https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Thendensterexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-04-13T15:49:01ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1587:_Food_Rule&diff=1030111587: Food Rule2015-10-07T13:47:57Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1587<br />
| date = October 7, 2015<br />
| title = Food Rule<br />
| image = food_rule.png<br />
| titletext = I won't eat invertebrates, because I can fight a skeleton, but I have no idea what kind of spooky warrior a squid leaves behind.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
There are various {{w|Vegetarianism|vegetarian}} diets which restrict certain foods for ethical concerns. A {{w|Pescetarianism|pescatarian}} diet omits most sources of meat, but still allows for fish. One rationale for this choice is that fish have a less complex nervous system, and thus experience a narrower range of suffering when farmed. An {{w|Ovo-lacto_vegetarianism|ovo-lacto vegetarian}} will not eat meat, but may consume animal biproducts such as milk, egg, cheese, and honey. A {{w|Veganism|vegan}} diet excludes all animal products entirely. Some vegetarians choose to summarize their eating habits in one sentence, like eating "nothing that once had a heartbeat", "nothing that can have children", "nothing with eyes" or "[https://www.google.dk/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=&oq=%22nothing+with+a+face%22&hl=da&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGHP_daDK541DK548&q=%22nothing+with+a+face%22&gs_l=hp...0i22i10i30j0i22i30l4.0.0.1.642912...........0.VML4AzjfqPA#hl=da&q=don%27t+eat+anything+with+a+face nothing with a face]" - this last example being the subject of the comic.<br />
<br />
[[Randall]] presents two rules about what can be eaten (one in caption below the frame comic and one in the title text). He also presents a list of allowed and forbidden foods but not all of the forbidden foods matches both rules.<br />
<br />
Randall is willing to eat food disregarding if it once had a {{w|face}} or not. But his rule in the caption states that he will not eat any food if he needs to use Google to figure out whether it came from something who had a face or not. While it's clear that a cow has a face{{Citation needed}} and an apple does not, some beings are harder to classify into one of these categories. For example, the {{w|squid}} has eyes and mouth, but it would be hard to tell whether that counts as a face. This would be a problem for the vegetarian standard rule of "nothing without a face" and thus openly mocks the vegetarian rule of "nothing with a face". However, {{w|oysters}} defiantly has no face, so the rule can not explain why he does not eat these. And he would not need Google to check this. Also he do know what a squid and a {{w|shrimp}} is, so he would also not need Google to investigate these. Of course it may be discussed on-line if a squid has a face or nor... He could find such a discussion using Google. So the first rule cannot explain Oysters at all and may also not explain the other two forbidden items.<br />
<br />
The three omissions are explained by the rule given in the title text. This rule is about not eating {{w|Invertebrate|invertebrates}}. The first four items on the list are meat from four different animals of the type {{w|Vertebrate|vertebrates}} and the last three items are from {{w|Plant|plants}}. These are all OK to eat. But the middle three items are three different animals of the type invertebrates (specifically they all fit under the term {{w|shellfish}}). Randall does not eat these! <br />
<br />
These animals do not have any skeleton. Randall is joking about how the animals he eats might come back to haunt him, and in the case of a cow or fish (or any other vertebrates - with skeletons), he imagines that they would come back as an animated skeletal structure. Any undead creature that returns as a skeleton he believes he will be able to fight. But since he has no idea how an undead squid or oyster (or any other invertebrate) would look, he feels unprepared to fight such a spooky creature and thus declines from eating them. This may be an excuse for not eating certain invertebrate, or a mocking comment on several games where the protagonist is required to fight several animated human skeletons.<br />
<br />
Randall has previously mentioned his dislike of certain foods (namely lobster) in [[1268: Alternate Universe]].<br />
<br />
===Items on the list===<br />
Here is a list with explanation for each item:<br />
*{{w|Red meat}}, includes meat from most adult {{w|mammals}}, but many people will probably think of {{w|beefsteak}} from {{w|cattle}}. <br />
*{{w|Pork}}, is meat from from {{w|Domestic pig|pigs}}. As this is actually a type of red meat this supports that Randall was thinking of beef, when mentioning red meat above.<br />
*{{w|Poultry}} are domesticated birds, most people will think of {{w| Chicken (food)|chicken}}.<br />
*{{w|Fish}} covers a very large group of animals, most of them are note eaten on a regular basis, but a large group of fish are {{w| Fish as food|used as food}}.<br />
*{{w|Shrimp}} is used to refer to {{w|Decapoda|ten-footed}} {{w|Crustacean}} and some of these are {{w|Shrimp (food)|used for food}}. (In the UK they often go under the name {{w|Prawns}}).<br />
*{{w|Oysters}} refers to a family of {{w|mollusca}} within the class {{w|bivalvia}} (i.e. body enclosed in shells consisting of two hinged parts). Most people will probably think of the {{w|Ostreidae|true oysters}} specifically the {{w|Ostrea edulis|edible oyster}}. Note that {{w| Pearl oyster}} is not a true oyster.<br />
*{{w|Squid}} are {{w|cephalopods}} with eight arms arranged in pairs and two linger tentacles. They are related to {{w|cuttlefish}} and {{w|octopuses}}.<br />
*{{w|Fruit}} is a part of a flowering plant. Common fruits are {{w|apples}}, {{w|oranges}}, {{w|bananas}} and {{w|pears}}. But in principle anything that comes from a flower is a fruit, including {{w|grains}}. Although in a culinary sense there is a distinction between vegetables and fruit, any part of a flower is actually a vegetable. See below and also see [[388: Fuck Grapefruit]].<br />
*{{w|Vegetables}} are any kind of plant. But in everyday it refers to any part of a plant that is consumed by humans as food as part of a {{w|Umami|savoury}} meal. Thus excluding both fruit, {{w|nuts}} and cereal grains. For instance a {{w|tomato}} would be seen as a vegetable due to its taste and as a fruit botanically – see the venndiagram {{w|Fruit#Botanic fruit and culinary fruit|here}}.<br />
*{{w|Grain|Grains}} are small, hard, dry {{w|seeds}}. Usually when mentioning these people will think of breakfast {{w|cereal}} grains. Typical grains are {{w|corn}}, {{w|rice}} and {{w|wheat}}. As mentioned above grains are botanically a fruit.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[There is a caption above a list of food with indication whether it is OK or not to eat. Below is another caption.]<br />
:My food rule:<br />
:{| class="wikitable" style="border: 0px;"<br />
|-<br />
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Red meat<br />
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓<br />
|-<br />
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Pork<br />
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓<br />
|-<br />
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Poultry<br />
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓<br />
|-<br />
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Fish<br />
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓<br />
|-<br />
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Shrimp<br />
| style="border: 0px; color:red;" | X<br />
|-<br />
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Oysters<br />
| style="border: 0px; color:red;" | X<br />
|-<br />
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Squid<br />
| style="border: 0px; color:red;" | X<br />
|-<br />
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Fruit<br />
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓<br />
|-<br />
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Vegetables<br />
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓<br />
|-<br />
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Grains<br />
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓<br />
|}<br />
:I won't eat something<br />
:if I have to Google <br />
:to figure out whether <br />
:or not it has a face.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1455:_Trolley_Problem&diff=801131455: Trolley Problem2014-12-03T07:52:21Z<p>Thendenster: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1455<br />
| date = December 3, 2014<br />
| title = Trolley Problem<br />
| image = trolley_problem.png<br />
| titletext = For $5 I promise not to orchestrate this situation, and for $25 I promise not to take further advantage of this ability to create incentives.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Just a rough draft.}}<br />
<br />
The trolley problem is a problem often posed by philosophers to test the morals of the person in question, and to explain the systems of thinking. The full problem is that there are 5 people on one track, and 1 innocent worker on the other. The trolley is out of control and can be diverted from 5 people by using a lever which would divert it to the one innocent worker. For example, a utilitarian, a person who believes in the most amount of good for most amount of people, will instantly kill the 1 worker for 5 people.<br />
However, when Cueball presents this problem to sadistic Black Hat, Black Hat questions if he can pull the lever without standing up and it becomes apparent that he cares nothing at all for either groups of people. Then he takes advantage of this by posing an offer: if Cueball is one of the 5, then Black Hat wil divert it. The joke is that the Trolley Problem is to test one's morals, but Black Hat doesn't have one, and therefore Cueball terminates the problem<br />
<br />
The title text follows this up by continuing Black Hat's offers. For 5 dollars he will not orchastrate this and for 25 he will take no more advantage of the problem. These further shows Black Hat's complete lack of morales.<br />
<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1448:_Question&diff=793431448: Question2014-11-17T07:46:31Z<p>Thendenster: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1448<br />
| date = November 17, 2014<br />
| title = Question<br />
| image = question.png<br />
| titletext = The universe long dead, Isaac surveyed the formless chaos. At last, he had arrived at an answer. 'I like you,' he declared to the void, 'but I don't LIKE like you.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Incorrect Spelling/Interpretations may be present.}}<br />
<br />
This is a reference to the short story ''{{w|The Last Question}}'' by {{w|Isaac Asimov}}, in which a series of ever-more-powerful computers are asked whether and how entropy can ever be reversed. Each time the computer makes a reply about insufficient information for a meaningful answer. The tooltip is analogous to the end of the story, when the very last computer gives its answer (no spoilers!).<br />
This comic shows that instead of an entropy question, it is a confession question, asking if Isaac likes the anomynous author of the note or not. There are initially 2 options, yes or no. However Isaac adds a third option in red pen, and states that for now there is insufficient data for a meaningful answer. The title text continues this story, in a scenario where the universe is long gone and they exist in some sort of ghost-like state. Isaac finally replies, saying that he likes whoever the author is, but doesn't LIKE her, thus reaching the same ambigeous conclusion like the the initial answer. <br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
----<br />
Dear Isaac<br />
----<br />
<br />
Do you like me?<br />
----<br />
<br />
<Empty Cross Box> Yes<br />
----<br />
<br />
<Empty Cross Box> No<br />
----<br />
<br />
<Filled Cross Box> There is as yet insufficient data for a meaningful answer <br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1416:_Pixels&diff=752111416: Pixels2014-09-05T07:10:59Z<p>Thendenster: /* Fire Hydrant */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1416<br />
| date = September 3, 2014<br />
| title = Pixels<br />
| image = pixels.png<br />
| titletext = It's turtles all the way down.<br />
}}<br />
'''NOTE: The above is only a zoomed out version of the this interactive comic.''' For a collection of images that appear when zooming in on this comic, see [[1416: Pixels/Images]].<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Individual panels need explanations}}<br />
This interactive comic begins with a panel where [[Cueball]] is stacking turtles. This is a reference to the idiom "turtles all the way down," which refers to the problem of infinite recursion: if everything in the universe is "on top of" something else, so to speak, there must be a "bottom." A joking solution to the paradoxical nature of such a bottom is the proposition that {{w|Turtles_all_the_way_down|the world rests on a semi-infinite stack of turtles}}.<br />
<br />
As can be read you should "scroll to zoom". This can be done by placing the cursor inside the panel of the comic. When scrolling up (using the mouse wheel) the picture zooms in until the pixels are visible. When you continue to scroll on each pixel then resolves into another comic picture, with black-on-white comic panels making up the white pixels and white-on-black panels making up the black pixels. Scrolling on until you can see the pixels of the comic picture you are now zooming into the process is repeated again and will be so for all subsequent sets of comic panels. Not all white and all black panels are the same; some sets involve more than two different panels, but all involve repetitive tiling.<br />
<br />
==Themes==<br />
*Below are all the themes relevant to cover all the images found when zooming in. <br />
*They are sorted in the same order as in the gallery: [[1416: Pixels/Images]].<br />
**Open the gallery in another window - zoom out and then you can see the pictures in this window as you read about them here below:<br />
<br />
===Turtles===<br />
Apart from the first image there are two more with a single turtle in them. In one of these the turtle thinks "I am a turtle". This is a reference to [[http://xkcd.com/889/]]<br />
It may say so to the Cueball that is seen standing all alone in another picture.<br />
<br />
===What if?===<br />
There is a picture of the book, as it looks and big enough that all text is visible on the front cover. But there is also another version where the authors name is crossed out and replaced with Stephen King and also the word Spooky has been added above the title and below the word xkcd has been crossed and replaced with being afraid.<br />
<br />
===Book Launch===<br />
This comic was released on September 3rd, 2014, the day after [[Randall|Randall's]] book ''[http://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ What If]'' was launched. The book is shown and referred to in a number of frames, for example it is [[:File:pixels-upgoer.png|'''literally''' launched]] as a part of an <strike>rocket</strike> [[1133:_Up_Goer_Five|''up goer'']] built by Cueball. There are also a picture with Cueball holding "his book" and telling he is exited about book the launch.<br />
<br />
The model ''up goer'' is [[:File:pixels-assembly-1.png|made of Rocket Parts from KSP]]. KSP is the {{w|Kerbal Space Program}}, a spaceflight simulator which was also [[1350: Lorenz#Themes|part]] of the latest interactive comic [[1350: Lorenz]]. Perhaps xkcd's 'parts' refers to KSP's large community of mod developers who contribute 'parts' to the game, although it was likely intended as nothing more than the humorous supposition that one could purchase physical rocket parts from a simulator. The frames showing the book launch use URLs that include the text "upgoer" in reference to the [[Up Goer Five]] comic.<br />
<br />
In the end the upgoer leaves the Earth after one orbit and then flies through space.<br />
<br />
===Needs More Struts===<br />
{{w|Strut|Struts}} are structural members in engineering, and are are one of the components used in Kerbal Space Program to construct rockets. 'Needs More Struts' seems to be a meme amongst players of Kerbal Space Program, along the lines of 'When in doubt, overengineer'. Megan deems Cueball's rocket to be insufficiently structurally sound, and declares that it "[[:File:pixels-assembly-4.png|Needs More Struts]]"<br />
<br />
===The Only Copy===<br />
Cueball & Megan turn to each other having just launched the What-If book rocket into space (construction and launch are seen in other panels). perhaps Megan realises they may have misunderstood the term 'book launch' and that they may have just lost ''[[:File:pixels-upgoer-6.png|the only copy]]'' of the book.<br />
<br />
===Space objects===<br />
There are both the Moon, the Sun, Saturn and two images just with stars.<br />
<br />
===Sky===<br />
In four pictures Cueball and Megan is sitting below the stars. In the second the following conversation takes place:<br />
:Cueball: Someone once told me the great kings of the past look down on us...<br />
:Megan: From the stars?<br />
:Cueball: Just in general.<br />
The second panel is a reference to Disney's [http://lionking.wikia.com/wiki/The_Great_Kings_of_the_Past The Lion King]. Early in the film, Mufasa tells Simba that the great kings of the past look down on them from the stars. Later on, Simba recalls this to his companions, Timon and Pumba (who don't take him seriously). In the film, the kings of the past literally look down on--and watch over--the characters, which is how Megan interprets Cueball's initial statement. Cueball's reply that they just look down on us in general shows that he means the kings of the past figuratively look down on us (they view us as inferior or beneath them).<br />
<br />
In the next image a shooting star is seen above them. The final picture looks to identical to the first?<br />
<br />
===Mario===<br />
A series of 8 images are called ''Mario''. One is also called ''entry'' has a picture only of a PC. The next four has Megan in front of the PC (Maybe she is Mario? Or she is playing Mario Brothers? She has a control in her hand so probably the last...) She sits on her knees in the first picture, then she sits on the floor. In the third picture she is lying down in front of the PC. Then there is one picture which is an inverse of the sitting picture. The last three pictures all have a view of the starlit night sky with the same two clouds in place. During the night (and these three pictures) a giant galaxy rises above the horizon. It does not look like the Milky Way would look anywhere from Earth (also it does not much look like a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way). There is something square protruding into the picture - this could be a brick wall hanging in the air. Mario can be seen standing in the bottom left corner. Or it could be part of the roof hanging out from the building Megan is inside. Maybe the rise of the galaxy shows how long Megan plays her game. Maybe this is why Cueball wishes to [[#Shut Down the Server|throw water on the server]].<br />
<br />
===Shut Down the Server===<br />
Cueball tells an offscreen character that he is going to [[:File:pixels-server-1.png|shut down the server]], while carrying a bucket of water.<br />
<br />
Usually shutting down a {{w|Server (computing)|server}} is done via the operating system or software, or (not recommended) turning it off or pulling the power plug. But in this case it appears that cueball is simply going to douse it with water, likely resulting in serious water damage to the hardware.<br />
<br />
===Clouds===<br />
In five pictures Megan is floating in the clouds. Only two pictures with Megan, two only with clouds and one only with birds as seen from a distance.<br />
<br />
===Cantor Set===<br />
[[:File:pixels-cantor.png|One panel]] contains a number of lines and dots, which are in fact a depiction of the first 5 steps of a {{w|Cantor set|Cantor Ternary Set}}, mirrored about the horizontal centreline. The Cantor ternary set is constructed by repeatedly deleting the open middle thirds of a set of line segments. The Cantor Set is one of the canonical examples of a fractal, a shape whose individual parts resemble the whole. The use of the Cantor Set in this comic is self-referential, in that the comic, itself, is composed of parts of the same shape as the whole.<br />
<br />
===Walking===<br />
In two images Cueball and Megan is seen walking. One normal black on white close up, and one inverse seen from afar. These may be relevant to the two next ([[#Time Turners]] and [[#Stockholm Syndrome]]) where they are seen talking while walking.<br />
<br />
===Time Turners===<br />
The time turner is a device from the {{w|Harry Potter}} series of novels by {{w|JK Rowling}}. It allows the user to re-live a period of time over again. In the third novel Hermione is given the time-turner to allow her to take extra classes, however it is eventually used to spare Buckbeak the hippogryph from execution. This prompted many questions regarding why time-turners weren’t used on other occasions to save people's lives (among other things). <br />
<br />
While J.K Rowling has “[http://pottermore.wikia.com/wiki/Time-Turner solved the problem to her own satisfaction]” she admits that she entered into the subject of time-travel too lightly.<br />
<br />
[[:File:pixels-time-turner.png|This panel]] jokes that if the real life JK Rowling had a fictional time-turner which worked, she would have gone back and removed the time-turner plotline from the book, saving her all the hassle of dealing with the resulting time-travel questions. This act would result in a time-travel paradox.<br />
<br />
===Stockholm Syndrome===<br />
{{w|Stockholm syndrome}} is the name for a psychological phenomenon, in which hostages develop sympathy, empathy and/or positive feelings towards their captors. These feelings are usually seen as irrational, seeing as the hostage is held against their wishes, usually with the threat of physical harm or death.<br />
<br />
[[:File:pixels-stockholm.png|This panel]] asks "How do we know anyone really ''wants'' to live in Stockholm?", questioning whether everyone who lives in the city of Stockholm is in fact held hostage there and only stays because they have developed to like life there (due to Stockholm Syndrome).<br />
<br />
===Fire Hydrant===<br />
[[Black Hat]] is talking to a fireman, with a fire engine on fire in the background, he asks "To be fair, what else would you expect to come out of a "[[:File:pixels-fire-hydrant.png|fire hydrant]]"?"<br />
<br />
Black Hat appears to have managed to replace the usual water supply to the {{w|fire hydrant}} with actual fire. Thus when the hydrant is used, the result is, quite literally, fire (or oil with possibly flint and steel contraptions to cause fire). In Black Hat's logic, a hydrant which delivers water should be called a water hydrant.<br />
<br />
===Eeee===<br />
Megan hears a very long stretched ''EEEEEEEEEEEEE'' sound which goes over 6 images. It turns out it is a large letter '''E''' that shouts ''EEEEEEE!!!''. In total there are 64 small E emanating from the big one. There is also a picture with two big white E on black background. Those E are larger than the E that shouts. <br />
<br />
===Evolution===<br />
The {{w|March of Progress}} image is a famous and instantly recognisable image showing the stages of human evolution by way of a series of primate figures as if marching in a line. The panel parodies the March of Progress image, with [[:File:pixels-evolution.png|5 ducklings following an adult duck]]. In this case, rather than portraying selected individuals millions of years apart, the March shows evolution in action on a human timescale, the mother taking care of her ducklings. The comic has some resemblance to [[537: Ducklings]].<br />
<br />
===Rope===<br />
Four ropes cross diagonally across this black picture. Looks good when there are many of them in the same place.<br />
<br />
===Chess===<br />
There are two chess boards on black and white background with smaller chessboards drawn upon them<br />
<br />
===Atom etc===<br />
There is a picture of a Bohr Model atom--point electrons surrounding a nucleus of protons and neutrons. There is also a picture of what is probably a vibrating cosmic string fragment (a concept in [[string theory]]). Despite the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, getting down to the string does not mean that the cartoon viewer has reached the "bottom" of zooming in on pixels.<br />
<br />
===Holism, Reductionism, Mu===<br />
These three words refer to "A MU offering", an essay by {{w|Douglas Hofstatder}} in his book {{w|Godel, Escher, Bach}} (which was referenced by Randall in [[24: Godel, Escher, Kurt Halsey ]]). It includes a similar multiple level drawing: {{w|Mu (negative)|the word MU}} is composed of copies of the words [[:File:pixels-holism.png|HOLISM]] and [[:File:pixels-reductionism.png|REDUCTIONISM]], each of which are in turn made of smaller copies of the other, which are in turn made of [http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/two-more-letters/ tiny copies] of the word [[:File:pixels-mu.png|MU]].<br />
<br />
===du===<br />
"[[:File:pixels-du.png|du]]" is a {{w|Linux}} command to indicate the "disk usage" of a file or directory.<br />
<br />
~$ du -s video/<br />
4170882256<br />
<br />
This is a command that shows how large all the files are in this user's "video" directory - presumably where they store their personal videos. The units of the result is probably kilobytes (depending on settings)<br />
<br />
This number is clearly large and difficult to parse, and the units are not clear. More appropriate units would be gigabytes rather than bytes. The du command offers an option to display units in "human readable format", which will adapt to use kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, etc. as appropriate. The next command purports to request the same result in more human-readable form.<br />
<br />
~$ du -hs video/<br />
A lot.<br />
~$<br />
<br />
It seems that the computer, rather than giving a specific answer, simply says that the size of the video directory is "A lot."<br />
<br />
The final line indicates the computer is now ready to accept a new command.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is stacking turtles, and is about to put the fourth turtle on his pile. At the bottom right there is a small panel. Inside this is written:]<br />
:Scroll to zoom<br />
<br />
:[When zooming in there will be several panels with text. The transcript of these may not be possible to complete - but add the transcript of these panels here: [[1416: Pixels/Transcript|interactive transcript]]]<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
===Gallery===<br />
[[1416: Pixels/Images|This gallery]] contains the [http://azttm.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/xkcd-com-1416-pixels/ 79 images used in this comic]. The images are related in a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/37/1416_Pixels_layout.png directed graph].<br />
<br />
===Images Database===<br />
This google sheet describes all possible images, their associated codes, and what possible images can be used as sub-images for each zoom level: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nldKAkeVcK606CY12KI9bah9rDmK9E7CZOyinsEj2Lo/edit?usp=sharing<br />
<br />
===Image scraping script===<br />
This gist recursively downloads all possible images:<br />
https://gist.github.com/Aaron1011/d3b56325881cd639506a<br />
<br />
===Bugs===<br />
*Doesn't seem to work properly in all browsers (e.g. Firefox and Safari on MacOSX), giving "TypeError: this.data is null" in line 173 of zoom.js: "var item = this.data.get(dims)"<br />
*Doesn't seem to work in IE8, comic is blank, but title text works.<br />
*Does not work on xkcd.org neither www.xkcd.org in Firefox and Chrome. Currently you should visit http://xkcd.com for this comic to work properly.<br />
*Also, it doesn't work on HTTPS.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Interactive comics]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1416:_Pixels&diff=752101416: Pixels2014-09-05T07:04:22Z<p>Thendenster: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1416<br />
| date = September 3, 2014<br />
| title = Pixels<br />
| image = pixels.png<br />
| titletext = It's turtles all the way down.<br />
}}<br />
'''NOTE: The above is only a zoomed out version of the this interactive comic.''' For a collection of images that appear when zooming in on this comic, see [[1416: Pixels/Images]].<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Individual panels need explanations}}<br />
This interactive comic begins with a panel where [[Cueball]] is stacking turtles. This is a reference to the idiom "turtles all the way down," which refers to the problem of infinite recursion: if everything in the universe is "on top of" something else, so to speak, there must be a "bottom." A joking solution to the paradoxical nature of such a bottom is the proposition that {{w|Turtles_all_the_way_down|the world rests on a semi-infinite stack of turtles}}.<br />
<br />
As can be read you should "scroll to zoom". This can be done by placing the cursor inside the panel of the comic. When scrolling up (using the mouse wheel) the picture zooms in until the pixels are visible. When you continue to scroll on each pixel then resolves into another comic picture, with black-on-white comic panels making up the white pixels and white-on-black panels making up the black pixels. Scrolling on until you can see the pixels of the comic picture you are now zooming into the process is repeated again and will be so for all subsequent sets of comic panels. Not all white and all black panels are the same; some sets involve more than two different panels, but all involve repetitive tiling.<br />
<br />
==Themes==<br />
*Below are all the themes relevant to cover all the images found when zooming in. <br />
*They are sorted in the same order as in the gallery: [[1416: Pixels/Images]].<br />
**Open the gallery in another window - zoom out and then you can see the pictures in this window as you read about them here below:<br />
<br />
===Turtles===<br />
Apart from the first image there are two more with a single turtle in them. In one of these the turtle thinks "I am a turtle". This is a reference to [[http://xkcd.com/889/]]<br />
It may say so to the Cueball that is seen standing all alone in another picture.<br />
<br />
===What if?===<br />
There is a picture of the book, as it looks and big enough that all text is visible on the front cover. But there is also another version where the authors name is crossed out and replaced with Stephen King and also the word Spooky has been added above the title and below the word xkcd has been crossed and replaced with being afraid.<br />
<br />
===Book Launch===<br />
This comic was released on September 3rd, 2014, the day after [[Randall|Randall's]] book ''[http://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ What If]'' was launched. The book is shown and referred to in a number of frames, for example it is [[:File:pixels-upgoer.png|'''literally''' launched]] as a part of an <strike>rocket</strike> [[1133:_Up_Goer_Five|''up goer'']] built by Cueball. There are also a picture with Cueball holding "his book" and telling he is exited about book the launch.<br />
<br />
The model ''up goer'' is [[:File:pixels-assembly-1.png|made of Rocket Parts from KSP]]. KSP is the {{w|Kerbal Space Program}}, a spaceflight simulator which was also [[1350: Lorenz#Themes|part]] of the latest interactive comic [[1350: Lorenz]]. Perhaps xkcd's 'parts' refers to KSP's large community of mod developers who contribute 'parts' to the game, although it was likely intended as nothing more than the humorous supposition that one could purchase physical rocket parts from a simulator. The frames showing the book launch use URLs that include the text "upgoer" in reference to the [[Up Goer Five]] comic.<br />
<br />
In the end the upgoer leaves the Earth after one orbit and then flies through space.<br />
<br />
===Needs More Struts===<br />
{{w|Strut|Struts}} are structural members in engineering, and are are one of the components used in Kerbal Space Program to construct rockets. 'Needs More Struts' seems to be a meme amongst players of Kerbal Space Program, along the lines of 'When in doubt, overengineer'. Megan deems Cueball's rocket to be insufficiently structurally sound, and declares that it "[[:File:pixels-assembly-4.png|Needs More Struts]]"<br />
<br />
===The Only Copy===<br />
Cueball & Megan turn to each other having just launched the What-If book rocket into space (construction and launch are seen in other panels). perhaps Megan realises they may have misunderstood the term 'book launch' and that they may have just lost ''[[:File:pixels-upgoer-6.png|the only copy]]'' of the book.<br />
<br />
===Space objects===<br />
There are both the Moon, the Sun, Saturn and two images just with stars.<br />
<br />
===Sky===<br />
In four pictures Cueball and Megan is sitting below the stars. In the second the following conversation takes place:<br />
:Cueball: Someone once told me the great kings of the past look down on us...<br />
:Megan: From the stars?<br />
:Cueball: Just in general.<br />
The second panel is a reference to Disney's [http://lionking.wikia.com/wiki/The_Great_Kings_of_the_Past The Lion King]. Early in the film, Mufasa tells Simba that the great kings of the past look down on them from the stars. Later on, Simba recalls this to his companions, Timon and Pumba (who don't take him seriously). In the film, the kings of the past literally look down on--and watch over--the characters, which is how Megan interprets Cueball's initial statement. Cueball's reply that they just look down on us in general shows that he means the kings of the past figuratively look down on us (they view us as inferior or beneath them).<br />
<br />
In the next image a shooting star is seen above them. The final picture looks to identical to the first?<br />
<br />
===Mario===<br />
A series of 8 images are called ''Mario''. One is also called ''entry'' has a picture only of a PC. The next four has Megan in front of the PC (Maybe she is Mario? Or she is playing Mario Brothers? She has a control in her hand so probably the last...) She sits on her knees in the first picture, then she sits on the floor. In the third picture she is lying down in front of the PC. Then there is one picture which is an inverse of the sitting picture. The last three pictures all have a view of the starlit night sky with the same two clouds in place. During the night (and these three pictures) a giant galaxy rises above the horizon. It does not look like the Milky Way would look anywhere from Earth (also it does not much look like a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way). There is something square protruding into the picture - this could be a brick wall hanging in the air. Mario can be seen standing in the bottom left corner. Or it could be part of the roof hanging out from the building Megan is inside. Maybe the rise of the galaxy shows how long Megan plays her game. Maybe this is why Cueball wishes to [[#Shut Down the Server|throw water on the server]].<br />
<br />
===Shut Down the Server===<br />
Cueball tells an offscreen character that he is going to [[:File:pixels-server-1.png|shut down the server]], while carrying a bucket of water.<br />
<br />
Usually shutting down a {{w|Server (computing)|server}} is done via the operating system or software, or (not recommended) turning it off or pulling the power plug. But in this case it appears that cueball is simply going to douse it with water, likely resulting in serious water damage to the hardware.<br />
<br />
===Clouds===<br />
In five pictures Megan is floating in the clouds. Only two pictures with Megan, two only with clouds and one only with birds as seen from a distance.<br />
<br />
===Cantor Set===<br />
[[:File:pixels-cantor.png|One panel]] contains a number of lines and dots, which are in fact a depiction of the first 5 steps of a {{w|Cantor set|Cantor Ternary Set}}, mirrored about the horizontal centreline. The Cantor ternary set is constructed by repeatedly deleting the open middle thirds of a set of line segments. The Cantor Set is one of the canonical examples of a fractal, a shape whose individual parts resemble the whole. The use of the Cantor Set in this comic is self-referential, in that the comic, itself, is composed of parts of the same shape as the whole.<br />
<br />
===Walking===<br />
In two images Cueball and Megan is seen walking. One normal black on white close up, and one inverse seen from afar. These may be relevant to the two next ([[#Time Turners]] and [[#Stockholm Syndrome]]) where they are seen talking while walking.<br />
<br />
===Time Turners===<br />
The time turner is a device from the {{w|Harry Potter}} series of novels by {{w|JK Rowling}}. It allows the user to re-live a period of time over again. In the third novel Hermione is given the time-turner to allow her to take extra classes, however it is eventually used to spare Buckbeak the hippogryph from execution. This prompted many questions regarding why time-turners weren’t used on other occasions to save people's lives (among other things). <br />
<br />
While J.K Rowling has “[http://pottermore.wikia.com/wiki/Time-Turner solved the problem to her own satisfaction]” she admits that she entered into the subject of time-travel too lightly.<br />
<br />
[[:File:pixels-time-turner.png|This panel]] jokes that if the real life JK Rowling had a fictional time-turner which worked, she would have gone back and removed the time-turner plotline from the book, saving her all the hassle of dealing with the resulting time-travel questions. This act would result in a time-travel paradox.<br />
<br />
===Stockholm Syndrome===<br />
{{w|Stockholm syndrome}} is the name for a psychological phenomenon, in which hostages develop sympathy, empathy and/or positive feelings towards their captors. These feelings are usually seen as irrational, seeing as the hostage is held against their wishes, usually with the threat of physical harm or death.<br />
<br />
[[:File:pixels-stockholm.png|This panel]] asks "How do we know anyone really ''wants'' to live in Stockholm?", questioning whether everyone who lives in the city of Stockholm is in fact held hostage there and only stays because they have developed to like life there (due to Stockholm Syndrome).<br />
<br />
===Fire Hydrant===<br />
[[Black Hat]] is talking to a fireman, with a fire engine on fire in the background, he asks "To be fair, what else would you expect to come out of a "[[:File:pixels-fire-hydrant.png|fire hydrant]]"?"<br />
<br />
Black Hat appears to have managed to replace the usual water supply to the {{w|fire hydrant}} with actual fire. Thus when the hydrant is used, the result is, quite literally, fire. In Black Hat's logic, a hydrant which delivers water should be called a water hydrant.<br />
<br />
===Eeee===<br />
Megan hears a very long stretched ''EEEEEEEEEEEEE'' sound which goes over 6 images. It turns out it is a large letter '''E''' that shouts ''EEEEEEE!!!''. In total there are 64 small E emanating from the big one. There is also a picture with two big white E on black background. Those E are larger than the E that shouts. <br />
<br />
===Evolution===<br />
The {{w|March of Progress}} image is a famous and instantly recognisable image showing the stages of human evolution by way of a series of primate figures as if marching in a line. The panel parodies the March of Progress image, with [[:File:pixels-evolution.png|5 ducklings following an adult duck]]. In this case, rather than portraying selected individuals millions of years apart, the March shows evolution in action on a human timescale, the mother taking care of her ducklings. The comic has some resemblance to [[537: Ducklings]].<br />
<br />
===Rope===<br />
Four ropes cross diagonally across this black picture. Looks good when there are many of them in the same place.<br />
<br />
===Chess===<br />
There are two chess boards on black and white background with smaller chessboards drawn upon them<br />
<br />
===Atom etc===<br />
There is a picture of a Bohr Model atom--point electrons surrounding a nucleus of protons and neutrons. There is also a picture of what is probably a vibrating cosmic string fragment (a concept in [[string theory]]). Despite the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, getting down to the string does not mean that the cartoon viewer has reached the "bottom" of zooming in on pixels.<br />
<br />
===Holism, Reductionism, Mu===<br />
These three words refer to "A MU offering", an essay by {{w|Douglas Hofstatder}} in his book {{w|Godel, Escher, Bach}} (which was referenced by Randall in [[24: Godel, Escher, Kurt Halsey ]]). It includes a similar multiple level drawing: {{w|Mu (negative)|the word MU}} is composed of copies of the words [[:File:pixels-holism.png|HOLISM]] and [[:File:pixels-reductionism.png|REDUCTIONISM]], each of which are in turn made of smaller copies of the other, which are in turn made of [http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/two-more-letters/ tiny copies] of the word [[:File:pixels-mu.png|MU]].<br />
<br />
===du===<br />
"[[:File:pixels-du.png|du]]" is a {{w|Linux}} command to indicate the "disk usage" of a file or directory.<br />
<br />
~$ du -s video/<br />
4170882256<br />
<br />
This is a command that shows how large all the files are in this user's "video" directory - presumably where they store their personal videos. The units of the result is probably kilobytes (depending on settings)<br />
<br />
This number is clearly large and difficult to parse, and the units are not clear. More appropriate units would be gigabytes rather than bytes. The du command offers an option to display units in "human readable format", which will adapt to use kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, etc. as appropriate. The next command purports to request the same result in more human-readable form.<br />
<br />
~$ du -hs video/<br />
A lot.<br />
~$<br />
<br />
It seems that the computer, rather than giving a specific answer, simply says that the size of the video directory is "A lot."<br />
<br />
The final line indicates the computer is now ready to accept a new command.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is stacking turtles, and is about to put the fourth turtle on his pile. At the bottom right there is a small panel. Inside this is written:]<br />
:Scroll to zoom<br />
<br />
:[When zooming in there will be several panels with text. The transcript of these may not be possible to complete - but add the transcript of these panels here: [[1416: Pixels/Transcript|interactive transcript]]]<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
===Gallery===<br />
[[1416: Pixels/Images|This gallery]] contains the [http://azttm.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/xkcd-com-1416-pixels/ 79 images used in this comic]. The images are related in a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/37/1416_Pixels_layout.png directed graph].<br />
<br />
===Images Database===<br />
This google sheet describes all possible images, their associated codes, and what possible images can be used as sub-images for each zoom level: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nldKAkeVcK606CY12KI9bah9rDmK9E7CZOyinsEj2Lo/edit?usp=sharing<br />
<br />
===Image scraping script===<br />
This gist recursively downloads all possible images:<br />
https://gist.github.com/Aaron1011/d3b56325881cd639506a<br />
<br />
===Bugs===<br />
*Doesn't seem to work properly in all browsers (e.g. Firefox and Safari on MacOSX), giving "TypeError: this.data is null" in line 173 of zoom.js: "var item = this.data.get(dims)"<br />
*Doesn't seem to work in IE8, comic is blank, but title text works.<br />
*Does not work on xkcd.org neither www.xkcd.org in Firefox and Chrome. Currently you should visit http://xkcd.com for this comic to work properly.<br />
*Also, it doesn't work on HTTPS.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Interactive comics]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1416:_Pixels&diff=752091416: Pixels2014-09-05T07:02:48Z<p>Thendenster: /* Turtles */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1416<br />
| date = September 3, 2014<br />
| title = Pixels<br />
| image = pixels.png<br />
| titletext = It's turtles all the way down.<br />
}}<br />
'''NOTE: The above is only a zoomed out version of the this interactive comic.''' For a collection of images that appear when zooming in on this comic, see [[1416: Pixels/Images]].<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Individual panels need explanations}}<br />
This interactive comic begins with a panel where [[Cueball]] is stacking turtles. This is a reference to the idiom "turtles all the way down," which refers to the problem of infinite recursion: if everything in the universe is "on top of" something else, so to speak, there must be a "bottom." A joking solution to the paradoxical nature of such a bottom is the proposition that {{w|Turtles_all_the_way_down|the world rests on a semi-infinite stack of turtles}}.<br />
<br />
As can be read you should "scroll to zoom". This can be done by placing the cursor inside the panel of the comic. When scrolling up (using the mouse wheel) the picture zooms in until the pixels are visible. When you continue to scroll on each pixel then resolves into another comic picture, with black-on-white comic panels making up the white pixels and white-on-black panels making up the black pixels. Scrolling on until you can see the pixels of the comic picture you are now zooming into the process is repeated again and will be so for all subsequent sets of comic panels. Not all white and all black panels are the same; some sets involve more than two different panels, but all involve repetitive tiling.<br />
<br />
==Themes==<br />
*Below are all the themes relevant to cover all the images found when zooming in. <br />
*They are sorted in the same order as in the gallery: [[1416: Pixels/Images]].<br />
**Open the gallery in another window - zoom out and then you can see the pictures in this window as you read about them here below:<br />
<br />
===Turtles===<br />
Apart from the first image there are two more with a single turtle in them. In one of these the turtle thinks "I am a turtle". This is a reference to [http://xkcd.com/889/[xkcd No.889]]<br />
It may say so to the Cueball that is seen standing all alone in another picture.<br />
<br />
===What if?===<br />
There is a picture of the book, as it looks and big enough that all text is visible on the front cover. But there is also another version where the authors name is crossed out and replaced with Stephen King and also the word Spooky has been added above the title and below the word xkcd has been crossed and replaced with being afraid.<br />
<br />
===Book Launch===<br />
This comic was released on September 3rd, 2014, the day after [[Randall|Randall's]] book ''[http://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ What If]'' was launched. The book is shown and referred to in a number of frames, for example it is [[:File:pixels-upgoer.png|'''literally''' launched]] as a part of an <strike>rocket</strike> [[1133:_Up_Goer_Five|''up goer'']] built by Cueball. There are also a picture with Cueball holding "his book" and telling he is exited about book the launch.<br />
<br />
The model ''up goer'' is [[:File:pixels-assembly-1.png|made of Rocket Parts from KSP]]. KSP is the {{w|Kerbal Space Program}}, a spaceflight simulator which was also [[1350: Lorenz#Themes|part]] of the latest interactive comic [[1350: Lorenz]]. Perhaps xkcd's 'parts' refers to KSP's large community of mod developers who contribute 'parts' to the game, although it was likely intended as nothing more than the humorous supposition that one could purchase physical rocket parts from a simulator. The frames showing the book launch use URLs that include the text "upgoer" in reference to the [[Up Goer Five]] comic.<br />
<br />
In the end the upgoer leaves the Earth after one orbit and then flies through space.<br />
<br />
===Needs More Struts===<br />
{{w|Strut|Struts}} are structural members in engineering, and are are one of the components used in Kerbal Space Program to construct rockets. 'Needs More Struts' seems to be a meme amongst players of Kerbal Space Program, along the lines of 'When in doubt, overengineer'. Megan deems Cueball's rocket to be insufficiently structurally sound, and declares that it "[[:File:pixels-assembly-4.png|Needs More Struts]]"<br />
<br />
===The Only Copy===<br />
Cueball & Megan turn to each other having just launched the What-If book rocket into space (construction and launch are seen in other panels). perhaps Megan realises they may have misunderstood the term 'book launch' and that they may have just lost ''[[:File:pixels-upgoer-6.png|the only copy]]'' of the book.<br />
<br />
===Space objects===<br />
There are both the Moon, the Sun, Saturn and two images just with stars.<br />
<br />
===Sky===<br />
In four pictures Cueball and Megan is sitting below the stars. In the second the following conversation takes place:<br />
:Cueball: Someone once told me the great kings of the past look down on us...<br />
:Megan: From the stars?<br />
:Cueball: Just in general.<br />
The second panel is a reference to Disney's [http://lionking.wikia.com/wiki/The_Great_Kings_of_the_Past The Lion King]. Early in the film, Mufasa tells Simba that the great kings of the past look down on them from the stars. Later on, Simba recalls this to his companions, Timon and Pumba (who don't take him seriously). In the film, the kings of the past literally look down on--and watch over--the characters, which is how Megan interprets Cueball's initial statement. Cueball's reply that they just look down on us in general shows that he means the kings of the past figuratively look down on us (they view us as inferior or beneath them).<br />
<br />
In the next image a shooting star is seen above them. The final picture looks to identical to the first?<br />
<br />
===Mario===<br />
A series of 8 images are called ''Mario''. One is also called ''entry'' has a picture only of a PC. The next four has Megan in front of the PC (Maybe she is Mario? Or she is playing Mario Brothers? She has a control in her hand so probably the last...) She sits on her knees in the first picture, then she sits on the floor. In the third picture she is lying down in front of the PC. Then there is one picture which is an inverse of the sitting picture. The last three pictures all have a view of the starlit night sky with the same two clouds in place. During the night (and these three pictures) a giant galaxy rises above the horizon. It does not look like the Milky Way would look anywhere from Earth (also it does not much look like a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way). There is something square protruding into the picture - this could be a brick wall hanging in the air. Mario can be seen standing in the bottom left corner. Or it could be part of the roof hanging out from the building Megan is inside. Maybe the rise of the galaxy shows how long Megan plays her game. Maybe this is why Cueball wishes to [[#Shut Down the Server|throw water on the server]].<br />
<br />
===Shut Down the Server===<br />
Cueball tells an offscreen character that he is going to [[:File:pixels-server-1.png|shut down the server]], while carrying a bucket of water.<br />
<br />
Usually shutting down a {{w|Server (computing)|server}} is done via the operating system or software, or (not recommended) turning it off or pulling the power plug. But in this case it appears that cueball is simply going to douse it with water, likely resulting in serious water damage to the hardware.<br />
<br />
===Clouds===<br />
In five pictures Megan is floating in the clouds. Only two pictures with Megan, two only with clouds and one only with birds as seen from a distance.<br />
<br />
===Cantor Set===<br />
[[:File:pixels-cantor.png|One panel]] contains a number of lines and dots, which are in fact a depiction of the first 5 steps of a {{w|Cantor set|Cantor Ternary Set}}, mirrored about the horizontal centreline. The Cantor ternary set is constructed by repeatedly deleting the open middle thirds of a set of line segments. The Cantor Set is one of the canonical examples of a fractal, a shape whose individual parts resemble the whole. The use of the Cantor Set in this comic is self-referential, in that the comic, itself, is composed of parts of the same shape as the whole.<br />
<br />
===Walking===<br />
In two images Cueball and Megan is seen walking. One normal black on white close up, and one inverse seen from afar. These may be relevant to the two next ([[#Time Turners]] and [[#Stockholm Syndrome]]) where they are seen talking while walking.<br />
<br />
===Time Turners===<br />
The time turner is a device from the {{w|Harry Potter}} series of novels by {{w|JK Rowling}}. It allows the user to re-live a period of time over again. In the third novel Hermione is given the time-turner to allow her to take extra classes, however it is eventually used to spare Buckbeak the hippogryph from execution. This prompted many questions regarding why time-turners weren’t used on other occasions to save people's lives (among other things). <br />
<br />
While J.K Rowling has “[http://pottermore.wikia.com/wiki/Time-Turner solved the problem to her own satisfaction]” she admits that she entered into the subject of time-travel too lightly.<br />
<br />
[[:File:pixels-time-turner.png|This panel]] jokes that if the real life JK Rowling had a fictional time-turner which worked, she would have gone back and removed the time-turner plotline from the book, saving her all the hassle of dealing with the resulting time-travel questions. This act would result in a time-travel paradox.<br />
<br />
===Stockholm Syndrome===<br />
{{w|Stockholm syndrome}} is the name for a psychological phenomenon, in which hostages develop sympathy, empathy and/or positive feelings towards their captors. These feelings are usually seen as irrational, seeing as the hostage is held against their wishes, usually with the threat of physical harm or death.<br />
<br />
[[:File:pixels-stockholm.png|This panel]] asks "How do we know anyone really ''wants'' to live in Stockholm?", questioning whether everyone who lives in the city of Stockholm is in fact held hostage there and only stays because they have developed to like life there (due to Stockholm Syndrome).<br />
<br />
===Fire Hydrant===<br />
[[Black Hat]] is talking to a fireman, with a fire engine on fire in the background, he asks "To be fair, what else would you expect to come out of a "[[:File:pixels-fire-hydrant.png|fire hydrant]]"?"<br />
<br />
Black Hat appears to have managed to replace the usual water supply to the {{w|fire hydrant}} with actual fire. Thus when the hydrant is used, the result is, quite literally, fire. In Black Hat's logic, a hydrant which delivers water should be called a water hydrant.<br />
<br />
===Eeee===<br />
Megan hears a very long stretched ''EEEEEEEEEEEEE'' sound which goes over 6 images. It turns out it is a large letter '''E''' that shouts ''EEEEEEE!!!''. In total there are 64 small E emanating from the big one. There is also a picture with two big white E on black background. Those E are larger than the E that shouts. <br />
<br />
===Evolution===<br />
The {{w|March of Progress}} image is a famous and instantly recognisable image showing the stages of human evolution by way of a series of primate figures as if marching in a line. The panel parodies the March of Progress image, with [[:File:pixels-evolution.png|5 ducklings following an adult duck]]. In this case, rather than portraying selected individuals millions of years apart, the March shows evolution in action on a human timescale, the mother taking care of her ducklings. The comic has some resemblance to [[537: Ducklings]].<br />
<br />
===Rope===<br />
Four ropes cross diagonally across this black picture. Looks good when there are many of them in the same place.<br />
<br />
===Chess===<br />
There are two chess boards on black and white background with smaller chessboards drawn upon them<br />
<br />
===Atom etc===<br />
There is a picture of a Bohr Model atom--point electrons surrounding a nucleus of protons and neutrons. There is also a picture of what is probably a vibrating cosmic string fragment (a concept in [[string theory]]). Despite the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, getting down to the string does not mean that the cartoon viewer has reached the "bottom" of zooming in on pixels.<br />
<br />
===Holism, Reductionism, Mu===<br />
These three words refer to "A MU offering", an essay by {{w|Douglas Hofstatder}} in his book {{w|Godel, Escher, Bach}} (which was referenced by Randall in [[24: Godel, Escher, Kurt Halsey ]]). It includes a similar multiple level drawing: {{w|Mu (negative)|the word MU}} is composed of copies of the words [[:File:pixels-holism.png|HOLISM]] and [[:File:pixels-reductionism.png|REDUCTIONISM]], each of which are in turn made of smaller copies of the other, which are in turn made of [http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/two-more-letters/ tiny copies] of the word [[:File:pixels-mu.png|MU]].<br />
<br />
===du===<br />
"[[:File:pixels-du.png|du]]" is a {{w|Linux}} command to indicate the "disk usage" of a file or directory.<br />
<br />
~$ du -s video/<br />
4170882256<br />
<br />
This is a command that shows how large all the files are in this user's "video" directory - presumably where they store their personal videos. The units of the result is probably kilobytes (depending on settings)<br />
<br />
This number is clearly large and difficult to parse, and the units are not clear. More appropriate units would be gigabytes rather than bytes. The du command offers an option to display units in "human readable format", which will adapt to use kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, etc. as appropriate. The next command purports to request the same result in more human-readable form.<br />
<br />
~$ du -hs video/<br />
A lot.<br />
~$<br />
<br />
It seems that the computer, rather than giving a specific answer, simply says that the size of the video directory is "A lot."<br />
<br />
The final line indicates the computer is now ready to accept a new command.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is stacking turtles, and is about to put the fourth turtle on his pile. At the bottom right there is a small panel. Inside this is written:]<br />
:Scroll to zoom<br />
<br />
:[When zooming in there will be several panels with text. The transcript of these may not be possible to complete - but add the transcript of these panels here: [[1416: Pixels/Transcript|interactive transcript]]]<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
===Gallery===<br />
[[1416: Pixels/Images|This gallery]] contains the [http://azttm.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/xkcd-com-1416-pixels/ 79 images used in this comic]. The images are related in a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/37/1416_Pixels_layout.png directed graph].<br />
<br />
===Images Database===<br />
This google sheet describes all possible images, their associated codes, and what possible images can be used as sub-images for each zoom level: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nldKAkeVcK606CY12KI9bah9rDmK9E7CZOyinsEj2Lo/edit?usp=sharing<br />
<br />
===Image scraping script===<br />
This gist recursively downloads all possible images:<br />
https://gist.github.com/Aaron1011/d3b56325881cd639506a<br />
<br />
===Bugs===<br />
*Doesn't seem to work properly in all browsers (e.g. Firefox and Safari on MacOSX), giving "TypeError: this.data is null" in line 173 of zoom.js: "var item = this.data.get(dims)"<br />
*Doesn't seem to work in IE8, comic is blank, but title text works.<br />
*Does not work on xkcd.org neither www.xkcd.org in Firefox and Chrome. Currently you should visit http://xkcd.com for this comic to work properly.<br />
*Also, it doesn't work on HTTPS.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Interactive comics]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=228:_Resonance&diff=74157228: Resonance2014-08-23T07:53:00Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 228<br />
| date = February 26, 2007<br />
| title = Resonance<br />
| image = resonance.png<br />
| titletext = It's really hard to control the frequency, actually.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|Resonance}} is the tendency for an object to oscillate when energy is transferred to it at a specific set of frequencies (known as {{w|harmonics}} of the natural frequency of the object). A simple example of this is pushing a child on a swing: by pushing the child at the right moment, more and more energy is transferred to the system and the amplitude of the oscillation grows.<br />
<br />
In this comic, the friend is jiggling his leg up and down at a harmonic of the natural frequency of [[Cueball]]'s desk. This causes Cueball's desk to vibrate more and more until objects on it start to bounce around. Rather than have the friend stop, Cueball wants him to slightly increase the frequency of the jiggling in order to spill the drink on Steve's desk (which is not pictured). However, it is hard to have a person control a subconcious movement exactly, let alone increase or decrease by exact figures. Cueball is possibly a nerd, and doesn't understand this, making his friend feel a little awkward.<br />
<br />
In the title text, his friend confesses the obvious fact that he couldn't control it very well.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is sitting at a desk, which is vibrating.]<br />
:''clatter clatter''<br />
:[He leans back and turns to face someone sitting at another desk behind him.]<br />
:Cueball: Excuse me--you're jiggling your leg up and down. It's traveling through the floor and making my desk resonate.<br />
:Friend: Oh, I didn't even realize! I'll stop.<br />
:[Cueball passes a sheet of paper to the friend.]<br />
:Cueball: Actually, can you just shift the frequency up by 15%? I think you can get resonance with Steve's desk instead.<br />
:Friend: Uh huh...<br />
:Cueball: Here are the calculations. Let's coordinate and try to spill his drink.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Physics]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=987:_Potential&diff=73775987: Potential2014-08-16T08:11:48Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 987<br />
| date = December 7, 2011<br />
| title = Potential<br />
| image = potential.png<br />
| titletext = The bunch of disadvantaged kids I was tutoring became too good at writing, and their essays were forcing me to confront painful existential questions, so I started trying to turn them on to drugs and crime instead.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic jokes about the common rant by teachers when they are annoyed by lazy or ignorant kids. The comic jokingly comforts the kids who were subject to this - by telling the student if they DID reach their full potential, they could, instead of providing better essays and science fair projects, possibly create a monster robot with 6 mechanical legs (apparently able to pick up and fling cars), with machine-guns <br />
turrents and force-fields.<br />
<br />
The title text describes a parallel to the example in the strip, using philosophy rather than engineering. [[Randall]] expresses frustration when his teaching gives underprivileged kids the intellectual skills needed to raise existential questions that bugs him. His somewhat destructive solution is to put the students back on the broad road, where they won't have time or peace of mind to think about philosophy.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:Narrator: When teachers complain, "You're not working at your full potential!"<br />
:[Explosion in background.]<br />
<br />
:Narrator: Don't take it too hard.<br />
:[Car casually spirals through the air while a crash is heard in the background.]<br />
<br />
:Narrator: They complain ''way'' more when you do.<br />
:[A mechanized, 6-tentacled robot rampages around, picking up cars and creating a small warzone before the student inside while the lamentations of people and the building of military forces are in the background.]<br />
:Throughout the third frame: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!<br />
:In the control center of the robot: Click, beep, whirr<br />
:Out-of-frame: It's headed this way!<br />
:Ponytail: Somebody stop him!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Robots]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=909:_Worst-Case_Shopping&diff=72531909: Worst-Case Shopping2014-07-30T11:56:20Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 909<br />
| date = June 8, 2011<br />
| title = Worst-Case Shopping<br />
| image = worst case shopping.png<br />
| titletext = Wait a minute. If I'm escaping from a submarine at 50 meters, then I'll *definitely* need a flashlight to find air pockets for gradual decompression on the way up. Time to start shopping professional dive lights.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Cueball]] is dreaming up reasons he should get a flashlight that is water resistant up to 40 meters instead of 10 meters.<br />
<br />
In the dream sequence over the first 2 and a half frames, Cueball appears to be diving to find a key underwater, which he spots using his flashlight when he is at 8 meters. His flashlight goes out at 10 meters because he bought the "Hi-Brite" model. The dream sequence also references a "radio shed", which were only really used in the past for {{w|amateur radio}}s or some other military style bases/compounds—which would align with his "warn the President" line.<br />
<br />
The title text takes Cueball's thought process to the next level (worse-case), because if he is getting a flashlight that works to 40 meters, he should probably be prepared for even deeper waters as well (even worse-case). However, this is seen as ridiculous from his friend off-screen, since the more durable model costs 20$ more in return. However, he replies that you never know what situation you'd be in.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is diving in very deep, dark blue water. He shines a flashlight at the sea floor.]<br />
:Cueball (thinks): Eight meters. There's the wreckage... Yes! I see the key!<br />
<br />
:[As he swims further toward it, his flashlight starts to cut out.]<br />
:Cueball (thinks): Gotta grab it, surface, get in to the radio shed, and warn the President! Just a few more...<br />
:Flashlight: BZZT FIZZ<br />
<br />
:[This panel has no border like the others, and is divided in half diagonally by a thought bubble.]<br />
:[The left half of it is a dark blue thought bubble with the diver inside it. On the right hand side are packaged flashlights hanging on a shelf. The one called Hi-Brite is $24.95 and is labeled "water resistant to 10 meters." The one called "FenStar G6" is $49.95 and says "water resistant to 40 meters."]<br />
:Cueball (thinks): Oh no.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball and a friend stand in front of a flashlight display in a store. Cueball looks down at the packages with his hand on his chin in thought. The thought bubble from the previous panel leads from his head. The friend stands behind him.]<br />
:Cueball: ...maybe I should spring for the deeper water resistance.<br />
:Friend: Why on earth would you care about that?<br />
:Cueball: Look, you never know.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1400:_D.B._Cooper&diff=724171400: D.B. Cooper2014-07-28T08:44:53Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1400<br />
| date = July 28, 2014<br />
| title = D.B. Cooper<br />
| image = d_b_cooper.png<br />
| titletext = 'Why on Earth would someone commit air piracy just to finance a terrible movie decades later?' 'People are very strange these days.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|This is only an outline.}}<br />
This comic suggests that hijacker with the epithet {{w|D. B. Cooper}} (who forced the aviation industry to make several changes in security measures) and actor/director {{w|Tommy Wiseau}} are the same person, because of several reasons, presented by Cueball in a table detailing the similarities. One of the similarities are that the fate of one and the past of the other are unknown. Another is that they both disappeared mysteriously with a large amount of cash. Cooper's case remains the only unsolved air piracy in American aviation history and is still a {{w|D. B._Cooper in popular culture|popular culture phenomenon}}. However, these are only a few aspects of their lives, and certainly does not prove, or at the least persaude, that they are the same person<br />
<br />
Cueball mentions that Cooper's true identity and what happened to the money are unknown and suggests that his theory explains both stories. Only $5,880 of the $200,000 in ransom was ever found.<br />
<br />
The title chalks up such a weird motive for hijacking to the impression that "people are very strange these days," which is a quote from Wiseau's movie ''{{w|The Room (film)|The Room}}''.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
===Panel 1===<br />
D.B. Cooper<br />
("Dan Cooper")<br />
<br />
Hijacked a plane in the 1970s.<br />
On landing, demanded money and<br />
parachutes. Jumped from plane<br />
mid-flight and was never found.<br />
<br />
-----<br />
<br />
* Vanished mysteriously with<br />
large amount of money<br />
* Real age/name unknown<br />
* Ambiguous, possibly<br />
affected speaking style<br />
("negotiable American currency")<br />
* Fate unknown<br />
<br />
===Panel 2===<br />
Tommy Wiseau<br />
("Johnny")<br />
<br />
Wrote, directed, and starred in<br />
''The Room'', a film widely hailed as<br />
"The ''Citizen Kane'' of bad movies."<br />
<br />
-----<br />
<br />
* Appeared mysteriously<br />
with large amount of money<br />
* Colleague says he's much<br />
older than he claims.<br />
* Ambiguous, possibly<br />
affected speaking style<br />
("You are tearing me apart, Lisa!")<br />
*Background unknown<br />
<br />
===Panel 3===<br />
<br />
[Images captioned Cooper (FBI sketch) and Wiseau (Flickr photo by Al Pavangkanan)]<br />
<br />
This is the dumbest<br />
theory I've ever heard.<br />
<br />
But it explains ''everything''!!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1176:_Those_Not_Present&diff=723191176: Those Not Present2014-07-25T13:56:37Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1176<br />
| date = February 20, 2013<br />
| title = Those Not Present<br />
| image = those not present.png<br />
| titletext = 'Yeah, that squid's a total asshole.' [scoot scoot]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Cueball doesn't want to hang out with people who badmouth others who aren't present. He leaves this conversation and gets into one about [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28/giant-squid-monster-squid-video_n_2564757.html giant squids] (a topic peculiar enough for [[Megan]] and [[Beret Guy]]). Although this topic may even be considered childish or socially awkward, this is still better than the social group that he was in.<br />
<br />
The title text hints that the second conversational group isn't any nicer, by badmouthing the giant squid, who obviously, is not present.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:Every time someone says something negative about a person who's not in the room, I scoot my chair back a few inches.<br />
:[Cueball, Ponytail and two other people are sitting at a table drinking.]<br />
:Person: ''He's'' not so bad, but his ''friends''...<br />
:[Cueball scoots away from table.]<br />
:''Scoot scoot''<br />
<br />
:Ponytail: His band is never gonna take off if...<br />
:[Cueball scoots further away.]<br />
:''Scoot scoot''<br />
<br />
:[Megan, Beret Guy, and Harry come into view.]<br />
:Off-screen: Yeah, his sister is even ''weirder''.<br />
:Off-screen: Did you see she had...<br />
:''Scoot scoot''<br />
:Beret Guy: ...and there's a video, but it's blurry...<br />
<br />
:[Cueball turns around and leans his arm on his chair.]<br />
:Cueball: What're you talking about?<br />
:Hairy: Giant squid!<br />
:Cueball: Mind if I join you?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=441:_Babies&diff=71999441: Babies2014-07-20T12:25:04Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 441<br />
| date = June 25, 2008<br />
| title = Babies<br />
| image = babies.png<br />
| titletext = I bet my future kids will read this someday. DEAR FUTURE KIDS: how did you get internet in the cellar?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
A common theme of xkcd is that one never feels that one has "transitioned to adulthood", in the sense of actually attaining the seriousness and sense of responsibility that children imagine all adults to possess. Here, the author illustrates this by imagining [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] taking on the ultimate "adult responsibility" — having a child, treating it as they would any other engineering project. Disassembling a project to check the parts is an activity that is appropriate for a self-built computer or robot, but disassembling a child will be impractical and possibly lethal for the child. Megan also shows her lack of child experience by holding the baby upside-down by the foot, which usually isn't a good idea (it also displays Megan treating the child as an object rather than a human being).<br />
<br />
The title text implies the author will have kids someday. It will be surprising if they read this comic, not just because it will give them an unflattering look into their father's attitudes on having children, but because he plans to lock them in the cellar where there will be no internet access. This is a reference to Kaspar Hauser: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaspar_Hauser] , who is a boy that was claimed to have grown up in a dark cell in Germany in the 19th century.<br />
<br />
This is also the topic of [[674: Natural Parenting]] and [[1384: Krypton]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:It doesn't seem right that we're old enough to have kids.<br />
:[Megan holds a baby upside-down by one leg.]<br />
:Megan: Sweet! We made a baby!<br />
:Cueball: Are we sure we did it right?<br />
:Cueball: We should disassemble it, check all the parts, and put it back together.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=826:_Guest_Week:_Zach_Weiner_(SMBC)&diff=71799826: Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)2014-07-16T11:39:48Z<p>Thendenster: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 826<br />
| date = November 26, 2010<br />
| title = Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)<br />
| before = ''Explainxkcd note: Don't try and click on this image to see the exhibits. Visit [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ the actual comic] instead''<br />
| image = guest week zach weiner smbc.png<br />
| titletext = Guest comic by Zach Weiner of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. When I was stressed out, Zach gave me a talk that was really encouraging and somehow involved nanobots.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
<br />
==List of tasks to make explanation complete==<br />
<br />
{{incomplete|See below.}}<br />
<br />
<br />
#Not all of the popups are fully/properly explained.<br />
##Poorly Remembered History can do with more details in the explanations.<br />
##Regrettable pranks could be better explained and linked to science where applicable<br />
##A few cases of inconsistent style of explanation.<br />
#Cross-reference explanations to Wikipedia where possible.<br />
#<s>Locations of hotspots are missing?</s><br />
#Comment on the notable people in the main graphics (man with red cape, double black hat guy).<br />
#Review for grammar.<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is drawn by a guest webcomic artist, Zack Weiner, following the theme of "Guest Week". Zach is the author of the webcomic [http://www.smbc-comics.com/ Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]. It's interactive, so you'll have to see the [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ original comic].<br />
<br />
The entire comic is a hypothetical "{{w|Smithsonian Museum}} of Dad-Trolling, an entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement." It is an often occurrence that curious little boys will ask simply questions about science to their fathers, such as, "Daddy, why is the sky blue?". Father would respond, "Well Susie, the sky is blue to match your dress." <br />
<br />
===Hall Of Misunderstood Science===<br />
Each exhibit is a display set up to reinforce the false answers to typical questions that children may ask their parents about scientific topics. The answers given involve just enough information that the child may be satisfied with the answer and repeat it to others while maintaining the irony for adults that the answers are obviously misleading or false.<br />
<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_27.png|The basilisk is a mythological reptilian monster that was described with the ability to turn other living things to stone with its gaze.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_26.png|The figure speaking about molecule display is displaying a common trope attributed to elderly men in that they complain about developments that change the way the view or interact with the world. Historically, though it was understood that matter was made up of small particles it was a common misnomer to refer to these particle as atoms.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_25.png|The magnet exhibit alludes to a loss of sexual desire in adults that while perceived may not be true.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_24.png|Jesus' {{w|dandruff}} as {{w|snow}} refers to a common idiom in English that {{w|rain}} is "god's tears" and proposes a humorous and irreverent extension of the saying.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_20.png|The letters associated with {{w|DNA}} are related to the {{w|nucleotides}} which make up the chains, they are guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine. The commonality of the abbreviation disguises the link to the names of the nucleotides and gives rise questions regarding the letter choices.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_23.png|The sleep exhibit reinforces common fears by accentuating the aspect of vulnerability associated with sleep. "The Boogieman" is a common and generic ghost/monster name used by people telling ghost stories to young kids; he typically hides in closets and underneath beds, and attacks sleeping children.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_22.png|Water is less dense as {{w|ice|a solid}} than it is when in {{w|water|liquid state}}. This is an unusual property as most materials are more dense in solid form. The exhibit falsely explains the phenomenon by linking it to a defense mechanism employed by prey species to deter predators. A {{w|rhinoceros}}, though fierce and territorial, is not a {{w|predator}}.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_21.png|The anti- in {{w|antimatter}} is a prefix in English which means "the opposite of" referring to the fact that antimatter is made up of oppositely charged particles from regular matter. This is a partial homonym to species of insects commonly called {{w|ant|ants}}.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
===Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience===<br />
This section holds falsehoods that a dad might use to frighten his children. It is an interactive experience, so visitors can try something for themselves, then learn the frightening fact it indicates.<br />
<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_19.png|Helium makes your voice high-pitched, because speed of sound travels faster in helium than in oxygen. Helium, however, is prone to combustion. Visitors are told is a sign they are about to explode because of the helium they have drunk.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_18.png|Your middle finger is always longer than the others, so this test will always tell visitors they are an alien half-breed.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_16.png|Cherries are a common ingredient in Jello cups, but the exhibit implies that the cherry is actually a rabbit brain.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_17.png|This is meant to encourage little children to make their beds, or be eaten. <br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
===Concessions===<br />
This area holds concession stands, which sell food. There are misleading names on each stand.<br />
<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_15.png|KFP - a parody of Kentucky Fried Chicken ({{w|KFC}}), a popular fast food chain which specializes in fried chicken.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_14.png|{{w|Ground beef}} - a pun on the name. Ground refers to both the floor and the past tense of grind.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_13.png|Eyes cream - wordplay once more. Ice cream sounds exactly like eyes cream when spoken, hence the 'how did you think it was spelled?'<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
===Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History===<br />
This section perhaps refers to how poorly understood world history is in America. It is interesting to note that African and Australian history is completely omitted, while European and Asian history are at least referenced.<br />
<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_11.png|{{w|Genghis Khan|Genghis Khan}} - Genghis, born Temüjin, was a Mongolian conqueror and founder of {{w|Mongol Empire|the then-largest continuous land empire in history}}. While Americans can easily remember Khan as a badass figure, the Asian cultures as a whole tend to get slapped with stereotypical "mystical Oriental" elements, such as Chinese-style dragons.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_12.png|{{w|Crimean War|Crimean War}} - an European Conflict. The joke is that American education, stereotypically, tends not to focus on wars that did not involve the United States; the Crimean war in particular would be glossed over in favor of the {{w|California Gold Rush}}, the {{w|Oregon Trail}}, and the rising political tension that would lead to the {{w|American Civil War}}. So the Crimean war is incorrectly remembered as a war on crime, (probably guessed from the name "Crime"an war.)<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_10.png|{{w|The Renaissance|The Renaissance}} - a cultural movement in Europe that took place after the Dark ages. Here, the Renaissance is incorrectly remembered as a time when wizards were in control. The Renaissance was a birth of may different art styles and paintings, so the author may have mistaken the paintings as conjured up by wizards. This could also be a reference to Harry Potter, or how people blamed "witches and wizards" in the Dark Ages.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_3.png|{{w|Star Wars}} - fiction is often treated as fact by children, or referred to as such by adults to children, either accidentally or purposefully. The father of the child is probably a Star Wars fan, to trick his child into thinking that the Star Wars events really existed<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_9.png|{{w|France}} - this further parodies the ignorance of countries outside of the Americas, since most people know that France exists.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
===Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics===<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_8.png|"Naked wrestling" is a common euphemism for sex if your children happen to walk in on your coitus and you don't want to ruin their innocence.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_7.png|"Alcohol is poison" - an excuse to explain away why fathers may drink unhealthily, or are addicts.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_5.png|The "big tummies before babies come" obviously refers to pregnancy.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_6.png|Sidestepping around the death of a loved one is common with young children to spare them the sorrow of death; this takes it a step further by saying that the child's grandmother went to Saturn.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
===Miscellaneous===<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_4.png|The dinosaur skeleton presumably refers to how humans have never actually seen a real dinosaur and have always only seen the bones.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_2.png|The Bathrooms have 3 doors. Clicking reveals that there is one for each gender of humans, and one for "Korgmen & Spangs". This may be a reference to the Marvel alien species {{w|Korg_(comics)|the Korg}}.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_1.png|The uncategorized dark green exhibit to the right is labeled "Magic eye trick that doesn't actually work". The exhibit resembles an {{w|autostereogram}}, a picture that has a hidden 3D image, but has to be looked at by forcing your eyes to focus either beyond ("wall-eyed") or in front of ("cross-eyed") the image, which many people find difficult or impossible to do. Autostereograms are commonly sold in books under the trademark "Magic Eye". Presumably the exhibit only pretends to be an autostereogram without actually being one.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:In the spirit of xkcd I present a proposal for a new Smithsonian museum:<br />
:The Smithsonian Museum Of Dad-Trolling<br />
:An entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement<br />
<br />
:(Click to view exhibits!)<br />
<br />
:The top left room is 'The Hall of Misunderstood Science'. It contains six exhibits.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A giant basilisk looms over children.<br />
:Exhibit label: BASILISKS: Real, deadly, under your bed.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: Four magnets hang from a square arch. A child is touching two of them together.<br />
:Text on the arch: Magnets only leap at each other when they're teenagers. Later, they lose interest.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A child on his dad's shoulders looks up at a looming statue of Jesus behind a lectern. There are flakes falling from Jesus onto them both.<br />
:Exhibit label: Snow is Jesus' dandruff. His scalp gets dry when it's cold.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A child lies asleep, while hands and a scary face reach up around the bed toward him.<br />
:Exhibit label: Sleep: Now you're vulnerable to the boogie man!<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: An ice block sits on a stand in front of pictures of a wolf and rhinoceros looking frightened.<br />
:Exhibit label: Freezing water: Expands to frighten predators.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: An insect on a stick is orbited by a small sphere.<br />
:Exhibit label: Anti-matter: Matter that is more than 50% ants.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A DNA strand with the letters T, A, C, and G hanging around it.<br />
:Exhibit label: DNA only has four letters because the alphabet was smaller back then.<br />
:Dad, to child: Told you so.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A bunch of molecules hang from the ceiling.<br />
:Exhibit label: Molecules? In my day, we only had atoms!<br />
<br />
:The top right room is 'Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience'. There are four exhibits.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: Five balloons float tethered to a table. A child is holding a sixth balloon. The Dad looks alarmed.<br />
:Sign on exhibit: If this helium makes your voice go higher, it's because you're ten seconds from exploding.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: An alien face is shown above an outline of several hands next to a ruler. A child holds his hand up to it.<br />
:Sign on exhibit: Measure your middle finger. If it's longer than the others, you're an alien halfbreed.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: Three cups are on a table. A child is walking away with a fourth cup, the dad's arm around the child's shoulder.<br />
:Exhibit label: Has anyone seen my rabbit brain? It looks like a cherry, and I dropped it in a Jello cup.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A monstrous set of jaws open upward around a bed.<br />
:Sign on exhibit: Make your bed or monsters will know a kid lives there.<br />
<br />
:The center right room is 'Concessions'. There are three booths.<br />
<br />
:Booth: A concession stand is labeled 'KFP', and displays a KFC-style bucket. A dad and child are eating.<br />
:Dad: The "P" is for "phoenix".<br />
<br />
:Booth: A concession stand.<br />
:Sign on stand: Ground beef: Beef we found on the ground.<br />
:Dad, to child: Told you.<br />
<br />
:Booth: A stand shaped like a giant eye.<br />
:Booth label: EYES CREAM<br />
:Subtitle: How did you think it was spelled?<br />
:Sign on booth: Now with more of the goo in your eyes. Same as every other creamery.<br />
<br />
:The lower left room is 'Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History'. There are five exhibits.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A man is riding a dragon.<br />
:Exhibit label: Genghis Khan: victory through dragons.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A criminal in front of some windows.<br />
:Exhibit label: The Crimean War: The first war against crime.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A castle with flags hanging on it.<br />
:Exhibit label: The Renaissance<br />
:Subtitle: Long story short, the wizards were in control.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit:A man in Jedi-style robes with a fake beard.<br />
:Exhibit label: Star Wars is a documentary. No, seriously.<br />
:Dad, to children: Kids, this man is a veteran.<br />
<br />
:The lower right room is 'Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics'. There are five exhibits.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A wrestling ring, with a man and woman mostly obscured by the exhibit label.<br />
:Exhibit label: Naked wrestling: perfectly normal. NEVER DO IT.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: a figure sits at a booth in front of a bowl of food. The dad is holding a bottle.<br />
:Exhibit label: Alcohol is poison. I drink to save you from it.<br />
:Dad: You're welcome.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A large bird.<br />
:Exhibit label: Mommies get big tummies before babies come because the stork likes chubby girls.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A rocket ship.<br />
:Sign on exhibit: Grandma's not dead. She just returned to Saturn. For REVENGE.<br />
<br />
:In the areas outside the rooms, there are two more exhibits and restrooms, all clickable.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A dinosaur skeleton.<br />
:Exhibit label: That's right. Dinosaurs were made entirely of BONES.<br />
:Dad, to kid: If you think about it, it makes sense.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A large image hangs on the wall. It is a dense squiggly jumble of lines.<br />
:Dad, to kids: You gotta squint juuust right.<br />
:Sign on exhibit: Magic eye trick that doesn't actually work.<br />
<br />
:Restrooms: There are three doors, each with a sign.<br />
:First door (male logo): Men & Boys<br />
:Second door (female logo): Women & Girls<br />
:Third door (unrecognizable logo): Korgmen & Spangs<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Ferret]]<br />
[[Category:Guest Week]]<br />
[[Category:Interactive comics]]<br />
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]<br />
[[Category:LOTR]]<br />
[[Category:Religion]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Star Wars]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=826:_Guest_Week:_Zach_Weiner_(SMBC)&diff=71798826: Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)2014-07-16T11:35:57Z<p>Thendenster: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 826<br />
| date = November 26, 2010<br />
| title = Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)<br />
| before = ''Explainxkcd note: Don't try and click on this image to see the exhibits. Visit [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ the actual comic] instead''<br />
| image = guest week zach weiner smbc.png<br />
| titletext = Guest comic by Zach Weiner of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. When I was stressed out, Zach gave me a talk that was really encouraging and somehow involved nanobots.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
<br />
==List of tasks to make explanation complete==<br />
<br />
{{incomplete|See below.}}<br />
<br />
<br />
#Not all of the popups are fully/properly explained.<br />
##Poorly Remembered History can do with more details in the explanations.<br />
##Regrettable pranks could be better explained and linked to science where applicable<br />
##A few cases of inconsistent style of explanation.<br />
#Cross-reference explanations to Wikipedia where possible.<br />
#<s>Locations of hotspots are missing?</s><br />
#Comment on the notable people in the main graphics (man with red cape, double black hat guy).<br />
#Review for grammar.<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is drawn by a guest webcomic artist, Zack Weiner, following the theme of "Guest Week". Zach is the author of the webcomic [http://www.smbc-comics.com/ Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]. It's interactive, so you'll have to see the [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ original comic].<br />
<br />
The entire comic is a hypothetical "{{w|Smithsonian Museum}} of Dad-Trolling, an entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement." It is an often occurrence that curious little boys will ask simply questions about science to their fathers, such as, "Daddy, why is the sky blue?". Father would respond, "Well Susie, the sky is blue to match your dress." <br />
<br />
===Hall Of Misunderstood Science===<br />
Each exhibit is a display set up to reinforce the false answers to typical questions that children may ask their parents about scientific topics. The answers given involve just enough information that the child may be satisfied with the answer and repeat it to others while maintaining the irony for adults that the answers are obviously misleading or false.<br />
<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_27.png|The basilisk is a mythological reptilian monster that was described with the ability to turn other living things to stone with its gaze.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_26.png|The figure speaking about molecule display is displaying a common trope attributed to elderly men in that they complain about developments that change the way the view or interact with the world. Historically, though it was understood that matter was made up of small particles it was a common misnomer to refer to these particle as atoms.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_25.png|The magnet exhibit alludes to a loss of sexual desire in adults that while perceived may not be true.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_24.png|Jesus' {{w|dandruff}} as {{w|snow}} refers to a common idiom in English that {{w|rain}} is "god's tears" and proposes a humorous and irreverent extension of the saying.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_20.png|The letters associated with {{w|DNA}} are related to the {{w|nucleotides}} which make up the chains, they are guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine. The commonality of the abbreviation disguises the link to the names of the nucleotides and gives rise questions regarding the letter choices.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_23.png|The sleep exhibit reinforces common fears by accentuating the aspect of vulnerability associated with sleep. "The Boogieman" is a common and generic ghost/monster name used by people telling ghost stories to young kids; he typically hides in closets and underneath beds, and attacks sleeping children.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_22.png|Water is less dense as {{w|ice|a solid}} than it is when in {{w|water|liquid state}}. This is an unusual property as most materials are more dense in solid form. The exhibit falsely explains the phenomenon by linking it to a defense mechanism employed by prey species to deter predators. A {{w|rhinoceros}}, though fierce and territorial, is not a {{w|predator}}.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_21.png|The anti- in {{w|antimatter}} is a prefix in English which means "the opposite of" referring to the fact that antimatter is made up of oppositely charged particles from regular matter. This is a partial homonym to species of insects commonly called {{w|ant|ants}}.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
===Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience===<br />
This section holds falsehoods that a dad might use to frighten his children. It is an interactive experience, so visitors can try something for themselves, then learn the frightening fact it indicates.<br />
<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_19.png|Helium makes your voice high-pitched, which visitors are told is a sign they are about to explode.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_18.png|Your middle finger is always longer than the others, so this test will always tell visitors they are an alien half-breed.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_16.png|Cherries are a common ingredient in Jello cups, but the exhibit implies that the cherry is actually a rabbit brain.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_17.png|This is meant to encourage little children to make their beds, or be eaten. <br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
===Concessions===<br />
This area holds concession stands, which sell food. There are misleading names on each stand.<br />
<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_15.png|KFP - a parody of Kentucky Fried Chicken ({{w|KFC}}), a popular fast food chain which specializes in fried chicken.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_14.png|{{w|Ground beef}} - a pun on the name. Ground refers to both the floor and the past tense of grind.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_13.png|Eyes cream - wordplay once more. Ice cream sounds exactly like eyes cream when spoken, hence the 'how did you think it was spelled?'<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
===Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History===<br />
This section perhaps refers to how poorly understood world history is in America. It is interesting to note that African and Australian history is completely omitted, while European and Asian history are at least referenced.<br />
<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_11.png|{{w|Genghis Khan|Genghis Khan}} - Genghis, born Temüjin, was a Mongolian conqueror and founder of {{w|Mongol Empire|the then-largest continuous land empire in history}}. While Americans can easily remember Khan as a badass figure, the Asian cultures as a whole tend to get slapped with stereotypical "mystical Oriental" elements, such as Chinese-style dragons.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_12.png|{{w|Crimean War|Crimean War}} - an European Conflict. The joke is that American education, stereotypically, tends not to focus on wars that did not involve the United States; the Crimean war in particular would be glossed over in favor of the {{w|California Gold Rush}}, the {{w|Oregon Trail}}, and the rising political tension that would lead to the {{w|American Civil War}}. So the Crimean war is incorrectly remembered as a war on crime, (probably guessed from the name "Crime"an war.)<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_10.png|{{w|The Renaissance|The Renaissance}} - a cultural movement in Europe that took place after the Dark ages. Here, the Renaissance is incorrectly remembered as a time when wizards were in control. The Renaissance was a birth of may different art styles and paintings, so the author may have mistaken the paintings as conjured up by wizards. This could also be a reference to Harry Potter, or how people blamed "witches and wizards" in the Dark Ages.<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_3.png|{{w|Star Wars}} - fiction is often treated as fact by children, or referred to as such by adults to children, either accidentally or purposefully. The father of the child is probably a Star Wars fan, to trick his child into thinking that the Star Wars events really existed<br />
<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_9.png|{{w|France}} - this further parodies the ignorance of countries outside of the Americas, since most people know that France exists.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
===Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics===<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_8.png|"Naked wrestling" is a common euphemism for sex if your children happen to walk in on your coitus and you don't want to ruin their innocence.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_7.png|"Alcohol is poison" - an excuse to explain away why fathers may drink unhealthily, or are addicts.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_5.png|The "big tummies before babies come" obviously refers to pregnancy.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_6.png|Sidestepping around the death of a loved one is common with young children to spare them the sorrow of death; this takes it a step further by saying that the child's grandmother went to Saturn.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
===Miscellaneous===<br />
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px><br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_4.png|The dinosaur skeleton presumably refers to how humans have never actually seen a real dinosaur and have always only seen the bones.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_2.png|The Bathrooms have 3 doors. Clicking reveals that there is one for each gender of humans, and one for "Korgmen & Spangs". This may be a reference to the Marvel alien species {{w|Korg_(comics)|the Korg}}.<br />
File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_1.png|The uncategorized dark green exhibit to the right is labeled "Magic eye trick that doesn't actually work". The exhibit resembles an {{w|autostereogram}}, a picture that has a hidden 3D image, but has to be looked at by forcing your eyes to focus either beyond ("wall-eyed") or in front of ("cross-eyed") the image, which many people find difficult or impossible to do. Autostereograms are commonly sold in books under the trademark "Magic Eye". Presumably the exhibit only pretends to be an autostereogram without actually being one.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:In the spirit of xkcd I present a proposal for a new Smithsonian museum:<br />
:The Smithsonian Museum Of Dad-Trolling<br />
:An entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement<br />
<br />
:(Click to view exhibits!)<br />
<br />
:The top left room is 'The Hall of Misunderstood Science'. It contains six exhibits.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A giant basilisk looms over children.<br />
:Exhibit label: BASILISKS: Real, deadly, under your bed.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: Four magnets hang from a square arch. A child is touching two of them together.<br />
:Text on the arch: Magnets only leap at each other when they're teenagers. Later, they lose interest.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A child on his dad's shoulders looks up at a looming statue of Jesus behind a lectern. There are flakes falling from Jesus onto them both.<br />
:Exhibit label: Snow is Jesus' dandruff. His scalp gets dry when it's cold.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A child lies asleep, while hands and a scary face reach up around the bed toward him.<br />
:Exhibit label: Sleep: Now you're vulnerable to the boogie man!<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: An ice block sits on a stand in front of pictures of a wolf and rhinoceros looking frightened.<br />
:Exhibit label: Freezing water: Expands to frighten predators.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: An insect on a stick is orbited by a small sphere.<br />
:Exhibit label: Anti-matter: Matter that is more than 50% ants.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A DNA strand with the letters T, A, C, and G hanging around it.<br />
:Exhibit label: DNA only has four letters because the alphabet was smaller back then.<br />
:Dad, to child: Told you so.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A bunch of molecules hang from the ceiling.<br />
:Exhibit label: Molecules? In my day, we only had atoms!<br />
<br />
:The top right room is 'Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience'. There are four exhibits.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: Five balloons float tethered to a table. A child is holding a sixth balloon. The Dad looks alarmed.<br />
:Sign on exhibit: If this helium makes your voice go higher, it's because you're ten seconds from exploding.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: An alien face is shown above an outline of several hands next to a ruler. A child holds his hand up to it.<br />
:Sign on exhibit: Measure your middle finger. If it's longer than the others, you're an alien halfbreed.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: Three cups are on a table. A child is walking away with a fourth cup, the dad's arm around the child's shoulder.<br />
:Exhibit label: Has anyone seen my rabbit brain? It looks like a cherry, and I dropped it in a Jello cup.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A monstrous set of jaws open upward around a bed.<br />
:Sign on exhibit: Make your bed or monsters will know a kid lives there.<br />
<br />
:The center right room is 'Concessions'. There are three booths.<br />
<br />
:Booth: A concession stand is labeled 'KFP', and displays a KFC-style bucket. A dad and child are eating.<br />
:Dad: The "P" is for "phoenix".<br />
<br />
:Booth: A concession stand.<br />
:Sign on stand: Ground beef: Beef we found on the ground.<br />
:Dad, to child: Told you.<br />
<br />
:Booth: A stand shaped like a giant eye.<br />
:Booth label: EYES CREAM<br />
:Subtitle: How did you think it was spelled?<br />
:Sign on booth: Now with more of the goo in your eyes. Same as every other creamery.<br />
<br />
:The lower left room is 'Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History'. There are five exhibits.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A man is riding a dragon.<br />
:Exhibit label: Genghis Khan: victory through dragons.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A criminal in front of some windows.<br />
:Exhibit label: The Crimean War: The first war against crime.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A castle with flags hanging on it.<br />
:Exhibit label: The Renaissance<br />
:Subtitle: Long story short, the wizards were in control.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit:A man in Jedi-style robes with a fake beard.<br />
:Exhibit label: Star Wars is a documentary. No, seriously.<br />
:Dad, to children: Kids, this man is a veteran.<br />
<br />
:The lower right room is 'Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics'. There are five exhibits.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A wrestling ring, with a man and woman mostly obscured by the exhibit label.<br />
:Exhibit label: Naked wrestling: perfectly normal. NEVER DO IT.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: a figure sits at a booth in front of a bowl of food. The dad is holding a bottle.<br />
:Exhibit label: Alcohol is poison. I drink to save you from it.<br />
:Dad: You're welcome.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A large bird.<br />
:Exhibit label: Mommies get big tummies before babies come because the stork likes chubby girls.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A rocket ship.<br />
:Sign on exhibit: Grandma's not dead. She just returned to Saturn. For REVENGE.<br />
<br />
:In the areas outside the rooms, there are two more exhibits and restrooms, all clickable.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A dinosaur skeleton.<br />
:Exhibit label: That's right. Dinosaurs were made entirely of BONES.<br />
:Dad, to kid: If you think about it, it makes sense.<br />
<br />
:Exhibit: A large image hangs on the wall. It is a dense squiggly jumble of lines.<br />
:Dad, to kids: You gotta squint juuust right.<br />
:Sign on exhibit: Magic eye trick that doesn't actually work.<br />
<br />
:Restrooms: There are three doors, each with a sign.<br />
:First door (male logo): Men & Boys<br />
:Second door (female logo): Women & Girls<br />
:Third door (unrecognizable logo): Korgmen & Spangs<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Ferret]]<br />
[[Category:Guest Week]]<br />
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[[Category:Star Wars]]</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1395:_Power_Cord&diff=71771Talk:1395: Power Cord2014-07-16T06:29:58Z<p>Thendenster: </p>
<hr />
<div>Is there any reason why you would have to avert your eyes... i would think that it may create a dust cloud from the keyboard... but it is a fictional situations, so there may be other reasons...[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.218|108.162.249.218]] 06:02, 16 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Has anyone noticed Beret's uncanny ability with power cords? [[User:Thendenster|Thendenster]] ([[User talk:Thendenster|talk]]) 06:29, 16 July 2014 (UTC)</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1395:_Power_Cord&diff=71770Talk:1395: Power Cord2014-07-16T06:29:38Z<p>Thendenster: </p>
<hr />
<div>Is there any reason why you would have to avert your eyes... i would think that it may create a dust cloud from the keyboard... but it is a fictional situations, so there may be other reasons...[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.218|108.162.249.218]] 06:02, 16 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
Has anyone noticed Beret's uncanny ability with power cords? [[User:Thendenster|Thendenster]] ([[User talk:Thendenster|talk]]) 06:29, 16 July 2014 (UTC)</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1395:_Power_Cord&diff=717691395: Power Cord2014-07-16T06:27:39Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1395<br />
| date = July 16, 2014<br />
| title = Power Cord<br />
| image = power_cord.png<br />
| titletext = In this situation, gzip /dev/inside to deflate, then pipe the compressed air to /dev/input to clean your keyboard. Avert your eyes when you do.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic, we see [[Beret Guy]] walking in from the left, as [[Cueball]] is sitting in a couch, typing on a laptop on his lap, with its power cord unplugged. Instead of connecting it to the wall socket, he continues to blow air into the loose end of the power plug that he discovers. Then the laptop inflates like a balloon (although this is not possible for a real, functional computer, Beret Guy manages to do it using his supernatural abilities with power cords, also shown in this comic: [http://www.xkcd.com/1293 Job Interview]) and floats away, making Cueball grab for it as Beret Guy casually walk away.<br />
<br />
The comic is a build-up to a couple of tech puns, one being deflation vs {{w|DEFLATE}}, a basic data compression algorithm also used by *zip, the other being {{w|Pipeline (Unix)|“piping”}}, the act of joining an output of one expression with the input of another.<br />
<br />
The final piece of advice refers to [[237: Keyboards are Disgusting]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[Beret Guy enters to find Cueball typing on a laptop. Cueball's power cord is unplugged from the wall.]<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "TYPE TYPE"<br />
<br />
[Beret Guy picks up the power cord.]<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "TYPE TYPE"<br />
<br />
Beret Guy (blowing into plug end of cord): "PBBBBT"<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "FOOOMP"<br />
<br />
[Beret Guy walks away, leaving Cueball to retrieve his laptop, which is floating away.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1395:_Power_Cord&diff=717681395: Power Cord2014-07-16T06:26:38Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1395<br />
| date = July 16, 2014<br />
| title = Power Cord<br />
| image = power_cord.png<br />
| titletext = In this situation, gzip /dev/inside to deflate, then pipe the compressed air to /dev/input to clean your keyboard. Avert your eyes when you do.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic, we see [[Beret Guy]] walking in from the left, as [[Cueball]] is sitting in a couch, typing on a laptop on his lap, with its power cord unplugged. Instead of connecting it to the wall socket, he continues to blow air into the loose end of the power plug that he discovers. Then the laptop inflates like a balloon (although this is not possible for a real, functional computer, Beret Guy manages to do it using is supernatural abilities with power cords, also shown in this comic: [http://www.xkcd.com/1293 Job Interview]) and floats away, making Cueball grab for it as Beret Guy casually walk away.<br />
<br />
The comic is a build-up to a couple of tech puns, one being deflation vs {{w|DEFLATE}}, a basic data compression algorithm also used by *zip, the other being {{w|Pipeline (Unix)|“piping”}}, the act of joining an output of one expression with the input of another.<br />
<br />
The final piece of advice refers to [[237: Keyboards are Disgusting]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[Beret Guy enters to find Cueball typing on a laptop. Cueball's power cord is unplugged from the wall.]<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "TYPE TYPE"<br />
<br />
[Beret Guy picks up the power cord.]<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "TYPE TYPE"<br />
<br />
Beret Guy (blowing into plug end of cord): "PBBBBT"<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "FOOOMP"<br />
<br />
[Beret Guy walks away, leaving Cueball to retrieve his laptop, which is floating away.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1395:_Power_Cord&diff=717671395: Power Cord2014-07-16T06:25:41Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1395<br />
| date = July 16, 2014<br />
| title = Power Cord<br />
| image = power_cord.png<br />
| titletext = In this situation, gzip /dev/inside to deflate, then pipe the compressed air to /dev/input to clean your keyboard. Avert your eyes when you do.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic, we see [[Beret Guy]] walking in from the left, as [[Cueball]] is sitting in a couch, typing on a laptop on his lap, with its power cord unplugged. Instead of connecting it to the wall socket, he continues to blow air into the loose end of the power plug that he discovers. Then the laptop inflates like a balloon (although this is not possible for a real, functional computer, Beret Guy manages to do it using is supernatural abilities with power cords, also shown in this comic: [http:/xkcd.com/1293/ Job Interview]) and floats away, making Cueball grab for it as Beret Guy casually walk away.<br />
<br />
The comic is a build-up to a couple of tech puns, one being deflation vs {{w|DEFLATE}}, a basic data compression algorithm also used by *zip, the other being {{w|Pipeline (Unix)|“piping”}}, the act of joining an output of one expression with the input of another.<br />
<br />
The final piece of advice refers to [[237: Keyboards are Disgusting]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[Beret Guy enters to find Cueball typing on a laptop. Cueball's power cord is unplugged from the wall.]<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "TYPE TYPE"<br />
<br />
[Beret Guy picks up the power cord.]<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "TYPE TYPE"<br />
<br />
Beret Guy (blowing into plug end of cord): "PBBBBT"<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "FOOOMP"<br />
<br />
[Beret Guy walks away, leaving Cueball to retrieve his laptop, which is floating away.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1395:_Power_Cord&diff=717661395: Power Cord2014-07-16T06:25:17Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1395<br />
| date = July 16, 2014<br />
| title = Power Cord<br />
| image = power_cord.png<br />
| titletext = In this situation, gzip /dev/inside to deflate, then pipe the compressed air to /dev/input to clean your keyboard. Avert your eyes when you do.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic, we see [[Beret Guy]] walking in from the left, as [[Cueball]] is sitting in a couch, typing on a laptop on his lap, with its power cord unplugged. Instead of connecting it to the wall socket, he continues to blow air into the loose end of the power plug that he discovers. Then the laptop inflates like a balloon (although this is not possible for a real, functional computer, Beret Guy manages to do it using is supernatural abilities with power cords, also shown in this comic: [http://www.http:/xkcd.com/1293/ Job Interview]) and floats away, making Cueball grab for it as Beret Guy casually walk away.<br />
<br />
The comic is a build-up to a couple of tech puns, one being deflation vs {{w|DEFLATE}}, a basic data compression algorithm also used by *zip, the other being {{w|Pipeline (Unix)|“piping”}}, the act of joining an output of one expression with the input of another.<br />
<br />
The final piece of advice refers to [[237: Keyboards are Disgusting]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[Beret Guy enters to find Cueball typing on a laptop. Cueball's power cord is unplugged from the wall.]<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "TYPE TYPE"<br />
<br />
[Beret Guy picks up the power cord.]<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "TYPE TYPE"<br />
<br />
Beret Guy (blowing into plug end of cord): "PBBBBT"<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "FOOOMP"<br />
<br />
[Beret Guy walks away, leaving Cueball to retrieve his laptop, which is floating away.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Thendensterhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1395:_Power_Cord&diff=717651395: Power Cord2014-07-16T06:24:42Z<p>Thendenster: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1395<br />
| date = July 16, 2014<br />
| title = Power Cord<br />
| image = power_cord.png<br />
| titletext = In this situation, gzip /dev/inside to deflate, then pipe the compressed air to /dev/input to clean your keyboard. Avert your eyes when you do.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic, we see [[Beret Guy]] walking in from the left, as [[Cueball]] is sitting in a couch, typing on a laptop on his lap, with its power cord unplugged. Instead of connecting it to the wall socket, he continues to blow air into the loose end of the power plug that he discovers. Then the laptop inflates like a balloon (although this is not possible for a real, functional computer, Beret Guy manages to do it using is supernatural abilities with power cords, also shown in this comic: [http://www.http://xkcd.com/1293/]) and floats away, making Cueball grab for it as Beret Guy casually walk away.<br />
<br />
The comic is a build-up to a couple of tech puns, one being deflation vs {{w|DEFLATE}}, a basic data compression algorithm also used by *zip, the other being {{w|Pipeline (Unix)|“piping”}}, the act of joining an output of one expression with the input of another.<br />
<br />
The final piece of advice refers to [[237: Keyboards are Disgusting]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[Beret Guy enters to find Cueball typing on a laptop. Cueball's power cord is unplugged from the wall.]<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "TYPE TYPE"<br />
<br />
[Beret Guy picks up the power cord.]<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "TYPE TYPE"<br />
<br />
Beret Guy (blowing into plug end of cord): "PBBBBT"<br />
<br />
(Laptop SFX): "FOOOMP"<br />
<br />
[Beret Guy walks away, leaving Cueball to retrieve his laptop, which is floating away.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Thendenster