explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3092: Baker's Units

2025-05-21T23:52:36Z

Reentry S’more Maker:

{{comic
| number = 3092
| date = May 21, 2025
| title = Baker's Units
| image = bakers_units_2x.png
| imagesize = 349x310px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 169 is a baker's gross.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a baker's bot. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

A {{w|Dozen#Baker's_dozen|baker's dozen}} is 13 units of bakery goods, as opposed to the normal dozen meaning 12. That tradition that was allegedly started so that customers wouldn't complain about receiving one bread roll less when served in a hurry: If a miscount happens the baker would have given out twelve rolls just as ordered; if no miscount happens the baker is just short of one inexpensive item).

Randall proceeds to apply this principle to other things comprised of 12 units, some with bizarre results:
* Imperial feet are 12 inches long; a baker's foot would be 13 inches long.
* Noon is 12:00 o'clock; baker's noon would be 1 PM o'clock.
* Dodecahedrons have 12 faces (d12s), baker's ones are tridecahedron (which are not Platonic solids, so there is an uneven chance of landing on each side, rendering d12 based games unbalanced).
* Years have 12 months, a baker would celebrate New Year on January 31 (meaning that their New Year wozld shift forward each year.
* Octaves are comprised of 12 half steps (a half step is the distance between F and F#). A Baker’s octave would have 13 half steps and cause problems in musical composition, as octaves (of the baker’s variety) are would be dissonant, instead of being consonant.
* US trial juries typically have 12 people. The Baker’s Jury with 13 people would never be tied, potentially being more efficient than a regular jury.
*The EU flags includes 12 gold stars. The Baker’s EU possesses 13 “gold” stars (though the color cannot be confirmed in a black and white image).
* Magnesium is element number 12 on the periodic table. Element number 13 is aluminum, which had more applications in baking (namely, tinfoil, which is actually made of alumninun, not tin).
* One gross is 12x12, or 144. A Baker’s Gross is 13x13, or 169

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

2990: Late Cenozoic

2024-09-25T23:51:22Z

Reentry S’more Maker: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2990
| date = September 25, 2024
| title = Late Cenozoic
| image = late_cenozoic_2x.png
| imagesize = 303x396px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Our nucleic acid recovery techinques found a great deal of homo sapiens DNA incorporated into the fossils, particularly the ones containing high levels of resin, leading to the theory that these dinosaurs preyed on the once-dominant primates.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a ONCE-DOMINANT BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Many science museums contain fossils, which are often reconstructed into full skeletons.
In the comic, aliens (in [[Randall]]’s [[2572: Alien Observers|classic alien style]]) in the future have discovered the reconstructed fossils from our museums and misidentified them as coming from actual dinosaurs living now, and have thus concluded that these dinosaurs survived the {{w|Chicxulub crater|asteroid impact}} that in fact {{w|Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event|made them extinct}}. The {{w|Cenozoic}}, which began after that impact around 66 million years ago, is Earth's current {{w|Geologic_time_scale#Divisions_of_geologic_time|geologic era}}, while the {{w|Cretaceous}} was the final {{w|Geologic_time_scale#Divisions_of_geologic_time|geologic period}} of the previous era, the {{w|Mesozoic}}.

The title text says that a high amount of resin and human DNA has led to them theorizing that dinosaurs ate humans. Much more likely, the resin and human DNA have mixed as a result of the molding and casting process used to recreate missing or damaged bones—usually so complete skeletons can be displayed.

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

:[Three squid-like aliens in a classroom; one alien stands in front of a board covered with minute text and a drawing of a T-Rex skeleton. Two aliens sit on chairs watching the teacher alien. The teacher alien on the left sits on a table and points at the board with one tentacle. The image is encapsulated in a box, and there is a caption beneath it.]
:Left alien: Species such as triceratops and tyrannosaurus became more rare after the Cretaceous, but they survived to flourish in the late Cenozoic, 66 million years later.
:Left alien: Many complete skeletons have been discovered from this era.

:[Caption beneath the panel:]
:It's going to be really funny when our museums get buried in sediment.

==Trivia==
The title text has a typo: "techinques" should be "techniques".

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Geology]]

2943: Unsolved Chemistry Problems

2024-06-07T21:06:27Z

Reentry S’more Maker:

{{comic
| number = 2943
| date = June 7, 2024
| title = Unsolved Chemistry Problems
| image = unsolved_chemistry_problems_2x.png
| imagesize = 361x386px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I'm an H⁺ denier, in that I refuse to consider loose protons to be real hydrogen, so I personally believe it stands for 'pretend'.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Loose Proton Called H+ - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

There is a list of mathematical problems that are yet to be solved (such as P=NP). This comic makes a spin on it, by stating that there are (as of yet) unsolved chemistry problems.

'''Arbitrary Enzyme Design:'''

{{w|Enzymes}} are molecules (usually proteins) that act as catalysts to speed up biological processes. These are often important in understanding and curing diseases, so being able to design new enzymes can be critical in medical research.

'''Protein Folding:'''

{{w|Protein|Proteins}} are large molecules that consist of chains of amino acids. These amino acids chains become folded {{w|Protein Folding|folded}} in extremely complex ways into intricate 3D structures, and the way a protein is folded is of critical importance to its function. "Misfolded" proteins like {{w|Prion|prions}} can be inactive or cause other proteins to become misfolded, which can lead to fatal illnesses. Because of the huge importance of proteins to biological life, biologists have devoted significant attention over many decades to the problem of {{w|Protein structure prediction|protein structure prediction}}. This refers to the ability to predict the 3D structure of a protein based on the amino acid sequence, and remains one of the most important problems in computational biology.

'''Depolymerization:'''

A process in which polymers are broken down into monomers. This is done through a variety of processes such as using radiation, electrolysis, adding chemicals, and other means. Monomers are described as molecules, typically organic in nature, that can bond with at least 2 other molecules (polyfunctionality), resulting in the formation of large molecules (polymers). Polymers are substances made of very large molecules linked together into chains of repeating subunits.

'''What the “p” in pH stands for:'''

“p” shows up in pH, pKa, pKb, and other things related to the concentration of H+ ions and OH- ions. The meaning of the "p" in "pH" has been the subject of much dispute. It is sometimes referred to as "power of Hydrogen", but the term was introduced by {{w|Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen|Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen}}, who did not publish his results in English. The letter p could stand for the French puissance, German Potenz, or Danish potens, all meaning "power", or it could mean "potential". All of these words start with the letter p in French, German, and Danish, which were the languages in which Sørensen published.

Someone, presumably Randall Monroe, claims that they refuse to believe that loose protons are hydrogen atoms, and as such, the “p” stands for pretend. This could work, by saying that it is the pretend Ka and the Pretend Kb. However, Hydrogen atoms and loose protons each have a single proton. An Ion is any atom with a number of electrons not equal to the amount of protons in an atom. This counts for both more electrons (Anions), and less electrons (Cations).

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

:[Hairbun stands behind a lectern on a podium with two Cueballs and Megan standing behind her. There is a "Grand Opening" sign hanging in the background along with some ornaments.]
:Hairbun: Our lab will be working on chemistry's top unsolved problems: arbitrary enzyme design, protein folding, depolymerization, and, of course, the biggest one of all:
:Hairbun: ''Figuring out what the "p" in "pH" stands for.''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]

2943: Unsolved Chemistry Problems

2024-06-07T21:05:51Z

Reentry S’more Maker:

2943: Unsolved Chemistry Problems

2024-06-07T19:42:54Z

Reentry S’more Maker:

2877: Fever

2024-01-05T21:08:20Z

Reentry S’more Maker:

{{comic
| number = 2877
| date = January 5, 2024
| title = Fever
| image = fever_2x.png
| imagesize = 514x587px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Hypothermia of below 98.6 K should be treated by leaving the giant molecular cloud and moving to the vicinity of a star.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by the BIG BANG - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The comic purports to be a chart on fever temperatures. It starts out reasonably and then progresses to very high, impossible to have — at least for meaningful periods of time — temperatures, a theme present in many xkcd comics.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|+ Treating a Fever
|-
! Fever Temperature (Celsius) !! Equivalent Fahrenheit temperature !! Treatment !! Additional notes
|-
| 38-40 || 100-104 || Fluids, rest, normal doctor stuff || Normal fever temperatures.
|-
| 40-45 || 104-113 || Hospital, advanced doctor stuff || Point at which humans might start experiencing brain damage from fever.
|-
| 45-100 || 113-212 || Exit that steam cloud immediately || Only a few people could survive here.
|-
| 100-400 || 212-752 || Stop, drop, and roll || Someone is probably on fire. Stop, drop, and roll is what is taught to children to put out a fire, when they are on fire.
|-
| 400-500 || 752-932 || Return to Earth from Venus ASAP || 464ºC is Venusian atmosphere temperature.
|-
| 500-1,500 || 932-2,732 || Please climb out of that volcano || Magma is about 700ºC. Therefore, if someone is at that temperature, they are probably in lava/magma.
|-
| 1,500-5,000 || 2,732-9,032 || Turn your tunneling machine around and come back up to the surface || 4,400-6,000ºC is the estimate internal temperature of the Earth.
|-
| 5,000-6,000 || 9,032-10,832 || No, the surface of the '''''Earth''''', not the Sun || Presumably, the temperature of the surface of the sun.
|-
| 6,000-50,000 || 10,832-90,032 || Wait, that's not the Sun. What star are you visiting? Come back right now. || Presumably the temperature of the surface of a different type of star.
|-
| 50,000-20,000,000 || 90,032-90,032 || At least stay on the '''''surface''''' of the star instead of diving down to the core || Most likely the temperature of the core of a star (not a sun type star)
|-
| 20,000,000-10,000,000,000 || 90,032-18,000,000,032 || You know, you could've picked a normal star instead of one that's exploding || Most likely Nova or Supernova temperatures
|-
| 10,000,000,000 or higher || 18,000,000,032 or higher || I hope you're enjoying your visit to the Big Bang but you should really come back home immediately || 10^32 is the estimated temperature of the Big Bang
|}

The title text suggests that those with temperatures under 98.6 Kelvin (-173.55 Celsius or -280.39 Fahrenheit) are in a {{w|molecular cloud}} and that they should get near a star to warm them up. 98.6 ''Fahrenheit'' is the average human resting body temperature.

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

:Treating a Fever

:Fever   Treatment
:38°C-40°C (100°F-104°F): Fluids, rest, normal doctor stuff
:40°C-45°C: Hospital, advanced doctor stuff
:45°C-100°C: Exit that steam cloud immediately
:100°C-400°C: Stop, drop, and roll
:400°C-500°C: Return to Earth from Venus ASAP
:500°C-1,500°C: Please climb out of that volcano
:1,500°C-5,000°C: Turn your tunneling machine around and come back up to the surface
:5,000°C-6,000°C: No, the surface of the '''''Earth''''', not the Sun
:6,000°C-50,000°C: Wait, that's not the Sun. What star are you visiting? Come back right now.
:50,000°C-20,000,000°C: At least stay on the '''''surface''''' of the star instead of diving down to the core
:20,000,000°C-10,000,000,000°C: You know, you could've picked a normal star instead of one that's exploding
:10,000,000,000°C or higher: I hope you're enjoying your visit to the Big Bang but you should really come back home immediately

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Charts]]

2873: Supersymmetry

2023-12-27T21:39:23Z

Reentry S’more Maker:

{{comic
| number = 2873
| date = December 27, 2023
| title = Supersymmetry
| image = supersymmetry 2x.png
| imagesize = 313x375px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = High-speed collisions at the Baby Park track may support the hypothesis that Daisy is her own evil twin, a theory first suggested by Nintendo in the game Majorana's Mask.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by the REENTRY S’MORE MAKER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Protons, Neutrons, Antiprotons, Antineutrons, Electrons, and Electron Neutrinos are subatomic particles. Typically, an atom is made up of nucleus (Protons and Nuetrons), with a cloud of electrons.

Protons: Positive charge, mass is ~1 amu, p+
 Neutrons: No Charge, mass is slightly greater than 1 amu, n0
 Antiprotons: Negative Charge, same mass as a proton, -p
 Anitneutrons: No Charge, same mass as a neutron, -n
 Electrons: Negative Charge, 1/2000 amu, e-
 Electron Neutrinos: No Charge, mass 10 -36, ve

Note: there are Positrons (Antielectrons), which are the opposite of electrons, but they aren’t mentioned in the comic.

The right-handed Daisy (Electron Neutrino) means that Daisy’s direction of spin is the same as the direction of motion. A left-handed Daisy (Electron Neutrino) would be to the opposite.

The title text is a pun on the title of the Nintendo 64 game ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'' and the ''Majorana ferminon''. It is referring to the fact that scientists cannot find an antiparticle for a neutrino, and that scientists wonder if a neutrino is its own antiparticle.

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

:Mario: Proton
:Luigi: Neutron

:Wario: Antiproton
:Waluigi: Antineutron

:Peach: Electron
:Daisy: Electron neutrino

:Free Luigi decay!
:[Label below Daisy:] (Right-handed)

:[Caption below the panel:]
:The theory of Supersymmetric Mario Bros suggests that each fundamental particle has a Super Nintendo partner.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Physics]]

2854: Date Line

2023-11-14T00:45:41Z

Reentry S’more Maker:

{{comic
| number = 2854
| date = November 13, 2023
| title = Date Line
| image = date_line_2x.png
| imagesize = 443x522px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = They estimate the rocket should be free by approximately ... uh ... well, in about two hours.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SNAGGED LINE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The International Date Line is a arbitrary line on Earth that marks the points where, with time zones, you can cross midnight and go to the *next day*. The International Date Line is not a physical string, and therefore could not be caught on by a rocket. It should also be noted that the International Date Line is not a straight line, but extends out near the equator and New Zealand

Based off where the map shows, the Rocket was most likely launched by the Russians, possibly from the Baiknour Cosmodrome. Of course, the odds of a rocket getting stuck on such a line (if it existed) would be incredibly slim. Additionally, striking such an object wouldn’t trap the rocket. Instead, the rocket would discover what many KSP users have, a Rapid Unplanned Disassembly.

It can neither be confirmed not denied that the rocket isn’t a Goldfish with fire on it’s tail.

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

:[The earth, with the date line as a physical band being pulled off of the surface by a rocket, cutting into the land on the other side.]
:Caption: Timekeeping announcement: a rocket accidentally became snagged on the international date line during launch. Please pause all clocks and calendars until NASA is able to free it and safely resume the normal flow of time.

==Trivia==
* '''This trivia section was created by a BOT'''
* The [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/date_line.png standard size] image was uploaded with a resolution/size larger than the supposed 2x version.
* This may have been an error.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Time]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Calendar]]

2804: Marshmallow

2023-07-19T13:20:05Z

Reentry S’more Maker:

{{comic
| number = 2804
| date = July 19, 2023
| title = Marshmallow
| image = marshmallow_2x.png
| imagesize = 670x334px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The increasing number of graham crackers and chocolate bars in orbit has created a growing risk of Kessler s'mores.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Reentry S’mores Maker - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Smith, inside of an american (probably Apollo capsule) attempts to cook a marshmallow on an attachment stick, during the reentry of the capsule. As this stick ruins the aerodynamics (and someone smarter than me can work out how), the vehicle begins oscillating. This prompts Mission Control to tell Smith to put away the marshmallow roaster before the capsule swings out and experiences RUD.
==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[as follows, left to right, top to bottom]
Capsule begins reentry.
:Smith: We're approaching atmospheric entry.
:Smith: All systems nominal.
:Fwip
Marshmallow roasting rod deployed
:Smith: Houston, we're experiencing some oscillations. Vehicle is becoming difficult to control.
:Mission control: Smith, retract that stupid arm.
:Smith: No! It's not ready yet!

:[Caption below the panel:]
:In retrospect, the reentry marshmallow toasting module was a mistake.

{{comic discussion}}