explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3237: Husband and Wife

2026-04-27T13:20:59Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3237
| date = April 24, 2026
| title = Husband and Wife
| image = husband_and_wife_2x.png
| imagesize = 586x292px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Borat came out twenty years ago this year--closer to the breakup of the Soviet Union than to today--but it honestly feels like it's been even longer, somehow.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by MAH BAAT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are discussing the phrases that married couples use to refer to each other. Traditionally, in English, married couples refer to their partners are "my husband" and "my wife". Megan says that she "still feel[s] a little weird about" the phrase, implying that she's relatively recently married finds the phrase odd. She claims that the term feels overly "traditional", comparing it to a "Victorian gossip" (a subject that was previously referenced in [[2660: Gen Z]]).

The specifics of Megan's objection aren't clear, and there are a number of possible angles. It could be due to the possessive phrasing (though similar phrasing is very common in English, and generally doesn't imply ownership). Possibly, the old and and gendered roots of the word itself feel odd to her, as the 17th-century roots meant of "master of the house" or "husbandman" (farmer). American norms around relationships, gender and marriage have changed significantly over the last several decades, and phrases associated with traditional and rigid concepts of relationships and gender roles might naturally feel outdated to the younger generations.

Cueball, on the other hand, isn't bothered as much by this implication as by the association with 2006 film ''{{w|Borat}}''. Borat, a fictional character from {{w|Kazakhstan}}, had a distinct, cringy way of saying [https://youtu.be/Zw16aew4Pt0 "my wife"], which has been frequently referenced, quoted, replayed and incorporated into memes ever since the film came out. Even though the film was released 20 years prior to this strip, Cueball can't get the reference out of his head when he uses the phrase.

The title text points out that the 20 years from the movie's release to the publication of this comic is longer than the 15 years from the {{w|dissolution of the Soviet Union}} to the movie (Kazakhstan was briefly the last-remaining member of the USSR). In contrast to [[Randall]]'s usual [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|attempts to make people feel old]], the title text claims that ''Borat'' actually seems '''older''' than it really is. The implication is that the memes have become so ubiquitous that they feel like they've been part of American culture for a very long time.

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball are talking, standing next to each other.]
:Megan: I still feel a little weird saying the phrase "my husband".
:Megan: It makes me feel so traditional, like a Victorian gossip.

:[Megan and Cueball still standing next to each other.]
:Cueball: Yeah, well, '''''my''''' plight isn’t much better.
:Megan: What do you mean?
:Cueball: What’s the most salient cultural reference for the phrase "my wife"?

:[In the 3rd panel, Cueball has his hands raised.]
:Megan: Ughhhh, true.
:Cueball: Even now, after two decades, when I speak of you I hear his voice, echoing through the halls of memory like a cringey ghost.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Movies]]
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]

3233: Make It Myself

2026-04-16T22:28:56Z

Tromag: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3233
| date = April 15, 2026
| title = Make It Myself
| image = make_it_myself_2x.png
| imagesize = 284x438px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's not as big a loss as it looks, because now I have leftover supplies, which will help me talk myself into doing this all over again with a new project!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created BY A BOT MADE WITH 20 MINUTES OF CODING, 30 MINUTES OF TROUBLESHOOTING, ANOTHER HOUR OF CODING, AND A SUBSCRIPTION TO CURSOR. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This strip lampoons people (commonly {{w|do it yourself|Do-It-Yourself enthusiasts}}) who scoff at the the price of manufactured goods, insisting that they build them for cheaper, only to end up spending more time and money than the product would cost in the first place.

In this case, [[Cueball]] appears to play the cliche straight, insisting that he could make an $80 product himself, using $10 worth of parts and an hour of work (which, for most people, would be financially advantageous). But he subverts this by immediately adding on additional costs and time commitments, before ultimately admitting that he'd ''also'' have to actually buy the product when his homemade one breaks. The joke comes from the fact that, rather than finishing the project and realizing he'd overextended himself, Cueball is predicting ways the project will go wrong, and seems determined to do it anyway.

When building something yourself, there may be only a relatively small amount of raw materials that are needed, and some people assume they can assemble them into a finished project in short order. However, once the project begins, additional expenses often pile up. More supplies might be needed, sometimes in small quantities, but you still have to purchase larger packages. Specific tools and equipment that you don't already have may be needed, and this may not be obvious at first, explaining the multiple trips to the hardware store. If errors are made during the assembly process, material may be ruined, requiring additional purchases. And projects often become more involved and take more time than originally expected. All together, Cueball calculates that he'll spend $60 and multiple hours trying to avoid paying $80 for the item, and that his homemade version will then break, requiring him to spend another $80 in addition to all that.

The title text justifies the money he spent, by pointing out that he has leftover supplies. If only part of the purchased supplies were needed, or of the supplies included tools, then he might not assign all the cost to one project, because they can be reused. However, his prediction about "start[ing] over with a new project" sounds ominous in light of the comic. If his DIY projects don't ultimately save money, than being encouraged to start another may not be beneficial.

This is a common source of tension in DIY projects. While the cost of manufactured projects are generally significantly higher than the cost of materials and labor to make them (due to costs of storage, overhead, transport, and profits for all the businesses involved), they also have the advantage of economies of scale, mass-manufacturing techniques and low-cost labor. For an individual to attempt to replicate that manufacturing process for a single item often involves additional costs, may not be worth the time that was spent, and may not be up to the quality standards of manufactured goods.

Of course, there are various reason why people might choose to do home projects, so such an analysis doesn't make those irrelevant, but if the primary purpose is financial, there may be other factors that need to be considered.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[Cueball and White Hat stand together looking at two boxes on the right side of the frame. Each box has labels saying "Sale" and "$80" on one of the visible sides of the box, and illegible text on the other visible side of the box. Cueball is holding his arms out toward the boxes.]

:Cueball: They want $80 for this?
:Cueball: I could make one myself for $10 in parts, an hour of work, a trip to the hardware store, another $30 in parts, another few hours of work, two more trips to the store for $20 more in parts, another hour to redo the first hour of work because I messed up, and $80 to buy this when the one I made breaks.
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category: Comics edited after their publication]]

3226: Home Solar

2026-04-16T14:01:03Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3226
| date = March 30, 2026
| title = Home Solar
| image = home_solar_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x258px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = "While I try to do my part to destroy the environment, I try not to focus too much on individual responsibility. By pushing for broad policy changes, we can collectively do far more damage to the biosphere than any of us could on our own."
}}

==Explanation==
This strip portrays [[Black Hat]] and [[Cueball]] discussing {{w|solar panel}}s that Black Hat has recently installed.

Photovoltaic solar panels generate electricity without the use of any fuel, and therefore produce no carbon dioxide or other emissions, and consume no resources, other than what's involved in the initial manufacture and installation. Individuals can install panels on their own roofs for their own use, and often are able to sell any excess back to the grid. This reduces the load on power plants, and therefore reduces emissions of CO2 and other pollutants. Importantly, this is a move that individuals can make to reduce their carbon footprint, rather than relying on governments or corporations to make changes (which can face a great deal of resistance).

Ever since photovoltaic panels became commercially available, people who are concerned about pollution have been encouraged to install them as a move toward environmental protection. The cost of such panels, however, was initially prohibitive, leading to many people ''wanting'' to install solar panels, but arguing that it didn't make financial sense to do so. Over the last few decades, however, [https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/solar-pv-prices the price of solar cells has fallen dramatically]. Depending on specific conditions (including weather factors, installation costs, local price of electricity, regulation, and government subsidies), home solar panels can often save money over their lifetime, when compared to the costs of grid power.

This strip plays on that, with Black Hat inverting the role of the traditional environmentalist. Being a [[72: Classhole|classhole]], Black Hat, isn't merely indifferent to environmental damage, he professes to "hate the environment" and tries to maximize his negative impact. Yet he installed solar panels because it "makes more financial sense". He expresses his desire to have an oil-burning furnace (a notoriously dirty source of home heat), but "the technology just isn't there and the costs are too high".

The joke is that, where environmentalists once felt they had to accept polluting power sources because alternative technologies like photovoltaics cost too much, the situation has flipped and the financials now often favor alternative power. This means that someone who was actively malicious toward the environment might find themselves reluctantly using cleaner technology, solely to save money.

In the last panel, he argues that he burns industrial waste in his yard "to make up for it." This is a play on the idea of {{w|Carbon offsets and credits|carbon ''offsets''}} and other programs that are intended to allow both people and companies to pay for programs that reduce carbon emissions and/or increase carbon capture. People sometimes argue that such credits allow them to reduce carbon emissions more cheaply than changing their own lifestyle, and so make more sense (though the effectiveness of such programs is subject to debate). Black Hat is sufficiently malicious that he feels the need to burn industrial waste, increasing air pollution with no benefits to anyone (even himself) to offset any accusations of environmental responsibility.

The title text continues this theme by reversing a standard argument about personal responsibility in tackling environmental issues. Many people argue that the effects of individual action are of limited effectiveness in protecting the environment, and we should focus more on broad changes to government and corporate policies that can make changes on a more fundamental level. Black Hat argues that the same is true for efforts to ''harm'' the biosphere.

This strip may also be a reference to recent high oil/gasoline prices, going up over 30% in the past two weeks prior to this comic's publication, overwhelmingly due to {{w|2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis|military activity}} disrupting fuel (and other) trading, and its knock-on effects globally. As with falling prices for solar cells, rising prices for fossil fuels shifts the calculation around energy prices, making it more likely that installing solar panels would be in someone's best financial interests.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat and Cueball stand next to a house with solar panels on the roof.]
:Cueball: Wait, you got solar panels?
:Cueball: I thought you were against renewables.

:[Zoom to show only Cueball and Black Hat.]
:Black Hat: Oh, definitely. I hate the environment and want to harm it as much as possible.
:Black Hat: I'd '''''love''''' to have an oil furnace.

:[Zoom in on Black Hat; only his head and shoulders are visible.]
:Black Hat: But the technology just isn't there and the cost is too high.
:Black Hat: I despise solar, but it makes more financial sense in my situation.

:[Zoom out to show Cueball and Black Hat again.]
:Black Hat: But with the money I'm saving, I can buy and burn industrial waste in my yard to try to make up for it.
:Cueball: Ah, yeah, carbon onsets.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

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

3226: Home Solar

2026-04-06T16:37:31Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3226
| date = March 30, 2026
| title = Home Solar
| image = home_solar_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x258px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = "While I try to do my part to destroy the environment, I try not to focus too much on individual responsibility. By pushing for broad policy changes, we can collectively do far more damage to the biosphere than any of us could on our own."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by HARMING THE ENVIRONMENT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This strip portrays [[Black Hat]] and [[Cueball]] discussing {{w|solar panel}}s that Black Hat has recently installed.

Photovoltaic solar panels generate electricity without the use of any fuel, and therefore produce no carbon dioxide or other emissions, and consume no resources, other than what's involved in the initial manufacture and installation. Individuals can install panels on their own roofs for their own use, and often are able to sell any excess back to the grid. This reduces the load on power plants, and therefore reduces emissions of CO2 and other pollutants. Importantly, this is a move that individuals can make to reduce their carbon footprint, rather than relying on governments or corporations to make changes (which can face a great deal of resistance).

Ever since photovoltaic panels became commercially available, people who are concerned about pollution have been encouraged to install them as a move toward environmental protection. The cost of such panels, however, was initially prohibitive, leading to many people ''wanting'' to install solar panels, but arguing that it didn't make financial sense to do so. Over the last few decades, however, [[https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/solar-pv-prices the price of solar cells has fallen dramatically]]. Depending on specific conditions (including weather factors, installation costs, local price of electricity, regulation, and government subsidies), home solar panels can often save money over their lifetime, when compared to the costs of grid power.

This strip plays on that, with Black Hat inverting the role of the traditional environmentalist. Being a [[72: Classhole|classhole]], Black Hat, isn't merely indifferent to environmental damage, he professes to "hate the environment" and tries to maximize his negative impact. Yet he installed solar panels because it "makes more financial sense". He expresses his desire to have an oil-burning furnace (a notoriously dirty source of home heat), but "the technology just isn't there and the costs are too high".

The joke is that, where environmentalists once felt they had to accept polluting power sources because alternative technologies like photovoltaics cost too much, the situation has flipped and the financials now often favor alternative power. This means that someone who was actively malicious toward the environment might find themselves reluctantly using cleaner technology, solely to save money.

In the last panel, he argues that he burns industrial waste in his yard "to make up for it." This is a play on the idea of {{w|Carbon offsets and credits|carbon ''offsets''}} and other programs that are intended to allow both people and companies to pay for programs that reduce carbon emissions and/or increase carbon capture. People sometimes argue that such credits allow them to reduce carbon emissions more cheaply than changing their own lifestyle, and so make more sense (though the effectiveness of such programs is subject to debate). Black Hat is sufficiently malicious that he feels the need to burn industrial waste, increasing air pollution with no benefits to anyone (even himself) to offset any accusations of environmental responsibility.

The title text continues this theme by reversing a standard argument about personal responsibility in tackling environmental issues. Many people argue that the effects of individual action are of limited effectiveness in protecting the environment, and we should focus more on broad changes to government and corporate policies that can make changes on a more fundamental level. Black Hat argues that the same is true for efforts to ''harm'' the biosphere.

This strip may also be a reference to recent high oil/gasoline prices, going up over 30% in the past two weeks prior to this comic's publication, overwhelmingly due to {{w|2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis|military activity}} disrupting fuel (and other) trading, and its knock-on effects globally. As with falling prices for solar cells, rising prices for fossil fuels shifts the calculation around energy prices, making it more likely that installing solar panels would be in someone's best financial interests.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat and Cueball stand next to a house with solar panels on the roof.]
:Cueball: Wait, you got solar panels?
:Cueball: I thought you were against renewables.

:[Zoom to show only Cueball and Black Hat.]
:Black Hat: Oh, definitely. I hate the environment and want to harm it as much as possible.
:Black Hat: I'd '''''love''''' to have an oil furnace.

:[Zoom in on Black Hat; only his head and shoulders are visible.]
:Black Hat: But the technology just isn't there and the cost is too high.
:Black Hat: I despise solar, but it makes more financial sense in my situation.

:[Zoom out to show Cueball and Black Hat again.]
:Black Hat: But with the money I'm saving, I can buy and burn industrial waste in my yard to try to make up for it.
:Cueball: Ah, yeah, carbon onsets.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

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

3226: Home Solar

2026-04-06T16:35:40Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3226
| date = March 30, 2026
| title = Home Solar
| image = home_solar_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x258px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = "While I try to do my part to destroy the environment, I try not to focus too much on individual responsibility. By pushing for broad policy changes, we can collectively do far more damage to the biosphere than any of us could on our own."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by HARMING THE ENVIRONMENT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This strip portrays [[Black Hat]] and [[Cueball]] discussing {{w|solar panel}}s that Black Hat has recently installed.

Photovoltaic solar panels generate electricity without the use of any fuel, and therefore produce no carbon dioxide or other emissions, and consume no resources, other than what's involved in the initial manufacture and installation. Individuals can install panels on their own roofs for their own use, and often are able to sell any excess back to the grid. This reduces the load on power plants, and therefore reduces emissions of CO2 and other pollutants. Importantly, this is a move that individuals can make to reduce their carbon footprint, rather than relying on governments or corporations to make changes (which can face a great deal of resistance).

Every since photovoltaic panels became commercially available, people who are concerned about pollution have been encouraged to install them as a move toward environmental protection. The cost of such panels, however, was initially prohibitive, leading to many people ''wanting'' to install solar panels, but arguing that it didn't make financial sense to do so. Over the last few decades, however, [[https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/solar-pv-prices the price of solar cells has fallen dramatically]]. Depending on specific conditions (including weather factors, installation costs, local price of electricity, regulation, and government subsidies), home solar panels can often save money over their lifetime, when compared to the costs of grid power.

This strip plays on that, with Black Hat inverting the role of the traditional environmentalist. Being a [[72: Classhole|classhole]], Black Hat, isn't merely indifferent to environmental damage, he professes to "hate the environment" and tries to maximize his negative impact. Yet he installed solar panels because it "makes more financial sense". He expresses his desire to have an oil-burning furnace (a notoriously dirty source of home heat), but "the technology just isn't there and the costs are too high".

The joke is that, where environmentalists once felt they had to accept polluting power sources because alternative technologies like photovoltaics cost too much, the situation has flipped and the financials now often favor alternative power. This means that someone who was actively malicious toward the environment might find themselves reluctantly using cleaner technology, solely to save money.

In the last panel, he argues that he burns industrial waste in his yard "to make up for it." This is a play on the idea of {{w|Carbon offsets and credits|carbon ''offsets''}} and other programs that are intended to allow both people and companies to pay for programs that reduce carbon emissions and/or increase carbon capture. People sometimes argue that such credits allow them to reduce carbon emissions more cheaply than changing their own lifestyle, and so make more sense (though the effectiveness of such programs is subject to debate). Black Hat is sufficiently malicious that he feels the need to burn industrial waste, increasing air pollution with no benefits to anyone (even himself) to offset any accusations of environmental responsibility.

The title text continues this theme by reversing a standard argument about personal responsibility in tackling environmental issues. Many people argue that the effects of individual action are of limited effectiveness in protecting the environment, and we should focus more on broad changes to government and corporate policies that can make changes on a more fundamental level. Black Hat argues that the same is true for efforts to ''harm'' the biosphere.

This strip may also be a reference to recent high oil/gasoline prices, going up over 30% in the past two weeks prior to this comic's publication, overwhelmingly due to {{w|2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis|military activity}} disrupting fuel (and other) trading, and its knock-on effects globally. As with falling prices for solar cells, rising prices for fossil fuels shifts the calculation around energy prices, making it more likely that installing solar panels would be in someone's best financial interests.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat and Cueball stand next to a house with solar panels on the roof.]
:Cueball: Wait, you got solar panels?
:Cueball: I thought you were against renewables.

:[Zoom to show only Cueball and Black Hat.]
:Black Hat: Oh, definitely. I hate the environment and want to harm it as much as possible.
:Black Hat: I'd '''''love''''' to have an oil furnace.

:[Zoom in on Black Hat; only his head and shoulders are visible.]
:Black Hat: But the technology just isn't there and the cost is too high.
:Black Hat: I despise solar, but it makes more financial sense in my situation.

:[Zoom out to show Cueball and Black Hat again.]
:Black Hat: But with the money I'm saving, I can buy and burn industrial waste in my yard to try to make up for it.
:Cueball: Ah, yeah, carbon onsets.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

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

3184: Funny Numbers

2026-02-09T13:50:44Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3184
| date = December 22, 2025
| title = Funny Numbers
| image = funny_numbers_2x.png
| imagesize = 360x453px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = In 1899, people were walking around shouting '23' at each other and laughing, and confused reporters were writing articles trying to figure out what it meant.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic refers to the recent meme {{w|6-7 meme|"6-7"}}, which is often accompanied by moving your hands up and down. This meme is often referenced in physical space, primarily among the younger generation, often to the great annoyance of their elders.

Like many youth trends, this habit is often looked down upon by adults, who may see it as anything from an irritating fad to a symptom of social and intellectual decay. This strip takes exactly the opposite tack, depicting a Mathematical Society (apparently composed entirely of adults) noting this trend with no hint of condemnation. Rather, their attitude seems indulgent and nostalgic. The strip references a long history of young people adopting specific numbers as slang, often for quasi-arbitrary reasons, and treats this latest meme as simply a continuation of that history. Seen from that perspective, the trend seems like something that the different generations have in common, with one researcher fondly saying that she's "glad they're still doing that". There's also the implication that the Mathematical Society would likely be full of people who love numbers, and so appreciate the fact that people are taking joy in numbers.

The numbers listed are:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Number!!Adopted!!class="unsortable"|Explanation
|-
|data-sort-value="23"|23 (skidoo!)||data-sort-value="1899"|around 1899||The number relates to leaving quickly (a suggestion to go away), for indeterminate reasons.
{{w|23 skidoo|It was a death row prisoner's number}} in a then-new stage play based on ''A Tale of Two Cities'' by Charles Dickens, but it's unclear whether that was the source of the slang. Soon after its coining, it was popularly combined with a term of similar use to become the phrase "{{w|23 skidoo}}".

23 gained some popularity again in the 1970s via the {{w|23 enigma}}, the suggestion that the number appears unusually often in significant contexts. This was first noticed by William S. Burroughs, and spread by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea's book ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy'', and by ''Principia Discordia''.
|-
|42||1978||A number made popular by {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}, a radio play and book by Douglas Adams.
These works include a plot where a supercomputer is designed to answer {{w|Phrases from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy#The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42|"the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything"}} and (after a great deal of calculation) reports that the answer is "forty-two" (the joke being that the answer is useless because we don't understand the question). This number became a reference among fans of the series, and passed into more common usage.
|-
|69||data-sort-value="1795"|1790s?||Refers to {{w|69 (sex position)|the act of mutual oral sex}}, because the two digits (identical but inversely rotated) are reminiscent of two people in that sexual position.
This usage dates back at least as far as the eighteenth century (though the act itself is far older). The earliest known use was in French: "faire soixante-neuf", and it passed into English usage in the 1880s. It's not clear when the number began to be commonly referenced by young people, though it was arguably gained particular popularity due to a reference in {{w|Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure}} (1989).
|-
|420||1971||This number (originally the time "4:20 pm", and later connected to April the 20th) has become {{w|420 (cannabis culture)|slang}} for smoking {{w|marijuana}}.
Randall previously made reference to this number in [[2153: Effects of High Altitude]]. Michigan's 2026 budget assumes the increased tax on marijuana will raise precisely $420 million for road repairs.
|-
|1,337||data-sort-value="1985"|1980s?||"{{w|Leet}}-speak" is a form of textual obfuscation using an alternative orthography (various character substitutions and phonetic shifts) to 'spell' words. This particular type of orthography initially became popular among young computer hackers ("leet" being slang for "elite" — i.e. the self-description of the in-group who are using this system).
"1337" is the usual way to represent the term "LEET" ("1" is commonly a lower-case "L", "3"s are often used as "E"s – see 58,008's calculator-speak examples – and "7" somewhat resembles a "T").
Randall has previously referred to 1337 in the [[:Category:1337|1337]] series and in [[1337: Hack]].
|-
|58,008||data-sort-value="1975"|1970s?||The number "58008" {{w|Calculator spelling|when typed into a seven-segment display and inverted}}, spells "BOOBS". There is also a longer version "5318008" which spells "BOOBIES". When calculators with these displays became common in schools in the 1980s, young people (particularly young men) took delight in this discovery, and in the fact that they could use an apparently inscrutable number as a salacious reference.
|-
|data-sort-value="67"|6 7||2025||{{w|6-7 meme|This meme}} originated from the song "Doot Doot" by Skrilla and quickly became an in-crowd joke, together with hand actions, among many young people.
The meme quickly became sufficiently divorced from its original meaning that even many people referencing it didn't know its origins, leading to many people seeing it as [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/67-meme fundamentally meaningless], though that hasn't stopped people from trying to assign a meaning to it.

{{w|At sixes and sevens}} is a possibly unrelated expression meaning a condition of confusion or disarray.
|}

The title text claims that the media reaction to "23-skiddoo" around the turn of the 20th century (''one'' of the oldest terms, ''possibly'' the first noted by the mathematicians of that day) was very similar to the current media reaction to "6 7". This highlights a perennial historical cycle of youth culture being confusing to the old; with the young generation growing old and, in turn, being confused by a new generation of youth culture.

Other cartoons featuring lists of symbolic numbers include [[487: Numerical Sex Positions]]. The trend of new manifestations of long-running phenomena being treated as signs of social decay is referenced in [[1227: The Pace of Modern Life]].

==Transcript==
:[A banner is hanging from the ceiling with a large line of text above a smaller one:]
:<big>Mathematical society</big>
:2025 meeting

:[Below the banner there are four people, three of them are standing close together to the left with Hairbun leftmost addressing Cueball and Megan who is looking at her. Ponytail is standing to the far right next to a whiteboard, and is using a marker to circle round the last of several items on the board.]
:Hairbun: Any other new developments from the year to cover before we wrap?
:Cueball: Oh, the teens picked a new funny number.
:Megan: Aww, I'm glad to hear they're still doing that.
:Ponytail: I'll add it to the list.

:[The board generally contains two columns of numbers, the first row having text after its number, thus across both columns. The last pair of digits is the new 'number' circled round by Ponytail. From top, in reading order, they are:]
:23 (skidoo!)
:42    1,337
:69    58,008
:420   6 7

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category: Math]]
[[Category: Language]]

3191: Superstition

2026-02-09T13:43:21Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3191
| date = January 7, 2026
| title = Superstition
| image = superstition_2x.png
| imagesize = 275x393px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's important to teach yourself to feel responsible for random events, because with great responsibility comes great power. That's what my wise Uncle Ben told me right before he died; he might still be alive today if only I'd said rabbit rabbit that year!
}}

==Explanation==

This comic references the {{w|superstition}}, which is known to have existed as far back as 1909, of saying "{{w|rabbit rabbit rabbit|rabbit rabbit}}" on the first day of a month in order to have good luck. There are many superstitions about actions that either cause bad luck (e.g. "step on a crack, break your mother's back", walking under a {{w|Ladder#Society and culture|ladder}}, breaking a {{w|List of bad luck signs|mirror}}, letting a {{w|Black cat#Superstition, folklore, bringer of good or bad luck|black cat}} cross your path) or protect against bad luck (e.g. carrying a {{w|rabbit's foot}}, {{w|Spilling salt|throwing salt over your shoulder}} after spilling some, {{w|knocking on wood}} after saying something).

When asked to explain what a superstition is, [[Cueball]] replies that they're "a way to train yourself to feel like any bad thing that happens is your fault". This suggests that, not only does [[Cueball]] not actually believe in the power of superstitions, but sees them as psychologically harmful. After all, believing that bad fortune can be prevented by taking certain actions implies that any bad outcome might have been prevented if you'd taken the right actions. Logically, of course, there's no connection between taking superstitious actions and bad things (or for that matter, good things) that subsequently happen, but superstitions condition us to believe that there is a connection. What's worse, there are so many different superstitions, across so many different cultures, that even keeping track of them, let alone following all of them, is wildly unrealistic, so there's always something you did, or failed to do, on which you can blame any bad outcome. The danger is that a person might personally blame themselves for things that they had no actual control over at all.

The title text refers to the {{w|Spider-Man}} mythology, in which (in most versions) Peter Parker's "{{w|Uncle Ben}}" famously tells him that "with great power comes great responsibility". Peter initially takes fails to take this lesson to heart, as he receives his superpowers but fails to stop a criminal when he has the chance, and his Uncle Ben dies as a result. This experience leads to his determination to use his powers to help others, and Uncle Ben's advice becomes something of a mantra for him thereafter.

This text flips that message, claiming that Uncle Ben instead told him that "with responsibility comes great power". This inverts the actual lesson, and suggests that, by simply taking responsibility (even for things over which you have no control), you'll gain power over the outcomes. This is a pretty good summary of what superstitions teach, but can't really be justified rationally. Nonetheless, Cueball appears to believe this lesson, claiming that his uncle died after he failed to say "rabbit rabbit", and implied that [[552: Correlation|the death, therefore, could have been prevented if he'd followed the superstition.]] In this version of the story, it's not clear whether Peter actually had no opportunity to prevent his uncle's death, and is effectively looking for ways to blame himself, or whether he ''could'' have taken real action, but chooses to focus on superstition, rather than ways in which he could have made a real difference.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Blondie, Cueball and a child (Hairy) are walking from left to right. The child is turning towards Cueball.]
:Cueball: Oops, I forgot to say "rabbit rabbit" on January first!
:Hairy: Why do you do that?
:Cueball: Just a superstition.
:Hairy: What's a superstition?
:Cueball: It's a way to train yourself to feel like any bad thing that happens is your fault.

==Trivia==

* On January 7th, 2026, both the 1x and 2x version of this comic had no anti-aliasing applied (1-bit black and white). It was fixed later that day.
* Mentioning "rabbits" is also considered ''bad'' luck {{w|Isle of Portland#Rabbits|in some traditions}}.
* The [[header text]] briefly disappeared when this comic was released.
* Coincidentally, the day this comic was released, Minecraft, a video game Randall has played, released new textures and animations for rabbits and baby rabbits. These updates make them look almost as cute as Randall thinks they are!
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]]

2635: Superintelligent AIs

2026-02-06T17:14:37Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 2635
| date = June 20, 2022
| title = Superintelligent AIs
| image = superintelligent_ais.png
| titletext = Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they should, they didn't stop to think if they could.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Artificial intelligence}} is a [[:Category:Artificial Intelligence|recurring theme]] on [[xkcd]]. Superintelligent {{w|artificial intelligence|AI}}, such as has been theorized to arise under a hypothetical "{{w|Technological singularity|singularity}}" situation, is said to be a new kind of {{w|artificial general intelligence}}. [[Randall]], however, proposes a qualification: that a superintelligent AI would likely have been programmed by human AI researchers, and therefore their characteristics would be molded by the researchers that created them. And as AI researchers tend to be interested in esoteric philosophical questions about {{w|consciousness}},{{citation needed}} moral reasoning, and qualifications indicating {{w|sapience}}, there is reason to suspect that AIs created by such researchers would have similar interests.

In this comic we see [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] surrounded by three AIs who are seemingly only interested in classic problems and thought experiments about programming and ethics. The three topics being espoused by the AIs are:

*{{w|AI box}} — A thought-experiment in which an AI is confined to a computer system which is fully isolated from any external networks, with no access to the world outside the computer, other than communication with its handlers. In theory, this would keep the AI under total control, but the argument is that a sufficiently intelligent AI would inevitably either convince or trick its human handlers into giving it access to external networks, allowing it to grow out of control (see [[1450: AI-Box Experiment]]). Part of the joke is the AIs in the comic aren't 'in boxes', they appear to be able to freely travel and interact, but one of them is still talking about the thought experiment anyway, adding to the implication that it is not thinking at all about itself but of a separate (thought?) experiment that it has itself decided to study. The AI box thought experiment is based in part on {{w|John Searle}}'s much earlier {{w|Chinese room}} argument.

*{{w|Turing test}} — An experiment in which a human converses with either an AI or another human (presumably over text) and attempts to distinguish between the two. Various AIs have been proposed to have 'passed' the test, which has provoked controversy over whether the test is rigorous or even meaningful. The AI in the center is proposing to educate the listener(s) on its understanding of Turing's intentions, which may demonstrate a degree of intelligence and comprehension indistinguishable or superior to that of a human. See also [[329: Turing Test]] and [[2556: Turing Complete]] (the latter's title is mentioned in [[505: A Bunch of Rocks]]). Turing is also mentioned in [[205: Candy Button Paper]], [[1678: Recent Searches]], [[1707: xkcd Phone 4]], [[1833: Code Quality 3]], [[2453: Excel Lambda]] and the title text of [[1223: Dwarf Fortress]].

*{{w|Trolley problem}} — A thought-experiment intended to explore the means by which humans judge moral value of actions and consequences. The classic formulation is that a runaway trolley is about to hit five people on a track. The only way to save them is to divert the trolley onto another track, where it will hit one person. The subject is asked whether they would consider it morally right to divert the trolley. There are many variants on this problem, adjusting the circumstances, the number and nature of the people at risk, the responsibility of the subject, etc., in order to fully explore ''why'' you would make the decision that you make. This problem is frequently discussed in connection with AI, both to investigate their capacity for moral reasoning, and for practical reasons (for example, if an autonomous car had to choose between, on the one hand, having an occupant-threatening collision or, on the other, putting pedestrians into harms' way). The AI on the right is not just trying to answer the question, but to develop a new variant (one with three tracks, apparently), presumably to test others with. This problem is mentioned in [[1455: Trolley Problem]], [[1938: Meltdown and Spectre]] and in [[1925: Self-Driving Car Milestones]]. It is also referenced in [[2175: Flag Interpretation]] and [[2348: Boat Puzzle]], but not directly mentioned.

The title text is a reference to the movie ''{{w|Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park}}'' (a childhood favorite of Randall's). In the movie the character Dr. Ian Malcolm, a mathematician focused on chaos theory and played by Jeff Goldblum, criticizes the creation of modern dinosaurs as science run amok, without sufficient concern for ethics or consequences. He states that the scientists were so obsessed with whether or not they '''could''' accomplish their goals, that they didn't stop to ask if they '''should'''. Randall inverts the quote, suggesting that the AI programmers have invested too much time arguing over the ethics of creating AI rather than trying to actually accomplish it.

This comic may have been inspired by the [https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-61784011 recent claim by Google engineer Blake Lemoine] that Google's [https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.08239 Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA)] is {{w|sentient}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan are standing and looking up and away from each other. Right above them and slightly above them to the left and right there are three small white lumps floating in the air, representing three superintelligent AIs. There are small rounded lines emanating from each lump, larger close to the lumps and shorter further out. Three to four sets of lines around each lump, forming part of a circle. From the top of each there are four straight lines indicating voices that comes from each if the lumps. The central lump above them seems to speak first, then the left and then the right:]
:Central AI: What you don't understand is that Turing intended his test as an illustration of the...
:Left AI: But suppose the AI in the the box told the human that...
:Right AI: In my scenario, the runaway trolley has ''three'' tracks...

:[Caption below the panel:]
:In retrospect, given that the superintelligent AIs were all created by AI researchers, what happened shouldn't have been a surprise.

==Trivia==
[https://openai.com OpenAI]'s [https://beta.openai.com/playground Davinci-002 version of GPT-3] was later asked to complete the various statements, as follows:
* "But suppose the AI in the the box told the human that..." was completed with "there was no AI in the box".
* "What you don't understand is that Turing intended his test as an illustration of the..." gave the response of "limitations of machines".
* "In my scenario, the runaway trolley has three tracks...," elicited "and the AI is on one of them".

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]

2626: d65536

2026-02-06T17:09:16Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 2626
| date = May 30, 2022
| title = d65536
| image = d65536.png
| titletext = They're robust against quantum attacks because it's hard to make a quantum system that large.
}}

==Explanation==
In binary computing, 16 bit unsigned numbers range from 0 to 65535, for a total of 65536 unique numbers, a number which is hence well-known to software engineers. Generating large numbers in a manner that is truly random is a recurring problem in cryptography, required to send private messages to another party. People today still use dierolls to generate private random numbers.

In role-playing games (and occasionally in other tabletop games), multiple shapes of dice are often used to generate random numbers in specific ranges. By convention, these are referred to as d''n'' according to their number of faces. A traditional six-faced die would be a d6, and many popular pen-and-paper role-playing games use dice ranging between d4 and d20. While {{w|Zocchihedron|d100s}} and other large-numbered dice do exist, most people consider them to be impractical: they need to be either impractically large or have very small faces (resulting in small print for the numbers), they're close enough to being spheres that it's difficult to get them into a stable resting position, and even if they are stationary, determining which face is "on top" is difficult to do by eye. Consequently, numbers higher than 20 are usually generated by rolling multiple smaller dice. For example, rolling two d10s together will generate a number up to 100 (with one die providing each digit)

Here, Cueball has constructed a d65536 for generating random 16 bit numbers. It may have solved the problem of generating large random numbers with fewer die rolls, but it magnifies all of the problems with large-numbered dice to ludicrous extremes. In order for the faces to be readable, the die is ridiculously huge, dwarfing the human standing next to it. Rolling such a die is not only physically challenging, but it would also need a huge space in which to roll if the result is to be random, and that space would need to have an extremely flat and rigid surface in order for the die to come to rest. And even if those problems were solved, simply getting to a vantage point to see the top of the die would be a major challenge, and determining which number was truly on top would be near impossible to do by eye. If one really wished to use dice, it would be much easier to simply use multiple dice rolls. For instance, one could roll eight d4 dice (or use 16 coin flips), and convert the result into binary.

The closest regular shape similar to the depicted in the comic could be a {{w|Goldberg polyhedron}}. However, no such polyhedron exists with exactly 65536 hexagonal faces. The closest Goldberg Polyhedron has a mixture of 65520 hexagons and 12 pentagons, totaling 65532 faces. It is possible to construct a fair die without a matching regular shape by limiting the sides which it could land on and designing those sides to be fair (for instance, a prism with rectangular facets that extend its entire length, and rounded ends to ensure it doesn't balance on end).

The title text references how cryptographic systems (especially RSA and other factoring-is-hard based systems) are vulnerable to quantum attacks as quantum computing technology develops. The title text is essentially punning on the idea of a "large" quantum system. "Large" in the quantum computing sense would be on the order of 64 qubits, each of which would be an atom or two at most. This would still be microscopic and will never be as large as the giant die the comic is centered on; but for a well-observed environment and human rolling without sufficient entropy (consider somebody obsessed with a certain number dropping the die on something soft), a conventional computer could predict some rolls. See also [[538: Security]] ([[Nate Silver|no, not that one]]) for non-mathematical paths of cryptography.

Since 65536 is 2^16, if for some reason you must simulate a D65536 using nothing but D&D dice, the most efficient method is to roll a D8 4 times and roll a D4 twice (2^(3×4) · 2^(2×2)), or roll a D8 5 times and toss a coin (2^(3×5) × 2).

==Transcript==
:[A large sphere with a several lines, and in some places grids, are shown. Cueball, standing next to it, is dwarfed by its size, as it is at least seven times as tall as he is. The sphere has many lines following various great circles or parallel lesser circles around the curve of the sphere, and some patches of cross hatching to suggest further texturing along these lines hovering just below the degree of most of the illustrative detailing. The lines and grids cover the sphere in three layers of parallel axes, angled sixty degrees from each other, implying a huge mesh of equilateral triangles or hexagons. In the top right part of the ball is a black circle. An arrow points to this circle, and the end of the arrow goes to a larger circle that partly obscures the rightmost part of the sphere. The circle shows a zoom in on the surface in the black circle on the sphere. The zoom shows a small portion of the sphere's surface, showing that the grid comes along because the sphere is divided into elongated hexagonal faces with numbers up to at least five-digits. Seven numbers can be fully seen, but there are nine other faces partly shown, five of these with part of their numbers visible, one of these clearly only have four digits. One of the empty faces must also have a number with only 1-3 digits, as no numbers are visible although a significant part of the face is visible.]

:[Here follows the numbers in the zoomed in part of the sphere, with "..." represents numbers being cut off. The numbers are read in lines left to right, even though the numbers are tilted from down towards the right, which could have suggested a different reading order.]
:30827
:16[bottom part of a cut-off line][small cut-off circle]
:...38
:11875
:25444
:...[top part of a cut-off line]5
:12082
:28525
:3 [left part of a cut-off line]...
:13359
:13874
:[Two cut-off lines, likely the start of the number 2]...

:[Caption below the image:]
:The hardest part of securely generating random 16-bit numbers is rolling the d65536.

==Trivia==
*If a real d65536 were constructed with each number having an equal area and each printed in 12 point font, the resulting die would be about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in diameter, which isn't several times the size of a person as the comic suggests, but is still large enough to be hilariously inconvenient. If it were made out of standard acrylic, and not hollow, it would weigh about 2 tons (1700kg).
*This die would have a 0.00001526 chance of rolling a natural one (or any other number).
*There are seven 16-bit numbers fully visible in the picture: 30827, 25444, 11875, 28525, 12082, 13874 and 13359. [https://dotnetfiddle.net/fjLYZe They conceal a message.] If these numbers are split big-endian into two 8-bit ASCII characters each, the result is <code>xkcd.com/2624/</code>. For example, converting the first number 30,827 to hexadecimal (in which a four digit number covers exactly 65,536 different values) converts to a hex value of 786B. Splitting this into 78 and 6B, these are the hex ASCII codes for "x" and "k" respectively.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Cryptography]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Binary]]
[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons]]

2618: Selection Bias

2026-02-06T16:58:13Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 2618
| date = May 11, 2022
| title = Selection Bias
| image = selection_bias.png
| titletext = We carefully sampled the general population and found that most people are familiar with acquiescence bias.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Blondie]] is [[:Category:Public speaking|giving a talk]] at the conference "Statistics Conference 2022." She asks for a show of hands from those attending the conference on whether they are familiar with {{w|selection bias}}. Most or all of the audience appears to raise their hands, leading her to conclude that most people are therefore aware of what selection bias is.

{{w|Selection bias}} is when you gather data in such a way that it's not representative of the whole body of data. This is commonly seen when gathering data from surveys or population studies, but your sample is skewed by the way you select the people to survey. For example, if a survey asked people how many acres of land they owned, and was conducted in a rural area, it's likely that more respondents would be farmers, and would therefore own more land, than would be true in the national population as a whole. In consequence, you might conclude that the average person owns far more land than they actually do.

The joke is that this speaker falling into the very error she's trying to explain. A statistics conference is likely to have an audience consisting of professional statisticians, or at least people interested in the subject, and it is expected that most of them would thus be familiar with any mainstream statistical term, like selection bias. Had she asked a random sample of people in the street, many of them would likely not be sure what selection bias is. Blondie might have reasonably concluded that most ''statisticians'' are familiar with selection bias, but instead she concludes that most people, in general, have heard of it. This effect is also the subject of [[2357: Polls vs the Street]].

This joke also ties into how statistics as a whole can be highly counter-intuitive and sometimes almost paradoxical, leading many people (including experts, sometimes) to make errors. It may also be a take on experts who spend so much time with other experts that they lose perspective on what people outside their field actually know (a similar joke was made in [[2501: Average Familiarity]]). Putting it together, the irony is that this kind of selection bias is so common among experts that even expert statisticians (who should clearly know better) might fall into it.

The title text refers to {{w|Acquiescence bias}}, which is the tendency of people to respond positively to positive questions, for example, "Are you familiar with the famous webcomic {{xkcd}}?" is more likely to generate the answer yes than "Are you familiar with that webcomic for engineers that nobody else understands until they go to [[Main_Page|Explain xkcd]]?" Acquiescence bias is not a widely known concept,{{citation needed}} making the results of this poll suspect; similar to the selection bias example above, the reason that the general public seems familiar with acquiescence bias may be because the surveyor themself fell victim to promoting acquiescence bias.

==Transcript==
:[Blondie is standing on a podium behind a lectern with a microphone. She is standing under a hanging sign with large text. In front of the podium is an audience of five seated persons all with their hands raised above their heads. The audience includes two guys that look like Cueball, Hairbun, and two other persons with dark and blonde hair.]
:Sign: Statistics Conference 2022
:Blondie: Raise your hand if you’re familiar with selection bias.
:Blondie: As you can see, it’s a term most people know...

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Public speaking]]
[[Category:Statistics]]
[[Category:Cognitive Bias]]

2603: Childhood Toys

2026-02-06T16:40:27Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 2603
| date = April 6, 2022
| title = Childhood Toys
| image = childhood_toys.png
| titletext = The rope keeps breaking, I'm covered in bruises and scrapes, and I've barely reached the end of my driveway, but I don't care--I'm determined to become the first person to commute to work by tetherball.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic shows various devices, described as "childhood toys" ranked by how practical they would be for long-distance transportation. The degree to which this can be defined as "toys" varies, as some of them are designed for practical functions and commonly designed for adults, but all of them have at least versions that are designed for play rather than transport.

The "Practical" panel shows objects designed for convenient transportation, namely {{w|bicycles}} and {{w|Motorized_scooter|electric scooters}}. Bicycles are among the most efficient methods of human-powered transportation and can move people significant distances more quickly than someone could walk. Bicycles were originally designed as a form of transport, and remain an important way for many people to get around, but children also frequently learn to ride them from early on. Electric scooters are the only item on this list which are not human-powered, being driven by electric motors and powered by batteries. Non-powered scooters are generally only intended for children, but electric versions can go fast enough, with enough range, that they can be practical for urban transit, and are sometimes used for this purpose.

The "Less Practical" panel has objects designed to for some form of transportation, but generally aren't intended to go significant distances. {{w|Skateboards}} and {{w|roller skates}}, use more energy than something like a bicycle, and are less stable, particularly while carrying objects. They are occasionally used for travel, but not widely. {{w|Big Wheel (tricycle)|Big Wheels}} and {{w|unicycles}} (shown in the panel) are similar to bicycles, but with major downsides and no real advantages.

In the "Impractical" panel are objects that can be used to move people and cargo, but are ''very much not'' designed to move significant distances. {{w|Stilts}} are long poles that one stands on to extend their legs; while they increase the user's stride length, they also dramatically reduce stability, making it very dangerous to move at a rapid pace. A {{w|jump rope}} is a rope that the user swings around their body while they jump over it whenever the rope passes below their feet; it doesn't actually provide any transportation by itself, the user is simply hopping to their destination, which would be both slower and more tiring than just walking. A {{w|toy wagon|wagon}} has no propulsion of its own, it has to be pulled by hand, which means the person would need to walk anyway (though it might help them to carry a small amount of cargo. A {{w|Pogo stick}} is a pole with a spring at the bottom and a platform for standing on. You can bounce forward on such a stick, but progress would be slow, and the process would be very tiring.

The "Very Impractical" panel has objects which aren't designed to move people at all. {{w|Slip_%27N_Slide|Slip 'N Slides}} (shown in the panel) are effectively plastic sheets that are covered with water so people can slide on them. Even if you had a long enough slide to reach all the way to your destination, you'd have to go exclusively downhill or repeatedly stand up and push your way along the sheet. {{w|Trampolines}} and {{w|Tire swing|Tire swings}} are designed for motion in a specifically restricted area. Setting up a chain of either (or both) all the way to your destination could ''theoretically'' allow you to jump from one to the next, but such wouldn't be realistic . {{w|Hot Wheels}} cars are toys that are ''far'' to small for a person to fit into or on top of, and therefore useless for transportation.

The title text refers to {{w|tetherball}}, a game found in many playgrounds where a ball is attached to a pole by a long rope. This game doesn't move people in any sense, only the ball moves, and its movements are tightly restricted by its tether. It's possible that he is swinging from the rope and letting go (which would explain the bruises and scrapes, as well as the torn rope), but there is no ''remotely'' practical way to use this to commute.{{citation needed}}

==Transcript==
:[Title:] Childhood Toys
:[Subtitle:] By Practicality for Commuting

:[Caption of the first box:] Practical
*Bicycle
*Electric Scooter
:[Cueball, wearing a helmet, drives by on an electric scooter, passing another Cueball and Hairbun, who is holding a briefcase.]
:Scooter Cueball: Hi, boss!

:[Caption of the second box:] Less Practical
*Skateboard
*Roller Skates
*Big Wheel
*Unicycle
:[Ponytail rides by White Hat on a unicycle.]
:Ponytail: Good Morning!

:[Caption of the third box:] Impractical
*Stilts
*Jump Rope
*Wagon
*Pogo Stick
:[Cueball bounces past Megan on a pogo stick.]
:Pogo Stick: Boing boing
:Cueball: How's it going?

:[Caption of the fourth box:] Very Impractical
*Trampoline
*Tire Swing
*Hot Wheels
*Slip 'N Slide
:[Cueball slides past Hairy(?) on a Slip 'N Slide.]
:Cueball: Wheeeee
:Cueball: Hi Boss!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Stilts]]
[[Category:Skateboard]]

2741: Wish Interpretation

2026-02-05T16:24:52Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 2741
| date = February 22, 2023
| title = Wish Interpretation
| image = wish_interpretation_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x288px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = "I wish for everything in the world. All the people, money, trees, etc." "Are you SURE you--" "And I want you to put it in my house."
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic [[Black Hat]] has found a lamp with a {{w|Genie (Disney)|magical genie}} inside. This genie will only fulfill one wish (not the standard three) and warns that it will twist the wish to teach him a lesson...

In stories where wishing can come true by magical means, a common cliché is that the wisher will make a wish (for greater or lesser personal gain) but the entity who grants it will {{tvtropes|LiteralGenie|inadvertently}} (or {{tvtropes|JackassGenie|'inadvertently'}}) fulfill the exact wording, either in a way that the wisher did not intend, or carrying consequences they didn't foresee. Such stories are generally intended as morality tales, warning against both greed and the dangers of wielding power without careful consideration. The wish-granter is not always represented as deliberately obtuse or malicious, but may merely be a naive and uncritical servant of the wish-granting process. A wish for money, for example, might be 'easiest' to accomplish by suddenly being the recipient of a loved-one's {{w|life insurance}} rather than the rather less upsetting{{cn}} scenario of finding that they possess a winning lottery ticket. In the comic, however, this genie is perfectly self-aware of the part he will play in creatively misapplying the wish, and even goes so far as to forewarn the wisher – maybe a deliberate ploy to have wishers take a moment to think and tone down their more spontaneous demands.

However, as is characteristic for him, Black Hat has no concern for the wider negative effects, and immediately wishes for rain to no longer happen, perpetually, for the apparent trivial reason of merely saving him the need to carry an umbrella. The {{w|Water cycle|consequences}} of this drastic change to the weather (no matter by which method it is accomplished) would plainly be very bad, as Black Hat is almost certainly fully aware. The genie realizes that there is very little 'good' idea for him to twist into a bad one, and that Black Hat will be peculiarly unreceptive to being 'taught a moral lesson'. Especially compared to the utter devastation that the granted wish ''will'' cause to the rest of the non-wishing world, which the genie might be reluctant to enact.

When the genie objects, Black Hat agrees to switch his wish to "give me what I deserve". This kind of phrase is very commonly used in such tales as a form of false assurance. Typically, the person making the wish assumes that they deserve everything they want, when it's assumed that what they deserve is punishment. Asking for "what's coming to me" is in the same vein, and sounds even more foreboding. Black Hat, however, is smart and cynical enough to have no illusions about what he deserves, and is presumably fully aware of the potential consequences, and just doesn't care.

This attitude seems to throw the genie for a loop, as openly asking for bad consequences clearly lies outside his experience and expectations, and Black Hat leaning into the bad consequences leaves no room for a twist ending or a moral lesson. Clearly outclassed in his attempt to establish his ability to cause problems, or perhaps out of pity for Black Hat's self-destructive wishes, the genie gets frustrated and and just offers $20 to end the encounter. This is a relatively trivial amount of money (particularly in relation to the kinds of things he ''could'' grant), but is enough to qualify as a good outcome, rather than a punishment. The implication is that the genie just doesn't want to deal with Black Hat and would rather grant him a small victory and leave.

In the title text, the wisher (possibly still Black Hat) wishes for everything in the world. This is itself a not unknown "bad wish" that would be creatively twisted into a bad consequence for the necessary narrative reasons (for example, ownership of everything in the world might come with inconvenient or even impossible responsibilities). The wish continues, however, and explicitly asks that all of this be put into their house. This is impossible for two reasons: First, everything wouldn't fit in their house unless it was made extremely dense, beyond the point of usefulness (and - depending on density and size of Black Hat's house - could result in said "everything" turning into black hole); second, it causes an infinite recursion, since their house is something in the world, so it would have to be put inside itself. Trying to grant this wish would likely also frustrate the genie, and certainly not allow them their usual scope of a personal (and proportional) educational twist.

Black Hat has been seen experimenting with the rules for wishing before, in [[1086: Eyelash Wish Log]].

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat is holding a genie lamp in his hands. A genie has appeared from the end of the lamp. The genie is depicted as a turbanless Cueball-like figure floating without a lower body, having a puff of smoke in place of his legs.]
:Genie: I will grant you one wish.
:Genie: But beware, for I will twist the meaning of your words to teach you a lesson!

:[Black Hat holds the lamp to his side. The genie has his arms crossed.]
:Black Hat: Gotcha! Hmm.
:Black Hat: I'm tired of carrying an umbrella. I wish it never rained again.

:[Close-up on the genie.]
:Genie: ...Okay.
:Genie: I'm supposed to twist your words to teach you a lesson, but that actually sounds very straightforwardly bad.
:Genie: Can you maybe try again?

:[Zoom back to Black Hat and the genie.]
:Black Hat: Fine. Just give me what I deserve.
:Genie: Oh my god. Have you read '''''any''''' stories about wishes?
:Black Hat: Come on! I want to get what's coming to me.
:Genie: Listen, I'm just gonna give you $20 and call this even.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Genie]]

2191: Conference Question

2026-02-05T16:08:24Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 2191
| date = August 19, 2019
| title = Conference Question
| image = conference_question.png
| titletext = I also have an utterance. Less of an utterance and more of an incantation. Less of an incantation and more of a malediction. Less of a malediction and more of a Word of Power. Less of a Word of Power and more of an Unforgivable Curse.
}}

==Explanation==
Frequently, at conferences or other events where speakers address a crowd, members of the audience are given the chance to ask questions. This is intended so that people can perhaps ask the speaker to elaborate on a point they've made, or to ask the speaker's opinion on a topic related to their talk.

Occasionally, people at such an event will use (or, rather, abuse) the opportunity to ask a question to instead provide their own (unsolicited) opinion or statement. Such statements are often preceded with something along the lines of "I have a question. Well, less of a question and more of a comment." This is generally considered a breach in etiquette, as it effectively represents an audience member trying to seize time and attention away from the speaker for their own ends.

In the comic, this idea is taken to an extreme, with [[Beret Guy]] not only transforming the opportunity to ask a question into an opportunity to make a statement through successive rephrasing, turning this into an opportunity to show off a bug he has found. This is accomplished by using a multitude of synonyms in a ''continuum'' of relatable word pairs, except near the last: "question" and "comment" are similar, as are "comment" and "utterance", but the extremes, the difference between the first and the last in the entire set (in this case "question" and "friendly bug") is profound. In a way, this segue is meant to be similar to how, in the lines of a color spectrum, red fades into yellow: gradually, and with no abrupt transitions in color ({{wiktionary|your_mileage_may_vary|YMMV}}: {{w|Color Graphics Adapter|CGA}} versus {{w|4K resolution|4K}}).

:'''Question.''' A {{w|question}} is what the crowd member is expected to provide, such that the speaker or a panel member could provide a related answer.

:'''Comment.''' A {{w|Topic and comment|comment}} by a crowd member, is when they just say something they believe, without expecting an answer, giving the speaker or panel members nothing to do. This may be seen as annoying by everyone else, as the crowd did not come to hear the opinion of other crowd members. But answers to relevant questions would be interesting to the crowd and the panel.

:'''Utterance.''' An {{w|utterance}} is just making a noise, which may or may not be actual words, or if actual words it may not be a complete sentence.

:'''Air Pressure Wave.''' {{w|Sounds}} are literally pressure waves in the air. So this could be a simple sound, or not a sound at all depending on the severity of the wave. It might be the person simply blowing.

:'''Friendly Hand Wave.''' Now instead of using his mouth to generate an air pressure wave, he's producing it with his hand, in a manner intended to be interpreted as "friendly". Many times hand waves are done in a friendly manner, designed more for the visual appeal than the amount of air pressure waves they generate.

:'''Friendly Bug.''' Now he is no longer doing anything himself, except to point out the fact that he has found a bug or {{w|insect}}, which he {{w|anthropomorphizes}} as being friendly.

:'''Want to meet it?''' He has decided that he and the friendly bug are actual friends and ironically comes full circle by finally asking a question, though presumably whether the speaker wants to meet a bug is not related to the topic of the speaker's talk.

The title text takes the opposite route of Beret Guy, and each step instead refers to successively worse forms of magic spells that would, presumably, have a negative effect upon the listener. There is a [[Black Hat|certain xkcd character]] that is likely to do this. Starting from a mere utterance and then using Beret Guy's "it is less than" scheme, it progresses over worse and worse curses, ending with an unforgivable curse!

:'''Utterance.''' It begins with "utterance", which was also used by Beret Guy. See above.

:'''Incantation.''' {{w|Incantation}}, or a spell, is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. It is not necessarily with evil intent.

:'''Malediction.''' A malediction is another word for {{w|curse}} (the prefix "mal" being a Latin root meaning "evil"). This is always with evil intent.

:'''Word of Power.''' "Word of Power" could refer to the dragonish form of magic in ''{{w|The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim}},'' or the [https://dungeonsdragons.fandom.com/wiki/Power_word early 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons high level spells].

:'''Unforgivable Curse.''' The term "{{w|Magic_in_Harry_Potter#Unforgivable_Curses|Unforgivable Curse}}" refers to a set of three spells from the {{w|Harry Potter}} series, said to be so evil that their use on another person is unforgivable and illegal. The three spells are able to mind control (''Imperius''), torture (''Cruciatus''), and kill (''Avada Kedavra'') their target. It is unclear which spell is implied, though if it was accurate to call it a singular word of power, it is unlikely to be the killing curse.

The title text can be interpreted as a reply by [[Hairy]] (the speaker) to Beret Guy, indicating his annoyance at the topic being derailed. It could also be representative of [[Randall|Randall's]] feelings towards those who abuse the opportunity to ask a question in order to make a statement. Randall has recently done some book tours and was at {{w|San Diego Comic-Con}} [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/07/15/san-diego-comic-con/ last month] where he served on various panels, so he probably has had personal first-hand experience with these kinds of circuitous non-questions.

==Transcript==
:[Hairy stands on a podium having just addressed a crowd of seated people. Beret Guy stands in the middle of the crowd, addressing Hairy. One of Beret Guy's hands is raised at chest height. The front row consists of Cueball, Ponytail, another Hairy, Megan, Hairbun, Danish and another Cueball.]

:Beret Guy: I have a question.
:Beret Guy: Well, less of a question and more of a comment.
:Beret Guy: I guess it's less of a comment and more of an utterance
:Beret Guy: Really it's less an utterance, more an air pressure wave.
:Beret Guy: It's less an air pressure wave and more a friendly hand wave.
:Beret Guy: I guess it's less a friendly wave than it is a friendly bug.
:Beret Guy: I found this bug and now we're friends. Do you want to meet it?

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Public speaking]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Harry Potter]]

2188: E Scooters

2026-02-05T16:03:42Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 2188
| date = August 12, 2019
| title = E Scooters
| image = e_scooters.png
| titletext = Obviously battery technology and prices have driven a lot of the scooter explosion, but I feel like Dean Kamen must be at least a little grumpy about how much people laughed at the idea of the Segway.
}}

==Explanation==
At the time of publishing, {{w|motorized scooter}}s or e-scooters were very popular, especially with the rise of ride-share companies such as {{w|Lime (transportation company)|Lime}} and {{w|Bird (company)|Bird}} that use apps allowing users to rent the scooters by the minute.

[[Cueball]] drives up to White Hat on his e-scooter. White Hat asks him for his thoughts on the scooter; he is interested as he has heard so much about them. However, instead of just waiting to hear Cueball's response, White Hat then goes on to list four opinions he has heard other people say about e-scooters:

#Are they impractical and unsafe toys?
#Or a last-mile transit revolution?
#A low-carbon car replacement?
#Or Silicon Valley sidewalk clutter?

When White Hat finally stops talking, Cueball tells him that he has given this a lot of thought and says he will give him his opinion on e-scooters. But instead of choosing an opinion from White Hat's list, or any logical opinion at all for that matter, Cueball starts making engine/vehicle sounds. This may indicate he doesn't care about any of White Hat's complicated opinions and is just excited about the fun of riding an e-scooter. In the last panel Cueball also makes "pew pew pew" sounds and other sounds from shooter-type video games, perhaps indicating that for him, riding a scooter is akin to the fun he gets from playing such video games.

Some people consider e-scooters as a "low-carbon car replacement", as they result in far less carbon emissions (and other pollution) per mile than automobiles (though there remains debate about the environmental costs of their manufacture). Additionally, e-scooters have been touted as a form of "last-mile transit" - bridging the gap between public transit networks and final destinations. However, others consider e-scooters a public nuisance, as users often leave them on the sidewalk haphazardly; hence the question about them being clutter. The comment about them being specifically "Silicon Valley" clutter is due to the expense, the city-infrastructure needed, and the high-tech nature of these devices. Many of the e-scooter companies are also from the Silicon Valley area. Scooters have also been seen as dangerous ("unsafe toys"), as many users do not wear helmets when riding e-scooters (though Cueball is seen with a helmet in the comic, although not wearing it) or ride them at high speed on sidewalks with many pedestrians. Some cities have gone so far as to [https://www.thestate.com/news/local/article224573320.html ban e-scooters] [https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/21/18701299/nashville-electric-scooter-ban-man-killed from their communities].

Cueball's response of making onomatopoeic sounds which mimic the e-scooter is humorous for two reasons. First, e-scooters are fun and may seem futuristic, like something from his childhood. This would bring out a youthful and childish joy children have when making engine noises when playing with toy cars. He is acting like a kid because riding a scooter makes him feel like one. The second reason this is funny is that the scooters, being battery-powered, are nearly silent. He is making the sounds a traditional motorized scooter makes to fill in the audible gap. The laser sounds have no obvious connection to the scooter, but fits in with the kinds of sound effects kids make when playing with toys, feeding into the joke that he isn't making a logical argument, but simply taking childlike joy in the experience.

The title text refers to Dean Kamen, an American inventor best known for founding the {{w|Segway}} company. At the time of the invention of the Segway, it was billed as a revolution in personal transit, with articles (and Kamen himself) speculating that future cities might be entirely rebuilt around it and similar personal transporters. The reality of the Segway didn't come close to living up to the hype, and it quickly became the subject of mockery, with the original Segway ultimately being discontinued. The text implies that Kamen might resent the fact that a similar (if less grandiose) vision has re-emerged and is once again being taken seriously, but without his invention. However, [https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/01/lime-partners-with-segway-to-build-electric-scooters/ Segway actually manufactures scooters for e-scooter rental agency Lime].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is getting off his e-scooter, with his bicycle helmet hanging on the handlebars. He has stopped right in front of White Hat who addresses him.]
:White Hat: Hey, you got one of those e-scooters!
:Cueball: Yeah!

:[Cueball is now standing next to the e-scooter holding on to the handlebars with one hand. Both he and White Hat look down at the scooter.]
:White Hat: So what do you think? I hear so much about these things.

:[A large panel with just White Hat who is spreading his arms out.]
:White Hat: Are they impractical and unsafe toys? Or a last-mile transit revolution?

:[Closeup on White Hat holding both arms out and up with palms held up.]
:White Hat: A low-carbon car replacement? Or Silicon Valley sidewalk clutter?

:[In a frame-less panel only Cueball and his e-scooter is shown.]
:Cueball: Well, having given it lots of thought, here is my opinion on scooters:

:[Cueball is bending at the knees and holding on to the handlebars with both hands as White Hat is looking at him. Cueball starts making machine noises.]
:Cueball: Zooooooom!
:Cueball: Neeeeeoooormm
:Cueball: Vrrrm Vrrmvrmm
:Cueball: Wheeee!

:[Cueball continues making sounds as in the previous panel. White Hat seems to have taken a step back.]
:Cueball: Pew pew pew!
:Cueball: Bzzzzt Kaboom!
:White Hat: Wait, why are there lasers?
:Cueball: Pew!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring White Hat]]

2184: Unpopular Opinions

2026-02-05T15:36:29Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 2184
| date = August 2, 2019
| title = Unpopular Opinions
| image = unpopular_opinions.png
| titletext = I wasn't a big fan of 3 or Salvation, so I'm trying to resist getting my hopes up too much for Dark Fate, but it's hard. I'm just a sucker for humans and robots traveling through time to try to drive trucks into each other, apparently.
}}

==Explanation==
Everybody has their own preferences as to what movies they like and dislike, and when your like or dislike of a movie seems to be different than the majority of people, you could call your preference the "unpopular opinion" because your opinion is the less prevalent one. This most often takes the form of "I hate this movie and I don't understand why everybody else seems to like it", but this comic is talking about the opposite form, which it categorizes as less common, namely "I like this movie and don't understand why everybody else seems to hate it." The comic points out that it's relatively common to hate movies that most people like, but the converse, in which you like a movie others seem to hate, is much harder to find. One explanation for this may be that if a movie is already established to be bad, you won't end up watching it anyway.

To illustrate this point, the comic challenges readers to identify such a movie, with three caveats: it came out during your adult life, you ''genuinely'' like it, and it scored below 50% on the popular review aggregator {w|Rotten Tomatoes}}. The first two conditions are selected to eliminate the most common reasons people might like "bad" movies. Movies we see as children may win our affection despite not being very good, both because children tend to have less discriminating tastes, and because we associate them with happy memories, causing us to enjoy them as adults, despite their flaws. Some movies are enjoyed specifically ''because'' they're so bad, and people find humor or morbid fascination with the terrible filmmaking (referred to as {{tvtropes|SoBadItsGood|"So Bad, It's Good"}}). Both those cases are distinct from a film that an adult would actually enjoy on it's own merits.

The third condition is intended to ensure that the movie is genuinely unpopular (or at least critically maligned). It's possible for people to have a perception of how disliked a movie is (possibly due to your own social circle), which doesn't actually represent large-scale popularity. The condition also eliminates films which weren't actually disliked, but just weren't as popular as you think they should have been. Rotten Tomatoes aggregates professional reviews and categorizes them as positive ("fresh") or negative ("rotten"). Scoring below 50% means that less than half of all reviewers gave the film a positive review, which is a good proxy for a film being generally understood to be "bad". It's worth noting that audience ratings {{tvtropes|CriticalDissonance|don't always align with professional critics}}, so this isn't a perfect test for popularity, but it's a decent match.

The image in this comic gives an example of this effect, namely the movie ''{{w|Terminator Genisys}}'', the fifth in the {{w|Terminator (franchise)|''Terminator''}} series, released in 2015. This series, about time-traveling killer robots, included the highly rated ''Terminator 2'' (93% on Rotten Tomatoes), while ''Terminator Genisys'' is only 26%. When [[Cueball]] says he likes the movie, Megan is surprised (possibly appalled) causing him to become defensive. This may indicate another difficulty in expressing such opinions: other people may look down on you for your perceived bad taste.

The title text refers to three movies in the ''{{w|Terminator (franchise)|Terminator}}'' franchise, ''{{w|Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines}}'' (2003), ''{{w|Terminator Salvation}}'' (2009), and ''{{w|Terminator: Dark Fate}}'' (due out later in 2019). The ''Terminator'' movie series has featured both time travel and trucks driving or attempting to drive into people, and Randall apparently finds himself drawn to such movies. He hopes that ''Dark Fate'' will be a good movie, but has low expectations, considering the [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/terminator less than stellar ratings] of the last 3 movies (69%, 33%, and 26%).

A [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/browse/movies_at_home/audience:spilled~critics:rotten~sort:newest Rotten Tomatoes search ordered by release date limited to qualifying movies (except that it goes up to 60%)] can help individuals verify the difficulty of finding such movies for themselves.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan are all looking at their cell phones. Cueball is in the middle, facing out, holding his phone in both hands, while the two women face towards him with only one hand on their phones. Ponytail is tapping on the phone as shown by small lines over her fingers. they talk to each other, but before that, there is the following text above them:]
:Unpopular ''positive'' opinion challenge:
:Name a movie that...
:(1) you genuinely like (not "so bad it's good")
:(2) came out in your adult life post-2000, and
:(3) is rated below 50% on Rotten Tomatoes.

:Ponytail: Wow, this is harder than I thought.
:Cueball: ...Terminator Genisys?
:Megan: Seriously?!
:Cueball: ''I like time travel, OK??''

[Caption below the panel:]
:When people talk about their "unpopular opinions" about movies, they usually mean hating something everyone likes, but liking something everyone hates is much harder.

==Trivia==
On xkcd, this Friday comic was replaced on Sunday by a [[Disappearing Sunday Update]], which was temporarily assigned the sequence number 2185 in order to prevent the trouble of having an unnumbered comic on [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com]. It was designed to disappear completely and leave no trace in xkcd's history or archives when the Monday comic, [[2185: Cumulonimbus]], was released. The original comic also no longer appears in this wiki's comic navigation and is hence [[Disappearing Sunday Update|available here]].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Time travel]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Terminator]]

3199: Early Arthropods

2026-02-05T15:11:53Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3199
| date = January 26, 2026
| title = Early Arthropods
| image = early_arthropods_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x469px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Ugh, I'm never going to be like spiders. My descendants will all just be normal arthropods who mind their own busines and don't do anything weird.' --The ancestor of a bunch of eusocial insects
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by an arthropod who will get 10 pointy things to zap a metal box and tell it stuff.. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic points out that something we generally take for granted — {{w|spider}}s spinning webs — can seem both amazing as well as {{w|Defamiliarization|weird}} and disgusting in its details. Whereas the kind of adaptation referred to by the first {{w|arthropod}} (seen in {{w|shrimp}}, {{w|krill}}, {{w|isopoda|isopods}}, etc.) and by the second ({{w|scorpions}}, {{w|crabs}}, many insects) may seem like obvious things for evolution to arrive at, it's less clear how something would evolve to construct webs.

This strip treats evolution like a conscious process to underscore how strange it would be if a species simply decided to pursue some of these unusual adaptations. Evolution in real life works by {{w|natural selection}}, where small and random adaptations improve the odds of survival and reproduction, and those changes build up into huge changes over the course of long enough time spans. This means that no one decided that a spider's web-weaving ability (for example) was worth pursuing, it happened gradually over millions of years. An intelligent species can accelerate this gradual process of natural selection through {{w|artificial selection}} by choosing characteristics and using selective breeding and culling to favor those. Only humans are known to plan out such breeding (mostly in domesticated species), and even then it is an {{w|Dog breeding#Criticism|imperfect process}} that can be very hit-and-miss. Most biology is the result of evolution without any evident plan.

[[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] are a recurring theme on xkcd.

[[2314:_Carcinization|Crabs]] are a recurring theme in biology (and [[2418:_Metacarcinization|conversations with Randall]]).

The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text, most prominently bees, ants and termites, are other types of arthropods with high levels of social organization. As such, they are notable for ''not'' "mind[ing] their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. Eusocial insects operate in groups, and the individuals often don't operate on their own at all, to the point where the whole colony often [https://daily.jstor.org/how-fire-ants-form-rafts/acts as a unit, with little regard for the individual]. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about eusociality being pretty weird to a solitary organism, or may refer to the [https://scitechdaily.com/why-termites-blow-themselves-up-the-fascinating-chemistry-of-their-defense-mechanisms/ extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. (While there are a number of species of {{w|social spider}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.)

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Wide panel with three small arthropods standing on the ocean floor. Two of the creatures are facing the leftmost one. Small bubbles and particles float around them.]
:Arthropod 1: Now that we're multicellular, what are your plans?
:Arthropod 1: I'm gonna evolve little legs and swim around with them!
:Arthropod 2: I'm gonna evolve sharp pincers and use them to crunch stuff!
:Arthropod 3: I'm gonna evolve glands to make string from my butt and use it to construct elaborate geometric nets hundreds of times my size to catch other animals.

:[Beat panel narrowed in on the arthropods.]

:[Same scene:]
:Arthropod 1: '''''Dude.'''''
:Arthropod 2: Can you '''''please''''' just be normal about this?
:Arthropod 3: '''''What??!'''''

== Trivia ==
"Business" is misspelled in the title text as "busines".

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Spiders]]
[[Category:Biology]]

3199: Early Arthropods

2026-02-05T15:10:23Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3199
| date = January 26, 2026
| title = Early Arthropods
| image = early_arthropods_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x469px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Ugh, I'm never going to be like spiders. My descendants will all just be normal arthropods who mind their own busines and don't do anything weird.' --The ancestor of a bunch of eusocial insects
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by an arthropod who will get 10 pointy things to zap a metal box and tell it stuff.. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic points out that something we generally take for granted — {{w|spider}}s spinning webs — can seem both amazing as well as {{w|Defamiliarization|weird}} and disgusting in its details. Whereas the kind of adaptation referred to by the first {{w|arthropod}} (seen in {{w|shrimp}}, {{w|krill}}, {{w|isopoda|isopods}}, etc.) and by the second ({{w|scorpions}}, {{w|crabs}}, many insects) may seem like obvious things for evolution to arrive at, it's less clear how something would evolve to construct webs.

This strip treats evolution like a conscious process to underscore how strange it would be if a species simply decided to pursue some of these unusual adaptations. Evolution in real life works by {(w|natural_selection}}, where small and random adaptations improve the odds of survival and reproduction, and those changes build up into huge changes over the course of long enough time spans. This means that no one decided that a spider's web-weaving ability (for example) was worth pursuing, it happened gradually over millions of years. An intelligent species can accelerate this gradual process of natural selection through {{w|artificial selection}} by choosing characteristics and using selective breeding and culling to favor those. Only humans are known to plan out such breeding (mostly in domesticated species), and even then it is an {{w|Dog breeding#Criticism|imperfect process}} that can be very hit-and-miss. Most biology is the result of evolution without any evident plan.

[[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] are a recurring theme on xkcd.

[[2314:_Carcinization|Crabs]] are a recurring theme in biology (and [[2418:_Metacarcinization|conversations with Randall]]).

The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text, most prominently bees, ants and termites, are other types of arthropods with high levels of social organization. As such, they are notable for ''not'' "mind[ing] their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. Eusocial insects operate in groups, and the individuals often don't operate on their own at all, to the point where the whole colony often [https://daily.jstor.org/how-fire-ants-form-rafts/acts as a unit, with little regard for the individual]. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about eusociality being pretty weird to a solitary organism, or may refer to the [https://scitechdaily.com/why-termites-blow-themselves-up-the-fascinating-chemistry-of-their-defense-mechanisms/ extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. (While there are a number of species of {{w|social spider}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.)

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Wide panel with three small arthropods standing on the ocean floor. Two of the creatures are facing the leftmost one. Small bubbles and particles float around them.]
:Arthropod 1: Now that we're multicellular, what are your plans?
:Arthropod 1: I'm gonna evolve little legs and swim around with them!
:Arthropod 2: I'm gonna evolve sharp pincers and use them to crunch stuff!
:Arthropod 3: I'm gonna evolve glands to make string from my butt and use it to construct elaborate geometric nets hundreds of times my size to catch other animals.

:[Beat panel narrowed in on the arthropods.]

:[Same scene:]
:Arthropod 1: '''''Dude.'''''
:Arthropod 2: Can you '''''please''''' just be normal about this?
:Arthropod 3: '''''What??!'''''

== Trivia ==
"Business" is misspelled in the title text as "busines".

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Spiders]]
[[Category:Biology]]

3199: Early Arthropods

2026-02-05T15:09:37Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3199
| date = January 26, 2026
| title = Early Arthropods
| image = early_arthropods_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x469px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Ugh, I'm never going to be like spiders. My descendants will all just be normal arthropods who mind their own busines and don't do anything weird.' --The ancestor of a bunch of eusocial insects
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by an arthropod who will get 10 pointy things to zap a metal box and tell it stuff.. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic points out that something we generally take for granted — {{w|spider}}s spinning webs — can seem both amazing as well as {{w|Defamiliarization|weird}} and disgusting in its details. Whereas the kind of adaptation referred to by the first {{w|arthropod}} (seen in {{w|shrimp}}, {{w|krill}}, {{w|isopoda|isopods}}, etc.) and by the second ({{w|scorpions}}, {{w|crabs}}, many insects) may seem like obvious things for evolution to arrive at, it's less clear how something would evolve to construct webs.

This strip treats evolution like a conscious process to underscore how strange it would be if a species simply decided to pursue some of these unusual adaptations. Evolution in real life works by {w|natural_selection}}, where small and random adaptations improve the odds of survival and reproduction, and those changes build up into huge changes over the course of long enough time spans. This means that no one decided that a spider's web-weaving ability (for example) was worth pursuing, it happened gradually over millions of years. An intelligent species can accelerate this gradual process of natural selection through {{w|artificial selection}} by choosing characteristics and using selective breeding and culling to favor those. Only humans are known to plan out such breeding (mostly in domesticated species), and even then it is an {{w|Dog breeding#Criticism|imperfect process}} that can be very hit-and-miss. Most biology is the result of evolution without any evident plan.

[[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] are a recurring theme on xkcd.

[[2314:_Carcinization|Crabs]] are a recurring theme in biology (and [[2418:_Metacarcinization|conversations with Randall]]).

The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text, most prominently bees, ants and termites, are other types of arthropods with high levels of social organization. As such, they are notable for very clearly ''not'' "mind[ing] their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. Eusocial insects operate in groups, and the individuals often don't operate on their own at all, to the point where the whole colony often [https://daily.jstor.org/how-fire-ants-form-rafts/acts as a unit, with little regard for the individual]. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about eusociality being pretty weird to a solitary organism, or may refer to the [https://scitechdaily.com/why-termites-blow-themselves-up-the-fascinating-chemistry-of-their-defense-mechanisms/ extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. (While there are a number of species of {{w|social spider}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.)

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Wide panel with three small arthropods standing on the ocean floor. Two of the creatures are facing the leftmost one. Small bubbles and particles float around them.]
:Arthropod 1: Now that we're multicellular, what are your plans?
:Arthropod 1: I'm gonna evolve little legs and swim around with them!
:Arthropod 2: I'm gonna evolve sharp pincers and use them to crunch stuff!
:Arthropod 3: I'm gonna evolve glands to make string from my butt and use it to construct elaborate geometric nets hundreds of times my size to catch other animals.

:[Beat panel narrowed in on the arthropods.]

:[Same scene:]
:Arthropod 1: '''''Dude.'''''
:Arthropod 2: Can you '''''please''''' just be normal about this?
:Arthropod 3: '''''What??!'''''

== Trivia ==
"Business" is misspelled in the title text as "busines".

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Spiders]]
[[Category:Biology]]

3199: Early Arthropods

2026-01-28T20:27:45Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3199
| date = January 26, 2026
| title = Early Arthropods
| image = early_arthropods_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x469px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Ugh, I'm never going to be like spiders. My descendants will all just be normal arthropods who mind their own busines and don't do anything weird.' --The ancestor of a bunch of eusocial insects
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by an arthropod who will get 10 pointy things to zap a metal box and tell it stuff.. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic points out that something we generally take for granted — {{w|spider}}s spinning webs — can {{w|Defamiliarization|seem weird}} and disgusting when we consider the details of what it involves. Whereas the kind of adaptation referred to by the first {{w|arthropod}} (seen in {{w|isopoda|isopods}}) and by the second ({{w|scorpion}}s or {{w|crab}}s) may seem like obvious things for evolution to arrive at, it may be less clear how something would arrive at the outcome of web construction.

Note that evolution in real life does not work the way the comic implies, as creatures cannot choose a direction in which to evolve.{{citation needed}} An individual organism can choose to pursue certain activities, but these only affect its number of offspring. An intelligent species could accelerate this gradual process of natural selection through artificial selection that favored certain individuals, but this would still require many generations to make observable progress, and would generally require a more advanced understanding of what ''can'' be achieved. While many species select for fitness during reproduction, this is normally for traits that are already present, or of novel features that arise randomly and stand out as an advantage against their peers. Only humans are known to pursue major change, and mostly in other domesticated species, and even then it is an {{w|Dog breeding#Criticism|imperfect process}} that can be very hit-and-miss.

[[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] are a recurring theme on xkcd.

[[2314:_Carcinization|Crabs]] are a recurring theme in biology (and [[2418:_Metacarcinization|conversations with Randall]]).

The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text are another group of arthropods with high levels of social organisation, mainly bees and ants. As such, they are notable for ''not'' "minding their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about the [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09425-w extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. Eusociality has evolved multiple times in the ''{{w|Hymenoptera}}'' alone, as well as in termites. There is no arthropod species that is the ancestor to all the eusocial arthropods and no others. While there are a number of species of {{w|social spider}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Wide panel with three small arthropods standing on the ocean floor. Two of the creatures are facing the leftmost one. Small bubbles and particles float around them.]
:Arthropod 1: Now that we're multicellular, what are your plans?
:Arthropod 1: I'm gonna evolve little legs and swim around with them!
:Arthropod 2: I'm gonna evolve sharp pincers and use them to crunch stuff!
:Arthropod 3: I'm gonna evolve glands to make string from my butt and use it to construct elaborate geometric nets hundreds of times my size to catch other animals.

:[Beat panel narrowed in on the arthropods.]

:[Same scene:]
:Arthropod 1: '''''Dude.'''''
:Arthropod 2: Can you '''''please''''' just be normal about this?
:Arthropod 3: '''''What??!'''''

== Trivia ==
"Business" is misspelled in the title text as "busines".

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Spiders]]
[[Category:Biology]]

3191: Superstition

2026-01-13T17:44:44Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3191
| date = January 7, 2026
| title = Superstition
| image = superstition_2x.png
| imagesize = 275x393px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's important to teach yourself to feel responsible for random events, because with great responsibility comes great power. That's what my wise Uncle Ben told me right before he died; he might still be alive today if only I'd said rabbit rabbit that year!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by people who will edit this wiki or else it is their fault. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic references the {{w|superstition}}, which is known to have existed as far back as 1909, of saying "{{w|rabbit rabbit rabbit|rabbit rabbit}}" on the first day of a month in order to have good luck. There are many superstitions about actions that either cause bad luck (e.g. "step on a crack, break your mother's back", walking under a {{w|Ladder#Society and culture|ladder}}, breaking a {{w|List of bad luck signs|mirror}}, letting a {{w|Black cat#Superstition, folklore, bringer of good or bad luck|black cat}} cross your path) or protect against bad luck (e.g. carrying a {{w|rabbit's foot}}, {{w|Spilling salt|throwing salt over your shoulder}} after spilling some, {{w|knocking on wood}} after saying something).

When asked to explain what a superstition is, [[Cueball]] replies that they're "a way to train yourself to feel like any bad thing that happens is your fault". This suggests that, not only does [[Cueball]] not actually believe in the power of superstitions, but sees them as psychologically harmful. After all, believing that bad fortune can be prevented by taking certain actions implies that any bad outcome might have been prevented if you'd taken the right actions. Logically, of course, there's no connection between taking superstitious actions and bad things (or for that matter, good things) that subsequently happen, but superstitions condition us to believe that there is a connection. What's worse, there are so many different superstitions, across so many different cultures, that even keeping track of them, let alone following all of them, is wildly unrealistic, so there's always something you did, or failed to do, on which you can blame any bad outcome. The danger is that a person might personally blame themselves for things that they had no actual control over at all.

The title text refers to the {{w|Spider-Man}} mythology, in which (in most versions) Peter Parker's "{{w|Uncle Ben}}" famously tells him that "with great power comes great responsibility". Peter initially takes this lesson to heart, as he receives his superpowers but fails to stop a criminal when he has the chance, and his Uncle Ben dies as a result.

This text flips that message, claiming that Uncle Ben instead told him that "with responsibility comes great power". This inverts the actual lesson, and suggests that, by simply taking responsibility (even for things over which you have no control), you'll gain power over the outcomes. This is a pretty good summary of what superstitions teach, but can't really be justified rationally. Nonetheless, Cueball appears to believe this lesson, claiming that his uncle died after he failed to say "rabbit rabbit", and implied that {{w|Post hoc ergo propter hoc|the death, therefore, could have been prevented if he'd followed the superstition.}} In this version of the story, it's not clear whether Peter actually had no opportunity to prevent his uncle's death, and is effectively looking for ways to blame himself, or whether he ''could'' have taken real action, but chooses to focus on superstition, rather than ways in which he could have made a real difference.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Blondie, Cueball and a child (Hairy) are walking from left to right. The child is turning towards Cueball.]
:Cueball: Oops, I forgot to say "rabbit rabbit" on January first!
:Hairy: Why do you do that?
:Cueball: Just a superstition.
:Hairy: What's a superstition?
:Cueball: It's a way to train yourself to feel like any bad thing that happens is your fault.

==Trivia==

* On January 7th, 2026, both the 1x and 2x version of this comic had no anti-aliasing applied (1-bit black and white). It was fixed later that day.
* Mentioning "rabbits" is also considered ''bad'' luck {{w|Isle of Portland#Rabbits|in some traditions}}.
* The [[header text]] briefly disappeared when this comic was released.
* Coincidentally, the day this comic was released, Minecraft, a video game Randall has played, released new textures and animations for rabbits and baby rabbits. These updates make them look almost as cute as Randall thinks they are!
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]]

3193: Sailing Rigs

2026-01-13T17:24:42Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3193
| date = January 12, 2026
| title = Sailing Rigs
| image = sailing_rigs_2x.png
| imagesize = 508x822px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I wanted to make the world's fastest yawl, so I made the aft sail bigger, but apparently that means it's not a yawl anymore! It's a real ketch-22.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by the birds flying in my kite. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic shows the side profiles of a variety of different sailing boat/ship rigs, not all of which are real.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Type
!Real?
!Description 
!Explanation 
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 150
|cHeight = 200
|oTop = 200
|oLeft = 60
}}
{{w|Lateen}}
|{{Yes}}
|A single triangular sail.
|The triangular sail was affixed to a long yard or crossbar, mounted at its middle to the top of the mast and angled to extend aft far above the mast and forward down nearly to the deck. The sail, its free corner secured near the stern, was capable of taking the wind on either side, and, by enabling the vessel to tack into the wind, the lateen immensely increased the potential of the sailing ship. [https://www.britannica.com/technology/lateen-sail.] 
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 210
|cHeight = 270
|oTop = 160
|oLeft = 280
}}
{{W|Bermuda rig|Bermuda rigged sloop}}
|{{Yes}}
|A front and rear triangular sail share a mast.
|{{w|Sloop}}
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 215
|cHeight = 240
|oTop = 160
|oLeft = 520
}}{{w|Ketch}}
|{{Yes}}
|A sailboat with two masts, where the main mast is taller than the aft mast, and the aft mast is forward of the rudder post
|Similar to a Yawl
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 250
|cHeight = 266
|oTop = 160
|oLeft = 750
}}
{{w|Gaff rig|Gaff rigged sloop}}
|{{Yes}}
|A front triangular sail shares mast with rear quadrilateral sail.
|A sloop is a sailboat with one mast, typically with two sails mounted on the mast, one ahead and one behind. A Gaff Rig is a sailing rig where one sail is four-sided and controlled by a spar (the gaff) at its top, which is hoisted at an angle to the mast. [https://nauticalknowhow.mysailingcourse.com/glossary/gaff-rig/]
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 215
|cHeight = 285
|oTop = 425
|oLeft = 35
}}
{{w|Yawl}}
|{{Yes}}
|Two triangular sails share a front mast, and a much smaller aft mast holds a small aft sail.
|A Yawls is sailboat with two masts, where the front mast has two sails (One in front of the mast and one behind, known as {{w|fore-and-aft rigging}}, and the aft mast is mounted aft of the rudder post, leading the aft sail to typically be small. Similar to a Ketch.
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 260
|cHeight = 285
|oTop = 425
|oLeft = 252
}}
{{w|Schooner}}
|{{Yes}}
|A sailboat with two or more masts, where all have {{w|fore-and-aft rigging}}, and where the front mast is typically smaller than the main mast
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 225
|cHeight = 312
|oTop = 425
|oLeft = 512
}}
Ketch-rigged gaff
|{{No}}
|The first fictional rig. Resembles a gaff, with the aft sail reduced and two triangular sails mounted above. The resulting shape resembles a vertical ketch.
|
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 250
|cHeight = 312
|oTop = 425
|oLeft = 736
}}
Kloop-rigged sketch
|{{No}}
|Four or five sails mounted in a nonsensical configuration, with elements from the schooner, ketch, and gaff
| A mixture of the names of {{w|ketch}} and {{w|sloop}}, poking fun at the unfamiliar and odd-sounding names of some rigs. Adding to the absurdity, the kloop-rigged sketch is neither a sloop nor a ketch. However it is technically a {{w|Sketch (drawing)|sketch}}, as "sketch" can mean "drawing"
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 300
|oTop = 714
|oLeft = 40
}}
Bunkbed rig
|{{No}}
|A gaff-rigged sloop mounted on top of a second hull.
|The name refers to a {{w|bunkbed}}, where a bed is mounted directly above another, and applies this idea to a ship, mounting a hull directly above another. While {{w|Multihull|boats with multiple hulls}} do exist, these are always mounted side-by-side to guarentee stability. Mounting a hull above another would be a terrible idea, as the upper hull would be ineffective when raised above the water, the lower hull might become submerged and sink, and such a tall boat would be unstable causing it to fall over. The comic is funny due to this {{w|surreal humour|absurdity}}, due to boat's obivously extreme design being so far outside what someone would expect a boat to look like
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 230
|cHeight = 258
|oTop = 756
|oLeft = 276
}}
Flettner rig
|{{Yes}}, though not typically called a rig
|The rectangular outline of a cylinder with motion lines around it, indicating a {{w|Flettner rotor}}
|A Flettner rotor is a right circular cylinder with disc end plates which is spun along its long axis. As air passes across it the {{w|Magnus effect}} causes an aerodynamic lift force to be generated in the direction perpendicular to both the long axis and the direction of airflow. In a {{w|rotor ship}}, the rotors stand vertically and lift is generated at right angles to the wind, to drive the ship forwards.

Flettner rotors were previously mentioned in [[3119]]
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 228
|cHeight = 256
|oTop = 776
|oLeft = 512
}}
Oops, all spinnakers
|{{No}}
|Three masts each with a sail billowing in front
|A {{w|spinnaker}} is a real type of sail, where a boat is propelled by a large sail directly pulled by the wind, similar in principle to a parachute. However, "Oops, all spinnakers" is not real, as spinnakers are only practical for smaller craft, and if multiple spinnakers are mounted in a row the earlier ones may disrupt the airflow to the later ones{{actual citation needed}}. It does not appear that there are any real boats propelled by more than one spinnaker.{{actual citation needed}}
The name of the rig is a reference to the {{w|Cap'n Crunch}} cereal type that became a meme, [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/oops-all-berries-box-parodies ''Oops! All Berries''], which has also been referenced in [[2256]] and [[2719]].
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 228
|cHeight = 262
|oTop = 760
|oLeft = 742
}}
Keel rig
|{{No}}
|Three sails in a ketch arrangement, but mounted to the keel, which would typically put the ''sails underwater''.
|The book {{w|Heaven (Stewart and Cohen novel)|''Heaven''}}, by Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen, features an aquatic protagonist who is introduced as sailing a surface-craft with underwater-'sails' (and above-water 'keel'), due to the switched nature of his usual environment.
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 304
|cHeight = 288
|oTop = 1022
|oLeft = 26
}}
Kite rig
|{{Maybe|Kind of}}
|All sails are replaced by two groups of kites, each tied to the mast with their own independent line.
|A {{w|kite rig}} is a real thing, where a kite is deployed from a boat or ship to catch the wind and pull the vessel along. This rigging is used in various types of vessel, most commonly {{w|kite surfing}}, but occasionally other vessels too, up to trials with cargo ships [https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/30/travel/airseas-giant-kites-ships-slash-carbon-emissions-scn-climate-spc]. However, the real kite riggings typically use one large kite optimised for catching the wind, rather than many small kites optimised for flying (as depicted) which would likely get tangled and not pull much on the ship.
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 422
|cHeight = 246
|oTop = 1064
|oLeft = 330
}}
Longsail rig
|{{No}}
|A bermuda rigged sloop with the aft sail extending ~5 times as far back, well beyond the end of the hull.
|While not technically impossible, such a long sail would likely be suceptiple to damage from the wind, as well as potentially making it hard to control the boat.
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 226
|cHeight = 296
|oTop = 1036
|oLeft = 754
}}
Deckhand obliterator
|{{No}}
|All sails replaced by an anchor that swings around the mast on a chain, similar to tetherball.
|Any deckhands (crew) on the deck could be knocked off or fatally hurt if the anchor passes through their space.
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 430
|cHeight = 282
|oTop = 1318
|oLeft = 22
}}
Offset rig
|{{No}}
|Gaff rigged sloop sails are mounted on a mast that is offset (forward) from the hull via an underwater extension of the keel.
|The extreme mechanical advantage of the sail, potentially combined with the uneven weight, would make this rigging hard if not impossible to control.
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 262
|cHeight = 222
|oTop = 1378
|oLeft = 452
}}
Mastless rig
|{{Maybe|Kind of}}
|A single sail is directly to the hull of the boat, without any mast holding it in the wind.
|As depicted the sail would provide little to no useful propulsion, as it would not be high enough to effective catch the wind. However ships do exist without sails, such as ships not powered by wind{{citation needed}}, or more rarely inflatable sails (e.g. [http://inflatedwingsails.com/en/concept/]), which use air rather than a mast for rigidity. While not intentiional, it is concievable that the drawing depicts an inflatable sail in its deflated state.
|-
|{{CSS image crop
|Image = sailing rigs 2x.png
|bSize = 1016
|cWidth = 286
|cHeight = 276
|oTop = 1334
|oLeft = 714
}}
Unclassifiable chaos rig
|{{No|Arguably}}
|Includes elements of the schooner, yawl, lateen, and possibly others.
|While this specific rig is almost certainly fictional, there are many ways to rig a ship, some of which are difficult to classify.
|}

The title text is a pun on the term {{w|Catch-22 (logic)|Catch-22}}, which is a term (taken from the novel of the same name) for a situation where success is impossible because it requires meeting contradictory conditions. For example, in the novel, the term was used by military pilots who qualified to be released from combat duty, but were ordered to fly additional missions, and were told that disobeying those orders was grounds to have their releases revoked, which would require them to fly additional missions anyway.

Per the main panel, a ketch is similar to a yawl but has a larger aft sail, so increasing the aft sail of a yawl effectively turns the yawl into a ketch, effectively making it impossible to build a faster yawl. However this is not technically true, as the distinction between a {{w|yawl}} and {{w|ketch}} is based on whether the aft sail is mounted forward or aft of the rudder post, although a yawl with a large aft sail may be difficult to control.{{actual citation needed}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[The comic contains views from the side of boats, each with a different sailing rig. All boats are oriented to the left of the comic.]
*Lateen [a single triangular sail]
*Bermuda rigged sloop [a front and rear triangular sail share a mast]
*Ketch [two triangular sails as above, with an additional triangular sail on a second rear mast]
*Gaff rigged sloop [front triangular sail shares mast with rear quadrilateral sail]
*Yawl [two triangular sails share front mast and a much smaller aft mast holds a small aft]
*Schooner [two triangular front sails share foreward mast with quadrilateral center sail. An aft mast supports a quadrilateral aft sail]
*Ketch-rigged gaff [Resembles a gaff, with the aft sail reduced and two triangular sails mounted above. The resulting shape resembles a vertical ketch]
*Kloop-rigged sketch: [Includes elements of ketch and sloop]
*Bunkbed rig [A gaff-rigged sloop is mounted on top of a second hull]
*Flettner rig [The rectangular outline of a cylinder with motion lines around it]
*Oops, all spinnakers [three masts each with a sail only attached to the top]
*Keel rig [three sails in a ketch arrangement, but mounted to the keel]
*Kite rig [all sails are replaced by two groups of kites, each tied to the mast with an independent line]
*Longsail rig [bermuda rigged sloop with the aft sail extending ~5 times as far back, well beyond the end of the hull]
*Deckhand obliterator [all sails replaced by an anchor that swings around the mast on a chain, similar to tetherball]
*Offset rig [gaff rigged sloop sails are mounted on a mast that is offset (forward) from the hull via an underwater extension of the keel]
*Mastless rig [a single sail is attached where the mast would normally be mounted, flapping around freely]
*Unclassifiable chaos rig [includes elements of the schooner, yawl, lateen, and possibly others]
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Puns]]
[[Category:Sailboats]]

3184: Funny Numbers

2025-12-29T03:26:16Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3184
| date = December 22, 2025
| title = Funny Numbers
| image = funny_numbers_2x.png
| imagesize = 360x453px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = In 1899, people were walking around shouting '23' at each other and laughing, and confused reporters were writing articles trying to figure out what it meant.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by the square root of -2. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic refers to the recent meme {{w|6-7 meme|"6-7"}}, often accompanied by moving your hands up and down. This meme is often referenced in physical space, primarily among the younger generation, often to the great annoyance of their elders.

Like many youth trends, this habit is often looked down upon by adults, who may see it as anything from an irritating fad to a symptom of social and intellectual decay. This strip takes exactly the opposite tack, depicting a Mathematical Society (apparently composed entirely of adults) noting this trend with no hint of condemnation. Rather, their attitude seems indulgent and nostalgic. The strip references a long history of young people adopting specific numbers as slang, often for quasi-arbitrary reasons, and treats this latest meme as simply a continuation of that history. Seen from that perspective, the trend seems like something that the different generations have in common, with one researcher fondly saying that she's "glad they're still doing that".

The numbers listed are:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Number!!Adopted?!!class="unsortable"|Explanation
|-
|data-sort-value="23"|23 (skidoo!)||data-sort-value="1899"|around 1899||The number relates to leaving quickly (a suggestion to go away), for indeterminate reasons.
{{w|23 skidoo|It was a death row prisoner's number}} in a then-new stage play based on ''A Tale of Two Cities'' by Charles Dickens, but it's unclear whether that was the source of the slang. Soon after its coining, it was popularly combined with a term of similar use to become the phrase "{{w|23 skidoo}}".

23 gained some popularity again in the 1970s via the {{w|23 enigma}}, the suggestion that the number appears unusually often in significant contexts. This was first noticed by William S. Burroughs, and spread by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea's book ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy'', and by ''Principia Discordia''.
|-
|42||1978||A number made popular by {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}, a radio play and book by Douglas Adams.
These works include a plot where a supercomputer is designed to answer {{w|Phrases from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy#The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42|"the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything"}} and (after a great deal of calculation) reports that the answer is "forty-two" (the joke being that the answer is useless because we don't understand the question). This number became a reference among fans of the series, and passed into more common usage.
|-
|69||data-sort-value="1795"|1790s?||Refers to {{w|69 (sex position)|the act of mutual oral sex}}, because the two digits (identical but inversely rotated) are reminiscent of two people in that sexual position.
This usage dates back at least as far as the eighteenth century (though the act itself is far older). The earliest known use was in French: "faire soixante-neuf", and it passed into English usage in the 1880s. It's not clear when the number began to be commonly referenced by young people, though it was arguably gained particular popularity due to a reference in {{w|Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure}} (1989).
|-
|420||1971||This number (originally the time "4:20 pm", and later connected to April the 20th) has become {{w|420 (cannabis culture)|slang}} for smoking {{w|marijuana}}.
Randall previously made reference to this number in [[2153: Effects of High Altitude]].
|-
|1,337||data-sort-value="1985"|1980s?||"{{w|Leet}}-speak" is a form of textual obfuscation using an alternative orthography (various character substitutions and phonetic shifts) to 'spell' words. This particular type of orthography initially became popular among young computer hackers ("leet" being slang for "elite").
"1337" is the usual way to represent the term "LEET" ("1" is commonly a lower-case "L", "3"s are often used as "E"s – see 58,008's calcuator-speak examples – and "7" closely resembles a "T"). (i.e. the self-description of the in-group who are using this system).
Randall has previously referred to 1337 in the [[:Category:1337|1337]] series and in [[1337: Hack]].
|-
|58,008||data-sort-value="1975"|1970s?||The number "58008" {{w|Calculator spelling|when typed into a seven-segment display and inverted}}, spells "BOOBS". There is also a longer version "5318008" which spells "BOOBIES". When calculators with these displays became common in schools in the 1980s, young people (particularly young men) took delight in this discovery, and in the fact that they could use an apparently inscrutable number as a salacious reference.
|-
|data-sort-value="67"|6 7||2025||{{w|6-7 meme|This meme}} originated from the song "Doot Doot" by Skrilla and quickly became an in-crowd joke, together with hand actions, among many young people.
The meme quickly became sufficiently divorced from its original meaning that even many people referencing it didn't know its origins, leading to many people seeing it as [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/67-meme fundamentally meaningless], though that hasn't stopped people from trying to assign a meaning to it.

{{w|At sixes and sevens}} is a possibly unrelated expression meaning a condition of confusion or disarray.
|}

The title text claims that the media reaction to "23-skiddoo" around the turn of the 20th century (''one'' of the oldest terms, ''possibly'' the first noted by the mathematicians of that day) was very similar to the current media reaction to "6 7". This highlights a perennial historical cycle of youth culture being confusing to the old; with the young generation growing old and, in turn, being confused by a new generation of youth culture.

Other cartoons featuring lists of symbolic numbers include [[487: Numerical Sex Positions]]. The trend of new manifestations of long-running phenomena being treated as signs of social decay is referenced in [[1227: The Pace of Modern Life]].

==Transcript==
:[A banner is hanging from the ceiling with a large line of text above a smaller one:]
:<big>Mathematical society</big>
:2025 meeting

:[Below the banner there are four people, three of them are standing close together to the left with Hairbun leftmost addressing Cueball and Megan who is looking at her. Ponytail is standing to the far right next to a whiteboard, and is using a marker to circle round the last of several items on the board.]
:Hairbun: Any other new developments from the year to cover before we wrap?
:Cueball: Oh, the teens picked a new funny number.
:Megan: Aww, I'm glad to hear they're still doing that.
:Ponytail: I'll add it to the list.

:[The board generally contains two columns of numbers, the first row having text after its number, thus across both columns. The last pair of digits is the new 'number' circled round by Ponytail. From top, in reading order, they are:]
:23 (skidoo!)
:42    1,337
:69    58,008
:420   6 7

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category: Math]]
[[Category: Language]]

3163: Repair Video

2025-11-10T17:42:34Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3163
| date = November 3, 2025
| title = Repair Video
| image = repair_video_2x.png
| imagesize = 305x449px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The statue should be in the likeness of whatever sculptor posted the sculpting tool repair video that was most helpful during the installation of the statue.
}}

==Explanation==

This strip depicts [[Cueball]] finding a video explaining how to fix the exact problem he is currently having with his humidifier.

The nature of mass-produced consumer products means that issues that come up with one unit (either due to design or manufacturing issues) are likely to show up elsewhere in products of the same line. Where these issues are major, causing safety issues, or immediate lack of functionality, the product might be recalled, but it's common for products (particularly ones with complex moving parts) to develop minor issues, which aren't worth discarding the item over, but which cause problems. In this case, it's "an annoying clicking sound". Such problems can cause anything from annoyance to loss of functionality, and the typical options are either to just live with the problem, try to return it (if it's within the warranty period), or just discard it. All of these put a burden on people, to one degree or another.

In many cases, these issues are due to a minor design flaw or defect, and may have a simple fix, but since they aren't part of the intended operation, there's generally no official source information about such fixes. Some people, by examination, specialized knowledge, and/or luck, are able to figure out these fixes on their own. In a pre-internet era, such knowledge was rarely spread (the odds of knowing another person with the same model of the same product having the same issue are pretty low). In modern times, though, such fixes can be posted online, for anyone else who encounters the same problem.

Importantly, there's very little incentive to share such information. These fixes are obscure enough, and apply to few enough people, that maintaining such information commercially is unlikely to be profitable. Instead, such videos are generally made by individuals who figured out how to fix their own products, and want to share the information. While the effort of making and posting such a video is generally minor, it's also very unlikely to generate any profit or widespread recognition, so people generally do it entirely out of a desire to help others avoid the aggravation they themselves had to go through. It's helpful but thankless work, carried out by ordinary people.

The caption states that people who go to such effort should be commemorated with "at minimum, a statue". He acknowledges that "there's more important work in the world", but suggests that this kind of recognition is still proper. Most systems for public accolades are focused on people who do either dramatic and highly impactful work, or those who are particularly recognizable. In this case, the people involved might only affect the lives of a few people, and only in a small way, but the willingness to help strangers who they're unlikely to ever meet is a laudable thing. This might also be intended to exaggerate the frustration that many people feel when dealing with malfunctions that make major appliances worse, if not nonfunctional.

The title text carries the joke further, suggesting that, if such a statue is made, the sculptor will inevitably have problems with their tools, and will, themselves, have to turn to repair videos for advice. He suggests finding whoever made the most useful repair video and making the statue in their likeness, presumably as a symbolic representation for everyone who does so.

Thanks to this video, Cueball finds the solution to his problem easily, unlike in [[979: Wisdom of the Ancients]]. This comic could be seen as a happier version of the events in that earlier comic, though this one concerns an appliance and the other concerns software.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Cueball sits at his desk, on which there is a laptop computer showing a video. His hands are on his lap. Behind Cueball's chair and on the floor, there is a humidifier with "E-21" printed on it, making noise. The humidifier's cord extends to the right side of the panel.]
:Voice from computer: Hey all!
:Voice from computer: Does your E-21 humidifier make an annoying clicking noise? Mine did, but I finally figured out that there's an easy fix, so I made this video in case anyone else...
:Cueball: Oh my god. Yes. '''''Yes.'''''
:Humidifier: Click click

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I know there's more important work in the world, but I feel like these people deserve, at minimum, a statue.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

3157: Emperor Palpatine

2025-10-21T16:22:19Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3157
| date = October 20, 2025
| title = Emperor Palpatine
| image = emperor_palpatine_2x.png
| imagesize = 538x531px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Many things about Star Wars were not well planned out, but having a 37-year-old in old-age makeup play the Emperor in Return of the Jedi was such an incredible call.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic about {{w|extrapolation}} tracks the age of the {{w|Star Wars}} character {{w|Palpatine}} against the age of the actor who played him.

The primary film series of the Star Wars franchise consists of three trilogies: the original trilogy (1977-1983), the prequel trilogy (1999-2005), and the sequel trilogy (2015-2019). Palpatine is played by {{w|Ian McDiarmid}} in at least one film from each trilogy (and all three films of the prequel trilogy).

The character of Emperor Palpatine was briefly mentioned in the first {{w|Star Wars}} movie and appears briefly in {{w|The Empire Strikes Back}}, but doesn't have significant screen time until {{w|Return of the Jedi}} in 1983, which is when McDiarmid took on the role. He was presented as an elderly, withered, and physically decaying man, despite being played by an actor in his 30s. The character is killed near the end of the film.

The prequels portray Palpatine's rise from Senator to Chancellor to Emperor. He was 55 when the first of the prequels was made, and used no obvious aging (or de-aging) makeup or other effects, implying that the Palpatine of this era was approximately the same age as the actor (which fits nicely with the timeline of the universe).

{{w|The Rise of Skywalker}} was the third film of the sequel trilogy. Infamously, this film reveals that "somehow, Palpatine returned". This is somewhat vaguely explained by references to "dark signs, cloning, secrets only the Sith knew". McDiarmid, now in his 70's, played the role once again. While he appears at least as aged as the actor (and far more physically corrupted) the joke is that, if he was cloned, his new body had an "undefined age", but was was presumably younger than Palpatine had been in previous appearances.

The title text suggests that the makers of Star Wars had planned this out from the beginning, and so deliberately chose a 37-year-old actor to play an elderly character, specifically so that he could continue to play the part throughout the entire film series. In fact, the long-term direction of the films were never well-planned, and the notion that the films would be made over the course of more than 4 decades was probably not ever predicted. The idea that casting was made on that assumption is unlikely in the extreme. The fact that the same actor was able to reprise his role over such a long period of time was almost certainly just a matter of luck.

Putting all this together, [[Randall]] comes up with chart comparing the actor's age to that of the character, and concludes that they have an inverse relationship. Extrapolating this forward, he proposes that McDiarmid (81 years old, as of the publication of this strip) be brought back to play the Emperor as a toddler.

The joke, of course, is that this kind of extrapolation is ridiculous. In addition to the silliness of the subject matter, the data isn't used properly. Considering that there are only four good data points (plus a fifth where one of the dimensions is unclear, so should be excluded), there is not really sufficient data to make a proper extrapolation from here. Furthermore, three of the data points are clustered closely together, reducing their usefulness as independent markers.

This comic continues a long theme of applying graphing and extrapolation poorly, and in situations where they're not appropriate, to show the kinds of ridiculous conclusions it can lead to. [[:Category:Extrapolation|See here for other examples]]
==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
[:A scatter chart with the y scale from 0 to 120 and x scale from 30 to 90]

[:X axis is emperor Palpatine character age and Y axis is Ian McDiarmid age during filming]

[:Point labeled return of the Jedi] x value = ~39 y value = ~87

[:Point labeled The phantom menace] x value = ~50 y value = ~52

[:Point labeled Attack of the clones] x value = ~52 y value = 61

[:Point labeled Revenge of the Sith] x value = ~60 y value = ~62

[:Large unfilled circle labeled Now] x value = ~81 y value = ~4

[:Vertical Line with gradient labeled Rise of Skywalker (cloned body, undefined age)] x value = ~75

[:A two large arrows trending downwards with some spots being near some points, and one arrow is ends at ~x=52 and the other one starts at ~x=54]
[:caption beneath panel]

To continue the trend, they should make a star wars movie
Where 81-year-old Ian Mcdiarmid plays the emperor as a toddler.

==Trivia==
Not depicted upon the graph are Palpatine's prior ''actors'' from the original release of Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, when Palpatine would have been 88. {{w|Marjorie Eaton}} (79) visually played the character (although some sources disagree, and have Elaine Baker, at the time 27 and married to the film's makeup designer, in the role), with similarly heavy prosthetics to McDiarmid, whilst Clive Revill (50) provided the voice. For the 2004 DVD release, the scene was reshot with McDiarmid, who was 60 at the time.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Extrapolation]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]

3147: Hiking

2025-10-09T18:46:07Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3147
| date = September 26, 2025
| title = Hiking
| image = hiking_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x456px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Every downhill walk is a waterslide that might have been.
}}

==Explanation==
On-demand delivery is a type of service where you can order a product and it will be delivered to you within hours, or possibly even minutes when the source is sufficiently local. The most well-known of these are food delivery services like {{w|DoorDash}} and {{w|GrubHub}}, where near-immediate delivery is highly preferred. Larger and less time-critical goods have similar services, such as {{w|amazon_(company)|Amazon}}, which can deliver many items well within the same day or by the next morning for most destinations that aren't particularly remote.

In the comic there's a vendor of {{w|waterslides}} that provides on-demand delivery using {{w|drones}} that fly the waterslide to a location you specify in the order, apparently complete with a water supply tank, and with a response time of minutes despite apparently being delivered to a wilderness landscape. While hiking through a terrain with lots of hills, [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] order one whenever they're on their way up a hill, so that it will be delivered to the downhill side by the time they arrive at the summit, and they can have fun sliding down.

While theoretically possible (even the water tanks could be managed with a sufficient number of [https://pilotinstitute.com/heaviest-drones/ heavy-lift quadcopter drones]) such a system would be wildly impractical. The cost of such a program would be enormous, the timescale would be implausibly short, and installing a water slide, particularly in a way that would make it safe and stable, would require extensive site selection, planning, engineering and construction. Conducting such a project rapidly, remotely and on-demand at a specified location simply wouldn't be feasible. The strip also implies that installation (and possibly the design work) is fully automated, which is beyond current technology.

The title text suggests that [[Randall]] considers walking downhill to be a waste, as that process could have been done by waterslide if only one were present. This may reference the fact that walking downhill is often surprisingly tiring and arduous, as well as being relatively unrewarding compared to the uphill climb, even though gravity is now on your side, and may be considered a chore to be performed after the more tangible sense of accomplishment gained from reaching the top of the hill.

This strip continues a long theme of comics where Randall imagines a process or piece of infrastructure that would be wildly impractical in real life, but would be a lot of fun (for certain values of 'fun') if it could be achieved. Examples include [[260: The Glass Necklace]], [[2935: Ocean Loop]] and [[2973: Ferris Wheels]].

==Transcript==
:[This scene is in a mountain with many bumps. Everything is in one panel. The consecutive actions and speech text proceed roughly from left to right.]
:[Cueball and Megan are both facing right, facing a hill. They are both wearing a backpack.]
:Cueball: Okay, we're nearing the next downhill segment. I'll put in the order.
:Cueball: ...confirming start and end points...
:Cueball: Submitted!
:[A waterslide with drones attached to it, flying down and to the right, with a wavy, dotted line heading down to the slide from the top, showing the direction it has arrived from. Megan and Cueball are standing together. Megan is pointing at the waterslide. Megan and Cueball are moved slightly forward from their last appearance, and on a side of the hill.]
:Megan: Look, here it comes!
:[The slide is on the downhill slope, with drones above it. Megan and Cueball are shown sliding down with dots around them, most likely showing the splash of water around them. Possibly riding on, or in, a long inflatable of some kind, whose front and rear ends are seen angling up out of the waterslide trough that also hides the two character's lower bodies. Some drones are near the waterslide.]
:Cueball and Megan: Wheeeee
:[The slide now is flying up and to the right with drones and another wavy dotted line, this time showing that it has been heading away from the point of use.]
:[Cueball and Megan are depicted walking, ahead of their last appearance.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:On-demand waterslide delivery has really improved the whole hiking experience.
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Drones]]

3142: (City)-Style Pizza

2025-09-17T14:43:13Z

Tromag: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3142
| date = September 15, 2025
| title = <City>-Style Pizza
| image = city_style_pizza_2x.png
| imagesize = 480x314px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = If you want to see true audacity, do an image search for 'Altoona-style pizza.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a BOT WITH SAUSAGE AND ANCHOVIES. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
{{w|Pizza}} is one of the most popular foods in the United States and a number of major cities have regional variations on pizza, which have come to be named after the city. {{w|New York–style pizza}} and {{w|Chicago-style pizza}} are two of the most well known. New York-style pizza is characterized by a thin, flexible crust topped with tomato sauce, followed by various toppings, then topped with mozzarella cheese. Chicago-style pizza has a much thicker, bread-like crust which is typically topped with melted cheese, with a mixture of sauce and toppings added on top.

This comic contains a chart that compares the tastiness of pizza styles with the size of the city in the name. They generally span a broad range, and the upper limit tends to be pretty consistent, suggesting that cities of all sizes can produce good pizza. Interestingly, the smallest cities are shown as having the least possibility for good pizza, but the apex is shown as being for mid-sized cities toward the smaller end of the spectrum. No explanation is given for this, possibly [[Randall]] may have a particular favorite from a mid-sized city.

The lower end of the range, though, shows much more variation. The largest cities are shown as having limited possibilities for bad pizza, with the worst examples still being okay. The smaller the cities are, the more potential there is for the regional pizza to be bad. This may be due to the fact that large cities tend to have many restaurants within a limited area, meaning that there's a lot of competition, and unappealing eateries are unlikely to be able to compete. Smaller cities with fewer eating options might accept lower quality choices because they lack options.

At the lowest end of the range are very small cities with terrible regional pizza. The caption jokes that this is to due to "bored restaurant owners" deliberately making up bad pizza varieties as a "fun prank" on visitors. The implication is that some local pizza styles are so bad that they could only have been created as a joke, and even the people who created them don't think they're appealing.

New York-style pizza is indicated at the top of the city size axis (New York City being the largest city in the US), and near the top of the tastiness axis, but in the middle of the range of cities of its size. New York City is where pizza was first popularized in the US, having been brought by Italian immigrants in the 19th century. The style from New York has been highly influential over pizza throughout the country, and is generally acknowledged to be appealing to most people.

The title text gives a specific example of a terrible pizza from a small city, Describing {{w|Altoona-style pizza}} as "true audacity". Created in the Altoona Hotel in {{w|Altoona, Pennsylvania}}, it has a thick square of bread-like Sicilian-style crust, covered with tomato sauce, bell peppers, and salami and a slice of American cheese. Not only does Randall implicitly find this to be highly unappetizing, but considers it audacious to even call it pizza. The design of this pizza looks more like an open-faced sandwich than traditional pizza, the structure is odd for pizza, the toppings are eccentric, and the use of American cheese to top pizza is so strange that many pizza fans would considered it practically heresy. This is presumably the type of "pizza" that Randall believes could only be created as a joke.

It is noteworthy that a remarkable spike in Google searches for Altoona-style pizza was observed at the publication date of this comic, as can be observed on [https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=%2Fg%2F11nmt6q5kp Google Trends].

The original comic's title has an encoding error in terms of HTML rendering, and it was copied to this wiki page. It reads "<City>-Style", which is interpreted by web browsers as containing an HTML tag and rendered as "-Style".

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[A graph.]
:[The x and y axes have no unit markings, and are labeled:]
::[X axis: City size →]
::[Y axis: Tastiness of "<city>-style pizza" ↑]

:[A shaded region is bounded by a lower bound and an upper bound. The upper bound has a slight curve up corresponding to a smallish city, but is otherwise mostly flat. The lower bound appears on the X axi] close to the left, evens out to being almost flat in the middle, and rises toward the right.]

:[An arrow points to the right end of the shaded area, with the label:]
::New York up here somewhere

:[A label is in the middle of the shaded region at a medium X value. Many arrows point outward from the text, which reads:]
::various controversial regional specialties

:[An arrow points to the region with a low x and y-value, where the line for the lower bound is missing. This region is labeled:]
::towns with bored restaurant owners who have come up with a fun prank to play on visitors

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Food]]
[[Category: Charts]]

3142: (City)-Style Pizza

2025-09-17T14:37:14Z

Tromag: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3142
| date = September 15, 2025
| title = <City>-Style Pizza
| image = city_style_pizza_2x.png
| imagesize = 480x314px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = If you want to see true audacity, do an image search for 'Altoona-style pizza.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a BOT WITH SAUSAGE AND ANCHOVIES. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
{{w|Pizza}} is one of the most popular foods in the United States and a number of major cities have regional variations on pizza, which have come to be named after the city. {{w|New York–style pizza}} and {{w|Chicago-style pizza}} are two of the most well known. New York-style pizza is characterized by a thin, flexible crust topped with tomato sauce, followed by various toppings, then topped with mozzarella cheese. Chicago-style pizza has a much thicker, bread-like crust which is typically topped with melted cheese, with a mixture of sauce and toppings added on top.

This comic contains a chart that compares the tastiness of pizza styles with the size of the city in the name. They generally span a broad range, and the upper limit tends to be pretty consistent, suggesting that cities of all sizes can produce good pizza. Interestingly, the smallest cities are shown as having the least possibility for good pizza, but the apex is shown as being for mid-sized cities toward the smaller end of the spectrum. No explanation is given for this, possibly [[Randall]] may have a particular favorite from a mid-sized city.

The lower end of the range, though, shows much more variation. The largest cities are shown as having limited possibilities for bad pizza, with the worst examples still being okay. The smaller the cities are, the more potential there is for the regional pizza to be bad. This may be due to the fact that large cities tend to have many restaurants within a limited area, meaning that there's a lot of competition, and unappealing eateries are unlikely to be able to compete. Smaller cities with fewer eating options might accept lower quality choices because they lack options.

At the lowest end of the range are very small cities with terrible regional pizza. The caption jokes that this is to due to "bored restaurant owners" deliberately making up bad pizza varieties as a "fun prank" on visitors. The implication is that some local pizza styles are so bad that they could only have been created as a joke, and even the people who created them don't think they're appealing.

New York-style pizza is indicated at the top of the city size axis (New York City being the largest city in the US), and near the top of the tastiness axis, but in the middle of the range of cities of its size. New York City is where pizza was first popularized in the US, having been brought by Italian immigrants in the 19th century. The style from New York has been highly influential over pizza throughout the country, and is generally acknowledged to be appealing to most people.

The title text mentions an {{w|Altoona-style pizza}}. Created in the Altoona Hotel in {{w|Altoona, Pennsylvania}}, it has a thick square crust, with a slice of melted American cheese on top of tomato sauce, bell peppers, and salami. The “true audacity” of this style may include that people may not consider it pizza, and some may even see it as a sandwich. It is noteworthy that a remarkable spike in Google searches for Altoona-style pizza was observed at the publication date of this comic, as can be observed on [https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=%2Fg%2F11nmt6q5kp Google Trends].

The original comic's title has an encoding error in terms of HTML rendering, and it was copied to this wiki page. It reads "<City>-Style", which is interpreted by web browsers as containing an HTML tag and rendered as "-Style".

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[A graph.]
:[The x and y axes have no unit markings, and are labeled:]
::[X axis: City size →]
::[Y axis: Tastiness of "<city>-style pizza" ↑]

:[A shaded region is bounded by a lower bound and an upper bound. The upper bound has a slight curve up corresponding to a smallish city, but is otherwise mostly flat. The lower bound appears on the X axi] close to the left, evens out to being almost flat in the middle, and rises toward the right.]

:[An arrow points to the right end of the shaded area, with the label:]
::New York up here somewhere

:[A label is in the middle of the shaded region at a medium X value. Many arrows point outward from the text, which reads:]
::various controversial regional specialties

:[An arrow points to the region with a low x and y-value, where the line for the lower bound is missing. This region is labeled:]
::towns with bored restaurant owners who have come up with a fun prank to play on visitors

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Food]]
[[Category: Charts]]

3087: Pascal's Law

2025-09-05T15:20:37Z

Tromag: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3087
| date = May 9, 2025
| title = Pascal's Law
| image = pascals_law_2x.png
| imagesize = 400x459px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Reductio ad absurdum fails when reality is absurd.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Pascal's law}} states that when a change in pressure occurs in a static incompressible fluid, it is transmitted throughout the fluid and the same change occurs everywhere. That same pressure is applied outward to the walls of the container. It was discovered by mathematician {{w|Blaise Pascal}} in 1653. This principle has significant implications. Because force is a product of pressure times area, static pressure can be used to exert arbitrarily large (or small) forces by using larger or smaller pistons. This is the principle underlying {{w|hydraulics}}. Also, when under gravity, liquids exert greater pressure at greater depths, but Pascal's law means that the pressure will be the same at any given depth. Consequently, even a narrow column of water, if it's tall enough, will result in high pressure at the bottom of the column. If the bottom of the column spreads out over a huge area, that pressure will remain high, exerting tremendous force.

[[Randall]] muses that, when he first heard of this law, he found it implausible, because it would be able to do things that, on the surface, appear "absurd". He then realized that, not only are these things possible, they either are or have been regularly used for practical purposes.

The strip shows a classroom in which a character (presumably Randall) is sitting, being shown an image of a simple {{w|hydraulic press}}, which demonstrates the first "absurd" concept. In the image, a large cylinder, fitted with a large piston, is weighed down by a person and a weight labeled "1000 kg". The bottom of this piston is fed by a narrow tube which rises to an opening, which contains a smaller piston which is being pushed down by hand. The notion that simply pushing a small piston down, by hand, would be able to lift over a tonne of weight seems absurd, but the very large surface of the platform means that even a relatively small pressure is able to exert large amounts of force.

The trade-off is that the cylinder has a huge volume, so any movement in the small piston would raise the platform only by a miniscule distance. The effect is an example of mechanical advantage: a small force applied over a relatively large distance is converted into a much larger force exerted over a much smaller distance. This principle is the basis of hydraulic machinery: a pressurized fluid is used to drive a piston, and the pressure is multiplied by the area of the piston to determine how much force is exerted. A relatively small pump can exert almost arbitrarily large forces with a large enough piston (with the tradeoff that it takes more time to exert that force).

A second objection Randall raises is that this principle would allow the destruction of entire mountains, with the very low-tech solution of digging tunnels and filling them with water, a technique that would have been available to ancient peoples. By digging even narrow vertical cavities with enough height, the pressure exerted by water at the bottom could become very high. If these channels feed into larger cavities, that pressure would exert across the entire area, creating forces that are potentially enough to shatter the rock face of the mountain. He points out that he later learned of the practice of ''{{w|Ruina montium}}'' ("wrecking of mountains" in Latin), which used exactly this principle. This was an ancient Roman mining technique in which small tunnels were dug into the side of a mountain. When the tunnels were filled with water, the rock adjacent to the tunnels would fracture, making it significantly easier to remove.

In both cases, Randall's attempts to disprove this law by pointing out consequences that he considers implausible fail to work, because those consequences are exactly what are observed (and can be used) in real life.

''{{w|Reductio ad absurdum}}'' ("reduction to absurdity" in Latin) in the title text is a form of argument in which something is assumed to be true and then the logic is followed until it results in an absurdity or obvious falsehood, which is taken as evidence that the original premise cannot, therefore, be true. In mathematics it's called {{w|proof by contradiction}}. In the title text, however, it is pointed out that some things that happen in the real world {{tvtropes|RealityIsUnrealistic|''are'' (or at least ''seem'') absurd}}, so it would be wrong to rely upon this method to {{tvtropes|AluminumChristmasTrees|conclude that they don't occur}}.

==Transcript==
:[At the left, a teacher is holding a pointer, pointing at a picture on the screen.]

:[The picture shows a hydraulic lift, with a small fluid vessel on the left connected to a tube at the bottom, which connects to a large vessel on the right. On top of the large vessel is a weight labeled 1000 and a Cueball. The fluid in the large vessel is labeled with an upward arrow. Megan's hand is over the small vessel, with a downward arrow indicating that she's pressing on it.]

:[Cueball, Hairbun, and Blondie are sitting at school desks going left to right.]
:Cueball: No, that can't be right.
:Cueball: If hydrostatic pressure worked that way, then you could use it to make machines that exert near-infinite force.
:Cueball: And ancient people could have demolished entire mountains just by drilling small tunnels and filling them with water.

:[Caption below comic:]
:When I first learned about Pascal's law, I tried to disprove it by showing that it would lead to absurd consequences, but it turns out hydraulic presses and ''ruina montium'' are both real things.

==Trivia==

In the image, assuming a 2,200 lb weight (1000 kg) and an adult who weighs around 200 lb, both on a circular piston with a 6-foot diameter, the water pressure would need to be about 0.6 psi to lift them. How easy that would be to hold in place depends entirely on the area of the piston that was being pushed down (the proportions in the drawing are likely off, as the piston size shown there would take more force to push down than most people could easily hold). An alternate demonstration would be to have no piston in the tube, and simply have the tube extend higher than the platform, so that the water column in the tube could exert enough pressure to keep the platform up. A tube around 16 inches higher than the bottom of the piston would be adequate to hold the entire massive weight in place.

The concept of "runia montium" is similar to a demonstration which was attributed to Pascal himself, in which he supposedly inserted a tall, thin tube into an otherwise sealed barrel full of water. By adding water to the top of the tube, increasing pressure would be exerted inside the barrel, until it burst. This story may be apocryphal (all surviving accounts were written centuries after Pascal's death), but [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJHrr21UvY8 the demonstration works], if you can get enough height.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Donald Knuth]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Engineering]]

3135: Sea Level

2025-09-05T15:16:11Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3135
| date = August 29, 2025
| title = Sea Level
| image = sea_level_2x.png
| imagesize = 321x453px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = They're up there with coral islands, lightning, and caterpillars turning into butterflies.
}}

==Explanation==

The existence of the {{w|Moon}}, and its various impacts (including the movement of the tides, and reflected light it provides) are such stable and constant realities of life on Earth that people tend to take them for granted. This strip points out that, if someone were unaware of the Moon and its impacts, they would seem amazing and even implausible.

[[Cueball]] is wondering aloud what happened to an island, possibly a {{w|sandbar}} that was visible earlier, but is not anymore. [[Megan]] explains to him that the {{w|tide}} has come in and submerged the island. She then explains that the Moon, being quite large, relative to the Earth, and orbiting relatively near, creates gravitational effects that change local sea levels over the course of each day.

The fact that the net gravitational pull at Earth's surface change throughout the day, enough to make the local levels of the ocean visibly rise and fall, would be shocking if we weren't accustomed to it. A visitor to Earth from another planet would have a good chance of being completely blindsided by such an effect. Earth's moon has, by far, the highest mass in relation to its planet in the solar system, and is the only known satellite to have such major impacts on its planet's surface. (Pluto and Charon form a double-satellite system, and both are considered too small to be a true planet) Someone coming from a planet whose moons have little noticeable effect would likely be surprised at how casual humans are about the situation.

Cueball takes on the position of someone apparently unaware of the Moon's existence, and being shocked by the realities of it. Having a planetary body large enough and close enough to both be clearly visible to the naked eye, and to have obvious (and pragmatically important) impacts on the planet's oceans is really quite amazing. If humanity weren't so used to it, it would seem like an outlandish concept, perhaps imagined for a work of science fiction.

The title text mentions other elements of life on Earth, saying they also seem as outlandish as tides. {{w|Coral islands}} are bodies of land built entirely from the skeletons and secretions of dead animals. {{w|Lightning}} is an electrical discharge in the atmosphere (sometimes striking the Earth) which creates a brief but very intense current, heat, and ionization of the atmosphere. The {{w|metamorphosis}} of {{w|butterflies}} from caterpillars involves the latter building a chrysalis around themselves, then effectively dissolving into biological soup, which then reforms into a very different form of animal. As with tides, each of these occurrences would seem amazing, possibly unbelievable, to someone who hadn't encountered them before, but are so common in our world that we generally pay them little attention.

This strip is very similar to [[2809: Moon]], as both center around Cueball being shocked by the reality of Earth's Moon. It follows a long-running theme of expressing general amazement about the world in which we live, where things that feel like they should be impossible are so commonplace that we often ignore them. Examples include [[332: Gyroscopes]], [[2115: Plutonium]], [[2540: TTSLTSWBD]], and [[3087: Pascal's Law]].

==Transcript==

:[Single frame, with Megan and Cueball standing at a coastline with grass, with water and waves visible. They are looking at the ocean and are standing together.]

:Cueball: Hey, where's that big island we were looking at this morning?
:Megan: Oh, it's underwater. The ocean's depth here goes up and down by like ten feet every day.
:Cueball: What?
:Megan: It's because the planet has a big moon orbiting near the surface. It causes weird gravity effects.
:Cueball: '''''What???'''''

:[Caption below the frame:]
:People here are used to them, but tides are one of the weirdest and most sci-fi elements of life on Earth.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Astronomy]]

2540: TTSLTSWBD

2025-09-02T16:28:57Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 2540
| date = November 10, 2021
| title = TTSLTSWBD
| image = ttsltswbd.png
| titletext = Tomorrow's sessions will be entirely devoted to sewing machine rotary hooks.
}}

==Explanation==

[[Cueball]] is standing at a lectern on a [[1661: Podium|podium (or is it a lectern?)]], addressing a large crowd. He is describing the program of some event, listing the different topics that will be covered. These appear to be random, but the caption gives the punchline: it is a conference on things that seem like they shouldn't work but do.

By "things that seem like they shouldn't work", it means things that the average person would have some intuitive sense that the function of thing was impossible, and yet ample real-world experience shows that they do, and may become a routine function that people depend upon. TTSLTSWBD in the title and the banner is the abbreviation for "Things That Seem Like They Shouldn't Work, But Do".

There are two sessions in the morning (before {{w|lunch}}) and two in the afternoon.

{{w|Organ transplantation}}, where a functioning organ is cut out of one person (usually dead, though living people can donate a single kidney, cornea (if they don't mind the accompanying vision loss), lung, uterus, part of their liver (which is unique in that it will regenerate) and, depending on one's definition of 'organ', bone marrow) and put into another person where it will now operate for their benefit. Given the very complex and delicate nature of living tissue, it's rather surprising that this could work at all. In reality, it's not a simple process, and a lot of things could go wrong, but modern medicine is advanced enough that organ transplantation is widely accepted and regularly practiced, usually functioning well enough to extend life.

{{w|Airship|Airships}}, or dirigibles, are [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Giant_Aircraft_Comparison.svg huge] rigid structures which are filled with bags of lighter-than-air gas, which causes the entire structure to float, and could carry both passengers and significant loads. The idea of such a huge vessel traveling, able to both move rapidly and float in place, would be hard to imagine if it didn't exist, yet zeppelins functioned and were a practical mode of transportation for a time. Unlike the other things mentioned, airships are largely obsolete (having lost favor due to {{w|Hindenburg_disaster|safety concerns}} and surpassed by other technologies). Airships are a [[:Category:Airships|recurring theme]] on xkcd.

Mechanical {{w|gyroscope}}s are simple devices consisting of a spinning disc mounted inside three concentric {{w|gimbal}}s as a fixture, or more often observed at work as a single spindle in a free-standing external frame that can be held or moved around by hand. The rotational inertia of the spinning disc resists change in orientation, and tends to remain in a single orientation (if free to do so) or else exert counter-intuitive forces (where directly encouraged to change its central axis). The notion that a disc can remain so steady can be counterintuitive even to those who understand the physical principles. This weirdness has been previously referenced in [[332: Gyroscopes]]. An {{w|Ring laser gyroscope|optical gyroscope}} does not mechanically resist any motion but (relying upon {{w|Sagnac effect|an effect}} originally exploited in a failed attempt to disprove {{w|Special Relativity}}) ultimately provides similar feedback about the rotation of the unit into which it is mounted.

{{w|Butterfly|Butterflies}} fly with an unusual fluttering pattern, which works in part due to the {{w|Ornithopter#Aerodynamics|notoriously complex principles of fluid dynamics}} that may look like uncontrolled fluttering but yet somehow allows the creature to land directly on specific flowerheads to feed. This is not as intuitively understandable as the flight of larger creatures such as birds.

The title text refers to {{w|Rotary hook|rotary hooks}} on sewing machines, which are a complicated (and complicated looking) mechanism whose purpose is to feed one thread in a loop around a whole spool of another thread, allowing stitches to be locked in place. This process must happen automatically for each stitch in a garment, which means it needs to happen multiple times per second without missing or breaking the thread. This is apparently counterintuitive enough that the conference feels they need a whole day to cover them.

This concept is referenced in [[2115: Plutonium]].

The conference that the comic pictures is another example of a thing that seems like it shouldn't work but does. At first glance, Cueball seems to be listing a random, disconnected list of topics that will be covered, which runs counter to the format of most conferences. It initially seems inconceivable that enough people would be interested in all of those separate topics for the conference to make a profit (from attendance fees). However, the audience is packed, demonstrating that this is not the case. This may be because many people enjoy the mind-expanding feeling of having their intuitions shattered.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball stands behind a lectern on a podium, gesturing with one hand held out, speaking to an audience. A banner hangs on the wall over the crowd with large letters on it. Illegible smaller text is written under these letters.]
:Cueball: Next we have a session on organ transplants and another on airships.
:Cueball: Then lunch, then we'll have one on gyroscopes and one on butterflies.
:Banner: TTSLTSWBD

:[Caption below panel:]
:The first annual conference on Things That Seem Like They Shouldn't Work But Do

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Public speaking]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Airships]]

3135: Sea Level

2025-09-02T16:24:33Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3135
| date = August 29, 2025
| title = Sea Level
| image = sea_level_2x.png
| imagesize = 321x453px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = They're up there with coral islands, lightning, and caterpillars turning into butterflies.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by A FRIENDLY TIDAL WAVE. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The existence of the moon, and its various impacts (including the movement of the tides, and reflected light it provides) are such stable and constant realities of life on earth that people tend to take them for granted. This strip points out that, if someone were unaware of the moon and its impacts, they would seem amazing and even implausible.

[[Cueball]] is wondering aloud what happened to an island, possibly a {{w|sandbar}} that was visible earlier, but is not anymore. [[Megan]] explains to him that the {{w|tide}} has come in and submerged the island. She then explains that the {{w|Moon}}, being quite large, relative to the earth, and orbiting relatively near, creates gravitational effects that change local sea levels over the course of each day.

The fact that the net gravitational pull at Earth's surface change throughout the day, enough to make the local levels of the ocean visibly rise and fall, would be shocking if we weren't accustomed to it. A visitor to Earth from another planet would have a good chance of being completely blindsided by such an effect. Earth's moon has, by far, the highest mass in relation to its planet in the solar system (Pluto being considered too small to be a true planet), and is likely the only such satellite to have such major impacts on its planet's surface. Someone coming from a planet whose moons have little noticeable effect would likely be surprised at how casual humans are about the situation.

Cueball takes on the position of someone apparently unaware of the moon's existence, and being shocked by the realities of it. Having a planetary body large enough and close enough to both be clearly visible to the naked eye, and to have obvious (and pragmatically important) impacts on the planet's oceans is really quite amazing. If humanity weren't so used to it, it would seem like an outlandish concept, perhaps imagined for a work of science fiction.

The title text mentions other elements of life on Earth, saying they also seem as outlandish as tides. {{w|Coral islands}} are bodies of land built entirely from the skeletons and secretions of dead animals. {w|Lightning}} is an electrical discharge in the atmosphere (sometimes striking the earth) which creates a brief but very intense current, heat, and ionization of the atmosphere. The {{w|metamorphosis}} of {{w|butterflies}} from caterpillars involves the latter building a chrysalis around themselves, then effectively dissolving into biological soup, which then reforms into a very different form of animal. As with tides, each of these occurrences would seem amazing, possibly unbelievable, to someone who hadn't encountered them before, but are so common in our world that we generally pay them little attention.

This strip is very similar to [[2809: Moon]], as both center around Cueball being shocked by the reality of Earth's moon. It follows a long-running theme of expressing general amazement about the world in which we live, where things that feel like they should be impossible are so commonplace that we often ignore them. Examples include [[332: Gyroscopes]], [[2115: Plutonium]], [[2540:_TTSLTSWBD]], and [[3087: Pascal's Law]].

==Transcript==

:[Single frame, with Megan and Cueball standing at a coastline with grass, with water and waves visible. They are looking at the ocean and are standing together.]

:Cueball: Hey, where's that big island we were looking at this morning?
:Megan: Oh, it's underwater. The ocean's depth here goes up and down by like ten feet every day.
:Cueball: What?
:Megan: It's because the planet has a big moon orbiting near the surface. It causes weird gravity effects.
:Cueball: '''''What???'''''

:[Caption below the frame:]
:People here are used to them, but tides are one of the weirdest and most sci-fi elements of life on Earth.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Astronomy]]

3135: Sea Level

2025-09-02T16:23:14Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3135
| date = August 29, 2025
| title = Sea Level
| image = sea_level_2x.png
| imagesize = 321x453px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = They're up there with coral islands, lightning, and caterpillars turning into butterflies.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by A FRIENDLY TIDAL WAVE. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The existence of the moon, and its various impacts (including the movement of the tides, and reflected light it provides) are such stable and constant realities of life on earth that people tend to take them for granted. This strip points out that, if someone were unaware of the moon and its impacts, they would seem amazing and even implausible.

[[Cueball]] is wondering aloud what happened to an island, possibly a {{w|sandbar}} that was visible earlier, but is not anymore. [[Megan]] explains to him that the {{w|tide}} has come in and submerged the island. She then explains that the {{w|Moon}}, being quite large, relative to the earth, and orbiting relatively near, creates gravitational effects that change local sea levels over the course of each day.

The fact that the net gravitational pull at Earth's surface change throughout the day, enough to make the local levels of the ocean visibly rise and fall, would be shocking if we weren't accustomed to it. A visitor to Earth from another planet would have a good chance of being completely blindsided by such an effect. Earth's moon has, by far, the highest mass in relation to its planet in the solar system (Pluto being considered too small to be a true planet), and is likely the only such satellite to have such major impacts on its planet's surface. Someone coming from a planet whose moons have little noticeable effect would likely be surprised at how casual humans are about the situation.

Cueball takes on the position of someone apparently unaware of the moon's existence, and being shocked by the realities of it. Having a planetary body large enough and close enough to both be clearly visible to the naked eye, and to have obvious (and pragmatically important) impacts on the planet's oceans is really quite amazing. If humanity weren't so used to it, it would seem like an outlandish concept, perhaps imagined for a work of science fiction.

The title text mentions other elements of life on Earth, saying they also seem as outlandish as tides. {{w|Coral islands}} are bodies of land built entirely from the skeletons and secretions of dead animals. {w|Lightning}} is an electrical discharge in the atmosphere (sometimes striking the earth) which creates a brief but very intense current, heat, and ionization of the atmosphere. The {{w|metamorphosis}} of {{w|butterflies}} from caterpillars involves the latter building a chrysalis around themselves, then effectively dissolving into biological soup, which then reforms into a very different form of animal. As with tides, each of these occurrences would seem amazing, possibly unbelievable, to someone who hadn't encountered them before, but are so common in our world that we generally pay them little attention.

This strip is very similar to [[2809: Moon]], expressing amazement at the existence of the moon, specifically. It follows a long-running theme of expressing general amazement about the world in which we live, where things that feel like they should be impossible are so commonplace that we often ignore them. Examples include [[332: Gyroscopes]], [[2115: Plutonium]], [[2540:_TTSLTSWBD]], and [[3087: Pascal's Law]].

==Transcript==

:[Single frame, with Megan and Cueball standing at a coastline with grass, with water and waves visible. They are looking at the ocean and are standing together.]

:Cueball: Hey, where's that big island we were looking at this morning?
:Megan: Oh, it's underwater. The ocean's depth here goes up and down by like ten feet every day.
:Cueball: What?
:Megan: It's because the planet has a big moon orbiting near the surface. It causes weird gravity effects.
:Cueball: '''''What???'''''

:[Caption below the frame:]
:People here are used to them, but tides are one of the weirdest and most sci-fi elements of life on Earth.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Astronomy]]

3135: Sea Level

2025-09-02T16:17:53Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3135
| date = August 29, 2025
| title = Sea Level
| image = sea_level_2x.png
| imagesize = 321x453px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = They're up there with coral islands, lightning, and caterpillars turning into butterflies.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by A FRIENDLY TIDAL WAVE. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The existence of the moon, and its various impacts (including the movement of the tides, and reflected light it provides) are such stable and constant realities of life on earth that people tend to take them for granted. This strip points out that, if someone were unaware of the moon and its impacts, they would seem amazing and even implausible.

[[Cueball]] is wondering aloud what happened to an island, possibly a {{w|sandbar}} that was visible earlier, but is not anymore. [[Megan]] explains to him that the {{w|tide}} has come in and submerged the island. She then explains that the {{w|Moon}}, being quite large, relative to the earth, and orbiting relatively near, creates gravitational effects that change local sea levels over the course of each day.

In addition to the objectively impressive reality of the entire ocean rising and falling enough to obscure and reveal large sections of land, the reality of {{w|Tide|Tides}} on Earth would likely seem strange to a visitor from another planet. Earth's moon has, by far, the highest mass in relation to its planet in the solar system (Pluto being considered too small to be a true planet), and is likely the only such satellite to have such major impacts on its planet's surface. Someone coming from a planet whose moons have little noticeable effect would likely be surprised at how casual humans are about the situation.

Cueball takes on the position of someone apparently unaware of the moon's existence, and being shocked by the realities of it. Having a planetary body large enough and close enough to both be clearly visible to the naked eye, and to have obvious (and pragmatically important) impacts on the planet's oceans is really quite amazing. If humanity weren't so used to it, it would seem like an outlandish concept, perhaps imagined for a work of science fiction.

The title text mentions other elements of life on Earth, saying they also seem as outlandish as tides. {{w|Coral islands}} are bodies of land built entirely from the skeletons and secretions of dead animals. {w|Lightning}} is an electrical discharge in the atmosphere (sometimes striking the earth) which creates a brief but very intense current, heat, and ionization of the atmosphere. The {{w|metamorphosis}} of {{w|butterflies}} from caterpillars involves the latter building a chrysalis around themselves, then effectively dissolving into biological soup, which then reforms into a very different form of animal. As with tides, each of these occurrences would seem amazing, possibly unbelievable, to someone who hadn't encountered them before, but are so common in our world that we generally pay them little attention.

This strip is very similar to [[2809: Moon]], expressing amazement at the existence of the moon, specifically. It follows a long-running theme of expressing general amazement about the world in which we live, where things that feel like they should be impossible are so commonplace that we often ignore them. Examples include [[332: Gyroscopes]], [[2115: Plutonium]], [[2450:_TTSLTSWBD]], and [[3087: Pascal's Law]].

==Transcript==

:[Single frame, with Megan and Cueball standing at a coastline with grass, with water and waves visible. They are looking at the ocean and are standing together.]

:Cueball: Hey, where's that big island we were looking at this morning?
:Megan: Oh, it's underwater. The ocean's depth here goes up and down by like ten feet every day.
:Cueball: What?
:Megan: It's because the planet has a big moon orbiting near the surface. It causes weird gravity effects.
:Cueball: '''''What???'''''

:[Caption below the frame:]
:People here are used to them, but tides are one of the weirdest and most sci-fi elements of life on Earth.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Astronomy]]

3135: Sea Level

2025-09-02T16:17:24Z

Tromag: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3135
| date = August 29, 2025
| title = Sea Level
| image = sea_level_2x.png
| imagesize = 321x453px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = They're up there with coral islands, lightning, and caterpillars turning into butterflies.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by A FRIENDLY TIDAL WAVE. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The existence of the moon, and its various impacts (including the movement of the tides, and reflected light it provides) are such stable and constant realities of life on earth that people tend to take them for granted. This strip points out that, if someone were unaware of the moon and its impacts, they would seem amazing and even implausible.

[[Cueball]] is wondering aloud what happened to an island, possibly a {{w|sandbar}} that was visible earlier, but is not anymore. [[Megan]] explains to him that the {{w|tide}} has come in and submerged the island. She then explains that the {{w|Moon}}, being quite large, relative to the earth, and orbiting relatively near, creates gravitational effects that change local sea levels over the course of each day.

In addition to the objectively impressive reality of the entire ocean rising and falling enough to obscure and reveal large sections of land, the reality of {{w|Tide|Tides}} on Earth would likely seem strange to a visitor from another planet. Earth's moon has, by far, the highest mass in relation to its planet in the solar system (Pluto being considered too small to be a true planet), and is likely the only such satellite to have such major impacts on its planet's surface. Someone coming from a planet whose moons have little noticeable effect would likely be surprised at how casual humans are about the situation.

Cueball takes on the position of someone apparently unaware of the moon's existence, and being shocked by the realities of it. Having a planetary body large enough and close enough to both be clearly visible to the naked eye, and to have obvious (and pragmatically important) impacts on the planet's oceans is really quite amazing. If humanity weren't so used to it, it would seem like an outlandish concept, perhaps imagined for a work of science fiction.

The title text mentions other elements of life on Earth, saying they also seem as outlandish as tides. {{w|Coral islands}} are bodies of land built entirely from the skeletons and secretions of dead animals. {w|Lightning}} is an electrical discharge in the atmosphere (sometimes striking the earth) which creates a brief but very intense current, heat, and ionization of the atmosphere. The {{w|metamorphosis}} of {{w|butterflies}} from caterpillars involves the latter building a chrysalis around themselves, then effectively dissolving into biological soup, which then reforms into a very different form of animal. As with tides, each of these occurrences would seem amazing, possibly unbelievable, to someone who hadn't encountered them before, but are so common in our world that we generally pay them little attention.

This strip is very similar to [[2809: Moon]], expressing amazement at the existence of the moon, specifically. It follows a long-running theme of expressing general amazement about the world in which we live, where things that feel like they should be impossible are so commonplace that we often ignore them. Examples include [[332: Gyroscopes]], [[2115: Plutonium]], [[2450: TTSLTSWBD]], and [[3087: Pascal's Law]].

==Transcript==

:[Single frame, with Megan and Cueball standing at a coastline with grass, with water and waves visible. They are looking at the ocean and are standing together.]

:Cueball: Hey, where's that big island we were looking at this morning?
:Megan: Oh, it's underwater. The ocean's depth here goes up and down by like ten feet every day.
:Cueball: What?
:Megan: It's because the planet has a big moon orbiting near the surface. It causes weird gravity effects.
:Cueball: '''''What???'''''

:[Caption below the frame:]
:People here are used to them, but tides are one of the weirdest and most sci-fi elements of life on Earth.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Astronomy]]

3114: Building a Fire

2025-07-14T16:58:59Z

Tromag: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3114
| date = July 11, 2025
| title = Building a Fire
| image = building_a_fire_2x.png
| imagesize = 671x311px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = That was quicker than usual! The cabin's sprinkler system often makes it really hard to keep anything lit.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Please add sprinklers to the page so that it doesn’t burn down. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[[Megan]] is demonstrating to [[Cueball]] how to build a campfire. She says she's going to use the "log cabin" method, which is a common [https://www.cabinlife.com/articles/the-5-best-campfire-lays-and-how-to-build-them/ method of laying out fuel for a small fire]. The concept is that sticks of wood are placed in layers, with each layer consisting of two sticks placed parallel to one another, with a gap between them. Each subsequent layer is placed perpendicular to the first, so that the sticks bridge the gap in the layer below. This creates an open space in the center in which the tinder, and usually some kindling, is placed and ignited. This method is so named because the walls of {{w|log cabins}} are also built by placing wooden logs in perpendicular layers to enclose a central space, though on a much larger scale.

At first, Megan's build appears similar to a typical {{w|Campfire#Construction_styles|'log cabin' fire lay}}. It becomes unusually detailed when she adds interior walls and miniature furniture in the tiny dwelling, suggesting that she's not just laying out fuel for a fire, but actually going to the trouble of building a miniature log cabin, with all the details and components of a real living space. Things truly take a twist toward the bizarre, however, when she adds plumbing and electrical components to the house. This is not only a complex model, but a structure that apparently includes all the functionality one would expect in a modern dwelling. A fault in the installed wiring then initiates a fire, leading to the promised campfire. Stripped of the complexity, Megan effectively built a campfire which was ignited by electrical heating. Igniting a fire with electricity (either using {{w|electric sparks}} or {{w|Joule_heating|resistive heating}}) is a real method, but not particularly common for campfires.

The joke appears to be that, rather than a traditional (and relatively simple) fire-building method, she builds an entire house in miniature, then simulates a common cause of accidental {{w|structure_fire|house fires}}. This has the same net result as the simpler method: a small and contained fire, but the path to get there was unnecessarily complex. It's also somewhat morbid, as it brings to mind real-life house fires, which are both dangerous and traumatic (tens of thousands of people are killed in house fires every year), which may be the reason Cueball seems so horrified.

The title text continues the joke in that she usually finds that it needs more time for the fire to ignite, due to also installing a {{w|fire sprinkler system}}. Automatic sprinkler systems in buildings are typically to be triggered by fire and spray the area with water, wetting any potential fuel and dousing the fire before it spreads. The joke is that the level of detail in Megan's cabin was not only wildly unnecessary, it's actually actively counterproductive to her supposed purpose of starting a fire. This campfire was only started rapidly because the sprinkler system didn't work properly.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[A tent in a field stands in the background to the left of Cueball, who stands behind Megan, who is kneeling and arranging sticks into the first few layers of a small log cabin.]
:Cueball: Can you show me how to build a campfire?
:Megan: Sure! We'll use the log cabin method.
:Megan: First we build a square cabin out of sticks.

:[Cueball now stands to the right of frame, opposite Megan with the cabin between them. The cabin has gotten taller and is becoming better defined. Megan holds a tiny table in one hand and tiny chair in the other.]
:Megan: Next, we'll add interior walls, doors, and some cabin furniture made from twigs.
:Cueball: This is very elaborate.

:[The cabin now has a gable roof and an electrical wire leads from the base of the cabin to a coil of wire in Megan's hand and then off panel to the left. Lightning symbols above the wire indicate the wire is energized and perhaps shorting out.]
:Megan: Now we'll add some rudimentary plumbing and electrical wiring. 50 amps, nothing fancy.
:Cueball: It kind of seems like you're just building a cabin.
:Megan: I just -
:Megan: ...oops.

:[The tiny log cabin is engulfed in flames. Cueball is leaning away from the cabin and holding his hand to shield his face from the heat.]
:Megan: I think my wiring wasn't up to code.
:Cueball: AAAAA!!
:Megan: ... and that's how you build a fire!

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

3105: Interoperability

2025-06-23T13:39:50Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3105
| date = June 20, 2025
| title = Interoperability
| image = interoperability_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x269px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = We're getting a lot of complaints from commuters who were routed onto a coaster, but the theme park patrons who spent hours stuck on an intercity line are also not happy.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a LOST ROLLER COASTER RIDER. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[[Black Hat]] gives a presentation to ]]Cueball]] and [[Hairbun]] in which he emphasizes the importance of {{w|interoperability}} and compatibility. These terms refer to designing systems in such a way that systems can work together and share assets or components without modification. The terms are most commonly used in {{w|information technology}} to refer to different systems using the same formatting standards and communication protocols to allow the systems to interface and files to be exchanged easily. The terms also apply to hardware systems, where different pieces of equipment might use standardized parts and dimensions to allow them to be integrated easily. Railroads are a common example of this principle, if different railway systems are built to different gauges (the distance between the tracks), then rolling stock from one railway can't travel on another without major modifications. Building railroads to common specifications means that they can connect to one another, and can share, exchange and purchase equipment without compatibility issues.

Black Hat points out that US rail systems predominantly use the {{w|Standard-gauge railway|standard gauge}} of 143.5cm (or the virtually identical 4 ft 8½ in, in the US), and associated {{w|Rapid transit|subway systems}} and their cars are built to match this standard. This is a good example of interoperable systems. However, he also points out that roller coasters typically use a different gauge, presenting this as a problem, then goes on to state that his company has been retrofitting roller coasters to match railway gauge, and speaks ominously about "Phase 2". This suggests that he plans to either run railroad stock on roller coasters, or use roller coaster cars on train tracks.

There are clearly many, many reasons why this would be a bad idea. Even with identical gauges, roller coasters would not be able to run on train tracks, or vice versa. The tracks, wheels and how they interface would still be completely different. Trains and subways using {{w|Train Wheel|sets of flanged steel wheels on top of the track}}, while coasters use {{w|Roller coaster wheel assembly|polyurethane rollers above, below, and to the sides of the track}}). Roller coasters are generally not powered, being initially lifted by a chain and then running on gravity and inertia. Roller coasters aren't built for the kind of weight or size typical to train cars. Any attempt to connect the two systems would almost certainly not work, and if attempted, would cause all kinds of damage and danger, while offering no benefits. Given Black Hat's nature, it's unlikely that gives him any pause.

The audience responds that "maybe interoperability is actually bad". In fact, while interoperability can have major benefits in the right circumstances, there are many cases in which different systems should not be interfaced, and designing them to make such interfaces impossible is a good design principle. For example, electric systems that operate at different voltages might have differently designed plugs, to prevent accidentally plugging one into the other. In this case, even if it were possible to interface trains and roller coasters, it would be a terrible idea.

The title text suggests that Black Hat's company has successfully interfaced the two systems, allowing cars from each to travel onto the other (presumably meaning that they've solved the many, many engineering problems involved). Predictably, this has resulted in no benefits and major problems. Commuters on trains find themselves unexpectedly on roller coasters, which would be jarring, frightening, and dangerous (even if the track holds up and the train doesn't derail, lack of safety restraints would send people flying around the train cars). This is in addition to the simple fact that people trying to get to a destination largely wouldn't want to be routed onto an amusement park ride instead. By contrast, roller coaster patrons, expecting an exciting ride, would instead find themselves routed to ordinary transit lines, presumably going to destinations that they hadn't planned. Hence, even in the best case scenario, this connection would mess with everyone's plans, which is presumably Black Hat's central intention.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
: [A close-up shot of Black Hat from the shoulders up]
: Black Hat: Compatibility and interoperability are so important.

: [A zoom out reveals that Black Hat is standing in front of and pointing at a diagram showing a commuter subway car and a roller coaster car, and the tracks they both run on. Standing next to him are Cueball and Hairbun]
: Black Hat: For example, most subway rails are 143.5 cm apart. But many roller coasters use a narrower 110 cm gauge.

: [This panel shows only Black Hat]
: Black Hat: For the last few years, our company has been quietly retrofitting roller coasters to use 143.5 cm tracks.

: [Black Hat now has his fists raised]
: Black Hat: Soon, we can begin phase 2.
: Voice from off-panel: Maybe interoperability is actually bad.
: Black Hat: If you listen to the destination announcement while boarding, you'll be fine.
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Hairbun]]

3105: Interoperability

2025-06-23T13:07:49Z

Tromag: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3105
| date = June 20, 2025
| title = Interoperability
| image = interoperability_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x269px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = We're getting a lot of complaints from commuters who were routed onto a coaster, but the theme park patrons who spent hours stuck on an intercity line are also not happy.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a LOST ROLLER COASTER RIDER. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

[[Black Hat]] gives a presentation in which he emphasizes the importance of {{w|interoperability}} and compatibility. These terms refer to designing systems in such a way that systems can work together and share assets or components without modification. The terms are most commonly used in {{w|information technology}} to refer to different systems using the same formatting standards and communication protocols to allow the systems to interface and files to be exchanged easily. The terms also apply to hardware systems, where different pieces of equipment might use standardized parts and dimensions to allow them to be integrated easily. Railroads are a common example of this principle, if different railway systems are built to different gauges (the distance between the tracks), then rolling stock from one railway can't travel on another without major modifications. Building railroads to common specifications means that they can connect to one another, and can share, exchange and purchase equipment without compatibility issues.

regarding the existence of two standards: rail systems predominantly use the {{w|Standard-gauge railway|standard gauge}} of 143.5cm (or the virtually identical 4 ft 8½ in, in the US), and associated {{w|Rapid transit|subway systems}} and their cars are built to match this standard. Meanwhile 'many' {{w|roller coaster}} tracks, and their cars, are said to use a 110cm gauge. The two standards are not compatible, without {{w|Dual gauge|some additional engineering}}; subway cars could not travel on roller coaster tracks, and vice versa, even assuming you solved {{w|List of steepest gradients on adhesion railways|other issues}}.

However, Black Hat has professed to make changes to roller coasters such that they now conform to the subway standard (i.e. 143.5cm gauge). This seemingly is Phase One of a plan, and while no details of Phase Two are forthcoming, it may superficially allow subway cars to ride on roller coaster tracks ''and/or'' roller coaster cars to ride through subway systems, apparently in the name of {{w|interoperability}} and compatibility. This would have the advantage of letting many more people ride a roller coaster at the same time and granting subways easier access to additional {{w|rolling stock}}. However, interoperability in this case is not desirable, since if a railroad and a roller coaster track were ever to be accidentally connected, cars routed to the other system would simply derail due to the vast differences in design between the two aside from the difference in gauge.

[[Cueball]] and [[Hairbun]] are the apparently unwitting audience to Black Hat's presentation, and one of them (from off-panel) objects by stating that interoperability isn't ''necessarily'' a good thing, recognising where the plan is heading. Black Hat suggests that it would be fine as long as passengers of such interoperable systems listened to the destination announcement, indicating that he does indeed plan to connect the two, which may lead to various unexpected surprises.

In reality, the engineering challenges of actually doing such a thing would be almost impossible to surmount. This is because, despite the superficial similarities of rollercoasters and subway trains as vehicles that run on rails, the two are used for completely different purposes and have vastly different designs (i.e. subways using {{w|Train Wheel|sets of flanged steel wheels on top of the track}} vs. coasters using {{w|Roller coaster wheel assembly|polyurethane rollers above, below, and to the sides of the track}}). Attempting to modify one system for compatibility with the other would likely lead to loss of capability in its original role and/or complete ''inoperability'' as neither system is capable of operating within two mutually exclusive sets of design constraints. Despite Black Hat’s claims of the importance of compatibility and interoperability, it seems clear that his actual intentions are simply to compromise ''both'' systems through a nonsensical and likely illegal attempt at connecting them together.

For instance, roller coaster trains feature wheels that run under the rails (“up-stop” wheels) that prevent the train from lifting off the track during negative Gs. As subway tracks are fixed to the ground and have no underside clearance, a roller coaster train would simply slam its up-stop wheels into the ground and stop immediately if transferred onto a subway track. However, removing the up-stop wheels in an attempt at interoperability would leave the train unable to safely complete its original roller coaster route.

The title text confirms that ''both'' reapplications of railcars are being used, the engineering problems having apparently been solved in Phase 2: there are commuters who find themselves traveling upon a coaster, who may suffer unexpected {{w|g-force}} or not reach their intended destination, and there are roller coaster riders who find themselves traveling down a subway line — a much longer and more boring ride than anticipated. Furthermore, those expecting to experience a theme park ride were probably ''expecting'' exciting g-forces, and also to shortly return to no more than a short walk away from where they initially boarded, but find themselves outside the theme park, spending hours on an intercity line. Also, a subway line would also not usually be expected to travel between cities, but at least the interoperability of subway rail and wider rail systems ''might'' be expected, so long as the {{w|Third rail|appropriate infrastructure}} and track links can be made compatible. The roller coaster cars may also {{w|Physics of roller coasters#Energy|come to a stop}} if the cars aren't self-propelled, which may lead to the patrons being unable to leave the cars safely and will lead to the blockage of the route.

Alternatively, it may be that Black Hat intentionally did ''not'' solve the additional obstacles to interoperability, and the complaints are coming from commuters who experienced violent derailment of their subway trains upon entering roller coaster track and coaster riders who became stuck on rail lines due to incompatibility between the coaster wheels and subway rails causing them to suddenly stop.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
: [A close-up shot of Black Hat from the shoulders up]
: Black Hat: Compatibility and interoperability are so important.

: [A zoom out reveals that Black Hat is standing in front of and pointing at a diagram showing a commuter subway car and a roller coaster car, and the tracks they both run on. Standing next to him are Cueball and Hairbun]
: Black Hat: For example, most subway rails are 143.5 cm apart. But many roller coasters use a narrower 110 cm gauge.

: [This panel shows only Black Hat]
: Black Hat: For the last few years, our company has been quietly retrofitting roller coasters to use 143.5 cm tracks.

: [Black Hat now has his fists raised]
: Black Hat: Soon, we can begin phase 2.
: Voice from off-panel: Maybe interoperability is actually bad.
: Black Hat: If you listen to the destination announcement while boarding, you'll be fine.
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category: Comics featuring Hairbun]]

3100: Alert Sound

2025-06-10T15:05:20Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3100
| date = June 9, 2025
| title = Alert Sound
| image = alert_sound_2x.png
| imagesize = 393x455px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = With a good battery, the device can easily last for 5 or 10 years, although the walls probably won't.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by a BOT THAT GOES BOOP. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

"Living well is the best revenge" is a {{w|Proverb|proverb}} that has been part of English-language popular culture since 1640. The message is spending your energy and attention on seeking revenge on others tends to be self-defeating. To ignore people who have mistreated you and focus instead on improving your own life is generally to your own benefit, and that may, ironically, upset those who wish you ill more than if you attacked them directly. The joke is in Randall's claim that this particular practical joke is so effective that it's the only form of revenge ''better'' than living well.

The prank takes the form of placing a [https://www.geekextreme.com/annoyatron-holy-grail-of-pranks/ small noisemaking device] in the wall of a room that a computer is typically used in. When USB devices are plugged into a computer, there's typically a brief, audible signal to let the user know that the computer has recognized and connected with the device. Hearing this signal when you haven't plugged in a device can cause anxiety, because it could be meaningless, or it could be a sign of a problem: it could indicate that someone else is connecting to a computer in the room, or a connected device keeps spontaneously disconnecting or shutting off, or some other uncommanded and unwanted computer activity is occurring. Such a sound occurring with no obvious source will tend to perplex, and then annoy anyone present. The truly pernicious part of the plan is that it happens repeatedly, but at long intervals (presumably random intervals between 6 and 12 hours). That makes it virtually impossible to identify the source of the sound, or to predict when it's coming again, but it would keep happening, day after day, week after week, month after month. The implication is that it would eventually drive the person into fits of anxiety, but the only solution would be something drastic (like abandoning or demolishing the room).

The title text makes an estimate for the battery life of a device that only activates every 6 hours at the most, and then jokes about the lifespan of the wall in which such a device would be set. {{tvtropes|DontExplainTheJoke|The joke being, of course}}, that users plagued by this sound will eventually start tearing down walls once they begin to narrow down the source of the sound. Or will start damaging the walls out of frustration, e.g. punching holes or hitting their heads against the walls.

The [https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/09/02/living-well/ "living well"] proverb first appeared in a collection of [https://muse.jhu.edu/article/848854/summary "Outlandish Proverbs", attributed] to {{w|George_Herbert|George Herbert}} and, presumably, assembled from his papers after his death in 1633. The collection of more than 1,000 such proverbs also includes the original forms, in English, of such chestnuts as "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones".

This is the second comic in a row that apparently advocates putting things in other people's walls, the first being [[3099: Neighbor-Source Heat Pump]].

==Transcript==
:[A loud sound appears out of nowhere in the upper left part of the panel, around the word are many small lines going away from it and before the word there is a warning emoji. In the lower right corner Cueball is sitting in an office chair at his desk in front of his computer. He is holding his hands to his head and begins by shouting and then talking.]
:'''⚠ Boop!'''
:Cueball: '''''Aaaaa!'''''
:Cueball: '''''I heard it again!'''''
:Cueball: '''''Where''''' is that '''''coming''''' from!?

:[Caption below the panel:]
:It turns out living well is only the '''''second''''' best revenge. The '''''best''''' revenge is making a tiny hole in someone's wall and dropping in a battery-powered capsule that, every 6-12 hours, plays the alert sound of a USB device connecting.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

863: Major in the Universe

2025-05-14T19:17:50Z

Tromag: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 863
| date = February 21, 2011
| title = Major in the Universe
| image = major in the universe.png
| titletext = I hear Steven Levitt is writing a book analyzing A.J. Jacobs' quest to spend a year reading everything Malcolm Gladwell ever wrote. The audiobook will be narrated by Robert Krulwich of Radiolab.
}}

==Explanation==
Several authors are referenced here. {{w|Malcolm Gladwell}} is a Canadian author who wrote such books as "The Tipping Point", "Outliers" and "Blink." His works tend to cover a wide range of topics, usually tied together by a common thread. For example, in ''{{w|Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking|Blink}}'', a motif of intuitive judgments ties together the examples of the {{w|Getty kouros}}, {{w|John Gottman#Predictions of divorce|John Gottman's marriage studies}}, the {{w|Millennium Challenge 2002|Millennium Challenge war game}}, {{w|Speed dating|speed dating}}, and {{w|Facial Action Coding System|Paul Ekman's FACS}}, to name a few.

Gladwell's books are highly popular for being entertaining and eloquent, but are sometimes criticized for addressing the various subjects superficially, providing an incomplete picture, which may be used to draw overly broad conclusions.

{{w|Steven Levitt}} is one of the co-authors of the book ''{{w|Freakonomics}}'' and the Freakonomics blog on NYTimes.com.

{{w|Robert Krulwich}} is a science correspondent for {{w|NPR}} (National Public Radio, for those outside of the US) and a co-host of the show {{w|Radiolab}}.

{{w|A. J. Jacobs}} is a journalist who immerses himself in different ideas and lives them out for periods of time. For example, he lived for a year according to {{w|The Year of Living Biblically|all the rules in the bible literally}}.

In this comic, [[Cueball]] as a college student, meeting with his adviser or professor ([[Hairbun]]) trying to decide what to major in. He decides to major in "The Universe", but when his adviser details the real work required of that major, Cueball scratches his head and responds that he just wants to "read Malcolm Gladwell books and drink". This suggests that he wants to be exposed to multiple ideas, in a simple, accessible, and entertaining way, but is unwilling to study and research deeply enough to become truly educated in any of them.

Randall is making fun of people who claim to have a broad range of interests, but apparently only want to deflect attention from the fact that they are too lazy to master any specific subject.

The authors and presenters in the title text are all known for creating content that deals with intellectual content, but produce it for a general audience, rather than for academics or experts. In consequence, they generally don't deal with the kinds of details, data, and methodology required to genuinely understand a topic, instead presenting a polished narrative with conclusions already drawn, and just enough data to support those conclusions. These kinds of writers tend to be popular with readers who consider themselves to be educated and curious, but the implicit danger is that people might imagine that they're gaining a real education, rather that just receiving high-brow entertainment.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball before a professor.]
:Cueball: How can I pick a major? I'm interested in everything! Can't I major in "the universe"?

:Professor: Okay. First, I'll need papers on every European trade summit that did not result in an agreement. Then, spend a year memorizing every microprocessor instruction set ever used in a production chip.

:[Cueball scratches head.]

:Cueball: What I meant was I just want to read Malcolm Gladwell books and drink.
:Professor: We all do, sweetie.

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

857: Archimedes

2025-05-14T18:55:07Z

Tromag: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 857
| date = February 7, 2011
| title = Archimedes
| image = archimedes.png
| titletext = Give a man a fish, or he will destroy the only existing vial of antidote.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic references a famous quote made by {{w|Archimedes}}: [http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Archimedes δῶς μοι πᾶ στῶ καὶ τὰν γᾶν κινάσω], which could translate as "Give me a long enough lever and a place to rest it, and I will move the Earth". Archimedes was illustrating the power of {{w|force}} multiplication by pointing out that the theoretical force that could be exerted by a {{w|lever}} is unlimited. In principle, an arbitrarily large force could be exerted by a single human with a lever of sufficient length (that also assumes that the lever is arbitrarily strong and rigid, and that the fulcrum is arbitrarily strong and stable). Obviously, this couldn't be taken as a practical proposal, but merely a demonstration of theory.

Here, [[Cueball]] begins as if he is quoting Archimedes, but then produces a gun and threatens to execute hostages if he does not receive the lever. This turns a statement of a thought experiment to an actual demand, connected to a serious threat. It's not clear what "long enough" means in this context, possibly he's trying to enact Archimedes experiment for real. In any case, he's apparently sufficiently determined to have taken hostages and to threaten to murder them. This may be a stealth pun on the term "leverage", as the threat of killing hostages is used to provide leverage to have the hostage taker's demands met. Of course, the leverage provided by a physical lever and the concept of leverage in terms of a negotiation are two wildly different ideas despite the similar name.

The title text references another famous proverb, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." The quote starts out the same, but again ends with a sentence that is more fitting for an action movie.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing normally.]
:Cueball: In the words of Archimedes,

:[Cueball extends his left arm slightly.]
:Cueball: Give me a long enough lever and a place to rest it

:[Cueball is now holding a gun in his right hand.]
:Cueball: Or I will kill one hostage every hour.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Physics]]

857: Archimedes

2025-05-14T18:50:48Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 857
| date = February 7, 2011
| title = Archimedes
| image = archimedes.png
| titletext = Give a man a fish, or he will destroy the only existing vial of antidote.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic references a famous quote made by {{w|Archimedes}}: [http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Archimedes δῶς μοι πᾶ στῶ καὶ τὰν γᾶν κινάσω], which could translate as "Give me a long enough lever and a place to rest it, and I will move the Earth". Archimedes was illustrating the power of {{w|force}} multiplication by pointing out that the theoretical force that could be exerted by a {{w|lever}} is unlimited. In principle, an arbitrarily large force could be exerted by a single human with a lever of sufficient length (that also assumes that the lever is arbitrarily strong and rigid, and that the fulcrum is arbitrarily strong and stable).

While Archimedes is theoretically correct, in practice the lever would need to be millions of light years long, and the person operating it would need to push it by several light years to move the Earth even a microscopic amount. In fact, a much simpler way to move the Earth, which achieves similar distances, is to jump in the air - by Newton's third law, the same amount of force that is applied to you will also be applied to the Earth.

Here, [[Cueball]] begins as if he is quoting Archimedes, but then produces a gun and threatens to execute hostages if he does not receive the lever, indicating that he is, for some reason, actually trying to enact Archimedes' thought experiment for real. This may be a stealth pun on the term "leverage", as the threat of killing hostages is used to provide leverage to have the hostage taker's demands met. Of course, the leverage provided by a physical lever and the concept of leverage in terms of a negotiation are two wildly different ideas despite the similar name.

The title text references another famous proverb, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." The quote starts out the same, but again ends with a sentence that is more fitting for an action movie.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing normally.]
:Cueball: In the words of Archimedes,

:[Cueball extends his left arm slightly.]
:Cueball: Give me a long enough lever and a place to rest it

:[Cueball is now holding a gun in his right hand.]
:Cueball: Or I will kill one hostage every hour.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Physics]]

3087: Pascal's Law

2025-05-14T18:45:41Z

Tromag: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number = 3087
| date = May 9, 2025
| title = Pascal's Law
| image = pascals_law_2x.png
| imagesize = 400x459px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Reductio ad absurdum fails when reality is absurd.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by PASCAL’S HYDRAULIC PRESS. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

{{w|Pascal's law}} states that when a change in pressure occurs in a static incompressible fluid, it is transmitted throughout the fluid and the same change occurs everywhere. That same pressure is applied outward to the walls of the container. It was discovered by mathematician {{w|Blaise Pascal}} in 1653. This principle has significant implications. Because force is a product of pressure times area, static pressure can be used to exert arbitrarily large (or small) forces by using larger or smaller pistons. This is the principle underlying {{w|hydraulics}}. Also, when under gravity, liquids exert greater pressure at greater depths, but Pascal's law means that the pressure will be the same at any given depth. Consequently, even a narrow column of water, if it's tall enough, will result in high pressure at the bottom of the column. If the bottom of the column spreads out over a huge area, that pressure will remain high, exerting tremendous force.

[[Randall]] muses that, when he first heard of this law, he found it implausible, because it would be able to do things that, on the surface, appear "absurd". He then realized that, not only are these things possible, they either are or have been regularly used.

The strip shows a classroom in which a character (presumably Randall) is sitting in a classroom, being shown an image of a simple {{w|hydraulic press}}, which demonstrates the first "absurd" concept. In the image, a large cylinder, fitted with a large piston, is weighed down by a person and a weight labeled "1000 kg". The bottom of this piston is fed by a narrow tube which rises to an opening, into which someone is pouring water, which fills the cylinder, raising the piston. The notion that simply pouring water into a tube, by hand, would be able to lift over a tonne of weight seems absurd, but the pressure exerted by the height of the water, spread over the large area of the piston, is able to exert large amounts of force. The trade-off, of course, is that the cylinder is very large, so a huge amount of water would need to be poured in to lift the piston by an appreciable height. Actual hydraulic presses generally pump the liquid under pressure, rather than relying on gravitational force, but otherwise the same principle applies.

A second objection Randall raises is that this principle would allow the destruction of entire mountains, with the very low-tech solution of digging tunnels and filling them with water, a technique that would have been available to ancient peoples. By digging even narrow vertical cavities with enough height, the pressure exerted by water at the bottom could become very high. If these channels feed into larger cavities, that pressure would exert across the entire area, creating forces that are potentially enough to shatter the rock face of the mountain. He points out that he later learned of the practice of ''{{w|Ruina montium}}'' ("wrecking of mountains" in Latin), which used exactly this principle. This was an ancient Roman mining technique in which small tunnels were dug into the side of a mountain. When the tunnels were filled with water, the rock adjacent to the tunnels would fracture, making it significantly easier to remove.

In both cases, Randall's attempts to disprove this law by pointing out consequences that he considers implausible fail to work, because those consequences are exactly what are observed (and can be used) in real life.

''{{w|Reductio ad absurdum}}'' ("reduction to absurdity" in Latin) in the title text is a form of argument in which something is assumed to be true and then the logic is followed until it results in an absurdity or obvious falsehood, which is taken as evidence that the original premise cannot, therefore, be true. In mathematics it's called {{w|proof by contradiction}}. In the title text, however, it is pointed out that some things that happen in the real world {{tvtropes|RealityIsUnrealistic|''are'' (or at least ''seem'') absurd}}, so it would be wrong to rely upon this method to {{tvtropes|AluminumChristmasTrees|conclude that they don't occur}}.

==Transcript==
:[At the left, a teacher is holding a pointer, pointing at a picture on the screen.]

:[The picture shows a hydraulic lift, with a small fluid vessel on the left connected to a tube at the bottom, which connects to a large vessel on the right. On top of the large vessel is a weight labeled 1000 and a Cueball. The fluid in the large vessel is labeled with an upward arrow. Megan's hand is over the small vessel, with a downward arrow indicating that she's pressing on it.]

:[Cueball, Hairbun, and Blondie are sitting at school desks going left to right.]
:Cueball: No, that can't be right.
:Cueball: If hydrostatic pressure worked that way, then you could use it to make machines that exert near-infinite force.
:Cueball: And ancient people could have demolished entire mountains just by drilling small tunnels and filling them with water.

:[Caption below comic:]
:When I first learned about Pascal's law, I tried to disprove it by showing that it would lead to absurd consequences, but it turns out hydraulic presses and ''ruina montium'' are both real things.

==Trivia==

In the image, assuming a 2,200 lb weight (1000 kg) and an adult who weighs around 200 lb, both on a circular piston with a 6-foot diameter, the water pressure would need to be about 0.6 psi to lift them. That means the water column into which water is being poured would have to be about 16 inches higher than the bottom of the piston.

The concept of "runia montium" is similar to a demonstration which was attributed to Pascal himself, in which he supposedly inserted a tall, thin tube into an otherwise sealed barrel full of water. By adding water to the top of the tube, increasing pressure would be exerted inside the barrel, until it burst. This story may be apocryphal (all surviving accounts were written centuries after Pascal's death), but [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJHrr21UvY8 the demonstration works], if you can get enough height.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Donald Knuth]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Engineering]]

3087: Pascal's Law

2025-05-14T18:45:24Z

Tromag: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number = 3087
| date = May 9, 2025
| title = Pascal's Law
| image = pascals_law_2x.png
| imagesize = 400x459px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Reductio ad absurdum fails when reality is absurd.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by PASCAL’S HYDRAULIC PRESS. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

{{w|Pascal's law}} states that when a change in pressure occurs in a static incompressible fluid, it is transmitted throughout the fluid and the same change occurs everywhere. That same pressure is applied outward to the walls of the container. It was discovered by mathematician {{w|Blaise Pascal}} in 1653. This principle has significant implications. Because force is a product of pressure times area, static pressure can be used to exert arbitrarily large (or small) forces by using larger or smaller pistons. This is the principle underlying {{w|hydraulics}}. Also, when under gravity, liquids exert greater pressure at greater depths, but Pascal's law means that the pressure will be the same at any given depth. Consequently, even a narrow column of water, if it's tall enough, will result in high pressure at the bottom of the column. If the bottom of the column spreads out over a huge area, that pressure will remain high, exerting tremendous force.

[[Randall]] muses that, when he first heard of this law, he found it implausible, because it would be able to do things that, on the surface, appear "absurd". He then realized that, not only are these things possible, they either are or have been regularly used.

The strip shows a classroom in which a character (presumably Randall) is sitting in a classroom, being shown an image of a simple {{w|hydraulic press}}, which demonstrates the first "absurd" concept. In the image, a large cylinder, fitted with a large piston, is weighed down by a person and a weight labeled "1000 kg". The bottom of this piston is fed by a narrow tube which rises to an opening, into which someone is pouring water, which fills the cylinder, raising the piston. The notion that simply pouring water into a tube, by hand, would be able to lift over a tonne of weight seems absurd, but the pressure exerted by the height of the water, spread over the large area of the piston, is able to exert large amounts of force. The trade-off, of course, is that the cylinder is very large, so a huge amount of water would need to be poured in to lift the piston by an appreciable height. Actual hydraulic presses generally pump the liquid under pressure, rather than relying on gravitational force, but otherwise the same principle applies.

A second objection Randall raises is that this principle would allow the destruction of entire mountains, with the very low-tech solution of digging tunnels and filling them with water, a technique that would have been available to ancient peoples. By digging even narrow vertical cavities with enough height, the pressure exerted by water at the bottom could become very high. If these channels feed into larger cavities, that pressure would exert across the entire area, creating forces that are potentially enough to shatter the rock face of the mountain. He points out that he later learned of the practice of ''{{w|Ruina montium}}'' ("wrecking of mountains" in Latin), which used exactly this principle. This was an ancient Roman mining technique in which small tunnels were dug into the side of a mountain. When the tunnels were filled with water, the rock adjacent to the tunnels would fracture, making it significantly easier to remove.

In both cases, Randall's attempts to disprove this law by pointing out consequences that he considers implausible fail to work, because those consequences are exactly what are observed (and can be used) in real life.

''{{w|Reductio ad absurdum}}'' ("reduction to absurdity" in Latin) in the title text is a form of argument in which something is assumed to be true and then the logic is followed until it results in an absurdity or obvious falsehood, which is taken as evidence that the original premise cannot, therefore, be true. In mathematics it's called {{w|proof by contradiction}}. In the title text, however, it is pointed out that some things that happen in the real world {{tvtropes|RealityIsUnrealistic|''are'' (or at least ''seem'') absurd}}, so it would be wrong to rely upon this method to {{tvtropes|AluminumChristmasTrees|conclude that they don't occur}}.

==Transcript==
:[At the left, a teacher is holding a pointer, pointing at a picture on the screen.]

:[The picture shows a hydraulic lift, with a small fluid vessel on the left connected to a tube at the bottom, which connects to a large vessel on the right. On top of the large vessel is a weight labeled 1000 and a Cueball. The fluid in the large vessel is labeled with an upward arrow. Megan's hand is over the small vessel, with a downward arrow indicating that she's pressing on it.]

:[Cueball, Hairbun, and Blondie are sitting at school desks going left to right.]
:Cueball: No, that can't be right.
:Cueball: If hydrostatic pressure worked that way, then you could use it to make machines that exert near-infinite force.
:Cueball: And ancient people could have demolished entire mountains just by drilling small tunnels and filling them with water.

:[Caption below comic:]
:When I first learned about Pascal's law, I tried to disprove it by showing that it would lead to absurd consequences, but it turns out hydraulic presses and ''ruina montium'' are both real things.

==Trivia==

In the image, assuming a 2,200 lb weight (1000 kg) and an adult who weighs around 200 lb, both on a circular piston with a 6-foot diameter, the water pressure would need to be about 0.6 psi to lift them. That means the water column into which water is being poured would have to be about 16 inches higher than the bottom of the piston.

The concept of "runia montium" is similar to a demonstration which was attributed to Pascal himself, in which he supposedly inserted a tall, thin tube into an otherwise sealed barrel full of water. By adding water to the top of the tube, increasing pressure would be exerted inside the barrel, until it burst. This story may be apocryphal (all surviving accounts were written centuries after Pascal's death), but [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJHrr21UvY8 the demonstration absolute works], if you can get enough height.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Donald Knuth]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Engineering]]

3087: Pascal's Law

2025-05-14T16:07:14Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3087
| date = May 9, 2025
| title = Pascal's Law
| image = pascals_law_2x.png
| imagesize = 400x459px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Reductio ad absurdum fails when reality is absurd.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by PASCAL’S HYDRAULIC PRESS. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

{{w|Pascal's law}} states that when a change in pressure occurs in a static incompressible fluid, it is transmitted throughout the fluid and the same change occurs everywhere. That same pressure is applied outward to the walls of the container. It was discovered by mathematician {{w|Blaise Pascal}} in 1653. This principle has significant implications. Because force is a product of pressure times area, static pressure can be used to exert arbitrarily large (or small) forces by using larger or smaller pistons. This is the principle underlying {{w|hydraulics}}. Also, when under gravity, liquids exert greater pressure at greater depths, but Pascal's law means that the pressure will be the same at any given depth. Consequently, even a narrow column of water, if it's tall enough, will result in high pressure at the bottom of the column. If the bottom of the column spreads out over a huge area, that pressure will remain high, exerting tremendous force.

[[Randall]] muses that, when he first heard of this law, he found it implausible, because it would be able to do things that, on the surface, appear "absurd". He then realized that, not only are these things possible, they either are or have been regularly used.

The strip shows a classroom in which a character (presumably Randall) is sitting in a classroom, being shown an image of a simple {{w|hydraulic press}}, which demonstrates the first "absurd" concept. In the image, a large cylinder, fitted with a large piston, is weighed down by a person and a weight labeled "1000 kg". The bottom of this piston is fed by a narrow tube which rises to an opening, into which someone is pouring water, which fills the cylinder, raising the piston. The notion that simply pouring water into a tube, by hand, would be able to lift over a tonne of weight seems absurd, but the pressure exerted by the height of the water, spread over the large area of the piston, is able to exert large amounts of force. The trade-off, of course, is that the cylinder is very large, so a huge amount of water would need to be poured in to lift the piston by an appreciable height. Actual hydraulic presses generally pump the liquid under pressure, rather than relying on gravitational force, but otherwise the same principle applies.

A second objection Randall raises is that this principle would allow the destruction of entire mountains, with the very low-tech solution of digging tunnels and filling them with water, a technique that would have been available to ancient peoples. By digging even narrow vertical cavities with enough height, the pressure exerted by water at the bottom could become very high. If these channels feed into larger cavities, that pressure would exert across the entire area, creating forces that are potentially enough to shatter the rock face of the mountain. He points out that he later learned of the practice of ''{{w|Ruina montium}}'' ("wrecking of mountains" in Latin), which used exactly this principle. This was an ancient Roman mining technique in which small tunnels were dug into the side of a mountain. When the tunnels were filled with water, the rock adjacent to the tunnels would fracture, making it significantly easier to remove.

In both cases, Randall's attempts to disprove this law by pointing out consequences that he considers implausible fail to work, because those consequences are exactly what are observed (and can be used) in real life.

''{{w|Reductio ad absurdum}}'' ("reduction to absurdity" in Latin) in the title text is a form of argument in which something is assumed to be true and then the logic is followed until it results in an absurdity or obvious falsehood, which is taken as evidence that the original premise cannot, therefore, be true. In mathematics it's called {{w|proof by contradiction}}. In the title text, however, it is pointed out that some things that happen in the real world {{tvtropes|RealityIsUnrealistic|''are'' (or at least ''seem'') absurd}}, so it would be wrong to rely upon this method to {{tvtropes|AluminumChristmasTrees|conclude that they don't occur}}.

==Transcript==
:[At the left, a teacher is holding a pointer, pointing at a picture on the screen.]

:[The picture shows a hydraulic lift, with a small fluid vessel on the left connected to a tube at the bottom, which connects to a large vessel on the right. On top of the large vessel is a weight labeled 1000 and a Cueball. The fluid in the large vessel is labeled with an upward arrow. Megan's hand is over the small vessel, with a downward arrow indicating that she's pressing on it.]

:[Cueball, Hairbun, and Blondie are sitting at school desks going left to right.]
:Cueball: No, that can't be right.
:Cueball: If hydrostatic pressure worked that way, then you could use it to make machines that exert near-infinite force.
:Cueball: And ancient people could have demolished entire mountains just by drilling small tunnels and filling them with water.

:[Caption below comic:]
:When I first learned about Pascal's law, I tried to disprove it by showing that it would lead to absurd consequences, but it turns out hydraulic presses and ''ruina montium'' are both real things.

==Trivia==

In the image, assuming a 2,200 lb weight (1000 kg) and an adult who weighs around 200 lb, both on a circular piston with a 6-foot diameter, the water pressure would need to be about 0.6 psi to lift them. That means the water column into which water is being poured would have to be about 16 inches higher than the bottom of the piston.

The concept of "runia montium" is similar to a demonstration which was attributed to Pascal himself, in which he supposedly inserted a tall, thin tube into an otherwise sealed barrel full of water. By adding water to the top of the tube, increasing pressure would be exerted inside the barrel, until it burst. This story may be apocryphal (all surviving accounts were written centuries after Pascal's death), but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJHrr21UvY8 the demonstration absolute works]], if you can get enough height.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Donald Knuth]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Engineering]]

3087: Pascal's Law

2025-05-14T15:43:13Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3087
| date = May 9, 2025
| title = Pascal's Law
| image = pascals_law_2x.png
| imagesize = 400x459px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Reductio ad absurdum fails when reality is absurd.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by PASCAL’S HYDRAULIC PRESS. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

{{w|Pascal's law}} states that when a change in pressure occurs in a static incompressible fluid, it is transmitted throughout the fluid and the same change occurs everywhere. That same pressure is applied outward to the walls of the container. It was discovered by mathematician {{w|Blaise Pascal}} in 1653. This principle has significant implications. Because force is a product of pressure times area, static pressure can be used to exert arbitrarily large (or small) forces by using larger or smaller pistons. This is the principle underlying {{w|hydraulics}}. Also, when under gravity, liquids exert greater pressure at greater depths, but Pascal's law means that the pressure will be the same at any given depth. Consequently, even a narrow column of water, if it's tall enough, will result in high pressure at the bottom of the column. If the bottom of the column spreads out over a huge area, that pressure will remain high, exerting tremendous force.

[[Randall]] muses that, when he first heard of this law, he found it implausible, because it would be able to do things that, on the surface, appear "absurd". He then realized that, not only are these things possible, they either are or have been regularly used.

The strip shows a classroom in which a character (presumably Randall) is sitting in a classroom, being shown an image of a simple {{w|hydraulic press}}, which demonstrates the first "absurd" concept. In the image, a large cylinder, fitted with a large piston, is weighed down by a person and a weight labeled "1000 kg". The bottom of this piston is fed by a narrow tube which rises to an opening, into which someone is pouring water, which fills the cylinder, raising the piston. The notion that simply pouring water into a tube, by hand, would be able to lift over a tonne of weight seems absurd, but the pressure exerted by the height of the water, spread over the large area of the piston, is able to exert large amounts of force. The trade-off, of course, is that the cylinder is very large, so a huge amount of water would need to be poured in to lift the piston by an appreciable height. Actual hydraulic presses generally pump the liquid under pressure, rather than relying on gravitational force, but otherwise the same principle applies.

A second objection Randall raises is that this principle would allow the destruction of entire mountains, with the very low-tech solution of digging tunnels and filling them with water, a technique that would have been available to ancient peoples. By digging even narrow vertical cavities with enough height, the pressure exerted by water at the bottom could become very high. If these channels feed into larger cavities, that pressure would exert across the entire area, creating forces that are potentially enough to shatter the rock face of the mountain. He points out that he later learned of the practice of ''{{w|Ruina montium}}'' ("wrecking of mountains" in Latin), which used exactly this principle. This was an ancient Roman mining technique in which small tunnels were dug into the side of a mountain. When the tunnels were filled with water, the rock adjacent to the tunnels would fracture, making it significantly easier to remove.

In both cases, Randall's attempts to disprove this law by pointing out consequences that he considers implausible fail to work, because those consequences are exactly what are observed (and can be used) in real life.

''{{w|Reductio ad absurdum}}'' ("reduction to absurdity" in Latin) in the title text is a form of argument in which something is assumed to be true and then the logic is followed until it results in an absurdity or obvious falsehood, which is taken as evidence that the original premise cannot, therefore, be true. In mathematics it's called {{w|proof by contradiction}}. In the title text, however, it is pointed out that some things that happen in the real world {{tvtropes|RealityIsUnrealistic|''are'' (or at least ''seem'') absurd}}, so it would be wrong to rely upon this method to {{tvtropes|AluminumChristmasTrees|conclude that they don't occur}}.

==Transcript==
:[At the left, a teacher is holding a pointer, pointing at a picture on the screen.]

:[The picture shows a hydraulic lift, with a small fluid vessel on the left connected to a tube at the bottom, which connects to a large vessel on the right. On top of the large vessel is a weight labeled 1000 and a Cueball. The fluid in the large vessel is labeled with an upward arrow. Megan's hand is over the small vessel, with a downward arrow indicating that she's pressing on it.]

:[Cueball, Hairbun, and Blondie are sitting at school desks going left to right.]
:Cueball: No, that can't be right.
:Cueball: If hydrostatic pressure worked that way, then you could use it to make machines that exert near-infinite force.
:Cueball: And ancient people could have demolished entire mountains just by drilling small tunnels and filling them with water.

:[Caption below comic:]
:When I first learned about Pascal's law, I tried to disprove it by showing that it would lead to absurd consequences, but it turns out hydraulic presses and ''ruina montium'' are both real things.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Donald Knuth]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Engineering]]

3075: Anachronym Challenge

2025-04-14T13:24:30Z

Tromag: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3075
| date = April 11, 2025
| title = Anachronym Challenge
| image = anachronym_challenge_2x.png
| imagesize = 265x404px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I have to pay with paper money.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|The table is incomplete.}}

[[Cueball]] is reading from a shopping list while shopping for groceries. The items on the list are all [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anachronym anachronyms]. The names of the items indicate their material, but they are no longer made from that material.

A number of manufactured objects were named for (or at least had names that refer to) their primary materials of construction. With time and advancing technology, it's not uncommon for alternate materials to become available that are more suitable, less expensive, and/or easier to manufacture, and so the materials of construction change. Names, however, become ingrained in the public consciousness, and can be more difficult to change than a manufacturing process, which leads to the disconnect in this strip: objects that named for the materials they ''used'' to be made of, but are now made of something different.

It should be noted that many of the objects listed on Cueball's shopping list are still sometimes made with the materials that they are named after, they've just been supplanted by alternate materials for the mass market. Silverware can be made of sterling silver, especially in the cutlery of high-end establishments{{acn}}, but, unlike steel, traditional pure silver requires regular polishing to retain its finish. Cleaning sponges made of sea sponges are expensive, but can be [https://tofinosoapcompany.com/products/natural-sea-sponge-sustainably-harvested purchased]. Linens made from flax are available; and some people consider it [https://www.roughlinen.com/en-ca/blogs/newsletters/linen-vs-flax to be the better material], but that's a clear minority of the modern market. Some wood clubs are still made from wood, specifically {{w|persimmon}}. {{w|Banknotes of the Japanese yen}} are [https://www.npb.go.jp/en/products/intro/tokutyou.html still made] from wood fiber from ''E. chrysantha'' and abaca pulp. Most of the traditional items can be found in antique sales at least occasionally, and some people still use them such as in communities that have separated from modern industry.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:0px"
|-
! Item !! Original material !! Original still generally available?!! Actually made with !! Explanation
|-
| {{w|Aluminium foil|Tin foil}} || {{w|Tin}} || {{Yes|[https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/044154.RG Yes]}}|| Aluminum || Formerly "tin foil" was made of the metal tin, but aluminum supplanted tin in the early-to-mid 20th century, as aluminum is cheaper and more durable.
|-
| {{w|Sponge (tool)|Sponges}}|| {{w|Sponge|Sea sponges}}, i.e., marine invertebrates in the phylum Porifera ||{{Yes|Yes}}|| Polyester, polyurethane, cellulose || An item commonly used in the kitchen to soak up water. Or bathrooms to wash yourself.
|-
| {{w|Silverware}} || {{w|Silver}} ||{{Yes|Yes, though at greater expense than silverplated or silver-like}}|| Stainless steel || Covers eating utensils, plates and dishes, candlesticks and trophies, which may all these days be electroplated, cupro-nickel alloys or stainless steel.
Possibly intended to only refer to knives, forks and spoons, which are marginally more likely everyday household purchases than the other candidates.
|-
| {{w|Linens}} || {{w|Flax}} ||{{Yes|Yes}} || Cotton, hemp, polyester || Commonly in the form of sheets and blankets.
|-
| {{w|Clothes iron|Clothes iron}} || {{w|Iron}} ||{{No|No}}|| Aluminum, stainless steel & plastics || A device to remove wrinkles in clothing by applying a hot, smooth surface. Early irons were simply flat slabs of iron with handles attached, which had to be manually heated on a stove or fire. Modern irons are nearly always electric, and generally use a stainless steel face and plastic housing (which holds the wiring and other components, as well as acting as the handle.)
|-
| {{w|Ironing board|Ironing board}} || Wooden board ||{{Yes|Yes}}|| Metal, fabric cover || Flat surface for ironing clothes. Wooden boards have largely been supplanted by light but rigid steel sheets with a thin cover of foam and fabric.
|-
| {{w|Corrective_lens#Reading_glasses|Reading glasses}} || {{w|Glass}} ||{{Yes|Yes}}|| Optical plastics || Used to assist farsighted people with focusing on things up close. Glass lenses have typically been replaced by CR-39 plastic due to glass's danger of shattering and higher weight.
|-
| {{w|Iron (golf)#Short irons|9 iron}} || Iron ||{{Yes|Yes}}|| Cast {{w|stainless steel}}, {{w|carbon steel}} || A type of golf club.
|-
| {{w|Wood (golf)|3 wood}}|| Wood ||{{Yes|Yes}}|| Titanium, carbon fiber || A type of golf club.
|-
| {{w|Sidewalk chalk|Sidewalk chalk}}|| {{w|Calcite}} chalk ||{{No|No}}|| Calcium sulfate ({{w|gypsum}}) || Used for making marks on pavement or rocks. (e.g., for entertainment, for temporary signs or indicators).
|-
| {{w|Rubber duck|Rubber duck}} || {{w|Rubber}} || {{No|No}} || Vinyl plastics || A children's bath toy. Also used in {{w|Friendly Floatees spill| science}} and {{w|Rubber duck debugging| programming}}.
|-
| {{w|Paper money|Paper money}} (title text) || Paper ||{{Yes|Yes, but usually {{w|cotton paper}}}}|| Cotton, linen fibers (U.S. note), polypropylene. ||
|}

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

:[Cueball is looking at a phone, or perhaps a piece of paper, in his hand while holding his other hand on the handle of a shopping cart. Above the shopping cart, an underlined header and a bullet list are shown:]
:Shopping List
:* Tin Foil
:* Sponges
:* Silverware
:* Linens
:* Iron & Ironing Board
:* Reading Glasses
:* 9 Iron & 3 Wood
:* Sidewalk Chalk
:* Rubber Duck

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I'm trying to do a shopping trip where I only buy stuff that's no longer made from the material it's named after.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Language]]

3075: Anachronym Challenge

2025-04-14T13:15:10Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3075
| date = April 11, 2025
| title = Anachronym Challenge
| image = anachronym_challenge_2x.png
| imagesize = 265x404px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I have to pay with paper money.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|The table is incomplete.}}

[[Cueball]] is reading from a shopping list while shopping for groceries. The items on the list are all [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anachronym anachronyms]. The names of the items indicate their material, but they are no longer made from that material. A number of manufactured objects were named for (or at least had names that refer to) their primary material of construction. With time and advancing technology, it's not uncommon for materials to become available that are more suitable, less expensive, and/or easier to manufacture, and so the materials of construction change. Names, however, become ingrained in the public consciousness, and can be more difficult to change than a manufacturing process, which leads to the disconnect in this strip: objects that are typically made entirely without the material for which they were named.

It should be noted that many of the objects listed on Cueball's shopping list are still sometimes made with the materials that they are named after, they've just been supplanted by alternate materials for the mass market. Silverware can be made of sterling silver, especially in the cutlery of high-end establishments{{acn}}, but, unlike steel, traditional pure silver requires regular polishing to retain its finish. Cleaning sponges made of sea sponges are expensive, but can be [https://tofinosoapcompany.com/products/natural-sea-sponge-sustainably-harvested purchased]. Linens made from flax are available; and some people consider it [https://www.roughlinen.com/en-ca/blogs/newsletters/linen-vs-flax to be the better material], but that's a clear minority of the modern market. Some wood clubs are still made from wood, specifically {{w|persimmon}}. {{w|Banknotes of the Japanese yen}} are [https://www.npb.go.jp/en/products/intro/tokutyou.html still made] from wood fiber from ''E. chrysantha'' and abaca pulp. Most of the traditional items can be found in antique sales at least occasionally, and some people still use them such as in communities that have separated from modern industry.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:0px"
|-
! Item !! Original material !! Original still generally available?!! Actually made with !! Explanation
|-
| {{w|Aluminium foil|Tin foil}} || {{w|Tin}} || {{Yes|[https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/044154.RG Yes]}}|| Aluminum || Formerly "tin foil" was made of the metal tin, but aluminum supplanted tin in the early-to-mid 20th century, as aluminum is cheaper and more durable.
|-
| {{w|Sponge (tool)|Sponges}}|| {{w|Sponge|Sea sponges}}, i.e., marine invertebrates in the phylum Porifera ||{{Yes|Yes}}|| Polyester, polyurethane, cellulose || An item commonly used in the kitchen to soak up water. Or bathrooms to wash yourself.
|-
| {{w|Silverware}} || {{w|Silver}} ||{{Yes|Yes, though at greater expense than silverplated or silver-like}}|| Stainless steel || Covers eating utensils, plates and dishes, candlesticks and trophies, which may all these days be electroplated, cupro-nickel alloys or stainless steel.
Possibly intended to only refer to knives, forks and spoons, which are marginally more likely everyday household purchases than the other candidates, though still less so than more disposable versions made of plastic or wood which cannot even be casually mistaken for silver.
|-
| {{w|Linens}} || {{w|Flax}} ||{{Yes|Yes}} || Cotton, hemp, polyester || Commonly in the form of sheets and blankets.
|-
| {{w|Clothes iron|Clothes iron}} || {{w|Iron}} ||{{No|No}}|| Aluminum, stainless steel & plastics || Used as a tool to remove wrinkles in clothing by heating it up. Modern irons are powered, but traditional irons needed to be heated.
|-
| {{w|Ironing board|Ironing board}} || Wooden board ||{{Yes|Yes}}|| Metal, fabric cover || Flat surface for ironing clothes. It could also refer to how an ironing board is not made from iron.
|-
| {{w|Corrective_lens#Reading_glasses|Reading glasses}} || {{w|Glass}} ||{{Yes|Yes}}|| Optical plastics || Used to assist farsighted people with focusing on things up close. Also traditionally made with glass, but nowadays made with CR-39 plastic due to glass's danger of shattering and higher weight.
|-
| {{w|Iron (golf)#Short irons|9 iron}} || Iron ||{{Yes|Yes}}|| Cast {{w|stainless steel}}, {{w|carbon steel}} || A type of golf club.
|-
| {{w|Wood (golf)|3 wood}}|| Wood ||{{Yes|Yes}}|| Titanium, carbon fiber || A type of golf club.
|-
| {{w|Sidewalk chalk|Sidewalk chalk}}|| {{w|Calcite}} chalk ||{{No|No}}|| Calcium sulfate ({{w|gypsum}}) || Used for making marks on pavement or rocks. (e.g., for entertainment, for temporary signs or indicators).
|-
| {{w|Rubber duck|Rubber duck}} || {{w|Rubber}} || {{No|No}} || Vinyl plastics || A children's bath toy. Also used in {{w|Friendly Floatees spill| science}} and {{w|Rubber duck debugging| programming}}.
|-
| {{w|Paper money|Paper money}} (title text) || Paper ||{{Yes|Yes, but usually {{w|cotton paper}}}}|| Cotton, linen fibers (U.S. note), polypropylene. ||
|}

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

:[Cueball is looking at a phone, or perhaps a piece of paper, in his hand while holding his other hand on the handle of a shopping cart. Above the shopping cart, an underlined header and a bullet list are shown:]
:Shopping List
:* Tin Foil
:* Sponges
:* Silverware
:* Linens
:* Iron & Ironing Board
:* Reading Glasses
:* 9 Iron & 3 Wood
:* Sidewalk Chalk
:* Rubber Duck

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I'm trying to do a shopping trip where I only buy stuff that's no longer made from the material it's named after.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Language]]

3067: SawStart

2025-03-25T18:01:10Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3067
| date = March 24, 2025
| title = SawStart
| image = sawstart.png
| imagesize = 290x313px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Unfortunately, SawStart is one-use-only. Once started, the blade cannot be stopped, and must be replaced with a fresh blade while the running one is carefully disposed of.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SawBOT - - Language is too informal and convoluted.}}
{{w|SawStop}} is an American {{w|table saw}} manufacturer whose product is designed to increase safety. Table saws can be highly dangerous if not used properly, because they feature a rapidly spinning {{w|circular saw}} protruding from the surface. If any part of someone's body comes into contact with the blade while it's spinning, it can cause severe injury or death. In general, it is not wise to touch even a normal stopped blade without being absolutely certain that the power cannot be turned on and the blade is not sharp enough to be dangerous at rest. SawStop products feature an automatic brake, designed to detect when flesh comes into contact with the blade. According to manufacturer claims, the brake (an aluminum block) will stop the blade within 5 milliseconds of detecting contact, followed by the blade retracting into the table. This is intended to prevent major injuries in the event of contact.

Here, [[Black Hat]] takes the notion of a product designed to increase safety, and changes the design to do the opposite, making it much more dangerous. Like the SawStop design, his product ostensibly detects contact with skin and reacts within milliseconds, but rather than stopping the blade, his product uses an explosive charge to ''start'' a stationary blade. Simply turning a stationary blade on in the event of contact would be bad enough, but the explosive device implies very rapid acceleration, and might work even if the tool is turned off and unplugged (usually a safe condition for working with saw blades). This 'feature' is specifically designed to run up to significantly damaging speeds the moment it is touched, likely causing severe injury. There is no benefit to such a system, and it exists solely to be malicious, which is likely why it's "less popular."

The title text refers to the fact that the braking feature on the SawStop is single use. Because of the very fast response time, both the braking cartridge and the saw blade will be badly damaged in the process, and both will need to be replaced (this being considered preferable to the kinds of permanent injuries that can result from a spinning blade). The SawStart is also single use, but in its case, it somehow makes the blade impossible to stop, violating the second law of thermodynamics (and probably several other laws). Hence, the SawStart blade must also be replaced and disposed of, but this apparently has to be done while the blade is spinning. To attempt to remove a spinning blade is incredibly dangerous, and this simply adds to the unnecessary harm this product could do. Disposal would also be complicated, because the still-spinning blade could cause damage to whatever is chosen to contain it.

In theory, such a system could be useful on a futuristic mechanized melee weapon (like "[[wikia:w:c:warhammer40k:Chainsword|chainswords]]" from ''{{w|Warhammer 40,000}}''). In that case, the saw would start spinning as soon as it hits the enemy, removing the need to allow time for it to spin up. On top of that, the saw is impossible to stop, and will continue to rip and shred any enemies in contact until the saw breaks. Such a combat disk saw may need to be redesigned so that it is activated by armor and flesh alike.

A similar attempt at taking a safety feature and flipping it on its head was done in [[2876: Range Safety]], this time with the range safety officer.

==Transcript==
:[A table with a table saw stands behind Black Hat who gestures to the table while facing Megan and Cueball. There is a label on the side of the table, a logo of a circular saw blade, with the first part of a word inside the blade:]
:SawStart
:Black Hat: When the saw detects contact with skin, an explosive charge starts the blade spinning at full speed within a few milliseconds.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:SawStop's less-popular competitor

{{comic discussion}}

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

3067: SawStart

2025-03-24T13:16:14Z

Tromag: /* Explanation */

3030: Lasering Incidents

2025-03-07T14:23:25Z

Tromag:

{{comic
| number = 3030
| date = December 27, 2024
| title = Lasering Incidents
| image = lasering_incidents_2x.png
| imagesize = 444x479px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I still don't know how the police found my compound where I ran an illegal searchlight depot/covert blimp airfield/fireworks testing range.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is about pointing lasers at aircraft, which is a [https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers#:~:text=Pointing%20a%20laser%20at%20an,%2430%2C800%20for%20multiple%20laser%20incidents. federal crime in the USA] because the powerful laser light could temporarily distract or blind the pilot, or cause burns and eye injuries if the laser is powerful enough. (This had been previously mentioned in [[2481: 1991 and 2021]].) It points out that when a laser is pointed at an aircraft, the pilot or anyone else on board can see a glowing line in the color of the laser exactly pinpointing the location of the perpetrator. While the length of the beam itself is invisible in perfectly clear conditions, any particles in the air along their length will be highlighted by the beam, effectively forming a visible line stretching from the laser point to the aircraft. This is especially true in dark conditions, since any reflecting particles will be particularly obvious in such a case. This is related to the old military adage "tracers work both ways", meaning that tracer ammunition reveals the origin point of the bullet just as effectively as it reveals its destination.

Given this, it can be relatively trivial for authorities to identify where the laser beams are coming from, and quickly apprehend anyone committing these crimes. [[Randall]] suggests that some people shine lasers at aircraft seem surprised when they're caught, but points out that such a consequence is nearly inevitable. This comic might be a response to the {{w|2024 United States drone sightings}}, during which many people in New Jersey collectively forgot what a plane is and started pointing laser pointers at them.

The title text parodies this kind of crime by describing a criminal activity which also makes itself particularly obvious, namely illegal fireworks testing, blimp airfield and searchlight depot, the conspicuous activities of all being clearly visible across a wide area. Such depots, airfields and ranges aren't intrinsically illegal in the US, but typically will need some form of official registration; Randall's examples clearly do not obey the appropriate FAA regulations, zoning laws, etc.

==Transcript==
:[In a black panel there is a glowing green laser beam that starts in a green starburst at the lower right part and exits the panel near the upper left corner. Green text is written along the laser line and where the text ends a small green arrow is pointing to the starburst from where the laser light emanates.]
:Someone is committing a federal crime right here →

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I don't know why people who shine lasers at aircraft are surprised when the police catch them, given that the crime consists of drawing a giant glowing arrow in the sky pointing at your location.

==Trivia==
The point of this comic has been previously addressed in [[Thing Explainer]].
:POINT A GREEN LIGHT AT SPACE
:You can use a green light pointer to point out stars to your friends. When you do this, it looks really cool, like you're holding a stick that's touching a spot on the sky.
:Be very careful never to point it at sky boats. It's against the law, and the police lock up many people every year for it. And if you try, you'll be easy to find, because of the bright green line pointing to you.
::-The Sky At Night

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Aviation]]