explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2309: X

2020-05-21T10:19:22Z

162.158.89.19:

id certainly use that language lol ([[User talk:172.69.70.101|172.69.70.101]])

-- haXkell is a X-based dialect of haskell 
X :: Integer -> Integer 
X 0 = 1 
X X = X * X (X-1) 
[[User:Capncanuck|Capncanuck]] ([[User talk:Capncanuck|talk]]) 02:35, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

https://esolangs.org/wiki/X isn't taken. --[[User:Blacksilver|Blacksilver]] ([[User talk:Blacksilver|talk]]) 02:40, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Some unique looking variable names would be X and x in the fonts Webdings, Wingdings, Wingdings 2, and Wingdings 3. 
They are respectively as follows: 
X
x
X
x
X
x
X
x --[[User:Dstrube|Dstrube]] ([[User talk:Dstrube|talk]]) 02:49, 21 May 2020 (UTC) 
:This comment is quite uninformative to someone who doesn't have those fonts installed. [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 09:57, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

As well as esolangs, among which I would consider the likes of Whitespace and b****fuck as potential inspirations, I think I'm also minded of TempleOS and its creator as vaguer but possibly still related influences... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.163|162.158.158.163]] 03:28, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

I added an explanation of what a variable is and why it's bad to have every one named X. It's pretty rudimentary though, hope someone more experienced than me will improve it. [[User:Unpopular Opinions|Goodbye, world!]] ([[User talk:Unpopular Opinions|talk]]) 04:39, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

:Forth basically doesn't use variable names. Commands operate on and consume the last number mentioned. A Forth program "1 2 3 . . ." prints 3, then 2, then 1. "2 3 + ." prints 5 I think??
:In Microsoft "Transact-SQL" you can script variables named starting @ and temporary objects starting #. I promise I try to resist naming objects @ or # and especially if @ or # is going to be a different object in each program... or is not. And if someone else needs to reads this (and I don't want to punish them). Not to mention "@ " for instance. Robert Carnegie rja.carnegie@gmail.com [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.54|141.101.98.54]] 09:21, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Psh you're all chicken. Chicken chicken chicken.

[[https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/677507038607048704/706860858587873310/ShapeLikeItSelf_img1.png?width=282&height=209 Language where you can have return keyword in a if condition]],
[[https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/677507038607048704/712914169774735441/unknown.png?width=292&height=103 Language that uses unicode symbols for built_in operators]],
[[https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/677507038607048704/712915431446282240/unknown.png?width=396&height=379 Language, I have no words to describe]],
and this this '''X''' thing is winning so far...
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.139|162.158.89.139]] 06:35, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

:Yeah, but C++ does that shit either '''unintentionally''' or '''at user demand''' (although, to be clear, I'm not saying it's any good; C++ and Java are possibly the worst programming languages in terms of shoddy design). The X programming language is just the designer being an asshole. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.205|172.68.189.205]] 07:04, 21 May 2020 (UTC)
::Those links have nothing to do with C++/Java and you can Not do those things in C++ or Java (except an if in an assignment).[[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.208|162.158.92.208]] 08:02, 21 May 2020 (UTC)
:Those look like pretty sane language features; just looks weird because of the Eliza effect; those keywords don't behave like you'd expect them to based on experience of other languages. In the first example, you can certainly do that in Perl using "if (defined wantarray)"; it's just unusual (but comprehensible) to name the keyword "return". What language is that? [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 09:57, 21 May 2020 (UTC)
::Language is called ShapedLikeItSelf, but it currently has no runner. Documentation is just of images like these on discord server.
::[[https://discord.gg/ercPss9 This is link to it]] if you are intersted. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.19|162.158.89.19]] 10:19, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Did Randall refer to this comic? https://xkcd.com/1537/
I vaguely remember another one about an esoteric language. Is there a category of programming languages on explainxkcd?

Am I the only one that tried fiddling the CSS on the page to see if the X would change? Spoiler -> It didn't. [[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 08:54, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

If X is the only variable name, can it be omitted? For example, writing a single-argument function name in a different font to imply which X should be treated as its argument. And that gets me wondering how the source is stored; will the IDE allow use of fonts not installed on your system? Will the compiler fail if it can't find the font, requiring you to track down all of the fonts a developer used in order to compile their code? And what would be the legality of mixing open-source code and proprietary fonts? [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 09:57, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

"… and array indices start at 8, because anything smaller than that would be unreadable." [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 10:00, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Talk:2309: X

2020-05-21T07:58:21Z

162.158.89.19: Continuity

2171: Shadow Biosphere

2019-07-03T15:21:59Z

162.158.89.19:

{{comic
| number = 2171
| date = July 3, 2019
| title = Shadow Biosphere
| image = shadow_biosphere.png
| titletext = The typical Shadow Biology Department is housed in a building coated in a thin layer of desert varnish which renders it invisible to normal-world university staff.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THE SHADOW BIOLOGIST BEHIND YOU. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

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

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2162: Literary Opinions

2019-06-13T09:54:04Z

162.158.89.19:

let's see WS Burroughs = Tarzan, E.R. Burroughs = Naked Lunch.
CS Lewis Carol
Bruce Stirlling / SM Stirling

Is it just me, or was this comic released earlier than usual? Released just after midnight, EDT. [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 08:30, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

:It's just you.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.100|162.158.214.100]] 10:33, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

::Yes, it's unusally early. It happened before, but most of the time the new comics arrived in the late afternoon (central european time). This one was already up when I turned on my computer ~8am. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 11:54, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

Is there any value in adding info about the authors mentioned? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 13:17, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

: I wanted to add "Elements of Style" to show T.H., er, E.B. (whichever ;-) was more than just a "children's book author". Probably not worth it.[[User:Afbach|Afbach]] ([[User talk:Afbach|talk]])

I don't think this relates to the "Fregoli Delusion"(sp) - they think the same person is using more than one name. [[User:Afbach|Afbach]] ([[User talk:Afbach|talk]])
: Yeah, this feels more like pseudonyms than Frengoli to me.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.206.22|172.68.206.22]] 18:42, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

Shouldn't we discuss authors with multiple pseudonyms? Like JK Rowling and Robert Galbraith, or Nora Roberts and JD Robb, etc... [[Special:Contributions/172.68.143.144|172.68.143.144]] 16:44, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

Glad I'm not the only one who confuses former US vice president Gore Vidal with Vidal Sassoon the war poet. [[User:ColinHogben|ColinHogben]] ([[User talk:ColinHogben|talk]]) 16:49, 12 June 2019 (UTC)
: That's where I heard that name before! [[User:Afbach|Afbach]] ([[User talk:Afbach|talk]])

Why would Megan pick those 4 authors to be the same person? What do they or their works have in common? It would be nice to cover that. (Not knowing anything about any of them, any theory I might advance would be about as valid as one of Megan's.)
Bit of a long-shot, but I wonder if the link has anything to do with Randall's book tour competition. (He invites people to Write the best story using nothing but book covers.)[https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/06/10/book-tour-announcement/] Any good story/sentence made up with works by those 4 authors? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.55|162.158.107.55]] 22:13, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

How about the theory that Mary Pearson, Andre Norton, Andrew North, Allen Weston, and M. D. Herter are the same person. ;-) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.144|162.158.106.144]] 22:31, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

Should trivia link it to [[923: Strunk and White]] which also mentions E.B. white.? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:32, 13 June 2019 (UTC)

I think this has to be viewed from one step back, i.e., it is not necessarily about books or writers, but rather a take on people who form and voice opinions without proper knowledge of the facts, even if the facts are very easily researchable.
This happens A LOT in forum postings, e.g., when there is an article about some scientific dicovery on a popular news site, and then people start discussing (and fighting) about that discovery in the forums for this article. These discussions are more often than not based purely on speculation, without anyone bothering to check the original publication on which the article was based, or even without any specialist knowledge about the subject matter at hand. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.19|162.158.89.19]] 09:54, 13 June 2019 (UTC)

Talk:354: Startling

2019-05-16T07:58:15Z

162.158.89.19:

This comic isn't that simple:
*what is Cueball doing every few months?
*is 2004 correct? If yes, what does it mean?
--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:09, 15 August 2013 (UTC)

: Every few months, Cueball halts his work and realizes that he is in the twenty-first century. Someone who grew up in anticipation of the new millennium (and the new century along with it) may take quite a while to adjust to it. The second bullet point, however, requires some research. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 07:18, 21 August 2013 (UTC)

"in which he lives in" – this is redundant. It should be "in which he lives. This could be a reference to the song "Live and Let Die", but unless this reference is more clearly explained, it does not belong in the explanation.{{unsigned ip|75.69.96.225}}

:I would expand on this thought and state it should be altered to "in about the time in which he lives in is living in" just to clarify specifically that it's that specific time in which he specifically lives in generally. [[User:Thokling|Thokling]] ([[User talk:Thokling|talk]]) 15:06, 21 September 2013 (UTC)

I don't think the future is specifically 2004. It is unthinkable to Cueball (and hence Randall) that we are even in the twenty-first century. For him, the 21st century was "the future," a whole new millennium. I think the point of the title text isn't that the future occurred in 2004, its that we're living in "the future." [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.211|173.245.52.211]] 01:00, 3 December 2013 (UTC)

You want time-related revelation? I just realised earlier today (2015-Feb-04) that a song released in 2003 was half of my current lifespan ago. {{unsigned ip|108.162.249.240}}

I think the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey," demarcated the "Future" for many who grew up in the late 20th century. The movie provided a plausible look of what life in the "Space Age" would be like. All the technologies, economical realities, societal behavior, geopolitic, etc. appeared plausible and realistic. To many, this was the best guess as to what life in the early 21st century would be like. Of course, it didn't turn out that way (at least the central theme that space travel would be commonplace); which is why we occasionally scratch our head and ask 'what? It's the 21st century already??? (So where are all the Space cruisers we were supposed to have by now?)" [[User:Danshoham|Mountain Hikes]] ([[User talk:Danshoham|talk]]) 19:03, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

I think the title text is an allusion to the phenomenon that the older one gets, the more one tends to underestimate time spans: what to Cueball/Randall feels like having happened around 3 years ago (namely the beginning of the new century), has actually happened around 7 years ago.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.150|162.158.114.150]] 21:04, 26 November 2015 (UTC)

There is also the phenomenom (i don't know if it has a name) that whatever people consider to be "typical" of a certain decade ususally doesn't really begin before the second or third year into that decade, and doesn't really stop before the second or third year into the NEXT decade. So, the 80s, culturally speaking, were from 1983 to 1992. The 70s were from 1973 to 1982. And so on. It sounds strange, but it makes sense. Look at a film from 1981 - it will look and feel like a seventies movie. Look at pictures of people from 1992. They wear jeans jackets and have mullets. Lumberjack shirts and grunge came later. So, the title text could be an allusion to that. (though the theory goes that if you're speaking about CENTURIES, the delay of the "typical" stuff setting in is even longer, more like 10 or even 12 years.)
--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.19|162.158.89.19]] 07:58, 16 May 2019 (UTC)

1874: Geologic Faults

2017-08-10T07:45:44Z

162.158.89.19: /* Fictional joke faults */

{{comic
| number = 1874
| date = August 9, 2017
| title = Geologic Faults
| image = geologic_faults.png
| titletext = I live on a torn-bag-of-potato-chips-where-the-tear-is-rapidly-growing fault, which is terrifying.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by several fools with no knowledge of faults. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic appears to be a successor to [[1714: Volcano Types]]. Similar to its predecessor, the comic explores several phenomena (in this case, geologic faults), both real phenomena and several made up for the point of a joke.

A {{w|Fault (geology)|fault}} is a geologic feature that involves the boundaries of two {{w|tectonic plates}}.

Thrust faults were previously mentioned in [[1082: Geology]], and in the title text of [[1388: Subduction License]], [[Beret Guy]] tells [[Cueball]] he can't be a 'normal' roomate because in his motion he is creating a reverse fault.

====Real geologic faults====
;Normal fault
In a {{w|Fault (geology)#Dip-slip faults|normal fault}}, the hanging wall (the upper wall; right) moves downward relative to the footwall (the lower wall; left). The Earth's crust is extended in this type of fault.
;Reverse fault
A reverse fault is basically the opposite of a normal fault. The hanging wall (left) moves upward relative to the footwall (right), and the Earth's crust is compressed.
;Transverse fault
A transverse fault, also known as a {{w|transform fault}}, is where the two plates move parallel to each other, but in opposite directions.
;Thrust fault
A {{w|thrust fault}} is when older rocks are pushed (or thrust) on top of younger rocks. The angles are typically lower (more horizontal) than in reverse faults.

====Fictional joke faults====
;Taffy fault
This appears to involve one tectonic plate, that is being stretched out like a piece of {{w|Taffy (candy)|taffy}}.
;Splinted fault
This appears to be a normal or reverse fault to which someone has attached a large splint.
;Squeezed-bar-of-soap fault
Two plates seem to be moving towards each other, while a third smaller plate is squeezed between them and pushed upwards, depicting a slippery bar of soap sliding between hands.
;Apple power cable fault
The plate appears to have been twisted and bent so many times that parts of it are fraying, similar a frayed Apple {{w|MagSafe}} connector. A similar joke is used in [[1406: Universal Converter Box]].
;Brio fault
The Brio fault seems to be two tectonic plates which join together like the Brio train track pieces do. {{w|Brio (company)|BRIO}} is a company from Sweden that makes wooden toys.
;Torn-bag-of-potato-chips-where-the-tear-is-rapidly-growing fault
The title text refers to when a bag of chips gets a crack in it. When that happens, it will almost always continue to grow as people get chips out of the bag, sometimes very quickly. It would be frightening to live near a fault that behaved like this because that could cause major seismic events very quickly. If you were close enough to the fault, you might also be afraid that the crack would grow underneath you and you would fall into the bag of chips.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon. Lacks small description for each item.}}
:[The comic shows nine different schematic views to present geographic faults and some more.]

:[Two planes with a slip fault drifting away to the left and right.]
:Normal fault
:[Two planes with a slip fault drifting against each other from left and right.]
:Reverse fault
:[Two planes moving sidewards.]
:Transverse fault

:[The left plane moves above the other to the right.]
:Thrust fault
:[Two planes drifting away and the connection between them gets smaller.]
:Taffy fault
:[On top of both planes a small piece with splints holds them together.]
:Splinted fault

:[The two planes pressing together with a piece in the middle moving topwards.]
:Squeezed-bar-of-soap fault
:[The right plane is connected to the left and swinging up and down.]
:Apple power cable fault
:[One side with a thin connector and the other with an evenly spaced hole connecting the planes together.]
:Brio fault

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1866: Russell's Teapot

2017-07-21T11:32:49Z

162.158.89.19:

In this case, nesting the teapot in a catapult/cannon which is launched by another catapult/cannon might perhaps be sufficient to get past NASA regulations. (Catapults/cannons only launching the payload and not themselves...) --[[User:Nialpxe|Nialpxe]], 2017. [[User_talk:Nialpxe|(Arguments welcome)]]
:But make sure it is a moblie cannon, otherwise it would not quilify as a launch '''vehicle'''. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.19|162.158.89.19]] 11:32, 21 July 2017 (UTC)

1866: Russell's Teapot

2017-07-21T08:22:37Z

162.158.89.19: /* Explanation */ There are many possible sollutions, like the barber being female, or from somewhere else, all based on the wording of the problem. But non of them stay valid after a carefull wording of the problem.

{{comic
| number = 1866
| date = July 21, 2017
| title = Russell's Teapot
| image = Russells_Teapot.png
| titletext = Unfortunately, NASA regulations state that Bertrand Russell-related payloads can only be launched within launch vehicles which do not launch themselves.
}}
==Explanation==
{{incomplete| }}
Russell's Teapot is a philosophical argument that reflects on the difficulty of trying to prove a negative. It involves a hypothetical teapot orbiting a heavenly body, whose existence hasn't been proven. It is very often used in atheistic arguments. Russell's Teapot is an analogy which Bertrand Russell devised "to illustrate that the philosophic burden of proof lies upon a person making unfalsifiable claims, rather than shifting the burden of disproof to others."

"He wrote that if he were to assert, without offering proof, that a teapot orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars, he could not expect anyone to believe him solely because his assertion could not be proven wrong." (Wikipedia)

[[Cueball]] is trying to settle the teapot argument by actually launching a teapot into space via a crowdfunding campaign.

The title-text refers to Bertrand Russell's [[wikipedia:Barber_paradox|Barber Paradox]]. In this paradox, it is stated "one who shaves all those, and those only, who do not shave themselves.". However, this is impossible, because if the barber does not shave himself, then the statement is false (because he is a man the barber does not shave). If the barber shaves himself, then the barber himself is one man who shaves himself and that the barber shaves.

==Transcript==

[[Cueball]] is standing in front of a blueprint labeled "CubeSat-Based Design", containing a satellite with a teapot in the top.

Below the comic box:
"I'm crowdfunding a project to launch a teapot into orbit around the sun to settle the Russell thing once and for all."

==Alt-text==

Unfortunately, NASA regulations state that Bertrand Russell-related payloads can only be launched within launch vehicles which do not launch themselves.

{{comic discussion}}

702: Snow Tracking

2017-06-30T11:19:53Z

162.158.89.19:

{{comic
| number = 702
| date = February 15, 2010
| title = Snow Tracking
| image = snow_tracking.png
| titletext = I suppose that's more accurately a hare dryer.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a guide to recognizing various animals by their footprints. However, the comic typically detours into strange, ridiculous or pop-culture-referencing footprints. In order:

*The first panel is nothing special. Just a regular cat.
*"Moose and squirrel" is a reference to the cartoon ''{{w|Rocky and Bullwinkle}}''. Rocky and Bullwinkle were a flying squirrel and a moose, respectively, and were frequently referred to as "moose and squirrel" by the show's antagonist Boris Badenov.
*[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/longcat Longcat] is an internet {{w|meme}} from pictures of cats all stretched out that make them look very tall (or long).
*"Mouse riding Bicycle" is a reference to ''{{w|Ralph S. Mouse}}'', a series of novels by {{w|Beverly Cleary}}.
*The hair dryer has melted an irregular region around the rabbit. The title text is a pun on the Rabbit with a hair dryer frame, possibly an homage to {{w|Looney Tunes}}, where shows with {{w|Bugs Bunny}} would often contain a pun on "hare".
*{{w|Legolas}} is a reference to the character by the same name in the ''{{w|Lord of the Rings}}'' trilogy of books and movies. Legolas, as an elf, was able to walk on top of snow, while the other races in his party were forced to trudge through it.
*The "Bobcat on pogo stick" panel is a possible reference to the character Bonkers D. Bobcat from {{w|Bonkers (TV series)}}
*The "Knight" panel is a {{w|chess}} reference, as the tracks move just like the knight piece in chess.
*The "kid with..." panels are a reference to Calvin and Hobbes, a comic strip written by Bill Watterson. In it, Calvin has a pet tiger named Hobbes, and sometimes, a cardboard box that "transmogrifies" him to something else. In this panel we see tiger prints, meaning that Calvin became a tiger like Hobbes.
*The same cardboard box is now tipped on its side instead of upside down in the last panel. Now it functions as a duplicator, making multiple copies of whatever is in it. Calvin goes into it, duplicates himself, and they walk and duplicate again, and the cycle repeats.
*{{w|Prius}} is a reference to current events in which Toyota Prius's pedals have allegedly malfunctioned causing accidents. [http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/04/business/global/04prius.html]
*The {{w|Higgs Boson}} is an {{w|elementary particle}} which, at the time this strip was posted, had not yet been officially discovered (there had been detections at the Tevatron with 4 sigma certainty since the early 2000s). It was tentatively detected in March 2013 in the {{w|Large Hadron Collider}}.

==Transcript==
:BACKYARD SNOW TRACKING GUIDE

:[Each panel contains an overhead view of tracks through the snow, with a caption indicating the apparent source.]

:[Standard paw prints through the snow.]
:CAT

:[Large split-toe tracks and smaller rodent tracks.]
:MOOSE AND SQUIRREL

:[Cat prints, but with more space between the pairs of prints.]
:LONGCAT

:[Two similar careening tire tracks.]
:MOUSE RIDING BICYCLE

:[Longer rodent tracks, with a large melted ring surrounding a point in the middle of the frame.]
:RABBIT STOPPING TO USE HAIR DRYER

:[No visible tracks.]
:LEGOLAS

:[Single deep holes with cratering.]
:BOBCAT ON POGO STICK

:[Round prints that suddenly turn to the right halfway into frame.]
:KNIGHT

:[Human footprints up to a square melting pattern, turning into animal prints.]
:KID WITH TRANSMOGRIFIER

:[Human footprints up to a rectangular melted area, which are then doubled to another rectangular area, which are then doubled again up to another rectangular area, which are then doubled.]
:KID WITH DUPLICATOR

:[Right curve on a road, with tire tracks careening out of frame.]
:Out of Frame Garden Owner: MY VEGETABLE GARDEN!
:PRIUS

:[A series of spiraling and outwardly traveling lines extend from a point in the middle of the frame.]
:HIGGS BOSON

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Calvin and Hobbes]]
[[Category:Bobcats]]

1856: Existence Proof

2017-06-29T06:56:37Z

162.158.89.19: Undo revision 142122 by Swamp ig (talk) Not neceserily. Not every proof of existence uses the axiom of choice.

{{comic
| number = 1856
| date = June 28, 2017
| title = Existence Proof
| image = existence_proof.png
| titletext = Real analysis is way realer than I expected.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Needs more work.}}

This seems to be a continuation of [[982: Set Theory]], where numbers were "executed" to prove a point. This time it goes even further, with [[Miss Lenhart]] (and students) taking up arms to destroy the function value, which they have proven to exist. In the last panel, some students off screen begin to wonder if they are in the right class, as normal math classes do not take up swords to fight abstract concepts{{Citation needed}}. Another student remarks that they are finally in the right math class, implying that this is the kind of thing they wanted from their math curriculum all along.

The phrase "''We ride''" is commonly used in rallying battle cries, particularly in fantasy or medieval dramas where characters are preparing to enter combat on horseback. Variations of the phrase are used several times in ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}'', for example. In addition, the number which must be destroyed could be a reference to the One Ring.

The title text refers to {{w|Real Analysis}}, a branch of mathematics dealing with {{w|real number}}s and real-valued functions (as opposed to studies dealing with {{w|imaginary number}}s in the complex plane). As the speaker implies, Real Analysis is supposed to remain confined to the theoretical realm of mathematics; certainly nobody signing up for such a class would ever expect to be embroiled in a crusade against intangible constructs! The use of the neologism "realer" conveys that the situation has suddenly developed unusually high stakes, in a manner similar to the phrase "shit just got real". This nuance would be lost if the word "realer" were replaced with the technically correct phrasing of "more real".

==Transcript==

:[Miss Lenhart stands in front of a whiteboard and points at calculations written on it.]
:Miss Lenhart: There exists some number x such that f(x)=G(f(0))=1.

:[Miss Lenhart moves her arm in a frameless panel.]
:Miss Lenhart: Oh yes.
:Miss Lenhart: Somewhere out there, it exists.

:[Zoom-in on Miss Lenhart raising a fist.]
:Miss Lenhart: And we must find it... and ''destroy'' it.

:[Miss Lenhart raises a sword.]
:Miss Lenhart: Grab your swords, students! We ride!
:Student #1 (off-screen): I think I'm in the wrong math class?
:Student #2 (off-screen): I'm finally in the right one.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Math]]

1852: Election Map

2017-06-21T09:53:43Z

162.158.89.19: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1852
| date = June 19, 2017
| title = Election Map
| image = election_map.png
| titletext = Luckily for my interpretation, no precincts were won by the Green Party.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Should include how (if at all) this comic predicted the 2017 vote one day after it was released.}}
A wave (e.g. an electromagnetic wave, like light) changes its frequency and wavelength when its source is moving relative to the observer, due to the {{w|Doppler effect}}. In the case of light, increased frequency — indicating movement towards the observer — is called {{w|blueshift}}, while reduced frequency — indicating movement away from the observer — is called {{w|redshift}}. These names apply even if the effect is outside of the visible spectrum (e.g. infrared light that has reduced frequency is called redshifted, even though its frequency is further away from that of visible red light than normally). Red and blue colors are used accordingly to indicate the effect.

The recent advent of the {{w|integral field spectrograph}} allowed astronomers to produce [http://iopscience.iop.org/0067-0049/199/1/1/downloadHRFigure/figure/apjs412917f14 images] illustrating how different parts of a galaxy move along our sightline, images that look not very different from the map Cueball shows. If one side of the image is higher redshifted while the other side is less or even blueshifted, the usual interpretation is that the galaxy is rotating with an axis of rotation not completely parallel to our sightline, but other interpretations are also possible. Nevertheless no redshifted object appears in red to the human eye, it's still white. But the {{w|Spectral line|spectral lines}} are shifted. This means all colors used in those scientific images are not real.

The map [[Cueball]] shows represents election results. Red regions mark where one of the parties won, while blue regions indicate some other party (as Randall lives in the United States the parties are probably {{w|Democratic party (United States)|Democratic}} (blue) and {{w|Republican party (United States)|Republican}} (red), although it's not explicitly stated in the comic). Cueball analyzes the map as if it showed magnitude of Doppler effect by the light emitted by the region. This, however, is not what the viewers expect to hear during the election night from election analysis. That's why Cueball was fired from the job rather quickly, as the caption states.

The title text states that the {{w|Green Party of the United States|Green Party}} did not win any {{w|Precinct#Elections|precincts}}. If the Green Party won, its regions would likely be colored green, which would not fit to Cueball's Doppler effect analysis. Sometimes, however, green is used to indicate lack of movement. And since the center of rotating object isn't moving, green-colored spaces could actually be interpreted according to Doppler analysis - but only if they appeared near the center of the district.

The map appears to depict {{w|Georgia's 6th congressional district}}, which is set for a special election on June 20, 2017, the day after the comic ran.

==Transcript==
:[On a TV-screen Cueball is seen pointing at a map on the left which is colored in red and blue. There is a header on the map and in the top right corner of the screen the title of the program is shown. Below this at the bottom of the screen text indicate that the program is broad live. Cueball explains the map, with his text shown above the TV.]
:Header: Results
:Title: ''Election'' Night
:Live

:Cueball: These northern precincts appear red, which probably means they're moving away from us, whereas these bluer regions are approaching us. I believe the district may be rotating in space.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:My career as an election analyst was short-lived.

==Trivia==
*Cueball was fired from his job a number of times before. Many are listed in [[1428: Move Fast and Break Things]].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Maps]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

1843: Opening Crawl

2017-05-29T15:37:48Z

162.158.89.19:

{{comic
| number = 1843
| date = May 29, 2017
| title = Opening Crawl
| image = opening_crawl.png
| titletext = Using a classic Timothy Zahn EU/Legends novel is bad enough, but at least the style and setting aren't too far off. If you really want to mess with people, try using Splinter of the Mind's Eye.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|I have a bad feeling about this.}}

Each episode {{w|Star Wars}} film begins with an "{{tvtropes|OpeningScroll|opening crawl}}" giving the audience some of the backstory, which often reads like the prologue of a novel.

Randall wants to reverse this by projecting the text of a Star Wars novel and see how long this can be continued before viewers realize it is a prank.

The tile text compares different Star Wars novels' style, remarking on how well suited they would be for this prank.

{{w|Timothy Zahn}} is a science fiction writer who has written and contributed to many novels and comics [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Timothy_Zahn#Works] in the {{w|Star Wars expanded universe}}. The text in the comic is from the book ''[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_Last_Command The Last Command]''.

''[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Splinter_of_the_Mind%27s_Eye Splinter of the Mind's Eye]'' was an early Star Wars novel written before the original film was expanded to a trilogy (and then expanded some more), so it contains multiple aborted subplots which can make it very confusing for a fan who has seen the later works.

The term "EU" refers to "Expanded Universe", which was the term for the corpus of non-cinematic ''Star Wars'' content before ''Star Wars'' was acquired by {{w|Disney}}. Not wanting to be constrained by previous canon, Disney declared all "Expanded Universe" content to be non-canonical, and re-branded the EU as "Legends".

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

''Text taken from Book 3 of the "Thrawn" trilogy[http://www.glozman.com/TextPages/Star%20Wars%20-%20%5BThrawn%20Trilogy%2003%5D%20-%20The%20Last%20Command%20(by%20Timothy%20Zahn).txt]''

'''Chapter 1'''

Gliding through the blackness of deep space, the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera pointed its mighty arrowhead shape toward the dim star of its target system, three thousandths of a light-year away. And prepared itself for war.

"All systems show battle ready, Admiral," the comm officer reported from the portside crew pit. "The task force is beginning to check in."

"Very good, Lieutenant," Grand Admiral Thrawn nodded. "Inform me when all have done so. Captain Pellaeon?"

"Sir?" Pellaeon said, searching his superior's face for the stress the Grand Admiral must be feeling. The stress he himself was certainly feeling. This was not just another tactical strike against the Rebellion, after all—not a minor shipping raid or even a complex but straightforward hit-and-fade against some insignificant planetary base. After nearly a month of frenzied preparations, Thrawn's master campaign for the Empire's final victory was about to be launched.

But if the Grand Admiral was feeling any tension, he was keeping it to himself. "Begin the countdown," he told Pellaeon, his voice as calm as if he were ordering dinner.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Star Wars]]

1843: Opening Crawl

2017-05-29T13:40:56Z

162.158.89.19:

{{comic
| number = 1843
| date = May 29, 2017
| title = Opening Crawl
| image = opening_crawl.png
| titletext = Using a classic Timothy Zahn EU/Legends novel is bad enough, but at least the style and setting aren't too far off. If you really want to mess with people, try using Splinter of the Mind's Eye.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|I have a bad feeling about this.}}

Each episodic {{w|Star Wars}} film begins with an "{{tvtropes|OpeningScroll|opening crawl}}" giving the audience some of the backstory, which often reads like the prologue of a novel.

Randall wants to reverse this by projecting the text of a Star Wars novel and see how long this can be continued before viewers realize it is a prank.

The tile text compares different Star Wars novels' style, remarking on how well suited they would be for this prank.

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

''Text taken from Book 3 of the "Thrawn" trilogy[http://www.glozman.com/TextPages/Star%20Wars%20-%20%5BThrawn%20Trilogy%2003%5D%20-%20The%20Last%20Command%20(by%20Timothy%20Zahn).txt]''

'''Chapter 1'''

Gliding through the blackness of deep space, the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera pointed its mighty arrowhead shape toward the dim star of its target system, three thousandths of a light-year away. And prepared itself for war.

"All systems show battle ready, Admiral," the comm officer reported from the portside crew pit. "The task force is beginning to check in."

"Very good, Lieutenant," Grand Admiral Thrawn nodded. "Inform me when all have done so. Captain Pellaeon?"

"Sir?" Pellaeon said, searching his superior's face for the stress the Grand Admiral must be feeling. The stress he himself was certainly feeling. This was not just another tactical strike against the Rebellion, after all—not a minor shipping raid or even a complex but straightforward hit-and-fade against some insignificant planetary base. After nearly a month of frenzied preparations, Thrawn's master campaign for the Empire's final victory was about to be launched.

But if the Grand Admiral was feeling any tension, he was keeping it to himself. "Begin the countdown," he told Pellaeon, his voice as calm as if he were ordering dinner.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Star Wars]]

1242: Scary Names

2017-05-05T10:57:17Z

162.158.89.19: /* Table */ Inculded missing word

{{comic
| number = 1242
| date = July 24, 2013
| title = Scary Names
| image = scary_names.png
| titletext = Far off to the right of the chart is the Helvetica Scenario.
}}

==Explanation==
This chart humorously explores how things are often named colloquially and without regard to accuracy in correlating actual scariness with apparent scariness. It is interesting to note how people react to the items near the bottom right of the chart "scary things with not-very-scary names" when compared to how they may react to items in the upper left "not-very-scary things with scary names". Some of the entries on the chart are especially interesting examples considering that portions of the names that are associated with significant historical or cultural events and themes. i.e. Chernobyl Packet, Demon Core. All items are described in the [[#Table|table below]] including the title text on Helvetica Scenario.

On the chart, things toward the right are scary/dangerous/very bad, while things toward the top ''sound'' scary without ''necessarily'' being scary.

Note that [[Randall]] uses similar diagrams in both [[388: Fuck Grapefruit]] and [[1501: Mysteries]] which also contain different items. Both of these also have an extra point mentioned in the title text, but only the first is also off the chart, whereas for the second the description of the point is too long to fit on the chart. Extra info outside the chart is also used in the title text of [[1785: Wifi]], but this is a line graph.

===Table===
*This table list the entries from least to most scary, including the ''entry'' mentioned in the title text.
*To begin with it is sorted from most scary name to least scary name.
**The assigned percentage values assumes a linear scale and assigns ''flesh eating bacteria'' with the point (100%, 100%).
**This is simply the easiest way to list the entries as there is no mention of the scale.
**As is clear from the title text, "flesh eating bacteria" is not an absolute, simply the highest in this particular sample; there are things more scary than 100%!

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Name
! scope="col"| Approximate Apparent Scariness
! scope="col"| Approximate True Scariness
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Description
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Necrotizing fasciitis|Flesh-eating bacteria}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|m !}}100%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|l !}}100%}}
|As the name suggests, bacteria that eats (or more accurately, releases toxins that destroy) your skin and muscle.
|-
|{{Nowrap|[http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/C/Chernobyl-packet.html Chernobyl Packet]}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}95%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|a !}}4%}}
|A network packet that induces a broadcast storm or network meltdown. Despite the name, it does not necessarily refer to the {{w|Chernobyl disaster}}.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Kessler syndrome|Kessler Syndrome}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}87%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|d !}}53%}}
|A hypothetical scenario where low Earth orbit objects collide, creating debris which increases the risk of more collisions, leading to a cascade effect which could severely hinder exploration and satellite technologies for many decades.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Demon core|Demon Core}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|j !}}90%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|h !}}73%}}
|A subcritical mass of plutonium that was involved in two separate fatal incidents at Los Alamos laboratory in 1945 and 1946. In both cases, the core was accidentally placed into a configuration where it went supercritical and exposed an experimenter to fatal doses of radiation. The second is more notable, where Louis Slotin held two halves of a beryllium neutron reflector apart with a flat head screwdriver which slipped, suddenly causing the contained plutonium core to become supercritical and delivering a fatal dose of radiation.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Calorimeter#Bomb calorimeters|Bomb Calorimeters}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|h !}}67%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|b !}}28%}}
|A device for measuring heat of combustion of a reaction in a pressure vessel. It does not interact with explosive devices directly, though the chemicals a bomb calorimeter would be called upon to measure are occasionally explosive or dangerous.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Avian influenza virus|Bird Flu}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|h !}}57%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|g !}}72%}}
|An illness caused by strains of influenza adapted for birds, which is generally very deadly in humans. Should the virus adapt for human to human transmission, a pandemic can quickly result. Since birds can travel great distances quickly, it is generally already widespread and difficult to contain.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Nuclear football|Nuclear Football}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|g !}}52%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|k !}}94%}}
|An aluminum Zero Halliburton briefcase which is used by the President of the United States to authorize nuclear attack. A military aide carrying the football is always near the president.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Sulfur mustard|Mustard Gas}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|f !}}47%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|c !}}50%}}
|A chemical warfare agent which causes blisters and severe irritation on skin and lung tissue.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Antibiotic resistance|Superbug}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|e !}}39%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|j !}}83%}}
|Antibiotic resistant bacteria. The growing use of antibiotics has caused some bacteria to evolve to become resistant to the antibiotics. A "superbug" refers to a scenario where a bacteria evolves to become resistant to all antibiotics, for example, {{w|MRSA}}. Thanks to popular culture, however, the term "superbug" usually makes the audience think "a bug with superpowers", such as {{w|Atom Ant}}.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Criticality accident|Criticality Incident}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|d!}}22%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|i !}}74%}}
|An unexpected and uncontrolled nuclear reaction. This occurs when a system that should be sub-critical becomes critical by accident (a term devised by Louis Slotin, as seen above).
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Soil liquefaction|Soil Liquefaction}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|c !}}16%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|e !}}54%}}
|A phenomenon where wet soil loses its strength and becomes temporarily liquid, capable of swallowing people and buildings, especially after earthquakes or torrential rains. Liquefaction can cause landslides; landslides can cause more liquefaction. Once the earthquake stops, the ground becomes solid again, trapping whatever was submerged.
|-
|{{Nowrap|{{w|Grey goo|Grey Goo}}}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|b !}}5%}}
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|f !}}69%}}
|A hypothetical end-of-world scenario where self-replicating nanobots consume all matter. It is (partially) illustrated in [[865: Nanobots]].
|-
|Helvetica Scenario (from the title text)
|{{Nowrap|{{Hs|z !}}N/A}}
|{{Hs|m !}}Literally Off-The-Chart
|This scenario is also in the title text of [[683: Science Montage]]: "...We have a Helvetica scenario!". The scenario is a fictional experiment, presented in Switzerland (Helvetica), which assumes that removing only the nucleus (the center of an atom) of a calcium molecule in one's skin, but still leaving the electron shell at its position, would cause a massive reaction ending up in heavy mutations. The Helvetica scenario was made up by the BBC comedy show {{w|Look Around You}} in the pilot episode, which can be seen [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4CRCJUmWsM&t=5m53s here (at 5:53)]. The fact that the term {{w|Helvetica}} is more commonly known as referring to a very-commonly-used modern typeface makes the name sound like it should refer to a much less serious situation.
|}

==Transcript==
:[A scatter-plot, with 12 labeled dots. Both axis are labeled. The dots are scattered from left to right and top to bottom. Below all labels are given, first for the axis, and then for each dot in approximately normal reading order, left to right top to bottom, but in the order it would make sense to read them:]
:Y-axis: Scariness of name
:X-axis: Scariness of thing name refers to

:[Top left]: Chernobyl packet
:[Top halfway right]: Kessler syndrome
:[Top three quarters towards right]: Demon core
:[Top right]: Flesh-eating bacteria
:[A third down left]: Bomb calorimeter
:[Halfway down three quarters towards right]: Bird flu
:[Halfway down right]: Nuclear football
:[Dead center]: Mustard gas
:[Just below and right of center]: Superbug
:[Bottom halfway right]: Soil liquefaction
:[A third up three quarters towards right ]: Criticality incident
:[Very bottom two-thirds to the right]: Grey goo

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Scatter plots]]
[[Category:Rankings]]

1815: Flag

2017-03-24T14:20:57Z

162.158.89.19: /* Explanation */ US is not a new country/state

{{comic
| number = 1815
| date = March 24, 2017
| title = Flag
| image = flag.png
| titletext = There's a compromise bill to keep the notification bar but at least charge the battery.
}}

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

Randall was hired to propose a new flag.

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

The design committee fired me once they realized that my editing process involved a screenshot, but it was too late.

Until they change it, our new country has the only national flag to include a phone notification bar.

Title text: There's a compromise bill to keep the notification bar but at least charge the battery.

{{comic discussion}}