explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2102: Internet Archive

2024-10-31T15:10:13Z

172.70.85.243:

The title text refers to: https://blog.npmjs.org/post/141577284765/kik-left-pad-and-npm
--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.142|162.158.255.142]] 21:09, 23 January 2019 (UTC)

the part where they're afraid to jinx it, reminds me of deciding where to sit - it becomes much more challenging when you let yourself realise what a hard problem it is--[[Special:Contributions/172.68.141.148|172.68.141.148]] 21:43, 27 January 2019 (UTC)

This comic, especially the first line, seems like a natural extension of #2085's title text https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2085:_arXiv
--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.58|108.162.219.58]] 21:22, 23 January 2019 (UTC)

Of course I've instantly saved this comic to web.archive.org… [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 22:48, 23 January 2019 (UTC)

The second panel makes me think of the current US Gov shutdown. A lot of systems turned off that people rely on. ''disclaimer: I'm not from the US, nor am I an expert on politics or shutdowns'' [[Special:Contributions/172.68.144.163|172.68.144.163]] 01:45, 24 January 2019 (UTC)

:@172.68.144.163 (There are so many formatting rules I don't know, please excuse this mess) The main problem with the government shutdown isn't so much that ordinary people are dependent on those services, but that the government has effectively temporarily fired a LOT of innocent government employees, and many of them are expected to work without pay until the shutdown ends. (Source: Senior in a US high school contemporary issues class. I'm not an expert on politics either but this is something we talk about a lot). <nowiki>[[User:Some guy named Ethan]] ([[User talk:Don't have one]]) 5:50 am, January 24th, 2019 (PST)</nowiki>

::There ''are'' ordinary people dependent on many of those services: Income tax refunds are being delayed. People on food stamps are receiving their disbursements for February now because there is no more funding coming in: Funding that only extends through February also includes CSNC food for senior citizens, & child nutrition programs. March is a big question mark: How long will this take? Some highways that pass through our national parks are not getting plowed; it's not just park visitors who are affected, it's anyone who lives along those corridors (here in Colorado, a lot of people use those roads). Speaking of our parks, even though they're ostensibly closed, the trash is already overflowing at some of our more scenic locations. (Unfortunately a lot of people live there these days, even though they're really not supposed to.) Timber sales are halted, as is wildfire fuel removal, & forest rangers are not on duty. The USDA hasn't been issuing weekly & monthly market reports, which farmers typically use when determining their crop rotations & fiscal planning. A lot of loan services ''are'' being told to keep working, but there's no new funding coming in for their programs. Many are not processing new applications until further funding is secured. Oversight functions shut down within some of these agencies include civil rights, human resources, financial management, audit, investigative, legal & IT. At the FDA, food safety inspections are reduced by 69%. Less than one third of DHS’s staff in the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office are still on duty. The FAA's aircraft inspections (already woefully understaffed) are barely happening at all right now. Some disaster relief programs are already reaching the end of their funding. There's about 400,000 government employees affected by the shutdown, but there's another >260,000 workers in federal contractor positions who are out of work with roughly zero possibility of being compensated later. A Colorado tech firm developing tools to help private companies comply with the Endangered Species Act is just one example of non civil-service jobs that aren't getting any money right now. The shutdown is negatively affecting over half a million people directly, & endangering the safety & welfare of countless more.
::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 07:29, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

:: It'll be interesting to see the outcome of lawsuits based on the 13th Amendment ("Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.") claiming that those working without pay are experiencing involuntary servitude, since technically, they are guaranteed to eventually get their pay by law whenever the government opens. Is it possible that the states have any recourse if the federal government is found to be violating the state laws regarding timely paychecks? This whole situation is madness. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.220|162.158.78.220]] 15:13, 24 January 2019 (UTC)

::: @162.158.78.220 it doesn't trigger the 13th amendment because they are allowed to quit. Also, there is no guarantee that government employees will get backpay, congress has to pass a resolution to make that happen. They always have in the past, but it's not automatic. Additionally, all the furloughed government contractors (approx. 1/5 the total government workforce) won't get any back pay. It's a pretty unhappy circumstance all around. (Source: Anon gov contractor) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.10|172.69.62.10]] 15:42, 24 January 2019 (UTC)
:::: Congress already has passed such a resolution and President Trump signed it on 16 January. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.245|162.158.79.245]] 20:59, 24 January 2019 (UTC)

Hello from the post-Crowdstrike-crash world! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.238|162.158.158.238]] 16:22, 24 July 2024 (UTC)

hello from the post-Internet Archive world --[[User:Youforgotthisthing|Youforgotthisthing]] ([[User talk:Youforgotthisthing|talk]]) 13:53, 10 October 2024 (UTC)

Anyone here after the breach? {{unsigned ip|162.158.102.130|13:45, 31 October 2024}}

3005: Disposal

2024-10-31T15:08:17Z

172.70.85.243: /* Explanation */ e

{{comic
| number = 3005
| date = October 30, 2024
| title = Disposal
| image = disposal_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x331px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = We were disappointed that the rocket didn't make a THOOOONK noise when it went into the tube, but we're setting up big loudspeakers for future launches to add the sound effect.
}}

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

This comic came out a couple of weeks after the successful first attempt to 'catch' a rocket during {{w|Starship flight test 5}}, based upon {{w|SpaceX}} having {{w|Falcon 9 first-stage landing tests|an extensive history}} of bringing rocket stages back to Earth in a controlled manner. Whereas the traditional approach was for such rocketry to allow most of the initial launch-vehicle to be a single-use stage that was effectively destroyed once it had fulfiled its purpose, it has become a developmental aim across much of the commercial side of the industry to introduce as much reusability as possible in the mission hardware to potentially save costs and construction time.

In order to accomplish a successful recovery, expended stages have been given unprecedented ability to control their fall back to the ground, often in a manner that allows them to propulsively halt their descent directly over a prepared landing pad (on land or sea) and settle down softly enough on landing gear to be refurbished and reused (sometimes for {{w|List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters#Booster 1061|more than twenty subsequent missions}}). For the recent Starship test, the one (and, as of this comic, only) attempt to recover its {{w|SpaceX Super Heavy#B9%E2%80%93B12|Super Heavy Booster}} involved being precisely guided to be ''caught'' by the {{w|SpaceX Starbase#Orbital Launch Pad A|original launch tower}}; though it is never expected to refly, as a test prototype, it survived the whole process. This is in contrast with [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvim4rsNHkQ plenty of examples], where the landings (or their aftermath) were not quite so successful.

Though SpaceX is the current leader in such an accomplishments, there are other companies who are various degrees along a similar developmental route. [[Randall]] claims that he has an organisation that is amongst them, and has achieved the non-trivial feat of being able to direct the discarded rocket stage ''very precisely'', yet without that extra bit of ability to ensure that it doesn’t then subsequently explode. The team has therefore decided to exploit their achievement (to precisely control the rocket) to send it 'safely' into a hole that (barely larger than the rocket's cross-section, and with a sturdy lid directly manhandled by a [[Cueball]] employee) to let it {{w|rapid unplanned disassembly|rapidly disassemble}} in a planned and 'safe' manner. Of course, as a [[:Category:Compromise|'compromise']], it does not achieve the original aims of recoverability and reusability, yet it also is intrinsically far more complicated than the default option of just letting the hardware generally fall to destruction somewhere in a handy 'empty' down-range area that {{w|Spacecraft cemetery|shouldn't inconvenience anybody}}.

With the comic depicting the 'disposed' stage as powering downwards, this might explain their lack of success in perfecting any form of intact recovery, as practical examples of this technology tend to spin the craft around to make use of the main thruster(s) for a {{w|retrorocket}}-assisted {{w|VTOL|landing}}, or at least don't try to counteract the passive deceleration provided by parachutes or other purposeful aerodynamic drag, in order to touch the ground at a survivable velocity.

The title seems to refer to the sound effects of dragging an element into the trash on computers. Or, alternatively, the sound of a canister being sucked into a vacuum tube.

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

:[A two-stage rocket is ascending with a plume of exhaust behind it]
:[The first stage falls off and the second stage ignites]
:[The first stage begins to fall, turned off]
:[The first stage reignites to control trajectory and attitude]
:[The first stage falls toward a large hole with a lid. A Cueball is holding the lid open]
:[Cueball pushes the lid closed]
:Click
:[The first stage, now out of sight, explodes, Cueball shielding his ears and flinching away from the loud noise]
:BOOOOM
:Caption below comic:
:Our rockets were good at steering, but we couldn't get them to land without exploding, so we just dug a rocket disposal hole.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Space]]

2999: Bad Map Projection: The United Stralia

2024-10-17T05:29:46Z

172.70.85.243: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2999
| date = October 16, 2024
| title = Bad Map Projection: The United Stralia
| image = bad_map_projection_the_united_stralia_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x651px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = This projection distorts both area and direction, but preserves Melbourne.
}}

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

This is the eighth comic in the series of [[:Category:Bad Map Projections|Bad Map Projections]] displaying Bad Map Projection #102: The United Stralia. It follows [[2951|#45: Exterior Kansas]], released about three and a half months earlier. In this addition to the Bad Map Projections series, Randall has blended two different countries — the United States of America and Australia — into one.

As with a number of Bad Map Projections, the primary joke is the naming of this ''as'' a "map projection". Its depiction is particularly similar to [[2807: Bad Map Projection: ABS(Longitude)]], in which geography is overlaid upon other geography. It also follows the practice of [[2256: Bad Map Projection: South America]], in which a general continental shape is forced upon other areas, with the general geographical outline of the US (with exceptions, most obviously the Australian 'Bass Strait' being retained in leiu of the US's central-'Florida') being merged with the political boundaries of Australia. At a further level of merging, the US states are repacked as subdivisions within the various Australian ones; as with the likes of [[2394: Contiguous 41 States]], it also takes some liberties with the relative neighbouring positioning of some of these, although not by totally removing any (of the actual {{w|contiguous United States}}) in this instance. Alaska and Hawaii aren't included, likely because the 48 contiguous US states better match the shape and size of Australia.

The end result is to illustrate a fanciful place which does not actually exist and thus would have limited worth for navigating either Australia or the USA, although navigation between two listed locations/areas drawn from the same original continent would at least be broadly possible (with the possibility of a few 'surprises' en route). The blending features cities from both countries, on the map, e.g. Perth, AU and Los Angeles, USA.

The {{w|states and territories of Australia}} are depicted with black lines/labels, while the {{w|states of the United States}} (and such cities as are taken from either nation) are marked with gray. The Australian states are labeled with their full names, but the American states are only given their postal abbreviations. (Mississippi is mislabeled as MI, in addition to Michigan's own correct usage, instead of the official MS). Western Australia is usually abbreviated to WA, but the convention here leaves that unambiguously assigned to the US state of Washington. Idaho, for some reason, is not labeled at all.

The title text makes a joke that this map does not preserve area or direction (typically, a map projection sacrifices one to preserve the other, or both to correctly depict a distance metric), but does preserve the city of Melbourne as a feature located on the map, near the actual location of {{w|Melbourne, Florida}}. Note that the location of {{w|Melbourne}} is not correct as it is far too much east in the bad map projection, but there is nothing to stop the shared Melbourne being entirely 'correct' and every ''other'' feature being shifted as a 'compromise'. The concept of a point being 'preserved', rather than actual dimensionally-meaningful quantities, is meaningless and just adds to the 'bad'ness of the projection. There are other city names shared between the US and Australia, but they're not located at any obviously similar geographic locations; e.g the location of Brisbane in the comic is based on the instance in {{w|Brisbane|Queensland}}, not {{w|Brisbane, California|California}} (potentially named after the main example) or {{w|Brisbane, North Dakota|North Dakota}}.

This is the second comic in October 2024 in which Tasmania appears, the first being [[2996: CIDABM]]. Both feature the major island groups in the Bass Strait, in this case perhaps intended as a sort of analogue to the {{w|Florida Keys}}, or else orphaned coastline features across the 'missing' segment of the US peninsula.

===Geographical relationships===
From west to east, the Australian states and territories contain the following U.S. States; the positions of Australian cities on the map are also listed:

{{w|Western Australia}} contains the following U.S. states:
*Arizona
*California
** {{w|Perth, Australia|Perth}} appears on the California coast, about halfway between {{w|Los Angeles}} and {{w|San Francisco}}.
* Colorado
* Idaho
* Montana
* Nevada
* New Mexico
* Oregon
* Utah
* Washington
* Wyoming

{{w|Northern Territory}} contains the following U.S. states:
* Illinois
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Michigan ({{w|Upper Peninsula}})
* Minnesota
** {{w|Darwin (Australia)|Darwin}} is positioned in northwestern Minnesota.
* Missouri
* Nebraska
* North Dakota
* South Dakota

{{w|South Australia}} contains the following U.S. states:
* Arkansas
* Louisiana
** {{w|Adelaide, Australia|Adelaide}} is located in the {{w|Mississippi River delta}} region of Louisiana.
* Oklahoma
* Texas

{{w|Queensland}} contains the following U.S. states and territories:
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* District of Columbia
* Indiana
* Kentucky
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan ({{w|Lower Peninsula}})
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New York
* North Carolina
** {{w|Brisbane}} is located on the coast in southeast North Carolina.
* Ohio
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* Tennessee
* Vermont
* Virginia
* West Virginia

{{w|New South Wales}} contains the following U.S. states:

* Alabama
* Georgia
** {{w|Canberra}}, and presumably the rest of the {{w|Australian Capital Territory}}, is located in southeastern Georgia.
* Mississippi
* South Carolina
** {{w|Sydney, Australia|Sydney}} is located along the coast of South Carolina, near the location of {{w|Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston}}.

{{w|Victoria, Australia|Victoria}} and {{w|Tasmania}} combine to make up the U.S. state of Florida, which is now divided into two non-contiguous parts. As a result Tasmania, which has a {{w|Omission of Tasmania from maps of Australia|history of being omitted from maps of Australia}}, is displayed but not named. {{w|Melbourne}} is located in the southeast corner of Victorian Florida. Alaska and Hawaii, the two non-{{w|Contiguous United States|contiguous states}} of the United States, do not appear in the projection. Other major geographic distortions include:
* The U.S. now has two {{w|quadripoint}}s, with the intersection of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico joining the existing {{w|Four Corners}}.
* Indiana has a border with Arkansas.
* Alabama and Mississippi have lost Gulf Coast access, as Florida has a border with Louisiana.
* Missouri has a north-south border with Oklahoma.
* {{w|Miami, Florida|Miami}} is separated from the lower 48 states, as it is now located in the non-contiguous Tasmanian Florida.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Above the map, in 3 paragraphs:
:Bad map projection #102:
:[In larger letters than the first or the third paragraph]: The United Stralia
:A 50/50 US/Australia blend

[A map whose left side looks like that of Australia and whose right side looks like that of the United States, with Tasmania swapped out for a supposed island that looks like South Florida. The modified subdivisions of Australia are bordered with black with their names also black, while those of the United States are bordered with the same grey the city names are written with, with the US state abbreviations being a brighter one]:

==Trivia==
The use of "Stralia" in the title echoes a common Australian verbal abbreviation for the country, often styled something like '''Stralia'', in casual speech or sometimes {{w|Elsa Stralia#Stage name|more formally}}.

On the day this comic was released, the xkcd homepage changed to show a [[:File:xkcd_homepage_strip_harris_for_president.png|strip]] showing [[Cueball]] installing a "Harris For President" sign in some grass, presumably on his lawn. This relates to the upcoming 2024 US presidential election.
[[Category:Bad Map Projections]]
[[Category:US maps]]

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:276: Fixed Width

2024-10-11T14:23:19Z

172.70.85.243:

Also aligns:
squingulated mingus

[[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.243|172.70.85.243]] 14:23, 11 October 2024 (UTC)

All these statements would have been aligned, too:
No this is for real
I love you so much!
I really love you!!
It’s the real thing
You can believe it!
I love you!!!!!!!!!
I love you. Really.
Definitely for real
This is an odd one, because Emily presented two alternatives, both of the same length. Both choices would have retained the pattern.--[[Special:Contributions/46.142.61.98|46.142.61.98]] 09:21, 3 September 2012 (UTC)madd

:No it isn't - 'rob' is two characters shorter than 'emily', so his answers have two be two characters longer. So Emily's answers won't do. [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 09:49, 9 September 2012 (UTC)

::Nope. 'for real' and 'just sex' (assuming the use of a monospace font, which appears to be the case) are the same length. As 'definitely just sex' allows the lines to match up, 'definitely for real' should also. -- 22:50, 19 September 2012 (UTC)

:::This is because 'for real' and 'just sex' are both being said by Rob to complete his 19-character message. All of Emily's messages are 17 characters long, because her name is two shorter. [[Special:Contributions/101.162.138.9|101.162.138.9]] 17:02, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

:...other alternatives:
Just sex?Ridiculous
Justsex?Ridiculous!
Just sex? No way!!!
This isn't just sex
This is for serious
I want to marry you
This is not for sex
:[[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 21:01, 14 December 2012 (UTC)

I don't understand this statement: "Rob then attempts to justify what he said which, possibly by design, is the normal text alignment for making text being even on both the left and right sides of a page." Does it need clarifying, or am I just confused? [[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 22:18, 22 November 2012 (UTC)

::He's referring to the implied pun on the word "justified", which can mean "done for a good or legitimate reason" or "having been adjusted so that print forms a straight line on one or both margins." I'll clarify it. [[User:Jerodast|- jerodast]] ([[User talk:Jerodast|talk]]) 13:33, 3 December 2012 (UTC)

The "alternative replies" suggested above are hilarious because they betray that their suggesters probably can't relate to compulsions well. To begin with, they begin with capital letters, while the comic lines don't! This is inconsistency. And then, they include trailing punctuation, repeated punctuation, spacing mistakes... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.225|141.101.89.225]] 18:50, 26 February 2014 (UTC)

Maybe it's not worth mentioning, Rob doesn't start the conversation intending to synch line-lengths. His first comment "<rob> hi" is the same length as "<emily> ", so she can't possibly reply with the same length. His second comment is conversational too, but his third is probably lined up on purpose. I figure it's also worth noting to alternative-seekers, especially if he was compulsively making the line lengths match, he probably didn't give himself very much time to reply, and "definitely just sex" was the first thing that came to mind. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.63|173.245.55.63]] 17:37, 15 July 2014 (UTC)

Here a few ways that could've worked out well, or at least better (all appended together to make easier to see the alignment) :
<rob> hi
<emily> hey you
<rob> last night was nice
<emily> the best i've had
<rob> yeah it was AMAZING
<emily> ok, i have to ask
<emily> is this for real?
<emily> or is it just sex
<rob> em, it is for real!
<rob> as real as it gets!
<rob> it is more than sex
<rob> i think i'm in love
<rob> definitely in love!
<rob> love is undeniable!
<rob> i heart you verily!
<rob> i want you forever!
<rob> i want your babies!
<rob> please don't leave!
<rob> love is in the air!
<rob> you and me, wedding
<rob> sex good, love more
<rob> justifiably in love

I could think of more, but I got bored. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.213|108.162.212.213]] 05:20, 31 July 2014 (UTC)

This is a parody of the game Emily is away[[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.59|141.101.66.59]] 13:25, 21 November 2015 (UTC)
:It was released THREE YEARS after the comic. [[User:Sobsz|Sobsz]] ([[User talk:Sobsz|talk]]) 16:28, 17 January 2016 (UTC)
::In which case, I suggest that the reverse is true instead. "Emily is away", is a parody or an extension of the idea in this comic. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.107|162.158.74.107]] 17:11, 8 July 2020 (UTC)
:"141.101.66.59 is away" [[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.55|162.158.187.55]] 15:48, 28 December 2018 (UTC)

2989: Physics Lab Thermostat

2024-10-01T17:05:03Z

172.70.85.243:

{{comic
| number = 2989
| date = September 23, 2024
| title = Physics Lab Thermostat
| image = physics_lab_thermostat_2x.png
| imagesize = 264x296px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Hopefully the HVAC people set it to only affect the AIR in the room.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is about a {{w|thermostat}} in a physics lab which, instead of controlling the air temperature, adjusts the {{w|Boltzmann constant}} in the immediate area, a value relating temperature to energy equal to 1.38×10−23 J/K, where J is {{w|joule}}s, a unit of energy, and K is {{w|kelvin}}, a unit of temperature. The dial shows different values for the constant, implying that it can be changed, which is absurd because the Boltzmann constant has always been assumed to be the same throughout the universe. In reality, there is no way to change the Boltzmann constant, so the comic is making fun of the idea of a scientist casually adjusting a fixed law of physics as if it were something simple like room temperature.

If the Boltzmann constant could be changed, it would affect how we experience temperature. The energy range on the dial relative to the actual Boltzmann constant might correspond to (or feel like?) apparent temperatures of 15°C (59°F) on the left, to 29°C (84°F) on the right, because raising the value of the constant would decrease the apparent temperature. There have previously been control panels for properties of the universe in [[1620: Christmas Settings]] and [[1763: Catcalling]]. A thermometer including units compatible with this thermostat (after dividing by 2/3) is shown in [[2292: Thermometer]].

The title text builds on the absurdity of being able to adjust the Boltzmann constant. It suggests that if the constant could be changed, hopefully it would only affect the air in the room and not other substances. In particular, the metabolism of the room's occupants is hopefully unaffected. Imagining that this strange version of an HVAC ({{w|heating, ventilation, and air conditioning}}) system could contain such a change to ''just'' the room's air shows the ridiculousness of trying to isolate the effects of altering a universal constant.

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

:[A black circular dial is shown with a white indicator line at the upper right. The label above the dial, enclosed in a rectangular box, says:]
:Local Boltzmann Constant
:[The two extremes of the dial are labeled as follows, the first value on the left and the second value on the right:]
:1.418×10-23 J/K
:1.351×10-23 J/K
:[The indicator line is pointing to a position on the dial somewhere around 1.375×10-23 J/K (between the 12th and 13th large ticks clockwise out of 19 total).]
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Physics Lab Thermostat

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Physics]]

2988: Maslow's Pyramid

2024-10-01T17:04:31Z

172.70.85.243:

{{comic
| number = 2988
| date = September 20, 2024
| title = Maslow's Pyramid
| image = maslows_pyramid_2x.png
| imagesize = 744x422px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The local police, building inspector, and fire marshal are all contesting my 'safety' assertion, or would be if they could reach me past all the traps.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Maslow's hierarchy of needs}} is a psychological model initially proposed by {{w|Abraham Maslow}} in 1943. It posits that all humans have certain requirements for a healthy and fulfilled life, and that these can be prioritized by how fundamental and foundational they are. The most basic needs are physical, such as food, water, and shelter, as humans can't survive without them in the long term. Then come things like safety, which includes physical safety, but also protection from things like emotional and economic threats. Beyond these come less urgent needs, such as love and social belonging, with the top (at least in simplified versions) being "self-actualization" or something similar.

The idea is frequently represented by a segmented triangle diagram, with basic foundational needs near the bottom creating the stability to enable {{w|self-actualization}} at the top, at least in the 'simplified' version. This diagram has become so popular that it's commonly referred to as "Maslow's Pyramid", even though Maslow himself never actually used the term.

In this comic, [[Cueball]] has interpreted the concept of Maslow's Pyramid literally. He attempts to achieve true happiness by building an actual, physical pyramid that resembles the common representation of Maslow’s hierarchy. Cueball complains that the pyramid only fulfills one of the five needs listed on its side: physical safety, as it's "highly defensible". It can also potentially provide shelter, but that's only one of multiple physical needs.

The pyramid is useless for his social and emotional needs: everyone, like [[Megan]] and [[White Hat]] whom he shows his pyramid to and including Cueball himself, thinks the pyramid was a poor idea. Despite the impressive accomplishment of constructing such an edifice, Cueball apparently feels entirely unfulfilled, and is "honestly questioning [his] life choices".

The pyramid's size can be estimated thanks to Cueball standing close to it. A single tier appears to be roughly two Cueballs in height (meaning that with Cueball being 1.7m to 2.0m tall, the 5-tier pyramid would be 17-20m tall, equivalent to a building with about six or seven storeys) and the base appears roughly 16 Cueballs in length (meaning 27-32m wide, potentially covering an area of ~700-1200m²). Compared to famous Egyptian pyramids that is a rather modest monument but it would be comparable to the {{w|Louvre Pyramid}} in size.

The title text calls into question the notion that it provides even physical security. It apparently fails to comply with fire and {{w|building codes}}, which is potentially dangerous to both Cueball and his community. Moreover, he implies that inspectors can't even access the building, due to "all the traps". The notion of real-life pyramids (and other ancient structures) being filled with active booby-traps is commonly portrayed in fiction, and it seems that Cueball built such traps into his pyramid. Of course, in a modern structure, such traps would almost certainly be illegal on their own (particularly if they prevented authorities from accessing the property), and living in a pyramid full of traps would potentially be a danger to Cueball himself. Even if the structure provided physical safety, if it put him in legal jeopardy (and likely economic danger, considering how expensive it must have been to build), means that it doesn't even fulfill that need.

==Transcript==
:[The scene is seen from far away with the characters dwarfed by a huge pyramid in the middle of the panel. To the left we see Cueball facing White Hat and Megan while he is pointing behind him to the giant pyramid. It has been segmented into five tiers of equal height. Each tier has a labeled written on the side facing out. The segment at the tip is so small that the text needs to be written on two lines. To the right of each segment there is either a red cross (four times) or a green check mark (level two from the bottom). Next to these marks there is a comment. From top to bottom the labels, marks and comments are:]
:Self-actualization
::X Honestly questioning my life choices here
:Esteem
::X People seem less impressed by it than I hoped
:Belonging and love
::X Friends are worried about me
:Safety
::✔ Highly defensible
:Physiological needs
::X Provides basic shelter but no food, water, heat, etc

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I built Maslow's pyramid thing, but it's a total ripoff - it's only providing 20% of my needs.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Psychology]]

2990: Late Cenozoic

2024-09-30T08:20:59Z

172.70.85.243: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2990
| date = September 25, 2024
| title = Late Cenozoic
| image = late_cenozoic_2x.png
| imagesize = 303x396px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Our nucleic acid recovery techinques found a great deal of homo sapiens DNA incorporated into the fossils, particularly the ones containing high levels of resin, leading to the theory that these dinosaurs preyed on the once-dominant primates.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a ONCE-DOMINANT BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
A major part of understanding how life-forms existed and operated in the past involves finding fossilized remains, and working out a timeline of when they lived, based on the sediment layers in which they were found (among other factors). Modern paleontology has resulted in many of these fossilized remains being dug up and assembled into complete skeletons, which are frequently put on display in museums and other facilities.

This comic posits a distant future in which the remains of the current civilization become buried in sediment. Presumably, this involves humanity either going extinct or losing our dominance over the planet. In this context, life-forms of the future (either aliens or earth organisms that have become unrecognizable) have apparently discovered the reconstructed fossils in the ruins of our museums and presumed that they died in our geological era.

The title of the strip refers to the {{w|Cenozoic}} era, which is the current geological era. If "the late Cenozoic" is right now, the time in which humans live, then that implies some geological change significant enough to warrant designating a new era will happen soon (at least in geological terms), which might account for the end of human civilization. The strip also refers to the {{w|Cretaceous}} period, which is the last period of the {{w|Mesozoic}} era, and the last era in which non-avian dinosaurs lived. The joke here is that in the distant future, our current era would be studied in the same way that we study ancient geological eras, but misunderstood entirely.

The confusion over which era originated dinosaur fossils would present a timeline problem. Dinosaur fossils would be found in layers from the Cretaceous period (ending 66 million years ago), but a significant number of them would also be found in layers from the late Cenozoic (starting no earlier than a hundred years ago, but probably to depend upon when current society breaks down and allows natural sedimentation or debris to build up over the relevant displays), but not in any layers in between. Instead of realizing that these fossils had been dug up, relocated, and reconstructed, the future paleontologists conclude that a small number of these dinosaurs survived the {{w|Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event}}, lived in small numbers for tens of millions of years, leaving no fossil record, and then once again flourished, leaving complete fossils in our era. This is, of course, laughably wrong, but future scientists who didn't understand human civilization might consider it to be the most obvious explanation for such apparently contradictory information.

In real life, the fossil record is sporadic, since only a small fraction of individuals will ever be fossilised. And, even then, a fossil is formed underground (hidden), only to be discoverable for a short blink of geological time when that rock is weathered/dug into just enough to expose it, at which point it is likely to be itself weathered away without trace unless somebody happens to discover it and preserve it. This can lead to "gaps" appearing in the fossil record, where paleontologists and museum curators have just not been lucky enough. When a species (or genus, family, etc.) appears to have gone extinct only to unexpectedly show up again at a later date, it is referred to as a {{w|Lazarus taxon}}.

It is also possible for fossils from one time to appear in rock strata of a later age. This occurs when erosion frees the fossil from its original surroundings and chances to deposit it in newer sediment, before its own destruction, resulting in what is known as a reworked or {{w|derived fossil}}; the group to which the fossil belongs is then known as a {{w|zombie taxon}}. This is ''essentially'' the same process (except initially through the more conscious agency of human efforts) that the future beings have observed, but apparently without having yet understood this.

The title text says that a high amount of resin and human DNA has led to them theorizing that dinosaurs ate humans. When reconstructing fossils, resin is often used to recreate missing or incomplete bones, and for other purposes in assembling and displaying a "complete" skeleton. Since this resin is made and mixed by humans,{{fact}} incidental human DNA sources (such as cast off skin cells and hair) almost certainly get mixed in, leading to this misconception.

A similar museum, misunderstood by humans instead of this other species, is depicted in [[2760: Paleontology Museum]].

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

:[Three squid-like aliens in a classroom; one alien stands in front of a board covered with minute text and a drawing of a T-Rex skeleton. Two aliens sit on stools watching the teacher alien. The teacher alien on the left is on a raised platform and points at the board with one tentacle.]
:Left alien: Species such as triceratops and tyrannosaurus became more rare after the Cretaceous, but they survived to flourish in the late Cenozoic, 66 million years later.
:Left alien: Many complete skeletons have been discovered from this era.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:It's going to be really funny when our museums get buried in sediment.

==Trivia==
The title text has a typo: "techinques" should be "techniques".

The future beings are presumably ones that took over the far future of the Earth long after the extinction of humans. They are possibly descendents of one or other of the {{w|cephalopod}}s, species widely noted for their intelligence even today, but also bear a passing resemblence to the 'contemporary' [[2572: Alien Observers|alien life-forms]] that [[Randall]] uses for comics set in the current era.

Their relationship with his other [[1747: Spider Paleontology|beings from the future]], seen occasionally, is uncertain. That other form may merely be an 'avatar' presence, made necessary by the time-travel (or visitation) method in use, or else a representative from a [[1450: AI-Box Experiment|predominantly non-biological]] era of the future. 

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Geology]]

2970: Meteor Shower PSA

2024-08-10T11:35:07Z

172.70.85.243: /* Explanation */ Cannot rely upon the human caregiver to take care of it in a way that allows the baby animal to become properly 'wild-wise', nor can a human caregiver necessarily themselves survive in the wild, should they eschew civilisation... ;)

{{comic
| number = 2970
| date = August 9, 2024
| title = Meteor Shower PSA
| image = meteor_shower_psa_2x.png
| imagesize = 561x272px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = If you hold the meteor too long, it may imprint on you and form a contact binary, making reintroduction to space difficult.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a REHABILITATED BOT ABOUT TO BE RELEASED BACK INTO THE WILD - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is a {{w|Public service announcement}} (PSA) regarding what to do in case you discover a meteorite from the upcoming {{w|Perseid}} {{w|meteor shower}}. (See here regarding [[1723: Meteorite Identification]]).

In the first panel of the comic [[Cueball]] discovers a {{w|meteorite}} on the ground (from one of the {{w|Meteoroid#Meteor|meteors}}/shooting stars of the Persied meteor shower. These stems from {{w|meteoroids}} that are leftover from the {{w|Comet Swift–Tuttle}}). He then proceeds to try and throw it into space again. This is of course not possible, but this is not the reason why this action is marked as wrong with an X.

Instead the next panel shows what he should do (the PSA), namely contact and then delivery the meteorite to an observatory where astronomical rehabbers, like [[Ponytail]], will care for it, and hopefully release it back into the wild with the next space launch. This is marked with a check mark to show that this is the correct procedure to save meteorites.

[[Randall]] conflates meteoroids that have fallen to the Earth with rehabilitating baby animals, lost from their parents. Like he says, if you find a sick, injured or orphaned wild animal, your best bet is to ask a nearby wildlife rehabilitator to care for it and return it to the wild. However, this advice does not apply to meteors.{{cn}}

The title text says that if you handle the meteor too long you'll form a {{w|contact binary (small Solar System body)|contact binary}}, which in this context is two space rocks lumped together. A contact binary is also a type of binary star system, but it's unlikely that a person and a rock will form this.{{cn}} In the process of rehabilitating young animals, preventing imprinting is important as the animal cannot rely on the human caregiver to succeed in the wild (in either sense). Also sometimes it will be possible to return the animal to its parents, but if it smells of humans, then they might not accept it back.

[[1475: Technically|Technically]], Randall has the terminology wrong. "Meteor" refers to the shooting star you see in the sky when a meteoroid enters the atmosphere. If it makes it to the ground, the piece that survives is called a "meteorite" (although some call it [[1405: Meteor|magma]]).

==Transcript==
:[A two panel comic with the panels next to each other.]

:[In the left side of the first panel, Cueball spots a meteorite on the ground. It lies a bit buried in the earth between tufts of grass. On the right side, he's shown throwing the rock into the air, with small lines indicating the flight of the meteorite. There's an "X" above him. Above this there is the following text:]
:This meteor shower weekend, remember: If you find a meteor on the ground, don't try to return it to the sky yourself.

:[In the left side of the second panel, Cueball is holding the meteorite in one hand and talking on his cellphone in his other hand, there's a check mark above him. In the middle of the panel Cueball is holding the meteorite out in both hands handing it to Ponytail who is also holding both hand out to receive it. To the right in the panel a rocket is blasting upwards with fire coming out beneath it and a plume of smoke showing it's ascend path. Above this there is the following text:]
:Instead, contact an observatory where astronomical rehabbers will care for it, and hopefully release it back into the wild with the next space launch.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Space]]