explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1733: Solar Spectrum

2016-09-16T08:03:40Z

141.101.70.61:

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)
::The one on this page has always been a png file (see [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1733:_Solar_Spectrum&oldid=127003 the first revision]). This also means that whoever wrote the complaint must have had access to [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:solar_spectrum.png this same file], which has not been updated here since. Of course Randall may have had another version up first, but that seems highly unlikely... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:38, 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)
:Any good links to "permanent" images of a sun with sunglasses? Guess there is none of Wikipedia? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:38, 15 September 2016 (UTC)
:I agree this refers to "Transitions" light-reacting prescription sunglasses / regular reading glasses. However, Google won't give me a sun wearing sunglasses picture unless I type in "sun" and "sunglasses". Not for Transitions or Reactolite, not for weather forecasts, not for emojis. With eyes yes, big smile too, but not shades. I suppose because it actually is a stupid thing for the sun to have. Otherwise, nearest I get: http://www.essilor.com/en/BrandsAndProducts/Lenses/Photochromics/Pages/CrizalTransitions.aspx :-) "30% faster" (than what? taking off the glasses?) Robert Carnegie rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.90|141.101.98.90]] 15:11, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

See: http://imgur.com/a/35RDC [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.147|162.158.203.147]] 14:18, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

Is there a category for comics without characters? Are there enough comics to need a new category? [[User:GizmoDude|GizmoDude]] ([[User talk:GizmoDude|talk]]) 14:27, 15 September 2016 (UTC)
:There are many many comics without characters, so it would be a huge job to make such a category and they do not necessarily have anything in common like two comics with [[Blondie]] for instance does. So I would say no. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:38, 15 September 2016 (UTC)
:"Charts" looks right, seems implicitly to cover "infographics" (btw I agree with worrying about readers who don't know what spectral lines actually are although clearly everyone writing here does, or thinks so). Another possible edition for other cases is "Landscapes" but those in fact tend to have people in (or Mars rovers or such), also landscape in the sense of vista may be covered by "Large drawings" unless that specifically means "Image is larger than the pane on screen", since there also isn't a Scroll it" category. Alternatively... "Spectacles". Robert Carnegie rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.90|141.101.98.90]] 15:23, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

Ya'll should keep in mind the large number of multivitamins that use rainbows as part of their branding and often some form of spectra/spectrum as part of the brand name. Here's a relevant image: http://centrum.com/sites/default/files/wheel_silver_adults_0.png [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.65|173.245.48.65]] 17:59, 15 September 2016 (UTC)
:Except Centrum is the only brand I've seen that does that. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.61|141.101.70.61]] 08:03, 16 September 2016 (UTC)

There's another image of a Sun with sunglasses (and a giant banana) at http://what-if.xkcd.com/129/ [[User:Jojonete|Jojonete]] ([[User talk:Jojonete|talk]]) 22:59, 15 September 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1418: Horse

2016-06-05T17:56:10Z

141.101.70.61:

*May the horse be with you Luke.
*The horse is strong with this one.
*I felt a tremor in the horse.
Why did he forget SW. That is not like Randall ;) [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:50, 8 September 2014 (UTC)
: I gotta think maybe Randall's making a subtle statement that Star Wars just ain't so relevant these days... [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 21:50, 15 September 2014 (UTC)
::They are all news headlines [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.61|141.101.70.61]] 17:54, 5 June 2016 (UTC)

----

Following up on the title text... "Why was he suspended?" "Due to allegations of excessive horse."

[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.201|173.245.56.201]] 09:01, 8 September 2014 (UTC) Siuntio

So I linked it to the old substitutions page - gjgfuj [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 10:05, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

Like the "Clouds-to-butts" plugin for Chrome. {{unsigned ip|108.162.249.231}}
:More information in Reddit [http://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/24odjt/cloud_to_butts_extension/]. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.201|108.162.221.201]] 14:16, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

I added a modified version of Cloud-to-Butt plugin [https://www.dropbox.com/s/0mswga09c5uf9h4/cloud2butt2.xpi?dl=0 to my dropbox]. All credit for coding/programming goes to [https://github.com/DaveRandom/cloud-to-butt-mozilla Steven Frank], its creator - I just unpacked the XPI file, added the Force->Horse and force->horse text replacement (while of course still keeping "the cloud" going to "my butt" because that is awesome) and then repacked it. You can install it in Firefox like any other .XPI file. Enjoy! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.221|108.162.221.221]] 16:19, 17 October 2014 (UTC)

:I edited your comment. I suppose you meant "Force->Horse" but it was written "Horse->Horse", probably as a consequence of the plugin in action. [[Special:Contributions/188.114.99.189|188.114.99.189]] 05:21, 25 November 2015 (UTC)

----

Would it be funny the other way?
*The force population has been in decline sine the industrial revolution
*Rules of polo: You need a force.
*People do not like it when there is force in their beef.
I do ;) —[[User:Artyer|Artyer]] ([[User talk:Artyer|talk]]) 18:33, 8 September 2014 (UTC)
:+1 for the reference to a certain beef production incident in europe [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.61|141.101.70.61]] 17:56, 5 June 2016 (UTC)

----
Correctforcebatterystaple [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.163|173.245.56.163]] 22:18, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

I originally (earlier today) read it as "Iraqi Air [FH]orse grow'''l'''ing"... Which made less sense than I'd have expected, but I couldn't unread it until just now. Still surreal, but at least not outright Dada[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.233|141.101.98.233]] 00:21, 9 September 2014 (UTC)

"A police horse is a constituted body of persons empowered by the state to enhorse the law, protect property, and limit civil disorder. (...) Law enhorsement, however, constitutes only part of policing activity." --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.161|141.101.104.161]] 07:21, 9 September 2014 (UTC)

maybe the officer suspended from horse was a reference to the police officer who shot a black person? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.106|108.162.254.106]] 07:39, 9 September 2014 (UTC)

Aqua teen hunger horse. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.226|108.162.246.226]] 00:54, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

----

I had previously posted a grumpy comment here (now removed) --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 07:38, 11 September 2014 (UTC)
:Sorry, but that's totally wrong. The discussion section is meant to replace what used to be the old blog's comments section, and is for any discussion relevant to the comic. If you're new here, there's a section on the main page titled "New Here?" which explains the basics of explainxkcd, and it's worth checking out. It also lists the handful of rules we have, including the fact that the discussion page is for talking about the comic. [[User:Az|Az]] ([[User talk:Az|talk]]) 06:59, 11 September 2014 (UTC)
::Sorry about that, and thanks for the pointer. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 07:38, 11 September 2014 (UTC)

----
Explanation Quarks:
Sorry, could not resist... [[User:Tier666|Tier666]] ([[User talk:Tier666|talk]]) 11:39, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

How about the portion of the Police Horse who are on forceback? {{unsigned ip|173.245.52.170}}

Last time XKCD featured one of these text replacements, people started posting scripts for implementing the text replacement automatically in browsers. I'm surprised this hasn't happened yet. [[User:Diszy|Diszy]] ([[User talk:Diszy|talk]]) 22:03, 11 September 2014 (UTC)

:A few comments back... [[Special:Contributions/188.114.99.189|188.114.99.189]] 05:21, 25 November 2015 (UTC)

http://bitcoinshell.mooo.com/users/noiob/dev/horse.user.js Here you go. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.179|141.101.104.179]] 16:26, 13 September 2014 (UTC)

----
Interestingly, a sound change from an initial /f/ to /h/ happened in the evolution of Spanish. Examples: fornax --> horno, ferrum --> hierro, factus --> hecho. Of course, all h's subsequently went silent. {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.171}}

Cueball is using a desktop computer. Perhaps this will be the last desktop in xkcd? In the last 8 months its been all laptops. {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.99}}

Talk:1418: Horse

2016-06-05T17:54:35Z

141.101.70.61:

*May the horse be with you Luke.
*The horse is strong with this one.
*I felt a tremor in the horse.
Why did he forget SW. That is not like Randall ;) [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:50, 8 September 2014 (UTC)
: I gotta think maybe Randall's making a subtle statement that Star Wars just ain't so relevant these days... [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 21:50, 15 September 2014 (UTC)
::They are all news headlines [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.61|141.101.70.61]] 17:54, 5 June 2016 (UTC)

----

Following up on the title text... "Why was he suspended?" "Due to allegations of excessive horse."

[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.201|173.245.56.201]] 09:01, 8 September 2014 (UTC) Siuntio

So I linked it to the old substitutions page - gjgfuj [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 10:05, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

Like the "Clouds-to-butts" plugin for Chrome. {{unsigned ip|108.162.249.231}}
:More information in Reddit [http://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/24odjt/cloud_to_butts_extension/]. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.201|108.162.221.201]] 14:16, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

I added a modified version of Cloud-to-Butt plugin [https://www.dropbox.com/s/0mswga09c5uf9h4/cloud2butt2.xpi?dl=0 to my dropbox]. All credit for coding/programming goes to [https://github.com/DaveRandom/cloud-to-butt-mozilla Steven Frank], its creator - I just unpacked the XPI file, added the Force->Horse and force->horse text replacement (while of course still keeping "the cloud" going to "my butt" because that is awesome) and then repacked it. You can install it in Firefox like any other .XPI file. Enjoy! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.221|108.162.221.221]] 16:19, 17 October 2014 (UTC)

:I edited your comment. I suppose you meant "Force->Horse" but it was written "Horse->Horse", probably as a consequence of the plugin in action. [[Special:Contributions/188.114.99.189|188.114.99.189]] 05:21, 25 November 2015 (UTC)

----

Would it be funny the other way?
*The force population has been in decline sine the industrial revolution
*Rules of polo: You need a force.
*People do not like it when there is force in their beef.
I do ;) —[[User:Artyer|Artyer]] ([[User talk:Artyer|talk]]) 18:33, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

----
Correctforcebatterystaple [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.163|173.245.56.163]] 22:18, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

I originally (earlier today) read it as "Iraqi Air [FH]orse grow'''l'''ing"... Which made less sense than I'd have expected, but I couldn't unread it until just now. Still surreal, but at least not outright Dada[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.233|141.101.98.233]] 00:21, 9 September 2014 (UTC)

"A police horse is a constituted body of persons empowered by the state to enhorse the law, protect property, and limit civil disorder. (...) Law enhorsement, however, constitutes only part of policing activity." --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.161|141.101.104.161]] 07:21, 9 September 2014 (UTC)

maybe the officer suspended from horse was a reference to the police officer who shot a black person? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.106|108.162.254.106]] 07:39, 9 September 2014 (UTC)

Aqua teen hunger horse. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.226|108.162.246.226]] 00:54, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

----

I had previously posted a grumpy comment here (now removed) --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 07:38, 11 September 2014 (UTC)
:Sorry, but that's totally wrong. The discussion section is meant to replace what used to be the old blog's comments section, and is for any discussion relevant to the comic. If you're new here, there's a section on the main page titled "New Here?" which explains the basics of explainxkcd, and it's worth checking out. It also lists the handful of rules we have, including the fact that the discussion page is for talking about the comic. [[User:Az|Az]] ([[User talk:Az|talk]]) 06:59, 11 September 2014 (UTC)
::Sorry about that, and thanks for the pointer. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 07:38, 11 September 2014 (UTC)

----
Explanation Quarks:
Sorry, could not resist... [[User:Tier666|Tier666]] ([[User talk:Tier666|talk]]) 11:39, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

How about the portion of the Police Horse who are on forceback? {{unsigned ip|173.245.52.170}}

Last time XKCD featured one of these text replacements, people started posting scripts for implementing the text replacement automatically in browsers. I'm surprised this hasn't happened yet. [[User:Diszy|Diszy]] ([[User talk:Diszy|talk]]) 22:03, 11 September 2014 (UTC)

:A few comments back... [[Special:Contributions/188.114.99.189|188.114.99.189]] 05:21, 25 November 2015 (UTC)

http://bitcoinshell.mooo.com/users/noiob/dev/horse.user.js Here you go. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.179|141.101.104.179]] 16:26, 13 September 2014 (UTC)

----
Interestingly, a sound change from an initial /f/ to /h/ happened in the evolution of Spanish. Examples: fornax --> horno, ferrum --> hierro, factus --> hecho. Of course, all h's subsequently went silent. {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.171}}

Cueball is using a desktop computer. Perhaps this will be the last desktop in xkcd? In the last 8 months its been all laptops. {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.99}}

Talk:1689: My Friend Catherine

2016-06-05T17:39:49Z

141.101.70.61:

I can't get any work done because My Friend Catherine is sitting on my leopard. [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 15:07, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
:I genuinely expected to see leopard in the alt text.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.230|162.158.214.230]] 18:03, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
::I also came straight here to write a note on the leopard after seeing the title text, but Mikmek beat me too it ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:32, 3 June 2016 (UTC)

I'm not so sure that it does conflict with car->cat. This is "my cat"->to " my friend Catherine", i.e. car->cat->my friend Catherine wouldn't happen. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.137|108.162.237.137]] 15:15, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
:You would have to make sure that "my cat" came before "cat" in the script, else it would first replace all cats with cars and thus never see the phrase "my cat".[[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.230|162.158.214.230]] 18:03, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
::The substitution was the other way replacing car with cat, so it is the other way around that if there was some "my car" they would also become my friend Catherine in stead of my cat. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:32, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
:::I also don't see how the conflict exists. By that logic, Substitutions 2 would conflict with ''itself'', since it completely swaps "minutes" and "years". [[User:Schiffy|Schiffy]] ([[User_talk:Schiffy|Speak to me]]|[[Special:Contributions/Schiffy|What I've done]]) 14:20, 5 June 2016 (UTC)
::::Agree. Also, it is possible to create a substitution algorithm clever enough not to chain its own replacements, I don't think that note is relevant, removing it for now. [[User:Jaalenja|Jaalenja]] ([[User talk:Jaalenja|talk]]) 14:27, 5 June 2016 (UTC)

Being a dog person, my dog-->my friend Doug would also be a fun substitution. [[User:Jake|Jake]] ([[User talk:Jake|talk]]) 15:43, 3 June 2016 (UTC)

Is the cat-on-my-keyboard in the title text possibly a reference to that old Keyboard Cat video?[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J---aiyznGQ] [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.80|108.162.221.80]] 20:06, 3 June 2016 (UTC)
:Don't think so—cats seem to have a tendency to sit on computer keyboards when their owners aren't using them. [[User talk:AgentMuffin|~AgentMuffin]]
::More often when the owners ''are'' using them. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.138|162.158.2.138]] 10:54, 5 June 2016 (UTC)
::Especially if it is a laptop, because cats like the warmth. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.61|141.101.70.61]] 17:39, 5 June 2016 (UTC)

For an even creepier substitution, try "great aunt Catherine". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.158|108.162.250.158]] 03:06, 4 June 2016 (UTC)

Oh great, I have to change the chrome extension again. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.69|108.162.215.69]] 15:18, 4 June 2016 (UTC)--

1664: Mycology

2016-04-08T13:03:12Z

141.101.70.61: Corn is a grain, not a vegetable

{{comic
| number = 1664
| date = April 6, 2016
| title = Mycology
| image = mycology.png
| titletext = Conspiracy theory: There's no such thing as corn. Those fields you see are just the stalks of a fungus that's controlling our brains to make us want to spread it.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|First cut, please help with explanation and definition of mycology..}}

[[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] are studying a {{w|fungus}} that takes over the brains of mammals and makes them want to study the fungus. This is a reproductive tactic by the fungus, since the fungus makes the mammal whose brain it took over want to study the fungus, which means that mammal will need to produce more of the fungus to study it. Cueball and Megan are most likely themselves being controlled by the fungus, since they tell [[Ponytail]] that they want to cultivate the fungus as much as possible.

The title of the comic refers to {{w|Mycology}}, the study of fungi.

This is likely a reference to various species of ''{{w|Cordyceps}}'' fungi, which can infect the brains of insects causing behavior advantageous to the reproduction or spread of the fungus. This also may be an allusion to another fungus, ''{{w|Ophiocordyceps unilateralis}}'', which manipulates its hosts to aid its propagation.

In evolutionary biology, the phenomenon of an organism influencing its environment, sometimes by modifying the behavior of other organisms, is known as “the extended phenotype”. Richard Dawkins wrote a book of that name (as a follow-up of “The Selfish Gene”) where he describes this mechanism as an extreme example of the so-called selfishness of genes.

The title text parodies numerous {{w|Conspiracy_theory|conspiracy theories}}, by suggesting that corn, which has been propagated by humans throughout large parts of the world, is actually just a fungus that has used humans, and is not a grain at all. This type of theory is remarkably similar to the {{w|Brain in a Vat}} thought experiment, and to the {{w|Isaac Asimov}} short story {{w|Each an Explorer}}. In both cases something has affected the perception of the mind itself, making it impossible to discern the true reality of something.

In practical terms, there would be little difference between this conspiracy theory and the reality, as it posits the fungus-corn would be the same food that humans have already been cultivating for food for millennia. Unless, of course, this fungus's stalks have no nutritional value, and it's only been making us ''think'' that it's a food, and those of us who live on corn are starving without realizing it.

Conspiracy theories is a [[:Category:Conspiracy theory|recurring subject]] on xkcd.

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball are talking to Ponytail.]
:Megan: Our lab is studying a fungus that takes over mammal brains and makes them want to study fungi.
:Cueball: It's very promising! We're opening a whole new wing of the lab just to cultivate it!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theory]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Animals]]

Talk:405: Journal 3

2016-03-24T19:17:34Z

141.101.70.61:

In this comic, the Black Hat guy retrieves his hat from the girl he tried (unsuccessfully) to seduce in Journal 2. He does this by stealing a Russian submarine (according to the alt-text) and breaking through the ice the girl and her friend are skating on. This is the third and middle part of the Journal story arc. {{unsigned ip|‎108.162.219.209}}
: Just a correction, Black Hat was not trying to seduce her. This is quite obvious from the dialogue in Journal 1, and I have no idea where you would possibly get the idea that Black Hat's original intention was anything close to seduction. He was trying to hurt her feelings, and leave her feeling alienated and upset. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 02:42, 7 December 2015 (UTC)

I might be mistaken, but I believe that the last title text is a reference to ''The Hunt of Red October'', and specifically the line "And I - was never here" (which is famous enough to have [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IWasNeverHere have named a trope]). [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.183|173.245.53.183]] 22:30, 18 February 2014 (UTC)

I think comic 496 refers to this one. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.135|173.245.53.135]] 13:11, 27 May 2014 (UTC)

The sub through the ice, i think, is "Ice Station Zebra," on WMATA's silver line.{{unsigned ip|173.245.54.167}}

Should remove spoilers of future comics such as references to 432 and 496. The references made her can be covered in those as one would expect most readers to follow the comics chronologically. Refer to 374 for a better way to reference a future comic. [[User:Flewk|flewk]] ([[User talk:Flewk|talk]]) 07:08, 28 December 2015 (UTC)

Could black hat have had a GPS tracker in his hat? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.61|141.101.70.61]] 19:17, 24 March 2016 (UTC)

1285: Third Way

2016-03-22T23:32:01Z

141.101.70.61: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1285
| date = November 1, 2013
| title = Third Way
| image = third way.png
| titletext = 'The monospaced-typewriter-font story is a COMPLETE FABRICATION!  WAKE UP, SHEEPLE' 'It doesn't matter! Studies support single spaces!' 'Those results weren't statistically significant!' 'Fine, you win. I'm using double spaces right now!' 'Are not!  We can all hear your stupid whitespace.'
}}

==Explanation==
This comic refers to the debate occurring in the United States about the correct {{w|Sentence spacing|number of space characters after the end of a sentence}}.

While text written on typewriters in the United States traditionally had two spaces between sentences, this is becoming less common and many sources now recommend having only one space, although this topic is still {{w|Sentence spacing#Controversy|controversial}}.

[[Cueball]] is advocating a line break after every sentence, the eponymous "third way", and sometimes called "[http://rhodesmill.org/brandon/2012/one-sentence-per-line/ semantic linefeeds]".

This is particularly useful when plain text files based on a markup language (such as HTML, TeX, or {{w|Wiki markup}}) are edited by multiple people using a {{w|Revision control|version control system}} where it helps to facilitate comparison of changes and avoid merge conflicts.

In most markup languages, a single linefeed in the source is rendered as a simple space, while two linefeeds generate a paragraph break.

This approach allows the source to be easily manipulated and versioned, while the rendered output still keeps the regular flow and justification abilities of running text.

The title text uses single spaces between the back-and-forth quotations; but within each quotation, the quoted speaker's preferred spacing is used.

In particular, when the single-spacing advocate claims to be using double spacing, this is indeed a lie.

However, realistically, it is implausible that one can hear whitespace.

Sentence spacing was previously mentioned in the titletext of [[1070: Words for Small Sets]].

Note that this is not the first time Randall has [[:Category:Compromise|proposed a controversial third way]].

Randall's mocking characterization in the title text of overzealous advocates using the phrase "WAKE UP, SHEEPLE" has appeared in previous comics [[496: Secretary: Part 3]] and [[1013: Wake Up Sheeple]].

==Transcript==
:[To the left a group with three Cueballs, a Ponytail and Megan at the front which face another group with two Cueballs, a Ponytail and a black haired ponytail at the front. Each group has a placard. A Cueball in the left group has a cutlass and a Cueball in the right group has a spear as they are angrily facing off against each other. Off to the far right side stands a lone Cueball also with a placard.]
:Left placard: '''Two''' spaces after a period
:Middle placard: '''One''' space after a period
:Right placard: Line break after every sentence

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Sheeple]]
[[Category:Compromise]]
[[Category:Language]]

Talk:1384: Krypton

2016-03-03T21:24:34Z

141.101.70.61:

Is the Earth baby the real reason Krypton was destroyed? [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.239|103.22.201.239]] 08:58, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
:It seems that, in this comic, the answer is yes; in the real Superman series the answer is no because there is no Earth baby.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.61|141.101.70.61]] 21:24, 3 March 2016 (UTC)

Is now a good time to mark the shark jump? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.135|108.162.210.135]] 12:52, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
:Only if this keeps up. Yeah, it's a crappy comic, but I don't think the quality overall has been dropping that much. Everyone has off days. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.83|173.245.55.83]] 13:58, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
::Jumping the shark is a single event, not a segment of time. In this case it's launching the earth baby. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.175|108.162.237.175]] 03:30, 21 June 2014 (UTC)
:::And you can't identify a "shark jump" until a consistent decline is clearly evident. Then you can look back, and see where things started going downhill. [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 15:32, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
::::And often a "shark jump" is entirely arbitrary and based primarily on the opinion of self-centered wankers who think just because it doesn't make them laugh then obviously it's in an unstoppable nose dive. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.221|108.162.249.221]] 05:32, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

Not so bad if you can relate to the anguish of parenting a colicky kid. Sending him to Krypton is an improvement on some of the things I was tempted to do. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.71|173.245.55.71]] 15:08, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
:Sending a baby off to die is better than things you were tempted to do? You really want to make that claim? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.39|199.27.133.39]] 16:14, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
::It is a completely reasonable reaction given a culture that murders children in the womb for far, far less.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 04:05, 23 June 2014 (UTC)
:::Please, please, please, let's not turn this comment section into a "hey listen to my important opinion" fight about abortion. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.67|199.27.133.67]] 21:55, 23 June 2014 (UTC)
::::"Please, please, please, let's not turn this comment section into a "hey listen to my important opinion" fight about abortion. I thought that, with Randall seeming to be a liberal, that I could avoid that uncomfortable thing called truth here. Please don't rip rocket-sized holes in my arguments, lest I bring out the hate speech." Did you hit Save before finishing? [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 15:32, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

:::::This is a wiki discussion. Not CNN comment board. The comment was not related to the comic and does not indicate the author's support for abortions nor a lack thereof. Perhaps you've entered the incorrect URL. As mentioned in prior xkcd comics, statements about ideas related directly to science are not political by definition. One may attempt to use science for political reasons, but that is not what is being done here. Please end the personal attacks. 15:25, 6 October 2014 (UTC)

It may be a cultural-linguistic thing, but I felt compelled to change "cries" to "crying", in the explanation. Hearing "his cries" is redolent of "Ahoy there!" coming from a person attracting attention in a nautical context, the various distinctive calls of a person selling produce in a street-market or "I'm up here! Get me down!" from a person stuck on the ledge of a burning building. When a baby cries (as opposed to when someone "cries out") you hear him (or her... it's not actually specified) 'crying', not his(/her) 'calling-cries', even though both are indeed similar forms of attracting attention. I've overthought this, of course. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.57|141.101.99.57]] 15:19, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

(Also, should the baby survive... somehow... would Earth Rock, howsoever sent there, be naturally ''strenghthening'' to the child? Assuming similarly transmuted as per the mundane (for native Kryptonians) planetary material beneath their feet was, during the cataclysm... It'd probably depend on which subsection of Superman canon you observed, as they tend to reinvent the 'physics' behind standard green kryptonite, even before adding in the other colours of it...) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.57|141.101.99.57]] 15:19, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

Can someone '''explain''' how this is funny? {{unsigned ip|108.162.217.47}}
:Seriously. ''Infanticide as entertainment?!!'' Parents deciding to kill a baby because it's noisy is neither amusing nor an interesting observation. Shame on Randall. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.39|199.27.133.39]] 16:11, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
:: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESFANzZTdYM "Infanticide as entertainment?!!"] --[[Special:Contributions/108.220.125.48|108.220.125.48]] 11:26, 21 June 2014 (UTC)
:::Given infanticide only being punished after you do it to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermit_Gosnell several infants over 19 years] why would any good liberal worry about it in a comic strip?[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 04:05, 23 June 2014 (UTC)
::::108.162.217.47 and 108.220.125.48, just think of it as a post-birth abortion. Does that make it easier to handle? [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 15:32, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
:::::What's the best part about dead baby jokes? They never get old. --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 18:41, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
:::::What's the deal with the discussion here? Its like some anti abortion person said, look at this comic and make comments and two people showed up. Protip, no one cares what you think. They care about explaining the comic. 15:32, 6 October 2014 (UTC)

What I totally don't get is...when the visual information about Krypton's instability has reached Earth, Krypton has already exploded many years ago. I guess that Kal-El's spaceship is travelling at near-lightspeed, so time-dilation effects cause very little apparent time to pass for Kal-El; so when he arrives he's still a a baby. This assumes that (a) the alien technology allows for extraordinary acceleration while still maintaining survivable conditions for the baby (while Superman can apparently survive extreme conditions, this trait is most probably bestowed upon him only at the end of his journey by the Earth sun), and (b) the he is a male (this primary sexual characteristics are not shown in the movie, IIRC...). An FTL spaceship is out of the question, as this would mean that the Krptonite meteors would also have been travelling at FTL speed.

:Whatever. By the time a spaceship from Earth arrives, even if it travels at near-lightspeed, Clark Kent will most probably be facing retirement already (after turning a crank for many years, of course).

Btw, having Superman turn a crank instead of having him fight crimes would not necessarily mean that Lex Luthor would have had success with his evil plans. Mr. Bond, James Bond, had proven numerous times that he can stop any criminal who attempt to achieve world domination or at least extreme wealth via over-convoluted plans. Yep, I mean, if you could build powersats, you'd immediately achieve wold domination via your monopoly for "free and clean energy", so why bother with criminal plans? Any, if you are smart enough to build powersats, but cannot resist the temptation to use them for over-convoluted criminal plans, should yout net able to think about the option to give your Legion of Doom at least basic training in marksmanship?

But I think I'm getting carried away. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.108|108.162.254.108]] 16:25, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

I actually thought this was more brilliant before I saw the second ship (rather: noticed that the crystal was a ship). I thought the gag was that some human, in attempting to resolve a crying baby (we've all been there, and if you haven't, don't knock it) actually created Superman (the shuttle destroys the unstable Krypton, and the baby is flung back). If anyone does think that this comic is gruesome, then stop reading it: your efforts could be rewardingly employed by criticizing "Cyanide and Happiness" instead. I love the quirkiness Randall! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.88|108.162.216.88]] 16:45, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

Am I alone in thinking ([http://www.dvice.com/sites/dvice/files/enterprise-warp.jpg NCC-1701]) moviebombed the 1978 film? See 'version depicted' in explanation. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.73|199.27.133.73]] 20:06, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

I think the depth of the cartoon is Newton's "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction" [[User:Nathan Hillery|Nathan Hillery]] ([[User talk:Nathan Hillery|talk]]) 14:01, 21 June 2014 (UTC)

Scientific objections? But everything about Superman is already scientifically implausible anyway. [[User:Jim E|Jim E]] ([[User talk:Jim E|talk]]) 19:53, 21 June 2014 (UTC)

Regarding the following quote under trivia: "As faster than light-speed travel is impossible according to the current model of our universe this option is not really relevant here." FTL is entirely (theoretically) ppssible, its just travel *at* lightspeed that is impossible. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.36|108.162.221.36]] 01:32, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

:More importantly, FTL is an everyday thing in the DC universe. Our real-world science says the telescope is impossible, and so is Superman; the idea of just accepting those but drawing the line at FTL is more than a little silly. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 02:16, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1648: Famous Duos

2016-02-26T20:25:04Z

141.101.70.61:

;No rhyme nor reason to these pairings?

It appears the pairings are completely random. I was looking for some deeper meaning to them but it seems this is one of those comics to be taken entirely at face value. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.12|108.162.216.12]] 14:18, 26 February 2016 (UTC)

Aren't "Pinky and Clyde" also the names of the pink and orange Pacman ghosts? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.36|108.162.216.36]] 11:48, 26 February 2016 (UTC)
: Yes, this is true. Are there any other sensible pairings? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.35|173.245.54.35]] 17:10, 26 February 2016 (UTC)
::I noticed an interesting pun with "Timon and Garfunkel" in that "Timon" is the same as "Simon" just with a different first letter. And "Mario" rhymes with "Romeo" [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.61|141.101.70.61]] 20:25, 26 February 2016 (UTC)

You've already posted the correct pairs, but of course I wanted to draw them with lines, nursery school style:

http://i.imgur.com/tWTJAYC.gif

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.228.143|108.162.228.143]] 15:33, 26 February 2016 (UTC)

;Possible inspiration
Possible inspiration: the comedy music duo calling themselves Garfunkel and Oates
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.48|108.162.216.48]] 15:45, 26 February 2016 (UTC)

:Yes, that was my first thought as well. Never heard of Hall. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.5|108.162.219.5]] 16:08, 26 February 2016 (UTC)

As currently described, the cycles thing does not make any sense to me. The order seems wrong. For example, the way the first cycle makes sense is to start with Thelma and Louise, Batman and Robin; and end with Anna and the King,Calvin and Hobbes. That way you've arrived back at the top and would only repeat if you continued. Can anyone justify the current order? [[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 19:01, 26 February 2016 (UTC)

:Yeah, you can do it that way and will arrive at the same cycle lengths, each cycle just backwards. The way I did it was to go from "Thelma" to "Hobbes", then go to "Calvin" because that's who "Hobbes" belongs to, then go from "Calvin" to "The King" and so on. If the first name is the order of couples, then the second name basically just tells you the index where to jump next, that's usually how permutations are written. Your way considers the second names to be in the right order and uses the first as an index to jump to next. I also doubt it's an important part of the meaning, but I was curious how long the cycles would be. [[User:Or|or]] ([[User talk:Or|talk]]) 19:38, 26 February 2016 (UTC)