explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3094: Mass Spec

2025-05-28T11:06:17Z

141.101.98.239:

; Site issues
Took me about 10 goes to get to the page, and there's nothing here. And I can't even get to previous pages, they won't load! Is it broken forevers? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.154.176|172.71.154.176]] 04:26, 27 May 2025 (UTC)
:The site has been behaving erratically for at least the last four comics, but this is the worst it's been. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.22.109|172.68.22.109]] 06:50, 27 May 2025 (UTC)
::If you look at something like the New User stats, which is a handy indicator of traffic (albeit of overwhelmingly "spam accounts" created, that generally then do nothing), you can track the reduced number of 'regular spambot' traffic as having started roughly on 12/May. This agrees almost exactly with the usage stats (either a depression of 'normal traffic', or a notable increase in all traffic; or both as, like here, there's mild inconvenience for proper users while the background hum of traditional spambot attempts gets vastly cut down because they're more easily thwarted by the newly-overwhelming amount of scraping/whatevering going on) on other online places that I have an interest in, which each have had varying degrees of having been able to counter it.
::It's hard to discern from any of explainxkcd's statistics that I can easily get hold of and analyse, but in other places it seems like there's been a 24-hour cycle (and ''possibly'' a weekday/weekend difference) that seems to indicate that the most pressure is happening during some sort of 'business hours' cycle. Perhaps suggesting that it isn't just a massive web-trawling scraper left to run upon every site it finds, but actually might be a more semi-automated "click click click" by a regular workforce. It suggests ''maybe'' a Russian thing (give or take a specific time-zone/working pattern), though also goes down through the Black Sea area, the general area of Arabia and bits of East Africa. Or, others suggest, it's something is being deliberately done ''out'' of (local) working hours, in which case it would suggest that it's being thrown out from one or other TZ in North America (but doesn't actually fit the traditional tech-hubs of the west-coast).
::Without access to any original IP ranges (which can easily be faked/proxyed, if anyone cares to), no-one I've otherwise discussed this with can say for sure. But the consensus is definitely that ''some'' grand project was started from maybe the 10th of May and built up at least until the 13th, after which there seems to have been a sustained level of disruption.
::I've never had a "10 goes to get to a page" in this period of problems (surprisingly often, no retries needed; second go usually works, if necessary; third, maybe on occasion... fourth+ ''very'' rarely), but I also tend to wait a few seconds before retrying. And wait a few more seconds before re-retrying, if necessary. That way, I'm not adding to the server load unduly (remember, guys, if you ever ''are'' using a site-scraper, do remember to include a decent 'sleep time' between your pokes and prods; throttle your traffic, lest you throttle everyone elses!), and perhaps (if the culprits ''are'' using rough sleep-cycles between each batch of 'gets', or at least their automated systems are now hitting loads of 503s/etc and wisely backing off a bit from their own connectivity mess) you'll be luckier in five, ten, twenty seconds or so and now be requesting your (more legitimate) responses during a self-imposed lull in whatever process was previously overloading it.
::I feel your pain. But perhaps I'm just a bit more relaxed about the whole thing, having previously been very well used to [[598: Porn|slow modem]] connections or, if on a campus network, knowing that every now and then that the 'fat pipe' across the Atlantic might go down and severly reduce the ability to telnet sites on the other side of the Pond... ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.58.168|172.70.58.168]] 12:59, 27 May 2025 (UTC) [ Unless I am given a reason to edit this again, I have needed... *0* ... repeat attempts to post this response (though the entirely responsive CAPTCHA didn't believe me until the third attempt at telling it what was motorcyles/bicycles, on the very first attempt!). Fingers crossed, eh? ;) ]
:::Ya know, this all sounds more and more like a {{w|I_Put_My_Blue_Genes_On|short story by Orson Scott Card}}, played out with bits instead of germs. Maybe we should all be laying in stocks of goose quills, charcoal, and birch bark. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.146.129|172.71.146.129]] 14:43, 27 May 2025 (UTC)
:::I added a "We Need Help!" message to the Admin Requests page, and it took me 39 tries for the comment to successfully post. (Try 6 to post this, BTW.) -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 01:01, 28 May 2025 (UTC)

----

I believe the first way to weigh someone was a balance beam and goats (Doctor office balance scale). [[Special:Contributions/172.71.223.147|172.71.223.147]] 04:32, 27 May 2025 (UTC)
Interesting. Who am is quite munged. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.42.119|172.70.42.119]] 04:37, 27 May 2025 (UTC)
Was quite munged: "[[Special:Contributions/172.70.42.119|172.70.42.119]] 04:37, 27 May 2025 (UTC" [[Special:Contributions/172.68.245.164|172.68.245.164]] 04:51, 27 May 2025 (UTC)

Unlike a bathroom scale, this apparatus measures mass, not weight. So apart from the obvious fact that it's not remotely sensitive enough, it would work on a space station. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.119|162.158.186.119]] 07:49, 27 May 2025 (UTC)

Why wouldn't they use the Archimedes principle? Lower person into a tub of water, measure volume of water that overflows, calculate weight of the water. That was known since 246 BC. [[User:Mschmitt|Mschmitt]] ([[User talk:Mschmitt|talk]]) 18:40, 27 May 2025 (UTC)
:That would measure volume, not weight. However, note that Archimedes principle was method to measure volume, which was not possible before, using already existing ability to measure weight. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:39, 27 May 2025 (UTC)
::Well, technically, if you force a body to fully submerge in water (noting how much of a full bath/etc of water you spill), then allow it to float naturally (noting how much extra water you can put back in - or just do it the other way round, see how much water you expel when floating and how much additional water when dunking), then this'll give you useful density, volume ''and'' weight information. At least if what you're measuring ''does'' float (and doesn't dissolve, etc). [[Special:Contributions/172.70.58.130|172.70.58.130]] 00:12, 28 May 2025 (UTC)
:::Well, for some objects this might work. For humans, not so much, as humans BREATHE and with it, change volume AND density. Anyway, Archimedes were already able to measure weight, because method for that existed since 3rd millennium BC, using balance {{w|weighing scale}}s. He might've actually be submerging such scales in water as method to measure density, according to Galileo Galilei. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 01:10, 28 May 2025 (UTC)

3019: Advent Calendar Advent Calendar

2024-12-03T14:15:19Z

141.101.98.239: /* Explanation */ Minor grammar fixes. Adding pentatopal ('hyper-pyramid' of pyramids of triangular numbers of sequential increases) formula, for casual interest.)

{{comic
| number = 3019
| date = December 2, 2024
| title = Advent Calendar Advent Calendar
| image = advent_calendar_advent_calendar_2x.png
| imagesize = 482x324px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The growth rate of items per day may may seem absurd, but it's actually much less than the acceleration in the 12 Days of Christmas song.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by 4 ENVELOPE BACKS 3 NERDS A-EDITING, 2 TURTLE BOTS, AND A FUNNY NEW XKCD - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Advent calendars are a form of countdown to Christmas consisting of a card or structure with one closed "window"/opening for each day. Every day, another "window" is opened (e.g. a cardboard flap is opened along perforations), revealing a small present (traditionally, just a thematic picture or chocolate). While the religious season of {{w|Advent}} traditionally begins four Sundays before Christmas, most Advent calendars begin on December 1st for simplicity. Notice that in 2024, when this comic was published, the Advent season coincidentally starts on December 1st. Advent calendars usually have either 24 or 25 doors (ending on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day), depending on manufacturer's choice and/or local tradition.

In this comic, Randall has devised an Advent calendar that contains multiple smaller Advent calendars, each of which contains the same number of items as there are days left until (and ''including'') Christmas Day. By the time he reaches Christmas, he will have 325 different items, or 350 if counting the sub-calendars. The calendar is shown as it might be on December 2nd, the date of publication of this strip. The "window" for December 1st, in the upper left, has 25 sub-windows, of which 2 are open. (One was opened on December 1st and the other on the 2nd.) The "window" for December 2nd, 5th from the left in the bottom row, has 24 sub-windows, of which 1 is open.

It is not clear what is inside each sub-calendar. The usual filling would be chocolate, however it could also be possible that the advent calendar advent calendars had even more advent calendars within. That this is not the case is revealed in the title text as, if they had, the number of (sub-sub-)gifts would increase much more than the in the song...

The title text refers to {{w|The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song)|The Twelve Days of Christmas}}, a traditional Christmas carol in which the singer receives many gifts from their paramour for each day of the Twelve Days of Christmas. On day one, they receive one gift, and on day ''n'', they receive again all the gifts they received on day ''n-1'', plus ''n'' copies of a new gift. The exact gifts given each day vary by version of the song, receiving 78 gifts on day 12, for a total of 364 gifts. For the Advent calendar Advent calendar, each day a number of items equal to the number of days left until Christmas are added. There are 364 items total in the 12 Days of Christmas, the final day itself having exceeded the gifts of the nested calendars (the sub-gift count being 325, and regardless of the 25 calendars also being included). However the advent calendar uses 25 days rather than just 12, hence the songs acceleration in number if gifts each day is much higher.

The advent calendar's advent calendar gift total follows the {{w|triangular number}} sequence of all new gifts on a given day being one more than those the day before: on the first day, this is 1 (the first sub-gift of the first sub-calendar); on the second, we now have 3 (add two sub-gifts from two sub-calendars); on the third, we have 6 (three sub-gifts added), etc. The formula for for the total on day ''n'' is <table style="display: inline-table; line-height: 0.6em; vertical-align: middle; font-size:9pt; text-size-adjust: none;"><tr><td style="text-decoration: underline">''n''(''n''+1)</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center">2</td></tr></table>. For the Twelve Days song (which goes from the 25th of December to 5th of January), ''each day'' adds to the total the next ''triangular number'' in the sequence: +1=1, +3=4, +6=10, etc... The formula for this {{w|tetrahedral number}} (a 'pyramid of triangular numbers') is <table style="display: inline-table; line-height: 0.6em; vertical-align: middle; font-size:9pt; text-size-adjust: none;"><tr><td style="text-decoration: underline">''n''(''n''+1)(''n''+2)</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center">6</td></tr></table>. This already starts in a more rapid escalation of gift-giving, immediately after the first day where both counts are at one item. However, due to the later start of the Twelve Days, one would have to extend the gift-giving patterns to the 17th Day Of Christmas (and thus the 41st day of Advent) for the number of ''true love'' gifts (969) to properly overtake the continuing meta-calendar's ones, with (902) or without (861) counting the sub-calendars as gifts. (The number of ultimate gifts in any triple-nested Advent Calendar would be <table style="display: inline-table; line-height: 0.6em; vertical-align: middle; font-size:9pt; text-size-adjust: none;"><tr><td style="text-decoration: underline">''n''(''n''+1)(''n''+2)(''n''+3)</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center">24</td></tr></table>, excluding all the calendars themselves.)

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[On a grey board, there are 23 Advent calendars behind large "windows", numbered from 3 to 25, plus two open calendars with their covers torn off.]
:[Each calendar numbered ''n'' has 26−''n'' squares in it.]
:[One open calendar has 25 squares, 2 of which are black. The other open calendar has 24 squares, one of which is black.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I like Advent calendars, so I got an Advent calendar that gives me a new one every day until Christmas.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Christmas]]
[[Category:Calendar]]
[[Category:Songs]]

437: SUV

2023-11-04T16:37:28Z

141.101.98.239: Undo revision 327947 by Certified nqh (talk) What? "The Prius has a hybrid drivetrain, combined with an internal combustion engine and an electric motor." - Wikipedia.

{{comic
| number = 437
| date = June 16, 2008
| title = SUV
| image = suv.png
| titletext = Electric skateboards, by cost, get the equivalent of about 300 miles per gallon. Lithium batteries just need to get cheaper.
}}

==Explanation==
This is another comic in the [[:Category:My Hobby|My Hobby series]]. Here, [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] describes a "hobby" of confusing self-righteous hybrid car drivers by creating situational irony. There are many anecdotal instances of drivers of "green" vehicles both criticizing owners of less fuel-efficient vehicles (such as SUVs) and for taunting them about how much more they are paying for fuel. Randall is reversing this by taunting/criticizing the owner of a Prius hybrid vehicle as though their roles were reversed. The owner of the hybrid car is irritated and does not understand what is being said.

Alternatively, in the second sentence, Randall could be talking about the fact that the other person has a hybrid vehicle instead of a full electric vehicle, although Randall's SUV wouldn't be any better in that case. Another possibility is that "go green" refers to using public transportation or walking (or biking, skateboarding, and so on) in which case there is an argument to be made that the Cueball with the SUV might be better due to taking mass transit more. Or, as the title text alludes to, electric skateboards.

The title text, rather than being a joke or additional punchline, seems to be a serious opinion about how much more efficient electric vehicles are compared to gas-powered vehicles; they would be a far superior form of transportation if only they weren't so expensive. But an electric skateboard can only move a fraction of mass comparing to an SUV.

==Transcript==
:My Hobby:
:Renting an SUV and confusing the hell out of hybrid owners
:[A Prius Driver is pumping gas into his car at a gas station. The prices can be seen in the background, and read:]
:$4.08
:M: $4.38
:P: $4.51
:D: $4.85
:[Cueball drives up alongside in an SUV and leans out the window.]
:Cueball: Check out those prices! Your Prius ain't looking so smart ''now'', huh?
:Prius Driver: It's ... wait, what?
:Cueball: Maybe you'll go green ''next'' time, asshole!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:My Hobby]]

Talk:1584: Moments of Inspiration

2015-09-30T18:03:46Z

141.101.98.239:

Needs to explain who Lise Meitner is - I'd never heard of her, she's not on a level with the others in public consciousness. {{unsigned ip|141.101.70.43}}
: Using Marie Skłodowska Curie (instead of Lise Meitner) would be more understandable - both of them made groundbreaking discoveries in radioactivity research and Ms Curie is definitely more famous than Ms Meitner. But the author probably did not want to join everyone else in using Ms Curie as "the only one token lady scientist" - as discussed in [[896: Marie Curie]], where Lise Meitner (as well as Emmy Noether) is mentioned.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.77|141.101.106.77]] 07:52, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:: Never let it be said that XKCD doesn't educate! (I think it's a good thing to have used Lise as the example. If everyone knows just about Marie Curie but few people know Lise Meitner, having read the comic they now know ''two'' influential women in physics, twice as many as before! Compare and contrast others such as Florence Nightingale and Rosalind Franklin. Ada Lovelace and Dame Stephanie 'Steve' Shirley.) Also, can anyone think of an observation that Marie could have made that wasn't what she did anyway, i.e. the ability of an electrometer to measure radiation, or that pitchblende is more radioactive than uranium.
::: Reading the {{w|Steve_Shirley|wiki article about Dame Stephanie 'Steve' Shirley}}, I suspect that being woman in man-dominated field was her only notable accomplishment. Not comparable with {{w|Ada Lovelace|Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace}}, who was at worst second programmer ever and discovered first computer bug. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:45, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:::: But I assume you'd probably not heard of her, before just now, so it works as the example I was trying to give as a comparison to the fame of Lord Byron's daughter. I was actually tempted to use {{w|Joan Clarke}}, but doubtless everyone here has seen {{w|The Imitation Game}} if they didn't know about her already. And then there's {{w|Grace Hopper}}, if you want to talk about the ''term'' "computer bug". (Meanwhile {{w|Sophie Wilson}} is probably also probably just too niche, and British, to be worth a mention if you didn't think Steve was good enough.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.188|141.101.98.188]] 15:15, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:: Anyway, who do you think {{w|Meitnerium|element 109}} was named after? ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.188|141.101.98.188]] 10:05, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

Does anyone know who "John and Mildred" might be?
--[[User:Lou Crazy|Lou Crazy]] ([[User talk:Lou Crazy|talk]]) 09:13, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
:May Mildred be [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Lager Mildred Lager]? An "american pioneer of natural foods and health food", but there's no mention of "John" in this article. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.217|162.158.114.217]] 11:19, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
::I doubt it since Mildred Larger was born after Darwin's death. I was wondering too who they might be, but I'm coming up empty. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 12:47, 30 September 2015 (UTC)
I'd like to point out that Newton really was inspired by watching apple fall, that isn't a myth. The myth is that he was actually hit by the apple. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton#Apple_incident [[User:KingSupernova|KingSupernova]] ([[User talk:KingSupernova|talk]]) 12:17, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

according to the german wikipedia, today's the tenth birthday of xkcd. i wonder if there's a connection between that and this strip's title... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.157|162.158.114.157]] 14:43, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

This comic seems to be about our desire to have neat stories that explain scientific discoveries. Each panel has an increasingly ridiculous story that explains a "Moment of Inspiration". [[User:Bartash|Bartash]] ([[User talk:Bartash|talk]]) 16:27, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

The phrase "Hey Lise" seems like a possible Simpsons reference? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.239|141.101.98.239]] 18:03, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

1503: Squirrel Plan

2015-03-25T09:58:49Z

141.101.98.239: /* Squirrels in other comics */

{{comic
| number = 1503
| date = March 25, 2015
| title = Squirrel Plan
| image = squirrel plan.png
| titletext = [Halfway to the Sun ...] Heyyyy ... what if this BALLOON is full of acorns?!
}}

==Explanation==

===Not all xckd comics are intended to be taken seriously explanation===
This comic is a light hearted story, drawing on the many theories and ideas people have had about the sun throughout history. It may also be an attempt at nerd-sniping xkcd readers who might take the comic too seriously and interpret it too literally, leading to bizarre conclusions (see '#Squirrels are stupid explanation' below, which itself is most likely an attempt at nerd-sniping explain xkcd readers #meta).

The title text follows the logic stated by the squirrels that the sun, being so magnificent must be full of acorns. A ballon powerful enough to take a squirrel to the sun must be powered by something amazing i.e. acorns - what else could it be?

The fact that the squirrels are talking supports the idea that the reader is not supposed to apply the normal rules of our universe to this comic.

===Squirrels are stupid explanation===
The joke is that squirrels are stupid and have no business trying their paws at aeronautics.

The title text further compounds this notion when the airborne squirrel jeopardizes the entire mission because he wants to test if the balloon itself is full of acorns. Basic observational skills will tell anyone that acorns do not float, and in fact have noticeable weight to them. Elementary logic then dictates that the balloon lifting the squirrel should not contain objects that contribute only weight, and therefore the balloon must not contain acorns. Yet perhaps this is for the best, since continuing on with the mission would (obviously, to us humans) end in death for the airborne squirrel, as well as inconclusive data for the ground team. Title text also suggests that the squirrel is "Half way to the Sun", a distance of roughly 74 800 000 km. This provides a small amount of evidence that it was in fact a squirrel that authored the comic or at least its title text as the squirrel would be dead at that altitude without an appropriate space suit and the balloon would have popped long before due to the expansion of the acorns within.

===Squirrels in other comics===

http://xkcd.com/776/

https://xkcd.com/1156/

https://what-if.xkcd.com/21/

https://what-if.xkcd.com/98/

https://what-if.xkcd.com/102/

https://what-if.xkcd.com/105/

Squirrels are often used in xkcd and what-if comics as a way of avoiding reality. Maybe Randall is going through a tough time this week.

==Transcript==
There are three squirrels. One is suspended from a balloon. The other two are sitting on the ground, looking up at it.

Squirrel on right: Once you've chewed a hole in the sun, shoot the balloon to fall back to earth, then pull the parachute ripcord to land.

Squirrel tied to balloon: Are you sure it's full of acorns?

Squirrel on right: Look how bright and magnificent it is! What else could be in there?
{{comic discussion}}

1503: Squirrel Plan

2015-03-25T09:56:55Z

141.101.98.239: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1503
| date = March 25, 2015
| title = Squirrel Plan
| image = squirrel plan.png
| titletext = [Halfway to the Sun ...] Heyyyy ... what if this BALLOON is full of acorns?!
}}

==Explanation==

===Not all xckd comics are intended to be taken seriously explanation===
This comic is a light hearted story, drawing on the many theories and ideas people have had about the sun throughout history. It may also be an attempt at nerd-sniping xkcd readers who might take the comic too seriously and interpret it too literally, leading to bizarre conclusions (see '#Squirrels are stupid explanation' below, which itself is most likely an attempt at nerd-sniping explain xkcd readers #meta).

The title text follows the logic stated by the squirrels that the sun, being so magnificent must be full of acorns. A ballon powerful enough to take a squirrel to the sun must be powered by something amazing i.e. acorns - what else could it be?

The fact that the squirrels are talking supports the idea that the reader is not supposed to apply the normal rules of our universe to this comic.

===Squirrels are stupid explanation===
The joke is that squirrels are stupid and have no business trying their paws at aeronautics.

The title text further compounds this notion when the airborne squirrel jeopardizes the entire mission because he wants to test if the balloon itself is full of acorns. Basic observational skills will tell anyone that acorns do not float, and in fact have noticeable weight to them. Elementary logic then dictates that the balloon lifting the squirrel should not contain objects that contribute only weight, and therefore the balloon must not contain acorns. Yet perhaps this is for the best, since continuing on with the mission would (obviously, to us humans) end in death for the airborne squirrel, as well as inconclusive data for the ground team. Title text also suggests that the squirrel is "Half way to the Sun", a distance of roughly 74 800 000 km. This provides a small amount of evidence that it was in fact a squirrel that authored the comic or at least its title text as the squirrel would be dead at that altitude without an appropriate space suit and the balloon would have popped long before due to the expansion of the acorns within.

===Squirrels in other comics===

http://xkcd.com/776/

https://what-if.xkcd.com/102/

https://what-if.xkcd.com/21/

https://xkcd.com/1156/

https://what-if.xkcd.com/105/

==Transcript==
There are three squirrels. One is suspended from a balloon. The other two are sitting on the ground, looking up at it.

Squirrel on right: Once you've chewed a hole in the sun, shoot the balloon to fall back to earth, then pull the parachute ripcord to land.

Squirrel tied to balloon: Are you sure it's full of acorns?

Squirrel on right: Look how bright and magnificent it is! What else could be in there?
{{comic discussion}}

1503: Squirrel Plan

2015-03-25T09:51:29Z

141.101.98.239: /* Not all xckd comics are intended to be taken seriously explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1503
| date = March 25, 2015
| title = Squirrel Plan
| image = squirrel plan.png
| titletext = [Halfway to the Sun ...] Heyyyy ... what if this BALLOON is full of acorns?!
}}

==Explanation==

===Not all xckd comics are intended to be taken seriously explanation===
This comic is a light hearted story, drawing on the many theories and ideas people have had about the sun throughout history. It may also be an attempt at nerd-sniping xkcd readers who might take the comic too seriously and interpret it too literally, leading to bizarre conclusions (see '#Squirrels are stupid explanation' below, which itself is most likely an attempt at nerd-sniping explain xkcd readers #meta).

The title text follows the logic stated by the squirrels that the sun, being so magnificent must be full of acorns. A ballon powerful enough to take a squirrel to the sun must be powered by something amazing i.e. acorns - what else could it be?

The fact that the squirrels are talking supports the idea that the reader is not supposed to apply the normal rules of our universe to this comic.

===Squirrels are stupid explanation===
The joke is that squirrels are stupid and have no business trying their paws at aeronautics.

The title text further compounds this notion when the airborne squirrel jeopardizes the entire mission because he wants to test if the balloon itself is full of acorns. Basic observational skills will tell anyone that acorns do not float, and in fact have noticeable weight to them. Elementary logic then dictates that the balloon lifting the squirrel should not contain objects that contribute only weight, and therefore the balloon must not contain acorns. Yet perhaps this is for the best, since continuing on with the mission would (obviously, to us humans) end in death for the airborne squirrel, as well as inconclusive data for the ground team. Title text also suggests that the squirrel is "Half way to the Sun", a distance of roughly 74 800 000 km. This provides a small amount of evidence that it was in fact a squirrel that authored the comic or at least its title text as the squirrel would be dead at that altitude without an appropriate space suit and the balloon would have popped long before due to the expansion of the acorns within.

==Transcript==
There are three squirrels. One is suspended from a balloon. The other two are sitting on the ground, looking up at it.

Squirrel on right: Once you've chewed a hole in the sun, shoot the balloon to fall back to earth, then pull the parachute ripcord to land.

Squirrel tied to balloon: Are you sure it's full of acorns?

Squirrel on right: Look how bright and magnificent it is! What else could be in there?
{{comic discussion}}

1503: Squirrel Plan

2015-03-25T09:48:46Z

141.101.98.239: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1503
| date = March 25, 2015
| title = Squirrel Plan
| image = squirrel plan.png
| titletext = [Halfway to the Sun ...] Heyyyy ... what if this BALLOON is full of acorns?!
}}

==Explanation==

===Not all xckd comics are intended to be taken seriously explanation===
This comic is a light hearted story, drawing on the many theories and ideas people have had about the sun throughout history. It may also be an attempt at nerd-sniping xkcd readers who might take the comic too seriously and interpret it too literally, leading to bizarre conclusions (see '#Squirrels are stupid explanation' below).

The title text follows the logic stated by the squirrels that the sun, being so magnificent must be full of acorns. A ballon powerful enough to take a squirrel to the sun must be powered by something amazing i.e. acorns - what else could it be?

The fact that the squirrels are talking supports the idea that the reader is not supposed to apply the normal rules of our universe to this comic.

===Squirrels are stupid explanation===
The joke is that squirrels are stupid and have no business trying their paws at aeronautics.

The title text further compounds this notion when the airborne squirrel jeopardizes the entire mission because he wants to test if the balloon itself is full of acorns. Basic observational skills will tell anyone that acorns do not float, and in fact have noticeable weight to them. Elementary logic then dictates that the balloon lifting the squirrel should not contain objects that contribute only weight, and therefore the balloon must not contain acorns. Yet perhaps this is for the best, since continuing on with the mission would (obviously, to us humans) end in death for the airborne squirrel, as well as inconclusive data for the ground team. Title text also suggests that the squirrel is "Half way to the Sun", a distance of roughly 74 800 000 km. This provides a small amount of evidence that it was in fact a squirrel that authored the comic or at least its title text as the squirrel would be dead at that altitude without an appropriate space suit and the balloon would have popped long before due to the expansion of the acorns within.

==Transcript==
There are three squirrels. One is suspended from a balloon. The other two are sitting on the ground, looking up at it.

Squirrel on right: Once you've chewed a hole in the sun, shoot the balloon to fall back to earth, then pull the parachute ripcord to land.

Squirrel tied to balloon: Are you sure it's full of acorns?

Squirrel on right: Look how bright and magnificent it is! What else could be in there?
{{comic discussion}}

1503: Squirrel Plan

2015-03-25T09:47:07Z

141.101.98.239: Add a more sensible explanation

{{comic
| number = 1503
| date = March 25, 2015
| title = Squirrel Plan
| image = squirrel plan.png
| titletext = [Halfway to the Sun ...] Heyyyy ... what if this BALLOON is full of acorns?!
}}

==Explanation==

===Not all xckd comics are intended to be taken seriously explanation===
This comic is a light hearted story, drawing on the many theories and ideas people have had about the sun throughout history. It may also be an attempt at nerd-sniping xkcd readers who might take the comic too seriously and interpret it too literally, leading to bizarre conclusions (see '#Squirrels are stupid explanation' below).

The title text follows the logic stated by the squirrels that the sun, being so magnificent must be full of acorns. A ballon powerful enough to take a squirrel to the sun must be powered by something amazing i.e. acorns - what else could it be?

The fact that the squirrels are talking supports the idea that the reader is not supposed to apply the normal rules of our universe to this comic.

===Squirrels are stupid explanation===
The joke is that squirrels are stupid and have no business trying their paws at aeronautics.

The title text further compounds this notion when the airborne squirrel jeopardizes the entire mission because he wants to test if the balloon itself is full of acorns. Basic observational skills will tell anyone that acorns do not float, and in fact have noticeable weight to them. Elementary logic then dictates that the balloon lifting the squirrel should not contain objects that contribute only weight, and therefore the balloon must not contain acorns. Yet perhaps this is for the best, since continuing on with the mission would (obviously, to us humans) end in death for the airborne squirrel, as well as inconclusive data for the ground team. Title text also suggests that the squirrel is "Half way to the Sun", a distance of roughly 74 800 000 km. This provides a small amount of evidence that it was in fact a squirrel that authored the comic or at least its title text as the squirrel would be dead at that altitude without an appropriate space suit and the balloon would have popped long before due to the expansion of the acorns within.

==Transcript==
There are three squirrels. One is suspended from a balloon. The other two are sitting on the ground, looking up at it.

Squirrel on right: Once you've chewed a hole in the sun, shoot the balloon to fall back to earth, then pull the parachute ripcord to land.

Squirrel holding balloon: Are you sure it's full of acorns?

Squirrel on right: Look how bright and magnificent it is! What else could be in there?
{{comic discussion}}

1501: Mysteries

2015-03-20T08:21:31Z

141.101.98.239:

{{comic
| number = 1501
| date = March 20, 2015
| title = Mysteries
| image = mysteries.png
| titletext = At the bottom left: The mystery of why, when I know I needed to be asleep an hour ago, I decide it's a good time to read through every Wikipedia article in the categories 'Out-of-place artifacts', 'Earth mysteries', 'Anomalous weather', and 'List of people who disappeared mysteriously'.
}}

==Explanation==

===MH370===
An aeroplane that disappeared.

==Transcript==

{{comic discussion}}

1501

2015-03-20T08:17:21Z

141.101.98.239: Redirected page to 1501: Mysteries

#REDIRECT [[1501: Mysteries]]

List of all comics (1001-1500)

2015-03-20T08:15:12Z

141.101.98.239:

This is the list of comics from '''1001 to {{LATESTCOMIC}}'''.
:For the first 500 comics, see [[List of all comics (1-500)]].
:For comics 501-1000, see [[List of all comics (501-1000)]].
:For comics from 1501 till date, see [[List of all comics]].
:The whole list is available at [[List of all comics (full)]].

{| class="wikitable sortable plainlinks table-padding"
|-
!xkcd
!Title
!Talk
!Image
!Date<onlyinclude>
{{comicsrow|1501|2015-03-20|Mysteries|mysteries.png}}
{{comicsrow|1500|2015-03-18|Upside-Down Map|upside down map.png}}
{{comicsrow|1499|2015-03-16|Arbitrage}}
{{comicsrow|1498|2015-03-13|Terry Pratchett}}
{{comicsrow|1497|2015-03-11|New Products}}
{{comicsrow|1496|2015-03-09|Art Project}}
{{comicsrow|1495|2015-03-06|Hard Reboot}}
{{comicsrow|1494|2015-03-04|Insurance}}
{{comicsrow|1493|2015-03-02|Meeting}}
{{comicsrow|1492|2015-02-27|Dress Color}}
{{comicsrow|1491|2015-02-25|Stories of the Past and Future}}
{{comicsrow|1490|2015-02-23|Atoms}}
{{comicsrow|1489|2015-02-20|Fundamental Forces}}
{{comicsrow|1488|2015-02-18|Flowcharts}}
{{comicsrow|1487|2015-02-16|Tornado}}
{{comicsrow|1486|2015-02-13|Vacuum}}
{{comicsrow|1485|2015-02-11|Friendship}}
{{comicsrow|1484|2015-02-09|Apollo Speeches}}
{{comicsrow|1483|2015-02-06|Quotative Like}}
{{comicsrow|1482|2015-02-02|NowPlaying}}
{{comicsrow|1481|2015-02-02|API}}
{{comicsrow|1480|2015-01-30|Super Bowl}}
{{comicsrow|1479|2015-01-28|Troubleshooting}}
{{comicsrow|1478|2015-01-26|P-Values|p values.png}}
{{comicsrow|1477|2015-01-23|Star Wars}}
{{comicsrow|1476|2015-01-21|Ceres}}
{{comicsrow|1475|2015-01-19|Technically}}
{{comicsrow|1474|2015-01-16|Screws}}
{{comicsrow|1473|2015-01-14|Location Sharing}}
{{comicsrow|1472|2015-01-12|Geography}}
{{comicsrow|1471|2015-01-09|Gut Fauna}}
{{comicsrow|1470|2015-01-07|Kix}}
{{comicsrow|1469|2015-01-05|UV}}
{{comicsrow|1468|2015-01-02|Worrying}}
{{comicsrow|1467|2014-12-31|Email}}
{{comicsrow|1466|2014-12-29|Phone Checking}}
{{comicsrow|1465|2014-12-26|xkcd Phone 2}}
{{comicsrow|1464|2014-12-24|Santa}}
{{comicsrow|1463|2014-12-22|Altitude}}
{{comicsrow|1462|2014-12-19|Blind Trials}}
{{comicsrow|1461|2014-12-17|Payloads}}
{{comicsrow|1460|2014-12-15|SMFW}}
{{comicsrow|1459|2014-12-12|Documents}}
{{comicsrow|1458|2014-12-10|Small Moon}}
{{comicsrow|1457|2014-12-08|Feedback}}
{{comicsrow|1456|2014-12-05|On the Moon}}
{{comicsrow|1455|2014-12-03|Trolley Problem}}
{{comicsrow|1454|2014-12-01|Done}}
{{comicsrow|1453|2014-11-28|fMRI}}
{{comicsrow|1452|2014-11-26|Jurassic World}}
{{comicsrow|1451|2014-11-24|Background Screens}}
{{comicsrow|1450|2014-11-21|AI-Box Experiment|ai box experiment.png}}
{{comicsrow|1449|2014-11-19|Red Rover}}
{{comicsrow|1448|2014-11-17|Question}}
{{comicsrow|1447|2014-11-14|Meta-Analysis}}
{{comicsrow|1446|2014-11-12|Landing|landingAnimated.gif}}
{{comicsrow|1445|2014-11-10|Efficiency}}
{{comicsrow|1444|2014-11-07|Cloud}}
{{comicsrow|1443|2014-11-05|Language Nerd}}
{{comicsrow|1442|2014-11-03|Chemistry}}
{{comicsrow|1441|2014-10-31|Turnabout}}
{{comicsrow|1440|2014-10-29|Geese}}
{{comicsrow|1439|2014-10-27|Rack Unit}}
{{comicsrow|1438|2014-10-24|Houston}}
{{comicsrow|1437|2014-10-22|Higgs Boson}}
{{comicsrow|1436|2014-10-20|Orb Hammer}}
{{comicsrow|1435|2014-10-17|Presidential Alert}}
{{comicsrow|1434|2014-10-15|Where Do Birds Go}}
{{comicsrow|1433|2014-10-13|Lightsaber}}
{{comicsrow|1432|2014-10-10|The Sake of Argument}}
{{comicsrow|1431|2014-10-08|Marriage}}
{{comicsrow|1430|2014-10-06|Proteins}}
{{comicsrow|1429|2014-10-03|Data}}
{{comicsrow|1428|2014-10-01|Move Fast and Break Things}}
{{comicsrow|1427|2014-09-29|iOS Keyboard}}
{{comicsrow|1426|2014-09-26|Reduce Your Payments}}
{{comicsrow|1425|2014-09-24|Tasks}}
{{comicsrow|1424|2014-09-22|En Garde}}
{{comicsrow|1423|2014-09-19|Conversation}}
{{comicsrow|1422|2014-09-17|My Phone is Dying}}
{{comicsrow|1421|2014-09-15|Future Self}}
{{comicsrow|1420|2014-09-12|Watches}}
{{comicsrow|1419|2014-09-10|On the Phone}}
{{comicsrow|1418|2014-09-08|Horse}}
{{comicsrow|1417|2014-09-05|Seven}}
{{comicsrow|1416|2014-09-03|Pixels}}
{{comicsrow|1415|2014-09-01|Ballooning}}
{{comicsrow|1414|2014-08-29|Writing Skills}}
{{comicsrow|1413|2014-08-27|Suddenly Popular}}
{{comicsrow|1412|2014-08-25|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles}}
{{comicsrow|1411|2014-08-22|Loop}}
{{comicsrow|1410|2014-08-20|California}}
{{comicsrow|1409|2014-08-18|Query}}
{{comicsrow|1408|2014-08-15|March of the Penguins}}
{{comicsrow|1407|2014-08-13|Worst Hurricane}}
{{comicsrow|1406|2014-08-11|Universal Converter Box}}
{{comicsrow|1405|2014-08-08|Meteor}}
{{comicsrow|1404|2014-08-06|Quantum Vacuum Virtual Plasma}}
{{comicsrow|1403|2014-08-04|Thesis Defense}}
{{comicsrow|1402|2014-08-01|Harpoons}}
{{comicsrow|1401|2014-07-30|New}}
{{comicsrow|1400|2014-07-28|D.B. Cooper|d b cooper.png}}
{{comicsrow|1399|2014-07-25|Chaos}}
{{comicsrow|1398|2014-07-23|Snake Facts}}
{{comicsrow|1397|2014-07-21|Luke}}
{{comicsrow|1396|2014-07-18|Actors}}
{{comicsrow|1395|2014-07-16|Power Cord}}
{{comicsrow|1394|2014-07-14|Superm*n|superm n.png}}
{{comicsrow|1393|2014-07-11|Timeghost}}
{{comicsrow|1392|2014-07-09|Dominant Players}}
{{comicsrow|1391|2014-07-07|Darkness}}
{{comicsrow|1390|2014-07-04|Research Ethics}}
{{comicsrow|1389|2014-07-02|Surface Area}}
{{comicsrow|1388|2014-06-30|Subduction License}}
{{comicsrow|1387|2014-06-27|Clumsy Foreshadowing}}
{{comicsrow|1386|2014-06-25|People are Stupid}}
{{comicsrow|1385|2014-06-23|Throwing Rocks}}
{{comicsrow|1384|2014-06-20|Krypton}}
{{comicsrow|1383|2014-06-18|Magic Words}}
{{comicsrow|1382|2014-06-16|Rocket Packs}}
{{comicsrow|1381|2014-06-13|Margin}}
{{comicsrow|1380|2014-06-11|Manual for Civilization}}
{{comicsrow|1379|2014-06-09|4.5 Degrees|4 5 degrees.png}}
{{comicsrow|1378|2014-06-06|Turbine}}
{{comicsrow|1377|2014-06-04|Fish}}
{{comicsrow|1376|2014-06-02|Jump}}
{{comicsrow|1375|2014-05-30|Astronaut Vandalism}}
{{comicsrow|1374|2014-05-28|Urn}}
{{comicsrow|1373|2014-05-26|Screenshot}}
{{comicsrow|1372|2014-05-23|Smartwatches}}
{{comicsrow|1371|2014-05-21|Brightness}}
{{comicsrow|1370|2014-05-19|President}}
{{comicsrow|1369|2014-05-16|TMI}}
{{comicsrow|1368|2014-05-14|One Of The}}
{{comicsrow|1367|2014-05-12|Installing}}
{{comicsrow|1366|2014-05-09|Train}}
{{comicsrow|1365|2014-05-07|Inflation}}
{{comicsrow|1364|2014-05-05|Like I'm Five|like im five.png}}
{{comicsrow|1363|2014-05-02|xkcd Phone}}
{{comicsrow|1362|2014-04-30|Morse Code}}
{{comicsrow|1361|2014-04-28|Google Announcement}}
{{comicsrow|1360|2014-04-25|Old Files}}
{{comicsrow|1359|2014-04-23|Phone Alarm}}
{{comicsrow|1358|2014-04-21|NRO}}
{{comicsrow|1357|2014-04-18|Free Speech}}
{{comicsrow|1356|2014-04-16|Orbital Mechanics}}
{{comicsrow|1355|2014-04-14|Airplane Message}}
{{comicsrow|1354|2014-04-11|Heartbleed Explanation}}
{{comicsrow|1353|2014-04-09|Heartbleed}}
{{comicsrow|1352|2014-04-07|Cosmologist on a Tire Swing}}
{{comicsrow|1351|2014-04-04|Metamaterials}}
{{comicsrow|1350|2014-04-01|Lorenz}}
{{comicsrow|1349|2014-03-31|Shouldn't Be Hard|shouldnt be hard.png}}
{{comicsrow|1348|2014-03-28|Before the Internet}}
{{comicsrow|1347|2014-03-26|t Distribution}}
{{comicsrow|1346|2014-03-24|Career}}
{{comicsrow|1345|2014-03-21|Answers}}
{{comicsrow|1344|2014-03-19|Digits}}
{{comicsrow|1343|2014-03-17|Manuals}}
{{comicsrow|1342|2014-03-14|Ancient Stars}}
{{comicsrow|1341|2014-03-12|Types of Editors}}
{{comicsrow|1340|2014-03-10|Unique Date}}
{{comicsrow|1339|2014-03-07|When You Assume}}
{{comicsrow|1338|2014-03-05|Land Mammals}}
{{comicsrow|1337|2014-03-03|Hack}}
{{comicsrow|1336|2014-02-28|Transformers}}
{{comicsrow|1335|2014-02-26|Now|now.gif}}
{{comicsrow|1334|2014-02-24|Second}}
{{comicsrow|1333|2014-02-21|First Date}}
{{comicsrow|1332|2014-02-19|Slippery Slope}}
{{comicsrow|1331|2014-02-17|Frequency}}
{{comicsrow|1330|2014-02-14|Kola Borehole}}
{{comicsrow|1329|2014-02-12|Standing}}
{{comicsrow|1328|2014-02-10|Update}}
{{comicsrow|1327|2014-02-07|Mobile Marketing}}
{{comicsrow|1326|2014-02-05|Sharks}}
{{comicsrow|1325|2014-02-03|Rejection}}
{{comicsrow|1324|2014-01-31|Weather}}
{{comicsrow|1323|2014-01-29|Protocol}}
{{comicsrow|1322|2014-01-27|Winter}}
{{comicsrow|1321|2014-01-24|Cold}}
{{comicsrow|1320|2014-01-22|Walmart}}
{{comicsrow|1319|2014-01-20|Automation}}
{{comicsrow|1318|2014-01-17|Actually}}
{{comicsrow|1317|2014-01-15|Theft}}
{{comicsrow|1316|2014-01-13|Inexplicable}}
{{comicsrow|1315|2014-01-10|Questions for God}}
{{comicsrow|1314|2014-01-08|Photos}}
{{comicsrow|1313|2014-01-06|Regex Golf}}
{{comicsrow|1312|2014-01-03|Haskell}}
{{comicsrow|1311|2014-01-01|2014}}
{{comicsrow|1310|2013-12-30|Goldbach Conjectures}}
{{comicsrow|1309|2013-12-27|Infinite Scrolling}}
{{comicsrow|1308|2013-12-25|Christmas Lights}}
{{comicsrow|1307|2013-12-23|Buzzfeed Christmas}}
{{comicsrow|1306|2013-12-20|Sigil Cycle}}
{{comicsrow|1305|2013-12-18|Undocumented Feature}}
{{comicsrow|1304|2013-12-16|Glass Trolling}}
{{comicsrow|1303|2013-12-13|Profile Info}}
{{comicsrow|1302|2013-12-11|Year in Review}}
{{comicsrow|1301|2013-12-09|File Extensions}}
{{comicsrow|1300|2013-12-06|Galilean Moons}}
{{comicsrow|1299|2013-12-04|I Don't Own a TV|i dont own a tv.png}}
{{comicsrow|1298|2013-12-02|Exoplanet Neighborhood}}
{{comicsrow|1297|2013-11-29|Oort Cloud}}
{{comicsrow|1296|2013-11-27|Git Commit}}
{{comicsrow|1295|2013-11-25|New Study}}
{{comicsrow|1294|2013-11-22|Telescope Names}}
{{comicsrow|1293|2013-11-20|Job Interview}}
{{comicsrow|1292|2013-11-18|Pi vs. Tau|pi vs tau.png}}
{{comicsrow|1291|2013-11-15|Shoot for the Moon}}
{{comicsrow|1290|2013-11-13|Syllable Planning}}
{{comicsrow|1289|2013-11-11|Simple Answers}}
{{comicsrow|1288|2013-11-08|Substitutions}}
{{comicsrow|1287|2013-11-06|Puzzle}}
{{comicsrow|1286|2013-11-04|Encryptic}}
{{comicsrow|1285|2013-11-01|Third Way}}
{{comicsrow|1284|2013-10-30|Improved Keyboard}}
{{comicsrow|1283|2013-10-28|Headlines}}
{{comicsrow|1282|2013-10-25|Monty Hall}}
{{comicsrow|1281|2013-10-23|Minifigs}}
{{comicsrow|1280|2013-10-21|Mystery News}}
{{comicsrow|1279|2013-10-18|Reverse Identity Theft}}
{{comicsrow|1278|2013-10-16|Giraffes}}
{{comicsrow|1277|2013-10-14|Ayn Random}}
{{comicsrow|1276|2013-10-11|Angular Size}}
{{comicsrow|1275|2013-10-09|int(pi)|int pi.png}}
{{comicsrow|1274|2013-10-07|Open Letter}}
{{comicsrow|1273|2013-10-04|Tall Infographics}}
{{comicsrow|1272|2013-10-02|Shadowfacts}}
{{comicsrow|1271|2013-09-30|Highlighting}}
{{comicsrow|1270|2013-09-27|Functional}}
{{comicsrow|1269|2013-09-25|Privacy Opinions}}
{{comicsrow|1268|2013-09-23|Alternate Universe}}
{{comicsrow|1267|2013-09-20|Mess}}
{{comicsrow|1266|2013-09-18|Halting Problem}}
{{comicsrow|1265|2013-09-16|Juicer}}
{{comicsrow|1264|2013-09-13|Slideshow|slideshow.gif}}
{{comicsrow|1263|2013-09-11|Reassuring}}
{{comicsrow|1262|2013-09-09|Unquote}}
{{comicsrow|1261|2013-09-06|Shake That}}
{{comicsrow|1260|2013-09-04|LD50}}
{{comicsrow|1259|2013-09-02|Bee Orchid}}
{{comicsrow|1258|2013-08-30|First}}
{{comicsrow|1257|2013-08-28|Monster}}
{{comicsrow|1256|2013-08-26|Questions}}
{{comicsrow|1255|2013-08-23|Columbus}}
{{comicsrow|1254|2013-08-21|Preferred Chat System}}
{{comicsrow|1253|2013-08-19|Exoplanet Names}}
{{comicsrow|1252|2013-08-16|Increased Risk}}
{{comicsrow|1251|2013-08-14|Anti-Glass|anti_glass.png}}
{{comicsrow|1250|2013-08-12|Old Accounts}}
{{comicsrow|1249|2013-08-09|Meteor Showers}}
{{comicsrow|1248|2013-08-07|Sphere}}
{{comicsrow|1247|2013-08-05|The Mother of All Suspicious Files}}
{{comicsrow|1246|2013-08-02|Pale Blue Dot}}
{{comicsrow|1245|2013-07-31|10-Day Forecast|10 day forecast.png}}
{{comicsrow|1244|2013-07-29|Six Words}}
{{comicsrow|1243|2013-07-26|Snare}}
{{comicsrow|1242|2013-07-24|Scary Names}}
{{comicsrow|1241|2013-07-22|Annoying Ringtone Champion}}
{{comicsrow|1240|2013-07-19|Quantum Mechanics}}
{{comicsrow|1239|2013-07-17|Social Media}}
{{comicsrow|1238|2013-07-15|Enlightenment}}
{{comicsrow|1237|2013-07-12|QR Code}}
{{comicsrow|1236|2013-07-10|Seashell}}
{{comicsrow|1235|2013-07-08|Settled}}
{{comicsrow|1234|2013-07-05|Douglas Engelbart (1925-2013)|douglas_engelbart_1925_2013.png}}
{{comicsrow|1233|2013-07-03|Relativity}}
{{comicsrow|1232|2013-07-01|Realistic Criteria}}
{{comicsrow|1231|2013-06-28|Habitable Zone}}
{{comicsrow|1230|2013-06-26|Polar/Cartesian|polar_cartesian.png}}
{{comicsrow|1229|2013-06-24|Screensaver}}
{{comicsrow|1228|2013-06-21|Prometheus}}
{{comicsrow|1227|2013-06-19|The Pace of Modern Life}}
{{comicsrow|1226|2013-06-17|Balloon Internet}}
{{comicsrow|1225|2013-06-14|Ice Sheets}}
{{comicsrow|1224|2013-06-12|Council of 300}}
{{comicsrow|1223|2013-06-10|Dwarf Fortress}}
{{comicsrow|1222|2013-06-07|Pastime}}
{{comicsrow|1221|2013-06-05|Nomenclature}}
{{comicsrow|1220|2013-06-03|Hipsters}}
{{comicsrow|1219|2013-05-31|Reports}}
{{comicsrow|1218|2013-05-29|Doors of Durin}}
{{comicsrow|1217|2013-05-27|Cells}}
{{comicsrow|1216|2013-05-24|Sticks and Stones}}
{{comicsrow|1215|2013-05-22|Insight}}
{{comicsrow|1214|2013-05-20|Geoguessr}}
{{comicsrow|1213|2013-05-17|Combination Vision Test}}
{{comicsrow|1212|2013-05-15|Interstellar Memes}}
{{comicsrow|1211|2013-05-13|Birds and Dinosaurs}}
{{comicsrow|1210|2013-05-10|I'm So Random|im_so_random.png}}
{{comicsrow|1209|2013-05-08|Encoding}}
{{comicsrow|1208|2013-05-06|Footnote Labyrinths}}
{{comicsrow|1207|2013-05-03|AirAware}}
{{comicsrow|1206|2013-05-01|Einstein}}
{{comicsrow|1205|2013-04-29|Is It Worth the Time?|is_it_worth_the_time.png}}
{{comicsrow|1204|2013-04-26|Detail}}
{{comicsrow|1203|2013-04-24|Time Machines}}
{{comicsrow|1202|2013-04-22|Girls and Boys}}
{{comicsrow|1201|2013-04-19|Integration by Parts}}
{{comicsrow|1200|2013-04-17|Authorization}}
{{comicsrow|1199|2013-04-15|Silence}}
{{comicsrow|1198|2013-04-12|Geologist}}
{{comicsrow|1197|2013-04-10|All Adobe Updates}}
{{comicsrow|1196|2013-04-08|Subways}}
{{comicsrow|1195|2013-04-05|Flowchart}}
{{comicsrow|1194|2013-04-03|Stratigraphic Record}}
{{comicsrow|1193|2013-04-01|Externalities}}
{{comicsrow|1192|2013-03-29|Humming}}
{{comicsrow|1191|2013-03-27|The Past}}
{{comicsrow|1190|2013-03-25|Time|time-animated.gif}}
{{comicsrow|1189|2013-03-22|Voyager 1}}
{{comicsrow|1188|2013-03-20|Bonding}}
{{comicsrow|1187|2013-03-18|Aspect Ratio}}
{{comicsrow|1186|2013-03-15|Bumblebees}}
{{comicsrow|1185|2013-03-13|Ineffective Sorts}}
{{comicsrow|1184|2013-03-11|Circumference Formula}}
{{comicsrow|1183|2013-03-08|Rose Petals}}
{{comicsrow|1182|2013-03-06|Rembrandt Photo}}
{{comicsrow|1181|2013-03-04|PGP}}
{{comicsrow|1180|2013-03-01|Virus Venn Diagram}}
{{comicsrow|1179|2013-02-27|ISO 8601}}
{{comicsrow|1178|2013-02-25|Pickup Artists}}
{{comicsrow|1177|2013-02-22|Time Robot}}
{{comicsrow|1176|2013-02-20|Those Not Present}}
{{comicsrow|1175|2013-02-18|Moving Sidewalks}}
{{comicsrow|1174|2013-02-15|App}}
{{comicsrow|1173|2013-02-13|Steroids}}
{{comicsrow|1172|2013-02-11|Workflow}}
{{comicsrow|1171|2013-02-08|Perl Problems}}
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{{comicsrow|1103|2012-09-03|Nine}}
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{{comicsrow|1088|2012-07-30|Five Years}}
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{{comicsrow|1086|2012-07-25|Eyelash Wish Log}}
{{comicsrow|1085|2012-07-23|ContextBot}}
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{{comicsrow|1050|2012-05-02|Forgot Algebra}}
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{{comicsrow|1001|2012-01-09|AAAAAA}}</onlyinclude>
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[[Category:Comics| ]]

1501: Mysteries

2015-03-20T08:13:36Z

141.101.98.239: set up template

1500: Upside-Down Map

2015-03-18T08:24:57Z

141.101.98.239: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1500
| date = March 18, 2015
| title = Upside-Down Map
| image = upside_down_map.png
| titletext = Due to their proximity across the channel, there's long been tension between North Korea and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Southern Ireland.
}}

==Explanation==
People often say that maps with the south pole at the top will change your perspective. This map is a comedic play on that where instead of the whole map being upside-down, each land mass is in the same position it would be in a traditional north-top map but rotated to the orientation it would have in a south-top map.

The title text references the fact that in this new map, the UK is now next to Asia. Further, Northern Ireland is now at the south of the island of Ireland, so the UK's full name would need to change to The United Kingdom of Great Britain and SOUTHERN Ireland.

==Transcript==
:[Map of the world with all the landmasses upside-down.]

:[Below the main frame:]
The Upside-Down Map will change your perspective of the world!

{{comic discussion}}

1500: Upside-Down Map

2015-03-18T08:22:59Z

141.101.98.239: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1500
| date = March 18, 2015
| title = Upside-Down Map
| image = upside_down_map.png
| titletext = Due to their proximity across the channel, there's long been tension between North Korea and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Southern Ireland.
}}

==Explanation==
People often say that maps with the south pole at the top will change your perspective. This map is a comedic play on that where instead of the whole map being upside-down, each land mass is in the same position it would be in a traditional north-top map but rotated to the orientation it would have in a south-top map.

==Transcript==
:[Map of the world with all the landmasses upside-down.]

:[Below the main frame:]
The Upside-Down Map will change your perspective of the world!

{{comic discussion}}

1500: Upside-Down Map

2015-03-18T08:18:43Z

141.101.98.239:

1500: Upside-Down Map

2015-03-18T08:18:07Z

141.101.98.239: Created page with "{{comic | number = 1500 | date = March 18, 2015 | title = Upside-Down Map | image = upside_down_map.png | titletext = Due to their proximity across the channel..."

Talk:1306: Sigil Cycle

2013-12-23T11:15:34Z

141.101.98.239: Suggested edit

Shouldn't it be QBASIC$ (or QBASIC%), since in Basic the sigil is attached to the end of variable names? --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.108|173.245.53.108]] 13:19, 20 December 2013 (UTC)

Could not find where categories can be added, here's a list of suitable categories: Charts, Computers, Comics presenting a compromise Internet, Programming [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.180|173.245.53.180]] 13:32, 20 December 2013 (UTC)

This comic de-emphasizes the value of sigils. It's very ironic that Randall chose C++, a language with symbols, to exemplify plain words. And C is a reason for not naming technologies after letters. Same with X. You have to search for "C programming language" or "X window system." It's very helpful to distinguish things with unique sigils, especially in this current age where we depend on full-text search. Just look at my login ID, tbc. I have been tbc on the Internet since 1981. But I eventually had to go by tbc0 (e.g. on Twitter) because tbc isn't unique enough. Google was named after 10^100 (an incomprehensibly large number reflecting their ambition). But that number is spelled googol. They own their spelling. Brilliant. Consider examples: iMac, iPhone iPad, Yahoo (a little weak), Facebook (they own that word). It's all about branding. Google Kleenex or Xerox and you'll see that they're excellent sigils. The problem is, those terms have become generic. Their brand is a little weaker for it. Finally, on Twitter, @and # unleash powerful features. — [[User:Tbc|tbc]] ([[User talk:Tbc|talk]]) 15:01, 20 December 2013 (UTC)
:C++ uses symbols, but it doesn't use one to denote that an identifier is a variable (like PHP) or the type of an identifier (like early BASIC, Perl, and arguably Twitter). And when I search for X, it's either X11 (the protocol) or Xorg (the widely used server implementation). And [[wikipedia:Barney_Google_and_Snuffy_Smith|Barney Google]] had it first. --[[User:Tepples|Tepples]] ([[User talk:Tepples|talk]]) 15:55, 20 December 2013 (UTC)

Any way we can expand on the history of programming (if applicable)? Did these languages become popular in a certain order, or were they developed as a response to one another? Or is this comic simply Randall's journey through programming, not specifically tied to the popularity (or development) of certain coding languages? -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.227|108.162.216.227]]

The google mentioning isn't explained well enough imo. Instead if just saying "they have a service called google plus", it should be told how the + sign is used throughout the service, like every other instance in the article. I may do the edit myself, but it's not likely. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.237|141.101.98.237]] 15:26, 20 December 2013 (UTC)

"Ironically, it is the name if the language itself that includes symbols."

It's not very ironic. Variable names don't include symbols, but commands do. This statement should be rewritten.

int c = 0;

c++;

c += 1;

c = c + 1; {{unsigned ip|173.245.52.215}}

:I find it ironic that "C++" in a statement would be interpretted as "C" and only ''post''-incremented (i.e. only incremented when ''next'' referenced). Meaning "C++" is effectively the same as "C", in its own context. They should have named it "++C", if they wanted to indicate that it was ''itself'' improved upon the original value of C. ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.229|141.101.99.229]] 16:37, 20 December 2013 (UTC)

::This is an incorrect interpretation of the statement c++. c++ as a standalone statement, on a line by itself, will result in c being exactly one greater than before the statement (the value stored in that memory location will indeed be one greater); using prefix or postfix ++ in this context is functionally equivalent and most people just prefer using the postfix version. Where the distinction between the prefix and postfix versions come into play is in more complex statements where the operator's return value is not ignored. For example,

::int c = 1;
::int x = c++;

::x will be initialized to 1 because the postfix ++ operator returns the value of c before it was incremented, but the value stored in c will be 2 regardless of further reference. If, instead you initialized x using the prefix version, ++c, x would be 2 because the prefix version of ++ returns the incremented result. (Side note: it's often considered bad practice to rely on the return value of the increment and decrement operators.) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.227|108.162.219.227]] 20:58, 20 December 2013 (UTC)
:::No, I stand by what I say. I actually agree with your code, but freely parsing "I will use C++ for this project", as a phrase (at least the first time you utter it) might so easily be a statement that gives a direct result equal to "I will use C for this project". (It helps to have just the right geeky sense of humour, of course.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.229|141.101.99.229]] 21:56, 20 December 2013 (UTC)
::::Oh, I assure you, I am quite geeky. I could, for instance, argue that you're mixing the grammars of English and C++, a natural language and context sensitive language. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.227|108.162.219.227]] 22:21, 20 December 2013 (UTC)

:::::Personally, I see no problem. When you start programming in C++, you are writing code which is effectively C. Only when you program in C++ longer time, the code will improve. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:13, 21 December 2013 (UTC)

Extending the first comment above: Since the strip is known for being rather technically strict, it's odd that it says "word ... will START with", yet QBASIC variables END with symbols, and Google+ ENDS with a symbol.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.216|108.162.216.216]] 18:11, 20 December 2013 (UTC)

: That's not a problem with Google, because the ''sigil'' comes at the beginning there. But it's a problem with QBASIC, all right. —[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 05:01, 21 December 2013 (UTC)

Although C++ doesn't force you to use sigils, by convention programmers would still use sigils. Conventionally, variable names were named nCount, or fCost. The first character in the variable name indicated the data type. This convention was extended by Visual C++, and it started naming interfaces starting with I. Eventually, this convention fell by the wayside because IDEs started getting smarter and you would get code complete and some sort of information via a tooltip that eliminated the need for the Sigil --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.24|173.245.56.24]] 18:16, 20 December 2013 (UTC)
::{{w|Hungarian Notation}} (and similar schemes) aren't "sigils" (according to [[wikt:sigil|wiktionary]], a sigil in this context is non-alphanumeric, and the comic would seem to imply this also). --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.186|108.162.219.186]] 22:45, 20 December 2013 (UTC).

I think this explanation could do with some better explanation of the programming concepts it describes. Not every xkcd reader will be familiar with programming languages. --[[User:Mynotoar|Mynotoar]] ([[User talk:Mynotoar|talk]]) 21:20, 20 December 2013 (UTC)
: I've expanded the introduction for now to more fully explain programming languages and variables - it wasn't very clear to non-programmers - but I think the rest could use some work too. --[[User:Mynotoar|Mynotoar]] ([[User talk:Mynotoar|talk]]) 18:29, 21 December 2013 (UTC)

If "C++" "started" with a symbol, then I would agree that it is ironic that it appears in the graph in the position that it does. Since it does not, however, I must dispute your use of the word "ironic". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.117|108.162.238.117]] 03:14, 21 December 2013 (UTC)

How could 'see plus plus' be pronounced any other way? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.239|141.101.98.239]] 11:15, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

482: Height

2013-11-06T09:15:24Z

141.101.98.239: /* Transcript */ Minor changes

{{comic
| number = 482
| date = September 29, 2008
| title = Height
| image = height.png
| titletext = Interestingly, on a true vertical log plot, I think the Eiffel Tower's sides would really be straight lines.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic contains a chart shows several objects in the universe, both real and fictional, from farthest (top) to closest (bottom) on a logarithmic scale. The comic starts with [[Black Hat]] throwing a cat off the edge of the universe, probably a reference to {{w|Schrodinger's cat}} (as since it is outside the observable universe (for us), it exists in a super-position of both living and dead until we actually 'observe' it and force it to be in one of the states). The top of the universe is shown as the distance from which the oldest rays of light reach Earth.

Displaying height logarithmically while displaying width linearly noticeably distorts the shapes of the terrestrial objects. The title text notes that this distortion would approximately cancel out the curve of the Eiffel Tower's profile, and speculates that the cancellation might in fact be exact enough to convert its silhouette to a straight-edged triangle.

The {{w|age of the universe}} is currently stated as 13.8 billion years. But the {{w|Observable universe}} is about 14.0 billion {{w|parsecs}} or 46 billion {{w|light years}}, as shown on the top of the image.

===Fictional Objects===

*[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cat-on-a-keyboard-in-space Cat on a keyboard in space].
*{{w|Ford_Prefect (character)|Ford Prefect}}, character from {{w|The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (franchise)}}.
*The [http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Romulan_Neutral_Zone Romulan Neutral Zone], marking the edge of the {{w|Star Trek}} Federation.
*{{w|Federation Sector 0-0-1}}, the sector of space assigned to Earth in {{w|Star Trek}}.
*"missing WMDs", a reference to the controversy about {{w|Iraq and weapons of mass destruction}}.
*{{w|Bupkis}} is Yiddish for "nothing". Only a handful of objects are known to orbit between the outer edge of the Kuiper Belt and the inner edge of the Oort Cloud, hence "Bupkis".
*A comet scheduled to hit earth in 2063, to coincide with the latest date for a supposed [http://www.askelm.com/prophecy/p971105.htm Biblically prophesized end of the world].
*Life on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, which may or may not exist.
**The arrows most likely points to the following moons:
**Jupiter’s moon {{W|Europa (moon)|Europa}} which may be covered by a deep ocean of water - which is again covered by layer of ice many kilometers thick. In such an ocean life could have formed.
**Saturn’s moon {{W|Titan (moon)|Titan}} is the only known moon to have an atmosphere - although nothing like the one on earth. There may be oceans on the moon, but not filled with water but with liquid methane and ethane. It is way too cold for liquid water. Still in such oceans life could also have formed.
**For either moon the oceans cannot be viewed from earth either due to thick ice or opaque atmosphere.
*The little spaceship from {{w|Asteroids (video game)}}.
*The {{w|Discovery One}} from {{w|2001: A Space Odyssey}}, referring to the quote "open the pod bay door, HAL."
*The spaceplane is most likely the Planet Express from {{w|Futurama}}, where Fry once discussed "a big heaping bowl of salt." However, it could conceivably refer to these instead:
**The Quasi-elemental plane of Salt from the {{w|Inner Plane}} in {{w|Dungeons and Dragons}}.
**The Great Salt Vampire from [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-485523.html Star Trek TOS].
**A relative of {{w|Russell's teapot}}.
*{{w|Cory Doctrow}}'s balloon. (first referenced in [[239]].)
*[[Cueball]], who is apparently still using Python as shown in comic [[353]].

===Real Objects===

*{{w|Hubble Deep Field}}, a long-exposure photograph of extremely distant galaxies.
*{{w|Great Attractor}}, an unusual concentration of intergalactic mass.
*{{w|Antennae Galaxies}}, a pair of colliding galaxies.
*{{w|Andromeda Galaxy}}, a sibling to our Milky Way.
*{{w|Magellanic Clouds}}, a pair of nearby dwarf galaxies.
*{{w|Crab Nebula}}, {{w|Orion Nebula}}, and {{w|Horsehead Nebula}}, supernova remnants.
*{{w|Pleiades}}, {{w|Rigel}}, and {{w|Betelgeuse}}, stars.
*The distance that human radio transmissions have traveled so far. See {{w|Contact (film)}} for a depiction of this.
*{{w|Pollux}}, {{w|Arcturus}}, {{w|Sirius}}, {{w|Alpha Centauri}}, and {{w|Barnard's Star}}, nearby stars.
*{{w|Oort cloud}}, a halo of ice balls surrounding our solar system.
*{{w|Pioneer 10}} and {{w|Voyager 1}}, two early probes headed out of the solar system.
*{{w|Eris (dwarf planet)|Eris}} and {{w|Pluto}}, a pair of {{w|Trans-Neptunian object|TNOs}} now classified as {{w|dwarf planet}}s.
*{{w|Neptune}}, {{w|Uranus}}, {{w|Saturn}}, and {{w|Jupiter}}, giant gas planets at our {{w|Solar System|solar system}}.
*The {{w|Asteroid|Asteroid belt}} between Mars and Jupiter.
*{{w|Mars}}, {{w|Venus}}, and {{w|Mercury}}, our neighboring inner planets. Note that Venus and Mars are shown with looping paths, reflecting the fact that their distances from Earth vary as the planets move in their orbits (this is true for all planets, but more noticeable for these two because the ratio of smallest to greatest distance is particularly large).
*The {{w|Sun}} and the {{w|Moon}}.

==Transcript==
:[Map of the universe from observable universe to Earth. Each area of item is labelled.]
:[Labels left to right, up to down:]
:[Black Hat is standing on top, throwing a black kitty down.]
:Black Cat: mrowl!
::Top of Observable Universe
::46 Billion Light Years Up
::Hubble Deep Field Objects
:-One Billion Light Years-
::Great Attractor
:Antennae Galaxies (Colliding)
:Andromeda
:::Holy Crap Lots of Space
::-One Million Light Years-
::Magellanic Clouds
::Edge of Galaxy
::Galactic Center
::Crab Nebula
::Orion Nebula
::Horsehead Nebula
::Romulan Neutral Zone
:::The PLEIADES, Duh.
::Rigel
::Betelgeuse
::Ford Prefect
::-Expanding Shell of Radio Transmissions [Arrows are pointing up.]-
::Edge of Federation Sector 0-0-1
::Pollux
::Arcturus
::Missing WMDs
::Alpha Centauri
::Sirius
::Barnard's Star
:-One Parsec-
::-One Light Year-
::Oort Cloud (?)
::Bupkis
::Comet which will destroy Earth in late 2063
::Pioneer 10
::Eris (All hail Discordia!)
::Voyager I
::Pluto (Not a planet. Neener neener.)
::Neptune
::Uranus
:Saturn
::Asteroids
:::<~life~>
::Jupiter
::Venus
::Mars
::Sun
::Mercury
::Aircraft: Hey a heaping bowl of salt!
::"Open the fridge door, Hal."
::Moon
::Human Altitude Record (Apollo 13)
::2nd Place: Snoop Dogg
::Space Elevator - One of these days, promise!
::-Geosynchronous Orbit-
::GPS Satellites
::Aircraft 2: I have no idea how to land
::Aircraft 2: In retrospect, they shouldn't have sent a poet
::International Space Station
::Space Junk
::-Official Edge of Space (100 km)-
::Meteors
::-1/10 ATM-
::High Altitude Balloons
::Airliners
::-1/2 ATM-
::Cory Doctrow
::Shuttle Columbia Lost
::Everest
::Helicoptors
::Cueball: Woo Python!
::-800 m-
::-1 km-
::[Height progressivly gets smaller and smaller.]
::Burj Dubai (~800 m)
::Eiffel Tower (325 m)
::Kites
::Great Pyramid (140 m)
::Redwood (115 m)
::Pop Fly
::Oak (20 m)
::"Hey Squirrels!"
::Tallest Stilts
::Brachiosaur (13 m)
::Giraffe (8 m)
::[Megan and Cueball.] Folks
:The Observable Universe, from Top to Bottom ~On a log scale~
:Sizes are not to scale, but heights above the Earth's surface are accurate on a log scale (that is, each step up is double the height.)

{{comic discussion}}
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[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]