explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1439: Rack Unit

2019-01-28T06:33:44Z

108.162.241.106:

{{comic
| number = 1439
| date = October 27, 2014
| title = Rack Unit
| image = rack_unit.png
| titletext = There's also nothing in the TOSes that says you can't let a dog play baseball in the server room!
}}

==Explanation==
[[Black Hat]] announces to [[Megan]] that {{w|19-inch rack}}s for datacenter servers and {{w|Langstroth hive}} frames are both 19 inches wide (482.6 mm), with similar spacing between each slot. Black Hat is motivated by this knowledge to break into a Google datacenter and fill server racks with beehives. When Megan sarcastically consoles Black Hat for the loss of his hives, he declares that he'll find other datacenters to install hives in.

The pitch (or distance between repeating items) of 19 inch rack server hardware is measured in {{w|Rack_unit|rack units (U)}}, and is standardized at 1.75" (44.45 mm). Langstroth frames are typically mounted at a pitch of [http://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/TDS%20number%205%20langstroth%20and%20md%20hive.pdf 1.5" (38.1 mm)], and as a result would fit relatively well with a server cabinet. In contrast to the horizontal orientation of the modules in a server rack, honeycomb frames are designed to hang vertically, so the cells can hold nectar without it dripping out. How Black Hat was able to re-orient the racks to suit the needs of honey production remains a mystery.

Some datacenters provide colocation services where customers may install a server at a central location with better bandwidth and power reliability than a customer could provide on their own. Noticing that typical colocation {{w|terms of service}} (TOS) agreements don't specifically rule out the installation of beehives, Black Hat suggests he can enter a legal contract allowing him to install beehives at a data center without being kicked out. This, of course, is because nobody had previously thought that such a rule was necessary. Megan expects this to change once Black Hat starts deliberately exploiting this oversight.

The title text is a reference to the film [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118570/quotes?ref_=tt_ql_3 Air Bud]. The original quote is "Ain't no rules says a dog can't play basketball." Much like Black Hat's beehive plan, the plot of Air Bud relies on a plan being so outlandish that nobody has ever thought to specifically forbid it before.

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Black Hat are talking, Megan is sitting at a computer.]
:Black Hat: I've discovered something.
:Megan: Oh?
:Black Hat: Standard server rack units and standard beehive honeycomb frames are compatible.
:Black Hat: They're both 19 inches, with similar pitches.
:Megan: Uh oh.
:Black Hat: I'm pleased to announce that today, for a few hours, Google led the world in datacenter honey production.
:Black Hat: Until their security people kicked me out.
:Megan: I'm sorry your beekeeping career ended so quickly.
:Black Hat: I'll find a new datacenter.
:Black Hat: Turns out most colocation TOSes don't mention beehives.
:Megan: I suspect that will soon change.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Baseball]]

2034: Equations

2019-01-07T15:07:40Z

108.162.241.106: /* Explanation */ Added to explanation of kinematics equation.

{{comic
| number = 2034
| date = August 17, 2018
| title = Equations
| image = equations.png
| titletext = All electromagnetic equations: The same as all fluid dynamics equations, but with the 8 and 23 replaced with the permittivity and permeability of free space, respectively.
}}
==Explanation==

This comic gives a set of mock equations. To anyone not familiar with the field in question they look pretty similar to what you might find in research papers or on the relevant Wikipedia pages. Most of the jokes are related to the symbols or "look" of most equations in the given field.

The comic makes jokes about the fields of kinematics, number theory, fluid dynamics, quantum mechanics, chemistry, quantum gravity, gauge theory, cosmology, and physics equations. Of course, all of the equations listed are not real equations (<math>\pi-\infty</math> and H2EAT are clearly jokes and making a mockery of the given field). As always, Randall is just having a laugh.

:E=K0t+1/2 ρvt2
:All kinematics equations

:Kn=∑∞i=0∑∞π=0(n-π)(i-eπ-∞)
:All number theory equations

:∂/∂t ∇⋅ρ=8/23 (∯ ρ ds dt ⋅ ρ ∂/∂∇)
:All fluid dynamics equations

:|ψx,y〉=A(ψ)A(|x〉⊗|y〉)
:All quantum mechanics equations

:CH4+OH+HEAT→H2O+CH2+H2EAT
:All chemistry equations

:SU(2)U(1)×SU(U(2))
:All quantum gravity equations

:Sg=(-1)/(2ε̄) ið(̂ ξ0 ⨢ pε ρvabc⋅η0)̂ f̵a0 λ(ξ) ψ(0a)
:All gauge theory equations

:H(t)+Ω+G⋅Λ ...
:... > 0 (Hubble model)
:... = 0 (Flat sphere model)
:... < 0 (Bright dark matter model)
:All cosmology equations

:Ĥ - u̧0 = 0
:All truly deep physics equations

* Most '''kinematics''' equations tend to make heavy use of constants, addition, powers, and multiplication. This specific equation resembles the actual kinematics equation d = vt + 1/2at^2, but replaces a (acceleration) with v (velocity) and replaces velocity with "K0", which is not a term used in kinematics.

* Randall jokes about how '''number theory''' often involves the use of summations. The use of ''π'' as an integer variable in the double summation is a joke, as ''π'' is essentially always used for the well-known constant 3.14159..., not a variable. The use of ''i'' as a summation variable '''is''' common, though it can also be confused with the imaginary unit √-1. The constants ''e'', ''i'', and ''π'', as well as the theoretical upper bound <math>\infty</math>, often appear in number theory equations.

* '''Fluid dynamics equations''' often involve copious integrals, especially those over closed contours as done here, which are often the main telling factors of those equations to an outsider.

* '''Quantum mechanics''' often involves some of the foreign-looking symbols listed, including {{w|Bra–ket notation|bra-ket notation}}, the {{w|Tensor product|tensor product}}, and the Greek letter Psi for a quantum state.

* '''Chemistry equations''' use chemical formulas, as shown. The addition of H2EAT and HEAT is just a joke. Randall gets the {{w|stoichiometry}} of this equation correct, with the same number of all types of 'atoms' on each side of the equation.

* '''Quantum gravity''' uses mathematical {{w|Group (mathematics)|groups}} denoted by uppercase letters, as shown. {{w|Special unitary group|SU(2)}}, {{w|Unitary group|U(1)}}, and {{w|Unitary group|U(2)}} are all well-studied groups, though 'SU(U(2))' makes no sense. The lack of relator means this expression isn't an equation. Here is a possible pun, on "Sue you too... you won"... "Sue you, you too", though it's unclear how it fits in here.

* '''Gauge theory''' is a subset of field theory. Most gauge theory equations appear to have many strange-looking constants and variables with odd labels.

* '''Cosmology''' is the science of the development and ultimate fate of the universe. The joke here may be pertaining to the different models accepted in the field of cosmology. H is the {{w|Hubble's law#Time-dependence of Hubble parameter|Hubble parameter}}, Ω is the universal {{w|Friedmann equations#Density parameter|density parameter}}, G is the {{w|gravitational constant}}, and Λ is the {{w|cosmological constant}}.

* The joke about the "truly deep physics equations" is that most of the universal physics equations are simple, almost exceedingly so. One example is Einstein's <math>E = mc^2</math>.

* The title text is referencing the fact that the electric and magnetic fields are often explained to physics students using an analogy with fluid dynamics, as well as the fact that they do share some similarities (only in terms of mathematical description as three-dimensional vector fields) with fluids. The permittivity constant (represented with ''ε''0) and the permeability constant (represented with ''μ''0) are coefficients that relate the amount of charge required to cause a specific amount of electric flux in a vacuum and the ability of vacuum to support the formation of magnetic fields, respectively. They appear frequently in Maxwell's equations (the equations that define the electric and magnetic fields in classical mechanics), so Randall is making the joke that any surface integral with them in it automatically is an electromagnetism equation.

==Transcript==
:[Nine equations are listed, three in the top row and two in each of the next three rows. Below each equation there are labels:]

:E=K0t+1/2 ρvt2
:All kinematics equations

:Kn=∑∞i=0∑∞π=0(n-π)(i-eπ-∞) [K sub n = the summation from i = 0 to infinity of the sum from pi = 0 to infinity of (n - pi) * (i-e^(pi-infinity))]
:All number theory equations

:∂/∂t ∇⋅ρ=8/23 (∯ ρ ds dt ⋅ ρ ∂/∂∇)
:All fluid dynamics equations

:|ψx,y〉=A(ψ)A(|x〉⊗|y〉)
:All quantum mechanics equations

:CH4+OH+HEAT→H2O+CH2+H2EAT
:All chemistry equations

:SU(2)U(1)×SU(U(2))
:All quantum gravity equations

:Sg=(-1)/(2ε̄) ið(̂ ξ0 ⨢ pε ρvabc⋅η0)̂ f̵a0 λ(ξ) ψ(0a)
:All gauge theory equations

:H(t)+Ω+G⋅Λ ...
:[There is a brace linking the three cases together.]
:... > 0 (Hubble model)
:... = 0 (Flat sphere model)
:... < 0 (Bright dark matter model)
:All cosmology equations

:Ĥ - u̧0 = 0
:All truly deep physics equations

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

2094: Short Selling

2019-01-04T17:53:08Z

108.162.241.106:

{{comic
| number = 2094
| date = January 4, 2019
| title = Short Selling
| image = short_selling.png
| titletext = "I'm selling all my analogies at auction tomorrow, and that witch over there will give you 20 beans if you promise on pain of death to win them for her." "What if SEVERAL people promised witches they'd win, creating some kind of a ... squeeze? Gosh, you could make a lot of–" "Don't be silly! That probably never happens."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SHORT WITCH. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Shorting stocks (short selling stocks) is a stock market practice where someone takes a risk because they believe that a certain stock's price is going to drop. The risk-taker then borrows stock to sell, believing that they will be able to buy the stock back later at a lower price and return it. If everything goes according to plan, the risk-taker will walk away with a profit. Of course, if things don't go according to plan, the risk-taker winds up losing money.

Cueball asks Ponytail to explain shorting stocks. Ponytail starts out with a fairy tale story that falls apart almost before she even starts.

In one version of the 'Jack and the Beanstalk' fairy tale story, Jack sells a cow for magic beans. His mother, thinking the beans are fake, is angry with Jack. Jack plants the beans and a magic beanstalk grows up into the clouds. Jack climbs the beanstalk and explores the land above the clouds. He finds the home of a cruel giant and proceeds to steal from the giant. The giant discovers the theft and chases Jack back down the beanstalk. Jack reaches the bottom of the beanstalk first and cuts the beanstalk down. The giant falls to his death, and Jack uses his stolen wealth to take care of himself and his mother.

Ponytail's version starts with a father (not Jack) selling a child he hasn't had yet to a witch. Like short selling, the father is selling something he doesn't own. But unlike short selling, the father is selling something that doesn't exist yet. The child is sold for five magic beans, and the father thinks he will make a profit as he believes the child will only be worth two beans/love once born. The debt comes due, but the value of the child is now 200 beans/love.

The somewhat broken analogy breaks further when Ponytail says the father now is going to fight the witch instead of paying the witch with the child. There is no 'fighting' if a short selling stock strategy fails. You simply lose money.

Our now definitely broken analogy breaks even further (if possible) by sending the kid up the beanstalk to fight the giant. A giant that Ponytail says represents high interest rates. Interest rates have nothing to do with shorting stocks. (Technically they can, but the short seller would have / should have calculated that when determining if their investment strategy would work.)

Cueball comments that the analogy is rapidly losing it's value to him. Ponytail fires back with the comment that he should have shorted her advice before asking for it, thus making a profit.

The title text is actually the most useful part of this comic when it comes to investment advice. The witch (the broker) is offering the father (short seller) 20 magic beans now if the father/short seller buys all of the analogies (stocks) later. However, the witch/stock broker tricks several people into this strategy. Since every father/seller now needs the same analogies/stocks, a bidding war erupts. The winner pays a much higher price than expected. And the losers wind up either dead or enslaved (bankrupt).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[Cueball and Ponytail walking]

Cueball: I don't understand shorting stocks.

Ponytail: It's like when you promise your firstborn to a witch for five magic beans.

[Ponytail close up]

Cueball: Is that a common-

Ponytail: She's a sucker, right? You know your awful kid will be worth one or two beans at best.

[Ponytail and Cueball stopped, facing each other]

Ponytail: But then it turns out you love your kid, a love worth 200 beans! You can't afford that loss!

Ponytail: There's only one way out: You gotta fight the witch.

[]

Ponytail: So you send your kid up the beanstalk to battle the giant, who represents interest rates.

Cueball: This analogy is getting less helpful by the minute.

Ponytail: If only you'd somehow shorted my wisdom before you asked.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2089: Christmas Eve Eve

2018-12-24T19:21:15Z

108.162.241.106: Added comment(s).

The "eve" count might be off by one or two. I used 365. [[User:Blacksilver|Blacksilver]] ([[User talk:Blacksilver|talk]]) 05:40, 24 December 2018 (UTC)
:Correct would be 364. Except in leap years. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.90|162.158.90.90]] 09:23, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

In Germany, Christmas happens on Christmas Eve, so Cueball would be saying "eve" forever and just refer to the same date every time. "Heiligabend abends" is occasionally used to say the evening of 24th (the time of presents) and in northern Germany you sometimes say "Heiligtag", meaning "holy day" instead of "holy evening". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.90|162.158.90.90]] 09:23, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

"The day after Christmas" - isn't that just 2nd Christmas day? --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 10:55, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

Interestingly the rather amazing "Nancy" did a similar gag yesterday. https://www.gocomics.com/nancy/2018/12/23 --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.62|141.101.77.62]] 14:09, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

I don't see where anybody actually reported counting the number of times Randall wrote "eve", so I counted each of the 18 rows separately and then added them together. I got 11, 14, 14, 14, 15, 16, 17, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 30, 32, and 27 - a grand total of 364 times, as expected. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 14:13, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

My kids call the day before Christmas Eve "Christmas Adam". --[[User:WhiteDragon|WhiteDragon]] ([[User talk:WhiteDragon|talk]]) 18:33, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

I wonder if this explanation is the page on this wiki with the most occurrences of the letter 'v'. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.106|108.162.241.106]] 19:21, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

2086: History Department

2018-12-23T01:45:51Z

108.162.241.106: corrected typos

{{comic
| number = 2086
| date = December 17, 2018
| title = History Department
| image = history_department.png
| titletext = When we take into account the recent discovery of previously-unstudied history in the 1750s, this year may have been an outright loss.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a HISTORIAN. There appears to be no explanation. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In this comic [[Ponytail]] is a representative of the history department, which might be a department of a university or other organisation. She presents the year report of 2018. In this, she explains, the department has fully analyzed over four months of history. In the meantime, due to the passage of time, another year of history has been added to their workload (implied to be the year spanning between the current meeting and the previous one). This presents a cycle in which the department would only be able to keep up if they could analyze, within a one year period, more than or exactly one year of history.

A department in a business, such as the finance department, is typically required to keep up with their own workload and complete an entire year's worth of workload every year. A business that fails to manage this minimum would almost certainly fail: bills would not get collected, invoices would not get paid, employees would not get paid, etc. A history department fails to follow this model in two very important ways. First, the subject of history cannot be fully processed. New discoveries change what we know about certain time periods. Even current events cannot be fully processed, as future events will cause historians to see connections in things not previously thought to be connected. Second, the standard model for History Departments focuses on specific eras or specific subjects for the purpose of explaining the events to students. History Departments do not process years, but instead process the subject so that it stays relevant to the understanding of the current student body.

There are, however, long running historical projects that have suffered this very problem. An example is the {{w|Histoire_littéraire_de_la_France| Histoire littéraire de la France}} which began publication in 1733 with a volume covering up to the year 300. By 1995 over 40 volumes had been published, but the historical account had only reached the 14th century. The volumes for the 14th century had taken 130 years to produce. Although over the 250 years of the project publication had been proceeding faster than time elapsed, the proliferation of literary content following the dawn of printing in the 15th century is likely to cause the project to slip further into reverse.

The title text further expands this problem by indicating the discovery of a new era of history that had previously gone un-analyzed, which would have added more undiscovered history than it removed. The 1750s decade is possibly a reference to the {{w|Adoption_of_the_Gregorian_calendar#Great_Britain_and_its_colonies|adoption of the Gregorian Calendar by the British Empire}}.

Randall previously mentioned that history is huge in [[1979: History]].

Events in the dates listed:
* November 1833: A Leonid meteor shower occurred in North America ({{w|Leonids#1800s}}); an 8.7 {{w|1833_Sumatra_earthquake| earthquake struck Sumatra}}.

* April 19-22, 1979: April 20: {{w|Jimmy_Carter_rabbit_incident| President Jimmy Carter was attacked by a swamp rabbit}}. This was referenced directly in [[204: America]], so is most likely the reason this period has been included; April 22: the {{w|Albert Einstein Memorial}} was unveiled at The National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC.

* May 21-25, 585 BCE: Possibly a reference to the solar eclipse that actually happened May 28, 585 BCE, or to the war between King Alyattes of Lydia and King Cyaxares of Media that ended after said solar eclipse.

* June-August 1848:
:* June – The {{w|Serbians}} from {{w|Vojvodina}} start a rebellion against the Hungarian government.
:* June 2–June 12 – The {{w|Prague Slavic Congress, 1848|Prague Slavic Congress}} brings together members of the {{w|Pan-Slavism}} movement.
:* June 17 – The Austrian army bombards {{w|Prague}}, and crushes a working class revolt.
:* June 21 – {{w|Wallachian Revolution of 1848}}: The {{w|Proclamation of Islaz}} is made public, and a {{w|Romanians|Romanian}} revolutionary government led by {{w|Ion Heliade Rădulescu}} and {{w|Christian Tell}} is created.
:* June 22 – The French government dissolves the national workshops in Paris, giving the workers the choice of joining the army or going to workshops in the provinces. The following day, the {{w|June Days Uprising}} begin in response.
:* July – The {{w|Public Health Act 1848|Public Health Act}} establishes {{w|Local board of health|Boards of Health}} across {{w|England and Wales}}.
:* July 5 – The Hungarian national revolutionary parliament starts to work.
:* July 19 – {{w|Women's rights}} – {{w|Seneca Falls Convention}}: The 2-day {{w|Women's Rights Convention}} opens in {{w|Seneca Falls, New York}} and "{{w|Bloomers (clothing)|Bloomers}}" are introduced at the {{w|feminism|feminist}} convention.
:* July 26 – The {{w|Matale Rebellion}} breaks out, against {{w|British Ceylon|British rule}} in {{w|Sri Lanka}}.
:* July 29 – {{w|Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848|Young Irelander Rebellion}}: A nationalist revolt in {{w|County Tipperary}}, against British rule, is put down by the {{w|Royal Irish Constabulary|Irish Constabulary}}.
:* August 6 – {{w|HMS Daedalus (1826)|HMS ''Daedalus''}} reports a sighting of a sea serpent.
:* August 14 – American President {{w|James K. Polk}} annexes the {{w|Oregon Country}}, and renames it the {{w|Oregon Territory}} as part of the United States.
:* August 17 – {{w|Yucatán}} officially unites with Mexico.
:* August 24 – The U.S. barque ''{{w|Ocean Monarch (barque)|Ocean Monarch}}'' is burnt out off the {{w|Great Orme}}, {{w|North Wales}}, with the loss of 178, chiefly emigrants.
:* August 28 – Mathieu Luis becomes the first black member to join the {{w|French Parliament}}, as a representative of {{w|Guadeloupe}}.

* May 16, 2001: The {{w|neo-noir}} mystery film {{w|Mullholland Drive (film)|Mulholland Drive}} premiered at the {{w|2001 Cannes Film Festival|2001}} {{w|Cannes Film Festival}}.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail is standing behind a lectern holding a hand up indicating the presentation screen next to her with a list of time periods. The screen has a string ending in ring, attached to it, to pull it down.]
:Ponytail: 2018 was a productive year for the history department - we were able to fully analyze over four months of history.
:Ponytail: Unfortunately, over that same period, an entire year of new history was produced.
:Ponytail: I'm afraid we're falling behind.

:[Presentation:]
:Studied
:November 1833
:April 19-22, 1979
:May 21-25, 585 BCE
:June-August 1848
:May 16, 2001

{{comic discussion}}

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

736: Cemetery

2018-12-02T23:54:39Z

108.162.241.106: Bad choice of words

{{comic
| number = 736
| date = May 5, 2010
| title = Cemetery
| image = cemetery.png
| titletext = Three headstones down, I got a call from my mom and it went from bad to worse.
}}

==Explanation==
Here, [[Cueball]] appears to be putting blame on someone who died. This could be a result of...
:...the deceased insisting on a font that was not sans-serif for his tombstone, but the results were typographically unappealing but permanent, not the least because the deceased is "no longer available" to change his mind.
:...the deceased having died because he used a font that was not sans-serif.
:...Cueball being "forced" to kill the person who is now deceased, due to him giving Cueball something that was in a font that was not the sans-serif font for which Cueball asked.

In any way, the onlookers seem horrified at this sight. What they do not know is that Cueball is arguing with his still-alive co-worker {{Citation needed}} who got into quite a bit of trouble due to using a font that was not sans-serif, despite Cueball having the knowledge that a sans-serif font was better. Cueball is actually using a Bluetooth headset that allows one to speak without actually touching the cell phone. The problem is that, since the headset is a small object attached to the user's ear while the phone is out of sight, someone using a Bluetooth headset may give the impression that he is talking to himself, or again, to a person who happens to be in front of him (even if the "unintended recipient" is dead).

The title text suggests that Cueball is not on good terms with his mother, thus meriting a worse argument. The problem is that Cueball was in front of a different tombstone, thus giving the impression that he had an even worse grudge against his seemingly deceased mother, said argument creating an even worse impression of Cueball.

A different example of not knowing someone is talking on the phone: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khn1d6LQ8PU]

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is in a cemetery, near a gravestone. Other people stand around staring. One Cueball-like figure stands to the right of him, and three figures, further away, look on as well. Of the three figures in the back, the tallest left-most Cueball-like figure covers his mouth with his hands. Megan is standing next to him, using her arm to block the view of a smaller figure to the right of her, presumably a child.]
:Cueball: Frankly, you deserve this. You ''knew'' I wanted a sans-serif font, and you ''ignored'' me. So really, this is ''your'' fault.
:I've discovered the worst place to wander while arguing on a hands-free headset.

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

1868: Eclipse Flights

2017-07-31T18:52:09Z

108.162.241.106: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1868
| date = July 26, 2017
| title = Eclipse Flights
| image = eclipse_flights.png
| titletext = The captain has turned on the 'fasten seat belt' sign.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|No longer bot-made, but could still use work. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

A {{w|total solar eclipse}} will occur {{w|Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017|on Monday, August 21, 2017}}. It will be visible as a total eclipse in {{w|umbra|a narrow band}} across the contiguous United States starting in Oregon on the Pacific coast and traversing east from there. [[Cueball]] asks [[Megan]] what she is doing, which turns out to be mapping the flights of aircraft that will be in the air and will fly through the area of the eclipse. She has found between 50 to 100 such flights.

While most flights during the eclipse are coincidental, a few airlines have special flights planned for the occasion. [https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/science/2017/07/20/solar-eclipse-2017-flights-offer-unobstructed-potentially-longer-view/493343001/]

On the map, the center of the greatest eclipse is shown on the border between {{w|Illinois}} and {{w|Kentucky}}. Cueball says that the airlines and pilots will be prepared and aware of the situation, but Megan wonders what it would be like on a plane with an unprepared crew. The last panel shows a plane flying into the area of the eclipse with one of the crew telling the passengers that the end of the world has come.

The title text refers to the 'fasten seat belts' signs on display for the passengers, as a precautionary measure for turbulence. Many pop-culture depictions of the end of the world feature storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, etc; as the captain believes that the end of the world is upon them, he feels it safe to ensure his passengers are prepared for turbulence from any of the phenomena that occur during the end times.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing behind Megan, looking over her shoulder as she's seated in front of her laptop.]
:Cueball: What's that?
:Megan: Flight plans. Looks like there will be 50 to 100 flights whose route puts them in the path of the eclipse next month.

:[A map with a shaded path of the eclipse and red planes traveling is shown, with some planes inside the path.]

:Cueball: I'm sure the airlines will be prepared. Pilots know that stuff.
:Megan: But can you imagine being on the one flight where the pilot ''didn't?''

:[A more detailed plane is shown flying into a curtain of darkness.]
:Captain: *KSSCHHH*
:Captain: This is your captain speaking. If you look out the right side of the plane, you'll see, uhh...
:Captain: Folks, this appears to be the end times.

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

Talk:1761: Blame

2017-01-01T18:09:43Z

108.162.241.106:

This comic is one of Randal's best EVER! It is a scathing and biting commentary on the current angst of a huge swath of liberal and progressive snowflakes.

The first panel sets the stage with a subtle but jarring inversion of the normal human response "bad thing happened >>> I feel sad" to the much more autocentric "I feel sad >>> bad things are happening" Worth a derisive snort in its own right, we can accept this little lapse since we are deluged with so many examples of such self interest from every direction today. Ignoring the little deviation ( never something one should do with xkcd) we accept the lead-in panel as simply saying "bad things are happening"

The second panel is a riff on the "something bad happened therefore someone is to blame" meme of modern Western society - examples such as blame the coffee supplier if one scalds oneself spilling hot coffee, blame the company that grinds up and sells powdered rock for any perceived negative effects of assiduously dusting said powdered rock over ever body orifice and breathing it for thirty years. This is a masterful set up! We now know where the joke is going! Cueball is going to come up with an absurd and funny scapegoat for the bad things happening in panel one! We are ready for the punchline....

But the punchline is not that at all! It is exquisite! The blame is on Cueball's Facebook friends! We hang in the moment of disbelief where our world view must be reset! Then it hits! We realize the the blame is not for "bad things happening" at all - we have been set up, had! The blame is for Cue ball's "Feeling sad"! It is not for all the harm, blood, guts, and gore that are really happening in the world but for the fact that something - his Facebook friends specifically, have caused him to think about these bad things, penetrating his safe bubble and making him sad.

That the "bad things" are more than likely simply the shocked and hurt feelings of Cueball's friends as a result of the recent 2016 election only heightens the joke. No real human suffering is usually openly discussed in the shallows of Facebook. We realize this and the satire is complete.

The mouse over text emphasizes the break from real issues to the relatively shallow feelings (being "scared") and even more shallow and petty response (yelling at them). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.118|108.162.242.118]] 19:42, 20 November 2016 (UTC)

You seem to lack the skill of introspection. It's not the "inversion of normal response" (bad things are happening because I feel sad), it's an observation that I feel sad and the investigation into why that is. [I feel sad. (Why is that?) Bad things are happening. (Why are they?) They must be someone's fault. But whose?] The punchline is that Cueball's conclusion that his Facebook friends are to blame indicates the state of intense frenzy on the site. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.46.18|172.68.46.18]] 18:43, 10 December 2016 (UTC)

It seems like he's talking about all of the bad things that have happened in 2016 so far making fun of Facebook posts that blame everyone for the things that are happening
[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.119|173.245.52.119]] 05:21, 18 November 2016 (UTC)
: In particular the recent election[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.224|108.162.215.224]] 08:16, 18 November 2016 (UTC)
Is this a reference to the "echo chamber" issue raised in recent US election? I.e. blaming my friends on facebook for only sharing stories that reinforce my biases and thus my failure to be fully informed about why people who disagree with me do disagree and only blaming them for being dumb isn't a failing on *my* part, but on my friends' parts for only sharing echo-chamber-y material. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.87|108.162.237.87]] 10:03, 18 November 2016 (UTC)

I definitely think it's worth mentioning that this comic is, while written to be timeless, clearly a reaction to the election. (Randall has endorsed both Obama in 2008 and Clinton this year, and judging by #500, cares more than a little, so it's hard to conceive that this *wouldn't* be about the election.)

There are two types of Facebook activity that may be the target of this satire: 1) engaging in angry arguments with Facebook friends with *differing* political opinions, and 2) making numerous angry posts and comments against the other side, despite the fact that they’ll mainly be seen by *like-minded* people in your social media echo chamber. I expect that this comic is aimed at both: 1) the futility of internet arguments has been a topic before, while 2) the title text specifying “scared friends” clearly indicates like-minded people. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.54|162.158.89.54]] 10:22, 18 November 2016 (UTC)
: Just added the "friends who disagree" to it.
By focusing on blame he has cleverly shifted thinking to Q:"are your friends on Facebook to blame?" A:"probably not as they are almost all likely to have similar views to you" Q:"So why vent anger on Facebook to people who aren't to blame and you don't want to change?" A:"errrrrr...." {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.224}}

There are 3 references in my recent edit. If you go into the source code, you can see the links, but I lack the wikipedia knowledge to get them to properly link out. Help? [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 14:13, 18 November 2016 (UTC)

Couldn't it just be that it is usual for politicians to blame "the others" (countries, etc) to justify that things are not all good in the country, and then, proceed to threaten to do bad things (go to war, revoke treaties, etc) to appease the "country's inner sadness" (and, through this, get votes) ? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.61|173.245.48.61]] 14:53, 18 November 2016 (UTC)

My inclination was to take this as satirizing the number of people who have taken to Facebook to rant about an event that was clearly not the fault of one's immediate circle. However one feels about the election it's clear that spewing venom at anyone who happens to be in your Facebook list is unproductive at best and certainly isn't addressing any appreciable portion of the cause of these events. It seemed to be supported by taking the hover text as a continuation of the problem, suggesting that Cueball has devolved to seeking catharsis. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.132|162.158.74.132]] 17:00, 18 November 2016 (UTC)jrow
:Agreed, I took this comic to be a satirical attack on people who post all caps angry messages on Facebook. EX: "I can't believe all you people did this!" , when 90% of their friends probably agree with them (See "Echo Chambers" comments)- it's almost certainly in context of the election, as "Scared Friends" represents a great many Clinton voters very well right now. The clear interpretation to me is that people posting these angry Facebook rants are not going through normal, well-thought out processes.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.111|108.162.219.111]] 23:11, 18 November 2016 (UTC)

This explanation currently claims venting can reduce stress. I have heard that venting actually makes you angrier. (First Google hit appears to be a scientific paper: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/jbickfor/bushman2002.pdf ). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.182|108.162.215.182]] 20:53, 18 November 2016 (UTC)

The reference to yelling is obviously sarcasm. Nobody would really suggest the absurd idea that Randall really thinks yelling at friends is acceptable, so really what is being highlighted is that yelling at friends is NOT a good idea. The explanation text should not suggest that the idea is anything other than absurd. --[[User:Rotan|Rotan]] ([[User talk:Rotan|talk]]) 00:15, 19 November 2016 (UTC)

This could be a critique of the specific social media. The true meaning being expressed by what is not included: "My Friends on Facebook" as compared with all the other areas in which one would have friends, e.g. "My Friends at the Coffee Shop" or "My Friends at Work". It could also be intended for the reader to infer through abductive reasoning that the algorithms (user interface) of which facebook is composed may promote this type of behavior. {{unsigned ip|108.162.246.32}}[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.32|108.162.246.32]] 02:14, 21 November 2016 (UTC)

Why Facebook: http://arstechnica.com/staff/2016/11/its-time-to-get-rid-of-the-facebook-news-feed-because-its-not-news/ --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 12:35, 19 November 2016 (UTC)

I think Randall is trying to address all the Clinton supporters who said to their longtime social media friends, "If you voted for Trump, you're a sexist, racist piece of ****, and you should get out of my life forever," and other similar things, because there were a LOT of those people on social media, despite every liberal icon from Michael Moore to Bill Maher telling people to protest and to fight much harder than usual, but also respect the political process (IE, don't riot if there's no last minute electoral college switch). When Obama was in the White House, the the far-right Republicans did awful things governed by fear. Now with Trump, I hope the far-left Democrats don't do anything crazy ALSO governed by fear, because that will just lead to more white people becoming Republicans because they felt unwelcome by the Democrats. Just my opinion. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.252|108.162.210.252]] 19:27, 19 November 2016 (UTC)

It occurs to me that the joke is simply about relative perception. Before facebook the media was the primary source for most people to make political decisions. I have heard it repeated by the media that Trump "used" social media to influence voters. Ergo, similar to that of the gun argument "if guns did not exist, there would be less violent crime" I feel that Randall is making a simile by saying "if facebook did not exist, Trump would not have been elected" and, by extension, we would not know as much about the magnitude of bad happenings in the world. Therefore, the first contact cause of Randall's sadness both before and after the election is Facebook. However, there's a reason he chose to blame facebook users and not just facebook. If facebook users were more like him and generally promoted positive aspects of the world (or at least be more balanced), he theorises that everyone (including Randall) would be more likely to be upbeat and positive. This, of course presumes a number of things, the simplest of which is that the world would be better if things went the way Cueball wanted them to. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.178.104|162.158.178.104]]

So uhm, did whoever wrote the above explanation not understand the concept of sarcasm? Because this comic comes off as 100% sarcastic to me, and yet it's taking it very seriously. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.78.127|172.68.78.127]] 09:51, 20 November 2016 (UTC)

It's quite simple what it means, I'm not sure why people aren't getting it. Randall is trying to bring balance as currently everyone is lashing out against their own friends on facebook as a result of the anger of Hillary losing. He's being sarcastic to highlight the absurdity of the thought process that people blame their friends for the "bad things happening". I was quite peeved that he got political, but this comic undid a lot of my peevedness. I'm not sure who wrote the page here, but they clearly have no clue what this comic is about? --[[User:Drkaii|Drkaii]] ([[User talk:Drkaii|talk]]) 00:08, 29 November 2016 (UTC)

It is a bit odd that everyone thinks Randall went political and this is all about the election. I wonder how many more panels will be interpreted in this light before the wounds heal and people get back to work making their life and country work.