https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=141.101.104.4&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T01:36:01ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2620:_Health_Data&diff=270318Talk:2620: Health Data2022-05-17T07:13:30Z<p>141.101.104.4: </p>
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<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Did a basefor the setup[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.34|108.162.246.34]] 23:51, 16 May 2022 (UTC)a<br />
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"Cure for Causality" sounds like a pretty good band name. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.4|141.101.104.4]] 07:13, 17 May 2022 (UTC)</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2620:_Health_Data&diff=270317Talk:2620: Health Data2022-05-17T07:13:08Z<p>141.101.104.4: </p>
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<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Did a basefor the setup[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.34|108.162.246.34]] 23:51, 16 May 2022 (UTC)a<br />
"Cure for Causality" sounds like a pretty good band name. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.4|141.101.104.4]] 07:13, 17 May 2022 (UTC)</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:463:_Voting_Machines&diff=102485Talk:463: Voting Machines2015-09-27T15:05:31Z<p>141.101.104.4: </p>
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<div>What's incomplete? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.180|199.27.130.180]] 04:13, 8 March 2014 (UTC)<br />
:It seems fine to me. Removing the incomplete tag. [[User:LogicalOxymoron|LogicalOxymoron]] ([[User talk:LogicalOxymoron|talk]]) 23:19, 12 March 2014 (UTC)<br />
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What's "the alternative"? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.208.98|108.162.208.98]] 20:55, 16 June 2014 (UTC)<br />
:I believe when the alternate [[Cueball]] references "the alternative" he has already realized what the first [[Cueball]] meant. Cueball 2 I'll call him, is thus referencing the alternative is no protection or security. I don't believe Cueball 2 is directly referencing the 'teacher wearing a condom analogy'. [[User:Official.xian|Official.xian]] ([[User talk:Official.xian|talk]]) 19:59, 10 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Ideally, there should be no voting machines. Here in Germany, we make a cross on a paper and put that paper in an urn. Counting is done manually under supervision. Voting machines are illegal for a reason. :) --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.4|141.101.104.4]] 15:05, 27 September 2015 (UTC)</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1446:_Landing&diff=79040Talk:1446: Landing2014-11-12T16:23:51Z<p>141.101.104.4: Link to http://xkcd1446.org/ when clicking on picture</p>
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<div>I would bet money that this comic will have to do with the Rosetta Lander that will be landing on a comet for the first time in history this morning. Info about it at Rosetta.esa.int<br />
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[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.173|108.162.237.173]] 05:37, 12 November 2014 (UTC)pH<br />
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Almost definitely. The URL for the image (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-40-00_wmf0bPtxDN.png) contains 'landing'.<br />
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[[User:DeedleFake|DeedleFake]] ([[User talk:DeedleFake|talk]]) 05:44, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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The image changes every five minutes. (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-35-00_lVC98SMY1X.png) followed by (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-40-00_wmf0bPtxDN.png) followed by (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-45-00_MZprhbADHL.png) then (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-50-00_Z63bWhoaxd.png) (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-55-00_2wCeCFN0R1.png) (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-00-00_FRnIhqA5IZ.png) (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-05-00_Os6SVGalch.png) (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-10-00_xn4nUL9lry.png) http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-15-00_soIuPGfUYh.png , also I'm sorry about deleting other people's comments - firefox decided to not show the "other people have edited this" page :(. If anyone's interested, here's the command I'm using to grab the urls:<br />
while :; do http --stream --body http://c0.xkcd.com/stream/comic/landing\?method\=EventSource | awk '/png/ { print $2 }' | perl -ne '/(r_.+png)/; print "$1\n";' ; done<br />
where the 'http' command is from http://httpie.org - not the neatest way to do it, but it works ;)<br />
[[User:Forkbomb|Forkbomb]] ([[User talk:Forkbomb|talk]]) 05:47, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Forkbomb, you are not supposed to delete other's comments... <br />
Yes. It is definitely about Rosetta. The image changed at 9.35 pm PST and it says "Three hours to separation", i.e. 12.35am PST, which is exactly the time at which PHILAE is going to separate... <br />
[http://imgur.com/fK9Ddrx image_seen]<br />
[http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2014/11/07/rosetta-and-philae-landing-timeline/ rosetta timeline]<br />
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[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.237|199.27.128.237]] 05:50, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Is anyone collecting URLs? I assume there's an easy automated way to do this that was used for Time. If not...<br />
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{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
! URLs<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-05-00_Os6SVGalch.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-10-00_fUWUYNkxwp.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-15-00_74eSd3x7BQ.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-20-00_UT4FKycrmC.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-25-00_FX6hlfSQHR.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-30-00_FjnXADopvO.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-35-00_lVC98SMY1X.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-40-00_wmf0bPtxDN.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-45-00_MZprhbADHL.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-50-00_Z63bWhoaxd.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-55-00_2wCeCFN0R1.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-00-00_FRnIhqA5IZ.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-05-00_Os6SVGalch.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-10-00_xn4nUL9lry.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-15-00_soIuPGfUYh.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-20-00_jwkPNMaOSf.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-25-00_ADajYkIBoR.png<br />
|-<br />
|http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-30-00_w819mZAIhE.png<br />
|-<br />
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-35-00_LoEc4Q8fJF.png<br />
|-<br />
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-40-00_YLKE5WV8Jw.png<br />
|-<br />
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-45-00_QRP5ndlY4A.png<br />
|-<br />
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-50-00_OAOxgR9UUR.png<br />
|-<br />
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_01-55-00_KGFuQYeX1i.png<br />
|-<br />
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-00-00_ov37tpe8BX.png<br />
|-<br />
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-05-00_VwL8mLbfmW.png<br />
|-<br />
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-10-00_GCNRyInxWI.png<br />
|-<br />
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-15-00_CQwEg4oyk3.png<br />
|-<br />
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-20-00_jkbJbYkLeP.png<br />
|-<br />
|https://sslimgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_02-25-00_Pxh3HKgWnT.png<br />
|}<br />
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Randall switched to SSL after 1:30 but you can of course use either server.<br />
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- Marcustyphoon/[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.244|108.162.219.244]] 07:37, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landing/r_00-45-00_MZprhbADHL.png) "Has anyone ever tried this before?" "No but fetishes have to start somewhere, right?" [[User:Nexxuz|Nexxuz]] ([[User talk:Nexxuz|talk]])<br />
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Probably just a mistake, but the transcript in the html source of 1446 is from 1445. --[[User:Pascal|Pascal]] ([[User talk:Pascal|talk]]) 05:58, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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It fetches things using this javascript tag..<br />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/s/c3b919.js"></script><br />
I've pasted it in pastebin, can we get zealous and fetch the images before they actually show up ? :P<br />
[http://pastebin.com/MwsahkyE link_to_javascript]<br />
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.237|199.27.128.237]] 06:04, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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By the way, the current explanation says it's pinging c4.xkcd for updates.<br />
From the javascript source, it looks like there's more than one server for this:<br />
var SERVERS = ["http://c0.xkcd.com", "http://c1.xkcd.com", "http://c2.xkcd.com", "http://c3.xkcd.com", "http://c4.xkcd.com", "http://c5.xkcd.com", "http://c6.xkcd.com", "http://c7.xkcd.com"];<br />
So that would be c0 to c7<br />
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Unfortuantely, as I had suggested, it seems that we cannot grab all the images beforehand :(<br />
The javascript only fetches a json, which actually gives image name. So there's a server side script running which generates the paths to actual images. The javascript just shows it..<br />
You can see the json [http://c4.xkcd.com/stream/comic/landing?method=EventSource here].<br />
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.237|199.27.128.237]] 06:23, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Attempting to load the URL directly in Firefox results in unreadable results, but it's something like<br />
id: acae0462-6a34-11e4-8001-002590720087<br />
event: comic/landing<br />
data: {"image":"r_01-25-00_ADajYkIBoR.png","spread":1}<br />
There are several other events as well, such as 'reload' and 'heartbeat'.<br />
[[User:DeedleFake|DeedleFake]] ([[User talk:DeedleFake|talk]]) 06:32, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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By the way, that UUID (i.e. acae0462-6a34-11e4-8001-002590720087) seems to encode the time the image was uploaded as a v1 UUID.<br />
[[User:Maths22|Maths22]] ([[User talk:Maths22|talk]]) 06:58, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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The best part of this is ninja-ing the image uploads. The xkcd servers seem to be off atomic time by around 45 seconds. [[User:Skylarmt|Skylarmt]] ([[User talk:Skylarmt|talk]]) 06:45, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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What are people's thoughts on changing the image label to an image number? It seems redundant to use the timestamp twice, but I copied it over from time. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 07:06, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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A lovely explanation. Itaigreif (talk) 07:45, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Why is the comic titled "???" and not "Rosetta" or something? [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 08:02, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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:"Rosetta" would have given the game away in the first few minutes before we could figure it out. "???" is a strange choice, though. [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.157|103.22.201.157]] 09:20, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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The page has changed name from "???" to "Landing" about 5AM, and title text changed from "..." to "[LIVE]". Not sure about actual times, and don't know how to rename page. Can someone else handle this? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.217|141.101.89.217]] 10:12, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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At 00:03:50 the comic mentions turning on CONCERT, which I think is a typo and should be {{w|CONSERT}} --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 10:56, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
:I think this is a typo Randall made on purpose. [[User:SirKitKat|SirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 15:45, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Keep uploading the images under the current naming convention, guys, I'll do a batch move to "landing[X]" later when things die down a little. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 11:02, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
:: Check out [http://xkcd1446.org/list.json http://xkcd1446.org/list.json]. E.g. [http://xkcd1446.org/img/r_11-30-00_DEpbhsl54D.png http://xkcd1446.org/img/r_11-30-00_DEpbhsl54D.png]. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.189|141.101.105.189]] 11:54, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Shouldn't we write up the changing "Time until landing: [x] hours" top text in the transcripts as well? [[User:Phantom|Phantom]] ([[User talk:Phantom|talk]]) 12:39, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Oh no, not again! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.206|Petunia]] 12:45, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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In the transcript, added or changed text should be in '''bold''' for easy reading? also, [http://xkcd1446.org/static.html this] format reads a lot easier then the transcript. - sir KitKat - [[Special:Contributions/141.101.64.137|141.101.64.137]] 12:57, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
:I think so. After adding 'Status Report' it's even harder to read it. [[User:Graphene|Graphene]] ([[User talk:Graphene|talk]]) 13:01, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
:I'm not sure... the purpose of the transcript is not to make it easier for those too lazy to compare the images and find what changed between them, but just to represent what the images contain for those that can not see them... preferably as accurately as possible, i.e. with the original formatting. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.206|141.101.93.206]] 13:10, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
:Maybe the transcript should move to a subpage to avoid clutter? And can we add a section for the lazy people to follow the changes without going through every image? [[User:SirKitKat|SirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 15:18, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
:By the way, the '''bold''' changed stuff helped me notice some subtle changes :) [[User:SirKitKat|SirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 15:27, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Did anyone notice that not all whales disappeared at 13:30? One is hidden behind the mountains in the background with a "? ->" pointing at it. I wonder if this should be included in the transcript... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.212|141.101.105.212]] 14:28, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
:It should be in a transcript. I missed it while editing. My apologies for that. [[User:Graphene|Graphene]] ([[User talk:Graphene|talk]]) 15:28, 12 November 2014 (UTC)<br />
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I did just notice that clicking on the image now takes you to http://xkcd1446.org/.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.4|141.101.104.4]] 16:23, 12 November 2014 (UTC)</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:356:_Nerd_Sniping&diff=76393Talk:356: Nerd Sniping2014-09-27T23:45:51Z<p>141.101.104.4: </p>
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<div>Just because the problem contains an infinite series (or parallel) doesn't mean that it's unsolvable. It's tricky, certainly, and getting the "true" answer involves some rather heavy math, but it's not impossible. Indeed, Google shows that it's already been answered. [[Special:Contributions/76.122.5.96|76.122.5.96]] 20:42, 20 September 2012 (UTC)<br />
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I've always had an issue with this problem for one simple reason. In an infinite set of resistors, there is no space to apply a charge, thus there is no resistance. Ohm's law states Resistance = Voltage / I(current). So, in a system where there is no current (creating a divide by zero error), and there is no voltage (no change in electron work capacity, because we don't have a way to excite the electrons, because there is no power) Resistance is incalculable. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 22:22, 20 September 2012 (UTC)<br />
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We live in 3 dimensions, just place a battery above the grid with wires going to the 2 points. --[[Special:Contributions/84.197.34.154|84.197.34.154]] 22:59, 24 October 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:Not everybody does... --[[Special:Contributions/85.159.196.14|FlatlandDweller]] 11:08, 15 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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This problem is "unsolvable" only if you try to just use the basic methods for finite networks.<br />
There is a page on this at [http://mathpages.com/home/kmath668/kmath668.htm http://mathpages.com/home/kmath668/kmath668.htm] that reports that the cited points have a resistance of '''4/pi - 1/2''' ohms (.773234... ohms). <br />
The 1/2 ohm resistance between adjacent nodes is actually well known.<br />
[[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 05:05, 5 October 2012 (UTC)<br />
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Solution here as well: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/news/2004-10-13/google/ [[User:Potie15|Potie15]] ([[User talk:Potie15|talk]]) 03:50, 18 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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Nowhere it is said that the problem is unsolvable, just that it is interesting. Of course, the sniping is more effective is the problem is also difficult to solve, because otherwise the victim would get over it quickly. [[User:Dargor17|Dargor17]] ([[User talk:Dargor17|talk]]) 17:47, 16 June 2013 (UTC)<br />
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That method for parallel resistors is wrong. You don't divide resistances by the number of paths, you sum the reciprocals and then take the reciprocal of that. The method described only works if every resistor has the same value. While that's true in this problem, it's misleading to pass that off as a method that works for all cases. --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.60|173.245.55.60]] 03:32, 1 April 2014 (UTC)<br />
:Good point. I made some slight alterations to clarify that we are assuming the resistors are equal. It seems a better solution than getting into the more complex version of the problem. --[[User:BlueMoonlet|BlueMoonlet]] ([[User talk:BlueMoonlet|talk]]) 12:20, 1 April 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Amazing. From the first comment the discussion is diverted from discussing the comic, to discussing the problem presented in the comic. The commentators have been nerd sniped by a demonstration of nerd sniping. Randall is just that good. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.86|108.162.216.86]] 17:55, 30 April 2014 (UTC)<br />
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"Sniping" might also be a pun or have a deliberately dual meaning in this context, referring to both a <I>sniper</I> and a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snipe_hunt <i>snipe hunt</I>] (do kids still practice the latter?). The former makes sense if Black Hat's purpose is to actually rid the world of physics and math nerds (consistent with his characteristic misanthropy and cynicism), but the latter also fits the theme of merely distracting a nerd with an impossible task, which the title text suggests may have been Randall's motivation for the strip. (On a side note, the Wikipedia article reveals that the terms <I>sniper</I> and <I>snipe hunt</I> have a common origin, which makes twice in the last month it's resolved a long-standing etymological puzzle for me. The other case united the multiple, seemingly unrelated meanings of <I>minute</I> <nowiki>["tiny" vs. time]</nowiki> and <I>second</I> <nowiki>[ordinal vs. time]</nowiki>; see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexagesimal#Notation sexagesimal].) [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.182|173.245.54.182]] 01:40, 18 June 2014 (UTC)<br />
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I've been led to believe that 'minute' means 'tiny amount of time', 'second' is 'secondary tiny amount of time', and , I quote "Real snipe (a family of shorebirds) are difficult to catch for experienced hunters, so much so that the word "sniper" is derived from it to refer to anyone skilled enough to shoot one." from the snipe hunt wiki page. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.4|141.101.104.4]] 23:45, 27 September 2014 (UTC)</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=971:_Alternative_Literature&diff=72775971: Alternative Literature2014-08-02T10:16:17Z<p>141.101.104.4: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 971<br />
| date = October 31, 2011<br />
| title = Alternative Literature<br />
| image = alternative_literature.png<br />
| titletext = I just noticed CVS has started stocking homeopathic pills on the same shelves with--and labeled similarly to--their actual medicine. Telling someone who trusts you that you're giving them medicine, when you know you're not, because you want their money, isn't just lying--it's like an example you'd make up if you had to illustrate for a child why lying is wrong.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
While the comic is funny on its own in a "[[:Category:Sheeple|Wake Up, Sheeple]]" kind of way, the full joke requires the title text, so make sure you read it. The comic title is a play on {{w|Alternative medicine}}.<br />
<br />
In the comic, it is implied that [[Cueball]] has been scammed into buying blank books, though he attempts to defend it as a valid choice. The title text likens this to the {{w|CVS Pharmacy}} selling homeopathic pills using methods that does not clearly distinguish them from traditional pharmaceuticals. {{w|Homeopathy}} is a pseudoscience based on the idea that a substance that causes the symptoms of a disease in healthy people will cure that disease in sick people, if administered in sufficiently small doses. <br />
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Homeopathic remedies are prepared by repeatedly diluting a substance with alcohol or water. Somewhat counter-intuitively, homeopathy considers the weakest dilutions to have the most powerful healing effect. Frequently, in fact, the dilutions are repeated past the point where any molecules of the active ingredient can remain.<br />
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Selling a homeopathic remedy as actual medicine when it is just water is analogous to selling blank books. The smudge of ink Cueball mentions in the comic may be referencing the fact that some of the less diluted homeopathic remedies can contain a tiny amount of the original substance.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and a friend stand in front of Cueball's bookcase. His friend flips through a number of them.]<br />
:Friend: All your books are full of blank pages.<br />
:Cueball: Not true. That one has some ink on page 78.<br />
:Friend: A smudge.<br />
:Cueball: So?<br />
<br />
:Friend: There are no words. You're not reading. There's no ''story'' there.<br />
:Cueball: Maybe not for you. When I look at those books, I think about all ''kinds'' of stories.<br />
<br />
:Cueball: Reading is about more than what's on the page. Holding a book prompts my mind to enrich itself. Frankly, I suspect the book isn't even necessary.<br />
<br />
:Cueball: The whole industry is evil. Greedy publishers and rich authors try to convince us our brains ''need'' their words. But I refuse to be a sucker.<br />
:Friend: Who sold you all these blank books?<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:515:_No_One_Must_Know&diff=72730Talk:515: No One Must Know2014-08-01T19:14:23Z<p>141.101.104.4: </p>
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<div>The "Trivia" about her name is silly. By that logic black hat should be called ''pie''. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 19:40, 7 July 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:How can you say the truth is silly?? It just *is*. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.223|108.162.219.223]] 08:11, 22 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
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::And in this case the truth is trivial! :¬D [[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 15:28, 22 January 2014 (UTC)ExternalMonolog<br />
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:That, and the internet already HAS a psychopath with "pie" in their name. Has anyone here even read Cupcakes? ...I just realized that this alludes to the pastry terms in the comic. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.101|108.162.218.101]] 21:05, 12 February 2014 (UTC)<br />
::Cupcakes? The best known 'Pie'-named character is fiction is the assassin (sic! Though not a psycho) in ''Imajica''. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.4|141.101.104.4]] 19:14, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
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He calls her a cake (Danish pastry) and she calls him a pie. It is part of the joke. It is thus obviously not her name. But as she looks too much like Megan to not have another name than ''evil girl with long hair'' - it is as good a name as any on these wiki pages. This is not Randall's thruth - just explain XKCD's name. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 16:04, 14 May 2014 (UTC)<br />
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It's probably not meant to be cueball, IMO. [[User:Mr FJ|Mr FJ]] ([[User talk:Mr FJ|talk]]) 06:47, 25 June 2014 (UTC)</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1008:_Suckville&diff=727221008: Suckville2014-08-01T17:47:36Z<p>141.101.104.4: /* Explanation */ towns, even imaginary, should be capitalized</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1008<br />
| date = January 25, 2012<br />
| title = Suckville<br />
| image = suckville.png<br />
| titletext = Suckville is considered by the Census Bureau to be part of the Detroit metropolitan statistical area, despite not being located anywhere near Detroit.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are playing a card game (maybe {{w|Dominion (game)|Dominion}} or {{w|Magic: The Gathering}}) and Megan whips a common insult, a play on the word "suck" that adds a typical city name suffix to the end of it. Other variations are: "Losertown", "Lameville", etc.<br />
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The phrase is originally based on the ubiquitous signage you see along roads that say "Welcome to Town X — Population Y".<br />
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Then, since Cueball one-ups Megan by indicating there is a city by that name, she can only resign herself to the fact that her smack talk did not work.<br />
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The title text informs the reader that Suckville is classified as part of the Detroit area despite not being located there. Detroit, of course, is the quintessential example of a city so run down, it might as well really be named "Suckville", or include a district of that name. In fact, the city only recently (2013) declared itself bankrupt.<br />
(Fun fact: looking in the [http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html factfinder] Suckville is "corrected" to {{w|Saukville, Wisconsin}}, which is indeed not particularly close to {{w|Detroit, Michigan}}. However the population of Saukville in the 2010 census is given as 4451 for the village, and 1755 for the surrounding town municipality.)<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[Megan is kneeling on the floor, playing a card game.]<br />
:Megan: Hah! Welcome to Suckville-population: ''You''.<br />
:[Cueball is sitting on the floor opposite her, also playing the game.]<br />
:Cueball: Why are you using 2000 census data?<br />
:Cueball: That's an old figure.<br />
:[Megan turns around from the game to look at her laptop, which is sitting on the floor behind her.]<br />
:Megan: I couldn't find Suckville in the 2010 census.<br />
:Cueball: Huh? It's right there in SF-1 table P1.<br />
:Megan: Oh. So it is.<br />
:[Megan turns back to Cueball, who is looking at his cards.]<br />
:Megan: Well, then. Welcome to Suckville-population: 83.<br />
:Cueball: Much better.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1043:_Ablogalypse&diff=726161043: Ablogalypse2014-07-31T13:55:14Z<p>141.101.104.4: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1043<br />
| date = April 16, 2012<br />
| title = Ablogalypse<br />
| image = ablogalypse.png<br />
| titletext = Plus the reaction in the Tumblverse is always 'repeatedly get hit by a dog and fall down the stairs'.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
This comic plays with the [http://www.google.com/trends/?q=blog,tumblr,wordpress,livejournal Google trends for the terms blog, tumblr, wordpress and livejournal].<br />
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*{{w|Blog}}: a website with opinions and comments<br />
*{{w|Tumblr}}: a "micro-blogging" site, which has taken off due to the prevalence of animated gifs and funny photos.<br />
*{{w|Wordpress}}: a type of blog software.<br />
*{{w|Livejournal}}: is a sort of personal blog site that as you can see hasn't been really popular at all since 2004-2005. [[Randall]] did publish his first comics there.<br />
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As you can see in the caption and then the title text, there is no way that newscasters will reference the "Tumblrverse" because all the reactions will be filled with animated gifs of a person in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-Zph323Dos a raptor suit falling over] or [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/yes-this-is-dog a dog answering a phone].<br />
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It has [http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=blog%2C%20tumblr&date=1%2F2012%2012m&cmpt=q already happened], as of November 11, 2012.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[A line graph with four lines, each representing 'Google Trends Search Volume' of different search terms over time from prior to 2005 to just after 2012. A blue line represents "blog," which trends gradually but significantly upwards from well before 2005 until it reaches a peak between 2008-2009, and starts to very slowly descend to today. A red line represents "Tumblr", which is at zero until it slowly starts to trend upward in early 2010, and then sharply increases in late 2010 and through 2011 and 2012. As of the date of this comic, 'blog' still beats 'Tumblr' in terms of search volume, but a dotted line projection of the trend shows that on October 12, 2012, the two lines will cross. A yellow line represents 'Wordpress,' which has very low volume until a very small and gradual increase in 2007, which gradually increases to this day but doesn't come close to meeting the volume of either 'blog' or 'Tumblr'. A green line represents 'LiveJournal,' which started out prior to 2005 at around the level 'Wordpress' is at now, but declined through 2005 and 2006 until it has plateaued until virtually nothing.]<br />
:In about six months, the word "Tumblr" will eclipse "blog" in Google popularity.<br />
:I doubt TV anchors will start talking about "reactions in the Tumblverse," but then again, I still can't believe we got them to say "blogosphere."<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=738:_Incision&diff=72608738: Incision2014-07-31T10:10:28Z<p>141.101.104.4: /* Explanation */ typo</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 738<br />
| date = May 10, 2010<br />
| title = Incision<br />
| image = incision.png<br />
| titletext = At one point, by force of childhood habit, the doctor accidentally removed three or four organs.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
{{w|Operation (game)|Operation}} is a board game wherein one attempts to remove the organs of a patient with a pair of tweezers. A flat board has a cartoon image of a "patient", and dotted around various areas are holes inside of which contain plastic pieces representing the organs.<br />
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Additionally, each hole is lined with a metal connector, and the tweezers are metal connecting via wire to the board. When the tweezers make contact with a metal connector, a buzzer sounds and a lamp on the patient's nose lights up to signal an error.<br />
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The game is notoriously difficult as the organs are quite small, and the buzzer is considered by players to be annoying, if not actually startling, particularly considering how much focus and steady hand is required to avoid the tweezers making contact with a metal connector.<br />
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In the comic, a child swallows a buzzer from such a board game, and the joke lies in the similarity between the game and actual surgery when the buzzer is brought into the mix. The title text brings this further by describing an incident where the doctor ended up removing several organs (the object of the game, but obviously not a good idea in real life).<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[Two doctors wearing surgical masks are standing over a prone patient. One of them is poking the patient's chest.]<br />
:Doctor: I'm making the incision above the left—<br />
:'''''BZZZZT!'''''<br />
:Doctor: Augh!<br />
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:October 8th, 2004:<br />
:A child swallows an "Operation" buzzer, leading to the single most difficult surgery ever performed.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=726:_Seat_Selection&diff=72571726: Seat Selection2014-07-30T18:29:25Z<p>141.101.104.4: minor addition</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 726<br />
| date = April 21, 2010<br />
| title = Seat Selection<br />
| image = seat_selection.png<br />
| titletext = Don't click on the wing<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
Many airlines give passengers the opportunity to select a preferred seat when booking a flight. In this case, [[Megan]] appears to be checking in at a kiosk at the airport when she is given the opportunity to select a seat. Rather than selecting a seat on the diagram, Megan clicks on the pilot seat (which is not an actual option for online seating reservations). In the last frame, we see that because she chose the pilot seat she is now permitted to fly the plane. A worried looking pilot stands (or sits) behind her.<br />
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The title text says to not click on the wing. The implication is that if you click on the wing you will be forced to sit there. Even if you were able to hold on, this would likely result in death before very long (due to the cold and the lack of oxygen).<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[A seat selection diagram from an airport check-in kiosk is shown.]<br />
:Select desired seat by clicking on the above chart.<br />
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:[Megan in a scarf with some suitcases is standing in an airport, contemplating the kiosk.]<br />
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:[The cursor indicates the cockpit of the plane.]<br />
:<nowiki>*Click*</nowiki><br />
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:[Megan is in the cockpit of the plane, holding the yoke, with the pilot looking horrified behind her.]<br />
:Megan: WOOOOOOO<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=898:_Chain_of_Command&diff=72496898: Chain of Command2014-07-29T22:14:24Z<p>141.101.104.4: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 898<br />
| date = May 13, 2011<br />
| title = Chain of Command<br />
| image = chain of command.png<br />
| titletext = Themistocles said his infant son ruled all Greece -- "Athens rules all Greece; I control Athens; my wife controls me; and my infant son controls her." Thus, nowadays the world is controlled by whoever buys advertising time on Dora the Explorer.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The President of the United States is at the top of the US Nuclear Chain of Command, but the engineer is ''de facto'' above him because the engineer is in charge of configuring how the button works, and thus could have installed an override so that he could block the President's use of the button and/or use it himself. The "Red Button" is a simplification denoting procedures for the worst-case scenario, i.e. launching all strategic nuclear capabilities.<br />
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This paradoxical situation applies in many other fields. In a major corporation commercially sensitive information is generally hidden from employees at lower levels but available to management, but the systems administrator (who usually sits low on the hierarchy and doesn't manage any other employees) can access not only the sensitive information but the raw data that it's calculated from. Not only that, but the systems administrator is usually responsible for controlling who has access to the information - making him/her the most powerful person in the company (as far as the IT infrastructure is concerned). Many managers think of themselves as being "above" engineers and have trouble coming to grips with this concept.<br />
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{{w|Themistocles}}, mentioned at the title text, was an Ancient Greek politician. In the title text is a similar joke placed at the top of the chain of command, this time in Ancient Greece. It refers to Plutarch's [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Themistocles*.html#p53 ''Life of Themistocles'']:<br />
Of his son, who lorded it over his mother, and through her over himself, he said, jestingly, that the boy was the most powerful of all the Hellenes; for the Hellenes were commanded by the Athenians, the Athenians by himself, himself by the boy's mother, and the mother by her boy.<br />
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The part about television advertisements is a proposal that, by controlling the "infant son" of the aforementioned Red Button engineer, one could control the engineer, and thus the President, and so on and so forth. ''{{w|Dora the Explorer}}'' is an educational show for young children, something a busy man like the President might turn on for his son.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[A flowchart shows the President at the top, with an arrow to the Secretary of Defense, and then fourteen arrows leading to a series of boxes labeled Unified Combat Commanders. On the side, a box with a dotted outline has a dotted arrow leading to the president. It's labeled "Engineer Who Installed the Red Button."]<br />
:US NUCLEAR CHAIN OF COMMAND<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Politics]]</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1380:_Manual_for_Civilization&diff=69316Talk:1380: Manual for Civilization2014-06-11T06:43:00Z<p>141.101.104.4: Blanked the page</p>
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<div></div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1380:_Manual_for_Civilization&diff=69315Talk:1380: Manual for Civilization2014-06-11T06:33:04Z<p>141.101.104.4: </p>
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<div>I think this comic is related to Assimov's 'Foundation', and the task first Foundation had - to write gigantic encyclopedia, but I'm not sure if it is a joke because work of First Foundation was after all unimportant, or because there was so many books in the Foundation series.</div>141.101.104.4https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1380:_Manual_for_Civilization&diff=69314Talk:1380: Manual for Civilization2014-06-11T06:32:11Z<p>141.101.104.4: Created page with "I think this comic is related to Assimov's 'Foundation', and the task first Foundation has - to build gigantic encyclopedia, but I'm not sure if it is a joke because work of F..."</p>
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<div>I think this comic is related to Assimov's 'Foundation', and the task first Foundation has - to build gigantic encyclopedia, but I'm not sure if it is a joke because work of First Foundation was after all unimportant, or because there was so many books in the Foundation series.</div>141.101.104.4