explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2549: Edge Cake

2021-12-02T12:26:39Z

172.70.178.51:

The cake being all edges is a reference to everything about her birth being an edge case.
[[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.227|172.70.110.227]] 03:41, 2 December 2021 (UTC)
: It seems likely that the title of the comic is a related pun: her birthday is an edge case, and so she has an edge cake.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.221|162.158.106.221]] 04:22, 2 December 2021 (UTC)
So is Hairbun officially named Emily now, sort of like how all instances of Megan are Megan even though she's only called that once? I know all the names here are just placeholders of convenience, but even then I've never know what the rules for naming are. [[User:Captain Video|Captain Video]] ([[User talk:Captain Video|talk]]) 06:11, 2 December 2021 (UTC)

Edge pieces on cake are often sought after because they hold more frosting, for cakes which are frosted while out of the pan. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.134.23|172.70.134.23]] 06:37, 2 December 2021 (UTC)
: I have an impression that Cueball is delighted by having only edge pieces, however some cakes edge pieces may be either sought for or avoided, depending on one's tastes. E.g. tarts have more crispy base cake content and less filling at the edges. One person may go for the filling, another for the crispy base. -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.102.11|162.158.102.11]] 09:50, 2 December 2021 (UTC)

So it seems the events in the comic happened on Apr 1., as the "last month" birthday could be either Feb 28. or 29. -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.102.11|162.158.102.11]] 09:50, 2 December 2021 (UTC)
:Not necessarily. Remember, Emily can have her birthday ''whenever she wants'', so the date this comic is set as is entirely arbitrary. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.51|172.70.178.51]] 12:26, 2 December 2021 (UTC)

2546: Fiction vs Nonfiction

2021-11-25T06:20:38Z

172.70.178.51: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2546
| date = November 24, 2021
| title = Fiction vs Nonfiction
| image = fiction_vs_nonfiction.png
| titletext = The real challenge is how to file Boba Fett's biography of Doris Kearns Goodwin.
}}

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

[[Cueball]] is asking [[Ponytail]] and [[White Hat]] to classify different {{w|Star Wars}} books and movies as fiction or nonfiction. The movies get weirder as the conversation progresses

{| class="wikitable"
!Movie/Book name
!Explanation
|-
| Star Wars
| Star Wars is nonfiction because it is a movie.{{citation needed}}
|-
| The Making of Star Wars
| This is a video about how Star Wars was made, which would make it nonfiction.
|-
| Star Wars: The Adventures of Boba Fett
| This is a Star Wars episode, and is in-universe, making it fictional.
|-
| Star Wars: The official Guide to Boba Fett's Armor and Weapons?
|
|-
| Boba Fett's Gadgets and How He Got Them
|
|-
| Boba Fett: A Life
|
|-
|}

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

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars''?
:Ponytail: Fiction.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''The Making of Star Wars''?
:White Hat: Nonfiction.

:[Closeup of Cueball.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars: The Adventures of Boba Fett''?
:Ponytail (off-panel): Fiction.

:[Closeup of Ponytail.]
:Cueball (off-panel): ''Star Wars: The official Guide to Boba Fett's Armor and Weapons''?
:Ponytail: Nonfiction, technically.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett's Gadgets and How He Got Them''
:Ponytail: ...Fiction? It depends.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat. Ponytail has turned towards White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett: A Life'', by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin?
:Ponytail: Hm.
:White Hat: Maybe we should just have a Boba Fett section.

{{comic discussion}}

2546: Fiction vs Nonfiction

2021-11-25T06:19:57Z

172.70.178.51: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2546
| date = November 24, 2021
| title = Fiction vs Nonfiction
| image = fiction_vs_nonfiction.png
| titletext = The real challenge is how to file Boba Fett's biography of Doris Kearns Goodwin.
}}

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

[[Cueball]] is asking [[Ponytail]] and [[White Hat]] to classify different {{w|Star Wars}} books and movies as fiction or nonfiction. The movies get weirder as the conversation progresses

{| class="wikitable"
!Movie/Book name
!Explanation
|-
| Star Wars
| Star Wars is nonfiction because it is a movie.{{citation needed}}
|-
| The Making of Star Wars
| This is a video about how Star Wars was made, which would make it nonfiction.
|-
| Star Wars: The Adventures of Boba Fett
| This is a Star Wars episode, and is in-universe, making it fictional.
|-
| Star Wars: The official Guide to Boba Fett's Armor and Weapons?
|
|-
|''Boba Fett's Gadgets and How He Got Them''
|
|-
|''Boba Fett: A Life'', by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin?
|
|-
|}

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

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars''?
:Ponytail: Fiction.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''The Making of Star Wars''?
:White Hat: Nonfiction.

:[Closeup of Cueball.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars: The Adventures of Boba Fett''?
:Ponytail (off-panel): Fiction.

:[Closeup of Ponytail.]
:Cueball (off-panel): ''Star Wars: The official Guide to Boba Fett's Armor and Weapons''?
:Ponytail: Nonfiction, technically.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett's Gadgets and How He Got Them''
:Ponytail: ...Fiction? It depends.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat. Ponytail has turned towards White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett: A Life'', by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin?
:Ponytail: Hm.
:White Hat: Maybe we should just have a Boba Fett section.

{{comic discussion}}

2546: Fiction vs Nonfiction

2021-11-25T06:17:26Z

172.70.178.51: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2546
| date = November 24, 2021
| title = Fiction vs Nonfiction
| image = fiction_vs_nonfiction.png
| titletext = The real challenge is how to file Boba Fett's biography of Doris Kearns Goodwin.
}}

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

[[Cueball]] is asking [[Ponytail]] and [[White Hat]] to classify different {{w|Star Wars}} books and movies as fiction or nonfiction. The movies get weirder as the conversation progresses

{| class="wikitable"
!Movie/Book name
!Explanation
|-
| Star Wars
| Star Wars is nonfiction because it is a movie.{{citation needed}}
|-
| The Making of Star Wars
| This is a video about how Star Wars was made, which would make it nonfiction.
|-
| Star Wars: The Adventures of Boba Fett
| This is a Star Wars episode, and is in-universe, making it fictional.
|-
|}

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

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars''?
:Ponytail: Fiction.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''The Making of Star Wars''?
:White Hat: Nonfiction.

:[Closeup of Cueball.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars: The Adventures of Boba Fett''?
:Ponytail (off-panel): Fiction.

:[Closeup of Ponytail.]
:Cueball (off-panel): ''Star Wars: The official Guide to Boba Fett's Armor and Weapons''?
:Ponytail: Nonfiction, technically.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett's Gadgets and How He Got Them''
:Ponytail: ...Fiction? It depends.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat. Ponytail has turned towards White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett: A Life'', by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin?
:Ponytail: Hm.
:White Hat: Maybe we should just have a Boba Fett section.

{{comic discussion}}

2546: Fiction vs Nonfiction

2021-11-25T06:14:35Z

172.70.178.51: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2546
| date = November 24, 2021
| title = Fiction vs Nonfiction
| image = fiction_vs_nonfiction.png
| titletext = The real challenge is how to file Boba Fett's biography of Doris Kearns Goodwin.
}}

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

[[Cueball]] is asking [[Ponytail]] and [[White Hat]] to classify different Star Wars books and movies as fiction or nonfiction. The movies get weirder as the conversation progresses

{| class="wikitable"
!Movie/Book name
!Explanation
|-
| Star Wars
| Star Wars is nonfiction because it is a movie{{citation needed}}.
|-
|}

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

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars''?
:Ponytail: Fiction.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''The Making of Star Wars''?
:White Hat: Nonfiction.

:[Closeup of Cueball.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars: The Adventures of Boba Fett''?
:Ponytail (off-panel): Fiction.

:[Closeup of Ponytail.]
:Cueball (off-panel): ''Star Wars: The official Guide to Boba Fett's Armor and Weapons''?
:Ponytail: Nonfiction, technically.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett's Gadgets and How He Got Them''
:Ponytail: ...Fiction? It depends.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat. Ponytail has turned towards White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett: A Life'', by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin?
:Ponytail: Hm.
:White Hat: Maybe we should just have a Boba Fett section.

{{comic discussion}}

2546: Fiction vs Nonfiction

2021-11-25T06:10:29Z

172.70.178.51: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2546
| date = November 24, 2021
| title = Fiction vs Nonfiction
| image = fiction_vs_nonfiction.png
| titletext = The real challenge is how to file Boba Fett's biography of Doris Kearns Goodwin.
}}

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

[[Cueball]] is asking [[Ponytail]] and [[White Hat]] to classify different Star Wars books and movies with Boba Fett in them as fiction or nonfiction.

{| class="wikitable"
!Movie/Book name
!Explanation
|-
|}

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

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars''?
:Ponytail: Fiction.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''The Making of Star Wars''?
:White Hat: Nonfiction.

:[Closeup of Cueball.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars: The Adventures of Boba Fett''?
:Ponytail (off-panel): Fiction.

:[Closeup of Ponytail.]
:Cueball (off-panel): ''Star Wars: The official Guide to Boba Fett's Armor and Weapons''?
:Ponytail: Nonfiction, technically.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett's Gadgets and How He Got Them''
:Ponytail: ...Fiction? It depends.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat. Ponytail has turned towards White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett: A Life'', by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin?
:Ponytail: Hm.
:White Hat: Maybe we should just have a Boba Fett section.

{{comic discussion}}

2546: Fiction vs Nonfiction

2021-11-25T06:08:30Z

172.70.178.51: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2546
| date = November 24, 2021
| title = Fiction vs Nonfiction
| image = fiction_vs_nonfiction.png
| titletext = The real challenge is how to file Boba Fett's biography of Doris Kearns Goodwin.
}}

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

[[Cueball]] is asking [[Ponytail]] and [[White Hat]] to classify different Star Wars books and movies with Boba Fett in them as fiction or nonfiction.

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

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars''?
:Ponytail: Fiction.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''The Making of Star Wars''?
:White Hat: Nonfiction.

:[Closeup of Cueball.]
:Cueball: ''Star Wars: The Adventures of Boba Fett''?
:Ponytail (off-panel): Fiction.

:[Closeup of Ponytail.]
:Cueball (off-panel): ''Star Wars: The official Guide to Boba Fett's Armor and Weapons''?
:Ponytail: Nonfiction, technically.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett's Gadgets and How He Got Them''
:Ponytail: ...Fiction? It depends.

:[Cueball is facing Ponytail, and White Hat. Ponytail has turned towards White Hat.]
:Cueball: ''Boba Fett: A Life'', by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin?
:Ponytail: Hm.
:White Hat: Maybe we should just have a Boba Fett section.

{{comic discussion}}

2546: Fiction vs Nonfiction

2021-11-25T06:07:02Z

172.70.178.51:

2546: Fiction vs Nonfiction

2021-11-25T06:05:45Z

172.70.178.51:

2540: TTSLTSWBD

2021-11-11T15:42:30Z

172.70.178.51: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2540
| date = November 10, 2021
| title = TTSLTSWBD
| image = ttsltswbd.png
| titletext = Tomorrow's sessions will be entirely devoted to sewing machine rotary hooks.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT THAT SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULDN'T WORK BUT DOES. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Cueball]] is standing at a lectern on a [[1661: Podium|podium]], addressing a large crowd. He is describing the program of some event, listing the different topics that will be covered. These appear to be random, but the caption gives the punchline: it is a conference on things that seem like they shouldn't work but do.

By "things that seem like they shouldn't work", it means things that you wouldn't expect to be able to function at all. TTSLTSWBD in the title and the banner is the abbreviation for "Things That Seem Like They Shouldn't Work, But Do".

{{w|Organ transplantation}}, where a functioning organ is pulled from a (possibly deceased) person and put into another person where it will continue to operate, is not a simple process, and a lot of things could go wrong and make it not work. Nevertheless, humanity’s medical knowledge is advanced enough that organ transplantation is a widely accepted and largely effective life-saving procedure.

{{w|Airship|Airships}}, or dirigibles, are big,{{citation needed}} have a metal envelope, and look pretty heavy [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Hindenburg_disaster.jpg 1]], but are able to be held aloft by the lighter than air gas inside.

{{w|Lunch|Lunch}} is listed as if it was another topic of the TTSLTSWBD, but it actually just means that after discussing airships, the conference will take a break to eat lunch, as many humans usually do.

{{w|Gyroscope|Gyroscopes}}, where a spinning disk will tend to keep its orientation in space despite the movement of the structure around it, can be counterintuitive even to those who understand the physical principles. This weirdness has been previously referenced in [[332: Gyroscopes]].

{{w|Butterfly|Butterflies}} fly with an unusual fluttering behaviour, which works in part due to the notoriously complex principles of fluid dynamics that may look like uncontrolled fluttering but yet somehow allows the creature to land directly on specific flowerheads to feed. This is not as intuitively understandable as the flight of larger creatures such as birds.

The title text refers to {{w|Rotary hook|rotary hooks}} on sewing machines, which are a complicated (and complicated looking) mechanism whose purpose is to feed one thread in a loop around a whole spool of another thread, to the extent that they feel they need a whole day to cover them.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball stands at a lectern gesturing with one hand held out, speaking to an audience. A banner hangs on the wall with the acronym "TTSLTSWBD" displayed in large text, with illegible smaller text under it.]
:Cueball: Next we have a session on organ transplants and another on airships.
:Cueball: Then lunch, then we'll have one on gyroscopes and one on butterflies.
:[Caption below panel:]
:The first annual conference on Things That Seem Like They Shouldn't Work But Do

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2531: Dark Arts

2021-10-21T13:15:40Z

172.70.178.51:

Whoo, my first "first explanation". It's not a particularly thorny comic but my explanation could still use some judicious editing I'm sure. [[User:Esogalt|Esogalt]] ([[User talk:Esogalt|talk]]) 06:51, 21 October 2021 (UTC)

I added a "citation needed" to the claim that letting arbitrary websites modify your filesystem is a Bad Idea, because I couldn't resist >.<
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.74|172.68.132.74]] 08:40, 21 October 2021 (UTC)
:{{citation needed}} [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.113|162.158.88.113]] 10:45, 21 October 2021 (UTC)

The previous comment is almost worth an XKCD comic of its own. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.24|162.158.203.24]] 10:10, 21 October 2021 (UTC)

WTH did Randal do that lead him to put ext4 and javascript in the same search, and why does he think hardlinks are the problem with such a cursed search? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.69.182|172.69.69.182]] 10:17, 21 October 2021 (UTC)

Which specific IT professional is the explanation referring to? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.35|141.101.105.35]] 12:40, 21 October 2021 (UTC)

As an added wrinkle, the alt text's search is cursed because there is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ext_JS a javascript framework] completely unrelated to the ext filesystem that is ''also'' called ext, which had a version 4 and would thus muddy the waters of the search.
-- [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.51|172.70.178.51]] 13:15, 21 October 2021 (UTC)