The usefulness of rotation in romance has been mentioned before in [[162: Angular Momentum]]. Perhaps the problem is that they are spinning the bed clockwise instead of counter-clockwise? [[User:Erenan|Erenan]] ([[User talk:Erenan|talk]]) 19:18, 28 August 2012 (UTC)
I think the difference lies in the commonly understood meaning of rotation as opposed to say spinning. Rotating can mean slow or fast, but spinning is usually faster. Is there a word that implies a gentleness to the rotation. They probably want a pivoting or turning bed. [[User:DruidDriver|DruidDriver]] ([[User talk:DruidDriver|talk]]) 01:00, 16 January 2013 (UTC)

998: 2012

2013-01-16T00:49:48Z

DruidDriver:

{{comic
| number = 998
| date = January 2, 2012
| title = 2012
| image = 2012.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = To compensate for this, I plan to spend 2013 doing nothing but talking about Mayans. My relationships with my friends and family may not fare well.
}}

==Explanation==
Happy New Year everyone! This comic is in reference to the fact that the {{w|Maya civilization|Mayans}}, an ancient civilization in the {{w|Central America|America}}s, created a calendar that ends on Dec 21st, 2012. This date is regarded as the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the calendar used by the Mayan culture. Some therefore consider that the world is going to end on that date.

Consequently, a lot of people are talking about the Mayans, concerned that the world might end. Once December 21st, 2012 passes, everyone will be less concerned about the Mayans, because the world will not have ended. (Or it will have ended.)

There is a measure of irony to be had in how the Mayans who still exist today were largely ignored by the doomsayers. "Or acknowledging that huge city-building ancient American civilizations existed at all."

In the final frame, [[Megan]] parodies the phrase, "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it," applying a twist to suggest an academic context. In most American schools, a Grade Point Average is computed by assigning numeric value to each letter grade: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0; receiving high marks (all A's) thus yields a 4.0 GPA. However, if you "Fail to learn from History" — that is, get a failing grade, F, and had at least 3 other classes (not an unusual course load) — you would still get a 3.0 with A's in those other classes. She is making the callous — if roundabout — observation that failing to grasp history, while no doubt troubling, isn't an academic show-stopper (perhaps explaining why so many Americans are so bad at it.)

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan are talking.]
:Cueball: Well, it's 2012.

:((This panel has no upper and lower borders.))
:Cueball: Yup.
:Megan: Only 354 days left until everybody abruptly stops talking about Mayans.
:Cueball: Or thinking about Mayans.

:Cueball: Or acknowledging that huge city-building ancient American civilizations existed at all.
:Megan: You know what they say — those who fail to learn from history can still manage a 3.0 if they ace their other subjects.

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

992: Mnemonics

2013-01-16T00:37:11Z

DruidDriver:

{{comic
| number = 992
| date = December 19, 2011
| title = Mnemonics
| image = mnemonics.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = Sailor Moon's head exploded once' and 'Some men have explosive orgasms' both work for the Great Lakes from west to east (Paddle-to-the-Sea order).
}}

==Explanation==
Here we have six different science mnemonics. A {{w|mnemonic}} is (thanks Wikipedia!) any learning technique that aids memory. Mnemonics rely on associations between easy-to-remember constructs which can be related back to the data that are to be remembered. This is based on the observation that the human mind much more easily remembers spatial, personal, surprising, physical, sexual or humorous or otherwise meaningful information, as compared to retrieving arbitrary sequences. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier.

The category is listed at the top of the box, the members are listed below that. Then there is the traditional mnemonic that children are usually taught in school to help them remember. Below the comic is one or two options for new mnemonics suggested by Randall. The top one is illustrated in the frame.

*{{w|SI}} Prefixes are the prefixes for the systems of units from large to small and since there are so many, the mnemonic needs two lines. {{w|Karl Marx}}, as he is seen in the comic, was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. {{w|Microsoft}}'s {{w|Zune}} was a failed mp3 player that Microsoft brought to market and never "caught on".

*{{w|Taxonomy}} is the science of identifying and naming species. {{w|Katy Perry}} is an {{w|America}} {{w|pop music}} singer, who's popular songs are ones like "Fireworks" or "I Kissed A Girl". And that is the stick figure of her in the illustration.

*In the geologic periods frame, the illustration is of a month's worth of "the pill" a common contraceptive.

*In {{w|Resistor}} Color Codes, {{w|Glenn Beck}} is in the illustration. Beck is a far-right conservative commentator in the US, who used to have a show on the {{w|Fox News}} Network.
**The sign Glenn Beck is holding is a reference to [[966: Jet Fuel]]

*In the Planets frame, the illustration is of Mary and Joseph, who in the story of the Birth of Jesus in the Bible, were mother and father to Jesus. However, Mary's conception of Jesus was from God and Mary was still considered a virgin. This mnemonic shows Joseph not really believing that story. Ironically the upstairs neighbour could have multiple meanings as you can't get more upstairs than heaven and thus God. Given the stance most xkcd comics take on religion, it is likely a corporeal neighbor that is being suspected, but it is curious that a neighbor of the upstairs variety is specifically referenced especially given the lack of urban density in the time of Christ.
**Most traditional Planets mnemonics include Pluto, which was "officially" considered a planet before 2006.

==Transcript==
XKCD Presents: Some New Science Mnemonics

Pattern goes:

((Subject

Elements

Traditional mnemonic

Contents of frame

New mnemonics))

'''Order of Operations'''

Parentheses, Exponents, Division & Multiplication, Addition & Subtraction

Traditional: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

[Person having a shark delivered to his laptop]

Please Email My Dad A Shark

or

People Expect More Drugs And Sex

'''SI Prefixes'''

Big: Kilo, Mega, Giga, Tera, Peta, Exa, Zetta, Yotta

Milli, Micro, Nano, Pico, Femto, Atto, Zepto, Yocto

(Graph of the declining profits of the Zune)

[Karl Marx delivering a number of zeppelins to a bunch of confused proletariats]

Big: Karl Marx Gave The Proletariat Eleven Zeppelins, Yo

Small: Microsoft Made No Profit From Anyone's Zunes, Yo

'''Taxonomy'''

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Traditional: King Philip Came Over For Good Sex

Katy Perry: I'm not sure who doubts this, really.

Katy Perry Claims Orgasms Feel Good Sometimes

or

Kernel Panics Crash Our Family Game System.

'''Geologic Periods'''

(Precambrian), Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous,
Paleogene, Neogene

Traditional: [I never learned one]

[A month's set of birth control pills]

PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome Does Cause Problems That Judicious Contraceptives Partially Negate

'''Resistor Color Codes'''

Black, Brown, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, Gray, White

Traditional: [none I care for]

[Glenn Beck holding the traditional "Nanobot Vaccine Chemtrail 9 11" sign]

"Big Brother Reptilian Overlords", yelled Glenn, "Brainwashing Via Ground water!!"

or

Be Bold, Respect Others; You'll Gradually Become Versatile, Great Wikipedians!

'''Planets'''

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Traditional: My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos

[A pregnant Mary attempting to explain things to an incredulous Joseph]

Mary's "Virgin" Explanation Made Joseph Suspect Upstairs Neighbor.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Airships]]