explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2004: Sun and Earth

2018-06-08T15:13:48Z

The Dining Logician:

There seems to be a glitch with the bar at the top (the one with the previous comic button and so on), it displays in a messed up way. Is this just something with my browser, or have other people been seeing this too? [[User:VannaWho|VannaWho]] ([[User talk:VannaWho|talk]])
:I'm using K-Meleon76 in Win7x64 (in a non-Admin account), it looks good to me. It does help to sign with 4 tildes, it does this for you: [[Special:Contributions/172.68.2.106|172.68.2.106]] 11:31, 8 June 2018 (UTC)
::Thanks IP, by using the 4 tildes OR the sign button at the top also a timestamp will be shown.
::VannaWho: What is messed up? What happens? And what browser do you use? I also can't see any problems. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:19, 8 June 2018 (UTC)

The current explanation suggests that solar flares and volcanic eruptions are always quite benign. My interpretation of this comic, when I read it, was that volcanic eruptions can indeed be very deadly and potentially kill most humans (supervolcano, mini ice age... etc). But they are indeed rare enough that all humans currently alive and many generations to come are pretty safe from that risk.
Not sure if a solar eruption could actually threaten humanity, beyond damaging our satellites. {{unsigned ip|141.101.88.88}}
:A huge {{w|Coronal mass ejection}}, like the {{w|Solar storm of 1859}} that {{w|down Coronal_mass_ejection#First_traces|took down parts of the recently created US telegraph network}}, if occurring today would cause widespread disruptions and damage to a modern and technology-dependent society. It could simply melt down the transformers that distribute all electricity on Earth, potentially leaving us without electricity... Like no one has electricity. This would not be something we could fix, since the transformers are melted down. So yes mass starvation could occur when all refrigerators stop working. So potentially as lethal as a super volcano on the short term... Of course we can do absolutely nothing about this. Just like with super volcanoes. Only thing we are sure of is that both events will happen again sometime. Have a nice day ;-) [http://www.lloyds.com/~/media/lloyds/reports/emerging%20risk%20reports/solar%20storm%20risk%20to%20the%20north%20american%20electric%20grid.pdf] --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:10, 8 June 2018 (UTC)
::The problems with the burgeoning North American telegraph network were because the wires covered such a great distances. In forthcoming geomagnetic events it will be similar processes causing problems. I'm curious though, we have lightning arresters on transmission lines for literally breaking the circuit when the voltage is too high, is there nothing similar that would prevent damage from a solar storm? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.33|162.158.158.33]] 14:33, 8 June 2018 (UTC)

After the major blackout of the Eastern US Coast, the connections between electrical stations were redesigned so that overloads would not cascade. A similar change was made to long distance land telephone centers when an incorrect update brought down telephone service. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 15:13, 8 June 2018 (UTC)

Talk:2003: Presidential Succession

2018-06-06T13:08:50Z

The Dining Logician:

Aw, but what about Morgan Freeman? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.11|108.162.221.11]] 04:43, 6 June 2018 (UTC)
:And Kiefer -designated survivor- Sutherland?[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.83|141.101.104.83]] 08:24, 6 June 2018 (UTC)
:Morgan Freeman> "I do solemnly swear / that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States..." [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 12:39, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Academy awards have been won by actors playing kings / queens - of England, the United Kingdom and Siam - Princes - of Denmark - and Prime Ministers of Great Britain and even the President of the Uniter States / Member of the house of Representatives, but I do not believe it has been won by an actor playing a state govenor. Mind you it is not clear if an actor playing a prison govenor, would count. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 11:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Bill Pullman's eldest daughter Maesa is a film composer with an IMDB page in her own right. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 11:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Top 5 US astronauts? I only count three. Who are the other two? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.76|172.68.150.76]] 12:15, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

As of September 3, 2017, the 5 US astronauts with the most total time in space are Peggy Whitson (665 days), Jeff Williams (534), Scott Kelly (520), Mike Fincke (382), and Mike Foale (374), according to https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-station-astronaut-record-holders. Michael Lopez-Alegria has the second-most time in space for a single spaceflight (215 days, compared to Scott Kelly, 340). [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 12:59, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Talk:2003: Presidential Succession

2018-06-06T13:06:14Z

The Dining Logician:

Aw, but what about Morgan Freeman? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.11|108.162.221.11]] 04:43, 6 June 2018 (UTC)
:And Kiefer -designated survivor- Sutherland?[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.83|141.101.104.83]] 08:24, 6 June 2018 (UTC)
:Morgan Freeman> "I do solemnly swear / that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States..." [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 12:39, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Academy awards have been won by actors playing kings / queens - of England, the United Kingdom and Siam - Princes - of Denmark - and Prime Ministers of Great Britain and even the President of the Uniter States / Member of the house of Representatives, but I do not believe it has been won by an actor playing a state govenor. Mind you it is not clear if an actor playing a prison govenor, would count. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 11:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Bill Pullman's eldest daughter Maesa is a film composer with an IMDB page in her own right. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 11:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Top 5 US astronauts? I only count three. Who are the other two? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.76|172.68.150.76]] 12:15, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

As of September 3, 2017, The 5 US astronauts with the most total time in space are Peggy Whitson (665 days), Jeff Williams (534), Scott Kelly (520), Mike Fincke (382), and Mike Foale (374), according to https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-station-astronaut-record-holders. Michael Lopez-Alegria has the second-most time in space for a single spaceflight (215 days, compared to Scott Kelly, 340). [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 12:59, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Talk:2003: Presidential Succession

2018-06-06T12:59:43Z

The Dining Logician:

Aw, but what about Morgan Freeman? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.11|108.162.221.11]] 04:43, 6 June 2018 (UTC)
:And Kiefer -designated survivor- Sutherland?[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.83|141.101.104.83]] 08:24, 6 June 2018 (UTC)
:Morgan Freeman> "I do solemnly swear / that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States..." [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 12:39, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Academy awards have been won by actors playing kings / queens - of England, the United Kingdom and Siam - Princes - of Denmark - and Prime Ministers of Great Britain and even the President of the Uniter States / Member of the house of Representatives, but I do not believe it has been won by an actor playing a state govenor. Mind you it is not clear if an actor playing a prison govenor, would count. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 11:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Bill Pullman's eldest daughter Maesa is a film composer with an IMDB page in her own right. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 11:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Top 5 US astronauts? I only count three. Who are the other two? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.76|172.68.150.76]] 12:15, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

As of September 3, 2017, The 5 US astronauts with the most total time in space are Peggy Whitson, Jeff Williams, Scott Kelly, Mike Fincke, and Mike Foale, according to https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-station-astronaut-record-holders. Michael Lopez-Alegria has the second-most time in space for a single spaceflight. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 12:59, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1999: Selection Effect

2018-05-29T20:18:37Z

The Dining Logician:

The selection effect is a bias in the results of a study because the study participants are not a random sample of the general population. For example, a study performed on college students may be biased toward better-educated people, or a study on social interaction may be affected by how many participants have the same first language as the investigators.

[[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 19:17, 28 May 2018 (UTC)

One more comic until we hit 2000!
Which means on July 11th, the comic number will finally match up with the date (and will certainly be the only time ever). Like an eclipse!
[[User:Some Commenter|Some Commenter]] ([[User talk:Some Commenter|talk]]) 12:23, 28 May 2018 (UTC)

:Just 49 to go until a big round-number milestone! (and just 1 until a big round number kilometerstone) --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.4|172.68.54.4]] 21:54, 28 May 2018 (UTC)

:Well, arguably only two more to go, as there was no comic for #404 (Found this out on accident a few minutes ago looking for something unrelated.) But that means the 1000th comic was the 999th too.[[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 12:47, 29 May 2018 (UTC)

There was no comic #404 because Randall intended the "Page Not Found" error as comic #404. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 20:18, 29 May 2018 (UTC)

I don't think escaping from MRI is that easy. There is reason why it's known to be problem for claustrophobic people. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:46, 28 May 2018 (UTC)
:It it not that it is hard to escape from an MRI, unless you are somehow restrained or disabled. It is just that it feels that way because your head is in a tunnel. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.220|141.101.88.220]] 13:31, 29 May 2018 (UTC)
:Is it dangerous to leave an MRI mid-scan? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.115|172.68.189.115]] 18:57, 29 May 2018 (UTC)
It could be if your escape attempt brings something metallic into the MRI field. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 19:37, 29 May 2018 (UTC)

Should we mention trivia of comics using the same platform? https://xkcd.com/1781/ [[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.252|172.68.65.252]] 16:58, 29 May 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1999: Selection Effect

2018-05-29T19:37:55Z

The Dining Logician:

The selection effect is a bias in the results of a study because the study participants are not a random sample of the general population. For example, a study performed on college students may be biased toward better-educated people, or a study on social interaction may be affected by how many participants have the same first language as the investigators.

[[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 19:17, 28 May 2018 (UTC)

One more comic until we hit 2000!
Which means on July 11th, the comic number will finally match up with the date (and will certainly be the only time ever). Like an eclipse!
[[User:Some Commenter|Some Commenter]] ([[User talk:Some Commenter|talk]]) 12:23, 28 May 2018 (UTC)

:Just 49 to go until a big round-number milestone! (and just 1 until a big round number kilometerstone) --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.4|172.68.54.4]] 21:54, 28 May 2018 (UTC)

:Well, arguably only two more to go, as there was no comic for #404 (Found this out on accident a few minutes ago looking for something unrelated.) But that means the 1000th comic was the 999th too.[[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 12:47, 29 May 2018 (UTC)

I don't think escaping from MRI is that easy. There is reason why it's known to be problem for claustrophobic people. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:46, 28 May 2018 (UTC)
:It it not that it is hard to escape from an MRI, unless you are somehow restrained or disabled. It is just that it feels that way because your head is in a tunnel. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.220|141.101.88.220]] 13:31, 29 May 2018 (UTC)
:Is it dangerous to leave an MRI mid-scan? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.115|172.68.189.115]] 18:57, 29 May 2018 (UTC)
It could be if your escape attempt brings something metallic into the MRI field. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 19:37, 29 May 2018 (UTC)

Should we mention trivia of comics using the same platform? https://xkcd.com/1781/ [[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.252|172.68.65.252]] 16:58, 29 May 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1999: Selection Effect

2018-05-28T19:17:15Z

The Dining Logician:

Talk:1994: Repairs

2018-05-16T06:02:06Z

The Dining Logician:

I think the bot on here and xkcd OS might be broken[[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.200|172.69.22.200]] 04:46, 16 May 2018 (UTC)

The 2x version (found in srcset attribute) is complete though - https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/repairs_2x.png [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.16|162.158.2.16]] 05:08, 16 May 2018 (UTC)

This comic almost seems meta. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.64|162.158.142.64]] 05:15, 16 May 2018 (UTC)

The improperly-sized version is probably intentional, given the changes indicated in the "2x" version and the results. The link to the "2x" version should be included in the explanation. Dissassembling the "original" version before moving it to trash would be likely to increase rather than decrease the size of the file in trash. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 06:02, 16 May 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1994: Repairs

2018-05-16T06:00:54Z

The Dining Logician:

Talk:1994: Repairs

2018-05-16T05:55:07Z

The Dining Logician:

I think the bot on here and xkcd OS might be broken[[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.200|172.69.22.200]] 04:46, 16 May 2018 (UTC)

The 2x version (found in srcset attribute) is complete though - https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/repairs_2x.png [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.16|162.158.2.16]] 05:08, 16 May 2018 (UTC)

This comic almost seems meta. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.64|162.158.142.64]] 05:15, 16 May 2018 (UTC)

The improperly-sized version is probably intentional, given the changes indicated in the "2x" version and the results. The link to the "2x" version should be included in the explanation. Changing the "original" version before moving it to trash would be likely to increase rather than decrease the size of the file in trash. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 05:55, 16 May 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1955: Robots

2018-02-14T06:07:10Z

The Dining Logician:

The door handle is a lever, which is relatively easy to open. A doorknob would be harder.
[[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 06:04, 14 February 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1955: Robots

2018-02-14T06:04:45Z

The Dining Logician:

The dorr handle is a lever, which is relatively easy to open. A doorknob would be harder.
[[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 06:04, 14 February 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1858: 4th of July

2017-07-03T17:45:51Z

The Dining Logician:

Hmm. I would personally switch 2017 goal with 2018. But in the meantime, I'm going to practice my armor-polishing skills so that my future master will treat me well. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.33|162.158.74.33]] 15:46, 3 July 2017 (UTC) SiliconWolf

Added an initial description, definitely needs work though. Hopefully it covers the bases for readers not aware of Independence day celebration in the US [[User:Bpendragon|Bpendragon]] ([[User talk:Bpendragon|talk]]) 17:32, 3 July 2017 (UTC)

A far as hitting drones with fireworks, fireworks cannot be controlled once launched and air currents (especially if there are drones in the vicinity) would make the fireworks' trajectories unpredictable.

Intercepting fireworks with drones would require precise control of the drone.
[[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 17:45, 3 July 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1793: Soda Sugar Comparisons

2017-02-02T21:05:16Z

The Dining Logician:

'''Attention:''' There came a '''new [[what if?]]''', ''{{what if|153|Hide the Atmosphere}}'' out two days ago (after almost 15 weeks since the last). --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:50, 1 February 2017 (UTC)


And that's why I don't really drink soda. [[User:Cardboardmech|Cardboardmech]] ([[User talk:Cardboardmech|talk]]) 06:30, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
:...sadly, coke zero costs as much as normal coke, despite one having 0% sugar, and thus, give the body zero energy. No financial incentive to switch. :D --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.76|162.158.150.76]] 10:52, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
:The problem is that juice (like orange-juice) has not that much less sugar – and if you drink not pure juice, it can has more. --[[User:DaB.|DaB.]] ([[User talk:DaB.|talk]]) 15:16, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
:: That's why I drink diet coke. You stay slim and can find your children in the dark ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:10, 1 February 2017 (UTC)

Stellar work from [[User:Schroduck|Schroduck]] but can we get a better idea of the calories in a candy counter. We're looking at approx 3000 candy bars (a catering box holds 48 bars, is designed to be usable for display and about 2 bars wide) ballpark figures though so not adding the edit yet, but 3 tiers of boxes would be about right [[User:Luckykaa|Luckykaa]] ([[User talk:Luckykaa|talk]]) 09:26, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
:Thanks! I did a bit of digging, and updated the data. It looks like it significantly overestimates the sugar (''if'' the display only holds chocolate/candy and not, say, sugar-free gum). [[User:Schroduck|Schroduck]] ([[User talk:Schroduck|talk]]) 11:56, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
:: Maybe this is an English term? But I would have thought that a candy counter was for regular candy to fill in bags for instance and not only Mars bar type of candy if any such chocolate bars would be there at all?--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:10, 1 February 2017 (UTC)

One issue I have personally with these comparison are that it is easy to get huge numbers just by adding time. However, in this case, if you translate this into body fat it does make sense. Another tangent: Eating an orange is 9 grams of sugar according to google sources. 7 oranges per day is a lot of fruit. Throwing this out there for anyone to play with. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.214|141.101.80.214]] 11:07, 1 February 2017 (UTC)

The page mentions "Crème eggs." While this is a common autocorrect, Cadbury don't use this on their packaging. Confusingly, this appears to be the case in the USA as well, even though Hershey on its website uses it. Can someone find a citation to confirm or deny that this this is ever the correct spelling? Also, don't drink soda. Really. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.18|141.101.107.18]] 13:21, 1 February 2017 (UTC)

I don't like how he compares the consumption of soda at a constant rate over a period of time to a grand total of candy. This could be reversed, e.g. eating 100ml of skittles a day for six months is the same as drinking 180 bottles of soda, to make it seem as though candy contains a lot of sugar in comparison to soda rather than vice versa. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.239|141.101.99.239]] 14:10, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
:Yes, it's a real problem that these comparisons don't dig at the core of the problem - that carbohydrate-rich food is often junk food. You can store lots of fat for a long time, but not carbohydrates (the human stores are maxed out at +/- 1200 g for an adult male). So, apart from athletes, nobody manages to deplete these stores in the liver and the muscles. Nobody, apart from athletes, has therefore a genuine need for carbohydrate-rich food. Our consumption of carbohydrates is like refilling a car's gasoline tank even if it is 90% full.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.76|162.158.150.76]] 14:36, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
::You forgot that the human body can convert sugar to fat quite easily. --[[User:DaB.|DaB.]] ([[User talk:DaB.|talk]]) 15:16, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
:::...which is not a reason for sugar consumption. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.76|162.158.150.76]] 16:07, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
::::"Reason for sugar consumption" is like needing a motive for a sexually-based crime. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.219|162.158.74.219]] 18:21, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
:::::So you are saying that you do not need a motive before committing a sex crime! ;-p --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:04, 1 February 2017 (UTC)

I never would have thought of it like that. xD --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|'''JayRules''XKCD''' ]]<sup>[[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|what's up?]]</sup> 18:50, 2 February 2017 (UTC)

I know they don't sell Skittles in gallon-sized containers (as far as I know, anyway), but seeing that picture makes me want to try the gallon-Skittle challenge. I bet it would take about five minutes... Who's with me? [[User:Mathmannix|Mathmannix]] ([[User talk:Mathmannix|talk]]) 19:09, 2 February 2017 (UTC)

That box at the right end of the candy counter probably contains waxed paper or bags for loose candy.
[[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 21:05, 2 February 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1695: Code Quality 2

2016-06-17T14:43:49Z

The Dining Logician:

Edward Estin Cummings was a poet (pseudonym e e cummings) who used capitalization, punctuation, and line breaks in unconventional ways. When a new user creates an account that duplicates an existing user name, many websites will suggest a user name with the user's first name followed by a string of digits. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 14:42, 17 June 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1695: Code Quality 2

2016-06-17T14:42:29Z

The Dining Logician:

Edward Estin Cummings was a poet (pseudonym e e cummings) who used capitalization and punctuation in unconventional ways. When a new user creates an account that duplicates an existing user name, many websites will suggest a user name with the user's first name followed by a string of digits. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 14:42, 17 June 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1623: 2016 Conversation Guide

2015-12-30T08:36:15Z

The Dining Logician:

In response to the title text, "You know, it's such a beautiful day that I think I'll walk." See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_Such_a_Beautiful_Day. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.32|198.41.238.32]] 07:23, 30 December 2015 (UTC)

A number of "inventions" from various science fiction stories of the late nineteenth and the twentieth centuries are listed with how they have progressed in the present. Some are currently being used (flying car) but in a different manner than originally imagined (helicopters, which use rotating blades rather than stationary airfoils -- wings -- for lift). Some are impractical for physical reasons (floating sky city) and some have economic (moon colony) or social impediments (jetpack). The entry for "hoverboard" and the title text refer to two different kinds: the science fiction version in "Back to the Future" is a skateboard with some form of levitation instead of wheels, while the current version is a short skateboard that has more freedom of motion but less stable balance than a conventional skateboard.

There are two possibilities for "robot butler": either it refers to the "ask Jeeves" search engine or implies that P. G. Wodehouse's "perfect gentleman's gentleman" was a robot. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 08:36, 30 December 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1623: 2016 Conversation Guide

2015-12-30T08:32:54Z

The Dining Logician:

Talk:1623: 2016 Conversation Guide

2015-12-30T08:14:38Z

The Dining Logician:

In response to the title text, "You know, it's such a beautiful day that I think I'll walk." See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_Such_a_Beautiful_Day. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.32|198.41.238.32]] 07:23, 30 December 2015 (UTC)

A number of "inventions" from various science fiction stories of the late nineteenth and the twentieth centuries are listed with how they have progressed in the present. Some are currently being used (flying car) but in a different manner than originally imagined (helicopters, which use rotating blades rather than stationary airfoils -- wings -- for lift). Some are impractical for physical reasons (floating sky city) and some have economic (moon colony) or social impediments (rocket belts). The entry for "hoverboard" and the title text refer to two different kinds: the science fiction version in "Back to the Future" is a skateboard with some form of levitation instead of wheels, while the current version is a short skateboard that has more freedom of motion but less stable balance than a conventional skateboard.

There are two possibilities for "robot butler": either it refers to the "ask Jeeves" search engine or implies that P. G. Wodehouse's "perfect gentleman's gentleman" was a robot. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 08:13, 30 December 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1623: 2016 Conversation Guide

2015-12-30T08:13:07Z

The Dining Logician:

In response to the title text, "You know, it's such a beautiful day that I think I'll walk." See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_Such_a_Beautiful_Day. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.32|198.41.238.32]] 07:23, 30 December 2015 (UTC)

A number of "inventions" from various science fiction stories of the late nineteenth and the twentieth centuries are listed with how they have progressed in the present. Some are currently being used (flying car) but in a different manner than originally imagined (helicopters, which use rotating blades rather than stationary airfoils -- wings -- for lift). Some are impractical for physical reasons (floating sky city) and some have economic (moon colony) or social impediments (rocket belts). The entry for "hoverboard" and the title text refer to two different kinds: the science fiction version in "Back to the Future"is a skateboard with some form of levitation instead of wheels, while the current version is a short skateboard that has more freedom of motion but less stable balance than a conventional skateboard.

There are two possibilities for "robot butler": either it refers to the "ask Jeeves" search engine or implies that P. G. Wodehouse's "perfect gentleman's gentleman" was a robot. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 08:13, 30 December 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1620: Christmas Settings

2015-12-23T16:17:03Z

The Dining Logician:

That's how Little Johnny killed Christmas, he left the tap running all night. --[[User:Jarfil|Jarfil]] ([[User talk:Jarfil|talk]]) 05:32, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

Pores of your skin?! As utterly horrifying as it sounds, it's probably the most effective of the bunch, considering that all the others might not exist/be blocked in some manner and in some houses. [[User:Bon|Bon]] ([[User talk:Bon|talk]]) 06:27, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxh-Hjj8T9o Swearing dogs are definitely a thing]. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.28|173.245.54.28]] 05:59, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

How'd I do for my first explanation on this site? [[User:VectorLightning|VectorLightning]] ([[User talk:VectorLightning|talk]]) 07:47, 23 December 2015 (UTC)
:It was a great start. Keep it coming. Of course there will be many changes later, but I can see that some of yours original explain have survived the first edits since then ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:57, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

"These dials, for example, controls..." - is this a mistake? "This dial, for example, controls..." or "These dials, for example, control" would make more grammatical sense. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.33|141.101.99.33]] 09:35, 23 December 2015 (UTC)
: I think that there is more than one dail controlling Christmas. [[User:SirKitKat|sirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 09:53, 23 December 2015 (UTC)
:: Then surely it should be "These dials, for example, control"? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.33|141.101.99.33]] 10:13, 23 December 2015 (UTC)
::: You are correct and Randall has agreed and changed it to "These dials, for example, control Christmas" in the updated version. Good spotted. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:59, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

Probably could do with a table of the options and associations. Better than the following that I just drew up (and actually formatted as a table!):
:Chimney - traditional (but not always practical) to our universe; also usable (to varying degrees of success) by Big Bad Wolves, adventurous burglars and adverse atmospheric/weather conditions;
:Shower Drain - typical horror movie (supernatural or natural creature invasion), as well as back-flooding;
:Open Window - more like a mundane burglar, or Hitchcock's 'The Birds';
:Mail slot - 'mundane' magical alternative to fitting down the chimney, where there is no usable chimney (''or'' horror movie, of various kinds); but raises the question of where the "with a special key that can open any door" option is, also, for Santa...
:Kitchen Faucet - another horror movie (supernatural) or a technothriller plot (contaminated water supply);
:Heating vents - another common alternative already given for those without a chimney/chimneyplace (''or'' horror/technothriller fodder);
:Cat Flap - another 'normal' alternative (which, again, does not exclude entry by various threats... or non-resident cats/non-cat pets/wildlife);
:Bathroom Mirror - supernatural (especially 'bad magic');
:Toilet - more traditionally rats or sewer-snakes, with reactions from "argh!" to "ewww...", depending on whether anybody is 'enthroned' at the time;
:Pores Of Your Skin - very much... ewww... (as for (techno)horror threats, it's almost always ''someone else's'' skin and/or sweat that's dangerous, so ''your'' skin
(where you aren't the 'patient-zero' or revenant already) would be something pretty novel)
:: Great minds think alike, I've just gone ahead and done that [[User:Kev|Kev]] ([[User talk:Kev|talk]]) 12:16, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

Genre examples would be good.
...also, there is of course a direct reference to how ''our'' universe seems to have certain universal physical values (e.g. 'speed of light') that might well be different in alternate universes. Whether or not the 'physical constants' we currently know are ''the'' fundemental physical constants (rather than derivative of the actual constant(s) the universe started with), it appears that this control room has access to rather less fundemental 'fundementals' to it. Or assumes that Christmas and Santa (and also probably the various entryways, even when not used by Santa) are universals to the universe that always exist in some form, but perhaps differently configured, in alternate universes. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.152.227|162.158.152.227]] 10:28, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

Someone thought these links were funny: <nowiki>{{W|Kitchen Faucet}} {{w|Bathroom Mirror}}. I removed the {{w}}</nowiki> template. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.17|108.162.221.17]] 12:51, 23 December 2015 (UTC)
:I was going to have a go with the table and make "normal use" and "irregular/fictional uses" columns, alongside the label items, but wikilinks on the items themselves would have made the first column less necessary, and wouldn't hurt (if done across the board). e.g. are cat-flaps as commonly known and understood outside of temperate areas (where a house isn't already handily perforated against the build-up of heat, but also need not be so sealed against the cold as to make a cat-flap a potentially harmful vent in the door that keeps the cold weather out) that we can be sure that future readers ''automatically'' know what one is? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.152.227|162.158.152.227]] 13:47, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

Could the title text refer to the (in)famous barking "Jingle Bells"? [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 16:17, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1551: Pluto

2015-07-16T04:10:00Z

The Dining Logician:

I knew it! So my BOT was also running today. And don't miss the updates at WhatIf. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:28, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

Yeah, it's pretty amazing! What is it with XKCD and Pluto these days by the way? [[User:Nk22|The Twenty-second. The Not So Only. The Nathan/Nk22]] ([[User talk:Nk22|talk]]) 19:36, 14 July 2015 (UTC)
:New Horizons space probe flyby of the Pluto system! I can't imagine that a space probe finally reaching a hitherto unmapped planetoid like Pluto wouldn't be exciting to certain people, especially an ex NASA guy like Randall. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 06:27, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

Pluto is moving away from the Sun - and we've learned that as it does so, it enters the snowy part of its 248-year cycle. Hmm ... didn't Ned Stark say something about this? [[User:Cosmogoblin|Cosmogoblin]] ([[User talk:Cosmogoblin|talk]]) 22:11, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

Alright, the only one that's still got me stumped is "moon buds." The phrase has no stock meaning (Googling it turned up pictures of weed, naturally), but my best guess is this suggests moons reproduce through {{w|budding}}. Any thoughts? [[User:Captain Video|Captain Video]] ([[User talk:Captain Video|talk]]) 00:38, 15 July 2015 (UTC)
:I have added something. {{User:17jiangz1/signature|03:21, 15 July 2015}}

"Border of pride lands" might also be an indirect reference to the "dark region" on Mars in 1504:opportunity, last panel, which is itself a reference to the Hyena Country of "Lion King." [[User:Taibhse|Taibhse]] ([[User talk:Taibhse|talk]]) 09:56, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

A couple of other possibilities for the reference to hatching: http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/82353/giant-bird-in-space
--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.9|141.101.104.9]] 10:26, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

So Megaman needs no further explanation? --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.109|141.101.99.109]] 11:04, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

Where is the north pole? I like to play geohashing there. --[[User:GeorgDerReisende|GeorgDerReisende]] ([[User talk:GeorgDerReisende|talk]]) 12:12, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

The comment for Plug(inflating/deflating) is missing [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.247|141.101.98.247]] 13:30, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

Those aren't bullet holes... they're speed holes! --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.97|108.162.216.97]] 13:46, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

The current explanation has that Randall has drawn "humorous pareidolia on top of it". I may be wrong, but isn't pareidolia the psychological process of seeing faces/objects etc in patterns, rather than those objects themselves. E.g. "I saw a mans face on the moon because of a psychological process called pareidolia" rather than "I saw a pareidolia on the moon, which looked like a face". --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 14:20, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

::I agree, so I changed the word "drawn" to outlined." [[User:Captain Video|Captain Video]] ([[User talk:Captain Video|talk]]) 15:12, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

The heart reference may be related to this popular animated gif that showed up on Reddit: http://imgur.com/7C2GfIF 15:42, 15 July 2015 (UTC) turbotong

:Not originally - I believe NASA were the originator of the "heart" label, though I could be wrong.

.jpeg compression only produces those artifacts on digital images. It was designed for professional photographers and did not take into account the effects of hard edges in the image since film images have no hard edges! It just got adopted by everybody else early on so we're stuck with it even though it can work very poorly on digital images. [[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 17:30, 15 July 2015 (UTC)
:That's... interestingly not-quite-correct. The JPEG/JFIF method is a good-but-lossy version of digital image compression that outperforms (on compression terms) non-lossy methods of defining a digital image but doesn't work well with hard-edges. Photographs taken in digital format, or converted into digital format from a 'analogue' original, are often put through lossy compression because (for a wise amount of 'loss') the artefacts are easily lost in the already noisy and flowing 'real life' image details, just like the compression of MP3 (MPEG3 Audio Layer, or whichever related standard) applied to audio loses some detail but is generally drowned out by what 'remains', to the casual listener. (Images like graphs and diagrams are ''replete'' with hard edges, and have far fewer needs for subtleties of shade, so using the non-lossless PNG or even GIF (now that it's out of copyright, if that was ever your concern) would be better... Depends on whether you want need more than 256 different colours or a humorous animation. If you want both, there are also solutions, but that's the usual decision I'd be making.)
:I doubt that NASA uses .JPG images (at least between spacecraft and ground, although maybe for later web publication). There would probably be a (non-lossy) compression scheme (either inherently in the format of the image, or of the 'raw' image consisting of original arrays of bitplains, just to cut down on transmission time), so that as much exact science as possible could be extracted from the original pixels without 'smearing' and such artefacts. Professional (terrestrial!) photographers will often take RAW images (instead of/alongside the quick-and-dirty JPEG ones), for better quality (and no-artefact) images that might end up being blown up to poster-sized images, or from which a small segment will be blown up (e.g. ground-based amateur astronomical photography), that would otherwise so easily reveal the flaws.
:Also, IIRC, recent Pluto pictures had notably been created by NASA based upon high-resolution monochrome and lower-resolution colour images from two cameras (usefully analysed seperately, in their own right, and doubtless also needing different exposure times to create) combined together to create the headline pictures we've been seeing.
:Incidentally, noticable JPEG artefacts tend to be 8x8 pixel regions (most often seen when a small photographic region is digitally 'zoomed'). For those that need them, there are "artefact removal" tools in most decent image editing programmes that (with practice) can 'reverse' (or, rather, 'blend') the more obvious artefacts, after the fact. I suspect Randall's image's 'artefacts' are a selectively edited 'artefact addition' (easily done, with the likes of Photoshop and GIMP, and related to 'pixelating' method used to selectively obscure detail) on the original image. NASA never had to 'clean' the image, although some of its released images may have been 'dirtied' after down-conversion. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.166|141.101.98.166]] 20:51, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

One of a number of pareidolic features Randall has outlined. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.4|108.162.212.4]] 20:56, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

Is there anyone else here who (like me) thought that because of the flaring at the bottom the "heart" area looks more like a Heartless emblem? -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 00:15, 16 July 2015 (UTC)

I thought the "whale tail" is to the left of the heart (http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/find-heart-whale-new-horizons-picture-pluto-n388816), what Randall has labeled "chocolate frosting", not "pride lands". If there's some image reversal I don't know about, revert my edit. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 01:42, 16 July 2015 (UTC)

The "candy shell" may refer to commercials for M&M chocolates which were described as "milk chocolate wrapped in a colorful thin candy shell". [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 04:10, 16 July 2015 (UTC)

1529: Bracket

2015-05-25T20:29:10Z

The Dining Logician:

{{comic
| number = 1529
| date = May 25, 2015
| title = Bracket
| image = bracket.png
| titletext = I'm staring at the "doctor" section, and I can't help but feel like I've forgotten someone.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Explain the specific groupings. Also, if the names are put in another wikitable, it will look much nicer.}}
A {{w|Bracket (tournament)|tournament bracket}} shows the planned series of matchups in a tournament. In this comic Randall has shown a plan for a tournament between a wide range of cultural icons, both real and fictional, based mostly on similarities in their names. Various internet groups have speculated on who would win in a fight between characters from different films. It may be relevant that the film {{w|Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice}} is soon to be released where the two namesake {{w|superheros}}, {{w|Batman}} and {{w|Superman}}, fight against each other.

The individual starting pairings are generally based on common or similar given or surnames. Some adjacent brackets are "segued" by someone like Jeff Daniels who segues from a bracket of "Jeff"s into a bracket of "Daniels"es. The bracket itself is fairly arbitrary. Most initial matchups are pairs, although several are trios and there's a quadruplet in the Russels group, while a single entry, Beyoncé, is given a first- and second-round {{w|bye (sports)|bye}}. Most of the participants in the tournament are people with a few exceptions: {{w|Shallots}} (small onions), {{w|scallops}} (bivalve mollusks), and {{w|scallions}} (green onions) are similar sounding foods, therefore may be confusing for some individuals (perhaps including [[Randall]]). The final grouping on the lower right of the bracket features a several retail stores and a film.

The [[title text]] may be referring to {{w|Dr. Dre}}, particularly as a reference to his 2001 song "{{w|Forgot About Dre}}". Alternatively, the title text could simply be a reference to the large number of pop culture personas that include the word "Doctor", such as {{w|Gregory House|Doctor House}}, {{w|Mehmet Oz|Dr. Oz}}, {{w|Phil McGraw|Dr. Phil}}, {{w|Dr. Watson}}, {{w|Emmett Brown|"Doc" Brown}}, {{w|Dr. Seuss}}, {{w|Dr Pepper}}, {{w|Doctor Doom}}, and {{w|List of fictional doctors|many others}} (or, in fact, [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/futurama-zoidberg-why-not-zoidberg why not Dr. Zoidberg]?). Another possibility is that the [[title text]] is supposed to make the readers ask themselves "{{w|Doctor who}}?" Though "The Doctor" is already listed, this could refer to either {{w|The Doctor (Doctor Who)|the Doctor from ''Doctor Who''}} or {{w|Doctor (Star Trek: Voyager)|the ''Star Trek: Voyager'' character}}. Notably, while the Doctor in "Doctor Who" is technically one character, the Doctor has currently been played by 13 different actors. The mythos of the Doctor Who even includes individual incarnations of the Doctor interacting with each other; knowing they are the same person, yet often expressing annoyance when grouped together. So perhaps Randall is implying that to just include the Doctor as one individual is not an accurate representation of this character.

The names and other entries in the bracket are:
{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Armstrong:
:{{w|Louis Armstrong}} (musician)
:{{w|Neil Armstrong}} (first human on the moon)
:{{w|Lance Armstrong}} (bicyclist)
:{{w|Stretch Armstrong}} (action figure)

Jeff *:
:{{w|Jeff Gordan}}
:{{w|Jeff Bridges}} (Actor)

J* Daniels:
:{{w|Jeff Daniels}}
:{{w|Jack Daniels}} (Alcoholic beverage)

Mr. Well*s:
:{{w|Orson Welles}} (Director of "Citizen Kane")
:{{w|H.G. Wells}} (Known for "The War of the Worlds" and "The Time Machine")

<nowiki>*</nowiki>well*:
:{{w|George Orwell}} (Author of "1984" and "Animal Farm")
:{{w|Wells Fargo}} (Bank and stage coach company)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Russell *:
:{{w|Kurt Russell}} (Actor)
:{{w|Russell Brand}} (Comedian)
:{{w|Russell Crowe}} (Actor)
:{{w|Russell Simmons}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Simmons:
:{{w|Richard Simmons}} (Host of exercise program)
:{{w|Gene Simmons}} (Musician)

<nowiki>*</nowiki>ckman:
:{{w|Gene Hackman}} (Actor)
:{{w|Hugh Jackman}} (Actor)
:{{w|Alan Rickman}} (Actor)

Alan Par*:
:{{w|Alan Parsons}}
:{{w|Alan Partridge}}

McCarthy/Eugene:
:{{w|Jenny McCarthy}}
:{{w|Joseph McCarthy}} (Senator known for anti-communist witchhunt)
:{{w|Eugene McCarthy}} (Senator and Presidential candidate)
:{{w|Eugene V. Debs}} (labor leader)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wilde*
:{{w|Gene Wilder}} (Actor)
:{{w|Olivia Wilde}} (Actress)
:{{w|Oscar Wilde}} (Writer)

Oscar De La *:
:{{w|Oscar De La Renta}} (Fashion Designer)
:{{w|Oscar De La Hoya}}

Jack *:
:{{w|Jack Nicklaus}} (Golf player)
:{{w|Jack Nicholson}} (Actor)

<nowiki>*</nowiki>ickle* / *ickel*:
:{{w|Phil Mickelson}} (Golf player)
:{{w|Nicholas Nickelby}} (Novel by Charles Dickens and name of main character)

<nowiki>*</nowiki>ryan Adams:
:{{w|Ryan Adams}}
:{{w|Bryan Adams}}

Singers with Stage Names Referencing Weight/Games:
:{{w|Chubby Checker}} (Singer famous for "The Twist")
:{{w|Fats Domino}} (Rock and Roll Singer)

Colin *:
:{{w|Colin Firth}} (Actor)
:{{w|Colin Farrell}}

F*rell:
:{{w|Will Ferrell}} (Actor)
:{{w|The Farrelly Brothers}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki>itt:
:{{w|Joseph Gordon-Levitt}} (Actor)
:{{w|Jennifer Love Hewitt}} (Actress)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Glover:
:{{w|Danny Glover}}
:{{w|Donald Glover}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wahlberg:
:{{w|Donnie Wahlberg}}
:{{w|Mark Wahlberg}} (Actor)

Mark *:
:{{w|Mark Ruffalo}} (Actor)
:{{w|Mark Shuttleworth}}

| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
Bill */* Pullman:
:{{w|Philip Pullman}} (Author)
:{{w|Bill Pullman}}
:{{w|Bill Paxton}}

Ghostbusters:
:{{w|Bill Murray}} (Actor)
:{{w|Dan Aykroyd}} (Actor)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Rogers:
:{{w|Ginger Rogers}} (Woman known for dancing with {{w|Fred Astaire}})
:Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers (Confusing reference to {{w|Fred Rogers}} (host of children's show, popularly known as "Mister Rogers") and to {{w|Fred Astaire}} (Dancer, actor, and singer))

Doctor */* Spock:
:{{w|Mister Spock}} (Character on Star Trek)
:{{w|Doctor Spock}} (Author of book on childcare)
:{{w|Doctor Octopus}} (Villain in Spider-man comic books)

Doctors:
:{{w|Doctor Manhattan}} (Character in Alan Moore's Watchmen)
:{{w|Doctor Strangelove}} (Character based on Henry Kissinger in movie about nuclear war)
:{{w|Doctor Strange}} (Sorceror Supreme in Marvel Comics)

More doctors:
:{{w|Julius No|Dr. No}} (Main villain in the {{w|Dr. No (film)|first James Bond movie}})
:{{w|The Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor}} (Main protagonist of the science fiction series {{w|Doctor Who}})
:{{w|Cory Doctorow}} (Real person)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Jerry Lewis:
:{{w|Jerry Lee Lewis}} (Rock and Roll Singer)
:{{w|Jerry Lewis}} (Comedian and former chairman of charitable organization)

Others with initial J:
:{{w|Jenny Lewis}}
:{{w|Xeni Jardin}}

Chris *:
:{{w|Chris Evans}} (Actor)
:{{w|Chris Hemsworth}} (Actor)

Chris P*:
:{{w|Chris Pine}} (Actor)
:{{w|Chris Pratt}} (Actor)

Homophones of Shallots:
:{{w|Shallots}} (small onions)
:{{w|Scallops}} (bivalve mollusks)
:{{w|Scallions}} (green onions)

S* (Similar phonetics):
:{{w|Siouxie Sioux}}
:{{w|Suzanne Vega}}

Arnold */* Palmer:
:{{w|Tom Arnold}} (ex-husband of Roseanne Barr)
:{{w|Arnold Palmer}} (Golf player)
:{{w|Amanda Palmer}}

Wes *:
:{{w|Wes Craven}}
:{{w|Wes Anderson}} (Movie Director)

P* Anderson:
:{{w|Paul Thomas Anderson}}
:{{w|Poul Anderson}} (Science fiction author)

Sir Walter *:
:{{w|Sir Walter Scott}} (Scottish poet and writer)
:{{w|Sir Walter Raleigh}} (British explorer of Virginia)

F* Drake:
:{{w|Sir Francis Drake}} (British explorer, 2nd to circumnavigate the Earth)
:{{w|Frank Drake}}

Van *:
:{{w|Van Halen}} (Rockband)
:{{w|Van Morrison}}
:{{w|Van Wilder}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Van Winkle:
:{{w|Robert Van Winkle}}
:{{w|Rip Van Winkle}} (fictional character)

Connects the "Rip"s with Natalie Imbruglia - her most famous hit was the song "Torn":
:{{w|Rip Torn}} (Musician)
:{{w|Natalie Imbruglia}}

Businesses with the word "Body" in their name:
:{{w|The Body Shop}} (Shop)
:{{w|Bath and Body Works}} (Shop)

Things with the word "Beyond" in their name:
:{{w|Bed Bath and Beyond}} (Shop)
:{{w|Beyond Thunderdome}} (Motion picture)

Beyoncé
:{{w|Beyoncé}} (Singeress)
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

:[A tournament bracket. The matchups are the following, on left-hand side and right-hand side:]

{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
:(1) {{w|Louis Armstrong}} and {{w|Neil Armstrong}}
:(2) {{w|Lance Armstrong}} and {{w|Stretch Armstrong}}

:(3) {{w|Jeff Gordan}} and {{w|Jeff Bridges}}
:(4) {{w|Jeff Daniels}} and {{w|Jack Daniels}}

:(5) {{w|Orson Welles}} and {{w|H.G. Wells}}
:(6) {{w|George Orwell}} and {{w|Wells Fargo}}

:(7) {{w|Kurt Russell}}, {{w|Russell Brand}}, {{w|Russell Crowe}} and {{w|Russell Simmons}}
:(8) {{w|Richard Simmons}} and {{w|Gene Simmons}}
:(9) {{w|Gene Hackman}}, {{w|Hugh Jackman}} and {{w|Alan Rickman}}
:(10) {{w|Alan Parsons}} and {{w|Alan Partridge}}

:(11) {{w|Jenny McCarthy}}, {{w|Joseph McCarthy}}, {{w|Eugene McCarthy}} and {{w|Eugene V. Debs}}
:(12) {{w|Gene Wilder}}, {{w|Olivia Wilde}} and {{w|Oscar Wilde}}
:(13) {{w|Oscar De La Renta}} and {{w|Oscar De La Hoya}}

:(14) {{w|Jack Nicklaus}} and {{w|Jack Nicholson}}
:(15) {{w|Phil Mickelson}} and {{w|Nicholas Nickelby}}

:(16) {{w|Ryan Adams}} and {{w|Bryan Adams}}

:(17) {{w|Chubby Checker}} and {{w|Fats Domino}}

:(18) {{w|Colin Firth}} and {{w|Colin Farrell}}
:(19) {{w|Will Ferrell}} and {{w|The Farrelly Brothers}}

:(20) {{w|Joseph Gordon-Levitt}} and {{w|Jennifer Love Hewitt}}

:(21) {{w|Danny Glover}} and {{w|Donald Glover}}
:(22) {{w|Donnie Wahlberg}} and {{w|Mark Wahlberg}}
:(23) {{w|Mark Ruffalo}} and {{w|Mark Shuttleworth}}

| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
:(24) {{w|Philip Pullman}}, {{w|Bill Pullman}} and {{w|Bill Paxton}}
:(25) {{w|Bill Murray}} and {{w|Dan Aykroyd}}

:(26) {{w|Ginger Rogers}} and {{w|Fred Rogers|Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers}}
:(27) {{w|Mister Spock}}, {{w|Doctor Spock}} and {{w|Doctor Octopus}}
:(28) {{w|Doctor Manhattan}}, {{w|Doctor Strangelove}} and {{w|Doctor Strange}}
:(29) {{w|Dr. No}}, {{w|The Doctor}} and {{w|Cory Doctorow}}

:(30) {{w|Jerry Lee Lewis}} and {{w|Jerry Lewis}}
:(31) {{w|Jenny Lewis}} and {{w|Xeni Jardin}}

:(32) {{w|Chris Evans}} and {{w|Chris Hemsworth}}
:(33) {{w|Chris Pine}} and {{w|Chris Pratt}}

:(34) {{w|Shallots}}, {{w|Scallops}} and {{w|Scallions}}

:(35) {{w|Siouxie Sioux}} and {{w|Suzanne Vega}}

:(36) {{w|Tom Arnold}}, {{w|Arnold Palmer}} and {{w|Amanda Palmer}}

:(37) {{w|Wes Craven}} and {{w|Wes Anderson}}
:(38) {{w|Paul Thomas Anderson}} and {{w|Poul Anderson}}

:(39) {{w|Sir Walter Scott}} and {{w|Sir Walter Raleigh}}
:(40) {{w|Sir Francis Drake}} and {{w|Frank Drake}}

:(41) {{w|Van Halen}}, {{w|Van Morrison}} and {{w|Van Wilder}}
:(42) {{w|Robert Van Winkle}} and {{w|Rip Van Winkle}}
:(43) {{w|Rip Torn}} and {{w|Natalie Imbruglia}}

:(44) {{w|The Body Shop}} and {{w|Bath and Body Works}}
:(45) {{w|Bed Bath and Beyond}} and {{w|Beyond Thunderdome}}
:(46) Winner of 44 and winner of 45
:(47) Winner of 46 and {{w|Beyoncé}}
|}

[Those are later interconnected:]

:(48) Winner of 1 and winner of 2
:(49) Winner of 3 and winner of 4
:(50) Winner of 5 and winner of 6
:(51) Winner of 7 and winner of 8
:(52) Winner of 9 and winner of 10
:(53) Winner of 12 and winner of 13
:(54) Winner of 14 and winner of 15
:(55) Winner of 16 and winner of 17
:(56) Winner of 18 and winner of 19
:(57) Winner of 21 and winner of 22

:(58) Winner of 24 and winner of 25
:(59) Winner of 26 and winner of 27
:(60) Winner of 28 and winner of 29
:(61) Winner of 30 and winner of 31
:(62) Winner of 32 and winner of 33
:(63) Winner of 34 and winner of 35
:(64) Winner of 37 and winner of 38
:(65) Winner of 39 and winner of 40
:(66) Winner of 41 and winner of 42

:(67) Winner of 49 and winner of 50
:(68) Winner of 51 and winner of 52
:(69) Winner of 11 and winner of 53
:(70) Winner of 54 and winner of 55
:(71) Winner of 56 and winner of 20
:(72) Winner of 57 and winner of 23

:(73) Winner of 59 and winner of 60
:(74) Winner of 61 and winner of 62
:(75) Winner of 63 and winner of 36
:(76) Winner of 64 and winner of 65
:(77) Winner of 66 and winner of 43

:(78) Winner of 48 and winner of 67
:(79) Winner of 68 and winner of 69
:(80) Winner of 71 and winner of 72

:(81) Winner of 58 and winner of 73
:(82) Winner of 75 and winner of 76
:(83) Winner of 77 and winner of 47

:(84) Winner of 78 and winner of 79
:(85) Winner of 70 and winner of 80

:(86) Winner of 81 and winner of 74
:(87) Winner of 82 and winner of 83

:(88) Winner of 84 and winner of 85

:(89) Winner of 86 and winner of 87

:[The two sides finally join up in:]

:(90) Winner of 88 and winner of 89

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]

1529: Bracket

2015-05-25T20:17:33Z

The Dining Logician:

{{comic
| number = 1529
| date = May 25, 2015
| title = Bracket
| image = bracket.png
| titletext = I'm staring at the "doctor" section, and I can't help but feel like I've forgotten someone.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Explain the specific groupings. Also, if the names are put in another wikitable, it will look much nicer.}}
A {{w|Bracket (tournament)|tournament bracket}} shows the planned series of matchups in a tournament. In this comic Randall has shown a plan for a tournament between a wide range of cultural icons, both real and fictional, based mostly on similarities in their names. Various internet groups have speculated on who would win in a fight between characters from different films. It may be relevant that the film {{w|Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice}} is soon to be released where the two namesake {{w|superheros}}, {{w|Batman}} and {{w|Superman}}, fight against each other.

The individual starting pairings are generally based on common or similar given or surnames. Some adjacent brackets are "segued" by someone like Jeff Daniels who segues from a bracket of "Jeff"s into a bracket of "Daniels"es. The bracket itself is fairly arbitrary. Most initial matchups are pairs, although several are trios and there's a quadruplet in the Russels group, while a single entry, Beyoncé, is given a first- and second-round {{w|bye (sports)|bye}}. Most of the participants in the tournament are people with a few exceptions: {{w|Shallots}} (small onions), {{w|scallops}} (bivalve mollusks), and {{w|scallions}} (green onions) are similar sounding foods, therefore may be confusing for some individuals (perhaps including [[Randall]]). The final grouping on the lower right of the bracket features a several retail stores and a film.

The [[title text]] may be referring to {{w|Dr. Dre}}, particularly as a reference to his 2001 song "{{w|Forgot About Dre}}". Alternatively, the title text could simply be a reference to the large number of pop culture personas that include the word "Doctor", such as {{w|Gregory House|Doctor House}}, {{w|Mehmet Oz|Dr. Oz}}, {{w|Phil McGraw|Dr. Phil}}, {{w|Dr. Watson}}, {{w|Emmett Brown|"Doc" Brown}}, {{w|Dr. Seuss}}, {{w|Dr Pepper}}, {{w|Doctor Doom}}, and {{w|List of fictional doctors|many others}} (or, in fact, [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/futurama-zoidberg-why-not-zoidberg why not Dr. Zoidberg]?). Another possibility is that the [[title text]] is supposed to make the readers ask themselves "{{w|Doctor who}}?" Though "The Doctor" is already listed, this could refer to either {{w|The Doctor (Doctor Who)|the Doctor from ''Doctor Who''}} or {{w|Doctor (Star Trek: Voyager)|the ''Star Trek: Voyager'' character}}. Notably, while the Doctor in "Doctor Who" is technically one character, the Doctor has currently been played by 13 different actors. The mythos of the Doctor Who even includes individual incarnations of the Doctor interacting with each other; knowing they are the same person, yet often expressing annoyance when grouped together. So perhaps Randall is implying that to just include the Doctor as one individual is not an accurate representation of this character.

The names and other entries in the bracket are:
{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Armstrong:
:{{w|Louis Armstrong}} (musician)
:{{w|Neil Armstrong}} (first human on the moon)
:{{w|Lance Armstrong}} (bicyclist)
:{{w|Stretch Armstrong}} (action figure)

Jeff *:
:{{w|Jeff Gordan}}
:{{w|Jeff Bridges}} (Actor)

J* Daniels:
:{{w|Jeff Daniels}}
:{{w|Jack Daniels}} (Alcoholic beverage)

Mr. Well*s:
:{{w|Orson Welles}} (Director of "Citizen Kane")
:{{w|H.G. Wells}} (Known for "The War of the Worlds" and "The Time Machine")

<nowiki>*</nowiki>well*:
:{{w|George Orwell}} (Author of "1984" and "Animal Farm")
:{{w|Wells Fargo}} (Bank and stage coach company)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Russell *:
:{{w|Kurt Russell}} (Actor)
:{{w|Russell Brand}} (Comedian)
:{{w|Russell Crowe}} (Actor)
:{{w|Russell Simmons}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Simmons:
:{{w|Richard Simmons}} (Host of exercise program)
:{{w|Gene Simmons}} (Musician)

<nowiki>*</nowiki>ckman:
:{{w|Gene Hackman}} (Actor)
:{{w|Hugh Jackman}} (Actor)
:{{w|Alan Rickman}} (Actor)

Alan Par*:
:{{w|Alan Parsons}}
:{{w|Alan Partridge}}

McCarthy/Eugene:
:{{w|Jenny McCarthy}}
:{{w|Joseph McCarthy}} (Senator known for anti-communist witchhunt)
:{{w|Eugene McCarthy}} (Senator and Presidential candidate)
:{{w|Eugene V. Debs}} (labor leader)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wilde*
:{{w|Gene Wilder}} (Actor)
:{{w|Olivia Wilde}} (Actress)
:{{w|Oscar Wilde}} (Writer)

Oscar De La *:
:{{w|Oscar De La Renta}} (Fashion Designer)
:{{w|Oscar De La Hoya}}

Jack *:
:{{w|Jack Nicklaus}} (Golf player)
:{{w|Jack Nicholson}} (Actor)

<nowiki>*</nowiki>ickle* / *ickel*:
:{{w|Phil Mickelson}} (Golf player)
:{{w|Nicholas Nickelby}} (Writer

<nowiki>*</nowiki>ryan Adams:
:{{w|Ryan Adams}}
:{{w|Bryan Adams}}

Singers with Stage Names Referencing Weight/Games:
:{{w|Chubby Checker}} (Singer famous for "The Twist")
:{{w|Fats Domino}} (Rock and Roll Singer)

Colin *:
:{{w|Colin Firth}} (Actor)
:{{w|Colin Farrell}}

F*rell:
:{{w|Will Ferrell}} (Actor)
:{{w|The Farrelly Brothers}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki>itt:
:{{w|Joseph Gordon-Levitt}} (Actor)
:{{w|Jennifer Love Hewitt}} (Actress)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Glover:
:{{w|Danny Glover}}
:{{w|Donald Glover}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wahlberg:
:{{w|Donnie Wahlberg}}
:{{w|Mark Wahlberg}} (Actor)

Mark *:
:{{w|Mark Ruffalo}} (Actor)
:{{w|Mark Shuttleworth}}

| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
Bill */* Pullman:
:{{w|Philip Pullman}} (Author)
:{{w|Bill Pullman}}
:{{w|Bill Paxton}}

Ghostbusters:
:{{w|Bill Murray}} (Actor)
:{{w|Dan Aykroyd}} (Actor)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Rogers:
:{{w|Ginger Rogers}} (Woman known for dancing with {{w|Fred Astaire}})
:Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers (Confusing reference to {{w|Fred Rogers}} (host of children's show, popularly known as "Mister Rogers") and to {{w|Fred Astaire}} (Dancer, actor, and singer))

Doctor */* Spock:
:{{w|Mister Spock}} (Character on Star Trek)
:{{w|Doctor Spock}} (Author of book on childcare)
:{{w|Doctor Octopus}} (Villain in Spider-man comic books)

Doctors:
:{{w|Doctor Manhattan}} (Character in Alan Moore's Watchmen)
:{{w|Doctor Strangelove}} (Character based on Henry Kissinger in movie about nuclear war)
:{{w|Doctor Strange}} (Sorceror Supreme in Marvel Comics)

More doctors:
:{{w|Julius No|Dr. No}} (Main villain in the {{w|Dr. No (film)|first James Bond movie}})
:{{w|The Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor}} (Main protagonist of the science fiction series {{w|Doctor Who}})
:{{w|Cory Doctorow}} (Real person)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Jerry Lewis:
:{{w|Jerry Lee Lewis}} (Rock and Roll Singer)
:{{w|Jerry Lewis}} (Comedian and former chairman of charitable organization)

Others with initial J:
:{{w|Jenny Lewis}}
:{{w|Xeni Jardin}}

Chris *:
:{{w|Chris Evans}} (Actor)
:{{w|Chris Hemsworth}} (Actor)

Chris P*:
:{{w|Chris Pine}} (Actor)
:{{w|Chris Pratt}} (Actor)

Homophones of Shallots:
:{{w|Shallots}} (small onions)
:{{w|Scallops}} (bivalve mollusks)
:{{w|Scallions}} (green onions)

S* (Similar phonetics):
:{{w|Siouxie Sioux}}
:{{w|Suzanne Vega}}

Arnold */* Palmer:
:{{w|Tom Arnold}} (ex-husband of Roseanne Barr)
:{{w|Arnold Palmer}} (Golf player)
:{{w|Amanda Palmer}}

Wes *:
:{{w|Wes Craven}}
:{{w|Wes Anderson}} (Movie Director)

P* Anderson:
:{{w|Paul Thomas Anderson}}
:{{w|Poul Anderson}} (Science fiction author)

Sir Walter *:
:{{w|Sir Walter Scott}} (Scottish poet and writer)
:{{w|Sir Walter Raleigh}} (British explorer of Virginia)

F* Drake:
:{{w|Sir Francis Drake}} (British explorer, 2nd to circumnavigate the Earth)
:{{w|Frank Drake}}

Van *:
:{{w|Van Halen}} (Rockband)
:{{w|Van Morrison}}
:{{w|Van Wilder}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Van Winkle:
:{{w|Robert Van Winkle}}
:{{w|Rip Van Winkle}} (fictional character)

Connects the "Rip"s with Natalie Imbruglia - her most famous hit was the song "Torn":
:{{w|Rip Torn}} (Musician)
:{{w|Natalie Imbruglia}}

Businesses with the word "Body" in their name:
:{{w|The Body Shop}} (Shop)
:{{w|Bath and Body Works}} (Shop)

Things with the word "Beyond" in their name:
:{{w|Bed Bath and Beyond}} (Shop)
:{{w|Beyond Thunderdome}} (Motion picture)

Beyoncé
:{{w|Beyoncé}} (Singeress)
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

:[A tournament bracket. The matchups are the following, on left-hand side and right-hand side:]

{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
:(1) {{w|Louis Armstrong}} and {{w|Neil Armstrong}}
:(2) {{w|Lance Armstrong}} and {{w|Stretch Armstrong}}

:(3) {{w|Jeff Gordan}} and {{w|Jeff Bridges}}
:(4) {{w|Jeff Daniels}} and {{w|Jack Daniels}}

:(5) {{w|Orson Welles}} and {{w|H.G. Wells}}
:(6) {{w|George Orwell}} and {{w|Wells Fargo}}

:(7) {{w|Kurt Russell}}, {{w|Russell Brand}}, {{w|Russell Crowe}} and {{w|Russell Simmons}}
:(8) {{w|Richard Simmons}} and {{w|Gene Simmons}}
:(9) {{w|Gene Hackman}}, {{w|Hugh Jackman}} and {{w|Alan Rickman}}
:(10) {{w|Alan Parsons}} and {{w|Alan Partridge}}

:(11) {{w|Jenny McCarthy}}, {{w|Joseph McCarthy}}, {{w|Eugene McCarthy}} and {{w|Eugene V. Debs}}
:(12) {{w|Gene Wilder}}, {{w|Olivia Wilde}} and {{w|Oscar Wilde}}
:(13) {{w|Oscar De La Renta}} and {{w|Oscar De La Hoya}}

:(14) {{w|Jack Nicklaus}} and {{w|Jack Nicholson}}
:(15) {{w|Phil Mickelson}} and {{w|Nicholas Nickelby}}

:(16) {{w|Ryan Adams}} and {{w|Bryan Adams}}

:(17) {{w|Chubby Checker}} and {{w|Fats Domino}}

:(18) {{w|Colin Firth}} and {{w|Colin Farrell}}
:(19) {{w|Will Ferrell}} and {{w|The Farrelly Brothers}}

:(20) {{w|Joseph Gordon-Levitt}} and {{w|Jennifer Love Hewitt}}

:(21) {{w|Danny Glover}} and {{w|Donald Glover}}
:(22) {{w|Donnie Wahlberg}} and {{w|Mark Wahlberg}}
:(23) {{w|Mark Ruffalo}} and {{w|Mark Shuttleworth}}

| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
:(24) {{w|Philip Pullman}}, {{w|Bill Pullman}} and {{w|Bill Paxton}}
:(25) {{w|Bill Murray}} and {{w|Dan Aykroyd}}

:(26) {{w|Ginger Rogers}} and {{w|Fred Rogers|Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers}}
:(27) {{w|Mister Spock}}, {{w|Doctor Spock}} and {{w|Doctor Octopus}}
:(28) {{w|Doctor Manhattan}}, {{w|Doctor Strangelove}} and {{w|Doctor Strange}}
:(29) {{w|Dr. No}}, {{w|The Doctor}} and {{w|Cory Doctorow}}

:(30) {{w|Jerry Lee Lewis}} and {{w|Jerry Lewis}}
:(31) {{w|Jenny Lewis}} and {{w|Xeni Jardin}}

:(32) {{w|Chris Evans}} and {{w|Chris Hemsworth}}
:(33) {{w|Chris Pine}} and {{w|Chris Pratt}}

:(34) {{w|Shallots}}, {{w|Scallops}} and {{w|Scallions}}

:(35) {{w|Siouxie Sioux}} and {{w|Suzanne Vega}}

:(36) {{w|Tom Arnold}}, {{w|Arnold Palmer}} and {{w|Amanda Palmer}}

:(37) {{w|Wes Craven}} and {{w|Wes Anderson}}
:(38) {{w|Paul Thomas Anderson}} and {{w|Poul Anderson}}

:(39) {{w|Sir Walter Scott}} and {{w|Sir Walter Raleigh}}
:(40) {{w|Sir Francis Drake}} and {{w|Frank Drake}}

:(41) {{w|Van Halen}}, {{w|Van Morrison}} and {{w|Van Wilder}}
:(42) {{w|Robert Van Winkle}} and {{w|Rip Van Winkle}}
:(43) {{w|Rip Torn}} and {{w|Natalie Imbruglia}}

:(44) {{w|The Body Shop}} and {{w|Bath and Body Works}}
:(45) {{w|Bed Bath and Beyond}} and {{w|Beyond Thunderdome}}
:(46) Winner of 44 and winner of 45
:(47) Winner of 46 and {{w|Beyoncé}}
|}

[Those are later interconnected:]

:(48) Winner of 1 and winner of 2
:(49) Winner of 3 and winner of 4
:(50) Winner of 5 and winner of 6
:(51) Winner of 7 and winner of 8
:(52) Winner of 9 and winner of 10
:(53) Winner of 12 and winner of 13
:(54) Winner of 14 and winner of 15
:(55) Winner of 16 and winner of 17
:(56) Winner of 18 and winner of 19
:(57) Winner of 21 and winner of 22

:(58) Winner of 24 and winner of 25
:(59) Winner of 26 and winner of 27
:(60) Winner of 28 and winner of 29
:(61) Winner of 30 and winner of 31
:(62) Winner of 32 and winner of 33
:(63) Winner of 34 and winner of 35
:(64) Winner of 37 and winner of 38
:(65) Winner of 39 and winner of 40
:(66) Winner of 41 and winner of 42

:(67) Winner of 49 and winner of 50
:(68) Winner of 51 and winner of 52
:(69) Winner of 11 and winner of 53
:(70) Winner of 54 and winner of 55
:(71) Winner of 56 and winner of 20
:(72) Winner of 57 and winner of 23

:(73) Winner of 59 and winner of 60
:(74) Winner of 61 and winner of 62
:(75) Winner of 63 and winner of 36
:(76) Winner of 64 and winner of 65
:(77) Winner of 66 and winner of 43

:(78) Winner of 48 and winner of 67
:(79) Winner of 68 and winner of 69
:(80) Winner of 71 and winner of 72

:(81) Winner of 58 and winner of 73
:(82) Winner of 75 and winner of 76
:(83) Winner of 77 and winner of 47

:(84) Winner of 78 and winner of 79
:(85) Winner of 70 and winner of 80

:(86) Winner of 81 and winner of 74
:(87) Winner of 82 and winner of 83

:(88) Winner of 84 and winner of 85

:(89) Winner of 86 and winner of 87

:[The two sides finally join up in:]

:(90) Winner of 88 and winner of 89

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]

1529: Bracket

2015-05-25T20:08:39Z

The Dining Logician:

{{comic
| number = 1529
| date = May 25, 2015
| title = Bracket
| image = bracket.png
| titletext = I'm staring at the "doctor" section, and I can't help but feel like I've forgotten someone.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Explain the specific groupings. Also, if the names are put in another wikitable, it will look much nicer.}}
A {{w|Bracket (tournament)|tournament bracket}} shows the planned series of matchups in a tournament. In this comic Randall has shown a plan for a tournament between a wide range of cultural icons, both real and fictional, based mostly on similarities in their names. Various internet groups have speculated on who would win in a fight between characters from different films. It may be relevant that the film {{w|Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice}} is soon to be released where the two namesake {{w|superheros}}, {{w|Batman}} and {{w|Superman}}, fight against each other.

The individual starting pairings are generally based on common or similar given or surnames. Some adjacent brackets are "segued" by someone like Jeff Daniels who segues from a bracket of "Jeff"s into a bracket of "Daniels"es. The bracket itself is fairly arbitrary. Most initial matchups are pairs, although several are trios and there's a quadruplet in the Russels group, while a single entry, Beyoncé, is given a first- and second-round {{w|bye (sports)|bye}}. Most of the participants in the tournament are people with a few exceptions: {{w|Shallots}} (small onions), {{w|scallops}} (bivalve mollusks), and {{w|scallions}} (green onions) are similar sounding foods, therefore may be confusing for some individuals (perhaps including [[Randall]]). The final grouping on the lower right of the bracket features a several retail stores and a film.

The [[title text]] may be referring to {{w|Dr. Dre}}, particularly as a reference to his 2001 song "{{w|Forgot About Dre}}". Alternatively, the title text could simply be a reference to the large number of pop culture personas that include the word "Doctor", such as {{w|Gregory House|Doctor House}}, {{w|Mehmet Oz|Dr. Oz}}, {{w|Phil McGraw|Dr. Phil}}, {{w|Dr. Watson}}, {{w|Emmett Brown|"Doc" Brown}}, {{w|Dr. Seuss}}, {{w|Dr Pepper}}, {{w|Doctor Doom}}, and {{w|List of fictional doctors|many others}} (or, in fact, [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/futurama-zoidberg-why-not-zoidberg why not Dr. Zoidberg]?). Another possibility is that the [[title text]] is supposed to make the readers ask themselves "{{w|Doctor who}}?" Though "The Doctor" is already listed, this could refer to either {{w|The Doctor (Doctor Who)|the Doctor from ''Doctor Who''}} or {{w|Doctor (Star Trek: Voyager)|the ''Star Trek: Voyager'' character}}. Notably, while the Doctor in "Doctor Who" is technically one character, the Doctor has currently been played by 13 different actors. The mythos of the Doctor Who even includes individual incarnations of the Doctor interacting with each other; knowing they are the same person, yet often expressing annoyance when grouped together. So perhaps Randall is implying that to just include the Doctor as one individual is not an accurate representation of this character.

The names and other entries in the bracket are:
{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Armstrong:
:{{w|Louis Armstrong}} (musician)
:{{w|Neil Armstrong}} (first human on the moon)
:{{w|Lance Armstrong}} (bicyclist)
:{{w|Stretch Armstrong}} (action figure)

Jeff *:
:{{w|Jeff Gordan}}
:{{w|Jeff Bridges}} (Actor)

J* Daniels:
:{{w|Jeff Daniels}}
:{{w|Jack Daniels}} (Alcoholic beverage)

Mr. Well*s:
:{{w|Orson Welles}} (Director of "Citizen Kane")
:{{w|H.G. Wells}} (Known for "The War of the Worlds" and "The Time Machine")

<nowiki>*</nowiki>well*:
:{{w|George Orwell}} (Author of "1984" and "Animal Farm")
:{{w|Wells Fargo}} (Bank and stage coach company)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Russell *:
:{{w|Kurt Russell}} (Actor)
:{{w|Russell Brand}} (Comedian)
:{{w|Russell Crowe}} (Actor)
:{{w|Russell Simmons}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Simmons:
:{{w|Richard Simmons}} (Host of exercise program)
:{{w|Gene Simmons}} (Musician)

<nowiki>*</nowiki>ckman:
:{{w|Gene Hackman}} (Actor)
:{{w|Hugh Jackman}} (Actor)
:{{w|Alan Rickman}} (Actor)

Alan Par*:
:{{w|Alan Parsons}}
:{{w|Alan Partridge}}

McCarthy/Eugene:
:{{w|Jenny McCarthy}}
:{{w|Joseph McCarthy}} (Senator known for anti-communist witchhunt)
:{{w|Eugene McCarthy}} (Senator and Presidential candidate)
:{{w|Eugene V. Debs}} (labor leader)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wilde*
:{{w|Gene Wilder}} (Actor)
:{{w|Olivia Wilde}} (Actress)
:{{w|Oscar Wilde}} (Writer)

Oscar De La *:
:{{w|Oscar De La Renta}} (Fashion Designer)
:{{w|Oscar De La Hoya}}

Jack *:
:{{w|Jack Nicklaus}} (Golf player)
:{{w|Jack Nicholson}} (Actor)

<nowiki>*</nowiki>ickle* / *ickel*:
:{{w|Phil Mickelson}} (Golf player)
:{{w|Nicholas Nickelby}} (Writer

<nowiki>*</nowiki>ryan Adams:
:{{w|Ryan Adams}}
:{{w|Bryan Adams}}

Singers with Stage Names Referencing Weight/Games:
:{{w|Chubby Checker}} (Singer famous for "The Twist")
:{{w|Fats Domino}} (Rock and Roll Singer)

Colin *:
:{{w|Colin Firth}} (Actor)
:{{w|Colin Farrell}}

F*rell:
:{{w|Will Ferrell}} (Actor)
:{{w|The Farrelly Brothers}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki>itt:
:{{w|Joseph Gordon-Levitt}} (Actor)
:{{w|Jennifer Love Hewitt}} (Actress)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Glover:
:{{w|Danny Glover}}
:{{w|Donald Glover}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wahlberg:
:{{w|Donnie Wahlberg}}
:{{w|Mark Wahlberg}} (Actor)

Mark *:
:{{w|Mark Ruffalo}} (Actor)
:{{w|Mark Shuttleworth}}

| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
Bill */* Pullman:
:{{w|Philip Pullman}} (Author)
:{{w|Bill Pullman}}
:{{w|Bill Paxton}}

Ghostbusters:
:{{w|Bill Murray}} (Actor)
:{{w|Dan Aykroyd}} (Actor)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Rogers:
:{{w|Ginger Rogers}} (Woman known for dancing with {{w|Fred Astaire}})
:Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers (Confusing reference to {{w|Fred Rogers}} (host of children's show, popularly known as "Mister Rogers") and to {{w|Fred Astaire}}) (Dancer, actor, and singer)

Doctor */* Spock:
:{{w|Mister Spock}} (Character on Star Trek)
:{{w|Doctor Spock}} (Author of book on childcare)
:{{w|Doctor Octopus}} (Villain in Spider-man comic books)

Doctors:
:{{w|Doctor Manhattan}} (Character in Alan Moore's Watchmen)
:{{w|Doctor Strangelove}} (Character based on Henry Kissinger in movie about nuclear war)
:{{w|Doctor Strange}} (Sorceror Supreme in Marvel Comics)

More doctors:
:{{w|Julius No|Dr. No}} (Main villain in the {{w|Dr. No (film)|first James Bond movie}})
:{{w|The Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor}} (Main protagonist of the science fiction series {{w|Doctor Who}})
:{{w|Cory Doctorow}} (Real person)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Jerry Lewis:
:{{w|Jerry Lee Lewis}} (Rock and Roll Singer)
:{{w|Jerry Lewis}} (Comedian and former chairman of charitable organization)

Others with initial J:
:{{w|Jenny Lewis}}
:{{w|Xeni Jardin}}

Chris *:
:{{w|Chris Evans}} (Actor)
:{{w|Chris Hemsworth}} (Actor)

Chris P*:
:{{w|Chris Pine}} (Actor)
:{{w|Chris Pratt}} (Actor)

Homophones of Shallots:
:{{w|Shallots}} (small onions)
:{{w|Scallops}} (bivalve mollusks)
:{{w|Scallions}} (green onions)

S* (Similar phonetics):
:{{w|Siouxie Sioux}}
:{{w|Suzanne Vega}}

Arnold */* Palmer:
:{{w|Tom Arnold}} (ex-husband of Roseanne Barr)
:{{w|Arnold Palmer}} (Golf player)
:{{w|Amanda Palmer}}

Wes *:
:{{w|Wes Craven}}
:{{w|Wes Anderson}} (Movie Director)

P* Anderson:
:{{w|Paul Thomas Anderson}}
:{{w|Poul Anderson}} (Science fiction author)

Sir Walter *:
:{{w|Sir Walter Scott}} (Scottish poet and writer)
:{{w|Sir Walter Raleigh}} (British explorer of Virginia)

F* Drake:
:{{w|Sir Francis Drake}} (British explorer, 2nd to circumnavigate the Earth)
:{{w|Frank Drake}}

Van *:
:{{w|Van Halen}} (Rockband)
:{{w|Van Morrison}}
:{{w|Van Wilder}}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Van Winkle:
:{{w|Robert Van Winkle}}
:{{w|Rip Van Winkle}} (fictional character)

Connects the "Rip"s with Natalie Imbruglia - her most famous hit was the song "Torn":
:{{w|Rip Torn}} (Musician)
:{{w|Natalie Imbruglia}}

Businesses with the word "Body" in their name:
:{{w|The Body Shop}} (Shop)
:{{w|Bath and Body Works}} (Shop)

Things with the word "Beyond" in their name:
:{{w|Bed Bath and Beyond}} (Shop)
:{{w|Beyond Thunderdome}} (Motion picture)

Beyoncé
:{{w|Beyoncé}} (Singeress)
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

:[A tournament bracket. The matchups are the following, on left-hand side and right-hand side:]

{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
:(1) {{w|Louis Armstrong}} and {{w|Neil Armstrong}}
:(2) {{w|Lance Armstrong}} and {{w|Stretch Armstrong}}

:(3) {{w|Jeff Gordan}} and {{w|Jeff Bridges}}
:(4) {{w|Jeff Daniels}} and {{w|Jack Daniels}}

:(5) {{w|Orson Welles}} and {{w|H.G. Wells}}
:(6) {{w|George Orwell}} and {{w|Wells Fargo}}

:(7) {{w|Kurt Russell}}, {{w|Russell Brand}}, {{w|Russell Crowe}} and {{w|Russell Simmons}}
:(8) {{w|Richard Simmons}} and {{w|Gene Simmons}}
:(9) {{w|Gene Hackman}}, {{w|Hugh Jackman}} and {{w|Alan Rickman}}
:(10) {{w|Alan Parsons}} and {{w|Alan Partridge}}

:(11) {{w|Jenny McCarthy}}, {{w|Joseph McCarthy}}, {{w|Eugene McCarthy}} and {{w|Eugene V. Debs}}
:(12) {{w|Gene Wilder}}, {{w|Olivia Wilde}} and {{w|Oscar Wilde}}
:(13) {{w|Oscar De La Renta}} and {{w|Oscar De La Hoya}}

:(14) {{w|Jack Nicklaus}} and {{w|Jack Nicholson}}
:(15) {{w|Phil Mickelson}} and {{w|Nicholas Nickelby}}

:(16) {{w|Ryan Adams}} and {{w|Bryan Adams}}

:(17) {{w|Chubby Checker}} and {{w|Fats Domino}}

:(18) {{w|Colin Firth}} and {{w|Colin Farrell}}
:(19) {{w|Will Ferrell}} and {{w|The Farrelly Brothers}}

:(20) {{w|Joseph Gordon-Levitt}} and {{w|Jennifer Love Hewitt}}

:(21) {{w|Danny Glover}} and {{w|Donald Glover}}
:(22) {{w|Donnie Wahlberg}} and {{w|Mark Wahlberg}}
:(23) {{w|Mark Ruffalo}} and {{w|Mark Shuttleworth}}

| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
:(24) {{w|Philip Pullman}}, {{w|Bill Pullman}} and {{w|Bill Paxton}}
:(25) {{w|Bill Murray}} and {{w|Dan Aykroyd}}

:(26) {{w|Ginger Rogers}} and {{w|Fred Rogers|Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers}}
:(27) {{w|Mister Spock}}, {{w|Doctor Spock}} and {{w|Doctor Octopus}}
:(28) {{w|Doctor Manhattan}}, {{w|Doctor Strangelove}} and {{w|Doctor Strange}}
:(29) {{w|Dr. No}}, {{w|The Doctor}} and {{w|Cory Doctorow}}

:(30) {{w|Jerry Lee Lewis}} and {{w|Jerry Lewis}}
:(31) {{w|Jenny Lewis}} and {{w|Xeni Jardin}}

:(32) {{w|Chris Evans}} and {{w|Chris Hemsworth}}
:(33) {{w|Chris Pine}} and {{w|Chris Pratt}}

:(34) {{w|Shallots}}, {{w|Scallops}} and {{w|Scallions}}

:(35) {{w|Siouxie Sioux}} and {{w|Suzanne Vega}}

:(36) {{w|Tom Arnold}}, {{w|Arnold Palmer}} and {{w|Amanda Palmer}}

:(37) {{w|Wes Craven}} and {{w|Wes Anderson}}
:(38) {{w|Paul Thomas Anderson}} and {{w|Poul Anderson}}

:(39) {{w|Sir Walter Scott}} and {{w|Sir Walter Raleigh}}
:(40) {{w|Sir Francis Drake}} and {{w|Frank Drake}}

:(41) {{w|Van Halen}}, {{w|Van Morrison}} and {{w|Van Wilder}}
:(42) {{w|Robert Van Winkle}} and {{w|Rip Van Winkle}}
:(43) {{w|Rip Torn}} and {{w|Natalie Imbruglia}}

:(44) {{w|The Body Shop}} and {{w|Bath and Body Works}}
:(45) {{w|Bed Bath and Beyond}} and {{w|Beyond Thunderdome}}
:(46) Winner of 44 and winner of 45
:(47) Winner of 46 and {{w|Beyoncé}}
|}

[Those are later interconnected:]

:(48) Winner of 1 and winner of 2
:(49) Winner of 3 and winner of 4
:(50) Winner of 5 and winner of 6
:(51) Winner of 7 and winner of 8
:(52) Winner of 9 and winner of 10
:(53) Winner of 12 and winner of 13
:(54) Winner of 14 and winner of 15
:(55) Winner of 16 and winner of 17
:(56) Winner of 18 and winner of 19
:(57) Winner of 21 and winner of 22

:(58) Winner of 24 and winner of 25
:(59) Winner of 26 and winner of 27
:(60) Winner of 28 and winner of 29
:(61) Winner of 30 and winner of 31
:(62) Winner of 32 and winner of 33
:(63) Winner of 34 and winner of 35
:(64) Winner of 37 and winner of 38
:(65) Winner of 39 and winner of 40
:(66) Winner of 41 and winner of 42

:(67) Winner of 49 and winner of 50
:(68) Winner of 51 and winner of 52
:(69) Winner of 11 and winner of 53
:(70) Winner of 54 and winner of 55
:(71) Winner of 56 and winner of 20
:(72) Winner of 57 and winner of 23

:(73) Winner of 59 and winner of 60
:(74) Winner of 61 and winner of 62
:(75) Winner of 63 and winner of 36
:(76) Winner of 64 and winner of 65
:(77) Winner of 66 and winner of 43

:(78) Winner of 48 and winner of 67
:(79) Winner of 68 and winner of 69
:(80) Winner of 71 and winner of 72

:(81) Winner of 58 and winner of 73
:(82) Winner of 75 and winner of 76
:(83) Winner of 77 and winner of 47

:(84) Winner of 78 and winner of 79
:(85) Winner of 70 and winner of 80

:(86) Winner of 81 and winner of 74
:(87) Winner of 82 and winner of 83

:(88) Winner of 84 and winner of 85

:(89) Winner of 86 and winner of 87

:[The two sides finally join up in:]

:(90) Winner of 88 and winner of 89

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]

Talk:1521: Sword in the Stone

2015-05-07T13:30:54Z

The Dining Logician:

In Arthurian legend, whoever can remove the Sword in the Stone is the lawful king of 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 Lady of the Lake. The most familiar version of this story is ''The Sword in the Stone'' by T. H. White which is based on ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' by Sir Thomas Malory. Having a woman remove the sword would introduce difficulties. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 06:12, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

Seriously? Megan being transgender is preposterous. The comic mentions a throne, not a king. The proposition that the character needs to be a man is far fetched and a bit sexist. The legend usually mentions a ruler, not a kind per se. Even if it were a king, that is a baseless statement. Legends are up to interpretation. If a woman pulls out a sword it is possible that she be crowned Queen without having a king. Case in point, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria -of England; they both have seen the glory days of Britain. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.152|108.162.221.152]] 07:27, 6 May 2015 (UTC)BK201

: And there was {{w|Jadwiga of Poland}}, female who was crowned '''king'''. --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 07:33, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

: It's clearly Megan. Perhaps Aurthur has returned in female form (definitely not transgender), but it's unmistakably Megan. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 13:01, 6 May 2015 (UTC)
::Agreed. Why should she even represent Arthur. Anyone who could take the sword out would get the throne. I think the explanation should say it is Megan and that she has taken the role Arthur had once. Also the idea that the new princess can get the throne even if she has younger brothers may be important here as written by another user below. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 16:01, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

In a visual novel, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saber_(Fate/stay_night) King Arthur is a girl]. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.169|108.162.222.169]] 08:06, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

Should be lawful king of Britain. King Arthur was fighting against the English. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.66|141.101.98.66]] 08:30, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

If there were a real Arthur (dux bellorum or whatever) this is true, however in the legends things are much more complicated and inconsistent, so England is as good as anything else. -richardelguru

Minor point, but Vallum Aelium was built to control the Picti, the Scots of the Dál Riata came much later and Scotland (Rìoghachd na h-Alba) is traditionally founded in the late C9CE. -richardelguru

I doubt it's a coincidence that this comic was published the day before a UK general eating contest that is widely predicted to be heading for the most complicated hung parliament in history. The monarch is a purely ceremonial head of state in practically all respects, but does (in theory) have the responsibility to "ask" someone to form a government (in practice, the person asked is determined by who holds the parliamentary majority, but there are huge arguments raging about who will "legitimately" hold such a majority, the leader of the party with most seats or the leader who can rustle up the biggest coalition). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.24|141.101.99.24]] 09:11, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

: I agree that this is a much more likely explanation for the timing of the comic. Don't have time to change the text myself right now ... --[[User:RenniePet|RenniePet]] ([[User talk:RenniePet|talk]]) 10:51, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

The punchline could also be about how it would be way too much hassle to try to lay claim to the throne in modern times, challenging the British royal family and all - Megan would probably be treated like a lunatic. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.223|141.101.88.223]] 11:19, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

Arthur is a long haired boy [http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/lemondededisney/images/4/47/Moustique.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130715192648&path-prefix=fr], [http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51US9KARtXL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg]. The comic shows a boy, not a woman. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.201|108.162.221.201]] 12:56, 6 May 2015 (UTC)
: The original Arthur is certainly a boy, however this comic is in the xkcd universe and in modern times, so if it looks like Megan, it's Megan. There's nothing in the comic itself that hints at the gender of the character. [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 14:43, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

I just thought that the joke was how distracting Wikipedia can be and that Megan/Arthur here gets addicted to reading Wikipedia articles of even the most obvious things in the least appropriate moment. "Oh cool, the throne of England? Isn't that that European country. Let's see how big it is. Oh, wow, 120,000 square kilometers. What's that in miles? Hmm, alright. Huh, kilometres is spelled like this according to the international spelling? What is that?" etc etc, you get the idea :p [[User:Maplestrip|Maplestrip]] ([[User talk:Maplestrip|talk]]) 12:59, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

: The title text would seem to go against that explanation.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.24|141.101.99.24]] 13:21, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

It's Megan. The new princess is the first woman who can inherent the throne without being leapfrogged by younger brothers. Before the Succession to the Crown Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succession_to_the_Crown_Act_2013) if Megan had pulled the sword out one of her brothers would have gotten to be King. (signed by jan) {{unsigned ip|173.245.52.149}}

: This and the eating contest tomorrow seems like the main reason for this comic. Forget Arthur for anything else than explaining the idea with the sword.--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 16:01, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

She put it back because she discovered this country is a shithole. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.143|141.101.98.143]] 14:23, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

I think it's Megan. - [[User:RecentlyChanged|RecentlyChanged]] ([[User talk:RecentlyChanged|talk]])

I removed the reference to Megan becoming "heir to" the throne, as that implies she is next in line, rather than immediately ascending to the throne [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 16:40, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

: Well, wait: if the character is "heir to" shouldn't we label / call him "Heiry"? {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.165}}

My peronal take: Megan could technically abdicate the throne, letting it return to status quo or having the next-in-line take the turn. That way, Megan can keep {{w|Excalibur}} while not having to worry about ruling the country. --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.105|173.245.52.105]] 16:56, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

I think using the term "yellow press" to refer to the news accounts of the birth of Princess Charlotte is uncalled for as this is a valid news event. Certainly there are some publications and media outlets that will take this completely over the top, but to lump reputable and long-honored papers such as the Times of London, the NY Times, the Washington Post, and many other publications in with the likes of the Daily Sun, the NY Daily Post, the National Enquirer, and Fox News just isn't right.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.216|173.245.54.216]] 17:31, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

Is it possible that this comic also referred to the relatively low amount of power exerted by the British Royal Family now compared to long ago? [[User:BowtieMaster|BowtieMaster]] ([[User talk:BowtieMaster|talk]]) 21:37, 6 May 2015 (UTC)BowtieMaster
:Sign it with four tildes, your signature broke the page before. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.124|108.162.237.124]] 21:24, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

Since this comic is set in the same 'reality' as the legends, and in the legends King Arthur is killed by his illegitimate son, wouldn't accepting the throne be more dangerous than it would be in reality? [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 13:30, 7 May 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1521: Sword in the Stone

2015-05-07T12:13:50Z

The Dining Logician:

1521: Sword in the Stone

2015-05-07T12:09:01Z

The Dining Logician:

{{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==
In this comic, [[Megan]] pulls a sword out of a stone. A flash of light comes down and music plays, and a heavenly voice tells her she has ascended to the {{w|throne of England}}. Megan then pulls out her phone and searches on Wikipedia for {{w|England}} (proving the comic takes place in a time period with Wikipedia). After having read for a while she begins, while reading on, to replace the sword into the rock.

The comic references the fables of {{w|King Arthur}} and the {{w|Knights of the Round Table}}. In Arthurian legend, whoever can remove {{w|Excalibur#Excalibur_and_the_Sword_in_the_Stone|The Sword in the Stone}} is the lawful king of 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 {{w|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}}. The animated {{w|The_Sword_in_the_Stone_(film)|musical}} by Walt Disney is a well known version of this fairytale.

A key element of the joke is that as Megan begins to read about England, especially information concerning being an English ruler, she quickly thinks better of this and begins to put the sword back in its place. The punchline that Megan puts the sword back after reading about England suggests that the "gift" of being the leader of England is not worth the risk and/or work associated. It is also likely intended to suggest some degree of antipathy towards England and/or English people on the part of the character or author.

English history is rife with monarchic strife, and a brief inquiry into their {{w|List of monarchs of the British Isles by cause of death|causes of death}} will show that almost one in three {{w|British rulers}} have died either in battle or from murder, etc. (stories, including Malory, have King Arthur killed by his illegitimate son). This would quickly lead most sane people to conclude that the risks associated with ruling England far outweigh the benefits.

The title text furthers this plot, having Megan comment on the hassle when the only thing she was interested in was the cool sword. Apparently Megan is not enthusiastic about power, and her choice is made when she sees how problematic it could be to reign over the country of England.

From the time of the {{w|Roman Empire}} all the way up to {{w|Charles II of England|Charles II's}} reclamation of the throne, England was one of the most contested and most difficult to hold chunks of real estate on Earth. Besides the constant threat of usurpation, as evidenced by the numerous wars for the crown, such as the {{w|Norman_conquest_of_England|Norman conquest}} and the {{w|War of the Roses}}, there were also constant difficulties in managing the frontier regions. This can be seen from {{w|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 {{w|Anglo-Scottish Wars|constant problem}} for England up until the reign of {{w|James VI and I|King James VI and I}}; think of the movie {{w|Braveheart}} for a good example of the regular headaches they caused, seen from the English point of view), as well as the {{w|List_of_Anglo-Welsh_Wars|Welsh uprisings}} that occurred with such consistency that you could set your watch by 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 in this comic is a 21st century version (reincarnation) of the old Arthur.

The timing of this comic might relate to the birth of princess {{w|Princess_Charlotte_of_Cambridge|Charlotte Elizabeth Diana}} on May 2nd, 2015 just four days before this comic, and the burden of a royal of having a whole life in public shaking hands of strangers. Since {{w|Succession to the Throne Act, 2013|2013}} the {{w|Line of succession to the British throne|line of succession}} was changed to {{w|Primogeniture#Absolute_primogeniture|absolute primogeniture}}, meaning that she will keep her current position in the line (4th after her {{w|Prince George of Cambridge|older brother}}) even if she later gets baby brothers. Before this year, that would not have been the case, as the male gender took rank over birth order.

It is also probably not a coincidence that this comic was published the day before the {{w|United Kingdom general election, 2015|UK General Election}}, occurring on May 7, 2015. This election decides the modern day leader of England and the rest of the UK. And the problems they face today, may even be more likely to cause Megan to give away the throne, than the risk of untimely death she would have faced in Arthur's days.

==Transcript==

:[Megan walks up to a sword in a stone.]

:[Megan attempts to pull the sword out of the stone.]

:[A beam of light and music plays as she removes the sword.]

:[While standing with the swords a voice from the sky speaks in gray shaky letters:]
:Celestial voice: ''The Throne of England is yours''

:[Megan takes out her smart phone and searches:]
:Wikipedia
:England

:[Megan reads on her phone.]

:[Megan starts to replace the sword back into the stone.]

{{comic discussion}}


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

Talk:1521: Sword in the Stone

2015-05-06T06:19:35Z

The Dining Logician:

Talk:1521: Sword in the Stone

2015-05-06T06:12:33Z

The Dining Logician: Created page with "In Arthurian legend, whoever can remove the Sword in the Stone is the lawful king of England. Arthur is an orphan being raised in secret; he notices the sword, removes it, an..."

Talk:1519: Venus

2015-05-01T06:56:24Z

The Dining Logician:

The "Runaway Greenhouse Effect" refers to the continuing increase of a planet's average temperature due to an increase of gases that reflect heat from the planet back toward its surface; Venus is an example of this to the extent that its temperature is not tolerable to Earth-like organisms.

The "Butterfly Effect" refers to the hypothesis that a small action (such as a butterfly flapping its wings) in a chaotic system such as a planet's weather, can have a large effect (such as causing a storm on the other side of the planet). [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 06:43, 1 May 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1519: Venus

2015-05-01T06:44:29Z

The Dining Logician:

The "Runaway Greenhouse Effect" refers to the increase of a planet's average temperature due to an increase of gases that reflect heat from the planet back toward its surface; Venus is an example of this to the extent that its temperature is not tolerable to Earth-like organisms.

The "Butterfly Effect" refers to the hypothesis that a small action (such as a butterfly flapping its wings) in a chaotic system such as a planet's weather, can have a large effect (such as causing a storm on the other side of the planet). [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 06:43, 1 May 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1519: Venus

2015-05-01T06:43:32Z

The Dining Logician: Created page with "The "Runaway Greenhouse Effect" refers to the increase of a planet's average temperature due to an increase of gases that reflect heat from the planet back toward its surface;..."

The "Runaway Greenhouse Effect" refers to the increase of a planet's average temperature due to an increase of gases that reflect heat from the planet back toward its surface; Venus is an example of this to the extent that its temperature is not tolerable to Earth-like organisms.

The "Butterfly Effect" refers to the hypothesis that a small action (such as a butterfly flapping its wings) in a chaotic system such as a planet's weather, can have a large effect (such as causing a storm on thy other side of the planet). [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 06:43, 1 May 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1514: PermaCal

2015-04-20T13:58:15Z

The Dining Logician:

In Megan's response, the "h" in "19th" is backwards.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.214.239|108.162.214.239]] 05:47, 20 April 2015 (UTC)
:I'm pretty sure that's a mistake since lowercase letters normally aren't used. [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 05:49, 20 April 2015 (UTC)
:Looks like he forgot the line on the upper left. He used the capital 19TH for Cueball. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.60|173.245.48.60]] 07:24, 20 April 2015 (UTC)
:I think it's intentional. All the H's after a T have shortened upperleft lines. Probably for nice http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/kerning [[User:ToaVin|ToaVin]] ([[User talk:ToaVin|talk]]) 10:12, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

Leap seconds have nothing to do with the length of the year: corrected. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.162|108.162.249.162]] 07:49, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

"Leap seconds normally account for the differences in the length of our 24 hour day and the time taken for the world to rotate 360 degrees on its axis" - this sentence mixes two unrelated concepts. First, a day is not a rotation of 360 degrees. Because the Earth also orbit the sun, the rotation from noon one day to noon the following day is a bit more than 360 degrees (360.9856 or so) (rotation measured relative to the stars) - this is why constellations appear to move throughout the year. Second, leap seconds are required because the leap day corrections of the Gregorian calendar are good, but not perfect, at matching the difference between Earth orbits (years) and Earth rotations (days). Every so often, a small correction is required. The corrections are not regular because the causes of the drift are numerous: tidal effects, orbital eccentricity, the underlying (small) flaws in the calendar, etc. I have not made any changes in the explanation. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.66|141.101.104.66]] 08:41, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

Not unrelated concept. Just not fully understood. Rotate 360 degrees is a simple way of putting things that ignores the diffrence between solar days and sidereal days. Incorrect not because someone doesn't understand the topic being discussed but because someone hasn't studied astronomy or seriously thought about how the movement of the Earth effects the length of the day--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.183|108.162.237.183]] 13:00, 20 April 2015 (UTC).

While you are true on one part, that Earth doesn't take 24 hours to rotate 360 degrees (it takes around 23 hours and 56 minutes if I recall correctly), leap seconds are used to account for differences between 24 hours and a solar day. If it was used to adjust the length of the year the time of day would drift, it would also be fairly pointless as the leap days take us out by 1/4 of a day.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.175|108.162.250.175]] 10:41, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

Do we know for sure that this comic was released on a Sunday - the 19th instead of the 20th? The first entry in this page is from the 20th. Of course there are some references to the 19th, but then again it is obvious that it is on the 20th that Megan asks. Anyone who can find out if this is the correct date, or just a mistake by someone who misunderstood something based on the dates in the comic? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:19, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

Apropos a "permanent calendar", Isaac Asimov proposed just such a calendar. http://calendars.wikia.com/wiki/World_Season_Calendar This web page unfortunately doesn't go into details, but there were several advantages. The same calendar is used for all years, your birthday is always on the same day of the week, no need to remember "30 days hath Sept. ...", and several other advantages I can't remember right now. --[[User:RenniePet|RenniePet]] ([[User talk:RenniePet|talk]]) 12:45, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

There is some confusion between the different types of astronomical time: a day in mean solar time is 24 hours, with a difference of + or - up to 1 second (compared to time on an atomic clock), in apparent solar time is 24 hours + or - up to 30 seconds, and in mean sidereal time is 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.0916 seconds (according to Wikipedia), and there is one extra sidereal day (about 366.25) in a sidereal year. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 13:55, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

It seems like our collective favorite word just might be "portmanteau" [[User:YourLifeisaLie|The Goyim speaks]] ([[User talk:YourLifeisaLie|talk]]) 13:42, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1514: PermaCal

2015-04-20T13:55:20Z

The Dining Logician:

In Megan's response, the "h" in "19th" is backwards.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.214.239|108.162.214.239]] 05:47, 20 April 2015 (UTC)
:I'm pretty sure that's a mistake since lowercase letters normally aren't used. [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 05:49, 20 April 2015 (UTC)
:Looks like he forgot the line on the upper left. He used the capital 19TH for Cueball. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.60|173.245.48.60]] 07:24, 20 April 2015 (UTC)
:I think it's intentional. All the H's after a T have shortened upperleft lines. Probably for nice http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/kerning [[User:ToaVin|ToaVin]] ([[User talk:ToaVin|talk]]) 10:12, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

Leap seconds have nothing to do with the length of the year: corrected. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.162|108.162.249.162]] 07:49, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

"Leap seconds normally account for the differences in the length of our 24 hour day and the time taken for the world to rotate 360 degrees on its axis" - this sentence mixes two unrelated concepts. First, a day is not a rotation of 360 degrees. Because the Earth also orbit the sun, the rotation from noon one day to noon the following day is a bit more than 360 degrees (360.9856 or so) (rotation measured relative to the stars) - this is why constellations appear to move throughout the year. Second, leap seconds are required because the leap day corrections of the Gregorian calendar are good, but not perfect, at matching the difference between Earth orbits (years) and Earth rotations (days). Every so often, a small correction is required. The corrections are not regular because the causes of the drift are numerous: tidal effects, orbital eccentricity, the underlying (small) flaws in the calendar, etc. I have not made any changes in the explanation. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.66|141.101.104.66]] 08:41, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

Not unrelated concept. Just not fully understood. Rotate 360 degrees is a simple way of putting things that ignores the diffrence between solar days and sidereal days. Incorrect not because someone doesn't understand the topic being discussed but because someone hasn't studied astronomy or seriously thought about how the movement of the Earth effects the length of the day--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.183|108.162.237.183]] 13:00, 20 April 2015 (UTC).

There is some confusion between the different types of astronomical time: a day in mean solar time is 24 hours, with a difference of + or - up to 1 second (compared to time on an atomic clock), in apparent solar time is 24 hours + or - up to 30 seconds, and in mean sidereal time is 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.0916 seconds (according to Wikipedia), and there is one extra sidereal day (about 366.25) in a sidereal year. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 13:55, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

While you are true on one part, that Earth doesn't take 24 hours to rotate 360 degrees (it takes around 23 hours and 56 minutes if I recall correctly), leap seconds are used to account for differences between 24 hours and a solar day. If it was used to adjust the length of the year the time of day would drift, it would also be fairly pointless as the leap days take us out by 1/4 of a day.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.175|108.162.250.175]] 10:41, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

Do we know for sure that this comic was released on a Sunday - the 19th instead of the 20th? The first entry in this page is from the 20th. Of course there are some references to the 19th, but then again it is obvious that it is on the 20th that Megan asks. Anyone who can find out if this is the correct date, or just a mistake by someone who misunderstood something based on the dates in the comic? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:19, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

Apropos a "permanent calendar", Isaac Asimov proposed just such a calendar. http://calendars.wikia.com/wiki/World_Season_Calendar This web page unfortunately doesn't go into details, but there were several advantages. The same calendar is used for all years, your birthday is always on the same day of the week, no need to remember "30 days hath Sept. ...", and several other advantages I can't remember right now. --[[User:RenniePet|RenniePet]] ([[User talk:RenniePet|talk]]) 12:45, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

It seems like our collective favorite word just might be "portmanteau" [[User:YourLifeisaLie|The Goyim speaks]] ([[User talk:YourLifeisaLie|talk]]) 13:42, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1512: Horoscopes

2015-04-15T08:41:15Z

The Dining Logician:

So funny - especially the title text made me laugh :-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:05, 15 April 2015 (UTC)

The "coriolis effect" in the title text refers to the spin direction of vortices (rotating currents such as cyclones, whirlpools, and water draining from a basin), which is counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. The title text is a joke extending the reversal to the flow of time.
: The spin direction of whirlpools and basins is 'not' determined by the coriolis effect, on this scale its impact is way too small to make a difference. The title text refers to how the coriolis effect is often used to explain phenomena (especially with relation to the hemispheres), even when its wrong. --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.5|198.41.242.5]] 08:23, 15 April 2015 (UTC)

The events described during which the conception of a person with a given birth month occurred assumes that the parents were in the United States at that time. The seasons would be shifted by six months in the southern hemisphere, and the holidays of the 4th of July (Independence Day -- Aries), Halloween (Cancer, conception in October), Thanksgiving (Leo, conception in November), Mother's Day (Aquarius, conception in May), and the NCAA (college) basketball playoffs ("March Madness" -- Sagittarius) , might either not be celebrated or celebrated on a different day. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 08:11, 15 April 2015 (UTC)

"Today, horoscopes are admitted to be pseudoscience." Citation needed. But what rubbish. Horoscopes are not even pseudoscience, so who is it "admitting" they are? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.187|108.162.250.187]] 08:36, 15 April 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1512: Horoscopes

2015-04-15T08:28:47Z

The Dining Logician:

So funny - especially the title text made me laugh :-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:05, 15 April 2015 (UTC)

The "coriolis effect" in the title text refers to the spin direction of vortices (rotating currents such as cyclones, whirlpools, and water draining from a basin), which is counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. The title text is a joke extending the reversal to the flow of time.
: The spin direction of whirlpools and basins is 'not' determined by the coriolis effect, on this scale its impact is way too small to make a difference. The title text refers to how the coriolis effect is often used to explain phenomena (especially with relation to the hemispheres), even when its wrong. --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.5|198.41.242.5]] 08:23, 15 April 2015 (UTC)

The events described during which the conception of a person with a given birth month occurred assumes that the parents were in the United States at that time. The seasons would be shifted by six months in the southern hemisphere, and the holidays of the 4th of July (Independence Day -- Aries), Thanksgiving (Leo, birth in November), might either not be celebrated or celebrated on a different day. [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 08:11, 15 April 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1512: Horoscopes

2015-04-15T08:11:02Z

The Dining Logician:

Talk:1504: Opportunity

2015-03-27T23:05:02Z

The Dining Logician:

"Everything the light touches is our kingdom" are Mufasa words from 'The Lion King' (1994) --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 08:39, 27 March 2015 (UTC)
- The "You must never go there" line is also from Lion King. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/quotes?item=qt0371437 [[User:Drmouse|Drmouse]] ([[User talk:Drmouse|talk]]) 11:40, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

May someone make this Transcritpt better? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.10|141.101.104.10]] 08:58, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

Hey, thanks to whoever tidied up my explanation [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.185|141.101.98.185]] 11:01, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

I think the second line ("We must never go there") is from the same scene in ''The Lion King'' as the first line, not a reference to ''Space Odyssey'' . See [[http://youtu.be/K5lEJlbEgz4]] from 0:52 to 1:23. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.55|108.162.216.55]] 11:04, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

It seems to me to be common currency that the 'missing' word in "one small step" is "a", not "this" (whether as a fluffed line, in the moment, or a temporary radio drop-out over that bare syllable). Also, while it's highly ''suggested'', there's no certainty in the title-text that the new Mars-landing quote ''necessarily'' ended in fatality. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 14:31, 27 March 2015 (UTC) (Someone seems to have edited the text that inspired these comments, now... so you may now ignore me. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 22:41, 27 March 2015 (UTC))

I just don't get how the rover could gain more power. It is after all, isolated on mars. All it could do is get weaker. Maybe it was already strong enough to control half of mars. [[User:YourLifeisaLie|The Goyim speaks]] ([[User talk:YourLifeisaLie|talk]]) 15:05, 27 March 2015 (UTC)
:My take was that even without batteries, it was still getting enough power from the solar panels (and maybe it somehow became sentient enough to reconfigure to create additional solar power arrays sufficient for its needs, like some suggestions for 'builder' robots on the Moon, perhaps mixed in with Von Neumann machine ideas). Which makes the "dark part of Mars, don't go there!" even more intruiging. (Have we done to Opportunity what 'we' tried to do to the Matrix's machine-civilisation? Darken the environment? And thus how is it still dangerous? The same reason as the Matrix machines are still powered on ''that'' world? Or has it raised the cloud of darkness itself; Because It Can, to delineate its territory or as an actual terraforming effort of its own, more suited to its own current needs and 'desires'? And how many ''more'' questions can I raise?) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 22:41, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

I'm surely not the only person who read the title text and thought, "Well, that's more work for the Death of Being Ground by a Mars Rover Rock Abrasion Tool." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.171|108.162.216.171]] 18:01, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

Did something happen to inspire this? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 19:28, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

On March 20 Opportunity completed a reformat of its flash memory and started accumulating more data. On March 24 it logged 26.219 miles (42.195 km) in the 11 years and 2 months since it landed, the length of a marathon.

NASA JPL press releases: http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/newsroom/pressreleases/20150323a.html http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/newsroom/pressreleases/20150324a.html [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 22:59, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1504: Opportunity

2015-03-27T22:59:37Z

The Dining Logician:

"Everything the light touches is our kingdom" are Mufasa words from 'The Lion King' (1994) --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 08:39, 27 March 2015 (UTC)
- The "You must never go there" line is also from Lion King. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/quotes?item=qt0371437 [[User:Drmouse|Drmouse]] ([[User talk:Drmouse|talk]]) 11:40, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

May someone make this Transcritpt better? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.10|141.101.104.10]] 08:58, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

Hey, thanks to whoever tidied up my explanation [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.185|141.101.98.185]] 11:01, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

I think the second line ("We must never go there") is from the same scene in ''The Lion King'' as the first line, not a reference to ''Space Odyssey'' . See [[http://youtu.be/K5lEJlbEgz4]] from 0:52 to 1:23. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.55|108.162.216.55]] 11:04, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

It seems to me to be common currency that the 'missing' word in "one small step" is "a", not "this" (whether as a fluffed line, in the moment, or a temporary radio drop-out over that bare syllable). Also, while it's highly ''suggested'', there's no certainty in the title-text that the new Mars-landing quote ''necessarily'' ended in fatality. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 14:31, 27 March 2015 (UTC) (Someone seems to have edited the text that inspired these comments, now... so you may now ignore me. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 22:41, 27 March 2015 (UTC))

I just don't get how the rover could gain more power. It is after all, isolated on mars. All it could do is get weaker. Maybe it was already strong enough to control half of mars. [[User:YourLifeisaLie|The Goyim speaks]] ([[User talk:YourLifeisaLie|talk]]) 15:05, 27 March 2015 (UTC)
:My take was that even without batteries, it was still getting enough power from the solar panels (and maybe it somehow became sentient enough to reconfigure to create additional solar power arrays sufficient for its needs, like some suggestions for 'builder' robots on the Moon, perhaps mixed in with Von Neumann machine ideas). Which makes the "dark part of Mars, don't go there!" even more intruiging. (Have we done to Opportunity what 'we' tried to do to the Matrix's machine-civilisation? Darken the environment? And thus how is it still dangerous? The same reason as the Matrix machines are still powered on ''that'' world? Or has it raised the cloud of darkness itself; Because It Can, to delineate its territory or as an actual terraforming effort of its own, more suited to its own current needs and 'desires'? And how many ''more'' questions can I raise?) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 22:41, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

I'm surely not the only person who read the title text and thought, "Well, that's more work for the Death of Being Ground by a Mars Rover Rock Abrasion Tool." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.171|108.162.216.171]] 18:01, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

Did something happen to inspire this? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 19:28, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

On March 20 Opportunity completed a reset of its flash memory and started accumulating more data. On March 24 it logged 26.219 miles (42.195 km) in the 11 years and 2 months since it landed, the length of a marathon.

NASA JPL press releases: http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/newsroom/pressreleases/20150323a.html http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/newsroom/pressreleases/20150324a.html [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 22:59, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1504: Opportunity

2015-03-27T22:58:12Z

The Dining Logician: Opportunity milestones in previous week

"Everything the light touches is our kingdom" are Mufasa words from 'The Lion King' (1994) --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 08:39, 27 March 2015 (UTC)
- The "You must never go there" line is also from Lion King. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/quotes?item=qt0371437 [[User:Drmouse|Drmouse]] ([[User talk:Drmouse|talk]]) 11:40, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

May someone make this Transcritpt better? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.10|141.101.104.10]] 08:58, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

Hey, thanks to whoever tidied up my explanation [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.185|141.101.98.185]] 11:01, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

I think the second line ("We must never go there") is from the same scene in ''The Lion King'' as the first line, not a reference to ''Space Odyssey'' . See [[http://youtu.be/K5lEJlbEgz4]] from 0:52 to 1:23. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.55|108.162.216.55]] 11:04, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

It seems to me to be common currency that the 'missing' word in "one small step" is "a", not "this" (whether as a fluffed line, in the moment, or a temporary radio drop-out over that bare syllable). Also, while it's highly ''suggested'', there's no certainty in the title-text that the new Mars-landing quote ''necessarily'' ended in fatality. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 14:31, 27 March 2015 (UTC) (Someone seems to have edited the text that inspired these comments, now... so you may now ignore me. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 22:41, 27 March 2015 (UTC))

I just don't get how the rover could gain more power. It is after all, isolated on mars. All it could do is get weaker. Maybe it was already strong enough to control half of mars. [[User:YourLifeisaLie|The Goyim speaks]] ([[User talk:YourLifeisaLie|talk]]) 15:05, 27 March 2015 (UTC)
:My take was that even without batteries, it was still getting enough power from the solar panels (and maybe it somehow became sentient enough to reconfigure to create additional solar power arrays sufficient for its needs, like some suggestions for 'builder' robots on the Moon, perhaps mixed in with Von Neumann machine ideas). Which makes the "dark part of Mars, don't go there!" even more intruiging. (Have we done to Opportunity what 'we' tried to do to the Matrix's machine-civilisation? Darken the environment? And thus how is it still dangerous? The same reason as the Matrix machines are still powered on ''that'' world? Or has it raised the cloud of darkness itself; Because It Can, to delineate its territory or as an actual terraforming effort of its own, more suited to its own current needs and 'desires'? And how many ''more'' questions can I raise?) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 22:41, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

I'm surely not the only person who read the title text and thought, "Well, that's more work for the Death of Being Ground by a Mars Rover Rock Abrasion Tool." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.171|108.162.216.171]] 18:01, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

Did something happen to inspire this? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 19:28, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

On March 20 Opportunity completed a reset of its flash memory and started accumulating more data. On March 24 it logged 26.219 miles (42.195 km) in the 11 years and 2 months since it landed, the length of a marathon.

NASA JPL press releases: http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/newsroom/pressreleases/20150323a.html http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/newsroom/pressreleases/20150324a.html