https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Tqdv 2026-05-14T23:58:52Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.30.0 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2201:_Foucault_Pendulum&diff=179873 2019-09-14T23:39:36Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Explanation */ formatting</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 2201<br /> | date = September 11, 2019<br /> | title = Foucault Pendulum<br /> | image = foucault_pendulum.png<br /> | titletext = Trust me, you don't want to get on the wrong side of the paramilitary enforcement arm of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> [[Black Hat]] is attending what appears to be a guided tour of a museum with a {{w|Foucault pendulum}}. [[Megan]] is explaining to him, [[Cueball]] and [[Ponytail]] about the device which demonstrates the rotation of the Earth. <br /> <br /> Black Hat, being himself, immediately sees an opportunity to cause chaos and seizes it with both hands, quite literally — as he grabs the pendulum which causes the others to shout after him to stop. At first this would seemingly be for fear of ruining the delicate demonstration. However, in the final panel, the [[:Category:News anchor|news anchor]] [[Blondie]] reveals to us that by arresting the motion of the pendulum, Black Hat has somehow stopped the rotation of the Earth. However it was only briefly since the local {{w|geophysicist}} managed to wrestle him down, and then it must be assumed they quickly restarted the pendulum and thus the Earths rotation. <br /> <br /> This of course is blatantly impossible since the Foucault pendulum's motion is tied to the earth's rotation, not the other way around. That is except for this specific one, which does seem to control the Earths rotation. This must thus of course be located at one of the Earths poles, that is it must be the [http://www.southpolestation.com/trivia/00s/southpolefoucault.html one at the South Pole], as there is no place that stays fixed over the North Pole. Also it has to have been close to either pole, else no one would have been able to stop Black Hat afterwards and restart the pendulum. Because if the Earth suddenly stops rotation, then every loose object would continue with their normal rotation speed, which would move them fast across the surface. Thus had this been at the Equator, no one would have been able to stop him afterwards, as everyone would have been killed instantaneously! See more below.<br /> <br /> A Foucault pendulum is a regular {{w|pendulum}} that swings from a bearing that allows rotation in any direction, like your shoulder joint instead of your elbow. But has been set up to display the Earth is rotating beneath it. If the Earth were stationary, it would continue to swing over the same portion of the Earth as when it was released, but any pendulum will continue to swing in the same plane in space compared to the distant fix stars. So because the Earth moves beneath it (and in comparison to those distant stars), over the course of the day the pendulum's motion gradually changes direction relative to the room. The low-resistance bearing doesn't allow the rotation of the Earth to affect the motion of the pendulum, so it stays aligned to its original inertial reference frame according to the fix star (far away in space) rather than to the rotating surroundings which follow with the Earth's rotation. If the pendulum is at one of the poles, it will take a full day to move one full round. At the equator there is almost no movement, and in between it will take longer than 24 hours.<br /> <br /> The fact that the Earth's rotation does not influence the motion of the pendulum does NOT mean that other things can't affect it - for example, by running up and manually repositioning the pendulum. Of course, the apparent rotation of the pendulum's plane relative to the Earth is an effect of the planet's motion, rather than the cause of it. Thus, stopping a Foucault pendulum manually does not entail pausing the rotation of the Earth.<br /> <br /> [[Randall]] covered this scenario in detail in his [[what if?]] book, see [https://io9.gizmodo.com/xkcds-creator-explains-what-would-happen-if-earth-stopp-1625068208 XKCD's Creator Explains What Would Happen If Earth Stopped Spinning].<br /> <br /> If it were somehow possible for a Foucault pendulum to control Earth's rotation (see above), Black Hat would probably not want to alter the momentum of the pendulum if he where not at one of the Earths poles. That is assuming he was told that it was related to Earth's rotation and assuming that he would prefer to preserve his own life over making chaos (unless due to his advanced technology, he can resist being slammed into a nearby wall at the speed of sound). The reason why is because if the rotation of Earth were to be stopped for even very short amounts of time (a few seconds), it would cause everything on Earth that wasn't bolted/fastened to the ground to move eastward compared to the now stationary ground. If they are near the Equator it would be at a speed of 300-360 meters per second, likely causing the death of most lifeforms on Earth beneath a certain latitude almost instantaneously. Those close enough to the poles may survive though. Also this will cause massive windstorms, tsunamis, volcanic and tectonic events on a scale not previously observed on Earth. This would likely cause a mass extinction event and wipe out 99% of humanity in the initial events (which would eventually lead to our extinction). It is possible that Black Hat's grabbing the pendulum would cause a gradual slowing prior to stopping, minimizing the issue (though this doesn't seem to be the case), but the results would still be catastrophic, as the aforementioned events are still likely to occur (specifically the tsunamis and volcanic events). However, as mentioned above, if this pendulum was located at the South pole, then Black Hat and other people around him would not be affected immediately, and he could both do it, survive and be stopped again. The question is if there would be any more news stories to cover this given what would happen to the rest of the world! If there was no-one to readjust the pendulum's rotation, then certain events would happen after the initial damage (see this video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_T7L8rt1Ec]) <br /> <br /> <br /> In the title text the [https://www.iers.org/IERS/EN/Home/home_node.html International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service] is mentioned. It is an organization providing standards for global time and reference frames; this organization would have a very rough day after the fiasco with Black Hat. The title text refers to a (probably) fictional paramilitary enforcement arm of this organization and the foolishness of tangling with such a force. If Foucault pendulums were somehow able to influence the rotation of the Earth in any measurable way, the IERS enforcers would probably strictly control their installation and monitor their use (and misuse). Black Hat is likely in for a rough day as well. It seems like some on this team are geophysicist since they where the one that took Black Hat down.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :[Megan is addressing Cueball, Black Hat and Ponytail as they are looking a pendulum, which consist of a large swinging sphere with a spike beneath it hanging on a string coming down from above with seven small markers under it. Megan is pointing at it while it is swinging towards them, as indicated with lines behind the sphere and the string.]<br /> :Megan: This Foucault pendulum demonstrates Earth's rotation. It stays in a fixed plane while the Earth rotates under it.<br /> <br /> :[Close-up on Black Hat holding a hand to his chin.]<br /> :Black Hat: Hmm, really. <br /> :Black Hat: So that means...<br /> <br /> :[Zoom out to Black Hat running to the pendulum grabbing it with both hands. He turns over two of the seven markers that can now be seen to be small pegs standing up on he floor beneath the pendulum. A line goes from his hand on the pendulum up to a sound bubble. Two people off-panel yell at him.]<br /> :Character of panel 1: Hey!<br /> :Character of panel 2: Stop him!<br /> :Sound:''Grab''<br /> <br /> :[Blondie as a news anchor uses her out-held hand to indicating Black Hat who is shown on a screen next to her. There is a caption in two line above it. The first line in normal text, the second line in white in a black rectangle. There are further unreadable text below the picture.]<br /> :Blondie: The Earth's rotation was briefly halted today until geophysicists wrestled the intruder to the ground...<br /> :Breaking <br /> :''news''<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]<br /> [[Category:News anchor]]<br /> [[Category:Physics]]</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2024:_Light_Hacks&diff=160545 2018-07-27T15:21:39Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Transcript */ Embolden &quot;Life hacks&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 2024<br /> | date = July 25, 2018<br /> | title = Light Hacks<br /> | image = light_hacks.png<br /> | titletext = Life hack: Wait for an advanced civilization to be briefly distracted, then sneak in and construct a slightly smaller Dyson sphere inside theirs.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by Me - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> <br /> &quot;{{w|Life hack}}ing&quot; is the practice of using common everyday items in novel ways to increase the convenience or enjoyment of daily activities. This comic pokes fun at the many blogs and video channels that purport to cover life hacking tips, but merely point out obvious or intended uses for products or well known techniques as low effort clickbait.<br /> <br /> {{w|Dyson sphere}} is a hypothetical energy-collecting megastructure encompassing a star and named after the physicist and mathematician {{w|Freeman Dyson}}. Dyson spheres are generally not intended for lightbulbs. Freeman Dyson argued that Dyson spheres, if they existed, could be found by infrared surveys, as large objects that would emit infrared radiation.<br /> <br /> [https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70103410/ IKEA pendant lampshades] are spherical shells that surround the bulb. Megan claims studies have tried to use infrared surveys to find Dyson spheres at Ikea's, without success.<br /> <br /> The title text creates a different sort of confusion of the term lifehack, with another sort of popular clickbait videos. Described activity, if done, would be considered a prank - depriving the distractible civilization of their sunlight and energy source, rather than bringing any benefit to the builders of the smaller sphere.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[Megan walks to the right, holding a sheet of paper and a light bulb]<br /> :Megan: I discovered a cool life hack -- you can put a white sheet behind a lightbulb to reflect more light.<br /> :Off-panel voice: I'm ... not sure that's a life hack.<br /> <br /> :[Megan stops, and positions the light bulb between two sheets of paper]<br /> :Megan: And you can put a sheet in front to diffuse the light.<br /> :Off-panel voice: So you've invented the lampshade.<br /> :Megan: '''''Life hacks!'''''<br /> <br /> :Megan: Freeman Dyson suggested that advanced civilizations would build spherical shells that surrounded their bulbs, redirecting 100% of their energy.<br /> :Off-panel voice: Yes, they have those at IKEA.<br /> <br /> :Megan: Well, they might. Infrared surveys are inconclusive.<br /> :Off-panel voice: You know you can just check their website.<br /> :Megan: Ooh, great life hack!<br /> :Off-panel voice: ''No!''<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2024:_Light_Hacks&diff=160544 2018-07-27T15:20:48Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Transcript */ Add description of Megan's actions</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 2024<br /> | date = July 25, 2018<br /> | title = Light Hacks<br /> | image = light_hacks.png<br /> | titletext = Life hack: Wait for an advanced civilization to be briefly distracted, then sneak in and construct a slightly smaller Dyson sphere inside theirs.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by Me - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> <br /> &quot;{{w|Life hack}}ing&quot; is the practice of using common everyday items in novel ways to increase the convenience or enjoyment of daily activities. This comic pokes fun at the many blogs and video channels that purport to cover life hacking tips, but merely point out obvious or intended uses for products or well known techniques as low effort clickbait.<br /> <br /> {{w|Dyson sphere}} is a hypothetical energy-collecting megastructure encompassing a star and named after the physicist and mathematician {{w|Freeman Dyson}}. Dyson spheres are generally not intended for lightbulbs. Freeman Dyson argued that Dyson spheres, if they existed, could be found by infrared surveys, as large objects that would emit infrared radiation.<br /> <br /> [https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70103410/ IKEA pendant lampshades] are spherical shells that surround the bulb. Megan claims studies have tried to use infrared surveys to find Dyson spheres at Ikea's, without success.<br /> <br /> The title text creates a different sort of confusion of the term lifehack, with another sort of popular clickbait videos. Described activity, if done, would be considered a prank - depriving the distractible civilization of their sunlight and energy source, rather than bringing any benefit to the builders of the smaller sphere.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[Megan walks to the right, holding a sheet of paper and a light bulb]<br /> :Megan: I discovered a cool life hack -- you can put a white sheet behind a lightbulb to reflect more light.<br /> :Off-panel voice: I'm ... not sure that's a life hack.<br /> <br /> :[Megan stops, and positions the light bulb between two sheets of paper]<br /> :Megan: And you can put a sheet in front to diffuse the light.<br /> :Off-panel voice: So you've invented the lampshade.<br /> :Megan: ''Life hacks!''<br /> <br /> :Megan: Freeman Dyson suggested that advanced civilizations would build spherical shells that surrounded their bulbs, redirecting 100% of their energy.<br /> :Off-panel voice: Yes, they have those at IKEA.<br /> <br /> :Megan: Well, they might. Infrared surveys are inconclusive.<br /> :Off-panel voice: You know you can just check their website.<br /> :Megan: Ooh, great life hack!<br /> :Off-panel voice: ''No!''<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Tqdv&diff=159642 2018-07-04T21:03:37Z

<p>Tqdv: </p> <hr /> <div>== About me ==<br /> <br /> I like to say that I'm an amateur programmer and designer that likes to complain about (inconsequential) things.<br /> <br /> == Contributions before making an account ==<br /> <br /> From [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/141.101.88.160 141.101.88.160]:<br /> * [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2015:_New_Phone_Thread&amp;oldid=159640 20:52, 4 July 2018] ([https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2015:_New_Phone_Thread&amp;diff=prev&amp;oldid=159640 diff] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2015:_New_Phone_Thread&amp;action=history hist]) . . &lt;span style=&quot;color:#006400&quot;&gt;(+27)‎&lt;/span&gt;‎ . . [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2015:_New_Phone_Thread 2015: New Phone Thread] ‎''([https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2015:_New_Phone_Thread#Transcript →‎]&lt;span style=&quot;color:#72777d&quot;&gt;Transcript:&lt;/span&gt; Indent and add the button)''<br /> <br /> From [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/141.101.69.225 141.101.69.225]:<br /> * [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1972:_Autogyros&amp;oldid=154864 14:05, 26 March 2018] ([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1972:_Autogyros&amp;diff=prev&amp;oldid=154864 diff] | [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1972:_Autogyros&amp;action=history hist]) . . &lt;span style=&quot;color:#006400&quot;&gt;(+218)‎&lt;/span&gt; . . [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1972:_Autogyros 1972: Autogyros] ‎ ''([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1972:_Autogyros#Transcipt →‎]&lt;span style=&quot;color:#72777d&quot;&gt;Transcipt:&lt;/span&gt; Add all displayed text)''<br /> <br /> From [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/162.158.88.68 162.158.88.68]:<br /> * [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;oldid=149484 06:16, 19 December 2017] ([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;diff=prev&amp;oldid=149484 diff] | [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;action=history hist]) . . &lt;span style=&quot;color:#006400&quot;&gt;(+242)‎&lt;/span&gt; . . [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts Talk:1930: Calendar Facts]<br /> <br /> From [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/162.158.91.29 162.158.91.29]:<br /> * [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;oldid=149402 18:32, 18 December 2017] ([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;diff=prev&amp;oldid=149402 diff] | [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;action=history hist]) . . &lt;span style=&quot;color:#8b0000&quot;&gt;(-102)‎&lt;/span&gt; . . [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1930:_Calendar_Facts 1930: Calendar Facts] ‎''([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1930:_Calendar_Facts#Transcript →]&lt;span style=&quot;color:#72777d&quot;&gt;Transcript:&lt;/span&gt; Use ( | ) in some cases to make it shorter)''<br /> * [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;oldid=149394 18:10, 18 December 2017] ([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;diff=prev&amp;oldid=149394 diff] | [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;action=history hist]) . . &lt;span style=&quot;color:#006400&quot;&gt;(+276)‎&lt;/span&gt; . . [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts Talk:1930: Calendar Facts]<br /> <br /> From [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/162.158.90.174 162.158.90.174]:<br /> * [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1925:_Self-Driving_Car_Milestones&amp;oldid=148823 19:03, 6 December 2017] ([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1925:_Self-Driving_Car_Milestones&amp;diff=prev&amp;oldid=148823 diff] | [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1925:_Self-Driving_Car_Milestones&amp;action=history hist]) . . &lt;span style=&quot;color:#8b0000&quot;&gt;(-153)&lt;/span&gt;‎ . . [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1925:_Self-Driving_Car_Milestones 1925: Self-Driving Car Milestones] ‎''([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1925:_Self-Driving_Car_Milestones#Transcript →‎]&lt;span style=&quot;color:#72777d&quot;&gt;Transcript:&lt;/span&gt; Use bullet list)''</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2015:_New_Phone_Thread&diff=159641 2018-07-04T21:00:08Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Transcript */ Add format description</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 2015<br /> | date = July 4, 2018<br /> | title = New Phone Thread<br /> | image = new_phone_thread.png<br /> | titletext = I'm going to tell the manufacturer that their business practices are ADMIRABLE and ETHICAL and their developers are ATTRACTIVE and I'm going to report them to the FCC for their IMPECCABLE VIRTUE.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by a YOU SHOULD DONATE TO EXPLAINXKCD - The transcript may be interesting, but as part of the explanation. In the transcript there should be no explanation but only the text and info about how it is written! Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> <br /> This comic shows the posts on an online forum by a person whose new phone is editing everything negative they post about the phone to seem positive, thereby advertising their new phone. This is evident by the posts &quot;some of my posts look normal&quot;, which is not something a person would highlight if all their posts truly looked normal, and &quot;It's taking the words I type and leaving them exactly the same&quot;. It is much more likely the person typed &quot;It's taking the words I type and changing them to advertise the phone&quot;, which the phone converted.<br /> <br /> This is hinted at more strongly in the title text where the changed words are marked in all caps.<br /> <br /> ==Commented Transcript==<br /> <br /> (with italics to show which parts of the post were most likely edited by the phone; example of original text is given in square brackets, assuming that the phone changes negative descriptions to approximate antonyms)<br /> <br /> Whoa, weird<br /> <br /> I'm looking at my timeline on my friends phone, and some of my posts look ''normal'' [strange]<br /> <br /> What the hell?<br /> <br /> I mean the words are ''correct'' [wrong]<br /> <br /> That's ''exactly'' [the opposite of] what I typed!<br /> <br /> ?????????<br /> <br /> I think this new phone is ''working really well'' [broken]<br /> <br /> No, it's doing it again<br /> <br /> Those ''are'' [aren't] my words!<br /> <br /> Help!<br /> <br /> How do I explain?<br /> <br /> It's taking the words I type and ''leaving them exactly the same'' [changing them to the opposite]<br /> <br /> Forget it, I give up<br /> <br /> I'll ''never'' [have to] get a new phone. This one is ''perfect'' [messed up].<br /> <br /> What?!?<br /> <br /> Listen, if you're thinking about buying the new Mobile Pro 3, you ''should. It's the best phone on the market at an incredible price. ORDER NOW'' [better think again. It's a total rip-off and a complete waste of your money. DON'T BUY IT]<br /> <br /> AAAAA HELPPP<br /> <br /> I ''love'' [hate] my new phone!!!!<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> <br /> :[A thread of posts by the same user is shown with a default user profile, and square and heart-shaped buttons.]<br /> <br /> :Whoa, weird<br /> <br /> :I'm looking at my timeline on my friends phone, and some of my posts look normal<br /> <br /> :What the hell?<br /> <br /> :I mean the words are correct<br /> <br /> :That's exactly what I typed!<br /> <br /> :?????????<br /> <br /> :I think this new phone is working really well<br /> <br /> :No, it's doing it again<br /> <br /> :Those are my words!<br /> <br /> :Help!<br /> <br /> :How do I explain?<br /> <br /> :It's taking the words I type and leaving them exactly the same<br /> <br /> :Forget it, I give up<br /> <br /> :I'll never get a new phone. This one is perfect.<br /> <br /> :What?!?<br /> <br /> :Listen, if you're thinking about buying the new Mobile Pro 3, you should. It's the best phone on the market at an incredible price. [ORDER NOW button]<br /> <br /> :AAAAA HELPPP<br /> <br /> :I love my new phone!!!!<br /> <br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Tqdv&diff=159432 2018-06-28T18:57:57Z

<p>Tqdv: Created page with &quot;== About me == I like to say that I'm an amateur programmer and designer that likes to complain about (inconsequential) things. == Contributions before making an account ==...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>== About me ==<br /> <br /> I like to say that I'm an amateur programmer and designer that likes to complain about (inconsequential) things.<br /> <br /> == Contributions before making an account ==<br /> <br /> From [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/141.101.69.225 141.101.69.225]:<br /> * [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1972:_Autogyros&amp;oldid=154864 14:05, 26 March 2018] ([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1972:_Autogyros&amp;diff=prev&amp;oldid=154864 diff] | [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1972:_Autogyros&amp;action=history hist]) . . &lt;span style=&quot;color:#006400&quot;&gt;(+218)‎&lt;/span&gt; . . [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1972:_Autogyros 1972: Autogyros] ‎ ''([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1972:_Autogyros#Transcipt →‎]&lt;span style=&quot;color:#72777d&quot;&gt;Transcipt:&lt;/span&gt; Add all displayed text)''<br /> <br /> From [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/162.158.88.68 162.158.88.68]:<br /> * [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;oldid=149484 06:16, 19 December 2017] ([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;diff=prev&amp;oldid=149484 diff] | [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;action=history hist]) . . &lt;span style=&quot;color:#006400&quot;&gt;(+242)‎&lt;/span&gt; . . [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts Talk:1930: Calendar Facts]<br /> <br /> From [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/162.158.91.29 162.158.91.29]:<br /> * [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;oldid=149402 18:32, 18 December 2017] ([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;diff=prev&amp;oldid=149402 diff] | [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;action=history hist]) . . &lt;span style=&quot;color:#8b0000&quot;&gt;(-102)‎&lt;/span&gt; . . [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1930:_Calendar_Facts 1930: Calendar Facts] ‎''([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1930:_Calendar_Facts#Transcript →]&lt;span style=&quot;color:#72777d&quot;&gt;Transcript:&lt;/span&gt; Use ( | ) in some cases to make it shorter)''<br /> * [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;oldid=149394 18:10, 18 December 2017] ([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;diff=prev&amp;oldid=149394 diff] | [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts&amp;action=history hist]) . . &lt;span style=&quot;color:#006400&quot;&gt;(+276)‎&lt;/span&gt; . . [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Talk:1930:_Calendar_Facts Talk:1930: Calendar Facts]<br /> <br /> From [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/162.158.90.174 162.158.90.174]:<br /> * [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1925:_Self-Driving_Car_Milestones&amp;oldid=148823 19:03, 6 December 2017] ([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1925:_Self-Driving_Car_Milestones&amp;diff=prev&amp;oldid=148823 diff] | [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1925:_Self-Driving_Car_Milestones&amp;action=history hist]) . . &lt;span style=&quot;color:#8b0000&quot;&gt;(-153)&lt;/span&gt;‎ . . [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1925:_Self-Driving_Car_Milestones 1925: Self-Driving Car Milestones] ‎''([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1925:_Self-Driving_Car_Milestones#Transcript →‎]&lt;span style=&quot;color:#72777d&quot;&gt;Transcript:&lt;/span&gt; Use bullet list)''</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2010:_Update_Notes&diff=159427 2018-06-28T14:48:50Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Category */ Add &quot;Smartphones&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 2010<br /> | date = June 22, 2018<br /> | title = Update Notes<br /> | image = update_notes.png<br /> | titletext = v3.0.2: Hey, if anyone still using this app is headed to the beach, can you stop at 4th and River St and grab the sunscreen from my car? Trunk should be unlocked. Thanks!<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by an APP - Please change the changelog when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> Update notes or {{w|release notes}} are notes (or documents) released when software has been updated, to inform the user of any important changes to the software. <br /> <br /> In this comic, Randall and his friend are using release notes of their {{w|Mobile application|app}}s as a form of chat service, instead of actual software change information. He says this is possible because the two apps are no longer being maintained, so theoretically, there are not many people using the app who would read the update / change notes. Incidentally, one can still argue that the chat is still technically update notes, only instead of updating users on what has changed about an app, it is now giving Randall and his friend status &quot;updates&quot;.<br /> <br /> This comic has a similar theme as [[1305: Undocumented Feature]] both use old software forums as a chat application.<br /> <br /> This &quot;chat service&quot; would not be in real time, so presumably, Randall and his friend would have to be constantly checking each other's apps to see if there are updates.<br /> <br /> On the &quot;stars&quot; app, the last &quot;actual&quot; notes says &quot;Introduced bugs and degraded performance&quot;. This is a very common change when new features are added, however, developers will normally describe what the new features are rather than just state the negative consequences. It goes in contrast with the typical change note &quot;fixed bugs and improved performance&quot; that usually follows.<br /> <br /> The comic also refers to a meteor shower occurring in August, most likely the {{w|Perseids|Perseid meteor shower}}.<br /> <br /> The title text says that Randall, who is at the beach, has left his {{w|sunscreen}} in his car, but that the {{w|Trunk (car)|trunk}}(a pun with the name of the main software development branch in SVN) is unlocked, for whoever is still reading the updates for this app. This may invite the attention of thieves, who are now informed that Randall's trunk is unlocked. However they may not know what city Randall lives in, and conversely readers of the release notes could be anywhere in the world so most are probably not in a position to physically make contact with Randall's car.<br /> <br /> This comic could be seen as a subtle reference to how plain sight communication such as gang codes and steganography are used by people, possibly out of coerced necessity, to communicate information both deniably and publicly. It is likely that this often happens in real app update messages in real life. This kind of communication would more realistically allow a criminal worker to communicate with a contact point without endangering their anonymity by associating with them directly.<br /> <br /> This comic could also be poking fun at the non-descriptive updates many popular apps post in the &quot;What's new&quot; or change log. One example of this would be the Uber app stating &quot;We update the app as often as possible&quot; as a &quot;new&quot; feature every update. Apple recently changed AppStore guidelines[https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#accurate-metadata] to require clear descriptions of new features and product changes, effectively putting an end to the problem Randall is highlighting.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> :[There are two panels that show smartphone-esque screens with two different apps with different update notes, showing a conversation between two people. New updates are added to the top, so to follow the conversation flow one would start from the bottom and alternate between the second app and the first one.]<br /> :[At the top, the status bars between the two panels are slightly different: telephone reception, WiFi strength, battery, GPS...]<br /> <br /> :[&quot;Updates&quot; is written in uppercase at the top. The first app's icon is an &quot;A&quot; symbol. Next to it, there is the following information:]<br /> :[The app name is a scribble]<br /> :Version 3.0.1<br /> :June 22, 2018<br /> <br /> :Update Notes:<br /> <br /> :v3.0.1<br /> :I'm actually off work Monday so that's perfect.<br /> <br /> :v3.0<br /> :Oh, that sounds fun! What night?<br /> <br /> :v2.8.31<br /> :Are you around this weekend? We're heading to the beach.<br /> <br /> :v2.8.3<br /> :Hey Mike, you there?<br /> <br /> :[&quot;Updates&quot; is written in uppercase at the top. The second app's icon consists of three stars arranged in a triangle. Next it, there is:]<br /> :[The app name is a scribble followed by two stars in parentheses]<br /> :Version 7.0<br /> :June 22, 2018<br /> <br /> :Update Notes:<br /> <br /> :v7.0<br /> :It peaks August 12-13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.<br /> <br /> :v6.8.16<br /> :Sorry, no, going to a wedding. But do you want to camp out for the meteor shower in August?<br /> <br /> :v6.8.15<br /> :Yeah, what's up?<br /> <br /> :v6.8.14<br /> :Introduced bugs and degraded performance[.]<br /> <br /> :[At the bottom of each panel, there are menu icons: a star, a stack of rectangles, a bullet list, a magnifying glass and an arrow pointing down to a square]<br /> <br /> :[Caption below the panels:]<br /> :My friend and I both have apps we've stopped maintaining, so we just use the updates to chat.<br /> <br /> <br /> :[For convenience, here are the update notes in order of release (note that the first and last comments are not part of the conversation with Mike):]<br /> <br /> :&quot;A&quot; app (v6.8.14): Introduced bugs and degraded performance[.]<br /> <br /> :&quot;3-star&quot; app (v2.8.3): Hey Mike, you there?<br /> <br /> :A (v6.8.15): Yeah, what's up?<br /> <br /> :3-star (v.2.8.31): Are you around this weekend? We're heading to the beach.<br /> <br /> :A (v6.8.16): Sorry, no, going to a wedding. But do you want to camp out for the meteor shower in August?<br /> <br /> :3-star (v3.0): Oh, that sounds fun! What night?<br /> <br /> :A (v7.0): It peaks August 12-13th.<br /> <br /> :3-star (v3.0.1): I'm actually off work Monday so that's perfect.<br /> <br /> :3-star (v3.0.2): Hey, if anyone still using this app is headed to the beach, can you stop at 4th and River St and grab the sunscreen from my car? Trunk should be unlocked. Thanks!<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Smartphones]]</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2010:_Update_Notes&diff=159426 2018-06-28T14:47:44Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Transcript */ Describe status bar, and app store menu.</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 2010<br /> | date = June 22, 2018<br /> | title = Update Notes<br /> | image = update_notes.png<br /> | titletext = v3.0.2: Hey, if anyone still using this app is headed to the beach, can you stop at 4th and River St and grab the sunscreen from my car? Trunk should be unlocked. Thanks!<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by an APP - Please change the changelog when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> Update notes or {{w|release notes}} are notes (or documents) released when software has been updated, to inform the user of any important changes to the software. <br /> <br /> In this comic, Randall and his friend are using release notes of their {{w|Mobile application|app}}s as a form of chat service, instead of actual software change information. He says this is possible because the two apps are no longer being maintained, so theoretically, there are not many people using the app who would read the update / change notes. Incidentally, one can still argue that the chat is still technically update notes, only instead of updating users on what has changed about an app, it is now giving Randall and his friend status &quot;updates&quot;.<br /> <br /> This comic has a similar theme as [[1305: Undocumented Feature]] both use old software forums as a chat application.<br /> <br /> This &quot;chat service&quot; would not be in real time, so presumably, Randall and his friend would have to be constantly checking each other's apps to see if there are updates.<br /> <br /> On the &quot;stars&quot; app, the last &quot;actual&quot; notes says &quot;Introduced bugs and degraded performance&quot;. This is a very common change when new features are added, however, developers will normally describe what the new features are rather than just state the negative consequences. It goes in contrast with the typical change note &quot;fixed bugs and improved performance&quot; that usually follows.<br /> <br /> The comic also refers to a meteor shower occurring in August, most likely the {{w|Perseids|Perseid meteor shower}}.<br /> <br /> The title text says that Randall, who is at the beach, has left his {{w|sunscreen}} in his car, but that the {{w|Trunk (car)|trunk}}(a pun with the name of the main software development branch in SVN) is unlocked, for whoever is still reading the updates for this app. This may invite the attention of thieves, who are now informed that Randall's trunk is unlocked. However they may not know what city Randall lives in, and conversely readers of the release notes could be anywhere in the world so most are probably not in a position to physically make contact with Randall's car.<br /> <br /> This comic could be seen as a subtle reference to how plain sight communication such as gang codes and steganography are used by people, possibly out of coerced necessity, to communicate information both deniably and publicly. It is likely that this often happens in real app update messages in real life. This kind of communication would more realistically allow a criminal worker to communicate with a contact point without endangering their anonymity by associating with them directly.<br /> <br /> This comic could also be poking fun at the non-descriptive updates many popular apps post in the &quot;What's new&quot; or change log. One example of this would be the Uber app stating &quot;We update the app as often as possible&quot; as a &quot;new&quot; feature every update. Apple recently changed AppStore guidelines[https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#accurate-metadata] to require clear descriptions of new features and product changes, effectively putting an end to the problem Randall is highlighting.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> :[There are two panels that show smartphone-esque screens with two different apps with different update notes, showing a conversation between two people. New updates are added to the top, so to follow the conversation flow one would start from the bottom and alternate between the second app and the first one.]<br /> :[At the top, the status bars between the two panels are slightly different: telephone reception, WiFi strength, battery, GPS...]<br /> <br /> :[&quot;Updates&quot; is written in uppercase at the top. The first app's icon is an &quot;A&quot; symbol. Next to it, there is the following information:]<br /> :[The app name is a scribble]<br /> :Version 3.0.1<br /> :June 22, 2018<br /> <br /> :Update Notes:<br /> <br /> :v3.0.1<br /> :I'm actually off work Monday so that's perfect.<br /> <br /> :v3.0<br /> :Oh, that sounds fun! What night?<br /> <br /> :v2.8.31<br /> :Are you around this weekend? We're heading to the beach.<br /> <br /> :v2.8.3<br /> :Hey Mike, you there?<br /> <br /> :[&quot;Updates&quot; is written in uppercase at the top. The second app's icon consists of three stars arranged in a triangle. Next it, there is:]<br /> :[The app name is a scribble followed by two stars in parentheses]<br /> :Version 7.0<br /> :June 22, 2018<br /> <br /> :Update Notes:<br /> <br /> :v7.0<br /> :It peaks August 12-13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.<br /> <br /> :v6.8.16<br /> :Sorry, no, going to a wedding. But do you want to camp out for the meteor shower in August?<br /> <br /> :v6.8.15<br /> :Yeah, what's up?<br /> <br /> :v6.8.14<br /> :Introduced bugs and degraded performance[.]<br /> <br /> [At the bottom of each panel, there are menu icons: a star, a stack of rectangles, a bullet list, a magnifying glass and an arrow pointing down to a square]<br /> <br /> :[Caption below the panels:]<br /> :My friend and I both have apps we've stopped maintaining, so we just use the updates to chat.<br /> <br /> <br /> :[For convenience, here are the update notes in order of release (note that the first and last comments are not part of the conversation with Mike):]<br /> <br /> :&quot;A&quot; app (v6.8.14): Introduced bugs and degraded performance[.]<br /> <br /> :&quot;3-star&quot; app (v2.8.3): Hey Mike, you there?<br /> <br /> :A (v6.8.15): Yeah, what's up?<br /> <br /> :3-star (v.2.8.31): Are you around this weekend? We're heading to the beach.<br /> <br /> :A (v6.8.16): Sorry, no, going to a wedding. But do you want to camp out for the meteor shower in August?<br /> <br /> :3-star (v3.0): Oh, that sounds fun! What night?<br /> <br /> :A (v7.0): It peaks August 12-13th.<br /> <br /> :3-star (v3.0.1): I'm actually off work Monday so that's perfect.<br /> <br /> :3-star (v3.0.2): Hey, if anyone still using this app is headed to the beach, can you stop at 4th and River St and grab the sunscreen from my car? Trunk should be unlocked. Thanks!<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2010:_Update_Notes&diff=159425 2018-06-28T14:39:25Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Transcript */ Add app names and move &quot;Updates&quot; into the brackets.</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 2010<br /> | date = June 22, 2018<br /> | title = Update Notes<br /> | image = update_notes.png<br /> | titletext = v3.0.2: Hey, if anyone still using this app is headed to the beach, can you stop at 4th and River St and grab the sunscreen from my car? Trunk should be unlocked. Thanks!<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by an APP - Please change the changelog when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> Update notes or {{w|release notes}} are notes (or documents) released when software has been updated, to inform the user of any important changes to the software. <br /> <br /> In this comic, Randall and his friend are using release notes of their {{w|Mobile application|app}}s as a form of chat service, instead of actual software change information. He says this is possible because the two apps are no longer being maintained, so theoretically, there are not many people using the app who would read the update / change notes. Incidentally, one can still argue that the chat is still technically update notes, only instead of updating users on what has changed about an app, it is now giving Randall and his friend status &quot;updates&quot;.<br /> <br /> This comic has a similar theme as [[1305: Undocumented Feature]] both use old software forums as a chat application.<br /> <br /> This &quot;chat service&quot; would not be in real time, so presumably, Randall and his friend would have to be constantly checking each other's apps to see if there are updates.<br /> <br /> On the &quot;stars&quot; app, the last &quot;actual&quot; notes says &quot;Introduced bugs and degraded performance&quot;. This is a very common change when new features are added, however, developers will normally describe what the new features are rather than just state the negative consequences. It goes in contrast with the typical change note &quot;fixed bugs and improved performance&quot; that usually follows.<br /> <br /> The comic also refers to a meteor shower occurring in August, most likely the {{w|Perseids|Perseid meteor shower}}.<br /> <br /> The title text says that Randall, who is at the beach, has left his {{w|sunscreen}} in his car, but that the {{w|Trunk (car)|trunk}}(a pun with the name of the main software development branch in SVN) is unlocked, for whoever is still reading the updates for this app. This may invite the attention of thieves, who are now informed that Randall's trunk is unlocked. However they may not know what city Randall lives in, and conversely readers of the release notes could be anywhere in the world so most are probably not in a position to physically make contact with Randall's car.<br /> <br /> This comic could be seen as a subtle reference to how plain sight communication such as gang codes and steganography are used by people, possibly out of coerced necessity, to communicate information both deniably and publicly. It is likely that this often happens in real app update messages in real life. This kind of communication would more realistically allow a criminal worker to communicate with a contact point without endangering their anonymity by associating with them directly.<br /> <br /> This comic could also be poking fun at the non-descriptive updates many popular apps post in the &quot;What's new&quot; or change log. One example of this would be the Uber app stating &quot;We update the app as often as possible&quot; as a &quot;new&quot; feature every update. Apple recently changed AppStore guidelines[https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#accurate-metadata] to require clear descriptions of new features and product changes, effectively putting an end to the problem Randall is highlighting.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> :[There are two panels that show smartphone-esque screens with two different apps with different update notes, showing a conversation between two people. New updates are added to the top, so to follow the conversation flow one would start from the bottom and alternate between the second app and the first one.]<br /> <br /> :[&quot;Updates&quot; is written in uppercase at the top. The first app's icon is an &quot;A&quot; symbol. Next to it, there is the following information:]<br /> :[The app name is a scribble]<br /> :Version 3.0.1<br /> :June 22, 2018<br /> <br /> :Update Notes:<br /> <br /> :v3.0.1<br /> :I'm actually off work Monday so that's perfect.<br /> <br /> :v3.0<br /> :Oh, that sounds fun! What night?<br /> <br /> :v2.8.31<br /> :Are you around this weekend? We're heading to the beach.<br /> <br /> :v2.8.3<br /> :Hey Mike, you there?<br /> <br /> :[&quot;Updates&quot; is written in uppercase at the top. The second app's icon consists of three stars arranged in a triangle. Next it, there is:]<br /> :[The app name is a scribble followed by two stars in parentheses]<br /> :Version 7.0<br /> :June 22, 2018<br /> <br /> :Update Notes:<br /> <br /> :v7.0<br /> :It peaks August 12-13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.<br /> <br /> :v6.8.16<br /> :Sorry, no, going to a wedding. But do you want to camp out for the meteor shower in August?<br /> <br /> :v6.8.15<br /> :Yeah, what's up?<br /> <br /> :v6.8.14<br /> :Introduced bugs and degraded performance[.]<br /> <br /> :[Caption below the panels:]<br /> :My friend and I both have apps we've stopped maintaining, so we just use the updates to chat.<br /> <br /> <br /> :[For convenience, here are the update notes in order of release (note that the first and last comments are not part of the conversation with Mike):]<br /> <br /> :&quot;A&quot; app (v6.8.14): Introduced bugs and degraded performance[.]<br /> <br /> :&quot;3-star&quot; app (v2.8.3): Hey Mike, you there?<br /> <br /> :A (v6.8.15): Yeah, what's up?<br /> <br /> :3-star (v.2.8.31): Are you around this weekend? We're heading to the beach.<br /> <br /> :A (v6.8.16): Sorry, no, going to a wedding. But do you want to camp out for the meteor shower in August?<br /> <br /> :3-star (v3.0): Oh, that sounds fun! What night?<br /> <br /> :A (v7.0): It peaks August 12-13th.<br /> <br /> :3-star (v3.0.1): I'm actually off work Monday so that's perfect.<br /> <br /> :3-star (v3.0.2): Hey, if anyone still using this app is headed to the beach, can you stop at 4th and River St and grab the sunscreen from my car? Trunk should be unlocked. Thanks!<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2011:_Newton%27s_Trajectories&diff=159424 2018-06-28T14:27:03Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Category */ Add &quot;Comics with color&quot; and &quot;Physics&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 2011<br /> | date = June 25, 2018<br /> | title = Newton's Trajectories<br /> | image = newtons_trajectories.png<br /> | titletext = With just one extra line, he could have anticipated the 2003 film The Core, but some things are too audacious for even the greatest visionaries.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by a cannonball - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> <br /> [[Image:1669780A-D3EE-43E7-BD94-DD34B224BFF4.gif|thumb]]<br /> <br /> The comic shows the Earth, with three apparent rockets on separate trajectories. One is released with sufficient velocity to attain a stable orbit, while the other two fall towards the Earth. This is a slight modification of {{w|Newton's cannonball}}, a thought experiment demonstrating the planetary effects of gravity.<br /> <br /> Here, Newton's cannonball is used both to observe humanity’s technological future (interplanetary travel, availability of advanced technology to the masses, and constant scientific improvement; or nuclear desolation and the extinction of our species) and to underscore that argument by pointing out the inherent metaphor in the experiment: the cannonball can only escape the atmosphere by achieving high velocity (i.e. escape velocity). Similarly, Randall’s technological utopia will only deliver us from nuclear extinction if it happens quickly; otherwise, mankind will destroy itself. Of course, that threat only exists because of a triumph of technological progress, the {{w|Manhattan Project}}, but again, technology is a means to an end.<br /> <br /> Another shallower way to interpret this comic is that the red text is a result of the failed rocket being seen as a nuclear attack by some other worldly country, triggering a nuclear war that will end civilization as we know it.<br /> <br /> The phrase &quot;slip the bonds of Earth&quot; comes from the sonnet &quot;[http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/highflig.htm High Flight]&quot; written in 1941 by John Gillespie Magee Jr., an American pilot in the Second World War. Portions of this poem appear on the headstones of many interred in Arlington National Cemetery, particularly aviators and astronauts; it was also quoted in [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/28/how-ronald-reagan-explained-the-challenger-disaster-to-the-world-its-all-part-of-taking-a-chance/?utm_term=.0553e0d1d468 President Reagan's speech] after the Challenger disaster.<br /> <br /> The title text alludes to the unfortunate film ''{{w|The Core}}'', involving drilling to the center of the Earth to restart the stopped rotation of the magnetic core. The line is ostensibly aimed at the center of the Earth. Apparently, not even Newton could predict such a disastrous movie. Or movies.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> <br /> :[Panel consists of a shaded sphere, with a rocket launched from its north pole. Several trajectories are plotted around the sphere.]<br /> <br /> :[Trajectory 1 (in black) shows a successful circular orbit. Label:]<br /> :Humans slip the bonds of Earth to travel the stars<br /> <br /> :[Trajectory 2 (in red) shows a ballistic arc that crashes into the sphere after a significant distance. Label:]<br /> :&lt;span style=&quot;color:#b42e10&quot;&gt;Civilization ends in fire&lt;/span&gt;<br /> <br /> :[Trajectory 3 (in red) shows a much shorter ballistic arc. No label.]<br /> <br /> :[Caption below the panel:]<br /> :In retrospect, Newton's little cannonball drawing does a surprisingly good job illustrating the range of possible futures of our species.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Comics with color]]<br /> [[Category:Physics]]</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2012:_Thorough_Analysis&diff=159423 2018-06-28T14:19:07Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Transcript */ Specify color</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 2012<br /> | date = June 27, 2018<br /> | title = Thorough Analysis<br /> | image = thorough_analysis.png<br /> | titletext = The likely shape of the bells was determined through consultation with several bellringing experts at the Tower of London. Transcripts of those interviews are available in Appendix VII.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by Genetically Tested Timber Wolves- Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> <br /> This comic remarks on how obsessively some scientific papers investigate some insignificant, obscure things. It gives the example of an investigation into whether an {{w|1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes|earthquake in 1811}} caused church bells 600 miles away in Charleston, South Carolina to ring, which, although mildly interesting, is of minimal scientific importance. The earthquake itself is of enormous scientific interest, as an earthquake of the same magnitude in the same area today could cause enormous damage, but Charleston is not in the area considered at significant risk.<br /> <br /> An explicit comparison is made to the {{w|9/11 Commission Report}}, a study that was undertaken to, broadly, answer the question of how the 9/11 attacks were able to occur (and by extension, what errors in security and communication needed to be addressed to improve detection of and response to other terrorist acts). <br /> <br /> This paper describes the researchers going as far as to genetically test local trees, likely to find those most closely related to the trees used for construction, so as to measure their structural properties and extrapolate the likely structural properties of the original building. Such extrapolation might require its own study to back its validity. It is likely in real life that the small differences such research would reveal would end up being too unsubstantial to have actually warranted any searching.<br /> <br /> The title text is a continuation of this paper, which researches into the bells' shapes, and then goes on to note that the entire interview is provided in Appendix VII, indicating that this paper has a substantial amount of additional information considered distracting from the main body. <br /> <br /> The Tower of London would be a strange place to seek expertise on church bells: even its Bell Tower contains warning bells rather than church-style bells. Until 2017, the nearby Whitechapel Bell Foundary would have been a much better (arguably the best possible) source of information. Whites of Appleton (in Oxfordshire) or John Taylor &amp; Co (in Loughborough) would be current alternatives. Closer to home for the paper's author, the McShane Bell Foundry in Maryland is likely to offer far more relevant expertise certainly than the Tower of London, and may in addition be able to offer relevant insights specific to the history of bellfounding in the USA.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> :[The comic mainly consists of the beginning of a research paper written in grey:]<br /> :&lt;span style=&quot;color:gray&quot;&gt;1. Introduction&lt;/span&gt;<br /> <br /> :&lt;span style=&quot;color:gray&quot;&gt;The December 1811 earthquake near New Madrid, Missouri reportedly caused church bells to ring in Charleston, South Carolina.&lt;/span&gt;<br /> <br /> :&lt;span style=&quot;color:gray&quot;&gt;But did it?&lt;/span&gt;<br /> <br /> :&lt;span style=&quot;color:gray&quot;&gt;The original bell tower has been lost, but a computer model of the church building was created from archival plans and forensic masonry analysis. Genetic testing of the timber from local trees related to those used in the bell tower shows a weakness in the&lt;/span&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> :[Caption below the panel:]<br /> :My favorite genre of scientific papers are exhaustive 100-page treatises that answer some minor question with the obsessive thoroughness of the 9/11 commission report.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2002:_LeBron_James_and_Stephen_Curry&diff=158297 2018-06-04T23:33:48Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Transcript */ Add legend and a bit more details</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 2002<br /> | date = June 4, 2018<br /> | title = LeBron James and Stephen Curry<br /> | image = lebron_james_and_stephen_curry.png<br /> | titletext = The 538TR attempts to capture a player's combined skill at basketball (either real-life or NBA 2K18) and election forecasting.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by a Basketball - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> At the time of this comic, the {{w|2018 NBA Finals}} were going on, between the {{w|Cleveland Cavaliers}} and the {{w|Golden State Warriors}} with the Warriors leading 2 games to 0 in a best of seven series. At first glance, the comic looks like an in-depth analysis of two of the star players on those teams, {{w|LeBron James}} and {{w|Stephen Curry}}. The joke is that while comprehensive, all the statistics are completely meaningless - many don't show any correlation, and if there is one, it's extremely unlikely there is any causal link in there. <br /> <br /> The first graph includes a nine-digit {{w|Social Security number}} issued for US citizens which is typically not considered a metric related to athletic ability. As Social Security numbers are essentially random numbers ([https://www.ssa.gov/employer/randomization.html until 2011], there was a geographic correspondence for the first three digits), the graph shows only the free-throw percentage of a large number of players, artificially spread vertically. Also note that Social Security numbers are not usually made public, barring security leaks.<br /> <br /> The second graph is a graph of points per game vs teammate's APGAR score. {{w|APGAR score}} is used to quickly summarize the health of newborn children, with scores of 7 and above indicating an infant has generally normal health; its use to rank adult NBA players is odd, if not improper. This graph indicates LeBron's teammates have an APGAR score of approximately 2.1. Scores of 3 and below are generally regarded as critically low and possibly requiring medical attention. Low APGAR scores can also be associated with increased risk of neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy. The joke appears to be that LeBron is a star player carrying a sub average team while their opponents the Warriors are perhaps a more well rounded team.<br /> <br /> The shot map shows from what position Curry's shots were scored compared to other NBA players. It shows that he scored several times from outside the playing field, including twice from the {{w|bleacher}}s (which isn't a legal play), and once from the locker room (which is physically impossible due to multiple walls in between). This may be a reference to Curry's &quot;tunnel-shot&quot;, which he performs before every home game.[https://www.sfchronicle.com/warriors/article/Stephen-Curry-s-long-tunnel-shot-has-become-10949145.php] <br /> <br /> In the &quot;2018 total points&quot; table, the highlighted {{w|Golden State Warriors}} and {{w|Cleveland Cavaliers}} represent the teams of Stephen Curry and LeBron James respectively.<br /> <br /> Magnetic north is the north pole of the earth's magnetic field. Certain animals use the magnetic field to navigate and align themselves (including migratory birds, bees, and foxes), but there is no evidence that humans are affected by the earth's magnetic field. This means that there is very likely no correlation between orientation of a basketball court and points scored.<br /> <br /> The table at the bottom includes more unrelated comparisons.<br /> <br /> The first fact is &quot;have you heard of him&quot;. Although both are well known in their native United States, elsewhere basketball is considered a minority sport. So of the 7 billion people in the world it is likely less than 2% of the total population will have heard of either player {{Citation needed}}.<br /> <br /> In NBA the top 16 teams qualify for a single elimination play-off to determine the season champion, with each rubber played over 7 games. After the fourth game fixtures are only played as required. Most fixtures are therefore resolved before the last leg. Lebron James has participated in seven playoff games 7 in his career (winning 5 of 7), and the last time his team lost a game seven was on May 18, 2008 (Bush was still President). This also highlights that James is an older athlete yet has been fairly dominant through his career. Stephen Curry's last game 7 loss actually came at the hands of Lebron James in the 2016 NBA Finals (Obama was President). It is notable that both the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers won their respective games 7 in their conference finals to make it to this year's NBA finals.<br /> <br /> Both &quot;lebronjames&quot; and &quot;stephencurry&quot; are worth 22 points in {{w|Scrabble}}. {{w|Milk caps (game)|Pogs}} were a {{w|fad}} in the 1990s. In 2027, Stephen Curry will be 39 years old, which is a typical retirement age for NBA players. LeBron James's retirement age is listed as ''unknown''. This may refer to James's high level of play through his mid-30s, when typical players have a decline in their performance {{Citation needed}}. <br /> <br /> It is claimed that their best sport is basketball. However, although they have chosen basketball as a career, this does not mean they were not better at a sport that does not offer a professional career.<br /> <br /> Both are listed as over 6 feet tall which is not at all unusual for professional basketball players. In fact, Stephen is listed as 6'2&quot; or 6'3&quot; and LeBron as 6'8&quot;. <br /> <br /> {{w|Nate Silver}} is a political commentator and founder of the website {{w|FiveThirtyEight}}, which uses and promotes statistical approaches in explaining the world. The site's two major areas of focus are in politics (especially on elections - it became famous for correctly predicting for whom 49 of 50 of the 2008 and every US state would vote for in the 2012 US presidential elections, and though it wasn't as accurate in 2016 it had given Donald Trump a larger chance of Electoral College victory than other mainstream media sources) and sports (Silver first got into statistical analysis via baseball). The presence of both sports-related and politics-related topics in the comic, however related they are (or not) with each other, seems to be a nod towards FiveThirtyEight's content.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> :'''NBA Playoffs ''DataDive'' '''<br /> :'''LeBron James and Stephen Curry'''<br /> :'''What makes these superstars so extraordinary?'''<br /> <br /> :[The comic consists of several plots and tables, listed here from top to bottom, left to right.]<br /> <br /> :'''Scatter plot of Social Security number vs Free throw percentage'''<br /> :The Social Security numbers range from 000-00-0000 to 999-99-9999. No pattern discernable, aside from points being a bit denser in the middle of the plot. Steven Curry is marked as a point on the right edge of the plot with a high free throw percentage.<br /> <br /> :'''Scatter plot of 2018 points per game vs Average teammate APGAR score'''<br /> :The APGAR scores range from 0 to 10. Pattern suggests a somewhat positive link between the two factors. LeBron James is marked as having a lot of points, but a low teammate APGAR score of approximately 2.1.<br /> <br /> :'''Shot map'''<br /> :Legend: grey dot for all players, black dot for Stephen Curry<br /> :A diagram of a basketball court is shown with dots placed where players have taken shots at the goal. For the all players category the dots generally cluster next to the goal basket and in front of the three point line. Steven has 3 dots next to the basket (one is behind it), but does cluster next to the three point line. He also has several dots on the other side of the playing field, and outside it, including three in the bleachers and one in the locker room.<br /> <br /> :'''Sandwiches eaten during play vs Win %'''<br /> :A plot that suggests no relation between the factors because practically all dots are in the zero sandwiches column. 2018 Warriors have one dot at around 60 win percentage and 4 sandwiches.<br /> <br /> :'''2018 total points'''<br /> :A table listing teams and their points overall and &quot;When net is within 15° of magnetic north&quot;. The rows for the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers are highlighted, the latter shows an abnormally high score in the magnetic north column.<br /> <br /> :{| class = &quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> ! 2018 total points<br /> ! Overall <br /> ! When net is within 15° of magnetic north<br /> |-<br /> |'''Golden State Warriors'''<br /> |'''9304'''<br /> |'''330'''<br /> |-<br /> |Houston Rockets<br /> |9213<br /> |268<br /> |-<br /> |New Orleans Pelicans<br /> |9161<br /> |219<br /> |-<br /> |Toronto Raptors<br /> |9156<br /> |341<br /> |-<br /> |'''Cleveland Cavaliers'''<br /> |'''9091'''<br /> |'''1644'''<br /> |-<br /> |Denver Nuggets<br /> |9020<br /> |280<br /> |}<br /> <br /> :[A table at the bottom:]<br /> <br /> :{| class = &quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> !<br /> ! Stephen Curry<br /> ! LeBron James<br /> |-<br /> |Have you heard of him<br /> |Probably<br /> |Yes<br /> |-<br /> |President during most recent game 7 loss<br /> |Obama<br /> |Bush<br /> |-<br /> |Pog collection<br /> |Large<br /> |Staggeringly large<br /> |-<br /> |Career average Fed interest rate<br /> |3.42%<br /> |4.41%<br /> |-<br /> |Name Scrabble score<br /> |22<br /> |22<br /> |-<br /> |Best sport<br /> |Basketball<br /> |Basketball<br /> |-<br /> |Height<br /> |Over 6'<br /> |Over 6'<br /> |-<br /> |Retirement year<br /> |2027<br /> |Unknown<br /> !Nate Silver<br /> |-<br /> |FiveThirtyEight total rating&lt;br&gt;(devised by Nate Silver to combine all metrics into a single stat)<br /> |'''37.4'''<br /> |'''31.8'''<br /> |'''86.6'''<br /> |}<br /> <br /> ==Trivia==<br /> This comic was posted the day after the second game in the 2018 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry's team) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (LeBron James' team). It is the fourth consecutive time the two teams faced each other at the finals, which is unprecedented in major sports leagues in North America. The Warriors won in 2015 and 2017, the Cavaliers won in 2016, and the Warriors are leading the current series 2-0.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Sport]]<br /> [[Category:Basketball]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Nate Silver]]<br /> [[Category:Politics]]</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1908:_Credit_Card_Rewards&diff=155063 2018-03-31T00:06:31Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Transcript */ Remove transcript incomplete template</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1908<br /> | date = October 27, 2017<br /> | title = Credit Card Rewards<br /> | image = credit_card_rewards.png<br /> | titletext = I should make a list of all the things I could be trying to optimize, prioritized by ... well, I guess there are a few different variables I could use. I'll create a spreadsheet ...<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> A credit card, at its most basic form, is a loan contract to an individual from a bank. Like all contracts, the bank will offer several different types in an attempt to appeal to a large number of individuals. Unlike traditional loans which focus on a single item (car, house, boat, etc), a credit card is an unsecured loan geared towards daily and weekly transactions. Because these transactions cover a wide variety of items, credit cards can be further tweaked towards offering benefits in certain areas. For example, gas purchases, or even gas purchases through a single retail chain, can offer higher rewards on one type of plan vs. other plans.<br /> <br /> These benefits, typically called rewards, have several different options. &quot;Cash back&quot; is a reward where the individual is given money back when they make a purchase that follows certain rules spelled out in the contract. &quot;No interest&quot; is a reward where the individual is not charged interest on their purchases if they pay the loaned money back within a specified amount of time. &quot;Points&quot; are similar to the cash back program, but are typically reserved towards purchasing a single large item or plan. Points towards a vacation is a popular option. Besides these three types of rewards, the number of actual rewards to pick from are limited only by the creativity and fiscal limitations of the issuing bank.<br /> <br /> Cueball is trying to choose the optimal credit card program that will result in the biggest savings for his typical income and spending patterns. He will need to trade off the value of any benefits against the cost of any fees and interest charges that would be incurred. This could become quite complex if he is prepared to consider taking out multiple cards to access the various benefits they offer, and in order to get the best outcome he may need to regularly shift funds from one card to another to make use of introductory or short-term offers. On top of all this, the incentives on offer may change his spending behaviour, which would further impact the calculation.<br /> <br /> He realizes that there is a cost of him spending time on optimizing his choice, so he wants to limit the time spent doing the optimizing so that it doesn't outweigh the maximum advantage he might gain from choosing the best deal. Finding a definite answer to the time at which he should stop his optimization efforts is hard, if not impossible, because the fact that he cannot complete them means that he probably cannot know for certain what the maximum advantage would be; he will have to rely on a probabilistic solution instead. To further complicate things, he will need to factor in the cost of the time spent solving the problem of how long to spend on optimizing (and, presumably, the time spent solving that problem, and so on infinitely).<br /> <br /> Hairy challenges a hidden assumption that Cueball's time has significant value, which would imply that if he wasn't worrying about this problem he would be doing something more productive. Cueball's obsession with optimization is lame enough to suggest that he does not actually have any more worthwhile interests to pursue. His response that he &quot;could be failing to optimize so many better things!&quot; rather proves Hairy's point, and suggests that Cueball is aware of both the big flaw in his reasoning and the fact that, when he attempts to optimize things, it seldom really helps his situation.<br /> <br /> The title text further expands the idea. Cueball wants to work out which optimization problems he could most productively work on first. However, his proposed idea of creating a spreadsheet to calculate this may well end up costing more in time than the benefit he would gain from working on them in priority order (particularly since, on this evidence, the potential gains from each problem are marginal at best). Furthermore, if the 'several variables' he needs to consider lead to the kind of complexity seen in the credit card problem, a spreadsheet may not be the best tool for the kind of calculations he needs to perform.<br /> <br /> The idea of spending more time organising tasks in a spreadsheet than you actually do working on the tasks was previously featured in [[1906: Making Progress]].<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> <br /> :[Cueball sits at a desk and is on his laptop. Hairy stands behind him.]<br /> :Cueball: I'm trying to figure out which of these credit card rewards programs is best given my spending.<br /> <br /> :[Cueball leans backwards in a frameless panel.]<br /> :Cueball: But at some point, the cost of the time it takes me to understand the options outweighs their difference in value.<br /> <br /> :[Close-up of Cueball's head and torso.]<br /> :Cueball: So I need to figure out where that point is, and stop before I reach it.<br /> :Cueball: But... when I factor in the time to calculate &lt;i&gt;THAT&lt;/i&gt;, it changes the overall answer.<br /> <br /> :[Cueball has his arms outstretched.]<br /> :Hairy: I question the assumption that you'd otherwise be spending your time on something more valuable.<br /> :Cueball: Come on, I could be failing to optimize so many better things!<br /> <br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br /> [[Category:Time management]]</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1973:_Star_Lore&diff=155059 2018-03-30T22:04:38Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Number of Stars */ Indeed 31</p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--&gt;<br /> Doesn't appear that &quot;Five Sisters&quot; is a reference to anything, according to my Google searches. Does anyone have anything on that? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.53|108.162.221.53]] 15:13, 28 March 2018 (UTC)Martin<br /> <br /> If I had to guess, it's most likely a reference to the Pleiades (Seven Sisters), which is a constellation.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.94|172.68.34.94]] 15:18, 28 March 2018 (UTC)Luck<br /> <br /> I can't be certain, but I believe this is a direct quote from a Star Wars comic I read a few days ago. I will try to dig it up. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.142.46|172.69.142.46]] 23:44, 28 March 2018 (UTC)Dave<br /> <br /> &quot;Five Sisters&quot; is a reference a pentagon-shaped constellation from Isaac Asimov's ''Foundations Edge'' ~~Tyler<br /> <br /> I keep 'cellulose' tape over my LEDs, darkened with permanent marker, to dim their harsh glare when the rooms are unlit. On important ones, I keep a small sliver uncovered, so that from the right angle (like from the doorway) they can be seen even with the lights on. I do wish more devices had a &quot;dim&quot; setting on a timer, so the LEDs could be bright during the day &amp; barely lit at night. In particular, my backup power battery has a large, obnoxious blue screen that lights up the whole room unless I keep it facing the wall. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 15:48, 28 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> The red LED probably is a super bright LED :-) Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.37|162.158.111.37]] 16:00, 28 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> :(Also responding to ProphetZarquon) I agree that super bright LEDs are annoying, especially the one on my monitor! But I don’t think that status LEDs can appear impressive, like in the comic. The superbright ones, which are standard today, illuminate the room too much. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.203|141.101.104.203]] 19:32, 28 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> :I would wager that given Randall's history of computer problems, having the supergiant red explode at any point in the next millenium (i.e. could be next Thursday), would solve a lot of problems 16:58, 29 March 2018 (UTC<br /> <br /> The second part of the title text could be a reference to the word &quot;planet&quot; which comes from a Greek word meaning &quot;wanderer&quot;. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.38|162.158.155.38]] 17:17, 28 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> It seems plausible that the title is partially a veiled reference to the Marvel Comics character {{w|Star Lord}}, which sounds almost the same as &quot;Star Lore.&quot; [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 23:53, 28 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> :Not really - Star lore or starlore is the creating and cherishing of mythical stories about the stars and star patterns (constellations and asterisms); that is, folklore based upon the stars and star patterns. Using the stars to explain religious doctrines or actual events in history is also defined as star lore. Wikipedia...[[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.102|141.101.107.102]] 04:23, 29 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> The cluster of 5 lights is likely either a modem or router. Modems usually have a row of lights to indicate power, uplink, downlink, sync, and traffic at a minimum, whereas a router might have multiple lights indicating connections to a number of network ports. I can really relate to this comic, especially during the peak period of active gear in my home office at one time (It's not so eerie these days)! [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 01:42, 29 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> This reminds me of a Doonesbury cartoon [http://images.ucomics.com/comics/db/2007/db070506.gif Mardi Gras] [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.91|172.68.189.91]] 02:55, 29 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> ;My room<br /> <br /> The current explanation states that the usage of &quot;my room&quot; typically refers in the US to the bedroom. As a non-US citizen I can see how this is true for children, teenagers and young adults who yet live in their parent's home. Or when living in a shared apartment. But in any other case I'd assume &quot;my room&quot; refers to the whatever equivalent of a {{w|man cave}}, whereas bedroom is &quot;bedroom&quot;. No? [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:09, 29 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Converted header to bold label [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 11:27, 29 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> ;Cluster<br /> &quot;Cluster&quot; has a computing term as well as an astronomical one - a group of computers connected to each other and working together on a common task. &quot;Five sisters&quot; would be an interesting- name for a 5-machine cluster, and would fit the description well. They need not be identical machines; perhaps the one with the red light is large, and due to a failing fan is expected to overheat.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.114|172.68.65.114]] 19:35, 29 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> * ''The red one is a supergiant, and will probably explode within a few million years.'' For many super-giant stars that we can see from Earth, they have probably already exploded, but their light is still travelling to us and we won't see the explosion until centuries or even millennia after the actual event, if the star is in the Milky Way. Even more for stars in other galaxies. [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 00:58, 30 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> : Not likely. See [[1342: Ancient Stars]]. Zetfr 09:41, 30 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> ;Number of &quot;Stars&quot;<br /> <br /> The transcript currently states there are 32 points of light in the comic, but when I decided to count them myself, I came up with only 31 - 19 across the top section and another 12 in the lower half. Does anyone else see 32 dots, and if so, can you tell me where I'm missing one? A brown dwarf or a black hole, maybe? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 11:59, 30 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> :I also counted 31. I edited the Transcript to reflect that. [[User:Tqdv|Tqdv]] ([[User talk:Tqdv|talk]]) 22:04, 30 March 2018 (UTC)</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1973:_Star_Lore&diff=155058 2018-03-30T22:00:46Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Transcript */ Shorten image description and change to 31 dots</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1973<br /> | date = March 28, 2018<br /> | title = Star Lore<br /> | image = star_lore.png<br /> | titletext = That one is a variable star which pulses every 30 seconds. Its name comes from a Greek word meaning &quot;smoke alarm.&quot;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Needs to be expanded. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> <br /> Computers, chargers, and other electronic items often have status lights in various colors. In a dark room, these lights appear as pinpricks of light, similar to constellations. Presumably Randall's room has many such items, though this may be like [[My Hobby]] in the sense that his room doesn't really look like that but he claims it does for humor value. It's also not clear whether this refers to Randall's bedroom (typical US usage of &quot;my room&quot; refers to one's bedroom) or some other room Randall spends a good deal of time in.<br /> <br /> The comic's narrator is explaining how some of his lights remind him of stars, which gives him an opportunity to show off his knowledge of sci-fi trivia: &quot;The Five Sisters&quot; is a reference to a pentagon-shaped constellation from Isaac Asimov's book ''Foundation's Edge'', though it could not have been 'known to the ancients' since it was less than 100 years old. It could also refer to the cluster of 5 lights next to the speech bubble, which is reinforced by the next bubble talking specifically about the bigger red light in the cluster.<br /> <br /> Interestingly, there are some green stars. Stars might look green due to a neighbouring star, but {{w|Green star (astronomy)|green stars are actually impossible}} due to the principle of black body radiation.<br /> <br /> In the title text, the narrator describes his {{w|smoke alarm}} status light as a pulsing variable star. A smoke alarm is a device that detects smoke, which would indicate a fire. These are commonly placed in houses as a safety precaution. Typically, many smoke alarms have a status light that blinks to assure that they are still functioning.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :[A black panel with 31 dots of different sizes and in various colors (white, red, yellow, blue and green). These bright dots are scattered around three white speech bubbles for off-panel speakers. Next to the top left corner of the first bubble, there are five dots close together. Two white, two yellow (one brighter than the other) and a red dot that is clearly larger than any of the other four.]<br /> :Person 1 (off panel): That cluster was known to the ancients as the Five Sisters.<br /> :Person 1 (off panel): The red one is a supergiant and will probably explode within the next million years.<br /> :Person 2 (off panel): Wow!<br /> <br /> :[Caption below the panel:] <br /> :There are too many status LEDs in my room.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Comics with color]]<br /> [[Category:Astronomy]]<br /> [[Category:Computers]]</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1973:_Star_Lore&diff=155015 2018-03-29T18:55:02Z

<p>Tqdv: /* Transcript */ Too many details?</p> <hr /> <div>&lt;!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--&gt;<br /> Doesn't appear that &quot;Five Sisters&quot; is a reference to anything, according to my Google searches. Does anyone have anything on that? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.53|108.162.221.53]] 15:13, 28 March 2018 (UTC)Martin<br /> If I had to guess, it's most likely a reference to the Pleiades (Seven Sisters), which is a constellation.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.94|172.68.34.94]] 15:18, 28 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> I can't be certain, but I believe this is a direct quote from a Star Wars comic I read a few days ago. I will try to dig it up. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.142.46|172.69.142.46]] 23:44, 28 March 2018 (UTC)Dave<br /> <br /> &quot;Five Sisters&quot; is a reference a pentagon-shaped constellation from Isaac Asimov's ''Foundations Edge'' ~~Tyler<br /> <br /> I keep 'cellulose' tape over my LEDs, darkened with permanent marker, to dim their harsh glare when the rooms are unlit. On important ones, I keep a small sliver uncovered, so that from the right angle (like from the doorway) they can be seen even with the lights on. I do wish more devices had a &quot;dim&quot; setting on a timer, so the LEDs could be bright during the day &amp; barely lit at night. In particular, my backup power battery has a large, obnoxious blue screen that lights up the whole room unless I keep it facing the wall. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 15:48, 28 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> The red LED probably is a super bright LED :-) Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.37|162.158.111.37]] 16:00, 28 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> :(Also responding to ProphetZarquon) I agree that super bright LEDs are annoying, especially the one on my monitor! But I don’t think that status LEDs can appear impressive, like in the comic. The superbright ones, which are standard today, illuminate the room too much. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.203|141.101.104.203]] 19:32, 28 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> :I would wager that given Randall's history of computer problems, having the supergiant red explode at any point in the next millenium (i.e. could be next Thursday), would solve a lot of problems 16:58, 29 March 2018 (UTC<br /> <br /> The second part of the title text could be a reference to the word &quot;planet&quot; which comes from a Greek word meaning &quot;wanderer&quot;. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.38|162.158.155.38]] 17:17, 28 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> It seems plausible that the title is partially a veiled reference to the Marvel Comics character {{w|Star Lord}}, which sounds almost the same as &quot;Star Lore.&quot; [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 23:53, 28 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> :Not really - Star lore or starlore is the creating and cherishing of mythical stories about the stars and star patterns (constellations and asterisms); that is, folklore based upon the stars and star patterns. Using the stars to explain religious doctrines or actual events in history is also defined as star lore. Wikipedia...[[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.102|141.101.107.102]] 04:23, 29 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> The cluster of 5 lights is likely either a modem or router. Modems usually have a row of lights to indicate power, uplink, downlink, sync, and traffic at a minimum, whereas a router might have multiple lights indicating connections to a number of network ports. I can really relate to this comic, especially during the peak period of active gear in my home office at one time (It's not so eerie these days)! [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 01:42, 29 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> This reminds me of a Doonesbury cartoon [http://images.ucomics.com/comics/db/2007/db070506.gif Mardi Gras] [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.91|172.68.189.91]] 02:55, 29 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> ;My room<br /> <br /> The current explanation states that the usage of &quot;my room&quot; typically refers in the US to the bedroom. As a non-US citizen I can see how this is true for children, teenagers and young adults who yet live in their parent's home. Or when living in a shared apartment. But in any other case I'd assume &quot;my room&quot; refers to the whatever equivalent of a {{w|man cave}}, whereas bedroom is &quot;bedroom&quot;. No? [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:09, 29 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> Converted header to bold label [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 11:27, 29 March 2018 (UTC)<br /> <br /> ;Transcript<br /> Should the transcript be [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1973:_Star_Lore&amp;oldid=155009 this detailed]? [[User:Tqdv|Tqdv]] ([[User talk:Tqdv|talk]]) 18:55, 29 March 2018 (UTC)</div>

Tqdv https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1973:_Star_Lore&diff=155014 2018-03-29T18:41:13Z

<p>Tqdv: Rephrasing and typo</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1973<br /> | date = March 28, 2018<br /> | title = Star Lore<br /> | image = star_lore.png<br /> | titletext = That one is a variable star which pulses every 30 seconds. Its name comes from a Greek word meaning &quot;smoke alarm.&quot;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by a BOT running on a COMPUTER with TOO MANY STATUS LEDs - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> <br /> Computers, chargers, and other electronic items often have status lights in various colors. In a dark room, these lights appear as pinpricks of light, similar to constellations. Presumably Randall's room has many such items, though this may be like [[My Hobby]] in the sense that his room doesn't really look like that but he claims it does for humor value. It's also not clear whether this refers to Randall's bedroom (typical US usage of &quot;my room&quot; refers to one's bedroom) or some other room Randall spends a good deal of time in.<br /> <br /> The comic's narrator is explaining how some of his lights remind him of stars, which gives him an opportunity to show off his knowledge of sci-fi trivia: &quot;The Five Sisters&quot; is a reference to a pentagon-shaped constellation from Isaac Asimov's book ''Foundation's Edge'', though it could not have been 'known to the ancients' since it was less than 100 years old. It could also refer to the cluster of 5 lights next to the speech bubble, which is reinforced by the next bubble talking specifically about the bigger red light in the cluster.<br /> <br /> Interestingly, there are some green stars. Stars might look green due to a neighbouring star, but {{w|Green star (astronomy)|green stars are actually impossible}} due to the principle of black body radiation.<br /> <br /> In the title text, the narrator describes his {{w|smoke alarm}} status light as a pulsing variable star. A smoke alarm is a device that detects smoke, which would indicate a fire. These are commonly placed in houses as a safety precaution. Typically, many smoke alarms have a status light that blinks to assure that they are still functioning.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :[A black panel with 32 dots of different sizes and in various colors (white, red, yellow, blue and green). These bright dots are scattered around three white speech bubbles. Two of these are places in the middle of the panel, and has been connected with a white line panel indicating they belong to one person. The last speech bubble is much smaller and below and right of the other two. Both sets of bubbles have an arrow pointing towards the bottom of the panel, to the off-panel speakers. Next to the first speech bubbles top left corner there are five dots close together. Two white, two yellow (one brighter than the other) and a red dot that is clearly larger than any of the other four.]<br /> :Person 1 (off panel): That cluster was known to the ancients as the Five Sisters.<br /> :Person 1 (off panel): The red one is a supergiant and will probably explode within the next million years.<br /> :Person 2 (off panel): Wow!<br /> <br /> :[Caption below the panel:] <br /> :There are too many status LEDs in my room.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Comics with color]]<br /> [[Category:Astronomy]]<br /> [[Category:Computers]]</div>

Tqdv