explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:927: Standards

2019-07-02T00:19:13Z

108.162.246.29:

But this new video codec might just be the one that solves all our problems! You never know until you try it! '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 09:19, 9 March 2013 (UTC)
:There are sixteen competing standards [[User:StillNotOriginal|StillNot]][[User talk:StillNotOriginal|Original]] 02:13, 22 May 2018 (UTC)

Is the mini-USB vs micro-USB standards rift a good representative example of what this comic is hinting at? [[User:Dexterous|Dexterous]] ([[User talk:Dexterous|talk]]) 10:19, 2 May 2014 (UTC)

:Yeah, it is. Though, basically, there were even more variants than that around. Before each maker basically had their own socket, most kept it through their phone models, mostly. But everyone basically just uses Micro-USB nowadays... Some still use Mini-USB, but those numbers are dwindling. What really fits to this comic is something that was just recently announced: USB 3.1. If you Google for the new USB 3.1 plugs, you see they're completely different but "cover all use cases"... Let's see how that goes. [[User:Sinni800|Sinni800]] ([[User talk:Sinni800|talk]]) 13:43, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

:: 3.1 type-c was meant to be fairly quickly adopted and designed to meet all use-cases for the foreseeable future. when the foreseeable future presents currently unforseeable use-cases a new standard will likely be rapidly developed and deployed. this is a functional model, different than the one that leads to competition amoungst hardware/software developers. Also, MKV is another example of a sustainable standard (container for media files). Googles VP9, and the coming VPx 18 month update cycle, seem to be the best current option for an open video codec standard.

This particular comic is widely cited in about four different SDO's that I participate in [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.9|108.162.216.9]] 08:10, 12 November 2015 (UTC)

This is more applicable to politics. It's so prevalent in the left and I frequently reference it on /r/socialism and stuff. Once in a while there will be a person posting saying that we need to form one major socialist party that appeals to als many tendencies as possible like Marxism, Leninism, Maoism, Trotskyism, with the parties like SAlt, SPUSA, etc. It's like. NO. YOU'LL JUST FURTHER SHATTER THE LEFT. Forget parties. We all have the common goal of class consciousness and worker ownership of the means of production. Let's first work on that and *later* argue about the specifics. Like seriously. For the organizing the left is known for, there seems to be less organizing and more arguing going on... [[User:International Space Station|International Space Station]] ([[User talk:International Space Station|talk]]) 02:10, 3 August 2016 (UTC)

:Hah, with that kind of talk, it's no wonder your Popular Front for Galilee only has one member, bleedin' splitter! The goal of the People's Popular Liberation Front for East Judea (Bethlehem) is to free our country from the Judean People's Front (and the Romans after that) but there is no way allying with Samarian splitters like you is going to bring us closer to that goal! We will defeat the People's Popular Liberation Front for East Judea (Bethlehem) and free our country! Bloody SPLITTERS! Long live the People's Popular Liberation Front for East Judea (Bethlehem-North)!
:Sorry, but after seeing that comment I couldn't resist :P --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.50.106|172.68.50.106]] 01:55, 8 March 2018 (UTC)

UTF-8 and UTF-16 can both encode the entire Unicode character set, so I edited the page to say this. (In actual fact, UTF-16 is more commonly thought of as the more limited version, by people who confuse it with UCS-2.) --[[User:Sophira|Sophira]] ([[User talk:Sophira|talk]]) 00:07, 11 December 2016 (UTC)

== Mobile phone chargers have mostly converged on a common USB-based solution... ==

Regarding ''Mobile phone chargers have mostly converged on a common USB-based solution'', it may be worth mentioning the reason they converged was China. China passed legislation standardizing the charging interface because competing designs proliferated and were not interoperating. It was causing excessive waste as millions of good chargers were discarded every year. Europe is cosidering similar legislation. Also see [https://www.chinalawblog.com/2007/06/chinas_big_government_hand_wor.html China’s Big Government Hand Works Just Fine] and [https://www.geek.com/apple/apple-will-be-forced-to-use-micro-usb-chargers-by-2017-1587862/ Apple will be forced to use micro USB chargers by 2017].

: Except they didn't, because USB-C happened before micro-USB convergence actually occured in the West, and iPhones *still* aren't conforming to any sort of charger standard in 2019. And now we have 9 different standards running over a USB-C connector...

2089: Christmas Eve Eve

2018-12-28T19:42:54Z

108.162.246.29: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2089
| date = December 24, 2018
| title = Christmas Eve Eve
| image = christmas_eve_eve.png
| titletext = It turns out that saying "Oh, so THAT'S why they call it Boxing Day" is a good way to get punched a second time.
}}

==Explanation==
This year's [[:Category:Christmas|Christmas comic]] was posted on December 24, 2018, the {{w|Christmas Eve}} of 2018.

The evening or day preceding a special day such as a holiday is often referred to as the ''eve'' of that day (derived from the same word from which we get ''evening''). Thus December 24 is Christmas Eve. Some people extend this and call December 23 "Christmas Eve Eve," as Christmas Eve is itself a noted holiday. The day before ''that'' would be "Christmas Eve Eve Eve," adding one "Eve" for each night before Christmas morning, although the increasing extension leads to each additional "Eve" being continuously less common.

[[Cueball]] notes the general idea, and [[Megan]] acknowledges it. Cueball follows by naming December 24 as Christmas Eve, December 25 as Christmas, and then mentions that the following day is his favorite. Megan's "Oh no" implies that she knows what Cueball will say next.

Since December 26 is the 364th day before Christmas (when the following year is not a leap year, which was correct in 2018 when the comic was released), it follows that it is "Christmas" followed by "Eve" 364 times.

Megan finds listening to Cueball recite this unacceptable. As such, she announces that she will not give him gifts, taking the extra step of returning the gifts she'd already bought. As Christmas presents in America are first handed out on Christmas Day's morning (unless the giver and recipient are aware in advance they will be unable to meet in person on that day; Megan's presence on Christmas Eve indicates this is not a threat), she has not given it to him yet.

The title text refers to the {{w|Boxing Day}} holiday celebrated the day after Christmas in the UK and many parts of the former British Empire. Although the exact origin of the name is unknown, it is believed to be in [https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/10-christmas-myths8.htm reference to the Alms Box] placed in areas of worship to collect donations to the poor, which was then opened right after Christmas. Most Americans don't know this and make jokes about how it refers to {{w|Boxing|the sport of boxing}}. In this title text we can presume Cueball was punched (or ''boxed'') after his litany of 364 ''Eve''s, to which he replies, "Oh, so ''that's'' why they call it Boxing Day." As this is a pun of groan-inducing triviality, {{tvtropes|LamePunReaction|he receives another punch}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball with his arms our is talking with White Hat and Megan. In Cueballs long last remark the letters get smaller from line to line.]

:Cueball: Today is Christmas Eve. Yesterday was Christmas Eve Eve.
:Megan: Uh huh...
:Cueball: Of course, tomorrow is Christmas. And then, my favorite...
:Megan: Oh no.
:Cueball: ...Christmas Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve  Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve  Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve  Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve  Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve  Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve  Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve  Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve! 
:Megan: I'm returning the presents I got you.

==Trivia==
*The day before this comic was released (that is on the actual Christmas Eve Eve day) a comic with a similar theme was released on the web comic {{w|Nancy (comic strip)|Nancy}}:
**[https://www.gocomics.com/nancy/2018/12/23 Nancy 2018/12/23].
*Each line has the following number of eves:
:# 11
:# 14
:# 14
:# 14
:# 15
:# 16
:# 17
:# 17
:# 18
:# 20
:# 21
:# 22
:# 24
:# 25
:# 27
:# 30
:# 32
:# 27
:*364 total!
::*The first line also has Christmas along with the 11 eves, and do take up more space than the 14 eves below.
::*The last line is only partially filled, with 4 eves from the line above on each side (so room for more than 35, probably 40, eves in one line with that font size.)
::*The first three lines with 14 eves becomes clearly shorter, before more is added almost in every line after this, except two lines with 17 each.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Christmas]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]

2090: Feathered Dinosaur Venn Diagram

2018-12-26T15:21:23Z

108.162.246.29: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2090
| date = December 26, 2018
| title = Feathered Dinosaur Venn Diagram
| image = feathered_dinosaur_venn_diagram.png
| titletext = My pet theory is that in real life, the kid at the beginning of Jurassic Park who made fun of the 'six-foot turkey' never got a talking-to from Dr. Grant, and grew up to produce several of the movie's sequels.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a GUY WHO FOUGHT AN OSTRICH. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is another jab at people who don't believe in the fact that feathered dinosaurs exist, just because they aren't cool.
:Good explanation; what else is needed?

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
[The comic shows a rectangular panel containing two circles, side by side. A caption is underneath each circle.]

:Left circle caption: People Who Don't Think Feathered Dinosaurs Sound Scary

:Right circle caption: People Who Have Tried To Fight An Ostrich

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2089: Christmas Eve Eve

2018-12-25T02:23:47Z

108.162.246.29:

The "eve" count might be off by one or two. I used 365. [[User:Blacksilver|Blacksilver]] ([[User talk:Blacksilver|talk]]) 05:40, 24 December 2018 (UTC)
:Correct would be 364. Except in leap years. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.90|162.158.90.90]] 09:23, 24 December 2018 (UTC)
::Anyone ACTUALLY count to make sure Randall got it right? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.29|108.162.246.29]] 02:22, 25 December 2018 (UTC)

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

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

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

I don't see where anybody actually reported counting the number of times Randall wrote "eve", so I counted each of the 18 rows separately and then added them together. I got 11, 14, 14, 14, 15, 16, 17, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 30, 32, and 27 - a grand total of 364 times, as expected. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 14:13, 24 December 2018 (UTC)
:Hat tip. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.29|108.162.246.29]] 02:23, 25 December 2018 (UTC)

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

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

Talk:2089: Christmas Eve Eve

2018-12-25T02:22:26Z

108.162.246.29: Trust, but verify.

The "eve" count might be off by one or two. I used 365. [[User:Blacksilver|Blacksilver]] ([[User talk:Blacksilver|talk]]) 05:40, 24 December 2018 (UTC)
:Correct would be 364. Except in leap years. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.90|162.158.90.90]] 09:23, 24 December 2018 (UTC)
::Anyone ACTUALLY count to make sure Randall got it right? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.29|108.162.246.29]] 02:22, 25 December 2018 (UTC)

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

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

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

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

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

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

1824: Identification Chart

2017-04-14T05:45:11Z

108.162.246.29: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1824
| date = April 14, 2017
| title = Identification Chart
| image = identification_chart.png
| titletext = Be careful-it's breeding season, and some of these can be *extremely* defensive of their nests.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Commonly, aircraft are named after {{w|bird of prey|birds of prey}}. This comic presents an "identification guide" of silhouettes, each with the {{w|fuselage}} of an aircraft and the wings of the animal from which the aircraft gets its name. All are birds with the exception of the {{w|hornet|hornet}} that is an insect. This would be absurd if it was a cyborg or a plane with the feathers designed, as bird wings are usually made to support the lightweight structure of a bird and supporting the parts of a plane with its human pilot would be impossible.{{Citation needed}} Below is a table with all the birds.

{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Plane
!Explain
|-
|{{w|Osprey|Osprey}}
|{{w|Bell_Boeing_V-22_Osprey|V-22 Osprey}}
|
|-
|{{w|Hornet|Hornet}}
|{{w|McDonnell_Douglas_F/A-18_Hornet|F/A-18 Hornet}}
|
|-
|{{w|Falcon|Falcon}}
|{{w|General_Dynamics_F-16_Fighting_Falcon|F-16 Falcon}}
|
|-
|{{w|Harrier|Harrier}}
|{{w|Harrier_Jump_Jet|Harrier_Jump_Jet}}
|
|-
|{{w|Eagle|Eagle}}
|{{w|McDonnell_Douglas_F-15_Eagle|F-15 Eagle}}
|
|-
|{{w|Kestrel|Kestrel}}
|{{w|Kestrel_K-350|Kestrel_K-350}}
|
|-
|{{w|Hawk|Hawk}}
|
|
|-
|{{w|Blackbird|Blackbird}}
|{{w|Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird|SR-71 Blackbird}}
|
|}

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

{{comic discussion}}

1824: Identification Chart

2017-04-14T05:28:15Z

108.162.246.29: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1824
| date = April 14, 2017
| title = Identification Chart
| image = identification_chart.png
| titletext = Be careful-it's breeding season, and some of these can be *extremely* defensive of their nests.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Commonly, aircraft are named after {{w|bird of prey|birds of prey}}. This comic presents an "identification guide" of silhouettes, each with the {{w|fuselage}} of an aircraft and the wings of the animal from which the aircraft gets its name. All are birds with the exception of the {{w|hornet|hornet}} that is an insect. This would be absurd if it was a cyborg or a plane with the feathers designed, as bird wings are usually made to support the lightweight structure of a bird and supporting the parts of a plane with its human pilot would be impossible.{{Citation needed}} Below is a table with all the birds.

{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Plane
!Explain
|-
|{{w|Osprey|Osprey}}
|{{w|Bell_Boeing_V-22_Osprey|V-22 Osprey}}
|
|-
|{{w|Hornet|Hornet}}
|{{w|McDonnell_Douglas_F/A-18_Hornet|F/A-18 Hornet}}
|
|-
|{{w|Falcon|Falcon}}
|{{w|General_Dynamics_F-16_Fighting_Falcon|F-16 Falcon}}
|
|-
|{{w|Harrier|Harrier}}
|{{w|Harrier_Jump_Jet|Harrier_Jump_Jet}}
|
|-
|{{w|Eagle|Eagle}}
|{{w|McDonnell_Douglas_F-15_Eagle|F-15 Eagle}}
|
|-
|{{w|Kestrel|Kestrel}}
|{{w|Kestrel_K-350|Kestrel_K-350}}
|
|-
|{{w|Hawk|Hawk}}
|{{w||}}
|
|-
|{{w|Blackbird|Blackbird}}
|{{w|Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird|SR-71 Blackbird}}
|
|}

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

{{comic discussion}}

1824: Identification Chart

2017-04-14T05:12:41Z

108.162.246.29: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1824
| date = April 14, 2017
| title = Identification Chart
| image = identification_chart.png
| titletext = Be careful-it's breeding season, and some of these can be *extremely* defensive of their nests.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Commonly, aircraft are named after {{w|bird of prey|birds of prey}}. This comic presents an "identification guide" of silhouettes, each with the {{w|fuselage}} of an aircraft and the wings of the animal from which the aircraft gets its name. All are birds with the exception of the {{w|hornet|hornet}} that is an insect. This would be absurd if it was a cyborg or a plane with the feathers designed, as bird wings are usually made to support the lightweight structure of a bird and supporting the parts of a plane with its human pilot would be impossible.{{Citation needed}} Below is a table with all the birds.

{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Plane
!Explain
|-
|{{w|osprey|osprey}}
|{{w|Bell_Boeing_V-22_Osprey|V-22 Osprey}}
|
|}

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

{{comic discussion}}

1824: Identification Chart

2017-04-14T05:10:11Z

108.162.246.29: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1824
| date = April 14, 2017
| title = Identification Chart
| image = identification_chart.png
| titletext = Be careful-it's breeding season, and some of these can be *extremely* defensive of their nests.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Commonly, aircraft are named after {{w|bird of prey|birds of prey}}. This comic presents an "identification guide" of silhouettes, each with the {{w|fuselage}} of an aircraft and the wings of the animal from which the aircraft gets its name. All are birds with the exception of the {{w|hornet|hornet}} that is an insect. This would be absurd if it was a cyborg or a plane with the feathers designed, as bird wings are usually made to support the lightweight structure of a bird and supporting the parts of a plane with its human pilot would be impossible.{{Citation needed}} Below is a table with all the birds.

{|
!Name
!Plane
!Explain
|-
|{{w|osprey|osprey}} |{{w|Bell_Boeing_V-22_Osprey|Bell_Boeing_V-22_Osprey}}
|}

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

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1818: Rayleigh Scattering

2017-04-06T14:45:57Z

108.162.246.29: /* The other side of the argument */

I keep trying to correct the misspelled joung Girl to Young Girl but it keeps reverting. I corrected the two non-capitalized sentences and they stay put. Does "joung" have a meaning i don't understand? [[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 14:55, 31 March 2017 (UTC)

No, "joung" is only there, because of my limited english skills [[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.88|162.158.150.88]] 06:59, 4 April 2017 (UTC)

:There might be conflicting edits, that happens a lot with new comics[[User:Dontknow|Dontknow]] ([[User talk:Dontknow|talk]]) 15:34, 31 March 2017 (UTC)

Question - while I understand the intent of the comic is that overly complicated explanations can be confusing, isn't the title-text analogy incorrect? Doesn't chlorophyll scatter green light and absorbs other colors, whereas with the sky, it's really just different levels of scattering and very little absorbing (hence why a clear sky at dusk can appear red, the sky wasn't absorbing red light, it was just scattering it differently than blue light). Isn't that fundamentally different from the way most other common objects get their perceived color? (ps - I'm not a scientist, just curious, appreciate any feedback)
:Sry, no answer to your question, but a second chlorophyll-related one: I doubt that chlorophyll "reflects" green light, "scattering" should be correct! Any other opinions???? milebrega, 14:38, 1 April 2017 (UTC)

"Why are leaves green?" "Well, the leaf absorbs most of the colors, but not the green light, which it scatters instead." "Why is my shirt black?" "Well the cloth absorbs most of the colors, but just scatters the black light... wait..." [[User:Andyd273|Andyd273]] ([[User talk:Andyd273|talk]]) 15:46, 31 March 2017 (UTC)

I like to think this is Miss Lenhart, continuing her science teaching in the same vein as in 'Venus'. There's no proof in the comic, but it fits nicely. Potentially something to add as a possibility in the explanation? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.247|162.158.154.247]] 16:38, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
:I second the take that this is Miss Lenhart; I guess she's not in a classroom setting but she's been in similar situations. Someone should mention that the girl's second question is the same from [[803: Airfoil]] (also with Miss Lenhart). Articles have mentioned sort of "series" of themes before; that article, [[1145: Sky Color]], and this have an ongoing theme of "how to explain science to kids".[[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.34|172.68.150.34]] 04:04, 1 April 2017 (UTC)

Yesssss <3 I had the exact same thought the first time Rayleigh scattering was explained to me: "isn't that just a specific mechanism of air being blue?" For some reason such explanations majorly tend to insist that the air is not in fact blue, and it has always bothered me. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.19|162.158.111.19]] 16:41, 31 March 2017 (UTC)

Maybe the explanation should point out that the real reason the planes "stay up" is that the tiny birds are on the '''underside''' of the wings.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.34|162.158.92.34]] 17:20, 31 March 2017 (UTC)

If air is blue how come a sunset, with LOTS of air, is red? I know the answer but it is the obvious next question with this explanation. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.171|162.158.74.171]] 17:22, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
:During the day the Sun heats the air. At sunset you see the result of this heating, the air glows red-hot or orange-hot and starts to quickly cool down. You can't see it glowing during the day because of the very bright Sun.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.34|162.158.92.34]] 17:40, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
::Oh ok. Than why is the sun-rise also red? ;-). --[[User:DaB.|DaB.]] ([[User talk:DaB.|talk]]) 23:40, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
:: https://www.reddit.com/r/ExplainLikeImCalvin/ [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.202|108.162.210.202]] 10:31, 1 April 2017 (UTC)

Can someone add this to the comics featuring those respective characters? [[User:Dontknow|Dontknow]] ([[User talk:Dontknow|talk]]) 17:41, 31 March 2017 (UTC)

New here, probably not following proper form in this commend, but, if I may ask, is that thing about mountains appearing blue actually true? (Unsigned)

I received the 'rayleigh scattering' explanation myself, and it served me well. Even without knowing anything about quantum mechanics or how the human eye works, knowing that there's an optic principle at work other than simple pigmentation explains why the light is golden early and late in the day, and why dust or smoke can have such diverse effects on the colour of the light beaming down, especially at dusk and dawn.

If I'd been told air was blue, I'd have a lot more questions, and I'd still think that gemstones like alexandrite that look different colours in different light were somehow magical, instead of just having unique physical properties. So, I'd like to assume Randall's just making a outlandish joke, not really trying to say that it's wrong to give children the phrase 'rayleigh scattering' and explain what the consequences of it are, even without describing the mechanisms behind it--something that still goes way over my head.[[User:Namaphry|Namaphry]] ([[User talk:Namaphry|talk]]) 04:59, 1 April 2017 (UTC)

Air is not blue - certainly not in the same way that leaves are green or blue-dyed liquids are blue. This is evident when observing the Moon - a large chunk of rock much farther away than any mountains. Does all the air we're looking through at it make it appear blue? Of course not. If anything, the Moon can appear orange near the horizon. (But clearly, the reason is not that "air is orange".)

""Air is not blue - certainly not in the same way that leaves are green or blue-dyed liquids are blue. ""
Have You ever seen liquid air or oxygen?
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.52|162.158.92.52]] 06:29, 2 April 2017 (UTC)
: Actually no. And a google image search for Liquid Oxygen doesn't give an image I'm totally convinced is actually of Oxygen (Best match seems to be a flask of Ozone, although it is most certainly a very deep blue).

: Air in the Earth's atmosphere is not liquid, nor does it contain liquid oxygen. While liquid oxygen is pale blue, gaseous oxygen is colorless. Feel free to check the Wikipedia page on oxygen for a quick reference. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.215.88|172.68.215.88]] 08:21, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

What is happening with the sky is that air can appear to glow with various colors when illuminated with a strong directional source of light, such as the sun. The color depends on multiple factors, including the angle of illumination and observation. The glow can be commonly seen being blue, white, yellow, or red - with blue hues generally observable on clear days, and reddish hues at sunrise or sunset. This only works with a directional source of light; when the source of light is diffuse, such as under a large cloud cover, the sky doesn't appear blue, and neither do distant mountains, readily disproving the notion that air itself would be blue.

There. That didn't involve any quantum mechanics. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.215.88|172.68.215.88]] 07:07, 1 April 2017 (UTC)

Is there no xkcd April Fool's this year? ~[[User:Luc|Luc]] [[[User talk:Luc|talk]]] 22:27, 1 April 2017 (UTC)

;Current explanation all backwards?
I seriously doubt the point of the comic is to tell children wrong answers just because they might not understand the real answer. That is just horrible. "The child's reaction in this comic, "Wow!", suggests that not only she understood, but is also excited about learning, which could be more important to her development than hearing the "correct" answer up front." That doesn't make any sense. I'm sure he doesn't want to say, tell children planes fly because of birds in their wings. There are easy and simple ways to give the correct answer, that children will understand, and it's definitely not better for their development and interest to tell them absolut BS. It's the other way around, he makes fun of this answer, and so wants to make the point to NOT tell children things like that just because you're too lazy to explain, or because you think they might not understand. The point is not: Give an easy and possibly wrong answer to children. The point is rather: While for blue sky the easier (and TRUE) answer might be enough for kids, for other things that's not the best solution, and definitely don't oversimplify so much that your answer actually is wrong. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.98|162.158.88.98]] 08:53, 1 April 2017 (UTC)
:I completely agree. I find the current explanation to be 100% the opposite of what Randall has been trying to say in earlier comics. The joke is those that think it is better to tell false stories rather than try to tell the truth. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 18:28, 1 April 2017 (UTC)

Look, there's really no question about whats going on in this comic, and people need to stop overcomplicating and overanalyzing things. Here's how it breaks down: Science Girl asks a science question. Blondie gives a simplified but still correct answer, while Megan gives the traditional but more complicated answer. Blondie then makes the point that's also the comic's intended moral - that we can view things at different levels of detail, and that just because an explanation is less detailed than you're use to doesn't mean it's actually wrong.
:Blondie is doing the child a disservice. It's debatable if "Because air is blue" is accurate as others gave the examples of with sunrise and sunset. Also dubious is her statement, "Blue light bounces off it and hits our eyes". This makes it sound like simple reflection which is a very distinct mechanism from scattering. Things that reflect light vs. things that allow some light to pass through them (glass, air, water, irises) get wavelengths to our eyes in different ways. If you give the completely useless "because it makes it so blue light gets to our eyes" you'd be correct, but saying that the light reflects rather than is scattered is false.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.5|162.158.79.5]] 15:25, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

Then in the last panel, Blondie takes her valid point to its illogical conclusion by giving an explanation that isn't merely simplified, but straight up wrong, which frustrates Megan. This panel has no moral and is not trying to make a point. It's just there to be the punchline. Anyone reading ''any'' kind of moral into it should probably remember why they're called "comics" in the first place.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.172|108.162.241.172]] 02:04, 2 April 2017 (UTC)

;Hommage to Calvin and Hobbes?
I believe this comic could be an hommage to Calvin and Hobbes comics, where Calvin asks his dad stuff about nature, and his dad replies with completely nonsensical explanations.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.22|162.158.114.22]] 21:20, 1 April 2017 (UTC)
:Calvin and Hobbes did not invent children asking science questions or parents who can't answer them.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.172|108.162.241.172]] 02:04, 2 April 2017 (UTC)
::Lot's of homages exist to things that didn't invent other things.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.5|162.158.79.5]] 15:27, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

== The other side of the argument ==

The other side of the argument is basically that by giving an overly simple and inaccurate explanation, one can be very misleading. There is another take on the following sentence:

The child's reaction in this comic, "Wow!", suggests that not only she understood, but is also excited about learning, which could be more important to her development than hearing the "correct" answer up front.

That is that the child may be impressed by a mere superficiality. Did she really understand, or was the explanation in some way impressive? (Impressiveness does not imply correctness.)

A person might say, "Wow!" to some Hollywood special effects. Does that really mean that the person is interested in how to create such effects? Does the girl in the strip really care to learn? If she does, starting off by telling her something wrong seems a rather odd way to go about it.

When one starts in a field of study, one often needs to have simple explanations. Otherwise, the sheer mass of detail can be overwhelming. It is more useful to give an explanation that is more or less correct and to mention that there are special cases. An example is Einsteinian physics which obsoleted Newtonian physics, but the latter is still close enough to be useful in everyday situations.

Additionally, if one gets in the habit of simplifying everything without regard to correctness, where does it end? The final frame gives an example of this.

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.166|108.162.245.166]] 00:26, 2 April 2017 (UTC) (Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net>

:+1 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.29|108.162.246.29]] 14:45, 6 April 2017 (UTC)

== April fools day comic absense ==

Where's the 2017 April fools day comic?? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.197|162.158.79.197]] 11:50, 2 April 2017 (UTC)

I noticed that too... maybe its hiding. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.10|162.158.142.10]] 15:33, 2 April 2017 (UTC)