explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2086: History Department

2018-12-18T02:36:35Z

Gman314:

The business about the 1750s probably has something to do with the British doing their changeover from Julian to Gregorian calendars then, but you can't look too carefully at the details. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.16|108.162.219.16]] 18:51, 17 December 2018 (UTC)

I'm confused. Is there any joke apart from the obvious "haha, studying history by fully covering time slices instead of topics"? [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 19:05, 17 December 2018 (UTC)
: There's also the joke about taking longer to study a period of time than that time took to pass. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.208|108.162.216.208]] 19:31, 17 December 2018 (UTC)
: I think it's also a reference to the fact that we are creating more and more data in the digital age, leading to the problem of there being too much data to keep up with. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.202|108.162.241.202]] 01:13, 18 December 2018 (UTC)
Two sides to the same coin? We normally think about historians studying time periods on the order of years, decades, or even longer periods (e.g. the Dark Ages), which naturally takes less time than the original era. Another joke is the idea that an entire department is devoted to such narrow periods, but maybe it's a really small college.
[[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:04, 17 December 2018 (UTC)

It seems to me that the humor is based on the incongruity of thinking in business-like terms of productivity and gains and losses in a history department.

I think the 1750s reference is to Tristram Shandy.

The last Animorphs novel was published in May 2001. Given the number of times Randall's brought up Animorphs in comics, is it possible that May 16, 2001 refers to that? I think it would be very much in line with comic 1380 for him to strangely emphasize an Animorphs-related date. [[User:Gman314|Gman314]] ([[User talk:Gman314|talk]]) 02:36, 18 December 2018 (UTC)

1287: Puzzle

2013-11-06T16:23:31Z

Gman314: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1287
| date = November 6, 2013
| title = Puzzle
| image = puzzle.png
| titletext = Prediction for Carlsen v. Anand: ... 25. Qb8+ Nxb8 26. Rd8# f6 27. "... dude." Qf5 28. "The game is over, dude." Qxg5 29. Rxe8 0-1 30. "Dude, your move can't be '0-1'. Don't write that down." [Black flips board]
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}

The game of {{w|Go (game)|go}} (also called Weiqi, Baduk or Igo) is usually played on the 19×19 intersections of a grid, but sometimes a faster, simpler version is played on the 9×9 intersections of a grid (which thus has 8×8 squares, as a chessboard, though they are not colored in an alternating pattern - {{w|White and Black in chess|introduced to chess in the 13th century}}). In the comic, white has chess figures and plays against black, which uses go stones.

In chess, particularly in puzzles, the phrasing "White to move" indicates that it's the White player's turn; "White to play and win" indicates that it's White's turn and the next series of moves (if White plays correctly) will result in an advantageous position or possibly outright win for White. The caption "White to continue insisting this is a chessboard" is a play on this traditional phrasing.

Two versions of the board were posted by Randall: both had white after P-e3, P-d4, N-f3, N-c3, but the first with an extra bishop at e4 (B@e4), the second after B-d2.

B@e4 in the first version of the board was perhaps intended to represent confusion in White's mind whether he was playing Go (placing a piece) or Chess (it's a chess piece) - as a 'placement' this move could have been first, and could explain P-e3 with e4 already being blocked.

It it unclear whether black has gone first (as is traditional in Go) with five Go stones (none in the 3-3 handicap positions marked on a 9x9 Go board) vs five chess moves. White moves first has been traditional in Chess for about a century.

The title text refers to the upcoming {{w|World Chess Championship 2013|2013 World Chess Championship}} between Carlsen and Anand. {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} is a 22 year old Norwegian chess grandmaster, who had the highest peak rating and was the third youngest grandmaster in history. He was the world's 2009 blitz champion. {{w|Viswanathan Anand}} is a 43 year old Indian grandmaster has been undisputed World Champion since 2007.

The game transcript in the title text refers to the ending of the famous [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphy_versus_the_Duke_of_Brunswick_and_Count_Isouard Opera Game] between Paul Morphy and the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard. That game ends with 16. Qb8+ Nxb8 17. Rd8#. In the title text, Black continues to make moves as if he has not been checkmated, over White's protests. After White uses his rook to capture Black's king (to emphasize the checkmate), Black defiantly writes "0-1" (the notation symbolizing a Black victory) on his scoresheet and flips the board.

==Transcript==
:[A game board with 8x8 white squares and black borders, like a goboard or an all white chessboard, there are white chess pieces in starting position on the bottom after P-e3, P-d4, N-f3, N-c3, B-d2 and five black Go pieces on the edges in the center of the board on d4 d5 c6 g4 g6.]
:White to continue insisting this is a chessboard

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

Talk:169: Words that End in GRY

2013-08-21T16:40:18Z

Gman314:

Ok, everything on this page, I already got. The bit I came here for, is the exact nature of the ambiguity. What is 'the phrase'? 
"The English language that end in gry", he's wrong because there are more than three words. 
"The English language", he's wrong because none of them end in gry. 
"There are three words in the English language ...", wrong again because language isn't the third word. 
So...? -- Zergling_man [[Special:Contributions/58.96.88.83|58.96.88.83]] 15:24, 20 November 2012 (UTC)

:The second paragraph in the explanation is what you are looking for. But as a brief overview: The reason it's easy to miss is that the words are written as a dialog would happen. If it had been properly punctuated it would have read "There are three words in 'the English language' that end with gry: 'Angry' and 'Hungry' are two. What's the third?" Cueball is saying there are three words in the phrase 'the English language' but to distract his intended victim he continues the sentence so the phrase is hidden among other words that, when taken as a whole, have a seeming continuity. This is why Black Hat cuts off Cueball's hand. Because the "joke" is not funny and being intentionally ambiguous and then being smug when the ambiguity has its intended effect is not humor. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 16:01, 20 November 2012 (UTC)

::But this doesn't actually answer my question. Take it without the distraction. "There are three words in the English language that end in gry. What's the third?" Even then, it still doesn't make any sense. If you take it as "there are three words in the English language. What's the third?", then you're left with "that end in gry: Angry and hungry are two", and that doesn't make any sense at all. I'm not seeing how there's any way both meanings can be valid, whatever you do to this, it seems at least one is completely nonsensical. -- Zergling_man [[Special:Contributions/58.96.88.83|58.96.88.83]] 13:00, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

::: The trouble is that Randall told the joke incorrectly... it should be (with proper punctuation) "There are three words in 'The English Language'. Ending in 'gry' there are 'angry' and 'hungry' What is the third word?" [[Special:Contributions/190.214.5.29|190.214.5.29]] 04:59, 6 December 2012 (UTC)

:::: I think a better way to say it is:
:::: There are at least 3 words in "the English language that end with 'gry'. 'Angry' and 'hungry' are two". What is the third word? [[Special:Contributions/81.23.24.39|81.23.24.39]] 08:33, 25 February 2013 (UTC)

:::: For anyone who is curious, the answer is "gryphon." [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 20:47, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

::::: They have to end with "GRY", an answer can be "unangry", but "gryphon" does not end with GRY (source:http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=words+that+end+in+GRY){{unsigned|79.40.128.128}}

:::::: No; the original question asked for 3 words that had 'gry' in the end. 'Angry' and 'hungry' have 'gry' in the back end. 'Gryphon' has 'gry' in the front end.
:::::: Also, sudo sign all your comments by adding 4 tildes in the back end of your comment. [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 19:37, 11 February 2013 (UTC)

:::::::: actually, as you van read in the explanation, the entire question is wrong, the joke should not have the requirement of English words ending with gry, but have the question simply be ''there are only three words in the English language, what is the third, prefaced by a misguiding comment about words that end with gry, like angry and hungry. The point of the joke is that this preface is not part of the question, and as such it creates a hilarious intentional misunderstanding. [[Special:Contributions/145.44.88.75|145.44.88.75]] 10:01, 25 June 2013 (UTC)

I really doubt this is Cueball, as he is seen later with both arms, and he is nowhere near as much of an asshole (or an idiot) to tell this joke incorrectly. [[Special:Contributions/75.185.176.214|75.185.176.214]] 18:45, 8 August 2013 (UTC) tildes for the win

:There are many Cueballs, just read the page on him. However, this doesn't exactly fit the normal Cueball's character. [[User:Gman314|Gman314]] ([[User talk:Gman314|talk]]) 16:40, 21 August 2013 (UTC)

----

The title text is missing. Am I right that Randall states that {{w|Postmodernism|postmodernists}} are not clever?--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:31, 8 August 2013 (UTC)

:No, I would say that Randall is making a joke about postmodern art. Stereotypically, postmodern art is very subtle and symbolic and doesn't look like much, but there is still a message hiding underneath. Randall is saying that they're not conveying their point well, but are still acting smug when people don't understand their poorly communicated point. [[User:Gman314|Gman314]] ([[User talk:Gman314|talk]]) 16:40, 21 August 2013 (UTC)

Talk:872: Fairy Tales

2013-08-19T22:30:36Z

Gman314:

What about the grasshopper one?

: There is an Aesop fable about {{w|The Ant and the Grasshopper|an Ant and a Grasshopper}}. Maybe the connection is that "contracting to a point etc" is a frivolous activity (like playing fiddle & dancing)? - [[Special:Contributions/38.113.0.254|38.113.0.254]] 01:07, 6 December 2012 (UTC)

Can someone make the Eigenvector explanation a little more "plain language" for those of us who are mathematically challenged? <--feeling dumb... [[Special:Contributions/108.28.72.186|108.28.72.186]] 05:45, 4 August 2013 (UTC)
:Thanks for your comment, I did mark this as incomplete and start to do an explain for non math people. But consider this: xkcd is "A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language." Nevertheless, I try to work on this comic right now.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:11, 4 August 2013 (UTC)

I find it amusing that the Poincaré conjecture is still called a conjecture. Wikipedia starts with the amusing statement "the Poincaré conjecture ... is a theorem." I couldn't find it, but I'd guess that there's probably a lovely discussion on that topic on the talk page. [[User:Gman314|Gman314]] ([[User talk:Gman314|talk]]) 22:30, 19 August 2013 (UTC)

872: Fairy Tales

2013-08-19T22:24:14Z

Gman314: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 872
| date = March 14, 2011
| title = Fairy Tales
| image = fairy tales.png
| titletext = Goldilocks' discovery of Newton's method for approximation required surprisingly few changes.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
{{w|Eigenvector|Eigenvector}} is a word adopted into English from German like "kindergarten" or "blitzkrieg". It's a mathematical concept and has nothing to do with the fairy tale Cinderella, confusing [[Cueball]].

The story of Cinderella includes Cinderella going to a ball in disguise, dancing with a prince and then leaving early and quickly, so she leaves a glass slipper behind. The prince then uses the shoe to find Cinderella. [[Megan]] says that the way she learned it, the prince used an eigenvector and corresponding eigenvalue to match the shoe to its owner. This is a somewhat logical mathematical connection to make, as eigenvectors and values are important properties of a matrix.

Megan explains that her mother would talk about her work, math, while she fell asleep in the midst of reading bed time stories. The middle panel refers to the story of the Grasshopper and the Ant with the addition of what is likely a reference to the {{w|Poincaré conjecture|Poincaré conjecture}}, a (now-misnamed) theorem in Mathematics. Megan also mentions two other story changes. Inductive White and the n - 1 dwarves is a combination of Snow White and the 7 Dwarves with the principle of induction, and the LIM x->∞ (x) little pigs combines the 3 little pigs with mathematical limits.

In the title text, {{w|Newton's method}} for approximation is a method for finding successively better approximations to the zeroes (or roots) of a real-valued function. In Goldilocks, the protagonist finds successively better porridge and appropriately sized chairs in a house where three bears lived. In the same way, in the Mom's version of the fairy tale, she would find successively better approximations to zeroes instead of porridge and chairs instead of successively better bowls of porridge.

==Transcript==
:[Megan sits in an armchair, reading a book.]
:Megan: Are there eigenvectors in ''Cinderella''?
:Cueball: ... no?
:Megan: The prince didn't use them to match the shoe to its owner?
:Cueball: What are you ''talking'' about?
:Megan: Dammit.
:[Megan is in bed, mom is sitting on the edge of the bed reading.]
:My mom is one of those people who falls asleep while reading, but keeps talking. She's a math professor, so she'd start rambling about her work.
:Mom:But while the ant gathered food ...
:Mom:... zzzz ...
:Mom:... the grasshopper contracted to a point on a manifold that was NOT a 3-sphere ...
:I'm still not sure which versions are real.
:Cueball: You didn't notice the drastic subject changes?
:Megan: Well, sometimes her versions were better. We loved ''Inductive White and the (N-1) Dwarfs''.
:Megan: I guess the ''LIM x->∞ (x) little pigs'' did get a bit weird toward the end...

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

872: Fairy Tales

2013-08-19T22:23:14Z

Gman314: Made the explanation good.

{{comic
| number = 872
| date = March 14, 2011
| title = Fairy Tales
| image = fairy tales.png
| titletext = Goldilocks' discovery of Newton's method for approximation required surprisingly few changes.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
{{w|Eigenvector|Eigenvector}} is a word adopted into English from German like "kindergarten" or "blitzkrieg". It's a mathematical concept and has nothing to do with the fairy tale Cinderella, confusing [[Cueball]].

The story of Cinderella includes Cinderella going to a ball in disguise, dancing with a prince and then leaving early and quickly, so she leaves a glass slipper behind. The prince then uses the shoe to find Cinderella. [[Megan]] says that the way she learned it, the prince used an eigenvector and corresponding eigenvalue to match the shoe to its owner. This is a somewhat logical mathematical connection to make, as eigenvectors and values are important properties of a matrix.

Megan explains that her mother would talk about her work, math, while she fell asleep in the midst of reading bed time stories. The middle panel refers to the story of the Grasshopper and the Ant with the addition of the {{w|Poincaré conjecture|Poincaré conjecture}}, a (now-misnamed) theorem in Mathematics. Megan also mentions two other story changes. Inductive White and the n - 1 dwarves is a combination of Snow White and the 7 Dwarves with the principle of induction, and the LIM x->∞ (x) little pigs combines the 3 little pigs with mathematical limits.

In the title text, {{w|Newton's method}} for approximation is a method for finding successively better approximations to the zeroes (or roots) of a real-valued function. In Goldilocks, the protagonist finds successively better porridge and appropriately sized chairs in a house where three bears lived. In the same way, in the Mom's version of the fairy tale, she would find successively better approximations to zeroes instead of porridge and chairs instead of successively better bowls of porridge.

==Transcript==
:[Megan sits in an armchair, reading a book.]
:Megan: Are there eigenvectors in ''Cinderella''?
:Cueball: ... no?
:Megan: The prince didn't use them to match the shoe to its owner?
:Cueball: What are you ''talking'' about?
:Megan: Dammit.
:[Megan is in bed, mom is sitting on the edge of the bed reading.]
:My mom is one of those people who falls asleep while reading, but keeps talking. She's a math professor, so she'd start rambling about her work.
:Mom:But while the ant gathered food ...
:Mom:... zzzz ...
:Mom:... the grasshopper contracted to a point on a manifold that was NOT a 3-sphere ...
:I'm still not sure which versions are real.
:Cueball: You didn't notice the drastic subject changes?
:Megan: Well, sometimes her versions were better. We loved ''Inductive White and the (N-1) Dwarfs''.
:Megan: I guess the ''LIM x->∞ (x) little pigs'' did get a bit weird toward the end...

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

365: Slides

2013-08-19T16:38:21Z

Gman314: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 365
| date = January 2, 2008
| title = Slides
| image = slides.png
| titletext = Did you know they can actually physically throw you out of SIGGRAPH?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
The expression "bear with me a moment" usually implies that what you are talking about is not random-the connection is to be explained later. This is not the case in the comic-Cueball is showing random slides which have no connection to each other.

The title text refers to {{w|SIGGRAPH}}, an annual computer graphics conference held since 1974, making the joke that people who attend computer graphics conferences are stereotypically not very athletic and therefore unlikely to be able to physically throw someone.

==Transcript==
:Cueball: That chart explained the quantum hall effect. Now, if you'll bear with me a moment, this next graph shows rainfall over the amazon basin...
:If you keep saying "bear with me a moment" people will take a while to figure out that you're just showing them random slides.

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

998: 2012

2013-08-19T16:33:57Z

Gman314: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 998
| date = January 2, 2012
| title = 2012
| image = 2012.png
| 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==
{{incomplete|The Mayan did not predict the end of the world}}
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 (or, more accurately, restarts) on December 21, 2012. This date is regarded as the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the calendar used by the Mayan culture. Knowing this, some thought that the world was going to end on that date.

Consequently, a lot of people were talking about the Mayans, concerned that the world might end. After December 21, 2012 passed uneventfully, everyone was less concerned about the Mayans, because the world didn't end. It is worthy of note that this comic was published nearly a year ''before'' the "significant" date and that Randall predicted both the hype and the aftermath perfectly.

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). Her comment may also be taken to suggest that people who feared the Mayan "prediction" of the end of the world would come to pass had failed to appropriately extrapolate from the numerous other faulty {{w|List of dates predicted for apocalyptic events|predictions of the end of the world}}.

The title-text jokes that to make up for the lack of Mayan discussion, Randall plans to spend 2013 talking solely about Mayans. (Empirically, he hasn't, as the comics haven't had any Mayans in them this year.) For obvious reasons, people would probably get sick of this very quickly, hence his comment that his relationships might not fare well.

==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]]

328: Eggs

2013-08-19T05:48:24Z

Gman314: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 328
| date = October 12, 2007
| title = Eggs
| image = eggs.png
| titletext = Oh, yeah, we get tons of them at these casual sex bars.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
The man in the comic seems to be using a common cheesy pick up line (So, how do you like your eggs in the morning? -- implying that he will be the one cooking them, because they will still be together in the morning, because they spent the night having sex). The standard response to this pick up line for a woman seeking to brush off the potential partner (as one would expect a woman in a bar being propositioned by a stranger to do most of the time) is "unfertilized". In fact, the man is not trying to solicit sex from the woman, but instead is trying to set her up for that punchline as he is in the habit of setting up jokes. The woman's desire for actual casual sex subverts his plan for comedy.

The title text implies that this is a bar where most people are looking for casual sex, and jokers are a common nuisance, in contrast with bars were most women are not looking for a hookup and men who troll for casual sex are a common nuisance.

Alternatively, the title-text is a response to the comment about a Priest and a Rabbi. Jokes about Priests, Rabbis and sometimes Imams are fairly common, and the man appears to want to set up such a joke. However, the title-text uses sarcasm to point out that such religious leaders would be unlikely to frequent a bar where people go for casual sex.

==Transcript==
:[Megan sits at a bar, Cueball approaches.]
:Cueball: So, how do you like your eggs in the morning?
:Megan: Ooh, sunny side up.
:Cueball: Oh. Huh.
:Megan: Is that a problem?
:Cueball: Well, it's just that I was trying to set you up for the "unfertilised" line.
:Megan: Ah. Bad timing; I'm actually looking for casual sex. ...interested?
:Cueball: I'd love to, but I've got like 20 more jokes to set up tonight. Hey, have you seen a priest and a rabbi?

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Sex]]
[[Category:Language]]

Talk:328: Eggs

2013-08-19T05:45:13Z

Gman314:

Megan is at a hotel bar and Cueball (the waiter) is asking her a question on her breakfast next morning. After that this comic looks much more like a {{w|Monty Python}} or {{w|Faulty Towers}} skit. But if that is true we need a reference.

BTW: Please follow all instructions here [[Help:How to add a new comic explanation]] when creating a new page.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 15:16, 9 June 2013 (UTC)

My alternate take on the Title-Text is that the person looking for a priest and a rabbi is being (sarcastically? ...or totally ''not'' sarcastically?) told that they're indeed quite common in Singles Bars. [[Special:Contributions/178.98.31.27|178.98.31.27]] 15:18, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

That's my take as well [[User:Gman314|Gman314]] ([[User talk:Gman314|talk]]) 05:45, 19 August 2013 (UTC)

875: 2009 Called

2013-08-19T05:43:01Z

Gman314: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 875
| date = March 21, 2011
| title = 2009 Called
| image = 2009 called.png
| titletext = 2017 called, but I couldn't understand what they were saying over all the screams.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
The comic deconstructs a {{w|snowclone}} or common idiom - "X called, they want their Y back." Usually, X is a year (like 2009 here), and Y is something very popular in that year that is seen as ridiculous in the present day.

Here, [[Megan]] notices a Three-Wolf Moon t-shirt that [[Cueball]] apparently owns. The {{w|Three Wolf Moon|Three-Wolf Moon}} is a shirt of three wolves howling at the moon that reached became a meme when several people posted ironic reviews on {{w|Amazon}} around late 2008, claiming that the shirt had supernatural powers.

Megan says the snowclone, but before she can finish, Cueball takes it literally (that is, that the year 2009 actually called her) and admonishes for not telling them about {{w|2010 Haiti earthquake|the February 2010 earthquake in Haiti}} and {{w|2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami|the March 2011 earthquake and tsunamiin Japan}}. The comic was posted shortly after the latter, so it is reasonable to assume that it was created as a response to the disaster.

The title text continues the snowclone, implying the end of humanity and/or the world will come about in 2017.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is at computer. Megan is standing behind him, looking at clothes on the floor.]
:Megan: Is this a three wolf moon shirt?
:Megan: Dude, 2009 called, and they--
:Cueball: ''OH MY GOD!''
:Cueball: ''DID YOU WARN THEM?''
:Cueball: ''ABOUT HAITI AND JAPAN?''
:Megan: What? No, I--
:Cueball: You ''ASSHOLE!''

==See also==
*[[102: Back to the Future]]

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

Talk:637: Scribblenauts

2013-08-18T22:43:22Z

Gman314:

I thought that she was looking up and seeing Cueball in the room, rather than on the screen? [[Special:Contributions/192.17.144.235|192.17.144.235]] 22:35, 27 May 2013 (UTC)

I thought that there were two copies of her in the third panel because she succeeded in summoning herself in reality with the phrase 'pretentious asshole', much like a Calvin and Hobbes comic where he duplicates himself and then when Hobbes says the duplicate is really good, Calvin says "What do you mean? This guy is a total jerk!"

1217: Cells

2013-08-18T05:03:22Z

Gman314: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1217
| date = May 27, 2013
| title = Cells
| image = cells.png
| titletext = Now, if it selectively kills cancer cells in a petri dish, you can be sure it's at least a great breakthrough for everyone suffering from petri dish cancer.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}

{{w|Cancer}} is one of the most feared sicknesses due to high mortality and a topic visited by Randall in [[:Category:Cancer|past comics]]. Whenever a study finds a hint for cure, this is hyped in media as major breakthrough. However, on a laboratory scale, research is done using cultivated cancer cell assays in petri dishes or well plates. Because the cells are isolated, it will not take into consideration of interactions with other parts of a whole body. Current anti-cancer drugs affect all cells, thereby causing severe side effects. The same applies to new drugs developed as well; if they affect cancer cells they may also affect healthy cells and the side effects may prove to be too severe for the drug to be used as a viable treatment method. Randall compares this to a handgun, which can destroy cancer cells with the side effect of destroying tissue and body fluids in the proximity of the cells.

As title text suggests, that is not the only problem a new drug can have. For example, it may not be able to get to those cancer cells. It is a long way from the laboratory to the pharmacy.

==Transcript==
When you see a claim that a common drug or vitamin "kills cancer cells in a petri dish",

keep in mind:

[A scientist stands on a chair next to a desk, pointing a gun at a petri dish. There is a microscope on the desk.]

So does a handgun.

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

401: Large Hadron Collider

2013-08-18T05:00:14Z

Gman314: Made the explanation good.

{{comic
| number = 401
| date = March 26, 2008
| title = Large Hadron Collider
| image = large_hadron_collider.png
| titletext = When charged particles of more than 5 TeV pass through a bubble chamber, they leave a trail of candy.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest particle accelerator, used in physics research, and particularly for finding the Higgs Boson. The Higgs Boson is a particle which gives particles their mass and until its discovery in 2012 was the last particle of the Standard Model of Physics to not have been experimentally confirmed.

At the time of this comic's writing, the LHC was nearing completion, and the comic imagines technicians working at the LHC and not having any visual confirmation of what happens. Since they can't see the Higgs Boson, they can only wait for the theorists to determine what actually happened. The comic jokes that the bored technicians would fry pigeons and give helicopters cancer with the proton stream, neither of which are actually possible. This is because the stream is contained within the LHC, and non-organic entities can't get cancer. However, the radiation from the stream might have some major effects on pigeons.

The title-text makes another joke about the effects of highly charged particles, claiming that when they pass through a bubble chamber (an older particle detection device) they leave a trail of candy.

==Transcript==
:The Large Hadron Collider, CERN...
:Megan: Okay, moment of truth. "click"
:Large Hadron Collider: "VVVVVRRMMMMM"
:Cueball: Do you see the Higgs Boson?
:Megan: Nope.
:Cueball: Huh.
:Megan: Well, then.
:Cueball: Until the theorists get back to us, wanna try hitting pigeons with the proton stream?
:Megan: Already on it. Cool! I just gave a helicopter cancer.

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

135: Substitute

2013-08-18T04:37:45Z

Gman314: Jurassic park explanation now matches comic 87, Teacher's identity consistent.

{{comic
| number = 135
| date = July 31, 2006
| title = Substitute
| image = substitute.png
| titletext = YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|the teacher is either Cueball or Randall, we don't need an explain for Jurassic Park}}
This comic refers to the film ''{{w|Jurassic Park}}'', a 1993 movie based on the 1990 novel by {{w|Micheal Crichton}}. The film centres around a billionaire who buys an island and opens a zoo/theme park for dinosaurs which he has cloned from DNA recovered from blood found in fossilized mosquitoes. Naturally, everything goes haywire, and several of the creatures, among which are the {{w|Velociraptor}}s subject of this comic, try to devour every human in the theme park.

Velociraptors (often shortened to "raptors") are a species of relatively small, carnivorous {{w|dinosaur}} which play a central role in the original film, as well as its sequels. In the film, herds of Velociraptors antagonize the main characters at various points, even entering buildings; they play a large role in the climax of the film. According to Wikipedia, the Velociraptors in the film were erroneously based on the Deinonychus species of dinosaur. Unlike the movie, in which they are depicted as having a reptilian skin, both species of dinosaur in reality are theorized to have been feathered. This makes sense, as the word "raptor" also refers to modern birds of prey.

[[Cueball]] is asked to substitute for [[Miss Lenhart]] in math class. The test he devises contains three questions, which have the recurring theme of humans running from said velociraptors. As Cueball says in the comic: “This material is more vital than anything you've ever learned,” the joke being that Cueball is somehow fearful that such a thing could happen.

Velociraptors, and in particular, the irrational fear of being attacked by them in the modern world, [[:Category:Velociraptors|appear several times]] in [[xkcd]]. This is the second such instance, the first being [87: Velociraptors]

==Transcript==
:[In a class room, the board says "Math" on the top-left corner, and "Mr. Munroe" in the middle. A stick figure is standing in front of it, speaking to the class.]
:Teacher: Miss Lenhart couldn't be here today, so she asked me to substitute.
:Teacher: I've put out your tests. Please get started.

:[A student in the first row raises the exam paper and says.]
:Student: Mr. Munroe, Miss Lenhart never taught us this.

:Teacher: That's because Miss Lenhart doesn't understand how important certain kinds of math are.
:Student: But this just looks--
:Teacher: This material is more vital than anything you've ever learned
:Student: But--
:Teacher: No buts.

:Teacher: This is a matter of life and death.

:[Excerpt from the exam paper.]
:Name: _________

:[A stick figure is standing, hands over head. A velociraptor is running towards it.]

:1. The velociraptor spots you 40 meters away and attacks, accelerating at 4 m/s^2 to its top speed of 25 m/s. When it spots you, you begin to flee, quickly reaching your top speed of 6 m/s. How far can you get before you're caught and devoured?

:2. You're at the center of a 20m equilateral triangle with a raptor at each corner. The top raptor has a wounded leg and is limited to a top speed of 10 m/s.

:[A stick figure is shown in the above situation. The picture has a legend "(Not to scale)".]

:The raptors will run toward you. At what angle should you run to maximize the time you stay alive?

:3. Raptors can open doors, but they are slowed by them. Using the floor plan on the next page, plot a route through the building, assuming raptors take 5 minutes to open the first door and halve the time for each subsequent door. Remember, raptors run at 10 m/s and they do not know fear.

==Trivia==
*Answers to the first two questions can be found in [http://fora.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=120&start=40 this topic] on the forum board.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Randall Munroe]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Velociraptors]]

373: The Data So Far

2013-08-16T17:31:42Z

Gman314: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 373
| date = January 21, 2008
| title = The Data So Far
| image = the data so far.png
| titletext = But THIS guy, he might be for real!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|One-liner explanation that merely states what is said in the comic.}}
There are often people who claim to have supernatural powers, but then when their powers are tested by some sort of experiment, the experiment refutes their claims. This comic summarizes all the data from such experiments, observing that given the data, it's very unlikely that supernatural powers actually exist. The title text adds the claim that some guy might actually have superpowers, a typical tabloid claim based on a particularly elaborate hoax (which will almost certainly be later refuted by experiment.)

See also comic [[1235: Settled]] for more of Randall's thoughts on hoaxes and unusual claims.

==Transcript==
:[Bar graph titled "Claims of Supernatural Powers" and has two sets of data. The first data set is labeled "Confirmed By Experiment", and is empty. The second data set is "Refuted By Experiment" and goes to the top of the graph.]

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

Talk:325: A-Minus-Minus

2013-08-16T17:23:02Z

Gman314:

Why should the woman be [[Danish]]? She wasn't introduced at this point, and has different hair. --[[Special:Contributions/141.89.226.146|141.89.226.146]] 10:32, 28 February 2013 (UTC)

:Good point; I've edited the transcript accordingly. Thanks! - [[User:Cos|Cos]] ([[User talk:Cos|talk]]) 12:19, 28 February 2013 (UTC)

- What can we learn from this? - I've learned to expect the unexpected and laugh my ass off when I figure out the reason behind it (Thank you for all the laughs and lessons, Mr. XKCD) - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 16:36, 28 February 2013 (UTC)

Does this explanation still need to be listed as incomplete? I really don't think so. [[User:Gman314|Gman314]] ([[User talk:Gman314|talk]]) 17:23, 16 August 2013 (UTC)

1005: SOPA

2013-08-16T17:19:37Z

Gman314: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1005
| date = January 18, 2012
| title = SOPA
| image = sopa.png
| titletext = In protest of SOPA, I'm currently getting totally blacked out.
}}

== Explanation ==
SOPA, the {{w|Stop Online Piracy Act}} and PIPA, the {{w|Protect IP Act}}, were a pair of controversial bills being considered by the United States government late 2011 and early 2012. The bills contained the ability for the US government to deny American internet users access to certain sites at a judge's request. These would be activated if the government could prove to a court that a site was primarily used to harbor illegally distributed copyrighted goods, such as video games, music, and TV shows.

Many people considered this to be censorship and were concerned that this could instead be used by larger corporations to squelch smaller competing sites who may not have the resources to challenge a "take-down notice" in court, should judges continually agree with the larger corporation.

As the bills gained infamy online, many popular websites and web comics participated in a mass protest on January 18, 2012, to announce their displeasure with the bill in an attempt to convince the House of Representatives to reverse their judgement, which had at the time been considered likely to pass if drafted. This was xkcd's participation in the protest. [[Randall]] discusses that as someone who would have better copyright protection that he would not have ever gotten popular if fans had not been allowed to distribute the comic.

[[File:sopa hidden message.png||upright=2|The comic image with the message revealed.]]

In typical xkcd fashion, this comic contains several layers of depth that may not be immediately obvious to the casual observer. In this instance, the apparently solid-black region contains a hidden image revealed with simple brightness+contrast manipulation, with [[Black Hat]] saying "A message from sysadmins everywhere: Seriously, don't screw with DNS. If you break this internet, we are ''not'' making you a new one." This stems from the fact that sites could be ordered taken down by allowing manipulation of the {{w|DNS}} system itself, effectively making a site completely disappear from the web. This court-enforced DNS manipulation was considered by many technical professionals to damage the underlying structure of the internet, as well as potentially criminalizing recent work to improve its security.

The image text referred to a common theme across protesting sites: a blackout of the internet. Sites such as Google changed to a black background, while Wikipedia prevented access by linking their sites to a black page with white text explaining their participation. On the day of the protest, xkcd was similarly "blacked out," with all comics redirecting to this one. This may also be a pun with the term "getting totally blacked out" which could simply mean "getting completely drunk", as "to black out" can mean to lose consciousness or loose all memories from a specific period of time, for instance because of too much alcohol.

After the protest, the bills were postponed from being drafted on January 20, 2012.

==Transcript==
:[don't censor the web]
:[Hidden in the background of the above text is Black Hat]
:Black Hat: A message from sysadmins everywhere:
:Black Hat: Seriously, don't screw with DNS. If you break this internet, we are ''not'' making you a new one.
:I make my living drawing xkcd, which wouldn't have been possible if people hadn't been able to freely share my comics with each other all over the internet. As a copyright holder and small business owner, I oppose SOPA and PIPA. See the links below to learn more.
:[Randall Munroe's signature, with a little drawing of Cueball on one of the tails]

{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Randall Munroe]]
[[Category:Politics]]

991: Phantom Menace

2013-08-16T17:02:37Z

Gman314: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 991
| date = December 16, 2011
| title = Phantom Menace
| image = phantom_menace.png
| titletext = We could go to the theater across town and see if it's opened THERE yet, but we don't want to lose our place in line.
}}

==Explanation==
Here we have [[Cueball]] and one other unidentified character, who is dressed as [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Darth_Maul Darth Maul]. Darth Maul is a [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sith_apprentice Sith apprentice] in {{w|Star Wars: The Phantom Menace}}. [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sith The Sith] are the group of characters in the {{w|Star Wars}} universe who embrace [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_side_of_the_Force the dark side] of [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_Force the Force] and are the enemies throughout the series. Cueball is holding a toy [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lightsaber lightsaber], which is the weapon used by the [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jedi Jedi] and the Sith. Cueball and Darth Maul are standing outside what they think is a {{w|Movie theater|theater}} waiting for the {{w|3d movie|3D}} {{w|The phantom menace#3D re-release|edition}} of The Phantom Menace, which was [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120915/releaseinfo released] in most countries in February 2012.

However, no one else is waiting with them because the Phantom Menace was {{w|The phantom menace#Reception|one of the worst movies}} in the Star Wars series. It is much maligned because of the inclusion of a new race, [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Gungan the Gungans], and specifically [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jar_Jar_Binks Jar Jar Binks]. Another criticism is how stilted all the performances are from all the human actors.

The comic insinuates that few people will be seeing the 3D release of The Phantom Menace by depicting Cueball and his friend as the only two in line. (Or possibly that they're not at the right place, judging by the broken window and seemingly abandoned area around them.)

An alternative explanation for the comic is that Cueball and his friend are die-hard Star Wars fans, even about Episode I, and thus are willing to line up an excessive time in advance at what might not even be a theatre. Since Cueball says "Let's give it another month", it's quite likely that the time they've been waiting for is at least a month. The movie also wasn't re-released until 2 months after the comic was published, so it's quite possible that the characters are not aware of the movie release date. All in all, since they don't know if they're at a theatre, they don't realize that the movie is unpopular and doesn't require a massive early lineup, and they don't know the movie re-release date they seem rather clueless.

==Transcript==
:[Two people -- one in a Darth Maul mask, the other holding a lightsaber, and each holding money in his or her hand -- stand outside a building.]
:[They continue to stand there.]
:[They continue to stand there.]
:[Darth Maul turns to lightsaber guy.]
:Darth Maul: Are you sure this place is a theater?
:Lightsaber guy: Let's give it one more month.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]

Talk:991: Phantom Menace

2013-08-16T16:57:09Z

Gman314:

Episode I is so much maligned that some fans have created their own viewing order:

*IV: A New Hope
*V: The Empire Strikes Back
*II: Attack of the Clones
*III: Revenge of the Sith
*VI: Return of the Jedi

Skipping The Pantom Menace entirely. [http://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/]

[[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 23:26, 28 August 2012 (UTC)

I like to believe that being in line early is a phantom menace.--[[User:Shine|Shine]] ([[User talk:Shine|talk]]) 05:37, 2 March 2013 (UTC)

I actually saw the 3D rerelease... [[User:BlueDudeWithATude|BlueDudeWithATude]] ([[User talk:BlueDudeWithATude|talk]]) 15:43, 27 May 2013 (UTC)

I think that the existing explanation kind of misses the comic entirely. The comic was published 2 months before the 3D rerelease, so we can assume that the events of the comic take place at the same time as the publishing and so the characters are standing there at least 2 months early. Also, Cueball says "Let's give it one more month" to the suggestion that they aren't even in line for a theatre, suggesting that a) they've probably been waiting for at least a month, and b) they're so dedicated that they went to watch the movie without even knowing where they were going. So, my explanation would be that the characters are die-hard Star Wars fans, willing to watch even the much-maligned Episode I and also convinced of the sheer importance of this event that they're willing to line up at least 3 months in advance at what might not even be a theatre. [[User:Gman314|Gman314]] ([[User talk:Gman314|talk]]) 16:57, 16 August 2013 (UTC)