explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2466: In Your Classroom

2021-05-23T16:30:24Z

Dcorrin: /* Table of subjects */ as 0% items are at the top and good, while 100% items are at the bottom and bad, this should be badness.

{{comic
| number = 2466
| date = May 21, 2021
| title = In Your Classroom
| image = in_your_classroom.png
| titletext = Ontology is way off to the left and geography is way off to the right.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a QUASAR IN YOUR CLASSROOM. The table is still a work in progress. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[Randall]] has created a thought experiment and corresponding chart about school courses. The idea is, "the subject of the class appears in the classroom" and the chart compares how dangerous and how unusual that would be.

In the title text two points that are off the chart to the left and right are also mentioned. See details about all the subjects in the [[#Table of subjects|table]] below.

Note that Randall uses similar diagrams in both [[388: Fuck Grapefruit]], [[1242: Scary Names]] and [[1501: Mysteries]], which also contain different items. They also have an extra point mentioned in the title text. In the first two comics the points are also off the chart, whereas for the last the description of the point is too long to fit on the chart. Extra info outside the chart is also used in the title text of [[1785: Wifi]], but this is a line graph.

==Table of subjects==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Breakdown of Subjects
|-
!Course Topic
!Weirdness
!Badness
!Explanation
|-

!scope=row|Atmospheric Physics
|0%
|0%
|The presence of atmosphere in the classroom is quite common, as humans require the presence of an atmosphere to remain alive, and cannot learn while dead.{{Citation needed}}
|-

!scope=row|Ethics
|25%
|0%
|Ethical thinking and behavior are widely considered good and should normally be present in education, but are sadly not universal.
|-

!scope=row|Education
|0%
|10%
|Learning usually goes on in classrooms, so education as a concept is both being learned about and present in the form of learning itself.
|-

!scope=row|Bibliography
|25%
|7%
|Bibliography is the study of books, and books are normally present in classrooms, particularly bibliography classrooms.
|-

!scope=row|Human Physiology
|0%
|20%
|This comic assumes that there are humans learning in the classroom, which was true at the time this comic was published, although in many places at the time the comic was published, many classrooms were closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
|-

!scope=row|Public Speaking
|25%
|15%
|Some classes require students to present things in front of the class, which is likely a requirement in a public speaking class. Thus, public speaking itself would be present in the class.
Some classes also have a teacher talking or presenting to the students from the front of the class, another form of public speaking.
|-

!scope=row|Architecture
|0%
|30%
|All buildings can be considered architecture, and most classes take place in buildings. This comic also refers to a class''room'', which is a room, and therefore considered architecture.
|-

!scope=row|Library Science
|25%
|25%
|Library science is concerned with the organization of knowledge, and is useful for finding information. Many classes require research papers that require the use of books and other sources of information to complete them. This would be even more appropriate for a class actually taught in the school library.
|-

!scope=row|Furniture Design
|0%
|40%
|Most rooms have furniture,{{Citation needed}} so this would probably be present in a classroom
|-

!scope=row|Culinary Arts
|40%
|30%
|Most studies of culinary arts include the teacher and/or students preparing food using the tools and/or techniques that have been taught, so it would be fairly normal for food to be a result of classroom activities. How ''good'' it is, however, can be a mixed bag, especially for student cooking attempts.
|-

!scope=row|Ergonomics
|5%
|45%
|Ergonomic equipment and workspaces promote comfort and efficiency, while non-ergonomic ones may be unpleasant, unhealthy, or even immediately dangerous.
|-

!scope=row|Botany
|40%
|40%
|The near-neutral position of Botany (aka Plant Biology) obscures a wide range of possible outcomes, from the banal to the malignant. A teacher might have brought in a potted plant for decoration or show-n-tell, which would have zero weirdness and (if a non-allergenic species) zero danger. Or, a tree might have fallen through the roof, highly dangerous and weird, especially if it occurred during calm weather (weather likely to result in trees falling would probably have closed the school prior to treefall). This assumes that the event involves a vegetable and not an element of consumerism or purchasing.
|-

!scope=row|20th Century Authors
|65%
|10%
|A literature class would, normally, benefit greatly from an open discussion or interview with the author himself. Sadly such things are rare. Authors who were published in the 20th century would mostly be in retirement age in 2021, so securing an interview with them could be somewhat difficult.
|-

!scope=row|Exobiology
|100%
|0%
|Exobiology is the study of extraterrestrial life. This would mean that an alien life-form was in the classroom.
|-

!scope=row|21st Century Authors
|60%
|20%
|21st century authors have the advantage (over 19th and 20th century authors) of being alive and active at the time this comic was published. However, few of those born during the century have had time to achieve professional success, while those who have published in the 21st century mostly await final literary judgement on their work. Those authors with sufficient notoriety to be welcome in a classroom might charge appearance fees that schools cannot afford, and might, regardless of money, only agree to appear via virtual conference - hence, an elevated weirdness score. Dangers of an actual physical appearance include COVID risk and possible clashes between an author's activist stance and school policies.
|-

!scope=row|19th Century Authors
|100%
|15%
|Like other authors, the class would benefit from having an actual author show up, but this would be extremely weird since no 19th century author is still alive.{{Citation needed}}
|-

!scope=row|Paleontology
|100%
|25%
|Paleontology is the study of the history of life on Earth as based on fossils. In geology classes, it would be normal to have some fossils in the classroom. However, fossils are not usually found in other classrooms, and especially below the college level. Randall is also probably implying the weirdness of finding a live ''Jurassic Park''-style dinosaur.
|-

!scope=row|Robotics
|55%
|30%
|A course on robotics would often be expected to have some form of working models of the robots being discussed.
|-

!scope=row|Martian Soil Chemistry
|100%
|35%
|Martian soil only reaches Earth in small amounts, so it would be unusual to find a meaningful amount anywhere, except Mars.
|-

!scope=row|Tourism
|75%
|40%
|Tourists coming into an active classroom would be quite unusual. It could refer to the students leaving to become tourists in another location.
|-

!scope=row|Child Psychology
|60%
|45%
|Child study is the study of the psychological processes of children and how they differ from those of adults. It could mean one group of children in the class analyzing the behaviour of the other group and vice versa, which could mean each student has their own interpretation of the other group's behaviour, or it could mean that the teacher analyses the behaviour of the children and explaining it, which could mean a psychologist has to be involved.
|-

!scope=row|Entomology
|15%
|55%
|Insects in the classroom. Some introductions, such as monarch butterfly caterpillars, are deliberate (to teach metamorphosis), and so normal and good. Ants commonly enter classrooms. An infestation of pharaoh ants is commonplace and relatively benign; of fire ants, commonplace in some places but concerning; of army ants, weird in most places and dangerous. See also Pest Control.
|-

!scope=row|Occupational Therapy
|10%
|62%
|Injury, illness or mental health problem that hinder your participation in life/school. Many students who have significant physical injuries and conditions that require occupational therapy would generally not engage in those activities during a class, although volunteers may be brought in as a demonstration of a particular health problem or method of treatment.
|-

!scope=row|Hydraulic Engineering
|40%
|62%
|Likely in the form of flooding or plumbing problems.
|-

!scope=row|Pest Control
|25%
|70%
|Pests may be naturally present in the building, depending on age and level of maintenance done, so students may get the opportunity to partake in some informal pest-control methods during class (such as killing via blunt-force impact). Professional pest control, however, usually involves using harmful chemicals as a method of mass extermination, limiting the ability of students to observe the process, besides causing unhealthy exposure to large amounts of pesticides. (Although, watching a professional pest controller at work would be an immense boon to students studying the topic).
|-

!scope=row|Foodborne Illness
|15%
|80%
|Sometimes students in a culinary arts class do not properly observe hygiene standards and the food they present would lead to illness in those that consume the food. Thankfully, this is rare if the teacher is paying enough attention to proceedings. Students could also be ill from food eaten outside of class.
|-

!scope=row|Criminal Law
|45%
|85%
|This might happen if a crime occurs in the class.
|-

!scope=row|Physiology of Stress
|0%
|90%
|This would be a sign of stress severe enough to affect bodily functions, likely to an unhealthy extent.
|-

!scope=row|Oncology
|25%
|100%
|Someone in the room likely has cancer.
|-

!scope=row|Ornithology
|60%
|55%
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birds_(film) Birds] in the classroom?
|-

!scope=row|Animation
|100%
|56%
|Examples of animated works might be displayed to the students in an animation class. It would be weird for animated characters to appear physically in the classroom instead of being projected on screens.
|-

!scope=row|Petroleum Geology
|65%
|60%
|Crude oil coming up through the floor of the classroom would be ''very'' weird.
|-

!scope=row|Highway Engineering
|75%
|65%
|A highway being built through an active classroom would be very unusual and not that safe.
|-

!scope=row|Toxicology
|55%
|75%
|Most likely, a toxic substance is present in the room. This is not very weird if the room is in a building that has asbestos-containing insulation (typically associated with buildings constructed before the 1990s, although it has not been specifically outlawed) or lead paint (which was fully outlawed in 1978, so any paint must have been applied prior to that date). However, toxic substances are, by definition, unsafe for humans (even students).
|-

!scope=row|Hematology
|75%
|70%
|Hematology is the study of blood. Given that there should be blood in each of the students present{{Citation needed}}, we should probably assume Randall means "large quantities of blood outside of one's body", which would indeed be both bad and weird.
|-

!scope=row|Hostage Negotiation
|70%
|85%
|Reasons as to why there would be hostage negotiations taking place at a school have horrifying implications for the students and teacher.
|-

!scope=row|History of Siege Warfare
|100%
|80%
|This would mean that the students would be trapped in the building until they ran out of resources, possibly dying of thirst and starvation (depending on whether or not the opposing army destroyed the school's water lines).
|-

!scope=row|Trauma Surgery
|55%
|95%
|Trauma surgery is an incredibly painful procedure, and difficult to look at for many. It would undoubtedly be disturbing to the class, especially if the patient was one of them.
|-

!scope=row|Volcanology
|75%
|95%
|Having a live volcano in one's classroom is both very dangerous and very weird. Volcanoes mature over very long time frames, but even the earliest stages are highly disruptive and potentially deadly, as seen in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Par%C3%ADcutin#Formation 1943 eruption of Paricutín] and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_lower_Puna_eruption#Eruption 2018 flank eruption of Kilauea]. Note this also applies to [[1611: Baking Soda and Vinegar | baking soda and vinegar volcanoes that are offshoots of much larger vinegar hotspots]].
|-

!scope=row|Quasar Astronomy
|75%
|100%
|Quasars are distant astronomical objects that release large amounts of energy. Not only would the power of a quasar destroy the classroom (as well as the building the classroom is in, the town the school is in, and the entire planet Earth,) quasars are too large to fit inside any known classroom. For example, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ULAS_J1342%2B0928 ULAS J1342+0928] has a mass of 8*10^8 solar masses. This means the event horizon of the black hole is almost 16 AU in radius, and this size does not include the accretion disk.
|-

!scope=row|Ontology (Title Text)
|<0%
|?
|Ontology is the philosophical study of existence and being. Since there must be ''something'' learning in the classroom, it is unsurprising that ontology is a normal subject to appear in the classroom.
|-

!scope=row|Geography (Title Text)
|>100%
|?
|Logistics aside, having a planet's terrain newly appear in one's classroom would almost certainly be a distraction to the learning environment.

|}

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

:[Caption above scatter plot with labeled axes]
:Caption: The thing you study just showed up in your classroom! That's...
:Upper y-axis label: Good
:Lower y-axis label: Bad
:Upper x-axis label: Normal
:Lower x-axis label: Weird

:[First quadrant (left to right, top to bottom):]
:20th century authors
:Exobiology
:21st century authors
:19th century authors
:Robotics
:Paleontology
:Martian soil chemistry
:Child psychology
:Tourism
:[Second quadrant]
:Atmospheric physics
:Ethics
:Education
:Bibliography
:Human physiology
:Public speaking
:Architecture
:Library science
:Furniture design
:Culinary arts
:Ergonomics
:Botany
:[Third quadrant]
:Entomology
:Occupational therapy
:Hydraulic engineering
:Pest control
:Foodborne illness
:Criminal law
:Physiology of stress
:Oncology
:[Fourth quadrant]
:Ornithology
:Animation
:Petroleum geology
:Highway engineering
:Toxicology
:Hematology
:Hostage negotiation
:History of siege warfare
:Trauma surgery
:Volcanology
:Quasar astronomy

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Rankings]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Cancer]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Volcanoes]]

2073: Kilogram

2018-11-16T16:19:06Z

Dcorrin: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2073
| date = November 16, 2018
| title = Kilogram
| image = kilogram.png
| titletext = I'm glad to hear they're finally redefining the meter to be exactly three feet.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The day of this comic, the International Committee for Weights and Measures voted to redefine the kilogram by fixing the value of Planck's Constant. This is done by passing a measured current through an electromagnet to exert a force to balance 1Kg. The change will take effect on May 20, 2019, when the platinum cylinder International Prototype Kilogram that defines the unit will be retired. This means that the mass of a kilogram will no longer be tied to a physical object, but to the fundamental properties of the universe.

In this comic, Black Hat announces that the kilogram has been redefined as equal to one pound. Ponytail and Cueball seem to think this makes things simpler, but Megan is rightfully alarmed. The metric system of measurement is the one used by most of the world and is the standard system used in science. It is considered superior to the imperial system (which the pound is part of). Therefore, redefining the kilogram to be based on the pound would make things much, much worse and outrage supporters of the metric system.

To add to the confusion, the pound is officially defined as 0.45359237 kilograms. This makes defining a kilogram as one pound is impossible.

The title text continues the joke by saying that the meter has been defined as exactly three feet. The yard, the closest imperial measurement to the meter, is three feet. However, a meter is about 9 centimeters longer than a yard.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat talking to Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan while all stand in a row. Megan's hands are raised emphatically.]
:(From top left to bottom right)
:Black Hat: To end many years of confusion, the international committee for weights and measures has just voted to redefine the kilogram.
:Black Hat: As of next May, it will equal exactly one pound.
:Ponytail: Oh, cool.
:Cueball: That does make things simpler.
:Megan: No!!
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Physics]]

1784: Bad Map Projection: Liquid Resize

2017-01-11T15:10:31Z

Dcorrin: /* Explanation */ Added note that the resize compounds issues as itself has to run on a map projection.

{{comic
| number = 1784
| date = January 11, 2017
| title = Bad Map Projection: Liquid Resize
| image = bad_map_projection_liquid_resize.png
| titletext = This map preserves the shapes of Tissot's indicatrices pretty well, as long as you draw them in before running the resize.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Partial -- explains a few underlying concepts but needs a lead section}}

There is no perfect way to draw a map of the world on a flat piece of paper. Each one will introduce a different type of distortion, and the best projection for a given situation is sometimes very disputed. Randall previously explored different projections in [[977: Map Projections]], and expressed his disdain for some types he sees as less efficient but whose users feel superior. In this comic, he suggests a new map projection which is useless for most map applications as the size, shape, and position of most countries are quite distorted. Worse is that this application would need a projection as its starting point creating stacked imperfections.

[https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/content-aware-scaling.html Photoshop's content aware resizing tool] resizes images by identifying what it thinks are important details and preserving these, while shrinking or stretching less detailed areas. For example, [http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/710073-content-aware-scaling when used on a face], the algorithm detects that the eyes and mouth are important details and tries to keep these in place, while stretching the skin around it. When applied to a map, this means that areas with lots of countries - and therefore lots of detail - such as Europe, West Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and Central America/the Caribbean are relatively unchanged, while big countries like India, China and the US are very warped. [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/content-aware-scaling Bad content aware scaling] is a meme. This projection does do a good job however of making almost every country clearly visible, and indicating which countries are neighbours.
South America fits into Africa almost as it did in the era of the super-continent [[wikipedia:Pangaea|Pangaea]].

[[wikipedia:Tissot's indicatrix|Tissot's indicatrices]] are equally sized small circles overlaid on a globe to show the distortion of a particular map projection - if the map distortion distorts the shapes or areas of countries, it will do the same to the circles. The title text suggests that the shapes of Tissot's indicatrices would be pretty well preserved by the Liquid Resize transformation, 'as long as you draw them in before running the resize'. Since drawing in the indicatrices first would be identified as details, the Photoshop filter would try not to change them. However, the rest of the map would still change around them, making them useless.

==Transcript==
:[Caption at the top of the panel:]
:Bad map projection #107:
:<big>The Liquid Resize</big>
:A political map compressed using Photoshop's content-aware resizing algorithm to cut down on unused blank space

:[Below the caption there is a map of the world divided and colored by political boundaries, with outlines around each continent in black and around each country in dark gray. Antarctica is colored in light gray, bodies of water in white, and countries in pale shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. The map is heavily distorted, with Africa in the center and the other continents curving around it, approximating the bounds of a square with rounded corners. Especially the oceans have been removed but also huge countries like the US, Australia, Brazil and Russia have been heavily distorted while areas in the center with many smaller countries like Africa and Europe is almost unchanged.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Maps]]

1784: Bad Map Projection: Liquid Resize

2017-01-11T15:07:14Z

Dcorrin: /* Explanation */ added some benefits for this projection.

{{comic
| number = 1784
| date = January 11, 2017
| title = Bad Map Projection: Liquid Resize
| image = bad_map_projection_liquid_resize.png
| titletext = This map preserves the shapes of Tissot's indicatrices pretty well, as long as you draw them in before running the resize.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Partial -- explains a few underlying concepts but needs a lead section}}

There is no perfect way to draw a map of the world on a flat piece of paper. Each one will introduce a different type of distortion, and the best projection for a given situation is sometimes very disputed. Randall previously explored different projections in [[977: Map Projections]], and expressed his disdain for some types he sees as less efficient but whose users feel superior. In this comic, he suggests a new map projection which is useless for most map applications as the size, shape, and position of most countries are quite distorted.

[https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/content-aware-scaling.html Photoshop's content aware resizing tool] resizes images by identifying what it thinks are important details and preserving these, while shrinking or stretching less detailed areas. For example, [http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/710073-content-aware-scaling when used on a face], the algorithm detects that the eyes and mouth are important details and tries to keep these in place, while stretching the skin around it. When applied to a map, this means that areas with lots of countries - and therefore lots of detail - such as Europe, West Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and Central America/the Caribbean are relatively unchanged, while big countries like India, China and the US are very warped. [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/content-aware-scaling Bad content aware scaling] is a meme. This projection does do a good job however of making almost every country clearly visible, and indicating which countries are neighbours.

South America fits into Africa almost as it did in the era of the super-continent [[wikipedia:Pangaea|Pangaea]].

[[wikipedia:Tissot's indicatrix|Tissot's indicatrices]] are equally sized small circles overlaid on a globe to show the distortion of a particular map projection - if the map distortion distorts the shapes or areas of countries, it will do the same to the circles. The title text suggests that the shapes of Tissot's indicatrices would be pretty well preserved by the Liquid Resize transformation, 'as long as you draw them in before running the resize'. Since drawing in the indicatrices first would be identified as details, the Photoshop filter would try not to change them. However, the rest of the map would still change around them, making them useless.

==Transcript==
:[Caption at the top of the panel:]
:Bad map projection #107:
:<big>The Liquid Resize</big>
:A political map compressed using Photoshop's content-aware resizing algorithm to cut down on unused blank space

:[Below the caption there is a map of the world divided and colored by political boundaries, with outlines around each continent in black and around each country in dark gray. Antarctica is colored in light gray, bodies of water in white, and countries in pale shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. The map is heavily distorted, with Africa in the center and the other continents curving around it, approximating the bounds of a square with rounded corners. Especially the oceans have been removed but also huge countries like the US, Australia, Brazil and Russia have been heavily distorted while areas in the center with many smaller countries like Africa and Europe is almost unchanged.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Maps]]

1707: xkcd Phone 4

2016-07-15T14:08:18Z

Dcorrin: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1707
| date = July 15, 2016
| title = xkcd Phone 4
| image = xkcd_phone_4.png
| titletext = The SpaceX system carefully guides falling phones down to the surface, a process which the phones increasingly often survive without exploding.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Not everything explained}}

It's another entry in the xkcd Phone series (see [[1363: xkcd Phone]], [[1465: xkcd Phone 2]] and [[1549: XKCD Phone 3]]), and once again, the comic plays with many standard tech buzzwords to create a phone that sounds impressive but would actually be very impractical.

From the top, going clockwise:
* '''18,000 μAh (micro-Ampere hours) nickel-lithium-iron battery (non-rechargeable)''' Phone battery capacity is measured in {{w|ampere-hour}}s (which thanks to the magic of {{w|dimensional analysis}}, is just an unusual way of denoting electric charge). The SI prefix "micro-" means one millionth, or 10^-6, which means that in the more standard units, it's just 18 mAh. An iPhone 6+ by contrast has 2,750 mAh - this phone's battery is dreadful. There is no such thing as a nickel-lithium-iron battery - rather, it's a garbled version of the experimental {{w|nickel–lithium battery}} and the common {{w|lithium ion battery}} (which does not contain any iron). The {{w|nickel–iron battery}} does exist, but it's ''terrible'' and no longer used. While a typical charger draws 1Amp the phone does not, typically 0.1A, so the battery should power the phone for 11 minutes.
* '''Subwoofer''' - A {{w|subwoofer}} is a large bass speaker. Some phones do have high-quality speakers for playing music, but these are not placed right next to the earpiece - this would be a surefire way to deafen your users.
* '''"Dog whistle"''' - A {{w|dog whistle}} is a high-pitched whistle that humans cannot hear, but dogs can.
* '''Non-porous, washable''' - On the one hand, it's rare for a phone to be made of porous materials. On the other, there are legitimately waterproof phones that seal the speakers and ports with rubber.
* '''''WebMD'' partnership: cough-activated feature reads aloud a random diagnosis for "coughing"''' - {{w|WebMD}} is a website to help people diagnose themselves. For the vast majority of people, a cough just means an irritated throat or maybe a cold, but selecting randomly from all WebMD diagnoses gives some much more ominous - if very unlikely - ones, including {{w|ricin}} poisoning, {{w|plague}}, {{w|lung cancer}} and {{w|radiation cancer}}.
* '''Wings''' - These wings resemble the ones found on {{w|sanitary towel}}s (sometimes called "pads", making this a possible iPad pun) which attach the pad to the {{w|gusset}} and keep it in place between the woman's legs during her period.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Smartphones]]

1551: Pluto

2015-07-17T14:20:40Z

Dcorrin: /* Table of objects */ added plug

{{comic
| number = 1551
| date = July 14, 2015
| title = Pluto
| image = pluto.png
| titletext = After decades of increasingly confused arguing, Pluto is reclassified as a "dwarf Pluto."
}}

When the image is clicked the corresponding [http://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-horizons-spacecraft-displays-pluto-s-big-heart-0 NASA post] opens up.
==Explanation==

This comic was posted on Tuesday, July 14th 2015, in honor of the {{w|New Horizons}} deep space probe making its flyby at {{w|Pluto}}, thus breaking the typical Monday/Wednesday/Friday cycle for the [[xkcd]] comics. [[Randall]] has taken one of the probes images of Pluto (the largest released at the time of publishing), and outlined humorous examples of {{w|Pareidolia|pareidolia}} on top of it.

It can be compared to preliminary descriptions by geologists, e.g. [http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/07140911-new-horizons-best-look-at.html?referrer=http://t.co/ExQJ6cKS1Q New Horizons' best look at Pluto before close approach | The Planetary Society].

The comic probably winks at {{w|Percival_Lowell|Percival Lowell}} whose observatory photographed Pluto (then "known" as Planet X) in 1915. Unfortunately the things Percival Lowell is most famous for are his drawings of the {{w|Martian_canal|Canals on Mars}}.

The title text refers to the debate as to whether Pluto should be classified as a full or dwarf planet. This debate was particularly brought into the public eye, and came to be seen as a matter of controversy, following the 2006 {{w|IAU definition of planet}}. The text may imagine that this debate winds on, with definitions being created and revised until a ridiculous state is reached whereby Pluto has a special class of celestial body named after it (called a 'Pluto'), but fails to fulfil the (arbitrary) criteria set up for it, and hence is called a 'dwarf Pluto'.

(There actually exist the terms {{w|Plutoid}} and {{w|Plutino}}, that relate directly to groups that Pluto belongs to, but see those pages for details of their use and usage.)
===Table of objects===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| Candy shell
| Suggests Pluto is a confection, like [http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Minmus Minmus].
|-
| JPEG plumes
| The {{w|JPEG}} image format has the common issue of slightly distorting an image with {{w|Compression artifact}}s. The artifacts shown here do not appear in the official version of this image, and may have been added by [[Randall]] (or edited out by NASA). But there have been tweets about people seeing plumes associated with active volcanoes and the like, which were explained as being artifacts.
|-
| Frontal bone
| Interpreting Pluto as a head, the {{w|frontal bone}} could be the light-colored region next to the darker top (the north pole).
|-
| Grease stains
| The darkened area of Pluto's north pole is attributed to grease.
|-
| Bugs
| Could refer to possible extraterrestrial life on Pluto in the form of {{w|insects}}, or "bugs". (In the animated TV series ''Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles'', an adaptation of Robert Heinlein's novel ''Starship Troopers'', the first battles with the alien "Bugs" took place on Pluto.)
|-
| Bullet holes
| A string of small round features which Randall suggests were the result of Pluto getting shot repeatedly.
|-
| New Netherlands
| Reference to [[1519: Venus]] and also a [[what if?]] about draining the Earth's oceans onto Mars. In that What If?, the Netherlands issued forth from the portal that drained the oceans to claim Mars as New Netherlands. Presumably something similar happened on Pluto.
|-
| Disputed territory
| Since the base photograph is identified as "today's ''New Horizons'' image," this indicates that a section of Pluto has immediately become the subject of some controversy, possibly a territorial claim or one of several references to the fact that Pluto was demoted from full planet status in 2006.
|-
| Snake pit
| A generic map hazard.
|-
| Full text of the Wikipedia article on pareidolia
| {{w|Pareidolia}} is the human brain's tendency to see patterns where they don't exist. While probably a reference to the famed {{w|Face on Mars}}, the joke is also recursive: You'd be seeing the text of a Wikipedia article explaining to you that you couldn't actually be seeing the text of a Wikipedia article.
|-
| Tadpole
| One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined.
|-
| Kuiper Belt loops
| The {{w|Kuiper belt}} is a region in our solar system that contains a large concentration of icy bodies, including Pluto. Randall jokingly refers to Kuiper Belt as the same kind of belt that's used to fasten clothing, and identifies features on Pluto's surface as loops for the belt.
|-
| Serenity
| An outline of the ''Firefly''-class spaceship ''Serenity'', which was the titular vessel from the 2002 TV series ''{{w|Firefly}}''. One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined.
|-
| Dinosaur
| One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined.
|-
| The good part
| A random, arbitrary selection of Pluto that is somehow better than the rest of Pluto.
|-
| Moon bud
| This could be interpreted as a moon growing/emerging out of pluto, as a bud is "a compact knob-like growth". A round growth is seen at the location marked, resembling a small, emerging moon.
|-
| Ghost
| A reference to the classic video game ''{{w|Pacman}}'', wherein the primary antagonists are one of four Ghosts. The Ghost on Pluto appears to have a mouth, however, unlike most depictions of the ''Pacman'' Ghosts. One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined.
|-
| Pluto dinosaur extinction crater
| Suggests Pluto had dinosaurs and lost them the same way Earth did.
|-
| Heart
| One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined, and the only one (currently) also informally named as such by NASA.
|-
| Coronary artery disease
| Also known as {{w|ischemic heart disease}}, which causes degradation of heart tissue. The region identified in the comic looks less 'healthy' (is darker and more ragged) compared to the rest of the 'Heart', which Randall suggests is caused by the disease.
|-
| Mount Mons
| Referring to the general practice of naming extraterrestrial mountains {{w|Mons (planetary nomenclature)|"X Mons"}} (e.g. {{w|Olympus Mons}}, a mountain on Mars and the largest mountain in the Solar System), as well as naming terrestrial mountains "Mount X". Since "mons" is Latin for "mountain", the feature's suggested name translates as "Mount Mountain".
|-
| Charging socket
| A terrain feature suitable for connecting an outside source of electricity for the benefit of implied internal batteries. Compare "dock connector," below.
|-
| Cracks (beginning to hatch)
| Implying that Pluto is some manner of giant egg. Possibly a reference to the ''Doctor Who'' episode ''Kill the Moon'', in which the Moon is revealed to be an egg from which a monster is hatching. A 2014 article from ''The Onion'', [http://www.theonion.com/article/moon-finally-hatches-36414 "Moon Finally Hatches,"] makes the same joke. Also possibly a reference to ''The Light Fantastic'', a ''Discworld'' novel in which similar objects are revealed to be the eggs of the world turtle. A similar idea appeared in Jack Williamson's 1934 short story "Born of the Sun".
|-
| Plug (inflating/deflating)
| Balls often have a "plug" or opening to insert a needle to inflate or deflate them.
|-
| Scars from predator attacks
| Since it's all-caps, we can't tell if "PREDATOR" is a proper noun, but this is possibly a reference to the movie series ''{{w|Predator (franchise)|Predator}}'', about a race of aliens who hunt other beings for sport. Alternatively, a planetary predator may have previously scarred Pluto.
|-
| Reset button
| The structure indicated is a small black dot (at least at this distance this picture was taken). Reset buttons on home electronics are often small buttons or holes used to reset the software of the electronic device.
|-
| Megaman
| One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined, this one in the shape of a {{w|Mega_Man_(character)|popular video game protagonist.}}

|-
| Debate Hole

Where we're putting all the people still arguing about Pluto's planet status
| Pluto was reclassified as a {{w|dwarf planet}} rather than a {{w|planet}} following the latter term's controversial {{w|redefinition in 2006}} by the {{w|International Astronomical Union}}. Arguments about the classification continue to pop up. The same argument is referenced in the title text.
|-
| Area missed during ironing
| The area indicated is near the {{w|Terminator (solar)|terminator}} and shows some intriguing topographic relief.
|-
| Probably Benign
| A {{w|neoplasm}} or tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue. Randall is suggesting that the abnormal region near the heart has been evaluated by a doctor and determined to be {{w|Benign tumor|benign}}.
|-
| Chocolate frosting
| Suggests the discrepancy in color over Pluto's surface may be a function of what cake frosting was used where. This are is the so-called "whale's tail" (http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/find-heart-whale-new-horizons-picture-pluto-n388816).
|-
| Vanilla frosting
| As above, suggests the discrepancy in color over Pluto's surface may be a function of what cake frosting was used where.
|-
| Border of pride lands
| A reference to the Disney animated feature ''The Lion King.'' In the movie, the Pridelands is the bright and prosperous region ruled by the Lion King while a dark territory beyond its border is controlled by hyenas.
|-
| Hyena country
| A continuation of the ''Lion King'' reference above.
|-
| Dock connector
| From the point of view of the photograph, this feature of Pluto is at the planet's "bottom," where iPod dock connectors are. Compare "charging socket," above.
|}

==Transcript==
:'''PLUTO'''
:Some of the features already identified in today's ''New Horizons'' image

:[Many marks on the image of Pluto follow:]

:Candy shell
:Frontal bone
:Grease stains
:Bugs
:JPEG plumes
:Full text of the wikipedia article on pareidolia
:Bullet holes
:New Netherlands
:Disputed territory
:Snake pit
:Tadpole
:Pluto dinosaur extinction crater
:Kuiper beltloops
:Serenity
:Ghost
:Dinosaur
:The good part
:Moon bud
:Scars from predator attacks
:Reset button
:Megaman
:Charging socket
:Cracks (beginning to hatch)
:Plug (inflating/deflating)
:HEART
::Mount Mons
::Coronary artery disease
:Debate hole
::Where we're putting all the people still arguing about Pluto's planet status
:Chocolate frosting
:Probably benign
:Vanilla frosting
:Dock connector
:Border of pride lands
:Hyena country
:Area missed during ironing

:Image credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI - click for original

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