explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2964: Olympic Sports

2024-07-28T16:20:10Z

8576068966219778: Sport descriptions

{{comic
| number = 2964
| date = July 26, 2024
| title = Olympic Sports
| image = olympic_sports_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x328px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Thankfully for everyone involved, the Winter Olympics officials spotted me and managed to stop me before I got to the ski jump.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by A VERY CONCERNED OLYMPIC OFFICIAL - Provide an explanation of each sport for the convenience of those unfamiliar with some or all listed sports. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic was officially published on the day of the opening ceremony of the {{w|2024 Summer Olympics|2024 Paris (Summer) Olympics}}, though it actually appeared early the following day.

In this comic, [[Randall]], who has no athletic training, imagines himself participating in various Olympic events, with his degrees of failure measured in terms of their humor potential.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Olympic sports ranked by how funny it would be if a regular person competed
! How funny !! Sport !! Reason !! Depiction
|-
|rowspan=5| Not that funny || {{w|Rowing}} - One or more people row a boat to a destination.|| The person would simply struggle to row effectively. ||
|-
| {{w|Fencing}} - Two contestants attempt to land hits on each other with a long fencing weapon.|| They might fail to land any hits, but it wouldn't be overly humorous. ||
|-
| {{w|Weightlifting}} || They might just fail to lift the weights. ||
|-
| {{w|Golf}} - Contestants attempt to hit, with golf clubs, a golf ball into one or more holes in as small a number of hits as possible.|| They would likely miss the ball or hit poorly. || The illustration depicts Randall missing the hole at very close range.
|-
| {{w|Archery}} - Using a bow and arrow, contestants attempt to hit a target with as much accuracy as possible.|| Arrows might miss the target, but it's not particularly amusing. || Randall misses all his shots on the target.
|-
|rowspan=5| Pretty funny || {{w|Swimming}} - Contestants swim to a destination or complete laps as fast as possible.|| They might struggle to stay afloat or swim awkwardly. ||
|-
| {{w|Long jump}} - Contestants, with a running start, attempt to jump as far as possible.|| They would likely make a very short jump. ||
|-
| {{w|Pole vault}} - Using a bendable pole, contestants attempt to propel (vault) themselves over a bar.|| They would miss the plant and end up dropping the pole and running under the bar. ||
|-
| {{w|Diving}} - Contestants attempt to fulfill multiple criteria while diving into water.|| Awkward or painful-looking dives could ensue. ||
|-
| {{w|Hurdles}} - Contestants run on a track with hurdles positioned at various places.|| They might trip and fall over the hurdles. || Randall repeatedly and painfully runs into the hurdles, unable to jump over any of them.
|-
|rowspan=5| Incredibly funny || {{w|Figure skating}} || They might slip and fall continuously on the ice. ||
|-
| {{w|Horizontal bar}} - A horizontal bar is used to perform gymnastics.|| They might fail to perform any flips or fall off the bar. ||
|-
| {{w|Equestrian sports}} - Various activities involving the use of horses.|| They might struggle to control the horse or fall off. || Randall is completely unable to control his horse. He is in the process of falling off and is flailing his arms.
|-
| {{w|Freestyle BMX}} Contestants ride BMX bikes and perform various tricks, and are then judged by trick quality.|| They might crash or fail to perform tricks. ||
|-
| {{w|Pommel horse}} - Using a gymnastic device somewhat similar to a horse, gymnasts perform various tricks.|| They might awkwardly flop around or fall off. || Randall is attempting to perform a routine but clearly is not very graceful or balanced, as made apparent by the agitrons surrounding him.
|}

The title text may be a reference to ski jumper {{w|Vinko Bogataj}}, whose spectacular crash at a (non-Olympic) ski flying event in 1970 in Oberstdorf, (then) West Germany became emblematic of the expression "the agony of defeat" in the opening narration of the popular US television program "{{w|Wide World of Sports (American TV program)|Wide World of Sports}}". Alternatively the reference may be to {{w|Eddie the Eagle}}, whose poor performance at the {{w|1988 Winter Olympics}} led to the introduction of the top 50 or 30% qualifying rule.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Header above three panels:]
:Olympic Sports ranked by how funny it would be if I, a regular person without athletic training, snuck onto the team to compete:
:[Three panels are shown with a header, a bullet list with five listed sports in each, and one or two depictions of sports.]

:Not that funny
:Rowing
:Fencing
:Weightlifting
:Golf
:Archery
:[Cueball putts a ball with a golf club and misses the hole.]
:[Cueball is aiming with a bow. Three arrows are on the ground at various distances from the target.]

:Pretty funny
:Swimming
:Long jump
:Pole vault
:Diving
:Hurdles
:[Cueball runs stomach-first into a hurdle, while holding a hand on his head. Another hurdle behind him has fallen down.]
:Cueball: [Bonk] Ow! [Bonk] Ow!

:Incredibly funny
:Figure skating
:Horizontal bar
:Equestrian
:BMX freestyle
:Pommel horse
:[Cueball tries to balance himself on a pommel horse. His both hands and one leg are down, while the other leg is slightly raised.]
:Cueball: Look! Look!
:[A horse rider wearing a black helmet is struggling to maintain balance on the running horse, with both hands and one leg raised.]
:Horse rider with black helmet: AAAAA!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Sport]]

2964: Olympic Sports

2024-07-28T16:08:21Z

8576068966219778: Illustration descriptions.

{{comic
| number = 2964
| date = July 26, 2024
| title = Olympic Sports
| image = olympic_sports_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x328px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Thankfully for everyone involved, the Winter Olympics officials spotted me and managed to stop me before I got to the ski jump.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by A VERY CONCERNED OLYMPIC OFFICIAL - Provide an explanation of each sport for the convenience of those unfamiliar with some or all listed sports. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic was officially published on the day of the opening ceremony of the {{w|2024 Summer Olympics|2024 Paris (Summer) Olympics}}, though it actually appeared early the following day.

In this comic, [[Randall]], who has no athletic training, imagines himself participating in various Olympic events, with his degrees of failure measured in terms of their humor potential.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Olympic sports ranked by how funny it would be if a regular person competed
! How funny !! Sport !! Reason !! Depiction
|-
|rowspan=5| Not that funny || {{w|Rowing}} || The person would simply struggle to row effectively. ||
|-
| {{w|Fencing}} || They might fail to land any hits, but it wouldn't be overly humorous. ||
|-
| {{w|Weightlifting}} || They might just fail to lift the weights. ||
|-
| {{w|Golf}} || They would likely miss the ball or hit poorly. || The illustration depicts Randall missing the hole at very close range.
|-
| {{w|Archery}} || Arrows might miss the target, but it's not particularly amusing. || Randall misses all his shots on the target.
|-
|rowspan=5| Pretty funny || {{w|Swimming}} || They might struggle to stay afloat or swim awkwardly. ||
|-
| {{w|Long jump}} || They would likely make a very short jump. ||
|-
| {{w|Pole vault}} || They would miss the plant and end up dropping the pole and running under the bar. ||
|-
| {{w|Diving}} || Awkward or painful-looking dives could ensue. ||
|-
| {{w|Hurdles}} || They might trip and fall over the hurdles. || Randall repeatedly and painfully runs into the hurdles, unable to jump over any of them.
|-
|rowspan=5| Incredibly funny || {{w|Figure skating}} || They might slip and fall continuously on the ice. ||
|-
| {{w|Horizontal bar}} || They might fail to perform any flips or fall off the bar. ||
|-
| {{w|Equestrian sports}} || They might struggle to control the horse or fall off. || Randall is completely unable to control his horse. He is in the process of falling off and is flailing his arms.
|-
| {{w|Freestyle BMX}} || They might crash or fail to perform tricks. ||
|-
| {{w|Pommel horse}} || They might awkwardly flop around or fall off. || Randall is attempting to perform a routine but clearly is not very graceful or balanced, as made apparent by the agitrons surrounding him.
|}

The title text may be a reference to ski jumper {{w|Vinko Bogataj}}, whose spectacular crash at a (non-Olympic) ski flying event in 1970 in Oberstdorf, (then) West Germany became emblematic of the expression "the agony of defeat" in the opening narration of the popular US television program "{{w|Wide World of Sports (American TV program)|Wide World of Sports}}". Alternatively the reference may be to {{w|Eddie the Eagle}}, whose poor performance at the {{w|1988 Winter Olympics}} led to the introduction of the top 50 or 30% qualifying rule.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Header above three panels:]
:Olympic Sports ranked by how funny it would be if I, a regular person without athletic training, snuck onto the team to compete:
:[Three panels are shown with a header, a bullet list with five listed sports in each, and one or two depictions of sports.]

:Not that funny
:Rowing
:Fencing
:Weightlifting
:Golf
:Archery
:[Cueball putts a ball with a golf club and misses the hole.]
:[Cueball is aiming with a bow. Three arrows are on the ground at various distances from the target.]

:Pretty funny
:Swimming
:Long jump
:Pole vault
:Diving
:Hurdles
:[Cueball runs stomach-first into a hurdle, while holding a hand on his head. Another hurdle behind him has fallen down.]
:Cueball: [Bonk] Ow! [Bonk] Ow!

:Incredibly funny
:Figure skating
:Horizontal bar
:Equestrian
:BMX freestyle
:Pommel horse
:[Cueball tries to balance himself on a pommel horse. His both hands and one leg are down, while the other leg is slightly raised.]
:Cueball: Look! Look!
:[A horse rider wearing a black helmet is struggling to maintain balance on the running horse, with both hands and one leg raised.]
:Horse rider with black helmet: AAAAA!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Sport]]

2830: Haunted House

2023-09-18T22:50:02Z

8576068966219778:

{{comic
| number = 2830
| date = September 18, 2023
| title = Haunted House
| image = haunted_house_2x.png
| imagesize = 278x349px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = You can leave at any time through the door over there. It's a Louisville door, so you'll need to find a compatible knob. No, don't be silly, that one is a Lexington knob! Of course it won't fit.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PENNSYLVANIA BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The ISO ({{w|International Organization for Standardization}}) and ANSI ({{w|American National Standards Institute}}) are organizations that create standards for commonly used objects such as electrical sockets, preferably so that there would exist standardized forms everywhere (or at least across large areas). The comic depicts an office Halloween party, which is a common event on the celebration of Halloween. A "haunted house" is a house or other building/room designed to induce fright in the participants, typically by including well-known/cultural scary elements such as vampires or zombies. The haunted house is tailored to scare members of these organizations by suggesting a world where nothing is standardized (e.g. different electrical plugs from state to state). The title text furthers the joke by implying that something which is usually standardized (doorknobs) would be different from town to town.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:Ponytail: Welcome! If you need to charge your phones, note that this house has Pennsylvania wiring, but we have New Jersey and Delaware adapters available.
:Megan and Cueball: AAAAAA!

:[Caption below the panel:]
:The haunted house at the ISO/ANSI office halloween party

{{comic discussion}}

2774: Taxiing

2023-05-11T01:26:23Z

8576068966219778: Fixed spelling, improved paragraphs 1 and 2

{{comic
| number = 2774
| date = May 10, 2023
| title = Taxiing
| image = taxiing_2x.png
| imagesize = 399x431px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I don't understand why anyone would pay full price for a flatbed truck rental when you can buy 'DETOUR' signs online for like $10.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a STOLEN WATERBED TRUCK - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[File:A Polish airman marshals a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft March 13, 2014, at Lask Air Base, Poland 140313-F-BH566-088.jpg|thumb|400px| A marshaller marshalling. (From Wikimedia Commons)]]
In this comic, [[Cueball]] is acquiring an airplane by directing it with marshaling wands onto a ramp that leads onto a trailer, so he can presumably drive away with it. Thus, he wonders why anyone would buy a plane, when those "glowing wand things" can be bought cheaply on the internet.

{{w|Aircraft marshalling|Marshallers}} stand on the runway and use marshaling wands to direct planes around while they are taxiing. Cueball is using glowing wand things to hijack a plane and direct it into a trailer, where it will presumably be locked up and taken somewhere else with the plane claimed. The caption claims that paying "full price" for an airplane (buying one normally) is ridiculous when the wand things that allow you to direct planes to where you want them to go are about $30 online.

This may be illegal.{{citation needed}} However, empirical evidence is rather slim in this regard, and, as such, it is not entirely clear if this is correct. Any person who is willing should attempt to gather further empirical evidence to this end.

The title text mentions doing a similar thing, but with detour signs rather than glow wands and flatbed trucks rather than planes. It seems Cueball used this tactic to obtain the truck he is loading the airplane onto.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is waiving two orange sticks in the air, one in each hand. They are glowing as indicated with small orange lines all around the orange part. The handle he holds them by is black. Cueball is pointing one stick to the left where, behind him, is a ramp that extends beyond the panel. The other stick is held up in front of his face and he looks up onto the front end of a large plane. Only a small part of the plane is visible, mainly the very tip with just a bit of the window into the cockpit shown. The underside of the tip is gray, the rest is white with the window in black.]
:Cueball: ...Keep going...
:Cueball: ...Slightly left...
:Cueball: ...Okay, good...you're lined up with the ramp...
:Cueball: ...Now pull forward slowly up onto the trailer...

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I don't understand why anyone would pay full price for an airplane when you can buy those glowing wand things online for like $30.

{{comic discussion}}

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

2742: Island Storage

2023-02-24T19:45:46Z

8576068966219778:

{{comic
| number = 2742
| date = February 24, 2023
| title = Island Storage
| image = island_storage_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x435px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I always hate dragging around the larger archipelagos, but I appreciate how the Scandanavian peninsula flexes outward to create a snug pocket for the British Isles.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT PUTTING THE EDITORS INTO STORAGE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is another world map vandalized by Randall, similarly to the [[:Category:Bad Map Projections|bad map projection series]]. This time, every major island, that is not considered a continent in its own right, is relocated into similarly-sized swathes of sea partly enclosed by the outlines of adjacent continents. The caption implies it's Earth's intended "storage mode", where everything 'loose' is neatly packed away.

New locations of various islands:
*Gulf of Mexico: Greenland, Cuba, Hispaniola, other Caribbean islands
*Hudson Bay: Canadian Arctic islands
*Gulf of Saint Lawrence: Newfoundland
*Baltic Sea: Great Britain, Ireland
*Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea: Papua, other Indonesian islands, Iceland
*Sea of Ohotsk: Japan, Sakhalin
*Yellow Sea: Taiwan, Hainan
*Red Sea: Madagascar
*Persian Gulf: Sri Lanka
*Gulf of Siam: Borneo
*Gulf of Carpentaria: New Zealand

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Island(s)
! Original Location
! New Location
|-
| Northern Canadian Islands
| North of mainland Canada
| Hudson Bay
|-
| {{w|Newfoundland (Island)}}, {{w|Prince Edward Island}}, and {{w|Anticosti Island}}
| Off the eastern coast of Canada
| {{w|Gulf of St Lawrence}}
|-
| {{w|Greenland}}
| Northeast of Canada
| Gulf of Mexico
|-
| {{w|Hispaniola}} and {{w|Cuba}}
| Caribbean Sea
| Gulf of Mexico
|-
| Other Caribbean Islands
| Caribbean Sea
| Gulf of Venezuela
|-
| {{w|Iceland}}
| Northern Atlantic Ocean
| Coast of southern France
|-
| {{w|Great Britain}} and {{w|Ireland}}, ??
| Northwest Europe
| Baltic Sea
|-
| {{w|Sardinia}} and {{w|Sicily}}
| Off western coast of Italy
| Coast of Italy
|-
| {{w|Aegean Islands}}
| Aegean Sea
| Coast of Greece
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A map of Earth with the largest continents (except Antarctica) in their usual locations, but all of the major islands have been moved into various bays and seas.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Reminder: If you're the last one using the Earth, please put the islands away when you're done.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Maps]]

2742: Island Storage

2023-02-24T19:44:50Z

8576068966219778: fixed locations table

{{comic
| number = 2742
| date = February 24, 2023
| title = Island Storage
| image = island_storage_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x435px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I always hate dragging around the larger archipelagos, but I appreciate how the Scandanavian peninsula flexes outward to create a snug pocket for the British Isles.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT PUTTING THE EDITORS INTO STORAGE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is another world map vandalized by Randall, similarly to the [[:Category:Bad Map Projections|bad map projection series]]. This time, every major island, that is not considered a continent in its own right, is relocated into similarly-sized swathes of sea partly enclosed by the outlines of adjacent continents. The caption implies it's Earth's intended "storage mode", where everything 'loose' is neatly packed away.

New locations of various islands:
*Gulf of Mexico: Greenland, Cuba, Hispaniola, other Caribbean islands
*Hudson Bay: Canadian Arctic islands
*Gulf of Saint Lawrence: Newfoundland
*Baltic Sea: Great Britain, Ireland
*Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea: Papua, other Indonesian islands, Iceland
*Sea of Ohotsk: Japan, Sakhalin
*Yellow Sea: Taiwan, Hainan
*Red Sea: Madagascar
*Persian Gulf: Sri Lanka
*Gulf of Siam: Borneo
*Gulf of Carpentaria: New Zealand

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Island(s)
! Original Location
! New Location
|-
| Northern Canadian Islands
| North of mainland Canada
| Hudson Bay
|-
| {{w|Newfoundland}}, {{w|Prince Edward Island}}, and {{w|Anticosti Island}}
| Off the eastern coast of Canada
| {{w|Gulf of St Lawrence}}
|-
| {{w|Greenland}}
| Northeast of Canada
| Gulf of Mexico
|-
| {{w|Hispaniola}} and {{w|Cuba}}
| Caribbean Sea
| Gulf of Mexico
|-
| Other Caribbean Islands
| Caribbean Sea
| Gulf of Venezuela
|-
| {{w|Iceland}}
| Northern Atlantic Ocean
| Coast of southern France
|-
| {{w|Great Britain}} and {{w|Ireland}}, ??
| Northwest Europe
| Baltic Sea
|-
| {{w|Sardinia}} and {{w|Sicily}}
| Off western coast of Italy
| Coast of Italy
|-
| {{w|Aegean Islands}}
| Aegean Sea
| Coast of Greece
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A map of Earth with the largest continents (except Antarctica) in their usual locations, but all of the major islands have been moved into various bays and seas.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Reminder: If you're the last one using the Earth, please put the islands away when you're done.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Maps]]

2742: Island Storage

2023-02-24T19:44:14Z

8576068966219778: Expanded table of locations

{{comic
| number = 2742
| date = February 24, 2023
| title = Island Storage
| image = island_storage_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x435px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I always hate dragging around the larger archipelagos, but I appreciate how the Scandanavian peninsula flexes outward to create a snug pocket for the British Isles.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT PUTTING THE EDITORS INTO STORAGE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is another world map vandalized by Randall, similarly to the [[:Category:Bad Map Projections|bad map projection series]]. This time, every major island, that is not considered a continent in its own right, is relocated into similarly-sized swathes of sea partly enclosed by the outlines of adjacent continents. The caption implies it's Earth's intended "storage mode", where everything 'loose' is neatly packed away.

New locations of various islands:
*Gulf of Mexico: Greenland, Cuba, Hispaniola, other Caribbean islands
*Hudson Bay: Canadian Arctic islands
*Gulf of Saint Lawrence: Newfoundland
*Baltic Sea: Great Britain, Ireland
*Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea: Papua, other Indonesian islands, Iceland
*Sea of Ohotsk: Japan, Sakhalin
*Yellow Sea: Taiwan, Hainan
*Red Sea: Madagascar
*Persian Gulf: Sri Lanka
*Gulf of Siam: Borneo
*Gulf of Carpentaria: New Zealand

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Island(s)
! Original Location
! New Location
|-
| Northern Canadian Islands
| North of mainland Canada
| Hudson Bay
|-
| {{w|Newfoundland}}, {{w|Prince Edward Island}}, and {{w|Anticosti Island}}
| Off the eastern coast of Canada
| {{w|Gulf of St Lawrence}}
|-
| {{w|Greenland}}
| Northeast of Canada
| Gulf of Mexico
|-
| {{w|Hispaniola}} and {{w|Cuba}}
| Caribbean Sea
| Gulf of Mexico
|-
| Other Caribbean Islands
| Caribbean Sea
| Gulf of Venezuela
|-
| {{w|Iceland}}
| Northern Atlantic Ocean
| Coast of southern France
|-
| {{w|Great Britain}} and {{w|Ireland}}, ??
| Northwest Europe
| Baltic Sea
|-
| {{w|Sardinia}} and {{w|Sicily}}
| Off western coast of Italy
| Coast of Italy
| {{w|Aegean Islands}}
| Aegean Sea
| Coast of Greece
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A map of Earth with the largest continents (except Antarctica) in their usual locations, but all of the major islands have been moved into various bays and seas.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Reminder: If you're the last one using the Earth, please put the islands away when you're done.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Maps]]

2742: Island Storage

2023-02-24T19:40:59Z

8576068966219778: improved table of locations

{{comic
| number = 2742
| date = February 24, 2023
| title = Island Storage
| image = island_storage_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x435px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I always hate dragging around the larger archipelagos, but I appreciate how the Scandanavian peninsula flexes outward to create a snug pocket for the British Isles.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT PUTTING THE EDITORS INTO STORAGE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is another world map vandalized by Randall, similarly to the [[:Category:Bad Map Projections|bad map projection series]]. This time, every major island, that is not considered a continent in its own right, is relocated into similarly-sized swathes of sea partly enclosed by the outlines of adjacent continents. The caption implies it's Earth's intended "storage mode", where everything 'loose' is neatly packed away.

New locations of various islands:
*Gulf of Mexico: Greenland, Cuba, Hispaniola, other Caribbean islands
*Hudson Bay: Canadian Arctic islands
*Gulf of Saint Lawrence: Newfoundland
*Baltic Sea: Great Britain, Ireland
*Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea: Papua, other Indonesian islands, Iceland
*Sea of Ohotsk: Japan, Sakhalin
*Yellow Sea: Taiwan, Hainan
*Red Sea: Madagascar
*Persian Gulf: Sri Lanka
*Guld of Seam: Borneo
*Gulf of Carpentaria: New Zealand

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Island(s)
! Original Location
! New Location
|-
| Canadian Islands
| North of mainland Canada
| Hudson Bay
|-
| {{w|Newfoundland}}, {{w|Prince Edward Island}}, and {{w|Anticosti Island}}
| Off the eastern coast of Canada
| Gulf of St Lawrence
|-
| {{w|Greenland}}
| Northeast of Canada
| Gulf of Mexico
|-
| {{w|Hispaniola}} and {{w|Cuba}}
| Caribbean Sea
| Gulf of Mexico
|-
| Other Caribbean Islands
| Caribbean Sea
| Gulf of Venezuela
|-
| {{w|Iceland}}
| Northern Atlantic Ocean
| Coast of southern France
|-
| {{w|Britain}} and {{w|Ireland}}, ??
| Northwest Europe
| Baltic Sea
|-
| {{w|Sardinia}} and {{w|Sicily}}
| Off western coast of Italy
| Coast of Italy
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A map of Earth with the largest continents (except Antarctica) in their usual locations, but all of the major islands have been moved into various bays and seas.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Reminder: If you're the last one using the Earth, please put the islands away when you're done.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Maps]]

2742: Island Storage

2023-02-24T19:38:42Z

8576068966219778: Expanded table of locations

{{comic
| number = 2742
| date = February 24, 2023
| title = Island Storage
| image = island_storage_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x435px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I always hate dragging around the larger archipelagos, but I appreciate how the Scandanavian peninsula flexes outward to create a snug pocket for the British Isles.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT PUTTING THE EDITORS INTO STORAGE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is another world map vandalized by Randall, similarly to the [[:Category:Bad Map Projections|bad map projection series]]. This time, every major island, that is not considered a continent in its own right, is relocated into similarly-sized swathes of sea partly enclosed by the outlines of adjacent continents. The caption implies it's Earth's intended "storage mode", where everything 'loose' is neatly packed away.

New locations of various islands:
*Gulf of Mexico: Greenland, Cuba, Hispaniola, other Caribbean islands
*Hudson Bay: Canadian Arctic islands
*Gulf of Saint Lawrence: Newfoundland
*Baltic Sea: Great Britain, Ireland
*Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea: Papua, other Indonesian islands, Iceland
*Sea of Ohotsk: Japan, Sakhalin
*Yellow Sea: Taiwan, Hainan
*Red Sea: Madagascar
*Persian Gulf: Sri Lanka
*Guld of Seam: Borneo
*Gulf of Carpentaria: New Zealand

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Island(s)
! Original Location
! New Location
|-
| {{w|Canadian Islands}}
| North of mainland Canada
| Hudson Bay
|-
| {{w|Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and Anticosti Island}}
| Off the eastern coast of Canada
| Gulf of St Lawrence
|-
| {{w|Greenland}}
| Northeast of Canada
| Gulf of Mexico
|-
| {{w|Hispaniola and Cuba}}
| Caribbean Sea
| Gulf of Mexico
|-
| {{w|Other Caribbean Islands}}
| Caribbean Sea
| Gulf of Venezuela
|-
| {{w|Iceland}}
| Northern Atlantic Ocean
| Coast of southern France
|-
| {{w|Britain and Ireland, ??}}
| Northwest Europe
| Baltic Sea
|-
| {{w|Sardinia and Sicily}}
| Off western coast of Italy
| Coast of Italy
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A map of Earth with the largest continents (except Antarctica) in their usual locations, but all of the major islands have been moved into various bays and seas.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Reminder: If you're the last one using the Earth, please put the islands away when you're done.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Maps]]

2652: Proxy Variable

2022-07-30T10:25:37Z

8576068966219778: small transcript imporvements

{{comic
| number = 2652
| date = July 29, 2022
| title = Proxy Variable
| image = proxy_variable.png
| titletext = Our work has produced great answers. Now someone just needs to figure out which questions they go with.
}}

__NOTOC__

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PROXY BOT IN NO WAY CORRELATED WITH THE ORIGINAL BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In this comic, [[Hairy]] is discussing use of a proxy variable with [[Cueball]]. In statistics, a {{w|proxy variable}} is used as a stand-in for one or more other variables that are difficult to measure. In order to be useful as such, proxy variables must be correlated with what they are intended to represent. For example, a drug might aim to reduce deaths from a slow-acting disease. But testing if it reduces deaths might take many years, so you might test for a "proxy outcome" instead, like whether it prevents loss of bone density or damage to cells, to see if the drug is making a difference.

Hairy is dismissing the question of whether they are studying the right variable as too expensive to answer. This is deeply ironic and thus satirical, because good {{w|experiment design}} requires sufficient attention to the robustness of all the involved parts of an experiment, even if the expense may be prohibitive.

Choosing the wrong proxy variable might make the research irrelevant, or as the title text suggests, answer the wrong question. Separating correlation from {{w|Causality|causation}} is necessary when interpreting proxy variable results to make sure the question they answer is known. Mere correlation instead of {{w|Causal analysis|authentic causation}} yields weaker results.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Hairy uses a pointer to show Cueball a poster of a line chart above a candlestick chart]
:Hairy: We want to study this variable, but it's too hard to observe.

:[Cut the panel in half so you can only see Hairy and the poster]
:Hairy: So we're studying this proxy variable.

:[Cueball and Hairy are standing with the poster out of frame]
:Cueball: Is it correlated with the other variable?
:Hairy: Look, we don't have the funding to answer every little question.

{{comic discussion}}