explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1080: Visual Field

2014-07-21T03:31:45Z

199.27.128.222: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1080
| date = July 11, 2012
| title = Visual Field
| image = visual_field.png
| imagesize = 800px
| titletext = I recently learned something that solved a mystery that had bugged me since childhood--why, when I looked at an analog clock, the hand would sometimes seem to take a couple seconds to start ticking. Google "stopped clock illusion".
}}

==Explanation==
This comic shows a number of vision related facts, arranged in a way that they all fit inside your {{w|field of vision}} (the conic area in which you can see at any given time). You're supposed to look at the center of the image while standing about a foot away from the screen (although obviously you can't read the text on the image while staring at the center).

Firstly, there's detail. The eye always sees objects closer to the eye with more detail, which Randall illustrates with progressively smaller images, which are seen with the same level of detail (remember that you're supposed to be looking at the center of the image). This is because the {{w|retina}} is denser near the {{w|fovea}}, in the center.

Next, there's the topic of {{w|night vision}}. The colour-seeing {{w|cone cells}} don't work so well in the dark, whereas the black-and-white-seeing {{w|rod cells}} do. The rod cells can see shapes well, whereas the cone cells see detail (such as change in colour), which Randall uses to explain why we can't read at night.

{{w|Polarization (waves)|Polarization}} direction can be visible when quickly changing your viewing angle. Polarization is essentially the vertical direction of waves. Light, being a wave, has a direction, and is thus polarized. Polarized lenses, for example, would have "slits" to allow only light that is polarized in a certain direction to come through (blocking the light in other directions). {{w|LCD}} screens operate on the principle of blocking and rotating polarized light.

{{w|Floater|Floaters}} are deposits within the eye's {{w|vitreous humour}}. While normally transparent, they can occasionally cause {{w|refraction}} of light, making them visible, particularly on bright, blue surfaces. Randall points out that while some floaters are caused by breakdown over time, the others have a more mysterious origin.

Blue sky sprites, properly known as the {{w|blue field entoptic phenomenon}}, are bright sprites seen over bright blue surfaces, particularly the sky. They are {{w|white blood cells}} moving in front of the {{w|retina}}.

Randall also points out that colours are mostly seen near the center of our vision, with our brain keeping track of the colours of things near the outside of our visual field. The cones of blue, red and green in the {{w|Quadrant (plane geometry)|third quadrant}} also show how red and green's sensitivity is mostly limited to the center of our vision, whereas we can see blue in a larger field of vision. Our ability to perceive {{w|saturation}} (the intensity of colours) is also stronger near the center of our vision.

The left and right blind spot are the locations of the {{w|optic disc}}, where there are no sensitive rod or cone cells, making a literal "blind" spot. The mention of the "T-Boz blind spot" and "Chilli blind spot" are a reference to the R&B band {{w|TLC (band)|TLC}}, whose members go by the aliases "Left eye", "T-Boz", and "Chilli".

An image of the moon and a supermoon also appear in the image. A {{w|supermoon}} is when the moon is at its closest approach to Earth and coincides with a {{w|full moon}} or {{w|new moon}}, causing it to appear larger than normal. At the sizes Randall has drawn the two moons, the difference in size (approximately ten percent) is nigh-imperceptible to the naked eye; Randall might be making a comment about how supermoons [[1394: Superm*n|aren't impressive to him]].

The "stopped clock illusion" referenced by the image text is an example of {{w|chronostasis}}, which is an {{w|illusion}} where viewing movement after changing your vision is perceived as taking a longer period of time. So when we look at a clock (which we weren't previously looking at), our field of vision has rapidly changed. The second hand on the clock thus seems to take a longer period of time to move.

==Transcript==
:Your Central Visual Field
:[This comic contains numerous visual elements arranged around a central point, and are intended to represent locations in a sphere with the eyeball as the center. Underlaid below all of the elements are concentric circles representing degrees from straight ahead, using the eyeball's point of view, denoting where these elements would appear in someone's field of vision given proper setup. For this description, elements will be described using this grid plus location in degrees within the specified circle, placing 0 degrees to the right and going counterclockwise, separated with the word "mark".]
:[At the top are the instructions to view this page]
:Look at the center with your eyes this far from the screen.
:[A rolled-up sheet of paper that equals about 55 total horizontal degrees in width in the measurement of the chart.]
:(You can roll up a sheet of paper and cut it - or zoom the page - so it matches this image)
:17 mark 0: right eye blind spot.
:from 0 to 30 mark 15:
:[The same image, increasing in absolute size from a very tiny object in the center to one about 20x original size at 30 degrees.]
:Detail - We only see at high resolution over a small area in the center of our vision where retinal cells are densest (the fovea). If you stare at the center of this chart, your eyes are seeing all these panels at roughly the same level of detail.
:9 mark 105: Moon.
:7 mark 112: Supermoon.
:from 0 to 20 mark 170:
:[Sets 3 partially overlapping circles in multiple locations along this path. Each set has a primary color in each circle and additive colors in the overlap areas, with color saturation decreasing sharply as the sets leave the center.]
:Color Vision: We don't see much color outside the center of our vision - our brains keep track of what color things are and fill it in for us.
:17 mark 180: Left Eye Blind Spot.
:(not pictured: T-Boz blind spot, Chilli blind spot)
:From 0 to infinity mark from 180 to 205:
:[A swath of blue, with heavier saturation up to 5 degrees from center to fading, but never gone out to the edges of the image.]
:From 0 to 7 from 205 to 235:
:[A swath of red, with full saturation in the center and fading out completely at 7 degrees from center.]
:From 0 to 7 from 235 to 270:
:[A swath of green, with full saturation in the center and fading out completely at 7 degrees from center.]
:Red and green-sensitive cones are mainly limited to the center of our vision. We have few blue-sensitive cone cells, but they're found out to the edge of our vision.
:25 mark 205: [A small whisp of white in a swath of blue.]
:Blue-sky sprites: These tiny, darting spots, visible against smooth blue backgrounds, are white cells moving in the blood vessels over the retina
:5 mark 195:
:[A long blob, slightly distorting the blue swath.]
:Floaters: Some types of floaters are caused by breakdown of your eyeball goop as you age, but this type is some other kind of debris near the retina. I don't know what.
:10 mark 270:
:[An askew crosshair and circle, with faint blue and yellow wedges inside]
:Humans can see polarization - Stare at a white area on an LCD display while rotating it or your head fast (use straight ahead as the axis of rotation).
:Polarization direction is shown by a faint central yellow blue shape (Also visible in deep blue skies)
:from 0 to 30 mark 340:
:[The same image, increasing in absolute size from a very tiny object in the center to one about 20x original size at 30 degrees. The brightness of the image varies from black at 2 mark 340, to gray at 5 mark 340, to nearly white at 10 mark 340, to slightly grayer at 20 mark 340, to medium gray at 30 mark 340.]
:Night Vision: Cone cells (sharp, central color vision) don't work in low light, but rod cells (monochrome, low-res, non-central) do. This is why you can walk around in dim light, but not read. It's also why you can spot fainter stars by looking next to them.

{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Large drawings]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Physics]]

1394: Superm*n

2014-07-21T03:28:08Z

199.27.128.222: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1394
| date = July 14, 2014
| title = Superm*n
| image = superm_n.png
| titletext = See also: Spider-Man reboot in which he can produce several inches of web, doesn't need as much chalk powder on his hands when he goes rock climbing, and occasionally feels vaguely uneasy about situations.
}}

==Explanation==
By depicting how unimpressive the superhero {{w|Superman}} would be if his increase in powers, when compared to humans, where the same as the moons increase in apparent size during a {{w|supermoon}}, Randall points that the use of the term supermoon is an exaggeration.

This comic was posted one day after a supermoon, an informal astronomical event where a full moon occurs when it is closest to earth, causing the moon to appear 10% brighter and about 7% larger. This is due to the {{w|apsidal precession}} of moon's {{w|elliptic orbit}} which has an {{w|orbital eccentricity}} of about 0.0549. The conditions for a supermoon happen once every 411 days, and the loose definition of the term means that the supermoon lasts for about two or three full moons.

Returning back to the not-so-Superman, the average American adult man is 69 inches tall, with a {{w|standard deviation}} of 2.9 inches. Not-so-Superman, at an assumed 74 inches tall, is within the 95th percentile - certainly a tall man, but by no means phenomenal. "7% stronger" (most likely a reference to how the supermoon is 7% brighter) is a bit harder to quantify, but it communicates "not actually impressive" to the reader all the same.

===Title===
The comic's title makes use of an asterisk that is being used as a wildcard. When using search queries an asterisk represents an unknown character, or in some cases a set of characters. Therefore, Superm*n can represent the strings "Superman" and "Supermoon".

===Title Text===
The title text refers makes this same comparison with {{w|Spider-Man}}. Spider man is capable of firing large amounts of webbing, can can cling to surfaces with superhuman gripping abilities, and has a sixth sense, "spider sense", that warns him about impending danger. The title text describes trivially minimal versions of these powers, analogous to the trivial size and brightness difference between a "supermoon" and a normal full moon.

==Trivia==
Supermoon has been mentioned previously in [[1080: Visual Field]] and [[1052: Every Major's Terrible]].

==Transcript==
[Cueball is reaching for an item on a high shelf. Superman is rushing towards him]

Superman: I'll get it! I'm 5 inches taller and 7% stronger than the average man!

Caption: The new supermoon-inspired Superman reboot

==References==
<references />

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

826: Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)

2014-07-13T00:58:19Z

199.27.128.222: /* Miscellaneous */

{{comic
| number = 826
| date = November 26, 2010
| title = Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)
| before = ''Explainxkcd note: Don't try and click on this image to see the exhibits. Visit [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ the actual comic] instead''
| image = guest week zach weiner smbc.png
| titletext = Guest comic by Zach Weiner of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. When I was stressed out, Zach gave me a talk that was really encouraging and somehow involved nanobots.
}}

==List of task to make complete==

{{incomplete|Pop-out pictures are missing for some sections}}
{{incomplete|Not all sections are explained}}
{{incomplete|Some explanations are incomplete, or not explaining the punchline, or inconsistent in style of explanation}}
{{incomplete|Cross reference explanations to wikipedia where possible}}
{{incomplete|Formatting and layout needs improvements}}
{{incomplete|Review for grammar}}

==Explanation==

This comic is guest drawn by Zach Weiner, author of the webcomic [http://www.smbc-comics.com/ Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]. It's interactive, so you'll have to see the [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ original comic].

The entire comic is a hypothetical "{{w|Smithsonian Museum}} of Dad-Trolling, an entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement." That explains it pretty well.

===The Hall of Misunderstood Science===
Each exhibit is a display set up to reinforce the false answers to typical questions that children may ask their fathers about scientific topics. The answers given involve just enough information that the child may be satisfied with the answer and repeat it to others while maintaining the irony for adults that the answers are obviously misleading or false.

[[File:Hall Of Misunderstood Science 1.png|frame|center|
'''Top-left:''' The basilisk is a mythological reptilian monster that was described with the ability to turn other living things to stone with its gaze. 
'''Top-right:''' The magnet exhibit alludes to a loss of sexual desire in adults that while perceived may not be true. 
'''Bottom-left:''' Jesus' dandruff as snow refers to a common idiom in English that rain is "god's tears" and proposes a humorous and irreverent extension of the saying. 
'''Bottom-right:''' The sleep exhibit reinforces common fears by accentuating the aspect of vulnerability associated with sleep. "The Boogieman" is a common and generic ghost/monster name used by people telling ghost stories to young kids; he typically hides in closets and underneath beds, and attacks sleeping children.
]]

[[File:Hall Of Misunderstood Science 2.png|frame|center|
'''Top-left:''' Water is less dense as a solid than it is when in liquid state. This is an unusual property as most materials are more dense in solid form. The exhibit falsely explains the phenomenon by linking it to a defense mechanism employed by prey species to deter predators. A rhinoceros, though fierce and territorial, is not a predator. 
'''Top-right:''' The anti- in anti matter is a prefix in English which means "the opposite of" referring to the fact that antimatter is made up of oppositely charged particles from regular matter. This is a partial homonym to species of insects commonly called ants. 
'''Bottom-left:''' The letters associated with DNA are related to the nucleotides which make up the chains, they are guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine. The commonality of the abbreviation disguises the link to the names of the nucleotides and gives rise questions regarding the letter choices. 
'''Bottom-right:''' The figure speaking about molecule display is displaying a common trope attributed to elderly men in that they complain about developments that change the way the view or interact with the world. Historically, though it was understood that matter was made up of small particles it was a common misnomer to refer to these particle as atoms.
]]

===Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience===
This section holds falsehoods that a dad might use to frighten his children. It is an interactive experience, so visitors can try something for themselves, then learn the frightening fact it indicates.

Helium makes your voice high-pitched, which visitors are told is a sign they are about to explode.

Your middle finger is always longer than the others, so this test will always tell visitors they are an alien half-breed.

[[File:guest comic week zach weiner smbc 16.png|clear|center]]
Cherries are a common ingredient in Jello cups, but the exhibit implies that the cherry is actually a rabbit brain.

===Concessions===

This area holds concession stands, which sell food. There are misleading names on each stand.

KFP - a parody of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), a popular fast food chain which specializes in fried chicken.

Ground beef - a pun on the name. Ground refers to both the floor and the past tense of grind.

Eyes cream - wordplay once more. Ice cream sounds exactly like eyes cream when spoken, hence the 'how did you think it was spelled?'

===Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History===
This section perhaps refers to how poorly understood world history is in America. It is interesting to note that African and Australian history is completely omitted, while European and Asian history are at least referenced to.

[[Wikipedia:Crimean War|Crimean War]] - an European Conflict.

[[wikipedia:Genghis Khan|Genghis Khan]] - a Mongolian conqueror.

[[wikipedia:The Renaissance|The Renaissance]] - a cultural movement in Europe.

France - this further parodies the ignorance of countries outside of America, since most people know that France exists.

Star Wars - fiction is often treated as fact by children, or referred to as such by adults to children, either accidentally or purposefully.

===Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics===
The "naked wrestling" appears to be sex.

The "big tummies before babies come" obviously refers to pregnancy.

Sidestepping around the death of a loved one is common with young children to spare them the sorrow of death; this takes it a step further by saying that the child's grandmother went to Saturn.

"Alcohol is poison" - an excuse to explain away why fathers may drink unhealthily, or are addicts.

===Miscellaneous===
The Bathrooms have 3 doors. Clicking reveals that there is one for each gender of humans, and one for "Korgmen & Spangs". This may be a reference the Marvel alian spcicies {{w|Korg_(comics)|the Korg}} .

The uncategorized dark green exhibit to the right is labeled "Magic eye trick that doesn't actually work". The exhibit resembles an {{w|autostereogram}}, a picture that has a hidden 3D image, but has to be looked at by forcing your eyes to focus either beyond ("wall-eyed") or in front of ("cross-eyed") the image, which many people find difficult or impossible to do. Autostereograms are commonly sold in books under the trademark "Magic Eye". Presumably the exhibit only pretends to be an autostereogram without actually being one.

The dinosaur skeleton presumably refers to how humans have never actually seen a real dinosaur and have always only seen the bones.

==Transcript==
:In the spirit of xkcd I present a proposal for a new Smithsonian museum:
:The Smithsonian Museum Of Dad-Trolling
:An entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement

:(Click to view exhibits!)

:The top left room is 'The Hall of Misunderstood Science'. It contains six exhibits.

:Exhibit: A giant basilisk looms over children.
:Exhibit label: BASILISKS: Real, deadly, under your bed.

:Exhibit: Four magnets hang from a square arch. A child is touching two of them together.
:Text on the arch: Magnets only leap at each other when they're teenagers. Later, they lose interest.

:Exhibit: A child on his dad's shoulders looks up at a looming statue of Jesus behind a lectern. There are flakes falling from Jesus onto them both.
:Exhibit label: Snow is Jesus' dandruff. His scalp gets dry when it's cold.

:Exhibit: A child lies asleep, while hands and a scary face reach up around the bed toward him.
:Exhibit label: Sleep: Now you're vulnerable to the boogie man!

:Exhibit: An ice block sits on a stand in front of pictures of a wolf and rhinoceros looking frightened.
:Exhibit label: Freezing water: Expands to frighten predators.

:Exhibit: An insect on a stick is orbited by a small sphere.
:Exhibit label: Anti-matter: Matter that is more than 50% ants.

:Exhibit: A DNA strand with the letters T, A, C, and G hanging around it.
:Exhibit label: DNA only has four letters because the alphabet was smaller back then.
:Dad, to child: Told you so.

:Exhibit: A bunch of molecules hang from the ceiling.
:Exhibit label: Molecules? In my day, we only had atoms!

:The top right room is 'Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience'. There are four exhibits.

:Exhibit: Five balloons float tethered to a table. A child is holding a sixth balloon. The Dad looks alarmed.
:Sign on exhibit: If this helium makes your voice go higher, it's because you're ten seconds from exploding.

:Exhibit: An alien face is shown above an outline of several hands next to a ruler. A child holds his hand up to it.
:Sign on exhibit: Measure your middle finger. If it's longer than the others, you're an alien halfbreed.

:Exhibit: Three cups are on a table. A child is walking away with a fourth cup, the dad's arm around the child's shoulder.
:Exhibit label: Has anyone seen my rabbit brain? It looks like a cherry, and I dropped it in a Jello cup.

:Exhibit: A monstrous set of jaws open upward around a bed.
:Sign on exhibit: Make your bed or monsters will know a kid lives there.

:The center right room is 'Concessions'. There are three booths.

:Booth: A concession stand is labeled 'KFP', and displays a KFC-style bucket. A dad and child are eating.
:Dad: The "P" is for "phoenix".

:Booth: A concession stand.
:Sign on stand: Ground beef: Beef we found on the ground.
:Dad, to child: Told you.

:Booth: A stand shaped like a giant eye.
:Booth label: EYES CREAM
:Subtitle: How did you think it was spelled?
:Sign on booth: Now with more of the goo in your eyes. Same as every other creamery.

:The lower left room is 'Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History'. There are five exhibits.

:Exhibit: A man is riding a dragon.
:Exhibit label: Genghis Khan: victory through dragons.

:Exhibit: A criminal in front of some windows.
:Exhibit label: The Crimean War: The first war against crime.

:Exhibit: A castle with flags hanging on it.
:Exhibit label: The Renaissance
:Subtitle: Long story short, the wizards were in control.

:Exhibit:A man in Jedi-style robes with a fake beard.
:Exhibit label: Star Wars is a documentary. No, seriously.
:Dad, to children: Kids, this man is a veteran.

:The lower right room is 'Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics'. There are five exhibits.

:Exhibit: A wrestling ring, with a man and woman mostly obscured by the exhibit label.
:Exhibit label: Naked wrestling: perfectly normal. NEVER DO IT.

:Exhibit: a figure sits at a booth in front of a bowl of food. The dad is holding a bottle.
:Exhibit label: Alcohol is poison. I drink to save you from it.
:Dad: You're welcome.

:Exhibit: A large bird.
:Exhibit label: Mommies get big tummies before babies come because the stork likes chubby girls.

:Exhibit: A rocket ship.
:Sign on exhibit: Grandma's not dead. She just returned to Saturn. For REVENGE.

:In the areas outside the rooms, there are two more exhibits and restrooms, all clickable.

:Exhibit: A dinosaur skeleton.
:Exhibit label: That's right. Dinosaurs were made entirely of BONES.
:Dad, to kid: If you think about it, it makes sense.

:Exhibit: A large image hangs on the wall. It is a dense squiggly jumble of lines.
:Dad, to kids: You gotta squint juuust right.
:Sign on exhibit: Magic eye trick that doesn't actually work.

:Restrooms: There are three doors, each with a sign.
:First door (male logo): Men & Boys
:Second door (female logo): Women & Girls
:Third door (unrecognizable logo): Korgmen & Spangs

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Ferret]]
[[Category:Guest Week]]
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]

826: Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)

2014-07-13T00:55:08Z

199.27.128.222: /* The Hall of Misunderstood Science */

{{comic
| number = 826
| date = November 26, 2010
| title = Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)
| before = ''Explainxkcd note: Don't try and click on this image to see the exhibits. Visit [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ the actual comic] instead''
| image = guest week zach weiner smbc.png
| titletext = Guest comic by Zach Weiner of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. When I was stressed out, Zach gave me a talk that was really encouraging and somehow involved nanobots.
}}

==List of task to make complete==

{{incomplete|Pop-out pictures are missing for some sections}}
{{incomplete|Not all sections are explained}}
{{incomplete|Some explanations are incomplete, or not explaining the punchline, or inconsistent in style of explanation}}
{{incomplete|Cross reference explanations to wikipedia where possible}}
{{incomplete|Formatting and layout needs improvements}}
{{incomplete|Review for grammar}}

==Explanation==

This comic is guest drawn by Zach Weiner, author of the webcomic [http://www.smbc-comics.com/ Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]. It's interactive, so you'll have to see the [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ original comic].

The entire comic is a hypothetical "{{w|Smithsonian Museum}} of Dad-Trolling, an entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement." That explains it pretty well.

===The Hall of Misunderstood Science===
Each exhibit is a display set up to reinforce the false answers to typical questions that children may ask their fathers about scientific topics. The answers given involve just enough information that the child may be satisfied with the answer and repeat it to others while maintaining the irony for adults that the answers are obviously misleading or false.

[[File:Hall Of Misunderstood Science 1.png|frame|center|
'''Top-left:''' The basilisk is a mythological reptilian monster that was described with the ability to turn other living things to stone with its gaze. 
'''Top-right:''' The magnet exhibit alludes to a loss of sexual desire in adults that while perceived may not be true. 
'''Bottom-left:''' Jesus' dandruff as snow refers to a common idiom in English that rain is "god's tears" and proposes a humorous and irreverent extension of the saying. 
'''Bottom-right:''' The sleep exhibit reinforces common fears by accentuating the aspect of vulnerability associated with sleep. "The Boogieman" is a common and generic ghost/monster name used by people telling ghost stories to young kids; he typically hides in closets and underneath beds, and attacks sleeping children.
]]

[[File:Hall Of Misunderstood Science 2.png|frame|center|
'''Top-left:''' Water is less dense as a solid than it is when in liquid state. This is an unusual property as most materials are more dense in solid form. The exhibit falsely explains the phenomenon by linking it to a defense mechanism employed by prey species to deter predators. A rhinoceros, though fierce and territorial, is not a predator. 
'''Top-right:''' The anti- in anti matter is a prefix in English which means "the opposite of" referring to the fact that antimatter is made up of oppositely charged particles from regular matter. This is a partial homonym to species of insects commonly called ants. 
'''Bottom-left:''' The letters associated with DNA are related to the nucleotides which make up the chains, they are guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine. The commonality of the abbreviation disguises the link to the names of the nucleotides and gives rise questions regarding the letter choices. 
'''Bottom-right:''' The figure speaking about molecule display is displaying a common trope attributed to elderly men in that they complain about developments that change the way the view or interact with the world. Historically, though it was understood that matter was made up of small particles it was a common misnomer to refer to these particle as atoms.
]]

===Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience===
This section holds falsehoods that a dad might use to frighten his children. It is an interactive experience, so visitors can try something for themselves, then learn the frightening fact it indicates.

Helium makes your voice high-pitched, which visitors are told is a sign they are about to explode.

Your middle finger is always longer than the others, so this test will always tell visitors they are an alien half-breed.

[[File:guest comic week zach weiner smbc 16.png|clear|center]]
Cherries are a common ingredient in Jello cups, but the exhibit implies that the cherry is actually a rabbit brain.

===Concessions===

This area holds concession stands, which sell food. There are misleading names on each stand.

KFP - a parody of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), a popular fast food chain which specializes in fried chicken.

Ground beef - a pun on the name. Ground refers to both the floor and the past tense of grind.

Eyes cream - wordplay once more. Ice cream sounds exactly like eyes cream when spoken, hence the 'how did you think it was spelled?'

===Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History===
This section perhaps refers to how poorly understood world history is in America. It is interesting to note that African and Australian history is completely omitted, while European and Asian history are at least referenced to.

[[Wikipedia:Crimean War|Crimean War]] - an European Conflict.

[[wikipedia:Genghis Khan|Genghis Khan]] - a Mongolian conqueror.

[[wikipedia:The Renaissance|The Renaissance]] - a cultural movement in Europe.

France - this further parodies the ignorance of countries outside of America, since most people know that France exists.

Star Wars - fiction is often treated as fact by children, or referred to as such by adults to children, either accidentally or purposefully.

===Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics===
The "naked wrestling" appears to be sex.

The "big tummies before babies come" obviously refers to pregnancy.

Sidestepping around the death of a loved one is common with young children to spare them the sorrow of death; this takes it a step further by saying that the child's grandmother went to Saturn.

"Alcohol is poison" - an excuse to explain away why fathers may drink unhealthily, or are addicts.

===Miscellaneous===
The Bathrooms have 3 doors. Clicking reveals that there is one for each gender of humans, and one for "Korgmen & Spangs". This may be a reference the Marvel alian spcicies {{w|Korg_(comics)|the Korg}} .

The uncategorized dark green exhibit to the right is labeled "Magic eye trick that doesn't actually work". The exhibit resembles an {{w|autostereogram}}, a picture that has a hidden 3D image, but has to be looked at by forcing your eyes to focus either beyond ("wall-eyed") or in front of ("cross-eyed") the image, which many people find difficult or impossible to do. Presumably the exhibit only pretends to be an autostereogram without actually being one.

The dinosaur skeleton presumably refers to how humans have never actually seen a real dinosaur and have always only seen the bones.

==Transcript==
:In the spirit of xkcd I present a proposal for a new Smithsonian museum:
:The Smithsonian Museum Of Dad-Trolling
:An entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement

:(Click to view exhibits!)

:The top left room is 'The Hall of Misunderstood Science'. It contains six exhibits.

:Exhibit: A giant basilisk looms over children.
:Exhibit label: BASILISKS: Real, deadly, under your bed.

:Exhibit: Four magnets hang from a square arch. A child is touching two of them together.
:Text on the arch: Magnets only leap at each other when they're teenagers. Later, they lose interest.

:Exhibit: A child on his dad's shoulders looks up at a looming statue of Jesus behind a lectern. There are flakes falling from Jesus onto them both.
:Exhibit label: Snow is Jesus' dandruff. His scalp gets dry when it's cold.

:Exhibit: A child lies asleep, while hands and a scary face reach up around the bed toward him.
:Exhibit label: Sleep: Now you're vulnerable to the boogie man!

:Exhibit: An ice block sits on a stand in front of pictures of a wolf and rhinoceros looking frightened.
:Exhibit label: Freezing water: Expands to frighten predators.

:Exhibit: An insect on a stick is orbited by a small sphere.
:Exhibit label: Anti-matter: Matter that is more than 50% ants.

:Exhibit: A DNA strand with the letters T, A, C, and G hanging around it.
:Exhibit label: DNA only has four letters because the alphabet was smaller back then.
:Dad, to child: Told you so.

:Exhibit: A bunch of molecules hang from the ceiling.
:Exhibit label: Molecules? In my day, we only had atoms!

:The top right room is 'Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience'. There are four exhibits.

:Exhibit: Five balloons float tethered to a table. A child is holding a sixth balloon. The Dad looks alarmed.
:Sign on exhibit: If this helium makes your voice go higher, it's because you're ten seconds from exploding.

:Exhibit: An alien face is shown above an outline of several hands next to a ruler. A child holds his hand up to it.
:Sign on exhibit: Measure your middle finger. If it's longer than the others, you're an alien halfbreed.

:Exhibit: Three cups are on a table. A child is walking away with a fourth cup, the dad's arm around the child's shoulder.
:Exhibit label: Has anyone seen my rabbit brain? It looks like a cherry, and I dropped it in a Jello cup.

:Exhibit: A monstrous set of jaws open upward around a bed.
:Sign on exhibit: Make your bed or monsters will know a kid lives there.

:The center right room is 'Concessions'. There are three booths.

:Booth: A concession stand is labeled 'KFP', and displays a KFC-style bucket. A dad and child are eating.
:Dad: The "P" is for "phoenix".

:Booth: A concession stand.
:Sign on stand: Ground beef: Beef we found on the ground.
:Dad, to child: Told you.

:Booth: A stand shaped like a giant eye.
:Booth label: EYES CREAM
:Subtitle: How did you think it was spelled?
:Sign on booth: Now with more of the goo in your eyes. Same as every other creamery.

:The lower left room is 'Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History'. There are five exhibits.

:Exhibit: A man is riding a dragon.
:Exhibit label: Genghis Khan: victory through dragons.

:Exhibit: A criminal in front of some windows.
:Exhibit label: The Crimean War: The first war against crime.

:Exhibit: A castle with flags hanging on it.
:Exhibit label: The Renaissance
:Subtitle: Long story short, the wizards were in control.

:Exhibit:A man in Jedi-style robes with a fake beard.
:Exhibit label: Star Wars is a documentary. No, seriously.
:Dad, to children: Kids, this man is a veteran.

:The lower right room is 'Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics'. There are five exhibits.

:Exhibit: A wrestling ring, with a man and woman mostly obscured by the exhibit label.
:Exhibit label: Naked wrestling: perfectly normal. NEVER DO IT.

:Exhibit: a figure sits at a booth in front of a bowl of food. The dad is holding a bottle.
:Exhibit label: Alcohol is poison. I drink to save you from it.
:Dad: You're welcome.

:Exhibit: A large bird.
:Exhibit label: Mommies get big tummies before babies come because the stork likes chubby girls.

:Exhibit: A rocket ship.
:Sign on exhibit: Grandma's not dead. She just returned to Saturn. For REVENGE.

:In the areas outside the rooms, there are two more exhibits and restrooms, all clickable.

:Exhibit: A dinosaur skeleton.
:Exhibit label: That's right. Dinosaurs were made entirely of BONES.
:Dad, to kid: If you think about it, it makes sense.

:Exhibit: A large image hangs on the wall. It is a dense squiggly jumble of lines.
:Dad, to kids: You gotta squint juuust right.
:Sign on exhibit: Magic eye trick that doesn't actually work.

:Restrooms: There are three doors, each with a sign.
:First door (male logo): Men & Boys
:Second door (female logo): Women & Girls
:Third door (unrecognizable logo): Korgmen & Spangs

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Ferret]]
[[Category:Guest Week]]
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]

826: Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)

2014-07-12T22:57:59Z

199.27.128.222: /* The Hall of Misunderstood Science */

{{comic
| number = 826
| date = November 26, 2010
| title = Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)
| before = ''Explainxkcd note: Don't try and click on this image to see the exhibits. Visit [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ the actual comic] instead''
| image = guest week zach weiner smbc.png
| titletext = Guest comic by Zach Weiner of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. When I was stressed out, Zach gave me a talk that was really encouraging and somehow involved nanobots.
}}

==List of task to make complete==

{{incomplete|Pop-out pictures are missing for some sections}}
{{incomplete|Not all sections are explained}}
{{incomplete|Some explanations are incomplete, or not explaining the punchline, or inconsistent in style of explanation}}
{{incomplete|Cross reference explanations to wikipedia where possible}}
{{incomplete|Formatting and layout needs improvements}}
{{incomplete|Review for grammar}}

==Explanation==

This comic is guest drawn by Zach Weiner, author of the webcomic [http://www.smbc-comics.com/ Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]. It's interactive, so you'll have to see the [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ original comic].

The entire comic is a hypothetical "{{w|Smithsonian Museum}} of Dad-Trolling, an entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement." That explains it pretty well.

===The Hall of Misunderstood Science===
Each exhibit is a display set up to reinforce the false answers to typical questions that children may ask their fathers about scientific topics. The answers given involve just enough information that the child may be satisfied with the answer and repeat it to others while maintaining the irony for adults that the answers are obviously misleading or false.

[[File:Hall Of Misunderstood Science 1.png|frame|center|
'''Top-left:''' The basilisk is a mythological reptilian monster that was described with the ability to turn other living things to stone with its gaze. 
'''Top-right:''' The magnet exhibit alludes to a loss of sexual desire in adults that while perceived may not be true. 
'''Bottom-left:''' Jesus' dandruff as snow refers to a common idiom in English that rain is "god's tears" and proposes a humorous and irreverent extension of the saying. 
'''Bottom-right:''' The sleep exhibit reinforces common fears by accentuating the aspect of vulnerability associated with sleep. "The Boogieman" is a common ghost/monster name used by young kids and people telling ghost stories to young kids; his appearance and behavior varies, but he typically hides in closets and underneath beds, and attacks sleeping children.
]]

[[File:Hall Of Misunderstood Science 2.png|frame|center|
'''Top-left:''' Water is less dense as a solid than it is when in liquid state. This is an unusual property as most materials are more dense in solid form. The exhibit falsely explains the phenomenon by linking it to a defense mechanism employed by prey species to deter predators. A rhinoceros, though fierce and territorial, is not a predator. 
'''Top-right:''' The anti- in anti matter is a prefix in English which means "the opposite of" referring to the fact that antimatter is made up of oppositely charged particles from regular matter. This is a partial homonym to species of insects commonly called ants. 
'''Bottom-left:''' The letters associated with DNA are related to the nucleotides which make up the chains, they are guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine. The commonality of the abbreviation disguises the link to the names of the nucleotides and gives rise questions regarding the letter choices. 
'''Bottom-right:''' The figure speaking about molecule display is displaying a common trope attributed to elderly men in that they complain about developments that change the way the view or interact with the world. Historically, though it was understood that matter was made up of small particles it was a common misnomer to refer to these particle as atoms.
]]

===Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience===
This section holds falsehoods that a dad might use to frighten his children. It is an interactive experience, so visitors can try something for themselves, then learn the frightening fact it indicates.

Helium makes your voice high-pitched, which visitors are told is a sign they are about to explode.

Your middle finger is always longer than the others, so this test will always tell visitors they are an alien half-breed.

[[File:guest comic week zach weiner smbc 16.png|clear|center]]
Cherries are a common ingredient in Jello cups, but the exhibit implies that the cherry is actually a rabbit brain.

===Concessions===

This area holds concession stands, which sell food. There are misleading names on each stand.

KFP - a parody of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), a popular fast food chain which specializes in fried chicken.

Ground beef - a pun on the name. Ground refers to both the floor and the past tense of grind.

Eyes cream - wordplay once more. Ice cream sounds exactly like eyes cream when spoken, hence the 'how did you think it was spelled?'

===Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History===
This section perhaps refers to how poorly understood world history is in America. It is interesting to note that African and Australian history is completely omitted, while European and Asian history are at least referenced to.

[[Wikipedia:Crimean War|Crimean War]] - an European Conflict.

[[wikipedia:Genghis Khan|Genghis Khan]] - a Mongolian conqueror.

[[wikipedia:The Renaissance|The Renaissance]] - a cultural movement in Europe.

France - this further parodies the ignorance of countries outside of America, since most people know that France exists.

Star Wars - fiction is often treated as fact by children, or referred to as such by adults to children, either accidentally or purposefully.

===Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics===
The "naked wrestling" appears to be sex.

The "big tummies before babies come" obviously refers to pregnancy.

Sidestepping around the death of a loved one is common with young children to spare them the sorrow of death; this takes it a step further by saying that the child's grandmother went to Saturn.

"Alcohol is poison" - an excuse to explain away why fathers may drink unhealthily, or are addicts.

===Miscellaneous===
The Bathrooms have 3 doors. Clicking reveals that there is one for each gender of humans, and one for "Korgmen & Spangs". This may be a reference the Marvel alian spcicies {{w|Korg_(comics)|the Korg}} .

The uncategorized dark green exhibit to the right is labeled "Magic eye trick that doesn't actually work". The exhibit resembles an {{w|autostereogram}}, a picture that has a hidden 3D image, but has to be looked at by forcing your eyes to focus either beyond ("wall-eyed") or in front of ("cross-eyed") the image, which many people find difficult or impossible to do. Presumably the exhibit only pretends to be an autostereogram without actually being one.

The dinosaur skeleton presumably refers to how humans have never actually seen a real dinosaur and have always only seen the bones.

==Transcript==
:In the spirit of xkcd I present a proposal for a new Smithsonian museum:
:The Smithsonian Museum Of Dad-Trolling
:An entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement

:(Click to view exhibits!)

:The top left room is 'The Hall of Misunderstood Science'. It contains six exhibits.

:Exhibit: A giant basilisk looms over children.
:Exhibit label: BASILISKS: Real, deadly, under your bed.

:Exhibit: Four magnets hang from a square arch. A child is touching two of them together.
:Text on the arch: Magnets only leap at each other when they're teenagers. Later, they lose interest.

:Exhibit: A child on his dad's shoulders looks up at a looming statue of Jesus behind a lectern. There are flakes falling from Jesus onto them both.
:Exhibit label: Snow is Jesus' dandruff. His scalp gets dry when it's cold.

:Exhibit: A child lies asleep, while hands and a scary face reach up around the bed toward him.
:Exhibit label: Sleep: Now you're vulnerable to the boogie man!

:Exhibit: An ice block sits on a stand in front of pictures of a wolf and rhinoceros looking frightened.
:Exhibit label: Freezing water: Expands to frighten predators.

:Exhibit: An insect on a stick is orbited by a small sphere.
:Exhibit label: Anti-matter: Matter that is more than 50% ants.

:Exhibit: A DNA strand with the letters T, A, C, and G hanging around it.
:Exhibit label: DNA only has four letters because the alphabet was smaller back then.
:Dad, to child: Told you so.

:Exhibit: A bunch of molecules hang from the ceiling.
:Exhibit label: Molecules? In my day, we only had atoms!

:The top right room is 'Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience'. There are four exhibits.

:Exhibit: Five balloons float tethered to a table. A child is holding a sixth balloon. The Dad looks alarmed.
:Sign on exhibit: If this helium makes your voice go higher, it's because you're ten seconds from exploding.

:Exhibit: An alien face is shown above an outline of several hands next to a ruler. A child holds his hand up to it.
:Sign on exhibit: Measure your middle finger. If it's longer than the others, you're an alien halfbreed.

:Exhibit: Three cups are on a table. A child is walking away with a fourth cup, the dad's arm around the child's shoulder.
:Exhibit label: Has anyone seen my rabbit brain? It looks like a cherry, and I dropped it in a Jello cup.

:Exhibit: A monstrous set of jaws open upward around a bed.
:Sign on exhibit: Make your bed or monsters will know a kid lives there.

:The center right room is 'Concessions'. There are three booths.

:Booth: A concession stand is labeled 'KFP', and displays a KFC-style bucket. A dad and child are eating.
:Dad: The "P" is for "phoenix".

:Booth: A concession stand.
:Sign on stand: Ground beef: Beef we found on the ground.
:Dad, to child: Told you.

:Booth: A stand shaped like a giant eye.
:Booth label: EYES CREAM
:Subtitle: How did you think it was spelled?
:Sign on booth: Now with more of the goo in your eyes. Same as every other creamery.

:The lower left room is 'Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History'. There are five exhibits.

:Exhibit: A man is riding a dragon.
:Exhibit label: Genghis Khan: victory through dragons.

:Exhibit: A criminal in front of some windows.
:Exhibit label: The Crimean War: The first war against crime.

:Exhibit: A castle with flags hanging on it.
:Exhibit label: The Renaissance
:Subtitle: Long story short, the wizards were in control.

:Exhibit:A man in Jedi-style robes with a fake beard.
:Exhibit label: Star Wars is a documentary. No, seriously.
:Dad, to children: Kids, this man is a veteran.

:The lower right room is 'Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics'. There are five exhibits.

:Exhibit: A wrestling ring, with a man and woman mostly obscured by the exhibit label.
:Exhibit label: Naked wrestling: perfectly normal. NEVER DO IT.

:Exhibit: a figure sits at a booth in front of a bowl of food. The dad is holding a bottle.
:Exhibit label: Alcohol is poison. I drink to save you from it.
:Dad: You're welcome.

:Exhibit: A large bird.
:Exhibit label: Mommies get big tummies before babies come because the stork likes chubby girls.

:Exhibit: A rocket ship.
:Sign on exhibit: Grandma's not dead. She just returned to Saturn. For REVENGE.

:In the areas outside the rooms, there are two more exhibits and restrooms, all clickable.

:Exhibit: A dinosaur skeleton.
:Exhibit label: That's right. Dinosaurs were made entirely of BONES.
:Dad, to kid: If you think about it, it makes sense.

:Exhibit: A large image hangs on the wall. It is a dense squiggly jumble of lines.
:Dad, to kids: You gotta squint juuust right.
:Sign on exhibit: Magic eye trick that doesn't actually work.

:Restrooms: There are three doors, each with a sign.
:First door (male logo): Men & Boys
:Second door (female logo): Women & Girls
:Third door (unrecognizable logo): Korgmen & Spangs

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Ferret]]
[[Category:Guest Week]]
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]

Talk:1393: Timeghost

2014-07-12T22:53:06Z

199.27.128.222:

A lot of the facts seem to fit information that sites like http://you.regettingold.com/ would provide. But I'll leave it up to someone else to work out the dates of everything (except for the imminent and possibly eerie deaths of the strip characters) being referenced, and thus what ages Randall is assuming the various cohorts are... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 04:58, 11 July 2014 (UTC)

''Forrest Gump'' the book - 1986

''Forrest Gump'' the movie - 1994

Vietnam War - 1955 to 1975

Keanu Reeves - born 1965 (age 49)

''The Simpsons'' season 5 - 1993 [[User:Dude1818|Dude1818]] ([[User talk:Dude1818|talk]]) 05:15, 11 July 2014 (UTC)

I'm sure you all remember [[1108:_Cautionary_Ghost|Cautionary Ghost]]; there's got to be a lot of those around in the xkcd universe... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.73|108.162.231.73]] 07:23, 11 July 2014 (UTC)

I don't know enough about the English usage of the term to see the connection, but could this be a play on "zeitgeist", seeing how it is a literal translation of the word? [[Special:Contributions/103.22.200.115|103.22.200.115]] Tobl

Maybe it is just me, but I don't see the characters' deaths as imminent. In the first panel, Megan is not suprised to see that ghost and can even identify it easily. So my guess is that she previously met the ghost "some time" before, but she (obviously) doesn't like to know how much time she has left to live. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.156|108.162.229.156]] 08:12, 11 July 2014 (UTC)

(average age of new grandparents is less than 50) [citation needed] {{unsigned ip|141.101.99.53}}
:can I site xkcd:1393 as a source for that data?[[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.79|173.245.48.79]] 09:17, 11 July 2014 (UTC)BLuDgeons

Google gives 25 as the average age people get their first child. Wikipedia also says Eminem rose to mainstream popularity in 1999 (His debut was earlier but the comic says "when Eminem got big", a subjective term but the 1999 figure might be more accurate?) This also makes season 5/6 of the Simpsons at age 4/5 the earliest age most people remember well.
Maybe change the dates to 1989, 1993 and 1999 for parenthood, simpsons and eminem respectively?

Sources:
Parent age: http://www.babycenter.com/0_surprising-facts-about-birth-in-the-united-states_1372273.bc?page=2 (questionable maybe)
Eminem got big: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eminem (Second paragraph, subjective)
Earliest memories: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood_amnesia (Second paragraph, personal recollection offset is 4.5 years)[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.86|141.101.104.86]] 09:46, 11 July 2014 (UTC)
:I can't find a current number, but extrapolation from [http://www.familyfacts.org/charts/219/the-average-age-of-first-time-mothers-has-steadily-increased this] chart would put the average parent age for their first child at 25 or maybe 26. 28 is the average parent age for any child. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 12:34, 11 July 2014 (UTC)

How can we say that the time-ghost only first appeared in the beginning of this particular comic? In the first panel Megan seems to recognize the time-ghost, inferring that she's met him before - but Cueball has not. [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 12:29, 11 July 2014 (UTC)

: Implying. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.215|108.162.246.215]] 05:47, 12 July 2014 (UTC)

I do not know about the proper etiquette for submitting possible edits to the explanations.
Should "[...] than the time that has past since the ghost's began its" become "[...] than the time that has '''passed''' since the ghost began its"?
[[User:Zyzygy|Zyzygy]] ([[User talk:Zyzygy|talk]]) 9:24, 12 July 2014 (UTC)
:Looks reasonable. When you see lexical errors like that, feel free to just change it yourself. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 11:02, 12 July 2014 (UTC)

So, how old is Randall? {{unsigned ip|141.101.99.55}}

We need a category for "comics that make people feel old", if we don't already have one. You know, like that one with the eight-year-old talking about 9/11. If we do, just add this comic to it. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.222|199.27.128.222]] 22:53, 12 July 2014 (UTC)