explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2164: Glacier

2019-08-02T21:41:00Z

108.162.246.119: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2164
| date = June 17, 2019
| title = Glacier
| image = glacier.png
| titletext = The Norwegian adaptation of The Sword in the Stone takes things in a weird direction.
}}

==Explanation==

A {{w|glacier}} is a wall of dense ice. Though glaciers tend to appear still, they are actually slowly moving, typically by around 10 inches (25 cm)/day. 

[[Beret Guy]] and another person wearing a knit cap (possibly the same person as in [[1350: Lorenz]]) are facing the forward edge of a glacier. The person wearing a knit cap remarks that glaciers are amazing, mentioning the fact that though we can't see it, the ice is slowly advancing. After considering this, Beret Guy leaves, then returns with two {{w|sabre (fencing)|sabres}} and a hairdryer. He uses the hairdryer to melt a part of the glacier, which he then attaches a sabre to. After he attaches the sabre to the glacier, he then takes a defensive position. {{w|Glossary of fencing|"Advancing"}} is a basic forward movement in fencing, and Beret Guy appears to feel it is unfair for the glacier not to have a weapon.

The title text refers to {{w|Excalibur|The Sword in the Stone}}, a famous sword in the legends of King Arthur, and {{w|Norway}}, a country known for its glaciers. In the original legend, the sword is set into solid rock, and enchanted so that only the true King could draw it out. The legend has been alluded to in a [[1521|previous comic]]. The title text might be making any of several implications about a Norwegian adaptation, including:
* The sword would be set into ice, a much less reliable and more easily-bypassed substance than stone.
* The sword would be set in the stone (or ice) hilt-first, meaning the true King would need to pull it out by the blade.
* The true King would not remove the sword, but rather would embed it into the stone (or ice) as Beret Guy has done here.

==Transcript==

:[A person wearing a knit cap and Beret Guy are standing to the left of a glacier.]
:Knit cap person: Glaciers are so neat. You can't see it, but this ice is slowly advancing.

:[Zoom in on Beret Guy, who has his hand to his mouth, thinking.]

:[Zoomed in, Beret Guy exits to the left of the panel.]

:[Beret Guy enters the panel from the left, carrying two fencing sabres.]

:[Beret Guy uses a blow dryer to attach one of the sabres to the glacier.]
:''Whirrrr''
:[Beret Guy is holding the blow dryer and looks at the sabre that is attached to the glacier.]

:[Beret Guy stands in a defensive position with sabre in hand, ready to defend against the "advancing" glacier.]

==Trivia==
The author of ''The Sword in the Stone'', T. H. White, was mentioned two comics ago in [[2162: Literary Opinions]].

[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
{{comic discussion}}

2003: Presidential Succession

2018-06-06T14:03:29Z

108.162.246.119:

{{comic
| number = 2003
| date = June 6, 2018
| title = Presidential Succession
| image = presidential_succession.png
| titletext = Ties are broken by whoever was closest to the surface of Europa when they were born.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a DESIGNATED SURVIVOR - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The {{w|United States presidential line of succession}} is the order of people who serve as president if the current incumbent President is incapacitated, dies, resigns, or is removed from office.

The {{w|Presidential_Succession_Act#Presidential_Succession_Act_of_1947|Presidential Succession Act of 1947}} was an act by the U.S. Congress that revised the presidential order of succession to its current order. This act, though never challenged in the courts, may not be constitutional for two reasons. First, it is unclear whether members of Congress can be designated in the line of succession. Secondly, the act allows for a cabinet officer to be "replaced" as acting President by a new Speaker of the House or a new President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

An additional concern regarding the Act is that after the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the line of succession list the members of the Cabinet in the order that their department was established with the oldest departments first, irrespective of the Secretary's personal fitness or appropriateness of the office. The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of the security and protection of the United States and its citizens and would probably already be privy to sensitive intelligence and briefings related to national security, but because it is the latest of the Departments to have been established (in 2003) the Secretary of Homeland Security is all the way at the bottom of the current Presidential line of succession at 18th, behind other Secretaries such as that of Agriculture (9th) and Education (16th).

The full text of the Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission can be found here: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/06_continuity_of_government.pdf

The first 6 members of Randall's list are included in the current line of succession. After the top 6, his list ranges from politicians, to actors who have played Presidents, to athletes.

Randall's list omits the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, as well as many other cabinet positions. Perhaps he does not find those people qualified to become President of the United States, or is concerned about the constitutionality of lawmakers becoming President. However, he does not seem to be concerned about constitutionality, because he included the entire line of succession to the British throne, most of whom are do not meet the requirement to be a natural-born citizen of the United States.

Randall's list includes several other people who also might not be eligible to become President either because they are not natural-born U.S. citizens (e.g., as of the time of the comic's publishing, {{w|Serena Williams}} had withdrawn from her last match in the {{w|French Open}} to {{w|Maria Sharapova}}, who is Russian) or they are under 35 years of age ({{w|Russell Westbrook}}, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player at the time of the comic's publishing, was only 29 years old). These would mainly be athletes due to the relatively global reach of the four major professional sports leagues in North America and the fact that 35 is quite old for a professional athlete, let alone one who is good enough to win the league MVP. Presumably, those who wouldn't qualify for the office of President would be skipped over like in real life -- at comic's publishing, {{w|Elaine Chao}} was the Secretary of Transportation and would normally be 14th in line, but because she is a naturalized citizen of the US (she was born in Taiwan) she would not qualify for the office if the line came to her.

This is another comic in the continuing line of comics about American politics, especially after the election of Donald Trump as President in 2016.

==Order of succession==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!#
!Randall's order
!Current order by the 1947 Act
!Notes
|-
|1
|President
|President
|Not generally considered part of the line of succession, as incumbents cannot "succeed" to their own post.
|-
|2
|Vice president
|Vice president
|
|-
|3
|Secretary of State
|Speaker of the House of Representatives
|
|-
|4
|Secretary of Defense
|President pro tempore of the Senate
|
|-
|5
|Secretary of Homeland Security
|Secretary of State
|
|-
|6
|Attorney General
|Secretary of the Treasury
|
|-
|7
|Five people who do not live in Washington DC, nominated at the start of the President's term and confirmed by the Senate
|Secretary of Defense
|{{w|Washington, D.C.}} is the capital of the United States, and is where the {{w|White House}}, the President's residence, is located. Presumably this provision covers the case where much of the government, including positions 1–6 here, are killed by a natural disaster or attack in Washington, D.C.

It is unclear if these 5 people have to have any qualifications whatsoever. It is also unclear if an order is determined among these 5 or if they take up a joint presidency.
|-
|8
|{{w|Tom Hanks}}
|Attorney General
|Academy Award-winning American actor
|-
|9
|State Governors, in descending order of state population at last census
|Secretary of the Interior
|At the time of publishing, the last {{w|United States Census}} was the 2010 Census. {{w|2010_United_States_Census#State_rankings|Link}} to state populations.
|-
|10
|Anyone who won an Oscar for playing a governor
|Secretary of Agriculture
|Oscars, or {{w|Academy Awards}}, are annual film awards awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
|-
|11
|Anyone who won a Governor's award for playing someone named Oscar
|Secretary of Commerce
|The {{w|Governors Awards}} are an annual award ceremony hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to present lifetime achievement awards within the film industry. As this award is a lifetime achievement award, it does not seem possible that an actor could win this award for simply playing someone named Oscar.
|-
|12
|{{w|Kate McKinnon}}, if available
|Secretary of Labor
|Comedic actress famous for being a cast member on {{w|Saturday Night Live}}. She is known for her character work and celebrity impressions. She has recently done impersonations of members of the Trump administration including Spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
|-
|13
|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Singles artists #1 through #10 (for groups, whoever is credited first in name, liner notes, etc)
|Secretary of Health and Human Services
|The {{w|Billboard Hot 100}} is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for singles, published weekly by Billboard magazine.
|-
|14
|The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time
|Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
|The top 5 US astronauts with the most space time are: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Kelly_(astronaut) Scott Kelly] (879 total days), [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Whitson Peggy Whitson] (665), [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_L%C3%B3pez-Alegr%C3%ADa Michael López-Alegría] (215)
|-
|15
|{{w|Serena Williams}} (or, if she lost her most recent match, whoever beat her)
|Secretary of Transportation
|As of the time of publishing, Serena Williams was the top female tennis player (though not the world #1 ranking, because she took time off for pregnancy). She is arguably the greatest female tennis player of all-time, winning 39 {{w|Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam}} titles, including 23 women's singles titles. At the time of publication Serena Williams did win her most recent match (third round French Open 2018 on June 2nd), although she withdrew from her next match against Maria Sharapova.

If her most recent defeat was to a non-US player, it is unclear whether that person would still qualify for President (the current succession list skips over anyone who would not normally qualify for not being a natural-born US citizen).
|-
|16
|The most recent season NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL MVPs
|Secretary of Energy
|MVP stands for {{w|Most Valuable Player}}. The 4 listed leagues are the major sports leagues in the United States, the {{w|National Basketball Association}} (NBA), the {{w|National Football League}} (NFL), {{w|Major League Baseball}} (MLB), and the {{w|National Hockey League}} (NHL).

As of the time of publishing, the most recent MVPs for the listed sports are {{w|Russell Westbrook}} (NBA), {{w|Tom Brady}} (NFL), {{w|José Altuve}} and {{w|Giancarlo Stanton}} (MLB has two, one for the American League and one for the National League), and {{w|Connor McDavid}} (NHL). Of these, only Brady would qualify for the list - Altuve and McDavid are not US citizens (the former is from Venezuela and the latter from Canada), and Westbrook (29) and Stanton (28) are too young.
|-
|17
|{{w|Bill Pullman}} and his descendants by absolute primogeniture
|Secretary of Education
|American actor, known for playing President Thomas J. Whitmore in the 1996 film ''{{w|Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day}}''.

Absolute primogeniture is a form of succession where the oldest direct descendant regardless of gender receives the title. This is contrasted to {{w|Male-preference primogeniture}}, in which males come before females in the order of the throne, whether the males were born first or not. This may be a reference to the British law {{w|Succession to the Crown Act 2013}}, which changed the order of the throne from male-preference primogeniture to absolute primogeniture. This act allows {{w|Princess Charlotte of Cambridge|Princess Charlotte}} to retain her place in line before {{w|Prince Louis of Cambridge|Prince Louis}}.
|-
|18
|The entire line of succession to the British throne
|Secretary of Veterans Affairs
|According to the Constitution, only a natural-born citizen of the United States can become President, which means that at least most of the line of succession to the British throne is ineligible. However, it is possible that someone in the line of succession to the British throne either is a dual citizen (especially one who is a U.S. citizen based on place of birth and a British citizen based on having a parent who was a British citizen descended from Sofia of Hanover) or is not British (a person from outside of Britain can become King; for example, some, including George the First, were from what is now Germany). The first 57 names on the list are {{w|Succession_to_the_British_throne#Current_line_of_succession|here}}, as of the time of publishing. [https://lineofsuccession.co.uk/?date=2018-06-06 British Line of Succession on 6 June 2018] shows the list as it was at the comic's publication. In theory this entry includes several thousand people, although most or all are ineligible due to not being natural born citizens of the United States.
|-
|19
|The current champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest
|Secretary of Homeland Security
|The {{w|Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest}} is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition sponsored by {{w|Nathan's Famous}} held on July 4th. As of the time of publishing, the most recent men's winner is {{w|Joey Chestnut}} and the women's winner is {{w|Miki Sudo}}.
|-
|20
|All other US citizens, chosen by a 29-round single-elimination Jousting tournament
|''None''
|Effective for a population up to 536,870,912 individuals (2^29) which would be enough to cover the entire US population (estimated at around 325 million at time of publication), although additional rounds can be added should the population grow further.
|}

The title text mentions whoever was closest to the surface of {{w|Europa}} when they were born. Europa is a moon of Jupiter, so most people would be very far from its surface when they were born. However, the depending on the relative positions of Earth and Jupiter when you were born, you could easily have been tens of millions of kilometers closer. Alternatively, Randall could be playing on how Europa sounds like Europe.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
: A proposal for a new presidential line of succession
: Current politics aside, most experts agree the existing process is flawed. The presidential succession act of 1947 is probably unconstitutional on several counts, and there are many practical issues with the system as well.
: (for more, see the surprisingly gripping [https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-continuity-of-the-presidency-the-second-report-of-the-continuity-of-government-commission/ ''Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission'', June 2009]).
: Proposed line of succession:
:# President
:# Vice president
:# Secretary of State
:# Secretary of Defense
:# Secretary of Homeland Security
:# Attorney General
:# Five people who do not live in Washington DC, Nominated at the start of the president's term and confirmed by the Senate
:# Tom Hanks
:# State Governors, in descending order of state population at last census
:# Anyone who won an Oscar for playing a governor
:# Anyone who won a Governor's award for playing someone named Oscar
:# Kate McKinnon, if available
:# Billboard year-end hot 100 singles artists #1 through #10 (for groups, whoever is credited first in name, liner notes, etc)
:# The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time
:# Serena Williams (or, if she lost her most recent match, whoever beat her)
:# The most recent season NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL MVPs
:# Bull Pullman and his descendants by absolute primogeniture
:# The entire line of succession to the British throne
:# The current champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest
:# All other US citizens, chosen by a 29-round single-elimination Jousting tournament.

: Title text: Ties are broken by whoever was closest to the surface of Europa when they were born.

{{comic discussion}}

1881: Drone Training

2017-09-04T07:40:54Z

108.162.246.119: /* Explanation */ explain drone, training part of machine learning, remove extra words

{{comic
| number = 1881
| date = August 25, 2017
| title = Drone Training
| image = drone_training.png
| titletext = The joke will be on him in a few weeks when animal control shows up and takes custody of his Roomba.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Black Hat]] enters a pet store run by [[White Hat]]. He wants to buy something to help him train his drone, which keeps flying into the wrong rooms. This is absurd as drones are semi-autonomous flying machines, not living creatures like dogs or cats, which can be trained to do tricks, or stay in the correct areas (inside his property). He also wants a shock collar for his {{w|Roomba}}, which would train it to stay inside or at least on his lawn.

{{w|Cat repeller}} are devices or substances for training cats or repelling them from furniture or other areas. An example of a cat repeller spray which can be created at home as shown here: [http://www.instructables.com/id/Friendly-but-Effective-Cat-Repellent/ Friendly (but Effective) Cat Repellent].

Roomba is an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner and controlling it by electric shocks from a {{w|Shock collar|shock collar}}, normally used for dogs, is more than questionable. Those collars are legal in the US but they are banned in many European countries and others. A Roomba was previously mistaken for a dog in [[1558: Vet]].

This might be playing with the concept of machine learning. Knowing Black Hat, he might be poking fun at people's assumptions that modern robots are more advanced than they actually are. It is also possible, however, that he just wants to terrify people with the idea of robot abuse/conditioning or even more that he genuinely believes he can force robots to obey him via inflicting suffering.

The title text may mean one of three things: The endeavor will become a total flop when the Roomba probably gets rid of the collar and terrorizes the neighborhood. As a result dogcatchers from the {{w|Animal control service|animal control service}} will arrest this "wild animal". Or animal control services will confiscate the Roomba to save it from its abusive owner. Or, at least, White Hat also owns a Roomba and it will be taken into custody because it has not been trained with a shock collar.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat stands in front of a store counter facing White Hat who stands behind.]
:Black Hat: My drone keeps flying into the wrong rooms. Do you have anything to discourage it?
:White Hat: Sir, this is a pet store.

:Black Hat: Yeah, I was thinking one of those spray bottles for cats.
:White Hat: I don't think you can train a drone.

:[White Hat hands a spray bottle over the counter.]
:Black Hat: Eh, they say that about cats, too. Plus, these days they probably all come with deep learning or whatever. Drones, I mean. Maybe cats too.
:White Hat: Fine, here's a bottle.

:Black Hat: Do you sell a shock collar that can fit around a Roomba?
:White Hat: I'm going to have to ask you to leave.

==Trivia==
*This is the first comic since [[1875: Computers vs Humans]] that does not involve the [[:Category:Total Solar Eclipse 2017|August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse]] as subject matter.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]
[[Category:Drones]]
[[Category:Roomba]]

1882: Color Models

2017-09-04T07:29:16Z

108.162.246.119: /* Explanation */ put title text explanation at end. further on problems of color (device specific, depends on viewing environment)

{{comic
| number = 1882
| date = August 28, 2017
| title = Color Models
| image = color_models.png
| titletext = What if what *I* see as blue, *you* see as a slightly different blue because you're using Chrome instead of Firefox and despite a decade of messing with profiles we STILL can't get this right somehow.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Randall]] is describing how his level of understanding of colors has changed by age. The chart starts with two tracks of understanding color.

In grade school he learned about the primary colors, and the very simple model of colors, as shown in the left track. Mixing of color solids, as in painting (or finger painting being probably the earliest exposure to color mixing), is intuitive for a child. The process is subtractive, and the more colors you mix the darker and closer to black you get. Color is seen by the eyes when light bounces off the solid colors and becomes light of different wavelengths that the eye can then see. However at this level, things just "look" like different colors without understanding light's role.

The right track is about mixing of colored light, as in prisms and light waves, where mixing colors is additive and the more you mix the lighter and closer to white you get. But this is without a real understanding of light bouncing off surfaces, and is limited to an understanding of different colors of light and how they mix. The first exposure in grade school is usually by shining white light through a prism to separate it into the different visible colors.

Meanwhile, philosophically, color is unknowable because it's impossible to say if everyone has the same qualia for colors. E.g. "Maybe what I see as blue, you see as my idea of purple and green stripes."

The {{w|Opponent process|opponent color model}} connects these two models, by considering how the signals from rods and cones are processed, after different wavelengths of light are absorbed by different rods and cones in the eyes.

The "complex multidimensional gamut" mentions two more models: {{w|CIE 1931 color space|CIE 1931}} and {{w|Lab color space|L*a*b*}}. These are more detailed models based on the opponent color model, which precisely define how a particular color maps to the different channels that our eyes see.

However, understanding how the eye sees color ''still'' isn't enough, because not every device can display all the colors your eye can see. Your laptop might have a different {{w|Gamut|gamut}} from that of your phone, and when you print the page, you might see yet another color. To handle this issue, web browsers use "color profiles", so that an image can be tagged with the color space it uses and the browser can handle it appropriately. Unfortunately, browsers do this inconsistently and not very well.

Further complicating the matter, ostensibly identical device may show colors differently (depending on how they are adjusted, variations between devices, aging of the device, and the viewing environment). Devices and software exist to attempt to match systems to reproduce colors consistently, however most systems are not set up this way, color correction can be complicated, and the corrections have to be frequently readjusted.

The "hyperdimensional four-sided quantum Klein manifold" is a joke, and could also be a pun upon the color {{w|International Klein Blue|Klein Blue}}. A ''Klein manifold'' is described by the {{w|Klein bottle}}, where the bottle was originally a surface (a mix-up of the German words Fläche for surface and Flasche for bottle). It is a two-dimensional manifold, or simply just a surface with some special characteristics. Randall is here projecting an "abstract multidimensional gamut" onto an even more complicated surface, presumably in order to eliminate the errors in color rendering caused by previous attempts to eliminate the errors in color rendering. The Klein bottle has to be projected into 4 dimensional (4-D) space for this to work, as it would otherwise intersect with itself.
The “quantum” may be a reference to the "color" charge in {{w|Quantum chromodynamics}}.

Eventually it appears Randall has given up, realizing color is very difficult and hoping somebody else will deal with the difficulty in describing, understanding and using the concept of colors.

The title text expands on this joke, implying that the reason for the "unknowable" answer in the cartoon is that everyone's browser shows colors slightly differently. Despite the complexity and thoroughness of color models, this common software can't get it right.

==Transcript==
:[A simple flowchart is shown. The text above the panel reads:]
:Evolution of my understanding of color over time:

:[On the left side is a vertical dashed line in gray, on top it's labeled:]
:Grade school
:[And at the bottom the label reads:]
:Now

:[Header above the chart:]
:"Color" is...

:[The chart starts with three items, one left and an other on the right, a third is below in the middle.]
:...three primary colors mixed together
:...a rainbow, and each color is a wavelength
:...unknowable ("maybe what ''I'' see as blue, ''you'' see as...")

:[Arrows from the left and the middle item point to a new left one, while two other arrows from the middle and the right item lead to one at the right.]
:...three-ish primary colors mixed together (RGB/RYB/CMYK)
:...a mix of infinite wavelengths filtered through three eye pigments

:[The arrows of both items point to one in the middle:]
:(something about the opponent color model)

:[The remaining items are all in the middle and each is connected by one arrow downwards to the next.]
:...an abstract multidimensional gamut (CIE 1931, L*a*b*, etc)
:...an abstract multidimensional gamut filtered through inconsistently-implemented device color profiles
:...a hyperdimensional four-sided quantum Klein manifold? Is that a thing?
:...hopefully somebody else's problem.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Flowcharts]]

1883: Supervillain Plan

2017-09-04T06:09:41Z

108.162.246.119: /* Explanation */ simplify

{{comic
| number = 1883
| date = August 30, 2017
| title = Supervillain Plan
| image = supervillain_plan.png
| titletext = Someday, some big historical event will happen during the DST changeover, and all the tick-tock articles chronicling how it unfolded will have to include a really annoying explanation next to their timelines.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|First draft, please help to expand. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In this comic [[Black Hat]] is a {{w|supervillain}}, befitting his {{w|Black hat|character}}. He plans to use {{w|Unmanned aerial vehicle|drones}} and explosives to move the entire State of California into the Pacific, a la {{w|Lex Luthor}} in the 1978 ''{{w|Superman (1978 film)|Superman}}'' movie.

His {{w|Henchman|henchmen}} are [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]]. The latter appears to be a programmer who is concerned that the mission (and hence the drones' coding) may have to account for time/date adjustments, such as {{w|time zone}}s and {{w|daylight saving time}} (DST), which would be a factor if the event took place on the wrong date or the landmasses were pushed too far apart. (Though by coding the drones on UTC, the drones would not need to change time zones, except for displaying the local time for some reason, which would likely be unneeded.)

In computer programming, working with dates and times can be complicated. Think about {{w|Leap year|leap years}} or {{w|Leap second|leap seconds}}, the non existing {{w|Year zero|year zero}} which even worse for scientists does exist in {{w|Astronomical year numbering|astronomical calendars}}, or the {{w|Year 2000 problem|Y2K}} and {{w|Year 2038 problem|year 2038}} problem. Nevertheless in this comic there is only a ''time zone problem'' mentioned. To handle this the {{w|tz database}}, also known as ''tzdata'', provides all relevant information for every country back to 1970 and, less accurate, before. But it's still up to the programmer to use this data in useful ways.

Supervillains have reason to fear daylight saving time issues. In 1999, two coordinated car bombings ended up killing the terrorists transporting the bombs when they exploded one hour early. Details explained e.g. on the [http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-38.html Darwin Awards] site.

Time zones and DST can give seemingly nonsensical results when used improperly. For example, a flight going west might leave at 02:00pm and reach its destination at 03:00pm while the reverse flight will leave at 02:00pm and arrive at 05:00pm. In both cases, the travel time is two hours, but the one hour difference between the two time zones makes it seem otherwise. You might even find yourself arriving at your destination at an earlier time than your departure! DST can also makes a given time mean two different things, if after 01:59am you go back to 01:00 am, 01:30am can either be one hour after 00:30am, or one hour before 02:30am. Or in the reverse change, some dates don't actually exist, like 02:30 when going straight from 01:59 to 03:00. Humans often avoid this issue by being in only one place at the same time{{Citation needed}}, or by sleeping when the DST changes happen, but computer communications often span over large distances, and drones don't need to sleep at night. Megan wants to make sure she won't have to deal with the difficult problem of communication between drones and other systems with those issues, where a single poorly communicated date can have disastrous effects (although possibly far less disastrous than moving California into the sea).

California is currently located entirely within the {{w|UTC−08:00|UTC-8}} time zone (at standard time {{w|Pacific Time Zone|PST}}, while in summer PDT is at {{w|UTC−07:00|UTC-7}}). But after Black Hat's actions California is at risk of floating West into the next time zone at {{w|UTC−09:00|UTC-9}}.

However, in reality, time zones in the United States are determined by [https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=6a1a124065df269aff9faa2340478852&node=pt49.1.71&rgn=div5#se49.1.71_12 Department of Transportation regulations], and California's time zone is not defined based on its longitude. Consequently, even if California were pushed out to sea, its time zone would remain the same unless the Department of Transportation issued a regulation otherwise, so Megan can rest easy. (On the other hand, Black Hat could alter the time zone of any of the East Coast states except Maine if his drones could push the state east of 67°30″ W. longitude, since the Eastern Time Zone's eastern boundary is mostly based on longitude, except for Maine.)

Note: Megan should be happy Black Hat hasn't planned [https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2012-11-12/daylight-saving-donut-arizona-ken-jennings-maphead to involve Arizona in his scheme].

A [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tick_tock "tick tock article"] is a term in journalism for a step by step account of an event or timeline, such as [https://web.archive.org/web/20111001222353/http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7033428/breakdown-wednesday-games this one recounting the end of the 2011 MLB regular season]. Such an article published for an event during the change to or from Daylight Saving Time would need to account for the changeover, making the timeline confusing for those unaware of the switch.

==Transcript==
:[On the left of this single panel comic Black Hat sits on a high throne, showing a fist, and looking down to Cueball and Magan who stand in front of him on the right.]

:Black Hat: ... then, after our drones take control of the cities, we will detonate the devices. California will break off from the mainland and drift out to sea!
:Megan: How far out to sea? Will it put any of the cities in the UTC-9 time zone?
:Black Hat: What? I don't know.
:Megan: One request: Can we make sure this doesn't happen during the daylight saving changeover?

:[Caption below the panel:]
:You can tell when someone's been a programmer for a while because they develop a deep-seated fear of time zone problems.

==Trivia==
*Different time zones often confuse people. When [[xkcd]] comics are released on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday early as possible at 00:00 according to [[Randall]]'s home at Eastern Time (EST/EDT) it is still the day before in the most regions of the United States further to the west. In California (PST/PDT) that would be 21:00 in the evening before. Nevertheless most comics are released later when the entire US is at the same day. This particular comic was released at 13:00 UTC, which was 09:00 EDT or 06:00 PDT.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Drones]]
[[Category:Daylight saving time]]
[[Category:Programming]]

1884: Ringer Volume/Media Volume

2017-09-04T05:56:15Z

108.162.246.119: /* Explanation */ Eliminate unnecessary words.

{{comic
| number = 1884
| date = September 1, 2017
| title = Ringer Volume/Media Volume
| image = ringer_volume_media_volume.png
| titletext = Our new video ad campaign has our product's name shouted in the first 500 milliseconds, so we can reach the people in adjacent rooms while the viewer is still turning down the volume.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Still being worked on. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Most {{w|smartphone}}s, when this comic was published, have multiple system-level sound volume settings, such as, phone call ringer volume, timed alarm volume, phone communication volume, and media volume (which covers video, music, games and such). For comparison, personal computers tend to expose the user to a master sound volume control by default, which affects all the sounds emitted by system. Applications that emit sound (other than basic interface sounds, such as clicking) tend to implement a separate volume control.

Further, smartphones often have a pair of hardware buttons for raising or lowering sound volume. However, they don't differentiate which of the available volume controls the user wants to adjust. Smartphone operating systems tend to adjust the volume level of the currently emitted sound type, with some defaulting to the phone call ringer in the case no sound is playing. Adjusting arbitrary volume control is usually possible using a system settings app controlled by touch screen, which can take more time than pressing dedicated buttons, and/or stopping the program currently being used, depending on the smartphone in question.

The comic demonstrates, using a time axis, a typical annoyance generated by this kind of setup. User wants to play a video clip but expects its sound volume to be too loud, so they start to preemptively press the volume down button. However, since video clip just started loading while user preemptively pressed the button, this adjusts the phone ringer volume instead of media volume. User proceeds to raise the ringer volume and waits until the information box about ringer volume being adjusted disappears from screen, then tries again. Since video is still loading this still doesn't work, and apparently needs to start emitting sound before possibility of adjusting that sound with volume buttons arises. This is exactly what eventually happens - the video starts uncomfortably loudly and user's delayed reaction while attempting to readjust ringer volume level leads, in fact, to ''raising'' the media volume. At this point, graph ends, though user is implied in the title text to proceed to reduce the video's volume directly afterwards.

Despite most applications implementing separate sound controls, Windows has also offered the option to adjust volume on per-activity basis since at least Windows 95. You can access this feature on Windows 10 by right-clicking the speaker icon on the tray, and selecting the "Open Volume Mixer" option. This setup is roughly equivalent to opening system settings on a smartphone, in that user can see multiple volume controls and select to adjust some. Additionally, some versions of Windows made the system tray volume control only affect the currently focused program, sort of analogously to described smartphone behavior, in that a single interface area can correspond to different volume controls depending on the context. However, this feature has been removed in more recent versions, presumably to reduce user confusion.

The title text presents a method of exploiting the phenomenon presented in the main comic by putting important parts of an advertisement very early in the video clip in loud audio form. Since user may have problems with adjusting video sound volume before it starts playing, this will result in the important part of ad (here, product name) emitted very loudly, to the levels of narrator of title text expecting it to reach people in other rooms than one the smartphone is in.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Trying to turn down the volume before a video starts playing:

(A line graph is presented, with horizontal axis denoting "Time". There are two signed lines, "Ringer volume" and "Media volume". In addition there are two rows of drawings also aligned with time, one above the signed lines featuring drawings of two neighboring buttons, one below the signed lines featuring drawings of smartphones.)

(The thicker "Ringer volume" line starts one unit below the thinner "Media volume" line. At around 12% of the width of the comic, a picture of buttons with arrow pointing to lower button labelled "TAP TAP TAP TAP" corresponds to ringer volume line lowering by four units, step by step. At around 25% of the width of the comic, a picture of buttons with arrow pointing to higher button labelled "TAP TAP TAP TAP" corresponds to ringer volume line rising by four units, step by step, returning to original value.)

(At around 50% width of the comic and 60% width of the comic respectively, similar things to those described above happen, except the labels read "TAP TAP TAP" and ringer volume line shifts down and up by three units instead of four.)

(Another such figure starts at 80% of width of the comic, again involving four "TAP"s and units, but the ringer volume line stops rising two units below original value. Instead, previously stable "media volume" line raises by two units step by step afterwards. This also corresponds to "media volume" line becoming thicker and "ringer volume" line becoming thinner. The pictures of smartphone, previously displaying a loading indicator, end with one showing what appears to be a video web page with a person in speaking to the camera. The text denoting person's words in the video indicates they are loud.)

Person in the video: HELLO, AND WELCOME TO...

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Line graphs]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]

464: RBA

2017-07-10T08:17:31Z

108.162.246.119: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 464
| date = August 18, 2008
| title = RBA
| image = rba.png
| titletext = This is a story all about how I started drinking.
}}

==Explanation==
A [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bel%20Air Bel-Air] is an internet meme where a poster on a message board starts a post on a serious topic, but partway through the post switches to repeating the lyrics to the opening theme song of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", a 1990s sitcom starring Will Smith (previously known in his rapping career as the "Fresh Prince") as a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who has been sent to live with his affluent and stuffy Aunt and Uncle in Bel Air, Los Angeles by his mother as a consequence of a single altercation with a couple of no-good guys who were making trouble in his previous neighbourhood.

[[Megan]] in the comic reverses the traditional arrangement by starting the conversation with a recitation of the lyrics to said theme song, and then switching partway through to a very serious discussion of the status of their relationship culminating in a break up.

The lyrics go like this:

:Now this is the story all about how
:My life got flipped, turned upside down
:And I'd like to take a minute just sit right there
:I'll tell you how I became ''the prince of a town called Bel-air''

The title ''RBA'' is an initialism for ''Reverse Bel-Air''.

The title text could be the beginning of [[Cueball]]'s future ''RBA''.

==Transcript==
:[Megan walks up to Cueball pouring himself a drink.]
:Megan: Now, this is a story all about how

:Megan: My life got flipped turned upside down

:Megan: And I'd like to take a minute
:Megan: Just sit right there

:Megan: I'll tell you how I became uncertain about our relationship. I think you just like having a girlfriend, it doesn't matter who.
:Megan: I think we should break up.

:The reverse Bel-Air only works once, so make it something unforgettable.
:[Cut to dropped glass, drink spilled on ground.]
:Cueball: ...wait, seriously?
:Megan: Yeah.

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

1490: Atoms

2017-03-30T23:26:55Z

108.162.246.119: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1490
| date = February 23, 2015
| title = Atoms
| image = atoms.png
| titletext = When I was little I had trouble telling my dad apart from the dog. I always recognized my mom because she had a bunch of extra plutoniums in her middle. I never did ask her why...
}}

==Explanation==
This comic shows another quirky and fantastical ability of [[Beret Guy]].

In this comic, [[Megan]] is preparing a sample of what appears to be some mineral for {{w|elemental analysis}}. It seems to be some kind of {{w|silicate}} containing a small amount of {{w|iron}} (a common example of this would be {{w|red sandstone}}), and she is running a test to see if it contains {{w|beryllium}} (a rarer element whose best-known natural form is as a component of {{w|emerald}}). Such analyses typically involve many instruments and steps to prepare the sample. However, Beret Guy seems to be able to identify all the elements the substance is composed of just by eyeballing it, making him perhaps the perfect elemental analysis instrument.

To confirm this, Megan asks Beret Guy what he sees when he looks at her face, expecting that a normal person would describe the arrangement of colors and features that they see. Since Beret Guy only sees the atoms Megan is composed of (mostly {{w|Composition_of_the_human_body|oxygen, carbon and hydrogen}}) he only notices the unusual atoms. In this case he sees the metal atoms her {{w|Dental_restoration#Materials_used|dental fillings}} are composed of. This shows his "atomic vision" extends beyond the surface of the substances. Megan finds this bizarre and asks Beret Guy what is wrong with him. He states that he suspects people think he is weird because he contains too much {{w|zinc}}, missing Megan’s point: what is weird is not Beret Guy’s elemental content, but his ability to apparently see everything as atoms sorted by element{{Citation needed}}.

High zinc intake ({{w|Zinc toxicity|zinc toxicity}}) can cause nausea, vomiting, pain, cramps and diarrhea. It also reduces copper absorption, which affects the immune system.

The comic continues the theme of Beret Guy’s naive misunderstandings of scientific terminology turning to be literally true. In a previous [[1486: Vacuum|comic]] his misinterpretation of the notion of energy in the vacuum resulted in him gaining significant superpowers.

In the title text, the concept is taken even further: Beret Guy found his dad indistinguishable from a dog. This is likely because all mammals are essentially made of the same basic elements. Absent a distinguishing element from either his dad or the dog, they would appear to be the same. He could, however, apparently distinguish his mother because she contained {{w|plutonium}}. This is a very unusual occurrence that cannot possibly occur naturally in humans. Some possible explanations are:
#She had an {{w|Radioisotope thermoelectric generator|RTG}}-powered pacemaker (a few hundred were made in the 1970s).
#She lived near Los Alamos during the second world war and was a member of the [http://warisboring.com/articles/the-scientists-who-pee-plutonium/ UPPU club (translated as “You pee Pu!”)]. Alternatively, she could have been exposed to another source such as {{w|radioactive contamination from the Rocky Flats Plant}}.
#She was one of {{w|The Stepford Wives}} robots.
#She was the victim of some unidentified, unethical medical experimentation.
It is also possible that the presence of plutonium in his mother may be the source of his own differences: radioactive exposure (in this case, potentially in utero) is a common source of super powers in comic books and other fiction.

It's not clear whether his mother's plutonium is related to his "too many zincs". One explanation for Beret Guy having too much zinc could be that his mother's plutonium changed into zinc through the process of {{w|radioactive decay}}.

The English physicist {{w|Henry Moseley}} discovered the law relating the {{w|atomic number}} of elements with their {{w|characteristic x-ray|characteristic x-rays}} when bombarded by free electrons, providing physical evidence for the {{w|periodic table}}, the {{w|Bohr Model}} of the atom and the concept of {{w|atomic number}}. In doing so he developed a method of identifying elements in a substance by bombarding them in a vacuum with electrons and using {{w|x-ray diffraction}} methods to measure the resulting X-rays. A famous French chemist brought him a complicated mixture of {{w|Rare Earth element|Rare Earth elements}}, many of which had only recently been discovered, to test his method. Within a short time, Mosley amazed the chemist by identifying all the elements by number using his method and referring to his chart to name them. This comic may therefore be subtly alluding to this method by suggesting that Beret Guy's eyes can fire electrons at anything he looks at and "read" the resulting X-ray radiation, giving him the ability to identify the composite elements in a similar manner.

==Transcript==
:[Megan stands at a table and is preparing a sample for some kind of analysis in a device, when Beret Guy walks in.]
:Beret guy: What’re you doing?
:Megan: Testing a sample for beryllium.
:Beret guy: That? Yeah, there’s a bunch of berylliums.
:Megan: How do you know?

:[Megan turns to Beret Guy who takes the sample and looks at it.]
:Beret guy: Look at it! See? Tons of oxygens and silicons, a few irons but definitely some berylliums too! Can’t you see them?

:[They continue to talk.]
:Megan: No, I can’t see a list of the atoms in a thing by looking.
:Beret guy: How do you tell what things are?

:[Zoom in on Megan.]
:Megan: This is ridiculous. Look at me. What do you see?
:Beret guy (off-panel): You have tons of metal in your face. Lots of fillings, I guess?

:[Megan stares at Beret Guy who takes a looks at his own arm.]
:Megan: What’s '''''wrong''''' with you?
:Beret guy: Too many zincs? I’ve always worried I had too much zinc and everyone thought I was weird.

==Trivia==
*In the original version of the comic there was a typo in the title text, ''form'' instead of ''from'':
**I had trouble telling my dad apart '''form''' the dog.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy]]

623: Oregon

2017-03-30T22:52:44Z

108.162.246.119: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 623
| date = August 14, 2009
| title = Oregon
| image = oregon.png
| titletext = A century later, the harrowing flight of the survivors from Oregon was dramatized in a popular video game.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic relates to the video game ''{{w|The Oregon Trail (video game)|The Oregon Trail}}'', and humorously depicts the consequences to real-world Oregon if everyone had arrived in the same manner they did in the game.

''The Oregon Trail'' was an educational video game released in 1971. In the game, players would play as a character taking a trek west along the {{w|Oregon Trail}} from Missouri to Oregon. The player's journey starts in 1848 and typically takes less than one year to complete. Along the way, the player must manage resources (food, spare parts, etc.) and face risks and dangers (starvation, disease, etc.). Most players at the time were grade-school students. The game was very popular, and thousands of players played it monthly.

The game made it very easy to hunt for food. Large animals (bison, bears, etc.) were very easy and rewarding targets, where spending a single bullet could be enough to collect enough food for multiple days. There were also smaller prey available (rabbits, squirrels, etc.) which were harder to catch and provided less food. Since bullets are much lighter and cheaper than food, it was a good strategy to bring the minimum amount of food and plan to hunt for meals. Extra food can even be traded for money or other supplies, so it wasn't necessary to start the journey with anything except bullets.

The comic tries to document, as though in a historical fashion, what would have been the result if all the players had been real settlers who really had prepared for their journey on the Oregon Trail in that way. The parts before 1847 are historically accurate. Starting from 1848, however, players of the game would form an unbelievably large influx of people arriving nearly simultaneously, with very little food or supplies being brought along. Massive overhunting would soon strip the land bare, all large game slaughtered for meat, with hunger, starvation and disease soon to follow. {{w|Dysentery}} in particular was very common in the original game and perhaps the most infamous way to die, hence its listing as the most prominent epidemic.

The title text makes things rather recursive. In this alternate reality, thousands upon thousands of people fleeing ''from'' the overpopulated, devastated Oregon becomes the focus of another video game, much like ''The Oregon Trail'' in our universe.

==Transcript==
:History of 19th-century Oregon

:[Timeline, with relevant images next to various dates.]

:1805
::[Two men stand at the edge of a cliff. One has a walking staff.]
::Arrival of Lewis & Clark

:1825
::Early settlers arrive

:1841
::Oregon Trail established

:1843
::Larger western migration begins

:1848
::[A horse is pulling a covered wagon. A gun peeks out the back.]
::Huge wave of 500,000+ settlers arrives from Missouri. Largely children and adolescents, most bring nothing but cartloads of bullets for hunting.

:1849
::[Cueball and Megan with rifles aim at something.]
::Overhunting begins to devastate ecosystem
::Dysentery epidemic.

:1850
::[Tombstones and bodies.]
::Shooting deaths skyrocket
::Typhoid epidemic
::Measles epidemic
::Cholera epidemic

:1851
::All mammals larger than squirrels wiped out by overhunting
::Massive famine

:1852
::[Sun low over a land, devoid of life. Scattered remains of corpses and skeletons.]
::Last survivors flee
::Oregon territory abandoned

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Video games]]

623: Oregon

2017-03-30T22:50:17Z

108.162.246.119: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 623
| date = August 14, 2009
| title = Oregon
| image = oregon.png
| titletext = A century later, the harrowing flight of the survivors from Oregon was dramatized in a popular video game.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic relates to the video game ''{{w|The Oregon Trail (video game)|The Oregon Trail}}'', and humorously depicts the consequences to real-world Oregon if everyone had arrived in the same manner they did in the game.

''The Oregon Trail'' was an educational video game released in 1971. In the game, players would play as a character taking a trek west along the {{w|Oregon Trail}} from Missouri to Oregon. The player's journey starts in 1848 and typically takes less than one year to complete. Along the way, the player must manage resources (food, spare parts, etc.) and face risks and dangers (starvation, disease, etc.). Most players at the time were grade-school students. The game was very popular, and thousands of players played it monthly.

The game made it very easy to hunt for food. Large animals (bison, bears, etc.) were very easy and rewarding targets, where spending a single bullet could be enough to collect enough food for multiple days. There were also smaller prey available (rabbits, squirrels, etc.) which were harder to catch and provided less food. Since bullets are much lighter and cheaper than food, it was a good strategy to bring the minimum amount of food, and plan to hunt for meals. Extra food can even be traded for money or other supplies, so it wasn't necessary to start the journey with anything except bullets.

The comic tries to document, as though in a historical fashion, what would have been the result if all the players had been real settlers who really had prepared for their journey on the Oregon Trail in that way. The parts before 1847 are historically accurate. Starting from 1848, however, players of the game would form an unbelievably large influx of people arriving nearly simultaneously, with very little food or supplied being brought along. Massive overhunting would soon strip the land bare, all large game slaughtered for meat, with hunger, starvation and disease soon to follow. {{w|Dysentery}} in particular was very common in the original game and perhaps the most infamous way to die, hence its listing as the most prominent epidemic.

The title text makes things rather recursive. In this alternate reality, thousands upon thousands of people fleeing ''from'' the overpopulated, devastated Oregon becomes the focus of another video game, much like ''The Oregon Trail'' in our universe.

==Transcript==
:History of 19th-century Oregon

:[Timeline, with relevant images next to various dates.]

:1805
::[Two men stand at the edge of a cliff. One has a walking staff.]
::Arrival of Lewis & Clark

:1825
::Early settlers arrive

:1841
::Oregon Trail established

:1843
::Larger western migration begins

:1848
::[A horse is pulling a covered wagon. A gun peeks out the back.]
::Huge wave of 500,000+ settlers arrives from Missouri. Largely children and adolescents, most bring nothing but cartloads of bullets for hunting.

:1849
::[Cueball and Megan with rifles aim at something.]
::Overhunting begins to devastate ecosystem
::Dysentery epidemic.

:1850
::[Tombstones and bodies.]
::Shooting deaths skyrocket
::Typhoid epidemic
::Measles epidemic
::Cholera epidemic

:1851
::All mammals larger than squirrels wiped out by overhunting
::Massive famine

:1852
::[Sun low over a land, devoid of life. Scattered remains of corpses and skeletons.]
::Last survivors flee
::Oregon territory abandoned

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Video games]]

1188: Bonding

2017-03-30T21:04:54Z

108.162.246.119: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1188
| date = March 20, 2013
| title = Bonding
| image = bonding.png
| titletext = I'm trying to build character, but Eclipse is really confusing.
}}

==Explanation==
This is {{w|source code}} written in the {{w|Java (programming language)|Java programming language}} which models a parent and a child playing a {{w|Catch (game)|game of catch}}. Normally this game is played with the parent throwing a ball to their child, who catches it and throws it back, and repeated back-and-forth. The comic title "Bonding" refers to the {{w|Paternal bond|building of relationship}} between the parent and the child. The joke lies in the puns using the words <code>try</code>, <code>throw</code>, <code>catch</code>, and <code>Throwable</code>. These can refer to actions in the real-life game, but are also keywords in the Java language that are used for {{w|exception handling}}, a method of signaling error conditions and responding to them. Also, the terms "parent" and "child" are usually interpreted more abstractly in programming, as generic terms used in hierarchical {{w|Data structure|data structures}}.

The program, as written, will {{w|Recursion (computer science)|recursively}} call the <code>aim</code> method alternately on the parent and the child indefinitely, causing each to take turns throwing and catching the <code>Ball</code> object. Note that unlike the real game, this program actually has the same person both throwing and catch the same ball on their turn. The ball is passed onto the other person by ''aiming'' it at them, which causes the person to both throw and catch the ball, and ''aim'' it back. This program will also eventually crash with a {{w|stack overflow}} error.

The title text refers to the [http://www.eclipse.org/ Eclipse IDE], which is a tool commonly used to develop software in Java. "Building character" is something that you would expect a parent to do, in order to instill in his child positive traits, such as confidence and athleticism. This is possibly a reference to Calvin and Hobbes, where Calvin's dad often encourages him to build character in a number of ways, including playing baseball. This is made more likely by other references combining technology and C+H, such as xkcd comics 409, 702, and 1002. However, here, "build" might also be a play on the term of "{{w|Software build|building}}" a program, while "{{w|Character_(computing)|character}}" refers to a data type in programming languages. It may also refer to the common notion that programming in C++ or Java builds character due to their powerful but sometimes finicky libraries.

===Program description===
To compile this {{w|Java_(programming_language)|Java}} source code, the two [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/classdecl.html classes] would need to be in a .java file.
The program defines two classes (types of objects):
#The Ball class [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/IandI/subclasses.html extends] [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/lang/Throwable.html Throwable], making it possible to use an instance of Ball in [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/essential/exceptions/handling.html exception handling]. In English, this means "a Ball is a kind of Throwable object".
#The P class, representing a Person, which contains the following members (attributes):
:*a [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/variables.html class variable] 'target' to point to another P to aim a Ball at.
:*a [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/constructors.html constructor] 'P' (in Java the constructor always has the same name as the class) used to create an instance of P and initialize its state (with a target). The keyword [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/thiskey.html this] refers to the current instance of P.
:*a [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/methods.html method] 'aim' that takes an instance of Ball named 'ball' as a parameter. This contains the code to actually throw, catch, and pass the ball onto the target.
:*a [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/classvars.html static] method 'main' which is called when executing this class. This is the code that starts the whole process.

The program executes in the following order:
#The static main method is called. It sets up the game by doing the following:
##An instance of P named 'parent' is created without a target ({{w|Nullable_type|null}}) using the 'new' keyword.
##Another instance of P named 'child' is created with 'parent' as its target.
##The parent's target is assigned to be the child.
##An instance of Ball is created and passed as a parameter to the aim method of parent.
#The aim method first sets up a [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/essential/exceptions/try.html try] block to handle exceptions.
#Next, the Ball instance 'ball' is [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/essential/exceptions/throwing.html thrown]. This signals an exception situation.
#The thrown exception (= the Ball instance) is handled in the [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/essential/exceptions/catch.html catch] block with the matching exception class.
#In the catch block the aim method of the target of the P instance is called with the Ball instance (now referred to as 'b').
#The code continues with step 6, but the current class instance ('this') has changed from parent to child (or vice versa).

While compact and suitable for this comic, the code style can be improved if this were a real programming project:
#Good Java code should contain documentation in the form of {{w|Javadoc}} comments.
#It is recommended to organize Java source code into [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/package/packages.html packages] to make code easier to find and use and to avoid name conflicts.
#The class interface should not expose inner logic and data. For this reason class variables are usually declared as [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/accesscontrol.html private] (or protected) and separate public methods (called getters and setters) are created to access the data. Making target private would also require using the setTarget setter method in main to set the parent target to child.
#In most cases constructors should call their superclass constructor first. P descents from Object, which has an empty constructor, so this is not strictly required here.
#The aim method references the class variable target directly. To avoid future name conflicts it is recommended to prefix the reference to target with 'this' or use the getter from #3.
#A <code>try</code> block that does nothing except <code>throw</code> is redundant. In this comic it is needed to make the code more readable as English sentences, but in programming this pattern should be avoided.

==Transcript==
class Ball extends Throwable {}
class P{
P target;
P(P target) {
this.target = target;
}
void aim (Ball ball) {
try {
throw ball;
}
catch (Ball b) {
target.aim(b);
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
P parent = new P(null);
P child = new P(parent);
parent.target = child;
parent.aim(new Ball());
}
}

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Programming]]

Talk:484: Flash Games

2016-10-25T04:14:33Z

108.162.246.119: /* Game Examples */ new section

http://reddawn.net/quilt/games/QCon/QCon.html {{unsigned ip|‎173.245.55.222}}

The explanation needs to explain the title text. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.45|108.162.216.45]] 23:25, 11 November 2013 (UTC)
:Yes, you are right. No time for me so far, maybe this comic should be on top at the "Today's incomplete explanation of the day" for one day more... --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 00:37, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
:Already got it for you guys [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.66|199.27.128.66]] 07:33, 12 November 2013 (UTC)

Am I missing something or are you looking too hard for an explanation? To me, it seems as simple as what it says. There are amazing gaming systems, but a lot of flash games are way more addictive. So the character (Cueball I guess he's been called here) simply is telling himself that he'll only play for one more hour before playing with his new console. The joke being that in an hour, he will say the same thing again. And again. And so on. That's all there is to this. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.63.180|173.245.63.180]] 07:32, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
:Games are what happens to nerds while they are waiting for their lives.
:Comics are what happen to me when I am waiting to be right again.
:My most tiresome trait is my effort to be correct.
:One day I will run out of comics.

[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 00:37, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

Note the Wiimote blutacked to the television. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.222|162.158.2.222]] 02:26, 2 April 2016 (UTC)

This is as true today as it was in 2008. I spend more hours on little flash games than I do actual video games.
[[User:International Space Station|International Space Station]] ([[User talk:International Space Station|talk]]) 05:20, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

== Game Examples ==

Hey, anyone have any good games? Link below. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 04:14, 25 October 2016 (UTC)

1750: Life Goals

2016-10-24T16:38:47Z

108.162.246.119:

{{comic
| number = 1750
| date = October 24, 2016
| title = Life Goals
| image = life_goals.png
| titletext = I got to check off 'Make something called xkcd' early.
}}

==Explanation==
This index of goals features many words containing an excess of the letters X and Z, most of which are fictional, obscure, or proper nouns. The punchline climax expresses that the writer (presumably Randall) often uses these unexpected and bizarre words in Scrabble games, which exasperates his opponents to a great extent, to the point of him getting punched.

All of these words would theoretically earn a player the prize of many points. However, most of them would not be found in {{w|SOWPODS}}, the combined list of all words valid in either British or North American Scrabble, and many include too many X's, Y's or Z's (there's 1 X, 2 Y's, 1 Z in a standard set), meaning at least one would have to be substituted for a blank (which is not worth any points). Some words would also be very difficult to play in reality, since there are only 7 letters in a Scrabble hand, so they could only be played in extremely rare circumstances (there are only a couple of ways to play MUZQUIZOPTERYX: for instance, from MU and OPTER; or MU, QUIZ and ER; or an astonishingly unlikely set of crossing letters). Many are long enough that, in theory, they could net the player the additional 50 point bonus for using all seven letters in a hand if played right.

{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! Word !! Definition !! Notes !! In SOWPODS? !! Enough tiles ({{w|Scrabble letter distributions|in English version}})? !! Score !! Score (ignoring blanks) !! 50 points possible?
|-
| {{w|Skrillex}} || A dubstep musician || Proper noun || No || Yes || 19 || 19 || Yes
|-
| {{w|Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix}} || A city in Arizona (and a mythological bird) || Proper noun and noun || Yes (but only in lower-case) || Yes || 19 || 19 || Yes
|-
| {{w|Zymology|Zymurgy}} || The study of fermentation. || || Yes || Yes || 25 || 25 || Yes
|-
| {{w|Axolotl}} || A kind of water-breathing salamander which lives on the bottom of lakes. || || Yes || Yes|| 14 || 14 || Yes
|-
| [http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Hexxus Hexxus] || An evil spirit from the animated movie [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FernGully:_The_Last_Rainforest FernGully] || Fictional || No || With a blank as X || 23 || 15 || No
|-
| {{w|Syzygy (astronomy)|Syzygy}} || An astronomical event where three planets form a straight line. || || Yes || With a blank as Y || 25 || 21 || No
|-
| {{w|Zzyzx, California|Zzyzx}} || An unincorporated community in California || Proper noun. Recently mentioned in [http://what-if.xkcd.com/152/ this what-if] || No || Yes, with both blanks as Z || 42 || 22 || No
|-
| {{w|Zzyzzyxx}} || A 1982 arcade video game about navigating a labyrinth || Proper noun || No || No || 64 || 26 (assuming infinite blanks) || Yes
|-
| {{w|Xexyz}} || A 1988 game for the Nintendo Entertainment System with platformer and shoot-em-up gameplay. || Proper noun || No || With a blank as X || 31 || 23 || No
|-
| {{w|Xbox}} || A series of home video game consoles developed by Microsoft. || Proper noun || No || With a blank as X || 20 || 12 || No
|-
| {{w|Zzzax}} || A Marvel comic book villain. || See below || No || With both blanks as Z || 39 || 19 || No
|-
| {{w|Mister Mxyzptlk}} || A DC Comics villain. || Fictional. Since Zzzax and Mxyzptlk come from different companies, a crossover story involving them both might run into license problems. || No || Yes || 42 (8 for Mister, 35 for Mxyzptlk) || 42 || Yes
|-
| {{w|Xhafzotaj}} || A village in Albania || Proper noun || No || Yes || 38 || 38 || Yes
|-
| {{w|Albania}} || A country in the Balkans || Proper noun || No || Yes || 9 || 9 || Yes
|-
| {{w|Qazaxbəyli}} || A village in Azerbaijan || Proper noun. It can alternatively be spelled "Kazakhbeyli". || No || Because it's spelled with a schwa (ə, upper case Ə), this word would be impossible to spell in English-language Scrabble, although you could put an E tile down upside down (Ǝ) or use a blank. || Unclear (at least 39) 36 for Kazakhbeyli || 39 || Yes
|-
| {{w|Azerbaijan}} || A country in the Caucasus || Proper noun || No || Yes || 28 || 28 || Yes
|-
| {{w|Archaeopteryx}} || A famous small feathered dinosaur || || Yes || Yes || 30 || 30 || Yes
|-
| {{w|Muzquizopteryx}} || A pterosaur || || No || With a blank as Z || 55 || 45 || Yes
|-
| {{w|xkcd}} || You know what this is || From title text || No || Yes || 18 || 18 || No
|}

The distance between [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Xhafzotaj,+Albanien/@41.3420999,19.538176,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x134fd7eb6257dec7:0xc0c17ea9f1d4ef05!8m2!3d41.3442157!4d19.547883 Xhafzotaj] in Albania and [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Gazakhbayly,+Aserbaidschan/@41.1604329,45.3040337,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4041307bb83f5793:0x30f6c3728844806e!8m2!3d41.1606486!4d45.3147936 Quazaxbeyli] in Azerbaijan is about 2800km. Doing this trip by bike would be challenging, but possible.

Unfortunately Archaeopteryx and Muzquizopteryx lived in different time periods, so we can only speculate which one would win a fight.

The title text explains naming something [http://www.xkcd.com xkcd] "xkcd" was also a goal.

It seems likely that Randall created this comic after doing research for this what if article (http://what-if.xkcd.com/152/), and came across the city Zzyzx as the shortest way to dig a channel to flood Death Valley.

==Transcript==
:[A list entitled "Life Goals", where each item has an empty box, like a to-do list.]
:Meet Skrillex in Phoenix
:Study Zymurgy
:Get a pet Axolotl named Hexxus
:Observe a syzygy from Zzyzx, California
:Port the games Zzyzzyxx and Xexyz to Xbox
:Publish a Zzzax/Mister Mxyzptlk crossover
:Bike from Xhafzotaj, Albania to Qazaxbəyli, Azerbaijan
:Paint an archaeopteryx fighting a muzquizopteryx
:Finish a game of Scrabble without getting punched

{{comic discussion}}

1749: Mushrooms

2016-10-22T01:52:48Z

108.162.246.119: Try as a might, I cannot fathom how this relates to this comic at all

{{comic
| number = 1749
| date = October 21, 2016
| title = Mushrooms
| image = mushrooms.png
| titletext = Evolutionarily speaking, mushrooms are technically a type of ghost.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Other interpretations of the growling mushroom and the ghost in the title text, or more on the existing may be relevant...}}

[[Cueball]] is looking at a {{w|mushroom}} contemplating how weird they are when [[Megan]] adds another layer to their weirdness by supplying the trivia that {{w|evolutionary|evolutionarily}}, mushrooms are closer to the {{w|animal|animal kingdom}} than to {{w|plants}} on the {{w|Tree of life (biology)|tree of life}}.

Both animals and {{w|fungi}} are part of the {{w|opisthokont}} group, while plants are in {{w|archaeplastida}} group with the {{w|algae}}. This surprises Cueball, as he like many other people is likely to think of mushrooms as plants as they are "grown" just like other crops. But what people with this misconception often fail to remember are facts like the fact that the edible mushrooms like {{w|Agaricus bisporus}} (or white mushroom) are [http://www.gardenguides.com/129125-growing-mushrooms-cave.html farmed] in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmhKqaobi3Q caves] without any sunlight, which is a prerequisite for any plant life, as all plants need to be able to use {{w|photosynthesis}} to grow, and thus needs sunlight.

Megan then walks away, and Cueball, after pondering the mushroom a while further, gets up and walks away too. But as soon as Cueball has his back turned the mushroom growls after him. Cueball spins around to look back at the now again silent mushroom. This is a bit of absurdist humor; while mushrooms are ''technically'' more animal-like than plant-like (they are {{w|eukaryotic}} organisms that do not use photosynthesis) fungi are still so far removed from animals they wouldn't have any of the body parts needed to growl. Cueball's shock and astonishment is quite justified, and maybe it was just his imagination running wild after Megan's trivia.

The title text takes this further, by stating that mushrooms are technically a type of {{w|ghost}}. Arguably, since they arise from decaying remains. The title text may refer to [[1240: Quantum Mechanics]] or [[1475: Technically]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is squatting in front of a group of four mushrooms (two tiny, one small and one large), touching the top of the nearest and largest mushroom with a finger. This mushroom has several small dots, which becomes more visible in later panels. The other three mushrooms do not appear to have these dots. Megan is standing behind him looking on.]
:Cueball: Mushrooms are ''so weird.''
:Megan: You know, evolutionarily, they're closer to being animals than to plants.

:[Megan starts walking away as Cueball now leans on the ground with the hand he touched the mushroom with. Only the large mushroom is visible in this and the rest of the panels.]
:Cueball: ...Really?
:Megan: Yup!

:[In a frame-less panel Cueball still squats in front of the mushroom, now resting his hand on his knees.]

:[Cueball stands up looking down at the mushroom.]

:[Cueball is walking away as the mushroom makes a sound indicated with several small lines emanating from the top of the mushroom along with a regular speech line.]
:Mushroom: ''Grrrr''

:[Cueball snaps around to look at the mushroom again, standing in a prepared state arms slightly out and legs spread out as well.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Animals]] <--Mentioning that mushrooms are closer to animals than plants-->

1735: Fashion Police and Grammar Police

2016-09-20T03:54:01Z

108.162.246.119: It could, except there is nothing to indicate that it does

{{comic
| number = 1735
| date = September 19, 2016
| title = Fashion Police and Grammar Police
| image = fashion_police_and_grammar_police.png
| titletext = * Mad about jorts
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Explain the meaning of the Grammar Police sign and the three words on it. Fill out the table explaining how each point in the list can be said to represent both types of police.}}
In this comic, two groups of angry protesters are presented and labeled. They should not be seen as protesting side by side, but rather like two similar groups protesting about different things even though they are in many ways similar.

The left group represents the '''Fashion Police''' with [[Cueball]] holding a sign saying {{w|Crocs}} not allowed (by showing a pair of Crocs shoes in a circle with a strike through it). The right group represents the '''[https://twitter.com/_grammar_ Grammar Police]''' with another Cueball holding a sign with three commonly-confused words beneath each other; Their, They're, There. The two groups look similar, standing in similar poses and apart from Cueball holding signs in each group [[Megan]] is also in the front line of both groups. [[Hairy]] is only shown with the fashion police, together with yet another [[:Category:Multiple Cueballs|Cueball-like guy]], while [[Ponytail]] is only shown with the grammar police together with a bald man with glasses.

Both types of police are groups of people who make fun of others who wears or says something that doesn't meet their criteria of "good". Fashion police are people who make fun of others who wear clothing that is mismatched, out of style/{{w|fashion}} or straight-up "ugly" to them. Grammar police are people who are "sticklers" to {{w|grammar}} rules and get mad or contradictory if someone uses non-standard grammar in a sentence. The comic explains how the two groups are similar to each other by listing eight points (plus a ninth in the title text) that can be used on both groups. See explanation in the [[#Table of individual items|table below]].

In the caption below the comic [[Randall]] notes that he just realized that these are literally the same people because they both exhibit the listed traits. The use of "[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/literally literally]" to emphasize a statement is considered by the grammar police as a dread crime that should be pointed out as such, although the dictionaries already include this definition as acceptable. However it would likely be more appropriate to say figuratively the same people, see [[725: Literally]]. On the other hand, fashion police is known for overusing "literally" in the way the grammar police finds disgusting.

Ponytail also represented the grammar police in [[1576: I Could Care Less]], where Megan puts her in place after she polices her sentence. Literally was also used here in the title text.

The title is a ninth point on the list with the star in front representing one more bullet (see the last entry in the [[#Table of individual items|table below]]):
*Mad about jorts.

==Table of individual items==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Explanation of individual items in the list
!list item
!Explanation
|-
|Judgemental and Smug || Both types of police will look down upon those who violate their 'laws'.
|-
|Angry about something deeply arbitrary || Both grammar and fashion are, essentially, made-up human constructs.
|-
| Strong opinions backed by style guides || Grammar has Strunk and White, fashion has fashion mags.
|-
| Appreciate that the way that you are interpreted is your responsibility || Your choices in both grammar and fashion affect how people see you, and it would be silly to disclaim responsibility for what is essentially your own actions.
|-
| Understand that there's no way to "opt out" of sending messages by how you present yourself, and attempts to do so send strong messages of their own || This means that even if you deliberately choose to not listen to the fashion gurus, then you are actually making a fashion statement anyway, as opposed to those that just don't realize they have a horrible style (and are not dressing wrongly on purpose). Both types can thus be harassed by the Fashion Police. Same goes for those who deliberately do not try to follow the grammar rules. They have thus taken a stance anyway as opposed to those who just do not know how to use grammar correctly. And both types can be harassed for it by the Grammar Police.
|-
|To seem cool and casual, pretend to ignore them while understanding them very well || Deliberately violating fashion or grammar rules gives off a particular 'casual' vibe, distinct from those who violate the rules out of ignorance.
|-
|Vindictive about things that are often uncomfortably transparent proxies for race or social class || "High fashion" and "proper grammar" are both dictated largely (not exclusively, but enough a majority to be troublesome) by rich white people. (someone else explain this better)
|-
| Fun to cheer on until one of them disagrees with you|| This may have to do with the human tendency to view the morality of an activity differently when applied to oneself compared to a stranger.
|-
| Mad about jorts (Title text) || "{{w|Shorts#Jorts|Jorts}}" is a {{w|portmanteau}} for a pair of jeans that are made into shorts. The fashion police would be mad about jorts for being unfashionable, while the grammar police would be mad about the word 'jorts' being an inappropriate portmanteau of jeans and shorts, and also for the fact that the sentence could be misinterpreted as if someone like jorts, as in being mad about something in a positive way. Randall has [[:Category:Portmanteau|often used]] portmanteaus as part of his jokes.
|}

==Transcript==
:[Beneath two headings to the left and right are shown two aggressive-looking groups of people with only the four people in the front clearly shown for each group. Behind them five other people can be seen, but they are not drawn with the same solid line and are only partly shown behind the first four, but legs from all five in each group can be seen along with some heads (all Cueball like) and arms etc. The front of the left group consist of Hairy holding a fist up towards left, Megan with her arms crossed in front of her chest, Cueball holding a sign, using both hands, straight up above his head and another Cueball-like guy to the right is holding up a broken branch in one hand toward right. The person behind this last person is shown to hold up his fist towards right like Hairy does to the left. The sign shows a Crocs shoe in a circle with a strike through it going above the Crocs from top left to bottom right. The front of the right group consist of Megan holding both her arms over her head hands folded into fist while looking towards left, Cueball holding a sign, using both hands, towards the right and up above Ponytails head, she is raising one hand in a fist to the left and finally a bald guy with glasses is brandishing a short sword in one hand toward right while holding his other hand palm up. The sign has three similar words written beneath each other.]
:Left: Fashion Police
:Right: Grammar Police
:Sign:
::Their
::They're
::There

:[Below the two groups are eight points with bullets:]
:*Judgmental and smug
:*Angry about something deeply arbitrary
:*Strong opinions backed by style guides
:*Appreciate that the way that you are interpreted ''is'' your responsibility
:*Understand that there's no way to "opt out" of sending messages by how you present yourself, and attempts to do so send strong messages of their own
:*To seem cool and casual, pretend to ignore them while understanding them very well
:*Vindictive about things that are often uncomfortably transparent proxies for race or social class
:*Fun to cheer on until one of them disagrees with you

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I just realized these are literally the same people

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Portmanteau]]

1735: Fashion Police and Grammar Police

2016-09-20T03:52:52Z

108.162.246.119: I think this is what is meant

{{comic
| number = 1735
| date = September 19, 2016
| title = Fashion Police and Grammar Police
| image = fashion_police_and_grammar_police.png
| titletext = * Mad about jorts
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Explain the meaning of the Grammar Police sign and the three words on it. Fill out the table explaining how each point in the list can be said to represent both types of police.}}
In this comic, two groups of angry protesters are presented and labeled. They should not be seen as protesting side by side, but rather like two similar groups protesting about different things even though they are in many ways similar.

The left group represents the '''Fashion Police''' with [[Cueball]] holding a sign saying {{w|Crocs}} not allowed (by showing a pair of Crocs shoes in a circle with a strike through it). The right group represents the '''[https://twitter.com/_grammar_ Grammar Police]''' with another Cueball holding a sign with three commonly-confused words beneath each other; Their, They're, There. The two groups look similar, standing in similar poses and apart from Cueball holding signs in each group [[Megan]] is also in the front line of both groups. [[Hairy]] is only shown with the fashion police, together with yet another [[:Category:Multiple Cueballs|Cueball-like guy]], while [[Ponytail]] is only shown with the grammar police together with a bald man with glasses.

Both types of police are groups of people who make fun of others who wears or says something that doesn't meet their criteria of "good". Fashion police are people who make fun of others who wear clothing that is mismatched, out of style/{{w|fashion}} or straight-up "ugly" to them. Grammar police are people who are "sticklers" to {{w|grammar}} rules and get mad or contradictory if someone uses non-standard grammar in a sentence. The comic explains how the two groups are similar to each other by listing eight points (plus a ninth in the title text) that can be used on both groups. See explanation in the [[#Table of individual items|table below]].

The {{w|Fashion Police}} could refer to the American television series of the same name.

In the caption below the comic [[Randall]] notes that he just realized that these are literally the same people because they both exhibit the listed traits. The use of "[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/literally literally]" to emphasize a statement is considered by the grammar police as a dread crime that should be pointed out as such, although the dictionaries already include this definition as acceptable. However it would likely be more appropriate to say figuratively the same people, see [[725: Literally]]. On the other hand, fashion police is known for overusing "literally" in the way the grammar police finds disgusting.

Ponytail also represented the grammar police in [[1576: I Could Care Less]], where Megan puts her in place after she polices her sentence. Literally was also used here in the title text.

The title is a ninth point on the list with the star in front representing one more bullet (see the last entry in the [[#Table of individual items|table below]]):
*Mad about jorts.

==Table of individual items==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Explanation of individual items in the list
!list item
!Explanation
|-
|Judgemental and Smug || Both types of police will look down upon those who violate their 'laws'.
|-
|Angry about something deeply arbitrary || Both grammar and fashion are, essentially, made-up human constructs.
|-
| Strong opinions backed by style guides || Grammar has Strunk and White, fashion has fashion mags.
|-
| Appreciate that the way that you are interpreted is your responsibility || Your choices in both grammar and fashion affect how people see you, and it would be silly to disclaim responsibility for what is essentially your own actions.
|-
| Understand that there's no way to "opt out" of sending messages by how you present yourself, and attempts to do so send strong messages of their own || This means that even if you deliberately choose to not listen to the fashion gurus, then you are actually making a fashion statement anyway, as opposed to those that just don't realize they have a horrible style (and are not dressing wrongly on purpose). Both types can thus be harassed by the Fashion Police. Same goes for those who deliberately do not try to follow the grammar rules. They have thus taken a stance anyway as opposed to those who just do not know how to use grammar correctly. And both types can be harassed for it by the Grammar Police.
|-
|To seem cool and casual, pretend to ignore them while understanding them very well || Deliberately violating fashion or grammar rules gives off a particular 'casual' vibe, distinct from those who violate the rules out of ignorance.
|-
|Vindictive about things that are often uncomfortably transparent proxies for race or social class || "High fashion" and "proper grammar" are both dictated largely (not exclusively, but enough a majority to be troublesome) by rich white people. (someone else explain this better)
|-
| Fun to cheer on until one of them disagrees with you|| This may have to do with the human tendency to view the morality of an activity differently when applied to oneself compared to a stranger.
|-
| Mad about jorts (Title text) || "{{w|Shorts#Jorts|Jorts}}" is a {{w|portmanteau}} for a pair of jeans that are made into shorts. The fashion police would be mad about jorts for being unfashionable, while the grammar police would be mad about the word 'jorts' being an inappropriate portmanteau of jeans and shorts, and also for the fact that the sentence could be misinterpreted as if someone like jorts, as in being mad about something in a positive way. Randall has [[:Category:Portmanteau|often used]] portmanteaus as part of his jokes.
|}

==Transcript==
:[Beneath two headings to the left and right are shown two aggressive-looking groups of people with only the four people in the front clearly shown for each group. Behind them five other people can be seen, but they are not drawn with the same solid line and are only partly shown behind the first four, but legs from all five in each group can be seen along with some heads (all Cueball like) and arms etc. The front of the left group consist of Hairy holding a fist up towards left, Megan with her arms crossed in front of her chest, Cueball holding a sign, using both hands, straight up above his head and another Cueball-like guy to the right is holding up a broken branch in one hand toward right. The person behind this last person is shown to hold up his fist towards right like Hairy does to the left. The sign shows a Crocs shoe in a circle with a strike through it going above the Crocs from top left to bottom right. The front of the right group consist of Megan holding both her arms over her head hands folded into fist while looking towards left, Cueball holding a sign, using both hands, towards the right and up above Ponytails head, she is raising one hand in a fist to the left and finally a bald guy with glasses is brandishing a short sword in one hand toward right while holding his other hand palm up. The sign has three similar words written beneath each other.]
:Left: Fashion Police
:Right: Grammar Police
:Sign:
::Their
::They're
::There

:[Below the two groups are eight points with bullets:]
:*Judgmental and smug
:*Angry about something deeply arbitrary
:*Strong opinions backed by style guides
:*Appreciate that the way that you are interpreted ''is'' your responsibility
:*Understand that there's no way to "opt out" of sending messages by how you present yourself, and attempts to do so send strong messages of their own
:*To seem cool and casual, pretend to ignore them while understanding them very well
:*Vindictive about things that are often uncomfortably transparent proxies for race or social class
:*Fun to cheer on until one of them disagrees with you

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I just realized these are literally the same people

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Portmanteau]]

Talk:1733: Solar Spectrum

2016-09-15T14:06:07Z

108.162.246.119:

Sun in sunglasses is also in whatif "Into the sun" and I'm 99% sure this is not the only xkcd appearance of that... --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.86.119|162.158.86.119]] 11:38, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

Why is Randall using JPEG for the second time in a row? Gosh, the comics look horrifying when zoomed in. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.244.67|108.162.244.67]] 12:35, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

It looks like a .PNG to me, maybe the .jpg was temporary for an upload deadline? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.127|108.162.241.127]] 12:54, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

Are the spectral lines actually accurate apart from the sunglasses? Wouldn't surprise me to much... (Meh, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraunhofer_lines, believably close). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.10|141.101.105.10]] 12:51, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

I feel we need an explanation of the concept of spectral lines for those readers not familiar with absorption spectra [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.91|141.101.70.91]] 13:21, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

I think he's referring to the spectral lines of transition metals - not pictures of the sun wear glasses. The transition lenses reference is a play on words.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.154|108.162.218.154]] 13:27, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

:Can we figure out what sunglasses he is referring to by comparing the spectral absorption of different brands? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 14:06, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1732: Earth Temperature Timeline

2016-09-15T03:54:19Z

108.162.246.119:

Well, never mind then. Oh well. -- [[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 1:02, 12 September 2016
:I acknowledge that the picture is WAY too long, so I added a "skip to explanation" bar, to speed things up. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 17:32, 12 September 2016 (UTC)

Is it just me or does the picture not render all the way down in full resolution on firefox? I found it worked on Chrome and explorer... And Wauw, just after I had created the new [[:Category:Climate change]]... Was also just watched a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxEGHW6Lbu8 QandA program] yesterday where [[1644: Stargazing|Brian Cox]] tried to convince some Australian politician about global warming, but the other one just cried conspiracy... Will take some time to make this one complete I guess? Great ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:53, 12 September 2016 (UTC)
:That's the thing with this kind of stuff. It takes a LONG time to make it just right. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 19:08, 12 September 2016 (UTC)

Please delete the ridiculous trivia
*The colors used to represent temperature vary from blue (the perceived hue of a black body at 20000K) to pale red (perceived at 2200K).
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.139|108.162.221.139]] 19:44, 12 September 2016 (UTC)

Of course you can pretty much ignore the part of the diagram that is in dotted line, you can't rely on that data. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 20:40, 12 September 2016 (UTC)
:Note that even if we ignore the extrapolated future, the warming in the past century is already a vastly more abrupt climate shift than anything that happened in the preceding 219 centuries. - [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 21:15, 12 September 2016 (UTC)
::Actually we don't know what the shifts were on that scale in the past. The dotted line before modern measurement is a very limited estimate. We have no idea what the year to year changes were in the past, at best we can work out an average. I am reminded of a house mouse(life span of about 1 year) looking at the leaves fall from the tress and saying "Surely this is the end of the world". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 14:44, 13 September 2016 (UTC)
:::Randall explicitly addresses your specious complaint at 15900 BCE. Year-to-year fluctuations are not the same as the current century-long surge. Either show scientific evidence or go away, Mr Troll from Seattle Cloudflare. - [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 16:11, 13 September 2016 (UTC)
::::I should have known better to enter into a religious debate on the internet. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 00:17, 14 September 2016 (UTC)
:::::No it is not that which is the problem, but that you try to disqualify the data without even bothering to look through them. Aa mentioned Randall tries to let us know that such a high fluctuation as we have in these last 100 years would not be hidden in the old data. As mentioned by Fankie this is explained between 16000 and 15500 BCE... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:30, 14 September 2016 (UTC)
::::::I refuse to debate a matter of faith with you. Note that 15500-16000 is 500 years, perhaps when we have 500 years of accurate temperature measurements we will know more. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 03:54, 15 September 2016 (UTC)
:Have you read the referenced papers? Well you fit well with the people he refers to between the two lines at the top. ;-) We are heading for troublesome times :-( [[164: Playing Devil's Advocate to Win]]... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:22, 12 September 2016 (UTC)

*the use unqualified of the words "still many people" is exactly the kind of weasely nonsense that this comic is designed to refute. there are "still many people" who claim the earth is flat, that they have been abducted by aliens, or that the MMR jab made their children autistic. those people are deluded or insincere. the difference with deniers of climate change is that there are in their ranks scientists who are clear-sighted but who have decided that funding at any price is better than none. this site should be better than that. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.84|141.101.98.84]]
::You're absolutely right, the ranks of climate deniers do indeed include a few scientists willing to sell their voices to the highest bidder (e.g. http://www.polluterwatch.com/heartland-institute ). But is that what you meant to say? - [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 11:50, 13 September 2016 (UTC)
:::that the wording be changed to reflect that. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.84|141.101.98.84]] 11:59, 13 September 2016 (UTC)

For a large post like this, it's a wonder that we can all keep up and edit something like this all at once. Wow. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 11:56, 13 September 2016 (UTC)
:Also, anyone else notice that this was a top trending post on Facebook last night? I don't know if I could call it a milestone but it's still pretty cool. And '''WE''' edited it! :D --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 12:06, 13 September 2016 (UTC)
::Very interesting, so it was explain xkcd and not xkcd that where the top trending post? Could you post a link to where you found this out? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:15, 13 September 2016 (UTC)
:::I can see you are right from the fact that Randall has chosen to postpone his next comic in order to keep this one on the front page for all the new visitors as has now been noted in the explanation and in the trivia section. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:30, 14 September 2016 (UTC)

Maybe someone should add the fact that the transcript may be a reference to oxidation?[[User:Transuranium|Transuranium]] ([[User talk:Transuranium|talk]]) 19:21, 13 September 2016 (UTC)Transuranium
:I think you mean the "title text" not the transcript? And that you refer to the recent comic [[1693: Oxidation]] which is indeed referened in the title text, then that has been written at the bottom of the main explanation and has been there already since the 12th edit less than 1½ hour after the comic came out... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:02, 13 September 2016 (UTC)

Is nobody else having a problem seeing the comic? Both here and on XKCD I get an "Image not found" icon, a blue question mark. I thought maybe this was an interactive comic that doesn't work on my iPad (like that garden thing, though that did nothing on my computer either). If I tap it on XKCD nothing happens, here it leads to the picture's Wiki page - also with the question mark - which says it's a PNG, which I know this iPad can show. It's 11pm EST, maybe night maintenance on XKCD? Or the file got renamed without updating the sites? - NiceGuy1 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.227|162.158.126.227]] 03:12, 14 September 2016 (UTC)
:I had trouble seeing it on my own PC using Firefox but not the other browsers I have. See my early comment above. I guess the file is too big for your iPad as it is a very huge file. I tried to download it but it failed. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:07, 14 September 2016 (UTC)
::It's weird that I got what is clearly an "Image not found" icon, though. Maybe my 1st Gen iPad's Safari saw the file, decided "No way I'm loading that!"(or "that size can't be right", LOL!) and chose to show the error icon instead. When I force the issue, by going directly to the image URL listed on XKCD, the first time Safari crashed rather than load the image (but it crashes on a regular basis, so that didn't deter me), the second time it crashed, the third time it actually loaded, and I was able to see it. After seeing mentions here of spelling errors (though I have to disagree on "Pokemon", generally only people connected to the show bother with the accent. Like how I'm the only one who spells Hallowe'en correctly, with the apostrophe), I thought maybe the comic was taken down to correct it, but guess not. LOL! - NiceGuy1 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.239|108.162.218.239]] 20:54, 14 September 2016 (UTC)

I feel that the missing bottom axis is a usability problem, so I fixed it. [http://info.org.il/data/earth_temperature_timeline_bottom_axis.png See it here.] [[User:Hananc|Hananc]] ([[User talk:Hananc|talk]]) 10:42, 14 September 2016 (UTC)
:Nice but I'm sure it was on purpose to indicate that time continues down,as well as a possible even worse temperature change. As shown in the previous global warming comic [[1379]] Earth has been 8 degree hotter than now... And apart from the last small segment (albeit a very important one) you either remember that white is normal and bluer is colder redder is warmer or else you cannot use the chart in between the top and bottom, and since this is the longest xkcd comic so far it would be a shame. :-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:07, 14 September 2016 (UTC)

Okay, now that I've managed to SEE the damn thing, I have a question. There's no mention of why this is using "BCE" and "CE" instead of the standard "BC" and "AD", never mind what these stand for (thinking and thinking about it, my guess is "Before Christ Era" and "Christ Era"). This is the kind of thing that should be mentioned on ExplainXKCD, LOL! Fun fact: when I searched this page for "BCE", to confirm it wasn't explained, I got "Over 100 matches". :) Anyway, I figure maybe those are currently accepted scientific terminology, especially since "AD" is Latin, unlike "BC", but the average person still uses BC and AD. In fact, I think this is the first time I've ever seen BCE and CE (unless it's been on XKCD before and I just dismissed it as a typo or something. This time there are WAY too many for it to be a mistake every time, including here in the explanation!) - NiceGuy1[[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.239|108.162.218.239]] 21:20, 14 September 2016 (UTC)
:It's "Before Common Era" and "Common Era", an alternative to BC/AD. Pretty common alternative, though I don't know why off-hand - probably to remove the religious connotations of "Christ" and "Year of our Lord". --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.236|108.162.215.236]] 23:23, 14 September 2016 (UTC)
::Because they're the standards in the scientific community. The guy above assumed his way is standard, but that's inaccurate. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.92|108.162.212.92]] 00:26, 15 September 2016 (UTC)
:: For the convenience of archeologists working in the Middle East. [[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 01:16, 15 September 2016 (UTC)
What this comic doesn't show is what kind of changes occurred in the previous interglacial period as opposed to the current one. Since the current one is not yet over there could still be a stage of an interglacial with rapid temperature rise which we are only now reaching, but has happened in previous interglacial periods.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.54|108.162.219.54]] 02:32, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

User talk:Frankie

2016-09-14T00:21:47Z

108.162.246.119:

== Making unfounded accusations ==
Accusing another editor of making harmful edits without producing evidence is a serious accusation, and you have made it in the most [[Talk:1159: Countdown|inappropriate]] of places. If you have a grievance to lodge against an editor please use [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Admin requests]]. I should warn you that most of your edits can be categorized as rude, brusque, and not in the spirit of {{w|WP:FAITH}}. Not only that, but you appear to have singled out [[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] to receive your abuse. No action has been taken yet as St.nerol has not yet complained of your treatment. If this kind of inappropriate behavior continues action may be taken even without any request for admin intercession. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 23:28, 12 January 2013 (UTC)
:Abolutely not. I have every confidence that St.nerol is editing in good faith. The issues are:
# I think some of his math interpretations are incorrect; he thinks the converse.
# 2 out of 2 times he has disagreed with my additions to articles, he has blanked my statement rather than try to incorporate the alternate view.
:Furthermore, your assertion that [[Special:Contributions/Frankie|"most of my edits"]] are unfriendly is an unfounded accusation. My edit history is clearly constructive, aside from one annoyed talk post about being blanked for the second time. And that post was a request for information to resolve the dispute. - [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 11:50, 14 January 2013 (UTC)

::Up to this point you have had a grand total of 1 altercation with St.nerol. So to begin contributing to a conversation on [[Talk:1159: Countdown]] with the comment "when I saw my sentence about math had been removed, I knew it must be St.nerol" is highly irregular. For someone who claims to be adept at math you must be aware that a sample size of 1, and now 2, is an alarmingly small dataset to draw conclusions from. To speak nothing of the fact that you have admitted that both times were good faith, but mistaken, edits. To respond with such vitriol, is absolutely unnecessary. The fact that someone disagreed with you should not be a new experience for you, and you would have an easier time by tempering your reactions.

::The way a wiki works is to replace incorrect information with correct information. So replacing a statement is a typical action.

::Furthermore, to {{diff|25259|edit a page}} such that another editor's view is left on the page but called "naive" for any person simply viewing the page is rude, and bordering on contemptuous in texture.

::On an aside, the pedant in me wants to inform you that "blanking" would be the act of removing information without any new addition. What St.nerol did was replace your content with a different interpretation, which both you and I have said was in good faith, though perhaps misguided.

::'''Point 2''' No. Your post on St.nerol's talk page starts with an accusation without request for further information. "Nerol, you are espousing a minority view." with a link to a google search. That is not constructively phrased. That is not a request for information. That is not an attempt to resolve a dispute.

::'''Point 3''' Up to the point that I wrote that warning you had a total of 23 edits (adding the 1 file upload makes it 24), and ~10 edits that are inflammatory and/or argumentative. So indeed by pure statistical analysis, you are correct. ''Most'' of your edits have been constructive. However, of the four explanations you've contributed to, two of them have created an argument, both with St.nerol. I would defy you to find any other editor here that has been as controversial.

::Your edit history has not been clearly constructive. While you have improved explanations, you have been rude, and argumentative, and absolutist in the way you have gone about it.

::--[[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 23:19, 14 January 2013 (UTC)
:::Hi! Just to lighten things up:
:::*All [[User talk:St.nerol#Proof|actual discussion]] about [[Proof]] was very civil.
:::*I think that we all are content with how Proof and [[Countdown]] are currently explained.
:::*The explanations are better than hadn't Frankie contributed at all.
:::*After a little thought on the 'naive'-comment I thought, whataheck, that even happened to {{w|Naive set theory|Cantors theory of sets}}, and I certainly hope that ''he'' wasn't offended.
:::I can also understand the frustration when you found that I blanked you in Countdown (on the prospect of a lengthy discussion on it). I would ''not'' have blanked it if I knew or even suspected that it was from you or someone else that knew that much math. –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 00:38, 15 January 2013 (UTC)

== Time 1190 ==

Thanks for your edits. I am not native English so any help is welcome. But please do not remove too much from that story. This comic will run for months ahead from now and we should explain the entire story.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:01, 21 May 2013 (UTC)
:I don't see that much of an issue with his edits. He seems to have just cut a couple of extraneous sentences and words, not really that much content was lost. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 00:51, 22 May 2013 (UTC)

== Troll? ==

I can have a different opinion than you without being a troll. Once you have essentially decided to paint people who disagree with you as being malicious you are ending rational discussion. I am happy to forgive this insult and hope we can show more mutual respect for each other in the future. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 00:21, 14 September 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1732: Earth Temperature Timeline

2016-09-14T00:17:16Z

108.162.246.119:

Talk:1732: Earth Temperature Timeline

2016-09-13T14:44:00Z

108.162.246.119:

For a large post like this, it's a wonder that we can all keep up and edit something like this all at once. Wow. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 11:56, 13 September 2016 (UTC)
:Also, anyone else notice that this was a top trending post on Facebook last night? I don't know if I could call it a milestone but it's still pretty cool. And '''WE''' edited it! :D --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 12:06, 13 September 2016 (UTC)

Well, never mind then. Oh well. -- [[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 1:02, 12 September 2016
:I acknowledge that the picture is WAY too long, so I added a "skip to explanation" bar, to speed things up. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 17:32, 12 September 2016 (UTC)

Is it just me or does the picture not render all the way down in full resolution on firefox? I found it worked on Chrome and explorer... And Wauw, just after I had created the new [[:Category:Climate change]]... Was also just watched a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxEGHW6Lbu8 QandA program] yesterday where [[1644: Stargazing|Brian Cox]] tried to convince some Australian politician about global warming, but the other one just cried conspiracy... Will take some time to make this one complete I guess? Great ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:53, 12 September 2016 (UTC)
:That's the thing with this kind of stuff. It takes a LONG time to make it just right. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 19:08, 12 September 2016 (UTC)

Please delete the ridiculous trivia
*The colors used to represent temperature vary from blue (the perceived hue of a black body at 20000K) to pale red (perceived at 2200K).
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.139|108.162.221.139]] 19:44, 12 September 2016 (UTC)

Of course you can pretty much ignore the part of the diagram that is in dotted line, you can't rely on that data. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 20:40, 12 September 2016 (UTC)
:Note that even if we ignore the extrapolated future, the warming in the past century is already a vastly more abrupt climate shift than anything that happened in the preceding 219 centuries. - [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 21:15, 12 September 2016 (UTC)
::Actually we don't know what the shifts were on that scale in the past. The dotted line before modern measurement is a very limited estimate. We have no idea what the year to year changes were in the past, at best we can work out an average. I am reminded of a house mouse(life span of about 1 year) looking at the leaves fall from the tress and saying "Surely this is the end of the world". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 14:44, 13 September 2016 (UTC)
:Have you read the referenced papers? Well you fit well with the people he refers to between the two lines at the top. ;-) We are heading for troublesome times :-( [[164: Playing Devil's Advocate to Win]]... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:22, 12 September 2016 (UTC)

*the use unqualified of the words "still many people" is exactly the kind of weasely nonsense that this comic is designed to refute. there are "still many people" who claim the earth is flat, that they have been abducted by aliens, or that the MMR jab made their children autistic. those people are deluded or insincere. the difference with deniers of climate change is that there are in their ranks scientists who are clear-sighted but who have decided that funding at any price is better than none. this site should be better than that. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.84|141.101.98.84]]
::You're absolutely right, the ranks of climate deniers do indeed include a few scientists willing to sell their voices to the highest bidder (e.g. http://www.polluterwatch.com/heartland-institute ). But is that what you meant to say? - [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 11:50, 13 September 2016 (UTC)
:::that the wording be changed to reflect that. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.84|141.101.98.84]] 11:59, 13 September 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1732: Earth Temperature Timeline

2016-09-12T20:40:04Z

108.162.246.119:

Talk:1721: Business Idea

2016-08-17T13:53:27Z

108.162.246.119: /* "Pay it forward" at Starbucks */

Fixed as of 11:35 UTC, the old comic is now named "'''My''' Business Idea" [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.141|162.158.203.141]] 11:32, 17 August 2016 (UTC)
:Same person, just want to note the forum is a little behind. It was 11:35 according to Google, and the timestamp on the signature said 11:32. Posting this at 11:39 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.141|162.158.203.141]] 11:36, 17 August 2016 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure there's been a naming overlap or something because https://xkcd.com/827/ and http://xkcd.com/1721/ are showing the same image
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.157|108.162.250.157]] 04:13, 17 August 2016 (UTC)

== Randall done goofed ==

He accidentally named TWO comics "Business Idea". This one and comic 827 (https://xkcd.com/827/). Because his comics are stored by name, not id, he has two "business_idea.png"s. The newer replaced the older one, but explain-xkcd has the original, probably due to the way either one is stored.
:I'm honestly surprised Randall would make a mistake like this. Like shouldn't he have a list and a script that automatically checks wether a title was already used? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.133.66|162.158.133.66]] 09:25, 17 August 2016 (UTC)
::Or simply append/prepend the comic number to the image name, that way you can't have duplicates.

What should we do? Contact Randall? {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.10}}
:Check the fora. Let him know he broke 827(http://i.imgur.com/0LTTpmJ.png) if he doesn't know already. I'm too lazy. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.110|108.162.245.110]] 04:35, 17 August 2016 (UTC)
:Store it on the wiki as a jpeg and differentiate that way. --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.89|173.245.48.89]] 04:59, 17 August 2016 (UTC)

The older comic has now been renamed as "My Business Idea", and is back up again. [[User:Zorlax the Mighty|Zorlax the Mighty'); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:Zorlax the Mighty|talk]]) 11:34, 17 August 2016 (UTC)

== Explanation for us users from countries with different fueling systems ==
In Germany and many other countries, the gas pumps actually have a separate hose per fuel type, so many fans of xkcd might not be able to understand this comic. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.83.162|162.158.83.162]] 05:18, 17 August 2016 (UTC)
: Yes, because many of us use Diesel, and you should not mix diesel and petrol. But it's no problem to mix small quantities of regular into premium or vice versa. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.86.161|162.158.86.161]] 09:06, 17 August 2016 (UTC)
:: Not just diesel and petrol - every kind of fuel sold (usually 4 per pump - petrol/diesel x premium/regular, sometimes fast diesel pump for trucks instead of diesel premium) has a separate hose and pistol in Poland. You choose the fuel by choosing the pistol. I'm guessing it's the same in a large part of Europe at least. It didn't even occur to me that it could be done differently. I honestly thought it was part of the joke - that Cueball doesn't even know that. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.86.119|162.158.86.119]] 10:07, 17 August 2016 (UTC)
::: I'm really surprised, too. How DOES a system work where the customer can presumably switch between the kinds of gas he fills in his tank? And where is such a system installed? The States, I suppose, but where else? For international readers, this should definitely be part of the explanation. Is there a convenient weblink that shows the differences between countries' gas stations, or a weblink that shows this unique setup that Randall takes for granted here? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.83.72|162.158.83.72]] 10:50, 17 August 2016 (UTC)

== Beret Guy? ==
Is this Cueball, or Beret Guy with his hat off? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 08:22, 17 August 2016 (UTC)
: Unlikely. Wasn't Beret Guy's hat stapled? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.86.119|162.158.86.119]] 10:07, 17 August 2016 (UTC)
: If it was Beret Guy he most likely would have had (inexplicable) success with this idea. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 10:13, 17 August 2016 (UTC)

== "Pay it forward" at Starbucks ==

This is actually about Starbucks, where customers - depending on the place, of course, as I've never seen it in Switzerland - are asked to pay some bucks for the next customer. You are expected to pay something "forward".

This idea originates from Italy, where you can buy a "caffè sospeso", a "suspended café". Somebody in need can walk up to the bar tender and ask for a free coffee. And yes, it disgusts me that this good idea was taken over by hipsters.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.228|162.158.150.228]] 11:20, 17 August 2016 (UTC)

:I think you may be seeing something that is not in the comic. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 13:53, 17 August 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1025: Tumblr

2016-08-09T02:36:53Z

108.162.246.119:

To me this is a lesson that without romance in our lives, our love may as well degrade to sex in a dungeon. Perhaps it's a sign that there is not enough bands singing about romance these days, just tits, ass and more tits and ass. - e-inspired [[Special:Contributions/98.211.199.84|98.211.199.84]] 15:32, 27 February 2013 (UTC)

:...dot Tumbler dot com. [[Special:Contributions/66.29.191.32|66.29.191.32]] 08:52, 9 April 2013 (UTC)

I have no idea why, but for some reason, the comic image is blocked by AdBlock as an ad. (Fix please? :( )[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.29|173.245.52.29]] 22:25, 29 January 2014 (UTC)
:I believe it's trying to be clever and match the image as a slightly modified 240x400 vertical rectangle ad. We can't change anything about the image on our end without compromising accuracy, but whitelisting us in Adblock should solve the problem. Alternately, there might be settings in Adblock to make it less paranoid about what classifies as an ad that you could tweak. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 22:38, 29 January 2014 (UTC)
::I found what was wrong, for anyone else who has this problem. The filter called "Fanboy's annoyances" was classifying this comic as an advertisement, so if anyone else has this problem, just turn off that filter in the Adblock settings. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.29|173.245.52.29]] 20:57, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

Ha ha It bit off his penis has got to rank with he fell in the water for funny.[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 23:20, 21 January 2015 (UTC)
:The hell? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 02:36, 9 August 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1701: Speed and Danger

2016-07-01T15:09:53Z

108.162.246.119:

I think this might be a strong contender for worst comic on xkcd. Although [[1384: Krypton]] definitely makes for stiff competition. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.102|108.162.216.102]] 14:28, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

Is there something this is referencing? [[User:Saklad5|Saklad5]] ([[User talk:Saklad5|talk]]) 14:41, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

The worst? Have you looked at the first few hundred? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 15:09, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1673: Timeline of Bicycle Design

2016-04-27T16:23:35Z

108.162.246.119:

I have deleted the entire paragraph with the Alternatively, explanation that this could be an analogue to the process of meiosis and pregnancy... It seems extremely far fetched to me... [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:01, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

Seconded. This is a bizarre comic, and there will be a bizarre explanation, but that is clearly not it. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.181|141.101.70.181]] 13:04, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

That 1860 bike looks like the {{w|American Star Bicycle}}, but the year doesn't match. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.79.49|141.101.79.49]] 13:10, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

(Moved here from explanation:) The randomness of the designs reminds me of the strange designs produced by the genetic evolution AI in the game BoxCar2D.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.78|141.101.80.78]] 15:05, 27 April 2016‎

This comic strongly remind me of http://boxcar2d.com/ [[User:Dorus|Dorus]] ([[User talk:Dorus|talk]]) 14:24, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

I third the above comments. It could also help explain the title text, as the 1955 panel shows a broken and failed cycle, which can happen when a detrimental mutation (like weak wheel linkages) is selected by the AI to be passed on.

Would have seconded it, only looks like I'm fourthing it, instead. Also I adjusted 1925's transcript description as the numbers were wrong. (I also suspect it's related to the stabilisation applied to the [https://postalheritage.wordpress.com/tag/pentacycle/ Pentacycle], only without visible in/out-of-page stability. (Because the third dimension doesn't exist? Well apart from 1900 that looks to be a bicycle version of the [http://www.thisvictorianlife.com/cycling.html Rudge], with a solid insert to the spoked wheel ('poor man's disc-wheel' kit?) obscuring all but the spurious over-wheel drive-chain and the rider's head.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.137|141.101.98.137]] 15:09, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

Can you include the 'Alternatively,' explanation down here so I (and presumably others) don't have to wade through the page's history? We could list all sorts of far-fetched explanations, it has definitely happened on other comics.

I have a feeling that this is related to the idea that nobody can draw a bicycle. For example, [https://www.behance.net/gallery/35437979/Velocipedia this artist created 3D renderings of bicycles drawn by strangers]. [[User:Rael|Rael]] ([[User talk:Rael|talk]]) 14:51, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

Does anyone else think the 1980 bike resembles a horse-drawn carriage minus the horses? Specifically, the two long parts Megan is holding look like reins. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.122|108.162.246.122]] 16:06, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

I came here thinking I did not get the joke. After reading the description I see I am not the only one. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 16:23, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1668: Singularity

2016-04-15T14:53:41Z

108.162.246.119: /* Quantum gravity */

Incidentally, [http://craphound.com/rotn/Cory_Doctorow_and_Charles_Stross_-_Rapture_of_the_Nerds.html Rapture of the Nerds] mentions [[1664: Mycology|Toxoplasma gondii]] in passing. [[User:.42|.42]] ([[User talk:.42|talk]]) 13:19, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

== Quantum gravity ==

Is there something more to this joke than the comedy of public nudity? With Munroe the usually is. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.25|141.101.80.25]] 13:46, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

: {{w|Naked singularity}}. [[User:.42|.42]] ([[User talk:.42|talk]]) 13:50, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

::Ahh, I missed the Naked singularity joke. Good catch. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 14:53, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1662: Jack and Jill

2016-03-30T14:49:31Z

108.162.246.119:

Often water in spring (up hill) has better quality than in stream or river (down in the valley) --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 14:23, 30 March 2016 (UTC)

jack and Jill / went up the hill / to have a little fun / but silly Jill / forgot the pill / and now they have a son. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.151|141.101.104.151]] 14:28, 30 March 2016 (UTC)

I'd always assumed that there was a well at the top of the hill, though I hadn't realised I'd made that assumption until now. And, come to think of it, the top of a hill's a pretty bad place to put a well. --jwanders [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.160|108.162.237.160]] 14:39, 30 March 2016 (UTC)

High water sources are ideal. Not only do they tend to be cleaner, but it also makes for easier transportation. Note that hills are often at the base of mountains. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 14:49, 30 March 2016 (UTC)