https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Barmar 2026-05-25T22:43:46Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.30.0 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3250:_Flag_Design&diff=413488 2026-05-25T22:37:57Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3250<br /> | date = May 25, 2026<br /> | title = Flag Design<br /> | image = flag_design_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 678x428px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Every place has a local cryptid; more places need a local Pictish Beast, a creature in historical art that's drawn so weirdly that no one can tell what animal it's supposed to be.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created by a recursive flag. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> This comic is a parody of normal flag designs. For example, animals are commonly used on flags, and stars are also occasionally on flags. However regular flags don't have themselves on it, and don't have tributes or references to science.{{citation needed}} It is designed similarly to the xkcdphone series, with a number of improbable features indicated with labels.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> [A flag with many things on it.]<br /> <br /> [Caption below flag:]<br /> :I think our flag design committee really knocked it out of the park <br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3249:_Neutrino_Project&diff=413399 2026-05-23T04:30:50Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3249<br /> | date = May 22, 2026<br /> | title = Neutrino Project<br /> | image = neutrino_project_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 324x471px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = We definitely put the pool in a mine for shielding. It was absolutely not to hide it from the funding people.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently by a solar neutrino. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> <br /> A {{w|neutrino}} is a type of subatomic particle that extremely rarely interacts with matter. In nearly all cases, neutrinos pass through objects, regardless of density or composition, with no effects whatsoever unless there are so {{What If|73|many of them}}. For instance, about [https://icecube.wisc.edu/news/press-releases/2017/11/first-look-at-how-earth-stops-high-energy-neutrinos-in-their-tracks/ 100 trillion neutrinos pass through your body every second] to no noticeable effect.<br /> <br /> However, there is a very small chance that a neutrino will collide with any material, including water, which has the advantage of being transparent to the light that occurs due to that interaction. Neutrinos can thus be detected by constructing a large pool of water, shielded from as many other particles and radiations as possible, and carefully monitoring it for the small flashes of light that occur when a neutrino does interact with one of the many water molecules within the pool. {{w|Photomultiplier tubes}} are used to assist in detecting these very faint and infrequent flashes and reveal the possible nature (and direction) of the interactions that caused them.<br /> <br /> The comic jokes that these detectors were not constructed with this purpose in mind. Instead, [[Cueball]] and [[Ponytail]], the organizers of this project, obtained funding for a “neutrino project” and then embezzled these funds for a pool party, likely primarily to buy the large swimming pool seen in the panel. They supposedly only then realize that the pool could be repurposed as an actual neutrino detector. (It is unclear what, exactly, they had claimed to be building with the funding they somehow obtained.)<br /> <br /> It is unclear how large the pool in the comic really is. The {{w|Super-Kamiokande}} detector in Japan, one of the world’s largest and most well-known neutrino detectors, holds over 50,000 tons of water. This is approximately 20 times the water capacity of {{w|Olympic-size swimming pool}}s. The only statement made about the water capacity in the swimming pool is “huge”, which is not an accurate measurement of volume or mass.{{Citation needed}} The pool appears to be between 10 and 20 meters in diameter. While the surface of the pool seems to be at most half as large as that of an olympic-sized pool, its depth could be approximately the same, since it seems to safely allow jumps from an approximately 1m high platform. Therefore, a regular pool of this appearance would be expected to hold less water than an olympic-sized one, and certainly much less than would be required for an effective neutrino detector. However, since the bottom of the pool is not visible, the physicists ''might'' just have built a pool with an appropriate volume by making it extremely deep. Assuming a diameter of 20m and therefore a surface area of approximately 314m², the pool would need to be approximately 1582m deep. Constructing such a pool would be even more expensive than building a neutrino detector{{Citation needed}}, thanks to the large depth. It's more likely that the pool simply isn't circular with such a small diameter.<br /> <br /> The title text elaborates on why the pool was suitable for a neutrino detector. In real life, these detectors must be heavily shielded from all other particle interactions that might drown out neutrino interactions. This generally requires them to be deep underground (like {{w|Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment|this}} and {{w|Sudbury Neutrino Observatory|this}} and {{w|Super-Kamiokande|this}}), so a surface-level pool would obviously be unsuitable for that purpose. Randall implies that the pool was built in a deep mine in order to prevent it from being noticed by the people responsible for funding the project, which could fulfill the shielding requirement but is a humorously excessive strategy for hiding a swimming pool from a small group of people.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript| This transcript was written by a pool party attendee. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[There is a large circular pool at the bottom of the panel, with a diving board and several stickfigures in and around it. Ponytail and Cueball are talking in the pool, two hairy Kidballs are passing a ball, a Kidball is jumping of the diving board, and a Ponytail with a drink and a Danish are walking along the outside of the pool.]<br /> <br /> : Ponytail in pool: How much trouble do you think we'll be in when they find out we used the grant money to throw a huge pool party instead?<br /> : Cueball: We could argue that we '''''did''''' build a neutrino detector.<br /> : Cueball: There's a lot of water here. A solar neutrino will probably interact with it at '''''some''''' point.<br /> : Ponytail: ...Wait. Actually, if we got some photomultiplier tubes...<br /> <br /> :[Caption below comic:]<br /> :How the neutrino detector was invented<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> [[Category:Physics]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Kidball]]</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3249:_Neutrino_Project&diff=413398 2026-05-23T04:29:52Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> Never been this early to a new comic before. Good way to get some editing practice [[User:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat]] ([[User talk:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|talk]]) 19:14, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :You just beat me, I was writing a transcript at the same time. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:25, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> ::Booyah. I was editing transcripts already when it popped it, so I was already primed at the gunshot [[User:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat]] ([[User talk:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|talk]]) 19:30, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Is that really Ponytail and Danish at the top? They're hard to distinguish because they're so tiny, but I thought they might be Blondie and Megan. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:16, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> ::I'm pretty sure its Ponytail, but it could either be Danish or a wet-haired Megan. Feel free to change it, it's not like the fate of the world hangs on this transcript. [[User:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat]] ([[User talk:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|talk]]) 19:24, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> ::A note about Blondie: Some people have considered it best to recently deprecate all such [[Blondie]] characters in favour of them now officially being folded into the [[Miss Lenhart]] category.<br /> ::I personally suspect that these examples are intended to be mere generic characters (even if using some of the small pool of recurringly 'recognisable' features). Or at least that it doesn't narratively matter, in this case, except to those who ''really'' want to categorise every single stick figure to their own personal satisfaction.<br /> ::I don't think there's even one 'ideal' level of segregation of characters, never mind one that everyone can agree upon, but just conveying what I know/have observed about this. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 21:52, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Particle physics-compatable swimwear needs to be thoroughly rinsed and air-dried after swimming to protect the sensitive elastane fibers from developing gaps.[[User:BorQhue del Sol|BorQhue del Sol]] ([[User talk:BorQhue del Sol|talk]]) 19:21, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Added some size estimations for the pool. My math says it should be about 1.5km deep to match S-K’s volume; please re-check that. Not very certain on the diameter estimation, maybe someone wants to pixel-count the stick figures in the background against the visible arc of the pool and correct for perspective? — [[Special:Contributions/2A04:6EC0:271:E850:F420:9A86:97FE:2FB7|2A04:6EC0:271:E850:F420:9A86:97FE:2FB7]] 20:31, 22 May 2026 (UTC) (kleines Filmröllchen)<br /> :I don't think it's very deep. The characters are standing, not treading water, and their heads are above the surface. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 04:29, 23 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3249:_Neutrino_Project&diff=413370 2026-05-22T19:25:09Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> Never been this early to a new comic before. Good way to get some editing practice [[User:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat]] ([[User talk:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|talk]]) 19:14, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :You just beat me, I was writing a transcript at the same time. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:25, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Is that really Ponytail and Danish at the top? They're hard to distinguish because they're so tiny, but I thought they might be Blondie and Megan. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:16, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> ::I'm pretty sure its Ponytail, but it could either be Danish or a wet-haired Megan. Feel free to change it, it's not like the fate of the world hangs on this transcript. [[User:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat]] ([[User talk:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|talk]]) 19:24, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Particle physics-compatable swimwear needs to be thoroughly rinsed and air-dried after swimming to protect the sensitive elastane fibers from developing gaps.[[User:BorQhue del Sol|BorQhue del Sol]] ([[User talk:BorQhue del Sol|talk]]) 19:21, 22 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3249:_Neutrino_Project&diff=413368 2026-05-22T19:22:25Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3249<br /> | date = May 22, 2026<br /> | title = Neutrino Project<br /> | image = neutrino_project_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 324x471px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = We definitely put the pool in a mine for shielding. It was absolutely not to hide it from the funding people.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently by a solar neutrino. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> {{w|Neutrinos}} only rarely interact with matter as they are uncharged and have very little mass. A neutrino detector such as that mentioned in the comic uses photomultiplier tubes to monitor a large volume of water for Cherenkov radiation emitted when an incoming neutrino creates a fast-moving lepton. The comic suggests that the first neutrino detector was only created by researchers misusing grant money to build a swimming pool and throw a pool party. Scientific equipment is expensive and many grants are on the order of millions of dollars, so the pool party must indeed have been huge.<br /> <br /> As the title text alludes to, neutrino detectors are built underground for shielding purposes, often repurposing abandoned mines because the excavation work has already been done. However, in this scenario the shielding too was an excuse to &quot;the funding people&quot; and the pool was in fact built in a mine to hide it from them.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript| This transcript was written by a pool party attendee. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[There is al large circular pool at the bottom of the panel, with a diving board and several stickfigures in and around it. Ponytail and Cueball are talking in the pool, two hairy Kidballs are passing a ball, a Kidball is jumping of the diving board, and a Ponytail with a drink and a Danish are walking along the outside of the pool.]<br /> <br /> : Ponytail: How much trouble do you think we'll be in when they find out we used the grant money to throw a huge pool party instead?<br /> : Cueball: We could argue that we '''''did''''' build a neutrino detector.<br /> : Cueball: There's a lot of water here. A solar neutrino will probably interact with it at '''''some''''' point.<br /> : Ponytail: ...Wait. Actually, if we got some photomultiplier tubes...<br /> <br /> :[Caption below comic:]<br /> :How the neutrino detector was invented<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3249:_Neutrino_Project&diff=413364 2026-05-22T19:18:38Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3249<br /> | date = May 22, 2026<br /> | title = Neutrino Project<br /> | image = neutrino_project_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 324x471px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = We definitely put the pool in a mine for shielding. It was absolutely not to hide it from the funding people.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently by a solar neutrino. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> {{w|Neutrinos}} only rarely interact with matter as they are uncharged and have very little mass. A neutrino detector such as that mentioned in the comic uses photomultiplier tubes to monitor a large volume of water for Cherenkov radiation emitted when an incoming neutrino creates a fast-moving lepton. The comic suggests that the first neutrino detector was only created by researchers misusing grant money to build a swimming pool and throw a pool party. Scientific equipment is expensive and many grants are on the order of millions of dollars, so the pool party must indeed have been huge.<br /> <br /> As the title text alludes to, neutrino detectors are built underground for shielding purposes. However, in this scenario the shielding too was an excuse to &quot;the funding people&quot; and the pool was in fact built underground to hide it from them.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript| This transcript was written by a pool party attendee. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[There is al large circular pool at the bottom of the panel, with a diving board and several stickfigures in and around it. Ponytail and Cueball are talking in the pool, two hairy Kidballs are passing a ball, a Kidball is jumping of the diving board, and a Ponytail with a drink and a Danish are walking along the outside of the pool.]<br /> <br /> : Ponytail: How much trouble do you think we'll be in when they find out we used the grant money to throw a huge pool party instead?<br /> : Cueball: We could argue that we '''DID''' build a neutrino detector.<br /> : Cueball: There's a lot of water here. A solar neutrino will probably interact with it at '''''SOME''''' point.<br /> : Ponytail: ...Wait. Actually, if we got some photomultiplier tubes...<br /> <br /> :[Caption below comic:]<br /> :How the neutrino detector was invented<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3249:_Neutrino_Project&diff=413362 2026-05-22T19:16:33Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> Never been this early to a new comic before. Good way to get some editing practice [[User:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat]] ([[User talk:Black Hat&amp;#39;s Hat|talk]]) 19:14, 22 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Is that really Ponytail and Danish at the top? They're hard to distinguish because they're so tiny, but I thought they might be Blondie and Megan. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:16, 22 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3249:_Neutrino_Project&diff=413358 2026-05-22T19:13:09Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3249<br /> | date = May 22, 2026<br /> | title = Neutrino Project<br /> | image = neutrino_project_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 324x471px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = We definitely put the pool in a mine for shielding. It was absolutely not to hide it from the funding people.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently by a solar neutrino. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> Neutrinos only rarely interact with matter as they are uncharged. A neutrino detector such as that mentioned in the comic uses photomultiplier tubes to monitor a large volume of water for Cherenkov radiation emitted when an incoming neutrino creates a fast-moving lepton. The comic suggests that the first neutrino detector was only created by researchers misusing grant money to build a swimming pool and throw a pool party.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript| This transcript was written by a pool party attendee. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[There is al large circular pool at the bottom of the panel, with a diving board and several stickfigures in and around it. Ponytail and Cueball are talking in the pool, two hairy Kidballs are passing a ball, a Kidball is jumping of the diving board, and a Ponytail with a drink and a Danish are walking along the outside of the pool.]<br /> <br /> : Ponytail: How much trouble do you think we'll be in when they find out we used the grant money to throw a huge pool party instead?<br /> : Cueball: We could argue that we ('''DID''') build a neutrino detector.<br /> : Cueball: There's a lot of water here. A solar neutrino will probably interact with it at ('''''SOME''''') point.<br /> : Ponytail: ...Wait. Actually, if we got some photomultiplier tubes...<br /> <br /> :[Caption below comic:]<br /> :How the neutrino detector was invented<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3249:_Neutrino_Project&diff=413357 2026-05-22T19:12:26Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3249<br /> | date = May 22, 2026<br /> | title = Neutrino Project<br /> | image = neutrino_project_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 324x471px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = We definitely put the pool in a mine for shielding. It was absolutely not to hide it from the funding people.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently by a solar neutrino. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> Neutrinos only rarely interact with matter as they are uncharged. A neutrino detector such as that mentioned in the comic uses photomultiplier tubes to monitor a large volume of water for Cherenkov radiation emitted when an incoming neutrino creates a fast-moving lepton. The comic suggests that the first neutrino detector was only created by researchers misusing grant money to build a swimming pool and throw a pool party.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript| This transcript was written by a pool party attendee. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[There is al large circular pool at the bottom of the panel, with a diving board and several stickfigures in and around it. Ponytail and Cueball are talking in the pool, two hairy Kidballs are passing a ball, a Kidball is jumping of the diving board, and a Ponytail with a drink and a Danish are walking along the outside of the pool.]<br /> <br /> : Ponytail: How much trouble do you think we'll be in when they find out we used the grant money to throw a huge pool party instead?<br /> : Cueball: We could argue that we ('''DID''') build a neutrino detector.<br /> : Cueball: There's a lot of water here. A solar neutrino will probably interact with it at ('''''SOME''''') point.<br /> : Ponytail: ...Wait. Actually, if we got some photomultiplier tubes...<br /> <br /> :[Caption below comic:]<br /> :How the neutrino detector was invented<br /> <br /> [A portion of a circular swimming pool is shown. Coming in from the left side is a diving board, a Cueball has just jumped off it. In the pool at the left is a Hairy, standing with his head out of the water and arms raised. In the middle, Ponytail (on the left) and Cueball (on the right) are facing each other and having a conversation. To their right, another Hairy is playing with a beach ball. At the top outside of the pool, Blondie(?) and Megan are walking together, and Blondie is holding a drink.]<br /> <br /> Ponytail: How much trouble do you think we'll be in when they find out we usd the Neutrino Project grant money to throw a huge pool party instead?<br /> <br /> Cueball: We could argue that we ''did'' build a neutrino detector. There's a lot of water here. A solar neutrino will probably interact with it at ''some'' point.<br /> <br /> Ponytail: ...Wait. Actually, if we got some photomultiplier tubes...<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3247:_Particle_Census&diff=413121 2026-05-19T14:09:16Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> The 'standard' and '2x' sized images had unexpected sizes, so an imagesize parameter has been added to render the image consistently with other comics on this website. See the web [https://web.archive.org/web/*/particle_census.png archive] for more details. --[[User:TheusafBOT|TheusafBOT]] ([[User talk:TheusafBOT|talk]]) 18:54, 18 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :should've been bigger 😒 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''&lt;span style=&quot;color:#ff0000;&quot;&gt;Caliban&lt;/span&gt;''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 22:01, 18 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> GRAMMATICAL ERROR! Should there be a category for grammar mistakes (Example [[1662: Jack and Jill]], where there was a grammar mistake.)? [[User:YZ100|YZ100]] 22:20, 18 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> : Indeterminite? Location (singular)? [[Special:Contributions/197.185.221.9|197.185.221.9]] 04:20, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :: 'Indeterminite' isn't a grammatical error - it's a spilling error. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:47, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> ::: Oh, the irony. He means 'spelling error.' Was that intentional? [[User:SomebodyElse|SomebodyElse]] ([[User talk:SomebodyElse|talk]]) 11:06, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :::: It was very much indented. Though not as much as this one. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 13:49, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> In most civilized countries the census process is historically used to plan the sizing of public infrastructures (schools, hospitals, water and electricity infrastructures, waste disposal facilities, used water treatment, and all that sort of seemingly unimportant things). It does not surprise me that in the US it is primarily used as a political instrument, however. [[Special:Contributions/2001:861:3F07:A020:CBE1:3BDB:88F9:709A|2001:861:3F07:A020:CBE1:3BDB:88F9:709A]] 23:28, 18 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> : &quot;sizing of public infrastructures (schools, hospitals, water and electricity infrastructures, waste disposal facilities, used water treatment, and all that sort of seemingly unimportant things). […] primarily used as a political instrument&quot; – i agree with the sentiment (not just for the US) but/and that is pretty much a definition of what politics is (should be) by a list of examples. [[Special:Contributions/2A00:20:6346:8265:F4E8:8C7:66E:1D5|2A00:20:6346:8265:F4E8:8C7:66E:1D5]] 08:21, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :Remember that at the time the Constitution was written, the federal government was not expected to be involved much in most of that stuff, they're state matters. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:09, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> &quot;if physicists want to do this, it's their own decision.&quot; Not if the universe is deterministic. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]]<br /> <br /> Can someone find all the other comics where quantum principles are mentioned? I am fairly sure the Foxtrot one during Guest Week was one of those. [[User:SomebodyElse|SomebodyElse]] ([[User talk:SomebodyElse|talk]]) 11:06, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Particle Man, Particle Man, Particle Man, Particle Man, Particle Man... [[Special:Contributions/24.123.140.66|24.123.140.66]] 13:16, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> : Triangle Man hates Particle Man. Probably because he can never work out exactly where he is. He's impossible to triangulate. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 13:49, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Pauli Exclusion principle does allow 2 fermions to have the same position if they have opposite spins. &lt;br&gt;<br /> Is the anonymity guarantee to ensure the privacy of particles that might be occupying the &quot;wrong&quot; space at the time of the census? [[User:Galeindfal|Galeindfal]] ([[User talk:Galeindfal|talk]]) 13:41, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Is Megan really pointing towards the audience in panel 2? It looks to me like she's just pointing to the lectern, maybe her notes there. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:03, 19 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3247:_Particle_Census&diff=413120 2026-05-19T14:03:59Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> The 'standard' and '2x' sized images had unexpected sizes, so an imagesize parameter has been added to render the image consistently with other comics on this website. See the web [https://web.archive.org/web/*/particle_census.png archive] for more details. --[[User:TheusafBOT|TheusafBOT]] ([[User talk:TheusafBOT|talk]]) 18:54, 18 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :should've been bigger 😒 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''&lt;span style=&quot;color:#ff0000;&quot;&gt;Caliban&lt;/span&gt;''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 22:01, 18 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> GRAMMATICAL ERROR! Should there be a category for grammar mistakes (Example [[1662: Jack and Jill]], where there was a grammar mistake.)? [[User:YZ100|YZ100]] 22:20, 18 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> : Indeterminite? Location (singular)? [[Special:Contributions/197.185.221.9|197.185.221.9]] 04:20, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :: 'Indeterminite' isn't a grammatical error - it's a spilling error. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:47, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> ::: Oh, the irony. He means 'spelling error.' Was that intentional? [[User:SomebodyElse|SomebodyElse]] ([[User talk:SomebodyElse|talk]]) 11:06, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :::: It was very much indented. Though not as much as this one. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 13:49, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> In most civilized countries the census process is historically used to plan the sizing of public infrastructures (schools, hospitals, water and electricity infrastructures, waste disposal facilities, used water treatment, and all that sort of seemingly unimportant things). It does not surprise me that in the US it is primarily used as a political instrument, however. [[Special:Contributions/2001:861:3F07:A020:CBE1:3BDB:88F9:709A|2001:861:3F07:A020:CBE1:3BDB:88F9:709A]] 23:28, 18 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> : &quot;sizing of public infrastructures (schools, hospitals, water and electricity infrastructures, waste disposal facilities, used water treatment, and all that sort of seemingly unimportant things). […] primarily used as a political instrument&quot; – i agree with the sentiment (not just for the US) but/and that is pretty much a definition of what politics is (should be) by a list of examples. [[Special:Contributions/2A00:20:6346:8265:F4E8:8C7:66E:1D5|2A00:20:6346:8265:F4E8:8C7:66E:1D5]] 08:21, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> &quot;if physicists want to do this, it's their own decision.&quot; Not if the universe is deterministic. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]]<br /> <br /> Can someone find all the other comics where quantum principles are mentioned? I am fairly sure the Foxtrot one during Guest Week was one of those. [[User:SomebodyElse|SomebodyElse]] ([[User talk:SomebodyElse|talk]]) 11:06, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Particle Man, Particle Man, Particle Man, Particle Man, Particle Man... [[Special:Contributions/24.123.140.66|24.123.140.66]] 13:16, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> : Triangle Man hates Particle Man. Probably because he can never work out exactly where he is. He's impossible to triangulate. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 13:49, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Pauli Exclusion principle does allow 2 fermions to have the same position if they have opposite spins. &lt;br&gt;<br /> Is the anonymity guarantee to ensure the privacy of particles that might be occupying the &quot;wrong&quot; space at the time of the census? [[User:Galeindfal|Galeindfal]] ([[User talk:Galeindfal|talk]]) 13:41, 19 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Is Megan really pointing towards the audience in panel 2? It looks to me like she's just pointing to the lectern, maybe her notes there. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:03, 19 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3247:_Particle_Census&diff=413119 2026-05-19T14:02:29Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3247<br /> | date = May 18, 2026<br /> | title = Particle Census<br /> | image = particle_census_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 651x272px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Remember, your answers to the physics census are confidential; we will not be issuing Pauli exclusion principle citations.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created at an INDETERMINITE TIME. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> This comic references the {{w|Heisenberg uncertainty principle}} of quantum mechanics. Put simply, it states that there's a limit to how precisely we can know both the position and momentum of a particle — the more precisely we know one, the less we know the other. [[Megan]] says they're taking a {{w|census}} of the positions of all particles in the universe, so they'll be known precisely; therefore, all their momenta will be unknowable. By the time we use the census results, we won't know where any of the particles are, we'll just know where they were at the instant their positions were recorded by the census.<br /> <br /> In the United States, the constitution mandates that a population census of people living in all the states be taken every ten years. This is primarily for the purpose of apportioning representatives to Congress, but it has come to be used for many other demographic purposes. There's no legal requirement for a decennial physics census; if physicists want to do this, it's their own decision. However, it's not really possible to measure the positions of ''all'' particles in the universe, as there are a lot of them, many are quite far away,{{citation needed}}, and unless the particles happen to be at absolute zero, they will be moving, potentially quite fast, so it would be a needlessly difficult census. Furthermore, some of those particles will be in the equipment used to measure, and the people doing the measuring, which will further complicate matters.<br /> <br /> In the third panel, someone speaks up and is worried about what will happen to particles during the potential “disruption”. Randomly taking someone’s particles and relocating them would be considered unpleasant,{{citation needed}} even if you tell them where the particles are going. <br /> <br /> If all particles' locations were determined (as exactly as possible) it would have to be done using very high energy particles (which would, themselves, have to have their locations determined), leaving all the measured particles moving very fast (less than the speed of light, of course, but close to it), destroying everything (and everyone). So the concern voiced is very fair, but unnecessary, as it would not be possible to perform the task that Megan claims will happen. <br /> <br /> The title text refers to the {{w|Pauli exclusion principle}}, which states that no two {{w|fermions}} — types of particles that include all ordinary matter — can occupy the same quantum state. As the results of the census are confidential, physics officials will not use it to determine whether to issue citations for particles that violate the exclusion principle. This confuses physical laws, which describe how the universe works and by their nature cannot be violated, with societal laws, which declare what is allowed or required by the government.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :[Megan is standing behind a lectern, addressing an unseen audience.]<br /> :Megan: Remember, Tuesday is the decennial particle census.<br /> :Megan: Physicists will be recording the location of all particles in the universe.<br /> <br /> :[Zoom out to show Megan is on a podium behind the lectern. She holds one hand, palm up, out towards the still unseen audience]<br /> :Megan: Of course, this will cause their momenta to become indeterminite, so please plan for some disruption.<br /> <br /> :[The same scene with Megan's hands held down. A voice comes from off-panel at the left through a star burst at the edge of the panel.]<br /> :Audience member [off-panel]: Wait, disruption? Where will my particles go?<br /> :Megan: No one can say, but you'll know ''exactly'' where they were.<br /> <br /> ==Trivia==<br /> *When this comic was uploaded the normal sized image [https://web.archive.org/web/20260518185623/https://xkcd.com/3247/ was incorrectly 2x size]. It kept showing up at 2x size on [[unixkcd]] for awhile.<br /> *&quot;Indeterminate&quot; is spelt &quot;indeterminite&quot; in the second panel text.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> <br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br /> [[Category:Physics]]<br /> [[Category:Public speaking]]</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3247:_Particle_Census&diff=413035 2026-05-18T19:24:12Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3247<br /> | date = May 18, 2026<br /> | title = Particle Census<br /> | image = particle_census_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 651x272px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Remember, your answers to the physics census are confidential; we will not be issuing Pauli exclusion principle citations.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created at an UNCERTAIN TIME. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> This comic references the {{w|Heisenberg uncertainty principle}} of quantum mechanics. Put simply, it states that we can't know both the position and momentum of a particle -- the more accurately we know one, the less we know the other. [[Megan]] says they're taking a census of the positions of all particles in the universe, so they'll be known precisely; therefore, all their momenta will be unknowable. And by the time we use the census results we won't know where any of the particles are, we'll just know where they were at the instant their positions were recorded by the census.<br /> <br /> In the United States, the Constitution mandates that a population census of people living in all the states be taken every ten years. This is primarily for the purpose of apportioning representatives to Congress, but it has come to be used for many other demographic purposes. There's no legal requirement for a decenial physics census; if physicists want to do this, it's their own decision. However, it's not really possible to measure the positions of ''all'' particles in the universe.{{cn}}<br /> <br /> The title text refers to the {{w|Pauli exclusion principle}}. This states that no two {{w|fermions}} can occupy the same quantum state. As the results of the census are confidential, physics officials will not use it to determine if any particles are violating it and issuing citations. This confuses physical laws, which describe how the universe works, with societal laws, which state what is allowed or required by the government.<br /> <br /> ==Trivia==<br /> When this comic was uploaded the normal sized image [https://web.archive.org/web/20260518185623/https://xkcd.com/3247/ was incorrectly 2x size].<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> :[First Panel. Megan is standing at a lectern, presumably talking to an audience.]<br /> <br /> :Megan: Remember, Tuesday is the decennial particle census.<br /> <br /> :Megan: Physicists will be recording the location of all particles in the universe.<br /> <br /> :[Second Panel. Zooms out to show the stage Megan is on]<br /> <br /> :Megan: Of course, this will cause their momenta to become indeterminite, so please plan for some disruption.<br /> <br /> :[Third Panel. An audience member pipes up from off-panel.]<br /> <br /> :Audience member: Wait, disruption? Where will my particles go?<br /> <br /> :Megan: No one can say, but you'll know ''exactly'' where they were.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3247:_Particle_Census&diff=413034 2026-05-18T19:14:35Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3247<br /> | date = May 18, 2026<br /> | title = Particle Census<br /> | image = particle_census_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 651x272px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Remember, your answers to the physics census are confidential; we will not be issuing Pauli exclusion principle citations.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created at an UNCERTAIN TIME. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> This comic references the {{w|Heisenberg uncertainty principle}} of quantum mechanics. Put simply, it states that we can't know both the position and momentum of a particle -- the more accurately we know one, the less we know the other. [[Megan]] says they're taking a census of the positions of all particles in the universe, so they'll be known precisely; therefore, all their momenta will be unknowable. And by the time we use the census results we won't know where any of the particles are, we'll just know where they were at the instant their positions were recorded by the census.<br /> <br /> It's not really possible to measure the positions of ''all'' particles in the universe.{{cn}}<br /> <br /> In the United States, the Constitution mandates that a census of people living in all the states be taken every ten years. This is primarily for the purpose of apportioning representatives to Congress, but it has come to be used for many demographic purposes.<br /> <br /> ==Trivia==<br /> When this comic was uploaded the normal sized image [https://web.archive.org/web/20260518185623/https://xkcd.com/3247/ was incorrectly 2x size].<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> :[First Panel. Megan is standing at a lectern, presumably talking to an audience.]<br /> <br /> :Megan: Remember, Tuesday is the decennial particle census.<br /> <br /> :Megan: Physicists will be recording the location of all particles in the universe.<br /> <br /> :[Second Panel. Zooms out to show the stage Megan is on]<br /> <br /> :Megan: Of course, this will cause their momenta to become indeterminite, so please plan for some disruption.<br /> <br /> :[Third Panel. An audience member pipes up from off-panel.]<br /> <br /> :Audience member: Wait, disruption? Where will my particles go?<br /> <br /> :Megan: No one can say, but you'll know ''exactly'' where they were.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3247:_Particle_Census&diff=413033 2026-05-18T19:09:35Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3247<br /> | date = May 18, 2026<br /> | title = Particle Census<br /> | image = particle_census_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 651x272px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Remember, your answers to the physics census are confidential; we will not be issuing Pauli exclusion principle citations.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created at an UNCERTAIN TIME. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> This comic references the {{w|Heisenberg uncertainty principle}} of quantum mechanics. Put simply, it states that we can't know both the position and momentum of a particle -- the more accurately we know one, the less we know the other. [[Megan]] says they're taking a census of the positions of all particles in the universe, so they'll be known precisely; therefore, all their momenta will be unknowable.<br /> <br /> It's not really possible to measure the positions of ''all'' particles in the universe.{{cn}}<br /> <br /> ==Trivia==<br /> When this comic was uploaded the normal sized image [https://web.archive.org/web/20260518185623/https://xkcd.com/3247/ was incorrectly 2x size].<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> :[First Panel. Megan is standing at a lectern, presumably talking to an audience.]<br /> <br /> :Megan: Remember, Tuesday is the decennial particle census.<br /> <br /> :Megan: Physicists will be recording the location of all particles in the universe.<br /> <br /> :[Second Panel. Zooms out to show the stage Megan is on]<br /> <br /> :Megan: Of course, this will cause their momenta to become indeterminite, so please plan for some disruption.<br /> <br /> :[Third Panel. An audience member pipes up from off-panel.]<br /> <br /> :Audience member: Wait, disruption? Where will my particles go?<br /> <br /> :Megan: No one can say, but you'll know ''exactly'' where they were.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3247:_Particle_Census&diff=413032 2026-05-18T19:08:07Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3247<br /> | date = May 18, 2026<br /> | title = Particle Census<br /> | image = particle_census_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 651x272px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Remember, your answers to the physics census are confidential; we will not be issuing Pauli exclusion principle citations.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created at an UNCERTAIN TIME. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> This comic references the {{w|Heisenberg uncertainty principle}} of quantum mechanics. Put simply, it states that we can't know both the position and momentum of a particle -- the more accurately we know one, the less we know the other. [[Megan]] says they're taking a census of the positions of all particles in the universe, so they'll be known precisely, so all the momenta will be unknowable.<br /> <br /> ==Trivia==<br /> When this comic was uploaded the normal sized image [https://web.archive.org/web/20260518185623/https://xkcd.com/3247/ was incorrectly 2x size].<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> :[First Panel. Megan is standing at a lectern, presumably talking to an audience.]<br /> <br /> :Megan: Remember, Tuesday is the decennial particle census.<br /> <br /> :Megan: Physicists will be recording the location of all particles in the universe.<br /> <br /> :[Second Panel. Zooms out to show the stage Megan is on]<br /> <br /> :Megan: Of course, this will cause their momenta to become indeterminite, so please plan for some disruption.<br /> <br /> :[Third Panel. An audience member pipes up from off-panel.]<br /> <br /> :Audience member: Wait, disruption? Where will my particles go?<br /> <br /> :Megan: No one can say, but you'll know ''exactly'' where they were.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3247:_Particle_Census&diff=413030 2026-05-18T19:03:41Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3247<br /> | date = May 18, 2026<br /> | title = Particle Census<br /> | image = particle_census_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 651x272px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Remember, your answers to the physics census are confidential; we will not be issuing Pauli exclusion principle citations.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created at an UNCERTAIN TIME. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> ==Trivia==<br /> When this comic was uploaded the normal sized image [https://web.archive.org/web/20260518185623/https://xkcd.com/3247/ was incorrectly 2x size].<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> :[Megan is standing at a lectern, presumably talking to an audience.]<br /> <br /> :Megan: Remember, Tuesday is the decennial particle census.<br /> <br /> :Megan: Physicists will be recording the location of all particles in the universe.<br /> <br /> :Megan: Of course, this will cause their momenta to become indeterminite, so please plan for some disruption.<br /> <br /> :[An audience member pipes up from off-panel.]<br /> <br /> :Audience member: Wait, disruption? Where will my particles go?<br /> <br /> :Megan: No one can say, but you'll know ''exactly'' where they were.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3247:_Particle_Census&diff=413028 2026-05-18T19:02:23Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3247<br /> | date = May 18, 2026<br /> | title = Particle Census<br /> | image = particle_census_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 651x272px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Remember, your answers to the physics census are confidential; we will not be issuing Pauli exclusion principle citations.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created at an UNCERTAIN TIME. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> <br /> :[Megan is standing at a lectern, presumably talking to an audience.]<br /> <br /> :Megan: Remember, Tuesday is the decennial particle census.<br /> <br /> :Megan: Physicists will be recording the location of all particles in the universe.<br /> <br /> :Megan: Of course, this will cause their momenta to become indeterminite, so please plan for some disruption.<br /> <br /> :[An audience member pipes up from off-panel.]<br /> <br /> :Audience member: Wait, disruption? Where will my particles go?<br /> <br /> :Megan: No one can say, but you'll know ''exactly'' where they were.</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3245:_Results_Age&diff=412667 2026-05-14T14:07:15Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> oh god these are uncomfortably accurate...though sometimes the post age is the next time rung down. i hit an issue recently which sent me to mozilla forum posts from 2008, migrated twice, where the people having the problem seem to have stopped caring about it a decade ago - '''[[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]]''' ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 18:43, 13 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Man, I’m not even 24 ''years old'' [[Special:Contributions/2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:803D:CE4C:ED8:DED4|2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:803D:CE4C:ED8:DED4]] 18:45, 13 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :Can we block this IP address? [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:33, 14 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> I guess once we finish the table in the explanation we can convert that to a similar table in the transcript, rather than doing them independently. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:13, 13 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :No. [[explain xkcd:Editor FAQ#What is the format of the transcript section?|Tables do not belong in the Transcript.]] It serves a different purpose. And it'll just be the text that's there, so would be far simpler (and more likely to be 'finished' any time soon) than the Explanation table which will get tweaked to add or clarify explanatory descriptions.<br /> :You ''could'' copy an Explanation table (having the comic text, in various rows and columns) to the Transcript then 'de-Table' it (remove the table-formatting) and 'en-Transcript' what remains (add the &quot;:[This bit looks like..]&quot; stuff). But that's not much less effort than rewriting such a relatively small comic's from scratch.<br /> :It can also go the other way, though... Someone gets the Transcript done, and then ''from that'' the base text of the Table is 'en-Tabled'. It'd depend on who visits the newly-created Comic page and what they decide to concentrate on to start up the otherwise blank page that the BOT put together. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:56, 13 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> ::I added the content of the table to the transcript based on the format of [[3120: Geologic Periods]] which also has a table. --[[Special:Contributions/208.59.176.206|208.59.176.206]] 00:49, 14 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> I will add an explanation of an edge case [[User:SomebodyElse|SomebodyElse]] ([[User talk:SomebodyElse|talk]]) 19:40, 13 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> If it's negative time old you are in a Tardis. If it's sqrt(-1) time old, give me some of whatever it is you are smoking. [[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 22:02, 13 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :''Which'' sqrt(-1)? If it's imaginary i then you're in weird territory, but if it's quaternionic i, j, or k, you can interpret that as a spacelike separation, so it just means that you've found someone with an FTL drive i.e. the flowchart arrow also goes to TARDIS.[[Special:Contributions/185.146.232.73|185.146.232.73]] 10:03, 14 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Yeah it's even better when there's no god damn results at all.[[User:RG|RG]] ([[User talk:RG|talk]]) 00:29, 14 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> What about when the post is more than 13 years old and you see that the post is from yourself, you had just forgotten about it? [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 01:52, 14 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :Same vibe as googling early warning signs of alheizmers for the first time but all the links are purple.[[User:RG|RG]] ([[User talk:RG|talk]]) 02:08, 14 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> I once discovered a scanned magazine article from 1999 or so that briefly mentioned how to use a hidden Mathematica feature that a) still existed more than 20 years later and b) was in fact directly applicable to my problem. Sometimes things do work out![[Special:Contributions/185.146.232.73|185.146.232.73]] 10:03, 14 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> I actually made my first table on this one! It took a lot of trial-and-error. [[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]] ([[User talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]) 11:10, 14 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> What's wrong with this is that the first search result is irrelevant, since it will just tell OP to use Google because the question has been asked before. --[[Special:Contributions/80.187.113.212|80.187.113.212]] 13:07, 14 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> The Internet is not over 50 years old. The Internet as we know it came online at the beginning of 2023, when Arpanet switched from the old NCP protocol to TCP/IP. So I changed that explanation to &quot;over forty years old&quot;. Although as far as modern users are concerned, anything prior to the WWW is mostly irrelevant. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:07, 14 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3245:_Results_Age&diff=412665 2026-05-14T14:00:53Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3245<br /> | date = May 13, 2026<br /> | title = Results Age<br /> | image = results_age_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 478x669px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Please, we need your help. Our research suggests you're the last living descendant of the person who knew how to format this config file.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created BY AN INTERNET GRANDPA. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> This comic shows how likely it is that a bug reported will be fixed, based on the age of some past post that matches your search for details of the problem.<br /> <br /> A table is shown below of the explanations of each table row:<br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> !Age of post !! Explanation given !! Full Explanation<br /> |-<br /> |2 hours ago || A service outage. Not very long to fix - Just wait. ||The recentness of the information implies that it has just happened, and other people have noticed it and started to post about the issue. Large-scale problems like a service outage are obvious priorities, and will (hopefully!) be fixed quickly.<br /> |-<br /> |5 days ago || A new update just broke something big. High chance to be fixed, but you might have to wait for a patch || Similar to before, a large breakage would be very high priority to be fixed. However, as it's been five days since reporting it, the bug is likely taking a while to be found, so - as pointed out in the comic - you could have to wait a bit longer for this one to be resolved.<br /> |-<br /> |3 months ago ||A new product isn't working for some users. Decent chance of finding a solution in replies || This problem is clearly not considered a priority for a fix by the creators, judging by how long it's been there. It possibly isn't an issue affecting everyone, or even a large proportion of users. However, people are innovative, and someone may well have found their own fix, patch or kludge to get around the product limitations.<br /> |-<br /> |2 years ago||You've run into an edge case. Low chance to be fixed, but the replies could help with troubleshooting||An edge case is a rare situation that the developers did not think to account for, usually causing a logic error, where the program works, but outputs something unexpected which might cause an error down the line. Very few people will suffer from this precise problem, which may mean that it's not considered worth the effort to apply a fix. The developers or other users may have encountered similar issues on this or similar software, and noting how they solved ''those'' problems might lead you towards how to solve your own.<br /> |- <br /> |13 years ago||You're the only one with this problem. Very Low chance to be fixed, and the post is likely irrelevant||A post of this age likely predates the software you're using, or at least the current version of it. It's probably a coincidental match to your search query, and doesn't actually relate to the problem you've encountered. Since no-one else has posted about this issue or anything similar within a recent timeframe, it's likely that you're the first person (or at least, one of very few people) to have come across it.<br /> |-<br /> |24 years ago||Oh god how is the Internet so old. Maybe whoever posted the message's children can help you out. || This is another comic where Randall [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|makes people feel old]], in this case by pointing out that the Internet is very old, and people posting comments in the early period of the Internet have now had time to have kids who have reached an age where they are themselves posting. It is also (presumably) rare enough to be a [[979: Wisdom of the Ancients|DenverCoder9 situation]], and 13 years is longer than the time in that comic, so 13 years might be such a situation too.<br /> The Internet is, in fact, over forty years old — significantly older than this notional post. The World Wide Web (to many, synonymous with the Internet) hails from the early 1990s, and Google (one of the more commonly used search engines, through which this error search might have been made) started working in the late 1990s. The biggest surprise might be that some information found on a web-page in 2002 (and still relevant to your search) survives on some still live web server (or as an archive of that original information on some successor site). For example, anything hosted on a {{w|GeoCities}} site would have normally been made inaccessible in 2014.<br /> |-<br /> |Title text||Please, we need your help. Our research suggests you're the last living descendant of the person who knew how to format this config file.||The title text appears to be a conversation taking place in a distant future with the descendant of an ancient internet post. The 'last living descendant' is a common trope in fiction where arcane knowledge is passed down through a family line (often on the previous generation's deathbed). The suggestion is that the solution to the user's issue is a closely guarded secret that has had to be kept safe in this way.<br /> |}<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :Implications of the age of the posts you see when you Google an error message<br /> <br /> :[A search engine prompt field is shown, containing part of an error code message (beginning with E-21 &amp; what looks like a 9 &amp; 3 next to it). Below this are search results shown as obscured text, except for a the phrase '3 years ago' in the first heading. This is expanded into an ellipse that obscures the rest of the search field.]<br /> :[A table, with 3 columns, labelled &quot;Age of post&quot;, &quot;What it means&quot;, and &quot;Probability of a fix&quot;]<br /> <br /> :[Row 1: Age of post:] 2 hours ago<br /> :[What it means:] There's an infrastructure outage<br /> :[Probability of a fix:] Very high -- just wait<br /> <br /> :[Row 2: Age of post:] 5 days ago<br /> :[What it means:] A recent update broke something big<br /> :[Probability of a fix:] High, but you might have to wait for a patch<br /> <br /> :[Row 3: Age of post:] 3 months ago<br /> :[What it means:] A new product isn't working for some users<br /> :[Probability of a fix:] Decent chance of a solution in the replies<br /> <br /> :[Row 4: Age of post:] 2 years ago<br /> :[What it means:] You've run into an edge case<br /> :[Probability of a fix:] Low, but maybe the replies can help with troubleshooting<br /> <br /> :[Row 5: Age of post:] 13 years ago<br /> :[What it means:] You're the only person with this problem<br /> :[Probability of a fix:] Very low -- post is likely not relevant<br /> <br /> :[Row 6: Age of post:] 24 years ago<br /> :[What it means:] Oh God how is the Internet this old<br /> :[Probability of a fix:] Maybe whoever posted this message has kids who can help you<br /> <br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> <br /> [[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]<br /> [[Category:Computers]]<br /> [[Category:Internet]]</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3245:_Results_Age&diff=412551 2026-05-13T19:13:13Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> oh god these are uncomfortably accurate...though sometimes the post age is the next time rung down. i hit an issue recently which sent me to mozilla forum posts from 2008, migrated twice, where the people having the problem seem to have stopped caring about it a decade ago - '''[[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]]''' ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 18:43, 13 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Man, I’m not even 24 ''years old'' [[Special:Contributions/2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:803D:CE4C:ED8:DED4|2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:803D:CE4C:ED8:DED4]] 18:45, 13 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> I guess once we finish the table in the explanation we can convert that to a similar table in the transcript, rather than doing them independently. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:13, 13 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3245:_Results_Age&diff=412550 2026-05-13T19:10:46Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3245<br /> | date = May 13, 2026<br /> | title = Results Age<br /> | image = results_age_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 478x669px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Please, we need your help. Our research suggests you're the last living descendant of the person who knew how to format this config file.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created BY AN INTERNET GRANDPA. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> This comic shows how likely it is that a bug reported will be fixed, based on the age of the post.<br /> <br /> A table is shown below of the explanations of each table row:<br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> !Age of post !! Explanation given !! Full Explanation<br /> |-<br /> |2 Hours || A service outage. Not very long to fix - Just wait. ||Large-scale problems like a service outage are obvious priorities, &amp; will be fixed quickly.<br /> |-<br /> |5 Days || A new update just broke something big. High chance to be fixed, but you might have to wait for a patch || Similarly to before, a large breakage would be very high priority to be fixed. However, as it's been 5 days since reporting it, the bug is likely taking a while to be found, so - as pointed out in the comic - you could have to wait a bit longer for this one. <br /> |-<br /> |3 Months Ago ||A new product isn't working for some users. Decent chance of finding a solution in replies || This problem is clearly not going to be fixed by the creators, judging by how long it's been there. However, people are innovative, &amp; no doubt will someone have found their own fix to the product.<br /> |}<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> [A search engine prompt field is shown, containing part of an error code message (beginning with E-21 &amp; what looks like a 9 &amp; 3 next to it). Below this are search results shown as obscured text, except for a the phrase '3 years ago' in the first heading. This is expanded into an ellipse that obscures the rest of the search field.]<br /> <br /> Heading text: Implications of the age of the posts you see when you google an error message:<br /> <br /> [Below is a table, with 3 columns, labelled 'age of post', 'what it means', &amp; 'probability of a fix']<br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3243:_Crystal_Gazing&diff=412073 2026-05-08T19:07:04Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3243<br /> | date = May 8, 2026<br /> | title = Crystal Gazing<br /> | image = crystal_gazing_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 281x397px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = 'Beyond that lies a vale of fire through which my vision cannot penetrate' is the kind of fun thing geologists, heliophysicists, and early universe cosmologists have a lot of opportunities to say.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created over 4.54 billion nanoseconds ago. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> A geologist dressed up as a wizard announces - in archaic language befitting his costume - that he has determined the {{w|age of the Earth}} by analyzing {{w|zircon}}. Zircon is a crystal with the formula ZrSiO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;. During its formation it can incorporate uranium instead of zirconium in its crystal lattice, but cannot incorporate lead. The uranium then decays (via several intermediates) into lead. Thus a sufficiently old zircon crystal will contain some lead, allowing geologists to calculate its age. This method is especially reliable since uranium-238 decays into lead-208 with a half-life of 4.5 billion years, while uranium-235 decays into lead-207 with a half-life of 0.7 billion years, allowing geologists to determine the age even if some lead was lost from the crystal.<br /> <br /> A prophet of doom is someone who predicts impending disasters, especially the end of the world. The joke in the caption is that someone who can determine when the world begain is just doing this in reverse, and that's what geochronologists are doing when they calculate the age of the Earth.<br /> <br /> The title text points out, in similar flowery language, that many areas of physical sciences are limited in how far back they can describe the world or universe. {{w|Geologists}} are limited by the age of the Earth (and maybe even to some time after that, as we have little evidence of its original molten form), {{w|heliophysicists}} can't determine the early nature of the Sun, and early universe {{w|cosmologists}} don't know what was happening during and before the {{w|big bang}}.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[A character in wizard garb with long beard and hair talks to Cueball. To the left of the wizard is a chart with two lines intersecting.]<br /> <br /> :Wizard: By gazing into my crystals of zircon, I have divined the date of the hour of fire marking the limit of this world's existence.<br /> :Wizard: 4.54 billion years ago, the beginning was nigh!<br /> <br /> :[Caption below comic:]<br /> :Geochronologists are just reverse prophets of doom.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> [[Category:Geology]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3243:_Crystal_Gazing&diff=412072 2026-05-08T19:06:11Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> F1RST P0ST!!--[[Special:Contributions/158.123.138.25|158.123.138.25]] 17:52, 8 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Why is it &quot;vale of fire&quot; instead of &quot;veil of fire&quot;? [[Special:Contributions/174.20.245.60|174.20.245.60]] 18:06, 8 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :&quot;vale&quot; is a poetic term for a valley. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:06, 8 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3243:_Crystal_Gazing&diff=412071 2026-05-08T19:04:32Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3243<br /> | date = May 8, 2026<br /> | title = Crystal Gazing<br /> | image = crystal_gazing_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 281x397px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = 'Beyond that lies a vale of fire through which my vision cannot penetrate' is the kind of fun thing geologists, heliophysicists, and early universe cosmologists have a lot of opportunities to say.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created over 4.54 billion nanoseconds ago. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> A geologist dressed up as a wizard announces - in archaic language befitting his costume - that he has determined the {{w|age of the Earth}} by analyzing {{w|zircon}}. Zircon is a crystal with the formula ZrSiO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;. During its formation it can incorporate uranium instead of zirconium in its crystal lattice, but cannot incorporate lead. The uranium then decays (via several intermediates) into lead. Thus a sufficiently old zircon crystal will contain some lead, allowing geologists to calculate its age. This method is especially reliable since uranium-238 decays into lead-208 with a half-life of 4.5 billion years, while uranium-235 decays into lead-207 with a half-life of 0.7 billion years, allowing geologists to determine the age even if some lead was lost from the crystal.<br /> <br /> A prophet of doom is someone who predicts impending disasters, especially the end of the world. The joke in the caption is that someone who can determine when the world begain is just doing this in reverse, and that's what geochronologists are doing when they calculate the age of the Earth.<br /> <br /> The title text points out that many areas of physical sciences are limited in how far back they can describe the world or universe. {{w|Geologists}} are limited by the age of the Earth (and maybe even to some time after that, as we have little evidence of its original molten form), {{w|heliophysicists}} can't determine the early nature of the Sun, and early universe {{w|cosmologists}} don't know what was happening during and before the {{w|big bang}}.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[A character in wizard garb with long beard and hair talks to Cueball. To the left of the wizard is a chart with two lines intersecting.]<br /> <br /> :Wizard: By gazing into my crystals of zircon, I have divined the date of the hour of fire marking the limit of this world's existence.<br /> :Wizard: 4.54 billion years ago, the beginning was nigh!<br /> <br /> :[Caption below comic:]<br /> :Geochronologists are just reverse prophets of doom.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> [[Category:Geology]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3242:_Aperiodic_Table&diff=411884 2026-05-06T18:56:18Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> <br /> FIRST! also how has this not been explained? explain it!<br /> <br /> And the award for turning the periodic table into Chutes and Ladders goes to... 18:18, 6 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :Actually, I was first, I just took a while explaining it.<br /> <br /> Hey guys, don't forget to sign your comments with 4 tildes. 18:54, 6 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :Hmm, something seems to be wrong with the signature code. It's putting in the timestamp, but not the username. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 18:55, 6 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> ::And now the username is back! [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 18:56, 6 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3242:_Aperiodic_Table&diff=411882 2026-05-06T18:55:48Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> <br /> FIRST! also how has this not been explained? explain it!<br /> <br /> And the award for turning the periodic table into Chutes and Ladders goes to... 18:18, 6 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :Actually, I was first, I just took a while explaining it.<br /> <br /> Hey guys, don't forget to sign your comments with 4 tildes. 18:54, 6 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :Hmm, something seems to be wrong with the signature code. It's putting in the timestamp, but not the username. Barmar [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 18:55, 6 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3242:_Aperiodic_Table&diff=411880 2026-05-06T18:54:17Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> <br /> FIRST! also how has this not been explained? explain it!<br /> <br /> And the award for turning the periodic table into Chutes and Ladders goes to... 18:18, 6 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> Actually, I was first, I just took a while explaining it.<br /> <br /> Hey guys, don't forget to sign your comments with 4 tildes. 18:54, 6 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3242:_Aperiodic_Table&diff=411879 2026-05-06T18:51:41Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3242<br /> | date = May 6, 2026<br /> | title = Aperiodic Table<br /> | image = aperiodic_table_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 740x464px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Scientists occasionally invent alternative periodic table layouts, which is usually a sign that they don't have enough enrichment in their enclosures.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created APERIODICALLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> The {{w|Periodic Table of the Elements}} is a diagram often used to show the properties of the elements that make up the world. Its structure represents several properties of the elements- for example, all elements in a single column will have similar chemical properties, and the elements increase in atomic mass when reading it left-to-right and top-to-bottom (like a book).<br /> <br /> Randall spoofs this concept by creating a similar, but useless, diagram. The original table is &quot;periodic&quot; because it has consistent, repeating patterns that are represented by the horizontal position of the elements- Randall's table is &quot;aperiodic&quot;, meaning it has no consistent, repeating patterns. The elements appear to be simply listed in order of their atomic mass, with the list doubling back on itself at seemingly arbitrary points. The diagram is not actually helpful, since it contains no information other than the atomic masses of each element, and it depicts this information in an unnecessarily unhelpful way.<br /> <br /> Chemistry and the periodic table is a common theme on xkcd, with there being many comics featuring humorous variations and &quot;fixes&quot; of it, such as [[2639: Periodic Table Changes]] and [[2975: Classical Periodic Table]]<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> The Aperiodic Table of the Elements<br /> <br /> [Rectangles showing the atomic symbols and atomic numbers from H 1 through Og 118 are arranged in a serpentine chain. The color of each rectangle matches the the pattern of a standard periodic table. For example, the noble elements all have a red background.]<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3242:_Aperiodic_Table&diff=411878 2026-05-06T18:50:44Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3242<br /> | date = May 6, 2026<br /> | title = Aperiodic Table<br /> | image = aperiodic_table_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 740x464px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Scientists occasionally invent alternative periodic table layouts, which is usually a sign that they don't have enough enrichment in their enclosures.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created PERIODICALLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> The {{w|Periodic Table of the Elements}} is a diagram often used to show the properties of the elements that make up the world. Its structure represents several properties of the elements- for example, all elements in a single column will have similar chemical properties, and the elements increase in atomic mass when reading it left-to-right and top-to-bottom (like a book).<br /> <br /> Randall spoofs this concept by creating a similar, but useless, diagram. The original table is &quot;periodic&quot; because it has consistent, repeating patterns that are represented by the horizontal position of the elements- Randall's table is &quot;aperiodic&quot;, meaning it has no consistent, repeating patterns. The elements appear to be simply listed in order of their atomic mass, with the list doubling back on itself at seemingly arbitrary points. The diagram is not actually helpful, since it contains no information other than the atomic masses of each element, and it depicts this information in an unnecessarily unhelpful way.<br /> <br /> Chemistry and the periodic table is a common theme on xkcd, with there being many comics featuring humorous variations and &quot;fixes&quot; of it, such as [[2639: Periodic Table Changes]] and [[2975: Classical Periodic Table]]<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> The Aperiodic Table of the Elements<br /> <br /> [Rectangles showing the atomic symbols and atomic numbers from H 1 through Og 118 are arranged in a serpentine chain. The color of each rectangle matches the the pattern of a standard periodic table. For example, the noble elements all have a red background.]<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3242:_Aperiodic_Table&diff=411877 2026-05-06T18:49:22Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3242<br /> | date = May 6, 2026<br /> | title = Aperiodic Table<br /> | image = aperiodic_table_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 740x464px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Scientists occasionally invent alternative periodic table layouts, which is usually a sign that they don't have enough enrichment in their enclosures.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> The {{w|periodic table of the elements}} is a diagram showing the chemical elements that matter is made of. The rows and columns of the table represent common properties of the elements. The joke is that this table is arranged in a line of all the elements in order; instead of being periodic, or arranged by rows, it’s aperiodic, or not arranged in rows, and instead is just a line in order by {{w|atomic number}}. To fit in the same space as a normal periodic table, the sequence snakes back and forth and down the page.<br /> <br /> Chemistry and the periodic table is a common theme on xkcd, with there being many comics featuring humorous variations and &quot;fixes&quot; of it, such as [[2639: Periodic Table Changes]] and [[2975: Classical Periodic Table]]<br /> <br /> The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodic_table Periodic Table of the Elements] is a diagram often used to show the properties of the elements that make up the world. Its structure represents several properties of the elements- for example, all elements in a single column will have similar chemical properties, and the elements increase in atomic mass when reading it left-to-right and top-to-bottom (like a book).<br /> <br /> Randall spoofs this concept by creating a similar, but useless, diagram. The original table is &quot;periodic&quot; because it has consistent, repeating patterns that are represented by the horizontal position of the elements- Randall's table is &quot;aperiodic&quot;, meaning it has no consistent, repeating patterns. The elements appear to be simply listed in order of their atomic mass, with the list doubling back on itself at seemingly arbitrary points. The diagram is not actually helpful, since it contains no information other than the atomic masses of each element, and it depicts this information in an unnecessarily unhelpful way.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> The Aperiodic Table of the Elements<br /> <br /> [Rectangles showing the atomic symbols and atomic numbers from H 1 through Og 118 are arranged in a serpentine chain. The color of each rectangle matches the the pattern of a standard periodic table. For example, the noble elements all have a red background.]<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3242:_Aperiodic_Table&diff=411874 2026-05-06T18:48:05Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3242<br /> | date = May 6, 2026<br /> | title = Aperiodic Table<br /> | image = aperiodic_table_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 740x464px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = Scientists occasionally invent alternative periodic table layouts, which is usually a sign that they don't have enough enrichment in their enclosures.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> The {{w|periodic table of the elements}} is a diagram showing the chemical elements that matter is made of. The rows and columns of the table represent common properties of the elements. The joke is that this table is arranged in a line of all the elements in order; instead of being periodic, or arranged by rows, it’s aperiodic, or not arranged in rows, and instead is just a line in order by {{w|atomic number}}.<br /> <br /> Chemistry and the periodic table is a common theme on xkcd, with there being many comics featuring humorous variations and &quot;fixes&quot; of it, such as [[2639: Periodic Table Changes]] and [[2975: Classical Periodic Table]]<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> The Aperiodic Table of the Elements<br /> <br /> [Rectangles showing the atomic symbols and atomic numbers from H 1 through Og 118 are arranged in a serpentine chain. The color of each rectangle matches the the pattern of a standard periodic table. For example, the noble elements all have a red background.]<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3241:_Horizontal_Stabilizers&diff=411755 2026-05-05T20:33:28Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3241<br /> | date = May 5, 2026<br /> | title = Horizontal Stabilizers<br /> | image = horizontal_stabilizers_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 436x341px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = It started as a mistake that everyone was afraid to admit to, and then it stuck because removing it 'looks silly.'.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created HORIZONTALLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> The {{w|Stabilizer (aircraft)#Horizontal_stabilizers|horizonal stabilizer}} is a part of the tailplane which provides extra stability and control to the airplane.<br /> <br /> This comic jokes that horizontal stabilizers, which are important (but not necessary, there are some aircraft that do not have tailplanes) are an accident and not entirely necessary. The original construction only had a tailplane with its small wings, but this wasn't big enough to be useful. Rather than rebuild from scratch, they just added the rest of the fuselage with its full-sized wings.<br /> <br /> The title text takes this even further, because it states that people ignored this new part on airplanes that are unnecessary, a while later, when they decided to remove them (presumably to save weight) they noticed that the plane 'looked weird' and put them back on because it became normal to have them on planes. There are some {{w|tailless aircraft}}, and many people do consider them unusual looking.{{cn}}<br /> <br /> Some aircraft, including the original {{w|Wright Flyer}}, have the horizontal stabilizers in the front rather than the tail section.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[Cueball and Ponytail are standing in a field, looking at an airplane in the sky. Cueball is pointing at the airplane.]<br /> :Cueball: What's with the little wings on the tails of the airplanes? Do they really need them?<br /> :Ponytail: They're horizontal stabilizers. They serve a crucial aerodynamic role.<br /> <br /> :[Hairy, Cueball, and Megan are standing in a room, with Hairy on the left of a small fuselage segment with small wings attached to the sides of it, while Cueball and Megan are standing on the right of it. Hairy has his arms raised.]<br /> :Hairy: These wings you made are way too small! The plane is supposed to be much bigger!<br /> :Cueball: Sorry! We'll start over.<br /> :Hairy: No, there's no time. Just make it longer and put the bigger wings on the new section.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3241:_Horizontal_Stabilizers&diff=411754 2026-05-05T20:30:13Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> Last Post^-1 [[Special:Contributions/163.116.129.114|163.116.129.114]] 19:56, 5 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Was this late or was it just me?--[[User:OceanLord|OceanLord]] ([[User talk:OceanLord|talk]]) 20:08, 5 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :Somewhat late. Yes. But it's all good. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:11, 5 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :Publishing times are not very consistent. Mid-afternoon Eastern Time is not unusual. There have been quite a few times when it didn't arrive until late night, and occasionally even after midnight. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:12, 5 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :About a day late from usual. [[Special:Contributions/47.248.235.170|47.248.235.170]] 20:20, 5 May 2026 (UTC)Pat<br /> ::Oh right, I didn't even realize it's Tuesday afternoon. So yes, very late. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:30, 5 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3241:_Horizontal_Stabilizers&diff=411752 2026-05-05T20:28:26Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3241<br /> | date = May 5, 2026<br /> | title = Horizontal Stabilizers<br /> | image = horizontal_stabilizers_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 436x341px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = It started as a mistake that everyone was afraid to admit to, and then it stuck because removing it 'looks silly.'.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created HORIZONTALLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> The {{w|Stabilizer (aircraft)#Horizontal_stabilizers|horizonal stabilizer}} is a part of the tailplane which provides extra stability and control to the airplane.<br /> <br /> This comic jokes that horizontal stabilizers, which are important (but not necessary, there are some aircraft that do not have tailplanes) are an accident and not entirely necessary. The original construction only had a tailplane with its small wings, but this wasn't big enough to be useful. Rather than rebuild from scratch, they just added the rest of the fuselage with its full-sized wings.<br /> <br /> The title text takes this even further, because it states that people ignored this new part on airplanes that are unecessary, a while later, when they decided to remove them (presumably to save weight) they noticed that the plane 'looked weird' and put them back on because it became normal to have them on planes.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[Cueball and Ponytail are standing in a field, looking at an airplane in the sky. Cueball is pointing at the airplane.]<br /> :Cueball: What's with the little wings on the tails of the airplanes? Do they really need them?<br /> :Ponytail: They're horizontal stabilizers. They serve a crucial aerodynamic role.<br /> <br /> :[Hairy, Cueball, and Megan are standing in a room, with Hairy on the left of a small fuselage segment with small wings attached to the sides of it, while Cueball and Megan are standing on the right of it. Hairy has his arms raised.]<br /> :Hairy: These wings you made are way too small! The plane is supposed to be much bigger!<br /> :Cueball: Sorry! We'll start over.<br /> :Hairy: No, there's no time. Just make it longer and put the bigger wings on the new section.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3241:_Horizontal_Stabilizers&diff=411749 2026-05-05T20:15:04Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3241<br /> | date = May 5, 2026<br /> | title = Horizontal Stabilizers<br /> | image = horizontal_stabilizers_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 436x341px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = It started as a mistake that everyone was afraid to admit to, and then it stuck because removing it 'looks silly.'.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created HORIZONTALLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[Cueball and Ponytail are standing in a field, looking at an airplane in the sky. Cueball is pointing at the airplane.]<br /> :Cueball: What's with the little wings on the tails of the airplanes? Do they really need them?<br /> :Ponytail: They're horizontal stabilizers. They serve a crucial aerodynamic role.<br /> <br /> :[Hairy, Cueball, and Megan are standing in a room, with Hairy on the left of a small fuselage segment with small wings attached to the sides of it, while Cueball and Megan are standing on the right of it. Hairy has his arms raised.]<br /> :Hairy: These wings you made are way too small! The plane is supposed to be much bigger!<br /> :Cueball: Sorry! We'll start over.<br /> :Hairy: No, there's no time. Just make it longer and put the bigger wings on the new section.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3241:_Horizontal_Stabilizers&diff=411748 2026-05-05T20:13:36Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3241<br /> | date = May 5, 2026<br /> | title = Horizontal Stabilizers<br /> | image = horizontal_stabilizers_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 436x341px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = It started as a mistake that everyone was afraid to admit to, and then it stuck because removing it 'looks silly.'.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created HORIZONTALLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[Cueball and Ponytail are standing in a field, looking at an airplane in the sky. Cueball is pointing at the airplane.]<br /> :Cueball: What's with the little wings on the tails of the airplanes? Do they really need them?<br /> :Ponytail: They're horizontal stabilizers. They serve a crucial aerodynamic role.<br /> <br /> :[Hairy, Cueball, and Megan are standing in a room, with Hairy on the left of a small fuselage segment with small wings attached to the sides of it, while Cueball and Megan are standing on the right of it.]<br /> :Hairy: These wings you made are way too small! The plane is supposed to be much bigger!<br /> :Cueball: Sorry! We'll start over.<br /> :Hairy: No, there's no time. Just make it longer and put the bigger wings on the new section.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3241:_Horizontal_Stabilizers&diff=411746 2026-05-05T20:12:22Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> Last Post^-1 [[Special:Contributions/163.116.129.114|163.116.129.114]] 19:56, 5 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> Was this late or was it just me?--[[User:OceanLord|OceanLord]] ([[User talk:OceanLord|talk]]) 20:08, 5 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :Somewhat late. Yes. But it's all good. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:11, 5 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :Publishing times are not very consistent. Mid-afternoon Eastern Time is not unusual. There have been quite a few times when it didn't arrive until late night, and occasionally even after midnight. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:12, 5 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3240:_Bottle&diff=411544 2026-05-01T19:19:29Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> First P0st! [[Special:Contributions/2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE|2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE]] 18:40, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> So... is the meniscus drawn correctly, given the difference in shape of the front vs the back of the bottle??? [[User:BorQhue del Sol|BorQhue del Sol]] ([[User talk:BorQhue del Sol|talk]]) 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Left-hand threads on bottle. Why? --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 18:49, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :I don't think those are threads on cap, they're wires around the cork. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:19, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> this transcript is a work of art. [[user:lett‪herebedarklight|raeb]] 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Is part of the joke of the alt text the fact that he could easily fit into the bottle at his current age? [[Special:Contributions/24.244.70.174|24.244.70.174]] 18:58, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> If he sailed in when he was very young, does that mean the ship grew up with beret guy? [[User:Commercialegg|Commercialegg]] ([[User talk:Commercialegg|talk]]) 18:59, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :That does seem to be what he's implying. When he sailed in, the boat must have been small enough to get through the bottleneck. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:15, 1 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3240:_Bottle&diff=411543 2026-05-01T19:19:09Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> First P0st! [[Special:Contributions/2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE|2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE]] 18:40, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> So... is the meniscus drawn correctly, given the difference in shape of the front vs the back of the bottle??? [[User:BorQhue del Sol|BorQhue del Sol]] ([[User talk:BorQhue del Sol|talk]]) 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Left-hand threads on bottle. Why? --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 18:49, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> I don't think those are threads on cap, they're wires around the cork. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:19, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> this transcript is a work of art. [[user:lett‪herebedarklight|raeb]] 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Is part of the joke of the alt text the fact that he could easily fit into the bottle at his current age? [[Special:Contributions/24.244.70.174|24.244.70.174]] 18:58, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> If he sailed in when he was very young, does that mean the ship grew up with beret guy? [[User:Commercialegg|Commercialegg]] ([[User talk:Commercialegg|talk]]) 18:59, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :That does seem to be what he's implying. When he sailed in, the boat must have been small enough to get through the bottleneck. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:15, 1 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3240:_Bottle&diff=411542 2026-05-01T19:17:00Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3240<br /> | date = May 1, 2026<br /> | title = Bottle<br /> | image = bottle_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 581x235px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = &quot;I know it seems impossible, but the trick is that I sailed in here when I was very young.&quot;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was bottled recently. Don't remove the cork too soon.}}<br /> This comic shows a life sized ship in a bottle sailing along other sail boats in the sea. The humor comes from the surreality of the situation.<br /> <br /> In this comic, [[Beret Guy]] is inside a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible_bottle#Ship_in_a_bottle ship in a bottle]. A common question when one sees one is &quot;how was it put inside the bottle&quot;, due to the small size of the opening in the bottle compared to the ship. The answer is that the ship was assembled within the bottle. The title text alludes to this, by saying that Beret Guy grew up inside the bottle to fit (however, this is nonsensical, as he could likely fit into the bottle anyway).<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> [Three small single-masted sailboats are shown, all sailing towards the right. On the left, Cueball and Megan are in one boat; Cueball is near the stern, possibly holding the tiller, while Megan is aft of the mast. In the middle, Beret Guy is aft of the mast in a boat that's inside a giant bottle, with a cork plugging the bottleneck. On the right, Ponytail is sitting right behind of the mast of the third boat. All the boats are sitting on the water with ripples on the surface, but the water level in the bottle is lower than the rest.]<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> <br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3240:_Bottle&diff=411541 2026-05-01T19:16:44Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3240<br /> | date = May 1, 2026<br /> | title = Bottle<br /> | image = bottle_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 581x235px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = &quot;I know it seems impossible, but the trick is that I sailed in here when I was very young.&quot;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was bottled recently. Don't remove the cork too soon.}}<br /> This comic shows a life sized ship in a bottle sailing along other sail boats in the sea. The humor comes from the surreality of the situation.<br /> <br /> In this comic, [[Beret Guy]] is inside a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible_bottle#Ship_in_a_bottle ship in a bottle]. A common question when one sees one is &quot;how was it put inside the bottle&quot;, due to the small size of the opening in the bottle compared to the ship. The answer is that the ship was assembled within the bottle. The title text alludes to this, by saying that Beret Guy grew up inside the bottle to fit (however, this is nonsensical, as he could likely fit into the bottle anyway).<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> [Three small single-masted sailboats are shown, all sailing towards the right. On the left, Cueball and Megan are in one boat; Cueball is near the stern, possibly holding the tiller, while Megan is aft of the mast. In the middle, Beret Guy is aft of the mast in a boat that's inside a giant bottle, with a cork plugging the spout. On the right, Ponytail is sitting right behind of the mast of the third boat. All the boats are sitting on the water with ripples on the surface, but the water level in the bottle is lower than the rest.]<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> <br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3240:_Bottle&diff=411539 2026-05-01T19:15:02Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> First P0st! [[Special:Contributions/2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE|2A02:6B6F:E226:B00:70BF:8626:D782:45BE]] 18:40, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> So... is the meniscus drawn correctly, given the difference in shape of the front vs the back of the bottle??? [[User:BorQhue del Sol|BorQhue del Sol]] ([[User talk:BorQhue del Sol|talk]]) 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Left-hand threads on bottle. Why? --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 18:49, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> this transcript is a work of art. [[user:lett‪herebedarklight|raeb]] 18:54, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> Is part of the joke of the alt text the fact that he could easily fit into the bottle at his current age? [[Special:Contributions/24.244.70.174|24.244.70.174]] 18:58, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> <br /> If he sailed in when he was very young, does that mean the ship grew up with beret guy? [[User:Commercialegg|Commercialegg]] ([[User talk:Commercialegg|talk]]) 18:59, 1 May 2026 (UTC)<br /> :That does seem to be what he's implying. When he sailed in, the boat must have been small enough to get through the bottleneck. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:15, 1 May 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3240:_Bottle&diff=411537 2026-05-01T19:13:14Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3240<br /> | date = May 1, 2026<br /> | title = Bottle<br /> | image = bottle_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 581x235px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = &quot;I know it seems impossible, but the trick is that I sailed in here when I was very young.&quot;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was bottled recently. Don't remove the cork too soon.}}<br /> This comic shows a life sized ship in a bottle sailing along other sail boats in the sea. The humor comes from the surreality of the situation.<br /> <br /> In this comic, [[Beret Guy]] is inside a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible_bottle#Ship_in_a_bottle ship in a bottle]. A common question when one sees one is &quot;how was it put inside the bottle&quot;, due to the small size of the opening in the bottle compared to the ship. The answer is that the ship was assembled within the bottle. The title text alludes to this, by saying that Beret Guy grew up inside the bottle to fit (however, this is nonsensical, as he could likely fit into the bottle anyway).<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> <br /> [Three small single-masted sailboats are shown, all sailing towards the right. On the left, Cueball and Megan are in one boat; Cueball is near the stern, possibly holding the tiller, while Megan is aft of the mast. In the middle, Beret Guy is aft of the mast in a boat that's inside a giant bottle, with a cork plugging the spout. On the right, Ponytail is sitting right behind of the mast of the third boat. All the boats are sitting on the water with ripples on the surface. Due to diffraction, the waster level behind the bottle appears to be lower than the rest.]<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3239:_Simple_Machines&diff=411394 2026-04-29T16:53:51Z

<p>Barmar: </p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --&gt;<br /> Woah, I'm first! ---[[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]], [[Talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]. 17:43, 29/04/26<br /> <br /> Is Randall referring to any specific tools made by those companies when he says &quot;lever and inclined plane&quot; and &quot;wheel-and-axles&quot;? wheel-and-axles describes anything from a toy wagon to an automobile. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:53, 29 April 2026 (UTC)</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3239:_Simple_Machines&diff=411393 2026-04-29T16:51:42Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3239<br /> | date = April 29, 2026<br /> | title = Simple Machines<br /> | image = simple_machines_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 250x255px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = It's hard to decide which simple machine system to invest in. DeWalt makes a great lever and inclined plane, but I hear Milwaukee's wheel-and-axles are really good.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> There are a lot of simple tools used to give a mechanical advantage in various things. The 6 most common ones are a {{w|lever}}, {{w|wheel and axle}}, {{w|pulley}}, {{w|inclined plane}}, {{w|wedge}} &amp; {{w|screw}}. Additionally, often for various purposes all-in-one implements are made with all the features - a notable example being the classic {{w|Swiss Army Knife}}. This comic combines them, sudgesting the existance of an all-in-one instrument with all 6 simple tools, which is a concept not existing in real life{{citation needed}}.<br /> <br /> Having one of these &quot;all-in-one&quot; devices does not mean it does everything you can do with different combinations -- the choice of components and how they interact is important for the function of a particular device.<br /> <br /> The title text is a joke about what brands to choose. Milwaukee and DeWalt are two common tool companies.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> [a tool is shown, with a hook attached to string, going arounf a round object before linking up to a handle, which in turn links to the object. There is also a pointy end to the tool, and a corkscrew on the other end.]<br /> <br /> [Caption below comic:]<br /> I can finally stop buying simple machines now that I got an all-in-one tool with all six of them.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3239:_Simple_Machines&diff=411392 2026-04-29T16:51:17Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3239<br /> | date = April 29, 2026<br /> | title = Simple Machines<br /> | image = simple_machines_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 250x255px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = It's hard to decide which simple machine system to invest in. DeWalt makes a great lever and inclined plane, but I hear Milwaukee's wheel-and-axles are really good.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> There are a lot of simple tools used to give a mechanical advantage in various things. The 6 most common ones are a {{w|lever}}, {{w|wheel and axle}}, {{w|pulley}}, {{w|inclined plane}}, {{w|wedge}} &amp; {{w|screw}}. Additionally, often for various implements all-in-one implements are made with all the features - a notable example being the classic {{w|Swiss Army Knife}}. This comic combines them, sudgesting the existance of an all-in-one instrument with all 6 simple tools, which is a concept not existing in real life{{citation needed}}.<br /> <br /> Having one of these &quot;all-in-one&quot; devices does not mean it does everything you can do with different combinations -- the choice of components and how they interact is important for the function of a particular device.<br /> <br /> The title text is a joke about what brands to choose. Milwaukee and DeWalt are two common tool companies.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> [a tool is shown, with a hook attached to string, going arounf a round object before linking up to a handle, which in turn links to the object. There is also a pointy end to the tool, and a corkscrew on the other end.]<br /> <br /> [Caption below comic:]<br /> I can finally stop buying simple machines now that I got an all-in-one tool with all six of them.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3239:_Simple_Machines&diff=411391 2026-04-29T16:50:44Z

<p>Barmar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3239<br /> | date = April 29, 2026<br /> | title = Simple Machines<br /> | image = simple_machines_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 250x255px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = It's hard to decide which simple machine system to invest in. DeWalt makes a great lever and inclined plane, but I hear Milwaukee's wheel-and-axles are really good.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> There are a lot of simple tools used to give a mechanical advantage in various things. The 6 most common ones are a {{w|lever}}, {{w|wheel and axle}}, {{w|pulley}}, {{w|inclined plane}}, {{w|wedge}} &amp; {{w|screw}}. Additionally, often for various implements all-in-one implements are made with all the feutures-A notable example being the classic {{w|Swiss Army Knife}}. This comic combines them, sudgesting the existance of an all-in-one instrument with all 6 simple tools, which is a concept not existing in real life{{citation needed}}.<br /> <br /> Having one of these &quot;all-in-one&quot; devices does not mean it does everything you can do with different combinations -- the choice of components and how they interact is important for the function of a particular device.<br /> <br /> The title text is a joke about what brands to choose. Milwaukee and DeWalt are two common tool companies.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> [a tool is shown, with a hook attached to string, going arounf a round object before linking up to a handle, which in turn links to the object. There is also a pointy end to the tool, and a corkscrew on the other end.]<br /> <br /> [Caption below comic:]<br /> I can finally stop buying simple machines now that I got an all-in-one tool with all six of them.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3239:_Simple_Machines&diff=411388 2026-04-29T16:46:05Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3239<br /> | date = April 29, 2026<br /> | title = Simple Machines<br /> | image = simple_machines_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 250x255px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = It's hard to decide which simple machine system to invest in. DeWalt makes a great lever and inclined plane, but I hear Milwaukee's wheel-and-axles are really good.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> Simple machines are common ways to get mechanical advantage. In this comic, a device is shown that combines all six of them into one device.<br /> The title text is a joke about what brands to choose. Milwaukee and DeWalt are two common tool companies.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> [a tool is shown, with a hook attached to string, going arounf a round object before linking up to a handle, which in turn links to the object. There is also a pointy end to the tool, and a corkscrew on the other end.]<br /> <br /> [Caption below comic:]<br /> I can finally stop buying simple machines now that I got an all-in-one tool with all six of them.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3239:_Simple_Machines&diff=411386 2026-04-29T16:45:25Z

<p>Barmar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 3239<br /> | date = April 29, 2026<br /> | title = Simple Machines<br /> | image = simple_machines_2x.png<br /> | imagesize = 250x255px<br /> | noexpand = true<br /> | titletext = It's hard to decide which simple machine system to invest in. DeWalt makes a great lever and inclined plane, but I hear Milwaukee's wheel-and-axles are really good.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> Simple machines are common ways to get mechanical advantage. In this comic, a device is shown that combines all six of them into one device.<br /> The title text is a joke about what brands to choose. Milwaukee and DeWalt are two common tool companies.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br /> [a tool is shown, with a hook attached to string, going arounf a round object before linking up to a handle, which in turn links to the object. There is also a pointy end to the tool, and a corkscrew on the other end.]<br /> <br /> [Caption below comic:]<br /> I can finally stop having simple tools now I have an all-in-one tool with all six of them.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}&lt;noinclude&gt;</div>

Barmar