explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1083: Writing Styles

2021-11-05T09:08:20Z

141.101.77.69: as always, removal of an ad...

{{comic
| number = 1083
| date = July 18, 2012
| title = Writing Styles
| image = writing_styles.png
| titletext = I liked the idea, suggested by h00k on bash.org, of a Twitter bot that messages prominent politicians to tell them when they've unnecessarily used sms-speak abbreviations despite having plenty of characters left.
}}

==Explanation==
Sms-speak is a style of communication which involves substituting numbers for letters and shortening phrases to get a longer idea across in fewer characters at the cost of readability. The practice began first with text messages, also known as {{w|Short Message Service|SMS}}, or Short Message Service, which limited messages to 160 characters. Twitter has adopted a 140 character limit since its inception, which allowed any given tweet to be received as an SMS message with enough room for the user's Twitter handle (15 characters max).

Randall is poking fun at both the stereotypical Senator and at teenagers supporting Ron Paul.

The dig at the senator refers to poor use of sms-style abbreviations by older, less tech-savvy politicians who are hoping to appear more in tune with the modern world. Many politicians use sms-speak in cases when their message isn't in danger of the character limit, but where they are appealing to a younger demographic, thinking it makes them appear to be "modern" to their target audience. In reality, it may do the opposite, showing that they do not understand why sms-speak is used at all.

Conversely modern teenagers, often stereotyped as lacking proper writing skills due to character limits on services such as SMS and twitter, instead here produce coherent sentences expressing a political view (this is later discussed in [[1414: Writing Skills]]). There is a subtle dig that being drawn to [[:Category:Comics featuring Ron Paul|Ron Paul]] is a stereotypical political position for a teenager, as Paul is ideologically libertarian, and the implication is that libertarianism is a position held while younger and politically or economically naive. Randall has also poked fun at libertarianism on several other occasions, such as [[610: Sheeple]], [[1026: Compare and Contrast]], [[1049: Bookshelf]] and [[1277: Ayn Random]]. The teenager's tweet is almost identical to the stereotypical Paul-ite comment made fun of in the title text to [[1026]]: "Only Ron Paul offers a TRUE alternative!"

A few years ago, the sentence attributed to the teenager is the sort of thing that would stereotypically be assigned to a senator, while the sentence attributed to the senator would be stereotypically assigned to a teenager - however, now the situation has changed and so Randall comments that the internet has ended up in "kind of a weird place".

The title text discusses an idea that Randall approves of, [http://bash.org/?946687 originally suggested] by a user on bash.org called h00k, where a twitter bot be created to message politicians when they use sms-speak unnecessarily. This would presumably embarrass said politicians, which might in turn lead to a decrease in their use of sms-speak. Randall evidently considers this a good thing, suggesting he finds the unnecessary use of sms-speak annoying.

==Transcript==
:[This is a chart with the above two labeled columns. The rows will be represented below in the same format.]
:If you post: you sound like
:"Ron Paul is the only candidate who offers us a real choice!": A teenager
:"its gettin l8 so ill b here 4 prob 2 more hrs tops": A senator
:The internet has wound up in kind of a weird place.

==Trivia==
When this comic came out in 2012, the twitter limit was actually 140 characters. It has since doubled to 280, to allow longer messages, and due to the declining popularity of SMS.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Ron Paul]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]]

Talk:2238: Flu Shot

2021-11-04T09:21:19Z

141.101.77.69:

I don't know why, but the buttons above the comic are all outta wack on my phone. I don't know if they look bad on a desktop, and I don't know how to fix it, so if someone could figure that out, could they tell me so I can fix it in the future?--[[User:TaperingBirch|EightofspadeS]] ([[User talk:TaperingBirch|talk]]) 02:30, 7 December 2019 (UTC)
:ditto[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.24|108.162.219.24]] 17:53, 7 December 2019 (UTC)
::The buttons have always displayed poorly on mobile for me: The text is cut off at the top of the button (at default text size, default zoom) & the buttons don't display all on one line. Looks that way across most, if not all, mobile devices I've used.
::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 22:09, 7 December 2019 (UTC)
:::The buttons have only ever looked odd with this one comic for me, though. That must be a pain to have the buttons like that all of the time. --[[User:TaperingBirch|EightofspadeS]] ([[User talk:TaperingBirch|talk]]) 05:43, 8 December 2019 (UTC)
Is it really necessary to include mention of the "untreated/unfiltered probiotic" water fad? It doesn't really say anything about the content in the comic. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 17:50, 7 December 2019 (UTC)
: I thought it might be relevant to mention why Megan might want to leave her water unboiled. --[[User:NotaBene|NotaBene]] ([[User talk:NotaBene|talk]]) 18:15, 7 December 2019 (UTC)
:: Well I thought it was because she thought she was immune from any contaminants, not that she thought it was healthier for her! lol [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 18:35, 7 December 2019 (UTC)
:::Ironically (relative to this comic, anyway) people who drink "raw" unpurified water are probably much more likely to _avoid_ vaccination. I do find the topic relevant enough to be worth mentioning, though.
:::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:50, 7 December 2019 (UTC)
'Bitten by bats'.. From a future perspective, turns out the real problem is biting bats, or perhaps biting things that have bitten bats. [[User:Davidgro|davidgro]] ([[User talk:Davidgro|talk]]) 18:12, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
:Is there a category about comics that seem to have somewhat predicted the future? Or one with comics that contain what could be later misinterpreted as references to events happening after the release of the comic?[[Special:Contributions/172.69.54.202|Joe Mamma]] 09:20, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

2177: Gastroenterology

2021-11-04T09:07:34Z

141.101.77.69: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2177
| date = July 17, 2019
| title = Gastroenterology
| image = gastroenterology.png
| titletext = "Mostly it means that I'm acutely aware that the kid one table over coughed as the server walked past with our food."
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Gastroenterology}} is the study of the normal function and diseases of the digestive system: esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts and liver.

{{w|Antibiotics}} are substances that kill bacteria. They are effective at treating bacterial infections, including in the gut; unfortunately, they can also kill the normal gut bacteria. {{w|Probiotics}} are harmless or helpful bacteria which are sometimes used to replace the bacteria killed by an antibiotic. This reduces chances of re-infection by pathogens, and allows the natural gut microbiome to recover more effectively; [[1471|comic 1471]] was about the same theme. Probiotics are included in many foods, such as yogurt, as well as supplements, and are marketed as having health benefits.

The comic plays on the names probiotic and antibiotic. When {{w|matter}} and {{w|antimatter}} are mixed, they {{w|annihilation|annihilate}} each-other, rapidly releasing energy (an explosion).
This comic imagines a similar process when probiotics and antibiotics are mixed: Ponytail and a nurse runs into a room, with someone chasing after them, leading the nurse to exclaim that “they’re right behind us.” Ponytail mixes the probiotics and antibiotics, and throws the jar like a grenade, before continuing to run with the nurse. The reaction between the probiotics and antibiotics causes the jar to explode, presumably killing the pursuer. In reality, antibiotics and probiotics are often used simultaneously during treatment, but they are taken so that they do not mix (taken at different times or by different methods). Mixing them as in the comic, would just cause the antibiotic to kill the probiotic bacteria. Explosive reactions between antibiotics and probiotics are highly unlikely.{{citation needed}}

Matter and antimatter would react pretty much instantly upon mixing, not a short time later, as in the comic. (Also, one could not keep antimatter in a normal jar, or pour it in an atmosphere). The reaction shown is similar to the reaction between a strong acid and a strong base, which could cause an explosion after a short delay if kept in a tightly sealed container like a water bottle, as in the explosion here.

In the last panel, Ponytail is giving a more mundane summary of what gastroenterology is like (lots of paperwork). This is similar to Indiana Jones saying that archaeology is boring. The explosion sequence might be:
* Ponytail's action fantasy of what the job could be.
* Megan's fantasy, and Ponytail is telling her what it is actually like.
* Real, and Ponytail is covering it up.

In the title text, Ponytail adds that her work makes her aware of a child coughing as the server was bringing food at the restaurant table, exposing the food to possible germs that could cause a gastrointestinal infection.

==Transcript==
:[The first five panels appear in a single row.]
:[Ponytail, wearing a lab coat, and a guy wearing a scrubs hat rush in from the right side of the panel. Ponytail is holding a water bottle. There is a desk on the left of the panel with two jars.]
:Hat guy: Hurry, they're right behind us!

:[Zoom in on Ponytail, behind the desk, pouring the two smaller jars into the water bottle.]
:An arrow points to the left jar: Probiotic
:An arrow points to the right jar: Antibiotic

:[A borderless panel. Zoom out on Ponytail shaking the water bottle to mix the two substances.]
:Shake Shake Shake

:[Ponytail throws the water bottle toward the right side of the panel, at something off-screen.]

:[Hat guy and Ponytail run toward the left side of the panel, as the water bottle explodes.]
:BOOM

:[The last panel is the only panel in its row, appearing at the far right end of the row and slightly narrower than the fifth panel above it.]
:[Megan and Ponytail sitting at a table, facing each other, having a meal.]
:Megan: So what's gastroenterology like?
:Ponytail: Pretty boring. Lotta paperwork.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Physics]]

Talk:1007: Sustainable

2021-11-02T10:40:16Z

141.101.77.69:

This is a great lesson for me that no matter what we think is occurring, it's probably wrong; that statistics themselves are unsustainable; and that only goals that matter need to be sustainable in the long term. - e-inspired
[[Special:Contributions/98.211.199.84|98.211.199.84]] 15:15, 27 February 2013 (UTC)

Yes, WAY too heavy, but I was just trying to inspire other engineers, perhaps people smarter then I, to try solving the world problems (You will probably do better job then law makers). Hope to read your theory in the book some day. - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 08:33, 3 March 2013 (UTC)

Sustainable sustainable sustainable, prophetic view of sustainable sustainable. {{unsigned ip|64.151.41.72}}

: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.11|108.162.250.11]] 03:12, 15 February 2014 (UTC)

Ironically, this comic does nothing to help the situation at hand. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.60|108.162.215.60]] 02:12, 2 March 2015 (UTC)

What happened in 1966-67, when there was that peak in the use of the word?--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.57|108.162.229.57]] 10:59, 30 May 2015 (UTC)
:Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, a book that started the environmentalist movement. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.58.57|162.158.58.57]] 05:07, 21 December 2017 (UTC)

0.5% is "once per sentence"? Didn't know most sentences had 200 words. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.77|108.162.218.77]] 01:06, 21 August 2015 (UTC)

2108:Hello, sustainable is sustainability. 2109: Sustainable, sustainability.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.69|173.245.52.69]] 20:10, 29 May 2016 (UTC)

: 2110: Sustainability, sustainable. Sustainable sustainability:sustainable. [[User:QATEKLYXM|Klyxm]] ([[User talk:QATEKLYXM|talk]]) 03:49, 5 March 2018 (UTC)

We just increased it from 0.003% to 0.004%
[[User:StillNotOriginal|StillNot]][[User talk:StillNotOriginal|Original]] 16:33, 20 May 2018 (UTC)

I have a very strong urge to replace every word on this page with "sustainable". Was there ever a joke page on explainxkcd? [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 11:45, 12 June 2018 (UTC)
:This would kill the explanation and in general the jokes are done by Randall while we explain them. Nevertheless humor is always welcome, but remember this Wiki is called "explainxkcd" not "jokingxkcd". So the better place for your strong urge would be here at the discussion page. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 17:56, 12 June 2018 (UTC)

:(Translated into English from Sustainable) The year is 2140, and “society” has been decimated. Language has transcended time and space, and how sustainable everything is is getting unsustainable. [[User:Netherin5|“That Guy from the Netherlands”]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 14:21, 26 March 2019 (UTC)
If someone made what was above into a real thing as a better writer, I would buy it on the spot. [[User:Netherin5|“That Guy from the Netherlands”]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 14:21, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

According to Randalls very own https://xkcd.com/simplewriter/ sustainable is not a simple (common) word yet... --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:38, 9 May 2019 (UTC)

Sustainable sustainable sustainable Sustainable, yet still sustainable sustainable sustainable. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.92|162.158.111.92]] 10:38, 2 Sustainable 2087 (UTC)

Talk:2526: TSP vs TBSP

2021-10-08T18:22:51Z

141.101.77.69: (Originally used quadrillions. Forgot to edit this too.)

The title text refers to lyrics in the Alanis Morissette song Ironic -MonteCarloe [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.211|172.70.126.211]] 16:59, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

I wonder why Randall used 1024^4 instead of 2^40. -MonteCarlo [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.150|162.158.74.150]] 17:10, 8 October 2021 (UTC)
:To highlight the similarity between 1000 and 1024, I suppose.--[[User:Pere prlpz|Pere prlpz]] ([[User talk:Pere prlpz|talk]]) 18:03, 8 October 2021 (UTC)
:And a byte is 1024^0 bytes, kilobyte=1024^1, megabyte=1024^3, etc. Talking entirely in terms of 2^10N loses the sheer simplicity and easy approximation.
:(Though not as much as 'short' -illions. 5.45 trillion? That's 5, then the decimal padded/shortened to exactly three figures (450), ''then'' three sets of three zeros. Stupid system.) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.54.136|172.69.54.136]] 18:20, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

A table with common or interesting volumes measured in teraspoons would be a good addition.--[[User:Pere prlpz|Pere prlpz]] ([[User talk:Pere prlpz|talk]]) 18:03, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2524: Comet Visitor

2021-10-05T18:28:45Z

141.101.77.69:

Yup. nobody says that the Dinosaur Killer wasn't aliens saying "don't get cocky, lifeforms". Best to keep the head down.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.82|141.101.99.82]] 06:53, 5 October 2021 (UTC)

AFAIK cosmonauts reported that the Great Wall of China actually ''isn't'' visible from space - it's too thin and blends in with the background. Though technically we can probably claim that everything visible on Google Satellite View qualifies as "visible from space"... [[Special:Contributions/172.68.10.245|172.68.10.245]] 09:10, 5 October 2021 (UTC)
:If it were satellite view all along. It's aerial view for the higher zoom levels. BTW, anything ''on'' Earth is visible from space, provided there's equipment with sufficient resolution, selectivity and sensitivity vs. distance. From Saturn, well, it needs truly alien equipment to see anything of concern, no big worries. Sweep it under the rug and smile. Send some hello's over Arecibo... ah, crap. -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.178|162.158.93.178]] 10:29, 5 October 2021 (UTC)

Should we also mention that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch isn't visible AT ALL, even to humans who might be swimming in it? From Wiki: ''Despite the common public perception of the patch existing as giant islands of floating garbage, its low density (4 particles per cubic meter) prevents detection by satellite imagery, or even by casual boaters or divers in the area. This is because the patch is a widely dispersed area consisting primarily of suspended "fingernail-sized or smaller bits of plastic", often microscopic, particles in the upper water column known as microplastics.'' mezimm [[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.22|172.69.68.22]] 13:46, 5 October 2021 (UTC)

Although perhaps obvious, I feel like this is Randall trying to provide motivation to clean up the Earth (eg. Global warming and what not) in general, but making it kinda fun instead of doomsday scenarios. Might be useful to mention in body of explanation. [[User:Stephenjuniverse|Stephenjuniverse]] ([[User talk:Stephenjuniverse|talk]]) 14:00, 5 October 2021 (UTC)
:Possibly, but it could also be prompted by the plan to deploy lots of Starlink satellites that interfere with astronomy. And increasing concern over all the space junk in orbit. We're just messy on many levels, like a teenager who never cleans up his room. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:28, 5 October 2021 (UTC)

Regarding the visibility of the Great Wall, it is possible that the chain of geographical significant boundary features (upon which the wall was built, beacause it was a convenient definable and defendable ribbon of terrain to make a claim over) are notably visible. As might other (unrelated, unWalled) geographies/geologies, but you're not looking at those bits 'imagining' you can see the Wall and seeing man-made patterns where there should be none. (Also, if settlements and/or transport links roughly hug one side or the other of the vague and intrinsically non-visible route, for historical or recent reasons, they might add 'relief' enhancement to the scene by whatever geophysical 'smudged marks' they display to the orbital viewer. A bit like Belgium's borders are made very visible at night due to the legislatedly ubiquitous street-lighting, compared to its neighbours, or North Korea by the inverse effect - but especially against its southern neighbour.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.69|141.101.77.69]] 18:28, 5 October 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2507: USV-C

2021-08-28T15:19:10Z

141.101.77.69:

I just did my first edit! It'll definitely get changed, but I guess this is good enough for a start

[[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.204|162.158.89.204]] 16:30, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

that's not as absurd as it sounds. there are optical usb cables which work by converting the usb signals to and from light signals.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.83|162.158.92.83]] 16:48, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

I bet this is going to be an xkcd that gets recreated in real life.

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.87|108.162.215.87]] 17:01, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

There are ultraviolet LED lamps that are powered at 5V with an USB connector. xkcd in real life it's already done.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.27|141.101.105.27]] 17:57, 25 August 2021 (UTC)
: I've been unable to find one with a hardwired male USB-C plug in a quick Google search. Though, there are many portable UV-C lamps which would count as USB-C socket to UV-C, so you could add on a USB-C plug-plug adapter and emulate this XKCD with two chained adapters. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.69|172.69.71.69]] 19:20, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

Am I the only one to think "from C to shining C"? And I'm not even American. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.209|141.101.76.209]] 20:00, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

It could be as simple as a UV lightbox integrated into a USB EPROM programmer. Have a few in the back erasing while you're programming a few in the front. --[[User:Tepples|Tepples]] ([[User talk:Tepples|talk]]) 22:42, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

It could be that the light flashes on and off for data or something. --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.51|198.41.238.51]] 05:35, 26 August 2021 (UTC)

Regarding getting it backwards the first time: an old engineer I worked with back at the beginning of my career 40 years ago used to say (speaking of serial cable pins, but applicable here also): always just try connecting it at random. That way you'll have a 50% chance of being right. If you try to figure it out first, your odds go way down. [[User:Gbisaga|Gbisaga]] ([[User talk:Gbisaga|talk]]) 13:03, 27 August 2021 (UTC)

Germ killing can't be connected to COVID. COVID is a virus, not a germ. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.69|141.101.77.69]] 15:19, 28 August 2021 (UTC)

2504: Fissile Raspberry Isotopes

2021-08-27T11:51:10Z

141.101.77.69: /* Explanation */ If it must be mentioned (opinions vary) let us have the more refined link.

{{comic
| number = 2504
| date = August 18, 2021
| title = Fissile Raspberry Isotopes
| image = fissile_raspberry_isotopes.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = Grandma's shelf-stable blackberry pie meson recipe was a huge seller until her farm was shut down by a joint FDA/NRC investigation.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a NUCLEAR FARM INVESTIGATOR. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[Ponytail]] is admiring her {{w|raspberry}} fields telling [[Cueball]] she expects a good harvest... That is if they do not get too many fissile raspberry isotopes! To which Cueball has to ask ''Too many '''whats?'''''

The comic is thus a joking analogy to {{w|nuclear chain reactions}}, in which the {{w|nuclear fission|fission}} (splitting in two) of one {{w|atomic nucleus}} releases {{w|neutrons}}, which then strike other nuclei and cause them in turn to fission, releasing more neutrons. This chain reaction releases a great deal of energy and is what makes possible both {{w|nuclear power}} and {{w|nuclear bombs}}.

A {{w|fissile isotope}}, such as {{w|uranium-235}}, is one that is sufficiently large and unstable to undergo such a chain reaction, as opposed to the more common and less unstable {{w|uranium-238}}. Ponytail fear that her raspberries have too many unstable isotopes so that her fields risk undergoing a similar fission-driven chain reaction. This chain reaction is depicted in the second panel, and she explains that if this happens the entire crop may be gone in seconds. It sounds like this is only dangerous for her economy, i.e. all the berries destroyed, but not a runaway explosion that destroys her field and any living thing nearby.

In real life raspberries don't undergo such chain reactions.{{citation needed}} As an {{w|aggregate fruit}}, raspberries (as well as blackberries mentioned in the title text) resemble [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Nucleus_drawing.svg/1024px-Nucleus_drawing.svg.png|common depictions of atomic nuclei], with each drupelet corresponding to a nucleon (proton or neutron), which is probably why they are the subject of the comic. (The actual "appearance" of atomic nuclei, in contrast to the common depictions, is complicated by Heisenbergian uncertainty, quantum effects, and strong nuclear force interactions.) Perhaps these raspberries are byproducts of the experiments depicted in [[1949: Fruit Collider]].

This comic is also a pun on "pi mesons" or {{w|pions}}, subatomic particles that transmit the {{w|strong nuclear force}}, and the similarity in name to a {{w|pie}}, the food type, as in a {{w|raspberry pie}}. The transmission of the strong nuclear force happens most importantly in the atomic nucleus and is responsible for keeping the nucleus intact, ''i.e.'', preventing it from undergoing fission despite the strong repulsive {{w|electromagnetic force}} present from all the positively-charged {{w|protons}}.

There is also a pun on {{w|Raspberry Pi}}, a very popular microcontroller that's widely used for hobbyist or educational projects.

Ponytail claims that her berries are protected (bound) by fresh raspberry pie mesons. Cueball states he hopes they hold, but Ponytail is confident as these pies are made from her grandma's recipe, ''i.e.'', it is actually a fresh pie made from the berries. The faith in the pie recipe being able to impede the danger references the convention of "Just like Grandma used to make", nostalgia for an infallible cookery ancestor, in this case a hallowed family recipe that acts to {{w|Neutron moderator|mitigate}} any budding {{w|Aggregate fruit|'berry'}} chain-reaction. [[2366: Amelia's_Farm_Fresh_Cookies|Grandma's baking]] is not always so fondly remembered and, in this case, it could be some (in)famous inertness and solidity to the product that is reassuring, not any form of culinary excellence.

The title text mentions that the grandma's "blackberry pie meson" recipe was a huge seller, but that then the farm was shut down by a joint FDA/NRC investigation. This refers to the {{w|Food and Drug Administration}} (FDA) and the {{w|Nuclear Regulatory Commission}} (NRC). The FDA is responsible for the regulation and inspection of food in the U.S., and the NRC for the regulation and inspection of nuclear facilities and materials. A hypothetical "blackberry pie meson" might well run afoul of both, being both nuclear and therefore subject to NRC regulations and permitting requirements, and unhealthy to eat and thus violating FDA rules. This could in addition also violate the FDA's rules on radiation emitting products. One might be able to imagine the FDA discovering that the blackberry pies are functioning to contain a nuclear chain reaction, and calling in the NRC to consult. The FDA took a similarly incongruous interest in physics in the title text of [[2216: Percent Milkfat]].

It is mentioned that the pies were {{w|Shelf-stable food|shelf stable}}, which means it can last a long time without being in a refrigerator. This may be because of its innate radioactivity keeping it free from germs. This may also explain why they were shut down by both the above-mentioned agencies. The word "stable" also describes {{w|Stable_nuclide|atoms}}, and therefore substances, that do not spontaneously undergo nuclear decay, though a stable isotope may result directly from the decay of an unstable one.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Cueball are standing in a field, looking at rows of crops disappearing in the distance over rolling hills.]
:Ponytail: I reckon it'll be a good harvest.
:Ponytail: So long as we don't get too many fissile raspberry isotopes.
:Cueball: Too many ''whats''?

:[In a half height panel is shown a picture of a raspberry with an arrow to a situation where it is splitting in to two equal parts. From the split there also comes two small drupelets flying out as shown with arrows. Below these two situations is a smaller sketch of how one of these two drupelets will eventually hit another raspberry, which will send out three drupelets when splitting, two of those hitting other berries, that each send out two drupelets. The lower of these are not depicted hitting any, but the upper split hits two again, which each send out two, in an ongoing chain reaction. The depiction stops there. Above this panel is what Ponytail tells Cueball:]
:Ponytail (narrating): If a raspberry breaks in half, it releases fragments which can cause more splits. Within seconds you've lost the whole crop.

:[Ponytail and Cueball are standing in an empty panel talking.]
:Ponytail: Luckily the berries are bound by fresh raspberry pie mesons.
:Cueball: I hope they hold.
:Ponytail: It's my grandma's recipe. They'll hold.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Nuclear weapons]]
[[Category:Puns]]

Talk:2504: Fissile Raspberry Isotopes

2021-08-20T17:30:03Z

141.101.77.69:

This joke is like a visual pun, a raspberry fruit looks sorta like a nuclear model, and so it behaves the same (ie can go supercritical). [[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.72|172.69.35.72]] 20:38, 18 August 2021 (UTC)
:Along with an actual pun: pi in "pi meson" sounds like pie in "raspberry pie". [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:43, 18 August 2021 (UTC)
::If it isn't also an intentional tertiary reference to the Raspberry Pi computer board, I'll eat my [https://thepihut.com/collections/raspberry-pi-hats hat]! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.109|141.101.98.109]] 21:22, 18 August 2021 (UTC)
:::I'd say you would have to eat it. Cannot see what this comic has to do with a computer board, just because it is named after a raspberry pie. This joke is obviously about the berries looking like nuclear cores, and pie mesons. Not about anything with a computer. So take some salt an eat (or swallow one the hats in your link, along with a camel :p ) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:21, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
::::I interpreted 'tertiary' to mean that randall was [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priming_(psychology) 'primed'] to talk about raspberry pies due to his exposure to the board, and similarly for readers finding it interesting and humorous. [[User:Baffo32|Baffo32]] ([[User talk:Baffo32|talk]]) 08:28, 20 August 2021 (UTC)

Though raspberries resemble the common ''depiction'' of nuclei, perhaps we need to explain that in reality, nuclei are rather different..? [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 03:41, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
:I think anyone reading xkcd and this page, will figure it out via the links ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:21, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
::I tend to forget that nuclei aren't little raspberries made of nucleons, even though I used to be a fusion researcher. In fact I'm sure I was only ever half-aware they weren't (I didn't study the actual nuclear physics, ok!)... so +1 from me in favour of adding a bit about the 'real' nature of nuclei, that would be interesting. --[[User:192·168·0·1|192·168·0·1]] ([[User talk:192·168·0·1|talk]]) 09:39, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
I would suggest referring to the raspberry parts as 'drupelets' rather than 'ovaries'.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.173|172.70.114.173]] 12:58, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
:I love eating the juiciest and sweetest of fruit ovaries, raspberries and strawberries are my favorite but I also enjoy apples and grapes --[[User:Lackadaisical|Lackadaisical]] ([[User talk:Lackadaisical|talk]]) 17:29, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
::I looked this up briefly and I _think_ that the ovaries are what develop into the drupelets, here, not certain, judging by phrasing on wikipedia. So I changed it. Don't eat the ovaries, eat the part that's designed for eating. [[User:Baffo32|Baffo32]] ([[User talk:Baffo32|talk]]) 08:37, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
:::Fine but you forgot the transcript. I have changed it there so drupelet is the word used. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:57, 20 August 2021 (UTC)

The page says "Of course, in real life raspberries don't do that.[citation needed]" - where is one supposed to find a useful citation to state that fields of raspberries ''don't'' explode? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.101|108.162.229.101]] 22:18, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
:That’s the point! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.45|108.162.215.45]] 02:55, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
::It's a joke, and you are free to remove it if you so judge. Others may disagree. Sometimes raspberry farms have some pretty hard to describe explosive activity when their parts combine in rare chain reactions. [[User:Baffo32|Baffo32]] ([[User talk:Baffo32|talk]]) 08:39, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
:::It's a reference to [https://explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/285:_Wikipedian_Protester 'xkcd 285'], a long running joke in the xkcd community, What If? and Randal's other books, and the xkcd merch shop {{unsigned ip|172.69.42.63}}
::::And severely overused. Imho it should only be used when we are actually looking for a citation for someting stated without proof in the explanation. So I generally feel free to remove them as I did here. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:54, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
:::::I agree there ''can'' (and has been) overuse, but by your criteria there would be absolutely no 285-bwckrefetencing at all. In use on The Original Wiki and all the rest there other cite-markers requesting an edit to clarify, expand, use better units, add comic issue and page, etc, and th9se exist (or can be made to exist) here.
::::::I wouldn't suggest every clause of every sentence of every paragraph of every comic's explanation be in-joked, but (with exceptions on a very few rare occasions that will doubtlessly be edited down by a future editor like you, or me, anyway) I see no harm in so labell8ng up to ''one'' axiomatic statement this way per article (the absolutely most obvious and inarguable and, by editors' aggregate concensus without resorting to an edit-war, humorous-to-so-label statement).
::::::By dint of the humour-decay so described, results in one permanent example fit 5o tickle the funnybone of all but the most curmudgeonly every 2, 3 or 4 comics, on a rolling average. In every case being absolutely obvious to pretty much everyone 5hat it is there for amusement valu (especially amidst dry, technical detail) even to those only jus5 wrrived upon these particular digital shores...
::::::IMO, of course, having no authority or desire for authority here. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.69|141.101.77.69]] 17:30, 20 August 2021 (UTC)

2504: Fissile Raspberry Isotopes

2021-08-19T10:36:44Z

141.101.77.69: lint

{{comic
| number = 2504
| date = August 18, 2021
| title = Fissile Raspberry Isotopes
| image = fissile_raspberry_isotopes.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = Grandma's shelf-stable blackberry pie meson recipe was a huge seller until her farm was shut down by a joint FDA/NRC investigation.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a NUCLEAR FARM INVESTIGATOR. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[Ponytail]] is admiring her {{w|raspberry}} fields telling [[Cueball]] she expects a good harvest... That is if they do not get too many fissile raspberry isotopes! To which Cueball has to ask ''Too many '''whats?'''''

The comic is thus a joking analogy to {{w|nuclear chain reactions}}, in which the {{w|nuclear fission|fission}} (splitting in two) of one {{w|atomic nucleus}} releases {{w|neutrons}}, which then strike other nuclei and cause them in turn to fission, releasing more neutrons. This chain reaction releases a great deal of energy and is what makes possible both {{w|nuclear power}} and {{w|nuclear bombs}}.

A {{w|fissile isotope}}, such as {{w|uranium-235}}, is one that is sufficiently large and unstable to undergo such a chain reaction, as opposed to the more common and stable {{w|uranium-238}}. Ponytail fear that her raspberries have too many unstable isotopes so that her fields risk undergoing a similar fission-driven chain reaction. This chain reaction is depicted in the second panel, and she explains that if this happens the entire crop may be gone in seconds. It sounds like this is only dangerous for her economy, i.e. all the berries is destroyed, but not the entire field. So not an explosion that destroys her field or any living thing nearby, but the berries would be unsalable.

Of course in real life raspberries don't do that. As an {{w|aggregate fruit}}, raspberries resemble common depictions of atomic nuclei, with each ovary corresponding to a nucleon (proton or neutron), which is probably why they are the subject of the comic. Perhaps these raspberries are byproducts of the experiments depicted in [[1949: Fruit Collider]].

This comic is also a pun on "pi mesons" or {{w|pions}}, subatomic particles that transmit the {{w|strong nuclear force}}, and the similarity in name to a {{w|pie}}, the food type, as in a {{w|raspberry pie}}. The transmission of the strong nuclear force happens most importantly in the atomic nucleus and is responsible for keeping the nucleus intact, i.e., preventing it from undergoing fission despite the strong repulsive {{w|electromagnetic force}} present from all the positively-charged {{w|protons}}.

Ponytail claims that her berries are protected (bound) by fresh raspberry pie mesons. Cueball states he hope they holds but Ponytail is confident as these pies are made from her grandma's recipe, i.e. it is actually a fresh pie made from the berries. The faith in the pie recipe being able to impede the danger references the convention of "Just like Grandma used to make", nostalgia for an infallible cookery ancestor, in this case a hallowed family recipe that acts to {{w|Neutron moderator|mitigate}} any budding {{w|Aggregate fruit|'berry'}} chain-reaction.

The title text mentions that the grandma's recipe was a huge seller. But then the farm was shut down by a joint FDA/NRC investigation. This refers to the {{w|Food and Drug Administration}} (FDA) and the {{w|Nuclear Regulatory Commission}} (NRC). The FDA is responsible for the regulation and inspection of food in the U.S., and the NRC for the regulation and inspection of nuclear facilities and materials. A hypothetical "blackberry pie meson" might well run afoul of both, being both nuclear and therefore subject to NRC regulations and permitting requirements, and unhealthy to eat and thus violating FDA rules.

It is mentioned that the pies where {{w|Shelf-stable food|shelf stable}}. Which means it can last a long time with out being in a refrigerator. Maybe because of it's innate radioactivity keeping it free from germs. This may also explain why they where shut down by both the above mentioned agencies.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Cueball are standing in a field, looking at rows of crops disappearing in the distance over rolling hills.]
:Ponytail: I reckon it'll be a good harvest.
:Ponytail: So long as we don't get too many fissile raspberry isotopes.
:Cueball: Too many ''whats''?

:[In a half height panel is show a picture of a raspberry with an arrow to a situation where it is splitting in to two equal parts. From the split there also comes two small ovaries flying out as shown with arrows. Below these two situations is a smaller sketch of how one of these two ovaries will eventually hit another raspberry, which will send out three ovaries when splitting, two of those hitting other berries, that each send out two ovaries. The lower of these are not depicted hitting any, but the upper split hits two again, which each send out two, in an ongoing chain reaction. The depiction stops there. Above this panel is the what Ponytail tells Cueball:]
:Ponytail (narrating): If a raspberry breaks in half, it releases fragments which can cause more splits. Within seconds you've lost the whole crop.

:[Ponytail and Cueball is standing in an empty panel talking.]
:Ponytail: Luckily the berries are bound by fresh raspberry pie mesons.
:Cueball: I hope they hold.
:Ponytail: It's my grandma's recipe. They'll hold.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Nuclear weapons]]