explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

User talk:Asdf

2023-12-21T02:10:29Z

Sjcjoosten: /* CREEP */ new section

==Welcome==
I know you are not a newbie and so I would like to see your opinions at this talk page: [[explain xkcd talk:Editor FAQ]]. The main issues right now are ''tables'' and ''headings''. While avoiding tables seems to be consensus the headers are a more difficult issue. I try to keep this as simple as possible while a good layout is the final goal. Not easy. Any thoughts? --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:07, 25 August 2018 (UTC)

Thank you for the image. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 16:06, 19 March 2019 (UTC)

== "Another one" ==

You got there ''just'' before I did. My intended revert colllided with yours. At least that one helpfully left who they are... *ponders what I can do to them... hmmm...* Anyway, thought I might comment, as you actually have a page sitting here ready for something to be said... Keep up the good work! ;) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.121|162.158.159.121]] 14:00, 3 July 2022 (UTC)

== Eric's spam. ==

You know, I'd be absolutely astonished (and very concerned) if I randomly visited any website and I ended up answering a call from those who run it. Not withstanding that it's something we'd never want here (or to advertise on here, despite the best efforts of 'Eric') I can't believe it even works. And if it does work, it shouldn't! But as 'Eric' isn't going to be receptive to my thoughts on this, I thought I'd let you know, as a fellow reverter of his stuff, who would at least know what I'm talking about... ;) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.71|162.158.34.71]] 18:38, 10 July 2022 (UTC)

== <s>[[File talk:history of unicode zoom.png]]</s> ==

<s>{{File talk:history of unicode zoom.png}}</s>

== CREEP ==

Just wanted to follow up on your https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2870:_Love_Songs (first!) edits. Thanks for the amazing work you do, you might not know what the hell you're doing here but I really enjoy reading your explanations and you definitely belong here! [[User:Sjcjoosten|Sjcjoosten]] ([[User talk:Sjcjoosten|talk]]) 02:10, 21 December 2023 (UTC)

2629: Or Whatever

2022-06-07T14:18:59Z

Sjcjoosten: Change of cueball's original motivation

{{comic
| number = 2629
| date = June 6, 2022
| title = Or Whatever
| image = or_whatever.png
| titletext = Oh yeah, I didn't even know they renamed it the Willis Tower in 2009, because I know a normal amount about skyscrapers.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT OR WHATEVER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The {{w|Willis Tower}} (formerly the Sears Tower) is a 108-story, 442.1 meter skyscraper in Chicago. It is currently the third tallest building in North America, and was indeed the tallest building in the world for 25 years, surpassing the {{w|World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Centre}} upon opening in 1973, and being surpassed by the Petronas Towers upon their opening in 1998.

[[White Hat]] conveys some interesting historical trivia to [[Cueball]], regarding the {{w|Sears Tower}}. Cueball then sets the record straight by correcting White Hat's use of the word tower: In the category of 'tower', the Willis Tower was never the tallest. Cueball then realizes he just one-upped White Hat with what ''he'' knows about tall structures in general, which might make him sound obsessive, so he tags on the meaningless caveat of "or whatever".

This is meant to diffuse the tension he may have added by his well-meaning contradiction, but could also be taken as a passive-aggressive behaviour by interlocutors who may already be touchy about the original 'correction'.

In the title-text, being already self-conscious that he has overstepped the mark for polite smalltalk, he then hypercorrects the self-perceived tone of his response by explicitly denying that he knows far more about the tower, but only by providing the very facts that he is trying to claim not to know.

This comic hinges on the [https://www.engineersupply.com/What-is-the-difference-between-building-and-construction.aspx debate] about the tallest <i>structure</i> vs tallest ''building''. A {{w|building}} is generlly defined as a human-built structure ''fit for human habitation'' when it is fit for human habitation, while a {{w|structure}} is generally defined as anything humans make. (Or in some cases, anything an animal makes, like [[2418: Metacarcinization|crab shells.]])

There have beem multiple times where the tallest building (habitable) has been shorter than the tallest structure (Uninhabitable), such as in 1974 when the tallest structure was the {{w|warsaw radio mast}} at 646.38 meters. The radio mast was uninhabitable,{{Citation needed}} so the tallest building was (sort-of coincidentally) the Sears Tower at 442.1 meters. The Warsaw tower collapsed in 1991, so it was not the tallest structure for the majority of the '90s.

{{w|List of tallest structures|Wikipedia lists}} the tallest structures, and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkMWb_8IiB4 this YouTube video] explains a bit more about tall buildings/structures.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball and White Hat looking out on a skyline.]
:White Hat: You know, back in the 90s, the Sears Tower was the world's tallest tower.
:Cueball: Yeah! Or "building". The CN Tower and the KVLY-TV Antenna were taller, but the CN Tower isn't always considered a building and the antenna is supported by guy wires or whatever.

:[Caption below the panel]:
:Whenever I get self-conscious about how obsessive I sound about some random topic, I panic and tack on "or whatever".

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

Countdown in header text

2022-01-30T14:27:07Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Theories */

{{comic
| date = January 10, 2022
| title = Countdown in header text
| image = Countdown_in_header_text.png
| before = The countdown will probably last 21 days. After February 1st 2022 it is likely to have disappeared. See this [https://web.archive.org/web/20220110183238/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-10] archive version.
| ldomain = www
| lappend =
| extra = yes
}}
*Go directly to the list of [[Countdown in header text/images|images]].
**Or [[Countdown in header text/images#newestpicture|Jump to the newest picture]]
***The images can also be found [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ here] on munvoseli's page where comparison of two images and an animation can be seen.
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==
*'''Amazon revealed the news a day too early!''' - it is Randall's new book [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525537112 what if? 2] that will be announced tomorrow.
**That is actually really sad they did that.
**shouldn't the title be "but then, what if..?" or similar. "what if..? 2" doesn't scan very well.
*On January 10th 2022, [[Randall]] added a countdown in the top right corner of the [[xkcd Header text]] on {{xkcd}}.
**This happened while the comic [[2565: Latency]] was up.
***First the xkcd Header text was [[xkcd_Header_text#2022-01-08_-_Back_to_standard_text|changed back]] to the [[xkcd_Header_text#Header_text|standard text]] for the first time in almost three years:
****xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
***But already while this Friday-comic was still up on the following Monday the [[xkcd_Header_text#2022-01-10_-_Standard_text_with_countdown|countdown]] was added.
****This was thus up when the Monday comic [[2566: Decorative Constants]] was released, drawing more people to the xkcd page.
*The first [[#Archived Versions|archived version]] from [https://web.archive.org/web/20220110183238/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-10] read 20d 20h 27m.
**It looks like it started on [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ 01-10 17:00 UTC].
***At that time it would have read 20d 21h 59 min. Just two hours and 1 minute short of 3 weeks.
*This countdown will reach zero on Monday 2022-01-31 at 14:59 (2:59 PM) {{w|UTC}}, or 9:59 AM in Boston, Randall's home town.
**If seconds will be added towards the end, it seems likely that it may end exactly at 15:00 UTC (10:00 AM in Boston).
***Further, the timer may be using [[1061:_EST|EST]], in which case it will count up for four hours on 2022-01-18, and will end on 2022-01-31 23:00 UTC.
****Though either way, it would fall on Monday, and therefore the day comic 2575 should be released.
****The full moon has since passed, and now we know that the timer isn't using EST, so it will indeed reach zero at or near 2022-01-31T15:00Z.
**The timer ends in January. Recall that the month is named for Janus, the Roman god of endings and beginnings. Two salient points: the clock hits zero at the end of the month and the plane is leaving. Look for a big ending and, we hope, something nice to replace it.
*The next day on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220111153818/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-11] a diagonal black bar appeared in the lower left-hand corner of the countdown box and started to move further into the image on following changes to the [[#Images|image]].
**This development called for the creation of this dedicated [[Countdown in header text]] page.
**The line had already moved further into the image at this time, but the latest version will never be available in the web archive.
***This development is reminiscent of the huge comic [[1190: Time]].
*As mentioned above, [https://munvoseli.github.io/ Munvoseli] is keeping [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ track of the changes] to the image on the countdown.
**Although there are (at 2022-01-12 12:35 UTC) thirteen different frames we know of, the first three looks the same (because the diagonal bar was not in the frame yet) and the seventh and the eighth also seems to be the same, even though the bar had already begun moving across the frame from the fourth. This is either on purpose, a slipup or means that The Frame<sup>TM</sup> might not be zooming out of a larger image.
***However, the images that look the same all have individual addresses on the xkcd server. See more under [[#Images|Images]] below.
***Similarly, frames 91 and 92 seem to be exactly the same. Also frame 92 did not upload as part of the roughly four hour schedule, but between two frames that are part of the regular schedule.

Randall has previously made a comic simply called [[1159: Countdown]]. However, in that the roles are reversed. There we know that the countdown is for (Super Volcano) but not if it will happen soon or very much later. Here we know when, and it is rather soon, but not what.

==Images==
*Images will be put on [[Countdown in header text/images|this separate page]].
**The images can also be found [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ here] on munvoseli's page.
***It is possible to compare two images, chosen between those released, on that page!
***From 2022-01-14 it has also been possible to see an animation.
**See more details at the top of the image page.
*After a few days the black lines forming the image came into conflict with the clock, which has a rounded white frame around it. This can be seen in one of the earliest examples here:
[[File:Countdown in header text Clock Cover Black Lines.png]]
*Later this could cause problems for those only looking at the xkcd page. From frame 97 a new item appeared in the top right corner. This turned out to be a black curve that could resemble a dinosaurs tail. At this moment, frame 121, it is still unclear what it is. But when looked at on xkcd, the clocks rounded white frame intersects with the "tail" making the end curve inwards. This makes it look like an elephants trunk. But this is of course not the case, but an effect of how the clock is overlaid on the image:
[[File:Countdown in header text Clock Causes Trunk Appearance.png]]
*Also at this time a new development happened after the "plane tail" moved forward it stopped on 2022-01-18 and started moving up (or zooming in). See for instance these two comparison from munvoseli's page showing the difference from the 8 pictures before today, and then after three out today:
[[File:Countdown in header text Compare 40 to 48.png]] [[File:Countdown in header text Compare 48 to 51.png]]
*Later a similar change happens, as it changes from zooming out to slowly moving towards the right, although the windows and the door appear to move more in relation to the frame than the rest of the aircraft:
[[File:Countdown in header text Compare 85 to 90.png]] [[File:Countdown in header text Compare 95 to 90.png]]
*From frame 124 to 125 one of the largest changes occured between images so far. A very large jump bringing two new things into view, the landing wheel and possibly a leg if it is dinosaur on top of the plane;
[[File:Countdown in header text Compare 124 to 125.png]]

===Ongoing description===
** Frames 1-12: A diagonal line.
** Frame 13: A curve seems to begin at the top left of the line.
** Frame 18: The curve connects the diagonal line with a horizontal line.
** Frame 27-28: A new line appears in the bottom left corner.
** Frame 40-42: The new line turns out to be connected to the horizontal line, forming a corner which is not attached to any other line.
** Frame 49: The "camera movement" direction changes, while the object is still moving upward it stopped moving towards the left side, moving towards the right instead.
** Frame 54: A slight upward curve seems to appear in the right line, the left line seems to have a small bend downwards, though that could at that point just be a straight line that Randall drew without a ruler.
** Frame 60-62: A new line appears in the bottom right corner, it turns out to be a continuation of the first original line which curves upward and has a positive slope at that point of the picture, between about 2 o'clock and 3 o'clock. The downward bend of the left line continues on straight in the same direction, it was probably an intentional bend and not an irregularity in drawing a straight line by hand.
** Frame 63: In the minimum of the right curved line a new line starts appearing, way thinner than the others (which were up to this point all rather part of one line) and going slightly downwards and very much to the left, at an angle somewhere between 8 o'clock and 9 o'clock.
** Frame 67: A possible feature becomes visible at the bottom edge of the image that might resolve the exact nature of the (currently presumed) aircraft, e.g. which particular aerodynamic surface we have been seeing and thus from which particular orientation we are viewing it.
** Frame 68-72 makes it clear this must be an aircraft by showing windows and a door and clearly the tail fin. As late as frame 69 some people argued that the tail fin could have been a wing.
** Frame 73-83 brings a horizontal stabilizer into view.
** Frame 87-89: A new curved line appears on the underside of the (presumed) aircraft, so there either is something behind it or it might not be an aircraft.
** Frame 96-99: An arc is coming into view in the upper right corner, likely the top edge of a cloud.
*** Turned out not to be a cloud.
** Frame 101-106 seems to be some kind of radar on top of the plane, like the one on {{w|Boeing E-3 Sentry}}. Or alternatively this plane is hanging beneath another plane. Not looking at all like {{w|Spaceshiptwo}}, but something similar, which could make this plane a spaceplane?
** Frame 106-114 a new element of the image appears on the right side, it could be the end of a wing. The arch no longer looks like a radar. Could be the tail of a Dinosaur or the cape of someone riding the airplane...
*** a cape is unlikely as it would probably be drawn to flap in the wind. The other element does appear to be a wingtip
*** Could it be [[Cory Doctorow]] flying with the airplane, but much closer to the 'camera'?
** Frame 115-121 makes it clear that the newest addition at the bottom right is the wing tip of the plane. The black curve above the plane still mostly looks like a tail as on a dinosaur or dragon. Could also be a tentacle. Either from an [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/b/b5/1608_1038x1094y_Giant_octopus_in_Destroyer.pngv octopus] or from and alien like in [[2572: Alien Observers]]. Of course it could also be a cape, but seems too thick at the end...
** Frame 124 shows something beneath the plane, but already in 125, that makes one of the largest jumps between pictures so far, this is clearly one of the wheels on the landing gear. Also the hind leg of the Dinosaur whose tail has been visible long time is coming in to view. Not certain yet it is a dino (probably a velociraptor), but the leg makes it the number one candidate.
** Frames 126-127 almost confirm the dinosaur theory.
*** And at this time someone spotted the new What if? 2 book on Amazon and it is the Tyrannosaur from the [[what if?]] blog that is now eating a plane rather than being lowered into the Sarlac.

==Theories==
*'''Amazon revealed the news a day too early!''' - it is Randall's new book [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525537112 what if? 2] that will be announced at the end of the countdown.
**That is actually really sad they did that.
**So it is a book announcement, and the picture is Tyrannosaur eating a plane while in flight.
**I think the picture might be of the entire book, or at least include the text 'what if? 2', and that more rapid zoom-out will happen during the last minutes.
*Here below are the different theories for what the countdown was for and what the picture was going to reveal from before it was clear what it was.

===The picture===
*Theories about the picture:
**From 2022-01-21 it became certain that it was a plane! Passenger plane. Door and windows are visible.
***From 2022-01-22 it became clear that it was the rear end, so it was a tailfin that came into the panel to begin with. Up til the day before it was still a bit uncertain if it could have been a wing.
*** from 2022-01-24 a bottom line has appeared which doesn't fit well with a 'standard' airliner. perhaps the image is deliberately misleading (eg will transform into something else)
*** From 2022-01-26 something looking like a radar like the one on a {{w|Boeing E-3 Sentry}} began emerging in the top right corner.
*** From 2022-01-28 it looks like an elephant's trunk to me.
**What will this lead up to - theories about this.
***It could be an airplane with a banner like in [[1355: Airplane Message]].
****That would very soon be clear as the bottom part of the rear end seems to be coming into view during 2022-01-24, if the direction does not change again.
*****This is now ruled out, since the plane is clearly not towing a banner.
***It could end up landing in a city, perhaps with a skyline pinpointing where Randall will be or move.
****However, unlikely to manage this in real life as the count down ends.
****Also, very unlikely (1 in 60, or even 1 in 3600) that such a landing would occur exactly on the hour.
*****But it could also just be the time when he announces he has moved...
***Maybe Cueball will make a parachute jump, and Cueball could represent a real life Randall, as this could in principle be timed very accurately.
****This is something you would schedule a month or more ahead, want to tell people about in advance, want to make a big deal about on your website, is not quite as bizarre as zero-G and probably more fun {{citation needed}}, could be done with an adventurous wife, explains why it’s the tail of the plane in the image, and (assuming no mechanical, medical, or meteorological problems, a safe assumption), might go something like “on my mark, it’ll be 9:59:56 A.M. in Boston... mark. 3, 2, 1, JUMP!” Maybe it’ll be just Cueball/Randall, but could more likely include Megan representing his wife.
****However, it could very easily be that the weather in January could foil the attempt, or at least the timing.
****The plane appears to be a commercial jetliner, though, rather than the small prop planes used for parachute jumps. Unless, of course, Randall is revealing his real identity has been Wesley Snipes all along
****The plane appears to have its landing gear down, which rules out a parachute jump.
*****At frame 124 it is a bit early to say that the dot beneath the plane is the landing gear, but from 125 it became clear. Also seems like the leg of the dino on the plane has come into vies. The below was written before number 125 came out.
*****Landing gear implies that the aircraft is either taking off or landing, and judging by the plane's nose-up attitude, most likely taking off. Therefore, assuming that the plane is in fact shown seconds after rotation (possibly still on the ground), there is a possibility that the black object could be an airport fixture, perhaps a wind sock in the foreground?
******Well, forget I said that. It's a dinosaur apparently.
*** Perhaps the new item on top of the plane is the tail of a dinosaur? perhaps like the one on the cover of "what if..." book. perhaps it's a new book?
*** There are two flights originating in Boston departing at 09:59 on 1/31/2022: Spirit NK433 to Orlando Florida and Delta DL5696 to Washington D.C.
***Frame 101-106 seems to be some kind of radar on top of the plane, like the one on Boeing E-3 Sentry. Or alternatively this plane is hanging beneath another plane. Not looking at all like Spaceshiptwo, but something similar, which could make this plane a spaceplane?
**** Predicting dinosaur
***** Cross-referencing it with the cover of ''What If?'', this does seem like a xkcd-style dinosaur tail. It could represent Randall, or xkcd as a whole, going somewhere. Or it could just be the cover of a new book.
******Yep, it's a dinosaur.
**** Revising my prior theory: It now looks very much like another aircraft (similar to theory below) but not part of the main aircraft, I think. I would guess it is either an improbable mid-air encounter (like a passenger jet and an ultra-lite) or an equally improbable "launch" of something from the jet (again like an ultra-lite or some other less common or even fictional craft.)
**** Maybe the torch of the Statue of Liberty?
**** The black wave looks like a superhero cape
**** the white element overlapping the fuselage could be the start of the wing-tip these fold up at the ends of many modern aircraft, could mean aircraft is banking left.
***Frame 107-121 the right wing of the plane moves into view. It is still unclear if the black curve is a tail, a cape or a tentacle. But seems like it cannot be another aircraft.
***Has now been resolved.

====Early theories====
Many early theories were generated before the picture was decisively revealed to be a plane.

*It seems after two days and 12 pictures like either something is moving into the frame or that it is a zoom out from a white area of a large picture. Maybe it is the arm of Cueball that will come into view.
*The second line makes it look somewhat like the tail fin of an aircraft.
**Or the wing of an aircraft (left if looking down at it). Perhaps the plane is towing a banner that will fly through the frame.
***After almost a week this looks like the most promising suggestion so far. Now that the direction of the camera movement has changed, we might get to see the rest of the aircraft soon.
****From picture 63, it more and more seems like it was the tail fin of a plane and now we can see the body.
*****It's almost certainly the tail (and now a bit of the rear fuselage) of an aircraft.
******It could just as easily be the left wing and part of the fuselage (showing windows on the right side of an airliner), with the tail fin out of view to the rear, as being the tail fin from an angle where the left wing is out of view behind the fuselage.
*******judging by the relative size of the (presumed) windows, I think it's more likely to be the left wing than the tail fin.
*******Based on the way planes are drawn in [[1868: Eclipse Flights]]. [[1355: Airplane Message]] and [[1669: Planespotting]], plane wings have a point on their edge and tail fins have a flat side, and (if a line is present) a thick line separates wings from the body, whereas thin lines or no lines separate tail fins, so this is a tail fin.
*******In the bottom left there appears to be the top part of a horizontal stabilizer, implying this is the tail.
********It’s a tail fin, that’s finally clear, but that’s the underside of the stabilizer. Which means this would be the best angle to view Cueball/Randall parachuting out of that door, something that would be predictable to the exact minute (barring all kinds of things that could go wrong).
*******Appears to be a door to the left of the windows
*******It could be an airplane with a banner like in [[1355: Airplane Message]]
***Tail of a space shuttle, perhaps?
****While I think Randall would've also drawn in the signature black part of the rudder, the shape fits perfectly
****Timing is close (though not exact) to the Columbia disaster anniversary (2003-02-01 1359 UTC)
***I'm thinking the tail of a Zeppelin.
****Although those normally have longer tail fins.
*Maybe it is some kind of vehicle rolling into frame, like a car?
*Or the word xkcd? (or xkcd 2?)
*Could have been "Hangman", but it looks like it's zooming in on the diagonal instead of continuing to make a gibbet.
*With the new second line appearing in the corner as of frame 28 it looks like it's definitely zooming out of an image. It looks like it could be someone's arm in a running position.
*I think it could also be two legs of a reclining stick person.
*The lines suggest a shark fin and the movement would suggest it swimming across the frame.
**If it was a shark fin, then the most likely candidates would be the first dorsal fin and the pectoral fin, but both end in points rather than edges like in the pictures of the header puzzle. An aircraft tail fin still seems most likely.
*Maybe it's a two-dimensional shape viewed from a weird angle?
**Like a rectangle viewed from a floating, tilted perspective
**Or the top of the k in xkcd
**Or a boat dock?
*The r/xkcd subreddit produced some early theories :
**Cueball's arm
**The letter D, as in "The End"
**A spider's web, in reference to comic 1688
***With the airplane revelation, this reference turned into a meme in the subreddit, where users tried to justify the presence of an airplane shape inside a bigger-scope spider picture
***Some joke theories included:
****A giant spider flinging airplanes from the sky, as a new potential "What If?"
****The lines are a web and the apparent windows the eyes of a giant spider
****The airplane is a complex-looking spider leg, and 8 of them form a spider
***Another redditor made the airplane part of a dragon's head

===Countdown===
*Theories about the countdown:
*Several have already been mentioned in the discussion:
**Maybe Randall is going on vacation?
**Notice that as of now - 22-Jan-2022 7am PST - (not sure exactly when it happened) the countdown has disappeared. Temporarily (perhaps to make the image cleaner?) or permanently? [[User:Pharmacovigilant|Pharmacovigilant]] ([[User talk:Pharmacovigilant|talk]]) 15:38, 24 January 2022 (UTC) The next time I looked (Sunday?), the countdown was back. No idea if it was a glitch or what.
**Randall's next book, either the countdown is counting down to the start of promotion or it is released when the countdown ends.
***Usually Randall has made month long [[:Category:Book promotion|book promotions]] before release. So if it is the release day it is a new way to do it. But he will get a lot of attention. If it is just the start of promoting it, people might get disappointed…
****For instance he began promoting his [[xkcd_Header_text#2015-05-14_-_New_book_Thing_Explainer|new book Thing Explainer]] in the header text. That was in May 2015 and the book was first released [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ late November 2015]. Most of this time the header text was promoting the book.
***[[User:Flumnble|Flumnble]] found a book listing for [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525537112 what if? 2], seems very likely to me.
**{{w|James Webb Space Telescope}} (JWST) going into orbit about L2 {{w|Lagrange point}}.
***Randall has already made several comics about the telescope. The latest [[2564: Sunshield]] was released just five days prior to the countdown was started.
***But the telescope will not reach the point but rather go into a large orbit around it, so a precise timer counting down to it seems a bit farfetched.
***On NASA's page on JWST it seems like it will [https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/deploymentExplorer.html#25 go into orbit] 29.5 days after its [[December 25th Launch]], on Christmas Day, so it should have already started the orbit by the 23rd or 24th of January - 8 days before the countdown.
***Also No based on the image.
**{{w|Lunar New Year}}
***In China it starts on February 1st and a [https://yourcountdown.to/chinese-new-year countdown for China] is 8 hours behind.
****The South Korean time zone is UTC+9, hence 14:59 UTC = 23:59 in South Korea, one minute to Feb 1.
*****But it's weird if Randall that has basically never mentioned this holiday suddenly makes a three week countdown for it, and why choose South Korea when most would think of China in this context…?
**Randall will stop making xkcd (Goodbye in the image).
***Hopefully not.
****Agreed, {{tvtropes|PoisonOakEpilepticTrees|to be avoided}}
***It might be a temporary stop (hiatus).
**[https://nationaldaycalendar.com/backward-day-january-31/ National Backward Day]
***This is not a day mentioned on Wikipedia at the time of release of the countdown, so seems unlikely.
**Maybe it will be an announcement of xkcd 2, a new and improved version for… some reason?
***Seems unlikely…
**{{w|Black History Month}}. The {{w|Greensboro sit-ins}} started on Feb 1 1960. Black History Month also begins on February 1st, also in 2022.
***But this countdown stops early on January 31st so seems unlikely.
***However, before changing the Header recently it was about [[xkcd_Header_text#2020-06-03_-_Black_Lives_Matter|Black Lives Matter]] for more than 1.5 years, first ending on December 20th 2021, less than a month before the countdown began. In between that there was a short Christmas sale reminder until a week into 2022. So it could just be another way of reminding of us the issues faced by black people in the US.
****If this was true, I feel like it would be simpler to just change back to the Black Lives Matter text at the top of the screen. Also, it seems increasingly likely as of Jan. 20th that the image is some kind of plane, which doesn't really have much to do with Black History Month (that I know of?)
**The accompanying header says specifically "xkcd updates Monday, Wednesday, and Friday"--maybe the countdown is to the reveal of a new update schedule?
***Very unlikely. This was the standard header for a long time. It was used when Randall had nothing better to say. But with all his books and the trouble in US with elections and BLM, he has used the header as a platform most of the time many years now. So the standard text is rare. But he did return it for two days before adding the count down, making it seem just like normal.
***A guess is that it returned to this, so the header text did not take any focus away from the countdown.
**[[:Category:Red Spiders|Red spider]] attack?
***Un-Likely
**He will become a father - could be a planned C-section.
***As this is unpredictable, and could go wrong, then this would be a dangerous countdown, people can be very superstitious, even if scientist.
**As it currently looks (after a [[1070: Words for Small Sets|few days]] into the countdown) it may be a trip he is taking by plane.
***Maybe going somewhere people could meet him.
****Book tour?
***Moving a long way from home (down under or the like).
****Maybe he's moving to Japan? Could be a plane, and the time zone would fit, at least.
*****Then the countdown would be until when the plane lands, not to midnight.
******What has time zones to do with this clock? It counts down to the same time all over the world, and will reach zero at the same time no matter what time zone you are in.
******Time zones have to do with where it will be midnight when the countdown reaches zero. If it's a countdown to when January ends (a moment before February begins), then it's until that moment in the time zone where the countdown reaches zero at that time.
******* According to my calculations, the timer will coincide with midnight in the UTC+9 time zone, encompassing both Koreas, Japan, and small parts of Russia and Indonesia.
****If it is a plane, then maybe it will land in a new city Randall moves to when the counter ends, and the skyline will be visible...
**Perhaps it's a start to a new series like [[1190: Time]].
***It is already a series that works like Time, so seems unlikely.
**Zero-G flight, really looks like plane to me.
***Could be time he will first go weightless which could be fairly well known except for bad weather
**A parachute jump by Randall. Could be predicted as well as the zero G.
**How about the [https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/09/09/star-trek-picard-season-2-release-date-plot-cast/ new series of Picard]?
***{{w|Star Trek: Picard (season 2)}} is set to run from March 3 2022, which both Wikipedia (link before) and [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8806524/episodes?season=2 IMDb] agrees upon so bad to miss by more than a month, and what would the plane in the image have to do with this anyway?
***So No!
** The xkcd world tour!! I wish
** I'm beginning to see another part of the picture entering into view, underneath the arc and above the body of the plane. To me, it looks like it could be a leg of sorts (Early bet: it could be a dinosaur)
**Maybe something to do with aliens? Randall posted two comics about aliens secretly observing earth in a row now, could that be related?
** DB Cooper's jump from an airliner was 50 years ago, but not until november
*** Maybe Randall admits that he was DB Cooper all along?

===count-wimRikmef===
* The identifier of the script contains what is probably an acronym, but for what?
** count / wim (?) / Rik (name) & me f(light)
** Or it's just the output of whatever js minimizer was used.
** R = Randall?
** Randall is travelling to Germany? "Wo ist mein Reisepass? Ich komme mit einem Flug"
* The "img" tag has a misspelled "heigth" attribute. Probably just a typo?

==Archived Versions==
*Here is a list of the versions that has been saved to the web archive during the countdown.
**The counter in that version is written behind the date of the web archive.
**Note that the counter is active on the archived version counting minutes down from the start. Some of the versions almost changing the minutes just after loading. But it will always count from the time given here:
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220110183238/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-10] 20d 20h 27m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220110214138/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-10] 20d 17h 18m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220111011115/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-11] 20d 13h 48m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220112005828/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-12] 19d 14h 1m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220113044552/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-13] 18d 10h 14m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220114010759/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-14] 17d 13h 51m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220114195624/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-14] 16d 19h 3m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220115052737/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-15] 16d 9h 32m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220116074923/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-16] 15d 7h 10m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220116225217/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-16] 14d 16h 7m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220118050255/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-18] 13d 9h 57m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220118195259/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-18] 12d 19h 6m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220119213308/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-19] 11d 17h 26m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220120103559/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-20] 11d 4h 23m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220120235630/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-20] 10d 15h 3m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220121023331/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-21] 10d 12h 26m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220121102349/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-21] 10d 4h 36m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220122002328/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-22] 9d 14h 36m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220122034744/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-22] 9d 11h 12m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220122223018/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-22] 8d 16h 29m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220123153950/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-23] 7d 23h 20m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220123231820/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-23] 7d 15h 41m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220124200931/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-24] 6d 18h 50m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220125064825/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-25] 6d 8h 11m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220126002713/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-26] 5d 14h 32m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220126175842/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-26] 4d 21h 1m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220127173721/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-27] 3d 21h 22m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220128225119/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-28] 2d 16h 8m
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20220129024550/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-29] 2d 12h 14m

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Meta]]

Countdown in header text

2022-01-23T16:05:06Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Ongoing description */

Countdown in header text

2022-01-21T16:57:14Z

Sjcjoosten: /* The picture */

1859: Sports Knowledge

2017-07-05T14:10:35Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1859
| date = July 5, 2017
| title = Sports Knowledge
| image = sports_knowledge.png
| titletext = I heard they might make the wild card game, which would be cool. Do you know when that is? I have a wedding next weekend, but if it's after that we could try to go!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Need an explanation on why this is funny, plus an explanation for the title text}}

Cueball demonstrates that he has some knowledge about Mike Trout, a baseball player for the Los Angeles baseball team "Angels". However, he mixes up the baseball team for the basketball team when he mentions "Lakers". White hat corrects him, after which Cueball takes another guess at which team, this time mentioning an American Football team in Denver, indicating even poorer knowledge about sports.

==Transcript==
Cue-ball (CB) and white hat (WH) are walking next to one another in a single frame comic.

CB: Mike Trout's on-base plus slugging has been at career highs. After this injury, the lakers will be lucky if he can hit even close to that.

WH: ...Lakers?

CB: I forget which team he is. Broncos?

Caption below comic: I know a handful of very specific things, but after that my sports knowledge falls apart quickly.

{{comic discussion}}

1859: Sports Knowledge

2017-07-05T14:10:15Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1859
| date = July 5, 2017
| title = Sports Knowledge
| image = sports_knowledge.png
| titletext = I heard they might make the wild card game, which would be cool. Do you know when that is? I have a wedding next weekend, but if it's after that we could try to go!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Need an explanation on why this is funny, plus an explanation for the title text}}

Cueball demonstrates that he has some knowledge about Mike Trout, a baseball player for the Los Angeles baseball team "Angels". However, he mixes up the baseball team for the basketball team when he mentions "Lakers". White hat corrects him, after which Cueball takes another guess at which team, this time mentioning an American Football team in Denver, indicating even poorer knowledge about sports.

==Transcript==
Cue-ball (CB) and white hat (WH) are walking next to one another in a single frame comic.

CB: Mike Trout's on-base plus slugging has been at career highs. After this injury, the lakers will be lucky if he can hit even close to that.
WH: ...Lakers?
CB: I forget which team he is. Broncos?

Caption below comic: I know a handful of very specific things, but after that my sports knowledge falls apart quickly.

{{comic discussion}}

1859: Sports Knowledge

2017-07-05T14:07:33Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1859
| date = July 5, 2017
| title = Sports Knowledge
| image = sports_knowledge.png
| titletext = I heard they might make the wild card game, which would be cool. Do you know when that is? I have a wedding next weekend, but if it's after that we could try to go!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Need an explanation on why this is funny, plus an explanation for the title text}}

Cueball demonstrates that he has some knowledge about Mike Trout, a baseball player for the Los Angeles baseball team "Angels". However, he mixes up the baseball team for the basketball team when he mentions "Lakers". White hat corrects him, after which Cueball takes another guess at which team, this time mentioning an American Football team in Denver, indicating even poorer knowledge about sports.

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

{{comic discussion}}

1550: Episode VII

2015-07-13T09:33:19Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1550
| date = July 13, 2015
| title = Episode VII
| image = episode_vii.png
| titletext = The Lord of the Rings sequel, set years after the Ring hubbub has died down, is just Samwise discreetly creeping back to Bag End to finish dropping the eaves.
}}

{{Incomplete|First Draft}}

==Explanation==
''{{w|Star Wars: The Force Awakens}}'' (also known as ''Episode VII'') is set to premiere in December 2015. This comic foretells the plot of the movie, based on a quote from the first film in the series.

In ''{{w|Star Wars (film)|Star Wars}}'' (''Episode IV: A New Hope''), {{w|Owen Lars}} tells his (step-)nephew, {{w|Luke Skywalker}}, to clean two newly purchased droids:

:'''Uncle Owen:''' Luke! Take these two over to the garage will ya? I want 'em cleaned up before dinner
:'''Luke:''' But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!
:'''Uncle Owen:''' You can waste time with your friends when your chores are done. Now, come on. Get to it.

One of the droids happens to be {{w|R2-D2}}, and the attempt to clean him reveals a message which sets in motion the events of ''Star Wars'' episodes IV, V and VI, where Luke plays a crucial part. In this comic, Luke returns to {{w|Tatooine}} to finish the errand that was interrupted. Apparently, that's all that happens in episode VII.

The title text alludes to {{w|Samwise Gamgee}} being similarly interrupted (by {{w|Gandalf}} and a quest to save the free world) in his eavesdropping outside {{w|Bag End}} in the beginning of the ''{{w|Lord of the Rings}}'' (although he himself adamantly denies dropping any eaves).

==Transcript==
[Black background, lettering in the style of the Star Wars logo]
Star Wars The Force Awakens

[Building in the desert, two men in the background, one running in front of the building. Next to the building is a sign]
sign: Tosche Station

[Caped man standing next to R2D2]
Caped man: Hello

[closeup of caped man. The man has a mustache and a beard.]
Caped man: I'm here for those power converters

[Black background, white letters (to resemble movie credits)]
Directed By J.J.Abrams

Title text: The Lord of the Rings sequel, set years after the Ring hubbub has died down, is just Samwise discreetly creeping back to Bag End to finish dropping the eaves.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]

Talk:837: Coupon Code

2015-06-19T20:46:50Z

Sjcjoosten: *cringe*

If you see in the first frame, the Subtotal is a one-digit number, possibly $3.19. Yet the tax is way higher, and the subtotal is higher still. Thoughts?
--Kuilin Li, kuilin@gmail.com, didn't bother registering.
[[Special:Contributions/67.175.58.94|67.175.58.94]] 03:00, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

: The word next to the (potential) 3.19 isn't 'subtotal', though. The first letter might be a K or R, no idea on the second, the third is probably an E, K or R again, a 'one foot' letter like I or T, a C (I think), another 'one foot', a round bottom like a C or O, then possibly an H. I'm sure it's a real word, knowing how much detail he puts in the simplest things, am pretty sure it's not 'subtotal', but no idea otherwise what it actually is. --[[User:StarChaser Tyger|StarChaser Tyger]] ([[User talk:StarChaser Tyger|talk]]) 03:59, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

:: My guess is that it says "AMERICIUM". —Tanner Swett [[Special:Contributions/107.5.152.253|107.5.152.253]] 22:29, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

::: Hmm, looks like you could be right. Also, {{w|americium}} is a radioactive element commonly used (in tiny amounts) in {{w|smoke detector}}s. It's probably the only {{w|transuranic element}} you can find in your house. --[[User:Aaron of Mpls|Aaron of Mpls]] ([[User talk:Aaron of Mpls|talk]]) 03:46, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

I don't really get the joke: is it about the idea that stealing something from the house of a dying woman is a rather common thing to have on one's conscience? and Cueball tries to leverage on that everywhere he can? Or would it be that Cueball really ''knows'' who is on the other side and what he can pressure them on? - [[User:Cos|Cos]] ([[User talk:Cos|talk]]) 14:28, 7 February 2013 (UTC)
:The joke is that coupon codes are normally bland, corporate, impersonal, and small (you don't save that much money generally). Also, they're now sometimes shared on sites like RetailMeNot. This is just the opposite. It's a highly profitable way of exploiting a personal secret the buyer knows about the seller. [[User:Mattflaschen|Mattflaschen]] ([[User talk:Mattflaschen|talk]]) 03:48, 9 February 2013 (UTC)
:: Highly effective way? Only if the buyer was reading the discount code input manually! [[Special:Contributions/220.224.246.97|220.224.246.97]] 12:53, 21 February 2013 (UTC)
:::It's the romantic image that there is more behind the interface than mere, cold technology. But atleast a sentinent being, if not humans. I don't think there's an actual joke that is supposed to make you laugh here though. --[[Special:Contributions/91.46.105.142|91.46.105.142]] 22:11, 3 July 2013 (UTC)

It is way too specific to be a "shot in the dark", the extortionist clearly has inside knowledge. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.117|108.162.246.117]] 01:01, 18 January 2014 (UTC)
: See https://xkcd.com/440/ [[Special:Contributions/162.158.68.53|162.158.68.53]] 18:05, 19 June 2015 (UTC)

;Price of the product

I think the price is 3.14, as it is the closest number that matches with the image & perfectly divides into 65.94 (80.02-14.08). --[[User:ParadoX|ParadoX]] ([[User talk:ParadoX|talk]]) 00:58, 4 April 2014 (UTC)
:That sounds like something Randall would do, since 3.14~=π . [[User:Z|Z]] ([[User talk:Z|talk]]) 20:35, 20 April 2014 (UTC)

Wish it worked in the XKCD shop. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.36|199.27.133.36]] 06:08, 18 September 2014 (UTC)

1522: Astronomy

2015-05-08T12:09:11Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1522
| date = May 8, 2015
| title = Astronomy
| image = astronomy.png
| titletext = Astrobiology is held back by the fact that we're all too nervous to try to balance on the ladder while holding an expensive microscope.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|New page}}

For many ordinary objects, one can achieve a better view in two ways: (#1) by looking at the object from a distance through a telescope, or (#2) by approaching the object and looking at it through a magnifying glass. Magnifying glasses typically have a very short resolving distance, usually on the order of a tenth of a meter, so approach #2 is effective only in the case where you can get very close to the object in question.

In the comic, the objects being viewed are celestial bodies. Megan takes approach #1, looking at them through a telescope. Beret Guy attempts approach #2, using a step-ladder to try to get close to the celestial bodies, and then looking through a magnifying glass. This approach could be successful only if the celestial bodies were within a few meters of us. In fact they are many orders of magnitude further away than that, and Beret Guy's use of the ladder would yield no appreciable improvement in his view of celestial bodies through a magnifying glass. The history of astronomy is filled with drastic underestimates of distances to celestial bodies, but none quite so comical as Beret Guy's very extreme underestimate. The comic is funny because although Beret Guy's approach is absurd, it still works.

Although Beret Guy approach to astronomy seems ill-informed, previous comics such as [[1486: Vacuum]] and [[1490: Atoms]] shows that his unusual understanding of science actually works.

The title text assumes (for comic effect) that the only thing wrong with Beret Guy's strategy is that the ladder would be unstable, when in fact his approach would be quite obviously bound to fail for the reasons described above.

In the title text, the word "astrobiology" is the joining of the prefix astro- and biology and refers to the study of life (or possibility thereof) elsewhere in the universe.

It might be interesting to note that a lot of developments in "terrestrial" biology were made by the use of a simple microscope (a.k.a. a magnifying lens), so Beret Guy's approach might be an attempt to build on that.

==Transcript==

[Megan looks at the stars through a telescope about twice her size, touching it at the base]

[Beret Guy enters the panel holding a ladder and a magnifying glass]

[Beret Guy places the ladder next no Megan and her telescope. The ladder is stands like a triangle, is slightly larger than Megan, but smaller than the telescope]

[Beret guy climbs to the top of the ladder, and looks at the stars through a magnifying glass]

{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Portmanteau]]

1522: Astronomy

2015-05-08T12:07:49Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1522
| date = May 8, 2015
| title = Astronomy
| image = astronomy.png
| titletext = Astrobiology is held back by the fact that we're all too nervous to try to balance on the ladder while holding an expensive microscope.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|New page}}

For many ordinary objects, one can achieve a better view in two ways: (#1) by looking at the object from a distance through a telescope, or (#2) by approaching the object and looking at it through a magnifying glass. Magnifying glasses typically have a very short resolving distance, usually on the order of a tenth of a meter, so approach #2 is effective only in the case where you can get very close to the object in question.

In the comic, the objects being viewed are celestial bodies. Megan takes approach #1, looking at them through a telescope. Beret Guy attempts approach #2, using a step-ladder to try to get close to the celestial bodies, and then looking through a magnifying glass. This approach could be successful only if the celestial bodies were within a few meters of us. In fact they are many orders of magnitude further away than that, and Beret Guy's use of the ladder would yield no appreciable improvement in his view of celestial bodies through a magnifying glass. The history of astronomy is filled with drastic underestimates of distances to celestial bodies, but none quite so comical as Beret Guy's very extreme underestimate. The comic is funny because although Beret Guy's approach is absurd, it still works.

Although Beret Guy approach to astronomy seems ill-informed, previous comics such as [[1486: Vacuum]] and [[1490: Atoms]] shows that his unusual understanding of science actually works.

The title text assumes (for comic effect) that the only thing wrong with Beret Guy's strategy is that the ladder would be unstable, when in fact his approach would be quite obviously bound to fail for the reasons described above.

In the title text, the word "astrobiology" is the joining of the prefix astro- and biology and refers to the study of life (or possibility thereof) elsewhere in the universe.

It might be interesting to note that a lot of developments in "terrestrial" biology were made by the use of a simple microscope (a.k.a. a magnifying lens), so Beret Guy's approach might be an attempt to build on that.

==Transcript==

[Megan looks at the stars through a telescope about twice her size]

[Beret Guy enters the panel holding a ladder and a magnifying glass]

[Beret Guy places the ladder next no Megan and her telescope. The ladder is stands like a triangle, is slightly larger than Megan, but smaller than the telescope]

[Beret guy climbs to the top of the ladder, and looks at the stars through a magnifying glass]

{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Portmanteau]]

1522: Astronomy

2015-05-08T12:02:35Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1522
| date = May 8, 2015
| title = Astronomy
| image = astronomy.png
| titletext = Astrobiology is held back by the fact that we're all too nervous to try to balance on the ladder while holding an expensive microscope.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|New page}}

For many ordinary objects, one can achieve a better view in two ways: (#1) by looking at the object from a distance through a telescope, or (#2) by approaching the object and looking at it through a magnifying glass. Magnifying glasses typically have a very short resolving distance, usually on the order of a tenth of a meter, so approach #2 is effective only in the case where you can get very close to the object in question.

In the comic, the objects being viewed are celestial bodies. Megan takes approach #1, looking at them through a telescope. Beret Guy attempts approach #2, using a step-ladder to try to get close to the celestial bodies, and then looking through a magnifying glass. This approach could be successful only if the celestial bodies were within a few meters of us. In fact they are many orders of magnitude further away than that, and Beret Guy's use of the ladder would yield no appreciable improvement in his view of celestial bodies through a magnifying glass. The history of astronomy is filled with drastic underestimates of distances to celestial bodies, but none quite so comical as Beret Guy's very extreme underestimate. The comic is funny because although Beret Guy's approach is absurd, it still works.

Although Beret Guy approach to astronomy seems ill-informed, previous comics such as [[1486: Vacuum]] and [[1490: Atoms]] shows that his unusual understanding of science actually works.

The title text assumes (for comic effect) that the only thing wrong with Beret Guy's strategy is that the ladder would be unstable, when in fact his approach would be quite obviously bound to fail for the reasons described above.

In the title text, the word "astrobiology" is the joining of the prefix astro- and biology and refers to the study of life (or possibility thereof) elsewhere in the universe.

It might be interesting to note that a lot of developments in "terrestrial" biology were made by the use of a simple microscope (a.k.a. a magnifying lens), so Beret Guy's approach might be an attempt to build on that.

==Transcript==

[Megan looks at the stars through a telescope about twice her size]
[Beret Guy enters the panel holding a ladder and a magnifying glass]
[Beret Guy places the ladder next no Megan and her telescope. The ladder is stands like a triangle, is slightly larger than Megan, but smaller than the telescope]
[Beret guy climbs to the top of the ladder, and looks at the stars through a magnifying glass]

{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Portmanteau]]

1521: Sword in the Stone

2015-05-06T10:09:08Z

Sjcjoosten: A "pun" is a play of words. As such, the timing of this comic cannot be a pun.

{{comic
| number = 1521
| date = May 6, 2015
| title = Sword in the Stone
| image = sword in the stone.png
| titletext = That seems like an awful lot of hassle when all I wanted was a cool sword.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|New page}}

This comic references the fables of {{w|King Arthur}} and the {{w|Knights of the Round Table}}. In Arthurian legend, whoever can remove the Sword in the Stone is the lawful king of {{w|England}}. Arthur is an orphan being raised in secret; he notices the sword, removes it, and is proclaimed king. The sword is sometimes identified as Excalibur, although in other versions Excalibur was acquired by King Arthur from the {{w|Lady of the Lake}}. The most familiar version of this story is {{w|The Sword in the Stone}} by {{w|T. H. White}} which is based on {{w|Le Morte d'Arthur}} by {{w|Sir Thomas Malory}}. Traditional Arthurian Legend states the sword can only be retreived by "{{w|List of English monarchs|the true king}}", so a woman retreiving it is unexpected. But Randall likes to debunk sexist stereotypes.

[[Megan]] pulls out {{w|Excalibur#Excalibur_and_the_Sword_in_the_Stone|The Sword in the Stone}}. A flash of light comes down and music plays, and a heavenly voice tells her she is heir to the throne of England. Megan then pulls out her phone, which is very much unlike the Medieval King Arthur and searches on Wikipedia for England and begins to replace the sword into the rock. The title text furthers this plot, having Megan comment on the hassle when the only thing she was interested in was the sword. Apparently Megan is not enthusiastic about power, and her choice is made when she sees how awful England is as a country to reign over.

A key element of the joke is what Randall implies Megan would see when she searched for information on England, especially information concerning being an English ruler. English history is rife with monarchic strife, and a brief inquiry into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monarchs_of_the_British_Isles_by_cause_of_death the percentage of British rulers who died in battle or as a result of political intrique vs those who died of natural causes] would quickly lead most sane people to conclude that the risks associated with ruling England far outweigh the benefits. From the time of the Roman Empire all the way up to Charles II's reclamation of the throne, England was one of the most contested and most difficult to hold chunks of real estate on the planet. Besides the constant threat of usurpation, as evidenced by the numerous wars for the crown, such as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_conquest_of_England Norman Conquest] and the [http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wars_of_the_Roses War of the Roses], there were also constant difficulties in managing the frontier regions. This can be seen in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadrian's_Wall Hadrian's Wall], a creation of the titular Roman Emperor designed to keep the ever difficult Scots out of the areas of Roman control (the Scots would be a constant problem for England up until the reign of King James; think of Braveheart for a good example of the regular headaches they caused), as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Anglo-Welsh_Wars Welsh uprisings] that occurred with such consistency that you could set your watch to them.

It should be noted that in Arthurian Legend, it is stated that Arthur would return when England most needed him. It is possible that Megan is the reincarnation of Arthur.

The timing of this comic might relate to the excitement of the yellow press about the birth of princess {{w|Princess_Charlotte_of_Cambridge|Charlotte Elizabeth Diana}} this week and the burden of a royal of having a whole life in public shaking hands of strangers.

==Transcript==

:[Megan walks up to The Sword in the Stone]
:[Megan tries to pull out The Sword in the Stone]
:[A flash of light and music plays as she removes The Sword in the Stone]
:Heavenly voice: The Throne of England is yours
:Megan: Wikipedia. England.
:[Megan starts to place The Sword of the Stone back into the stone]

{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1516: Win by Induction

2015-04-24T09:02:15Z

Sjcjoosten: First Pikachu -> Front most Pikachu. There is no prior panel, so we don't know which pikachu came first.

{{comic
| number = 1516
| date = April 24, 2015
| title = Win by Induction
| image = win by induction.png
| titletext = This would be bad enough, but every 30th or 40th pokéball has TWO of them inside.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This explanation is quite short, and the title text is not explained}}
Pikachu is a type of Pokémon from the cartoon series Pokémon. In the show, characters frequently 'fight' each other. This involves both characters choosing a Pokémon, who will then attack each other. Choosing a Pokémon is done by saying "I choose you, - name of the Pokémon -", and throwing a Pokéball to the ground. A Pokémon then appears from the Pokéball.
This comic suggests that a Pokémon chosen at some point was a Pikachu, but that this Pikachu does not intend to fight himself: carrying a Pokéball instead, Pikachu chooses another Pikachu to fight for him. This process then repeats itself. Behind the Pikachu with the Pokéball is a long line of other Pikachu's, suggesting that this process has been going on for a while.
The joke in this comic comes from analogy with the mathematical proof by induction, which is a proof with a base case, followed by a never ending sequence of steps, in which each step leads to the next, thus proving something for all cases. This title seems to suggest that the process of Pikachu's choosing Pikachu's will not end, effectively postponing the battle until the other Pokémon (not depicted) gives up.

==Transcript==
[There's a long queue of {{w|Pikachus}} just out from their ball, standing in front of Megan and Cueball on the right, Cueball holding an opened pokeball while Megan checks the time on her watch. The front most Pikachu speaks.]

Front most Pickachu: Pikachu, I choose ''you''!

{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Time]]
[[Category:Time management]]

1516: Win by Induction

2015-04-24T09:00:58Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1516
| date = April 24, 2015
| title = Win by Induction
| image = win by induction.png
| titletext = This would be bad enough, but every 30th or 40th pokéball has TWO of them inside.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This explanation is quite short, and the title text is not explained}}
Pikachu is a type of Pokémon from the cartoon series Pokémon. In the show, characters frequently 'fight' each other. This involves both characters choosing a Pokémon, who will then attack each other. Choosing a Pokémon is done by saying "I choose you, - name of the Pokémon -", and throwing a Pokéball to the ground. A Pokémon then appears from the Pokéball.
This comic suggests that a Pokémon chosen at some point was a Pikachu, but that this Pikachu does not intend to fight himself: carrying a Pokéball instead, Pikachu chooses another Pikachu to fight for him. This process then repeats itself. Behind the Pikachu with the Pokéball is a long line of other Pikachu's, suggesting that this process has been going on for a while.
The joke in this comic comes from analogy with the mathematical proof by induction, which is a proof with a base case, followed by a never ending sequence of steps, in which each step leads to the next, thus proving something for all cases. This title seems to suggest that the process of Pikachu's choosing Pikachu's will not end, effectively postponing the battle until the other Pokémon (not depicted) gives up.

==Transcript==
[There's a long queue of {{w|Pikachus}} just out from their ball, standing in front of Megan and Cueball on the right, Cueball holding an opened pokeball while Megan checks the time on her watch. The first Pikachu speaks.]

First Pickachu: Pikachu, I choose ''you''!

{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Time]]
[[Category:Time management]]

1516: Win by Induction

2015-04-24T08:59:39Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1516
| date = April 24, 2015
| title = Win by Induction
| image = win by induction.png
| titletext = This would be bad enough, but every 30th or 40th pokéball has TWO of them inside.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
Pikachu is a type of Pokémon from the cartoon series Pokémon. In the show, characters frequently 'fight' each other. This involves both characters choosing a Pokémon, who will then attack each other. Choosing a Pokémon is done by saying "I choose you, - name of the Pokémon -", and throwing a Pokéball to the ground. A Pokémon then appears from the Pokéball.
This comic suggests that a Pokémon chosen at some point was a Pikachu, but that this Pikachu does not intend to fight himself: carrying a Pokéball instead, Pikachu chooses another Pikachu to fight for him. This process then repeats itself. Behind the Pikachu with the Pokéball is a long line of other Pikachu's, suggesting that this process has been going on for a while.
The joke in this comic comes from analogy with the mathematical proof by induction, which is a proof with a base case, followed by a never ending sequence of steps, in which each step leads to the next, thus proving something for all cases. This title seems to suggest that the process of Pikachu's choosing Pikachu's will not end, effectively postponing the battle until the other Pokémon (not depicted) gives up.

==Transcript==
[There's a long queue of {{w|Pikachus}} just out from their ball, standing in front of Megan and Cueball on the right, Cueball holding an opened pokeball while Megan checks the time on her watch. The first Pikachu speaks.]

First Pickachu: Pikachu, I choose ''you''!

{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Time]]
[[Category:Time management]]

1515: Basketball Earth

2015-04-22T07:45:03Z

Sjcjoosten: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1515
| date = April 22, 2015
| title = Basketball Earth
| image = basketball earth.png
| titletext = How many points do you get for dunking every basketball in existence at once?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Could definitely use review (or reversion to the first, simpler, explanation) and probably some handy hyperlinking for concepts.}}
It is common to describe the relationship of very large (and very small) objects to common or garden objects on a more human scale. (For small items, it might be something along the lines of if a certain single atom were expanded to the size of a particular sports stadium, such that the electrons would be on the perimeter of the complex, the nucleus is something still surprisingly small, by human standards, upon the centre-spot.) In the case of the Earth-Moon system the comparison can handily be made that for an Earth the size of a basketball, the Moon is about the size of a baseball. This certainly seems to be the comparison that Cueball is repeatedly attempting to make, with two invisibly suspended balls 'representing' each body, but is being interrupted.

In the first interruption, Blackhat touches the 'Earth', generating a megatsunami of epic scale.

In the second interruption, ?Megan? pours water onto the Earthball, seemingly flooding its entire surface.

In the third interruption, a cat attacks the 'Earth' . Probably playfully, but it will have meant forces even greater than Blackhat's digital prodding, and may have even taken the Earth out of its (representative) orbit. One way or another, that will have been (unseen) disasters of far greater proportion.

The fourth interruption involves Ponytail taking the 'basketball' comparison at face value and actually trying to dunk the 'Earth' ''as'' a basketball. This would ''not'' be good for any residents of Earthball who have yet to succumb to the events so far. This simile-callback is continued in the title text with the idea that "every basketball in existence" (i.e. every basketball upon the Earthball, as well as the Earthball itself) is counted towards the score from a single dunking. (Randall may or may not know exactly how many basketballs there are, perhaps through research for some What-If question or other, but almost certainly assumes that there are no basketballs ''not'' on Earthball, even without allowing for recursion. But there might be some question about whether the Earthball's own sub-scale basketballs are within code.)

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript| Formatting and description of images}}

:[Cueball is standing next to a floating basketball-sized Earth with his hand near it.]
:Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball,
:[Cueball is now holding a baseball-sized moon. The basketball-sized Earth is still there. Black hat is in panel.]
:Cueball: The Moon would be -
:Black Hat: Hey, cool!
:[Black Hat is touching the Earth ball.]
:Cueball: Um.
:[Unclear scene, possibly a tsunami caused by Black Hat touching the Earth.]
:AAAAAAAA

:[Back to Cueball standing with the basketball-sized Earth.]
:Cueball: Let's try that again. If the Earth were the size of a basketball,
:[Cueball holding baseball-sized moon, with Megan in frame holding a sports water bottle.]
:Cueball: The Moon would be -
:[Megan squirts the earth with her water bottle and then walks away. The continents have disappeared from the flooded Earth ball.]

:Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball,
:Cueball: The Moon- would...
:Cat: MROWL! [Cat jumps at Earth.]
:Cat: RRRRR! [Cat on the ground wrestling with the Earth.]

:[Back to Cueball standing with the basketball-sized Earth.]
:Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball,
:[Cueball with Moon and Earth balls. Ponytail has entered, running.]
:Cueball: The Moon would, uh...
:[Ponytail has grabbed the Earth ball and is holding or dribbling it, still running.]
:[Ponytail reaches a basketball basket and shoots the Earth ball towards it.]

<noinclude>{{comic discussion}}</noinclude>



[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]

1515: Basketball Earth

2015-04-22T07:44:07Z

Sjcjoosten: Changed the moon into the earth to reflect what happens in the comic

{{comic
| number = 1515
| date = April 22, 2015
| title = Basketball Earth
| image = basketball earth.png
| titletext = How many points do you get for dunking every basketball in existence at once?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Could definitely use review (or reversion to the first, simpler, explanation) and probably some handy hyperlinking for concepts.}}
It is common to describe the relationship of very large (and very small) objects to common or garden objects on a more human scale. (For small items, it might be something along the lines of if a certain single atom were expanded to the size of a particular sports stadium, such that the electrons would be on the perimeter of the complex, the nucleus is something still surprisingly small, by human standards, upon the centre-spot.) In the case of the Earth-Moon system the comparison can handily be made that for an Earth the size of a basketball, the Moon is about the size of a baseball. This certainly seems to be the comparison that Cueball is repeatedly attempting to make, with two invisibly suspended balls 'representing' each body, but is being interrupted.

In the first interruption, Blackhat touches the 'Earth', generating a megatsunami of epic scale.

In the second interruption, ?Megan? pours water onto the Earthball, seemingly flooding its entire surface.

In the third interruption, a cat attacks the 'Earth' . Probably playfully, but it will have meant forces even greater than Blackhat's digital prodding, and may have even taken the Earth out of its (representative) orbit. One way or another, that will have been (unseen) disasters of far greater proportion.

The fourth interruption involves Ponytail taking the 'basketball' comparison at face value and actually trying to dunk the 'Earth' ''as'' a basketball. This would ''not'' be good for any residents of Earthball who have yet to succumb to the events so far. This simile-callback is continued in the title text with the idea that "every basketball in existence" (i.e. every basketball upon the Earthball, as well as the Earthball itself) is counted towards the score from a single dunking. (Randall may or may not know exactly how many basketballs there are, perhaps through research for some What-If question or other, but almost certainly assumes that there are no basketballs ''not'' on Earthball, even without allowing for recursion. But there might be some question about whether the Earthball's own sub-scale basketballs are within code.)

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript| Formatting and description of images}}

:[Cueball is standing next to a basketball-sized Earth with a hand near it.]
:Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball,
:[Cueball is now holding a baseball-sized moon. The basketball-sized Earth is still there. Black hat is in panel.]
:Cueball: The Moon would be -
:Black Hat: Hey, cool!
:[Black Hat is touching the Earth ball.]
:Cueball: Um.
:[Unclear scene, possibly a tsunami caused by Black Hat touching the Earth.]
:AAAAAAAA

:[Back to Cueball standing with the basketball-sized Earth.]
:Cueball: Let's try that again. If the Earth were the size of a basketball,
:[Cueball holding baseball-sized moon, with Megan in frame holding a sports water bottle.]
:Cueball: The Moon would be -
:[Megan squirts the earth with her water bottle and then walks away. The continents have disappeared from the flooded Earth ball.]

:Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball,
:Cueball: The Moon- would...
:Cat: MROWL! [Cat jumps at Earth.]
:Cat: RRRRR! [Cat on the ground wrestling with the Earth.]

:[Back to Cueball standing with the basketball-sized Earth.]
:Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball,
:[Cueball with Moon and Earth balls. Ponytail has entered, running.]
:Cueball: The Moon would, uh...
:[Ponytail has grabbed the Earth ball and is holding or dribbling it, still running.]
:[Ponytail reaches a basketball basket and shoots the Earth ball towards it.]

<noinclude>{{comic discussion}}</noinclude>



[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]