explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1078: Knights

2012-08-10T11:16:02Z

Mbread: /* Explanation */ Added explanation of the word "gambit"

{{comic
| number = 1078
| date = July 6, 2012
| title = Knights
| image = Knights.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = 1. Ne3 ... ↘↘↘ 2. Nc3 ... ↘↘↘ 0-1
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is comparing the opening moves of the game of [[wikipedia:chess|chess]] to the opening moves of the [[wikipedia:Battle of Agincourt|Battle of Agincourt]], which was fought between the English and the French in the [[wikipedia:Hundred Years War|Hundred Years War]]. In the battle, just like in the comic, the English used their longbowmen effectively, neutralizing the French knights (and later infantry). In the comic, the two pieces that are moved out of the white side of the board are both the pieces known as the Knights. And in the actual battle, the French knights on horseback attacked first. As you can see, all the pawns on the right side of the chess board have bows.

The image text is the abbreviations for chess moves. Ne3 = Knight to square E3. Nc3 = Knight to square C3. N = Knight because the King piece has the K abbreviation covered. What comes after the typical chess move is what can only be determined in a hail of arrows. And the 0-1 at the end means that "Black Wins".

The word "gambit" means "an opening in chess, in which a minor piece (often a pawn) is sacrificed to gain an advantage" [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gambit]. In this comic, the usual gambit of sacrificing a pawn is subverted to be a sacrifice of a high-value piece, as an analogy of what happened at Agincourt.

==Transcript==
[A chessboard. The black pawns have all gained longbows and have specifically taken down the enemy white knights]

{{Comic discussion}}

1082: Geology

2012-08-06T15:54:13Z

Mbread: Added alt text explanation

{{ComicHeader|1082|July 16, 2012}}

[[File: Geology.png|That's a gneiss butte.]]

== Image Text ==
That's a gneiss butte.

== Description ==
Here we have [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] (with her stylish Geology hat) discussing Geology and the words they use are ripe with puns and double entendres which also have sexual meanings. In the end they just decide to get it on. (On top of the rocks, which much be not that comfortable.)

In the alt text, "gneiss" is a type of rock (apparently pronounced "neice", as in a relative) [http://www.rocks-rock.com/gneiss.html], and "butte" is "a conspicuous isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butte_%28geology%29].

Talk:1091: Curiosity

2012-08-06T14:21:11Z

Mbread: Comment on video vs image implications from torrent name

I've already used that excuse today because I '''was''' up at 5:30 am (UK time) to watch it! Amazing.

I think the torrent name may also allude to the possibility of ambush porn...? [[User:Zzyss|Zzyss]] ([[User talk:Zzyss|talk]]) 12:35, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

----

The presence of video-related data in the filename of an image (jpg) suggests it's a screenshot of a video. That, along with the Swedish subtitles, does seem to suggest that it is not in fact the mars lander "curiosity" but is perhaps an alternative "rear camera" that has been made available for people's "curiosity". --[[User:Mbread|Mbread]] ([[User talk:Mbread|talk]]) 14:21, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

1091: Curiosity

2012-08-06T13:59:52Z

Mbread: /* Description */ Added comment about the "jpg" file extension

{{comic
| number = 1091
| date = August 6, 2012
| title = Curiosity
| image = Curiosity.png
| imagesize =
| alttext = As of this writing the NASA/JPL websites are still overloaded. Trying CURIOSITY-REAR-CAM_[256px_x_256px].torrent.SwEsUb.DVDRip.XviD-aXXo.jpg instead.
}}

== Description ==

This comic is a reference to the NASA Mars Rover "Curiosity" landing on Mars on August 5, 2012 at 10:31pm PDT (August 6, 2012 at 5:31am GMT). NASA live-streamed the landing, but demand for the feed caused server issues. Thus, the time spent trying to download the landing images could be used as an excuse for being late for work.

The image text is a reference to {{w|Torrent file|torrents}}, which are a more resilient way to download files, due to the decentralized BitTorrent protocol, where the more people there are downloading a file, the most available it is. The name is a play on the file naming convention of release groups who name their files containing data on the file; language (SwEsUb = Swedish subtitles), source (DVDRip = Ripped from DVD), encoding (XviD = XviD codec) and group name ({{w|Axxo|aXXo}} = aXXo, a well known DVD movie releaser).

Additionally, since this seems to be 256px_x_256px and has a "jpg" file extension it can be assumed that this is low quality image, not a video, and in all likelihood this is a reference to some sort of colonoscopy photo or something much much worse.