explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2198: Throw

2019-09-03T12:56:27Z

Klausok: /* Transcript */ typo

{{comic
| number = 2198
| date = September 3, 2019
| title = Throw
| image = throw.png
| titletext = The keys to successfully throwing a party are location, planning, and one of those aircraft carrier steam catapults.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by Thor, God of Thunder. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In this interactive comic, which was released outside of the regular schedule, to celebrate [[Randall]]s new book [[How To]], the viewer can select a person/animal/character, and an object (or person, animal or character) and get a animation of the person, throwing the object, and an estimated distance it could be thrown. The formula/guideline is apparently based on a chapter from the book.

One exception to the calculations is Thor's hammer, which is enchanted so that only those who are deemed "worthy" are able to lift it. As such, despite its mass being liftable by many of the characters, only Thor, God of Thunder (who is canonically worthy) is shown to actually be able to throw it.

The title text refers to throwing the party and first makes the assumption of actually giving hints for throwing a party, and then switching to suggest a mechanism to literally throw a huge object.

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

This calculator implements the approximate throwing distance estimation model from ''How To'' Chapter 10: ''How to throw things''.

How far could

- An NFL Quarterback

- George Washington

- Pikachu

- Carly Rae Jepsen

- Thor, God of Thunder

- Chris Hemsworth

- a squirrel

throw

- a microwave oven

- a basketball

- a blender

- a gold bar

- a wedding cake

- a ping-pong ball

- an acorn

- Thor's Hammer

- a javelin

- George Washington

- Pikachu

- a car

- a silver dollar (spinning)

- a silver dollar (tumbling)

- a squirrel

{{comic discussion}}

2135: M87 Black Hole Size Comparison

2019-04-12T08:04:53Z

Klausok: /* Explanation */ typo

{{comic
| number = 2135
| date = April 10, 2019
| title = M87 Black Hole Size Comparison
| image = m87_black_hole_size_comparison.png
| titletext = I think Voyager 1 would be just past the event horizon, but slightly less than halfway to the bright ring.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a REALLY REALLY BIG BLACK HOLE. Explanation needs to be expanded. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic shows the picture of the {{w|Messier_87#Supermassive black hole|M87 black hole}} by the {{w|Event Horizon Telescope}} that was published on the same day as this comic. Overlaid on the picture is a scale image of the Solar System, showing the Sun, Pluto (one of the most well-known {{w|dwarf planet}}s), and {{w|Voyager 1}}, a deep-space probe and the current farthest probe from Earth. The comic is quite similar to [[1551: Pluto]], in which Randall overlaid annotations onto the recently-released first images of Pluto taken by the New Horizons spacecraft.

The point of the comic is to celebrate the release of this image by the Event Horizon Telescope, referenced [[2133|two comics prior]], as well as to indicate the hugeness of M87 and the awe-inspiring thing that space is. This image has been widely publicized as being the first image ever of a black hole. Science had no visual evidence of black holes at all [https://www.space.com/16411-black-hole-photo-nasa-telescope.html until 2012].

In the title text Randall hypothesizes that if the Sun were at the center of M87, Voyager would be outside the event horizon. This seems to fit with the EHT staff's estimates as published [https://eventhorizontelescope.org/ on their website], that the event horizon is 2.5 times smaller than the black shadow shown in the picture.

Regardless of the title text and its apparent correctness, [[Randall]] has placed the dot denoting Voyager 1 just outside the dark region. This may be based on the misconception of the dark area being the "black hole" itself, while, as stated above, the actual event horizon is a much smaller part (120 AU or so) in the middle of the black shadow, indistinguishable from the surrounding darkness. Whether this is intended as an obscure joke or if it's an actual art error is currently unknown.

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

:Size comparison:
:'''The M87 Black Hole'''
:and
:'''Our Solar System'''

:EHT Black Hole Image
:Source: NSF

:[An image of the M87 black hole captured by the event horizon telescope on the day that this comic was published is shown. A white ring about 1/4 of the diameter of the central black portion of the image is labelled with an arrow as 'Pluto'. A small white circle at the centre of the image is labelled with an arrow as 'Sun'. A small white dot on the right hand edge of the central black portion of the image is labelled with an arrow as 'Voyager 1'.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Space]]

Talk:2132: Percentage Styles

2019-04-04T10:33:26Z

Klausok:

The only proper style for Britain and the US is ‘%65’. [[User:Aasasd|Aasasd]] ([[User talk:Aasasd|talk]]) 16:20, 3 April 2019 (UTC)
:O RLY? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.52|108.162.241.52]] 16:37, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

:: Yes. You don't write ‘65$’, do you? British/US standards should be followed properly and consistently. [[User:Aasasd|Aasasd]] ([[User talk:Aasasd|talk]]) 17:19, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

::: If there is any consistency, it is that unit follows numbers. 3', 2 m, 40 lbs, 2 l, and so on. Currency is the exception. --[[User:Klausok|Klausok]] ([[User talk:Klausok|talk]]) 10:33, 4 April 2019 (UTC)

::I've definitely seen %NN stated by style guides, but I almost never see anybody using it, because reading it aloud encourages saying it as "percent sixty-five". Oddly, people seem to have no trouble remembering to write $65 instead of 65$, despite the same "dollars sixty-five" vs "sixty-five dollars" vocalization issue. Perhaps it's because we often see things like $65.95 but %65.95 is used less often? Writing 65.95% is potentially ambiguous depending on how it's read out loud: "sixty-five point ninety-five percent" could definitely be misinterpreted very easily. 65.95$ is definitely not ideal, & $65.95¢ is somehow even worse. How about 65$.95¢? ''';S'''
::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 17:08, 3 April 2019 (UTC)
:::At https://ask.metafilter.com/7894/Is-the-form-of-100-instead-of-100-a-different-language-useage discussers encountered %NN but eventually decided it was a mistake spread by low literacy. More common is "NNpc". [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.47|172.69.63.47]] 20:33, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

----
There's also 65/100, 65:100, <math>\textstyle\frac{65}{100}</math>, sixtyfive-hundreth, 0.65, and point sixty-five. Benny. 16:41, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

There's also 650‰ [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.41|172.69.33.41]] 16:52, 3 April 2019 (UTC)
:Wouldn't that be 650 hundredths? I've seen "and sixty-five ‰" a cheque before. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 17:08, 3 April 2019 (UTC)
::"650‰" is "650 per mille (per thousand)", and is precisely the same as "65%". [[User:RandalSchwartz|RandalSchwartz]] ([[User talk:RandalSchwartz|talk]]) 19:42, 3 April 2019 (UTC)
Even lower than 65 per¢ should be 65 per penny. [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 20:00, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

====
BTW, I can imagine the transcript of this one posing some challenge for screen readers. [[User:Aasasd|Aasasd]] ([[User talk:Aasasd|talk]]) 17:01, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

: On a second thought, I can also imagine people who use screen readers never hearing any difference between the writing styles listed in the comic. [[User:Aasasd|Aasasd]] ([[User talk:Aasasd|talk]]) 17:24, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

This may have come up because last Friday the A.P. Stylebook announced their changes for 2019, including a change to percent. https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2019/ap-says-the-percentage-sign-now-ok-when-used-with-a-numeral-thats-shift5/

== Missing ==

Compile here the missing styles:

* %65
* 65 pc, 65 pct, 65 pct., 65 cent
* sixty-five percent; sixty-five per cent; sixty-five per ¢
* sixty-five per hundred; 65 for every 100
* 65% percent; 65% per cent; 65% per ¢
* 65/100; 65÷100; 65:100; 65 x 1/100
* 65*10^-2; 65×10⁻²; 65×10^-2; 65*10⁻²; 6.5e-1
* 0.65; 0,65
* 65 per penny (wasn't this a joke?)
* almost 2/3rds
* 65¢^-1; 65¢⁻¹
* 65 pennies on the dollar
* 13/20

[[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.191|162.158.79.191]] 19:35, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

:Also 6.5e-1. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:29, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

:Also simply 'cent,' which is used in property tax assessment in California. It's a pretty sneaky way to make the tax seem really small. --

Yeah, Randall dropped the ball on this one. I am disappoint. At the very least there should have been an entry where "per" was written as "/". Also since the cent sign is not on most keyboards but the dollar sign is, I would have expected "6500/$". Also, google agrees: https://www.google.com/search?q=6500%2F%24+in+cent^-1 :p [[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.187|141.101.96.187]] 07:30, 4 April 2019 (UTC)

= = Celtic = =
I suggest you remove the reference to "celtic". In modern English it's rarely pronounced "seltic" except in the names of a couple of sports teams. There is a substantial discussion of this online - just Google "pronounce celtic". Irish people are Celtic and almost zero Irish say "seltic" - except in relation to Glasgow Celtic football club. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.38.190|162.158.38.190]] 08:28, 4 April 2019 (UTC)

1218: Doors of Durin

2019-02-18T14:47:19Z

Klausok: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1218
| date = May 29, 2013
| title = Doors of Durin
| image = doors of durin.png
| titletext = If we get the doors open and plug up the dam on the Sirannon so the water rises a little, the pool will start draining into Moria. How do you think the Watcher would fare against a drenched Balrog?
}}

==Explanation==
The comic is based on the ''{{w|Lord of the Rings}}'', specifically a scene from ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring}}'', where the eponymous fellowship is trapped outside the door to the {{w|Moria (Middle-earth)|Mines of Moria}}. There's a spoken password to open the doors, an Elvish inscription on them provides a clue: "Speak friend, and enter". The party leader ({{w|Gandalf}}) initially interprets this to mean that a friend could speak the password and enter. Only after many unsuccessful efforts does Frodo realize it is actually a very simple riddle: The password is the Elvish word for "friend" ("mellon"), and the inscription should in fact be interpreted as "Speak [out loud the word] ''mellon'' [(the Elvish word for ''friend'')], and [you will be able to] enter". See the Wikipedia article {{w|Use–mention distinction}}.

In this comic, Cueball, White Hat, and Megan reenact the scene, with Cueball taking the role of Gandalf. The doors apparently open off-panel when the password is spoken. White Hat then wonders aloud what the Elvish word for "frenemy" is, and Cueball postulates "Mellogoth". This is a {{w|portmanteau}} of "mellon" and "goth", much like how "frenemy" is a portmanteau of "friend" and "enemy". The Elvish word-root ''goth'' is best known as part of the name of {{w|Morgoth}} (literally, "Black Enemy") of the ''{{w|Silmarillion}}''. The doors apparently immediately slam shut the moment Cueball says ''Mellogoth''. It is unclear whether this is because the opposite of the password has been spoken, or because the doors take offense to the word/concept ''frenemy'', of which xkcd has previously made fun in [[919: Tween Bromance]].

The title text ponders what would occur if the Sirannon, a stream running adjacent to the path leading to the doors, were to be completely blocked with the doors left open. The already partially blocked Sirannon had formed a pool before the doors; which contained some sort of monstrous horror from the depths of the Earth, referred to as the {{w|Watcher in the Water}}. Randall seems to think that the pond draining into the mines would connect the Watcher with another horror within: the {{w|Balrog}} (a high-level servant of Morgoth) living within the depths of the mines. Balrogs are primarily creatures of fire and shadow, so having a bunch of water dumped on it is unlikely to please it but may weaken it. He then goes on to wonder about the outcome of a battle between the two monsters.

==Transcript==
:Megan: I've got it!
:Megan: What's the elvish word for friend?
:Cueball: ''Mellon.''

:''RUMBLE''

:White Hat: So what's the elvish word for "frenemy"?
:Cueball: ''...Mellogoth?''
:'''SLAM!!'''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Language]]

Talk:2081: Middle Latitudes

2018-12-10T12:16:06Z

Klausok: formatting

I think this is about the fact that in the middle latitudes (such as where Randall lives) The sky can get incredibly grey and dark in the winter. The title text is about how the more mild and/or varying temperatures lead to neither snow nor nothing, instead a half melted slushy substance which has neither the fun of snow nor the heat of nothing. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:34, 5 December 2018 (UTC)

Due to light getting bent by the air, any point that has midday darkness will actually have significantly more days of midnight sun than of midday darkness. For the same reason, midday sun occurs farther from the poles than midday darkness. [[User:Klausok|Klausok]] ([[User talk:Klausok|talk]]) 11:49, 6 December 2018 (UTC)

I don't agree with the explanation that 'split the difference' would mean locating in middle latitudes. To me, Cueball already lives there, hence his complaint about the sun not rising or setting at normal times during winter and the caption "Middle latitudes are the worst". Megan's solution would be for normal sun times (longer hours of light) in winter, but the day would be more dim and bleak, so you'd experience less luminosity overall.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.55|162.158.89.55]] 16:01, 6 December 2018 (UTC)
* I think this comic is a bit more abstract than that...which should be obvious from the fact that they're trying to decide where to move based purely on day length. [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 07:14, 7 December 2018 (UTC)

And let's not forget the summers. My corner of the middle latitudes "enjoys" both subzero winters and summers with temperatures that go well over a hundred degrees. (Thankfully, that's Fahrenheit.) [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 07:14, 7 December 2018 (UTC)

I live in Sydney which is technically a middle latitude and frequently enjoy ice-slush free beaches. In fact I don't think there has every been ice slush on the beaches or even lakes [[Special:Contributions/172.68.144.121|172.68.144.121]] 23:48, 7 December 2018 (UTC)teambob

I think “split the difference” is a reference to Boston, Massachusetts. If you look at where the middle latitudes are in Noth America and “split the difference”, the center runs through the New England region of the United States. The micro climate and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean here cause quick, heavy snow to fall along the coast that then quickly warms into icy slush. Winters in Boston could be described as slightly dim and bleak. The day length is not particularly extreme but it is short enough that the average commuter will travel during some combination of dawn, dusk, and dark for much of the cold season. If you do not make an effort to go outside during mid-day, you can go days without seeing the sun. ([[User:Millietea|Millietea]]) 11:37, 8 December 2018. (UTC)

Talk:2081: Middle Latitudes

2018-12-10T07:50:21Z

Klausok: Joined as user

I think this is about the fact that in the middle latitudes (such as where Randall lives) The sky can get incredibly grey and dark in the winter. The title text is about how the more mild and/or varying temperatures lead to neither snow nor nothing, instead a half melted slushy substance which has neither the fun of snow nor the heat of nothing. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:34, 5 December 2018 (UTC)

Due to light getting bent by the air, any point that has midday darkness will actually have significantly more days of midnight sun than of midday darkness. For the same reason, midday sun occurs farther from the poles than midday darkness. [[User:Klausok|Klausok]] ([[User talk:Klausok|Klausok]]) 11:49, 6 December 2018 (UTC)
I don't agree with the explanation that 'split the difference' would mean locating in middle latitudes. To me, Cueball already lives there, hence his complaint about the sun not rising or setting at normal times during winter and the caption "Middle latitudes are the worst". Megan's solution would be for normal sun times (longer hours of light) in winter, but the day would be more dim and bleak, so you'd experience less luminosity overall.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.55|162.158.89.55]] 16:01, 6 December 2018 (UTC)
* I think this comic is a bit more abstract than that...which should be obvious from the fact that they're trying to decide where to move based purely on day length. [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 07:14, 7 December 2018 (UTC)

And let's not forget the summers. My corner of the middle latitudes "enjoys" both subzero winters and summers with temperatures that go well over a hundred degrees. (Thankfully, that's Fahrenheit.) [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 07:14, 7 December 2018 (UTC)

I live in Sydney which is technically a middle latitude and frequently enjoy ice-slush free beaches. In fact I don't think there has every been ice slush on the beaches or even lakes [[Special:Contributions/172.68.144.121|172.68.144.121]] 23:48, 7 December 2018 (UTC)teambob

I think “split the difference” is a reference to Boston, Massachusetts. If you look at where the middle latitudes are in Noth America and “split the difference”, the center runs through the New England region of the United States. The micro climate and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean here cause quick, heavy snow to fall along the coast that then quickly warms into icy slush. Winters in Boston could be described as slightly dim and bleak. The day length is not particularly extreme but it is short enough that the average commuter will travel during some combination of dawn, dusk, and dark for much of the cold season. If you do not make an effort to go outside during mid-day, you can go days without seeing the sun. ([[User:Millietea|Millietea]]) 11:37, 8 December 2018. (UTC)