explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1975: Right Click

2018-04-03T13:00:13Z

141.101.99.233: Missing station in underground route spoiler.

I created this page manually. DgbrtBOT fail?

Also, notably, while the comic at xkcd.com works as intended (even from Chrome on Android, to a certain degree), the mobile site, m.xkcd.com, does not. It shows the standard system/browser-specific context menu. --[[User:Videblu|Videblu]] ([[User talk:Videblu|talk]]) 00:28, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
:The BOT didn't fail, the comic just wasn't released on Mon, Wen, or Fri. And in the past there was no comic on 1. April when it didn't fit into that rule. And the release was LATE; it was already the 2. April in Europe.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 09:45, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
:The mobile version at m.xkcd.com works fine in Android. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 10:56, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
::Untrue; going to m.xkcd.com on my Android devices brings up a '''non-interactive''' version of the comic, whereas going to xkcd.com (without setting the browser to present a Desktop client type) works fine. Viewing https://xkcd.com/1975 on mobile works fine for me; viewing https://m.xkcd.com/1975 does not work properly. I'm on Kit-Kat & Marshmallow, using the standard browsers; you? [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 16:04, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
:::You are right. I don't remember what I've tested before. It cannot work because the embedded [https://m.xkcd.com/1975/alto/comic.js JavaScript file] doesn't exist. Maybe this will be fixed in the future. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 17:46, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

How are we going to handle submenus submenus and subitems etc? (Also Captcha outdated! Update immediately!) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.34|162.158.238.34]] 01:46, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
:Um, I don't see a reCapatcha. Just saying...[[User:Fmccarthy|Fmccarthy]] ([[User talk:Fmccarthy|talk]]) 04:17, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
::There is one when saving edits. I'm assuming this is the one they mean. Also, aside from a table with way too many columns I don't really know. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.215|162.158.79.215]] 04:21, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
:::Captchas only appear for guests and young accounts. I haven't seen one since roughly the day after I signed up, LOL! (I commented a lot my first day, "taking" ownership of all my previous anonymous comments) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:44, 3 April 2018 (UTC)

Oh my gosh this is incredible. The Games section, especially, is mind boggling. Entropy! [[User:Hameltion|Hameltion]] ([[User talk:Hameltion|talk]]) 00:30, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

Whoever owns this site update ReCaptcha! [[User:Sizzilingbird|Sizzilingbird]] ([[User talk:Sizzilingbird|talk]]) 00:40, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

WOO!!! [https://uni.xkcd.com/ Unicode XKCD]!!! [[User:Phoenix Up|Phoenix Up]] ([[User talk:Phoenix Up|talk]]) 00:44, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

2 hours later I'm done, and the save picture button wouldn't work... rip[[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 11:38, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

This (uni.xkcd.com) is not new, I remember using this months (perhaps years) ago :P [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 02:44, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

Is there a second for easter eggs in there? Fork bombs ( :(){ :|: &};: ) work, I'm not sure what else. [[User:Waterlubber|Waterlubber]] ([[User talk:Waterlubber|talk]]) 02:52, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

Sorry if this is already well known, but there are a couple unlisted commands, e.g. you can delete things individually using rm -rf. It looks like auto-completion and * don't work. [[User:Power Factor|Power Factor]] ([[User talk:Power Factor|talk]]) 03:27, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

Reluctant to call it an Easter Egg, but Utilities / Identify Song / Hey Now / Hey now na now / Sing "This Corrosion" to me inverts the colours on the comic/background [[User:Maslink|Maslink]] ([[User talk:Maslink|talk]]) 02:02, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

: He missed a chance for a Rick Roll there (For all we know there may be a Rick Roll in here) [[User:Phoenix Up|Phoenix Up]] ([[User talk:Phoenix Up|talk]]) 02:36, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

SPOILER:

I managed to save the image by playing ADVENT.exe, has anyone else found other ways? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.172|162.158.75.172]] 00:54, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

'''COMIC MAY BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION''' I think one of the menu options change since the comic was first posted. Randall may still be changing things. --[[User:Videblu|Videblu]] ([[User talk:Videblu|talk]]) 01:15, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
: Actually it's that once you do some things others "unlock". For instance, accessing File > Open > A:\ > Insert > Floppy disk, and then File > Open > A:\ you get the Games, Music, and the really cool Bookmarks catalog of comics. Also, as said above, completing the game ADVENT.exe lets you go to save:
{{Collapse top|title=Egg spoiler: Text adventure route}}
* Games
* ADVENT.EXE
* Castle
* Well
* Pull up the bucket
* Examine bucket
* Get key
* Back
* Back to the castle
* Open door
* Get clamp
* This might come in handy
* Get outta here
* Enter castle
* Examine machine
* Hmmm
* Put clamp in C-Remover
* Take lamp
* Leave
* Go back
* Cave
* Go deeper
* N
* E
* N
* N
* N
* W
* S
* W
* Examine nest
* Take egg
* ''Click''
Now you can save [https://i.imgur.com/X4LX3w9.png the image]! :)
{{Collapse bottom}}
: I made it hidden so that anyone who wants to explore on their own may still... [[User:Hameltion|Hameltion]] ([[User talk:Hameltion|talk]]) 02:01, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
:How did you solve the maze? Is there a clue anywhere or just brute force?{{unsigned ip|141.101.98.196}}
::When at the Well, maybe try wishing for wisdom[[User:Steampunkery|Steampunkery]] ([[User talk:Steampunkery|talk]]) 19:44, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
:: The Help menu changed after I refreshed the page (that is what I see at first glance), other things may have changed as well. [[User:Phoenix Up|Phoenix Up]] ([[User talk:Phoenix Up|talk]]) 02:29, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
::: Ah - I don't recall it being different, but I may have missed an earlier version. Anyway here is another way to make the image available:
: C-remover is a reference to the interactive fiction "[http://emshort.com/counterfeit_monkey/ Counterfeit Monkey]". (Adding it for future restructure) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.142|162.158.134.142]] 08:00, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
:: I claimed earlier that it was a Counterfeit Monkey reference on the Reddit thread, but someone who worked on the comic pointed out on [https://twitter.com/wirehead2501/status/980703946971860993 Twitter] that it is actually a reference to "Leather Goddesses of Phobos", though Counterfeit Monkey also uses that mechanic. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.90.52|172.69.90.52]] 16:23, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
{{Collapse top|title=Egg spoiler: London Underground route}}.
* Games
* Mornington Crescent
* Euston
* Warren Street
* Oxford Circus
* Green Park
* Victoria
* Pimlico
* Vauxhall
* Easter basket
* Take egg (''Click'')
Though in reality it may be [https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Mornington+Crescent,+London+NW1+2JA,+United+Kingdom/Vauxhall,+London,+UK/@51.5103249,-0.1720918,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x48761b2037dd36b9:0x11812a2d5cfb2ea3!2m2!1d-0.1388607!2d51.5343884!1m5!1m1!1s0x487604ec2b79a13d:0xdfa3f51e98dee89c!2m2!1d-0.1227798!2d51.4861366!3e1 faster to bike]?
{{Collapse bottom}}
:::This is really fun! (and there's [https://xkcd.com/1975/kat-bun-small.png this]) --[[User:Hameltion|Hameltion]] ([[User talk:Hameltion|talk]]) 02:43, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

I followed the "Land of 1000 dances" "na-na"s over 1000 times and didn't hit an end. It may be infinite. [[User:Jedi.jesse|Jedi.jesse]] ([[User talk:Jedi.jesse|talk]]) 02:45, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

Doing System > / > home/ > guest (''click'') takes you to [https://uni.xkcd.com/ uni.xkcd.com] which it pretty neat. [[User:Hameltion|Hameltion]] ([[User talk:Hameltion|talk]]) 02:53, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

List of D&D spells can be ported into explanation from [https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/88vwoe/xkcds_latest_comic_has_a_dd_easter_egg/ here].
And [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/88v6if/xkcd_1975_right_click/dwnp4ml/ here] is a path through Mornington Crescent to an easter egg.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.142|162.158.134.142]] 07:52, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mornington_Crescent_(game) Mornington Crescent is a joke nonsensical game from an old British radio show. {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.142}}

You actually can install apt with brew. It can't actually install anything because it needs to create a package record during the initial operating system install, but you can do it if you want to. Not sure why you would though. EDIT: I can't find the package anymore, but I am pretty sure I was able to do this at one point. Might have been removed due to uselessness. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.64|172.68.34.64]] 00:08, 3 April 2018 (UTC)

;Land of 1,000 Dances
This goes on forever. Or at least well over 1000 levels: [Media:https://i.imgur.com/iiHDE3e.png number of popups checked with jQuery]--[[User:MikeOShay|MikeOShay]] ([[User talk:MikeOShay|talk]]) 04:21, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

;Transscript
Is the transscript really unfinished? It transcribes the entirety of the comic image itself, and the menu part is in explanations. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.142|162.158.238.142]] 05:36, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

;Release date
This comic was probably released on April 2, 00:00 UTC. But of course it was still April 1 in the US. I don't really care, but the release date here is probably wrong.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 11:31, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

;More discussions
No effect for iOS. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.138.88|162.158.138.88]] 05:37, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

If you quickly right click on the comic after refreshing the page, it is possible to save the comic. Unfortunately there is no easter egg for doing so. [[User:Baquea|Baquea]] ([[User talk:Baquea|talk]]) 12:26, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

Added it to the page. ~~~~ 02:49, 3 April 2018 (UTC)

Katamari in the music bit is a reference to [https://youtu.be/iMH49ieL4es?t=48s this song] --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.137|141.101.99.137]] 13:31, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

spell list (half of it, i didnt test spells with material components): --norill
{{Collapse top|title=Spellbook}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!V !! S !! M !! L !! School !! Spell !! Class !! Result
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Illusion || Blur || Wizard || Causes the screen/comic to appear blurry
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Illusion || Blur || Sorcerer || Causes the screen/comic to appear blurry
|-
|V || - || - || 5 || Divination || Contact Other Plane || Wizard
|-
|V || - || - || 5 || Divination || Contact Other Plane || Warlock
|-
|V || - || - || 1 || Divination || Hunter's Mark || Ranger
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Necromancy || Blindness/Deafness || Wizard
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Necromancy || Blindness/Deafness || Sorcerer
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Necromancy || Blindness/Deafness || Cleric
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Necromancy || Blindness/Deafness || Bard
|-
|V || - || - || 9 || Enchantment || Power Word Kill || Wizard
|-
|V || - || - || 9 || Enchantment || Power Word Kill || Sorcerer
|-
|V || - || - || 9 || Enchantment || Power Word Kill || Warlock
|-
|V || - || - || 9 || Enchantment || Power Word Kill || Bard
|-
|V || - || - || 8 || Enchantment || Power Word Stun || Wizard || Links to https://what-if.xkcd.com/156/
|-
|V || - || - || 8 || Enchantment || Power Word Stun || Sorcerer || Links to https://what-if.xkcd.com/156/
|-
|V || - || - || 8 || Enchantment || Power Word Stun || Warlock || Links to https://what-if.xkcd.com/156/
|-
|V || - || - || 8 || Enchantment || Power Word Stun || Bard || Links to https://what-if.xkcd.com/156/
|-
|V || - || - || 6 || Enchantment || Irresistible Dance || Wizard || Links to https://xkcd.com/878/
|-
|V || - || - || 6 || Enchantment || Irresistible Dance || Bard || Links to https://xkcd.com/878/
|-
|V || - || - || 5 || Enchantment || Geas || Wizard || Links to https://xkcd.com/1559/
|-
|V || - || - || 5 || Enchantment || Geas || Paladin || Links to https://xkcd.com/1559/
|-
|V || - || - || 5 || Enchantment || Geas || Druid || Links to https://xkcd.com/1559/
|-
|V || - || - || 5 || Enchantment || Geas || Cleric || Links to https://xkcd.com/1559/
|-
|V || - || - || 5 || Enchantment || Geas || Bard || Links to https://xkcd.com/1559/
|-
|V || - || - || 1 || Enchantment || Command || Paladin || Links to https://xkcd.com/857/
|-
|V || - || - || 1 || Enchantment || Command || Cleric || Links to https://xkcd.com/857/
|-
|V || - || - || 0 || Enchantment || Vicious Mockery || Bard || Links to https://xkcd.com/732/
|-
|V || - || - || 9 || Transmutation || Time Stop || Wizard
|-
|V || - || - || 9 || Transmutation || Time Stop || Sorcerer
|-
|V || - || - || 8 || Transmutation || Glibness || Warlock
|-
|V || - || - || 8 || Transmutation || Glibness || Bard
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Transmutation || Knock || Wizard
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Transmutation || Knock || Sorcerer
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Transmutation || Knock || Bard
|-
|V || - || - || 0 || Transmutation || Thaumaturgy || Cleric
|-
|V || - || - || 9 || Conjuration || Wish || Wizard
|-
|V || - || - || 9 || Conjuration || Wish || Sorcerer
|-
|V || - || - || 6 || Conjuration || Word of Recall || Cleric
|-
|V || - || - || 4 || Conjuration || Dimension Door || Wizard
|-
|V || - || - || 4 || Conjuration || Dimension Door || Warlock
|-
|V || - || - || 4 || Conjuration || Dimension Door || Sorcerer
|-
|V || - || - || 4 || Conjuration || Dimension Door || Bard
|-
|V || - || - || 4 || Conjuration || Guardian of Faith || Cleric
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Conjuration || Misty Steep || Wizard
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Conjuration || Misty Steep || Warlock
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Conjuration || Misty Steep || Sorcerer
|-
|V || - || - || 7 || Evocation || Divine Word || Cleric
|-
|V || - || - || 3 || Evocation || Mass Healing Word || Cleric
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Evocation || Prayer of Healing || Cleric
|-
|V || - || - || 2 || Evocation || Branding Smite || Paladin
|-
|V || - || - || 1 || Evocation || Healing Word || Druid
|-
|V || - || - || 1 || Evocation || Healing Word || Cleric
|-
|V || - || - || 1 || Evocation || Healing Word || Bard
|-
|V || - || - || 1 || Evocation || Faerie Fire || Druid
|-
|V || - || - || 1 || Evocation || Faerie Fire || Bard
|-
|- || S || - || 5 || Illusion || Mislead || Wizard
|-
|- || S || - || 5 || Illusion || Mislead || Bard
|-
|- || S || - || 0 || Divination || True Strike || Wizard
|-
|- || S || - || 0 || Divination || True Strike || Warlock
|-
|- || S || - || 0 || Divination || True Strike || Sorcerer
|-
|- || S || - || 0 || Divination || True Strike || Bard
|-
|- || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Counterspell || Wizard
|-
|- || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Counterspell || Warlock
|-
|- || S || - || 8 || Conjuration || Demiplane || Wizard
|-
|- || S || - || 8 || Conjuration || Demiplane || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 9 || Illusion || Weird || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Illusion || Mirage Arcane || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Illusion || Mirage Arcane || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Illusion || Mirage Arcane || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Illusion || Seeming || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Illusion || Seeming || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Illusion || Seeming || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Illusion || Greater Invisibility || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Illusion || Greater Invisibility || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Illusion || Greater Invisibility || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Illusion || Phantasmal Killer || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Illusion || Phantom Steed || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Illusion || Mirror Image || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Illusion || Mirror Image || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Illusion || Mirror Image || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Illusion || Silence || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Illusion || Silence || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Illusion || Silence || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Illusion || Disguise Self || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Illusion || Disguise Self || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Illusion || Disguise Self || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Divination || Commune with Nature || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Divination || Commune with Nature || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Divination || Find Traps || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Divination || Find Traps || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Divination || Find Traps || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Detect Magic || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Detect Magic || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Detect Magic || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Detect Magic || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Detect Magic || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Detect Magic || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Detect Magic || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Speak with Animals || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Speak with Animals || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Speak with Animals || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Detect Evil and Good || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Divination || Detect Evil and Good || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Divination || Guidance || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Divination || Guidance || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Necromancy || Finger of Death || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Necromancy || Finger of Death || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Necromancy || Finger of Death || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 6 || Necromancy || Eyebite || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 6 || Necromancy || Eyebite || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 6 || Necromancy || Eyebite || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 6 || Necromancy || Eyebite || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 6 || Necromancy || Harm || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Necromancy || Contagion || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Necromancy || Contagion || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Necromancy || Blight || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Necromancy || Blight || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Necromancy || Blight || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Necromancy || Blight || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Necromancy || Vampiric Touch || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Necromancy || Vampiric Touch || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Necromancy || Bestow Curse || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Necromancy || Bestow Curse || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Necromancy || Bestow Curse || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Necromancy || Ray of Enfeeblement || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Necromancy || Ray of Enfeeblement || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Necromancy || Inflict Wounds || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Necromancy || Chill Touch || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Necromancy || Chill Touch || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Necromancy || Chill Touch || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 8 || Enchantment || Dominate Monster || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 8 || Enchantment || Dominate Monster || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 8 || Enchantment || Dominate Monster || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 8 || Enchantment || Dominate Monster || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Enchantment || Dominate Person || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Enchantment || Dominate Person || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Enchantment || Dominate Person || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Enchantment || Modify Memory || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Enchantment || Modify Memory || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Enchantment || Dominate Beast || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Enchantment || Dominate Beast || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Enchantment || Compulsion || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Enchantment || Enthrall || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Enchantment || Enthrall || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Enchantment || Zone of Truth || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Enchantment || Zone of Truth || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Enchantment || Zone of Truth || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Enchantment || Calm Emotions || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Enchantment || Calm Emotions || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Enchantment || Charm Person || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Enchantment || Charm Person || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Enchantment || Charm Person || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Enchantment || Charm Person || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Enchantment || Charm Person || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Enchantment || Heroism || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Enchantment || Heroism || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 8 || Transmutation || Animal Shapes || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Transmutation || Etherealness || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Transmutation || Etherealness || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Transmutation || Etherealness || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Transmutation || Etherealness || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Transmutation || Etherealness || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Transmutation || Telekinesis || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Transmutation || Telekinesis || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Transmutation || Animate Objects || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Transmutation || Animate Objects || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Transmutation || Animate Objects || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Transmutation || Fabricate || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Transmutation || Giant Insect || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Transmutation || Blink || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Transmutation || Blink || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Transmutation || Plant Growth || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Transmutation || Plant Growth || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Transmutation || Plant Growth || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Transmutation || Speak with Plants || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Transmutation || Speak with Plants || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Transmutation || Speak with Plants || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Transmutation || Meld into Stone || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Transmutation || Meld into Stone || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Transmutation || Alter Self || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Transmutation || Alter Self || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Transmutation || Magic Weapon || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Transmutation || Expeditious Retreat || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Transmutation || Expeditious Retreat || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Transmutation || Expeditious Retreat || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Transmutation || Purify Food and Drink || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Transmutation || Purify Food and Drink || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Transmutation || Purify Food and Drink || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Transmutation || Prestidigitation || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Transmutation || Prestidigitation || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Transmutation || Prestidigitation || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Transmutation || Prestidigitation || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Transmutation || Druidcraft || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 9 || Abjuration || Prismatic Wall || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 8 || Abjuration || Mind Blank || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 8 || Abjuration || Mind Blank || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Abjuration || Death Ward || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 4 || Abjuration || Death Ward || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Protection from Energy || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Protection from Energy || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Protection from Energy || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Protection from Energy || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Remove Curse || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Remove Curse || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Remove Curse || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Remove Curse || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Dispel Magic || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Dispel Magic || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Dispel Magic || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Dispel Magic || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Dispel Magic || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Dispel Magic || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Dispel Magic || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Abjuration || Beacon of Hope || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Abjuration || Lesser Restoration || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Abjuration || Lesser Restoration || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Abjuration || Lesser Restoration || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Abjuration || Lesser Restoration || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Abjuration || Lesser Restoration || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Abjuration || Protection from Poison || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Abjuration || Protection from Poison || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Abjuration || Protection from Poison || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Abjuration || Protection from Poison || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Abjuration || Shield || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Abjuration || Shield || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 9 || Conjuration || Storm of Vegance || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 8 || Conjuration || Maze || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 8 || Conjuration || Incendiary Cloud || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 8 || Conjuration || Incendiary Cloud || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Conjuration || Conjure Celestial || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 6 || Conjuration || Transport via Plants || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 6 || Conjuration || Planar Ally || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Conjuration || Cloudkill || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Conjuration || Cloudkill || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Conjuration || Tree Stride || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Conjuration || Tree Stride || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Conjuration || Conjure Animals || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Conjuration || Conjure Animals || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Conjuration || Create Food and Water || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Conjuration || Create Food and Water || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Conjuration || Call Lightning || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Conjuration || Find Steed || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Conjuration || Fog Cloud || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Conjuration || Fog Cloud || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Conjuration || Fog Cloud || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Conjuration || Fog Cloud || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Conjuration || Entangle || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Conjuration || Acid Splash || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Conjuration || Acid Splash || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Conjuration || Poison Spray || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Conjuration || Poison Spray || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Conjuration || Poison Spray || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Conjuration || Poison Spray || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Conjuration || Mage Hand || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Conjuration || Mage Hand || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Conjuration || Mage Hand || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Conjuration || Mage Hand || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Conjuration || Produce Flame || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 9 || Evocation || Meteor Swarm || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 9 || Evocation || Meteor Swarm || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 9 || Evocation || Mass Heal || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Evocation || Prismatic Spray || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Evocation || Prismatic Spray || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Evocation || Fire Storm || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Evocation || Fire Storm || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 7 || Evocation || Fire Storm || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 6 || Evocation || Heal || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 6 || Evocation || Heal || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 6 || Evocation || Blade Barrier || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Evocation || Mass Cure Wounds || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Evocation || Mass Cure Wounds || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 5 || Evocation || Mass Cure Wounds || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Evocation || Daylight || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Evocation || Daylight || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Evocation || Daylight || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 3 || Evocation || Daylight || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Evocation || Scorching Ray || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Evocation || Scorching Ray || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 2 || Evocation || Spiritual Weapon || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Burning Hands || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Burning Hands || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Magic Missle || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Magic Missle || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Thunderwave || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Thunderwave || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Thunderwave || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Thunderwave || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Hellish Rebuke || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Cure Wounds || Ranger
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Cure Wounds || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Cure Wounds || Druid
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Cure Wounds || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Cure Wounds || Bard
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Divine Favor || Paladin
|-
|V || S || - || 1 || Evocation || Guiding Bolt || Cleric
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Evocation || Fire Bolt || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Evocation || Fire Bolt || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Evocation || Ray of Frost || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Evocation || Ray of Frost || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Evocation || Shocking Gasp || Wizard
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Evocation || Shocking Gasp || Sorcerer
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Evocation || Eldritch Blast || Warlock
|-
|V || S || - || 0 || Evocation || Sacred Flame || Cleric
|-
|}
{{Collapse bottom}} {{unsigned ip|172.68.110.52}}

'''Recursive package managers''' are perfectly sane if the two package managers use different repositories, for example apt install python3-pip. The true hilarity arrives if you install a package manager for the sole purpose of installing another, or if they use the same repositories. But that's not unheard of either: apt install npm && npm install yarn -78.68.24.134 but your site thinks I'm [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.130|162.158.134.130]] 16:42, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

;Bing image search
Surprisingly, when you are playing 20 questions and get into the section with the animals, all of the image requests go to Bing.

I'm curious if anyone will look at the traffic of Bing and compare the normal traffic with the traffic from this comic. I want to see just how much of a spike Bing image search gets from this.

And by the way, "Bing" is actually a red underlined misspelling according to Firefox.
[[User:Keybounce|Keybounce]] ([[User talk:Keybounce|talk]]) 19:48, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

Is there a reason why UniXKCD is under comic 721? Also, there are significant things missing from it, especially the special ctrl- functions! [[User:ChunyangD|ChunyangD]] ([[User talk:ChunyangD|talk]]) 02:56, 3 April 2018 (UTC)

I read the comic, tried to save, it saved. Check what saved, was the same comic. How boring. LOL! Guess Randall doesn't think people read XKCD on iPads (or maybe just that he doesn't think anybody is reading on an iPad 1 with iOS 5.1.1). :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:44, 3 April 2018 (UTC)
:Not your iOS 5.1.1's problem, basically all the interactive comics are like that with iPads, even if using iOS 10. (On my iPad, [[1608: Hoverboard]] works but lags and controls are awful, [[1663: Garden]] can't run, [[1037: Umwelt]] refuses to appear, you can't do anything in [[1193: Externalities]], and as for ''this comic''... *flips table* ) The only comic that works perfectly on my iPad is [[1350: Lorenz]]. [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 11:25, 3 April 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1891: Obsolete Technology

2017-09-19T07:39:45Z

141.101.99.233:

Wasn't DOS still running behind Win95, and integrated into the OS similarly to the Linux shell? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.59.154|162.158.59.154]] 14:48, 18 September 2017 (UTC)
:Even worse than that. DOS was not "integrated" into Win95 or Win98, but Win95 and Win98 were built to run atop DOS. Windows NT did away with that dependency on DOS.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.102|141.101.105.102]] 22:48, 18 September 2017 (UTC)
::Win Me were also built to run atop DOS. Win NT were considered server system, only later Win 2000 and Win XP brought NT-based Windows to home machines. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:38, 18 September 2017 (UTC)
::Not quite. Windows NT was a concurrent line with the more mainstream 95/98/ME line (I think ME also was on top of DOS, but I never used it so I'm not sure). At the same timeline as those versions of Windows was Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 (NT 5.0), and maybe NT 3.5 earlier than that. Windows 95 was originally supposed to only be a temporary stepping stone from DOS with Windows 3.11 to bring people over to NT, so they kept DOS as the underlying foundation of Windows (which was a good thing because power programs and high end games still used DOS, to avoid the resource suck that is Windows. Not being in Windows frees up processing power). But so many people liked and adopted 95 that they came out with a "sequel", 98. This two-lines idiocy ended rather with Windows XP in the early 2000s, which combined the two lines, having elements of the NT line - like the NTFS system for larger hard drives, literally "NT File System", which is still in use today - with elements of the 95 line - like removing and relaxing the restrictions that blocked certain programs and games from running in Windows NT in favour of greater system stability (my NT 4.0 computer crashed the least of every Windows I've ever run). [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:27, 19 September 2017 (UTC)

This reminds me of this Raganwald article on Blub: [http://weblog.raganwald.com/2006/10/are-we-blub-programmers.html Are we blub programmers?] Adequate doesn't mean best for the job; this comic presents the other side of the coin, don't upgrade just for upgrade's sake. --[[User:Jgt|Jgt]] ([[User talk:Jgt|talk]]) 14:51, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

The computer doesn't look like an early PC from the MS-DOS era. Reminds me more of the previous generation: à so-called mini-computer or a terminal connected to a mainframe.
Zetfr 15:32, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

:You are right, but I think we should make allowances to the look as this is stated to be an 'industrial' computer. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.52|172.68.110.52]] 16:24, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Fireworks has a link to the 2016 Fireworks Annual Report, which has some useful statistics on page 2, the executive summary.
--[[User:Ozmandias42|Ozmandias42]] ([[User talk:Ozmandias42|talk]]) 20:08, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

I just finished working on upgrading an industrial control system. In the plant's control rooms, the interfaces and terminals were relatively new, running Windows 7 Ultimate. However, the DBMs in the server room that managed the control network were running MS-DOS 6.22, and they still worked just fine. The client was only upgrading the system because the OEM no longer provided support or replacement components.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.11|108.162.238.11]] 21:44, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

What bothers me about old technology is that security updates stop while the rest of the world gains an ever-increasing exploit advantage over people connecting to the same Internet. Along with the risks to them, it's worse when compromised devices act as workhorses to leverage "millions of papercuts" against the rest of the system. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 00:27, 19 September 2017 (UTC)

Hm, while it makes sense to stick to a DOS based system if nothing newer is required, the comparative of fireworks/nuclear weapons is incorrect. Upgrading those MSDOS systems to something newer (which could be just freedos) would perhaps incur on huge unnecessary expenses at most, while "upgrading" fireworks to nuclear energy would not only would make them far more expensive, it would make them far, far more dangerous and deadly. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.69.123|162.158.69.123]] 00:32, 19 September 2017 (UTC)

:What surprises me is that anything for which MS-DOS includes drivers would still be physically running after this long... in the comic scenario, they went 20 years without needing to replace key components? That said, for a lot of the older industrial systems, running something LIKE Dos, such as FREEDOS, or various custom boot environments which use DOS command formats, would probably make perfect sense. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.47|172.68.58.47]]

Neutrino beams would also mostly go straight through (without interacting with) any sort of detector you might wish to use to intercept the signal.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 07:39, 19 September 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1889: xkcd Phone 6

2017-09-14T05:13:22Z

141.101.99.233:

I tried to access http://xkcd.com/MDCCCLXXXIX but I got a "CDIV NOT FOVND" error.[[User:Taibhse|Taibhse]] ([[User talk:Taibhse|talk]]) 14:38, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

1876 is the year of Alexander Graham Bell's telephone patent US174465 "Improvement in telegraphy" and the "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you." transmission.--[[User:Laverock|Laverock]] ([[User talk:Laverock|talk]]) 15:31, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

Maybe "SPF 30" refers to how easily the phone becomes sunburned, rather than to how much protection the phone provides to you. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.16|162.158.63.16]] 15:40, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

"Never Needs Sharpening," while applicable to pencils, is more likely a reference to those crappy knives often hocked in infomercials. See the TvTropes entry of the same name: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NeverNeedsSharpening [[Special:Contributions/172.68.133.222|172.68.133.222]] 16:38, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

The promotional material for [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1809 xkdc Phone 5] said they refused to skip numbers!--[[User:Laverock|Laverock]] ([[User talk:Laverock|talk]]) 17:18, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

Did anyone else notice that the title text contradicts with one of the main design features of the phone? Having a front camera in the middle of the screen specifically for video calling, then claiming that the phone never transmits images of the user's face (or even restricting the phone's software/hardware such that it cannot transmit images of the user's face) is somewhat of a contradiction. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.61|162.158.154.61]] 17:20, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

"We didn't start this war" reminiscent of War for the Planet of the Apes tagline? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.238|108.162.215.238]] 17:25, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

The "camera in the middle of the screen" is (hopefully) not too far away: [http://appleinsider.com/articles/09/01/08/apple_files_patent_for_camera_hidden_behind_display] [http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1112501121/sony-patents-technology-to-put-camera-and-sensors-behind-smartphone-display/] [[User:Sysin|Sysin]] ([[User talk:Sysin|talk]]) 19:21, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

;{{w|ordinal indicator#Masculine|º}} or {{w|superior letter|o}} or {{w|degree symbol|°}} or {{w|ring (diacritic)|˚}}?

Which one is it at the end of the trademarked (and registered to be so), copyrighted tagline?

(Currently it's transcribed as {{w|ordinal indicator#Masculine|º}}.)

--[[User:Das-g|Das-g]] ([[User talk:Das-g|talk]]) 20:09, 13 September 2017 (UTC)
:I'm pretty sure it's the {{w|degree symbol|degree symbol °}} because the letter before is a C for copyright or Celsius. Open the original 2x picture and you can see there is no underline like here: º. Thanks for this question. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:35, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

;What's the future?
iPhone 8 followed by 9 then 10 and 11? And the <s>phablet</s> iPhone X followed by XI and XII? That X is pronounced ''ten''. And what number will the next xkcd phone use (besides the 7)? --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:12, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

: The iPhone X is not a Phablet. It is "smaller" than the iPhone 8 Plus (see https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/) and only slightly larger than the iPhone 8. And they're calling it the iPhone X (ten) because it is a step forward. Presumably the next phone will be the 11, unless they choose to go with a digit after the X, following OSX's approach. --[[User:Rand|Rand]] ([[User talk:Rand|talk]]) 22:18, 13 September 2017 (UTC)
::Phablet was wrong, but that's what I've found at the first documentations. But for sure the next phone will not be 11, probably again two products, maybe then 9 and XL... --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 23:39, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

;Citation needed
Is this template still that funny that it's worth to mention it more often then the existing numbers of Google Chrome versions? I say this isn't funny anymore for a long time. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:31, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

;Non-consecutive numbers joke

The ''joke'' in the title text is that Apple just jumped from iPhone 8 to iPhone 10.

The joke needs to be explained somewhere in the text. Dgbrt reverted my edit in such a way that ''the joke is no longer explained''.

Please fix.--[[User:Rand|Rand]] ([[User talk:Rand|talk]]) 22:13, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

: In case anyone doubts the joke: If I type "why did a" into Google, it autofills to "why did apple skip iphone 9". A lot of people are asking this question. Randall, meanwhile, is making fun of Apple for skipping iPhone 9. --[[User:Rand|Rand]] ([[User talk:Rand|talk]]) 22:24, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

:Here's somebody else making a similar joke at Apple's expense: http://ew.com/news/2017/09/12/in-memoriam-iphone-9/--[[User:Rand|Rand]] ([[User talk:Rand|talk]]) 22:26, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

OMG, iPhone 8 and iPhone X were released at the same time. There is no current phone existing which follows iPhone 8 and there may be a iPhone 9 in the future. The X is pronounced ''ten'' but that phone is not the successor of the iPhone 8. Until now Microsoft is the one company who omitted the version number 9. To claim this on Apple we still have to wait for the next phone.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 23:13, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

: No, in order to ''know with certainty'' that Apple skipped a version number (as opposed to releasing a ten followed by a nine) we would need to wait for the next phone. In order to joke about it... well, half the internet is already making that joke: https://www.bustle.com/p/iphone-9-memes-jokes-pay-homage-to-the-forgotten-generation-2343796. And yes, Randall Munroe is also making that joke.--[[User:Rand|Rand]] ([[User talk:Rand|talk]]) 23:20, 13 September 2017 (UTC)
::Of course people are joking. But it's still only Microsoft omitting the 9. Randall jokes about this by presenting the xkcd phone VIII, and many other names, for the same major features. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 23:30, 13 September 2017 (UTC)
::: They're joking about ''skipping the iPhone 9''. Randall refers to ''nonconsecutive'' version numbers: that is, version numbers that skip. There's no ambiguity here. The graceful thing for you to do here would be to undo your revision, improving the language if necessary. If you're not willing to, I'll let others handle the edit warring / making the consensus clear.--[[User:Rand|Rand]] ([[User talk:Rand|talk]]) 00:08, 14 September 2017 (UTC)

Shroud of turin style facial transfer means you'd have to press the phone against your face until somehow an impression of your face was registered, in the same way as an imprint of oils(?) from a face is left on the turin shroud. This is more amusing, and ridiculous, than the current explanation. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 05:13, 14 September 2017 (UTC)

1731: Wrong

2017-06-25T20:31:36Z

141.101.99.233: Undo revision 141965 by 188.114.110.46 (talk)

{{comic
| number = 1731
| date = September 9, 2016
| title = Wrong
| image = wrong.png
| titletext = Hang on, I just remembered another thing I'm right about. See...
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|More on White Hat's new theory from the last panel. The abstraction of the particle idea not explained.}}

All objects on Earth are matter, meaning they are made of {{w|Atom|atoms}}, which are specifically '''not''' made up of {{w|antimatter}}. Atoms, while once (when they were named) believed to be the smallest unit of matter, are now known to be made up of {{w|Proton|protons}}, {{w|Neutron|neutrons}} and {{w|Electron|electrons}}. Protons and neutrons are in turn made up of {{w|Quark|quarks}}. Quarks come in six different "{{w|Flavour (particle physics)|flavors}}" (up, down, top, bottom, charm, and strange), with protons and neutrons being made of the first two types. Each flavour also has a corresponding flavour of the quark's {{w|Antiparticle|antiparticle}}, an antiquark, which would make up antiprotons and antineutrons.

[[White Hat]] and [[Megan]] appear to be discussing the topics of {{w|Antimatter|antimatter}} and subatomic particles. White Hat makes the assertion that we (referring to people and objects) are made partially of antimatter, because, as he claims, a proton (one of the particles which makes up all matter) is made of two quarks and an antiquark. In fact, protons are made up of two up quarks and a down quark. He is making the simple mistake of mixing up the difference between "up" and "down" flavors of quarks (which in some ways are "opposite" flavours of quarks) with the difference between particles and antiparticles. He continues to elaborate on his idea by mentioning neutrons, which are made of two down quarks and an up quark (which he incorrectly reasons as two antiquarks and a quark).

(White Hat may have incorrectly remembered that, while the valence quarks in a proton are all matter, quantum field theory says that protons also contain an indefinite number of "virtual" anti-quarks, quarks, and gluons. See this video ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LraNu_78sCwv What are Quarks?]'' about this. His final comment could be referring to the ontological debate over whether virtual particles are in some sense real or only an artifact of perturbation theory.)

When Megan (accurately) doubts his claim, White Hat takes out his smartphone to look it up, in order to show Megan that he is correct. However, upon researching online, he realizes that he was, in fact, '''wrong''' (hence the title of the comic). Not wanting to admit being incorrect or yield his position in the discussion, he convinces himself that he wasn't actually wrong, as depicted by his mentally erasing the realization that he was wrong. Instead, he completely changes the topic to try and re-frame it so that he is not wrong. In this case, he circles back and criticises the entire scientific concept of "particles". Presumably he will go on to explain how scientists are wrong and how he remains correct that humans are made up, in part, of anti-matter.

It is rather common to be unwilling to admit fault (the whole topic of this comic) and to instead try to maintain an air of infallibility and intelligence. Some people are just too prideful to admit that they are inherently fallible. White Hat is one of those people, as depicted in several of his earlier appearances (see [[#Trivia|trivia section]]). [[Randall]] uses this comic to criticize people who are unable to put aside their ego and re-assess what they know in the face of empirical data. Such thinking flies directly against scientific rigor (adding an extra layer of irony to the situation, since White Hat and Megan are discussing a ''scientific'' topic). This method had already been called ''wrong'' in [[803: Airfoil]].

White Hat's new topic, where he can be right, includes the {{w|Quantum field theory}}, a very complicated field, which it is likely Megan is not well versed in (inferred by the fact that she was not quite sure about the anti-quarks). So he may be raising the topic because he believes she will not understand it sufficiently to refute his correctness. Megan, however, recognizes exactly what he is trying to do, and can only sigh in response to his failed efforts. In {{w|Quantum field theory|QFT}} particles are often described as {{w|Resonance (particle physics)|resonances}} or {{w|excited state|excited states}} of the underlying physical field, in the same way as photons may be thought of as excitations in the electromagnetic field; in this way White Hat appears to be dismissing his earlier errors by implying that particles are merely an effect of something more complex, of which he can demonstrate his knowledge.

In the title text, White Hat just remembers another thing he's right about. This shows that he is not interested in a discussion on the merits of a topic, but instead is seeking only recognition and validation for being right. This bears some similarity to [[386: Duty Calls]], in which [[Cueball]] stays up late correcting someone on the Internet.

==Transcript==
:[White Hat is walking beside Megan, index finger extended]
:White Hat: Really, we're all made of antimatter. A proton consists of two quarks and an antiquark.
:Megan: ...I don't think that's right.

:[White Hat stops to take out his smartphone tapping on it. Megan stops and turns towards him.]
:White Hat: Sure it is. Neutrons are, too.
:Megan: Do you mean "up" and "down" quarks? I think antiquarks are a different thing.
:White Hat: No, let me show you...
:Tap
:Tap

:[Zooming in on White Hat's head, while he is holding his phone up looking at it. He is thinking as shown with a bubbly thought bubble.]
:White Hat (thinking): I'm...wrong?

:[White Hat has lowered the phone. He is still thinking the same but the text has been scribbled out.]
:White Hat (thinking): I'm...wrong?

:[White Hat purges the thought from his mind]
:White Hat (thinking): ...

:[Similar setting as in the first panel, but in a full row wide panel, and White Hat is still holding his smartphone]
:White Hat: Really, the whole idea of "particles" is inaccurate. These are abstractions arising from quantum field theory, but what most people don't realize is...
:Megan: *Sigh*

==Trivia==
*This comic could be seen as a follow up to [[1605: DNA]]. Going back through the last White Hat appearances it turns out that DNA, 13 White Hat comics back, is actually the last where White Hat has been the fall guy. For instance he has the opposite role in [[1640: Super Bowl Context]], and he is not "the stupid guy" in the comics between that and this one, but often just another guy than Cueball. Further back in [[1255: Columbus]] he was again the fall guy, and again it reminds a bit about this comic. Actually Megan even begins that comic with a *sigh* like she finished this one.
*Quarks are also referenced in [[1418: Horse]], [[1621: Fixion]] and the first time they were mentioned, in [[474: Turn-On]], all six flavors were also mentioned.
*Antimatter is also referenced in [[683: Science Montage]], [[826: Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)]] and [[1621: Fixion]] as well as being the subject of the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|114|Antimatter}}''. It was also mentioned in another ''what if?'': ''{{what if|79|Lake Tea}}''.
*A similar thought process where earlier thoughts are scribbled out was used by Cueball in [[1650: Baby]], but for different reasons.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]

1842: Anti-Drone Eagles

2017-05-28T13:01:59Z

141.101.99.233: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1842
| date = May 26, 2017
| title = Anti-Drone Eagles
| image = anti_drone_eagles.png
| titletext = It's cool, it's totally ethical--they're all programmed to hunt whichever bird of prey is most numerous at the moment, so they leave the endangered ones alone until near the end.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|People at work.}}
Law enforcement and security agencies often use [http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-35750816/eagles-trained-to-take-down-drones birds of prey] [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/02/21/terrorists-are-building-drones-france-is-destroying-them-with-eagles/ to combat drones] flying unlawfully over restricted sites. This is often more cost effective than using technological means (such as scramblers and counter-drones) and safer for the public than using conventional weaponry (such as shotguns).

Eagles, being predators, have natural tendencies to attack the central components of drones while avoiding the sharp and spinny bits.

[[Cueball]] argues that this is unethical as it forces rare animals to put their lives at risk, and compares it to using police dogs for traffic control, which people would generally frown upon.

<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted" title="Effectiveness depends upon the conditions of use. Obviously eagles can't be used everywhere that drones are restricted, but they are often effectively used where ground security is also present to identify and arrest those that might be unlawfully flying the drones, so they can't indefinitely replenish their hardware. The first paragraph has links to real life examples.">Not only would it be unethical, but also ineffective. The supply of Eagles is rather limited, and there are biological limits to how fast it can be replenished, whereas more drones can be created very quickly to replace those that are destroyed. Traffic control dogs would be similarly ineffective, as dogs would struggle to run as fast as a speeding motorcycle, and would be powerless to stop the motorcycle even if they could.

[[Megan]] thinks both ideas (eagles and dogs) sound cool, but she understands the ethical argument against using them for traffic control.

[[Black Hat]], on the other hand, goes a step further and says that he has created a drone that hunts the eagles. In the title text, he continues that is ethical because they (only the title text mentions that there are several of such drones) only target the most populous species first, although they will eventually eradicate the endangered ones once they bring down the number of all birds of prey (note that this implies that he wants to make all birds of prey extinct or endangered). He seems to {{tvtropes|ComicallyMissingThePoint|miss the point}} that it is not merely the relative number of birds that creates the ethical problem, but the fact that animals' lives are being put at direct risk by humans. His construction of the anti-eagle drone may be simply for the point of making the eagles' goals not only dangerous, but also entirely ineffective. This is probably not an opposition to privacy but merely his trademark [[72: Classhole|classholery]] in action.

Nevertheless, Black Hat raises a crucial point in {{w|ecology}}: There are generalist and specialist predators (as well as herbivores). A specialists hunts or eats only one species (e.g. the {{w|koala}} eats only {{w|eucalyptus}}), while a generalist hunts or eats the most available food. Thus, a generalist often spares species that have become rare due to overhunting, disease or famine. A generalist predator (or herbivore) thus manages the wildlife, and a healthy population of generalists is almost always beneficial. Now, if Black Hat creates a drone that hunts the most available species, he gets the right idea (a food generalist manages wildlife), but gets the other seriously wrong: Eagles are already doing their job as generalists, and as predatory birds are not so abundant, a generalist that feeds on predatory birds would need to have a very large territory. And as drones cannot reproduce (yet){{Citation needed}} and do not need to hunt as an energy source (yet), releasing a drone to fulfil an ecological role would not make any sense. How does the drone know it has hunted enough eagles?

==Transcript==

:(Cueball, Black Hat and Megan are standing.)
:Cueball: Everyone loves these eagles that take down drones, but ... I dunno.
:Megan: You gotta admit, it's pretty cool.

:(Close-up on Cueball's face)
:Cueball: Yeah, but ... training rare animals to hurl themselves at whirling machinery can only get us so far, you know?

:(Regular shot)
:Cueball: At some point, it's like releasing police dogs onto highways to attack speeding motorcycles.
:Megan: Also cool, but I see your point.

:Black Hat: Plus, I just finished my autonomous drone that hunts eagles.
:Cueball: Man, ''you'' are an entirely separate class of problem.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1842: Anti-Drone Eagles

2017-05-28T13:01:21Z

141.101.99.233: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1842
| date = May 26, 2017
| title = Anti-Drone Eagles
| image = anti_drone_eagles.png
| titletext = It's cool, it's totally ethical--they're all programmed to hunt whichever bird of prey is most numerous at the moment, so they leave the endangered ones alone until near the end.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|People at work.}}
Law enforcement and security agencies often use [http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-35750816/eagles-trained-to-take-down-drones birds of prey] [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/02/21/terrorists-are-building-drones-france-is-destroying-them-with-eagles/ to combat drones] flying unlawfully over restricted sites. This is often more cost effective than using technological means (such as scramblers and counter-drones) and safer for the public than using conventional weaponry (such as shotguns).

Eagles, being predators, have natural tendencies to attack the central components of drones while avoiding the sharp and spinny bits.

[[Cueball]] argues that this is unethical as it forces rare animals to put their lives at risk, and compares it to using police dogs for traffic control, which people would generally frown upon.

<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted" title="Effectiveness depends upon the conditions of use. Obviously eagles can't be used everywhere that drones are restricted, but they are often effectively used where ground security is also present to identify and arrest those that might be unlawfully flying the drones, so they can't indefinitely replenish their hardware. The first paragraph has links to real life examples.">Not only would it be unethical, but also ineffective. The supply of Eagles is rather limited, and there are biological limits to how fast it can be replenished, whereas more drones can be created very quickly to replace those that are destroyed. Traffic control dogs would be similarly ineffective, as dogs would struggle to run as fast as a speeding motorcycle, and would be powerless to stop the motorcycle even if they could.

[[Megan]] thinks both ideas (eagles and dogs) sound cool, but she understands the ethical argument against using them for traffic control.

[[Black Hat]], on the other hand, goes a step further and says that he has created a drone that hunts the eagles. In the title text, he continues that is ethical because they (only the title text mentions that there are several of such drones) only target the most populous species first, although they will eventually eradicate the endangered ones once they bring down the number of all birds of prey (note that this implies that he wants to make all birds of prey extinct or endangered). He seems to {{tvtropes|ComicallyMissingThePoint|miss the point}} that it is not merely the relative number of birds that creates the ethical problem, but the fact that animals' lives are being put at direct risk by humans. His construction of the anti-eagle drone may be simply for the point of making the eagles' goals not only dangerous, but also entirely ineffective. This is probably not an opposition to privacy but merely his trademark [[72: Classhole|classholery]] in action.

Nevertheless, Black Hat raises a crucial point in {{w|ecology}}: There are generalist and specialist predators (as well as herbivores). A specialists hunts or eats only one species (e.g. the {{w|koala}} eats only {{w|eucalyptus}}), while a generalist hunts or eats the most available food. Thus, a generalist often spares species that have become rare due to overhunting, disease or famine. A generalist predator (or herbivore) thus manages the wildlife, and a healthy population of generalists is almost always beneficial. Now, if Black Hat creates a drone that hunts the most available species, he gets the right idea (a food generalist manages wildlife), but gets the other seriously wrong: Eagles are already doing their job as generalists, and as predatory birds are not so abundant, a generalist that feeds on predatory birds would need to have a very large territory. And as drones cannot reproduce (yet){{citation needed}} and do not need to hunt as an energy source (yet), releasing a drone to fulfil an ecological role would not make any sense. How does the drone know it has hunted enough eagles?

==Transcript==

:(Cueball, Black Hat and Megan are standing.)
:Cueball: Everyone loves these eagles that take down drones, but ... I dunno.
:Megan: You gotta admit, it's pretty cool.

:(Close-up on Cueball's face)
:Cueball: Yeah, but ... training rare animals to hurl themselves at whirling machinery can only get us so far, you know?

:(Regular shot)
:Cueball: At some point, it's like releasing police dogs onto highways to attack speeding motorcycles.
:Megan: Also cool, but I see your point.

:Black Hat: Plus, I just finished my autonomous drone that hunts eagles.
:Cueball: Man, ''you'' are an entirely separate class of problem.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1838: Machine Learning

2017-05-17T06:09:19Z

141.101.99.233: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1838
| date = May 17, 2017
| title = Machine Learning
| image = machine_learning.png
| titletext = The pile gets soaked with data and starts to get mushy over time, so it's technically recurrent.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Work in progress. Current explanation probably contains too much jargon, making it more complex than the comic it is trying to explain.}}

In this comic, Cueball explains to a Cueball-like guy his machine learning system. Cueball describes his machine learning system as a plumber would explain his plumbing. Data is input into a funnel, and goes through a mess of linear algebra, and comes out as answers. The main joke is that, despite this description being too vague and giving no intuition or details into the system, it is close to the level of understanding most machine learning experts have of the most popular class of techniques in machine learning, namely deep learning with neural networks (why reference to neural networks here? they are non-linear. better example is support vector machines.)

One of the most popular paradigms of machine learning is that of supervised learning, where a function mapping an input to an output is learned from several input,output pairs, e.g. a function mapping images of faces to people names, from a dataset of static labelled images. Classic machine learning techniques like regression, or logistic regression have understandable parameters, and provable algorithms, but require significant engineering in the pre-processing step and don't perform very well for data like images or natural text. Deep learning techniques on the other hand require very little pre-processing, but require the data to be run through several steps of linear algebra, where essentially in each step the output of the previous step is multiplied with a matrix and sent to the the next step. This multi-step process has proven to be very successful for image and text data, but the structure of the parameters, arranged as a matrix for each step allows for very little interpretation, and can only be described as "data going through a pile of linear algebra".

The method of training such deep neural networks is via gradient descent, which can be viewed as "stirring the pile of linear algebra until the answers start looking right".

The title text refers to recurrent neural networks, which are a useful class of deep neural networks for dealing with sequence data like speech or text.

This comic satirizes machine learning, more specifically neural networks. In it's most basic form, a neural network takes data and results and strengthens connections that give the right answer and weakens ones that don't, until the results "look right". Neural networks are extremely data dependent, and make remarkably few guarantees when compared to most other computing techniques, thus the joke.

Recently, other forms of neural networks, such as LSTMs, feed old sequence data back into the network with some delay, making it recurrent. The title text calls this the pile "getting mushy". The title text is also be a pun based on how Cueball is going through the data. Instead of using a shovel, he is using a canoe paddle. Canoes can be used on rivers, and rivers by definition have currents. Thus, a recurrent data could, in this situation, mean data treated as if it were part of a river.

==Transcript==

[Cueball, holding a canoe paddle at his side, is standing on top of a "big pile of linear algebra" containing a funnel labeled "data" and box labeled "answers" while talking to a Cueball-like person to the left (from the reader's perspective)]

Guy: This is your machine learning system?

Cueball: Yup! You pour the data into this big pile of linear algebra, then collect the answers on the other side.

Guy: What if the answers are wrong?

Cueball: Just stir the pile until they start looking right.

{{comic discussion}}

Category:Comics from 2005

2017-05-15T10:26:02Z

141.101.99.233:

[[Category:Comics by year| 2005]]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics from 2005]]

Category:First day on xkcd.com

2017-05-15T10:23:53Z

141.101.99.233:

*These 43 comics were all released on Sunday January 1st, 2006 on the first day of [[xkcd]].
**Two of these were not previously released on [[LiveJournal]].
***[[5: Blown apart]]
***[[12: Poisson]].
***They were probably released for the first time to the public on this day. But as this is not clear they have been given dates based on web archives.
**Finally comic 36 was originally by mistake a double post. So comic 36 showed the same comic as comic 10: [[10: Pi Equals]].
***This was first corrected much later to [[36: Scientists]]. See more about this in the [[36: Scientists#Trivia|trivia]] section for that comic.
***For this reason comic 36 is not listed here below!
***It also explains why these 43 comics have numbers from 1-44.

[[Category:Distinctive comics|1]]
[[Category:Comics from 2005| 05]]

1413: Suddenly Popular

2014-08-27T11:14:24Z

141.101.99.233:

{{comic
| number = 1413
| date = August 27, 2014
| title = Suddenly Popular
| image = suddenly_popular.png
| titletext = Are Your Teens Practicing Amplexus? Learn These Six Telltale Signs!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Add explanation of each entry.}}

Many phrases that used to be of mainly academic interest become popular when an important event or global trend is described with such phrases in the media. Randall presents a timeline of past examples, and predicts phrases that may be popularised in the near future.

;World Wide Web
: Though first proposed in 1989, and the first test being completed in 1990, it took until around 1994 for the {{w|World Wide Web|world wide web}} to start becoming well known.

;DNA Evidence
: Prominent coverage of the {{w|O. J. Simpson murder trial}} in 1994 brought widespread discussion of {{w|DNA profiling|DNA Evidence}}, making it famous and showing its limitations.

;Militia Movement
: After the standoffs at {{w|Ruby Ridge}}, Idaho and the {{w|Branch Davidians}} compound in Waco, Texas between U.S. Government Agencies and militias, people started becoming more aware of their presence, culminating with the 1995 {{w|Oklahoma City Bombing}} on the second anniversary of the fire at the Branch Davidians compound.

;Supermax
: ({{w|Supermax prison|Super-Maximum Security prisons}})

;Butterfly Ballot
: In {{w|United States presidential election in Florida, 2000|United States presidential election in 2000, Florida}} had a major recount dispute that took center stage in the election. Thus, the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election was not known for more than a month after balloting, because of the extended process of counting and then recounting of Florida presidential ballots.

;Al-Qaeda
: The {{w|September 11th terrorist attacks}} brought the Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation into the spotlight almost overnight.

;Wi-Fi
: {{w|Wi-Fi}}, though developed in the '90s, first became popular in the early 2000s.

;Tsunami
: The {{w|2006 Pangandaran earthquake and tsunami}} was the first tsunami to be widely captured on camera, bringing these previously obscure seismic events into the public eye.

;Viral
:

;Radicalize
:

;Metadata
:

''From this point onwards, phrases were in the future at the time of publishing''

;Lahar
: A {{w|Lahar}} is a mudslide caused by the eruption of a volcano. Randall is speculating on a future natural disaster being caused by such an incident.

;Insect-Borne
: Some {{w|Category:Insect-borne diseases|diseases are insect-borne}}, meaning specific species of insects are the main vector in spreading to humans. Malaria is an example of an insect-borne disease. Randall predicts some deadly disease become insect-borne around this time.

;Earth-Crossing
: Some {{w|List_of_Earth-crossing_minor_planets|asteroids and minor planets are earth-crossing}}, meaning their orbit crosses orbit of Earth. This term could became popular either by some near-miss or by impact of one of such body to Earth. Considering next terms, Randall is speculating about impact.

;Thermohaline
:

;Snow-Blindness
:

;Amplexus
:

;Controlled Hydroplaning
:

;Paradoxical Reaction
:

;Drone Desertion
:{{w|Desertion|Desertion}} is the abandonment of a post or duty, usually military in nature. With the increasing use of autonomous drones by the military this hints at an event where drones 'decide' to desert.

;Rapid Hair Growth
:

;I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death
: May be a reference to [http://www.fimfiction.net/story/62041/the-god-empress-of-ponykind.html The God-Empress of Ponykind] - a {{w|My Little Pony}} / {{w|Warhammer 40,000}} fanfic.

==Transcript==
Title: Obscure words and phrases everyone suddenly becomes very familiar with.

{|
|
| <-- {{w|World Wide Web}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|DNA profiling|DNA Evidence}}
|-
| 1995
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Militia organizations in the United States|Militia Movement}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Supermax prison|Supermax}}
|-
| 2000
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|United States presidential election in Florida, 2000|Butterfly Ballot}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Al-Qaeda|Al-Qaeda}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Wi-Fi}}
|-
| 2005
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Tsunami}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Viral video|Viral}}
|-
| 2010
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Radicalization|Radicalize}}
|-
|
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Metadata}}
|-
| 2015
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Lahar}}
|-
|
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Category:Insect-borne diseases|Insect-Borne}}
|-
| 2020
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|List_of_Earth-crossing_minor_planets|Earth-Crossing}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Thermohaline_circulation‎|Thermohaline}}
|-
|
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Photokeratitis|Snow-Blindness}}
|-
| 2025
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Amplexus}}
|-
|
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Aquaplaning|Controlled Hydroplaning}}
|-
| 2030
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Paradoxical reaction|Paradoxical Reaction}}
|-
|
| <-- Drone {{w|Desertion|Desertion}}
|-
|
| <-- Rapid Hair Growth
|-
| 2035
|
|-
|
|
|-
|
| <-- I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death
|-
| 2040
|
|-
|}

{{comic discussion}}

1413: Suddenly Popular

2014-08-27T11:12:58Z

141.101.99.233: Spelling (Dessertion to Desertion) - Added possible meaning for Drone Desertion

{{comic
| number = 1413
| date = August 27, 2014
| title = Suddenly Popular
| image = suddenly_popular.png
| titletext = Are Your Teens Practicing Amplexus? Learn These Six Telltale Signs!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Add explanation of each entry.}}

Many phrases that used to be of mainly academic interest become popular when an important event or global trend is described with such phrases in the media. Randall presents a timeline of past examples, and predicts phrases that may be popularised in the near future.

;World Wide Web
: Though first proposed in 1989, and the first test being completed in 1990, it took until around 1994 for the {{w|World Wide Web|world wide web}} to start becoming well known.

;DNA Evidence
: Prominent coverage of the {{w|O. J. Simpson murder trial}} in 1994 brought widespread discussion of {{w|DNA profiling|DNA Evidence}}, making it famous and showing its limitations.

;Militia Movement
: After the standoffs at {{w|Ruby Ridge}}, Idaho and the {{w|Branch Davidians}} compound in Waco, Texas between U.S. Government Agencies and militias, people started becoming more aware of their presence, culminating with the 1995 {{w|Oklahoma City Bombing}} on the second anniversary of the fire at the Branch Davidians compound.

;Supermax
: ({{w|Supermax prison|Super-Maximum Security prisons}})

;Butterfly Ballot
: In {{w|United States presidential election in Florida, 2000|United States presidential election in 2000, Florida}} had a major recount dispute that took center stage in the election. Thus, the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election was not known for more than a month after balloting, because of the extended process of counting and then recounting of Florida presidential ballots.

;Al-Qaeda
: The {{w|September 11th terrorist attacks}} brought the Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation into the spotlight almost overnight.

;Wi-Fi
: {{w|Wi-Fi}}, though developed in the '90s, first became popular in the early 2000s.

;Tsunami
: The {{w|2006 Pangandaran earthquake and tsunami}} was the first tsunami to be widely captured on camera, bringing these previously obscure seismic events into the public eye.

;Viral
:

;Radicalize
:

;Metadata
:

''From this point onwards, phrases were in the future at the time of publishing''

;Lahar
: A {{w|Lahar}} is a mudslide caused by the eruption of a volcano. Randall is speculating on a future natural disaster being caused by such an incident.

;Insect-Borne
: Some {{w|Category:Insect-borne diseases|diseases are insect-borne}}, meaning specific species of insects are the main vector in spreading to humans. Malaria is an example of an insect-borne disease. Randall predicts some deadly disease become insect-borne around this time.

;Earth-Crossing
: Some {{w|List_of_Earth-crossing_minor_planets|asteroids and minor planets are earth-crossing}}, meaning their orbit crosses orbit of Earth. This term could became popular either by some near-miss or by impact of one of such body to Earth. Considering next terms, Randall is speculating about impact.

;Thermohaline
:

;Snow-Blindness
:

;Amplexus
:

;Controlled Hydroplaning
:

;Paradoxical Reaction
:

;Drone Desertion
:{{w|Desertion|Desertion}} is the abandonment of a post or duty, usually military in nature. With the increasing use of autonomous drones by the military this hints at an event where drones 'decide' to desert.

;Rapid Hair Growth
:

;I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death
: May be a reference to [http://www.fimfiction.net/story/62041/the-god-empress-of-ponykind.html The God-Empress of Ponykind] - a {{w|My Little Pony}} / {{w|Warhammer 40,000}} fanfic.

==Transcript==
Title: Obscure words and phrases everyone suddenly becomes very familiar with.

{|
|
| <-- {{w|World Wide Web}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|DNA profiling|DNA Evidence}}
|-
| 1995
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Militia organizations in the United States|Militia Movement}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Supermax prison|Supermax}}
|-
| 2000
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|United States presidential election in Florida, 2000|Butterfly Ballot}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Al-Qaeda|Al-Qaeda}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Wi-Fi}}
|-
| 2005
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Tsunami}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Viral video|Viral}}
|-
| 2010
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Radicalization|Radicalize}}
|-
|
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Metadata}}
|-
| 2015
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Lahar}}
|-
|
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Category:Insect-borne diseases|Insect-Borne}}
|-
| 2020
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|List_of_Earth-crossing_minor_planets|Earth-Crossing}}
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Thermohaline_circulation‎|Thermohaline}}
|-
|
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Photokeratitis|Snow-Blindness}}
|-
| 2025
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Amplexus}}
|-
|
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Aquaplaning|Controlled Hydroplaning}}
|-
| 2030
|
|-
|
| <-- {{w|Paradoxical reaction|Paradoxical Reaction}}
|-
|
| <-- Drone Desertion
|-
|
| <-- Rapid Hair Growth
|-
| 2035
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|-
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|-
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| <-- I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death
|-
| 2040
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|-
|}

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1413: Suddenly Popular

2014-08-27T11:07:24Z

141.101.99.233:

N.b. The phrase "Tsunami" is clearly located after 2005 so cannot be referring to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.4|141.101.98.4]] 10:53, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

While the actual tsunami did occur in 2004, it was late December, and I would argue that it was by far the most prominent tsunami at that time. Widespread use of the word would have spanned into 2005.
See {{w|List of historical tsunamis|List of Historical Tsunamis}}
--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 10:58, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

:You know, you shouldn't argue: BOTH tsunamis obviously took part in the word becoming popular. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:03, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

:: I agree, but I also believe that the 2004 tsunami has to be listed in the explanation.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 11:07, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1413: Suddenly Popular

2014-08-27T11:06:58Z

141.101.99.233:

Talk:1413: Suddenly Popular

2014-08-27T10:58:17Z

141.101.99.233:

Talk:1413: Suddenly Popular

2014-08-27T10:56:46Z

141.101.99.233:

1413: Suddenly Popular

2014-08-27T10:41:02Z

141.101.99.233:

Talk:1411: Loop

2014-08-22T09:14:04Z

141.101.99.233:

First explanation. How did I do, veterans? [[User:Lacedemonian|Lacedemonian]] ([[User talk:Lacedemonian|talk]]) 04:45, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

Not bad.
I reorganised the content and fixed some stylistic flaws.

Awaiting older veterans to cross-reference with older entries. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.70|108.162.229.70]] 05:11, 22 August 2014 (UTC)Sylvertech

I count 4 devices: monitor, laptop, tablet, phone.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.22|108.162.216.22]] 05:52, 22 August 2014 (UTC)J. from Mi.

All he needs is to have been wearing a Google Glass-type device, and this can simultaneously be both a smaller display (by absolute scale) to recurse onto after the smartphone and a possibly larger display (by proportion of view) to recurse back out of onto the 'smaller' computer monitor display... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 09:14, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1399: Chaos

2014-07-25T08:49:33Z

141.101.99.233:

Dr. Ian Malcolm: Dr. Sattler, Dr. Grant, you've heard of chaos theory? No? Non-linear equations? Strange attractions? Dr. Sattler, I refuse to believe that you aren't familiar with the concept of attraction.[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/quotes?item=qt1744884] [[Special:Contributions/173.245.62.62|173.245.62.62]] 05:09, 25 July 2014 (UTC)
:Dr. Ian Malcolm: See, here I'm now sitting by myself, uh, er, talking to myself. That's, that's chaos theory. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/quotes?item=qt0463062] [[Special:Contributions/173.245.62.62|173.245.62.62]] 05:12, 25 July 2014 (UTC)
::Thanks for the quotes -- they really helped with writing the explanation! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.175|108.162.238.175]] 06:07, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

Why write 'third sequel' instead of 'fourth film'? It's quite confusing as I initially misread it to be the third instalment instead of sequel. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.92.203|141.101.92.203]] 06:43, 25 July 2014 (UTC)
:No particular reason. I've changed it.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.175|108.162.238.175]] 06:51, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

Reference URL for the remix cited in title text... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zXr9GLa0Jo[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.84|108.162.216.84]] 06:44, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

Top-left in the in-comic diagram(s) appears to be a 'fern', another fractal construct which may ''also'' be an incidental reference to the native flora of the Jurassic (and non-Jurassic) eras of the dinosaurs. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 08:49, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1397: Luke

2014-07-22T00:08:54Z

141.101.99.233:

Vader: *turns fleshlight on* An invisible blade? That is quite interesting. I should build one of these myself. (Alternately, ''I find your lack of blade disturbing'')[[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.239|103.22.201.239]] 05:55, 21 July 2014 (UTC)
:I was assuming that if you go ahead and turn on the fleshlight, you would get a column of a sticky white plasma shooting out insteaed [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.205|199.27.133.205]] 18:51, 21 July 2014 (UTC)

What are these "connection to previous comic" things? They seem random and arbitrary. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.205|199.27.133.205]] 06:15, 21 July 2014 (UTC)
:There usually seems to be a point of contact with the previous comic. That a connection is usually there means it probably isn't coincidental but is part of the ingredients for making each new comic. So yes they do seem random and arbitrary because the content of the connection doesn't mean anything. The point is just that every comic is connected to the previous comic. The explanations of the connections may be incorrect. I thought I'd put these connection sections in to see how people feel about having a regular connection section. [[User:Rfvtg|Rfvtg]] ([[User talk:Rfvtg|talk]]) 06:33, 21 July 2014 (UTC)
::It may be a good idea, but I see no connection, just a lame pun. There usually dorsn't seem to be much of a connection anyways.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.130|173.245.48.130]] 07:14, 21 July 2014 (UTC)
::I don't think there's a real connection. I think that you're finding arbitrary segues, because you can segue between just about any two topics if you try. Try this - pick two random xkcd, and see if you can't find a "connection". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.209|108.162.249.209]] 11:57, 21 July 2014 (UTC)
:::I agree. This is the most stupid idea I have seen here on explain. Please remove them again. Thay make no sence and spoils the nice look of this great page. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:37, 21 July 2014 (UTC)

Anyone want to mention that this is probably referencing is a weird quirk of the films? We never see Luke construct a lightsaber (unless I missed something), and it's easy to assume that it's actually... I think Ben Kenobi's or Yoda's, maybe (for prequel enthusiasts) even Qui Gon's... After all, if Obi kept Anakin's, maybe he'd also keep Qui-Gon's, and any others, and end up leaving at least one green sabre on the Falcoln. Anyway, my point is, Randall noticed that this line of dialogue isn't really explained, and Luke is probably going along with Darth's assumption to save face... And then took the awkward situation to new heights. I can't tell if I'm being a total idiot here or if I'm on to something. Or option three, it's something glaringly obvious but needs a mention to explain the comic in context [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.234|141.101.99.234]] 10:29, 21 July 2014 (UTC)
:Vader would probably recognize his mentors' lightsabers at first glance. Yes, it could be another unknown dead Jedi's saber, but it just as likely that Luke constructed one of his own, given he does not react in an obvious way to the suggestion. (Ignoring the Star Wars EU, which probably details exactly how Luke constructed the device.) Besides, we are shown Kenobi's, Yoda's and QG's lightsabers in the movies.[[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.239|103.22.201.239]] 11:39, 21 July 2014 (UTC)
:There exists a deleted scene from Star Wars VI that shows Luke building his new lightsaber: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ayT0EZwbks] [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.53|108.162.254.53]] 13:45, 21 July 2014 (UTC)
:: Why would we need to see him build it? He lost his in the previous film. And he now has a snazzy new green one, along with much improved skill. The obvious conclusion is he built it. Vader then sees it and confirms that this is a mark Luke has gotten stronger. There is no reason to doubt that he built it. And before the prequels and such, we wouldn't have imagined there were thousands lying around. Now everyone and anyone has a light saber even up to Luke's time. When the movie came out, it was never clear how many Jedi there ever were. But it seemed to have been a very small number. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.212|108.162.215.212]] 23:49, 21 July 2014 (UTC)
:: I may be (mis)remembering something from the D6-based Star Wars tabletop RPG system (1980s, prior to this current D20 malarky), or something else "canon-derived-but-not-actually-canon" but ''personally'' creating one's own lightsabre is supposed to be something special. Obtaining/refining the crystals/whatever and tuning the device to work better with one's own Force Ability makes for a more harmonious relationship between Jedi/Apprentice Jedi and his or her weapon. Luke starts off 'raw' in the force (only with the innate and untrained ability) and with another individual's device (albeit his father's, which may count for something, the way these things work) but then like the various mythological instances of warrior-cum-blacksmiths (or blacksmith-cum-warriors) forging their own blade, something (even if only the Law of Narrativium) makes this self-made artefact singularly suitable for the fighting style of the creator/wielder. Or allows them to tune their still developing fighting style to the 'personality' of the weapon, if it is a two-way street.
:: Naturally, how far any of this can be extended towards the ''Fleshlight'' is very much arguable. Although if ''it'' is personally designed and built, to suit their own 'needs' then it's probably much better at the function it is intended to fulfil than an off-the-shelf or a (*shudder*) borrowed or ''hand-me-down'' one... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 00:08, 22 July 2014 (UTC)
This comic reminds of Vader's Little Princess and Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.183|141.101.104.183]] 13:48, 21 July 2014 (UTC)

== Vibrate? ==

Fleshlights don't vibrate do they? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.202|108.162.246.202]] 18:14, 21 July 2014‎ (UTC)
:It's an available option. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.39|199.27.133.39]] 18:29, 21 July 2014 (UTC)

"turn on" seems to be a pun. To switch on vs. to excite sexually. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.167|141.101.104.167]] 19:10, 21 July 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1393: Timeghost

2014-07-11T04:58:40Z

141.101.99.233: Created page with "A lot of the facts seem to fit information that sites like http://you.regettingold.com/ would provide. But I'll leave it up to someone else to work out the dates of everythin..."

A lot of the facts seem to fit information that sites like http://you.regettingold.com/ would provide. But I'll leave it up to someone else to work out the dates of everything (except for the imminent and possibly eerie deaths of the strip characters) being referenced, and thus what ages Randall is assuming the various cohorts are... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 04:58, 11 July 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1392: Dominant Players

2014-07-10T13:16:36Z

141.101.99.233:

I haven't seen any mention of this interpretation, so it might be just me, but I immediately read the juxtaposition of basketball to chess as a contrast of how skill at the top level of basketball is essentially stagnant, whereas the best chess players have been outstripping their predecessors for decades.

This may be related to the recent MOBA segregation controversy: http://www.pcgamer.com/uk/2014/07/02/hearthstone-tournament/ {{unsigned ip|108.162.229.25}}

What is the significance of the line colors? {{unsigned ip|108.162.215.78}}
:I think the red lines are those players that were undisputed #1 for a significant period. [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.239|103.22.201.239]] 08:02, 9 July 2014 (UTC)
: But Petrosian has no colored line, although he was world champion. Maybe he did not have the highest ELO rating despite being WC?[[User:Jkrstrt|Jkrstrt]] ([[User talk:Jkrstrt|talk]]) 09:23, 9 July 2014 (UTC)
:Ya, this line colouring thing is bugging me. :P [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 14:22, 9 July 2014 (UTC)

Dashed lines are apparently for the period before ELO ratings existed, taking 1965 as a start point (midway between the point in time when ELO rating was adopted by USCF and FIDE, respectively. There seems to be an exception for Alekhine -or is that a very long dash? [[User:Jkrstrt|Jkrstrt]] ([[User talk:Jkrstrt|talk]]) 09:23, 9 July 2014 (UTC)

Naughty Randall, always label your axes! [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 08:00, 9 July 2014 (UTC)

The comment in the women's rankings about Kira Zvorykina is a little odd. One would hope she continued playing in tournaments into the 20th century, given that the first 81 years of her life were in the 20th century. {{unsigned ip|108.162.250.220}}

While at the time, the V-1 was called a "Flying Bomb", wikipedia indeed calls it an early pulse-jet ancestor of the modern cruise missile: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb . I built a model of one in an 8th grade rocketry club, replacing the pulse jet with an Estes D-6-0. Mine took off, but sure enough, yes, the stubby wings stalled easily, the flight path was a weird s curve as the wings stalled out twice while under thrust.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 09:03, 9 July 2014 (UTC)

Link to the game against Deep Blue, anybody? Also, shouldn't the title text be at least mentioned? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.71|199.27.128.71]] 09:13, 9 July 2014 (UTC)

Kasparov-Deep Blue Games: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1014770 {{unsigned ip|141.101.64.131}}

The explanation says in the first sentence that for chess there's an overall rating and a woman's rating in the comic. All I see is a men's rating and a woman's rating, no overall rating, however. {{unsigned ip|108.162.254.24}}
: As Judith Polgar is present in the first chart, it appears to be an overall, not specifically a men's chart.[[User:Jkrstrt|Jkrstrt]] ([[User talk:Jkrstrt|talk]]) 11:37, 9 July 2014 (UTC)
:: My impression is that the above is the Men's Chart but with Judit added (hence the note), because (although unsure because of the curse of unlabelled axes) some of the other top-ranking-women-but-not-top-ranking-overall would still earn a position on the above 'graph'.
:: (Also, something in me wanted a reference to Chess-Boxing, but it appears that was not the aim.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 13:16, 10 July 2014 (UTC)

Anyone knows why Viswanathan Anand is not included (or am I blind?) Marty / [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.43|141.101.104.43]]
I had the exact same question. It appears that this is a West and Russian centric view of the world [[User:Indianrediff|Indianrediff]] ([[User talk:Indianrediff|talk]]) 13:23, 9 July 2014 (UTC)
:No. Koneru Humpy is mentioned. He's a big Carlson fan and I think he doesn't like Anand. One of his old comics suggested that. Probably never realised Anand met and beat Carlson back in 2008. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.78|108.162.222.78]] 16:37, 9 July 2014 (UTC)
:Out of pure curiosity, could anyone please upload an image/link of how Anand's curve might look, if it was added to the graph? I'm not a huge chess fan, but I am interested in seeing the extent of Randall's possible bias in this regard. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.62.62|173.245.62.62]] 05:21, 10 July 2014 (UTC)

For me it feels weirder to see Stefanova there, but not Topalov. Then again, for some reason Bulgarian media keep a low profile of her. {{unsigned ip|141.101.104.107}}
It's Julius Erving not Irving. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.151|173.245.54.151]] 13:27, 9 July 2014 (UTC)

The choice of basketball and chess is something to think about. This mostly is about chess, and basketball represents the physical sports. It immediately stands out that chess players have much longer careers than basketball players. [[User:Jim E|Jim E]] ([[User talk:Jim E|talk]]) 15:55, 9 July 2014 (UTC)

:Something else I think someone needs to look at is the line of best fit. For basketball it's basically horizontal, but for chess it tends to curve upwards. I'd add it myself, but I feel like there's more than just that and I'm missing something. [[User:Athang|Athang]] ([[User talk:Athang|talk]]) 16:53, 9 July 2014 (UTC)

Talk:697: Tensile vs. Shear Strength

2014-06-20T12:46:18Z

141.101.99.233:

Does anyone know the tensile vs. shear strength of nanotubes? [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 20:33, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

"but it can be cut with a simple pair of pruning shears (also a pun on shear strength)" - I don't know the precise etymology of the word shears, but I would assume they are called such precisely because they operate on a shearing principle. While it is fair to assume that the use of the words 'pruning shears' is intentional (rather than 'scissors' or similar) , I wouldn't call it a pun (exploiting multiple meanings of words). --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 12:46, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

1316: Inexplicable

2014-01-13T09:19:03Z

141.101.99.233: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1316
| date = January 13, 2014
| title = Inexplicable
| image = inexplicable.png
| titletext = 'It has a ghost in it. Take it back.' 'No.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Incomplete, and explanation was written by someone who doesn't have English as their native language, so it probably has inaccuracies.}}
This comic is inexplicable and represents a self-referencing joke about explainxkcd.com.

In this comic, Cueball's laptop has a problem. After just a few types and clicks, Megan concludes that the laptop is haunted. While it might me a reasonable conclusion for a human, demons can't possess a computer. Similar problem can be seen in [[1084: Server Problem]], where Megan recommends Cueball to wait for the Singularity. The title text suggests that Megan insists that Cueball resume possession of his laptop, as she is unsettled by the ghost; Cueball simply refuses, seeing an opportunity to make his problem hers.

Another possible explanation could be that the comic is a play on how non technical users see computers and technology in general. Often a non-technical person will anthropomorphise a gadget and give it a personality with quirks. In this case a Ghost. When they have problems they usually give the device to a slightly more technical person to deal with who may not be able to deal with said problem. This may end up confirming (in their mind) the personality of the device.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is frustrated at a laptop.]
:Cueball: ''ARGH!''
:Megan (off-screen): What?
:Cueball: Why do I always have these inexplicable, impossible-to-diagnose computer problems?

:[Megan walks towards Cueball.]
:Cueball: After six hours of this, I've concluded nothing works or makes sense. I give up on logic.
:Megan: *sigh* Gimme. I'll figure it out.
:Cueball: You won't.

:[The laptop is now off the desk, and Megan is offscreen again.]
:''type type''
:''click''
:?
:''type type''
:''type''
:???

:[Megan has returned, a closed laptop in hand.]
:Cueball: How'd it go?
:Megan: Your computer is literally haunted.
:Cueball: ''Told'' you.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Computers]]

287: NP-Complete

2013-12-16T23:36:44Z

141.101.99.233: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 287
| date = July 9, 2007
| title = NP-Complete
| image = np_complete.png
| titletext = General solutions get you a 50% tip.
}}

==Explanation==
Another entry in the “My Hobby” series of cartoons. [[Cueball]] is embedding {{w|NP-complete|NP-complete problems}} in restaurant orders. Specifically, he is ordering appetizers not by explicitly stating the names, but by the total price of them all. This is a simplified example of the {{w|Knapsack problem|knapsack problem}}. This is a problem in combinatorial optimization, as follows: If you have a knapsack (backpack or rucksack) which can hold a specific amount of weight, and you have a set of items, each with its own assigned value and weight, you have to select items to put into the knapsack so that the weight does not exceed the capacity of the knapsack and the combined value of all the items is maximized.

In {{w|Computational complexity theory|computational complexity theory}}, NP stands for “nondeterministic polynomial time,” which means that problems which are NP take polynomial running time (i.e. the time a CPU would take to run the program would be polynomial in the input size) to verify a solution, but it is unknown whether finding any or all solutions can be done in polynomial time. Polynomial time is considered efficient; exponential and higher times are considered unfeasible for computation. NP-complete problems are ones which, if a polynomial time algorithm is found for any of them, then all NP problems have polynomial time solutions. In short, particular guesses in NP-complete problems can be checked easily, but systematically finding solutions is far more difficult.

The waiter's problem is NP-complete, since a given order's price can be found and checked quickly, but finding an order to match a price is much harder. (Formal proofs of the NP-completeness of the knapsack problem can be found at the above link.) The most straightforward way for a human to find a solution is to methodically start by first listing all the (6) ways of choosing one appetizer, and their total costs, then list all the (21) ways of choosing two appetizers (allowing repeats), and then list all the (56) ways of choosing three appetizers, and so forth. As any combination of eight appetizers would be more than $15.05, the process need not extend beyond listing all the (1715) ways of choosing seven appetizers.

Another famous NP-complete problem is the {{w|Travelling Salesman problem}}, mentioned by Cueball at the end (see also [[399: Travelling Salesman Problem]]).

The title text refers to the fact that NP-complete problems have no known polynomial time general solutions, and it is unknown if such a solution can ever be found. If the waiter can find an efficient general solution to this he will have solved one of the most famous problems in mathematics. This problem is one of the six remaining unsolved {{w|Millennium Prize Problems}} stated by the Clay Mathematics Institute in 2000, for which a correct solution (including proving that such a solution doesn't exist) is worth US$1,000,000. A 50% tip is slightly less than fair.

;The Solution
There are exactly two solutions to the problem posed in the comic strip, combinations of appetizers which total $15.05:
*Seven mixed fruit orders
*A combination of two orders of hot wings, one order of mixed fruit, and one sampler plate

==Transcript==
:My Hobby:
:Embedding NP-Complete problems in restaurant orders
:[A menu is shown.]
:Chotchkies Restaurant
:Appetizers
:Mixed Fruit 2.15
:French Fries 2.75
:Side Salad 3.35
:Hot Wings 3.55
:Mozzarella Sticks 4.20
:Sampler Plate 5.80
:[Three people sit at a table, including Cueball who is ordering from a waiter.]
:Cueball: We'd like exactly $15.05 worth of appetizers, please.
:Waiter: ...Exactly? Uhh...
:Cueball: Here, these papers on the knapsack problem might help you out.
:Waiter: Listen, I have six other tables to get to-
:Cueball: -As fast as possible, of course. Want something on traveling salesman?

==Trivia==
*A film reference is embedded in the menu in the first panel: The restaurant is called “Chotchkies”, a fictional restaurant featured in the film {{w|Office Space}}. In that film, the character Joanna, played by {{w|Jennifer Aniston}}, quits her job at Chotchkies, a typical family-oriented chain restaurant, over their policy that she wear a large number of tchotchkes, or “flair” items – tacky pins, buttons, or other adornments to a worker’s uniform which can often be seen on waiters and waitresses at chain family restaurants, as well as those who work at movie theaters or large retail chain stores.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Math]]

Talk:1285: Third Way

2013-11-01T14:52:08Z

141.101.99.233:

ONE SPACE AFTER A PERIOD. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 04:38, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

Writing plaintext, I always do two spaces after a sentence ending period.
This is probably because I did in fact start typing on a real typewriter.
In an environment where automatic formatting will take place, like a web page or wiki text, I use the newline.
I have had people in this wiki collapse my multiple line forms to one of the others.
(I was disappointed.)
--[[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 04:48, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

I prefer double spacing, but I used single spacing in writing the explanation, just to make people happy. Perhaps I should have used new lines. [[User:Concomitant|Concomitant]] ([[User talk:Concomitant|talk]]) 05:10, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

The 'third way' is a little underappreciated here: it divides the text into self contained logical units, and makes text processing tools (grep, diff etc.) much more usable.
Proper text rendering engines (TeX, HTML, etc.) already make this assumption and group sentences accordingly.
If only I realized this earlier, it would have made my thesis revisions much more easier.
In fact, up to this moment, I thought I was that lone guy in the comic.
EDIT: this comment in xkcd forums makes my point clear: http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=106217#p3489055
--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.11|141.101.96.11]] 05:42, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

:As a programmer, I find nothing weird in adapting your style to language. Writing two spaces in HTML or TeX is useless, as they won't render as two spaces anyway. (While using for this purpose nonbreakable spaces, which would render, is a crime.) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:48, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

I always just find and replace double space with single space. If formatting suffers, someone did a bad job.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.228|108.162.231.228]] 06:33, 1 November 2013 (UTC) Synthetica

So, why did double spacing after a period ever exist? It doesn't seem necessary. [[User:PheagleAdler|PheagleAdler]] ([[User talk:PheagleAdler|talk]]) 07:31, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

even though i learned typing on a typewriter, to this day i had never heard of the double space thing. maybe it's a US only thing, like the stupid french with spaces BEFORE punctuation marks. [[User:Peter|Peter]] ([[User talk:Peter|talk]]) 07:54, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

As a german typographer I have to say I’m ''shocked''! ''Two'' spaces per period? A space ''before'' punctuation?! My scientific opinion: you all are completely crazy ;-) (Just kidding, but seriously, two spaces? In Germany, the first possibility to do that safely is your last will …) [[User:Quoti|Quoti]] ([[User talk:Quoti|talk]]) 10:34, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

The doubled spaces appear in my browser's tooltips. (Maybe someone should add some non breaking spaces to the quotation of the tooltip text?) --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.236|141.101.98.236]] 10:45, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

As a(n automatic) two-spacer person (just you watch, I'll use 'em here, despite it obviously not being rendered), it's just what I learnt, back in the '70s, here in the UK. I've no idea ''why'' I learnt it. However, it may stem from the same root as the 'rule' in handwriting (not biros, but nibbed pens dipped in ink... wow, I feel old, but it ''was'' at primary school) that we use a gap as big as our our (very little) little-fingers to separate sentences. I imagine differentiating full-stops (US: periods) from commas in the messy medium of ink might be a valuable visual indicator as to what a given smudge might ''actually'' be. So, anyway, double-spacing. On the other hand I should report that, "I've dropped the habit it of appropriate punctuation prior to quotes," I say, "despite being the way I learnt it." And instead I will drop "<- Commas from that sort of position," you see, "even through I'll keep the ones that are semantic pauses." You see how my standards are slipping? Anyway, good comic. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled programme.  [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 14:44, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

The "third way" is used for articles on the [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news BBC News] website :-) --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 14:52, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

Talk:681: Gravity Wells

2013-10-30T21:25:22Z

141.101.99.233: my 2 cents

Why is Earth's well's depth listed as 5478km but as 6379km in the inset?
Compare with Mars which has 1286 in both places.
[[Special:Contributions/87.174.225.131|87.174.225.131]] 07:21, 12 April 2013 (UTC)
:Best guess is either a goof, or that the lower number is just for Earth itself, while the greater number is for the Earth/Moon system as a whole. Proportionally speaking, we have the largest moon in the solar system, so maybe it wouldn't nicely fit in the Earth well as easily as Mars's and Jupiter's moons do.--[[User:Druid816|Druid816]] ([[User talk:Druid816|talk]]) 08:28, 12 April 2013 (UTC)

: It ''may'' be the height needed to go from one gravity well to another. You don't have to get all the way up to escape speed for that.

:Adapted from the table in {{w|Escape_velocity#List_of_escape_velocities|Escape velocity}}, using ''h'' = ''V_e''^2 / 2''g'':
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
| Location || with respect to || Ve (km/s) || Well depth (km) ||
| Location || with respect to || Ve (km/s) || Solar well (Mm) || Total depth (Mm)
|-
| on the Sun, || the Sun's gravity: || 617.5 || 19,435,000 || || || || || || 19,435
|-
| on Mercury, || Mercury's gravity: || 4.3 || 942 ||
| at Mercury, || the Sun's gravity: || 67.7 || 233.6 || 235
|-
| on Venus, || Venus' gravity: || 10.3 || 5,407 ||
| at Venus, || the Sun's gravity: || 49.5 || 124.9 || 130
|-
| on Earth, || the Earth's gravity: || 11.2 || 6,393 ||
| at the Earth/Moon, || the Sun's gravity: || 42.1 || 90.3 || 97
|-
| on the Moon, || the Moon's gravity: || 2.4 || 294 ||
| at the Moon, || the Earth's gravity: || 1.4 || || 91
|-
| on Mars, || Mars' gravity: || 5 || 1,274 ||
| at Mars, || the Sun's gravity: || 34.1 || 59.3 || 61
|-
| on Jupiter, || Jupiter's gravity: || 59.5 || 180,400 ||
| at Jupiter, || the Sun's gravity: || 18.5 || 17.4 || 198
|-
| on Ganymede, || Ganymede's gravity: || 2.7 || 372 || || || || ||
|-
| on Saturn, || Saturn's gravity: || 35.6 || 64,600 ||
| at Saturn, || the Sun's gravity: || 13.6 || 9.43 || 74
|-
| on Uranus, || Uranus' gravity: || 21.2 || 22,907 ||
| at Uranus, || the Sun's gravity: || 9.6 || 4.7 || 28
|-
| on Neptune, || Neptune's gravity: || 23.6 || 28,400 ||
| at Neptune, || the Sun's gravity: || 7.7 || 3.02 || 31
|-
| on Pluto, || Pluto's gravity: || 1.2 || 73 || || || || ||
|-
|at Solar System galactic radius, || the Milky Way's gravity: || 525 || 14,000
|}
: Randall wasn't kidding about the Sun being "very very far down"; its well is 100 times deeper than Jupiter's!
:[[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 19:47, 12 April 2013 (UTC)

:: OTOH, from the table above i'm thinking that the 5.4 might be the Venus figure, and it was wrongly placed besides Earth...
:: Secondly, what i found interesting was that the Earth's 6.4 looks so much like its radius! I wonder if it's merely a coincidence, or there's a connection between the two... -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 21:25, 30 October 2013 (UTC)

Talk:167: Nihilism

2013-10-30T15:38:22Z

141.101.99.233: copy-editing

That's his logic for dong random stuff?[[User:Guru-45|Guru-45]] ([[User talk:Guru-45|talk]]) 16:33, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

:He is saying that climbing a tree is as reasonable a response to nihilism as acting all mopey and depressed. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 03:21, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

167: Nihilism

2013-10-30T15:37:38Z

141.101.99.233: /* Explanation */ copy-editing + adding links

{{comic
| number = 167
| date = October 6, 2006
| title = Nihilism
| image = nihilism.png
| titletext = Why can't you have normal existential angst like all the other boys?
}}

==Explanation==
It is argued by some that {{w|atheism}} leads to {{w|nihilism}}. One rebuttal would be to reject the premise that there is no purpose outside of fulfilling divine intention, but Randall instead rejects the premise that nihilism ought to be burdensome. As a result, [[Beret Guy]] resolves that, if everything is ultimately meaningless, then it would be more fun to spend one's meaningless existence having fun rather than constantly moping. As reinforced by the title text, the complete lack of angst on Beret Guy's part is off-putting to other nihilists.

==Transcript==
:[Beret Guy and Cueball approach a tree while talking.]
:Cueball: There is no God. Our existence is without purpose.
:Beret Guy: Oh, definitely.
:Beret Guy: We are adrift in an uncaring void indifferent to all our mortal toil.
:Cueball: Exactly! In the end, nothing we do matters.
:[Beret Guy climbs the tree.]
:Beret Guy: Totally.
:Cueball: We just... Why are you climbing that tree?
:[Beret Guy is now completely submerged in the tree.]
:Beret Guy: Because the future is an adventure! Come on!
:Cueball: But--
:Beret Guy: Hey! I found ''squirrels''!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:1005: SOPA

2013-10-30T15:26:37Z

141.101.99.233: added link to actual page

Anyone try the brightness-contrast with the XKCD [[521: 2008 Christmas Special|2008 x-mas Special]]? [[Special:Contributions/66.19.70.101|66.19.70.101]] 02:20, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

:Negative. [[Special:Contributions/108.233.253.211|108.233.253.211]] 02:53, 9 January 2013 (UTC)