explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1736: Manhattan Project

2016-09-22T13:08:03Z

108.162.242.132:

The Manhattan Project employed up to 139,000 people, so it were not only the top minds, but a huge logistical effort. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.85.183|162.158.85.183]] 16:58, 21 September 2016 (UTC)
:But without the great minds, which also encompasses those who managed to get so many people working together on one project, but mainly the scientist, it would not have succeeded! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:18, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

Maybe reference to "1217 - Cells" could be added. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.159|162.158.93.159]] 19:09, 21 September 2016 (UTC)--Dancsa
:Yes for sure, have added it - it is related to the title text --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:18, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

Seems like Randall has been looking at [[1355: Airplane Message]]. The title text was also a fact in [[1732]] and this is the first cancer comic since that comic and also included text on a banner... ;-) Have added this on all three comics explanations --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:38, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

Is there a need for a new category for Nuclear weapons? And should it then just be called that? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:16, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

This comic today could have been inspired by an announcement by Microsoft on 20 September 2016 that it will "Cure Cancer by treating it like a computer virus" Stories: [http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/microsoft-cancer-cure-research-solved-machine-learning-cells-programming-diseases-a7317616.html independent.co.uk], [https://news.slashdot.org/story/16/09/20/2111240/microsoft-will-solve-cancer-within-the-next-10-years-by-treating-it-like-a-computer-virus-says-company?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed slashdot]. Also, on 21 September (the same day the comic was released), the Chan Zuckerberg foundation announced a $3 billion initiative to "cure all diseases" Story: [https://tech.slashdot.org/story/16/09/21/1958249/mark-zuckerberg-and-priscilla-chan-announce-3-billion-initiative-to-cure-all-diseases Slashdot]. Either or both of these could be considered Manhattan-like projects. --[[User:Johnm4|Johnm4]] ([[User talk:Johnm4|talk]]) 23:47, 21 September 2016 (UTC)
:Thanks have included these news stories in the explanation. Feel free to do so another time :-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:46, 22 September 2016 (UTC)

In my original google search link ([https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22we+need+a+new+manhattan+project%22]) my point was to show multiple hits for people talking about a new Manhattan Project, for multiple different purposes. It has been replaced with one single instance, which was not the intent. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.132|108.162.242.132]] 12:21, 22 September 2016 (UTC)
:We usually avoid google links as they can be different in different countries and will change over time. I have reverted again. If you think more of your Google hits are relevant then place a couple more as examples with direct links. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:46, 22 September 2016 (UTC)
::Fair enough. I replaced with the direct links in my first page on google [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.132|108.162.242.132]] 13:08, 22 September 2016 (UTC)

1736: Manhattan Project

2016-09-22T13:05:08Z

108.162.242.132: Multiple links for examples

{{comic
| number = 1736
| date = September 21, 2016
| title = Manhattan Project
| image = manhattan_project.png
| titletext = On the plus side, we definitely killed that cancer over there, even if we caused a bunch more everywhere else.
}}

==Explanation==
The {{w|Manhattan Project}} was a big, expensive, secret research and development project that produced the first {{w|nuclear weapons}} during {{w|World War II}}. Because of the unprecedented scale of the project, which involved some of the brightest minds in science and the efforts of thousands of people, "Manhattan Project" has become a metaphor for any kind of all-out effort involving the top minds of a discipline to achieve a single objective, often expressed as the phrase "[http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/11/14/is-nuclear-power-the-answer-to-climate-change/we-need-a-new-manhattan-project-to-deal-with-climate-change We] [https://backchannel.com/we-need-a-manhattan-project-for-cyber-security-76e6d8fc6447#.g0qcjzjlv need] [http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/14445-a-new-manhattan-project a]
[http://riverlink.org/5420/ new] [http://issues.org/24-4/alexander/ Manhattan] [http://singularityhub.com/2015/01/22/we-need-a-manhattan-project-for-cyber-security/ Project] [http://www.planetexperts.com/building-manhattan-project-sustainable-development/] [http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/the-curious-wavefunction/why-we-need-to-stop-comparing-every-big-science-project-to-the-manhattan-project/]".

The day before this comic was released the following announcement was made: [http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/microsoft-cancer-cure-research-solved-machine-learning-cells-programming-diseases-a7317616.html Microsoft will ‘solve’ cancer within the next 10 years by treating it like a computer virus]. And on the day this comic was released (but probably after the comic was released) there was a pres conference where [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/22/technology/mark-zuckerberg-priscilla-chan-3-billion-pledge-fight-disease.html?_r=0 Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Pledge $3 Billion to Fighting Disease] (all disease in general.) This is the kind of projects that could be called Manhattan type projects and these (at least the Microsoft announcement) could be the reason this comic came out now.

In this comic, [[Ponytail]] starts by making the suggestion that they should create a "new Manhattan Project" to cure cancer. Taken figuratively, this would imply a heavily-funded, massive collaborative effort involving the best scientists in the field of {{w|cancer research}}, and is not an unreasonable idea in itself. However, she and her fellow scientists all take the idea literally instead, and the New Manhattan Project ends up actually developing a nuclear bomb. In the final panel, Ponytail appears to realize that this runs somewhat counter to her original objective.

The title text hastily justifies this mistake by claiming a partial success; that their nuclear detonation did, indeed, kill all cancer within the blast radius of the explosion. However, it fails to mention that the blast would also kill everything ''else'' as well. It also admits that the explosion would most likely end up causing more cancer due to the {{w|ionizing radiation}} and {{w|fallout}}. The title text is reminiscent of both the main comic and the title text of [[1217: Cells]].

This was the first time since [[1355: Airplane Message]], more than two years ago, that [[Randall]] mentions cancer (on a banner!), a [[:Category:Cancer|recurring subject]] on xkcd, but mainly around the time when his then-fiancée (now wife) was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in October of 2010. Interestingly enough there are only two facts in that previous comic, and that other fact (from the title text) was referenced the week before this comic came out in [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]]. But it could be a coincidence.

The Manhattan Project was the scene of [[809: Los Alamos]], and a story from the site is being told in [[1520: Degree-Off]]. According to [[980: Money]] the Manhattan project used $24,400,000,000. Nuclear weapons in general has been a recurrent subject on xkcd and their invention was also mentioned last week in [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]] around 1950 CE. The previous comic with a similar mushroom cloud was [[1655: Doomsday Clock]], and in that comics explanation at least three other "recent" comics about such weapons of mass destruction are mentioned.

==Transcript==
:[A five panel layout with each panel slightly smaller than the next.]
:[Ponytail holding her arms out speaks to Cueball.]
:Ponytail: What we need to cure cancer is a new Manhattan Project

:[Cueball stands next to Ponytail on podium with a banner overhead. Ponytail is lifting her arms high up and addresses a huge crowd below the podium. Faces disappear into the distance, but at the podiums edge are four full faces, from left to right they are Hairy, a person with flat hair, a person with white hair and a Cueball-like guy.]
:Banner: Research Initiative

:[Cueball and Megan sitting behind a desk looking out and Ponytail standing to the right facing away from them wear laboratory goggles and laboratory coats. There are several Erlenmeyer flasks on the desk and Ponytail is also holding such a flask. There are other glass wares on the desk.]

:[Megan, holding a hand in front of her face, Cueball and Ponytail, all wearing some kind of glasses strapped around the back of their heads stand behind two barriers looking into the distance where a large mushroom cloud rises high in the air with the typical ring around the stem below the main cloud and smoke/dust surrounding the bottom of the stem. It is much higher in the image than the three mountains in the left background.]

:[Close up of Ponytail, as she faces to the right. She is wearing very dark protection glasses, looking like those used for looking at the sun during a solar eclipse.]
:Ponytail: Wait.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]] 
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]] 
[[Category:Cancer]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Public speaking]]

Talk:1736: Manhattan Project

2016-09-22T12:21:15Z

108.162.242.132:

The Manhattan Project employed up to 139,000 people, so it were not only the top minds, but a huge logistical effort. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.85.183|162.158.85.183]] 16:58, 21 September 2016 (UTC)
:But without the great minds, which also encompasses those who managed to get so many people working together on one project, but mainly the scientist, it would not have succeeded! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:18, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

Maybe reference to "1217 - Cells" could be added. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.159|162.158.93.159]] 19:09, 21 September 2016 (UTC)--Dancsa
:Yes for sure, have added it - it is related to the title text --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:18, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

Seems like Randall has been looking at [[1355: Airplane Message]]. The title text was also a fact in [[1732]] and this is the first cancer comic since that comic and also included text on a banner... ;-) Have added this on all three comics explanations --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:38, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

Is there a need for a new category for Nuclear weapons? And should it then just be called that? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:16, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

This comic today could have been inspired by an announcement by Microsoft on 20 September 2016 that it will "Cure Cancer by treating it like a computer virus" Stories: [http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/microsoft-cancer-cure-research-solved-machine-learning-cells-programming-diseases-a7317616.html independent.co.uk], [https://news.slashdot.org/story/16/09/20/2111240/microsoft-will-solve-cancer-within-the-next-10-years-by-treating-it-like-a-computer-virus-says-company?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed slashdot]. Also, on 21 September (the same day the comic was released), the Chan Zuckerberg foundation announced a $3 billion initiative to "cure all diseases" Story: [https://tech.slashdot.org/story/16/09/21/1958249/mark-zuckerberg-and-priscilla-chan-announce-3-billion-initiative-to-cure-all-diseases Slashdot]. Either or both of these could be considered Manhattan-like projects. --[[User:Johnm4|Johnm4]] ([[User talk:Johnm4|talk]]) 23:47, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

In my original google search link ([https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22we+need+a+new+manhattan+project%22]) my point was to show multiple hits for people talking about a new Manhattan Project, for multiple different purposes. It has been replaced with one single instance, which was not the intent. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.132|108.162.242.132]] 12:21, 22 September 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1736: Manhattan Project

2016-09-22T12:20:20Z

108.162.242.132:

The Manhattan Project employed up to 139,000 people, so it were not only the top minds, but a huge logistical effort. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.85.183|162.158.85.183]] 16:58, 21 September 2016 (UTC)
:But without the great minds, which also encompasses those who managed to get so many people working together on one project, but mainly the scientist, it would not have succeeded! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:18, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

Maybe reference to "1217 - Cells" could be added. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.159|162.158.93.159]] 19:09, 21 September 2016 (UTC)--Dancsa
:Yes for sure, have added it - it is related to the title text --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:18, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

Seems like Randall has been looking at [[1355: Airplane Message]]. The title text was also a fact in [[1732]] and this is the first cancer comic since that comic and also included text on a banner... ;-) Have added this on all three comics explanations --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:38, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

Is there a need for a new category for Nuclear weapons? And should it then just be called that? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:16, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

This comic today could have been inspired by an announcement by Microsoft on 20 September 2016 that it will "Cure Cancer by treating it like a computer virus" Stories: [http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/microsoft-cancer-cure-research-solved-machine-learning-cells-programming-diseases-a7317616.html independent.co.uk], [https://news.slashdot.org/story/16/09/20/2111240/microsoft-will-solve-cancer-within-the-next-10-years-by-treating-it-like-a-computer-virus-says-company?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed slashdot]. Also, on 21 September (the same day the comic was released), the Chan Zuckerberg foundation announced a $3 billion initiative to "cure all diseases" Story: [https://tech.slashdot.org/story/16/09/21/1958249/mark-zuckerberg-and-priscilla-chan-announce-3-billion-initiative-to-cure-all-diseases Slashdot]. Either or both of these could be considered Manhattan-like projects. --[[User:Johnm4|Johnm4]] ([[User talk:Johnm4|talk]]) 23:47, 21 September 2016 (UTC)

In my original google search link ([https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22we+need+a+new+manhattan+project%22]) my point was to show multiple hits for people talking about a new Manhattan Project, for multiple different purposes. It has been replaced with one single instance, which was not the intent.

1736: Manhattan Project

2016-09-21T13:35:39Z

108.162.242.132: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1736
| date = September 21, 2016
| title = Manhattan Project
| image = manhattan_project.png
| titletext = On the plus side, we definitely killed that cancer over there, even if we caused a bunch more everywhere else.
}}

==Explanation==
The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project Manhattan Project] was a big, expensive, secret research and development project that produced the first nuclear weapons during World War II. It is an example of getting all the top minds of a subject together to solve a massive problem, generally with massive government spending. The phrase [https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22we+need+a+new+manhattan+project%22 We need a new Manhattan Project] is sometimes used to suggest that the top minds should get together to solve another problem. In this comic the suggestion is implied that all the top minds for cancer research should get together to find a cure, but the idea is taken literally instead and the New Manhattan Project develops a nuclear bomb again.

The title text comments that the radiation from the blast will cause cancer in the survivors, but kills everything at the blast site.

==Transcript==
Panel 1:
Ponytail: What we need to cure cancer is a new Manhattan Project

Panel 2: Seaking to a crowd
Banner: Research Institute

Panel 3: Research goes on.

Panel 4: They watch a mushroom cloud.

Panel 5:
Ponytail wearing safety specs: Wait.

Title Text:
On the plus side we definitely killed that cancer over there, even if we caused a bit more everywhere else.

{{comic discussion}}

What If (disambiguation)

2016-01-13T14:13:35Z

108.162.242.132: Blog isn't discontinued anymore (hopefully)

"What if" may refer to:
*[[17: What If]] (the comic)
*[[what if?]] (the blog)
{{disambig}}
[[Category:Disambiguation pages]]

1620: Christmas Settings

2015-12-23T19:47:31Z

108.162.242.132:

{{comic
| number = 1620
| date = December 23, 2015
| title = Christmas Settings
| image = christmas_settings.png
| titletext = SOUND DOGS MAKE: [BARKING] [HISSING] [LIGHTSABER NOISES] [FLUENT ENGLISH] [SWEARING]
}}

==Explanation==
[[Ponytail]] is showing [[Megan]] around in her facility, and as the comic begins they enter a new room (''over here we have'') where she has the ''Universe Control Panel''.

A "Universe Control Panel" would be a set of dials to control the universe, and anyone having access to a room with these controls would from our point of view be in a God like position. If such a room did exist it would most likely be situated outside our universe (a dimension outside, and not necessarily in another universe). Since this is Christmas, looking at it from a Christian point of view, this would be Gods domicile and his control room for the universe would probably be located in Heaven.

Seen from a physicist point of view the typical panels for such a control room, would be with dials to control the specific size of {{w|Physical constant|fundamental constants}} of the universe such as the {{w|speed of light in vacuum}}, {{w|Planck constant}} and the {{w|fine-structure constant}} to mention but a few.

But the first control panel they reach includes the dials that control {{w|Christmas}}. So these control panels are either much more detailed than just physics constant (or not at all considering these underlying constants at all). That we see this option as the first, is of course because this is a [[:Category:Christmas|Christmas comic]] released on the 23rd of December.

From Ponytails comment it is clear that this is just one of several panels with dials, and on the panel for Christmas there are more than one dial. We only see one of these up close (to get an idea of how they work, and for the sake if the joke).

Megan and Ponytail have not reached the panel yet, and it is not them, but the reader, who sees the dial from the second panel, that specifically control the Christmas setting for how {{w|Santa Claus}} enters people’s houses: The ''Santa enters houses through''-dial, has [[#Options for Santa|ten different possible settings]]. The one it's set to at this point of the comic is the traditional ''chimney''. Amongst the other nine there is one option that would be more logical ''open window'', but surprisingly here is not option called ''the door'' though. But the other eight, are increasingly weird or even impossible (though of course not for Santa, who can deliver a billion packets in one night and fly in a sleigh drawn by flying reindeer…) These options ranging from the ”feasible” like ''mail slot'', ''heating vents'' or ''cat flap'' to the impossible/ridicules (some even disgusting) as ''kitchen faucet'', ''shower drain'' or ''toilet'' over the truly magical ''bathroom mirror '' and to the downright unpleasant - ''pores of your skin''. (See [[555: Two Mirrors]] regarding the mirror version).

As Megan and Ponytail are on their way to the next stop on the tour of these facilities Megan trips and catches herself on the Santa dial, messing it up by clicking it twice. Ponytail is disturbed by this and holds up her hand to her mouth. The reason for this is obvious when Megan asks what it was set to before so as to undo the mishap, because Ponytail tells that she has forgotten. So they cannot put it back right. This kind of proves that Ponytail is just a guide, and not the creator of the control panels.

As so often seen with human behaviors (if they are indeed human beings at all?) Megan says she will simply take a wild guess and hope she get it right. As the only thing she really knows is that it is not on the right setting now, there is only 1/9 that she will get it right assuming she will at least change it away from the setting she ended up on.

As we can see in the comic the dial clicks twice, implying it has moved two positions; Megan has thus most likely changed the dial to either "kitchen faucet" or "mail slot." As we do not know which of these she will now change away from, It is impossible to guess from the comic where she end up putting it, all ten options are possible. 
Since this comic was released on the 23rd of December, we are likely to find out in less than two days, if Santa comes out of the pores on our skin, or just through the mail slot... Only the first of these options will for certain be detected by someone…

As it is Ponytail who are showing Megan around, it is thus the first time Megan even hear about these dials, and she has no idea about where the Santa dial was pointing before. The reason why Ponytail cannot remember to which option the dial was set before is most likely because she is not part of our universe, and also not the creator of the control panel. If this is a control room outside of our universe these settings will not affect the two girls but they also have no need to know about Christmas on Earth. Anyone with access to these control room, might not particularly care for what happens on Earth, which is just one of a multitude of planet and stars that needs to be controlled from this control room.

An alternative explanation for the reason Ponytail has forgotten, is that the universe immediately updated its settings to the latest selection, once Megan released the dial, changing all previously existing folklore and memories in existence to match (this will only make sense if the two girls are part of the universe that they are in control of). Where previously it was widely known that Santa Clause entered through the chimney, it is now widely known that he enters through kitchen faucets or mail slots (depending on Megan's selection). This makes it impossible to remember what the original setting was. Of course if this happened then how do they remember that it was changed in the first place? Megan would now know what that is on the correct position and leave it be. So this explanation makes little sense...

The title text continues this by showing another ad-lib dial: ''[[#Options for dogs|Sound dogs make]]'' ranging from the norm (barking) to cat sounds (hissing), very embarrassing for a dog) over "lightsaber noises" and speech to swearing. This is a dial, most likely on another control panel for animal sounds (but it could of course specifically be the sound a dog would make in response to Santa's entry, by whatever method?)- It would thus give the same option of changing the expected vocal response of the dog away from (our norm of) barking, as the other dial with the way Santa enters the house. In popular culture, talking dogs are a commonly used trope; in contrast, swearing "dogs" are few, the most famous being {{w|Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog}}, a puppet created by {{w|Conan O'Brien}} and {{w|Robert Smigel}} and performed by the latter.

The comic might also be a joke on real-life controls often having no clear "default" value - which, by the way, is sometimes the case for virtual controls as well.

==Options for Santa==
*Below is a table with the ten possible settings for ''Santa enters houses through...''; starting with the originally chosen standard option and going clockwise through the rest:
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5
|'''Option''' || '''Normal Entry/Exit for...'''
|-
|{{w|Chimney}} || {{W|Santa Claus}} typically comes in this way (see him here in a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I-b_GJ4ltk victorian roof-top song and dance number]. Also {{w|The_Three_Little_Pigs|big bad wolves}} uses this entrance in Disney’s cartoon.
|-
|{{w|Shower#Drainage|Shower drain}} || Dirty shower water.
|-
|{{w|Mail slot}} || Letters, post cards and small presents delivers by the mailman.
|-
|{{w|Duct (flow)|Heating vents}} || Hot air used for {{w|central heating}}.
|-
|{{w|Bathroom}} {{w|mirror}} || See {{w|Candyman (film)|Candyman}}, or {{w|Bloody Mary (folklore)|Bloody Mary}} (the latter has been used in [[555: Two Mirrors]]).
|-
|{{w|Skin pore|Pores of your skin}} || {{w|Sweat}} leaving the body.
|-
|{{w|Toilet}} || {{w|Human waste}} and {{w|The_Shawshank_Redemption|life-term prisoners}} (at least through the sewer).
|-
|{{w|Cat flap}} || Domesticated cats and dogs.
|-
|{{w|Sink|Kitchen faucet}} || Water.
|-
|{{w|Window|Open window}} || {{w|Burglars}} and other criminals. Also often used as an exit by teenagers in movies and other film media, or by people who have locked themselves out of their own house.
|}

==Options for dogs==
*Below is a table with the five possible settings for ''Sound dogs make''; starting with the current and continuing with the order in the title text:
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5
|'''Option''' || '''Normal sound for...'''
|-
|{{w|Bark (sound)|Barking}} || {{w|Dogs}} current standard sound in our universe...
|-
|[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hissing Hissing] || Typically a {{w|List of animal sounds|sound contributed}} to {{w|snakes}}, but also something {{w|cats}} are [http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/why-do-cats-hiss/ said to hiss], for instance as a reaction against a barking dog. It would thus be very frustrating for dogs if their noise was changed into that or their arch enemies.
|-
|{{w|Lightsaber|Lightsaber noises}} || A lightsaber makes a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kpHK4YIwY4 very unique sound], and as they are one of the most known props from the {{w|Star Wars}} universe, it is very relevant as the newest Star Wars movie {{w|Star Wars: The Force Awakens}} was released a week before this comic. Star Wars was also the main theme a month ago in the comic [[1608: Hoverboard]], the coin collecting game that celebrated [[Randall|Randall's]] new book.
|-
|{{w|Fluency#Speech|Fluent}} {{w|English language|English}} || [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRcUcxtaX-Q Speaking dogs] are a common trope as are {{w|talking animals}} in general. A person who is native to a country where they speak English will usually be fluent in speaking English. But a person may not usually be described as being fluent in their {{w|Native tongue}}. But a person from a country who does not speak English as their first language, but who speaks it very well would speak fluent English.
|-
|{{w|Profanity|Swearing}} || It would be unpleasant for people who dislike swearing, and a big problems for movies such as {{w|Lassie}} where most of the soundtrack would have to be replaced by {{w|Bleep censor|bleeps}}. Swearing "dogs" are few, the most famous being {{w|Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog}}, a puppet created by {{w|Conan O'Brien}} and {{w|Robert Smigel}} and performed by the latter.
|}

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Ponytail are walking over to a console, Ponytail points towards it. They are drawn in a panel that is only half the width of the next panel below]
:Ponytail: Over here we have the universe control panel.
:Ponytail: These dials, for example, control Christmas.

:[A dial is shown. There is a label at the top and then there are ten settings, five symmetrically on the left and right side, but no setting straight up or down. It looks allot like the dial on a washing machine with different programs. The dial points towards the top left setting. All settings are labeled and there is a small line going to the point on the dial connected with each setting. The line at 3 and 9 o'clock are straight the other 8 are divided in two, where the first part goes horizontally and then bends either up or down, to end in the right position. Here the labele at the top and then the setting labels clockwise from top right, thus ending with the one the dial is set to:]
:'''Santa enters houses through...'''
:Shower Drain
:Mail Slot
:Heating Vents
:Bathroom Mirror
:Pores of Your Skin
:Toilet
:Cat Flap
:Kitchen Faucet
:Open Window
:Chimney

:[Ponytail is passing by this control panel looking back at Megan who trips and falls towards the console.]
:Megan: Whoops!
:Megans legs: Trip

:[Megan catches herself on the dial of the control panel and accidentally turns the dial. Ponytail has taken her hands to her mouth.]
:Dial: Click Click

:[Megan is standing in front of the console looking at the dial, Ponytail is standing behind it.]
:Megan: What was the Santa dial set to before?
:Ponytail: I forget.
:Megan: I'll just guess

==Trivia==
*In the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/7/73/20151223160450!christmas_settings.png original version] of the comic Ponytail erroneously said: ''These dials, for example, '''controls''' Christmas.''
**This was soon changed to the current (and grammatically correct) version with out the "s" at the end of controls ''These dials, for example, control Christmas.''
**Thus proving that it was intended that there where more than one dial, we just see the one that Megan later changed by mistake for the sake of the joke of the comic.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Christmas]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1602: Linguistics Club

2015-11-11T13:03:59Z

108.162.242.132: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1602
| date = November 11, 2015
| title = Linguistics Club
| image = linguistics_club.png
| titletext = If that's too easy, you could try joining Tautology Club, which meets on the date of the Tautology Club meeting.
}}

==Explanation==
A "[[wiktionary:sesquiannual|sesquiannual]]" meeting is one that occurs one and a half times every year, or once every 8 months. It comes from the Latin root "[[wiktionary:sesqui|sesqui-]]", which means "half and...", and "[[wiktionary:annual|-annual]]", which is "...one per year". A linguist or Latin scholar, the joke suggests, should be able to figure that out as "half-plus-one every year". This is an extension of the common confusion between "biannual," meaning "twice a year", and "biennial", meaning "once every two years". Compare with the {{w|Sesquicentennial Exposition}} celebrating the first 1½ centuries of the United States.

On the other hand [and the crux of the comic in general], 'sesqui' can be interpreted as a prefix meaning '1.5'. For example, the US sesquicentennial was celebrated on July 4, 1926 (after 150 years), so the confusion comes from people who think the meetings would be every 8 months (as above) or every 18 months (here). The confusion is related to the distinction between 'biweekly' (once every two weeks) and 'semiweekly' (twice a week). 'Biannual' and 'biennial' only furthers this confusion (as in this case, 'biannual' and 'semiannual' are synonymous when the prefixes usually are not).

Regarding the title text, a {{w|tautology (rhetoric)|tautology}} is a statement that is true because of its logical form, such as "all birds are birds" or "A = A." As such, the statement "the Tautology Club meets on the date of the Tautology Club's meeting" is itself tautological.

Whilst the membership requirement for the original club is merely to know the intended frequency (presumably then a successful applicant to be told at least one meeting date in the cycle so that an attendance can be made; or perhaps the member is supposed to guess that by reasoning that every third meeting must extend across the beginning of a new year), Tautology Club's stipulation appears to require an eligible member to derive a valid meeting date from thin air without any clue at all (and no indication that there is even a regular cycle of any kind). This would definitely be more of a challenge.

The title text has a connection to [[703: Honor Societies]] in which Cueball announces that "the first rule of Tautology Club is the first rule of Tautology Club."

==Transcript==
Megan: You should come to our Linguistic Club's sesquiannual meeting. Membership is open to anyone who can figure out how often we meet.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Language]]