explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2165: Millennials

2019-06-21T13:50:24Z

172.68.47.90:

I never understand the american obsession with naming generations, and it deeply confuses me. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 14:22, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:You're calling it an American obsession, but I've never been obsessed with it myself. Instead, I suspect it's an American media obsession, and I'd prefer not to be associated with them. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 14:46, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::Indeed, the idea of naming generations is primarily a media phenomenon, and none of the generation names more recent than the Baby Boomers have taken hold as strongly as "Baby Boomers" did. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.90.34|172.69.90.34]] 15:25, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::: There are a couple different things that create the obsession. First is a 19th century and early 20th century [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_generations European sociological theory]. The notion of a particular cohort being different from others really became popular after the First World War when people started talking about the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Generation Lost Generation] (also mostly a European thing). In that case it referred to a cohort which really had gone through some very unique experiences (a huge chunk of the world's population of a certain age died either as a result of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties the First World War] (which included a few genocides) or from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu influenza pandemic] and all sorts of trauma was experienced by the survivors). This in turn inspired a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory famous theory] that there is a grand cyclical pattern to generations in American history. Combine the (pretty obvious) theory that living through a major war or disease pandemic will affect a generation (see also the post-WWII baby boom) with the (thoroughly-discredited-but-still-popular-in-America) idea of generational cycles and you end up with an ongoing tendency to name, define, and redefine the boundaries of distinct "generations" and to describe them will all sorts of sweeping generalizations.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.28|172.69.170.28]] 18:33, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::::Sociology class touched on named generations mostly as a way to talk about history in periods of time a bit larger than a decade. The class that really went into it and all the stereotypes and quirks was Marketing.[[User:EmuSam|EmuSam]] ([[User talk:EmuSam|talk]]) 05:28, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

This is very similar to comic https://xkcd.com/973/ in which White Hat criticizes a different generation. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.160.134|172.69.160.134]] 15:03, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

I was under the impression that 'millenials' were those born in the 90s, in between gen y and gen z. I think there is a 'slight' trend that my generation has trouble 'growing up' even as adults. Many friends, if they haven't had kids they might still be living at home. Some even have kids and are still living with their parents. Myself, I don't see why a family structure couldn't work that way and still be healthy, I think the 'issue' comes from the older generations trying to keep the societal norms steady, and in the 1950s, when a boy turned 18 he became a 'man' and was promptly kicked out of the house, like a bird from a nest, or something like that... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.58.75|162.158.58.75]] 15:05, 19 June 2019 (UTC) Sam
:Yes. Those that were born millennials were born in the '90s, but most millennials were recruited from other generations.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.88|172.69.170.88]] 16:31, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

In fairness to White Hat, one might plausibly assume from the word "millennial" that it was meant to refer to people born around the turn of the millennium, or people born in the current millennium which is still fairly new as millennia go. It's not obvious that a person born 18 or 19 years before the turn of the millennium ''is'' supposed to be a millennial, while a person born 1 year before or 1 year after the turn of the millennium isn't. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.90.34|172.69.90.34]] 15:25, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:As I understand it, the term was intended to refer to the generation that would enter adulthood around the beginning of the 21st century, rather than those born in it. But it's certainly easy to assume differently, if you don't remember that the term was around for more than a decade before the turn of the millenium (Wikipedia says it was coinced in 1987).[[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:28, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:: It is meant to refer to everybody that was a teenager in millenial decade from 2000 to 2010, so from 19 years before 2000, to 13 years before 2010.. It is defined by their shared childhood/young adulthood.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.187|162.158.89.187]] 12:34, 20 June 2019 (UTC)

The title text begins with the word ''Ironically'', but is the statement really ironic? I think a more appropriate word might have been ''Frustratingly'' instead, but I wonder if his choice of words means something as well. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 15:30, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:Just to continue this thought, while Alanis Morissette is not a millennial herself, her song ''Ironic'' was released in 1995, just as the earliest millennials were about to enter their teen years. Not sure it means anything, but perhaps millennials have a part in perpetuating the misunderstanding of this word. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 15:37, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::In all fairness, in 1995, the only millennials were still babies. Those in their teens at the time wouldn't become millennials until much more recently.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.88|172.69.170.88]] 16:34, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:::What? The current explanation states that the first millennials were born in 1982, making them 13 in 1995. Are you having the same problem as White Hat? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 16:51, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:::That's the CURRENT definition, not the original one. If the definition hasn't changed, then where did Gen Y go? When were they born? EDIT: Actually, I was mistaken, because a more recent definition has people born as early as 1980 defined as millennials. If you think I'm having the same problem as White Had, read what I wrote below.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.112|172.69.170.112]] 16:55, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::::Millennial = Generation Y. I also remember being referred to as Gen Y, but at some point in the 2000s(?) the Millennial term replaced Gen Y. According to wiki, they're the same thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials [[Special:Contributions/172.68.38.46|172.68.38.46]] 12:38, 20 June 2019 (UTC)
:::Along those same lines (or perhaps perpendicular to them), I don't consider myself a Baby Boomer, despite my birth date. Ok, now that we've straightened that out, what about Randall's choice of ''Ironically'' in the title text? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 17:06, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:::I'm not that worried about people misusing the word, "ironic," as it's prety difficult to define any other way than example.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.22|172.69.170.22]] 17:08, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::::It's ironic that the one word that could perfectly describe the concept of irony is so misunderstood. [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 16:36, 20 June 2019 (UTC)
::::And isn't it ironic that the song "Ironic" mentioned above doesn't list real examples of ironic situations, but rather just coincidences and tidbits? (Answer: No, it isn't) [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 16:42, 20 June 2019 (UTC)

:I think the irony might be drawn from Randall having spent 20 years complaining about people not growing and changing, showing a lack of growth and change in himself. [[User:CJB42|CJB42]] ([[User talk:CJB42|talk]]) 20:35, 20 June 2019 (UTC)

:I think "ironically" is the correct choice of words here - he's pointing out the implicit irony in the fact that he's had the same conversation about people not growing and changing for more than a decade. How is that not ironic?

I have a theory that the definition creep of the word is an attempt to eliminate the generation gap (a failure to understand each other due to too large an age difference) and ageism in society in general. If we're all part of the same generation, then where can the prejudice be? If this is true, then I support it, and proudly call myself a millennial, even though I was not one when I was born.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.28|172.69.170.28]] 16:46, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

Being a millenial by that definition, I agree with white hat. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.91|162.158.111.91]] 10:05, 20 June 2019 (UTC)

I find the last clearly defined generation is mine, Gen X. After that it seems like later born kids were desperate to be defined, like having a generation label would legitimize their experiences, and through a complete lack of imagination came up with Generation Y, LOL! But Gen Y's definition fluctuated wildly for a long time, though it seemed to somewhat settle on about 82 to about 93 or so, followed by Millennials being about 1993 and on (seemingly coined about when people started complaining about how out of touch 20-somethings were in the vicinity of 2015 and on). Now suddenly people are trying to solidly define the term and have exploded it to absorb Gen Y! As far as I gather, that makes Millennials the longest one! WTF? (I REALLY don't care what official definitions exist or what people have written on Wikipedia, this is how the terms have been actually used. Wikipedia can be edited to say anything, and obviously people wildly disagree on the specific meanings of these fuzzy terms). I think it was actually XKCD that taught me that ANYBODY tried to define "Millennials" as reaching as far back as 82, until then I always saw it refer to people born in the 90s. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:38, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

To be fair, I'm a Gen-Xer, and if people are starting to call me a "Boomer", which should be regarded as a beyond-the-pale insult to all thinking people, people younger than me can put up with being called a "Millennial" even if they're too young for the term to apply. ;)

More substantively, though, they have a point; Gen Z or whatever they're calling it does seem to have different attitudes and opinions than Generation Y Millennials, so in any substantive discussion the distinction should probably be made.

[[Special:Contributions/172.68.47.90|172.68.47.90]] 13:50, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

2165: Millennials

2019-06-19T16:29:56Z

172.68.47.90: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2165
| date = June 19, 2019
| title = Millennials
| image = millennials.png
| titletext = Ironically, I've been having these same arguments for at least a decade now. I thought we would have moved on by now, but somehow the snide complaints about millennials continue.
}}

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

According to [[1962: Generations|the definitive chronology of generations]], millenials are born between 1982 and 1999. Those born in 1982 reached adulthood (18 years) in 2000. As of writing of this comic (mid 2019), this is about 20 years ago. When the term became widespread around 2012, people born in 1982 were 20 years old, so the image was popularized of millenials as "college kids". The definition of the word in everyday usage seems to be expanding so that it can always include current college kids, while still including those born in 1982.

In this strip, [[White Hat]] expresses a sentiment of prejudice against millennials, claiming they aren’t prepared for “the real world.” This is a sentiment that sometimes can be found among those of older generations.
However, [[Cueball]] refutes this by saying that many millennials have been adults for almost 20 years, and those that had kids early on are taking them to college. This is due to another common misunderstanding, where the definition of “millennial” has changed so much, and expanded so often, that nobody really knows what it means anymore.

[[White Hat]] refuses to accept this, saying millennials ''are'' the college kids, to which [[Cueball]] says that maybe White Hat is the one not growing up and accepting that millennials are, in fact, adults. The title text builds on this, complaining that [[Randall]] has been having these discussions for over a decade.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[White Hat and Cueball facing each other.]
:White Hat: I'm just saying–
:White Hat: All these millennials will be in for a shock when they have to grow up and enter the real world.

:[Zoom in on Cueball's head and upper body.]
:Cueball: Except...
:Cueball: "Millennials" started reaching adulthood about 20 years ago.

:[Zoom out to full view of White Hat and Cueball facing each other in a frameless panel.]
:Cueball: Which means that some millennials can't respond to your criticism because they're busy taking their kids to check out colleges.

:[White Hat and Cueball facing each other.]
:White Hat: But ...no, millennials '''are''' college kids!
:Cueball: Maybe ''they're'' not the ones failing to grow and change over time here.

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

2165: Millennials

2019-06-19T16:28:23Z

172.68.47.90: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2165
| date = June 19, 2019
| title = Millennials
| image = millennials.png
| titletext = Ironically, I've been having these same arguments for at least a decade now. I thought we would have moved on by now, but somehow the snide complaints about millennials continue.
}}

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

According to [[1962: Generations|the definitive chronology of generations]], millenials are born between 1982 and 1999. Those born in 1982 reached adulthood (18 years) in 2000. As of writing of this comic (mid 2019), this is about 20 years ago. When the term became widespread around 2012, people born in 1982 were 20 years old, so the image was popularized of millenials as "college kids". The definition of the word in everyday usage seems to be expanding so that it can always include current college kids, or people who display behavior often associated with college kids, while still including those born in 1982.

In this strip, [[White Hat]] expresses a sentiment of prejudice against millennials, claiming they aren’t prepared for “the real world.” This is a sentiment that sometimes can be found among those of older generations.
However, [[Cueball]] refutes this by saying that many millennials have been adults for almost 20 years, and those that had kids early on are taking them to college. This is due to another common misunderstanding, where the definition of “millennial” has changed so much, and expanded so often, that nobody really knows what it means anymore.

[[White Hat]] refuses to accept this, saying millennials ''are'' the college kids, to which [[Cueball]] says that maybe White Hat is the one not growing up and accepting that millennials are, in fact, adults. The title text builds on this, complaining that [[Randall]] has been having these discussions for over a decade.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[White Hat and Cueball facing each other.]
:White Hat: I'm just saying–
:White Hat: All these millennials will be in for a shock when they have to grow up and enter the real world.

:[Zoom in on Cueball's head and upper body.]
:Cueball: Except...
:Cueball: "Millennials" started reaching adulthood about 20 years ago.

:[Zoom out to full view of White Hat and Cueball facing each other in a frameless panel.]
:Cueball: Which means that some millennials can't respond to your criticism because they're busy taking their kids to check out colleges.

:[White Hat and Cueball facing each other.]
:White Hat: But ...no, millennials '''are''' college kids!
:Cueball: Maybe ''they're'' not the ones failing to grow and change over time here.

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

2156: Ufo

2019-05-29T18:03:00Z

172.68.47.90: /* Explanation */ ce; eh not sure if this is political or not

{{comic
| number = 2156
| date = May 29, 2019
| title = Ufo
| image = ufo.png
| titletext = "It's a little low for a weather balloon; it might be some other kind." "Yeah. Besides, I know I'm the alien conspiracy guy, but come on--the idea that the government would care about hiding something so mundane as atmospheric temperature measurement is too ridiculous even for me."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an alien weather balloon. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This cartoon makes fun of {{w|conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories}}, by suggesting that authorities, like the Navy, could be promoting mysterious explanations for mundane phenomena (such as a {{w|weather balloon}}). UFO is an initialism for an {{w|unidentified flying object}}.

This comic features {{w|Fox Mulder}} and {{w|Dana Scully}}, two fictional FBI agents from the television show ''{{w|The X-Files}}''. In the show, Mulder is usually a believer in all manner of conspiracies and supernatural phenomena, whereas his partner, Scully, is reflexively skeptical of any claims of the paranormal.

A fighter aircraft's {{w|Head-up display|Head-Up Display}} (HUD), projects information about the aircraft and its surroundings on a glass panel in front of the pilot. This allows the pilot to fly and fight without looking down at gauges and panels in the cockpit. When the pilot selects a radar contact to track, information including the angle and range to that contact is displayed on the HUD. The HUD display is also overlaid on video recorded by the airplane's on-board camera. Scully has examined the tracking information recorded in one video and concluded that the unidentified object was relatively stationary. Her opinion is that the object is likely a mundane weather balloon, rather than an extraterrestrial craft.

"Maybe the shadowy forces that control the world just want to believe" is an allusion to "I Want to Believe", a phrase from the ''The X-Files'' associated with Mulder and [https://images.newrepublic.com/82a6d0770aeaafbae8f26bf40a822b9b79a5c412.png?w=800 his iconic UFO poster.]

==Transcript==
:[Mulder from The X-Files depicted as Hairy sits in his office chair at his desk and points to his computer screen while looking over his shoulder and addressing Scully off-panel, who replies.]
:Mulder: Hey Scully, have you seen the navy UFO videos?
:Scully (off-panel): Oh, the History Channel thing?

:[In a frame-less panel, Scully walks in from the right towards Mulder, who has turned around in his chair facing towards her (the desk is not included). He is leaning on the back of the chair with one arm. Scully has shoulder length hair, not similar to any of the regular women in xkcd.]
:Scully: I don't know about the other two videos, but in one of them, if you take the angles and ranges on the HUD and do a little geometry, it kind of suggests the object isn't really moving. It just looks like it because the plane's camera is panning.

:[Zoom in on Scully's head.]
:Scully: The pilots got excited for the same reason we did. Then the media got into it.
:Scully: But I think what they saw was a round, white object floating at 13,000 feet.

:[Zoom out again to shown that Mulder sits straight up in his chair with hands in his lap and the desk with computer behind him. Scully stand in front of him.]
:Harry: So your theory is that the military '''''claims''''' to have footage of aliens, but you think it's a giant cover-up to hide that it's a weather balloon?
:Scully: Some kind of balloon, yes.
:Harry: Pretty weird conspiracy.
:Scully: Maybe the shadowy forces that control the world just want to believe, too.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theory]]
[[Category:Climate change]]

2147: Appendicitis

2019-05-11T01:33:44Z

172.68.47.90: /* Transcript */ done

{{comic
| number = 2147
| date = May 8, 2019
| title = Appendicitis
| image = appendicitis.png
| titletext = Fortunately, after a brief skirmish, I seem to have gained the upper hand in the battle against my internal organs, at least until they learn to read and find out the mean stuff I've said about them.
}}

==Explanation==

[[Cueball]] is visiting [[Ponytail#Doctor_Ponytail|Doctor Ponytail]], this time to diagnose some medical condition. From her description, ''zapped you with energy beams'', it sounds like they just took an {{w|Projectional radiography|x-ray image}}, maybe in the form of a {{w|CT scan}}, and Ponytail is following up on the results. It appears that he may have {{w|appendicitis}}, the title of the comic, which could be treated through {{w|antibiotics}}, or through an {{w|appendectomy}} surgery.

As is typical for Doctor Ponytail, she characterizes the diagnosis in a strange and not-entirely-helpful way, in this case likening Cueball's inflamed appendix to a social uprising or rebellion. In some ways, this is not a bad metaphor - Cueball is an organism, and as such, functions best when all of his organic parts are working correctly in unison. People often express the similar sentiment of being "betrayed by their own body" to describe a biological function that isn't working right. However, Doctor Ponytail insists on talking ''only'' in metaphor, preventing Cueball from getting any useful medical detail about his condition.

Antibiotic treatment is described as using "chemical / biological weapons", while the appendectomy is described as "victory through the sword". She further describes more extreme "battle tactics", like crushing all other rebellions in his body. Lastly, she mentions "salting his abdomen" to prevent other rebellions. This is a reference to the {{w|salting the earth}} tactic in battle, which was a ritual to symbolize a curse on a conquered city and would have theoretically hindered future crop production, thus preventing that city from being rebuilt. It is likely that the medical usage would be the application of saline solution, salt in water, which is used for cleaning wounds.

A possible alternate explanation could involve cancer. Cancer involves cells in the body rapidly multiplying and endangering the rest of the body, which could be likened to a form of treason. The "chemical / biological weapons" could be a reference to chemotherapy (a chemical process using poisons to stop cancer cell division) and immunotherapy (a biological process using the body's immune system to attack cancer cells). Panel three could be construed as exploratory surgery. Panel four could be referencing cancer-preventative drugs taken to prevent remission.

After all this explanation, Cueball begins to question Ponytail's methods, and requests to see a different doctor to get a {{w|Second_opinion#Medicine|second opinion}}.

The title text continues the battle metaphor, saying that Cueball is defeating his illness, at least until they can read his words against them.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is seated on an medical examination table, clutching his stomach, while Ponytail stands dressed in a doctor's coat holding a file on a clipboard in her left hand.]
:Ponytail: Well, we zapped you with energy beams, and it looks like one of your stupid organs is a traitor.
:Cueball: ...which one?
:Ponytail: I dunno, appendix? Gallbladder? One of the little ones that sucks.
:Cueball: What should I do?

:[Closeup on Ponytail. She holds her left hand in a clenched fist.]
:Ponytail: You could quash the revolt with the ruthless deployment of chemical and biological weapons.
:Cueball (off-screen): ...antibiotics?
:Ponytail: But certain victory comes only through ''the sword''.
:Cueball (off-screen): Surgery.

:[Closeup on Ponytail with her fists raised.]
:Ponytail: While we're inside, we'll look around-if we see any signs of insurrection elsewhere, we will not hesitate to act. There can be no armistice. Your parts must fall in line or be crushed.
:Cueball (off-screen): Um.

:[Zoom out again to the entire scene. Ponytail points her left hand up.]
:Ponytail: When the battle is won, we will salt your abdomen so no new organs can ever sprout up to trouble you again.
:Cueball: Maybe I should get a second opinion.
:Ponytail: Only if you care what a ''weaker'' doctor would say.

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

2148: Cubesat Launch

2019-05-11T01:31:50Z

172.68.47.90: /* Transcript */ add categories

{{comic
| number = 2148
| date = May 10, 2019
| title = CubeSat Launch
| image = cubesat_launch.png
| titletext = Luckily, the damages were partly offset by the prize money we got from accidentally winning the nearby water skiing championship tournament.
}}

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

A {{w|CubeSat}} (aka U-class spacecraft) is a miniature artificial-satellite with cubic dimensions of 10 cm × 10 cm × 11.35 cm (~ 4 in × 4 in × 4.5 in), and masses of about 1.33 kg (2.9 lbs) per unit. CubeSats are put into orbit from the International Space Station or launched as secondary payloads. As of January 2019, at least 900 CubeSats have successively achieved orbit, and at least 80 have been destroyed in launch failures. They typically function as Earth observation satellites, amateur radio emitters as well as testing prototype small-satellite technology.

The comic begins with [[Megan]] telling [[Cueball]] that being officially part of a CubeSat launch is very expensive, but she has an idea for a much cheaper alternative: use a fishing line on a drone to attach to a rocket just before launch, with the CubeSat attached to the other end of the fishing line so it gets pulled into space.

In reality, this plan would fail for multiple reasons.

# Security would presumably prevent the drone from reaching the rocket.
# The unshielded CubeSat would likely be destroyed by aerodynamic forces.
# The drone would not be able to attach itself to the rocket in a way that would remain secure.
# The fishing line would not hold - either the rocket exhaust would sever it, or the force from the CubeSat, gravity, and the acceleration of the rocket would become more than its tensile strength could withstand.
# Precise weight is an EXTREMELY important number during launch. The extra weight of the drone, the fishing line, the air drag from the drone, and the CubeSat all would combine to put more downward force on the rocket. This unexpected extra weight would not have been calculated during fueling of the rocket and the rocket would run out of propellant before achieving the planned orbit.

Upon realizing her plan, Cueball immediately responds with "uh-oh", indicating his concern, but Megan assures him that it will be fine, before piloting the drone towards the rocket. She successfully connects the drone to the rocket, and the rocket lifts off.

Whatever her plan was, it goes wrong almost immediately. The unexpected force on the rocket from the side causes it to tilt and go off course (implied that it's not due to the comparatively small force of the CubeSat, but because Cueball is standing on the fishing line). Perhaps if the rocket's control software employed {{w|adaptive control}} techniques, it could have maintained control in the presence of this unexpected force. Megan and Cueball get tangled in the fishing line and are carried away. It is implied that the rocket crashes not long after. In reality, the unplanned attitude change of the rocket would likely activate the automatic termination sequence or result in manual activation of the destruction protocol.

Megan and Cueball miraculously survive and are brought to an investigative board to explain their actions. Megan attempts to defend herself using flawed logic: something was bound to go wrong sooner or later, so it's not her fault that she was the cause. This logic does not account for the fact that this particular rocket's chance to crash was greatly increased by the drone attempting to connect to it.

The title text describes that the supposedly huge damages they caused were partly covered by the earnings from a water skiing championship, which Cueball and Megan presumably won by being dragged across the water by the rocket. This might be a tangential reference to an incident in the Tintin adventure ''The Black Island'', where the Thompson Twins blunder into and win an aerobatics competition when they compel a mechanic with no flying experience into taking off in pursuit of that volume's antagonists.

Additionally, this is not the first comic to discuss CubeSats; they were also mentioned in [[1866: Russell's Teapot]] and in [[1992: SafetySat]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan and Cueball talking. Megan is holding a cube attached to a drone by string.]
:Megan: A spot on a CubeSat launch costs a lot, but you can get a drone and a spool of fishing line for cheap.
:Cueball: Uh oh.

:[A wide shot of Megan flying the drone.]
:Megan: No no, watch. This is gonna go great.

:[Wide shot of a rocket launch with drone and string approaching from the right.]

:[Drone attached to rocket.]
:Off-panel (probably Megan): Perfect!

:[Vapor cloud at bottom of rocket.]
:Foom

:[Rocket taking off, tilting in the direction of the string.]
:Off-panel: Should it be tilting already?
:Off-panel: Hey, move your leg.

:[Megan and Cueball struggling in tangle of string whilst holding cube.]
:Megan: Ugh, let go, I can get-
:Cueball: -No, lift your other arm-

:[Three small panels of rocket tilting increasingly to the right and down as if pulled by the string.]

:[Megan and Cueball flying through the air, attached to the string. Two onlookers flee.]
:Aaaaaa

:[A disheveled looking Megan and Cueball both with plaster casts on their arms stand before four members of an interview panel at a table labeled 'Launch accident investigation board'].
:Megan: Listen. Space exploration is never going to be completely safe.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Space]]