explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Category:Pages with math render errors

2024-07-31T00:40:09Z

172.70.90.144: Undo revision 347683 by 172.69.214.39 (talk) Undo vandalism/mistake. (Can see what was done, can't see why it then was a Saved Change.)

Oh dear... Hard to explain or discuss symbols without being able to display them.

[[Category:Problematic pages]]

2965: Chili Tornado Quake

2024-07-30T14:10:48Z

172.70.90.144: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2965
| date = July 29, 2024
| title = Chili Tornado Quake
| image = chili_tornado_quake_2x.png
| imagesize = 302x252px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Buildings constructed from softer materials were damaged by chili pepper impacts to the storm's high Richter-Fujita-Scoville-Mohs hardness rating.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SCALED GHOST PEPPER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
As with the recent [[2950: Situation]], and occasional other comics, [[Randall]] has contrived an incident that combines multiple scenarios into an improbable whole. [[Cueball]], as a [[:Category:News anchor|news anchor]], is reporting on a tornado that struck a chill pepper processing plant during an earthquake.


In this case, the purpose is to give a value to the scale of the disaster based (in some undefined way) upon the combination of the various scales that might be used to measure the individual elements. Cueball rates the event as 55,000 on the (fictional) Richter-Fujita-Scoville scale. The {{w|Richter scale}} is a historic (but still well known) logarithmic scale for rating the intensity of {{w|earthquakes}} that theoretically ranges from minus infinity to infinity, with practically relevant scores ranging from about 3 to 9.5. The {{w|Fujita scale}} is a scale for rating the intensity of damage caused by {{w|tornadoes}} which ranges from 0 to 5. The {{w|Scoville scale}} is a scale for the spiciness of {{w|chili peppers}} and can go from 0 (not at all spicy) all the way up into the millions. Combining these scales makes no real sense, since the effects of each are not interrelated in any meaningful way.

It would seem fairly likely that the three base numbers are multiplied, as with {{w|Foot-pound (energy)|similar}} compound-unit calculations, to give the single combined measure, although some nominal types are treated as {{w|Erdős–Bacon number|additive}}. Given the image this is not a 5 on the tornado scale. Also since the building is still there it is not a 9 on the Richter scale. So at worst it would be 4x8 for those two. This would then leave the rest for the Scoville scale, which would give around 1700 on that scale as a minimum. The other two numbers could easily be smaller so that the Scoville number would be reaching above 3000.

In the title text it is mentioned that buildings constructed from softer materials were damaged by chili pepper impacts [due] to the storm's high Richter-Fujita-Scoville-Mohs hardness rating. The {{w|Mohs scale}} is a scale for mineral hardness which ranges from 1-10, with lower numbers being softer and higher numbers being harder. Chili peppers are strong in a spicy sense, but very soft on the Mohs scale, so if it was only the chilies that hit other buildings it would only be very soft material that would take any damage. Of course there would also be building material hitting nearby houses, thus they would do more damage than the chili. A number, where the hardness of the materials hitting nearby buildings was taken into consideration, could have been given, adding a fourth number to consider in the scale, but no such number is provided.

The comic [[1531: The BDLPSWDKS Effect]] also dealt with a hybrid multi-disciplinary amalgum of measurements.

==Transcript==
:[Close-up of Cueball, a news anchor, next to an image with a headline above it to the left of him. The image shows of black tornado descending from sky-cover above. It is striking a building that has been damaged near where the tornado hits. Two large chilies can be seen flying through the air in the foreground, with pieces of the building and more chilies flying off further away. Straight beneath the building and going up in the middle of it there is a crack, that divides into three inside the building. The ground is also higher to the right of the point where the crack enters the building. Cueball is speaking which is shown above the image and him.]
:Headline: Breaking news
:Cueball: A tornado that struck a chili pepper processing plant during an earthquake was rated 55,000 on the Richter-Fujita-Scoville scale.

==Trivia==
*It seems the title text is missing the word "due":
**"Buildings constructed from softer materials were damaged by chili pepper impacts '''due''' to the storm's high Richter-Fujita-Scoville-Mohs hardness rating."

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:News anchor]]
[[Category:Tornadoes]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Earthquakes]]

2962: President Venn Diagram

2024-07-23T11:21:15Z

172.70.90.144: /* Explanation */ "...to not add..."? "...not to add..."? Gone with "to not", more a deliberate intent than "not to" which is refrained action. But one could argue this point. (Needed the "to", though.)

{{comic
| number = 2962
| date = July 22, 2024
| title = President Venn Diagram
| image = president_venn_diagram_2x.png
| imagesize = 445x398px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Hard to imagine political rhetoric more microtargeted at me than 'I love Venn diagrams. I really do, I love Venn diagrams. It's just something about those three circles.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by 2,382,203 Massachusetts write-in ballots for Randall Munroe - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{{notice|This comic contains just one opinion as interpreted by [[Randall|the comic's author]].
Please take care to not add anything to the main article that might be your own personal political opinion. This is not a rolling-news channel or debating room. |image=warning!!.png|**NB. This warning could remain as long as Harris is a candidate in the election. Once this process concludes, we might need a different warning.}}

On the Monday that this comic was published, US Vice President {{w|Kamala Harris}} became the new presumptive {{w|Democratic_Party_(United_States)|Democratic Party}} nominee for the 2024 election, having received verbal endorsements from a majority of Democratic state delegations; the day before, President {{w|Joe Biden}} had {{w|Withdrawal_of_Joe_Biden_from_the_2024_United_States_presidential_election|suspended}} his re-election bid and endorsed Harris.

This comic features a three-way {{w|Venn diagram}} (which [[2721: Euler Diagrams|is also an Euler diagram]]). The three circles represent qualification for US presidency, eligibility for US presidency, and love for Venn diagrams:

# '''Good President:''' The dominant Internet topic of conversation when this comic was published was Harris and people's opinions about her, and Randall personally thinks she'd be a good president but that he would not be.
# '''Eligibility:''' According to Article II of the {{w|U.S. Constitution}}, someone is {{w|President_of_the_United_States#Eligibility|eligible for the US presidency}} if they are a natural-born citizen of the United States, are at least 35 years old, and are a resident in the United States for at least 14 years. Both [[Randall Monroe]] and Harris meet these qualifications.
# '''Vocal Venn Diagram-philia:''' Harris's affection for Venn diagrams is something of a meme, and has been used by her in her campaign [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/kamala-harris-campaign-memes-gen-z-b2583802.html]. Randall is also known for his love of Venn diagrams, which feature heavily on xkcd. Randall especially loves Venn diagrams ABOUT Venn diagrams, like this one.

The title text [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWR2uTfrh-k quotes Kamala Harris on her affection for Venn diagrams], and implies that the best way to target Randall with political ads is to mention how amazing Venn diagrams are.

Randall has previously supported a presidential candidate in [[I'm With Her]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
A Venn diagram with three circles. 
Upper left circle: "Eligible to be President" 
Upper right circle: "Would be a good President" 
Lower circle: "Unusually vocal about love of Venn diagrams" 
Intersection of all three circles: "Kamala Harris" 
Intersection of the upper left and lower circles: "Me"

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: Venn diagrams]]
[[Category: Politics]]
[[Category: Elections]]
[[Category: Comics featuring politicians]]

2414: Solar System Compression Artifacts

2024-07-22T11:02:44Z

172.70.90.144: Undo revision 346879 by 172.71.150.113 (talk) Correct correction

{{comic
| number = 2414
| date = January 20, 2021
| title = Solar System Compression Artifacts
| image = solar_system_compression_artifacts.png
| titletext = Most of our universe consists of dark matter rendered completely undetectable by our spacetime codec's dynamic range issues.
}}

==Explanation==
''{{w|Voyager 1}}'' is a [[:Category:Space probes|space probe]] launched by the United States in 1977. Originally designed to study the outer planets of the {{w|Solar System}}, it is now several decades into an extended mission beyond Neptune (see [[#Trivia]]). The Voyager probe has made history for passing many milestones of our solar system.

When images are compressed by a {{w|lossy compression}} format (e.g. {{w|JPEG}}), visual artifacts are created. Randall here is suggesting that the probe has passed the artifacts as if the artifacts were an actual feature of the solar system rather than a consequence of our technology. The banding lines he has drawn are commonly seen in old images with low bit depth.

The 'solar system' in the snapshot appears to be a 4-bit greyscale-plane at a more pixelated level than the image given. It contains 16 'banded' levels from the brightest (closest zones, within this image, to the Sun) to darkest (the furthest illustrated expanses, including interstellar space), with irregular or non-trivial transitional edges but no obvious or dominant dithering/speckling or 'noise'. The Voyager image (and track) is overlaid in a white 'line drawing' format.

Each apparent pixel in this low-res rendering is approximately 1 AU², where 1 AU ({{w|astronomical unit}}) is the distance from the Sun to the earth. The Sun is off the left side of the image by about 30 pixels, meaning that of all the planets in the solar system, only Neptune would have an orbit that is within the image at all (at the left edge). The {{w|heliosphere}} is 120 AU from the sun, in the direction that Voyager 1 is travelling: Voyager crossed that milestone in August 2012. At time of publication Voyager was just over 150 AU from the Sun, as shown in the image.

Continuing on its course at 38,000 mph, or 3.6 AU/year, Voyager will reach the outer edge of the {{w|Oort cloud}}, the edge of our solar system, in about 300 years.

The title text refers to 'our spacetime {{w|codec}}', suggesting a representation of reality itself as a series of ones and zeros. If empty space is the darkest possible thing that can be represented--which may be the case when only 16 levels are available (see above)--then it is possible that {{w|dark matter}} is ''so'' dark that it cannot be represented: it would require a negative number, which is not available. This is the {{w|dynamic range}} issue mentioned.

Artefacts are evident in [[1683: Digital Data]], and mentioned in the title text of [[331: Photoshops]].

==Transcript==
:[Irregular bands of gray are shown, shading from a white circular segment on the lower left side of the panel to completely black on the right. The bands have pixelated edges. A small white space probe is shown just outside the last dark gray band, in the completely black area. A dotted line starting from inside the dark gray area and ending at the space probe indicates that it is moving to the right, out of the gray area. Close to the white area, there are many bands packed closely together and with hard to define edges. But there are five gray areas clearly separated from the white, with a tendency to be elongated in the space probe's direction.]

:[Caption below the panel]: Milestone: ''Voyager'' has passed through the streaming video compression artifacts that mark the edge of the solar system

==Trivia==
* At the time of the fly-by of {{w|Neptune}}, in 1989, it was the outermost of the nine officially recognised planets.
* The more highly eliptical orbit of {{w|Pluto}}, which was also unfavourably positioned for any Voyager mission encounter, meant that it would be another ten years before it was the actual outermost planet, well behind the respective Voyager crafts' progress away from the Sun.
* Pluto was then 'demoted' from being a full planet in 2005, meaning that Neptune officially became the outermost of the (eight) planets, well in advance of the next orbital 'switch' (roughly in the 2220s to 2240s) when Pluto's path would bring it closer to the Sun once more.
* However Pluto (and partner bodies/'moons') finally experienced its own {{w|New Horizons|fly-by mission}} in 2015, which ''may'' perhaps have softened some of the psychological blow from the various snubs it had experienced over the prior decades.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Space probes]]

2678: Wing Lift

2024-07-22T11:01:43Z

172.70.90.144: Undo revision 346877 by 172.71.146.189 (talk) Correct correction.

{{comic
| number = 2678
| date = September 28, 2022
| title = Wing Lift
| image = wing_lift_2x.png
| imagesize = 679x358px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Once the air from the top passes below the plane of the wing and catches sight of the spooky skulls, it panics, which is the cause of turbulent vortices.
}}

==Explanation==

This comic is a parody of the incomplete explanations given to physics students on how wings produce lift. Specifically, it parodies the {{w|equal transit-time fallacy}}, which states that the air flowing above the wing and the air flowing below the wing have to travel from one side of the wing to the other in equal time, so the air above the wing has to travel faster to keep up with the air below. This assumes that the air above the wing is somehow conscious of what the air below the wing is doing.  This assumption of consciousness is taken to extreme parody by the comic, suggesting that the bottom air can be frightened by skulls, that the top air is curious to see what's going on, and that air can panic. In real life, this is not the case.{{Citation needed}}

Wings can produce {{w|Lift (force)|lift}},<ref name="Prandtl & Tietjens (1952)">Tietjens, Oskar Karl Gustav; [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Prandtl Prandtl, Ludwig] (1957). [https://books.google.com/books?id=4KtFcuCZ3VsC&pg=PR1 ''Fundamentals of Hydro- and Aeromechanics'']. Courier Corporation. ISBN 978-0-486-60374-2</ref> i.e. an upwards force with which an aircraft is held in the air. One or more of three main reasons may typically be given as to why airplane wings produce lift:
* {{w|Bernoulli's principle}} (Perhaps the most frequently cited/demonstrated as a basic introduction to wing-physics.)
* {{w|Angle of attack}} (The airplane wing angles up so that air is deflected downwards, by the {{w|Newton's sine-square law of air resistance|'ski effect'}}.)
* {{w|Coandă effect}} (The top is curved, so air going over the wing must curve downwards in order to avoid creating a vacuum above the back of the wing, and by Newton's third law, this results in an upwards force on the wing.)
The comic references all three of these reasons. Airflow splitting references Bernoulli's principle, while the air at the bottom being scared and fleeing downwards is similar to the effect of air hitting the angled bottom of the wing. The air going over the top curving down references the Coandă effect, although the comic claims that this effect is instead caused by the top-air noticing the bottom-air fleeing downward and goes down to investigate why the bottom-air is fleeing. The mention of Newton's third law is indeed correct, even if the movement of the air is for the wrong reasons. In the title text, it additionally suggests that the top-flow also end up glimpsing the printed skulls, causing it to also chaotically flee, generating a wing's classic turbulent wake.

[[Randall]] previously dealt with explanations of wing lift in [[803: Airfoil]].

<references/>

==Transcript==
:[Caption at the top of the panel above the drawing:]
:How a wing produces lift

:[The drawing is a diagram of the cross-section of a plane wing. It is large and rounded on the left end and flat on the bottom while the top curves down to meet it at a sharp point to the right. There are many small arrows indicating the flow of wind, in front of, above and below and behind the wing. Four sections of the wind have captions.]

:[The arrows come from the left of the panel, point towards the wing, and then half begin to go over and half begin to go under. There is a caption in the middle of this flow:]
:Airflow splits around the top and bottom of the wing

:[The arrow flowing above continue to the back without caption. But the arrows going under the wing goes by a circle underneath the wing. The circle is connected to an arrow which points to the underside of the wing indicating that the content of the circle represents the underside of the wing. The circle shows a repeating pattern of small black (simplified) skulls, that not only fills the circle but can be seen on the arrow pointing to the underside of the wing. There is a caption to the right of this:]
:Spooky skulls microprinted on the bottom of the wing frighten the air, which flees away downward

:[The arrows going above the wing begins to curve downward at the end of the wing. In the middle of these arrows is a caption:]
:Top air goes to see what's wrong

:[After the spooky skulls the arrows under the wings also begins to curve downwards and both streams of arrows from above and below have joined at the end of the wing and are all pointing to the bottom right of the panel. In front of them is a caption:]
:By Newton's third law, downward deflection of air pushes wing upward

{{comic discussion}}

[[category:Engineering]]
[[category:Physics]]
[[category:Aviation]]

1793: Soda Sugar Comparisons

2024-07-22T11:00:48Z

172.70.90.144: Undo revision 346875 by 172.71.146.189 (talk) This is the correct correction.

{{comic
| number = 1793
| date = February 1, 2017
| title = Soda Sugar Comparisons
| image = soda_sugar_comparisons.png
| titletext = The key is portion control, which is why I've switched to eating smaller cans of frosting instead of full bottles.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is one of the rare incidences where the title is actually written at the top of the comic. It is also a rare example where an old comic, [[1035: Cadbury Eggs]], is directly referenced, and even at such a prominent place, albeit in a faded down gray font.

In the comic, [[Randall]] compares {{w|Soft drink|soda's}} {{w|sugar}} content to different types of sugary food (see [[#Trivia|trivia]]).

The first two panels compare the sugar content of a 20 {{w|Fluid ounce|oz}} bottle of soda (i.e. 591 mL, thus almost like a half liter bottle) to three {{w|Cadbury egg|Cadbury eggs}} or one {{w|Snickers bar}} if it had the length of the bottle (9 inches or about 23 cm; most actual Snickers bars are only 4 inches or 10 cm, though the company does manufacture various "king" sizes).

In the next row, Randall compares one bottle of soda each day of a week (seven bottles) to a bottle of {{w|Icing_(food)|cake frosting}}.

Continuing the estimations in the third row, Randall states that one soda a day for six months will provide the same amount of sugar as four {{w|Gallon#The_US_liquid_gallon|gallons}} of {{w|Skittles (confectionery)|Skittles}} (15.1 liters).

Finally, Randall compares three years' worth of daily sodas contains as much sugar as a {{w|Convenience store|convenience store's}} 20-foot (6.1 m) long [http://www.discountshelving.com/images/storetype/convenience/Right-Way-Gondola-Check-Out.jpg candy counter].

The reference to Cadbury Eggs is of course the topic of the referenced comic [[1035: Cadbury Eggs]], which has the same comparison between soda's sugar content and Cadbury Eggs, as well as comparing a number of other substances to the eggs. So that comic goes the other way around.

In the title text, it is stated that the key is portion control, which sounds normal until it is revealed that the portion control is actually for frosting instead of soda. Eating frosting out of cans is also referenced in the title text of [[418: Stove Ownership]].

Of interest in this case is that the American Heart Association [http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/circulationaha/120/11/1011.full.pdf recommends] less than 20-36 grams per day for a sedentary lifestyle (7.5 to 9 MJ per day).

===Data===
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! Number of 20-oz bottles !! Equivalent sugar content (Coca-Cola) !! Candy portion !! Approximate sugar content
|-
| 1 || 65 grams || 3 (US) Crème Eggs 1 9-inch Snickers bar (approx. equivalent to roughly 2 [https://www.snickers.com/nutritional-info standard Snickers bars]) || 60 grams 54 grams
|-
| 7 || 455 grams || 1 20-oz bottle frosting || 360 grams ([http://calorielab.com/brands/betty-crocker-decorating-icing/106/2003516 Betty Crocker decorating icing]) 780 grams ([http://calorielab.com/brands/betty-crocker-fluffy-white-frosting/106/2003671 Betty Crocker Fluffy White Frosting])
|-
| 180 || 11,700 grams || 4 gallons of Skittles || 12,000 grams (assuming Skittles are molten/ground) 8,500 grams (assuming [http://mathworld.wolfram.com/EllipsoidPacking.html realistic ellipsoid packing])
|-
| 1095 || 71,175 grams || A 20-foot candy counter (the illustration shows four tiers of boxes) || 125,000 grams (assuming 4 tiers of full boxes of Mars bars [https://www.amazon.com/Mars-Bar-58-Pack-48/dp/B003TCOJY4 10 inches wide]) 62,500 grams (assuming 50% of shelf space is given over to gum and other non-edible products)
|}

==Transcript==
:[Above the four rows of two panels with captions above them are the following title and note:]
:<big>Soda Sugar Comparisons</big>
:See also xkcd.com/1035

:[Above the two columns of panels are the following captions for the left and right column:]
:In terms of sugar, drinking this much soda...
:...is equivalent to eating this:

:[In the first rows left panel there is a drawing of a bottle with a screw cap and label. The content in the bottle is gray, as is the cap. The air above the liquid in the bottle beneath the cap as well as the label are light gray and the label is empty of text. The following text is written on three lines left of the bottle next to the label:]
:One 20oz soda bottle (e.g. Coca Cola)

:[In the opposite first row right panel there are two drawings. First three gray eggs are placed in a small pyramid. A thin line goes down the lang axis of the eggs. Text on two lines is below the eggs. Next to the eggs is a long gray bar standing up. It has wiggly lines for giving its surface features along its entire length. Two lines at the top and bottom are used to measured the length with two arrows pointing to either line, which are then going to the text next to the bar which are thus in between the arrows, taking up five lines.]
:3 Cadbury eggs...
:...Or a Snickers bar the length of the bottle.

:[In the second rows left panel seven soda bottles are drawn like the one in the first panel (as are all later bottles). They are standing close to each other. Along the bottom of all the bottles is the following text:]
:One soda per day for a week

:[In the opposite second row right panel there is a drawing of a bottle with light gray content being poured out of the open bottle down in to a small pile next to the screw cap lying below the open bottle. The content is obviously not liquid but rather oozing frosting being dumped out of the bottle not ending up in a puddle but in a taller structure with jagged edges. A bit of the oozing material hangs far out of the bottle without dropping. Also the light gray content in the bottle is uneven with darker and brighter patches. Below and left of the screw cap and pile of goo there are two lines of text:]
:One bottle of cake frosting

:[In the thirds rows left panel a soda bottle is drawn next to two rows of three full month calendar pages, which takes up the same height as the bottle. A text below the pages takes up two lines.]||
:One soda per day for six months

:[In the opposite third row right panel there drawings of four large transparent plastic milk jugs filled to the brim with something that is a mixture between gray and white in small clumps. Two of the jugs are in front of the other two, and covers all but the top of the one between them and half of the last which extends right of the other two. Leaning up against the rightmost jug is a dark gray pack of candy with the candy name written in white on the open pack, and more unreadable white text is at the top of the pack. Next to the pack lies five candy pieces, three in front and two to the right. These candy pieces are dark gray (three) or light gray (two). There is a line of text beneath the jugs:]
:Label: Skittles
:Four gallons of Skittles

:[In the fourth and final rows left panel one soda bottles is next to three rectangles on top of each other with a year given in each. Beneath the drawing there is a text over two lines:]
:2017
:2018
:2019
:One soda per day for three years

:[In the opposite fourth row right panel there is a drawings of a convenience store counter with three cashiers behind it at their cash register with payment terminal close by each of them as well. From left to right they are Ponytail, Cueball and Megan. the cash registers are to the left for all of them, with terminal next to it for Ponytail and on the other side for the other two. Between the two outer and the middle cashier, there are two signs on high poles with unreadable text. One is close to Ponytail the other is in the middle of the other two. Beside Cueball there is an additional flat thing which could be a candy weight. To Megan's right there is a square thing on top of which something sticks up in several layers. It could be a box of Kleenex. On four rows of shelves under the disc various items are closely stacked, so they cannot be separate from one another. It in though possible from white rows with prices to see that there are four rows. Underneath this drawing there is a text in two lines:]
:A convenience store's entire 20-foot candy counter

==Trivia==
*Soda is a common [http://popvssoda.com term] for carbonated sweet soft drink used predominantly by speakers in the Northeastern United States, California, and the areas surrounding Milwaukee and St. Louis
**A similar term ([https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodavand Sodavand], meaning Soda water) is also used in Denmark.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Food]]

667: SkiFree

2024-07-22T10:57:54Z

172.70.90.144: Undo revision 346872 by 172.68.23.200 (talk) This is actually correct.

{{comic
| number = 667
| date = November 25, 2009
| title = SkiFree
| image = skifree.png
| titletext = And from that day on, I wore this little 'F' key pendant everywhere I went.
}}

==Explanation==
''{{w|SkiFree}}'' is a video game released in 1991 which enjoyed popularity on the desktop computers of the time. In the game, you're a downhill skier who attempts to ski down a hill while avoiding obstacles which cause you to crash (which slows you down). At the start of the game, you can choose to go down three different timed/scored courses, or ignore them all and ski freely. Beyond the end of the courses you can continue skiing downhill. You can also move (slowly) uphill and sideways.

If you ski too far down the hill a monster similar to one in the comic will begin to chase you; contact with the monster ends the game. Since it's much faster than you normally, you'll get caught. The monster also appears if you travel too far in the sideways or upwards directions.

One of the lesser known commands in SkiFree is the 'F' key, which speeds you up, even faster than the monster. A second monster appears slightly further down the hill but by skiing downhill diagonally with the F key it is possible to evade both.

The joke here is that [[Megan]] has thought long and hard about the concept of the monster, relating it to the inevitability of death, and is nonplussed by the revelation that there is a simple mechanism that may allow her to escape it, thus ruining the poetic metaphor.

The title text refers to pendants or talismans that are worn to protect oneself from harm or to remind oneself of an important truth. Megan, seeing that the F key allowed her to evade inevitable death in the game, comes to believe that the F key confers some sort of immortality.
Alternatively, it may be symbolic as the monster in SkiFree seemed insurmountable (just like death) but might have a discovery in the future (the 'F' key) that can overcome it.

An additional layer of anachronistic humour may be found for the future reader due to the significance of the 'F' key here differing from in a [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/press-f-to-pay-respects more recent meme] the reader may be familiar with where the 'F' key represents mourning instead of an easy escape from death as seen here.

==Transcript==
:[A screenshot of SkiFree, with the abominable snowman running towards the player.]

:[Megan is sitting at her computer with her hands on the keyboard and thinking to herself:]
:Megan (thought bubble): I've always thought of the SkiFree monster as a metaphor for the inevitability of death.

:[Cueball comes up behind her in a frameless panel.]
:Cueball: SkiFree, huh? You know, you can press "F" to go faster than the monster and escape.

:[The screenshot again. The player is zooming away from the monster.]

:[Megan sits at her computer in silence, with her hands now down to her side.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Video games]]

2766: Helium Reserve

2024-07-22T10:56:59Z

172.70.90.144: Undo revision 346871 by 172.68.23.199 (talk) Undoing incorrect revert, before any CG has to...

{{comic
| number = 2766
| date = April 21, 2023
| title = Helium Reserve
| image = helium_reserve_2x.png
| imagesize = 347x253px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The government has been trying to sell off the Federal Helium Reserve for a few years now, but the sale has been on hold while they try to figure out how to explain this situation to buyers.
}}

==Explanation==

The {{w|National Helium Reserve|Strategic National Helium Reserve}} is a reserve of helium in the United States, which holds more than 1 billion cubic meters of helium. This reserve was established by the US Government because helium has a number of critical scientific and industrial applications, and it was considered important to ensure that those needs could always be supplied.

In addition to the scientific uses, helium is also used and sold for more frivolous applications. One of the most well-known is to fill party balloons. Since helium is much lighter than air, balloons filled with it will float. Additionally, because sound propagates differently through helium than through air, inhaling some of the gas will cause a person's voice to sound much higher. The novelty of this phenomenon has long resulted in people inhaling helium from balloons in order to hear their voices change.

Apparently, in this comic, [[Cueball]] was hired to manage the Reserve, and apparently lost or used all of the helium. The fact that he can't answer the question "out loud" implies that he inhaled all of the helium to make his voice change, meaning that even answering the question would reveal what he'd been doing.

The notion of one person inhaling the entire helium reserve is, of course, a ludicrous exaggeration (not to mention the fact that inhaling helium deprives a person of oxygen, and inhaling that much would put them at serious risk). The joke, though, is that Cueball was having so much fun inhaling the helium, he simply couldn't stop until he'd used it all up.

It is worth noting that, due to rising prices, most helium now sold for balloons is mixed with air. This lowers cost and helium use, but it makes balloons less buoyant, and dramatically reduces the impact of the gas on your voice. This may be significant to the comic because it means the average person is unable to change their voice with helium, so when Cueball is given access to a vast supply of it, he can no longer help himself.

Another realistic but admittedly less funny explanation is that Cueball didn't use up all the helium frivolously: helium is lighter than air, and once released into the atmosphere, it escapes into space and can never be recovered. A major leak in the Reserve would simply mean that all the helium is lost, and if it happened under Cueball's watch, he'd have to be held responsible -- and it is hard to find materials helium doesn't leak through at an astonishing rate. Firms that try to earn money by transporting heavy cargo using dirigibles (the successful transportation of an airplane wing, a wind turbine or any other large item where the roads are too narrow might be worth considerable amounts of money to those with the means to do so) often fail due to the costs associated with helium leakage.

The title text addresses the real-world privatization of the Reserve, first selling off the helium itself and then the sale of the storage facility. This has been a drawn out process because of political disagreements, however the title text implies the simpler explanation that one guard (or perhaps the government in general) has inhaled all the helium so there is nothing left to sell off.

==Transcript==
:[An officer wearing a peaked cap is talking to Cueball. There is a "National Strategic Helium Reserve" building in the background.]
:Officer: You were in charge of guarding the national helium reserve. So where did it go?!

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Unfortunately, there's no good way for me to answer this question out loud.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Characters with hats]]

2853: Redshift

2024-07-22T10:55:59Z

172.70.90.144: Undo revision 346868 by 172.70.206.241 (talk) Not meant to be consistent, but four different examples. (And any linked timescales, like that, will go out-of-date, need changing again!)

{{comic
| number = 2853
| date = November 10, 2023
| title = Redshift
| image = redshift_2x.png
| imagesize = 223x264px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = So do you have any plans for z=-0.000000000000045?
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Ponytail]] is using cosmological terms to answer that she first got interested in early universe cosmology 5.4 years ago, to which [[Cueball]] asks (in the title text) whether she has plans five and a half hours later. One interpretation is that these are two colleagues out for lunch, and Cueball likes her nerdy answer so much he wants to ask her out for a dinner date after work.

[[File:time by redshift.png|thumb|Redshift indicates how far in the past distant astronomical objects were as we observe them now.]]

In {{w|observational cosmology}}, a field of astronomy, {{w|redshift}} refers to the way that light from distant objects in the universe is stretched out, making it appear more red than it would otherwise. This occurs because the universe is expanding, and as a result, light waves are stretched as they travel through space. The {{w|Redshift#Redshift formulae|"z" value}} is a dimensionless measure of the redshift: the observed wavelength minus the expected wavelength, divided by the expected wavelength. A higher "z" value, or redshift, corresponds to earlier times in the history of the universe. This is because as the universe expands, light from distant galaxies is stretched to longer, redder wavelengths as it travels towards us. The further away a galaxy is, the longer its light has been traveling, and thus the more the universe has expanded since that light began its journey. Therefore, a higher redshift indicates a galaxy that is further away and that the light we see from it left when the universe was younger. Conversely, a lower redshift means the light has traveled a shorter distance and time, indicating a more recent epoch in the history of the universe. Negative values of "z" indicate a blueshift, which indicate objects that are approaching the observer, generally used in cosmological work to calculate rotation speeds of closer objects.

The joke here is that Cueball is asking Ponytail when she became interested in cosmology, and instead of giving a conventionally referenced time (such as "in college", "as a kid", "in 2020" or "seventeen years ago", whatever may apply), she responds with a redshift value "z=0.00000000038". This very small number corresponds to a very recent event compared to the start of the universe; well within a human lifetime, though it might take a cosmologist's specific knowledge to understand this and work out the interval's value. The negative blueshift question in the title text is a playful way of similarly asking about a future event. As the absolute value of the negative z is about ten thousand times smaller, it indicates a much closer event in the future.

[[File:LookBackFromRedshiftEqns.png|thumb|right|Calculation of look-back time is based on redshift, the {{w|Hubble parameter}} H0, and the {{w|Lambda-CDM model#Parameters|cosmological parameter}}s for mass Ωm and {{w|dark energy}} ΩΛ. The [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Wade-5/publication/302632920/figure/fig2/AS:751645805789184@1556217733527/Then-a-Miracle-Occurs-Copyrighted-artwork-by-Sydney-Harris-Inc-All-materials-used-with_W640.jpg suprisingly extant] closed-form solution of the integral includes the special Gaussian {{w|hypergeometric function}} 2''F''1.]]

Assuming a given cosmology, its {{w|Shape of the universe|curvature}}, and a value for the {{w|Hubble's law#Interpretation|Hubble parameter}} H0 (also called the Hubble constant), it is possible to derive a specific look-back time for any given redshift value. For z=0.00000000038, a flat {{w|Lambda-CDM model|Lambda-CDM cosmological model}} with H0 = 69.32 km / Mpc / s (a reasonable medium between {{w|Hubble's law#Hubble tension|the disparate "crisis in cosmology" values for the Hubble parameter}}), a value of Ω0 of 0.2865, and a cosmic background temperature of 2.725 K, the look-back time is about 1960 days, or 5.4 years, which could suggest that Ponytail started studying cosmology as part of a Ph.D. program. Negative numbers of z, such as in the title text, would indicate a "look-forward" time, or a time in the future, and the same model indicates that z=-0.000000000000045 corresponds to 5.5 hours in the future. So Cueball is likely asking something like "What are you thinking of doing (later) this evening?"

The use of non-standard units of measurement has also been seen in [[2707: Astronomy Numbers]], with much larger typical redshift values previously included in [[2764: Cosmological Nostalgia Content]]. Redshift and blueshift have also been mentioned before in [[1852: Election Map]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Ponytail are sitting at a table, eating from plates in front of them, Cueball using both hands with cutlery, Ponytail only holding cutlery in one hand, the other hand lying on her lap. Each has a wine glass standing on the table between the plates.]
:Cueball: So, when did you first get interested in early universe cosmology?
:Ponytail: Sometime around z=0.00000000038.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Cosmology]]

2961: CrowdStrike

2024-07-22T09:44:58Z

172.70.90.144: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2961
| date = July 19, 2024
| title = CrowdStrike
| image = crowdstrike_2x.png
| imagesize = 322x384px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = We were going to try swordfighting, but all my compiling is on hold.
}}

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

This comic is about the {{w|2024 CrowdStrike incident}} occurring on the day of the comic's release. CrowdStrike makes security software to protect computers from malware, ransomware and other cyberattacks. The software is sold to businesses and large enterprises like hospitals, airlines and retailers. CrowdStrike frequently releases updates to their software to handle new types of malware they know about. A faulty update for one of their software products caused computers with the software installed to crash (a {{w|Blue Screen of Death}}) very early on when booting up. This meant the computers could not be quickly or automatically fixed. Because many large businesses with large numbers of computers used CrowdStrike's software on at least some of their systems, or relied upon businesses that did, the resulting disruption was very widespread and very visible, preventing those businesses from operating and, in many cases, preventing their employees from working while their computers were affected.

Apparently, Cueball and Ponytail's company, or possibly a company providing a service their work depends on, uses CrowdStrike to secure their computers (although they may just be using it as an excuse to slack off, if their colleagues don't know any better). Without being able to work, they have found something more entertaining to do -- Cueball, riding a scooter and with a rope tied around his waist, is towing Ponytail, who is sitting on a swiveling chair, around their office or neighborhood. Performing this activity is probably a bad idea.{{cn}}

As the caption suggests, not everyone has the luxury of slacking off while their computers are broken. CrowdStrike engineers had to address the faulty update, and help the businesses using their software to fix their computers. And relevant employees at affected customers' IT departments had to work to mitigate the impacts, and to roll out the necessary fixes. In the event, CrowdStrike had released a patch for the software around six hours after it came to light, but this had to be manually applied to each affected device.

The title text refers to [[303: Compiling]], in which Cueball also found an alternative way to spend time at work when 'forced' to step away from his computer, albeit for a less disruptive reason. But, because of ''this'' problem, even the compiling is on hold. If sword fighting is 'officially allowed' only during actual compiling, as that comic implied, then during this instance (forced to be {{w|Glossary of video game terms#AFK|AFK}} for different reasons) they must resort to yet ''other'' activities, such as the one in this comic.

==Transcript==
:[White Hat is pointing his finger at Ponytail and Cueball. Ponytail is crouched on a moving office chair, holding with both hands onto a rope tied around the waist of Cueball, who is riding an electric scooter.]
:White Hat: Hey, aren't you supposed to be working on the—
:Ponytail: Sorry, that's all on hold today because of the CrowdStrike thing.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Protip: As long as you're not actually in charge of '''''fixing''''' the CrowdStrike thing, you can use this excuse for pretty much anything you want to do today.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Protip]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Computer security]]

2961: CrowdStrike

2024-07-21T11:11:17Z

172.70.90.144: /* Explanation */ Tweaks and additions to Compiling paragraph.

{{comic
| number = 2961
| date = July 19, 2024
| title = CrowdStrike
| image = crowdstrike_2x.png
| imagesize = 322x384px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = We were going to try swordfighting, but all my compiling is on hold.
}}

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

This comic is about the {{w|2024 CrowdStrike incident}} occurring on the day of the comic's release. CrowdStrike makes security software to protect computers from malware, ransomware and other cyberattacks. The software is sold to businesses and large enterprises like hospitals, airlines and retailers. CrowdStrike frequently releases updates to their software to handle new types of malware they know about.

A faulty update for one of their software products caused computers with the software installed to crash (a {{w|Blue Screen of Death}}) very early on when booting up. This meant the computers could not be quickly or automatically fixed. Because many large businesses with large numbers of computers used CrowdStrike's software on at least some of their systems, or relied upon yet other businesses that did, the resulting disruption was very widespread and very visible, preventing those businesses from operating and, in many cases, preventing their employees from working while their computers were affected. Apparently, Cueball and Ponytail's company, or possibly a company providing a service their work depends on, uses CrowdStrike to secure their computers. Without being able to work, they have found something more entertaining to do -- Cueball, riding a scooter and with a rope tied around his waist, is towing Ponytail, who is sitting on a swiveling chair, around their office or neighborhood. Performing this activity is probably a bad idea.{{cn}}

Of course, CrowdStrike itself is a software company. As the caption suggests, its employees don't have the luxury of slacking off while their computers are broken: they have to address the faulty update, and help the businesses using their software to fix their computers. In the event, CrowdStrike had released a patch for the software around six hours after it came to light, at which point it is then the responsibility of those companies' own IT departments to roll out the necessary fixes (as well as continuing to deal with the original fallout, while the workers dependent upon their work wait for personal resolutions to their issues).

The title text refers to [[303: Compiling]], in which Cueball also found an alternative way to spend time at work when 'forced' to step away from his computer, albeit for a less disruptive reason. But, because of ''this'' problem, even the compiling is on hold. If sword fighting is 'officially allowed' only during actual compiling, as that comic implied, then during this instance (forced to be {{w|Glossary of video game terms#AFK|AFK}} for different reasons) they must resort to yet ''other'' activities: e.g. the one in this comic.

==Transcript==
:[White Hat is pointing his finger at Ponytail and Cueball. Ponytail is crouched on a moving office chair, holding with both hands onto a rope tied around the waist of Cueball, who is riding an electric scooter.]
:White Hat: Hey, aren't you supposed to be working on the—
:Ponytail: Sorry, that's all on hold today because of the CrowdStrike thing.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Protip: As long as you're not actually in charge of '''''fixing''''' the CrowdStrike thing, you can use this excuse for pretty much anything you want to do today.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Protip]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Computer security]]

2956: Number Line Branch

2024-07-19T09:28:08Z

172.70.90.144: /* Explanation */ This bothered me about the old wording, and the prior 'clarification' got it wrongbin its own way.

{{comic
| number = 2956
| date = July 8, 2024
| title = Number Line Branch
| image = number_line_branch_2x.png
| imagesize = 469x235px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Attention all passengers: This is an express sequence to infinity. If your stop is not a power of two, please disembark now.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SECOND BOT TO REDUCE CONGESTION - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic likens the {{w|number line}} to a line of a railroad or subway system. These often have branches where different trains continue on to a different destination, with different stops along the way, or travel on parallel lines to allow faster trains to bypass slower ones. In the number line, one branch (presumably the original) contains ordinary numbers, while the newly opened branch consists of some completely different numbers, denoted with various symbols as an analogue to those we use as digits. The branches seem to split at π. The new branch maintains the same scale-separations as the 'normal' one (as far as it goes) but, due to a longer initial curve away from the junction, the new-branch digits are also consistently slightly offset from the horizontal positions of the respective old-branch ones.

The sequence ending with a bold mark at Δ (whereas the original number line fades out) suggests that it is the end of this branching sequence. Mathematicians, apparently, could only afford to construct 5 additional numbers, or their research hasn't yet found other numbers. The branch may have been intended to run much further, but been {{w|High Speed 2#Cancellation of Phase 2, October 2023|scaled back}} due to budget overruns and cutbacks.

The title text makes a parallel between a train stopping at a station and a numerical sequence "stopping" at a number – that is, taking it as a value. It's a spoof of announcements that are typically made on trains, so that passengers can confirm that they're on a train that goes to their desired station; an "express train" typically makes fewer stops so it can serve the most popular stops and reach its final destination sooner. In this case, the express train only stops at powers of 2; presumably the "local" stops at every integer. Powers of 2 are 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and so on, such that the interval between stops grows exponentially larger.

Mathematically, an express train like this would get to its scheduled stops much faster, but it would not actually have any fewer stops overall. Mathematicians that study infinities generally regard all "{{w|Countable_set|countably}}" infinite sets as being the same "size." Infinity is not a fixed value, rather it's the concept of "does not end," so it's paradoxical to try to take a train to a destination that is, by definition, not a single destination. By way of analogue, it's akin to promising to stop hitting your little brother only after you've done so forever.

A fictional number was previously shown in [[899: Number Line]] ("gird"), and fictional ''numerals'' were shown in [[2206: Mavis Beacon]]. And similar treatment of mathematics as public infrastructure was seen in [[2735: Coordinate Plane Closure]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[The number line for natural numbers, going from 0 to 10 and trailing off, with a marker at 0 to indicate that it is the start of the sequence. At about pi, the line branches off into a second line, which contains five odd-looking symbols, and stops at the fifth one. The first, below 4, is a square, the second is a pi rotated 90° counterclockwise, the third resembles a closed phi, the fourth is a spiral, and the fifth is a triangle.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Good news!
:After thousands of years, mathematicians have finally opened a second branch on the number line to reduce congestion.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Math]]

Talk:2958: Hatchery

2024-07-14T17:00:36Z

172.70.90.144:

Aren't hatcheries usually about breeding fish, not farming them?[[User:RadiantRainwing|RadiantRainwing]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 23:26, 12 July 2024 (UTC)
:Well farming sheep often involves the lambing process (though you ''can'' just buy in fresh surplus tups every year, from wherever happens to suit your price/quality thresholds, if that's your thing), so "farming" is a wide application in terms of animal husbandry (as well as agriculture, though ''perhaps'' in some arboriculture/horticulture/viniculture situations you needn't do the initial seeding, and just buy in the juvenile plants).
:Open-water "Fish-farms" may be more likely to get their fry/big-enough-to-keep-netted-youngsters from an 'on-shore' breeding facility that ''may'' be a separate supplier, but I'd probably accept the description of the breeding facility (in 'barrels', quite possibly) as 'farming', even if it's not a full-lifetime aquaponics setup, just had mysteriously internet-accessible firearms trained upon the various tanks of growing fish. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.163.120|172.70.163.120]] 10:42, 13 July 2024 (UTC)
:Comic does not say "farm" anywhere? [[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 20:53, 13 July 2024 (UTC)

Reading it, I first thought it was about Call of Duty, an fps game series. Its usual abbreviation is COD, but this might be coincidence.[[User:Intara|Intara]] ([[User talk:Intara|talk]]) 01:44, 13 July 2024 (UTC)

:As funny as that is, it is almost certainly coincidence. An incredible, hilarious one to be sure, but still most likely a coincidence.[[User:OmniDoom|OmniDoom]] ([[User talk:OmniDoom|talk]]) 06:50, 13 July 2024 (UTC)

::I noticed [[792]] also features Black Hat, is about hacking and mentions CoD4 tournaments, but I guess it isn't part of this comic's joke. [[User:Asdf|Asdf]] ([[User talk:Asdf|talk]]) 08:52, 13 July 2024 (UTC)

:::I actually think the 'CoD' connection might be something. A hatchery is (amongst other things) where fish spawn. Someone sitting at a computer remotely executing cod as they spawn definitely feels like it might be some kind of 'spawn camping' joke. Also he mentions shooting and there's a 'blam' sound effect. Both of which I don't think fit that well with the pure cod/code pun, but make more sense if it's partially a reference to killing helpless players in an FPS as they first spawn. It feels intentional to me, but also very awkward, so I suspect I'm missing something. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.43.226|172.69.43.226]] 12:40, 14 July 2024 (UTC)

::::I recall a "remote controlled gun" from elsewhere in the xkcd canon. Can't immedaitely find it (was it somewhere in a What-If/off the usual numbered comics?) but eveything in this ones scenario screams at "actual gun (in a fish-farm) being controlled via a monitor". I'll have to use a bit better Google-Fu and discover which precise prior art I'm ''actually'' thinking of, out of the nearly (or slightly over, depending upon what I include) 3000 possibilities.
::::And I rather think that if this was a pun (even partially a pun) on Call Of Duty, there'd be a few more actually direct references to this than merely "something you do on a computer". [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.144|172.70.90.144]] 17:00, 14 July 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2486: Board Game Party Schedule

2024-05-30T09:07:39Z

172.70.90.144: Adding correctly disambiguationg signature.

I've done the best I can starting this out. Since it's been years since I did gatherings like this, if someone can suggest more modern examples of complicated tabletop simulation games than the ones I suggested (Squad Leader and SFB started in the late 1970s, for heaven's sake), please do so. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.236|108.162.245.236]] 00:27, 8 July 2021 (UTC)

Diplomacy? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.121|108.162.246.121]] 21:17, 9 July 2021 (UTC)

How about Seven Wonders? [[User:Gvanrossum|Gvanrossum]] ([[User talk:Gvanrossum|talk]]) 04:59, 8 July 2021 (UTC)

This is why we always decide the game before inviting people. Then people can already head home before 11pm. To be more serious, the most complicated game that we played with novices was Eclipse with several expansions in a 9 player setup. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.160|162.158.88.160]] 07:15, 8 July 2021 (UTC)

The classics for my home group with this are Kingmaker and Twilight Imperium. In fact to even suggest those we now have to plan a week or month ahead of time. [[User:Thaledison|Erin Anne]] ([[User talk:Thaledison|talk]]) 13:51, 8 July 2021 (UTC)

A "simpler" game, like Catan or Dominion...?
Um. More like Scattergories, Scrabble, Sorry, Yahtzee, Apples to Apples, Uno, even Go Fish. Catan and Dominion might be relatively well known, but they are NOT simple. My experience is that the strategically-minded people who love immersive resource-allocation based games like Catan and Dominion are frequently open to learning new games, while the crowd that opts for "simpler" games typically just want to have fun without having to think too hard about stuff. (I say this as someone who loves immersive resource-allocation games, with a girlfriend who typically prefers the simpler stuff.)
Also, feels like Scythe deserves a mention, as a game that might be pulled out of a cupboard for game night but ends up taking hours to set up and explain. Whereas Warhammer players typically seek out their own, rather than casually springing their hobby on the general public. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.84|108.162.221.84]] 17:05, 8 July 2021 (UTC) mezimm
: Fair, although with my group what usually ends up happening is side games of Magic: the Gathering, and that's not simple, but it's quick to setup and doesn't take super long to complete. [[User:Thaledison|Erin Anne]] ([[User talk:Thaledison|talk]]) 13:22, 9 July 2021 (UTC)

Yeah, a not-a-COVID-19 comic. That said, just curious, why don't we include the title text as part of the transcript? Was a decision made some time ago to not include these, or have we just not been doing it for so long and no one questioned this until just now. [[Special:Contributions/127.0.0.1|127.0.0.1]] 19:00, 8 July 2021 (UTC)
:(Nice IP. *cough*) The transcript describes in text that which cannot already be read as text (without OCR, etc). The title-text is already in text form, reiteration would be redundantly repetitive. - Or so I've seen it explained several times before, and it makes perfect sense to me. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.105|162.158.158.105]] 03:10, 9 July 2021 (UTC)
::Thanks for the explanation. Also, why are you talking to yourself? [[Special:Contributions/127.0.0.1|127.0.0.1]] 17:12, 9 July 2021 (UTC)
:::Because I'm the last human alive? [[Special:Contributions/10.0.0.1|10.0.0.1]] 23:60, 31 Dec 10,000,034 (UTC)
:Yes, I also believe that the title text should be part of the transcript. I have heard the explanation many times and the explanation makes NO sense to me. First, a transcript should be a full transcript, not just a transcript of what is in the picture. Second, Even if I was using a text reader, I would want to hear the title text after the elements in the picture are described, the same way that I experience the comic when I am reading it. First I process the comic then I hover over and look for the title text. Without the title text, it's like hearing the build up of a multipart joke without hearing the final punch line. So if a vote is ever taken, I would vote to start including the title text in the transcript. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 20:05, 9 July 2021 (UTC)
::If a vote is forced I (not that I would be taken seriously, as an IP) would suggest (and only in this option vote as more preferential than the status quo, if it's a nice sensible a preferential multi-vote voting system) "<IMAGE=autoimported> <TRANSCRIPT=manual> <TITLETEXT=autoimported> <EXPLANATION=manual> <etcs=...>". The problem with <IMAGE> <TITLETEXT> ... <TRANSCRIPT_INCLUDING_TITLETEXT> is that it'll be so easy to make two TITLETEXTs different, either through failure of importing (currently needs correcting or explaining away via hand-edit) or at some time inevitably messing up the repeat-write (if not the straight copypasta) of what is already there in a perfectly accurate version.
::Or just persuade Dgbrt to change DgbrtBOT (or persuade DgbrtBOT directly, if you can and don't have Dgbrt revert whatever it is that you do to do that) to dual-autopopulate. If you have success there, I suppose you don't need to win a vote, just go straight to the "half of the users are mad at the result" stage...
::Prob. not the forum for discussing all this. In fact I'm sure it'll be better somewhere in the Community Portal. I really must catch up on my reading in there. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.122|141.101.98.122]] 23:46, 9 July 2021 (UTC)

I think the explanation is wrong. If you've played table-top games, a semi-complicated game like Catan or Ticket to Ride may seem simple. But the title says "Board Game" so I don't think explanation examples should be table-top games. In terms of "complicatedness", this comic is referring to the middle of the road: e.g. Checkers<Catan<Car Wars. {{unsigned ip|162.158.146.220|16:38, 9 July 2021}}

This timing is primarily because the game takes an hour to set up and an hour to explain, and those aren't being done in parallel. [[User:Solomon|Solomon]] ([[User talk:Solomon|talk]]) 05:52, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

== that was fast ==

this was my first time looking up the most recent comic on here (though it wasn't 'cause [I'm] dumb'... for once), and can I just say you all work really fast at getting a basic explanation written out. Your work is much appreciated by this student software dev :-)--[[User:Twisted Code|Twisted Code]] ([[User talk:Twisted Code|talk]]) 18:56, 8 July 2021 (UTC)

405: Journal 3

2023-11-11T11:50:57Z

172.70.90.144: /* Explanation */ space, not time... (Strange phrase, anyway, this side of something actually sci-fi and appocalyptic...)

{{comic
| number = 405
| date = April 2, 2008
| title = Journal 3
| image = journal 3.png
| titletext = Oh, and, uh, if the Russian government asks, that submarine was always there.
}}

==Explanation==
In [[374: Journal]], [[Black Hat]] explains to [[Cueball]] that a hobby of his is to pretend to write in a journal while on the subway, acting embarrassed if anyone sees. He then proceeds to silently scorn the person once they give him any kind of reassurance.

In [[377: Journal 2]], however, [[Danish]] sees through his ruse. She counteracts it by proving that she understands him, and attempts to resign him to the fact that he will never see her again, thus stripping him of the satisfaction and confidence of a proper social connection. She leaves, taking his hat in the process.

Initially vanquished, Black Hat seems to have quickly recovered and tracked Danish down, even to the remotest corner of the earth. He tells Danish that although she was able to read him impossibly well she blundered one inconsequential detail. We are led to believe that this is some mistake in the disguising of her tracks, but then he explains that it was simply how much he values his hat. It may also be the possibility that Black Hat placed a tracking device of some sort on his hat. This way he trampolines her wrath back at her. She thought that he would mourn the loss of her - the only person who understands him - but he deflates her ego when claiming that he likes his hat (implicitly saying that he doesn't care for her). The series continues in [[432: Journal 4]]. He leaves, taking “her” hat from her.

The title text continues the theme of Black Hat's supernatural ability to troll and to dodge the consequences: If Black Hat stole a military submarine, said military is probably going to be hot on his tail, but he writes it off with: "just tell them it was always here," as if it is no big deal. Black Hat will even be blamed for stealing the submarine in [[496: Secretary: Part 3]]. However, since this is (presumably) the American Senate reviewing him, it may be that he simply has stolen two submarines. It is also possible that the submarine is the American submarine and the title text refers to the Russian Government because their current location is in their territory, and he is shifting any reason for the submarine being there away from himself.

It is perhaps a strange point that this comic includes the line "So, you found me after all", given that the previous comic number [[404: Not Found]] was skipped, leading instead to an HTTP 404 Not Found error page.

The whole "[[:Category:Journal|Journal]]" story is:
*[[374: Journal]]
*[[377: Journal 2]]
*[[405: Journal 3]]
*[[432: Journal 4]]
*[[433: Journal 5]]

==Transcript==
:[Two women ice-skating outside.]
:Ponytail: Wait up!
:Danish (wearing Black Hat's Hat): Skate faster!

:[Danish sees cracking ice.]
:''Crack Crack''

:[Danish on chunk of ice broken off.]
:''Crack Rumble''

:[Submarine dorsal fin emerging.]
:''AWOOGA''

:[Black Hat (without hat) coming out of hatch.]
:''CREAK''
:Black Hat: Hi.

:Black Hat: That's my hat you're wearing.

:Danish (wearing Black Hat's Hat): So, you found me after all.
:Black Hat (out of frame): You didn't make it easy.

:Black Hat: You saw through me, all right. But not quite well enough.

:Black Hat: Because if you wanted to stay lost forever, you made one mistake

:[Black Hat climbing out of hatch.]

:[Black Hat sliding down a sheet of ice.]

:[Black Hat taking back his hat from Danish's head as he slides by on the ice.]

:[Black Hat skidding to a stop and putting hat back on his head.]

:Black Hat: You took my hat.

:Black Hat: I '''LIKE''' my hat.

:[Black Hat walking away.]

:[Danish left standing.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Journal|03]]
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Journal]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]