explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1302: Year in Review

2013-12-12T20:10:37Z

Editmonster: forrgot to remove the tag, fixed it.

{{comic
| number = 1302
| date = December 11, 2013
| title = Year in Review
| image = year_in_review.png
| titletext = All in all, I give this year a C-. There were no aurora visible from my house and that comet evaporated. They'd better not cancel the 2017 eclipse.
}}

==Explanation==

Many news organizations will recap the major stories of the past calendar year in late December (typically before the year has actually ended). This includes specialized news outlets such as sports stations which recap major sports stories or best plays of the year, for example). Here, Cueball probably expects Megan to talk about major news stories of 2013 such as the rollout of Obamacare, the election of Pope Francis or the death of Nelson Mandela, as examples. Instead, Megan only recaps one thing which was important to her: She never saw an {{w|Aurora (astronomy)|aurora}}, the dazzling natural geomagnetic light display.

The title text refers to {{w|Comet ISON}}. In February, a rough estimate of the comet's behavior predicted that it would become brighter than the full moon, a prediction that was widely reported by the media even though it was based on limited data and astronomers knew that it would not reach this brightness. In the end, although it was visible to the naked eye, it was never as bright as anybody hoped and apparently disintegrated in November (although a small core may remain).

The title text also refers to the {{w|2017 total eclipse}}, which will be visible (as a partial eclipse) for a few hours throughout North America on August 21 Monday, including a 100-mile band across the United States where it will be a total eclipse for a couple of minutes in the early afternoon. Although the weather may be cloudy, eclipses are highly predictable, so Megan is being extremely pessimistic to even suggest that it might not occur.

All in all, the comic suggests that the only events of significance to Megan (and Randall) are astronomical ones; the actions of humanity pale in comparison.

The joke of Megan answering a question in an interview in a unexpected manner has been used before in [[1111: Premiere]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

:[Cueball, the TV host, introduces Megan, the reporter.]
:Cueball: We go live to our ''2013: Year in Review!''
:Megan: Thanks! In 2013, I didn't see an aurora.
:Cueball: I- what?

:Megan: The northern lights. I thought this would finally be the year. But it didn't happen.

:Cueball: Oh. Uh...what about the rest of the year?
:Megan: What do you mean?
:Cueball: Any big news stories?
:Megan: Oh yeah, tons.

:[Megan looks off screen to her left.]

:Cueball: ...Well, that was ''2013: Year in Review.''
:Megan: The sky's clearing up. I'll be outside.
:[Megan walks off camera.]

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

1302: Year in Review

2013-12-12T19:12:51Z

Editmonster: Added 1111 reference

{{comic
| number = 1302
| date = December 11, 2013
| title = Year in Review
| image = year_in_review.png
| titletext = All in all, I give this year a C-. There were no aurora visible from my house and that comet evaporated. They'd better not cancel the 2017 eclipse.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by only one person}}

Many news organizations will recap the major stories of the past calendar year in late December (typically before the year has actually ended). This includes specialized news outlets such as sports stations which recap major sports stories or best plays of the year, for example). Here, Cueball probably expects Megan to talk about major news stories of 2013 such as the rollout of Obamacare, the election of Pope Francis or the death of Nelson Mandela, as examples. Instead, Megan only recaps one thing which was important to her: She never saw an {{w|Aurora (astronomy)|aurora}}, the dazzling natural geomagnetic light display.

The title text refers to {{w|Comet ISON}}. In February, a rough estimate of the comet's behavior predicted that it would become brighter than the full moon, a prediction that was widely reported by the media even though it was based on limited data and astronomers knew that it would not reach this brightness. In the end, although it was visible to the naked eye, it was never as bright as anybody hoped and apparently disintegrated in November (although a small core may remain).

The title text also refers to the {{w|2017 total eclipse}}, which will be visible (as a partial eclipse) for a few hours throughout North America on August 21 Monday, including a 100-mile band across the United States where it will be a total eclipse for a couple of minutes in the early afternoon. Although the weather may be cloudy, eclipses are highly predictable, so Megan is being extremely pessimistic to even suggest that it might not occur.

All in all, the comic suggests that the only events of significance to Megan (and Randall) are astronomical ones; the actions of humanity pale in comparison.

The joke of Megan answering a question in an interview in a unexpected manner has been used before in [[1111: Premiere]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

:[Cueball, the TV host, introduces Megan, the reporter.]
:Cueball: We go live to our ''2013: Year in Review!''
:Megan: Thanks! In 2013, I didn't see an aurora.
:Cueball: I- what?

:Megan: The northern lights. I thought this would finally be the year. But it didn't happen.

:Cueball: Oh. Uh...what about the rest of the year?
:Megan: What do you mean?
:Cueball: Any big news stories?
:Megan: Oh yeah, tons.

:[Megan looks off screen to her left.]

:Cueball: ...Well, that was ''2013: Year in Review.''
:Megan: The sky's clearing up. I'll be outside.
:[Megan walks off camera.]

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