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		<title>explain xkcd - User contributions [en]</title>
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		<updated>2026-05-31T14:34:37Z</updated>
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	<entry>
		<id>https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2748:_Radians_Are_Cursed&amp;diff=307480</id>
		<title>Talk:2748: Radians Are Cursed</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2748:_Radians_Are_Cursed&amp;diff=307480"/>
				<updated>2023-03-10T19:23:21Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;172.70.127.37: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;lt;!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
how do transcript [[Special:Contributions/172.70.127.37|172.70.127.37]] 19:23, 10 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>172.70.127.37</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2748:_Radians_Are_Cursed&amp;diff=307479</id>
		<title>2748: Radians Are Cursed</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2748:_Radians_Are_Cursed&amp;diff=307479"/>
				<updated>2023-03-10T19:22:49Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;172.70.127.37: /* Transcript */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{comic&lt;br /&gt;
| number    = 2748&lt;br /&gt;
| date      = March 10, 2023&lt;br /&gt;
| title     = Radians Are Cursed&lt;br /&gt;
| image     = radians_are_cursed_2x.png&lt;br /&gt;
| imagesize = 394x437px&lt;br /&gt;
| noexpand  = true&lt;br /&gt;
| titletext = Phil Plait once pointed out that you can calculate the total angular area of the sky this way. If the sky is a sphere with radius 57.3 degrees, then its area is 4*pi*r^2=41,253 square degrees. This makes dimensional analysts SO mad, but you can't argue with results.&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Explanation==&lt;br /&gt;
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Transcript==&lt;br /&gt;
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Math facts:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The unit circle has a radius of one. (Check mark)&lt;br /&gt;
One radian equals the length of a circle’s radius. (Check mark)&lt;br /&gt;
One radian is 57.3 degrees. (Check mark)&lt;br /&gt;
The unit circle has a radius of 57.3 degrees. (Red X)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
ok idk how to do transcripts someone help&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{comic discussion}}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>172.70.127.37</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2745:_Obituary_Editor&amp;diff=307223</id>
		<title>Talk:2745: Obituary Editor</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2745:_Obituary_Editor&amp;diff=307223"/>
				<updated>2023-03-04T16:23:10Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;172.70.127.37: comments&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;lt;!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I think it's a shame the editor wasn't playing Twister with Death. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.75|162.158.34.75]] 15:55, 3 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I think this comic is similar to [[393: Ultimate Game]]. Anyone else agree? --[[User:Purah126|Purah126]] ([[User talk:Purah126|talk]]) 16:04, 3 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is this the first xkcd character with they/them pronouns? [[User:ISaveXKCDpapers|ISaveXKCDpapers]] ([[User talk:ISaveXKCDpapers|talk]]) 17:31, 3 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
:Nope! [[145: Parody Week: Dinosaur Comics]] came first! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.254.100|172.71.254.100]] 17:48, 3 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
::Au contraire, mon ami. ''That'' comic only contains a discussion of the singular ''they'' and does not imply the existence of any character with they/them pronouns. In this comic, such a character is explicitly identified, that being the editor. [[User:ISaveXKCDpapers|ISaveXKCDpapers]] ([[User talk:ISaveXKCDpapers|talk]]) 18:10, 3 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
:::I think it's rather the much older use of &amp;quot;they&amp;quot; to avoid specifying gender when you don't know the person--to avoid saying &amp;quot;s/he&amp;quot; or whatever.[[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.11|198.41.238.11]] 03:41, 4 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
::::One knows one's own gender more than anyone else, however. I think the suggestion here is that the this is a deliberate act by a &amp;quot;my pronouns are they/them&amp;quot; person, perhaps notable as being a particularly progressive characterisation by Randall (I don't ''think'' he's had trans/gender-fluid characters, before, to any obvious or identifiable degree, BICBW) and so if we presume that they're expressing their identity in such a blatent way then it might be worth a word or two about it).&lt;br /&gt;
::::Though I'm as happy to believe that this is an &amp;quot;introextrovert&amp;quot;, in life happy to work behind the scenes, an otherwise invisible individual (save for regular and unavoidable interactions with work colleagues, who don't have any confusion about who they are dealing with) who just gets enjoyment from getting the job done, just knowing what 'power' (and concomitant responsibility) they have. Yet, once there is no way that the fuss will affect them, this is what their (post-)final act will be. It's relatively benign (in the grand scheme of such things, nothing like a Dead Hand device sparking full nuclear retaliation upon the world, or anything) and highlights the job at least as much as the person.&lt;br /&gt;
::::Or they're a trans-ally, deliberately making ''that'' point. Or this is an option built into the autoposting software, tickbox activated but the (even more unseen/un-selfpublicising) autoposter-author defaulted its output to the non-assuming pronouns. Or any one of a number of other explanations. It could just be Randall determined to not pin down such an irrelevent detail, either way, and never intending to spark a discussion on pronoun-use by accident. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.100|172.70.90.100]] 13:22, 4 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
:::These are very good points. --[[User:Purah126|Purah126]] ([[User talk:Purah126|talk]]) 18:23, 3 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
::::It's kind of odd that the self-aggrandizing obituaries editor would omit their own name from their own self-written obituary. If they wanted to be memorialized by the rest of the human race, they probably should have mentioned their name. --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.127.37|172.70.127.37]] 16:23, 4 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is this not a reference to Bill and Ted who challenged Death to a long set of games?&lt;br /&gt;
[[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.231|172.70.110.231]] 01:29, 4 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
:Not specifically, as this concept arguably goes back thousands of years; see https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChessWithDeath for a list of examples. ''Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey'' was specifically parodying the game of chess with Death in Ingmar Bergman's ''The Seventh Seal'' (1957). --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.127.37|172.70.127.37]] 16:23, 4 March 2023 (UTC)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>172.70.127.37</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=695:_Spirit&amp;diff=306354</id>
		<title>695: Spirit</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=695:_Spirit&amp;diff=306354"/>
				<updated>2023-02-16T17:29:00Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;172.70.127.37: /* Transcript */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{comic&lt;br /&gt;
| number    =695&lt;br /&gt;
| date      =January 29, 2010&lt;br /&gt;
| title     =Spirit&lt;br /&gt;
| image     =spirit.png&lt;br /&gt;
| titletext =On January 26th, 2274 Mars days into the mission, NASA declared Spirit a 'stationary research station' expected to stay operational for several more months until the dust buildup on its solar panels forces a final shutdown.&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
==Explanation==&lt;br /&gt;
{{w|Anthropomorphism}} (or personification) is the attribution of distinctly human characteristics to animals or non-living things. We make parallels between ourselves and objects, to the point where some people even jocularly worry about hurting the feelings of, say, an automobile. We call ships &amp;quot;she.&amp;quot; We see human faces in objects like the arrangement of lights on the front of a car.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The {{w|Spirit rover|''Spirit'' Mars rover}}, like many high-functioning robots in real life and fiction, shares many physical similarities with a human being or animal. It has a head, eyes, neck, body, legs, feet, arms, and a hand. And it strikingly resembles robots from fiction, such as Johnny 5 from ''{{w|Short Circuit (1986 film)|Short Circuit}},'' or {{w|WALL-E}} from the film with the same name.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thus, this comic explores what the ''Spirit'' rover's life would be like if it had a human personality. The rover lasted 5¼ active years on the Martian surface, far exceeding its expected mission duration of 90 Martian days. A sentient  robot might assume that after its initially planned 90 {{w|Timekeeping on Mars|Martian day}} mission was over, it would get to return home.  This assumes, of course, that the rover never understood that the mission was a one-way trip, and that the expectation was that it would simply fail after ninety days. When no one comes to return it home, ''Spirit'', possibly in a pun on its name, keeps its hopes alive while continuously analyzing rock after rock for ''years.'' &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It would be cruelty of the absolute worst kind to abandon a human on an uninhabited planet with no intention of ''ever'' bringing them home,{{Citation needed}} so it feels horrifying when we anthropomorphize the rover. One is rather heartened that the ''Spirit'' rover ''is,'' in fact, just a programmed machine. Furthermore, even if it were sentient, ''Spirit'' has little reason to think of earth as its home, as it had always been designed for Mars, and would have little purpose on earth.  Additionally, a sentient machine might be expected to understand the limitations on its own lifespan, and so would expect to survive only three months.  From that perspective, surviving for years would seem like a victory, rather than cruelty. [https://imgs.xkcd.com/blag/spirit_rewrite_unknown_author.png One] alternative version of the strip (see below) makes a similar point.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is worth pointing out that ''{{w|Opportunity rover|Opportunity}},'' the rover's twin, has been even more wildly successful and was only shut down in February 2019 ([[2111: Opportunity Rover]]). More than five years after this comic, when Opportunity had passed a Marathon distance, [[Randall]] celebrated this rover with the comic [[1504: Opportunity]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The title text has an apparent miscount: January 26, 2010, is more like sol (Martian day) 2156 by JPL's [http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status_spiritAll_2010.html#sol2151 mission status site,] not 2274.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The final contact with ''Spirit'' was on sol 2210 (March 22, 2010).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
;Alternative versions&lt;br /&gt;
The strip had a strong emotional impact on the fans of the rover, who created a number of alternative versions and endings for it. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a [http://blog.xkcd.com/2010/02/08/android-bug-reports-songs-rovers/ blog post] Randall mentioned this upbeat [https://imgs.xkcd.com/blag/spirit_rewrite_unknown_author.png rewrite] of the comic. [http://xkcdsw.com/2486 Several] [http://xkcdsw.com/2485 others] [http://xkcdsw.com/3524 were] [http://xkcdsw.com/2483 made], including a [http://xkcdsw.com/2488 silent] one.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many alternative endings were also proposed: &lt;br /&gt;
* some are [http://xkcdsw.com/3729 sad], some [http://xkcdsw.com/2492 sarcastic], some [http://xkcdsw.com/3100 romantic]&lt;br /&gt;
* some look forward to the day when Spirit is finally [http://xkcdsw.com/2487 recovered] ([https://imgur.com/r/xkcd/zNi5YSZ this one] was seen somewhere at {{Wikipedia|CERN}}). Others imagine a [http://xkcdsw.com/3968 future] when the rover is not alone any more.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Transcript==&lt;br /&gt;
:[The ''Spirit'' rover is on the surface of Mars.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Day 1 of 90&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): 89 days to go!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:Day 88 of 90&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): Two days until I go home!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:Day 91 of 90&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): ?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:Day 103 of 90&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): Maybe I didn't do a good enough job.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:Day 127 of 90&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): Maybe if I do a good enough job, they'll let me come home.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:Day 857 of 90&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): I thought I analyzed that rock really well.&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): It's okay, I'll do the next one better.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:Day 1328 of 90&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): Sandstorm. Power dying.&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): But a good rover would keep going. A good rover like they wanted.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:Day 1944 of 90&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): Oh no.&lt;br /&gt;
:''whirrrr''&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): I'm stuck.&lt;br /&gt;
:''whirrrr''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): Did I do a good job?&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): Do I get to come home?&lt;br /&gt;
:''Spirit'' (thinking): Guys?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:[''Spirit'' rests in the middle of a vast Martian landscape.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{comic discussion}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Comics with color]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Mars rovers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Science]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>172.70.127.37</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1818:_Rayleigh_Scattering&amp;diff=304459</id>
		<title>1818: Rayleigh Scattering</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1818:_Rayleigh_Scattering&amp;diff=304459"/>
				<updated>2023-01-10T01:16:03Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;172.70.127.37: Attempt to fix Wikipedia Link: 1&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{comic&lt;br /&gt;
| number    = 1818&lt;br /&gt;
| date      = March 31, 2017&lt;br /&gt;
| title     = Rayleigh Scattering&lt;br /&gt;
| image     = rayleigh_scattering.png&lt;br /&gt;
| titletext = If you ask &amp;quot;why are leaves green?&amp;quot; the usual answer is &amp;quot;because they're full of chlorophyll, and chlorophyll is green,&amp;quot; even though &amp;quot;why does chlorophyll scatter green light?&amp;quot; is a great question too.&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Explanation==&lt;br /&gt;
This comic suggests it is better to explain things in an easy-to-understand and intuitive manner, even if such explanations may not capture all of the scientific detail involved.  This is especially the case for children whose ability to grasp abstract physics has not yet fully developed.  Giving the most complete and physically accurate explanation would make the concepts much more elaborate than necessary, and would cause major confusion in inexperienced listeners (as described explicitly in the article on {{w|Ignotum_per_ignotius}}).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The principle is demonstrated by the explanation on {{w|Diffuse sky radiation|why the sky is blue}}.  The commonly given explanation for this is, as the comic title says, {{w|Rayleigh scattering}}.  However, in order to understand how Rayleigh scattering works to produce a blue color, one must go into {{w|quantum mechanics}} and deal with properties of molecules in air and their effects on different wavelengths of light.  Even then, one will also need to know about the inner workings of human visual perception to realize why the color we perceive isn't the wavelength that's being most strongly scattered (see [[1145: Sky Color]]).  The child is not likely to understand this kind of explanation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the other hand, a much simpler explanation, such as &amp;quot;because air is blue&amp;quot; &amp;amp;mdash; that is, air molecules reflect blue light, in the same way blue paint reflects blue light &amp;amp;mdash; also adequately explains the phenomenon, and is much more understandable to less physically inclined listeners. When [[Science Girl]] asks [[Blondie]] (possibly [[Miss Lenhart]]) why the sky is blue, [[Megan]] walks in and starts to explain in a very scientific way involving quantum mechanics. This is criticized by Blondie, who then convinces her that the simpler explanation is sufficient, as there is a quantum mechanical explanation for every color, there is no need to elaborate on the sky's color any more than any other object's color.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Megan implicitly accepts this, but then in the final panel, Science Girl asks another common question - how do planes fly? Megan starts again to give the traditional answer (airflow causing {{w|Lift_(force)|lift}}) but is interrupted by Blondie saying that it's because the wings of an airplane are full of small birds.  While this might not be as ridiculous as it first seems (the child might later learn that the &amp;quot;tiny birds&amp;quot; are actually air molecules, and &amp;quot;flapping wings&amp;quot; are actually pressure differentials), it is certainly over-simplified to a staggering extent.  Thus Megan and Blondie illustrate the two extremes of education philosophy: where one chooses to teach the complete truth with no regard for whether it's understandable, the other chooses to make up understandable explanations with no regard for whether it's true.  Arguably, neither approach is in the student's best interest and a balance needs to be achieved. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When Science Girl reacts like she believes Blondie's last comment about the planes, she could almost have been called April Fool. Although this comic was released one day too early for that, this was also the only year between April 1st of 2011 and April 1st of 2018 where no such comic was released. See more about this in the [[#No April Fools' Day comic in 2017|trivia section]] below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The title text refers to another common question as for why leaves are green. This is commonly explained by the fact that they are filled with {{w|chlorophyll}}, a chemical used by plants for photosynthesis. Randall points out that it would be an equally valid question to ask why chlorophyll is green. This poses an interesting contrast to the answer to the question about the color of the sky, since even physicists are usually satisfied with the general explanation for leaves and don't feel the need to jump into describing quantum phenomena that cause chlorophyll to reflect green light.  Also, &amp;quot;Why does chlorophyll scatter green light&amp;quot; may be a great question because chlorophyll reflects, not scatters, light and this challenges Megan-types to coherently explain the difference before they go challenging little children with pedantry. Or because green light is less efficient during photosynthesis, and explaining that is similar to explaining Rayleigh Scattering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://what-if.xkcd.com/141/ What-if 141] also mentions the simpler explanation to the original question: Sunbeam has this relevant text: &amp;quot;Normal light interacts with the atmosphere through Rayleigh scattering. You may have heard of Rayleigh scattering as the answer to 'why is the sky blue.' This is sort of true, but honestly, a better answer to this question might be 'because air is blue.' Sure, it appears blue for a bunch of physics reasons, but everything appears the color it is for a bunch of physics reasons.&amp;quot; There is also a footnote in that comment with an additional example: &amp;quot;When you ask, 'Why is the {{w|Statue of Liberty|statue of liberty}} green?' the answer is something like, 'The outside of the statue is copper, so it used to be copper-colored. Over time, a layer of copper carbonate formed (through oxidation), and copper carbonate is green.' You don't say 'The statue is green because of frequency-specific absorption and scattering by surface molecules.' &amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Randall himself has published [https://xkcd.com/thing-explainer/ Thing Explainer] which gives simplified descriptions of complex scientific and technological objects.  Even in his book, some of the more advanced details have been simplified to a toy model (such as calling liquid oxygen &amp;quot;cold wet air&amp;quot; and a nuclear reactor &amp;quot;box of burning metal&amp;quot;).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Transcript==&lt;br /&gt;
:[Science Girl asks Blondie a question which she answers while lifting her arm towards Science Girl.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Science Girl: Why is the sky blue?&lt;br /&gt;
:Blondie: Because air is blue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:[Megan walks in from behind Science Girl.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Megan: No, the sky is blue because of Rayleigh scattering–&lt;br /&gt;
:Blondie: Nah, it's because air is blue. Blue light bounces off it and hits our eyes. Same as why anything is any color.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:[Zoom in on Blondie's face.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Blondie: It's why far-off mountains look blue – because of all the blue air in the way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:[Zoom out to Megan standing longer from Science Girl than Blondie who has thrown her arms out. Science Girl is facing directly out towards the reader.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Megan: There's a specific quantum mechanism by which–&lt;br /&gt;
:Blondie: Yeah but there's a physics mechanism for ''every'' color. You don't have to get all quantum right away.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:[Frameless panel with Science Girl looking up at Blondie who stands holding her hands on her sides. Megan speaks from off-panel.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Megan (off-panel): ...OK, I guess.&lt;br /&gt;
:Blondie: Any other questions?&lt;br /&gt;
:Science Girl: How do planes stay up?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:[Blondie holds a finger up in front of Science Girl while Megan now is the one to throw out her arms.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Megan: Well, the airflow–&lt;br /&gt;
:Blondie: Tiny birds in the wings. Thousands. Flapping hard.&lt;br /&gt;
:Science Girl: WOW!&lt;br /&gt;
:Megan: ''NO!''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Trivia==&lt;br /&gt;
===No April Fools' Day comic in 2017===&lt;br /&gt;
*This comic was released the day before {{w|April Fools' day}}, but even though it could be said that Blondie makes up tales about physics that could cause her to call Science Girl an April Fool for believing her, this is definitely not one of [[Randall|Randall's]] [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comics]].&lt;br /&gt;
**The reason for this trivia is that this year, 2017, was the first since 2011 that Randall did not release a comic on April 1st, and neither this Friday comic from the end of March, or the first comic in April, [[1819: Sweet 16]] from Monday April 3rd, could be said to have any relation to such a joke.&lt;br /&gt;
**As Randall took up the trend again in 2018 with [[1975: Right Click]], released on Sunday April 1st 2018, it showed that it was not because he just stopped with the April Fools' Day jokes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{comic discussion}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>172.70.127.37</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2659:_Unreliable_Connection&amp;diff=304333</id>
		<title>2659: Unreliable Connection</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2659:_Unreliable_Connection&amp;diff=304333"/>
				<updated>2023-01-07T15:36:00Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;172.70.127.37: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Hi, explainxkcd.com &lt;br /&gt;
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		<author><name>172.70.127.37</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2711:_Optimal_Bowling&amp;diff=301414</id>
		<title>2711: Optimal Bowling</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2711:_Optimal_Bowling&amp;diff=301414"/>
				<updated>2022-12-15T19:18:07Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;172.70.127.37: /* Transcript */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{comic&lt;br /&gt;
| number    = 2711&lt;br /&gt;
| date      = December 14, 2022&lt;br /&gt;
| title     = Optimal Bowling&lt;br /&gt;
| image     = optimal_bowling_2x.png&lt;br /&gt;
| imagesize = 306x670px&lt;br /&gt;
| noexpand  = true&lt;br /&gt;
| titletext = If you want to bowl a strike, the optimal place is almost certainly inside a bowling alley, although with a little luck any establishment uphill from one could also work.&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Explanation==&lt;br /&gt;
{{incomplete|Created by a SUPERMASSIVE BOWLING BALL - Need a full analysis of each graph (preferably with input from someone who understands bowling). Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This series of line graphs purports to advise players on how to improve their odds of achieving a strike in the sport of {{w|bowling}} – presumably {{w|ten-pin bowling}}, the most popular version of the sport in the United States. As is typical for Randall, however, things start off halfway reasonable and quickly escalate to the absurd. Among the parameters being measured, that being angle, throwing speed, spinning speed, and weight of the ball, the latter three are on {{w|logarithmic scale}}s, making them encompass ranges larger than would be useful for reference by a bowler, up to values that are physically impossible for a human to achieve.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For example, the fourth graph in this comic illustrates a bowler's probability of a strike with a ball whose mass ranges from 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;0&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; kg (2.2 pounds) to close to 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;10&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; kg (over 22 billion pounds), and continues by indicating that balls even larger than that would cause &amp;quot;equipment damage&amp;quot; (up to 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;20&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; kg) or the creation of a black hole (starting from around 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;25&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; kg and up). The last entry on the x-axis of this graph is 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;40&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; kg, which is about 5 billion times the mass of the {{w|Sun}}.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By contrast, the United States Bowling Congress requires all bowling balls to weigh no more than 16 pounds (that is, a mass of no more than 7.257 kg), with no minimum weight. Hence, if the x-axis of the graph ran from, say, 0 to 8 kg, the graph might actually impart some useful information.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first line graph, by contrast, indicates that a bowler has the greatest chance of achieving a strike by aiming the ball directly at the pins, with the chance of a strike decreasing rapidly as the ball is aimed to the left or the right. Even a novice bowler already knows to aim the ball at the pins, not elsewhere. While a novice bowler may have difficulty achieving a 0° angle roll, their roll would still not come close to a -90° or 90° angle (due left or due right), much less a -180° or 180° angle (which, in either case, would be the opposite direction from the pins). Unlike with the other graphs, it is physically possible for a bowler to aim the ball at any angle, albeit not permissible under bowling rules; aiming the ball at an angle which deviates significantly from 0° would create a risk of the ball going into one of the other lanes or missing the lanes entirely, which would annoy or anger other bowlers and employees of the bowling alley.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Transcript==&lt;br /&gt;
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}&lt;br /&gt;
:[The header is surrounded on either side by small drawings of two bowling pins and a bowling ball.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Data for Optimal Bowling&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:[Four line graphs are depicted. Each has a numbered one-word general description in a box at the top, an unlabeled y-axis, and a labeled x-axis. The relevant curve and other comments on each graph are in red.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:1. Aim&lt;br /&gt;
:[The graph's x-axis is labeled from -180° to 180°.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Release Direction&lt;br /&gt;
:[The red curve on the graph is just above the x-axis at all points except for a steep peak around 0°. The red curve is labeled:]&lt;br /&gt;
:Relative Probability of Strike&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:2. Speed&lt;br /&gt;
:[The graph's x-axis is labeled from 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;-1&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; to 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;8&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;, with the last point on the x-axis labeled &amp;quot;Speed of Light&amp;quot;.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Ball Speed (m/s)&lt;br /&gt;
:[The red curve on the graph starts at the x-axis for 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;-1&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;, reaches its peak around 10, then declines and becomes a dashed line ending around three-quarters of the peak around 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;. The remainder of the curve is replaced by two labels:]&lt;br /&gt;
:Equipment Damage&lt;br /&gt;
:Widespread Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:3. Spin&lt;br /&gt;
:[The graph's x-axis is labeled from 0 to 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;12&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Spin (RPMs)&lt;br /&gt;
:[The red curve on the graph starts about halfway from its peak for 0, reaches its peak somewhere between 0 and 1,000, then declines and becomes a dashed line around 1,000, soon after which the remainder of the curve is replaced by two labels:]&lt;br /&gt;
:Ball Explodes&lt;br /&gt;
:Widespread Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:4. Weight&lt;br /&gt;
:[The graph's x-axis is labeled from 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;0&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; to 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;40&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Ball Mass (kg)&lt;br /&gt;
:[The red curve on the graph starts just above the x-axis for 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;0&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;, rises steeply and drops steeply ending just above the x-axis, then becoming a dashed line, all before reaching 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;10&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;. The remainder of the curve is replaced by two labels:]&lt;br /&gt;
:Equipment Damage&lt;br /&gt;
:Black Hole Created &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{comic discussion}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Line graphs]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Comics with color]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Sport]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>172.70.127.37</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2711:_Optimal_Bowling&amp;diff=301364</id>
		<title>2711: Optimal Bowling</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2711:_Optimal_Bowling&amp;diff=301364"/>
				<updated>2022-12-15T04:44:43Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;172.70.127.37: /* Transcript */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{comic&lt;br /&gt;
| number    = 2711&lt;br /&gt;
| date      = December 14, 2022&lt;br /&gt;
| title     = Optimal Bowling&lt;br /&gt;
| image     = optimal_bowling_2x.png&lt;br /&gt;
| imagesize = 306x670px&lt;br /&gt;
| noexpand  = true&lt;br /&gt;
| titletext = If you want to bowl a strike, the optimal place is almost certainly inside a bowling alley, although with a little luck any establishment uphill from one could also work.&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Explanation==&lt;br /&gt;
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Transcript==&lt;br /&gt;
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}&lt;br /&gt;
:[The header is surrounded on either side by small drawings of two bowling pins and a bowling ball.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Data for Optimal Bowling&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:[Four line graphs are depicted. Each has a numbered one-word general description in a box at the top, an unlabeled Y-axis, and a labeled X-axis. The relevant curve and other comments on each graph are in red.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:1. Aim&lt;br /&gt;
:[The graph's X-axis is labeled from -180° to 180°.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Release Direction&lt;br /&gt;
:[The red curve on the graph is just above the X-axis at all points except for a steep peak around 0°. The red curve is labeled:]&lt;br /&gt;
:Relative Probability of Strike&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:2. Speed&lt;br /&gt;
:[The graph's X-axis is labeled from 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;-1&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; to 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;8&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;, with the last point on the X-axis labeled &amp;quot;Speed of Light&amp;quot;.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Ball Speed (m/s)&lt;br /&gt;
:[The red curve on the graph starts at the X-axis for 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;-1&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;, reaches its peak around 10, then declines and becomes a dashed line ending around three-quarters of the peak around 10&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;. The remainder of the curve is replaced by two labels:]&lt;br /&gt;
:Equipment Damage&lt;br /&gt;
:Widespread Destruction&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{comic discussion}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Line graphs]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Comics with color]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>172.70.127.37</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=194:_Penises&amp;diff=300513</id>
		<title>194: Penises</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=194:_Penises&amp;diff=300513"/>
				<updated>2022-12-04T22:07:12Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;172.70.127.37: Undo revision 300511 by While False (talk) constant vandalism&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{comic&lt;br /&gt;
| number    = 194&lt;br /&gt;
| date      = December 8, 2006&lt;br /&gt;
| title     = Penises&lt;br /&gt;
| image     = penises.png&lt;br /&gt;
| titletext = The penis varies in size when flaccid and is pretty consistently about yea big when erect. Anyway, back to the sitcom one-liners and the constant flow of spam.&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
==Explanation==&lt;br /&gt;
The comic takes aim at what is considered by some to be the apparent societal obsession with the {{w|human penis|male sexual organ}} (&amp;quot;phallocentrism&amp;quot;), especially in regards to size. In general, depictions of an erect penis (also called {{w|phallus}}) represent male potency.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While present in every human civilization, the symbol of the penis is also prominently featured in modern mass media. Many films and television series make use of penis-related jokes. A very common trope is the male obsession with the idea that a larger penis is considered more desirable, and a smaller penis less manly or satisfying to women.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Megan criticizes this obsession by pointing out that most penises are about the same size, and normal variations in size are not worth getting worked up about.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The title text refers to the excessive advertisement for {{w|Sildenafil|potency pills}} and {{w|penis enlargement}} in {{w|Email spam|spam emails}}. The symbol of the phallus can be regarded by some as omnipresent in modern Western society (but not necessarily in other cultures){{Citation needed}}, with presumably every public toilet sporting at least one badly drawn depiction of a penis.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please do note that this woman is very clearly mentally ill, and the fact that women do not care about penis size has been debunked by various peer reviewed studies and polls from multiple academic journals. Women DO in fact love large penises, and often brush away other men who might have other desirable traits solely on their small penises. In fact, there are certain types of large penises that tend to attract more attention from women than others. Despite the increasing popularity of large, spider penises with Asian women, there is one type of penis that still reigns supreme:&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BBC_logo_(1997-2021).svg|1500px|center|thumb|Yeah, you saw it coming.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Transcript==&lt;br /&gt;
:PENISES:&lt;br /&gt;
:Megan: They are about this big.&lt;br /&gt;
:[Holds her hands close together, about half a foot apart.]&lt;br /&gt;
:Now can we P&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;LEAS&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;E, as a culture, move on?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{comic discussion}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan‏‎]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Penis]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>172.70.127.37</name></author>	</entry>

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