2178: Expiration Date High Score

2019-07-19T23:25:42Z

Legoboyvdlp: 2030 cans

{{comic
| number = 2178
| date = July 19, 2019
| title = Expiration Date High Score
| image = expiration_date_high_score.png
| titletext = "Wait, we've MOVED since 2010. How on Earth did--" "Look, some of us were just born to be champions."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by someone, born champion. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. EXP 20190721}}
[[Randall]] is introducing the rules of a game. If you find an item which you purchased, but is now past its {{w|expiration date}}, you get a score which is what percent of your lifetime elapsed between when the item expired and when you found it. Many perishable items, such as food, cosmetics, medications, batteries, or condoms, have expiration dates, or sometimes best by dates. The only other rule is, that it has to be something you have purchased yourself, so that heritages or stuff that was left in the basement when one moved in, does not count.

The joke is, that owning expired items without of noticing for long here is getting you a high score, while in reality it is not considered favourable.{{Citation needed}}

The other joke is both the items in the comic (a can of beans and a jar of pickles) do not go bad with time but in fact remain edible indefinitely (as long as the jar/can is not opened and is undamaged.)

Food going bad, in the sense that it will make you sick if you eat it, is most often caused by harmful bacteria growing in the food. Less often caused by fungi or yeast growing in the food and creating a poisonous substance, like methanol (wood alcohol.) The process of canning food involves boiling it to kill all possible pathogens, then sealing it in a can/jar while the food is still hot, with no air bubble. As long as this process is done correctly, as long as the jar lid has an air tight seal, and as long at the can is not punctured or gets a hole rusted through, no bacteria/virus/yeast/fungi can get in and the food can not spoil. Some food may discolor over time in the jar/can, or the texture may change, but it can not go bad in a way that makes it unsafe to eat.

Megan's mom does not have a jar of pickles with a 1978 expiration date because in 1978 jars and cans of food did not have expiration dates. Since then many countries introduced laws and regulations requiring companies to put expiration dates on perishable goods. In some instances this can have the negative effect of people throwing out good food by blindly following the suggested expiration date. This behavior can incentivize companies to adjust the expiration date, or put expiration dates on non-perishable goods, so that people will re-buy the products sooner.

Megan's age is revealed to be 37, found by substituting 2019 and 2010 into the formula.

Ironically in 2030 a can that was expiring in 2019 would only give a score of 22.9, less than the current best high score. To beat it, the cans would need to expire in 2018 giving a high score of 25.

The title text continues the conversation from the comic. The beans were apparently bought while living in a different home, meaning they were moved along with Megan's and Cueball's other belongings. This is somewhat unusual as many people take moving as an opportunity to go through their old stuff and get rid of things they no longer need. Another interpretation would be that Megan Cueball didn't bring the beans but bought them along with the kitchen they were found in.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
(Title up in the panel)
What's the most expired item you've found in your house?

Calculate your expiration date high score (must be something you purchased)

(Equation in a circle)
Score equals year you found item subtracting year item expired, divided by your age, multiplied by 100

(Megan and Cueball talking, with Megan holding a can)

Megan: These beans expired in 2010! That's... let's see... 24.3! New personal best!

Cueball:You are never going to beat your mom's jar of pickles from 1978.

Megan: Maybe there are more cans in there. Remind me not to look until 2030.

Cueball: This is the worst competition.

{{comic discussion}}

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

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2178: Expiration Date High Score