explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2131: Emojidome

2019-04-01T22:00:34Z

162.158.93.201: Added another tally website

{{comic
| number = 2131
| date = April 1, 2019
| title = Emojidome
| image = emojidome.png
| titletext = 🤼🤼🤼🤼🤼🤼🤼🤼
}}
*To experience the interactivity, visit the {{xkcd|2131|original comic}}.

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by 😇. Needs more elaboration on font influencing emoji..}}

This is the ninth [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comic]] released by [[Randall]]. The previous fools comic was [[1975: Right Click]] from Sunday April 1, 2018.

In the interactive comic, which began at noon ET (16:00 UTC) on April 1, 2019, users are shown two emoji, and vote for their favorite. The voting period for each matchup lasted roughly 40 seconds during the first round, and increased to over 1 minute for the second round and over 2 minutes for the third round. The competing candidates are periodically overlaid with heart emojis that float up from the vote button oscillating in a sinusoidal pattern before disappearing above the candidate, and may represent real-time votes for each emoji. Below, the results of past bouts are shown with the "loser" displayed in greyscale. Supposedly, the emoji will be eliminated one-by-one until there are a final two emoji facing off, with the one most voted-for being crowned the best emoji. This is likely a parody of March Madness.

The title is probably a parody of the title for the movie "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome," which had the tagline: "Two men enter. One man leaves."

The second round of eliminations started at around 14:40 ET (18:40 UTC). The time allotted for voting per match approximately doubled in round 2, although when there is more than 1 minute remaining, seconds are not displayed. Round 3 started at about 21:20 UTC and the voting time was doubled again. It seems likely the full bracket will take 24 hours (9 rounds of 2 hours 40 minutes each).

Note that the schedule might show different emoji pictures than the main voting screen, presumably because of fonts. The image is pre-rendered.

The competing candidates are chosen in order of unicode value at first, resulting in similar emojis being compared. Examples include:

😜 squaring off against 😛 - two emoji playfully sticking their tongues out

🤩 squaring off against 😍 - two smiling emojis with symbols for eyes

😂 squaring off with 🤣 - two emojis that are crying in laughter/joy.

The title text consists of the wrestlers emoji (🤼) eight times over. If it appears to be nonsense, then your browser may not be parsing the title text correctly.

A robot face announcer-emoji (🤖) and a link to the full bracket was added at 38 minutes in.
https://www.xkcd.com/2131/emojidome_bracket.png shows 512 emojis in a single-elimination tournament.
https://www.xkcd.com/2131/emojidome_bracket_256.png was added later and shows the 256 emojis that competed on the second round.
https://www.xkcd.com/2131/emojidome_bracket_round_3.png was added for the third round.

Real live data with results (clicks) can be seen as JSON-websocket at https://emojidome.xkcd.com/2131/socket

A live (user-created) vote tally can be found at https://emojidome.playcode.io/ . Thanks Andy!

http://srv-01.valo.media/ has a tally with slightly more details.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|This transcript is for the image that embeds and automated programs usually see. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[A tournament bracket tree is shown with eight participants each on the left and right side, for a total of sixteen, all of which are the 😰 emoji (a face with eyebrows, one teardrop and a blue forehead). From both sides towards the middle the brackets reduce to eight, then four, two, and one line where the latter join to a rectangle in the middle.]

:Visit xkcd.com to participate

:If you ''are'' on xkcd.com, then you're seeing this
:because of something something JavaScript.

:Listen, websites are hard 😰

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:April fools' comics]]
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Emoji]]

2115: Plutonium

2019-02-22T18:01:25Z

162.158.93.201: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2115
| date = February 22, 2019
| title = Plutonium
| image = plutonium.png
| titletext = It's like someone briefly joined the team running the universe, introduced their idea for a cool mechanic, then left, and now everyone is stuck pretending that this wildly unbalanced dynamic makes sense.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SENTIENT POWER ORB. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic pokes fun at the properties of plutonium, claiming that it is so unrealistically powerful that it may as well be random sci-fi jargon. Indeed, the ability for a metal to radiate free energy sounds impossible. This is reflected by Megan and Hairy treating Cueball's idea as a practical joke.

There are devices that need substantial electrical power over long time – in the order of decades – but local sources of energy are insufficient or unavailable, yet constructing a power line or resupplying them with some power source (like fuel, fresh chemical batteries etc.) is either impossible or overly costly. Such devices include maritime beacons and automatic weather or science stations located in remote areas, and, most importantly, deep space probes. Probes sent beyond Jupiter cannot effectively rely on photovoltaic panels for energy, because the large distance to the Sun means that the amount of solar radiation per unit of area is very low, requiring impractically large (and thus heavy) panels to provide enough energy. Also, carrying a lot of fuel also adds mass to the probe.

Instead, such devices usually use {{W|radioisotope thermoelectric generator}}s (RTGs). In an RTG the natural radioactive decay of some unstable isotope (such as Plutonium-238 or Strontium-90) produces a lot of heat, which is then used to generate energy using {{W|thermocouple}}s, which generate electricity directly from heat by employing the {{W|thermoelectric effect}}.

The title text references video game development, and how after joining a team and implementing a mechanic, a dev can leave, and give others working on it little or no knowledge of how to fix or I’d to fix a specific design.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan, Hairy, Cueball, and Ponytail are talking.]
:Megan: How will we keep the spacecraft supplied with heat and electricity?
:Cueball: We could use a power orb. They give off thousands of watts 24/7.
:Megan: Huh? How do you recharge it.
:Cueball: You don't. It's just made of a metal that emits energy.
:Megan: OK, come on.
:Hairy: Can we please be serious here?
:[Caption below the panel:]
:For something that's real, plutonium is so unrealistic.

{{comic discussion}}

1125: Objects In Mirror

2019-02-11T18:52:55Z

162.158.93.201:

{{comic
| number = 1125
| date = October 24, 2012
| title = Objects In Mirror
| image = objects_in_mirror.png
| titletext = Universes in mirror, like those in windshield, are larger than they appear.
}}

==Explanation==
For all people who are not from USA, India, Canada and Korea: "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" is a required, although marginally ridiculous, "safety warning", required to be engraved on passenger side mirrors of motor vehicles. These mirrors in these countries are typically the only ones that are slightly convex, making objects appear smaller (and farther away) than their true size. Other countries often have convexity in driver-side and passenger-side rearview mirrors to give a larger field of view, at the cost of natural distance proportions of the mirror image, without making any statements about it on the mirror itself using engravings.

This comic is a reference to the phenomena known as {{w|redshift}}/{{w|blueshift}}. Due to the {{w|Doppler effect}}, objects that are moving toward an observer appear bluer than they actually are (known as blueshift). Objects moving away from the observer (e.g. objects viewed in the rear-view mirror of a moving vehicle) appear redder than they actually are (known as redshift), and thus the objects are in reality bluer than they appear. This is generally relevant only in terms of high speed motion such as observation of the expansion of the universe in astrophysics. The joke is that the relative speed of any object visible in a side-view mirror would create an insignificant and unobservable redshift.

Another possible explanation is that the redshift refers to the actual reflection itself.
As photons are reflected in a mirror, momentum is transferred and thereby they lose a very small amount of energy. This loss of energy results in a slight redshift of the light. (This effect is similar to {{w|compton scattering}})

Edwin Hubble was an astronomer credited ({{w|Stigler's law of eponymy|amid some controversy}}) with "{{w|Hubble's Law}}," which states that a Doppler shift can be observed for objects in deep space moving with relative velocity to Earth and that their velocity is proportional to their distance from Earth. Probably the most famous application of the law was measurement of relative velocities of galaxies, such as those seen in the picture known as {{w|Hubble Deep Field}}, taken by the {{w|Hubble Space Telescope}}. The results proved that most galaxies keep getting farther apart as a result of expansion of the universe. This is one of many pieces of evidence supporting the {{w|Big Bang}} theory.

The title text references that we see the universe as it was in the past (due to the distances involved and the speed of light), when it was smaller than it is today. It may also be a reference to comic [[1110: Click and Drag]].

== Transcript ==
:[View of a car mirror and outside view of landscape, with clouds and mountains. The mirror reads "Objects in mirror are bluer than they appear."]
:Edwin Hubble's car

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

2106: Sharing Options

2019-02-01T15:53:38Z

162.158.93.201: /* Explanation */ weeeh

{{comic
| number = 2106
| date = February 1, 2019
| title = Sharing Options
| image = sharing_options.png
| titletext = How about posts that are public, but every time a company accesses a bunch of them, the API makes their CEO's account click 'like' on one of them at random so you get a notification.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by 300 or a billion BOTs. 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.}}
Cueball floating in midair is communicating with a floating screen. Other people and clouds visible in background.
 
Screen: "Welcome to social media! You have two options: (1) You can make it available to a small set of 300 or so approved friends. or (2) you can share permanent copies of it all with billions of people, including internet scammers, random predatory companies, and hostile governments."
 
Cueball: "Why would anyone pick option two?"
 
Screen: "Two is the default."
 
Cueball: "Yikes."
 
Cueball: "So those are the only two options? There's nothing in in between?"
 
Screen: "I don't understand. Like what?"
 
Cueball: "I mean ... there are numbers between 300 and a billion"
 
Screen: "Huh? Name one."
 
Screen: "'''Pretty''' sure I would have heard of those."

{{comic discussion}}

2105: Modern OSI Model

2019-01-30T13:33:28Z

162.158.93.201: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2105
| date = January 30, 2019
| title = Modern OSI Model
| image = modern_osi_model.png
| titletext = In retrospect, I shouldn't have used each layer of the OSI model as one of my horcruxes.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a seven-layered BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|OSI Model}} is a computing model for network communications that abstracts a communication between two services like a Facebook client and Facebook servers all the way from physical to user interaction layers. As Facebook is one of the most used websites in the world with more than a billion users, Randall claims that the "application" layer (what the client sees and uses) is mostly Facebook.

A light gray shape labeled "Googled & Amazon" surrounds all seven layers of the model in an irregular shape indicating that Google and Amazon, by dint of their size and dominance at multiple layers of model influence the entire structure. An example of Google's influence would be their introduction of new protocols like QUIC and SPDY as replacements for the existing HTTP protocol that was a foundation of the web.

The title text refers to Horcruxes used by Voldemort in the Harry Potter book series. A Horcrux is a magical artifact used to house a wizard's soul, preventing them from dying if their body is destroyed. Since they can only be created by murdering other people, they are heavily forbidden, and before Voldemort it was unheard of for a wizard to use more than one. Voldemort used seven -- the same number of layers Randall uses in the OSI model. However, while Voldemort hid his seven Horcruxes in different places to make himself that much harder to kill, Randall has stashed all seven in the same place, defeating the purpose of using more than one. Alternatively, transforming each layer of the OSI model into a horcrux may be regarded as a strategy to prevent them from being destroyed since doing so would destroy networking. This strategy would fail in the modern world, since some of the envisioned layers were rarely used and in the case of cloud infrastructure potential exists to provide even more shortcuts.

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

:'''Modern OSI Model'''

::Application (Facebook)

::Presentation

::Session

::Transport

::Network

:Google & Amazon

::Data link

::Physical

{{comic discussion}}

2105: Modern OSI Model

2019-01-30T11:30:53Z

162.158.93.201: /* Explanation */ typo

{{comic
| number = 2105
| date = January 30, 2019
| title = Modern OSI Model
| image = modern_osi_model.png
| titletext = In retrospect, I shouldn't have used each layer of the OSI model as one of my horcruxes.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a seven-layered BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|OSI Model}} is a computing model for network communications that abstracts a communication between two services like a Facebook client and Facebook servers all the way from physical to user interaction layers. As Facebook is one of the most used websites in the world with more than a billion users, Randall claims that the "application" layer (what the client sees and uses) is mostly Facebook.
The data link layer and physical layer refer to Amazon and Google's respective cloud hosting services: Amazon AWS and Google Cloud. Because they host the majority of the internet, Randall notes that most of both of these layers is made up by them. However, this is not entirely accurate because ISPs like Comcast or AT&T play a massive role in data link and physical layers as well.

The title text refers to Horcruxes used by Voldemort in the Harry Potter book series. A Horcrux is a magical artifact used to house a wizard's soul, preventing them from dying if their body is destroyed. Since they can only be created by murdering other people, they are heavily forbidden, and before Voldemort it was unheard of for a wizard to use more than one. Voldemort used seven -- the same number of layers Randall uses in the OSI model. However, while Voldemort hid his seven Horcruxes in different places to make himself that much harder to kill, Randall has stashed all seven in the same place, defeating the purpose of using more than one.

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

:'''Modern OSI Model'''

::Application (Facebook)

::Presentation

::Session

::Transport

::Network

:Google & Amazon

::Data link

::Physical

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2104: Biff Tannen

2019-01-29T14:54:10Z

162.158.93.201:

I thought Biff jumped from 2015 to 1955, not 1985...? Young Biff had the Almanac in his pocket at the High School dance and the tower he built was already in place in 1985.


Collusion with a time traveler would bring a few things into focus. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.25|173.245.54.25]] 15:24, 28 January 2019 (UTC)
:You inspire ''one'' house painter to change careers & suddenly everyone blames you for everything.
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 16:23, 28 January 2019 (UTC)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillbilly_Elegy
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.198|172.68.65.198]] 15:39, 28 January 2019 (UTC)

Do we keep the “cheat at sports betting” wording? I don’t know if this is cheating. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.136|108.162.210.136]] 17:22, 28 January 2019 (UTC)
:Cheating is generally heald to be using something unavailable to anyone else in the normal course of play to gain an advantage. I'd say using the almanac towards those ends definitely applies. [[User:Mjm87|Mjm87]] ([[User talk:Mjm87|talk]]) 19:07, 28 January 2019 (UTC)

If anyone questions the fact that newspapers in real life did attempt to assert that the rise of Trump was inevitable, various newspaper articles may easily be found as proof with a Google Search for [Donald Trump inevitable], preferably restricted to results before 2017, so as to remove results about things he did later. I don't know how best to incorporate such results as a source in the article, as the number of citations could easily be made too big, and also I don't know if anyone cares. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.136|108.162.210.136]] 17:30, 28 January 2019 (UTC)

I am from Europe, and I do not understand the issue. If event X happens while you predicted Y, isn't researching and hypothising a good way to find out why, possibly learning new things in the process? Saying you don't want to debate the issue is like hating politics. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.131|141.101.104.131]] 18:27, 28 January 2019 (UTC)

: Many people who understand politics hate it. On behalf of my fellow continenteans, I apologize for 141.101.104.131, who apparently believes that politics overlaps with political science. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.40|162.158.114.40]] 18:51, 28 January 2019 (UTC)

:Note that ''Hillbilly Elegy'' could not have been intended to explain the Trump election, having been written before it. However, it was interpreted this way. I have attempted to make this clear in the explanation.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.179|108.162.212.179]] 18:53, 28 January 2019 (UTC)

If I'm not mistaken, Biff is based off of Donald Trump, so the Donald Trump analogy may be more likely than not. I can't quite recall where I read this, but there are quite a few similarities between the two. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.138|162.158.186.138]] 19:14, 28 January 2019 (UTC)
:Added [[Special:Contributions/162.158.122.156|162.158.122.156]] 19:24, 28 January 2019 (UTC)

Why does this article go out of its way to avoid mentioning Hillary Clinton by name?[[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.19|162.158.107.19]] 20:25, 28 January 2019 (UTC)KingLeary
: Beats me. Fixed it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.95|108.162.246.95]] 04:47, 29 January 2019 (UTC)

XKCD on XKCD: "The word 'thinkpiece' sounds like a word made up by someone who didn't know about the word 'brain'." [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.233|172.69.33.233]] 01:00, 29 January 2019 (UTC)

The explanation should include info on what a "counterfactual" is. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.95|108.162.246.95]] 04:49, 29 January 2019 (UTC)
:Done [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.131|108.162.212.131]] 12:33, 29 January 2019 (UTC)

Isn't the title text making a reference to Orwell?

== Regarding politics ==

Wow, all this Trump stuff feels like a real stretch... [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.95|172.68.132.95]] 21:00, 28 January 2019 (UTC)
:Nah21:42, 28 January 2019 (UTC)
:It's pretty obvious to me, personally, that this is an analogy to the idea that if Trump rose to power via means nobody was aware of at the time, the book would seem a little humorous. I guess that seems like a huge stretch to some and obvious to others. The references to the roughly-two views on this in the article feel painful to read, controversial, and like the issues aren't really honestly and fairly laid out. I wish there were some way to really give respect to both views. Even if many disagree with Randall, I think for many it is clear this is the subject of the comic. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.198|172.68.65.198]]

Note there is a (joke?) conspiracy theory that Trump is a time traveler, using technology provided by his uncle John Trump...
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.22|162.158.255.22]] 23:06, 28 January 2019 (UTC)
:That would explain why he was able to do so well in the electoral college despite losing the popular vote. He knew which states would be close, so he could focus his efforts on narrowly winning those instead of narrowing losing them, and not worry about states like CA that would have such wide margins of victory that campaigning wouldn't affect who won them.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.23|172.69.33.23]] 07:06, 29 January 2019 (UTC)
:I think if Trump were a time traveller, he should be much richer, because he would have bet on sports, or invested in big companies while they were small. Instead, he invested in real estate, which was not a good option if he knew about the housing crisis beforehand. The only way I can think of to attribute his life choices to time travel meddling is: if the general public knew that time travel exists, this is the best way not to draw suspicion. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.131|108.162.212.131]] 13:06, 29 January 2019 (UTC)

2104: Biff Tannen

2019-01-29T11:35:18Z

162.158.93.201: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2104
| date = January 28, 2019
| title = Biff Tannen
| image = biff_tannen.png
| titletext = I can't help myself; now I want to read a bunch of thinkpieces from newspapers in Biff's 1985 arguing over whether the growth of the region into a corporate dystopia was inevitable.
}}

==Explanation==

This comic is based on ''{{w|Back to the Future II}}''. In this movie, the character Biff Tannen steals the time machine, which is the main plot device, and uses it to go back in time from 2015 to 1955. He then gives Marty McFly’s sports almanac, containing the outcomes of 50 years (1950–2000) worth of sporting events, to his younger self. His younger self uses this sports almanac to make millions by successfully betting on {{w|horse races}}. He then forms a company, and calls it [https://backtothefuture.fandom.com/wiki/BiffCo BiffCo]. While in the movie the protagonists reverse this, by stealing the almanac back, Cueball imagines the universe where BiffCo exists as continuing to exist in parallel. This is consistent with the {{w|multiverse}} theory.

The movie is set in the fictional town of Hill Valley, California. When the protagonists return to 1985, they find that Biff has turned the town’s “Courthouse Square” into a 27-story casino, and generally taken over Hill Valley. Cueball interprets this as “the decline of the city, and general social decay”.

''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillbilly_Elegy Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis]'' is a book, published in June 2016, that gives an account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town, and offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America’s white working class. This comic is a play on the title of this book, which has been described as explaining the “social, regional, and class” issues in white working-class America. The white American working class was a key factor in the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, and many critics have interpreted the book as an explanation of his election, which was deemed improbable by many analysts before it happened. Netflix [https://deadline.com/2019/01/netflix-hillbilly-elegy-ron-howard-movie-deal-40m-1202541118/ purchased the rights] to an upcoming film adaptation of the book three days before this comic, prompting another wave of criticism of the book's theories.

Cueball is proposing a similarly-titled book, set in the ''Back to the Future II'' universe where BiffCo exists, that would describe the supposed factors leading to the rise of Biff Tannen in Hill Valley. In that universe, while the rise of Biff—and the subsequent decay of the city—is the result of his using a future sports almanac to cheat at sports betting, the rest of the population would have to guess at the structural societal issues that might have caused Biff’s otherwise inexplicable success. Thus, Cueball compares such blind guessing with the analysis contained in ''Hillbilly Elegy''.

This makes White Hat Guy angry, because it’s such a painfully long setup for a really stupid pun. There is also a decent chance that the book White Hat Guy is currently reading is ''Hillbilly Elegy'', which would make the joke more insulting to him, as it compares the book to useless theorizing about an event which was really caused by time traveling. After seeing similar symptoms in our society, perhaps he would consider that we are living in such a world predetermined to negative effects. It would probably frustrate him that being optimistic for the future and hoping for a changing society would be an effort in vain, when the universe is similarly tampered with by time-travellers. Alternatively, he is enjoying the book and is angry at the insult to it.

[[Randall]] is known to have [[1756: I'm With Her|supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election]], having made a comic just to promote her, and particularly [[1779: 2017|sad comics]] following Trump's election. Therefore, he may have made this comic as an insult to a book which supposedly explains the election of the candidate he opposed, by comparing it to useless (and wrong) theorizing. It may also be intended as an insult to Trump himself, by comparing the dystopian universe where Biff rose to power (albeit not as President) to the actual universe where Trump rose to power.

Alternatively, the comic may be an allusion to alleged Russian tampering of the 2016 U.S. elections: Randall is proposing that it is futile to attribute Donald Trump's rise to power to any set of structural, societal issues that may have acted indirectly while ignoring the hidden, speculated, but far more direct cause of foul play, just as it would be futile to analyze Biff Tannen's rise to power by similar means, ignoring the impact of foul play via time travel and a sports almanac.

The title text continues this comparison by mentioning thinkpieces from newspapers that would appear in the ''Back to the Future II'' universe where BiffCo exists. Various thinkpieces did appear in real life newspapers in an attempt to explain Trump’s rise to power after his election, and asking whether it was inevitable.

As ''{{w|Back to the Future II}}''’s important October 2015 setting date approached, commentators began noting the similarities between the older version of the character Biff Tannen and then presidential candidate Donald Trump. When the comparison was brought to the attention of the film’s writer, Bob Gale, in an interview, he [https://www.thedailybeast.com/back-to-the-future-writer-biff-tannen-is-based-on-donald-trump# claimed] that elements of Tannen’s personality were actually based on Trump, who was already well known in the late 1980s for his work in real estate and tabloid controversies. Thus, there is a real connection between Biff Tannen and Donald Trump. This supports the comparison between the two made by Randall.

==Transcript==

:[Cueball talks while walking up behind White Hat, who is reading in an armchair.]
:Cueball: You know, in the universe where Biff Tannen took Marty McFly’s sports almanac back in time, the people wouldn’t have any counterfactuals to work with.
:Cueball: Their world would be ''the'' world.

:[White Hat turns his head to look at Cueball as he keeps talking.]
:Cueball: They would have spent decades debating which structural problems enabled the rise of BiffCo, the decline of the city, and general social decay.
:Cueball: Everyone would find reasons it confirmed their pet theory.

:Cueball: I'm going to write a book set in that universe. I'll call it ''Hill Valley Elegy''.
:[White Hat turns his head back to his book in disgust.]
:White Hat: ... I ''hate'' you.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Time travel]]

1364: Like I'm Five

2019-01-16T09:09:04Z

162.158.93.201: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1364
| date = May 5, 2014
| title = Like I'm Five
| image = like_im_five.png
| titletext = 'Am I taking care of you? I have a thesis to write!' 'My parents are at their house; you visited last--' 'No, no, explain like you're five.'
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] wants a simple explanation so he asks [[Megan]] to "Explain it like I'm five". "Explain like I'm five" is a way of asking for a simpler explanation of some difficult topic. Megan applies this literally and talks to him as if he is a 5 year old child. This is an example of idiomatic language being taken literally, something that [[Randall]] has explored in other comics as well, such as [[1454: Done]].

Megan tells Cueball that she is working on her {{w|Thesis|Thesis}}. A thesis consists of original research and generally deals with material that is difficult for the uninitiated to understand. Cueball anticipates that it will be difficult to understand, and asks her to "Explain like I'm five". Megan sarcastically (or perhaps not) treats Cueball as if he is an actual 5-year-old without his parents, expressing her concern that a 5-year-old is without any supervision.

In the title text, Megan feigns concern that she will have to abandon her work to take care of this supposed lost child and takes this role-playing further by refusing to respond to Cueball until he phrases his comments as a 5-year-old would.

The common expression "Explain it like I'm five" is inspired by a line by {{w|Groucho Marx}} in his movie {{w|Duck Soup (1933 film)|Duck Soup}}. "''Why a four-year-old child could understand this report! Run out and find me a four-year-old child, I can't make head or tail of it.''"[http://muse.tau.ac.il/maslool/boidem/54groucho.html]

==Transcript==
:Cueball: What've you been up to?
:Megan: Doing tons of math for my thesis.
:Cueball: Can you explain it like I'm five?
:Megan: "Oh my god, where are your parents?"

==External links==
*[http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/ Explain like I'm five subreddit.]
*[http://www.freerangekids.com freerangekids.com] blog for and by parents who would rather have their kids asking math grad students questions than constantly reporting their geocoordinates.

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

2097: Thor Tools

2019-01-14T12:41:08Z

162.158.93.201: /* List of tools */

{{comic
| number = 2097
| date = January 11, 2019
| title = Thor Tools
| image = thor_tools.png
| titletext = CORRECTION: After careful evaluation, we have determined that the axis label on this chart was printed backward.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Add a list of the tools in the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In Norse mythology, {{w|Thor}} is (in Scandinavian languages) the name of a god of thunder and lightning. His signature weapon is a magic hammer called {{w|Mjölnir}}. In popular culture, he might be best known for his role in {{w|Thor (Marvel Comics)|Marvel comics and films}}, which his appearance here seems to be referencing. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Avengers: Infinity War, Thor also wields an axe named Stormbreaker.

Although this hammer was historically a weapon, this comic interprets it as it would more commonly be interpeted today -- as a tool. The comic is listing various hand tools in order of utility and viability as Thor's weapon, besides his actual, enchanted hammer. Hammers are heavy, blunt, and can do large amounts of damage to an opponent, whereas a hand plane is sharp, but only in one place, and will only inflict surface wounds.

Some of these tools require power, which would generally require Thor to stay near an outlet or keep a battery charging, such as the circular saw, or Dremel. However, being the god of lightning may allow him to circumvent this, by producing electricity for the direct current (D.C.) tools, although he would need an inverter to convert the lightning (D.C.) to alternating current (A.C.) for the tools requiring it. Thor would also need compressed air for the nail gun or jackhammer, only allowing Thor so many shots before reloading the air tank at an outlet, or via a concentrated wind storm.

The nail gun and staple gun would also require nails or staples respectively to function as a weapon. Although Mjölnir is believed to return to Thor if thrown, it's not clear how similar system could work with nails and staples.

The usefulness of the nail gun as a weapon might depend on whether it was an older one that can be bump-fired or a newer one that requires a separate trigger pull for each nail.

In the title text, [[Randall]] writes that the order of the axis label should be reversed, making the plane the best tool and Mjölnir the worst. Considering that the title of the comic is "Thor Tools" ("tools", instead of "weapons"), the argument seems to be that a hammer is less useful than the rest, by seeing them as tools and not as weapons.

A few other interpretations of this could be:
* Randall proposes that Thor armed with a plane or digital calipers would be much more fearsome than with a hammer.
* The "value" of the more strange-seeming items would be much higher than his traditional hammer, perhaps more gory or more humorous.
* Thor tends to cause collateral damage, and would cause less with a plane or calipers.
* "Best" and "worst" are to be interpreted for Thor's enemies rather than Thor himself.
* Randall might just find the idea of Thor wielding a Plane as a weapon to be really funny.

The title may be a reference to Gary Larson's ''The Far Side'' comic, ''Cow Tools''.

===List of tools===

All shown tools are explained below:
;Hammer
:A {{w|hammer}} ''is a tool consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object''. Thor was a hammer-wielding god and produced the lighting by using this tool. A {{w|war hammer}} was an actual blunt weapon used for combat in medieval times, and is the original Thor's attribute. There exists a variety of craftsman's hammers designed for specific purposes which can be used as weapons of opportunity to various degrees, depending on the tool's size, weight and material.
;Axe
:An {{w|axe}} or just ax is another old human tool used to split and cut wood, but it also was used as a dangerous weapon in the medieval times. The battle-axes of old were of considerably different design than the woodworking ones, being lighter and having thinner and wider blades. Even though, a woodworking axe could be a formidable weapon of opportunity.
;Claw hammer
:A {{w|claw hammer}} is a hammer tool primarily used for driving nails into other objects, but also for pulling nails from them. This item seems a bit redundant in the presence of a general hammer on the axis, but could be seen as more scary because it has a pointed, curved and split back head (used for pulling nails). In fact, the usefulness of its back head for combat is debatable at least. On the other hand, it is smaller and lighter than some other craftman's hammers, and less scary than a true war hammer, so its place on the axis may be justified.
;Circular saw
:A {{w|circular saw}} is using a, mostly electric powered, fast-revolving toothed disc to cut materials. A stationary version is called a ''table saw'' but the figure of Thor drawn above presents him using a lighter hand-held version making a buzzing sound. Since the power of the saw is far beyond the human power it is quite a dangerous tool and could be fatal to the user himself. However, it would be rather unwieldy in combat, as it is quite heavy and bulky, and usually requires both hands to operate. Also, electric circular saw would be limited by its cord length, however cordless (battery-operated) saws exist today. This item could be a mock reference to a common trope in horror movies or computer games, when a {{w|chainsaw}} (not a circular saw) is used a weapon.
;Shovel
:A {{w|shovel}} is also a historic tool. It can be used to dig into the ground, move snow or dirt, harvest, and much more. Because it has a relatively thin, sharp metal blade at the end of a pole, it can be used as a weapon of opportunity. Indeed, a small (sometimes foldable), sturdy spade was and still is a standard issue item for an infantryman in some countries, intended mainly for entrenching work, but also usable as a weapon – and the soldiers are trained to use it as such, sometimes to a high skill, specifically among special forces. It is rumored that Russian Spetznaz operators are specifically trained to use their spades as throwing weapons. It is therefore more useful in combat than a circular saw - but may be seen as less scary.
;Jackhammer
:A {{w|jackhammer}} is a power tool used to drill and crush hard but brittle materials like stone, concrete etc. It has heavy body with a protruding shaft that makes hard and rapid back-and-forth (and optionally also rotary) movements that drive an implement (a drill, a chisel etc.) into the worked material. Like the circular saw jackhammer is a tool that is powered far beyond single human capabilities. Most jackhammers are very heavy and can be reasonably used only in a facing-down position to work on floors, pavements and other near-horizontal surfaces, nullifying combat application. However, since Thor is purportedly very strong, he may be able to hold it horizontally for some combat...
;Socket wrench
:An handle attached to a {{w|socket wrench}} is mostly used to tighten bolts or nuts. But since it is quite heavy and resembles a hammer it could also be used in a similar fashion. It may be a self-reference to [[538: Security|comic 538]].
;Bolt cutters
:{{w|Bolt cutters}} are cutters with very long handles, typically 2 or 3 feet long, and comparatively tiny jaws. The length of the handles provides the user enough mechanical advantage to sheer through things like bolts, chain links, and lock shackles. Although this tool can cut some fairly tough objects, its usefulness in combat is limited – as far as the cutting action goes at least. On the other hand they are quite heavy and can be used as a blunt weapon.
;Hacksaw
:A {{w|hacksaw}} is a type of hand saw with very small teeth. Hacksaws are well suited to cutting materials like metal and plastic, where the larger teeth of a wood saw would tend to bind or damage the material around the cut. Hacksaw blades are fairly unlikely to seriously injure people, though a hacksaw may be useful against metal baddies like Ultron.
;Nail gun
:A {{w|nail gun}} is a tool for driving nails or other fasteners into various materials ranging from soft wood to hard concrete by a single powerful "shot" to the nail being driven. There are models powered by compressed air, electricity (several types of mechanisms) or explosive charges similar to firearm ammunition (most often compatible with {{w|.22 Short}} blank cartridges). They are normally used by slightly pushing the "nozzle" against an object, disengaging a safety nose contact mechanism, and pulling the trigger. These are quite dangerous tools and can be potentially modified – by removing safety mechanisms – to act similarly to a handgun, shooting nails as high-speed projectiles. It's place in the middle of the axis seems not right compared to the work hazard level of other tools placed left of it.
;Staple gun
: A {{w|staple gun}} is a tool used to drive {{w|staple|staples}} into relatively soft materials such as wood, plastics and light masonry in order to fix something to it.
;Coping saw
;Screwdriver (flat)
;Ball-peen hammer
;Screwdriver (Phillips)
;Awl
;Digital Caliper
:{{w|Digital calipers}} are an instrument for precisely measuring the dimensions of small objects. Typically, digital calipers can measure inner diameters, outer diameters, and depth. The reason they are considered more formidable than Dremels and planes is likely how supprisingly sharp the calipers are. They need to be sharp to make accurate measurements, but it is not uncommon for people to cut themselves while using a digital caliper.
;Dremel
;Plane

==Transcript==

:[A wide image is shown in a single frame.]
:Hand tools Thor could have ended up with
:[Below is a small centered horizontal line with arrows at both ends, labeled "Best" to the left and "Worst" on the right.]

:[The rest of the image shows an other horizontal line in the middle, also with arrows at both ends, covering the full width. Items are marked by a dot with a text above or below, and sometimes a figure wearing a winged helmet, above the line, uses a tool mentioned below:]
:Hammer
:Axe
:Claw hammer
:Circular saw
:[Above, the winged helmet guy uses a circular saw:]
:''Bzzzz zzzz''
:Shovel
:Jackhammer
:Socket wrench
:[Above, the winged helmet guy spins the socket of a socket wrench with a tiny sound.]
:Bolt cutters
:Hacksaw
:Nail gun
:Staple gun
:[Above, the winged helmet guy fires staples into the ground in front of him:]
:''Kachunk kachunk''
:Coping saw
:Screwdriver (flat)
:Ball-peen hammer
:Screwdriver (Phillips)
:Awl
:Digital Caliper
:Dremel
:[Above, the winged helmet guy shows a running Dremel to the left:]
:''Bzzzzz''
:Plane

{{comic discussion}}

2097: Thor Tools

2019-01-14T12:20:54Z

162.158.93.201: /* Transcript */ Transcript looks complete

{{comic
| number = 2097
| date = January 11, 2019
| title = Thor Tools
| image = thor_tools.png
| titletext = CORRECTION: After careful evaluation, we have determined that the axis label on this chart was printed backward.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Add a list of the tools in the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In Norse mythology, {{w|Thor}} is (in Scandinavian languages) the name of a god of thunder and lightning. His signature weapon is a magic hammer called {{w|Mjölnir}}. In popular culture, he might be best known for his role in {{w|Thor (Marvel Comics)|Marvel comics and films}}, which his appearance here seems to be referencing. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Avengers: Infinity War, Thor also wields an axe named Stormbreaker.

Although this hammer was historically a weapon, this comic interprets it as it would more commonly be interpeted today -- as a tool. The comic is listing various hand tools in order of utility and viability as Thor's weapon, besides his actual, enchanted hammer. Hammers are heavy, blunt, and can do large amounts of damage to an opponent, whereas a hand plane is sharp, but only in one place, and will only inflict surface wounds.

Some of these tools require power, which would generally require Thor to stay near an outlet or keep a battery charging, such as the circular saw, or Dremel. However, being the god of lightning may allow him to circumvent this, by producing electricity for the direct current (D.C.) tools, although he would need an inverter to convert the lightning (D.C.) to alternating current (A.C.) for the tools requiring it. Thor would also need compressed air for the nail gun or jackhammer, only allowing Thor so many shots before reloading the air tank at an outlet, or via a concentrated wind storm.

The nail gun and staple gun would also require nails or staples respectively to function as a weapon. Although Mjölnir is believed to return to Thor if thrown, it's not clear how similar system could work with nails and staples.

The usefulness of the nail gun as a weapon might depend on whether it was an older one that can be bump-fired or a newer one that requires a separate trigger pull for each nail.

In the title text, [[Randall]] writes that the order of the axis label should be reversed, making the plane the best tool and Mjölnir the worst. Considering that the title of the comic is "Thor Tools" ("tools", instead of "weapons"), the argument seems to be that a hammer is less useful than the rest, by seeing them as tools and not as weapons.

A few other interpretations of this could be:
* Randall proposes that Thor armed with a plane or digital calipers would be much more fearsome than with a hammer.
* The "value" of the more strange-seeming items would be much higher than his traditional hammer, perhaps more gory or more humorous.
* Thor tends to cause collateral damage, and would cause less with a plane or calipers.
* "Best" and "worst" are to be interpreted for Thor's enemies rather than Thor himself.
* Randall might just find the idea of Thor wielding a Plane as a weapon to be really funny.

The title may be a reference to Gary Larson's ''The Far Side'' comic, ''Cow Tools''.

===List of tools===

All shown tools are explained below:
;Hammer
:A {{w|hammer}} ''is a tool consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object''. Thor was a hammer-wielding god and produced the lighting by using this tool. A {{w|war hammer}} was an actual blunt weapon used for combat in medieval times, and is the original Thor's attribute. There exists a variety of craftsman's hammers designed for specific purposes which can be used as weapons of opportunity to various degrees, depending on the tool's size, weight and material.
;Axe
:An {{w|axe}} or just ax is another old human tool used to split and cut wood, but it also was used as a dangerous weapon in the medieval times. The battle-axes of old were of considerably different design than the woodworking ones, being lighter and having thinner and wider blades. Even though, a woodworking axe could be a formidable weapon of opportunity.
;Claw hammer
:A {{w|claw hammer}} is a hammer tool primarily used for driving nails into other objects, but also for pulling nails from them. This item seems a bit redundant in the presence of a general hammer on the axis, but could be seen as more scary because it has a pointed, curved and split back head (used for pulling nails). In fact, the usefulness of its back head for combat is debatable at least.
;Circular saw
:A {{w|circular saw}} is using a, mostly electric powered, fast-revolving toothed disc to cut materials. A stationary version is called a ''table saw'' but the figure of Thor drawn above presents him using a lighter hand-held version making a buzzing sound. Since the power of the saw is far beyond the human power it is quite a dangerous tool and could be fatal to the user himself. However, it would be rather unwieldy in combat, as it is quite heavy and bulky, and usually requires both hands to operate. Also, electric circular saw would be limited by its cord length, however cordless (battery-operated) saws exist today. This item could be a mock reference to a common trope in horror movies or computer games, when a {{w|chainsaw}} (not a circular saw) is used a weapon.
;Shovel
:A {{w|shovel}} is also a historic tool. It can be used to dig into the ground, move snow or dirt, harvest, and much more. Because it has a relatively thin, sharp metal blade at the end of a pole, it can be used as a weapon of opportunity. Indeed, a small (sometimes foldable), sturdy spade was and still is a standard issue item for an infantryman in some countries, intended mainly for entrenching work, but also usable as a weapon – and the soldiers are trained to use it as such, sometimes to a high skill, specifically among special forces. It is rumored that Russian Spetznaz operators are specifically trained to use their spades as throwing weapons.
;Jackhammer
:A {{w|jackhammer}} is a power tool used to drill and crush hard but brittle materials like stone, concrete etc. It has heavy body with a protruding shaft that makes hard and rapid back-and-forth (and optionally also rotary) movements that drive an implement (a drill, a chisel etc.) into the worked material. Like the circular saw jackhammer is a tool that is powered far beyond single human capabilities. Most jackhammers are very heavy and can be reasonably used only in a facing-down position to work on floors, pavements and other near-horizontal surfaces, nullifying combat application. However, since Thor is purportedly very strong, he may be able to hold it horizontally for some combat...
;Socket wrench
:An handle attached to a {{w|socket wrench}} is mostly used to tighten bolts or nuts. But since it is quite heavy and resembles a hammer it could also be used in a similar fashion. It may be a self-reference to [[538: Security|comic 538]].
;Bolt cutters
:{{w|Bolt cutters}} are cutters with very long handles, typically 2 or 3 feet long, and comparatively tiny jaws. The length of the handles provides the user enough mechanical advantage to sheer through things like bolts, chain links, and lock shackles. Although this tool can cut some fairly tough objects, its usefulness in combat is limited.
;Hacksaw
:A {{w|hacksaw}} is a type of hand saw with very small teeth. Hacksaws are well suited to cutting materials like metal and plastic, where the larger teeth of a wood saw would tend to bind or damage the material around the cut. Hacksaw blades are fairly unlikely to seriously injure people, though a hacksaw may be useful against metal baddies like Ultron.
;Nail gun
:A {{w|nail gun}} is a tool for driving nails or other fasteners into various materials ranging from soft wood to hard concrete by a single powerful "shot" to the nail being driven. There are models powered by compressed air, electricity (several types of mechanisms) or explosive charges similar to firearm ammunition (most often compatible with {{w|.22 Short}} blank cartridges). They are normally used by slightly pushing the "nozzle" against an object, disengaging a safety nose contact mechanism, and pulling the trigger. These are quite dangerous tools and can be potentially modified – by removing safety mechanisms – to act similarly to a handgun, shooting nails as high-speed projectiles.
;Staple gun
;Coping saw
;Screwdriver (flat)
;Ball-peen hammer
;Screwdriver (Phillips)
;Awl
;Digital Caliper
:{{w|Digital calipers}} are an instrument for precisely measuring the dimensions of small objects. Typically, digital calipers can measure inner diameters, outer diameters, and depth. The reason they are considered more formidable than Dremels and planes is likely how supprisingly sharp the calipers are. They need to be sharp to make accurate measurements, but it is not uncommon for people to cut themselves while using a digital caliper.
;Dremel
;Plane

==Transcript==

:[A wide image is shown in a single frame.]
:Hand tools Thor could have ended up with
:[Below is a small centered horizontal line with arrows at both ends, labeled "Best" to the left and "Worst" on the right.]

:[The rest of the image shows an other horizontal line in the middle, also with arrows at both ends, covering the full width. Items are marked by a dot with a text above or below, and sometimes a figure wearing a winged helmet, above the line, uses a tool mentioned below:]
:Hammer
:Axe
:Claw hammer
:Circular saw
:[Above, the winged helmet guy uses a circular saw:]
:''Bzzzz zzzz''
:Shovel
:Jackhammer
:Socket wrench
:[Above, the winged helmet guy spins the socket of a socket wrench with a tiny sound.]
:Bolt cutters
:Hacksaw
:Nail gun
:Staple gun
:[Above, the winged helmet guy fires staples into the ground in front of him:]
:''Kachunk kachunk''
:Coping saw
:Screwdriver (flat)
:Ball-peen hammer
:Screwdriver (Phillips)
:Awl
:Digital Caliper
:Dremel
:[Above, the winged helmet guy shows a running Dremel to the left:]
:''Bzzzzz''
:Plane

{{comic discussion}}

2097: Thor Tools

2019-01-14T11:15:34Z

162.158.93.201: /* List of tools */

{{comic
| number = 2097
| date = January 11, 2019
| title = Thor Tools
| image = thor_tools.png
| titletext = CORRECTION: After careful evaluation, we have determined that the axis label on this chart was printed backward.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Add a list of the tools in the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In Norse mythology, {{w|Thor}} is (in Scandinavian languages) the name of a god of thunder and lightning. His signature weapon is a magic hammer called {{w|Mjölnir}}. In popular culture, he might be best known for his role in {{w|Thor (Marvel Comics)|Marvel comics and films}}, which his appearance here seems to be referencing. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Avengers: Infinity War, Thor also wields an axe named Stormbreaker.

Although this hammer was historically a weapon, this comic interprets it as it would more commonly be interpeted today -- as a tool. The comic is listing various hand tools in order of utility and viability as Thor's weapon, besides his actual, enchanted hammer. Hammers are heavy, blunt, and can do large amounts of damage to an opponent, whereas a hand plane is sharp, but only in one place, and will only inflict surface wounds.

Some of these tools require power, which would generally require Thor to stay near an outlet or keep a battery charging, such as the circular saw, or Dremel. However, being the god of lightning may allow him to circumvent this, by producing electricity for the direct current (D.C.) tools, although he would need an inverter to convert the lightning (D.C.) to alternating current (A.C.) for the tools requiring it. Thor would also need compressed air for the nail gun or jackhammer, only allowing Thor so many shots before reloading the air tank at an outlet, or via a concentrated wind storm.

The nail gun and staple gun would also require nails or staples respectively to function as a weapon. Although Mjölnir is believed to return to Thor if thrown, it's not clear how similar system could work with nails and staples.

The usefulness of the nail gun as a weapon might depend on whether it was an older one that can be bump-fired or a newer one that requires a separate trigger pull for each nail.

In the title text, [[Randall]] writes that the order of the axis label should be reversed, making the plane the best tool and Mjölnir the worst. Considering that the title of the comic is "Thor Tools" ("tools", instead of "weapons"), the argument seems to be that a hammer is less useful than the rest, by seeing them as tools and not as weapons.

A few other interpretations of this could be:
* Randall proposes that Thor armed with a plane or digital calipers would be much more fearsome than with a hammer.
* The "value" of the more strange-seeming items would be much higher than his traditional hammer, perhaps more gory or more humorous.
* Thor tends to cause collateral damage, and would cause less with a plane or calipers.
* "Best" and "worst" are to be interpreted for Thor's enemies rather than Thor himself.
* Randall might just find the idea of Thor wielding a Plane as a weapon to be really funny.

The title may be a reference to Gary Larson's ''The Far Side'' comic, ''Cow Tools''.

===List of tools===

All shown tools are explained below:
;Hammer
:A {{w|hammer}} ''is a tool consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object''. Thor was a hammer-wielding god and produced the lighting by using this tool. A {{w|war hammer}} was an actual blunt weapon used for combat in medieval times, and is the original Thor's attribute. There exists a variety of craftsman's hammers designed for specific purposes which can be used as weapons of opportunity to various degrees, depending on the tool's size, weight and material.
;Axe
:An {{w|axe}} or just ax is another old human tool used to split and cut wood, but it also was used as a dangerous weapon in the medieval times. The battle-axes of old were of considerably different design than the woodworking ones, being lighter and having thinner and wider blades. Even though, a woodworking axe could be a formidable weapon of opportunity.
;Claw hammer
:A {{w|claw hammer}} is a hammer tool primarily used for driving nails into other objects, but also for pulling nails from them. This item seems a bit redundant in the presence of a general hammer on the axis, but could be seen as more scary because it has a pointed, curved and split back head (used for pulling nails). In fact, the usefulness of its back head for combat is debatable at least.
;Circular saw
:A {{w|circular saw}} is using a, mostly electric powered, fast-revolving toothed disc to cut materials. A stationary version is called a ''table saw'' but the figure of Thor drawn above presents him using a lighter hand-held version making a buzzing sound. Since the power of the saw is far beyond the human power it is quite a dangerous tool and could be fatal to the user himself. However, it would be rather unwieldy in combat, as it is quite heavy and bulky, and usually requires both hands to operate. Also, electric circular saw would be limited by its cord length, however cordless (battery-operated) saws exist today. This item could be a mock reference to a common trope in horror movies or computer games, when a {{w|chainsaw}} (not a circular saw) is used a weapon.
;Shovel
:A {{w|shovel}} is also a historic tool. It can be used to dig into the ground, move snow or dirt, harvest, and much more. Because it has a relatively thin, sharp metal blade at the end of a pole, it can be used as a weapon of opportunity. Indeed, a small (sometimes foldable), sturdy spade was and still is a standard issue item for an infantryman in some countries, intended mainly for entrenching work, but also usable as a weapon – and the soldiers are trained to use it as such, sometimes to a high skill, specifically among special forces. It is rumored that Russian Spetznaz operators are specifically trained to use their spades as throwing weapons.
;Jackhammer
:A {{w|jackhammer}} is a power tool used to drill and crush hard but brittle materials like stone, concrete etc. It has heavy body with a protruding shaft that makes hard and rapid back-and-forth (and optionally also rotary) movements that drive an implement (a drill, a chisel etc.) into the worked material. Like the circular saw jackhammer is a tool that is powered far beyond single human capabilities. Most jackhammers are very heavy and can be reasonably used only in a facing-down position to work on floors, pavements and other near-horizontal surfaces, nullifying combat application. However, since Thor is purportedly very strong, he may be able to hold it horizontally for some combat...
;Socket wrench
:An handle attached to a {{w|socket wrench}} is mostly used to tighten bolts or nuts. But since it is quite heavy and resembles a hammer it could also be used in a similar fashion. It may be a self-reference to [[538: Security|comic 538]].
;Bolt cutters
:{{w|Bolt cutters}} are cutters with very long handles, typically 2 or 3 feet long, and comparatively tiny jaws. The length of the handles provides the user enough mechanical advantage to sheer through things like bolts, chain links, and lock shackles. Although this tool can cut some fairly tough objects, its usefulness in combat is limited.
;Hacksaw
:A {{w|hacksaw}} is a type of hand saw with very small teeth. Hacksaws are well suited to cutting materials like metal and plastic, where the larger teeth of a wood saw would tend to bind or damage the material around the cut. Hacksaw blades are fairly unlikely to seriously injure people, though a hacksaw may be useful against metal baddies like Ultron.
;Nail gun
;Staple gun
;Coping saw
;Screwdriver (flat)
;Ball-peen hammer
;Screwdriver (Phillips)
;Awl
;Digital Caliper
:{{w|Digital calipers}} are an instrument for precisely measuring the dimensions of small objects. Typically, digital calipers can measure inner diameters, outer diameters, and depth. The reason they are considered more formidable than Dremels and planes is likely how supprisingly sharp the calipers are. They need to be sharp to make accurate measurements, but it is not uncommon for people to cut themselves while using a digital caliper.
;Dremel
;Plane

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Please check typos. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A wide image is shown in a single frame.]
:Hand tools Thor could have ended up with
:[Below is a small centered horizontal line with arrows at both ends, labeled "Best" to the left and "Worst" on the right.]

:[The rest of the image shows an other horizontal line in the middle, also with arrows at both ends, covering the full width. Items are marked by a dot with a text above or below, and sometimes a figure wearing a winged helmet, above the line, uses a tool mentioned below:]
:Hammer
:Axe
:Claw hammer
:Circular saw
:[Above, the winged helmet guy uses a circular saw:]
:''Bzzzz zzzz''
:Shovel
:Jackhammer
:Socket wrench
:[Above, the winged helmet guy spins the socket of a socket wrench with a tiny sound.]
:Bolt cutters
:Hacksaw
:Nail gun
:Staple gun
:[Above, the winged helmet guy fires staples into the ground in front of him:]
:''Kachunk kachunk''
:Coping saw
:Screwdriver (flat)
:Ball-peen hammer
:Screwdriver (Phillips)
:Awl
:Digital Caliper
:Dremel
:[Above, the winged helmet guy shows a running Dremel to the left:]
:''Bzzzzz''
:Plane

{{comic discussion}}

2097: Thor Tools

2019-01-12T11:35:19Z

162.158.93.201: /* Transcript */ *time*lines don't have two arrows

2097: Thor Tools

2019-01-12T11:23:09Z

162.158.93.201: /* Explanation */

813: One-Liners

2019-01-06T11:21:17Z

162.158.93.201: Elaborated on the third one-liner. Fixed a typo.

{{comic
| number = 813
| date = November 1, 2010
| title = One-Liners
| image = one liners.png
| titletext = "Upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Flash player to view THIS content, bitch." ::triggers detonator::
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, Randall presents a series of phrases, ordered by how likely they are to be used as a {{w|One-line joke|one-liner}} by a character in an {{w|action movie}}. One-liners are short, punchy phrases, typically witty or funny, and are routinely used in films by the antagonist to taunt the protagonist (or vice versa). The perfect one-liner leaves the recipient at a loss for a comeback, and should make sense immediately. If the phrase doesn't make sense or has to be explained, the effect is lost.

The phrases shown adhere to the witty and punchy stereotype of a classical one-liner, but quickly become more niche and only understandable for an informed subgroup.

;You're going down the memory hole now, asshole.
:The {{w|Memory hole}} is a mechanism for redacting documents, photographs, etc., and a reference to {{w|George Orwell}}'s novel ''{{w|Nineteen Eighty-Four}}''. In this instance it implies that the character on the floor is about to be 'erased' from existence.

;Hey! You forgot to carry the two.
:[[Cueball]], who appears to be at an advantage since he has a gun and his opponent only has a knife, is pointing out an arithmetic error in his opponent's calculations. This may simply be Cueball adding insult to injury "I'm about to shoot you, but first I'm going to point out that you suck at math". Alternatively, it could be a ruse to distract the knife wielding opponent, or a case of well-timed [[356|nerd-sniping]]. It could also be that Cueball is buying time to cock or reload his gun.

;Looks like the Fed just lowered the interest rate.
:[[Ponytail]] is standing on a desk with documents on it, probably in a banking or business related environment, dominating [[Cueball]] in a sword fight. The {{w|Federal Reserve System}}, usually referred to as The Fed, is the central banking system in the United States. The interest rates are usually lowered during a recession or a crisis, to revive the economy by providing businesses with cheap money. The dropped rates correlate with his chances to win and reflect his troubled situation.

;Guess you should've scrolled ''all'' the way to the bottom before clicking "Agree."
:A common feature encountered when registering for user accounts or installing software is a very lengthy {{w|Terms of service}} document, describing the things you agree to abide by. The vast majority of people simply click Agree without reading the document, essentially agreeing to anything and everything that the author decided to include, which sometimes leads to things like [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/17/gamestation-grabs-souls-o_n_541549.html giving your immortal soul to a company]. In the context of this panel, perhaps the user agreed to be executed at random.

;Bangarang, motherfucker.
:This phrase is very similar to the line "Yippee-Ki-Yay motherfucker" used by {{w|John McClane}} in the ''{{w|Die Hard (film series)|Die Hard}}'' series. {{w|Bangarang}} is, among other things, the Jamaican word for "uproar." It was popularized (without the addition of 'motherfucker') as the cheer of the {{w|Lost Boys (Peter Pan)|lost boys}} in the film ''{{w|Hook (film)|Hook}}''.

The title text is another suggested one-liner phrase, referring to an update reminder that frequently pops up when one attempts to view visual media content on a webpage. After delivering the line, the character triggers a detonator (Double colons are sometimes used in text to denote an action), presumably setting off an explosive of some kind.
The phrase states that you need the latest {{w|Adobe Flash}} player to view this (presumably for older flash players too spectacular) explosion.
Also wordplay is involved since a "flash" is one visual representation of a explosion.
Of course in real life one doesn't need a "flash player" to view an explosion.{{Citation needed}}

==Transcript==
:Probability of phrases becoming action movie one liners:
:[Panels are arranged from More Likely on the left to Less likely on the right.]

:[A woman points a gun down at Cueball who is on the floor, his gun just out of reach.]
:Woman: ''You're'' going down the memory hole now, asshole.

:[Man on ground points gun up at blade-armed man standing next to a board with science on it.]
:Man with gun: ''Hey!'' You forgot to carry the two.

:[Ponytail on desk points sword at man standing on floor.]
:Ponytail: Looks like the Fed just lowered the interest rate.

:[Cueball with gun looks down at Megan slumped on floor.]
:Cueball: Guess you should've scrolled ''all'' the way to the bottom before clicking "Agree."

:[Megan holds pistol to the back of the head of Ponytail holding a rifle.]
:Megan with pistol: Bangarang, motherfucker.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]

Talk:2090: Feathered Dinosaur Venn Diagram

2018-12-27T02:25:13Z

162.158.93.201:

Or is a losing veteran of the Emu wars [[Special:Contributions/172.69.55.70|172.69.55.70]] 14:59, 26 December 2018 (UTC)
Or tried to pet a swan and had to fight said Swan over your dismembered finger[[Special:Contributions/172.69.55.70|172.69.55.70]] 15:02, 26 December 2018 (UTC)

or kept chickens, flew falcons etc.

I hate to be that guy, but isn't this a Euler diagram? [[User:Cyclic3|Cyclic3]] ([[User talk:Cyclic3|talk]]) 15:30, 26 December 2018 (UTC)
: Yes it is. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.83|172.68.58.83]] 17:07, 26 December 2018 (UTC)
: Yep! For anyone who's curious, a Venn diagram shows intersections between sets that don't actually exist while sets in an Euler diagram intersect only when they overlap in the real world. [[User:Moosenonny10|Moosenonny10]] ([[User talk:Moosenonny10|talk]]) 17:32, 26 December 2018 (UTC)
: I have added a description of the difference between the two into the article. Please feel free to cut it down if it's too long, or remove it if it is unnecessary! [[User:Cyclic3|Cyclic3]] ([[User talk:Cyclic3|talk]]) 18:00, 26 December 2018 (UTC)
: Both this and 1180 have been mislabled as Venn Diagrams. Literally unreadable. [[User:Cyclic3|Cyclic3]] ([[User talk:Cyclic3|talk]]) 18:17, 26 December 2018 (UTC)

The comic has nothing to do with whether or not dinosaurs with feathers existed, but whether or not dinosaurs with feathers would be scary. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 18:56, 26 December 2018 (UTC)

For those of us unfamiliar with Jurassic Park, could somebody comment on the relevance of the new movies being "controversial"? (and add any other missing information that would be relevant?) One of the questions this comic leaves me with, is whether or not new Jurassic Park movies contain feathered dinosaurs, which could be a draw to see them. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.201|162.158.93.201]] 02:25, 27 December 2018 (UTC)

2087: Rocket Launch

2018-12-23T14:31:42Z

162.158.93.201: Undo revision 167278 by 141.101.96.221 (talk) Title text makes clear that it is a reference to the original care bears, not EVE.

{{comic
| number = 2087
| date = December 19, 2018
| title = Rocket Launch
| image = rocket_launch.png
| titletext = NASA tries to coordinate launch timing with the Care Bears' cloud castle, but unfortunately sometimes collisions with stray Care Bears are unavoidable, so they just try to make the fairings sturdy and hope for a glancing impact.
}}

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

This comic was posted on a week with a notably high number of {{w|rocket launch}}es. Originally, there were to be four {{w|Orbital spaceflight|orbital rocket}} launches from the United States on December 19, 2018 (the publish date for the comic), which would have tied with the prior record for number of orbital rocket launches in one day. While these launches were ultimately delayed, breaking the event, the comic was doubtless under production by then.

Only some of the steps listed are actually typical.

; Liftoff
: The traditional start of a launch, when the rocket leaves the ground. The engines will typically have been ignited a short time before, often one-by-one in a specifically engineered sequence to reduce shock stress on the rocket, but need to throttle up to produce enough thrust to overcome the rocket's weight. Some launch pad configurations physically restrain the rocket (at least to some degree) until the engines are known to produce the required thrust then the rocket is released (e.g. by pyrotechnically crushing restraining bolts such as in NASA Space Shuttle configuration, or by hydraulic actuators opening a sturdy "clamp", such as in SpaceX Falcon 9 configuration). "Liftoff" refers to the moment this happens, making the rocket lift off the ground.
; {{w|Max q|Max-Q}}<nowiki>:</nowiki> Peak aerodynamic stress.
: A rocket accelerates from the moment it leaves the ground. The faster a rocket goes, the bigger volume of air it pushes through per second - but the higher a rocket goes, the thinner the air. (Before liftoff, the rocket is not moving, and thus is not pushing through air. Once in orbit, there is essentially no air to push through, so the rocket is not pushing through air. Between those two times, the rocket is pushing through some amount of air, the exact amount increasing before Max Q and decreasing after Max Q.) "Max Q" is the moment where these two factors produce a maximum, and is the point where the rocket's structure must withstand the most air pushing back against it.
; Booster separation
: Rockets are designed in {{w|Multistage rocket|stages}}, so they do not have to carry the empty fuel tanks all the way to orbit. (Carrying any mass to orbit is expensive, so the more that can be dropped off earlier, the better.) Three stages is typical. "Booster separation" marks the point where the first of these stages (the "{{w|Booster (rocketry)|booster}}"), its fuel expended, is typically ejected.
; Max-CB<nowiki>:</nowiki> Highest chance of collision with {{w|Care Bears}}.
: This is entirely fictitious. Care Bears are fictitious characters, which have a toy line, television series, and movies. The existence of a basketball sneaker named the "Nike Air Force Max CB" may or may not be relevant.
; Main stage separation
: See "booster separation" above. This marks the point where the second stage (the "main stage") is ejected.
; {{w|GPS}} silenced so it will stop saying "Make a U-turn"
: Again, this is fictional. While some rockets do make use of signals from the Global Positioning System ("GPS"), no rockets are known to use the navigational devices that incorporate GPS readers and street maps, providing directions - often with optional text-to-speech - along the Earth's surface. Some such devices are notorious for getting confused in extreme situations (such as the high Mach numbers that rockets achieve); constantly uttering "make a U-turn" would be one such confusion, and any device in such a confused state might well be silenced for being more annoying than helpful. Navigation of this nature is neither necessary nor useful on a rocket, which will have its entire route from ground to orbit computed before launch, and piloting typically left entirely to computers given the precise timing required.
; Reunification (of boosters)
: Another fictional step. Discarded stages fall back into the Earth's atmosphere, either hitting the ground (or, more often, water) or burning up because of the heat-up resulting from high compression of air in front of them while re-entering thick layers of atmosphere at extreme speed. The booster and main stage would not be on a course to come anywhere near each other, and would not have enough fuel to change their course (running out of fuel being why they were discarded in the first place). Even if they did, landing for reuse (as {{w|SpaceX reusable launch system development program|SpaceX has attempted}}, often successfully) would be far more likely than a mid-air reunion.
; Pilot panics, copilot takes command after struggle
: Another fictional step. Astronauts are not the sort of people who panic easily, nor struggle with their crewmates. More importantly, in any modern rocket the "pilot" is not a human being, but a computer incapable of panic (as in the human emotion). It is possible that part of the flight computer could fail, causing redundant failsafes to take over, but the process could not correctly be described as a "struggle", and in any case this sort of failure is uncommon enough that it is not part of a "typical" rocket launch.
; Pursuit phase
: Fictional. This assumes the (nonexistent) reunified booster would have enough fuel to pursue the top stage of the rocket, and a reason to do so. See "Reunification". This might be a reference to {{w|Pursuit guidance}}. The comic indicates that a fight ensues with only one of the pair continuing to orbit.
; Inter-stage {{w|dogfight}}
: Fictional. See "Pursuit phase". A dogfight is an aerial battle between fighter aircraft, conducted at close range. This step claims that the rocket booster and the top stage of the rocket engage in a battle.
; Winner proceeds to space
: Fictional. As noted above, in a real rocket launch there is no dogfight for there to be a "winner" of. A kind reading would note that the top stage "wins" by default, and it is certainly the case that in a real (orbital) rocket launch, the top stage typically does proceed to space.

The title text refers once again to the Care Bears franchise. The Care Bears live in a castle made of clouds, called [https://carebears.fandom.com/wiki/Care-a-Lot_Castle Care-a-Lot Castle], so the comic claims that NASA aims to avoid launching into their castle, but sometimes cannot avoid hitting "stray" Care Bears.

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

[The major stages of a rocket launch are shown, with the rocket trajectory indicated by dotted lines. Each stage is annotated with a description and an arrow. A title above the image reads 'Outline of a typical rocket launch'.]

:[A rocket with two boosters is shown at the bottom left hand corner of the image taking off from a launch pad on the ground, surrounded by clouds of smoke.]
::Liftoff

:[The rocket ascends vertically]
::Max-Q: Peak aerodynamic stress

:[Separation of the two external booster rockets is shown, with the main rocket continuing to ascend vertically with a slight rightward tilt and the two boosters curving off to the right.]
::Booster separation

:[The main rocket stage starts to curve over to the right.]
::Max-CB: Highest chance of collision with care bears

:[Separation of the second rocket stage. Main rocket heads right, whilst second booster stage curves downward to meet trajectory of first booster stages.]
::Main stage separation

:[Main rocket continues towards the right.]
::GPS silenced so it will stop saying "make a U-turn"

:[First and second stage booster rocket trajectories meet and become a single trajectory heading upwards and right.]
::Reunification

:[Trajectory of main rocket wobbles slightly.]
::Pilot panics, copilot takes command after struggle

:[Booster stage rockets continue to head upwards and right towards the main rocket trajectory.]
::Pursuit phase

:[Main rocket and booster stage trajectories meet and cross three times.]
::Inter-stage dogfight

:[The trajectory for one of the stages ends in an explosion.]

:[The remaining trajectory, indicated with dashed-lines and question marks, continues towards the right and off the edge of the page.]
:: Winner proceeds to space

{{comic discussion}}

2087: Rocket Launch

2018-12-23T14:29:42Z

162.158.93.201: If you remove one part of the non-existing reference, please also remove the other

{{comic
| number = 2087
| date = December 19, 2018
| title = Rocket Launch
| image = rocket_launch.png
| titletext = NASA tries to coordinate launch timing with the Care Bears' cloud castle, but unfortunately sometimes collisions with stray Care Bears are unavoidable, so they just try to make the fairings sturdy and hope for a glancing impact.
}}

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

This comic was posted on a week with a notably high number of {{w|rocket launch}}es. Originally, there were to be four {{w|Orbital spaceflight|orbital rocket}} launches from the United States on December 19, 2018 (the publish date for the comic), which would have tied with the prior record for number of orbital rocket launches in one day. While these launches were ultimately delayed, breaking the event, the comic was doubtless under production by then.

Only some of the steps listed are actually typical.

; Liftoff
: The traditional start of a launch, when the rocket leaves the ground. The engines will typically have been ignited a short time before, often one-by-one in a specifically engineered sequence to reduce shock stress on the rocket, but need to throttle up to produce enough thrust to overcome the rocket's weight. Some launch pad configurations physically restrain the rocket (at least to some degree) until the engines are known to produce the required thrust then the rocket is released (e.g. by pyrotechnically crushing restraining bolts such as in NASA Space Shuttle configuration, or by hydraulic actuators opening a sturdy "clamp", such as in SpaceX Falcon 9 configuration). "Liftoff" refers to the moment this happens, making the rocket lift off the ground.
; {{w|Max q|Max-Q}}<nowiki>:</nowiki> Peak aerodynamic stress.
: A rocket accelerates from the moment it leaves the ground. The faster a rocket goes, the bigger volume of air it pushes through per second - but the higher a rocket goes, the thinner the air. (Before liftoff, the rocket is not moving, and thus is not pushing through air. Once in orbit, there is essentially no air to push through, so the rocket is not pushing through air. Between those two times, the rocket is pushing through some amount of air, the exact amount increasing before Max Q and decreasing after Max Q.) "Max Q" is the moment where these two factors produce a maximum, and is the point where the rocket's structure must withstand the most air pushing back against it.
; Booster separation
: Rockets are designed in {{w|Multistage rocket|stages}}, so they do not have to carry the empty fuel tanks all the way to orbit. (Carrying any mass to orbit is expensive, so the more that can be dropped off earlier, the better.) Three stages is typical. "Booster separation" marks the point where the first of these stages (the "{{w|Booster (rocketry)|booster}}"), its fuel expended, is typically ejected.
; Max-CB<nowiki>:</nowiki> Highest chance of collision with {{w|Care Bears}}.
: This is entirely fictitious. Care Bears are fictitious characters, which have a toy line, television series, and movies. The existence of a basketball sneaker named the "Nike Air Force Max CB" may or may not be relevant. Alternatively, in a space-based MMORPG {{w|Eve Online}}, "Carebears" is a derogatory term used for characters who avoid pvp combat, stay mostly in Concord (police) controlled high-security space (usually mining asteroids in their spaceships), and never venture to low security or zero security space, where pvp is freely enabled
; Main stage separation
: See "booster separation" above. This marks the point where the second stage (the "main stage") is ejected.
; {{w|GPS}} silenced so it will stop saying "Make a U-turn"
: Again, this is fictional. While some rockets do make use of signals from the Global Positioning System ("GPS"), no rockets are known to use the navigational devices that incorporate GPS readers and street maps, providing directions - often with optional text-to-speech - along the Earth's surface. Some such devices are notorious for getting confused in extreme situations (such as the high Mach numbers that rockets achieve); constantly uttering "make a U-turn" would be one such confusion, and any device in such a confused state might well be silenced for being more annoying than helpful. Navigation of this nature is neither necessary nor useful on a rocket, which will have its entire route from ground to orbit computed before launch, and piloting typically left entirely to computers given the precise timing required.
; Reunification (of boosters)
: Another fictional step. Discarded stages fall back into the Earth's atmosphere, either hitting the ground (or, more often, water) or burning up because of the heat-up resulting from high compression of air in front of them while re-entering thick layers of atmosphere at extreme speed. The booster and main stage would not be on a course to come anywhere near each other, and would not have enough fuel to change their course (running out of fuel being why they were discarded in the first place). Even if they did, landing for reuse (as {{w|SpaceX reusable launch system development program|SpaceX has attempted}}, often successfully) would be far more likely than a mid-air reunion.
; Pilot panics, copilot takes command after struggle
: Another fictional step. Astronauts are not the sort of people who panic easily, nor struggle with their crewmates. More importantly, in any modern rocket the "pilot" is not a human being, but a computer incapable of panic (as in the human emotion). It is possible that part of the flight computer could fail, causing redundant failsafes to take over, but the process could not correctly be described as a "struggle", and in any case this sort of failure is uncommon enough that it is not part of a "typical" rocket launch.
; Pursuit phase
: Fictional. This assumes the (nonexistent) reunified booster would have enough fuel to pursue the top stage of the rocket, and a reason to do so. See "Reunification". This might be a reference to {{w|Pursuit guidance}}. The comic indicates that a fight ensues with only one of the pair continuing to orbit.
; Inter-stage {{w|dogfight}}
: Fictional. See "Pursuit phase". A dogfight is an aerial battle between fighter aircraft, conducted at close range. This step claims that the rocket booster and the top stage of the rocket engage in a battle.
; Winner proceeds to space
: Fictional. As noted above, in a real rocket launch there is no dogfight for there to be a "winner" of. A kind reading would note that the top stage "wins" by default, and it is certainly the case that in a real (orbital) rocket launch, the top stage typically does proceed to space.

The title text refers once again to the Care Bears franchise. The Care Bears live in a castle made of clouds, called [https://carebears.fandom.com/wiki/Care-a-Lot_Castle Care-a-Lot Castle], so the comic claims that NASA aims to avoid launching into their castle, but sometimes cannot avoid hitting "stray" Care Bears.

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

[The major stages of a rocket launch are shown, with the rocket trajectory indicated by dotted lines. Each stage is annotated with a description and an arrow. A title above the image reads 'Outline of a typical rocket launch'.]

:[A rocket with two boosters is shown at the bottom left hand corner of the image taking off from a launch pad on the ground, surrounded by clouds of smoke.]
::Liftoff

:[The rocket ascends vertically]
::Max-Q: Peak aerodynamic stress

:[Separation of the two external booster rockets is shown, with the main rocket continuing to ascend vertically with a slight rightward tilt and the two boosters curving off to the right.]
::Booster separation

:[The main rocket stage starts to curve over to the right.]
::Max-CB: Highest chance of collision with care bears

:[Separation of the second rocket stage. Main rocket heads right, whilst second booster stage curves downward to meet trajectory of first booster stages.]
::Main stage separation

:[Main rocket continues towards the right.]
::GPS silenced so it will stop saying "make a U-turn"

:[First and second stage booster rocket trajectories meet and become a single trajectory heading upwards and right.]
::Reunification

:[Trajectory of main rocket wobbles slightly.]
::Pilot panics, copilot takes command after struggle

:[Booster stage rockets continue to head upwards and right towards the main rocket trajectory.]
::Pursuit phase

:[Main rocket and booster stage trajectories meet and cross three times.]
::Inter-stage dogfight

:[The trajectory for one of the stages ends in an explosion.]

:[The remaining trajectory, indicated with dashed-lines and question marks, continues towards the right and off the edge of the page.]
:: Winner proceeds to space

{{comic discussion}}

1514: PermaCal

2018-12-03T16:46:39Z

162.158.93.201: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1514
| date = April 20, 2015
| title = PermaCal
| image = permacal.png
| titletext = The flood of PermaCalNTP leap-second notifications was bad enough, but when people started asking for millisecond resolution, the resulting DDOS brought down the internet.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic proposes a new calendar system, named PermaCal (a [[739: Malamanteau | malamanteau]] of the words "permanent" and "calendar"). In it, the date stays constant. In order to accomplish that, as each day passes, it is interpreted as "drift", and a new PermaCal leap day (analogous to the {{w|February 29|leap day of the Gregorian calendar}}) is added to compensate.

In the comic, which was published on Monday April 20, 2015, Megan wonders why today would be the 19th, since Cueball said it was the 19th a day ago. [[Cueball]] interprets the news from Megan, that a day has passed, as "drift" in the date, and resolves to add another leap day to PermaCal so that his calendar will be correct. He is presumably becoming frustrated that he has to do this so often.

Leap days in the {{w|Gregorian calendar}} are days added to the end of {{w|February}} every year that is a multiple of 4, but not by 100, unless it's also a multiple of 400. The purpose is to synchronize the calendar with Earth's orbit without having a partial day each year. {{w|Leap second|Leap seconds}} are necessary because the earth rotation is not constant, but speeds up and slows down over time. The leap seconds account for the differences in the length of our 24 hour day and a solar day (the time taken for Earth to rotate once with respect to the sun), and are announced several months beforehand.

{{w|Network Time Protocol|NTP}} servers are used to keep local computer time from drifting. They also are used to announce {{w|Leap second|Leap seconds}}. In the context of this comic, leap seconds would refer to a different system in which there is a new leap second each second, so the time also stays constant, down to the resolution of one second. This would require something like setting the NTP leap second bit anew every second. The title text presumably refers to moving to a resolution of one millisecond via leap milliseconds. This would require at least 1000 updates being requested every second, using enormous network bandwidth and resulting in a Distributed {{w|Denial-of-service attack}} (DDoS) situation.

The comic relates to several DDoS problems due to {{w|NTP server misuse and abuse}} over the years.

Part of the humor stems from the problems that leap seconds are causing for some computers. [http://www.livescience.com/49370-leap-second-added-2015.html] The last leap second disrupted computers at big companies such as {{w|Reddit}}, {{w|LinkedIn}}, {{w|Gizmodo}} and {{w|FourSquare}}. {{w|Google}} first [http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/time-technology-and-leaping-seconds.html introduced a new approach of ''smearing'' the leap second], smoothly changing the reported time over an undisclosed number of hours around midnight UTC on December 31, 2008. The smooth shape of the adjustment is graphed at [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11279992/math-behind-google-leap-second-smear-formula synchronization - Math behind Google leap second smear formula - Stack Overflow].

A new calendar was also proposed in comic [[1061: EST]].

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball are in the panel. Cueball appears to be holding a phone, tapping.]
:Megan: What day is it?
:Cueball: Sunday the 19th.
:Megan: But you said it was the 19th yesterday.
:Cueball: It changed ''again''? Crap, better add another leap day.
:[Caption below the panel:]
:My simplified calendar system assumes the date never changes, then corrects any drift via leap days.

==Trivia==
*The "H" in Megan's version of "19TH" is missing the upper part of the left bar, making it look like an mirrored "h". This must be unintended, since the H in "19TH" is written correctly when Cueball says it. Also only capital letters are used in the comics (except in special cases).

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

2078: Popper

2018-11-28T19:21:42Z

162.158.93.201: Extension of the summary of Poppers philosophy / added additional interpretation

{{comic
| number = 2078
| date = November 28, 2018
| title = Popper
| image = popper.png
| titletext = At least, I don't think there's evidence. My claim that there's no evidence hasn't been falsified. At least, not that I know of.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|There is no evidence that this wasn’t created by a DESCENDANT OF KARL POPPER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{{w|Karl Popper}} was a philosopher of science who endorsed the idea that science is distinguished from non-science by treating its theories as falsifiable. This means that science does not treat any theory as definitive, because future research could show that it is false.

A not uncommon reading of Popper assumes that instead of proving theories, scientists are disproving theories. This reading leads to technicalities like the ones stated in the comic: Instead of asserting that Popper was indeed born on July 28, 1902, and grew up in Vienna, one can only assert that there is no evidence disproving these facts.

The title text takes this reading a couple of steps further in a kind of meta-analysis. It points out that Miss Lenhart's claim of no evidence has not been proven false, and also that we're dealing with only the knowledge of a single individual who may not be aware of evidence that might exist.

Another reading of Popper points out that Popper’s philosophy discarded proofs altogether as a defining feature of science. Thus there is no such thing as definitive evidence in Popper’s notion of science: Even falsifying assertions themselves are seen as falsifiable.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Miss Lenhart is teaching a class of three students: Hairy, Ponytail, and Science Girl.]

:Miss Lenhart: There's no evidence that Karl Popper wasn't born on July 28th, 1902.

:Miss Lenhart: No one has proven that he didn't grow up in Vienna...

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]