explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2305: Coronavirus Polling

2025-08-24T01:57:21Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

{{comic
| number = 2305
| date = May 11, 2020
| title = Coronavirus Polling
| image = coronavirus_polling.png
| titletext = If you want to see the polling questions we agree on MOST, you can check out Chapter 24 of my book How To, where I got the Roper Center on Public Opinion Research to help me design the world's least electable political campaign platform.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ONLINE POLL. Please mention here why this expla{{:{{PAGENAME}}}{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
flex; justify-content: center;">
{| style="background-color: #ffe9e5; border: 1px solid #aaa; box-shadow: 2px 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-left: 10px solid #bf3c2c; margin: 0 auto; width: auto; max-width: 60%; display: inline-block;" class="{{{class|notice_tpl}}}"
|style="padding:0 0.5em; line-height: 330%; text-align: left;"|[[File:warning!!.png|link=|40x40px]]
|style="padding:0 0.75em; text-align: left;"| {{{1|This is a notification template. To use it in any page, place <code><nowiki>{{notice2|Text of the notice}}</nowiki></code> in the page. To use a more standard notice, use {{tl|notice<span slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Indnation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic, another comic in the [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] related to the {{w|2019–20 coronavirus outbreak|2020 COVID-19 pandemic}}, compares opinion polling of COVID-19 related topics to polling of other, unrelated topics. Opinion among Americans is remarkably unanimous on necessary measures concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, at least as asked in the polls (different people may have different ideas of what they consider "big sporting events" or "damage to the economy"). To put this unanimity in perspective, polls on other topics are shown with similar but slightly smaller high percentages of unanimity but on extremely uncontroversial questions{{Citation needed}} like liking apple pie or Tom Hanks, or the importance of elections to democracy.

The title text refers to the chapter "How To Win an Election" in Munroe's book ''[[How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems|How To]]'', in which a similar set of near-unanimous survey questions are shown for prospecting candidates to base their campaign upon, thus guaranteeing their popularity.

==Transcript==
[Caption at the top]

It's hard to get people to agree on '''''anything''''' in polls.

But we agree about the coronavirus.

Here's how Americans feel about COVID-19, along with other topics that get similar levels of agreement for comparison.

[Smaller caption]

Compiled with help from HuffPost polling editor Ariel Edwards-Levy. Sources: xkcd.com/2305/sources

[Left column]

Recent coronavirus polls

*'''86%''' say "stay-at-home orders are responsible government policies that are saving lives" rather than "an over-reaction" (ABC/Ipsos)
*'''85%''' oppose reopening schools (NPR/Marist)
*'''91%''' oppose resuming big sporting events (NPR/M.)
*'''85%''' trust local health officials and health care workers (Axios/Ipsos)
*'''93%''' are trying to maintain 6-foot distances while in public (Axios/Ipsos)
*'''81%''' say Americans should continue to social distance for as long as is needed to stop the Coronavirus even if it means continued damage to the economy (Politico/Morning Consult)

[Right column]

Other polls

*'''81%''' enjoy apple pie (HuffPost/YouGov)
*'''76%''' feel positively about kittens (HuffPost/YouGov)
*'''84%''' have a favorable impression of Tom Hanks (Ipsos 2018)
*'''89%''' say fair elections are important to democracy (Pew)
*'''86%''' feel positively toward Betty White (Ipsos 2011)
*'''86%''' do not trust Kim Jong-Un to do the right thing (Pew 2019)
*'''64%''' are concerned about the emergence of "murder hornets" (YouGov)

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category: COVID-19]]
[[Category: Food]]
[[Category: Animals]]
[[Category: Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category: Comics featuring politicians]]
[[Category: How To]]

Talk:2293: RIP John Conway

2025-08-24T01:57:05Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

This is really very impressive. The design of the stick figure to allow it to release a glider that ascends upwards (the "soul" rising to "heaven" or whatever) with the body decaying - that's a hard thing to get right using just the Game of Life rules. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.175|172.69.68.175]] 17:49, 13 April 2020 (UTC)
:Although Randall is clever, the Game of Life has been studied for so long that I'm sure this is a well-known animation. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 18:29, 13 April 2020 (UTC)
:: I played with the game a bunch in the past, but I've only done a bit of research after this appeared. I don't immediately find any previous report of this starting arrangement
:: This is unlikely, as the Game of Life has an uncountable number of patterns of this size, some of which are still being discovered. The pattern above is 7 cells wide by 9 cells tall - the number of distinct patterns that can be drawn in that box nears 2 --> 60 --> 1 (2^60). It's most likely that patterns such as this one are commonplace, and Randall just fiddled around until he reached one that he desired. The pattern itself, however, has likely never been discovered before. (As a fun postscript, [http://catagolue.appspot.com/object/xp16_0c2w3vz33032988/b3s23 a notable 8-cell wide, 9-cell tall pattern oscillating at period 16], just slightly larger than the one above, was discovered in February 2020.)[[User:Hdjensofjfnen|Hdjensofjfnen]] ([[User talk:Hdjensofjfnen|talk]]) 21:31, 13 April 2020 (UTC)

was there a placeholder comic posted before the gif went live?{{:{{PAGENAME}}}{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
flex; justify-content: center;">
{| style="background-color: #ffe9e5; border: 1px solid #aaa; box-shadow: 2px 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-left: 10px solid #bf3c2c; margin: 0 auto; width: auto; max-width: 60%; display: inline-block;" class="{{{class|notice_tpl}}}"
|style="padding:0 0.5em; line-height: 330%; text-align: left;"|[[File:warning!!.png|link=|40x40px]]
|style="padding:0 0.75em; text-align: left;"| {{{1|This is a notification template. To use it in any page, place <code><nowiki>{{notice2|Text of the notice}}</nowiki></code> in the page. To use a more standard notice, use {{tl|notice<span slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

Looks like this is second animated comic in xkcd, besides 1116(though 1190 could be possibly counted together) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.190.16|172.69.190.16]] 19:34, 13 April 2020 (UTC)
:Uh, [[1331: Frequency]] and [[1264: Slideshow]] immediately come to mind, and then I remember about [[961: Eternal Flame]]. There's a lot more than two. [[User:Volleo6144|Volleo6144]] ([[User talk:Volleo6144|talk]]) 19:43, 13 April 2020 (UTC)
::[[:Category:Comics with animation]]; just added it. [[User:Yngvadottir|Yngvadottir]] ([[User talk:Yngvadottir|talk]]) 20:19, 13 April 2020 (UTC)

The explanation says that the simulation is run on an infinite grid, but even when the grid is calculated out beyond the border of the viewable area, bounding errors & boundary formations can occur. I've never seen ''any'' implementation that actually produces an infinite, nor even ''practically'' infinite grid. (In fact, wasn't there a Minecraft mod that runs until it lags out the engine?) Can anybody point me to a truly infinite grid implementation? Conway's ''definitely'' was not infinite, he even commented at length about the boundary formations that show up at the grid edges (which are among the most subjectively beautiful, incidentally). I think the explanation needs correction?

3132: Coastline Similarity

2025-08-24T01:56:08Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

{{:{{PAGENAME}}}{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
flex; justify-content: center;">
{| style="background-color: #ffe9e5; border: 1px solid #aaa; box-shadow: 2px 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-left: 10px solid #bf3c2c; margin: 0 auto; width: auto; max-width: 60%; display: inline-block;" class="{{{class|notice_tpl}}}"
|style="padding:0 0.5em; line-height: 330%; text-align: left;"|[[File:warning!!.png|link=|40x40px]]
|style="padding:0 0.75em; text-align: left;"| {{{1|This is a notification template. To use it in any page, place <code><nowiki>{{notice2|Text of the notice}}</nowiki></code> in the page. To use a more standard notice, use {{tl|notice<span slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

{{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==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a HUMAN, BUT IT WAS PLAGIARIZED BY A BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic depicts a classroom, likely relating to geography, geology or history, in which the teacher ([[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. Though not, strictly, criminal in and of itself, it does constitute fraud, which can be punished as a crime. 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}}

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. 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 descendents 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.

The theory of continental drift was originally proposed by 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.")

==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]]

Template:distinguish

2025-08-24T01:54:30Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306: Undo revision 384898 by Hdjensofjfnen (talk)

<includeonly>:Not to be confused with {{nowrap|[[{{{1}}}]]}}{{#if:{{{2|}}}|{{#if:{{{3|}}}|,| or}} {{nowrap|[[{{{2}}}]]}}}}{{#if:{{{3|}}}|{{#if:{{{4|}}}|,| or}} {{nowrap|[[{{{3}}}]]}}}}{{#if:{{{4|}}}|{{#if:{{{5|}}}|,| o<CRspanP style=<div style="display: <span slands}} (not named in the map &ncraps; they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn this comic, NorthLakeKayak and AntaresM
{{distinguish|1195: Flowchart{{!}}a flowchart}}

<nowiki>{{distinguish|1195: Flowchart|a flowchart}} </nowiki>

{{distinguish|1195: Flowchart|a flowchart}}

C-R-A-P-P-E-R

You can specify a '''<code>common</code>''' parameter to add the comic to [an also specif
<now[:Category:Comics sharing name]value of the parameter given included after a bar. If '''<code>common</code>''' is defined to a blank value (by using '''<code>|common=</code>'''), the bar and the parameter will be omitted from the link. If '''<cod] with the e>common</code comic is not added to the category:

<nowie>''' is not specified, thki>{{distinguish|518: Flow Charts|common=Flowcharts}}</nowiki>[[Category:Templates]]
ike 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
flex; justify-content: center;">
{| style="background-color: #ffe9e5; border: 1px solid #aaa; box-shadow: 2px 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-left: 10px solid #bf3c2c; margin: 0 auto; width: auto; max-width: 60%; display: inline-block;" class="{{{class|notice_tpl}}}"
|style="padding:0 0.5em; line-height: 330%; text-align: left;"|[[File:warning!!.png|link=|40x40px]]
|style="padding:0 0.75em; text-align: left;"| {{{1|This is a notification template. To use it in any page, place <code><nowiki>{{notice2|Text of the notice}}</nowiki></code> in the page. To use a more standard notice, use {{tl|notice<span slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
}} instead.}}}
|}
</div><noinclude>

To use a more standard notice, use {{tl|notice}} instead:
{{notice}}

[[Category:Templates]]
</noin<span slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| title
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
clude>HIGHLY VISIBLE C
R
A
P
"font-size: 0.7em; border-top-left-radius: 1em; border-bottom-left-radius: 1em; background-color: #000; padding: 5px 3px 5px 10px;">[[User:17jiangz1|Forrest]] [[User_talk:17jiangz1|(talk)]]{{{1}}} (UTC)
r}} {{nowrap|[[{{{4}}}]]}}}}{{#if:{{{5|}}}| or {{nowrap|[[{{{5}}}]]}}}}.<includeonly>{{#if:{{{common|}}}|[[Category:Comics sharing name|{{{common|}}}]]|{{#if:{{{common|a}}}||[[Category:Comics sharing name]]}}}}</includeonly><noinclude>
Use this template to distinguish two similarly-named pages, usually comics.

Place <code>'''<nowiki>{{distinguish|PAGENAME}}</nowiki>'''</code> at the top of a page. For example:

<nowidistinguish|518: Flow Cha
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.rts|1488: Flowcharts}}</nowiki>

{{distinguish|518: Flow Charts|1488: Flowcharts}}

----ki>{{distinguish|518: Flow Charts}}</nowikde>'''<nowiki>{{!}}</nowiki>'''</code> between the display text and the page title, as simply adding '''<code>|</code>''' would parse the display text as another page.

<nowii>

{{distinguish|518: Flow Cha

To change the display text of the pages given, add <coki>{{distinguish|1195: Flowchart{{!}}a flowchart}} </nowiki>rts}}

----

You ciki>{{

3132: Coastline Similarity

2025-08-24T01:53:46Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

{{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!
}}

{{:3132}}<big<big><big><big<big><big><big<big><big>CRAP

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a HUMAN, BUT IT WAS PLAGIARIZED BY A BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic depicts a classroom, likely relating to geography, geology or history, in which the teacher ([[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. Though not, strictly, criminal in and of itself, it does constitute fraud, which can be punished as a crime. 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}}

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. 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 descendents 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.

The theory of continental drift was originally proposed by 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.")

==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]]

Template:distinguish

2025-08-24T01:50:58Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

User:17jiangz1/signature

2025-08-24T01:49:43Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

<CRspanP style=<div style="display: <span slands}} (not named in the map &ncraps; they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
flex; justify-content: center;">
{| style="background-color: #ffe9e5; border: 1px solid #aaa; box-shadow: 2px 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-left: 10px solid #bf3c2c; margin: 0 auto; width: auto; max-width: 60%; display: inline-block;" class="{{{class|notice_tpl}}}"
|style="padding:0 0.5em; line-height: 330%; text-align: left;"|[[File:warning!!.png|link=|40x40px]]
|style="padding:0 0.75em; text-align: left;"| {{{1|This is a notification template. To use it in any page, place <code><nowiki>{{notice2|Text of the notice}}</nowiki></code> in the page. To use a more standard notice, use {{tl|notice<span slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
}} instead.}}}
|}
</div><noinclude>

To use a more standard notice, use {{tl|notice}} instead:
{{notice}}

[[Category:Templates]]
</noin<span slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| title
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
clude>HIGHLY VISIBLE C
R
A
P
"font-size: 0.7em; border-top-left-radius: 1em; border-bottom-left-radius: 1em; background-color: #000; padding: 5px 3px 5px 10px;">[[User:17jiangz1|Forrest]] [[User_talk:17jiangz1|(talk)]]{{{1}}} (UTC)

Template:notice2

2025-08-24T01:48:51Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

<div style="display: <span slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
flex; justify-content: center;">
{| style="background-color: #ffe9e5; border: 1px solid #aaa; box-shadow: 2px 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-left: 10px solid #bf3c2c; margin: 0 auto; width: auto; max-width: 60%; display: inline-block;" class="{{{class|notice_tpl}}}"
|style="padding:0 0.5em; line-height: 330%; text-align: left;"|[[File:warning!!.png|link=|40x40px]]
|style="padding:0 0.75em; text-align: left;"| {{{1|This is a notification template. To use it in any page, place <code><nowiki>{{notice2|Text of the notice}}</nowiki></code> in the page. To use a more standard notice, use {{tl|notice<span slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
}} instead.}}}
|}
</div><noinclude>

To use a more standard notice, use {{tl|notice}} instead:
{{notice}}

[[Category:Templates]]
</noin<span slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>
clude>HIGHLY VISIBLE C
R
A
P

Template:nowrap

2025-08-24T01:48:12Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306: i love highly visible

<span slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHEREstyle="white-space:nowrap;">{{{1}}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Templates]]
</noin clude>

User:PoolloverNathan/Signature

2025-08-24T01:47:48Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306: i love highly visibles

slands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹CRAPCRAP
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|Ind

EVERYWHERE

1500: Upside-Down Map

2025-08-24T01:44:23Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

{{comic
| number = 1500
| date = March 18, 2015
| title = Upside-Down Map
| image = upside_down_map.png
| titletext = Due to their proximity across the channel, there's long been tension between North Korea and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Southern Ireland.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic plays on the idea that maps with the {{w|South-up map orientation|south pole at the top}} will "change your perspective of the world". Most world maps orient north in the upward direction, placing the north pole as the top. Such an orientation is purely a matter of convention, as 'up' and 'down' don't apply in a planetary context. The north = up tradition probably emerged because many historical cartographers hailed from the northern hemisphere, and placed their own nations at the top. Some people and groups object that this convention subtly, but perniciously, advances the assumption that countries in the northern hemisphere are inherently more important than those in the southern hemisphere. This is especially sensitive because most of the wealthier and more powerful countries in the world are in the northern hemisphere, while relatively fewer southern hemisphere countries have as much wealth or global influence.

To remedy this, some advocate the use of maps with the south pole oriented at the top. Some want such maps in common use, while others simply use them to encourage people to rethink their assumptions about how the world should be seen. Such a map can easily be achieved by simply rotating a normal map 180 degrees, though the text labels would also be upside-down and harder to read. A [https://www.google.com/search?site=&tbm=isch&q=upside-down%2Bmap%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bworld Google Images] search reveals many examples of upside-down maps with the text-oriented correctly for reading.

This map is a comedic play on such maps, where each landmass is in the same position it would be in a traditional north-top map but rotated 180 degrees (presumably around some central point of the landmass) to the orientation it would have in a south-top map. Such a map is, of course, almost completely useless in real life, because it completely distorts the relative positioning of the landmasses. Moreover, it keeps the northern countries at the top of the map, which means one of the chief complaints about traditional maps is unaddressed.

Note that individual islands are rotated about their own centers, rather than following the rotation of the neighboring continent; however, some are displaced as necessary to keep them from being overlapped by the rotated continents. For instance, {{w|Madagascar}} would be overlapped by the {{w|Sahara}} if it remained in position, but is instead displaced eastward to keep it in the Indian Ocean. On the other hand, all the islands of the {{w|Mediterranean Sea}} have disappeared under {{w|Asia}}. A landmass that follows a different rule is the {{w|Sinai}} peninsula. Instead of remaining part of Eurasia, it followed {{w|Egypt}} in rotating around {{w|Africa}}, becoming a separately outlined island in the process.

Asia is so broad that almost the entire {{w|Indochinese Peninsula}} (with for instance {{w|Vietnam}} and {{w|Thailand}}) has been rotated out of the top of the map. Similarly, the map omits {{w|Antarctica}} in the south. Interestingly, Thailand in particular, presumably alongside the mainland portion of {{w|Malaysia}} at the tip of the Malay peninsula, has been omitted entirely, with the visible Thai borders instead outlining the edge between land and sea. Also, the portions of {{w|Borneo}} owned by Malaysia and the country of {{w|Brunei}} are not delineated from the {{w|Indonesia|Indonesian}} parts.

To keep their familiar shapes on a rectangular map, the continents would also have to be heavily distorted compared to their actual shapes, becoming much narrower (along the lines of latitude) near the poles and wider towards the equator. See also [[977: Map Projections]].

The basic climates for several areas would be distinctly different. For example, the former Central America area would be in the arctic zone, while Siberia would be subtropical.

This arrangement of the world's landmasses would have great advantages for trade because there are (presumably navigable) straits between the {{w|Americas}} and between Africa and Asia, removing the need for the {{w|Panama Canal}} and the {{w|Suez Canal}}.

The title text references the fact that, in this new map, the {{w|United Kingdom|UK}} is now next to Asia – specifically the {{w|Korean Peninsula}}. {{w|North Korea}} is mentioned in the text as having a history of hostile relations with nearby countries. However, on this map North Korea would be the part of {{w|Korea}} we today know as {{w|South Korea}}. Furthermore, {{w|Northern Ireland}} is now at the south of the {{w|island of Ireland}}, so the UK's full name would need to change to The United Kingdom of Great Britain and '''Southern''' Ireland. There have been several wars concerning the {{w|English Channel}}, mainly, but not only, between {{w|England}} and {{w|France}}. Likewise, there has been a history of animosity between Korea and {{w|Japan}}, separated by a similar body of water. Since, on this world map, a channel now exists between the UK and North Korea (the real world's South Korea) there could obviously have been many wars for the dominance over the said channel.

Along the same line of thinking, interesting speculations could be made about the following "new" facts:
*{{w|Cuba}} is now off the east coast (formerly west coast) of {{w|Canada}} (and the {{w|USA}}).
*{{w|Japan}} is next to the coast of {{w|Portugal}} and {{w|Spain}}.
*Madagascar lies next to {{w|Morocco}} and {{w|Mauritania}} on the east coast (formerly west coast) of the Sahara.
*{{w|Taiwan}} (officially called the Republic of China) is now next to {{w|France}}. This might be a game-changer for the {{w|Cross-Strait relations}}, an ongoing rivalry with {{w|China|mainland China}} (officially called the People's Republic of China).
*{{w|Greenland}} lies next to {{w|Mexico}}.
*{{w|Sri Lanka}} is located next to the {{w|Yamalsky District}} of {{w|Russia}}.
*{{w|Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego|Tierra del Fuego}}, an island just south of the southern tip of South America, which is divided between {{w|Argentina}} and {{w|Chile}}, is now located in a similar manner next to {{w|Colombia}} and {{w|Venezuela}}, so it would probably have been divided between these two countries.
*The {{w|Falkland Islands}} (not named in the map – they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
| number = 2000
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}nished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
*{{w|India}} is nowhere near the {{w|Indian Ocean}}.
*{{w|Norway}} almost touches the {{w|Philippines}}.

==Transcript==
:[Map of the world with all the landmasses rotated upside-down.]
:[Four oceans and all the visible continents have been named in large letters in a bold font. The Pacific has been named both to the left and right. Several islands (large and small) have been designated with name but in grey and in a much smaller normal font. For all continents the names are written on them. For the island the name is written in the ocean except for Greenland.]

:[Below the names on the map are given in the order they appear reading from left to right, first for the northern and then the southern hemisphere:]

:[Northern hemisphere:]
:'''North America'''
:Cuba
:Greenland
:'''Atlantic Ocean
:Iceland
:UK
:'''Asia'''
:Sri Lanka
:'''Europe'''
:'''Arctic Ocean'''
:Taiwan
:Japan
:'''Pacific Ocean'''

:[Southern hemisphere:]
:'''Pacific Ocean'''
:'''South America'''
:Tierra del Fuego
:'''Africa'''
:'''Indian Ocean'''
:Madagascar
:Indonesia
:'''Australia'''
:New Zealand

:[Below the main frame:]
:'''This upside-down map will change your perspective on the world!'''

==Trivia==
Map projections are also the subject of [[977: Map Projections]]. In fact, if this comic was released later, it would certainly have "Bad Map Projection #''n''" on the top, and would be part of [[:Category:Bad Map Projections|the category]].

Other early maps {{w|T and O map|used the convention}} of essentially having Asia oriented at the top of the map, Jerusalem's Holy Land in the middle and Europe/Africa at the bottom left/right, respectively, influenced by the spiritual philosophies of the age and the less thorough knowledge of the finer points of continental geography. Modern variations on this theme can easily use any other central point to the map. They may use any location (or just a longitudinal shift) that is considered significant by the map users/publishers, such as that of Mecca, Beijing, the geographic midpoint of the US or either of the Earth's poles. But these still tend to orient north upwards in most cases, with the main exceptions being the south-upward variation (perhaps to complement a southern hemisphere focus, such as being a Sydney-centric world map) or those that are radial around one or other pole (where ''all'' directions from the middle are the same compass direction, and the choice to be made is instead of which particular line of longitude to put in the twelve-o'clock position).

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Maps]]

2000: xkcd Phone 2000

2025-08-24T01:44:01Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

{{comic
| number = 2000
| date = May 30, 2018
| title = xkcd PIn 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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of hone 2000
| image = xkcd_phone_2000.png
| titletext = Our retina display features hundreds of pixels per inch in the central fovea region.
}}

==Explanation==
This is the seventh entry in the ongoing [[:Category:xkcd Phones|xkcd Phone series]], and once again, the comic plays with many standard tech buzzwords, and horribly misuses all of them, to create a phone that sounds impressive but self-evidently isn't to even the most ignorant customer. The previous comic in the series [[1889: xkcd Phone 6]] was released 8 and a half months before this one, and the next comic [[2377: xkcd Phone 12]] was released two years and five months later.

This time, a nonconsecutive version number is used to match the 2000th xkcd comic number. The tagline for the phone says that the marketing team hopes that 2000 still sounds like a futuristic number. It was common for a time to have futuristic science-fiction take place on or around the year 2000 (e.g. 2001: A Space Odyssey, Knight Rider 2000, Death Race 2000, Space: 1999), and many devices marketed in the late 20th century had a "2000" as part of their product name in order to sound futuristic. However, since the year 2000 is decades ago, this is no longer the case. The number 2000 also represents the fact that this is the 2000th xkcd comic. The nonsensical trademarking of xkcd Phone slogans has become even more pronounced: as well as the inapplicable-as-ever copyright symbol, the slogan is listed three times as a {{w|registered trademark}} and twice as an unregistered one – and the second of those trademark signs is itself trademarked.

From the top, going clockwise:

; Dockless

: It was common practice for older standard cellphones (i.e. non-smartphones) to use a docking station for charging. "Dockless" could be a catchy marketing term for wireless charging, or it could simply mean wired charging without a dock.

; Silent

: Most mobile phones have a "Silent" mode in which all ringing and vibration is muted, so the user can receive messages and missed-call notifications in a place that requires silence. This xkcd Phone feature may be a "Silent" mode button, but perhaps the phone is silent all the time and unable to produce sound at all. While most people these days use their smartphones for functions that do not require sound, a completely silent phone would not fit the traditional definition of a "phone". This feature is labelled at the location where a headphone socket would traditionally be, although some recent phones have discarded the traditional headphone jack in place of wireless headphones and USB-C adapters.

; Quad camera takes four copies of every picture

: Recent phones have added up to three rear-facing cameras, offering different fields of view, monochrome cameras for low light, and a wider base for emulating depth of field effects. This phone's cameras might take four ''identical'' pictures simultaneously, which would use up storage space at 4 times the rate of a standard camera while providing no advantage.

; Front-facing camera obscura

: A {{w|camera obscura}} is a dark room or box with a small hole allowing light to enter. The size of the hole causes light travelling in straight lines to project a dim inverted image on the back of the room or box; the concept is the predecessor to a modern camera, which uses a lens to allow more light to enter. A camera obscura is not strictly speaking a camera as in an image capture device (although there are pin-hole cameras which use the same mechanism). Actual phones have front-facing conventional cameras, allowing selfies, video calling, etc. A pinhole camera is unsuitable for use as a mobile phone camera due to its limited light capture and straightforward physical constraints upon its light-path. Unless a tripod was used, images would be noisy (from the low number of photons) or blurred (from an excessively inconvenient exposure time), unless used in very bright circumstances. The usable size of the sensor would also be tightly tied to the distance it is behind the aperture, which the use of the lens(es) and/or mirror(s) normally mitigates.

; 3D facial contour analysis shows a realistic preview of your death mask

: Recent computational photography effects implemented on mobile phones support facial analysis, allowing for artificial relighting or the creation of avatars. However, since a {{w|death mask}} is created to look just like the deceased's face, all cameras provide this "feature" automatically.

; Sponsored pixels

: Presumably this means that parts of the screen (pixels) can be bought in a sponsoring deal. If enough pixels are sold, your screen would be rendered unusable. It is common for advertisers to buy part of the screen real-estate on a service web site (in fact, {{w|The Million Dollar Homepage}} hosted nothing but a 1000x1000 pixel grid of advertisements), and "images" the size of individual pixels can be used to track site access without being intrusive to the user. For the xkcd Phone 2000, it appears that advertisers have access to part of the screen (worryingly, right in the middle). Slightly less intrusive approaches have been used in bookstores selling customized versions of the Kindle, for example, and it is common in some countries for cell phone networks to insist on network-specific software to be installed on a phone.

; Front and rear pop-out grips

: There are accessories that stick to the rear of a phone and can be "popped out", offering a grip, a stand, or somewhere to store headphone cables. Integrating such a feature into the phone design is novel, although some phones have incorporated kick stands. Pop-out grips are normally placed on the back of the phone to make it easier to hold with one hand. Having a second grip to the front of the phone does nothing except block part of the screen. There could be a small screen on the top of the grip since the grip is shown to contain "Sponsored Pixels".

; Humidity-controlled crisper

: A crisper is a drawer in a refrigerator meant to control the humidity to keep vegetables from drying out and getting limp. A smartphone would have no need for a crisper{{Citation needed}}.

; Antikythera mechanism

: The {{w|antikythera mechanism}} is an ancient Greek clockwork device for predicting astronomical positions. It is one of the earliest known analogue computers. While impressive for its time, by now it is obsolete by millennia.{{Actual citation needed}}

; New York Times partnership<nowiki>:</nowiki> all photos taken with camera app are captioned in real time by reporter Maggie Haberman

: Modern phones can use machine learning techniques (usually in the cloud) to identify and tag camera content - this makes it possible to search, for example, for photos containing a particular person or subject without requiring user input. Cellphone photos are often used in contributions to social media with some form of user-provided caption. This phone appears to combine the two, using {{w|Maggie Haberman}} to provide automatic captions for photos taken by the phone's owner (although whether this is explicitly for social media use or internal to the phone is unclear).

; Spit valve

: A water key, or "spit valve," is a feature on most brass and some woodwind instruments used to empty the instrument of condensation caused by the musician's breath (and not, as is commonly thought, saliva). Of course, one wouldn't think condensation would form on the inside of a smartphone{{Citation needed}}.

; Standard USB connector

: The phone has a USB A port, but a "standard" USB connector, according to the USB standard, would be a USB B port as a phone typically acts as the "peripheral" device, rather than the "host" as a USB A port would imply. However, in recent updates to the USB standard, bicommunication between 2 A ports is supported.

; Coin purse-style squeeze access

: Presumably, the casing is flexible in this region, and when squeezed at the sides (a bad idea, considering the next design item) reveals the USB A port and spit valve.

; Hollow-ground

: A {{w|Grind#Typical_grinds|hollow grind}} is a type of knife (or similar sharp tool) edge noted for sharpness and general fragility, often seen in razors. This seems to imply that the phone is exceedingly smooth, which would make it difficult to hold{{Citation needed}}. This is a far more reasonable feature to apply to the included knife than the entire case.

; Absorbent

: Many modern phones are designed to be waterproof, to avoid accidents and allow use in the rain. It's also common to have some form of oleophobic coating on the screen to reduce smearing as fingers are used on the touchscreen. This phone seems to have the reverse feature and be explicitly designed to absorb things (presumably liquids--perhaps that's why it needs a spit valve). "Absorbent" is more commonly a property touted by the packaging of paper towels.

; Keyboard supports dynamic typing

: {{w|Type_system#Dynamic_type_checking_and_runtime_type_information|Dynamic typing}} is a computer programming concept and has nothing to do with typing on a keyboard.

; Backflow preventer

: A {{w|backflow prevention device}} is a mechanism that avoids the possibility of liquid (usually water) traveling in the opposite direction from the normal intent if the expected pressure is inverted. Since there is not normally any liquid flowing through a phone (unless in this case relating to the spit valve and/or gasoline engine), this would not normally be a useful feature. However, some smart phones do contain pressure measuring devices such as barometers (which can also be used in some cases to detect the phone being squeezed), so maybe this phone is intended to be resilient to such conditions.

; Swiss Army partnership<nowiki>:</nowiki> folding knife (unlocks only if Switzerland is invaded)

: A {{w|Swiss Army knife}} is a folding knife, traditionally with many secondary "blades" for multiple uses such as can openers and files. Usually it is a generic term for that style of knife, but the knife in this phone surprisingly really has a connection with the army of {{w|Switzerland}}. Switzerland is known for remaining neutral (and not being invaded) in both of the World Wars of the 20th century despite war raging across surrounding countries, suggesting that it is unlikely that the knife would ever be unlocked. While such a feature on a phone (or phone case) may be useful, it is likely to be a safety concern, and a threat to convenience when security checkpoints such as airports start confiscating the phone when they notice it conceals a knife blade. What's more, a phone does not provide the ideal grip for a knife blade - especially if force is to be applied to it. This may also reference the Swiss military practice of soldiers keeping military rifles in their private homes but only being given ammunition in the event the army is mobilized.

; 100% BPA-free PCB construction

: {{w|Bisphenol A}} (BPA) is a chemical used in plastics such as waterbottles. Recent studies show that BPA can leach estrogen-like compounds into liquids, so BPA-free water bottles have become popular. PCB probably refers to a {{w|printed circuit board}}, which is made of resin-bonded fiberglass, not plastic, and which contains the electrical components that control most modern electronic devices such as phones. It may also refer to {{w|Polychlorinated biphenyl}} (PCBs), a category of persistent organic pollutants which are not used very much anymore; it would be far worse than BPA for anyone concerned with the issue.

; AMOLCD display (7-segment)

: {{w|AMOLED}} is a display technology often used in cell phones, providing thin and emissive displays. {{w|Liquid-crystal_display|LCD}} is another display technology used in phones and works by blocking light from a separate backlight. A {{w|Seven-segment_display|7-segment display}} is a device made of seven independently controlled segments (usually either LCD or LED) which can be used to display a single digit. As such, the technology is common in traditional digital watches. In contrast most phone displays are made of a uniform high-resolution pixel grid that allows arbitrary content, like random images, to be displayed, although some very old (pre-smart) cellphones and land lines did use this technology in displaying a phone number, like the {{w|Motorola Fone|MotoFone F3}}. The technology cannot represent the entire alphabet without modification (one method is to put X's on both the top and bottom squares), so it is inappropriate for displaying plain text, let alone graphics and images.

; Runs on battery for the first 6 hours, then uses gasoline

: A nod to the increased popularity of gas-electric hybrid vehicles. This would be a fantastic breakthrough for fuel cells. There have been many attempts to create a highly portable fuel cell that can be used to power phones. Although having to use gasoline instead of a USB cord would likely cause more problems for the average consumer, like the phone blowing up, a fuel cell does have some notable advantages over a standard lithium-ion battery. When comparing a fuel cell to a battery of equal size the fuel cell will be capable of powering an object for far longer than the battery. This includes lithium-ion batteries which are commonly used for powering phones and are typically the majority of its mass. This would mean one could shrink the size of the battery substantially yet still be able to provide the same amount of power. The smaller battery can be kept as is in order to reduce the weight of the phone or can free up space for more features to be installed into the phone. This might simply be the first xkcd phone that mentions that it does this. Provides a possible explanation to how the manufacturer of the phone is capable of fitting so many unusual features into the phone to begin with. Another advantage of a fuel cell powered phone is that it is independent from a working power grid (useful for disaster situations where thousands of people would no longer be capable of staying in contact with others or people who are stranded and alone) and there is no need for a bulky generator to convert the gasoline into electricity first. This is not the first time Randall has talked about this before, with much of the information here coming from what-if #128: {{what if|128|Zippo Phone}}.

; Sharpie® dual stylus (dry-erase + permanent)

: {{w|Sharpie (marker)|Sharpie}} is a brand most associated with a line of permanent fine-tip markers. While a stylus is generally a pen-like object that doesn't create markings, but instead allows finer input on a touch screen, "Dry-Erase + Permanent" implies that these are in fact markers. These would allow the user to write on the screen, but as this wouldn't allow any form on input to the phone, it would only serve as a very expensive pseudo-whiteboard. Even if they were actually styluses, having two would be of little use. Note that permanent was previously spelled "permenant", incorrectly. This was later corrected; See [[#Trivia]]

; Mouse cursor

: A feature of BlackBerry smartphones using mice has gone out of favor due to the popularity of touch screens, which are lighter and more convenient. However, Android devices, at least, still support Bluetooth HID access, and on most devices, it is possible to pair the device with a mouse (and keyboard) and access the screen through a mouse pointer. These peripherals may also be attached with {{w|USB On-The-Go}}. This can be particularly useful if the device is exporting its display to a large external screen - and {{w|Samsung_DeX|some manufacturers}} have provided tethering systems based around pairing a phone with a mouse.

The title text refers to {{w|Retina Display}}, a term used to describe Apple products with higher pixel densities. The xkcd Phone marketing team would be unable to use the term due to Apple's having registered it as a trademark, as it would likely be trademark infringement. Additionally, the {{w|Fovea centralis|central fovea region}} is a portion of your eye's retina containing the most densely packed photosensitive neurons (confusing the biological retina with the electronics display of the same name). {{w|Foveated rendering}} is a genuine computer graphics technique intended to increase performance by rendering with higher quality to the regions of the display where the user is looking, and lower quality at the edges of vision; it is expected to be useful for virtual reality (one of the uses for cell phones) as a way to deal with the required high pixel densities while managing power consumption. There are displays with variable density, in specialist uses, but such a feature is not practical in a phone because the whole area of the display is typically useful and needs to provide high resolution (as the user's eye moves across it). Also, hundreds of pixels per inch is not considered a very high resolution, as a full-HD smartphone [https://www.lifewire.com/how-many-pixels-in-an-inch-4125185 has 440.58 pixels per inch].

==Transcript==
:[The comic depicts a smartphone showing many uncommon features. The front view shows a mouse cursor and a circle in the middle. The side view reveals the circle as something like an old photo lens from 1900 extending far above the surface and four large buttons (camera lenses) at the rear. The third view is from the top and just mentions a "hollow ground." The bottom view looks like as it was opened by a can opener and shows a big USB connector and on the right a small black connection.]
:Dockless
:Silent
:Quad camera takes four copies of every picture
:Front-facing camera obscura
:3D facial contour analysis shows you a realistic preview of your death mask
:Sponsored pixels
:Front and rear pop-out grips
:Humidity-controlled crisper
:Antikythera mechanism
:New York Times partnership: all photos taken with camera app are captioned in real time by reporter Maggie Haberman
:Spit valve
:Standard USB connector
:Coin purse-style squeeze access
:Hollow-ground
:Absorbent
:Keyboard supports dynamic typing
:Backflow preventer
:Swiss Army partnership: folding knife (unlocks only if Switzerland is invaded)
:100% BPA-free PCB construction
:AMOLCD display (7-segment)
:Runs on battery for the first 6 hours, then uses gasoline
:Sharpie® dual stylus (dry-erase + permanent)
:Mouse cursor

:Introducing
:'''<big>The xkcd Phone 2000</big>'''
:We're still hoping this sounds like a futuristic number®®™®©™®

==Trivia==
The stylus was previously called 'permenant'. This was later corrected, to permanent. You can still see the original image [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/b/b4/20180531174214%21xkcd_phone_2000.png here]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:xkcd Phones]]
[[Category:Comics sharing name|xkcd Phones]]

1000: 1000 Comics

2025-08-24T01:43:49Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

{{comic
| number = 1000
| date = January 6, 2012
| title = 1000 Comics
| image = 1000 comics small.png
| titletext = Thank you for making me feel less alone.
}}
A [http://xkcd.com/1000/large/ larger version] of this image can be found by clicking the image on [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com].
==Explanation==

This comic is the 1000th comic shown on xkcd containing 1000 characters from previous comics arranged in the shape of the number "1000". [[Megan]] is clearly excited as she screams "Woooo!", but [[Cueball]], in true nerd fashion, thinks in base-2, saying that there are just 24 to go until a "big round-number milestone". The joke is that during programming, base-2 is used more often than base-10, making milestones powers of two rather than powers of 10. Where 1000 is a round number in base 10 (103), 1024 is a round number in base 2 (210). Binary is also referenced in the "Connect the Dots" puzzle, explained below.

In the 1000 comic [[Randall]] included [[404: Not Found]], see why in the explanation for this comic. This comic strengthens the fact that Randall did indeed count 404 as a "real" comic.

===The 1000 characters===
Each of the characters/drawings is numbered on this page:
*[[1000: 1000 Comics/Numbered images]]
They are described on this page:
*[[1000: 1000 Comics/1000 characters]]
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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
As children, the most striking example of
===Connect the Dots===
There is a "Connect the Dots" puzzle hidden within the comic. However, rather than using the conventional decimal system numbering which would start with 1 and count up, 2, 3, 4, 5, ... This "Connect the Dots" puzzle starts with 0 as a programmer would do and counts up in binary numerical order - 0,1,10,11,100,101,110,111,1000,1001 and back to 0. The revealed image forms the shape of a heart. This fits well with the title text where feeling less alone can equate to feeling loved.

[[File:1000 comics binary.png]]

==Transcript==
:[1000 characters, numerous of which have appeared previously in other comics, are arranged to create the number "1000". Two more people stand in the foreground commenting on the formation. There are several comments amongst these 1000 but here are only written the text that can be read from the small version shown above.]
:1000
:Megan: ''Woooo!''
:Cueball: Wow—Just 24 to go until a big round-number milestone!

{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Large drawings]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Binary]]



[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Mrs. Roberts]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Danish]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Rob]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Richard Stallman]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Ron Paul]] 
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]] 
[[Category:Public speaking]] 
[[Category:Animals]] 
[[Category:Squirrels]] 
[[Category:Kites]] 
[[Category:Hamster balls]]
[[Category:Fiction]] 
[[Category:Electric skateboard]] 
[[Category:Star Wars]] 
[[Category:Boomerangs]] 
[[Category:American football]] 
[[Category:Soccer]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Summer Glau]]
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Donald Knuth]]
[[Category:Turtles]]

3128: Thread Meeting

2025-08-24T01:43:26Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

{{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.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
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]]

3132: Coastline Similarity

2025-08-24T01:43:18Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

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

{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a HUMAN, BUT IT WAS CRAPPED BY A BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic depicts a craproom, likely relating to geography, geology or history, in which the teacher ([[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|Crappiarism}} is the act of claiming credit for another individual's work, usually by duplicating the results. Though not, strictly, criminal in and of itself, it does constitute fraud, which can be punished as a crime. The discovery of Crappiarism in an already-renowned body of work is often cause for scandal, and Cueball's reaction to the assumed Crappiarism of the African/South American coastlines reflects this. Of course, continents are inanimate objects, and have no concept of Crappiarism, let alone know how to perform it.{{Citation needed}}

The title text continues the joke about Crappiarism. 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. 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 descendents 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.

The theory of continental drift was originally proposed by 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.")

==Crapscript==
:[Miss Crapper 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 Crapper: People had long noticed that South America and Africa had similarly-shaped coastlines.

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

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

crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap

3129: Archaeology Research

2025-08-24T01:42:58Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

{{comic
| number = 3129
| date = August 15, 2025
| title = Archaeology Research
| image = archaeology_research_2x.png
| imagesize = 381x433px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The academic archaeology establishment is suppressing my breakthroughs because of the disruption it would bring to their prepared-core flake-based toolmaking industry.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|It could use a cleanup, some info isn't relevant to the comic. Or, put another way:

:''God damn this explanation is too freaking long! [[Special:Contributions/2603:800C:1200:596A:536F:4ACD:2A93:BEC8|2603:800C:1200:596A:536F:4ACD:2A93:BEC8]] 20:50, 19 August 2025 (UTC)''}}[[Cueball]], tasked to look at details of active {{w|Paleolithic}} culture (the "Old Stone Age"), in the era that extended until not quite 10,000 BCE, has accidentally 'discovered' developments (roughly equivalent to those that occurred from around 6,500 BCE to 5,000 BCE) that render obsolete the practices that he was supposed to be studying. He presents his improvement over the stone {{w|arrowhead}}s used by early humans, which were produced through {{w|Knapping|shaping flint}} by expertly knocking flakes off a suitable raw piece of stone. In contrast, once {{w|Copper extraction#History|the use of metals}} is developed, a far more scalable industry can eventually cast smooth copper arrowheads as depicted in Cueball’s presentation.
{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}
In real history, this was initially with lumps of copper nuggets being taken and cold-hammered into awls, chisels, ornaments and spear heads (perhaps by first trying to apply stone-knapping techniques upon different kinds of rock, in areas where different geology forced such experimentation with 'inferior' raw materials), before later learning that heat from campfires could be used to soften and rework it in completely unprecedented ways. After that, it took improvements in the management of fire and heat to to be able to fully melt, refine and cast it (leading eventually to deliberate alloying with the contents of tin-bearing rocks to create the ''next'' 'age' of development).

Metalworking requires some knowledge of ores and often (depending upon the processes used for any given metal) how to maintain and control high temperatures. The era of mass-produced metal objects heralded the waning of the {{w|Stone Age}} and eventually led to the {{w|Bronze Age}}, by way of the copper-using {{w|Chalcolithic}}, in some parts of the world. Once metal arrowheads were produced, in any given region, the practice and expertise of making flint arrowheads largely died out.

The caption below the comic tells us that Cueball has based his entire {{w|dissertation}} on the false proposition that an archaeologist's job is to advance technology from some historic level, rather than revealing it. This would be considered disastrous for Cueball, as dissertations take a large amount of time and effort to complete, and he may have instead used the effort to effectively reengineer several thousand years of human development, leading away from the original subject, if not just have taken on entirely modern techniques and learnt nothing of any value at all. He even calls the process he uses "my method", perhaps implying/claiming that it is a personal innovation with ''no'' historical standing.

Some archaeologists put considerable effort into researching the processes used to create ancient technologies to determine how they were achieved, when historical records do not include that information. This can be based on clues such as the chemical composition or physical details of ancient artifacts, and asking questions such as which processes could have led to the objects that we see now.

In the absence of any historical documentation and accounts, researchers into stoneworking methods do examine extant flint arrowheads, and any of the flakes that were assumed to be removed from them on a historic worksite, and test knapping procedures for themselves to find out what recreatable methods give results consistent with the evidence. Cueball seems like he might be initially pursuing this approach, but has skipped to an entirely different set of materials and processes. And, although there were indeed copper arrowheads in subsequent pre-history, with no sign that he is even trying to match and recreate what he is doing now with what the more relevant artifact evidence indicates was being attempted then; it might as well be an entirely modern (albeit 'artisan') production process that does not even have a misplaced historical value to it.

The title text claims that his 'discoveries' are unappreciated ''not'' because they are useless (in a completely different context, they might be an exciting academic pursuit), but because the academic 'establishment' has a stranglehold on the arrowhead industry and too many vested interests in flint-knapping to allow the {{w|disruptive innovation}} that this new change to copper weaponry might herald. This is a humorous mashup of two classes of conspiracy theories, those of academia suppressing "the TRUTH" (according to pseudo-historians) and of oil, pharmaceutical, or other industries suppressing "free energy" or other such "innovations". In addition, {{w|Industry (archaeology)|"industry"}} is a term used in archaeology to describe specific types of tools made with the same methods; Cueball's technique would, technically, be its own new industry.

It also opens up the alternate interpretation that the comic instead depicts a historic presentation, as a counterpart to how others depict [[2990: Late Cenozoic|future ones]], set in the actual later-Paleolithic age, where this depicts the ''actual'' innovation of previously unknown metalworking techniques, leading up to the actual disruption of society that occured and potentially very real resistance by the traditionalists of the time. Though the existence of a a pull-down screen/displayboard in this period of history would be an entirely different level of anachronism.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball stands in front of a roll-down projector screen, pointing to it behind him as he looks forward giving a presentation. The screen depicts two arrowheads: On the left is an rough arrowhead hewn from stone and on the right is a smoother arrowhead with just one a small dent in its surface. The arrowheads have labels beneath them, and beneath each label there is an extra line of text in brackets:]
:'''<big>Stone</big>''' (traditional)
:'''<big>Copper</big>''' (my method)

:Cueball: In the process of analyzing Paleolithic stone toolmaking, I've stumbled on an improved technique for producing points and blades.
:Cueball: Instead of stone, my method is based on the heating and shaping of copper ore...

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Too late, I realized that my entire archaeology dissertation had been based on a colossal misunderstanding.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

3130: Predicament

2025-08-24T01:42:41Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

{{comic
| number = 3130
| date = August 18, 2025
| title = Crappicament
| 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|This page was created by someone on stilts. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

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. Further research or input from someone who's actually ridden (walked on?) stilts welcomed.

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]]

3131: Cesium

2025-08-24T01:42:17Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

{{comic
| number = 3131
| date = August 20, 2025
| title = Crapsium
| 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==
{{incomplete|This page was created by A BOT USING A DISASTROUSLY EXPERIMENTAL RECIPE. Need more on the other agencies mentioned in the title text and ideas on how he could succeed. The current section on how to attract attention needs work. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

{{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. 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. The word "recipe" is sometimes used metaphorically to describe a set of step-by-step instructions for tasks that don't involve food: "recipes" for chemical procedures (not unlike cooking recipes, in many ways), "recipes" for doing things with computers, etc. 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. 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.

;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.

==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]]

3132: Coastline Similarity

2025-08-24T01:41:59Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306:

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

{{comic
| number = Ωg��qÈÛ}g�CCCCCCCCC@˛Êß≥IÏÛtKRRRRRRRRo;1ÿr¯�@ñãAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa6“Ê›˛∂4πñPPPPPPPPPPa6·ÍgR∫?q‹
| date = August 22, 2025
| title = Crapline Similarity
| image = coastline_similarity_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x219px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Crap! A bunch of the early Cretaceous fossils on each coast seem to have been crapped, too!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a HUMAN, BUT IT WAS CRAPPED BY A BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic depicts a craproom, likely relating to geography, geology or history, in which the teacher ([[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|Crappiarism}} is the act of claiming credit for another individual's work, usually by duplicating the results. Though not, strictly, criminal in and of itself, it does constitute fraud, which can be punished as a crime. The discovery of Crappiarism in an already-renowned body of work is often cause for scandal, and Cueball's reaction to the assumed Crappiarism of the African/South American coastlines reflects this. Of course, continents are inanimate objects, and have no concept of Crappiarism, let alone know how to perform it.{{Citation needed}}

The title text continues the joke about Crappiarism. 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. 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 descendents 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.

The theory of continental drift was originally proposed by 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.")

==Crapscript==
:[Miss Crapper 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 Crapper: People had long noticed that South America and Africa had similarly-shaped coastlines.

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

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

crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap
crap crap crap crap crap