explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

272: Linux User at Best Buy

2014-11-29T22:39:40Z

InAndOutLand: /* Explanation */ "Amazing flop" sounds really.... idk, it just sounds bad

{{comic
| number = 272
| date = June 4, 2007
| title = Linux User at Best Buy
| image = linux_user_at_best_buy.png
| titletext = We actually stand around the antivirus displays with the Mac users just waiting for someone to ask.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Best Buy}} is an American chain of electronics and media stores. As with many such big box shops, they only sell pre-bundled software and boxed pre-built hardware, where the computers on offer are either {{w|iMac|Macs}} or {{w|Personal computer|other PCs}}, usually pre-installed with some variant of the {{w|Mac OS X}} or {{w|Windows NT}} operating system families. Most personal computer {{w|Hacker (hobbyist)|hackers/enthusiasts}} (as opposed merely to workaday computer users) wouldn't be caught dead buying a pre-made computer, preferring instead to build their own using self-selected hardware components and install and configure their own preferred operating systems and software. As such, the subtext is that somebody buying a complete pre-packaged home computer system at Best Buy wouldn't know or care much about computers.

The salesperson is trying to sell {{w|antivirus software}} to [[Cueball]] because selling such software (e.g. {{w|Norton AntiVirus|Norton}} or {{w|Kaspersky Internet Security|Kaspersky}}) to prospective Windows PC owners is generally a good sales tactic. The vast majority of all computer {{w|malware}} is engineered specifically to exploit Windows, and Windows' inherent anti-malware protection might most charitably be described with the phrase "lacklustre, but not as bad as before". Windows users therefore ''will'' want antivirus protection, ''especially'' for use on a brand new machine that will soon be connected up to the internet. Moreover, because the ecosystem of viruses and malware which thrive by infecting Windows PCs is constantly evolving (see [[350: Network]]) and being redesigned to take advantage of new exploits and fool last-month's antivirus software, it is quite prudent for a Windows PC owner to always keep their malware protection absolutely up-to-date, and many such security suites need to be regularly renewed with new versions.

While some viruses and malware ''can'' afflict {{w|Linux}}, in general {{w|Unix-like|UNIX and workalike}} operating systems of its type (e.g. {{w|Berkeley Software Distribution|BSD}}) are far more robust and secure than Windows, with fewer exploitable vulnerabilities; so, Cueball is confident (probably rightly so) that he will be fine without added security. Moreover, Linux is {{w|free software}}, so although malware protection ''usually'' isn't necessary for it, excepting for tasks requiring very high security standards (such as on servers and supercomputers), if extra protection is desired by the user it is generally easily obtainable, often {{w|Gratis versus libre|gratis}}.

Back in 2007, after the commercial failure that was {{w|Windows Vista}} and with a stagnant Mac market, many in the Linux community believed that Linux would soon wipe out Windows as the operating system of choice for desktop PCs, after years of slow-but-steady growth. This explains the cheeky triumphalism of the final panels of the comic, in which Cueball hops on his quick, slick vehicle and speeds away. It's worth noting that, seven years later, this desktop reversal has yet to happen, though in the intervening time desktop PCs themselves have slowed in sales, losing ground first to {{w|laptop}}s and most recently to {{w|Embedded software|embedded device}}s, where Linux does indeed heavily excel its competition, e.g. {{w|Android (operating system)|Android}} handily outcompeting both the previously dominant {{w|iPhone}} (which was first released mere days after this comic) as well as the never-popular {{w|Windows Phone}}.

The title text makes sense in light of the fact that, like Linux, the software design of OS X (both are based on Unix, OS X through Darwin - see [[676: Abstraction]]) limits the amount of harm that can be done by malicious software, and Macs thus also have fewer viruses and malware than Windows. Apparently, Mac and Linux users flock together just waiting for some salesperson to come along and mistake them for someone gullible enough to use Windows. This is taking the piss out of the smugness sometimes to be found among Mac and Linux users, who may view their preferred systems as hip and different from the "mainstream" Microsoft systems which they feel are manifestly inferior.

==Transcript==
:Salesman: Interested in updating your antivirus software?
:Cueball: Oh, I wouldn't need any of that.

:[In a spiky speech bubble.]
:Cueball: I run Linux.

:[Cueball does a backflip onto a motorcycle.]
:''Flip''

:[Cueball performs a wheelie on the motorcycle.]

:[Cueball does a hard, donut turn on the motorcycle, kicking up dirt into the salesman's face.]

:[Cueball speeds off on the motorcycle, leaving the salesman in a cloud of black exhaust.]

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

675: Revolutionary

2014-10-24T01:11:51Z

InAndOutLand: /* Explanation */ let's be neutral

{{comic
| number = 675
| date = December 14, 2009
| title = Revolutionary
| image = revolutionary.png
| titletext = I mean, what's more likely -- that I have uncovered fundamental flaws in this field that no one in it has ever thought about, or that I need to read a little more? Hint: it's the one that involves less work.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic contrasts brilliant revolutionary scientific thought with the simplistic arrogance of assuming one understands the current scientific theory enough to correct it. The character with the goatee has a degree in {{w|philosophy}}, and perhaps has certain ideas of his own about how the world should fundamentally be described by physics. He has studied Einstein's {{w|theory of special relativity}} for less than an hour and thinks it is wrong, and that he has a better theory. When confronted about this, he considers the objection as based in {{w|dogma}}, and remains so confident that he wants to email the "president of physics". His ignorance of the field is emphasized by thinking that the entire field of physics has a president - although certain important organizations such as the {{w|American Physical Society}} do have presidents.

[[Cueball]] concedes that it is possible for such a revolutionary idea to come from a relative outsider. One example is {{w|Albert Einstein}}'s own formulation of {{w|special relativity}}, which came while he was working at a patent office in Switzerland, although he did already have a Ph.D in physics. A {{w|thought experiment}} considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences.

The "racecar on a train" idea alludes to thought experiments involving {{w|Frame_of_reference#Simple_example|frames of reference}}, which are important in relativity.

The title text compares two possible scenarios:
*That decades of work by numerous physicists is fundamentally incorrect, and I found the flaw immediately
*That I need to read a little more

The lazy student then hints that the scenario with least work on his behalf, the first one, must be the right one. Maybe this deduction is a misinterpretation of {{w|Occam's razor}}, which would be another mistake he could do by knowing a subject too superficially.

Usually, when someone with little understanding of the subject thinks that they have found a flaw, it takes only a little bit more reading to discover that the flaw is in fact completely explained already.

As an example, lets say a high school student happens to do sqrt(5-6). His calculator tells him 'Error', and he thinks he has uncovered a function which has no answer. In fact, with a little more reading, he would discover that mathematicians have a whole area devoted to this type of mathematics, namely {{w|Imaginary units|imaginary numbers}}.

==Transcript==
:Cueball: Yes, science is an open process in which a good idea can come from anybody.

:Cueball: Yes, widely-believed theories are on occasion overturned by simple thought experiments.

:Cueball: And yes, your philosophy degree equips you to ask interesting questions sometimes.

:[Cueball is talking to a philosopher with a goatee, who is sitting at a computer.]
:Cueball: But you did not just overturn special relativity, a subject you learned about an hour ago, with your "racecar on a train" idea.
:Philosopher: You just don't like that I'm turning a rational eye to your dogma. Hey, what's the email for the president of physics?

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

Template:Citation needed

2014-09-17T21:20:15Z

InAndOutLand: Made it more citation nedded-y

[[285|[''citation needed'']]]

155: Search History

2014-08-31T02:58:13Z

InAndOutLand: added Category:Comics with color using HotCat

{{comic
| number = 155
| date = September 11, 2006
| title = Search History
| image = search_history.png
| titletext = SomethingAwful has a wonderful compilation of crazy AOL searches in their Weekend Web archives, 2006-08-13.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic references the {{w|AOL search data leak}}, where users had potentially identifying and embarrassing search histories published. Randall thus publishes his own potentially embarrassing searches. All of his search relate to his fear of dinosaurs as a consequence of Jurassic Park.

The title text refers to a document posted on a humor site: [http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/aol-search-log.php link (part 1)] [http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/aol-search-log-2.php link (part 2)], [http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/aol-search-log-3.php link (part 3]).

==Transcript==
:Cueball: In solidarity with the many AOL users whose often embarrassing web searches were released to the public, I offer a sample of my own search history:
:[There is a screencap of Google's front page with the following entries suggested for autocompletion in the search box:
:velociraptors
:site:imdb.com "jurassic park"
:raptors
:dromaeosaurids
:utahraptor
:"home depot" deadbolts
:security home improvement
:surviving a raptor attack
:robert bakker paleontologist
:robert bakker "possible raptor sympathizer"
:site:en.wikipedia.org surviving a raptor attack
:learning from mistakes in jurassic park
:big-game rifles
:tire irons
:treating raptor wounds
:do raptors fear fire
:how to make a molotov cocktail
:do raptors fear death
:can raptors pick locks
:how to tell if my neighbors are raptors.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Velociraptors]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Google Search]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

538: Security

2014-08-30T21:21:07Z

InAndOutLand: /* Explanation */ USE GENDER NEUTRAL PRONOUNS!!!!

{{comic
| number = 538
| date = February 2, 2009
| title = Security
| image = security.png
| titletext = Actual actual reality: nobody cares about his secrets. (Also, I would be hard-pressed to find that wrench for $5.)
}}

==Explanation==
The "crypto nerd" would be concerned with strongly encrypting data on their personal machine. This would conceivably come in handy when villains attempt to steal information on his computer. He imagines that due to his advanced encryption, they will be ultimately defeated. [[Randall]] suggests that in the real world, people with the desire to access this information would simply {{w|Rubber-hose cryptanalysis|use torture}} to coerce the nerd to give them the password. Both panels also reference the amount of money used to access the data. In the first the villain is willing to use millions of dollars to construct a {{w|TWIRL|super computer}}, while in the second, he simply uses a $5 wrench. The comic effectively states, completely accurately, that the weakest part of computer security is not the computer, but the user.

{{w|RSA (algorithm)|RSA}} is a commonly used, public key encryption method. Current standards typically use 1024, 2048, and (more recently) 4096 {{w|Key size|bit keys}}. These encryption methods are not yet (feasibly) breakable. A 4096-bit key will remain unbreakable for the foreseeable future.

The title text pokes fun at typical users, who do not have data that would be worth anything to anyone but themselves. Therefore, it is unlikely that the above situation would ever occur. Additionally, the wrench used in the second panel is large, and presumably more than the $5 referenced by the thug.

==Transcript==
:A Crypto nerd's imagination:
:[Cueball is holding a laptop, and his friend is examining it.]
:Cueball: His laptop's encrypted. Let's build a million-dollar cluster to crack it.
:Friend: No good! It's 4096-bit RSA!
:Cueball: Blast! Our evil plan is foiled!

:What would actually happen:
:[Cueball is holding a piece of paper and giving his friend a wrench.]
:Cueball: His laptop's encrypted. Drug him and hit him with this $5 wrench until he tells us the password.
:Friend : Got it.

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

57: Wait For Me

2014-08-30T21:05:31Z

InAndOutLand: /* Explanation */ Made the [citation needed] more like [citation needed].

{{comic
| number = 57
| date = January 31, 2006
| title = Wait For Me
| image = wait_for_me.jpg
| titletext = Opening dialogue by [[Scott]]
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] is returning after a ''short absence'' less than two minutes. [[Cueball]]'s reaction is as if she had been gone for years, and so he had formed a relationship with someone else while waiting. The more Cueball describes this "affair", the more ridiculous it becomes.

There are a number of different possible interpretations of the humour utilised here:
*The stereotypically[''[http://dft.ba/-aRP- citation needed]''] female behavior of announcing that a task will just last a minute, while in fact it takes many hours or more.
*He is just joking. Cueball's pause before admitting to the affair, as well as the claim of having a son by the affair who is Megan's age, suggest that he is joking. It seems impossible for Cueball to have a son at Megan's age.
*{{w|Time Travel}}: What took 90 seconds for Megan actually took much longer for Cueball, perhaps via travel to {{w|Narnia}}, {{w|Special Relativity}} or some other form of Time Travel.
*Mental Fantasy, Cueball has just had a day dream.
*Cueball's ignorance (also see: "[[386: Duty Calls|someone is wrong on the internet]]").

One thing that we know for sure, however, is that the title text is telling us that this dialogue is from [[Scott]].
Scott appears to be a friend of [[Randall Munroe]]. Comics 57 through 59 all have the title text "Opening dialogue by Scott", forming a sort of informal mini-series inspired by him.

Referenced in:

*[[17: What If]]
*[[35: Sheep]]
*57: Wait For Me (this one)
*[[58: Why Do You Love Me?]]
*[[59: Graduation]]

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan stand facing one another.]

:Megan: Why didn't you wait for me?
:Cueball: I thought you were gone forever!

:Megan: I said I'd be back in a minute!
:Cueball: The... the seconds went fast at first, but then they started to drag on. She was there for me.

:Megan: You had an affair in the 90 seconds I was gone?!
:Cueball: ...yes.

:Cueball: And we had a son.

:Cueball: He'd be about your age now.

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

Talk:1405: Meteor

2014-08-08T15:02:24Z

InAndOutLand: Added Comment

If meteors fall, then what is a meteoric rise? [[User:Rfvtg|Rfvtg]] ([[User talk:Rfvtg|talk]]) 04:54, 8 August 2014 (UTC)
:Fast. [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.120|103.22.201.120]] 08:12, 8 August 2014 (UTC)
:: See [[1115]] for explanation [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 11:19, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

The legend of this comic might refer to pedology, the study of soil. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.87|173.245.53.87]] 06:56, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

But the sky is blue. It is a desaturated blue with a center wavelength of 474 to 476 nm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffuse_sky_radiation The statement that the sky is "anything but blue" is wrong.[[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 08:34, 8 August 2014 (UTC)ExternalMonolog

does anyone else find the capitalization variation of LAVA vs lava funny? In all seriousness that would make them two different programming variables... However it is hard to notice and isn't clear on what the difference in meaning should be. This is one of the reason for using Object mObject instead of Object object in java.
[[User:Mr.Smiley|Mr.Smiley]] ([[User talk:Mr.Smiley|talk]]) 10:28, 8 August 2014 (UTC)
:I think it might just be for emphasis. The pedantic Cueball is becoming exasperated with the person who's getting it 'wrong'. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.205|173.245.54.205]] 11:30, 8 August 2014 (UTC)
And to everybody who is't a pedantic nerd, it's a rock.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 13:37, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

Is my transcription incomplete? I feel like it is because I published it really early and I have not done many transcriptions here. [[User:InAndOutLand|InAndOutLand]] ([[User talk:InAndOutLand|talk]]) 15:02, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

1405: Meteor

2014-08-08T14:56:49Z

InAndOutLand: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1405
| date = August 8, 2014
| title = Meteor
| image = meteor.png
| titletext = No, only LAVA is called 'magma' while underground. Any other object underground is called 'lava'.
}}

==Explanation==

Cueball A tells Cueball B that he found a piece of a {{w|meteor}}. Cueball B pretends to correct Cueball A by telling him it that what he found is actually called {{w|magma}}, because that's how one refers to a meteor once it hits the ground. In reality, however, the correct term would be {{w|meteorite}}. Cueball B is purposely mixing another pair of words that define a substance before and after it reaches the surface of the Earth, namely lava and magma ({{w|lava}} is the expression for magma that has reached the surface), in order to confuse Cueball A.

This is one of Randall's comics on the topic of [[:Category:My Hobby|My Hobby]]. The author makes these semantically incorrect statements to [[356: Nerd Sniping|frustrate nerds]] who know the correct word, and confuse people who don't know the precise word so they can go on to frustrate more nerds.

The word {{w|pedant|pedantic}} means correcting one's speech even when the more ambiguous or slightly incorrect term would suffice for informal communication. It is usually a pejorative term used to refer to someone who is overly fussy. For example, if one were to say "The sky is blue" and someone were to correct them saying that it is actually every color but its apparent blueness is a mere illusion, because of {{w|Diffuse sky radiation|light scattering}}, while true, that would be pedantic. (Of course, in science and other formal areas, pedantry is important so statements may be unambiguously interpreted.)

The title text expands on the trolling, as if the conversation had continued with an (unseen) response from Cueball A. Cueball B again makes a deliberately muddled statement. Indeed lava is called magma while it is underground, but it's ridiculous to suggest all other things are called lava when underground.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
First Cueball: Check it out -- I got a piece of a meteor!

Second Cueball: ''Actually'', it's only called that while falling. Once it lands, it's called ''Magma''

My Hobby: Mixing Pedantic Terms

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:My Hobby]]

1405: Meteor

2014-08-08T05:16:35Z

InAndOutLand: /* Transcript */ I hate mobile keyboards.

{{comic
| number = 1405
| date = August 8, 2014
| title = Meteor
| image = meteor.png
| titletext = No, only LAVA is called 'magma' while underground. Any other object underground is called 'lava'.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Due to it's earliness, it probably has a lot of errors.}}

The word pedantic means gratuitously exacting in ones speech. It is usually a pejorative term used to refer to someone who is overly fussy. For example, if one were to say "The sky is blue" and someone were to correct you telling you it is actually every color but blue because of light refraction and it's apparent blueness is a mere illusion, while true, that would be pedantic. However, in science pedantry is important so things may be classified and we have a unified definition of when things are very similar.

In cosmology, there are different classifications of bodies: asteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, meteoroids, and so forth. Each of these has a very specific definition to distinguish between them. For the purpose of this comic we will only explore two: meteor and meteorite. A meteor is a body that enters earths orbit. Many which enter the earths atmosphere do not survive entry. Thus it is only a meteorite if it is found intact on the ground.

Cueball attempts to correct (another Cueball?) by telling him it is not a meteor he found. We expect him to say it is a meteorite, but the joke comes when he calls it magma, which is completely different. Lava is liquid rock which has been ejected from a volcano. Magma on the other hand is still under earths crust and has yet to be ejected. Cueball not only misappropriates the cosmological terms, but assigns the wrong word to the geological correction he attempts to give.

The title text gives patently incorrect information and it is the opposite of what is being said.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
First Cueball: Check it out -- I got a piece of a meteor!

Second Cueball: ''Actually'', it's only called that while falling. Once it lands, it's called ''Magma''

My hobby: Mixing Pedantic Terms

{{comic discussion}}

1405: Meteor

2014-08-08T05:13:10Z

InAndOutLand: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1405
| date = August 8, 2014
| title = Meteor
| image = meteor.png
| titletext = No, only LAVA is called 'magma' while underground. Any other object underground is called 'lava'.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Due to it's earliness, it probably has a lot of errors.}}

The word pedantic means gratuitously exacting in ones speech. It is usually a pejorative term used to refer to someone who is overly fussy. For example, if one were to say "The sky is blue" and someone were to correct you telling you it is actually every color but blue because of light refraction and it's apparent blueness is a mere illusion, while true, that would be pedantic. However, in science pedantry is important so things may be classified and we have a unified definition of when things are very similar.

In cosmology, there are different classifications of bodies: asteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, meteoroids, and so forth. Each of these has a very specific definition to distinguish between them. For the purpose of this comic we will only explore two: meteor and meteorite. A meteor is a body that enters earths orbit. Many which enter the earths atmosphere do not survive entry. Thus it is only a meteorite if it is found intact on the ground.

Cueball attempts to correct (another Cueball?) by telling him it is not a meteor he found. We expect him to say it is a meteorite, but the joke comes when he calls it magma, which is completely different. Lava is liquid rock which has been ejected from a volcano. Magma on the other hand is still under earths crust and has yet to be ejected. Cueball not only misappropriates the cosmological terms, but assigns the wrong word to the geological correction he attempts to give.

The title text gives patently incorrect information and it is the opposite of what is being said.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
First Cueball: Check it out -- I got a piece if a meteor!

Second Cueball: ''Actually'', it's only called that while falling. Once it lands, it's called ''Magma''

My hobby: Mixing Pedantic Terms

{{comic discussion}}

1405: Meteor

2014-08-08T05:10:54Z

InAndOutLand: /* Transcript */ Already found one of those fatal errors.

{{comic
| number = 1405
| date = August 8, 2014
| title = Meteor
| image = meteor.png
| titletext = No, only LAVA is called 'magma' while underground. Any other object underground is called 'lava'.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

The word pedantic means gratuitously exacting in ones speech. It is usually a pejorative term used to refer to someone who is overly fussy. For example, if one were to say "The sky is blue" and someone were to correct you telling you it is actually every color but blue because of light refraction and it's apparent blueness is a mere illusion, while true, that would be pedantic. However, in science pedantry is important so things may be classified and we have a unified definition of when things are very similar.

In cosmology, there are different classifications of bodies: asteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, meteoroids, and so forth. Each of these has a very specific definition to distinguish between them. For the purpose of this comic we will only explore two: meteor and meteorite. A meteor is a body that enters earths orbit. Many which enter the earths atmosphere do not survive entry. Thus it is only a meteorite if it is found intact on the ground.

Cueball attempts to correct (another Cueball?) by telling him it is not a meteor he found. We expect him to say it is a meteorite, but the joke comes when he calls it magma, which is completely different. Lava is liquid rock which has been ejected from a volcano. Magma on the other hand is still under earths crust and has yet to be ejected. Cueball not only misappropriates the cosmological terms, but assigns the wrong word to the geological correction he attempts to give.

The title text gives patently incorrect information and it is the opposite of what is being said.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
First Cueball: Check it out -- I got a piece if a meteor!

Second Cueball: ''Actually'', it's only called that while falling. Once it lands, it's called ''Magma''

My hobby: Mixing Pedantic Terms

{{comic discussion}}

1405: Meteor

2014-08-08T05:09:53Z

InAndOutLand: /* Transcript */ Added a transcript. Probably some fatal error so the incomplete box is still there.

{{comic
| number = 1405
| date = August 8, 2014
| title = Meteor
| image = meteor.png
| titletext = No, only LAVA is called 'magma' while underground. Any other object underground is called 'lava'.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

The word pedantic means gratuitously exacting in ones speech. It is usually a pejorative term used to refer to someone who is overly fussy. For example, if one were to say "The sky is blue" and someone were to correct you telling you it is actually every color but blue because of light refraction and it's apparent blueness is a mere illusion, while true, that would be pedantic. However, in science pedantry is important so things may be classified and we have a unified definition of when things are very similar.

In cosmology, there are different classifications of bodies: asteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, meteoroids, and so forth. Each of these has a very specific definition to distinguish between them. For the purpose of this comic we will only explore two: meteor and meteorite. A meteor is a body that enters earths orbit. Many which enter the earths atmosphere do not survive entry. Thus it is only a meteorite if it is found in tact on the ground.

Cueball attempts to correct (another Cueball?) by telling him it is not a meteor he found. We expect him to say it is a meteorite, but the joke comes when he calls it magma, which is completely different. Lava is liquid rock which has been ejected from a volcano. Magma on the other hand is still under earths crust and has yet to be ejected. Cueball not only misappropriates the cosmological terms, but assigns the wrong word to the geological correction he attempts to give.

The title text gives patently incorrect information and it is the opposite of what is being said.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
First Cueball: Check it out -- I got a piece if a meteor!
Second Cueball: ''Actually'', it's only called that while falling. Once it lands, it's called ''Magma''
My hobby: Mixing Pedantic Terms

{{comic discussion}}

1403: Thesis Defense

2014-08-04T04:56:29Z

InAndOutLand: /* Transcript */ More punctuation.

{{comic
| number = 1403
| date = August 4, 2014
| title = Thesis Defense
| image = thesis_defense.png
| titletext = MY RESULTS ARE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT ON THE STATE OF THE AAAAAAAAAAAART
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
Speaker with sword in his hand: In conclusion, '''AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!'''

Closing: The best thesis defense is a good thesis offense.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1403: Thesis Defense

2014-08-04T04:52:50Z

InAndOutLand: /* Transcript */ Made defense the right word and added a period(or a full stop stupid Brits).

{{comic
| number = 1403
| date = August 4, 2014
| title = Thesis Defense
| image = thesis_defense.png
| titletext = MY RESULTS ARE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT ON THE STATE OF THE AAAAAAAAAAAART
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
Speaker with sword in his hand: In conclusion, '''AAAAAAAAAAAA'''

Closing: The best thesis defense is a good thesis offense.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1403: Thesis Defense

2014-08-04T04:48:59Z

InAndOutLand: added Category:Comics featuring Megan using HotCat

{{comic
| number = 1403
| date = August 4, 2014
| title = Thesis Defense
| image = thesis_defense.png
| titletext = MY RESULTS ARE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT ON THE STATE OF THE AAAAAAAAAAAART
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
Speaker with sword in his hand: In conclusion, '''AAAAAAAAAAAA'''

Closing: The best thesis defense is a good thesis defense

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1403: Thesis Defense

2014-08-04T04:48:29Z

InAndOutLand: added Category:Comics featuring Cueball using HotCat

{{comic
| number = 1403
| date = August 4, 2014
| title = Thesis Defense
| image = thesis_defense.png
| titletext = MY RESULTS ARE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT ON THE STATE OF THE AAAAAAAAAAAART
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
Speaker with sword in his hand: In conclusion, '''AAAAAAAAAAAA'''

Closing: The best thesis defense is a good thesis defense

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1403: Thesis Defense

2014-08-04T04:46:37Z

InAndOutLand: /* Transcript */ I may obsess a little too much over details.

{{comic
| number = 1403
| date = August 4, 2014
| title = Thesis Defense
| image = thesis_defense.png
| titletext = MY RESULTS ARE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT ON THE STATE OF THE AAAAAAAAAAAART
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
Speaker with sword in his hand: In conclusion, '''AAAAAAAAAAAA'''

Closing: The best thesis defense is a good thesis defense

{{comic discussion}}

1403: Thesis Defense

2014-08-04T04:45:04Z

InAndOutLand: /* Transcript */ I obsess over details.

{{comic
| number = 1403
| date = August 4, 2014
| title = Thesis Defense
| image = thesis_defense.png
| titletext = MY RESULTS ARE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT ON THE STATE OF THE AAAAAAAAAAAART
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
Speaker with sword in hand: In conclusion, '''AAAAAAAAAAAA'''

Closing: The best thesis defense is a good thesis defense

{{comic discussion}}

1403: Thesis Defense

2014-08-04T04:43:42Z

InAndOutLand: /* Transcript */ Forgot to add a proper return space.

{{comic
| number = 1403
| date = August 4, 2014
| title = Thesis Defense
| image = thesis_defense.png
| titletext = MY RESULTS ARE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT ON THE STATE OF THE AAAAAAAAAAAART
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
Speaker: In conclusion, '''AAAAAAAAAAAA'''

Closing: The best thesis defense is a good thesis defense

{{comic discussion}}

1403: Thesis Defense

2014-08-04T04:42:50Z

InAndOutLand: /* Transcript */ Added a transcript.

{{comic
| number = 1403
| date = August 4, 2014
| title = Thesis Defense
| image = thesis_defense.png
| titletext = MY RESULTS ARE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT ON THE STATE OF THE AAAAAAAAAAAART
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
Speaker: In conclusion, '''AAAAAAAAAAAA'''
Closing: The best thesis defense is a good thesis defense

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:961: Eternal Flame

2014-07-31T01:51:02Z

InAndOutLand:

Ugh, I hate it when people attribute everything the the technology to Steve Jobs. Apple spends pebbles on R&D, polishes up the work of other countries and they get labelled as inventors and heroes. Incredibly frustrating for the rest of us in the technology industry. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:35, 9 March 2013 (UTC)
:I don't think Apple would polish up the work of other '''countries'''. [[User:InAndOutLand|InAndOutLand]] ([[User talk:InAndOutLand|talk]]) 01:51, 31 July 2014 (UTC)

:The way I see it, Apple's innovation is in their UI. The iPod wasn't the first portable digital music player, and the iPhone wasn't the first smartphone, but they ''were'' the first in their respective classes to have an intuitive interface that could easily be understood by someone with no technology background. Marketing is everything in the tech industry, and a product will fail if it can't ''convince'' the market that it's the better choice, even if it's absolutely better from a technical standpoint. [[User:Curtmack|Curtmack]] ([[User talk:Curtmack|talk]]) 18:36, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

:First of all, nothing in this comic attributes "everything in the technology industry" to Steve. Secondly, Apple spends more on R&D than most other companies – it's one of the reasons the markup is so high on Apple's products. Thirdly, if those "other companies" were just as good at design and execution as Apple, as you seem to believe, there would be nothing stopping them from achieving the same success as Apple. So what stopped Dell from releasing the iPhone and upsetting the mobile industry? What stopped HP from developing an online music store and totally upsetting the music industry? Either you're going to have to argue that everyone except Apple is just incredibly, incredibly unlucky, or you have to admit that there is something that Apple does that those companies don't. What that differentiating thing may be is open for debate, sure, but to say that everything they do is just a polish of some other company's work is simply ignorant. [[Special:Contributions/71.201.53.130|71.201.53.130]] 17:48, 1 October 2013 (UTC)

::Apple got lucky early on, and managed to get a fanbase, which they have basically brainwashed into thinking that Apple Products are automatically better than anything else. Secondly, I assume that it was not the comic itseld Davidy22 was referring to, but rather the explanation, which has since been changed. [[Special:Contributions/74.214.147.188|74.214.147.188]] 23:40, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

::: Brainwashed? The Apple II and the Macintosh were not the first in their ideas, but they were revolutionary computers. {{unsigned ip|112.209.87.11}}

26: Fourier

2014-07-30T20:53:07Z

InAndOutLand: added Category:Comics with color using HotCat

{{comic
| number = 26
| date = November 2, 2005
| title = Fourier
| image = fourier.jpg
| titletext = That cat has some serious periodic components
}}

==Explanation==
A {{w|Fourier transform}} is a mathematical function often used in physics and engineering.

The theory is that any line graph can be represented as the sum of a bunch of sine waves of different frequencies, with each frequency having a different amplitude. (The most obvious application is in analysing a sound recording in terms of the different frequencies of sounds used.) So, for any line graph you can produce another graph of the frequencies and their amplitudes. To do this, there is a function where you put in one graph and you get the second graph as output, and this process of going from one to the other is a "transform". This function is actually shown in the third line of the comic [[55: Useless]].

Unfortunately Cueball has applied this "transform" to his cat. Although it seems to still be alive and possibly even unharmed, it is clearly not in its familiar shape, and it is not clear if this condition is permanent or not.

"Periodic components" in the title text refers to the spikes in the graph. Because sine waves repeat themselves as you go along, the presence of large amounts of one particular sine wave in the Fourier transform graph (each spike) shows that the overall result (the initial graph) is likely to have parts that also repeat themselves, like a {{w|periodic function}}. In other words, the cat has repeating parts.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball talks on phone. A grotesque-looking cat with many sharp vertical points looks on.]
:Cueball: Hi, Dr. Elizabeth? Yeah, uh ... I accidentally took the Fourier transform of my cat...
:Cat: Meow!

==Trivia==
*Original comments from [[Randall]]: "I like the idea of a graph meowing. Also, that cat has a lot of periodic components."
*This is the twenty-seventh comic originally posted to livejournal. The previous was [[25: Barrel - Part 4]]. The next was [[27: Meat Cereals]].

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:1328: Update

2014-07-13T03:04:06Z

InAndOutLand: added comment

i think that many people are forgetting about OS X's Resume feature. [[User:InAndOutLand|InAndOutLand]] ([[User talk:InAndOutLand|talk]]) 03:04, 13 July 2014 (UTC)

Note that 1.) web browsers usually can remember opened tabs (and even scroll position) and reopen them automatically on start, and/or ask if reopen those tabs if browser was not closed cleanly 2.) MS Windows tries to reopen apps closed during "upgrade reboot" --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 07:48, 10 February 2014 (UTC)
:Yes, browsers can remember the last tabs you have open, but may require the user to enable that option as it's off by default (with Chrome anyway - as was my experience). I usually leave it off because I don't necessarily want the last 5 tabs I had open to open automatically the next time I want to start my browser to do something completely different. If (my) Chrome browser crashes however (or otherwise does not close cleanly), it will ask me if I want to restore my previous session, which may include multiple tabs and browsing positions. =8o) [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 14:12, 10 February 2014 (UTC)
:Windows does not reopen apps that it closed before an upgrade (at best it has an option to reopen Explorer windows in the same state if the user enables it.) As for Chrome saving tabs, it can be often flaky especially when using multiple windows combined with multiple profiles. This is moot since in Real Life™ users generally don't trust these features, when they are even aware of them. [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 15:19, 10 February 2014 (UTC)
: While browsers remember opened tabs, it's flakey. Some browsers in the "now remembering tabs" era were sometimes inconsistent on whether they should remember tabs (Chrome), some didn't give an option to manually exit with/without remembering tabs (Firefox/Chrome), some didn't preserve form input (Opera), etc. It behaves more like a screwed-on hack rather than a fully functional feature. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.240.6|108.162.240.6]] 14:36, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

@Jakub, thanks for bringing it up. I knew about it, but for the sake of brevity decided to leave it out. Hooray for my first explanation btw! --[[User:Akha|Akha]] ([[User talk:Akha|talk]]) 08:33, 10 February 2014 (UTC)

While one interpretation is that users would push back even a critical update, the cynical me read it the other way around: that most updates labelled as critical and notified with "!"s and yellow triangles are actually not that urgent and naturally the user desensibilizes. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.201|173.245.53.201]] 11:16, 10 February 2014 (UTC)

:Note also that browsers are ones of VERY FEW application who can reopen exactly what you had open before restart, and even them usually fail to preserve form content. Also, physical problem is not likely to occur just after the patch was created: only problem which would really need immediate patching would be security problem related to virus just spreading, in which case it would probably be too late when the window appear anyway. So, in all cases, pressing "remind me later" and finishing your work as soon as possible is the most logical course of action regarding critical update. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:18, 10 February 2014 (UTC)

It's a sad day when non-kernel updates require a reboot. [[User:Chrisp6825|Chrisp6825]] ([[User talk:Chrisp6825|talk]]) 13:13, 10 February 2014 (UTC)

I think the comic has less to do with the time a reboot takes, and more to do with losing the user's current state [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.46|173.245.54.46]] 16:27, 10 February 2014 (UTC)

I agree with the last comment. It's not about the time it takes to reboot. It's about the current state of things. If you have a bunch of apps running in different virtual desktops, then a lot of these won't be configured exactly as they were before rebooting. By the way, updates for OS X are exactly the same, with the exception that they're not downloaded automatically. {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.57}}

My initial interpretation was that Cueball doesn't want to reboot his laptop because rebooting increases the risk of a random electrical fire. --[[User:Rael|Rael]] ([[User talk:Rael|talk]]) 21:58, 10 February 2014 (UTC)
:Well that's why we have this twiki.... 'cause you're dumb. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.74|108.162.229.74]] 02:18, 11 February 2014 (UTC)
:Actually, that's a pretty smart explanation. I couldn't have put it to better words. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.59|108.162.219.59]] 14:23, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

If I was faced with such an update notification, I would probably have it download and install itself, but not reboot until tonight when I'm going to shut down anyway. I find it really annoying when Windoze does things like complain about updates and run virus scans right after booting up, which just makes loading up whatever software I want to use (i.e. web browsers) take even longer. I would much rather have it use my CPU time while I was, say, Web browsing or maybe programming (but not compiling... hmm...), or, better yet, asleep. Also, Linux. --[[User:Someone Else 37|Someone Else 37]] ([[User talk:Someone Else 37|talk]]) 04:23, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

"Laptop fire" reminds me of that silly but popular phenomenon in space operas: in case the own ship is hit by some enemies "rays",
inevitably fire will spark from keybords and monitors in the command room. Georg [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.171|173.245.53.171]] 09:59, 11 February 2014 (UTC)
: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ExplosiveInstrumentation [[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 20:17, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

The usual lot of nonsense in the comments. Why don't we talk about how to improve the explanation? Arguing that browsers remember open tabs, or advertising Linux, or going into excruciating detail how you would react in this situation, is ludicrously off the point. The following points are made by this comic:
* Windows is always banging on about something, usually incredibly unimportant.
* Even if it is important (as here) we may just skim the explanation (because of the first point) and not even realize what it is saying
* Even if we do understand it, we don't want to be interrupted during our work (or our not-work) as we hate being inconvenienced in any way
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.58|108.162.219.58]] 21:45, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

The nonsense is in the comic! The user knows about that the fire is almost impossible from software (mis-)function {{unsigned ip|173.245.53.154}}

Possible reference to Microsoft's monthly security patch on the second Tuesday of each month, having been posted the day before the second Tuesday of February 2014. [[User:Quetzalcoatl|Quetzalcoatl]] ([[User talk:Quetzalcoatl|talk]]) 22:23, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

;Dubious statement in explanation
"The joke goes further because a software update mostly can't prevent any hardware failures like burning laptop batteries. This specific update is just nonsense."

It's quite possible for software to put hardware into a state which damages it. In an ideal world hardware would have protection against this but sometimes the protection is either missing or incorrectly set. This sort of thing CAN be worked around in software, if you know what the bad states are you can avoid ever putting the hardware into them.

Burning laptop batteries are an extreme example but not completely implausible.

-- plugwash

:This actually happened a few years ago. A poorly-written driver (among other issues) caused some Nvidia laptop GPUs to get so hot that they'd cause the cases of some laptops to warp. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.44|108.162.219.44]] 07:09, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

:I think the point here is that no matter how severe the problem being fixed, the presence of a "bunch of stuff open" makes a reboot unthinkable. {{unsigned ip|199.27.130.204}}

Two things: software can absolutely cause/prevent a fire if the hardware is capable of it. Software is what runs the controllers that handle charging for modern rechargeable batteries (well, it may be firmware, but the point is that it's not hardwired). If the charging software doesn't do it's job right, a Li-Ion battery can overcharge and literally catch fire. Likewise, it's software that tells the CPU or GPU to throttle down if it gets too hot and the cooling systems can't keep up. And, at an extreme, in principle the software could perhaps force the hardware to do something out of it's capabilities, like try to direct too much current over some internal connection, thus overheating nearby elements.

The other thing is that the latest version (or two?) of OS X will auto-resume pretty much everything when you reboot, even if it's a crash rather than intentional. I've had a dozen apps, including a webbrowser with a couple dozen tabs open, running, when my laptop crashed or I accidentally ran it out of juice. When I restarted it everything was back right where I left it, including unsaved documents and comments-in-process on webpages. I suspect that exactly this behavior is part of why Apple implemented that. I certainly know that I'm more inclined to install updates the first time I see them on my laptop for exactly that reason (vs. my desktop, which is running 10.6 and thus doesn't have auto-resume). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.31|108.162.216.31]] 15:14, 14 February 2014 (UTC)

:I should've said: this auto-resume behavior on OS X even succeeds through system updates (and every other update that has required reboot), IME. The only time I didn't get everything back right where I left it was with a major update (10.8.x-->10.9). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.31|108.162.216.31]] 15:17, 14 February 2014 (UTC)

1045: Constraints

2014-07-11T23:24:39Z

InAndOutLand: /* Explanation */ added space.

{{comic
| number = 1045
| date = April 20, 2012
| title = Constraints
| image = constraints.png
| titletext = [title-text similarly alphabetized]
}}

==Explanation==
An {{w|epigram}} is a brief, interesting, usually memorable and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. {{w|Constrained writing}} is an age-old literary phenomenon, where writers impose rules or patterns in their works. {{w|Haiku}} is a well known example of this.

{{w|Twitter}} is a short message social network and communication service. All messages (known as tweets) on the service need to be under 140 characters, including private messages. It is frequently used by well-known comedians as a place to make interesting jokes and observations.

All the words spoken by [[Megan]], from "Yeah" to "alphabetization", are in reverse alphabetical order. It both answers [[Cueball]]'s question and exemplifies with an ingenious {{w|self-reference}}, while being short enough (136 characters) to be a valid tweet — hence the "whoa."

The title text, "title-text similarly alphabetized", is also backwards-alphabetized and self-referential.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball sits at his computer desk, motioning toward the screen as Megan stands behind him.]
:Cueball: I don't get why authors and comedians spend so much energy trying to be clever on Twitter. Couldn't they put that creativity into more books and scripts? Is there something they ''like'' about the 140-character format?

:[Same picture, only Cueball has his arm down.]
:Megan: Yeah. Writers working under tight restrictions produce novel material — like, for example, epigrams employing backward alphabetization.

:[Cueball remains at his computer desk. Megan is no longer in the frame.]
:Cueball: ...Whoa.

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

1045: Constraints

2014-07-11T23:24:09Z

InAndOutLand: /* Explanation */ Removed tone in second paragraph.

{{comic
| number = 1045
| date = April 20, 2012
| title = Constraints
| image = constraints.png
| titletext = [title-text similarly alphabetized]
}}

==Explanation==
An {{w|epigram}} is a brief, interesting, usually memorable and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. {{w|Constrained writing}} is an age-old literary phenomenon, where writers impose rules or patterns in their works. {{w|Haiku}} is a well known example of this.
{{w|Twitter}} is a short message social network and communication service. All messages (known as tweets) on the service need to be under 140 characters, including private messages. It is frequently used by well-known comedians as a place to make interesting jokes and observations.

All the words spoken by [[Megan]], from "Yeah" to "alphabetization", are in reverse alphabetical order. It both answers [[Cueball]]'s question and exemplifies with an ingenious {{w|self-reference}}, while being short enough (136 characters) to be a valid tweet — hence the "whoa."

The title text, "title-text similarly alphabetized", is also backwards-alphabetized and self-referential.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball sits at his computer desk, motioning toward the screen as Megan stands behind him.]
:Cueball: I don't get why authors and comedians spend so much energy trying to be clever on Twitter. Couldn't they put that creativity into more books and scripts? Is there something they ''like'' about the 140-character format?

:[Same picture, only Cueball has his arm down.]
:Megan: Yeah. Writers working under tight restrictions produce novel material — like, for example, epigrams employing backward alphabetization.

:[Cueball remains at his computer desk. Megan is no longer in the frame.]
:Cueball: ...Whoa.

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