explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2638: Extended NFPA Hazard Diamond

2022-06-28T02:45:58Z

Aerin: /* Explanation */ fix link to wikipedia article on NFPA 704

{{comic
| number = 2638
| date = June 27, 2022
| title = Extended NFPA Hazard Diamond
| image = extended_nfpa_hazard_diamond.png
| titletext = With most labs, the hushed horror stories are about something like dimethylmercury or prions, but occasionally you'll get a weird lab where it's about the soda machine or the drop ceiling.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SUBSTANCE WORTH $500 IN STREET VALUE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic depicts an extension of [[wikipedia:NFPA 704|NFPA 704]], bringing it from 2x2 to 3x3 by adding 5 variously useful and humorous squares.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Squares and explanations
|-
! Square !! Color !! Comic text !! Explanation
|-
| Top || Red || Flammability || Real NFPA 704 square. Denotes flammability.
|-
| Top Left || Blue || Health Hazard || Real NFPA 704 square. Denotes the danger that the substance poses to living beings in ways other than flammability and reactivity.
|-
| Top Right || Yellow || Instability/Reactivity || Real NFPA 704 square. Denotes how easily the substance reacts with other substances.
|-
| Center || White || (Special Hazard) || Real NFPA 704 square. Contains a symbol with additional notes on the substance. After this point, all squares are made up by Randall.
|-
| Center Left || Green || Number of digits in the street value ($/gram) || Describes the order of magnitude of the price of one gram of the substance when sold illegally and informally. Most common illicit drugs would score 2 in this square.
|-
| Center Right || Dark Purple || How much of a hassle it is to dispose of || Describes in a subjective (or maybe objective?) way how difficult the substance is to dispose of. While many things can be thrown in the trash with no additional procedures{{Citation Needed}}, biohazards that may carry diseases are often disposed of in special containers, and nuclear materials are notoriously difficult to safely dispose of. This square would be useful in limited contexts.
|-
| Bottom Left || Lilac || Number of federal agencies who want to know if you have any || In many countries, including Randall's home country, the USA, the government has agencies dedicated to controlling or limiting the use of regulated substances, due to their use as drugs or as chemical weapons. While any given substance would probably be of one agency's interest, something that is both an environmental hazard and a chemical weapon component could interest, for example, both the Chemical Safety Board and the FBI Counterterrorism Division. This could also allude to the CIA's experiments with LSD, which is illegal to possess as a US civilian.
|-
| Bottom Right || Orange || How many times you have to scrub your hands after touching it before they stop smelling weird || While the real NFPA 704 chart describes properties ranging from unsafe to potentially deadly, this square describes a minor but very real inconvenience. Some things are harder to wash off your hands than others, and, given that most people don't often work with dangerous substances {{Citation Needed}}, this would be a more common, but less relevant, concern for many people.
|-
| Bottom || Black || Number of times it's caused one of those terrifying lab accidents that chemists tell scary stories about late at night || The result of this square, although dependent on how much the substance is researched in labs, can show how scared someone should be in handling the substance in question, especially if the number is more than one. Though the description is vague, this number could show how easy it is to cause ''some'' kind of reaction of a terrifying magnitude with this substance.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Know your extended NFPA hazard diamond:

Flammability: 0 (top)

Health hazard: 4 (top-left)

Instability/reactivity: 2 (top-right)

Number of digits in the street value ($/gram): 2 (left)

(Special hazard) (center)

How much of a hassle it is to dispose of: 4 (right)

Number of federal agencies who want to know if you have any: 3 (bottom-left)

How many times you have to scrub your hands after touching it before they stop smelling weird: 1 (bottom-right)

Number of times it's caused one of those terrifying lab accidents that chemists tell scary stories about late at night: 2 (bottom)

{{comic discussion}}

626: Newton and Leibniz

2022-05-21T18:35:07Z

Aerin: add to math category

{{comic
| number = 626
| date = August 21, 2009
| title = Newton and Leibniz
| image = newton_and_leibniz.png
| titletext = YEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Isaac Newton}} and {{w|Gottfried Leibniz}} both developed {{w|calculus}} independently of each other about eight years apart, as it says in the comic. However, although Newton had begun working on calculus before Leibniz, he didn't publish it, and Leibniz was the first to publish it (see the {{w|Leibniz–Newton calculus controversy}}).

In calculus a {{w|derivative}} is the result of mathematical differentiation: the instantaneous rate of change of a function relative to its argument, and denoted df(x)/dx. As taught in schools, if a function is drawn as a graph, the derivative of that function at a given point is equal to the slope of that graph at that point. However, the literary word derivative [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/derivative means] developed from something older or copied/adapted from others, as Newton claims is the case here.

The pun is that Newton is claiming that Leibniz's mathematical derivative is a derivative, or descendant, from his earlier development of this calculus.

The comic as a whole is mocking the pattern of corny one-liners that {{w|David Caruso}} often spurts out during the opening scenes of {{w|CSI: Miami}}. The one liner is followed by him dramatically pulling off or [[:Category:Puts on sunglasses |putting on his sunglasses]] and then the show breaks into the title sequence which starts with Roger Daltrey singing an extended "YEEEEAAAAAAAH", from the song {{w|Won't Get Fooled Again}} by {{w|The Who}} as noted in the title text. This has become a [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/csi-4-pane-comics popular Internet meme] and was used frequently with {{w|Death of Michael Jackson|Michael Jackson's death}}. The sunglasses joke was also used in the title text of [[977: Map Projections]]. The counts of each letter (Y E A H) in the scream are 1, 6, 6, and 6, which combined produce the year in which Newton is credited to have discovered calculus.

==Transcript==

:[Newton with long white hair, facing right, holds up a sheet of paper, with several lines indicating the writing on it, in one hand and the other hand is also held up. He stands in front of an empty desk. A smaller frame breaking the border at the top of the frame has a caption:]
:Newton, 1666
:Newton: I've invented calculus!

:[Leibniz with long black hair, facing left, holds up a sheet of paper, with several lines indicating the writing on it, in one hand. He stands in front of a desk with a book and two pieces of paper, one lying below the other paper but up above the book. A smaller frame breaking the border at the top of the frame has a caption:]
:Leibniz, 1674
:Leibniz: I've invented calculus!

:[Back to a similar image of Newton, but he has now taken his arms down, still holding his paper.]
:Newton: Really? Sounds a little bit...

:[Zoom in on Newton as he puts on a pair of sunglasses in a panel without a frame. The table is not included.]

:[Newton now with sunglasses on, again in front of the table.]
:Newton: ...'''''Derivative.'''''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Analysis]]
[[Category:Puts on sunglasses]]
[[Category:Puns]]
[[Category:Math]]

1521: Sword in the Stone

2022-02-08T05:42:08Z

Aerin: /* Explanation */ +sword pull

{{comic
| number = 1521
| date = May 6, 2015
| title = Sword in the Stone
| image = sword in the stone.png
| titletext = That seems like an awful lot of hassle when all I wanted was a cool sword.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Megan]] pulls a sword out of a stone. A flash of light comes down and music plays, and a heavenly voice tells her she has ascended to the {{w|throne of England}}. Megan then pulls out her phone and searches on Wikipedia for {{w|England}}. After having read for a while she begins, while reading on, to replace the sword into the rock.

The comic references the fables of {{w|King Arthur}} and the {{w|Knights of the Round Table}}. In Arthurian legend, whoever can remove {{w|Excalibur#Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone|The Sword in the Stone}} is the lawful king of Britain (although this comic, as some versions of the legend, refers incorrectly to England). Arthur is an orphan being raised in secret; he notices the sword, removes it, and is proclaimed king. The sword is sometimes identified as {{w|Excalibur}}, although in other versions Excalibur was acquired by King Arthur from the {{w|Lady of the Lake}}. The most familiar version of this story is {{w|The Sword in the Stone (novel)|The Sword in the Stone}} by {{w|T. H. White}} which is based on {{w|Le Morte d'Arthur}} by {{w|Sir Thomas Malory}}. The animated {{w|The Sword in the Stone (film)|musical}} by Walt Disney is a well-known version of this fairytale based on White's book.

A key element in the joke is that as Megan begins to read about England, especially information concerning being an English ruler, she quickly thinks better of this and begins to put the sword back in its place. The punchline that Megan puts the sword back after reading about England suggests that the "gift" of being the leader of England is not worth the risk and/or work associate. British history is rife with monarchic strife, and a brief inquiry into their {{w|List of monarchs of the British Isles by cause of death|causes of death}} will show that almost one in three {{w|British rulers}} have died either in battle or from murder, etc. This would quickly lead most sane people to conclude that the risks associated with ruling England far outweigh the benefits.

The title text furthers this plot, having Megan comment on the hassle when the only thing she was interested in was the cool sword. Apparently, Megan is not enthusiastic about power, and her choice is made when she sees how problematic it could be to reign over the country of England. There is also a subtle play on the fact that in the T. H. White version, Arthur likewise is unaware of the significance of pulling the sword from the stone - he is simply looking for a sword to replace the one belonging to his step-brother Kay that was stolen under his watch, to avoid embarrassment and reproach.

From the time of the {{w|Roman Empire}} all the way up to {{w|Charles II of England|Charles II's}} reclamation of the throne, the area now known as England has seen {{w|Invasions of the British Isles|several migration waves, Viking raids, invasions}} and fierce power struggles among aristocratic families. Besides the constant threat of usurpation, as evidenced by the numerous wars for the crown, such as the {{w|Norman conquest of England|Norman conquest}} and the {{w|War of the Roses}}, there were also constant difficulties in managing the frontier regions. This can be seen from {{w|Hadrian's Wall}}, a creation of the titular Roman Emperor designed to keep the ever difficult Scots out of the areas of Roman control (the Scots would be a {{w|Anglo-Scottish Wars|constant problem}} for England up until the reign of King {{w|James VI and I}}; think of the movie {{w|Braveheart}} for a good example of the regular headaches they caused, seen from the English point of view), as well as the {{w|List of Anglo-Welsh Wars|Welsh uprisings}} that occurred with such consistency that you could set your watch by them.

It is worth emphasizing that the term "England" is anachronistic in this context. At the time Arthur supposedly existed, there was no England — England was formed by Germanic tribes who {{w|Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain|settled in Britain between the fifth and seventh centuries}}. In many of the stories, including the earliest, Arthur was in fact depicted as a leader of the native Romano-Britons in their attempts to repel these invaders. England would not exist had Arthur succeeded. The anachronism is not new; it entered Arthurian legend in the Middle Ages. (Thomas Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', for example, refers to Arthur as King of England.) In Arthurian legend, it was stated that Arthur would return when needed (in some versions he was explicitly associated with the {{w|Mab Darogan}}, a Welsh Messianic figure who would finally drive the English out of Britain and reclaim it for the native Britons). It is possible that Megan in this comic is a 21st-century reincarnation of Arthur.

The timing of this comic might relate to the birth of princess {{w|Princess Charlotte of Cambridge|Charlotte Elizabeth Diana}} on May 2, 2015, just four days before this comic, and the burden of a royal of having a whole life in public shaking hands of strangers. Since {{w|Succession to the Throne Act, 2013|2013}} the {{w|Line of succession to the British throne|line of succession}} was changed to {{w|Primogeniture#Absolute primogeniture|absolute primogeniture}}, meaning that she will keep her current position in the line (4th after her {{w|Prince George of Cambridge|older brother}}) even if she later gets baby brothers. Before this year, that would not have been the case, as the male gender took rank over birth order.

It is also probably not a coincidence that this comic was published the day before the {{w|United Kingdom general election, 2015|UK General Election}}, occurring on May 7, 2015. This election decides the modern-day leader of the UK. And the problems they face today may even be more likely to cause Megan to give away the throne, than the risk of untimely death she would have faced in Arthur's days.

A similar Wikipedia gag appears in [[911: Magic School Bus]].

The sword in the stone also appears in [[2578: Sword Pull]].

==Transcript==
:[Megan walks up to a sword in a stone.]

:[Megan attempts to pull the sword out of the stone.]

:[A beam of light and music plays as she removes the sword.]

:[While standing with the swords a voice from the sky speaks in gray shaky letters:]
:Celestial voice: ''The Throne of England is yours''

:[Megan takes out her smart phone and searches:]
:Wikipedia
:England

:[Megan reads on her phone.]

:[Megan starts to replace the sword back into the stone.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Fiction]]

2578: Sword Pull

2022-02-08T05:40:31Z

Aerin: wording changes

{{comic
| number = 2578
| date = February 7, 2022
| title = Sword Pull
| image = sword_pull.png
| titletext = Merlin really shouldn't leave his dirt bike lying around.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a DIRT BIKE WITH UNBREAKING II AND CURSE OF VANISHING (I SHOULD REALLY LEARN S.G.A.)- Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball is pulling on a sword which appears to be stuck in a stone (like {{w|Excalibur}} from the legends of {{w|King Arthur}}, which included the wizard Merlin, mentioned in the title text) but is actually (according to the title text) the {{w|rope start|rope starter}} for a {{w|dirt bike}}. Since rocks are usually not dirt bikes in disguise,{{citation needed}} Cueball is surprised by the sword/bike starting its motor and moving. Randall may be taking this literally, as in a bike that travels through the dirt, which appears to be represented in the last panel.

Excalibur was also featured in [[1521: Sword in the Stone]], with Megan deciding to return the sword after reading about England.

{{w|Merlin}} (from the title text) is typically known as King Arthur's advisor and is supposedly the actual owner of this sword/bike.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball, puzzled, walks up to a sword in a stone.]
:Cueball: ??

:[Cueball stands on the stone and attempts to pull the sword out of the stone.]

:[Cueball continues pulling the sword out of the stone, but mechanical noises are heard]
:Yank!
:Zzzzz
:Put Put Put
:Brrrrrrr

:[Cueball is still holding the sword, but is puzzled and has stopped pulling. There are more mechanical noises and the stone is vibrating]
:Cueball: ?? ??
:Rrrrrrr
:Rrrrrrr

:[Cueball has stopped pulling on the sword in the stone, which is moving to the right of the panel, with Cueball on top of it]
:Rrrrrrrrrrrr

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Fiction]]

Countdown in header text

2022-01-19T01:05:31Z

Aerin: /* Images */ fix typo

{{comic
| date = January 10, 2022
| title = Countdown in header text
| image = Countdown_in_header_text.png
| before = The countdown will probably last 21 days. After February 1st 2022 it is likely to have disappeared. See this [https://web.archive.org/web/20220110183238/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-10] archive version.
| ldomain = www
| lappend =
| extra = yes
}}
*Go directly to the list of [[Countdown in header text/images|images]].
{{TOC}}

==Explanation==
*On January 10th 2022, [[Randall]] added a countdown in the top right corner of the [[xkcd Header text]] on {{xkcd}}.
**This happened while the comic [[2565: Latency]] was up.
***First the xkcd Header text was [[xkcd_Header_text#2022-01-08_-_Back_to_standard_text|changed back]] to the [[xkcd_Header_text#Header_text|standard text]] for the first time in almost three years:
****xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
***But already while this Friday-comic was still up on the following Monday the [[xkcd_Header_text#2022-01-10_-_Standard_text_with_countdown|countdown]] was added.
****This was thus up when the Monday comic [[2566: Decorative Constants]] was released, drawing more people to the xkcd page.
*The first [[#Archived Versions|archived version]] from [https://web.archive.org/web/20220110183238/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-10] read 20d 20h 27m.
**It looks like it started on [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ 01-10 17:00 UTC].
***At that time it would have read 20d 21h 59 min. Just two hours and 1 minute short of 3 weeks.
*This countdown will reach zero on Monday 2022-01-31 at 14:59 (2:59 PM) {{w|UTC}}, or 9:59 AM in Boston, Randall's home town.
**If seconds will be added towards the end, it seems likely that it may end exactly at 15:00 UTC (10:00 AM in Boston).
***Though either way, it would fall on Monday 2022-01-31, and therefore the day comic 2575 should be released.
*The next day on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220111153818/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-11] a diagonal black bar appeared in the lower left-hand corner of the countdown box and started to move further into the image on following changes to the [[#Images|image]].
**This development called for the creation of this dedicated [[Countdown in header text]] page.
**The line had already moved further into the image at this time, but the latest version will never be available in the web archive.
***This development is reminiscent of the huge comic [[1190: Time]].
*[https://munvoseli.github.io/ Munvoseli] is keeping [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ track of the changes] to the image on the countdown.
**Although there are (at 2022-01-12 12:35 UTC) thirteen different frames we know of, the first three looks the same (because the diagonal bar was not in the frame yet) and the seventh and the eighth also seems to be the same, even though the bar had already begun moving across the frame from the fourth. This is either on purpose, a slipup or means that The FrameTM might not be zooming out of a larger image.
***However, the images that look the same all have individual addresses on the xkcd server. See more under [[#Images|Images]] below.

Randall has previously made a comic simply called [[1159: Countdown]]. However, in that the roles are reversed. There we know that the countdown is for (Super Volcano) but not if it will happen soon or very much later. Here we know when, and it is rather soon, but not what.

==Images==
*Images will be put on [[Countdown in header text/images|this separate page]].
**The images can also be found [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ here] on munvoseli's page.
***It is possible to compare two images, chosen between those released, on that page!
***From 2022-01-14 it has also been possible to see an animation.
**See more details at the top of the image page.
*After a few days the black lines forming the image came into conflict with the clock, which has a rounded white frame around it. This can be seen in one of the earliest examples here:
[[File:Countdown in header text Clock Cover Black Lines.png]]
*Also at this time a new development happened after the "plane tail" moved forward it stopped on 2022-01-18 and started moving up (or zooming in). See for instance these two comparison from munvoseli's page showing the difference from the 8 pictures before today, and then after three out today:
[[File:Countdown in header text Compare 40 to 48.png]] [[File:Countdown in header text Compare 48 to 51.png]]

==Theories==
*Here different theories for what the countdown is for and what the picture is going to reveal can be added.

===The picture===
* Ongoing description:
** Frames 1-12: A diagonal line.
** Frame 13: A curve seems to begin at the top left of the line.
** Frame 18: The curve connects the diagonal line with a horizontal line.
** Frame 27-28: A new line appears in the bottom left corner.
** Frame 40-42: The new line turns out to be connected to the horizontal line, forming a corner which is not attached to any other line.
** Frame 49: The "camera movement" direction changes, while the object is still moving upward it stopped moving towards the left side, moving towards the right instead. 

*Theories about the picture:
**It seems after two days and 12 pictures like either something is moving into the frame or that it is a zoom out from a white area of a large picture. Maybe it is the arm of Cueball that will come into view.
***That turned out not to be the case!
**The second line makes it look somewhat like the tail fin of an aircraft.
***Or the wing of an aircraft (left if looking down at it). Perhaps the plane is towing a banner that will fly through the frame.
****I'm thinking the tail of a Zeppelin.
****After almost a week this looks like the most promising suggestion so far.
*****Now that the direction of the camera movement has changed, we might get to see the rest of the aircraft soon.
****Also since the two lines remain the same distance, the “zooming out” theory seems to be dis-proven.
**Maybe it is some kind of vehicle rolling into frame, like a car?
***No
**Or the word xkcd? (or xkcd 2?)
***No
**Could have been "Hangman", but it looks like it's zooming in on the diagonal instead of continuing to make a gibbet.
***No
**With the new second line appearing in the corner as of frame 28 it looks like it's definitely zooming out of an image. It looks like it could be someone's arm in a running position.
***No
**I think it could also be two legs of a reclining stick person.
***No
**The lines suggest a shark fin and the movement would suggest it swimming across the frame.
***If it was a shark fin, then the most likely candidates would be the first dorsal fin and the pectoral fin, but both end in points rather than edges like in the pictures of the header puzzle. An aircraft tail fin still seems most likely.
**Maybe it's a two-dimensional shape viewed from a weird angle?
***Like a rectangle viewed from a floating, tilted perspective
***Or the top of the k in xkcd
***Or a boat dock or something?

===Countdown===
*Theories about the countdown:
*Several have already been mentioned in the discussion:
**Randall's next book, either the countdown is counting down to the start of promotion or it is released when the countdown ends.
***Usually Randall has made month long [[:Category:Book promotion|book promotions]] before release. So if it is the release day it is a new way to do it. But he will get a lot of attention. If it is just the start of promoting it, people might get disappointed…
****For instance he began promoting his [[xkcd_Header_text#2015-05-14_-_New_book_Thing_Explainer|new book Thing Explainer]] in the header text. That was in May 2015 and the book was first released [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ late November 2015]. Most of this time the header text was promoting the book.
**{{w|James Webb Space Telescope}} (JWST) going into orbit about L2 {{w|Lagrange point}}.
***Randall has already made several comics about the telescope. The latest [[2564: Sunshield]] was released just five days prior to the countdown was started.
***But the telescope will not reach the point but rather go into a large orbit around it, so a precise timer counting down to it seems a bit farfetched.
***On NASA's page on JWST it seems like it will [https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/deploymentExplorer.html#25 go into orbit] 29.5 days after its [[December 25th Launch]], on Christmas Day, so it should have already started the orbit by the 23rd or 24th of January - 8 days before the countdown.
**{{w|Lunar New Year}}
***In China it starts on February 1st and a [https://yourcountdown.to/chinese-new-year countdown for China] is 8 hours behind.
****The South Korean time zone is UTC+9, hence 14:59 UTC = 23:59 in South Korea, one minute to Feb 1.
*****But it's weird if Randall that has basically never mentioned this holiday suddenly makes a three week countdown for it, and why choose South Korea when most would think of China in this context…?
**Randall will stop making xkcd (Goodbye in the image).
***Hopefully not.
****Agreed, {{tvtropes|PoisonOakEpilepticTrees|to be avoided}}
**[https://nationaldaycalendar.com/backward-day-january-31/ National Backward Day]
***This is not a day mentioned on Wikipedia at the time of release of the countdown, so seems unlikely.
**Maybe it will be an announcement of xkcd 2, a new and improved version for… some reason?
***Seems unlikely…
**{{w|Black History Month}}. The {{w|Greensboro sit-ins}} started on Feb 1 1960. Black History Month also begins on February 1st, also in 2022.
***But this countdown stops early on January 31st so seems unlikely.
***However, before changing the Header recently it was about [[xkcd_Header_text#2020-06-03_-_Black_Lives_Matter|Black Lives Matter]] for more than 1.5 years, first ending on December 20th 2021, less than a month before the countdown began. In between that there was a short Christmas sale reminder until a week into 2022. So it could just be another way of reminding of us the issues faced by black people in the US.
**The accompanying header says specifically "xkcd updates Monday, Wednesday, and Friday"--maybe the countdown is to the reveal of a new update schedule?
***Very unlikely. This was the standard header for a long time. It was used when Randall had nothing better to say. But with all his books and the trouble in US with elections and BLM, he has used the header as a platform most of the time many years now. So the standard text is rare. But he did return it for two days before adding the count down, making it seem just like normal.
***A guess is that it returned to this, so the header text did not take any focus away from the countdown.
**Red spider attack?
***Un-Likely
**He will become a father - could be a planned C-section.
***As this is unpredictable, and could go wrong, then this would be a dangerous countdown, people can be very superstitious, even if scientist.
**As it currently looks (after a [[1070: Words for Small Sets|few days]] into the countdown) it may be a trip he is taking by plane.
***Maybe going somewhere people could meet him.
***Moving a long way from home (down under or the like).
****Maybe he's moving to Japan? Could be a plane, and the time zone would fit, at least.
****What has time zones to do with this clock? It counts down to the same time all over the world, and will reach zero at the same time no matter what time zone you are in. Will soon delete the above if no clear explanation of why this should matter is presented!
**Perhaps it's a start to a new series like time https://xkcd.com/1190/

==Archived Versions==
*Here is a list of the versions that has been saved to the web archive during the countdown.
**The counter in that version is written behind the date of the web archive:
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220110183238/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-10] 20d 20h 27m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220110214138/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-10] 20d 17h 18m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220111011115/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-11] 20d 13h 48m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220112005828/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-12] 19d 14h 1m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220113044552/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-13] 18d 10h 14m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220114010759/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-14] 17d 13h 51m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220114195624/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-14] 16d 19h 3m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220115052737/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-15] 16d 9h 32m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220116074923/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-16] 15d 7h 10m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220116225217/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-16] 14d 16h 7m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220118050255/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-18] 13d 9h 57m

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Meta]]

Talk:2535: Common Cold Viruses

2021-10-30T21:25:28Z

Aerin:

this brings to mind [[915: Connoisseur]]. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.67|172.70.174.67]] 20:26, 29 October 2021 (UTC)Bumpf

In the explanation,the writer states that in the final panel all three characters appear to be chronically ill. But, I really cannot understand what Randall wants us to think regarding White Hat's presence in the final panel. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.82.3|172.70.82.3]] 23:14, 29 October 2021 (UTC)
:They are all (including White Hat) holding tissues. 
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 05:22, 30 October 2021 (UTC)

I swear each type of cold smells different (& air conditioners take on one of these same smells). Isn't there some rather extensive research we could link, into the unique "bouquets" (so to speak) of various illnesses? 
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 05:22, 30 October 2021 (UTC)

I don't know how whoever wrote the explanation came to the conclusion that the characters are chronically ill in the third panel. I just assumed the three of them came down with a cold together. [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 21:25, 30 October 2021 (UTC)

2529: Unsolved Math Problems

2021-10-17T05:46:47Z

Aerin: /* Explanation */ adding commas where there ought to be commas + other copyedits

{{comic
| number = 2529
| date = October 15, 2021
| title = Unsolved Math Problems
| image = unsolved_math_problems.png
| titletext = After decades of studying the curve and the procedure that generates it, the consensus explanation is "it's just like that."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a EULER FIELD GÖDEL-ESCHER-KURT-HALSEY STRANGE "CURVE" WALKING RANDOMLY ON A HYPERDIMENSIONAL FOUR-SIDED QUANTUM KLEIN MANIFOLD. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Math has many problems that remain "unsolved." This is not simply a matter of finding the correct numbers on both sides of an equal sign, but also stating that a general pattern holds true for a given formula, usually all the way up to infinity.

A concrete problem is one that is very obviously connected to a real world process, while an abstract problem is one which seems unconnected to actual problems. In modern math, many problems tend to be very abstract, requiring complicated notation to adequately state the problem in the first place, like many of the {{w|millennium problems}}. On the other hand, many unsolved problems are very concrete; for example, there are very many problems related to packing objects into spaces that are very difficult to solve although quite easy to state, such as the {{w|Collatz conjecture}}. Finally, Randall describes a third category of "cursed problems," that have strange, seemingly random behavior, such as the behavior of turbulence or the distribution of prime numbers.

In the first panel, Ponytail describes a weird abstract problem. Her description seems to be a meaningless jumble of terms that are either mathematical or just ''sound'' mathematical. And the mathematical terms are from disparate branches of mathematics: group theory, topology, and calculus. It's full of what seem to be [[Malamanteau|malamanteaus]]: "quasimonoid" combines the prefix "quasi" (meaning "partially" or "seemingly") and "monoid" (an object from group theory) and is probably meant to evoke the character {{w|Quasimodo}} from ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (although quasimonoids are a type of algebraic object, namely a non-associative {{w|monoid}}); "Gödel-Klein" combines {{w|Kurt Gödel}}, a 20th-century mathematician who studied logic and philosophy (he's most well known for {{w|Gödel's incompleteness theorems}}) and {{w|Felix Klein}}, a 19th century mathematician who studied group theory and geometry, who probably never collaborated; "Sondheim Calculus" refers to {{w|Stephen Sondheim}}, one of the most successful composers and lyricists of American musical theatre -- the producer of his musical "Into the Woods" once [[https://www.indiewire.com/2015/01/watch-singing-sondheim-is-like-calculus-in-into-the-woods-behind-the-scenes-video-exclusive-189507/ remarked]] that "Singing Stephen Sondheim is like calculus for singers and actors."; and "conjection" may combine conjecture and conjunction, or be a joke on pros and cons plus projection. "ϵ<0" is a joke about how in analysis, ϵ is usually defined to be an arbitrarily small ''positive'' number. Finally she asks whether the problem statement is ill-formed; considering that it's mostly gibberish, this may be true.

Many real unsolved math problems appear similarly abstract. One example is the {{w|Hodge Conjecture}}, a {{w|Millennium Prize Problems|Millenium Prize}} problem. It states "Let X be a non-singular complex projective manifold. Then every Hodge class on X is a linear combination with rational coefficients of the cohomology classes of complex subvarieties of X." These words may appear nonsensical to a layman.

In the second panel, Cueball describes a concrete {{w|random walk}} problem, and then mentions that this somehow has applications in three unrelated fields. This is actually not uncommon. The Wikipedia article says that "random walks have applications to engineering and many scientific fields including ecology, psychology, computer science, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, and sociology. Walking randomly on a grid never visiting any square twice is known as a {{w|self-avoiding walk}}." This panel may have been inspired by some of the tricky unsolved problems about self-avoiding walks. Many of these problems have to do with rigorously proving properties of random walks that have been guessed by physics intuition, so these problems are connected to physics. The part about the maximum number of points in a line is reminiscent of problems in combinatorial geometry, which often involve counting points lying on different lines.

In the final panel, Megan is looking at a strange curve that seems to have no consistent pattern. At the bottom it's mostly straight, with a few little wobbles. In the middle it looks like a wild, high-frequency wave that suddenly bursts and then dies down. And the top is a spiral that looks like a question mark or a Western-style {{w|Crosier}}. She wonders if this could even be mathematical. Considering the weird shapes that come from plotting some mathematical processes (e.g. the {{w|Mandelbrot set}}), it could well be.

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

The Three Types Of Unsolved Math Problem

:First: Weirdly Abstract
:[Ponytail stands in front of an equation]
:Is the Euler Field Manifold Hypergroup Isomorphic to a Gödel-Klein Meta-Algebreic ε<0 Quasimonoid Conjection under Sondheim Calculus?
:Or is the question ill-formed?
:⬙ℝंℤ/Eℵ₅ The Z is raised and underneath it is a double-ended arrow bent at a right angle. One points toward the R the other toward the Z. The ₅ is double-struck like the ℝ and ℤ

:Second: Weirdly Concrete
:[Cueball stands in front of a grid with 6 columns and 7 rows]
:If I walk randomly on a grid, never visiting any square twice, placing a marble every ''N'' steps, on average how many marbles will be in the longest line after N*K steps?
:Somehow the answer is important in like three unrelated fields.
:[The path starts in the 3rd row and 3rd column, a small circle indicates the start. It takes the path: North, East, North, East (a black dot representing the 1st marble is placed here, so N=4), South, East, South, South (2nd marble), West, South, West, North (3rd marble), West, South, South, South (4th Marble), West, North, West, West (this goes offgrid to the West. There is no visible line or marble outside the grid). The 1st, 3rd, and 4th marbles are colinear and there is a dotted line connecting them. The line's slope is 3.]

:Third: Cursed
:[A Megan with unkempt hair stands next to a curve]
:What in god's name is going on with this curve?
:Is it even math?
:[The curve starts at the bottom of the screen, rises straight upward, begins to wobble left and right a little. It lists to the left and the left-right motion increases, then decreases. It begins a large counter-clockwise arc, spiraling inwards twice, then ends]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category: Math]]

2524: Comet Visitor

2021-10-06T19:08:32Z

Aerin: /* Explanation */ wikilinking {{w|Orbital period}}

{{comic
| number = 2524
| date = October 4, 2021
| title = Comet Visitor
| image = comet_visitor.png
| titletext = It's a myth that the Great Wall of China is the only human-made structure visible from space--there are LOTS of structures for us to feel self-conscious about!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PACIFIC MOON FOOT-PATCH - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{{w|C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein)|Comet C/2014 UN271}} is a large comet that was discovered in 2014 almost as far from the Sun as the orbit of Neptune, and it will reach its closest approach in 2031, near Saturn's orbit. It's an {{w|Oort Cloud}} comet, with a {{w|Orbital period|period}} of more than 4 million years. Since modern humans ({{w|homo sapiens}}) evolved about 300,000 years ago (although tool-making ancestors were around about 2.5 million years ago), the last time it was among the planets was indeed long before humans evolved.

When a long-period comet comes into the inner Solar System, it's often figuratively called a "visit". But Megan and Cueball treat this more literally (or perhaps more sarcastically). Just as one usually neatens up their home when they're expecting guests, to make a good impression, they realize they need to clean up the Earth and its vicinity in preparation for this "visitor". Cueball starts handing out assignments -- he'll clean up the {{w|Pacific Garbage Patch}}, and suggests that Megan take care of all the {{w|Space debris|debris in orbit}}. It's also common to put some useful objects out of view without throwing them away (perhaps to prevent someone damaging them), planning on returning them to their normal place after the visit; Cueball suggests doing this with the [[:Category:Mars rovers|Mars rovers]]. And he suggests sweeping up the footprints that NASA astronauts left on the Moon during the Apollo missions. However, since the comet will never be anywhere near Earth and Mars, all this hardly seems necessary; it would be like cleaning up your home because the President or some other dignitary will be somewhere in the same metropolitan area (now do you understand, mom?!). In addition, while a dignitary would theoretically be able to see one's house, although comets have {{w|comet tails|tails}}, they do not have eyes,{{Citation needed}} so they would not be able to perceive any difference between Earth before and after tidying up (even if the {{w|comet nucleus|nucleus}} had an eye, it would not be able to see because it is in a {{w|Coma (cometary)|coma}}). Furthermore, sweeping footprints in the Moon, that Cueball sees as a way of tidying up, would be seen as [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/nasa-looks-to-protect-historic-sites-on-the-moon-47186092/ destroying an invaluable archaeological sites by NASA and other people].

Alternatively, Megan and Cueball aren't "cleaning up" for a visitor as one might do if the visitor was a friend of theirs. They're [[1377|hiding themselves and contraband]] as one might do if they were worried the police were visiting. Or more likely in this context that it could be an alien visit, and they would like to make it difficult to spot the human civilization from space. In that case they might need to shut down all light in every big city on Earth as well.

The title text debunks the claim that the {{w|Great Wall of China}} is the only {{w|Artificial_structures_visible_from_space|human-made structure visible from outer space}}; in fact the Great Wall cannot easily be distinguished from space (as it is very long but not wide), but some other human constructions such as the Pyramids can (and cities are easily visible at night because they emit light).

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

:[Megan sits at a desk in front of a computer, looking to the left off-panel and pointing at the screen]
:Megan: Have you seen this big comet, C/2014 UN271?
:Megan: It'll pass near Saturn's orbit in 10 years.

:[In a frameless panel, Cueball stands behind Megan, who is now looking at the computer and typing]
:Cueball: Wow, look at the orbital period.
:Megan: Yeah, it hasn't been to this part of the solar system since humans evolved.
:Megan: At '''''least.'''''

:[Cueball starts running off-panel, holding his finger in the air. Megan looks towards him with both arms resting on the back of her chair]
:Cueball: Well, we definitely need to tidy up. I'll start on the Pacific Garbage Patch, you tackle orbital debris.
:Megan: What about the moon footprints?
:Cueball: Sweep them up. Collect the Mars rovers, too!
:Cueball: We can put them back once it's gone.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Mars rovers]]

User:Aerin

2021-09-11T23:55:09Z

Aerin:

A few of my favorite comics:
*[[60: Super Bowl]]
*[[594: Period]]
*[[936: Password Strength]]
*[[978: Citogenesis]]
*[[987: Potential]]
*[[1170: Bridge]]
*[[1274: Open Letter]]
*[[1335: Now]]
*[[1576: I Could Care Less]]
*[[1818: Rayleigh Scattering]]
*[[1968: Robot Future]]
*[[2251: Alignment Chart Alignment Chart]]
*[[2275: Coronavirus Name]]
*[[2397: I Just Don't Trust Them]]
*[[2425: mRNA Vaccine]]
*[[2443: Immune Response]]

2480: No, The Other One

2021-06-24T01:35:32Z

Aerin: filling in some missing well-known places

{{comic
| number = 2480
| date = June 23, 2021
| title = No, The Other One
| image = no_the_other_one.png
| titletext = Key West, Virginia is not to be confused with Key, West Virginia.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by HOUSTON. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is a map of the United States, showing cities or towns with the same name as other more famous cities. For example, the map has a dot for a place called Los Angeles in Texas, not to be confused with Los Angeles, California.

Few place names are unique, and there may be {{w|List of the most common U.S. place names|many places with the same name}}. However, names can become associated with specific places on a national level, where the best-known example is usually the biggest or otherwise the most significant. The name of this comic indicates the contextualization required to specify one of the less-famous exemplars of a given name. Someone might say they are from "Los Angeles" and would have to say "no, the other one" since the listener would assume they are from Los Angeles, California.

The [[title text]] references {{w|Key, West Virginia}} and {{w|Key West, Virginia}}, two places that, when spoken aloud, are only distinguishable by the pause (comma) location. Neither are to be confused with {{w|Key West|Key West, Florida}}.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Place name in comic
! Well-known place
! Notes
|-
| {{w|Albany, Georgia}}
| {{w|Albany,_New_York|Albany, New York}}
| Albany is the capital of New York state.
|-
| {{w|Albany, Minnesota}}
|
|
|-
| {{w|Albany, Wyoming}}
|
|
|-
| {{w|Alexandria,_Louisiana|Alexandria, Louisiana}}
| {{w|Alexandria,_Virginia|Alexandria, Virginia}}
| Alexandria, VA is known for being George Washington's hometown. It is not named after {{w|Alexandria|Alexandria, Egypt}}.
|-
| {{w|Anchorage, Kentucky}}
| {{w|Anchorage,_Alaska|Anchorage, Alaska}}
| Anchorage is Alaska's most populous city.
|-
| {{w|Atlanta,_Delaware|Atlanta, DE}}
| {{w|Atlanta|Atlanta, Georgia}}
| Atlanta is the capital of Georgia, a center of the civil rights movement in the 1950's and 60's, and a major air transportation hub.
|-
| {{w|Atlanta,_Michigan|Atlanta, MI}}
|
|
|-
| {{w|Atlanta,_Idaho|Atlanta, ID}}
|
|
|-
| {{w|Atlanta,_Nebraska|Atlanta, NE}}
|
|-
| {{w|Atlanta, Texas|Atlanta, TX}}
|
|
|-
| {{w|Atlanta, Wisconsin|Atlanta, WI}}
|
|
|-
| {{w|Atlantic City, Wyoming|Atlantic City, WY}}
| {{w|Atlantic City, New Jersey}}
| Atlantic City, NJ is a famous coastal resort town in New Jersey known for its casinos, boardwalk and beaches.
|-
| {{w|Austin, MN}}
| {{w|Austin, Texas}}
| Austin is the capital of the state of Texas, and the 11th largest city (by population) in the US.
|-
| {{w|Baton Rouge, South Carolina|Baton Rouge, SC}}
| {{w|Baton Rouge, Louisiana}}
| Baton Rouge is the capital of the state of Louisiana.
|-
| {{w|Beaumont, California|Beaumont, CA}}
| {{w|Beaumont, Texas|Beaumont, TX}}
| Beaumont is best known for the oil discovery that sparked the Texas oil boom of the early 1900s.
|-
| {{w|Beverly Hills, Illinois|Beverly Hills, IL}}
| {{w|Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills, CA}}
| Beverly Hills is a city in Los Angeles County, CA and is home to many celebrities, luxury hotels, and the Rodeo Drive shopping district.
|-
| {{w|Beverly Hills, Texas|Beverly Hills, TX}}
|
|
|-
| {{w|Bloomington, Minnesota | Bloomington, MN}}
| {{w|Bloomington, Indiana | Bloomington, IN}}
| Bloomington is the location of Indiana University.
|-
| Boston, MO
| {{w|Boston|Boston, MA}}
| Boston is the capital of Massachusetts and the scene of several key events of the American Revolution.
|-
| Bowling Green, FL
| {{w|Bowling Green, Kentucky|Bowling Green, KY}}
| Bowling Green, KY is the largest city of this name, and the 3rd most populous city in Kentucky.
|-
| Bowling Green, OH
|
|
|-
| Bridgeport, WV
|
|
|-
| Buffalo, TX
| {{w|Buffalo, New York|Buffalo, NY}}
|
|-
| Buffalo, WY
|
|
|-
| Cambridge, OH
| {{w|Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge, MA}}
|
|-
| Cedar Rapids, NE
| {{w|Cedar Rapids, Iowa|Cedar Rapids, IA}}
|
|-
| Charlestown, NY (?)
|
|
|-
| Cleveland, UT
| {{w|Cleveland|Cleveland, OH}}
|
|-
| Columbus, GA
| {{w|Columbus, Ohio|Columbus, OH}}
|
|-
| Dallas, GA
| {{w|Dallas|Dallas, TX}}
|
|-
| Dallas, NC
|
|
|-
| Dallas, OR
|
|
|-
| Dallas, SD
|
|
|-
| Dayton, NV
| {{w|Dayton, Ohio|Dayton, OH}}
|
|-
| Des Moines, NM
| {{w|Des Moines, Iowa|Des Moines, IA}}
|
|-
| Des Moines, WA
|
|
|-
| {{w|Detroit,_Alabama|Detroit, AL}}
| {{w|Detroit|Detroit, MI}}
| Detroit is best known as the center of the U.S. automobile industry.
|-
| Detroit, KS
|
|
|-
| Disney, OK
|
|
|-
| Fayetteville, TN
|
|
|-
| Gettysburg, OH
| {{w|Gettysburg, Pennsylvania|Gettysburg, PA}}
|
|-
| Gettysburg, SD
|
|
|-
| Grand Rapids, MN
| {{w|Grand Rapids|Grand Rapids, MI}}
| The second most populous city in the state of Michigan
|-
| {{w|Houston,_Alaska|Houston, AK}}
| {{w|Houston|Houston, TX}}
| Houston is the most populous city in Texas and the fourth-most populous in the United States.
|-
| {{w|Houston,_Alabama|Houston, AL}}
|
|
|-
| Houston, FL
|
|
|-
| Houston, IN
|
|
|-
| Houston, MO
|
|
|-
| Houston, OH
|
|
|-
| Indianapolis, IA
| {{w|Indianapolis|Indianapolis, IN}}
|
|-
| {{w|Jackson,_Alabama|Jackson, AL}}
| {{w|Jackson,_Mississippi|Jackson, MS}}
| Jackson is the capital of Mississippi, but there are {{w|Jackson|many other}} states with Jacksons. This one is likely particularly notable due to its proximity to Jackson, MS.
|-
| {{w|Jamestown,_California|Jamestown, CA}}
| {{w|Jamestown,_Virginia|Jamestown, VA}}
| Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.
|-
| Jamestown, ND
|
|
|-
| Jersey Shore, PA
|
|
|-
| Key West, VA
|
|
|-
| Knoxville, IA
|
|
|-
| Las Vegas, NM
|
|
|-
| {{w|Lincoln,_California|Lincoln, CA}}
| {{w|Lincoln,_Nebraska|Lincoln, NE}}
| Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska.
|-
| Lincoln, IL
|
|
|-
| Lincoln, MT
|
|
|-
| Lincoln, RI
|
|
|-
| Lisbon, ME
|
|
|-
| Lisbon, NH
| {{w|Lisbon,_Portugal|Lisbon, Portugal}}
| Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, in Europe
|-
| Long Beach, NJ
|
|
|-
| Los Angeles, TX
|
|
|-
| {{w|Louisville, Colorado|Louisville, CO}}
| {{w|Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville, KY}}
| Louisville is the largest city in Kentucky
|-
| Manhattan, KS
|
|
|-
| Manhattan, MT
|
|
|-
| Memphis, NE
|
|
|-
| {{w|Mesa,_California|Mesa, CA}}
| {{w|Mesa,_Arizona|Mesa, AZ}}
| Mesa is a suburb of Phoenix, and the largest suburban city by population in the United States.
|-
| Mesa, CO
|
|
|-
| {{w|Miami,_Arizona|Miami, AZ}}
| {{w|Miami|Miami, FL}}
| Miami is the seventh largest city in the United States and a major tourism hub.
|-
| Miami, TX
|
|
|-
| Mountain View, HI
|
|
|-
| {{w|Nashville,_Arkansas|Nashville, AR}}
| {{w|Nashville,_Tennessee|Nashville, TN}}
| Nashville is the capital of Tennessee and a major center for the country music industry.
|-
| New England, ND
|
|
|-
| New Haven, KY
|
|
|-
| New York, TX
|
|
|-
| Newark, DE
|
|
|-
| North Pole, NY
| {{w|North_Pole|North Pole}}
| North pole is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface.
|-
| Oakland, OR
|
|
|-
| Orlando, OK
|
|
|-
| Ottawa, KS
|
|
|-
| Pasadena, MD
|
|
|-
| Pasadena, TX
|
|
|-
| {{w|Peoria,_Arizona|Peoria, AZ}}
| {{w|Peoria, Illinois|Peoria, IL}}
| Peoria is known for being considered an "Average American Town", in the phrase {{w|Will_it_play_in_Peoria%3F|"Will it play in Peoria?"}} It is actually smaller than Peoria, AZ.
|-
| Philadelphia, MS
|
|
|-
| Philadelphia, NY
|
|
|-
| Phoenix, MD (?)
|
|
|-
| Phoenix, OR
|
|
|-
| {{w|Plano,_Illinois|Plano, IL}}
| {{w|Plano,_Texas|Plano, TX}}
| Plano is part of the {{w|Dallas–Fort_Worth_metroplex|Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex}}, and the home of many corporate headquarters.
|-
| {{w|Plymouth,_California|Plymouth, CA}}
| {{w|Plymouth,_Massachusetts|Plymouth, MA}}
| Plymouth was the site of the colony founded in 1620 by the Mayflower Pilgrims.
|-
| Plymouth, IN
|
|
|-
| {{w|Portland,_Maine|Portland, ME}}
| {{w|Portland,_Oregon|Portland, OR}}
| Portland, OR was {{w|Portland,_Oregon#Establishment|named after}} Portland, ME
|-
| Princeton, ID
|
|
|-
| Princeton, MA
|
|
|-
| {{w|Richmond, Vermont}}
| {{w|Richmond, Virginia}}
| The Virginian Richmond was named after {{w|Richmond,_London|the suburb of London, UK}} due to an obsevered similarity of the river. London's Richmond was named for the palace built there by Henry VII, itself named after the {{w|Richmond,_North_Yorkshire|market town}} and castle in the north of England that was a childhood home. That was in turn named for the {{w|Richemont,_Seine-Maritime|Normandy}} area from which the noble family came who were gifted this land for their part of the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century. There are more than fifty settlements called Richmond across the world, directly or indirectly taking their names from one or other of the English 'originals'.
|-
| Roswell, GA
|
|
|-
| Saint Louis, MI
|
|
|-
| Saint Louis, OK
|
|
|-
| Salem, CT
|
|
|-
| San Diego, TX
|
|
|-
| Santa Fe, TX
|
|
|-
| Savannah, MO
|
|
|-
| South Bend, TX
|
|
|-
| Texas, NY
| State of Texas
| Located in Mexico township, NY. North of the village of Mexico. No plans for a wall.
|-
| Vienna, ME
|
|
|-
| Washington, NC
|
|
|-
| White House, TN
|
|
|}

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

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:US maps]]

2452: Aviation Firsts

2021-04-20T02:38:47Z

Aerin:

{{comic
| number = 2452
| date = April 19, 2021
| title = Aviation Firsts
| image = aviation_firsts.png
| titletext = Mile High Club membership [✓] [ ] Discovery of parts of Amelia Earhart's skeleton [ ] [ ] Mid-flight incident that results in safe landing on the Hudson River [✓] [ ]
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by DRONE ON MARS. Put a table detailing all the event of the achievement checklist with an Earth and Mars column. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is made in light of recent events of the [https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1384209173924089863 Ingenuity probe's first flight on Mars]. Now that Ingenuity has completed its first flight, it marks the first controlled powered flight on Mars. The previous categories were completed by the first space probes to reach and then land on Mars, while the remaining have only been completed on Earth, and grow steadily bizarre, extending to the title text.

===Events referenced===
* Development of the {{w|Hughes H-4 Hercules}}, a wooden airplane, which flew (once) in 1947
* The 1971 hijacking of Northwest Orient Airlines flight 305 by a man who bought a ticket under the pseudonym {{w|D. B. Cooper|"Dan Cooper"}} (but popularly known as D. B. Cooper). Cooper was given a $200,000 ransom and then he jumped out of the plane and was never found. (D. B. Cooper was previously mentioned in [[1400: D.B. Cooper]], [[1501: Mysteries]], and [[950: Mystery Solved]].)

The title text refers to the following:
* The {{w|mile high club}} is a slang term which refers to having sex while onboard an airplane.
* {{w|Amelia Earhart}} was a female aviator who went missing in 1937 while attempting a circumnavigation flight and has never been found. (Amelia Earhart was previously mentioned in [[1501: Mysteries]], [[950: Mystery Solved]], and [[2197: Game Show]].)
* The {{w|US Airways Flight 1549|Miracle on the Hudson}} was a 2009 incident in which a plane struck a flock of birds shortly after takeoff and lost both its engines. Captain Sully Sullenberger successfully landed the plane in the Hudson River (in New York) with minimal injuries to the passengers onboard.

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

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Mars rovers]]
[[Category:Charts]]

2452: Aviation Firsts

2021-04-20T02:38:14Z

Aerin:

{{comic
| number = 2452
| date = April 19, 2021
| title = Aviation Firsts
| image = aviation_firsts.png
| titletext = Mile High Club membership [✓] [ ] Discovery of parts of Amelia Earhart's skeleton [ ] [ ] Mid-flight incident that results in safe landing on the Hudson River [✓] [ ]
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by DRONE ON MARS. Put a table detailing all the event of the achievement checklist with an Earth and Mars column. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is made in light of recent events of the [https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1384209173924089863 Ingenuity probe's first flight on Mars]. Now that Ingenuity has completed its first flight, it marks the first controlled powered flight on Mars. The previous categories were completed by the first space probes to reach and then land on Mars, while the remaining have only been completed on Earth, and grow steadily bizarre, extending to the title text.

===Events referenced===
* Development of the {{w|Hughes H-4 Hercules}}, a wooden airplane, which flew (once) in 1947
* The 1971 hijacking of Northwest Orient Airlines flight 305 by a man who bought a ticket under the pseudonym {{w|D. B. Cooper|"Dan Cooper"}} (but popularly known as D. B. Cooper). Cooper was given a $200,000 ransom and then he jumped out of the plane and was never found. (D. B. Cooper was previously mentioned in [[1400: D. B. Cooper]], [[1501: Mysteries]], and [[950:M ystery Solved]].)

The title text refers to the following:
* The {{w|mile high club}} is a slang term which refers to having sex while onboard an airplane.
* {{w|Amelia Earhart}} was a female aviator who went missing in 1937 while attempting a circumnavigation flight and has never been found. (Amelia Earhart was previously mentioned in [[1501: Mysteries]], [[950: Mystery Solved]], and [[2197: Game Show]].)
* The {{w|US Airways Flight 1549|Miracle on the Hudson}} was a 2009 incident in which a plane struck a flock of birds shortly after takeoff and lost both its engines. Captain Sully Sullenberger successfully landed the plane in the Hudson River (in New York) with minimal injuries to the passengers onboard.

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

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Mars rovers]]
[[Category:Charts]]

2452: Aviation Firsts

2021-04-20T02:36:22Z

Aerin:

{{comic
| number = 2452
| date = April 19, 2021
| title = Aviation Firsts
| image = aviation_firsts.png
| titletext = Mile High Club membership [✓] [ ] Discovery of parts of Amelia Earhart's skeleton [ ] [ ] Mid-flight incident that results in safe landing on the Hudson River [✓] [ ]
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by DRONE ON MARS. Put a table detailing all the event of the achievement checklist with an Earth and Mars column. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is made in light of recent events of the [https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1384209173924089863 Ingenuity probe's first flight on Mars]. Now that Ingenuity has completed its first flight, it marks the first controlled powered flight on Mars. The previous categories were completed by the first space probes to reach and then land on Mars, while the remaining have only been completed on Earth, and grow steadily bizarre, extending to the title text.

===Events referenced===
* Development of the {{w|Hughes H-4 Hercules}}, a wooden airplane, which flew (once) in 1947
* The 1971 hijacking of Northwest Orient Airlines flight 305 by a man who bought a ticket under the pseudonym {{w|D. B. Cooper|"Dan Cooper"}} (but popularly known as D. B. Cooper). Cooper was given a $200,000 ransom and then he jumped out of the plane and was never found. (D. B. Cooper was previously mentioned in [[1400:D. B. Cooper]], [[1501:Mysteries]], and [[950:Mystery Solved]].)

The title text refers to the following:
* The {{w|mile high club}} is a slang term which refers to having sex while onboard an airplane.
* {{w|Amelia Earhart}} was a female aviator who went missing in 1937 while attempting a circumnavigation flight and has never been found. (Amelia Earhart was previously mentioned in [[1501:Mysteries]], [[950:Mystery Solved]], and [[2197:Game Show]].)
* The {{w|US Airways Flight 1549|Miracle on the Hudson}} was a 2009 incident in which a plane struck a flock of birds shortly after takeoff and lost both its engines. Captain Sully Sullenberger successfully landed the plane in the Hudson River (in New York) with minimal injuries to the passengers onboard.

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

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Mars rovers]]
[[Category:Charts]]

2449: ISS Vaccine

2021-04-12T23:31:09Z

Aerin: fixing vaccine category

{{comic
| number = 2449
| date = April 13, 2021
| title = ISS Vaccine
| image = iss_vaccine.png
| titletext = Because they orbit the Earth every 90 minutes, some astronauts should try to argue that, due to CDC regulations and time zone technicalities, they should be able to get their second dose just 30 or 40 hours after their first.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ORBITAL INJECTION. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is another in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] related to the {{w|2019–20 coronavirus outbreak|2020 pandemic}} of the {{w|coronavirus}} {{w|SARS-CoV-2}}, which causes {{w|COVID-19}}, specifically regarding the [[:Category:COVID-19 vaccine|COVID-19 vaccine]].

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball stand next to each other.]
:Megan: I just realized—
:Megan: The astronauts on the ISS probably can't get the vaccine until they land.
:Cueball: Sure they can.
:Cueball: NASA's good at orbital injections.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Space]] [[Category:COVID-19]] [[Category:COVID-19 vaccine]] [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

2449: ISS Vaccine

2021-04-12T23:30:35Z

Aerin: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2449
| date = April 13, 2021
| title = ISS Vaccine
| image = iss_vaccine.png
| titletext = Because they orbit the Earth every 90 minutes, some astronauts should try to argue that, due to CDC regulations and time zone technicalities, they should be able to get their second dose just 30 or 40 hours after their first.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ORBITAL INJECTION. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is another in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] related to the {{w|2019–20 coronavirus outbreak|2020 pandemic}} of the {{w|coronavirus}} {{w|SARS-CoV-2}}, which causes {{w|COVID-19}}, specifically regarding the [[:Category:COVID-19 vaccine|COVID-19 vaccine]].

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball stand next to each other.]
:Megan: I just realized—
:Megan: The astronauts on the ISS probably can't get the vaccine until they land.
:Cueball: Sure they can.
:Cueball: NASA's good at orbital injections.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Space]] [[Category:COVID-19]] [[Category:COVID-19 Vaccine]] [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

2449: ISS Vaccine

2021-04-12T23:29:17Z

Aerin: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 2449
| date = April 13, 2021
| title = ISS Vaccine
| image = iss_vaccine.png
| titletext = Because they orbit the Earth every 90 minutes, some astronauts should try to argue that, due to CDC regulations and time zone technicalities, they should be able to get their second dose just 30 or 40 hours after their first.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ORBITAL INJECTION. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball stand next to each other.]
:Megan: I just realized—
:Megan: The astronauts on the ISS probably can't get the vaccine until they land.
:Cueball: Sure they can.
:Cueball: NASA's good at orbital injections.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Space]] [[Category:COVID-19]] [[Category:COVID-19 Vaccine]] [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

2447: Hammer Incident

2021-04-08T02:06:50Z

Aerin: /* Transcript */ preliminary transcript

{{comic
| number = 2447
| date = April 8, 2021
| title = Hammer Incident
| image = hammer_incident.png
| titletext = I still think the Cold Stone Creamery partnership was a good idea, but I should have asked before doing the first market trials during the cryogenic mirror tests.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball stands before a seated panel of four people.]
:Cueball: Yes, I know you're mad that I dropped that hammer.
:Cueball: But think about me—
:Cueball: ''Seven years of bad luck!''
:Man, NASA is really on my case about the James Webb Space Telescope.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2445: Checkbox

2021-04-01T23:58:29Z

Aerin:

If left alone, the morse code produced spells "WHAT" (.-- .... .- -) [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 22:50, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

I'm early enough that there isn't a summary yet, and I'm not confident enough to start one, so I'll just drop my thoughts. If you click the checkbox repeatedly, at some point it starts playing Morse code. Presumably, there are a whole lot of different sequences. So far, I've gotten .- - .-- .... (which translates to ATWS; no idea what that means) and ..... (just 5, I think). Meanwhile, the mouseover text is ... --- ..., which is SOS. Any thoughts? What other sequences are there? Or am I totally missing something? (Edit conflict. Looks like Ezist has another one.) [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 22:56, 1 April 2021 (UTC)
: I got something like ATWS at first, but that's just cause I misheard one of the letters, and misinterpreted where the word started/ended. [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 23:03, 1 April 2021 (UTC)
:: Oh yes, you're right - what I was hearing ''was'' just WHAT. When I put it into a translator, I must have mistyped .... (H) as ... (S). [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 23:58, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Wait, sorry, I'm back. It apparently has to do with user input. No idea what I pressed to get those results lol. [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 22:57, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Just a note, but a Morse code legend as well as translations of your input and the website's output are available in the console in browser DevTools. Helpful for those that don't know Morse. [[User:Toadtoad|Toadtoad]] ([[User talk:Toadtoad|talk]])

It looks like Samuel Morse died on April 2, 1872, so that might be why this comic appears today. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.212.218|162.158.212.218]] 23:07, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

"Hi" returns [.... . .-.. .-.. --- -.-.-- / .- -. -.-- -... --- -.. -.-- / --- ..- - / - .... . .-. . ..--..] "HELLO! ANYBODY OUT THERE?" [[User:Piano|Piano]] ([[User talk:Piano|talk]]) 23:09, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

a sequence of repeating "T", or at least more than one "E" [ - - - ] or [ . . . ] will respond back the same sequence, just one "E" will give "WHAT" [[Special:Contributions/172.68.25.253|172.68.25.253]] 23:18, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

"QTH" gives "QTH ARES VALLIS". "QTH" is a code used to ask for position, and Ares Vallis [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ares_Vallis is a place on Mars.] [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 23:27, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

"CHECK" replies "MATE." "CHECKMATE" and "MATE" each reply "WHAT." [[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.146|162.158.126.146]] 23:34, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

The js: has anyone tried viewing the JS? There seems to be a file that is just filled with undecipherable Morse. Can anyone interpret this? Just press f12 and look for comic.js or morse.js [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.161|162.158.62.161]] 23:35, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

I tried decoding it. Certainly looks like something binary encoded into text. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.183.153|162.158.183.153]] 23:36, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Adding onto that, what does the ';D' in .split(';D') (at the very end of morse.js) do? AFAIK it's not a special character in JS

morse.js decodes comic.js into the following script: [https://pastebin.com/XcHV4Z5h] (Also, pretty sure the .split(';D') is just an emoji - it results only in an array of 1 element, so no splitting really occurred.) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.78|108.162.219.78]] 23:52, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

running window.BeepComic.hurryUp() in console gives you immediate response in logs, without waiting for all the beeping to cease

Ah so that's where that script comes from [[Special:Contributions/162.158.183.153|162.158.183.153]] 23:40, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

`BeepComic.send(morse.encode('sudo make me a sandwich'))` <-- convenience, in addition to the hurryUp --rcombs

Does someone else get this uuid DB334AAB-92A1-11EB-8001-8C16454FB02A? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.228|162.158.238.228]] 23:42, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Audio does not work on Safari as of right now - however, inputting `const AudioContext = webkitAudioContext;` into the browser console before unmuting will allow audio to work on Safari. May want to note this as a 'fix' for the experience? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.6|162.158.63.6]] 23:44, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

In addition to muting/unmuting, BEEP and MUTE reply CQM (I can't find a reference to what that means). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.146|162.158.126.146]] 23:51, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

The statements at line 458 of the gist mentioned earlier seem interesting.
handleAction(text) {
if (text.startsWith('//')) {
this.client.open(text.substr(2));
}
}
(Edit: Nevermind, it was just how the response to "dir" opened links)
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.101|172.68.189.101]] 23:52, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Parsed the JS (morse obfuscation, weird) and cut this small bit out:
e = await fetch(`/2445/morse/.../${morse.encode('pog')}`);
f = await e.text();
[state, ...respMorse] = f.split('/');
morse.decode(respMorse.join('/'));
Use this if you'd like to play around with inputs. (replace pog, obviously) :) [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 23:53, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

No need to document UniXKCD here, there's already [[UniXKCD|a page for that]]. --rcombs

Talk:2445: Checkbox

2021-04-01T22:57:35Z

Aerin:

Talk:2445: Checkbox

2021-04-01T22:56:34Z

Aerin:

Talk:2439: Solar System Cartogram

2021-03-21T00:03:37Z

Aerin:

;Planet list seems incomplete
Where's Pluto? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.154|172.68.65.154]] 20:30, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
:Demoted to dwarf planet status in 2006, to the continued frustration of people like myself. [[User:Captain Video|Captain Video]] ([[User talk:Captain Video|talk]]) 20:33, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
::If the biggest Kuiper Belt object is a planet, the biggest Asteroid Belt object (Ceres) should be one too. They're both dwarf planets. Ceres was also considered a planet upon discovery until the rest of the similar-looking belt around it was discovered. [[User:Zowayix|Zowayix]] ([[User talk:Zowayix|talk]]) 00:24, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
:::Okay. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.186|172.69.34.186]] 02:11, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::::See [[473: Still Raw]]--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:31, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::::: The Pluto thing is just never going to go away. The IAU is in ego lock about how bad this decision was. "Clearing the neighborhood" serves no scientific value whatsoever. Supporters I've asked can't even articulate how big Pluto's neighborhood actually is. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.106|162.158.75.106]] 12:55, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

What about exoplanets? [[User:Wilh3lm|Wilh3lm]] ([[User talk:Wilh3lm|talk]]) 20:49, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
:They're not in our solar system. [[User:Bubblegum|bubblegum]]-[[User_talk:Bubblegum|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Bubblegum|contribs]] 20:57, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
::We should rectify that ASAP! A few more planets slotted between/woven through the current set would make for some interesting possibilities... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.207|141.101.99.207]] 22:52, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
:::Yes, interesting in the "ancient Chinese curse" way: despite most of solar system being empty, you would need to be VERY careful to fit even single planet inside without risking collision. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 04:31, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::::We'll never know for sure without trying, right? ;p [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.22|141.101.98.22]] 22:34, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Surprised no one has gotten technical and talked about how Earth is not drawn to be 7.8 billion times larger than the others (which would be around 300,000px wide) , meaning it's still off the same way other depictions tend to be. [[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 05:51, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
:Maybe it's a logarithmic cartogram. Log scales are generally needed when differences in sizes are so vast. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 06:01, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::The dots are dimensionless, thus have zero size according to their population. Only exception is Mars, but with two it would still almost be zero size and thus just a dot. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:31, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Needs to be amended to note that this reflects only HUMAN life detected on these planets. Just because we haven't found any yet doesn't mean that Jupiter might not be housing billions of Jovians, or Mars isn't teeming with Martians. [[User:RAGBRAIvet|RAGBRAIvet]] ([[User talk:RAGBRAIvet|talk]]) 06:53, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
:Well there is no evidence of any lifeforms in the solar system beyond Earth. It talks about Persons in the title text, thus it needs to be intelligent to have that label. And thus animals would not count. So until we have evidence of aliens on the other planets, or until we inhabit them, their population would be zero. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:31, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

;Bad map projection?
IMHO, this also qualify as kind of a [[:Category:Bad_Map_Projections|bad map projection]] (in the wider sense of a population density-anamorphic cartogram) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.160|141.101.77.160]] 21:11, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
:No, it is not a map at all. But you could mention in the explanation that it has similarity to bad maps projections. But this one is not actually bad, it is technically correct, it is just useless. Also removed the map category as there is not map in this comic! It is a globe. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:31, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
:: How do you tell the difference between a picture of a globe and a picture of a map? In any case a picture of a globe is a map with an orthographic projections. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.71|172.69.63.71]] 19:08, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::: At least mention that Randall has previously published several distorted maps that are actually useful. E.g. https://xkcd.com/2399/ [[User:Gvanrossum|Gvanrossum]] ([[User talk:Gvanrossum|talk]]) 23:59, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

If the explanation is going to mention electoral maps, would it make sense to include [[2399: 2020 Election Map]] and [[1939: 2016 Election Map]]? [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 00:03, 21 March 2021 (UTC)

User:Aerin

2021-03-19T20:55:57Z

Aerin:

A few of my favorite comics:
*[[936: Password Strength]]
*[[2251: Alignment Chart Alignment Chart]]
*[[Now]]
*[[1274: Open Letter]]
*[[978: Citogenesis]]
*[[60: Super Bowl]]
*[[1968: Robot Future]]
*[[594: Period]]
*[[1170: Bridge]]
*[[1576: I Could Care Less]]

User:Aerin

2021-03-19T20:35:08Z

Aerin: Redirected page to wikipedia:User:Aerin17

#REDIRECT [[wikipedia:User:Aerin17]]

2439: Solar System Cartogram

2021-03-19T20:31:03Z

Aerin: preliminary transcript

{{comic
| number = 2439
| date = March 19, 2021
| title = Solar System Cartogram
| image = solar_system_cartogram.png
| titletext = For sentimental reasons, every active Mars rover is counted as one person, although that's not enough to make Mars more than a dot.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In this comic, Randall has made a chart showing the planets in the solar system. However, the size of the planets are relative to the populations on them. Since the only confirmed life in the Solar System is on Earth, the other planets have a population of 0 and are shown as nothing more than dots.
The title text states that, even though all five Mars rovers count as one person each, five "people" are almost nothing compared to Earth's 7,800,000,000 and doesn't make Mars anything more than a dot.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:Most solar system diagrams are misleading.
:This chart offers a more accurate view by showing the planets sized by population.
:[The eight planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) are shown as seven dots along with a drawing of Earth as it appears from space. Each planet is labeled with its name.]

{{comic discussion}}

2410: Apple Growers

2021-01-12T04:59:59Z

Aerin: added a transcript (may need futher revision)

{{comic
| number = 2410
| date = January 12, 2021
| title = Apple Growers
| image = apple_growers.png
| titletext = Hopefully in a couple of weeks we'll be able to resume our apple-focused updates, because we have SO MUCH to say about Cosmic Crisp.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

==Transcript==
:[Beret Guy, Megan, and Cueball stand behind a podium with an apple on it]
:Megan: *ahem* The state apple-growers' association has decided to formally call on President Donald Trump to resign.
:[A wider shot shows Beret Guy, Megan, and Cueball on a stage. In the audience are three people, including Ponytail.]
:Ponytail: Weren't you meeting to update the standards for new apple varieties?
:Megan: Yes, but we talked it over and this is what we decided. We feel strongly that this is important.
:[There is a narrow shot of Megan behind the podium.]
:[voice from off-panel]: Did you discuss anything on your actual agenda?
:Megan: Thanks for the question! We did not.
:[Beret Guy, Megan, and Cueball stand behind a podium with an apple on it]
:[voice from off-panel]: Do you have any apple-related announcements at all?
:Megan: Uh, apples are great. Best fruit. Everyone should buy 1,000 of them. ''We're a little distracted right now, okay??''

{{comic discussion}}

2404: First Thing

2020-12-29T02:45:33Z

Aerin: specified the incomplete tag

{{comic
| number = 2404
| date = December 28, 2020
| title = First Thing
| image = first_thing.png
| titletext = Then I'm going to go on a weeks-long somatic hypermutation bender, producing ever-more targeted antibodies, while I continue to remain distanced and follow guidance from public health authorities.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SPIKED PROTEIN. Needs a better explanation of the science and the title text. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic, somewhat like [[2402: Into My Veins]], references both the {{w|COVID-19 vaccine}} and a common Internet trend.

The {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}} has been one of the most consequential and broadly unpleasant events in living memory. As of the publication of this strip, it is estimated to have caused over 1.5 million deaths worldwide, with over 300,000 deaths in the United States, with many more cases that have not resulted in fatality but far too often needing serious medical support and/or with lasting implications. Even for those who have been spared infection, measures to slow the spread of the virus have been highly impactful, and have been ongoing for nearly a year.

In consequence of all of this, many people are excited for the vaccine (which will hopefully end the pandemic). Many people online have been sharing plans for what they'll do after getting the vaccine, like "see my friends" or "travel the world." In this comic, Ponytail takes the trend literally, listing instead what will happen in her body immediately after getting the vaccine.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Cueball are walking toward the right side of a single panel. Ponytail is gesturing with one arm.]

:Ponytail: The ''first'' thing I'm going to do after I get the vaccine?
:Ponytail: Definitely make a bunch of spike proteins and engulf them with dendritic cells.
:Ponytail: Then I'll probably display the antigens to my T-cells...

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Cueball]]
[[Category:Biology]]

2404: First Thing

2020-12-29T01:59:53Z

Aerin:

{{comic
| number = 2404
| date = December 29, 2020
| title = First Thing
| image = first_thing.png
| titletext = Then I'm going to go on a weeks-long somatic hypermutation bender, producing ever-more targeted antibodies, while I continue to remain distanced and follow guidance from public health authorities.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic, somewhat like [[2402: Into My Veins]], references both the {{w|COVID-19 vaccine}} and a common Internet trend.

The {{w|COVID-19_Pandemic}} has been one of the most consequential and broadly unpleasant events in living memory. As of the publication of this strip, it is estimated to have caused over 1.5 million deaths worldwide, with over 300,000 deaths in the United States, with many more serious cases, often with lasting impacts. Even for those who have been spared infection, measures to slow the spread of the virus have been highly impactful, and have been ongoing for nearly a year.

In consequence of all of this, many people are excited for the vaccine (which will hopefully end the pandemic). Many people online have been sharing plans for what they'll do after getting the vaccine, like "see my friends" or "travel the world." In this comic, Ponytail takes the trend literally, listing instead what will happen in her body immediately after getting the vaccine.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Cueball are walking toward the right side of a single panel. Ponytail is gesturing with one arm.]

:Ponytail: The ''first'' thing I'm going to do after I get the vaccine?
:Ponytail: Definitely make a bunch of spike proteins and engulf them with dendritic cells.
:Ponytail: Then I'll probably display the antigens to my T-cells...

{{comic discussion}}

2404: First Thing

2020-12-29T01:58:47Z

Aerin: added a preliminary explanation, mostly copied from 2402: Into My Veins

{{comic
| number = 2404
| date = December 29, 2020
| title = First Thing
| image = first_thing.png
| titletext = Then I'm going to go on a weeks-long somatic hypermutation bender, producing ever-more targeted antibodies, while I continue to remain distanced and follow guidance from public health authorities.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic, somewhat like {{2402: Into My Veins}}, references both the {{w|COVID-19 vaccine}} and a common Internet trend.

The {{w|COVID-19_Pandemic}} has been one of the most consequential and broadly unpleasant events in living memory. As of the publication of this strip, it is estimated to have caused over 1.5 million deaths worldwide, with over 300,000 deaths in the United States, with many more serious cases, often with lasting impacts. Even for those who have been spared infection, measures to slow the spread of the virus have been highly impactful, and have been ongoing for nearly a year.

In consequence of all of this, many people are excited for the vaccine (which will hopefully end the pandemic). Many people online have been sharing plans for what they'll do after getting the vaccine, like "see my friends" or "travel the world." In this comic, Megan takes the trend literally, listing instead what will happen in her body immediately after getting the vaccine.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Cueball are walking toward the right side of a single panel. Ponytail is gesturing with one arm.]

:Ponytail: The ''first'' thing I'm going to do after I get the vaccine?
:Ponytail: Definitely make a bunch of spike proteins and engulf them with dendritic cells.
:Ponytail: Then I'll probably display the antigens to my T-cells...

{{comic discussion}}

2401: Conjunction

2020-12-22T19:16:41Z

Aerin: /* Explanation */ added a few other comparisons between expectation and reality

{{comic
| number = 2401
| date = December 21, 2020
| title = Conjunction
| image = conjunction.png
| titletext = The IAU is sad to announce that at 00:39 UTC on December 22nd, Jupiter and Saturn did unfortunately come into contact, and appear to have blooped together.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THE CELESTIAL SPHERES RESONATING IN HARMONY. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball and Ponytail are observing the 2020 {{w|Great conjunction|Jupiter-Saturn conjunction}}. This is similar to other comparisons between expectation and reality, such as [[2176: How Hacking Works]], [[683: Science Montage]], [[2341: Scientist Tech Help]], and [[538: Security]]. The expectation is that the scientists will remain professional through the event, testing Einstein's theory of General Relativity and using technical terms such as arcminute, while the reality is that they actually treat the event quite whimsically.

The title text references the misconception that the planets physically get very close at conjunction, rather than merely appearing to do so. If they really did come into contact and "blooped together", most of the mass would stay collected as an extremely hot and turbulent blob that would eventually settle down as a new planet, but more than a bit would be spewed outwards. The possible outcomes vary enormously, depending on factors such as how direct the impact was, and its alignment relative to the planets' spins. However, while such a collision would be preceded by a conjunction, a conjunction does not necessarily indicate an imminent collision, as Jupiter and Saturn, although on the same sightline from Earth, are still [https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/great-jupiter-saturn-conjunction-dec-21-2020 separated by 734 million km (456 million mi)] - almost five times the distance from Earth to the Sun.

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

:What people imagine astronomers observing a conjunction are like
:[Cueball and Ponytail are both looking through telescopes]
:Cueball: 6.15 arcminutes!
:Ponytail: Stupendous! This confirms Einstein!

:What they're actually like
:Cueball: Wow! Look how close they are!
:Ponytail: It's ''so cool!!''
:Cueball: ''Now kiiiisssss!!''
:Ponytail: ''Dooo iiit!''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

2401: Conjunction

2020-12-22T01:04:38Z

Aerin: added a transcript (may need futher revision)

{{comic
| number = 2401
| date = December 22, 2020
| title = Conjunction
| image = conjunction.png
| titletext = The IAU is sad to announce that at 00:39 UTC on December 22nd, Jupiter and Saturn did unfortunately come into contact, and appear to have blooped together.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THE CELESTIAL SPHERES RESONATING IN HARMONY. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball and Megan are observing the 2020 Jupiter-Saturn conjunction.

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

:What people imagine astronomers observing a conjunction are like
:[Cueball and Megan are both looking through telescopes]
:Cueball: 6.15 arcminutes!
:Megan: Stupendous! This confirms Einstein!
:What they're actually like
:Cueball: Wow! Look how close they are!
:Megan: It's so cool!
:Cueball: Now kiiiisssss!!
:Megan: Dooo iiit!

{{comic discussion}}

2400: Statistics

2020-12-21T19:42:05Z

Aerin: added a preliminary explanation of the title text

{{comic
| number = 2400
| date = December 18, 2020
| title = Statistics
| image = statistics.png
| titletext = We reject the null hypothesis based on the 'hot damn, check out this chart' test.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PLACEBO GROUP. Needs an explanation of the title text. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is another comic in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] related to the {{w|2019–20 coronavirus outbreak|2020 pandemic}} of the {{w|coronavirus}} {{w|SARS-CoV-2}}, which causes {{w|COVID-19}}.

The main focus of the comic is a graph showing cases of COVID-19 versus time for two groups: one group was vaccinated and the other group was not. Graphs are ways to visualize data, and almost always indicate specific values. This graph does not; it simply has two lines, and no indication of any of the scale values involved. The higher line ("placebo group") rises in a steep curve. The lower line ("vaccine group") follows the first for a bit but then levels out to a much slower rate of climb. The caption eschews statistical analysis in favor of a holistic assessment: the vaccine is clearly working; just look how much those lines diverge.

This comic was released one day after the [https://www.fda.gov/media/144434/download FDA's Dec 17th briefing document] for the {{w|mRNA-1273|Moderna COVID-19 vaccine}} was released. The document includes the following [https://www.zq1.de/~bernhard/images/share/mRNA-1273-trial.png chart]: [[File:FDA_Modena_Dec17.png]]. The charts draw the integral of the incidence data rather than the data itself ("cumulative" rather than "rate"): this results in changes in disease rate towards the left side of the chart, being added into the data on the right side, amplifying their difference. This technique for emphasizing the data is valid: the spread between the lines only continues to increase if the effect continues happening, such that the total spread at the right is proportional to the total effect the vaccine had. The charts do not show any information on other possible variables. Randall has described previously in his webcomics how very clear charts can be made to hide misleading data. The linked graph does not leave the numbers out, and the numbers indicate the vaccine is 91% effective at preventing the disease (and a 95% chance of being between 85 and 95% efficient).

The advice here could be seen as the inverse of the "science tip" in [[2311: Confidence Interval]], in which the data was so ''bad'' that its error bars fell outside of the graph and were not shown. Also there's some association with [[1725: Linear_Regression]] where the data is not so good that you don't need to perform linear analysis.

The null hypothesis, mentioned in the title text, is the hypothesis in a statistical analysis that indicates that the effect investigated by the analysis does not occur, i.e. 'null' as in zero effect. For example, the null hypothesis for this study might be "The vaccine has no effect on whether subjects catch COVID." The null hypothesis was previously the subject of [[892: Null Hypothesis]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Shown is a graph with the x-axis labeled "time" and the y-axis labeled "COVID cases." There is a black line on the graph labeled "placebo group", which has a roughly linear slope moving toward the top right corner. There is a red line labeled "vaccine group", which follows the black line for about an eighth of the width of the graph before leveling off.]
:[Caption beneath the graph]:
:Statistics tip: Always try to get data that's good enough that you don't need to do statistics on it

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Statistics]]
[[Category:Tips]]

2400: Statistics

2020-12-18T23:16:26Z

Aerin: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 2400
| date = December 19, 2020
| title = Statistics
| image = statistics.png
| titletext = We reject the null hypothesis based on the 'hot damn, check out this chart' test.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PLACEBO GROUP. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is another comic in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] related to the {{w|2019–20 coronavirus outbreak|2020 pandemic}} of the {{w|coronavirus}} {{w|SARS-CoV-2}}, which causes {{w|COVID-19}}.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Shown is a graph with the x-axis labeled "time" and the y-axis labeled "COVID cases." There is a black line on the graph labeled "placebo group", which has a roughly linear slope moving toward the top right corner. There is a red line labeled "vaccine group", which follows the black line for about an eighth of the width of the graph before leveling off.]
:Caption beneath the graph: Statistics tip: Always try to get data that's good enough that you don't need to do statistics on it

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:COVID-19]]