explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

514: Simultaneous

2016-11-19T03:41:55Z

108.162.216.78: /* Added some explanation on the physics of the twin paradox to explain an additional joke hidden in the title text that this explanation had missed. */

{{comic
| number = 514
| date = December 8, 2008
| title = Simultaneous
| image = simultaneous.png
| titletext = I'm leaving you for your twin. He's more mature than you by now.
}}

==Explanation==
''This comic links to {{w|Relativity_of_simultaneity|en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativity_of_simultaneity}}.''

[[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] are talking about the sex they just had. Cueball is remarking on how they both achieved orgasm simultaneously, but Megan disagrees.

This comic is a play on Einstein's {{w|Special relativity#Relativity of simultaneity|theory of special relativity}}. One piece of the theory deals with two observers who are moving at close to the speed of light relative to each other. According to Einstein, events that appear simultaneous to one observer will appear to happen at different times to the other.

So when one partner is moving and the other isn't, it's possible that they experience their orgasm at different times relative to each other. That would require one partner to be moving really fast in one direction, which would make him or her either a really bad partner, or a really good one. On small speeds this effect could not be measured.

The other joke is that partners often disagree with each other — even when the difference is minor and not important to the matter.

The title text is reference to the twin paradox, which arises from another piece of special relativity. In theory, if you stick one twin on a spaceship at near light speed and keep the other back on Earth, and assuming neither accelerates, each will perceive himself to age slowly while the other ages quickly, forming an apparent paradox. Either Megan or Cueball expresses a preference for the other's older twin, who will be more "mature", meaning both older and presumably less combative about simultaneity. Again, the joke here is that at relativistic speeds there could be disagreement about which twin is truly the "older" one.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan in bed.]
:Cueball: Mmm, simultaneous orgasms.
:Megan: That wasn't simultaneous.
:Cueball: Huh? It totally was!
:A common disagreement when one of you is doing all the moving.

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

Talk:1739: Fixing Problems

2016-09-28T17:51:51Z

108.162.216.78:

This one seems relatively straightforward. It points out the rabbit hole that comes from attempting to optimize and attempting to fix earlier mistakes. {{unsigned|Drewthedude64}}

I agree. I added my explanation as such, and as I was doing it, I noticed that this comic seems to repeat the themes shown in past ones. {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.60}}

I want to build a web browser from scratch so I can load web pages on my iPod quicker.
[[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 06:45, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

I put in a mention of the fixed-point combinator. It seems like that can hardly be an accidental pun since it's the essence of recursion. I forgot to put in a summary of the change. [[User:Murray|Murray]] ([[User talk:Murray|talk]]) 07:19, 28 September 2016 (UTC)
: The interpretation of the title as pun seems far-fetched to me. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.86.233|162.158.86.233]] 14:34, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

I disagree with some points of the current explanation. Most important one: "This comic is clearly remarking upon whether or not the benefits of the mentality "If it ain't broke, break it and fix it" [...]":
: 1. Words like "clearly" shouldn't be used in a wiki, since they're suggesting that whoever has another point of view is an idiot. But that's not the important part.
: 2. Depending on time constraints for a given task "wasting my time" (as in the title text) could be the definition of a software being "broken". So fixing a problem which causes "time wasted" is not necessarily fixing something which isn't broken. The solution for inefficient software is _not_ more hardware ;) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:32, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

Possibly related to http://seclists.org/bugtraq/2016/Sep/65? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.30|162.158.74.30]] 13:47, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned xkcd.com/1205[https://xkcd.com/1205/] yet...--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.78|108.162.216.78]] 17:50, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1739: Fixing Problems

2016-09-28T17:50:42Z

108.162.216.78:

This one seems relatively straightforward. It points out the rabbit hole that comes from attempting to optimize and attempting to fix earlier mistakes. {{unsigned|Drewthedude64}}

I agree. I added my explanation as such, and as I was doing it, I noticed that this comic seems to repeat the themes shown in past ones. {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.60}}

I want to build a web browser from scratch so I can load web pages on my iPod quicker.
[[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 06:45, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

I put in a mention of the fixed-point combinator. It seems like that can hardly be an accidental pun since it's the essence of recursion. I forgot to put in a summary of the change. [[User:Murray|Murray]] ([[User talk:Murray|talk]]) 07:19, 28 September 2016 (UTC)
: The interpretation of the title as pun seems far-fetched to me. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.86.233|162.158.86.233]] 14:34, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

I disagree with some points of the current explanation. Most important one: "This comic is clearly remarking upon whether or not the benefits of the mentality "If it ain't broke, break it and fix it" [...]":
: 1. Words like "clearly" shouldn't be used in a wiki, since they're suggesting that whoever has another point of view is an idiot. But that's not the important part.
: 2. Depending on time constraints for a given task "wasting my time" (as in the title text) could be the definition of a software being "broken". So fixing a problem which causes "time wasted" is not necessarily fixing something which isn't broken. The solution for inefficient software is _not_ more hardware ;) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:32, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

Possibly related to http://seclists.org/bugtraq/2016/Sep/65? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.30|162.158.74.30]] 13:47, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned [https://xkcd.com/1205/] yet...--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.78|108.162.216.78]] 17:50, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

1719: Superzoom

2016-08-12T18:01:56Z

108.162.216.78: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1719
| date = August 12, 2016
| title = Superzoom
| image = superzoom.png
| titletext = *click* Let him know he's got a stain on his shirt, though.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Cueball]] is showing off his new Super zoom camera to [[White Hat]]. These are cameras with large zoom lenses, often up to 25x or higher magnification. He is very excited and starts by exclaiming how they can take detailed photos of the moon, and (on better models) relatively large photos of Jupiter. He then uses it for bird watching, which is a popular use for these cameras. He also is able to photograph an airplane, and make out the airline, both possible on these cameras, though it is unlikely he would be able to make out the registration number.

Finally, White Hat decides to buy a superzoom camera like Cueball's, and [[Cueball]] tells him a shop in town that sells them. This is where it takes a turn for the unlikely; as [[Cueball]] points the camera in the direction of this store, he is able to make out not only the worker inside but also (in the title text) the stain on his shirt. Even with the ability of these cameras, it would be unlikely for Cueball to be able to make out a specific worker inside the store, let alone a stain on their shirt.

It could also be implied that since Cueball knows an employee in the store, and knows that there are cameras in stock, he is in fact advertising for this store, and his over-enthusiasm is an attempt to convince White Hat to buy a camera. While this tactic is reminiscent of many commercials and advertisements on television, it is not common in real life.

==Transcript==
[White Hat and Cueball are walking. Cueball is playing with a camera]

Cueball: I love these superzoom cameras. For a few hundred dollars you can take pictures of moon craters and Jupiter's clouds.

Cueball: And birds! See that speck up there?

[Camera clicking]

Cueball: Peregrine falcon!

[*click*]

Cueball: It's banded, too. Want the number?

Cueball: And see that plane?

[*click*]

Cueball: 787 Dreamliner

[*click*]

Cueball: Japan Airlines.

[*click*]

Cueball: Registration is-

White Hat: OK, I'm sold- I want one.

[*click*]

Cueball: They're in stock at the place on Union Road.

[*click*]

Cueball: Hey, Kevin's working today! He's great.

{{comic discussion}}

1577: Advent

2015-09-14T06:19:34Z

108.162.216.78: I'm replacing the "x"'s with "×"'s :D

{{comic
| number = 1577
| date = September 14, 2015
| title = Advent
| image = advent.png
| titletext = The few dozen doors that have little Christmas trees on them are a nice touch.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}
An Advent calendar is a means of celebrating the days before Christmas. Each day on the calendar contains a small gift. This comic satirizes the concept by proposing such a calendar that would have one gift for each day one is anticipated to live. Such a calendar would be very morbid and existential. This is especially disturbing when given as a gift because it implies someone has put extensive thought into when the recipient will die.

In Cueball's case, assuming each square in the calendar represents one day, and that the wall he is facing is the entire present he received, the sender of the gift assumes he will live around 46 more years. (Each smaller grid is 10×7, and the larger grid is 12×20 smaller grids).

==Transcript==

:[Cueball is looking at a large wall subdivided into a rectangular grid, with each grid subdivided into 70 small drawers]
:Caption: Unsettling gift: Life expectancy Advent calendar

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1478: P-Values

2015-01-26T16:44:19Z

108.162.216.78:

IMHO the current explanation is misleading. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-value p-value] describes how well the experiment output fits hypothesis. The hypothesis can be that the experiment output is random.
The low p-values point out that the experiment output fits well with behavior predicted by the hypothesis. The higher the p-value the more the observed and predicted values differ.[[User:Jkotek|Jkotek]] ([[User talk:Jkotek|talk]]) 08:54, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

I read this comic as a bit of a jab at either scientists or media commentators who want the experiments to show a particular result. As the significance decreases, first they re-do the calculations either in the hope that result might have been erroneous and would be re-classified as significant, or intentionally fudge the numbers to increase the significance. The next step is to start clutching at straws, admitting that while the result isn't ''[[Technically]]'' significant, it is very close to being significant. After that, changing the language to 'suggestive' may convince the general public that the result is actually more significant than it is, while also changing the parameters of the 'significance' value allows it to be classified as significant. Finally, they give up on the overall results, and start pointing out small sections which may by chance show some interesting features.

All of these subversive efforts could come about because of scientists who want their experiment to match their hypothesis, journalists who need a story, researchers who have to justify further funding etc etc. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 09:01, 26 January 2015 (UTC)
:I like how you have two separate categories - "scientists" and "researchers" with each having two different goals :) [[User:Nyq|Nyq]] ([[User talk:Nyq|talk]]) 10:12, 26 January 2015 (UTC)
: As a reporter, I can assure you that journalists are not redoing calculations on studies. Journalists are notorious for their innumeracy; the average reporter can barely figure the tip on her dinner check. Most of us don't know p-values from pea soup.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.78|108.162.216.78]] 16:44, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

This one resembles [https://mchankins.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/still-not-significant-2/ this interesting blog post] very much.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.222|141.101.96.222]] 13:26, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

[[File:null_hypothesis.png]] 
[[User:Sten|'''STEN''']] ([[User talk:Sten|talk]]) 13:33, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

225: Open Source

2014-08-17T03:42:37Z

108.162.216.78: Minor typo fix

{{comic
| number = 225
| date = February 19, 2007
| title = Open Source
| image = open source.png
| titletext = Later we'll dress up like Big Oil thugs and jump Ralph Nader.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Richard Stallman}} is famous for beginning the {{w|GNU Project}} and is outspoken on the topic of {{w|Open Source software}} and {{w|Free software}}. So much so that he has garnered dislike from traditionalists who believe that software source code is a trade secret. While this dislike may not be at the level of hiring ninjas to remove him from the world, it is strong.

{{w|GPL}} refers to the 'GNU General Public License', which covers all GNU software. It stipulates software is copyrighted, provided with full source code, and everyone is free to modify, disseminate and even sell software provided they also provide full source code and retain all copyright notices. This makes all software derived from GPL software also GPL, even if 'derived' means 'borrowed a couple of lines of code from'. Many people consider this to make GNU software behave like a {{w|viral license|'license virus'}}.

The wording "For a GNU dawn!" is pronounced "For a g'new dawn!".

{{w|Eric S. Raymond}} is a famous {{w|Hacker (programmer subculture)|hacker}} who has been an unofficial spokesperson for Open Source movement. The plan to prank Eric Raymond next is a bad one: he is an experienced martial artist, swordsman, and gun enthusiast.

{{w|Linus Torvalds}} is the creator of the {{w|Linux kernel}}, an Open Source operating system kernel inspired by {{w|Unix}}.

{{w|Ralph Nader}} is a famous consumer rights advocate, most famous for the 1965 book {{w|Unsafe at Any Speed}} and for running for US President in 2000.

At his talk at JCCC3 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHp_Vh9TESU#t=1645] [[Randall]] mentioned that the comic he originally published had the assassins say "Free software" and Richard Stallman says "Open Source software". He swapped the two terms after complaints that Richard Stallman was opposed to Open Source [https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html]. Even after this change he got an email from Stallman himself saying that he didn't even wanted to be portrayed in the same comic as the words "Open Source".

==Transcript==
:[Richard Stallman is sleeping on a bed.]
:[Suddenly, two ninjas jump through the skylight.]
:Ninja 1: Richard Stallman! Your viral open source licenses have grown too powerful.
:Ninja 2: The GPL must be stopped.
:Ninja 1: At the source.
:Ninja 2: You.

:[Richard Stallman wakes up immediately, and pulls his katana out of its sheath from under his bed.]
:Richard Stallman: Hah! Microsoft lackeys! So it has come to this!
:Richard Stallman: A night of blood I've long awaited. But be this my death or yours, free software will carry on! For a GNU dawn! For freedom!
:Richard Stallman: ...hey, where are you going?

:[The ninjas step out the window.]
:Ninja 1: Man, you're right, that never gets old.
:Ninja 2: Let's do Eric S. Raymond next.
:Ninja 1: Or Linus Torvalds. I hear he sleeps with nunchucks.

==Trivia==
*Because of this comic Stallman has been given a katana by fans of xkcd. [http://blog.xkcd.com/2007/04/19/life-imitates-xkcd-part-ii-richard-stallman/]
*The phrase "So it has come to this" is also the topic of [[1022|another xkcd comic]].

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Richard Stallman]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Computers]]

1340: Unique Date

2014-03-10T15:17:57Z

108.162.216.78: /* Explanation */ Fixed Glaring Grammar errors

{{comic
| number = 1340
| date = March 10, 2014
| title = Unique Date
| image = unique_date.png
| titletext = If our current civilization lasts another 8,000 years, it's probably fair to assume the Long Now Foundation got things right, and at some point we started listening to them and switched to five-digit years.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|The existing explanation has been updated with wiki links etc. But is the 10,000 year clock relevant at all? Should it maybe just be a trivia item?}}

Some people make a big deal about special dates such as 2000-01-01 or 2011-11-11. Many people, for instance, choose these more "unique" days to get married, even though the day may not fall on a weekend. One example is 2007-07-07 - a summer day that was very popular.

This comic, however, points out that every date is equally unique.

The Mayans had a repeating circle of years, which made it very difficult to record the dates of events far into the past as a given date was not unique! To prevent this, the {{W|ISO 8601}} states that the {{W|Gregorian calendar}} should be used (i.e. our system), which has no limit on years - but "only" uses four digit years.

Cueball thinks that it is interesting that we have an infinite number of years; it never starts over again. This means that today's date will never be applicable again. It is one of his many [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Category:My_Hobby hobbies] to point this out every day. This would be incredibly annoying to Megan and everyone else!

The title text is referring to the {{W|Long Now Foundation}} who uses five digit year (the date of this comic would be written as 02014-03-10 by the foundation). They are for instance designing a [http://longnow.org/clock/ 10,000-year clock] that should be able to run for this long - and in principle it could display every date up to 99999-12-31 with its five digits.

As we currently use four-digit years this may cause a {{W|Year 10,000 problem|Y10K problem}}. Randall remarks that by the year 10,000, we will probably have switched over to a larger number of digits realizing that 'the Long Now Foundation got things right'.

A previous comic on date formats was [[1179: ISO 8601]]

==Transcript==
:[Cueball speaking to Megan and another person.]
:Cueball: Whoa, it's 2014-03-10! Under our system, this day will ''NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!!''
:My Hobby: Pointing this out every day.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:My Hobby]]

1076: Groundhog Day

2014-02-21T04:33:40Z

108.162.216.78: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1076
| date = July 2, 2012
| title = Groundhog Day
| image = groundhog_day.png
| titletext = If you closely examine the cosmic background radiation, you can pick up lingering echoes of 'I Got You Babe'.
}}

==Explanation==
''{{w|Groundhog Day (film)|Groundhog Day}}'' is a philosophical comedy film from 1993. The main character Phil, portrayed by {{w|Bill Murray}}, finds himself in a time loop, which forces him to relive the same day (February 2) over and over again. This date is the titular {{w|Groundhog Day}}, which is celebrated in {{w|Punxsutawney}}, Pennsylvania, where the film is set. The folklore ritual consists in removing a {{w|groundhog}} from its burrow. If the sun is shining and the groundhog can see its own shadow, the winter is asumed to continue for six more weeks.

During the course of the film, Phil makes more and more drastic attempts to end the time loop, but not even suicide can prevent his waking up every morning on February 2 with the clock radio on his nightstand invariably playing ''{{w|I Got You Babe}}'' by {{w|Sonny & Cher}}. Eventually, his character improves and he finds himself increasingly attached to a woman named Rita (portrayed by {{w|Andie MacDowell}}). The pair gets closer, and in the end they sleep with each other. This breaks the time loop, and Murray's character can finally wake up on February 3. However, this final scene is disputed, as Phil is still wearing the same clothes as the night before, and the radio clock still plays the same wake-up tune. It is therefore left in doubt if Phil really managed to escape the loop. ([[Randall]] was apparently not aware of this and [http://blog.xkcd.com/2012/07/02/groundhog-day-correction/ apologised] for it.)

The comic assumes that the loop was indeed not broken, and that Phil and Rita simply had sex night after night for all eternity. It is then stated that ''not even forever is forever''. This is a reference to the mathematical set theory developed by {{w|Georg Cantor}}. Cantor distinguished between {{w|transfinite numbers}}, which are larger than all finite numbers, yet not {{w|infinite}}, and the concept of {{w|Absolute Infinity}}, which he equalled with {{w|God}}. It was a common concern in Cantor's time to preserve the consistency between mathematics and Christian belief. Cantor's philosophical conception of infinity would allow the comic's scenario to eventually reach the transfinite date of February 3.

The last panel references the {{w|Ussher chronology|chronology of the history of the world}} of Archbishop {{w|James Ussher}}. Ussher deduced the age of the world from the timeline of the {{w|Old Testament}} and calculated the date of {{w|Genesis creation myth|Creation}} to have been nightfall preceding 23 October, 4004 BC. The comic observes that October 23 is exactly 264 days after February 3, which correspondents to the average length of pregnancy. This calculation draws on Ussher's own methodology, which was basically to add the lifespans of the Old Testament genealogy. Although modern science unanimously believes the universe to be much older than 6000 years, chronologies like Ussher's can sometimes be found in the argumentations of {{w|Young Earth Creationism}}. The comic might therefore be seen as a sideswipe to these theories by introducing ''Groundhog Day'' as a possible creation myth. The {{w|creation myth}}s of many cultures claim that Earth was born by some sort {{w|Mother goddess|primordial mother}}. Here, this role would be assumed by Rita.

The title text refers to the {{w|Cosmic microwave background|cosmic microwave background radiation}}, which is often called the ''lingering sound'' of the {{w|Big Bang}} and regarded as a strong proof for it. If the universe were indeed the offspring of the film's protagonists, we might hear the faint echo of Murray's radio clock lingering in the cosmic background.

Interestingly, the comic mentions Bill Murray by his own name, and not by his character's (''Phil''), whereas Andie MacDowell is mentioned as ''Rita''. This could be subconsciously done, since Murray is mostly remembered for his role in this film, although he has had many other successful ones.

==Transcript==
:''Groundhog Day'' really didn't end that way. When Bill Murray finally slept with Rita, it '''didn't''' break the loop.
:[Phil Connors and Rita gettin' busy under the covers of his bed.]
:They just kept having sex, night after night,
:[Bed containing Phil and Rita repeats.]
:February 2nd after February 2nd...
:[Calendar page repeats.]
:..forever
:But nothing is forever. Not even forever
:And the day '''''after''''' that sexual infinity
:[Calendar page shows '''Feb 3.''']
:was February 3rd.
:264 days later (the length of a pregnancy) was October 23rd —
:[An enormous explosion in space.]
:Bishop Ussher's date for the birth of our world.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Sex]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]

Talk:1311: 2014

2014-01-03T00:08:51Z

108.162.216.78: /* electric baby rearing */ new section

Just a note that the PNG file for this comic is (or was initially) actually a TIFF file with a PNG extension. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.236.19|108.162.236.19]] 05:37, 1 January 2014 (UTC)
And now it's fixed. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.45|173.245.54.45]] 06:07, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

I presume most of the quotes are genuine, but surely Randall has made up the one about subsisting on jellies? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.219|141.101.99.219]] 11:08, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

:I wouldn't be so sure. The Book-Lover - Vol. 4. (No. 17 to 22) 1903 [http://www.abebooks.com/Book-Lover-Vol-1903-Poe-Edgar-Allan/1224029705/bd contains] Poe, Edgar Allan and Dickens, Charles and Emerson, Ralph Waldo ... maybe it refers to some of Poe's horror stories? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:10, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

:Spherical jelliies and creams were very fashionable in the era in which it was written, so it may have been simply a prediction of great luxury for the future. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.4|108.162.237.4]] 14:37, 1 January 2014 (UTC)(Kyt)

:Here's the Book-lover reference: [http://books.google.com/books?id=jaA5AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA264&lpg=PA264&dq=%22subsist+entirely+upon+jellies%22+wells&source=bl&ots=HsYajMhDZP&sig=yU1TMIIUcNQfh_-TUh4raXboYn8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OEPEUuq0MtDzoATWzYHwAw&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22subsist%20entirely%20upon%20jellies%22%20wells&f=false]
::Two sections from the H.G. Wells book it came from (When the Sleeper Wakes):
::"There were several very comfortable chairs, a light table on silent runners carrying several bottles of fluids and glasses, and two plates bearing a clear substance like jelly."
::"They gave him some pink fluid with a greenish fluorescence and a meaty taste, and the assurance of returning strength grew."
:::-- Jim Gillogly [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.15|108.162.215.15]] 16:50, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

:Ok ... William Carey Jones quote: [https://archive.org/stream/universitycalif08goog/universitycalif08goog_djvu.txt] ... I would say that while technically true, he didn't meant it because he doesn't refer to first world war but instead some problems of American democracy which were probably forgotten ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:21, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

:Christopher Baldwin: [http://books.google.cz/books?id=Fiu4czMiCeYC] ... I would say good luck with preserving everything printed :-), but the idea is certainly good and projects like Google Books are attempting to solve the problem he was talking about. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:25, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

Found the reference to Shakespearian rope bridges...
http://books.google.com/books?id=BJIeAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA126&lpg=PA126&dq=oriental+herald+postmaster&source=bl&ots=7_NUMfRlPW&sig=6d6WLenjQBjOiGJBDoQjIa-FYkk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Q0XEUuKbKsTpoATP-4HgCg&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=oriental%20herald%20postmaster&f=false {{unsigned|Androgenoide}}

Found the reference to Spherical jellies: http://books.google.com/books?id=8IckAQAAIAAJ&lpg=PA87&ots=WRVY13FRwM&dq=%22subsist%20entirely%20upon%20jellies%22&pg=PA87#v=onepage&q=%22subsist%20entirely%20upon%20jellies%22&f=false [[User:Zeeprime|Zeeprime]] ([[User talk:Zeeprime|talk]]) 17:57, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

Found another reference to Shakespearian rope bridges. In short, some British officer called Mr. Shakespeare experimented and promoted the use of rope suspension bridges in India, apparently for the ease of colonization and military operations. http://books.google.com/books?id=aZRPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA367 -furrypony [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.181|173.245.48.181]] 21:21, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

Is it possible that the highlighted words can be shuffled to reveal a hidden message? Has Randall done this before? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.214|141.101.99.214]] 07:53, 2 January 2014 (UTC)

The fourth quote (.."rocked and cradled by electricity"..) seems to appear in The Champagne Standard by LANE, Annie Eichberg (Mrs. John Lane). [http://archive.org/stream/champagnestandar00lane/champagnestandar00lane_djvu.txt] {{unsigned ip|141.101.99.224}}

;regarding the languages of new york city

http://languagehat.com/doing-field-linguistics-in-new-york-city/ {{unsigned ip|173.245.53.168}}
----
;Tone of the explanation

I find the tone of the explanation as it stands right now not to be in line with the rest of the explanations available on the site. For example:

By the twenty-first century I believe we shall all be telepaths.
Absurd

The plain "absurd" does not provide an explanation, only a judgement. It would be more useful it the explanation contained a link to a source with the quote, to provide context. Or provide a short bio for the person credited with the explanation. I understand the fascination behind arguing against or for the prediction, but that does not explain the comic. For example, you '''could''' argue that this particular prediction is in a sense accurate. Nowadays we all communicate in a way that people from a century ago would consider almost telepathic, given that "telepathy" means "distant experience". No, we are not mind readers, but a lot of us carry a device in our pockets that allows us to experience things at a distance.

Also, I wonder why some sentences are in boldface. I tried reading only the bold text, and it is not coherent enough. I tried reading the grey text, and it isn't coherent either. I tried several other ways of reading the texts, and I cannot find any "hidden meaning".

:I believe it's just to highlight content. The grey or non-bold text is (for the most part) non-essential to the content of the quote. {{unsigned ip|173.245.52.213}}

--[[User:Mem|mem]] ([[User talk:Mem|talk]]) 16:10, 2 January 2014 (UTC)

:I see I'm not the only one who thought of cellphones when he read that sentence. I've edited the article to reflect this explanation. --[[User:NeatNit|NeatNit]] ([[User talk:NeatNit|talk]]) 17:39, 2 January 2014 (UTC)

It seems to me that Randall believes that bolded text is false and grey text is true.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.62|173.245.50.62]] 16:13, 2 January 2014 (UTC)
:This makes no sense. Most of the grey text has little content, and Abortion is still a very debated topic. {{unsigned ip|173.245.52.213}}

There is also the recent budding prospect of technologically assisted telepathy, such as was recently done with small laboratory rodents. While not exactly "everyone" just yet, (ahem), the prospect is certainly not "absurd". Technologically enabled telepathy certainly looks possible, and given the rate of technological progress of this century, the prediction could well come true.

http://news.discovery.com/tech/biotechnology/two-rats-communicate-brain-to-brain-130227.htm

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.84|108.162.221.84]] 17:06, 2 January 2014 (UTC)

''Technologically assisted telepathy'' redefines the word telepathy. For example Random House says ''communication between minds by some means '''other than sensory perception''''' (my emphasis). Collins: ''the communication between people of thoughts, feelings, desires, etc, involving mechanisms that '''cannot be understood in terms of known scientific laws''''' (my emphasis). [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.84|173.245.50.84]] 17:51, 2 January 2014 (UTC)
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[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.208|108.162.219.208]] 17:16, 2 January 2014 (UTC)
I suspect that most -- but not all -- of the "predictions" are apocryphal. For instance, I can indeed find the Gumbril (not "Gumbriel") character and citation in Huxley's "Antic Hay". However, the statement attributed to a methodist preacher and proselytizer (who really existed) in Upper Canada in 1864 seems to me totally out of character, and very hard to believe for the period. It was essentially the French who called themselves "Canadiens". The "others" still saw the place they lived in as an extension of the UK. To wit, John A. MacDonald, who famously wired "Send me another $10,000", also said "A British Subject I was born, a British Subject I shall die".

== electric baby rearing ==

It should be noted that this quote was wrong about making love being a sanctuary from electric devices.