explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1975: Right Click

2025-10-11T23:29:55Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1975
| date = April 1, 2018
| title = Right Click
| image = right_click.png
| titletext = Right-click or long press (where supported) to save!
}}
{{series
| series = April
| number = 9
| date = April 1, 2018
| days_late =
| day_category = Sunday
| prev_title = 1663: Garden
| prev_date = April 4, 2016
| next_title = 2131: Emojidome
| next_date = April 1, 2019
| extra_text = In fact, [[April Fools' Day comics|2009 and 2017 are the only years]] in which Randall hasn't marked this day with a comic.
}}
{{TOC}}To experience the interactivity of the game, visit the {{xkcd|1975|original comic}}.

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete|Need to finish explaining [[#Link Spells|the spells]] (second half of the table).

Also, improve the caption for the image on the right.}}
[[File:right click save.png|thumb|right|550px|The image downloaded when the save button is selected.]]
At first, the comic seems like the most simplistic xkcd comic possible - [[Cueball]] standing and doing nothing. The "editor's note" tells you to save a copy of the image to "view the full comic".

To save an image from a browser most people would right-click on it (or long-click in mobile devices) which normally leads to a "context menu" allowing several actions related to the image, including saving/downloading. This is what you are encouraged to do by the editorial note as well as by the comic name and title text. However, the context menu opened is not the default context menu of the browser but an elaborate context menu containing many nonsensical options.

At first it also seems impossible to save the image using that menu. However, after exploring the context menu you can find an "easter egg" in one of two different places (see below) which unlocks the save option. This save option gives you a different [https://xkcd.com/1975/v6xso1_right_click_save.png image] than the one you see, which can be thought of as "the full comic" although the meat of the comic is actually in the interactive context menu itself. Note that "cheating" by disabling JavaScript and other methods that allow you to directly save the image won't get you that "full comic" image.

This comic pokes fun at how hard it can be to save an image or to just navigate context menus in some computer programs. The "easter egg hunt" might be related to the fact the comic was released during Easter (which fell on April fool's in 2018). It might also be related to the movie "Ready Player One" which was recently released when the comic was released. In the movie, based on the book by Cline, finding an "easter egg" in a VR world was a central plot point.

The title is reminiscent of one of the first interactive comics [[1110: Click and Drag]], where the title explains what the user should do to experience it. However, that was not a fools' day comic.

The comic uses {{w|JavaScript}} and {{w|HTML5}} to override the standard context menu. Since modern browsers use the same features to integrate Add-ons into that menu, the behavior may be different depending on the browser environment. Browsers with JavaScript disabled, either totally or by using {{w|NoScript}}, won't access the functionality of the comic, but of course can easily save the image (not "the full version" but the image that is seen initially).
<div style="clear: both"></div>

==Context menu==
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable sortable"
! # !! Menu item !! Explanation !! Sub-menu items
|-
!1
| '''Save'''
| Only appears after getting one of the two easter eggs that can be found in the menu - in the games ADVENT.EXE and Mornington Crescent (see their explanations below).
| Save image> Views the image the first time you click, then downloads this image on every visit after that. [https://xkcd.com/1975/v6xso1_right_click_save.png]. The image includes a spheroid object near the top right-hand corner which appears to exhibit red shift and green shift, suggesting that it is rotating rapidly.

|-
! 2
| '''File'''
| Normal submenu
|Close: Closes menu, does nothing.
Open: A:\, C:\, / (See more [[#Filesystems Menu|below]])

Find: Where, When, How, (grayed out) What, (grayed out) Why, Who.

'Where' leads to four options. The first, 'computer', has two options ('folder' and 'menus'), which link back to the 'find' and right-click menus, respectively. "Narnia" leads to a link to the comic [[665: Prudence]] as well as to a grey comment about how it's weird that "they" have to die to go back to Narnia.
"Canada" and "America" lead to the same set of bizarre menus (America leads into Canada's menu), which then give the options 'Upper' and 'Lower', ultimately leading to a drive-through and hockey, respectively.

'When' leads to a description of Siri entering someone's home, and the menu can be followed to reveal several further events from 'earlier' in the day. The last one ('a bottle of jack and a toothbrush') is likely a reference to the song 'Tik Tok' by Kesha.

'How' simply leads to an exclamation of 'How!?'.

'What' is grayed out.

'Why' links to [http://itisamystery.com/], ''technically'' answering the question of "Why?"

'Who' leads to a menu version of the Abbot and Costello "Who's on First?" routine, which eventually links to a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTcRRaXV-fg&feature=youtu.be youtube video] of the routine. As of April 4th, a second submenu has been added, which contains Slappy and Skippy's "Who's on Stage?" parody of the previous routine, which also eventually leads to its [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdqv5xIsFLM youtube video].

Backup: Causes the area around the comic to flash red 9 times, with high-pitch sounds reminiscent of a truck backing up. Reminiscent of the Sinclair Spectrum SAVE to tape command, which would flash the border and modulate the speaker.

Save: Only available after the save menu is unlocked after one of the two Easter Eggs is found, allows a download of a bonus comic, same as clicking the save option from the main menu.

|-
! 3
| '''Edit'''
| Enables a mode allowing the user to draw on the webpage. You can draw multiple scribbles, however, they will automatically connect together. Pressing Esc asks "Aw, that looks nice though. Really delete?" and the page returns to normal if OK is clicked.
| None
|-
! 4
| '''System'''
| Normal submenu
|Shut Down> Changes the only menu option to "Power on", then once that is used, the system returns to normal.

/ (See [[#Table - Filesystems Menu|below]])
|-
! 5
| '''View'''
| Normal submenu
|Cascade>Links to [http://wiki.xkcd.com/geohashing/Mt._St._Helens,_Washington]

Tile> Links to [[245: Floor Tiles]]

Minimize> Changes pointer to a smaller pointer.

Full Screen> Enters full screen.
|-
! 6
| '''Utilities'''
| Normal submenu
|Park drives> Nothing.

Check space usage> (cannot click) Space usage: -Dark matter -Hydrogen -Helium -Scattered clumps of heavier elements -Stars -Rocks -Some space probes -Earth

Spell check> English (links to [[1069: Alphabet]]) and Colors (links to [https://blog.xkcd.com/2010/05/03/color-survey-results/])

Train AI> links to [[1838: Machine Learning]]

Identify song> opens a long word-by-word menu for song lyrics; it's actually a menu-ised version of [[851: Na]].

Advanced> several Unix commands, all absurd (or dangerous) for some reason:
* <code>apt-get install /dev/null</code>: <code>apt-get</code> is the standard package manager used in Debian-derived Linux distributions (including Ubuntu); it is normally used to install software; <code>/dev/null</code> is the "bit-bucket" device on any Unix system, which can be used as a dummy output file to discard output or as a dummy empty input file. This command would attempt to install <code>/dev/null</code> (which is a device, not a package!) or, more correctly, would try to install a package reading its data from <code>/dev/null</code> (if <code>apt-get</code> is given a file name it tries to interpret it as a .deb package), which is obviously impossible.
* <code>brew install apt-get</code>: <code>brew</code> is a third-party package manager for macOS; it is generally used to install "missing" open-source utilities on a macOS system; the command is attempting to install the aforementioned <code>apt-get</code>, which is both impossible (<code>apt-get</code> doesn't run on macOS) and hilariously recursive (did you install a package manager - brew - to install another one?). Even if this were possible, the package would have been called <code>apt</code>, as apt-get is only one of the commands in the package manager.
* <code>/usr/local/bin/wine xen-hypervisor.exe</code>: <code>wine</code> is a compatibility layer used to run Windows executables on Linux (and on macOS); the fact that it is in <code>/usr/local</code> hints that it has been manually compiled on this machine; Xen is a Linux-based hypervisor, i.e. a software used to run and manage virtual machines over a Linux host, but the .exe suffix here hints that it is a Windows executable. The command would try to launch a Windows build of a Linux-based virtual machine manager on a Unix machine through a Windows emulation layer (wine).
* <code>source .bash_history</code>: the <code>source</code> shell command reads the file that is given as argument and executes each of its rows as a command in the current shell, roughly as if you typed them in; <code>.bash_history</code> (located in the user home directory) is the file where the bash shell saves the history of the commands that have been run. This command would re-run all the commands that have been typed in the shell.
* <code>rm -rf $DIRECTROY/*</code>: <code>rm -rf</code> deletes recursively and forcefully the paths it is given as arguments; <code>$DIRECTROY</code> is a shell variable, probably containing some directory that whoever typed in this command wanted to clean; however, it is misspelled (it says <code>$DIRECTROY</code>, not <code>$DIRECTORY</code>), and, due to how POSIX shell work, it is thus expanded to an empty string; so, the command becomes <code>rm -rf /*</code>, which deletes all the files and directories in the root of the disk, effectively killing the system instead of just deleting the content of some directory. Notice that this particular misspell manages to circumvent the builtin protection of many <code>rm</code> versions, which refuse to do a plain <code>rm -rf /</code>, as <code>/*</code> gets expanded by the shell, so <code>rm</code> never has the chance to see explicitly that you are killing all the data in the root directory.
* <code>:(){:|:&};:</code>: this is [https://askubuntu.com/q/159491/208527 a classic shell fork bomb], i.e. a small program that keeps launching copies of itself until all resources have been exhausted or the user somehow manages to kill all its copies.
* <code>echo "source .bashrc" >> .bashrc</code>: <code>.bashrc</code> is a file that gets executed whenever the <code>bash</code> shell is started in interactive mode; this command appends the string <code>source .bashrc</code> to it, which effectively executes it again recursively; this would pretty much make it impossible to open an interactive shell when launching it with the default parameters.
* <code>alias gcc=php</code>: the <code>alias</code> shell builtin create an alias for another command; <code>gcc</code> is the GNU C compiler driver, which is used to compile programs written in the C language; <code>php</code> is the command-line interpreter for the PHP language. This line creates an alias such that when typing <code>gcc</code>, <code>php</code> is actually invoked, which would generate completely absurd error messages. This is doubly devious, as PHP isn't generally held in high esteem by large part of the programming community (especially by someone writing stuff in C).

* <code>'); DROP TABLE Menus;--</code> links to [[327: Exploits of a Mom]]
|-
! 7
| '''Games'''
| Normal submenu
| Twenty Questions> A Twenty Questions interface that gets really confusing. There are links to Bing image searches for '[https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=okapi&FORM=HDRSC2 okapi]', '[https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=pronghorn&FORM=HDRSC2 pronghorn]', '[https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=eland&FORM=HDRSC2 eland]', '[https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=baribusa&FORM=HDRSC2 baribusa]', '[https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=musk%20deer&FORM=HDRSC2 musk deer]' and '[https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ibex&FORM=HDRSC2 ibex]'. The game also contains some extremely large cans of creamed corn (a reference to [[1807: Listening]]).

Rock Paper Scissors> A Rock Paper Scissors game where the computer always matches your move. If you go long enough, the Defect option is added, a reference to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma Prisoner's Dilemma].

D&D> An interface that allows you to "cast" over 300 spells from {{W|Dungeons_&_Dragons|D&D}} 5e. Several menus are used to filter the spells based on their traits: class which can learn the spell, the school of the spell, the spell level, and components required to perform it (somatic, vocal, material). The traits can be chosen in any order. After all six traits are chosen a submenu opens with all of the spells that match those exact traits (which might be no spells at all).

Most spells link to various pages, including xkcd comics (e.g. [[1331: Frequency]]), what-ifs (e.g. {{what if|144|Saliva Pool}}) and other external sites (e.g. [https://www.nasa.gov/sun The Sun | NASA]). Some spells create effects that change the comic page temporarily or permanently, and some open submenus from different parts of the context menu.

See [[#D&D spells|below]] for all links and effects.

ADVENT.EXE> A text-based adventure game. If played correctly, you can win, unlocking 'Save'>'Save image' from the beginning menu, which links to [https://xkcd.com/1975/v6xso1_right_click_save.png].

The first scene allows you a choice between exploring a dark cave or a castle. If you explore the cave first you get the following description: "It's pitch black. You're likely to be eaten by a grue". This is a reference to a text adventure game called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork Zork], where [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grue_(monster) Grues] are monsters who dwell in the dark and eat human explorers, making it impossible to explore dark areas. The same description often appears when you enter a dark area without a light source in Zork and other related games. This has previously been mentionned in [[91: Pwned]].

If you ignore the warning and go deeper, you are given one more warning ("You're deep in a cave. Something, possibly this very sentence, tells you it would be dangerous to go any further"). If you ignore that too and keep going, you fall into a pit. Several options are given to try and rescue yourself (or alternatively "resign to your fate" or deny you are in a pit [You also may try to cause a distraction by saying "Look behind you! A three-headed monkey!" This may be a reference to the Curse of Monkey Island, where Guybrush Threepwood distracts characters by saying the same line.]) but all lead to "you've been eaten by a grue". Being eaten by a grue seems to be an irreversible condition - if you exit the context menu and enter ADVENT.EXE again, you are given no options and are told again that "you've been eaten by a grue". Apparently only refreshing the page cancels that.

Exploring the castle is a much safer option to begin with. The main castle scene has a door, a well, and stairs that go up to the tower. The door is locked, and trying to break it is futile.

The well is a wishing well. Examining it allows for several options:
* Examine the sign - it reads "Dark! Narrow! Scary! Well of Three Features". This is a reference to [https://zeldawiki.wiki/wiki/Bottom_of_the_Well the well of three features] from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
* Wish for... - this one has a lot of options, some of which are links to comics or What If pages and some lead to further submenus:
** World peace - leads to the answer "I'm just a well, can you scale it down a bit?" and then back to the well menu; this option is from now changed to "Inner peace", which gives "A feeling of calm washes over you." and "Ommmmmm...", which also goes back to the well menu
** More wishes - leads back to the "Wish for..." menu. The idea of using a wish to wish for more wishes is common when discussing things with wish-granting powers and was previously mentioned in [[1086: Eyelash Wish Log]].
** Fewer wishes - Tell you "Really? Okay.." (as this is not something most people would ask for{{Citation needed}}). If you continue you return to the "Examine well" menu. If you want to make a wish again (even after exiting the menu and coming back again) you can only wish for "more wishes" and then you can continue wishing normally.
** Happiness - links to [[572: Together]], a comic about getting "happiness" as a scavenger hunt item.
** Luck - links to [[1053: Ten Thousand]] which refers to hearing about commonly known things for the first time as being one of "today's lucky 10,000".
** Wisdom - You hear a voice whisper 'N, E, N, N, N, W, S, W'. This is a clue for later.
** Wealth - Links to the what if article {{what if|111|All the Money}}, which might explain what will happen if the wishing well "overgrants" your wish.
** A human-sized hamster ball - links to [[152: Hamster Ball]] where [[Cueball]] wishes for the same thing.
** A map of everything - links to [[1196: Subways]], a map of the subways of North America, which are apparently "everything" for Americans.
** True love - links to {{what if|9|Soul Mates}}.
** A kitty! - links to [[231: Cat Proximity]], a comic detailing the effect of cats on humans.
* Jump in - Allows you to swim (and later "just keep swimming..." indefinitely) or climb out and return to the "Examine well" menu.
* Pull up the bucket - "You reel in the bucket. There's something shiny in the bottom". If you examine the bucket you get a key!

After you have the key, if you go back to the castle you can now use the key on the locked door and enter a dungeon. In the dungeon, there is a clamp on a table that you can take.

Finally, in the tower, you can find a "strange machine" dubbed a "C-Remover". You can try to use the C-Remover on any item you got. It doesn't affect the key, but it does turn the clamp into a lamp! The C-remover is a reference to either the T-remover from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leather_Goddesses_of_Phobos Leather Goddess of Phobos] or the multi-letter remover from [http://emshort.com/counterfeit_monkey/ Counterfeit Monkey], a text adventure by Emily Short inspired by it.

After you have the lamp, entering the cave becomes safer. It now becomes "a maze of twisty passages, all alike" where each room allows going N, E, S, or W, normally leading to an identical room. Only by using the clue from the wish for "wisdom" in the well and going N, E, N, N, N, W, S, W you can navigate the maze successfully. When following that path, after the first "W" the options become N, S, and Dennis instead of the usual N, E, S, W; this is a reference to the text-based game [http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/Thy_Dungeonman Thy Dungeonman] found in a Strong Bad email from [http://homestarrunner.com homestarrunner.com].

If you follow the full path you find the center of the maze where there is a nest with a "large multicolored egg" (an easter egg!). If you take the egg you are told "You feel a sense of potential, as if you may have more options now". This is because the "save" options are now unlocked in the main context menu and the file menu!

Hoverboard> Links to [[1608: Hoverboard]] browser game.

Mornington Crescent> This is a simulation of the well-known game {{W|Mornington_Crescent_(game)|Mornington Crescent}}, which bears a surprising resemblance to {{W|London_Underground|London's Underground}} railway network. Players name a station, in turn, endeavoring to reach Mornington Crescent. The rules of play are very complicated and beyond the scope of this article; interested persons are referred to ''N. F. Stovold’s Mornington Crescent: Rules and Origins'' (sadly out of print). This variation only includes the sections of the London Underground in fare zone 1. There is a "station" only connected to Vauxhall called "Easter basket". The Easter basket leads you to "Take egg", also allowing you to save. The shortest path to the Easter basket is Euston > Warren Street > Oxford Circus > Green Park > Victoria > Pimlico > Vauxhall > Easter basket, simply following the Victoria Line the entire way. All playable stations are immediately adjacent on the London Underground network to the station last played. Despite the fact that this version of the game starts at Euston, which is adjacent to Mornington Crescent, as Mornington Crescent is in fare zone 2, the branch of the {{W|Northern_line|Northern line}} on which the {{W|Mornington_Crescent_tube_station|eponymous station}} is situated does not appear in the game and Mornington Crescent is not an objective.
|-
! 8
| '''Help'''
| Contains various submenus, all of which, barring Credits, loop back recursively to this menu:
|Tutorial
Support

Manual

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Guide

Q&A

User forums

--------------

Credits> 'Some people who helped with this comic:
[http://chromakode.com/ @chromakode]
[https://twitter.com/aiiane Amber]
[https://twitter.com/fadinginterest @fadinginterest]
[https://twitter.com/wirehead2501 Kat]
[https://twitter.com/cotrone Kevin]
[http://90d.ca/ Stereo]'
|-
! 9
| '''Do Crimes'''
| Contains several "crimes" that can be committed. This option is unlocked by File > Open > C:\ (or /home/user) > Bookmarks/ > Secret > Enable Dark Web.
This is a joke about how the dark web is perceived in popular culture - a place that exists solely to do crimes, mainly bitcoin and hacking related.
| Steal Bitcoins > Grayed out.
Say swears > Several clean swears that all link to [[771: Period Speech]].

Hack > Three sub-options that link to various related comics. (Gibson: Nothing. Election: [[1019: First Post]]. Planet: [[1337: Hack]].)

Forge a Scrabble Tile > Several sub-options that don't do anything. (U, Z, <this menu option intentionally left blank>, and two special characters, one being a Russian 'Э', as low-pitched [eh], and the second being a crossed swords emoji (⚔)
|}

===Filesystems Menu===

{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! Drive !! Menu Item !! Explanation !! Sub-Menu Items
|-
! A:\
| '''Insert'''
| Only appears before inserting a floppy disk.
|Floppy disk> Unlocks other options for drive A:\, which are identical to drive C:\
Chip card> A long sequence of being told 'Please wait. Authorizing...' ending in 'Chip error! REMOVE CARD NOW!'
|-
! C:\
| '''Documents/'''
| Nothing.
| None.
|-
! C:\
| '''Music/'''
| Leads to a long string of prompts for song lyrics. 'Hey now / Hey now na now / Sing "This Corrosion" to me' inverts the webpage's color before Easter egg mode is enabled, and plays the referenced song in the browser with inverted color and flashing if the Easter egg mode is enabled. It's actually the same menu that is shown under Utilities>Identify song (which itself is a menu-ised version of [[851: Na]]).
| 'Hey now / Hey now / Don't dream it's over' links to [[240: Dream Girl]]. 'This / is / a / story all about how / my life got flipped, turned upside down' links to [[464: RBA]]. 'This / is / the / story of a girl / who cried a river and drowned the whole world' links to a Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_FVAEYRM5I
|-
! C:\
| '''Bookmarks/'''
| Similar to Music/, Bookmarks/> Comics leads to a chain from which all comics prior to this comic except [[1974: Conversational Dynamics]] are titled and linked. For instance, he thus here recognizes his first April Fools' Day comic [[404: Not Found]], which cannot be found, as a real comic by linking to it. Bookmarks/> Secret> Enable Dark Web adds the 'Dark Web' option to the initial menu.
|-
! C:\
| '''Games/'''
| Same as 'Games' from the initial menu.
|-
! C:\
| '''Sequences/'''
| The options are the lines from a ''Tim and Eric'' sketch [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/celery-man Celery Man]; the final option links to a YouTube video of the sketch.
| After several single-option menus, it links to this Youtube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHWBEK8w_YY
|-
! /
| '''home/'''
| Nothing.
| guest> links to http://uni.xkcd.com/ - a command-line Unix-style interface for viewing xkcd comics (and other commands to discover) that was used as the April Fool's joke in 2010. See also the comic [[unixkcd]].

user> Same files as C:\

root> Displays 'You are not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.' a refrence to [[838: Incident]] and also what the sudo command will print if unauthorized users try to use it.
|-
! /
| '''opt/'''
| Does nothing.
| None.
|-
! /
| '''sbin/'''
| Does nothing.
| None.
|-
! /
| '''usr/'''
| Opens an infinite sequence of options, each similar to the last, but replacing the previous selection with another folder; probably a reference to the fact that [https://www.tldp.org/LDP/Linux-Filesystem-Hierarchy/html/usr.html the /usr hierarchy] does contain a list of subdirectories pretty much identical [https://www.tldp.org/LDP/Linux-Filesystem-Hierarchy/html/the-root-directory.html to those of the root directory]. /usr/local, too is a duplicate of /usr for files not originating with the distro, and of late /var and /opt have also started expanding.
|-
! /
| '''dev/'''
| Nothing.
|random/> links to a random xkcd comic. In unix systems reading from the /dev/random file generates pseudorandom bytes, so it fits here that /dev/random gives a random comic.
urandom/> links to [[221: Random Number]]. In unix systems, /dev/urandom is the same as /dev/random, except in /dev/random you don't get anything if you don't have sufficient "randomness" in the system, and in /dev/urandom you get whatever you have. The linked comic describes a botched attempt to create a function that would return a truly random number but actually, it returns a fixed number (and thus isn't useful at all). This alludes to /dev/urandom providing bad results sometimes.
|}

===D&D spells===
Here all the spells from the D&D game are detailed, including the traits you need to enter to get to them and the link they lead to/effect they create.

To get to a specific spell using this table you need to go to games->d&d->cast and then enter the traits - level, class, school, and components - in any order. Note that many spells list more than one class in the table (in d&d it means multiple classes can cast that spell), which means you need to choose one of those classes in the menu. Components are listed in the table as V for Verbal Components, S for Somatic Components and M for Material Components - choose "yes" or "no" for these based on whether the matching letter is there or not.

====Link Spells====
The vast majority of spells (285 of them apparently) are actually links to xkcd comics, what ifs, or external pages that somehow demonstrate or relate to the spell.

{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! Name !! Level !! Classes !! School !! Components !! Link !! Explanation
|-
! Acid Arrow
| 2
| Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/790/
| The comic is about giving LSD (commonly known as "acid") to test subjects
|-
! Aid
| 2
| Cleric, Paladin
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| http://donorschoose.org
| A site dedicated to donations - aiding various subjects
|-
! Alarm
| 1
| Ranger, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1359/
| Comic about phone alarm
|-
! Alter Self
| 2
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1099/
| In this comic beret guy is "altered" in a weird way
|-
! Animal Friendship
| 1
| Bard, Druid, Ranger
| Enchantment
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1746/
| Comic about making friends in a way that might attract some animals better than humans
|-
! Animal Messenger
| 2
| Bard, Druid, Ranger
| Enchantment
| V, S, M
| https://twitter.com/dog_rates
| A humorous Twitter page about "rating dogs" - in a way "messaging about" animals
|-
! Animal Shapes
| 8
| Druid
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1278/
| Comic about using genetic engineering to change an animal (in this case a giraffe) shape
|-
! Animate Dead
| 3
| Cleric, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| http://www.asofterworld.com/index.php?id=62
| They were once dead.
|-
! Arcane Eye
| 4
| Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/993/
| The comic is related to creating a brand by having products that "stand out" and are therefore "more visible"
|-
! Astral Projection
| 9
| Cleric, Warlock, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/977/
| Comic about map projections
|-
! Augury
| 2
| Cleric
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1334/
| The comic is about checking the second page of google results for answers, which might be parallelized to reading omens in the spell.
|-
! Awaken
| 5
| Bard, Druid
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1518/
| Comic about awakening... badly to an alarm sound
|-
! Bane
| 1
| Bard, Cleric
| Enchantment
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/972/
| The comic details a simple exploit by blackhat, the bane of everyone's existence
|-
! Barkskin
| 2
| Druid, Ranger
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/qFI4BQlBbig
| A video by "My Brother, My Brother and Me" where a person creates a "shitty iron man armor", parallel to the armor created by barkskin
|-
! Beacon of Hope
| 3
| Cleric
| Abjuration
| V, S
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault
| Link to the wikipedia page about the global seed vault, which is meant to function as "a beacon of hope" in case of global disaster.
|-
! Bestow Curse
| 3
| Bard, Cleric, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/214/
| The comic talks about "the problem of wikipedia" which can be time-waster to curious people. This can also be rephrased as "the curse of wikipedia"
|-
! Black Tentacles
| 4
| Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1926/
| The comic is about an "ugly mess of code" which can be compared to a tentacle mess
|-
! Blade Barrier
| 6
| Cleric
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1406/
| The comic is about a "universal converted" which can be thought of as a kind of barrier
|-
! Bless
| 1
| Cleric, Paladin
| Enchantment
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/55/
| A what if article about saying "bless you" to random people on the phone, hoping they just sneezed
|-
! Blight
| 4
| Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1807/
| Another exploit by black hat
|-
! Blindness/Deafness
| 2
| Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V
| https://xkcd.com/467/
| Comic related to "two girls one cup", a well-known shock video which might make people wish they were blind after seeing it
|-
! Branding Smite
| 2
| Paladin
| Evocation
| V
| https://xkcd.com/384/
| (Can thunder make intelligent?)
|-
! Burning Hands
| 1
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1296/
| Git messages become increasingly similar to a person on fire typing them and also relate to haaaannds
|-
! Call Lightning
| 3
| Druid
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/16/
| A what if with several lightning-related questions
|-
! Calm Emotions
| 2
| Bard, Cleric
| Enchantment
| V, S
| https://twitter.com/CuteEmergency
| Twitter page about cute dogs that might indeed calm your emotions
|-
! Chain Lightning
| 6
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/898/
| Comic about the chain of command
|-
! Charm Person
| 1
| Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1777/
| Comic about the Nigerian Scan, which can be thought of as a way to "charm" people into doing what you want (like other scams)
|-
! Chill Touch
| 0
| Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1108/
| Comic about a cautionary ghost, similar to the ghostly hand the spell creates
|-
! Circle of Death
| 6
| Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1674/
| Comic about doing "adult stuff" including writing a will
|-
! Clairvoyance
| 3
| Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1421/
| Comic about discovering a creepily clairvoyant comment from your "past self" in your code
|-
! Clone
| 8
| Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1597/
| Comic about git - "clone" is a common git command.
|-
! Cloudkill
| 5
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/8/
| Human crowd
|-
! Color Spray
| 1
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1882/
| Comic about color
|-
! Command
| 1
| Cleric, Paladin
| Enchantment
| V
| https://xkcd.com/857/
| Comic about a man making a famous phrase by Archimedes into a command with an ultimatum
|-
! Commune
| 5
| Cleric
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/7yxaKeRRypo?t=44s
| Tried to snipe but turned into laughs
|-
! Commune with Nature
| 5
| Druid, Ranger
| Divination
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/BOxRFMiSDZU?t=9m47s
| Suddenly, Dino-Lansbury.
|-
! Comprehend Languages
| 1
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1816/
| Comic about language weirdness and puns
|-
! Compulsion
| 4
| Bard
| Enchantment
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/609/
| Comic about TVTropes, which might create a compulsion to follow links and stay there for a long time
|-
! Cone of Cold
| 5
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1714/
| Comic about volcanoes, which are actually cones of heat usually (the "waffle cone" volcano in the comic is probably cold)
|-
! Confusion
| 4
| Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1969/
| Comic presents a way to confuse people by setting to "not found" page of your site to a "not available in your country" page
|-
! Conjure Woodland Beings
| 4
| Druid, Ranger
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1903/
| Comic about "buns" (rabbits) which are woodland beings
|-
! Contact Other Plane
| 5
| Warlock, Wizard
| Divination
| V
| https://xkcd.com/1889/
| Comic from the "[[xkcd Phone]]" series. With all their features, surely xkcd phones can contact other planes...
|-
! Contagion
| 5
| Cleric, Druid
| Necromancy
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1161/
| Comic about hand sanitizer, which is meant to prevent contagion, but maybe not as effectively as [[Cueball]] would like.
|-
! Contingency
| 6
| Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/140/
| Comic about how one gets cheese when they have chips and chips when they have cheese, a situation in which one condition triggers a contingency and vice versa.
|-
! Continual Flame
| 2
| Cleric, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_Eternal_Flame
| Wikipedia about eternal (continual) flame
|-
! Control Water
| 4
| Cleric, Druid, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V,S,M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/103/
| What if article about water disappearing
|-
! Control Weather
| 8
| Cleric, Druid, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1126/
| Comic about the weirdness of the weather in 2005
|-
! Create Food and Water
| 3
| Cleric, Paladin
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1774/
| Comic about food in supermarkets
|-
! Create or Destroy Water
| 1
| Cleric, Druid
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/103/
| What if article about water disappearing (Same as in "control water" - actually more fitting here)
|-
! Create Undead
| 6
| Cleric, Warlock, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/69/
| What if about the dead users in Facebook who are compared to "undead" in a comic image at the start of the article
|-
! Creation
| 5
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/_hH7vZF15SY
| "Monster Factory" episode which is a gameplay video of the game spore which is about the creation of a species and a civilization. "Creating" is also in the video title.
|-
! Cure Wounds
| 1
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1618/
| Comic about trying to cure a pretty bad cold
|-
! Dancing Lights
| 0
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1331/
| Comic that shows frequencies of different events in the form of blinking ("dancing") gifs ("lights")
|-
! Daylight
| 3
| Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/673/
| Comic about "daylight saving time"
|-
! Death Ward
| 4
| Cleric, Paladin
| Abjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/865/
| In the comic IPv6 functions as a sort of "death ward" against nanobots, buying us some time before the total annihilation of life on earth.
|-
! Demiplane
| 8
| Warlock, Wizard
| Conjuration
| S
| https://xkcd.com/1703/
|
|-
! Detect Evil and Good
| 1
| Cleric, Paladin
| Divination
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/256/
| A map of internet communities, with the good and bad parts.
|-
! Detect Magic
| 1
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/808/
| An economic argument that "detects" what crazy "magic" phenomenon actually works and what doesn't.
|-
! Detect Poison and Disease
| 1
| Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/802/
| Updated version of "map of online communities" which was linked to from "detect good and evil", again suggesting that online communities are full of "poison and disease".
|-
! Detect Thoughts
| 2
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1448/
| A note asking someone about their thoughts (or feelings)
|-
! Disguise Self
| 1
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/451/
| Comic about being an impostor and "disguising" yourself as an expert in a field.
|-
! Disintegrate
| 6
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/1/
| The very first what if, where a baseball is pitched at 90% of the speed of light and begins to disintegrate... In a nuclear explosion
|-
! Dispel Evil and Good
| 5
| Cleric, Paladin
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/5/
| What-if about a contemporary robot apocalypse ("evil") and how to "dispel" it.
|-
! Dispel Magic
| 3
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/109/
| Comic about spoilers who "dispel the magic" of watching some movies.
|-
! Divination
| 4
| Cleric
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1525/
| xkcd's version of the magic 8 ball, a toy/tool for divination
|-
! Divine Favor
| 1
| Paladin
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1575/
| Comic parodying the Christian poem "footprints" which is about divine favor
|-
! Divine Word
| 7
| Cleric
| Evocation
| V
| https://xkcd.com/741/
| Comic about content producing, some of which may be divine words
|-
! Dominate Beast
| 4
| Druid, Sorcerer
| Enchantment
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1934/
| Comic about excessive phone security settings that "dominate" the thief in a way
|-
! Dominate Monster
| 8
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/JgChfrBsEaI
| "Monster factory" episode about "creating the Shrek franchise" - which is about a monster - in spore.
|-
! Dominate Person
| 5
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1116/
| Comic about confusing traffic light which can "dominate" a person.
|-
! Dream
| 5
| Bard, Warlock, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/557/
| Comic about the common "not ready for school" dream
|-
! Druidcraft
| 0
| Druid
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/867/
| Comic about branches of zoology - zoology can be thought of as "druidcraft"
|-
! Earthquake
| 8
| Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://blog.xkcd.com/2011/08/24/earthquakes/
| Blog post about earthquakes
|-
! Eldritch Blast
| 0
| Warlock
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/356/
| Comic about "nerd sniping", an unconventional sort of "blast" for "hitting" nerds
|-
! Enhance Ability
| 2
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/YLg_aIlhe6I?t=23m33s
| "Monster factory" episode about the stars recreating themselves in a WWE videogame, in a way "enhancing their abilities"
|-
! Entangle
| 1
| Druid
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/257/
| Comic about code encryption, which adds complexity similar to an entanglement
|-
! Enthrall
| 2
| Bard, Warlock
| Enchantment
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1286/
| Comic about improperly encrypted passwords, similar to the "distracting string of words" in the spell description
|-
! Etherealness
| 7
| Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/644/
|
|-
! Expeditious Retreat
| 1
| Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/61/
| What-if about speed bumps
|-
! Eyebite
| 6
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1015/
| Comic about bad kerning, which is a "bite" to the eyes
|-
! Fabricate
| 4
| Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S
| Another Monster Factory video, fabricating a character in Mass Effect
|
|-
! Faerie Fire
| 1
| Bard, Druid
| Evocation
| V
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/151/
| What-If about fireflies
|-
! Faithful Hound
| 4
| Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1193/
| Comic that ends with a very large dog
|-
! False Life
| 1
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/8-3jDVTLdaQ
| Monster Factory video involving the game Second Life.
|-
! Fear
| 3
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1242/
| A chart comparing how scary things are
|-
! Feather Fall
| 1
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, M
| https://youtu.be/bWvyJ05TdC8?t=13m34s
| In this clip, the floor is removed, causing a lot of people to fall.
|-
! Feeblemind
| 8
| Bard, Druid, Warlock, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/574/
| A comic about misinformed people, who could be described as acting feeble-minded.
|-
! Find Familiar
| 1
| Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/413/
| Comic talking about a new pet (that is actually a computer). A familiar is an animal, similar to a pet, that serves a master, usually the magic user that summoned it.
|-
! Find Steed
| 2
| Paladin
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1651/
| After the events of the comic, you would have to sort through the pile of cars to find your own; Your car here being the "steed" of the spell.
|-
! Find the Path
| 6
| Bard, Cleric, Druid
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/887/
|
|-
! Find Traps
| 2
| Cleric, Druid, Ranger
| Divination
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1195/
| This comic itself is a trap!
|-
! Finger of Death
| 7
| Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/117/
| A What-If about death.
|-
! Fire Bolt
| 0
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/639/
|
|-
! Fire Shield
| 4
| Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1090
|
|-
! Fire Storm
| 7
| Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/ujADg0nWqCw?t=15m51s
| A discusion of Curiosity's landing gear, including its heat shield.
|-
! Flame Blade
| 2
| Druid
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/961/
| Strangely, not used for Continual Flame, despite the title.
|-
! Flame Strike
| 5
| Cleric
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/J9hMe1R8eYw
|
|-
! Flaming Sphere
| 2
| Druid, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/673/
| This is a comic about the sun, which can be described as a flaming sphere.
|-
! Flesh to Stone
| 6
| Warlock, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V,S,M
| https://xkcd.com/1409/
| Might be a penis joke on the "hours since watching porn" query.
|-
! Floating Disk
| 1
| Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/50/
| What-If on boating. A boat can - generously - be described as a floating disk.
|-
! Fly
| 3
| Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/353/
| A comic where a Python user gains the power of flight.
|-
! Fog Cloud
| 1
| Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S
| http://twitter.com/karlthefog
| The twitter account for a fog cloud.
|-
! Forbiddance
| 6
| Cleric
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/782/
| A comic about breaking forbidden taboos and paying the consequences.
|-
! Forcecage
| 7
| Bard, Warlock, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1142/
| A Faraday cage could be described as a force-cage.
|-
! Foresight
| 9
| Bard, Druid, Warlock, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1876/
| A comic about using one's foresight to extrapolate trends.
|-
! Freedom of Movement
| 4
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Ranger
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/sCOwRahm0so?t=1m8s
| Jet boots and forging your own path both enable freedom of movement
|-
! Freezing Sphere
| 6
| Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/121/
| A What-If about freezing a lot of things at once.
|-
! Gaseous Form
| 3
| Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/146/
| This What-If is about Jupiter, a gas giant.
|-
! Geas
| 5
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V
| https://xkcd.com/1559/
| Geas gives the target a magical command that they must follow, a somewhat-common use of which is instructing someone to walk across a continent to get them out of the way.
|-
! Gentle Repose
| 2
| Cleric, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/1Wl_yf86n78?t=20m
|
|-
! Giant Insect
| 4
| Druid
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/_1jGnFt78H8?t=25m32s
| Roachie is a radroach, a giant insect much like the kind that this spell creates.
|-
! Glibness
| 8
| Bard, Warlock
| Transmutation
| V
| https://xkcd.com/707/
| Glibness is both a spell that makes you more charismatic and the quality of being funny and insincere.
|-
! Globe of Invulnerability
| 6
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/153/
|
|-
! Glyph of Warding
| 3
| Bard, Cleric, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1247/
| The warning message in this comic functions as a way of warding off viruses, warning the user of possibile attacks.
|-
! Goodberry
| 1
| Druid, Ranger
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1035/
| Goodberry summons a magical berry with as much nutritional value as a full day's food, much in the way that a soda has as much sugar as two or three Cadbury eggs.
|-
! Grease
| 1
| Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/4/
|
|-
! Greater Invisibility
| 4
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/72/
| The loneliest human had no connection to anyone else at the time, making them functionally invisible to the world.
|-
! Greater Restoration
| 5
| Bard, Cleric, Druid
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/my-brother-my-brother-and-me
|
|-
! Guardian of Faith
| 4
| Cleric
| Conjuration
| V
| https://xkcd.com/1934/
| The same comic as Dominate Beass. The security settings guard against thieves.
|-
! Guards and Wards
| 6
| Bard, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1890/
| A guide to self-defense in specific situations.
|-
! Guidance
| 0
| Cleric, Druid
| Divination
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1028/
| A comic on communication and guiding others.
|-
! Guiding Bolt
| 1
| Cleric
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1160/
| Both a poster guiding people to join the trebuchet club, and the actual mechanism of aiming the trebuchet.
|-
! Gust of Wind
| 2
| Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1378/
| In this comic, a wind turbine is asked to create a Gust of Wind, but is unable to.
|-
! Hallow
| 5
| Cleric
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1677/
| PF2e tips: "Hallow-led" Background has Dubious knowledge skill feat, fail pulls a correct information and a misinformation.
|-
! Hallucinatory Terrain
| 4
| Bard, Druid, Warlock, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1472/
|
|-
! Harm
| 6
| Cleric
| Necromancy
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/218/
| A comic where harm is caused to the patient by suggesting the heart is taken out and the ventricles are blown in
|-
! Haste
| 3
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1701/
|
|-
! Heal
| 6
| Cleric, Druid
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/218/
|
|-
! Healing Word
| 1
| Bard, Cleric, Druid
| Evocation
| V
| https://youtu.be/NYnldxUpYQQ
|
|-
! Heat Metal
| 2
| Bard, Druid
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/35/
|
|-
! Hellish Rebuke
| 1
| Warlock
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/327/
|
|-
! Heroes' Feast
| 6
| Cleric, Druid
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/_v1v0t8Q5xg?t=7m48s
|
|-
! Heroism
| 1
| Bard, Paladin
| Enchantment
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/326/
| Used facetiously. Tricking "amateur Grammar Nazis" is a heroic victory for Cueball.
|-
! Hideous Laughter
| 1
| Bard, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1974/
|
|-
! Hold Monster
| 5
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1604/
| Megan is holding a snake, which is a common monster archetype in DnD.
|-
! Hold Person
| 2
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/540/
| In a romantic/sexual way.
|-
! Holy Aura
| 8
| Cleric
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/145/
|
|-
! Hunter's Mark
| 1
| Ranger
| Divination
| V
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/11/
|
|-
! Hypnotic Pattern
| 3
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Illusion
| S, M
| https://xkcd.com/722/
| Literally refers to a "pattern" of lights; hypnotic in the sense that Cueball spent most of his life looking at his computer screen.
|-
! Ice Storm
| 4
| Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/104/
|
|-
! Identify
| 1
| Bard, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/9/
|
|-
! Illusory Script
| 1
| Bard, Warlock, Wizard
| Illusion
| S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1288/
| A set of scriptural substitutions that give the original text the illusion of being about something completely different.
|-
! Imprisonment
| 9
| Warlock, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/U4rwlvMEoj0
|
|-
! Incendiary Cloud
| 8
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/139/
|
|-
! Inflict Wounds
| 1
| Cleric
| Necromancy
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/Kcd44VfN-Ro?t=3m24s
|
|-
! Insect Plague
| 5
| Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1127/
| A joke comparing politicians to insects.
|-
! Instant Summons
| 6
| Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/123/
| What if about fairy demographics which are "summoned" to the first laugh of a child
|-
! Invisibility
| 2
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1080/
| A comic about the visible field, including "blind spots" where vision is obscured, making things seem "invisible".
|-
! Irresistible Dance
| 6
| Bard, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V
| https://xkcd.com/878/
|
|-
! Jump
| 1
| Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/kT2Y6ftxilM?t=17m37s
|
|-
! Knock
| 2
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V
| https://xkcd.com/530/
| The comic's idiot plot could have been avoided if Cueball simply... knocked.
|-
! Legend Lore
| 5
| Bard, Cleric, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1350/
|
|-
! Lesser Restoration
| 2
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger
| Abjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/567/
|
|-
! Levitate
| 2
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/520/
|
|-
! Light
| 0
| Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/13/
|
|-
! Lightning Bolt
| 3
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/109/
|
|-
! Locate Animals or Plants
| 2
| Bard, Druid, Ranger
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1826/
|
|-
! Locate Creature
| 4
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1747/
|
|-
! Locate Object
| 2
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| http://bfy.tw/Dh
|
|-
! Longstrider
| 1
| Bard, Druid, Ranger, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1065/
|
|-
! Mage Armor
| 1
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1636/
|
|-
! Mage Hand
| 0
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1812/
|
|-
! Magic Circle
| 3
| Cleric, Paladin, Warlock, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/112/
|
|-
! Magic Jar
| 6
| Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1021/
|
|-
! Magic Missile
| 1
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1356/
|
|-
! Magic Mouth
| 2
| Bard, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/37/
|
|-
! Magic Weapon
| 2
| Paladin, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/81/
|
|-
! Magnificent Mansion
| 7
| Bard, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/TamwFUUd9Yk?t=10m29s
|
|-
! Major Image
| 3
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/980/
|
|-
! Mass Cure Wounds
| 5
| Bard, Cleric, Druid
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1793/
|
|-
! Mass Heal
| 9
| Cleric
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/1Cj8d6EcFp0
|
|-
! Mass Healing Word
| 3
| Cleric
| Evocation
| V
| https://xkcd.com/1520/
|
|-
! Mass Suggestion
| 6
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, M
| https://xkcd.com/1264/
|
|-
! Maze
| 8
| Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/246/
|
|-
! Meld into Stone
| 3
| Cleric, Druid
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/V5PlKZRQVgQ
|
|-
! Mending
| 0
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1780
|
|-
! Message
| 0
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1782/
|
|-
! Meteor Swarm
| 9
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1249/
|
|-
! Mind Blank
| 8
| Bard, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1145/
|
|-
! Minor Illusion
| 0
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Illusion
| S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1492/
|
|-
! Mirage Arcane
| 7
| Bard, Druid, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/806/
|
|-
! Mislead
| 5
| Bard, Wizard
| Illusion
| S
| https://xkcd.com/1488/
|
|-
! Misty Step
| 2
| Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/126/
|
|-
! Modify Memory
| 5
| Bard, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1156/
|
|-
! Moonbeam
| 2
| Druid
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1738/
|
|-
! Move Earth
| 6
| Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/723/
|
|-
! Nondetection
| 3
| Bard, Ranger, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/937/
|
|-
! Pass Without Trace
| 2
| Druid, Ranger
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/LHBzVTCO3nM?t=4m32s
|
|-
! Passwall
| 5
| Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1608/
|
|-
! Phantasmal Killer
| 4
| Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/12/
|
|-
! Phantom Steed
| 3
| Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/U3JnZEzoL6M
|
|-
! Planar Ally
| 6
| Cleric
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/112/
|
|-
! Planar Binding
| 5
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1956/
|
|-
! Plane Shift
| 7
| Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/803/
|
|-
! Plant Growth
| 3
| Bard, Druid, Ranger
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/yV9wy9ucXgc
|
|-
! Poison Spray
| 0
| Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/144/
|
|-
! Polymorph
| 4
| Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1094/
|
|-
! Power Word Kill
| 9
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V
| https://youtu.be/VHR0EfYACAI?t=13m51s
|
|-
! Power Word Stun
| 8
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/
|
|-
! Prayer of Healing
| 2
| Cleric
| Evocation
| V
| https://xkcd.com/418/
|
|-
! Prestidigitation
| 0
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/942/
|
|-
! Prismatic Spray
| 7
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/657/
|
|-
! Prismatic Wall
| 9
| Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1271/
|
|-
! Private Sanctum
| 4
| Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1663/#74b2196a-34fa-11e8-8001-42010a8e0006
|
|-
! Produce Flame
| 0
| Druid
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/386/
|
|-
! Programmed Illusion
| 6
| Bard, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/303/
|
|-
! Project Image
| 7
| Bard, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/bR0Ubck0IRA
|
|-
! Protection from Energy
| 3
| Cleric, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/556/
|
|-
! Protection from Evil and Good
| 1
| Cleric, Paladin, Warlock, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1303/
|
|-
! Protection from Poison
| 2
| Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger
| Abjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1305/
|
|-
! Purify Food and Drink
| 1
| Cleric, Druid, Paladin
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/ONSWw4aBBLg
|
|-
! Raise Dead
| 5
| Bard, Cleric, Paladin
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/599/
|
|-
! Ray of Enfeeblement
| 2
| Warlock, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/526/
|
|-
! Ray of Frost
| 0
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/312/
|
|-
! Regenerate
| 7
| Bard, Cleric, Druid
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1024/
|
|-
! Reincarnate
| 5
| Druid
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/WbKrlJgwI4A?t=17m33s
|
|-
! Remove Curse
| 3
| Cleric, Paladin, Warlock, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/391/
|
|-
! Resilient Sphere
| 4
| Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1248/
|
|-
! Resistance
| 0
| Cleric, Druid
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/730/
|
|-
! Resurrection
| 7
| Bard, Cleric
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com
|
|-
! Reverse Gravity
| 7
| Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1115/
|
|-
! Revivify
| 3
| Cleric, Paladin
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/346/
|
|-
! Rope Trick
| 2
| Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
|
|-
! Sacred Flame
| 0
| Cleric
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://www.nasa.gov/sun
|
|-
! Sanctuary
| 1
| Cleric
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/qQVlGrwG9yo?t=11m49s
|
|-
! Scorching Ray
| 2
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/729
|
|-
! Scrying
| 5
| Bard, Cleric, Druid, Warlock, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://archive.org/donate/
|
|-
! Secret Chest
| 4
| Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1762/
|
|-
! See invisibility
| 2
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/401/
|
|-
! Seeming
| 5
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/451/
|
|-
! Sending
| 3
| Bard, Cleric, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/352/
|
|-
! Sequester
| 7
| Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/646/
|
|-
! Shapechange
| 9
| Druid, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/-aWH3-46slI?t=6m4s
|
|-
! Shatter
| 2
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/137/
|
|-
! Shield
| 1
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/916/
|
|-
! Shield of Faith
| 1
| Cleric, Paladin
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/129/
|
|-
! Shillelagh
| 0
| Druid
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/LXxdC9X3hxg?t=8m6s
|
|-
! Shocking Grasp
| 0
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/242/
|
|-
! Silence
| 2
| Bard, Cleric, Ranger
| Illusion
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/525/
|
|-
! Silent Image
| 1
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1416/
|
|-
! Simulacrum
| 7
| Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/1Qo1Aj_leEo
|
|-
! Sleep
| 1
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/320/
|
|-
! Sleet Storm
| 3
| Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/511/
|
|-
! Slow
| 3
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/162/
|
|-
! Speak with Animals
| 1
| Bard, Druid, Ranger
| Divination
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1879/
|
|-
! Speak with Plants
| 3
| Bard, Druid, Ranger
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/70/
|
|-
! Spider Climb
| 2
| Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/136/
|
|-
! Spike Growth
| 2
| Druid, Ranger
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/67/
|
|-
! Spirit Guardians
| 3
| Cleric
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/695/
|
|-
! Spiritual Weapon
| 2
| Cleric
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/A1gTbnB-Gps?t=17m2s
|
|-
! Stinking Cloud
| 3
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1066/
|
|-
! Stone Shape
| 4
| Cleric, Druid, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/135/
|
|-
! Stoneskin
| 4
| Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/LlKnEgPEGmA
|
|-
! Storm of Vengeance
| 9
| Druid
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/93/
|
|-
! Suggestion
| 2
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Enchantment
| V, M
| https://xkcd.com/672
|
|-
! Sunbeam
| 6
| Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/141/
|
|-
! Sunburst
| 8
| Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/115/
|
|-
! Telekinesis
| 5
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/3/
|
|-
! Telepathic Bond
| 5
| Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1504/
|
|-
! Thaumaturgy
| 0
| Cleric
| Transmutation
| V
| https://xkcd.com/1131/
|
|-
! Thunderwave
| 1
| Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/140/
|
|-
! Tiny Hut
| 3
| Bard, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/905/
|
|-
! Tongues
| 3
| Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Divination
| V, M
| https://xkcd.com/1137
|
|-
! Tree Stride
| 5
| Druid, Ranger
| Conjuration
| V, S
| https://youtu.be/IDBcGgjtFRs?t=1m3s
|
|-
! True Polymorph
| 9
| Bard, Warlock, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| (no link?)
|
|-
! True Resurrection
| 9
| Cleric, Druid
| Necromancy
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/7-n8TZqm9Ic?t=12m36
|
|-
! True Seeing
| 6
| Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Divination
| V, S, M
| http://geekwagon.net/projects/xkcd1190/
|
|-
! True Strike
| 0
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Divination
| S
| https://youtu.be/wWOVS0XQmPM?t=12m11s
|
|-
! Unseen Servant
| 1
| Bard, Warlock, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/958/
|
|-
! Vampiric Touch
| 3
| Warlock, Wizard
| Necromancy
| V, S
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/98/
|
|-
! Vicious Mockery
| 0
| Bard
| Enchantment
| V
| https://xkcd.com/732/
|
|-
! Wall of Fire
| 4
| Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/fires/main/usa/index.html
|
|-
! Wall of Force
| 5
| Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/147/
|
|-
! Wall of Ice
| 6
| Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/104/
|
|-
! Wall of Stone
| 5
| Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-001/htmldocs/images/chart.pdf
|
|-
! Wall of Thorns
| 6
| Druid
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1970/
|
|-
! Warding Bond
| 2
| Cleric
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1188/
|
|-
! Water Breathing
| 3
| Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/969/
|
|-
! Water Walk
| 3
| Cleric, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/1599/
|
|-
! Web
| 2
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S, M
| https://xkcd.com/195/
|
|-
! Weird
| 9
| Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S
| https://xkcd.com/1501/
|
|-
! Wind Walk
| 6
| Druid
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| https://youtu.be/zpahjcaRt6w?t=12m27s
|
|-
! Wind Wall
| 3
| Druid, Ranger
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| https://what-if.xkcd.com/66/
|
|-
! Wish
| 9
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V
| https://xkcd.com/1086/
|
|-
! Zone of Truth
| 2
| Bard, Cleric, Paladin
| Enchantment
| V, S
| http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/adventure-zone
| A reference to the Adventure Zone podcast by the McElroy family, specifically the character Merle Highchurch, who is well known for using this spell in possibly unhelpful situations.
|}

====Submenu Spells====
These 9 spells all appear with an arrow and open submenus when hovered on. The submenus are all actually from different parts of the context menu. Several of the spells are "teleportation/transportation" related which might explain why they lead you to a different place in the menu.

{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! Name !! Level !! Classes !! School !! Components !! Submenu !! Explanation
|-
! Antimagic Field
| 8
| Cleric, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S M
| Utilities menu
|
|-
! Banishment
| 4
| Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| Do Crimes menu (even without unlocking it via Enable Dark Web)
|
|-
! Blink
| 3
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S
| Utilities menu
|
|-
! Counterspell
| 3
| Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Abjuration
| S
| Utilities menu
|
|-
! Delayed Blast Fireball
| 7
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| Help menu
|
|-
! Dimension Door
| 4
| Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V
| File - Open - C:\ - Bookmarks submenu
|
|-
! Teleportation Circle
| 5
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, M
| Games menu
|
|-
! Transport via Plants
| 6
| Druid
| Conjuration
| V, S
| Games menu
|
|-
! Word of Recall
| 6
| Cleric
| Conjuration
| V
| Utilities menu
|
|}

====Effect Spells====
These 10 spells activate different JavaScript functions that affect the page in various ways, permanent or temporary, that are suggestive of the spell that was cast.

{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! Name !! Level !! Classes !! School !! Components !! Effect !! Explanation
|-
! Acid Splash
| 0
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Conjuration
| V, S
| Causes the background to change color between red, yellow, chartreuse, blue, fuchsia, and blue-violet randomly every 300ms.
| Using LSD ('acid') often causes vibrant colors to 'splash' and swivel around one's visual field.
|-
! Animate Objects
| 5
| Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V, S
| Causes most parts of the page to begin shifting in place randomly every 100ms.
| The parts, or "objects" on the page are being "animated".
|-
! Blur
| 2
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Illusion
| V
| Causes the comic and most text to blur.
| Largely self-explanatory. In D&D, the Blur spell blurs one's body to make it harder to hit. This one blurs the elements on the page.
|-
! Conjure Animals
| 3
| Druid, Ranger
| Conjuration
| V, S
| Adds a rabbit image of a random size next to the comic.
| Conjures an image of an animal.
|-
! Darkness
| 2
| Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, M
| Causes the comic to disappear and the background to turn black.
| In D&D, the Darkness spell conjures darkness. This does largely the same thing.
|-
! Darkvision
| 2
| Sorcerer, Wizard, Druid, Ranger
| Transmutation
| V, S, M
| Causes the background to turn gray and the comic to fade. However, it does not appear to work.
|
|-
! Fireball
| 3
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Evocation
| V, S, M
| Causes the page background to turn red then slowly turn white.
| Fireballs caused by nuclear weapons generally appear reddish-white.
|-
! Mirror Image
| 2
| Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
| Illusion
| V, S
| Causes the entire page to be mirrored on the vertical axis.
| Here, Mirror Image "mirrors" the image, instead of conjuring "mirror images" of yourself.
|-
! Symbol
| 7
| Bard, Cleric, Wizard
| Abjuration
| V, S, M
| Changes all text on the page to use Wingdings, Webdings, Symbol, or Zapf Dingbats.
| These are all {{w|dingbat}} fonts which replace text with symbols.
|-
! Time Stop
| 9
| Sorcerer, Wizard
| Transmutation
| V
| Pauses any currently ongoing effects. (But does not cancel them)
| Time Stop is a spell that stops time. This would make sense to stop ongoing effects.
|}

==Transcript==
:[Empty frame with Cueball standing slightly right of center.]

:[Caption below the frame:]
:Editor's Note: Today's comic is optimized for local viewing. To see the full version, just save a copy of the image!

:[in right click saves image, It looks like you're referring to a visual puzzle or interactive game, likely similar to games like "Linear" or "The Line" which involve guiding a character through a series of paths and obstacles. Here's a detailed breakdown of elements that might be relevant for such a game:

## Game Mechanics
- **Objective**: The main goal is usually to reach the end of the path while overcoming obstacles and collecting items or points along the way.
- **Controls**: Players typically use the mouse or keyboard to navigate the character, interact with objects, or initiate actions.

## Visual Elements
### Environment
- **Path Design**: The winding path can denote various levels or stages. Typically, the path is highlighted or uniquely visualized (as in your image).
- **Background**: Simple and cartoonish backgrounds to keep focus on gameplay.

### Characters and Objects
- **Stick Figures**: The use of stick figures and simple animations makes it accessible and visually comprehensible.
- **Interactive Objects**: Items like plants, water pools, or tools can serve as interactive features that affect gameplay (e.g., using water to solve puzzles or unlock new routes).

## Challenges and Obstacles
- **Enemies or Hazards**: Other stick figures or obstacles can complicate navigation. Players may need to avoid or neutralize them.
- **Collectibles**: Items scattered throughout levels that reward exploration and add to the challenge.

## Strategy Tips
- **Explore Thoroughly**: Look for hidden paths or items that might help in progressing through the game.
- **Test Interactions**: Players should trial different interactions with objects to discover helpful tools or abilities.

## Gameplay Flow
- Players typically progress through increasingly complex levels.
- Each stage can introduce new mechanics, requiring adjustment in strategy.

## Conclusion
This kind of game design promotes curiosity and problem-solving, making it an engaging experience. If you have specific features or gameplay mechanics you want to explore further, please let me know!]

==Trivia==
*On Monday, April 1st, 2019 [[2131: Emojidome]], an April Fools' Day comic was released, making it look like the missing April Fools' Day comic in 2017 was an [[1818:_Rayleigh_Scattering#No_April_Fools.27_Day_comic_in_2017|outlier]].
*Here is an example of how the game looks when entered:
[[File:1975_Right_Click_Systems_menu.png]]
*This is broken on iPadOS.
* The [https://github.com/xkcd/alto source code] for the comic was released on GitHub.

{{comic discussion}}



[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Buns]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics with audio]]
[[Category:Chronicles of Narnia]]
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]

2791: Bookshelf Sorting

2025-10-11T23:21:02Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9:

{{comic
| number = 2791
| date = June 19, 2023
| title = Bookshelf Sorting
| image = bookshelf_sorting_2x.png
| imagesize = 425x255px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Of course, I sort all my bookshelves the normal way, alphabetically (by first sentence).
}}
{{comic
| number = 2791
| date = June 19, 2023
| title = Bookshelf Sorting
| image = synonym movies.png
| imagesize = 425x255px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Of course, I sort all my bookshelves the normal way, alphabetically (by first sentence).
}} {{comic
| number = 2791
| date = June 19, 2023
| title = Bookshelf Sorting
| image = synonym movies 2.png
| imagesize = 425x255px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Of course, I sort all my bookshelves the normal way, alphabetically (by first sentence).
}}

==Explanation==
Some people like to sort their bookshelves by the visible color of the book's spine, for example by hue to create a rainbow effect. This is pleasing to the eye, but may be unhelpful when [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYxmPHLU9oA trying to find a specific book]. Literary enthusiasts (AKA "Book People") frequently dislike this system, because it emphasizes appearance at the expense of making books easy to find. On a philosophical level, treating books as decorations, rather than reading material, upsets many purists. "Book people" are more likely to have a practical system for arranging their books, either by category, genre, title, author name, or some combination of those. For a large library, a more rigorous organizational scheme such as the {{w|Dewey Decimal Classification}} might be used.

Unfortunately, [[Randall]] has found a ''much'' worse method of book organization - instead of sorting the books as discrete units, he has sorted their individual ''pages'' by number. This would require physically separating each book into its individual pages, and then organizing them into groups by page number. This effectively destroys every book, and requires anyone trying to read them to laboriously find each individual page (among many pages of the same number), and then replace it in the correct space after reading. Adding a new book would require individually placing potentially hundreds of pages. Where pages are not numbered, finding their place would be nearly impossible.

From the picture, Randall's system appears to work by absolute physical page count, including the front and rear covers as 'pages'. All the front covers are on the left side, then the first internal leaf of each book (counted as the second page), then the second internal leaf, etc. This produces repeating patterns of taller and shorter loose-leaf pages, echoing the proportions of each cover, having gathered together a page of the same position in each different book. The back covers are mixed in to whatever group falls after the last internal leaf from the same book, and so are intermixed with pages from longer books. The left-most front cover matches the right-most back cover, the second front cover matches the 2nd-to-last back cover, etc. with the last of the front covers matching the first of the back covers. At the end, there are only the last pages of the longest book left, now all uniform in size, and its rear cover.

The caption claims that "book people" get way angrier at this system, likely because it involves physically destroying books, rendering them almost unreadable. People with a strong affinity for books are often upset at volumes being treated with such disrespect.

In the title text Randall claims he sorts his bookshelf alphabetically, but by the first '''sentence'''. He describes this as "the normal way", even though the typical practice is to sort books either by title or author. Some books do have very well-known first lines, so sorting by first line could be used to demonstrate a level of literary sophistication on the part of the bookshelf owner, but could hardly be considered "normal".

==Transcript==
:[A bookshelf hanging on a wall is shown. It is covered almost from left to right but not with ordinary books. To the left there are 11 covers next to each other without any paper between them. They have different heights and shades of gray. After the last of these there follows many leaves of paper of differing heights similarly to that of the covers. The top of the papers thus form a wave shape with more than twenty peaks before they reach another cover. After that there follows similar patterns with paper in different height and then a cover in between more papers. But there is a much shorter distance between the first and second cover than before the first cover, after the initial 11 covers. The next two covers are close to the first, then there is a longer stretch of paper to the fourth, much less to the fifth, and then the next three covers comes very close. There is again quite long distance to the ninth and tenth cover, and here the number of different heights for the paper are clearly less than the previous paper stretches. Finally before the last and 11th cover all the paper, not much of it though, are of the same height, and just a bit lower than the final cover. The 11 covers at the start matches the 11 covers later and they comes in reverse order throughout the paper stretches as they are sorted to begin with, so the first and last cover matches, as does number 2 and the second last etc. There is a caption beneath the panel:]
:Book people hate seeing books sorted by colors, but it turns out they get ''way'' more angry if you sort the pages by number.

==Trivia==
Sorting by first line was, in fact, a common sorting method before books had titles, known as {{w|Incipit}}. In modern times, however, that method is wildly obsolete, as books are almost always identified by titles, few people memorize the opening lines of their books, and a film titled ''{{w|The Hobbit|In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit}}'' would not receive any funding.{{Citation needed}} However, {{w|papal encyclicals}} are still named after their first words, and thus would be sorted after their first sentence. For example, the encyclical titled ''{{w|Quanta Cura}}'' begins with "''Quanta cura'' ac pastorali vigilantia Romani Pontifices Prædecessores Nostri, exsequentes [...]".

In somewhat similar fashion, the 114 chapters of the {{w|Quran}} are roughly sorted by their length. American church hymnals list hymns by relatively meaningless numbers, but then index them by tune name, text title, first line and meter.

Other pop culture references to sorting by first sentence occur in the Good Omens TV show season 2 episode 2, where the archangel Gabriel, while suffering from amnesia, reorganizes the books in the bookshop alphabetically by first sentence to pass the time.

{{comic discussion}}

3021: Seismologists

2025-10-11T23:12:38Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9:

{{comic
| number = 3021
| date = December 6, 2024
| title = Seismologists
| image = weird_unicode_math_symbols.png
| imagesize = 327x270px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = And even when they're not distracted, they usually get kicked out for illegal under-the-net 'subduction spikes'.
}}

==Explanation==

In seismology, a {{w|Focal mechanism#Moment tensor solutions|"beachball" diagram}} is a [https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/focal-mechanisms-or-beachballs graphic] that is used to show the type of slip that occurs in an earthquake. There are three types of slips: strike-slip, normal, and thrust, each with a corresponding beachball diagram. [[Ponytail]] is playing beach ball volleyball, also known as {{w|beach volleyball}}, a form of {{w|volleyball}} played with a {{w|beach ball}}. She appears to be playing at the beach judging from the rough texture of the ground. She is distracted by the resemblance of the rotating two-shaded beach ball to a strike-slip beachball diagram (something she uses in her field of study) and fails to play the ball, causing her to be hit on the head.

The comic could be seen as playing on the dual meaning of the word "fault". In {{w|Fault_(geology)|geology}}, it refers to a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock, which can allow them to move past each other. In volleyball, a [https://www.beachup.app/en/beach-volleyball-guide/beach-volleyball-rules/faults/ "fault"] refers to a play violation that causes a team to lose a point. Had her opponent committed a fault within the rules of the game, the point would be finished, and there would be no reason for Ponytail to attempt to play the ball.  

The {{w|subduction}} referred to in the title text occurs when one tectonic plate slides underneath another. In volleyball, a {{w|Spike (volleyball)|spike}} is a type of shot, typically the third of a team's three allowed touches, hit hard over the net from high up down toward the floor on the opponent's side. A "subduction spike" would be a spike hit under the net, and would indeed not be legal and would result in a point for the opponent. Subduction is mentioned in several other comics: [[Beret Guy]] once obtained a [[1388: Subduction License|subduction license]], and it was mentioned in [[1829: Geochronology]] and again in [[3059: Water Damage]].

==Transcript==
:[Megan, Ponytail and Hairy are playing beach volleyball using a beach ball rather than a volleyball. Megan has her arms outreached; she has just hit the ball across the net towards Ponytail. The beach ball, shown with black and white pattern, is drawn three times to indicate its path, each rotated differently. Four dashed lines are drawn to indicate the movement: From Megan going above the net, then heading towards Ponytail, then one line down to her head (without showing the ball as it hits), and finally after bouncing off Ponytail’s head where the ball bounces towards the bottom of the net. When the ball hits Ponytail it makes a sound, which is written inside a wavy frame above her head. Hairy is running towards Ponytail from behind her with his arm outstretched. Wavy lines are shown on the ground to indicate the sandy surface they are playing on.]
:Ponytail: Ooh, a strike-slip fault!
:Ball hitting her head: ''Bonk!''
:Ponytail: '''''Ow!'''''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Why seismologists are bad at beach ball volleyball

==Trivia==
*Although probably unrelated, a [https://apnews.com/article/california-earthquake-tsunami-warning-e1c73514097b78dfc082e40f98d0d426 7.0 magnitude earthquake] hit Northern California, USA at 10:44 AM PST the previous day, causing tsunami warnings (which were later cancelled) and a state of emergency to be called.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Earthquakes]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Subduction]]

3021: Seismologists

2025-10-11T23:08:10Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9:

{{comic
| number = 3021
| date = December 6, 2024
| title = Seismologists
| image = weird_unicode_math_symbols_2x.png
| imagesize = 327x270px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = And even when they're not distracted, they usually get kicked out for illegal under-the-net 'subduction spikes'.
}}

==Explanation==

In seismology, a {{w|Focal mechanism#Moment tensor solutions|"beachball" diagram}} is a [https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/focal-mechanisms-or-beachballs graphic] that is used to show the type of slip that occurs in an earthquake. There are three types of slips: strike-slip, normal, and thrust, each with a corresponding beachball diagram. [[Ponytail]] is playing beach ball volleyball, also known as {{w|beach volleyball}}, a form of {{w|volleyball}} played with a {{w|beach ball}}. She appears to be playing at the beach judging from the rough texture of the ground. She is distracted by the resemblance of the rotating two-shaded beach ball to a strike-slip beachball diagram (something she uses in her field of study) and fails to play the ball, causing her to be hit on the head.

The comic could be seen as playing on the dual meaning of the word "fault". In {{w|Fault_(geology)|geology}}, it refers to a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock, which can allow them to move past each other. In volleyball, a [https://www.beachup.app/en/beach-volleyball-guide/beach-volleyball-rules/faults/ "fault"] refers to a play violation that causes a team to lose a point. Had her opponent committed a fault within the rules of the game, the point would be finished, and there would be no reason for Ponytail to attempt to play the ball.  

The {{w|subduction}} referred to in the title text occurs when one tectonic plate slides underneath another. In volleyball, a {{w|Spike (volleyball)|spike}} is a type of shot, typically the third of a team's three allowed touches, hit hard over the net from high up down toward the floor on the opponent's side. A "subduction spike" would be a spike hit under the net, and would indeed not be legal and would result in a point for the opponent. Subduction is mentioned in several other comics: [[Beret Guy]] once obtained a [[1388: Subduction License|subduction license]], and it was mentioned in [[1829: Geochronology]] and again in [[3059: Water Damage]].

==Transcript==
:[Megan, Ponytail and Hairy are playing beach volleyball using a beach ball rather than a volleyball. Megan has her arms outreached; she has just hit the ball across the net towards Ponytail. The beach ball, shown with black and white pattern, is drawn three times to indicate its path, each rotated differently. Four dashed lines are drawn to indicate the movement: From Megan going above the net, then heading towards Ponytail, then one line down to her head (without showing the ball as it hits), and finally after bouncing off Ponytail’s head where the ball bounces towards the bottom of the net. When the ball hits Ponytail it makes a sound, which is written inside a wavy frame above her head. Hairy is running towards Ponytail from behind her with his arm outstretched. Wavy lines are shown on the ground to indicate the sandy surface they are playing on.]
:Ponytail: Ooh, a strike-slip fault!
:Ball hitting her head: ''Bonk!''
:Ponytail: '''''Ow!'''''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Why seismologists are bad at beach ball volleyball

==Trivia==
*Although probably unrelated, a [https://apnews.com/article/california-earthquake-tsunami-warning-e1c73514097b78dfc082e40f98d0d426 7.0 magnitude earthquake] hit Northern California, USA at 10:44 AM PST the previous day, causing tsunami warnings (which were later cancelled) and a state of emergency to be called.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Earthquakes]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Subduction]]

3028: D&D Roll

2025-10-11T23:07:03Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9:

{{comic
| number = 3028
| date = November 20, 2015
| title = Five-Day Forecast
| image = five_day_forecast.png
| titletext = You know what they say--if you don't like the weather here in the Solar System, just wait five billion years.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Weather forecasting}} is an extremely difficult task, even if it is only for five days. In numerical models, extremely small errors in initial values double roughly every five days for variables such as temperature and wind velocity. So most {{w|Meteorology#Meteorologists|meteorologists}} provide us with only a five-day forecast.

In this comic [[Randall]] takes this to the extreme by first showing a '''Five-Day Forecast''' and then progressing to five-month, year, million, billion and finally trillion-year forecasts, leading to {{tvtropes|WeirdWeather|weather patterns that we don't regularly see.}}

Since the first weather symbol is the same in all six rows, we can assume it indicates the weather today and not tomorrow, in a trillion years, etc. It is only in the second panel of each row that time has passed per the row's label. Consequently, the last column gives the predictions for four days, four months, ..., four trillion years from today.

When moving past the five-day prediction, the forecast is just a qualified guess based on the time of year. In a month it is Christmas as shown in the second panel of the second row. Then it is January and February so snow is likely, but certainly not something that happens on all days of a winter month.

Looking at the five-year forecast, guesses are made as to what the weather will be like at the same time of year. For these first three predictions the weather symbols are all of the same three types: Sun, clouds and some kind of {{w|precipitation}}, rain or snow, with the temperature ranging from 21 to 44 °F (-6.1 to 6.6 °C) - late-{{w|Autumn#Date definitions|autumn/fall}} (perhaps early-{{w|Winter#Astronomical and other calendar-based reckoning|winter}}) temperatures.

Then we go into the far future, jumping a million years from panel to panel. But still the weather symbols stay the same. In 3 million years, however, aliens (or advanced humans) attack with energy beams from {{w|flying saucers}}. They are absent a million years later, or at least not actively attacking in any visible way during this later snapshot. The temperature range remains the same across the panels except that it rises to 52 °F (11 °C), a possible reference to global warming, in one panel, and while the attack is going on it rises to 275 °F (135 °C).

Once we get to the billion-year mark it actually becomes more meaningful to try to predict the "weather", because now we reach the times when the {{w|Sun}} begins to change. Although the Sun will continue to burn hydrogen for about 5 billion years yet (while in its {{w|Sun#Main sequence|main sequence|}}), it will grow in diameter as it begins to exhaust its supply of fuel. The core will contract to increase the temperature, and the outer layer will then compensate by expanding slightly. This is what is indicated in panels two and three, where the color of the Sun changes towards red as the surface becomes cooler as it expands away from the center of the Sun. The temperature will rise on Earth as indicated in the panels (105 °F = 40.5 °C and 371 °F = 188 °C). The temperature will get hot enough in about [http://phys.org/news/2015-02-sun-wont-die-billion-years.html a billion years] that the Earth's oceans will boil away.

Once it {{w|Sun#After core hydrogen exhaustion|no longer has enough hydrogen}}, the Sun will expand into a {{w|red giant}}. This should not happen until around {{w|Sun#Composition|five billion years from now}}, but in the forecast it is indicated to happen in only three. Maybe this is Randall taking liberties to show what happens during this phase, which would not fit into a four-billion-year forecast. Alternatively it just indicates how uncertain these kinds of forecasts are, or a statement that we may not know for certain that it will take five not three billion years, nor what toll other influences (such as attacking aliens) might take on the Sun.

In any case, the fourth panel shows the temperature at Earth's position inside the red giant Sun. The color of the panel indicates that we are inside the Sun. The temperature is 71,488,106 degrees Fahrenheit (39,715,597 degrees Celsius). The current temperature of the center of the Sun is "only" 27 million degrees Fahrenheit (15 million degrees Celsius), and although that may rise by a factor of ten during {{w|Stellar nucleosynthesis|helium fusion}}, that will only be at the very core and not out in the solar atmosphere reaching out to Earth. Here the temperature would only be of the order of thousands of degrees Fahrenheit, since the Sun's outer temperature decreases as it increases its diameter. So this panel's temperature also makes little sense by current understanding. It may involve some ambiguities regarding what the forecast means; the edge of the red giant Sun is predicted to be somewhere near the current orbit of Earth, but the position of the Earth could change. The most likely prediction at the moment is for Earth to move outward but, if the planet is engulfed by the Sun, it would spiral inward, and at some point fall apart. So in some sense "here" for the forecast could become a position deep inside the Sun, where core temperatures could reach 100 million Kelvin. The temperatures shown are unreasonably precise; they probably should have only two or at most three significant figures, if not for the running theme of escalating levels of prescience (enough to predict a future attack by flying saucers, etc).

The red giant phase lasts only half a million years, so a billion years after the Sun has been a red giant its outer atmosphere will definitely have disappeared, leaving only a dim, cool {{w|white dwarf}} to cool down. Given Randall's version of this time schedule, then it will have had about a billion years to cool down, but would still likely be the brightest object in the sky as seen from where the Earth once was. It is not shown in the last panel, where we just see other stars of the Galaxy. The temperature is down to that of the {{w|Cosmic microwave background|background radiation}}. Today this radiation has a temperature of 2.72548 kelvin = -270.4245 °C = -454.7641 °F. That is a few degrees F colder than what is shown in the comic, which states the temperature is -452 °F = 4.26 kelvin. This higher temperature may have been chosen to reflect that even the light from other stars would increase the actual temperature.

In the last panel with trillions of years, we jump right past the Sun's red giant phase to a panel looking much like the one after five billion years with only other stars, one of the original stars being no longer visible. Over the next three trillion years the stars become fewer and dimmer as they run out of fuel, while fewer new ones form to continue the cycles of star-formation. After four trillion years the background temperature decreases one degree to -453 °F as the universe keeps expanding and the wavelength of the radiation does the same, thus decreasing its temperature.

The title text is a play on comments referring to fast-changing weather on a more ordinary human timescale, such as Mark Twain's quip, "If you don't like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes."

A ten-day forecast was used in [[1245: 10-Day Forecast]]. In [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]], Randall looked at the weather over long periods of time as well. in [[1643: Degrees]] he addressed Celsius vs. Fahrenheit for measuring temperature.

===Image using Celsius===

There is a different user-made version for the picture, using [[3001|Celsius]] instead of Fahrenheit, [[:File:five_day_forecast_Celsius.png|in this image link]]. (For a version that also uses Kelvin, [[:File:five_day_forecast_Celsius+Kelvin.png|click here]].)

==Transcript==
:[A grid with six rows of five columns, where each row is labeled to the left. For each of the 30 squares a temperature is given in Fahrenheit at the top left. The rest of the square represents the weather as in a weather forecast (or some other relevant items for the comic), mainly in bright colors. Below are the six labels given above each of their five weather symbols with temperature given below these symbols description.]

:'''Your 5-day forecast'''
:[A bright yellow sun.]
:38°F
:[A grey cloud.]
:41°F
:[A grey cloud with six lines of blue raindrops below.]
:36°F
:[A grey cloud in front of a yellow sun.]
:40°F
:[A bright yellow sun.]
:44°F

:'''Your 5-month forecast'''
:[A bright yellow sun.]
:38°F
:[A green Christmas tree with red presents beneath it.]
:29°F
:[A grey cloud with four snowflakes below.]
:21°F
:[A grey cloud with four snowflakes below.]
:24°F
:[A grey cloud.]
:35°F

:'''Your 5-year forecast'''
:[A bright yellow sun.]
:38°F
:[A grey cloud.]
:25°F
:[A bright yellow sun.]
:36°F
:[A grey cloud with six lines of blue raindrops below.]
:37°F
:[A bright yellow sun.]
:41°F

:'''Your 5-million-year forecast'''
:[A bright yellow sun.]
:38°F
:[A bright yellow sun.]
:52°F
:[A grey cloud.]
:40°F
:[Two red flying saucers (with bright domes) are shooting energy beams downwards. One of the beams seems to impact with something at the bottom of the panel, which then explodes. Two plumes of smoke rises up from below, drifting to the right.]
:275°F
:[A grey cloud in front of a yellow sun.]
:40°F

:'''Your 5-billion-year forecast'''
:[A bright yellow sun.]
:38°F
:[A larger orange sun.]
:105°F
:[A very large red sun.]
:371°F
:[A pale yellow panel with no drawing.]
:71,488,106°F
:[A night sky with many bright stars.]
:-452°F

:'''Your 5-trillion-year forecast'''
:[A bright yellow sun.]
:38°F
:[A night sky with many bright stars.]
:-452°F
:[A night sky with many stars.]
:-452°F
:[A night sky with fewer not so bright stars.]
:-452°F
:[A night sky with few dim stars.]
:-453°F

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Weather]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Christmas]]

3028: D&D Roll

2025-10-11T23:05:31Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9:

{{comic
| number = 3028
| date = December 23, 2024
| title = D&D Roll
| image = five day forecast.png
| imagesize = 312x313px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Under some circumstances, if you throw a D8 and then a D12 at an enemy, thanks to the D8's greater pointiness you actually have to roll a D12 and D8 respectively to determine damage.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a scene from a tabletop roleplaying game, probably {{w|Dungeons & Dragons}}. In [[3015: D&D Combinatorics]], the same people, [[Cueball]], [[Megan]], [[Ponytail]], [[White Hat]] and [[Knit Cap]], are seated playing D&D in the same seats, where Cueball seems to represent [[Randall]].

Here Cueball announces "I roll D20... 18," referring to rolling a 20-sided die and getting the relatively high score of 18, presumably while in a fight with a {{w|kobold (Dungeons & Dragons)|kobold}} (a small reptilian humanoid creature in D&D.) The {{w|gamemaster|Dungeon Master}} (DM, or game master), Ponytail, responds that the kobold is unaffected, but suggests using a sword instead, pointing out the absurdity of trying to defeat an enemy by rolling dice at them. (Ponytail was also the dungeon master in the previous D&D comic).

By making a roll without first stating what the roll represents, Cueball has broken the rules of the game, which explicitly state that players must first describe their character's actions and then with the DM's consent and advice make appropriate rolls. Cueball [[1339: When You Assume|assumed]] that Ponytail would understand which of his weapons or other attacks he intended to use, but since her job is to adjudicate rules and create immersive fiction, not to read the players' minds, she decided to gently tease him about the omission. This is a common mistake, and being gently made fun of is a common result. The next step can vary based on the DM; Cueball may be allowed to state the specific attack intended and roll again, or Ponytail may be generous enough to let him keep the high result once he's properly described his action (despite the rules violation). The rules violation is significant not for the mechanical advantage it gives Cueball (though there is a mechanical advantage, see the Background below), but because D&D is a roleplaying game and the dice exist to facilitate storytelling rather than replace it.

However, the possibility exists that the players' characters have actual dice, such as those which were role-played as being produced in [[244: Tabletop Roleplaying]]. The title text suggests that if you literally threw dice as weapons, an eight-sided die (D8) would do more damage than a twelve-sided die (D12) because of its {{w|Dice#Common variations|pointier shape}}, so ironically, you might need to roll the D12 to determine the D8's damage and vice versa, in "some circumstances." As per the Background below, those circumstances are considerably slight. The effectiveness of the [[2626: d65536|d65536]] in this context has yet to be determined.

===Background===
When attacking an enemy in D&D, regardless of the weapon used, the attack starts with a d20 roll to see if it lands a solid hit. If a sufficiently high (or in the earliest editions, sufficiently low) number is rolled, the attack hits, and then further dice (chosen depending on the weapon's form and any magic it might possess) are rolled to determine damage. Before any dice can be rolled at all, however, the player must declare which enemy they are attacking and what with. This is trivial if the attacking character always uses the same weapon and is facing a single enemy, but becomes an important question if the fight is more complex. Consider a case where there are two kobolds present, one wearing plate armor while the other has only a loincloth on (the armor requiring a better d20 roll to defeat), and the player carries both a greatsword (dealing heavy general damage) and the magical "Icepick of Instant Kobold Death" (normally ignored but in this case very useful) and also has magic item that can shoot a destructive [https://5e.d20srd.org/srd/spells/scorchingRay.htm ''Scorching Ray'']. There are also certain weapons that deal subpar damage on a typical attack, but trigger a powerful extra effect on a very good roll such as 18, making it even more important to specify which weapon one is using before making the roll. A cheating player might roll first, and then decide which weapon they were using and on which target. This could also be used to avoid wasting a weapon (or [[3015: D&D Combinatorics|particular ammunition]]) with limited uses.

By D&D 5 rules, a stone hurled from a sling does [https://5e.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#simpleWeapons 1d4 bludgeoning damage]. A sling bullet typically weighs [https://5e.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/equipment.htm#tableAdventuringGear <sup>3</sup>/<sub>40</sub> pound (1.2 oz, 35 g)], a plausible weight for a normal-sized die made of a moderately dense material. Presumably, an object of similar weight that's thrown "by hand" rather than with a sling would do less damage, though a heavier object might do similar damage (albeit with less range). The D&D 3.5 spell [https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magicStone.htm ''Magic Stone''] enhances ordinary small stones so they do 1d6+1 damage when hurled, or 2d6+2 when striking undead creatures. So depending on the setup, a D&D character throwing a die at an enemy could theoretically cause considerable harm, but would normally be much better served with an intentionally crafted weapon.

DMs may take umbrage at a player's presumption to roll dice for actions before being asked to, and this could be interpreted as a chiding. Sometimes rolls are not necessary in cases where success is automatic (the kobold is effectively helpless) or impossible (the kobold is magically immune to physical attacks), although it should be the DM's own choice whether to still test for a meaningful critical [https://rpgmuseum.fandom.com/wiki/Critical_failure failure] or [https://rpgmuseum.fandom.com/wiki/Critical_hit success], despite it being an apparently foregone conclusion of either kind. There are also other circumstances where the required dice is(/are) different ''in this instance'' from that which the player may assume. From a practical perspective, if the performed rolling of the dice is not required (or correctly composed) for the DM's purposes, they can choose to ignore it and/or ask for some other roll(s) to be made. It may then be the player that might be most upset by having rolled a 'good' roll that has been 'wasted', on the principle that they would have liked it to have it happen later, when it actually mattered, despite this being statistically irrelevant, assuming that the DM doesn't keep any such details mysteriously hidden.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball, Megan, Ponytail, White Hat, and Knit Cap are sitting around a table in a tabletop gaming session. Both Cueball and Knit Cap are sitting in office chairs at the ends of the table, with Cueball leaning forward and holding his hand above the table and Knit Cap leaning back on her arm. Behind the table, Megan sits to the left of Ponytail and White Hat to the right. They are both looking at Ponytail, while Ponytail is looking at Cueball. Objects such as dice, miniatures, a map, and papers are on the table.]
:Cueball: I roll D20... 18.
:Ponytail: The kobold is unaffected.
:Ponytail: Honestly, I don't know why you thought dice would help. You should probably try a sword or something instead.

==Trivia==
{{notice|This trivia is controversial. There's more info in [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Talk:3015:_D%26D_Combinatorics#help this talk page section]. See also [[3015: D&D Combinatorics]].}}
When this comic was first released, its title was mistakenly displayed as "xkcd: D&D; Roll" instead of "xkcd: D&D Roll." This was likely due to a technical error in how the ampersand character (“&”) was processed by the system that generated the title. It seems the software may have misinterpreted "&D" as the beginning of an HTML character entity, even though "&D" is not a valid one.

The browser title for this comic's page is "xkcd: D Roll", presumably caused by a similar error. This has not been fixed.

The earlier comic [[3015: D&D Combinatorics]] and later one [[3142|3142: <City>-Style Pizza]] also had similar issues.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Knit Cap]]
[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons]]

3046: Stromatolites

2025-10-11T23:02:29Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9:

{{comic
| number = 3046
| date = February 3, 2025
| title = Stromatolites
| image = snow_2x.png
| imagesize = 581x505px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = If only my ancestors had been fortunate enough to marry into the branch of the bacteria family that could photosynthesize, like all my little green cousins here.
}} {{comic
| number = 3046
| date = February 3, 2025
| title = Stromatolites
| image = tones.png
| imagesize = 581x505px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = If only my ancestors had been fortunate enough to marry into the branch of the bacteria family that could photosynthesize, like all my little green cousins here.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic makes fun of claims to 'special' ancestry, such as some old royal family or similar, that may be made after doing research on a {{w|family tree}} site. These services allow the user to input the names and other information of family members and cross reference with various documents to trace lines of descent. Often, those who find a connection to a historically significant individual are quite excited about this and may feel that it somehow makes them special. However, in reality, once you go back more than a few generations there will be many thousands of such connections, and once you get back more than a thousand years or so, anyone you could be related to will also be related to {{w|Identical ancestors point|pretty much everybody else still alive}} in some way or other.

The truly surprising aspect, both normally and (taken to extremes) in this comic, would be to ''find'' the necessary records. Ordinary people of the last century, or maybe two, ''might'' have reliable records (subject to the effects of errors, accidents and conflict, wherever they might have been). But, beyond a certain point, the information is unlikely to exist to trace back ancestry that was not already considered important enough to record. And even that is possibly subject to wishful (or politically-minded) interpretation to suit the claims of the (at that time) primary descendant of a noted lineage. Even those rare records (which may ''suggest'' direct descendency from Adam and Eve; this being simultaneously considered as both incredibly remarkable as a conclusion ''and'' not at all surprising, given the premise) tend to lose practically all veracity and primary sources by the time you get that far back in your investigations. Continuous records (or even any usable records at all) are often irretrievably lost, if they ever existed.

[[Beret Guy]] tells [[Cueball]] he has been on such a site and traced some of his family from "a few billion years back" who were related to {{w|stromatolites}}. These are layered accumulations of mineral "microbial mats" (Cueball calls them ''bacterial mats'') created by microorganisms, predominantly the oxygenic-photosynthetic {{w|Cyanobacteria|cyanobacteria}}. (The comic notably treats "stromatolites" as the name of the bacteria, rather than the rock formation created by the bacteria, seemingly to make the conversation flow better.) Some fossil stromatolites in Australia from 3.48 billion years ago contain the oldest undisputed evidence of life on Earth (though people have also claimed {{w|Earliest known life forms|other, older evidence}} for this record). Since this is some of the first life on Earth it is basically a given that all life that came after (not even just all humans) is related.

Beret Guy only claims he is related to their {{w|Alphaproteobacteria|cousins}} and that it is from their cousin bacteria that he got his {{w|mitochondria}}. His aside that he also got his cell nuclei in this way is odd, as, according to the {{w|Cell_nucleus#Evolution|leading contemporary theory}}, the ancestral archaeon ("my archaean ancestors") themselves contributed the nucleus to the original eukaryotic cell. In this model, both the archaeon and the alpha-proteobacterium were endosymbionts in a third cell, which is not consistent with Beret Guy's claim that the mitochondrion began as an archaeon's endosymbiont. Perhaps all that clicking addled even Beret Guy's brain. Anyway, he is not claiming to be a direct descendant from [the cyanobacterial component of] stromatolites, which makes sense since they can photosynthesize, and as he mentions in the title text, he cannot!

Ancestry services typically do not allow the user to track their familial history prior to written records,{{Citation needed}} but with his [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|strange powers]] it is no wonder that Beret Guy could make this work! (Some do provide genetic sequencing, which allows for more information to be acquired, but this isn't accurate enough to track individual people who lived before such technology existed on a wide scale.) He may also have needed to rely on these powers to do all the clicks needed to go back that far in the past. Even at a rate of 10 to 15 clicks per second it would still take thousands of years — maybe even more due to how fast cells can reproduce — to do enough clicks to work back this far from scratch. However, it may be that a large part of the tree had already been constructed by previous users, and all he had to do was find a relation already attached to this tree. This would further underline how un-special his newly discovered relationship is.

Cueball asks if he would like to contact his distant relatives, since there are still living stromatolites today (or at least something very similar to those from billions of years ago). But Beret Guy imagines they are busy so he will not bother them. When asked by Cueball what he would use his newfound knowledge for, he lies down on the hill they have climbed to bask in the sun. Because as he says, "Lying on a hill in the warm sun is an old family tradition." This is basically the only thing stromatolites can do, but they are doing it all the time and could thus be said to be busy with this. It seems, however, like Beret Guy is going to enjoy this tradition.

In the title text Beret Guy muses about how great it would have been if his distant relatives had married into the branch of the bacteria family that could photosynthesize... and then refers to the grass he is now lying on as "my little green cousins here". If this had happened he would either have been able to lie on the hill without eating since [https://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2014/10/28 he would be able to photosynthesize] getting energy directly from the sun (instead of eating some of his small green cousins' closer relatives) - although that might not be enough to sustain him, as per ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|17|Green Cows}}''. Or else he would actually have been a plant instead.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Beret Guy, seen from afar in silhouette, are walking up a grassy hill.]

:[They continue walking up the hill, reaching its grassy summit. Now with normal lighting. Beret Guy is a bit ahead of Cueball.]
:Beret Guy: I learned something today.
:Beret Guy: I went on one of those family tree sites and kept clicking back, and it turns out I'm related to stromatolites!

:[Closeup on Cueball. Beret Guy's reply comes off-panel from a starburst on the right edge of the panel.]
:Cueball: The bacterial mats?
:Beret Guy [off-panel]: Yeah! A few billion years back, on my mitochondria's side.

:[Cueball and Beret Guy standing on the top of the grassy hill facing each other. Beret Guy holding a hand out towards Cueball.]
:Beret Guy: My Archaean ancestors absorbed some bacteria that were cousins of stromatolites. That's how I got mitochondria.
:Beret Guy: Cell nuclei, too.

:[Cueball is standing behind Beret Guy who is now sitting down in the grass leaning back on one arm with the other arm resting on his bent knee.]
:Cueball: I think there are still living stromatolites. You could get in touch.
:Beret Guy: Nah, they're probably busy. I don't want to bother them.

:[Cueball is sitting behind Beret Guy who is now lying down, both again shown in silhouette from a far, revealing they are on the top of the grassy hill.]
:Cueball: So what ''are'' you going to do with this knowledge? Nothing?
:Beret Guy: Lying on a hill in the warm sun is an old family tradition.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Biology]]

3054: Scream Cipher

2025-10-11T23:00:45Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9:

{{comic
| number = 3054
| date = February 21, 2025
| title = Scream Cipher
| image = scream_cipher_2x.png
| imagesize = 287x416px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = AAAAAA A ÃA̧AȂA̦ ǍÅÂÃĀÁȂ AAAAAAA!
}}

==Explanation==
A {{w|Cipher}} is a method of encryption, where characters, or sometimes words, are substituted for other characters in a set pattern, allowing for arbitrary strings to be enciphered using it. The complexity and strength of ciphers varies, from {{w|one-time pads}} and (historically) {{w|enigma machine|Enigma}} as stronger and more complex, to {{w|substitution ciphers}} as some of the weakest and least complex, where each character is simply given a set different symbol to represent it in the cipher.

This comic uses a substitution cipher, where all the letters of the English Alphabet are represented using the letter "A", with different {{w|diacritical marks}} to define the differences. See details about the 25 marks in the [[#Trivia|Trivia section]] below. This kind of cipher is often used on a recreational basis by children or casual enthusiasts, the similarity of the letters increasing the obscurity of the content and the skill or technology required for use, but there is also significant impracticality, as not only are substitution ciphers the easiest to break, but also the similarities in the letters do make the cipher hard to read and easy to misread, and the detail in the diacritical marks makes it easy to draw the "A"s incorrectly or ambiguously, potentially leading to [[3003: Sandwich Helix|part of the message being lost]]. This was our experience in the comments section of this very article, where one person implemented translator functions alongside another person crafting a message that failed to translate. However, the logic behind the code is mostly visual similarity, and if attentive to connecting concepts between the Latin and scream cipher alphabet, it could be quickly learned and translated in a glance.

It's named "Scream Cipher" (as a pun on {{w|stream cipher}}s, commonly used in computing) because the written form of a scream is often a long string of As, possibly with some other characters at the beginning or the end (and often an exclamation point for emphasis), such as "Yyaaaaaww!” or “Aaaaaah!" or "Aaaaaaagh!". The name may or may not be a reference to IBM's {{w|Scream_(cipher)|Scream cipher}} published in 2002.

In the comic, [[Cueball]] texts the ciphered version for the plaintext "HELLO", and [[Megan]] responds with that for "HI". The title text deciphers to "AAAAAA A SCARY MONSTER AAAAAAA!", which would be a logical reason to actually scream. Another comic featuring all "A"s was [[2957: A Crossword Puzzle]]. Diacritics was also the main theme in [[1647: Diacritics]], was previously also mentioned in [[1209: Encoding]] and in [[1857: Emoji Movie]], where they have an important part of the pun, and is mentioned in one point of the list in [[1957: 2018 CVE List]].

===Worked example===
Say we want to encode "Scream" in the Scream Cipher. First we would need to split out word into the letters, so S, C, R, E, A, M. The first letter is S, so if we go to S in the table S is shown to become to Ã, C similarly becomes A̧, R becomes Ȃ, E corresponds to Á, A is the main letter so A is unchanged to A, and M becomes Ǎ. If we then write them again in order, we find SCREAM becomes ÃA̧ȂÁAǍ. To turn cipher text back into normal text, the process is repeated in reverse. To translate A̧ẢA̯A̰ÁȂ, we go to A̧ in the table and find A̧ becomes C. Ả similarly becomes I, A̯ becomes P, A̰ becomes H, Á becomes E, and Ȃ becomes R. If we write the letters in order, we see that A̧ẢA̯A̰ÁȂ becomes CIPHER.

Text can be automatically translated using any of the following community implimentations:
* The first known translator hosted on [https://github.com/Reginald-Gillespie/ScreamCipher GitHub Pages].
* A more bare-bones [https://github.com/matthewpwatkins/scream-cipher/ implementation] hosted on netlify.
* A terminal [https://github.com/klanderfri/ScreamCipher/ implementation].

===Full cipher guide===
The {{w|Unicode}} names of the characters in the cipher are as follows:

{|class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 | Input !! colspan=3 | Substitution
|-
! Plain !! Unicode description !! Cipher !! Unicode description(s) !! Notes
|-
| A || U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A || {{w|A}} || '''U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A || Unadorned base character
|-
| B || U+0042 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER B || {{w|Ȧ}} || '''U+0226 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH {{w|Dot (diacritic)|DOT}} ABOVE || A with one dot over it, which can indicate a single change in math and science. Phonetic symbol for low central vowel.
|-
| C || U+0043 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER C || A̧ || U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A, '''U+0327 {{w|Combining Diacritical Marks|COMBINING}} {{w|Cedilla|CEDILLA}}''' || Cedilla is often attached to a 'c', as in "français", as well as starting with 'c' itself. Appears similar to Ą (U+0104, A with ogonek) used in many language to denote a nasal a sound and in Polish to denote a nasal o sound; however, the two can be distinguished by the direction of the diacritic.
|-
| D || U+0044 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER D || A̱ || U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A, '''U+0331 COMBINING MACRON BELOW''' || Some see the lower bar as similar to the lower edge of the D.
|-
| E || U+0045 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER E || {{w|Á}} || '''U+00C1 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH ACUTE || Many words have an acute e, as in "fiancé".
|-
| F || U+0046 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER F || A̮ || U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A, '''U+032E COMBINING BREVE BELOW''' || The breve adds a second line to the A, much like how an F has two lines.
|-
| G || U+0047 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER G || A̋ || U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A, '''U+030B COMBINING {{w|Double acute accent|DOUBLE ACUTE}} ACCENT''' || Adds two acutes to a letter.
|-
| H || U+0048 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER H || A̰ || U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A, '''U+0330 COMBINING TILDE BELOW''' || The low tilde has horizontal ink in the middle that moves vertical toward the sides, like an H.
|-
| I || U+0049 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER I || {{w|Ả}} || '''U+1EA2 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH HOOK ABOVE || The hook almost looks like half of a circle, and the lowercase letter I (i) has a circular shape (known as a tittle) above it.
|-
| J || U+004A LATIN CAPITAL LETTER J || A̓ || U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A, '''U+0313 COMBINING COMMA ABOVE''' || The comma symbol looks like a small letter 'J' in some fonts
|-
| K || U+004B LATIN CAPITAL LETTER K || Ạ || '''U+1EA0 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH DOT BELOW || [[File:sick.gif|12px]]
|-
| L || U+004C LATIN CAPITAL LETTER L || {{w|Ă}} || '''U+0102 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH {{w|Breve|BREVE}} || [[File:sick.gif|12px]]
|-
| M || U+004D LATIN CAPITAL LETTER M || Ǎ || '''U+01CD LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH {{w|caron|CARON}} || The top-centered caron is the same shape as the top center of the M.
|-
| N || U+004E LATIN CAPITAL LETTER N || {{w|Â}} || '''U+00C2 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH CIRCUMFLEX || The lowercase letter 'n' also looks like a circumflex in some scripts. The circumflex peak mirrors the peak at the top left of the N.
|-
| O || U+004F LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O || {{w|Å}} || '''U+00C5 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH RING ABOVE || The symbol contains the letter 'O'. In Scandinavian languages like Swedish, this combination of 'O' and 'A' is a letter unto itself, mostly used in words where a long 'a' sound has acquired a more 'o'-like sound.
|-
| P || U+0050 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER P || A̯ || U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A, '''U+032F COMBINING INVERTED BREVE BELOW''' || Refer to R: P also has a curve at the top center, but is encoded with one below.
|-
| Q || U+0051 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Q || A̤ || U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A, '''U+0324 COMBINING DIAERESIS BELOW''' || The two dots below the baseline reflect the two times Randall's Q touch the baseline. In the Orthographies of Spanish, Catalan, French and Galician, the grapheme 'qu' normally represents a single sound, before vowels 'e' and 'i'. In the few exceptions where the 'u' is pronounced, a diaeresis is added to it.
|-
| R || U+0052 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER R || Ȃ || '''U+0202 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH {{w|Inverted breve|INVERTED BREVE}} ||
The inverted centered top curve mirrors the curve at the top center of an R.
|-
| S || U+0053 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER S || {{w|Ã}} || '''U+00C3 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH TILDE || Tilde looks like a sideways 'S'.
|-
| T || U+0054 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER T || {{w|Ā}} || '''U+0100 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH {{w|Macron (diacritic)|MACRON}} || The macron looks like the top horizontal line in the letter 'T'
|-
| U || U+0055 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER U || {{w|Ä}} || '''U+00C4 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH DIAERESIS || The {{wiktionary|trema#Noun|two dot mark}} is used in many words in languages like German, Finnish and Swedish, with 'Ä' used as in "{{w|Die_Ärzte|Ärzte}}". As a true {{wiktionary|diaeresis#Usage notes|diaresis}}, it often indicates a vowel that is distinct from neighbouring vowels, rather than part of a {{w|Digraph (orthography)|digraph}} or longer phoneme. As a modifier of the vowel itself, as with the germanic/nordic languages, it is more properly called an 'umlaut' and may change a back vowel into a front vowel, though the two terms are often used interchangably.
|-
| V || U+0056 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER V || {{w|À}} || '''U+00C0 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH GRAVE || Grave has the letter 'V' in it, as well as being half of its shape.
|-
| W || U+0057 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER W || Ȁ || '''U+0200 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH {{w|Double grave accent|DOUBLE GRAVE}} || The letter 'W' is visually two copies of the letter 'V'
|-
| X || U+0058 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER X || A̽ || U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A, '''U+033D COMBINING X ABOVE''' || The symbol contains the letter 'X'.
|-
| Y || U+0059 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Y || A̦ || U+0041 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A, '''U+0326 COMBINING COMMA BELOW''' || The comma mimics the vertical "tail" of the Y.
|-
| Z || U+005A LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Z || {{w|Saanich_dialect#Writing_system|Ⱥ}} || '''U+023A LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH STROKE || The stroke through the letter A resembles the diagonal stroke of a capital "Z"
|}

==Transcript==
:[The top of the panel has the 26 letters of the alphabet written, each followed by a hyphen and the letter "A" with a unique diacritical mark for each. "A - A" is the only letter in the top row, and the only one where that A on the right side doesn't have a diacritic. The next 25 is sorted in a 5 by 5 grid, with the first five letters after A in the first column, then the next 5 in the second column and so on:]
:{|
|A - A
|-
|B - Ȧ
|G - A̋
|L - Ă
|Q - A̤
|V - À
|-
|C - A̧
|H - A̰
|M - Ǎ
|R - Ȃ
|W - Ȁ
|-
|D - A̱
|I - Ả
|N - Â
|S - Ã
|X - A̽
|-
|E - Á
|J - A̓
|O - Å
|T - Ā
|Y - A̦
|-
|F - A̮
|K - Ạ
|P - A̯
|U - Ä
|Z - Ⱥ
|}
:[Beneath these letters we see Cueball and Megan typing on their phones, Cueball with two hands and Megan with one hand, small lines indicating the movement of their hands. Cueball and Megan is turned towards each other but with more separation than if they were engaged in normal discussion. They both look down at their phones not towards each other. The text they type is shown above their phone with a line starting in a starburst at the top of their phones going up the to the text.]
:Cueball's phone: A̰ÁĂĂÅ
:Megan's phone: A̰Ả

:[Caption below the panel:]
:In the '''''Scream Cipher''''', messages consist of all As, with different letters distinguished using diacritics.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Cryptography]]
[[Category:Unicode]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]

3101: Good Science

2025-10-11T22:50:18Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3101
| date = June 11, 2025
| title = Good Science
| image = good_science_2x.png
| imagesize = 387x833px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = If you think curiosity without rigor is bad, you should see rigor without curiosity.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Miss Lenhart]] is teaching a class to [[Jill]] and a [[Cueball]]-like kid. Based on her opening statement "I'm supposed to give you the tools to do good science." this is likely a general class on the principles of science, although it could be the start of a class on a specific field of science such as biology or physics. Classes about the principles of science (i.e. the scientific method, or what makes "good science") are common at the very introductory level, such as middle school science classes that give young students a basic framework to understand science, and also at the very advanced level, where PhD students take classes on the philosophy and history of science with detailed examination of epistemology, metaphysics, logic and ontology to be able to understand how their research affects the world.

However, Miss Lenhart explains that doing "good science" is hard, because research [https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/5-times-that-science-got-it-wrong often] [https://www.famousscientists.org/10-most-famous-scientific-theories-that-were-later-debunked/ produces] [https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/scientific-theories-proven-wrong incorrect] {{w|List of experimental errors and frauds in physics|results}}. She wonders what are the key things she should teach her students so that their scientific inquiry ends up being successful. She lists a series of items that are commonly suggested as leading to successful research, such as collaboration or skepticism, and explains that she performed a {{w|regression analysis}} (a mathematical technique often used in science), to find out which were most important. She concludes that the two most crucial factors are genuine curiosity about the subject (which makes sense as something that would drive scientists to achieve good results) and {{w|ammonium hydroxide}}, a chemical which does see some {{w|Ammonia_solution#Laboratory_use|laboratory use}}, but it does not obviously relate significantly to achieving good results (although it's often used to clean laboratory equipment, so it is possible that regular or thorough cleaning of equipment reduces experimental error).{{Actual citation needed}}

This may illustrate a potential problem with regression analyses caused by including too many predictor variables for the available data. This can cause random statistical noise in the sample to be interpreted as a meaningful effect.

When Jill points out that ammonium hydroxide is a nonsensical factor, Miss Lenhart replies that Jill is doing good science. The joke is that including ammonium hydroxide was just a means to get Jill to question the results. It also suggests that skepticism is actually the second crucial factor after genuine curiosity, as being skeptical of ammonium hydroxide as an important factor led to Jill's newfound success as a scientist. Alternatively, because Jill is being curious about how ammonia got onto the list, she is performing good science by using both curiosity and ammonia.

The title text addresses a common criticism in scientific circles that science is only good if it has rigor — that is, if it is well-documented and follows all of the proper procedure. It says that if curiosity without rigor is bad (in other words someone earnestly trying to figure out the answer, but doing it in a sloppy way) the opposite, rigor without curiosity, is much worse (a person who produces professional looking results but who doesn't care whether they are right or wrong). There are at least two issues with a scientist who is rigorous but uncurious. First is that, in the modern world, science has a very high social and cultural status, due to its incredible achievements over the past century and a half (from electric power to spaceflight to medical care). As a result, people tend to be very deferential to science, and the trappings of science (lab coats, clipboards, etc.) command respect. A rigorous but uncurious scientist could get people to believe more strongly in the wrong answer (for an example of how symbols like lab coats and clipboards can influence human behavior, see the {{w|Milgram experiment}}). Second, a rigorous scientist could become convinced of their performance because of their rigor, mistaking the outward process of science for science itself. In that case, beyond the initial wrong results due to their incuriosity, they could become resistant to changing their conclusions even when presented with decisive evidence to the contrary, sometimes to the point of suppressing other scientists who have reached the correct answer.

Randall has previously suggested that rigor is not as important in science as some make it out to be, when discussing ''{{w|MythBusters}}'' (see [[397: Unscientific]]).

## Explanations for Predictors of Correct Scientific Results

Understanding the predictors that enhance the accuracy of scientific outcomes is crucial for research integrity and advancement. Here’s a breakdown of each predictor:

### Collaboration
Collaboration involves working with others in the scientific community. It encourages the sharing of diverse perspectives, expertise, and resources. This collective effort can lead to more robust hypotheses and interpretations while reducing individual biases.

### Skepticism of Others' Claims
Maintaining a healthy skepticism regarding others' claims is vital in science. This prompts researchers to critically evaluate findings, claims, and methodologies rather than accepting them at face value, fostering a culture of questioning and verification.

### Questioning Your Own Beliefs
Being willing to question and challenge one’s own beliefs helps prevent confirmation bias, where researchers may only seek evidence supporting their hypotheses. This reflective practice encourages a more open-minded approach to data interpretation.

### Trying to Falsify Hypotheses
The pursuit of falsification is fundamental to the scientific method. Actively trying to disprove hypotheses rather than merely seeking to confirm them enhances the rigor of scientific inquiry, leading to more reliable results.

### Checking Citations
Ensuring that all claims are backed by credible references is vital for scientific integrity. Checking citations validates the sources and findings presented in research, helping researchers build upon sound evidence rather than flawed or misrepresented studies.

### Statistical Rigor
Employing statistically rigorous methods is essential for drawing valid conclusions from data. This includes appropriate study design, sample size, and analysis techniques, which help ensure that results are not due to random chance but reflect true relationships.

### Blinded Analysis
Blinded analyses help eliminate bias by keeping researchers unaware of which groups are being compared during data evaluation. This reduces the likelihood of unintentional influence on the results, enhancing the objectivity of the findings.

### Financial Disclosure
Disclosing any financial interests or conflicts of interest is critical for maintaining transparency in research. Understanding potential biases introduced by funding sources can help in assessing the validity and objectivity of scientific results.

### Open Data
Promoting open access to data allows for greater scrutiny and reproducibility of research. When data is available for others to analyze, it facilitates independent verification of results and fosters trust within the scientific community.

By recognizing and implementing these predictors, researchers can significantly enhance the reliability of their scientific results, contributing to the overall integrity of science.

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart is standing in front of a whiteboard with some scribbles on it. She is looking away from it.]
:Miss Lenhart: I'm supposed to give you the tools to do good science.

:[Miss Lenhart is now seen standing in front of Jill and Cueball, who are seated at classroom desks. She is shrugging and has her arms up and looking away from board.]
:Miss Lenhart: But what '''''are''''' those tools?
:Miss Lenhart: Methodology is hard and there are so many ways to get incorrect results.
:Miss Lenhart: What is the magic ingredient that makes for good science?

:[Miss Lenhart headshot.]
:Miss Lenhart: To figure it out, I ran a regression with all the factors people say are important:
:[A list, presented in a sub-panel that Miss Lenhart is pointing to:]
:Outcome variable:
::• correct scientific results
:Predictors:
::• collaboration
::• skepticism of others' claims
::• questioning your own beliefs
::• trying to falsify hypotheses
::• checking citations
::• statistical rigor
::• blinded analysis
::• financial disclosure
::• open data
::[presumably the list goes on, as it runs off the visible part of the panel]

:[Another Miss Lenhart headshot.]
:Miss Lenhart: The regression says two ingredients are the most crucial:
:1) genuine curiosity about the answer to a question, and
:2) ammonium hydroxide

:[Miss Lenhart is standing and Jill is seated at desk]
:Jill: Wait, why did '''''ammonia''''' score so high? How did it even get on the list?
:Miss Lenhart: ...and now you're doing good science!

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Comics featuring children]]

3106: Farads

2025-10-11T22:44:18Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9:

{{comic
| number = 3106
| date = December 1, 2017
| title = Felsius
| image = felsius.png
| titletext = The symbol for degrees Felsius is an average of the Euro symbol (€) and the Greek lunate epsilon (ϵ).
}}

==Explanation==

Just like in [[1292: Pi vs. Tau]], [[Randall]] tries to unify two measurement systems by averaging both values. There are several {{w|Scale of temperature|temperature scales}} actively used in different parts of the world of for different purposes, including {{w|Celsius}} and {{w|Fahrenheit}}, but e.g. also {{w|Kelvin}}, {{w|Rankine scale|Rankine}} and [[3001: Temperature Scales|potentially several others]].

The {{w|United States customary units}} system uses Fahrenheit, as does the closely related one of {{w|imperial units}}. Alternatively, {{w|Metric system|metric units}} use Celsius or Kelvin. While Fahrenheit is still used in the US, {{w|Territories of the United States|its territories}}, the Bahamas, Belize, the Cayman Islands, Liberia and Palau, all other countries use (or prefer) Celsius. In scientific work, including in the US, only Celsius and Kelvin scales are used.{{Actual citation needed|...the obvious exception is any lab working /straight/ off of the boltzman constant; but we also learn in #3001 that Rankine may be a legacy Kelvin-equivalent 'sciencce-based' scale still used in certain circumstances}}

The conversion factors between Celsius and Fahrenheit are:
:°C = (°F − 32) × 5 / 9
:°F = °C × 9 / 5 + 32

which makes the average (mean) value of °C and °F: °⋲ = °C × 7 / 5 + 16. The step-by-step derivation of this is:
:°⋲ = (°C + °F) / 2
: = (°C + (°C × 9 / 5 + 32)) / 2
: = (°C + °C × 9 / 5 + 32) / 2
: = (°C × 5 / 5 + °C × 9 / 5 + 32) / 2
: = (°C × (5+9) / 5 + 32) / 2
: = (°C × 14 / 5 + 32) / 2
: = °C × 7 / 5 + 16

[[Randall]] chose to name his new unit of temperature Felsius (a {{w|portmanteau}} of Fahrenheit and Celsius).

Comically enough, the Felsius scale discards the main advantages of either temperature scale. The Celsius scale is based around 0 °C as the melting point of water and 100 °C as the boiling point, which is an advantage Felsius does not preserve. Fahrenheit is often argued to be a convenient temperature measure for human comfort, as 0 °F is very cold and 100 °F is very hot and many places on Earth which humans inhabit fall handily within these extremes the majority of the time, but Felsius does not preserve this advantage of the Fahrenheit scale either.

The title text states that the symbol he chose to represent this unit also is the average of two other symbols. Visually, it is assumed to be a combination of Celsius and Fahrenheit (a C with a crossbar), but it is actually like one or other of the unrelated symbols for the {{w|Euro sign|euro currency}} (€) and the Greek lunate {{w|epsilon}} (ϵ). Randall's symbol has a single crossbar, like the Greek lunate epsilon, but the crossbar continues to the left, like the Euro symbol. (In this explanation and the transcript, we have used the mathematical symbol [http://graphemica.com/%E2%8B%B2 U+22F2], which may appear too large or too small depending on the font.)

{|class="wikitable"
!Symbol!!Number of crossbars!!Length of crossbar(s)
|-
||Euro||2||Long
|-
||Epsilon||1||Short
|-
||Felsius||1||Long
|-
||[not used]||2||Short
|}

In doing all this, Randall has fallen into the trap of creating [[927: Standards|a new temperature scale/standard]].

Randall has also compared Celsius and Fahrenheit scales earlier in [[1643: Degrees]], and in [[526: Converting to Metric]] he tries to give users of the Fahrenheit scale an idea about what a given Celsius temperature would feel like. Later on he will [[3001|rate the "cursedness" of various scales]], respectively as 2/10 and 3/10, but we do not discover his opinion of his own combined scale. 

This is an example of {{w|Argument to moderation}}, also known as the false middle point fallacy. A famous use of this fallacy is in the Bible, the {{w|Judgment of Solomon}}. The true mother of a disputed baby is discovered<ref>1 [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/1_kings/3-27.htm Kings 3:27] "...she is the mother thereof."</ref> by proposing the "compromise" of cutting the baby in half. Perhaps Randall has a similar strategy in proposing Felsius, an absurd compromise, in order to somehow discover the "true" temperature scale.

Note that this is not the first (or last) time Randall has [[:Category:Compromise|proposed a controversial 'third' way]].

=== Table of Given Conversions & Additional ===
{| class="wikitable"
!°C!!°⋲!!°F!!Note
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |100.0
| style="text-align:right;" |156.0
| style="text-align:right;" |212.0
|Water boils at sea level (1 atmosphere)
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |54.0
| style="text-align:right;" |91.6
| style="text-align:right;" |129.2
|World heat record, at time of comic ({{w|Highest temperature recorded on Earth|Current status}})
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |37.0
| style="text-align:right;" |67.8
| style="text-align:right;" |98.6
|{{w|Human body temperature}} range average
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |22.0
| style="text-align:right;" |46.8
| style="text-align:right;" |71.6
|Room temperature (maximum per [https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=room+temperature American Heritage Dictionary])
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |0.0
| style="text-align:right;" |16.0
| style="text-align:right;" |32.0
|Pure water freezes at sea level (1 atm); Reference point for 0°C)
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |−11.4
| style="text-align:right;" |0.0
| style="text-align:right;" |11.4
|0°⋲ reference
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |−17.8
| style="text-align:right;" |−8.9
| style="text-align:right;" |0.0
|Reference point for 0°F
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |−21.1
| style="text-align:right;" |−13.5
| style="text-align:right;" |−6.0
|Saturated salt water freezes at sea level (1 atm)[https://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=1722]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |−40.0
| style="text-align:right;" |−40.0
| style="text-align:right;" |−40.0
|Equivalence point (equal figures in both Celcius and Fahrenheit scales)
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |−273.2
| style="text-align:right;" |−366.4
| style="text-align:right;" |−459.7
|{{w|Absolute zero}}; 0K and 0°Ra (equivalent to −273.15°C and −459.67°F, respectively)
|}

<references></references>

==Transcript==
:[A thermometer is shown where the temperature is indicated, with a red column of liquid, to be just above room temperature. This can be seen from the five labels belonging to five lines pointing at the scale. None of these coincide with the 14 ticks on the actual scale for the thermometer. Below the last label is the formula for calculating the temperature on this scale.]
:92°⋲ world heat record
:68°⋲ body temperature
:47°⋲ room temperature
:16°⋲ water freezes
:–9°⋲ 0°F
:°⋲=7×°C/5+16=(7×°F–80)/9

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Since the Celsius vs Fahrenheit debate has proven surprisingly hard to resolve, as a compromise I've started using Felsius (°⋲), the average of the two.

==Implementations==
An implementation of Felsius is available at [http://www.weatherinfelsius.us Weather In Felsius], using a location based on user's IP address and accepting US ZIP codes (permanent dead link).

Additionally, a converter to and from Felsius is available at [https://felsius.com Felsius Conversion Tool].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Portmanteau]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Compromise]]
[[Category:Unicode]]

3123: Canon

2025-10-11T22:31:38Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9:

{{comic
| number = 3123
| date = August 1, 2025
| title = Canon
| image = canon_2x.png
| imagesize = 299x408px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Achilles was a mighty warrior, but his Achilles’ heel was his heel.
}}

==Explanation==
In Christianity, [https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03279a.htm Apostolic Canons] were ancient laws and decrees, usually enacted by consensus of bishops and Ecumenical Councils. The most well-known decrees have led to definitions of ''{{W|Biblical canon|Biblical canon}}'', [Gk: ''κανον''] traditionally referring to the books of the Bible (Old Testament and New Testament) which are generally accepted as being doctrinally sound, worthy of inclusion by church bodies, and proclaimed liturgically. Non-canonical works are known as {{w|apocrypha}} or "Deuterocanonical" (works which, while perhaps edifying and ancient, are doctrinally rejected by some or all Christian authorities). The writers of the New Testament and other Church Fathers had adopted the Greek word for a type of straight reed, ''κανε'', because it was being cut and used in the Hellenistic world to apply standards of measurement.

The term "canon" was subsequently applied by analogy to the {{w|Sherlock Holmes}} stories which were written by {{w|Arthur Conan Doyle}}, as opposed to the adaptations into other formats (stage plays, films, etc.) and non-Doyle stories. An early example of this connection was in a 1910 satirical essay by the Catholic scholar Ronald A. Knox, ''Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes''.

From there, it took on its modern, even broader meaning for fiction in general: the material widely accepted as created by the recognized author(s). For instance, ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' canon comprises the films and some TV shows made by {{w|Lucasfilm}} (and {{w|Disney}} after its buyout of Lucasfilm), but that canon is supplemented by a large amount of non-canonical {{w|Star Wars in other media|''Star Wars'' content in other media}} such as books, video games, comic books, fan fiction, etc. In addition, what is canon can be changed, as occurred when a large portion of formerly canon Star Wars content was [https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Legends decanonised] in 2014 to make narrative space for the upcoming Star Wars trilogy sequel movies. Determining what is canon and what is not in a narrative framework has a tendency to excite huge passions amongst fans where they decide what is, and what is not, binding to the fandom, drawing comparison to the huge factionalism of religions.

Here, Cueball is using the modern meaning to describe a theological dispute from the 18th century when scholars used ''canon'' in its secondary derived meaning referring to the canon of Scripture. There are many examples of fierce theological disputes that were recorded in pamphlets and books throughout the 16th to 19th century, for example just regarding the correct mode of baptism: {{w|File:The Summe of a conference at Terling in Essex, Januarie 11, 1643 - held between 3 ministers ... opponents pleading for infants baptisme, and 2 catabaptists ... respondents denying .. (IA summeofconferenc00stal).pdf|1644 (683 pages)}}, {{w|File:A defence of infant-baptism in answer to two treatises, and an Appendix to them concerning it, lately published by Mr. Jo. Tombes - wherein that controversie is fully discussed ... (IA defenceofinfantb00mars).pdf|1646 (342 pages)}}, {{w|File:A discourse proving the divine institution of water-baptism - wherein the Quaker-arguments against it are collected and confuted with as much as is needful concerning the Lord's supper (IA discourseproving00lesl).pdf|1697 (150 pages)}}, {{w|File:An essay on infant baptism (microform) - in which the right of infants to the sacrament of baptism, is proved from Scripture, vindicated from the usual objections (IA cihm 89861).pdf|1768 (219 pages)}}, {{w|File:Modern immersion not Scripture baptism (IA modernimmersionn00thorrich).pdf|1831 (400 pages)}}, {{w|File:The heavenly father's teaching (microform) - a pedo-Baptist's reply to immersionists shewing that Baptism is not immersion, and that immersion is not Baptism, for they are direct opposites (IA cihm 08315).pdf|1874 (107 pages)}} - examples selected from hundreds of similar books. Similarly, the word "fandom" comes from the word "fan", which is the shorter form of "fanatic", and '-dom', as in a class of people. Fanatic's etymology, in turn, points to the latin word "fanaticus" meaning 'of a temple, inspired by a god'. (The latin word "fanum" means 'temple'.)

An ''Achilles’ heel'' is the weak point of something or someone who is otherwise very strong. It derives from the legend of the great Greek warrior {{w|Achilles}}, who as a baby was dipped into the river {{w|Styx}} by {{w|Thetis|his mother}} to make him invulnerable everywhere on his body that the water touched. However, during the dipping, his mother held him by the heel, which was thus vulnerable because it didn't enter the river, and in fact Achilles later died after he was shot in that heel with an arrow. The joke again is the self-reference.

In comic title or name, Canon Inc. (Japanese: キヤノン株式会社;[note 1] Hepburn: Kyanon kabushiki gaisha) is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, specializing in optical, imaging, and industrial products, such as lenses, cameras, medical equipment, scanners, printers, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is holding a book up in front of him with both hands while talking to White Hat.]
:Cueball: It's so weird reading these 18th century scholars argue about minor biblical details.
:Cueball: It's like they're an online fandom or something - they've developed this whole elaborate canon.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:It's fun when a word's usage goes full circle and, by analogy, lands back on its original meaning.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Religion]]

2558: Rapid Test Results

2025-10-11T11:50:19Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:54:DB18:3897:57D9:

{{comic
| number = 2558
| date = December 22, 2021
| title = Rapid Test Results
| image = rapid_test_results.png
| titletext = A solid red area with two white lines means that you have been infected with the anti-coronavirus, COVID+19, which will cure anyone you have close contact with.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is another in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] related to the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}}.

This comic is a joke about COVID-19 rapid {{w|lateral flow test}} results. These devices are used in many countries for individuals to test their own nasal and oropharynx fluid for evidence of COVID-19 virus to detect asymptomatic infection. These tests have two indicator strips - a test line for covid-19 and a control line to check the device is working correctly. Where a control line is not present, the test should be ignored and repeated. Until comparatively recently {{w|Pregnancy test|pregnancy}} was the occasion [[583|most familiar]] for requiring this form of test.

The first 2 answers are the standard indicators for a negative and positive result, but Randall takes this to absurdity, see below in the [[#Table of results|table]].

The title text interprets the hyphen in "COVID-19" as a negative sign to make a mathematical joke. Here Randall postulates a counterpart virus to COVID-19, resulting in a test with inverted colors, which he names COVID+19. When combined this anti-coronavirus exactly matches the original one and results in zero COVID, curing those who had previously been infected.

This was the last comic before this year's [[:Category:Christmas|Christmas comic]]. It was about COVID-19 testing. The last comic before the 2020 Christmas comic, [[2402: Into My Veins]], was about the [[:Category:COVID-19 vaccine|COVID-19 vaccine]].

===Table of results===
{| class="wikitable"
!Result
!Interpretation
!Explanation
|-
|Control line only
|Negative
|As for all such actual tests, the Control line indicates that the test has run without error. Without this Control line (which ''always'' shows on a correctly functioning test after proper use), a lack of result on the test strip is meaningless.
A control line with no Test line indicates that the molecule being tested for is not present.

|-
|Control and test line
|Positive
|This clearly shows the (un)desired test result, with both the Control line and the indicator of the tested-for condition.
|-
|2 wavy lines resembling the {{w|Approximation#Typography|approximately equal}} sign
|Approximately positive
|While it would be possible to make the test produce wavy line(s) by default, and some versions 'activate' more complex patterns such as tick-marks or wording, these are still binary yes/no results. The waviness or other patternation would not normally be contingent upon the testing state it must reveal, and the complicated pattern could result in a fainter Test line (However, {{w|National Health Service|NHS}} advice states that any positive line, no matter the strength, should be considered a positive).

A real test intended to produce straight lines might become wavy if manufactured poorly. Two lines would still indicate a positive test, but the poor quality of the device calls into question that result - making "approximately positive" an appropriate description.

Whilst this may have been unintended, it is worthwhile noting that lateral flow tests sacrifice some accuracy in order to be quick and cheap. They therefore have some risk of {{w|false-positive}} test results, hence the need for a follow-up gold-standard laboratory controlled confirmation test. In this sense, a positive rapid test result would give an approximately positive result.
|-
|2 lines closer together than usual
|Positive (college ruled)
|This is the same as the Positive result, just with less distance between the two lines. {{w|Ruled paper#United States|College ruled}} refers to how college ruled notebooks in the United States have narrower spacing between the lines.
Again, there is no simple way to make the test reveal different patterns as a result-indicator of any qualitative or quantitative result; this is not a different result from the original Positive. It also remains more desirable to maintain an easily-identifiable separation between lines and not risk the Test and Control lines bleeding together into one.
|-
|Five lines of decreasing lengths
|Good cell signal
|Mimics the standard image for a strong mobile (or cellular in the United States) phone signal.
This implies that the Rapid Test being used in the comic can also detect cellphone signals, which is both strange and useless for someone trying to test themselves for COVID-19 (but useful to know if you're planning to call a hospital). Furthermore, it is unknown how a chemical test can pick up on electromagnetic phenomena involving radio waves.
|-
|2 lines on a background of radiating lines
|Did you know these lines are actually parallel?
|This is a reference to an {{w|optical illusion}} called the {{w|Hering illusion}}, where two parallel lines appear to bend outward.
Whether the radial lines can (or should) be designed into the test has no bearing upon the core test, and probably won't cause misidentification of whether the test reveals one or two clear "straight" lines.
|-
|Multiple lines in the shape of a scary stick figure
|The Blair Witch is near
|In the found-footage movie ''{{w|The Blair Witch Project}}'', stick figures shaped like this indicated that the Blair Witch was near.
The type of rapid test used for COVID-19 probably does not have any useful method for revealing the proximity of witchcraft, unless a witchcraft-related molecule could be identified that can be indicated within the sample material itself.
|-
|Three lines
|Click to expand COVID menu
|A reference to {{w|Hamburger button|hamburger buttons}}, an icon that is widely used on websites to reveal a menu. It is especially used on mobile versions of sites designed to be read on a small screen, where compressing a menu until needed saves space.
This seems to show that the test can provide more data via a hidden menu, which shouldn't be able to fit on a small screen such as the one shown in the comic. Many COVID-19 tests have associated apps alongside the rapid test device for better analysis and dissemination of the results, but such an app isn't normally integrated into the rapid test device itself.
|}

==Transcript==
:[Header above the comic:]
:Interpreting Rapid Test Results

:[What follows is a set of 8 possible rapid test results for COVID-19.]

:[One line on the "C".]
:Negative

:[Two lines, one on the "C" and one on the "T".]
:Positive

:[Two curvy lines on the "C" and the "T", resembling the "approximately equal" sign.]
:Approximately positive

:[Two lines, not on the "C" or the "T", but they are instead closer together.]
:Positive (college ruled)

:[Five lines resembling a cell signal symbol.]
:Good cell signal

:[Two straight lines, on the "C" and "T", with lines going outward from the centre, giving an illusion of the lines being curved.]
:Did you know these lines are actually parallel?

:[One line on the "C", and two lines in a cross with one line sticking upward of the center of the cross.]
:The Blair Witch is near

:[Three lines, with one on the "C", one on the "T", and one in the middle of the "C" and "T".]
:Click to expand Covid menu

{{comic discussion}}
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