explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:80: My Other Car

2020-07-03T16:28:40Z

Blueshoes317: /* Comic rotation */ new section

Some comedian (Google is failing to tell me who) once claimed to have seen a bumper sticker that read "My other car is a Rolls Royce"...... on a Rolls Royce. -- mwburden [[Special:Contributions/70.91.188.49|70.91.188.49]] 21:37, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

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This may kill some of the parody, but the audacious spoiler suggests that this may be a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (often referred to as simply an "Evo"). While this isn't a particularly fancy car—indeed the base Lancer model could be considered somewhat of an "econobox", on par with a Honda Civic or Toyota Tercel—the Evo trim level can be considered fairly valuable, particularly by performance enthusiasts. Comparing the 2013 models, the Evo trim has roughly twice the horsepower as the base model (291 hp vs. 148 hp), and its base price is more than twice as high (nearly $35,000 US vs. $16,000). The Evo has enhanced handling, transmission, and brakes, and is a favorite among club racers.

On the other hand, there are some who consider the Evo a "toy" car, little more than a go-kart with a stereo. This is especially applicable to the older generations of the mark, as they were less refined than more recent ones, focusing primarily on performance and eschewing creature comforts or any other hallmarks of perceived quality. The over-sized, garish spoiler only serves to enforce the "childish", low-class image (of note is that Mitsubishi seems to have abandoned the ridiculous spoiler for the latest model, offering comparatively conservative ones instead). Having driven one of the older models, I can attest to how unrefined and go-kart-like they are. My opinion is that it would be great fun to throw a car like that around the track on the weekends, but my ass couldn't handle driving one on a daily basis.

So for me, that bumper sticker could actually make sense. It could be my "other" car, one that I only used on track days. [[User:Daddy|Daddy]] ([[User talk:Daddy|talk]]) 05:22, 21 April 2013 (UTC)

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I've discussed the issues with the image [[File talk:other car.jpg|here]]. [[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 09:00, 21 April 2013 (UTC)

:I fixed the image by resaving it in an image editing application. I, too, am perplexed why the original wouldn't display properly. The weird orientation doesn't seem to explain why it would fail to display at all. Perhaps it has something to do with the image being a link (e.g., the browser prepares a link area that's 372 x 300, then tries to fill it with an image that renders to 300 x 372 instead, and pukes). Regardless, it's easier to fix the image than to fix the browser. [[User:Daddy|Daddy]] ([[User talk:Daddy|talk]]) 04:35, 22 April 2013 (UTC)
::Yes, your upload allowed the wiki to display the file without attempting to thumbnail it. It's definitely a wiki problem, not a browser issue, as the image worked correctly when I got it to not use the thumbnail version, which still don't work. [[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 11:09, 22 April 2013 (UTC)

You forgot a few issues with the image: The white balance for one; the focus is a bit too close; and the chromatic aberration suggests you bought your camera because it had "the most megapixels" -[[1014]] [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 04:15, 7 August 2017 (UTC)

My other car is an honor student. [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 05:03, 15 September 2013 (UTC)

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For me this means "I don't have any other car" and this one is better than nothing. [[User:Loge Reborn]]

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I feel like adding that the various Mitsubishi cars that can be done to the spec that a spoiler and those lines are appropriate (I've seen not just the Evolution, but also the Magna and the Magna's replacement, the 380, both of which are out of production) can be done much further, potentially going toe to toe with exotics. Whilst the car is cheap, if you bolt on enough parts (not cheap, btw), a la midnight club or NFS Underground, they can be beasts. Whilst not as prestigious or luxurious as the European exotics, they can match them for performance (not the stupidly rare top-end ones) and sometimes cost. Also, that car is yours. You have customised it. You don't get that in an exotic much... [[Special:Contributions/198.41.239.44|198.41.239.44]] 07:06, 26 September 2015 (UTC)

In my other world, that is my other car. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRxtLblYuck] [[User:Zorlax the Mighty|Zorlax the Mighty'); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:Zorlax the Mighty|talk]]) 18:42, 11 August 2016 (UTC)

SOMEBODY has removed every instance of the word "car" from the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.59|172.68.58.59]] 23:43, 12 March 2017 (UTC)
:...and nearly ten years later it was replaced by ''[http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/07/16/new-horizons-team-bumper-sticker-pluto/30231825/ My other vehicle explored Pluto]''--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:47, 13 March 2017 (UTC)

== Comic rotation ==

Comic is rotated 90 degrees clockwise as of July 3, 2020 on Chrome on Windows 10.

Talk:76: Familiar

2020-07-03T16:26:20Z

Blueshoes317: /* Comic rotation */

What do you reckon is missing from the explanation? ––[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 14:26, 2 July 2013 (UTC)
:I'm running through the first comics and when I feel that something is missing it just gets the incomplete tag. Everyone is welcome to fix and remove this tag. The most worse error here was :) instead of :(.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 15:22, 2 July 2013 (UTC)
::The happy smiley was ''after'' the sentence dryly ''explaining'' the fairly obvious thing that a sad smiley means sadness. It was totally intentional, meant as a joke, funny or not! It could have been ;) though. –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 07:55, 3 July 2013 (UTC)
:::The title text shows :( not more or less. If you have ideas beyond of this explain it, but do not change the original text.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:14, 7 July 2013 (UTC)
::::This is confused. How do you mean, I changed the original text? –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 09:36, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
:::::Go here: [[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=76:_Familiar&diff=prev&oldid=43148]], you did change the ":(" to ";)" and a few edits before you did ":)". I just did edit this to the correct sadness symbol. When Randall talks about apples you can't explain bananas.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 10:44, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
::::::I'm removing the sentence. It was just a joke, but it wasn't appreciated. :( ––[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 19:19, 21 July 2013 (UTC)
:::::::What the hell you are doing? We need an explain for the title text, even when it's simple.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:32, 21 July 2013 (UTC)
::::::::No. You don't need to explain what a smiley is. Everybody knows. Especially on the internet. There's got to be a limit; we don't, for example, explain the meaning of common english words. –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 08:18, 22 July 2013 (UTC)
Is this the shortest title text? [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 10:56, 11 June 2018 (UTC)
:If you don't count comics without any title text at all, then yeah, I'm pretty sure it is. [[User:SuperSupermario24|<span style="color: #b000ff;">SuperSupermario24</span>]] 06:32, 1 June 2019 (UTC)

== Comic rotation ==

Anyone else notice the comic is rotated 90 degrees clockwise for them on the xkcd website? I’m using Safari on an iPhone. {{unsigned|172.68.142.209}}
:It's fine in Chrome on Android and Debian. [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 01:13, 12 May 2019 (UTC)
::Exif.Image.Orientation is set to rotate the image. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.238|108.162.219.238]] 21:10, 13 February 2020 (UTC)
::Also rotated in Chrome on Mac as of May 2020
:::As well as for Chrome on PC as of July 2020.[[User:Blueshoes317|Blueshoes317]] ([[User talk:Blueshoes317|talk]]) 16:26, 3 July 2020 (UTC)

Talk:76: Familiar

2020-07-03T16:25:30Z

Blueshoes317: /* Comic rotation */

2321: Low-Background Metal

2020-06-17T16:48:22Z

Blueshoes317: Added first explanation

{{comic
| number = 2321
| date = June 17, 2020
| title = Low-Background Metal
| image = low_background_metal.png
| titletext = The only effect on the history books were a few confusing accounts of something called 'Greek fire.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TIME TRAVELER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In this comic, Megan and Black Hat have invented time travel. Time travel is a common trope in Science Fiction, and such a discovery would be likely to change the world as we know it. However, Megan and Black Hat's machine requires the use of metal with little to no radiation, meaning currently available metals are too passively radioactive for safe use. Noting that the only way they can obtain this metal, which is presumably consumed upon use of the machine, is by salvaging it from ancient Roman ships, they use the machine to travel back in time to when the Roman Empire was at its height in order to sink its vessels and in turn create more Roman lead for them to use. The title text references Greek Fire, an unknown compound that can burn underwater if set alight. This means, presumably, that the time machine and Megan & Black Hat's interference was mistaken for a Greek attack, which would then give it the name Greek Fire.

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

{{comic discussion}}

474: Turn-On

2019-10-14T20:39:30Z

Blueshoes317: Added probably to "if you read this line the Earth is still here" to correct possible contingency error

{{comic
| number = 474
| date = September 10, 2008
| title = Turn-On
| image = turn-on.png
| titletext = Supercollider? I 'ardly know 'er!
}}

==Explanation==
This comic refers to the first start-up (turn-on) of {{w|CERN|CERN's}} {{w|Large Hadron Collider}} (LHC). There was a theoretical concern that that the LHC experiments could create a {{w|black hole}} which would suck in our planet.

[[Cueball]] uses this concern when telling [[Megan]] this could be their last night on Earth, but since the scene is in a bar this is just another lame entry he uses because he just wants to spend the night with her.

Megan answers as a physicist and explains that first of all they will not start colliding particles just because they actually turn-on the collider. That will take a while during which everything needs to be checked. Secondly scientists have determined that the fears are unfounded — among other because cosmic rays have already been bombarding the earth with particles even more energetic than those created by the LHC. Thus if the LHC could create a black hole that would suck up the earth, then that would have happened long ago due to the cosmic rays! (At present time the collider has been colliding particles for years, and if you read this line the Earth is probably still here.)

Cueball feels rejected by her answer and turns away to leave her, but she calls him back explaining very directly that she did not say "no" to his request (to try to stay a night with her). Also as she is a physics grad student she needs an excuse to party — the excuse being that the LHC is turned-on.

Cueball feels encouraged and continues his attempt to get her in to bed. But in his next sentence he involuntarily uses three of the six {{w|Quark}} flavors ({{w|Up quark}}, {{w|Charm quark}}, and {{w|Strange quark}}). Megan continues to be very direct when asking if she has to be on top or bottom (when they are going to have sex). But this is also a sentence she chooses so she can continue using quark flavors ({{w|Top quark}} and {{w|Bottom quark}}). Cueball is flustered and complains that she is assuming too much since he hasn't even bought her a drink. Megan then makes it even worse when she does the order of two {{w|Whiskey sour|Whiskey sours}} just straight down - to use the final flavor ({{w|Down quark}}).

Maybe she just teases Cueball (with her knowledge about the LHC and quarks), or else she is actually so turned-on by the LHC Turn-On that she wishes to have sex with Cueball as soon as possible.

The quarks are some fundamental particles the LHC is generating. All six {{w|Flavour (particle physics)|flavors}} of quarks are in the last panel: Up, Down, Top, Bottom, Charm and Strange. They are also referenced in [[1418: Horse]], [[1621: Fixion]] and in [[1731: Wrong]], the latter also mentioning the up and down flavor. The mention of the drinks being served "straight down" is a reversal of the common bar-tending term "straight up", but there is no "straight down" in bar-tending.

The title text is of course a very old joke "[http://urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=I+Hardly+Know+Her I 'ardly know 'er!]". In this case Supercollider (another name for the LHC) should be misunderstood as "(Did you) Supercollide her?", which you could put into a (nasty?) sexual context. Using this sentence at the wrong moment could be bad for a nice romance. This could be a reference to the ''{{w|Futurama}}'' episode "{{w|That's Lobstertainment!}}", in which Humorbot 5.0 tells a similar supercollider joke.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks up to Megan sitting at bar.]
:Cueball: So, the LHC's turning on. This could be our last night on earth.
:[While Beret Guy as a bartender walks into the frame Megan replies without turning]
:Megan: Gimme a break. They're not even colliding yet, and it won't do anything cosmic rays haven't.
:[Cueball turns and walks away. But then Megan turns towards him and says:]
:Megan: Hey, I didn't say no.
:Megan: I'm a physics grad student. I need the excuse to party.
:[Cueball turns back and they talk:]
:Cueball: So, you're up for a night with a charming stranger?
:Megan: Depends. Top or bottom?
:Cueball: Hey, I haven't even bought you a drink.
:Megan: Barkeep, two whiskey sours, straight down.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Sex]]

2179: NWS Warnings

2019-07-22T23:12:33Z

Blueshoes317:

{{comic
| number = 2179
| date = July 23, 2019
| title = NWS Warnings
| image = nws_warnings.png
| titletext = Kind of rude of them to simultaneously issue an EVACUATION - IMMEDIATE alert, a SHELTER IN PLACE alert, and a 911 TELEPHONE OUTAGE alert.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|First human-made explanation. Not complete or final. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The [[wiki:National Weather Service|National Weather Service]] is a United States Federal Agency that is known for issuing national weather forecasts and extreme weather alerts.

This comic portrays the NWS as a person that needs breaks, which is absurd, as it an important service and would probably always have staff active, even on holidays.

Regardless, the NWS has decided to take a break, and so has opted to issue every extreme weather alert possible for the entire country to make sure one is caught by surprise by extreme weather, since the NWS will not be able to issue warnings.
The title text mentions how some weather requires action to get to safety that contradicts itself, for example, an evacuation warning and a shelter in place order, since doing one would mean failing the other.

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

{{comic discussion}}

2179: NWS Warnings

2019-07-22T23:10:51Z

Blueshoes317: First edit

{{comic
| number = 2179
| date = July 23, 2019
| title = NWS Warnings
| image = nws_warnings.png
| titletext = Kind of rude of them to simultaneously issue an EVACUATION - IMMEDIATE alert, a SHELTER IN PLACE alert, and a 911 TELEPHONE OUTAGE alert.
}}

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

The [[wiki:National Weather Service|National Weather Service]] is a United States Federal Agency that is known for issuing national weather forecasts and extreme weather alerts.

This comic portrays the NWS as a person that needs breaks, which is absurd, as it an important service and would probably always have staff active, even on holidays.

Regardless, the NWS has decided to take a break, and so has opted to issue every extreme weather alert possible for the entire country to make sure one is caught by surprise by extreme weather, since the NWS will not be able to issue warnings.
The title text mentions how some weather requires action to get to safety that contradicts itself, for example, an evacuation warning and a shelter in place order, since doing one would mean failing the other.

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

{{comic discussion}}