explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3107: Weather Balloons

2025-09-07T05:38:17Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

If you could make weather balloons out of plastic grocery bags you could address global warming and plastic bag pollution at the same time. [[Special:Contributions/47.248.235.170|47.248.235.170]] 21:35, 25 June 2025 (UTC)Pat
:You'd only delay those problems as weather balloons do have a life expectancy, just look at the problems the Myth Busters had with them when tackling Lawnchair Larry. [[Special:Contributions/2001:1C02:1A9D:9700:391C:7C6C:4E0A:AD94|2001:1C02:1A9D:9700:391C:7C6C:4E0A:AD94]] 23:21, 25 June 2025 (UTC)
::It wouldn't be a plastic recycling method so much as a plastic distribution method. [[User:RegularSizedGuy|RegularSizedGuy]] ([[User talk:RegularSizedGuy|talk]]) 00:26, 26 June 2025 (UTC)
The current description is useful -- but the phrase "over time" is in error. The graph shows the relationship between the number of weather balloons and the accuracy of modelling: "time" is not a component. [[Special:Contributions/165.225.115.132|165.225.115.132]] 23:56, 25 June 2025 (UTC)
:I would say time is a component because the x axis is labeled number of weather balloons launched _per day_, therefore distributed through time, therefore time is part of the graph. [[Special:Contributions/179.217.229.235|179.217.229.235]] 06:54, 26 June 2025 (UTC)
:The original complaint was neutered {{diff|380453|fairly soon after the observation was made}}, anyway, so no longer applies. Clearly you ''could'' progress through "number of balloons per day". Testing a given number one day, a larger number the next is an easy method (for as long as you wish to sustain that, and are able to). Or even just test for a few releases, one day, then immediately launch more (and test), then yet more (test again), all before the initial ones start to 'decay' out of the current count faster than you can add to them (any eventual backsliding, aside, that makes a timeward correlation to numbers currently aloft).
:But, truly, you could scattergun the effect. Today, launch 1. Tomorrow launch 1 trillion. The day after, try 4000. The day after that, try 4000 ''again'' (just because), or 1 or 400 or 1 trillion or 18 trillion or 42 (or none) — whatever is you desire and within your capability (including maybe preventing other potential launchings from others, to ensure a sufficiently supressed daily figure).
:Anyway, though time 'features', insofar as daily counts (and, as a hidden variable, the matter of balloon longevity, which could change things drastically if prior ones did ''not'' actually vanish between one day and the next but actually permanently accumulated), "over time" is no longer mentioned (whoever rewrote that bit). [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.112|82.132.245.112]] 09:58, 26 June 2025 (UTC)
:Global helium reserves are currently estimated to be around 40 billion cubic meters (source Google), so you run out of helium well before the balloons have a significant effect. Since the majority of it gets used for cooling cryogenic systems in hospitals that is going to become a serious health issue - it's already happened a couple of times as old reserves were depleted, the industry found some new sources but they are running out of places to look. [[User:MarcusRowland|MarcusRowland]] ([[User talk:MarcusRowland|talk]]) 10:07, 26 June 2025 (UTC)
::If we were launching massive quantities of balloons we could use hydrogen instead which is very abundant (yes, it is dangerous, but on the plus side has more lift). Or even argon (18 atomic weight, so it should have some lift) or methane (16 molecular weight) [[User:Rps|Rps]] ([[User talk:Rps|talk]]) 11:37, 26 June 2025 (UTC)
:::Hydrogen's teeny molecules would leak out of the balloons much faster than helium - when I was an educational lab technician we always had to fill hydrogen balloons just before using them because they deflated very quickly. It's also an indirect greenhouse gas so releasing vast quantities into the atmosphere may not be a good idea. Incidentally, has anyone done the sums on how many weather balloons would actually fit into the volume of the earth's atmosphere? --[[User:MarcusRowland|MarcusRowland]] ([[User talk:MarcusRowland|talk]]) 14:56, 26 June 2025 (UTC)
:::Oops, 18 is argon's atomic number, the mass of (terrestrial) argon is ~40, so it sinks in air. Neon (isotopes 20 and 22) would work somewhat, but is not abundant like argon, so probably not a good idea.[[User:Rps|Rps]] ([[User talk:Rps|talk]])
::::Yes, Argon is a classic gas (with others - an extreme example is tungsten hexafluoride!) for filling a balloon that's ''unusually heavy''. Also escapes from the balloon much less, if you find that useful. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.48|82.132.244.48]] 19:00, 26 June 2025 (UTC)
:::::I only remembered later that argon is used by deep divers to inflate {{w|dry suits}}, precisely because it is heavy and so it has less thermal conductivity than the {{w|heliox}} which deep divers use to breath. [[User:Rps|Rps]] ([[User talk:Rps|talk]]) 16:19, 27 June 2025 (UTC)
Honestly I feel like this one is a thinly veiled joke about LLMs: As they grow bigger with more data to work with, they tend to get better, but the improvements require exponential data, so benefits wear off, until the internet gets so polluted with AI slop (like the atmosphere gets covered in balloons), that the quality of results of any future AI venture plummets, and training new models becomes impossible. [[User:mlerp|mlerp]] ([[User talk:mlerp|talk]])

How many weather balloons ''are'' launched per day? Seems relevant. --[[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 10:10, 27 June 2025 (UTC)
:Okay, a lot easier number to find than I thought. Estimates range from 900-1300, which matches the comic pretty well. --[[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 10:12, 27 June 2025 (UTC)
::Now establish how accurate current weather predictions are, to tie down the other axis. ;) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.173|82.132.245.173]] 13:12, 27 June 2025 (UTC)
:: The Wikipedia article says "Between 900 and 1,300 locations around the globe do routine releases, two or four times daily", which would give something roughly around 2,500 - 4,000. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 15:23, 27 June 2025 (UTC)
::: The wikipedia article indeed cites a maximum of approximately 5200 balloons daily. The other top Google hit I get on this topic is an ABC article from 2023 claiming only 1800 daily [https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/weather-balloons-hundreds-turns/story?id=97082985 "How many weather balloons are out there? Hundreds, it turns out"] Yet the chart seems to place the "Current Rate" dot closer to the unmarked 10000 line than the 1000, maybe 3/4 of the way there... If my math is right that should be about 10000^(15/16) or ~5623.4 so, pretty close to that maximum wikipedia estimate. Maybe this should be explained in the main article because I sure got a bit confused and I had to refresh my math memory of how log graphs work... [[Special:Contributions/38.175.130.234|38.175.130.234]] 00:14, 28 June 2025 (UTC)
:::: I checked the graph. The 2x image has an x axis scale of very very close to 60px / cycle (going from 1 to 1 trillion (12 cycles) I have at 721px.) Going from 1 to the middle of the dot for "current rate" is 217px. This yields 3.61667 cycles. 10**3.61667 is 4136. Thus, the graph shown is indicating 4136 balloons/day is the current launch rate. More accurately(?), 10**(217/(721/12)), which yields 4089 balloons/day. So, somewhere in the range of 4089-4136 balloons/day. [[User:Esp666|Esp666]] ([[User talk:Esp666|talk]]) 02:24, 30 June 2025 (UTC)
:::: Making a '''vast''' number of assumptions about the y axis (linear, low end marks 0% accurate, peak accuracy is very close to 100% accurate), based on the graph as presented, I calculate the current weather model accuracy at about 86.4%. [[User:Esp666|Esp666]] ([[User talk:Esp666|talk]]) 02:32, 30 June 2025 (UTC)

The transcript doesn't mention the Beret Guy at the bottom left who is launching the first weather balloon. [[Special:Contributions/93.41.50.123|93.41.50.123]] 10:36, 28 June 2025 (UTC)
:It doesn't mention ''any'' of the 'decoration' to the plot (balloons, Sun, shadows, etc). Though I was hoping to just rewrite it not as a monolithic clump, as it was, if nobody else had a good go at it before I got around to it myself. (I probably would have added the missing decor-description, at that time.) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.245|82.132.244.245]] 13:30, 28 June 2025 (UTC)

3107: Weather Balloons

2025-09-07T05:36:41Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 3107
| date = June 25, 2025
| title = Weather Balloons
| image = weather_balloons_2x.png
| imagesize = 547x351px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Once you add the balloons into the model, it makes forecasting easier overall--the forecast is always 'cold and dark, with minimal solar-driven convection.'
}}

==Explanation==
A {{w|weather balloon}} is a balloon that carries {{w|meteorology|meteorological}} instruments into the high atmosphere and sends readings back to scientists, who use the information to make weather and climate predictions. Typically it will rise up until the difference between the pressure inside the balloon and that outside gets too great, and the membrane breaks and the fragments of balloon fall back down. This is why the graph plots the number of balloons launched each day, rather than overall, since most balloons launched on one day would be gone from the sky the next day.

The chart in the comic claims that weather forecasting accuracy correlates with the number of weather balloons launched each day, with accuracy increasing fast at first, followed by diminishing returns as the number of launches increases. However, it forecasts that if the rate of balloon launches is sufficiently high, it could provide so many balloons that they actually impact the weather by blocking out sunlight. If the balloons are not included in the weather model, the accuracy of the model based on the readings provided by the many balloons decreases. This starts to happen somewhere between 100 billion to 1 trillion weather balloons launched each day. The accuracy of the model drops completely towards zero for around 10 trillion launched each day, where it even falls below the accuracy for just a single balloon (which may or may not be augmented by non-balloon information) at the start of the graph.

While the number of weather balloon launches impacts weather model accuracy, it's not the only factor. Ground stations have been collecting and collating useful surface data for centuries. Scientific understanding of the physical processes in the atmosphere has also improved, only in part due to balloons, and the speed of computers used in analyses and simulations has increased by many orders of magnitude. The existence of weather and geophysical satellites also significantly improves forecasts, as they can continuously gain information about clouds and temperatures over huge areas, while weather balloons capture information as they rise through only a single air-column for a limited duration.

The surface area of the Earth is around 510 {{w|Trillion|short-scale trillion}} square meters (5113 m2), and a typical weather balloon (while smaller at launch) will expand to approximately 6 m diameter at altitude; this covers an area slightly under 30 m2, within a just marginally larger 'air surface area' at height. This makes it entirely possible to blanket the whole Earth with around 18 trillion standard weather balloons - or possibly even fewer, given the current availability of larger balloon models each more than twice the width, or four times the area. This isn't far off the implications given by the graph. On the other hand, the inherent translucency of the balloon material, the tendency of the balloons to jostle vertically (the illustration implying that it's not just a single layer of close-packed balloons), and the need to synchronize launches and ascents to try to form an optimal single layer, might make complete coverage difficult to accomplish without a slightly greater number of launches. Alternatively, roughly doubling this coverage could be achieved by launching when the balloons will end up in the sunlit hemisphere at any given time.

The joke in the title text is that when there are so many balloons that sunlight is entirely blocked, weather will always be the same - dark and cold - so we won't need complex models to forecast it. Also, when there is no heating of the Earth's surface, the solar-driven convection that drives storms and weather patterns would stop. Of course, plants and algae would start to die out, followed shortly by humans and most other life on Earth. However, assuming that the balloons are being launched by humans, the number of them that it would be possible to launch would fall as the population and social structures began to collapse, mitigating the impact on the weather. The pollution from the trillions of balloons would last for longer, but wouldn't prevent sunlight from reaching the Earth's surface.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[A graph.]

:[X axis has 14 divisions/ticks upon it, a selection of them labeled logarithmically with progressive values of ten:]
::1 [First tick]
::10
::100
::1,000
::1 Million
::1 Billion
::1 Trillion [Penultimate tick]
::[Rightwards arrow and label:] Number of weather balloon launches per day
:[Y axis is unmarked and unquantified:]
::[Upwards arrow and label:] Weather model accuracy

:[The plot starts above the first mark for 1 balloon, at about 40% of the eventual maximum value of the curve. It starts rising quickly before levelling off, effectively plateaus between 100 million and 10 billion, then reduces even more rapidly down to perhaps 15% of the maximum above the final 10 trillion mark.]
::[A point on the line at about 4000 launches per day and 85% of the maximum is indicated by an arrow and label:] Current rate

:[The graph is decorated (behind the plot-line) with a number of drawn features, mostly of weather balloons dotted around the space between the 'ground'/X-axis and the upper limit of the plot.]
::[The upper balloons are visibly more expanded than those closer to the ground, one of which seems to have just been released by a Beret Guy standing half way between the "1" and "10" tickmarks, as apparently linked by some 'movement dots'.]
::[Most balloons are at or around the upper limit of their range, and the number of balloons around a general horizontal position increases from left to right.]
::[A single high-altitude ballon is found in the area above the plot-line to the left.]
::[In the top right, balloons become heavily clustered and an arrow points at this overlapping mass (once more above the plot-line) leading from a text label:] Layer of weather balloons, not accounted for in models, blocks sunlight from reaching Earth

:[A stylistic 'Sun' is drawn above the top-right cluster of balloons, various light-to-mid-shade halftones are used to roughly indicate shadows cast below the in reasingly densely packed balloons leading up to this section of the scene. The lightest tones start to 'reach the ground' at slightly above the "1 Billion" mark, the darkest tones starting in the 1 Trillion to (unlabeled) 10 Trillion division.]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Line graphs]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Weather]]

2996: CIDABM

2025-09-07T05:19:57Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number = 2996
| date = October 9, 2024
| title = CIDABM
| image = cidabm_2x.png
| imagesize = 423x480px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = There's a heated debate over whether the big island of Tierra del Fuego should qualify for membership.
}}

==Explanation==

The comic parodies intergovernmental cooperations, such as the {{w|G7}} "group of seven" (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) or the {{w|BRICS}} group (originally '''B'''razil, '''R'''ussia, '''I'''ndia and '''C'''hina, with '''S'''outh Africa soon after rounding off the acronym before further nations attained membership). Such treaties, and other more casual associations between nations, can be based upon some close association in geographical, political, cultural and/or economic terms (or even, in some cases, by little more than sharing a common opposition to a ''different'' {{w|Trade bloc|bloc}} of nations).

The "CIDABM" group, named for the very specific membership criteria, has been formed on a rather more abstract basis than most geographically-focused groupings (e.g. {{w|NATO}} or the {{w|Pacific Islands Forum}}) and (currently) consists of four otherwise disparate islands:
*{{w|Sicily}} is an autonomous region of {{w|Italy}}, which is on the south eastern edge of the {{w|Eurasia}}n mainland.
*{{w|Sri Lanka}} is a nation in its own right, south of {{w|India}}, which is on the southern edge of the Eurasian mainland.
*{{w|Hainan}} is a province of {{w|China}}, which is on the south eastern edge of the Eurasian mainland.
*{{w|Tasmania}} is a state of the nation of {{w|Australia}}, south of the eastern side of {{w|Australia (continent)|continental Australia}} mainland.

These four islands 'dangle below' their mainlands only because of the convention of having north at the top of maps. If the mapmaking convention had instead been to have south at the top, the islands might have been described as floating above their continents. Conversely, {{w|Madagascar}}, {{w|Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland}} or {{w|Adelaide Island}} might have been applicable members of similar 'dangling' alliances where the basic premise might come from one or other different map orientations.

The big island of Tierra del Fuego ({{w|Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego}}), mentioned in the title text, is off the southern tip of the {{w|Chile}}an mainland (as well as a small bit of {{w|Argentina}}). Unlike the others in the comic, it doesn't prominently 'dangle' south of a mainland: it has narrow channels separating its northern and northwestern sides from the mainland, and other parts of the {{w|Tierra del Fuego}} archipelago surround its southwestern side and make it appear well-connected to the mainland. In addition, it isn't a single political entity: the island is split between Chile to the west and Argentina to the east. The 'heated debate' mentioned in the title text may be a play on ''Tierra del Fuego'' being Spanish for ''Land of Fire''.

While the banner on stage depicts each of the islands with approximately the same size, Tasmania (68,400 km²) and Sri Lanka (65,600 km²) are much larger than Hainan (35,200 km²) and Sicily (25,800 km²). Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego is in the middle sizewise (48,000 km²).

Here is a list of island that clearly do not belong to this club:
*{{w|Corsica}} (8,700 km², south of France's mainland) but clearly not dangling beneath the tip of a land mass like Sicily but on the side of Italy.
*{{w|Cyprus}} (9,300 km², south of Turkey) but also to the west of Syria thus not dangling beneath a land mass.
*{{w|Kyushu}} (36,800 km²) and {{w|Shikoku}} (18,800 km²) that are very close and south of the Japanese mainland of Honshu but this is an island state so island beneath island kind of makes no sense here.
*The same problem with {{w|Stewart Island}}/Rakiura (1,746 km²), which dangles south of the South Island of New Zealand again an island state so island beneath island kind of makes no sense here.
*The {{w|Isle of Wight}} (merely 380 km²) is not really beneath the UK as part of the mainland goes more to the south and again an island state so island beneath island kind of makes no sense here.
*{{w|Gotland}} (3,200 km²) and {{w|Long Island}} (3,600 km²) are even smaller and, like {{w|Taiwan}} (36,200 km²), are not even close to being south of their respective mainlands.
*{{w|Cuba}} (105,800 km²) which "dangles" south of Florida seems to also not quite fit the theme as it is much larger and longer than the part that is "dangles" beneath and thus would not be considered dangling from Florida, rather supporting Florida.
*{{w|Sumatra}} (482,300 km²), is not dangling south of the Malay peninsula as it goes much higher up and is also much larger than the part of the mainland it should dangle beneath so makes no sense to look as it as dangling.

==Transcript==
:[A banner hangs at the top of the frame with a large acronym written above four map segments. The map segments show a landmass in grey with an island at the bottom drawn in black. Beneath the banner are four people. Hairbun and Cueball to the left are shaking hands while looking at each other, Megan is looking towards the unseen crows arms spread out and Hairy to the right is waving with one arm.]
:Banner: C.I.D.A.B.M.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Geopolitical news: Sicily, Sri Lanka, Hainan, and Tasmania have joined together to form the Coalition of Islands that Dangle Awkwardly from the Bottom of a Mainland.

==Trivia==
Comic Numbered #2996 Number of Deaths from the 9-11 attacks

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Maps]]

2996: CIDABM

2025-09-07T05:18:11Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 2996
| date = October 9, 2024
| title = CIDABM
| image = cidabm_2x.png
| imagesize = 423x480px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = There's a heated debate over whether the big island of Tierra del Fuego should qualify for membership.
}}

==Explanation==

The comic parodies intergovernmental cooperations, such as the {{w|G7}} "group of seven" (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) or the {{w|BRICS}} group (originally '''B'''razil, '''R'''ussia, '''I'''ndia and '''C'''hina, with '''S'''outh Africa soon after rounding off the acronym before further nations attained membership). Such treaties, and other more casual associations between nations, can be based upon some close association in geographical, political, cultural and/or economic terms (or even, in some cases, by little more than sharing a common opposition to a ''different'' {{w|Trade bloc|bloc}} of nations).

The "CIDABM" group, named for the very specific membership criteria, has been formed on a rather more abstract basis than most geographically-focused groupings (e.g. {{w|NATO}} or the {{w|Pacific Islands Forum}}) and (currently) consists of four otherwise disparate islands:
*{{w|Sicily}} is an autonomous region of {{w|Italy}}, which is on the south eastern edge of the {{w|Eurasia}}n mainland.
*{{w|Sri Lanka}} is a nation in its own right, south of {{w|India}}, which is on the southern edge of the Eurasian mainland.
*{{w|Hainan}} is a province of {{w|China}}, which is on the south eastern edge of the Eurasian mainland.
*{{w|Tasmania}} is a state of the nation of {{w|Australia}}, south of the eastern side of {{w|Australia (continent)|continental Australia}} mainland.

These four islands 'dangle below' their mainlands only because of the convention of having north at the top of maps. If the mapmaking convention had instead been to have south at the top, the islands might have been described as floating above their continents. Conversely, {{w|Madagascar}}, {{w|Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland}} or {{w|Adelaide Island}} might have been applicable members of similar 'dangling' alliances where the basic premise might come from one or other different map orientations.

The big island of Tierra del Fuego ({{w|Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego}}), mentioned in the title text, is off the southern tip of the {{w|Chile}}an mainland (as well as a small bit of {{w|Argentina}}). Unlike the others in the comic, it doesn't prominently 'dangle' south of a mainland: it has narrow channels separating its northern and northwestern sides from the mainland, and other parts of the {{w|Tierra del Fuego}} archipelago surround its southwestern side and make it appear well-connected to the mainland. In addition, it isn't a single political entity: the island is split between Chile to the west and Argentina to the east. The 'heated debate' mentioned in the title text may be a play on ''Tierra del Fuego'' being Spanish for ''Land of Fire''.

While the banner on stage depicts each of the islands with approximately the same size, Tasmania (68,400 km²) and Sri Lanka (65,600 km²) are much larger than Hainan (35,200 km²) and Sicily (25,800 km²). Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego is in the middle sizewise (48,000 km²).

Here is a list of island that clearly do not belong to this club:
*{{w|Corsica}} (8,700 km², south of France's mainland) but clearly not dangling beneath the tip of a land mass like Sicily but on the side of Italy.
*{{w|Cyprus}} (9,300 km², south of Turkey) but also to the west of Syria thus not dangling beneath a land mass.
*{{w|Kyushu}} (36,800 km²) and {{w|Shikoku}} (18,800 km²) that are very close and south of the Japanese mainland of Honshu but this is an island state so island beneath island kind of makes no sense here.
*The same problem with {{w|Stewart Island}}/Rakiura (1,746 km²), which dangles south of the South Island of New Zealand again an island state so island beneath island kind of makes no sense here.
*The {{w|Isle of Wight}} (merely 380 km²) is not really beneath the UK as part of the mainland goes more to the south and again an island state so island beneath island kind of makes no sense here.
*{{w|Gotland}} (3,200 km²) and {{w|Long Island}} (3,600 km²) are even smaller and, like {{w|Taiwan}} (36,200 km²), are not even close to being south of their respective mainlands.
*{{w|Cuba}} (105,800 km²) which "dangles" south of Florida seems to also not quite fit the theme as it is much larger and longer than the part that is "dangles" beneath and thus would not be considered dangling from Florida, rather supporting Florida.
*{{w|Sumatra}} (482,300 km²), is not dangling south of the Malay peninsula as it goes much higher up and is also much larger than the part of the mainland it should dangle beneath so makes no sense to look as it as dangling.

==Transcript==
:[A banner hangs at the top of the frame with a large acronym written above four map segments. The map segments show a landmass in grey with an island at the bottom drawn in black. Beneath the banner are four people. Hairbun and Cueball to the left are shaking hands while looking at each other, Megan is looking towards the unseen crows arms spread out and Hairy to the right is waving with one arm.]
:Banner: C.I.D.A.B.M.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Geopolitical news: Sicily, Sri Lanka, Hainan, and Tasmania have joined together to form the Coalition of Islands that Dangle Awkwardly from the Bottom of a Mainland.

==Trivia==
comic numbered #2996 Number of deaths by the 9-11 attacks

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Maps]]

Simple Writer

2025-09-07T04:33:23Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| title = Simple Writer
| image = SimpleWriterExample.jpeg
| lappend = simplewriter
| extra = yes
| imagesize = 800px
}}
{{misc page}}
To experience the interactivity of the simple writer, visit the {{xkcd|simplewriter|original comic}}.
==Explanation==
This appears to be a page in which one can check to see if all the words in a given piece of text fits within the ten hundred words people use the most often. The page directly compares this to the style of writing featured in [[1133: Up Goer Five]] and ''[[Thing Explainer]]''.
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]

Simple Writer

2025-09-07T04:32:50Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| title = Simple Writer
| image = SimpleWriterExample.jpeg
| lappend = simplewriter
| extra = yes
| imagesize = 800px
}}
{{miscpage}}
To experience the interactivity of the simple writer, visit the {{xkcd|simplewriter|original comic}}.
==Explanation==
This appears to be a page in which one can check to see if all the words in a given piece of text fits within the ten hundred words people use the most often. The page directly compares this to the style of writing featured in [[1133: Up Goer Five]] and ''[[Thing Explainer]]''.
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]

Talk:3108: Laser Danger

2025-09-07T01:39:39Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

I wonder how long this was in the chamber. He must’ve been waiting for the first week of the year we didn’t have an air disaster. [[Special:Contributions/172.118.150.213|172.118.150.213]] 05:08, 28 June 2025 (UTC)

The statute is 18 U.S. Code § 39A - Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft {{unsigned ip|206.174.20.11|05:21, 28 June 2025}}
:It was originally written almost as if it was a US only thing, for some weird reason. [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/9/body It isn't]. And I'm sure that, even if not explicitly existing as a "don't shine lasers at aircraft" law in any given jurisdiction, you could be prosecuted for the local version of generic "reckless endangerment", "assault" or some variation of manslaughter/murder (should the worse happen). At the very least, the "[https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8212341-cuddy-had-only-been-a-guard-for-a-few-days Being Bloody Stupid Act of 1581]", or local equivalent, complete with 'disproportionate' retaliation by the authorities in places that are perhaps a bit short of modern legal processes but very big on 'law'-enforcement in more general (possibly militia/lynch-mob led) terms. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.247.41|82.132.247.41]] 09:25, 28 June 2025 (UTC)

Poor cats, jumping into chemtrail-spray can't be good for them 😉 [[Special:Contributions/89.1.185.158|89.1.185.158]] 06:03, 28 June 2025 (UTC)
:Chem Tails: a cute animated film about joeys fighting a government mind control conspiracy. {{unsigned ip|73.192.144.66|13:43, 28 June 2025}}

3108: Laser Danger

2025-09-07T01:39:06Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| number = 3108
| date = June 27, 2025
| title = Laser Danger
| image = laser_danger_2x.png
| imagesize = 684x272px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = To combat the threat, many airlines are installing wing-mounted spray bottles.
}}

==Explanation==
Shining a laser at a plane is a [https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers federal crime] in the US, and similarly forbidden in many other countries. A sufficiently powerful laser can disorient, distract and/or blind the pilot operating the aircraft. This can prove particularly dangerous to the safety of the aircraft and its occupants during take-off and landing, when planes are likely to have altitudes and orientations particularly susceptible to laser interference, and are phases that are already hazardous periods of flight. This 'use' of lasers was previously discussed in [[3030: Lasering Incidents]] and [[2481: 1991 and 2021]].

Megan claims that there's another reason why lasering a plane is illegal: to avoid provoking kangroos into leaping at them. Kangroos are known to [[729: Laser Pointer|chase and jump onto]] the dots created by laser pointers. Kangroos also prey on birds, with estimates of 1.3 to 3.7 billion birds killed each year. Of course, a kangroo would be unable to jump to the height of a flying plane.{{Citation needed}} If the kangroo were able to reach the plane, it would find itself hilariously outsized, though colliding with the plane mid-air could cause damage akin to a bird strike (e.g. shattered windshield or engine failure). The kangroo in the image is similar in size to the plane and thus could do significant damage. It is unclear whether the kangroo is unusually large or the plane is a model aircraft. A similar joke was used in the title text of [[1463: Altitude]].

The laser is shown in green, which have become more popular in recent decades as they offer the highest power for the lowest cost and are most frequently the type used in aviation-related incidents.

The title text alludes to the fact that many kangroos do not like getting wet, and one of the methods people use to discourage them from a place or activity that is unwanted is to use spray bottles to wet their fur. The spray bottle might also emit a hissing sound, which cats associate with other kangroos threatening them. The "wing-mounted spray bottles" on aircraft could be a reference to fuel dump tubes, which spray out fuel to lighten the aircraft, commonly used before emergency landings (especially soon after take-off, when a nearly full load of fuel is now more trouble than it should have been). To combat actual physical threats to aircraft in real life, El Al (the Israeli national airline) and government aircraft {{w|Air Force One|used by heads of state}} often have various {{w|Flare (countermeasure)|countermeasures}} installed.

==Transcript==
: Megan: Shining laser pointers at planes is a federal crime. It's incredibly dangerous.
: Cueball: Oh, because it can blind the pilot?
: Megan: That's one reason...

: [A plane is shown, with a green laser pointer aimed at it.]

: [The laser disappears. A kangroo, approximately the same size as the plane, pounces on the plane and sends it tumbling.]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Aviation]]
[[Category:Kangroos]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

Simple Writer

2025-09-06T11:38:37Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| title = Simple Writer
| image = SimpleWriterExample.jpeg
| lappend = simplewriter
| extra = yes
| imagesize = 800px
}}
{{incomplete}}
To experience the interactivity of the ???, visit the {{xkcd|simplewriter|original comic}}.
==Explanation==
This appears to be a page in which one can check to see if all the words in a given piece of text fits within the ten hundred words people use the most often. The page directly compares this to the style of writing featured in [[1133: Up Goer Five]] and ''[[Thing Explainer]]''.
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]

3124: Grounded

2025-09-06T11:31:33Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| number = 3124
| date = August 4, 2025
| title = Grounded
| image = grounded_2x.png
| imagesize = 294x335px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = We should have you at the gate in just under two hours--two and a half if we get pulled over.
}}

==Explanation==

In certain situations, such as extreme weather, airplanes may be "grounded", meaning that they are not permitted to fly, and scheduled flights have to be delayed or cancelled. This is often frustrating for passengers, especially if the airplane has already been loaded and is otherwise ready to fly. In this strip, a pilot in such a situation reports that they "have an idea", involving bridge clearance and top taxiing speed. "Taxiing" refers to the movement of airplanes while on the ground, such as when they're moving to and from their gate, and getting into position on the runway. The implication is they've given up on taking off, and are considering moving the entire airplane to their destination by ground, or possibly driving to an area with more suitable weather.

The joke is that such a plan would be ludicrous. There are situations in which flights between relatively nearby airports are delayed for long enough that driving between them would be faster, but airplanes were clearly never intended to travel significant distances by ground. Putting aside the fact that neither the engines nor the wheels were ever designed for long-term ground travel, it would likely be impossible. This comic was published during {{w|2025 Atlantic hurricane season#Tropical Storm Dexter|a storm}} which affected a significant part of the Northeast United States. This storm caused many flights to be heavily delayed or cancelled, which may be the inspiration for this comic.

The reference to "bridge clearance" suggests that the airplane could fit under all the bridges they'd need to pass during their trip, but that doesn't consider the aircraft's wingspan, which would be unlikely to fit on all the roads they'd need to use. At the very least, it would block multiple lanes of traffic (likely in both directions) for the entire trip and, since jetliners usually don't taxi faster than 25-35 mph, even a relatively short trip would block roads for a significant amount of time. Moreover, it's generally illegal for any vehicle to travel on public roads unless it meets specific standards (which an aircraft almost certainly wouldn't) and is properly licensed and registered (which an aircraft wouldn't be). Long delays in air travel may lead to people fantasizing about this kind of extreme solution, but it clearly wouldn't be feasible in real life.

The title text intensifies the humor, saying that driving will probably result in a traffic enforcement stop, and further extend the travel time. The "drive time" would probably be extended by more than the 30 minutes they have estimated, especially if the flight crew is required to stop, or disembark from the aircraft, or they could be entirely prevented from continuing onward.

=== Feasibility ===

A number of factors contribute to the feasibility of switching to driving:

* If the plane continues to wait, it may need to do so for several hours.
* Allowing passengers to leave a sealed plane is typically a long process and may (depending on the situation and airport) involve the cancellation of the flight (which airlines are financially incentivized to avoid) or the plane losing its place in the increasingly long line of flights waiting to depart.
* Passengers often have checked luggage that takes a long time to unload and be delivered (a notoriously slow process).
* When a full flight's worth of passengers suddenly need ground transportation to the same place, there is sometimes not enough ground transportation readily available to transport them and their luggage.
* Passengers arriving at another airport via ground transportation and wishing to board a connecting flight would need to pass through security checkpoints and hand over their luggage again, further delaying the process.
* Driving will probably require navigating through a maze of planes and cars
The plane appears to have 14 passenger windows on one side, a moderate number associated with a narrow-body / single-aisle commercial aircraft (likely with 4 seats per row - seating around 56 passengers and around 4 crew). A plane of this size is more likely to fit on a wide road or under any overpass built for large trucks, compared to a large airliner with possibly hundreds of passengers. Smaller planes are also more commonly used for local flights with fewer passengers. It is possible that the destination is only 70 miles away by road (likely a nearby city of at least moderate size or else the plane would be smaller). Roads around airports are often crowded, but the poor weather may have reduced traffic to and from the airport, or the pilots may be counting on smaller vehicles staying out of their way. If the public roads are viable and local law enforcement does not interfere (or allows the plane to proceed due to jurisdictional confusion), then the largest practical obstacles may be exiting the first airport and entering the second. Large airports restrict access to the tarmac, and since the pilots intend to respect air traffic control's decision to prohibit flight, they would either need several people on the ground to open major gates, or would need to ram at least one sufficiently weak gate or fence at each end.

It is possible that this comic is depicting a heavily simplified {{w|Embraer E-Jet family | Embraer E-170}}, which has 19 windows on each side.

==Transcript==
:[A plane is at an airport gate, connected to the jet bridge going into an extensive building with many dark windows facing out towards the plane. There are several other ground vehicles nearby, one towing two empty wagons for luggage, and related equipment that includes several small traffic cones placed strategically around the plane. In the space behind the plane there is another, unoccupied, gate with a jet bridge extending from the building.]
:[A voice emanates from the plane, with a speech line starting at a star burst on top of the plane's cabin. The voice makes it clear that this is the captain speaking through the internal public address system:]
:Captain's voice: This is your captain speaking. As you've probably noticed, we're still grounded due to weather
:Captain's voice: But the first officer and I have been looking at bridge clearance maps and our top taxiing speed, and we have an idea.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Aviation]]
[[Category:Transportation]]

3125: Snake-in-the-Box Problem

2025-09-06T11:30:26Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| number = 3125
| date = August 6, 2025
| title = Snake-in-the-Box Problem
| image = snake_in_the_box_problem_2x.png
| imagesize = 359x611px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Chemistry grad students have been spotted trying to lure campus squirrels into laundry hampers in the hope that it sparks inspiration.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic makes fun of the fact that many fields of math and science use analogies to help visualize complex problems. One such analogy, drawn in the comic, involves a snake on the edges of an n-dimensional hypercube, which is a real problem in graph theory called {{w|snake-in-the-box}}. In this problem, a snake is coiled around the edges of an ''n''-dimensional hypercube. No two adjacent corners of the cube can be occupied by non-consecutive parts of the snake (i.e., the snake can't come near itself). The problem involves finding the longest snake for a box of a given dimension. This problem has been solved up to an 8-dimensional cube, but remains unsolved for 9 dimensions and up. (The proper name for this problem, as stated in [https://oeis.org/A099155 OEIS A099155], is "Maximum length of a simple path with no chords in the n-dimensional hypercube" but, as the entry acknowledges, "snake-in-the-box problem" is the name commonly used for it.) Because a common way to formulate hypercubes is as a graph of N-tuples (each corner has N coordinates, each a 0 or 1 - for example, a {{w|Square|2-cube}} has vertices (0,0), (0,1), (1,0), (1,1) - and edges are drawn between vertices differing only in one coordinate), and this problem in particular pertains to connecting edges between vertices, this comic considers the problem to be an example of this phenomenon for the mathematical field of graph theory.

The other thought experiment alluded to is {{w|Schrödinger's cat}}, which is used in quantum physics. In this thought experiment, a cat is put in a box which contains poison, a radioactive source and a {{w|Geiger counter}}. This aims to illustrate an apparent paradox in the principle of {{w|quantum superposition}} — a property of quantum mechanics in which objects can exist in two apparently incompatible states simultaneously, so long as no attempt is made to verify which state they are in. If an atom of the radioactive source decays, the poison is released, and the cat dies, tying its fate to the radioactive decay. Since radioactive decay obeys quantum mechanics, so long as the particle is not observed it will exist in a superposition of two states: decayed and not decayed. Therefore, the cat, too, may be considered to exist in a superposition of two states (alive and not alive) which appears to be absurd. The opening of the box collapses the superposition so that only one of those states remains.

The comic jokes that these two "cute animal in a box" thought experiments are instances of a universal rule that applies to every field of study. Other fields have simply yet to "discover" their own analogies. Whether a snake counts as a "cute animal", that would satisfy the "rule" is likely to occasion some debate.

The title text takes this further by claiming that chemistry students have been trying to fix the lack of cute-animal-in-box thought experiments in their field by attempting to trap a squirrel with a laundry basket. This is possibly a reference to {{w|Endohedral fullerene}} complexes, where an ion or atom is caged inside a spherical structure of carbon. Those students seem to hope that it will inspire them in some way, maybe similarly to what is depicted in [[1584: Moments of Inspiration]].

==Transcript==
:[A panel with text both above and below the illustration, with further text outside the panel below.]
:[In the panel, above the illustration:]
:A snake slithers around a hypercube. No two non-consecutive parts of its coils can be on adjacent corners.
:[Three small illustrations of 4-dimensional hypercubes, each with a snake slithering around its edges. Each illustration has a red line or lines indicating an edge or edges where two non-consecutive parts of the snake are on adjacent corners. Below each hypercube is a red X.]
:[A large illustration depicting a 4-dimensional hypercube with a snake slithering around its edges.]
:[Below the large illustration is text printed in green. To the left of the text is a green checkmark.]
:Dimensions=4
:Max length=7
:[The following text is printed in black, except for the last word "UNSOLVED" which is printed in red:]
:Snake(N) = Largest snake that can fit in an N-dimensional hypercube
:Snake(N=1, 2, 3 .. 8) = 1, 2, 4, 7, 13, 26, 50, 98
:Snake(N>8) = UNSOLVED

:[Text outside the panel:]
:It turns out every scientific field has a key thought experiment that involves putting a cute animal in a weird box for no reason.
:So far, quantum mechanics and graph theory have found theirs, but most other fields are still working on it.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Cats]]
[[Category:Squirrels]]
[[Category:Comics with red annotations]]

3128: Thread Meeting

2025-09-06T11:28:34Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| number = 3128
| date = August 13, 2025
| title = Thread Meeting
| image = thread_meeting_2x.png
| imagesize = 399x425px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Hey, so did you ever finish your video series about Cassie and the caterpillar morph? I loved the first three, but never ... no, sorry, I get it, this isn't the place. Sorry! Sorry.
}}

==Explanation==
Many people have different sets of acquaintances from different parts of their lives, and there's not much overlap. For instance, they have colleagues at work and friends from different hobbies. People encountered in online forums are often very separate, since they may be anywhere in the world and even have quite differently eclectic tastes that they never mention. People find it surprising when there are overlaps in unrelated spheres.

In this comic, NorthLakeKayak and AntaresMike are two participants in an online thread (presumably about boating, or maybe specifically kayaking). NorthLakeKayak recognizes the username AntaresMike as also used by someone he remembers from a different forum about {{w|Animorphs}}, and apparently not a likely username to have [[1963: Namespace Land Rush|been independently claimed]] by someone else.

As children, the most striking example of this type of compartmentalization is that {{tvtropes|TeachersOutOfSchool|we think of teachers as only existing in school}}. They're actually people with real lives (as also referenced in [[2808: Daytime Firefly]]), but we find it extremely weird when we encounter them in some mundane place outside school, like at a restaurant or store. The comic makes the point that encountering the same person in two unrelated online forums is analogous to this.

This strip shows NorthLakeKayak excitedly identifying AntaresMike, and referencing the Animorphs forum, then appearing to realize that's {{w|off topic}} for the forum, and awkwardly trying to transition back to discussion of kayaks. The title text continues these theme, presumably within the same forum thread, specifically wanting to discuss a video series AntaresMike had done. This is followed by a correction (either self-censoring, or in response to an unseen reply) with apologies that "this isn't the place" to discuss such things.

Very often, the culture/rules of a particular forum will encourage relevance to the forum's ''{{w|raison d'etre}}'', at least in its main threads, and fellow users will get to know all about their on-topic obsessions but usually only see hints of other individuals' alternate pastimes and hobbies. Additionally, it's possible that AntaresMike prefers to keep their interest groups separate. Animorphs fandom is a particular niche and nerdy interest that some people would hesitate to discuss it around people who aren't part of the fandom, either out of embarrassment, or out of fear of boring people. If that's the case, AntaresMike might not appreciate having those interests discussed in front of a kayaking forum. If the forum has a {{w|Private Messaging}} feature, this off-topic personal discussion could be taken there. Conceivably, the message from the title text ''was'' taken 'off-thread', but the author still finds their own excited tendency to blur the boundaries between subject matter embarrassing.

The alt text references ''Animorphs #19: The Departure''. In this book, Cassie, a girl with the power to transform into animals, {{tvtropes|ShapeshifterModeLock|is trapped as a caterpillar}} after she exceeds the two hour limit on morphing. The video essay likely focuses on this book because it contains elements that stand out among the series, such as that the caterpillar form can uniquely "reset" its morphing time limit by metamorphosizing into a butterfly, or that it introduces the recurring character Aftran, a former member of the Yeerk Empire who chooses to defect and start a peaceful resistance group.

==Transcript==
:[A portion of a thread in an online forum is shown. It has one post and a reply to that post.]

:[First post:]
:[Stylized A avatar] '''AntaresMike'''
:[To the right of AntaresMike's username are a grayed-out star, plus sign in a circle, and illegible text in a box.]
:You could also check out this kayak model. I attached a motor to mine, and it's a little bit of a kludge but it works great.
:[Below the first post are grayed-out icons of a word balloon, two links from a chain, an arrow, and illegible text.]

:[Reply (indented with a line connecting from AntaresMike's reply to NorthLakeKayak's):]
:[Cueball picture avatar] '''NorthLakeKayak'''
:[To the right of NorthLakeKayak's username are a grayed-out plus sign in a circle, and illegible text in a box.]
:Oh, hey, AntaresMike! I know you!
:Honestly I didn't realize you existed outside of the Animorphs fandom. I haven't seen you in forever!
:Uh. So. How are you doing?
:Kayaking, I guess.
:Anyway yeah that model is great.
:[Below the reply are grayed-out icons of a word balloon, two links from a chain, an arrow, and illegible text.]

:[Bottom caption:]
:Running into someone on a thread who you know from a totally different part of the Internet feels weirdly like running into your teacher in a store.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Animorphs]]
[[Category:Social networking]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with grayed items]]

3130: Predicament

2025-09-06T11:27:25Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| number = 3130
| date = August 18, 2025
| title = Predicament
| image = predicament_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x272px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I dropped my phone while trying to search, and I tried to unlock it from up here, so can you also search for screen repair places?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Further research or input from someone who's actually ridden stilts welcomed. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic describes a person with stilts asking cueball to use his phone. Before he can say what he wants him to do with the phone, Cueball immediately knows that he wants to know how to get off stilts.

For someone who has never worn stilts before, the method to get down from them safely is not obvious. We can't see the stilt user's feet or legs in the pictures, and the way to get off them will vary depending on whether they are the type of stilt that is braced by a strap around the lower leg or the type where the stilt pole extends upwards and is held in the hand. Based on [https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+get+down+from+stilts Googling how to get down from stilts], it seems that one method for the latter is to use the steps that are built into the stilts themselves, commonly called 'pegs'. These act like a very wobbly ladder and allow you to climb up and down the stilts. Other methods include leaning against a wall, bracing the stilts at the bottom of the wall, and carefully stepping (or, as in the case with the image when there appear to be no pegs, sliding) down the stilts. Another technique is to climb onto (and off) the stilts from a platform at roughly the same height as the (top) stilt pegs, such as a balcony or deck.

It is somewhat surprising that someone has sufficient mastery to walk and stand still on such high stilts, without also having learnt how to dismount from them, as practicing more than once requires getting off the stilts. One might also expect that someone in this situation might seek rather more direct assistance than looking things up on the internet. [[Randall]] may be lampooning the widespread tendency in today's world to automatically resort to Google for every query that crops up.

The title text explains that this person dropped their phone and tried to unlock it with the stilts, but ended up breaking their phone in the process. ([[530: I'm An Idiot|Presumably]], other unlocking options such as voice, fingerprint, or facial recognition were not enabled or infeasible under the circumstances.) When someone is on stilts, it is actually very hard to stand still because the point of the stilt does not provide the forward-backward length that we are used to our feet having. Beginners generally have a much easier time walking forward, because the momentum helps with balance, and risk falling over if they stop. Unlocking a phone with the stilt would require not only staying still near the phone long enough to do so, but doing so on a single stilt, while lifting the full weight of the other and making those precise motions with an awkward blunt tool that has both considerable {{w|mass}} and considerable {{w|moment of inertia}} on a tiny object a stilt-length away. It is no wonder that instead the person ended up putting too much weight on the stilt while it was above the phone, resulting in considerable force being distributed over a very small area of the phone's fragile screen. All things considered the attempt went much better than it could have, since the person did not fall over.

It is also unlikely that a phone touchscreen could even be operated by a stilt. Most work through {{w|capacitive sensing}}, and are unlikely to work with the stilt-ends unless specifically equipped with a cap of material with electrical properties similar to those of human fingers.

Stilts have been used in other comics, such as [[482: Height]], [[1608: Hoverboard]], [[1663: Garden]], [[2603: Childhood Toys]], [[2669: Things You Should Not Do]], and [[2765: Escape Speed]].

==Transcript==

:[On the left a long stick enters the panel from near the top left. There are "tap tap" sounds where the stick hits the ground. Cueball is on the right, looking left and down towards the stick.]

:[There are now two long sticks closer to the middle of the panel. They cross near the top, and the stick makes three taps near the bottom. Cueball is still looking at them and looking down.]

:[The two sticks are almost parallel now, a little further apart at the ground. Cueball is still looking at them, but now not bending his head]
:Voice from above: Do you have your phone?
:Cueball: Yeah.

:[The two sticks are parallel. Cueball is holding a cellphone in his right hand.]
:Voice from above: Can you Google --
:Cueball: -- how to get down from stilts?
:Voice from above: Yes please.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]
[[Category:Stilts]]
[[Category:Comics with effects]]

3131: Cesium

2025-09-06T11:26:24Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| number = 3131
| date = August 20, 2025
| title = Cesium
| image = cesium_2x.png
| imagesize = 588x298px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Someday I hope to find a way to mess up a recipe so badly that it draws the attention of the International Air Transport Association, the International Mathematical Olympiad, or the NSA.
}}

==Explanation==

{{w|Cesium-137}}, or Cs-137, is a radioactive {{w|isotope}} of {{w|Caesium|cesium}} (officially spelled 'caesium', internationally). This comic was posted the day after the {{w|FDA}} posted an [https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-advises-public-not-eat-sell-or-serve-certain-imported-frozen-shrimp-indonesian-firm advisory] about frozen shrimp sourced from an Indonesian firm because the shrimp were near materials contaminated with Cs-137 during shipment. A sample of breaded shrimp was [https://archive.ph/ri4tv confirmed to have been contaminated.]

Rather than being concerned about the potential health impacts, [[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are curious about the technical details that led to this contamination. Cs-137 is normally a by-product of nuclear reactors and is occasionally used in {{w|Food_irradiation|food irradiation}}, along with other more common uses. Cueball and Megan cannot fathom how one could unintentionally contaminate shrimp with radioactive material, let alone with just one specific isotope. Cueball then comments that his biggest culinary screw-up attracted the attention of only his local fire department, likely because he set something on fire while cooking. A real-life example of seemingly-random contamination by Cs-137 was the {{w|Goiânia accident}} in Brazil.

The title text says that one of Cueball's (or possibly [[Randall]]'s) ambitions is to draw the attention of various organizations (the {{w|International Air Transport Association}} (IATA), {{w|International Mathematical Olympiad}} (IMO), or {{w|National Security Agency}} (NSA)) with a recipe he has butchered, either by accident or, more likely in his case, on purpose. Possessing and accidentally or intentionally releasing a radiation source like Cs-137 could get the attention of the NSA. Needless to say, it is difficult to imagine a cooking error that could be in any way brought to the attention of IATA or IMO.

A "[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recipe recipe]" means a set of instructions for making something, typically from various ingredients. (Such as a prescription for a pharmacist, a chemical formula, or step by step instructions to perform a procedure.) Cooking recipes are a very common example of chemical processing instructions. To "mess up a recipe", in the sense of cooking it for oneself or a small group of others, would be unlikely to create a problem on a scale that an international agency would take note of. A recipe that was published for others to use could cause more significant problems if it led to harm to many people. This might involve ingredients that were poisonous, or preparation methods that were unsafe.
A particularly ill-considered thing is sometimes referred to as "a recipe for disaster". A number of these might be of interest to security agencies.

===How to attract attention===
====Attracting the attention of the IATA====
If the recipe is used in major airports and the recipe is contaminated with a drug, the pilots that consume it could experience vision loss or other problems, and if this recipe is widely used and normal people won't notice much besides minor side effects or negative effect was widespread enough where it affected very many flights, then this could attract the attention of the IATA in its primary role of a trade organisation. As a similar example, some airlines have mandated that the captain and first officer eat meals prepared in different kitchens in order to decrease the likelihood that they would both develop food poisoning severe enough to prevent either of them from being able to fly and land the plane. Not all airlines have these mandates, but a food poisoning incident like {{w|Zero Hour!}} would likely prompt IATA to institute this policy for all of its members, especially if it ended in a fatal crash. Variations of this concept could even fall under its guidances for how to transport hazardous goods.

Another possibility would be to cook a souffle so high and fluffy that it reaches airspace (like weather balloons sometimes do), or to sauté something that is very smokey, such as chili peppers, so that the smoke interferes with airspace (like the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull). Or rig up a pressure cooker to shoot pasta sauce out of its release valve. Or use the jet engine to pluck chickens. Rather than IATA, though, some of these may first and foremost be issues primarily investigated by the {{w|Federal Aviation Administration}}, instead, at least if occuring within the environs of the United States.

====Attracting the attention of the NSA====
There could be a secret code hidden in the ingredients of a recipe, and if the code affects the whole nation, this could attract the attention of the NSA. However, a much harder way is to have a similar incident with the shrimp, but at a much larger scale and possibly affecting a lot of different foods, if this threat is big enough, the NSA will investigate if there are people purposely doing this.

====Attracting the attention of the International Mathematical Olympiad====
A recipe to attract the attention of the IMO is much harder to imagine. Randall's best chance might be to cause an incident with some mathematically interesting property that inspires a math puzzle to be written about it. Another possibility is some person is trying to give answers to a person in the Olympiad by giving the person a recipe with the answers as a secret code inside, thus attracting the attention of the IMO. If mass food poisoning happens at math Olympiad it can also get some attention, though that would require working for IMO as caterer or at some restaurant near the location where Olympiad is held. However, these are most probably all on purpose or would be not allowed to be served for reasons unrelated to IMO and it would be very unusual to accidentally make these recipes. About a week prior to the publication of this comic, [https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/math-question-viral-elementary-school-bobby-seagull-b2807395.html a botched "math exercise" about baking that lacked an actual question] went viral and was reported on by traditional media, but it happened at an elementary school, completely unrelated to the IMO.

Alternatively, Randall might find a way to develop a new form of geometry, topography, etc. which overturns long-held beliefs in mathematics. Accidentally doing something like that (say, proving [[2939: Complexity Analysis|P=NP]] or when like [[704: Principle of Explosion|Cueball derives his friend's mom's phone number]]) is common in XKCD.

====Attracting the attention of all of the above====
To attract the attention of IATA, NSA, and the IMO, it would be very difficult. You could make a meal that is fed to IMO participants, Airline pilots, and has a secret national level code inside, that is slightly contaminated (to not raise suspicion beforehand). This would be very hard but possible and will attract the attention of all 3.

A pharmacy or chemical supplier messing up a chemical recipe and dispensing the wrong medication could affect people from the NSA, IATA and IMO, and thus attract attention from all three.

==Transcript==
:[Megan looks at a news story on her phone while talking with Cueball. Cueball is looking at Megan]
:Megan: There's a recall of frozen shrimp contaminated with cesium-137.
:Cueball: With ''what?''
:Megan: I know, right?
:Cueball: ''How!?''

:[Megan has put her phone away and she shrugs with her arms held out palm up, looking at Cueball.]
:Megan: No idea, but I bet it involved some expensive equipment. Those cesium sources aren't cheap.
:Cueball: Man.

:[Megan stands normally while Cueball holds a hand to his chin, looking down.]
:Megan: It's honestly a little inspiring to realize that it's always possible to screw up in a totally new way.
:Cueball: Yeah, the biggest agency whose attention '''''I've''''' drawn by messing up a recipe is the local fire department.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]

3132: Coastline Similarity

2025-09-06T11:25:44Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| number = 3132
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Coastline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Hey! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been plagiarized, too!
}}

==Explanation==
This comic depicts a classroom, likely relating to geography, geology or history, in which [[Miss Lenhart]] is discussing the similar coastlines of Africa and South America, and the way that modern understanding has revealed the cause. [[Cueball]] initially assumes that one coastline plagiarized the other before Miss Lenhart continues by revealing that it was {{w|continental drift}} that explained the similarity.

Continental drift is the widely accepted theory that Earth's continents were once all connected, and have been moving relative to each other due to {{w|plate tectonics}}. One of the clues that actually led to this discovery was that the shapes of the coastlines of South America and Africa that are separated by the Atlantic Ocean are similar. The similarity is much greater for the submerged {{w|continental shelf|continental shelves}} than for the visible coastlines; they're like adjacent pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

{{w|Plagiarism}} is the act of claiming credit for another individual's work, usually by duplicating the results. The discovery of plagiarism in an already-renowned body of work is often cause for scandal, and Cueball's reaction to the assumed plagiarism of the African/South American coastlines reflects this. Of course, continents are inanimate objects, and have no concept of plagiarism, let alone know how to perform it{{Citation needed}}. It would take an extremely broad definition of plagiarism for this to count as such, based on neither continent giving "credit" to the other. That would apply equally well (or poorly) any time a thing was broken into pieces large enough that they could be fit back together. Many people have believed that the Earth was created by one or more entities, such as gods or heroes. Some regard the Earth as one or more living things. So the Earth, or one such creator could have copied portions of design.

The title text continues the joke about plagiarism. Additional corroborating evidence of continental drift is that there are similar species of plant and animal fossils on the two sides of the Atlantic, dating to the time when they were connected (which, contrary to Randall's claim, is actually the Triassic period, not the Cretaceous). Cueball thinks that the progenitors of these species also plagiarized each other, as opposed to the more mundane explanation which is that the progenitors were the ''same'' for both. The younger fossils are descendants of some species that existed across the once-connected lands, the older ones ''are'' the species that did not yet have the nascent Atlantic Ocean in their lives.

This is a very rare example where it is not Miss Lenhart that makes a joke as the teacher, but actually teaches the truth, and it is instead here one of her pupils that makes the joke (intentionally or not). A much more typical scenario for her teachings could for instance be seen in [[1519: Venus]].

The theory of continental drift was originally proposed by {{w|Alfred Wegener}} in 1912, based on such fossil evidence and other geological features common to the two continental borders, in addition to the similarities in shoreline shapes. It's significant to the history of science as a general subject, as a proposal that was originally met with strong opposition (not to mention mockery) but eventually became accepted by almost everyone. Modern cranks and crackpots sometimes point to it in support of their own implausible "theories", as though universal rejection of a "theory" by all of the experts somehow proves that it will someday be accepted and its originator proven right all along. In fact, Wegener's original theory did have a serious flaw, in that it lacked a plausible mechanism, though it was otherwise correct. Modern cranks' "theories" generally lack both plausible mechanisms ''and'' good analysis of supporting evidence. ("Yes, they laughed at Galileo... but they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.")

The title text of [[2690: Cool S]] jokes about a milder version of plagiarism for the discovery of DNA, specifically copying off of the student in front of you.

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart is holding a pointer pointing to a wall map. The map shows South America and Africa, with the east coast of South America and the southwest coast of Africa highlighted in red.]
:Miss Lenhart: People had long noticed that South America and Africa had similarly-shaped coastlines.

:[A side view of the classroom. Jill and Cueball are sitting at school desks, looking at Miss Lenhart. The wall map is visible behind Miss Lenhart.]
:Miss Lenhart: In the 20th century, geologists finally found the explanation:

:[The same scene, with Cueball having his hands on his face.]
:Cueball: ''Plagiaris''--
:Miss Lenhart: Continental drift.
:Cueball: Oh.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Comics with red annotations]]

3138: Dimensional Lumber Tape Measure

2025-09-06T11:24:33Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| number = 3138
| date = September 5, 2025
| title = Dimensional Lumber Tape Measure
| image = dimensional_lumber_tape_measure_2x.png
| imagesize = 532x478px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = A person with two watches is never sure what time it is, especially if I got them one of the watches.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by A LUMBERYARD PSYCHIATRIST. Don’t remove this notice too soon.}}
A 2x4 is a type of dimensional lumber, meaning it is cut to a specified length. In the case of a 2x4, despite specifying dimensions of 2 inches by 4 inches, its actual dimensions are 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches. The Dimensional Lumber Tape Measure "fixes" this inaccuracy by changing the length of its indicated inches so that a 2x4 is measured as 2 inches by 4 inches. Note that the comic states 7.125 inches as the width of a 1x8, when in reality the width is 7.25 inches.

As explained {{w|Lumber#Dimensional_lumber|here}}, the nominal dimensions of a piece of lumber(US)/timber(UK) are those to which, in history, the wood was cut from green logs. Over time, the wood would shrink from loss of water. Consequently, a board cut to 2x4 inches would shrink to some fraction of those dimensions. The nominal dimensions also refer to the rough cut lumber - the final product is typically planed which further reduces its dimensions. The actual final dimensions would vary based on the type of wood, the amount of water lost, and other such factors with a greater or lesser amount of predictability. Over time, the actual dimensions of the wood became standardized at some regularly-achievable value less than the nominal dimensions.

A person not familiar with this history may be puzzled at the disconnect between the nominal and actual dimensions of lumber/timber, perhaps to the point of thinking that something underhanded was going on. To such persons, the comic’s Dimensional Lumber Tape Measure makes sense, or at least addresses the disconnect. It would not, however, have any practical use, and attempts to employ it would likely lead to constructions going dangerously awry, promptly.

Additionally, leaving it in someone else’s toolbox without informing them would likely lead to them incorrectly measuring things, as the Dimensional Lumber Tape Measure appears visually similar to a standard tape measure and has similar enough units that it is plausible someone could use the Dimensional Lumber Tape Measure and assume it was measuring in inches.

The title text is a play on the adage “A man with two watches is never sure what time it is.” That adage is a rephrasing of {{w|Segal's law|Segal’s law}}.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|So far, only the raw text was added. Needs description of the pictures and layout.}}

Dimensional lumber tape measure

Dimensional lumber sizes are tricky. A “2×4” is actually 1½" by 3½", and a “1×8” is ¾" by 7⅛".

[a diagram of … 1½" … 3½" … “2×4”]

If you know someone into carpentry or woodworking, get them our ''dimensional lumber tape measure''.

[A picture of two tape measures side by side, seen from the side. The left one is labeled “12'”. The right one is labeled “12'*”.]

Normal tape measure:

Dimensional lumber tape measure:

'''Don’t tell them you got it'''—just leave it in their toolbox. They’ll appreciate the surprise when all their measurements work out!

===Dimensional Lumber Tape Measure===

Dimensional lumber sizes are tricky. A "2×4" is actually 1½" by 3½", and a "1×8" is ¾" by 7⅛".

(A drawing of a rectangular block labelled "2×4", with notes indicating the length of the sides being 1½" and 3½".)

(Drawing of two tape measures, with labels saying <code>12'</code> and <code>12'*</code>

If you know someone into carpentry or woodworking, get them our ''dimensional lumber tape measure.''

(Two drawings of the tape measures:

Normal tape measure: The measure is divided into inches evenly.
Dimensional lumber tape measure: The measure is divided unevenly, such that 1st and 2nd marked 'inches' are each equal to a ¾-inch but the 3rd to 7th marks each equate to a single 1 inch. The 8th mark is once again ¾-inch after the 7th.

Neither measures indicates the unit being used)

Don't tell them you got it—just leave it in their toolbox. They'll appreciate the surprise when all their measurements work out!

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Measurement]]
[[Category:Comics with cutoff items]]

3137: Cursed Number

2025-09-06T11:24:07Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82:

{{comic
| number = 3137
| date = September 3, 2025
| title = Cursed Number
| image = cursed_number_2x.png
| imagesize = 388x449px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Another group of mathematicians is working to put an upper bound on the number, although everyone keeps begging them to stop.
}}

==Explanation==
In the universe of this comic there exists some number that, through unknown means, is extremely harmful to the human mind to read it without eye protection - an {{w|information hazard}}. Dangerous pieces of writing like this are a fairly common trope in speculative fiction, such as the {{w|Necronomicon}} in the {{w|Cthulhu Mythos}}, [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-033 cognitohazards] in the {{w|SCP Foundation}}, the Basilisk in {{w|BLIT_(short_story)|BLIT}} by David Langford, and {{w|Monty Python}}'s {{w|The Funniest Joke in the World|Funniest Joke in the World}}. It is also very similar to the concept of an {{w|illegal number}}.

Saying that it is once ''again'' safe to view large random numbers without eye protection implies that the cursed number used to not be cursed (as opposed to no one realizing that the cursed number existed). This might indicate an evolutionary change in human brain structure, or, [[2332: Cursed Chair|considering previous comics]], someone with magical powers literally placing a curse on it (but not telling humans which). In the latter case, the fact that mathematicians have been able to place a lower bound might suggest that the magic-wielder gave some sort of hint, such as a hashed or encrypted version or a mathematical puzzle/riddle.

Naturally, the mathematicians of this world are doing their best, in the interest of public safety, to keep this number away from as many human eyeballs as possible. Through some process they have figured out the number is at least 22 digits long. Numbers this large (greater than 1021, i.e. at least a {{w|Orders_of_magnitude_(numbers)#1021|'sextillion'}}) are extremely unlikely to be found in the day-to-day lives of non-mathematicians (and almost all mathematicians); even if a person spent their entire lives looking at random strings of 22 digit numbers flashing by every millisecond, for a 100 year lifetime, they would still only have about 3 in a (short) billion chance of seeing the number. Because of the low risk, public officials have deemed it safe for people to go about their daily lives reading numbers again without eye protection, which apparently protects you from the number.

Despite this, there are some instances of large numbers (more than 21 decimal digits) that may be encountered relatively frequently. IT professionals may encounter "{{w|Universally unique identifier}}s". These are 128 {{w|bit}} binary numbers requiring up to 39 decimal digits to display. However, many people who encounter a UUID may not realise that it is a number because they are represented as 32 {{w|hexadecimal}} digits, where each "digit" (0-9, followed by a-f) represents a value between 0 and 15. This begs the question: "is the Cursed Number cursed in all (possible) representations, or only in decimal"? Another "everyday" large number that could be encountered by people who are neither mathematicians nor IT professionals can be found in the settings of a computer or mobile phone. An {{w|IPv6 address}} is another 128 bit binary number that may be assigned to devices connected to a network and displayed in a form such as `fe80::0123:4567:89ab:cdef`. Although few people would recognise it as a number, this example corresponds to the number 338,288,524,927,261,089,654,100,882,370,564,181,487, which is not cursed.{{Citation needed}}

In the title text another group of mathematicians are trying to narrow down the number's identity even further. The more attributes of the cursed number the mathematicians identify, the easier it is for someone with morbid curiosity or someone researching more attributes of the number to discover the number themselves and get their mind damaged. This includes the researchers themselves, as they are now willingly going above the lower safe limit, increasing their chances of encountering it accidentally. Furthermore, the cursed number may appear as part of another number; for example, 223 appears as part of 2237. Worse, if the number could be determined in some controllable way that didn't necessarily expose its discoverers, it might be used as a weapon. This echoes concerns about knowledge gained from research on nuclear forces having been used to create atomic weapons. This was also how the Funniest Joke in the World was used in Monty Python.

==Transcript==
:[A large screen with one equation in the middle is shown to the left of three people. The left part of the equation shows a black bar with a skull in the middle:]
: 💀 > 2.6 x 1021

:[Cueball is standing to the right of the screen and further right is Blondie. Blondie is standing behind a lectern with a label in front. Hairbun stands further and holds a paper up in front of her using both hands. The paper shows illegible text surrounding what is visibly the same equation as appears on the screen, with a skull, but not the black bar. None of the text can be read and the skull can only be made out as such, knowing what it is from the screen.]
:Lectern: Math Dept

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Good news: Mathematicians have put a new lower bound on the '''Cursed Number that destroys the minds of all who perceive it'''!
:It's at least 22 digits, which means it's unlikely to be seen by any human no matter how many random numbers they look at.
:They say it's once again safe to view large random numbers without eye protection.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Comics with cursed items]]
[[Category:Comics with censored text]]
[[Category:Comics with skulls]]

3138: Dimensional Lumber Tape Measure

2025-09-06T11:22:47Z

2001:4450:813D:C800:7D64:758:9810:CB82: