explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1482: NowPlaying

2015-02-04T07:48:30Z

199.27.128.182:

So what song is it? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.10|108.162.242.10]] 06:11, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
I believe it is the Main Theme from Jurassic Park. --[[User:Duhsn|Duhsn]] ([[User talk:Duhsn|talk]]) 06:13, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
E major, is a chord, not a note...[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.169|108.162.249.169]] 06:36, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
You can listen to the sequence of notes here: http://onlinesequencer.net/65475
(All notes the same length, and just guessing which octave each should be in...) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.169|108.162.249.169]] 06:36, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
Just because I want to get it stuck in your head :D, Added a bit to the beginning and end and changed octaves. http://onlinesequencer.net/65487 --[[User:Duhsn|Duhsn]] ([[User talk:Duhsn|talk]]) 07:40, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

The image on this page is NOT the same one as on the actual xkcd page. The original comic does not contain the reference to E Major. [[User:Andries|Andries]] ([[User talk:Andries|talk]]) 07:42, 4 February 2015 (UTC)Andries

Is he rick rolling us? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.182|199.27.128.182]] 07:48, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1446: Landing

2014-11-26T20:08:39Z

199.27.128.182:

I would bet money that this comic will have to do with the Rosetta Lander that will be landing on a comet for the first time in history this morning. Info about it at Rosetta.esa.int

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.173|108.162.237.173]] 05:37, 12 November 2014 (UTC)pH
:
:from xkcd1446.org: "Note: This event is over. You can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to browse through the images" {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.113}}
::New images have since been added. The person who make xkcd1446.org is a third party who made a bad assumption. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 20:36, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

Almost definitely. The URL for the image (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-40-00_wmf0bPtxDN.png) contains 'landing'.

[[User:DeedleFake|DeedleFake]] ([[User talk:DeedleFake|talk]]) 05:44, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

The image changes every five minutes. (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-35-00_lVC98SMY1X.png) followed by (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-40-00_wmf0bPtxDN.png) followed by (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-45-00_MZprhbADHL.png) then (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-50-00_Z63bWhoaxd.png) (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-55-00_2wCeCFN0R1.png) (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-00-00_FRnIhqA5IZ.png) (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-05-00_Os6SVGalch.png) (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-10-00_xn4nUL9lry.png) http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-15-00_soIuPGfUYh.png , also I'm sorry about deleting other people's comments - firefox decided to not show the "other people have edited this" page :(. If anyone's interested, here's the command I'm using to grab the urls:
while :; do http --stream --body http://c0.xkcd.com/stream/comic/landing\?method\=EventSource | awk '/png/ { print $2 }' | perl -ne '/(r_.+png)/; print "$1\n";' ; done
where the 'http' command is from http://httpie.org - not the neatest way to do it, but it works ;)
[[User:Forkbomb|Forkbomb]] ([[User talk:Forkbomb|talk]]) 05:47, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

Forkbomb, you are not supposed to delete other's comments...
Yes. It is definitely about Rosetta. The image changed at 9.35 pm PST and it says "Three hours to separation", i.e. 12.35am PST, which is exactly the time at which PHILAE is going to separate...
[http://imgur.com/fK9Ddrx image_seen]
[http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2014/11/07/rosetta-and-philae-landing-timeline/ rosetta timeline]

[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.237|199.27.128.237]] 05:50, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

Is anyone collecting URLs? I assume there's an easy automated way to do this that was used for Time. If not...
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! URLs
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-05-00_Os6SVGalch.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-10-00_fUWUYNkxwp.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-15-00_74eSd3x7BQ.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-20-00_UT4FKycrmC.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-25-00_FX6hlfSQHR.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-30-00_FjnXADopvO.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-35-00_lVC98SMY1X.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-40-00_wmf0bPtxDN.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-45-00_MZprhbADHL.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-50-00_Z63bWhoaxd.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-55-00_2wCeCFN0R1.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-00-00_FRnIhqA5IZ.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-05-00_Os6SVGalch.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-10-00_xn4nUL9lry.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-15-00_soIuPGfUYh.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-20-00_jwkPNMaOSf.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-25-00_ADajYkIBoR.png
|-
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-30-00_w819mZAIhE.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-35-00_LoEc4Q8fJF.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-40-00_YLKE5WV8Jw.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-45-00_QRP5ndlY4A.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-50-00_OAOxgR9UUR.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-55-00_KGFuQYeX1i.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-00-00_ov37tpe8BX.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-05-00_VwL8mLbfmW.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-10-00_GCNRyInxWI.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-15-00_CQwEg4oyk3.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-20-00_jkbJbYkLeP.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-25-00_Pxh3HKgWnT.png
|}
</div>
'''LONG LIST OF URLs HIDDEN. CLICK EXPAND OVER THERE →'''

Randall switched to SSL after 1:30 but you can of course use either server.

- Marcustyphoon/[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.244|108.162.219.244]] 07:37, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-45-00_MZprhbADHL.png) "Has anyone ever tried this before?" "No but fetishes have to start somewhere, right?" [[User:Nexxuz|Nexxuz]] ([[User talk:Nexxuz|talk]])

Probably just a mistake, but the transcript in the html source of 1446 is from 1445. --[[User:Pascal|Pascal]] ([[User talk:Pascal|talk]]) 05:58, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

It fetches things using this javascript tag..
<script type="text/javascript" src="/s/c3b919.js"></script>
I've pasted it in pastebin, can we get zealous and fetch the images before they actually show up ? :P
[http://pastebin.com/MwsahkyE link_to_javascript]
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.237|199.27.128.237]] 06:04, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

By the way, the current explanation says it's pinging c4.xkcd for updates.
From the javascript source, it looks like there's more than one server for this:
var SERVERS = ["http://c0.xkcd.com", "http://c1.xkcd.com", "http://c2.xkcd.com", "http://c3.xkcd.com", "http://c4.xkcd.com", "http://c5.xkcd.com", "http://c6.xkcd.com", "http://c7.xkcd.com"];
So that would be c0 to c7

Unfortuantely, as I had suggested, it seems that we cannot grab all the images beforehand :(
The javascript only fetches a json, which actually gives image name. So there's a server side script running which generates the paths to actual images. The javascript just shows it..
You can see the json [http://c4.xkcd.com/stream/comic/landing?method=EventSource here].
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.237|199.27.128.237]] 06:23, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

Attempting to load the URL directly in Firefox results in unreadable results, but it's something like
id: acae0462-6a34-11e4-8001-002590720087
event: comic/landing
data: {"image":"r_01-25-00_ADajYkIBoR.png","spread":1}
There are several other events as well, such as 'reload' and 'heartbeat'.
[[User:DeedleFake|DeedleFake]] ([[User talk:DeedleFake|talk]]) 06:32, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

By the way, that UUID (i.e. acae0462-6a34-11e4-8001-002590720087) seems to encode the time the image was uploaded as a v1 UUID.
[[User:Maths22|Maths22]] ([[User talk:Maths22|talk]]) 06:58, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

The best part of this is ninja-ing the image uploads. The xkcd servers seem to be off atomic time by around 45 seconds. [[User:Skylarmt|Skylarmt]] ([[User talk:Skylarmt|talk]]) 06:45, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

What are people's thoughts on changing the image label to an image number? It seems redundant to use the timestamp twice, but I copied it over from time. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 07:06, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

A lovely explanation. Itaigreif (talk) 07:45, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

Why is the comic titled "???" and not "Rosetta" or something? [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 08:02, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

:"Rosetta" would have given the game away in the first few minutes before we could figure it out. "???" is a strange choice, though. [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.157|103.22.201.157]] 09:20, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

The page has changed name from "???" to "Landing" about 5AM, and title text changed from "..." to "[LIVE]". Not sure about actual times, and don't know how to rename page. Can someone else handle this? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.217|141.101.89.217]] 10:12, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

At 00:03:50 the comic mentions turning on CONCERT, which I think is a typo and should be {{w|CONSERT}} --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 10:56, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
:I think this is a typo Randall made on purpose. [[User:SirKitKat|SirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 15:45, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
::Welp - if it's a joke or other reference, it's lost on me - do you have an explanation for what it could mean if intentional? -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 19:15, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
Keep uploading the images under the current naming convention, guys, I'll do a batch move to "landing[X]" later when things die down a little. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 11:02, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
:: Check out [http://xkcd1446.org/list.json http://xkcd1446.org/list.json]. E.g. [http://xkcd1446.org/img/r_11-30-00_DEpbhsl54D.png http://xkcd1446.org/img/r_11-30-00_DEpbhsl54D.png]. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.189|141.101.105.189]] 11:54, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

Shouldn't we write up the changing "Time until landing: [x] hours" top text in the transcripts as well? [[User:Phantom|Phantom]] ([[User talk:Phantom|talk]]) 12:39, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

Oh no, not again! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.206|Petunia]] 12:45, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
:What? What's happening? -- [[User:Bowl|Bowl]] ([[User talk:Bowl|talk]]) 19:20, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
::Hurling towards the ground, with all of these stupid whales around... well, "hurling" would have been better actually, so it could all end quicker. Instead, it is tens of thousands of times slower than last time. And instead of splatting, the whales are bouncing... they seem to be enjoying this. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.206|Petunia]] 08:07, 13 November 2014 (UTC)

In the transcript, added or changed text should be in '''bold''' for easy reading? also, [http://xkcd1446.org/static.html this] format reads a lot easier then the transcript. - sir KitKat - [[Special:Contributions/141.101.64.137|141.101.64.137]] 12:57, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
:I think so. After adding 'Status Report' it's even harder to read it. [[User:Graphene|Graphene]] ([[User talk:Graphene|talk]]) 13:01, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
:I'm not sure... the purpose of the transcript is not to make it easier for those too lazy to compare the images and find what changed between them, but just to represent what the images contain for those that can not see them... preferably as accurately as possible, i.e. with the original formatting. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.206|141.101.93.206]] 13:10, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
:: I'd agree with the transcript not containing formatting that changes - especially since that formatting may confuse (or be confused with) the formatting used for emphasis in the comic itself - perhaps we could have a separated "changes" version of the transcript on another page? -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 17:34, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
:Maybe the transcript should move to a subpage to avoid clutter? And can we add a section for the lazy people to follow the changes without going through every image? [[User:SirKitKat|SirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 15:18, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
:By the way, the '''bold''' changed stuff helped me notice some subtle changes :) [[User:SirKitKat|SirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 15:27, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

Did anyone notice that not all whales disappeared at 13:30? One is hidden behind the mountains in the background with a "? ->" pointing at it. I wonder if this should be included in the transcript... [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 14:28, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
:It should be in a transcript. I missed it while editing. My apologies for that. [[User:Graphene|Graphene]] ([[User talk:Graphene|talk]]) 15:28, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

I did just notice that clicking on the image now takes you to http://xkcd1446.org/.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.4|141.101.104.4]] 16:23, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Most image URLs:
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-00-00_8MxxPSiNYx.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-05-00_KsvXIwq84J.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-10-00_fUWUYNkxwp.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-15-00_74eSd3x7BQ.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-20-00_UT4FKycrmC.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-25-00_FX6hlfSQHR.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-30-00_FjnXADopvO.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-35-00_lVC98SMY1X.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-40-00_wmf0bPtxDN.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-45-00_MZprhbADHL.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-50-00_Z63bWhoaxd.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-55-00_2wCeCFN0R1.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-00-00_FRnIhqA5IZ.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-05-00_Os6SVGalch.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-10-00_xn4nUL9lry.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-15-00_soIuPGfUYh.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-20-00_jwkPNMaOSf.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-25-00_ADajYkIBoR.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-30-00_w819mZAIhE.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-35-00_LoEc4Q8fJF.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-40-00_YLKE5WV8Jw.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-45-00_QRP5ndlY4A.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-50-00_OAOxgR9UUR.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-55-00_KGFuQYeX1i.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-00-00_ov37tpe8BX.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-05-00_VwL8mLbfmW.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-10-00_GCNRyInxWI.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-15-00_CQwEg4oyk3.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-20-00_jkbJbYkLeP.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-25-00_Pxh3HKgWnT.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-30-00_eq1OJ5Y7DE.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-35-00_xgc7Exg8xh.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-40-00_XqySBX8Pjp.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-45-00_pO0FdW8EUU.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-50-00_Lk8WtAcDCd.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-55-00_XEGyO5rijO.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_03-00-00_JwVK8q3HKt.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_03-05-00_1Qc2XuFNlD.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_03-10-00_bTGPRMJ42D.png
|-
!Missing 03:15
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_03-20-00_I337xnUZMi.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_03-25-00_TwWuDe1LFM.png
|-
!Missing 03:30
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_03-35-00_OUONNRwSZC.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_03-40-00_oprku4Qb8G.png
|-
!Missing 03:45
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_03-50-00_VhWzeSXfiF.png
|-
!Missing 03:55
|-
!Missing 04:00
|-
!Missing 04:05
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_04-10-00_GFIr1zPjmc.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_04-15-00_DeN1NSG0cv.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_04-20-00_FyWclt5aB6.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_04-25-00_DO12bvpult.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_04-30-00_NtlLenh317.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_04-35-00_QmMpOZdHYt.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_04-40-00_bYKqXlkedR.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_04-45-00_VjLjDl41Qg.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_04-50-00_ApDIAe95YT.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_04-55-00_FvFCfy1KYg.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_10-00-00_qaqUchjpwN.png
|-
!Missing 10:05
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_10-10-00_Z9fvGtSswb.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_10-15-00_fpM7p3KBBp.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_10-20-00_kblMiODYf7.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_10-25-00_tSrAHD4qXP.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_10-30-00_75d7qAv2sb.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_10-35-00_2cSIoJ0clN.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_10-40-00_lA8DusaqUA.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_10-45-00_NQYYQnhed2.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_10-50-00_FgKywBikn9.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_10-55-00_nj2pfp4Jrq.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_11-00-00_MHwFQLceRA.png
|-
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_11-05-00_bLSCTYXxmg.png
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</div>
'''LONG LIST OF URLs HIDDEN. CLICK EXPAND OVER THERE →'''

Where is Randall getting his info? His news is the most current I can find - anyone have a good link to up-to-the-minute status reporting like Randall is providing, preferably with more detail? --[[User:Nipchee|Nipchee]] ([[User talk:Nipchee|talk]]) 18:08, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

:Nipchee: This seems to be very up-to-date: http://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/live/2014/nov/12/rosetta-comet-landing-live-blog [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.150|108.162.219.150]] 18:11, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

::This one is pretty good: https://newscientist.creatavist.com/rosetta#chapter-132425 (scroll to bottom)
::Also, here is the list of feeds from ESA: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Live_updates_Rosetta_mission_comet_landing [[User:GreenWyvern|GreenWyvern]] ([[User talk:GreenWyvern|talk]]) 18:26, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
::I could imagine that, combining his influence as a web celebrity and connections he's maintained since working with NASA, he might be able to get a few extra details before everyone else (?) -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 19:06, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

On a related note - what exactly is the distinction between "impact" and "landing" other than the perhaps intent? Is the result factored in as well? Where is the threshold between the two? -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 19:10, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

I'd say it's more to do with the level of control. An impact is when an object forcibly hits something else, a landing is when it's directed and doesn't result in 10 years of wasted effort and money. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.15|141.101.104.15]] 20:27, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

Okay, looks like the comic is done, unless he picks it up again after radio contact resumes. -- [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 21:35, 12 November 2014 (UTC)
:from xkcd1446.org: "Note: This event is over. You can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to browse through the images" {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.113}}

p.s. The vertical sprawl here (particularly in the Frame by Frame section) is really ugly. It should be subdivided and/or columnized like in [[1190: Time]]. {{unsigned|Frankie}}
:I doubt it's over yet. Also, it's actually a bit annoying to do multiple columns of homogenous data a la time, and those were done post-hoc. Subdivision and collapsing is a thing that could happen though. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 22:59, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

Did anyone notice 16-05 and 16-10 are missing from xkcd1446.org? <span style="color:green;">Saibot84</span> 21:41, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

Why does it jump from 55 minutes to 75 minutes at image #33? [[User:Keavon|Keavon]] ([[User talk:Keavon|talk]]) 22:50, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

I love the GIF, good work, but is there any way it could be slowed down about 1/4 to 1/2 a second longer for a few frames, espicaly while the lander is landing. It is hard to catch all the jokes. Not all Frames need to be the same speed. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.209|108.162.216.209]] 13:40, 13 November 2014 (UTC)

Not convinced there's any special reference to ''Hitchhiker's'' here. [http://io9.com/where-do-space-whales-come-from-829831859 People] [http://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/fantastical-allure-space-whale seem to believe] that "space whale art" was popular in the 1970s, and we know there were space whales in fiction long before the ''Guide,'' at least in Robert F. Young's [http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pe.cgi?26084 series of stories] published in genre magazines like ''F&SF'' and ''If'' starting in 1962, and in ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkgiILo7LY8 Pinocchio in Outer Space,]'' an animated feature film from 1965. [[User:Pesthouse|Pesthouse]] ([[User talk:Pesthouse|talk]]) 23:09, 13 November 2014 (UTC)
:Might also be a reference to the second episode of "Futurama" — title: "The Series Has Landed". In that episode there is an amusement park on the moon with animated robots dressed as whalers (which is itself a parody of Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction) singing "We're whalers on the moon; we carry a harpoon; but there ain't no whales so we tell tall tales; and sing our whaling tune."[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.94|108.162.216.94]] 09:35, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

"Since the event is over, and the images don't show the rebounds, we can guess that Randall made all or most of the drawings before the landing." - I disagree with this statement. Between 16:35 and 16:55 you can clearly see Philae settle (stop moving), jostle, and settle again. You may have to watch the GIF closely to notice it. [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 04:36, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

All plain URLs:

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http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/93/%3F%3F%3F110.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/d2/%3F%3F%3F111.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e5/%3F%3F%3F112.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/8/8a/%3F%3F%3F113.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/4/41/%3F%3F%3F114.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/34/%3F%3F%3F115.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/b/b0/%3F%3F%3F116.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/cb/%3F%3F%3F117.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/17/%3F%3F%3F118.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/b/bf/%3F%3F%3F119.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/dd/%3F%3F%3F120.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/4/41/%3F%3F%3F121.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/10/%3F%3F%3F122.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/f/f5/%3F%3F%3F123.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/a6/%3F%3F%3F124.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e8/%3F%3F%3F125.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/f/f2/%3F%3F%3F126.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/d0/%3F%3F%3F127.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/c6/%3F%3F%3F128.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/2a/%3F%3F%3F129.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/01/%3F%3F%3F130.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/d5/%3F%3F%3F131.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/76/%3F%3F%3F132.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/f/fc/%3F%3F%3F133.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/53/%3F%3F%3F134.png
http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/9a/%3F%3F%3F135.png
</pre></div> --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.189|141.101.105.189]] 13:55, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

See [http://mitsje.deviantart.com/art/The-whale-and-the-petunia-s-83469485 The whale and the petunias]. I wanted to include the picture but it's not licensed. --[[User:Thnidu|Thnidu]] ([[User talk:Thnidu|talk]]) 21:43, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

The image on the comic updated to [https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_149_CQkN74U21V.png], there may be more missing frames. [[Special:Contributions/188.114.98.207|188.114.98.207]] 16:29, 18 November 2014 (UTC)
:HAH, I knew it wasn't over! '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 16:33, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

And now getting smaller! [https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_151_T9etbD9OH6.png]
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.164|108.162.219.164]] 18:05, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

Did randall made a mistake with the "US Scientists" and fixed it to just plain "Scientists" when someone warned him abou the mission being from European Scientists ? --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.108|173.245.52.108]] 23:42, 25 November 2014 (UTC)

It appears to be over, and is now (forever?) blank [http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/%3F%3F%3F.png]. --[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.182|199.27.128.182]] 20:08, 26 November 2014 (UTC)

Talk:404: Not Found

2014-11-25T22:56:51Z

199.27.128.182:

Maybe it was skipped because he had to. In some, if not all websites, there's the 404.html file that is displayed when there's a 404 error (example: /var/www/404.html/), so it would have shown the '404' page that existed the whole time, because xkcd.com/404 would have shown 404.html.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.73|173.245.55.73]] 22:58, 2 April 2014 (UTC)

April 1st, 2008 was a Tuesday, so no xkcd comic would have normally come out then. For that week, [[403|xkcd 403]] was Monday, March 31st, 2008, [[405|xkcd 405]] was Wednesday, April 2nd, and [[406|xkcd 406]] was Friday, April 4th. 404 was just skipped. It is also skipped in the "previous comic"/"next comic" links on his site. I don't think it was an April Fools gag. [[User:Blaisepascal|Blaisepascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 19:03, 22 August 2012 (UTC)

:Well, I'd say that it certainy might be. In any case, it's an interesting observation! [[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 11:22, 23 November 2012 (UTC)

:Then again, his skipping from 403 to 405 (making 404 come up "404: Not Found") may have been his April Fool joke that year. The timing may have been coincidental, but I don't blame him for taking advantage of it. --[[User:Aaron of Mpls|Aaron of Mpls]] ([[User talk:Aaron of Mpls|talk]]) 23:16, 15 April 2013 (UTC)

::No, because there was already another April's Fool joke in 2008: xkcd, Questionable Content and Dinosaur Comics rotated their content ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur_Comics#April_Fool.27s_jokes]). However the timing does seem quite suspicious. -- [[User:Xorg|Xorg]] ([[User talk:Xorg|talk]]) 21:52, 16 April 2013 (UTC)

This entry isn't on the list of all comics 1-500, and I made the mistake of adding this comic to the list. I was about to add an explanation, with a link to a webcomic about it, when I found this page. I think that this page should be liked in the all comics 1-500 list so that others don't make the same mistake and so that curious people can easily get to it. [[User:Rylon|Rylon]] ([[User talk:Rylon|talk]]) 18:10, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
:The link is changed.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:55, 17 July 2013 (UTC)

;The hidden link
Nobody did find that hidden link? A shame. Just a simple test on this [http://www.xkcd.com/test/ http://www.xkcd.com/test/] gives me a link to this comic: [[1335: Now]]. And this page still appears like it was on the original release date on February 26 this year. I'm pretty sure there is still a link, some avant-garde, and Randall still giggles about that nobody did find this within six years. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 23:12, 10 March 2014 (UTC)
: Actually, you may be interested to note that xkcd.com/test now links to the Lorenz comic (#1350). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.73|108.162.219.73]] 15:16, 16 April 2014 (UTC)
: It keeps changing then... Today it was [[1367: Installing]]. It was 12, then 15 and now 19 days between the test and the day the link pointed at it. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:00, 31 May 2014 (UTC)
: Now it's [[1446: Landing]]. --[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.182|199.27.128.182]] 22:56, 25 November 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1439: Rack Unit

2014-11-02T00:33:59Z

199.27.128.182:

Bzzzzz [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.202|108.162.250.202]] 04:52, 27 October 2014 (UTC)
: Bzz ZZ zz bz?! (What did you say about my mother?!) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.26|108.162.216.26]] 19:09, 27 October 2014 (UTC)
:: Bzz, zzz bzzz bz. Bzz zz. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.202|108.162.250.202]] 23:30, 27 October 2014 (UTC)

Air Bud has had multiple mentions in his comics, but I don't know all of them. I also think it was mentioned in one of the What-If's. I'll do a quick Google search to see if I can get at least one of them. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 06:55, 27 October 2014 (UTC)
:Mouse-over text in the final image. http://what-if.xkcd.com/111/ Still searching. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 06:58, 27 October 2014 (UTC)
:http://xkcd.com/115/ [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 07:00, 27 October 2014 (UTC)

This comic may be a reference to the highly hyped lack-rack https://wiki.eth0.nl/index.php/LackRack --[[User:Belibem|Belibem]] ([[User talk:Belibem|talk]]) 09:43, 27 October 2014 (UTC)

It's unlikely that this was intentional, but this comic is almost the same as this panel from MSPA: http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=003976 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.224|108.162.219.224]] 11:50, 27 October 2014 (UTC)

I'm sure an apiarist might know whether there'd be a problem with air temperature (often chilled), on any bee colony. And with the lack of non-plastic internal flora, and almost certainly some quite severe filtration screens betwixt server environment and the outside world I can't see [i]any[/i] chance for nectar collection. Of course, it's Black Hat, so he's probably worked around both of these (slotted in next to blade servers with consistently warming processors, and maybe a ready nectar supply. But I stil feel for the poor bees, with all those whirring fans of all shapes and sizes, around and within the server room equipment.
(Also, perhaps interesting to note that apparently ''most'' colocatiopn TOSs don't mention beehives. So he found that ''some'' did...) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.112|141.101.99.112]] 12:47, 27 October 2014 (UTC)
: I'd think that a more-or-less simple restriction on interference with other tenants and their equipment would be sufficient to proscribe Black-Hat from causing any issues with his bees (officially, at least), wouldn't it? So perhaps it's as simple as a TOS that only proscribes ''electromagnetic'' interference (maybe even touching equipment of other tenants), but nothing involving ''bees'' per se? -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 13:11, 27 October 2014 (UTC)

:Lack of non-plastic flora might not be a problem, since honeybees are opportunists, and will gather any sugary liquid they can find. Someone once told me that the bees in the Smithsonian's observation hive made honey from what they found in discarded beverage containers left around the mall by human pedestrians. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.153|173.245.54.153]] 01:11, 28 October 2014 (UTC)

What does "similar pitches" in the comic mean? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.73|108.162.216.73]]
:not entirely sure about an industry-general term, but there is mention of "tile pitch" here: http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/pedge/en/energy-smart-containment-rack-deployment-guide-dell.pdf -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 14:41, 27 October 2014 (UTC)
:Ah, here's something I [http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19088-01/v445.srvr/819-5730-10/rackmount.html found]: "Aisle pitch is the distance from the center of one cold aisle to the center of the next cold aisle either to the left or right. Data centers often use a seven-tile aisle pitch. This measurement allows two 2 x 2 foot (0.61 x 0.61 m) floor tiles in the cold aisle, 3 feet (0.9 m) in the hot aisle, and a 42-inch (1-m) allowance for the depth of the cabinet or rack."
:...and though it doesn't seem the term "pitch" is used in bee keeping that I can find, there are probably generally followed guidelines on spacing... http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/04/placement-of-beehives.html -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 14:49, 27 October 2014 (UTC)
:Per [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch wikipedia] -- " "Pitch" is widely used to describe the distance between repeated elements in a structure possessing translational symmetry". This would include things like server racks (the distance from the bottom of one slot to the bottom of the next), beehives (the distance from one pane to the next). You commonly hear it in relation to airline seats ("seat pitch" -- the distance from one seat to the next, as a measure of the relative comfort of airline seats) but it is a more general term. [[User:Vyzen|Vyzen]] ([[User talk:Vyzen|talk]]) 15:13, 27 October 2014 (UTC)

::Engineer here - The term pitch is used to describe the distance between repeating items. For example: The holes have a 10mm pitch = There is a hole every 10mm. I've added the pitch spec for server racks and beehives, which are not too dissimilar. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 15:27, 27 October 2014 (UTC)

:::Without looking it up (sorry, feeling lazy), it occurs to me that the term pitch might ultimately have derived from screwthreads. Pitching (especially when it comes to ships, and by extension air and space-craft) regards a sloping angle, and the angle of the thread dictates the linear distance between each circuit of the ridge/thread element. This latter property is more handily measured than the perpendicular angle away from the pure tangent (assuming not multi-threaded, although that's rarer in nuts and bolts, etc, due to less inherent mechanical advantage), and so while the cutting may have been dictated by the angle (i.e. pitch), the definition quickly becomes standardised against the linear periodicity, and thus becomes used even in describing perfectly square measurements, such as screwholes in racking. Just an idle thought. That adds nothing to the discussion. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.112|141.101.99.112]] 21:55, 27 October 2014 (UTC)

:::Actually, the pitch of the frames in a Langstroth hive is variable. Some beekeepers use ten frames to a super (box) and others use nine or eight, spacing them by eye. With too much space between frames, the bees tend to build bridge comb (a form of undesired "burr comb") between frames, making it difficult to work the hive. Frames sometimes need to be taken out, mostly for inspection or honey harvesting. "Bee space" is a familiar concept to every modern beekeeper. Much less than 3/16" between components, and the bees will seal that space shut with bee glue, or propolis. Much more than 3/8" and they will fill the vacancy with wild comb, or burr comb. Spaces dimensioned between those limits are left clear for bees to move around in. I'm having fun imagining going into a server rack with a smoker and hive tool (a little pry bar to separate the supers and unglue the frames from their support.)

:::Orienting the frames horizontally in a normally situated rack would be a deal-breaker, though. Honeycomb cells are built with their bases on a vertical foundation, with each cell having a slight upward tilt, on the order of 10° to 12°, so that the nectar doesn't fall out. The bees fan their wings to ventilate the hive, reducing the nectar's water content and increasing its viscosity, but they also manage the ventilation to maintain a certain warmth around the brood comb. At that temperature, honey flows pretty well. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.153|173.245.54.153]] 01:28, 28 October 2014 (UTC)

::::: This is my first post in this wiki. 1.) the difference between 1.5" and 1.75" is enough to let an inserted object give the ~10 degrees necessary for the honey to not drip out. 2.) In the data center I'm familiar with the server blades were mounted vertically (Verari BladeRack 2) would vertically aligned boxes for for bee keeping? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.182|199.27.128.182]] 00:33, 2 November 2014 (UTC)

::::Thanks for your insight, I found it very interesting. I never thought I would be learning about bees today! As far as the frame pitch, my research suggested that there wasn't any 'standard' pitch, but that 1.5" was fairly typical. I would certainly defer to your greater expertise if you feel the article needs editing.--[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 08:41, 28 October 2014 (UTC)
:::::I do not know what resources Black Hat can command. I can only assume the racks were somehow turned on their sides, so the bees could work in their customary orientation with respect to gravity. Sensitive little darlings they are, and they smell nice. I've put a parenthesis in the explanation, more or less to that effect. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.153|173.245.54.153]] 00:28, 30 October 2014 (UTC)

I wouldn't bee suprised if this became of those 'reality imitates art' situations, and somebody goes and makes a beehive out of an old server cabinet. I'll just leave [http://www.ebay.com/itm/18U-SERVER-RACK-DATA-NETWORK-CABINET-19-INCH-600-W-x450-D-x-1000-H-NEW-/191337505928?pt=UK_Computing_Rackmount_Cabinets_Frames&hash=item2c8c9aa488 this eBay auction] here.... --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 15:31, 27 October 2014 (UTC)

::: I'd be cautious if I were to do this. This is one of those projects that could develop some serious bugs... {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.202}}

This is certainly related to the famous ant-farm-computer, Hex, invented by Terry Pratchett. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_(Discworld) Anthill Inside!] ::: [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.231|108.162.249.231]] 02:48, 28 October 2014 (UTC)

That certainly is one way to run a honeypot.--[[User:Henke37|Henke37]] ([[User talk:Henke37|talk]]) 14:49, 28 October 2014 (UTC)

I remember seeing an article a few years ago about a company planning to use sideways server racks for liquid immersion cooling. I wonder if honey is electrically or thermally conductive... http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/10/03/18/1955238/Startups-Submerged-Servers-Could-Cut-Cooling-Costs [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.65|108.162.216.65]] 15:54, 29 October 2014 (UTC)
:Honey is a supersaturated sugar solution made from a much more dilute sugar solution, usually nectar. Not a lot of ionic species in the solution, so maybe slightly more electrically conductive than DI water. The transformation from nectar to honey involves controlled airflow, from bees fanning their wings while remaining stationary on a wood or wax substrate that they can hook their feet onto. Liquid coolant would not be compatible with that process, to say nothing of the air-breathing insects doing the work.

:If the bees chose to draw comb on a foundation of active circuit board, the comb would act as thermal insulation, and would interfere with air flow around the hot semiconductors or their heat sinks. Data-center honey production would call for intense hive management to avoid issues like that. If the honey frames were not kept separate from the electronic blades, the frames would need to be pulled on a rotation on the order of four times daily, to check the electronic modules and scrape them off if needed. Interesting work, if you can get it. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.153|173.245.54.153]] 21:22, 30 October 2014 (UTC)

Many servers use hypervisors for virtualization. What's interesting is that there is a hypervisor called bhyve, pronounced as "beehive". {{unsigned ip|103.22.201.128}}

943: Empirical

2014-01-11T21:56:29Z

199.27.128.182: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 943
| date = August 26, 2011
| title = Empirical
| image = empirical.png
| titletext = I'm as surprised as you!
}}

==Explanation==
When faced with the question "Will you marry me?", [[Cueball]] approaches the {{w|Hypothesis|question}} in an {{w|empirical}} way. The word empirical denotes information gained by means of direct observation or experiments. In this comic, Cueball completes the "Will you marry me?" experiment, by actually getting married (as opposed to deciding on the spot or taking time to think) and the results are "yes".

The word "will" has two meanings: auxiliary verb of the future and disposition to do something. In the first sense [[Cueball]] cannot answer this question since he cannot know the future. Of course the question ''Will you marry me?'' uses the verb ''will'' in the second sense.

This comic is likely a reference to Randall's marriage around this time.

==Transcript==
:[Two people are standing together, Megan and Cueball.]
:Megan: Will you marry me?

:[Cueball throws his hands in the air excitedly.]
:Cueball: Let's find out!

:[The couple are now standing in front of an altar. A flower arch stretches over the couple and a person is standing behind the altar. Megan is wearing a knee length white dress and a veil. Cueball is wearing a bow tie. They are holding hands.]

:[The couple stand together, still dressed from the wedding and still holding hands.]
:Cueball: Apparently, yes!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Wedding]]

417: The Man Who Fell Sideways

2013-11-21T23:20:28Z

199.27.128.182:

{{comic
| number = 417
| date = April 30, 2008
| title = The Man Who Fell Sideways
| image = the man who fell sideways.png
| titletext = Strip originally conceived in conversation with Jeph Jacques. Soon to be a major motion picture.
}}

==Explanation==
[[File:A Matter of Some Gravity.png|right]]

This comic is humorously built-up like a short drama story, about a man with an unusual condition.

It might have been inspired by the {{w|Uncle Scrooge}} adventure comic "{{w|A Matter of Some Gravity}}" ([http://coa.inducks.org/story.php?c=D+96001 Inducks]) by {{w|Don Rosa}}, in which {{w|Magica de Spell}} makes gravity pull sideways at {{w|Scrooge McDuck}} and {{w|Donald Duck}}.

"Soon to be a major motion picture" in the title text might refer to {{w|The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)|The Curious Case of Benjamin Button}}, a film released later in 2008 (and based on a short story), in which the protagonist Benjamin suffers of the impossible condition of aging backwards.

"Over land... and sea", might be from the song "Nature Boy" by eden ahbez. Nat King Cole sung (the most famous version) about "A very strange, enchanted boy. They say he wandered very far, very far over land and sea".

The title text mentions {{w|Jeph Jacques}}, who is running the webcomic {{w|Questionable Content}}.

When Cueball hits Megan, he knocks her down and knocks her up.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball standing, with a dotted line perpendicular to him and a 30 degree angle going downwards.]
:From a young age, gravity pulled him wrong.
:[Cueball bouncing around his house.]
:Sometimes east, sometimes west. When he was restrained, it grew erratic.
:''WHAM WHAM''
:[Cueball bouncing/rolling on the ground.]
:So he fell.
:Cueball: AAAA
:''THUMPA THUMPA''
:[Cueball bouncing/rolling on the ground in a desert.]
:Constantly
:Cueball: AAAAAAAAA
:[Cueball bouncing/rolling off a rock on the ground in a desert.]
:Over land...
:Cueball: AAAAA-''THUD''-A
:[Cueball bouncing/rolling on the ground in the desert.]
:Cueball: AAAAAAAAA
:[Cueball bouncing/rolling on the ground in the desert.]
:Cueball: A-''THUD''-AAAAAA
:[Cueball bouncing/rolling on the ground in the desert.]
:Cueball: AA-''THUD''-AAAAA
:[Cueball under the surface of a body of water.]
:And sea.
:Cueball: AAAAAAAAAAAA
:[Cueball still under the surface of a body of water.]
:Cueball: AAAAAAAA
:[Cueball temporarily standing on the surface of the body of water.]
:Cueball: AAAAAA
:[Cueball under the surface of the body of water.]
:Cueball: AAAAAAAA
:[Tree in the savanna, with Cueball off the panel.]
:He found, where he could, food-
:Cueball: AAAAAAAAAAAA
:[Tree in the savanna, with Cueball still off the panel, but zoomed out so that part of Cueball's bounce/roll path is visible.]
:Cueball: AAAAAAAAA
:[Cueball upside-down, still bouncing/rolling in the savannah, with a gazelle galloping away from him.]
:''GALLOP GALLOP''
:Cueball: AAAAAAAAA
:[Savanna with a tree in it.]
:Cueball: AAAAAAAAAAA
:[Megan standing, with Cueball off screen.]
:And love.
:Cueball: AAAA-''THUD''-AAAA
:[Megan standing, with Cueball off screen.]
:Cueball: ''THUD'' ACK ''CRASH''
:[Cueball crashing into Megan]
:Cueball: Hiwhat'syourname-
:''WHAM''
:[Megan on the ground, with Cueball off screen.]
:Cueball: AAAAAAA-''THUD''-AAA
:[Megan speaking to Hairy.]
:Megan: I met this guy. He knocked me over and tumbled into the distance.
:[Megan speaking to the same man from the previous panel, with Hairy's hand to his mouth.]
:Megan: We only shared a few seconds, but in his panicked scream I heard something beautiful.
:[Megan speaking to the same man from the previous panel.]
:Megan: I think... I think I'm...
:[Megan speaking to the same man from the previous panel.]
:Hairy: Falling for him?
:Megan: I wasn't going to say it.
:[Megan at hospital with doctor, giving birth.]
:She never saw him again. But nine months later...
:Doctor: Okay, push!
:[Megan at hospital with doctor and new baby, who is bouncing/rolling away.]
:Doctor: It's a gir-
:Megan: !!
:Doctor: Whoops!
:Baby: Ga! Ga!
:[Baby bouncing/rolling out of hospital.]
:Baby: WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE
:[Baby bouncing/rolling in front of a sunset.]
:Baby: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
:The End

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Romance]]

497: Secretary: Part 4

2013-11-21T22:44:14Z

199.27.128.182: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 497
| date = October 30, 2008
| title = Secretary: Part 4
| image = secretary part 4.png
| titletext = It's time to draw the line.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Ron Paul}} is an American physician, author, and politician who is a {{w|US House of Representatives|House Representative}} for {{w|Texas}} and is a three-time Presidential candidate, running as a {{w|Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian}} and a {{w|Republican Party (United States)|Republican}}. He has a very dedicated and vocal base of supporters who believe he is [[1083|the only true alternative]] to either side of [[661|the Two-Party System]].

{{w|Tron (film)|Tron}} is a movie made by {{w|Disney}}. The title text refers to the line of virtual light that streams out from the back of Tron's light grid vehicles. Normally it is a single, solid color, but in the comic it is the color of the American flag to show Ron's patriotism. There is also a joke about {{w|Pokémon}} in the phrase "... evolves into ...". Pokémon is a game where the player, a "Trainer", has their Pokémon battle other Pokémon to level the Pokémon up. As the Pokémon levels up, they evolve into the next, more powerful, form of the Pokémon.

Why Ron Paul and {{w|Cory Doctorow}} appear to be fighting, is only because Ron Paul favors down-sizing the US government over anything else, whereas Cory Doctorow feels there should be an American Secretary of the Internet. That may not be the case. Do your own political research before you go to vote, kids.

There is a subtle joke in the panel where Ron Paul and Cory Doctorow are firing at each other; the sound effect for Cory's guns is "Boing! Boing!," which is the name of [http://boingboing.net Cory Doctorow's blog].

The reference to gold touches on Ron Paul's desire to see monetary policy once again be driven by the gold standard, namely that a country's currency value be driven not by its economic activity, but by the amount of physical gold it owns. Earlier in American history, this was the case; owning a dollar would (in theory) be owning one dollar's worth of gold somewhere in the treasury. This is in contrast with the current international practice, where countries are able to print an arbitrary quantity of paper money that is not necessarily backed by physical gold. Adherence to the gold standard is an extreme minority view; most economists, and the population at large, agree that the current system is much better.

All comics in the [[:Category:Secretary|Secretary]] series:
*[[494: Secretary: Part 1]]
*[[495: Secretary: Part 2]]
*[[496: Secretary: Part 3]]
*[[497: Secretary: Part 4]]
*[[498: Secretary: Part 5]]

This series was released on 5 consecutive days (Monday-Friday) and not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule.

==Transcript==
:[The Ron Paul Revolution blimp floats.]
:Pilot: Sir! The balloon is hailing us!

:[Cory Doctorow's balloon appears.]
:Cory: Ahoy.
:Ron Paul: Doctorow!
:Cory: I won't let you stop this nomination. We bloggers watch out for our own.

:Ron Paul: Stand aside, Cory.
:Cory: Nay!
:Ron Paul: Very well. Battle stations!

:[The Ron Paul Revolution blimp's gun takes aim.]
:''Whirrr kachunk''

:[Cory Doctorow's balloon's gun takes aim.]
:''Whirrrr kachunk''

:[Both airships open fire.]
:''Pew pew pew''
:''Pew pew''
:''Boing! Boing!''

:[Inside the Ron Paul Revolution blimp's control room.]
:Ponytail: We're taking damage!
:Ron Paul: Keep firing!
:Ponytail: No good! We're losing altitude!

:[Outside the Ron Paul Revolution blimp, it hangs smoking in the air.]
:Ron Paul: All engines full! Pull up!
:Ponytail: Can't, sir!

:[The Ron Paul Revolution blimp begins to sink, smoking more heavily.]

:[The blimp sinks further.]
:Ponytail: Sir, maybe if we dropped all this gold...
:Ron Paul: Never!

:[Inside the control room, tilted slightly.]
:Ponytail: We've lost, sir. We have to abort.
:Ron Paul: Not yet, we don't! Open the loading bay doors.

:[Camera zooms out slightly.]
:Ron Paul: You take the blimp and fall back.
:''click''
:Ron Paul: I've got a message to deliver.
:''Whirr''

:[Ron Paul tosses his cane aside.]

:[Ron Paul steadily transforms into Tron Paul.]
:Narrator: RON PAUL evolves into TRON PAUL

:[Light cycle begins to form.]

:[Tron Paul bends over the light cycle.]

:[Light cycle finishes its formation.]

:[Light cycle speeds off, trailing an American flag.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ron Paul]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Secretary|04]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Airships]]
[[Category:Pokémon]]

765: Dilution

2013-11-21T22:33:47Z

199.27.128.182:

{{comic
| number = 765
| date = July 12, 2010
| title = Dilution
| image = dilution.png
| titletext = Dear editors of Homeopathy Monthly: I have two small corrections for your July issue. One, it's spelled "echinacea", and two, homeopathic medicines are no better than placebos and your entire magazine is a sham.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Homeopathy}} is the belief that poisons, bacteria, and other disease-causing substances can actually cure the diseases they'd normally cause after going through several rounds of dilution. (There's also a "succussion" step in between rounds, which basically consists of shaking or striking the mixture, but no serious mechanism for how this would affect anything has been provided.) In the medical world, it's widely believed to be total bunk, with countless scientific studies repeatedly showing it to have no more effectiveness than a {{w|placebo}}.

Here we find [[Cueball]], a firm believer in homeopathy, applying the idea to fertility by diluting his semen. 30X means that the semen has been diluted with water at a 1:10 ratio 30 times, so the solution contains 1 part semen to one-novillion parts water. Since the average ejaculation contains 200 to 500 million sperm cells, this means the solution Cueball is holding has a 0.000000000000000000035% chance of containing even a single sperm cell. Clearly, [[Megan]] will not be getting pregnant from this, so she and Cueball will not be passing on their genes, which is why the comic states that the belief in homeopathy is not selected for.

{{w|Echinacea}} is a genus of flowers commonly used in herbal remedies to stimulate the immune system. Scientific studies have not shown that such an effect exists.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball stands at a desk with a beaker in one hand and a turkey baster in the other. Megan lies in a bed in the same room.]

:Cueball: Okay, this time I've diluted the semen 30x.
:Megan: We'll be ''sure'' to get pregnant now!

:Caption: Belief in homeopathy is not, evolutionarily, selected for.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Sex]]

1292: Pi vs. Tau

2013-11-18T23:34:38Z

199.27.128.182:

{{comic
| number = 1292
| date = November 18, 2013
| title = Pi vs. Tau
| image = pi vs tau.png
| titletext = Conveniently approximated as e+2, Pau is commonly known as the Devil's Ratio (because in the octal expansion, '666' appears four times in the first 200 digits while no other run of 3+ digits appears more than once.)
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
This is yet another of Randall's compromise comics (previous ones are [[690: Semicontrolled Demolition]] and [[1167: Star Trek into Darkness]]). A few mathematicians argue as to whether to use pi, which is the ratio between a circle's circumference and its diameter, or tau, which is the ratio between a circle's circumference and its radius. Randall is suggesting using pau, which is a portmanteau between pi and tau, and is a number situated halfway between pi and tau. This number would be inconvenient, as there are currently no commonly used formulas that involve 1.5 pi or 0.75 tau.

Some consider pi as being the wrong convention in favor of tau (see the [http://tauday.com/tau-manifesto Tau Manifesto]). Some consider proponents of tau to be foolish and remain loyal to pi (see the [http://www.thepimanifesto.com Pi Manifesto]). Occasionally, the argument is that the food, pi(e), is the whole thing, not half and have made a [http://www.piday.org/ day about it]. Others say on tau day you get twice as much pi(e).

The inspiration for "pi is wrong!" is found [http://www.math.utah.edu/~palais/pi.html here].

The trivial nature of the argument is made plain in this comic. Regardless of which convention is used, the fundamental mathematics will remain unaltered

The title text for the comic is also incorrect. The first 200 digits of 'pau' in octal are:
<pre>
4.5545743763144164432362345144750501224254715730156503147633545270030431677126116550546747570313312523403514716576464333172731124310201076447270723624573721640220437652155065544220143116155742515634462
</pre>
The sequence '666' does not occur at all.

Apparently, [[Randall]] used [http://www.wolframalpha.com/ Wolfram|Alpha] to calculate the result (he uses it a lot, for example [http://what-if.xkcd.com/70/ What-if 70: The Constant Groundskeeper] or [http://what-if.xkcd.com/62/ What-if 62: Falling With Helium]).
However, as of November 18, 2013, there's a bug in Wolfram|Alpha so that, when getting 200 octal digits from "pau", it just calculates the decimal value rounded to 15 significant digits (this is 4.71238898038469) and expands that as octal digits as far as needed.

This gives a periodically repeating number. The number of digits is also represented in octal, so instead of 200 digits it is actually 310 digits, finally giving:
<pre>
4.5545743763144164456766617143366171162404440766665105335330776311513504520604364524762740226212061363100001776216741750712622557020442741544760057441760026766230424023460366047331305225241275347777145543054127636365666430221066167347236617261603127725745513663702031155234027041040155322217227723576660045156156</pre>
This number indeed does contain 666 (the {{w|Number of the beast|number of the beast}}) four times (with one instance as 6666). It also contains 0000, 222, 444, and 7777, but they only appear once in a run.

{{w|Mathematical coincidence|Coincidentally}}, e+2 is also very similar to 1.5pi, although only to a few digits.
<pre>
1.5π = 4.71238898038
e+2 = 4.71828182846
</pre>

The "Devil's Ratio" may be an allusion to the "{{w|Tritone|Devil's Interval}}", aka the "Devil's Chord" or 'Diabolus in Musica' ('The Devil in music'), which is the name sometimes given to the harmony between a root note and its tritone/augmented fourth/diminished fifth. This note is situated halfway between octaves, and is named for its dissonant quality. It is possibly a cross-reference between this and the "{{w|golden ratio}}".

==Transcript==
:(π, 'Pi', crossed out) (1.5 π, 'Pau') (2 π, 'Tau', also crossed out)
:A compromise solution to the Pi/Tau dispute

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Math]]

483: Fiction Rule of Thumb

2013-11-13T17:25:56Z

199.27.128.182: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 483
| date = October 1, 2008
| title = Fiction Rule of Thumb
| image = fiction_rule_of_thumb.png
| titletext = Except for anything by Lewis Carroll or Tolkien, you get five made-up words per story. I'm looking at you, Anathem.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Randall]] uses a graph that purports that the more words an author makes up, the less likely his book is any good. To demonstrate this, he provides an example where a hypothetical author uses three made up words, "Fra'as", "Farmlings", and "Krytoses". The latter of these words are described very unprofessionally as being "like swords but ''awesomer''" (ironic, given that "awesomer" is itself a made-up word).

The title text declares that the average author is allowed five invented words per book before this rule is invoked against them, but mentions that {{w|J.R.R. Tolkien}} and {{w|Lewis Carroll}} are exceptions, as they are both very famous, well-respected writers {{w|Languages constructed by J. R. R. Tolkien|who made words up}} {{w|Jabberwocky|all the time}}.

Randall also makes a dig at {{w|Anathem}}, a speculative fiction novel by Neal Stephenson about a monastic order on another planet that studies science, mathematics, and philosophy. The book is noteworthy for having a very large number of made-up or repurposed words.

==Transcript==
:[Line graph shown with an inverse curve.]
:[Y-Axis: Probability book is good.]
:[X-Axis: Number of words made up by author.]
:[The curve becomes less steep as the number of words increase.]
:"The Elders, or ''Fra'as,'' guarded the ''farmlings'' (children) with their ''krytoses,'' which are like swords but ''awesomer''..."
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Language]]

492: Scrabble

2013-11-13T17:24:17Z

199.27.128.182: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 492
| date = October 22, 2008
| title = Scrabble
| image = scrabble.png
| titletext = A veteran Scrabble player will spot the "OSTRICH" option.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic depicts a game of {{w|Scrabble}}, a popular board game where the goal is to form words with the letters in your hand. The joke here is that the obvious option here is the word "{{w|clitoris}}" (a part of the female genitalia), which is an inappropriate word for a family Scrabble game, but gives a 50 point bonus for using all seven tiles. The title text points out that the letters in the hand can also form the word "OSTRICH", which is family friendly, but much lower scoring and not as obvious.

==Transcript==
:[A first-person view of a family scrabble game at a table. The two letters on the board are 'HI' and the letters in your hand are 'CLTORIS.']
:This always happens to me in family Scrabble games.

==Trivia==
*Randall uses the word "Ostrich" as an alternate word, but "Historic" or "[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coistril Coistril]" would gain more points.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Randall Munroe]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Language]]

856: Trochee Fixation

2013-11-13T17:03:05Z

199.27.128.182: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 856
| date = February 4, 2011
| title = Trochee Fixation
| image = trochee fixation.png
| titletext = If you Huffman-coded all the 'random' things everyone on the internet has said over the years, you'd wind up with, like, 30 or 40 bytes *tops*.
}}

==Explanation==
A {{w|trochee}} is a type of {{w|metric foot}}. A foot is a measure in poetry, it consists of stressed beats and unstressed beats. A trochee is a foot which consists of one stressed beat followed by unstressed beat: "trochee" itself is an example of this as you stress the first syllable and don't stress the second syllable ("TROH-kee".) In the comic, a young girl develops a fixation with words that are trochees, such as robot ("ROH-bot",) raptor ("RAP-tor",) and Jesus ("JEE-zus".) [[Megan]] explains her behaviour. She proposes a "radical trocheeotomy." [[Cueball]] misinterprets Megan's intent as a "{{w|tracheotomy}}", but agreeing with the idea.

There are references to {{w|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles}} and {{w|Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers}}, both of which are examples of actual, trochaic TV show titles. Additionally, there is a reference to sci/fi author {{w|Neal Stephenson}} who has written {{w|Snow Crash}}, {{w|Anathem}} and many other books.

{{w|Huffman coding}} is a lossless data compression algorithm that works by recording a specific string and then only recording that the string is repeated a certain number of characters later on until eventually it only contains a "dictionary" of unique substrings and then mentions of where those substrings repeat. In highly repetitive data this can cut down the file size immensely, which is what Randall is implying by saying you would only end up with 30–40 bytes. Most of the "random" stuff said on the Internet has been said before.

==Transcript==
:Girl: Robot ninja! Pirate doctor laser monkey! Narwhal zombie badger hobo bacon kitty captain penguin raptor Jesus!

:Megan: We'd been seeing this brain damage for years, but only recently did our linguists identify the pattern behind it.

:Megan: The patients fixate on animals and types of people whose names are trochees (two syllables, with the accent on the first).

:The malfunction causes a rush of dopamine whenever these trochees are heard or spoken.
:[Chart shows "internet" and "brain," with arrows marked "trochees" traveling both ways between them. An arrow marked "dopamine" loops from the brain back to the brain.]

:The warning signs appear in childhood:
:[Child sits in front of TV.]
:Child: Yeah! Mighty teenage morphin' ninja power mutant turtle rangers!
:Social reinforcement focuses the fixation on a few dozen words.
:Cueball (off-panel): Is there a cure?

:[Girl is reclining under a big machine pointed at her face.]
:Megan: We're about to try a radical trocheeotomy.
:Cueball: Rip out her vocal chords? I'm in favor.
:Megan: No, we're modifying her vocabulary* to erase the words she's fixated on.
:*Digitoneurolinguistic hacking! It's totally real! Ask Neal Stephenson.

:Megan: Either the gap will be filled by normal words, or she'll just generate a new set of trochees.
:Megan: Here goes.
:[She pulls the lever on a large panel.]
:''kachunk bzzzZZZZZZ''

:[Girl is waking up.]
:Girl: ... GzZhRmPh ...
:Girl ... banjo turtle!
:Girl: Jetpack ferret pizza lawyer! Dentist hamster wombat plumber turkey jester hindu cowboy hooker bobcat scrapple!
:Megan (off-panel): Sigh.
:Megan: Time for plan B.
:Megan: Someone get a brick.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]

853: Consecutive Vowels

2013-11-12T21:17:13Z

199.27.128.182:

{{comic
| number = 853
| date = January 28, 2011
| title = Consecutive Vowels
| image = consecutive_vowels.png
| titletext = But the windows! What if there's a voyeur watchi-- wait, now I'm turned on too.
}}

==Explanation==
After extensive research, [[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] a chart depicting the relationship between sexual arousal and consecutive vowels, showing that a high amount of consecutive vowels will make someone much more sexually aroused. Megan says she doesn't get it, but Cueball interrupts her with "queueing", a word with 5 consecutive vowels. Megan dramatizes this by immediately asking for sex with "FUCK ME NOW." The title text shows that Cueball is fearful that there may be a voyeur peeking at them, but as "voyeur" has 4 consecutive vowels if "y" is considered a vowel, Cueball is turned on as well.

==Trivia==
The word "queueing" is not recognized by most spellcheckers, but is a spelling that refers to queueing theory, the study of queues. The present tense of queue should actually be "queuing".

==Transcript==
:Cueball: I was running a factor analysis on this huge database, and check out what it found:
:[Cueball holds up the chart.]

:[A graph plotting "sexual arousal" against "consecutive vowels." The trendline is a smooth exponential curve.]

:Megan: Huh? This chart makes no sense. What--
:Cueball: "Queueing"

:[Megan grabs Cueball.]
:Megan: FUCK ME NOW.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Sex]]

Talk:1287: Puzzle

2013-11-08T16:28:44Z

199.27.128.182: Adding Go comment.

So is there an answer to the puzzle? [[User:Clwhisk|Clwhisk]] ([[User talk:Clwhisk|talk]]) 19:06, 6 November 2013 (UTC)

Black thinks he's playing Go and white thinks he's playing chess. Although a 7 x 7 board is a bit small for go, it is not unusual for a beginner to play on such a board {{unsigned|hax}}

It is a 9x9 go board! (usually used for learning, as its smaller, less strategic, and quicker to finish game, whereas regular go is played on 19x19 intersections). Olivier. {{unsigned ip|108.162.229.17}}

::You beat me to it. "Less strategic" also means "more tactical". In my experience, 9x9 boards are rare (mostly, people would just use part of a 19x19 board), but when they do exist, they have 4 handicap intersections marked with dots. [[User:Homunq|Homunq]] ([[User talk:Homunq|talk]]) 08:28, 6 November 2013 (UTC)

::: 9x9 boards are great for variety and getting through games, and for beginners of all levels! Go on a 9x9 is about as hard as chess, in terms of playability, state space, and only recently seeing pro strength computers. [[User:Clwhisk|Clwhisk]] ([[User talk:Clwhisk|talk]]) 18:59, 6 November 2013 (UTC)

The picture on xkcd.com is changed. The bishop on e4 is removed and the one on c1 moved to d2. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.11|141.101.93.11]] 08:48, 6 November 2013 (UTC)
Could this be another Time Lapse much like the Wait For It comic?--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.31|108.162.221.31]] 02:31, 8 November 2013 (UTC)
:It only changed once, to fix a legal error with a move. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 02:41, 8 November 2013 (UTC)

Would it be better to use algebraic notation instead, seeing as FIDE stopped recognizing descriptive notation in 1981? {{unsigned|Banak}}

::Possibly - I was trying to distinguish between Go moves and Chess moves by using the older Chess notation as a disambiguation, but... eh. I'm ambinotational - I read metric and imperial and barely notice the conversion. :) [[User:SleekWeasel|SleekWeasel]] ([[User talk:SleekWeasel|talk]]) 11:18, 6 November 2013 (UTC)
:::Then you may have a career at NASA ahead of you... ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 14:26, 6 November 2013 (UTC)
:::: Haha, NASA approached me once about designing a catsuit/pressuresuit, based on my stretchy.org website, thinking that I lived in Cambridge Mass, not Cambridge UK. [[User:SleekWeasel|SleekWeasel]] ([[User talk:SleekWeasel|talk]]) 23:35, 6 November 2013 (UTC)

It would be helpful to give a description - or at least a primer (or a link to one) - of the notation used for chess moves (i.e. Q, N, R ... x, +, #, ... which sides of the board are alphabetic vs. which are numeric). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.228|108.162.221.228]] 16:55, 6 November 2013 (UTC)

Re: black not playing on a handicap positions: it may be that black considers the players evenly matched (or white to be only slightly better), so no handicap. If there was a handicap, black would have 6 stones on the board (I've never heard of a 1 stone handicap). In any case, the upper-right move is a traditional starting move (assuming black is facing the board from the top), as it gives good control over the corner (and in a 9x9, the center).[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.52|108.162.219.52]] 14:28, 7 November 2013 (UTC) -TauCeti

Also, as a note, it looks like the two players are playing in response to each other. Black is playing in contact with the white pieces as a tactical play to contest that section of the board, while white is carefully positioning their pieces to protect against a player who has somehow taken control over the center of the board (although white is treating the go stones as more valuable than pawns, or the knights wouldn't be there).[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.52|108.162.219.52]] 14:28, 7 November 2013 (UTC) -TauCeti

::How did that bishop get out? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.195|141.101.98.195]] 17:04, 7 November 2013 (UTC)
:::Do you mean the light-squared bishop or the, uh, other light-squared bishop? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.59|108.162.218.59]] 15:42, 8 November 2013 (UTC)

I have to say, Black's position is extremely unusual for Go. The two uppermost stones are on 4-4 and 3-4 (counted from the edge of the board as 1). A 4-4 opening invites a corner invasion, which could be a disaster in a 9x9 game, especially if your opponent has another corner. A one stone handicap is pretty common, as this would just mean playing without komi (the few points white gets to counter black's advantage for going first). Playing on the handicap points (3-3 in 9x9, and 4-4 in 19x19) are usually considered just decent starting points, apart form their use in handicapped games. Of course, there are many different openings, especially in even games, so there's plenty of different moves to play. But 4-4 in 9x9 still seems exceedingly unusual.
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.182|199.27.128.182]] 16:28, 8 November 2013 (UTC)greyaenigma

547: Simple

2013-11-07T21:33:19Z

199.27.128.182:

{{comic
| number = 547
| date = February 23, 2009
| title = Simple
| image = simple.png
| titletext = Actually, I think if all higher math professors had to write for the Simple English Wikipedia for a year, we'd be in much better shape academically.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] seems to be in a physics facility with a particle accelerator. The Physicist asks him his thoughts about a Tertiary F.E.L guidance system for the particle accelerator. The first joke here is that particle accelerators don't use guidance systems. They randomly smash together used charged particles or contain them in beams.

As the text below the comic says, Cueball has spent the previous night reading {{w|simple:|the Simple English Wikipedia}}, which is a simplified version of Wikipedia, so he can't stop talking in simplified language, making him sound unintelligent. He refers to the elementary particles and the ad hoc guidance system, which is presumably broken, and says that if the wrong particles collide it would be bad and damage the machine. The joke is also a take on Wikipedia and the fact that it has two versions of the same text.

The title text applies the same principle to teaching mathematics that simple language avoids unnecessary complications as math teachers often write in unnecessarily complicated English, often discouraging math students who are then unable to comprehend the substituted English symbols.

This concept was later revisited in [[1133:_Up_Goer_Five| 1133 Up Goer Five]].

==Transcript==
:Friend: Do you have any thoughts regarding the particle accelerator's tertiary F.E.L. Guidance System?
:Cueball: We can't put the broken part in the machine. It wouldn't smash the right tiny things together. Then the machine might break.
:Cueball: That would be very bad.
:I spent all night reading simple.wikipedia.org, and now I can't stop talking like this.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]