explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2539: Flinch

2021-11-10T02:26:42Z

172.70.98.37: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2539
| date = November 8, 2021
| title = Flinch
| image = flinch.png
| titletext = Premed: "Does this count for a physics credit? Can we shorten the string so I can get it done faster? And can we do one where it hits me in the face? I gotta do a thing for first aid training right after."
}}

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

[[Cueball]] is performing [https://youtu.be/4a0FbQdH3dY?t=1518 a common physics demonstration] in which a heavy ball is hung from a rope or cable. The demonstrator, or a volunteer, pulls the ball back until it's close to their face (possibly even touching it), then releases it, allowing it to swing, and then return. Due to conservation of energy, the ball cannot return any further than it's original release point, making it impossible for the person to be struck by it. Because a heavy pendulum will tend to lose little energy on each swing, it will come back very close to its original point, so the experiment creates a conflict between the instinctive desire to escape a heavy object flying at your face, and the theoretical knowledge that it won't harm you.

[[Megan]] is a physicist, who understands the principles of the experiment and claims she won't flinch, confident that it can't harm her.

[[Hairy]] is a biologist, and implies that he has no intention of avoiding the flinch reflex, as he trusts the {{w|Reflex|automatic reflexes}} that the human body has evolved more than he trusts the premise of the experiment. In both [[755: Interdisciplinary]] and [[1670: Laws of Physics]], the same experiment is referenced. In the title text of the latter [[Randall]] makes a very similar argument as the biologist does here.

[[Ponytail]], an engineer, replies that she doesn't trust Cueball to have hung the pendulum correctly. Engineers are trained in science, but work with practical applications, and tend to be very aware that practice is rarely as simple as scientific theories might imply. Even if the physical laws are constant, the experiment might not go according to plan. For example, if the cable were to snap or come loose while swinging toward the subject, the ball could strike them in the body, or land on their feet. If the cable is more elastic than anticipated, it could stretch unpredictably, once again striking someone. If the anchor point is not stable, it could shift during the experiment, once again causing harm. Also if the ball is not released but pushed, or if the one releasing it leans forward after release they might get hit in the face.

The punch line basically makes the point that failure to trust the safety of an experiment doesn't necessarily imply a lack of scientific knowledge. If you lack confidence in the design of an experiment, then it's not safe to assume that the laws of physics will protect you.

The title text shows a pre-med student's response. {{w|Pre-medical}} university courses have a reputation for being more intense and demanding than other undergraduate degrees, so the student is portrayed as being very stressed and time-conscious; showing little interest in the experiment itself, only in how it impacts their degree.

The student first asks if participating in the demonstration will count for a physics credit, implying that they're not willing to spend time on it unless it contributes to their academic requirements. They then ask if they can shorten the string to make the demonstration go faster. Shortening a pendulum does, indeed, cause it to swing faster, but the time saved would be less than the time necessary to make the modification, so the demonstration would not end sooner. Finally, they ask to do a variant where they ''deliberately'' get struck in the face, because they have a "thing for first aid training" immediately after. This would likely injure them, but the student is apparently willing to sacrifice their own safety and well-being in service to their academic career. It's not clear how this would help, although it could potentially help ''others'' learn first aid by having them practice on the new injury.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball holds a bowling ball in both hands. It is attached to a string that goes behind him and up disappearing off panel around double his height. He is talking to Megan, Hairy, and Ponytail who is looking at him. Between Cueball and the other three is a cross in a dotted circle on the floor.]
:Cueball: If you stand with the bowling ball in front of your face and let go, will you flinch when it swings back?

:[Zoom in on Megan in a slim panel. There is a caption in a frame above her.]
:Caption: Physicist
:Megan: I won't flinch.
:Megan: I trust conservation of energy.

:[Zoom in on Hairy, in a wide panel. He has lifted arm holding his hand palm up toward Cueball (who is off-panel). There is a caption in a frame above him.]
:Caption: Biologist
:Hairy: I trust my flinch reflex, which was honed by millions of years of evolution to protect my delicate face. I'm not messing with it.

:[Zoom in on Ponytail in a slim panel. There is a caption in a frame above her.]
:Caption: Engineer
:Ponytail: I don't trust that you hung that thing up correctly.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Biology]]

2537: Painbow Award

2021-11-05T21:21:23Z

172.70.98.37: blue ribbon

{{comic
| number = 2537
| date = November 3, 2021
| title = Painbow Award
| image = painbow_award.png
| titletext = This year, our team took home the dark blue ribbon, better than the midnight blue we got last year but still short of the winning navy blue.
}}

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

This comic makes fun of the sometimes-displeasing color gradients used in the figures for scientific papers by suggesting that the scientists picking them are in competition to use the least-pleasing gradient. The title of the comic is a portmanteau of "pain" and "rainbow" suggesting a humorous name for terrible gradients.

The gradient here showcases a collection of unintuitive and unhelpful decisions. Starting from the top, white fades down into green, which then fades into red (passing through brown in the middle instead of yellow, indicating {{w|subtractive color}} mixing instead of {{w|additive color}} mixing, for no obvious reason). The red then turns ''back'' into green as the intensity decreases further. Red and green in close proximity make the power levels hard or impossible to distinguish for those with {{w|Color_vision_deficiency#Protanopia|protanopic color vision deficiency}}. This confusion is repeated at lower power levels, where blue transitions to black and then back into white via a gray with a tiny tinge of blue. The highest and lowest recorded power levels have the same color value, which is less than ideal. That [[Randall]] is aware of color blindness and the problems this causes has been revealed in other comics like this one [[1213: Combination Vision Test]].

Although it's possible (for someone with full color vision) to interpret data from this graph from context clues - the white that fades to green is high-energy white, while the white that fades to blue is low-energy white - there's no benefit to doing things this way, and a lot of downsides. Additionally, there are regions in the color scale where the color changes very rapidly, which creates the false appearance of an edge in what is likely a smooth function.

Because the color scale includes black, representing just over 20 unlabeled units, it is possible that the graph axes, labels, and perhaps even the comic's caption represent measured values. Because they don't blend continuously with the negative space around them, this appears unlikely.

Real-world analogues to the Painbow Award include radar meteorology charts, where different types of precipitation have different color schemes that can overlap and blend in confusing transition zones. In the field of data visualization, using the {{w|CIELAB color space}} instead of algebraically interpolating the red, green, and blue values offers a solution for creating more eye-pleasing color gradients.

The title text takes the concept of bad color combinations further, suggesting the use of navy blue, dark blue, and midnight blue for first, second, and third respectively. These are the names of three similar [https://xkcd.com/color/rgb/ XKCD colors], and, as [[315: Braille|sighted readers]] will be able to see, there is very little difference between them {{Citation needed}}. However, the choice of blue(s) may be a direct play upon the association of the {{w|Blue Riband}} (a.k.a. "Blue Ribbon") and/or {{w|Le Cordon Bleu|Cordon Bleu}} (likewise, but this time direct from the French) awards, extended in common use for excellence across a much wider range of competitive fields.

For rosette-rewarded competitions (e.g. livestock parades, dog-shows, etc) the {{w|Blue ribbon|first prize ones are commonly blue}} (red for 2nd and either yellow or white for 3rd), though it may not be logically obvious to someone unfamiliar with this, perhaps more used to yellow depicting the 'gold standard, first place' indicator or red as the most alerting hue in some other ranking situations. Where a depicted award schema ''is'' directly gold/silver/bronze-influenced, however, the gold and bronze 'metallic off-yellows' can sometimes be more confused with each other than with the mid-level desaturated 'silver'

==Transcript==
:[A figure of a graph is shown, the figure has a number as if used in a paper. The graph has two labeled axis but without any units given. The Y-Axis has 15 ticks of equal length, the X-axis has 21 ticks, with every fifth double the height of the other. The graph displays a messy shape with color gradients, with a bright spot to the right of the shape aound the middle right part of the graph. This bright spot is surrounded by mainly green and red, with darker colors at the edge, and the rest of the graph white. On the right side of the graph there is a labeled bar with the scale of the color gradient. To the right of this are numbers indicating what the color represents. The color scale begins at the bottom with white, then goes to gray/blue, to black, back to blue, to gray, to green, to dark red, to red which fades via brown in to green, from where it fades slowly from darker green to lighter green ending up as yellow before going back to white again at the top.]
:Label: Figure 2
:Y-Axis: λ
:X-Axis: θ (phase)
:Scale label: Peak Energy
:120
:100
:80
:60
:40
:20
:0

:[Caption under the panel:]
:Every year, disgruntled scientists compete for the Painbow Award for worst color scale.

==Trivia==
*When [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/e/ef/20211103203044%21painbow_award.png originally uploaded], the caption used the phrase "color gradient" rather than "color scale"

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Charts]]

2536: Wirecutter

2021-11-05T21:19:29Z

172.70.98.37: /* Explanation */ remove

{{comic
| number = 2536
| date = November 1, 2021
| title = Wirecutter
| image = wirecutter.png
| titletext = This was always going to be a controversial Wirecutter post, but what really got them in trouble were their 'budget' and 'upgrade' picks.
}}

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

''{{w|Wirecutter (website)|Wirecutter}}'' is a product review website owned by ''The New York Times''. Randall is parodying the website by having them "review" the 70 most popular [[:Category:Religion|religion]]s. Product review websites typically make posts with the "best" X, e.g. "Best smartphones," or "Best laptops." These reviews are useful for consumers trying to choose among the wide variety of products available.

There are {{w|List of religions and spiritual traditions|a wide variety of religions}}. However, unlike electronic devices, a person does not usually choose their religion; they are taught one during childhood and most remain in that religion their entire life. Changing religions is ([[1102|usually]]) a significant life event. Many religions, including many variants of the three major {{w|Abrahamic religions}} promote {{w|Religious exclusivism|exclusivity}}, and do not recognize other religions as valid. They emphasize the importance of specific practices or belief in specific creeds. Members of those religions might not recognize a reviewer as having truly "tried" their religion if their intent was always to move on to another.

A post "reviewing" religions is sure to stir up controversy, as many religious followers are passionate about their religious beliefs and believe their religion is best. {{w|Religious_war|Literal wars}} have been fought over the idea one religion could be superior to another, and it is not a wound most practitioners are willing to reopen any time soon. Moreover, religions are typically chosen for more fundamental reasons -- such as by comparing the likelihood that each religion makes accurate claims, or the efficacy of each religion in promoting an ethical life, or the connection a practitioner feels to the religion's rituals, metaphors, and images, or by privileging a preexisting cultural or family connection to a particular tradition -- not by comparing gimmicky features or price.

The title text mentions "budget" and "upgrade" picks, which are subcategories for reviewers - cheaper options and options that are good for upgrading your current product. Neither of these categories are typical categories for religions {{Citation needed}} and could further anger their adherents. The association of religion and money could allude to various controversial topics such as {{w|tithe|tithing}}, {{w|indulgences}}, {{w|televangelism}}, or {{w|Prosperity theology}}. Budget need not be just about money, it could also refer to the amount of time or effort involved. (e.g., how much time is spent in religious activities, needing to learn a new language, etc.) Some religious followers might be offended if their religion was picked in a "budget" category. The idea of a religion "upgrade" evokes the highly divisive concept of {{w|supersessionism}} among the major Abrahamic religions, which would be guaranteed to cause further outcry no matter which one of those the article would pick for the category.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A New York Times Wirecutter article. There is the NYT logo and Wirecutter logo in the top left. Also in the top of the page is a search bar, a user account icon, and 7 "header" level hyperlinks with illegible text. The article title is as follows:]
:The Best Religion
:By Wirecutter Staff

:[The words "Wirecutter Staff" are followed by illegible text presumably representing the date of the article. Below are icons for Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, and save.]

:[The article's image depicts Cueball shrugging in the center of the picture with many question marks floating above him. The content of the article is as follows:]

:What does it all mean? Our reviewers tried out over 70 of the most popular belief systems. Here's what they found...

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

2538: Snack

2021-11-05T21:16:31Z

172.70.98.37: /* Explanation */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2538
| date = November 5, 2021
| title = Snack
| image = snack.png
| titletext = Although grad students, suddenly reminded that food exists, tend to just grab and devour both without further discussion.
}}

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

Psychologists have a great interest in the study of altruism, and whether it truly exists. Undergraduate psychology students therefore, having spent too much time studying rather than interacting with people, might start to believe that when they are shown altruism, they are unknowing participants in a psychological study. Therefore, Randall proposes that if you want to freak out a psychology student, then you should behave altruistically towards them.

The title text jokes that graduate students have so much work to do that they don't ponder the implications of altruism, but rather devour the food and return to their work.

The IRB that Cueball mentions is the {{w|Institutional Review Board}}, which is a committee (for example, at a university) which must approve research on human subjects in advance to protect them from harm.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
: [Ponytail, with a cookie in one hand and an apple in the other, approaches an alarmed Cueball.]
: Ponytail: Hey, do you want a cookie? Or an apple?
: Cueball: '''''Who are you!? Did the IRB approve this!? Is everyone here an actor!?'''''

: [Caption under the panel:]
: The best prank you can play on Psych majors is just to offer them a snack.
{{comic discussion}}

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

2538: Snack

2021-11-05T21:15:35Z

172.70.98.37: /* Explanation */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2538
| date = November 5, 2021
| title = Snack
| image = snack.png
| titletext = Although grad students, suddenly reminded that food exists, tend to just grab and devour both without further discussion.
}}

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

Psychologists have a great interest in the study of altruism, and whether it truly exists. Undergraduate psychology students therefore, having spent too much time studying rather than interacting with people, might start to believe that when they are shown altruism, they are unknowing participants in a psychological study. Therefore, Randall proposes that if you want to freak out a psychology student, then you should behave altruistically towards them.

The title text jokes that graduate students have so much work to do, they don't ponder the implications of altruism, but rather devour the food and return to their work.

The IRB that Cueball mentions is the {{w|Institutional Review Board}}, which is a committee (for example, at a university) which must approve research on human subjects in advance to protect them from harm.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
: [Ponytail, with a cookie in one hand and an apple in the other, approaches an alarmed Cueball.]
: Ponytail: Hey, do you want a cookie? Or an apple?
: Cueball: '''''Who are you!? Did the IRB approve this!? Is everyone here an actor!?'''''

: [Caption under the panel:]
: The best prank you can play on Psych majors is just to offer them a snack.
{{comic discussion}}

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

2538: Snack

2021-11-05T21:14:59Z

172.70.98.37: /* Transcript */ foood

{{comic
| number = 2538
| date = November 5, 2021
| title = Snack
| image = snack.png
| titletext = Although grad students, suddenly reminded that food exists, tend to just grab and devour both without further discussion.
}}

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

Psychologists have a great interest in the study of altruism, and whether it truly exists. Undergraduate psychology students therefore, having spent too much time studying rather than interacting with people, might start to believe that when they are shown altruism, they are unknowing participants in a psychological study. Therefore, Randall proposes that if you want to freak out a psychology student, then you should behave altruistically towards them.
The title text jokes that graduate students have so much work to do, they don't ponder the implications of altruism, but rather devour the food and return to their work.

The IRB that Cueball mentions is the {{w|Institutional Review Board}}, which is a committee (for example, at a university) which must approve research on human subjects in advance to protect them from harm.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
: [Ponytail, with a cookie in one hand and an apple in the other, approaches an alarmed Cueball.]
: Ponytail: Hey, do you want a cookie? Or an apple?
: Cueball: '''''Who are you!? Did the IRB approve this!? Is everyone here an actor!?'''''

: [Caption under the panel:]
: The best prank you can play on Psych majors is just to offer them a snack.
{{comic discussion}}

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

2538: Snack

2021-11-05T21:14:19Z

172.70.98.37: /* Transcript */ clarify

{{comic
| number = 2538
| date = November 5, 2021
| title = Snack
| image = snack.png
| titletext = Although grad students, suddenly reminded that food exists, tend to just grab and devour both without further discussion.
}}

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

Psychologists have a great interest in the study of altruism, and whether it truly exists. Undergraduate psychology students therefore, having spent too much time studying rather than interacting with people, might start to believe that when they are shown altruism, they are unknowing participants in a psychological study. Therefore, Randall proposes that if you want to freak out a psychology student, then you should behave altruistically towards them.
The title text jokes that graduate students have so much work to do, they don't ponder the implications of altruism, but rather devour the food and return to their work.

The IRB that Cueball mentions is the {{w|Institutional Review Board}}, which is a committee (for example, at a university) which must approve research on human subjects in advance to protect them from harm.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
: [Ponytail, with a cookie in one hand and an apple in the other, approaches an alarmed Cueball.]
: Ponytail: Hey, do you want a cookie? Or an apple?
: Cueball: '''''Who are you!? Did the IRB approve this!? Is everyone here an actor!?'''''

: [Caption under the panel:]
: The best prank you can play on Psych majors is just to offer them a snack.
{{comic discussion}}

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

2538: Snack

2021-11-05T21:13:29Z

172.70.98.37: /* Explanation */ wlink

{{comic
| number = 2538
| date = November 5, 2021
| title = Snack
| image = snack.png
| titletext = Although grad students, suddenly reminded that food exists, tend to just grab and devour both without further discussion.
}}

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

Psychologists have a great interest in the study of altruism, and whether it truly exists. Undergraduate psychology students therefore, having spent too much time studying rather than interacting with people, might start to believe that when they are shown altruism, they are unknowing participants in a psychological study. Therefore, Randall proposes that if you want to freak out a psychology student, then you should behave altruistically towards them.
The title text jokes that graduate students have so much work to do, they don't ponder the implications of altruism, but rather devour the food and return to their work.

The IRB that Cueball mentions is the {{w|Institutional Review Board}}, which is a committee (for example, at a university) which must approve research on human subjects in advance to protect them from harm.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
: [Ponytail standing next to an alarmed Cueball, with a cookie in one hand and an apple in the other]
: Ponytail: Hey, do you want a cookie? Or an apple?
: Cueball: '''''Who are you!? Did the IRB approve this!? Is everyone here an actor!?'''''

: [Caption under the panel:]
: The best prank you can play on Psych majors is just to offer them a snack.
{{comic discussion}}

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

2538: Snack

2021-11-05T21:12:52Z

172.70.98.37: /* Transcript */ more

{{comic
| number = 2538
| date = November 5, 2021
| title = Snack
| image = snack.png
| titletext = Although grad students, suddenly reminded that food exists, tend to just grab and devour both without further discussion.
}}

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

Psychologists have a great interest in the study of altruism, and whether it truly exists. Undergraduate psychology students therefore, having spent too much time studying rather than interacting with people, might start to believe that when they are shown altruism, they are unknowing participants in a psychological study. Therefore, Randall proposes that if you want to freak out a psychology student, then you should behave altruistically towards them.
The title text jokes that graduate students have so much work to do, they don't ponder the implications of altruism, but rather devour the food and return to their work.

The IRB that Cueball mentions is the Institutional Review Board, which is a committee (for example, at a university) which must approve research on human subjects in advance to protect them from harm.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
: [Ponytail standing next to an alarmed Cueball, with a cookie in one hand and an apple in the other]
: Ponytail: Hey, do you want a cookie? Or an apple?
: Cueball: '''''Who are you!? Did the IRB approve this!? Is everyone here an actor!?'''''

: [Caption under the panel:]
: The best prank you can play on Psych majors is just to offer them a snack.
{{comic discussion}}

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

2534: Retractable Rocket

2021-10-28T03:34:41Z

172.70.98.37: /* Transcript */ cats

{{comic
| number = 2534
| date = October 27, 2021
| title = Retractable Rocket
| image = retractible_rocket.png
| titletext = Hard to believe that for so many years once they were fully extended we just let them tip over.
}}

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

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

:[In the first of a series of frames, Beret Guy and Megan stand with a rocket on a launchpad far away behind them near the horizon]
:Beret Guy: We're testing our new retractable rocket.
:Megan: You mean reusable?
:Beret Guy: No.

:[Closer view of just the launchpad and rocket with the horizon line]
:[It has the appearance of having a long first stage, a second stage with slightly wider fairing and an Apollo-style capsule with escape-tower atop it all]
:[There is a directionless speech-bubble depicting a tannoy voice]
:Tannoy: Three... Two... One... Liftoff!

:[Continued view, as before, but while the base of the rocket-stack remains stationary, the first stage is apparently elongated, with a hint of a bend, to raise the total height to which the upper-stage and capsule assembly reaches]

:[The first stage is now elongated far enough to disappear off the top of the frame - it has a distinct but slight bend to it]
:[Two voices are indicated as coming from out beyond the top of the frame]
:Voice 1: Hi! Welcome to the ISS!
:Voice 2: Hello!

:[The first stage is retracted, similar in length to the second frame, but the capsule is no longer atop the 'second stage' fairing, just movement lines to indicate that the remainder is returning back towards the original position]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Space]]

Talk:91: Pwned

2021-10-17T01:23:52Z

172.70.98.37:

[[User:Rikthoff|Rikthoff]] ([[User talk:Rikthoff|talk]]) Does anybody know why this comic is stored in Portable Graphic Format (PNG) instead of JPEG? Is this an inside joke? -- 12:29, 3 August 2012‎ (UTC)

Guest: An alternate way to look at this uses the same three cultural acknowledgements, but with a little more of thoughtful understanding. The grue lies in wait in the dark and devours the player, and likewise a 'camper' player in CS would wait for a player and kill them upon entry. It can be looked at that the blindness of entering the room that the camper kills the player at is comparable to the darkness that the grue eats the player from. All-in-all this amounts to a frustrating experience of dying in a game, and so a correlation is drawn. Because they seem to be similar frustrations, in which the only effective difference is whether you read it or see it, the text thus implies that there is no actual leverage that makes graphical games favored.
It may also further extend from this to additionally taunt the relatively basic slang of getting killed in Counter-Strike being immature, brief, and unfulfilling compared to the larger descriptions that try to pull the player into the game that was needed for Zork to accommodate for the lack of graphics. {{unsigned ip|66.177.70.225|03:20, 20 September 2012‎ (UTC)}}

It's not worth changing the description, as it's not relevant to the context, but Zork was ''not'' "typical" because it could understand more complex commands than most other (non-{{w|Infocom}}) text adventures, like "kill the troll with the axe". [[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 12:33, 13 April 2013 (UTC)

You know, it's not just (standard) processor and memory improvements that led to graphical games but (unsurprisingly) actual graphical capability... Text-based games (including MUDs) could be played on anything, even text-only terminals and over telnet connections and the like. Graphical capabilities beyond CGA (which limits us to ASCII-art or 'ASCII-shaded' depictions of things, in leiu of sticking to text-only descriptions) allowed a progression to FPS-ish, via the likes of graphical tile-based games (although see Dwarf Fortress as a game that could have been text-only in its tile-ness, albeit that even the vanilla character-based display is ''implemented'' with graphics of said characters), and even if it was EGA you ''could'' now get graphics, and have to start worrying about whether you could calculate the image quickly enough to start looking at pre-Dooms, especially when you don't yet ''necessarily'' have anything approximating a separate GPU and graphics RAM... Which is much as originally said, but... ;)

Oh, and (referencing Rikthoff's question) IMO the .PNG format is far more suited to Randall's comics than .JPG, so I'm not sure there's any inside-joke. Indeed, some of the other early comics with colours (that may have been saved as JPEGs, I haven't checked) appear to have quite a lot of artefacts in them, but I don't know if anyone's enumerated the formats used. Certainly the very latest are PNG, which I say is all for the best. I can think of at least one (the Steve Jobs memorial one) that was almost certainly .GIF, because it needed animation. Inferior to .PNG, but still superior to JPEG for largely monochrome line-drawings (and not bad even for colour-filled ones, if not requiring the full gamut of colours that the current favoured format technically allows). [[Special:Contributions/178.98.31.27|178.98.31.27]] 05:50, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

::I think the title text is a reference to this: http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=523--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.85|173.245.50.85]] 00:29, 9 April 2014 (UTC)
I doubt the reference is to a Command & Conquer expansion pack and not to the Half-Life expansion pack, though there's nothing in the strip itself to say either way. --[[User:Alex|Alex]] ([[User talk:Alex|talk]]) 21:39, 18 April 2014 (UTC)
::I agree. I've put more time into C&C than CS and I immediately connect this with the Valve game. Additionally, units in C&C are inherently light sources, so they are grue-proof. I am going to change the explain. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.63|173.245.54.63]] 18:06, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

I made an edit to change the definition of RPG -NotAnAccount [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.111|173.245.56.111]] 21:16, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

There is now a text-only CounterStrike, albiet with some ASCII art: http://csstory.net/ [[User:Pablo360|Pablo360]] ([[User talk:Pablo360|talk]]) 19:48, 16 February 2016 (UTC)

I know I'm going to sound like a grammar nazi for saying this, but to whoever put "it's subsequent sequel", it's "its" in this situation. Don't worry, i fixed it. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 13:22, 14 September 2016 (UTC)

The RPG genre and the adventure game genre aren't mutually exclusive. Weren't the {{Wikipedia|Quest for Glory}} games, for example, adventure games and RPGs at the same time? Wiki even describes them as hybrid adventure/role-playing games. [[User:Pelosujamo|Pelosujamo]] ([[User talk:Pelosujamo|talk]]) 16:14, 29 October 2018 (UTC)

The computers mentioned (IBM-XT, Atari, or C64) are too new. Zork was originally written for a DEC PDP-10 and ported to several other text-only computers. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 14:41, 1 April 2020 (UTC)
::Those computers certainly are not too new. I played Zork and many other Infocom text adventures on my Commodore 64, and I'm sure far more people played them on the C-64 and the IBM-XT than could have possibly played them on the DEC PDP-10 mainframe. A big part of the success of the Infocom text adventures is that they could be ported to everything that could run them at the time, and so they were.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.98.37|172.70.98.37]] 01:23, 17 October 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2525: Air Travel Packing List

2021-10-09T00:53:59Z

172.70.98.37: Fixed minor wording

I'll work on this one, so I don't get edit conflicted. {{User:PoolloverNathan/Signature}} 23:16, 6 October 2021 (UTC)

A lot of these items that are listed as needed during a crash are not that related to crashing but some things that paranoid potential passengers feel they should have anyway. [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 02:04, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

I had a teacher that was a retired engineer. He complained about working on an airplane and he wanted to design a lightweight floor, but the heel of high heeled shoes would pierce through so he had to make it heaver than he wanted. One can imagine an alternate world where the lighter floors were chosen, where airplane shoes would be some kind of pressure distributing shoe.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.42.125|172.69.42.125]] 02:32, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:I thought airplane shoes was a play on boat shoes, which are a thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boat_shoe [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:34, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

I think that the Flag for international flights is referring to a national flag not to a flag used for signaling messages. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.208|162.158.187.208]] 03:20, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

Pedantry corner: parachutes don't keep you from falling out of the sky - they help you land safer when you do. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.95|162.158.159.95]] 08:21, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:Like the old joke about falling out of a building: It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:32, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

The mouthpiece may be a COVID-19 slur, referring to the requirement to cover your mouth -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.83|162.158.90.83]] 09:02, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:No I think it is just so you do not use the mouthpiece from the previous passenger because of the risk of covid-19. The idea that you before the pandemic would use the same mouth piece as multiple passengers before you is as gross as putting [[Toothpaste]] from your moth back in the tube again... :p --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:58, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

Part of the joke may be that this list isn't for those who have travelled via plane but flown from cockpit.
"so you can attract birds, and use THEM to fly the plane in case of crash" - What does that even mean? [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 11:01, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

Some of those items could be from the computer game "Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zak_McKracken_and_the_Alien_Mindbenders
Seat Cushion, Birdseed, Parachute.

My first interpretation of the mouthpiece and trumpet was an early style telephone that had a separate mouthpiece and trumpet style earpiece.

Ballast is routinely used on aircraft. The baggage handlers that load the plane will usually add temporary ballast as needed. The manufacturer and aircraft mechanics may install permanent ballast blocks in order to ensure that the center of gravity is within limits.

I will edit the main text shortly. It will be my very first non-comment edit on this site.
https://www.flightliteracy.com/ballast/[[User:Hamjudo|Hamjudo]] ([[User talk:Hamjudo|talk]]) 17:01, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:Great to have you onboard. Did you expect to avoid editing conflict by writing here first? Or just information. Keep the input coming, if you write something that people disagree with it will be edited later. So no problem making mistakes. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:59, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

"Spare batteries in case the plane runs out" surely refers to the regulations against spare lithium batteries, not just to the absurdity of using such batteries to power the aircraft. [[User:Modernhemalurgist|Modernhemalurgist]] ([[User talk:Modernhemalurgist|talk]]) 22:50, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

Seat backs on airliners have reclined, probably since the introduction of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC-3 DC-3]. Once upon a time, there was enough space between seats to allow the recline function to be used without strangling the person behind. This is no longer the case, especially in steerage ... er, sorry, economy class. The true violators of etiquette are the airlines and their seating practices. The airlines will, of course, reject the charge, and say that the etiquette violators are passengers who demand space but refuse to pay for it. The whole demonstrates human ability to accept the unacceptable, and to distract ourselves from prime causes, and responsibilities, by means of petty and meaningless disputes. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.129.133|172.68.129.133]] 03:22, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

[[757|Air horn!]] --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.11|162.158.90.11]] 08:14, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

Anyone else thinks Wing Glue may be a running joke about the wings of Icarus? Radnall already referenced them a few times both on xkcd and what-if.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.168|141.101.77.168]] 14:57, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

This is the only comic I've seen where I feel this site may have missed the main joke of the comic. This doesn't work for all the items listed, but: many of them make perfect sense under the premise "if you haven't flown in a while", just that "you" and "flown" mean things other than a person as a passenger on a commercial airline. For example:
* Seat cushion: if you're a person as a passenger on a commercial airline (the "base" or "normal" case).
* Parachute: if you're a pilot in various military or experimental aircraft.
* Wing glue: if you're Icarus.
* Sextant: if you're piloting an airship, perhaps in a fantasy setting, or even perhaps a plane in the early history of aviation.
* Birdseed: if you're a bird.
* Homing beacon: if you're a larger commercial aircraft (or a human responsible for outfitting it with safety systems).
* Keys to the plane: if you own a normal, small plane.
These ones I can think of a possible explanation but it's a bit unclear:
* Nose plugs and goggles for pressure: if you're flying an aircraft in the atmosphere of another planet where the air pressure is much higher?
* Navigation crystal: if you're flying an aircraft in a fantasy world?
* Spare batteries in case the plane runs out: if you're flying some experimental electric aircraft?
* Meteorite antidote: if you're flying a spacecraft in some sci-fi setting where meteorites were poisonous?
The others I don't have an idea for, which is why I came here looking for the explanation. --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.98.37|172.70.98.37]] 00:53, 9 October 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2525: Air Travel Packing List

2021-10-09T00:53:01Z

172.70.98.37: Standardized list and added missing signature

I'll work on this one, so I don't get edit conflicted. {{User:PoolloverNathan/Signature}} 23:16, 6 October 2021 (UTC)

A lot of these items that are listed as needed during a crash are not that related to crashing but some things that paranoid potential passengers feel they should have anyway. [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 02:04, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

I had a teacher that was a retired engineer. He complained about working on an airplane and he wanted to design a lightweight floor, but the heel of high heeled shoes would pierce through so he had to make it heaver than he wanted. One can imagine an alternate world where the lighter floors were chosen, where airplane shoes would be some kind of pressure distributing shoe.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.42.125|172.69.42.125]] 02:32, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:I thought airplane shoes was a play on boat shoes, which are a thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boat_shoe [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:34, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

I think that the Flag for international flights is referring to a national flag not to a flag used for signaling messages. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.208|162.158.187.208]] 03:20, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

Pedantry corner: parachutes don't keep you from falling out of the sky - they help you land safer when you do. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.95|162.158.159.95]] 08:21, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:Like the old joke about falling out of a building: It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:32, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

The mouthpiece may be a COVID-19 slur, referring to the requirement to cover your mouth -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.83|162.158.90.83]] 09:02, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:No I think it is just so you do not use the mouthpiece from the previous passenger because of the risk of covid-19. The idea that you before the pandemic would use the same mouth piece as multiple passengers before you is as gross as putting [[Toothpaste]] from your moth back in the tube again... :p --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:58, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

Part of the joke may be that this list isn't for those who have travelled via plane but flown from cockpit.
"so you can attract birds, and use THEM to fly the plane in case of crash" - What does that even mean? [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 11:01, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

Some of those items could be from the computer game "Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zak_McKracken_and_the_Alien_Mindbenders
Seat Cushion, Birdseed, Parachute.

My first interpretation of the mouthpiece and trumpet was an early style telephone that had a separate mouthpiece and trumpet style earpiece.

Ballast is routinely used on aircraft. The baggage handlers that load the plane will usually add temporary ballast as needed. The manufacturer and aircraft mechanics may install permanent ballast blocks in order to ensure that the center of gravity is within limits.

I will edit the main text shortly. It will be my very first non-comment edit on this site.
https://www.flightliteracy.com/ballast/[[User:Hamjudo|Hamjudo]] ([[User talk:Hamjudo|talk]]) 17:01, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:Great to have you onboard. Did you expect to avoid editing conflict by writing here first? Or just information. Keep the input coming, if you write something that people disagree with it will be edited later. So no problem making mistakes. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:59, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

"Spare batteries in case the plane runs out" surely refers to the regulations against spare lithium batteries, not just to the absurdity of using such batteries to power the aircraft. [[User:Modernhemalurgist|Modernhemalurgist]] ([[User talk:Modernhemalurgist|talk]]) 22:50, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

Seat backs on airliners have reclined, probably since the introduction of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC-3 DC-3]. Once upon a time, there was enough space between seats to allow the recline function to be used without strangling the person behind. This is no longer the case, especially in steerage ... er, sorry, economy class. The true violators of etiquette are the airlines and their seating practices. The airlines will, of course, reject the charge, and say that the etiquette violators are passengers who demand space but refuse to pay for it. The whole demonstrates human ability to accept the unacceptable, and to distract ourselves from prime causes, and responsibilities, by means of petty and meaningless disputes. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.129.133|172.68.129.133]] 03:22, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

[[757|Air horn!]] --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.11|162.158.90.11]] 08:14, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

Anyone else thinks Wing Glue may be a running joke about the wings of Icarus? Radnall already referenced them a few times both on xkcd and what-if.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.168|141.101.77.168]] 14:57, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

This is the only comic I've seen where I feel this site may have missed the main joke of the comic. This doesn't work for all the items listed, but: many of them make perfect sense under the premise "if you haven't flown in a while", just that "you" and "flown" mean things other than a person as a passenger on a commercial airline. For example:
* Seat cushion: if you're a person as a passenger on a commercial airline (the "base" or "normal" case).
* Parachute: if you're pilots in various military or experimental aircraft.
* Wing glue: if you're Icarus.
* Sextant: if you're someone piloting an airship, perhaps in a fantasy setting, or even perhaps a plane in the early history of aviation.
* Birdseed: if you're a bird.
* Homing beacon: if you're a larger commercial aircraft (or a human responsible for outfitting it with safety systems).
* Keys to the plane: if you own a normal, small plane.
These ones I can think of a possible explanation but it's a bit unclear:
* Nose plugs and goggles for pressure: if you're flying an aircraft in the atmosphere of another planet where the air pressure is much higher?
* Navigation crystal: if you're flying an aircraft in a fantasy world?
* Spare batteries in case the plane runs out: if you're flying some experimental electric aircraft?
* Meteorite antidote: if you're flying a spacecraft in some sci-fi setting where meteorites were poisonous?
The others I don't have an idea for, which is why I came here looking for the explanation. --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.98.37|172.70.98.37]] 00:53, 9 October 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2525: Air Travel Packing List

2021-10-09T00:49:25Z

172.70.98.37: Added explanations of many of the items based on the idea that "you" and "flown" in "if you haven't flown in a while" have alternate meanings

I'll work on this one, so I don't get edit conflicted. {{User:PoolloverNathan/Signature}} 23:16, 6 October 2021 (UTC)

A lot of these items that are listed as needed during a crash are not that related to crashing but some things that paranoid potential passengers feel they should have anyway. [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 02:04, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

I had a teacher that was a retired engineer. He complained about working on an airplane and he wanted to design a lightweight floor, but the heel of high heeled shoes would pierce through so he had to make it heaver than he wanted. One can imagine an alternate world where the lighter floors were chosen, where airplane shoes would be some kind of pressure distributing shoe.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.42.125|172.69.42.125]] 02:32, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:I thought airplane shoes was a play on boat shoes, which are a thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boat_shoe [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:34, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

I think that the Flag for international flights is referring to a national flag not to a flag used for signaling messages. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.208|162.158.187.208]] 03:20, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

Pedantry corner: parachutes don't keep you from falling out of the sky - they help you land safer when you do. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.95|162.158.159.95]] 08:21, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:Like the old joke about falling out of a building: It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:32, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

The mouthpiece may be a COVID-19 slur, referring to the requirement to cover your mouth -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.83|162.158.90.83]] 09:02, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:No I think it is just so you do not use the mouthpiece from the previous passenger because of the risk of covid-19. The idea that you before the pandemic would use the same mouth piece as multiple passengers before you is as gross as putting [[Toothpaste]] from your moth back in the tube again... :p --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:58, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

Part of the joke may be that this list isn't for those who have travelled via plane but flown from cockpit.
"so you can attract birds, and use THEM to fly the plane in case of crash" - What does that even mean? [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 11:01, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

Some of those items could be from the computer game "Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zak_McKracken_and_the_Alien_Mindbenders
Seat Cushion, Birdseed, Parachute.

My first interpretation of the mouthpiece and trumpet was an early style telephone that had a separate mouthpiece and trumpet style earpiece.

Ballast is routinely used on aircraft. The baggage handlers that load the plane will usually add temporary ballast as needed. The manufacturer and aircraft mechanics may install permanent ballast blocks in order to ensure that the center of gravity is within limits.

I will edit the main text shortly. It will be my very first non-comment edit on this site.
https://www.flightliteracy.com/ballast/[[User:Hamjudo|Hamjudo]] ([[User talk:Hamjudo|talk]]) 17:01, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:Great to have you onboard. Did you expect to avoid editing conflict by writing here first? Or just information. Keep the input coming, if you write something that people disagree with it will be edited later. So no problem making mistakes. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:59, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

"Spare batteries in case the plane runs out" surely refers to the regulations against spare lithium batteries, not just to the absurdity of using such batteries to power the aircraft. [[User:Modernhemalurgist|Modernhemalurgist]] ([[User talk:Modernhemalurgist|talk]]) 22:50, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

Seat backs on airliners have reclined, probably since the introduction of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC-3 DC-3]. Once upon a time, there was enough space between seats to allow the recline function to be used without strangling the person behind. This is no longer the case, especially in steerage ... er, sorry, economy class. The true violators of etiquette are the airlines and their seating practices. The airlines will, of course, reject the charge, and say that the etiquette violators are passengers who demand space but refuse to pay for it. The whole demonstrates human ability to accept the unacceptable, and to distract ourselves from prime causes, and responsibilities, by means of petty and meaningless disputes. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.129.133|172.68.129.133]] 03:22, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

[[757|Air horn!]] --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.11|162.158.90.11]] 08:14, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

Anyone else thinks Wing Glue may be a running joke about the wings of Icarus? Radnall already referenced them a few times both on xkcd and what-if.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.168|141.101.77.168]] 14:57, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

This is the only comic I've seen where I feel this site may have missed the main joke of the comic. This doesn't work for all the items listed, but: many of them make perfect sense under the premise "if you haven't flown in a while", just that "you" and "flown" mean things other than a person as a passenger on a commercial airline. For example:
* Seat cushion: reasonable for a person as a passenger on a commercial airline (the "base" or "normal" case).
* Parachute: reasonable for pilots in various military or experimental aircraft.
* Wing glue: reasonable for Icarus.
* Sextant: reasonable for someone piloting an airship, perhaps in a fantasy setting, or even perhaps a plane in the early history of aviation.
* Birdseed: reasonable for a bird.
* Homing beacon: reasonable if you are a larger commercial aircraft (or a human responsible for outfitting it with safety systems).
* Keys to the plane: reasonable if you own a normal, small plane.
These ones I can think of a possible explanation but it's a bit unclear:
* Nose plugs and goggles for pressure: flying an aircraft in the atmosphere of another planet where the air pressure is much higher?
* Navigation crystal: flying an aircraft in a fantasy world?
* Spare batteries in case the plane runs out: flying some experimental electric aircraft?
* Meteorite antidote: flying a spacecraft in some sci-fi setting where meteorites were poisonous?
The others I don't have an idea for, which is why I came here looking for the explanation.

2526: TSP vs TBSP

2021-10-08T17:16:32Z

172.70.98.37: /* Transcript */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2526
| date = October 8, 2021
| title = Tsp vs Tbsp
| image = tsp_vs_tbsp.png
| titletext = It's like one teraspoon / when all you need is a kilonife
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic plays a joke on the common liquid measurements of {{w|teaspoon}}s (tsp) and {{w|tablespoon}}s (tbsp), which are commonly confused. A teaspoon is defined as 5 mL (0.18 imp fl oz; 0.17 US fl oz) while a tablespoon is defined as 14.8 ml (0.50 US fl oz) in the US.

It also plays a joke on metric measurements (which use powers of 10) versus computer measurements (which use powers of 2), which also cause confusion.

The title text is a play on a lyric from the Alanis Morissette song "{{w|Ironic (song)|Ironic}}": It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife. Randall changes the line to "teraspoon" and "kilonife".

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:Cooking tips: tsp vs tbsp

:[left column:]
:<big>Tsp</big>
:Teraspoon
:1,000,000,000,000
:(1012) spoons

:[right column:]
:<big>Tbsp</big>
:Binary tsp
:1,099,511,627,776
:(10244) spoons

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Tips]]

2526: TSP vs TBSP

2021-10-08T17:15:48Z

172.70.98.37: /* Explanation */ mention

{{comic
| number = 2526
| date = October 8, 2021
| title = Tsp vs Tbsp
| image = tsp_vs_tbsp.png
| titletext = It's like one teraspoon / when all you need is a kilonife
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic plays a joke on the common liquid measurements of {{w|teaspoon}}s (tsp) and {{w|tablespoon}}s (tbsp), which are commonly confused. A teaspoon is defined as 5 mL (0.18 imp fl oz; 0.17 US fl oz) while a tablespoon is defined as 14.8 ml (0.50 US fl oz) in the US.

It also plays a joke on metric measurements (which use powers of 10) versus computer measurements (which use powers of 2), which also cause confusion.

The title text is a play on a lyric from the Alanis Morissette song "{{w|Ironic (song)|Ironic}}": It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife. Randall changes the line to "teraspoon" and "kilonife".

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:Cooking tips: tsp vs tbsp.

:[left column:]
:<big>Tsp</big>
:Teraspoon
:1,000,000,000,000
:(1012) spoons

:[right column:]
:<big>Tbsp</big>
:Binary tsp
:1,099,511,627,776
:(10244) spoons

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Tips]]

2526: TSP vs TBSP

2021-10-08T17:13:29Z

172.70.98.37: /* Explanation */ more

{{comic
| number = 2526
| date = October 8, 2021
| title = Tsp vs Tbsp
| image = tsp_vs_tbsp.png
| titletext = It's like one teraspoon / when all you need is a kilonife
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic plays a joke on the common liquid measurements of {{w|teaspoon}}s (tsp) and {{w|tablespoon}}s (tbsp), which are commonly confused. A teaspoon is defined as 5 mL (0.18 imp fl oz; 0.17 US fl oz) while a tablespoon is defined as 14.8 ml (0.50 US fl oz) in the US.

It also plays a joke on metric measurements (which use powers of 10) versus computer measurements (which use powers of 2), which also cause confusion.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:Cooking tips: tsp vs tbsp.

:[left column:]
:<big>Tsp</big>
:Teraspoon
:1,000,000,000,000
:(1012) spoons

:[right column:]
:<big>Tbsp</big>
:Binary tsp
:1,099,511,627,776
:(10244) spoons

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Tips]]

2526: TSP vs TBSP

2021-10-08T17:10:43Z

172.70.98.37: /* Transcript */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2526
| date = October 8, 2021
| title = Tsp vs Tbsp
| image = tsp_vs_tbsp.png
| titletext = It's like one teraspoon / when all you need is a kilonife
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic plays a joke on the common liquid measurements of {{w|teaspoon}}s (tsp) and {{w|tablespoon}}s (tbsp), which are commonly confused. It also plays a joke on metric measurements (which use powers of 10) versus computer measurements (which use powers of 2), which also cause confusion.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:Cooking tips: tsp vs tbsp.

:[left column:]
:<big>Tsp</big>
:Teraspoon
:1,000,000,000,000
:(1012) spoons

:[right column:]
:<big>Tbsp</big>
:Binary tsp
:1,099,511,627,776
:(10244) spoons

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Tips]]

2526: TSP vs TBSP

2021-10-08T17:10:09Z

172.70.98.37: /* Transcript */ more

{{comic
| number = 2526
| date = October 8, 2021
| title = Tsp vs Tbsp
| image = tsp_vs_tbsp.png
| titletext = It's like one teraspoon / when all you need is a kilonife
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic plays a joke on the common liquid measurements of {{w|teaspoon}}s (tsp) and {{w|tablespoon}}s (tbsp), which are commonly confused. It also plays a joke on metric measurements (which use powers of 10) versus computer measurements (which use powers of 2), which also cause confusion.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Cooking tips: tsp vs tbsp.

[left column:]
<big>Tsp</big>
Teraspoon
1,000,000,000,000
(1012) spoons

[right column:]
<big>Tbsp</big>
Binary tsp
1,099,511,627,776
(10244) spoons

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Tips]]

2526: TSP vs TBSP

2021-10-08T17:07:49Z

172.70.98.37: /* Explanation */ wlink

Talk:2524: Comet Visitor

2021-10-07T19:50:12Z

172.70.98.37: Your mom is visible from space.

Yup. nobody says that the Dinosaur Killer wasn't aliens saying "don't get cocky, lifeforms". Best to keep the head down.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.82|141.101.99.82]] 06:53, 5 October 2021 (UTC)

AFAIK cosmonauts reported that the Great Wall of China actually ''isn't'' visible from space - it's too thin and blends in with the background. Though technically we can probably claim that everything visible on Google Satellite View qualifies as "visible from space"... [[Special:Contributions/172.68.10.245|172.68.10.245]] 09:10, 5 October 2021 (UTC)
:This somehow seems like the perfect setup for a "Your mom" joke.[[Special:Contributions/127.0.0.1|127.0.0.1]] 20:49, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
:If it were satellite view all along. It's aerial view for the higher zoom levels. BTW, anything ''on'' Earth is visible from space, provided there's equipment with sufficient resolution, selectivity and sensitivity vs. distance. From Saturn, well, it needs truly alien equipment to see anything of concern, no big worries. Sweep it under the rug and smile. Send some hello's over Arecibo... ah, crap. -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.178|162.158.93.178]] 10:29, 5 October 2021 (UTC)

Should we also mention that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch isn't visible AT ALL, even to humans who might be swimming in it? From Wiki: ''Despite the common public perception of the patch existing as giant islands of floating garbage, its low density (4 particles per cubic meter) prevents detection by satellite imagery, or even by casual boaters or divers in the area. This is because the patch is a widely dispersed area consisting primarily of suspended "fingernail-sized or smaller bits of plastic", often microscopic, particles in the upper water column known as microplastics.'' mezimm [[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.22|172.69.68.22]] 13:46, 5 October 2021 (UTC)

Although perhaps obvious, I feel like this is Randall trying to provide motivation to clean up the Earth (eg. Global warming and what not) in general, but making it kinda fun instead of doomsday scenarios. Might be useful to mention in body of explanation. [[User:Stephenjuniverse|Stephenjuniverse]] ([[User talk:Stephenjuniverse|talk]]) 14:00, 5 October 2021 (UTC)
:Possibly, but it could also be prompted by the plan to deploy lots of Starlink satellites that interfere with astronomy. And increasing concern over all the space junk in orbit. We're just messy on many levels, like a teenager who never cleans up his room. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:28, 5 October 2021 (UTC)
:That's a fair point. [[User:Stephenjuniverse|Stephenjuniverse]] ([[User talk:Stephenjuniverse|talk]]) 14:20, 6 October 2021 (UTC)

Regarding the visibility of the Great Wall, it is possible that the chain of geographical significant boundary features (upon which the wall was built, beacause it was a convenient definable and defendable ribbon of terrain to make a claim over) are notably visible. As might other (unrelated, unWalled) geographies/geologies, but you're not looking at those bits 'imagining' you can see the Wall and seeing man-made patterns where there should be none. (Also, if settlements and/or transport links roughly hug one side or the other of the vague and intrinsically non-visible route, for historical or recent reasons, they might add 'relief' enhancement to the scene by whatever geophysical 'smudged marks' they display to the orbital viewer. A bit like Belgium's borders are made very visible at night due to the legislatedly ubiquitous street-lighting, compared to its neighbours, or North Korea by the inverse effect - but especially against its southern neighbour.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.69|141.101.77.69]] 18:28, 5 October 2021 (UTC)

2525: Air Travel Packing List

2021-10-07T03:54:52Z

172.70.98.37: /* Explanation */ mouthpiece for trumpet

{{comic
| number = 2525
| date = October 6, 2021
| title = Air Travel Packing List
| image = air_travel_packing_list.png
| titletext = I know the etiquette is controversial, but I think it's rude when the person in front of me reclines their seat into the bell of my trumpet.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an AIRBORNE TRUMPETER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is about a packing list, and the humor is found because most of the items are either found on the plane, would be useful in a plane crash, or SOUND like they are useful on a plane. a quick summary of each:

{| class="wikitable"
! Item
! Explanation
|-
|Seat cushion
|This can be used as a flotation device in a crash and is provided by the airline. Some people may also bring their own cushions for comfort.
|-
|Parachute
|useful to keep yourself from falling out of the sky in a crash
|-
|Wing glue
|to repair wings in the event of damage, potentially in a crash. unclear on how you would apply mid-flight
|-
|Air horn
|An air horn can make a very loud noise very easily. This may be important for drawing attention to yourself in the event of a crash, but using one in a non-emergency situation would infuriate everyone else on the plane.
|-
|Sextant
|to be able to determine your position based on the stars and find your way home. It could be useful in a crash if you know star charts and HOW TO USE A SEXTANT.
|-
|Nose plugs and goggles for pressure
|These would be useless for dealing with cabin pressurization or depressurization. Since your mouth and nose are interconnected, nose plugs would be useless on their own. Trying to hold your breath in a sudden depressurization event will cause lung damage, so this wouldn't be a good thing even if it worked. Goggles would also not be useful. During depressurization, the air would just seep out. During pressurization, they would just become uncomfortable and difficult to remove.
|-
|Airplane shoes
|like slippers, to keep feet warm and comfy on long flights.
|-
|Navigation crystal
|mystical form of navigation, presumably to help you home after a crash.
|-
|Spare batteries in case the plane runs out
|Planes will generally use more power than any battery small enough to be easily packed in a bag can provide. They will generally use either 115v AC at 400hz or 28v DC, both of which are very uncommon outside of aviation. The plane will almost never use its own batteries anyway, getting its electric power from the APU, engines, or, in emergencies, the ram air turbine.
|-
|Birdseed
|so you can attract birds, and use THEM to fly the plane in case of crash
|-
|Homing beacon
|Once activated, a homing beacon will send out a continuous radio signal so that rescuers can find your location. These can be very useful in a plane crash, but planes already carry them, so you don't need to pack one yourself.
|-
|Meteorite antidote
|Meteorites are pieces of space rocks that make it all the way to the ground. They can cause injury but aren't poisonous, so an antidote would not help.
|-
|USB wing connector
|this is a just a wire connector, but because it has wing in the name is on the list. alternatively, the plane wings connect by USB, and this can be used to reattach wings.
|-
|Emergency siren
|USE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
|-
|Spare flaps
|Flaps can be moved to adjust the lift/drag ratio of a wing, generally during takeoff and landing. Flaps are very large and mounted on the wing, outside the passenger compartment, so bringing spares would be very difficult and completely useless.
|-
|{{w|Mouthpiece (brass)|Mouthpiece}} (pandemic restriction; airlines still provide the trumpet)
|a part of a brass instrument like a trumpet. Randall jokes that this is a pandemic restriction for you to provide your own mouthpiece, but the airline will provide you with the trumpet
|-
|Luggage ballast
|for keeping your luggage upright in the water. obviously.
|-
|Flag (international flights)
|used to communicate between boats without electricity, in the event the boats are in distress. to be used in the event of a crash.
|-
|Decoy tickets
|Maybe these would used as a distraction so you can sneak onto the plane without paying.
|-
|Keys to the plane
|Though some pushed for it after the 2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident, planes do not require keys to fly.
|}

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

<big>Air Travel Packing List</big>

If you haven't flown in a while, you might not remember what you need to bring. Use this handy checklist to pack!

[Two columns of lists of items. Each item is preceded by a checkbox.]
*Seat cushion
*Parachute
*Wing glue
*Air horn
*Sextant
*Nose plugs and goggles for pressure
*Airplane shoes
*Navigation crystal
*Spare batteries in case the plane runs out
*Birdseed
*Homing beacon
*Meteorite antidote
*USB wing connector
*Emergency siren
*Spare flaps
*Mouthpiece (pandemic restriction; airlines still provide the trumpet)
*Luggage ballast
*Flag (international flights)
*Decoy tickets
*Keys to the plane

{{comic discussion}}