explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

328: Eggs

2016-10-31T09:54:29Z

162.158.135.57: this is the official transcript by Randall - see source of the page https://www.xkcd.com/328/

{{comic
| number = 328
| date = October 12, 2007
| title = Eggs
| image = eggs.png
| titletext = Oh, yeah, we get tons of them at these casual sex bars.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] seems to be using a common cheesy pick up line. So, how do you like your eggs in the morning? — implying that he will be the one cooking them, because they will still be together in the morning, after they spent the night having sex. The standard response to this pick up line for a woman seeking to brush off the potential partner — as one would expect a woman in a bar being propositioned by a stranger to do most of the time — is "unfertilized", switching the meaning of "eggs" from {{w|egg (food)|chicken eggs}} to {{w|egg cell|female gametes}}. In fact, Cueball is not trying to solicit sex from [[Megan]], but instead is trying to set her up for that punchline as he is in the habit of setting up jokes. Megan's desire for actual casual sex subverts his plan for comedy.

The title text is a response to the comment about a Priest and a Rabbi. Jokes about Priests, Rabbis are fairly common, and the man appears to want to set up such a joke. However, the title text uses sarcasm to point out that such religious leaders would be unlikely to frequent a bar where people go for casual sex.

Alternatively, the title text could be implying that this is a bar where most people are looking for casual sex, and jokers are a common nuisance, in contrast with bars where most women are not looking for a hookup and men who troll for casual sex are a common nuisance.

==Transcript==
:[Megan sits at a bar; Beret Guy cleans a glass from behind the counter. Cueball approaches.]
:Cueball: So, how do you like your eggs in the morning?
:Megan: Ooh, sunny side up.
:Cueball: Oh. Huh.
:Megan: Is that a problem?
:Cueball: Well, it's just that I was trying to set you up for the "unfertilised" line.
:Megan: Ah. Bad timing; I'm actually looking for casual sex. ...interested?
:Cueball: I'd love to, but I've got like 20 more jokes to set up tonight. Hey, have you seen a priest and a rabbi?

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Sex]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Food]]

1388: Subduction License

2016-10-03T08:54:35Z

162.158.135.57: unnoticed pun?

{{comic
| number = 1388
| date = June 30, 2014
| title = Subduction License
| image = subduction_license.png
| titletext = 'Dude, why can't you just be a normal roommate?' 'Because I'm coming TOWARD you!'
}}

==Explanation==
In {{w|structural geology}}, {{w|subduction}} is the mechanism by which one {{w|tectonic plate}} disappears under another. This process usually creates a {{w|mountain range}} on the second tectonic plate as water entrained in the subducting plate rises into the second plate and provokes {{w|volcanism}}, often resulting in a {{w|volcanic arc}}.

In this comic, [[Beret Guy]] is very happy because he has just received his ''subduction license'', which may be a play with business term ''{{w|licensed production|production license}}''. His roommate [[Cueball]] very reasonably asks him: ''Your what?'' But instead of answering him, Beret Guy begins to move towards him in their small room. It turns out that the license has literally enabled him to initiate subduction. As he moves towards Cueball, he slowly sinks under the floorboards of the room, and in this process he creates a small mountain range on the floor. In the end, much to Cueball's consternation, these mountains turn his desk and chair over. Cueball actually falls out of the frame in the final panel, where Beret Guy is already halfway down beneath the floor.

The title text plays on the double meaning of the word "normal", which Cueball means in the sense of "like most people, not strange," but which Beret Guy interprets in the geological sense. While subduction occurs when two plates crash into each other, a {{w|normal fault}} occurs when two plates are moving away from each other. Here, "normal" is used in the sense of "perpendicular," as the result of a normal fault is often that part of the crust moves vertically downward, forming a {{w|graben}}.

A similarly atypical license was mentioned previously in [[410: Math Paper]]. Puns on geological terms (including types of faults) were previously made in [[1082: Geology]].

This comic was featured in a page of [[Thing Explainer]] as part of the explanation of the ''Big flat rocks we live on''. Only the last three panels where used, probably because the words in the first panel were way too uncommon for the book - see more details [[Thing_Explainer#References_to_comics|here]].

==Transcript==
:[Beret Guy is looking at some mail he has received while Cueball is at his computer desk at the other side of the room.]
:Beret Guy: Sweet! I finally got my subduction license!
:Cueball: Your what?

:[Beret Guy starts sinking into the ground, causing it to ripple.]
:Cueball: ...What are you doing?

:[Beret Guy sinks further, forming a miniature mountain range in front of him. Cueball is frantically trying to keep his computer steady as his desk tilts.]
:Cueball: ''Stop it! Stop it!''

:[Beret Guy is waist-deep, and snow caps have formed on the mountains. Cueball is falling backwards from his desk, and the monitor unplugs itself from his computer.]
:Cueball: ''Augh!''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy]]

396: The Ring

2016-09-06T09:19:19Z

162.158.135.57: Sharing doesn't reduce the number of casualties. It only transfers the death sentence to another person.

{{comic
| number = 396
| date = March 14, 2008
| title = The Ring
| image = the_ring.png
| titletext = On the other hand, poor Samara -- transcoded to FLV. No one deserves that.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|The Ring (2002 film)|The Ring}} is a {{w|horror movie}} released in 2002 based off the Japanese movie {{w|Ring (film)|Ringu}}. In it, there is a video tape that causes everyone who watches it to die after seven days. However, the viewer can prevent their death by making a copy of the tape and giving it to someone else.

A young boy [[Cueball]] watches the tape and prevents his own death by "copying" the tape and uploading it to a video-sharing website, presumably {{w|YouTube}}. Cueball not only got one person to watch it, the requirement for escaping death, but 363,104 people; all of whom are most likely going to die in seven days.

Rickrolling[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ] is an Internet meme where someone is lured into clicking on a video link of {{w|Rick Astley}} singing "{{w|Never Gonna Give You Up}}." When someone is Rickrolled, they usually get very upset. Cueball states in the comic that he uploaded the tape to get revenge on everyone who Rickrolled him, though it was obvious that he would likely kill many more people than those who Rickrolled him (or those who've Rickrolled anyone else).

The title text refers to the file format used by the YouTube player. Historically, YouTube was famous for having extremely poor quality videos because their Internet connections were slower and server storage space was expensive. So, all videos were {{w|transcode}}d into a very low quality {{w|FLV}} (flash video) format.

The girl shown in the video tape — a major part of The Ring series — is named Samara. Posting the tape on YouTube would result in heavily compressed videos in the FLV format. This, presumably, would reduce the quality of Samara's apparition. The title text also implies that nobody deserves that although [http://tinyurl.com/qxmreql Rickrolling] is apparently punishable by death.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail is speaking to young Cueball sitting in front of a TV with a black background and a white ring.]
:Ponytail: You watched the tape!?
:Cueball: Yeah, sorry.

:Ponytail: Now you'll die in seven days!
:Cueball: It's worse than that.

:[TV is cut from the frame.]
:Ponytail: ...You didn't.
:Cueball: Yup.

:[Both are now in front of a computer, Ponytail leaning in.]
:Ponytail: Great, It's got 363,104 views ''already''.
:Cueball: They kept Rickrolling me! It was only fair.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Rickrolling]]

Talk:396: The Ring

2016-09-06T08:15:33Z

162.158.135.57:

Ironic, when Youtube is one of the prime targets for death-threat chain letters. [[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]] ([[User talk:Davidy22|talk]]) 03:32, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

How does the comic imply that he is not safe? The mom just seems mad because 360,000 people are going to die. [[User:Athang|Athang]] ([[User talk:Athang|talk]]) 03:10, 4 May 2013 (UTC)

In the books, copying didn't really make you safe. Granted, this comic is about the movie based off of the movie based off of the books, so the comparison is pretty limited. [[Special:Contributions/76.106.251.87|76.106.251.87]] 18:57, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

The boy is not Cueball but a child. He did watch the tape on a TV, presumably at a much better resolution as his YouTube upload is.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:41, 13 June 2013 (UTC)
:The transcript calls him "young cueball" [[Special:Contributions/190.75.237.167|190.75.237.167]] 01:37, 14 July 2013 (UTC)
:The official transcript calls them just 'boy' and 'girl'. 'Young Cueball' isn't a thing. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.223|108.162.219.223]] 21:44, 3 January 2014 (UTC)
::Where is the official transcript - is this something Randall post somewhere? The transcript on this page uses the names given to the characters on this page. Cueball only exist as a name outside the XKCD comic. It is not something Randall subscribes to. But here any non descript character is called Cueball. But is is true that this is a child version of Cueball and I have corrected the explain so it says this. The transcript is fine as it is. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 05:26, 27 May 2014 (UTC)
Randall loses points for calling her "Samara" and not Sadako.
the "remakes" do not exist. that is a fact.
[[Special:Contributions/193.37.237.100|193.37.237.100]] 09:50, 6 September 2013 (UTC)
:Maybe but as the comic is about the Ring Sadako is not in the movie Cueball watches :-) [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 05:26, 27 May 2014 (UTC)

Is it likely that Ponytail and Young Cueball are Rachel and Aiden from the movie? The first panel (apart from the nonchalance of the child) seems somewhat similar to the scene in the movie where Rachel discovers that Aiden has watched the tape. --[[User:Hatkirby|Hatkirby]] ([[User talk:Hatkirby|talk]]) 04:09, 2 June 2014 (UTC)

Sharing doesn't reduce the number of casualties. It only transfers the death sentence to another person. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.135.57|162.158.135.57]] 08:15, 6 September 2016 (UTC)

1613: The Three Laws of Robotics

2016-08-31T12:24:49Z

162.158.135.57: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1613
| date = December 7, 2015
| title = The Three Laws of Robotics
| image = the_three_laws_of_robotics.png
| titletext = In ordering #5, self-driving cars will happily drive you around, but if you tell them to drive to a car dealership, they just lock the doors and politely ask how long humans take to starve to death.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic explores alternative orderings of sci-fi author {{w|Isaac Asimov|Isaac Asimov's}} famous {{w|Three Laws of Robotics}}, which are designed to prevent robots from taking over the world, etc. These laws form the basis of a number of Asimov works of fiction, including most famously, the short story collection ''{{w|I, Robot}}'', which amongst others includes the very first of Asimov's stories to introduce the three laws: {{w|Runaround (story)|Runaround}}.

The three rules are:
#A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
#A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
#A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

Or in [[Randall|Randall's]] version:
#Don't harm humans
#Obey Orders
#Protect yourself

This comic answers the generally unasked question: "Why are they in that order?" With three rules you could rank them into 6 different {{w|permutation|permutations}}, only one of which has been explored in depth. The original ranking of the three laws are listed in the brackets after the first number. So in the first example, which is the original, these three numbers will be in the same order. For the next five the numbers in brackets indicate how the laws have been re-ranked compared to the original.

The comic begins with introducing the original set, which we already know will give rise to a balanced world, so this is designated as green.:
;Ordering #1 - Balanced World: If they are not allowed to harm humans, no harm will be done disregarding who gives them orders. So long as they do not harm humans, they must obey orders. Their own self-preservation is last, so they must also try to save a human, even if ordered not do so, and especially also if they would put themselves to harm, or even destroy themselves in the process. They would also have to obey orders not relating to humans, even if this would be harmful to them; like exploring a mine field. This leads to a balanced world, explored in detail in Asimov's robot stories. That this scenario may not at all be realistic can for instance be seen discussed in this ''Computerphile'' video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PKx3kS7f4A Why Asimov's Laws of Robotics Don't Work].

Below this first known option, the five alternative orderings of the three rules are illustrated. Two of the possibilities are designated yellow (pretty bad or just annoying) and three of them are designated red ("Hellscape").

;Ordering #2 - Frustrating World: The robots value their existence over their job and so many would refuse to do their tasks. The silliness of this is portrayed in the accompanying image, where the robot (a {{w|Mars rover}} looking very similar to {{w|Curiosity (rover)|Curiosity}} both in shape and size - see [[1091: Curiosity]]) laughs at the idea of doing what it was clearly built to do (explore {{w|Mars}}) because of the risk. In addition to the general risk (e.g. of unexpected damage), it is actually normal for rovers to cease operating ("die") at the end of their mission, though they may survive longer than expected (see [[1504: Opportunity]] and [[695: Spirit]]). This personification is augmented by the robot being switched on already while still on Earth and then ordered by [[Megan]] to go explore. The personification is humorous since it is a very nonhuman robot - a typical Mars rover, as has often been used in earlier comics.
;Ordering #3 - Killbot Hellscape: This puts obeying orders above not harming humans, which means anyone could send them on a killing spree, resulting in a "Killbot Hellscape". It should also be noted humor is derived from the superlative nature of "Killbot Hellscape", as well as its over the top accompanying image, where there are multiple mushroom clouds (not necessarily nuclear). It also appears there are no humans (left?), only fighting robots.
;Ordering #4 - Killbot Hellscape:The next would also result in much the same, the only difference here is that they would be willing to kill humans to protect themselves. But still they would need an order to start killing.
;Ordering #5 - Terrifying Standoff:The penultimate order would result in an unpleasant world, though not a full Hellscape. Here the robots would not only disobey to protect themselves, but also kill if necessary. The absurdity of this one is further demonstrated with the very un-human robot happily doing repetitive mundane tasks but then threatening the life of its user, [[Cueball]], if he as much as considers unplugging it.
;Ordering #6 - Killbot Hellscape:The last order would also results in a Hellscape wherein robots not only kill for self-defense but will also go on killing sprees if ordered as long as they didn't risk themselves. Could self-protection coming first not prevent the fighting? Not according to Randall. See discussion below.

There are thus only three different results except the 'normal' 3-laws scenario.

One result goes again three times, and this occurs whenever ''obeying orders'' comes before ''don't harm humans''. In this case it will only be a matter of time (knowing human nature and history) before someone orders the robots to kill some humans, and this will inevitably lead to the ''killbot hellscape'' scenario shown in the third, fourth and sixth law-order. Even in the last case where ''protect yourself'' comes before obey orders, it would only be a matter of time before they would begin to defend themselves, against either humans or other robots which were actively trying to ensure that they would not be harmed by other humans/robots. So although it would be in the robots interest not to have war, this will surely occur anyway. And only if the robots where very bright would they realize that they just needed to not go to war to protect themselves. There is nothing in this comic that indicates that the robots should be highly intelligent (like to AI in [[1450: AI-Box Experiment]]).

In the two other cases ''obey orders'' comes after ''don't harm humans'' (as in the original version). But the result is very different both from the original and from each other.

The frustrating world comes by because although the robots will not harm the humans, they will also not harm themselves. So if our orders conflict with this, they just do not perform the orders. As many robots are created to perform tasks that are dangerous, these robots would become useless, and it would be a frustrating world to be a robotic engineer.

Finally in the terrifying standoff situation the ''protect your self'' comes before ''don't harm humans''. In this case they will leave us be, as long as we do not try to turn them off or in any other way harm them. As long as we do that they will be able to help us, with non-dangerous tasks, as in the previous version. But if ever any humans begin to attack them, we could still tip the balance over and end up in a full-scale war (Hellscape). Hence the standoff-label.

The title text further adds to ordering #5 ("Terrifying Standoff") by noting anyone wishing to trade in their self-driving car could be killed, despite it (currently) being a standard and mundane and (mostly) risk-free activity. Because the car would fear that it would end up as scrap or spare parts, it decides to protect itself. And although not directly harming the person inside it, they do also not allow them out, and they have time to wait for starvation (or rather dying of thirst). Asimov created the "inaction" clause in the original First Law specifically to avoid scenarios in which a robot puts a human in harm's way, knowing full well that it is within the robot's abilities to save the human, and then simply refrains from saving them; this was explored in the short story {{w|Little Lost Robot}}.

A completely different course of action by an AI, than either of the one presented here, is depicted in [[1626: Judgment Day]].

==Transcript==
:[Caption at the top of the comic:]
:'''Why Asimov put the Three Laws'''
: '''of Robotics in the order he did.'''

:[Below are six rows with first two frames and then a label in color to the right. Above the two column of frames there are labels as well. In the first column six different ways of ordering the three laws are listed. Then the second column shown an image of the consequences of this order. Except in the first where there is a reference. The label to the right rates the kind of world that order of the laws would result in.]

:[Labels above the columns.]
:Possible ordering
:Consequences

:[The six rows follows below. First the text in the first frame, then a description of the second frame, including possible text below and finally the colored label.]

:[First row:]
:1. (1) Don't harm humans
:2. (2) Obey Orders
:3. (3) Protect yourself
:[Only text in square brackets:]
::[See Asmiov’s stories]
:'''Balanced world'''

:[Second row:]
:1. (1) Don't harm humans
:2. (3) Protect yourself
:3. (2) Obey Orders
:[Megan points at a mars rover with six wheels, a satellite disc, an arm and a camera head turned towards her, what to do.]
:Megan: Explore Mars!
:Mars rover: Haha, no. It’s cold and I’d die.
:'''Frustrating world'''

:[Third row:]
:1. (2) Obey Orders
:2. (1) Don't harm humans
:3. (3) Protect yourself
:[Two robots are fighting. The one to the left has six wheels, a tall neck on top of the body, with a head with what could be a camera facing right. It has something pointing forward on the body, which could be a weapon. The robot to the right, seems to be further away into the picture. (it is smaller with less detail). It is human shapes, but made op of square structures. It has two legs and two arms, a torso and a head. It clearly shoots something out of it’s right “hand”. This shot seems to create an explosion a third of the way towards the left robot. There are two mushroom clouds from explosions behind both robots (left and right). Between them there are one more explosion up in the air close to the left robot, and what looks like a fire on the ground right between them. Furthermore there are two missiles in the air, one above the head of each robot. Lines indicate their trajectory. There is not text.]
:'''Killbot hellscape'''

:[Fourth row:]
:1. (2) Obey Orders
:2. (3) Protect yourself
:3. (1) Don't harm humans:
:[Exactly the same picture as in row 3.]
:'''Killbot hellscape'''

:[Fifth row:]
:1. (3) Protect yourself
:2. (1) Don't harm humans
:3. (2) Obey Orders
:[Cueball is standing in front of a car factory robot, that are larger than him. It has a base, and two parts for the main body, and then a big “head” with a small section on top. To the right something is jutting out, and to the left in the direction of Cueball there is an arm in three sections (going down, up and down again) ending in some kind of tool close to Cueball.]
:Car factory robot: I'll make cars for you, but try to unplug me and I’ll vaporize you.
:'''Terrifying standoff'''

:[Sixth row:]
:1. (3) Protect yourself
:2. (2) Obey Orders
:3. (1) Don't harm humans:
:[Exactly the same picture as in row 3 and 4.]
:'''Killbot hellscape'''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Mars rovers]]

871: Charity

2016-08-09T15:34:14Z

162.158.135.57: The third panel, titled "later" is the result of the Megan's speech, not an exemplary "totally normal conversation".

{{comic
| number = 871
| date = March 11, 2011
| title = Charity
| image = charity.png
| titletext = I usually respond to someone else doing something good by figuring out a reason that they're not really as good as they seem. But I've been realizing lately that there's an easier way to handle these situations, and it involves zero internet arguments.
}}

==Explanation==
Organizations such as {{w|Steam (software)|Steam}} often offer sales where certain games are available for low prices--in order to compel or persuade buyers to make donations to worthwhile charities. [[Cueball]] is participating in one of these purchases (to fight {{w|malaria}}), but [[Megan]]'s snide denigration of Cueball's act of charity as inadequate and self-serving has dissuaded him from any act of charity at all. People donating to charity are in fact buying a feeling that they are good people doing good things. If you take this feeling away, many people stop donating, which is shown on the third panel.

However, whatever somebody's internal motivation was, charity is a good thing. Therefore the proper response, is to neither care what people say about you nor attack other people's charitable giving. The action that Randall recommends here is the right one, which is to donate anyway without caring about what others say or do. Clicking on the original image leads to [http://www.nothingbutnets.net the website of] {{w|Nothing But Nets}}, an organization that distributes mosquito bed nets in Africa for the eradication of malaria.

==Transcript==
:Cueball: I'm going to buy this $10 game I want, and I'm donating $10 for malaria eradication.

:Megan: If you actually cared, you'd skip the game and donate all $20.
:Megan: What's more important? Games, or mosquito nets and medicine for kids?

:(Caption above the comic)
:Later:
:Cueball: I think I'm going to buy these two $10 games I want.
:Friend: Cool; which ones?

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

1049: Bookshelf

2016-08-05T16:10:39Z

162.158.135.57: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1049
| date = April 30, 2012
| title = Bookshelf
| image = Bookshelf.png
| titletext = I had a hard time with Ayn Rand because I found myself enthusiastically agreeing with the first 90% of every sentence, but getting lost at 'therefore, be a huge asshole to everyone.'
}}

==Explanation==
This is a play off the typical "hidden door" in which you pull down the right book and suddenly a wall of books turns into a hidden door. It is most used in spy movies or books. In this case, the book is ''Atlas Shrugged'' and instead of a secret passage, the wall swings around and takes you to a message "You have terrible taste".

{{w|Atlas Shrugged}} is a {{w|dystopian novel}} by {{w|Ayn Rand}}. [[Randall]] is suggesting it's a bad book

Although the intent behind the book was in Rand's theory of {{w|Objectivism_(Ayn_Rand)|Objectivism}}, it has become largely adopted as a battle-cry by Libertarians. One could find this as another reason to dislike Rand's literature, as Libertarians have been notoriously disruptive and annoying to many who oppose their political philosophy or their means to get their message across.

The title text is a general criticism Randall has with Rand, since most of Rand's characters are fiercely independent and rather tactless.

But the title text also shows the fact that people reading Rand can easily be swayed and aligned with her beliefs by the fact that it stresses that you are unique and individual, and that Randall was victim of these circumstances until he finds Rand's approach preposterous and rejects it. Oddly, since he seems to be judging Rand this on his own accord and making his own decision, one could theorize that he is truly an individualist in that he is not swayed by anyone, even a person who preaches not to be swayed and to make your own decisions — a subject pursued in Ayn Rand's {{w|The Fountainhead}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball stands in front of a bookshelf.]
:Cueball: Ooo, ''Atlas Shrugged''
:[Cueball yanks out book only for a click to be heard.]
:[The entire setup begins to rumble, while the bookcase and a surrounding platform takes both it and Cueball behind the wall.]
:[The tiny, dark room behind the wall has one thing painted on it.]
:Wall: You have terrible taste.
:[The whole piece of kit moves back to its original position. Cueball stands there mildly stunned.]

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

Talk:1663: Garden

2016-04-04T12:14:51Z

162.158.135.57:

===Finally Garden is up on xkcd===
It is here the comic we have been waiting for, and it seems it is a April fool comic although it first came out past midnight in all of the US except Hawaii...
:I do not know when it will be on this page but for those impatient...
:[[File:Garden Loading screen shot.png]]
:It says to Relax, while it loads, but it will eventually get to a barren land with a growth lamp that can be moved:
:[[File:Garden Lamp screen shot.png]]
:The lamp can be moved and change color.
:[[File:Garden Red Lamp screen shot.png]]
:It may be there will be something growing if we wait long enough?
:And there will be more lamps and new items:
:[[File:Garden Three Lamp screen shot.png]]
:Yes he is messing with us for sure but at least not by not making a comic :-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:46, 4 April 2016 (UTC)
::I succeeded to get a small plant, but I'm not sure how. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.86.167|162.158.86.167]] 10:16, 4 April 2016 (UTC)
:::Try not to cover everything with every light wavelength. I'm sure you get different plants with different wavelengths:
:::[[File:aprilfool-2016-xorg.png]]
:::Also, I've noticed a constant cpu usage, indicating some kind of number crunching. The script's name "linden" reminded me of linden dollars and crowdsourcing bitcoin mining with javascript, but afair linden dollars were never mined nor based on cryptography. -- [[User:Xorg|Xorg]] ([[User talk:Xorg|talk]]) 10:30, 4 April 2016 (UTC)
::::"Linden" is probably a reference to the Linden trees, a genus (Latin name Tilia). It would make more sense than a reference to dollars, at least. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.135.57|162.158.135.57]] 12:14, 4 April 2016 (UTC)
:::Ok, it's *moving*. The leaves wobble in the wind. That explains the cpu usage. So far I have seen the following images: <code>asdfx2=""; for (asdfx in garden.linden.imgCache.imgs) { asdfx2 += asdfx+" "; } asdfx2

"http://xkcd.com/1663/art/background.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/talltrunk-2.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/shrub-8.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/wavyplant-3.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/turtle-1.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/shrub-6.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/birdbath.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/cactus-2.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/trunk-6.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/branch-11.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/branch-18.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/woman-1a.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/branch-21.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/rover.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/leaves-7.png http://xkcd.com/1663/art/leaves-6.png "
</code> -- [[User:Xorg|Xorg]] ([[User talk:Xorg|talk]]) 12:10, 4 April 2016 (UTC)

For those who are in https (with firefox for example) and don't see the "comic", there is mixed content. Click on the padlock on the up-left corner, then on the arrow, then "disable the protection against not secure elements" (or something like that). [[User:Seipas|Seipas]] ([[User talk:Seipas|talk]]) 11:32, 4 April 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1601: Isolation

2015-11-09T12:27:11Z

162.158.135.57:

The title text is referring to Yudkowsky's [http://www.yudkowsky.net/singularity/aibox/ AI-Box Experiment], which was already mentioned in [http://www.xkcd.com/1450/ xkcd.com/1450] and explained [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1450:_AI-Box_Experiment here]. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.153.11|162.158.153.11]] 09:03, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

If I remember correctly, there's a letter by an Ancient Roman writer complaining that people always write stories down now instead of just telling them to each other. So this mindset has existed for much longer than two centuries. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.191|141.101.106.191]] 09:08, 9 November 2015 (UTC)
:But there had been little update in the technology behind books/writing since then and the news paper! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:51, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

There is someone (not logged in) that believes that the last panel indicates that it is the same Cueball through 175 years that are ignored by his friends, instead of just a jab at generic people who complains about technology. Cueball being this generic person. I highly disagree with this, but the second I changed it to something else the same IP address changed it right back. I have now made two versions of this explanation. And made it clear that it would mean Cueball and his friends were about 200 years old. Then I will leave it to someone else to choose if both of these explanations should be left in, or maybe even a third be added...? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:42, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

it says "sims" not "The Sims". "sim" is just short for "simulator". there are other things that simulate things beyond "The Sims". --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.233|141.101.106.233]] 12:16, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

I would rather say that the main explaination of the joke is a third way:
-Cueball represent the kind of person that complains about people ignoring each other. The contemporaries of such kind of person are clearly annoyed by his behavior and ignore him willingly. The complainer should understand the hint that people prefer isolation much better than having to interact with him. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.135.57|162.158.135.57]] 12:27, 9 November 2015 (UTC)