explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3069: Terror Bird

2025-03-29T20:50:53Z

162.158.63.86: Undo revision 370834 by {me :D} 162.158.62.108 (talk)

{{comic
| number = 3069
| date = March 28, 2025
| title = Terror Bird
| image = terror_bird_2x.png
| imagesize = 342x274px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = There has long been debate about Big Bird's species, with some experts claiming he was a canary, but recent genetic analysis places him firmly in Cariamiformes.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BIG YELLOW TERROR BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a scene of two people, [[Jill]] and [[Hairy]], at a museum looking at a fossil of a prehistoric {{w|Phorusrhacidae|terror bird}}. [[Hairy]] thinks out loud that {{w|Big Bird}}, a Muppet character from {{w|Sesame Street}}, must be a terror bird, and wonders whether he will be updated to be more scientifically accurate. Big Bird, however, being from a show for little kids, would almost certainly never be made to look scary, and also, he was never intended to be a terror bird.

The title text claims that there is ongoing scientific debate about Big Bird's species; initially, he was thought to be a canary, likely due to his color, but scientists have placed him in the order {{w|Cariamiformes}}, which the terror birds belong to. This text is likely intended to mirror what somebody might say about the {{w|Seriema|seriemas}}, which are modern-day birds believed to have evolved from the terror bird, as if Big Bird were the descendant of these dinosaurs, in addition to or instead of seriemas. [https://www.pechakucha.com/presentations/what-if-anything-is-big-bird Actual scientific analysis] seems to suggest that Big Bird is in fact related to the whooping crane.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Jill and Hairy are standing together, looking up at the skeleton of a terror bird. The skeleton is standing on a small pedestal, and a plaque is in front of the pedestal.]
:Hairy: Wow.
:Hairy: Now that we know how scary they were, do you think Sesame Street will update him?

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]

3011: Europa Clipper

2024-11-13T14:15:23Z

162.158.63.86: changed a word to a different word

{{comic
| number = 3011
| date = November 13, 2024
| title = Europa Clipper
| image = europa_clipper_2x.png
| imagesize = 333x356px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = They had BETTER make this a sample return mission.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Croissant Sample Spoon - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|Europa_Clipper|Europa Clipper}} space probe was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 14 October 2024. It is expected to arrive at Jupiter and begin exploration of Jupiter's moons, particularly {{w|Europa_(moon)|Europa}}, in 2030.

Europa is an icy moon. Water ice covers its surface. Beneath its surface, there is expected to be liquid water, which may contain living microbes. The surface ice, in the comic, is likened to the caramel crust on the dessert {{w|Crème_brûlée|crème_brûlée}}; the dessert was invented in France, which is, of course, part of Europe. To eat the dessert, the crust is broken with a spoon. The joke is that, to sample the liquid ocean expected on Europa, its crust (water ice) must be broken, and the satellite is equipped with a spoon for that purpose. No such spoon is present on the actual spacecraft.{{Citation needed}}

The title text expands on the main joke by stating that the spacecraft "had BETTER" return samples of the dessert/water ocean to Earth. Desirable as this might be (for non-gustatory reasons, as the taste of Europa's water ocean would likely be a surprise, to write no more, to a person expecting the flavor of custard), it is impractical. It is not mentioned whether Randall expects the sample to be served with {{w|Jupiter_Icy_Moons_Explorer|juice}}.
==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[A satellite has two rectangular solar panels, a circular dish of the front, and a massive spoon on the bottom, twice the length of its solar panels]

:[Below the panel:]
:Good news: NASA's '''''Europa Clipper''''' is en route to Europa and has successfully deployed its crème brûlée spoon.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2719: Hydrogen Isotopes

2023-01-03T02:37:52Z

162.158.63.86: c

This shows as a 404 on xkcd.com but in my RSS feed i can see the comic
: Works for me. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.9|172.69.34.9]] 02:25, 3 January 2023 (UTC)
::works for me now too but it didnt before
::: It works on m.xkcd.com and on the homepage of xckd, but the direct link gives me a 404. Various services such as the Wayback Machine show it as loading though. Could be a bad cache on some service. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.86|162.158.63.86]] 02:37, 3 January 2023 (UTC)

Talk:1413: Suddenly Popular

2021-04-10T18:30:55Z

162.158.63.86:

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

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

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

:: I agree, but I also believe that the 2004 tsunami has to be listed in the explanation.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 11:07, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
::: And more important here - the scale is not very clear and he may have meant 2004, but could not fit it in, with the other sentences. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:02, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

Unless someone disagrees and convinces me, I think that something like "Social Engineers" (or perhaps hackers) should be added to the list of people who were aware of and who used metadata prior to the popularization of the term, so I'll add it if I remember next time I come here, or someone else can feel free to do so in my stead -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 12:19, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

Drone Desertion... {{w|Skynet_(Terminator)|Skynet}}? [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:15, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
:Given that Paradoxical Reaction comes before Drone Desertion, could we assume that because of something done to the AI of drones, presumably to make them "smarter", it has actually led to them deserting on their own? ;) -- I could see how Randall could string a few of the future phrases together to form some logical sequence of events. [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 13:51, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

Amplexus refers to a copulation behavior in frogs. I can only assume Randall chose this word without a hypothetical event in mind. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.198|108.162.219.198]] 13:32, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
:Given the theme, I feel there has to be some event that Randall had in mind that would cause humans to adopt this copulation method. [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:36, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
::Agreed, consider the title text: "Are Your Teens Practicing Amplexus? Learn These Six Telltale Signs!" --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.84|108.162.216.84]] 18:45, 28 August 2014 (UTC)
:::For example, the earth-crossing body was a vehicle for a reptilian race which starts by controlling the drones and then takes over the world. The sexual practices of the ruling elite become popular among the youth of the sunjugated population. The god-empress is of the reptilian overlord race.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.38.82|162.158.38.82]] 20:41, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

Rapid hair growth: Global temps drop, prompting the human body to grow thicker body hair? [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:36, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

Does anyonr else feel "May be a reference to The God-Empress of Ponykind - a My Little Pony / Warhammer 40,000 fanfic." is a bit of a stretch? [[User:Spaceside|Spaceside]] ([[User talk:Spaceside|talk]]) 13:50, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
:I personally think it's a reference to Homestuck, especially since this page's number is "1413", while "413" is an important number in that webcomic. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.219|141.101.88.219]] 19:25, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

Thermohaline circulation-changes predicted due to increased freshwater runoff in the arctic with climate change (melting glaciers and permafrost) and decreased sea ice cover. Whatever the cause, some evidence and speculation that this could lead to the onset of an ice age, possibly explaining "snow blindness". {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.125}}

I think hydroplaning is not the same as aquaplaning... {{unsigned ip|108.162.231.208}}

If we are going so far as to say that 2038 has to do with the 2038 problem, you may notice that each year uses 12 pixels, and therefore the sentence "I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death" can be shown to be on April 2038, not on January 19, 2038. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.201|108.162.221.201]] 14:59, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

That even adds more credence to the scenario, since it would probably take a few months before the radical change to society was complete, and the phrase "I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death" would become well known. ([[User talk:timengler|talk]]) 02:32, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

:I thought you were joking, but then I saw this [http://explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1413%3A_Suddenly_Popular&diff=74466&oldid=74464]. You are a living example of the reason of the existence of religions. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.201|108.162.221.201]] 13:30, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

Assuming no major mutations, wouldn't human amplexus be "spooning"? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.140|199.27.128.140]] 18:59, 28 August 2014 (UTC)
:No - it would be doggy style - but without penetration [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:58, 29 August 2014 (UTC)
::There's actually a term for that too, but I don't want to make this discussion into a sex position glossary (it starts with an "h" and ends in "ing").[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.210|141.101.98.210]] 08:21, 31 August 2014 (UTC)
It could be the propensity to snuggle for a long time between intermittent sex acts due to it being effing cold all the time.(pun intended) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.228.11|108.162.228.11]] 12:12, 30 August 2014 (UTC)

As there are no known earth crossers, I have an alternate scenario for "earth crosser" - "thermohaline" - "snow blindness": Global warming, creating Hypercanes, these would disrupt oceanic layering (thermohaline) and may go hand in hand with desertification (deserts can also lead to something akin to snow blindness). So, alternatively, Randall may predict that global warming may come much faster and harder than predicted... Just my two cents (and maybe we should think "Dune" with the last entry? not the story - the background... Bene Geserit anyone?) ... wont do any changes before discussed (or people shout "oh no - surely not"!)... [[User:Tier666|Tier666]] ([[User talk:Tier666|talk]]) 17:28, 30 August 2014 (UTC)

: 2011 SM68 is coming close in 2016 and 2019. (292220) 2006 SU49 is coming close in 2029. (99942) Apophis is close in 2029. 2012 MU2 is close in 2015. 2014 DA is close in 2027. -- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torino_Scale for list of object which have ever been considered at risk of hitting earth. Giving the timing, I would think that "2011 SM68" is the closest match for Randall's timeline, as the 2016 passage would give additional data for a probability of hitting earth in 2019 -- and two years after that everybody would know what hit them :-( [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.209|199.27.128.209]] 06:17, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

:As far as I know, it is called snow blindness only when it is caused by snow or ice and the same condition is called by the medical term photokeratitis in desert. There are [http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/ no known Earth-crossers around 2020 that would be really worth mentioning] (2009 JF1 has the highest probability) but the problem is that [http://www.techtimes.com/articles/4101/20140306/asteroid-2014-dx110-barely-misses-earth-flyby-serves-as-warning-of-possible-doomsday.htm we might not know the object yet] (especially if it would be a comet) [[User:Sten|'''STEN''']] ([[User talk:Sten|talk]]) 22:23, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

under controlled hydroplaning i understand 3 things
1. a joke about the word plan in hydroplaning
2. some kind of advanced engine enabling boats to use hydroplaning to move
3. a car computer to stear while the car is hydroplaning
:Originally, I thought it has something to do with {{w|Seaplane|seaplanes}} because they are also called hydroplanes. Regarding the boats, {{w|Hydroplane_(boat)|there are already boats using (hydro)planing}}. [[User:Sten|'''STEN''']] ([[User talk:Sten|talk]]) 22:29, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

the title: "i swear allegiance to the god-empress in live and death" makes me imagine that he could mean his own

death maybe due to:
1. reduced dyieng age because of the ice age
2. that he doesnt want to grow older than that
00:44, 1 September 2014

How is "Tsunami" ever an obscure phrase before 2005!? I've known that word as a normal part of speech all my life (which started in the eighties). Note that this is also unlike, for example, "metadata", which I've also known all my life but that word simply went viral around 2013. --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 20:51, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

RE: The phrase "God-Emperor" being popularized by Dune in 1965 is a little misleading. The phrase was never used until the book God Emperor of Dune which was published in 1981. Love the series... perhaps a little too much.--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.209|108.162.216.209]] 21:44, 22 September 2014 (UTC)

The oath also reminds me of the oaths to the Seanchan Empress in Wheel of Time, may she live forever. --[[User:ShadowDx|ShadowDx]] ([[User talk:ShadowDx|talk]]) 04:39, 26 October 2014 (UTC)

Removed reference to StarCraft because it made no sense. Neither Arcturus nor Valerian Megnsk (the only characters to have the title Emperor in the franchise) ever claim godhood at any point. I mean, Arcturus was a head-case and a manipulative bastard, but he never claimed divinity, especially not publicly. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 05:49, 7 December 2015 (UTC)

The explanation section mentions the Singularity occurring at some point in this timeline, but I see nothing in the comic or more detailed explanation that supports this. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.86|162.158.63.86]] 18:30, 10 April 2021 (UTC)

1413: Suddenly Popular

2021-04-10T18:27:16Z

162.158.63.86:

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

==Explanation==
Many phrases that used to be of mainly academic interest become popular when an important event or global trend is described with such phrases in the media. [[Randall]] presents a timeline of past examples, and predicts phrases that may be popularised in the near future. The past events are a mix of buzz words and words that became popularized as a result of technology trends, natural disasters, or terrorism. The future events seem to be all related to natural disasters or other kinds of serious issues, except ''{{w|Amplexus}}'' — which is the joke of the title text — showing that no matter how many disasters there are, people are generally more concerned about their teenagers' sex lives.

The title text is also an example of a {{w|clickbait}} headline. Many organizations will post a link on social media to their content with a sensationalized headline in order to draw readers in. In this case, the headline is geared towards parents who are worried about their children being sexually active in this new ''Amplexus'' way. Such headlines are the internet's analog to television news' {{w|Promo (media)|promos}} ("A new trend among teens is sweeping the nation, but is it dangerous? Details at 11:00.").

{{w|Global catastrophic risks|Global catastrophic risk}} is a theme throughout this comic. Randall predicts a large asteroid impact/near miss and a volcanic eruption, followed by an {{w|impact winter}} or {{w|volcanic winter}}. An insect borne, global pandemic without a cure also strikes, and then the {{w|technological singularity}} occurs.

This comic has similar features to [[887: Future Timeline]].

===List of the phrases===
Below the phrases are listed with the closest year from the time-line noted behind the phrase. Note that this year does not necessarily match with the in-real-life relevant year. This may be found in the explanation of the phrase below. [https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=world+wide+web%2Cdna+evidence%2Cmilitia+movement%2Csupermax%2Cbutterfly+ballot%2Cal-qaeda%2Cwi-fi%2Ctsunami%2Cviral%2Cradicalize%2Cmetadata&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1900&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=0&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cworld%20wide%20web%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3BWorld%20Wide%20Web%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bworld%20wide%20web%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BWORLD%20WIDE%20WEB%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cdna%20evidence%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3BDNA%20evidence%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BDNA%20Evidence%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cmilitia%20movement%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bmilitia%20movement%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BMilitia%20Movement%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BMilitia%20movement%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Csupermax%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bsupermax%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSupermax%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSUPERMAX%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSuperMax%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cbutterfly%20ballot%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bbutterfly%20ballot%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BButterfly%20Ballot%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BButterfly%20ballot%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cal%20-%20qaeda%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bal%20-%20Qaeda%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BAl%20-%20Qaeda%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cwi%20-%20fi%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3BWi%20-%20Fi%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bwi%20-%20fi%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Ctsunami%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Btsunami%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BTsunami%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BTSUNAMI%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cviral%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bviral%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BViral%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BVIRAL%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cradicalize%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bradicalize%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BRadicalize%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cmetadata%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bmetadata%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BMetadata%3B%2Cc0 Google Books Ngram Viewer] can show the relative frequency of those words in function of the year.

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

;{{w|DNA profiling|DNA Evidence}} – 1995
:Prominent coverage of the {{w|O. J. Simpson murder trial}} in 1994 brought widespread discussion of {{w|DNA profiling|DNA Evidence}}, making it famous and showing its limitations.

;{{w|Militia Movement}} – 1996
:After the standoffs at {{w|Ruby Ridge}}, Idaho in 1992 and the {{w|Branch Davidians}} compound in Waco, Texas between U.S. Government Agencies and militias in 1993, people started becoming more aware of their presence, culminating with the 1995 {{w|Oklahoma City Bombing}} on the second anniversary of the fire at the Branch Davidians compound.

;{{w|Supermax prison|Supermax}} – 1997
:Super-Maximum security prisons. Possibly referring to the 1997 film {{w|Con Air}}, starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, and John Malkovich, in which prisoners being transferred to a new Supermax prison seize control of their transport plane. Also possibly referring to {{w|Timothy McVeigh}} and {{w|Terry Nichols}}, perpetrators of the aforementioned Oklahoma City bombing, who were incarcerated at {{w|ADX Florence}}, the former from the time of his arrest to 1999, and the latter from the time of his conviction to the present day.

[[File:Butterfly Voters View.jpg|thumb|A butterfly ballot]]
;{{w|butterfly ballot|Butterfly Ballot}} – 2000
:In the {{w|United States presidential election in Florida, 2000|United States presidential election in 2000, Florida}} had a major recount dispute that took center stage in the election. Thus, the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election was not known for more than a month after balloting, because of the extended process of counting and then recounting of Florida presidential ballots. The {{w|butterfly ballot}} was the type of ballot design {{w|United States presidential election in Florida, 2000#Palm Beach County's butterfly ballots|used in Palm Beach County, Florida}}, and was a central issue in the election controversy. Evidence suggests that many voters who intended to vote for Gore or Bush actually marked their ballots for Pat Buchanan or spoiled their ballots, because of a confusing layout of the ballot.

;{{w|Al-Qaeda}} – 2002
:The {{w|September 11th terrorist attacks}} brought the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation into the spotlight almost overnight.

;{{w|Wi-Fi}} – 2003
:Wi-Fi, though developed in the 1990s, first became popular in the early 2000s.

;{{w|Tsunami}} – 2006
:There were a number of tsunamis around this time period, in particular the {{w|Boxing Day Tsunami}} which caused 230,000 deaths, and the {{w|2006 Pangandaran earthquake and tsunami}}. These were some of the first tsunamis to be widely captured on camera, bringing these previously obscure seismic events into the public eye.

;{{w|Viral}} – 2009
:In this context, the word viral is used to describe anything which spreads rapidly and widely on the internet. In particular an online video clip is said to have 'Gone Viral' or become a {{w|Viral video}} if it racks up a high number of views over a short time. This phenomenon has become especially prevalent due to users sharing content on {{w|Social media}}.

;{{w|Radicalization|Radicalize}} – 2011
:Due to the ongoing {{w|Syrian Civil War}}, and the relative ease with which one can travel from Europe to Syria by way of Turkey, there is growing concern about the risk of young Muslims in Europe (and, to a lesser extent, the United States) becoming {{w|radicalization|radicalized}} by indoctrination from fundamentalists either in their communities or on the Internet.

;{{w|Metadata}} – 2013
:Following the highly publicised 2013 leaks by {{w|Edward Snowden}} of information regarding the {{w|NSA}}'s indiscriminate surveillance of global communication metadata, awareness of the privacy value of such data became widespread, where once it was mostly familiar to IT professionals.

''From this point on, phrases were in the future at the time of publication.''

;{{w|Lahar}} – 2016
:A lahar is a mudslide caused by the eruption of a volcano that was covered with snow or ice. Randall is speculating on a future natural disaster being caused by such an incident. {{w|Bárðarbunga}} volcano covered with the {{w|Vatnajökull}} glacier on Iceland increased activity just a few days before publishing of this comic, but its eventual {{w|2014–2015 eruption of Bárðarbunga|eruption}} caused little harm.

;{{w|Insect-borne disease|Insect-Borne}} – 2019
:Some {{w|Category:Insect-borne diseases|diseases are insect-borne}}, meaning specific species of insects are the main vector in spreading to humans. {{w|Malaria}} is an example of an {{w|insect-borne disease}}. Randall predicts some severe (possibly deadly) insect-borne disease will emerge around this time. As of 2016, the Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, has reached epidemic status in South America, and has spread to southern North America, Africa and Australia. 2019 marks the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, so Randall's prediction of a major disease could be accurate, however COVID-19 is not an insect-borne disease.

;{{w|Earth-crosser|Earth-Crossing}} – 2021
:Earth-crossers are asteroids that cross the orbit of Earth. Most of them remain harmless because their orbit doesn't actually intersect the earth's orbit in 3 dimensions, or for the foreseeable future, they will cross when Earth is not there. For this phrase to become popular, an Earth-crosser might have to reach the heretofore-unreached "threatening" level, rating a 5 or more on the {{w|Torino Scale}}, due to a significant chance of a large impact. As of 2014, there are no threats of that level known in the early 2020s. If the next two phrases are connected to this one, Randall is predicting a significant asteroid impact.

;{{w|Thermohaline circulation|Thermohaline}} – 2022
:Thermohaline circulation is the largest group of interconnected ocean currents, which stabilize global climate by equalizing the temperature and salinity of oceans around the world. If this phrase becomes popular, it implies the thermohaline circulation would have slowed or changed significantly. This might be caused by asteroid impact or by polar ice melting. The latter scenario was apocalyptically dramatized in the movie {{w|The Day After Tomorrow}}.

;{{w|Snow blindness|Snow-Blindness}} – 2024
:Snow blindness is an eye condition caused by excessive UV light reflected from snow and ice. This can lead to corneal damage and blindness (temporary, if treated properly). This phrase becoming popular might suggest a long {{w|impact winter}} (from the asteroid) or severe {{w|ozone depletion}} in cold regions of the world.

;{{w|Amplexus}} – 2025
:A form of non-penetrative reproduction carried out by some animals, for example frogs, involving grasping the partner with front legs. This may be connected to the other posts (some change in human society) or it may simply be a joke at how new sexual language/fads appear and hit mainstream media from time to time (for example a number of acts gained fame from Sex and the City). This also ties in with the title text, which imagines a sensationalist headline suggesting teenagers may be doing this.

;{{w|Aquaplaning|Controlled Hydroplaning}} – 2028
:Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle tire comes in contact with a puddle in such a way that the water builds up between the tire and the road surface. The film of water, having a much lower coefficient of friction than the road surface, causes the tire to lose traction. Typically, in this scenario, the driver isn't planning to hydroplane and loses control of the vehicle. In theory, controlled hydroplaning would be achieved when the driver plans for it ahead of time. This could be necessary if, in this hypothetical future, most of the roads are flooded since the impact winter (after only four years) ends and thus a great thaw causes all roads to become wet all the time.

;{{w|Paradoxical reaction|Paradoxical Reaction}} – 2031
:"paradoxical reaction" is a medical term for when the outcome of a medical treatment, typically the taking of a drug, is the opposite of that expected. For example if taking a pain relieving medication made the pain worse. For this term to suddenly become well known, a large scale or particularly notable case must have taken place (such as the insect-borne disease of 2019). Or, this and the following (and maybe the last as well) phrases may refer to the events from {{w|The Evitable Conflict}} by Isaac Asimov (and its very loose but much more popular film adaptation {{w|I,_Robot_(film)|I, Robot}}) where robots, instructed with the {{w|Three Laws of Robotics}}, take over the world to prevent humans hurting each other. The paradoxical reaction is that these laws were specifically designed to, among other things, prevent robots from taking over the world in the first place.

;{{w|Desertion|Drone Desertion}} – 2033
:Desertion is the abandonment of a post or duty, usually military in nature. With the increasing use of autonomous drones by the military this hints at an event where drones 'decide' to desert, possibly due to unspecified advances in {{w|Artificial Intelligence}} and {{w|Robot Rights}}. Or maybe they just start following the {{w|Three Laws of Robotics}}.

;{{w|Human hair growth|Rapid Hair Growth}} – 2034
:Maybe some humans have developed a very rapid hair growth (presumably on the entire body) through evolution and natural selection caused by the cold years of the impact winter.

;{{w|Oath#Divine oath|I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death}} – 2038
:This is a {{w|Oath#Divine oath|divine oath}}. A possible explanation is that after the impact and the desertion of the drones predicted for 2033, a strong fraction has made their leader divine, and everyone now has to swear allegiance to this new God-Empress using this phrase - which would certainly make it a very "popular" phrase. The phrase [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GodEmperor God-Emperor] was popularized in the science-fiction work ''Dune'' in 1965 and has been repeatedly referenced since, notably in the tabletop game Warhammer 40,000 (and related media).

==Transcript==
:Obscure words and phrases everyone suddenly becomes very familiar with.
:[A time line to the left is marked of by several phrases to the right around the time they became familiar to the public:]
::← World Wide Web
::← DNA Evidence
:1995
::← Militia Movement
::← Supermax
:2000
::← Butterfly Ballot
::← Al-Qaeda
::← Wi-Fi
:2005
::← Tsunami
::← Viral
:2010
::← Radicalize
::← Metadata
:2015
::← Lahar
::← Insect-Borne
:2020
::← Earth-Crossing
::← Thermohaline
::← Snow-Blindness
:2025
::← Amplexus
::← Controlled Hydroplaning
:2030
::← Paradoxical Reaction
::← Drone Desertion
::← Rapid Hair Growth
:2035
::← I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death
:2040

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

Talk:2447: Hammer Incident

2021-04-08T14:05:51Z

162.158.63.86:

big --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.153|162.158.187.153]] 02:04, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

I added a basic explanation. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.212.224|162.158.212.224]] 02:28, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
== Giant comic ==

Is it meant to be that size? Does the bad luck apply to trying to upload comics at reasonable sizes?
: It's fixed now
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.19|172.69.33.19]] 02:09, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:Oooh boy, indeed... "Error creating thumbnail: File with dimensions greater than 12.5 MP" is the Wiki's assessment of the auto-uploaded image. I haven't checked the resolution, but the https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/hammer_incident.png one is apparently 4332x4838 (scales to 8% on my device), and I don't care to test the _2x version right now. I'm not sure that was the native res of it on creation, looks to be an accidental up-scaling prior to posting to xkcd itself. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.6|141.101.98.6]] 02:20, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:
::The _2x version is actually the proper size for a normal comic - 578x645 pixels. [[User:Noëlle|Noëlle]] ([[User talk:Noëlle|talk]]) 02:21, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:::Still seems larger than normal to me, even the 2x seems larger than I would expect. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.78|172.69.34.78]] 04:02, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:Maybe the extra-large image is what the original looks like using the James Webb telescope? Maybe over-thinking. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.145|172.68.132.145]] 04:19, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
::Or perhaps its an resolution/aspect ratio/zoom factor difference between it and the old telescope. Implying all other comics have secretly been placed in front of the other telescope [[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.50|172.69.170.50]] 04:56, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:Perhaps overthinking, if the main reflecting mirror was actually destroyed, the light entering the telescope would never be focused into the secondary mirror and the image would be "light size" so you would only be able to see a small portion of what you expect

:It looks to me that, while most of the text is rendered smoothly in full resolution, the caption below the panel ("Man, NASA is really on my case about the James Webb Space Telescope.") is very jaggy on a pixel level, but only on the Y-axis. There could be quite a bit of information in there. No idea what it means, though. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.36|141.101.77.36]] 07:29, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
::It could be floating-point errors that indicate the code flow of the renderer Randall used. Or it could mean anything else. Curious to compare it to a correct rendering of that text with the same font, but wouldn't know what to do with the vector of edge differences myself. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.140|162.158.63.140]] 09:03, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

:It seems to be fixed now so I am sure it was an accident

== inspiration ==

When I read this comic I was worried it might have been inspired by recent news of something breaking during the final assembly process. Fortunately this seems not to be the case. Among the many delays of the telescope, were any of them caused by mirror and/or cryo failures that might have inspired this comic? [[User:Quantum7|Quantum7]] ([[User talk:Quantum7|talk]]) 05:53, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
:What caused the most recent delay? It seems it's been pushed forward more as Randall predicted in the other comic. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.140|162.158.63.140]] 09:03, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

== Cryogenic? ==

I get the sense that the title text is inspired by liquid nitrogen ice cream. -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.252|108.162.237.252]] 13:14, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

2427: Perseverance Microphones

2021-02-19T20:51:18Z

162.158.63.86: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2427
| date = February 19, 2021
| title = Perseverance Microphones
| image = perseverance_microphones.png
| titletext = If the first audio they downlink is from the descent, we probably won't be able to hear anything over the sound of the rover screaming.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a MARS ROVER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

A pun. NASA had landed a new rover on Mars the previous day; part of its mission is to collect scientific samples which will hopefully eventually be returned to earth. “Samples” can also refer to short snippets of music, as well as individual packets from data logs.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-perseverance-rover-sends-sneak-peek-of-mars-landing/

You are far more beautiful than a few lines and a circle!

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

{{comic discussion}}

2427: Perseverance Microphones

2021-02-19T20:50:27Z

162.158.63.86:

{{comic
| number = 2427
| date = February 19, 2021
| title = Perseverance Microphones
| image = perseverance_microphones.png
| titletext = If the first audio they downlink is from the descent, we probably won't be able to hear anything over the sound of the rover screaming.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a MARS ROVER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

A pun. NASA had landed a new rover on Mars the previous day; part of its mission is to collect scientific samples which will hopefully eventually be returned to earth. “Samples” can also refer to short snippets of music.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-perseverance-rover-sends-sneak-peek-of-mars-landing/

You are far more beautiful than a few lines and a circle!

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

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2418: Metacarcinization

2021-01-30T06:36:09Z

162.158.63.86:

Up until the moment I opened the video, I read every instance of "crow" in the comic and explanation as "cow"... Was a bit disappointed by the video! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.40|141.101.105.40]] 19:39, 29 January 2021 (UTC)

I think the crow in the video is actually a hooded crow (Corvus cornix) rather than a jackdaw... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.146|108.162.245.146]] 20:39, 29 January 2021 (UTC)

Good catch. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.129.134|172.68.129.134]] 20:58, 29 January 2021 (UTC)

I think the crow in the video needs more training. Seems she's not really sure how the sledding works. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 01:04, 30 January 2021 (UTC)

Coincidentally, I just heard about a pet/tame duck (called 'Duck') who is regularly bodysurfing with their human in Australia. No idea where crabs come into that. They've probably been eaten by the sharks, or poisoned/envenomated by almost every other creature in and around Australia. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.185|162.158.111.185]] 04:34, 30 January 2021 (UTC)

Tool use is another trait that has independently evolved multiple times, in insects, cephalopods, fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals, presumably because it’s so useful. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.86|162.158.63.86]] 06:36, 30 January 2021 (UTC)

2412: 1/100,000th Scale World

2021-01-15T23:19:04Z

162.158.63.86: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2412
| date = January 15, 2021
| title = 1/100,000th Scale World
| image = 1_100000th_scale_world.png
| titletext = The floor should be slightly curved, but we haven't figured out artificial gravity yet, so for now we just added a trace intoxicating gas to the air that messes with your inner ear and gives you a sense that the ground is tilting away from you.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TOXIC AURORA. Missing an explanation entirely. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a sequel to the [[2411: 1/10,000th Scale World|previous one]]. There is a 1/100,000th scale world in this comic.

{| class="wikitable"
!Rule
!Reason
!Notes
|-
|Our aurora are probably non-toxic but please stop trying to taste them
| The aurora in the image is now temptingly at head height
| The plural of "{{w|aurora}}" should actually be "auroras" or "aurorae"
|-
|No breaking off pieces of the ice caps to put in your drink
|
|
|-
|Warning: Limited cell network coverage above the ionosphere, crouch down to get more bars
| The ionosphere reflects radio signals, in this case keeping terrestrial cellular phone signals from reaching phones higher up
|
|-
|Do not step on Mt. Everest
| Mt. Everest, the highest peak on Earth, is several inches tall at 1:100,000 scale
|
|-
|Caution! Ocean floor slippery when wet
| Due to the smaller scale, the ocean depths would only be a few inches deep at most; this amount of liquid would cause more of a 'slippery surface' than a 'water region'.
|
|-
|Wear sunscreen; the ozone layer only protects you below the knees.
|
|
|-
|Beware of chest-level meteors
|
|
|-
| -100° mesopause vest recommended
|
|
|-
|If Lake Tahoe or the Dead Sea dries up, refill them with this 5oz wine glass
|
|
|-
|Safety glasses required for protection from reentering spacecraft
|
|
|-
|Do not anger the sprites
| {{w|Sprite (lightning)|Sprites}} are poorly understood electrical phenomena in the upper atmosphere. They are enormous but very short-lived.
| Sprites are also a name given to a form of forest spirit known for mischievous and sometimes harmful behaviour. In some fairy tales a warning would be given to not anger the spirits in case of grave repercussions.
|-
|Please stop digging through the Moho. Staff are tired of cleaning up large igneous provinces.
|Short for the {{w|Mohorovičić discontinuity}}, the Moho is the boundary surface separating the Earth's crust from the mantle. It can be found at a depth of 6-7 miles under the ocean bed, and about 24-30 miles under the continents.
|Using Randall's 1/100,000th scale world, 6-7 miles would be approximately 4 inches, while 24-30 miles would be about 16 inches, making the Moho easily accessible via digging. It would indeed create large igneous provinces, and make a big mess of lava that the staff would have to clean up, which would not be fun. The lava has a decent chance to burn through a mop or something, so it would be pretty tricky to clean up as well, since your cleaning stuff would light on fire unless soaked in water or something.
|-
|ISS (14 feet up) Returns every 90 minutes - Hit it with a nerf dart, win a prize!
| The {{w|International Space Station}} is the largest human-made object in space, and orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes.
| This idea of treating modern research as a toy is in the same general panel area as the weather balloon smacking from the previous comic. It's notable that as research speed advances with machine learning, we may have great gaps between how advanced the technology and research is of different people.
|}

The title text states that the floor should be slightly curved. In fact, given that the model in the comic is about 10 meters long, it represents about 1000 km of Earth, that spans about 9 degrees of a great circle. Therefore, if the model wasn't larger than the part shown in the panel, its edges would have a very noticeable slope of 4.5 degrees.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
RULES:
Text: For visitors to my 1/100,000th scale world
1 meter = 100 km, 1 ft=100,000ft≈20 miles

Text: ISS (14 feet up)
Returns every 90 minutes
Hit it with a Nerf dart to win a prize!

Text: Our Aurora are probably non-toxic, but please stop trying to taste them

Text: [one cell bar] Warning: Limited cell network coverage above the ionosphere. Crouch down to get more bars

Text: Safety glasses required for protection from reentering spacecraft
Cueball: OW!
(off-screen): What?
Cueball: I got a Soyuz in my eye

Text: Beware of chest level meteors

Text: -100°C Mesopause vest recommended
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Illustrations of scale]]

2412: 1/100,000th Scale World

2021-01-15T23:18:12Z

162.158.63.86: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2412
| date = January 15, 2021
| title = 1/100,000th Scale World
| image = 1_100000th_scale_world.png
| titletext = The floor should be slightly curved, but we haven't figured out artificial gravity yet, so for now we just added a trace intoxicating gas to the air that messes with your inner ear and gives you a sense that the ground is tilting away from you.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TOXIC AURORA. Missing an explanation entirely. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a sequel to the [[2411: 1/10,000th Scale World|previous one]]. There is a 1/100,000th scale world in this comic.

{| class="wikitable"
!Rule
!Reason
!Notes
|-
|Our aurora are probably non-toxic but please stop trying to taste them
| The aurora in the image is now temptingly at head height
| The plural of "{{w|aurora}}" should actually be "auroras" or "aurorae"
|-
|No breaking off pieces of the ice caps to put in your drink
|
|
|-
|Warning: Limited cell network coverage above the ionosphere, crouch down to get more bars
| The ionosphere reflects radio signals, in this case keeping terrestrial cellular phone signals from reaching phones higher up
|
|-
|Do not step on Mt. Everest
| Mt. Everest, the highest peak on Earth, is several inches tall at 1:100,000 scale
|
|-
|Caution! Ocean floor slippery when wet
| Due to the smaller scale, the ocean depths would only be a few inches deep at most; this amount of liquid would cause more of a 'slippery surface' than a 'water region'.
|
|-
|Wear sunscreen; the ozone layer only protects you below the knees.
|
|
|-
|Beware of chest-level meteors
|
|
|-
| -100° mesopause vest recommended
|
|
|-
|If Lake Tahoe or the Dead Sea dries up, refill them with this 5oz wine glass
|
|
|-
|Safety glasses required for protection from reentering spacecraft
|
|
|-
|Do not anger the sprites
| {{w|Sprite (lightning)|Sprites}} are poorly understood electrical phenomena in the upper atmosphere. They are enormous but very short-lived.
| Sprites are also a name given to a form of forest spirit known for mischievous and sometimes harmful behaviour. In some fairy tales a warning would be given to not anger the spirits in case of grave repercussions.
|-
|Please stop digging through the Moho. Staff are tired of cleaning up large igneous provinces.
|Short for the {{w|Mohorovičić discontinuity}}, the Moho is the boundary surface separating the Earth's crust from the mantle. It can be found at a depth of 6-7 miles under the ocean bed, and about 24-30 miles under the continents.
|Using Randall's 1/100,000th scale world, 6-7 miles would be approximately 4 inches, while 24-30 miles would be about 16 inches, making the Moho easily accessible via digging. It would indeed create large igneous provinces, and make a big mess of lava that the staff would have to clean up, which would not be fun. The lava has a decent chance to burn through a mop or something, so it would be pretty tricky to clean up as well, since your cleaning stuff would light on fire unless soaked in water or something.
|-
|ISS (14 feet up) Returns every 90 minutes - Hit it with a nerf dart, win a prize!
| The {{w|International Space Station}} is the largest human-made object in space, and orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes.
| This idea of treating modern research as a toy is in the same general comic area as the weather balloon smacking from the previous comic. It's notable that as research speed advances with machine learning, we may have great gaps between how advanced different peoples' technology are.
|}

The title text states that the floor should be slightly curved. In fact, given that the model in the comic is about 10 meters long, it represents about 1000 km of Earth, that spans about 9 degrees of a great circle. Therefore, if the model wasn't larger than the part shown in the panel, its edges would have a very noticeable slope of 4.5 degrees.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
RULES:
Text: For visitors to my 1/100,000th scale world
1 meter = 100 km, 1 ft=100,000ft≈20 miles

Text: ISS (14 feet up)
Returns every 90 minutes
Hit it with a Nerf dart to win a prize!

Text: Our Aurora are probably non-toxic, but please stop trying to taste them

Text: [one cell bar] Warning: Limited cell network coverage above the ionosphere. Crouch down to get more bars

Text: Safety glasses required for protection from reentering spacecraft
Cueball: OW!
(off-screen): What?
Cueball: I got a Soyuz in my eye

Text: Beware of chest level meteors

Text: -100°C Mesopause vest recommended
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Illustrations of scale]]

2411: 1/10,000th Scale World

2021-01-15T23:16:44Z

162.158.63.86: please recognise that i keep changing this to try to understand where you come from deleting it. please make a comment acknowledging that i am a human being, when you delete it again. i care about you. i am trying to include whatever your views mightbe

{{comic
| number = 2411
| date = January 13, 2021
| title = 1/10,000th Scale World
| image = 1_10000th_scale_world.png
| titletext = OCEAN PLAY AREA RULES: No running, no horseplay, no megatsunamis, and no trying to pry the wreck of the Titanic off the bottom.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a 1/10,000TH SCALE WEATHER BALLOON. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Models of large-scale objects (cars, airplanes, etc.) are typically produced at a given scale, given as a ratio between the original object (the first number) and the model (the second number). The same applies to maps and globes. What Randall has here, though, is neither a map nor a model but a seemingly complete copy of Earth, at a 1:10,000 scale. Various features and warnings are labeled.

{{w|Miniature parks}}, also known as model villages, are tourist attractions around the world of a scale between 1:9 and 1:72. For example, the finale of the movie ''{{w|Hot Fuzz}}'' features a battle amongst a miniature of the streets and buildings seen so far in the film. Normally a miniature park would feature a representation of one geographical location rather than a geologically/technologically accurate depiction of our current planet. Whether or not Randall is aware of it, the reputed [http://www.mapascotland.org/ largest outdoor relief map in the world] is set out at a horizontal scale of 1:10,000.

Real-world phenomena are reproduced at scale, for humorous effect. A real 1/10,000th scale "Earth" would have a diameter of less than a mile, and a surface area of around 2 square miles, the approximate dimensions of a medium-sized asteroid. On such an object, constrained by known physics, there would be no air, standing water, weather, or large magma bodies, and any sort of rough-housing would irrecoverably catapult the visitor into space.

Normally in a miniature model most warnings try to prevent the visitors from accidentally doing something cataclysmic to the model. Likewise, the "ocean play area rules" in the title text tell visitors not to create any {{w|megatsunami}}s, which could conceivably be induced by a cannonball dive. But as digging seems to be discouraged mainly where it causes volcanoes to break out the visitors seem to be given a far greater freedom than usual.

Visitors are also instructed not to try to pry the model of the {{w|wreck of the Titanic}} off the ocean floor. In our world, the wreck is at a depth of 12,500 feet, which would be 1 foot and 3 inches in Randall's model world. The Titanic was over 882 feet long, but the ship split in half as she sank, and now lies in two pieces about a third of a mile apart. Randall's model would have two pieces about a half-inch in size separated by about two inches. If the models are rusted and sunk in mud just like the real wreck is, trying to pry them loose would certainly damage them, but all of Randall's other rules seem to be about preventing harm to guests, not preventing damage to the model, so maybe he just doesn't want guests bending over and exerting themselves in water where they could slip, submerge their faces, and be at risk of drowning.

Earlier comics illustrating relative scale include [[482: Height]], [[681: Gravity Wells]], [[1276: Angular Size]], [[1389: Surface Area]], and [[1515: Basketball Earth]].

{| class="wikitable"
!Rule
!Reason
!Notes
|-
| Watch out for airliners cruising near shoulder level
| Unintentional catastrophic damage to air traffic. The damage likely wouldn't be reciprocal: actual airplane speed is very similar to the speed at which a bullet is fired [https://pinchito.es/2019/high-speeds], but 1/10,000 of that is quite slow, on the order of 10 inches / 25 cm per second - which is fortunate, because the aircraft would weigh about half a milligram (1/50000 oz) or more.
| At this scale, the lowest airliner cruising altitude would be 3 ft or 0.9 m [https://time.com/5309905/how-high-do-planes-fly/#:~:text=Commercial%20aircraft%20typically%20fly%20between,that%20can%20present%20safety%20issues.], shoulder height for a 5-year-old [https://www.disabled-world.com/calculators-charts/height-weight-teens.php]. Scaling the height of the highest plane to ever fly [https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/cox/2017/05/28/altitude/102185856/] puts it at 9 ft, which would put it just over the head of the tallest person who ever lived [https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/hall-of-fame/robert-wadlow-tallest-man-ever]
|-
| Trip hazard: Appalachian Mountains
| At half a foot tall, the Appalachians could trip visitors who are not being careful.
| 6684 ft ≈ 0.67 ft in model world
|-
| Do not stand or climb on Mt. Everest
| One may destroy the model.
|Also, Everest appears to be rather pointy. Also still a bit steep, so visitors may fall down and hurt themselves.
|-
| Caution: Hydro-thermal vents underfoot
|Hydrothermal vents are extremely hot, which could cause burns to the feet of the viewers
|Underwater volcanoes and stuff
|-
| Children must be supervised while in the ocean, especially near trenches
|They might drown.
|The Challenger Deep is 36,200 feet below the surface; this equates to 3.62 feet in the model world, a depth which small children could conceivably drown in.
|-
| Danger: positive lightning! Do not touch cloud tops
| The cumulonimbus cloud is an electrocution hazard, as Megan is learning the hard way
| Getting too close to the positive cloud tops risks causing lightning to arc into you down to the negative ground.
|-
| Avoid hypoxia by regularly sitting to bring your lungs below the death zone
| The scale world even has a scale atmosphere, and visitors are cautioned to regularly sit down so they can breathe below the {{w|death zone}}, which is approximately two and a half feet above the surface.
| The death zone is approximately 8,000 meters above the ground, equating to 0.8 meters or 2.62 feet in the model world. There is also a what if on the subject [https://what-if.xkcd.com/64/].
|-
| Do not dig near Yellowstone
| Digging up the {{w|Yellowstone Caldera}} could potentially reactivate the {{w|supervolcano}} there.
|
|-
| Please do not smack weather balloons
| Smacking balloons around can be a fun activity, mostly done by children, but it would be very unfriendly if done to weather balloons.
| Weather balloons can reach 20 ft in diameter before bursting, corresponding to a 0.6 mm small object at this scale. The idea of smacking research data raises a sense of how advanced the idea of a physics-complete model of the world is, next to possible comparative banality of academic research.
|-
| Be careful not to step on cities with especially pointy towers, like Toronto, Seattle, and Dubai
| The {{w|CN Tower}}, the {{w|Space Needle}} and the {{w|Burj Khalifa}} are much taller than they are wide, thus, "pointy". The Burj Khalifa, the tallest of the three, would stand at 3.2 inches (8.3 cm) at this scale, making it possible to impale one's foot on it when walking
| [[File:Empire State Building (aerial view).jpg|right|100px|thumb|Pointy.]] This seems to be exclusively for the visitors' benefit, rather than that of the cities.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[At the top of the image, inside the panel, a large title is floating in the air.]
RULES

For visitors to my 1/10,000th scale world

1 meter = 10 km 1 ft = 10,000 ft ~ 2 miles

[Each of the following rules is written near a character or point of interest on the map.]

[Two small dots with thin lines coming out of them horizontally are in the air near [[Cueball]].]
Watch out for airliners cruising near shoulder level

[Small mountains are seen near the left edge of the screen, by Cueball's feet.]
Trip hazard: Appalachian Mountains

[Someone is climbing on mountains reaching approximately Cueball's waist.]
Do not stand or climb on Mt. Everest

[Under the water, a small bump in the ground expells bubbles.]
Caution: Hydro-thermal vents underfoot

[[[Science Girl]] stands shoulder-deep in the ocean, peering down into the trench below.]
Children must be supervised while in the ocean, especially near trenches

[[[Megan]]'s hand is extended, and lightning from the cloud is jumping to her hand.]
Danger: positive lightning! Do not touch cloud tops

[Ponytail sits near some mountains, with a dotted line in the air stretching across her forehead.]
Avoid hypoxia by regularly sitting to bring your lungs below the death zone

[A blob-shaped thing with wiggly grey texture lines drawn all over is underground.]
Do not dig near Yellowstone

[A second Cueball is jumping in the air, a hand reached back, in position to smack a weather balloon.]
Please do not smack weather balloons

[Some very tiny vertical lines extend from the ground.]
Be careful not to step on cities with especially pointy towers, like Toronto, Seattle, and Dubai

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Illustrations of scale]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]

2409: Steepen the Curve

2021-01-10T22:49:26Z

162.158.63.86:

{{comic
| number = 2409
| date = January 8, 2021
| title = Steepen the Curve
| image = steepen_the_curve.png
| titletext = 1. Flatten the curve. 2. Steepen the curve. 3. Hang out.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a STEEPENED FLATTENED CURVE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is another in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] related to the {{w|2019–20 coronavirus outbreak|2020 pandemic}} of the {{w|coronavirus}} {{w|SARS-CoV-2}}, which causes {{w|COVID-19}}.

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly became the main public concern. The virus spread at an exponential rate before initial lockdowns started to reduce the trajectory for a time. The graphic drawn in black depicts exponential growth in number of deaths — though it is not clear (without proper units or values on either axis) if this is a cumulative count of deaths or the rate of deaths per day. Such graphs were common in spring of 2020. Common enough that Randall has previously parodied them in [[2294:_Coronavirus_Charts]]. They often showed future projections that compared continued exponential growth vs. curves that did not grow as fast, or even flattened out. All kinds of political, civic and personal efforts were put towards doing things that would cause the 'curve' to flatten and not rise as rapidly as it would do unchecked. "Flatten the curve" became the rallying cry for all measures taken to reduce the spread of the virus.

In 2021, the pandemic continues (with second or even third 'waves' of resurgence affecting some populations that had temporarily flattened the curve) but now we have a handful of vaccines available. The red overlay intends to update the 'original' graphic to portray the number of vaccines provided (again, it could easily be either cumulative or rate-wise). With the change to what is represented, the line remains the same but the hoped-for outcome is changed accordingly. Making the curve steeper represents getting more people vaccinated faster.

Note that, in both cases, there would be an upper limit on the cumulative value, but the ceiling must be well beyond the upper (and timewise) limits of this graph. If this is a rate-graph, it would show a peak and subsequent decline at the same point in time where a cumulative graph would show an inflection in its gradient, but neither are visible here.

Additionally, the analogy between the number of deaths and the number of vaccinated people could be considered as questionable, as the number of deaths in the initial stages of a pandemic is expected to follow an exponential law, whereas the same cannot be said for the number of vaccinated people.

==Transcript==
:[Line graph shown with a rising curve drawn in black. There is an underlined label above and another label below the graph. The Y-axis line is ending in an arrowhead and also has a label. All this is in black. But the last number in the upper label as well as one word in each of the other two labels, have been crossed out in red and then another number or word has been written behind or beneath in red.]
:[Caption above the graph:]
:202<s>0</s> 1

:[Y-Axis:]
:COVID <s>Deaths</s> Vaccinations

:[Caption below the graph:]
:<s>Flatten</s> Steepen The Curve

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Line graphs]]
[[Category:COVID-19]]