explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2645: The Best Camera

2022-07-13T19:19:24Z

Foerno: add goodreads link reference to book

{{comic
| number = 2645
| date = July 13, 2022
| title = The Best Camera
| image = the_best_camera.png
| titletext = The best camera is the one at L2.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

"The Best Camera Is The One That's With You" [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6921300-the-best-camera-is-the-one-that-s-with-you] is a book by photographer Chase Jarvis, celebrating mobile phone cameras, not for their photographic or technical quality, but rather for the fact that you always have it when an interesting subject appears. This is an advice often given to novice photographers, sometimes with the slight change "The best camera is the one you use most". A cheap {{w|Nikon Coolpix}} camera can be better than a professional {{w|Canon EOS}}, simply for the fact it is lightweight enough to be taken on ''every'' voyage you'll make.

However, in this case "The best camera" refers to the {{w|James Webb Space Telescope}} (JWST), the spacecraft depicted in the third frame. The first pictures taken by the telescope were released on 12 July 2022, one day before this comic was published [https://www.nasa.gov/webbfirstimages]. The pictures from JWST show objects as they were 13 billion years ago, which was unprecedented. The title text references {{w|Lagrange Point}} 2, one of the five places in space where something can be stationary relative to two celestial bodies (here: Earth and Sun), and which the aforementioned telescope revolves around - not exactly your pocket.

In case of the JWST, the Sun-Earth L2 point was chosen because orbiting a Lagrange point uses very little fuel for trajectory corrections, and it avoids the problem the {{w|Hubble Space Telescope}} had - rotating around the Earth, it had a short observation windows per revolution. The HST could be used for about 55 minutes every 95-minute orbit.

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

:[Each panel features an image of space, with text printed in white at the top of each panel. The first panel says:]
:They say the best camera is the one you have with you.

:[A panel showing more stars and galaxies visible.]
:It turns out

:[A panel showing even more stars and galaxies visible. At the center of the panel is an outline drawing in white of the James Webb Space Telescope.]
:they're wrong.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Telescopes]]

2645: The Best Camera

2022-07-13T19:15:55Z

Foerno: fix book title

{{comic
| number = 2645
| date = July 13, 2022
| title = The Best Camera
| image = the_best_camera.png
| titletext = The best camera is the one at L2.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

"The Best Camera Is The One That's With You" is a book by photographer Chase Jarvis, celebrating mobile phone cameras, not for their photographic or technical quality, but rather for the fact that you always have it when an interesting subject appears. This is an advice often given to novice photographers, sometimes with the slight change "The best camera is the one you use most". A cheap {{w|Nikon Coolpix}} camera can be better than a professional {{w|Canon EOS}}, simply for the fact it is lightweight enough to be taken on ''every'' voyage you'll make.

However, in this case "The best camera" refers to the {{w|James Webb Space Telescope}} (JWST), the spacecraft depicted in the third frame. The first pictures taken by the telescope were released on 12 July 2022, one day before this comic was published [https://www.nasa.gov/webbfirstimages]. The pictures from JWST show objects as they were 13 billion years ago, which was unprecedented. The title text references {{w|Lagrange Point}} 2, one of the five places in space where something can be stationary relative to two celestial bodies (here: Earth and Sun), and which the aforementioned telescope revolves around - not exactly your pocket.

In case of the JWST, the Sun-Earth L2 point was chosen because orbiting a Lagrange point uses very little fuel for trajectory corrections, and it avoids the problem the {{w|Hubble Space Telescope}} had - rotating around the Earth, it had a short observation windows per revolution. The HST could be used for about 55 minutes every 95-minute orbit.

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

:[Each panel features an image of space, with text printed in white at the top of each panel. The first panel says:]
:They say the best camera is the one you have with you.

:[A panel showing more stars and galaxies visible.]
:It turns out

:[A panel showing even more stars and galaxies visible. At the center of the panel is an outline drawing in white of the James Webb Space Telescope.]
:they're wrong.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Telescopes]]

2645: The Best Camera

2022-07-13T19:14:16Z

Foerno: cut off-topic

{{comic
| number = 2645
| date = July 13, 2022
| title = The Best Camera
| image = the_best_camera.png
| titletext = The best camera is the one at L2.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

"The Best Camera: Is the One That's With You" is a book by photographer Chase Jarvis, celebrating mobile phone cameras, not for their photographic or technical quality, but rather for the fact that you always have it when an interesting subject appears. This is an advice often given to novice photographers, sometimes with the slight change "The best camera is the one you use most". A cheap {{w|Nikon Coolpix}} camera can be better than a professional {{w|Canon EOS}}, simply for the fact it is lightweight enough to be taken on ''every'' voyage you'll make.

However, in this case "The best camera" refers to the {{w|James Webb Space Telescope}} (JWST), the spacecraft depicted in the third frame. The first pictures taken by the telescope were released on 12 July 2022, one day before this comic was published [https://www.nasa.gov/webbfirstimages]. The pictures from JWST show objects as they were 13 billion years ago, which was unprecedented. The title text references {{w|Lagrange Point}} 2, one of the five places in space where something can be stationary relative to two celestial bodies (here: Earth and Sun), and which the aforementioned telescope revolves around - not exactly your pocket.

In case of the JWST, the Sun-Earth L2 point was chosen because orbiting a Lagrange point uses very little fuel for trajectory corrections, and it avoids the problem the {{w|Hubble Space Telescope}} had - rotating around the Earth, it had a short observation windows per revolution. The HST could be used for about 55 minutes every 95-minute orbit.

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

:[Each panel features an image of space, with text printed in white at the top of each panel. The first panel says:]
:They say the best camera is the one you have with you.

:[A panel showing more stars and galaxies visible.]
:It turns out

:[A panel showing even more stars and galaxies visible. At the center of the panel is an outline drawing in white of the James Webb Space Telescope.]
:they're wrong.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Telescopes]]

2645: The Best Camera

2022-07-13T18:43:01Z

Foerno: added JWST date and source

1732: Earth Temperature Timeline

2016-09-12T16:47:31Z

Foerno: corrected grammar, removed unnecessary stuff

{{comic
| number = 1732
| date = September 12, 2016
| title = Earth Temperature Timeline
| image = earth_temperature_timeline.png
| titletext = [After setting your car on fire] Listen, your car's temperature has changed before.
}}

==Explanation==
In the past 100 years, human action produced lots of CO2 emissions, causing a rise in average global temperature through the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect greenhouse effect]. This is called "global warming" or "climate change". There are people, however, who claim that this is not happening, called "climmate change deniers". One argument of theirs is that global warming is happening for natural causes, summarized with the phrase "temperature has changed before".

This comic shows that while temperature changes have indeed occurred before, the speed of the current temperature rise is much, much faster than those seen (actually: estimated) in the previous thousands of years.

This comic is a timeline on how the temperature has changed since 20 000 BCE to the present day, meant to contrast the slow-paced natural changes with the rapid temperature rise in the recent years. The effect is achieved by forcing the reader to scroll endlessly through slow, building-up changes and then face them with an almost instantaneous, quick rise towards the end.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

* 2750 BCE: Stonehenge is a reference to the 1984 movie "This is Spinal Tap" (A documentary/parody featuring the fake metal band "Spinal Tap", http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088258/), the musicians order a Stone Henge prop for the stage, which turns out to be too small (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAXzzHM8zLw)

{{comic discussion}}

1710: Walking Into Things

2016-07-22T06:15:26Z

Foerno: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1710
| date = July 22, 2016
| title = Walking Into Things
| image = walking_into_things.png
| titletext = A childhood spent walking while reading books has prepared me unexpectedly well for today's world.
}}

==Explanation==
Cueball comments on the rate of his walking into things while distracted by various stimuli, comparing it to a controlled study. Megan replies that the rate of the control group is also very high. In Cueball's metaphor, the "control group" would be his walking around without being distracted.
Thus, Megan is essentially saying that Cueball is simply clumsy, and that his walking into things has little to do with whether he's looking at his phone.
Despite her masking the insult behind metaphoric prose, Cueball clearly understands, taking a highly defensive stance.

At the time the comic was released, Pokémon Go has been rapidly gaining popularity, with many people raising concern about the dangers of walking around while staring at a phone screen.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

1682: Bun

2016-05-18T15:51:29Z

Foerno: fixed over-generalization

{{comic
| number = 1682
| date = May 18, 2016
| title = Bun
| image = bun.png
| titletext = If a wild bun is sighted, a nice gesture of respect is to send a 'BUN ALERT' message to friends and family, with photographs documenting the bun's location and rank. If no photographs are possible, emoji may be substituted.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Ponytail]] is teaching a class about an animal referred to as a "bun". The word "bun" is short for {{w|bunny}}, an informal term used for {{w|rabbit}} or {{w|hare}}, two animals that are often mistaken for another. The comic lampoons the many misconceptions that exist about these animals.

Ponytail tells that buns have a {{w|hierarchy}} in which the smaller the bun, the higher it's ranking is. This parodies the general tendency of people to consider kitten rabbits cuter than the adults, and therefore superior. (Cuteness is a fitness signal that encourages parental nurturing, and can, as in this case, sometimes be perceived across species boundaries). All in this sentence is utter nonsense as rabbits live in large groups with no formal hierarchy, unlike {{w|wolves}} who have very definite leaders and social structure.
In the next panel, Ponytail states that "at this time of year, a lucky few may catch a glimpse of a king bun" - referring to rabbit kittens (the smallest and thus, in the comic, the highest-ranking, hence the term "king buns") being born in Spring (when the comic was released).

[[Megan]], who attends this biology class, expected to learn about rabbits and hares which are both {{w|Lagomorpha|lagomorphs}}, a mammalian {{w|Order (biology)|order}} that also includes the {{w|pika}}s. Megan thus clearly have the correct understanding of what a "bun" is. Ponytail then claims that the word ''bun'' is the scientific term, and states that rabbit, hare and lagomorph is the informal way to describe these animals, again being completely wrong as in reality ''bun'' is the most contracted and informal name for a rabbit.

The title text is presumably referring to photographing a rabbit and, for example, posting it on social media - something which would typically be done today if someone sees a rabbit in the wild. If the poster had failed to photograph the rabbit before it ran away, they may typically post a message saying something like "I saw a really cute bunny today!" with an {{w|emoji}} depiction of a rabbit (probably 🐇 or 🐰). This is especially common in the area where the author lives, as the urban rabbit population in the Cambridge/Somerville area has exploded, putting a large human population with relatively little previous experience with rabbit-sightings suddenly in the position of encountering them very frequently.

In [[1663: Garden]], the [[Media:Garden Important bun.png|rabbit image]] had the filename "[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-important-bun.png important-bun.png]".

A teacher teaching complete nonsense is depicted in [[1519: Venus]], but there it is clearly on purpose, which is not so clear here. There is also some similarities with [[1644: Stargazing]], but here the facts are true. Recently there was also another comic about spreading misinformation about the use of language in [[1677: Contrails]].

{{w|Bun}} literally means a bakery product. It also a popular slang for {{w|buttocks}} which, during this time of year (spring, summer), are more exposed as women start to wear bathing suits.

It is common (especially among teens and young adults) to make a big deal about seeing a person with an attractive quality (such as a "king bun") and photographing the person (or the person's buttocks) and sending the picture to friends. Some type of ranking system is often involved.

While rabbits do not have rankings or hierarchy, humans are quite clearly ranked (subconsciously, casually, or even in formal contests) by physical appearance and being fat is typically perceived as being less attractive (in the U.S. and other western cultures). Thus a person with a smaller buttocks would be ranked higher in the general case. (There is a subculture that prefers a larger buttocks on an otherwise fit person, but it would appear Ponytail does not hold this view).

The comment "Shh! Show respect! We look upon the image of a king!" could either mean the slide of the small rabbit or that the speaker finds Ponytail's buttocks to be especially attractive.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail is a teacher and she holds a pointer to a picture of a rabbit on a board behind her.]
:Ponytail: Good morning class! Today, we will be learning about the bun.

:[Two rabbits are shown, one slightly smaller, and a greater than symbol is pointed at the smaller one. Ponytail is talking off panel to the left. Note that hierarchy may be misspelled intentionally.]
:Ponytail (off panel): Buns have a heirarchy.
:Ponytail (off panel): A bun's rank is determined by its size. Smaller buns are higher-ranking.

:[Two normal sized rabbits are sitting left and right of a very small rabbit. The smaller rabbit appears to give off a radiant light indicated with gray and white alternating rays going through the image. It is indicated that is shines on the larger rabbits as they are gray on the side turned away from the smaller rabbit and white on the front turned towards it. Ponytail narrates above the frame of this half sized panel:]
:Ponytail (narrating): Most buns you see are relatively low-ranking.
:Ponytail (narrating): But this time of year, a lucky few may catch a glimpse of a ''king bun''.

:[A student represented by Megan is sitting at a desk with a few books on it, pencil in hand.]
:Megan: Ok, hang on.
:Megan: We're talking about rabbits and hares, right? Lagomorphs?

:[Ponytail is holding her finger up on her left hand, and is holding her pointer at her side with the other. Students reply to her off panel to the right.]
:Ponytail: Informally, yes. But in this course, we use the ''scientific'' term, "bun".
:Student #1 (off-panel): Are we sure this is the right room for ''introductory mammalogy?''
:Student #2 (off-panel) : I'll check online.
:Student #3 (off-panel): ''Shh!'' Show respect! We look upon the image of a king!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Animals]]