explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2492: Commonly Mispronounced Equations

2021-07-22T22:05:51Z

172.69.35.209: /* Transcript */ regular case

{{comic
| number = 2492
| date = July 21, 2021
| title = Commonly Mispronounced Equations
| image = commonly_mispronounced_equations.png
| titletext = "Epsihootamoo doopsiquorps" --the Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LAGRONJ EYSIBARYMOODMOOSIOYLERSIBRYMOOAMOOBAMOOSIMASIBRSIQORTFAHMOOVYFAHMOOVY. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete: the elided equation in the incomplete notice needs explanation. It would be interesting for more people to weigh in on personal history eliding equations. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a collection of very commonly used physical and mathematical equations, along with their "correct" pronunciations. Equations are normally voiced out loud either by their names ("Mass–energy equivalence"){{citation needed}} or by saying the parts out loud using normal linguistic rules ("E equals M C squared").{{citation needed}} This comic instead asserts that equations are meant to be said out loud like words, using their own set of phonic rules.
Though this premise may seem absurd, sometimes this kind of pronunciation is used as an abbreviation or a mnemonic device. For example, the equation A=Pert used for compound interest is commonly taught and pronounced as the "pert" equation, while SOH-CAH-TOA is used as a mnemonic for the equations for sine, cosine, and tangent (Sine: Opposite over Hypotenuse, etc.). Some nerds have both the trait of using equations as commonly as others might chat, and of finding it entertaining to make up new funny sounds ("input", "pwn"). Saying the equations more rapidly can speed up work or make work seem more enjoyable. This phenomenon is called {{w|elision}}.

The pronunciation given for F=ma is the same as the actual pronunciation of FEMA, the acronym for the {{w|Federal Emergency Management Agency}}.

List of equations:
* {{w|Newton%27s_law_of_universal_gravitation|Newton's law of universal gravitation}}
* {{w|Mass%E2%80%93energy_equivalence|Mass-energy equivalence}}
* {{w|Pythagorean_theorem|Pythagorean theorem}}
* {{w|Area_of_a_circle|Area of a circle}}
* {{w|Entropy_(information_theory)|Shannon entropy}} and {{w|Diversity_index#Shannon_index|Shannon index}}
* {{w|Ideal_gas_law|Ideal gas law}}
* {{w|Euler%27s_identity|Euler's identity}}
* {{w|Newton's_laws_of_motion#Newton's_second_law|Newton's 2nd law of motion}}
* {{w|Wave_equation|Wave equation}} (c would conventionally be c2)
* {{w|Derivative#Definition|General derivative}}
* {{w|Quadratic formula}}
* (title text) {{w|Schrödinger_equation#Hydrogen_atom|Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom}}

The form of the Schrödinger equation intended seems to be '''Eψ''' ''"epsi"'' = − '''(ℏ2/2μ)''' ''"hootamoo"'' '''∇2ψ''' ''"doopsi"'' - ('''q'''2/4πε'''0r)ψ''' ''"quorps"'' – pronounced, it seems, with a silent 4πε. (μ is mu, ψ is psi, ∇ is an inverted delta).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[Each equation is bordered, with a pronunciation guide beneath.]

Commonly Mispronounced Equations

'''Row 1'''

F = G m₁m₂/r² 
FUH-'''''JAM'''''-ER

E = mc² 
'''''EM'''''-CAH-TOO

a² + b² = c² 
AT-'''''BOOT'''''-COOT

'''Row 2'''

A = πr² 
'''''APP'''''-ER-TOO

H = -Σpᵢlog pᵢ 
HA-'''''SPLOG'''''-PEE

PV = nrt 
'''''PAV'''''-NURT

'''Row 3'''

e^iπ = -1 
'''''EYE'''''-PIN

F = ma 
'''''FEE'''''-MAH

∂²u/∂t² = c ∂²u/∂x² 
'''''DOOT''''' CAH-'''''DOOX'''''

'''Row 4'''

f'(x) = lim h→0 f(x+h) - f(x) / h 
'''''FAX'''''-LIM-OH '''''FAX'''''-UH-FOX

x = -b ± √(b² - 4ac) / 2a 
ZA-'''''BO'''''-BA FAK-'''''TOH'''''-AH

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

2492: Commonly Mispronounced Equations

2021-07-22T02:48:50Z

172.69.35.209: The pronunciation given for F=MA is the same as the actual pronunciation of FEMA, the acronym for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

2488: Board Game Argument: Legacy

2021-07-14T01:06:52Z

172.69.35.209: /* Transcript */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2488
| date = July 12, 2021
| title = Board Game Argument: Legacy
| image = board_game_argument_legacy.png
| titletext = Listen, you need to get over your reluctance to permanently alter a game. Now roll 2d6 to determine how many ounces of soda to spill into the box.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOARD GAME ARGUMENT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic continues the joke from comic [[2486: Board Game Party Schedule]], released the previous week, about the difficulty some gaming groups have actually ''playing'' any game at all once they get together. In this scenario the group have leveraged the difficulty of choosing a game into a game itself. It seems to be that each player has a certain number of votes, or tokens, that they can use to decide which game to play, with the added element that they permanently dispose of the losing game. This can lead to strategic play where a player might vote for a game, even if they don't want to play it that night, so that they could still play it at some future resolution of the choosing.

Once the voting is finished, the next phase of the game is to debate which expansion packs they should collectively buy for which game.

A {{w|legacy game|legacy board game}} is one where players change the game itself in the course of play, such that future sessions are modified. The "meta-game" this comic describes fits this definition, because the available pool of games (and expansion packs) changes based on the players' decisions. Randall refers to board games sometimes becoming repetitive if played every week, which is a common tradition among friends or families. Some players, in order to make the games less repetitive, may create legacy versions of the game.

The title text refers to how many board and card game owners wish to keep their games in as-new condition, going as far as refusing to shuffle cards in ways that bend them, or not punching tokens out of their cardboard frames. A legacy game, of course, is ''meant'' to be permanently altered, but [https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/5oxhz2/pandemic_legacy_do_you_really_destroy_cards_or/ many players] [https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2118913/do-you-have-destroy-cards find it hard] to perform destructive actions like cutting or tearing up cards. Even some games not classed as "legacy" games may have elements such as blank cards to be filled in by the players. For those who are reluctant to make changes, these items may remain blank forever. An additional layer of humour comes from the fact that it sounds like the speaker is chastising a game owner who does not want to engage with these elements of the game, but instead urges them to pour soda on the game (something that would usually be an unfortunate accident). "2d6" is standard notation for games that involve rolling several different types of dice, where the first number refers to the number of dice to be rolled (in this case 2), and the second number referring to the style of dice (in this case 6-sided). That means that the player could end up pouring between 2 and 12 ounces of soda (inclusive) into their game box, depending on the total value rolled on the two 6-sided dice and any mapping function used to translate from dice roll to ounces.

The board game boxes visible in this comic are real board games, including Wingspan and Wits and Wagers.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[White Hat, Megan, Ponytail, and Cueball are sitting around a table that is covered with board game boxes. White Hat is pointing at Ponytail. Both Ponytail and Cueball are holding boxes.]
:Ponytail: You may reallocate up to five tokens to your top choice from last week. Remember, the game with the least support tonight will go to the thrift store.
:Ponytail: Next, we'll resume the debate over ordering expansion packs.

:[Caption beneath the panel:]
:We got tired of having the same repetitive arguments every week over which game to play, so we developed ''Board Game Argument: Legacy''.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Board games]]

2488: Board Game Argument: Legacy

2021-07-14T01:04:59Z

172.69.35.209: /* Explanation */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2488
| date = July 12, 2021
| title = Board Game Argument: Legacy
| image = board_game_argument_legacy.png
| titletext = Listen, you need to get over your reluctance to permanently alter a game. Now roll 2d6 to determine how many ounces of soda to spill into the box.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOARD GAME ARGUMENT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic continues the joke from comic [[2486: Board Game Party Schedule]], released the previous week, about the difficulty some gaming groups have actually ''playing'' any game at all once they get together. In this scenario the group have leveraged the difficulty of choosing a game into a game itself. It seems to be that each player has a certain number of votes, or tokens, that they can use to decide which game to play, with the added element that they permanently dispose of the losing game. This can lead to strategic play where a player might vote for a game, even if they don't want to play it that night, so that they could still play it at some future resolution of the choosing.

Once the voting is finished, the next phase of the game is to debate which expansion packs they should collectively buy for which game.

A {{w|legacy game|legacy board game}} is one where players change the game itself in the course of play, such that future sessions are modified. The "meta-game" this comic describes fits this definition, because the available pool of games (and expansion packs) changes based on the players' decisions. Randall refers to board games sometimes becoming repetitive if played every week, which is a common tradition among friends or families. Some players, in order to make the games less repetitive, may create legacy versions of the game.

The title text refers to how many board and card game owners wish to keep their games in as-new condition, going as far as refusing to shuffle cards in ways that bend them, or not punching tokens out of their cardboard frames. A legacy game, of course, is ''meant'' to be permanently altered, but [https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/5oxhz2/pandemic_legacy_do_you_really_destroy_cards_or/ many players] [https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2118913/do-you-have-destroy-cards find it hard] to perform destructive actions like cutting or tearing up cards. Even some games not classed as "legacy" games may have elements such as blank cards to be filled in by the players. For those who are reluctant to make changes, these items may remain blank forever. An additional layer of humour comes from the fact that it sounds like the speaker is chastising a game owner who does not want to engage with these elements of the game, but instead urges them to pour soda on the game (something that would usually be an unfortunate accident). "2d6" is standard notation for games that involve rolling several different types of dice, where the first number refers to the number of dice to be rolled (in this case 2), and the second number referring to the style of dice (in this case 6-sided). That means that the player could end up pouring between 2 and 12 ounces of soda (inclusive) into their game box, depending on the total value rolled on the two 6-sided dice and any mapping function used to translate from dice roll to ounces.

The board game boxes visible in this comic are real board games, including Wingspan and Wits and Wagers.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[White Hat, Megan, Ponytail, and Cueball are sitting around a table that is covered with board game boxes. White Hat is pointing at Ponytail. Both Ponytail and Cueball are holding boxes.]

Ponytail: You may reallocate up to five tokens to your top choice from last week. Remember, the game with the least support tonight will go to the thrift store.

Ponytail: Next, we'll resume the debate over ordering expansion packs.

[Caption beneath the panel:]

We got tired of having the same repetitive arguments every week over which game to play, so we developed ''Board Game Argument: Legacy''.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Board games]]

2488: Board Game Argument: Legacy

2021-07-14T01:03:47Z

172.69.35.209: /* Explanation */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2488
| date = July 12, 2021
| title = Board Game Argument: Legacy
| image = board_game_argument_legacy.png
| titletext = Listen, you need to get over your reluctance to permanently alter a game. Now roll 2d6 to determine how many ounces of soda to spill into the box.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOARD GAME ARGUMENT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic continues the joke from comic [[2486: Board Game Party Schedule]], released the previous week, about the difficulty some gaming groups have actually ''playing'' any game at all once they get together. In this scenario the group have leveraged the difficulty of choosing a game into a game itself. It seems to be that each player has a certain number of votes, or tokens, that they can use to decide which game to play, with the added element that they permanently dispose of the losing game. This can lead to strategic play where a player might vote for a game, even if they don't want to play it that night, so that they could still play it at some future resolution of the choosing.

Once the voting is finished, the next phase of the game is to debate which expansion packs they should collectively buy for which game.

A {{w|legacy game|legacy board game}} is one where players change the game itself in the course of play, such that future sessions are modified. The "meta-game" this comic describes fits this definition, because the available pool of games (and expansion packs) changes based on the players' decisions. Randall refers to board games sometimes becoming repetitive if played every week, which is a common tradition among friends or families. Some players, in order to make the games less repetitive, may create legacy versions od the game.

The title text refers to how many board and card game owners wish to keep their games in as-new condition, going as far as refusing to shuffle cards in ways that bend them, or not punching tokens out of their cardboard frames. A legacy game, of course, is ''meant'' to be permanently altered, but [https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/5oxhz2/pandemic_legacy_do_you_really_destroy_cards_or/ many players] [https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2118913/do-you-have-destroy-cards find it hard] to perform destructive actions like cutting or tearing up cards. Even some games not classed as "legacy" games may have elements such as blank cards to be filled in by the players. For those who are reluctant to make changes, these items may remain blank forever. An additional layer of humour comes from the fact that it sounds like the speaker is chastising a game owner who does not want to engage with these elements of the game, but instead urges them to pour soda on the game (something that would usually be an unfortunate accident). "2d6" is standard notation for games that involve rolling several different types of dice, where the first number refers to the number of dice to be rolled (in this case 2), and the second number referring to the style of dice (in this case 6-sided). That means that the player could end up pouring between 2 and 12 ounces of soda (inclusive) into their game box, depending on the total value rolled on the two 6-sided dice and any mapping function used to translate from dice roll to ounces.

The board game boxes visible in this comic are real board games, including Wingspan and Wits and Wagers.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[White Hat, Megan, Ponytail, and Cueball are sitting around a table that is covered with board game boxes. White Hat is pointing at Ponytail. Both Ponytail and Cueball are holding boxes.]

Ponytail: You may reallocate up to five tokens to your top choice from last week. Remember, the game with the least support tonight will go to the thrift store.

Ponytail: Next, we'll resume the debate over ordering expansion packs.

[Caption beneath the panel:]

We got tired of having the same repetitive arguments every week over which game to play, so we developed ''Board Game Argument: Legacy''.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Board games]]

2488: Board Game Argument: Legacy

2021-07-13T18:20:34Z

172.69.35.209: Mon comic

{{comic
| number = 2488
| date = July 12, 2021
| title = Board Game Argument: Legacy
| image = board_game_argument_legacy.png
| titletext = Listen, you need to get over your reluctance to permanently alter a game. Now roll 2d6 to determine how many ounces of soda to spill into the box.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic continues the joke from comic 2486, released the previous week, about the difficulty some gaming groups have actually ''playing'' any game at all once they get together. In this scenario the group have leveraged the difficulty of choosing a game into a game itself. It seems to be that each player has a certain number of votes, or tokens, that they can use to decide which game to play, with the added element that they permanently dispose of the losing game. This can lead to strategic play where a player might vote for a game, even if they don't want to play it that night, so that they could still play it at some future resolution of the choosing.

Once the voting is finished, the next phase of the game is to debate which expansion packs they should collectively buy for which game.

A {{w|legacy game}} is one where players change the game itself in the course of play, such that future sessions are modified. The "meta-game" this comic describes fits this definition, because the available pool of games (and expansion packs) changes based on the players' decisions.

The title text refers to how many board and card game owners wish to keep their games in as-new condition, going as far as refusing to shuffle cards in ways that bend them, or not punching tokens out of their cardboard frames. A legacy game, of course, is ''meant'' to be permanently altered, but [https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/5oxhz2/pandemic_legacy_do_you_really_destroy_cards_or/ many players] [https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2118913/do-you-have-destroy-cards find it hard] to perform destructive actions like cutting or tearing up cards. Even some games not classed as "legacy" games may have elements such as blank cards to be filled in by the players. For those who are reluctant to make changes, these items may remain blank forever.

The board game boxes visible in this comic are real board games, including Wingspan and Wits and Wagers.

The humor of the title text comes from the fact that it sounds like the speaker is chastising a game owner who does not want to engage with these elements of the game, but instead urges them to pour soda on the game (something that would usually be an unfortunate accident). "2d6" is standard notation for games that involve rolling several different types of dice, where the first number refers to the number of dice to be rolled (in this case 2), and the second number referring to the style of dice (in this case 6-sided). That means that the player could end up pouring between 2 and 12 ounces of soda (inclusive) into their game box, depending on the total value rolled on the two 6-sided dice and any mapping function used to translate from dice roll to ounces.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[White Hat, Megan, Ponytail, and Cueball are sitting around a table that is covered with board game boxes. White Hat is pointing at Ponytail. Both Ponytail and Cueball are holding boxes.]

Ponytail: You may reallocate up to five tokens to your top choice from last week. Remember, the game with the least support tonight will go to the thrift store.

Ponytail: Next, we'll resume the debate over ordering expansion packs.

[Caption beneath the panel:]

We got tired of having the same repetitive arguments every week over which game to play, so we developed ''Board Game Argument: Legacy''.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Board games]]

2488: Board Game Argument: Legacy

2021-07-13T04:21:55Z

172.69.35.209: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 2488
| date = July 13, 2021
| title = Board Game Argument: Legacy
| image = board_game_argument_legacy.png
| titletext = Listen, you need to get over your reluctance to permanently alter a game. Now roll 2d6 to determine how many ounces of soda to spill into the box.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT. 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.}}
[White Hat, Megan, Ponytail, and Cueball are sitting around a table that is covered with board game boxes. White Hat is pointing at Ponytail. Both Ponytail and Cueball are holding boxes.]

Ponytail: You may reallocate up to five tokens to your top choice from last week. Remember, the game with the least support tonight will go to the thrift store.

Ponytail: Next, we'll resume the debate over ordering expansion packs.

[Caption beneath the panel:]

We got tired of having the same repetitive arguments every week over which game to play, so we developed ''Board Game Argument: Legacy''.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2483: Linked List Interview Problem

2021-07-01T06:57:16Z

172.69.35.209:

Assuming not everyone understands O notation: O(1) means that it always takes the same time, no matter how much data is stored. O(n) means the time is proportional to the amount of data stored - if you have 10 times the data, it takes 10 times as long to find the one you want. {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.84}}

This code won't mail the linked list to a museum - it will mail the memory location of the head of the list to a museum.{{unsigned ip|172.70.130.192}}

just to make sure I get this right.
If I want to save the numbers "1", "2", "3", "4" in an array it could (depending on the programming language) just be "[1,2,3,4]", while a linked list could be "1 (jump to 3rd entry), 4, 2 (jump to 4th entry), 3 (jump to 2nd entry)"?
Then entering 2.5 between 2 and 3 would be complicated in the array as you have to move the 3 and 4 to new places, while in the linked list you just change the direction after to to jump to 5th entry, and add 2.5 and the instruction to jump to 4th entry? While it is of course harder to find a specific entry in the linked list. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:01, 1 July 2021 (UTC)

Does anyone know when the last comic was that used colors? Is this something worth mentioning? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.42|162.158.88.42]] 06:11, 1 July 2021 (UTC)

: I found the category: [[Category:Comics with color]]. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.153|162.158.93.153]] 06:17, 1 July 2021 (UTC)

I added some words regarding the title text. Feel free to expand/clarify/correct as necessary. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.209|172.69.35.209]] 06:57, 1 July 2021 (UTC)

2483: Linked List Interview Problem

2021-07-01T06:55:57Z

172.69.35.209: /* Explanation */ - Title text

{{comic
| number = 2483
| date = July 1, 2021
| title = Linked List Interview Problem
| image = linked_list_interview_problem.png
| titletext = I'd traverse it myself, but it's singly linked, so I'm worried that I won't be able to find my way back to 2021.
}}

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

Linked lists are an obsolete and harder way of working with arithmetic data pointers, making it a common interview question involving manipulating or otherwise interacting with a linked list. Because programmers in the current day rarely work with a linked list directly, Randall suggests that such structures belong in a "technology museum," and thinks it would be more beneficial to mankind to email the list to such a museum rather than perform any useful work with it.

A linked list is a way to store data in a computer. Each piece of data is stored with a pointer to the next piece. This makes it very easy to add new data in the middle, since only one existing pointer must change to point to the new data. The drawback is that finding data may require following the entire chain. This suggests that it's an archaic type which belongs in a museum, yet technical programming interviewers still like to see if applicants are familiar with the structure.

Linked lists are, historically, one of the two main data structures that represent sequential data, along with arrays. Unlike arrays, they have the advantage of O(1) insertions and deletions thanks to not needing to reallocate the entire structure, but have O(n) random access. However, it is highly unlikely that anyone using a modern programming language will interact with sequential data at the memory level, and such languages will provide an abstraction usually termed "array" or "list" that provides optimized access to sequences that may use under the hood arrays, linked lists, something else entirely, or a hybrid of the aforementioned technologies.

In the title text, a singly-linked list contains pointers to traverse the list in only one direction; namely, from the head to the end. By contrast, each element in a doubly-linked list contains pointers to both the "next" and "previous" elements, enabling traversal in either direction. Randall continues the implication that such lists are obsolete by implying that traversing such a list would be akin to time travel to the past. Without the "previous element" pointers, Randall is concerned he would not be able to reverse the time travel, as he could not traverse the list in the reverse direction.

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

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]

1400: D.B. Cooper

2021-07-01T00:31:22Z

172.69.35.209: /* Explanation */ not really "firend"

{{comic
| number = 1400
| date = July 28, 2014
| title = D.B. Cooper
| image = d_b_cooper.png
| titletext = 'Why on Earth would someone commit air piracy just to finance a terrible movie decades later?' 'People are very strange these days.'
}}

==Explanation==
[[File:DBCooper.jpg|thumb|150px|Cooper]]
In 1971, a man referred to by the media as {{w|D. B. Cooper}} hijacked a Boeing 727 and escaped with $200,000 in ransom money (equivalent to $900,000 in 2003 or $1,250,000 in 2020). While the FBI maintains that Cooper was most likely killed when he parachuted from the plane, they have never determined his identity, and the investigation was called off in 2016, making it the United States' only unsolved plane hijacking. (This mystery was later referenced in [[1501: Mysteries]], and then again in [[2452: Aviation Firsts]].)

[[File:Tommy Wiseau.jpg|thumb|150px|Wiseau]]
In 2003, {{w|Tommy Wiseau}} released {{w|The Room (film)|''The Room''}}, considered by many the worst film ever made. In the decade since he has become something of an icon alongside his infamous movie, of which he was the producer, writer, director, and star. Surprisingly little, however, is known about him. The comic refers to "The Room" as "...the '{{w|Citizen Kane}}' of bad movies." This is a comparison between what is widely considered the best film of all time, which was, coincidentally the first film produced by, written by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles and what is widely considered the worst film of all time, the first film produced by, written by, directed by, and starring Tommy Wiseau.

This comic points to similarities between several details of Cooper and Wiseau's stories:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Cooper
!Wiseau
|-
|"Vanished mysteriously with a large amount of money":Cooper escaped with $200,000 in 1971 dollars, equivalent to around $1.3M today. $5,800 of that money was recovered in 1980 in the vicinity of where Cooper jumped from the plane, but the rest was never found. Assuming Cooper survived, he would have had decades to turn the $200k into an even larger fortune.
|"Appeared mysteriously with a large amount of money":''The Room'' cost $6 million to make, and initially grossed a mere $1,900—a loss of 99.97% of the investment. It is generally assumed that all or most of that money was Wiseau's own, which raises the question of how he obtained such wealth. Although Wiseau claims to have earned his money by selling toys to tourists, and later factory-reject jeans, his ''Room'' co-star {{w|Greg Sestero}} considers it very unlikely that he earned so many millions this way.
|-
|"Real age/name unknown":Cooper's real name remains unknown. While he was estimated to be in his mid-40s, his precise age is also unknown.
|"Colleague says he's much older than he claims":In 2010, Wiseau stated that he was 41. Sestero, however, says he was born in the 1950s.
|-
|"Ambiguous, possibly affected speaking style ('negotiable American currency')":Cooper's use of this unusual phrase has led to speculation about his origins, including as to whether he was perhaps not an American.
|"Ambiguous, possibly affected speaking style ('You are tearing me apart, Lisa!')":The most famously melodramatic line from ''The Room'', [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plz-bhcHryc "You are tearing me apart, Lisa!"] is one of several which highlights Wiseau's unusual accent and less-than-complete command of the English language. As with Cooper's "negotiable American currency," it is phrased in a way not typical of American English.The phrase "You're tearing me apart!" originally appeared in ''{{w|Rebel Without a Cause}}'', though it appeared in a more appropriate context. Wiseau simply wanted to include the phrase because he adored James Dean, without considering how the phrase ended up feeling in his movie.
|-
|"Fate unknown":Cooper has not been seen since he jumped from the plane, though the FBI has investigated over a thousand "serious suspects." He either died trying to jump from the plane, or disappeared completely after touching down.
|"Background unknown":Despite Wiseau being a public figure for over a decade since the release of ''The Room'', little is definitively known about his background. Sestero says Wiseau was born somewhere in Eastern Europe - people who have traced his family tree found his family are likely from {{w|Poznań}}, central Poland. Wiseau has said he has moved back and forth between Europe and the U.S. throughout his life, spending significant time in France and Louisiana. His accent is hard to place.His legal name, place of birth, date of birth, and nationality are all unknown, as are most of the details of how he's spent his life.
|-
|}

The comic then compares an FBI sketch of Cooper with a photograph of Wiseau, apparently to claim that they have similar appearances. The only real similarity is that they're both wearing sunglasses.

However, these are only a few cherry-picked aspects of their lives, and do not seriously suggest that they are the same person. For example, even if we assume that Wiseau was born in 1950, and that Cooper was only 35 (probably the youngest age which can be mistaken for mid-40s) in 1971, that leaves a 14-year gap between their ages. Likewise, Cooper was said to have either an American or Canadian accent, while Wiseau's bizarre accent is certainly not North American. While [[Cueball]]'s theory in this comic is clearly a joke on [[Randall]]'s part, given Randall's [[258: Conspiracy Theories|known]] [[690: Semicontrolled Demolition|distaste]] [[966: Jet Fuel|for]] conspiracy theories, this may also be making fun of people who base theories off of minor details while ignoring contradictory ones and bigger-picture questions. The question in the title text, for instance, notes that Cooper would have gone through a huge amount of effort just to produce a movie; a similar rhetorical device is often used against convoluted conspiracy theories, where one points out a vastly simpler way for the supposed conspirators to have accomplished their goals.

The title text goes on to attribute such a weird motive for hijacking to the impression that "people are very strange these days," which is another quote from ''The Room''.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is using a baton to point towards a projector.]
:D.B. Cooper
:("Dan Cooper")

:Hijacked a plane in the 1970s.
:On landing, demanded money and
:parachutes. Jumped from plane
:mid-flight and was never found.

:*Vanished mysteriously with large amount of money
:*Real age/name unknown
:*Ambiguous, possibly affected speaking style ("negotiable American currency")
:*Fate unknown

:[Cueball has his palm out.]
:Tommy Wiseau
:("Johnny")

:Wrote, directed, and starred in
:''The Room'', a film widely hailed as
:"The ''Citizen Kane'' of bad movies."

:*Appeared mysteriously with large amount of money
:*Colleague says he's much older than he claims.
:*Ambiguous, possibly affected speaking style ("You are tearing me apart, Lisa!")
:*Background unknown

:[Two images captioned "Cooper (FBI sketch)" and "Wiseau (Flickr photo by Al Pavangkanan)".]

:Offscreen voice: This is the dumbest theory I've ever heard.
:Cueball: But it explains ''everything!!''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theory]]

1400: D.B. Cooper

2021-07-01T00:29:38Z

172.69.35.209: /* Explanation */ wlink

{{comic
| number = 1400
| date = July 28, 2014
| title = D.B. Cooper
| image = d_b_cooper.png
| titletext = 'Why on Earth would someone commit air piracy just to finance a terrible movie decades later?' 'People are very strange these days.'
}}

==Explanation==
[[File:DBCooper.jpg|thumb|150px|Cooper]]
In 1971, a man referred to by the media as {{w|D. B. Cooper}} hijacked a Boeing 727 and escaped with $200,000 in ransom money (equivalent to $900,000 in 2003 or $1,250,000 in 2020). While the FBI maintains that Cooper was most likely killed when he parachuted from the plane, they have never determined his identity, and the investigation was called off in 2016, making it the United States' only unsolved plane hijacking. (This mystery was later referenced in [[1501: Mysteries]], and then again in [[2452: Aviation Firsts]].)

[[File:Tommy Wiseau.jpg|thumb|150px|Wiseau]]
In 2003, {{w|Tommy Wiseau}} released {{w|The Room (film)|''The Room''}}, considered by many the worst film ever made. In the decade since he has become something of an icon alongside his infamous movie, of which he was the producer, writer, director, and star. Surprisingly little, however, is known about him. The comic refers to "The Room" as "...the '{{w|Citizen Kane}}' of bad movies." This is a comparison between what is widely considered the best film of all time, which was, coincidentally the first film produced by, written by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles and what is widely considered the worst film of all time, the first film produced by, written by, directed by, and starring Tommy Wiseau.

This comic points to similarities between several details of Cooper and Wiseau's stories:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Cooper
!Wiseau
|-
|"Vanished mysteriously with a large amount of money":Cooper escaped with $200,000 in 1971 dollars, equivalent to around $1.3M today. $5,800 of that money was recovered in 1980 in the vicinity of where Cooper jumped from the plane, but the rest was never found. Assuming Cooper survived, he would have had decades to turn the $200k into an even larger fortune.
|"Appeared mysteriously with a large amount of money":''The Room'' cost $6 million to make, and initially grossed a mere $1,900—a loss of 99.97% of the investment. It is generally assumed that all or most of that money was Wiseau's own, which raises the question of how he obtained such wealth. Although Wiseau claims to have earned his money by selling toys to tourists, and later factory-reject jeans, his friend and ''Room'' co-star {{w|Greg Sestero}} considers it very unlikely that he earned so many millions this way.
|-
|"Real age/name unknown":Cooper's real name remains unknown. While he was estimated to be in his mid-40s, his precise age is also unknown.
|"Colleague says he's much older than he claims":In 2010, Wiseau stated that he was 41. Sestero, however, says he was born in the 1950s.
|-
|"Ambiguous, possibly affected speaking style ('negotiable American currency')":Cooper's use of this unusual phrase has led to speculation about his origins, including as to whether he was perhaps not an American.
|"Ambiguous, possibly affected speaking style ('You are tearing me apart, Lisa!')":The most famously melodramatic line from ''The Room'', [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plz-bhcHryc "You are tearing me apart, Lisa!"] is one of several which highlights Wiseau's unusual accent and less-than-complete command of the English language. As with Cooper's "negotiable American currency," it is phrased in a way not typical of American English.The phrase "You're tearing me apart!" originally appeared in ''{{w|Rebel Without a Cause}}'', though it appeared in a more appropriate context. Wiseau simply wanted to include the phrase because he adored James Dean, without considering how the phrase ended up feeling in his movie.
|-
|"Fate unknown":Cooper has not been seen since he jumped from the plane, though the FBI has investigated over a thousand "serious suspects." He either died trying to jump from the plane, or disappeared completely after touching down.
|"Background unknown":Despite Wiseau being a public figure for over a decade since the release of ''The Room'', little is definitively known about his background. Sestero says Wiseau was born somewhere in Eastern Europe - people who have traced his family tree found his family are likely from {{w|Poznań}}, central Poland. Wiseau has said he has moved back and forth between Europe and the U.S. throughout his life, spending significant time in France and Louisiana. His accent is hard to place.His legal name, place of birth, date of birth, and nationality are all unknown, as are most of the details of how he's spent his life.
|-
|}

The comic then compares an FBI sketch of Cooper with a photograph of Wiseau, apparently to claim that they have similar appearances. The only real similarity is that they're both wearing sunglasses.

However, these are only a few cherry-picked aspects of their lives, and do not seriously suggest that they are the same person. For example, even if we assume that Wiseau was born in 1950, and that Cooper was only 35 (probably the youngest age which can be mistaken for mid-40s) in 1971, that leaves a 14-year gap between their ages. Likewise, Cooper was said to have either an American or Canadian accent, while Wiseau's bizarre accent is certainly not North American. While [[Cueball]]'s theory in this comic is clearly a joke on [[Randall]]'s part, given Randall's [[258: Conspiracy Theories|known]] [[690: Semicontrolled Demolition|distaste]] [[966: Jet Fuel|for]] conspiracy theories, this may also be making fun of people who base theories off of minor details while ignoring contradictory ones and bigger-picture questions. The question in the title text, for instance, notes that Cooper would have gone through a huge amount of effort just to produce a movie; a similar rhetorical device is often used against convoluted conspiracy theories, where one points out a vastly simpler way for the supposed conspirators to have accomplished their goals.

The title text goes on to attribute such a weird motive for hijacking to the impression that "people are very strange these days," which is another quote from ''The Room''.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is using a baton to point towards a projector.]
:D.B. Cooper
:("Dan Cooper")

:Hijacked a plane in the 1970s.
:On landing, demanded money and
:parachutes. Jumped from plane
:mid-flight and was never found.

:*Vanished mysteriously with large amount of money
:*Real age/name unknown
:*Ambiguous, possibly affected speaking style ("negotiable American currency")
:*Fate unknown

:[Cueball has his palm out.]
:Tommy Wiseau
:("Johnny")

:Wrote, directed, and starred in
:''The Room'', a film widely hailed as
:"The ''Citizen Kane'' of bad movies."

:*Appeared mysteriously with large amount of money
:*Colleague says he's much older than he claims.
:*Ambiguous, possibly affected speaking style ("You are tearing me apart, Lisa!")
:*Background unknown

:[Two images captioned "Cooper (FBI sketch)" and "Wiseau (Flickr photo by Al Pavangkanan)".]

:Offscreen voice: This is the dumbest theory I've ever heard.
:Cueball: But it explains ''everything!!''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theory]]