explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2288: Collector's Edition

2020-04-04T14:19:59Z

Jimmbo:

== The joke ==
Very early on April 1st, Mojang\Microsoft released a version 20w14Infinite build of Minecraft which allows players to create millions of wildly different new worlds by writing text in a book & throwing it through a Nether portal. The world generated depends on what is written in the book, & some specific worlds contain many "starter chests" to help the player in their explorations. Players can share what they wrote in each book with others, allowing multiple players to each access the same new dimensions on their own. In this way, individual single-player Minecraft instances can essentially become a collaboratively evolving game featuring previously nonexistent block types. Given that Randall has done multiple comics referencing Minecraft & seems to be an avid player, & given the presence of "chests" & the "worldbuilding" & collaborative nature of this latest comic, I believe xkcd's April 3rd 2020 comic is a reference to this "final" Minecraft build.
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 14:10, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

==Explanation==
Clicking on the URLs in the explanation return "File not found". I will remove the hyperlink so people are less confused. [[User:Fwacer|Fwacer]] ([[User talk:Fwacer|talk]]) 02:18, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

== How the comic works ==
... is this going to be like [[1190: Time]]? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.63|162.158.74.63]] 04:08, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
: I hope so, otherwise I don't get the joke [[User:Forresthopkinsa|Forresthopkinsa]] ([[User talk:Forresthopkinsa|talk]]) 04:15, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
: The page just went down for me so maybe what we've seen isn't what it's supposed to be? [[User:Avi m|avis_magpie]] ([[User talk:Avi m|talk]]) 04:20, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
Looks like the whole comic was just taken down. [[User:Parzivail|Parzivail]] ([[User talk:Parzivail|talk]]) 04:27, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
: Can confirm - the most recent comic is Pathogen again [[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.207|162.158.187.207]] 04:26, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
It is still up on the mobile website, but only if you directly go to comic page https://m.xkcd.com/2288 [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.146|172.69.22.146]] 05:10, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
: Perhaps this is a collector's edition because it was only up for a limited amount of time? {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.60|05:12, 3 April 2020}}
:: That was my immediate assumption. The title text says, "I'm sure you can find some suitable worldbuilding material if you scavenge through the archives." And I was viewing the comic by using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine — which, wouldn't you know it, captured the page exactly once before it went down. Between that and the title "Collector's Edition", I can't help thinking that the comic was actually intended to be viewed this way. Though for what reason, and what intended meaning, I couldn't tell you. …And jeez, in the time it took me to type this, the comic is back, but changed! Oy vey. [[User:NoriMori|NoriMori]] ([[User talk:NoriMori|talk]]) 06:42, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Maybe it's called collectors edition, because it was only available quite limited and to an unusual time? But that logic doesn't fit with the title text. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 05:14, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:I doubt that could be caused by "technical difficulties". [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.186|172.69.34.186]] 06:14, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

It looks like it went back up about 5 minutes age. I can't figure out if it's possible to do more than pan right now though. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.120|108.162.215.120]] 06:39, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:Yeah I see the same thing, looks like they're just testing it live. What a shame :(--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.242|108.162.215.242]] 06:47, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::what makes you assume that this is testing right now? however it doesn't seem to be very interactive apart from panning through it, and that it seems to chagne over time (the moon from [[1300]] wasn't there a few minutes ago, was it? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:49, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

:It's a giant pan similar to [https://xkcd.com/1110], although it's mostly empty, with some content at [https://xkcd.com/2288/#-361,-161]
. The title reads that you can find world building material, if you scavenge through the archives. I assume, more content will be unlocked as you read through past comics. [[User:Goatfryed|Goatfryed]] ([[User talk:Goatfryed|talk]]) 06:52, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::That would mean it is individual? That everyone gets their own picture? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:03, 3 April 2020 (UTC) Edit: I can kinda rule that out. I get the same picture on my phone and my work laptop, the work laptop is in a different country via vpn, and doesn't share any logins/advertisement ID's apart from explain xkcd with my phone... --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:05, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Yeah, it definitely changes. The orange swimming pool just showed up now. Also, at the bottom of the page, it says something about "backpack", and what appears to be a reference to some other xkcd comic. For example, "Hint: why waste time say few word when lot word do trick", which I think refers to Up Goer Five. But I have no idea what to do with that info. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.141.190|172.68.141.190]] 06:55, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:and the content seems to be related to previous comics and what-ifs... but still no clue what to do apart from exploring the page. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:57, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

So I just stumbled upon this and it seems to be exactly as other commentors have theorised: as you read previous comics more stuff gets added to the page. There seems to be some kind of backpack mechanic where you collect items from previous ones somehow, but, perhaps because I've already read all previous comics, that didn't seem to work for me. Instead I just had to click the link above the backpack, which opened the comic in a new tab, and it had a bunch of stuff there. We may need to co-ordinate to figure out if different people end up with different sets of items, and to ensure we have all of them, but I think other than that it should be just a cut and dry thing of making a table with every item in it. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.202|162.158.34.202]] 07:12, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:Hang on, mine just changed: before there was only 1 pool on the left, now there are two. I only went back to pathogens and then forwards agin. This may be harder than I thought, I'm going to start keeping a screenshot log of actions vs. results. [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 07:17, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:You may need to try xkcd.com instead of www.xkcd.com - there seems to be an issue with the latter at the moment. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.216|162.158.255.216]] 07:18, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::Hold up it changed again! This time without a reload! [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 07:28, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::It seems to change periodically, the url does change everytime. New stuff always seems to be added, not old stuff rremoved. [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 07:28, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::The URL is related to the coordinates, it changes when you pan the image. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:34, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::Timings seem to be random, working on double checking that rn. Highest first number so far is 1127, once it switches agin I'm going to experiement with manually editing the url.

I was briefly able to do things. Open the archieve, navigate it to one of the comics, that are hinted for (e.g. compiling or iata) and when viewing that comic I get a lootbox, with an image I can then place in the 2288. It worked twice, and now it doesn't again... neither with those that have worked before, nor with others I am fairly sure have been placed by other people. (such as galilean moons) --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:21, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:I'm working on assembling an image log, wonder if we could compare? Also, the two number url could be useful, rn I'm on -1378, -152 [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 07:25, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::What do you mean by compare? Also the URL is related to the coordinates, it changes when you pan the image. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:34, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::Yh just got that, is that the same for other panning comics (I'm a little new)? And I was wondering if the comic changed per person/system like certain previous comics. [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 07:40, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::Just seen a previous comment from you saying it doesn't change cross-system. However, it definetely changes with time, so the question is whether that's per user or done on a sort of universal clock, so we all unlock the same new content at the same time.
:::::I didn't complete writing up the thing I was able to do above... after opening the lootbox I got one image related to the comic I opened in my backpack and was able to place that in the actual 2288, where it now is placed. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:50, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::::For me that didn't happen, it started with a loading screen type thing, and then objects just started appearing seemingly at random. I've also noticed some of them dissapear. I feel like the best course of action would be to start with a table of all the different objects, and then see if we can figure out when/why they appear later.
::::::: At least 2 objects appeared, because I placed them. It is a colaboration of many xkcd readers to do this world building here. I placed one of the sword fights around #439,-181 and the non-inverted kite at #-1679,-290 . --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:55, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::::::Do you agree that the best course of action would therefore be a table with all the items? [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 08:03, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::::::::Not a big fan of tables, unless there really is content of muliple categories to be entered for one line. A list would do fine I guess? Also I find lists easier to work with. Or what would be the columns you'd set up? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:08, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::::::::Something along the lines of the comic that it's a reference to, an image, and an explanation. Do we know if you find the same sticker at the same comic every time? If so, then that. A list would work well too. [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 08:12, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::::::::From looking at what image URLs don't 404, it looks like there are 253 stickers, which is quite a lot for a table.[[User:Matthias1|Matthias1]] ([[User talk:Matthias1|talk]]) 10:03, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::::I think we can unlock new elements by reading older comics (seemingly at random, it doesn't work with every comic read) and that everyone can see the changes once they are put on the global picture. If someone could check, I have put berret guy and his goat around (5000,0)
::::::Yep, he's there. [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 08:01, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

I almost feel like someone needs to show them this xkcd... https://xkcd.com/169/

It seems to be an interactive canvas. You can find stickers in chests on specific comics and put them in your backpack, and then when you come back here you can choose where to put them on the canvas. The hints in the empty backpack are cryptic references to comics. {{unsigned ip|162.158.107.85}}
:Yep, I figured the same thing, but for me it only worked twice (fly from wtf to lol was a reference to the iata thing and compiling was a reference to the compiling one) - but it didn't work again. Also: Some of the placed images are clearly references to what-if. Like the squirrel on top of an AK47 or the yoda powering an IPOD. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:59, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

I've made a catalog of the stickers but it's only partial because stuff keeps appearing: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dPYeYVpGqu5tqGTt5 [[User:Lev|Lev]] ([[User talk:Lev|talk]]) 08:02, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

I got it. I wrote the steps on reddit and included some screenshots. Feel free to use it to edit this page https://old.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/fu1dt0/xkcd_2288_collectors_edition/fmaqp1w/ [[User:Ufolicker|Ufolicker]] ([[User talk:Ufolicker|talk]]) 09:27, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Am I too late to participate in this or am I doing something wrong? Where is this hint supposed to appear? I only see an empty backpack and the canvas on which references to different comics are placed. No comic I've visited, either inspired by references on the canvas, nor by random selection has any chest or other interactive components to it. [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 09:53, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:No, you're doing it right. Hints show up in the backpack area. Obviously no one is sure of anything, but even users who have seen hints have reported not seeing hints on a different browser/device. I suspect something similar to [https://xkcd.com/1037/ Umwelt], where different hints are shown to different people. And I think once a chest is picked up, it stops appearing to everyone that could see it, but that's a guess.[[User:Matthias1|Matthias1]] ([[User talk:Matthias1|talk]]) 10:03, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::Ok, I was unsure because on my windows 10 laptop I have yet to see a hint. I've tried chrome, firefox and internet explorer. [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 11:09, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::Finally got it to work in Safari in iOS [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 11:13, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::That's really great, Bischoff, we were worried about you. Care to share how you did it, for the benefit of others? [[User:Jimmbo|Jimmbo]] ([[User talk:Jimmbo|talk]]) 14:19, 4 April 2020 (UTC)
::::I took part in the scavenger hunt and about 2 hours ago it stopped showing hints. So I assume it shut down and there is nothing to do anymore.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ [[User:Curse|Curse]] ([[User talk:Curse|talk]]) 15:15, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

When I view the comic, I don't see the closed box - the screen is absolutely full of stickers. I've not done any scavenger hunting (I'd upload an image, but I don't have permissions to do so) [[User:Kvetch|Kvetch]] ([[User talk:Kvetch|talk]]) 11:10, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Hints I've seen so far: "The first one was funnier" (chest appeared in comic 1, contained I'm a turtle);
"418 I'm a teapot"
"26th September, 1983" (comic 2052, Stanislav Petrov Day, white dove); [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.135|172.69.134.135]] 11:20, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Perhaps a table for found chests with no attached hints? I've stumbled across a few but don't know if they're hinted at or not :). [[User:Deranged|Deranged]] ([[User talk:Deranged|talk]]) 11:54, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:Maybe add a line to the table with a blank first box, the link in the second box, empty third box? Someone will match it up. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.37|162.158.166.37]] 12:21, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

"Churchill's gonna have to rehydrate" is Nothing to Offer. Can't remember what number, I think 1148?

In other news, the bad ads are back ([[Talk:2220: Imagine Going Back in Time/Ads|previous discussion]]) - who's in charge of dealing with them anyway? [[User:Arcorann|Arcorann]] ([[User talk:Arcorann|talk]]) 12:25, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Could someone post an image showing what it looks like to find a chest on a comic? I've browsed to some of the comics referenced as having chests but couldn't see one so far. Thanks![[Special:Contributions/141.101.69.13|141.101.69.13]] 12:54, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:I've uploaded a few images on https://imgur.com/gallery/4q1QIW5. Can't upload them here yet, new account [[User:Madsmtm|madsmtm]] ([[User talk:Madsmtm|talk]]) 13:24, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

"The other side of the wardrobe", someone's put in the solution [[2218: Wardrobe]]; but I also found the chest on [[665: Prudence]]. Can there be multiple solutions to the same hint? [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 13:00, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Is anyone else having issues with things just not working? I clicked around a bit, it gave me the award in being very smart, and now won't give me any hints or chests. [[User:Crazymachinefan|Crazymachinefan]] ([[User talk:Crazymachinefan|talk]]) 13:57, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::I am also not getting any hints anymore after getting one chest.[[User:Eesley|Eesley]] ([[User talk:Eesley|talk]]) 14:01, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::Nope, nothing to get anymore. [[User:Curse|Curse]] ([[User talk:Curse|talk]]) 15:15, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

The "Was it a rat I saw" hint is probably [[1632: Palindrome]]. I haven't gotten the hint yet, so I can't confirm. [[User:Nvaiko24|Nvaiko24]] ([[User talk:Nvaiko24|talk]]) 14:12, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Interestingly, the [[1110: Click and Drag]] disables the backpack overlay. Also, anyone have any news on how to get the Go Big to Go Small hint?

I got the "First annual award for excellence in being very smart" on page 7, rather than 179 as stated above. Can't remember what the hint was. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.222|162.158.34.222]] 14:26, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Found that award on comic 7, too. And "Researchers are reporting record number of sharks (loot 159) on comic 1368, but I'll be damned if I know the hint. Those give me nothing [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.43|162.158.91.43]] 14:44, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Found another one! It's a bug on a box, loot_007. From comic #442, no idea what hint goes with it. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.7|162.158.74.7]] 15:18, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

For the ooOOOooo hint, I've now gone through every comic, and none of them give a chest. [[User:Lawruble13|Lawruble13]] ([[User talk:Lawruble13|talk]]) 19:41, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
: Well that's just ducky! I'm stuck on that hint. Any way to get the hint to change without losing my collectibles? Anonymous 02:19, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

If you scroll almost directly upward, the Y-coordinate keeps resetting to 5000 (same with downward and -5000. However, if you scroll up and to the side with a slope of less than 1, you eventually get to this URL: https://xkcd.com/#-Infinity,-Infinity which just has the word "[LOADING_]" hand-drawn. -- brad
: I think that's just Javascript floatingpoint math for ya. The loading image just appears while it is trying to load in new tiles --[[User:Jhollowe|Jhollowe]] ([[User talk:Jhollowe|talk]]) 19:11, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

I wrote a script that gives a list of all the loot images that are on the page if we want to make a complete list of loot images, and a list of images that haven't been found yet. --[[User:Jhollowe|Jhollowe]] ([[User talk:Jhollowe|talk]]) 19:11, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Has anyone else gotten a "miniloot"? I just got "/2288/collectors/static/loot/miniloot-words-laser.png" from [[293: RTFM]] with the hint listed in the above table. [[User:Lawruble13|Lawruble13]] ([[User talk:Lawruble13|talk]]) 19:41, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

In a private window on Firefox, I had previously seen the hint, but it's now disappeared. I got loot_109.png (which is the sheeple eye from [[1013: Wake Up Sheeple]]), and I can place it, but it stays in the inventory. Possible bug? [[User:Lawruble13|Lawruble13]] ([[User talk:Lawruble13|talk]]) 19:43, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:Viewable at https://xkcd.com/2288/#453,1003, both eyes posted using the same item. [[User:Lawruble13|Lawruble13]] ([[User talk:Lawruble13|talk]]) 19:50, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

The "tea time" hint seems a bit weird; I found it at [[579: The Race: Part 3]], and others have apparently found it at 581, 578, 479 and maybe elsewhere. Not sure what connection any of those comics have to tea, except that 579 and 479 both have 79 in them and the image is from what-if 79. [[User:Pelosujamo|Pelosujamo]] ([[User talk:Pelosujamo|talk]]) 01:17, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

I don't know if there's an element of "the clue you get depends on the clues you answered"..? Yesterday, when I first visited, it seemed to be giving different hints as I scrolled through/jumped around the comics looking for the answers to earlier hints. Now (after finding three, confirmed as listed in the table) it's just flipping between two of the early once, the "chnace" and "fetish" ones, still undetailed in the table so I can't even cheat) leading me to believe I'm left with those two in my (personal?) 'pool' of hints, and I won't get any more until I answer one or other. Either that or I need to ''place'' my current meagre three discoveries, but I was actually wanting more first so I could be creative in combination... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.141|162.158.93.141]] 04:04, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

Are "oOOOoooo" and "oooooooo" different clues? I don't see the second one listed.

Unless I missed something, "Hint: Everyone deserves a second chnace" doesn't refer to a particular comic, but rather something else. I went through comics 500-2288. -- [[User:162.158.92.22|162.158.92.22]] ([[User talk:162.158.92.22|talk]]) 08:29, 4 April 2020‎ (UTC) ''(please sign your comments with <nowiki>~~</nowiki>~~)''
:Probably requires a sequence of comics to be visited in specific order, like "A new model released each year" or "Take a ride in a barrel" [[User:Jaalenja|Jaalenja]] ([[User talk:Jaalenja|talk]]) 11:29, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

Random question--is there a way to edit or delete items once they have been placed? This world is pretty messy....

== Browser agent related issues: Post what browser (Chrome, Firefox; mobile, desktop) you are using here & what issues (if any) you experience when interacting with this comic. ==

On Chrome version 80.0.3987.162 in mobile view, only "Collector's Edition" appears for me. The comic is not scrollable or interactive, & the backpack does not appear. In desktop view, the collectively added content appears, as does the backpack. (I have not tested whether I can add things, yet.)
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 13:52, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

On Chrome version 80.0.3987.163 on desktop, the hint doesn't seem to appear. [[User:Lawruble13|Lawruble13]] ([[User talk:Lawruble13|talk]]) 19:41, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Firefox 74.0 on desktop - looks like I don't get any hints. Everything else seems to be fine. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.98|162.158.92.98]] 19:59, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

:Apologies if this has been covered, but if you right-click-->inspect the backpack area, can you see the hint in the Java script? I can't find it with Chrome running in Windows 10, but it is entirely possible I don't know how/where to look.[[User:Godzilla|Godzilla]] ([[User talk:Godzilla|talk]]) 21:38, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

On Opera, hint doesn't appear.

In Firefox I have an item in my loot box, I can scroll around the world and the text is "find an empty area". I find an empty area (Damn long way out :P ) and the text changes to "place it" or "Cancel" I can cancel OK, but place it doesn't work at all. Is this a bug or have I hit the limit of my abilities? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.86.34|172.68.86.34]] 01:05, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

:oh...wait...there is a 5 second or more delay from clicking to it appearing. May be caused by the size of the world and number of elements. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.86.34|172.68.86.34]] 01:08, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

Firefox 52.9 Windows XP Doesn't get past "loading" and cannot drag around. However, the backpack does appear and can be closed and opened. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.76|172.68.174.76]] 04:20, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

I tried Samsung browser (mobile, tablet), Chrome (mobile, desktop) and Edge (desktop). At first, only the Samsung browser on only one of the devices worked. Then it glitched, I got infinite Polish sausages and no more hints. It unglitched after deleting browser data. Then glitched after deleting browser data gain (I was stuck and wanted fresh batch of hints, karma is a bitch, I guess). Then it started working again after clearing browser data few more time. Then, on one occasion, I got a set of hints on desktop Chrome in incognito mode. Something weird is going on related to cookies, it seems. [[User:Jaalenja|Jaalenja]] ([[User talk:Jaalenja|talk]]) 07:35, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

== Screenshots ==

Since this appears to be a time-limited event, I decided it would be good idea to save some screenshots for posterity. I have uploaded several screenshots:
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_hint_1.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_hint_2.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_chest.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_chest_open.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_place_item.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_place_item_cant.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_place_item_kitty.png

Add them to the article as you see fit. [[User:Jaalenja|Jaalenja]] ([[User talk:Jaalenja|talk]]) 09:29, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

Talk:2288: Collector's Edition

2020-04-04T14:19:23Z

Jimmbo:

== The joke ==
Very early on April 1st, Mojang\Microsoft released a version 20w14Infinite build of Minecraft which allows players to create millions of wildly different new worlds by writing text in a book & throwing it through a Nether portal. The world generated depends on what is written in the book, & some specific worlds contain many "starter chests" to help the player in their explorations. Players can share what they wrote in each book with others, allowing multiple players to each access the same new dimensions on their own. In this way, individual single-player Minecraft instances can essentially become a collaboratively evolving game featuring previously nonexistent block types. Given that Randall has done multiple comics referencing Minecraft & seems to be an avid player, & given the presence of "chests" & the "worldbuilding" & collaborative nature of this latest comic, I believe xkcd's April 3rd 2020 comic is a reference to this "final" Minecraft build.
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 14:10, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

==Explanation==
Clicking on the URLs in the explanation return "File not found". I will remove the hyperlink so people are less confused. [[User:Fwacer|Fwacer]] ([[User talk:Fwacer|talk]]) 02:18, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

== How the comic works ==
... is this going to be like [[1190: Time]]? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.63|162.158.74.63]] 04:08, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
: I hope so, otherwise I don't get the joke [[User:Forresthopkinsa|Forresthopkinsa]] ([[User talk:Forresthopkinsa|talk]]) 04:15, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
: The page just went down for me so maybe what we've seen isn't what it's supposed to be? [[User:Avi m|avis_magpie]] ([[User talk:Avi m|talk]]) 04:20, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
Looks like the whole comic was just taken down. [[User:Parzivail|Parzivail]] ([[User talk:Parzivail|talk]]) 04:27, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
: Can confirm - the most recent comic is Pathogen again [[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.207|162.158.187.207]] 04:26, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
It is still up on the mobile website, but only if you directly go to comic page https://m.xkcd.com/2288 [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.146|172.69.22.146]] 05:10, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
: Perhaps this is a collector's edition because it was only up for a limited amount of time? {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.60|05:12, 3 April 2020}}
:: That was my immediate assumption. The title text says, "I'm sure you can find some suitable worldbuilding material if you scavenge through the archives." And I was viewing the comic by using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine — which, wouldn't you know it, captured the page exactly once before it went down. Between that and the title "Collector's Edition", I can't help thinking that the comic was actually intended to be viewed this way. Though for what reason, and what intended meaning, I couldn't tell you. …And jeez, in the time it took me to type this, the comic is back, but changed! Oy vey. [[User:NoriMori|NoriMori]] ([[User talk:NoriMori|talk]]) 06:42, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Maybe it's called collectors edition, because it was only available quite limited and to an unusual time? But that logic doesn't fit with the title text. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 05:14, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:I doubt that could be caused by "technical difficulties". [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.186|172.69.34.186]] 06:14, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

It looks like it went back up about 5 minutes age. I can't figure out if it's possible to do more than pan right now though. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.120|108.162.215.120]] 06:39, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:Yeah I see the same thing, looks like they're just testing it live. What a shame :(--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.242|108.162.215.242]] 06:47, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::what makes you assume that this is testing right now? however it doesn't seem to be very interactive apart from panning through it, and that it seems to chagne over time (the moon from [[1300]] wasn't there a few minutes ago, was it? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:49, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

:It's a giant pan similar to [https://xkcd.com/1110], although it's mostly empty, with some content at [https://xkcd.com/2288/#-361,-161]
. The title reads that you can find world building material, if you scavenge through the archives. I assume, more content will be unlocked as you read through past comics. [[User:Goatfryed|Goatfryed]] ([[User talk:Goatfryed|talk]]) 06:52, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::That would mean it is individual? That everyone gets their own picture? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:03, 3 April 2020 (UTC) Edit: I can kinda rule that out. I get the same picture on my phone and my work laptop, the work laptop is in a different country via vpn, and doesn't share any logins/advertisement ID's apart from explain xkcd with my phone... --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:05, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Yeah, it definitely changes. The orange swimming pool just showed up now. Also, at the bottom of the page, it says something about "backpack", and what appears to be a reference to some other xkcd comic. For example, "Hint: why waste time say few word when lot word do trick", which I think refers to Up Goer Five. But I have no idea what to do with that info. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.141.190|172.68.141.190]] 06:55, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:and the content seems to be related to previous comics and what-ifs... but still no clue what to do apart from exploring the page. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:57, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

So I just stumbled upon this and it seems to be exactly as other commentors have theorised: as you read previous comics more stuff gets added to the page. There seems to be some kind of backpack mechanic where you collect items from previous ones somehow, but, perhaps because I've already read all previous comics, that didn't seem to work for me. Instead I just had to click the link above the backpack, which opened the comic in a new tab, and it had a bunch of stuff there. We may need to co-ordinate to figure out if different people end up with different sets of items, and to ensure we have all of them, but I think other than that it should be just a cut and dry thing of making a table with every item in it. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.202|162.158.34.202]] 07:12, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:Hang on, mine just changed: before there was only 1 pool on the left, now there are two. I only went back to pathogens and then forwards agin. This may be harder than I thought, I'm going to start keeping a screenshot log of actions vs. results. [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 07:17, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:You may need to try xkcd.com instead of www.xkcd.com - there seems to be an issue with the latter at the moment. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.216|162.158.255.216]] 07:18, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::Hold up it changed again! This time without a reload! [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 07:28, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::It seems to change periodically, the url does change everytime. New stuff always seems to be added, not old stuff rremoved. [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 07:28, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::The URL is related to the coordinates, it changes when you pan the image. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:34, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::Timings seem to be random, working on double checking that rn. Highest first number so far is 1127, once it switches agin I'm going to experiement with manually editing the url.

I was briefly able to do things. Open the archieve, navigate it to one of the comics, that are hinted for (e.g. compiling or iata) and when viewing that comic I get a lootbox, with an image I can then place in the 2288. It worked twice, and now it doesn't again... neither with those that have worked before, nor with others I am fairly sure have been placed by other people. (such as galilean moons) --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:21, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:I'm working on assembling an image log, wonder if we could compare? Also, the two number url could be useful, rn I'm on -1378, -152 [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 07:25, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::What do you mean by compare? Also the URL is related to the coordinates, it changes when you pan the image. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:34, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::Yh just got that, is that the same for other panning comics (I'm a little new)? And I was wondering if the comic changed per person/system like certain previous comics. [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 07:40, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::Just seen a previous comment from you saying it doesn't change cross-system. However, it definetely changes with time, so the question is whether that's per user or done on a sort of universal clock, so we all unlock the same new content at the same time.
:::::I didn't complete writing up the thing I was able to do above... after opening the lootbox I got one image related to the comic I opened in my backpack and was able to place that in the actual 2288, where it now is placed. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:50, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::::For me that didn't happen, it started with a loading screen type thing, and then objects just started appearing seemingly at random. I've also noticed some of them dissapear. I feel like the best course of action would be to start with a table of all the different objects, and then see if we can figure out when/why they appear later.
::::::: At least 2 objects appeared, because I placed them. It is a colaboration of many xkcd readers to do this world building here. I placed one of the sword fights around #439,-181 and the non-inverted kite at #-1679,-290 . --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:55, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::::::Do you agree that the best course of action would therefore be a table with all the items? [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 08:03, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::::::::Not a big fan of tables, unless there really is content of muliple categories to be entered for one line. A list would do fine I guess? Also I find lists easier to work with. Or what would be the columns you'd set up? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:08, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::::::::Something along the lines of the comic that it's a reference to, an image, and an explanation. Do we know if you find the same sticker at the same comic every time? If so, then that. A list would work well too. [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 08:12, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::::::::From looking at what image URLs don't 404, it looks like there are 253 stickers, which is quite a lot for a table.[[User:Matthias1|Matthias1]] ([[User talk:Matthias1|talk]]) 10:03, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::::I think we can unlock new elements by reading older comics (seemingly at random, it doesn't work with every comic read) and that everyone can see the changes once they are put on the global picture. If someone could check, I have put berret guy and his goat around (5000,0)
::::::Yep, he's there. [[User:Benkor42|Benkor42]] ([[User talk:Benkor42|talk]]) 08:01, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

I almost feel like someone needs to show them this xkcd... https://xkcd.com/169/

It seems to be an interactive canvas. You can find stickers in chests on specific comics and put them in your backpack, and then when you come back here you can choose where to put them on the canvas. The hints in the empty backpack are cryptic references to comics. {{unsigned ip|162.158.107.85}}
:Yep, I figured the same thing, but for me it only worked twice (fly from wtf to lol was a reference to the iata thing and compiling was a reference to the compiling one) - but it didn't work again. Also: Some of the placed images are clearly references to what-if. Like the squirrel on top of an AK47 or the yoda powering an IPOD. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:59, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

I've made a catalog of the stickers but it's only partial because stuff keeps appearing: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dPYeYVpGqu5tqGTt5 [[User:Lev|Lev]] ([[User talk:Lev|talk]]) 08:02, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

I got it. I wrote the steps on reddit and included some screenshots. Feel free to use it to edit this page https://old.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/fu1dt0/xkcd_2288_collectors_edition/fmaqp1w/ [[User:Ufolicker|Ufolicker]] ([[User talk:Ufolicker|talk]]) 09:27, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Am I too late to participate in this or am I doing something wrong? Where is this hint supposed to appear? I only see an empty backpack and the canvas on which references to different comics are placed. No comic I've visited, either inspired by references on the canvas, nor by random selection has any chest or other interactive components to it. [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 09:53, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:No, you're doing it right. Hints show up in the backpack area. Obviously no one is sure of anything, but even users who have seen hints have reported not seeing hints on a different browser/device. I suspect something similar to [https://xkcd.com/1037/ Umwelt], where different hints are shown to different people. And I think once a chest is picked up, it stops appearing to everyone that could see it, but that's a guess.[[User:Matthias1|Matthias1]] ([[User talk:Matthias1|talk]]) 10:03, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::Ok, I was unsure because on my windows 10 laptop I have yet to see a hint. I've tried chrome, firefox and internet explorer. [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 11:09, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::Finally got it to work in Safari in iOS [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 11:13, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::::That's really great, Bischoff, we were worried about you. Care to share how you did it, for the benefit of others?
::::I took part in the scavenger hunt and about 2 hours ago it stopped showing hints. So I assume it shut down and there is nothing to do anymore.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ [[User:Curse|Curse]] ([[User talk:Curse|talk]]) 15:15, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

When I view the comic, I don't see the closed box - the screen is absolutely full of stickers. I've not done any scavenger hunting (I'd upload an image, but I don't have permissions to do so) [[User:Kvetch|Kvetch]] ([[User talk:Kvetch|talk]]) 11:10, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Hints I've seen so far: "The first one was funnier" (chest appeared in comic 1, contained I'm a turtle);
"418 I'm a teapot"
"26th September, 1983" (comic 2052, Stanislav Petrov Day, white dove); [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.135|172.69.134.135]] 11:20, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Perhaps a table for found chests with no attached hints? I've stumbled across a few but don't know if they're hinted at or not :). [[User:Deranged|Deranged]] ([[User talk:Deranged|talk]]) 11:54, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:Maybe add a line to the table with a blank first box, the link in the second box, empty third box? Someone will match it up. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.37|162.158.166.37]] 12:21, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

"Churchill's gonna have to rehydrate" is Nothing to Offer. Can't remember what number, I think 1148?

In other news, the bad ads are back ([[Talk:2220: Imagine Going Back in Time/Ads|previous discussion]]) - who's in charge of dealing with them anyway? [[User:Arcorann|Arcorann]] ([[User talk:Arcorann|talk]]) 12:25, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Could someone post an image showing what it looks like to find a chest on a comic? I've browsed to some of the comics referenced as having chests but couldn't see one so far. Thanks![[Special:Contributions/141.101.69.13|141.101.69.13]] 12:54, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:I've uploaded a few images on https://imgur.com/gallery/4q1QIW5. Can't upload them here yet, new account [[User:Madsmtm|madsmtm]] ([[User talk:Madsmtm|talk]]) 13:24, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

"The other side of the wardrobe", someone's put in the solution [[2218: Wardrobe]]; but I also found the chest on [[665: Prudence]]. Can there be multiple solutions to the same hint? [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 13:00, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Is anyone else having issues with things just not working? I clicked around a bit, it gave me the award in being very smart, and now won't give me any hints or chests. [[User:Crazymachinefan|Crazymachinefan]] ([[User talk:Crazymachinefan|talk]]) 13:57, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
::I am also not getting any hints anymore after getting one chest.[[User:Eesley|Eesley]] ([[User talk:Eesley|talk]]) 14:01, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:::Nope, nothing to get anymore. [[User:Curse|Curse]] ([[User talk:Curse|talk]]) 15:15, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

The "Was it a rat I saw" hint is probably [[1632: Palindrome]]. I haven't gotten the hint yet, so I can't confirm. [[User:Nvaiko24|Nvaiko24]] ([[User talk:Nvaiko24|talk]]) 14:12, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Interestingly, the [[1110: Click and Drag]] disables the backpack overlay. Also, anyone have any news on how to get the Go Big to Go Small hint?

I got the "First annual award for excellence in being very smart" on page 7, rather than 179 as stated above. Can't remember what the hint was. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.222|162.158.34.222]] 14:26, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Found that award on comic 7, too. And "Researchers are reporting record number of sharks (loot 159) on comic 1368, but I'll be damned if I know the hint. Those give me nothing [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.43|162.158.91.43]] 14:44, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Found another one! It's a bug on a box, loot_007. From comic #442, no idea what hint goes with it. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.7|162.158.74.7]] 15:18, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

For the ooOOOooo hint, I've now gone through every comic, and none of them give a chest. [[User:Lawruble13|Lawruble13]] ([[User talk:Lawruble13|talk]]) 19:41, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
: Well that's just ducky! I'm stuck on that hint. Any way to get the hint to change without losing my collectibles? Anonymous 02:19, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

If you scroll almost directly upward, the Y-coordinate keeps resetting to 5000 (same with downward and -5000. However, if you scroll up and to the side with a slope of less than 1, you eventually get to this URL: https://xkcd.com/#-Infinity,-Infinity which just has the word "[LOADING_]" hand-drawn. -- brad
: I think that's just Javascript floatingpoint math for ya. The loading image just appears while it is trying to load in new tiles --[[User:Jhollowe|Jhollowe]] ([[User talk:Jhollowe|talk]]) 19:11, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

I wrote a script that gives a list of all the loot images that are on the page if we want to make a complete list of loot images, and a list of images that haven't been found yet. --[[User:Jhollowe|Jhollowe]] ([[User talk:Jhollowe|talk]]) 19:11, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Has anyone else gotten a "miniloot"? I just got "/2288/collectors/static/loot/miniloot-words-laser.png" from [[293: RTFM]] with the hint listed in the above table. [[User:Lawruble13|Lawruble13]] ([[User talk:Lawruble13|talk]]) 19:41, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

In a private window on Firefox, I had previously seen the hint, but it's now disappeared. I got loot_109.png (which is the sheeple eye from [[1013: Wake Up Sheeple]]), and I can place it, but it stays in the inventory. Possible bug? [[User:Lawruble13|Lawruble13]] ([[User talk:Lawruble13|talk]]) 19:43, 3 April 2020 (UTC)
:Viewable at https://xkcd.com/2288/#453,1003, both eyes posted using the same item. [[User:Lawruble13|Lawruble13]] ([[User talk:Lawruble13|talk]]) 19:50, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

The "tea time" hint seems a bit weird; I found it at [[579: The Race: Part 3]], and others have apparently found it at 581, 578, 479 and maybe elsewhere. Not sure what connection any of those comics have to tea, except that 579 and 479 both have 79 in them and the image is from what-if 79. [[User:Pelosujamo|Pelosujamo]] ([[User talk:Pelosujamo|talk]]) 01:17, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

I don't know if there's an element of "the clue you get depends on the clues you answered"..? Yesterday, when I first visited, it seemed to be giving different hints as I scrolled through/jumped around the comics looking for the answers to earlier hints. Now (after finding three, confirmed as listed in the table) it's just flipping between two of the early once, the "chnace" and "fetish" ones, still undetailed in the table so I can't even cheat) leading me to believe I'm left with those two in my (personal?) 'pool' of hints, and I won't get any more until I answer one or other. Either that or I need to ''place'' my current meagre three discoveries, but I was actually wanting more first so I could be creative in combination... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.141|162.158.93.141]] 04:04, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

Are "oOOOoooo" and "oooooooo" different clues? I don't see the second one listed.

Unless I missed something, "Hint: Everyone deserves a second chnace" doesn't refer to a particular comic, but rather something else. I went through comics 500-2288. -- [[User:162.158.92.22|162.158.92.22]] ([[User talk:162.158.92.22|talk]]) 08:29, 4 April 2020‎ (UTC) ''(please sign your comments with <nowiki>~~</nowiki>~~)''
:Probably requires a sequence of comics to be visited in specific order, like "A new model released each year" or "Take a ride in a barrel" [[User:Jaalenja|Jaalenja]] ([[User talk:Jaalenja|talk]]) 11:29, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

Random question--is there a way to edit or delete items once they have been placed? This world is pretty messy....

== Browser agent related issues: Post what browser (Chrome, Firefox; mobile, desktop) you are using here & what issues (if any) you experience when interacting with this comic. ==

On Chrome version 80.0.3987.162 in mobile view, only "Collector's Edition" appears for me. The comic is not scrollable or interactive, & the backpack does not appear. In desktop view, the collectively added content appears, as does the backpack. (I have not tested whether I can add things, yet.)
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 13:52, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

On Chrome version 80.0.3987.163 on desktop, the hint doesn't seem to appear. [[User:Lawruble13|Lawruble13]] ([[User talk:Lawruble13|talk]]) 19:41, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

Firefox 74.0 on desktop - looks like I don't get any hints. Everything else seems to be fine. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.98|162.158.92.98]] 19:59, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

:Apologies if this has been covered, but if you right-click-->inspect the backpack area, can you see the hint in the Java script? I can't find it with Chrome running in Windows 10, but it is entirely possible I don't know how/where to look.[[User:Godzilla|Godzilla]] ([[User talk:Godzilla|talk]]) 21:38, 3 April 2020 (UTC)

On Opera, hint doesn't appear.

In Firefox I have an item in my loot box, I can scroll around the world and the text is "find an empty area". I find an empty area (Damn long way out :P ) and the text changes to "place it" or "Cancel" I can cancel OK, but place it doesn't work at all. Is this a bug or have I hit the limit of my abilities? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.86.34|172.68.86.34]] 01:05, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

:oh...wait...there is a 5 second or more delay from clicking to it appearing. May be caused by the size of the world and number of elements. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.86.34|172.68.86.34]] 01:08, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

Firefox 52.9 Windows XP Doesn't get past "loading" and cannot drag around. However, the backpack does appear and can be closed and opened. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.76|172.68.174.76]] 04:20, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

I tried Samsung browser (mobile, tablet), Chrome (mobile, desktop) and Edge (desktop). At first, only the Samsung browser on only one of the devices worked. Then it glitched, I got infinite Polish sausages and no more hints. It unglitched after deleting browser data. Then glitched after deleting browser data gain (I was stuck and wanted fresh batch of hints, karma is a bitch, I guess). Then it started working again after clearing browser data few more time. Then, on one occasion, I got a set of hints on desktop Chrome in incognito mode. Something weird is going on related to cookies, it seems. [[User:Jaalenja|Jaalenja]] ([[User talk:Jaalenja|talk]]) 07:35, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

== Screenshots ==

Since this appears to be a time-limited event, I decided it would be good idea to save some screenshots for posterity. I have uploaded several screenshots:
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_hint_1.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_hint_2.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_chest.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_chest_open.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_place_item.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_place_item_cant.png
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:2288_place_item_kitty.png

Add them to the article as you see fit. [[User:Jaalenja|Jaalenja]] ([[User talk:Jaalenja|talk]]) 09:29, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

2137: Text Entry

2019-04-16T12:17:45Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2137
| date = April 15, 2019
| title = Text Entry
| image = text_entry.png
| titletext = I like to think that somewhere out there, there's someone whose personal quest is lobbying TV providers to add an option to switch their on-screen keyboards to Dvorak.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a DVORAK LOBBYIST. Explanation could be expanded, especially the second paragraph. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Randall]] is remarking on the "weirdest" things about the year 2019, the year that this comic was posted. He states that the weirdest thing is that {{w|Donald Trump}} is president. Although [[Sad comics|several comics]] may have relation to Donald Trump becoming president, this is the [[Sad_comics#Text_Entry|first time ever]], he has been mentioned by his full name (in [[1939: 2016 Election Map]] he is referred to by his surname) in a standard xkcd comic. Previously Randall has expressed support for Hilary Clinton, without mentioning Trump, in a comic posted before the 2016 election with [[1756: I'm With Her]]. In this case, why Trump being president is the weirdest thing probably has little to do with political affiliation and more because of his qualifications (or lack thereof); Donald Trump was most famous for his reality TV show ''The Apprentice'' and for being a real estate mogul, neither of which are particularly relevant to the presidential office.

However this comic is really about the second "weirdest" thing in 2019, which is the continued use of a user interface where a person has to "pick letters" to type. This can be seen when doing searches in a TV guide menu or in menus for streaming options like {{w|Netflix}} or {{w|Hulu}}. Some of these menus may allow for voice searches or support {{w|bluetooth keyboard}}s, but the traditional method is still to select letters via a cursor. Many controllers for devices only have a few buttons, which makes it necessary to use schemes such as scrolling around a picture of a keyboard to laboriously select letters. [[Cueball]] is probably looking up "{{w|Our Planet}}" which was a popular Netflix series when this comic was released. Cueball has spelled out "O U R [space] P L" so far.

Randall references the "{{w|Score (game)|high score}}" in an {{w|arcade game}}. When achieving a high score in an arcade game, the user typically is able to enter his name or initials into the machine. These are entered by picking letters one by one (and usually under a time limit, for extra stress and/or fun), as the comic mentions.

The title text mentions the keyboard system {{w|Dvorak Simplified Keyboard|Dvorak}}, a [[:Category:Dvorak|recurrent theme]] on xkcd, which is a keyboard layout patented by {{w|August Dvorak}} and {{w|William Dealey}}. As the Dvorak layout is optimized for more efficient typing with two hands, it is unlikely that using it would be more efficient than a standard {{w|Qwerty}} when limited to cursor entry methods. Another drawback would be that the Dvorak layout is unfamiliar to most people, and it could be confusing for users to use for TV selection menus compared to either the more familiar {{w|Qwerty}} layout or showing letters in alphabetical order. Alternately, Randall may be referring to Dvorak’s placement of frequently used letters clustered in the center as a potential slight improvement over the linear A-Z layout of such interfaces (a half-measure offered ironically, of course).

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Cueball are sitting on a couch, with Megan standing behind them. Cueball is pointing a remote at a television. The word space is written inside a frame.]
:Television: O...U...R...SPACE...P...L...
:Remote: Click Click Click

:[Caption below the panel:]
:The weirdest thing about 2019 is obviously that Donald Trump is president, but I think the second weirdest is that you sometimes ''still'' have to type stuff in by picking letters on a screen one at a time with a cursor like you're entering a high score in a 1980s arcade game.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Dvorak]]

2137: Text Entry

2019-04-16T12:16:28Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2137
| date = April 15, 2019
| title = Text Entry
| image = text_entry.png
| titletext = I like to think that somewhere out there, there's someone whose personal quest is lobbying TV providers to add an option to switch their on-screen keyboards to Dvorak.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a DVORAK LOBBYIST. Explanation could be expanded, especially the second paragraph. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Randall]] is remarking on the "weirdest" things about the year 2019, the year that this comic was posted. He states that the weirdest thing is that {{w|Donald Trump}} is president. Although [[Sad comics|several comics]] may have relation to Donald Trump becoming president, this is the [[Sad_comics#Text_Entry|first time ever]], he has been mentioned by his full name (in [[1939: 2016 Election Map]] he is referred to by his surname) in a standard xkcd comic. Previously Randall has expressed support for Hilary Clinton, without mentioning Trump, in a comic posted before the 2016 election with [[1756: I'm With Her]]. In this case, why Trump being president is the weirdest thing probably has little to do with political affiliation and more because of his qualifications (or lack thereof); Donald Trump was most famous for his reality TV show ''The Apprentice'' and for being a real estate mogul, neither of which are particularly relevant to the presidential office.

However this comic is really about the second "weirdest" thing in 2019, which is the continued use of a user interface where a person has to "pick letters" to type. This can be seen when doing searches in a TV guide menu or in menus for streaming options like {{w|Netflix}} or {{w|Hulu}}. Some of these menus may allow for voice searches or support {{w|bluetooth keyboard}}s, but the traditional method is still to select letters via a cursor. Many controllers for devices only have a few buttons, which makes it necessary to use schemes such as scrolling around a picture of a keyboard to laboriously select letters. [[Cueball]] is probably looking up "{{w|Our Planet}}" which was a popular Netflix series when this comic was released. Cueball has spelled out "O U R [space] P L" so far.

Randall references the "{{w|Score (game)|high score}}" in an {{w|arcade game}}. When achieving a high score in an arcade game, the user typically is able to enter his name or initials into the machine. These are entered by picking letters one by one (and usually under a time limit, for extra stress and/or fun), as the comic mentions.

The title text mentions the keyboard system {{w|Dvorak Simplified Keyboard|Dvorak}}, a [[:Category:Dvorak|recurrent theme]] on xkcd, which is a keyboard layout patented by {{w|August Dvorak}} and {{w|William Dealey}}. As the Dvorak layout is optimized for more efficient typing with two hands, it is unlikely that using it would be more efficient than a standard {{w|Qwerty}} when limited to cursor entry methods. Another drawback would be that the Dvorak layout is unfamiliar to most people, and it could be confusing for users to use for TV selection menus compared to either the more familiar {{w|Qwerty}} layout or showing letters in alphabetical order. Alternately, Randall may be referring to Dvorak’s placement of frequently used letters clustered in the center as a potential slight improvement over the linear A-Z layout of such interfaces.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Cueball are sitting on a couch, with Megan standing behind them. Cueball is pointing a remote at a television. The word space is written inside a frame.]
:Television: O...U...R...SPACE...P...L...
:Remote: Click Click Click

:[Caption below the panel:]
:The weirdest thing about 2019 is obviously that Donald Trump is president, but I think the second weirdest is that you sometimes ''still'' have to type stuff in by picking letters on a screen one at a time with a cursor like you're entering a high score in a 1980s arcade game.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Dvorak]]

2091: Million, Billion, Trillion

2018-12-29T19:16:40Z

Jimmbo: “Supports” is clearer than “highlights”

{{comic
| number = 2091
| date = December 28, 2018
| title = Million, Billion, Trillion
| image = million_billion_trillion.png
| titletext = You can tell most people don’t really assign an absolute meaning to these numbers because in some places and time periods, “billion” has meant 1,000x what it's meant in others, and a lot of us never even noticed.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This needs about a thousand years of rewriting, and I assume we'll want to do a chart of X and Y positions as with most chart comics. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Much like [[558: 1000 Times|comic 558]], this comic addresses the difficulty ordinary people have with large numbers. Though most if not all people intuitively understand the difference between one object and two objects, or one object and ten objects, or even one object and a hundred objects, as numbers increase most people's ability to innately conceive of the numbers being discussed decreases remarkably quickly. When numbers reach the millions and the billions, and especially the trillions, most people don't truly process the numbers at all, and instead conceive of them as some version of a drastically-oversimplified concept such as "very big." Where comparing one to ten is simple, comparing "very big" to a different "very big" can prove extremely challenging, and will certainly require non-intuitive, conscious thinking.

The comic represents this challenge by providing a graph which represents [[Randall]]'s ''intuitive'' conception of the values of various very large numbers, and said conception's misalignment with reality. Though some trends reflect the real value of the numbers on the graph, i.e. 100 million larger than 10 million larger than 1 million and 1 billion larger than 1 million, the curve is far from the linear (exponential on the log-scaled axes) path it should take, with 1 billion being intuitively understood as less than 100 million, based, presumably, on the fact, easily comprehended on an intuitive level, that '''100 is larger than 1''', and therefore the presence of 100 in 100 million places it at a higher value than the 1 in 1 billion would place the latter. In reality, of course, 1 billion is ten times larger than 100 million, but the comic deals not with actual reality, but with the perception of reality of these numbers '''before conscious thought is applied'''.

The most interesting parts of the graph, and the parts where the disconnect between intuition and reality becomes clearest, are the dashed sections labeled with question marks, the one between 100 million and 1 billion, the other between 100 billion and 1 trillion. Here two competing intuitive understandings compete for dominance. On the one hand, the intuitive understanding described above, with 100 trumping 1, would see the curve taking a sharp downturn. On the other hand, the path from 100 million to 1 billion is paved with such numbers as 500 million, 700 million, and 900 million, all of which would theoretically be seen intuitively as larger than 100 million, thanks to the fact that 9 is greater than 7, and 7 greater than 5, and so on, bending the curve up rather than down. These two conflicting intuitions leave Randall with no single intuitive path for the two dashed sections, leading to their dashed and questioned state.

The comic's caption and title highlight another problem surrounding the intuitive grasping of large numbers: the flaws in the English words used for them. For instance, nothing about the word "million" suggests smallness relative to the word "billion" on an intuitive scale. This unintuitive language contributes greatly to the "100 trumps 1" intuitive fallacy described above.

=== Long scale and short scale ===

The title text references a classic, and highly relevant, example of a disconnect between the {{w|Long_and_short_scales|long and short scales of large numbers}}.

For all English speakers, and for most languages, 1 '''''million''''' constitutes 1,000 thousands, or, said less ambiguously, 10^6. However, this is the last of the consensus numbers, and the definition of what should be the "next step",1,000 million, varies depending on how each country's language evolved.
* In many English-speaking countries, 1,000 millions equals 1 billion , or 1000*10^6=10^9, and this convention is known as the '''short-scale'''.
* [https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/explore/how-many-is-a-billion/ In historical Britain] and many other countries with a language derived from French or Spanish, the "next step" may be named a thousand million, and 1 billion equals ''1 million'' millions, or 10^6*10^6=10^'''12''', with the base unit changing when you have a unit's worth multiple of the unit, known as the long-scale. (Note that this is no longer used in Britain since 1974.)
* In European languages where the '''long-scale''' system is used, the "next step" may be named a thousand million, or receive a name with a special suffix: the word milliard (meaning 1,000 million) is used in some form (e.g. milliard in French, Milliarde in German, milliard in Danish, milliárd in Hungarian, etc.), with the word billion defined as 1,000 milliard (or 1,000,000 million). In these languages, a billion never meant 1,000 million as it does in the short-scale system. Successive units, such as trillion, also increase by different multiples as well - by 1,000 in the short-scale system and 1,000,000 in the long-scale system.

In other words, 1 billion objects in a country using the short-scale would be 1,000 million objects in a country using the long-scale; and at the "next step", 1 trillion in the short-scale would be named 1 billion in the long-scale, despite the fact that the number of objects has remained the same. This difference between languages using the short-scale system and the long-scale often causes confusion when translating articles with large numbers in them, as translators sometimes fail to change between short-scale and long-scale schemes, wrongfully translating large numbers to incorrect values.

The fact that such a staggering difference of terminology was able to exist and be almost completely unknown to many supports Randall's point about the failure of human intuition in the discussion of extremely large numbers.

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

:[A graph with Y-axis labeled "Perceived size of number" and X-axis labeled "Actual size of number (log scale)".]
:[The line graph shows points that are labeled with numbers from "1 million" to "100 trillion". The perceived size increases otherwise, but decreases between 100 million and 1 billion, and between 100 billion and 1 trillion. The decreases are shown as dashed lines labeled "?". The increases and decreases in perceived size become smaller as the numbers grow in actual size.]
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Talking about large numbers is hard

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Line graphs]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T20:12:47Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ better word choices

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]) which claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}} (author of several cookbooks). Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President). Obviously, cooking and politics were skills acquired later in life for both figures.

Cueball and Megan continue speculating about an app simulating the skills of random celebrities (or animals) at various ages, even beyond the talents that made them famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But they'd both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes (with considerable understatement) their project "has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious, or 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}} beating a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ronda Rousey is an Olympic bronze medalist judoka and MMA fighter; when this comic was released Ronda Rousey had just lost to {{w|Holly Holm}} in a major upset. Muhammad Ali is one of the all-time great boxers. At the time of this comic Ken Jennings is the record-holder for his winning streak on ''{{W|Jeopardy!}}''.

Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-old Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an election against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T20:11:38Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ streamlining syntax

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]) which claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}} (author of several cookbooks). Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President). Obviously, cooking and politics were skills acquired later in life for both figures.

Cueball and Megan continue speculating about their wished-for app simulating the skills of random celebrities (or animals) at various ages, even beyond the skills that made them famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But they'd both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes (with considerable understatement) their project "has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious, or 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}} beating a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ronda Rousey is an Olympic bronze medalist judoka and MMA fighter; when this comic was released Ronda Rousey had just lost to {{w|Holly Holm}} in a major upset. Muhammad Ali is one of the all-time great boxers. At the time of this comic Ken Jennings is the record-holder for his winning streak on ''{{W|Jeopardy!}}''.

Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-old Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an election against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

Talk:1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T20:01:45Z

Jimmbo:

Attempted to write the transcript. Hope I did an okay job... {{unsigned ip|‎198.41.235.41}}
:It was great. I just added some descriptions of the panels. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:01, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Actually it is an election against JFK, not an eating contest (panel 3)[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.162|108.162.249.162]] 18:46, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Might Ronda Rousey being knocked unconsious be a reference to her recent loss to Holly Holm, where Rousey indeed was knocked unconcious? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.141|162.158.202.141]] 10:27, 11 January 2016 (UTC)
:The word reference means "a thing you say or write that mentions somebody/something else; the act of mentioning somebody/something". Since the comic doesn't mention Holly Holm, there is no reference. I think there isn't even an allusion (something that is said or written that refers to or mentions another person or subject in an indirect way). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.17|108.162.221.17]] 13:46, 11 January 2016 (UTC)
:Besides, the phrasing is "knocked out". That needn't be a combat/contact-sport 'KO' in which Rousey was rendered actually unconscious in an intentional/explicable manner, according to the activity, but could just be telling us which of the two passed through to the next round of a bracketed competition of some other kind. (Either of a form that remains unspecified or, as the most recently mentioned competition, in an earlier iteration the hot-dog-eating contest. Either way, 11yo Stewart wasn't highly ''expected'' to win, whatever the match conditions, but the outcome needn't be so against form as it might have in a pugilistic match.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.152.227|162.158.152.227]] 15:13, 11 January 2016 (UTC)
::Since nothing is mentioned about which sport and Rousey is mentioned for the first time and it is a surprise she looses (on a KO) it is obvious to me that it refers to her fighting skill and a real KO. And if it was one of her first KO in that match is could easily be a reference especially if it was not expected. These two last things I do not know anything about though... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:41, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Magnus' App is available here: http://www.playmagnus.com/. There are also numerous youtube videos of him playing against himself at various ages. --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.240|198.41.242.240]] 10:33, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

JFK was not 10 in 1961 as that is when he became President and you have to be at least 35 to do that. [[User:Momerath|Momerath]] ([[User talk:Momerath|talk]]) 15:26, 11 January 2016 (UTC)
:Whops. That went to fast, thanks for correcting it. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:39, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Maybe I misunderstood some special reference or way to put it here, because as it links to the correct wiki page, it seems the author knew what he was talking about but:
" Michael Phelps who is the most decorated Olympian competitor of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three Olympiads." is still a very strange formulation imo. As correctly linked an Olympiad is the time span between two Olympic Games (aka 4 years). First of all Phelbs won the Medals from 2004 to 2012 so if one really would want to write that in olympiads it would be closer to two. Even so I think it very strange to ever talk about the olympic medals over the course of such a timespan as they were won at three distinct events, while countless other medals were won in the time span. I would rather change it to "olympic games" or something. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.139|141.101.91.139]] 15:51, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Does anyone else actually kind of want this to exist? I mean, it would certainly settle a lot of playground discussions. :P [[User:Hammy2211|Hammy2211]] ([[User talk:Hammy2211|talk]]) 15:55, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Ronda Rousey is a former Judo Olympian and current MMA fighter, not a boxer. Holly Holmes (who she lost to) is an ex-boxing champion. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.236.19|108.162.236.19]] 16:32, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Ok, changed Rousey from "boxer" to "fighter". [[User:Jimmbo|Jimmbo]] ([[User talk:Jimmbo|talk]]) 16:38, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Does Randall Munroe know of a world outside of his own little country? Or is this comic ironic? It's very much one person from not-USA (aka “the world”) versus a lot of people from the USA. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.49.27|173.245.49.27]] 18:46, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Hmm. It appears somebody really wants to use this page to detail Ms. Rousey's recent triumphs. I don't want an editing war, so I'll leave it be, but I don't believe that's the purpose of our undertaking here.[[User:Jimmbo|Jimmbo]] ([[User talk:Jimmbo|talk]]) 20:01, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:39:18Z

Jimmbo: plural plus better word choice

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]) which claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}} (author of several cookbooks). Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President). Obviously, cooking and politics were skills acquired later in life for both figures.

Cueball and Megan continue speculating about their wished-for app simulating what random celebrities (or animals) could do at certain ages, even beyond the skills that made them famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But they'd both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes (with considerable understatement) their project "has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (Olympic bronze medalist judoka and MMA fighter) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for his winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

Talk:1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:38:11Z

Jimmbo:

Attempted to write the transcript. Hope I did an okay job... {{unsigned ip|‎198.41.235.41}}
:It was great. I just added some descriptions of the panels. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:01, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Might Ronda Rousey being knocked unconsious be a reference to her recent loss to Holly Holm, where Rousey indeed was knocked unconcious? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.141|162.158.202.141]] 10:27, 11 January 2016 (UTC)
:The word reference means "a thing you say or write that mentions somebody/something else; the act of mentioning somebody/something". Since the comic doesn't mention Holly Holm, there is no reference. I think there isn't even an allusion (something that is said or written that refers to or mentions another person or subject in an indirect way). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.17|108.162.221.17]] 13:46, 11 January 2016 (UTC)
:Besides, the phrasing is "knocked out". That needn't be a combat/contact-sport 'KO' in which Rousey was rendered actually unconscious in an intentional/explicable manner, according to the activity, but could just be telling us which of the two passed through to the next round of a bracketed competition of some other kind. (Either of a form that remains unspecified or, as the most recently mentioned competition, in an earlier iteration the hot-dog-eating contest. Either way, 11yo Stewart wasn't highly ''expected'' to win, whatever the match conditions, but the outcome needn't be so against form as it might have in a pugilistic match.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.152.227|162.158.152.227]] 15:13, 11 January 2016 (UTC)
::Since nothing is mentioned about which sport and Rousey is mentioned for the first time and it is a surprise she looses (on a KO) it is obvious to me that it refers to her fighting skill and a real KO. And if it was one of her first KO in that match is could easily be a reference especially if it was not expected. These two last things I do not know anything about though... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:41, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Magnus' App is available here: http://www.playmagnus.com/. There are also numerous youtube videos of him playing against himself at various ages. --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.240|198.41.242.240]] 10:33, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

JFK was not 10 in 1961 as that is when he became President and you have to be at least 35 to do that. [[User:Momerath|Momerath]] ([[User talk:Momerath|talk]]) 15:26, 11 January 2016 (UTC)
:Whops. That went to fast, thanks for correcting it. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:39, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Maybe I misunderstood some special reference or way to put it here, because as it links to the correct wiki page, it seems the author knew what he was talking about but:
" Michael Phelps who is the most decorated Olympian competitor of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three Olympiads." is still a very strange formulation imo. As correctly linked an Olympiad is the time span between two Olympic Games (aka 4 years). First of all Phelbs won the Medals from 2004 to 2012 so if one really would want to write that in olympiads it would be closer to two. Even so I think it very strange to ever talk about the olympic medals over the course of such a timespan as they were won at three distinct events, while countless other medals were won in the time span. I would rather change it to "olympic games" or something. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.139|141.101.91.139]] 15:51, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Does anyone else actually kind of want this to exist? I mean, it would certainly settle a lot of playground discussions. :P [[User:Hammy2211|Hammy2211]] ([[User talk:Hammy2211|talk]]) 15:55, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Ronda Rousey is a former Judo Olympian and current MMA fighter, not a boxer. Holly Holmes (who she lost to) is an ex-boxing champion. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.236.19|108.162.236.19]] 16:32, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Ok, changed Rousey from "boxer" to "fighter". [[User:Jimmbo|Jimmbo]] ([[User talk:Jimmbo|talk]]) 16:38, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:36:14Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ Changed "boxer" to "fighter", per point made in "Talk"

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]) which claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}} (author of several cookbooks). Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President). Obviously, cooking and politics were skills acquired later in life for both figures.

Cueball and Megan continue speculating about their wished-for app simulating what random celebrities (or animals) could do at certain ages, even beyond the skills that made them famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But they'd both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes (with considerable understatement) their project "has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (Olympic bronze medalist judoka and MMA fighter) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great fighter, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for his winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:34:24Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ clarity, wordiness

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]) which claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}} (author of several cookbooks). Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President). Obviously, cooking and politics were skills acquired later in life for both figures.

Cueball and Megan continue speculating about their wished-for app simulating what random celebrities (or animals) could do at certain ages, even beyond the skills that made them famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But they'd both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes (with considerable understatement) their project "has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for his winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:31:19Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ Adding a bit of clarification

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]) which claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}} (author of several cookbooks). Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President). Obviously, cooking and politics were skills acquired later in life for both figures.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for his winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:30:07Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ yet more wordiness and digression

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]) which claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}} (author of several cookbooks). Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President).

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for his winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:28:55Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ word choice

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]) which claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President).

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for his winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:26:48Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ wordiness

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President).

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for his winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:25:45Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ better word choices

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President).

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:24:43Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ It's both quite obvious and not terribly relevant that the different people cited are of different ages. Don't think we need to call special attention to it.

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President).

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:23:24Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ undoing error of previous edit and redoing intended integration

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President).

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the ages that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:22:49Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ integrating paragraphs

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President).

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}.

The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}. Note that there is no relationship between the ages that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:22:30Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ wordiness

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President).

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}.

The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the ages that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:21:20Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ cleaning up editing error

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President).

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}.

The horse also gets re-mentioned in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, who currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the ages that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:20:18Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ style/wording (sorry for forgetting to check "minor" after a couple of minor edits!)

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th American President.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}.

The horse also gets re-mentioned in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, who currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the ages that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:19:27Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ punctuation

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands it further, beyond sport, wishing to find out if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th American President.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project
"has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}.

The horse also gets re-mentioned in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, who currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the ages that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:18:22Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ trimming more unnecessary wordiness and digression

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands it further, beyond sport, wishing to find out if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th American President.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}.

The horse also gets re-mentioned in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, who currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the ages that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:16:54Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ I don't think the date of invention of air hockey is pertinent, much less worth 34 word

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands it further, beyond sport, wishing to find out if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th American President.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}.

The horse also gets re-mentioned in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, who currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the ages that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:15:17Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ removing tons of needless wordiness and digression.

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands it further, beyond sport, wishing to find out if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th American President.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (a championship boxer) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented until the early 1970s, so neither Ali nor Kennedy could have played it when they were children (and Kennedy could not have played it at all during his lifetime).

The horse also gets re-mentioned in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, who currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the ages that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:09:14Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ clarity, wordiness

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a professional tennis player who was ranked no. 1 on the women's singles player world ranking when this comic was released. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}} who is the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three {{w|Olympic Games|Olympics}}.

Cueball is not even satisfied with just looking into sport, and wish to find out if he could cook better than for instance an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. ''Martha Stewart's Cooking School'', debuted on {{w|PBS}} in October 2012. Each episode covers cooking techniques based on her book of the same name. Megan suggests finding out if she could have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious. This may be a reference to Rousey's {{w|UFC_193#Rousey_vs._Holm_fight|fight}} against {{w|Holly Holm}} on 15 November 2015, less than two months before the release of this comic. When this comic was released, Rousey was the top ranked female {{w|bantamweight}} fighter in the world according to the {{w|Ultimate Fighting Championship}} (UFC). Rousey, who was then the female bantamweight champion for five championships straight, was largely expected to come out on top before being knocked out in less than 30 seconds.

Other famous/known people are mentioned in the title text. The first is {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport", as it says on his wiki page. The 9-year-old Ali manages to beat a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented until the early 1970s, so neither Ali nor Kennedy could have played it when they were children (and Kennedy could not have played it at all during his lifetime).

The horse is also mentioned again in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ken currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the age that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:07:46Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ reducing wordiness

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where a person's skill cannot be simulated in an app as with chess. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a professional tennis player who was ranked no. 1 on the women's singles player world ranking when this comic was released. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}} who is the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three {{w|Olympic Games|Olympics}}.

Cueball is not even satisfied with just looking into sport, and wish to find out if he could cook better than for instance an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. ''Martha Stewart's Cooking School'', debuted on {{w|PBS}} in October 2012. Each episode covers cooking techniques based on her book of the same name. Megan suggests finding out if she could have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious. This may be a reference to Rousey's {{w|UFC_193#Rousey_vs._Holm_fight|fight}} against {{w|Holly Holm}} on 15 November 2015, less than two months before the release of this comic. When this comic was released, Rousey was the top ranked female {{w|bantamweight}} fighter in the world according to the {{w|Ultimate Fighting Championship}} (UFC). Rousey, who was then the female bantamweight champion for five championships straight, was largely expected to come out on top before being knocked out in less than 30 seconds.

Other famous/known people are mentioned in the title text. The first is {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport", as it says on his wiki page. The 9-year-old Ali manages to beat a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented until the early 1970s, so neither Ali nor Kennedy could have played it when they were children (and Kennedy could not have played it at all during his lifetime).

The horse is also mentioned again in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ken currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the age that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:06:53Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ better word choice

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other games as well, and mentions two types of sport, {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where a person's skill cannot be simulated in an app as with chess. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a professional tennis player who was ranked no. 1 on the women's singles player world ranking when this comic was released. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}} who is the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three {{w|Olympic Games|Olympics}}.

Cueball is not even satisfied with just looking into sport, and wish to find out if he could cook better than for instance an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. ''Martha Stewart's Cooking School'', debuted on {{w|PBS}} in October 2012. Each episode covers cooking techniques based on her book of the same name. Megan suggests finding out if she could have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious. This may be a reference to Rousey's {{w|UFC_193#Rousey_vs._Holm_fight|fight}} against {{w|Holly Holm}} on 15 November 2015, less than two months before the release of this comic. When this comic was released, Rousey was the top ranked female {{w|bantamweight}} fighter in the world according to the {{w|Ultimate Fighting Championship}} (UFC). Rousey, who was then the female bantamweight champion for five championships straight, was largely expected to come out on top before being knocked out in less than 30 seconds.

Other famous/known people are mentioned in the title text. The first is {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport", as it says on his wiki page. The 9-year-old Ali manages to beat a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented until the early 1970s, so neither Ali nor Kennedy could have played it when they were children (and Kennedy could not have played it at all during his lifetime).

The horse is also mentioned again in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ken currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the age that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:06:21Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ clarity

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking even further, Megan wants such an app for other games as well, and mentions two types of sport, {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where a person's skill cannot be simulated in an app as with chess. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a professional tennis player who was ranked no. 1 on the women's singles player world ranking when this comic was released. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}} who is the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three {{w|Olympic Games|Olympics}}.

Cueball is not even satisfied with just looking into sport, and wish to find out if he could cook better than for instance an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. ''Martha Stewart's Cooking School'', debuted on {{w|PBS}} in October 2012. Each episode covers cooking techniques based on her book of the same name. Megan suggests finding out if she could have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious. This may be a reference to Rousey's {{w|UFC_193#Rousey_vs._Holm_fight|fight}} against {{w|Holly Holm}} on 15 November 2015, less than two months before the release of this comic. When this comic was released, Rousey was the top ranked female {{w|bantamweight}} fighter in the world according to the {{w|Ultimate Fighting Championship}} (UFC). Rousey, who was then the female bantamweight champion for five championships straight, was largely expected to come out on top before being knocked out in less than 30 seconds.

Other famous/known people are mentioned in the title text. The first is {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport", as it says on his wiki page. The 9-year-old Ali manages to beat a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented until the early 1970s, so neither Ali nor Kennedy could have played it when they were children (and Kennedy could not have played it at all during his lifetime).

The horse is also mentioned again in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ken currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the age that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:05:50Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ clarity

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking it even further, Megan wants such an app for other games as well, and mentions two types of sport, {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where a person's skill cannot be simulated in an app as with chess. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a professional tennis player who was ranked no. 1 on the women's singles player world ranking when this comic was released. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}} who is the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three {{w|Olympic Games|Olympics}}.

Cueball is not even satisfied with just looking into sport, and wish to find out if he could cook better than for instance an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. ''Martha Stewart's Cooking School'', debuted on {{w|PBS}} in October 2012. Each episode covers cooking techniques based on her book of the same name. Megan suggests finding out if she could have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious. This may be a reference to Rousey's {{w|UFC_193#Rousey_vs._Holm_fight|fight}} against {{w|Holly Holm}} on 15 November 2015, less than two months before the release of this comic. When this comic was released, Rousey was the top ranked female {{w|bantamweight}} fighter in the world according to the {{w|Ultimate Fighting Championship}} (UFC). Rousey, who was then the female bantamweight champion for five championships straight, was largely expected to come out on top before being knocked out in less than 30 seconds.

Other famous/known people are mentioned in the title text. The first is {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport", as it says on his wiki page. The 9-year-old Ali manages to beat a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented until the early 1970s, so neither Ali nor Kennedy could have played it when they were children (and Kennedy could not have played it at all during his lifetime).

The horse is also mentioned again in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ken currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the age that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:05:07Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ removing wordiness.

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it does so with a precision Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking it even further, Megan wants such an app for other games as well, and mentions two types of sport, {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where a person's skill cannot be simulated in an app as with chess. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a professional tennis player who was ranked no. 1 on the women's singles player world ranking when this comic was released. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}} who is the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three {{w|Olympic Games|Olympics}}.

Cueball is not even satisfied with just looking into sport, and wish to find out if he could cook better than for instance an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. ''Martha Stewart's Cooking School'', debuted on {{w|PBS}} in October 2012. Each episode covers cooking techniques based on her book of the same name. Megan suggests finding out if she could have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious. This may be a reference to Rousey's {{w|UFC_193#Rousey_vs._Holm_fight|fight}} against {{w|Holly Holm}} on 15 November 2015, less than two months before the release of this comic. When this comic was released, Rousey was the top ranked female {{w|bantamweight}} fighter in the world according to the {{w|Ultimate Fighting Championship}} (UFC). Rousey, who was then the female bantamweight champion for five championships straight, was largely expected to come out on top before being knocked out in less than 30 seconds.

Other famous/known people are mentioned in the title text. The first is {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport", as it says on his wiki page. The 9-year-old Ali manages to beat a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented until the early 1970s, so neither Ali nor Kennedy could have played it when they were children (and Kennedy could not have played it at all during his lifetime).

The horse is also mentioned again in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ken currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the age that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:04:03Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ More tweaks to focus the reductio ad absurdum

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it does so with a precision Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but a half-year later Magnus had progressed beyond Cueball's chess skills.

Taking it even further, Megan wants such an app for other games as well, and mentions two types of sport, {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where a person's skill cannot be simulated in an app as with chess. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a professional tennis player who was ranked no. 1 on the women's singles player world ranking when this comic was released. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}} who is the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three {{w|Olympic Games|Olympics}}.

Cueball is not even satisfied with just looking into sport, and wish to find out if he could cook better than for instance an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. ''Martha Stewart's Cooking School'', debuted on {{w|PBS}} in October 2012. Each episode covers cooking techniques based on her book of the same name. Megan suggests finding out if she could have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious. This may be a reference to Rousey's {{w|UFC_193#Rousey_vs._Holm_fight|fight}} against {{w|Holly Holm}} on 15 November 2015, less than two months before the release of this comic. When this comic was released, Rousey was the top ranked female {{w|bantamweight}} fighter in the world according to the {{w|Ultimate Fighting Championship}} (UFC). Rousey, who was then the female bantamweight champion for five championships straight, was largely expected to come out on top before being knocked out in less than 30 seconds.

Other famous/known people are mentioned in the title text. The first is {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport", as it says on his wiki page. The 9-year-old Ali manages to beat a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented until the early 1970s, so neither Ali nor Kennedy could have played it when they were children (and Kennedy could not have played it at all during his lifetime).

The horse is also mentioned again in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ken currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the age that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:01:07Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ typo

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. Cueball could actually have beaten Magnus when he was just 8½-year-old, but already half a year later Magnus had progressed beyond Cueball's chess skills.

Megan then exclaims that she wants to have such an app for other games as well, and mentions two types of sport, {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where a person's skill cannot be simulated in an app as with chess. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a professional tennis player who was ranked no. 1 on the women's singles player world ranking when this comic was released. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}} who is the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three {{w|Olympic Games|Olympics}}.

Cueball is not even satisfied with just looking into sport, and wish to find out if he could cook better than for instance an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. ''Martha Stewart's Cooking School'', debuted on {{w|PBS}} in October 2012. Each episode covers cooking techniques based on her book of the same name. Megan suggests finding out if she could have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious. This may be a reference to Rousey's {{w|UFC_193#Rousey_vs._Holm_fight|fight}} against {{w|Holly Holm}} on 15 November 2015, less than two months before the release of this comic. When this comic was released, Rousey was the top ranked female {{w|bantamweight}} fighter in the world according to the {{w|Ultimate Fighting Championship}} (UFC). Rousey, who was then the female bantamweight champion for five championships straight, was largely expected to come out on top before being knocked out in less than 30 seconds.

Other famous/known people are mentioned in the title text. The first is {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport", as it says on his wiki page. The 9-year-old Ali manages to beat a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented until the early 1970s, so neither Ali nor Kennedy could have played it when they were children (and Kennedy could not have played it at all during his lifetime).

The horse is also mentioned again in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ken currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the age that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T16:00:48Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ Explaining the actual source of the humor....poking fun at (via reductio ad absurdum) the absurd notion that an app could truly simulate this.

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to be simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. Cueball could actually have beaten Magnus when he was just 8½-year-old, but already half a year later Magnus had progressed beyond Cueball's chess skills.

Megan then exclaims that she wants to have such an app for other games as well, and mentions two types of sport, {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where a person's skill cannot be simulated in an app as with chess. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a professional tennis player who was ranked no. 1 on the women's singles player world ranking when this comic was released. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}} who is the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three {{w|Olympic Games|Olympics}}.

Cueball is not even satisfied with just looking into sport, and wish to find out if he could cook better than for instance an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. ''Martha Stewart's Cooking School'', debuted on {{w|PBS}} in October 2012. Each episode covers cooking techniques based on her book of the same name. Megan suggests finding out if she could have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963.

Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird.

The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious. This may be a reference to Rousey's {{w|UFC_193#Rousey_vs._Holm_fight|fight}} against {{w|Holly Holm}} on 15 November 2015, less than two months before the release of this comic. When this comic was released, Rousey was the top ranked female {{w|bantamweight}} fighter in the world according to the {{w|Ultimate Fighting Championship}} (UFC). Rousey, who was then the female bantamweight champion for five championships straight, was largely expected to come out on top before being knocked out in less than 30 seconds.

Other famous/known people are mentioned in the title text. The first is {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport", as it says on his wiki page. The 9-year-old Ali manages to beat a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented until the early 1970s, so neither Ali nor Kennedy could have played it when they were children (and Kennedy could not have played it at all during his lifetime).

The horse is also mentioned again in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ken currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

Note that there is no relationship between the age that different people are compared at.

Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

Talk:1376: Jump

2014-06-02T20:22:20Z

Jimmbo:

I guess the "G L I D E" could be a reference to Fight Club scene. The one with the Penguin during one of Tylor's support groups. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.214|141.101.88.214]] 09:03, 2 June 2014 (UTC)

The statement someone added, saying that if gravity had ceased he'd leave the earth's orbit due to the lack of the Sun's gravity, is incorrect; the Sun's gravitational force at the Earth is far lower than the Earth's gravity, so the loss would not be noticeable until well after he'd ended up in space. As such, I removed that statement.

I have always wondered why flying/gliding dreams seem to be universal for humans, not to mention all those dreams where you are viewing the world from an elevated position, I.e. near the ceiling or up in a cloud. After all, people do not fly, none of us have ever flown, none of our ancestors have ever flown, so whence all these flying dreams? Not sure if our arboreal ancestors were ever nimble enough to "fly" through the trees, but it would have been a long way back. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.117|108.162.245.117]] 12:24, 2 June 2014 (UTC)

Why is "GLIDE" in all-caps in the transcript? The whole comic is in all-caps. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.218|108.162.237.218]] 12:32, 2 June 2014 (UTC)
:perhaps because the letters are separated out(?)... it would look a little weird to me for them not to be all caps - all XKCD comics are in all caps (it's the font), so that's not a differentiating factor -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 13:11, 2 June 2014 (UTC)
:Correct - since it is not a single word but individual words they should all be capital. All sentences here in the transcripts are written with capital letters - so as these letters each represents an individual sentence they should begin with a capital letter. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:54, 2 June 2014 (UTC)

It's a dream of every wolfenstein enemy-territory player ;-) Theres a bug where you can get a lot of speed be running and jumping around.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.54|108.162.219.54]] 15:02, 2 June 2014 (UTC)

If Cueball isn't following the Earth's curvature, he could end up in Valinor (if he's travelling westward). —[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 19:59, 2 June 2014 (UTC)

I'm not sure what's happening at the "Recent Changes" link in the left sidebar, but it stalls halfway thru loading and then locks up 105% of my Mac's CPU. Could it be a super super long amount of data, and the sysops need to snip that to a more manageable level? [[User:Jimmbo|Jimmbo]] ([[User talk:Jimmbo|talk]]) 20:22, 2 June 2014 (UTC)

1376: Jump

2014-06-02T19:35:57Z

Jimmbo: /* Explanation */ Added note at end of 3rd paragraph about unintended consequences in violating physical law

{{comic
| number = 1376
| date = June 2, 2014
| title = Jump
| image = jump.png
| titletext = I hope I'm at least following the curve of the Earth around to land ...
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] is (presumably) experiencing a common dream subject, flying or floating. As in [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=382657 many varieties of such a dream], the ability to fly, float or glide only gradually manifests, going from longer and longer jumps to a sort of flight or hovering. In Cueball's case, his jumps become longer and 'lighter' until at last he is gliding just above the surface of the Earth. He has apparently had such a dream before, with just such a flight mechanic manifesting itself, as he indicates that he 'loves' these dreams.

In his (presumed) dream, Cueball finally achieves his gliding flight just as he reaches the shoreline, and his gliding carries him over the water's edge and out to sea. After a moment's reflection, he indicates that he HOPES it is a dream, as if he were really gliding out to sea without any real apparent means of control, his situation would presumably be rather perilous ... death by starvation or thirst, gradually slowing down and becoming 'stuck' over the water with no way to land, the loss of his gliding ability as suddenly as it came, etc, all suggest themselves as possible perils he would now be subject to if, in fact, his 'dream' were actual reality.

The title text adds a further worry not immediately apparent unless one considers the possibility that Cueball's 'gliding' will continue in a straight line (in relation to the earths surface). In that case he would continue moving straight while the Earth's surface would curve away beneath him, sending him out into space instead of the (relatively) preferable scenario of merely floating across the ocean to the opposite shore. After all, if the laws of physics had changed to permit hovering/flying, consequences would be unpredictable (i.e. there'd be no assurance one would maintain a constant hovering height rather than take leave of the planet as one flies forth). One thing about miracles is that all bets are off!

Also note that this situation is similar to the case of {{W|Newton's cannonball}}. However, that is actually in very-low-earth-orbit - and you would need to be going 7300 m/s, or about 16000 mph (26000 km/h) to stay in orbit. At that speed, or course, air friction would quickly destroy the cannonball (or person). This is clearly not the case in the dream.

The first part of this comic: [[417: The Man Who Fell Sideways]] has some resemblance to this one.

==Transcript==
:[In panel one Cueball is seen as a stop motion cartoon jumping down a small hill - jumping longer and longer between sentences. Jump is written over the head of the Cueballs that perform the jump. That is until he floats and realizes he won't fall down - then it says Glide over the next three Cueballs]

:I love these dreams
:Jump
:Each jump is a little longer
:Jump
:Each push off the ground a little softer
:Jump
:Until I
:G L I D E

:[In panel two Cueball floats (glides) over a fence and the dunes before the beach - he then float out over the sea]

:[In panel three there are four stop motion Cueballs that just floats across the open sea - birds circling the first, a fish splashing beneath the second:]
:Fish jumping: Sploosh

:[The third Cueball is looking anxiously back toward the distant shore - and finally the fourth Cuball expresses a wish:]
:...I ''hope'' this is a dream.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Dreams]]