explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3092: Baker's Units

2025-05-22T02:23:38Z

Alchemistmatt: /* Explanation */ Add missing parenthesis

{{comic
| number = 3092
| date = May 21, 2025
| title = Baker's Units
| image = bakers_units_2x.png
| imagesize = 349x310px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 169 is a baker's gross.
}}

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

A {{w|Dozen#Baker's_dozen|baker's dozen}} is 13 units of bakery goods, as opposed to the normal dozen meaning 12. That tradition began when salesmen in medieval times had to pay penalties (in some regions, draconian ones) when customers were sold one item short, or not enough weight. To avoid the customer complaints and the penalty, bakers added a safety margin that allowed them to still serve a dozen in a hurry: If a miscount happens the baker would have given out twelve rolls just as ordered; if no miscount happens the baker is just short of one inexpensive item).

Randall proceeds to apply this principle to other things comprised of 12 units, some with bizarre results:
* Imperial feet are 12 inches long; a baker's foot would be 13 inches long.
* Noon is 12:00 o'clock ("twelve hundred hours/Juliett" in 24-hour {{w|24-hour clock#Military time|military parlance}}); baker's noon would be 1 o'clock PM ("thirteen hundred hours", etc).
* Dodecahedra have 12 faces (the shape that most {{w|Dice#Polyhedral dice|d12}}s take the form of), baker's ones are tridecahedra with triangles, squares and pentagons (which are not Platonic solids and cannot be used as dice due to having multiple face types), rendering dice-based games unbalanced.
* Years have 12 months; a baker would celebrate New Year's Eve on January 31 (meaning that their New Year would shift forward each year).
* Octaves are comprised of 12 half-steps (a half-step is the distance between F and F#). A baker’s octave would have 13 half-steps (corresponding to a minor ninth) and cause problems in musical composition, as octaves (of the baker’s variety) are would be dissonant, instead of being consonant. However, Randall's example is actually a ''major'' ninth, with ''fourteen'' half-steps. If he wanted thirteen half-steps, Randall could have used D♭ instead of D or drawn a bass clef instead of a treble clef.
* Trial juries in the Anglo-Saxon law tradition ({{w|Common Law}}) consist of 12 peers. The baker’s jury has 13 peers. This might be considered to make little practical difference, though it does mean that (in situations where a jury is allowed to present a majority verdict instead of requiring unanimity), the odd number of jurors would prevent exact ties. (Note that {{w|Trial by jury in Scotland|Scottish juries}}, in particular, start with the expectation of there being 15 jurors, and may well end up reduced to 13 or even 12.)
* The {{w|Flag of Europe}} has 12 stars forming a circle (as a symbol of harmony); unlike in the US flag, the stars do not represent member states. The flag was first adopted by the Council of Europe in 1955, when it already had 13 members - today there are over 40. The European Communities adopted the Flag of Europe in 1986 before the EC turned into the European Union. A 13th star (or a bread roll) could potentially be added to the baker's EU flag nevertheless without major damage to the symbol.
* Magnesium is the element with the ordinal number 12, aluminum is number 13 and a very different material.{{Citation needed}} "Baker's magnesium" actually has more applications in baking (namely, tinfoil, which is actually made of aluminum, not tin).
* In the title text, 144 (12x12) is a gross. 169 (13x13) would be a baker's gross, an addition of not just one but 25 units.

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

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Math]]

3075: Anachronym Challenge

2025-04-11T23:40:36Z

Alchemistmatt: /* Explanation */ Add punctuation and update word

{{comic
| number = 3075
| date = April 11, 2025
| title = Anachronym Challenge
| image = anachronym_challenge_2x.png
| imagesize = 265x404px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I have to pay with paper money.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|The table is incomplete.}}

[[Cueball]] is reading from a shopping list while shopping for groceries. The items on the list are all [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anachronym anachronyms]. The names of the items indicate their material, but they are no longer made from that material.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:0px"
|-
! Item !! Actually made with !! What the name says !! Explanation
|-
| {{w|Aluminium foil| Tin foil}} || Aluminum || {{w|Tin}} || Formerly "tin foil" was made of the metal tin, but aluminum supplanted tin in the mid 20th century, as aluminum is cheaper and more durable.
|-
| [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge_(tool) Sponges]|| Polyester, polyurethane || Marine invertebrates in the phylum Porifera, aka {{w|sea sponges}}. || An item commonly used in the kitchen to soak up water.
|-
| {{w|Cutlery | Silverware}} || Stainless steel || {{w|Silver}} || Common eating devices. Also often made of paper or plastic. Like tin foil, cutlery is traditionally made with sterling silver, but has been replaced by the cheaper stainless steel and now plastic.
|-
| {{w|Linens}} || Cotton, hemp, polyester || {{w|Flax}} || Commonly in the form of sheets and blankets.
|-
| {{w|Clothes iron | Clothes iron}} || Aluminum, stainless steel & plastics || {{w|Iron}} || Used as a tool to remove wrinkles in clothing by heating it up. Modern irons are powered, but traditional irons needed to be heated.
|-
| {{w|Ironing board | Ironing board}} || Metal, fabric cover || Wooden board || Flat surface for ironing clothes.
|-
| {{w|Corrective_lens#Reading_glasses|Reading glasses}} || Optical plastics || {{w|Glass}} || Used to assist farsighted people with focusing on things up close. Also traditionally made with glass, but nowadays made with CR-39 plastic due to glass's danger of shattering and higher weight.
|-
| {{w|Iron (golf)#Short irons|9 iron}} || Cast {{w|stainless steel}}, {{w|carbon steel}} || Iron || A type of golf club.
|-
| {{w|Wood (golf)| 3 wood}} || Titanium, carbon fiber || Wood || A type of golf club.
|-
| {{w|Sidewalk chalk | Sidewalk chalk}} || Calcium sulfate ({{w|gypsum}}) || {{w|Calcite}} chalk || Used for making marks on pavement or rocks. (e.g., for entertainment, for temporary signs or indicators).
|-
| {{w|Rubber duck | Rubber duck}} || Vinyl plastics || {{w|Rubber}} || A children's bath toy.
|-
| {{w|Paper money | Paper money}} (title text) || Cotton, linen fibers (U.S. note), polypropylene, digital transfers || Paper || Money can be exchanged for goods and services.
|}

Many of the objects listed on Cueball's shopping list can still be made with the materials that they are named after. Silverware can be made of sterling silver, especially in the cutlery of high-end establishments{{acn}}, but, unlike steel, traditional pure silver requires continued polishing to retain its finish. Cleaning sponges made of sea sponges are expensive, but can be purchased{{acn}}. Linens made from flax are still common{{acn}}. Some wood clubs are still made from wood, specifically {{w|persimmon}}. {{w|Banknotes of the Japanese yen}} are [https://www.npb.go.jp/en/products/intro/tokutyou.html still made] from wood pulp from ''E. chrysantha'' and abaca pulp. Most of the traditional items can be found in antique sales at least occasionally, and some people still use them such as in communities that have separated from modern industry.

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

:[Cueball is looking at a phone in his hand while holding his other hand on the handle of a shopping cart. Above the shopping cart, an underlined header and a bullet list are shown:]
:<u>Shopping List</u>
:* Tin Foil
:* Sponges
:* Silverware
:* Linens
:* Iron & Ironing Board
:* Reading Glasses
:* 9 Iron and 3 Wood
:* Sidewalk Chalk
:* Rubber Duck

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I'm trying to do a shopping trip where I only buy stuff that's no longer made from the material it's named after.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Language]]

2960: Organ Meanings

2024-07-18T22:02:11Z

Alchemistmatt: /* Explanation */ Adjust grammar

{{comic
| number = 2960
| date = July 17, 2024
| title = Organ Meanings
| image = organ_meanings_2x.png
| imagesize = 407x346px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = IMO the thymus is one of the coolest organs and we should really use it in metaphors more.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT'S PINEAL GLAND - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is a graph by [[Randall]] ranking how well he understands the function of certain human organs, compared to how much he understands {{w|metaphor}}s using them. 

A number of organs (and other body parts) are used in common vernacular for metaphorical meaning. The English language is full of sayings like "she had a lot of heart", "go with your gut", and "he hasn't got the stomach for it". One might expect understanding an organ's role and its use in metaphor to be strongly correlated, since the metaphors generally work by drawing a parallel to biological function. However, since our understanding of biological functions has evolved dramatically over time, and metaphorical language does not always keep up, the correspondence is often much looser. To complicate matters, many such anatomical metaphors vary from culture to culture, even though the biological functions remain largely consistent.{{Citation needed}}

The {{w|pineal gland}}, located in the center of the brain, was described as the "Seat of the Soul" by the {{w|Mind–body dualism|mind-body dualist}} {{w|René Descartes}} in the 17th century. If this was true, the metaphors that might be derived from it would be quite clear. It was only in the mid-20th century that its real neuroendocrine (hormone-producing) biological role was grasped. Thus, the real meaning of the metaphor "the pineal gland of something" is uncertain, as is its actual function for the layman. It was also described as a "third eye", as its regulation of the circadian rhythm used to be linked to light perception in the organ, and still is in {{w|Tuatara|Tuataras}}.

The {{w|thymus}}, highlighted in the title text, plays an important role in the immune system. It is not commonly used in metaphors,{{Citation needed}} but is perhaps ripe for use in ones describing such things as resilience, indomitability, and adaptability to changing circumstance, were more people to know what it was.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|-
! Organ !! Biological understanding !! Metaphor understanding !! Biological function !! Metaphor meaning(s)!!Comments
|-
| {{w|Appendix_(anatomy)|Appendix}} || 3% || 85% || Maintaining gut flora, introducing pathogens to the immune system || Uselessness || The appendix was long assumed to be vestigial with no useful function, and it can be removed with minimal consequences. Modern research has show that it retains utility as reservoir for useful micro-organisms.
|-
| {{w|Nerves}} || 40% || 90% || Sensing stimuli, and controlling muscles and organs || Courage; lack of courage; unsettledness; arrogance; (emotional) feeling
|-
| {{w|Spine}} || 50% || 80% || Holding other bones up, protecting the spinal cord || Courage; resoluteness; structural integrity; centrality
|-
| {{w|Heart}} || 80% || 90% || Circulation of blood || Emotion; feeling; sympathy; love; courage; resilience; core; essence; the vulnerable self || The function of the heart is (relatively) easy to understand, since it is, in essence, a circulatory pump. But it's long been culturally associated with emotion and resolve.
|-
| {{w|Bones}} || 75% || 80% || Holding the body up, protection of underlying organs || Basic/underlying structure; something hidden; core; essence; an issue of debate
|-
| {{w|Stomach}} || 70% || 65% || Repository for cake and other, less important, foods || Ability to tolerate unpleasant circumstances; motivation || The stomach's primary function is as part of the digestive system, but it's often one of the first organs impacted by illness or disgust, which has made a strong stomach a metaphor for constitution and resolve.
|-
| {{w|Liver}} || 10% || 48% || Processing alcohol and other less important metabolic functions like toxin inactivation, decomposition/production of amino acids and lipids, etc. || Courage or lack thereof (e.g., lily-livered)
|-
| {{w|Lungs}} || 60% || 52% || Oxygenation of blood, exhalation of carbon dioxide || Loudness (e.g., of singing); purification; aerobic stamina
|-
| {{w|Spleen}} || 22% || 34% || Storing extra blood, filtering blood for damaged cells and pathogens || Anger; viciousness
|-
| {{w|Thymus}} || 10% || 13% || Training immune cells (T-Cells) ||
|-
| {{w|Kidneys}} || 47% || 19% || Filtering blood for metabolic wastes and excess minerals ||
|-
| {{w|Pineal gland}} || 2% || 2% || Produces melatonin ||
|-
| {{w|Tongue}} || 70% || 5% || Taste, chewing, speaking || Language; unidentified speakers (particularly in relation to gossip/secrets); something long and extended
|}

==Transcript==
:[A graph is shown with X and Y-axis without arrow or ticks. To the left of the Y-axis and below the X-axis there are labels with an arrow pointing up from the top of the Y-axis label and an arrow pointing right above the X-axis label, just beneath the x-axis.]
:Y-axis: How well I understand what it means when used in metaphors
:X-axis: How well I understand its actual biological function

:[On the graph is a scatter plot with 13 labels. Each label is written inside a line that goes just around the words. There are most in the top right corner, but they are spread all over the graph. Here in approximate reading order from top left with indicating of where on the graph the words are located:]
:[Top left:]
:Appendix
:[Top middle:]
:Nerves
:Spine
:[Top right:]
:Heart
:Bones
:Stomach
:[Center left:]
:Liver
:Spleen
:[Center right:]
:Lungs
:[Bottom left:]
:Thymus
:Pineal gland
:[Bottom middle:]
:Kidneys
:[Bottom right:]
:Tongue

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Scatter plots]]
[[Category:Rankings]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Language]]

2752: Salt Dome

2023-03-21T00:26:16Z

Alchemistmatt: Add Cueball category

{{comic
| number = 2752
| date = March 20, 2023
| title = Salt Dome
| image = salt_dome_2x.png
| imagesize = 422x338px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The US uses hollowed-out salt domes to store the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and non-hollowed-out ones to store the Strategic Salt Reserve.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by Tsunami or Tidal Wave - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic refers to how downwards pressure in one area of the world can cause upwards pressure in another, causing {{w|salt domes}} to rise up.

In the comic, [[Beret Guy]] and [[Ponytail]] are sitting at a table and eating dinner, alongside [[Cueball]], who is presumably a {{w|geologist}}. Thus, when asked to "pass the salt," Cueball, with his extensive professional knowledge of the Earth's crust and its interactions with the surface world, is aware of this phenomenon, and as such is stomping on his chair in order to create downward pressure on the ground beneath. This apparently works exactly as intended, as a salt dome begins rising out of the floor and even begins to break through the dinner table. The caption humorously remarks that this is what will happen if you ask any geologist to "pass the salt," which conventionally means to simply hand a salt shaker or dispenser to another diner who cannot reach it (and a salt shaker can indeed be seen on their table).

Cueball also mentions {{w|overburden pressure}}, a geological term referring to the pressure that outer layers of rock exert on inner layers. This is what usually causes the rising of salt domes, though Cueball is employing it to an absurd degree here.

In the title text, the {{w|Strategic Petroleum Reserve}} is a United States government reserve of oil in case of emergencies. Randall observes the actually true fact that artificial caves within hollowed-out salt domes create the spaces for the government to store this oil. However, he then makes the not-quite-absurd, but still amusing remark that in turn, the fictional{{citation needed}} Strategic Salt Reserve simply consists of completely-intact salt domes, which obviously means they are full of salt and as such serve their function as a salt reserve perfectly.

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

:[Beret Guy and ponytail are sitting at a table. A white column is rising from the ground, and is pushing the table from beneath. There are plates, salt on the table. One of the glasses has fallen, releasing what seems to be wine.]

:[Cueball, stomping on its chair]:
Just a little more overburden pressure...
The dome is almost through the table...

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:2611: Cutest-Sounding Scientific Effects

2022-04-25T22:12:39Z

Alchemistmatt:

Wow, the last [[xkcd]]. --[[User:X K C D|X K C D]] ([[User talk:X K C D|talk]]) 21:36, 25 April 2022 (UTC)
: What do you mean? -- [[User:WriterArtistCoder|WriterArtistCoder]] ([[User talk:WriterArtistCoder|WriterArtistCoder]]) 21:45, 25 April 2022 (UTC)
:: It's the last [[xkcd]]. --[[User:X K C D|X K C D]] ([[User talk:X K C D|talk]]) 21:51, 25 April 2022 (UTC)
::: How do you know this? Your account was created very recently (today, at 21:34 UTC), so it's kind of hard to believe you. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.125|162.158.134.125]] 21:55, 25 April 2022 (UTC)
:::: Because it's the last [[xkcd]]. --[[User:X K C D|X K C D]] ([[User talk:X K C D|talk]]) 21:56, 25 April 2022 (UTC)
::::: [[User:X K C D|X K C D]] keeps spamming, does anyone know how to semi-protect or block? Sorry, I'm kind of a noob. -- [[User:WriterArtistCoder|WriterArtistCoder]] ([[User talk:WriterArtistCoder|WriterArtistCoder]]) 21:56, 25 April 2022 (UTC)
:::::: Why are my trousers combusting? --[[User:X K C D|X K C D]] ([[User talk:X K C D|talk]]) 22:06, 25 April 2022 (UTC)
::::::: He also updated the [[xkcd]] page; no point in edit warring until an admin blocks [[User:Alchemistmatt|Alchemistmatt]] ([[User talk:Alchemistmatt|talk]]) 22:12, 25 April 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2407: Depth and Breadth

2021-01-04T20:35:36Z

Alchemistmatt:

where did the quality go
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.24|172.69.34.24]] 19:34, 4 January 2021 (UTC)
: I noticed this too. As discussed at [[User:DgbrtBOT]] there are two sizes of each comic. The default (smaller) size of [https://xkcd.com/2407/ 2407] looks much worse than the original, which you can find at [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/depth_and_breadth_2x.png https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/depth_and_breadth_2x.png] I suggest we use the larger version for this comic. [[User:Alchemistmatt|Alchemistmatt]] ([[User talk:Alchemistmatt|talk]]) 20:18, 4 January 2021 (UTC)
: I tried to upload the higher quality PNG but I do not have permission; we'll have to wait for an editor to provide their opinion. [[User:Alchemistmatt|Alchemistmatt]] ([[User talk:Alchemistmatt|talk]]) 20:35, 4 January 2021 (UTC)
It would appear that the first version of the picture of this day's cartoon presents artifacts due to an unusual export method.
The image seems to have been exported using the 'nearest neighbor' resampling method, which would explain the jaggy edges.
Usually, the images appear to be exported using bilinear downsampling from an white-grey-black original, resulting in a published version with a larger color palette.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.161|162.158.111.161]] 20:17, 4 January 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2407: Depth and Breadth

2021-01-04T20:18:12Z

Alchemistmatt:

where did the quality go
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.24|172.69.34.24]] 19:34, 4 January 2021 (UTC)
: I noticed this too. As discussed at [[User:DgbrtBOT]] there are two sizes of each comic. The default (smaller) size of [https://xkcd.com/2407/ 2407] looks much worse than the original, which you can find at [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/depth_and_breadth_2x.png https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/depth_and_breadth_2x.png] I suggest we use the larger version for this comic. [[User:Alchemistmatt|Alchemistmatt]] ([[User talk:Alchemistmatt|talk]]) 20:18, 4 January 2021 (UTC)

It would appear that the first version of the picture of this day's cartoon presents artifacts due to an unusual export method.
Or the image has been exported using the 'nearest neighbor' resampling method, which would explain the jaggy edges,
Or the image has been exported in GIF using only three colors : white, grey, and black, which would explain the reduced palette.
Usually, the images appear to be exported using bilinear downsampling.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.161|162.158.111.161]] 20:17, 4 January 2021 (UTC)

2292: Thermometer

2020-04-10T22:33:13Z

Alchemistmatt: /* Explanation */ Fix typo and capitalize

{{comic
| number = 2292
| date = April 10, 2020
| title = Thermometer
| image = thermometer.png
| titletext = I hate how many times you have to press it to get to the system normal people use, degrees Rømer.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a ROUGE RADIAN. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic makes fun of people's use of different units of temperature. Randall, as he was an engineer, would likely have strong opinions with units, as unit conversion is often a gripe for many engineers. Celsius units are used in most of the world, while Fahrenheit is used in the United States. Kelvin are a unit often used in scientific fields. It is based on Celsius, where 0 K is absolute zero or -273 °C. Degrees Rankine are similar to Kelvins, but far less well known. It is the Fahrenheit equivalent to Kelvin, starting at absolute zero with 0°R (equal to -459 °F). The use of either of these units for home temperature gauging is ridiculous, as they are far too large and uncommon to be practical for the average user. While at any temperature, the kinetic energy of a particle will vary wildly, the Average Translational Kinetic Energy for a molecule at a given temperature can be calculated using Boltzmann's Constant, hence why it is on the side of the device for convenience. The title text references another temperature unit, Rømer[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rømer_scale], which is a scale whose fixed points are 7.5 as water's freezing point and 60 as water's boiling point. A unit on the Rømer scale is about 41/20 of a unit on the Celsius scale.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[Cueball stands in the center of the panel holding a thermometer.]
:Cueball: This thermometer is in Celsius. How do you change it?
:Off-panel voice: Long press the button.

[Cueball presses the button, and the thermometer beeps]
:Thermometer: Units: Kelvin
:Cueball: No...

[Cueball presses the button, and the thermometer beeps]
:Thermometer: Units: Degrees Rankine
:Cueball: What.

[Cueball presses the button, and the thermometer beeps]
:Thermometer: Units: Average Translational Kinetic Energy
:Cueball: This is the worst thermometer.
:Off-panel voice: Boltzmann's constant is on the side if you need it.
{{comic discussion}}

{{comic discussion}}