explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3119: Flettner Rotor

2025-07-23T20:47:05Z

82.132.246.160: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3119
| date = July 23, 2025
| title = Flettner Rotor
| image = flettner_rotor_2x.png
| imagesize = 385x359px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = "And in maritime news, the Coast Guard is on the scene today after an apparent collision between two lighthouses."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a spinning shaft. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

Randall is pointing out that a {{w|Flettner rotor}} can make a boat look like a lighthouse — and, since lighthouses are immovable while sailboats are not, this would make other boats give a boat with the above affixations the right of way, by the simple expedient of avoiding its general vicinity and the presumed subfurface navigational hazards. A vessel directly in the path of the moving boat would have to perhaps consider the possibility that they are drifting towards rocks, but how one ''at anchor'' (and not obviously dragging its moorings) could reconcile the conceptual movement, especially if GPS data gives no reason to believe it, is left unexplained.

The title text describes "an apparent collision between two lighthouses", which could refer to two Flettnerized boats colliding with each other because they both now assume everyone else will give them the right of way, or to a single Flettnerized boat {{w|Lighthouse and naval vessel urban legend|colliding with an actual lighthouse}}.

==Transcript==
[A panel showing Cueball standing on a decorated Flettner Rotor Sailboat]

Text beneath panel: Sailing tip: If you have a Flettner Rotor Sailboat, you can add some fake plastic rocks and a light to make other boats give you the right of way.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

Talk:3118: iNaturalist Animals and Plants

2025-07-23T20:38:02Z

82.132.246.160:

we probably need to add something about how bacteria are more common but not observable to the average person [[Special:Contributions/72.203.83.113|72.203.83.113]] 16:36, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Why? Bacteria are not animals or plants. [[Special:Contributions/2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C|2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C]] 17:45, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:The lack of fungi is perhaps more noteworthy. --[[Special:Contributions/86.13.226.126|86.13.226.126]] 16:44, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
::Why? Should they have appeared as significantly noted animals? [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.2|82.132.244.2]] 17:13, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:: >"bacteria ....not observable to the average person" They is. Some special folks have microscopes. Lots of folks have aquaria or pond-scum and some of that is bacterial. My wetland (and brown well-water) is full of iron-bacteria. And then there are tree-galls (big cancer-like lumps) some of which are due to bacteria. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?taxon_id=67333 -- --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 17:30, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

Why are some states missing their postal code? IA, FL, AK, HI don't have them. [[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 18:27, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Probably human error. [[Special:Contributions/2001:4C4E:1C00:BF00:658B:2EF0:F9ED:69A|2001:4C4E:1C00:BF00:658B:2EF0:F9ED:69A]] 12:27, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:Added a trivia section! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 13:52, 22 July 2025 (UTC)

I am curious which animal and which plant are mentioned for the most states? [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 18:43, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Common Eastern Bumble Bee with 7 states [CT, IL, MD, MA, MN, VT, WI] and Common Milkweed with 6 states [IL, IA, MI, MN, NE, WI][[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 18:53, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:White-tailed Deer also has 7 states [IO, MI, MT, NH, PA, VI, WV] [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 19:16, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:You're right! My python script missed Iowa because of a capitalization error in the transcription. [[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 19:32, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

Is there a hidden joke in this one that needs explaining, or is it simply an interesting data map? [[Special:Contributions/37.19.197.233|37.19.197.233]]
: Looks like just an interesting map. Nothing wrong with that. --[[Special:Contributions/81.96.108.67|81.96.108.67]] 20:50, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:: Wrong. What's wrong with it is that there's no joke. It's not "comic" in any way. {{unsigned ip|70.16.143.48|22:03, 21 July 2025 (UTC)}}
::: It may have derived from the earlier use of 'comic' implying a joke or humour, but the modern use of 'comic' for the artform does not. For example, Wikipedia refers to it as "a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information", which is exactly what this is. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 10:41, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:::: 'Wikipedia' is perhaps the literal least reliable source of information on the planet. [[Special:Contributions/70.16.143.48|70.16.143.48]]
::::: {{Actual citation needed}}
::::: To be precise, if ''anybody'' knows (or thinks) that Wikipedia is wrong, they can make changes. Compared with the current tendency to have an AI try to pre-emptively summarise a search-engine result when there's absolutely no way to correct obvious errors, or any more traditional and static online encyclopedia or 'expert' page which may be replete with errors and outdated information that cannot be easily corrected (if at all).
::::: Not to say that Wikipedia is the ''most'' reliable source (always worth a check elsewhere, if it really matters), but it's potentially far more reliable than many of its alternatives. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.160|82.132.246.160]] 20:36, 23 July 2025 (UTC)
:::How often did Prince Valiant or Spider Man have a joke? Also, so many of the zombine strips on the "funny" pages haven't been humourous for years. [[Special:Contributions/2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C|2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C]] 20:23, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:::: Re: spider man; multiple times in every single issue. Re: zombine strips; now we're talking short-form graphic novels, not comics.[[Special:Contributions/70.16.143.48|70.16.143.48]]
::::Ah, so the joke is that a lot of these are invasive species, or just from one person over reporting. That makes more sense. It's difficult to tell whether the silly names for animals and trees are real or parody. [[Special:Contributions/212.56.54.115|212.56.54.115]] 21:16, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
::::: There isn't a joke. There doesn't need to be a joke. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:23, 23 July 2025 (UTC)
:::::: Yes there does. [[Special:Contributions/70.16.143.48|70.16.143.48]]
::::::: Sometimes, it's enough to be just informative. But, as it happens, it's informative ''with humour'', as perhaps being unexpected information (and the fact that the information has an overly narrowly focus in the way it explains it) that can at the very least raise a wry grin.
::::::: For example, look at a species (or group of very similar ones) that shows across a range of states. And, further, consider that it might still be a near-top, just not ''actually'' top, in various neighbouring states. You can, in your mind's eye, translate that into a very revealing 'heat map' which I (YMMV) actually find very entertaining. Not as basic as "joke and punchline", but still far from unentertaining, if you let it be. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.160|82.132.246.160]] 20:36, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

Big question: what does "most-observed" mean? Most reported? Most likely for a resident to see? Most likely for a resident to pay attention to? -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 19:38, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:The comic already answers that question: "Not the most common species in the state, just the one people have reported the most times." [[Special:Contributions/174.53.211.85|174.53.211.85]] 20:06, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:iNaturalist is a phone app used by people to help contribute to citizen science (i.e. help collect data for research), so people scan animals/plants that they see to send to iNaturalist databases to be identified automatically. Most-observed means the species that are most reported to the database (so the species with the most scans). The comic notes most reported ≠ most common since many people just ignore species of animals/plants they don't believe to be notable enough to take the effort to scan such as grass. [[Special:Contributions/97.126.175.170|97.126.175.170]] 20:10, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
::If people were reporting common animals they see, they'd probably be dogs and cats. And even more common would be insects -- a backyard probably has hundreds of ants living in it. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 23:30, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
::: "''reporting common animals they see,''" iNat members report what they think is worth reporting. I aint got time to figure if I see more cedar or maple-- in fact I reported a maple only cuz I found a spectaculary colorful maple leaf, a great picture. It is casual observations, not a strict census. (Yes, some observers get a bit obsessive, but still.......) Yes, dogs get reported a lot-- it is a great way to learn the process and you may already have good photos of Rover.
:::: Does this app double as an identification tool? In that case it might also be animals/plants that people don't know and are curious about. (I live in Germany and have a similar app for plants, but I admit I mostly use it for stuff that catches my eye, not for stuff I think is scientifically worth reporting.)--[[Special:Contributions/176.199.208.178|176.199.208.178]] 07:36, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
::::: >"''double as an identification tool?''" Yes. It has an expert-computer (pre-"AI") tool and also (human?) commenters, some very expert in a field. I get various 'salamanders' and iNat returns very specific identification. It's totally '''free'''. You don't have to use their 'app'. You should try it. --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 15:32, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

For the other {{w|U.S. Territories}} not mentioned (sorted animal, plant):
* Guam: Hawaiian Garden Spider, Coconut Palm
* Northern Marianas: Mariana Kingfisher, Alim
* American Samoa: Striped Surgeonfish, Fish Poison Tree
* US Virgin Islands: Green Iguana, Portia Tree

United States Minor Outlying Islands (collectively): Laysan Albatross, Stalky Grass
* Baker Island: Painted Lady, Rugosa Rose
* Howland Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
* Jarvis Island: Masked Booby, Sooty Tern (tie), (no plant)
* Johnston Atoll: Great Frigatebird, Beach Plant
* Kingman Reef: (no animal or plant)
* Midway Atoll: Laysan Albatross, Beach Naupaka
* Navassa Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
* Palmyra Atoll: Red-Footed Booby, Grand-Devil's Claws
* Wake Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
[[Special:Contributions/122.56.85.105|122.56.85.105]] 21:44, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:You seem to be confusing Baker Island (in the Pacific) with various Baker's Islands in New England. --[[Special:Contributions/2601:19B:4103:97F0:C0A5:13A4:35B3:1B35|2601:19B:4103:97F0:C0A5:13A4:35B3:1B35]] 11:20, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

The surprising part is that palmettos isn't South Carolina's and deer isn't Maine's, and ''Virginia'' Springbeauty is in Ohio. [[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 03:21, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
: > "deer isn't Maine's" Deer in Maine ain't what they used to be. Deer love abandoned farmland going back to wilderness. That happened in Maine in the 1930s as cars changed farming and vacationing. Much of Maine is more heavily wooded today than any time since 1800. I saw more deer in New Jersey. {{unsigned|PRR|15:44, 23 July 2025 (UTC)}}

Is there a category for the very rare XKCD strips which don't include any humour, even in the alt text? I can't think of any from recent years, which makes this one extraordinary, but I might be forgetting some obvious examples. [[Special:Contributions/82.42.161.198|82.42.161.198]] 16:29, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
: Now counts I think? Both Money and the Election Challengers map have some humor iirc. [[Special:Contributions/2600:1700:BF20:D10:1C87:359:5132:6A85|2600:1700:BF20:D10:1C87:359:5132:6A85]] 16:46, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:: You could argue Now doesn't count because "assuming the Earth continues spinning" is likely intended as humor or at least is humorously pedantic. [[User:TheAnvil|TheAnvil]] ([[User talk:TheAnvil|talk]]) 17:19, 23 July 2025 (UTC)
::: A cursory look at the chart-based comics suggests Visual Field, Marriage, and Dominant Players as possible contenders (depending on what you find humorous). Surprisingly many are eliminated by the alt text alone (e.g. Congress). Of course, many of the early sketches fall under this category (e.g. Petit Trees) but there definitely aren’t many recent ones. [[Special:Contributions/2600:1700:BF20:D10:DCFB:7F23:8215:86A5|2600:1700:BF20:D10:DCFB:7F23:8215:86A5]] 19:42, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

@<yourfavouriteAI> please write a python script that replaces each name of a State, Plant, or Animal in this list by a link to en.wikipedia.org. (Or just do it directly.) --[[Special:Contributions/2001:16B8:CC3A:C700:452A:E6C7:F2AE:A2F8|2001:16B8:CC3A:C700:452A:E6C7:F2AE:A2F8]] 18:14, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:Not as the page currently stands. The only mention, currently, of the ''entire'' list is in the Transcript. Which should ''not'' be linked to anywhere.
:This is actually an ideal article to use a (sortable) table for, in the Explanation itself. Three columns: State, Animal and Plant. In that, you can link each state and the first (and perhaps only) appearance of any wikilinkable fauna/flora. (You could add a symbol/key to each entry that's an invasive species, or use cell hues on a scale of green=natural to red=devestatingly displacing. ''Maybe'' fourth/fifth columns for such notes about the iNaturalist data, including what ''actually'' is officially the most common thing, objectively. But maybe not, if it clutters things up too much.)
:And I also wouldn't trust an AI to write a script to do this. (Why not just ask the AI to give you the result directly, if you're so inclined?) Nor would I think it worthwhile to do such a convoluted way of doing such a simple task that's not even being reliably automated so that you could [[1205: Is It Worth the Time?|repeat it]]. Just think/act for yourself, in cases like these. AI is the new [[2267: Blockchain]], and still not in a good way. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.114|82.132.244.114]] 19:28, 22 July 2025 (UTC)

I noticed that if you go to Randall's Bluesky account [https://bsky.app/profile/xkcd.com here] and check the alt-text for the comics, there's a basic transcript available. Here's the one for today:
The Most-Observed Animal and Plant in Each State on iNaturalist. (Not the most common species in the state, just the one people have reported the most times.) [labeled map of the US] WA: Mallard/Western Sword Fern. OR: Mule Deer/Western Ponderosa Pine. CA: Western Fence Lizard/California Poppy. HI: Green Sea Turtle/‘Ōhi’a Lehua. ID: Mallard/Big Sagebrush. NV: Common Side-Blotched Lizard/Creosote Bush. MT: White-Tailed Deer/Common Yarrow. WY: American Bison/Sticky Geranium. UT: Mule Deer/Utah Juniper. AZ: Ornate Tree Lizard/Saguaro. CO: Mule Deer/Great Mullein. NM: Mule Deer/Creosote Bush. AK: Moose/Fireweed. ND: American Bison/Prairie Rose. SD: American Bison/Hoary Vervain. NE: American Robin/Common Milkweed. KS: Ornate Box Turtle/Amur Honeysuckle. OK: Pond Slider/Eastern Redcedar. TX: Northern Cardinal/Pinladies. MN, WI, IL: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Common Milkweed. IA, MI: White-Tailed Deer/Common Milkweed. MO: Brown-Belted Bumble Bee/Amur Honeysuckle. AR: Three-toed Box Turtle/Chinese Privet. LA: Green Anole/Baldcypress. IN: American Robin/Amur Honeysuckle. OH: Eastern Pondhawk/Virginia Springbeauty. KY: Common Box Turtle/Amur Honeysuckle. TN: American Robin/Christmas Fern. MS: Northern Cardinal/Pale Pitcher Plant. AL: Gulf Fritillary/American Sweetgum. GA: Green Anole/American Sweetgum. FL: Brown Anole/White Beggarticks. NY: Eastern Gray Squirrel/White Snakeroot. PA: White-Tailed Deer/Garlic Mustard. WV: White-Tailed Deer/Great Rhododendron. VA: White-Tailed Deer/Eastern Poison Ivy. MD: White-Tailed Deer/Wineberry. DE: Fowler’s Toad/American Pokeweed. NC: Eastern Gray Squirrel/Christmas Fern. SC: Northern Cardinal/American Sweetgum. NJ: Spotted Lanternfly/Common Mugwort. VT: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Eastern White Pine. NH: White-Tailed Deer/Eastern White Pine. MA: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Eastern White Pine. CT: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Striped Wintergreen. RI: American Herring Gull. ME: American Herring Gull/Canadian Bunchberry.
Maybe the bot could add this. [[Special:Contributions/50.190.39.57|50.190.39.57]] 17:51, 23 July 2025 (UTC)
:Did some more research, the endpoint is [https://public.api.bsky.app/xrpc/app.bsky.feed.getAuthorFeed?actor=did%3Aplc%3Acz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk&filter=posts_and_author_threads&limit=30 here] and the object is (response).feed[0].record.embed.images[0].alt. Unfortunately, there's no line breaks, but overall, should be good! I am kinda busy so can't do a PR on the github repo but it should be fairly easy to implement. [[Special:Contributions/50.190.39.57|50.190.39.57]] 18:07, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

This would be an interesting map to color code by group. Like that "largest employer by state" map that has different colors for employment classification: government, education, medical, retail, manufacturing, and Denver International Airport. [[User:RegularSizedGuy|RegularSizedGuy]] ([[User talk:RegularSizedGuy|talk]]) 17:58, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

Talk:3118: iNaturalist Animals and Plants

2025-07-23T20:36:24Z

82.132.246.160:

we probably need to add something about how bacteria are more common but not observable to the average person [[Special:Contributions/72.203.83.113|72.203.83.113]] 16:36, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Why? Bacteria are not animals or plants. [[Special:Contributions/2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C|2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C]] 17:45, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:The lack of fungi is perhaps more noteworthy. --[[Special:Contributions/86.13.226.126|86.13.226.126]] 16:44, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
::Why? Should they have appeared as significantly noted animals? [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.2|82.132.244.2]] 17:13, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:: >"bacteria ....not observable to the average person" They is. Some special folks have microscopes. Lots of folks have aquaria or pond-scum and some of that is bacterial. My wetland (and brown well-water) is full of iron-bacteria. And then there are tree-galls (big cancer-like lumps) some of which are due to bacteria. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?taxon_id=67333 -- --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 17:30, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

Why are some states missing their postal code? IA, FL, AK, HI don't have them. [[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 18:27, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Probably human error. [[Special:Contributions/2001:4C4E:1C00:BF00:658B:2EF0:F9ED:69A|2001:4C4E:1C00:BF00:658B:2EF0:F9ED:69A]] 12:27, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:Added a trivia section! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 13:52, 22 July 2025 (UTC)

I am curious which animal and which plant are mentioned for the most states? [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 18:43, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Common Eastern Bumble Bee with 7 states [CT, IL, MD, MA, MN, VT, WI] and Common Milkweed with 6 states [IL, IA, MI, MN, NE, WI][[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 18:53, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:White-tailed Deer also has 7 states [IO, MI, MT, NH, PA, VI, WV] [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 19:16, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:You're right! My python script missed Iowa because of a capitalization error in the transcription. [[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 19:32, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

Is there a hidden joke in this one that needs explaining, or is it simply an interesting data map? [[Special:Contributions/37.19.197.233|37.19.197.233]]
: Looks like just an interesting map. Nothing wrong with that. --[[Special:Contributions/81.96.108.67|81.96.108.67]] 20:50, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:: Wrong. What's wrong with it is that there's no joke. It's not "comic" in any way. {{unsigned ip|70.16.143.48|22:03, 21 July 2025 (UTC)}}
::: It may have derived from the earlier use of 'comic' implying a joke or humour, but the modern use of 'comic' for the artform does not. For example, Wikipedia refers to it as "a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information", which is exactly what this is. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 10:41, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:::: 'Wikipedia' is perhaps the literal least reliable source of information on the planet. [[Special:Contributions/70.16.143.48|70.16.143.48]]
::::: {{Actual citation needed}}
::::: To be precise, if ''anybody'' knows (or thinks) that Wikipedia is wrong, they can make changes. Compared with the current tendency to have an AI try to pre-emptively summarise a search-engine result when there's absolutely no way to correct obvious errors, or any more traditional and static online encyclopedia or 'expert' page which may be replete with errors and outdated information that cannot be easily corrected (if at all).
::::: Not to say that Wikipedia is the ''most'' reliable source (always worth a check elsewhere, if it really matters), but it's potentially far more reliable than many of its alternatives.
:::How often did Prince Valiant or Spider Man have a joke? Also, so many of the zombine strips on the "funny" pages haven't been humourous for years. [[Special:Contributions/2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C|2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C]] 20:23, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:::: Re: spider man; multiple times in every single issue. Re: zombine strips; now we're talking short-form graphic novels, not comics.[[Special:Contributions/70.16.143.48|70.16.143.48]]
::::Ah, so the joke is that a lot of these are invasive species, or just from one person over reporting. That makes more sense. It's difficult to tell whether the silly names for animals and trees are real or parody. [[Special:Contributions/212.56.54.115|212.56.54.115]] 21:16, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
::::: There isn't a joke. There doesn't need to be a joke. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:23, 23 July 2025 (UTC)
:::::: Yes there does. [[Special:Contributions/70.16.143.48|70.16.143.48]]
::::::: Sometimes, it's enough to be just informative. But, as it happens, it's informative ''with humour'', as perhaps being unexpected information (and the fact that the information has an overly narrowly focus in the way it explains it) that can at the very least raise a wry grin.
::::::: For example, look at a species (or group of very similar ones) that shows across a range of states. And, further, consider that it might still be a near-top, just not ''actually'' top, in various neighbouring states. You can, in your mind's eye, translate that into a very revealing 'heat map' which I (YMMV) actually find very entertaining. Not as basic as "joke and punchline", but still far from unentertaining, if you let it be. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.160|82.132.246.160]] 20:36, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

Big question: what does "most-observed" mean? Most reported? Most likely for a resident to see? Most likely for a resident to pay attention to? -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 19:38, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:The comic already answers that question: "Not the most common species in the state, just the one people have reported the most times." [[Special:Contributions/174.53.211.85|174.53.211.85]] 20:06, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:iNaturalist is a phone app used by people to help contribute to citizen science (i.e. help collect data for research), so people scan animals/plants that they see to send to iNaturalist databases to be identified automatically. Most-observed means the species that are most reported to the database (so the species with the most scans). The comic notes most reported ≠ most common since many people just ignore species of animals/plants they don't believe to be notable enough to take the effort to scan such as grass. [[Special:Contributions/97.126.175.170|97.126.175.170]] 20:10, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
::If people were reporting common animals they see, they'd probably be dogs and cats. And even more common would be insects -- a backyard probably has hundreds of ants living in it. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 23:30, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
::: "''reporting common animals they see,''" iNat members report what they think is worth reporting. I aint got time to figure if I see more cedar or maple-- in fact I reported a maple only cuz I found a spectaculary colorful maple leaf, a great picture. It is casual observations, not a strict census. (Yes, some observers get a bit obsessive, but still.......) Yes, dogs get reported a lot-- it is a great way to learn the process and you may already have good photos of Rover.
:::: Does this app double as an identification tool? In that case it might also be animals/plants that people don't know and are curious about. (I live in Germany and have a similar app for plants, but I admit I mostly use it for stuff that catches my eye, not for stuff I think is scientifically worth reporting.)--[[Special:Contributions/176.199.208.178|176.199.208.178]] 07:36, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
::::: >"''double as an identification tool?''" Yes. It has an expert-computer (pre-"AI") tool and also (human?) commenters, some very expert in a field. I get various 'salamanders' and iNat returns very specific identification. It's totally '''free'''. You don't have to use their 'app'. You should try it. --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 15:32, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

For the other {{w|U.S. Territories}} not mentioned (sorted animal, plant):
* Guam: Hawaiian Garden Spider, Coconut Palm
* Northern Marianas: Mariana Kingfisher, Alim
* American Samoa: Striped Surgeonfish, Fish Poison Tree
* US Virgin Islands: Green Iguana, Portia Tree

United States Minor Outlying Islands (collectively): Laysan Albatross, Stalky Grass
* Baker Island: Painted Lady, Rugosa Rose
* Howland Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
* Jarvis Island: Masked Booby, Sooty Tern (tie), (no plant)
* Johnston Atoll: Great Frigatebird, Beach Plant
* Kingman Reef: (no animal or plant)
* Midway Atoll: Laysan Albatross, Beach Naupaka
* Navassa Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
* Palmyra Atoll: Red-Footed Booby, Grand-Devil's Claws
* Wake Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
[[Special:Contributions/122.56.85.105|122.56.85.105]] 21:44, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:You seem to be confusing Baker Island (in the Pacific) with various Baker's Islands in New England. --[[Special:Contributions/2601:19B:4103:97F0:C0A5:13A4:35B3:1B35|2601:19B:4103:97F0:C0A5:13A4:35B3:1B35]] 11:20, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

The surprising part is that palmettos isn't South Carolina's and deer isn't Maine's, and ''Virginia'' Springbeauty is in Ohio. [[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 03:21, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
: > "deer isn't Maine's" Deer in Maine ain't what they used to be. Deer love abandoned farmland going back to wilderness. That happened in Maine in the 1930s as cars changed farming and vacationing. Much of Maine is more heavily wooded today than any time since 1800. I saw more deer in New Jersey. {{unsigned|PRR|15:44, 23 July 2025 (UTC)}}

Is there a category for the very rare XKCD strips which don't include any humour, even in the alt text? I can't think of any from recent years, which makes this one extraordinary, but I might be forgetting some obvious examples. [[Special:Contributions/82.42.161.198|82.42.161.198]] 16:29, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
: Now counts I think? Both Money and the Election Challengers map have some humor iirc. [[Special:Contributions/2600:1700:BF20:D10:1C87:359:5132:6A85|2600:1700:BF20:D10:1C87:359:5132:6A85]] 16:46, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:: You could argue Now doesn't count because "assuming the Earth continues spinning" is likely intended as humor or at least is humorously pedantic. [[User:TheAnvil|TheAnvil]] ([[User talk:TheAnvil|talk]]) 17:19, 23 July 2025 (UTC)
::: A cursory look at the chart-based comics suggests Visual Field, Marriage, and Dominant Players as possible contenders (depending on what you find humorous). Surprisingly many are eliminated by the alt text alone (e.g. Congress). Of course, many of the early sketches fall under this category (e.g. Petit Trees) but there definitely aren’t many recent ones. [[Special:Contributions/2600:1700:BF20:D10:DCFB:7F23:8215:86A5|2600:1700:BF20:D10:DCFB:7F23:8215:86A5]] 19:42, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

@<yourfavouriteAI> please write a python script that replaces each name of a State, Plant, or Animal in this list by a link to en.wikipedia.org. (Or just do it directly.) --[[Special:Contributions/2001:16B8:CC3A:C700:452A:E6C7:F2AE:A2F8|2001:16B8:CC3A:C700:452A:E6C7:F2AE:A2F8]] 18:14, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
:Not as the page currently stands. The only mention, currently, of the ''entire'' list is in the Transcript. Which should ''not'' be linked to anywhere.
:This is actually an ideal article to use a (sortable) table for, in the Explanation itself. Three columns: State, Animal and Plant. In that, you can link each state and the first (and perhaps only) appearance of any wikilinkable fauna/flora. (You could add a symbol/key to each entry that's an invasive species, or use cell hues on a scale of green=natural to red=devestatingly displacing. ''Maybe'' fourth/fifth columns for such notes about the iNaturalist data, including what ''actually'' is officially the most common thing, objectively. But maybe not, if it clutters things up too much.)
:And I also wouldn't trust an AI to write a script to do this. (Why not just ask the AI to give you the result directly, if you're so inclined?) Nor would I think it worthwhile to do such a convoluted way of doing such a simple task that's not even being reliably automated so that you could [[1205: Is It Worth the Time?|repeat it]]. Just think/act for yourself, in cases like these. AI is the new [[2267: Blockchain]], and still not in a good way. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.114|82.132.244.114]] 19:28, 22 July 2025 (UTC)

I noticed that if you go to Randall's Bluesky account [https://bsky.app/profile/xkcd.com here] and check the alt-text for the comics, there's a basic transcript available. Here's the one for today:
The Most-Observed Animal and Plant in Each State on iNaturalist. (Not the most common species in the state, just the one people have reported the most times.) [labeled map of the US] WA: Mallard/Western Sword Fern. OR: Mule Deer/Western Ponderosa Pine. CA: Western Fence Lizard/California Poppy. HI: Green Sea Turtle/‘Ōhi’a Lehua. ID: Mallard/Big Sagebrush. NV: Common Side-Blotched Lizard/Creosote Bush. MT: White-Tailed Deer/Common Yarrow. WY: American Bison/Sticky Geranium. UT: Mule Deer/Utah Juniper. AZ: Ornate Tree Lizard/Saguaro. CO: Mule Deer/Great Mullein. NM: Mule Deer/Creosote Bush. AK: Moose/Fireweed. ND: American Bison/Prairie Rose. SD: American Bison/Hoary Vervain. NE: American Robin/Common Milkweed. KS: Ornate Box Turtle/Amur Honeysuckle. OK: Pond Slider/Eastern Redcedar. TX: Northern Cardinal/Pinladies. MN, WI, IL: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Common Milkweed. IA, MI: White-Tailed Deer/Common Milkweed. MO: Brown-Belted Bumble Bee/Amur Honeysuckle. AR: Three-toed Box Turtle/Chinese Privet. LA: Green Anole/Baldcypress. IN: American Robin/Amur Honeysuckle. OH: Eastern Pondhawk/Virginia Springbeauty. KY: Common Box Turtle/Amur Honeysuckle. TN: American Robin/Christmas Fern. MS: Northern Cardinal/Pale Pitcher Plant. AL: Gulf Fritillary/American Sweetgum. GA: Green Anole/American Sweetgum. FL: Brown Anole/White Beggarticks. NY: Eastern Gray Squirrel/White Snakeroot. PA: White-Tailed Deer/Garlic Mustard. WV: White-Tailed Deer/Great Rhododendron. VA: White-Tailed Deer/Eastern Poison Ivy. MD: White-Tailed Deer/Wineberry. DE: Fowler’s Toad/American Pokeweed. NC: Eastern Gray Squirrel/Christmas Fern. SC: Northern Cardinal/American Sweetgum. NJ: Spotted Lanternfly/Common Mugwort. VT: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Eastern White Pine. NH: White-Tailed Deer/Eastern White Pine. MA: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Eastern White Pine. CT: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Striped Wintergreen. RI: American Herring Gull. ME: American Herring Gull/Canadian Bunchberry.
Maybe the bot could add this. [[Special:Contributions/50.190.39.57|50.190.39.57]] 17:51, 23 July 2025 (UTC)
:Did some more research, the endpoint is [https://public.api.bsky.app/xrpc/app.bsky.feed.getAuthorFeed?actor=did%3Aplc%3Acz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk&filter=posts_and_author_threads&limit=30 here] and the object is (response).feed[0].record.embed.images[0].alt. Unfortunately, there's no line breaks, but overall, should be good! I am kinda busy so can't do a PR on the github repo but it should be fairly easy to implement. [[Special:Contributions/50.190.39.57|50.190.39.57]] 18:07, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

This would be an interesting map to color code by group. Like that "largest employer by state" map that has different colors for employment classification: government, education, medical, retail, manufacturing, and Denver International Airport. [[User:RegularSizedGuy|RegularSizedGuy]] ([[User talk:RegularSizedGuy|talk]]) 17:58, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

3119: Flettner Rotor

2025-07-23T20:00:50Z

82.132.246.160: /* Explanation */ Ratulionalised wikilink.

3119: Flettner Rotor

2025-07-23T19:59:32Z

82.132.246.160: /* Explanation */ Adding the Urban Legend...

3115: Unsolved Physics Problems

2025-07-23T19:47:35Z

82.132.246.160: Undo revision 381729 by 76.202.249.175 (talk) Wrongly punctuated, and also joking for a citation *on* an apparent citation is silly(er).

{{comic
| number = 3115
| date = July 14, 2025
| title = Unsolved Physics Problems
| image = unsolved_physics_problems_2x.png
| imagesize = 699x422px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Tin pest' makes more sense to me. Tin just doesn't want to be locked down in a shape like that. I get it. But why would any metal want to grow hair??
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by A CURSED METAL FIGURE OF HAIRY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic is a sequel to comic [[2529: Unsolved Math Problems]], in what has now become the [[:Category:Unsolved Problems|Unsolved Problems series]]. The comic follows the exact same format with three similar categories. Unlike with the first comic, however, all the examples given here are real phenomena.

{{w|Quantum gravity}} is the problem of determining how {{w|gravity}} interacts with the physics of {{w|quantum mechanics}}. There are {{w|General relativity#Relationship with quantum theory|contradictions}} between the two theories as currently understood. Gravity is described by the theory of {{w|general relativity}} and is well-characterized at large scales, while quantum mechanics is also well-understood and well-characterized but is easiest to observe at very small scales. This scale discrepancy makes it hard to conduct an experiment that includes both phenomena, leading to a wide range of unifying theories that are difficult to experimentally confirm or refute. In this comic, the question is specifically what part time plays in quantum gravity, but this is left vague and open-ended by considering several different options that may or may not be mutually contradictory.

The second issue, the {{w|Soviet–American Gallium Experiment#Gallium anomaly|gallium anomaly}}, is an example of a precise experiment to understand a specific phenomenon, namely a deficit of germanium (71Ge) when gallium (71Ga) is bombarded with neutrinos (''ν''e). The difference between the expectation and reality is small but statistically significant, and indicates our models of physics are inaccurate. One possible explanation is the creation of {{w|sterile neutrino|sterile neutrinos}}, a theoretical type of neutrino outside of the standard model that would only interact with other matter gravitationally, making them essentially impossible to detect directly and one of the proposed explanations for the nature of dark matter.

The third problem concerns {{w|Whisker (metallurgy)|zinc whiskers}} — a phenomenon that at first sounds extremely strange, and the mechanism for which is {{w|List of unsolved problems in physics#Condensed matter physics|not fully understood}}, in which a piece of metal (in this case zinc) can 'grow' hair-like filaments on its surface. Hair is usually thought of as an organic structure, and spontaneous change in a block of metal is not a problem most people would expect (leading to an off-panel character to ask whether it is a joke). For an inorganic object to grow hair seems both magical and grotesque, so [[Randall]] considers this phenomenon [[:Category:Comics with cursed items|cursed]]. Metal whiskers can cause problems in a lot of electronics, where metal hairs create unwanted electrical connections or act as antennae. In particular, they can degrade performance of rechargeable batteries. Since electronic devices are ubiquitous,{{Citation needed}} the prevention of metal whiskers is a challenge that affects us widely, while it is hard to see how the other two issues affect most people. The problems caused by metal whisker growth also support the "cursed" descriptor. Lead has been widely used as an additive to solder for whisker prevention, but lead is toxic and has in fact been {{w|Solder#Lead-free solder|banned in the E.U.}} for most electronics.

The title text mentions {{w|tin pest}} — a transformation which causes deterioration of formed tin objects into a powder in a chilly environment. Randall considers this an understandable rebellion of the tin against being forced into shapes that we want it to take, whereas he cannot understand the motivation of zinc to grow hair. In reality, metallic elements do not have [https://groups.google.com/g/sci.physics/c/C2CfIKWFduU/ motivations and intentions]. The actual cause of tin pest is that solid tin has two forms {{w|Allotropy|(allotropes)}} with different crystal structures. β-tin is white, metallic, and malleable, and the more stable at temperatures above 13.2°C; α-tin is grey, non-metallic, and brittle, and is stable at temperatures below 13.2°C. When an object is made from tin, it's generally done at higher temperatures, where it's easily worked, resulting in the β crystal structure. If such an object is then left at lower temperatures, it eventually spontaneously changes to the α crystal structure, but the transition causes it to disintegrate. Impurities in the tin can lower the transition temperature, or prevent the disintegration from occurring at all. Tin pest was famously responsible for the destruction of the tin pipes of pipe organs in churches, when those churches were allowed to get cold below the transition temperature at times they weren't being heated.

A similar spontaneous reorganization in crystal structure is one possible factor in the growth of metal whiskers. Preferred crystal shapes can be strongly influenced by subtle factors of temperature and impurities, and atoms and molecules can slowly rearrange even in solids. If a solid mass is in the form of extremely tiny crystals that precipitated quickly, atoms and molecules can depart from the surfaces (especially the edges and corners) of the smallest crystals and redeposit on larger crystals. Impurities that were trapped by the original rapid precipitation tend to be released in the process, caught between the growing purer crystals.

==Transcript==

{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
: The Three Types of Unsolved Physics Problem

: Vague
: [A Feynman diagram of two particles interacting via the electromagnetic force is to the right of Cueball. The diagram is drawn on a curved surface]
: Cueball: What is the nature of time in quantum gravity? Is it a background parameter, a dynamic aspect of spacetime, or an emergent phenomenon?

: Precise
: [A scientific instrument and a nuclear reaction equation of gallium-71 becoming germanium-71 are to Megan's left. The equation says: 71Ga + νe → 71Ge + e- .]
: Megan: Why does the ''S.A.G.E.'' Gallium Neutrino Capture Experiment produce only 75% as much germanium as predicted?

: Cursed
: [A rectangular block of zinc, with whiskers growing out of it, is visible to the right of White Hat]
: White Hat: Why does some metal randomly grow hairs?
: White Hat: It keeps causing short circuits and we have no idea what's going on.
: Voice from off-panel: Is this a joke?
: White Hat: No! Please help!

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Unsolved Problems]]
[[Category:Comics with cursed items]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Physics]]

Talk:3106: Farads

2025-06-25T13:07:41Z

82.132.246.160:

Who wrote this description? It's complete nonsense. A capacitor can't throw a stone. A 1 F capacitor is also not remotely dangerous unless it's charged to a high voltage — except that a 1 F capacitor and a 0.01 F capacitor can be charged to essentially the same maximum voltage!

Unlike other units of measure where a single unit is non-extreme, "The capacitance of the Earth's ionosphere with respect to the ground is calculated to be about 1 F." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farad] Most capacitors in practical use are measured in pico, nano, or micro farads. 03:04, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

Please note that the pound, shown in panel 2, is not an SI unit. The corresponding SI unit is the kilogram; an item with a mass of one kilogram is still commonplace. [[User:Troy0|Troy0]] ([[User talk:Troy0|talk]]) 03:11, 25 June 2025 (UTC)
:I added Trivia to mention that (and another thing), sorry that I didn't read here first but I think I've covered your thoughts on the subject. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.160|82.132.246.160]] 13:07, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

When my father was a young engineer, the old guys would haze the new kids by asking them to fetch a "one farad capacitor". But everybody in the lab said "Sorry, I ran out, go ask Fred on the top floor", "Go ask Tom in the basement", "Try Peter's Parts on Vine St", etc--- give the kid a run-around. The joke was: at the time, 1F was likely large than a large garbage can and many hundred (non-SI) pounds. But the world changed, and in recent years you can easily buy 1F @ 16V, about the size of a soup can, to smooth car sound power feeds. --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 03:27, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

This explanation would benefit from some elaboration on how and why supercapacitors are dangerous. [[Special:Contributions/195.252.226.234|195.252.226.234]] 04:41, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

Funnily enough, the wikipedia page for "Farad" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farad) currently has a 1 farad supercapacitator as the title image. It looks pretty unassuming. [[User:Mouse|Mouse]] 08:54, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

Top of the page says June 23 even though it looks like this came out on June 25. Should it be changed? [[Special:Contributions/85.76.9.43|85.76.9.43]] 05:15, 25 June 2025 (UTC)
:Randall-time, it was 24/Jun (or Jun/24, being leftpondian with potentily mixedendian dates). It's not unnown for it to be an early-hours-of-day-after (EST) release, though late-hours-of-day-after is rather unusual. I'm guessing awkward commitments took over, perhaps even the prescheduled timer (if left 'in charge', not having even been put to the test in a while) didn't work when/how it should have.
:We've also had surpisingly ''early'' releases (noon or earlier, UTC, making it very-early-on-day-of-release), but I haven't any specific memory of it being so early that it ended up ''preceding'' the scheduled day (off-schedule additions don't count), other than perhaps when he was currently on a book-tour and (e.g.) in Europe so probably doing his prefered time-of-day (or when it was most convenient for his schedule) in UTC/UTC+1/UTC+2 'mode', though it was still "yesterday" back home.
:Best suggestion is to see when [[3107]] comes out. If it's a Wednesday(ish)-compatible time, this was just overdue for ...reasons. But if it's Friday(ish), then we can re-examine its true position (with much arguing, I suspect) in the schedule.
:It ''could'' also be an attempt to subtly shift what number pops up when (I think a past "whole week series", or two, were conjectured to alter the numbers to reasonably engineer the landing of [[404]] upon April 1st), but that's probably beyond speculation until we at least can assess what has happened by the end of this week. (''Then'' start looking for what numbers land (near) where, up to arbitrary points in the future.)
:Also something to add to Trivia, ''when'' we can rule out some of the possibilities (or be prepared to be wrong/overly-comprehensive, like here, and remove the wronger bits later). [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.160|82.132.246.160]] 13:07, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

I agree with [[User:Troy0|Troy0]] that having a non-SI unit in there (1 pound) is incongruous, and it should instead be a sugar crystal weighing 1 gram. [[Special:Contributions/121.98.227.79|121.98.227.79]] 06:52, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

"most consumer electronics use at most a nanofarad" -> nah... Several hundreds of microfarads are quite common. But so are tens-of-picofarad, mostly in HF/RF filters etc. Calculating an average over all capacitors in all consumer electronics makes no sense anyway... But I'd say "Most consumer electronics use capacitors in the picofarad to milifarad range".
"To prevent static electricity from building lethal charge, unused supercapacitors are usually stored and transported with a "keeper", a steel or aluminum bar shorting the terminals." -> Static charge won't change the voltage of a 1 F capacitor much... V=q/C with small q and large C... The shorting is for high voltage capacitors that 'recharge' themselves trough {{w|Dielectric_absorption|dielectric absorption}}... Interesting, but completely different. -- [[User:Gautee|Gautee]] ([[User talk:Gautee|talk]]) 07:52, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

We now have an exact answer to the question "how tall is Cueball?"--[[Special:Contributions/86.13.226.126|86.13.226.126]] 09:16, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

In agreement with the first discussion point, this description remains low quality. It claims that after the unwarranted panic, Megan and White Hat "ask why he [Cueball] is carrying it [the 1-farad capacitor] around." This does not occur at any point in the comic or the Title Text, and should be removed. [[Special:Contributions/198.147.146.254|198.147.146.254]] 10:21, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

3106: Farads

2025-06-25T12:42:05Z

82.132.246.160: /* Trivia */ Whoops

{{comic
| number = 3106
| date = June 23, 2025
| title = Farads
| image = farads_2x.png
| imagesize = 677x253px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'This HAZMAT container contains radioactive material with activity of one becquerel.' 'So, like, a single banana slice?'
}}

==Explanation==
This comic shows Cueball showing off several items that (he claims) comprise approximately one of a given unit, with Megan and White Hat reacting appropriately.

The first three — meters, pounds and volts — are all units of which “1” is a not extraordinary amount for an item that can be easily held in the hand.

However, 1 {{w|farad}} is an unusual amount of capacitance. In common use, most consumer electronics use capacitors in the picofarad to millifarad range, and 1 millifarad is already considered a "large" capacitor. A 1-farad capacitor is considered a supercapacitor. Cueball claiming to have a 1-farad capacitor elicits unwarranted panic from Megan and White Hat, who fear that it could be very dangerous, and ask why he's carrying it around. In reality, any hand-held 1 farad capacitor will have a very low voltage limit and therefore not be in any way dangerous.

Capacitance (C) is the ratio between charge (coulombs or amp-seconds) and electromotive force (V, volts or joules per coulomb).

The title text explores the inverse situation, where “1” of a unit is a very small amount. A becquerel amounts to one radioactive decay per second on the atomic level, which is a really low level of radioactivity. As observed, the material in question could be a single slice of a banana (primarily due to the decay of trace potassium-40 in the total potassium it contains). Hence, it is both impractical and unnecessary to contain it inside a container for hazardous materials unless the material is dangerous for other reasons (such as corrosiveness or flammability). In comparison, the human body itself [https://web.archive.org/web/20200220103556/https://radioactivity.eu.com/site/pages/Activity_Doses.htm has an activity of 8000 Bq].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
: [Cueball holds a stick while talking with Megan and White Hat.]
: Cueball: This stick is one meter long.
: Megan: Cool.
: White Hat: That's a nice stick.

: [Cueball holds a smallish rock.]
: Cueball: This rock weighs one pound.
: Megan: I'd believe it.
: White Hat: Looks like a normal rock.

: [Cueball holds a small battery.]
: Cueball: This battery is one volt.
: Megan: Seems fine.
: White Hat: Might need a recharge.

: [Cueball holds a capacitor while Megan and White Hat panic.]
: Cueball: This capacitor is one farad.
: Megan: Aaaaa! Be careful!!
: White Hat: Put it down!!

==Trivia==
Of the three 'normal' unit quantities, the battery gets a comment that it might not necessarily be. Common household versions of {{w|electrochemical cell}} will normally be designed to produce around 1.5 volts (though some fairly common other versions go as low as 1.2 V or as high as 2.1 V), with single-/multi-cell {{w|List of battery sizes|batteries in general}} often being rated at a simple multiple of that (e.g. 1.5 V, 4.5 V, 9 V, ...). A cell producing nearer just a single volt, as is pointed out, might be significantly discharged and need recharging. If not replacing entirely, having aged due to too many recharges, as it also definitely would if it is a {{w|primary cell}}.

Also, of all four measures, the {{w|Pound (mass)|pound}} is the only non-SI unit given. A mass of 1 {{w|kilogram}} would also not be too odd a weight to have quoted here, being about 2.2 lb, but may not have been chosen due to its relative unfamiliarity to everyday US readers (even compared to the meter), or else because of its {{w|metric prefix}} (the only one of the {{w|SI base unit}}s, even including the {{w|SI derived unit|derived ones}}, to not be a bare unit) and the gram itself perhaps being even less relatable.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Physics]]

3106: Farads

2025-06-25T12:41:11Z

82.132.246.160: /* Transcript */ Thoughtful notes, perhaps best relegated to Trivia.

{{comic
| number = 3106
| date = June 23, 2025
| title = Farads
| image = farads_2x.png
| imagesize = 677x253px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'This HAZMAT container contains radioactive material with activity of one becquerel.' 'So, like, a single banana slice?'
}}

==Explanation==
This comic shows Cueball showing off several items that (he claims) comprise approximately one of a given unit, with Megan and White Hat reacting appropriately.

The first three — meters, pounds and volts — are all units of which “1” is a not extraordinary amount for an item that can be easily held in the hand.

However, 1 {{w|farad}} is an unusual amount of capacitance. In common use, most consumer electronics use capacitors in the picofarad to millifarad range, and 1 millifarad is already considered a "large" capacitor. A 1-farad capacitor is considered a supercapacitor. Cueball claiming to have a 1-farad capacitor elicits unwarranted panic from Megan and White Hat, who fear that it could be very dangerous, and ask why he's carrying it around. In reality, any hand-held 1 farad capacitor will have a very low voltage limit and therefore not be in any way dangerous.

Capacitance (C) is the ratio between charge (coulombs or amp-seconds) and electromotive force (V, volts or joules per coulomb).

The title text explores the inverse situation, where “1” of a unit is a very small amount. A becquerel amounts to one radioactive decay per second on the atomic level, which is a really low level of radioactivity. As observed, the material in question could be a single slice of a banana (primarily due to the decay of trace potassium-40 in the total potassium it contains). Hence, it is both impractical and unnecessary to contain it inside a container for hazardous materials unless the material is dangerous for other reasons (such as corrosiveness or flammability). In comparison, the human body itself [https://web.archive.org/web/20200220103556/https://radioactivity.eu.com/site/pages/Activity_Doses.htm has an activity of 8000 Bq].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
: [Cueball holds a stick while talking with Megan and White Hat.]
: Cueball: This stick is one meter long.
: Megan: Cool.
: White Hat: That's a nice stick.

: [Cueball holds a smallish rock.]
: Cueball: This rock weighs one pound.
: Megan: I'd believe it.
: White Hat: Looks like a normal rock.

: [Cueball holds a small battery.]
: Cueball: This battery is one volt.
: Megan: Seems fine.
: White Hat: Might need a recharge.

: [Cueball holds a capacitor while Megan and White Hat panic.]
: Cueball: This capacitor is one farad.
: Megan: Aaaaa! Be careful!!
: White Hat: Put it down!!

==Trivia==
Of the three 'normal' unit quantities, the battery gets a comment that it might not necessarily be. Common household versions of {{w|electrochemical cell}} will normally be designed to produce around 1.5 volts (though some fairly common other versions go as low as 1.2 V or as high as 2.1 V), with single-/multi-cell {{w|List of battery sizes|batteries in general}} often being rated at a simple multiple of that (e.g. 1.5 V, 4.5 V, 9 V, ...). A cell producing nearer just a single volt, as is pointed out, might be significantly discharged and need recharging. If not replacing entirely, having aged due to too many recharges, as it also definitely would if it is a {{w|primary cell}}.

Also, of all four measures, the {{w|Pound (mass)|pound}} is the only non-SI unit given. A mass of 1 {{w|kilogram}} would also not be too odd a weight to have quoted here, being about 2.2 lb, but may not have been chosen due to its relative unfamiliarity to everyday US readers (even compared to the meter), or else because of its {{w|metric prefix}} (the only one of the {{SI base unit}}s, even including the {{w|SI derived unit|derived ones}}, to not be a bare unit) and the gram itself perhaps being even less relatable.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Physics]]

3106: Farads

2025-06-25T12:07:02Z

82.132.246.160: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3106
| date = June 23, 2025
| title = Farads
| image = farads_2x.png
| imagesize = 677x253px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'This HAZMAT container contains radioactive material with activity of one becquerel.' 'So, like, a single banana slice?'
}}

==Explanation==
This comic shows Cueball showing off several items that (he claims) comprise approximately one of a given unit, with Megan and White Hat reacting appropriately.

The first three — meters, pounds and volts — are all units of which “1” is a not extraordinary amount for an item that can be easily held in the hand.

However, 1 {{w|farad}} is an unusual amount of capacitance. In common use, most consumer electronics use capacitors in the picofarad to millifarad range, and 1 milifarad is already considered a "large" capacitor. A 1-farad capacitor is considered a supercapacitor. Cueball claiming to have a 1-farad capacitor elicits unwarranted panic from Megan and White Hat, who fear that it could be very dangerous, and ask why he's carrying it around. In reality, any hand-held 1 Farad capacitor will have a very low voltage limit and therefore not be in any way dangerous.

Capacitance (C) is the ratio between charge (coulombs or amp-seconds) and electromotive force (V, volts or joules per coulomb).

The title text explores the inverse situation, where “1” of a unit is a very small amount. A becquerel amounts to one radioactive decay per second on the atomic level, which is a really low level of radioactivity. As observed, the material in question could be a single slice of a banana (primarily due to the decay of trace potassium-40 in the total potassium it contains). Hence, it is both impractical and unnecessary to contain it inside a container for hazardous materials unless the material is dangerous for other reasons (such as corrosiveness or flammability). In comparison, the human body itself [https://web.archive.org/web/20200220103556/https://radioactivity.eu.com/site/pages/Activity_Doses.htm has an activity of 8000 Bq].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
: [Cueball holds a stick while talking with Megan and White Hat.]
: Cueball: This stick is one meter long.
: Megan: Cool.
: White Hat: That's a nice stick.

: [Cueball holds a smallish rock.]
: Cueball: This rock weighs one pound.
: Megan: I'd believe it.
: White Hat: Looks like a normal rock.

: [Cueball holds a small battery.]
: Cueball: This battery is one volt.
: Megan: Seems fine.
: White Hat: Might need a recharge.

: [Cueball holds a capacitor while Megan and White Hat panic.]
: Cueball: This capacitor is one farad.
: Megan: Aaaaa! Be careful!!
: White Hat: Put it down!!

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Physics]]