explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2268: Further Research is Needed

2020-02-14T20:49:08Z

Humanoid:

{{comic
| number = 2268
| date = February 14, 2020
| title = Further Research is Needed
| image = further_research_is_needed.png
| titletext = Further research is needed to fully understand how we managed to do such a good job.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a CONFIDENT RESEARCHER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Many research papers end with a statement that more research is needed on a particular topic. This comic's fictional paper, however, ends with a statement that the paper has resolved all the problems about its topic, and that no more research is necessary. Essentially, the joke is that the authors are so confident in their research skills that they believe that they have solved all the problems in that particular topic that can be solved.

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

[A panel, representing an excerpt from a scholarly journal, with two sentences clearly visible. Below the text is the word "References", with a horizontal line below it, and then four lines of illegible text numbered 1 through 4, representing a list of citations. The legible sentences say:]

We believe this resolves all remaining questions on this topic. No further research is needed.

[Caption below the panel:]

Just once, I want to see a research paper with the guts to end this way.

{{comic discussion}}

2177: Gastroenterology

2019-07-17T21:29:48Z

Humanoid: Grammar fixes.

{{comic
| number = 2177
| date = July 17, 2019
| title = Gastroenterology
| image = gastroenterology.png
| titletext = "Mostly it means that I'm acutely aware that the kid one table over coughed as the server walked past with our food."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a GASTROENTEROLOGIST. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Gastroenterology}} is the study of the normal function and diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts and liver.

{{w|Antibiotics}} are substances that kill bacteria. They are very effective at treating bacterial infections, including in the gut; unfortunately, they can also kill the good gut bacteria. {{w|Probiotics}} are harmless or helpful bacteria which are sometimes used to replace the good bacteria killed by an antibiotic. This prevents re-infection and allows the natural gut microbiome to recover more effectively; [[1471|comic 1471]] was about the same theme. Probiotics are included in many foods, such as yogurt, and are marketed as having health benefits.

Antibiotics and probiotics are often used together during a treatment. Mixing them as in the comic, however, would just cause the antibiotic to kill the probiotic bacteria rather than causing an explosion. Explosive reactions between antibiotics and probiotics are highly unlikely. The probiotic + antibiotic = explosion may refer to {{w|annihilation}}, a reaction between particles and antiparticles, which produces large amounts of energy -- an explosion -- although one could not keep antiparticles (antimatter) in a jar touched by a person made up of particles (matter), and the explosion would happen upon mixing, not a short time later. Another possibility is that the sequence refers to a reaction between an acid and a base, which could cause an explosion if kept in a tightly sealed container like a water bottle and would additionally take a bit of time to occur, as in the explosion here.

In the last panel, Ponytail appears to be covering this action up by saying to Megan that her work is merely a lot of paperwork. Another explanation is that the explosion sequence is some kind of action fantasy on Ponytail's part and she is telling Megan the reality of her mundane job.

In the title text, Ponytail adds that her work makes her aware of a child over-coughing as the server was bringing food at the restaurant table, exposing the food to possible germs that could cause a gastroenterological infection.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Ponytail, wearing a lab coat, and a guy wearing a scrubs hat rush in from the right side of the panel. Ponytail is holding a water bottle. There is a desk on the left of the panel with two jars.]
:Hat guy: Hurry, they're right behind us!

:[Zoom in on Ponytail, behind the desk, pouring the two smaller jars into the water bottle.]
:An arrow points to the left jar: Probiotic
:An arrow points to the right jar: Antibiotic

:[Zoom out on Ponytail shaking the water bottle to mix the two substances.]
:Shake Shake Shake

:[Ponytail throws the water bottle toward the right side of the panel, at something off-screen.]

:[Hat guy and Ponytail run toward the left side of the panel, as the water bottle explodes.]
:BOOM

:[Megan and Ponytail sitting at a table, facing each other, having a meal.]
:Megan: So what's gastroenterology like?
:Ponytail: Pretty boring. Lotta paperwork.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Physics]]

2175: Flag Interpretation

2019-07-13T18:43:45Z

Humanoid: Fixed grammar; added theory

{{comic
| number = 2175
| date = July 12, 2019
| title = Flag Interpretation
| image = flag_interpretation.png
| titletext = When Salvador Dalí died, it took months to get all the flagpoles sufficiently melted.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an IMPORTANT CLONE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In many countries including the United States (whose flag is depicted in the comic), it is customary to lower the flag to {{w|half staff}} when important public figures die. This is normally done by raising the flag to full heigh, then immidiately "lowering" it to half heigth. In the US, regulations regarding flying the flag at half staff specify the length of time for the flag to be flown at half staff, and are based on the importance of the person who has died. There are no regulations where the flag would be flown at any height other than full height or half staff, and there are no regulations where multiple flags would be flown.

The definition of half-staff, or half-mast, differs between countries and does not necessarily imply flying the flag at half the height of the pole or mast. For example, in the USA the flag is usually flown at half the height of the pole, whereas UK practice is to leave space for an 'invisible flag' above the flown flag, which may mean flying the flag near the top of the pole depending on its height. These differing practices contribute to confusion and ambiguity concerning the flag height, which is exploited in the comic.

Randall, as usual, makes a humorous list of fictional additional traditions.

Flying the US flag {{w|Distress_signal#Inverted_flags|upside down}} is widely considered a distress signal, and would not be intended to indicate an important figure has died. Since on average [https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ someone dies every few seconds], it would indeed be extremely unlikely that no one would die for weeks in a row. Although not having anyone die seems good on the surface, it would trigger alarm about why this was happening; what mysterious force could possibly cause cessation of all deaths? And will it continue into the future, triggering an overpopulation crisis in short order?

The second-to-last panel is a reference to the {{w|Trolley problem}}, a well-known thought experiment in ethics: An out-of-control trolley is running toward five people who are on the tracks. If you do nothing, these five will be killed. However, you can trigger a switch that will divert the trolley onto a side track, where there is one person who would be killed. Which is the more ethical option?

The title text is a reference to ''{{w|The Persistence of Memory}}'' and other paintings and sculptures by {{w|Salvador Dalí}} which include watches and other objects that are melting.

===Table===
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! Flag Position !! Randall's Interpretation || Explanation
|-
|Flag at half mast
|Someone important died.
|In the U.S., it is custom to lower the flag at half mast when somebody important died.
|-
|Flag at three-quarter mast.
|Someone died but we're not sure how we feel about them.
|Randall seems to interpret a single full-mast flag as meaning "nobody important died". If so, 3/4 mast is a compromise between that and the half mast meaning; another way to interpret it might be to say "someone half-important died".
|-
|Flag at base of the mast.
|Everyone important died.
|Likewise, if the flag is lowered halfway when one important person dies, lowering it twice as far implies that multiple important people have died. No intermediate positions are shown, so we can't be sure exactly how many. However, Randall does not specify his definition of "everyone," so this scenario could possibly imply that there was an event that led to the complete cessation of life on Earth.
|-
|Two flags at full mast.
|Someone important was successfully cloned.
|Following the "flag for important people" rule, two flags would mean two (cloned) important people.
|-
|Two flags at half mast.
|An important person died battling their evil clone.
|The concept of evil clone (or twin) is popular in fiction; in this case, two flags at half mast would mean that both clones died in the battle.
|-
|Flag at half mast and upside-down.
|Nobody has died for weeks and that seems good but statistically it's very alarming.
|The fact that nobody died for weeks is an impressive statistic, since many deaths occur every day, it would have needed a big change in society for this happen. Flying a flag upside-down is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_desecration#Flying_a_U.S._flag_upside_down often used as] "a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property".
|-
|One normal-sized flag at half mast and five tiny flags at full mast.
|Someone diverted a trolley to save five people by killing one important person.
|This is a reference to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem trolley problem.]. The small flags are for the non-important people. Since they are not important, their flags are smaller.
|-
|No flag on the pole.
|The person who knows where the flag is stored at night died.
|Nobody living knows where the flag is stored, and can't seem to locate it to put it on the flagpole. Presumably the flag-keeper died at night, or the flag could still be flying. Or it may have been stolen.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[8 panels in 2 rows, 4 panels per row - each panel shows a flagpole in a different state of flying flag(s) with a caption at the bottom of the panel below the flagpole.]
:[The US flag at half mast.]
:Caption: Someone important died
:[The same flag at three-quarter mast.]
:Caption: Someone died but we're not sure how we feel about them
:[The flag at the base of the mast.]
:Caption: Everyone important died
:[Two identical flags at full mast.]
:Caption: Someone important was successfully cloned
:[Two identical flags at half mast.]
:Caption: An important person died battling their evil clone
:[An upside-down flag at half mast.]
:Caption: Nobody has died for weeks and that seems good but statistically it's very alarming.
:[A normal-sized flag at half mast and five tiny flags at full mast.]
:Caption: Someone diverted a trolley to save five people by killing one important person
:[A flagpole with no flag.]
:Caption: The person who knows where the flag is stored at night died.

{{comic discussion}}

855: 1999

2019-07-12T02:55:48Z

Humanoid: Add new theory for "the infinite is possible"

<noinclude>:''This page refers to the comic named "1999". For comic #1999, see [[1999: Selection Effect]].''</noinclude>
{{comic
| number = 855
| date = February 2, 2011
| title = 1999
| image = 1999.png
| titletext = 'Whoa, twenty-two in two hours!' 'Your site got twenty-two hundred hits in two hours?' 'No. Twenty-two. But still, that's like half the people on the internet!'
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a parody of the movie ''{{w|The Social Network}}'', a movie about the founding of the popular social network site Facebook. Here, scenes from the movie are reimagined to feature {{w|Zombo.com}} instead. Zombo.com, also known as Zombocom, is a website that was created in 1999 and using only {{w|Flash animations}}. [[Randall]], like many others more, doesn't like this technique at all. The animation consists of a circle of quickly pulsating dots and a friendly deep male voice repeatedly welcoming the visitor to "Zombocom" and explaining that there was no limit to what could be done at the site, or rather, no limit except yourself. The message repeats while, ironically, there is absolutely nothing that can be done at the site until the message completes, at which point a link saying "Sign up for our newZletter" appears, linking to a page saying that the selected option is not available yet. If the link is not clicked, the Flash player will reset. Thus, you can still do nothing on the site.
The humor of the parody comes in substituting Facebook, a useful{{Citation needed}} and popular website, for Zombo.com, a novelty site which gained attention for its complete uselessness.

Turn on your speakers and check [http://zombo.com zombo.com] for yourself. (If you can't run/don't have flash an an HTML5 version is available at [https://html5zombo.com html5zombo.com].)

The last four panels are all direct parodies of specific scenes from ''The Social Network''. The second panel is a takeoff of the scene where Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg comes up with the idea for the site, saying that people like checking up on their friends and acquaintances, so why not build a site that lets them do that? Because Zombo.com has no actual function, in this version the founder can't specify what he wants the site to do.

The third panel is taken from a scene where Zuckerberg is seen intensely focused on his work programming the site, his headphones insulating him from the outside world. His assistant describes his state as "wired in" and demands that he not be disturbed. In the comic, as Zombo.com is a very simple site which does not need much coding, the assistant offers the possibility that the founder is stoned as a reason for his focus. Indeed, it's one of the few conceivable reasons that one would be this focused on such a boring and pointless website. As "the infinite is possible" is a phrase in Zombo.com's audio clip, it is also plausible that the founder is currently recording the clip and the assistant is telling the others not to bother him for fear of adding background noise to the clip.

The fourth panel is taken from a scene where co-founder Eduardo Saverin tries to push for monetization of Facebook, while investor and consultant Sean Parker argues against. The actual dialogue is "You don't even know what the thing is yet. How big it can get, how far it can go. This is no time to take your chips down. A million dollars isn't cool, you know what's cool? A billion dollars." Here, instead of a billion dollars, the Parker character argues "Circles," playing off Zombo.com's un-lucrative nature and the silliness of the design.

The final panel is taken from a scene where Parker advises Zuckerberg to change the name of the site from TheFacebook to just Facebook, calling it "cleaner." Here, he advises to change the name of Zombo.com to just Zombocom. Why the website is pronounced "Zombocom" rather than the more expected Zombo ''Dot'' Com is a mystery known only to its creators; perhaps, like in the movie, they also considered it cleaner.

The title text is a reference to a quote from the movie, specifically a conversation between Zuckerberg and Delpy (Zuckerberg is the first quote). In the actual film, Zuckerberg answers "twenty-two thousand" rather than just "twenty-two". This is a joke to the effect that, back in 1999, there weren't really that many people on the internet, and very few of them would have gone to Zombo.com.

==Transcript==
:It's easy to forget, as we heap awards on ''The Social Network'',
:That before there was Facebook, MySpace, or even Friendster...
:One website dreamed bigger than them all.

:[Cueball and another are talking.]
:Cueball: People like doing stuff. So why not build a website that offers that?
:Another: Offers what? What would I do there?
:Cueball: Anything! The only limit is yourself!

:[Another scene. Hacker, wearing headphones and oblivious, working at computer. Cueball runs in to interrupt; Another holds him back.]
:Cueball: Hey, we need more—
:Another: Don't–he's wired in.
:Hacker: ''The infinite is possible.''
:Another: Or baked. It's hard to tell.

:[Cueball and another at table in bar.]
:Cueball: It's time to monetize. We could make millions!
:Another: No way. A million dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool?
:Cueball: A billio–
:Another: ''Circles.''

:[Long shot in bar. Drinks on table in foreground; dim figures in doorway in background; Cueball, alone, shouting into the distance.]
:Cueball: Hey–a tip: drop the dot.
:Cueball: Just "Zombocom".
:Cueball: It's cleaner.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Social networking]]

2174: First News Memory

2019-07-11T18:32:39Z

Humanoid: Changed to adhere to writing conventions.

{{comic
| number = 2174
| date = July 10, 2019
| title = First News Memory
| image = first_news_memory.png
| titletext = Psychology researchers say our 'flashbulb' memories of big events can be unreliable, but I clearly remember watching live on CNN as Challenger crashed into and destroyed the Berlin Wall.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a FAULTY FIRST NEWS MEMORY. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. (Explain title-text) Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Seven xkcd characters are discussing their "first news memory", their first memory of an event that was reported by the news media. A person's "first news memory" can vary based on their age, the region where they grew up, and how in touch with the news they are.

The following is a breakdown of the memories given by the characters, in typical xkcd fashion:
===Frame One===
[[Ponytail]] gets the ball rolling by posing the question.
[[Cueball]] recalls the election coverage from the year 1988. As Randall lives in the US, this is probably the {{w|1988 United States presidential election|1988 US presidential election}} in which George H. W. Bush defeated Michael Dukakis. [[Megan]] recalls {{w|Berlin_Wall#Fall_of_the_Berlin_Wall|the removal of the Berlin wall}}, which began in 1989.

===Frame Two===
[[Hairy]] recalls the {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|''Challenger'' explosion}}, which occurred in 1986. Many schools allowed teachers to bring a television to the classroom to show their students the launch, sadly unaware of the impending disaster the children would witness. However, Hairy remembers watching the footage in 1995, so Hairy's teacher was knowingly showing the students recorded footage of a disaster. Presumably, showing a number of young schoolchildren a traumatizing event led to the teacher's dismissal.

===Frame Three===
[[White Hat]] says that his first news memory was about the 2016 election (presumably the {{w|2016 United States presidential election|2016 US presidential election}}), which is only three years prior to the publication date of this comic. As he is in his thirties, this implies that he spent most of his life not paying attention to the news or has amnesia.

===Frame Four===
[[Black Hat]]'s first sentence is normal in the context of the question, albeit making him older than the others. Given only the sentence 'we landed on the moon,' the 'we' is inferred to be 'the United States of America' or 'the human race.' The first {{w|moon landing}} occurred on July 20, 1969.
However, Black Hat goes on to say that 'my second memory is my mom telling us we were moving to Earth instead, to blend in with the humans.' This gives a completely different meaning to his first memory, as it is now implied that Black Hat is a humanoid alien who moved to the Moon, but whose mother then decided to move to Earth. Whether any news coverage resulted is unclear. [[Hairbun]] then remarks that this revelation explains Black Hat's odd (and usually disruptive) behavior. It is unclear whether Black Hat is telling the truth, but knowing Black Hat, and considering the fact that this would be unlikely to receive news coverage, he is likely intentionally trying to unnerve others. Another possibility is that Black Hat was the youthful victim of a prank by his own mother, with Hairbun's comment implying that such an upbringing accounts for the trollish aspects of Black Hat's character in the present day.

The title text gives [http://theconversation.com/flashbulb-memories-of-dramatic-events-arent-as-accurate-as-believed-64838 the claim] that {{w|Flashbulb memory|flashbulb memories}} of big events can be unreliable. Randall (or another character in the comic, possibly Hairbun) denies this claim, claiming to remember watching on CNN as the ''Challenger'' spacecraft crashed into the Berlin Wall. This is an inaccurate memory of these two events, as the ''Challenger'' explosion occurred in 1986 over the Atlantic Ocean, just east of Cape Canaveral, Florida, and did not occur near the Berlin Wall (in Berlin, Germany). Also, the Berlin Wall was intentionally demolished starting in 1989; it was not damaged by a space shuttle. It is possible that this memory also conflates those events with those of the {{w|September 11 attacks}} since the latter ''did'' involve three winged craft crashing into and destroying landmark structures.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, Hairy, White Hat, Black Hat and Hairbun are all at a party, discussing their earliest news memories.]

:[Panel with Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, and Hairy]
:Ponytail: What's your first news memory?
:Cueball: I always like this question! Mine was the 1988 election.
:Megan: Berlin wall for me. You?

:[Frame-less panel with Megan, Hairy, White Hat, and Black Hat]
:Hairy: Watching the ''Challenger'' launch in class. We were so excited; everyone was horrified when it blew up.
:Hairy: It was 1995.
:Hairy: Our teacher got fired soon after.

:[Panel with Hairy, White Hat, Black Hat, and Hairbun]
:White Hat: Mine's the 2016 election.
:Hairbun: ...aren't you in your 30's?
:White Hat: Look, we're not all great about keeping up with the news, OK?

:[Panel with White Hat, Black Hat, and Hairbun]
:Black Hat: My first memory is when we landed on the moon.
:Black Hat: My second memory is my mom telling us we were moving to Earth instead, to blend in with the humans.
:Hairbun: This explains a lot.

{{comic discussion}}

2174: First News Memory

2019-07-10T20:37:24Z

Humanoid: Fixed extra discussion section.

2174: First News Memory

2019-07-10T20:36:35Z

Humanoid: Added information for each frame.

2172: Lunar Cycles

2019-07-06T14:53:53Z

Humanoid: Correct grammatical errors, corrected errors in "Astrology," appended to "Antikythera mechanism."

{{comic
| number = 2172
| date = July 5, 2019
| title = Lunar Cycles
| image = lunar_cycles.png
| titletext = The Antikythera mechanism had a whole set of gears specifically to track the cyclic popularity of skinny jeans and low-rise waists.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a MOONBOT. Joke cycle explanations need to be expanded and title text needs to be explained. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic shows a mixture of real, scientific lunar cycles and cycles that are comedic or fictional in nature.

*'''Nodal precession:''' The comic shows that the moon's {{w|nodal precession}} follows an 18.6 year cycle. This is true. What this means is that the points in its orbit where the moon crosses the equator (called the ascending and descending nodes) move westward, taking just over 18.6 years to complete a 360-degree cycle.

*'''Apsidal precession:''' The comic shows that the moon's apsidal precession follows an 8.9 year cycle. This is true. What this means is that the major axis of the moon's orbit - the line between the periapsis (nearest point) and apoapsis (furthest point from Earth) of its orbit - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_precession precesses] eastward, taking about 8.9 years to complete a 360-degree cycle.

*'''Phase:''' The comic also shows that phase has a 29.5 day cycle. This is true. This is the synodic month. Because the lunar cycle is based on how the sun's light shines on the moon as seen from earth, it is determined by the relative positions of the earth, moon, and sun. Because the earth has moved, very roughly, 1/12 of the way around the sun during a lunar month, it takes extra time for the moon to reach the point where it is is fully lit again, so this is longer than a sidereal month. A synodic month, or the time from one full moon to another, is about 29.5 days as stated.

*'''Distance:''' The comic shows that distance has a 27.5 day cycle. This is true. A sidereal month, which is essentially the time it takes the moon to go around the earth, is approximately this length (although the mean time for a sidereal month may be closer to 27.3 days). Because the moon's orbit around the earth is elliptical and not perfectly circular, with a periapsis of about 362600 km earth-moon distance and an apoapsis of about 405400 km earth-moon distance, the distance to the moon essentially follows this cycle with times of peak distance about 27 and a half days apart.

*'''Earth-Moon relative size''': The idea that there is a cycle in which the moon becomes larger than the earth is a joke. However, Sun-Moon Relative Apparent Size would be a real thing, with there being times when the sun appears bigger and times when the moon does.

*'''Lunar shape:''' The idea that there is a cycle in which the moon becomes a square and then a circle again is a joke. Mathematically these shapes between a circle and square are a subclass of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superellipse superellipses] called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squircle squircles].

*'''Lunar mood:''' The idea that there is a cycle in which the moon becomes happy, then neutral, then upset, then neutral is a joke. Ironically, the section of the graph that shows a good (i.e. happy) mood has the graph line curving up then down like the mouth of a frown, and for the bad (unhappy) mood it curves down and then up, as in the mouth of a smile.

*The final image shows many different cycles superimposed on each other.
**'''Supermoon:''' see [[1394:_Superm*n]].
**'''Super blood moon:''' a blood moon refers to the moon during a lunar eclipse.
**While the popularity of '''skinny jeans''' does change over time, the idea that this is connected to a lunar cycle is also a joke.
**Two-week window in which astrology works. {{w|Astrology}} is a pseudoscience which claims that the positions of the celestial bodies can be used to predict human affairs. This is a joke on how astrology does not work (or rarely works).
*The '''{{w|Antikythera_mechanism|Antikythera mechanism}}''' mentioned in the title text is an ancient Greek machine, rediscovered in 1901, designed to calculate astronomical positions. The title text jokes that there is a set of gears on said mechanism that is used to predict the popularity of "skinny jeans" and "low-rise waists."

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

:Understanding lunar cycles

:Nodal precession
:[A diagram showing a broad cosine-like wave with wavelength labelled as 18.6 years. To the right are two diagrams showing an orbital cycle moving in and out of plane.]

:Apsidal precession
:[A diagram similar to the one above but with a slightly shorter wavelength, labelled as 8.9 years. To the right are two diagrams showing an elliptical orbit around a planet and the same orbit rotated.]

:Phase
:[A diagram similar to those above with a shorter wavelength, labelled as 29.5 days. To the right is a diagram showing four phases of the moon: New, Waxing crescent, Waxinf gibbos, Full.]

:Distance
:[A diagram similar to those above with a shorter wavelength, labelled as 27.5 days. To the right is a diagram showing the distance of the moon from the Earth over time, with distances marked by arrows.]

:Earth-Moon relative size
:[A wave with long wavelength with an arrow pointing to the minimum labelled 'Earth bigger' and an arrow pointing to the maximum labelled 'Moon bigger'. To the right are two diagrams of the moon and Earth, one showing the Earth bigger than the Moon and the other showing the Moon bigger than the Earth.]

:Lunar shape
:[A wave with long wavelength with an arrow pointing to the minimum labelled 'Circle' and an arrow pointing to the maximum labelled 'Square'. To the right is a diagram showing a circle, a circle transforming into a square with outward arrows at each corner and a square transforming into a circle with inward arrows.]

:Lunar mood
:[A wave with long wavelength with an arrow pointing to the minimum labelled 'Bad' and an arrow pointing to the maximum labelled 'Good'. To the right are four emojis: :), :|, :(, :|]

:[A superimposed graph of all the above waves. Different points on the graph are labelled: Harvest moon, Supermoon, Blue moon, Skinny Jeans popular, Super blood moon, Golden age of TV, Dire moon, Pork moon, Two week window in which astrology works, Total eclipse of the sea.]

{{comic discussion}}