explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

903: Extended Mind

2015-06-11T14:10:28Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 903
| date = May 25, 2011
| title = Extended Mind
| image = extended mind.png
| titletext = Wikipedia trivia: if you take any article, click on the first link in the article text not in parentheses or italics, and then repeat, you will eventually end up at "Philosophy".
}}

==Explanation==
This comic refers to the fact that the narrator has become so dependent on Wikipedia as a source of information that although it gives him the great advantage that he appears learned on any topic with a remarkable degree of specificity, the downside is that whenever Wikipedia goes offline, the limitations of his actual knowledge are revealed.

The title, "Extended Mind", refers to a theory proposed by philosophers Andy Clark and David Chalmers, which postulates that the mind not only includes what can be found in the skull, but also incorporates external things, like Wikipedia.

The title text refers to an {{w|Wikipedia:Getting to Philosophy|observed phenomenon}} that many of Wikipedia's page links eventually lead to the {{w|Philosophy}} page. This may be due to the fact that the first few links in any article tend to reference more general or abstract ideas, which eventually gravitate towards philosophy.

==Transcript==
:[An IM window is open over a Chrome window with tabs for Spark Plug, Feeler Gauge, and Wikipedia.]
:Message with Mike1979
:Mike1979: I replaced my spark plugs and now my car is running weird.
:Me: The spark gap might be off.
:Me: You can check with a feeler gauge.
:Mike1979: What should the gap be?
:Me: Usually between 0.035" and 0.070".
:Me: But it depends on the engine.

:[An IM window is open over a Chrome window with a single Wikipedia tab, marked ERROR. The page says: "Wikipedia has a problem. Try waiting a few minutes and reloading (can't contact the database server: unknown error (10.0.0.242))]
:Message with Mike1979
:Mike1979: I replaced my spark plugs and now my car is running weird.
:Me: What is a spark plug??
:Me: Help
:Me: What is a car??

:When Wikipedia has a server outage, my apparent IQ drops by 30 points.

==Trivia==
*The error code shown in the right panel caused a [http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/wiki/wikitech/236027 bit of a discussion] from the wiki techs. Randall replied with:
::Randall: "I drew it based on an older error message where the IP was 10.0.0.243. I changed it to 242 (a) because I try not to get too specific with those things, and didn't want people poking the actual machine at .243 (if it was still there) - I actually considered putting .276 and seeing how many people noticed, but figured they'd just think I made a dumb mistake. and (b) as part of this ancient inside joke involving the number 242 ..."

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]

524: Party

2015-05-16T12:49:16Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 524
| date = December 31, 2008
| title = Party
| image = party.png
| titletext = I wonder what 2008 meme will go bizarrely mainstream in 2009 like rickrolling did in 2007-2008. I accidentally <noun>? Yo, dawg? Place your bets now!
}}

==Explanation==
In the first panel, we see [[Black Hat]] telling [[Cueball]] that he has hired {{w|Rick Astley}} to show up at a party for a girl. Rickrolling is where one is redirected to a video of Rick Astley singing "{{w|Never Gonna Give You Up}}" via a weblink purporting to be something else. It was later extended to any situation where the song is used disruptively, such as during a party. When Cueball assumes Rick Astley is going to perform a live {{w|rickroll}}, Black Hat assures him that Rick is not actually going to sing.

We then see the girl in question ([[Danish]], Black Hat's girlfriend) talking with [[Ponytail]], notice Rick Astley as he enters her party. Like Cueball, Danish expects Rick Astley is going to sing and rickroll her live, and when he does not, his presence causes her to hear the song in her head instead, and she flees the room screaming. Black Hat has essentially rickrolled her in her own mind.

When Ponytail then asks Rick Astley what he did, he slowly [[:Category:Puts on sunglasses|puts on sunglasses]] and answers "that, my dear, is how I roll", which references both rickrolling and the [http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/115813/origin-of-how-we-i-roll|"that's how I roll"] meme.

Although the identity of the girl Black Hat is pranking is not stated by [[Randall]] (he refers to her as Girl 1 but he has also never given an official name to "Danish" - that is an explain xkcd name), she may be Danish, Black Hat's girlfriend. Danish was introduced in the Journal storyline ([[377: Journal 2]]), some time prior to this comic. She does not act like Danish - however, Black Hat is a master and he could know that "not getting Rick rolled" would freak her out.

The title text refers to the fact that rickrolling first appeared in 2007 (on {{w|4chan}}) and became viral for over a year. The title text then asks what meme will replace Rickrolling in 2009. Although [[Randall]] makes reference to the "[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/xzibit-yo-dawg Xzibit Yo Dawg]" and "[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-accidentally I accidentally...]" photocaptioning memes, {{w|memebase}} entries suggest the "Keep Calm and Carry On" meme may well have become the most popular (and most enduring, as of 2013) meme of 2009.

==Transcript==
:Black Hat: And so I hired Rick Astley to show up at her party.
:Cueball: And rickroll her? Isn't that a little...last year?
:Black Hat: Ah, but he's not going to sing.

:Danish: Hey is that Rick Astley?
:Ponytail: I think it is. He just came in.
:Danish: Oh no. Brace yourself.

:Danish: Wait. He's just standing there. Where's the song?
:Danish: He's staring at me.
:Danish: This is a little creepy.

:Danish: What's going on?
:Danish: That's actually ''Rick Astley'' staring at me.
:Danish: What's he doing?
:Danish: Oh God, I keep expecting it, hearing it in my head.

:[Danish pulls at her hair.]
:Danish: Just do it already!
:[Danish runs off stage right.]
:Danish: Aaaaaaaa

:[Danish slams the door leaving Ponytail and Rick Astley]
:Door: Slam

:Ponytail: Mr. Astley?
:Rick Astley: Yes?
:Ponytail: What did you ''do'' to her? What ''was'' that?

:Rick Astley: That, my dear,

:[Rick Astley puts on sunglasses.]

:Rick Astley: Is how '''''I''''' roll.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Puts on sunglasses]]

478: The Staple Madness

2015-05-15T14:01:19Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 478
| date = September 19, 2008
| title = The Staple Madness
| image = the_staple_madness.png
| titletext = Staple guns: because duct tape can't make that 'kaCHUNK' noise.
}}

==Explanation==
Optimistic [[Beret Guy]] can never take life seriously. He loves to play with everything, and nothing is more exciting than {{w|Staple gun|a tool}} that sticks things together with an impressive ''kaCHUNK'' sound when he pulls the trigger, even on things that (definitely) shouldn't be stapled.{{Citation needed}}

Installing {{w|Debian}} is a pun on the installation of software, and the installation of real life things by attaching them to things.

This comic may reference an engineering truism describing a similar scenario: "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail". The truism's actual meaning refers to the scenario where when a novice has only learned to use one tool (such as one programming language), they may attempt to solve all problems using only that tool, which may end badly.

From just reading the comic by itself, one may presume that in the last panel, [[Cueball]] has been stapled to the ceiling (as obvious evidence to [[Megan]] that Beret Guy has indeed been abusing her staple gun). According to the comic's official transcript, however, it is in fact God who is speaking.

{{w|Duct tape}}, thanks to its combination of tensile and adhesive strength, is commonly regarded as the ultimate do-it-yourself repair tool. Like a staple gun, it can also be used to stick things together. Although it does make a nice sound when pulling a strip out quickly, it does not make a loud ''kaCHUNK'' sound upon fixing two objects together.

In [[291: Dignified]] Beret Guy hangs upside down, and says (in the title text) that he has stapled his hat to his head to make it stay on. That may very well have been the inspiration for this comic.

==Transcript==
:[Beret Guy and Cueball standing.]
:Beret Guy: [holding up a staple gun] I found Megan's staple gun!
:Cueball: [facepalming] Oh no.

:[Beret Guy kneeling over a laptop on the floor.]
:Cueball: [from outside panel] Oh God, what are you--
:Beret Guy: [stapling a DVD to the laptop] Installing Debian! ''kaCHUNK''

:[Beret Guy standing over a table.]
:Beret Guy: [staples a sandwich together] Sandwiches! ''kaCHUNK kaCHUNK''

:[Beret Guy running with the staple gun.]
:Beret Guy: Must affix everything to everything!

:''kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK''

:[Megan enters, holding a tote bag.]
:Megan: ...Have you been abusing my staple gun?
:Beret Guy: No.

:God: [as voice from above] YES!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Puns]]

338: Future

2015-05-09T23:51:15Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 338
| date = November 5, 2007
| title = Future
| image = future.png
| titletext = But the past was much too cramped!
}}

==Explanation==

[[Cueball]] is in the last panel (the future) but somehow manages to get his message into the first panel (the past). [[Megan]] answers in the first panel but somehow her message gets to Cueball in the last panel.

This comic can be interpreted in several ways. First, it is not clear if Cueball's question is intended for Megan alone, for both Megan and [[Hairy]] or at the past world in general. If the question is intended for several people, the comic is just about how one could sometimes desire to know the future without waiting for it, however time flows at its usual rate and there's no way around this.

If the question is intended only for Megan, it likely means Cueball is asking Megan to become his girlfriend. She answers she can't maybe because, as before, time runs at its usual rate and she can't go faster; or maybe because she's already with Hairy (they're shown holding hands) and she's not leaving Hairy for Cueball.

Finally, the Cueball in the future could just be the very same person as the Hairy in the past, having become bald as he gets older. In this scenario, Cueball is just missing Megan, who was with him in the past but no longer is, maybe even because she has died in between.

In the title text Cueball seems to be considering to go back to the past, but he rejects doing so because, having seen the future, now the past doesn't look attractive.

==Transcript==
:[The comic has three panels. In the first panel, Hairy and Megan are holding hands. There is a voice bubble originating from Cueball standing in the third panel.]
:Cueball: Come explore the future with me!
:[And Megan says something which goes to the third panel.]
:[The two voice bubbles cross in the middle of the second panel.]
:[The voice of Megan says…]
:Megan: I can't.

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

104: Find You

2015-05-01T03:48:55Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 104
| date = May 19, 2006
| title = Find You
| image = find you.jpg
| titletext = I'm like the Terminator, except with love!
}}

==Explanation==
This comic depicts [[Cueball]] on a rope in a cavern. The text indicates that one of his loved ones used to be afraid of being taken away from him and being forgotten. It is not explicitly made clear whether the loved one in question is a woman with whom he is in love, a family member, or a relation of some other kind, but presumably the loved one is either his girlfriend or wife.

Cueball had promised that he would always come looking for her. But then she actually was taken from him. He reiterates that he was serious about his promise and that he hopes she is not afraid, because he's coming to find her.

It's not clear exactly in what manner his loved one was taken from him, only that she was torn from his arms and vanished from this world. Though there are many other possible interpretations, this might be read to indicate that she has died and that Cueball is descending a cavern in search of the underworld where she has been taken.

It's also not completely clear whether Cueball is descending the rope or climbing it.

The title text plays on a quote from the 1984 film The Terminator, in which Kyle Reese describes the Terminator to Sarah Connor: "It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead." The implication is that Cueball, motivated by love, can't be persuaded to stop looking for his loved one by any means, and that he will never stop looking until he finds her.

==Transcript==
:[The panel is black with rough-edged white passages running down through it. A stick figure is holding onto a rope, dangling down one of these passages. White text is in the black sections.]
:You were afraid that you would disappear, that you would be lost and forgotten.
:I held you tight against the dark and said that I would always come for you.
:Then one day it happened. You were torn from my arms and vanished from this world.
:Maybe you don't remember my promise. But I meant every word.
:I hope you're not afraid, wherever you are.
:You don't need to be.
:I'm not.
:I will find you.

==Trivia==
There is a [https://youtu.be/VnIrY2B3yIM fan made animated version of this comic].

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

57: Wait For Me

2015-04-30T03:43:18Z

QAZ631: Fixed some capitalization

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

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

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

[[Scott]] appears to be a friend of [[Randall Munroe]]. Comics 57 through 59 all have the title text ''[[:Category:Opening dialogue by Scott|Opening dialogue by Scott]]'', forming a sort of informal mini-series inspired by him. They are:
*[[57: Wait For Me]]
*[[58: Why Do You Love Me?]]
*[[59: Graduation]]
As there already was a comic released on Monday that week, the first of these three were released already on Tuesday, then Wednesday and Friday.

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

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

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

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

:Cueball: And we had a son.

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

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Opening dialogue by Scott]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Scott]]

7: Girl sleeping (Sketch -- 11th grade Spanish class)

2015-04-30T02:13:20Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 7
| date = September 30, 2005
| title = Girl sleeping (Sketch -- 11th grade Spanish class)
| image = girl_sleeping_noline_(1).jpg
| titletext = I don't remember her name at all, but she fell asleep on the floor in front of me.
}}

==Explanation==
The early comics sometimes do not present a particular point, but are just pictures drawn by [[Randall]].

This is as the title says- a sketch of a girl sleeping, presumably in a Spanish class.

According to the title text, she is also on the floor.

==Transcript==
:[Girl sleeping on her side, facing away from view.]

==Trivia==
*This was the 1st comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]].
**The next was [[4: Landscape (sketch)]].
*Original title: "Girl sleeping"
*Original [[Randall]] quote: "I drew this in 11th-grade Spanish class. We were watching a movie and she was asleep on the floor in front of me."
*This was one of the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|thirteen first comics]] posted to LiveJournal within 12 minutes on Friday September 30, 2005.
*This comic was posted on [[xkcd]] when the web site opened on Sunday the 1st of January 2006.
**It was posted along [[:Category:First day on xkcd|with all 41 comics]] posted before that on LiveJournal as well as a few others.
**The latter explaining why the numbers of these 41 LiveJournal comics ranges from 1-44.
*One of the original drawings drawn on [[:Category:Checkered paper|checkered paper]].

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal| 01]]
[[Category:First day on LiveJournal| 01]]
[[Category:First day on xkcd]]
[[Category:Checkered paper]]

1427: iOS Keyboard

2015-04-27T02:48:56Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 1427
| date = September 29, 2014
| title = You can change the title!
| image = ios_keyboard.png
| titletext = Did you know you can just edit the title text?
}}

==Explanation==
It looks like [[Randall]] has been playing with his Apple device after installing the recently released {{w|iOS 8}} update. The comic is referencing the autocomplete function on the iOS virtual keyboard (aka [[1031: s/keyboard/leopard/|leopard]]). A comparable feature is also available on other operating systems, like Android. When the phrase, for example, "Revenge is a dish best served" is typed, the keyboard will suggest “by” followed by “a” then “group” and so on.

The following movies are referenced:

{|class="wikitable"
!Movie
!Character & Situation
!Full Quote
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0026631/quotes Sherlock Holmes]
|Sherlock Holmes explaining his deductions to his assistant, Watson
|"Elementary, my dear Watson." (paraphrased in several movies, never actually used {{w|Sherlock_Holmes#.22Elementary.2C_my_dear_Watson.22|in the books}})
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086250/quotes Scarface (1983)]
|Scarface is holding an M16, defending his house from Sosa's gunmen, shouting to attackers.
|"You wanna fuck with me? Okay. You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!"
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/quotes The Wizard of Oz (1939)]
|Dorothy with her dog, Toto, in munchkin land.
|"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0000007/quotes James Bond]
|Bond introducing himself, while holding trademark martini.
|"Bond, James Bond." (nothing follows).
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379786/quotes Serenity (2005)]
|Wash, at the controls of Serenity.
|"I am a leaf on the wind - watch how I soar."
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089218/quotes The Goonies (1985)]
|Mikey standing at the pool in the wishing well, encouraging his troop of misfits to continue on their journey.
|"Goonies never say die!"
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/quotes The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)]
|Aragorn, Legolas & Gimli pledge allegiance to protect the ring bearer on their mission to destroy the ring.
|Aragorn: "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword." Legolas: "And you have my bow." Gimli: "And *my* axe."
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/quotes The Princess Bride (1987)]
|Inigo Montoya facing the six fingered man, the man he swore a vendetta against for killing his dad.
|"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084726/ Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)]
|Khan paraphrasing Shakespeare to justify his vengeance.
|{{w|Revenge#Proverbs|"Revenge is a dish best served cold"}} (e.g. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084726/quotes Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)]: Khan: "...do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold?")
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112573/quotes Braveheart (1995)]
|Wallace rallying his Scottish army before a seemingly hopeless battle against the English.
|"They may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!"
|}

An older comic [[1068: Swiftkey]] is also about keyboard predictions, but without any preceding text (by the Swiftkey keyboard application instead of the iOS 8 keyboard).

==Transcript==
:'''Movie quotes'''
:[Top picture shows a line typed on an iPhone.]
:Elementary, my dear
:[Then the next line shows the words suggested by the virtual keyboard.]
:Friend | Lord | Friends
:[Below are the visible part of keyboard. In the second line only the top of the letters can be seen.]
:QWERTYUIOP
:ASDFGHJKL
:[Below is a new sub heading above six pictures arranged in two rows.]
:According to iOS 8 keyboard predictions
:[For each of the six pictures a part of the text is black, and the other part is light grey. Below the black text is written in bold letters.]
:[Picture 1: Cueball stands with a machine gun.]
:Cueball: '''Say hello to my little''' sister and my mom and my dad and my friends
:[Picture 2: A girl stands next to her dog with a basket.]
:Girl: '''Toto, I've a feeling we're not''' going to the gym today
:[Picture 3: Bond talks to Megan.]
:James Bond: '''Bond, James Bond''' yields
:[Picture 4: A pilot operates his plane and talks to Cueball behind him.]
:Pilot: '''I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch''' me play the piano
:[Picture 5: A guy with dark hair stands behind a jagged edge.]
:Goonie: '''Goonies never say''' anything
:[Picture 6: A dwarf with long beard and helmet stands with an axe.]
:Off panel left: '''You have my sword.'''
:Off panel right: '''And my bow.'''
:Dwarf: '''And my''' dad

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Firefly]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1415: Ballooning

2015-04-27T02:27:52Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 1415
| date = September 1, 2014
| title = Ballooning
| image = ballooning.png
| titletext = Time to dance in front of Mary Jane! If I'm lucky, she'll turn out not to practice pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism!
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Spider-Man}} is a fictional superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics, and has been the star of a number of television shows and film. The {{w|Spider-Man theme song}}, first used for the 1967 cartoon show, includes the words, "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can". However, at other points, the theme song explains some things Spider-Man can do that a real spider obviously couldn't, such as crime-fighting. Randall is pointing out that while the abilities attributed to Spider-Man make a good superhero story [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=4947 Spider-Men #3], they are not real abilities of a spider.

This comic depicts [[Cueball]] as a far more realistic Spider-Man, behaving and thinking much more closely to a real spider than the Spider-Man from the comics. Cueball is shown {{w|Ballooning (spider)|ballooning}}[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai3gTAwssxQ], a trait used by spiders to move between locations, rather than swinging on web cords as in the comics and films. As he is floating, he sees a good spot to land, eat some bugs and make an egg sac. Again this contrasts the real life of a spider with Spider-Man, who would doubtless be rushing to fight crime or save a pretty girl.

Only female spiders create an egg sac. Male spiders spin a sperm web in order to transfer their sperm from their {{w|epigastric furrow}} into their {{w|pedipalp}}s (reproductive organ located on the front two appendages, in the position where a scorpion would have pincers), which will then be used to transfer the sperm into the female during copulation. Cueball/Spider-Man, being nominally male, should in fact be looking for a place to create a sperm web, not an egg sac. However, thanks to being featured in childrens books, the actions of female spiders are much more widely known.

The title text refers to the mating ritual of some spiders, in which the male performs a dance to court the female. Mary-Jane is the love interest throughout the Spider-Man stories, and so Cueball is planning to court her by dancing in front of her. In doing so he hopes that he is lucky, and she doesn't eat him before copulating with him, as {{w|sexual cannibalism}} is a trait associated with spiders.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is shown floating on the wind, attached to a large balloon. The balloon is made of spider silk.]
:Cueball: Ooh, that looks like a good spot to land, eat some bugs, and make an egg sac!
:♫ ''Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can'' ♪
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1231: Habitable Zone

2015-04-17T03:06:00Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 1231
| date = June 28, 2013
| title = Habitable Zone
| image = habitable zone.png
| titletext = They have a telescope pointed RIGHT AT US!
}}

==Explanation==
While searching for {{w|extrasolar planet}}s this gullible astronomer is very excited because he believes he has found a planet in a star's {{w|habitable zone}}, with oceans and visible weather. From these observations, he has determined that it is quite likely to have life on it, which would be a major groundbreaking discovery.

The caption explains, however, that someone has used a mirror as a prank to fool the astronomer, so he is in fact looking at a reflection of the Earth.

The title text goes on says that the astronomer would also be able to see the reflection of his telescope, which would convinces him that there definitely ''is'' intelligent life on the other planet, looking straight back at him no less!

===Pedantic Comments===
There are quite a number of issues (listed below) with the practical implementation of this prank, though of course they don't matter much in terms of the joke itself

*The telescopes used for this type of research are designed to view faint, distant objects. In the images that they produce, objects the size of telescopes are not visible. Therefore, the astronomer would not see the reflection of the telescope.
*The telescopes have a motor that moves them to compensate for earth's rotation, so that they stay pointed on the same part of the sky. This means that the telescope would not stay pointed at the mirror. The prankster would have to move the mirror in a very precise way to maintain the illusion.
*For the astronomer to have ascertained that the planet is in a star's habitable zone means that the astronomer observed the planet to be the size of Earth and observed the distance between the planet (Earth) and its star (the Sun), and the approximate size of that star. However, in a mirror at any reasonable distance from the earth, up to several times the distance of the moon, the earth would appear to be larger than the sun.
*For the relative sizes of the earth and sun to be correct in the reflection, the mirror would have to be as far from earth as the mirror was from the sun. But even pointing to a mirror at a distance of the moon would require a real huge one, probably more than one hundred kilometers (sixty miles) in diameter.
*A professional astronomer should be able to realize nearly instantaneously that they're not looking at an Earth-like, extrasolar planet (as should anyone, in fact, who is familiar with even the basic arrangement of Earth's continents and oceans), but instead Earth itself.
*A telescope of this size, or indeed any one employing a solid mirror rather than a massive disk of dust in space, could never see an extrasolar planet with this level of detail without unsurmountable engineering issues.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball stands in front of a huge telescope, looking through the eyepiece.]
:Cueball: I've discovered an Earth-sized planet in a star's habitable zone! It even has oceans! And visible weather!
:To mess with an astronomer, put a mirror in the path of their telescope.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Exoplanets]]

1186: Bumblebees

2015-04-14T22:22:50Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 1186
| date = March 15, 2013
| title = Bumblebees
| image = bumblebees.png
| titletext = Did you know sociologists can't explain why people keep repeating that urban legend about bumblebees not being able to fly!?
}}

==Explanation==
There is an {{w|Bumblebee#Flight|often repeated legend}} that according to the laws of aerodynamics, {{w|Bumblebee|bumblebees}} cannot fly. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that all the mechanics of bumblebee flight are not known and that the approximations to the aerodynamics equations which work well for fixed-wing aircraft, do not work for bumblebees. In recent years, there have been more sophisticated computer models of bumblebee flight, and they have discovered how bumblebee wings produce adequate lift.

Here, [[Randall]] puts a bumblebee on top of a control column inside of an airplane and let it fly the entire plane because the bumblebee now really can fly. But {{w|physicist|physicists}} are still confused and don't know how the bees do accomplish this.

The strip also creates a fallacy that when experts can't explain something, they must not be able to understand it. In this particular case, experts are unable to explain why bees can fly airplanes because they can't fly airplanes.

This strip could be a reference to {{w|Bee Movie}}, in which the main character, Barry B. Benson, enlists the help of other bees to land a plane with the last reserves of pollen on earth. The opening quote of the movie repeats the Bumblebee legend, followed by saying, "The bee, of course, flies anyway, because bees don't care what humans think is impossible."

The title text mentions that {{w|Sociology|sociologists}} are also unable to explain why many people repeat this obviously wrong {{w|urban legend}}.

==Transcript==
:Science fact:
:[A bumblebee sits on the control column in the cockpit of an airplane.]
:Physicists still can't explain how bumblebees can fly airplanes.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]

1167: Star Trek into Darkness

2015-04-14T03:20:01Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 1167
| date = January 30, 2013
| title = Star Trek into Darkness
| image = star_trek_into_darkness.png
| titletext = Of course, crackers immediately sprang up in favor of '~*~sTaR tReK iNtO dArKnEsS~*~', 'xX_StAr TrEk InTo DaRkNess_Xx', and 'Star Trek lnto Darkness' (that's a lowercase 'L').
}}

Explanation-

The talk page of a Wikipedia article is used to discuss changes to the article. An {{w|Wikipedia:Edit warring|edit war}} is a dispute about a specific edit to an article, manifesting as a series of edits alternating between making and reverting the change, and usually accompanied by a more-or-less heated debate on the talk page.

Here, [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] is referring to a dispute on the Wikipedia article about ''{{w|Star Trek Into Darkness}}'' (an upcoming Star Trek film at the time of the comic's posting). On the day before the comic was published, the article name had a lowercase "into", and the talk page looked [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Star_Trek_Into_Darkness&oldid=535542349 like this] (rounded off in a friendly way, with the posting of {{w|User:Frungi/Star Trek Into Darkness capitalization|a summary of the arguments}}, and an exchange of virtual hugs).

[[Cueball]] changes the title so that every other letter is capitalized, and adds framing tildes and asterisks (a common, childish way of emphasizing titles online). This will probably not go over well.

Megan's line of "They should have sent a poet." is a quote from the film ''{{w|Contact (film)|Contact}}''. The quote is also featured in [[482: Height]].

The title text indicates Randall's belief that such arguments are perpetual and will always arise. He suggests that the edit to the Wikipedia page will result in a dispute over variants of Cueballs "compromise". Because the lowercase "L" and the capital "I" appear similar in many fonts, he also puts forth the potential argument that the character in the movie's title is a lowercase "L".

The old "favorite edit war" might be the one referenced in [[878: Model Rail]].

==xX_tRaNsCrIpT_Xx==
:[Cueball staring at computer screen.]
:Cueball: Oh, wow. Look at Wikipedia's Talk page for Star Trek into Darkness. I have a new favorite edit war.
:Megan (off-panel): Oh?

:Cueball: Forty ''thousand'' words of debate over whether to capitalize "into" in the movie's title. Still no consensus.
:Megan: That's ''magnificent''.
:Cueball: It's breathtaking.
:Megan: They should have sent a poet.

:Cueball: Well, I'm making an executive decision. I hope both sides accept this as a fair compromise.

:[A Wikipedia page titled "~*~ StAr TrEk InTo DaRkNeSs ~*~"]

==+~tRiViA+~==
After the publication of the comic, the debate continued with full force, complete with {{w|Talk:Star Trek Into Darkness/Archive 5#xkcd Mention|a section of xkcd-inspired suggestions}}. The article itself was soon protected, so that only administrators could edit it. A day later, the title was changed to one including a capital "Into" by the administrator {{w|User:Mackensen|Mackensen}}. (The debate continued on {{w|User talk:Mackensen/Archive20#Star Trek into Darkness move|his talk page}}.) Currently https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/~*~_StAr_TrEk_InTo_DaRkNeSs_~*~ is a valid link and it redirects to the correct page.

{{w|The Independent}} published an article about the "[http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/trekkies-take-on-wikis-in-a-grammatical-tizzy-over-star-trek-into-darkness-8475705.html grammatical tizzy]", and the affair as a whole was added to Wikipedia's humorous list of the {{w|WP:Lamest edit wars|lamest edit wars}}.

{{comic discussion 1167}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Compromise]]

1167: Star Trek into Darkness

2015-04-14T03:18:45Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 1167
| date = January 30, 2013
| title = Star Trek into Darkness
| image = star_trek_into_darkness.png
| titletext = Of course, factions immediately sprang up in favor of '~*~sTaR tReK iNtO dArKnEsS~*~', 'xX_StAr TrEk InTo DaRkNess_Xx', and 'Star Trek lnto Darkness' (that's a lowercase 'L').
}}

Explanation-
The talk page of a Wikipedia article is used to discuss changes to the article. An {{w|Wikipedia:Edit warring|edit war}} is a dispute about a specific edit to an article, manifesting as a series of edits alternating between making and reverting the change, and usually accompanied by a more-or-less heated debate on the talk page.

Here, [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] is referring to a dispute on the Wikipedia article about ''{{w|Star Trek Into Darkness}}'' (an upcoming Star Trek film at the time of the comic's posting). On the day before the comic was published, the article name had a lowercase "into", and the talk page looked [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Star_Trek_Into_Darkness&oldid=535542349 like this] (rounded off in a friendly way, with the posting of {{w|User:Frungi/Star Trek Into Darkness capitalization|a summary of the arguments}}, and an exchange of virtual hugs).

[[Cueball]] changes the title so that every other letter is capitalized, and adds framing tildes and asterisks (a common, childish way of emphasizing titles online). This will probably not go over well.

Megan's line of "They should have sent a poet." is a quote from the film ''{{w|Contact (film)|Contact}}''. The quote is also featured in [[482: Height]].

The title text indicates Randall's belief that such arguments are perpetual and will always arise. He suggests that the edit to the Wikipedia page will result in a dispute over variants of Cueballs "compromise". Because the lowercase "L" and the capital "I" appear similar in many fonts, he also puts forth the potential argument that the character in the movie's title is a lowercase "L".

The old "favorite edit war" might be the one referenced in [[878: Model Rail]].

==xX_tRaNsCrIpT_Xx==
:[Cueball staring at computer screen.]
:Cueball: Oh, wow. Look at Wikipedia's Talk page for Star Trek into Darkness. I have a new favorite edit war.
:Megan (off-panel): Oh?

:Cueball: Forty ''thousand'' words of debate over whether to capitalize "into" in the movie's title. Still no consensus.
:Megan: That's ''magnificent''.
:Cueball: It's breathtaking.
:Megan: They should have sent a poet.

:Cueball: Well, I'm making an executive decision. I hope both sides accept this as a fair compromise.

:[A Wikipedia page titled "~*~ StAr TrEk InTo DaRkNeSs ~*~"]

==+~tRiViA+~==
After the publication of the comic, the debate continued with full force, complete with {{w|Talk:Star Trek Into Darkness/Archive 5#xkcd Mention|a section of xkcd-inspired suggestions}}. The article itself was soon protected, so that only administrators could edit it. A day later, the title was changed to one including a capital "Into" by the administrator {{w|User:Mackensen|Mackensen}}. (The debate continued on {{w|User talk:Mackensen/Archive20#Star Trek into Darkness move|his talk page}}.) Currently https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/~*~_StAr_TrEk_InTo_DaRkNeSs_~*~ is a valid link and it redirects to the correct page.

{{w|The Independent}} published an article about the "[http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/trekkies-take-on-wikis-in-a-grammatical-tizzy-over-star-trek-into-darkness-8475705.html grammatical tizzy]", and the affair as a whole was added to Wikipedia's humorous list of the {{w|WP:Lamest edit wars|lamest edit wars}}.

{{comic discussion 1167}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Compromise]]

1162: Log Scale

2015-04-14T03:13:24Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 1162
| date = January 18, 2013
| title = Log Scale
| image = log scale.png
| titletext = Knuth Paper-Stack Notation: Write down the number on pages. Stack them. If the stack is too tall to fit in the room, write down the number of pages it would take to write down the number. THAT number won't fit in the room? Repeat. When a stack fits, write the number of iterations on a card. Pin it to the stack.
}}

==Explanation==
Uranium is stated to have 76 million MJ/kg, while the next highest material shown on the graph (gasoline) has 46 MJ/kg. Thus the uranium graph should be taller by a factor of 76,000,000/46 = 1.652 million. So, if the gasoline graph were 9mm in height, the uranium graph should be a bit more than 14.868 million mm tall, or nearly 15 km (9.2 miles) tall. Thus the need to fold the paper.

A {{w|Logarithmic scale|log scale}} is a way of showing largely unequal data sizes in a comprehensible way, using an exponential function between each notch on the y axis of a graph. So for example the first on a Y axis of a graph using a log-10-scale would be 1, then 10, then 100 and 1000 for the fourth. A {{w|logarithm|log/logarithmic function}} is the {{w|inverse function|inverse}} of a corresponding {{w|Exponential growth|exponential function}}.

The log scale can also be abused to make data look more uniform than it really is. On a log scale the energy density of uranium would look larger than that of the other materials, but not dramatically so. The joke is that if one wanted to make their point "properly," they would go ahead and use ridiculous amounts of paper to show the difference between bars using a non-logarithmic scale; this method would focus more on the shock factor of the differences in question, and less on actual communication/representation of data. Cueball seems to be passionate about the MJ/kg of uranium, so he would rather demonstrate the grandeur of the data than use a more efficient scale.

See {{w|Logarithmic_scale#Example_scales|these examples}} for well known day-to-day measurements which are measured on a log-scale.

The title text mentions computer scientist {{w|Donald Knuth}}; the fictional notation is a parody of {{w|Knuth's up-arrow notation}}. Using paper thickness as the basis for a log scale would probably give the exponential function a very large base. However, it can be noted that Knuth's up-arrow notation can handle numbers far, far larger than this paper stack notation; for example the number 3↑↑↑3, very compact in up-arrow notation, would require a number of iterations pinned to the stack on the order of several trillion. 3↑↑↑↑3 would require a number of iterations that is not only too large to write down, but attempting to write that number using the same paper stack notation would require printing off a ''second'' stack of several trillion iterations just to hold the ''number'' pinned to the first stack.

It should be noted that Randall has used log scales in past comics.
==Transcript==
:[A bar chart showing fuel energy density of different materials in megajoules/kg.]
:Sugar: 19, Coal: 24, Fat: 39, Gasoline: 46, Uranium 76,000,000
:[The uranium bar on the chart goes off the page onto a huge strip of paper folded up into a stack slightly taller than Cueball.]
:Science Tip: Log scales are for quitters who can't find enough paper to make their point ''properly''.

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

1011: Baby Names

2015-04-08T14:49:50Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 1011
| date = February 1, 2012
| title = Baby Names
| image = baby names.png
| titletext = I've been trying for a couple years now but I haven't been able to come up with a name dumber than 'Renesmee'.
}}

==Explanation==

The punchline for this one is in the title text as Renesmee is the name of {{w|Renesmee_Cullen#Renesmee_Cullen|Renesmee Cullen}}, who is the baby born in the book and movie {{w|Breaking Dawn}} to parents Edward and Bella. Edward and Bella get "Renesmee" from an amalgamation of the names of Bella's mother, Renée, and Edward's adoptive mother, Esme.

[[Randall]]'s point above stands. All those names are terrible, but (arguably) not nearly as terrible as the name Renesmee.

A further analysis on baby names are presented by Randall at his Blag (Blog) here: [http://blog.xkcd.com/2014/01/31/the-baby-name-wizard/ The Baby Name Wizard].

* Ponzi - An Italian surname, most often associated with "Ponzi scheme".
* Eeemily - A corruption of "Emily". May also be a marketing plug.
* Fire Fire - Even a single "Fire" would be odd as a name, at least in the American dialects. It would also not be a good idea to call your child's name in a crowded place.
* Chipotla - A reference to chipotle seasoning, or perhaps the very popular restaurant.
* Astamouthe - Could be pronounced "Ass to mouth".
* Eggsperm - A child is conceived by combining an egg and a sperm, this child's name is conceived by combining the names of the two things.
* [sound of record scratch] - This cannot be spelled or reliably pronounced.
* Parsley - A seasoning.
* Hot'n'Juicy Ann - "Ann" is a normal name. Prefacing it with the sexual "Hot'n'Juicy" part is not normal.
* Ovari - Female reproductive organ, misspelled.
* Friendly - Odd enough on its own, but when referring to her possessions it would create confusion with the restaurant {{w|Friendly's}}. Can also be humorous in introductions - "Hi I'm Friendly and I hate you."
* Sean (pronounced "seen") - While this isn't an incorrect pronunciation, the more common pronunciation would be "Shawn".
* Joyst - Corruption of "Joyce".

==Transcript==
:[Cueball sits at a desk, thinking with his hand on his chin, his other hand holding a pen over a piece of paper. Megan stands behind him, looking over his shoulder, also with her hand on her chin.]

:[Above the drawing is the list they are writing by hand.]

:Names for daughter

:# Ponzi
:# Eeemily
:# Fire Fire
:# Chipotla
:# Astamouthe
:# Eggsperm
:# [sound of record scratch]
:# Parsley
:# Hot'n'Juicy Ann
:# Ovari
:# Friendly
:# Sean (pronounced "seen")
:# Joyst

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

1000: 1000 Comics

2015-04-08T14:36:53Z

QAZ631:

{{comic
| number = 1000
| date = January 6, 2012
| title = 1000 Comics
| image = 1000 comics.png
| imagesize = 800px
| titletext = Thank you for making me feel less alone.
}}

==Explanation==

This comic is the 1000th comic shown on xkcd, including [[404: Not Found]], containing 1000 characters from previous comics arranged in the shape of the number "1000". [[Megan]] is clearly excited as she screams "Wooooo!", but [[Cueball]], in true nerd fashion, thinks in base 2, saying that there are "just 24 to go until a big round-number milestone". The joke is that during programming, base two is used more often than base 10, making milestones be powers of two rather than powers of 10. Where 1000 is a round number in base 10 (103), 1024 is a round number in base 2 (210).

===Connect the Dots===
There is a connect the dots puzzle hidden within the comic. However, rather than using the conventional decimal system numbering which would start with 1 and count up, 2, 3, 4, 5, ... This connect the dots puzzle starts with 0 as a programmer would do and counts up in binary numerical order - 0,1,10,11,100,101,110,111,1000,1001 and back to 0. The revealed image forms the shape of a heart. This fits well with the title text where feeling less alone can equate to feeling loved.

[[File:1000 comics binary.png]]

==Transcript==
:[1000 characters, numerous of which have appeared previously in other comics, are arranged to create the number "1000". Two more people stand in the foreground commenting on the formation]
:Megan: ''WOOOO!''
:Cueball: Wow—Just 24 to go until a big round-number milestone!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Large drawings]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Math]]