explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2954: Bracket Symbols

2024-07-04T05:35:45Z

172.70.174.41: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2954
| date = July 3, 2024
| title = Bracket Symbols
| image = bracket_symbols_2x.png
| imagesize = 592x569px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = ’"‘”’" means "I edited this text on both my phone and my laptop before sending it"
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ANNOYED LAYMAN - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} WAKE UP, NERDS! Come explain to me why this is funny! 'The nerds have arrived, and are currently working on it.' (Even though I'm not British, I thought it might be funny to reference the comic. {See what I did there?})

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

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1973: Star Lore

2022-10-23T19:53:40Z

172.70.174.41:

Doesn't appear that "Five Sisters" is a reference to anything, according to my Google searches. Does anyone have anything on that? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.53|108.162.221.53]] 15:13, 28 March 2018 (UTC)Martin

If I had to guess, it's most likely a reference to the Pleiades (Seven Sisters), which is a constellation.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.94|172.68.34.94]] 15:18, 28 March 2018 (UTC)Luck

I can't be certain, but I believe this is a direct quote from a Star Wars comic I read a few days ago. I will try to dig it up. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.142.46|172.69.142.46]] 23:44, 28 March 2018 (UTC)Dave

"Five Sisters" is a reference a pentagon-shaped constellation from Isaac Asimov's ''Foundations Edge'' ~~Tyler

I keep 'cellulose' tape over my LEDs, darkened with permanent marker, to dim their harsh glare when the rooms are unlit. On important ones, I keep a small sliver uncovered, so that from the right angle (like from the doorway) they can be seen even with the lights on. I do wish more devices had a "dim" setting on a timer, so the LEDs could be bright during the day & barely lit at night. In particular, my backup power battery has a large, obnoxious blue screen that lights up the whole room unless I keep it facing the wall. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 15:48, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

The red LED probably is a super bright LED :-) Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.37|162.158.111.37]] 16:00, 28 March 2018 (UTC)
:(Also responding to ProphetZarquon) I agree that super bright LEDs are annoying, especially the one on my monitor! But I don’t think that status LEDs can appear impressive, like in the comic. The superbright ones, which are standard today, illuminate the room too much. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.203|141.101.104.203]] 19:32, 28 March 2018 (UTC)
:: In my bedroom, the computer monitor on my desk faces the head of my bed. When the monitor goes into sleep mode it flashes a bright blue light at my face. That light has actually triggered dreams when I didn't manually shut it off before going to bed. [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 03:34, 1 April 2018 (UTC)
:I would wager that given Randall's history of computer problems, having the supergiant red explode at any point in the next millenium (i.e. could be next Thursday), would solve a lot of problems 16:58, 29 March 2018 (UTC

The second part of the title text could be a reference to the word "planet" which comes from a Greek word meaning "wanderer". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.38|162.158.155.38]] 17:17, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

It seems plausible that the title is partially a veiled reference to the Marvel Comics character {{w|Star Lord}}, which sounds almost the same as "Star Lore." [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 23:53, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

:Not really - Star lore or starlore is the creating and cherishing of mythical stories about the stars and star patterns (constellations and asterisms); that is, folklore based upon the stars and star patterns. Using the stars to explain religious doctrines or actual events in history is also defined as star lore. Wikipedia...[[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.102|141.101.107.102]] 04:23, 29 March 2018 (UTC)

The cluster of 5 lights is likely either a modem or router. Modems usually have a row of lights to indicate power, uplink, downlink, sync, and traffic at a minimum, whereas a router might have multiple lights indicating connections to a number of network ports. I can really relate to this comic, especially during the peak period of active gear in my home office at one time (It's not so eerie these days)! [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 01:42, 29 March 2018 (UTC)

This reminds me of a Doonesbury cartoon [http://images.ucomics.com/comics/db/2007/db070506.gif Mardi Gras] [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.91|172.68.189.91]] 02:55, 29 March 2018 (UTC)

;My room

The current explanation states that the usage of "my room" typically refers in the US to the bedroom. As a non-US citizen I can see how this is true for children, teenagers and young adults who yet live in their parent's home. Or when living in a shared apartment. But in any other case I'd assume "my room" refers to the whatever equivalent of a {{w|man cave}}, whereas bedroom is "bedroom". No? [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:09, 29 March 2018 (UTC)

Converted header to bold label [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 11:27, 29 March 2018 (UTC)

;Cluster
"Cluster" has a computing term as well as an astronomical one - a group of computers connected to each other and working together on a common task. "Five sisters" would be an interesting- name for a 5-machine cluster, and would fit the description well. They need not be identical machines; perhaps the one with the red light is large, and due to a failing fan is expected to overheat.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.114|172.68.65.114]] 19:35, 29 March 2018 (UTC)

* ''The red one is a supergiant, and will probably explode within a few million years.'' For many super-giant stars that we can see from Earth, they have probably already exploded, but their light is still travelling to us and we won't see the explosion until centuries or even millennia after the actual event, if the star is in the Milky Way. Even more for stars in other galaxies. [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 00:58, 30 March 2018 (UTC)
: Not likely. See [[1342: Ancient Stars]]. Zetfr 09:41, 30 March 2018 (UTC)

;Number of "Stars"

The transcript currently states there are 32 points of light in the comic, but when I decided to count them myself, I came up with only 31 - 19 across the top section and another 12 in the lower half. Does anyone else see 32 dots, and if so, can you tell me where I'm missing one? A brown dwarf or a black hole, maybe? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 11:59, 30 March 2018 (UTC)
:I also counted 31. I edited the Transcript to reflect that. [[User:Tqdv|Tqdv]] ([[User talk:Tqdv|talk]]) 22:04, 30 March 2018 (UTC)
::Yes, there's 31: 13 white, 5 yellow, 2 green, 7 blue, and 4 red. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.41|172.70.174.41]] 19:53, 23 October 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2685: 2045

2022-10-17T23:08:18Z

172.70.174.41:

I've add a CITATION NEEDED for the medical appointment because in many countries and in the past Soviet Statesit took that long and so is a questionable claim
I've been waiting for Randall to do a comic related to the DART mission. I think I'm going to have to be satisfied with the title text being inspired by it -- altering the orbits of the earth and/or moon would be infinitely harder. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:56, 14 October 2022 (UTC)
: Whatever the old soviet joke is (probably related to the American myth that Canadian medical care takes longer?) it's behind a paywall, so no one can read it anyhow. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.66.45|172.68.66.45]] 19:58, 17 October 2022 (UTC)
:: It's probably the one about the Soviet citizen finally getting permission to obtain a washing machine/fridge/car/whatever, but being told that it would take five/ten/fifteen years to be delivered, or so. "AM or PM?", he asks. Because, as he explains, he has the plumber/electrician/decorator/... due to start work that particular morning. (It's probably on {{w|Russian political jokes|this page}}, or a close version of it, but that's a read and a half and I think I'll go through it later.) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.155|172.70.162.155]] 20:34, 17 October 2022 (UTC)
:: From the article:
::Mr. Reagan then told his current favorite [joke], about a Russian who wants to buy a car. A Matter of Delivery
::The man goes to the official agency, puts down his money and is told that he can take delivery of his automobile in exactly 10 years.
::"Morning or afternoon?" the purchaser asks. "Ten years from now, what difference does it make?" replies the clerk.
::"Well," says the car-buyer, "the plumber's coming in the morning." [[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.41|172.70.174.41]] 23:08, 17 October 2022 (UTC)

though it says Black Hat is rejecting the invitation sarcastically, considering Black Hat it's also possible he's planning something else for the total eclipse, such as playing a prank on people who don't know it's coming, or messing with the meeting under discussion. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.51|108.162.241.51]] 17:31, 14 October 2022 (UTC)
:Or planning to be actively messing with the eclipse... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.97|172.70.85.97]] 18:59, 14 October 2022 (UTC)

That reminds me: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLW7r4o2_Ow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLW7r4o2_Ow] [[Special:Contributions/162.158.239.32|162.158.239.32]] 19:33, 14 October 2022 (UTC)

Here’s a source for moving the Earth or the Sun requiring vast amounts of energy: [https://qntm.org/moving https://qntm.org/moving]. It doesn’t really cover moving the Moon though. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.133|172.69.33.133]] 02:23, 15 October 2022 (UTC)

:And with that breaks the 104-comic streak where we never saw Black Hat. I'm pretty sure that's the longest ever. [[User:ISaveXKCDpapers|ISaveXKCDpapers]] ([[User talk:ISaveXKCDpapers|talk]]) 03:52, 15 October 2022 (UTC)

:Is this Megan or Danish? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.117|172.69.33.117]] 05:28, 15 October 2022 (UTC)

Can somebody please calculate the minimum needed energy amount, if you start now? --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.242.157|172.70.242.157]] 11:09, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
: And how many probe impacts that would require. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.5|172.71.178.5]] 08:41, 17 October 2022 (UTC)

pretty sure the explanation needs to be sanitized of invisible control characters or zero-width whitespace - there were several edits that added thousands of characters but did not result in a visually different page, and those edits were never reverted --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.115.30|172.70.115.30]] 12:43, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
:edit: just now did it, lmk if i missed anything--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.8|162.158.63.8]] 12:46, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
::unedit: just now undid it, lmk if i missed anything
:::cheeky bastard 💀

Corrected date of annular eclipse to Oct 14 2023 link https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/ Peter 15:13, 15 October 2022 (UTC)

Somebody should add one of those links that redirects to comic no. 2045 to avoid confusion (I'm not super familiar with Mediawiki) [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 09:06, 17 October 2022 (UTC)
:Not as important, because just trying "2045" sends you there (where there is the {{template|distinguish}} template pointing you here), yet you have to actually try a bit to land here ''instead'' of your true intent to go there. But I just now put one here that tells you about that one, anyway.
:Not sure how many other comics using a <code><nowiki>{{distinguish|...the other comic...}}</nowiki></code> are similarly reciprocated on their 'less favoured sibling' without checking. Could be inconsistently done, if I recall correctly how it was recently set up as a kind of disambiguation measure. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.17|172.71.178.17]] 10:21, 17 October 2022 (UTC)

It claims that 'The moon being hard to move' needs a citation. I know it's a joke, but I have wanted to do the kinetic energy calculations since I saw this, so I give you this: You want a citation? I'll give you a citation! [[User:SqueakSquawk4|SqueakSquawk4]] ([[User talk:SqueakSquawk4|talk]]) 15:58, 17 October 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2679: Quantified Self

2022-10-02T00:07:17Z

172.70.174.41:

This could also be a call back to the Billy Path comics run in Family Circus. I don't have time today to add that research though. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.59|172.70.214.59]] 16:00, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

Here is an explanation of what it is about
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/comments/1ve309/invisible_thread_attached_to_my_back_am_i_the/ {{unsigned|Florian F|18:11, 30 September 2022‎}}
:I was going to guess sorting Google Maps Directions by sustainability announced this past Wednesday. https://blog.google/products/search/new-ways-to-make-more-sustainable-choices/ [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.17|172.69.134.17]] 18:53, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::How is this comic about optimizing for sustainability?
:::It is about optimizing a particular attribute of maps directions. Sustainability is the most recent such attribute announced (two days prior to the comic) by a top-3 commerical maps directions provider. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.183|172.70.214.183]] 06:04, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:::: Google optimizes paths for distance and time for a long time already. The announcement is about optimizing for fuel efficiency instead. The comic clearly speaks about measuring distance but not about fuel consumption.
:::: The comic also insists on the topological features of constructions, namely whether there is a hole. This has nothing to do with fuel efficiency. And how does pulling a string taut measure fuel efficiency? I don't understand.
:::: The newspapers are full of events that happened 3 days ago. What makes Google's announcement more relevant to the comic than other news? [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 09:29, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::::: Are you saying your OCD interpretation is more likely? Do you have any sources compatible with {{w|WP:RSP}}? How do those sources compare to an annual software release announcement by a top-10 tech company? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 09:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::::::What I am saying is that the Google announcement as reliable as it is, is totally irrelevant to this comic. It is both optimization of a path. So what? It doesn't shed any light on any peculiarity of the comic. If you can explain why the red line is affected by bridges and an arch, but not by buildings or mountains, in the context of sustainability an fuel reduction, you might have a case. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 15:35, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

:I think you're way off. I don't see any hint that it's about OCD. If it's similar to the condition you referenced, it's just a coincidence. The whole thing needs to be started from scratch. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.105|108.162.221.105]] 20:41, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::That is why this site exists. To explain things you don't see. I don't think many people are familiar with this compulsion about an imaginary string retracing your path in space, but when you are, it is spot on. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 23:09, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

GOOMHR! - Although for me it was the opposite aim. I've had periods of time when I wouldn't even like (if I noticed, I wasn't like OCD or anything[1]!!!) to make a return journey that meant I even crossed the road at a different point and thus passed under a different telegraph wire between a different set of adjacent poles, on the presumption that if I were to 'retract my path' then it would be irrevocably looped around at least one telegraph poles. (But normal lamp-posts were Ok... the path-'string' could just pass over and around the top and continue to retract. And it could pass above/below anything movable like cars, people, etc.) My ideal would be to be topologically contracted to zero length. Nut I wasn't actually obsessed by it, just... sometimes noticed when I was forced to do something that would cause such 'problems' and might deliberately ensure that any such loop was fully reversed (in strict reverse order to any such transit adding them in) ''if at all possible''. Of course, once it was spoilt by one end of the journey being held by a loop, the rest didn't matter so much. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.71|162.158.34.71]] 18:21, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:''[1] Not even CDO, which is like OCD but ordered alphabetically!''
:: I definitely am also someone who always played it your way, the reverse XKCD. My cats play it straight though, running into the house, through, and out a different entrance repeatedly one day, then the other way the day after. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.210.45|172.68.210.45]] 19:35, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:::Yeah, I was always trying to avoid "entangling" my path as well. I suppose it's not just nightmares that can be "oddly universal"--childhood superstitious compulsions might be the same way, at least among the nerd population! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.41|172.70.174.41]] 00:07, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

; Red string of Fate
The drawing looks like the red thread connecting people in chinese mythology.
-[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.188|162.158.91.188]] 18:21, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

What happens to the string if you crawl under a car which then drives off?[[Special:Contributions/172.70.134.141|172.70.134.141]] 20:05, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:You probably would only count objects that were stationary after you passed them.[[User:Anonymouscript|Anonymouscript]] ([[User talk:Anonymouscript|talk]]) 21:10, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::If it can conceivably move over your 'thread', then it isn't a 'tangling loop'. You have to allow for any degree of mysterious topological optimisation that can magically unhook itself from anything that can be unhooked from, no matter {{w|Alexander horned sphere|how much work it has to do to do so}}, and if that has to include choosing just the right time (with perfect prescience, where necessary!) to allow it to untangle wherever/whenever possible. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 21:25, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:::That doesn't make sense, taken to the extreme, since all things will turn to dust eventually.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.42|162.158.107.42]] 21:47, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::::Within the period of your concern (e.g. per daily routine), I would presume. That gantry over the road will be (partially, perhaps in stages) dissasembled for maintenance at some point, if not outright taken down, allowing an arbitrarily future-sensitive thread to not be caught up in it any more. Tachyonic thread-behaviour could happily unwrap around the time ''before'' the gantry (or bridges, or arch) were built, and as for the house... Before completion or after the next F5 tornado, the 4D constraints are far less (a line snagged permanently in a 4D 'passage' suggests something a bit more interesting, given a closed door doesn't 'snag' in 3D, only the use of two different doorways, with or without actual doors). But limiting it to a daily assesment bookends the whole 4D construct with a virtual lintel over (and under, in the ''t''-dimension) any potential gap for thread-movement that might be considered a way to be optimising to minimal necessary set of straight-line distances... Well, unless you learn the gantry was only assembled that morning, or that it had sufficient Ship Of Theseus-style repairs during the day, or a truck hit it by the end of the day... then it still acts as a looped-snagger
::::The car is trivial, in comparison, as we ''know'' it drives away in the posited scenario (and within the duration of the scenario). Even if our mental thread-pull does not allow us to tug it under the firmly ground-planted tyres, by reducing to periods of instaniousness as the 'trapped' thread is then rolled over (and even more tightly trapped, without violating the 'through solid matter' issue) you reach a point where it is now rolled ''off'' of (no longer underneath the car at all) so you can consider it untrapped. Unlike any thread that was threaded in through the driver's side door but out again through the passenger-side one, which traps loops completely (except for convertables, of course, or if Black Hat subsequently does a more width-wise [[562: Parking|version of the "cut'n'shut", with or without the "shut" bit]].
::::But that's just my interpretation. Thread-line obsessions probably come in various flavours and twists (can a thread-line knot about itself? And, insofar as the car example, is it basically forced to stay 'loose' but looped under the car as it drives, at least until enough of the car's wheels lose contact with the ground due to excessive speed over a humped bridge or even speedbump?) and I can't speak for all of them, but my reasonable (FCVO 'reasonable') assessment suggests that there are get outs ''and'' constraints that might be more universal than not. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.48|172.70.91.48]] 01:47, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

{{cot|When it was all about the OCD}}
This is about a type of OCD where some people feel like they have an imaginary string connecting them to where they come from. As they move around, that string gets entangled and they feel the urge to untangle it. When they enter a car, they feel the need to exit the car from the same door, or else the string will be trapped as forever passing through the car. When they enter a building, they feel they need to exit using the same doorway(s), to avoid entangling the string in the building.

Some cases, like turning around a lamp post are OK because you can imagine removing the loop over the top of the lamp post, such that it is not really entangled.

There may not be an official clinical name for this variety of OCD, but one suggested one is the "imaginary path-string".

Randall treats this OCD like a new measure to add to one's quantified self. The quantified self normally refers to the collection of measurements about your activity, like the number of steps you walk in a day, or monitoring your weight, blood pressure or calories intake. Here, Cueball measures his OCD, i.e. how long this imaginary string has become at the end of the day, after mentally untangling the string as much as possible with valid changes, like moving it around objects, but never through solid matter.

Unlike most people with this OCD, who feel the urge to minimize it, Randall/Cueball takes the opposite stance and actually prefers to maximize the (optimally minimal) length of that imaginary string.

The alt text tells about all the things that become useful adjuncts to this way of thinking and measuring, such as passing (one way) through any tube, tunnel or frame made of solid material that could thus capture the imaginary string and help to keep its ultimate distance as lengthy as possible. All of these situations are dreaded by the people with the more traditional version of OCD.
{{cob}}
...because someone [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2679:_Quantified_Self&diff=295745&oldid=295744 ''just deleted it''], and didn't even appear to attempt to replace it with anything useful themselves. (It did need a lot of editing, but not sure it is totally inapplicable, given the demonstrated familiarity with the basic concept by Randall's target audience...) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 21:25, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::I also had a preoccupation with this sort of thing, for a while as a child. My magic thread was a remnant of the umbilical cord, with one end permanently anchored in the hospital where I was born. I had little or no knowledge of the fundamental nature of matter and just thought of it as a rubber band that was too small to see or feel. Like in the comic and other comments here, it could magically stretch as much as needed and would un-stretch when possible. I did not consider changing behaviour (e.g. choosing an exit to leave a building) because I had no desire for it to be longer or shorter, and it was clearly far too late to make a significant difference. I did spend quite some time thinking of all the places the thread must have gotten caught (as in the comic) and estimating its total length. (I did not consider airports, or my estimate would have been far longer). [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 06:17, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

;Comics with color, red-line subset
As [[:Category:Comics with color]] doesn't have a currently extant Talk-page to it, mentioning it here (although not sure if this one counts, as much, for my suggestion). Many CwC examples are basically "monochrome with added red" ([[2639: Periodic Table Changes|'corrections' to periodic tables]], e.g.) that are distinct from "having lines of various colours" (like [[657: Movie Narrative Charts|multidata plottings]]), which are in turn distinctive from [[2598: Graphic Designers|floodfilled]] or [[1024: Error Code|brushstroked]] multihue images. A simple(ish) algorithm could autoclassify all images with any non-greyscale pixels in them, but (from a human perspective, which is [[1530: Keyboard Mash|definitely my kind of perspective]]!) I think that we could sub-split CwC candidates into something like "(Monochrome) Comics with added red lines", and the rest. Doubtless some are going to be edge-cases (is this one technically a red-line one? Probably, but it's not really the same as a 'correction/annotation' red-lined comic), but such subcategorisation might still be broadly useful. - Just a wild idea, that you could perhaps safely ignore. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.117|172.70.90.117]] 02:25, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

Are there any ''reliable'' sources for the OCD interpretation, or merely a collection of anecdotes? If the former, please spell out and wikilink OCD. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.158.119|172.71.158.119]] 07:24, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

I have some questions about the Google Maps Directions sustainability and related Google features; please see:
* https://itep.org/the-impact-of-work-from-home-on-commercial-property-values-and-the-property-tax-in-u-s-cities/
* https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/08/working-from-home-commercial-office-space-booming
* https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-08-12/office-rentals-shrink-as-tenant-employees-work-from-home
* https://www.computerworld.com/article/3659891/google-others-adding-office-space-in-anticipation-of-the-great-return.html
* https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/01/14/google-spends-billions-on-buying-office-buildings-is-this-a-sign-of-the-post-pandemic-pushback-against-remote-work/
* https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-cutting-office-space-predict-long-term-savings-11625493601
Firstly, has Google published a cost-benefit analysis comparing the sharply increased profits and productivity from work-from-home to the value of coastal region commercial office space holdings and leases? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.59|172.70.214.59]] 08:49, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Added, except I TLDRed on those six links lol. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.185|162.158.166.185]] 08:57, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::This looks totally irrelevant to me. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 09:29, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Did you miss these three?
:* https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-04-28/google-is-saving-1-billion-per-year-as-a-result-of-employees-working-from-home
:* https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-15/google-googl-wants-employees-to-return-to-office-despite-productivity-gains
:* https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/pay-cut-google-employees-who-work-home-could-lose-money-2021-08-10/
:? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 09:31, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

I [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2679%3A_Quantified_Self&type=revision&diff=295816&oldid=295813 deleted the entire OCD interpretation section] because I couldn't figure out how to comment it out. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.158.89|172.71.158.89]] 10:59, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Usual HTML commenting-out would do it. Put a <code><nowiki></nowiki></code> after it. (There's no valid 'tag-end' <code><nowiki>--!></nowiki></code>. The special tag as a whole is <code><nowiki></nowiki></code>, though why it isn't <code><nowiki><!-- --/></nowiki></code> more closely aligned with XML standards for singleton tags I couldn't tell you. ;)
:However, I feel you're just missing the fact that this is provably a thing (to various degrees as exquisitely described both here and on external links) and as valid as subject for Randall's parody as [[245: Floor Tiles|stepping only in valid patterns]] or [[735: Floor|not even upon the floor at all]]. But you've made the change, so... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.211|172.69.79.211]] 21:47, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::Glad to see some people have some sense. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 22:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:I put the proper HTML markers to comment out the old OCD section (that the anonymous editor thought was too long?) and restored the citations with a much shorter explanation and two relevant XKCD comics (735 floor and 100 family circus). [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 22:39, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Now you can do the same with the Google Maps Sustainability hypotheses that so hasn't prove any relevance to the comic. But do I repeat myself? [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 22:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::I'm inclined to agree. I'll put the same block-comment tags around that Google Sustainability paragraph. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 22:50, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
;r/whoosh
We need a "I don't get it" tag for these strips. We could call it "r/whoosh".
(to be fair, I understand the comics, but I don't personally find it neither fascinating, nor interesting, nor funny, nor depicting an interesting fact, nor something I can relate about, and I don't think I'm going to be the only one... YMMV to those who feel differently). [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 17:09, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

2677: Two Key System

2022-09-26T20:02:13Z

172.70.174.41: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2677
| date = September 26, 2022
| title = Two Key System
| image = two_key_system_2x.png
| imagesize = 645x316px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Our company can be your one-stop shop for decentralization.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SELF-TURNING BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

When we develop software (such as a missile launch briefcase) we sometimes build in safeguards, such as {{w|Two-man rule|needing two people for authorization}}, to prevent mistakes.

Often, such safeguards are a nuisance, thus something else (such as a dual key turner device) is developed to make the safeguards easier to deal with.

When we find out that the thing used to make the safeguards less of a nuisance actually defeats the purpose of the safeguards, rather than simply removing the problem, a new safeguard is added which does the exact same thing as the original, nuisance included.

The title text mentions a one-stop-shop for decentralization which is a self-contradiction — because a one-stop-shop is by definition centralized.

For related xkcd on software cycles, see [[2044: Sandboxing Cycle]] and [[1306: Sigil Cycle]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Caption:]
:All software development, eventually

:[Cueball is talking, while pointing to a drawing. It represents two keys, pointing to Cueball and Ponytail turning keys of a missile launch briefcase]
:Cueball: We've installed a two-key system to prevent accidental missile launches.

:[An arrow is pointing to the next panel:] Soon

:[The drawing now represents a device which allows Cueball to activate the briefcase by himself]
:Cueball: We've developed a dual-turner device to allow a user to efficiently turn multiple keys.

:[An arrow is pointing to the next panel:] Soon

:[The drawing now represents two keys, pointing to Cueball and Ponytail turning keys of a box containing the device of panel 2]
:Cueball: We've installed a two-key lock on the dual-turner device to prevent accidental use.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Nuclear weapons]]

2677: Two Key System

2022-09-26T20:01:51Z

172.70.174.41: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2677
| date = September 26, 2022
| title = Two Key System
| image = two_key_system_2x.png
| imagesize = 645x316px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Our company can be your one-stop shop for decentralization.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SELF-TURNING BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

When we develop software (such as a missile launch briefcase) we sometimes build in safeguards, such as {{w|Two-man rule|needing two people for authorization}}, to prevent mistakes.

Often, such safeguards are a nuisance, thus something else (such as a dual key turner device) is developed to make the safeguards easier to deal with.

When we find out that the thing used to make the safeguards less of a nuisance actually defeats the purpose of the safeguards, rather than simply removing the problem, a new safeguard is added which does the exact same thing as the original, nuisance included.

The title text mentions a one-stop-shop for decentralization which is an oxymoron — a self-contradiction — because a one-stop-shop is by definition centralized.

For related xkcd on software cycles, see [[2044: Sandboxing Cycle]] and [[1306: Sigil Cycle]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Caption:]
:All software development, eventually

:[Cueball is talking, while pointing to a drawing. It represents two keys, pointing to Cueball and Ponytail turning keys of a missile launch briefcase]
:Cueball: We've installed a two-key system to prevent accidental missile launches.

:[An arrow is pointing to the next panel:] Soon

:[The drawing now represents a device which allows Cueball to activate the briefcase by himself]
:Cueball: We've developed a dual-turner device to allow a user to efficiently turn multiple keys.

:[An arrow is pointing to the next panel:] Soon

:[The drawing now represents two keys, pointing to Cueball and Ponytail turning keys of a box containing the device of panel 2]
:Cueball: We've installed a two-key lock on the dual-turner device to prevent accidental use.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Nuclear weapons]]

61: Stacey's Dad

2022-09-25T17:36:59Z

172.70.174.41:

{{comic
| number = 61
| date = February 8, 2006
| title = Stacey's Dad
| image = staceys_dad.jpg
| titletext = I bet she gets you to mow the lawn, doesn't she?
}}

==Explanation==
This comic refers to the song "{{w|Stacy's Mom}}" by {{w|Fountains of Wayne}} (See the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZLfasMPOU4 music video] on YouTube). As the background singers repeatedly say, "Stacy's mom has got it goin' on." Although [[Randall]] has used the wrong spelling of 'Stacy'.

The song is from the perspective of a young teenage boy who has a crush on his best friend's mother — 'Stacy's Mom' — and has deluded himself into thinking that she might like him back. In one verse, he tells Stacy "I know that you think it's just a fantasy, but since your Dad walked out your Mom could use a guy like me," and this is the line the comic is referencing, with Stacy's Dad (drawn the same way as [[Hairy]], making this his first appearance) directly echoing the line and explaining ''why'' he left Stacy's Mom, suggesting that the singer do the same.

The line "Stacy's Mom has got it going on" is repeated throughout the song, and in context simply means that Stacy's Mom is very attractive. Here, however, Stacy's Dad changes it, saying that she "has a lot going on," which means that she has issues that would make a relationship difficult.

The humor comes from the fact that, in the song, it is very clear that the singer does not actually have a chance with Stacy's Mom and is merely kidding himself, as he is still just a kid. But in the comic, Stacy's Dad appears to be taking the situation completely seriously, and is worried enough about the possibility of Stacy's Mom and the boy getting together that he feels the need to warn him away.

The title text is referencing the second verse, which begins: "Stacy remember when I mowed your lawn." Mowing the lawn is the sort of chore that a kid might get paid to do for a friend's parent, and in the song, this is meant to emphasize that Stacy's Mom sees the singer as a child, not as a potential partner. But here, Stacy's Dad seems to be implying that mowing the lawn is something that Stacy's Mom made him — and possibly all her previous partners — do for her, and so her getting the boy to do it ''is'' actually a sign that she is interested in him.

The song ''Stacy's Mom'' was again referenced in [[575: Tag Combination]].

==Transcript==
:[A hairy man.]
:Man: Look, I know you think that since I walked out she could use a guy like you. But trust me. That woman has got a lot going on, and you want none of it.
:Man: Get out while you still can.

:[Printed across the bottom of the panel.]
:'''Stacey's dad. [sic]'''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Your Mom]]
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]]

2660: Gen Z

2022-08-18T05:42:25Z

172.70.174.41:

{{comic
| number = 2660
| date = August 17, 2022
| title = Gen Z
| image = gen_z.png
| titletext = Curdled milk, of a peculiar kind, made after a Bulgarian recipe and called "yaghurt," is now a Parisian fad and is believed to be a remedy against growing old. A correspondent who has tried it, says he would prefer to die young. (1905, The Elk Falls Journal)
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a CONFUSINGLY TRENDY BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Older generations are often confused by the trends and norms of younger people, and this comic aims to contextualize this common situation by placing it in a historical perspective. Black Hat is expressing a notion that sounds a lot like [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD0x7ho_IYc juvenoia].

The title text apparently quotes a 1905 paper from Elk Falls, Kansas, which tells of a "Parisian fad". In this case, the "fad" is the introduction of yogurt (spelled "yaghurt" in this publication, probably because English spelling of the word was not standardized yet and may have been influenced by the French spelling and phonology). In the modern day, yogurt is enjoyed as a common food in most [[559: No Pun Intended|cultures]], but in 1905 the concept was bizarre and repulsive to the readers of this Kansas newspaper. This shows that things which are dismissed as "strange" because of preconceived notions of a particular group (that curdled milk is necessarily bad) may, in fact, be perfectly acceptable once more context is obtained. It is also worth noting that yogurt was not invented in 1905, but had existed for centuries prior; despite this, the recent introduction to French culture is what prompted its recognition as a nascent "fad" by the Kansan writer. This may be analogized to various fads and trends which {{w|Gen Z}} is embracing which may appear unfounded to members of older generations, but which nevertheless represent acceptance of ideas which did not originate with members of that generation.

This is not the first comic to identify "modern" complaints or viewpoints as having been present throughout history in various forms (see comics [[1227: The Pace of Modern Life]] and [[1601: Isolation]]).

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

:[Six individuals in clothing representing early 1900s' American fashion stand in a line. Four of them have speaking roles, from left to right, and two stand in silence, contributing to the feeling of a conversation amongst a crowd gathered around the first speaker]
:Speaker 1 (white brim hat): Now, it may sound strange, but it's how Gen Z is doing things!
:Speaker 2 (wavy hair, dress with belt): Gosh! Is that really true??
:Speaker 3 (dark hat with indent): Ridiculous. It just goes to show what I've been saying about them.
:Speaker 4 (hair in bun, dress with lace hem): Now now, maybe we just need to change with the times.

:Caption below comic: People ascribing qualities to "Gen Z" have the same energy as small-town salespeople in 1905 talking about what the ladies in Paris are up to.

{{comic discussion}}

2646: Minkowski Space

2022-07-17T04:15:04Z

172.70.174.41: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2646
| date = July 15, 2022
| title = Minkowski Space
| image = minkowski_space.png
| titletext = My liege, we were able to follow the ship into Minkowski space, but now they've jumped to Hilbert space and they could honestly be anywhere.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by A RELATIVISTIC QUANTUM STATE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In science fiction, {{w|faster than light travel}}, an impossibility in our universe, is often portrayed by having spaceships enter (or "jump") into some different realm, termed "hyperspace" or similar {{w|technobabble}}, where superluminal travel can occur prior returning to the ordinary universe. In this comic, a spaceship is being chased by an enemy ship. The crew attempt to escape by jumping into {{w|Minkowski space}} which is actually just conventional 3-D space together with time combined into a mathematical object called a {{w|manifold}} used in {{w|special relativity}}. Because Minkowski space is merely a representation of real physical {{w|spacetime}}, "jumping" into it is meaningless and offers no benefit for escaping pursuit, providing the humor of the comic's absurdist joke.

The visual depiction of the spaceships skewed diagonally is based on the graphical {{w|Minkowski diagram}} representation of objects in Minkowski space, where the {{w|world line}} of matter is bounded inside its diagonal {{w|light cone}}.

The mention of distance depending on the observer's frame of reference refers to distances changing when measured in different {{w|inertial frame of reference|inertial frames of reference}}, a concept called the {{w|relativity of simultaneity}}. Here are [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asW78vToNLQ some videos] intended [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrqj88zQZJg to explain] that concept. The skewing depicted changes the distance between the spaceships in such a way that the tip of the pursuer comes closer to the pursued spaceship, but their centers move further apart. So the question of whether they have come closer is indeterminate for the reader of the comic.

The title text is a status report from someone in the pursuing spaceship to their leader (whom they call "my {{w|Homage (feudal)|liege}}.") They tell their superior that following the spaceship to Minkowski space was not a problem, implying (as with fictional hyperspace examples) that they also chose to shift themselves into this other form of perspective. But they cannot now find them after the pursued ship subsequently jumped to Hilbert space, as they could now be anywhere. As in the [[2577:_Sea_Chase|Sea Chase]] comic, there was also more than one type of space to jump to here.

Whereas trying to hide in Minkowski space failed, it turned out that hiding in {{w|Hilbert space}} is much easier. This is because of the potential of Hilbert spaces to have an infinite number of dimensions, and thus are clearly much more complicated than four-dimensional Minkowski space. However, Hilbert space is a mathematical construct used to describe objects such as functions of various parameters and complexity, not physical spatiotemporal reality, so it would be very unusual for a physical object to be represented in Hilbert space. Quantum states can be represented as vectors in Hilbert spaces, so it might relate to the {{w|uncertainty principle}} concerning how the escaped spaceship could be anywhere.

==Transcript==
:[A spaceship is being pursued by another spaceship. Both ships have a black part in the front representing a window. They are the same size but different designs. The pursued spaceship to the right has two engines below and a big engine behind. The pursuing spaceship to the left has a V-shaped rear end, and what seems like two weapons on either side pointing forward. At least two persons inside the pursued spaceship are talking to each other, and their text comes out from two starburst on top and bottom of the spaceship.]
:Voice 1: The enemy ship is right behind us!
:Voice 2: Prepare to jump to Minkowski space on my mark.

:[Same setting, with star burst above only. The sound coming from the pursued spaceship is written inside a burst of small lines below the spaceship. Voice 2, by context, is the same as in panel 1.]
:Voice 2: Three... two... one... ''mark!''
:Click

:[Both spaceship are tilted upwards and becomes distorted so they become longer and thinner.]

:[The tilting increases and the distortion is now so pronounced that the spaceships are almost unrecognizable, almost just lines with structure. The distance between the tip of the pursuing spaceship and the pursued becomes shorter in the last two panels, but the distance between their center parts becomes larger. Up to three distinct voices are shown, here, which may include those seen in Panel 1 but with no clear relation.]
:Voice 3: Are they still getting closer?
:Voice 4: I can't tell.
:Voice 5: I think it depends on your frame of reference.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Physics]]

2639: Periodic Table Changes

2022-06-30T02:54:16Z

172.70.174.41: /* Explanation */ Add mention of spite fences

{{comic
| number = 2639
| date = June 29, 2022
| title = Periodic Table Changes
| image = periodic_table_changes.png
| titletext = It's nice how the end of the periodic table is flush with the edge these days, so I think we should agree no one should find any new elements after #118 unless they discover a whole row at once.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SPITE ELEMENT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The {{w|periodic table}} is a table used to arrange {{w|chemical elements}} according to their chemical and physical properties. This comic proposes "changes" to the periodic table that would be more pleasant aesthetically or make the periodic table look more regular. Some of these are (somewhat) practical changes to element abbreviations that could improve clarity in English, though changing documents to use different abbreviations would probably be more trouble than it's worth. However, other changes move elements around without taking into account that elements would stop being arranged by their properties. The periodic table would stop being useful after such changes unless said changes were meant to physically change the material properties of the elements, which would be impossible{{citation needed}}, although the comic plans to solve the problem with "free training" to their atomic behavior. The attitude is similar to impossible economic plans attempted with unpleasant results, possibly a current event.

Other modifications make up new elements or remove existing ones from the table, which would not be a reasonable decision given that the periodic table is supposed to include all existing elements, whether they make the table neater or they don't.

;Move helium over here. It fits nicely!
Helium is moved from the upper right corner to the second column next to hydrogen. However, the reason it is placed at the far-right Group 18 and not Group 2 is because it is a {{w|noble gas}}, rather than a reactive {{w|alkaline earth metal}}. You could say helium is in group 2 because it has two electrons in its outer shell, but normal periodic tables place it in group 18, the noble gases, with which it has far more in common. Hydrogen has similar problems being in group 1, as it's a non-metal and the elements below it are metals which don't have much in common with it chemically. There are periodic tables that show hydrogen floating above the periodic table for that reason.

;Elements in this corner are cool. Add more!
TBD (to be determined). Elements in that corner, such as carbon, oxygen, phosphorous, and nitrogen, participate in covalent bonding and are the primary elements involved in biochemical reactions, which may be why they are considered cooler than other elements.

;Sp (Spite element)
Wedged between fluorine and neon. This could be a reference to spite houses, houses jammed into a narrow space to block other construction, or spite fences, which are fences built to annoy neighbors.

;Merge these boring metals with titanium to make *tixanium*
Tixanium (Tx) replaces five metals, including titanium (Ti). This may be a reference to the term "UX" (user experience) being used instead of "UI" (user interface) as more of an umbrella term.

While titanium certainly has an impressive name, and is used in the aerospace industry and other high-performance applications, the others are hardly boring; manganese, for example, was part of the cover story for the top-secret {{w|Project Azorian}}.

;Update Latin/Neo-Latin symbols to match names. This isn't ancient Rome.
* Sodium: Na (Natrium) => So
* Potassium: K (Kalium) => Pm
* Iron: Fe (Ferrum) => I
* Silver: Ag (Argentum) => Sv
* Gold: Au (Aurum) => Gd
* Tin: Sn (Stannum) => Tn
* Lead: Pb (Plumbum) => Ld
Since I is already used for Iodine, it gets a new abbreviation Io, and Gadolinium is re-abbreviated to Gm to free up Gd.

Oddly, this group of changes doesn't include mercury (Hg -- hydrargyrum) or antimony (Sb -- stibium).

;Replace the blander post-transition metals with new kinds of carbon
* Indium (In) -> C II.
* Antimony (Sb) -> C III.
* Tellurium (Te) -> C IV.
* Thallium (Tl) -> C V.
* Bismuth (Bi) -> C VI.

Carbon can make four covalent bonds, which means it can form a huge range of chemicals, above all ones vital to life. The post-transition metals don't have this level of interest. If there were more chemicals like carbon, it could allow more exciting chemistry and perhaps new kinds of life.

;That W annoys me
* Tungsten: W (Wolfram) -> Tg.

Another element whose symbol doesn't match its English name. "Wolfram" is the name for tungsten in some languages and is derived from the mineral wolframite, which comes from the name "wolf rahm" in German (wolf soot).

;3.4% of all elements are named after Ytterby, Sweden (pop. 3,000). Let's keep Yttrium, but rename the other 3 after bigger cities (Tokyium, Delhium, and Jakartium?) to be more fair.
Four elements -- yttrium (Y), ytterbium (Yb), terbium (Tb) and erbium (Er) -- are named after {{w|Ytterby}}, a Swedish village where they were discovered. Scandium (Sc), thulium (Tm), holmium (Ho) and gadolinium (Gd) were isolated from minerals found in the same quarry. Randall suggests naming 3 of them after some other major world cities, despite those cities having no connection to those elements.
* Terbium (Tb) -> Tokyium (Ty) - Tokyo
* Erbium (Er) -> Delhium (Dh) - Delhi
* Ytterbium (Yb) -> Jakatium (Jk) - Jakarta

;Inserting the lanthanides and actinides properly makes the table too wide. Triage is needed. Each element will be offered free training to help adjust to its new column.
Though the lanthanides and actinides typically are placed under the bottom of the table, they actually belong in the 6th and 7th rows of the table between the 2nd and 3rd columns, as they are numbered elements 57-70 and 89-102. This section of the table is typically excised to give the overall shape more appealing dimensions: as Randall says, properly placing these elements makes the table "too wide". He recommends that a subset of these elements be placed at the bottom of the table (making them elements 93-110) and they will receive "training" to adjust to their new columns.

The title text suggests discovering elements only in entire rows at once. Elements with more protons than 118 could be discovered in future by collisions in particle accelerators, but aren't likely to be discovered in an entire row at a time.

Changing the periodic table was also the topic of [[2214: Chemistry Nobel]].

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

:Changes I would make to the periodic table.
:[A modified periodic table is shown, with changes in red.]

:[Helium is moved from the upper right corner to the second column next to hydrogen:]
:Move helium over here. It fits nicely!
:[Two elements labeled TBD (to be determined) are added to the left of boron and aluminium:]
:Elements in this corner are cool. Add more!
:[Narrow triangular shape is wedged between fluorine and neon:]
:Sp (Spite element)
:[Tixanium replaces five elements: scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium and manganese:]
:Merge these boring metals with titanium to make *tixanium*
:[The symbols of sodium, potassium, iron, silver, gold, tin and lead are changed:]
:Update Latin/Neo-Latin symbols to match names. This isn't ancient Rome.
:[The symbols of indium, antimony, tellurium, thallium and bismuth are changed to symbols containing the letter C followed by Roman letters II to VI, respectively.]
:Replace the blander post-transition metals with new kinds of carbon.
:[The symbol of tungsten is changed from W to Tg.]
:That W annoys me
:Move.
:Inserting the lanthanides and actinides properly makes the table too wide. Triage is needed. Each element will be offerent free training to help adjust to its new column.
:3.4% of all elements are named after Ytterby, Sweden (pop. 3,000). Let's keep yttrium, but rename the other 3 after bigger cities (tokyium, delhium, and jakartium?) to be more fair.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

2627: Types of Scopes

2022-06-09T19:38:13Z

172.70.174.41: /* Explanation */ Added links for each type of scope and for the "really exists"s

{{comic
| number = 2627
| date = June 1, 2022
| title = Types of Scopes
| image = types_of_scopes.png
| titletext = An x-ray gyroscope is used to determine exactly which toppings they included in the pita.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT WHO DIDN'T REMEMBER TO STOP TROLLS FROM SPAMMING THE WRONG IMAGE AND THIS EDITOR IS REALLY SALTY ABOUT THAT...-OSCOPE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
''{{w|Electron microscopes}}'', ''{{w|Calorimetric Electron Telescope|electron telescopes}}'' and ''{{w|radio telescopes}}'' are special forms of {{w|microscopes}} and {{w|telescopes}}, respectively. This comic explores what you could do with a hypothetical "electron ___-scope" and "radio ___-scope" for other "regular" items whose name also ends in -scope (namely: {{w|periscope}}, {{w|stethoscope}}, {{w|kaleidoscope}}, {{w|gyroscope}} and {{w|horoscope}}).

The third column with "radio" often plays on different meanings of the word ''radio:'' 1) related to radiation and 2) a device for receiving radio communication or broadcasts.

The title text makes a pun on "gyroscope" and a middle-eastern pita wrap called a "{{w|gyros}}".
===Table with scopes===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ What the words could mean according to the comic
|-
! Word !! Regular ___ !! Electron ___ !! Radio ___
|-
| {{w|Microscope}} || A laboratory instrument used for magnifying small objects. || ''{{w|Electron Microscope|Really exists:}}'' A microscope that uses a beam of accelerated electrons as a source of illumination has a higher resolution than a conventional microscope. || Simply a microscope that one would use when repairing a radio.
|-
| {{w|Telescope}} || An optical instrument used for observing distant objects. || ''{{w|Calorimetric Electron Telescope|''Really exists''}}'': A type of telescope used to detect electrons and other high-energy particles, such as cosmic rays. || ''{{w|Radio Telescope|Really exists:}}'' A directional antenna is used to detect radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky.
|-
| {{w|Periscope }}|| Periscopes allow submarine crews to watch what happens above the water surface, without exposing the submarine to enemy observers, or enemy radars. In practice, periscope use is minimized because periscopes are still observable, but to a lesser degree. || An electron microscope seemingly mounted on a periscope. Examining enemy boats like a periscope, with the detail of an electron microscope. This would not be useful in combat.{{Citation needed}} || In principle, the German navy invented radio periscopes during World War 2. The {{w|Metox radar detector}}'s early antenna had to be built up after surfacing and dismantled before diving. Later, the fixed ''Bali'' antenna could act as a true periscope, in order to detect aircraft and ships that were using radar to hunt submarines.

Radio signals do not propagate well in water, so raising a radio receiver above the water would be necessary for listening to {{w|NPR}} (National Public Radio, a popular public radio network in the United States) or any radio station which is not in the {{w|extremely low frequency}} band.
|-
| {{w|Stethoscope}}
|| A medical device for listening to sounds made by a patient's body, for example, the heart. Has a disc-shaped resonator that is placed against the patient's skin.
|| If the resonator is emitting electromagnetic radiation, it could burn the skin due to its close proximity.
|| Normally, the sounds are transmitted to an earpiece that the examiner wears. There are also recording stethoscopes. A radio stethoscope would transmit the sound either directly via radio waves, or send it to a radio station such as NPR where it could then be broadcasted.
|-
| {{w|Kaleidoscope}} || A optical instrument that uses two or more tilted reflectors to show a regular symmetrical pattern || Seemingly a pun of electron "collide"-scope, as electron collisions generate {{w|Bremsstrahlung}}. || The scan button on a radio scans through many frequencies, and the radio station changes a lot, depending on the frequency. The rapid change is reminiscent of a normal kaleidoscope.
|-
| {{w|Gyroscope}} || Gyroscopes are used for {{w|inertial navigation}}, for example. || Gyroscopes make stuff point in certain directions by spinning. An {{w|Electromagnet}} uses sometimes-spinning electric fields to induce a magnetic field, moving magnetic stuff and, in some instances, making it point in a certain direction. || A music turntable spins a vinyl record to stimulate an electromagnetic needle, which plays music. Such devices are common in radio stations.

In theory, radio waves could be sent around in a triangular pattern, thus replicating the existing {{w|ring laser gyroscope}}.
|-
| {{w|Horoscope}}
|| In common usage, predictions or advice is given based on the position of stars and planets. Largely unscientific, it is much closer to a {{w|Rorschach_test}} than person-specific information.
|| Predicting the position of a particle, such as an electron (possibly based on the position of stars and planets). In a funny twist, the exact location of an electron cannot be determined, due to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.
|| Predictions or advice given based on the radiation emitted by exploding stars or galaxies.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Content is a table, with column headings "Regular ''Blank'' Scope", "Electron ''Blank'' Scope", and "Radio ''Blank'' Scope". Row headings are "Micro", "Tele", "Peri", "Stetho", "Kaleido", "Gyro", and "Horo".

;Regular Microscope
:Look at small stuff
;Electron Microscope
:Look at ''really'' small stuff
;Radio Microscope
:Figure out why your radio broke
;Regular Telescope
:Look at stuff that's far away
;Electron Telescope
:Detect cosmic rays
;Radio Telescope
:Look at distant high-energy stuff
;Regular Periscope
:Look for enemy ships
;Electron Periscope
:Examine the hull of an enemy ship for structural flaws
;Radio Periscope
:Let the crew of your submarine listen to NPR
;Regular Stethoscope
:Listen to a patient's chest
;Electron Stethoscope
:Burn a patient's skin
;Radio Stethoscope
:Play the noises from a patient's chest on NPR
;Regular Kaleidoscope
:See cool shapes and colors
;Electron Kaleidoscope
:See cool Bremsstrahlung
;Radio Kaleidoscope
:Another word for the "Scan" button
;Regular Gyroscope
:Balance by spinning
;Electron Gyroscope
:Another word for electromagnet
;Radio Gyroscope
:Another word for turntable
;Regular Horoscope
:Get random life advice
;Electron Horoscope
:Predict a particle's quantum state
;Radio Horoscope
:Get random life advice from exploding galaxies

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Space]]

Talk:2627: Types of Scopes

2022-06-01T22:15:56Z

172.70.174.41: comment

Wiki's getting hit pretty hard by the trolls this week... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.21|172.69.134.21]] 19:02, 1 June 2022 (UTC)
:Lot of time to troll when you're on a roll :^) --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.124|108.162.246.124]] 19:04, 1 June 2022 (UTC)
What's with all the vandalism? I know this is the internet, and therefore some vandalism is expected, but YIKES!!! What happened this week? Edit: I don't know who put my message loads, but it wasn't me.[[User:SqueakSquawk4|SqueakSquawk4]] ([[User talk:SqueakSquawk4|talk]]) 19:16, 1 June 2022 (UTC)
:AGREed. waht is the lore behind these schizophrenics and doug walker! holy fuck --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.34.191|172.70.34.191]] 20:07, 1 June 2022 (UTC)
::https://wiki.soyjak.party/index.php/Main_Page --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.52|162.158.107.52]] 20:14, 1 June 2022 (UTC)
Fixed it. That was annoying [[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.41|172.70.174.41]] 22:15, 1 June 2022 (UTC)

2627: Types of Scopes

2022-06-01T17:19:36Z

172.70.174.41: /* Explanation */ ?????

{{comic
| number = 2627
| date = June 1, 2022
| title = Types of Scopes
| image = types_of_scopes.png
| titletext = An x-ray gyroscope is used to determine exactly which toppings they included in the pita.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOTOSCOPE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

''Electron microscopes'', ''electron telescopes'' and ''radio telescopes'' are special forms of microscopes and telescopes, respectively. This comic explores what you could do with a hypothetical "electron ___-scope" and "radio ___-scope" for other words also ending in -scope (namely: periscope, stethoscope, kaleidoscope, gyroscope and horoscope). The definition of the word itself ("regular ___-scope") is also given.

The third column often plays on different meanings of the word ''radio:'' 1) related to radiation and 2) a device for receiving radio communication or broadcasts.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ What the words could mean according to the comic
|-
! Word !! Regular !! Electron ___ !! Radio ___
|-
| Microscope || || ''Really exists'' || Simply a microscope for looking at your radio.
|-
| Telescope || || ''Really exists'' || ''Really exists''
|-
| Periscope || Periscopes allow submarine crews to watch what happens above the water surface, without exposing the submarine to enemy observers, or enemy radars. In practice, periscope use is minimized because periscopes are still observable, but to a lesser degree. || An electron microscope seemingly mounted on a periscope. Examining enemy boats like a periscope, with the detail of an electron microsope. This would not be useful in combat. || In principle, the German navy has invented radio periscopes during World War 2. The {{w|Metox radar detector}}'s early antenna had to be built up after surfacing, and dismantled before diving. Later, the fixed ''Bali'' antenna could act like a true periscope, in order to detect aircraft and ships that were using radar to hunt submarines.
|-
| Stethoscope
|| A medical device for listening to sounds made by a patient's body, for example the heart. Has a disc-shaped resonator that is placed against the patient's skin.
|| If the resonator is emitting electromagnetic radiation, it could burn the skin due to its close proximity.
|| Normally, the sounds are transmitted to an earpiece that the examiner wears. There are also recording stethoscopes. A radio stethoscope would transmit the sound either directly via radio waves, or send it to a radio station such as NPR where it could then be broadcasted.
|-
| Kaleidoscope || || Seemingly a pun of electron "collide"-oscope, as electron collisions generate {{w|Bremsstrahlung}}. ||
|-
| Gyroscope || Gyroscopes are used for {{w|inertial navigation}}, for example. || || In theory, radio waves could be sent around in a triangular pattern, thus replicating the existing {{w|ring laser gyroscope}}.
|-
| Horoscope
|| In common usage, predictions or advice given based on the position of stars and planets. Proven to be unscientific junk.
|| Predictions based on the position of a particle, such as an electron. In a funny twist, the exact location of an electron cannot be determined, due to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.
|| Predictions or advice given based on the radiation emitted by exploding stars or galaxies.
|}

The title text makes a pun on "gyroscope" and the Greek foods {{w|Gyros}} and {{w|Pita}}.

==Transcript==
>/qa/ lost

{{comic discussion}}

2625: Field Topology

2022-05-29T00:44:28Z

172.70.174.41:

{{comic
| number = 2625
| date = May 27, 2022
| title = Field Topology
| image = field_topology.png
| titletext = The combination croquet set/10-lane pool can also be used for some varieties of foosball and Skee-Ball.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by SOMEBODY HOMEOMORPHIC TO YOUR DOG - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic strip depicts a logical extreme of multi-use athletic facilities, in which sports are grouped by the {{w|topology|topological}} equivalence of their fields (not to be confused with {{w|Field (mathematics)|mathematical fields}}, or the {{w|Fields Medal}} prize -- although successfully {{w|Straightedge and compass construction|constructing}} these fields might lead to medals of one kind or another being granted).

In topology, shapes which can be smoothly deformed into one another, without making or closing cuts or holes, are equivalent. {{w|Baseball}}, {{w|soccer}}, and {{w|tetherball}} are played on fields without any holes that the ball or players can completely pass through, so they are grouped ({{w|Group (mathematics)|heh!}}) into one continuous field without holes. The goals on a soccer field do not create holes; because the goalposts are connected to the field with a net, the goals and field are topologically equivalent to a plane. The same is true of ice hockey, as well.

{{w|Volleyball}} and {{w|badminton}} are played on a field split in two by a net, and the {{w|high jump}} has a bar that contestants jump over. The space bounded by the bottom of the net (or bar), the supporting poles, and the ground can be considered to be a hole, so their fields all have one "hole".

A basketball court has two holes, the nets. Parallel bars can be thought of as two rectangles and thus as two topographical "holes". A football field is a special case. Commonly, an American football field uses a "Y" shaped upright, making the field topologically equivalent to a plane. However, at lower levels of play (primary and secondary schools), sometimes an "H" shaped upright is used, which creates a topological hole under the crossbar at both ends of the field. The comic might instead refer to Gaelic football or Rugby, both of which use "H" shaped goals and are called "football" in certain contexts.

The lane dividers in swimming create bounded holes on the 'playing surface' equivalent to the number of lanes minus one. And each hoop in croquet is a hole with one edge bounded by the playing surface. Similarly, as mentioned in the title text, this configuration is also {{w|homeomorphism|homeomorphic}} to a {{w|foosball}} table (with each rod sustaining the player figures above the table defining a hole) or a {{w|Skee-Ball}} lane (which is even more straightforward, as it is just a plane with several holes in which to throw balls).

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

A row of four signs, each held up by two posts, followed by a row of four roughly oblong shapes, one for each sign. The signs and oblong shapes are shaded as if three-dimensional objects, all being flattish with a small third dimension. The four oblongs are presented at an oblique angle, as if they are in "front" of the signs extending towards the viewer. All but the first oblong have various numbers of holes "through" them.

zero holes: "Baseball. Soccer. Tetherball."

one hole: "Volleyball. Badminton. High jump."

two holes: Basketball. Football. Parallel bars."

nine holes: "Olympic swimming. Croquet."

Image caption: "No one ever wants to use the topology department's athletic fields."

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Sport]]

Talk:1051: Visited

2022-05-24T19:43:31Z

172.70.174.41:

How is Andalasia even relevant to the article? It shouldn't be mentioned in the first place. And what's wrong with autoerotic asphyxiation? '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:56, 8 January 2013 (UTC)

The blue / purple links are a common standard in IE and Firefox, at least. Not specific to Wikipedia. --[[Special:Contributions/68.200.188.141|68.200.188.141]] 01:55, 27 January 2013 (UTC)
:You can set the colours in a browser but you can also set them in a website. The websites colours take prevalence. Wikipedia actually has set them to blue and purple, possibly to make sure everyone has the same experience reading the article. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia's style sheet
<pre>a{
text-decoration:none;
color:#0645ad;
background:none}
a:visited{
color:#0b0080}
a:active{
color:#faa700}
a:hover,a:focus{
text-decoration:underline}
a.stub{
color:#772233}</pre> [[User:Tharkon|Tharkon]] ([[User talk:Tharkon|talk]]) 20:56, 24 July 2014 (UTC)

I'm with Randall on this one, Wikipedia should TOTALLY have an article on Wingsuit Combat. It could be a new sport! {{unsigned|69.10.219.243}}
:Yeah! Wingsuit combat!™ (giving credit where credit is due. Check Please! [[User:StillNotOriginal|StillNotOriginal]] ([[User talk:StillNotOriginal|Talk to me!]]) 23:16, 19 May 2018 (UTC)

Embarrassed is misspelled in the caption in the picture. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.252.185|162.158.252.185]] 11:45, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

== Author? ==

It should be clarified whether or not the author mentioned in the script is imaginary or not! (Imaginary as far as I can see.)

the title text refers to violations of {{w|WP:SOB}}, which I think is notable enough to be included [[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.41|172.70.174.41]] 19:43, 24 May 2022 (UTC)Bumpf