explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:574: Swine Flu

2012-09-21T19:46:19Z

Westing1992:

The reference to Madagascar might be a reference to Pandemic II.
--[[User:Westing1992|Westing1992]] ([[User talk:Westing1992|talk]]) 19:46, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

Talk:574: Swine Flu

2012-09-21T19:45:49Z

Westing1992: Created page with "The reference to Madagascar might be a reference to Pandemic II."

The reference to Madagascar might be a reference to Pandemic II.

502: Dark Flow

2012-09-21T19:05:20Z

Westing1992:

{{comic
| number = 502
| date = 2008-11-10
| title = Dark Flow
| image = dark_flow.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = The Pioneer anomaly is due to the force of my love.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is about {{w|astronomy}} and the {{w|Your Mom}} jokes that have become increasingly widespread in the urban dictionary. [[Beret Guy]] is going through a research paper, which hypothesized about galaxies being drawn towards one another by a {{w|Supermassive black hole|super massive object}}. His friend, who is playing, sees this as an opportunity to turn it into yet another Your Mom joke, implying that Beret Guy's mother is fat.

But apparently, Beret Guy's mother is dead, or at least missing, and he takes the joke seriously. he looks toward the sky, and wishes that his mom pulls harder, so he could be with her. The joke has been turned onto itself.

The title text is a continuation of Beret Guy's thoughts and refers to another piece of science phenomenon that has been observed in space, the {{w|Pioneer Anomaly}}. The {{w|Pioneer}} spacecraft had been slowed down by an unknown force as they exited the solar system, which he says to be caused by the force of his love.

==Transcript==
: Man in beret: According to the A.S.T paper, every galaxy is being pulled toward one area of the sky
: Man in beret [off-panel]: They hypothesize that it may be due to a supermassive object beyond the edge of the visible universe.
: Man on the couch: Maybe it's your mom - Zing!
: Man in the beret: Do you think?
:[Outside at night. Man in the beret is looking through a telescope.]
: Man in beret: Pull Harder, Mom. - I Miss you.

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

735: Floor

2012-09-19T00:15:23Z

Westing1992: Created page with "{{comic | number = 735 | date = May 3, 2012 | title = Floor | image = floor.png | imagesize = | titletext = We once got grounded when we convinced the FAA to ..."

{{comic
| number = 735
| date = May 3, 2012
| title = Floor
| image = floor.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = We once got grounded when we convinced the FAA to block flights through our county because of ash clouds.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Hot Lava}} is a game many kids play where they pretend the floor is lava, meaning that they can't step on it or else they'll get 'burned'. In this comic, the three kids are taking this game too seriously.

The title text refers to the 2010 eruptions {{w|Eyjafjallajökull}}, the ash clouds of which caused the FAA to block flights.

==Transcript==
:[Three kids are in a living room. Furniture and other things are knocked over, broken, or tilted. The first kid is holding a handle of a plunger with cables going offscreen.]
:
:First Kid: I've dynamited a trench through the kitchen to divert flow!
:
:[Offscreen]: BOOM
:
:[The second kid is aiming a hose at the floor.]
:
:Second Kid: More hoses! We need to cool and solidify the surface layer!
:
:[Hose]: FWOOSH
:
:[The third kid is standing on a chair, using a cell phone or radio.]
:
:Third Kid: Where are the damn helicopters?
:
:Caption: Like many kids, we sometimes pretended the floor was lava.

{{comic discussion}}