explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1430: Proteins

2014-10-06T10:24:13Z

Qwach: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1430
| date = October 6, 2014
| title = Proteins
| image = proteins.png
| titletext = Check it out--when I tug the C-terminal tail, the binding tunnel squeezes!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|More info on protein folding, expansion on F@H, explanaiton of the joke and title text.}}

{{w|Protein folding}} is a mechanism exhibited by protein structures to assume a functional shape. If the folding sequence does not complete, or completes incorrectly, the resulting protein can be inactive or even toxic to the body. These misfolded proteins are responsible for certain allergies, and are believed to be the cause of several {{w|neurodegenerative}} and other diseases.

{{w|Folding@Home}} (F@H) is a distributed computing project which aims to simulate protein folding for research purposes. Rather than the traditional model of using a supercomputer for computation, the project uses idle processing power of a network of personal computers in order to achieve massive computing power. Individuals can join the project by installing the F@H software, and are then able to track their contribution to the project. Individual members may join together as a team, with leaderboards measuring team and individual contributions.

Please be aware that modern computers do not "waste" computing time in the same way as old ones - they dynamically reduce their clock speed and other power consumption at times of low usage. If you donate computer time, you are actually donating money to the cause in the form of your electricty bill (which sounds more convenient than via credit card anyway)

In origami, purists [[http://www.barf.cc/jeremy/origami/BOOK/essays/origami_purism/origami_purism.htm]] considered it as cheating if you cut the paper or use more than one sheet of paper.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is talking with Megan]
:Cueball: What do you do?
:Megan: I make software that predicts how proteins will fold.
:Cueball: Is that a hard problem?
:Megan: Someone may someday find a harder one.
:Cueball: Why is it so hard?
:Megan: Have you ever made a folded paper crane?
:Cueball: Yeah.
:Megan: Imagine figuring out the folds to make an actual living crane.
:Cueball: ...just folds? Can I make cuts?
:Megan: If you can fold a protease enzyme.
{{comic discussion}}

1116: Traffic Lights

2013-09-01T08:27:17Z

Qwach: Did you know that "overexaggerated" is self-referential?

{{comic
| number = 1116
| date = October 3, 2012
| title = Traffic Lights
| image = traffic_lights.gif
| titletext = There's an intersection I drive through sometimes that has a forward green arrow, a red light, and a 'no turns' sign all on one pole. I honestly have no idea what it's telling me to do.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is an {{w|animated gif}} which features an array of {{w|traffic light}}s which are lighted signals posted at intersections to control vehicular traffic. The standard North American traffic light has three solid lights: red, yellow and green (meaning, in simplistic terms, "stop", "stop if you can; the light will be red shortly" and "go" respectively). More complicated lights sometimes have additional signals such as arrows indicating go or stop for a specific direction such as left or right turns.

However, as in the strip, sometimes an intersection has multiple lights with certain of them designated to apply solely to a specific lane or specific direction of travel. A common one is a left-turn light that allows the lights to stop or allow left-turn traffic independent of the rest of the traffic. Another common example is a light that applies only to public transit like streetcars that run on tracks on the city streets.

There are also other rules and features that tend to be unique to different localities as noted in the Wikipedia article for {{w|Traffic-light signalling and operation}}.

In this comic, [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] is commenting on the confusion that can be caused by having too many lights with multiple rules attached by creating an exaggerated example.

In this strip, the right light has a sign indicating that the light and the right lane are for ''left'' turners, while the 3rd-from-left is a straight or ''right'' turn lane and the 2nd from left is ''right'' turn only. In normal course, right turns would be permitted from the right lane and left turns from the left lanes. The system in this comic would have turning traffic crossing each other, as well as the straight-ahead traffic and would cause chaos (and require very complicated traffic light phases to control). The left-most light on the post has a sign indicating that left, right and straight travel are all prohibited, which is even more confusing.

The comic, as an animated gif, cycles through various phases, at first appearing somewhat normal, but then adding unusual phases. The animated gif takes about 90 seconds to cycle through the 32 discrete panels before repeating. The left post light has (unusually) left ''and'' right arrows, later becoming up and down arrows. At times the light completely shuts off, and at other times, has conflicting signals.

The third-from-left light has red ''and'' yellow, and later all three lights come on at the same time, then all three lights go yellow, and then reverse with green at top and red at bottom. The bottom light then becomes an arrow.

The fourth-from-left traffic light switches from a green light to a purple light at times.

The right light only lights red in each position.

The second-from-left light and second-from-right lights do not appear to have any quirks other than changing phases in unusual patterns.

At frames 21 and 22 (see below) the colors of the latter five lights correspond to the color sequence of the letters in the Google logo. Only the first letter of the logo, which is blue, is not reproduced on the first traffic light.

==Frame by frame breakdown==
The following is a breakdown of all of the frames of the animated gif comic.

[[File:traffic lights list.png]]

==Closeups on the Lights==
The following is a closeup on the lights, and the bird. The lights from left to right are here shown top to bottom. Time advances to the right.

[[File:traffic lights closeups revised.png]]

Originally, the second light had a couple frames near the start that were different. The closeup of this was as follows:

[[File:traffic lights closeups.png]]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics with animation]]
[[Category:Traffic light]]

Talk:1075: Warning

2013-09-01T05:43:39Z

Qwach:

And also that riding in a car is one of the most hazardous activities possible, and people don't realize this, the common view is that walking or riding in a plane is more dangerous when really being in a car is by several orders of magnitude. [[Special:Contributions/75.103.23.206|75.103.23.206]] 20:51, 7 December 2012 (UTC)

This comic is actally a great justification for repealing all those annoying safety laws. --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 05:43, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

1029: Drawing Stars

2013-09-01T04:05:15Z

Qwach: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1029
| date = March 14, 2012
| title = Drawing Stars
| image = drawing_stars.png
| titletext = Screw these 36-degree angles. I'm converting to Judaism.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Randall]] attempts to draw a {{w|Five-pointed star|five-pointed star}}, which is not easy by free-hand drawing on a sheet of paper. But this {{w|Pentagram|pentagram}} is the simplest regular star polygon in geometry.

The title text explains the fact that a five-pointed star has all angles at 36 degrees what sums to 180, like a common {{w|Triangle|triangle}}. So Randall converts to {{w|Judaism}} with it's {{w|Star of David|six pointed star}} symbol, which is much easier to draw because it is composed of two {{w|equilateral triangle}}s. This also suggests that he is converting from {{w|neopagan}}ism just to have a religious star he can draw well.

Five-pointed stars may be easier for some because they can be drawn in one continuous motion.

==Transcript==
:HOW TO DRAW A STAR:
:[A slightly curved line is drawn, starting with a point near the top center of the panel, and going downward and to the left at approximately a 23-degree angle, with an arrow at the end.]

:[Another slightly curved line goes up and to the right, creating a 34-degree angle with the first line.]
:So far so good...

:[A third line goes up and to the left, creating a 58-degree angle with the last line. The drawing now sort of resembles a tent being blown over in the wind.]
:Steady as she goes...

:[The fourth line goes down and to the right, creating an approximately 47-degree angle with the last line, and our star is beginning to look a bit askew.]
:...uh oh.

:Shitshitshit

:[The fifth line comes up at a 48-degree angle, completely missing the first point by a mile, and our star has failed spectacularly.]
:ABORT!
:ABORT!

{{comic discussion}}

1008: Suckville

2013-09-01T03:25:12Z

Qwach: About Detroit. Also, atitletextsayswhat?

{{comic
| number = 1008
| date = January 25, 2012
| title = Suckville
| image = suckville.png
| titletext = Suckville is considered by the Census Bureau to be part of the Detroit metropolitan statistical area, despite not being located anywhere near Detroit.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are playing a card game, perhaps {{w|Dominion (game)|Dominion}}, or {{w|Magic: The Gathering}}, or another card game involving piles of characters facing each other. and Megan whips a common insult, a play on the word "suck" and adds a typical city name to the end of it. Other variations are: "losertown", "lameville", etc.

The phrase is originally based on the ubiquitous signage you see along roads that say "Welcome to Town X - Population Y".

Then, since Cueball one-ups Megan by indicating there is a city by that name, she can only resign herself to the fact that her smack talk did not work.

The title text informs the reader that Suckville is classified as part of the Detroit area despite not being located there. Detroit, of course, is the quintessential example of a city so run down, it might as well really be named "Suckville", or include a district of that name. In fact, the city only recently (2013) declared itself bankrupt.
(Fun fact: looking in the [http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html factfinder] Suckville is "corrected" to {{w|Saukville, Wisconsin}}, which is indeed not particularly close to {{w|Detroit, Michigan}})

==Transcript==
:[Megan is kneeling on the floor, playing a card game.]
:Megan: Hah! -- Welcome to Suckville - population: you.
:[Cueball is sitting on the floor opposite her, also playing the game.]
:Cueball: Why are you using 2000 census data? -- That's an old figure.
:[Megan turns around from the game to look at her laptop, which is sitting on the floor behind her.]
:Megan: I couldn't find Suckville in the 2010 census.
:Cueball: Huh? It's right there in SF-1 table P1.
:Megan: Oh. So it is.
:[Megan turns back to Cueball, who is looking at his cards.]
:Megan: Well, then. Welcome to Suckville - population: 83.
:Cueball: Much better.

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

1008: Suckville

2013-09-01T03:16:23Z

Qwach: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1008
| date = January 25, 2012
| title = Suckville
| image = suckville.png
| titletext = Suckville is considered by the Census Bureau to be part of the Detroit metropolitan statistical area, despite not being located anywhere near Detroit.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are playing a card game, perhaps {{w|Dominion (game)|Dominion}}, or {{w|Magic: The Gathering}}, or another card game involving piles of characters facing each other. and Megan whips a common insult, a play on the word "suck" and adds a typical city name to the end of it. Other variations are: "losertown", "lameville", etc.

The phrase is originally based on the ubiquitous signage you see along roads that say "Welcome to Town X - Population Y".

Then, since Cueball one-ups Megan by indicating there is a city by that name, she can only resign herself to the fact that her smack talk did not work.

The title text says that Suckville is classified as part of the Detroit area despite not being in the Detroit area. Indeed, looking in the [http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html factfinder] Suckville is "corrected" to {{w|Saukville, Wisconsin}}. Which is not anywhere near {{w|Detroit, Michigan}}.
Detroit, of course, is the usual American example of a city so run down, it might as well really be named "Suckville".

==Transcript==
:[Megan is kneeling on the floor, playing a card game.]
:Megan: Hah! -- Welcome to Suckville - population: you.
:[Cueball is sitting on the floor opposite her, also playing the game.]
:Cueball: Why are you using 2000 census data? -- That's an old figure.
:[Megan turns around from the game to look at her laptop, which is sitting on the floor behind her.]
:Megan: I couldn't find Suckville in the 2010 census.
:Cueball: Huh? It's right there in SF-1 table P1.
:Megan: Oh. So it is.
:[Megan turns back to Cueball, who is looking at his cards.]
:Megan: Well, then. Welcome to Suckville - population: 83.
:Cueball: Much better.

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

Talk:1003: Adam and Eve

2013-09-01T03:01:39Z

Qwach:

No problem, the ten commandments didn't exist back then. '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:18, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

There's a "forbidden fruit" joke somewhere in here. [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 20:35, 23 February 2013 (UTC)

Missing from the explanation here is that Abel logically must have slept with his own mother because, according to the Biblical account, there were in fact no other women in existence. [[Special:Contributions/66.224.70.107|66.224.70.107]] 00:22, 22 March 2013 (UTC)
:Actually, it is generally acknowledged that Adam and Eve had children, including daughters, who were not mentioned in the bible. Remember, God marked the brow of Cain to show all the people he encountered that he was a fratricide; where did all those people come from? [[Special:Contributions/74.213.186.41|74.213.186.41]] 13:56, 1 April 2013 (UTC)
::I'm adamant that it was barbecue leftovers. --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 03:01, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Talk:992: Mnemonics

2013-09-01T02:40:57Z

Qwach:

The most memorable resistor code mnemonics I know are not...politically correct, shall we say. But they are memorable. [[User:Blaisepascal|Blaisepascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 19:55, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

I feel like he got lazy at the end and didn't provide an "or" to the Jesus one mnemonic. Also, why is mnemonic often pronounced "new-monic" ?

Mnemonic is supposed to be pronounced "nim-monic"; "new-monic" is rather a malapropism, given that is a correct pronunciation of "pneumonic" (meaning related to lungs or to pneumonia"), similar to how some people pronounce "nuclear" as "nu-kyoo-lar" (reminiscent of "-cular"-ending words, such as: perpendicular, particular, jocular, etc.).
:I pronounce it as written, same for "gnome" - keeps those muscles going. (Try it with "knight", you'll get an approximation of Chaucer. Seriously.) --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 02:39, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Mnemonics are actually counter-productive. They claim to help you remember something but, in actuality, they replace what you're supposed to remember with something useless, thus causing you to FAIL to remember.[[Special:Contributions/76.29.225.28|76.29.225.28]] 03:32, 4 July 2013 (UTC)

"Mnemonics are actually counter-productive." I disagree. They provide the '''order''' to the list of already known, or mostly known, words. They provide a little extra help.--DrMath 20:50, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Talk:992: Mnemonics

2013-09-01T02:39:09Z

Qwach:

The most memorable resistor code mnemonics I know are not...politically correct, shall we say. But they are memorable. [[User:Blaisepascal|Blaisepascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 19:55, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

I feel like he got lazy at the end and didn't provide an "or" to the Jesus one mnemonic. Also, why is mnemonic often pronounced "new-monic" ?

Mnemonic is supposed to be pronounced "nim-monic"; "new-monic" is rather a malapropism, given that is a correct pronunciation of "pneumonic" (meaning related to lungs or to pneumonia"), similar to how some people pronounce "nuclear" as "nu-kyoo-lar" (reminiscent of "-cular"-ending words, such as: perpendicular, particular, jocular, etc.).
:I pronounce it as written, same for "gnome" - keeps those muscles going. (Try it with "knight".) --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 02:39, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Mnemonics are actually counter-productive. They claim to help you remember something but, in actuality, they replace what you're supposed to remember with something useless, thus causing you to FAIL to remember.[[Special:Contributions/76.29.225.28|76.29.225.28]] 03:32, 4 July 2013 (UTC)

"Mnemonics are actually counter-productive." I disagree. They provide the '''order''' to the list of already known, or mostly known, words. They provide a little extra help.--DrMath 20:50, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Talk:984: Space Launch System

2013-09-01T02:19:01Z

Qwach:

But then we built a whole pile of rockets after that. Apollo, moon landing, mars rover, etc. Boo Black Hat.06:53, 2 February 2013 (UTC)
:"Apollo, moon landing" -- that is, in fact, the Saturn V, built by von Braun, captured Nazi scientist, and his team, largely captured Nazi scientists. Yes, other rockets were built after the Saturn V, but as pointed out in the strip, none have been bigger or more powerful. "Finally, rockets that improve on the ones we had 40 years ago."
:The first Mars lander (true, not a rover), Viking I, was launched on an Titan/Centaur. The Centaur was a co-creation of Krafft A. Ehricke, nazi scientist.
:Mars Sojourner, a rover, part of the Mars Pathfinder mission, was launched on a Delta II rocket. The Delta family of rockets are based on the Thor ballistic missile. The Thor was originally co-developed by Dr. Adolph K. Thiel, Nazi scientist.
:You see where this is going? {{unsigned|212.149.48.43}}

Technically, von Braun wasn't captured. He voluntarily defected. He was wandering Germany because he had chosen to no longer support Hitler, so to stay at the concentration camp where he worked, or anywhere where a Nazi soldier could find him was suicide, so he escaped and was wandering out alone. He surrendered and defected to the first allied troops he saw, which just happened to be American. This is why he worked on the space programme instead of being shot on sight. By the time he was building American rockets, he hadn't been a Nazi for years.[[Special:Contributions/76.29.225.28|76.29.225.28]] 14:40, 4 July 2013 (UTC)
:You're way off the mark. He was never opposed to the Nazis per se, but did understandably start grumbling a bit when he realized this Endsieg thing wasn't really working out. He and his team left the base because they, again understandably, did not want to be prisoners of the Red Army and Soviet Russia. Then, when the Americans finally caught up with them, he surrendered himself, avoiding execution by guards at the same time. --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 02:19, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

== Incomplete ==

Oh, this comic is one of the "more complex" ones. The time line (not the comic sequence) is starting with the US failures to archive space flight in the 1950's, then referring to Nazis, and by the end we are on the current US space policy, which is also highly questionable.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:51, 4 July 2013 (UTC)

965: Elements

2013-09-01T01:02:23Z

Qwach: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 965
| date = October 17, 2011
| title = Elements
| image = elements.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = Of all the nations, the armies of the ununoctium-benders are probably the least intimidating. The xenon-benders come close, but their flickery signs are at least effective for propaganda.
}}

==Explanation==
In the popular children's TV show ''{{w|Avatar: The Last Airbender}}'', the four nations that inhabit the world can each control one of the four classical elements: water, fire, earth and air. One person, the avatar, can control all four elements and is markedly more powerful than any other character. {{w|Dmitri Mendeleev}} is the creator of the modern periodic table, which categorizes the 118+ elements by their atomic number.

{{w|Polonium}} gained a level of notoriety as the poison used to kill Russian dissident {{w|Alexander Litvinenko}}.

The title text talks about power levels of the elements if each element had a controlling nation as per the TV show. {{w|Ununoctium}} (1-1-8-ium) is the placeholder name for element #118 — the heaviest that has been created, as well as the one with the shortest life before it decays into other elements.
{{w|Xenon}} is a noble gas with few practical applications, but it is sometimes used in glow signs.

==Transcript==
:[Aang the Avatar and Dmitri Mendeleev stand in opposition to each other. Aang wields all 4 classical elements: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air.]
:Aang: I'm the avatar, master of all 4 elements!
:Mendeleev: Really? I'm Mendeleev, master of all 118+.
:''swoosh''
:Mendeleev: That was polonium-bending. You probably didn't feel anything, but the symptoms of radiation poisoning will set in shortly.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Physics]]

Talk:946: Family Decals

2013-09-01T00:30:41Z

Qwach:

So I can get sacks of money if I sell my children? I need to find a girl who's willing to have loads of kids, fast. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 09:06, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

Does anyone know what the title text is referencing?[[Special:Contributions/108.101.176.132|108.101.176.132]] 19:26, 20 July 2013 (UTC)
:I don't know, so I did mark it as incomplete. Furthermore I'm sure there must be a pun on that adult pictures, it's much more common to show only the children (often with names) on it.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:01, 20 July 2013 (UTC)
::I checked the forum, and could not find a convincing argument either. The theory that in my eyes came closest to an explanation was the attractive power a small kitten can have on little girls. --[[User:Chtz|Chtz]] ([[User talk:Chtz|talk]]) 15:57, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

I actually saw a car that had a guy and bags of money! At the time it made me mad, but I guess he's getting the last laugh! [[User:Theo|Theo]] ([[User talk:Theo|talk]]) 20:53, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

This comic explain is still incomplete, the title text is still missing. And what the hell the licence plate of the first car (ICE-IE3) does mean?--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:43, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Now, who can identify the cars? --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 00:30, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

934: Mac/PC

2013-09-01T00:11:49Z

Qwach: Note about Chrome OS

{{comic
| number = 934
| date = August 5, 2011
| title = Mac/PC
| image = mac_pc.png
| titletext = It's fun to watch browsers fumblingly recapitulate the history of window management. Someday we'll have xmonad as a Firefox extension.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a parody of the "{{w|Get a Mac}}" (also known as "I'm a Mac" or "Mac vs. PC") ad campaign for the {{w|Mac}} brand of computers. The ads personified the Mac and their competitors, the PC. The ads poked fun at the PC's terrible function while paying attention to the Mac's unique features. Each ad started with the duo introducing themselves as "I'm a Mac..." "... and I'm a PC."

The comic, however, presents them as identical to each other, since very much everything nowadays is done through browsers due to the proliferation of cloud computing. In essence, using the same browser to visit the same website among different operating systems would give you an experience that is very much the same. Additionally, this comic could also be taken as a riff on xkcd's simplistic style, as they are ''literally'' identical in character design.

The title text refers to {{w|window management}}, which is software that controls windows on computers. {{w|xmonad}} is one such program, and [[Randall]] says that eventually it will be an extension usable with the browser {{w|Firefox}}. What makes it somewhat unusual (and thus worth mentioning) is that it is a [[wikipedia:tiling window manager]], meaning it automatically arranges and resizes newly opened program windows to fit a grid. This is especially useful on large screens.
==Trivia==
[[wikipedia:Chrome OS|Google Chrome OS]] is this concept taken literally: every program that can be installed by the default method actually is a "web app" running in, obviously, the Chrome browser. Though no direct reference is made, the release of the first [[wikipedia:Chromebook|Chromebooks]] predates this comic by only two months, and it's hard to believe that Randall could have missed it.

==Transcript==
:Mac: I'm a Mac
:PC: And I'm a PC.
:Mac and PC: And since you do everything through a browser now, we're pretty indistinguishable.

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

934: Mac/PC

2013-08-31T23:49:43Z

Qwach: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 934
| date = August 5, 2011
| title = Mac/PC
| image = mac_pc.png
| titletext = It's fun to watch browsers fumblingly recapitulate the history of window management. Someday we'll have xmonad as a Firefox extension.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a parody of the "{{w|Get a Mac}}" (also known as "I'm a Mac" or "Mac vs. PC") ad campaign for the {{w|Mac}} brand of computers. The ads personified the Mac and their competitors, the PC. The ads poked fun at the PC's terrible function while paying attention to the Mac's unique features. Each ad started with the duo introducing themselves as "I'm a Mac..." "... and I'm a PC."

The comic, however, presents them as identical to each other, since very much everything nowadays is done through browsers due to the proliferation of cloud computing. In essence, using the same browser to visit the same website among different operating systems would give you an experience that is very much the same. Additionally, this comic could also be taken as a riff on xkcd's simplistic style, as they are ''literally'' identical in character design.

The title text refers to {{w|window management}}, which is software that controls windows on computers. {{w|xmonad}} is one such program, and [[Randall]] says that eventually it will be an extension usable with the browser {{w|Firefox}}. What makes it somewhat unusual (and thus worth mentioning) is that it is a [[wikipedia:tiling window manager]], meaning it automatically arranges and resizes newly opened program windows to fit a grid. This is especially useful on large screens.

==Transcript==
:Mac: I'm a Mac
:PC: And I'm a PC.
:Mac and PC: And since you do everything through a browser now, we're pretty indistinguishable.

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

Talk:929: Speculation

2013-08-31T23:35:22Z

Qwach:

I love the comics like this that work on multiple levels. They really lend to the legitimacy of xkcd as a thinking man's webcomic, and they're great comics to link to when I'm trying to make a point. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 09:24, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

It's a bolt. Longbows fire arrows, crossbows fire bolts. 'K?
:That bolt looks maighte like an arrow to me... but let's not quarrel about this. --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 23:35, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

Talk:912: Manual Override

2013-08-31T23:06:18Z

Qwach:

I think that the joke here is actually that the pilot is attempting a manual override (I.E. overriding the automatic pilot and switch to manual control) by typing in 'manual override'(which is also the title, in fact), and the parser instead opens the manual under the 'manual' command for the 'override' program (as explained in this page), not that the manual is too long to be read in that specific situation (while that is a valid argument). [[Special:Contributions/93.144.215.90|93.144.215.90]] 12:36, 14 April 2013 (UTC)
:Agreed. [[User:Wotpsycho|Wotpsycho]] ([[User talk:Wotpsycho|talk]]) 02:50, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
:Yup. Sounds right. [[Special:Contributions/183.87.213.90|183.87.213.90]] 04:32, 8 June 2013 (UTC)Manan

The info page is overriding the man(ual) page as a source of information, even the name? --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 23:06, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

769: War

2013-08-31T19:23:34Z

Qwach: Ugh.

{{comic
| number = 769
| date = July 21, 2010
| title = War
| image = war.png
| titletext =They offered to make me a green beret, but I liked my regular one. Although it gets kind of squashed under my helmet.
}}

==Explanation==
Today's comic seems to be a parable about the perils of love during wartime. Our protagonist is seen here leaning against his pack behind a low wall, surely a good hiding spot for any gentleman with a rifle and scope. Judging by the letter he's in the midst of writing, he has a complex relationship with Cordelia. On the one hand, she's attractive. On the other hand, she's a sniper, as evidenced by the shots fired mid-missive. Cordelia's ire works against her, though, as her volley of shots has revealed her own position atop the maintenance shed. We can presume that in a matter of minutes, this love affair will go sour as the love letter is wrapped around a live grenade and "delivered," so to speak. War is indeed hell.

As to the image text, the green berets are worn only by Special Forces soldiers. It takes a lot of training to become a green beret, and as evidenced by our protagonist's clever use of decoys to outwit a sniper, he may be qualified for the honor. It sounds, however, as he didn't understand the proposition, preferring his regular beret instead. Further evidence for his idiocy is given immediately thereafter, as he confesses that he wears a beret under his helmet. (Then again, he does not have a choice, since [[291: Dignified|he has stapled the beret on his head.]])

The comic starts off with the commonly known stereotype of a soldier in war writing a letter to his sweetheart (Cordelia), presumably at home. After the gunshots interrupt his writing, we come to know that Cordelia is actually fighting on the opposite side - it is left open whether they are in an actual relationship or the soldier just writes love letters to his enemies. He explains to her that he can now locate her after she shot a decoy set up by him, closing with the phrase "War is hell", often used in the stereotypical situation described above and now having a much darker tint. The alt text gives the reader some kind of closure - the soldier is revealed to be [[Beret Guy]], from whom this kind of behavior doesn't seem so weird after all.

"Cordelia" is likely a reference to [http://atoracle.wikidot.com/en-cordelia-rosalind Cordelia Rosalind]—the sniper from the {{w|Miniature wargaming|miniature game}} "{{w|Anima: Beyond Fantasy#Anima: Tactics|Anima: Tactics}}".

==Transcript==
[A soldier is on the ground behind a low wall, writing a letter.]
My Dearest Cordelia,
It has been far too long since I last gazed
upon your lithe and supple body through my
telescopic sights, and I fear you may have
found a superior vantage poin—

''BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!''

—a splendid effort, my love, but your shots
find only a decoy, and reveal your position atop
the maintenance shed.

I pray this missive and my grenades find you well.

War is hell.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:768: 1996

2013-08-31T19:21:20Z

Qwach:

The only problem with the N-Spire series is that you have to boot it up. Another problem (ok, the nspires are riddled with problems) is that they are still terribly underpowered compared to the modern mobile device. The last is that they are still objects of mass blunt-force trauma, meaning they are still unwieldy bricks, you now have to wait for 2 minutes while your calculator boots up (''!!''), it's still a low resolution screen, and the processor is still clocked somewhere under 500 MHz.

Now, if T.I. made an android app that offered the entirety of their graphing and CAS functionality they could easily charge $70 and everyone I know (I go to an engineering university) would buy it with no regrets.

--[[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 23:04, 30 November 2012 (UTC)

They'll never do that - profs (not to mention high school teachers) would freak out! If that's not yet the only reason dedicated-hardware graphing calculators still exist, it soon will be. {{unsigned ip|24.218.167.129}}
:TI has, in fact, already made a [http://education.ti.com/en-GB/aus-nz/nspire-family/ipad TI-Nspire iPad app] (but there's nothing official for Android). --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 19:21, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

Talk:750: Book Burning

2013-08-31T19:04:58Z

Qwach:

"...the Kindle edition is the preferred method of buying a book."? A bit subjective, really. Needs more qualifications to make that sound right. (Except for the aforementioned price, I'm not sure what argument would convince ''me'', however technophilic I am. I just like all my dead-tree publications, as a glance at my bookshelves and multiple other 'flat' surfaces around the house would confirm.)

Oh yeah, and as I forgot to sign the above, can I also add that I'm sure there's also a joke in that in an attempt to eradicate a book, the protesters are actually ''increasing'' the apparent demand for it. And, unlike a physical volume the misguided destruction of the electronic copy (or at least the medium it exists on) does not deplete any extant stocks. (In fact, the person who bought and downloaded the eBook can probably re-download the eBook if the download mechanism allows that for previously authorised purchases.) And do it enough and they may even print extra ''physical'' copies. (Soon to be coming to a remaindered book shop near you, and you, and you as well sir... Way to go to spread the Word!) "Epic Fail", anyone? [[Special:Contributions/178.98.192.132|178.98.192.132]] 23:44, 4 May 2013 (UTC)

== Book-burning incidents ==

While the joke is about burning a Kindle, I'm still sad about burning books. Look here: {{w|List of book-burning incidents}}. Burning a book is a kind of violence, this should be mentioned here. This comic is marked as incomplete.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:36, 29 July 2013 (UTC)

The comic is obviously mocking the intelligence of those radicals that would really like to see "heretical" books burn.--[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 19:04, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

740: The Tell-Tale Beat

2013-08-31T18:46:33Z

Qwach: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 740
| date = May 14, 2010
| title = The Tell-tale Beat
| image = the_tell_tale_beat.png
| titletext = You fancy me mad. Could a madman have outsmarted the greatest electronica/techno artists of our era? Next to fall will be Roderick Usher's house/trance band.
}}

==Explanation==
Daft Punk is a French electronic music group. The beat used in electronica music can be vocalized or spelled as "unn-tss". 'The Tell-Tale Heart' is a short story by Edgar Allen Poe, in which the narrator tries to appear sane while describing how he killed a man and hid his body in the floorboards. Eventually, he imagines he hears the dead man's heartbeat through the floorboards.

In the comic, [[Cueball]] narrates that he killed Daft Punk and hid their bodies under the floorboards, as the narrator of 'The Tell-Tale Heart' did. (Having to outsmart a band named [[wiktionary:daft|Daft]] Punk is quite ironic.) He says he has been haunted by the sound of the band's beats.

In the title text, the narrator continues trying to assert his sanity. He then insinuates that he will kill Roderick Usher's band; however, Roderick Usher was only a character in 'Fall of the House of Usher', another story by Edgar Allen Poe.

==Transcript==
:The three panels show portions of a single scene. Although the characters are still stick figures, the artwork style is heavily crosshatched and shaded.))
:[In the first panel there is a desk with monitor on it, and a painting of a woman above that. Next to it is a bookshelf.]
:Ever since I murdered Daft Punk

:[There is a fireplace, with no fire. A rug lies before it. At the left end of the mantelpiece are two bottles, one tall, one round. Another photograph of a woman is in a frame at the right end. The bookshelf continues from the previous panel.]
:And hid their bodies beneath the floorboards, I've been haunted

:[The narrator is clutching his head and leaning forward. A grandfather clock is behind him, next to a doorway. Above the doorway is a pallid bust of Pallas.]
:By this ''pounding''.
:[White text on black.]
:Unn-Tss
:Unn-Tss
:Unn-Tss

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

Talk:731: Desert Island

2013-08-31T18:27:18Z

Qwach:

There's a shark, a manta ray, giant jellyfish, and a giant squid in the water. It's totally safe. And what the heck are those worms at the ocean bed? '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:27, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

:Those worms are ''extremophiles'' feeding off of the nutrients emitted by the volcanic column... and from what I understand, they're completely harmless. Their entire ecology centers around the extreme heat and alternative chemical sources of energy provided by the center of the earth (vs sun-based photosynthetic life.) Oh, and I think Randall left off the "not to scale" attribute of the map, otherwise the ocean floor would only be a few hundred feet deep... -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 15:50, 18 February 2013 (UTC)
The title text seems to be alluding to a song. No idea what it could be. --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 18:27, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

Talk:625: Collections

2013-08-31T16:36:43Z

Qwach:

I can probably help Cueball (or whoever it is) out in his title-text musings, with an entire bookshelf (floor to ceiling) dedicated to Pratchett books in both Hardback and Paperback versions and related works by him and his collaborators. Apart, that is, from the totally separate bookshelf space reserved for the unabridged audio books of same - these mostly in cassette format, with just a couple of Audio CDs (a purchase error, at the time) and a couple of the newest in MP3-on-CD format (my reluctant nod towards progress). Now talk to me about how long magnetic and optical media can last, in relation to paper. Assuming I don't get hit by a house-fire, flooding, supervolcano, coronal mass ejection, etc. Hmmm... I wonder if I can get them carved onto stone tablets in a reinforced vault? [[Special:Contributions/178.99.247.73|178.99.247.73]] 21:26, 21 May 2013 (UTC)
:Microfilm is all you need. --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 16:36, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

Talk:586: Mission to Culture

2013-08-31T16:08:36Z

Qwach:

If Megan's only got stick-figure arms with no hands or fingernails, how is she leaving multiple scratches on the floor in the first scene? {{unsigned ip|‎121.223.16.83}}
:I think she's grabbing the rug. --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 16:08, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

544: Pep Talk

2013-08-31T14:15:16Z

Qwach: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number =544
| date =February 16, 2009
| title =Pep Talk
| image =pep_talk.png
| titletext =Listen! They said a team of chess players coached by someone with no understanding of basketball would never be competitive in the NBA! Well, it turns out they're pretty perceptive.
}}

==Explanation==
The halftime pep talk of a {{w|basketball}} game is commonly used by coaches to inspire his team to come back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit, and to make strategic changes that will help them do so. Unfortunately, the basketball coach has absolutely no fundamental understanding of the sport, and has pulled his team into the locker room while the game is still in progress, enabling the other team to score at will.

The title text parodies a common plot of especially US sports movies in which an inexperienced team (and sometimes coach) still manage to win a title.

==Transcript==
:Coach: OK TEAM. WE'RE SIXTEEN POINTS DOWN. IF WE WANT TO COME BACK FROM THIS-
:Crowd: '''WOO!! SCORE!!!'''
:Coach: OKAY, NOW WE'RE EIGHTEEN POINTS DOWN...LISTEN - I'M STARTING TO THINK WE SHOULD ONLY TAKE THESE BREAKS AT HALFTIME.

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

544: Pep Talk

2013-08-31T14:14:13Z

Qwach: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number =544
| date =February 16, 2009
| title =Pep Talk
| image =pep_talk.png
| titletext =Listen! They said a team of chess players coached by someone with no understanding of basketball would never be competitive in the NBA! Well, it turns out they're pretty perceptive.
}}

==Explanation==
The halftime pep talk of a {{w|basketball}} game is commonly used by coaches to inspire his team to come back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit, and to make strategic changes that will help them do so. Unfortunately, the basketball coach has absolutely no fundamental understanding of the sport, and has pulled his team into the locker room while the game is still in progress, enabling the other team to score at will.

The title text parodies a common plot of sports movies where an inexperienced team (and sometimes coach) still manage to win a title.

==Transcript==
:Coach: OK TEAM. WE'RE SIXTEEN POINTS DOWN. IF WE WANT TO COME BACK FROM THIS-
:Crowd: '''WOO!! SCORE!!!'''
:Coach: OKAY, NOW WE'RE EIGHTEEN POINTS DOWN...LISTEN - I'M STARTING TO THINK WE SHOULD ONLY TAKE THESE BREAKS AT HALFTIME.

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

Talk:528: Windows 7

2013-08-31T13:54:52Z

Qwach:

* Is this a reference to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law Godwin's Law]? [[User:Saibot84|Saibot84]] ([[User talk:Saibot84|talk]]) 21:59, 13 April 2013 (UTC)
:An ironic one, possibly. --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 13:54, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

501: Faust 2.0

2013-08-31T13:23:35Z

Qwach: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 501
| date = November 7, 2008
| title = Faust 2.0
| image = faust_20.png
| titletext = The only blood these contracts are signed in is from me cutting my hand trying to open the goddamn CD case.
}}

==Explanation==
E.U.L.A. is short for {{w|End-user license agreement}}, a license that software makers often attach to their software but people do not usually read. Agreement to a E.U.L.A. is assumed when a user uses the software or service that the E.U.L.A. is attached to, which has led to cases where users have unknowingly [http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2010/04/15/online-shoppers-unknowingly-sold-souls/ actually agreed to give away their immortal souls] because of a clause in a E.U.L.A. However, in the European Union, all provisions of these agreements that aren't already codified in law actually are not legally enforceable, unless they could be read and agreed to before purchase and first use.

A {{w|Faustian deal}} is done by someone who sells his soul to the devil for something desired in this life, a textbook example of wanting instant gratification. The mortal will get the things he wanted, but when he dies, have to suffer eternal torment. As the span of a human lifetime is an eyeblink compared to the lifetime of the universe, this is a really stupid thing to do.

In this instance, Cueball turns a E.U.L.A. around on {{w|Mephistopheles}}, the demon from Christopher Marlowe's version of Faust, by posting a sign saying that anyone entering the room agrees to turn over their ''own'' immortal soul rather than negotiate with Cueball for his. It is unknown whether this clause applies only to demons, or to ''everyone''.

The title text makes reference to how easy it is to cut open one's own hand while trying to open a newly-bought CD case. Incidentally, a pen works just fine, though the blood is referencing how Satanic contracts are signed in blood.

==Transcript==
:Satan: Mortal! I come offering a deal-
:Cueball: Read the sign.
:Satan: "By entering this room, you agree to forfeit your own soul rather than negotiate with the mortal residing therein..." Wait, you can't-
:Cueball: Too late.
:Caption: Mephistopheles encounters the E.U.L.A.

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