https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=162.158.106.95&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T07:59:31ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2548:_Awful_People&diff=221662Talk:2548: Awful People2021-12-01T17:59:01Z<p>162.158.106.95: </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 />
whoever added that last paragraph, that's funny [[User:Lettherebedarklight|https&#58;//www.youtube.com/watch?v&#61;miLcaqq2Zpk]] ([[User talk:Lettherebedarklight|talk]]) 10:02, 30 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
:damn I fell for your signature. wanna hang out at that place near the lake to celebrate your achievement?[[User:256 256.256.256|LakeSlayer7]] ([[User talk:256 256.256.256|talk]]) 14:13, 30 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
::no [[User:Lettherebedarklight|https&#58;//www.youtube.com/watch?v&#61;miLcaqq2Zpk]] ([[User talk:Lettherebedarklight|talk]]) 15:36, 30 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
This reminds me, anything new with reiserfs? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 01:40, 1 December 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The Zodiac Killer wrote reviews of serial killer movies.<br />
<br />
Could the Lake Slayer in this comic be a reference to the Lake Diver Killer from Umwelt? https://explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:umwelt_lake_diver.png --Inkling/Pendragon [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.95|162.158.106.95]] 17:58, 1 December 2021 (UTC)</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2548:_Awful_People&diff=221661Talk:2548: Awful People2021-12-01T17:58:25Z<p>162.158.106.95: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
whoever added that last paragraph, that's funny [[User:Lettherebedarklight|https&#58;//www.youtube.com/watch?v&#61;miLcaqq2Zpk]] ([[User talk:Lettherebedarklight|talk]]) 10:02, 30 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
:damn I fell for your signature. wanna hang out at that place near the lake to celebrate your achievement?[[User:256 256.256.256|LakeSlayer7]] ([[User talk:256 256.256.256|talk]]) 14:13, 30 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
::no [[User:Lettherebedarklight|https&#58;//www.youtube.com/watch?v&#61;miLcaqq2Zpk]] ([[User talk:Lettherebedarklight|talk]]) 15:36, 30 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
This reminds me, anything new with reiserfs? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 01:40, 1 December 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The Zodiac Killer wrote reviews of serial killer movies.<br />
<br />
Could the Lake Slayer in this comic be a reference to the Lake Diver Killer from Umwelt? https://explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:umwelt_lake_diver.png --InolienKiki [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.95|162.158.106.95]] 17:58, 1 December 2021 (UTC)</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2548:_Awful_People&diff=221660Talk:2548: Awful People2021-12-01T17:58:04Z<p>162.158.106.95: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
whoever added that last paragraph, that's funny [[User:Lettherebedarklight|https&#58;//www.youtube.com/watch?v&#61;miLcaqq2Zpk]] ([[User talk:Lettherebedarklight|talk]]) 10:02, 30 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
:damn I fell for your signature. wanna hang out at that place near the lake to celebrate your achievement?[[User:256 256.256.256|LakeSlayer7]] ([[User talk:256 256.256.256|talk]]) 14:13, 30 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
::no [[User:Lettherebedarklight|https&#58;//www.youtube.com/watch?v&#61;miLcaqq2Zpk]] ([[User talk:Lettherebedarklight|talk]]) 15:36, 30 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
This reminds me, anything new with reiserfs? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 01:40, 1 December 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The Zodiac Killer wrote reviews of serial killer movies.<br />
<br />
Could the Lake Slayer in this comic be a reference to the Lake Diver Killer from Umwelt? https://explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:umwelt_lake_diver.png InolienKiki [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.95|162.158.106.95]] 17:58, 1 December 2021 (UTC)</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=491:_Twitter&diff=221589491: Twitter2021-11-30T02:14:38Z<p>162.158.106.95: Fixed subjectivity in “longest standing bug”</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 491<br />
| date = October 20, 2008<br />
| title = Twitter<br />
| image = twitter.png<br />
| titletext = If long tooltips / cut off for you / then upgrade from / Firefox 2 / Burma Shave<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic plays off of an old shaving cream product's {{w|Burma-Shave}} advertising campaign employed on American highways from {{w|1925}} to {{w|1963}}. These ads used short poems, each line arranged sequentially on a sign along a highway, the last line always being "Burma Shave," the name of the shaving cream. Originally, these ads only described the product, but others included driving safety messages.<br />
<br />
{{w|Twitter}} is a messaging service where your messages are restricted in length, so to get a longer essay sent, you will need to break it up in smaller fragments — like the {{w|Burma-Shave}} messages, although the whole of the text of this comic is considerably less than 140 characters and would not need to be broken up on Twitter.<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]] gets five messages from Twitter on his device that give the following message: On Twitter feeds - An odd regression: - Ancient memes - Find new expression - Burma-shave.<br />
<br />
This relates that this old way (ancient-memes) of getting a message through when only having a limited space now again (an odd regression) flourishes on Twitter feeds - Burma-shave...<br />
<br />
{{w|Firefox 2}} had a long standing annoying bug where only the initial part of the title text were shown as a tool-tip, creating a "Burma-Shave" effect of only being able to see some of the text. Unlike Burma-Shave, where you would see the rest of the text as you were driving down the highway, Firefox didn't actually show you the rest of the text unless you right-clicked show-property, and you would be able to see a sideways scrollable field of the title-text in the properties for the image. <br />
<br />
The joke in this title text is composed of five broken tool-tips from Firefox, and the message is that you should upgrade your browser from Firefox 2. Any other browser would do in order to improve your reading experience when browsing through xkcd!<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball with a handheld device sits on an office chair.]<br />
:Device: ''Beep beep''<br />
<br />
:Device: On Twitter feeds<br />
<br />
:Device: ''Beep beep''<br />
<br />
:Device: An odd regression:<br />
<br />
:Device: ''Beep beep''<br />
<br />
:Device: Ancient memes<br />
<br />
:Device: ''Beep beep''<br />
<br />
:Device: Find new expression<br />
<br />
:Device: ''Beep beep''<br />
<br />
:Device: Burma-shave<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2531:_Dark_Arts&diff=2214052531: Dark Arts2021-11-27T01:21:31Z<p>162.158.106.95: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2531<br />
| date = October 20, 2021<br />
| title = Dark Arts<br />
| image = dark_arts.png<br />
| titletext = You think, 'okay, THIS is an ideal use case for hardlinks!' but then 6 months later you're doing some extremely cursed Google search like 'javascript ext4' and wondering where things went wrong.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[White Hat]] has presumably just asked [[Cueball]] to perform some task involving {{w|file system|filesystems}}. Cueball responds with an exceptionally melodramatic monologue, referring to the subject as "dark arts" and stating he'd rather not have anything to do with them. This is reminiscent of a fairly typical scene in fantasy novels, superhero movies, etc: a person with supernatural powers explains they prefer not to use them, as their use is likely to have negative effects that outweigh the positive ones. Often this is tied to a tragic backstory of the character, where the use of their powers previously caused them or someone close to them much suffering.<br />
<br />
The humor of the comic comes from the parallel drawn; it seems unlikely that knowledge of filesystems could have negative consequences on the scale of, say, leveling a city, so the comparison is hyperbolic. However, much of today's infrastructure does depend on legacy systems that can be very overly complex to work with, having weathered aggressive political conflicts and short corporate deadlines for decades now. An example is the recent shutdown of the pgp keyserver network, or how the developer of the fastest linux filesystem built (reiserfs) was imprisoned for murdering his wife right before it could be merged into linux. Still, this joke is in a similar vein to comics like [[349: Success]], in which Cueball's relationship with technology is shown to have a potential for disaster far exceeding that of a normal person's.<br />
<br />
A filesystem is the part of a computer's {{w|operating system}} that handles the organization of data in persistent storage, usually splitting it into files and directories. It can be a very complicated piece of software. Because of this, it is easy to make mistakes in advanced usage, and because it controls practically all data on a given machine, mistakes made can have serious consequences (e.g., loss of data). These properties of filesystems are likely why Cueball is reluctant to mess with them.<br />
<br />
{{w|ext4}} is a popular filesystem used with the {{w|Linux}} operating system kernel. <br />
<br />
{{w|hard_link|Hardlinks}} allow two filenames to refer to the same underlying file or directory. These can be particularly tricky to use, as in nearly all respects they look like regular files, but modifying them can have effects that are not immediately obvious (e.g., changing what one filename refers to, the other will not remain consistent). Hardlinks and their misuse have been referenced in xkcd before, as in [[981: Porn Folder]]. <br />
<br />
The title text hints at an experience Cueball or [[Randall]] had (his own "tragic backstory", if you will), involving hardlinks on ext4. He thought he had found an ideal use case for them, one which presumably avoided most of their pitfalls, but still, six months later, ended up having to troubleshoot some inscrutable bug arising from his decision.<br />
<br />
{{w|Javascript}} is a programming language most often associated with web pages. As such it is not usually interacting directly with a computer's filesystem, since allowing arbitrary websites to access the filesystem is widely considered an extremely bad idea{{citation needed}}. It ''is'' possible to run Javascript directly outside of a browser &ndash; in which case it does have access to common filesystem operations, and even theoretically to the internals of the filesystem &ndash; but since it is a high-level language with poor support for working with the data structures a filesystem uses, this would be a painful, "cursed" way to go about things.<br />
<br />
A senior IT professional (nowadays fewer people need to know about such features) will be reminded of their own experiences and mishaps with non-trivial file system configurations. Beyond hardlinks, filesystems may have a number of features a normal user or even an admin are not aware of. Such features are prone to bugs, poor documentation, or poor integration with other system tools.<br />
For example:<br />
* {{w|Symbolic link|Symbolic links}} (soft links) - one file links to another using its name. While symbolic links work "everywhere," hardlinks are generally limited.<br />
* Compressed filesystems can cause unexpected side effects in performance, quota management, and disk fragmentation.<br />
* Sparse files and shallow copies (copy on demand). <br />
* Live filesystem backup and file locking.<br />
* Read-only filesystems.<br />
* 'Virtual' filesystems, like memory-backed and file-backed file systems, backed by dynamic data or databases.<br />
* 'Overlay' file systems where a read-only portion is overlaid and partially shadowed by another file system.<br />
* File caching for read or write operation.<br />
* Syncing file systems.<br />
* Many, many more.<br />
<br />
"In another age" might refer to the fact that detailed file system manipulations were common in the days when developers were installing, configuring and managing operating systems and software on physical servers. When disk space was limited and network speeds were low, such manipulations saved space and time. Virtualization, containerization and deployment frameworks isolate developers and administrators from such low level details.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and White Hat stand in a slightly darkened room, with a jagged circle of light centered on Cueball and light-reflecting onto White Hat's face. Cueball holds his arm out with his palm facing towards White Hat.]<br />
:Cueball: Long ago, in another age, I mastered these dark arts.<br />
:Cueball: But I now endeavor to live my life such that I never need them.<br />
:Cueball: Their power leads only to ruin.<br />
:[Caption below panel]<br />
:My response whenever anyone asks me to mess around with filesystems<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category: Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category: Computers]]</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=792:_Password_Reuse&diff=221258792: Password Reuse2021-11-24T00:34:50Z<p>162.158.106.95: </p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 792<br />
| date = September 13, 2010<br />
| title = Password Reuse<br />
| image = password_reuse.png<br />
| titletext = It'll be hilarious the first few times this happens.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic has three layers: hacking, philosophy, and Google-satire.<br />
<br />
It starts off on a practical level, with [[Black Hat]] describing to [[Cueball]] a devious social engineering scheme. It relies on the fact that people commonly reuse the same password on multiple websites, and tend to create accounts on new websites somewhat indiscriminately. Thus, one could create a simple Web service to collect users' usernames, email addresses, and passwords. Since many users will reuse this combination on other websites as well, the website owner can try to hack their accounts on other common sites, such as {{w|Amazon.com|Amazon}}, {{w|PayPal}} or even people's banks, using the same login information.<br />
<br />
In panel 7, the comic suddenly develops a philosophical and ethical bent. Black Hat reveals that he has already carried out step 1, through his numerous unprofitable Web services which he had been running for this very purpose. However, after successfully executing the hack, he realizes that he does not know what to do with all this power.<br />
<br />
He reveals that he is already financially self-sufficient, and makes a point that money can't buy happiness once past that point, stating that research has proven this. He could use his power to realize his sadistic pleasures of messing with people, but he's already a serial [[72: Classhole|classhole]] and does not need this information to continue that trend. <br />
<br />
If he had any beliefs or ideology, he could use this power to try to spread them. However, he reveals that "since {{w|March_1997#March|March of 1997}}" he doesn't really believe in anything. While he doesn't reveal specifically what in March of 1997 caused this, it could possibly refer to the {{w|Heaven's Gate (religious group)#Mass suicide and aftermath|March 26, 1997 incident}} in San Diego, California, where 39 {{w|Heaven's Gate (religious group)|Heaven's Gate}} cultists committed mass suicide at their compound. One of the cultists was the brother of {{w|Nichelle Nichols}} (a {{w|Star Trek}} actress), so the event got a big resonance in nerd circles (and [[Randall]] [[:Category:Star Trek|often references Star Trek]] in xkcd). However, given Black Hat's strange behavior, it could be anything, even {{w|Bill Clinton}} banning federal funding for {{w|human cloning}} research. Later, in [[1717: Pyramid Honey]], Black Hat seems to finally find something to believe in.<br />
<br />
The dilemma: Black Hat has cleverly executed a hack that has given him a lot of power, but he doesn't know what to do with it. <br />
<br />
The last part of the comic now transitions to a satire on how {{w|Google}} has already gone through both the stages described above. It describes how all of Google's free services are simply a ploy to collect and control all the world's information, similar in concept but grander than the hack described in part 1. It satirizes the notion that behind Google's "Don't be evil" motto is actually an end-goal of using their powers eventually for evil. (Google has since removed the motto from their code of conduct, so maybe Randall's on to something...)<br />
<br />
However, just like Black Hat, once Google reaches the stage where they are able to capitalize on their powers, the Cueball-like head-executive finds that there is nothing evil left for them to desire, except (as [[Hairbun]] states) make even more money. As they already make a lot of money this ploy is moot, and anything remaining that they wish to do, such as hosting {{w|Call of Duty}} (CoD) tournaments, isn't evil at all. <br />
<br />
In the end the secretary calls dibs on the TV in the lobby in order to play CoD4 on what (one can assume) is a large screen. The Cueball-like executive who wished to implement the evil plan in the first place {{w|facepalm|facepalms}} when he realizes that Google just sucks at being evil.<br />
<br />
In the title text, “The first few times this happens” may refer to the weekly CoD4 “tournament.” Alternatively, it could also mean the “first few times” a company decides to turn evil (but then has no idea how). It could also refer to the first couple of times an individual follows through on this plan, but fails after the first part due to lack of planning for the second part.<br />
<br />
This comic was directly referenced in the title text of [[1286: Encryptic]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Black Hat is standing to the left behind Cueball, who is sitting in an office chair at his desk working on his computer. A message from the computer is indicated with a zigzag line from the screen.]<br />
:Black Hat: Password entropy is rarely relevant. The real modern danger is password reuse.<br />
:Cueball: How so?<br />
:Computer: <small>Password too weak</small><br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on Black Hat's upper part as he holds a hand up with the palm up.]<br />
:Black Hat: Set up a Web service to do something simple, like image hosting or tweet syndication, so a few million people set up free accounts.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom out to Black Hat standing in front of Cueball who has turned in the chair facing Black Hat, the desk is not shown in the panel.]<br />
:Black Hat: Bam, you've got a few million emails, default usernames, and passwords.<br />
<br />
:[Only Black Hat is shown as he holds out his arms.]<br />
:Black Hat: Tons of people use one password, strong or not, for most accounts.<br />
<br />
:[The next panel is only half the height of the other panels. Above the panel is the text that Black Hat narrates. In the left part of the panel there is a piece of paper that seems to have been torn of at the bottom with resulting in a jagged edge, could also indicate that it continues further down than shown. On the paper there is three labeled columns, and below each of them about 18 lines of unreadable sentences (mostly just one word). The @ in the e-mail addresses may be indicated with a larger unreadable sign. To the right a broad line goes right from the paper and splits up in five lines that goes up or down ending in five arrows to the right pointing at five labels.]<br />
:Black Hat (narrating): Use the list and some proxies to try automated logins to the 20 or 30 most popular sites, plus banks and PayPal and such.<br />
:Labels on paper: Email User Pass<br />
:Labels at arrows:<br />
::Banks<br />
::Facebook<br />
::Gmail<br />
::PayPal<br />
::Twitter<br />
<br />
:[Same setting as panel 3 but Cueball has taken a hand to his chin.]<br />
:Black Hat: You've now got a few hundred thousand real identities on a few dozen services, and nobody suspects a thing.<br />
:Cueball: And then what?<br />
<br />
:[Same setting in a larger panel with more white space to the left, Cueball has his hand down again.]<br />
:Black Hat: Well, that's where I got stuck.<br />
:Cueball: You did this?<br />
:Black Hat: Why do you '''''think''''' I hosted so many unprofitable web services?<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on Black Hat's head now turned towards left.]<br />
:Black Hat: I could probably net in a lot of money, one way or another, if I did things carefully. But research shows more money doesn't make people happier, once they make enough to avoid day-to-day financial stress.<br />
<br />
:[Zooming a bit out, but still only showing Black Hat's head in the bottom right corner, again facing right.]<br />
:Black Hat: I could mess with people endlessly, but I do that already. I could get a political or religious idea out to most of the world, but since March of 1997 I don't really believe in anything.<br />
<br />
:[This panel is the last in this row, but it does not reach the end of the row above, an indication that this do not directly belong to the panels below. Same setting as panel 3 but Black Hat has his arms out.]<br />
:Black Hat: So, here I sit, a puppetmaster who wants nothing from his puppets.<br />
:Black Hat: It's the same problem Google has.<br />
:Cueball: Oh?<br />
<br />
:[This panel is the first in the last row. It does not begin to the left, but has been shifted a bit to the right, just as the last panel above tot he right, ended before reaching the right edge of the row above (and this one below). This is to indicate that this is row has a different story. A Cueball-like executive at Google is standing up leaning his arms on a table with Google's logo on the side. His office chair has been pushed to the left behind him and it is partly off-panel. He addresses the other executives at the table, two of which are shown. The first is Hairbun with glasses holding her head with both hands, elbows resting on the table. The other executive is also a Cueball-like guy, his head is partly outside the right edge of the panel. At the top of the panel to the left there is a small frame breaking the panels frame, inside it there is a caption:]<br />
:Google...<br />
:Cueball executive: Okay, everyone, we control the world's information. Now it's time to turn evil. What's the plan?<br />
:Hairbun: Make boatloads of money?<br />
:Table: Google<br />
<br />
:[Only the Cueball-like executive standing at the end of the tabe is shown, the table is left out. He is face-palming. One of the executives at the table is speaking off-panel. Could be either of the two above, or someone not shown before]<br />
:Cueball executive: We already do!<br />
:Executive (off-panel): Set up a companywide CoD4: Modern Warfare tournament each week?<br />
:Cueball executive: ''That's not evil!''<br />
:Executive (off-panel): Ooh, Dibs on the lobby TV!<br />
:Cueball executive: Okay, we ''suck'' at this.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Social networking]]<br />
[[Category:Video games]]<br />
[[Category:Computer security]]<br />
[[Category:Identity Theft]]</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:889:_Turtles&diff=220847Talk:889: Turtles2021-11-15T22:07:29Z<p>162.158.106.95: </p>
<hr />
<div>I don't think turtles possess that level of sentience, but whatever. Seems legit. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|purple|David}}<font color=green size=3px>y</font></u><font color=indigo size=4px>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 10:10, 9 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
:{{Turtle}} <br />
: :) - [[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 23:50, 9 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
:I don’t think “sentience is actually the right word for that, it should be sapie-WOAH 2013???? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.95|162.158.106.95]] 22:07, 15 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Plot twist...off screen character is a turtle... {{unsigned ip|199.27.129.17}}<br />
<br />
I always interpreted it as the human spends their short life worrying about the smallest of things, yet eve a long time after the events of this the turtle is perfectly fine being such - and has all the time in the world to do so. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.89}}<br />
<br />
I just realized that the official transcript describing the scene says simply [[There is a turtle.]] which perfectly compliments the comic and is high caliber humor on Randall's part --[[User:Lackadaisical|Lackadaisical]] ([[User talk:Lackadaisical|talk]]) 12:33, 12 July 2017 (UTC)</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:889:_Turtles&diff=220846Talk:889: Turtles2021-11-15T22:06:35Z<p>162.158.106.95: Lol</p>
<hr />
<div>I don't think turtles possess that level of sentience, but whatever. Seems legit. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|purple|David}}<font color=green size=3px>y</font></u><font color=indigo size=4px>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 10:10, 9 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
:{{Turtle}} <br />
: :) - [[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 23:50, 9 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
:I don’t think “sentience is actually the right word for that, it should be sapie-WOAH 2013????<br />
<br />
Plot twist...off screen character is a turtle... {{unsigned ip|199.27.129.17}}<br />
<br />
I always interpreted it as the human spends their short life worrying about the smallest of things, yet eve a long time after the events of this the turtle is perfectly fine being such - and has all the time in the world to do so. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.89}}<br />
<br />
I just realized that the official transcript describing the scene says simply [[There is a turtle.]] which perfectly compliments the comic and is high caliber humor on Randall's part --[[User:Lackadaisical|Lackadaisical]] ([[User talk:Lackadaisical|talk]]) 12:33, 12 July 2017 (UTC)</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Knit_Cap&diff=220797Knit Cap2021-11-14T19:42:13Z<p>162.158.106.95: Cleaned up last bullet point in “Other Names for Knit Caps”</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox character<br />
| image = Knit_Cap2.png<br />
| caption = An image of Knit Cap from [[1112: Think Logically]]<br />
| first_appearance = [[1037: Umwelt]]<br />
}}<br />
'''Knit Cap''' is a [[stick figure]] character in [[xkcd]] distinguished by a knit cap.<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
In [[1112: Think Logically]], for example, Knit Cap is depicted as typical 'nerd'<br />
<br />
Knit Cap is one of the two main characters in the interactive comic [[1350: Lorenz]], in which the general consensus was the Knit Cap was a woman. In most other comics Knit Cap is seen as a man. This was also the first comic where there was a big part for this character and in that comic she was called Knit Cap Girl. Here below is what was once noted on Lorenz explanation about this character and the type of hat<br />
<br />
===Knit Cap Girl===<br />
Knit Cap Girl was a completely new character in [[1350: Lorenz]] wearing a {{w|knit cap}}. It was at first debated if this was a girl or a boy, but since Knit Cap Girl seems to be together with [[Hairy]] that was reason enough to call her a girl. She has some similarities to [[Megan]] with a Knit Cap but since Megan never before has been shown with a knit cap or been together as a pair with Hairy it would be strange if this should represent Megan. (Hairy has some bad reputation in trying to fool girls to fall for him. Perhaps he has finally found out how to be with a woman; although they seem to fight in this comic some times.) <br />
<br />
====Other comics with knit caps====<br />
*'''Before Lorenz :'''<br />
**A guy with a knit cap can be seen in [[1037: Umwelt]] in the [[1037#Aurora|aurora story line]].<br />
**A [http://imgs.xkcd.com/clickdrag/1n5w.png guy with knit cap] can be seen on a boat in [[1110: Click and Drag]].<br />
**A guy looking very similar to Knit Cap Girl, even starting in the same position in front of a laptop, can be seen in [[1112: Think Logically]].<br />
***He is described as ''guy in a knit hat'' in the [http://xkcd.com/1112/info.0.json official transcript].<br />
**Randall's wife is depicted with a knit cap in [[1141: Two Years]], one she uses due to chemotherapy treatments causing her to lose her hair. <br />
***Since it is clear that Knit Cap Girl has hair, she does not wear the cap for that reason. <br />
***It is described as ''...the woman (who is wearing a '''knit cap''')...'' in the [http://xkcd.com/1141/info.0.json official transcript].<br />
****In the Lorenz comic the knit cap is not mentioned in the [http://xkcd.com/1350/info.0.json official transcript], but it is also mainly describing the functionality of the comic.<br />
**Two guys wear knit caps in [[1321: Cold]]. <br />
***They are called winter hats in the [http://xkcd.com/1321/info.0.json official transcript].<br />
*'''After Lorenz:'''<br />
**One of the user pictures for the April fools' comic the year after, [[1506: xkcloud]], also [[1506: xkcloud/Transcript#User pictures|looked like]] Knit Cap Girl.<br />
**Another user picture with a person wearing a knit cap can be seen in [[1689: My Friend Catherine]]<br />
**At the top of the huge chart in [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]] a guy with a white knit cap similar to the one in [[1321: Cold]] is freezing.<br />
**What appears to be a guy in a knit cap is out watching birds with Cueball in [[1826: Birdwatching]].<br />
**The "You" option in [[2198: Throw]], which can be both thrower and thrown has a knit cap. It can also be customized and in the new window coming up, the knit cap You is also shown. At first glance it may look like a man, but given the look of Knit Cap Girl, it could also represent a woman, which may be the idea, since it should represent the reader.<br />
**The character at the top of the mountain in [[2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks]] has a knit cap. That was two comics in a row.<br />
<br />
====Other names for knit caps====<br />
*{{w|Beanie (seamed cap)|Beanie}}.<br />
**The knit caps that appeared in [[1190: Time]] are traditionally referred to as "beanies"; by extension, the people wearing them are known as "Beanies" (and their language as "Beanish").<br />
*{{w|Toque}}.<br />
*{{w|Knit_cap#Canadian_tuque|Tuque}}.<br />
*{{w|Skullcap}} or skully.<br />
*”Knit cap” is the name that fits best with the three different official transcripts mentioned above.<br />
<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[:Category:Comics featuring Knit Cap|Comics featuring Knit Cap]]<br />
*[[:Category:Characters with Hats|Characters with Hats]]<br />
<br />
{{navbox-characters}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Characters]]<br />
[[Category:Characters with Hats]]</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2541:_Occam&diff=2207372541: Occam2021-11-12T20:11:15Z<p>162.158.106.95: /* Transcript */ oops - fix order</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2541<br />
| date = November 12, 2021<br />
| title = Occam<br />
| image = occam.png<br />
| titletext = Oh no, Murphy just picked up the razor.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Explanation is not incomplete, it eliminates needless entities. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Combines {{w| Occam's razor}} with the {{w| barber paradox}}. <br />
<br />
The title text refers to {{w| Murphy's law}}.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
[One panel. Megan and Cueball walking.]<br />
<br />
Megan: The simplest explanation is that Occam shaves the barber.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2541:_Occam&diff=2207362541: Occam2021-11-12T20:10:23Z<p>162.158.106.95: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2541<br />
| date = November 12, 2021<br />
| title = Occam<br />
| image = occam.png<br />
| titletext = Oh no, Murphy just picked up the razor.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Explanation is not incomplete, it eliminates needless entities. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Combines {{w| Occam's razor}} with the {{w| barber paradox}}. <br />
<br />
The title text refers to {{w| Murphy's law}}.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[One panel. Megan and Cueball walking.]<br />
<br />
Megan: The simplest explanation is that Occam shaves the barber.</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2541:_Occam&diff=2207352541: Occam2021-11-12T20:04:16Z<p>162.158.106.95: /* Explanation */ simple explanaiton with wikipedia links</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2541<br />
| date = November 12, 2021<br />
| title = Occam<br />
| image = occam.png<br />
| titletext = Oh no, Murphy just picked up the razor.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Explanation is not incomplete, it eliminates needless entities. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Combines {{w| Occam's razor}} with the {{w| barber paradox}}. <br />
<br />
The title text refers to {{w| Murphy's law}}.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2541:_Occam&diff=2207342541: Occam2021-11-12T19:58:45Z<p>162.158.106.95: /* Explanation */ Explanation is not incomplete, it is simple</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2541<br />
| date = November 12, 2021<br />
| title = Occam<br />
| image = occam.png<br />
| titletext = Oh no, Murphy just picked up the razor.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Explanation is not incomplete, it is simple. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2540:_TTSLTSWBD&diff=220700Talk:2540: TTSLTSWBD2021-11-12T06:53:48Z<p>162.158.106.95: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
XKCD 332 should be referenced here. Gyroscopes are not only directly referenced but also the similar observation that they should not work. I am being careful not to edit this page at the moment since it's probably very active. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.38|162.158.62.38]] 04:46, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
: Done! :D [[User:Esogalt|Esogalt]] ([[User talk:Esogalt|talk]]) 06:10, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
"FIRST ANNUAL"?? How does one know that it will be an annual event until the second one takes place??? <PET PEEVE> [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.195|172.70.126.195]] 10:14, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
: Planning is a thing? [[User:Esogalt|Esogalt]] ([[User talk:Esogalt|talk]]) 10:33, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
: It immediately followed the long-running 363-day conference on Things That Seem Like They Should Work But Don’t, so naturally there’ll be another one every year. They didn’t even have to change the banner.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.131|162.158.106.131]] 10:47, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
: There may ''never'' be a second, especially in Randallworld. As a roundworld example, this very year we had the "31st '''First Annual''' Ig Nobel Prize ceremony". ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.35|172.70.90.35]] 12:35, 11 November 2021 (UTC) I once was in a "First Annual Iron Man" competition that wasn't held the following year, so . . . .[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.24|162.158.74.24]] 13:50, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
Uh...I legit want to go to this conference. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.209|172.70.130.209]] 13:58, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
:It's actually entirely possible to plan conferences yourself, so maybe if you know some place where it could be held you could organize it? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.80|shitpoocrapfeces]] 15:11, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
::Hey, that's a good idea, thanks shitpoo...crap...maybe I shouldn't take unsolicited advice from strangers on the internet...[[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.195|172.70.126.195]] 15:38, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I don't think that lunch is listed as if it were a topic. It's normal to say that lunch takes place between sessions. The session topics are described as "on <something>", but lunch isn't. And why isn't there a [citation needed] after saying that many humans eat lunch? That's clearly more sarcastically appropriate than the ones about airships being big and heavy. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 15:33, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I feel like the conference itself seems like it should not work, but apparently the conference did work. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.82.53|172.70.82.53]] 19:51, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
[https://www.livescience.com/33075-how-bees-fly.html Bumblebees!] [[Special:Contributions/172.68.129.133|172.68.129.133]] 20:39, 11 November 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Due to the n’t shortening, the banner looks like it could mean “Things That Seem Like They Should Work But Don’t”</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2534:_Retractable_Rocket&diff=2199152534: Retractable Rocket2021-10-28T03:11:33Z<p>162.158.106.95: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2534<br />
| date = October 27, 2021<br />
| title = Retractable Rocket<br />
| image = retractible_rocket.png<br />
| titletext = Hard to believe that for so many years once they were fully extended we just let them tip over.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a RETRACTABLE ROCKET SCIENTIST - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[In the first of a series of frames, Beret Guy and Megan stand with a rocket on a launchpad far away behind them near the horizon]<br />
:Beret Guy: We're testing our new retractable rocket.<br />
:Megan: You mean reusable?<br />
:Beret Guy: No.<br />
<br />
:[Closer view of just the launchpad and rocket with the horizon line]<br />
:[It has the appearance of having a long first stage, a second stage with slightly wider fairing and an Apollo-style capsule with escape-tower atop it all]<br />
:[There is a directionless speech-bubble depicting a tannoy voice]<br />
:Tannoy: Three... Two... One... Liftoff!<br />
<br />
:[Continued view, as before, but while the base of the rocket-stack remains stationary, the first stage is apparently elongated, with a hint of a bend, to raise the total height to which the upper-stage and capsule assembly reaches]<br />
<br />
:[The first stage is now elongated far enough to disappear off the top of the frame - it has a distinct but slight bend to it]<br />
:[Two voices are indicated as coming from out beyond the top of the frame]<br />
:Voice 1: Hi! Welcome to the ISS!<br />
:Voice 2: Hello!<br />
<br />
:[The first stage is retracted, similar in length to the second frame, but the capsule is no longer atop the 'second stage' fairing, just movement lines to indicate that the remainder is returning back towards the original position]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2534:_Retractable_Rocket&diff=2199142534: Retractable Rocket2021-10-28T03:10:50Z<p>162.158.106.95: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2534<br />
| date = October 27, 2021<br />
| title = Retractible Rocket<br />
| image = retractible_rocket.png<br />
| titletext = Hard to believe that for so many years once they were fully extended we just let them tip over.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a RETRACTABLE ROCKET SCIENTIST - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[In the first of a series of frames, Beret Guy and Megan stand with a rocket on a launchpad far away behind them near the horizon]<br />
:Beret Guy: We're testing our new retractable rocket.<br />
:Megan: You mean reusable?<br />
:Beret Guy: No.<br />
<br />
:[Closer view of just the launchpad and rocket with the horizon line]<br />
:[It has the appearance of having a long first stage, a second stage with slightly wider fairing and an Apollo-style capsule with escape-tower atop it all]<br />
:[There is a directionless speech-bubble depicting a tannoy voice]<br />
:Tannoy: Three... Two... One... Liftoff!<br />
<br />
:[Continued view, as before, but while the base of the rocket-stack remains stationary, the first stage is apparently elongated, with a hint of a bend, to raise the total height to which the upper-stage and capsule assembly reaches]<br />
<br />
:[The first stage is now elongated far enough to disappear off the top of the frame - it has a distinct but slight bend to it]<br />
:[Two voices are indicated as coming from out beyond the top of the frame]<br />
:Voice 1: Hi! Welcome to the ISS!<br />
:Voice 2: Hello!<br />
<br />
:[The first stage is retracted, similar in length to the second frame, but the capsule is no longer atop the 'second stage' fairing, just movement lines to indicate that the remainder is returning back towards the original position]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2530:_Clinical_Trials&diff=2194372530: Clinical Trials2021-10-18T21:20:58Z<p>162.158.106.95: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2530<br />
| date = October 18, 2021<br />
| title = Clinical Trials<br />
| image = clinical_trials.png<br />
| titletext = We don't need to do a clinical trial of this change because the standard of care is to adopt new ideas without doing clinical trials.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT that wasn't checked if it worked - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2529:_Unsolved_Math_Problems&diff=2193132529: Unsolved Math Problems2021-10-16T04:33:53Z<p>162.158.106.95: Adding a Transcript</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2529<br />
| date = October 15, 2021<br />
| title = Unsolved Math Problems<br />
| image = unsolved_math_problems.png<br />
| titletext = After decades of studying the curve and the procedure that generates it, the consensus explanation is "it's just like that."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an Euler field Gödel-Escher-Klein strange curve walking randomly on a grid. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Conjection is likely a [[Malamanteau]] of conjecture and conjunction.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The Three Types Of Unsolved Math Problem<br />
<br />
:First: Weirdly Abstract<br />
:[Ponytail stands in front of an equation]<br />
:Is the Euler Field Manifold Hypergroup Isomorphic to a Gödel-Flein Meta-Algebreic ε<0 Quasimonoid Conjection under Sondheim Calculus?<br />
:Or is the question ill-formed?<br />
:⬙ℝंℤ/Eℵ₅ The Z is raised and underneath it is a double-ended arrow bent at a right angle. One points toward the R the other toward the Z. The ₅ is double-struck like the ℝ and ℤ<br />
<br />
:Second: Weirdly Concrete<br />
:[Cueball stands in front of a grid with 6 columns and 7 rows]<br />
:If I walk randomly on a grid, never visiting any square twice, placing a marble every ''N'' steps, on average how many marbles will be in the longest line after N*K steps?<br />
:Somehow the answer is important in like three unrelated fields.<br />
:[The path starts in the 3rd row and 3rd column, a small circle indicates the start. It takes the path: North, East, North, East (a black dot representing the 1st marble is placed here, so N=4), South, East, South, South (2nd marble), West, South, West, North (3rd marble), West, South, South, South (4th Marble), West, North, West, West (this goes offgrid to the West. There is no visible line or marble outside the grid). The 1st, 3rd, and 4th marbles are colinear and there is a dotted line connecting them. The line's slope is 3.]<br />
<br />
:Third: Cursed<br />
:[Megan stands next to a curve]<br />
:What in god's name is going on with this curve?<br />
:Is it even math?<br />
:[The curve starts at the bottom of the screen, rises straight upward, begins to wobble left and right a little. It lists to the left and the left-right motion increases, then decreases. It begins a large counter-clockwise arc, spiraling inwards twice, then ends]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1815:_Flag&diff=2192721815: Flag2021-10-14T16:38:18Z<p>162.158.106.95: /* Explanation */ grammar and decrease certainty of wild wordplay claim</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1815<br />
| date = March 24, 2017<br />
| title = Flag<br />
| image = flag.png<br />
| titletext = There's a compromise bill to keep the notification bar but at least charge the battery.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
<br />
Presumably [[Randall]] was hired by a committee to propose a new {{w|flag}} for an unspecified country. His process of editing the flag involved taking a screenshot of his design to export it, a mistake that went unnoticed by anyone until the flag was officially implemented.<br />
<br />
Once the problem was pointed out, the design committee placed the blame on Randall, but could not immediately undo their decision until new suggestions had been submitted and a new committee could agree on another design. Thus the country is now stuck with this design, making it the only country with such a bar in the flag.<br />
<br />
The title text mentions a compromise bill that will change the flag. This implies that the flag was approved with the status bar included. Apparently, there is some controversy about removing the status bar from the flag, as the compromise bill proposes keeping the status bar and changing the displayed percentage of the battery from 39% to 100%. This may be wordplay on the term "charge" as used in {{w|vexillology}}, where it refers to a figure appearing on the background of the flag. It may also be a reference to [[1373: Screenshot]].<br />
<br />
===Flag design===<br />
The ''bar'' in ''notification bar'', is a vexillological descriptor, as in the "{{w|Flags_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America#First_flag:_the_.22Stars_and_Bars.22_.281861.E2.80.931863.29|Stars and Bars}}," a term used for the first flag of the {{w|Confederate States of America}}, not to be confused with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_and_bars_(combinatorics) the counting technique.]<br />
<br />
Flags are often minimalist and involve geometric shapes and solid colors. A notification bar at the top of the flag would clash with these design elements and look unprofessional.{{Citation needed}} The flag in the comic is otherwise well-designed, conforming with a principle of heraldry and vexillology known as the {{w|rule of tincture}}: the "metals" consist of white/silver and yellow/gold, while the "colours" consist of red, blue, green, black, and purple; anything in the "metal" category should only be placed upon a background of the "colour" category and vice versa.<br />
<br />
The elements of the flag's intended design&mdash;the colors red, white, and blue; the use of stripes; and the star emblems&mdash;are the same that are used in the American flag the {{w|Flag of the United States|Stars and Stripes}}.<br />
<br />
The elements of this flag are, however, also present in several other existing flags, like those derived from {{w|Union Jack}}, the flag of the {{w|United Kingdom}}, and like the flags of {{w|Flag_of_Australia|Australia}} and {{w|Flag_of_New_Zealand|New Zealand}}. They are also in the flags of {{w|Flag of North Korea|North Korea}}, {{w|Flag_of_Liberia|Liberia}}, and {{w|Flag_of_Malaysia|Malaysia}}. The flags from USA, Australia, Liberia and Chile have [[commons:Category:Flags_with_white_stars|white stars]], and those of USA and Liberia have [[commons:Category:Flags_with_white_stripes|white bars]] as well.<br />
<br />
===Theories===<br />
The low battery status might imply that the country is low on resources. It thus seems like people have taken the reference to modern times smartphones to their hearts and actually wish to have this very modern design.<br />
<br />
But if they indeed continue with this idea, thinking that their country would look better with a full battery charge, they might also consider changing the 3G connection to the {{w|4G|newer 4G}} version and giving the phone a full signal (5/5 instead of only 3/5 dots), and maybe also choose a time that would mean something rather than 5:48 PM. For instance noon/midnight, or 8:00.<br />
<br />
The reason such a status bar could be missed in the first place could be that most people today look at pictures on their smartphones all the time, and thus their own phone's status bar is indirectly included at the top of all the pictures they see. People thus do not notice these status bars any longer as they are always there and clearly not important for the picture. Randall has mentioned before, in [[1373: Screenshot]], that he cannot take smartphone screenshots seriously if the battery of the device is low, as he cannot focus on the content, becoming afraid his own device is running out of power—a problem that only occurs if he sees it on his smartphone, as he then becomes concerned that it is his phone that is about to run out of charge. But in this status bar, there is still 39%, enough not to cause immediate concern. His fear of losing his on-line connection like this was the joke in the comic [[1802: Phone]] released about a month before this one.<br />
<br />
Since Randall was asked to create this flag, it seems most likely that he would have to be a citizen of this new country. It could thus indicate that a group of states has broken free from the United States to form their own smaller union of three states, one for each star. With the current political situation in the states after {{w|Donald Trump|Donald Trump’s}} {{w|Inauguration of Donald Trump|inauguration}} there has been some talk about states leaving the USA, and Randall has clearly been against the election of Trump, see [[1756: I'm With Her]]. His choice of comic subjects seems to have been [[Sad_comics|affected]] by the election result. Since Randall lives in {{w|Massachusetts}}, it could be this and two other nearby states that have formed their own new union of states, maybe the other two small states {{w|Connecticut}} and {{w|Rhode Island}}.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A two colored flag is shown. The left and rightmost parts of the flag are dark blue, and the center is red and each section has a large white star in its center. The colored parts are separated by thinner white vertical stripes. At the top of the flag, there is an off-white status bar like one found at the top of an iOS smart device. On the left it is displaying the strength of the connection (3/5 dots), in the center it is displaying the time and on the right there are three small icons the last is the battery charge:]<br />
:3G<br />
:5:48 PM <br />
:39%<br />
<br />
:[Below the panel there are two captions]<br />
:The design committee fired me once they realized that my editing process involved a screenshot, but it was too late.<br />
:Until they change it, our new country has the only national flag to include a phone notification bar.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Smartphones]]</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2525:_Air_Travel_Packing_List&diff=2189182525: Air Travel Packing List2021-10-07T03:56:34Z<p>162.158.106.95: More edits and elaborations</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2525<br />
| date = October 6, 2021<br />
| title = Air Travel Packing List<br />
| image = air_travel_packing_list.png<br />
| titletext = I know the etiquette is controversial, but I think it's rude when the person in front of me reclines their seat into the bell of my trumpet.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an AIRBORNE TRUMPETER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic is about a packing list, and the humor is found because most of the items are either found on the plane, would be useful in a plane crash, or SOUND like they are useful on a plane. a quick summary of each:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Item<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|Seat cushion<br />
|This can be used as a flotation device in a crash and is provided by the airline. Some people may also bring their own cushions for comfort.<br />
|-<br />
|Parachute<br />
|useful to keep yourself from falling out of the sky in a crash<br />
|-<br />
|Wing glue<br />
|to repair wings in the event of damage, potentially in a crash. unclear on how you would apply mid-flight<br />
|-<br />
|Air horn<br />
|An air horn can make a very loud noise very easily. This may be important for drawing attention to yourself in the event of a crash, but using one in a non-emergency situation would infuriate everyone else on the plane.<br />
|-<br />
|Sextant<br />
|to be able to determine your position based on the stars and find your way home. It could be useful in a crash if you know star charts and HOW TO USE A SEXTANT.<br />
|-<br />
|Nose plugs and goggles for pressure<br />
|Nose plugs and goggles are commonly used in swimming, but would be useless for dealing with cabin pressurization or depressurization. Since your mouth and nose are interconnected, nose plugs would be useless on their own. Trying to hold your breath in a sudden depressurization event will cause lung damage, so nose plugs wouldn't be a good thing, even if you could also seal off your mouth. Goggles would also not be useful. During depressurization, the air would just seep out. During pressurization, they would just become uncomfortable and difficult to remove.<br />
|-<br />
|Airplane shoes<br />
|like slippers, to keep feet warm and comfy on long flights.<br />
|-<br />
|Navigation crystal<br />
|mystical form of navigation, presumably to help you home after a crash.<br />
|-<br />
|Spare batteries in case the plane runs out<br />
|Planes will generally use more power than any battery small enough to be easily packed in a bag can provide. They will generally use either 115v AC at 400hz or 28v DC, both of which are very uncommon outside of aviation. The plane will almost never use its own batteries anyway, getting its electric power from the APU, engines, or, in emergencies, the ram air turbine.<br />
|-<br />
|Birdseed<br />
|so you can attract birds, and use THEM to fly the plane in case of crash<br />
|-<br />
|Homing beacon<br />
|Once activated, a homing beacon will send out a continuous radio signal so that rescuers can find your location. These can be very useful in a plane crash, but planes already carry them, so you don't need to pack one yourself.<br />
|-<br />
|Meteorite antidote<br />
|Meteorites are pieces of space rocks that make it all the way to the ground. They can cause injury but they aren't poisonous, so an antidote would not help.<br />
|-<br />
|USB wing connector<br />
|this is a just a wire connector, but because it has wing in the name is on the list. alternatively, the plane wings connect by USB, and this can be used to reattach wings.<br />
|-<br />
|Emergency siren<br />
|USE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY<br />
|-<br />
|Spare flaps<br />
|Flaps can be moved to adjust the lift/drag ratio of a wing, generally during takeoff and landing. Flaps are very large and mounted on the wing, outside the passenger compartment, so bringing spares would be very difficult and completely useless. Flaps failing to come down can also usually be remedied by just landing at a longer runway.<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Mouthpiece (brass)|Mouthpiece}} (pandemic restriction; airlines still provide the trumpet)<br />
|a part of a brass instrument like a trumpet. Randall jokes that this is a pandemic restriction for you to provide your own mouthpiece, but the airline will provide you with the trumpet<br />
|-<br />
|Luggage ballast<br />
|for keeping your luggage upright in the water. obviously.<br />
|-<br />
|Flag (international flights)<br />
|used to communicate between boats without electricity, in the event the boats are in distress. to be used in the event of a crash.<br />
|-<br />
|Decoy tickets<br />
|Maybe these would used as a distraction so you can sneak onto the plane without paying.<br />
|-<br />
|Keys to the plane<br />
|Though some pushed for it after a plane was stolen in the 2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident, planes do not require keys to fly.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
<big>Air Travel Packing List</big><br />
<br />
If you haven't flown in a while, you might not remember what you need to bring. Use this handy checklist to pack!<br />
<br />
[Two columns of lists of items. Each item is preceded by a checkbox.]<br />
*Seat cushion<br />
*Parachute<br />
*Wing glue<br />
*Air horn<br />
*Sextant<br />
*Nose plugs and goggles for pressure<br />
*Airplane shoes<br />
*Navigation crystal<br />
*Spare batteries in case the plane runs out<br />
*Birdseed<br />
*Homing beacon<br />
*Meteorite antidote<br />
*USB wing connector<br />
*Emergency siren<br />
*Spare flaps<br />
*Mouthpiece (pandemic restriction; airlines still provide the trumpet)<br />
*Luggage ballast<br />
*Flag (international flights)<br />
*Decoy tickets<br />
*Keys to the plane<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2525:_Air_Travel_Packing_List&diff=2189082525: Air Travel Packing List2021-10-07T02:27:49Z<p>162.158.106.95: Meteorite antidote explination</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2525<br />
| date = October 6, 2021<br />
| title = Air Travel Packing List<br />
| image = air_travel_packing_list.png<br />
| titletext = I know the etiquette is controversial, but I think it's rude when the person in front of me reclines their seat into the bell of my trumpet.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an AIRBORNE TRUMPETER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic is about a packing list, and the humor is found because most of the items are either found on the plane, would be useful in a plane crash, or SOUND like they are useful on a plane. a quick summary of each:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Item<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|Seat cushion<br />
|This, in a crash, can be used as a flotation device, and is provided by the airliner. some people also bring cushions to make the occasionally uncomfy airline chairs more comfy<br />
|-<br />
|Parachute<br />
|useful to keep yourself from falling out of the sky in a crash<br />
|-<br />
|Wing glue<br />
|to repair wings in the event of damage, potentially in a crash. unclear on how you would apply mid-flight<br />
|-<br />
|Air horn<br />
|to draw attention to yourself in the event of a crash, or potentially to be used to celebrate a successful flight and make everyone else on the plane hate you.<br />
|-<br />
|Sextant<br />
|to be able to determine your position based on the stars and find your way home. It could be useful in a crash if you know star charts and HOW TO USE A SEXTANT.<br />
|-<br />
|Nose plugs and goggles for pressure<br />
|in case of a crash, to help with depressurization of the cabin and rapid pressure changes during a crash.<br />
|-<br />
|Airplane shoes<br />
|some people have indoor shoes or their house to keep floors cleaner. unclear as to why you'd need it on a plane<br />
|-<br />
|Navigation crystal<br />
|mystical form of navigation, presumably to help you home after a crash.<br />
|-<br />
|Spare batteries in case the plane runs out<br />
|Like car batteries, but for the plane in case of crash<br />
|-<br />
|Birdseed<br />
|so you can attract birds, and use THEM to fly the plane in case of crash<br />
|-<br />
|Homing beacon<br />
|so people can find you in the event of a crash, similar to flares. carry one at all times.<br />
|-<br />
|Meteorite antidote<br />
|Meteorites are pieces of space rocks that make it all the way to the ground. They can cause injury but aren't poisonous, so an antidote would not help.<br />
|-<br />
|USB wing connector<br />
|this is a just a wire connector, but because it has wing in the name is on the list. alternatively, the plane wings connect by USB, and this can be used to reattach wings.<br />
|-<br />
|Emergency siren<br />
|USE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY<br />
|-<br />
|Spare flaps<br />
|If the elevator flaps fail in a crash, it is good to have spares.<br />
|-<br />
|Mouthpiece (pandemic restriction; airlines still provide the trumpet)<br />
|could be a reference to the mouthpiece on oxygen masks that drop down in case of rapid depressurization in the cabin. for some reason you are choosing to put it on a trumpet<br />
|-<br />
|Luggage ballast<br />
|for keeping your luggage upright in the water. obviously.<br />
|-<br />
|Flag (international flights)<br />
|used to communicate between boats without electricity, in the event the boats are in distress. to be used in the event of a crash.<br />
|-<br />
|Decoy tickets<br />
|For sneaking onto the plane without paying.<br />
|-<br />
|Keys to the plane<br />
|Though some pushed for it after the 2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident, planes do not require keys to fly.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
<big>Air Travel Packing List</big><br />
<br />
If you haven't flown in a while, you might not remember what you need to bring. Use this handy checklist to pack!<br />
<br />
[Two columns of lists of items. Each item is preceded by a checkbox.]<br />
*Seat cushion<br />
*Parachute<br />
*Wing glue<br />
*Air horn<br />
*Sextant<br />
*Nose plugs and goggles for pressure<br />
*Airplane shoes<br />
*Navigation crystal<br />
*Spare batteries in case the plane runs out<br />
*Birdseed<br />
*Homing beacon<br />
*Meteorite antidote<br />
*USB wing connector<br />
*Emergency siren<br />
*Spare flaps<br />
*Mouthpiece (pandemic restriction; airlines still provide the trumpet)<br />
*Luggage ballast<br />
*Flag (international flights)<br />
*Decoy tickets<br />
*Keys to the plane<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2520:_Symbols&diff=2184232520: Symbols2021-09-24T20:45:46Z<p>162.158.106.95: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2520<br />
| date = September 24, 2021<br />
| title = Symbols<br />
| image = symbols.png<br />
| titletext = "röntgen" and "rem" are 20th-century physics terms that mean "no trespassing."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an internet argument - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. Bare-bones explanation is in, but needs much more detail.}}<br />
<br />
This comic refers to notation commonly used in various fields of math and science.<br />
<br />
d/dx and ∂/∂x are both used to represent derivatives in calculus and related fields. d/dx is most commonly used in introductory and basic calculus, while ∂/∂x is the symbol for a partial derivative, indicating a problem involving multivariable calculus, which is a level of difficulty above single-variable calculus.<br />
<br />
ħ (pronounced 'h-bar') is a symbol used for Planck's constant, a universal constant in quantum physics equal to the energy of a photon divided by its frequency.<br />
<br />
N<sub>A</sub> is Avogadro's number, which is used in chemistry for calculating the number of molecules in a mass of substance. Its use implies a chemistry problem where relative concentrations and orders of magnitude are important; if a mistake is made the concentration of a potentially dangerous chemical could be far too strong or too weak.<br />
<br />
μm and mK (micrometers and millikelvin) are very small units of length and temperature respectively. Any equipment that is operating in these units will be incredibly finely calibrated and thus very expensive. Millikelvins would measure temperatures barely above absolute zero, suggesting sensitive experiments probing quantum mechanical behavior that would likely only exist in an advanced lab.<br />
<br />
nm and eV (nanometers and electronvolts) are also small units of length and energy. Nanometres in particular are commonly used to refer to wavelengths of light, and therefore might be seen when working with lasers, which you should definitely not shine in your eye. Electron volts are a measure of energy in particle physics; particle accelerators produce intense radiation which should <em>definitely</em> not be directed toward your eye.<br />
<br />
mSv (millisieverts) are a unit of radiation exposure. Randall's comment may be referring to [https://xkcd.com/radiation/ this chart].<br />
<br />
mg/kg and μg/kg (milligrams per kilogram and micrograms per kilogram) are units used to count the proportion of a substance that contains a certain chemical; they are equivalent to 'parts per million' and 'parts per billion' respectively. These might be found when working with particularly dangerous chemicals, where even slight exposure could lead to severe health risks.<br />
<br />
Finally, the comic references pi and tau. Pi is defined as the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, while tau is defined as pi times two. Pi is more commonly used as a circle constant and is helpful when working with areas and volumes, but proponents of tau argue that it is more useful in a pure mathematics context as it makes working with radians easier. The joke here is that whichever constant you attempt to use, it will probably be the wrong one for what you are trying to achieve.<br />
<br />
This comic discusses different symbols found in equations, and humorously comments on their implications.<br />
*d/dx: An undergrad is working very hard<br />
d/dx is the symbol for a single-variable {{w|Derivative|derivative}}. This is a mathematical operation that, while difficult, is well within the reach of an undergraduate student, particularly in science. Thus, an equation with this operation would be one that would cause an undergraduate student to work very hard.<br />
<br />
*d/dx: An undergrad is working very hard<br />
d/dx is the symbol for a single-variable {{w|Derivative|derivative}} taken with respect to x. This is a mathematical operation that, while difficult, is well within the reach of an undergraduate student, particularly in science. Thus, an equation with this operation would be one that would cause an undergraduate student to work very hard.<br />
<br />
*∂/∂x: A grad student is working very hard<br />
: Partial derivative. Partial differential equations are typically encountered in higher-level coursework, hence why a grad student would be working hard vs. an undergrad.<br />
;R<sub>e</sub><br />
:Reynolds number, used in modelling the flow of fluids. Fluid flow cannot usually be modelled analytically and so a numerical model is necessary.<br />
;(T<sub>a</sub><sup>4</sup> - T<sub>b</sub><sup>4</sup>)<br />
: Temperature component of net radiation loss<br />
;N<sub>A</sub><br />
:Avagadro's constant. If you are using this and not working in Moles there is a good chance that you will make a mistake of a factor of a power of ten. THis could create dangerous amounts of chemicals<br />
;µm<br />
:Micrometers are small. Any equipment that is accurate to that degree is likely to be expensive<br />
;mK<br />
:millikelvin are small changes in temperature, or represent very low temperatures. Equipment that uses mK is very expensive<br />
;nm<br />
:Describes the wavelength of laser light<br />
;eV<br />
:describes the energy of a particle beam<br />
;mSv<br />
:The amount of radiation absorbed. The pun most likely refers to internet trolls debating the effects of radiation like 5G networks.<br />
;mg/kg<br />
:The toxicity of a chemical, per kg of body mass. If it is measured in mg/kg it is quite toxic<br />
;µg/kg<br />
:If the chemical is measured in µg/kg it is extremely toxic<br />
;π or τ<br />
:τ = 2π, so it would be easy to make a mistake and use π when τ is correct.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to two non-SI units of radiation measurement. An area with significant amounts of radiation is probably dangerous, hence the no trespassing part.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
<br />
;d/dx<br />
:an undergrad is working very hard<br />
;∂/∂x<br />
:a grad student is working very hard<br />
;ħ<br />
:oh wow, this is apparently a quantum thing<br />
;R<sub>e</sub><br />
:someone needs to do a lot of tedious numerical work; hopefully it's not you<br />
;(T<sub>a</sub><sup>4</sup> - T<sub>b</sub><sup>4</sup>)<br />
:you are at risk of skin burns<br />
;N<sub>A</sub><br />
:you are probably about to make an incredibly dangerous arithmetic error<br />
;µm<br />
:careful, that equipment is expensive<br />
;mK<br />
:careful, that equipment is <i>very</i> expensive<br />
;nm<br />
:don't shine that in your eye<br />
;eV<br />
:<i>definitely</i> don't shine that in your eye<br />
;mSv<br />
:you are about to get into an internet argument<br />
;mg/kg<br />
:go wash your hands<br />
;µg/kg<br />
:go get in the chemical shower<br />
;π or τ<br />
:whatever answer you get will be wrong by a factor of exactly two<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2494:_Flawed_Data&diff=2183012494: Flawed Data2021-09-22T18:34:13Z<p>162.158.106.95: all together -> altogether</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2494<br />
| date = July 26, 2021<br />
| title = Flawed Data<br />
| image = flawed_data.png<br />
| titletext = We trained it to produce data that looked convincing, and we have to admit, the results look convincing!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
This is another comic about what is the right or wrong way to perform research when data is not adequate.<br />
<br />
In the first frame, [[Cueball]] presents a report on a poster (two graphs with data points and possible fitted curves), admitting that all of the data is actually flawed. He doesn't explain if it's contrary to some outcome or revelation, or perhaps a systematic error in the data-gathering process.<br />
<br />
From there, three different reactions to this is displayed in order of how good a decision they make based on this realization.<br />
<br />
;Good<br />
In the first scenario Cueball states they are no longer sure about the conclusions they had drawn from the flawed data. This is, of course, the scientifically appropriate decision. The less reliable data is, the less reliable the conclusions that can be drawn. Ideally, flawed data would be discarded altogether, but there are situations in which better data is not available, so a compromise may be to draw tentative conclusions, but make clear that those are uncertain, due to issues with the data. <br />
<br />
;Bad<br />
In the second scenario Cueball then explains that after heavy manipulation ("doing a lot of math") of their flawed data, they decided they were actually fine. There are a number of methods that can be used to manipulate or "clean" data, with varying levels of complexity and reliability. Some of these methods may be valid in certain situations, but applying them after the initial analysis failed is highly suspect. The likelihood, in such a case, is that the researchers tried different methods of data manipulation, one after another, until they found one that gave the results they wanted. This is clearly highly subject to the biases of the researchers (both conscious and unconscious) and is much less likely to result in accurate conclusions. Hence, this approach occurs in research more often than it should, and [[Randall]] is making clear that it's "bad".<br />
<br />
;Very bad<br />
In the third and final scenario, Cueball explains that they scrapped all the flawed data. However, instead of trying to make some new data by correctly redoing research/measurements/tests, they instead trained an {{w|Artificial Intelligence}} (AI) to generate better data from nothing but a desire to match a target outcome. This is of course not real data, but just a simulation of data, selectively sieving statistical noise for desirable qualities. And since they are probably looking for a specific result, they are training the AI to generate data that supports this. This approach is "very bad", as it not only produces no useful science, but means that future researchers will be working from entirely artificial data. Doing so would be destructive to science and would be considered incredibly unethical in any research body or association. The only purpose of such a method would be to convince others that you'd proven something interesting, rather than determining what's true (and possibly gain some experience in AI programming). AI is a recurring [[:Category:Artificial Intelligence|theme]] on xkcd.<br />
<br />
In the title text, the results from the very bad approach are mentioned and the fact that they got the data they were looking for is made clear when they state that ''We trained it to produce data that looked convincing, and we have to admit, the results look convincing!'' The AI was of course trained to provide data that looks convincing, which is why they are so convinced of the results.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is pointing a stick at a poster hanging behind him while addressing an unseen audience. There are two graphs on the poster with data points and fitting curves.]<br />
:Cueball: We realized all our data is flawed.<br />
<br />
:[The three next panels all have a label in a frame going over the top of each panels frame. The poster can no longer be seen in the rest of the panels. Cueball has taken the stick down.]<br />
:Label: Good<br />
:Cueball: ...So we're not sure about our conclusions.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball holds the pointer almost as in the first panel.]<br />
:Label: Bad<br />
:Cueball: ...So we did lots of math and then decided our data is actually fine.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball holds the pointer so it point upwards. Also he lifts his other hand a bit up.]<br />
:Label: Very bad<br />
:Cueball: ...So we trained an AI to generate better data.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Statistics]]<br />
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2003:_Presidential_Succession&diff=2182132003: Presidential Succession2021-09-19T19:54:13Z<p>162.158.106.95: /* List of specific individuals */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2003<br />
| date = June 6, 2018<br />
| title = Presidential Succession<br />
| image = presidential_succession.png<br />
| titletext = Ties are broken by whoever was closest to the surface of Europa when they were born.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The {{w|United States presidential line of succession}} is the order of people who serve as president if the current incumbent president is incapacitated, dies, resigns, or is removed from office. <br />
<br />
The {{w|Presidential_Succession_Act#Presidential_Succession_Act_of_1947|Presidential Succession Act of 1947}} revised the presidential order of succession to its current order. This Act, though never challenged in the courts, may not be constitutional for two reasons. First, the Act names two members of Congress as successors. There are serious questions as to whether this violates the principle of Separation of Powers. The second issue is that the Act allows for anyone skipped over for succession to later assume the office if circumstances change to allow them to hold it. This would mean that the person in question could effectively unseat a sitting President, which raises serious constitutional issues. <br />
<br />
There are also practical concerns regarding the Act. The line of succession includes all members of the Cabinet in the order that their department was established, with the oldest departments first. No consideration is given to which departments would be most relevant to the Presidency, particularly considering that this type of succession would presumably involve a serious crisis, which the new president would need to be able to address immediately. The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of the security and protection of the United States and its citizens and would probably already be privy to sensitive intelligence and briefings related to national security, but because it is the latest of the Departments to have been established (in 2003), the Secretary of Homeland Security is last in the current Presidential line of succession, behind Secretaries in much less sensitive roles, such as those of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, and Education.<br />
<br />
Another concern is that, by including members of Congress immediately after the Vice President, there is a serious risk that the simultaneous death of the President and Vice President could cause the Presidency to change to the opposing party, which could lead to serious political instability at the precise moment when the country is facing a national crisis. It even presents the possibility that simultaneous assassinations of the President and Vice President could function as an effective coup, shifting power to their opponents. <br />
<br />
Finally, there is the issue that, usually, everyone in the line of succession lives and works in Washington D.C. Hence, a sufficiently destructive attack or natural disaster impacting the city could realistically incapacitate all of them, leaving the USA leaderless at a time of extreme crisis. It is already established practice in the USA that everyone in this line not gather together at once. In cases where most senior government officials gather (such as the {{w| State of the Union}}), at least one member of the line of succession (referred to as the "designated survivor") is secured off-site, and would assume the presidency in the unlikely event that a {{w| mass casualty event}} were to kill or incapacitate everyone else in the line. However, disasters impacting an entire city remain a possibility, and no provision is made for them in current law.<br />
<br />
To correct these issues, a think tank known as the {{w| Continuity of Government Commission}} prepared a report recommending a new line of succession, which would not include members of Congress, would reorder the cabinet secretaries so that the most suitable roles would be the first successors, and would include people who do not live or work in Washington DC. The full text of their report can be found [https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/06_continuity_of_government.pdf here]. A short, readable summary, including the report's recommended new line of succession, is [https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-continuity-of-the-presidency-the-second-report-of-the-continuity-of-government-commission here]. <br />
<br />
The first six members of the commission's list are taken from the current line of succession, though the order is changed; they propose that after this, five new people should be appointed specifically for the purpose of assuming the presidency, if needed. Randall's list begins with these eleven people (combining the five new appointees into #7); afterwards, his list becomes increasingly comical and ridiculous.<br />
<br />
Randall's list omits members of Congress, as well as other cabinet positions, in accordance with the report's concerns about constitutionality and qualifications. However, his other additions totally ignore these issues, including people with no apparent qualifications for the office (such as actors, athletes, and competitive eaters) and people who are constitutionally ineligible for the office. The US Constitution requires that the President of the United States must be a natural-born US citizen, at least 35 years of age, and have resided in the US for at least fourteen years. Randall's list includes many people who don't meet these requirements. Most notably, he includes the entire succession to the British crown, almost none of whom meet the requirement of being natural-born citizens of the United States.<br />
<br />
It may be expected that many of the athletes, musicians and actors on this list are likely to be ineligible as well. Most professional athletes in the relevant sports are under 35 years old, particularly those at the peak of their careers (when they'd likely win MVP awards), the most popular musicians also tend to be younger than 35, and many who meet these requirements were not born US citizens (and some many not even reside in the US). However, the existing line of succession can also contain ineligible people, who would simply be skipped over for succession. For example, at the comic's publication, {{w|Elaine Chao}} was the Secretary of Transportation and would normally be 14th in line, but because she is a naturalized citizen of the US, rather than native-born (she was born in Taiwan) she would not qualify for the office if the line came to her.<br />
<br />
The title text mentions that ties will be broken by whoever was closest to the surface of {{w|Europa}} when they were born. Europa is a moon of Jupiter and one of the most likely locations in the Solar System for {{w|Habitability of natural satellites|potential habitability}}. This is likely a parody of systems in which ties are broken by semi-arbitrary rules (such as the older candidate automatically winning a tie) or a randomized ones (such as ties being decided by a coin flip). The position of Europa with respect to Earth at the time of one's birth depends on enough factors that it acts as a pseudo-random tie breaker, albeit a needlessly complicated one.<br />
<br />
The presidential line of succession was first mentioned in [[1933: Santa Facts]]<br />
<br />
==Order of succession==<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
!#<br />
!Randall's order<br />
!Current order by the 1947 Act<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|1<br />
|{{w|POTUS|President}}<br />
|President<br />
|Not generally considered part of the line of succession, as incumbents cannot "succeed" to their own post. (This should really be item 0 on the list.)<br />
|-<br />
|2<br />
|{{w|POTUS|Vice president}}<br />
|Vice president<br />
|This is the same as in the actual line of succession. Succeeding the President is one of the only two roles assigned to the Vice President by the Constitution, the other being presiding over the Senate (including breaking ties), but Vice Presidents are often given additional roles during office.<br />
|-<br />
|3<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State}}<br />
|Speaker of the House of Representatives<br />
|Moved up from 5th position. This is likely a serious suggestion. As mentioned above, the existing Succession Act includes the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, which presents serious practical and constitutional issues. The Secretary of State is the chief officer responsible for the country's international relations and diplomatic missions, and would be a logical successor, particularly in times of crisis. <br />
|-<br />
|4<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense}}<br />
|{{w|President pro tempore of the United States Senate|President pro tempore of the Senate}}<br />
|Moved up from 7th position. Likely a serious suggestion. The existing succession places the Secretary of Defense behind the Secretary of the Treasury in succession. If the three preceding officials were simultaneously killed or incapacitated, there would be a high likelihood that the country was either under attack, and other powers could easily try to take advantage of any power vacuum. Since the Secretary of Defense is most connected to the nation's military, and most in tune with information regarding potential threats and risks, this would be a logical succession. <br />
|-<br />
|5<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of Homeland Security|Secretary of Homeland Security}}<br />
|Secretary of State<br />
|Moved up from 19th position. Likely a serious suggestion. As with the Secretary of Defense, this officer would likely be closely aligned with the national emergency response infrastructure (including overseeing the {{w|Federal Emergency Management Agency}}), and would be well equipped to deal with a major attack or natural disaster. <br />
|-<br />
|6<br />
|{{w|United States Attorney General|Attorney General}}<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury}} <br />
|Moved up from 8th position. Likely a serious suggestion. The Attorney General oversees national law enforcement, and would be in a position to deal with internal chaos that could result from a disaster that impacted the federal government so deeply. <br />
|-<br />
|7<br />
|Five people who do not live in Washington DC, nominated at the start of the President's term and confirmed by the Senate<br />
|Secretary of Defense<br />
|{{w|Washington, D.C.}} is the capital of the United States, and is where the {{w|White House}}, the President's residence, is located. Presumably this provision covers the case where much of the government, including positions 1–6 here, are killed by a natural disaster or attack in Washington, D.C.<br />
<br />
This suggestion establishes no qualifications for these people, but the fact that they'd need to be confirmed by the Senate suggests that they would be chosen to be competent for the role. It is also unclear if an order is determined among these five or if they take up a joint presidency. This suggestion is taken from the Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission to prevent the danger of the entire line of succession being removed in a single event. <br />
|-<br />
|8<br />
|{{w|Tom Hanks}}<br />
|Attorney General<br />
|Academy Award-winning American actor. This is the first unambiguously unserious suggestion.{{Citation needed}} Tom Hanks is very popular and considered exceptionally likeable by many Americans, but has never served in public office or displayed any particular affinity for politics. The implication is that Mr. Hanks would be easily accepted as a leader, based solely on his personal charm. It should also be noticed that Tom Hanks played Jim Lovell, who served in the navy before becoming an astronaut (Many early astronauts were former military members.), in ''Apollo 13'', a military captain in ''Saving Private Ryan'', a prison officer in ''The Green Mile'', a naval intelligence officer in ''James B. Donovan'', and a member of the House of Representatives in ''Charlie Wilson's War''; if Tom Hanks's appearances in movies counted as real-life experience, then he would be adequately qualified.<br />
|-<br />
|9<br />
|State Governors, in descending order of state population at last census<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior}}<br />
|Also taken from Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission. At the time of publication, the last {{w|United States Census}} was the 2010 Census. As California is the most populous state, its Governor ({{w|Jerry Brown}} at the time of publication) would have been first in line. <br />
<br />
See also the {{w|2010_United_States_Census#State_rankings|state population rankings}} and the {{w|list of current United States governors}}. As worded, this criterion would exclude territorial governors (and the Mayor of Washington, D.C.).<br />
|-<br />
|10<br />
|Anyone who won an Oscar for playing a governor<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of Agriculture|Secretary of Agriculture}}<br />
|Oscars, or {{w|Academy Awards}}, are annual film awards awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. At the time of publication, the only Oscar awarded for playing a governor was {{w|Broderick Crawford}}'s 1949 Best Actor award for the fictional Willie Stark in ''{{w|All the King's Men (1949 film)|All the King's Men}}'' (a character based on {{w|Huey Long}}). However, Crawford died in 1986, so would be unable to serve as President.<br />
<br />
This may be a reference to the {{w|Political career of Arnold Schwarzenegger}}: a highly-lauded actor who became governor of California, but did not win an Oscar or play a governor before being elected. (As a naturalized citizen, he is also ineligible for the Presidency.)<br />
There is also humor in suggesting that playing a governor delivers just as much expereince as being a governor. (Something similar was mentioned in the section about Tom Hanks, who played, among other things, a member of the House of Representatives.)<br />
|-<br />
|11<br />
|Anyone who won a Governor's award for playing someone named Oscar<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of Commerce|Secretary of Commerce}} <br />
|The {{w|Governors Awards}} are an annual award ceremony hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to present lifetime achievement awards within the film industry. As this award is a lifetime achievement award, it does not seem possible that an actor could win this award for simply playing someone named Oscar. Notwithstanding the nature of the award, at the time of publication, no recipient of a Governors Award has played a character named Oscar.<br />
<br />
Obviously, the joke is that changing the order of the words from the previous proposal produces something that could actually exist.<br />
|-<br />
|12<br />
|{{w|Kate McKinnon}}, if available<br />
|Secretary of Labor<br />
|Comedic actress famous for being a cast member on {{w|Saturday Night Live}}. She is known for her character work and celebrity impressions. She has recently done impersonations of members of the Trump administration including Spokeswoman {{w|Kellyanne Conway}} and Attorney General {{w|Jeff Sessions}}. She also played {{w|Hillary Clinton}} during the 2016 campaign and presumably would have played her when she was President had she won; but since Clinton lost, McKinnon has not actually played a President. At the time the comic was released, she was 34 years 5 months old; thus she was not "available" until seven months later. Being available could also refer to not already having an acting commitment, in which case the comic would be humorously implying that fulfilling her acting roles is more important than the country having leadership.<br />
|-<br />
|13<br />
|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Singles artists #1 through #10 (for groups, whoever is credited first in name, liner notes, etc)<br />
|Secretary of Health and Human Services <br />
|The {{w|Billboard Hot 100}} is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for singles, published weekly by Billboard magazine. The weekly data is aggregated into a cumulative {{w|Billboard Year-End}} (based on a "year" that ends the third week of November, in order to meet December publication deadlines). At the time of publication, the most recent such list was the {{w|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2017}}.<br />
<br />
Based on that list, the artists considered for the presidential succession would be: {{w|Ed Sheeran}}, {{w|Luis Fonsi}}, {{w|Bruno Mars}}, {{w|Kendrick Lamar}}, Alex Pall (of {{w|The Chainsmokers}}), {{w|Quavo|Quavoius Keyate Marshall}} (of {{w|Migos}}), {{w|Sam Hunt}}, {{w|Dan Reynolds}} (of {{w|Imagine Dragons}}), and {{w|Post Malone}}. There are only nine names instead of ten because The Chainsmokers had two of the top 10 singles in 2017. Of these, only Luis Fonsi (40 years old, born in Puerto Rico) was legally eligible for the office; all the others were too young, and Sheeran is additionally from the United Kingdom.<br />
|-<br />
|14<br />
|The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time<br />
|Secretary of Housing and Urban Development <br />
|Astronauts are highly respected and rigorously selected, but most have little involvement in politics. According to [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-station-astronaut-record-holders NASA], the top 5 US astronauts by cumulative space time at the time of publication were: {{w|Peggy Whitson}}, {{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}}, {{W|Scott Kelly (astronaut)|Scott Kelly}}, {{w|Mike Fincke}}, and {{w|Mike Foale}}. However, it is unclear whether Foale would qualify as a natural-born citizen, as he was born in the United Kingdom to a British father and American mother.<br />
|-<br />
|15<br />
|{{w|Serena Williams}} (or, if she lost her most recent match, whoever beat her)<br />
|Secretary of Transportation<br />
|As of the time of publication, Serena Williams was a top female tennis player. She is arguably the greatest female tennis player of all-time, winning 39 {{w|Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam}} titles, including 23 women's singles titles. At the time of publication Serena Williams did win her most recent match (2018 French Open, third round, on June 2nd), although she withdrew from her next match against Maria Sharapova (which perhaps should count as a loss, especially if she withdrew in order to preserve her place in the line of succession and killed everyone in place ahead of her).<br />
<br />
If her most recent defeat was to a non-US player, presumably she would be skipped over in line although this is not explicitly stated (the current succession list skips over anyone who would not normally qualify for not being a natural-born US citizen).<br />
|-<br />
|16<br />
|The most recent season NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL MVPs<br />
|Secretary of Energy<br />
|MVP stands for {{w|Most Valuable Player}}. The 4 listed leagues are the major sports leagues in the United States, the {{w|National Basketball Association}} (NBA), the {{w|National Football League}} (NFL), {{w|Major League Baseball}} (MLB), and the {{w|National Hockey League}} (NHL). We're assuming that Randall meant the regular season MVPs of each league, as each league also awards MVPs for their respective championships (or in the case of the NHL's {{w|Conn Smythe Trophy}}, their entire playoffs).<br />
<br />
As of the time of publication, the most recent MVPs for the listed sports were {{w|Russell Westbrook}} (NBA), {{w|Tom Brady}} (NFL), {{w|José Altuve}} and {{w|Giancarlo Stanton}} (MLB has two, one for the American League and one for the National League), and {{w|Connor McDavid}} (NHL). Of these, only Brady would qualify for the list - Altuve and McDavid are Venezuelan and Canadian citizens respectively, and Westbrook (29) and Stanton (28) were too young.<br />
|-<br />
|17<br />
|{{w|Bill Pullman}} and his descendants by absolute primogeniture<br />
|Secretary of Education <br />
|American actor, known for playing President Thomas J. Whitmore in the 1996 film ''{{w|Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day}}''. <br />
<br />
Absolute primogeniture is a form of succession where the oldest direct descendant regardless of gender receives the title. This is contrasted to {{w|Male-preference primogeniture}}, in which males come before females in the order of the throne, whether the males were born first or not. This may be a reference to the British law {{w|Succession to the Crown Act 2013}}, which changed the order of the throne from male-preference primogeniture to absolute primogeniture. This act allows {{w|Princess Charlotte of Cambridge|Princess Charlotte}} to retain her place in line before {{w|Prince Louis of Cambridge|Prince Louis}}. <br />
<br />
At the time of publication, Pullman's immediate descendants consisted of three children, with Maesa Pullman being the oldest at age 29. Thus all but Bill Pullman himself were too young for the presidency.<br />
|-<br />
|18<br />
|The entire line of succession to the British throne<br />
|Secretary of Veterans Affairs <br />
|According to the Constitution, only a natural-born citizen of the United States can become President, which means that at least most of the line of succession to the British throne is ineligible. However, it is possible that someone in the line of succession to the British throne either is a dual citizen or is not British (a person from outside of Britain or Ireland can become King; for example, some, including George I, were from what is now Germany). <br />
<br />
The first 59 names on the list are {{w|Succession_to_the_British_throne#Current_line_of_succession|here}}. [https://lineofsuccession.co.uk/?date=2018-06-06 British Line of Succession on 6 June 2018] shows the list as it was at the comic's publication. American citizens [http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-11/news/vw-42233_1_royal-house have, at times] been on the list, but no natural-born Americans were on the list when the comic was published. However, after this comic was published {{w|Archie Mountbatten-Windsor}} was born on May 6, 2019; he is currently seventh in the line of succession to the British throne and has US citizenship through his mother {{w|Meghan, Duchess of Sussex}}. As with Mark Foale, though, whether that qualifies as natural-born has not be tested (leaving aside his age and the fact that many royals in his position have historically relinquished their birthright US citizenship voluntarily, which he may choose to do once he reaches age 16). In theory, the full British succession list includes [http://www.wargs.com/essays/succession/2011.html several thousand people] (living descendants of {{w|Sophia of Hanover}} who are not Roman Catholic or otherwise disqualified), and it is possible that one or more such people would also be eligible to be President of the United States beyond Master Archie. <br />
<br />
The humor here derives from the fact that the United States was established by declaring independence from the United Kingdom, with rejection of the British monarchy being a basic founding principle, and a core principle of US governance. To appoint the British monarchy to the American presidency would contradict the basic goals of American independence. Alternatively, it may reference the recent wedding of {{w|Prince Harry}} to {{w|Meghan Markle}}, although she is not in the order of succession. A similar sequence of events was the plotline of the comedy film ''{{w|King Ralph}}'', which saw an American become the British monarch after the death of the royal family.<br />
|-<br />
|19<br />
|The current champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest<br />
|Secretary of Homeland Security<br />
|The {{w|Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest}} is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition sponsored by {{w|Nathan's Famous}} held on July 4th. As of the time of publication, the most recent men's winner was {{w|Joey Chestnut}} and the women's winner was {{w|Miki Sudo}}. At the time of publication, neither was old enough to assume the office.<br />
<br />
The comic does not specify whether the men's or women's winner should take office, creating a tie that would be broken by distance from Europa at birth. Had they both been eligible, [https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/29132/was-earth-closer-to-europa-on-1983-11-25-or-1985-07-22 Sudo would have won] by between 0.125 and 4 {{w|Astronomical unit}}s.<br />
|-<br />
|20<br />
|All other US citizens, chosen by a 29-round single-elimination Jousting tournament<br />
|''None''<br />
|Effective for a population up to 536,870,912 individuals (2^29) which would be enough to cover the entire US population (estimated at around 325 million at time of publication), although additional rounds can be added should the population grow further.<br />
<br />
This is probably a reference to the {{w|Matter of Britain}} (e.g., {{w|The Sword in the Stone (film)|The Sword in the Stone}}), where, after the death of Uther Pendragon, with no known successor to the throne of Britain (some versions of the legend refers incorrectly to England) for years, it is decided that the winner of a jousting tournament shall be crowned. However, Arthur, the Wart, pulls the Sword from the Stone.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===List of specific individuals===<br />
Based on the comic's defined criteria for the order of succession, these are the specific individuals in that order, including only people who are otherwise eligible to be the President of United States (35 year old and natural born US citizens who lived in US for last 14 years) '''as of the date the comic was published'''. <br />
#{{w|Donald Trump}} ({{w|President of the United States}})<br />
#{{w|Mike Pence}} ({{w|Vice President of the United States}})<br />
#{{w|Mike Pompeo}} ({{w|United States Secretary of State}})<br />
#{{w|Jim Mattis}} ({{w|United States Secretary of Defense}})<br />
#{{w|Kirstjen Nielsen}} ({{w|United States Secretary of Homeland Security}})<br />
#{{w|Jeff Sessions}} ({{w|United States Attorney General}})<br>As Donald Trump did not appoint anyone to fill position #7 on Randall's line of succession, Hanks immediately follows after Sessions.<br />
#{{w|Tom Hanks}} (Tom Hanks) <br />
#{{w|Jerry Brown}} (Governor of California)<br />
#{{w|Greg Abbott}} (Governor of Texas)<br />
#{{w|Andrew Cuomo}} (Governor of New York)<br />
#{{w|Rick Scott}} (Governor of Florida)<br />
#{{w|Bruce Rauner}} (Governor of Illinois)<br />
#{{w|Tom Wolf}} (Governor of Pennsylvania)<br />
#{{w|John Kasich}} (Governor of Ohio)<br />
#{{w|Rick Snyder}} (Governor of Michigan)<br />
#{{w|Nathan Deal}} (Governor of Georgia)<br />
#{{w|Roy Cooper}} (Governor of North Carolina)<br />
#{{w|Phil Murphy}} (Governor of New Jersey)<br />
#{{w|Ralph Northam}} (Governor of Virginia)<br />
#{{w|Jay Inslee}} (Governor of Washington)<br />
#{{w|Charlie Baker}} (Governor of Massachusetts)<br />
#{{w|Eric Holcomb}} (Governor of Indiana)<br />
#{{w|Doug Ducey}} (Governor of Arizona)<br />
#{{w|Bill Haslam}} (Governor of Tennessee)<br />
#{{w|Mike Parson}} (Governor of Missouri)<br />
#{{w|Larry Hogan}} (Governor of Maryland)<br />
#{{w|Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker}} (Governor of Wisconsin)<br />
#{{w|Mark Dayton}} (Governor of Minnesota)<br />
#{{w|John Hickenlooper}} (Governor of Colorado)<br />
#{{w|Kay Ivey}} (Governor of Alabama)<br />
#{{w|Henry McMaster}} (Governor of South Carolina)<br />
#{{w|John Bel Edwards}} (Governor of Louisiana)<br />
#{{w|Matt Bevin}} (Governor of Kentucky)<br />
#{{w|Kate Brown}} (Governor of Oregon) <br> Born in Spain to a member of the US Air Force, should be considered a natural-born citizen until proven otherwise.<br />
#{{w|Mary Fallin}} (Governor of Oklahoma)<br />
#{{w|Dannel Malloy}} (Governor of Connecticut)<br />
#{{w|Kim Reynolds}} (Governor of Iowa)<br />
#{{w|Phil Bryant}} (Governor of Mississippi)<br />
#{{w|Asa Hutchinson}} (Governor of Arkansas)<br />
#{{w|Jeff Colyer}} (Governor of Kansas)<br />
#{{w|Gary Herbert}} (Governor of Utah)<br />
#{{w|Brian Sandoval}} (Governor of Nevada)<br />
#{{w|Susana Martinez}} (Governor of New Mexico)<br />
#{{w|Jim Justice}} (Governor of West Virginia)<br />
#{{w|Pete Ricketts}} (Governor of Nebraska)<br />
#{{w|Butch Otter}} (Governor of Idaho)<br />
#{{w|David Ige}} (Governor of Hawaii)<br />
#{{w|Paul LePage}} (Governor of Maine)<br />
#{{w|Chris Sununu}} (Governor of New Hampshire)<br />
#{{w|Gina Raimondo}} (Governor of Rhode Island)<br />
#{{w|Steve Bullock (American politician)|Steve Bullock}} (Governor of Montana)<br />
#{{w|John Carney (politician)|John Carney}} (Governor of Delaware)<br />
#{{w|Dennis Daugaard}} (Governor of South Dakota)<br />
#{{w|Bill Walker (U.S. politician)|Bill Walker}} (Governor of Alaska)<br />
#{{w|Doug Burgum}} (Governor of North Dakota)<br />
#{{w|Phil Scott (politician)|Phil Scott}} (Governor of Vermont)<br />
#{{w|Matt Mead}} (Governor of Wyoming) <br> Entries 10 and 11 on Randall's list have no eligible living members. <br> Kate McKinnon was only 34 years 5 months old at the time the comic was released, making her unavailable.<br />
#{{w|Luis Fonsi}} (Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2017, #2 artist) <br> Fonsi is the only eligible individual under the Billboard criterion.<br />
#{{w|Peggy Whitson}} (Astronaut, 665 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}} (Astronaut, 534 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Scott Kelly}} (Astronaut, 520 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Mike Fincke}} (Astronaut, 382 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Mike Foale}} (Astronaut, 374 days in space) <br> Foale was born in the UK but his mother is an American, and he holds dual citizenship with both countries. It isn't clear legally whether this situation would qualify him as being a "natural-born" citizen as US courts have never definitively ruled on what the term means, so similar to Governor Kate Brown his name is included in the list until further notice.<br />
#{{w|Serena Williams}} <br> Serena's place on this list assumes that you do not count her withdrawal against Maria Sharapova as a ''loss''; if that counts as a loss, then subsequent entries move up one position (as Sharapova is ineligible).<br />
#{{w|Tom Brady}} ({{w|National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|NFL MVP}}) <br> The MVPs of all other listed sports leagues are ineligible for the office due to age or nationality.<br />
#{{w|Bill Pullman}} (Bill Pullman) <br> None of his children are old enough to become President at this time.<br />
#''line of succession to the British throne''<br> Assumes that no eligible member of the British order of succession exists due to citizenship issues. The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating champions were too young to hold the office.<br />
#''everyone else'' (Jousting tournament) <br />
<br />
Based on the comic's defined criteria for the order of succession, these are the specific individuals in that order, including only people who are otherwise eligible to be the President of United States (35 year old and natural born US citizens who lived in US for last 14 years) '''as of the current date'''. (Last updated on 25 June 2021)<br />
#{{w|Joe Biden}} ({{w|President of the United States}})<br />
#{{w|Kamala Harris}} ({{w|Vice President of the United States}})<br />
#{{w|Antony Blinken}} ({{w|United States Secretary of State}})<br />
#{{w|Lloyd Austin}} ({{w|United States Secretary of Defense}})<br />
#{{w|Alejandro Mayorkas}} ({{w|United States Secretary of Homeland Security}}) <br />
#{{w|Merrick Garland}} ({{w|United States Attorney General}})<br> As Joe Biden did not appoint anyone to fill position #7 on Randall's line of succession, Hanks immediately follows after Garland.<br />
#{{w|Tom Hanks}} (Tom Hanks) <br />
#{{w|Gavin Newsom}} (Governor of California)<br />
#{{w|Greg Abbott}} (Governor of Texas)<br />
#{{w|Ron DeSantis}} (Governor of Florida)<br />
#{{w|Andrew Cuomo}} (Governor of New York)<br />
#{{w|Tom Wolf}} (Governor of Pennsylvania)<br />
#{{w|J. B. Pritzker}} (Governor of Illinois)<br />
#{{w|Mike DeWine}} (Governor of Ohio)<br />
#{{w|Brian Kemp}} (Governor of Georgia)<br />
#{{w|Roy Cooper}} (Governor of North Carolina)<br />
#{{w|Gretchen Whitmer}} (Governor of Michigan)<br />
#{{w|Phil Murphy}} (Governor of New Jersey)<br />
#{{w|Ralph Northam}} (Governor of Virginia)<br />
#{{w|Jay Inslee}} (Governor of Washington)<br />
#{{w|Doug Ducey}} (Governor of Arizona)<br />
#{{w|Charlie Baker}} (Governor of Massachusetts)<br />
#{{w|Bill Lee (Tennessee politician)|Bill Lee}} (Governor of Tennessee)<br />
#{{w|Eric Holcomb}} (Governor of Indiana)<br />
#{{w|Larry Hogan}} (Governor of Maryland)<br />
#{{w|Mike Parson}} (Governor of Missouri)<br />
#{{w|Tony Evers}} (Governor of Wisconsin)<br />
#{{w|Jared Polis}} (Governor of Colorado)<br />
#{{w|Tim Walz}} (Governor of Minnesota)<br />
#{{w|Henry McMaster}} (Governor of South Carolina)<br />
#{{w|Kay Ivey}} (Governor of Alabama)<br />
#{{w|John Bel Edwards}} (Governor of Louisiana)<br />
#{{w|Andy Beshear}} (Governor of Kentucky)<br />
#{{w|Kate Brown}} (Governor of Oregon) <br> Born in Spain to a member of the US Air Force, should be considered a natural-born citizen until proven otherwise.<br />
#{{w|Kevin Stitt}} (Governor of Oklahoma)<br />
#{{w|Ned Lamont}} (Governor of Connecticut)<br />
#{{w|Spencer Cox (politician)|Spencer Cox}} (Governor of Utah)<br />
#{{w|Kim Reynolds}} (Governor of Iowa)<br />
#{{w|Steve Sisolak}} (Governor of Nevada)<br />
#{{w|Asa Hutchinson}} (Governor of Arkansas)<br />
#{{w|Tate Reeves}} (Governor of Mississippi)<br />
#{{w|Laura Kelly}} (Governor of Kansas)<br />
#{{w|Michelle Lujan Grisham}} (Governor of New Mexico)<br />
#{{w|Pete Ricketts}} (Governor of Nebraska)<br />
#{{w|Brad Little}} (Governor of Idaho)<br />
#{{w|Jim Justice}} (Governor of West Virginia)<br />
#{{w|David Ige}} (Governor of Hawaii)<br />
#{{w|Chris Sununu}} (Governor of New Hampshire)<br />
#{{w|Janet Mills}} (Governor of Maine)<br />
#{{w|Gina Raimondo}} (Governor of Rhode Island)<br />
#{{w|Greg Gianforte}} (Governor of Montana)<br />
#{{w|John Carney (politician)|John Carney}} (Governor of Delaware)<br />
#{{w|Kristi Noem}} (Governor of South Dakota)<br />
#{{w|Doug Burgum}} (Governor of North Dakota)<br />
#{{w|Mike Dunleavy (politician)|Mike Dunleavy}} (Governor of Alaska)<br />
#{{w|Phil Scott (politician)|Phil Scott}} (Governor of Vermont)<br />
#{{w|Mark Gordon (politician)|Mark Gordon}} (Governor of Wyoming)<br />
#{{w|Kate McKinnon}} (Kate McKinnon) <br> If she is available. Entries 10 and 11 on Randall's list have no eligible living members.<br />
#{{w|Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn}} (AKA Future)<br />
#{{w|Adam Levine}} of {{w|Maroon 5}}<br/> All other artists on the {{w|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2020}} were too young.<br />
#{{w|Peggy Whitson}} (Astronaut, 665 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}} (Astronaut, 534 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Scott Kelly}} (Astronaut, 520 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Mike Fincke}} (Astronaut, 382 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Christopher Cassidy}} (Astronaut, 378 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Bill Pullman}} (Bill Pullman) <br> None of Bill Pullman's children are old enough to become President at this time.<br>{{w|Serena Williams}} lost her most recent match against {{w|Aliaksandra Sasnovich}}, who is ineligible due to age and nationality.<br />
#{{w|Aaron Rodgers}} ({{w|National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|NFL MVP}}) <br>The MVPs of all other listed sports leagues are ineligible for the office due to age or nationality.<br />
#''line of succession to the British throne''<br />
#{{w|Miki Sudo}} (Women’s champion of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, listed first since closer to Europa at date of birth)<br />
#{{w|Joey Chestnut}} (Men's champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest)<br />
#''everyone else'' (Jousting tournament) <br> Assumes that the number of eligible US Citizens does not exceed 536,870,912.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
: A proposal for a new presidential line of succession<br />
: Current politics aside, most experts agree the existing process is flawed. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 is probably unconstitutional on several counts, and there are many practical issues with the system as well.<br />
: <span style="color:gray">(For more, see the surprisingly gripping ''Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission'', June 2009.)</span><br />
: Proposed line of succession:<br />
:# President<br />
:# Vice president<br />
:# Secretary of State<br />
:# Secretary of Defense<br />
:# Secretary of Homeland Security<br />
:# Attorney General<br />
:# Five people who do not live in Washington DC, nominated at the start of the president's term and confirmed by the Senate<br />
:# Tom Hanks<br />
:# State Governors, in descending order of state population at last census<br />
:# Anyone who won an Oscar for playing a governor<br />
:# Anyone who won a Governor's award for playing someone named Oscar<br />
:# Kate McKinnon, if available<br />
:# Billboard year-end Hot 100 singles artists #1 through #10 (for groups, whoever is credited first in name, liner notes, etc)<br />
:# The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time<br />
:# Serena Williams (or, if she lost her most recent match, whoever beat her)<br />
:# The most recent season NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL MVPs<br />
:# Bull Pullman and his descendants by absolute primogeniture<br />
:# The entire line of succession to the British throne<br />
:# The current champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest<br />
:# All other US citizens, chosen by a 29-round single-elimination Jousting tournament<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Politics]]</div>162.158.106.95https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=914:_Ice&diff=218097914: Ice2021-09-16T07:04:29Z<p>162.158.106.95: /* Transcript */ Nit: Beret Guys is CARRYing a bag of ice...</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 914<br />
| date = June 20, 2011<br />
| title = Ice<br />
| image = ice.png<br />
| titletext = On the plus side, she wrote "Welcome to the AAA Club!" in lipstick on the bathroom mirror, and left me a membership/roadside assistance card on the counter.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is a reference to an [http://www.snopes.com/horrors/robbery/kidney.asp old urban legend]: a guy is drugged, then he awakes in an ice-filled bathtub only to discover both of his {{w|kidneys}} have been harvested by {{w|Organ theft|organ thieves}}. They have left him in the tub of ice, to let him survive in time to get to a hospital for {{w|dialysis}}. It is now his problem to get a new kidney, whereas the thieves can sell the organs to someone who (also) needs a {{w|kidney transplantation}}. By doing it in this way, the thieves prevent themselves from becoming murderers; thus if they get caught they might get a lesser sentence. That would be the explanation why they do not just kill the "{{w|organ donor}}".<br />
<br />
In this comic the situation is reversed: [[Beret Guy]] (who has just bought some ice for the party he is about to return to) is lured by [[Danish]] up to "her place" where he is drugged. The next morning he awakes in a bathtub filled with kidneys, only to discover that his ice has been harvested by Danish.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to a {{w|Pin prick attack#As an email/Internet scare story|similar story}} where the victim is left a note by their captor or one-night stand that says "[http://msgboard.snopes.com/message/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/91/t/000711.html Welcome to the AIDS club]". Rather than having been involuntarily infected with {{w|HIV/AIDS}}, the victim, Beret Guy, has been involuntarily enrolled in the {{w|American Automobile Association}} (AAA) and his {{w|roadside assistance}} card has been left on the counter. This could also be another pun on Beret Guy's response of yelling ''AAAAAAA'', which could be another kind of AAA club that he is welcomed to.<br />
<br />
There is no display of typical "Beret Guy behavior" in this comic, although it is typical for him to be involved in an incident that turns the world upside down. His encounter with organ thieves only cost him his ice, a party and that he got a nasty experience. But he retained his kidneys and was not infected with HIV.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Megan is setting up a party. She is standing with a bottle in one hand looking at a snack table in front of her. Beret Guy stands behind her with both arms raised. Above and behind them there is a big banner with gray text.]<br />
:Megan: Everything's ready...<br />
:Megan: Except we're out of ice.<br />
:Beret Guy: I'll get some!<br />
:Banner: <font color="gray">Party!</font><br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy is walking down the street past a building with a store window and sign. He is carrying a large bag of ice over his shoulder. Danish is standing on the sidewalk up against the brick wall and calls to him.]<br />
:Danish: Hey sexy. Where're you headed with all that ice?<br />
:Beret Guy: A party!<br />
:Danish: There's a ''better'' party up at my place.<br />
:Beret Guy: But I—<br />
:Danish: C'mon, one drink.<br />
:Sign: <font color="gray">Save Mart</font><br />
:Bag: Ice<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on Beret Guy who rubs his eyes groggily, small bubbles floating up from his head. A caption is written above the image in a box that breaks the top frame of this panel:]<br />
:The next morning...<br />
:Beret Guy: ...Ugh... Where am I?<br />
:Beret Guy: I was supposed to—<br />
:Beret Guy: —Where's all my ice!?<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy looks down to find himself in a bathtub full of kidneys. His scream extends on both sides of the panel, with only the five central A's in full view:]<br />
:Beret Guy: <big>'''''AAAAAAA'''''</big><br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
* Since her character introduction, this is the first strip to feature [[Danish]] without a connection to [[Black Hat]].<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]</div>162.158.106.95