explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1941: Dying Gift

2018-08-23T13:10:56Z

172.68.51.226: pieta sublimation

Wikipedia has a list of most Foucault pendulums in the world, if anyone wants to try to guess what museum he worked for :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Foucault_pendulums [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 12:11, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
:I assumed that his Foucault pendulum was in his own home, rather than in some public place. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.143|141.101.104.143]] 15:41, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
::Yeah, he does say "Main hall" [[User:DPS2004|DPS2004'); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:DPS2004|talk]]) 17:19, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
:::Hmmm, I take your point :) I made the assumption that the pendulum is in a museum because I'm most familiar with seeing them in museums (and museums have halls), but the comic doesn't actually say that. It would be unusual for a man to personally own a large hall with a Foucault pendulum, but the title text does suggest that the guy is rich, so it's possible. [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 17:33, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
:::: I feel this pendulum is unquestionably in this guy's private home. If it were in a museum, firstly it's unlikely to be his to bequeath. Secondly, even if it was, there'd be no difficulty here, the recipient could just leave it with the museum. However, his words not only imply that this bed is in the same building as the pendulum, but the title text saying it must be removed I feel cements the idea that the pendulum is in his home. Even if he is the ultimate dictator of the museum, he'd hardly be any position to insist on any removal after he dies, whoever takes charge after - or likely already now with him on his deathbed - would likely want the pendulum to stay. I believe the whole idea is that this is a weird and unwieldy item to personally own and even more so to have in one's home, so it lends to the absurdity of the comic. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 06:44, 16 January 2018 (UTC)
:::It is possible that he owns the pendulum, not the hall. As the first commenter suggested, there is only one Foucault pendulum in the word that is exactly 30ft (according to wiki), I don't want to spoil it but the semi-real nature of the series could mean this pendulum is in THAT museum. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.9|162.158.74.9]] 18:15, 14 January 2018 (UTC)
:: So in that case, if we want to know what museum he worked for, we need a list of those that ''used'' to have Foucault pendulums...[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 09:14, 15 January 2018 (UTC)

I am working on a fan project related to xkcd and I am hoping to release it on the 2000th comic. How much longer do I have? [[User:DPS2004|DPS2004'); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:DPS2004|talk]]) 16:33, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
:Assuming they come out three times a week as normal, until about the end of May.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 16:46, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
::If the comics continue as normal, #2000 would come out on May 30th, 2018. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.153|162.158.62.153]] 22:49, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
::Thanks! [[User:DPS2004|DPS2004'); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:DPS2004|talk]]) 17:17, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
:::But why on such an arbitrary number? If you wait until #2048 at least it would be a nice round one :D [[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.40|172.68.110.40]] 12:59, 13 January 2018 (UTC)
:::: Only here could someone suggest that 2000 is an arbitrary number, 2048 is round, and not to worry about anyone wondering what you're talking about. :) I love it. LOL! Though I'd also put forward 2018, as it'll be the one and only comic to appear in it's namesake year (with every single other year's number also appearing this year). [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 06:44, 16 January 2018 (UTC)

There is a superstition that the stopping of a clock's pendulum will cause (or will be caused by) the death of the clock's owner. A less superstitious version is that a clock's pendulum must be kept swinging as a token of rememberance. Therefore it is actually quite realistic that a dying person might instruct the inheritor of a pendulum clock to never let it stop. However, Randall turns the situation absurd by replacing the pendulum clock with a Foucault pendulum, not only because of the difficulty of moving the pendulum while it's swinging, but also because there's no such superstition associated with Foucault pendulums (that I could find, at least). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.112|162.158.238.112]] 17:51, 13 January 2018 (UTC)

The possibility that the old man's requests will be ignored are in direct proportion to the possibility of him being capable of exacting revenge from beyond the grave.--[[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 01:16, 14 January 2018 (UTC)
: So if he's certain to be able to take revenge, they're certain to ignore his requests? Weird. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 09:38, 15 January 2018 (UTC)
::It's 'in direct' not 'indirect', if it had been 'indirect' then 'inversely' would have been a better description for likelyhood. And if your just making a pun, well sorry.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.117|162.158.74.117]] 14:34, 15 January 2018 (UTC)
:::If it's in direct proportion, then the greater the chance of revenge, the greater the chance of it being ignored. If it's indirect proportion, that... well, that would be meaningless. It would be be more logical for it to be in inverse proportion (the greater the chance of revenge, the lower the chance it will be ignored). Except, of course, that wills aren't (generally) respected due to fear of revenge; they're respected due to legal mandate and social convention.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 16:33, 15 January 2018 (UTC)
:::Ol' Mr./Ms. 76.16 is right, These Are... should have said "in indirect relation", or "in inverse relation". The more likely there will be paranormal revenge, the less likely his requests will be ignored. If I KNOW he'll come back to haunt me, I KNOW I won't be ignoring his requests, I'm doing everything I can to fulfill them. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 06:59, 16 January 2018 (UTC)
::::I guess that I did not word my post clearly. What I tried to get across was: the more likely that the Old Man CAN conduct revenge from the Grave, the more likely that his wishes WON'T be ignored.[[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 01:10, 21 January 2018 (UTC)

::::: Ah, I see. If your original comment had said "WON'T be ignored", then it would have come across that way. And yes, you're right. LOL! [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:34, 30 January 2018 (UTC)

Should be mentioned: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LastRequest [[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.58|162.158.92.58]] 08:20, 14 January 2018 (UTC)

Theres's a loophole with pieta ice sculpture rules. You can break it into pieces, which makes it much easier to transport within 24 hours without melting. Then just bring the pieces to someone with a vaccum chamber and let all the ice sublimate. Done :) [[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.226|172.68.51.226]] 13:10, 23 August 2018 (UTC)

Talk:2018: Wall Art

2018-07-11T13:41:33Z

172.68.51.226: trivia

Wohooo, XKCD#2018! XKCD is finally older than the current year. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.219|162.158.93.219]] 13:12, 11 July 2018 (UTC) Michael

:Nope, it will be true for XKCD#2019. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.22|141.101.98.22]] 13:19, 11 July 2018 (UTC)

:We can add a trivia: This is the only comic with a number the same as its release year. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.226|172.68.51.226]] 13:41, 11 July 2018 (UTC)

554: Not Enough Work

2017-06-28T20:10:29Z

172.68.51.226: "XHTML-strict is a more restricted version of XHTML" did not make sense

{{comic
| number = 554
| date = March 11, 2009
| title = Not Enough Work
| image = not_enough_work.png
| titletext = It's even harder if you're an asshole who pronounces <> brackets.
}}

==Explanation==
In some companies, programmers can find themselves under-employed. This may be because these companies have little programming work until something breaks or needs upgrading, or perhaps they are between projects, or simply waiting for a go-ahead. Coders still need to make themselves available to perform emergency fixes, but they may have no other assigned work. This requires them to find constructive ways to spend their time. Or unconstructive, if that is more fun.

{{w|Dvorak Simplified Keyboard|Dvorak}} is a keyboard layout that was proposed in 1936 as an alternative to the existing, entrenched {{w|Qwerty keyboard|QWERTY}} layout, developed in the 1870s. The QWERTY keyboard is the standard in the US, but some features in its layout are based on mechanical considerations rather than the optimum placement for typing speed. For example, common letter combinations such as 'st' and 'th' had to be arranged so that their operating levers were separated from each other, lest they cause jams and slow down the typist. More than sixty years later, such mechanical considerations could be overcome, and Dvorak designed his keyboard layout with typing efficiency in mind.

The Dvorak keyboard was ultimately unsuccessful. It still persists today, but has never threatened the dominance of the QWERTY keyboard. Even if the Dvorak layout is more efficient (which is still a matter for debate, see the uncomfortable truth in [[561: Well]]), QWERTY was and is the standard. This means that every keyboard user has to learn QWERTY anyway, and there is insufficient benefit in spending the time to learn a new layout, especially when you would have to switch back and forth between Dvorak and QWERTY as the situation demands.

Therefore, even seriously considering the switch is a sign that you really have nothing better to do. Another joke is that even though the coder has plenty of spare time on his hands to practice on Dvorak, he has only been able to 'almost' match his old typing speed.

This was the first comic to refer to Dvorak, but since then it has become a [[:Category:Dvorak|recurrent theme]] on xkcd. A later comic, [[1445: Efficiency]], mentions, in the title text, how you could waste lots of time testing to see if Dvorak is faster.

{{w|Gopher (protocol)|Gopher}} is a defunct internet protocol, which has been completely superseded by {{w|HTTP}}. It's a perfect example of the kind of thing a programmer might implement in the absence of other, more useful work. (As an aside, the protocol is named for the mascot of the University of Minnesota, where it was developed.)

{{w|HTML}} and {{w|XHTML}} are markup languages used to describe web documents. XHTML-strict is a more restricted version of HTML that excludes certain redundant tags like <nowiki><center></nowiki>, which is theoretically no longer necessary now that <nowiki><div> and <span></nowiki> exist. {{w|Haiku}}, on the other hand, is a kind of Japanese poetry. Rather than having a rhyming meter like Western poetry, Japanese poetry has strict restrictions on {{w|syllable}} count; a haiku must contain three lines, containing 5, 7, and 5 syllables, respectively. The section of code given is HTML markup, and would be read by a web developer like this:

:Div class equals Main
:Span ID equals Marquee
:Blog! end span end div (or alternatively slash span slash div)

Which can be [http://www.syllablecount.com/ divided in syllables] like this:

:Div - class - e - quals - Main
:Span - I - D - e - quals - Mar - quee
:Blog! - end - span - end - div

This meets the syllable requirements. Restricting yourself to writing markup in this form would be extremely challenging and time-consuming and pointless, so it, too, is a good sign that coders need more real work to do. The title text notes that if you are one of those assholes that are actually pronouncing the angle-brackets, then it would be even harder to write HTML in Haiku format. "Left angle bracket" and "right angle bracket" take up five syllables each on their own. (The asshole part is Randall's opinion about those who do pronounce <>). Haiku was mentioned later in [[622: Haiku Proof]].

Finally, the last panel mentions the biggest timesink of them all: {{w|webcomics}}! (Or, even worse, [[Main Page|wikis devoted to explaining the jokes in webcomics]].)

==Trivia==
A haiku-compliant programming language does in fact exist: David Morgan-Mar (a creator of many esoteric and parodic languages) invented [http://www.dangermouse.net/esoteric/haifu.html Haifu], a language that will only compile if it is arranged into subsets of 5 + 7 + 5 syllables. Unlike the HTML example in the comic, Haifu derives its functions and syntax from concepts in {{w|Eastern philosophy}} (such as naming its variable types after the {{w|five elements}}, replacing true and false with {{w|yin and yang}}, and defining arithmetic in terms of creation and destruction).

==Transcript==
:[Above the first two panels there is a caption:]
:Signs your coders don't have enough work to do:

:[Cueball sitting in an office chair at his workstation, with Ponytail standing behind him.]
:Cueball: I'm almost up to my old typing speed in Dvorak

:[Cueball is standing next to a server rack pointing at it while looking the other way at a Cueball-like guy. There are three sections filled with servers, two of them together, and space for several more above and below and betwen those two and the one at the bottom. Behind the rack wires comes down tot he floor from all three servers together and the wires then exits the panel to he right along the floor.]
:Cueball: Our servers now support Gopher.
:Cueball: Just in case.

:[In a frame-less panel Megan is standing near her workstation to the right speaking to Cueball to the left.]
:Megan: Our pages are now HTML, XHTML-Strict, and Haiku-compliant.
:Cueball: Haiku?
:Megan:
::<nowiki><div class="Main"></nowiki>
::<nowiki><span ID="Marquee"></nowiki>
::<nowiki>Blog!</span></div></nowiki>

:[Ponytail sitting in an office chair at her workstation.]
:Ponytail: Hey!
:Ponytail: Have you guys seen this webcomic?

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Dvorak]]

799: Stephen Hawking

2017-03-02T15:34:11Z

172.68.51.226: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 799
| date = September 27, 2010
| title = Stephen Hawking
| image = stephen_hawking.png
| titletext = Guys? The Town is supposed to be good, and I thou--' 'PHYSICIST STEPHEN HAWKING DECLARES NEW FILM BEST IN ALL SPACE AND TIME' 'No, I just heard that--' 'SHOULD SCIENCE PLAY A ROLE IN JUDGING BEN AFFLECK?' 'I don't think--' 'WHAT ABOUT MATT DAMON?'
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Stephen Hawking}} is a renowned theoretical physicist, and quite possibly the world's smartest human being. He is almost completely paralyzed due to {{w|amyotrophic lateral sclerosis}} and communicates with a {{w|Speech-generating device|speech-generating device}}, as shown in the first panel. In this comic, mentions to [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] maybe they could go to a movie together later, but they take it as a scientific declaration that they '''should''' go see a movie and have it published in a newspaper, which portrays it in hyperbolic tones, vastly exaggerating and misinterpreting his actual intent. In the final panel, Hawking is shown hanging his head in sadness since all he wanted to do was see a movie with his friends.

This can be taken as a satire of sensationalism of science in popular media, particularly in emphasizing the viewpoints of well-known and popular personalities in science. A similar theme was used in [[1206: Einstein]].

The title text continues the joke, with innocuous comments by Hawking interpreted as important revelations.

Those of you feeling bad for Steven Hawking might feel good to know that he has a healthy social life in reality, and has even dabbled in [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0370071/ a brief acting career (typically as a cameo appearance)].

==Transcript==
:[Stephen Hawking with glasses and dark hair is sitting in his special wheelchair with a computer screen in front stuck to the chair and a large black rear wheel with four large white spokes. He is facing Cueball and Megan. His voice appears in a square machine readable font.]
:Stephen Hawking: I thought maybe later we should go see a movie.
:Cueball and Megan: !!!

:[Cueball and Megan are running right.]

:[The top half of a front page of a folded newspaper is shown in a frame-less panel. There are wavy plants on either side of the papers name at the top. Below this there is a big headline covering the page width in three rows. Below this is the article that covers the rest of the front page in five columns. The first column is the broadest and it is the beginning of the articles main body of text which is unreadable all the way trough. This columns has text all the way down. The top of the second and third column has a close up picture of Stephen Hawking face, he is sitting in his chair, but it can only be seen down to the top of the screen. The picture sits in the center of the article. Below there is a large caption. The rest of these two columns is more unreadable text. The fourth and fifth column begins with another large sub heading that covers an area of the same size as the picture to the left of it. Above this text there is a line that aligns with the top of the picture, so that it with the picture and the first line of text to the left makes a kind of division line all across the paper below the heading. The rest of these two columns is more unreadable text, except in the fifth column just above the middle where a small heading, with a frame around, raises a question which is just readable.]
:<big>The '''Times'''</big>
:<big>Physicist Stephen Hawking suggests we see more films</big>
:Caption: Smartest man alive
:Secondary headline: What could he know that we don't?
:Question: <small>Is this a warning?</small>

:[Stephen Hawking is sitting alone in his chair (like in the first image), looking down.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Science]]