explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3227: Creation

2026-04-07T20:48:49Z

Strontium:

did anyone else wait for the screensaver to hit the corner? [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 20:13, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yes. I watched waaay too long to see if it would, but lost patience and I don’t want to put effort into determining if it will happen. Can anyone confirm whether or not it will eventually happen either for some people or for all people? [[User:Dúthomhas|Dúthomhas]] ([[User talk:Dúthomhas|talk]]) 23:06, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
::The comic always bounces off of the top of your screen, but keeps its place relative to the rest of the page when scrolling, so you can try to make it hit the corner yourself [[User:Jarochar|Jarochar]] ([[User talk:Jarochar|talk]]) 21:21, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
:::You can also resize the window while it's bouncing to move the corner into the path of the comic. I haven't observed anything special yet, but I'm not patient enough to try for a pixel-perfect bounce. [[Special:Contributions/169.150.203.33|169.150.203.33]] 02:46, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

I can't work out what Modem mode is meant to do... on my machine it just freezes the whole page. [[Special:Contributions/78.213.151.110|78.213.151.110]] 20:22, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It plays the sound of an old-style phone modem, and scrolls the comic into view slowly. It's supposed to represent the early days when downloading an image would take a long time. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:can confirm on android firefox it seems to render the page unresponsive to input - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:18, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Same here on Desktop Firefox - under "Modem mode", the whole page freezes up and the browser prompts me to close it ("this page is slowing down Firefox", or words to that effect). I wonder if it's a Firefox thing - odd if so, because I imagine Randall of all people would test on browsers other than Chrom* - or some weird side-effect of my ad/popup/script/cookie-blockers. A shame because all the other modes seem to work - "Greyscale mode" is far too subtle, and I'm ashamed to admit I missed the change from "math" to "maths"! - but this is a great April Fools' comic. [[Special:Contributions/50.45.232.78|50.45.232.78]] 22:56, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Firefoxer here, and ''without'' any particular add-ons that might interact badly with it... It does (seem to) lock up and it does (sometimes... didn't on at least one occasion) prompt Firefox to ask if I want to stop the page. But if I wait long enough it 'wipes off' the last seen comic image, starts to 'scanline' it back (note: not actually accurate to the real days of modems, as you'd probably be loading up images in interlaced mode) and ''then'' starts to give a modem-shriek.
:I wonder, without delving into the code used, if it's the method used to 'sleep' (could it be using busy-busy NOP-like code, rather than true sleep-interupts?), or just a slightly different asynchronous script-handling method that Firefox uses instead of other test-platforms. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 23:46, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
::Using Firefox (On mac, in Australia, if relevant) and it works fine, but no audio component. [[Special:Contributions/114.198.19.39|114.198.19.39]] 08:07, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: For me (in Chrome) it scrolled the whole page in from the bottom, but then kept scrolling so that you got the top of the page appearing beneath the bottom of it - like a TV with vertical hold problems (kids - ask your grandparents). Then changing to other modes it was stuck in that position. However, on subsequent attempts it only scrolled open the comic portion of the page. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:35, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I clicked darker mode and my screen is black and I cant undo it help {{unsigned ip|207.233.27.2|20:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)}}
:I assume you mean Darkest Mode, since there's no darker mode. The screen turns black but if you look carefully you can still see the grey of the menu and you can click on it. Also, the menu border continues to appear after you select the choice (at least it does on my Mac). P.S. Don't forget to sign your comment with 4 ~ characters. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Modem mode doesn’t work for me what does it do [[Special:Contributions/2A06:5906:1412:4100:352D:1A2:184:5F3|2A06:5906:1412:4100:352D:1A2:184:5F3]] 20:29, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Modem mode makes the comic slowly print from above [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 20:34, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I see the mobile site m.xkcd.com was left out on this change😔 [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.219|104.28.215.219]] 20:37, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:I have been viewing via a tablet, though I think I've permwnently set my browsers to ''not'' use mobile version sites (they tend to assume viewing everything in portrait, I have found, whereas I almost always browse in landscape, so it gives me badly relocated on-page menu bars, or other wierdnesses).
:Everything seems to work nicely, as I bounced back and forth between modes (and occasionaly went to other comics to see how something like Stained Glass worked with them). Until I tried out the Star Wars scrolling one. Earlier on, I'd checked it out on a desktop, so I left it until one of the last few because it was hardest on the desktop to move on from (unless you used the cursor key, when you'd let the select-drop-down element drift to far 'away' to easily click.
:However, on the tablet, it ''just'' goes black, no appearance of the scrolly-scrawled page contents. (No way to use cursors to change the in-focus drop-down element to a neighbour.) Back-paging just takes me back through the various Random-comic pages I'd passed through, then the plain xkcd.com latest-comic default, all completely black, no animation. (Plane/Boat/Spring/Screensave mode dynamics, etc animated/transformed properly in their various ways.) Back-paging to before landing on xkcd.com (the tab I'd set off from) then forward again landed me in the all-black page with no space-sprawl in evidence...
:...''until'' I turned the tablet sideways (portrait proportions), and there it was. And rotated back to landscape to find it ''still'' properly visible, still scrolling away. Also, discovered I could drag (without pinch-dragging, which is zooming) the scrawl back 'towards me' (essentially scrolling down the skewed page, not an interaction that I'd attempted on the desktop computer), so that I could intercept the dropdown box and shift myself onto a different mode again.
:This is on Chrome For Android. I have other tablet browsers handy, but would need to check them properly before committing to ''their'' compatabilities or peculiarities. But sort of works, after you get over a funny hurdle (as just described), and ''perhaps'' need to have set Desktop Site as default rather than letting your device attempt to automatically use the "m." site version. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 02:56, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I read “Modern mode” instead of Modem mode and I spent a while making wild theories about what it could be referencing. But I’m also quite sleepy. [[Special:Contributions/146.70.116.107|146.70.116.107]] 20:51, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:i also misread it as modern mode, it made everything lag for me, made it feel like a modern website [[Special:Contributions/85.206.187.35|85.206.187.35]] 00:57, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I deminified the code if anyone wants it. There are no hidden options or anything like right-click has, but it would be extremely easy to add modes to it. [[Special:Contributions/2601:441:4B7E:7660:0:0:0:AC72|2601:441:4B7E:7660:0:0:0:AC72]] 20:59, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

"Modem mode" works for me in Chromium, but not Firefox. [[User:Robobun|Robobun]] ([[User talk:Robobun|talk]]) 21:06, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:For me it's just slow on Firefox. It takes about 5 seconds to clear the comic and start scrolling it back in, and the static doesn't start until it's almost all showing. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:11, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

applies across the whole website? i forsee a preservation effort in the near future to capture What This Was Like, when randall inevitably removes the menu and all its modes--there's no chance this is staying, is there? - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It applies to older comics, but not other parts of the site. I'm also wondering if this might be just for April Fool's Day. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:27, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:: I know it's april the 1st, but could we keep the modes? Stainglass is fun when the background doesn't turn maroon (and makes the text hard to read). I also checked other pages of xkcd, the modes are on on the other comics. {{unsigned ip|2a04:cec0:121a:5180:bcf7:54ff:feb2:d55|21:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)}}
::Of course it's the April Fools'/Fools' comic. Nice to see it being on time, this year, and I too wonder how long it'll stay. Might it permanently stay on this comic page, perhaps even stay if you jump off of it, but comic 3228 (or the 'default' latest-comic page) will probably be back to normal on Friday. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 22:14, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Luckily, preservation is easy enough. I think you just need to save the main [https://xkcd.com/3227/5710add.js Javascript file] (which contains the CSS, and generates the necessary DOM on the fly) and the [https://xkcd.com/3227/imgs/nyoom_2x.png one image asset]. I think it should be easy enough to turn it into a UserScript if you turn the png into a data URI, or even a web extension if that's more your speed. [[User:Dratini0|Dratini0]] ([[User talk:Dratini0|talk]]) 00:12, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

Finally we have the Boat Mode from the footer! [[User:B_for_brain|B for brain]] ([[User_talk:B_for_brain|talk]]) ([https://www.youtube.com/@bforbrain youtube channel] [https://bforbrain.weebly.com/ wobsite (supposed to be a blag)]) 21:33, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

'''Attention admins''' I think there's an "oops" in this line:
<nowiki>To experience the interactivity, visit the {{xkcd|{comicNum}|original comic}}!</nowiki>
[[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 21:43, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yeah, looks like this is a regression in this corner case. I should have a fix for it soon. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:41, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Has the full footer always been there? "xkcd.com is best viewed with Netscape Navigator 4.0 or below on a Pentium 3±1 emulated in Javascript on an Apple IIGS at a screen resolution of 1024x1. Please enable your ad blockers, disable high-heat drying, and remove your device from Airplane Mode and set it to Boat Mode. For security reasons, please leave caps lock on while browsing." --[[User:Chance2travel|Chance2travel]] ([[User talk:Chance2travel|talk]]) 22:30, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yes, always has been. Learn more at the page for [[Footnote]]. [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.219|104.28.215.219]] 23:17, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I think the Dorian Greyscale Mode takes 5 minutes to complete. I see this in the Javascript: <code>body.mode-dorian-greyscale {\n transition: filter 300s ease-out;</code> [[User:Pgn674|Pgn674]] ([[User talk:Pgn674|talk]]) 22:36, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Dorian Greyscale Mode seems like it ought to use only the white keys on a standard piano, and go DEGFCDBA, with adjacent notes differing in a single bit position. [[Special:Contributions/2A02:8084:2862:4F80:65B7:327D:E614:342F|2A02:8084:2862:4F80:65B7:327D:E614:342F]] 22:56, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I'd love to know if the modem mode's audio file decodes to anything if you try to decode it as a v.92 stream or something similar. [[Special:Contributions/2603:6011:4504:D100:3BD0:B617:9D7:1C80|2603:6011:4504:D100:3BD0:B617:9D7:1C80]] 23:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Stained Glass Mode doesn't show title text? Might be a bug [[User:X|X]] ([[User talk:X|talk]]) 23:38, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Not gonna lie, I got nerd-sniped hard here. I thought the noise in the modem mode might be real modem noises, and I tried to demodulate it. With Gnuradio, I got to the point of guessing that it's 4FSK at 2400 baud, with a center frequency of about 1700 Hz and a frequency deviation of about 300 Hz. I couldn't find the corresponding modem standard, so I started deminifying the source code that generates it. The good news is that I was correct. It's 4FSK, 2400 baud, center frequency 1710 Hz, frequency deviation 270 Hz. The bad news? The data is Math.random(). That feels bittersweet. I saw a puzzle where there was none. I want to post the relevant snippet of deminified code. Am I allowed to do that? Is the site itself also under CC-BY-NC, or just the comics? [[User:Dratini0|Dratini0]] ([[User talk:Dratini0|talk]]) 23:58, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Honestly, I'd love a real dark mode for xkcd.com. But one where the comic isn't inverted. Sometimes I prefer to read the comic here on explainxkcd.com since I have mediawiki settings for dark mode, but those don't invert the comic. (I don't think I can make mediawiki settings for space opera mode...) [[User:Orion205|Orion205]] ([[User talk:Orion205|talk]]) 00:28, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:You should be able to force a custom CSS on this site (with or without any browser-helpers, but there are ones out there that streamline/automate/augment this ability). The AFD-code is applying a full visual filter (over the top of the comic; maybe or maybe not above the mode-selection 'widget', depending upon browser implementation), but sounds like you just want to apply foreground/background inversion as priority (above anything xkcd.com normally 'suggests' via CSS/tag-attributes) to all markup, but leave the comic image (and any other images, like the thumbnails) as is. Might he tricky if any element is "black-on-transparency" image, which assumes white but now has your code turning it black behind the non-transparent black, but you could probably live with it (or make it 75% dark-grey or so?), and non-transparent black-on-white (presuming white all around it) could look strange.
:But you can't tell for sure without trying to tweak your end (or actually checking the source HTML, on the way to doing just that).
:Alternatively, maybe you can isolate the on-site code for just the Dark Mode of the entire-page treatment, modified to 'demask' the filter exactly over the limits of the comic img-rendering area. If it's been done the way I think it's been done (not gonna try to check, 'til I'm not on mobile platform myself) should be a fairly trivial job to add to the fraction of the code you 'borrow'. Or at least a learning experience, as you work out what tweaks do what. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 12:22, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I spent way too long watching screensaver mode to see if it would do anything if the comic hit a corner. [[Special:Contributions/170.142.177.145|170.142.177.145]] 00:31, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:fyi ive found that the comic panels bounce on the edges of the viewport but move with reference to page coordinates--which means if you scroll just right you can place a corner of your screen where it's going to hit, without having to wait for it to get there on its own - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 03:39, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I wonder if the choice of the actual text in the comic is a reference to the Apollo 8 Christmas broadcast of Genesis, due to the Artemis II launch today... or maybe I'm overthinking it and it's simply a joke about light and dark mode. [[Special:Contributions/2601:241:8002:3E0:5CAD:3E02:93FF:FB00|2601:241:8002:3E0:5CAD:3E02:93FF:FB00]] 01:05, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:TY! I was not aware of that broadcast and it seems incredibly strange, since everything done on the mission "debunks" that passage! Apparently it was done because anything alluding to "world peace" in any way would seem like a commentary on the Vietnam War. Which, depending on one's skepticism of religion, can also seem quite ironic -now I'm overthinking, so I'll stop now. [[User:Cuvtixo|Cuvtixo]] ([[User talk:Cuvtixo|talk]]) 16:00, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

Anyone test the other April fools comics? [[User:Commercialegg|Commercialegg]] ([[User talk:Commercialegg|talk]]) 01:14, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:I tried Machine (2916) in dark mode and it just froze after the tutorial. [[User:King Pando|King Pando]] ([[User talk:King Pando|talk]]) 03:34, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

:Hoverboard (1608) becomes quite challenging in Space Opera Mode, not least because the player and the coins are invisible (at least in my antique MS Edge browser). [[Special:Contributions/74.220.129.129|74.220.129.129]] 15:26, 4 April 2026 (UTC)

I noticed using some of the modes makes xkcd.com/688 no longer self describing, not sure if its worth noting on either wiki [[User:Daunting Zebra|Daunting Zebra]] ([[User talk:Daunting Zebra|talk]]) 07:31, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

The current explanation of dark mode as 'inverting black and white pixels' isn't quite correct. For example, on [[2623]] a pale yellow colour gets flipped to black. On the other hand, other colours elsewhere are left untouched. So it must be doing 'some very light area of colour palette > black' and presumably 'some very dark area of colour palette > white'. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:27, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: On [[2342]] a light khaki(?) colour gets changed to a dark grey - not even a black. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:29, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: Brown sun, anyone? [[2750]] [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:33, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:Similar to the criteria for the Stained Glass region borders, perhaps? Sufficiently light grey (or unssaturated+light colours) do not 'edge' a given floodfill area, it seems. (See {{xkcd|1811}}, and how it floods/filters that, for example, with pre-coloured ''and'' greyscale text to compare its operational limits upon.) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 12:22, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: It is not flipped to black. It is turned into a very dark yellow that appears closer to black than the original yellow appeared to white because it is not gamma-corrected. [[Special:Contributions/80.187.115.75|80.187.115.75]] 00:05, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
... ... I was hoping this comic would be actually fun, like ALL previous April 1 comics are... :( It would be much better if it follows its name and the standards of earlier April 1's, i.e. there is only a "dark" option and when you switch to it the story progresses and you continue to do some other things and eventually complete a full xkcd-style "creation" (a great idea!) [[Special:Contributions/203.198.86.210|203.198.86.210]] 11:43, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

unsigned comment (pretend it's April foooools) {{unsigned ip|13:27, 2 April 2026 (UTC)}}

Is nobody noticing the fact that Randall was ACTUALLY ON TIME? That's quite rare! --''''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]][[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|Converse]] 13:58, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I wonder if any intentional "Easter eggs" were hidden inside other comic pages. [[User:Benzaldehyde|Benzaldehyde]] ([[User talk:Benzaldehyde|talk]] 17:10, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:I tried looking up #[[880]] (the one about 3D) and sadly it has no additional easter eggs with it :( [[Special:Contributions/2407:0:3006:2959:B0A4:2347:EF39:22AE|2407:0:3006:2959:B0A4:2347:EF39:22AE]] 12:03, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

Did anyone else notice that the effect (3D, Airplane, etc.) carries over to other comics accessed by the 'Random' button?{{unsigned ip|130.76.25.40|20:25, 2 April 2026 (UTC)}}
:You can change it on any comic. The dropdown is still there. [[User:King Pando|King Pando]] ([[User talk:King Pando|talk]]) 23:09, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

Spring Mode is broken on comic [https://xkcd.com/1127/ 1127]. It doesn't do anything for that one, but the other modes work. [[Special:Contributions/2600:4040:2CD4:C200:C134:93AD:21E2:1202|2600:4040:2CD4:C200:C134:93AD:21E2:1202]] 12:35, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
: On that note, the spring mode on Earth Temperature Timeline is crazy. [[Special:Contributions/85.76.164.131|85.76.164.131]] 15:07, 4 April 2026 (UTC)

I tried watching this one render in Modem mode with the volume turned up... [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]] :-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:52, 4 April 2026 (UTC)

Anyone else tried dark mode on comic 688 “Self-Description”? [[Special:Contributions/2600:4040:52F7:9A00:F19F:5EAC:82CF:A62A|2600:4040:52F7:9A00:F19F:5EAC:82CF:A62A]] 15:00, 5 April 2026 (UTC)

In the explanation working around a human existing to ask for dark mode, I saw this as the Earth itself asking for dark mode - no humans, so that rationale isn't needed. [[User:Goodeye|Goodeye]] ([[User talk:Goodeye|talk]]) 15:51, 5 April 2026 (UTC)
it would seem that screensaver mode only actually collides with walls on the top left corner, at least on some comics[[Special:Contributions/204.113.154.68|204.113.154.68]] 14:46, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

I used all of the options on my favorite XKCD comic - the 64 states map one (2868). [[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 20:48, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3123: Canon

2025-08-01T18:28:41Z

Strontium:

👋[[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 17:14, 1 August 2025 (UTC)
I saw a post on reddit a week or two ago that described the how we use the term "kryptonite" to describe someone's weakness, then unironically asked what people thought Superman's Kryptonite would be.... [[Special:Contributions/136.226.60.109|136.226.60.109]]

:Wow, I never would've guessed what Superman's Kryptonite was! Seriously though, kryptonite has landed back on its original meaning too. [[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 18:28, 1 August 2025 (UTC)

Talk:3122: Bad Map Projection: Interrupted Spheres

2025-07-31T19:45:35Z

Strontium:

Where's Greenland? [[User:SubtrEM|SubtrEM]] ([[User talk:SubtrEM|talk]]) 20:00, 30 July 2025 (UTC)
:It is on the backside of North America globe of course. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:49, 31 July 2025 (UTC)

My first edit! Hope it's ok! [[User:Jkusa.jr| Jkusa.jr]] 08:12, 30 July 2025 (UTC)

Wait, maybe I'm crazy, but I feel like there's actually a good map idea here? If you made proper globes centered on each continent.... Does this exist? [[Special:Contributions/2601:241:8002:3E0:CE5:D9D:CF64:76FD|2601:241:8002:3E0:CE5:D9D:CF64:76FD]] 21:36, 30 July 2025 (UTC)
:Well... that is what a globe is. You just turn it until it is on the continent you wish and look from the right angel ;-) Drawing a globe on a paper does nothing to remove the distortion from normal flat maps. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:49, 31 July 2025 (UTC)

Not sure what the joke is! Another dis of the concept of continents? [[Special:Contributions/2A09:BAC3:9C1B:1955:0:0:286:B1|2A09:BAC3:9C1B:1955:0:0:286:B1]] 22:01, 30 July 2025 (UTC)
:It is a bad map projection. That is a joke in it self. Another way to badly draw a map, that is the ongoing joke. Of course there is also the silly joke in the title text like the Earth is actually spread over 7 spheres. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:50, 31 July 2025 (UTC)
:The thing is, attempts to translate a full sphere to a flat map requires various compromises (e.g. points that are close in real life may appear far apart on the map). Translating subsets of a full sphere out onto their own complete spheres technically requires the ''opposite'' type of compromises (e.g. points that are far apart in real life are now very close...). And add to that inevitable choice of angular and area distortions. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.235|82.132.244.235]] 10:12, 31 July 2025 (UTC)
:It sometimes ''does'' feel as if a lot of people around the world were living on different planets, so we might as well go all out with the concept. Makes sense to me. [[User:PaulEberhardt|PaulEberhardt]] ([[User talk:PaulEberhardt|talk]]) 11:59, 31 July 2025 (UTC)

Yet another map that ignores/erases New Zeeland. {{unsigned|ProfKrueger|01:28, 31 July 2025}}
:No it doesn't ignore it. Just like Greenland is on the other side of the globe in North America so is NZ on the other side of Australias globe. You cannot either see Sydney or Tasmania or LA or other Western states in the US. In Europe you cannot see most of Scandinavia (although the important part is there ... Denmark ;-) and Madagascar is also left our near Africa as is the entire middle east and most of Russia. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:49, 31 July 2025 (UTC)

Thought Randall was becoming political leaving out N.Korea, Middle east, and Russia; then noticed the colossal China...--[[User:Darth Vader|Darth Vader]] ([[User talk:Darth Vader|talk]]) 09:42, 31 July 2025 (UTC)

What are those islands that I see in the center of the Antarctica globe? [[Special:Contributions/67.82.132.47|67.82.132.47]] 13:15, 31 July 2025 (UTC)
:The largest is {{w|Berkner Island}}. Mostly trapped in the RF-Ice Shelf, under normal viewing conditions and even many maps, but here represented with the whole of the Weddel Sea as if 'open' all the way through it, and not just featureless ice-sheet over both 'land' and watee. Over on the other side of Palmer's Land, as another notable feature (the characteristic long peninsula), is Alexander Island, and other semi-ilsand masses; up-of-centre on the left, as we see the Antarctic-Globe view. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.41|82.132.245.41]] 14:12, 31 July 2025 (UTC)

I love this! Bad Map Projection returns, now with all 7 continents on 7 globes.

Still better than the Gall-Peters Projection!

[[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 19:45, 31 July 2025 (UTC)

3118: iNaturalist Animals and Plants

2025-07-23T21:28:46Z

Strontium: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number = 3118
| date = July 21, 2025
| title = iNaturalist Animals and Plants
| image = inaturalist_animals_and_plants_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x508px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Washington, DC: Eastern gray squirrel, Amur honeysuckle. Puerto Rico: Crested anole, sea grape. US as a whole: Mallard, eastern poison ivy.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created AS IT WAS MOST REPORTED, NOT AS IT MOST COMMONLY OCCURS. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic is a map of the United States showing, for each state, the name of the animal and plant most commonly reported on the {{w|citizen science}} social network {{w|iNaturalist}}. As the comic notes, these are not the most-encountered species, just the ones reported the most on iNaturalist. iNaturalist is a citizen science social network that shares observations of nature. In some cases the species most reported is an invasive species causing concern, such as brown anole and Amur honeysuckle, while some local species which are actually the most present and observable may escape being fully reported by not being considered worthy of any note.

For some smaller states, the animal and plant names are listed outside the state, with a connector line to the state. Some non-state regions are covered in the title text: the {{w|District of Columbia}}, too small to list such information on the district itself and in an awkward location for a connector; {{w|Puerto Rico}}, an unincorporated U.S. territory with a large population outside the 50 standard states (both contiguous and otherwise); and the U.S. as a whole.

The most reported animals are Common Eastern Bumble Bee and White-tailed Deer, with 7 states each, while the most reported plant is Common Milkweed, with 6 states. Of the 26 different animal species mentioned, 5 are mammals, 4 are birds, 12 are reptiles, and 5 are insects. This is part of what makes the results for "US as a whole" surprising: they only top the list in one or two states, yet become the most reported when adding up the numbers nationwide.

iNaturalist community members have [https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/today-s-xkcd-comic-is-about-inaturalist/67916 noted] that several species have made it on the list due to a few prolific contributors contributing large numbers of observations of the same species.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Need to finish indenting the lines.}}
:[The comic shows a map of the United States with state borders (including Hawaii and Alaska inset in the lower left) and two-letter state codes for each state. The map includes the {{w|Northwest Angle}}, which is not typically shown on maps of this scale.]
:[Above the map]: The Most-Observed Animal and Plant in Each State on iNaturalist
:[Below that, in parentheses]: Not the most common species in the state, just the one people have reported the most times.
:[Each state has text of the format "Animal" on top and "Plant" below. For RI, VT, NH, MA, CT, NJ, DE, and MD, the text is outside the state border with a line connecting them.]

:[In alphabetical order, the states have the following Animal/Plant text]:

:Alabama: Gulf Fritillary; American Sweetgum 
:Alaska: Moose; Fireweed 
:Arizona: Ornate Tree Lizard; Saguaro 
:Arkansas: Three-toed Box Turtle; Chinese Privet 
:California: Western Fence Lizard; California Poppy 
:Colorado: Mule Deer; Great Mullein 
:Connecticut: Common Eastern Bumble Bee; Striped Wintergreen 
:Delaware: Fowler's Toad; American Pokeweed 
:Florida: Brown Anole; White Beggar-ticks 
:Georgia: Green Anole; American Sweetgum 
:Hawaii: Green Sea Turtle; ʻŌhiʻa Lehua 
:Idaho: Mallard; Big Sagebrush 
:Illinois: Common Eastern Bumble Bee; Common Milkweed 
:Indiana: American Robin; Amur Honeysuckle 
:Iowa: White-tailed Deer; Common Milkweed 
:Kansas: Ornate Box Turtle; Amur Honeysuckle 
:Kentucky: Common Box Turtle; Amur Honeysuckle 
:Louisiana: Green Anole; Bald Cypress 
:Maine: American Herring Gull; Canadian Bunchberry 
:Maryland: Common Eastern Bumble Bee; Eastern White Pine 
:Massachusetts: Common Eastern Bumble Bee; Eastern White Pine 
:Michigan: White-tailed Deer; Common Milkweed 
:Minnesota: Common Eastern Bumble Bee; Common Milkweed 
:Mississippi: Northern Cardinal; Pale Pitcher Plant 
:Missouri: Brown-belted Bumble Bee; Amur Honeysuckle 
:Montana: White-tailed Deer; Common Yarrow 
:Nebraska: American Robin; Common Milkweed 
:Nevada: Common Side-blotched Lizard; Creosote Bush 
:New Hampshire: White-tailed Deer; Eastern White Pine 
:New Jersey: Spotted Lanternfly; Common Mugwort 
:New Mexico: Mule Deer; Creosote Bush 
:New York: Eastern Gray Squirrel; White Snakeroot 
:North Carolina: Eastern Gray Squirrel; Christmas Fern 
:North Dakota: American Bison; Prairie Rose 
:Ohio: Eastern Pondhawk; Virginia Springbeauty 
:Oklahoma: Pond Slider; Eastern Redcedar 
:Oregon: Mule Deer; Western Ponderosa Pine 
:Pennsylvania: White-tailed Deer; Garlic Mustard 
:Rhode Island: American Herring Gull; Rugosa Rose 
:South Carolina: Northern Cardinal; American Sweetgum 
:South Dakota: American Bison; Hoary Vervain 
:Tennessee: American Robin; Christmas Fern 
:Texas: Northern Cardinal; Pinkladies 
:Utah: Mule Deer; Utah Juniper 
:Vermont: Common Eastern Bumble Bee; Eastern White Pine 
:Virginia: White-tailed Deer; Eastern Poison Ivy 
:Washington: Mallard; Western Sword Fern 
:West Virginia: White-tailed Deer; Great Rhododendron 
:Wisconsin: Common Eastern Bumble Bee; Common Milkweed 
:Wyoming: American Bison; Sticky Geranium 

==Trivia==
In an earlier version of the map, Iowa, Florida, Alaska, and Hawaii were missing their postal codes on the map, while other states' postal codes were displayed.

It was fixed sometime later.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]]
[[Category:US maps]]

File:inaturalist animals and plants 2x.png

2025-07-23T15:20:27Z

Strontium: Strontium uploaded a new version of File:inaturalist animals and plants 2x.png

== Summary ==
Small size can be found at https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/inaturalist_animals_and_plants.png

== Licensing ==
{{XKCD file}}

File:inaturalist animals and plants 2x.png

2025-07-23T15:19:25Z

Strontium: Strontium uploaded a new version of File:inaturalist animals and plants 2x.png

== Summary ==
Small size can be found at https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/inaturalist_animals_and_plants.png

== Licensing ==
{{XKCD file}}

Talk:3118: iNaturalist Animals and Plants

2025-07-22T03:21:52Z

Strontium:

we probably need to add something about how bacteria are more common but not observable to the average person [[Special:Contributions/72.203.83.113|72.203.83.113]] 16:36, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Why? Bacteria are not animals or plants. [[Special:Contributions/2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C|2600:387:4:803:0:0:0:2C]] 17:45, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

Why are some states missing their postal code? IA, FL, AK, HI don't have them.
[[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 18:27, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

I am curious which animal and which plant are mentioned for the most states? [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 18:43, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:Common Eastern Bumble Bee with 7 states [CT, IL, MD, MA, MN, VT, WI] and Common Milkweed with 6 states [IL, IA, MI, MN, NE, WI][[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 18:53, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:White-tailed Deer also has 7 states [IO, MI, MT, NH, PA, VI, WV] [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 19:16, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:You're right! My python script missed Iowa because of a capitalization error in the transcription. [[User:Nolanmeyer|Nolanmeyer]] ([[User talk:Nolanmeyer|talk]]) 19:32, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

Is there a hidden joke in this one that needs explaining, or is it simply an interesting data map? [[Special:Contributions/37.19.197.233|37.19.197.233]]
: Looks like just an interesting map. Nothing wrong with that. --[[Special:Contributions/81.96.108.67|81.96.108.67]] 20:50, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:: Wrong. What's wrong with it is that there's no joke. It's not "comic" in any way.

Big question: what does "most-observed" mean? Most reported? Most likely for a resident to see? Most likely for a resident to pay attention to? -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 19:38, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:The comic already answers that question: "Not the most common species in the state, just the one people have reported the most times." [[Special:Contributions/174.53.211.85|174.53.211.85]] 20:06, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
:iNaturalist is a phone app used by people to help contribute to citizen science (i.e. help collect data for research), so people scan animals/plants that they see to send to iNaturalist databases to be identified automatically. Most-observed means the species that are most reported to the database (so the species with the most scans). The comic notes most reported ≠ most common since many people just ignore species of animals/plants they don't believe to be notable enough to take the effort to scan such as grass. [[Special:Contributions/97.126.175.170|97.126.175.170]] 20:10, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
::If people were reporting common animals they see, they'd probably be dogs and cats. And even more common would be insects -- a backyard probably has hundreds of ants living in it. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 23:30, 21 July 2025 (UTC)
::: "''reporting common animals they see,''" iNat members report what they think is worth reporting. I aint got time to figure if I see more cedar or maple-- in fact I reported a maple only cuz I found a spectaculary colorful maple leaf, a great picture. It is casual observations, not a strict census. (Yes, some observers get a bit obsessive, but still.......) Yes, dogs get reported a lot-- it is a great way to learn the process and you may already have good photos of Rover.

For the other {{w|U.S. Territories}} not mentioned (sorted animal, plant):
* Guam: Hawaiian Garden Spider, Coconut Palm
* Northern Marianas: Mariana Kingfisher, Alim
* American Samoa: Striped Surgeonfish, Fish Poison Tree
* US Virgin Islands: Green Iguana, Portia Tree

United States Minor Outlying Islands (collectively): Laysan Albatross, Stalky Grass
* Baker Island: Painted Lady, Rugosa Rose
* Howland Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
* Jarvis Island: Masked Booby, Sooty Tern (tie), (no plant)
* Johnston Atoll: Great Frigatebird, Beach Plant
* Kingman Reef: (no animal or plant)
* Midway Atoll: Laysan Albatross, Beach Naupaka
* Navassa Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
* Palmyra Atoll: Red-Footed Booby, Grand-Devil's Claws
* Wake Island: (not a valid location in iNat)
[[Special:Contributions/122.56.85.105|122.56.85.105]] 21:44, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

The surprising part is that palmettos isn't South Carolina's and deer isn't Maine's, and ''Virginia'' Springbeauty is in Ohio.

[[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 03:21, 22 July 2025 (UTC)

Talk:2394: Contiguous 41 States

2025-05-15T20:25:20Z

Strontium:

Missing contiguous states: Delaware, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.42.92|172.69.42.92]] 23:57, 4 December 2020 (UTC)
:I knew something was off, but I couldn't pinpoint anything until reading the explanation. That's so weird. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.66|172.69.22.66]] 07:54, 5 December 2020 (UTC)
:: I know. This is really well done! I actually came here expecting how the gag was somehow that it was just a regular map. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.218|162.158.75.218]] 08:06, 6 December 2020 (UTC)
:::I'm from Denmark, but played a game when I was a kid where you should name the states just by seeing the contour and location. It was a very early computer with only limited graphics. Like really early! But I could manage to get all 50, and I'm proud that it has stuck, so I could actually find the 7 states my self. And now that I'm thus better at naming states than most Americans ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:57, 6 December 2020 (UTC)
::::I did manage to find those 7, but I kept looking for the other two, because 41 is 50 minus 9. I double checked a few times before realizing that the other two were Alaska and Hawaii (*^^*) [[User:Thaledison|Erin Anne]] ([[User talk:Thaledison|talk]]) 14:47, 7 December 2020 (UTC)

'''Contiguous''' has more specific meaning that "share borders" - it means that you can travel (on land in the case of map) from any point to any point, and there would be no breaks and spaces in the territory. --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 09:56, 5 December 2020 (UTC)
:This definition would seem to exclude any states that contain islands, because there would be some point in that state (namely, on the island) from which you could not travel on land to any point in another state. Though I can't prove it, a quick look at Wikipedia seems to confirm that every US state includes at least one island. So, if this is the definition of "contiguous," then NONE of the US states are contiguous with each other... which suggests (via Occam's Razor) that this can't possibly be the actual definition. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.42.124|172.69.42.124]] 21:37, 2 March 2021 (UTC)

I know acting like descriptivism is the objectively correct approach to language is all the rage these days, but I don't think you can describe a linguistic event (a word catching on) as "descriptivist" or "prescriptivist", as the page proposed for "conterguous". That's like referring to an economic occurrence as "normative" or "positive". It's not either of those, it just happens. Descriptivism refers to a quality of linguistics itself, not to language; it means, well, describing language. It doesn't stand for organic growth (or the explicit endorsement thereof, which would actually be prescriptive, and there's nothing wrong with that). So I nixed the reference to it; I think the supplied top-down and bottom-up are apt enough to stand on their own for that tangent. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.206.92|172.68.206.92]] 12:37, 5 December 2020 (UTC)
:I wondered. "Prescriptive" and "descriptive" identify, I reckon, 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' processes, both are required to allow a language to grow while remaining comprehensible to all its speakers, and, at the time, the idea of linking an absurd "rage" with an absurd word seemed too good to pass on. Thanks for the correction. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.129.132|172.68.129.132]] 16:18, 5 December 2020 (UTC)

This is like a puzzle with almost fitting pieces, so by carefully removing some states, it results in a fake border, as shown here: https://imgur.com/a/W8RMKMF . [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.40|162.158.134.40]] 15:49, 5 December 2020 (UTC)
: I don't understand. There are borders throughout the map, and a lot of them appear to be messed up, not just that area of the map. Why does this particular vertical line in particular matter to you? Educate me! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.207|162.158.166.207]] 23:27, 5 December 2020 (UTC)
:: This map https://imgur.com/a/rmXWwoF shows where Randall found two interior borders that looked very similar and collapsed them. This is how he was able to do this with only minimal distortion of the shape of states on these red and and blue borders. I think that might be what the previous poster was trying to say. ---[[User:Vroo|Vroo]] ([[User talk:Vroo|talk]]) 06:46, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

Living in Rhode Island, the smallest state, I thought it was humorous that RI was *not* omitted! Guess that would have been too easy... [[User:Davidhbrown|Davidhbrown]] ([[User talk:Davidhbrown|talk]]) 20:32, 5 December 2020 (UTC)
:Also those small states around there would be the first place people would look. Only Delaware, maybe one of the lesser mentioned states, is missing. But PA missing is huge. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:57, 6 December 2020 (UTC)

Randall, you were searching for the word "contagious". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.24|162.158.159.24]] 10:18, 6 December 2020 (UTC)

Someone should add a "citation needed" to the alaska bordering with canada sentence near the top of the explanation, with a link to comic 2082.\n I have no idea how to do this, so im putting it here. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.170|162.158.78.170]] 14:04, 6 December 2020 (UTC)
:Added --[[User:Thaledison|Erin Anne]] ([[User talk:Thaledison|talk]]) 15:01, 7 December 2020 (UTC)

The District of Columbia can not become a state without a Constitutional Amendment, which is highly unlikely to happen (since it would require ratification by 3/4 of the states). For this reason, we should remove the "yet" link, despite all of the talk about DC statehood in the news. See also [https://www.heritage.org/report/the-constitution-and-the-district-columbia Heritage Foundation: The Constitution and the District of Columbia]. [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 14:30, 7 December 2020 (UTC)
: [https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/51/text The most recent bill] worked around that by shrinking the capital down to a few critical buildings and turning the rest of the land into a new state. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.228|162.158.155.228]] 01:11, 8 December 2020 (UTC)
: Yes, the district does not have a specific size requirement, so the federal gov't portion around the mall could be preserved and the rest of the territory apply for admission.

WHAT ABOUT TERRITORIES KNOWN AS DOMINIONS????? [[User:Cwallenpoole|Cwallenpoole]] ([[User talk:Cwallenpoole|talk]]) 06:38, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

Created a map showing missing states https://imgur.com/a/dVMq8BR [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.180|162.158.106.180]] 19:17, 7 December 2020 (UTC)

I'd love to see a map of "ambiguous", "irriguous", and "exiguous" US states. ([Anonymous coward]), 3:58 1 October 2022 (UTC)

I live in the US and I usually think that I am good at geography, but I am extremely ashamed that I couldn’t find a single missing state until I checked on this website. ([me]), 11:35 2 November 2022 (ETC)

The "mainland of the USA" usually includes 49 states and the D. C. but not Hawaii. Do not confuse the United States of America with the continent also called America. [[User:ConscriptGlossary|ConscriptGlossary]] ([[User talk:ConscriptGlossary|talk]]) 13:26, 25 September 2024 (UTC)
:Is there ever much need to specifically specify the "mainland", insofar as it only really differs by one state (albeit the largest) from the "contiguous" version?
:Personally, I'll just call everyone over there "Leftpondians" (it's either that or Yanks, which is probably annoying/mystifying to a great many), and be hazy over whether I mean Puerto Rico/etc (that one is at least left of the Pond) and Hawaii (in the middle of the ''next'' puddle over...). Could apply to everyone from Chile to Canada, too.
:Or occasionally I might assume that everyone with N.American accent (or attitude) is Canadian. It'll please the actual mapleleafers to be recognised a bit more, and can only amuse many of the stars'n'stripers (perhaps especially the likes of Texans and deep-southers, if I catch 'em in the right mood). A bit like I might default to assuming that even probable Aussies are actually Kiwis, until I know for sure otherwise. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.225|172.70.85.225]] 17:10, 25 September 2024 (UTC)

Since Delaware and Pennsylvania got deleted, now New Jersey is the 1st state.

I'm surprised Rhode Island wasn't deleted.

[[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 20:25, 15 May 2025 (UTC)

Talk:2868: Label the States

2025-05-15T20:22:00Z

Strontium: Accidentally forgot to log in.

I have not counted the states, but I deeply hope reaching the 64-state count involves splitting Michigan's mitten and peninsula in separate states. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.130|108.162.241.130]] 16:02, 15 December 2023 (UTC)
:I have now counted them. Sadly, with a Unified Michigan, there are 64 states, plus DC, plus those 3 enclave-looking bits in California, Utah and Florida that have the darker outlines. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.214.73|172.69.214.73]] 16:09, 15 December 2023 (UTC)
::Those "enclave" parts are large bodies of water that actually exist. [[User:MAP|MAP]] ([[User talk:MAP|talk]]) 16:14, 15 December 2023 (UTC)
::I am not at all sure that the areas in California, Utah, and Florida are intended to be additional states. They look like Okeechobee (Lake in Florida), Salt Lake (Utah) and the Salton Sea (California), approximately. There does seem to be an additional band of states starting between Oregon and California though- as a supporter of the Great State of Jefferson, I appove![[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 16:17, 15 December 2023 (UTC)
:::They didn't really seem to be; they do have the coastline outlines, instead of the lighter state boundaries. The 64-count did work out without these lakes (though a part of me wishes one of them had been one, because it would have been funny to imply a state formed fully landlocked inside another, and even funnier if that state is just an entire body of water) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.38|108.162.242.38]] 16:26, 15 December 2023 (UTC)
:::: Should have been Salt Lake, if any of them, mostly because its closer to being "salt flats" than a "lake." And also nearly completely valueless as real estate (I've driven through, I forgot to fill my gas tank before leaving the city and in order to reach the nearest gas station I had to drive 10 miles to the next exit in order to turn around, because the tiny village the exit was for didn't have a gas station). [[User:Draco18s|Draco18s]] ([[User talk:Draco18s|talk]]) 21:25, 16 December 2023 (UTC)

I believe I have identified (but not named) all the new states:
# South of Oregon
# South of Idaho
# South of Wyoming
# East of Montana
# East of Wyoming
# South of the previous new state
# East of Arizona
# North of Tennessee
# North of North Carolina
# East of New Hampshire
Additionally, the following states have been stretch and/or split:
# Colorado
# Nebraska
# Arkansa
# Ohio
The distinction between a split state and a new state is purely arbitrary based on what preserves distinctive state corners. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.214.108|172.69.214.108]] 16:35, 15 December 2023 (UTC)
: Personally, would describe the new state as being south of North Carolina. The one to the north better matches the general outline of North Carolina (particularly the Outer Banks and that long, straight northern border). [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.65|172.69.247.65]] 16:58, 15 December 2023 (UTC)

I added locations for the new states in the explanation. If you think my interpretation is wrong, feel free to change it! [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous#Help_with_Creating_a_User_Page|Trogdor147]] ([[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous#Help_with_Creating_a_User_Page|talk]]) 16:49, 15 December 2023 (UTC)

Could this be considered in a "series" with other maps like the mixed up states and left out states ones? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.233|162.158.158.233]] 17:19, 15 December 2023 (UTC)

Not sure if it's relevant but the number of 64 (as a power of 2) doesn't seem completely random. Could be a hint towards states in the computer science sense. You could use 6 bit to represent any number of states up to 64 - and you'd already need 6 bit for the actual number of US states.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.129|172.69.22.129]] 17:40, 15 December 2023 (UTC)

someone with better photoshop skills than me should overlay the normal map and point out the inconsistencies! [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 17:51, 15 December 2023 (UTC)
:Overlaying the maps goes beyond my skills with Paint, but I hope showing the real map and xkcd's one with extra states highlighted is clear enough.--[[User:Pere prlpz|Pere prlpz]] ([[User talk:Pere prlpz|talk]]) 18:08, 15 December 2023 (UTC)

Labeled all… INCLUDING Central Dakota, Central Carolina, North Arkansas, West Mexico, Kansorado, Ohindiana, Kentussee, Eyoming, East Hampshire, North Wyoming, West Dakota, South Oregon, Udaho, and Montanyoming. [[User:TenGolf MathHacker|TenGolf MathHacker]] ([[User talk:TenGolf MathHacker|talk]]) 18:53, 15 December 2023 (UTC)
:I propose instead that the state north of Colorado be Wyoming, the one to the west become Wyamping, and the one to the north become Wyvolting. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.22.132|172.71.22.132]] 19:01, 15 December 2023 (UTC)

My proposal (hope the image is fine):

[[File:Labelledstates.png|400x400px]]
[[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 20:00, 15 December 2023 (UTC)

: You've labeled Nebraska as a "new" state for some reason, and it looks like it's been added to the actual description. Someone really ought to fix that. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.154.118|172.71.154.118]] 08:24, 16 December 2023 (UTC)
:: I, too, object to Nebraska having been marked as one of the added states (and I don't even live there). [[User:Draco18s|Draco18s]] ([[User talk:Draco18s|talk]]) 08:44, 16 December 2023 (UTC)
::: Sorry, european moment. I just took the highlighted map at its word! [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 09:23, 16 December 2023 (UTC)
:::: No worries. I even screwed up the copy *I* did because I had to fix the in-color so it didn't look like ass and missed two of the new states (I love that no one can agree on which Wyoming is the right one, though). [[User:Draco18s|Draco18s]] ([[User talk:Draco18s|talk]]) 21:19, 16 December 2023 (UTC)

Here's my take. [https://imgur.com/a/Cjvybx1] [[User:N-eh|N-eh]] ([[User talk:N-eh|talk]]) 20:02, 15 December 2023 (UTC)
: This is absolutely delightful, Hyperbolic Kansas is my favorite [[User:Terdragontra|Terdragontra]] ([[User talk:Terdragontra|talk]]) 15:15, 18 December 2023 (UTC)
:: I just got the joke... oh my goodness it's perfect. [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous#Help_with_Creating_a_User_Page|Trogdor147]] ([[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous#Help_with_Creating_a_User_Page|talk]]) 00:23, 8 February 2024 (UTC)

Loving the state name proposals. [https://imgur.com/a/DgWvox5 Here's mine.] [[User:Chasingballoons|Chasingballoons]] ([[User talk:Chasingballoons|talk]]) 21:16, 15 December 2023 (UTC)

: I liked N-eh's names better, except for "Occupied South Oregon and New Worchestershire". Those are truly inspired names.
:: New Worcestershire Sauce would be loaded with maple syrup as a major flavouring. [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 10:06, 17 December 2023 (UTC)

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but what you have labelled as Kansbraska is actually just Nebraska. Just south of Nebraska is the new state, which I'd tentatively name Nebrahoma or perhaps Oklaska.

The image with the added states highlighted in the explanation has Nebraska highlighted. The correct state highlighted should be the one above Nebraska. [[User:Firestar233|guess who]] ([[User talk:Firestar233|if you want to]] | [[Special:Contributions/Firestar233|what i have done]]) 22:35, 15 December 2023 (UTC)
:The image history just flips between South Dacota (with notch in NE) and Nebraska (with inward corner in SW), without ever marking the new state between them. One half each of Arkansas and Ohio disappeared too. There will probably be some more iterations with similar edit collisions... :D Anyways, the maps are aesthetically pleasing. Good job! --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.87.205|162.158.87.205]] 14:32, 16 December 2023 (UTC)
Very proud of everyone here for somehow managing to edit war over which states to highlight and getting it wrong Four Times In A Row [[User:IloLisipo|IloLisipo]] ([[User talk:IloLisipo|talk]]) 17:31, 16 December 2023 (UTC)
:It's really bothering me that Colorado is currently marked in blue as a new state, when it seems rather obvious by the distorted outlines that "East Utah" (the one entirely West of Texas) is the "new" one... (Also, is ''no one'' going to make a Garfield joke about Wyoming being a made-up state?)
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 02:06, 17 December 2023 (UTC)
:Clearly, the state next to New Mexico is Newer Mexico.

Based on historical precedent, should the state south of Oregon and north of California be called Jefferson?

I think currently the real Tennessee and Arkansas are highlighted. It's hard to tell, but given that the new states tend to be aligned, the real Colorado might also be highlighted. This comment is about the fifth version of the highlighted map image. [[User:DL Draco Rex|DL Draco Rex]] ([[User talk:DL Draco Rex|talk]]) 18:56, 17 December 2023 (UTC)
:I agree, & it looks like the only thing delaying the corrections already called for, is that no one has wanted to do the image editing, to update the blue tiles in the explanation.
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 22:21, 17 December 2023 (UTC)
::Well, given that I've seen no objections over the past roughly a day, I went ahead and did it myself. Someone else can change the explanation text if it needs to be changed. [[User:DL Draco Rex|DL Draco Rex]] ([[User talk:DL Draco Rex|talk]]) 18:27, 18 December 2023 (UTC)
:::Cool, now I fully agree with the highlights. Thanks Draco! (Now waiting for someone to highlight Arkansas, so we are back at the initial version. :D) --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.87.164|162.158.87.164]] 14:46, 20 December 2023 (UTC)
::::<nowiki/>*Nebraska—You know, I am an european... --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.87.164|162.158.87.164]] 14:50, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

Any comment on the use of the word "even" in the title text? That phrasing suggests that it's easier to name the states with a blank map. But that obviously makes it harder, not easier. And also, if the map weren't blank there would be no need to name them in the first place. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 02:37, 18 December 2023 (UTC)
:It's easier to name the States with a blank map as opposed to no map at all. [[User:DL Draco Rex|DL Draco Rex]] ([[User talk:DL Draco Rex|talk]]) 04:59, 18 December 2023 (UTC)
:Yup, if asked to "name all the states", unless you particularly have an order in mind (that you can remember, through some mnemonic progression or other) you're prone to stabbibg away at the unordered list, not knowing if you've missed an 'obvious' one, perhaps not even knowing how many you've named, etc. Put an (unlabeled) map in front of you and a pen and you can general see which gaps you've filled (hopefully correctly, but when you realise that you wqnt to fill a neighbour with the same name then you can at least rewrite it/accept that you might have North Dakota/South Dakota the wrong way round but at least you have them both) and zero in on likely bits of memory you need to trawl through ("...another 'southern' state; I've got Arkansas, I've got Tennessee, I've got...").
:Depends upon your own mind (maybe you're a whiz at reciting all states alphabetically/by abbreviation/by area/by population/by support for a given party or politician), but definitely can't hurt. (Unless you miss Rhode Island's small footprint, or get confused about the discontinuity of that one state up in the Great Lakes, or have managed to shuffle the mid-west flyover 'square states' up or down one to leave the gap in ''totally'' the wrong place, or ...) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.211|172.71.242.211]] 13:15, 18 December 2023 (UTC)

Of course I can name all the states. Naming them ''correctly'' is a completely different matter, of course. (And as for naming the "new" states, it's obvious to me that the one beside Maine should be called Secondary.) --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.214.5|172.69.214.5]] 13:34, 18 December 2023 (UTC)
: "Fred", "Bob", "Dan", "Gregory", "Janine", "Hans", "Merryweather", "Caroline", "Jo", "Joe", "Joey", "Jock", "Jack", "George", "Geraldine", "Jerry", "Gerry", "Gary", "Gru", "Gerald", "Gerald Ford", "Henry Ford", "Henry Kissinger", "Henry Hoover", "Henry Dyson", "Henry Electrolux" "Electra", "Oedipus", "Œdipus", "Wikipædia", "FriendsReunited", "anon.penet.fi", "capitals" "LOWERCASE", "Mississippibutwithdoubledvowelsandsingleconsonants", "Fifty-first state", "Old Hampshire", ",", "Z00000L", "xxTattered Pig-Tail Vestxx", "Fred's cousin", "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. [...] It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.", "sic[sic]", "🤮", "ibid", "Ra Ra Rasputin", "Russian Queen", "Rush Limbaugh", "Rishi Sunak", "[[Randall]]"
: ...and, though it isn't a state, "Washington A.C."! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.178|172.71.242.178]] 14:03, 18 December 2023 (UTC)

Is Maine the only state which actually became ''larger'' in this version of the US map? --[[User:Raviolio|Raviolio]] ([[User talk:Raviolio|talk]]) 15:31, 31 January 2024 (UTC)

I saw the highlighted list and for a second I thought he put the "Loss" comic in there. [[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 21:13, 6 May 2024 (UTC)

==Friends reference==
Should the episode of Friends be referenced in explanation in which Ross tries to name all states or he doesn't get Thanksgiving Turkey and eventually comes in the middle of the night to eat with list of 50 states while aware Nevada is there twice? Meanwhile Joey's list way more than 50 states and accuses Ross of making stuff up as he listed 'Utah'?
Script of episode: https://www.livesinabox.com/friends/season7/708cdld.htm
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.103.162|162.158.103.162]] 09:37, 18 December 2023 (UTC)
:I, uh, think this might be a bit of a reach. [[User:DL Draco Rex|DL Draco Rex]] ([[User talk:DL Draco Rex|talk]]) 00:38, 24 December 2023 (UTC)

==Are the right states highlighted?==
I could be wrong, but I think this page currently identifies the real Colorado, Wyoming, and Tennessee as "new" states. The states where Colorado and Wyoming should be with respect to Utah are more accurate proportionally to those states, and the more southern of the two Tennessee-like states just looks more like Tennessee to my eyes. [[User:Squee333|Squee333]] ([[User talk:Squee333|talk]]) 03:14, 29 December 2023 (UTC)
:I disagree strongly. The real Tennessee is a quadrilateral. The upper Tennessee is a quadrilateral. The lower one is not. It also makes absolutely no sense for that random state to be the real Wyoming. Look how much cleaner the previous version is. You can see how states were slid apart to fit new states. You can't just look at proportions, you also need to consider positions. I strongly suggest reversion. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.167.201|172.71.167.201]] 13:14, 31 December 2023 (UTC)
::I was partially going off of the discussion here: https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/18j9nnb/the_bonus_14_states/. I'll change it back, but looking at a real map I'm not entirely convinced.

==New State Name Proposals and Abbreviations==
Tried to come up with serious-sounding names while including some proposed states and native people in order to determine what to call certain regions. [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859658248177319937/1194519792669962310/2868_catboy_proposal_v1.png View Map] Feel free to make your own edits, or tell me to edit it if you want the style to be consistent. Note that I’m not dead-set on the placement of Tennessee/Cherokee and Arkansas/Cahokia or the Cherokee/Cahokia abbreviations. [[User:CatboyNiko|CatboyNiko]] ([[User talk:CatboyNiko|talk]]) 06:01, 10 January 2024 (UTC)CatboyNiko
:Your "Central Dakota" is the real South Dakota, and your South Dakota is actually the new state. Arkansas is AR, and Nebraska is NE. US states actually can't have the same abbreviations as Canadian provinces; Alberta is AB. Since these states would have gotten their abbreviations before the Canadian provinces if they actually existed, you might want to change the names. I won't comment any further about the controversy surrounding which states are actually AR, CO, TN, and WY... [[User:Squee333|Squee333]] ([[User talk:Squee333|talk]]) 22:50, 12 January 2024 (UTC)
::I'd probably do this: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Squee3/Misc/main/label_the_states_2x_highlighted.png. Names that don't match yours are from here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/return-of-horrible-educational-maps.375167/page-293. [[User:Squee333|Squee333]] ([[User talk:Squee333|talk]]) 16:52, 15 January 2024 (UTC)
:::Whoops! State abbreviations are hard. [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859658248177319937/1203300382185623592/2868_catboysquee_proposal_v2.png Here]’s the updated map with your suggestions and [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/859658248177319937/1203303529398411324/2868_catboysquee_proposal_v2_noted.png one with your amendments labeled]. [[User:CatboyNiko|CatboyNiko]] ([[User talk:CatboyNiko|talk]]) 11:38, 3 February 2024 (UTC)CatboyNiko
::::When I click on your new maps, I get "This content is no longer available."... [[User:Squee333|Squee333]] ([[User talk:Squee333|talk]]) 01:54, 11 February 2024 (UTC)
:::::I've come up with a new set of names for you that I think might work better: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Squee3/Misc/main/label_the_states_2x_highlighted.png Names mostly have historical precedent where possible. [[User:Squee333|Squee333]] ([[User talk:Squee333|talk]]) 19:43, 19 February 2024 (UTC)
:::::: Here's mine: https://imgbox.com/OmT0Zuq6
:::::: Name Origins: Dineta is the Navajo homeland -- it could replace either Gadsen or Nuuchi. The Yankton are part of the Dakota, so this makes it so there are (secretly) three Dakotas. Nuuchi is the endonym of the Ute. Seedskeedee is Shoshone for the Green River. When the province of Carolina was split in twain OTL, the new provinces were named after two of the lords proprietary, the Earl of Clarendon and the Duke of Albemarle. The Earl of Craven was another lord proprietary. [[User:JackBonhomie|JackBonhomie]] ([[User talk:JackBonhomie|talk]]) 02:47, 25 February 2024 (UTC)
:::::::Great suggestions! Used them (except for Franklin, since the new state is apparently the southern one, and Quapaw, since they weren't on the AR/LA border) here: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Squee3/Misc/main/label_the_states_2x.png [[User:Squee333|Squee333]] ([[User talk:Squee333|talk]]) 20:19, 25 February 2024 (UTC)

Iʼm surprised no one suggested “Nebraskota” for the new state between Nebraska and South Dakota.
[[User:Heleatunda|Heleatunda]] ([[User talk:Heleatunda|talk]]) 19:24, 13 April 2024 (UTC)

I remembered that Discord’s links broke a while back but forgot to update my image links. Whoops. Hopefully [https://imgur.com/a/TaWZAwN imgur] won’t break soon. [[User:CatboyNiko|CatboyNiko]] ([[User talk:CatboyNiko|talk]]) 03:32, 14 October 2024 (UTC)CatboyNiko

== My take on this ==

The way they put all the extra square "states" between the actual square states confuses me, and now I am not sure which one is the real Colorado and Wyoming, so I just assumed.

Some fake state names I made up are more humorous.

[https://imgur.com/a/pCFPJvA Here is my interpretation.]

North & South Laramie: It's near the real Wyoming, and Fort Laramie was there.

Boise: Fort Boise was there, although I could've called it New Idaho.

Rocheuse: Colorado is known for being the most mountainous state ever. It's French for Rocky.

New Oregon: It's below the real Oregon.

New Colorado & Wyoming: They're near the real Colorado and Wyoming.

New Indiana: Near the real Indiana.

New Arizona: It's between New Mexico and Arizona.

Kearney: Fort Kearney was in Nebraska, and this is sandwiched between the real South Dakota and Nebraska.

Central Carolina: Sandwiched between North & South Carolina.

'''More humorous ones'''

New New Hampshire: Near the real New Hampshire.

Baseballee: It's near Tennessee, and it sounds like Tennis-ee.

Aren't Kansas: Arkansas? Are Kansas? Enough said.

Can't wait for a sequel version - versions with other countries?

[[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 20:21, 15 May 2025 (UTC)