explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3005: Disposal

2024-10-31T03:15:56Z

141.101.98.8:

That's either a giant Cueball, or a really tiny rocket. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 23:05, 30 October 2024 (UTC)
:It's an Electron? Or maybe Falcon 1? [[User:Redacted II|Redacted II]] ([[User talk:Redacted II|talk]]) 00:23, 31 October 2024 (UTC)

It seems strange to me to see Randall drawing a rocket landing with its engine pointing upward instead of downward, when he traditionally has expressed so much interest in rocket and space physics. It's also notable that the rocket-landing problem was solved by others before SpaceX was considered to have, I bumped into a successful project on a maker site in the past couple years. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.3.71|172.68.3.71]] 01:23, 31 October 2024 (UTC)
:SpaceX was the first to propulsively land an orbital booster. [[User:Redacted II|Redacted II]] ([[User talk:Redacted II|talk]]) 01:39, 31 October 2024 (UTC)
:Re downward-pointing, there's a possible side-reference to [[1133: Up Goer Five]]'s "you will not go to space today". But I think it's more that if you have the ability to send it down a hole to explode, you have no reason to finesse the (non-)landing and might as well just thread it in under as much of the full propulsion as you can handle.
:And the conceit of the rocket-tech is that they've solved the position+direction issue 'perfectly', even if they haven't solved the "how to then stop it just before/as it reaches the ground" and/or any usable ways of standing/hanging it upright once it does.
:It's a 7+D problem. Attaining a precise position (x,y,z) with a precise velocity (dx,dy,dz) in at least one precise angle (verticality; plus possibly also others, if rotation is important, plus dθ and dφ at near-zero) and at least to one further limit (fuel remaining >=0). 'All' Cueball's rocket has to do is to perfect 5 or 6 dimensional properties (thread through x,y,z, being aimed in a vertically downwards (or, at a push, upwards) orientation and no ''excessive'' horizontal motion... all the rest can be fudged somewhat). And no additional weight needed for landing/catching points. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.8|141.101.98.8]] 03:15, 31 October 2024 (UTC)

There’s a Space Category, and a Kerbal program Category and a Mars Rover Category, why not a Rocket category? I propose on creating one. All in favor? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 02:33, 31 October 2024 (UTC)

472: House of Pancakes

2024-10-21T12:25:01Z

141.101.98.8: /* Transcript */ errant LF removed.

{{comic
| number = 472
| date = September 5, 2008
| title = House of Pancakes
| image = house_of_pancakes.png
| titletext = Fuck it, I'm just going to Waffle House.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Randall]] is parodying Mark Z. Danielewski's novel ''{{w|House of Leaves}}'' by renaming it ''House of Pancakes'' (after the American fast food franchise {{w|International House of Pancakes}}). ''House of Leaves'' has an unconventional page layout and style, including the colouring of every instance of the word "house" in blue, as is done on the menu. It includes footnotes within footnotes like Randall did here.

In ''House of Leaves'', protagonist Johnny Truant (whose meta-narration is marked by Courier font as mimicked in the comic) discovers a book called ''The Navidson Record'' (represented here by the pancake menu), which in turn details a film of the same name, which in turn details a horror story of a family living in a sentient house. Truant, who is clearly intelligent and cultured, probes deeper into notating ''The Navidson Record''—and into insomnia—until ''The Navidson Record'' consumes his mind horrifically, the same way the film in the novel consumed the author of ''The Navidson Record'', the same way the house in the novel consumed part of the family.

''House of Leaves'' lends itself to many interpretations, but has been called a "satire of academic criticism," which makes this comic essentially a satire of a satire. Since part of the appeal of ''House of Leaves'' is that it takes itself extremely seriously with its intricacy, multitude of both real and made-up references to academic and popular culture, and layered emotional conflict, Randall's reduction of the ''House of Leaves'' to the (International) House of Pancakes cuts a humorous edge to a dark story. The tone of the comic parodies the tone of ''House of Leaves'': lonely, fear-inducing, and increasingly insane, but using pancakes instead of darkness.

Additionally, the mysterious "Mohawk Girl" referred to in the comic may be a nod to the ''House of Leaves'' character Delial, or to [[147: A Way So Familiar]].

The word "house" is in blue in every instance, which is a stylistic attribute of Mark Z. Danielewski's novel. Every Minotaur reference is marked out in red ink, and every use of "house" or a foreign language's equivalent, such as 'haus' and 'maison' is in blue. This is not a reference to hyperlinks. It is often thought that the house is printed in blue because houses have 'blueprints.'

The censored portion of the Big Steak Omelette is "...fresh green peppers, onions, mushrooms,..." per IHOP's website for the Big Steak Omelette: "Tender and tasty strips of steak, hash browns, fresh green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and Cheddar cheese." Also, Omelette is misspelled, but that's probably just a typo.

The title text refers to the {{w|Waffle House}}, another US restaurant chain. The joke is that the protagonist has decided that maybe all this angst isn't worth it, and he'll just go to a different restaurant.

Clicking on the original comic links to the amazon.com page for House of Leaves.

From ''[[xkcd: volume 0]]'':
{{quote|This is a parody of the fascinating book ''House of Leaves''.}}

==Transcript==
:[All instances of the word "House" are in blue. Text is a mix of 'Printed' (hi-res serifed proportional font), 'Typed' (more crude-looking non-proportional serifed font) and 'Written' (freetext, in standard xkcd AllCaps style, having the occasional decoration and emphasis added).]
:[Above the 'frame' is Typed text:] Every day a new city, a new IHOP. And yet every night the dreams get worse. I ply the highways, a nervous eye on the rear-view mirror, the back seat piled with stolen menus. Their doors are opened 24 hours, but forever closed to my soul. This is what my life has become. This is my hell.
:[A bordered frame, in the style of an (illustrated and annotated) menu. We see two columns of product descriptions, three full ones and in each column and a hint of a fourth going beyond the bottom of the frame.]
:[Each clear description generally start with a product name, in bold, and a product description, all in Printed text. To the left of these are an illustrative image which has a barely legible caption seemingly identical to the product namr header, and a stylistic 'angled shadow' set subtly behind it. In each description text there may be at least one footnote-number in superscript and square-brackets. Below each are Typed footnote paragraphs (mostly) relating to the footnote numbers in the above description. Additional scribbles are Written around and alongside the above, as text, doodles and other marks of one type or another.]
:[Menu header:]
::[Sidenote left, Written:] International
::[Printed header:] House of Pancakes
::[Scribbled-out sidenote, Written to the right:] BLOGSPOT

:[Item subheader, top of first column:] Strawberry Banana Pancakes
::[Item description:] Four pancakes filled with sliced fresh banana and crowned with cool strawberry topping, more [17] bananas and [23] whipped topping.
::[Footnote 17, with three smudged fingerprints over parts of this and the top of the next item down (a fourth, perhaps, far to the bottom of the framed area):] Driven by a nameless fear, a whisper in the dark behind me, I flee ahead of I know not what. Whenver I turn, there's nobody behind me. And yet someone is clearly stealing the ketchup. WHY?
::[Footnote 23, sandwiched incongruously and sideways from low to high, mostly between the images of the Stuffed French Toast and Ham and Egg Melt items, to the right:] My life is feeding, fleeing, fighting, and forgetting.

:[Item subheader, second down on left column:] Rooty Jr.
::[Item description, a splash of red (ketchup/blood) within it, further (secondary?) spatters and red marks, possibly including an attempt to create mostly unintelligable letters, spread on or around lower passages:] A kids only [19] version of our house signature Rooty Tooty. One scrambled egg, one strip of bacon, one pork sausage link and one fruit-topped buttermilk pancake.
::[Footnote 19:] The decision not to hyphenate "kids only" is likely connected to the omission of the serial comma. I wonder if the author is British. I wonder if he sleeps at night.

:[Item subheader, third down on left:] Rise 'N Shine
::[Item description:] Two eggs, toast and hash browns served with your choice [21] of two strips of bacon or two pork sausage links.
::[Footnote 21, starting with an small word (possibly (I") made illegible by one of the spatters of red:] rent a storage unit. Sleep there. Fill it with pancakes. Leave.

:[Item subheader, top of right column:] Stuffed French Toast
::[Item description:] Cinnamon raisin French [18] toast stuffed with sweet cream cheese filling, topped with cool strawberry or your choice of fruit compote and whipped topping.
::[Footnote 18:] Nightmares again. I wake up covered in sweat, and what appears to be a thin sheen of maple syrup

:[Inserted text, Written with emphasis and underlined:] WHO IS MOHAWK GIRL?

:[Item header, second down at right, which is sideways (low to high) in the general position that the horizontal text would normally be, next to the normally-set product image:] Ham & Egg Melt
::[Item description, also sideways and consistently 'below' (to the right of) its header:] Grilled sourdough bread stuffed with ham, scrambled eggs, Swiss and American cheeses. [20]
::[Footnote 20, normally orientated and positioned:] Ordered this in at an IHOP in Rochester, New York. There was blood on the floor. Some of it was mine.

:[Small drawn doodle, inserted, of three instances of a Cueball, the middle one holding out an item (gun?) to the right, followed by a ground feature (pool of liquid?)]
::[Written above the second (and third) Cueball:] Enough with your pancakes.
::[Written above the 'pool', two words heavily bolded:] Enough with your GOD DAMN pancakes.

:[Item header, third on the right:] The Big Steak Omlette
::[Item description, a few words of text has been censored by a black strip:] Tender strips of steak, hash browns, [censorship strip, long enough to obscure perhaps 4-6 typical words] tomatoes and Cheddar cheese. Served [22] with house salsa.
::[Footnote 22:] Woke up in Las Vegas. They're closing the Star Trek Experience today. The IHOP up the strip had pancake platters named after various states. None of them sounded like home.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Star Trek]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Comics with blood]]
[[Category:Footnotes]]

461: Google Maps

2024-10-21T11:05:02Z

141.101.98.8: Based on not knowing the person myself (by either name), nor being able to discover anything about them (ditti) and the original contributor being unable to provide info (in Pinyin or otherwise), no way to provide *any* Actual Citation. Not fact/trivia!

{{comic
| number = 461
| date = August 11, 2008
| title = Google Maps
| image = google_maps.png
| titletext = Apparently Google assumes you're traveling during the ferry's normal operating hours. We lost two hours circling that damn lake (to say nothing of the Straw Man).
}}

==Explanation==

{{w|Google Maps}} (Check it out [https://www.maps.google.com here]) is a web mapping service application. Before smartphones with GPS mapping software were widespread and most people's printers hadn't yet run out of ink, it was common to print out directions to take with you on a trip. The web version of Google Maps has many features including a route planner. As sophisticated as early versions were, it occasionally gave suboptimal directions. For example, the directions may tell you to take an exit that, in reality, is unmarked. Directions also did not take time of day into account, which would help in planning routes to avoid traffic or to make use of services such as a ferry.

Though no specific game or movie is referenced, steps 75 to 81 of the directions read like the plot of a horror film, a guide of a video game, or a role playing game. A straw man is another term for scarecrow, a common antagonist in both. Step 80 reads exactly like an old {{w|Interactive fiction|text adventure}} game's description of an area.

There are additional small jokes in the distance column of the directions:
*Step 75 tells you to travel 1172 feet up, a direction that Google Maps doesn't normally take into account.
*No distance is traveled in step 77, so Google instead tells you to be careful when talking to Charlie.
*{{w|Pi}} (π) is a ratio usually used in calculations involving circles, rather than in measuring distances.
*Google doesn't know how far it is from the Spectral Wolf to your destination, so it gives you question marks as the distance.

This might be a reference to Google Maps' {{w|List_of_Google_hoaxes_and_easter_eggs#Google_Maps_and_Google_Earth|many easter eggs}}.

The title text tells us that Cueball and his brother attempted to drive around the lake, since they could not take the ferry. It seems they also had an unfortunate run-in with the Straw Man, apparently waking him as the directions warned against.

===Directions===
{| class="wikitable"
!Direction Number
!Direction
!Explanation
|-
| 70
| Slight '''left''' at '''RT-22''' - go 6.8 mi
| A normal direction, RT-22 might mean Route 22.
|-
| 71
| Turn '''right''' to stay on '''RT-22''' - go 2.6 mi
|
|-
| 72
| Turn '''left''' at '''Lake Shore Rd''' - go 312 ft
|
|-
| 73
| Turn '''right''' at '''Dock St''' - go 427 ft
|
|-
| 74
| Take the '''ferry''' across the '''lake.''' - go 2.8 mi
|
|-
| 75
| Climb the '''HILL''' toward '''Hangman's Ridge,''' avoiding any '''mountain lions.''' - up 1,172 ft
| Google Maps does not usually ask you to avoid mountain lions, nor does it ask you to walk if you want to drive and there is an available route by road.
|-
| 76
| When you reach an '''old barn,''' go around back, knock on the '''second door,''' and ask for '''Charlie.''' - go 52 ft
| This resembles less directions from Google Maps, and more a back-alley dealing trying to introduce a contact to another contact.
|-
| 77
| Tell '''Charlie''' the '''Dancing Stones''' are '''restless'''. He will give you his '''van'''. - Careful
| This seems more like a text adventure game with the code words.
|-
| 78
| Take '''Charlie's van''' down '''Old Mine Road'''. Do not wake the '''Straw Man'''. - go π mi
| It is impossible to go exactly π miles. But then it is also impossible to go exactly 52 feet or 3.2 miles.
|-
| 79
| Turn left on '''Comstock'''. When you feel the '''blood chill''' in your '''veins''', stop the van and '''get out'''. - go 3.2 mi
| Google Maps usually does not ask you to wait until your blood chills.{{Citation needed}}
|-
| 80
| Stand very still. Exits are '''north''', '''south''', and '''east''', but are blocked by a '''Spectral Wolf'''. - go 0 ft
| The directions resemble a text adventure game.
|-
| 81
| The '''Spectral Wolf''' fears only '''fire'''. The '''Google Maps Team''' can no longer help you, but if you master the '''wolf''', he will guide you. '''Godspeed'''. - go ?? mi
| Judging by the well-wishes ("Godspeed"), this is the final direction, and the mysterious "Spectral Wolf" will guide Cueball and Cueball to their destination should they succeed in taming it. Google Maps does not usually instruct its users to seek mysterious cryptid entities in search of guidance.
|-
|}

==Transcript==
:My road trip with my brother ran into trouble around page three of the Google Maps printout

:[Google Maps printout.]
::← 70. Slight '''left''' at '''RT-22''' - go 6.8 mi
::→ 71. Turn '''right''' to stay on '''RT-22''' - go 2.6 mi
::← 72. Turn '''left''' at '''Lake Shore Rd''' - go 312 ft
::→ 73. Turn '''right''' at '''Dock St''' - go 427 ft
::[An icon of water] 74. Take the '''ferry''' across the '''lake.''' - go 2.8 mi

:[A car is driving in the dark.]
:Brother: Okay, now take Dock St toward the ferry.
:Cueball: We're supposed to take a ferry? It's past midnight, and these woods are creepy.
:Brother: Google Maps wouldn't steer us wrong.

:[Cueball and his brother stand outside the car. The ferry has a sign on it reading CLOSED.]

:[Cueball is standing next to his brother, who is holding a Google Maps printout.]

:[Cueball motions towards his brother.]
:Cueball: Let me see those directions.

:[Google Maps printout.]
::[An icon of water] 74. Take the '''ferry''' across the '''lake.''' - go 2.8 mi
::↗ 75. Climb the '''HILL''' toward '''Hangman's Ridge,''' avoiding any '''mountain lions.''' - up 1,172 ft
::↷ 76. When you reach an '''old barn,''' go around back, knock on the '''second door,''' and ask for '''Charlie.''' - go 52 ft
::[An icon of a van] 77. Tell '''Charlie''' the '''Dancing Stones''' are '''restless'''. He will give you his '''van'''. - Careful
::[An icon of a straw man] 78. Take '''Charlie's van''' down '''Old Mine Road'''. Do not wake the '''Straw Man'''. - go π mi
::← 79. Turn left on '''Comstock'''. When you feel the '''blood''' chill in your '''veins''', stop the van and '''get out.''' - go 3.2 mi
::↓ 80. Stand very still. Exits are '''north''', '''south''', and '''east''', but are blocked by a '''Spectral Wolf'''. - go 0 ft
::[An icon of a menacing face] 81. The '''Spectral Wolf''' fears only '''fire'''. The '''Google Maps Team''' can no longer help you, but if you master the '''wolf''', he will guide you. '''Godspeed.''' - go ?? mi

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Google Maps]]

449: Things Fall Apart

2023-05-13T00:26:51Z

141.101.98.8: Undo revision 313032 by XdeDappciggt (talk) That cat does not (yet) exist. If someone thinks it useful, suggest its creation (or create themselves, if able and feeling justified enough).

{{comic
| number = 449
| date = July 14, 2008
| title = Things Fall Apart
| image = things_fall_apart.png
| titletext = 'I'm nothing without you' is a fucked-up sentiment.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are about to break up. Megan is trying to explain things, but Cueball is constantly saying "I love you," asserting that the fact that he loves her should be enough to keep her from breaking up with him. But while loving the other person is a necessary condition for sustainability, it is not a ''sufficient'' reason all on its own.

The title text says that 'I'm nothing without you' is a fucked-up sentiment. This could read to imply that that's what Cueball really means, and he isn't saying it that way because 'I love you' is a more acceptable way of expressing it. Saying it over and over again, like he is doing, has almost the same effect, though. Conventionally, it could be said that the mindset of someone believing that they are nothing without their partner—in other words, defining their identity in terms of the other person—is a dangerous and unhealthy sentiment. A person should have enough self-identity and sense of self-worth to know that they have value even outside the context of a relationship.

The title of the comic, "Things Fall Apart," could be a reference to the poem {{w|The Second Coming (poem)|''The Second Coming''}} by W.B. Yeats, which contains the line "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold," implying that things between Megan and Cueball are falling apart, and the fact that Cueball is still in love with Megan (arguably, the "center" of the relationship) isn't enough to sustain them. It could also be a reference to the novel ''{{w|Things Fall Apart}}'' by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe.

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball are holding hands. The speech is in bubbles with arrows pointing towards the two. Not as usual with text just written above a line from the speaker.]
:Megan: I wonder about us.
:Cueball: I love you.

:[Megan lets go of Cueball's hand. But he keeps his hand in the same position as before. Cueball's speech bubble covers the bottom of Megan's, indicating that he speaks partly over her sentence.]
:Megan: We don't have fun together.
:Cueball: I love you.

:[As Megan keeps her hands down, Cueball lifts his arm even more towards her. His speech bubble is covering the top part of his head, as well as the bottom of Megan's bubble.]
:Megan: It's like we're clinging to the "relationship" framework like it's all we got.
:Cueball: I love you.

:[Megan leans back from Cueball as he leans towards her, one arm outstretched toward her. Cueball's speech bubble covers the lower right section of Megan's bubble, breaking her sentence off in the middle of her last word, clearly showing that he speaks in over her speech.]
:Megan: Who are you trying to reassur—
:Cueball: I love you I love you I love you I love you

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Romance]]

313: Insomnia

2023-05-07T09:52:38Z

141.101.98.8: Adding two CNs (and badly punctuated), in close proximity to at least one other, is really not necessary.

{{comic
| number = 313
| date = September 7, 2007
| title = Insomnia
| image = insomnia.png
| titletext = Crap, I have levitation class at 25:131. Better set the alarm to 'cinnamon'.
}}

==Explanation==
Simply put, the narrator's insomnia, combined with small bright lights in an otherwise pitch-black room, is causing him to hallucinate. Furthermore, the narrator is well aware that he will be unable to distinguish the hallucinations from reality. This finally occurs when his clock reads 13:72, which would not be possible on any clock.

A clock can never read "72 minutes," as there are only 60 minutes in an hour. While a clock can read "13 hours" on a {{w|24-hour clock}} (which is common on most {{w|digital clock}}s in Europe, but not in the US), the thirteenth hour does not occur immediately after the fourth hour.{{Citation needed}}

The title text shows that the narrator has indeed "succumbed" to his visions, and is assigning gibberish values — an alarm clock with a "cinnamon" setting, the time of day "25 hours and 131 minutes," and "levitation class" — to an otherwise normal monologue.

==Transcript==
:[It is black, except a few blue and green lights, and red numbers from a clock.]
:[The clock shows 4:31]
:Lying awake at night I realize how many little lights there are in my room. The alarm clock is the brightest. Can't sleep I'm alone with those glowing red numbers
:[The clock now shows 4:32]
:Time slows
:Does time even exist here?
:Thoughts churning in on themselves
:[The clock now shows 4:33]
:The madness can't be far away
:Ah yes
:[The clock now shows 13:72]
:There it is.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]

2474: First Time Since Early 2020

2023-05-07T09:38:42Z

141.101.98.8: More internally-direct version of that intended link form.

{{comic
| number = 2474
| date = June 9, 2021
| title = First Time Since Early 2020
| image = first_time_since_early_2020.png
| titletext = Gotten the Ferris wheel operator's attention
}}

==Explanation==

This is yet another comic part of the [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] on the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}}.

This comic is a chart that orders things based on the level of alarm that would occur if it were revealed that someone had not done a given thing since early 2020. Many of the items, but not all, are linked to new constraints due to the pandemic.

The title text serves as another chart point, though it isn't given where it is on the chart.

;Been to a birthday party
Going to a birthday party was a normal task before the pandemic, and it's normal to say you haven't gone to one since early 2020.

;Eaten at a restaurant
Eating at a restaurant was also common before governments instated lockdowns, but during the lockdowns many restaurants had to limit their service to delivery and take-out.

;Seen my family
Seeing your family was fairly common before the governments instated lockdowns. However, there were emergency visits during the lockdown period.

;Been on a plane
Governments around the world cancelled commercial flights during the pandemic. However, businessmen like Bill Gates used private jets during the pandemic.

;Gone to a movie
Many cinema halls around the world closed due to the pandemic. Several movies were instead released directly to TV via OTT platforms.

;Gone to a store
Although some stores were closed during the lockdown period, others were open for essential commodities. Therefore, going to a store for the first time since early 2020 is little strange.

;Installed software updates
Regularly installing software updates is recommended, mainly for security reasons. However, many people don't follow these recommendations (mostly by fear of software inconsistency or instability), although a delay of more than one year is quite long. Mentioning software updates is weird, because it is not directly related to the COVID pandemic. On the contrary, since many people spent much more time at home and worked at home, it was all the more important to keep software up to date, especially due to zero-day exploits.

;Eaten a vegetable
Since vegetables are essential to a healthy diet, not eating a single vegetable in a whole year is not recommended.{{citation needed}} Anxiety due to the pandemic and disruption of social relations may have caused people to consume more junk food than usual.

;Opened the fridge
This is quite weird, since most people use their refrigerators to store fresh food. Maybe some people became anorexic because of anxiety due to the pandemic or stopped consuming fresh food and relied more on junk food. Moreover, most food products will alter or rot if stored in a fridge for more than one year, and become dangerous to eat.{{citation needed}}

;Paid taxes
Although some people, depending on where they live and their income, may not pay taxes in an immediately obvious way, there are some taxes, such as {{w|VAT}} in many countries and {{w|sales tax}} in the United States or Canada, which almost everyone would pay in the natural course of everyday life, though may not be 'obvious' in the paying, or even be extracted at source (withheld from payroll) in the simpler cases. (Randall lives in {{w|Massachusetts}}, which does not have a VAT, but does have a 6.25% sales tax.) It is therefore strange that someone could have gone a year without paying any taxes, implying they made almost no monetary transactions in the period, nor are made (directly) responsible for any residential or property-owning taxations that might otherwise be payable to one or other layer of government.

If the statement refers specifically to filing income taxes (which is often the case when people refer to "taxes", because the paperwork and large sums of money transferred at once makes the income tax highly noticeable and memorable), it might describe someone who filed a tax return for 2019 early in 2020 and then waited until later in 2021 to file a return for 2020.

;Washed my hands
One of the main pieces of advice during the pandemic was to wash one's hands, frequently. Even in normal circumstances, washing hands is a good idea to remain hygienic,{{citation needed}} and not do so for a year would be disgusting to most people, and a good way of catching diseases.

Like paying taxes, it is very common to wash one's hands inadvertently as part of another activity, so someone who actually has not washed their hands since early 2020 likely also never bathed or showered.

;Seen another person
Despite the restrictions, most people will have seen another person during the pandemic, virtually or otherwise.

;Seen a ghost
The fact that the speaker apparently has seen a ghost, both now and presumably before early 2020 (else they would simply say it was the 'first time' they saw a ghost) is unusual.{{citation needed}}

;Served as a decoy
Similar to the previous point, this is not a normal activity, so the specificity is unusual.

;Sighted land
Most people live on land,{{citation needed}} so sighting land should not be unusual, even during a pandemic. The fact that someone has gone over a year without sighting land suggests they have been lost at sea for the duration. There are several reported cases of ships' crews refused permission to disembark, due to local restrictions and/or because their scheduled relief were unable to embark, but the unluckily held-on persons forced to remain beyond their originally planned obligations should never have been left permanently beyond any tantalizingly unreachable view of the shore.

Taken more literally, it could simply mean that the person remained indoors and did not look outside, or that the person was temporarily blind.

;Checked the news
If someone has not checked the news since early 2020, they will likely be in for a shock upon checking. Noting that this could possibly (if increasingly absurdly) still apply to someone like [[Ponytail]] (as portrayed in strip [[2396: Wonder Woman 1984]]).

;Checked on the customers in the {{w|escape room}}
The implication is that the customers in question have been trapped in the escape room since early 2020. Most escape rooms are not equipped to support a person for that length of time, so unless the customers actually escaped, they would likely not have survived.{{citation needed}}

;Contracted a novel bat virus
As a 'novel bat virus' is what kicked off the whole pandemic, contracting another one may send the whole world into a new pandemic, which is certainly alarming.{{Citation needed}}

;Gotten the Ferris wheel operator's attention (title text)
It seems that the speaker has been stuck in a {{w|Ferris wheel}} for a year. It is unclear how they may have survived, unless the speaker is [[Beret Guy|a certain xkcd character]].

Alternately, it would be perfectly normal that the speaker has not been at an amusement park with a working Ferris wheel since early 2020 - but it would be unusual to focus on interacting with the operator versus enjoying the attraction.

Several [https://ask.metafilter.com/78414/The-Rotating-Prison-in-the-Mountain science fiction stories] include wheel-like prisons where people stay for years, but generally they are underground and horizontal rather than in the air and vertical like Ferris wheels are.

==Transcript==
: [Heading:]
: "This is actually the first time I've _____ since early 2020."
: [Below is a long vertical arrow with the words "normal" and "alarming" at the top and the bottom of the arrow respectively. To the right side of the arrow is a list of text, with each item starting with a triangle.]
: ◀ been to a birthday party
: ◀ eaten at a restaurant
: ◀ seen my family
: ◀ been on a plane
: ◀ gone to a movie
: ◀ gone to a store
: ◀ installed software updates
: ◀ eaten a vegetable
: ◀ opened the fridge
: ◀ paid taxes
: ◀ washed my hands
: ◀ seen another person
: ◀ seen a ghost
: ◀ served as a decoy
: ◀ sighted land
: ◀ checked the news
: ◀ checked on the customers in the escape room
: ◀ contracted a novel bat virus

==Trivia==

On July 6, 2021, four weeks after the release of this comic, an emergency patch update was released for Windows 7. Since support for Windows 7 had otherwise ended in mid-January 2020, this means that people whose computers ran Windows 7 could have installed software updates for the first time since early 2020.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:Charts]]

Talk:2771: College Knowledge

2023-05-04T13:41:03Z

141.101.98.8:

Did anyone else learn today that "chitin" rhymes with Triton? (I've always pronounced it chitten, like a chewy kitten, but apparently it's kai-ten!) College Knowledge? More like webcomic knowledge! [[User:Mathmannix|Mathmannix]] ([[User talk:Mathmannix|talk]]) 10:51, 4 May 2023 (UTC)

Rather than giving up because "their justifications for each visit become increasingly tenuous," I read the comic as indicating greater and greater complexity in scansion, which leads to increased difficulty in jumping rope, so the point where Ponytail is no longer able to meet the physical challenge, hence her giving up. I do feel like I'm missing something as to the ellipses and the meter in the 4th panel, though. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 12:36, 4 May 2023 (UTC)
:I think the ellipses are the chanter pausing to think of another heavenly body and what to rhyme it with. But usually the chants are already established and everyone says them in unison -- it's hard to do extemporaneous patter in unison. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 13:38, 4 May 2023 (UTC)
:Betelgeuse only rhymes with Pamplemousse if you mispronounce both ... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.8|141.101.98.8]] 13:41, 4 May 2023 (UTC)

"Girls go to Mercury, to build more funiculæ; boys go to Betelgeuse, to cut down their metal use..." [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.136|172.71.178.136]] 12:56, 4 May 2023 (UTC)

:I initially read that as "mental" and that fits with the theme, too. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.162|108.162.238.162]] 13:06, 4 May 2023 (UTC)

Talk:121: Balloon

2020-12-10T10:21:23Z

141.101.98.8:

From the wording of the comic, I think this is a reference to a film or a TV show.{{unsigned ip|120.148.234.14}}

[[Special:Contributions/72.193.171.120|72.193.171.120]] 00:40, 23 September 2013 (UTC) I thought it was a reference to a scene from the French Film, The Red Balloon, but I couldn't find a full movie where I could watch it for free without signing up for something. If there's a restaurant scene in that movie, that might be my guess.[[Special:Contributions/72.193.171.120|72.193.171.120]] 00:40, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

The title text could be a reference to the pilot episode of Firefly where Mal says, "I am a bad man" after tormented Simon for fun. --[[Special:Contributions/160.5.148.8|160.5.148.8]] 07:25, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

The balloon never goes inside in the movie [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Balloon The Red Balloon].[[User:Adamaustin|-adamaustin]] ([[User talk:Adamaustin|talk]]) 16:39, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

I think the first comment here was wondering if "The Restaurant" is the name of any piece of work. Mainly because that's whati was wondering, though. :) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.208.23|108.162.208.23]] 18:31, 25 January 2016 (UTC)

I could be wrong, but I don’t think most ceiling fans or balloon strings are strong enough to lift any child that size. I’m not sure what would happen, though, and it almost certainly depends on how securely the child is holding the balloon. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.249|162.158.62.249]] 06:16, 20 December 2016 (UTC)

This is a kid, thus not Cueball. I have removed that category. Should there be a category with comics featuring kids? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:31, 10 October 2019 (UTC)
:Yes, I think it would be an interesting compilation. [[:Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]] should be a subcategory. From the top of my head, I would name in addition to this one and the science girl ones: [[2208: Drone Fishing]], [[1753: Thumb War]], [[856: Trochee Fixation]], [[1548: 90s Kid]], [[1139: Rubber and Glue]], and most of the 1337-series, making it more than 5, enough for a category :) But I am sure there are more.

From looking this up, I have determined that this is probably from {{w|La La Land}}. I will need to watch it to find out though. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.8|141.101.98.8]] 10:21, 10 December 2020 (UTC)

1733: Solar Spectrum

2016-09-16T12:04:09Z

141.101.98.8: Removed " (although it appears to miss hydrogen)" because hydrogen's right there on the bottom left.

{{comic
| number = 1733
| date = September 15, 2016
| title = Solar Spectrum
| image = solar_spectrum.png
| titletext = I still don't understand why the Sun paid the extra money for Transitions lenses.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Examples of such advertisements needed}}
This comic's release day was postponed from the scheduled Wednesday release to a [[:Category:Thursday comics|Thursday release]] because of the popularity of the previous Monday comic [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]]. [[Randall]] even explained this in the header text, see [[1732#Popularity_of_comic|this trivia item from the previous comic]].

This comic depicts the {{w|Fraunhofer lines}} or "spectral lines", seen when sunlight is split in a spectrometer. These appear as black gaps in the rainbow of light, caused by light being absorbed by elements in the sun. The frequencies of light that an atom absorbs depend on the exact arrangement of electron orbitals around it - because each element has a different pattern of orbitals, each one has a distinctive pattern in the absorption spectrum. The chart shows some of the main lines and identifies the elements linked to them. The extra lines (including both the labeled and unlabeled ones) seem to correspond to the [http://astro.u-strasbg.fr/~koppen/discharge/silicon.jpg spectrum of silicon], which presumably refers to the {{w|silicon dioxide}} (aka glass) used in the lenses. Of course, this means that the glasses have been ionized and turned into plasma by the heat of the sun.

This is a reference to pictures / clipart of the sun wearing sunglasses, often used to denote good weather. The title text is most likely a reference to a specific advert using this image or [https://what-if.xkcd.com/115/ this What If].

Transitions® is a brand of [//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photochromic_lens photochromic] lenses; however, photochromic lenses are often referred to as "transition lenses", so the title text does not necessarily refer to the brand. Photochromic lenses are a type of plastic lens used in prescription spectacles that allow the lens to turn dark when exposed to UV light such as that found in sunlight. The sun choosing to get transition lens would prove a waste of money as the lenses would be permanently transitioned to be dark, so a pair of ordinary sunglasses would likely have proved more cost effective.

===Labels===
:This is the official image for {{w|Fraunhofer lines}} (solar spectrum) on Wikipedia:
:[[File:Fraunhofer_lines_From_Wikipedia.png]]
:The graph is a typical spectral lines chart, with a long rainbow band (from {{w|ultraviolet}} to the left to {{w|infrared}} on the right both colors appearing black as they are not visible.) The black lines in it, indicating the traces of different elements. Noe that the comic only covers the visible part of this spectrum.

*In the table below are the official labels from the picture above. If there are no label this is noted with ''none''.
**'''Note that they are labeled from right to left!'''
*Then the element causing the line is mentioned. ''Unlabeled'' is used if the line is not mentioned in the table from Wikipedia.
*Then follows the wavelength. It is given with decimals if it is noted in the table from Wikipedia. Else it has been read of manually from the picture above.
*Then follows the label given in this comic, with unlabeled meaning that it is not labeled in the comic but still shown.
**If the line is not even included in the xkcd comic "N/A" will be used.
**A number will be given after the xkcd label listing which number line on xkcd that has used this label. (Note going from left to right in the numbering).
*Finally a comment can be made on this.
**If the two labels fit, then ''agreement'' is noted.
{| class="wikitable"
!Designation
!Element
!Wavelength ({{w|nanometer|nm}})
!xkcd label
!Comment
|-
|A
|O2
|759.370
|N/A
|This line is outside comics range. So are the two unlabeled lines shown in the spectrum in the picture above around 720 and 730 nm. There are also even more oxygen lines further out in the infrared part of the spectrum which is not even included in the picture above.
|-
|None
|Unlabeled
|690
|Those giant sunglasses 5
|This is the fifth of the five xkcd sunglass lines. This line is not labeled in the picture above. Wavelength read of manually
|-
|B
|O2
|686.719
|Oxygen 2
|Agreement
|-
|None
|Unlabeled
|577
|Those giant sunglasses 4
|This is the fourth of the five xkcd sunglass lines. This line is not labeled in the picture above. Wavelength read of manually.
|-
|None
|Unlabeled
|660
|Unlabeled
|This line is not labeled either in the comic or in the picture above. Wavelength read of manually. It seems like this one was supposed to be one of the sunglasses lines, and then by mistake the arrow points to the labeled line C below.
|-
|C
|{{w|Hα}}
|656.281
|Those giant sunglasses 3
|This is the third of the five xkcd sunglass lines. This is actually a labeled line belonging to the hydrogen Balmer series. Seems like a mistake, and more likely it was meant for the arrow to point to the unlabeled line mentioned here above.
|-
|None
|Unlabeled
|645
|Those giant sunglasses 2
|This is the second of the five xkcd sunglass lines. This line is not labeled in the picture above. Wavelength read of manually.
|-
|a
|O2
|627.661
|Oxygen 1
|Agreement
|-
|D1
|{{w|Sodium|Na}}
|589.592
|Sodium 2
|Agreement
|-
|D2
|Na
|588.995
|Sodium 1
|Agreement
|-
|D3 or d
|{{w|Helium|He}}
|587.5618
|N/A
|This line is so close to the nearest sodium line that only one line is visible, so only one is shown, both in the comic and in the picture above.
|-
|None
|Unlabeled
|577
|Those giant sunglasses 1
|This is the first of the five xkcd sunglass lines. This line is not labeled in the picture above. Wavelength read of manually.
|-
|None
|Unlabeled
|554
|Unlabeled
|Agreement. This line is not labeled either in the comic or in the picture above. Wavelength read of manually.
|-
|None
|Unlabeled
|549
|Unlabeled
|Agreement. This line is not labeled either in the comic or in the picture above. Wavelength read of manually.
|-
|None
|Unlabeled
|537
|Unlabeled
|Agreement. This line is not labeled either in the comic or in the picture above. Wavelength read of manually.
|-
|E2
|{{w|Iron|Fe}}
|527.039
|Iron 5
|Agreement.
|-
|b1
|{{w|Magnesium|Mg}}
|518.362
|Magnesium 2
|Agreement. See b below.
|-
|b2
|Mg
|517.270
|N/A
|These two magnesium lines are so close that only one is visible in the spectrum, so only one is shown, both in the comic and in the picture above.
|-
|b3
|Fe
|516.891
|N/A
|This iron line and the next magnesium line are so close that only one is visible in the spectrum, so only one is shown, both in the comic and in the picture above. There is only one label for both visible lines showing them to be magnesium, even though there are four lines one of which (this one is Iron).
|-
|b4
|Mg
|516.733
|Magnesium 1
|Agreement. See b above.
|-
|c
|Fe
|495.761
|Iron 4
|Agreement.
|-
|F
|{{w|Hβ}}
|486.134
|Hydrogen 3
|Agreement.
|-
|h
|Unlabeled
|476
|Unlabeled
|Agreement. This line is also unlabeled in the table on Wikipedia. "h" is used between H and g below. The wavelength is manually read off from the image.
|-
|d
|Fe
|466.814
|Iron 3
|Agreement.
|-
|e
|Fe
|438.355
|Iron 2
|Agreement.
|-
|f
|{{w|Hγ}}
|434.047
|Hydrogen 2
|Agreement.
|-
|G
|Fe
|430.790
|Iron 1
|Agreement.
|-
|g
|{{w|Calcium|Ca}}
|430.774
|Calcium 3
|Agreement.
|-
|h
|{{w|Hδ}}
|410.175
|Hydrogen 1
|Agreement.
|-
|H
|Ca+
|396.847
|Calcium 2
|Agreement.
|-
|K
|Ca+
|393.366
|Calcium 1
|Agreement.
|-
|None
|Unlabeled
|389
|N/A
|This is the last line in the picture above. It is not included in the comic. There are even more lines outside the visible spectrum deeper into the ultraviolet which are not even shown in the picture above.
|}

==Transcript==
:[A chart shows the visible colored spectrum of the sun from deep violet to deep red. Along the spectrum are shown 28 black spectral lines of different thickness. Above the chart is a caption:]
:The Sun's spectral lines

:[Above the chart there are four and below the chart there are two labels, each label has one or more arrows pointing to different black lines. The two that has only one arrow points to two close lines marking them both. Only 22 lines are labeled like this, the other 6 are not labeled. The labels in reading order, with the number of arrows noted behind in square brackets:]
:Calcium [3]
:Iron [5]
:Sodium [1]
:Oxygen [2]
:Hydrogen [3]
:Magnesium [1]
:Those giant sunglasses [5]

{{comic discussion}}

1714: Volcano Types

2016-08-01T15:42:42Z

141.101.98.8: /* Joke volcanoes */

{{comic
| number = 1714
| date = August 1, 2016
| title = Volcano Types
| image = volcano_types.png
| titletext = It's hard living somewhere with antlions, because every time you find one of their traps, you feel compelled to spend all day constructing a tiny model of Jabba's sail barge next to it.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Doot? What is doot?}}
This comic presents a table of 12 different types of volcano. Split into 3 rows, the first 4 are authentic types of volcano; while the remaining 8 are parodies.

===Real volcanoes===
* {{w|Cinder cone}}: small, steep-sided volcano formed of {{w|scoria}} and ash.
* {{w|Shield volcano}}: wide, rounded volcano formed of solidified lava flow.
* {{w|Stratovolvano}}: large volcano formed of layers (strata) from multiple eruptions.
* {{w|Somma volcano}}: new volcanic cone in the middle of an old collapsed volcanic crater.

===Joke volcanoes===
* Metasomma volcano: nested layers of new volcanoes formed inside of old ones. "Meta" is a prefix that often denotes recursion.
* Waffle cone: type of pastry that ice cream is served in, wholly unrelated to volcano cones.
* Science fair cone: common elementary science experiment that is often used as a project for science fairs. A structure is built to resemble a model volcano and is filled with a mix of baking soda, vinegar, and sometimes food coloring. The reaction between baking soda and vinegar quickly produces a large amount of carbon dioxide, creating a foam that overflows and mimics a volcanic eruption. This is also the subject of [[1611: Baking Soda and Vinegar]].
* Doot cone: some sort of obscure meme.
* {{w|Antlion}}: burrowing insect that digs a conical hole to catch prey at the larvael stage
* Inverse Volcano: as the name implies, a regular volcano but reversed. A real volcano consists of solid rock on the outside, magma on the inside and spewing lava from the top.
* Ghost Vent: cone with ghosts coming out of it. It may be a reference to {{w|Scientology}}, where part of the faith states that the souls of aliens were stored in a volcano from which they later escaped. The ghosts could also refer to the {{w|Pac-Man}} video game.
* Pedant's Bane: the joke is that people sometimes confuse magma and lava, which are different names for the same heated liquid rock. Magma becomes lava when it emerges from a volcano. Pedant's Bane is therefore impossible by definition but if it were possible, then a pedant correcting someone's description of it would be wrong. Alternatively, the illustration itself could be Pedant's Bane because a pedant would be lured into pointing out how wrong it is.

The title text refers to a famous scene in ''{{w|Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi}}'' where [[wikia:c:starwars:Jabba the Hutt|Jabba the Hutt]] intends to feed [[wikia:c:starwars:Luke Skywalker|Luke Skywalker]] to the [[wikia:c:starwars:sarlacc|sarlaac]], an underground creature that builds a huge funnel trap similar to that of an antlion. [[wikia:c:starwars:Khetanna|Jabba's distinctive sail barge]] features prominently in that scene.

==Transcript==
[Twelve drawings of different volcano types, some real and some nonsense]
:- Cinder Cone
:- Shield Volcano
:- StratoVolcano
:- Somma Volcano
:- MetaSomma Volcano
:- Waffle Cone
:- Science Fair Cone
:- Doot Cone
:- Antlion
:- Inverse Volcano
:- Ghost Vent
:- Pedant's Bane

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Star Wars]]

what if?

2016-07-20T20:39:45Z

141.101.98.8: /* Trivia */

:''Not to be confused with [[17: What If]].''
[[File:whatifbanner.jpg]]

'''''[http://what-if.xkcd.com/ what if?]''''' is a blog hosted on the [[xkcd]].com domain and written by [[Randall Munroe]] with entries posted [http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/once-in-a-blue-moon.html occasionally]. Before publishing the what if? book, articles were posted weekly.

On the blog, Randall uses his degree in physics and strong scientific background to discuss hypothetical physics questions apparently submitted by readers.
Since 2014, there's also a book of the blog.

Unlike other sites which answer readers' questions, ''what if?'' typically takes the question beyond the original scope likely intended by the reader and takes it to some extreme for humorous effect. For example, in {{what if|1|the first article}}, he discusses what would happen if a baseball were pitched at 90% of the speed of light. After effectively describing what would occur as a nuclear explosion, leveling the stadium and the surrounding mile radius, he concludes with the note ''"A careful reading of official Major League Baseball Rule 6.08(b) suggests that in this situation, the batter would be considered 'hit by pitch', and would be eligible to advance to first base."''

The questions Randall tackles range from realistic possibilities (e.g. the probability of achieving a {{what if|2|perfect SAT score by guessing}}) to completely fictional questions (e.g. {{what if|3|How much Force power}} can {{w|Yoda}} output?). In his explanations, Randall, often uses diagrams in an ''xkcd'' style. Regardless of the context, Randall tends to take the questions extremely literally and responds seriously to them, even if they are whimsical (such as the Yoda question). This is clear from his response to the question of what would happen if everybody on Earth stood together and {{what if|8|jumped at the same time}}. After acknowledging that the question has been answered elsewhere, he recaps the result, but then focuses more intently on the unasked resulting issue of the aftermath of everyone on Earth being magically transported to one location as they all try to return home.

This site is not under [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License] like [[xkcd]] is.

Randal took a hiatus from updates from May 2015 to July 14th 2015 with a note stating "What If updates are temporarily on hold, and will resume on July 14th, 2015 at 7:49:59 AM EDT." This was the date and time that the New Horizons probe achieved its closest approach to Pluto. The article for July 14th was about the New Horizons probe.

==The book==
Randall announced his ''what if?'' book on 12 March 2014 in [http://blog.xkcd.com/2014/03/12/what-if-i-wrote-a-book/ the blag]. It was published on September 2, 2014, and the UK edition of the book was published on September 4, 2014. It is the 2nd book published by Randall.
[[Image:What_If?.jpeg|frame|The general cover of the book]]
It is just like 'xkcd:volume 0' a compilation of some questions from the website, but half of them are new.

In the UK edition of the book, Randall included a preface about his thoughts on the units used in the UK. (The Metric System)
====Summary====
'''The summary on the back of the book reads:'''

''Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It now has 600,000 to a million page hits daily. Every now and then, Munroe would get emails asking him to arbitrate a science debate. 'My friend and I were arguing about what would happen if a bullet got struck by lightning, and we agreed that you should resolve it . . . ' He liked these questions so much that he started up What If.

*If your cells suddenly lost the power to divide, how long would you survive?
*How dangerous is it, really, to be in a swimming pool in a thunderstorm?
*If we hooked turbines to people exercising in gyms, how much power could we produce?
*What if everyone only had one soulmate?
*When (if ever) did the sun go down on the British empire?
*How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live?
*What would happen if the moon went away?

''In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, studded with memorable cartoons and infographics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion. Far more than a book for geeks, WHAT IF: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel much the smarter for having read.''

'''The summary on the back of the UK edition of the book reads:'''

''Hey! Thanks for looking at my book. If you're thinking about buying it, here are some things you might want to know:''

Humans can't digest the cellulose in paper, but if we could, eating this book would give you about 2,300 calories (including the cover).

This book can't stop most bullets; if you want to use it for armour, you may want a lot more than one copy.

If you have a good arm, you could probably throw this book about 45 feet. With practice, it's possible to throw a book every 800 milliseconds, which means that if human attackers are sprinting towards you, you'll have three or four chances to hit them before they reach you. If, on the other hand, you're being attacked by a coyote, it's higher top speed means you'll have only one chance to hit it. Aim carefully.

''HIDDEN FEATURE: The inside of this book has words and pictures, plus a special UK foreword.'' It answers many important questions, including whether you could jump from a plane with a helium tank and inflate balloons fast enough to slow your fall and survive (yes) and whether you could hide from a supersonic windstorm in Finland (yes, but it won't help).

==Trivia==
*There is an easy way to link to a given what if? story by using [[Template:what if|a template]]. For instance write the following:
**<nowiki>See the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}''.</nowiki>
*Copy paste the above text and correct the number and the title to get this result:
**See the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}''.

==Articles==
# {{what if|1|Relativistic Baseball}}
# {{what if|2|SAT Guessing}}
# {{what if|3|Yoda}}
# {{what if|4|A Mole of Moles}}
# {{what if|5|Robot Apocalypse}}
# {{what if|6|Glass Half Empty}}
# {{what if|7|Everybody Out}}
# {{what if|8|Everybody Jump}}
# {{what if|9|Soul Mates}}
# {{what if|10|Cassini}}
# {{what if|11|Droppings}}
# {{what if|12|Rain Drop}}
# {{what if|13|Laser Pointer}}
# {{what if|14|Short Answer Section}}
# {{what if|15|Mariana Trench Explosion}}
# {{what if|16|Today's Topic: Lightning}}
# {{what if|17|Green Cows}}
# {{what if|18|BB Gun}}
# {{what if|19|Tie Vote}}
# {{what if|20|Diamond}}
# {{what if|21|Machine Gun Jetpack}}
# {{what if|22|Cost of Pennies}}
# {{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}
# {{what if|24|Model Rockets}}
# {{what if|25|Three Wise Men}}
# {{what if|26|Leap Seconds}}
# {{what if|27|Death Rate}}
# {{what if|28|Steak Drop}}
# {{what if|29|Spent Fuel Pool}}
# {{what if|30|Interplanetary Cessna}}
# {{what if|31|FedEx Bandwidth}}
# {{what if|32|Hubble}}
# {{what if|33|Ships}}
# {{what if|34|Twitter}}
# {{what if|35|Hairdryer}}
# {{what if|36|Cornstarch}}
# {{what if|37|Supersonic Stereo}}
# {{what if|38|Voyager}}
# {{what if|39|Hockey Puck}}
# {{what if|40|Pressure Cooker}}
# {{what if|41|Go West}}
# {{what if|42|Longest Sunset}}
# {{what if|43|Train Loop}}
# {{what if|44|High Throw}}
# {{what if|45|ISS Music Video}}
# {{what if|46|Bowling Ball}}
# {{what if|47|Alien Astronomers}}
# {{what if|48|Sunset on the British Empire}}
# {{what if|49|Sunless Earth}}
# {{what if|50|Extreme Boating}}
# {{what if|51|Free Fall}}
# {{what if|52|Bouncy Balls}}
# {{what if|53|Drain the Oceans}}
# {{what if|54|Drain the Oceans: Part II}}
# {{what if|55|Random Sneeze Call}}
# {{what if|56|Restraining an Airplane}}
# {{what if|57|Dropping a Mountain}}
# {{what if|58|Orbital Speed}}
# {{what if|59|Updating a Printed Wikipedia}}
# {{what if|60|Signs of Life}}
# {{what if|61|Speed Bump}}
# {{what if|62|Falling With Helium}}
# {{what if|63|Google Datacenters on Punchcards}}
# {{what if|64|Rising Steadily}}
# {{what if|65|Twitter Timeline Height}}
# {{what if|66|500 MPH}}
# {{what if|67|Expanding Earth}}
# {{what if|68|Little Planet}}
# {{what if|69|Facebook of the Dead}}
# {{what if|70|The Constant Groundskeeper}}
# {{what if|71|Stirring Tea}}
# {{what if|72|Loneliest Human}}
# {{what if|73|Lethal Neutrinos}}
# {{what if|74|Soda Planet}}
# {{what if|75|Phone Keypad}}
# {{what if|76|Reading Every Book}}
# {{what if|77|Growth Rate}}
# {{what if|78|T-rex Calories}}
# {{what if|79|Lake Tea}}
# {{what if|80|Pile of Viruses}}
# {{what if|81|Catch!}}
# {{what if|82|Hitting a Comet}}
# {{what if|83|Star Sand}}
# {{what if|84|Paint the Earth}}
# {{what if|85|Rocket Golf}}
# {{what if|86|Far-Travelling Objects}}
# {{what if|87|Enforced by Radar}}
# {{what if|88|Soda Sequestration}}
# {{what if|89|Tungsten Countertop}}
# {{what if|90|Great Tree, Great Axe}}
# {{what if|91|Faucet Power}}
# {{what if|92|One-Second Day}}
# {{what if|93|Windshield Raindrops}}
# {{what if|94|Billion-Story Building}}
# {{what if|95|Pyramid Energy}}
# {{what if|96|$2 Undecillion Lawsuit}}
# {{what if|97|Burning Pollen}}
# {{what if|98|Blood Alcohol}}
# {{what if|99|Starlings}}
# {{what if|100|WWII Films}}
# {{what if|101|Plastic Dinosaurs}}
# {{what if|102|Keyboard Power}}
# {{what if|103|Vanishing Water}}
# {{what if|104|Global Snow}}
# {{what if|105|Cannibalism}}
# {{what if|106|Ink Molecules}}
# {{what if|107|Letter to Mom}}
# {{what if|108|Expensive Shoebox}}
# {{what if|109|Into the Blue}}
# {{what if|110|Walking New York}}
# {{what if|111|All the Money}}
# {{what if|112|Balloon Car}}
# {{what if|113|Visit Every State}}
# {{what if|114|Antimatter}}
# {{what if|115|Into the Sun}}
# {{what if|116|No-Rules Nascar}}
# {{what if|117|Distant Death}}
# {{what if|118|Physical Salary}}
# {{what if|119|Laser Umbrella}}
# {{what if|120|Alternate Universe What Ifs}}
# {{what if|121|Frozen Rivers}}
# {{what if|122|Lava Lamp}}
# {{what if|123|Fairy Demographics}}
# {{what if|124|Lunar Swimming}}
# {{what if|125|Bowling Ball}}
# {{what if|126|Stairs}}
# {{what if|127|Tug of War}}
# {{what if|128|Zippo Phone}}
# {{what if|129|Black Hole Moon}}
# {{what if|130|Snow Removal}}
# {{what if|131|Microwaves}}
# {{what if|132|Hotter Than Average}}
# {{what if|133|Flagpole}}
# {{what if|134|Space Burial}}
# {{what if|135|Digging Downward}}
# {{what if|136|Spiders vs. the Sun}}
# {{what if|137|New Horizons}}
# {{what if|138|Jupiter Submarine}}
# {{what if|139|Jupiter Descending}}
# {{what if|140|Proton Earth, Electron Moon}}
# {{what if|141|Sunbeam}}
# {{what if|142|Space Jetta}}
# {{what if|143|Europa Water Siphon}}
# {{what if|144|Saliva Pool}}
# {{what if|145|Fire From Moonlight}}
# {{what if|146|Stop Jupiter}}
# {{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}
# {{what if|148|Eat the Sun}}
# {{what if|149|Pizza Bird}}
# {{what if|150|Tatooine Rainbow}}
# {{what if|151|Sun Bug}}
[[Category:Meta]]

what if?

2016-07-20T19:27:50Z

141.101.98.8: /* Articles */ Added latest article

:''Not to be confused with [[17: What If]].''
[[File:whatifbanner.jpg]]

'''''[http://what-if.xkcd.com/ what if?]''''' is a blog hosted on the [[xkcd]].com domain and written by [[Randall Munroe]] with entries posted [http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/once-in-a-blue-moon.html occasionally]. Before publishing the what if? book, articles were posted weekly.

On the blog, Randall uses his degree in physics and strong scientific background to discuss hypothetical physics questions apparently submitted by readers.
Since 2014, there's also a book of the blog.

Unlike other sites which answer readers' questions, ''what if?'' typically takes the question beyond the original scope likely intended by the reader and takes it to some extreme for humorous effect. For example, in {{what if|1|the first article}}, he discusses what would happen if a baseball were pitched at 90% of the speed of light. After effectively describing what would occur as a nuclear explosion, leveling the stadium and the surrounding mile radius, he concludes with the note ''"A careful reading of official Major League Baseball Rule 6.08(b) suggests that in this situation, the batter would be considered 'hit by pitch', and would be eligible to advance to first base."''

The questions Randall tackles range from realistic possibilities (e.g. the probability of achieving a {{what if|2|perfect SAT score by guessing}}) to completely fictional questions (e.g. {{what if|3|How much Force power}} can {{w|Yoda}} output?). In his explanations, Randall, often uses diagrams in an ''xkcd'' style. Regardless of the context, Randall tends to take the questions extremely literally and responds seriously to them, even if they are whimsical (such as the Yoda question). This is clear from his response to the question of what would happen if everybody on Earth stood together and {{what if|8|jumped at the same time}}. After acknowledging that the question has been answered elsewhere, he recaps the result, but then focuses more intently on the unasked resulting issue of the aftermath of everyone on Earth being magically transported to one location as they all try to return home.

This site is not under [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License] like [[xkcd]] is.

Randal took a hiatus from updates from May 2015 to July 14th 2015 with a note stating "What If updates are temporarily on hold, and will resume on July 14th, 2015 at 7:49:59 AM EDT." This was the date and time that the New Horizons probe achieved its closest approach to Pluto. The article for July 14th was about the New Horizons probe.

==The book==
Randall announced his ''what if?'' book on 12 March 2014 in [http://blog.xkcd.com/2014/03/12/what-if-i-wrote-a-book/ the blag]. It was published on September 2, 2014, and the UK edition of the book was published on September 4, 2014. It is the 2nd book published by Randall.
[[Image:What_If?.jpeg|frame|The general cover of the book]]
It is just like 'xkcd:volume 0' a compilation of some questions from the website, but half of them are new.

In the UK edition of the book, Randall included a preface about his thoughts on the units used in the UK. (The Metric System)
====Summary====
'''The summary on the back of the book reads:'''

''Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It now has 600,000 to a million page hits daily. Every now and then, Munroe would get emails asking him to arbitrate a science debate. 'My friend and I were arguing about what would happen if a bullet got struck by lightning, and we agreed that you should resolve it . . . ' He liked these questions so much that he started up What If.

*If your cells suddenly lost the power to divide, how long would you survive?
*How dangerous is it, really, to be in a swimming pool in a thunderstorm?
*If we hooked turbines to people exercising in gyms, how much power could we produce?
*What if everyone only had one soulmate?
*When (if ever) did the sun go down on the British empire?
*How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live?
*What would happen if the moon went away?

''In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, studded with memorable cartoons and infographics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion. Far more than a book for geeks, WHAT IF: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel much the smarter for having read.''

'''The summary on the back of the UK edition of the book reads:'''

''Hey! Thanks for looking at my book. If you're thinking about buying it, here are some things you might want to know:''

Humans can't digest the cellulose in paper, but if we could, eating this book would give you about 2,300 calories (including the cover).

This book can't stop most bullets; if you want to use it for armour, you may want a lot more than one copy.

If you have a good arm, you could probably throw this book about 45 feet. With practice, it's possible to throw a book every 800 milliseconds, which means that if human attackers are sprinting towards you, you'll have three or four chances to hit them before they reach you. If, on the other hand, you're being attacked by a coyote, it's higher top speed means you'll have only one chance to hit it. Aim carefully.

''HIDDEN FEATURE: The inside of this book has words and pictures, plus a special UK foreword.'' It answers many important questions, including whether you could jump from a plane with a helium tank and inflate balloons fast enough to slow your fall and survive (yes) and whether you could hide from a supersonic windstorm in Finland (yes, but it won't help).

==Trivia==
*There is an easy way to link to a given what if? story by using a template. For instance write the following:
**<nowiki>See the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}''.</nowiki>
*Copy paste the above text and correct the number and the title to get this result:
**See the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}''.

==Articles==
# {{what if|1|Relativistic Baseball}}
# {{what if|2|SAT Guessing}}
# {{what if|3|Yoda}}
# {{what if|4|A Mole of Moles}}
# {{what if|5|Robot Apocalypse}}
# {{what if|6|Glass Half Empty}}
# {{what if|7|Everybody Out}}
# {{what if|8|Everybody Jump}}
# {{what if|9|Soul Mates}}
# {{what if|10|Cassini}}
# {{what if|11|Droppings}}
# {{what if|12|Rain Drop}}
# {{what if|13|Laser Pointer}}
# {{what if|14|Short Answer Section}}
# {{what if|15|Mariana Trench Explosion}}
# {{what if|16|Today's Topic: Lightning}}
# {{what if|17|Green Cows}}
# {{what if|18|BB Gun}}
# {{what if|19|Tie Vote}}
# {{what if|20|Diamond}}
# {{what if|21|Machine Gun Jetpack}}
# {{what if|22|Cost of Pennies}}
# {{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}
# {{what if|24|Model Rockets}}
# {{what if|25|Three Wise Men}}
# {{what if|26|Leap Seconds}}
# {{what if|27|Death Rate}}
# {{what if|28|Steak Drop}}
# {{what if|29|Spent Fuel Pool}}
# {{what if|30|Interplanetary Cessna}}
# {{what if|31|FedEx Bandwidth}}
# {{what if|32|Hubble}}
# {{what if|33|Ships}}
# {{what if|34|Twitter}}
# {{what if|35|Hairdryer}}
# {{what if|36|Cornstarch}}
# {{what if|37|Supersonic Stereo}}
# {{what if|38|Voyager}}
# {{what if|39|Hockey Puck}}
# {{what if|40|Pressure Cooker}}
# {{what if|41|Go West}}
# {{what if|42|Longest Sunset}}
# {{what if|43|Train Loop}}
# {{what if|44|High Throw}}
# {{what if|45|ISS Music Video}}
# {{what if|46|Bowling Ball}}
# {{what if|47|Alien Astronomers}}
# {{what if|48|Sunset on the British Empire}}
# {{what if|49|Sunless Earth}}
# {{what if|50|Extreme Boating}}
# {{what if|51|Free Fall}}
# {{what if|52|Bouncy Balls}}
# {{what if|53|Drain the Oceans}}
# {{what if|54|Drain the Oceans: Part II}}
# {{what if|55|Random Sneeze Call}}
# {{what if|56|Restraining an Airplane}}
# {{what if|57|Dropping a Mountain}}
# {{what if|58|Orbital Speed}}
# {{what if|59|Updating a Printed Wikipedia}}
# {{what if|60|Signs of Life}}
# {{what if|61|Speed Bump}}
# {{what if|62|Falling With Helium}}
# {{what if|63|Google Datacenters on Punchcards}}
# {{what if|64|Rising Steadily}}
# {{what if|65|Twitter Timeline Height}}
# {{what if|66|500 MPH}}
# {{what if|67|Expanding Earth}}
# {{what if|68|Little Planet}}
# {{what if|69|Facebook of the Dead}}
# {{what if|70|The Constant Groundskeeper}}
# {{what if|71|Stirring Tea}}
# {{what if|72|Loneliest Human}}
# {{what if|73|Lethal Neutrinos}}
# {{what if|74|Soda Planet}}
# {{what if|75|Phone Keypad}}
# {{what if|76|Reading Every Book}}
# {{what if|77|Growth Rate}}
# {{what if|78|T-rex Calories}}
# {{what if|79|Lake Tea}}
# {{what if|80|Pile of Viruses}}
# {{what if|81|Catch!}}
# {{what if|82|Hitting a Comet}}
# {{what if|83|Star Sand}}
# {{what if|84|Paint the Earth}}
# {{what if|85|Rocket Golf}}
# {{what if|86|Far-Travelling Objects}}
# {{what if|87|Enforced by Radar}}
# {{what if|88|Soda Sequestration}}
# {{what if|89|Tungsten Countertop}}
# {{what if|90|Great Tree, Great Axe}}
# {{what if|91|Faucet Power}}
# {{what if|92|One-Second Day}}
# {{what if|93|Windshield Raindrops}}
# {{what if|94|Billion-Story Building}}
# {{what if|95|Pyramid Energy}}
# {{what if|96|$2 Undecillion Lawsuit}}
# {{what if|97|Burning Pollen}}
# {{what if|98|Blood Alcohol}}
# {{what if|99|Starlings}}
# {{what if|100|WWII Films}}
# {{what if|101|Plastic Dinosaurs}}
# {{what if|102|Keyboard Power}}
# {{what if|103|Vanishing Water}}
# {{what if|104|Global Snow}}
# {{what if|105|Cannibalism}}
# {{what if|106|Ink Molecules}}
# {{what if|107|Letter to Mom}}
# {{what if|108|Expensive Shoebox}}
# {{what if|109|Into the Blue}}
# {{what if|110|Walking New York}}
# {{what if|111|All the Money}}
# {{what if|112|Balloon Car}}
# {{what if|113|Visit Every State}}
# {{what if|114|Antimatter}}
# {{what if|115|Into the Sun}}
# {{what if|116|No-Rules Nascar}}
# {{what if|117|Distant Death}}
# {{what if|118|Physical Salary}}
# {{what if|119|Laser Umbrella}}
# {{what if|120|Alternate Universe What Ifs}}
# {{what if|121|Frozen Rivers}}
# {{what if|122|Lava Lamp}}
# {{what if|123|Fairy Demographics}}
# {{what if|124|Lunar Swimming}}
# {{what if|125|Bowling Ball}}
# {{what if|126|Stairs}}
# {{what if|127|Tug of War}}
# {{what if|128|Zippo Phone}}
# {{what if|129|Black Hole Moon}}
# {{what if|130|Snow Removal}}
# {{what if|131|Microwaves}}
# {{what if|132|Hotter Than Average}}
# {{what if|133|Flagpole}}
# {{what if|134|Space Burial}}
# {{what if|135|Digging Downward}}
# {{what if|136|Spiders vs. the Sun}}
# {{what if|137|New Horizons}}
# {{what if|138|Jupiter Submarine}}
# {{what if|139|Jupiter Descending}}
# {{what if|140|Proton Earth, Electron Moon}}
# {{what if|141|Sunbeam}}
# {{what if|142|Space Jetta}}
# {{what if|143|Europa Water Siphon}}
# {{what if|144|Saliva Pool}}
# {{what if|145|Fire From Moonlight}}
# {{what if|146|Stop Jupiter}}
# {{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}
# {{what if|148|Eat the Sun}}
# {{what if|149|Pizza Bird}}
# {{what if|150|Tatooine Rainbow}}
# {{what if|151|Sun Bug}}
[[Category:Meta]]

Talk:1694: Phishing License

2016-06-15T21:57:37Z

141.101.98.8:

Perhaps it should also mention that the need for a license is analog to the need for one when you actually go fishing. {{unsigned ip|162.158.234.221}}

While exiting the fake/scam jail, Cueball could have also been amazed that he could pay his bail with *Apple gift cards*. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.74|108.162.229.74]] 16:13, 15 June 2016 (UTC)Daniel H

Do I sense a reference to Monty Python's Fish licence sketch here as well? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.8|141.101.98.8]] 21:57, 15 June 2016 (UTC)

what if?

2016-05-23T20:57:52Z

141.101.98.8: /* Articles */ Added latest article

:''Not to be confused with [[17: What If]].''
[[File:whatifbanner.jpg]]

'''''[http://what-if.xkcd.com/ what if?]''''' is a blog hosted on the [[xkcd]].com domain and written by [[Randall Munroe]] with entries posted [http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/once-in-a-blue-moon.html occasionally]. Before publishing the what if? book, articles were posted weekly.

On the blog, Randall uses his degree in physics and strong scientific background to discuss hypothetical physics questions apparently submitted by readers.
Since 2014, there's also a book of the blog.

Unlike other sites which answer readers' questions, ''what if?'' typically takes the question beyond the original scope likely intended by the reader and takes it to some extreme for humorous effect. For example, in {{what if|1|the first article}}, he discusses what would happen if a baseball were pitched at 90% of the speed of light. After effectively describing what would occur as a nuclear explosion, leveling the stadium and the surrounding mile radius, he concludes with the note ''"A careful reading of official Major League Baseball Rule 6.08(b) suggests that in this situation, the batter would be considered 'hit by pitch', and would be eligible to advance to first base."''

The questions Randall tackles range from realistic possibilities (e.g. the probability of achieving a {{what if|2|perfect SAT score by guessing}}) to completely fictional questions (e.g. {{what if|3|How much Force power}} can {{w|Yoda}} output?). In his explanations, Randall, often uses diagrams in an ''xkcd'' style. Regardless of the context, Randall tends to take the questions extremely literally and responds seriously to them, even if they are whimsical (such as the Yoda question). This is clear from his response to the question of what would happen if everybody on Earth stood together and {{what if|8|jumped at the same time}}. After acknowledging that the question has been answered elsewhere, he recaps the result, but then focuses more intently on the unasked resulting issue of the aftermath of everyone on Earth being magically transported to one location as they all try to return home.

This site is not under [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License] like [[xkcd]] is.

Randal took a hiatus from updates from May 2015 to July 14th 2015 with a note stating "What If updates are temporarily on hold, and will resume on July 14th, 2015 at 7:49:59 AM EDT." This was the date and time that the New Horizons probe achieved its closest approach to Pluto. The article for July 14th was about the New Horizons probe.

==The book==
Randall announced his ''what if?'' book on 12 March 2014 in [http://blog.xkcd.com/2014/03/12/what-if-i-wrote-a-book/ the blag]. It was published on September 2, 2014, and the UK edition of the book was published on September 4, 2014. It is the 2nd book published by Randall.
[[Image:What_If?.jpeg|frame|The general cover of the book]]
It is just like 'xkcd:volume 0' a compilation of some questions from the website, but half of them are new.

In the UK edition of the book, Randall included a preface about his thoughts on the units used in the UK. (The Metric System)
====Summary====
'''The summary on the back of the book reads:'''

''Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It now has 600,000 to a million page hits daily. Every now and then, Munroe would get emails asking him to arbitrate a science debate. 'My friend and I were arguing about what would happen if a bullet got struck by lightning, and we agreed that you should resolve it . . . ' He liked these questions so much that he started up What If.

*If your cells suddenly lost the power to divide, how long would you survive?
*How dangerous is it, really, to be in a swimming pool in a thunderstorm?
*If we hooked turbines to people exercising in gyms, how much power could we produce?
*What if everyone only had one soulmate?
*When (if ever) did the sun go down on the British empire?
*How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live?
*What would happen if the moon went away?

''In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, studded with memorable cartoons and infographics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion. Far more than a book for geeks, WHAT IF: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel much the smarter for having read.''

'''The summary on the back of the UK edition of the book reads:'''

''Hey! Thanks for looking at my book. If you're thinking about buying it, here are some things you might want to know:''

Humans can't digest the cellulose in paper, but if we could, eating this book would give you about 2,300 calories (including the cover).

This book can't stop most bullets; if you want to use it for armour, you may want a lot more than one copy.

If you have a good arm, you could probably throw this book about 45 feet. With practice, it's possible to throw a book every 800 milliseconds, which means that if human attackers are sprinting towards you, you'll have three or four chances to hit them before they reach you. If, on the other hand, you're being attacked by a coyote, it's higher top speed means you'll have only one chance to hit it. Aim carefully.

''HIDDEN FEATURE: The inside of this book has words and pictures, plus a special UK foreword.'' It answers many important questions, including whether you could jump from a plane with a helium tank and inflate balloons fast enough to slow your fall and survive (yes) and whether you could hide from a supersonic windstorm in Finland (yes, but it won't help).

==Trivia==
*There is an easy way to link to a given what if? story by using a template. For instance write the following:
**<nowiki>See the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}''.</nowiki>
*Copy paste the above text and correct the number and the title to get this result:
**See the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}''.

==Articles==
# {{what if|1|Relativistic Baseball}}
# {{what if|2|SAT Guessing}}
# {{what if|3|Yoda}}
# {{what if|4|A Mole of Moles}}
# {{what if|5|Robot Apocalypse}}
# {{what if|6|Glass Half Empty}}
# {{what if|7|Everybody Out}}
# {{what if|8|Everybody Jump}}
# {{what if|9|Soul Mates}}
# {{what if|10|Cassini}}
# {{what if|11|Droppings}}
# {{what if|12|Rain Drop}}
# {{what if|13|Laser Pointer}}
# {{what if|14|Short Answer Section}}
# {{what if|15|Mariana Trench Explosion}}
# {{what if|16|Today's Topic: Lightning}}
# {{what if|17|Green Cows}}
# {{what if|18|BB Gun}}
# {{what if|19|Tie Vote}}
# {{what if|20|Diamond}}
# {{what if|21|Machine Gun Jetpack}}
# {{what if|22|Cost of Pennies}}
# {{what if|23|Short Answer Section II}}
# {{what if|24|Model Rockets}}
# {{what if|25|Three Wise Men}}
# {{what if|26|Leap Seconds}}
# {{what if|27|Death Rate}}
# {{what if|28|Steak Drop}}
# {{what if|29|Spent Fuel Pool}}
# {{what if|30|Interplanetary Cessna}}
# {{what if|31|FedEx Bandwidth}}
# {{what if|32|Hubble}}
# {{what if|33|Ships}}
# {{what if|34|Twitter}}
# {{what if|35|Hairdryer}}
# {{what if|36|Cornstarch}}
# {{what if|37|Supersonic Stereo}}
# {{what if|38|Voyager}}
# {{what if|39|Hockey Puck}}
# {{what if|40|Pressure Cooker}}
# {{what if|41|Go West}}
# {{what if|42|Longest Sunset}}
# {{what if|43|Train Loop}}
# {{what if|44|High Throw}}
# {{what if|45|ISS Music Video}}
# {{what if|46|Bowling Ball}}
# {{what if|47|Alien Astronomers}}
# {{what if|48|Sunset on the British Empire}}
# {{what if|49|Sunless Earth}}
# {{what if|50|Extreme Boating}}
# {{what if|51|Free Fall}}
# {{what if|52|Bouncy Balls}}
# {{what if|53|Drain the Oceans}}
# {{what if|54|Drain the Oceans: Part II}}
# {{what if|55|Random Sneeze Call}}
# {{what if|56|Restraining an Airplane}}
# {{what if|57|Dropping a Mountain}}
# {{what if|58|Orbital Speed}}
# {{what if|59|Updating a Printed Wikipedia}}
# {{what if|60|Signs of Life}}
# {{what if|61|Speed Bump}}
# {{what if|62|Falling With Helium}}
# {{what if|63|Google Datacenters on Punchcards}}
# {{what if|64|Rising Steadily}}
# {{what if|65|Twitter Timeline Height}}
# {{what if|66|500 MPH}}
# {{what if|67|Expanding Earth}}
# {{what if|68|Little Planet}}
# {{what if|69|Facebook of the Dead}}
# {{what if|70|The Constant Groundskeeper}}
# {{what if|71|Stirring Tea}}
# {{what if|72|Loneliest Human}}
# {{what if|73|Lethal Neutrinos}}
# {{what if|74|Soda Planet}}
# {{what if|75|Phone Keypad}}
# {{what if|76|Reading Every Book}}
# {{what if|77|Growth Rate}}
# {{what if|78|T-rex Calories}}
# {{what if|79|Lake Tea}}
# {{what if|80|Pile of Viruses}}
# {{what if|81|Catch!}}
# {{what if|82|Hitting a Comet}}
# {{what if|83|Star Sand}}
# {{what if|84|Paint the Earth}}
# {{what if|85|Rocket Golf}}
# {{what if|86|Far-Travelling Objects}}
# {{what if|87|Enforced by Radar}}
# {{what if|88|Soda Sequestration}}
# {{what if|89|Tungsten Countertop}}
# {{what if|90|Great Tree, Great Axe}}
# {{what if|91|Faucet Power}}
# {{what if|92|One-Second Day}}
# {{what if|93|Windshield Raindrops}}
# {{what if|94|Billion-Story Building}}
# {{what if|95|Pyramid Energy}}
# {{what if|96|$2 Undecillion Lawsuit}}
# {{what if|97|Burning Pollen}}
# {{what if|98|Blood Alcohol}}
# {{what if|99|Starlings}}
# {{what if|100|WWII Films}}
# {{what if|101|Plastic Dinosaurs}}
# {{what if|102|Keyboard Power}}
# {{what if|103|Vanishing Water}}
# {{what if|104|Global Snow}}
# {{what if|105|Cannibalism}}
# {{what if|106|Ink Molecules}}
# {{what if|107|Letter to Mom}}
# {{what if|108|Expensive Shoebox}}
# {{what if|109|Into the Blue}}
# {{what if|110|Walking New York}}
# {{what if|111|All the Money}}
# {{what if|112|Balloon Car}}
# {{what if|113|Visit Every State}}
# {{what if|114|Antimatter}}
# {{what if|115|Into the Sun}}
# {{what if|116|No-Rules Nascar}}
# {{what if|117|Distant Death}}
# {{what if|118|Physical Salary}}
# {{what if|119|Laser Umbrella}}
# {{what if|120|Alternate Universe What Ifs}}
# {{what if|121|Frozen Rivers}}
# {{what if|122|Lava Lamp}}
# {{what if|123|Fairy Demographics}}
# {{what if|124|Lunar Swimming}}
# {{what if|125|Bowling Ball}}
# {{what if|126|Stairs}}
# {{what if|127|Tug of War}}
# {{what if|128|Zippo Phone}}
# {{what if|129|Black Hole Moon}}
# {{what if|130|Snow Removal}}
# {{what if|131|Microwaves}}
# {{what if|132|Hotter Than Average}}
# {{what if|133|Flagpole}}
# {{what if|134|Space Burial}}
# {{what if|135|Digging Downward}}
# {{what if|136|Spiders vs. the Sun}}
# {{what if|137|New Horizons}}
# {{what if|138|Jupiter Submarine}}
# {{what if|139|Jupiter Descending}}
# {{what if|140|Proton Earth, Electron Moon}}
# {{what if|141|Sunbeam}}
# {{what if|142|Space Jetta}}
# {{what if|143|Europa Water Siphon}}
# {{what if|144|Saliva Pool}}
# {{what if|145|Fire From Moonlight}}
# {{what if|146|Stop Jupiter}}
# {{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}
# {{what if|148|Eat the Sun}}
# {{what if|149|Pizza Bird}}
# {{what if|150|Tatooine Rainbow}}
[[Category:Meta]]

Talk:1415: Ballooning

2014-09-01T10:44:51Z

141.101.98.8:

Ballooning is a legitimate and natural type of movement for spiders http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ballooning_%28spider%29 Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.59|141.101.98.59]] 05:49, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

I personally saw several spiders swinging on web cords. The problem with Spiderman usual method of moving is that spiders can't shoot web so far. Also, I suspect that they use the swinging not as method to travel, but as part of building web. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:57, 1 September 2014 (UTC)
:That sounds a lot like the "Pendulum Traverse" (Google that for a good description if you need it, Wiki just has it as a sub-item under a glossary), although I'm personally an expert in neither arachnology nor rock-climbing so I might be wrong. For those spiders you mention, whether they're swinging with an actual aiming point at hand or it's just a behaviour that ''creates'' a random opportunity to extend the web size (along with breeze-assistance, it must explain a number of web-bridgings you can encounter) and thus is an evolved activity that has net benefit... I don't know. Like I said, I'm not an expert. ;) (But I bet if anyone can find an actual paper on the subject, it'd be a good inclusion for the article above!) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.8|141.101.98.8]] 10:40, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1415: Ballooning

2014-09-01T10:40:56Z

141.101.98.8:

Ballooning is a legitimate and natural type of movement for spiders http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ballooning_%28spider%29 Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.59|141.101.98.59]] 05:49, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

I personally saw several spiders swinging on web cords. The problem with Spiderman usual method of moving is that spiders can't shoot web so far. Also, I suspect that they use the swinging not as method to travel, but as part of building web. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:57, 1 September 2014 (UTC)
:That sounds a lot like the "Pendulum Traverse" (Google that for a good description if you need it, Wiki just has it has a sub-item under a glossary), although I'm personally not an expert in neither arachnology or rock climbing so I might be wrong. For those spiders, whether they're swinging with an actual aiming point at hand or it's just a behaviour that ''creates'' a random opportunity to extend the web size (along with breeze-assistance, it must explain a number of web-bridgings you can encounter) and thus is an evolved activity that has net benefit... I don't know. Like I said, I'm not an expert. ;) (But I bet if anyone can find an actual paper on the subject, it'd be a good inclusion for the article above!) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.8|141.101.98.8]] 10:40, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

1401: New

2014-07-31T14:48:12Z

141.101.98.8: Correction of the split infinitive

{{comic
| number = 1401
| date = July 30, 2014
| title = New
| image = new.png
| titletext = The nice thing about headcannnons is that it's really easy to get other people to believe in them.
}}

==Explanation==
===Canon===
In fiction, "''{{w|Canon_(fiction)|canon}}''" describes the set of works about a fictional universe that are collectively recognized as having authenticity or being "official". These works collectively define the fictional universe. Other works may be written about fictional universes which are "non-canonical" or "apocrypha". Generally, works created or authorized by the original author(s) or creator(s) of a fictional universe are considered canon while works by others may be considered apocrypha. In other cases, the medium may be a determining factor (e.g. novels or reference books set in a fictional universe which originates in a television show or film may not be considered canon, although these are often also not created by the creators of the show or film). In some cases, the manner in which canonical works are distinguished from apocrypha is not universally agreed among a fanbase. A fiction's canon may be defined by the creators themselves, or determined by fans.

An example is {{w|Star Trek canon}}: Most fans agree that the {{w|Star Trek#Television series|five live-action television series}} and {{w|Star Trek (film franchise)|ongoing series of feature films}} (including those produced after the death of the original series' creator) are considered canon, while a plethora of novels and reference books are considered apocrypha. The short-lived ''{{w|Star Trek: The Animated Series}}'' is not universally agreed-upon. Some fictional universes have "levels" of canon such as {{w|Star Wars canon}}.

===Headcanon===
Fans often develop their own ideas about a fictional universe but which is not actually part of the canon. Sometimes these are larger concepts which have gone unspoken and are assumed or agreed upon among the body of fans. In other cases, individual fans make assumptions or invent their own stories/ideas about the fictional universe. These are both examples of "''headcanon''". This form of pseudo-"canon" exists only in the mind of the fan watching/reading the media. That fan experiences the media with a certain additional backstory or certain elements of headcanon that other fans may not. Future works may confirm headcanon as actual canon, while other headcanon may turn out to conflict with subsequently-introduced canon.

Some examples of headcanon may involve relationships between characters, abilities, backstories, etc. which the author/creator has not explained or included. In certain cases, headcanon may become so ingrained in a fandom that a subsequent work of canon which conflicts with that headcanon may anger fans, even though the headcanon was never an official part of the fictional universe.

As an example of headcanon, we may return to the ''Star Trek'' universe: The character {{w|Quark (Star Trek)|Quark}} runs a bar on ''{{w|Star Trek: Deep Space Nine}}''. It is canonical that Quark runs the bar and that the crew of the titular space station often patronize the bar. Fans might wonder why, on a station that has "replicators" (devices that can create any food or drink out of energy on demand), anyone would patronize a bar. If an individual or group of fans created and assumed a backstory that, for example, Quark has access to replicator patterns for exotic food or drink which aren't programed into standard replicators, or actual exotic food or drinks which cannot be replicated, that would be headcanon (since the theory was developed without input or sanction from Star Trek's creators). Were the series still running, a future episiode might confirm or contradict that headcanon.

===The comic===
This strip uses a play on the {{w|homophone|homophonic}} relationship between "canon", as above, and "{{w|cannon}}", a projectile weapon. In this strip, [[Black Hat]] starts to introduce a "new headcannon" (noting the spelling). [[Cueball]], thinking Black Hat meant "headcanon" inquires what Black Hat's new idea is. Instead of the expected idea or theory about a fictional universe, Black Hat removes his hat to reveal a tiny literal cannon on his head which blows away Cueball and his computer desk.

While headcanon may often be ignored or dismissed as non-canon or a personal theory, a headcannon is far harder to ignore, as it is a physical object which has a notable (and often violent) impact on the real world. Randall appears to address both homophones in the title text by putting three consecutive "n"s in "headcannnon". That he uses all three "n"'s from the two words indicates that he also means that it is easy to make people believe in a self invented headcanons - this may be the actual punch-line of the comic, since it has proved very true with many fan-generated theories.

This comic also shows Cueball being once again distracted from his work in a manner similar to [[1388: Subduction License]].

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat walks in.]
:Black Hat: New headcannon:

:[Cueball is sitting at his desk, using his computer.]
:Cueball: Yeah?

:[Black Hat lifts his hat, revealing his "headcannon": a tiny cannon on the top of his head. The headcannon fires and blows up Cueball's desk, the explosion throwing Cueball backwards.]
:Headcannon: '''BOOM'''
:Cueball: AUGH!

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

Talk:1380: Manual for Civilization

2014-06-18T22:13:26Z

141.101.98.8:

There's probably some connection between Eno and animorphs/post-apocalyptic earth, but because I don't know him, I only added info on the animorphs [[User:Shadowmanwkp|Shadowmanwkp]] ([[User talk:Shadowmanwkp|talk]]) 08:40, 11 June 2014 (UTC)

Brian Eno is associated with Long Now foundation as a board member: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Now_Foundation
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[[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.45|108.162.222.45]] 08:50, 11 June 2014 (UTC)

The joke at the end of the comic about the list being 'all' animorph books is not that not all animorph books are included in the list but that the list contains the megamorph and the andalite books in addition to all the animorph books. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.92.231|141.101.92.231]] 09:03, 11 June 2014 (UTC)

I wonder why only Megamorphs and Andalite Chronicles were mentioned. Does Eno not like the others? 12:40, 11 June 2014 (UTC)

Am I the only one who saw "Manual for Civilization" and thought: "I am Gandhi of the Indians. Our words are backed with NUCLEAR weapons. We have decided to rid the world of your pathetic civilization. Goodbye." -? Ah, that takes me back. Sid Meier, you owe me many hours. [[User:Fluppeteer|Fluppeteer]] ([[User talk:Fluppeteer|talk]]) 13:15, 11 June 2014 (UTC)
:Great comment - yes he ''owes me'' a lot of hours too! I had not seen it but it is very obvious - although probably not intended ;) [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:38, 11 June 2014 (UTC)

I disagree with the Asimov Foundation pun - I do not think Randall refeers to that at all. It was put at the top before the explain of the Amorph books. As it is a side issue I moved it down to the bottom of the explain where it might belong. But I think it should be removed! But I will leave that for others to decide! [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:38, 11 June 2014 (UTC)

:The first thing I thought of when seeing "Long Now Foundation" and the reference to a person saying books are needed to help rebuild society ''was'' Asimov's Foundation series. So I think it should remain in the explanation. It my not be a pun, but I think significant reference to it is possible, and maybe likely. --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 17:34, 11 June 2014 (UTC)
:: For what it's worth, the Long Now Foundation really is building a Manual for Civilization: http://blog.longnow.org/02010/04/06/manual-for-civilization/ --[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.113|199.27.128.113]] 18:55, 11 June 2014 (UTC)
::: Thank you for linking to this! I came to this explainxkcd page because I wanted to know the answer to that very question. I think this link should be included in the article. {{unsigned ip|199.27.130.210}}
::: For the record, I had the idea for a "Post-apocalyptic Survival Guide" in 2008. I believe 3 text-book sized volumes could contain enough information on wilderness knowledge, engineering, science, medicine, and psychology for an individual or small community to exist quite happily. I considered making it a wiki, but that defeats the purpose, since nobody's going to have internet after an apocalypse. If you're actually trying to rebuild society to its present advancement, the hard part won't be finding the information, it will be finding people more interested in rebuilding than in their own survival. ''The Postman'' comes to mind...--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.55|108.162.215.55]] 20:58, 11 June 2014 (UTC)
::::Actually, we can assume there WILL be some warning apocalypse is coming. Post-apocalyptic Survival Guide must therefore be wiki-based system with simple "print" button, to be pressed (on multiple computers) in moment of such warning, immediately transferring the data to local computer before the Internet collapses and printed hopefully before the electrical grid collapses (and/or backup generators run out of fuel). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:34, 14 June 2014 (UTC)
:::::I think the best method, considering the quantity of information such a guide could contain in electronic form, would be to make it a wiki that is published as an app that receives regular content updates. Each device with the app would sync and retain a full copy of the entire guide. In order to ensure the device continues to function post-apocalypse, the app would come with instructions for protecting a device from damage/EMP and for generating power. I'd love to market a ruggedized and EMP shielded tablet with a hand generator.--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.130|108.162.215.130]] 16:20, 16 June 2014 (UTC)

:::: ::::: I've had a stab at writing such a manual for rebooting civilisation, at least as far as is possible in a single hardback, in a popular science book published this year called "The Knowledge: How to Rebuild our World from Scratch" ( [http://the-knowledge.org/en-gb/buy-the-book/] ). The complete bibliography for the book should offer a pretty complete library for genuinely restarting from scratch ( [http://the-knowledge.org/en-gb/bibliography/] ). And if you're interested, I've also contributed a selection to The Manual for Civilization for The Long Now Foundation ( [http://blog.longnow.org/02014/04/19/the-knowledge/] ) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.8|141.101.98.8]]{Lewis Dartnell}

---

:: I always though that in Asimov's Foundation, the Encyclopedia Galactica itself was not actual point. The point was that the Foundation, that is the organization writing the Encyclopedia, consisted of large amount of educated people concentrated on one place and equipped with lot of informations they supposedly were formating for inclusion into the Encyclopedia. So, when the Empire collapsed, they could start rebuilding civilization with this initial advantage. Not speaking of other advantages Seldon prepared, like the position of that place. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:34, 14 June 2014 (UTC)

--------

"If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the atomic hypothesis that all things are made of atoms — little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another. In that one sentence, you will see, there is an enormous amount of information about the world, if just a little imagination and thinking are applied." - Richard P. Feynman (quote mentioned in Daniel Bor's "The Ravenous Brain", and sourced from: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/09/11/richard-feynman-lectures-on-physics/) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.208.169|108.162.208.169]] 17:40, 11 June 2014 (UTC)

Don't have time to create an account today, or I would do so to correct a typo: Asimov's character's first name was "Hari", not "Harry" (Seldon). Sorry if this seems like nitpicking...
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.114|108.162.241.114]] 16:36, 12 June 2014 (UTC)

---

Any reference in this comic to "The Knowledge"[http://the-knowledge.org/en-gb/]? {{unsigned ip|108.162.246.210}}

--> Not directly, I don't think, no. {Lewis Dartnell}