explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:23:55Z

Bplimley: explanation of how colorblindness, myopia, and diplopia fit in

{{comic
| number = 1213
| date = May 17, 2013
| title = Combination Vision Test
| image = combination vision test.png
| titletext = If you see two numbers but they're both the same and you have to squint to read them, you have synesthesia, colorblindness, diplopia, and myopia.
}}

==Explanation==

There are two numbers embedded in the big circle of numbers, in the same way as a common [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_perception_test Color perception test]. The numbers are four and two, forming the number [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_%28number%29 42], which is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Answer_to_The_Ultimate_Question_of_Life,_the_Universe,_and_Everything "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything"] according to the fiction book [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy].

The number 4 is composed of only the digits 2, 3, 5 and 7, which are the only four [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number prime numbers] in the range 1-9.

The number 2 is composed of only the digits 3, 5, 7 and 9, apparently all odd numbers below 10 except for 1.

In [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia synesthesia], perception in one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Common examples are experiencing colors when seeing numbers or words, hearing tones or music while reading words or text, seeing sequences of numbers or month names in a distinct and fixed shape, etc. If we give some numbers a color, such as how a person with number to color synesthesia would see it, we get this:

[[File:BLIQR6w.png]]

The comic playfully suggests that if you have synesthesia as well as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorblindness colorblindness], then some of the colors might appear identical and so one number would not be visible, only leaving the other number.

The alt-text brings in two more conditions: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplopia diplopia], or double vision, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myopia myopia], or near-sightedness. Those who are near-sighted sometimes see distant objects more clearly while squinting. Then they would be able to see the one large number still visible from the synesthesia/colorblindness combination, but because of double vision they see a second copy of it, hence two numbers that are the same.

==Transcript==
You see A circle filled with a couple thousand numeric digits.

Title: Combination Vision Test

Caption: If you can see one big number but not the other, you have synesthesia and colorblindness.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]

Talk:1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:18:26Z

Bplimley:

Number is "42".
The 4 is composed of 2's and 3's and 7's.
The 2 is composed of 3's and 7's and 9's.
--[[User:RainbowDash|RainbowDash]] ([[User talk:RainbowDash|talk]]) 05:16, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
:What about 7s? --[[Special:Contributions/81.23.24.34|81.23.24.34]] 06:13, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

Also both have 5's. I'm not very good at this counting thing. That link below is way better, anyhow. --[[User:RainbowDash|RainbowDash]] ([[User talk:RainbowDash|talk]]) 05:28, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

http://i.imgur.com/BLIQR6w.png

Credit: http://www.reddit.com/user/silly-moose

: Thanks --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 07:06, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

I'm not confident enough about this to write up an explanation, but given that synesthesia is a sensory experience where the senses blend into each other (hearing colors, tasting sounds, etc...) that a round shape or black and white (why is it not in color? that would help the joke imho) give the sense of a number to the synesthete. The alt text at least makes sense, seeing two big numbers fits with diplopia (double vision) and the squinting covers myopia (nearsightedness) so it is consistent with the main joke, but I feel like I'm really missing something in the main joke. [[User:Chexwarrior|Chexwarrior]] ([[User talk:Chexwarrior|talk]]) 06:43, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

In the original b&w image, I keep seeing an 8 on the right and a vague 0, 9, or 4 on the left. I'm not certain if the b&w actually has a definite "answer" or specific number(s) one is supposed to be seeing. I seem to recall an xkcd with an Ishihara test before (but can't find it so it may just be a confabulation), in which case this one may be a reference to that and actually have a referential "answer".

I'm not an optometrist, but Chexwarrior,'s explanation of the alt text seems correct to me. [[User:Plazma|Plazma]] ([[User talk:Plazma|talk]]) 07:00, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

On the left half, the number 9 is missing. Similarly, on the right the number 2 is missing. This makes the number 92 or 29 (any ideas?). There is a floating 2 in the bottom center, the origin is unknown but it does look like a decimal point but that yould defeat the purpose of the number 42 (any ideas?) --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 07:06, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

I was thinking the explanation of the descriptive text (not alt-text) is as follows: the synesthesia is seeing numbers and associating colors with them. So when you look at the numbers in the image, you see certain colors, so the large numbers stand out because they are different colors from the background. But if you're colorblind, (hypothetically) then some of those number-colors might look the same and so the numbers (not sure why only one) would not be visible. [[User:Bplimley|Bplimley]] ([[User talk:Bplimley|talk]]) 07:18, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:18:03Z

Bplimley:

1201: Integration by Parts

2013-04-19T07:12:48Z

Bplimley: explained integration more

{{comic
| number = 1201
| date = April 19, 2013
| title = Integration by Parts
| image = integration by parts.png
| titletext = If you can manage to choose u and v such that u = v = x, then the answer is just (1/2)x^2, which is easy to remember. Oh, and add a '+C' or you'll get yelled at.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Integration by parts}} is an integration strategy that is used to evaluate difficult integrals by trying to find simpler integrals derived from the original. It is commonly a source of confusion or irritation for students when they first learn it, due to the fact that there is really no way to accurately predict the proper u/dv separation just by looking at an integral. Integration by parts requires patience, trial and error, and experience.

Randall shows a somewhat complicated math problem and, in an attempt to "help", simplifies it into a more compact integral. This is the first part of performing integration by parts, which involves the guessing. Having gotten it into integration by parts format, he then leaves without describing the actual solution. The general integral integral(u dv) is equal to uv - integral(v du), and this is the more tedious part of the math and where problems will arise if you picked the wrong u and dv at the beginning. The narrator makes a point of leaving here, so we can't ask for help or complain if the choice of u and dv was wrong.

In the title text, he points out that the integral of x can be divided so that u = x and dv = dx (implying v = x), which leads to the result (1/2)x^2. Mathematics teachers and extreme math geeks will cringe at this answer, however, since an indefinite integral requires an integration constant. The correct answer is actually (1/2)x^2 + C, as Randall hints.

==Transcript==
:A Guide to
:Integration by Parts:

:Given a problem of the form:
::∫f(x)g(x)dx=?
:Choose variables u and v such that
::u=f(x)
::dv=g(x)dx
:Now the expression becomes:
::∫udv=?
:Which ''definitely'' looks easier.
:Anyway, I gotta run.
:But good luck!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Sarcasm]]

528: Windows 7

2013-04-15T01:04:24Z

Bplimley: added wikipedia links

{{comic
| number = 528
| date = January 9, 2009
| title = Windows 7
| image = windows_7.png
| titletext = Disclaimer: I have not actually tried the beta yet. I hear it's quite pleasant and hardly Hitler-y at all.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Megan]] is observing [[Cueball]] use a laptop on which he has installed the {{w|Windows 7}} beta. However, the alleged Windows 7 beta is showing nothing but a picture of Adolf Hitler and Cueball is unable to do anything. Cueball then presses {{w|Control-Alt-Delete}} (the well-known Windows Secure Attention Sequence which opens Task Manager or displays a list of options which includes 'Shut Down' and 'Restart') as suggested by Megan, but only manages to make the picture's eyes flash.

The fourth panel shows Megan commenting that this {{w|Windows 7}} beta is better than {{w|Windows Vista}}, to which Cueball agrees. The joke is that Megan deems a mostly non-functional OS better than {{w|Windows Vista}}, which had problems that were mocked in Apple Mac OS TV commercials.

The title text is a disclaimer stating that [[Randall]] has not tried the beta at the time this comic was written, but has heard positive opinions about it.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is standing behind Cueball sitting at a desk using his laptop]
:Megan: What are you doing?
:Cueball: Trying the Windows 7 beta.
:Megan: Why is it showing a picture of Hitler?
:[The laptop's screen is shown with Adolf Hitler's face on it]
:Cueball: I don't know. I can't get it to do anything else.
:Megan: There's no UI?
:Cueball: No, just Hitler.
:[Return to the original scene, except Megan is now scratching her head in confusion]
:Megan: Did you try Ctrl-Alt-Delete?
:Cueball: It just makes Hitler's eyes flash.
:Megan: Huh.
:[Scene remains basically the same, except Megan is no longer scratching her head and Cueball is no longer typing on the laptop]
:Megan: Well, it's better than Vista.
:Cueball: True.

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

649: Static

2013-04-12T08:01:22Z

Bplimley: added title text explanation

{{comic
| number = 649
| date = October 14, 2009
| title = Static
| image = static.png
| titletext = I firmly believe that nothing can go wrong on a project if you're wearing one of those wrist things.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic describes an unlikely confusion between a {{w|condom}} and an {{w|antistatic wrist strap}}. The two characters, presumably Cueball and Megan, are in the dark and about to engage in {{w|sexual intercourse}}. Megan checks that Cueball has a condom on. Cueball thinks a condom isn't necessary because he has an antistatic wrist strap on. Megan (and the reader of the comic) finds this ridiculous.

{{w|Antistatic wrist straps}} are important safety tools for {{w|electronics}} work such as handling computer parts. The wrist stap provides a conduction path directly from one's skin to an {{w|electrical ground}}, preventing the buildup of {{w|static electricity}} which, if accidentally discharged upon touching part of a circuit, can damage sensitive electronic components.

{{w|Condoms}}, on the other hand, are an important safety tool for sex, as {{w|birth control}} and protection from {{w|STDs}}.

The confusion is humorous because both items have abstract similarities, but are used in wildly different kinds of activities. In an abstract sense, both are items that you want to be sure to put on before engaging in a certain activity, wearing it throughout that activity to prevent any disastrous accidental effects.

The last panel implies that in his confusion, Cueball put on a condom in order to replace the {{w|RAM}} in his computer the previous week. Rather than actually asking about it, Megan just thought that was weird. {{w|Geek squad}} is the computer service department of the {{w|Best Buy}} chain of American electronics superstores. So Cueball also implies that he put on a condom while working in Best Buy, for performing computer repair, and so he was fired for indecency.

The title text conveys the irrational belief that nothing can go wrong on a project while wearing an antistatic wrist band. In reality, the wrist band will only protect your electronics from {{w|electrostatic discharge}}, and there are plenty of other things that could go wrong on an electronics project, such as bad soldering, installing the wrong component, mechanical damage through excessive force, or even electric shock from an exposed live voltage. Or the text could be referring to even non-electronics projects, in which case the wrist band would really be pointless.

==Transcript==
:[It's dark. There are only the voices of a man and his lover.]

:Lover: Hang on, I can't see--did you put on a condom?
:Man: It's okay. I've got a wrist thing on.

:Lover: A what? Let me see that.
:<<fumble>>
:Lover: This is an anti-static strap.

:Man: You mean it doesn't ...
:Lover: No. Why would you even THINK that?
:Man: I guess I was mixed up.

:Man: Wait, so when I was replacing that RAM last week ...
:Lover: Yeah, I THOUGHT that was weird.
:Man: Oh, but it explains why the geek squad fired me.

{{comic discussion}}

649: Static

2013-04-12T07:56:23Z

Bplimley: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 649
| date = October 14, 2009
| title = Static
| image = static.png
| titletext = I firmly believe that nothing can go wrong on a project if you're wearing one of those wrist things.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic describes an unlikely confusion between a {{w|condom}} and an {{w|antistatic wrist strap}}. The two characters, presumably Cueball and Megan, are in the dark and about to engage in {{w|sexual intercourse}}. Megan checks that Cueball has a condom on. Cueball thinks a condom isn't necessary because he has an antistatic wrist strap on. Megan (and the reader of the comic) finds this ridiculous.

{{w|Antistatic wrist straps}} are important safety tools for {{w|electronics}} work such as handling computer parts. The wrist stap provides a conduction path directly from one's skin to an {{w|electrical ground}}, preventing the buildup of {{w|static electricity}} which, if accidentally discharged upon touching part of a circuit, can damage sensitive electronic components.

{{w|Condoms}}, on the other hand, are an important safety tool for sex, as {{w|birth control}} and protection from {{w|STDs}}.

The confusion is humorous because both items have abstract similarities, but are used in wildly different kinds of activities. In an abstract sense, both are items that you want to be sure to put on before engaging in a certain activity, wearing it throughout that activity to prevent any disastrous accidental effects.

The last panel implies that in his confusion, Cueball put on a condom in order to replace the {{w|RAM}} in his computer the previous week. Rather than actually asking about it, Megan just thought that was weird. {{w|Geek squad}} is the computer service department of the {{w|Best Buy}} chain of American electronics superstores. So Cueball also implies that he put on a condom while working in Best Buy, for performing computer repair, and so he was fired for indecency.

==Transcript==
:[It's dark. There are only the voices of a man and his lover.]

:Lover: Hang on, I can't see--did you put on a condom?
:Man: It's okay. I've got a wrist thing on.

:Lover: A what? Let me see that.
:<<fumble>>
:Lover: This is an anti-static strap.

:Man: You mean it doesn't ...
:Lover: No. Why would you even THINK that?
:Man: I guess I was mixed up.

:Man: Wait, so when I was replacing that RAM last week ...
:Lover: Yeah, I THOUGHT that was weird.
:Man: Oh, but it explains why the geek squad fired me.

{{comic discussion}}

649: Static

2013-04-12T07:55:40Z

Bplimley: Created page with "{{comic | number = 649 | date = October 14, 2009 | title = Static | image = static.png | titletext = I firmly believe that nothing can go wrong on a project if..."

{{comic
| number = 649
| date = October 14, 2009
| title = Static
| image = static.png
| titletext = I firmly believe that nothing can go wrong on a project if you're wearing one of those wrist things.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic describes an unlikely confusion between a {{w|condom}} and an {{w|antistatic wrist strap}}. The two characters, presumably Cueball and Megan, are in the dark and about to engage in {{w|sexual intercourse}}. Megan checks that Cueball has a condom on. Cueball thinks a condom isn't necessary because he has an antistatic wrist strap on. Megan (and the reader of the comic) finds this ridiculous.

{{w|Antistatic wrist straps}} are important safety tools for {{w|electronics}} work such as handling computer parts. The wrist stap provides a conduction path directly from one's skin to an {{w|electrical ground}}, preventing the buildup of {{w|static electricity}} which, if accidentally discharged upon touching part of a circuit, can damage sensitive electronic components.

{{w|Condoms}}, on the other hand, are an important safety tool for sex, as {{w|birth control}} and protection from {{w|STDs}}.

The confusion is humorous because both items have abstract similarities, but are used in wildly different kinds of activities. In an abstract sense, both are items that you want to be sure to put on before engaging in a certain activity, wearing it throughout that activity to prevent any disastrous accidental effects.

The last panel implies that in his confusion, Cueball put on a condom in order to replace the {{w|RAM}} in his computer the previous week. Rather than actually asking about it, Megan just thought that was weird. {{w|Geek squad}} is the computer service department of the {{w|Best Buy}} chain of American electronics superstores. So Cueball also implies that he put on a condom while working in Best Buy, for performing computer repair, and so he was fired for indecency.

==Transcript==
[It's dark. There are only the voices of a man and his lover.]

Lover: Hang on, I can't see--did you put on a condom?
Man: It's okay. I've got a wrist thing on.

Lover: A what? Let me see that.
<<fumble>>;
Lover: This is an anti-static strap.

Man: You mean it doesn't ...
Lover: No. Why would you even THINK that?
Man: I guess I was mixed up.

Man: Wait, so when I was replacing that RAM last week ...
Lover: Yeah, I THOUGHT that was weird.
Man: Oh, but it explains why the geek squad fired me.

{{comic discussion}}

646: Conversations

2013-04-12T07:36:45Z

Bplimley: Created page with "{{comic | number = 646 | date = October 7, 2009 | title = Conversations | image = conversations.png | titletext = If the dysentery graph looks historically ina..."

{{comic
| number = 646
| date = October 7, 2009
| title = Conversations
| image = conversations.png
| titletext = If the dysentery graph looks historically inaccurate it's because I got all my data from Oregon Trail.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic humorously links both {{w|dysentery}} and {{w|laptop computers}} with conversations in which one participant is on the {{w|toilet}}.

{{w|Dysentery}} results from viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections in the intestine, and is characterized by severe {{w|diarrhea}}, which means that someone will be on the toilet frequently and/or for a long time. So when dysentery was more prevalent, people spent more time on the toilet and presumably would have to talk to other people while sitting there. Dysentery has largely subsided in the developed world, which is why the graph of dysentery cases falls to near zero over time.

Laptops could cause toilet conversations because {{w|wireless internet}} allows people to carry their laptop anywhere around the house, even to the bathroom. They can still communicate with friends by text, voice, or even video chat, which means people can multitask by holding an online conversation while sitting on the toilet. If the chatting is just in text, then the other person won't have to know that their friend is on the toilet. (Hopefully voice and video chat are less common while sitting on the toilet.)

There are always some conversations on the toilet, e.g. for urgent things at home, which explains why the conversations graph does not reach zero in the middle.

The title text refers to a popular educational computer game around the 1980s titled {{w|The_Oregon_Trail_(video_game)|The Oregon Trail}}. The game purports to educate students about 19th-century {{w|pioneer}} life on the {{w|Oregon Trail}} in the western {{w|United States}}. Among the features in the game is the common occurence for a party member to die of a disease such as {{w|cholera}}, {{w|typhoid}}, or {{w|dysentery}}. The title text humorously suggests that the data for the graph comes from occurences of dysentery in the game.

==Transcript==
:[A graph plots time vs. 3 lines.]
:[Dysentery cases starts high, drops to near zero with time.]
:[Laptop sales starts at zero, then raises.]
:[Frequency of conversations in which one participant is on the toilet - falls as dysentery cases falls, then rises again with laptop sales.]

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:669: Experiment

2013-04-07T10:18:14Z

Bplimley: Created page with "I'm a science grad student, so these kinds of comics in particular I'm having fun writing for... (now if only I were writing my dissertation instead...) ~~~~"

I'm a science grad student, so these kinds of comics in particular I'm having fun writing for... (now if only I were writing my dissertation instead...) [[User:Bplimley|Bplimley]] ([[User talk:Bplimley|talk]]) 10:18, 7 April 2013 (UTC)

669: Experiment

2013-04-07T10:05:53Z

Bplimley: Created page with "{{comic | number = 669 | date = November 30, 2009 | title = Experiment | image = experiment.png | titletext = The other two are still lost on the infinite plan..."

{{comic
| number = 669
| date = November 30, 2009
| title = Experiment
| image = experiment.png
| titletext = The other two are still lost on the infinite plane of uniform density.
}}

==Explanation==
Problems in the study of {{w|kinematics}} often idealize the environment of the problem for the sake of simplicity. Specifically, it is assumed that objects are moving in a {{w|vacuum}} and that there is no {{w|friction}}. Then the complicated effects of air resistance and surface frictions can be ignored, and the more basic principles of momentum and energy can be explored. In more advanced physics, it is often easier or necessary to ignore friction if the process being studied is very complicated. So it could be said that "physics professors like working in a frictionless vacuum".

In the comic, Hat Guy and Hat Girl have interpreted that statement to mean that physics professors like doing their work while they are in a frictionless vacuum, instead of liking to work with problems which are set in a frictionless vacuum. Apparently, they have drugged a physics professor and put them in a glass dome which they can evacuate and make frictionless. The professor wakes up confused from the drugs, and as the air is pumped out to make a vacuum, his words fade to silence because sound waves requires a substance such as air to travel through. As he starts to panic, he tries to reach his laptop computer which is on the floor in front of him. However, without friction on the floor, he cannot exert any force to move forward, and his feet skate uselessly on the ground until he loses balance and falls. At this point he is probably suffering from {{w|asphyxiation}}. Hat Guy and Hat Girl are observing from outside the dome, and decide that physics professors have lied about liking to work in frictionless vacuums.

The title text refers to another common idealization, of an infinite {{w|plane}} of uniform {{w|density}}. An infinite plane extends forever in two dimensions, which makes calculations easier because surface-related properties are identical everywhere. "Uniform density" could refer to the mass density of the plane, or more likely an {{w|electric charge}} density, which makes a common problem in basic {{w|electromagnetism}} involving calculating the {{w|electric field}}. The "other two physicists" that Hat Guy and Hat Girl are experimenting on are lost on the infinite plane, since there are no edges or landmarks anywhere to give them direction.

It should be noted that, although a vacuum can be approximated using {{w|vacuum pumps}}, {{w|frictionless plane|frictionless surfaces}} and infinite planes are only imaginary constructs and cannot exist in our universe.

==Transcript==
:[Darkness.]

:[Someone is standing next to a laptop, looking groggy.]
:Person: Ugh ...
:Person: What happened?

:Person: Where am I?
:<<FWOOOOOOSH>>
:Person: Help! Someone help me--
:[His speech fades out into nothing.]

:[He holds his hands to his mouth.]

:[He looks shocked.]

:[He tries to run, but has no traction against the ground.]

:[He falls over.]

:[He lies prone.]

:[Hat guy and hat girl are watching this scene from outside the room. He is holding a clipboard.]
:Hat Guy: Huh. Looks like physics professors don't like working in frictionless vacuums after all.
:Hat Girl: They're such liars.

{{comic discussion}}

673: The Sun

2013-04-07T09:38:53Z

Bplimley: Created page with "{{comic | number = 673 | date = December 9, 2009 | title = The Sun | image = the_sun.png | titletext = Obligatory bad guy: This operation is sheer foolishness,..."

{{comic
| number = 673
| date = December 9, 2009
| title = The Sun
| image = the_sun.png
| titletext = Obligatory bad guy: This operation is sheer foolishness, and it's not happening on my watch! Mainly because I can't figure out how to adjust the time.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic makes fun of {{w|science fiction}} {{w|disaster movies}} and includes puns about {{w|daylight savings time}}. It reads like a {{w|movie trailer}}.

"{{w|The Core}}" is a 2003 American science fiction disaster movie, concerning a team that has to drill to the center of the Earth and set off a series of nuclear explosions in order to restart the rotation of Earth's core.

{{w|Daylight savings time}} (or "summer time" in Europe and elsewhere) is the practice of advancing clocks during the summer so that evenings have more daylight, and mornings less.

The movie described by the comic shows a scenario where the "sun's fusion is failing". The {{w|sun}}'s energy comes from nuclear fusion reactions among the extremely hot dense hydrogen plasma in its core. The idea of the sun's fusion failing is rather ridiculous from a scientific perspective, because the fusion reactions are well understood and the sun has enough hydrogen to fuel it for about 5 billion more years. The solution is to send a team of astronauts to the sun to restart the fusion (and this is even more nonsensical from a scientific perspective). The team leader is motivated by concern that if the sun's fusion stops, there will be no more light, and so the earth will be in perpetual nighttime.

The final panel gives the movie's name and subtitle. "Daylight Savings Time" refers both to the policy of changing clocks, which is intended to "save" daylight for a more useful part of the day; and the scenario in this movie in which it is time for the team to literally save the sun's daylight from being extinguished. "Never fall back" is an additional word play on the {{w|mnemonic}} used (in the States at least) to remember the direction to change clocks. The mnemonic goes, {{w|Spring_forward,_fall_back#Terminology|"spring forward, fall back"}} to indicate that in the spring season, clocks get set ahead by an hour, while in the fall the clocks are set backwards an hour. The phrase "fall back", however, can also mean to retreat in battle.

The comic makes fun of these disaster movies in a couple ways. The characters in the first panel acknowledge that the scenario doesn't make sense scientifically, but are prepared to sacrifice scientific value for the plot. Also, in the second panel the team is to be composed of {{w|NASA}}'s "hottest astronauts", which makes fun of the fact that the characters in movies are much more attractive than average.

The movie "{{w|The Core}}" shares similar issues as those illustrated in this comic, particularly the {{w|The_core#Critical_reaction|questionable science involved}}.

==Transcript==
:Coming this March from the makers of The Core ...
:[A woman is looking through a telescope in an observatory. Two men are nearby.]
:Woman: The sun's fusion is failing!
:Man 1: (small) Does that make sense?
:Man 2: (small) Whatever.

:Woman: If we don't send a ship to restart it, it could go out completely!
:Man 1: Call NASA!
:Man 2: (on the phone) Assemble our hottest astronauts.

:[Four astronauts stand at the other end of the phone. The one holding the handset has the helmet of a space suit under his arm.]
:Astronaut: The earth bathed in eternal darkness? A night without a dawn? Not on my watch!
:Astronaut: Saddle up.

:[The four astronauts are shown in silhouette on gray, casting huge shadows towards the bottom of the panel from the sun in the center.]
:It's DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.
:(caption) Never fall back.

{{comic discussion}}

675: Revolutionary

2013-04-07T09:03:27Z

Bplimley: Created page with "{{comic | number = 675 | date = December 14, 2009 | title = Revolutionary | image = revolutionary.png | titletext = I mean, what's more likely -- that I have u..."

{{comic
| number = 675
| date = December 14, 2009
| title = Revolutionary
| image = revolutionary.png
| titletext = I mean, what's more likely -- that I have uncovered fundamental flaws in this field that no one in it has ever thought about, or that I need to read a little more? Hint: it's the one that involves less work.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic contrasts brilliant revolutionary scientific thought, with the simplistic arrogance of assuming one understands the current scientific theory enough to correct it. The character with the goatee has a degree in {{w|philosophy}}, and perhaps has certain ideas of his own about how the world should fundamentally be described by physics. He has studied Einstein's {{w|theory of special relativity}} for less than an hour and thinks it is wrong, and that he has a better theory. When confronted about this, he considers the objection as based in {{w|dogma}}, and remains so confident that he wants to email the "president of physics". His ignorance of the field is emphasized by thinking that the entire field of physics has a president (although certain important organizations such as the {{w|American Physical Society}} do have presidents).

The other character concedes that it is possible for such a revolutionary idea to come from a relative outsider. One example is {{w|Albert Einstein}}'s own formulation of {{w|special relativity}}, which came while he was working at a patent office in Switzerland, although he did already have a Ph.D in physics. A {{w|thought experiment}} considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences.

The "racecar on a train" idea alludes to thought experiments involving {{w|Frame_of_reference#Simple_example|frames of reference}}, which are important in relativity.

The title text suggests that the philosopher is willing to believe whatever is most convenient.

==Transcript==
:Cueball: Yes, science is an open process in which a good idea can come from anybody.

:Cueball: Yes, widely-believed theories are on occasion overturned by simple thought experiments.

:Cueball: And yes, your philosophy degree equips you to ask interesting questions sometimes.

:[Cueball is talking to a philosopher with a goatee, who is sitting at a computer.]
:Cueball: But you did not just overturn special relativity, a subject you learned about an hour ago, with your "racecar on a train" idea.
:Philosopher: You just don't like that I'm turning a rational eye to your dogma. Hey, what's the email for the president of physics?

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

683: Science Montage

2013-04-06T10:45:20Z

Bplimley: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 683
| date = January 1, 2010
| title = Science Montage
| image = science_montage.png
| titletext = The rat's perturbed; it must sense nanobots! Code grey! We have a Helvetica scenario!
}}

==Explanation==
This comic makes fun of the artificially dramatized and simplified depiction of science in movies. The unstated premise seems to be that the scientists are trying to get information about a murderer based on a sample obtained from his clothing. The movie version of events involves the characters doing exciting things with a computer display, lab rats, a laser, and a complicated chemical apparatus. The characters quickly arrive at the firm conclusion that paint on the clothes is from an "antimatter factory" in Belgrade, Serbia.

The actual science version shows the scientists putting a sample into a machine (perhaps a {{w|mass spectrometer}}). The machine takes 20 minutes to analyze the sample (according to the clock on the wall). At the end of this process, the only thing learned is that there is likely no {{w|barium}} or {{w|radium}} in the sample. This conclusion is not very helpful, and is not even very certain.

There are several major concepts about science and technology that movies tend to distort for the purposes of a more exciting plot, both illustrated here. One is that the work involves a lot of different exciting-looking gadgets. Another is that the analysis can be done very quickly, and results in very certain and significant conclusions. Besides this, the scientists often seem to have access to a database full of trivial information from around the world. In reality, a scientific analysis of some sample or data often only requires a single boring-looking machine, takes quite some time, and provides a limited result that must be interpreted very carefully to have any meaning at all.

The alt-text further illustrates movie science by observing a lab rat and deducing the presence of {{w|nanobots}}.

==Transcript==
:Movie Science Montage

:[One scientist passes a test tube to another, who's sitting at a machine. They're both wearing lab coats and goggles. Lights and screens are shining, and there's a hamster ball and a Newton's cradle on a shelf behind them.]

:[There's a glowing sample next to a rat in a cage. One of the scientists is holding a glowing implement; she has another rat in her hand and one on her head. The other scientist is on the phone.]
:Caged Rat: Squeak!

:[One of the scientists pulls levers on another machine, which is shooting some kind of ray downwards a a sample.]

:[The other scientist is operating a machine with a scope, flasks, coils, and bubbles.]
:Scientist (in panel): Paint flecks from the killer's clothing match an antimatter factory in Belgrade!
:Scientist (off panel): Let's go!

:Actual Science Montage

:[Two scientists in lab coats and goggles place a sample into a machine. There's a clock on the wall.]

:[Time has passed.]
:Machine: <<...whirrrrrr...>>

:[Time has passed. One of the scientists has removed his goggles.]
:Machine: <<...whirrrr...bing!>>

:[They examine the sample.]
:Male Scientist: Okay, we've determined there's neither barium nor radium in this sample.
:Female Scientist: Probably.

{{comic discussion}}

678: Researcher Translation

2013-04-06T10:44:41Z

Bplimley: Created page with "{{comic | number = 678 | date = December 21, 2009 | title = Researcher Translation | image = researcher_translation.png | titletext = A technology that is &#39..."

{{comic
| number = 678
| date = December 21, 2009
| title = Researcher Translation
| image = researcher_translation.png
| titletext = A technology that is '20 years away' will be 20 years away indefinitely.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic suggests a translation from the statements of the researcher of a potential new technology. These statements might be found in, for example, an article in a popular science magazine which highlights some cutting-edge research. It reflects the idea that researchers tend to be too optimistic about the future of their research project.

"The fourth quarter of next year": Even if a technological development seems very close to completion, it could still be canceled by some authority other than the lead researcher. This might be due to poor management, or a poor business plan, or even a poor scientific basis which the researcher is hiding or ignoring.

"Five years": The researcher has solved the interesting scientific problems, and assumes that the concept could be picked up by a business, developed to be useable outside of a research lab, designed into a prototype, have a manufacturing process, marketed, and made available to consumers, in only five years. In reality, a lot of exciting-sounding technology may not reach consumers for many years because of difficulties in the business side of things.

"Ten years": Not only does the researcher assume that the business end of things will go smoothly, he also assumes that the rest of his research will go smoothly. In reality, a lot of unforeseen problems could arise during research.

"25+ years": The researcher further assumes that this technological application is scientifically possible.

"We're not really looking at market applications right now.": In contrast to the above chain of assumptions, in this case the researcher has a working technology but wants to keep it to himself.

Alt-text: "20 years away indefinitely": Sometimes the technological or engineering challenges for a certain application seem like they could be overcome in 20 years, but in reality the challenges are very difficult. The more the challenges are studied, the harder they are found to be, although there is always hope that a few more advances will do it. An example is {{w|fusion power}}, which has been conceptualized since at least 1946 as a potentially unlimited source of clean energy, but remains an elusive achievement despite projects such as the {{w|National Ignition Facility}} and {{w|ITER}}.

==Transcript==
:(A table showing two columns. The left column is labeled "If a researcher says a cool new technology should be available to consumers in...", and the right column is labeled "What they mean is...")
:[The fourth quarter of next year - The project will be canceled in six months.]
:[Five years - I've solved the interesting research problems. The rest is just business, which is easy, right?]
:[Ten years - We haven't finished inventing it yet, but when we do, it'll be awesome.]
:[25+ years - It has not been conclusively proven impossible.]
:[We're not really looking at market applications right now. - I like being the only one with a hovercar.]

{{comic discussion}}

683: Science Montage

2013-04-06T10:11:03Z

Bplimley: Created page with "{{comic | number = 683 | date = January 1, 2010 | title = Science Montage | image = science_montage.png | titletext = The rat's perturbed; it must sense na..."

{{comic
| number = 683
| date = January 1, 2010
| title = Science Montage
| image = science_montage.png
| titletext = The rat's perturbed; it must sense nanobots! Code grey! We have a Helvetica scenario!
}}

==Explanation==
This comic makes fun of the artificially dramatized and simplified depiction of science in movies. The unstated premise seems to be that the scientists are trying to get information about a murderer based on a sample obtained from his clothing. The movie version of events involves the characters doing exciting things with a computer display, lab rats, a laser, and a complicated chemical apparatus. The characters quickly arrive at the firm conclusion that paint on the clothes is from an ''antimatter factory'' in Belgrade, Serbia.

The actual science version shows the scientists putting a sample into a machine (perhaps a {{w|mass spectrometer}}). The machine takes 20 minutes to analyze the sample (according to the clock on the wall). At the end of this process, the only thing learned is that there is likely no {{w|barium}} or {{w|radium}} in the sample. This conclusion is not very helpful, and is not even very certain.

There are several major concepts about science and technology that movies tend to distort for the purposes of a more exciting plot, both illustrated here. One is that the work involves a lot of different exciting-looking gadgets. Another is that the analysis can be done very quickly, and results in very certain and significant conclusions. Besides this, the scientists often seem to have access to a database full of trivial information from around the world. In reality, a scientific analysis of some sample or data often only requires a single boring-looking machine, takes quite some time, and provides a limited result that must be interpreted very carefully to have any meaning at all.

The alt-text further illustrates movie science by observing a lab rat and deducing the presence of {{w|nanobots}}.

==Transcript==
:Movie Science Montage

:[One scientist passes a test tube to another, who's sitting at a machine. They're both wearing lab coats and goggles. Lights and screens are shining, and there's a hamster ball and a Newton's cradle on a shelf behind them.]

:[There's a glowing sample next to a rat in a cage. One of the scientists is holding a glowing implement; she has another rat in her hand and one on her head. The other scientist is on the phone.]
:Caged Rat: Squeak!

:[One of the scientists pulls levers on another machine, which is shooting some kind of ray downwards a a sample.]

:[The other scientist is operating a machine with a scope, flasks, coils, and bubbles.]
:Scientist (in panel): Paint flecks from the killer's clothing match an antimatter factory in Belgrade!
:Scientist (off panel): Let's go!

:Actual Science Montage

:[Two scientists in lab coats and goggles place a sample into a machine. There's a clock on the wall.]

:[Time has passed.]
:Machine: <<...whirrrrrr...>>

:[Time has passed. One of the scientists has removed his goggles.]
:Machine: <<...whirrrr...bing!>>

:[They examine the sample.]
:Male Scientist: Okay, we've determined there's neither barium nor radium in this sample.
:Female Scientist: Probably.

{{comic discussion}}

693: Children's Fantasy

2013-04-06T09:44:21Z

Bplimley: Created page with "{{comic | number = 693 | date = January 25, 2010 | title = Children's Fantasy | image = childrens_fantasy.png | titletext = I was going to be a scientist, but ..."

{{comic
| number = 693
| date = January 25, 2010
| title = Children's Fantasy
| image = childrens_fantasy.png
| titletext = I was going to be a scientist, but that seems silly now. Magical worlds exist. I've learned a huge truth about our place in the universe. I'm supposed to care about college? I mean, FUCK.
}}

==Explanation==
Children's fantasy stories such as {{w|The Chronicles of Narnia}} and {{w|The Phantom Tollbooth}} involve a kid who is magically transported out of their time to some fantastic realm, goes through trials and becomes a hero, and then is returned to their own mundane world at about the same time they left with no one else realizing or believing what happened to them. The growth of the protagonist often involves learning self-confidence.

The comic illustrates this type of story and considers what the rest of the child's life would really be like as they reach adulthood. If they tell their friends, spouse, and family what happened to them, no one will believe them and these loved ones will think them a bit crazy. If they don't tell anyone, they are pretending that the episode never happened. Either way, it seems this would not be an enjoyable experience to live with for their entire adult life.

The alt-text suggests that the kid doesn't care about science or education in comparison to the amazing revelation of knowing an alternate universe.

==Transcript==
:[Kid is sitting on the ground with his chin in his hand.]
:Kid: I'm such a loser--
:<<POP>>
:[Princess sticks her head through a portal.]
:Princess: Come quickly, young one!
:Kid: Holy crap, a portal!
:Princess: My kingdom needs you!

:[He falls through.]
:Kid: AAAAAA

:[We see him on horseback, helmeted wielding a sword. There's a castle on the horizon and two moons in the sky.]]

:[Kid, with helmet and sword, stands before King, Princess, and another warrior. Princess is holding out a ring.]]
:King: You've saved our kingdom and found your self-confidence. Now it's time to return home. Goodbye, young hero!
:Princess: Take this ring to remember us!

:[Kid stands alone, holding the ring.]
:Kid: Well, I guess I spend the rest of my life pretending that didn't happen or knowing that everyone I love suspects I'm crazy.
:Kid: This'll be a fun 70 years.

{{comic discussion}}

684: We Get It

2013-04-06T09:24:24Z

Bplimley: Created page with "{{comic | number = 684 | date = January 4, 2010 | title = We Get It | image = we_get_it.png | titletext = The most brutal way I've ever seen someone handle..."

{{comic
| number = 684
| date = January 4, 2010
| title = We Get It
| image = we_get_it.png
| titletext = The most brutal way I've ever seen someone handle this was 'Oh, you have a girlfriend. Are you going to get married?' 'I, uh, don't know--' 'Well, do you love her?' '...' 'Anyway, what were you saying about the movie?'
}}

==Explanation==
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_%282009_film%29 Avatar] is a 2009 movie that was very popular in theaters.

The comic illustrates how someone in a new relationship tends to be overly eager and giddy to let everyone know about it, while others tend to not be all that interested. The character on the left is so excited to let everyone know, that he goes off panel to get a ladder and a loudspeaker. The second character thinks it should be legal to murder him for this annoyance if he acts like this for more than a week. The first character is so giddy that he doesn't notice what he has done and even tries to mention his girlfriend again.

The title text describes a very harsh way to respond to this annoyance. Since someone in the position of the first character is so excited about the new romantic commitment in their life, their friend brings up the much greater and more serious commitment of marriage. If they have only been dating for a week or less, it is probably much too early for them to seriously think about marriage. The friend then implies that if they aren't already excited to marry her, then he doesn't really love her. The end result is that the first character doesn't want to talk about his relationship anymore.

==Transcript==
:[Two people are talking.]
:Person 1: Avatar? Yeah, I saw it last week with ...

:[Person 1 walks out of the panel.]

:[Person 1 returns with a ladder.]

:[Person 1 stands on top of the ladder, shouting through a megaphone.]
:Person 1: ... MY GIRLFRIEND.

:Person 2: You know, if this phase of your relationship lasts more than a week, I'm legally allowed to stab you both.
:Person 1: What phase?
:Person 1: So, did I mention I'm seeing someone?

{{comic discussion}}

691: MicroSD

2013-04-06T09:09:09Z

Bplimley: Created page with "{{comic | number = 691 | date = January 20, 2013 | title = MicroSD | image = microsd.png | titletext = That card holds a refrigerator carton's worth of flo..."

{{comic
| number = 691
| date = January 20, 2013
| title = MicroSD
| image = microsd.png
| titletext = That card holds a refrigerator carton's worth of floppy discs, and a soda can full of those cards could hold the entire iTunes store's music library. Mmmm.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|MicroSD}} is one format of the Secure Digital memory card format, used in digital cameras, cell phones, and other devices. It is very small, only 15x11x1 mm, but can hold at least 64GB of data (as of March 2013).

The main character in the comic (on the right) thinks about all the ideas that could be expressed by the data in the microSD card, or in a library. He feels not just reverent and intimidated, but sexually aroused by the thought. As he begins to touch it, his friend is disgusted by what might happen if he uses the card as some kind of sex toy, and does not want to be involved if the card is lost afterwards (or ends up in some bodily cavity).

The title text seems to be the main character thinking about how much data the card holds, in terms of {{w|floppy disks}} and the {{w|iTunes}} music library, and feeling aroused by these thoughts.

Related to this topic is [http://what-if.xkcd.com/31/ this xkcd What If blog entry].

==Transcript==
:[Two figures approach a table]
:Figure 1: Hey, what's up?
:Figure 2: Shhhhh.
:Figure 1: Hrm?
:Figure 2: There's a microSD card on your table.

:[A microSD card sits next to an assortment of coins for size reference.]
:Figure 1 (out of panel): So?
:Figure 2 (out of panel): I dunno, high storage densities freak me out. A whole aisle of library shelves on something smaller than a dime.

:[The two figures stand near the table, the second figure peering at the coins and card on the table.]
:Figure 2: Libraries are unnerving enough--millions of ideas surrounding you, towering over you. These cards fill me with that same reverence, that same intimidation.

[The first figure stands alone]
Figure 2 (out of panel): ...that same faint arousal. Maybe I'll just touch it.
Figure 1: If you lose that card I'm _NOT_ helping you find it.

{{comic discussion}}

711: Seismograph

2013-04-06T08:47:14Z

Bplimley: initial explanation

{{comic
| number = 711
| date = March 8, 2010
| title = Seismograph
| image = seismograph.png
| titletext = The reverse only works if the subject has a nervous twitch.
}}

==Explanation==
From wikipedia: A {{w|polygraph}} (popularly referred to as a lie detector) measures and records several physiological indices such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while the subject is asked and answers a series of questions. The belief underpinning the use of the polygraph is that deceptive answers will produce physiological responses that can be differentiated from those associated with non-deceptive answers.

A {{w|seismograph}} is a machine which measures and records the ground's motion during e.g. an earthquake. Older seismographs held a pen against a slowly turning roll of paper, and ground motions were amplified and recorded as spikes in the pen line.

The lie detector works be measuring physiological signals which could presumably be visualized by drawing a line on paper like a seismograph. It is assumed that when someone is lying, their physiological signatures will be sharper and more stressed. In the comic, the character on the right is hooked up to the lie detector, and apparently must answer "No" to the question of the earthquake. As long as there is no earthquake, then the subject will be telling the truth, and the polygraph signal will be more stable. But if there is really an earthquake happening, then the subject is lying, and so the polygraph will show sharper signals. This mimics the effect of an actual seismograph. It is not clear why the two characters seem to be upset with each other, other than because the scene mimics a polygraph test where the subject is trying to hide something.

The title text considers the idea of using a seismograph as a lie detector. If the subject has a nervous twitch, presumably they will twitch in some way when they are telling a lie. If they are connected to a seismograph somehow, it might pick up the twitch and thus reveal that the subject is lying.

==Transcript==
:[A man is standing over another man, who is strapped into a chair with wires attached to his head and arms. The wires lead to a large lie detector on a stand next to him, which has jagged lines drawn across it.]
:Standing man: IS THERE AN EARTHQUAKE HAPPENING?!
:Sitting man: No!
:<<SCRITCH SCRITCH>>

Pro Tip: In a pinch, a lie detector can double as a seismograph.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1195: Flowchart

2013-04-06T05:07:18Z

Bplimley:

Assuming you've already started, it's too late to go get a marker. [[Special:Contributions/76.106.251.87|76.106.251.87]] 07:05, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

:You can add the "get a marker" in that looping line too. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 08:10, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

:If it is between the hours of 8:00 and 5:00, then I can escape, but that is only 37.5% of my day. Doomed, for all eternity. The solution proffered has the problem of the chicken and egg, how does one add get a marker if one does not have one. I like Hkmaly's idea... but proposes the additional questions of how: purchase, loot, or created. Each with their own rabbit trails to follow, ending in the pour house, prison, or crushed under the weight of the markers (mater being created?) But I feel there is a market to the other six billion inhabitants of earth that can be exploited. & Would Vulcans be more susceptible to entering into this loop than humans. [[Special:Contributions/24.106.78.38|24.106.78.38]] 10:37, 5 April 2013 (UTC) Drifter
:Straw Vulcans would be, certainly. [[Special:Contributions/76.106.251.87|76.106.251.87]] 15:54, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

that's the idea, its a commentary about nuclear weapons. if just one person hides a 'marker' up his sleeve when the rest of us genuinely have none, we're all at his mercy. [[Special:Contributions/193.60.97.30|193.60.97.30]] 08:52, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

I think the currently provided explanation is not right. Randall wants us to get a marker BEFORE we get to 'start', hence the phrasing "between you and 'start'" (and not "between 'start' and 'Hey, wait, ...'"). That way when we get to the start, we already have a marker friend to aid us in our infinite quest. Or, perhaps, in other words, to stop being computerized sheep that follow set rules, but rather find an alternative solution ;) I'm new here, so I'll let somebody else edit the explanation if you deem it appropriate... [[User:Blue Charizard|Blue Charizard]] ([[User talk:Blue Charizard|talk]]) 13:49, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

Maybe Randall just wants us to change the algorithmic loop that we get into when we enter the flowchart and create a paradox to kill the Weeping Angels. [[User:Milar Kayne|Milar Kayne]] ([[User talk:Milar Kayne|talk]]) 14:24, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

I was always taught to used lozenges for Start(s)/Stop(s). But YMMV. There are rectangles like above (lacking the curved sides) and small circles (without space for "Start" or "Stop", but contextualised with the uniquetous arrow-heads on each and every line). Also diamonds ''could'' be statements ("Check <foo> exists" -> Yes/No, or "<Foo> is.." -> A/B/C/... for multiple (2+?) exits), although that depends a lot on what style you're using, and I'm betting some would say it's deprecated. But don't mind me. [[Special:Contributions/31.111.77.19|31.111.77.19]] 17:26, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

After staring at the title text for a few minutes, I have another interpretation. You're already stuck in the loop. If there had been a box between "Start" and "Hey, wait" which said "Get marker", then you would have a marker already. If you suspend your logic for a moment to write the "Get marker", then afterwards your situation is self-consistent, because you already passed that point in the flowchart and you now have a marker with which you wrote it. (Well, sort of self-consistent.) ...Does that make sense to anyone besides me? [[User:Bplimley|Bplimley]] ([[User talk:Bplimley|talk]]) 05:07, 6 April 2013 (UTC)

51: Malaria

2013-04-03T09:08:11Z

Bplimley: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 51
| date = January 21, 2006
| title = Malaria
| image = malaria.jpg
| titletext = The malaria party was David's idea.
}}

==Explanation==
According to Wikipedia: "{{w|Malaria}} is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by protists (a type of microorganism) of the genus Plasmodium. It begins with a bite from an infected female mosquito, which introduces the protists, via its saliva, into the circulatory system, and ultimately to the liver where they mature and reproduce. The disease causes symptoms that typically include fever and headache, which in severe cases can progress to coma or death."

It plays on the idea of a {{w|Pox party}} where adults bring their children to deliberately expose them to a virus to promote immunity. This is commonly done for childhood diseases like measles and chicken pox. Some of these illnesses are more serious for adults than children. After contracting chicken pox once, the immune system has developed antibodies for it and so is not vulnerable to the virus anymore (except in the case of shingles). However, malaria does not work this way, but instead once one has suffered from malaria, it can recur on its own even after apparent healing from symptoms. So having a malaria party would not promote immunity, but only make people sick and further vulnerable in the future.

==Trivia==
* This is the forty-ninth comic originally posted to livejournal. The previous comic was [[54: Science]], the next is [[52: Secret Worlds]].

==Transcript==
:[People wearing party hats, a discarded balloon to the side]
:We had a malaria party, but it turned out not to be very much fun.

{{Comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]

39: Bowl

2013-04-03T08:55:26Z

Bplimley: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 39
| date = December 5, 2005
| title = Bowl
| image = bowl.jpg
| imagesize =
| titletext = For the moment it's a standoff
}}

==Explanation==
The comic roughly parodies a situation in which two characters are seeing who can wait longer to get the result they want. However in the comic, the model sailing ship is not alive and doesn't experience time (except perhaps if it absorbs water and falls apart). The comic compares the patience of a boy with that of an inanimate object. Also, it could imply that the boy has too much time on his hands.

==Trivia==
* Original [[Randall]] quote: "This is not the barrel boy. Current Mood: Final Exam-y"
* This is the forty-first comic originally posted to livejournal. The previous was [[43: Red Spiders 2]]. The next was [[45: Schrodinger]]

==Transcript==
[A boy is glaring at a model sailing ship floating in a bowl of water.]

Boy: Sooner or later, my friend, one of us will run out of time.

{{Comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

36: Scientists

2013-04-03T08:48:03Z

Bplimley: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 36
| date = 
| title = Scientists
| image = scientists.jpg
| titletext = A leading expert characterized the situation as 'retarded'
}}

==Explanation==
This comic plays on the type of statement that news reports often use: "in what [group of experts] are calling '[quote]'", to add more weight and credibility to their stories. In this case, [[Cueball]] is using the phrase to attempt to add gravitas to the (relatively mundane) fact that his shoes are missing and he thinks it's "pretty gay" by assigning this opinion to scientists (rather than it being, presumably, his own opinion). The same joke is at play in the image text where a leading expert thinks the situation is "retarded".

The phrases "pretty gay" and "retarded" are politically incorrect slang for "dumb", and so they are the opposite type of speech expected of experts on news reports.

==Trivia==
* Comic #36 was originally posted as a duplicate of comic [[10: Pi Equals]]. This was corrected some time between [http://web.archive.org/web/20060422011355/http://www.xkcd.com/c36.html April 22, 2006] and [http://web.archive.org/web/20060705231511/http://xkcd.com/c36.html July 5, 2006] when [[36: Scientists]] showed up.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is staring at an empty box on the floor]
:In what scientists are calling "pretty gay", I can't find my shoes.

{{Comic discussion}}
[[category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Language]]

32: Pillar

2013-04-03T08:43:04Z

Bplimley: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 32
| date = November 19, 2005
| title = Pillar
| image = pillar.jpg
| titletext = A comic by my brother Doug, redrawn and rewritten by me
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, the two characters ponder the unanswerable philosophical question of whether all people observe the universe the same, or whether, for example, what one person sees as "red" might be what another see as "green". They muse that no one really knows how anyone else sees the world.

The misdirection and punchline of the comic comes when lefty asks if righty can get him down from the pole he's been standing on for the entire comic. Righty's reply indicates that he does not see a pole, proving that one person does observe the world differently than another; in this case, in a far more extreme and unexpected way than color differences.

Another interpretation of the punchline is that righty doesn't like lefty's idea of questioning all of human existence, and mocks that philosophy by pretending not to see that lefty is on the pole.

As noted, this comic is based on a comic drawn by [[Randall Munroe|Randall]]'s brother [[Doug Munroe|Doug]], although Randall apparently redrew and rewrote it. Unlike most other ''[[xkcd]]'' comics, the "panels" of this comic are not divided and are drawn within a single frame.

==Trivia==
*This is the thirty-fourth comic originally posted to livejournal. The previous was [[31: Barrel - Part 5]]. The next was [[33: Self-reference]]

==Transcript==
::This one is mostly by my little brother, [[Doug Munroe|Doug]].
:[Person on a tall pillar is talking to person on the ground]
:Person on pillar: The sky is so blue, and all the leaves are green.
:Person on ground: Haven't you ever wondered if we really see the same colors as everyone else? It's all perception.

:Person on pillar: Well, you might as well call into question all of human experience. Who really knows what world someone else sees?
:Person on ground: Yeah, I guess.

:Person on pillar: Anyway, can you help me down from this pole?
:Person on ground: What pole?

{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]

1194: Stratigraphic Record

2013-04-03T08:07:41Z

Bplimley: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1194
| date = April 3, 2013
| title = Stratigraphic Record
| image = stratigraphic record.png
| titletext = All we have are these stupid tantalizing zircons and the scars on the face of the Moon.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is comparably straightforward, in that we have no records on earth beyond about 3.5 Billion years ago because everything solid from before that time has been molten up in the earth mantle, due to tectonic movement. The title text hints at the cooler Moon which stopped re-melting its surface much sooner, so we theoretically could learn something about Earth's history from examining our Moon's surface and makeup. Zircons are a type of mineral found in the Earth's crust, some of which have been estimated to be as old as 4.4 billion years, older than any other minerals.

==Transcript==
:[Image of the earth from space.]
:Nearly 4.5 billion years ago, Earth had liquid water.
:But all the crust older than 3.5 billion years has been recycled into the mantle by subduction.

:A billion years of the stratigraphic record, the memory of the hills, is forever lost to us.
:What was it ''like'' here, four billion years ago?

:Earth,
:What ''secrets'' do you have?

:Earth: Come closer

:[Zoom in on the Earth.]

:Earth: ''i'll never tell.''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]