproduce the wi(l)der issue of public opinion, which the actual political process will eventually establish, and many other public forums and outlets exist in which you can convey your own current leanings/observations on the whole election-related happenings. Please be <s>sensible</s> ''typically geeky in your wit'', and try to keep all the ideological heat and partisan arguments out of this as much as possible.|image=warning!!.png|}}</noinclude>

Another really timely comic. Biden just dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris yesterday. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 01:58, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

Forget Biden, Hillary and Obama. This is the endorsement that counts. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.23.199|172.68.23.199]] 01:58, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

I suppose no one is allowed to say that the upper right circle is mislabeled. It was supposed to say incompetent, dishonest and despicable. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.25|162.158.90.25]] 02:07, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
:You're allowed to say it, but then we're allowed to suggest (with rather more emperical proof) that her presumptive opponent better fits your rewording. How about we all just don't try to re-run the old arguments (or pre-run the upcoming election) in that sort of tone, eh?
:(To be clear, Randall has made positive comments to his favoured candidate, rather than stooping to arbitrarily attacking their opponent. If you can't at least be as positive in your own convictions then it's really not going to help your cause.) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.6|172.69.195.6]] 04:10, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
::First, Harris has more than one opponent, not just within her own party, but in the general election to follow if she’s nominated. Second, the many good qualities of my favo[u]red candidate are irrelevant to this comic, so I didn’t mention ''her''. Third, I didn’t start this political discussion; Randall did, by making a refutable claim in his comic. Lastly, there’s nothing arbitrary about a resident of California pointing out [https://truthout.org/articles/kamala-harris-has-a-distinguished-career-of-serving-injustice/ facts about the former attorney general of California] that people in other states, such as Massachusetts, might be completely ignorant of. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.253|162.158.186.253]] 05:45, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
:::Ugh, those abuses from the supposed party of police accountability. Politics in this country are so performative. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.75|108.162.216.75]] 13:58, 25 July 2024 (UTC)
: You could say it, but then the box which says 'Kamala Harris' is mislabeled and 'Donald Trump' should be placed in the box above the middle one. [[User:Jaap-Jan|Jaap-Jan]] ([[User talk:Jaap-Jan|talk]]) 07:19, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
::Also by saying the first circle is mislabeled you also say Randall is all those things. And if you feel that way, then remember you are free to NOT read his comics... I'm always on Randall's side in politics it seems, but I'm from another country, so I wont vote for any presidential candidates even if Randall was on the ballot ;-) I won't say more here now... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:22, 24 July 2024 (UTC)
:::Note the difference between “upper right” and “upper left.” [[Special:Contributions/172.70.207.198|172.70.207.198]] 21:11, 24 July 2024 (UTC)

Well Kamala, you had a good run. Randall has the touch of death when it comes to picking political candidates. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.39|162.158.154.39]] 03:02, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
:You mean that no candidate endorsed by XKCD has ever won? ;) https://xkcd.com/2383/ [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 04:35, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
:Randall was smart enough to not make a comic endorsing Joe *before* he got elected like he did with Hilldawg and (now) Kamala.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.31|162.158.154.31]] 11:36, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
: Not so; Randall endorsed [https://blog.xkcd.com/2008/01/28/obama/ Obama in 2008]. [[User:-insert valid name here-|-insert valid name here-]] ([[User talk:-insert valid name here-|talk]]) 15:09, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
:Maybe Randall secretly wants Kamala to lose and is doing 5D chess. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.130.122|172.69.130.122]] 16:04, 24 July 2024 (UTC)

Randall angling for VP? [[User:Alcatraz ii|Alcatraz ii]] ([[User talk:Alcatraz ii|talk]]) 02:59, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

I think Randall would be good president. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 03:52, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
:Meh, he seems to at least not be good at public speaking. And from what he says about himself, he would be distracted way too easily. [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 04:35, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
:I, as an Epsilon Eridani native, think he would be a spectacular president, but his research priorities would swiftly result in [https://www.space.com/universe-end-false-vacuum-decay false vacuum decay], so please, for the sake of the universe, please do not elect him. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.218|172.70.214.218]] 20:55, 24 July 2024 (UTC)

The layout of this Venn diagram reminds me of https://xkcd.com/112/ {{unsigned ip|162.158.166.234|03:04, 23 July 2024}}

I think I would probably swap the two. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.174.23|162.158.174.23]] 04:03, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

I would be very interested in which non-Politicians Randall would put into the top middle section. [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 04:35, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
:People eligible to be president who would make a good president but aren't politicians? I would be much more interested in who he would list in the right middle section, that is, people who would make good presidents and love Venn diagrams, but are ineligible. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.6.133|172.69.6.133]] 03:42, 24 July 2024 (UTC)

I guess Munroe has no issues with questions about ongoing U.S. backed genocides shrugged off with "shrimp and grits!"? {{unsigned|Markifi|05:39, 23 July 2024}}

What really strikes me is that the USA have a (de facto) 2-Party system and still go so much into personal attacks and endorsements, etc. which in my mind could be the decision-making bit between 2 similiar parties in a multi-party system, or 2 equally sympathic parties to me. But in my mind a 2-party system should at least have the upside of actually discussing policy, and voters deciding based on that... --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:30, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

If Randall was in charge he could stop supplying weapons to Israel probably [[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.63|172.69.195.63]] 10:16, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

:Randall sempai- we are targeted too. {{unsigned ip|172.70.131.52|15:37, 23 July 2024}}

Re: the mouseover text: "[[1062:_Budget_News|I am more of a deficit sugar glider]]" ought to be in the running. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.58.157|172.69.58.157]] 12:42, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

personally I'd put most candidates either the top left [[Special:Contributions/172.69.58.24|172.69.58.24]] 17:34, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

Neat. A Euler diagram (and no, Venn cannot just have this one). {{unsigned ip|172.71.158.226|18:18, 23 July 2024}}
:Quite! Venn called his diagrams "{{w|Euler diagram|Euler circles}}." [[Special:Contributions/172.71.151.137|172.71.151.137]] 22:09, 24 July 2024 (UTC)

I think the 'eligible' topic is related to a campaign against Harris saying she isn't eligible because she's not american enough. This (fake) news was reposted in France by french Trump's fans. {{unsigned ip|172.69.225.223|20:36, 23 July 2024}}

_sigh_ I was about to come in here and suggest that we don't do the obvious political battle here but then I realized I'd be up all night because someone was WRONG on the internet [[386: Duty Calls]]! [[User:Tomb|Tomb]] ([[User talk:Tomb|talk]]) 21:21, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

I, too, have rather strong political opinions that absolutely nobody here cares about. But I also wanted to extend a heartfelt thank-you to the person who put the cautionary banner to not make the main article into a debate platform. I hope its presence becomes a staple of articles on all forthcoming controversial comics, as we commence our quadrennial plunge into the bubbling muck of American election season. -MeZimm [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.59|172.68.34.59]] 21:41, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

Would it be a good idea to include a link to the actual United States Constitution in regard to the Presidential eligibility section? In other words, I'm wondering if it would be preferable to link directly to a primary source of information as opposed to a tertiary source like Wikipedia? Either way, I have a [https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-2/#article-2-section-1-clause-5 link to the document on the Congress.gov website] for those who may want to have a read. [[User:OmniDoom|OmniDoom]] ([[User talk:OmniDoom|talk]]) 00:13, 24 July 2024 (UTC)

Does anyone have a longer version of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWR2uTfrh-k&ab_channel=GOPWarRoom ? I want to see the diagram props! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.147.19|172.71.147.19]] 21:08, 24 July 2024 (UTC)
:"So many memes" https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=XOjRsJiBTF0&ab_channel=FoxNews [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.129|172.70.214.129]] 22:00, 24 July 2024 (UTC)
:I see you are a netizen of exquisite taste. Might I suggest https://www.c-span.org/search/basic/?query=kamala+venn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.29|108.162.245.29]] 22:43, 24 July 2024 (UTC)
::Oh my God, infinite anonymous clipping! https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5125621/user-clip-venn-diagram [[Special:Contributions/172.71.150.3|172.71.150.3]] 23:03, 24 July 2024 (UTC)
:::[https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5125622/user-clip-circle-venn-diagram A fourth Eulerian circle emerges!] [[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.5|162.158.186.5]] 23:23, 24 July 2024 (UTC)

It has been decided. As per the [https://x.com/yashar/status/1815476912355205212 edict of the National Republican Senatorial Committee,] the problems with Kamala Harris are: (1) Her laugh is weird. And, (2) she loves Venn diagrams. Let the games begin! We shall [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI_lxFv203I&ab_channel=SaturdayNightLive focus on the two issues Americans do care about: swine flue and fracking.] [[Special:Contributions/172.68.23.200|172.68.23.200]] 22:18, 24 July 2024 (UTC)

This is a really sad comic. Harris is a top cop and a corrupt one. America deserves better than either party is offering, and the supposed party of police accountability should not be running Harris. It's sad that Randall is telling himself otherwise. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.91|172.70.178.91]] 13:22, 25 July 2024 (UTC)

2538: Snack

2021-11-06T00:31:08Z

108.162.216.75: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 2538
| date = November 5, 2021
| title = Snack
| image = snack.png
| titletext = Although grad students, suddenly reminded that food exists, tend to just grab and devour both without further discussion.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an APPLE COOKIE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Psychologists have a great interest in the study of altruism, and whether it truly exists. Undergraduate psychology students therefore, having spent too much time studying rather than interacting with people {{Citation needed}}, might start to believe that when they are shown altruism, they are unknowing participants in a psychological study. Therefore, Randall proposes that if you want to freak out a psychology student, then you should behave altruistically towards them.

The title text jokes that graduate students have so much work to do that they don't ponder the implications of altruism, but rather devour the food and return to their work.

The IRB that Cueball mentions is the {{w|Institutional Review Board}}, which is a committee (for example, at a university) which must approve research on human subjects in advance to protect them from harm.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
: [Ponytail, with a cookie in one hand and an apple in the other, approaches an alarmed Cueball.]
: Ponytail: Hey, do you want a cookie? Or an apple?
: Cueball: '''''Who are you!? Did the IRB approve this!? Is everyone here an actor!?'''''

: [Caption under the panel:]
: The best prank you can play on psych majors is just to offer them a snack.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Food]]

1690: Time-Tracking Software

2016-06-06T07:45:28Z

108.162.216.75:

{{comic
| number = 1690
| date = June 6, 2016
| title = Time-Tracking Software
| image = time_tracking_software.png
| titletext = 'List of helicopter prison escapes' and 'List of sexually active popes' are both entertainingly long, but sadly there's no 'List of helicopter prison escapes involving sexually active popes.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Extremely simple summary. Details must be expanded upon for each part of the graph.}}
In this comic, Randall uses time-tracking software, which is intended to increase productivity by identifying how you are spending time, that reveals that he is doing frivolous and pointless things that take up large amounts of his time. He makes remixes, edits Star Wars footage, reads strange (albeit entertaining) Wikipedia articles, and even spends a large amount of time adjusting this software, all without getting anything useful done. Thus, he is embarassed at this revelation.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

1571: Car Model Names

2015-08-31T17:50:40Z

108.162.216.75: /* Scores */ I'm pretty sure it's a comparative scale between cars and English, not just a car-like/not-car-like scale.

{{comic
| number = 1571
| date = August 31, 2015
| title = Car Model Names
| image = car_model_names.png
| titletext = CLIMAX is good, but SEXCLIMAX is even better.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

In English, letters like X and Z are rarely used in the common vernacular. Marketers have found that names with these infrequently-appearing letters sell more products.

===Scores===
Scores for letters and numbers are presumably taken from their frequency in car models. Randall must have used a car-name database to create the scores. Arbitrarily Randall used positive and negative numbers: if a letter is much more common in car models than in typical English (as X) he calls it carlike. If a letter's relative frequency in car models is far lower than in typical English (as O) he calls it English-like. The letters F and B, with scores of 5 and -5, respectively, are about as common in English as in car models. With this nomenclature, the most English-like letter is Y because, while not the most common English letter, it is apparently extremely rare in car models. The most common letter in ordinary English is E.

;Numerical order of scores
X: 126,
Z: 83,
5: 74,
J: 64,
0: 60,
3: 55,
4: 35,
V: 41,
Q: 40,
K: 32,
C: 27,
G: 27,
M: 19,
S: 15,
L: 12,
R: 8,
2: 6,
6: 6,
F: 5,
B: -5,
A: -14,
T: -18,
W: -20,
D: -21,
I: -21,
P: -27,
9: -37,
H: -44,
E: -45,
N: -46,
7: -58,
8: -67,
U: -68,
1: -74,
O: -80,
Y: -90,

There are 19 positive scores and 17 negative scores.

===Algorithm for the index===
Randall devised an index for car models which is the score average divided by 10.

;Example
We take 2Chainz and add the scores of its different numbers and letters: 6 +27 -44 -14 -21 -46 +83 = -9

Average is -9/7 = -1.29 and divided by 10 it's -0.129 or -0.13.

===Names to avoid===
*Honda 2Chainz - {{w|2 Chainz}} is an American rapper
*Mitsubishi Fhqwhgads - A reference to a running joke on {{w|Homestar Runner}}. See http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/Fhqwhgads
*Kia 49andGothy - Gothy or gothic is a member of the {{w|goth subculture}}; most of its members are much younger than 49
*Chevrolet Niceguy
*Oldsmobile Goodwood - May be a reference to the {{w|Goodwood Festival of Speed}}
*Infiniti Toothy69
*BMW Outhouse - Loose standing toilet, or {{w|Outhouse}}.
*Volkswagen Woodpony 7oh7 - Wood ponies are wooden constructions to give kids (and sometimes adults) the feeling of riding a horse, but don't actually move. 7oh7 is a way to pronounce 707, which could be a reference to the Boeing 707 passenger jet series.
*Chrysler Uh Iono - When pronounced, sounds roughly like someone slurring "Uh, I don't know" [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=iono]
*Nissan Doody - May reference the unfortunately named {{w|Nissan Moco}}, which is Spanish for snot

===Potential Hits===
*Honda 3Chainz - A play on 2Chainz in the previous section; according to the table the number 2 has a score of 6 and the number 3 has a higher score of 55; the index will go up by (55-6)/7/10=0.7.
*Subaru Andre3000 - {{w|André 3000}} is an American rapper
*Suzuki Sexism - Akihiro Suzuki is a Tokyo city assemblyman who made sexist remarks in June 2014.
*Lincoln Marxism - {{w|Marxism}} is a form of communism. There are various essays noting it's founder and {{w|Abraham Lincoln}} exchanged letters during the American civil war.
*Hyundai Climax -
*Porsche Zizek9000 - A portmanteau referencing academic {{w|Slavoj Žižek}} and the {{w|Saab 9000}}
*Lexus 3×3Cutrix - 3×3 is a play on 4×4; this car presumably has 3 wheels.
*Acura PizzaJazz -
*Ford SixAxle 4×4 - A contradictory name, as the 4×4 refers to a vehicle that has all four wheels connected to the drivetrain, which would only use two axles.
*Toyota Cervixxx - A portmanteau of {{w|cervix}} and XXX rating used by pornographic industry to make titles seem more extreme (see {{w|X rating}}). It being the highest scoring item on the list may be an attempt to show that {{w|sex sells}}.

Note that Randall gives the symbol × the value of 126, which means he equates it with the letter x.
:index(3×3CutrixNote) = (+55 + score(×) +55 +27 -68 -18 +8 -21 +126)/9/10 = 3.22. This means that the score of the symbol × is 90×3.22 - 164 = 125.8

===Title text===

==Transcript==
:{| style="text-align:center; border:0px; width:75%;"
| '''Certain letters and numbers are used disproportionately often in car models compared to regular text.'''
|-
| (see:"Rev-4 cr-x x3 G6 Maxx")
|}

:{| style="text-align:center; border:1pt black solid;"
| colspan="37" | '''Letter and number scores based on relative frequency in car model names'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [Positive axis label.] Carlike
|| 60
||
|| 6
|| 55
|| 35
|| 74
|| 6
||
||
||
||
||
|| 27
||
||
|| 5
|| 27
||
||
|| 64
|| 32
|| 12
|| 19
||
||
||
|| 40
|| 8
|| 15
||
||
|| 41
||
|| 126
||
|| 83
|-
||
|| '''0'''
|| '''1'''
|| '''2'''
|| '''3'''
|| '''4'''
|| '''5'''
|| '''6'''
|| '''7'''
|| '''8'''
|| '''9'''
|| '''A'''
|| '''B'''
|| '''C'''
|| '''D'''
|| '''E'''
|| '''F'''
|| '''G'''
|| '''H'''
|| '''I'''
|| '''J'''
|| '''K'''
|| '''L'''
|| '''M'''
|| '''N'''
|| '''O'''
|| '''P'''
|| '''Q'''
|| '''R'''
|| '''S'''
|| '''T'''
|| '''U'''
|| '''V'''
|| '''W'''
|| '''X'''
|| '''Y'''
|| '''Z'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [Negative axis label.] English-like
||
|| -74
||
||
||
||
||
|| -58
|| -67
|| -37
|| -14
|| -5
||
|| -21
|| -45
||
||
|| -44
|| -21
||
||
||
||
|| -46
|| -80
|| -27
||
||
||
|| -18
|| -68
||
|| -20
||
|| -90
||
|}

:{| style="text-align:center; border:0px; width:75%;"
| '''Based on these scores, here are a few suggestions for car companies:'''
|-
| (with average letter scores)
|}

:[Left list - title underlined, brand names and numbers in light grey]
:Names to avoid
:Honda 2Chainz (-0.13)
:Mitsubishi Fhqwhgads (-0.62)
:Kia 49AndGothy (-2.96)
:Chevrolet Niceguy (-3.09)
:Oldsmobile GoodWood (-4.44)
:Infinity Toothy69 (-4.51)
:BMW Outhouse (-4.85)
:Volkswagen Woodpony 4OH7 (-5.70)
:Chrysler Uh Iono (-5.65)
:Nissan Doody (-5.84)

:[Right list - title underlined, brand names and numbers in light grey]
:Potential hits
:Honda 3Chainz (0.57)
:Subaru Andre3000 (1.30)
:Suzuki Sexism (1.82)
:Lincoln Marxism (2.17)
:Hyundai Climax (2.48)
:Porsche Zizek9000 (3.06)
:Lexus 3x3Cutrix (3.22)
:Acura PizzaJazz (3.56)
:Ford SixAxle 4x4 (3.95)
:Toyota Cervixxx (4.85)

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Math]]

372: To Be Wanted

2014-09-08T04:39:42Z

108.162.216.75:

{{comic
| number = 372
| date = January 19, 2008
| title = To Be Wanted
| image = to_be_wanted.png
| titletext = Or so I hope?
}}

==Explanation==
The comic begins with a grainy, pencil-drawing of [[Megan]] on a ship. This is a clue that things are not as they appear.

As the point-of-view pulls back in each successive frame, we see that "Megan on a ship" is really a {{w|Thought bubble#Thought bubbles|thought-bubble}} belonging to [[Cueball]], who is sitting at his desk. He apparently is day-dreaming instead of working. Note that this is presented in the standard, crisp format, as if drawn on a computer. This suggests it shows us our "normal" view.

However, as the perspective continues to pull back, we see that "Cueball thinking of Megan" is actually a thought-bubble belonging to Megan. In the final frames, the ship sails out of frame. However, since the final frames are in the same grainy pencil-drawing format, it suggests that this is still Cueball's thoughts, rather than an actual image of Megan.

The title text, "Or so I hope", shows us what this {{w|recursion}} really means: Cueball hopes that Megan realizes that he misses her, but suggests he's not entirely certain she does.

'''Alternate Explanation'''

Comic starts with Megan on the bow of a ship, but in following panels it turns out that Cueball (presumably in a relationship with Megan) is thinking about about her, sitting afar from her. As we move forward (or downwards) in the comic, it turns out indeed that Megan is thinking that his partner Cueball might be missing her and thinking about her while she is on a voyage or at least she hopes it to be that way as the title text suggests. This also explains the title of the comic "To Be Wanted" which Megan expects from Cueball.

'''More about the title text'''

Both of the above explanations could be true without conflict. But as the title text is most often assigned to [[Randall]] himself or to a Cueball character, the ''Or so I hope'' is most likely written by the guy who drew the comic. This would then indicate that it is Cueball/Randall who wishes to be wanted by Megan - but he also hopes that Megan knows/hopes that he wants her.

==Transcript==
:[Megan stands looking out on the bow of a ship.]
:[Scene backs up. More of the boat is shown.]
:[Scene backs up. The boat with Megan is within a thought bubble.]
:[Scene backs up. The thought bubble comes from Cueball sitting at a computer in an office.]
:[Scene repeated for the next frame.]
:[Scene backs up. Cueball is within yet another thought bubble.]
:[Scene backs up. The thought bubble with Cueball in it belongs to the Megan at the bow of the ship.]
:[The thought bubble disappears, showing only Megan in the boat.]
:[The boat sails out of view.]

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

1408: March of the Penguins

2014-08-15T04:23:45Z

108.162.216.75: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1408
| date = August 15, 2014
| title = March of the Penguins
| image = march_of_the_penguins.png
| titletext = You ARE getting older, though.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat walks in, Megan is at a desk]
:Black Hat: All the birds from ''March of the Penguins'' are now dead.

:Megan: OK, I ''get'' it. We're all aging.

:Black Hat: What? No. I'm not trying to make you feel old. They were alive last night. I'm trying to apologize.

:Megan: Oh God

{{comic discussion}}

1017: Backward in Time

2014-08-09T14:29:37Z

108.162.216.75: /* Explanation */ Math correction: 0.2 to the third is 0.008, not 0.004 (that's 0.2 squared times 0.1).

{{comic
| number = 1017
| date = February 15, 2012
| title = Backward in Time
| image = backward_in_time.png
| titletext = People tell me I have too much time on my hands, but really the problem is that there's too much time, PERIOD.
}}

==Explanation==
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0Ak43bGxHGI1adDMtOHVWVXZrYzhKd2VtbFJJMmJPTEE&single=true&gid=1&output=html Here's the spreadsheet] which [[Randall]] used to calculate the times and dates for the comic. It also has a lot of other percentages and dates, so take a look if you are interested.

[[Cueball]]/Randall creates this formula which helps him wait for long stretches of time which goes increasingly faster into the past as more time goes by, which gives him the effect of looking like the time goes by quickly. Which assists in the waiting process.

As far as the actual math is concerned, the formula is an {{w|exponential function}} (i.e. the variable appears in the exponent). The effect that the function grows faster and faster as p grows, is due to T(p) being exponential. More precisely, when you repeatedly add some constant to the exponent, you will repeatedly multiply some (other) constant with the value of the function. Compare how "slow" a value grows by adding even high values (1, 1001, 2001, 3001, 4001, 5001…) and how fast it grows by multiplying even low values (1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000…)

Now, the function has to be adjusted so that, as Randall put it, "the time spent in each part of the past is loosely proportional to how well I know it." The most important adjustment is putting p to the power of three. That lowers the amount added to the exponent for low values (0.1³=0.001, 0.2³=0.008, i.e. only 7/1000 have been added for 10% workflow) and increases the amount for high values (0.8³=0.512, 0.9³=0.729, i.e. more than 1/5 has been added for 10% workflow). That means the recent past will pass even slower and the historic past even faster than it already does by choosing an exponential function.
The remaining adjustments are technical. The coefficient in front of p³ adjusts the constant by which the result will be multiplied while adding some constant to p, while it also roughly ensures that p=1 yields the lifetime of the universe. The 3 added to the product in the exponent further adjusts the actual values of the power without touching the slope (the multiplicative constant). In the parentheses, e³ is subtracted to put the time to 0 when p=0. Otherwise the function would start approx. 20 yrs and 1 month ago. For bigger p, this offset does not matter much. Imagine subtracting 20 yrs from the lifetime of the universe!

Finally, the result is subtracted from the current date for aesthetical reasons. The formula could tell you "20 yrs ago", or it could read "February 1992". Randall decided the latter would be better.

[[940|(Also, the workout website, Fitocracy has been mentioned previously in xkcd.)]]

==Transcript==
:When I have a boring task to get through — a three-hour lecture, a giant file download, or a long term point goal in fitocracy — I use this formula to convert the percentage completed (p) into a date:

:T=(Current Date) - (e^(20.3444*p^3+3) - e^3) years

:When the task is 0% done, it gives today's date, and as I make progress, I move further and further back in time

:(inverse given in lighter colors)
:Inverse: p = sqrt((ln(T+e^3)-3)/20.3444)

:[Line Graph explaining the correlation between completion percentages and temporal deltas.
:0% = now (Date of comic is 2012-02-14T00:00-0500, approx. 1329195600 UNIX)
:10% = September 2011
:20% = 2008
:30% = 1997
:40% = 1958
:50% = 1776
:60% = 405 AD
:70% = 22,000 years ago
:80% = 671,000 years ago
:90% = 55 million years ago
:100% = 13.8 billion years ago
:]

:It moves slowly through the first few years, then steadily accelerates. I tuned the formula so the time spent in each part of the past is loosely proportional to how well I know it. This means I hit familiar landmarks with each bit of progress, giving me a satisfying sense of movement.

:[The following are panels detailing completion percentages, correlated time periods, and notable events from this time period.]

:7.308% December 18, 2011
:Around this time:
:Kim Jong-Il dies. US leaves Iraq.

:31.12% February 1995
:Around this time:
:Windows 95 debuts. OJ found not guilty.

:47.91% 1844
:Around this time:
:Rubber vulcanized, bicycle invented, wrench patented.

:70.33% 24,000 years ago
:Around this time:
:Caves painted, ceramic art made. Neanderthals extinct.

:90.42% 68 million years ago
:Around this time:
:First flowering plants. Chicxulub impact kills off most dinosaurs.

:100% 13.76 billion years ago
:Around this time:
:Universe begins. First stars ignite.

:Download complete.

:[Cueball watches a download progress on a laptop in amazement and happiness. Megan stands nearby and looks at Cueball with a bemused posture.]
:Cueball: Swoosh! Watching all that time blur past is such a rush!
:Megan: So... you've tried to make an extreme sport out of.. ''waiting''.
:Cueball: ''Swoosh!''

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

Talk:1396: Actors

2014-07-21T17:11:48Z

108.162.216.75: laser beam comment

Could be Bieber... 04:42, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
:Good point. [[User:Sjrsimac|Sjrsimac]] ([[User talk:Sjrsimac|talk]]) 04:48, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
:More likely Timberlake.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.207|108.162.246.207]] 06:48, 18 July 2014 (UTC)Nix
:It's referring to Justin Theroux, currently in ninth place on IMDB's Most Popular Males list. (http://www.imdb.com/search/name?gender=male) Yeah, I have no idea who he is either. I feel old. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.170|108.162.237.170]] 06:49, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
:The name of the comic is ACTORS, guys. Last I checked, Bieber is not an actor. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.75|173.245.55.75]] 01:12, 20 July 2014 (UTC)
Do you think it's necessary to add that the temperature is in Fahrenheit, and that normal body temperature is around 98.6? The part about getting a bit of his shirt should also probably be explained in that context. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.211|173.245.56.211]] 05:39, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
:Yeah, please do. Most Americans can't handle metric units, and I can't handle Fahrenheit. The only thing I can remember is that body temperature is around 100°F. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.59|108.162.254.59]] 07:26, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
:Inserted Fahrenheit and Celcius into the explanation...
:Compared Suns temp. to Xi Persei, inserted link to films about birds (them being the hottest warm-blooded creatures I know of) [[User:Tier666|Tier666]] ([[User talk:Tier666|talk]]) 08:03, 18 July 2014 (UTC)

I seem to recall several other comics making fun of these generic headlines of the form "The <n> <adjective> <nouns> you must see". I could only find one though: http://xkcd.com/1283/ --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.95|141.101.104.95]] 07:40, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
: http://www.xkcd.com/1307/ (Buzzfeed Christmas) has plenty of these. [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.239|103.22.201.239]] 08:58, 18 July 2014 (UTC)

Forget animals and "stars" with fevers: certainly the "hottest" objects involved in creating characters are the server farms behind CGI cartoon films! I can only imagine the heat load during final rendering. (Note: I stated "creating characters" akin to acting; to use movie-making in general, the hottest objects would be stage lighting, or the Sun during outdoor scenes.) --BigMal // [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.88|173.245.55.88]] 12:20, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
: Rendering is not acting. The computation of {{w|MASSIVE_(software)|crowd behaviour}}, on the other hand, is. So question is how hot will became CPUs (or GPUs) of computers involved in computing the battles like in LOTR. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:35, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
::I'm sure there are plenty of movies in which the sun is a character. There might also be special effects or a separate voice actor, but if the sun plays itself for some of the time, it might be considered an (uncredited) actor. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Mr._Sun][http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=VEfomqnif34#t=833] [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.239|103.22.201.239]] 16:54, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
:For that matter isn't ξ Persei visible in some night-sky scenes, making it once again the hottest? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.38|108.162.216.38]] 21:51, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
::Does it play a major role in any movie? Or are we lumping irrelevant background extras with actors? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.208.251|108.162.208.251]] 04:16, 19 July 2014 (UTC)

I'm not sure there is misunderstanding about stars. I mean, the misunderstanding about the meaning of ''hot'' is enough to rank ξ Persei as hotter that any actress, including Kirsten Dunst (which is sexiest according to [http://top10for.com/top-10-sexiest-hollywood-actresses-2014/ this list], my opinion is different). I'm also sure ξ Persei is more attractive if you measure the force in fixed distance of 10 meters from surface. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:35, 18 July 2014 (UTC)

Anybody else suddenly notice that ξ looks a lot like the new name of the "Artist formerly known as Prince"? And thus miss the Astronomical reference entirely and wonder if his last name was now Persei?[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 20:38, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
:I don't understand any of what you just said, but "The artist formerly known as Prince" has been referring to himself as "Prince" for at least 13 years. That strange symbol was only his name from 1993 to 2000. [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 01:27, 19 July 2014 (UTC)

The article says "They are shooting stars with a laser beam...", is this a typo, or a phrasing I don't understand? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.38|108.162.216.38]] 21:51, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
:Using a laser beam to point out stars is common. See http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/some-pointers-on-the-use-of-laser-pointers/ . In movies, shooting refers to filming. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.75|108.162.216.75]] 17:11, 21 July 2014 (UTC)

Incidentally, an IR thermometer is great for the kitchen -- the best way to heat a skillet to a consistent temperature for making perfect pancakes or stir-fry.
[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.99|173.245.52.99]] 23:43, 18 July 2014 (UTC)

The fact that "ξ Per rises in Hollywood every night" is incorrect: the time of rise can be at any time of the day/night and it depends on the time of year. Moreover, the explanation using ξ Per's declination is incorrect: the stars with declination δ rise in a location with latitude φ if and only if |δ| < 90° - |φ|, so the given statement "star rises every night if (approximately) δ = φ" is only correct for |φ| < 45° (and so is incidentally correct in this case). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.164|141.101.99.164]] 15:21, 19 July 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1307: Buzzfeed Christmas

2014-01-29T14:05:18Z

108.162.216.75:

Randall seems somewhat obsessed with buzzfeed titles lately. I suggest whoever takes this explanation upon themselves to refer to [[1283:_Headlines]], as the two comics circle pretty much the same subject. I've got a feeling he made at least one more comic on this matter, but Headlines is the only one that popped to my head. Maybe you could refer Headlines to this comic because they share the same concept? [[User:Dulcis|Dulcis]] ([[User talk:Dulcis|talk]]) 06:43, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

I have added the link from [[1283:_Headlines]] to this comic. I also think there is at least one other comic that thouches on this, but it has slipped my mind at the moment. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:36, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

5 Gold iPhones!!! --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 14:44, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

I don't like how Buzzfeed is taking over the Internet either, so kudos to it and get off my lawn. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.66|108.162.215.66]] 20:03, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

Weird. I only just learned what Buzzfeed was the other day (and in the comments came across this link: http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=buzzfeed )
Additionally, the Reading Every Book What-If was published the day after I had that same conversation with someone. 2Spooky.
:Doesn't hurt that I have that conversation a couple times each year. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.117|108.162.238.117]] 03:24, 24 December 2013 (UTC)

Wait a minute... following the pattern of the first three lines, the Buzzfeed writers are apparently throwing ''swans'' at the carolers. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.214|108.162.219.214]] 07:28, 24 December 2013 (UTC)

In the explanation, shouldn't it be 4 colly birds? {{unsigned ip|199.27.128.128}}

: @108.162.219.214 - Six ''geese'', according to the version I know (also listed above). Although I've heard all kinds of mix-ups (12..9 Lords/Ladies/Pipers/Drummers, for example, rather than P/D/Lo/La), it seems to be pretty universally swans for the seventh multiple. It's been prone to change in the days of yore, of course, oral memory and localism.
: @unsigned "colly birds" commenter - Likewise, "calling" is well established variant (easier for city-folks who are used to caged songbirds, perhaps), I'm sure the following covers this... https://www.google.co.uk/#q=colly+birds+or+calling+birds (Although I haven't looked at any of what's said there, myself. It'd take the mystery out of Christmas. Merry Christmas, BTW, to one and all. And Randall, especially, if you're actually likely to read this in time, or at all. Happy (next) Birthday or Future Christmas or Labor Day or whatever else is imminent, if otherwise! ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.249|141.101.99.249]] 14:53, 24 December 2013 (UTC)

Did anyone ever go try doing this at BuzzFeed? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.75|108.162.216.75]] 14:05, 29 January 2014 (UTC)