explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2423: Project Orion

2021-02-13T16:02:41Z

BlakeFelix: /* I don't think that modern engineering can make project Orion safe. */ new section

If you read xkcd long enough, the comics always tend toward being about conversations tending toward something. (Okay, that’s not true; there’s one other comic like this and it was a conversation tending toward being about species tending toward being built like crabs. Still funny to think about, though.) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.244|108.162.215.244]] 01:09, 11 February 2021 (UTC)
:All xkcd comics eventually become conversations about conversations. [[User:Captain Video|Captain Video]] ([[User talk:Captain Video|talk]]) 01:15, 11 February 2021 (UTC)
Just wanted to point out that "dusty plasma fission fragment rockets" is a [[856:_Trochee_Fixation|series of trochees]].[[Special:Contributions/162.158.183.117|162.158.183.117]] 05:45, 11 February 2021 (UTC)
: TIL trochee means something different for English than for Greek, Latin, Hungarian etc. [[User:Torzsmokus|Torzsmokus]] ([[User talk:Torzsmokus|talk]]) 08:35, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

The current explanation mentions other examples of topics, specialists from different fields apparently tend to converge on. Can anyone confirm whether those are actually true, or at least commonly known stereotypes? I've never heard of any such claim. The claim being, that all conversations converge on these topics, not the topics themselves. [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 13:35, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

Now I understand a bit better what may have influenced some plot elements of Neal Stephenson's book Anathem.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.220|172.69.62.220]] 15:28, 11 February 2021 (UTC)
:More specifically? It's not striking a chord for me. All Sci-Fi conversations eventually come around to multiverse phenomena? [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 20:12, 11 February 2021 (UTC)
::Well, there definitely was an Orionesque system. With the pre-detection theorising by the core characters ''possibly'' being juxtaposed with more mundane gardening information within the Math/enclave. (Must re-read it!) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.55.104|172.69.55.104]] 21:06, 11 February 2021 (UTC)

== I don't think that modern engineering can make project Orion safe. ==

While modern engineering can perhaps make some forms of nuclear propulsion safe(ish) and I think that stuff like nuclear thermal rockets could be great in some roles, I don't think that we are close to being able to detonate nukes in Earths atmosphere safely. Safely enough for the people on the rocket, maybe, but not for the people eating their atomic dust. Like the plans for that giant hypersonic nuclear ramjet, it's awesome, and would likely work, but I don't see a way to clean up the emissions to anything like acceptable levels.

[[User:BlakeFelix|BlakeFelix]] ([[User talk:BlakeFelix|talk]]) 16:02, 13 February 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2395: Covid Precaution Level

2020-12-09T03:58:08Z

BlakeFelix:

The problem is precautions that ARE insufficient feel excessive to many people and precautions that are excessive FEEL insufficient to many others - and science seems to be unable to provide definitive answers to replace "feelings" with logic [[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.104|162.158.126.104]] 23:59, 7 December 2020 (UTC)
: To paraphrase Rumsfeld: "You fight a pandemic with the knowledge you have, not the knowledge you want". You place far too high a burden on science. Science, logic and expertise are by far the most useful things we have, but the answers they give are going to be phrased as "probably", "perhaps", "more likely than not", and "we don't know". And the answers are going to change as we learn things. Expecting immediate, definitive answers has killed many people.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.149|172.68.65.149]] 19:58, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

To save the person(s) effort who will ultimately write this into the explanation/transcript in a legible manner: There are 13 subdivisions in Insufficient, 14 subdivisions in Excessive, roughly (close enough to look deliberate, but sloppily so) 6 divisions shared, across a scale of 21 effective divisions. Enjoy! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.155|162.158.158.155]] 00:08, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

I wonder what is meant by the title text exactly, is the one kind of feedback you can get getting the disease? The way it is phrases it feels like "dying from covid" is the final feedback (you can only get it once and then it's too late). But just getting infected is already some feedback isn't it?

[[User:Flekkie|Flekkie]] ([[User talk:Flekkie|talk]]) 03:51, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

:The title text says ''definitive'' feedback, which I took to mean deaths. Numbers of those infected isn't inherently definitive as the precautions might affect how or if they recover. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.152|162.158.255.152]] 05:01, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

:I interpreted the title text as referring to contracting COVID. The point of the precautions is to keep from contracting it: if you do contract it, that's definitive feedback that your precautions were insufficient; and once you're already infected, it's too late to do anything to prevent that infection. If COVID is like most other diseases (and I'm not sure if anyone knows for sure whether it is or not), then once you've had it once, you won't be able to contract it again, thanks your immune system having built up a resistance to it. --[[User:Someone Else 37|Someone Else 37]] ([[User talk:Someone Else 37|talk]]) 05:22, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

:: It is not. It is definitely possible to get COVID-19 again, although it is probably much less likely. There are documented cases of someone recovering and then being reinfected, including at least one in which they DNA tested the virus to confirm that it really was a separate infection and not a recurrence of something that had been in remission.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.126|172.69.35.126]] 05:57, 8 December 2020 (UTC)
:::The statistics show a clear picture, it is highly improbable to catch Covid again, the remaining cases are of course bad for the individual, but completely insignificant on the large scale of a global epidemic. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.156|162.158.92.156]] 22:32, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

: FWIW I also didn't figure out what feedback he meant. There's all sorts of usable feedback to use, but any change in precautions takes at least a few weeks to show up in the feedback. Still, as frustrating as that is, it's not something you can "only get once but then it's too late". --[[User:NeatNit|NeatNit]] ([[User talk:NeatNit|talk]]) 07:33, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

:: I think "can only get once" is supposed to be in contrast to, say, a thermostat, where you keep getting feedback until you change the settings. With COVID, once the restrictions have had an impact, you can "only get [the magnitude of impact] once but then it's too late [to measure again]". Kinda saying humans don't work well with delayed gratification. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.7|141.101.99.7]] 17:15, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

: C’mon people. Plainly the feedback he was referring to was infection. The only certain way to determine that you’ve been irresponsible is to be infected. [[User:Lightcaller|Lightcaller]] ([[User talk:Lightcaller|talk]]) 16:59, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

In many jurisdictions, the rules themselves actually are ''not'' a single linear 'diallable' level of restriction, often with schools (or even sub-ranges of schooling ages, separately) being fully opened or closed not in complete synchrony with the treatment of sporting events, retail premises, food/drink (in-house/take-away), entertainment venues, public mass-transport, etc, although this is more like the fine-tuning of a graphic-equaliser on an audio system. But for the sake of simplicity the given government/whatever then still twiddles just the master volume knob (or at least the 5.1 balancing ones for regional adjustment) as a first resort when they get feedback about their chosen mix's effectiveness. - This depicted bare-bones 'master control dial' simplification of measures echoes the apparent nature of (some bits of) the [[1620|Universe Control Console]], though, and (contradictory labelling aside) is probably how those in control of the ramp-up/down of measures ''wish'' it could be done. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.97|141.101.98.97]] 09:32, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

I don't know what China did, but from those countries that I know anything of, none have had "excessive" precautions, all of them were in the "insufficient" range. So whose viewpoint did Randall draw here? His own? The average public? An arbitrary sample group? … [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 09:50, 8 December 2020 (UTC)
: Maybe not whole countries, but I know of at least one city where the precaution looks extremely excessive, but also extremely sufficient; Point Roberts, WA, which has zero cases but is prevented by border guards from visiting Canada and a two hour boat ride with medical quarantine from the United States. Also, I would place the State of Oregon, who just crossed it's 1000th COVID-19 death, just slightly to the left of the rightmost portion of insufficient- but the repeated total lockdowns are having a great cost on the economy and human behavior- murders, suicides, and bankruptcies are up greatly, but other causes of death are down.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 13:38, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

: Please note that this comic only mentions precautions that FEEL either excessive or insufficient. It makes no statement regarding whether any precautions actually are excessive or insufficient.

Hi - I signed up for an account here just to say - I sense an assumption on this page that this comic is about comparing different people’s feelings about covid precautions. That is certainly a possible explanation. But I think it’s quite possible that the comic could be comparing conflicting feelings within one individual. In my reading, lot of the covid comics address this kind of uncertainty (I can reference some if that would be helpful). I’m not sure if y’all will agree with this point, nor whether it merits an edit of the explanation, but I wanted to bring it into the discussion. Thanks for the good work you all put into this site!--[[User:Coy casket|Coy casket]] ([[User talk:Coy casket|talk]]) 22:08, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

You could remove the word COVID & I would still find this universally applicable to ''many'' types of precaution.
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 23:08, 8 December 2020 (UTC)
:The overlap in case of covid is bigger than in many others. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:32, 9 December 2020 (UTC)

I interpreted the feedback to be catching COVID, showing that you weren't cautious enough, but I am afraid that he is being optimistic about only being able to get it once. It's likely that you are resistant for a while after an infection, but some people have had it twice. Both the average duration of resistance and the effects of repeated infections are unknown to me, and I don't know how they could be known by anyone at this point. Hopefully we luck out, and/or get good vaccines soon. [[User:BlakeFelix|BlakeFelix]] ([[User talk:BlakeFelix|talk]]) 03:58, 9 December 2020 (UTC)
[[User:BlakeFelix|BlakeFelix]] ([[User talk:BlakeFelix|talk]]) 03:58, 9 December 2020 (UTC)

Talk:2350: Deer Turrets

2020-08-26T11:03:47Z

BlakeFelix: /* Laughed */

There's no "next" button on [[2349]]? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.250|108.162.219.250]] 18:44, 24 August 2020 (UTC)
:The reason there's no Next button is that it's the newest comic. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.43|162.158.158.43]] 21:04, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

Is this about something? I mean, it could be a commentary on the way politics handled Covid, some politicians taking terrible decisions, then saying it was a mistake and that science is still learning, but then still taking terrible decisions afterwards. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.69.83|141.101.69.83]] 21:02, 24 August 2020 (UTC)
:That's definitely my take on this comic. The similarity with certain political meetings in the covid situation is quite abvious, in my opinion. [[Special:Contributions/90.127.120.72|90.127.120.72]] 16:02, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

The thing about icebergs, is that 9/10ths of them would be ''on fire'', if they weren't kept underwater. Truth! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.192|162.158.155.192]] 22:17, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

(to the tune of “Do-Re-Mi”) ''Does are near, now flee in fear; The ray will boil everyone; The antlered gun is taking aim; Now it’s vaporised my lung...'' [[User:Lightcaller|Lightcaller]] ([[User talk:Lightcaller|talk]]) 22:43, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

Deer don't gallop. Are you sure that's about the deer? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.187|172.69.33.187]] 22:54, 24 August 2020 (UTC) Dear IP_address, deer most certainly do gallop. Since I'm a nice guy (rarely), I LMGTFYed that to confirm. [[User:Cellocgw|Cellocgw]] ([[User talk:Cellocgw|talk]]) 12:35, 25 August 2020 (UTC)
:No deer run. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.210|172.69.34.210]] 02:25, 26 August 2020 (UTC)

I don't think you can build an iceberk-proof airship. Or at least, you won't get it into air because it would be too heavy. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:21, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

You make a ship iceberg proof by making it fly. You can't be sunk if you fly over. [[User:Hax|Hax]] ([[User talk:Hax|talk]]) 07:16, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

I think the "Is it really??" means "Is it really okay?", not "Is it really a mistake?". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.183.137|162.158.183.137]] 11:03, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

Gotta keep on trying 'til you run out of cake. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.188|108.162.210.188]] 13:18, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

== When Mao went to clear the sparrow but for the locust, it was 42% as deadly as fauna-mounted autocannons ==

Just saying. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.150|172.69.34.150]] 07:17, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

Didn't the designer of the Titanic go down with ship? SanFranSam [[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.53|172.69.35.53]] 04:25, 26 August 2020 (UTC)

== Laughed ==

The part that made me laugh the hardest was the Citation Needed on the claim that there are no flying icebergs! Well played.
[[User:BlakeFelix|BlakeFelix]] ([[User talk:BlakeFelix|talk]]) 11:03, 26 August 2020 (UTC)

Talk:2350: Deer Turrets

2020-08-26T11:03:11Z

BlakeFelix: /* Laughed */ new section

Talk:2177: Gastroenterology

2019-07-22T13:45:15Z

BlakeFelix:

I hope they are not eating italian, you never know what might happen if pasta and antipasta meet. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 16:23, 17 July 2019 (UTC)
: Yea I figure this is a matter / anti-matter joke. [[User:Cgrimes85|Cgrimes85]] ([[User talk:Cgrimes85|talk]]) 16:55, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

: This antimatter explanation lacks the usual "punch" that I would expect from XKCD on a science joke. It's unsatisfying because the comic lacks any (other) reference to physics or space. My best guess is that it's a pun based on an alternate interpretation of the word "gastroenterology." Could some part of the word be re-used (or commonly used) in another, more explosive context? Could the explosion refer to methane production by the body? Or is it somehow a joke about a movie, or the general movie trope of making scientists into action heros? [[User:Jpaugh|Jpaugh]] ([[User talk:Jpaugh|talk]]) 14:41, 18 July 2019 (UTC)

:: It's playing on the general idea that mixing opposites often results in a violent reaction. Acid/Alkali or Matter/Antimatter. In a sense, probiotics and antibiotics are opposites - and in the (evidently very boring) world of gastroenterology - this is about as exciting at it gets. Obviously, the actual reaction between such things would be very slow and exceedingly un-exciting. [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 13:58, 19 July 2019 (UTC)

Current transcript says "Cueball" is the second character in the first and fifth panels. I don't think that's usually how it's done for a character wearing a hat, so I was thinking he should instead be named something like "Beanie Guy" or similar. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 17:21, 17 July 2019 (UTC)
: I think the hat looks like a surgical scrub cap[https://www.allheart.com/men-scrub-caps-and-hats/c/597/]. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 22:45, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

Saying the final panel is a lie is just one possibility. The 5th panel below can potentially mean the "reality", as opposed to the 4 panels above that's a fantasy/joke. Almost all jobs have this "what people think I do" and "what I really do" gap.
Another possibility: I thought I saw in old cop/secret agent movies a common joke is when a character gets into a lot of action - and thus cause a lot of trouble - that person will need to write a lot of paperwork for the damage caused. Then the character will say "this job is boring. Lots of paperwork." Sorry I can't find an example right now but I seemed to remember seeing the joke multiple times.

It's hard to appreciate gastroenterology jokes if you've ever had a colonoscopy.[[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 17:44, 17 July 2019 (UTC)
:I disagree, & I'm holding back a bunch of bad puns about it. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 18:02, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

I see a thematic connection with the comic about appendicitis treatment, although this could be about an unrelated ailment. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.100|162.158.78.100]] 18:01, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

Current explanation says 'over-coughing'. What's that? a kid one table over, coughed.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.144.175|172.68.144.175]] 10:22, 18 July 2019 (UTC)
: Fixed! ([https://www.xkcd.com/699/| Did you know they just] ''hand out'' [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Main+Page| logins]?) [[User:Jpaugh|Jpaugh]] ([[User talk:Jpaugh|talk]]) 14:53, 18 July 2019 (UTC)

"Another possibility is that the sequence refers to a reaction between an acid and a base," WHAT? No. They're specifically labeled! Where did "acid and base" even come from? Why not "Yin and Yang" or "White meat and dark meat"?? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.136|162.158.214.136]] 10:46, 18 July 2019 (UTC)
:I think the editor meant that the sequence is comically pretending that the mixing of probiotics and antibiotics gives a similar explosive effect to an acid/base reaction (or a matter/antimatter reaction) - they're not saying that that's literally what's happening. They're explaining the possible inspiration behind the cartoon logic. [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]])
:And now the explanation covers that nicely. Well done. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.136|162.158.214.136]] 09:49, 19 July 2019 (UTC)

It seems possible that the fantasy as a whole is a reference to a scene in the series ''Breaking Bad'', in which Walter White substitutes fulminate of mercury for crystal meth, then uses it to cause a(n unrealistically large) explosion in the office of a rival. However, similar scenes can be found in earlier shows and films (e.g., the show ''MacGyver'' has several instance of such), so it may not be a reference to this specific one. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.44.152|172.69.44.152]] 17:29, 18 July 2019 (UTC)

Any take on the meaning of the abundance of white space in the lower left part of the comic? [[User:Spongebog|Spongebob]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:17, 18 July 2019 (UTC)
:My take is that it's a narrative device: the white space in which nothing is happening represents the two people just quietly eating, in stark contrast to the action-packed scene above. [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 19:46, 18 July 2019 (UTC)
::It's almost as if the first row of frames is in a "think balloon" within the last frame. [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 13:58, 19 July 2019 (UTC)

My preferred interpretation is that Ponytail is to Gastroenterology what Indiana Jones is to Archeology... A usually boring field but Ponytail's / Indiana's versions are secretly more exciting. :) And Ponytail is keeping the exciting part to herself, just sharing the standard part. (Actually, now that I write that, I wonder if that's what Randall was going for) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:43, 20 July 2019 (UTC)

In a sealed container prebiotics and probiotics would generate CO2 and explode, although it would take a while and likely not be a large explosion. As said antibiotics would likely just kill the probiotics.[[User:BlakeFelix|BlakeFelix]] ([[User talk:BlakeFelix|talk]]) 13:45, 22 July 2019 (UTC)

Talk:1905: Cast Iron Pan

2017-10-20T12:23:25Z

BlakeFelix:

Wouldn't you mean solstices instead of equinoxes? Why travel to the Arctic during an equinox? The day is 12 hours long there during an equinox just the same as anywhere in the world. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.233|108.162.246.233]] 04:55, 20 October 2017 (UTC) An Arctic Inhabitant
:There is only one solstice (the summer one) that has 24-hour sunlight (a.k.a. midnight sun) in the Arctic circle. However, near the North pole, you have close to 6 months of daylight (a.k.a. polar day), bounded by the equinoxes. So, you could theoretically visit the North Pole in late March and mid-September to have two days of 24-hour sunlight nearly 6 months apart. [[User:Nialpxe|Nialpxe]], 2017. [[User_talk:Nialpxe|(Arguments welcome)]] (From the subtropics) 
::It is also for this reason it says close to the equinoxes. At the equinoxes the sun sets for the first time in 6 months at one of the poles (rises at the other), splitting that 24 hour cycle in two times 12 hours of sun/no sun. And then it either stays up of stays down the next half a year. So if you come just after the sun rose and then again just before the sun sets on the North Pole you could get 24 hours sun shine with about a half year apart, but not completely. So this is White Hat's objection, although the title text also states that it doesn't have to be equally spaced. But in White Hat's opinion (of his teasing Cueball) it should be exactly half a year apart, and probably preferably on the two poles when the sun is highest at the Summer/Winter Solstices... ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:29, 20 October 2017 (UTC)

Just to make sure, the "iron filings" part has no real use. Isn't it? --[[User:Lou Crazy|Lou Crazy]] ([[User talk:Lou Crazy|talk]]) 09:21, 20 October 2017 (UTC)
:Yes the two last advice has no meaning and also has no myth they are based on. The soap myth may be a problem if the coating is just oil based and could in principle be a problem with some old pans --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:29, 20 October 2017 (UTC)

You don't need to throw away pans if the seasoning gets messed up, just reseason them, in case of rust or extreme gunk attack it with an angle grinder until it is shiny. Use safety equipment! Then reseason it. [[User:BlakeFelix|BlakeFelix]] ([[User talk:BlakeFelix|talk]]) 12:23, 20 October 2017 (UTC)