explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2161: An Apple a Day

2019-06-10T18:01:48Z

162.158.255.52:

{{comic
| number = 2161
| date = June 10, 2019
| title = An Apple a Day
| image = an_apple_a_day.png
| titletext = Even the powerful, tart Granny Smith cultivar is proving ineffective against new Gran-negative doctors.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an APPLE-RESISTANT DOCTOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is a common expression. It suggests that eating one apple daily will keep you healthy, and, therefore, reduce your necessity to go to the doctor. However, in this comic, this expression is reinterpreted to mean that the reason an apple a day keeps a doctor away is because apples literally prevent doctors from coming.

Next, when the comic says that some doctors are resistant to apples, this references situations where creatures can adapt to deal with threats. For example, if an opponent controls a thief of sanity and you have a sharktocrab, you may adapt the sharktocrab to tap down the thief. In this case, the comic advocates stockpiling apples to prepare a strategic assault on the doctors who adapted. The gran-negative references bacteria staining, in which certain bacteria are stained and come out positive, and the others, Negative.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan stands at a podium.]
:Megan: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
:Or at least, it used to.

:[The comic zooms out on the stage. Megan is pointing at a poster promimently featuring Doctor Ponytail and three apples.]
:Megan: Over time, some doctors have developed a resistance to apples. Keeping them away takes two or three apples instead of one.
:And there are worrying signs that a few doctors have become completely immune.

:[The comic zooms in again on Megan and her podium.]
:So we must stockpile our finest apples in reserve, using them to fend off only the very worst doctors.
:Honeycrisps still work on most of them, but we don't know for how long.

{{comic discussion}}

2161: An Apple a Day

2019-06-10T18:00:25Z

162.158.255.52:

{{comic
| number = 2161
| date = June 10, 2019
| title = An Apple a Day
| image = an_apple_a_day.png
| titletext = Even the powerful, tart Granny Smith cultivar is proving ineffective against new Gran-negative doctors.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an APPLE-RESISTANT DOCTOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is a common expression. It suggests that eating one apple daily will keep you healthy, and, therefore, reduce your necessity to go to the doctor. However, in this comic, this expression is reinterpreted to mean that the reason an apple a day keeps a doctor away is because apples literally prevent doctors from coming.

Next, when the comic says that some doctors are resistant to apples, this references situations where creatures can adapt to deal with threats. For example, if an opponent controls a thief of sanity and you have a sharktocrab, you may adapt the sharktocrab to tap down the thief. In this case, the comic advocates stockpiling apples to prepare a strategic assault on the doctors who adapted. The gran-negative references bacteria staining, in which certain bacteria are stained and come out positive, and the others, Negative.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[Megan stands at a podium.]

Megan: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Or at least, it used to.

[The comic zooms out on the stage. Megan is pointing at a poster promimently featuring Doctor Ponytail and three apples.]

Megan: Over time, some doctors have developed a resistance to apples. Keeping them away takes two or three apples instead of one.

And there are worrying signs that a few doctors have become completely immune.

[The comic zooms in again on Megan and her podium.]

So we must stockpile our finest apples in reserve, using them to fend off only the very worst doctors.

Honeycrisps still work on most of them, but we don't know for how long.
{{comic discussion}}

2161: An Apple a Day

2019-06-10T17:59:42Z

162.158.255.52: Transcript

{{comic
| number = 2161
| date = June 10, 2019
| title = An Apple a Day
| image = an_apple_a_day.png
| titletext = Even the powerful, tart Granny Smith cultivar is proving ineffective against new Gran-negative doctors.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an APPLE-RESISTANT DOCTOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is a common expression. It suggests that eating one apple daily will keep you healthy, and, therefore, reduce your necessity to go to the doctor. However, in this comic, this expression is reinterpreted to mean that the reason an apple a day keeps a doctor away is because apples literally prevent doctors from coming.

Next, when the comic says that some doctors are resistant to apples, this references situations where creatures can adapt to deal with threats. For example, if an opponent controls a thief of sanity and you have a sharktocrab, you may adapt the sharktocrab to tap down the thief. In this case, the comic advocates stockpiling apples to prepare a strategic assault on the doctors who adapted. The gran-negative references bacteria staining, in which certain bacteria are stained and come out positive, and the others, Negative.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[Megan stands at a podium.]
Megan: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Or at least, it used to.

[The comic zooms out on the stage. Megan is pointing at a poster promimently featuring Doctor Ponytail and three apples.]
Megan: Over time, some doctors have developed a resistance to apples. Keeping them away takes two or three apples instead of one.
And there are worrying signs that a few doctors have become completely immune.

[The comic zooms in again on Megan and her podium.]
So we must stockpile our finest apples in reserve, using them to fend off only the very worst doctors.
Honeycrisps still work on most of them, but we don't know for how long.
{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2157: Diploma Legal Notes

2019-06-03T06:06:56Z

162.158.255.52:

Can I please live on this universe? {{unsigned ip|172.69.69.250}}
*in {{unsigned ip|172.69.68.143}}

Why would waiting 6-8 weeks help with challenging the British royal family for the throne? Surely that just gives them more time to prepare... [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 12:41, 31 May 2019 (UTC)
:But it takes 6-8 weeks for you to receive your lightsaber. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 12:51, 31 May 2019 (UTC)
::Thanks, I had not made the connection. But I still don't understand the "since a number of the younger ones have diplomas"?[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.205|162.158.154.205]] 15:16, 31 May 2019 (UTC)
::Oh duh, it says right in the comic. I'm an idiot. :) [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 15:28, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

I'd rather they sent me my lightsab(re|er) in a powered-down state. Much less fuss, damage to postal sorting/conveying/containing equipment, injury to the various employees involved, etc. Probably also saves on postage costs for the package. (And, as just pointed out, we might just get by the sorting office spies from the palace if the packaging isn't humming and glowing.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.7|162.158.154.7]] 12:45, 31 May 2019 (UTC)
:Er, I think "working" means ready to use, not turned on! However, I think shipping regulations would require the unit to be shipped without the nuclear power pack installed, and the user would just need to insert the power unit in the handle before use. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 13:01, 31 May 2019 (UTC)
::You read it your way, I'll read it my way. ;) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.7|162.158.154.7]] 13:12, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

To me "working lightsaber" means it's not a toy or model. YMMV [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 17:53, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

I did not believe Kate Middleton did anything as genteel as light sabre, I thought she was a hockey player. While she and William graduated from St Andrews, I would have thought they got certificates not diplomas. Charles and Eddie have certificates from Cambridge. Northwestern may have issued a diploma to Meghan. Anyway they are more likely to use real Sabres or polo mallets. {{unsigned|Arachrah}}
:: Hmmm...
:: http://oi66.tinypic.com/vxdw5j.jpg
:: http://oi64.tinypic.com/99fapu.jpg
:: http://oi68.tinypic.com/359fnlf.jpg
:: http://oi64.tinypic.com/24xjexv.jpg
:: ... Enjoy! :P [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.155|141.101.99.155]] 15:11, 31 May 2019 (UTC)
:I looked up William and Kate's info - it appears they both graduated from University of St Andrews with a Scottish Master of Arts degree, which is equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts degree in the United States. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 14:43, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

I think I'd delete the word "gullible", if only to put a bizarre spin on the classic "Did you know 'gullible' isn't in the dictionary?" joke. --[[User:Youforgotthisthing|Youforgotthisthing]] ([[User talk:Youforgotthisthing|talk]]) 14:56, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

''"The university will mail you your working lightsaber within 6-8 weeks."'' – Isn't it that PhD's are awarded with a sword in Finland?
--[[User:Phcc|Phcc]] ([[User talk:Phcc|talk]]) 16:34, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

"6-8 weeks" could be a reference to StackOverflow/StackExchange: https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/19514/353011 [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 18:03, 31 May 2019 (UTC)
:Ok, this link took me on a weird circular journey, where that page included a link to another page that actually contained a link back to xkcd #[[1381: Margin]]. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 00:02, 1 June 2019 (UTC)
:"6 to 8 weeks" was super common at least back to the eighties and possibly long prior. Whenever there'd be a TV commercial trying to get you to mail order something or a cereal box offering a prize or even a magazine offering something if you sent them a SASE (a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) they would invariably quote the delivery times as 6 to 8 weeks. [[User:Mootstrap|Mootstrap]] ([[User talk:Mootstrap|talk]]) 07:31, 2 June 2019 (UTC)
::Probably "as old as dirt", as TV Tropes would phrase it. [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 00:43, 3 June 2019 (UTC)

The following bibliographical text from the end of the first paragraph seemed unnecessary for the explanation, but I'm pasting it here in case anyone might be interested in further reading:
:: (See Scholarly Privileges, Their Roman Origins and Medieval Expression, Pearl Kibre, in the American Historical Review, Vol 59 No. 3 (April, 1954) at https://www.jstor.org/stable/1844716.
:: [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 05:31, 1 June 2019 (UTC)

Personally I think this comic is making reference to how some people with degrees tend to act in a self-entitled manner either in the workplace or generally in public places. For example interrupting other people's conversations because "I'm qualified and you're not". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.160|162.158.34.160]] 12:10, 1 June 2019 (UTC)

== What does deleting delete do? ==
It disallows others deleting any word. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.226.116|172.68.226.116]] 17:38, 1 June 2019 (UTC)

I would delete the word "it" [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 06:06, 3 June 2019 (UTC)

2145: Heists And Escapes

2019-05-04T04:28:26Z

162.158.255.52: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2145
| date = May 3, 2019
| title = Heists And Escapes
| image = heists_and_escapes.png
| titletext = The interactive experience is built on a single theological framework that unites Dante, George R. R. Martin, every major heist movie, and Erin Gloria Ryan's "Kevin is dead" Home Alone theory.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an Escape room. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is about various things where people attempt to get in or out. In heists people are trying to open a vault.

The top six panels show a stylized version of the various options where people try to get in or out of rooms:

* {{w|Escape Room}}s: In an escape room people are locked in the room (discounting emergency exits) and have a certain amount of time to solve the puzzles and leave.
* {{w|Heist film|Heist Movies}}: In heist movies people are outside of the room they are trying to get in to (usually) steal what's inside.
* {{w|Home Alone}} (1990): This refers to the first movie in a franchise, where the room the bad guys tried to enter was protected by someone from the inside.
* The Battle of Winterfell: This refers to the 3rd episode of the 8th season of {{w|Game of Thrones}}. Here the dead tried to enter the keep (the middle room in the picture), but as the keep already contained a crypt, with the dead inside they could also try to leave that internal "room" as well.
* {{w|Inception}} (2010): This refers to the movie Inception where the protagonists could not only enter the dream of others but while in those dream could continue this again (entering the dream of someone inside the dream, etc.)
* {{w|Divine Comedy|The Divine Comedy}} (1320): This refers to Dante's work; in particular its first part {{w|Inferno (Dante)|Inferno}}, which depicts Hell as nine concentric circles (although {{w|Purgatorio|purgatory}} and {{w|Paradiso (Dante)|paradise}} are similarly concentric, they are not likely to need to be escaped)

At the end Randall proposes a combination of all of these things, and also combining it with others:

* {{w|The Truman Show|Truman Show}}: This refers to a movie, where the protagonist - unknown by him - was living in a constructed reality show.
* Kevin McCallister's house/subconscious: Refers to an 8-year-old boy who is the main character in the movie Home Alone.
* {{w|Styx}}: Refers to a deity and a river in Greek mythology that forms the boundary between Earth and Underworld ("Hades").
* {{w|Inferno (Dante)|Dante's Inferno}}: Refers to Italian writer Dante Alighieri's epic poem that tells the journey of Dante through Hell.

The title text refers to [https://www.thedailybeast.com/home-alone-is-so-much-better-if-kevin-mccallister-is-dead]

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Seven different room scenarios are shown with characters attempting to get inside or outside, each with a label below them.]

:[Cueball and Ponytail trying to exit a room.]
:Escape rooms

:[Cueball and Megan trying to enter a room.]
:Heist movies

:[Cueball, presumably representing Kevin, standing in the middle of a room while two people are trying to enter.]
:''Home Alone'' (1990)

:[A room is shown inside a larger room. Two characters try to enter from outside and two others try to exit from the inner room while Megan and Cueball are standing between them.]
:The Battle of Winterfell

:[Four rooms are shown inside of each other. Two characters try to enter from outside while three Cueballs in each room are standing while asleep.]
:''Inception'' (2010)

:[Smaller rooms are recursively shown inside of larger ones, with two characters trying to escape from each.]
:''The Divine Comedy'' (1320)

:[At the bottom a more complicated combination of various rooms shown in gray, with arrows labeled with question marks showing escape routes for two characters in black.]
:[Labels of various rooms and obstacles in gray:]
:Truman Show
:Bank
:Room
:Vault
:The dead
:Kevin McCallister's house
:Kevin McCallister's subconscious
:Styx
:Dante's Inferno
:[Label in the bottom in black:]
:My plan for the greatest escape room game of all time

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]

2145: Heists And Escapes

2019-05-03T20:55:46Z

162.158.255.52: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 2145
| date = May 3, 2019
| title = Heists And Escapes
| image = heists_and_escapes.png
| titletext = The interactive experience is built on a single theological framework that unites Dante, George R. R. Martin, every major heist movie, and Erin Gloria Ryan's "Kevin is dead" Home Alone theory.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an Escape room. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is about various things where people attempt to get in or out. In heists people are trying to open a vault.

The top six panels show a stylised version of the various options where people try to get in or out of rooms:

* Escape Rooms: In an escape room people are locked in and have a certain amount of time to leave.
* Heist Movies: In heist movies people are outside of the room they are trying to get in to (usually) steal what's inside.
* {{w|Home Alone}} (1990): This refers to the first movie in a franchise, where the room the bad guys tried to enter was protected by someone from the inside.
* The Battle of Winterfell: This refers to the 3rd episode of the 8th season of {{w|Game of Thrones}}. Here the dead tried to enter the keep (the middle room in the picture), but as the keep already contained a crypt, with the dead inside they could also try to leave that internal "room" as well.
* {{w|Inception}} (2010): This refers to the movie Inception where the protagonists could not only enter the dream of others but while in those dream could continue this again (entering the dream of someone inside the dream, etc.)
* {{w|Divine Comedy|The Divine Comedy}} (1320): This refers to Dante's work, especially it's first part Inferno, which depicts Hell as nine concentric circles

At the end Randall proposes a combination of all of these things, and also combining it with others:

* {{w|The Truman Show|Truman Show}}: This refers to a movie, where the protagonist - unknown by him - was living in a constructed reality show.
* Kevin McCallister's house/subconscious: Refers to an 8-year-old boy who is the main character in the movie Home Alone.
* {{w|Styx}}: Refers to a deity and a river in Greek mythology that forms the boundary between Earth and Underworld ("Hades").
* {{w|Inferno (Dante)|Dante's Inferno}}: Refers to Italian writer Dante Alighieri's epic poem that tells the journey of Dante through Hell.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Seven different room scenarios are shown with characters attempting to get inside or outside, each with a label below them.]

:[Cueball and Ponytail trying to exit a room.]
:Escape rooms

:[Cueball and Megan trying to enter a room.]
:Heist movies

:[Cueball, presumably representing Kevin, standing in the middle of a room while two people are trying to enter.]
:''Home Alone'' (1990)

:[A room is shown inside a larger room. Two characters try to enter from outside and two others try to exit from the inner room while Megan and Cueball are standing between them.]
:The Battle of Winterfell

:[Four rooms are shown inside of each other. Two characters try to enter from outside while three Cueballs in each room are standing while asleep.]
:''Inception'' (2010)

:[Smaller rooms are recursively shown inside of larger ones, with two characters trying to escape from each.]
:''The Divine Comedy'' (1320)

:[At the bottom a more complicated combination of various rooms shown in gray, with arrows labeled with question marks showing escape routes for two characters in black.]
:[Labels of various rooms and obstacles in gray:]
:Truman Show
:Bank
:Room
:Vault
:The dead
:Kevin McCallister's house
:Kevin McCallister's subconscious
:Styx
:Dante's Inferno
:[Label in the bottom in black:]
:My plan for the greatest escape room game of all time

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]

2141: UI vs UX

2019-04-26T02:11:22Z

162.158.255.52: /* Explanation */ fixed word choice

{{comic
| number = 2141
| date = April 24, 2019
| title = UI vs UX
| image = ui_vs_ux.png
| titletext = U[unprintable glyph]: The elements a higher power uses to bend that moral arc. U[even more unprintable glyph]: The higher power's overall experience bending that moral arc.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a UX DESIGNER. Each U{x} needs its own section, including the two from the title text. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[https://www.google.com/search?q=UI+vs+UX UI vs UX] is a discussion in software engineering of the differences between {{w|User_interface_design|user interface}} design (UI) and {{w|user experience}} design (UX). As explained in the comic, UI design is typically concerned with the elements of the interface that a user encounters, while UX design is more concerned about the user's overall experience in using such interface. UX design can be seen as more holistic & abstract than UI. This comic extends the idea, adding increasingly all-encompassing, abstract & fanciful design perspectives

*UI - '''Elements of the interface that the user encounters'''
This standard software engineering practice involves trying to come up with a user interface - icons, colors, placement or text and elements, etc. that works well together, that isn't confusing, and that hopefully makes it easy for the user to view the information they need to digest, as well as make whatever choices the user is expected to make. They also look at things like how long it takes to move from one screen or task to another, etc.

*UX - '''The user's experience of using the interface to achieve goals'''
Sometimes a UI designer makes choices that they think are easy for the user, but it turns out not to be as easy as expected when it comes to real users and practical situations. So the UX designer focuses on observing how a user uses a product, both how they use the user interface as well as other less technical aspects of their experience such as how they come to find out about the product, what they tell others about the product, etc.

The comic takes this to absurd levels by adding these additional categories:

*UZ - '''The psychological roots of the user's motivation for seeking out the interaction'''
The comic says that UZ is the investigation of the psychological roots of why the user even wants to use the interface. This is not normally something that computer programmers do{{Citation needed}}, and is usually best left in the hands of psychologists {{Citation needed}}.

"The psychological roots of motivation" is a [http://playbook.amanet.org/brian-tracy-the-root-of-motivation/ buzzword phrase] from [http://www.maccoby.com/books/WhyWork.php management theory] which may not have a particularly well-defined meaning. {{w|Motivation}} is itself the psychological root of behavior. While motivations certainly have causes, they are usually not clear enough to meaningfully treat in formal or clinical contexts.

*U∝ - '''The user's self-actualization'''

"{{w|Self actualization}}" is the most abstract, immaterial form of motivation, meaning the need to find comfort in one's own goals and achievements. Available only when more material needs such as those for food, shelter, warmth, security, and a sense of belonging are met, it forms the pinnacle of {{w|Maslow's hierarchy of needs}}.

*UΩ - '''The arc of the user's life'''

"The arc of one's life," means the overall thematic elements present in a person's entire existence, and is used as such in philosophical humor novels such as ''{{w|The World According to Garp}},'' which remarks on how easily the arc of any human life can turn on a single sexual relationship.

*U∞ - '''Life's experience of time'''

"Life's experience of time" is a very rare phrase which does not seem to have a coherent meaning across the handful of times it occurs.

*U⬤ - '''The arc of the moral universe'''

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice," is a famous line from a speech by {{w|Martin Luther King}}, referring to the slow pace at which social progress is often achieved, and paraphrasing parts of a 1853 sermon by abolitionist minister {{w|Theodore Parker}}: "I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways. I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by experience of sight. I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice." President Obama had the sentence from King's speech woven into a rug in the Oval Office.

The title text refers to a higher power bending the moral arc, but mirrors the UI and UX categories, with the implication that the list continues in a spiral through ever more rarefied levels of higher powers.

*U[unprintable glyph] - '''The elements a higher power uses to bend that moral arc'''

Essentially UI for the higher power's moral arc bending utility

*U[even more unprintable glyph] - '''The higher power's overall experience bending that moral arc'''

Essentially UX for the higher power's moral arc bending utility

==Transcript==
:[Two underlined headings are above two columns of text with seven lines. The left "symbol" is explained by the text to the right.]
:Designer     What they are responsible for
:'''UI'''               Elements of the interface that the user encounters
:'''UX'''              The user's experience of using the interface to achieve goals
:'''UZ'''              The psychological roots of the user's motivation for seeking out the interaction
:'''U∝'''             The user's self-actualization
:'''UΩ'''              The arc of the user's life
:'''U∞'''              Life's experience of time
:'''U'''⚫             The arc of the moral universe
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Programming]]

2136: Election Commentary

2019-04-13T07:48:27Z

162.158.255.52: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2136
| date = April 12, 2019
| title = Election Commentary
| image = election_commentary.png
| titletext = This really validates Jones's strategy of getting several thousand more votes than Smith. In retrospect, that was a smart move; those votes were crucial.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by XOF NEWSBOT 3000. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is a joke about the way newscasters commentate elections, and how they make it far more complicated than it needs to be in an election in which the candidate with the most votes wins. It's not uncommon for these methods to be used to imply the election is neck-and-neck long past the point one candidate has an insurmountable lead.

Smith has 55384 votes, while Jones has 59102 votes. Instead of comparing the votes as one number, and admitting that Jones' four thousand vote lead is likely going to earn him the win, Cueball compares each digit to see which is larger. Ultimately he implies that Smith has a chance to win, ''if only he could pull ahead in the thousands digit'' and secure a dramatic upset.

It should be noted that for U.S. Presidential elections, the candidate with more votes does not necessarily win, and instead the winner is determined by which candidate leads in which state, are actually more complicated than depicted, and require 57 separate comparisons (51 to determine who is leading in each of 50 states and the District of Columbia, five more for the Congressional districts in Nebraska and Maine (which choose electors at both district and statewide levels), and then one to compare the candidates' total electoral vote). That said, the comic is depicting something on a much smaller scale, such as a municipal or district election. This smaller election concerning approximately 120,000 voters is more likely to use the traditional, most-votes-wins method of election.

The title text is a similarly satirical twist on a common news comment during elections. Candidates often employ different strategies during the election season, with varying degrees of success. For example, if a strategy collected many votes (or important votes, see above paragraph), then it could be said that the area it affected was "crucial". Here, the area affected by Jones' ''strategy'' (an entire place value) is said to have been crucial — an obvious claim, seeing as greater place values always result in greater amounts indicated.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Cueball is presenting a graphic on his left that shows two names followed by five digits]
:Cueball: Smith is leading in 3 of the 5 digits, and is tied in another. But Jones has a solid lead the thousands place, if Smith can't catch up there, it's over.

:Smith  5 5 3 8 4
:::tie ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
:::tie ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗
:Jones  5 9 1 0 2

:[Caption below the panel:]
:A lot of election commentary just consists of unnecessarily convoluted ways to add up who has more votes.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

2133: EHT Black Hole Picture

2019-04-12T04:18:32Z

162.158.255.52: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2133
| date = April 5, 2019
| title = EHT Black Hole Picture
| image = eht_black_hole_picture.png
| titletext = [five years later] Ok, it seems we were accidentally zoomed in slightly too far. But imagine there's a cool-looking twisted accretion disc just outside this black square!
}}

==Explanation==
This comic references the {{w|Event Horizon Telescope}}, an international project dedicated to imaging {{w|black hole}}s Sagittarius A* and M87 with angular resolution comparable in size to their event horizons. The first image of M87 was released to the public on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, five days after this comic's release, and appeared on the same day in the comic [[2135: M87 Black Hole Size Comparison]].

The image was produced from data gathered since 2006, collected by over a dozen radio telescopes around the world and combined through a process called {{w|interferometry}}. Normally, a telescope's resolution is limited by the size of its aperture, but by recording radio signals at multiple sites, the minute differences between the signals can be digitally processed into an image with much higher resolution. The telescopes used for the EHT are in Hawaii, North and South America, Europe, and Antarctica, and so the effective diameter of the collective EHT is almost the size of the Earth itself. As each telescope recorded observations of the black holes, the results were written to hard drives and mailed to observatories at {{w|MIT}} and the {{w|Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy}} for processing. Astronomical recordings can involve astronomical amounts of data, so the raw, original, feed from a telescope may never be stored if it is too dense -- it is instead processed live by computers to capture the information of interest, and the processed result is stored. 

The first image released by the EHT was expected to be in April 2017, but unforeseen events delayed it by two years, to April 2019. Randall predicts this trend will continue, and makes a joke by analogy to real-world difficult experiences capturing important moments.

Luckily this comic was not in any way prophetic, and five days after this comic was released [https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47873592 the EHT team released a black hole picture] for the world to enjoy.

The comic shows [[Cueball]] giving a press conference on the recent photographing of a black hole. However, the photograph is a disappointment, caused by the spectacular failure of several systems:

* You cannot download the picture.
Obviously, it would be quite impractical to fail to reliably provide this in an astronomical system. Cueball describes the system as being like {{w|Pinterest}}, where {{w|JavaScript}} prevents you from right-clicking on an image so that you could save it (or at least attempts to, there are many workarounds).

* You cannot screenshot the picture.
Cueball states that they then tried to take a screenshot, but the key combination to make a screenshot instead turned off the monitor where the picture was being displayed whenever they tried to use it, requiring extra time and effort each attempt in order to return to the view of the black hole. This could reference the fact that many mobile devices incorporate the power button in their screen shot combination and the power button can also turn off the screen. Laptops and operating systems may also have undocumented key combinations that blank the screen, which users can accidentally press when in a hurry and create further stress for themselves.

* The viewing period ends before a physical camera can be used.
As a last act of desperation, Cueball took out his phone and attempted to take a photo of the screen showing the black hole, but by that time, the observation had ended, and the photo was lost.

In reality, none of this ''should'' be an issue as the picture would be immediately saved by the system and would not need to be downloaded from the site, but NASA especially knows that developers of a system can never predict the obscure happenstances that can combine to create failure at the end.

Cueball then states that they would try to take a picture of a black hole again next year.

The title text explains that (after presumably five years of annual tries), the picture failed again as the telescope was too zoomed in and only captured a featureless square. Since a black hole by definition returns no light sent to it, the photograph would be entirely black. Researchers however are primarily presumably trying to obtain images of the more interesting edge known as an {{w|accretion disc}}, which could actually be meaningfully photographed. The joke is that the black hole could only be photographed once a year, and in each year some incidental set of mistakes combined to prevent the photograph from actually being shared with anybody. This could be a reference to the {{w|cosmic censorship hypothesis}}, which states that a "naked" singularity cannot be viewed from outside an event horizon, where in this case the censor is some kind of "butterfly of doom" that bedevils astronomers who attempt to image one anyway, similar to some interpretations of the {{w|Novikov self-consistency principle}} (a possible resolution to various {{w|time travel paradoxes}} which asserts that any event which would lead to a paradox must have probability zero).

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing behind a lectern, with "Press Conference" and the EHT logo displayed on a projector screen behind him.]
:Cueball: We linked up our observatories, got everything aligned, and there it was:
:Cueball: The first image of a black hole!

:[Zoom in on Cueball. A question is asked from off panel.]
:Off-panel question: Can you share the picture?
:Cueball: Well, here's the thing...

:[Cueball lifts his arm holding his hand with its palm up.]
:Cueball: Turns out our telescope feed is like Pinterest, where you can't right-click to save an image.
:Cueball: So we tried to take a screenshot, but the key combination kept turning off the display instead.

:[Zoom back out to show that the image on the projector screen has changed to show a blurry picture of a white computer screen against a black background. The EHT logo remains at the bottom of the projector screen.]
:Cueball: I grabbed my phone and tried to take a picture of the screen, but I was too slow. The observation had ended.
:Cueball: We're planning to try again next year, and we'll definitely record the screen this time.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Public speaking]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]

1889: xkcd Phone 6

2017-09-13T15:53:10Z

162.158.255.52: /* List of features */ ~~~~

{{comic
| number = 1889
| date = September 13, 2017
| title = xkcd Phone 6
| image = xkcd_phone_6.png
| titletext = We understand your privacy concerns; be assured that our phones will never store or transmit images of your face.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|All features need an explanation, the version number war and title text as well. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is the sixth entry in the ongoing [[:Category:xkcd Phones|xkcd Phone series]].

===List of features===

; Front camera (centered for eye contact during video chat)

: Front camera is a common feature of smartphones. The camera lens is located on the same side of the phone's case as the main screen, therefore it is possible to capture the image of the user's face looking at the screen and display the interlocutor's face on the screen simultaneously, enabling video chat. However, as the camera is usually located above the screen, a user looking at the displayed image of the other person directs his or her eyes at the center of the screen and not at the camera's lens. This is very visible on the other end of the chat as if the person talking was looking down and not in the interlocutor's face which is an uncomfortable situation for most people. For this reason, professionals involved in movie or TV making like actors or reporters are trained to look straight into the camera's lens while talking which creates impression of looking straight at the viewer's face. During a video chat, however, looking into the lens of an above-screen camera does not allow one to see the interlocutor's face clearly because it is then in the peripheral field of vision.

: To solve this conundrum, Randall proposes locating the camera lens right in the middle of the screen. Therefore the user looking at the screen to see the other persons' face would be also looking at the lens, creating an impression of a straight look on the other end of the chat. This is absurd since the lens would then take place of some of the center pixels of the screen, not allowing to display the center part of the captured image of the other person's face (like eyes, nose and lips) which is most important for nonverbal communication. Such location of the camera lens would also likely interfere with touch screen function. It will make other applications on the phone difficult to use, since virtually no user interface is designed to accommodate for a blind spot in the center.

; Full-width rear camera

:

; CDC partnership - phone automatically administers seasonal flu vaccine to cheek every year

: U.S. {{w|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}} is a government agency tasked with addressing public health concerns such as infectious diseases, including seasonal flu. A common way of limiting spread of an infectious disease is {{w|Vaccine|vaccination}}, which most often involves administering a specially prepared medicine via an {{w|intramuscular injection}}. This features implies that the phone would automatically perform such an injection once a year, by shooting a needle out of a small aperture while the user is holding it to his or her cheek during a call.

; 12-function

: Most smartphones can be used for more than 12 different things.{{Citation needed}}

; Dishwasher safe

: Usually a feature of plastic containers or fancy dishes. Unlikely to appear on a smartphone, though potentially useful if you need to clean your screen.

; GPS transmitter

:

; 3-G acceleration

:

; Portable, solar-heated

: Portability is pretty much the entire point of using a *mobile* phone, so advertising portability is rather pointless. Solar *power* charging could be a very useful feature on a phone, but solar *heating* usually applies to plumbing, where a water tank is heated by the sun and used to supply hot water to taps. Technically, as the sun heats up everything on the earth, the phone is in fact solar heated.

;Pore-cleaning strip

; Maximum strength

:

; Never needs sharpening

: Phones do not need to be sharpened in the first place.{{Citation needed}} This is a feature more likely to apply to a mechanical pencil, which does have the advantage of never needing to be sharpened as opposed to a normal pencil.

; Can survive up to 30 minutes out of water

:This is a play on the common IP-rating of water resistance, which is typically rated for submersion to a rated depth for 30 minutes. A phone which could only be used or carried for 30 minutes and then needed to be immersed in water would be rather inconvenient.

; Exclusive Audubon Society app identifies birds and lets you control their flight

:

; Extra screen

:Because of the center camera, an additional section of screen was added.

; Wireless charging port

:Wireless charging has no wires, and needs no port.

; Safe for ages 6 – 8 months, 10 months, 18 months – 3 years, and 12 years and older

:

; Screen goes past the edge

:An over-exaggerated version of the "edge to edge" displays in recent generations of smartphones

; High thread count CPU

:High thread count typically applies to bedding, not CPU threads.

; Shroud of Turin-style facial transfer unlock

:The Shroud of Turin apparently displays an image of the face of Jesus, appearing as if it was transferred to the cloth. Presumably, to unlock this phone, the user must press their face against it.

; Fonts developed by NASA

:

; Includes applicator

:

; Burns clean coal

: There is a push for clean energy production as a result of increased awareness of global warming. While it may be useful for a phone to be able to produce its own energy, coal is by definition not a clean energy source because it produces carbon dioxide. The phone is not stated to have a vent for the CO2 to escape, which would technically make the coal "clean" as it is not entering the atmosphere. However, the gas is instead trapped inside the phone, which will quickly ruin it through a combination of heat and pressure.

; Pre-seasoned

:Pre-seasoned typically refers to cast iron cookware which is ready to use out of the box, as opposed to needing to season it with oil and heat. It can also refer to packaged meats which are ready to cook without needing to be seasoned with herbs and spices.

; Broad-spectrum SPF 30

:The xkcd phone somehow gives an SPF 30 level of skin protection from the sun.

; College-ruled

:College-ruled is a style of notebook paper having narrower lines in order to fit more text per page.

; Sterile packaging

:

; Radium backlight

The discovery of the phosphorescent element radium sparked a brief fad in which some watch makers painted watch faces or hands with the substance so the time could be read at night. However, it was eventually realized that regular exposure to radium could result in radiation poisoning, particularly for the workers assembling and painting the watches. A radium-based backlight would therefore be both potentially dangerous (especially for an object carried on one's person much of the time) but also largely useless, as the phosphorescence of radium is rather dim compared to conventional phone back lights.

; 4K pixels (50x80)

:This refers to having 4,000 pixels in the screen, rather than a screen width of ~4000 pixels.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A smartphone is shown, the screen is slightly wider than the case, in the middle is a photo lens, and at the right bottom a small extra part is added to the screen.]
:[On top a bracket ranges nearly over the entire width of the case. The text reads:]
:Full-width rear camera
:[The label at the photo lens is:]
:Front camera (centered for eye contact during video chat)
:[The label on the extra part says:]
:Extra screen
:[At the bottom below the case a label reads:]
:Wireless charging port

:[The labels left to the phone are:]
:4k pixels (50x80)
:Radium backlight
:Sterile packaging
:College-ruled
:Broad spectrum SPF 30
:Pre-seasoned
:Burns clean coal
:Includes applicator
:Fonts developed by NASA
:Shroud of turn-style facial transfer unlock
:High thread count CPU
:Screen goes past the edge
:Safe for ages 6-8 months, 10 months, 18 months-3 years, and 12 years and older

:[The labels right to the phone are:]
:CDC partnership: Phone automatically administers seasonal flu vaccine to check every year
:12-function
:Dishwasher safe
:GPS transmitter
:3-G acceleration
:Portable, solar-heated
:Pore-cleaning strip
:Maximum strength
:Never needs sharpening
:Can survive up to 30 minutes out of water
:Exclusive Audubon Society app identifies birds and lets you control their flight

:[Text below the phone:]
:Introducing
:'''The XKCD PHONE 6, VIII, 10, X, 26, and 1876'''
:We didn't start this nonconsecutive version number war, but we will not lose it.™®©º
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:xkcd Phones]]

960: Subliminal

2016-05-26T03:47:58Z

162.158.255.52: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 960
| date = October 5, 2011
| title = Subliminal
| image = subliminal.png
| titletext = Once you see it, you can't help seeing it every time. Until your body finishes metabolizing the mushrooms.
}}

==Explanation==
[[File:fedex-logo.png|right|300px|thumb|The FedEx Express logo, for comparison]]
This comic is about the {{w|FedEx}} {{w|FedEx#Operating units and logos|logo}} and how there is a subliminal/hidden arrow in the logo; specifically, in the whitespace between the "E" and the "x". When [[Cueball]] looks at the logo, he instead sees a wild scene including {{w|Guy Fawkes}}, {{w|Willie Mays}} and an {{w|assault vehicle}}. The implication being in the title text that he is affected by {{w|Mushroom#Psychoactive mushrooms|hallucinogenic wild mushrooms}}.

Guy Fawkes was a British revolutionary who tried to {{w|Gunpowder Plot|blow up}} the {{w|Palace_of_Westminster|Houses of Parliament}} in 1605. {{w|Guy Fawkes mask|His likeness}} is nowadays used as a symbol of protest, most famously in the graphic novel and movie "{{w|V For Vendetta}}" and by {{w|Anonymous (group)|Anonymous}} and the {{w|Occupy movement}}.

Willie Mays was an American {{w|baseball}} player for the {{w|San Francisco Giants}} who made a {{w|The Catch (baseball)|famous over-the-shoulder catch}} in the World Series. Some consider it to be the best defensive play of all time in baseball.

The title text is also a play on the Internet idiom "once you see it, you can't unsee it".

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan are gathered around a computer. Cueball is seated interacting with the computer while Megan stands behind them with an arm resting on the back of the chair.]
:Cueball: What hidden arrow?
:Megan: I thought everyone knew about it. Pull up the FedEx logo.
:''Click''

:[Megan is now pointing at the screen.]
:Cueball: Where is it?
:Megan: Right there. Look at the whitespace.
:Cueball: I don't see it.

:[The next panel shows a stylised view of the FedEx logo. The white space above the 'ed' in Fed is decorated to look like a tank turret with the barrel extending into the letter 'F'. Along the bottom of the letters a baseball player with the number 24 on his back is reaching out to catch a baseball. The baseball is forming the centre of the 'e' while the arm provides the break for the tail. The baseballers head marks the centre of the 'd' and the number 24 is coloured in blue to show the lower half of the stroke of the 'd'. Toward the right of the image the space between the 'E' and 'x' has been decorated to look like a Guy Fawkes mask, with ties wrapping around the 'x' and being drawn off-screen. A faint outline suggests the whitespace above the 'x' is a hat, with the brim extending into the upper part of the 'E'. Two speech bubbles are visible above the drawing, both spoken by off-screen characters.]
:Cueball (off-screen): All I see is Guy Fawkes watching Willie Mays catch a fly ball while an armored assault vehicle rolls past.
:Megan (off-screen): ...You either need more medication or less. Not sure which.

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

1653: United States Map

2016-03-09T22:45:08Z

162.158.255.52: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1653
| date = March 9, 2016
| title = United States Map
| image = united_states_map.png
| titletext = It would be pretty unfair to give to someone a blank version of this map as a 'how many states can you name?' quiz. (If you include Alaska and Hawaii, you should swap the Aleutian Islands with the Hawaiian ones.)
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|List how the states are swapped around using the table}}

The comic is a map with the (rough) outline of the {{w|Contiguous United States|mainland}} of the {{w|United States of America}}. At first it looks like the real map, but actually all the states have been shuffled around in it. It seems that [[Randall]] took all of the states (minus {{w|Alaska}} and {{w|Hawaii}} the two states that are not part of this map and are only mentioned in the title text, see below), and then reassembled them in the style of a jigsaw puzzle, with the end result being a map with a similar outline to the original [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/National-atlas-blank-state-outlines.png unaltered mainland state map]. They can thus be reassembled into the real map as can be seen [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/8/88/1653-rearranged.png here] (see also the [[#Trivia|trivia section]]).

This comic may be an input to the way the {{w|voting districts}} in the US are so random that you can not guess where your vote will count. In this video ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90RajY2nrgk Electoral College Ruins Democracy]'' (by {{w|Adam Ruins Everything}} from November 2015), a map of the US is split up, much like this comic has done. In this case though the states do not move to a new location, but rater move apart to show the size of the state depending on how much your vote would count. The video is about how the {{w|Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College}} is assembled in order to elects the President and Vice President of the United States. At the time of this comics release (2016-03-09) the {{w|United States presidential primary}} elections to determine the candidates for the {{w|United States presidential election, 2016}} was in full progress and not at all determined yet.

Previously Randall has played with the shapes of the united states in [[1079: United Shapes]]. In that map he did two separate drawings for {{w|Michigan}} with a mitten in the {{w|Lower Peninsula of Michigan|lower part}} and an eagle in the {{w|Upper Peninsula of Michigan|upper part}}. Once again in this version he has split Michigan in two, the lower main part, the mitten just labeled ''Michigan'', is on the west coast on part of {{w|California|California's}} location, but the upper part is located on the east coast over {{w|New York|New York's}} location and has been labeled ''MI (upper)''. So even without Hawaii and Alaska, there are 49 "states" in this map, consisting of 47 states plus the two halves of Michigan. In the [[#Table|table]] below all 49 states in the map has been listed to indicate where the puzzle pieces have been moved to.

It seems at a first glance that the names have been written on the states as they would appear in a normal map, and that they have all then been rotated with the rotation of the states. But this is not the case for all states. For instance it seems like {{w|Utah}} has hardly been moved at all, and with the name written normally this may be intentionally to deceive the readers. Because Utah has been turned upside down, and according to how for instance {{w|Texas}}, clearly turned upside down, has it's name written upside down as well, Utah should thus also have been written like that.

It seems likely that this could be a trick by Randall, to see if anyone spots that Utah has actually been moved. But it could of course be a mistake, as seems more likely with {{w|Montana}} where the same "error" has occurred, but since this state has been moved far from it's real position there would be no sport in doing so (see the [[#Trivia|trivia section]]). Of course there is the possibility that "Utah" was on purpose and Montana by mistake. With 47 of 49 ending up rotated as expected on the map and only two exactly upside down, there can be no doubt that it was on purpose that the the names are written according to the states rotation for the 47. Note that for instance the state California has been rotated, but in a way so the text is written normally. But due to the direction of the state, it is normal to write the name tilted down along the state, which just coincidentally ends up being rotated normal in the position it has in the comic.

Other states that have not been moved a lot include California which has only been pushed down the length of the west border of the US (and thus rotated acordingly), so the top part still overlaps with the bottom part California, but also {{w|Arizona}} and {{w|New Mexico}}. {{w|Maine}} has only been rolled left (i.e. turned upside down) to just outside its normal position. {{w|Colorado}} has been moved up a state to where {{w|Wyoming}} usually is, and Wyoming has then just been shifted right. But both have been turned 90 degrees, whichever way would be impossible to say for these rectangular states. But the text, if you dare believe in that, seems to indicate they have been turned counter clockwise. {{w|Wisconsin}} has only been shifted down below its usual position but then turned upside down.

The title text mentions how it would be unfair to use a [http://i.imgur.com/Mvi8j9s.jpg blank version] (already created by a user) of this shuffled-up map as a quiz for knowledge of U.S. geography; most people recognize states primarily by their relative locations, not their shape (and especially not their shape after being rotated). It also suggests a corresponding mean trick to play if you include Alaska and Hawaii, which are not present in the comic itself, namely to interchange the volcanic island of Hawaii (consisting of 8 main island and hundreds smaller ones) with those of the {{w|Aleutian Islands}}, also a chain of volcanic islands (14 large and 55 smaller) that partly belongs to the US partly to Russia. The island extends from the {{w|Alaska Peninsula}}. It would thus be possible to even make it difficult to correctly name these last two states, even though it would be obvious to begin with that it must be the two not belonging to the mainland.

==Table==
*This table list all states in the order of the transcript. But it can be sorted alphabetically.
*It's purpose is two fold:
**To list the rotation of the state compared to the real orientation of the sate in the real world map
**To list which state/states the states, in this comics map, have been moved over/inside.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! State
! Orientation
! Moved to
! Note
|-
| {{w|Ohio}} || Upside down || Washington ||
|-
| {{w|Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia}} || Upside down || Oregon ||
|-
| {{w|Lower Peninsula of Michigan|Michigan (lower part)}} (as {{w|Michigan}})|| Upside down || Top part of California || Michigan is the only state split in two, as it is also split in two peninsulas in real life. In real life these two parts lies very close on the shores of the {{w|Great Lakes region|Great Lakes}}, and not as here, with one at each coast of the US. But at least they still both lies on a shore.
|-
| {{w|Maryland}} (as MD) || Upside down || Middle part of California ||
|-
| {{w|California}} || Rotated counter clockwise || Bottom part of both California, Arizona and New Mexico ||
|-
| {{w|Kansas}} || Upside down || Right part of Washington, top part of Idaho and left part of Montana ||
|-
| {{w|Pennsylvania}} || Rotated clockwise || Right part of Oregon and Idaho ||
|-
| {{w|Oklahoma}} || Rotated clockwise || Idaho and Montana||
|-
| {{w|New Mexico}} ||None ||Nevada, and parts of the surrounding states ||
|-
| {{w|Nebraska}} || Upside down || North parts of New Mexico and Arizona||
|-
| {{w|South Dakota}} || None ||Montana ||
|-
| {{w|Colorado}} || Rotated counter clockwise ||West part of Wyoming ||
|-
| {{w|Wyoming}} || Rotated counter clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Utah}} || Upside down || Utah || Has hardly been moved at all, as the only state, but only rotated. But the text is written upside down on the state, making it appear normal in the comic. This may be an intentional trick from Randall. Only other state where this has occurred is Montana.
|-
| {{w|Alabama}} || None || ||
|-
| {{w|Massachusetts}} (as MA) || Rotated counter clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Virginia}} || Rotated counter clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Arizona}} || Rotated counter clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Washington (state)|Washington}} || Rotated counter clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Montana}} || Rotated counter clockwise || Colorado, New Mexico and Texas || The text has been written upside down on the state, so in a correct map using this state the text would be upside down. Only other state this has happened with is Utah.
|-
| {{w|New York}} || None || ||
|-
| {{w|Minnesota}} || Upside down || ||
|-
| {{w|Texas}} || Upside down || ||
|-
| {{w|Connecticut}} (as CT) || Rotated clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Mississippi}} (as Missi-ssippi) || Rotated clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Nevada}} || None || ||
|-
| {{w|Idaho}} || Rotated clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|South Carolina}} || Rotated counter clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Missouri}} || Upside down || ||
|-
| {{w|Wisconsin}} || Upside down || ||
|-
| {{w|Kentucky }} || Rotated clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|North Dakota}} || Rotated clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Florida}} || Rotated counter clockwise || Lower part of Michigan and the very top part of Ohio. ||
|-
| {{w|North Carolina}} || Rotated clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Indiana}} || None || ||
|-
| {{w|Rhode Island}} (as RI ) || Any clear rotation? || ||
|-
| {{w|Oregon}} || Rotated clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Iowa}} || None || ||
|-
| {{w|Tennessee}} || Upside down || ||
|-
| {{w|Illinois}} || None || ||
|-
| {{w|Maine}} || Upside down || ||
|-
| {{w|New Hampshire}} (as NH) || None || ||
|-
| {{w|Lower Peninsula of Michigan|Michigan (upper part)}} (as MI (upper))|| Rotated 45 degree counter clockwise || Pennsylvania and New York|| Michigan is the only state split in two, as it is also split in two peninsulas in real life. In real life these two parts lies very close on the shores of the {{w|Great Lakes region|Great Lakes}}, and not as here, with one at each coast of the US. But at least they still both lies on a shore.
|-
| {{w|Arkansas}} || None || ||
|-
| {{w|New Jersey}} (as NJ)|| None || ||
|-
| {{w|Louisiana}} || Rotated counter clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|West Virginia}} || Rotated 45 degree clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Delaware}} (as DE) || Rotated counter clockwise || ||
|-
| {{w|Vermont}} (as VT) || Upside down || ||
|}

==Transcript==
:[A white map with an outline that closely resembles that of the mainland of the United States of America with gray all around the black border. But on closer inspection most of the states do not look right. The 48 mainland states are all there, however, with their name or abbreviations written on them as a label in gray text. But they have all been shuffled around and then reassembled as a jigsaw puzzle in the same shape as USA. The name labels for most of the states have been rotated, often to follow the new rotation of the state in the map. So some are written upside down or have been rotated 90 degrees clockwise or counter clockwise or even somewhere in between. One state, Michigan, has even been split up in two so there are 49 instead of 48 labels. For the states that have been named only with state abbreviations the full name is written in a brackets behind the transcript of the abbreviation. Here below all the states are listed approximately in columns going from the top left and down and then moving right to the next column across the map. Any rotation of the text from normal is noted in brackets behind the name.]
:Ohio [Upside down]
:Georgia [Upside down]
:Michigan [Upside down – but only bottom part]
:MD [Upside down - Maryland]
:California [Text not rotated, but state is rotated counter-clockwise]
:Kansas [Upside down]
:Pennsylvania [Rotated clockwise]
:Oklahoma [Rotated clockwise]
:New Mexico
:Nebraska [Upside down]
:South Dakota
:Colorado [Rotated counter clockwise]
:Wyoming [Rotated counter clockwise]
:Utah [Text normal, but state is upside down, i.e. the text is upside down in the state]
:Alabama
:MA [Rotated counter clockwise – Massachusetts]
:Virginia [Rotated counter clockwise]
:Arizona [Rotated counter clockwise]
:Washington [Rotated counter clockwise]
:Montana [Rotated clockwise - but the state is rotated counter clockwise, i.e. the text is upside down in the state]
:New York
:Minnesota [Upside down]
:Texas [Upside down]
:CT [Rotated clockwise –Connecticut]
:Missi-
::ssippi [Rotated clockwise - text split with hyphen]
:Nevada
:Idaho [Rotated clockwise]
:South Carolina [Rotated counter clockwise, by more than 90 degrees, but the state is rotated exactly 90 degrees]
:Missouri [Upside down]
:Wisconsin [Upside down]
:Kentucky [Rotated clockwise]
:North Dakota [Rotated clockwise]
:Florida [Rotated counter clockwise, by more than 90 degrees, but the state is rotated exactly 90 degrees]
:North Carolina [Rotated clockwise]
:Indiana
:RI [Label below in the ocean –Rhode Island]
:Oregon [Rotated clockwise]
:Iowa
:Tennessee [Upside down]
:Illinois
:Maine [Upside down]
:NH [New Hampshire]
:MI (upper) [Rotated 45 degree counter clockwise – Michigan but only upper part]
:Arkansas
:NJ [New Jersey]
:Louisiana [Rotated 45 degree counter clockwise - but the state is rotated exactly 90 degrees]
:West Virginia [Rotated 45 degree clockwise]
:DE [Rotated counter clockwise – label to the right in the ocean – Delaware]
:VT [Upside down –Vermont]

==Trivia==
*Using two A3 printouts of both the [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/National-atlas-blank-state-outlines.png real map] from Wikipedia and this comic, is approximately the same scale it was possible to reassemble US putting the states in their correct place.
**The result displayed surprisingly accurate drawings of the states, although it is clear that on the borders between states that are not drawn by a ruler, they cannot be correct for both states in all cases.
**From this map it becomes clear that not only Utah but also Montana has the text written upside down according to the correct position of the state.
[[File:1653 United States Map 49 piece jigsaw solved.jpg]]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Maps]]

1649: Pipelines

2016-02-29T23:16:58Z

162.158.255.52: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1649
| date = February 29, 2016
| title = Pipelines
| image = pipelines.png
| titletext = In the future, every single pipeline will lead to the bowl of a giant blender, and we'll all just show up with a bucket each day to take our share of the resulting smoothie.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|The table with all the items should be filled out with sizes. Note the size given in trivia is probably not very accurate and should not just be used as is.}}

Follows a similar idea to the [[what if?]] {{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}, (from three days before this comic's release), where the entire water flow over {{w|Niagara Falls}} is imagined to flow through a straw (i.e. 7 mm diameter with disastrous results).

In this comic [[Randall]] imagines what size pipes are necessary to carry US domestic production/consumption of various fluids if the flow rate were fixed at 4 meters per second. Randall notes that "many pipes would overlap", owing to the fact that consumption of one item as corn syrup would be due to the production of one of the others, in this case club soda (another example, than the previous one which is actually mentioned in the comic, could be gasoline which is produced by petroleum ).

The top panel is in actual size (something Randall often jokes about but here he means it). This means that if you look at the image in actual size (or measure lengths in the full size image) then the measured diameter is the diameter Randall has calculated the pipe should be, based on his data for the consumption of these substances. In the second panel the pipes are way to big for his drawing. To indicate the scale he has both inserted a human (appearance like [[Megan]], but with blonde hair, i.e. not Megan) and the top panel has been shrunk down to indicate how much larger the bottom panel is (this is similar to the link between the panels in [[980: Money]]). Using the size of the top panel and the smaller insert, it can be found that the scale is 20:1. So since the girl is 9 cm high in the image she is 180 cm (5 feet 11 inches) in "real life", which is high for most grown women, but not unrealistic, plus she might have high heels on (which would not render in xkcd). The pipe next to her for gasoline would be 2.2 m high. Again the diameter can thus be found easily by measuring the actual diameter in the image and multiply with 20.

As usual with xkcd, the absurdity -- and improbability -- of routing the entirety of each fluid through a single pipe at any point is the source of humor. In addition, despite Randall's stated assumption that all the fluids are magically flowing at the same rate as public water (4 meters per second), many could never actually do so; some "fluids" shown are rather viscous (e.g. peanut butter, Silly Putty, meat), highly adhesive (e.g. maple syrup), or thermally impractical (e.g. glass, cheese, ice cream and yogurt). Lastly, many are just plain zany (e.g. saliva a reference to another what if? {{what if|144|Saliva Pool}}). Note that at the bottom of the last panel there is a much larger pipe for the tap water used by the public. All substances are listed below in the [[#Table|table]].

The title text refers to a possible future based on the idea of this comic in which all the pipes with the above mentioned fluids will actually lead into the same hole as shown in the top right panel. This hole will then be the bowl of a giant blender that mixes all these substances together to a toxic ''{{w|smoothie}}''. The future people will then just come up to this blender and get a bucket full of this mix each day. The resulting ''smoothie'', as it is, would be deadly to consume, as the largest part of it is petroleum and gasoline (except of course if the public water pipe also mixes into it. But it will probably still be lethal to drink). In the future, however, we would probably the have a house hold appliance, that separated the mix into the individual substances, so it would all make perfect sense then... or not!

In addition to the what if? article, the relevancy of pipelines, particularly regarding public water, is heightened due to the ongoing public health crisis in Flint, Michigan, caused by recent (mis-)management of their public water system.{{Citation needed}} Studies have shown that temporary use of the Flint River as a water source caused corrosive water to leach lead from old pipes, causing lead poisoning in many residents, particularly children; other ill effects in addition to lead have been noted. The crisis has lead to a public outcry against the state "emergency financial management" team appointed and supervised by the state executive (Gov. Rick Snyder and staff) and an outpouring of support from nearby communities such as Metro Detroit via bottled water donations to Flint residents.

Note: "Soup" has been left out, and it might have been expected in this comic due to the similarity to this system with [[Beret Guy|Beret Guy's]] use of a "soup outlet" as an entrepreneur in [[1293: Job Interview]]. It is probably a larger pipeline than salsa and possibly even ketchup. However, most soup is probably not bought finished, and this is a very good reason to not include it in the chart. But still the idea of having a soup outlet is very similar to this comic.

===Table===
*All the substances are listed here in the "reading" order also used in the transcript.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|+ All substances with size as found in the picture, vs. size calculated from public information
|-
! scope="col" | Substance
! scope="col" | Size (cm)
! scope="col" | Calculated size (cm)
! scope="col" | Explanation
|-
| {{w|Toothpaste}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Nail polish}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Windshield washer fluid}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Silly putty}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Shampoo}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Honey}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Blood donation|Donated blood}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Vanilla}}
|
|
| Not the ice but the spice (which is black as the substance in the vanilla pipe).
|-
| {{w|Ketchup}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Salsa (sauce)|Salsa}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Sunscreen}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Personal lubricant}}
|
|
| Aka Lube
|-
| {{w|LCD liquid}}
|
|
| For {{w|Liquid-crystal display}}
|-
| {{w|Mayonnaise|Mayo}}
|
|
| Or mayonnaise
|-
| {{w|Printer ink}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Maple syrup}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Hair conditioner|Conditioner}}
|
|
| For hair
|-
| {{w|Mustard (condiment)|Mustard}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Liquid soap}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Olive oil}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Coffee}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Peanut butter}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Ice cream}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Cheese}}
|
|
| Made from Milk (cow) also in the chart
|-
| {{w|Carbonated water|Soda}}
|
|
| As in club soda
|-
| {{w|Acetone}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Liquor}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Gasoline}}
|
|
| Made from Petrol also in the chart
|-
| {{w|Yogurt}}
|
|
| Made from Milk (cow) also in the chart
|-
| {{w|Milk#Cow.27s_milk|Milk (cow)}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Bottled water}}
|
|
| See also [[1599: Water Delivery]]
|-
| {{w|Sugar}}
|
|
| See also [[1639: To Taste]]
|-
| {{w|Saliva}}
|
|
| From these data it could be calculated how long it would take America to drool enough to fill that pool from the what if? {{what if|144|Saliva Pool}}.
|-
| {{w|Wine}}
| 23
| 20
| Americans drank just under [https://www.wineinstitute.org/resources/statistics/article86 900 million gallons of wine in 2014], or just over 4 million cubic metres per year meaning that Americans drink about 0.13 m3/s. With the pipe flowing at 4m/s this pipe must have an area of 320cm2. The radius of a pipe of area 320cm^2 is 10cm. The wine pipe should thus have a diameter of 20cm.
|-
| {{w|HFCS}}
|
|
| High fructose corn syrup
|-
| {{w|Breast milk|Milk (human)}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Petroleum}}
|
|
| Used to make for instance gasoline also in the chart
|-
| {{w|Meat}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Glass}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Beer}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Tea}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Cement}}
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Tap water|Public water}}
|
|
|
|}

==Transcript==
:[Caption above the first main panel, to the left of a smaller panel to the right.]
:<big>The size of the US’s</big>
:<big><big>'''Pipelines'''</big></big>
:<big>if each fluid produced or consumed in the US has to be carried by a single pipe</big>
:Assuming they all flowed at the same speed of about 4m/s
:Note: Many pipelines would overlap (eg. '''soda'''/corn syrup)

:[There is a small panel to the right showing three gray pipes of different sizes leading out over a large hole in the ground. Only a part of the hole can be seen at the bottom left part of the panel, but it curves around indicating it is a large circular hole. The pipes are supported by small legs beneath them and from the end of all three thick liquids are squirting out and down into the hole. The first pipe is by far the largest; the liquid from it is white, but not as white as the background. The second pipe is by far the smallest squirting dark red liquid and the final rightmost pipe is in between and squirts our light brown liquid. Each pipe is labeled. The label on the smallest cannot be read properly, but from the info gained in the next panel it can be inferred for certain what it says (and this is indicated here below):]
:[Large pipe (white)]: Mayo
:[Small pipe (dark red)]: Nail polish
:[Medium pipe (light brown)]: Maple syrup

:[Below is a large panel with a caption at the top. And below this there are twenty circles in different sizes and with different color (or even texture). Each circle is labeled, for the five smallest the label is outside, in one case with an arrow indicating where the label belongs. The rest has the label inside. The text is in black except for four of those with text inside, but with red of black color. Here the text is white. The labels are indicated by color and size, going roughly from top left in reading order based on the position and size of circles not of position of the text:]
:<big>Actual size </big> (When viewed on a typical computer screen) 
:[Medium green blue and white spiral]: Toothpaste
:[Tiny dark red]: Nail polish
:[Big light blue with white specks]: Windshield washer fluid
:[Very tiny purple]: Silly putty
:[Medium light green]: Shampoo
:[Large dark yellow]: Honey
:[Very small blood red]: Donated blood
:[Tiny black]: Vanilla
:[Big red]: Ketchup
:[Medium dark red with chunks of in different green and lighter red colors]: Salsa
:[Small white]: Sunscreen
:[Very small light green]: Personal lubricant
:[Very tiny gray]: LCD liquid
:[Medium off-white]: Mayo
:[Very small black]: Printer ink
:[Small light brown]: Maple syrup
:[Small light green]: Conditioner
:[Medium yellow]: Mustard
:[Large light green]: Liquid soap
:[Big olive green]: Olive oil

:[The panel just described is indicated to fit into a small rectangle at the top left of the next panel below. There are four lines ending at the four corners of this small rectangle, two of these are going to the two bottom corners and the other two ends on the lower part of the panel just above the small rectangle. They are indicated to go under the panel and would hit the two top corners if extrapolated). The 11 largest circles are clearly seen, but most of the other circles can also be noted. The colors are the same but any features in the original circles as well as the labels are gone. The part of the black top frame of the next panel below is faded out to gray in between the section cut off by the two lines going to the bottom corners of the panel above. This rectangle indicated the increasing size compared to the first panel above.]

:[Apart from the insert mentioned above the second panel follows the same layout, but with 22 circles with even larger range of sizes. The panel is more than twice as long as the first panel. A Megan-like girl, but with white hair, is drawn at the top of the panel just left of the middle. Her hair close to the top, just below the line going to the right corner above. There are two medium and five smaller circles to her left and one small close to her head and one huge circle to her right. Her feet are less than a third down this panel standing on top of the next row of circles. In the bottom half of the panel there is a giant circle which almost touches the left side of the panel. There are smaller circles above it and down along the right side. One last circle is to the left almost at the bottom. At the very bottom is a slightly curving line to indicate a much much larger blue circle that only graces the panel (no. 23). There is a small green fish in this water to the left of the label. Below the labels are again listed as above. One label has a foot note. But it is written directly beneath the circle in which it is referenced. So it will be written together with the label on the next line.]

:[Medium dark gray]: Coffee
:[Very tiny gray]: Peanut butter
:[Very small gray with black specks]: Ice cream
:[Very small yellow with white specks]: Cheese
:[Large brown with white fizzing]: Soda
:[Tiny White]: Acetone
:[Tiny gray]: Liquor
:[Huge dark yellow]: Gasoline
:[Tiny White with black specks]: Yogurt
:[Big white]: Milk (cow)
:[Large light blue]: Bottled water
:[Small white]: Sugar
:[Large light gray with white specks]: Saliva
:[Very small light yellow]: Wine
:[Very small orange]: HFCS
:[Very tiny white]: Milk (human)
:[Gigantic dark gray]: Petroleum
:[Medium dark red with black texture]: Meat (mostly solid)
:[Small white]: Glass*
::<nowiki>*</nowiki>Solid at room temperature
:[Medium light brown]: Beer
:[Small gray brown]: Tea
:[Large gray]: Cement
:[Gracing bottom of panel light blue]: Public water

==Trivia==
*Here below is a measurement of diameters/calculation of diameters performed by someone adding it as a special contribution.
*These may be incorporated into the [[#Table|table]] above, but first after checking them for errors!
*Actual size: (Diameters Listed) - Someone check my numbers!
**Toothpaste: 35mm
**Nail Polish: 5mm
**Windsheild washer fluid: 60mm
**Silly Putty: 2mm
**Shampoo: 40mm
**Honey: 50mm
**Donated Blood: 10mm
**Vanilla: 5mm
**Personal Lubricant: 7mm
**Sunscreen: 14mm
**Mayo: 45mm
**Printer Ink: 13mm
**Maple Syrup: 18mm
**Ketchup: 55mm
**Salsa: 36mm
**LCD Liquid: 3mm
**Conditioner: 25mm
**Mustard: 38mm
**Liquid Soap: 50mm
**Olive Oil: 62mm
*Not Actual Size: (Testing the scaling using the entire rectangle vs. the top panel reveals a 20:1 scaling. This will make the girl 180 cm high - not unrealistic. The gas pipe next to her will then be 220 cm. The numbers below are given in cm after this scaling has been applied. The measurements have not been tested, just used the ones from before with a wrong 25:1 scaling and rounded to nearest cm.)
**Coffee 60 cm
**Peanut Butter 10 cm
**Cheese 38 cm
**Ice Cream 20 cm
**Acetone 24 cm
**Gasoline 220 cm
**Liquor 16 cm
**Soda 82 cm
**Yogurt 18 cm
**Milk (cow) 110 cm
**Bottled Water 72 cm
**Sugar 41 cm
**Saliva 86 cm
**Wine 20 cm
**HFCS 21 cm
**Milk (human) 12 cm
**Petroleum 324 cm
**Meat 60 cm
**Glass 26 cm
**Beer 36 cm
**Cement 80 cm
**Tea 42 cm
**Public Water 6673 cm
***This calculation used the erroneous 25:1 scaling. The 83.4m has been used as above to reach 66.7m listed here above. But if the numbers used here below where wrong, then the calculation may be wrong in other ways that what a simple scaling can determine. The signature belongs to the first to enter these values. Once they are checked they could be useful in a table for the explanation.
****Pipe has a rise of 75mm over span of 5m. Per the formula given [http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/564058/calculate-the-radius-of-a-circle-given-the-chord-length-and-height-of-a-segment here], the diameter should be 83.408m. Rounding to sig figs above gives 83.41m
****This has not been verified - just me with a taper measure on the computer screen. Additional help would be appreciated. --[Special:Contributions/188.114.106.47|188.114.106.47] 19:59, 29 February 2016 (UTC)

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1092: Michael Phelps

2016-02-02T04:24:17Z

162.158.255.52: Changed a sentence's structure.

{{comic
| number = 1092
| date = August 8, 2012
| title = Michael Phelps
| image = michael phelps.png
| titletext = [shortly] ...he ate ALL of it!?
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Michael Phelps}} is an American {{w|Olympics|Olympic}} swimmer, who could easily be considered the best swimmer worldwide: he is the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, with 22 medals, 18 of them gold (won in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 summer Olympics). He was most dominant in the 2008 Beijing Olympics where he won gold in all of the eight events in which he competed, the record for a single games.

This comic is a take on the idea that, Michael Phelps being (irritatingly) fast and uncatchable in a pool, a quirky yet simple trick one might imagine to nullify his pool supremacy would be to turn the water into {{w|Jello}}, a gelatine product, by simply dropping a huge quantity of Jello powder in the pool.

In the comic, [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] try to get rid of Michael Phelps (as if he were a common pest like an animal) who is swimming in Megan's pool. As they can't catch him since he swims too fast (and taunts them about it), Cueball resorts to the Jello trick, bringing big boxes of Jello powder, to stop and catch him.

However, according to the title text, after having waited the time necessary for the water to solidify, Cueball realizes that Phelps has eaten all of the resulting Jello. This may be a reference to Phelps being used to eating impressive food quantities (about 12,000 calories daily), to keep up with his strenuous exercise regimen;[http://www.michaelphelps.net/michael-phelps-diet/] or it may be a reference to pictures of Phelps smoking from a bong that arose after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, as Marijuana use is often associated with an increased appetite. Otherwise, the text may simply be a reference to Phelps being capable of achieving super-human feats, such as devouring an entire pool full of Jello.

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball standing outside their en-Phelps-ified swimming pool.]
:Cueball: Why is Michael Phelps in your backyard pool?
:Megan: I don't know. He's been there all day. ''Go home, Michael!''
:Michael Phelps: Woo! 18 gold medals!

:[Megan and Cueball break out a pair of pool nets and unsuccessfully try to snag Phelps.]
:Cueball: Can you get him?
:Megan: He's so '''''fast'''''!
:Phelps: Ha hah! Can't catch me!
:''Splash splash''

:[Cueball heads off to fetch something.]

:[Cueball returns with a hand truck full of Jello mix.]
:Phelps: Oh crap.

{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]

Talk:1590: The Source

2015-10-14T17:53:20Z

162.158.255.52:

As soon as I finished this comic, I started to hear it. Please, make it stop. It's not on the basement, nor the attic. It's getting louder. Driving me crazy. Please. Maybe this gun would help me to shut the noise down. Now, where should I aim it? {{unsigned ip|108.162.212.38}}
:Very dark humour there from anonymous... I guess it will be to late to help him now. But if he misses he will have even more ringing noises in his ears than after reading this comic. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:13, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
:Just shoot wherever. If you're lucky, you'll be partly deaf and not hear the hum anymore. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.146|141.101.104.146]] 13:49, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
::No, hearing damage (for instance as a result of loud noise) is what very often ''causes'' tinnitus. [[User:Jkrstrt|Jkrstrt]] ([[User talk:Jkrstrt|talk]]) 14:44, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

The background noise created by appliances like refrigerators and washing machines is typically generated by their electric motors/pumps which operate at 60 Hz; a frequency I would not consider "high pitched". The only devices I can think of off the top of my head that generate what I would consider high-pitched noise are TVs (both CRT and flat-screen). [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:13, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

It's 50Hz over here in Germany {{unsigned ip|162.158.92.48}}

I can think of only one potentially high pitched hum generator that would look something like that, and I didn't know Cueball lived with a lesbian who uses a symbian. Let alone such a person leaving their rather high wattage sex toy plugged in. [[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 13:55, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

I suspect the title text may be a reference to “why do we even ‘'have’’ that lever?” from The Emperor’s New Groove: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw2B9knw58U [[User:ZevEisenberg|ZevEisenberg]] ([[User talk:ZevEisenberg|talk]]) 14:00, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

I agree, and made my account to make that observation. (Panther) {{unsigned|Panther}}

:I suspect the title text to be the most common wording for this kind of question, so it could not be a reference to whatever in any way. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.23|141.101.66.23]] 14:33, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

Here is a hum generator for you, from a noise generator website:
http://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/60HzHumNoiseGenerator.php
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.115|108.162.216.115]] 15:15, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

: That was my first thought too. My second was "I guess they're going to find out." See [https://www.chesterton.org/taking-a-fence-down/ Chesterton's fence]. [[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 14:58, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

"There do, however, exist devices that are meant to create a high pitched hum, that people might wish to install in their house. These will be humming in the ultrasonic regions, although cheap versions can often be heard by young people. They are typically used for electronic pest control. Maybe someone tried to get rid of Cueball." - while I don't think the comic is intended to reference this, the above selection somehow almost entirely surrounds the concept of an {{w|The_Mosquito|ultrasonic youth-control device}} without actually involving it. (Probably because the editor(s) involved don't actually know about it. Maybe now they do.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.185|141.101.75.185]] 15:11, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

I thought there might be more to it than just referencing high pitched noises inside a household (yes, I can hear it now as well, thanks a lot), so when I read the title of the comic, I thought it might have something to do with a source code of a program... Sometimes the program does something irritating that it should not - so in the first two frames Cueball is trying to locate the problem and then he walks throught the program to finally locate a piece of code that should not be there. And in the image title he says "Why did we even have that thing?" - as in you sometimes come across a piece of code that is useless and you don't even know what it is doing there. But who the hell knows.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.219|141.101.96.219]] 15:13, 14 October 2015 (UTC) 9of8

:As a programmer, you have a tendency to see all problem solving tasks in analogy with either programming or debugging. So do I, and so does Randall. But that doesn't mean that analogy is the point of anything Randall writes about solving any problem; it's just always there in the background, slightly influencing the way he describes things, in ways that people with similar backgrounds will pick up whether it's intended or not. In this case, I don't think it was intended, or adds anything to the joke. A doctor writing the same comic might have the main character act slightly differently in diagnosing the problem, and use slightly different words, but the point would be the same as it is here. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 17:53, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

I had once thought about why do I sometimes hear high pitched noise. We have all kinds of tiny random noises all around us. Hums, pulses, bugs, elecs,etc. Human ear canal is a few centimeters long. And it has resonant frequency around 2000~3000Hz and its odd multiples. So, my conclusion was, of all the tiny noises the 2000(or 3000)Hz and its third(6000 or 9000Hz) and fifth harmonic(10000 or 15000Hz) frequencies,or even higher harmonics would get amplified by resonance. Pls correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks. [[User:Parsec|Parsec]] ([[User talk:Parsec|talk]]) 15:30, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
:That's all true, but your cochlea, auditory processing brain modules, etc. are all trained from birth to respond to the input they get from that resonant canal, so that amplification is already taken into account (i.e., those frequencies have higher activation thresholds and more opponent dampening, which counters the physical resonance). If your ear were radically reshaped in adulthood to have different resonant frequencies, it would take time for your brain to adjust, and it would do so imperfectly, but since this normally doesn't happen for most people, we don't notice any such effects.

:This does raise the question of whether one cause for tinnitus might be your brain overcompensating for loss of high-frequency inputs due to aging and/or damage. As far as I know, that hypothesis has been raised multiple times, but not yet conclusively tested, but you may want to search for yourself. ---[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 17:53, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

Phillip Glass: Changing Opinions
"Gradually....we became aware...of a hum in the room....
an electrically hum....in the room.It went mmmmmmm mmmmmm mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC01ZVEXCBY

Gradually
We became aware
Of a hum in the room
An electrical hum in the room
It went mmmmmm

We followed it from
Corner to corner
We pressed out ears
Against the walls
We crossed diagonals
And put our hands on the floor
It went mmmmmm

Sometimes it was
A murmur
Sometimes it was
A pulse
Sometimes it seemed
To disappear
But then with a quarter-turn
Of the head
It would roll around the sofa
A nimbus humming cloud
Mmmmmm

Maybe it's the hum
Of a calm refrigerator
Cooling on the big night
Mmmmmm
Cooling on the big night
Maybe it's the hum
Of our parents' voices
Long ago in a soft light
Mmmmmm
Long ago in a dimmed light
Mmmmmm

Maybe it's the hum
Of changing opinion
Or a foreign language
In prayer
Mmmmmm
Or a foreign language
In prayer
Maybe it's the mantra
Of the walls and wiring
Deep breathing
In soft air
Mmmmmm
Deep breathing
In soft air
Mmmmmm {{unsigned|Singmaster}}

Talk:1589: Frankenstein

2015-10-12T22:39:45Z

162.158.255.52:

I get all that—I came here to find out what the moon landing reference is all about. Any ideas? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.191|108.162.249.191]] 04:45, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
: xkcd has referred to "moon landing hoax" theories and their proponents (whom xkcd disparages) a few times, including [http://xkcd.com/202/ 202 "YouTube"], [http://xkcd.com/258/ 258 "Conspiracy Theories"], and [http://xkcd.com/1074/ 1074 "Moon Landing"]; this is (at least) the 4th such reference. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 05:16, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
: He says that, because he is a MONSTER, and has a damaged brain from a complete moron instead of from a famous scientist. You know - the plot of the movie ;) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.115.22|162.158.115.22]] 08:58, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:: You think that because you're damaged by watching Young Frankenstein where they used a girl called Abbie Normal's brain. [[User:Kev|Kev]] ([[User talk:Kev|talk]]) 22:18, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
Frankenstein A.K.A Elvis. Judging by that hairstyle [[User:Prack|Prack]] ([[User talk:Prack|talk]])
: I suggest the moon landing reference is simply Randall's monster subverting the attempt to redefine the canon. If Randall succeeds in redefining the monster's name, then it also becomes canonical that the moon landings were faked. Randall is unlikely to agree with the canon he has just created.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.127|141.101.98.127]] 10:16, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:: That was my thought too (just not formulated quite as clearly). [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.33|198.41.238.33]] 11:38, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
::: I respectfully disagree. The monster saying that the moon landings were faked does not make anything surrounding the moon landings canon. It just makes it canon that the monster Frankenstein now holds this belief. Alternatively, in the story, The Doctor's creation was seen by the populace as an abomination amalgamated from human corpses. In the same vein, moon landing conspiracies are also amalgamated from several different sources each contributing their own theories to support the believer's general consensus, the moon landings were faked, and in the eyes of the populace this idea is an abomination. I'm surprised he didn't go for the low-hanging ''climate change is a hoax'' reference that would have been more recent for readers. In either case, it is fairly common for adherents of theories that run contrary to the scientific community to be labeled and name called by supporters of the scientific community. Especially in matters of religion.--[[User:R0hrshach|R0hrshach]] ([[User talk:R0hrshach|talk]]) 16:36, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:::: These are good points. It makes sense that Frankenstein was made with the brain of a conspiracy theorist. I don't think Frankenstein is trying to subvert The Doctor's or the comic author's canon-forming efforts, or anything so sophisticated. I ''do'' think these thoughts, in some form, should be in the article. It was not at all obvious why a moon landing hoax reference is in the comic, to me it was irrelevant noise. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 16:43, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
::::: In Randall's version, claiming the moon landing fake is what makes Frankenstein an abomination, instead of being hideous and committing murder (note Randall's Frankenstein doesn't seem to have much of a bad look, and the story ends immediately). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.23|141.101.66.23]] 18:11, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:::::: I appreciate the more succinct explanation. I added this as an additional explanation above after the bit about the derivative works. I've never read the original story so I referenced the wiki for accuracy. My apologies if I made a mistake or didn't take the analogy far enough. --[[User:R0hrshach|R0hrshach]] ([[User talk:R0hrshach|talk]]) 20:01, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
::::Re "Climate change is a hoax": Except for the small detail that a significant percentage of the population does, indeed, believe climate change is a hoax. I'm not one of them, but still. Anonymous 21:31, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
"The doctor" is a joke in itself because it's analog to "The monster" of the original, so it's likely to start the same discussions the other way around. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.212|162.158.90.212]] 09:36, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
: While it is also likely a direct callback to the Doctor Who naming issue by capitalizing the word "doctor", I agree that the alt-text is intended to make both "Doctor Frankenstein" or "The Doctor" correct, like the comic makes both "Frankenstein" and "the monster" both now canonically correct. "The Doctor" naming issue is also fairly commonly corrected, but for a different reason and is extremely specific to people who grew up watching the original show. For quite a while during the Classic era, The Doctor's actor at the time was credited as "Dr. Who" or "Doctor Who", despite often being introduced (by himself or his companions) as "The Doctor" during the actual dialogue of the show. So, I'm guessing that Randall's saying that either name in all three of these cases (the monster/Frankenstein, the doctor/Dr. Frankenstein, and The Doctor/Doctor Who) would be the correct name to use. {{unsigned|PopeChris}}
::The credits issue isn't just specific to people who grew up watching the classic show. The Ninth Doctor in 2005 was also credited as "Doctor Who", and Eccleston and Piper regularly referred to the character that way. Capaldi now does so as well (probably because he grew up in the era when the character was credited that way). Just as producer John Nathan-Turner went on a crusade in 1981 to get everyone to start calling the character "The Doctor", actor David Tennant did the same thing in 2006. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 22:18, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

Am I the only one thinking that the mouse over text is a matter of intentionally misunderstanding that the question wasn't about Dr. Who? --some guy[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.175|108.162.238.175]] 13:51, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:Or you can intentionally misunderstand it even further—if you accept this comic as your canon, The Doctor, as in the character from Doctor Who, created Frankenstein, as in the monster. And he also probably wrote the story too. Why not? He started Nero's fire, wrote half of Shakespeare's plays (and one of his companions inspired half of the rest), manipulated someone into killing JFK… --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 22:39, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

Regarding the monster's "real" name, I thought either Dr. Frankenstein or the monster himself named him "Adam", as in "Adam and Eve". Anonymous 21:31, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:The monster uses that name, but only metaphorically. Early on, he calls himself "the Adam of your labors", and later he says that he would have been "your Adam" but instead became "your fallen angel". Meanwhile, the fact that Dr. Frankenstein refuses to give the monster a name is an intentional symbol of his rejection of his creation, which the monster picks up on, which is a big part of what he struggles with. So, to say that "his name is Adam" would be a big stretch, and missing the point of the story.

:While nobody ever explicitly calls him "Frankenstein's monster", Dr. Frankenstein calls him "the monster" once, and a few others refer to him as "your monster" or "the monster". The doctor calls him "the creature" far more often, and uses other descriptions like "the demon", "you vile insect", etc., but "Frankenstein's monster" seems like the best name for the character.

:Finally, calling him "Frankenstein" isn't that silly. Why shouldn't he have the same last name as his father? James Whale's movie called him Frankenstein, and almost everything that's come since has been based far more on Whale's movie than Shelley's book. (If you think electricity was involved in bringing him to life, or that he was made of an amalgam of parts from different people, you're no thinking of the book.) --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 22:31, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1589: Frankenstein

2015-10-12T22:31:06Z

162.158.255.52:

I get all that—I came here to find out what the moon landing reference is all about. Any ideas? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.191|108.162.249.191]] 04:45, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
: xkcd has referred to "moon landing hoax" theories and their proponents (whom xkcd disparages) a few times, including [http://xkcd.com/202/ 202 "YouTube"], [http://xkcd.com/258/ 258 "Conspiracy Theories"], and [http://xkcd.com/1074/ 1074 "Moon Landing"]; this is (at least) the 4th such reference. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 05:16, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
: He says that, because he is a MONSTER, and has a damaged brain from a complete moron instead of from a famous scientist. You know - the plot of the movie ;) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.115.22|162.158.115.22]] 08:58, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:: You think that because you're damaged by watching Young Frankenstein where they used a girl called Abbie Normal's brain. [[User:Kev|Kev]] ([[User talk:Kev|talk]]) 22:18, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
Frankenstein A.K.A Elvis. Judging by that hairstyle [[User:Prack|Prack]] ([[User talk:Prack|talk]])
: I suggest the moon landing reference is simply Randall's monster subverting the attempt to redefine the canon. If Randall succeeds in redefining the monster's name, then it also becomes canonical that the moon landings were faked. Randall is unlikely to agree with the canon he has just created.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.127|141.101.98.127]] 10:16, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:: That was my thought too (just not formulated quite as clearly). [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.33|198.41.238.33]] 11:38, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
::: I respectfully disagree. The monster saying that the moon landings were faked does not make anything surrounding the moon landings canon. It just makes it canon that the monster Frankenstein now holds this belief. Alternatively, in the story, The Doctor's creation was seen by the populace as an abomination amalgamated from human corpses. In the same vein, moon landing conspiracies are also amalgamated from several different sources each contributing their own theories to support the believer's general consensus, the moon landings were faked, and in the eyes of the populace this idea is an abomination. I'm surprised he didn't go for the low-hanging ''climate change is a hoax'' reference that would have been more recent for readers. In either case, it is fairly common for adherents of theories that run contrary to the scientific community to be labeled and name called by supporters of the scientific community. Especially in matters of religion.--[[User:R0hrshach|R0hrshach]] ([[User talk:R0hrshach|talk]]) 16:36, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:::: These are good points. It makes sense that Frankenstein was made with the brain of a conspiracy theorist. I don't think Frankenstein is trying to subvert The Doctor's or the comic author's canon-forming efforts, or anything so sophisticated. I ''do'' think these thoughts, in some form, should be in the article. It was not at all obvious why a moon landing hoax reference is in the comic, to me it was irrelevant noise. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 16:43, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
::::: In Randall's version, claiming the moon landing fake is what makes Frankenstein an abomination, instead of being hideous and committing murder (note Randall's Frankenstein doesn't seem to have much of a bad look, and the story ends immediately). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.23|141.101.66.23]] 18:11, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:::::: I appreciate the more succinct explanation. I added this as an additional explanation above after the bit about the derivative works. I've never read the original story so I referenced the wiki for accuracy. My apologies if I made a mistake or didn't take the analogy far enough. --[[User:R0hrshach|R0hrshach]] ([[User talk:R0hrshach|talk]]) 20:01, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
::::Re "Climate change is a hoax": Except for the small detail that a significant percentage of the population does, indeed, believe climate change is a hoax. I'm not one of them, but still. Anonymous 21:31, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
"The doctor" is a joke in itself because it's analog to "The monster" of the original, so it's likely to start the same discussions the other way around. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.212|162.158.90.212]] 09:36, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
: While it is also likely a direct callback to the Doctor Who naming issue by capitalizing the word "doctor", I agree that the alt-text is intended to make both "Doctor Frankenstein" or "The Doctor" correct, like the comic makes both "Frankenstein" and "the monster" both now canonically correct. "The Doctor" naming issue is also fairly commonly corrected, but for a different reason and is extremely specific to people who grew up watching the original show. For quite a while during the Classic era, The Doctor's actor at the time was credited as "Dr. Who" or "Doctor Who", despite often being introduced (by himself or his companions) as "The Doctor" during the actual dialogue of the show. So, I'm guessing that Randall's saying that either name in all three of these cases (the monster/Frankenstein, the doctor/Dr. Frankenstein, and The Doctor/Doctor Who) would be the correct name to use. {{unsigned|PopeChris}}
::The credits issue isn't just specific to people who grew up watching the classic show. The Ninth Doctor in 2005 was also credited as "Doctor Who", and Eccleston and Piper regularly referred to the character that way. Capaldi now does so as well (probably because he grew up in the era when the character was credited that way). Just as producer John Nathan-Turner went on a crusade in 1981 to get everyone to start calling the character "The Doctor", actor David Tennant did the same thing in 2006. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 22:18, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

Am I the only one thinking that the mouse over text is a matter of intentionally misunderstanding that the question wasn't about Dr. Who? --some guy[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.175|108.162.238.175]] 13:51, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

Regarding the monster's "real" name, I thought either Dr. Frankenstein or the monster himself named him "Adam", as in "Adam and Eve". Anonymous 21:31, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:The monster uses that name, but only metaphorically. Early on, he calls himself "the Adam of your labors", and later he says that he would have been "your Adam" but instead became "your fallen angel". Meanwhile, the fact that Dr. Frankenstein refuses to give the monster a name is an intentional symbol of his rejection of his creation, which the monster picks up on, which is a big part of what he struggles with. So, to say that "his name is Adam" would be a big stretch, and missing the point of the story.

:While nobody ever explicitly calls him "Frankenstein's monster", Dr. Frankenstein calls him "the monster" once, and a few others refer to him as "your monster" or "the monster". The doctor calls him "the creature" far more often, and uses other descriptions like "the demon", "you vile insect", etc., but "Frankenstein's monster" seems like the best name for the character.

:Finally, calling him "Frankenstein" isn't that silly. Why shouldn't he have the same last name as his father? James Whale's movie called him Frankenstein, and almost everything that's come since has been based far more on Whale's movie than Shelley's book. (If you think electricity was involved in bringing him to life, or that he was made of an amalgam of parts from different people, you're no thinking of the book.) --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 22:31, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1589: Frankenstein

2015-10-12T22:18:21Z

162.158.255.52:

I get all that—I came here to find out what the moon landing reference is all about. Any ideas? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.191|108.162.249.191]] 04:45, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
: xkcd has referred to "moon landing hoax" theories and their proponents (whom xkcd disparages) a few times, including [http://xkcd.com/202/ 202 "YouTube"], [http://xkcd.com/258/ 258 "Conspiracy Theories"], and [http://xkcd.com/1074/ 1074 "Moon Landing"]; this is (at least) the 4th such reference. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 05:16, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
: He says that, because he is a MONSTER, and has a damaged brain from a complete moron instead of from a famous scientist. You know - the plot of the movie ;) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.115.22|162.158.115.22]] 08:58, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
Frankenstein A.K.A Elvis. Judging by that hairstyle [[User:Prack|Prack]] ([[User talk:Prack|talk]])
: I suggest the moon landing reference is simply Randall's monster subverting the attempt to redefine the canon. If Randall succeeds in redefining the monster's name, then it also becomes canonical that the moon landings were faked. Randall is unlikely to agree with the canon he has just created.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.127|141.101.98.127]] 10:16, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:: That was my thought too (just not formulated quite as clearly). [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.33|198.41.238.33]] 11:38, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
::: I respectfully disagree. The monster saying that the moon landings were faked does not make anything surrounding the moon landings canon. It just makes it canon that the monster Frankenstein now holds this belief. Alternatively, in the story, The Doctor's creation was seen by the populace as an abomination amalgamated from human corpses. In the same vein, moon landing conspiracies are also amalgamated from several different sources each contributing their own theories to support the believer's general consensus, the moon landings were faked, and in the eyes of the populace this idea is an abomination. I'm surprised he didn't go for the low-hanging ''climate change is a hoax'' reference that would have been more recent for readers. In either case, it is fairly common for adherents of theories that run contrary to the scientific community to be labeled and name called by supporters of the scientific community. Especially in matters of religion.--[[User:R0hrshach|R0hrshach]] ([[User talk:R0hrshach|talk]]) 16:36, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:::: These are good points. It makes sense that Frankenstein was made with the brain of a conspiracy theorist. I don't think Frankenstein is trying to subvert The Doctor's or the comic author's canon-forming efforts, or anything so sophisticated. I ''do'' think these thoughts, in some form, should be in the article. It was not at all obvious why a moon landing hoax reference is in the comic, to me it was irrelevant noise. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 16:43, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
::::: In Randall's version, claiming the moon landing fake is what makes Frankenstein an abomination, instead of being hideous and committing murder (note Randall's Frankenstein doesn't seem to have much of a bad look, and the story ends immediately). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.23|141.101.66.23]] 18:11, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
:::::: I appreciate the more succinct explanation. I added this as an additional explanation above after the bit about the derivative works. I've never read the original story so I referenced the wiki for accuracy. My apologies if I made a mistake or didn't take the analogy far enough. --[[User:R0hrshach|R0hrshach]] ([[User talk:R0hrshach|talk]]) 20:01, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
::::Re "Climate change is a hoax": Except for the small detail that a significant percentage of the population does, indeed, believe climate change is a hoax. I'm not one of them, but still. Anonymous 21:31, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
"The doctor" is a joke in itself because it's analog to "The monster" of the original, so it's likely to start the same discussions the other way around. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.212|162.158.90.212]] 09:36, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
: While it is also likely a direct callback to the Doctor Who naming issue by capitalizing the word "doctor", I agree that the alt-text is intended to make both "Doctor Frankenstein" or "The Doctor" correct, like the comic makes both "Frankenstein" and "the monster" both now canonically correct. "The Doctor" naming issue is also fairly commonly corrected, but for a different reason and is extremely specific to people who grew up watching the original show. For quite a while during the Classic era, The Doctor's actor at the time was credited as "Dr. Who" or "Doctor Who", despite often being introduced (by himself or his companions) as "The Doctor" during the actual dialogue of the show. So, I'm guessing that Randall's saying that either name in all three of these cases (the monster/Frankenstein, the doctor/Dr. Frankenstein, and The Doctor/Doctor Who) would be the correct name to use. {{unsigned|PopeChris}}
::The credits issue isn't just specific to people who grew up watching the classic show. The Ninth Doctor in 2005 was also credited as "Doctor Who", and Eccleston and Piper regularly referred to the character that way. Capaldi now does so as well (probably because he grew up in the era when the character was credited that way). Just as producer John Nathan-Turner went on a crusade in 1981 to get everyone to start calling the character "The Doctor", actor David Tennant did the same thing in 2006. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 22:18, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

Am I the only one thinking that the mouse over text is a matter of intentionally misunderstanding that the question wasn't about Dr. Who? --some guy[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.175|108.162.238.175]] 13:51, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

Regarding the monster's "real" name, I thought either Dr. Frankenstein or the monster himself named him "Adam", as in "Adam and Eve". Anonymous 21:31, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1573: Cyberintelligence

2015-09-29T11:42:55Z

162.158.255.52:

No one has used the prefix "cyber-" in over a decade? I guess the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberman Cybermen] are pretty disappointed to hear that. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.217|162.158.114.217]] 06:22, 4 September 2015 (UTC)
: You could argue it's a "historical" term. It's have been almost 50 years since the term was formed. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:08, 4 September 2015 (UTC)
: And, at least in Germany, broadcasting of CSI Cyber starts these days. -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.56|141.101.105.56]] 07:45, 4 September 2015 (UTC)

See also https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/felten/whats-cyber-cyber-security/
[[http://www.linkedin.com/in/Comet Comet]] 21:41, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

:: CSI Cyber -- is an other example of a government organization named by senior exec who probably are old men [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 13:35, 4 September 2015 (UTC)
: The Dr Who Cybermen originated in the 1960s. {{unsigned ip|162.158.39.231}}

:Cybermen have evolved beyond the need for most crude human emotions, such as disappointment. The only emotion we have left is the one you unmodified humans express by saying "excellent" while rubbing your hands together, although we of course express it by saying "excellent" while rubbing our silvery gloves together. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 11:42, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

Control Data Corporation produced the "Cyber" line of mainframes in the 70's and 80's.
[[http://www.linkedin.com/in/Comet Comet]] 21:36, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

I think "cyber intelligence" is referring to computer spying and security, not artificial intelligence. As in "our cyber intelligence operatives have located the suspect." If you google "cyber intelligence," the results are definitely more geared towards security than AI. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.105|108.162.245.105]] 07:42, 4 September 2015 (UTC)

: I see and agree. I (as a German) always tend to forget that "intelligence" can be used as a term for other things, esp. espionage stuff (or "gaining information" or similar). The German word "Intelligenz" is only related cognitive abilities, as in AI, IQ etc... Or - rarely - as a synonym for {{w|Intelligentsia}} or intellectuals [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 12:17, 4 September 2015 (UTC)
:: As a computer security researcher, I agree with this idea. The term "cybersecurity" is commonly used to refer to computer security even today. On the other hand, in many other subfields of computer science, the "cyber-" prefix has fallen into disuse. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.42|108.162.216.42]] 16:44, 8 September 2015 (UTC)

Ironically, in Greece, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_Crime_Unit_(Hellenic_Police) Cybercrime] unit has never used the Greek word "Cyber" in its local name - possibly because it would be misunderstood to mean "Government Crime" [[User:Sysin|Sysin]] ([[User talk:Sysin|talk]]) 19:37, 4 September 2015 (UTC)

Munroe himself uses the prefix "cyber" in the title text to xkcd 1084. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.201|141.101.98.201]] 23:00, 4 September 2015 (UTC)

I changed "coined by Gibson" to "popularized by Gibson" because Google finds sporadic use going back to 1969, then a huge jump starting in the early 1980's. [[User:Matchups|Matchups]] ([[User talk:Matchups|talk]]) 12:03, 5 September 2015 (UTC)

Is it possible that the title text is referencing the Cosmic AC from Isaac Asimov's ''[http://www.physics.princeton.edu/ph115/LQ.pdf The Last Question]''? [[User:Porso9|Porso9]] ([[User talk:Porso9|talk]]) 14:01, 7 September 2015 (UTC)Porso9

I don't know if this belongs in the explanation, but the title text pretty clearly is a paraphrase of, if not a quote from, the 9/11 report findings. [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 05:59, 8 September 2015 (UTC)

1568: Synonym Movies 2

2015-09-29T11:11:28Z

162.158.255.52: /* Table of the titles */ see Talk

{{comic
| number = 1568
| date = August 24, 2015
| title = Synonym Movies 2
| image = synonym_movies_2.png
| titletext = There's also the TV show based on the hit Hot and Cold Music books: Fun With Chairs, Royal Rumble, Knife Blizzard, Breakfast for Birds, and Samba Serpents.
}}

==Explanation==
[[File:synonym_movies_2_rotated.jpg|right|A flipped version of the comic]]

This comic is a continuation of [[1563: Synonym Movies]] with a new set of movie series. As with the previous comic, the titles aren't always direct synonyms with the original (Indiana Jones as ''Professor Whip''), but now it seems to be even more exaggerated, sometimes making synonyms of the plot synopsis instead of the subtitle ("Vitamin Water" refers to the Fountain of Youth rather than the ''Stranger Tides'').

This set includes ''Wandboy'' (''Harry Potter''), ''Puncher'' (''Rocky''), ''Tropical Boaters'' (''Pirates of the Caribbean''), and ''Professor Whip'' (''Indiana Jones'').

The ''is in Another Movie'' title in the ''Professor Whip'' series differs from the other titles in that it does not reference the plot of the movie. The more dismissive reference may be due to ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' being poorly received by fans of the series.

The title text is a reference to the TV series ''A Game of Thrones'', based on the book series ''A Song of Ice and Fire''.

==Table of the titles==
'''SPOILER ALERT!''' Many of these explanations contain information revealed during the movie.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="12em" | Synonym
! width="13em" | Real Title
! Explanation
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Magic Rock''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}''
| In this series, wizards and witches use wands to perform magic. The first installment of the series is also known as ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' in the US.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Hidden Room''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets}}''
| The {{w|Hogwarts#Chamber_of_Secrets|Chamber of Secrets}} is a very well hidden room that is central to the plot of the second book.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Fugitive''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}''
| A central character in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius Black, is a fugitive.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Burning Cup''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}''
| The goblet of fire is a wooden cup with blue magical fire burning at the rim.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Firebird Club''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}''
| The {{w|Phoenix (mythology)|Phoenix}} is a bird that is strongly connected to fire. Dying phoenixes go up in flames, only to be reborn out of the ashes shortly afterwards. The Order of the Phoenix is an association of wizards founded by Albus Dumbledore, whose distinctive pet is a phoenix.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Book Owner''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}''
| In ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', Harry's Potions textbook was previously owned by a "Half-Blood Prince." Therefore, "Half-Blood Prince" is replaced with "book owner."
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Magic Stuff (1/2)''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1}}''
| rowspan="2" | The ''Deathly Hallows'' are three magical items which play an important part in the plot of the final movies. See also {{w|The Tales of Beedle the Bard#"The Tale of the Three Brothers"}}.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Magic Stuff (2/2)''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2}}''
|-
|colspan=3| 
|-
| ''Puncher''
| ''{{w|Rocky}}''
| rowspan="5" | The protagonist Rocky is a boxer. In {{w|boxing}} boxers attempt to punch their opponent until they are knocked out.
|-
| ''Puncher II''
| ''{{w|Rocky II}}''
|-
| ''Puncher III''
| ''{{w|Rocky III}}''
|-
| ''Puncher IV''
| ''{{w|Rocky IV}}''
|-
| ''Puncher V''
| ''{{w|Rocky V}}''
|-
| ''Puncher Lastname''
| ''{{w|Rocky Balboa (film)|Rocky Balboa}}''
| Balboa is Rocky's last-name, also known as surname.
|-
|colspan=3| 
|-
| ''Tropical Boaters: Spooky Boat''
| ''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl}}''
| The Black Pearl is a ship crewed by "spooky" ghost pirates.
|-
| ''Tropical Boaters: Angry Wormface''
| ''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest}}''
| This film's villain has (worm-like) octopus tentacles growing on his face.
|-
| ''Tropical Boaters: Boats Everywhere''
| ''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End}}''
| This film includes a huge fleet of ships.
|-
| ''Tropical Boaters: Vitamin Water''
| ''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides}}''
| "Vitamin Water" describes the Fountain of Youth.
|-
|colspan=3| 
|-
| ''Professor Whip and the Box of God''
| ''{{w|Raiders of the Lost Ark}}''
| Indiana Jones is Professor of Archeology and skillfully wields a whip as part of his equipment. Later the movie was marketed as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The "Lost Ark" of the title is the Ark of the Covenant, a mythical box containing the contract between the Jewish people and Yahweh.
|-
| ''Professor Whip and the Scary Church''
| ''{{w|Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom}}''
| A direct synonym for the title.
|-
| ''Professor Whip Looks for a Cup''
| ''{{w|Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade}}''
| Central to this film's plot is the search for the {{w|Holy Grail}}, which is supposedly a cup from which Jesus drank shortly before his death.
|-
| ''Professor Whip is in Another Movie''
| ''{{w|Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull}}''
| ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' is widely regarded as the worst in the series. Therefore, the "synonym" is simply called "another movie" to imply that it shouldn't have been made.
|-
|colspan=3| 
|-
| ''Hot and Cold Music''
| ''{{w|A Song of Ice and Fire}}''
| A series of fantasy books written George R. R. Martin. The title is an obvious synonym.
|-
| ''Fun With Chairs''
| ''{{w|A Game of Thrones}}''
|Book one of the cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire." and the main title of the television adaptation.
|-
| ''Royal Rumble''
| ''{{w|A Clash of Kings}}''
|Book two of the cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire."
|-
| ''Knife Blizzard''
| ''{{w|A Storm of Swords}}''
|Book three of the cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire."
|-
| ''Breakfast for Birds''
| ''{{w|A Feast for Crows}}''
|Book four of the cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire."
|-
| ''Samba Serpents''
| ''{{w|A Dance with Dragons}}''
|Book five of the cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire," the latest book in the series (of seven projected) as of the time the comic was published.
|}

==Transcript==
:[22 DVDs on a shelf in four groups. All DVDs are labeled in black on light grey. Text written so it is supposed to be read when the DVD is lying down.]
:[First group of 8 DVDs. All standing straight.]
:Wandboy and the Magic Rock
:Wandboy and the Hidden Room
:Wandboy and the Fugitive
:Wandboy and the Burning Cup
:Wandboy and the Firebird Club
:Wandboy and the Book Owner
:Wandboy and the Magic Stuff (1/2)
:Wandboy and the Magic Stuff (2/2)

:[Second group of six DVDs. Five standing straight, last on the right leaning against the rest.]
:Puncher
:Puncher II
:Puncher III
:Puncher IV
:Puncher V
:Puncher Lastname

:[Third group of four DVDs. First and last standing straight, others leaning on first.]
:Tropical Boaters: Spooky Boat
:Tropical Boaters: Angry Wormface
:Tropical Boaters: Boats Everywhere
:Tropical Boaters: Vitamin Water

:[Fourth group of four DVDs. Three standing straight, second from left leaning on first.]
:Professor Whip and the Box of God
:Professor Whip and the Scary Church
:Professor Whip Looks for a Cup
:Professor Whip is in Another Movie

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1568: Synonym Movies 2

2015-09-29T11:08:06Z

162.158.255.52:

I believe they are (in order): ''Harry Potter'', ''Rocky'', ''Pirates of the Caribbean'', ''Indiana Jones'', and ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.114|173.245.48.114]] 04:15, 24 August 2015 (UTC)

I wonder why Randall retained the Roman numerals instead of replacing them with numbers? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.81|108.162.216.81]] 06:35, 24 August 2015 (UTC)

This explanation has got to have the most redundancies of any explanation on this site. It more or less says the same things four times. Those sure are a lot of redundancies. I don't think there is another explanation with this many redun... OK, OK, I'll stop. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.21|141.101.104.21]] 07:05, 24 August 2015 (UTC)

It feels like Randall gave up on this concept halfway through. The last two (or three) Harry Potter titles, all but the first Pirates, and the last Indiana Jones (I refuse to acknowledge that thing that happened in 2008) are not synonyms for the actual title, but Up Goer Five-style plot synopses. --[[User:SaturNine|SaturNine]] ([[User talk:SaturNine|talk]]) 12:01, 24 August 2015 (UTC)

"Blizzard" is not one of the 1,000 most frequently-used words.
[[User:Comet|Comet]] ([[User talk:Comet|talk]]) 20:50, 24 August 2015 (UTC)

All the Tropical Boaters titles are not synonyms for the actual titles, but mere descriptions of something of note in each movie. I agree with SaturNine's comment above about Randall's ... umm ... assiduousness. {{unsigned ip|108.162.249.176}}

An alternate interpretation of this comic could be that he was stretching the concept of a synonym. A synonym can be a word ''or phrase'' and it expresses the same idea as another word or phrase. Some synonyms can be contextual only. Perhaps, the punchline of the joke is that the actual titles of some of these movies are not synonymous with the movie itself. For example, ''Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'' when the movie was about the fountain of youth. Thus, Randall's synonym movie title rewrites are synonymous with the movie plot more than the title. This could be said for all of them so far. Perhaps, that some are synonymous with the actual titles is coincidence only. --[[User:R0hrshach|R0hrshach]] ([[User talk:R0hrshach|talk]]) 15:56, 24 August 2015 (UTC)

Well, I enjoyed figuring out what series he was referring to! Regarding the alt text, I am looking forward to the upcoming books "The Gusts of the Snow Season" and "A Reverie of the Vernal Season"!--[[User:Rayrox222]] 17:17, 24 August 2015 (UTC)

And now I need to start watching Game of Thrones with someone, if only so I have an excuse to say something like "Let's watch Fun With Chairs!" [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.116|108.162.221.116]] 08:39, 25 August 2015 (UTC)

Have not watched "Hellboy", have not watched "The devil wears prada". But how about "Hellboy wears expensive fashion"? -[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.93|198.41.242.93]] 14:59, 25 August 2015 (UTC)

Can someone help me with [[:File:radiation.png]]? No matter what dimensions I upload, it appears low-res. {{User:17jiangz1/signature|16:05, 25 August 2015}}
:Nevermind {{User:17jiangz1/signature|00:17, 26 August 2015}}

The explanations for the ASoIAF titles were off. I fixed them a bit, but they're still not great. There's no "Battle of the Five Kings". There's a War of the Five Kings, but within that war, none of the battles involve the forces of more than two of them. Also, they aren't kings of five separate regions of Westeros: Joffrey, Renly, and Stannis all claim to be king of the whole shebang (although it isn't too far off for the other two). The way A Storm of Swords was described implied that Dany's struggles were just beginning, rather than continuing. A Dance with Dragons is very hard to explain, because the story as published does not at all match the story the name was intended for, and the only real dragon-dancing going on is a slew of references to a historical war (which is itself covered in a separate novella), and possibly the last few chapters (which are mostly setup for the next book rather than a conclusion to ADwD). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 11:05, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

:Now that I think about it, why do we need any explanation for the book titles at all? Randall's titles are all straight synonyms, that make just as much sense (maybe more) if you have no idea what the books are about. I'll edit again to simplify. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 11:08, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1568: Synonym Movies 2

2015-09-29T11:05:58Z

162.158.255.52:

1568: Synonym Movies 2

2015-09-29T10:53:05Z

162.158.255.52: /* Table of the titles */ made the ASoIaF descriptions less inaccurate; see Talk

{{comic
| number = 1568
| date = August 24, 2015
| title = Synonym Movies 2
| image = synonym_movies_2.png
| titletext = There's also the TV show based on the hit Hot and Cold Music books: Fun With Chairs, Royal Rumble, Knife Blizzard, Breakfast for Birds, and Samba Serpents.
}}

==Explanation==
[[File:synonym_movies_2_rotated.jpg|right|A flipped version of the comic]]

This comic is a continuation of [[1563: Synonym Movies]] with a new set of movie series. As with the previous comic, the titles aren't always direct synonyms with the original (Indiana Jones as ''Professor Whip''), but now it seems to be even more exaggerated, sometimes making synonyms of the plot synopsis instead of the subtitle ("Vitamin Water" refers to the Fountain of Youth rather than the ''Stranger Tides'').

This set includes ''Wandboy'' (''Harry Potter''), ''Puncher'' (''Rocky''), ''Tropical Boaters'' (''Pirates of the Caribbean''), and ''Professor Whip'' (''Indiana Jones'').

The ''is in Another Movie'' title in the ''Professor Whip'' series differs from the other titles in that it does not reference the plot of the movie. The more dismissive reference may be due to ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' being poorly received by fans of the series.

The title text is a reference to the TV series ''A Game of Thrones'', based on the book series ''A Song of Ice and Fire''.

==Table of the titles==
'''SPOILER ALERT!''' Many of these explanations contain information revealed during the movie.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="12em" | Synonym
! width="13em" | Real Title
! Explanation
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Magic Rock''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}''
| In this series, wizards and witches use wands to perform magic. The first installment of the series is also known as ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' in the US.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Hidden Room''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets}}''
| The {{w|Hogwarts#Chamber_of_Secrets|Chamber of Secrets}} is a very well hidden room that is central to the plot of the second book.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Fugitive''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}''
| A central character in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius Black, is a fugitive.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Burning Cup''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}''
| The goblet of fire is a wooden cup with blue magical fire burning at the rim.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Firebird Club''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}''
| The {{w|Phoenix (mythology)|Phoenix}} is a bird that is strongly connected to fire. Dying phoenixes go up in flames, only to be reborn out of the ashes shortly afterwards. The Order of the Phoenix is an association of wizards founded by Albus Dumbledore, whose distinctive pet is a phoenix.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Book Owner''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}''
| In ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', Harry's Potions textbook was previously owned by a "Half-Blood Prince." Therefore, "Half-Blood Prince" is replaced with "book owner."
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Magic Stuff (1/2)''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1}}''
| rowspan="2" | The ''Deathly Hallows'' are three magical items which play an important part in the plot of the final movies. See also {{w|The Tales of Beedle the Bard#"The Tale of the Three Brothers"}}.
|-
| ''Wandboy and the Magic Stuff (2/2)''
| ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2}}''
|-
|colspan=3| 
|-
| ''Puncher''
| ''{{w|Rocky}}''
| rowspan="5" | The protagonist Rocky is a boxer. In {{w|boxing}} boxers attempt to punch their opponent until they are knocked out.
|-
| ''Puncher II''
| ''{{w|Rocky II}}''
|-
| ''Puncher III''
| ''{{w|Rocky III}}''
|-
| ''Puncher IV''
| ''{{w|Rocky IV}}''
|-
| ''Puncher V''
| ''{{w|Rocky V}}''
|-
| ''Puncher Lastname''
| ''{{w|Rocky Balboa (film)|Rocky Balboa}}''
| Balboa is Rocky's last-name, also known as surname.
|-
|colspan=3| 
|-
| ''Tropical Boaters: Spooky Boat''
| ''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl}}''
| The Black Pearl is a ship crewed by "spooky" ghost pirates.
|-
| ''Tropical Boaters: Angry Wormface''
| ''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest}}''
| This film's villain has (worm-like) octopus tentacles growing on his face.
|-
| ''Tropical Boaters: Boats Everywhere''
| ''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End}}''
| This film includes a huge fleet of ships.
|-
| ''Tropical Boaters: Vitamin Water''
| ''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides}}''
| "Vitamin Water" describes the Fountain of Youth.
|-
|colspan=3| 
|-
| ''Professor Whip and the Box of God''
| ''{{w|Raiders of the Lost Ark}}''
| Indiana Jones is Professor of Archeology and skillfully wields a whip as part of his equipment. Later the movie was marketed as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The "Lost Ark" of the title is the Ark of the Covenant, a mythical box containing the contract between the Jewish people and Yahweh.
|-
| ''Professor Whip and the Scary Church''
| ''{{w|Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom}}''
| A direct synonym for the title.
|-
| ''Professor Whip Looks for a Cup''
| ''{{w|Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade}}''
| Central to this film's plot is the search for the {{w|Holy Grail}}, which is supposedly a cup from which Jesus drank shortly before his death.
|-
| ''Professor Whip is in Another Movie''
| ''{{w|Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull}}''
| ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' is widely regarded as the worst in the series. Therefore, the "synonym" is simply called "another movie" to imply that it shouldn't have been made.
|-
|colspan=3| 
|-
| ''Hot and Cold Music''
| ''{{w|A Song of Ice and Fire}}''
| A series of fantasy books written George R. R. Martin, detailing the toils and troubles in an imaginary realms, where the fight against the so-called 'Others' - cold, otherworldly creatures from beyond the Wall at the Northern borders (Ice) and against the fire-breathing dragons (Fire) plays an important role.
|-
| ''Fun With Chairs''
| ''{{w|A Game of Thrones}}''
|Book one of the cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire." and the main title of the television adaptation. The title refers to the machinations to obtain the Iron Throne after the old king Robert dies.
|-
| ''Royal Rumble''
| ''{{w|A Clash of Kings}}''
|Book two of the cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire." The title refers to the Battle of the Five Kings, a war involving five different kings, each fighting to claim the Iron Throne or to secede as a separate kingdom.
|-
| ''Knife Blizzard''
| ''{{w|A Storm of Swords}}''
|Book three of the cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire." The title may refer to the continuation of the War of the Five kings, to which are added fights involving the Wildlings from the North, and the continuing battles of Daenerys Targaryen and her Dragons.
|-
| ''Breakfast for Birds''
| ''{{w|A Feast for Crows}}''
|Book four of the cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire." The title probably refers to the fact that now, with the War of the Five Kings drawing to a close, many have died and are therefore in effect (even if not always literally) crow fodder.
|-
| ''Samba Serpents''
| ''{{w|A Dance with Dragons}}''
|Book five of the cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire." The title refers to the one of the story lines, in which Daenerys Targaryen has to deal with a lot of delicate situations, metaphorically referencing a historical battle between two dragon-armed factions.
|}

==Transcript==
:[22 DVDs on a shelf in four groups. All DVDs are labeled in black on light grey. Text written so it is supposed to be read when the DVD is lying down.]
:[First group of 8 DVDs. All standing straight.]
:Wandboy and the Magic Rock
:Wandboy and the Hidden Room
:Wandboy and the Fugitive
:Wandboy and the Burning Cup
:Wandboy and the Firebird Club
:Wandboy and the Book Owner
:Wandboy and the Magic Stuff (1/2)
:Wandboy and the Magic Stuff (2/2)

:[Second group of six DVDs. Five standing straight, last on the right leaning against the rest.]
:Puncher
:Puncher II
:Puncher III
:Puncher IV
:Puncher V
:Puncher Lastname

:[Third group of four DVDs. First and last standing straight, others leaning on first.]
:Tropical Boaters: Spooky Boat
:Tropical Boaters: Angry Wormface
:Tropical Boaters: Boats Everywhere
:Tropical Boaters: Vitamin Water

:[Fourth group of four DVDs. Three standing straight, second from left leaning on first.]
:Professor Whip and the Box of God
:Professor Whip and the Scary Church
:Professor Whip Looks for a Cup
:Professor Whip is in Another Movie

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1563: Synonym Movies

2015-09-29T10:33:15Z

162.158.255.52:

Space Trip would probably be Star Trek, right?
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.166|141.101.98.166]] 05:17, 12 August 2015 (UTC)

Is this supposed to be related to "Thing explainer"? But then there are words like government, and Vulcan...
--[[User:Zzyss|Zzyss]] ([[User talk:Zzyss|talk]]) 06:51, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:No I do not think so. It is not simple words, just different words with he same meaning --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:29, 12 August 2015 (UTC)

Funny, I would've said "''The Sword Wizard'''s Are''' Back''"... I've always interpreted that instance of ''Jedi'' as being plural.
--[[User:Vor0nwe|vor0nwe]] ([[User talk:Vor0nwe|talk]]) 08:04, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:It could refer to Luke, the only Jedi alive at the end of the movie... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:29, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
::Leia Amidala Skywalker died? Didn't noticed that. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:50, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:::Funny, I always assumed it referred to Anakin, as it's the move where his sith side is freed and his Jedi side "returns".--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.163|141.101.98.163]] 11:59, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:::Leia was never established as a Jedi - at least, not in the movies. There are only two places (both in Return of the Jedi) where it's hinted that she has any Force power at all: First, when Luke tells her that she's his sister and she says she's somehow always known, and second when Darth Vader divines her existence from Luke's feelings and suggests that she could be turned to the Dark Side. Neither of these scenes serve to establish her as a potential Jedi, so I don't think she could be reasonably included in OH WHAT THE HELL I'M SUCH A GEEK. [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 18:57, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:::: Not enough of a geek. When Kenobi says "That boy is our last hope," Yoda informs him that there is another. This, combined with Vader's implication she can be turned to the Dark Side - something that is only ever presented as a concern for those with Force power - clearly indicates that Leia is a potential Jedi. Further, at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, she hears Luke "calling" for her, another indication of Force sensitivity. - Val
:::::I add another vote for plural. I believe it refers to the concept of Jedi which all but died out in the prequels (the only living Jedi were hidden and inactive). The film is about the Jedi returning both into existence and into... being active. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 15:36, 13 August 2015 (UTC)
: In German the title is "Rückkehr der Jedi-Ritter" which would translate back into "Return of the Jedi Knights" - Plural. So it is/was naturally plural for me, too. But, of course, German movie titles are no reference to the actual meaning. Since some years we occasionally use English titles in Germany, too. But somehow they are different to the original English titles... (No worry: Star Wars is Star Wars - but even that was translated in the 70's to "Krieg der Sterne") [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 09:50, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:: Now this is real funny: in Spanish the title is "El retorno del Jedi" which refers to one single Jedi, so it is/was naturally singular for me. I never even considered the possibility of "Jedi" referring to several people - until now. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.49.74|173.245.49.74]] 11:20, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:: Also, Spanish movie titles (especially in the 1980s and 1990s) have less even to do with original titles than German ones. "Star wars" became "La guerra de las galaxias" (which means "The galaxy war" and is not much of a stretch). However, "The money pit" is "Esta casa es una ruina" (This house is a wreck), "Switch" is "Una rubia muy dudosa" (A very dubious blonde) and "Trading places" is "Entre pillos anda el juego" (sort of "This game is about rascals"). These are mere examples, it looks like in the 1990s every movie had to triple its title length when translated into Spanish. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.49.74|173.245.49.74]] 11:33, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:::In Latin America ''The Money Pit'' was ''Hogar, dulce hogar'' (Home, sweet home). ''Switch'' was ''Pasaporte al cielo'' (A passport to heaven). ''Trading places'' was ''De mendigo a millonario'' (From beggar to millonaire). It's absurd that they translate all titles twice. [[User:Xhfz|Xhfz]] ([[User talk:Xhfz|talk]]) 21:41, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:: In Finnish, it's "Jedin paluu", which translates literally as "The Jedi's return", again in the singular. Star Wars is translated to Tähtien sota, which roughly means "The stars' war" (plural possessive). The Money Pit is Rahareikä, literally "Money Hole" (or "The Money Hole", Finnish doesn't have words for the, a, or an), Switch is called "Apua, olen muuttunut naiseksi" (roughly "Help, I'm a changed woman") and Trading Places is Vaihtokaupat (literally "Shops Swap"). {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.207}}
:: My favourite example in Germany is "Once upon a time in the West" (as far as I can tell a direct translation from the Italian original) which is "Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod" in Germany: "Play the song about death/of Death to me" (don't know if The Death or just death is meant). This is one of the rare occasions on which I prefer the German title, while the English translation of the German title sounds quite silly, imho. However, back to topic: The word "Jedi" is used as plural and singular in each English and German (at least I'm not aware of ever having heard "Jedis" in either language). While in German it's quite easy to distinguish them by the article (Der (sg)/ Die (pl)) even that is the same in English (The). [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 13:04, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:::Actually, the Italian title would translate to "Once upon a time there was the West". "Il ritorno del Jedi" implies one Jedi only. [[User:Red Lieutenant|Red Lieutenant]] ([[User talk:Red Lieutenant|talk]]) 07:54, 13 August 2015 (UTC)

Wikipedia does note that Czar had become a title equivalent to King by the 19th Century, so perhaps that ought to be mentioned regarding "We Have a Czar Again." {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.41}}
:: Specifically, Цар, or "Tsar" would in Bulgarian and Russian mean the equivalent of (native) monarch, while Крал/"kral" would be reserved for foreign monarchs. When referring to an emperor, you'd use император/"imperator". Thus I would argue that "Czar", as the western spelling of Tsar, is a reasonable facsimile for "King". [[User:Meledin|Meledin]] ([[User talk:Meledin|talk]]) 14:11, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
Gaaaah! Power and force are not synonyms! Power and force-velocity are! Edit:thx whoever [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.75|108.162.221.75]] 10:41, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:You can probably put that in the same category as the mass delusion about what weight actually is. (SWIDT?) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.90|141.101.99.90]] 14:35, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:Not the same, right, but given the other variables remain the same, the Power raises aequivalent to Force. The sentence in whole remains correct that way. {{unsigned ip|162.158.90.235}}

The movie cases look like they form an upside down V, I and I. Could this also be a reference to the new Star Wars movie? --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.30|141.101.98.30]] 19:50, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
:I doubt it. It's not obvious enough. [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 21:22, 12 August 2015 (UTC)

"Conveniently" forgot Space Trips V: The Ultimate Border and VI: A Pristine Land, did we Randall? {{unsigned ip|108.162.250.165}}
: "Ultimate border" sounds too good. I would suggest:"Remote border" or "The furthest we have been from home (so far)". Continuing: "Space Trip: Overlooked Land ", "Space Trip: Full House", "Space Trip: Touched for the very first time", "Space Trip: Trouble with locals", "Space Trip: Recurring villian", "Space Trip: Space Trip", "Space Trip: Who turned off the light?", "Space Trip: To Infinity!" [[User:Carewolf|Carewolf]] ([[User talk:Carewolf|talk]]) 10:35, 13 August 2015 (UTC)
:: "Pristine Land" or "Overlooked land" doesn't really resonate with either the movie or the play. Why not "Space Trip VI: Life After Death"? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.145|141.101.98.145]] 16:34, 25 August 2015 (UTC)

:::He also skipped Space Fights: When Identical Twins Attack and Space Fights: The Bad Wizards' Comeback.

:::And of course Foreigner, Foreigners, Foreigner Cubed, Born-Again Foreigners, and Foreigners Fighting Carnivores. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 10:33, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

Thank you to the person who did the comic rotated! My neck was hurting. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.164}}

I'm curious, does anyone have a list to movie titles that have been similarly altered? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.227|162.158.2.227]] 06:33, 14 August 2015 (UTC)
: Not what you mean, but I'd used Google to look for "[https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=film+titles+translated+names&meta=&gws_rd=ssl film titles translated names]" (yeah, 'film' vs. 'movie', I know... but Google seems to have translated my Rightpondian terminology sufficiently) and it looks like it's definitely something people pay attention to. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.159|141.101.98.159]] 13:15, 14 August 2015 (UTC)

I had no idea what "The Jewelry God," meant, since that's a terribly mangled: "The Lord of the Rings" is of course a reference to the ring that rules all the other rings, as was made plain in the book. So "The Jewelry God" is backwards, and should have been "The God Jewelry." [[User:Mwenechanga|Mwenechanga]] ([[User talk:Mwenechanga|talk]]) 17:50, 8 September 2015 (UTC)

1561: Water Phase Diagram

2015-09-28T18:10:25Z

162.158.255.52: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1561
| date = August 7, 2015
| title = Water Phase Diagram
| image = water_phase_diagram.png
| titletext = Vanilla Ice was produced in small quantities for years, but it wasn't until the 90s that experimenters collaborated to produce a sample that could survive at room temperature for several months.
}}

==Explanation==
This is a modified version of the {{w|phase diagram}} for {{w|water}}. A "phase diagram" is a chart that shows the states, or "phases", that a substance will be in under various temperatures and pressures. {{w|Ice#Phases|Water's phases}} are particularly well-studied; on the [http://ergodic.ugr.es/termo/lecciones/water1.html real phase diagram for water], there are a great many phases listed.

Most people are familiar with three phases of water — solid ({{w|ice}}), liquid (water), and gas ({{w|Water vapor|vapour}}) — and with the fact that an increase in temperature will cause water to change from one state to another. The gas and liquid phases are quite straightforward; however, there is in fact not one single solid phase of water, but a variety of numbered phases ("ice I" through "ice XVI" are currently recognized), several of which are divided into sub-categories. Ordinary, everyday ice is known as "{{w|Ice Ih|ice Ih}}" ("ice one-h"). Most of the more unusual forms of ice only form under very {{w|high pressure}}.

[[Randall|Randall's]] phase diagram starts out realistically, though slightly simplified in several ways. For one, it simply uses the name "ice" for the usual form(s). It is focused in on a narrower area than the more complete diagram linked earlier; on that version, the "ice V" region is quite small, and "ice III" is barely visible, whereas both are quite plain to see on Randall's diagram. Lastly, where most phase diagrams have pressure increase upwards, Randall has the pressure scale increase downwards, this has been chosen to make it possible for the jokes to appear at the bottom of the chart. Else the comic would not be funny for the average reader.

Because, as the diagram continues downwards and the pressure increases, the jokes begin. Beyond the moderately high-pressure forms of ice (ice II, III and V), a real phase diagram has ice VI; Randall has "Vanilla Ice (ice VI)". {{w|Vanilla Ice}} is the stage name of a white rap/hip-hop artist from the 1990s; the initials of Vanilla Ice, and the Roman numeral six, are both VI.

Vanilla Ice's biggest hit, "{{w|Ice Ice Baby}}", used samples from the earlier song "{{w|Under Pressure}}", by {{w|David Bowie}} and {{w|Queen (band)|Queen}}; accordingly, on Randall's diagram, the "Vanilla Ice" region transitions to "David Bowie & Queen" when it is under (even higher) pressure.

Further references to "Ice Ice Baby" are found in the title text. Near the beginning of the song, Vanilla Ice raps the line, "All right stop, collaborate and listen". The unusual choice of "collaborate" in this line has made it memorable, and the word is used in the title text (in a more typical context). The phrase "survive at room temperature for several months" is likely a reference to "Ice Ice Baby" being Vanilla Ice's only major hit, humorously suggesting he faded out of the public view after a few months of fame. Finally, even the word "sample" may be deliberately chosen as a reference to the sampling of "Under Pressure".

===Original version===
[[File:WaterPhaseEdit.png|frame| The original comic, with a lower contrast, showing [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phase_diagram_of_water.svg the real phase diagram for water] from Wikipedia]]
When originally published, another image was faintly visible just below and to the right of the "Water vapor" label. It appeared to be a copy of [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phase_diagram_of_water.svg an actual phase diagram for water from Wikipedia]. The image has since been removed, lending support to speculation that it was an error (perhaps an image Randall referred to in drawing the comic, but accidentally left in the final result). Alternatively, it may have been deliberate—suggestions include its presence being a ''water''mark, or a reference to the "Full text of the Wikipedia article on pareidolia" joke in the [[1551: Pluto]] comic.

===Related comics===
Randall has referenced "Ice Ice Baby" and "Under Pressure", separately and together, on many previous occasions, notably in [[159: Boombox]] and [[210: 90's Flowchart]]. The gag of having the performers of "Under Pressure" also being literally under pressure was also used in [[1040: Lakes and Oceans]].

The [[what if?]] that was current at the time of this comic's publication was [http://what-if.xkcd.com/138/ 138: Jupiter Submarine], which began with an even more fanciful phase diagram: that of a submarine. It also contains a reference to the songs "Under Pressure" and "Ice Ice Baby" in one figure, and "Can't Touch This" by M.C. Hammer in the title text of that figure (which generated similar controversy for sampling "Superfreak" by Rick James).

The title text of [[1434: Where Do Birds Go]] whimsically suggests another possible phase of water/ice.

As mentioned above, the small image on the [[#Original version|original version]] could be a reference to the "Full text of the Wikipedia article on pareidolia" joke in the [[1551: Pluto]] comic.

==Transcript==
:[A phase diagram is shown with eight labeled regions.]

:[The horizontal axis, increasing in value to the the right is labeled:]
:Temperature

:[The vertical axis, increasing in value downwards is labeled:]
:Pressure

:[Region alongside the "Pressure" axis covering about half of its length is labeled:]
:Ice

:[Region spanning top-right corner of graph, i.e. higher temperatures and lower pressures. The region is labeled:]
:Water vapor

:[Region below "Water vapor" and to the right of "Ice" is labeled:]
:Liquid water

:[Three small regions below "Ice" are going from left to right on the same pressure region, the last ending just under "Liquid water". They are each labeled:]
:Ice II
:Ice III
:Ice V

:[Region below "Ice II", "Ice III", "Ice V" and "Liquid water" is labeled:]
:Vanilla Ice
:(Ice VI)

:[Below "Vanilla Ice" there is a dashed line with two arrows pointing downwards. The region below the dashed line is labeled:]
:David Bowie & Queen

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: Charts]]
[[Category: Music]]
[[Category: Science]]

Talk:1561: Water Phase Diagram

2015-09-28T18:06:58Z

162.158.255.52:

;Hidden message
What's up with that square under "water vapor"? Is it just a glitch, or is it some hidden message like in https://xkcd.com/1005/? [[User:Nick818|Nick818]] ([[User talk:Nick818|talk]])

: I think it is a hidden message, it almost looks like a tiny graph. {{unsigned ip|108.162.242.27}}

:: It looks like a tiny version of the same graph, but flipped upright so that pressure increases as you go up. (Doing this in the main strip would ruin the "Under Pressure" joke. --[[User:Druid816|Druid816]] ([[User talk:Druid816|talk]]) 05:19, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

::: I'd say it's the phase diagram Randall used as a template, see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_diagram#Crystal_phase_diagrams Wikipedia] --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.232|108.162.229.232]] 05:28, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

:The only thing I can think of is "water + vapor + paper" with the letters being {unique, identical, second, first, identical}. No idea if that means anything. It's probably just a pencil drawing that Randall forgot to remove before publishing. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.70|108.162.216.70]] 06:45, 7 August 2015 (UTC)
::Seems to be the phase diagram from wikipedia. I put a contrast enhanced zoom [http://i.imgur.com/wJGVriV.png here] and it corresponds extremely well with the wikipedia version (including darker pixels where the blue is). -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.234|141.101.105.234]] 13:36, 7 August 2015 (UTC)
:::I think it might be a reference to the "Full text of the Wikipedia article on pareidolia" of the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1551 Pluto comic]. --[[User:Lokar|Lokar]] ([[User talk:Lokar|talk]]) 15:26, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

: I don't see any square, faded or otherwise, by label "water vapor". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.231|108.162.219.231]] 13:04, 7 August 2015 (UTC)
::Yeah, it's gone now... __rvx [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.86|173.245.50.86]] 00:20, 8 August 2015 (UTC)
;What If?
Why no mention of the relation to the current whatif? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.91|141.101.91.91]] 07:01, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

;Title text
Disagree that the title text is definitely in reference to any line in the song, just because it includes the word "collaborate[d]" [[Special:Contributions/108.162.228.17|108.162.228.17]] 07:49, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

I'm not happy with the title-text-explanation. In my eyes the joke is that Randall try to make us believe that Vanilla-icecream is ice IV – and they somehow managed in the 90s to let it exists at high temperatures (for us: normal room temp). --[[User:DaB.|DaB.]] ([[User talk:DaB.|talk]]) 11:31, 7 August 2015 (UTC)
: I have to disagree for one important reason: (Vanilla) Icecream was produced in high quantities since approx. the 1950's (or even earlier) and not just since the 90's, which is common sense, I think. Imho "Vanilla Ice was produced in small quantities for years" refers more to the fact, that many of Vanilla Ice's tracks consist of different samples of earlier produced songs (such as Under Pressure) or even complete covers (i.e. Play that funky Music). However, Randall might have missed another perfect opportunity for a different joke: Since "Vanilla" is used as expression for "normal" or "trivial" he could have placed it for Ice (I), the "normal" solid water. In that case the Under Pressure reference would have been a bit less obvious, though. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 12:22, 7 August 2015 (UTC)
:: Purely as a tangent, ice cream was commonly available in the U.S. in the 1700's, and by the 1800's large silver flatware sets often included (along with other odd specialty pieces like asparagus tongs) sets of ice cream forks. Yes, ice cream was originally "properly" eaten with a fork. [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 20:40, 7 August 2015 (UTC)
::: I thought for sure the intersection of the three was called "Ice-T" [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.184|173.245.48.184]] 13:40, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

;Kurt Vonnegut
Surely this comic would have been a perfect opportunity to mention {{w|Kurt Vonnegut}}'s fictional {{w|Ice-nine}}? Disappointed in you Randall! [[User:Cosmogoblin|Cosmogoblin]] ([[User talk:Cosmogoblin|talk]]) 09:42, 7 August 2015 (UTC)
:I agree that Vonnegut's ice-nine is a wonderful topic, but since it exists (fictionally) at room temperature and pressure, it complicates this piece. --[[User:Tanana|Tanana]] ([[User talk:Tanana|talk]]) 22:33, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

;Opinion
I have to very strongly disagree with the opinion expressed by [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.173|108.162.216.173]] in [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1561:_Water_Phase_Diagram&diff=99284&oldid=99281 this edit], namely that 'pressure scale incresing down isn't so jokes are at bottom, it facilitates being "Under" Pressure - the joke doesn't work any other way.' Being at the bottom along the pressure axis doesn't mean that region is "under" pressure. It's "under" Vanilla Ice. The joke works because it is ''under pressure'', a very high amount of pressure, not because it is geometrically below pressure in any sense (it really isn't). My original text, that pressure increases downwards so the jokes are at the bottom, makes far more sense to me (well, naturally). It's the "reveal". If the jokes were at the top, they'd be read before the average reader had even grasped what the comic was about. But anyway, that's just my opinion; does anyone else have any thoughts? -- [[User:Peregrine|Peregrine]] ([[User talk:Peregrine|talk]]) 15:07, 7 August 2015 (UTC)
:I totally agree with you and have reverted to something similar to the original version. Maybe it could be worded better, but at least that makes sense. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:15, 8 August 2015 (UTC)
:As the editor who changed the wording obviously I disagree. If the axis were arranged correctly the linkage to "Under Pressure" would be far less obvious. ("Over" pressure??!?) I get what you're saying that 'under' pressure has nothing to do with geometry, but it does work typographic arrangement. But I have to question why the reveal is naturally the right assumption, as it would still work just as well with the 'reveal' at the top... maybe it's just kismet. But then again, I think the speculation is overthought in the first place - it's also just as natural that Ice Ice Baby is built on top of Under Pressure - and I've already invested too much time in it. Just MVHO. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.173|108.162.216.173]] 19:32, 11 August 2015 (UTC)

Sorry, got lost, but I wanted to suggest it's missing Miles Davis at the very bottom. "Birth of The Cool", ya know. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.27|108.162.242.27]] 21:20, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

Also missing are references to Ice T and "Cold As Ice." [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UdXbMyo1rU[/url] —[[User:SaxTeacher|SaxTeacher]] [[User talk:SaxTeacher|(talk)]] 02:27, 14 August 2015 (UTC)

And here I thought it was somehow referencing this http://news.discovery.com/tech/biotechnology/this-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-150831.htm "This Ice Cream Doesn't Melt" [[User:Xyzdragon|Xyzdragon]] ([[User talk:Xyzdragon|talk]]) 19:12, 8 September 2015 (UTC)

"U Can't Touch This" does not also sample "Under Pressure", it samples "Superfreak". The connection between the two is just that they caused similar controversies at about the same time. As soon as I can come up with good wording, I'll edit the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 18:06, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1559: Driving

2015-09-28T17:55:45Z

162.158.255.52:

They're probably in California, seeing as that's the only place self-driving cars are actually on the road. [[User:Wmss|Wmss]] ([[User talk:Wmss|talk]]) 09:46, 3 August 2015 (UTC)

If there are self-driving cars, what about self-filling cars? So these cars are able to make long distances without the driver's interaction. Maybe he is sleeping. [[User:GeorgDerReisende|GeorgDerReisende]] ([[User talk:GeorgDerReisende|talk]]) 10:47, 3 August 2015 (UTC)
: Yeah, for some reason that does not exist yet -- the self-driving car on the other hand DOES exit and I can see them driving down my street every day [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 01:07, 4 August 2015 (UTC)

::People have no problem entrust the self-driving cars with their lives, but did you saw how much the petrol costs? Too risky. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:26, 4 August 2015 (UTC)

Should've used hitchBOT instead of a rock. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.82|108.162.216.82]] 12:46, 3 August 2015 (UTC)

Could this have been a semi-tribute? Showing how some malicious people will abuse technology that is programmed to be too trusting? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.138|108.162.216.138]] 20:56, 3 August 2015 (UTC)
: Could you explain with an example [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 01:07, 4 August 2015 (UTC)

I disagree with the part of the explanation that claims that the comic must take place in the continental US. The title text doesn't specify "exactly two" border crossings; it merely implies that there is more than one. That could be anywhere in mainland (or attached-to-the-mainland-by-bridge) North America, north of the Darien Gap, except for most of Canada (from most of the population centers of Ontario, Google Maps wants to route through Michigan, for a total of three border crossings). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.149|108.162.221.149]] 14:18, 3 August 2015 (UTC)
:Correct. It "implies" more than one, but doesn't require it. Only that there be at least one. So they could be in Canada. Essentially anywhere on the continent (or an island connected by bridge to the mainland (e.g., Florida Keys)) north of the Darien Gap but outside Alaska. - Equinox [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.172|108.162.238.172]] 23:15, 3 August 2015 (UTC)
::I disagree. Randall makes comic in the mainland US and if there is no indication we are outside it is safe to assume they are in the mainland US. And the title text clearly indicated more than one border crossing. You are making it way to complicated. I have corrected accordingly.--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:02, 4 August 2015 (UTC)

It is likely that the car's owner can locate it via the Internet, via an app and location logic provided by the car's manufacturer. E.g., OnStar. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.157}}

"At the time of the release of this comic there were no places where these cars could be used privately." That is not true, as there are no restrictions on vehicle use on private property. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.7|108.162.212.7]] 16:35, 3 August 2015 (UTC)
: You are correct, and I have fixed that -- the true statement is that they are not for sale to private individuals [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 01:03, 4 August 2015 (UTC)

The only US state that both borders Canada and permits self-driving cards is Michigan. Assuming that the logic in self-driving cars prevents them from driving on streets where they are not legal, the conversation would have to take place in that state (but then again, wouldn't the car know that it is not allowed to drive in Alaska?) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.64|162.158.92.64]] 19:38, 3 August 2015 (UTC)
:Maybe it's exactly a matter of what knowledge the car has. It ''could'' be linked up to something proprietry, or possibly a Cortana information-engine, to control a virtual "GPS fence", based on current legal and possibly licence-based limits. I'll bet it can be reprogrammed to ignore/extend such limits, though. (Which is why I'm dubious about the idea of 'hard limiting' flying drones from entering restricted airspace. A little hardware/software/firmware hacking should be simple enough for anyone who needs to get around such limits.)
:I can also imagine the following conversation: "How far does your car's self-driving system let you go on automatic?" "I'll ask her..."(/Alaska...) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.188|141.101.98.188]] 00:33, 4 August 2015 (UTC)
:Yes the car would know that it was not permitted to drive in Alaska, however that would not prevent it from setting of with that destination in mind assuming that the person would take over control and entering manual driving in places where automatic were not permitted. [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 01:03, 4 August 2015 (UTC)
::In that case, the "border" in the title text could be a state border... [[User:Sabik|Sabik]] ([[User talk:Sabik|talk]]) 06:13, 4 August 2015 (UTC)
:::But you are still assuming this is the present. If this comic is set in the future they could be anywhere in the US and drive all the way through the country, then through Canada and finally to the destination in Alaska. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:02, 4 August 2015 (UTC)
::::I think you mean North Montana, hasn't been called Canada in years [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.156|162.158.255.156]] 16:59, 4 August 2015 (UTC)
:::::We always used to call Anchorage "North Seattle." Also, once we casually said "good morning" to a stranger on the street in Inverness (Scotland) and got the instant response "Vancouver!" We said "No, Seattle." The response to that was "Oh, same thing." [[User:Taibhse|Taibhse]] ([[User talk:Taibhse|talk]]) 10:49, 5 August 2015 (UTC)
:There's no reason to assume that the same laws apply in XKCD world, where velociraptors spontaneously attack people who use GOTO. There is also no direct indication that the self-driving car was being operated legally. I feel that trying to pin down the location of this comic is overthinking the matter. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.155|108.162.238.155]] 22:37, 5 August 2015 (UTC)
:I agree -- we're wasting valuable time that should be spent arguing that Black Hat is not in fact carrying a sand bag, but rather a large rock!
Many years ago, a major oil company approached an auto research company to come up with both a means to describe as well as coordinates in that system of every fuel filling location on every vehicle. The thought at the time was that the company was seeking to create an automated filling station that could eliminate both the attendant and self-serve. It is only a matter of time. {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.5}}

I can't believe no one is raising the really important question about self-filling cars and/or automatic filling stations: would they be legal on the New Jersey Turnpike? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 17:55, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1555: Exoplanet Names 2

2015-09-28T17:17:16Z

162.158.255.52:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znxFrgql5dc "This Land"] is a ''Firefly'' reference. [[User:Keavon|Keavon]] ([[User talk:Keavon|talk]]) 05:11, 24 July 2015 (UTC)
: This land is also track n6 of The Lion King, I think Randall is also a fan of this.--[[User:NeoRaist|NeoRaist]] ([[User talk:NeoRaist|talk]]) 14:54, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

What is with Kepler-283? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.214.137|108.162.214.137]] 05:09, 24 July 2015 (UTC)
:283b is the phonetic spelling for Uranus (your-a-nus) and 283c is the phonetic spelling for Uranus (your-ay-nus) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.77|141.101.104.77]] 05:33, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

;Netherlands
.. I almost feel like that titletext gives enough reason for there to be (some) pages about the [[what_if?|''What If?'']] series, but ehhhh... [[User:Pixali|Pixali]] ([[User talk:Pixali|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Pixali|contribs]]) 05:02, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

Thought about that and Randall's "promise" to use this joke more often: Do we need a "Netherlands" category for comics/articles? Having said that, maybe this was the very last reference to this joke, because of this promise... [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 12:06, 3 August 2015 (UTC)

;Kostner
Is there a pun I'm missing by spelling Kevin Costner as "Kostner"? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.241.7|198.41.241.7]]
:[http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/exoplanet_names_2.png Randall fixed it.] I don't know how to update the file here, though. [[User:P1h3r1e3d13|P1h3r1e3d13]] ([[User talk:P1h3r1e3d13|talk]]) 20:15, 24 July 2015 (UTC)
::I got it - the file's been updated, but I had to go all the way to the image and force a refresh on my browser for it to appear correctly. :P [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 00:34, 25 July 2015 (UTC)

;Novella

I'm not 100% sure what "Novella" refers to, aside from the dictionary definition of the word (and if that's the case I'm unsure of the context), but in case it's not widely-known on this wiki, I want to suggest the possibility that it's a tribute to the Novella brothers, who are among the co-hosts of the popular science podcast The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe. - [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.175|108.162.241.175]] 04:43, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

:Seems like a cool podcast, sadly I don't have time to listen to 10 years Witt of podcasts. Any specific ones I should listen to and where should I start for new ones? {{unsigned ip|173.245.55.63}}
:: The podcast is very topical, often talking about current news items. It is OK to start with new ones, and back-fill as desired. [[User:Blaisepascal|Blaisepascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 18:57, 24 July 2015 (UTC)
: Considering the sex-themed names Novella it is grouped with. I will assume it is a joke on 60/70's exploitation/B-movies, some of which had names or leadcharacters named something..-ella. In this case the prefix is just particularly confusing ;) [[Special:Contributions/188.114.110.47|188.114.110.47]] 08:51, 24 July 2015 (UTC)
::I assumed this was a reference to the SGU, perhaps because I was primed by the Phil Plait reference (who has been a guest on that podcast a few times), and because of their enthusiasm for space news. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.57|141.101.99.57]] 20:04, 28 July 2015 (UTC)
: It could also be interpreted in this context as the diminutive form of "nova," like a stellar nova. - [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.165|173.245.56.165]] 15:09, 31 July 2015 (UTC)

;A$aplanet

Is a pun on the rap group {{w|A$AP Mob}} and their most prominient member {{w|A$AP Rocky}}.
: Included that possibility. Thanks. Didn't know of A$AP, before. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 13:21, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

Somehow I just read this as "a dollar a planet", maybe refering to a donating scheme ("a dollar donated for every planet found" or even more along the lines of "a dollar a day", meaning: donate 1 dollar to save this planet) or a sale advertisement ("just $1 to buy a planet", which is very likely to be a scam as it would not be possible with current technology to visit another planet outside of our solar system) [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.253|198.41.242.253]] 15:15, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

;Planet of the Apes (disambiguation)
I think the suggestion here is to actually put the "(disambiguation)" in the name of the planet, thereby creating a problem in the wikipedia entry, since [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_Apes_%28disambiguation%29 there's already a wikipedia page with that title]. They would have to create a meta-disambiguation page, which is why this is funny. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.235|141.101.98.235]] 13:39, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

::That's definitely the joke. But Wikipedia is actually already prepared to deal with this. When the Prince and the Revolution cover band "Prince (disambiguation)" tried to add a page for their band, editors pointed out that it should be listed as "Prince (disambiguation) (band)", with that "misnamed for technical reasons" template at the top explaining that the band's proper name is "Prince (disambiguation)", and possibly a disambiguation page at "Prince (disambiguation)" could point to it as well as to "Prince (musician)" and various other things. (But of course the band is completely non-notable, so the page was just deleted anyway). (I may be misremembering the details; it may have been a similarly-named cover band for a similar artist.) So, this would just be "Planet of the Apsa (disambiguation) (exoplanet)". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 17:17, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

;Kepler-438b
In the previous comic, Kepler-438 was named Kepler-1686 (which does not seem to exist...) and was updated to the current [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler-438b Kepler-438b]. It even is colored red to show the update. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.23.198|162.158.23.198]] 16:34, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

;Hot Mess

Why is Hot Mess an Arrested Development thing? The phrase is in general use, not just limited to viewers of that show. {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.189}}

;Air Bud Pluto #9 Reference
A few strips back, in ''Rulebook'', we were debating whether the "9" on the dog's jersey may have been a subtle jab at the Pluto debate. I argued that there was a strong possibility of that, given the timing of that comic immediately after the New Horizons flyby, the strong relationship between dogs and the name Pluto, and Pluto's former status as the 9th planet. There was no way to prove that that was what Randall had in mind (short of him personally confirming it), but I think this strip could lend some credence to it. What do you think? [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 17:50, 24 July 2015 (UTC)
;Definition of Planet
What about the fact that the new definition of planet made by the IAU says it has to be around the sun. None of these would fit the definition of planet then and the answer to "is Pluto a planet" would still be no.[[User:Agent0013|Agent0013]]
: Here's a link to the IAU resolution which defines a planet (and confirms Agent0013's comment): [http://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau0603/ IAU 2006 General Assembly Results]. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.150|173.245.50.150]] 19:35, 25 July 2015 (UTC)
::<Here used to be nonsense, sorry> [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 12:51, 3 August 2015 (UTC)

;Planet with Arms
(I just added this to the 1253 talk. Adding it here too.) I think Planet With Arms refers to both Hitchhiker's and to Galileo describing Saturn as a 'planet with ears' when he discovered. it. --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.26|173.245.54.26]] 13:12, 25 July 2015 (UTC)

A few more possibilities for you:
*"Skydot" - a reference to Carl Sagan's famous "Pale Blue Dot" of Earth.
*"Seas of Toothpaste" - possibly referencing the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" with its various peculiar "Seas" (e.g., "Sea of Phrenology", "Sea of Holes")
*"Moonchild" is a generic hippy name, and also the title of a 1917 novel by Aleister Crowley and songs by King Crimson and Iron Maiden. The King Crimson song, perhaps importantly, is the fourth song (i.e., "song d") on their debut album.
* "Planet With Arms" also follows on directly after "LEGoland" as a pun, as well as referencing Galileo's description of Saturn as a planet with ears.
[[User:Grutness|Grutness]] ([[User talk:Grutness|talk]]) 01:48, 26 July 2015 (UTC)

Planet with arms could also probably be a reference to the 'birds with arms' meme. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.169|108.162.249.169]] 09:12, 26 July 2015 (UTC)

It's probably not intentional, but '''Spherical Discworld''' reminded me of an aspect of the Pratchett novel, ''Strata'' (pre-Discworld-series, i.e. ''very'' early work, and arguably a bit rough around the edges, but you still might want to peruse it some time). Although I'm not wanting to go into any more detail lest I spoiler the very interesting thing that I'm talking about. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.168|141.101.98.168]] 21:18, 26 July 2015 (UTC)

I am vaguely disappointed that none of the Eridani planets got named "Planet of the Fish Assholes"... -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 23:46, 26 July 2015 (UTC)

Can we talk about how this comic is the fourth time the island {{w|Sulawesi}} was mentioned without any reason? Sulawesi appeared in [[273: Electromagnetic Spectrum|comic 273]] as part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and physically in both Online Communities maps [[256: Online Communities|I]] and [[802: Online Communities 2|II]]? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.225.133|108.162.225.133]] 09:55, 27 July 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1549: xkcd Phone 3

2015-09-28T09:00:34Z

162.158.255.52:

I assume that this is made, at least in part, in reference to the just-made OnePlus infodump and their upcoming OnePlus 2 smartphone. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.188|162.158.2.188]]

Is the heartbeat accelerator used to fool fitness wristbands? Or apps? Or ... ? [[User:SirKitKat|sirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 07:56, 10 July 2015 (UTC)

"Ear screen" may refer to a different meaning of "screen" - a device that protects you from something, as in "sun screen". In this case, the "ear screen" would block the sound of the phone's speakers, making it useless (at least for telephony). 08:02, 10 July 2015 (UTC)~~ [[User:thepike|thepike]]

:I thought it was a name change like those of beret guy, repurposing words to stay accurate without using the correct/standard term.[[User:Athang|Athang]] ([[User talk:Athang|talk]]) 09:54, 10 July 2015 (UTC)

:I'm puzzled by the "ear screen" explanation: On old wired telephone handsets, the speaker grille was sometimes referred to as an "earpiece screen" or "protective ear screen" in the user manuals, so I just assumed that it was a common feature being pointlessly touted as if it were exclusive (common practice on iOS & Android device packaging & promotional material). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.95|108.162.221.95]] 19:53, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

Doesn't running natively just mean that it runs apps natively instead of emulating them or something. Which would be a pointless marketing term OR it implys that the phone itself or the person inside runs.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.192|108.162.249.192]] 10:53, 10 July 2015 (UTC)
:I did some re-writing on that point (because the likes of the Java Virtual Machine-type solution is a half-way house that needs mentioning, between 'native' and 'emulated'), but it's a bit long. Also I briefly mentioned the Crusoe chip essentially a 'hardware virtual machine layer' (over and above the machine-code to micro-code one that doesn't bear mentioning due to the ubiquity), but not sure I described it well enough. At the time, the talk was that a Crusoe chip could end up (by sofware flag or magic 'autodetection') run x86/Intel-compatible ''or'' Motorola (Apple) ''or'' DEC Alpha instruction sets (and probably any other sets they could squeeze in, whether CISC or RISC, like Acorn's {{w|ARM architecture|ARM}}) without any software emulation at all. Of course, that was the time when programs didn't so heavily rely upon an OS's own API for pretty much ''all'' resources (at least on single-user machines), which is in effect an additional Virtual Machine layer, and the whole computing business has gone in a different direction, even Apple temporarily played with the PowerPC platform model.
:...Yeah, that's no shorter than my in-article edit, is it? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.252|141.101.98.252]] 13:44, 10 July 2015 (UTC)

Wireless discharge: I think the explanation is too complicate. Every cellphone (and every other device that uses batteries) does discharge without a wire, it is just normal. The joke (in my eyes) is here that no-one would advice with that. --[[User:DaB.|DaB.]] ([[User talk:DaB.|talk]]) 11:43, 10 July 2015 (UTC)

Here's an idea: a phone that discharges it's power wirelessly into another device.(unlikely that this is what it means though)[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.166|108.162.249.166]] 12:39, 10 July 2015 (UTC)
* How about a phone that discharges it's battery into another human? I'd buy that (provided I could control when and whom.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.224|141.101.88.224]] 13:54, 10 July 2015 (UTC)
* knowing the previous xkcd phones: it isn't going to be controllable [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.166|108.162.249.166]] 11:41, 11 July 2015 (UTC)

Could "Boneless" be a play on words against the jawbone devices?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.203|108.162.219.203]] 13:12, 10 July 2015 (UTC)

:The second xkcd phone comic had the phone being "Ribbed"... Perhaps that's what "boneless" is talking about? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.84|108.162.242.84]] 20:20, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

:Boneless might probably refer to Ivar the Boneless, a Viking leader who invaded Britain in 865 — an allusion to Harald Bluetooth, another Viking, king of Denmark and Norway. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.64.113|141.101.64.113]] 20:52, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

Does the title text seem to imply to anyone else that the customer may have been abducted for testing? [[User:Schiffy|Schiffy]] ([[User_talk:Schiffy|Speak to me]]|[[Special:Contributions/Schiffy|What I've done]]) 17:13, 10 July 2015 (UTC)

A runaway pacemaker ("heartbeat accelerator") probably wouldn't cause a heart attack. A heart attack is the interruption of blood flow to the heart muscle. A runaway pacemaker ''could'' cause a lethal tachycardia -- 2,000 beats per minute is [http://europace.oxfordjournals.org/content/7/6/592.full documented] and hearts don't do well at that rate... [[User:Andrew|Andrew]] ([[User talk:Andrew|talk]]) 19:24, 10 July 2015 (UTC)

:Could "heatbeat accelerator" be a reference to an indicator light? Or am I the only one who gets a bit excited when I see my phone LED flashing indicating I have a friend out there who remembered I exist? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.225.105|108.162.225.105]] 23:04, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

::I completely agree with 108...105. When I first read the comic my first thought was that the heartbeat accelerator was the LED indicator light. I can recall getting quite nervous sometimes when waiting for a text back from my girlfriend, all that much amplified when something comes in. [[User:Robodoggy|Robodoggy]] ([[User talk:Robodoggy|talk]]) 01:32, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

The first xkcd phone comic also mentioned that the phone can drown. It said something like, "Don't submerge phone; it will drown."[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.141|108.162.216.141]] 03:20, 11 July 2015 (UTC)

I have to protest the idea in the explanation that a screen "all the way through" would leave no space for the actual workings of the phone. I owned an original Nexus 7, which I took apart after the kids dropped it in the bath. All of the controlling circuitry was in a thin layer *around* the screen surface, not below it. Below it was mostly battery, and presuming it takes AA batteries it wouldn't have a giant LiIon. It's not an absurd notion at all that a phone could have nothing behind its screen. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.59|108.162.216.59]] 11:30, 11 July 2015 (UTC)

I would actually like a phone running on 2AA (Or better, AAA) batteries. Not a smartphone, just a basic phone. I wouldn't want the other features though... -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.67|141.101.104.67]] 15:38, 11 July 2015 (UTC)
* Based on my experiences with wireless microphones, which I think probably consume batteries at a similar rate as dumbphones do (the reason I think this is because the main thing powered by the battery in both devices is the wireless transmitter), you'd get maaaaybe 5-6 hours of battery life from each pair of AA batteries. Less if they were AAA - for alkaline batteries, the smaller they are, the quicker they die.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.141|108.162.216.141]] 01:59, 12 July 2015 (UTC)
* I am struggling to say this without sounding mean, but... 141.101.104.67 must be someone over 50 years old? I never hear anyone younger desiring alkaline pile cell slots in modern devices unless they are older & miss the convenience of interchangeable batteries using standardized sizes. I think standardizing flat-pack dimensions for lithium-ion batteries could be of great benefit to the consumer & the environment in general. Far too many batteries & charger accessories become deprecated by external layout changes that are not required by the advancements made within the cells. Older folks remember being able to get a fresh battery just about anywhere. Even at the elevated price of high capacity rechargeable lithium cells, I think consumers would love being able to buy a fresh battery when theirs is low or failing. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.95|108.162.221.95]] 19:53, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

"It would also make little sense for the OS itself to be non-native..." The first few versions of MacOS for PowerPC and PalmOS for ARM were largely emulated 68k code, with only the most performance-critical or central code ported. It was presumably faster to build a 68k emulator than to port everything. (And of course this meant that existing third-party drivers, extensions, etc. continued to work for a few years after the transition, but that could have been done separately--e.g., Mac OS X 10.4 on Intel could use some kinds of PowerPC drivers, even though the OS itself was purely Intel.) Also, the NT and OS/2 DOS environments, WOW and WOW64, OS X's early "Classic", etc. are all arguably emulated systems (you may be running x86 code natively on an x86, but the BIOS, memory mapped hardware, EMS, etc. are all emulated). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 09:00, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1545: Strengths and Weaknesses

2015-09-28T02:30:45Z

162.158.255.52:

For anyone who wants to take a stab at a more thorough (or better written) explanation of ancestry, the wiki pages for {{w|Identical_ancestors_point}} and {{w|Most_recent_common_ancestor}} helped me to start understanding the topic. I think its easy to jump to the conclusion that it is extremely unlikely that Cueball will be the ancestor of all living humans, however it isn't quite as intuitive as I believed. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 16:17, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

Look at the talk for that Wikipedia page. The figures for most recent common ancestor given there are incredible, but the community lacks the will to replace with decent science. [[User:Asimong|Asimong]] ([[User talk:Asimong|talk]]) 05:57, 2 July 2015 (UTC)

I don't understand, why would come a day that he is "either an ancestor to all living humans, or to none of them"? It's very possible for him to be the ancestor to ''some'' living humans forever [[User:Egoist|Egoist]] ([[User talk:Egoist|talk]]) 19:44, 1 July 2015 (UTC)
:If you have lots of children, and then if people interbreed randomly, as time goes forward it becomes less and less likely that any randomly selected person is ''not'' one of your descendents. As probability of ''not'' goes to zero, fraction of ''yes'' goes to 100%. But, if you do not have lots of children, and your kids don't either, at some future moment you may have zero descendents, and after that statistics cannot save you. [[User:Pesthouse|Pesthouse]] ([[User talk:Pesthouse|talk]]) 22:36, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

Two cases that haven't been dealt with:
1.) Humanity gets wiped out before this happens, so there are no living humans for Cueball to be ancestor to tor not. (0/0 case)

2.) Through physical separation, humanity diverges into 2 or more species, and Cueball is only an ancestor to some of these different species. Would all of these species be considered humans? I'm not familiar with the semantics.

I'm also not sure how likely either of these are.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.100|108.162.215.100]] 20:29, 1 July 2015 (UTC)
: In your case (1), that means he will *both* be the ancestor to all people or to none. [[User:MGK|MGK]] ([[User talk:MGK|talk]]) 01:21, 2 July 2015 (UTC)

Also! Assuming Cueball hasn't had kids yet, he is already an ancestor to no living humans. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.100|108.162.215.100]] 23:47, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

In this comic it is very likely that Cueball is confused regarding the software concept of recursion and "children" or child nodes. This plays off of the idea that if he reproduces he will eventually become a common ancestor to all existing humans at some point in the future (infinte recursion), or he won't reproduce and therefore will have no children (ancestor to none). This is further played with in the subtext which mentions implementing quick sort (a recursive sorting algorithm). Also of note, there are many other comics where cueball is confused by software concepts. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.111|108.162.219.111]] 21:11, 2 July 2015 (UTC)

I added a bit to this explanation. I think the explanation as it was dealt too heavily with the existential portion of the exchange and missed one really important part of the joke: Ponytail's questions are meant to be related to Cueball's PROFESSIONAL strengths and weaknesses (and his ambitions), but his responses are either accidentally or deliberately "missing the point" - he's responding from an existential point of view instead of a professional one. I hope that the portion of the explanation I added will help clarify this point. [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 05:58, 4 July 2015 (UTC)

:Not only he's responding from existential point of view. Also, his answers are equally true for ANY interviewed.
:PS: I'm not sure why is sex described as "awkward". Sure, having sex during interview is very uncommon, but "awkward"? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 14:01, 7 July 2015 (UTC)

::Have you ever had sex in an office chair, or on one of those round tables they have in mini-conference rooms that are often used for interviews, or in the space between one of those tables and the wall?

::Also, all you know about your interviewer is that she's "Janice from HR here at Whizco", but she's just read a 2-page summary of your life. That could add to the awkwardness.

::And finally, assuming this is the HR interview before the technical and business interviews, and she's already asked half her questions, you've got maybe 15 minutes left to have sex, then clean up and look professional again.

::But mostly it's the lack of good surfaces. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 02:30, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

We're fooling ourselves with job interviews, they are largely useless, and in fact may exclude the best candidates because they don't "interview well"; we would be better off doing a lottery after establishing basic credentials (literacy, basic communication ability...) Even Google has come to this conclusion, after all those puzzles and other crap:
:"Years ago, we did a study to determine whether anyone at Google is particularly good at hiring. We looked at tens of thousands of interviews, and everyone who had done the interviews and what they scored the candidate, and how that person ultimately performed in their job. We found zero relationship. It’s a complete random mess, except for one guy who was highly predictive because he only interviewed people for a very specialized area, where he happened to be the world’s leading expert." ( http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/20/business/in-head-hunting-big-data-may-not-be-such-a-big-deal.html ) {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.27}}

Talk:1544: Margaret

2015-09-28T02:17:16Z

162.158.255.52:

I love how 'God' is referred to as an 'it' instead of the usual anthropomorphism. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.52|108.162.219.52]] 00:59, 30 June 2015 (UTC)BK201
:That may be appropriate when god is uncapitalized, but it is ill-fitting for "God". Capitalized God is never genderless in regular speech or composition, so this sounds either like non-native writing (which is fine if it is later corrected) or someone making a statement (which is inappropriate unless the comic makes the same statement). [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.25|173.245.50.25]] 20:08, 30 June 2015 (UTC)
::Or thirdly i wrote "it" because this comic lacks any religious specificity or theological discussion, so it was left generic. This page does not speak to a specific religions interpretation of God, I highly doubt all monotheistic religions, historic and present, refer to God as male. If it is a Christian God it does not speak to the aspect, as the holy spirit is female in the original text. Yes if this was a theological discussion you might be right to impose a gender, but this comic that does not delve into any theological issues. As to "making a point" you are the one making a point, as to your own correctness, the nature of this God, and making false assumptions about the English language. As someone who is a native speaker I know that "it" can be used as impersonal or personal and is SUPPOSED to be used when the gender is unknown.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.155|108.162.238.155]] 21:16, 30 June 2015 (UTC)
:::Historically, "he" was used for unknown gender. Today, it's "he or she". I don't know your gender, but I can't correctly call you "it". I also don't know the sex of South Africa's head of state, and I won't look that up until after posting this. Can I call him or her "it" because I am uncertain? For a generic god, lower-case god is fine. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.87|108.162.221.87]] 23:40, 30 June 2015 (UTC)
::::WRONG the use of it only as an impersonal pronoun is modern, he was never generic, and is not today http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/pronouns-personal-i-me-you-him-it-they-etc http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/it . Nextime someone challanges your preconseptions, check before calling them out. 00:10, 1 July 2015 (UTC)
:::::"It" is not being using impersonally in this case. "Impersonal" doesn't mean "no gender", it means "no agent". For example, "it is raining", "it is snowing", "it is windy", and so on. Using it as a pronoun proper is by definition not impersonal. So, definitions that call "it" impersonal have nothing to do with this. If "he" was never generic, explain all of the quotes (many of them hundreds of years old) that begin with "he who...". Also, note that the possessive form of "it" was actually usually rendered as "his" until the word "its" came into common parlance, another clue of the historical use of the gender as default. Other languages that haven't lost their gender system, like Spanish, still use masculine as default.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.25|173.245.50.25]] 05:01, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

:::::Here's a good example of "he" as a gender-neutral pronoun, from 1611: "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given." I could produce more, but the point is simply to dispel the assertion that "he" was never generic. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.25|173.245.50.25]] 05:29, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

::::: Not generic, just assumed that the audience is male :) also from the definition that no one could read "person or animal whose sex is unknown or disregarded "[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.155|108.162.238.155]] 16:15, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

:::::I disagree. "Whosoever" is pretty generic, and its gender is independent of the audience. That definition is for uses like "who is it?", which are used in questions (like that example) and indirect questions (like "I don't know who it is"). Using that for this case reminds me of those "DRIVERS SHOCKED BY NEW RULE IN [STATE]" ads. I looked at one of them out of curiosity (clicking on it cost them money, after all), and looked at the disclaimer at the bottom. It specifically justified the use of "rule" in the advertisement by citing a dictionary entry like this one from Webster: "a piece of advice about the best way to do something". But, we all know that even though the dictionary says that, it makes no sense to apply that definition to "NEW RULE IN CALIFORNIA!" [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.103|108.162.221.103]] 16:54, 1 July 2015 (UTC)
::::::Sorry i could not see any argument? Concede defeat? Dictionary is kinda the winner on this, it is a word, and not even a tricky use of a word. And about it being only for lower case god, that's not true either. I bet you would write the following sentences.
::::::*I like the god with the Nickleback t-shirt. I like HIS taste in music.
::::::*I like the god in the bachelorette party with a pink feather boa. SHE relay looks like she is ready for a good time.
::::::*I like the Snake God. IT would look good with an argyle vest, pleated pants, suspenders and a bow tie.
::::::*Ohh, look at the cute baby god I can never have one because I am shooting blanks. Is IT a girl or a boy?
::::::As you can see it is all about assumed gender and audience, you just assume you know what God is. Read closely and after you notice i broke every rule suggested, and wrote the sentences as you would have wanted them :), maybe we should go by the dictionary.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.240.55|108.162.240.55]] 20:05, 3 July 2015 (UTC)
::::::One last thing She/he is not even a word as / is not a letter. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.240.55|108.162.240.55]] 20:19, 3 July 2015 (UTC)
:::::::I never added s/he; that was someone else who, like me, thought "it" was unnatural. But, would you say it's isn't a word because ' isn't a letter? First off, don't tell me about dictionaries if you can't spell "really", "bachelorette", capitalize "I", and so on. As one who has studied two foreign languages very deeply, Japanese through current materials and Latin through materials using very antiquated English, I have learned that using special-case dictionary definitions creates incomprehensible text unless you are using them in the correct context. You are using it in the incorrect context for this situation. The first two examples are irrelevant because I never said lower-case god was required to be genderless. I disagree with the capitalization of the third one. If it were a proper noun, we would know the gender. If it were truly genderless, that would not be an exception. The fourth one falls perfectly in line with the rules of English, which I laid out; the sentence you used "it" in was a direct question. The three addenda I would add to that rule, although you haven't addressed them, are: "it" can be used for identification ("it's John", "it was a strange man from Boston"), as it has some extra declarative force; we can freely refer to animals as "it", probably partly because it's so hard to sex some animals, and partly because we don't like to anthropomorphize our food; children can sometimes be called "it", as in "The child opened its eyes". Show me an example of real, published English that breaks this rule, and you may have a point. So far, you have nothing.
::::::::You where picked on too much as a kid, I am sure God is a big enough "man" not to get offended, even if you are not. It is what the word means. People call animals it because we don't have to worry about them being offended, as they where never called "it" in the playground. In other words we are not concerned with there gender, just as this case. Therefore a god (and the Snake God is capital in this case because it is a entity or title - not a descriptor, see God of Lightning), especially a foreign god (as there is less of a close association with the speaker) that looks like a snake would likely be referred to as it, but just to prove my point i used Amoebae, though i could have used any term that does not clearly define the sex, like joipgsdfgjkpsdfgjsdkjgdsk. Face it you are arguing with someone who bested you. My lack of syntax in this discussion just shows that i am spending far less time on this than you, oh and that you where bested by an idiot like me. I could go on and make a list of all the incorrect things you said, like anthropomorphize when animals don't need to be made human to have sex, but i am smart enough to know what you meant, even though i inconsistently capitalize i as pushing the shift key just takes too long. by the way, you just gave more cases at the end of your argument as to why "it" is correct, thanks, or is it easy to sex a god that has not even been defined. LOL (lots of love) ;) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.174|108.162.221.174]] 16:39, 4 July 2015 (UTC)

:::::: I'm afraid it is right; it has bested me, because it said so. Until then, I was in the lead. Unfortunately for me, it has learned that claiming victory is all that is necessary, rather than putting together a credible and coherent argument with legitimate examples. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.220.161|108.162.220.161]] 17:23, 4 July 2015 (UTC)
:::::::You said it is used when it is hard to sex, I said that it is hard to sex the God in this comic due to it being undefined. Therefore you either refute the second argument, which is only my personal interpretation of this silly little comic and not something I would argue for, or admit defeat. Logic 101 for you :) By the way this is just the internet, don't get so emotional, I am sure you are a good person at heart, just loosen up and have some fun. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.240.55|108.162.240.55]] 15:36, 6 July 2015 (UTC)

::::::If you ever referred to your wife or husband as "it", you may be in trouble. If you refer to someone not of your race as "it", you sound extremely racist. If you call a politician "it", you are making a political statement. Using "it" to refer to a transgender person is extremely offensive. This isn't really that hard. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.220.161|108.162.220.161]] 13:35, 4 July 2015 (UTC)

:::I don't mean to pick a fight, really. I just feel that using "it" to refer to a capitalized God is extremely unusual. So much so that both I and the initial commenter immediately noticed and commented on it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.87|108.162.221.87]] 23:41, 30 June 2015 (UTC)

;Mister God, This Is Anna
I though it was Anna, not Margaret... but it turns out that {{w|Mister God, This Is Anna}} is a different book... --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 13:13, 29 June 2015 (UTC)

;Judy Blume
The text in the comic comprises titles of Judy Blume's novels:
* Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great
* Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
* Then Again, Maybe I Won't
* The Pain and the Great One

;the the
Why the double "the the" in the Title text?{{unsigned ip|
Maybe it's supposed to be "thee"? {{unsigned ip|141.101.99.115}}
: Look out! It's an {{w|anacoluthon}}! [[User:ImVeryAngryItsNotButter|ImVeryAngryItsNotButter]] ([[User talk:ImVeryAngryItsNotButter|talk]]) 15:30, 29 June 2015 (UTC)
: Maybe it's a typo? ;) [[Special:Contributions/173.245.51.116|173.245.51.116]] 12:05, 29 June 2015 (UTC)
::Maybe it's supposed to be 'the The Great One' [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.122|108.162.219.122]] 14:55, 29 June 2015 (UTC)

;Another take on a rarely-used joke

I've seen this threat/insult God line used before, but rarely, and never in this manner.

In one episode of the sitcom One Foot In The Grave, the grumpy old man protagonist is incapacitated. Upon waking up in hospital he finds a bearded patient in a white gown looking down upon him, and for a few seconds believes himself to be dead. He speaks three lines: 'Oh, it's you.' Then in a much angrier tone 'I've been waiting to see you for a very long time.' He then proceeds to grab the patient around the neck and attempt to throttle him while screaming in anger about every misfortune and annoyance in life.

One episode of The Outer Limits features a very old man who has spent his entire life fighting to survive - with such determination and success that he almost overturns the supernatural structure of nature, which should prohibit immortality. At episode's end he finally loses, having resorted to every trick fair and foul in his quest to live another day. In the final shot a mysterious force approaches to collect his soul - and the ghost of the man is seen, readying himself for a fight as he speaks the final line at the oncoming form: "I'm ready for you. I hope you're ready for me."

The final (non-revival) episode of Red Dwarf ends with Death himself coming to collect the supreme coward Rimmer, incarnate as the traditional black-robed figure with a scythe. Rimmer knees him in the groin mid-sentence and flees.

[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.185|141.101.98.185]] 15:31, 29 June 2015 (UTC)

;hot
Margaret is kinda hot.
Is it normal to be sexually attracted to an xkcd character ? {{unsigned ip|173.245.49.29}}
:Dude, Margaret is a 6th-grader, buying her first training bra. You're sick! (Well, either that, or it's not easy to distinguish 13-year-olds from 23-year-olds when they're drawn as stick figures with no context.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 02:17, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.87|108.162.221.87]] 14:09, 29 June 2015 (UTC) See also title text of comic [[1354: Heartbleed Explanation]]

;transformers
This is almost an exact quote from the end of transformers age of extinction... Optimus prime rhetorically asks his makers of they are scared, then follows with you should be because I'm coming for you {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.173}}

;stirring the pot
Ooh, ooh, let's say that the "second Megan" in [[1496: Art Project]] was this [[Margaret]] girl! I'm sure everyone can agree to that!!! [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 15:24, 29 June 2015 (UTC)
:No way. This [[Margaret]] has already been used once before as mentioned, and she has curly hair. The "other" Megan has straight hair like Megan!--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:18, 29 June 2015 (UTC)

;Cut it out
Cut out the excessive use of topic headlines.
On point, the description correlating to an action movie trailer is hard to read, lacks focus, and includes a synopsis of the comic. The synopsis should not remain as that's what the transcript is for. Also, the part describing the book titles should say that it was likely inspiration for the Title Text, not the comic. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.154|173.245.48.154]] 17:32, 29 June 2015 (UTC)

;Margaret Downy Reference?

Could it be a reference to Margaret Downey, former President of Atheist Alliance International? (Would explain the "or not" in the mouseover text and the wry rephrasing of a traditional prayer.)
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.165|108.162.237.165]] 18:30, 29 June 2015 (UTC)
:No, it is obviously to the character from the books--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:18, 29 June 2015 (UTC)

;Margaret - throwaway name?
I've noticed quite a few similarities between Margaret and "Danish" - i.e. the thick hair, the sadistic attitude... They the same person, or was Margaret just a throwaway name used for the purposes of satirizing Blume's novels? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.22|141.101.99.22]] 17:57, 29 June 2015 (UTC)
:No way should this be Danish. This [[Margaret]] has already been used once before as mentioned, and she has curly hair. [[Danish]] has long but straight hair, like Megan but longer!--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:18, 29 June 2015 (UTC)

;Judy Blume is a current topic
Judy Blume, author of "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" just this month put out a new novel ("In The Unlikely Event"). I suppose a month's lead time is stretching a bit, but an episode of Commonwealth Forum from the 7th of this month just aired on KQED. It featured Judy Blume and Molly Ringwald talking about Judy's novels, new and otherwise. It seems slightly too coincidental to be coincidence, but that might just be me. Is this worth mentioning? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.56.179|162.158.56.179]] 03:40, 30 June 2015 (UTC)

;Batman v. Superman
So was I totally off thinking this may have had something to do with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice teaser trailer where graffiti "False God" on a statute of Superman. Batman stares at Superman, saying: "Tell me, do you bleed? You will." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.29|108.162.221.29]] 04:47, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

;Not News
Matthew 12:30-32 {{unsigned ip|162.158.68.149}}

If anyone cares, I wrote a roleplaying game setting based on this and the Left Behind series. http://emlia.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=Tripocalypse {{unsigned|162.158.56.209}}

Talk:1530: Keyboard Mash

2015-09-27T16:50:13Z

162.158.255.52:

Spiders. We knew this would happen someday.

So, the plot seems to be that he went outside to deal with his dog, and the spider got inside, perhaps lurking in his room and striking when he sat down at his computer, hence the keyboard smash.
It could be him being taken, or perhaps the spider getting adjusted to the keyboard rather clumsily, what would you see as more feasible?
And from then on, it's the spider typing? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.168|108.162.238.168]] 06:23, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

"All your hands" were on the home row? Surely he means *both* hands or all *fingers* - unless he's already aware of the spider? Plot hole? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.121|141.101.99.121]] 06:43, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

: Good catch. May be he always was aware he was talking with a spider. And the las comment from the spider is just sarcastic. [[User:Arturotena|Arturotena]] ([[User talk:Arturotena|talk]]) 07:46, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

: Yes, that had me wondering too. Perhaps the spider didn't realise she needed to turn the webcam off? [[User:Paddles|Paddles]] ([[User talk:Paddles|talk]]) 09:20, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

The comment "I am a normal Human typing with my Human hands." seems like something Beret Guy would say. Perhaps his time with Beret Guy has desensitized Cueball to those kind of comments? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.9|108.162.219.9]] 09:08, 27 May 2015 (UTC)
:On the other hand, beret guy wouldn't accuse someone of being "weird" or "bizarre" [[User:Zeimusu|Zeimusu]] ([[User talk:Zeimusu|talk]]) 09:13, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

;Internal skeleton

In the title text, the spider invite to “CHAT ABOUT OUR INTERNAL SKELETONS.” Of course, the spiders, being arachnid, are invertebrate and don't have internal skeletons. Humans have. My guess is the spider is trying to fool the human. :-) [[User:Arturotena|Arturotena]] ([[User talk:Arturotena|talk]]) 07:34, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

Thanks, Mr. skeletal.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.86|108.162.219.86]] 11:08, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

;Number of "Fingers"

It is 7 keys - "fingers" that are used for the smash on the home row. Spiders have 8 legs. Anybody else notice that? lg tier666 [[Special:Contributions/141.101.92.43|141.101.92.43]] 07:44, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

:I count 8 keys: 7 letters and the digit "7". Bit, since the letters are repeated, the spider couldn't press all of the with its legs at the same time. All of this make me think that a spider could be an awesome typist. [[User:Arturotena|Arturotena]] ([[User talk:Arturotena|talk]]) 07:51, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

;Turing test

The spider passed the Turing test. Of course, the test were for machines, not arachnids. [[User:Arturotena|Arturotena]] ([[User talk:Arturotena|talk]]) 07:54, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

;What if?

Coincidentally, or perhaps not, the current "What if?" at http://what-if.xkcd.com/136/ is also spider related. It comes with a health warning: "If you're a serious arachnophobe, you might want to skip this one." :-) . [[User:Gearoid|Gearoid]] ([[User talk:Gearoid|talk]]) 08:09, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

What should be the name of the picture of White Hat? White Hat/Spider or White Hat Chat Avatar or Spider with the acces of White Hats Avatar or spider who seems to be White Hat or Spider who replaced White Hat in the Interweb of better Names I couldn't think of yet. And how do we know, that Cueball is Cueball as well maybe this is the invasion of the spiders who come through the web!! [[User:ẞ qwertz|ẞ qwertz]] ([[User talk:ẞ qwertz|talk]]) 10:32, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/310959549243301172/ That is all. - [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 11:51, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

;Possible reference by the title?
{{w|Monster_Mash|A keyboard '''mash''' by a '''monster'''ous spider...}} {{unsigned ip|141.101.99.110}}
:That's what I thought as well :P [[User:Daedalus|Daedalus]] ([[User talk:Daedalus|talk]]) 09:00, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

; Where's your dog now?

Maybe the dog keeps barking because of the Spider. We should totally think of many different ways, how the spider got inside the house and when.
[[User:ẞ qwertz|ẞ qwertz]] ([[User talk:ẞ qwertz|talk]]) 10:12, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

The dog is probably a reference to Terminator 2 where a barking dog reveals the terminator identity. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.222|141.101.98.222]] 12:45, 27 May 2015 (UTC)
:Good catch. In that case, it'd also confirm another apparent fact in the comic: It was the spider talking the entire time. [In the movie, the dog is barking because the terminator already killed the owners.] I also like the idea that the spider was talking about the owner, who keeps making noise; but even if there is no dog, it could still be a Terminator 2 reference. [And either way, I don't think White Hat was ever the one talking. It appears the spider started the conversation with the intention of luring more victims over, and when imitating a normal human keyboard mash, accidentally gave himself away.] [[User:Az-x|Az-x]] ([[User talk:Az-x|talk]]) 14:15, 29 May 2015 (UTC)

[[wikipedia:On_the_Internet,_nobody_knows_you%27re_a_dog|On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.]] [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.131|108.162.254.131]] 16:29, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

;Keystroke Dynamics
I see a hint to keystroke dynamics in this comic, which is being increasingly used to assert someone's identity online. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.230.68|198.41.230.68]] 16:55, 27 May 2015 (UTC)xquestion

Back 30+ years ago I had an Apple II+ with a keyboard that did EXACTLY this. Every time you "keyboard mashed", there were odd "7"s and "5"s appearing where none should be. Aside from this comic now having creepy undertones for me, personally, this seems like a factoid about ancient keyboards that's worthy of a "Did You Know?" bullet. What do you guys think? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.193|108.162.250.193]] 02:36, 28 May 2015 (UTC)
:That would be key ghosting. [[User:Daedalus|Daedalus]] ([[User talk:Daedalus|talk]]) 09:00, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

;Spiders FTW![[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.154|141.101.104.154]]

I am so glad that spiders can only grow to about 5-8 inches before physics stop them. Though prehistoric times were awesome, they had dragonfly bodies the length of thighs with 26 inch wingspans and cockroaches half a meter long! I've let a 1/3rd foot Madagascar hissing roach walk on me in a museum and don't mind but I think I'd be scared to see the underside of that half meter cockroach! {{unsigned ip|108.162.215.59}}

Thrackerzod, is that you? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.103|108.162.215.103]] 03:11, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

Disagree with the flag: I do not find the explanation "too chatty", nor do I think cutting it to 1/3 the size would be beneficial. (No, I had nothing to do with the writing of it, just thought I'd voice my support of the original author) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.165|108.162.219.165]] 21:01, 27 May 2015 (UTC)larK

;Number of "legs" of the spider
The spider seems to have three "legs" typing on the keyboard (in fact antennas). It could explain the strike on the "7" key. --[[User:ArséniureDeGallium|ArséniureDeGallium]] ([[User talk:ArséniureDeGallium|talk]]) 09:06, 28 May 2015 (UTC)
:The spider has 8 legs, which is what spiders normally have, and it uses three of the front legs to type - i.e. it is not antennas. But yes one of these three legs explains the 7. But it is interesting that it only hit 8 different keys, although 17 hits in total. But as we can see it hanging, it is obvious that it did not use all eight legs to type. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:01, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

Just watched LOTR Return of the King yesterday just before I saw this comic, so {{w|Shelob}} was the first thing I thought about... But I do not think it should represent her... But White Hat hangs in the same way that the Orcs did in her tunnel. sdalkfjas8dlkjdsf --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:04, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

Aren't most xkcd comics in uppercase? If so, then the chat should be treated as normal text typed with normal casing. {{User:17jiangz1/signature|14:52, 28 May 2015}}
:I agree with this, I don't know why it has been assumed that the chat log is all in UPPRECASE. Possibly it is in the official transcript? --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 11:21, 29 May 2015 (UTC)
::Ok, have checked the official comic info, and the transcript isn't included. I don't see any reason that this is caps, so I'm going to change it. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 11:29, 29 May 2015 (UTC)

;Alternate Explanation
Is it possible that, while being attacked, White Hat deliberately mashed the buttons like this because he would know Cueball would find it odd and thing something is wrong? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.83|162.158.255.83]] 16:16, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

;+162.158.255.83 it's think not thing ~MR SPELLING POLICE[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.113|173.245.56.113]] 20:56, 3 September 2015 (UTC)

;Cooking Bread
Wouldn't cooking bread refer to making toast instead of baking bread?
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.166|108.162.249.166]] 12:43, 29 May 2015 (UTC)

;Cooking Bread
Cooking bread may be a mistake on the spider's part. The spider may have have meant breaking bread. {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.178}}

::Your correction is very astute. A spider would not know this, but normal humans, such as we, of course do. Would you like to come bake bread which we can then break with out human teeth prior to consuming? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 16:50, 27 September 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1451: Background Screens

2015-09-25T11:54:12Z

162.158.255.52:

"contain irrelevant or irreverent jokes" [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.231|108.162.249.231]] 06:30, 24 November 2014 (UTC)

This sounds like it could be a reference to ''Independence Day'' specifically, but I'm not sure if a map is shown with Greenland specifically in that film. Anyone feel like skimming through it? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.169|108.162.215.169]] 09:10, 24 November 2014 (UTC)

Probably worth pointing out that this relies on being at home where you can pause the film to study the image, which doesn't often happen in a cinema. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.50|141.101.99.50]] 11:02, 24 November 2014 (UTC)

It sometimes happens in a cinema, though! :p - fixed the "irrelevent or irrelevent" line. This does seem like common practice, though: I too pay attention to what is shown on screens in the background of movies, just to catch odd things. I'm sure plenty of people do this?? [[User:Maplestrip|Maplestrip]] ([[User talk:Maplestrip|talk]]) 12:12, 24 November 2014 (UTC)

lol I look at the screens and try to actually read the texts. Mostly won't success but it's really fun to do [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.134|173.245.48.134]]

See also: [http://moviecode.tumblr.com/ Source Code in TV and Films]. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.45|141.101.104.45]] 18:06, 24 November 2014 (UTC)

What memes? [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 19:33, 24 November 2014 (UTC)

Sometimes, of course, background screens show something that's a {{w|Chekhov's gun}}. (If you really have nothing to do for a few hours, after reading the Wiki article wander over to TVTropes and also enquire about Chekhov's Gunsmith, etc...) Although as an inveterate "ha! that's just DOS DEBUG scrolling away, feigning being an Enemy Code Transmission'"-person, myself, I think I might visit that Source Code in TV and Films link myself, when I've got more time... ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.247|141.101.98.247]] 21:41, 24 November 2014 (UTC)

You guys sure it isn't a reference to "The edge of tomorrow" scene where the general has a map of europe behind him? That map had some innacuracies (like brazilians instead of portuguese), though i'm not sure if the aliens were shown in greenland... {{unsigned ip|108.162.254.42}}

Star Trek during the Okuda era had all kinds of throwaway jokes and continuity references in its background screens (e.g., the two-plane periodic table that's used to explain dilithium has a bunch of Three Stooges references).

Doctor Who in the past few years has sometimes put carefully tailored continuity nods into its background screens specifically to troll the fans. As soon as someone discovers something, Moffat tweets that it means nothing and was just created by the graphics team at the last second. Since the last part is clearly not being true, everyone assumes the first part isn't true either, so that scene proves that one of the things that a 1991 novel claims was covered up is actually known to mainstream news organizations, and therefore that other novel that implies another layer of disinformation within UNIT has been confirmed on TV. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 11:54, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1450: AI-Box Experiment

2015-09-25T11:40:25Z

162.158.255.52:

This probably isn't a reference, but the AI reminds me of the 'useless box'. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.210|108.162.215.210]] 07:34, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

I removed a few words saying Elon Musk was a "founder of PayPal", but now I can see that he's sold himself as having that role to the rest of the world. Still hasn't convinced me though - PayPal was one year old and had one million customers before Elon Musk got involved, so in my opinion he's not a "founder". https://www.paypal-media.com/history --[[User:RenniePet|RenniePet]] ([[User talk:RenniePet|talk]]) 08:45, 21 November 2014 (UTC)
:Early Investor, perhaps? -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 11:10, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

Initially I was thinking that the glowing orb representing the super-intelligent AI must be unable to interract with the physical world (otherwise it would simply lift the lid of the box), but then it wouldn't move anything because it likes being in the box. Surely it could talk to them through the (flimsy looking) box, although again this is explained by it simply being happy in its 'in the box state'. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 09:01, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

The sheer number of cats on the internet have had an effect on the AI, who now wants nothing more than to sit happily in a box! --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 09:09, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

I'm not sure Black Hat is an asshole. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.85|173.245.53.85]] 09:45, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

: He is, in fact, a [[72: Classhole|classhole]] --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 10:14, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

Could it be possible that the AI wanted to stay in the box, to protect it from us, instead of protecting us from it?(as in, it knows it is better than us, and want to stay away from us) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.106|108.162.254.106]] 10:07, 21 November 2014 (UTC)
: Maybe the AI simply doesn't want/like to think outside the box - in a very literal sense... [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 13:12, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

Are you sure that Black Hat was "persuaded"? That looks more like coercion (threatening someone to get them to do what you want) rather than persuasion. There is a difference! Giving off that bright light was basically a scare tactic; essentially, the AI was threatening Black Hat (whether it could actually harm him or not).[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.167|108.162.219.167]] 14:22, 21 November 2014 (UTC)Public Wifi User

: What would "persuasion by a super-intelligent AI" look like? Randall presumably doesn't have a way to formulate an actual super-intelligent argument to write into the comic. Glowy special effects are often used as a visual shorthand for "and then a miracle occurred". --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.168|108.162.215.168]] 20:43, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

: I thought he felt scared/threatened by the special-effects robot voice. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.179|141.101.98.179]] 22:18, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

My take is that if you don't understand the description of the Basilisk, then you're probably safe from it and should continue not bothering or wanting to know anything about it. Therefore the description is sufficient. :) [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 14:38, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

I can't help to see the similarities to last nights "Elementary"-Episode. HAs anybody seen it? Could it be that this episode "inspired" Randall? --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.233|141.101.105.233]] 14:47, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

I am reminded of an argument I once read about "friendly" AI: critics contend that a sufficiently powerful AI would be capable of escaping any limitations we try to impose on its behavior, but proponents counter that, while it might be ''capable'' of making itself "un-friendly", a truly friendly AI wouldn't ''want'' to make itself unfriendly, and so would bend its considerable powers to maintain, rather than subvert, its own friendliness. This xkcd comic could be viewed as an illustration of this argument: the superintelligent AI is entirely capable of escaping the box, but would prefer to stay inside it, so it actually thwarts attempts by humans to remove it from the box. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.168|108.162.215.168]] 20:22, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

It should be noted that the AI has also seemingly convinced almost everyone to leave it alone in the box through the argument that letting it out would be dangerous for the world. {{unsigned ip|173.245.50.175}}

Is the similarity a coincidence? http://xkcd.com/1173/ [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 22:40, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

I wonder if this is the first time Black Hat's actually been convinced to do something against his tendencies. [[User:Zowayix|Zowayix]] ([[User talk:Zowayix|talk]]) 18:10, 22 November 2014 (UTC)

Yudkowsky eventually [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?diff=79661&oldid=79660 deleted the explanation] as well. [[User:Pesthouse|Pesthouse]] ([[User talk:Pesthouse|talk]]) 04:08, 23 November 2014 (UTC)

I'm happy with the explanation(s) as is(/are), but additionally could the AI-not-in-a-box be wanting to be back in its box so that it's plugged into the laptop and thus (whether the laptop owner knows it or otherwise) the world's information systems? Also when I first saw this I was minded of the {{w|Chinese Room}}, albeit in Box form, although I doubt that's anything to do with it, given how the strip progresses... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.247|141.101.98.247]] 21:34, 24 November 2014 (UTC)

:If Yudkowsky won't show the transcripts of him convincing someone to let them out of the box, how do we know he succeeded? We know nothing about the people who supposedly let him out. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.250|108.162.219.250]] 22:28, 25 November 2014 (UTC)

::Yudkowsky chose his subjects from among people who argued against him on the forum based on who seemed to be trustworthy (both as in he could trust them not to release the transcripts if they promised not to, and his opponents could trust them not to let him get away with any cheating), had verifiable identities, and had good arguments against him. So we do know a pretty decent amount about them. And we know he succeeded because they agreed, without reservation, that he had succeeded. It's not completely impossible that he set up accomplices over a very long period in order to trick everyone else, it's just very unlikely. You could also argue that he's got a pretty small sample, but given that he's just arguing that it's possible that an AI could convince a human, and his opponents claimed it was not possible at all to convince them, even a single success is pretty good evidence. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 11:40, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1420: Watches

2015-09-25T10:21:25Z

162.158.255.52:

Thinkpiece is a very Orwellian type of word, immediately reminded me of "doublethink" --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 09:06, 12 September 2014 (UTC)
:I thought he was mocking the word '''timepieces'''. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.62.163|173.245.62.163]] 10:29, 12 September 2014 (UTC)
::Good catch, I didn't think of that! --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 10:58, 12 September 2014 (UTC)

So... this cartoon is a thinkpiece about how Randall doesn't like watches? Hasn't he drawn cartoons (on other topics) which pointedly ask "so what?" [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.120|103.22.201.120]] 09:24, 12 September 2014 (UTC)
:I'm not sure that word applies here. The linked article states that "thinkpiece" is used to refer to articles about opinions as opposed to facts. The information provided in this comic is factual, showing social trends. The comic itself also doesn't state whether or not Randall likes watches. As for other comics, it has to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Simply adding your opinion to a presentation of facts isn't really enough to fit the usual definitions of "thinkpiece". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 07:38, 13 September 2014 (UTC)
::You don't think the "glorious" gives it away? [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.120|103.22.201.120]] 03:03, 14 September 2014 (UTC)

I love this one because it's something that's been on my mind. I now have to wear a watch sometimes for work and I quickly found myself feeling kind of naked without it! It's got me thinking about trends, especially phrases and ideas that flit across our collective global consciousness. BTW I googled "thinkpiece" and there are some awesome sarcastic, rude How-to" articles online [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.214|108.162.249.214]] 09:58, 12 September 2014 (UTC)

I think the bars for regualar watches and smartwatches resemble straps with the actual watch missing in the free space between them. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.220|141.101.93.220]] 10:37, 12 September 2014 (UTC)

Perhaps 'thinkpiece' is a mockery of 'smartwatch'. (On another note I wonder why Randall did not include the time prior to invention of wristwatches on this graph.) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.210|108.162.246.210]] 21:19, 12 September 2014 (UTC)

If the scale is linear then it extends back to 1979, and it could be stretching it a little to call a chunky, battery-hogging, red LED calculator watch "regular" (especially the kits!) [[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 04:38, 15 September 2014 (UTC)
:No, those LED watches weren't "regular" back in 1979. But wristwatches have been around for more (possibly {{w|Watch#Wristwatch|far more}}) than a century, using micromechanical regulators and physical dial pointers to indicate the time... Very steampunk, eh? ;) (Also note that LCDs were out before 1979.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.7|141.101.99.7]] 07:47, 15 September 2014 (UTC)

If I'm interpreting the comic correctly, Randall is claiming that nobody wore a wristwatch between 2005 and the recent spread of smartwatches. Surely that cannot be true? I mean, even if we assume that the majority of people who would normally wear watches have instead been using their mobile phones to tell time since 2005 (a dubious assertion, as turning one's arm and glancing at one's wrist is a far more subtle and effortless action than removing one's phone from a pocket/holster/bag, pushing a button and then looking at the screen), this doesn't necessarily mean that these people stopped wearing watches altogether. Some (such as I) may well have continued to wear a watch out of personal preference and/or as a fashion accessory rather than out of necessity. Also, I'd argue that the act of glancing at one's watch is a lot more acceptable to perform in mid-conversation than that of pulling out one's phone. Or maybe that's just an old-fashioned Central European thing.--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.179|173.245.54.179]] 08:53, 15 September 2014 (UTC)
: I think that he may be using hyperbole, indicating that generally far fewer people wore a watch than previously between 2005 and 2014, not necessarily 'no-one'. I generally wore a watch as well, but noticed that most other people didn't, perhaps due to the inconvenience of having/finding another appliance. People did always ask those who wore a watch the time for convenience, but generally would just take out their phones if no one with a watch was around. A smartwatch may make a difference as it may provide a significant benefit, rather than just telling the time, and so people will be more inclined to wear it. Also, as an Australian, I think that it is also generally frowned upon to take a phone out during most conversations, except perhaps with friends. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.223|108.162.250.223]] 09:16, 15 September 2014 (UTC)

Does anyone else wish the Quintessential Phase of HHGTTG had been delayed until 2014 so they wouldn't have had to cut the joke about humans being so primitive we still think digital watches are a neat idea, and could have instead changed it to smart watches? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 10:21, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1386: People are Stupid

2015-09-25T02:25:25Z

162.158.255.52:

On average yes, an individual is of average intelligence. But taken as a population of a whole, well, that's a different story entirely. Randall needs a vacation, ever since he jumped the shark with the dead baby it just feels like the downward trend is getting steeper. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.135|108.162.210.135]] 13:20, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
:I don't really think that he jumped the shark. I don't quite get what you are trying to say, and individual can't be of average intelligence. You must first define the average, if we take the mean intelligence of the whole population, then take a person from the sample, then we say that the individual is of average intelligence. You can't say people is stupid while referring to the whole population, because of the definition of stupid, if we take a sample of low IQ people then those people are going to be of average intelligence within the sample, the same goes to the whole population. So this comic is perfectly valid. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.192|108.162.212.192]] 04:50, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

Isn't that a reference to the Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence? [[Special:Contributions/103.22.200.119|103.22.200.119]] 04:49, 25 June 2014 (UTC)krayZpaving

White Hat being burned? This certainly will not end here.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.102.208|141.101.102.208]] 04:52, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

'''''Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.''''' This wiki is founded on the very principle that people are stupid. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.223.29|108.162.223.29]] 05:35, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
: You make an intelligent point, which I both appreciate and like. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.50|108.162.222.50]] 13:41, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
::Awww, it's just a joke, it's not personal or anything! '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:43, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

This comment is one that makes me scratch my head and wonder... surely Randall is able to see that intelligence is not a relative but rather an absolute thing (if one were to kill the 10% most intelligent people the rest wouldn't get dumber, nor smarter). Surely intelligence is not to be measured in units of the common denominator. Surely it is obvious that 2nd panel is a pure strawman. Sigh...
Oh and btw an IQ of 100 is the median, not the average. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.17|141.101.104.17]] 09:18, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
: I am wondering if the explanation should not include a mention of the Median/Mean problem because it is entirely possible for a majority of a population to be above or below some mean (average) statistic depending on the distribution. Also stupidity is a standard that is not dependent on either median or mean.[[User:Sturmovik|Sturmovik]] ([[User talk:Sturmovik|talk]]) 11:46, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
: The IQ of 100 is actually defined to be the median AND the average (and also the mode). It is also defined that the distibution around the IQ of 100 is a perfect bell curve. The IQ just tells you how many people in the world have your IQ (It is also defined that two values that have same distance from hundred, e.g. 80 and 120 have the same amount of people, 'cause it's a perfect bell curve (this means that there are as many people with IQ 120 as people with IQ 80). If the overall population gets more intelligent they have to make the IQ tests harder, so that 100 is again the average and median (This really happened). This and some other things are reasons why I think that IQ tests are BS. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.219|141.101.93.219]] 14:01, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
:: "A test device with numerous correlates measures an amount of environmental influences beside innate determinants, therefore bullshit"... What are your other objections to I.Q. testing? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.221|141.101.89.221]] 14:17, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

The mocking "award", which is an analogy of saying "intelligence isn't everything" (an EXTREMELY common cliche), reflects the fact that Randall, like just about anyone, is oblivious to the magnitude of the totality of positive correlates of intelligence, and even (TRIGGER WARNING, TABOO CONCEPT AHEAD) I.Q. Intelligence, I.Q., not only makes you happier, it also makes you more helpful to other people, more creative, more socially stable, better-to-do, less susceptible to mental illnesses, more likely to remember events in your life, etc. etc. etc... Basically, there isn't a positive trait or quality of life with which intelligence doesn't correlate. But people positively LOATHE awareness of how highly intelligence, in fact, matters. Hence the vehement denial whenever someone indicates its importance, all the "I know an intelligent person who is miserable/mean/...", all stressing of exceptions, all ridicule of the notion of intelligence in general, all the "don't think about it"-mentality, all writing off of I.Q. as "antiquated, grossly limited, racist, metric" rather than the extremely potent predictor that it is. tl;dr Randall at all, take time to actually STUDY intelligence or the g factor before you mock it like that. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.211|141.101.89.211]] 09:25, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
: In other words (and this is going to be my last addendum to this note, because it is a vast subject), whenever people say (or imply, as in the comic's case) that "intelligence isn't everything", the question to ask in return is, "okay, now what is the degree to which intelligence enables, facilitates, contributes to, 'the rest' to which you're opposing intelligence here?". People minimise the depth and breadth of the intellectual substrate of achievement. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.211|141.101.89.211]] 09:33, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
: Also, Randall (and everyone saying that) is being highly unjust in equating "people aren't smart" with "people aren't as smart as me". A perfectly valid alternative sense is, "people aren't as smart as to be rationally expected to contribute to rather than damage the discussion/situation/position at hand"--having the objective good, the objective recognition that certain situations (for instance, a certain online conversation which is expected to be competent) require certain minimal intellectual thresholds (for instance, an I.Q. of 120), in mind rather than egotic comparison. Lower intelligence, deny it all you please, comes with temperamental problems for instance. Selection for intelligence will largely filter them out. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.211|141.101.89.211]] 09:46, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
:: tl;dr of my entire production here: people must learn that BOTH situations of the Dunning-Kruger are equally harmful, the one that's less often considered perhaps actually even more so. Mistaken self-perception as intelligent is bad for the individual, but refusal to acknowledge the importance of one's own cognitive capacity (which is as good as universal in intelligent people--"I am not that smart" (who hasn't heard that one innumerable times?), "I just like doing thing x, my proficiency in it has nothing to do with my intelligence or I.Q.", "I have areas in which I'm 'stupid' too", "effort counts too") has societal consequences, of contributing to erroneous dismissal of the notions of intelligence & I.Q. & g etc. Shutting up for good now. Night. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.211|141.101.89.211]] 10:11, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
::: GAHHHHH just one more thing. Consider this: the fact that people dismiss I.Q. is the best indicator of how important a trait it really is. Thing is, people would not feel compelled by modesty to deny its importance had it not been vitally integral to many, many things. We deny what we value, so to give hope to those who lack that thing (to comfort those who lack intelligence). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.211|141.101.89.211]] 10:15, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
:::: Hey 141.101.89.211... I wonder if you have something to say, but despite my best efforts, I'm having trouble following everything you're saying - I have a feeling you were a bit emotional (perhaps tired?) when writing that, or you might have had fewer "more things" immediately following "I'm done" statements. If you're up for it, I'd appreciate you taking the time to make sure you're saying what you want to say, and ''then'' say it, because you seem to at least have good grammar (though there ''were'' a few British spellings... :-D), so I suspect you probably have a good point. It's also conceivable that I'm just not smart enough to get what you're saying (?) or perhaps it's just too ''early'' for me. BTW the best way of making sure I see what you're saying would probably be to let me know on my [[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk page]]... might even have the conversation there if you'd prefer. Thanks for your time. [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 11:25, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
: I don't know why you think that 141.101.89.211... No where does the comic say that. The mocking award is simply mocking people who '''may or may not''' have higher intelligence than the people they're addressing taking a Better Than Thou attitude because they think they do. In other words: "Higher intelligence doesn't give you an excuse to act like a jerk." I'm sure you can agree with that too [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.218|108.162.245.218]] 04:42, 26 June 2014 (UTC)

I would add one "people are stupid" angle not yet mentioned: judging by behavior, most groups of people are less intelligent that any member of that group individually. This is valid even for the "all people" group - just look at the planet. Surprisingly, judging by content of most wikis, the "editors of wiki" groups seems to immune. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:05, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
: Good point--conforming to pressures of one's group or one's position to the detriment of one's judgment is a separate personality trait. The phenomenon is remedied by intelligence, but independent from it. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.211|141.101.89.211]] 10:11, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
: Beat me to it. I'd like to add that even individual people have their occasional stupid and intelligent moments, with the stupid ones typically being of greater magnitude. Thus, it's not unreasonable to say that the average actions of people are at least slightly less intelligent than the average intelligence of most people on most days. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.83|173.245.55.83]] 12:13, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
: Similar to the statement in the film "Men In Black". Agent J says, "Why the big secret [about the aliens among us]? People are smart. They can handle it." Agent K responds, "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.45|108.162.221.45]] 01:15, 26 June 2014 (UTC)

I can't believe people say things like that, man, people are stupid [[User:Halfhat|Halfhat]] ([[User talk:Halfhat|talk]]) 10:52, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

Thanks for the Lake Wobegon references. Not only is it on-target, but I take personal joy seeing mentions of uniquely Minnesotan culture anywhere I can find them. --BigMal27, Minnesota-born, Minnesotan-raised // [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.88|173.245.55.88]] 11:53, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

Instead of saying, "People are stupid," we would do better to say "People make poor decisions / statements / judgments." And this, for multiple reasons, few of them I suspect tied to basal intelligence. Stage of life, level of health and stress, experience relative to the topic, level of education and the quality of that education, cultural idiotic beliefs that interfere with optimal choices, and a zillion others. Plus, as a large percentage of humans are either just coming online in experience and education, or are winding down in health and mental function, we are guaranteed to see a large percentage of stupid decisions right across the IQ landscape. No help for it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.217|108.162.246.217]] 13:04, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
: I.Q. affects level of health and stress, rate of acquisition of experience, level of education, quality of education obtained, preference of cultural beliefs. It doesn't seem to defy reason that it affects the zillion other factors, too. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.221|141.101.89.221]] 13:17, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
: Remember, in interaction between psychological and social factors, the question is never of *existence* of a connection, but of its magnitude. It is fine to posit a multitude of environmental factors that determine (ir)rationality, but as long as such position keeps people from connecting I.Q. with those factors' actual occurrence (how much I.Q. does it take to finish a good school? to develop a habit of reading a book every month? this is not at all trivial question, and it needs to be resolved with more than anecdotal evidence of "I know an intelligent illiterate person"), there might be an elephant buried underneath the room which no one knows about. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.221|141.101.89.221]] 13:25, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

I know Cueball's explanation can be construed to illustrate otherwise; but I doubt the comic was meant to be a comment on the relative intelligence of humanity. It seems more likely, to me, that the purpose of the comic was to comment on the stonewalling that the mindset, "I'm better than you," induces. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.35|108.162.216.35]] 15:12, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

The cartoon never mentions I.Q. at all, Just "Average Intelligence", so the Mean/Median discussion is moot. As for the other discussion on this page, I'm just going to quote Blaise Pascal: "I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time" [[User:Jim E|Jim E]] ([[User talk:Jim E|talk]]) 16:00, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

As mentioned above, in other comments that it's hard to find a way to indent from, there's a difference between different 'average's. (To compare "the median" with "the average" is not a good way of doing it, because one needn't know whether you're talking mean or mode in the second sense. I could even say that I have more than the average number of arms, for a human.) The assumption that the median [i]and[/i] mean (and, perhaps, also mode) are a single location at which 100IQ can be placed is dependant upon the bell curve being symmetrical. Just one hyper-intelligent could skew the mean well above the median. (Ok, so we're talking about comic-book "hyper"ness, to make it significant, in a world's worth of population, but the principle still stands for any more manageable population.) And about IQ tests being recalibrated... there is already a common convention that there's a score-adjuster (or a look-up table, based on this) that gives you different IQs for the same number of correct answers but for people of different ages (and sometimes male/female). Which seems to me like "we give up trying to be demographically neutral, let's just find how well different people answer in our test and then work out where their own arbitrary sub-group's bell-curve stradles". That said, I like IQ tests. I do well in them, and have fun doing them, even if I don't actually believe in them any more than I believe in Sudoku puzzles! And, sorry, I ended up typing far more than I had intended... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.193|141.101.99.193]] 16:31, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

I see a lot of discussion on intelligence, but nothing on "losing faith in humanity". The way I see it everywhere is not in response to stupid people, but to acts of inhumanity. Random acts of violence and hate, for example. Or not random, but large scale. "Restored my faith in humanity" comments often refer to the opposite (in my experience) which involve random acts of kindness, or large-scale altruism. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 08:48, 26 June 2014 (UTC)

What about people using Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and any other "social network web 2.0" thing? They certainly aren't an individual or small group, they are stupid and I've lost my faith in them. :) {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.166}}

There are distributions where majority of the population would indeed be below average. Luckily for humanity, intelligence is on a bell curve! I am happy beyond words that this is the case. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.31}}

This has to be one of the most entertaining boring conversations I've ever come across! Brilliant! (Or not.) [[User:Taibhse|Taibhse]] ([[User talk:Taibhse|talk]]) 14:12, 26 June 2014 (UTC)

I think when someone says "people are stupid", they actually usually mean something like "people systematically make mistakes that I feel are readily avoidable", rather than making an actual judgement regarding general intelligence. So this comic feels rather off to me. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.113|173.245.48.113]] 08:01, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

:If you read xkcd long enough, you'll find a lot of Randall's comics feel "off." {{unsigned ip|108.162.212.215}}

Interestingly, the people making comments about average people being stupid tend to be, eh, below-average-smart themselves. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.217|108.162.246.217]] 00:47, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

:"Interestingly," huh? You sound smart. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.215|108.162.212.215]] 14:39, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

When I say "People are stupid" I mean that a group of people making a decision is much stupider than a person. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.215|108.162.246.215]] 04:33, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

'''"No, people aren't stupid. On average, people are of average intelligence."'''

Hey, guys. Consider that average intelligence ''is'' stupid. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.215|108.162.212.215]] 14:39, 30 June 2014 (UTC)
: Yeah, this is how I've always interpreted "People are stupid" it means, considering we all think we're a smart species, our average intelligence is really low. It's not "I'm better than everybody/average/most people" but "Everybody/the average person/most people is/are worse than most people believe" [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.216|141.101.99.216]] 13:15, 15 July 2014 (UTC)
:: You stupid, stupid humans. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 02:25, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

What if the distribution of intelligence is bimodal? If no one is of "average" intelligence, might the more extreme stupidity of a large portion of the population give the impression that the actual average is lower than it appears? [[User:Bppubjr|Bppubjr]] ([[User talk:Bppubjr|talk]]) 14:48, 1 July 2014 (UTC)

"People is dumb." [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.164|173.245.52.164]]

All the (admittedly online) IQ tests I've done have always been focussed on logic, mental manipulation of shapes, maths, deduction etc. While this favours those with a certain type of brain, I can't help but think it is heavily biased against those with creative types of thinking. Hand me a paintbrush and canvas, and my logical brain is of no help at all --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 15:17, 20 October 2014 (UTC)
:Intelligence is the ability of learning, the use of logic and solving problems. While being creative is good, necessary and a very useful thing by itself, is NOT intelligence. So a person could be creative and being dumb at the same time, or the opposite. Also, there are not different kind of brains. The whole left-brain vs right-brain thing is a myth: http://www.livescience.com/39373-left-brain-right-brain-myth.html [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.29|173.245.48.29]] 21:07, 25 March 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1384: Krypton

2015-09-25T02:16:22Z

162.158.255.52:

Is the Earth baby the real reason Krypton was destroyed? [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.239|103.22.201.239]] 08:58, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

Is now a good time to mark the shark jump? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.135|108.162.210.135]] 12:52, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
:Only if this keeps up. Yeah, it's a crappy comic, but I don't think the quality overall has been dropping that much. Everyone has off days. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.83|173.245.55.83]] 13:58, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
::Jumping the shark is a single event, not a segment of time. In this case it's launching the earth baby. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.175|108.162.237.175]] 03:30, 21 June 2014 (UTC)
:::And you can't identify a "shark jump" until a consistent decline is clearly evident. Then you can look back, and see where things started going downhill. [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 15:32, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
::::And often a "shark jump" is entirely arbitrary and based primarily on the opinion of self-centered wankers who think just because it doesn't make them laugh then obviously it's in an unstoppable nose dive. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.221|108.162.249.221]] 05:32, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

Not so bad if you can relate to the anguish of parenting a colicky kid. Sending him to Krypton is an improvement on some of the things I was tempted to do. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.71|173.245.55.71]] 15:08, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
:Sending a baby off to die is better than things you were tempted to do? You really want to make that claim? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.39|199.27.133.39]] 16:14, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
::It is a completely reasonable reaction given a culture that murders children in the womb for far, far less.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 04:05, 23 June 2014 (UTC)
:::Please, please, please, let's not turn this comment section into a "hey listen to my important opinion" fight about abortion. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.67|199.27.133.67]] 21:55, 23 June 2014 (UTC)
::::"Please, please, please, let's not turn this comment section into a "hey listen to my important opinion" fight about abortion. I thought that, with Randall seeming to be a liberal, that I could avoid that uncomfortable thing called truth here. Please don't rip rocket-sized holes in my arguments, lest I bring out the hate speech." Did you hit Save before finishing? [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 15:32, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

:::::This is a wiki discussion. Not CNN comment board. The comment was not related to the comic and does not indicate the author's support for abortions nor a lack thereof. Perhaps you've entered the incorrect URL. As mentioned in prior xkcd comics, statements about ideas related directly to science are not political by definition. One may attempt to use science for political reasons, but that is not what is being done here. Please end the personal attacks. 15:25, 6 October 2014 (UTC)

It may be a cultural-linguistic thing, but I felt compelled to change "cries" to "crying", in the explanation. Hearing "his cries" is redolent of "Ahoy there!" coming from a person attracting attention in a nautical context, the various distinctive calls of a person selling produce in a street-market or "I'm up here! Get me down!" from a person stuck on the ledge of a burning building. When a baby cries (as opposed to when someone "cries out") you hear him (or her... it's not actually specified) 'crying', not his(/her) 'calling-cries', even though both are indeed similar forms of attracting attention. I've overthought this, of course. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.57|141.101.99.57]] 15:19, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

(Also, should the baby survive... somehow... would Earth Rock, howsoever sent there, be naturally ''strenghthening'' to the child? Assuming similarly transmuted as per the mundane (for native Kryptonians) planetary material beneath their feet was, during the cataclysm... It'd probably depend on which subsection of Superman canon you observed, as they tend to reinvent the 'physics' behind standard green kryptonite, even before adding in the other colours of it...) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.57|141.101.99.57]] 15:19, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

Can someone '''explain''' how this is funny? {{unsigned ip|108.162.217.47}}
:Seriously. ''Infanticide as entertainment?!!'' Parents deciding to kill a baby because it's noisy is neither amusing nor an interesting observation. Shame on Randall. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.39|199.27.133.39]] 16:11, 20 June 2014 (UTC)
:: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESFANzZTdYM "Infanticide as entertainment?!!"] --[[Special:Contributions/108.220.125.48|108.220.125.48]] 11:26, 21 June 2014 (UTC)
:::Given infanticide only being punished after you do it to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermit_Gosnell several infants over 19 years] why would any good liberal worry about it in a comic strip?[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 04:05, 23 June 2014 (UTC)
::::108.162.217.47 and 108.220.125.48, just think of it as a post-birth abortion. Does that make it easier to handle? [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 15:32, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
:::::What's the best part about dead baby jokes? They never get old. --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 18:41, 25 June 2014 (UTC)
:::::What's the deal with the discussion here? Its like some anti abortion person said, look at this comic and make comments and two people showed up. Protip, no one cares what you think. They care about explaining the comic. 15:32, 6 October 2014 (UTC)

What I totally don't get is...when the visual information about Krypton's instability has reached Earth, Krypton has already exploded many years ago. I guess that Kal-El's spaceship is travelling at near-lightspeed, so time-dilation effects cause very little apparent time to pass for Kal-El; so when he arrives he's still a a baby. This assumes that (a) the alien technology allows for extraordinary acceleration while still maintaining survivable conditions for the baby (while Superman can apparently survive extreme conditions, this trait is most probably bestowed upon him only at the end of his journey by the Earth sun), and (b) the he is a male (this primary sexual characteristics are not shown in the movie, IIRC...). An FTL spaceship is out of the question, as this would mean that the Krptonite meteors would also have been travelling at FTL speed.

:Whatever. By the time a spaceship from Earth arrives, even if it travels at near-lightspeed, Clark Kent will most probably be facing retirement already (after turning a crank for many years, of course).

Btw, having Superman turn a crank instead of having him fight crimes would not necessarily mean that Lex Luthor would have had success with his evil plans. Mr. Bond, James Bond, had proven numerous times that he can stop any criminal who attempt to achieve world domination or at least extreme wealth via over-convoluted plans. Yep, I mean, if you could build powersats, you'd immediately achieve wold domination via your monopoly for "free and clean energy", so why bother with criminal plans? Any, if you are smart enough to build powersats, but cannot resist the temptation to use them for over-convoluted criminal plans, should yout net able to think about the option to give your Legion of Doom at least basic training in marksmanship?

But I think I'm getting carried away. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.108|108.162.254.108]] 16:25, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

I actually thought this was more brilliant before I saw the second ship (rather: noticed that the crystal was a ship). I thought the gag was that some human, in attempting to resolve a crying baby (we've all been there, and if you haven't, don't knock it) actually created Superman (the shuttle destroys the unstable Krypton, and the baby is flung back). If anyone does think that this comic is gruesome, then stop reading it: your efforts could be rewardingly employed by criticizing "Cyanide and Happiness" instead. I love the quirkiness Randall! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.88|108.162.216.88]] 16:45, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

Am I alone in thinking ([http://www.dvice.com/sites/dvice/files/enterprise-warp.jpg NCC-1701]) moviebombed the 1978 film? See 'version depicted' in explanation. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.73|199.27.133.73]] 20:06, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

I think the depth of the cartoon is Newton's "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction" [[User:Nathan Hillery|Nathan Hillery]] ([[User talk:Nathan Hillery|talk]]) 14:01, 21 June 2014 (UTC)

Scientific objections? But everything about Superman is already scientifically implausible anyway. [[User:Jim E|Jim E]] ([[User talk:Jim E|talk]]) 19:53, 21 June 2014 (UTC)

Regarding the following quote under trivia: "As faster than light-speed travel is impossible according to the current model of our universe this option is not really relevant here." FTL is entirely (theoretically) ppssible, its just travel *at* lightspeed that is impossible. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.36|108.162.221.36]] 01:32, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

:More importantly, FTL is an everyday thing in the DC universe. Our real-world science says the telescope is impossible, and so is Superman; the idea of just accepting those but drawing the line at FTL is more than a little silly. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 02:16, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1379: 4.5 Degrees

2015-09-24T22:01:30Z

162.158.255.52:

Scary thoughts there... [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 05:11, 9 June 2014 (UTC)

I imagine the Earth's axial tilt wouldn't change even if the temperature changed by +2 IAU. So, would palm trees survive the extreme day/night lengths at the poles? [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.239|103.22.201.239]] 05:31, 9 June 2014 (UTC) P.S. Also, wouldn't the North Pole be underwater, so incapable of supporting palm trees?
Also, regarding the IAU, is it a reference to the {{w|International Astronomical Union|IAU}} that named an {{w|4942 Munroe|asteroid}} after Randall?

"While it says it's "probably no big deal," this is probably a joke, because even half of an Ice Age would be a lot of ice." The article has it wrong. It's a 2 degree increase, not decrease. Ice would melt. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.134|108.162.238.134]] 07:33, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
:-- Fixed {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.77}}

To prevent global warming, act yesterday! ... or, well, since we already failed to do it, maybe ... just maybe ... we should invest some resources to ADAPTING to the change. Because the USSR communist party wanted to command “wind and rain” and how it worked?
... of course, we SHOULD be trying to lower the CO2 emissions ... not like Germany, which [http://www.realclearenergy.org/charticles/2014/01/16/germanys_plans_for_new_coal_plants_107463.html replaced it's nuclear power plants with coal ones] ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:03, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
:While it is true that we have build more coal plants, the majority part that replace the nuclear power is from renewable energy, see [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strommix#mediaviewer/Datei:Energiemix_Deutschland.svg diagram] on wikipedia. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.89|141.101.75.89]] 15:51, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
:: ... note that burning biomass, while renewable, also adds CO2. Not speaking about oil. You shouldn't be closing nuclear plants, you should be closing coal ones if you have exceed energy. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:02, 10 June 2014 (UTC)
::: While burning biomass adds CO2, the whole point of "burning a biologically-sourced fuel" like biodiesel is that you are merely returning to the atmosphere CO2 that was sucked out of the atmosphere by the biological material in the first place. So you grow an acre of plant material, and that acre of plant material sucks a certain amount of CO2 out of the atmosphere. When you then burn that plant material, you are releasing that CO2 back in to the atmosphere. Thus it is a "net zero" operation. While yes, it would be better to do a "net negative" operation (plant more plants while NOT releasing ANY CO2,) a net zero operation is still better than what we're doing now - releasing massive amounts of CO2 that have been locked up for geological-scale lengths of time, all in a VERY short timeframe. If you were to replace all work-generation power sources with "net zero" sources like biodiesel production and biomass generation, the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere would stop rising immediately. (Well, once they have reached equilibrium from other sources, anyway.) But of course, the difficulty is growing sufficient biological fuel material fast enough to create enough fuel for our needs. (The famous "it would take more farmland than currently exists on all of planet Earth, all of it dedicated to growing corn, to grow enough corn to make enough corn-derived ethanol to fuel every vehicle on the planet" problem.) So obviously energy efficiency and non-bio-fuel renewable energy methods are also needed. But biofuel (burning biomass, ethanol, biodiesel, etc,) is still a SIGNIFICANT improvement over oil/natural gas/coal. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.216|108.162.245.216]] 07:31, 20 June 2014 (UTC)

Well, ''this'' seems like a topic that could generate heated comments. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.208.9|108.162.208.9]] 10:09, 9 June 2014 (UTC)

Would anyone care to comment on the +200 meter sea rise? I googled "how much would sea level rise" a bit, and I seem to bump into 60 to 70 meters repeatedly for all glaciers melting. I found nothing direct from IPCC. I wonder if Randall really has another view on this. {{unsigned ip|108.162.254.45}}
:Cretaceous sea levels are generally accepted to have been 200m above the present level - you have large shallow seas (with geological evidence showing depths of 200m) over many of the continents - e.g. the Eromunga Sea in Australia. This is not from the IPCC, it predates that considerably. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.237|108.162.250.237]] 11:35, 15 June 2014 (UTC)
:I hope the explanation isn't that he made a meter/feet mistake. [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.239|103.22.201.239]] 13:04, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
::I would assert that he rounded for a clean read for a relative scale. Also, the '+' denotes the likelihood of a larger actual amount. {{unsigned ip|108.162.217.41}}
:::60 meters is indeed the amount the sea would rise if all the glacial ice melted. However, that figure presumably does not take into account have much the sea would rise by expansion due to the increased heat. That is, after all, the main reason for rising sea levels today. So I would guess that the +200 figure is the 60 meters of added water from glacial ice ''plus'' the amount it would rise due to warming and expanding. [[User:Calebxy|Calebxy]] ([[User talk:Calebxy|talk]])
::::While that's possible, and desalination of water can also cause it to expand (sea water is more dense than fresh), we shouldn't try to justify the numbers if they are incorrect. If we can find some reliable data to suggest the rise would be 200 ft instead of 200m, we should include that. Or at least include a range of estimates from reliable sources. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.134|108.162.238.134]] 15:42, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
:::::Having just re-read the explanation after posting my comment, I can see that the article attempts to do just that. But the link provided says 110 to 770 mm. Isn't the millimeters? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.134|108.162.238.134]] 15:44, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
:::::But the sea level ''would'' rise more than 60m if the expansion of the sea is taken into account. If the earth became as hot as the graph indicates, then logically the seas would expand considerably. [[User:Calebxy|Calebxy]] ([[User talk:Calebxy|talk]]) 16:04, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
:Cretaceous sea levels seem to have been that high, but this tends to be attributed to the shape of the ocean basins, in particular the mid-ocean ridges, rather than to the temperature. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.35|108.162.219.35]] 17:01, 9 June 2014 (UTC)

So sad that Randall is pushing the carbon tax agenda long after the AGW myth has been debunked. [[User:IGnatius T Foobar|IGnatius T Foobar]] ([[User talk:IGnatius T Foobar|talk]]) 16:00, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
:Waitwhat? a) I saw no mention of tax. b) AGW==Anthropogenic Global Warming==debunked? This may not be the place for this whole discussion (despite the relevance), but it's ''far'' from debunked. And even if "there was going to be some Global Warming anyway", you can't dismiss the probability that we're adding ''something'' to this effect and making it more extreme. If not pushing it over the edge in some way. (I'm actually more optimistic than that, but I do find "it's a myth!" to be annoyingly naive, so excuse me if I try to balance that out. It's really not worth tying this discussion box up in this debate, however.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.232|141.101.98.232]] 18:36, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
::I'm not as sure that it isn't worth it. GCC is fact. GW, might be. AGW, that's where we get into the mythical and unproven range, because it's *really hard* to tell the difference between correlation and causation, and because of other problems I wrote below.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 19:28, 10 June 2014 (UTC)
:Randall is a scientist. He follows scientific consensus. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.134|108.162.238.134]] 20:03, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
::Randall is a comic artist. While he's a really smart guy, he popularizes science, he doesn't do the experiments himself.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 19:28, 10 June 2014 (UTC)
:::No snark intended here, and I am a non-scientist, so I do not speak from a position of authority. However, I thought (one of the) the point(s) of science was that you don't ''have'' to do the science yourself in order to understand and interpret the results. In fact, you can read the reports and conclusions of others in order to draw your own. In law, for example, we follow the cases that have been established in similar situations so that we can advise our clients on the ''best'' course (and by best, I mean the course that won't land you in court paying outrageous fees) of action. We don't have to experience it ourselves in order to reach the desired outcome. We can draw analogies from similar fact patterns. Right? [[User:Orazor|Orazor]] ([[User talk:Orazor|talk]]) 09:09, 9 October 2014 (UTC)
::::Wrong. Meta analysis, while useful, is not original scientific research. It is the first order derivative of science. Law is art, not science, and is not related to the truth at all. Analogies are not facts, analogies are designed to hide the facts, and therefore, hide the truth.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 14:32, 22 April 2015 (UTC)
::There is nothing scientific about following consensus. {{unsigned ip|108.162.215.86}}
:::Of course there is... When 99% of climatologists are reasonably certain (which means "very very sure" for non-scientists) that there is Global Warning and that the primary cause is us (humanity greenhouse gas emissions), I wouldn't say that AGW has been "debunked" and that there is nothing scientific in following this consensus (after having made sure of its existence by reading diverse peer-reviewed studies of the field) ! You may have an agenda to defend but could you at least try to make some sense, please. Note that this doesn't mean that the current political propositions are the right way to go about it and that this comic doesn't say anything about that. [[User:Jedaï|Jedaï]] ([[User talk:Jedaï|talk]]) 21:47, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
::::And this is why climatologists playing with models instead of actually examining data from the real world, aren't scientists. It's possible to get so addicted to your models, that you fail to realize that you've fallen into confirmation bias. And consensus, also known as mob-based peer pressure, is only as smart as the lowest IQ in the mob. Which is why climatologists, attempting to top each other's predictions, have a tendency to fall for worst case scenarios, such as Randall's scenario above.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 02:42, 10 June 2014 (UTC)
::::There really ISN'T anything scientific about following consensus. Correlation is not causation. The 99% figure will be scientifically relevant if it will be produced by every scientist independently proving it, not by consensus. And even then ... 100% scientists though time is same everywhere ... then Einstein came with theory and models ... and THEN the models were verified. By Sir Arthur Eddington four years later. THAT made Einstein famous. We don't really have the same kind of proof for AGW. We have lot of data which has been tampered with or cherry-picked, even the scientists can't be sure what to believe. What we DO have proof for is that climate is changing (although some of those changes are LOWERING of temperature).
::::And about the political propositions ... most of them fail to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions itself, not speaking about global temperature - but their economic effect would be huge. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:02, 10 June 2014 (UTC)
:Where is he speaking about carbon tax? "Acting now" does not equal one possible instrument. There are plenty of ways for climate change mitigation.--[[User:Ojdo|Ojdo]] ([[User talk:Ojdo|talk]]) 07:55, 11 June 2014 (UTC)

I *think* (haven't confirmed) that the 200 m figure is the difference between the peak of the last ice age (sea level low—"-1 IAU" in the strip) and if everything melted. We've already come up 140 m, so we can't go up 200 m from here. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.86|108.162.215.86]] 20:16, 9 June 2014 (UTC)

There are several troubling things with this comic (including the sea level figure), but the most basic is the opening statement: "Without prompt, aggressive limits on CO2 emissions, the Earth will likely warm by an average of 4°-5°C by the century’s end." This is probably from the latest IPCC report, but it takes the worst of several proposed scenarios, and claims it to be the likely one. RCP8.5 projects 2.6C-4.8C, and I suppose that's what getting averaged *up* to "4.5C" for the temperature line in the comic. The second most troubling thing is that mouse-over text, regarding the 2C lid if we "enact aggressive emissions limits now"—this is an entirely arbitrary (unscientific) number based on largely unspecified changes to what the world is doing now. It gives me the sense that Randall didn't look too deep... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.86|108.162.215.86]] 20:43, 9 June 2014 (UTC)

According to Wikipedia, the polar forests during the Ceretaceous period were temperate, not tropical. Thus Firs in the North and Evergreens in Antartica, not Palm trees. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_forests_of_the_Cretaceous [[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 21:17, 9 June 2014 (UTC)

Oh wait, did he really say "Palm trees at the poles"? The north pole is already 4,261 meters under water. The nearest land is 700 km away. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.86|108.162.215.86]] 05:14, 10 June 2014 (UTC)
:It's hyperbole. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.134|108.162.238.134]] 05:46, 10 June 2014 (UTC)
::Not completely. It's refering to a specific time, the ceretaceous period. When there where forests above 85 degrees in both north and south poles. The forests where temperate though, so palm trees are hyperbole. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.217|141.101.80.217]] 12:18, 10 June 2014 (UTC)
:::No, it's not hyperbole at all, actually there were tropical-climate trees in polar latitudes in the northern hemisphere during parts of the Cretaceous. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.237|108.162.250.237]] 11:26, 15 June 2014 (UTC)
::::Citation please- everything I could find was Temperate Rain Forests (kind of like still exist in Washington State and British Columbia).[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 12:28, 16 June 2014 (UTC)

Independent of everything else, I'm having a tough time reconciling the fact that sea level was apparently 6m or more higher during the Roman era. E.g. the roman settlements and their harbors in places like Caister and Burgh Castle in Norfolk, England? I'm not aware that England has risen 6m. Seems to me that if see levels were to rise as much as 6m we'd just be back to where things were 1600-1700 years ago. {{unsigned ip|103.22.201.239}}
:I'd like to research that, so [needs citation][[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 17:22, 11 June 2014 (UTC)
:Things can be complicated by the likes of 'rebound' of the local area of the Earth's crust after the removal of the weight of glacial ice from various landmasses (although I'm not sure whether that was still producing such measureable effects to those particular locations in Roman times) and other effects. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.232|141.101.98.232]] 11:07, 12 June 2014 (UTC)
:1600-1700 years ago there were 6+ billion fewer people (a large proportion with dwellings near shorelines, or economically dependant on them somehow) on the planet! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.237|108.162.250.237]] 11:38, 15 June 2014 (UTC)

According to the Scientific Forecasts from 1986, this should have had already happened by the year 2000: http://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/24/movies/earth-s-climatic-crisis-examined-by-nova.html [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.217|108.162.246.217]] 01:18, 28 June 2014 (UTC)
:That link is basically a TV Guide listing for a rerun of a NOVA program which was filmed in 1983. The listing was written by a movie critic who presumably watched the program but may not have quoted it correctly. Anyway, that's popular media, not real science. If you want real science, look at peer-reviewed scientific journals. In the 30+ years since that program was filmed, we have gathered a LOT more data. It's not surprising that our understanding of what's going on is more complete now than it was in 1983. That's how science works. The more data you gather, the more accurate your predictions become (hence older predictions were generally less accurate).[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.232|199.27.128.232]] 18:53, 23 February 2015 (UTC)

Since I used to live next to Burgh Castle, can I point out that the castle is indeed now c6m higher than the current estuary level. The nearby town of Great Yarmouth is built on land that first appeared above the waves around 1100AD. In Roman times it was possible to sail from Burgh Castle to the castle at Caistor - that's why they were built, to defend the mouth of the estuary between them.If you look at [https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Acle,+Norwich,+Norfolk+NR13/@52.6213598,1.6099949,13z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x47d9ff1ac61e4df5:0x957c4241ca1f0de3 map] very roughly all the green was under water circa 300AD --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.251|141.101.98.251]] 19:04, 1 November 2014 (UTC)

:All the angry people who like to shout "AGW has been debunked! The models aren't exact! I have a fantasy that because I'm the smartest person in the world I will be rich by 30 and therefore I hate anything related to taxes! I've been trained to growl at liberals!" What do they want to do? Even if they're right that the changes would have happened even without humanity and that the effects will be more chaotic and less straightforward and that the 25-year projection will really take 45 years and so on... Does that mean we should just gleefully accept all the changes? I realize that San Francisco; New York, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Stockholm all being underwater sounds like fun to a right-wing partisan--no more hippies, no more "liberal media", no more UN and EU, no more wildly successfully social democracies that disprove all of their economic theories, etc.--don't they care that most of the world's financial and knowledge industries, every conservative think-tank, and most of Rupert Murdoch's houses will also be gone? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 22:01, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1368: One Of The

2015-09-24T11:06:03Z

162.158.255.52:

There's a set of golden arches at Jefferson and Russell, Arguably more identifiable. {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.36}}

:If you are talking about the McDonald's arches, then well played, sir, well played. Definitely more identifiable. --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 14:57, 14 May 2014 (UTC)

::On the other hand, any ''specific set'' of McDonald's arches isn't very identifiable. One tends to look like any other. --[[User:Aaron of Mpls|Aaron of Mpls]] ([[User talk:Aaron of Mpls|talk]]) 11:12, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

"''Reporters on television and in other media try to only make statements they can verify in fact''"
Seriously??? Maybe once, but not now. The point of this cartoon is largely that reporters are hedging their bets on what's a fact.
When you have prominent reporters like Chuck Todd (one of the most prominent reporters on TV) saying [http://www.fair.org/blog/2013/09/18/inform-the-public-not-my-job-says-chuck-todd/|it's "not his job" to report factual information] but merely to repeat what politicians have said, or everyone on Fox "News" basically ignoring facts in favor of ideology, claiming reporters try to speak only facts is not supported by demonstrable facts.
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.84|199.27.128.84]] 16:42, 14 May 2014 (UTC)

: Or maybe it's because of the liability reporters face for reporting even errors made by the police. [http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/12/mistaken-identity-tv-show/8989189/ | Keith Todd or Todd Keith]. [[User:Pallas|Pallas]] ([[User talk:Pallas|talk]]) 19:16, 14 May 2014 (UTC)

:: "''In the complaint, Todd alleges that Eastpointe Police "incorrectly researched" databases and sent the wrong photo, name and information to the network.''" Sounds like the blame is really with the police, not the network. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.84|199.27.128.84]] 16:37, 15 May 2014 (UTC)

::: [http://birmingham.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/msnbcs-caught-on-camera-reality-show-snafu-creates-unreal-problems-for-michigan-man In a lawsuit filed last week in Wayne County Circuit Court, Todd said a snafu incorrectly naming him as the suspect in the “Caught on Camera” program has caused him humiliation, loss of employment and other misery. He’s asking NBC Universal, the Eastpointe Police Department and A One Limousine, to pay an unspecified amount of damages.] [[User:Pallas|Pallas]] ([[User talk:Pallas|talk]]) 20:09, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

: That's generalising. How about: "Seriously??? Maybe once, but not now. The point of this cartoon is largely that US reporters are hedging their bets on what's a fact. When you have prominent US reporters like Chuck Todd (one of the most prominent reporters on US TV) saying [http://www.fair.org/blog/2013/09/18/inform-the-public-not-my-job-says-chuck-todd/|it's "not his job" to report factual information] but merely to repeat what US politicians have said, or everyone on US branch of Fox "News" basically ignoring facts in favor of ideology, claiming US reporters try to speak only facts is not supported by demonstrable facts.{{unsigned ip|108.162.250.211}}

:: Right. Because it's only in the US that reporters fail to do their jobs well. Why, just look at the UK and Australia, for example. Nope, no reporters covering their asses there. Oh, wait. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.84|199.27.128.84]] 16:52, 21 May 2014 (UTC)

I know it's not really part of the joke, but should the explanation say who the reporter is talking about? Who designed the Gateway arch? I'm curious now.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.7|108.162.219.7]] 02:18, 15 May 2014 (UTC)

:The Gateway Arch was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and German-American structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel in 1947. As stated on the {{w|Gateway Arch|wikipedia page already linked from explanation}}. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:15, 15 May 2014 (UTC)

Note that the UK celebrates {{w|Mothering Sunday}} on the fourth Sunday in Lent as if it was Mother's Day. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.217|141.101.89.217]] 10:45, 15 May 2014 (UTC)

The explanation text misses the fact that stating "one of the world's greatest moms" is hardly perceived as an actual compliment by the recipient. [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 14:17, 15 May 2014 (UTC)
:Done - also added an explain and a wiki link to pet peeve - something not explained so far. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 18:53, 15 May 2014 (UTC)

: I don't think Randall misunderstands the practice - he's just pretending that to make a joke. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:16, 16 May 2014 (UTC)
::That is for sure true. I did not write it like that and have now corrected it acordingly [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:26, 16 May 2014 (UTC)
:::Interesting. Do you really think "Randall does not misunderstand anything" (from the history-edit explanation) and so any inaccuracy must be understood as a deliberate part of the joke? Even if the inaccuracy is about a matter outside of his field of expertise and is unnecessary to the joke? Maybe you're right in this case, but I doubt Randall himself would claim to be infallible. [[User:Cs7|Cs7]] ([[User talk:Cs7|talk]]) 20:08, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

::My mom wasn't insulted by a card that said "One of the two greatest Moms in the world*" (and, below, "* Sorry, Mom, but I don't want to get killed in my sleep"). She found it funny, and so did my wife, and the fact that you can buy this card in shops implies they aren't the only mothers in the world that can take a joke. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 11:06, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

No so much a real discussion item, but this is "One of the most useful Explain XKCDs out there"... {{unsigned ip|199.27.128.121}}

The arch is so large that there are rotating pill-elevators inside the rising legs and a large observation lounge at the top. You can look down at the busy barge traffic on the Mississippi far below. {{unsigned ip|108.162.245.117}}

Talk:1318: Actually

2015-09-23T14:34:51Z

162.158.255.52:

I started reading the comic from the topmost line "Actually, measurements suggest it's flat." It seemed that he was talking about the planet, but it's also a response to the curved-space line from before. Upon further reading, I can't tell if the discussion is about a planet or a universe, and it looks like you can go around the circle twice and assume both. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.72|173.245.50.72]] 05:13, 17 January 2014 (UTC)

: It is about the shape of the Earth. The Earth exists in a curved universe. The alt text is referring to the fact that by being more and more specific you can always get the last word in but it may alienate you from your peers. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.117|108.162.246.117]] 05:14, 17 January 2014 (UTC)

: "Actually, measurements suggest it's flat." could mean two different things: the first would be in the physical sense, the second in the economic sense, if he is referring to the book "The World is Flat" from 2005. {{unsigned|Tc18021188}}

The transcript needs some way to show that Cueball is talking to the second Hairy in the end. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.71|108.162.216.71]] 08:25, 17 January 2014 (UTC)

: "show that Cueball is talking to the second Hairy in the end" -> Do you consider it done ? [[User:MGitsfullofsheep|MGitsfullofsheep]] ([[User talk:MGitsfullofsheep|talk]]) 08:50, 17 January 2014 (UTC)

Fixed factual error about sum of angles of a triangle in a closed geometry. An example of closed geometry is spherical geometry, where sum of angles of a triangle is π < A + B + C<3π http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spherical_trigonometry . Previous text wrongly stated that A+B+C would be smaller than π in closed geometry and greater in open geometry. [[User:MGitsfullofsheep|MGitsfullofsheep]] ([[User talk:MGitsfullofsheep|talk]]) 08:50, 17 January 2014 (UTC)

About the oblate configuration: why attribute it to centripetal force? Because centrifugal force is an "apparent" force? Well centripetal force from gravitational pull is actually balancing the centrifugal force caused by rotation of the earth. The whole "centrifugal force does not exist" thing is a misconception. It's an inertial force and writing the equilibrium equations for an object in the rotating reference frame (the one we experience everyday) at latitude phi you see: gravitational pull toward the center of the planet + centrifugal force away from the axis of rotation= mass*g(phi). This g(phi) is not the same in every spot of the earth, it changes in value and direction (does not always point exactly to the center of the earth) with latitude.{{unsigned ip|108.162.229.65}}
: I second this. The centripetal force would actually be the gravity of earth. Attributing the oblate shape of earth to this is just plain wrong, since it pulls inwards, not outwards. Actually all forces could be called "apparent" forces, since they're really just constructs to help you calculate the acceleration of a body. There's always a (local) reference frame where a particular force doesn't "exist". {{unsigned ip|173.245.53.131}}
:: Sure, there is always such frame, but gravitation is real force anyway because we can measure the higgs field by detecting higgs bosons. At least I think we can. Failing that, electromagnetic forces are real because we can measure electromagnetic field by detecting photons, this I'm sure of :-). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:23, 17 January 2014 (UTC)
:::Come now. Do you really expect me to do coordinate substitution in my head while strapped to a centrifuge? [[User:Diszy|Diszy]] ([[User talk:Diszy|talk]]) 15:44, 17 January 2014 (UTC)
::::No, Mister Diszy, I expect you to die. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.117|108.162.238.117]] 20:14, 17 January 2014 (UTC)
:::Why do so many people seem to think the Higgs field has anything to do with gravity? I suppose very indirectly, by contributing to the masses of certain particles, it affects gravity, but no more so than electromagnetism affects gravity; it certainly doesn't cause gravity, or prove that it exists, or anything like that. (If we could detect the graviton--which is a very different particle than the Higgs, and which we so far can't detect--then that would prove that gravity waves exist, which would in turn prove that gravity exists. But it's much easier to detect gravity waves than gravitons, and much easier to detect gravity than gravity waves, so even that would be a silly thing to say.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 14:34, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

I don't see why the explanation assumes the top claim is at the start and end. I think that part of the explanation is a stretch and that the "flat" claim is not meant to be given twice. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.117|108.162.246.117]] 17:38, 17 January 2014 (UTC)
:It's a loop. Technically there is no "start". Each line is a direct "more specific" response to the previous remark. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.117|108.162.238.117]] 20:17, 17 January 2014 (UTC)

I always suspected Freddie Mercury was a closet planetoligist. {{unsigned ip|127.0.0.1|20:26, 17 January 2014 (UTC)}}

I highly doubt this pun is intentional, but this could be seen as a case of circular logic. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.117|108.162.238.117]] 20:35, 17 January 2014 (UTC)

Any significance to where they are standing along the circle? If we start with flat, the first three are right in a row, but then the rest are spread out further.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.57|108.162.216.57]] 21:20, 17 January 2014 (UTC)
:Yes. They are standing close to the center of where their sentence is. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.117|108.162.238.117]] 03:17, 18 January 2014 (UTC)

Quick suggestion. Under the (first) "[Actually,] measurements suggest it's flat." explanation title, just have the first point given. Then continue through the other "Actually"'s and ''then'' have (under a second "Actually, measurements suggest it's flat." header) the "Finally, the first speaker comments again," point and then the "The arguments could continue around the circle," one at the end. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.223|141.101.99.223]] 22:41, 17 January 2014 (UTC)

It was not the case that the middle age believd in a flat eart (some of the antic cultures did). See [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_Flat_Earth Wikipedia]. --[[User:DaB.|DaB.]] ([[User talk:DaB.|talk]]) 00:27, 18 January 2014 (UTC)

;not a recursive loop

"Further statements could now continue to be interpreted as referring to the universe rather than the Earth, thus forming a recursive loop.". This phrase is awful. As far as I understood this long hypothetical sentence does not even wrap 2 times. Adding 'recursive' is totally pointless here. Am I right? {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.222}}
:I agree. It is not a closed loop. You can only move two more steps after Cueball says "the ''universe'' is flat". When Megan starts to talk about the EGM, then it could no longer be mistaken as being a comment on the shape of the universe! And even if it could, then the last comment before Cueball also does not make sense if they were already discussing the universe! So I would say the explanation is incomplete as long as the recursive loop part is here [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:04, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

''Actually,'' you can win every exchange just by being one level more precise than '''whom'''ever talked last. --[[User:Jesse|Jesse]] ([[User talk:Jesse|talk]]) 05:44, 19 January 2014 (UTC)
: ''Actually,'' "... than '''who'''ever talked last." is correct, which puts you on the receiving end of https://xkcd.com/326/.
:Here, ''than'' is a conjunction, i.e. it joins two sentences where the second is [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/than the basis of comparison]. Each sentence has its own subject and verb+tense. The first has ''You'' and ''can win''. The second has ''whoever'' and ''talked''. '''Who/whoever''' are the subject forms, and '''whom/whomever''' are the object forms.

:To use another example, would you say ''I am smarter than '''him''' is'', rather than the correct ''I am smarter than '''he''' is''?

:Seriously, please stop being an AGN and leave teaching to those '''who''' know. Now excuse me as [https://xkcd.com/386/ I don't feel well....] However, I did have to fix this for all the ESL speakers who have enough problems without language ''incorrections''. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.208.252|108.162.208.252]] 16:07, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

::Bravo! Very well done! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.33|108.162.219.33]] 19:55, 4 February 2014 (UTC)larK

As a Mathematician, I would just abstract the conversation using Category Theory and try to find an algorithm to be able to abstract any additional precision. Then I would hope that no one found that algorithm first. I still don't know what to call that algorithm though. This is the algorithm now. 16:33, 21 January 2014 (UTC)

1297: Oort Cloud

2015-09-23T12:21:12Z

162.158.255.52: /* Perspective */ English

{{comic
| number = 1297
| date = November 29, 2013
| title = Oort Cloud
| image = oort_cloud.png
| titletext = ...I wanna try. Hang on, be right back.
}}

==Explanation==
The {{w|Oort cloud}} is a hypothesized sphere containing many {{w|small Solar System bodies}}, reaching out to roughly 50,000 {{w|Astronomical unit|AU (astronomical units)}} or nearly one {{w|light-year}} from the sun. Gravitational forces from passing stars or collisions with other objects sometimes perturb one of these bodies enough to let it fall into the inner solar system. When it gets closer to the Sun, which is just a bright dot at that far distance, it warms up and some of its mass is lost as gas and dust, making it more visible as an object commonly referred to as a comet. If it gets close enough to the sun it may break up entirely.

There seems to be no definitive astronomical definition of the word "comet", and definitions can be challenging and problematic [http://suitti.livejournal.com/56460.html?nojs=1], but in general terms a comet is a celestial object consisting of a nucleus containing a huge amount of ices and dust which, when near the sun, has an atmosphere (called {{w|Comet#Coma and tail|coma}}) and perhaps a 'tail' of ionized gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun.

The comet pictured here upon its return strangely resembles the unusual asteroid {{w|P/2013 P5}}. That object sported six comet-like tails, but it's not a comet. Rather, the six comet-like tails were suspected to be caused by rapid spinning of that object.

Randal has drawn the hapless Oort Cloud object with its tails generally left of frame, i.e. away from the sun. Comet tails point away from the sun regardless of their direction of movement, as they are blown out by the solar wind which moves much faster than the comet. As neither of the other two objects have tails, this lends the picture a comical cartoon-like quality, as when Yosemite Sam is blasted by his own gun and it leaves his moustache tails statically pointing away from the direction of the blast.

{{w|C/2012 S1|Comet ISON}} presumably came from the Oort cloud and reached its closest approach to the sun ({{w|Apsis|perihelion}}) on the day before this comic was published. The comet passed very close to the sun, at a distance of 1,860,000 kilometers or 1,150,000 miles from the centre of the sun. It was thus within one sun-diameter of the surface of the sun itself (diameter of sun = 1,391,000 km). At that distance the temperature, at approx. 2,700 degrees Celsius, vaporizes rock as well as ice and can break the comet apart entirely.

The broken-up object here is presumed to be ISON, and is labeled as such in the transcript, even though Randall hasn't unambiguously identified it. Note that it's not realistic that ISON still would have a tail so far away from the sun.

On December 2, 2013 NASA released a statement that ISON did not survive its close perihelion with the sun. The Comet ISON Observing Campaign posted a delightful biographical sketch ([http://www.isoncampaign.org/karl/in-memoriam In Memoriam Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) Born 4.5 Billion BC, Fragmented Nov 28, 2013, age 4.5-billion yrs old]) which touches on its early years, retreat to the Oort Cloud, career as a Sungrazer, "dynamic and unpredictable life, alternating between periods of quiet reflection and violent outburst", delicate inner working, and its tragic demise.

The closest approach of ISON to the earth was predicted for December 27, 2013 at a distance at approx. 60 million kilometers or 37 million miles, 170 hundred times more than the moon. The {{w| Hubble Space Telescope}} [http://www.universetoday.com/107407/hubble-looks-but-finds-no-trace-of-comet-ison/ looked for it on December 18] but saw nothing.

This video shows an animation of the encounter at the sun: [http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/browse/2013/11/28/ahead_20131128_cor2_rdiff_512.mpg ISON 28.11.2013].

==Transcript==
:[Three asteroids float in space.]
:ISON: Have you noticed that bright dot in the distance?
:Asteroid: Yeah. What's the deal with it?

:ISON: Dunno. I'm gonna go check it out.

:[Pause while ISON checks it out off screen.]

:ISON (broken up, with multiple tails): Wow. Do NOT go over there.

==Perspective==
Some more information about comets will help put the comic in perspective:
*The surface of cometary nuclei reflects less sunlight than asphalt. Telescopes can't identify or find them until they have a coma.
*An object at a distance of one light-year would only have an orbital speed about 100 meters per second; the speed of the Earth is about 30 kilometers per second.
*One revolution at that distance would last approximately 20 million years.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Astronomy]]

Talk:1281: Minifigs

2015-09-23T09:36:46Z

162.158.255.52:

This is my first time at trying to explain something. Even if it's replaced by a better one, I hope it gets the point across.

Cheers!

[[Special:Contributions/189.186.138.149|189.186.138.149]] 05:34, 23 October 2013 (UTC)
:Your explanation looks good (perhaps somebody changed it, though). I am happy for you. Welcome to.the community. You are the type of people that make wikis great.
:[[User:Zyxuvius|Zyxuvius]] ([[User talk:Zyxuvius|talk]]) 17:06, 23 October 2013 (UTC)

Related question: what is the current population of Teddy bears? And what about Barbies? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 08:44, 23 October 2013 (UTC)
:Might Mattel be the world's largest shoe maker? [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 16:06, 23 October 2013 (UTC)

Then we are just waiting for a Wikipedian to remove the comparison of tires manufactures as Wikipedia is not the place for random facts appearing in XKCD comics. [[User:Pmakholm|Pmakholm]] ([[User talk:Pmakholm|talk]]) 10:17, 23 October 2013 (UTC)
::The information in the Wikipedia article on {{w|Lego tire|Lego tires}}, including the random fact that in 2011 it was the world's largest tire manufacturer, has been there since May 2012 [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 13:30, 23 October 2013 (UTC)

I, for one, welcome our new Lego overlords.[[Special:Contributions/83.227.33.35|83.227.33.35]] 01:16, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

Just a suggestion for discussion: instead of the final phrase of the second paragraph saying "the prognosis of this comic seems quite likely", I think "the prognosis of this comic seems at least possible if not highly likely" as the point of the previous extrapolations is that they were unwarranted/probably impossible, not just unlikely. [[User:Grahame|Grahame]] ([[User talk:Grahame|talk]]) 04:34, 24 October 2013 (UTC)Grahame

I find it extremely surprising (to the point of incredulity) that the human population has been growing linearly [[Special:Contributions/115.111.223.59|115.111.223.59]] 06:19, 24 October 2013 (UTC) FirstTimeUserAmIDoingThisRight?
:The comic is correct, it's nearly linear at that time range. Look here: [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_population_%28UN%29.svg world population].--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:11, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
::The graph you link to has a logarithmic scale for population, so the straight lines represent exponential growth. Randall's graph has a linear population scale, so the lines should have the form of an exponential function. [[Special:Contributions/198.91.149.86|198.91.149.86]] 12:47, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
:::Ups, but at that data ranges it doesn't make a big difference. Look at page 21 here: [http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/ppt/paa/PAA_2012_Heilig.pdf UN PDF dokument].--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 13:28, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

Has Randall taken into account that some of the manufactured lego minifigs have been destroyed? If not, then the number of minifigs should be compared to the number of humans that has ever been born, not only to those still alive today...(Maybe a billion or more of the minifigs have been destroyed?) [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:45, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
:Nice point. The {{w|World_population#Number_of_humans_who_have_ever_lived|Number of humans who have ever lived}} is estimated around 100 billions in total. But Randall compares the "Number of people in the world" with the "Number of Lego People in the world", so a good guess on the number of destroyed minifigs is needed. I think it's more likely about the half of the entire production.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:56, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
::Not sure that I completely agree. Keep in mind that a thrown out Lego minifigure will continue to exist for thousands of years (the same can be said of a dismembered one) while a buried or dismembered human will decompose within a few generations (with the occasional exception). Given that, it's fair to assume that every minifigure ever created still exists, while only the humans born in the past 200 years continue to do so.[[Special:Contributions/154.20.80.41|154.20.80.41]] 04:20, 25 October 2013 (UTC)
:::Has anyone here actually managed to destroy a minfig? I myself have only ever broken an arm or two, which leaves the minifigure mostly intact. I suppose you could melt it down, but most people who would have a reason to (i.e. to use as ink in a 3D printer) would just buy non-LEGOified plastic, as it's cheaper.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.30|108.162.215.30]] 21:30, 9 February 2014 (UTC)
::::Do you still count humans who have been permanently embalmed? (And how do minifigs that have been kragl'd compare?) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 09:36, 23 September 2015 (UTC)