explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1021: Business Plan

2024-03-26T00:06:11Z

172.69.79.130: /* Explanation */ I think you intended this. Double-squared, with the "Category:foo" preceded with a further ":" to stop it being a 'hidden' literal category membership.

{{comic
| number = 1021
| date = February 24, 2012
| title = Business Plan
| image = business_plan.png
| titletext = The investor elevator pitch is "Wheeeeeeee! Elevators are fun!"
}}

==Explanation==

This one has the art and feel of very early xkcd comics, even though those stick figures did not appear by that time.

[[Beret Guy]] has developed (or spontaneously implemented) a [[:Category:Beret_Guy's Business|"business plan"]] whereby he lures seagulls to an area of a beach utilizing breadcrumbs. Once the gulls converge on the area, he sets up a sign reading "GULLS FOR SALE" with a jar for money. Though Beret Guy probably expects to profit, the confused reactions of other people in the last panel indicate nobody is buying, and the limited number of gulls, four, is low enough that their sale might not even finance the breadcrumbs. In real life, there is no market for seagulls, nor will there ever be in the foreseeable future.{{Citation needed}}

The title text is a reference to the phrase "{{w|Elevator pitch}}", which is also similar to "investor pitch". The point of an elevator pitch is to have a synopsis of your idea that you are capable of delivering on a moment's notice in the time it takes to ride the elevator, about 30 seconds. This way, when you get that once-in-a-career opportunity to pitch your plan to the one person who can make it happen because you just happened to catch the same elevator, you are ready. The reason the elevator pitch is so simplistic is because the same sort of person that would think selling seagulls is a viable business model is likely the same sort of person to make a childish elevator pitch. This also pokes fun at the idea of people sweating over their pitch with such seriousness, when Beret Guy's pitch is literally a childish exclamation. Wheeee!

==Transcript==
:[6 small panels extend across the width of the comic...]

:[Beret Guy stands on a shoreline and takes in the environment in silent contemplation.]

:[In a frame-less panel, Beret Guy heads off with an idea fresh in his head.]

:[Beret Guy saunters back with a jar, some bread, and a signboard.]

:[Beret Guy tears the bread off into pieces.]

:[Beret Guy sets up the signboard, with its contents yet to be revealed.]

:[Beret Guy heads off and waits for the plan to unfold.]

:[A large full-width panel below the first 6 small panels shows the same beach, this time with Megan and Cueball standing in front of and reading the sign. Cueball scratches his head. The bread has attracted quite a few gulls. There is a label on the jar.]
:Jar label: $
:Sign: Gulls for sale

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]

Talk:875: 2009 Called

2024-03-11T08:18:02Z

172.69.79.130:

I was too busy trading fashion tips, and they hung up before I could tell them. '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 00:38, 11 January 2013 (UTC)

The '90s called. They wanted my pogs back. But, due to inflation, they couldn't offer me enough money for me to be willing to sell. I told them my friend, Oscar, has some Pokémon stuff, but the '90s had no interest in that crap. I made the right choice to choose pogs over Pokémon. Society made the wrong one. But, I digress. The '90s are doing rather well, and they miss us.[[Special:Contributions/76.29.225.28|76.29.225.28]] 18:20, 14 July 2013 (UTC)
:The only Pokémon stuff I ever had was a bunch of pogs, so... --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.10.172|172.68.10.172]] 18:26, 31 December 2016 (UTC)

2017 called, but I couldn't understand what they were saying over all the screams. I bet it was something about them being attacked by 4 Replicants. [[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 23:49, 23 January 2015 (UTC)

Well, that title text is feeling pretty prophetic now...[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.185|141.101.98.185]] 00:08, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

'''Hello it's 2017, please send help.''' [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.202|108.162.237.202]] 21:23, 7 February 2017 (UTC)
:This is 2018 calling in, you'll be alright on your own. At least for the time being. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.130|108.162.241.130]] 05:05, 14 January 2018 (UTC)
::2020 here. We're hosed. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.127|172.68.189.127]] 20:52, 6 April 2020 (UTC)
:::2021 says, I miss 2020, please send time machine[[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.205|172.70.206.205]] 03:13, 27 November 2021
::::2022 says, oh my god send help Covid is playing mix-and-match. 1:53, 1 Apr 2022 (UTC)
:::::2023 here, no comment. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.35.8|162.158.35.8]] 13:10, 13 November 2023 (UTC)
::::::2024 here, MatPat's gone and that war is still ongoing. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.130|172.69.79.130]] 08:18, 11 March 2024 (UTC)
This now stands as a piece of horrifying foreshadowing. Seriously, we're barely in april and things alredy look terrifying. I blame Randall for everything. {{unsigned ip|198.41.226.124}}

The screaming in 2017 was just an echo of everybody's collective screams from 2016 when almost everybody's favorite musician or celebrity died. We now refer to it as 'The Year Who's Number Shall Not be Spoken' [[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.225|172.69.68.225]] 05:59, 15 February 2018 (UTC)

The explanation mentioned Trump, but it doesn't actually attack him too much. Good. We don't need all the Trump hate here. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.165|162.158.74.165]] 22:28, 25 September 2018 (UTC)
:I've removed the sentence because Randall is no clairvoyant. This comic is from 2011 and 2017 was not only a Trump year. And guessing about Clinton doesn't explain the comic at all. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:01, 27 September 2018 (UTC)
::Shouldn't there be a {{Citation needed}} after the statement that Randall isn't clairvoyant? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.214|108.162.210.214]] 20:41, 6 January 2020 (UTC)
:::Well, clearly, he isn't. I mean, he was off by three whole years! But I guess you didn't know that, did you, 108.162.210.214 20:41 6 January 2020 (UTC)? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.75|162.158.62.75]] 14:19, 8 June 2020 (UTC)
::::The notion that 2017 was a bad year seems comical in retrospect. I suspect by this time next year, we will feel the same way about 2020.
::::For the benefit of anyone reading this far enough in the future that the topical reference isn't obvious: There's a new virus and half a million people have died so far. It is still increasing exponentially. If you didn't hear about it it's because whatever happens after this is worse, probably. {{unsigned|Singlelinelabyrinth}}
:::::It's also possible that person reading it from future would still consider 2020 bad but for different reason. After all, historically speaking, the epidemic is not THAT bad (yet): it just shows how unprepared we were for it despite thinking otherwise. Just now, I'm little worried about how big temperature {{w|Donald Trump|the person currently in charge of US nuclear weapons}} has. Sure, they SAY [https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54427390 he's getting better] ... I still think he should've transfer the codes to {{w|Mike Pence|vicepresident}} at least for time he was in hospital. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 03:10, 6 October 2020 (UTC)
::::::1) *pandemic, 2) ??! Not that bad? Over twice as many people have died in the United States from COVID-19 than those who fought in World War I! I get that, with respect to the world, it's not been as devastating due to early restrictions, but it's still making a sizeable impression on people right now. Also, Singlelinelabyrinth is likely more correct than she/he thinks: a good contributor to it, and literally everything else happening right now, is the [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline|global warming]] of recent years. On the other hand, so as not to appear like your run-of-the-mill pugnacious liberal, I will agree with you that the codes should've been transferred to Pence during Trump's stay at the hospital.

1761: Blame

2024-03-04T13:36:06Z

172.69.79.130: empty section removed

{{comic
| number = 1761
| date = November 18, 2016
| title = Blame
| image = blame.png
| titletext = I bet if I yell at my scared friends I will feel better.
}}

==Explanation==
Cueball is blaming his "friends on {{w|Facebook}}" for "bad things [that] are happening".

People often rant on {{w|social media}} sites (like Facebook) about various things which are blamed on certain people (or sometimes usually everyone), but the person doing the ranting never thinks that the problem might be with themselves.

While there could be possible reasons for bad events (for example if the bad event was nobody wishing him a happy birthday or someone posting compromising pictures), his friends would not be a likely source for bad events extending beyond a personal or local scope. Most people have a few hundred (or thousand) "friends" on Facebook, most of whom do not have enough influence to cause bad events on a national or global level.{{Citation needed}}

The title text refers to people venting. The humorous assumption here is that one will feel better after doing so. While some amount of venting might help to relieve stress caused by bad events, alienating people you know by blaming them for bad events usually causes more stress in the long run.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball stands.]
:Cueball (thinking): I feel sad.
:Cueball (thinking): Bad things are happening.

:[Cueball still stands.]
:Cueball (thinking): They must be someone's fault.
:Cueball (thinking): But whose?

:[Cueball makes several thinking poses before a light bulb appears over his head.]

:[Close-up of Cueball's head.]
:Cueball (thinking): ''My friends on Facebook.''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Social networking]]

159: Boombox

2023-12-16T01:12:22Z

172.69.79.130: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 159
| date = September 20, 2006
| title = Boombox
| image = boombox.png
| titletext = And she's gonna feel like a jerk when she realizes it was actually Under Pressure.
}}

==Explanation==
We see [[Cueball]] declare his love for [[Megan]] in an oft-used setting, paying homage to similar events in classic literature, notably the "balcony scene" from {{w|William Shakespeare|William Shakespeare's}} play {{w|Romeo and Juliet}} ([https://www.sparknotes.com/nofear/shakespeare/romeojuliet/page_78/ act 2, scene 2]), and a similar situation in {{w|Edmond Rostand}}'s {{w|Cyrano_de_Bergerac_(play)|Cyrano de Bergerac}} ([https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/French/Cyranoact3.php#anchor_actIIIsceneVI act 3, scenes 6-7]). In the former, Romeo, attempting to woo Juliet, stands beneath her balcony to profess his love for her. In the latter, an inarticulate cadet, Christian, professes his love for Roxane by arranging to use the words of a fellow soldier, Cyrano, who secretly also loves Roxane.

The 1989 movie "{{w|Say Anything...}}" contains a modern interpretation of this declaration of love, where {{w|John Cusack}} plays {{w|Peter Gabriel|Peter Gabriel's}} "{{w|In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel song)#Say Anything...|In Your Eyes}}" on a boombox outside the house of the girl he likes.

Parodying this iconic scene ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Y8tFQ01OY video]), Cueball is holding up a {{w|boombox}} (a self-contained semiportable stereo system, typically with cassette tape or CD player, and complete with integrated speakers) that is playing music while Cueball declares his love for Megan. She first is startled, embarrassed, then eventually confused by the 1990 hit single {{w|Ice Ice Baby}} ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog8ou-ZepE&ob=av2e video]) by {{w|Vanilla Ice}} playing on the boombox. Cueball then admits he is "not very good at this," attempting to recreate the classic romantic scene, but utterly failing to play music suitable for such an event. The film scene is also referenced and parodied in the {{w|South Park}} episode 'Raisins', when Stan unsuccessfully tries to win back his ex-girlfriend Wendy in this fashion. Stan is advised to play Peter Gabriel out of a boombox, but plays the decidedly unromantic Peter Gabriel track {{w|Shock The Monkey}}. It is possible that Randall was also referencing that South Park scene in this comic.

The title text mentions that Cueball is actually playing "{{w|Under Pressure}}" ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a01QQZyl-_I video]), the 1981 hit song by {{w|Queen (band)|Queen}} and {{w|David Bowie}}, but Megan has confused it with "Ice Ice Baby," which samples the bassline and piano motif from "Under Pressure." It also may be that Cueball is having trouble holding the boombox, hence Cueball being 'under pressure.'

These two songs are again referenced together in [[1561: Water Phase Diagram]], and "Ice Ice Baby" is also lampooned in [[210: 90's Flowchart]]. It is possible that this is the same couple as mentioned in [[112: Baring My Heart]], as the creator of that Venn diagram reveals to their romantic partner that their feelings towards their paramour are comparable to their feelings for Vanilla Ice.

This was the first time that the name "[[Megan#Name|Megan]]" was used in xkcd. The next comic to use it was the much more depressing [[215: Letting Go]].

==Transcript==
:[Megan is looking out a second story window at Cueball holding a boombox over his head. Musical Notes are coming out of it.]
:Cueball: Megan!
:Megan: Oh my god, I can't believe this is happening.
:Cueball: I love you!
:Megan: Okay, that's great. Wait a second. Is... is that... Ice Ice Baby? What the hell?
:Cueball: I'm not very good at this.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Romance]]

2844: Black Holes vs Regular Holes

2023-10-20T18:34:13Z

172.69.79.130: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2844
| date = October 20, 2023
| title = Black Holes vs Regular Holes
| image = black_holes_vs_regular_holes_2x.png
| imagesize = 525x743px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Created by the collapse of: [massive stars] [Florida limestone bedrock]
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BLACK HOLE CREATED BY CHILDREN AT THE BEACH - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is a comparison between {{w|Black Holes}} and regular, everyday {{w|Hole|holes}}.

{| class="wikitable"
!
! scope="col"| Black Hole
! scope="col"| Regular Hole
! Scope="col"| Explanation
|-
! scope="row" | Usually formed by...
| Supernovas, colliding stars
| Shovels, small mammals
| Black holes are created by stars going into supernova, and occasionally by two stars colliding. On the contrary, regular holes are often created by humans using shovels, as well as small animals such as ants, moles, and dogs.
|-
! scope="row" | Falling in is...
| Definitely fatal
| Sometimes fatal
| Falling into a black hole is almost always fatal.{{citation needed}} On the other hand, if a regular hole is deep enough, it is possible for someone to die by falling into it.
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Big Bang
| Maybe
| No
| Like many other celestial objects, black holes may have been created by the {{w|Big Bang}}, however ordinary holes were almost definitely not created this way.
|-
! scope="row" | Created by children playing at the beach
| I ''REALLY'' hope not
| Yes
| Children commonly dig holes in sand at beaches, however if one were to create a black hole at the beach, this could prove cataclysmic.
|-
! scope="row" | Source of many precious metals
| Indirectly
| Yes
|
|-
! scope="row" | Einstein imagined falling into one
| Yes
| Probably at least once
| The thought experiments of {{w|Albery Einstein}}, particularly in relation to {{w|General Relativity}}, involve consideration of what happens when one falls through gravitationally-curved space. Aside from this, almost everyone has had a reason to consider the possibility of falling into a normal hole.
|-
! scope="row" | A component of Dark Matter
| Maybe
| Probably not
| {{w|Dark Matter}} is a theoretical part of the universe, a large amount of its total calculated mass which cannot (yet) be directly seen. It is considered possible that at least some of this 'missing mass' is in the form of black holes. It is not generally considered an option that ordinary holes have anything to do with this.
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Large Hadron Collider
| No
| Yes
| There were concerns when the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was initially put into operation that it would create a black hole that would destroy the Earth. This did not happen.{{Citation needed}} However, the LHC is mostly underground, and its construction required the digging of many holes.
|-
! scope="row" | Massive stars often collapse into them
| Yes
| No
| If a star is large enough, when the star dies, it may still have enough gravity to collapse back into itself, commonly creating black holes. This does not happen with regular holes, and would likely mean the end of the world.
|-
! scope="row" | Explored by humans in famous sci-fi stories
| Yes
| Yes
| Many sci-fi stories and movies explore black holes and regular holes alike.
|-
! scope="row" | Fatal to get a big one in your body
| Yes
| Yes
| If a black hole appeared inside of a person's body, they would almost definitely die instantly.{{citation needed}} The same goes for a regular hole - if you cut out a massive section of a human's body, they would likely bleed out.
|-
! scope="row" | Some of them are the mouths of wormholes
| Maybe
| Yes
| Black holes are commonly portrayed to be the entrances of {{w|Wormholes}}, especially in sci-fi stories. On the other side, many species of worms live in shallow holes, with a "mouth" on the surface - the "mouth" of the "worm hole".
|-
! scope="row" | Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne argued that any information that falls into them is lost forever
| Yes
| No
| The {{w|Black hole information paradox}} is a paradox arising from the storage of information within black holes. Scientist {{w|Stephen Hawking}}, who is famous for his research into black holes, said that black holes release their energy over time, eventually disappearing, through {{w|Hawking Radiation}}. According to this theory, if information was also to enter the black hole, it would be released alongside this radiation. On the other hand, the {{w|No-hair theorem}} states that all black holes are completely identical outside of three key features: mass, spin, and electric charge. If information that fell into a black hole is released with Hawking radiation, then that means that there ''must'' be more than three properties of black holes. 
On the other hand, information that falls into a normal hole is not lost forever, and can likely still be reobtained, especially if the information is stored physically.
|-
! scope="row" | Commonly inhabited by Meerkats
| Undetermined
| Yes
|Meerkats commonly live in holes underground, although it is unknown if this includes black holes.
|-
! scope="row" | '''(Title Text)''' Created by the collapse of
| Massive stars
| Florida limestone bedrock
| As mentioned before, Black holes are often created by the collapse of massive stars. On the other hand, many {{w|Sinkholes}} in Florida are caused due to most {{w|bedrock}} in the state being made of {{w|Limestone}}, which is naturally soluable - that is, easily dissolved in water. The collapse of this limestone is commonly attributed to many sinkholes in the state.
|}

==Transcript==
{| class="wikitable"
!
! scope="col"| Black Hole
! scope="col"| Regular Hole
|-
! scope="row" | Usually formed by...
| Supernovas, colliding stars
| Shovels, small mammals
|-
! scope="row" | Falling in is...
| Definitely fatal
| Sometimes fatal
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Big Bang
| Maybe
| No
|-
! scope="row" | Created by children playing at the beach
| I ''REALLY'' hope not
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Source of many precious metals
| Indirectly
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Einstein imagined falling into one
| Yes
| Probably at least once
|-
! scope="row" | A component of Dark Matter
| Maybe
| Probably not
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Large Hadron Collider
| No
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Massive stars often collapse into them
| Yes
| No
|-
! scope="row" | Explored by humans in famous sci-fi stories
| Yes
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Fatal to get a big one in your body
| Yes
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Some of them are the mouths of wormholes
| Maybe
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne argued that any information that falls into them is lost forever
| Yes
| No
|-
! scope="row" | Commonly inhabited by Meerkats
| Undetermined
| Yes
|}

{{comic discussion}}