https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=162.158.212.224&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T08:13:53ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2456:_Types_of_Scientific_Paper&diff=2113192456: Types of Scientific Paper2021-04-29T17:28:41Z<p>162.158.212.224: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2456<br />
| date = April 28, 2021<br />
| title = Types of Scientific Paper<br />
| image = types_of_scientific_paper.png<br />
| titletext = Others include "We've incrementally improved the estimate of this coefficient," "Maybe all these categories are wrong," and "We found a way to make student volunteers worse at tasks."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a RESEARCH DEPARTMENT ON A LUNCHBREAK. The explanation is one line of text and a table, the table's third row has empty cells, and the whole thing is generally in need of a little polish. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
In this comic, Randall describes categories of scientific papers with somewhat humorous generalized titles.<br />
<br />
==Table of papers==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+Breakdown of Papers<br />
|-<br />
!Paper Title<br />
!Explanation<br />
!Article Description<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|We put a camera somewhere new<br />
|This may involve miniaturisation or other improvements of imaging sensors, power supply, transmission or retention of data, environmental hardening and (possibly) recovery afterwards. Photographs and videos can be especially helpful in understanding what is or was going on, especially for the layman, than more limited signal traces.<br />
<br />
Cameras have been inserted into ''every'' obvious bodily orifice (including swallowed, to be later excreted), placed in habitats to monitor wildlife, attached to wildlife to monitor habitats, sent into volcanic craters/ocean trenches/high altitudes/nuclear reactors, launched into space and sent past/round/onto several of the solar-system's more interesting bodies. This makes the "somewhere new" claim intriguing, possibly even comparable to 'clickbait'.<br/>This could also be generalized even more by replacing "camera" with "sensor", and then going to debate the newly derived sensor data.<br />
|Includes a large figure, likely an image captured with the camera.<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|Hey, I found a trove of old records! They don't turn out to be particularly useful, but still, cool!<br />
|Rather than starting with the aim of investigating some question, and finding some way of answering it by uncovering evidence, sometimes a writer may have stumbled upon a cache of historic documents that they then feel compelled to justify the resulting 'WikiWalk' they may have found themselves sucked into. The author may be far more excited about this than any future reader. This could also be a paper by a historian who found out ancient records which could be useful.<br />
|Small figure may show the most interesting fragment of the records.<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|My colleague is wrong and I can finally prove it<br />
|This title refers to the occasional rivalries between scientists within a field, which can push them to seek proof that they, and not their colleague, are correct. It reflects a tone of smug self-satisfaction.<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|The immune system is at it again<br />
|The human immune system is notoriously complex, and there are countless papers in medical fields just describing its strangeness. While it is best known for preventing and battling infections, in auto-immune disease, it can also turn against the body that it is supposed to protect. Moreover it can overreact, for instance in allergic reactions or in a potentially lethal {{w|cytokine storm}} known to occur in certain viral infections, including {{w|Influenza}} and {{w|COVID-19}}. The title may convey exasperation with the amorphous nature of their study subject. <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|We figured out how to make this exotic material, so email us if you need some<br />
|Researchers often attempt to create materials despite there not being any demand, predicting that in the future their material will be game-changing without any actual applications. These researchers have created such a material, and are offering to produce it for anyone who needs it. It is couched in terms of having created an answer for which there was not yet any proper question.<br />
This may be also referring to the discovering/creating of elements and subatomic particles. The statement if you wish to buy it is humorous in these cases because they will decay too quickly to be purchased.<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|What are fish even doing down there<br />
|Deep sea marine biology regularly discovers [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7QXdlSBGGY strange lifeforms] in unexpected places, and theories explaining deep sea ecosystems are regularly confounded by new data.<br />
<br />
Scientists may also bump into marine organisms when looking for something else. For example, one planned underwater neutrino detector [https://www.nature.com/articles/srep44938 picked up bioluminescence instead].<br />
<br />
Whichever way, the title probably reflects a totally unexpected result that is possibly too cross-disciplinary to be properly comprehended as an actual scientific advance by the authors. However, a proper study of the species could very well be an important paper.<br />
|This paper does not appear to have any headers, implying a longer, free-flowing format.<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|This task I had to do anyway turned out to be hard enough for its own paper<br />
|There is a huge variety in the complexity and importance of subjects studied in scientific papers, and often some supposedly easy task will be sufficiently complicated as to merit its own paper. For example, a scientist may have discovered a better way of finding out if a substance is X or Y while studying something else.<br />
<br />
The author may be glad to have been able to turn mundane 'housekeeping' activities, that don't normally do much to enhance academic reputations, into an actual opportunity to be cite-worthy.<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|Hey, at least we showed that this method can produce results! That's not nothing, right?<br />
|One of the struggles of the scientific method is that many experiments will not produce the results scientists desired or expected. Negative or conflicting results of well-conducted research are as important as positive or dramatic ones, but are often ignored in favor of more novel findings. As a result, some journals are established specifically for negative results, reducing the bias towards only positive claims that may actually be outliers or anomalies.<br />
<br />
In this case, the authors may otherwise have worked on their problem and been left with no citable proof of their efforts. The title perhaps reflects an attempt to present this as 'success' of a different kind, rather than a submission to such a null/negative-results platform. This may be similar to the above type of paper too.<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|Check out this weird thing one of us saw while out for a walk<br />
|This paper may be imagined as an opportunistic publication. A department or team has seen itself low down on the local 'league table' for academic output. A brainstorming session for a way of rectifying this led to desperately seizing upon the first idle comment made (in lieu of any better sounding ideas) that can somehow be shoehorned into their respective subject area, and is now being presented similar to "this one weird thing" clickbait titles that almost always oversell their content.<br />
<br />
This also works in the context of entomology. Insects have the most species of any class of animals [https://www.si.edu/spotlight/buginfo/bugnos by a wide margin], but due to their small size, they're not easily seen. As a result, new species are constantly being discovered in places as innocuous as [https://wildlife.org/video-entomologists-discover-30-new-species-in-la-backyards/ someone's backyard.]<br />
|Includes several large figures, likely close-up photographs of the weird thing. There are no headers, as the paper may have little background or methodology, just observations.<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|We are 500 scientists and here's what we've been up to for the last 10 years<br />
| Some papers summarize the work of big research teams, like those working on the [https://repositorio.uc.cl/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11534/13948/Observation%20of%20a%20new%20particle%20in%20the%20search%20for%20the%20Standard%20Model%20Higgs%20boson%20with%20the%20ATLAS%20detector%20at%20the%20LHC.pdf Higgs Boson] (list of authors starts at page 17 and goes to page 26 with foot notes about authors to page 29, and a dedication in the header would suggest that more than one other contributor ''died'' over the course of the research, which would be rather unusual for a smaller project) or LIGO. Since the discoveries which are made are a team effort, probably outlasting many of the individual tenures involved, the papers have many authors listed.<br />
A credit for participation may not mean any particularly great contribution by each individual, but being left out (even for one summer's secondment, seven years before any results could be recorded) would be taken as a slight, and an opportunity missed to be 'citable' in the future.<br />
|A huge portion of the page is taken up by the presumably 500 authors' names, above the main horizontal bar.<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|Some thoughts on how everyone else is bad at research<br />
|Similar to the "my colleague is wrong" paper, but in this case applied to far greater swathes of the community by the author(s) of this (possibly unfocussed) tract. Usually a "systematic review", the words 'some thoughts' might indicate a meta-approach with no original research - and possibly a passive-aggressive style of assessment.<br />
|No header sections, possibly because these particular thoughts are in the form of an essay or letter without an accompanying investigation.<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|We scanned some undergraduates<br />
|Initial research is often done at universities, so when human subjects are required, recruiting undergraduate students is a common, easy, and inexpensive way to gather enough people to conduct studies or experiments. This is extremely common in psychological or sociological studies, but can involve more medical (but non-invasive) 'scans', from simple eyeball-tracking to full-body MRI. This practice is often criticized, as it introduces a selection bias, which makes the results difficult to generalize to the entire population, (university students in a given country not being a representative sample of human beings as a whole). Nonetheless, easy accessibility makes these students a source of data for many academic papers. The low-key approach to the title (concentrating blandly upon the method with no references to results) may indicate that the results obtained are very trivial and no great developments were even made in implementation. Alternately, this is a truly ground-breaking paper obscured entirely by the lead author's over-narrow professional focus and avoidance of any hype.<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|We've incrementally improved the estimate of this coefficient<br />
|Often scientific research, e.g. in cosmology or physics, will work with an assumed constant value that is known to be only an 'educated guess' of the actual definite value, or an inclusive range. However accurate/certain this is, further experimentation or observation may further narrow down the uncertainty involved to a statistically significant degree.<br />
<br />
Even if these improvements may seem trivial to those outside the discipline (e.g. narrowing down a seemingly esoteric value from 99.99% certainty to 99.995% certainty), they are probably understood as significant achievements by those aware of the effort needed to obtain such diminishing returns, and the authors are probably very excited to have done what they did.<br />
|rowspan="3"|(Only referenced in Title Text)<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|Maybe all these categories are wrong<br />
|In some field that relies heavily upon classification (e.g. phylogenetic biology, or the Standard Model in physics) sometimes observations arise that cast doubt on the previously established ideas. It seems that this may have happened here, hopefully with a suggestion of how to reimagine the situation.<br />
<br />
The article may have been written with with a sense of euphoria (the chance to present a paradigm shift in thinking, to rewrite the textbooks) or pessimism (it demonstrates only the failings in current thinking, without any obvious solution).<br />
<br />
Alternatively, it may be a reference to the categories of papers that this comic proposes.<br />
|-<br />
!scope=row|We found a way to make student volunteers worse at tasks<br />
|Possibly a psychology experiment, and maybe not even the result expected. In general, the repetition of an activity will induce greater skill/capacity in a tested individual. By accident or design, the study group in this instance has induced the opposite correlation. (There ''are'', however, some studies that explicitly look at how e.g. lack of sleep reduces productivity.)<br />
<br />
Exactly what emotion the title reflects might depend upon whether the worsening was an intended result, or even how the team were able to refocuss and seize upon the adverse outcomes.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Could need description of each paper}}<br />
:[Heading:]<br />
:Types of Scientific Paper <br />
<br />
:[An array of 4 rows with 3 scientific papers each, is shown. The first page of each is shown, but only the papers titles are legible. Black lines for headings, several lines for paragraphs of text and white rectangles indicating figures are used to make each paper look different. Titles are as follows:]<br />
:We put a camera somewhere new<br />
:Hey, I found a trove of old records! They don't turn out to be particularly useful, but still, cool!<br />
:My colleague is wrong and I can finally prove it<br />
:The immune system is at it again<br />
:We figured out how to make this exotic material, so email us if you need some<br />
:What are fish even doing down there<br />
:This task I had to do anyway turned out to be hard enough for its own paper<br />
:Hey, at least we showed that this method can produce results! That's not nothing, right?<br />
:Check out this weird thing one of us saw while out for a walk<br />
:We are 500 scientists and here's what we've been up to for the last 10 years<br />
:Some thoughts on how everyone else is bad at research<br />
:We scanned some undergraduates<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*Originally, this comic's title text misspelled "volunteers" as "volunters". <br />
**This could have been intentional (''we'' might be the volunteers)<br />
**But it was not as it was quickly corrected.<br />
*Another comic, [[2012: Thorough Analysis]], similarly categorizes or mocks research papers.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Research Papers]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1360:_Old_Files&diff=2111521360: Old Files2021-04-28T14:51:09Z<p>162.158.212.224: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1360<br />
| date = April 25, 2014<br />
| title = Old Files<br />
| image = old_files.png<br />
| titletext = Wow, ANIMORPHS-NOVEL.RTF? Just gonna, uh, go through and delete that from all my archives real quick.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic came out the day after [http://news.sky.com/story/1248397/andy-warhol-originals-found-on-floppy-disk Sky News published the story] of original {{w|Andy Warhol}} artwork, created in 1985 on an {{w|Amiga 1000}}, which was recovered from recently found floppy disks.<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]] is shown literally digging through a pile of old files; which is a metaphor for looking through old files on his computer. The layers of the pile are arranged much like geological rock formations where older strata are deeper down than younger layers. The files are in concentric layers because each directory is embedded in the previous directory. Therefore, the "Documents" folder contains an "Old Desktop" folder, which contains a folder with files recovered from an older system, which itself contains a "My Documents" folder, which contains a folder with files copied from a {{w|Zip Disk}} from high school. The result is that files from high school have survived in his present-day machine. These older folders serve as a time capsule of sorts, storing old files from {{w|AOL}}, NYET, and {{w|Kazaa}}. These files are meant to be analogous to the fossils and artifacts found in lower, older rock layers.<br />
<br />
The sizes of the files decrease as Cueball goes deeper, since data storage has gotten cheaper over time. When the Zip Drive first came out, it cost $200 USD (plus $20 per 100 MB floppy). As of 2019, $200 could buy you at least an 8 TB portable external hard drive. In the 1990s, during AOL's heyday, 10+ GB hard drives were prohibitively expensive and a terabyte of data was unimaginable to most users.<br />
<br />
Deep down, Cueball discovers several files he is surprised about, including a poetry file which embarrasses him as he does not remember writing poetry. <br />
<br />
In the title text, he mentions also finding an "{{w|Animorphs}} Novel", which may be a text copy of one of the original books or a fan fiction of the ''Animorphs'' series (his reaction of quickly eradicating it may either be to prevent him being caught with a presumably-illegal copy of an Animorphs book or as a result of embarrassment at his fan fiction - the former is less likely than the latter considering some of the other files mentioned, so it is most likely a fan fiction). The series was released between 1996 and 2001, consistent with the fact that these files were created during Cueball/[[Randall|Randall's]] high school years. The series was extremely popular at the time. Animorphs has already been mentioned in the title text of [[1187: Aspect Ratio]], and later it was the main joke in [[1380: Manual for Civilization]] and [[1817: Incognito Mode]].<br />
<br />
===Files and Folders===<br />
The folders and files in detail:<br />
<br />
'''Documents''' (47 GB): A large folder containing many of [[Cueball]]'s personal files.<br />
*''misc.txt'': A miscellaneous {{w|text file}}, which could contain anything; possibly just various notes that Cueball is keeping.<br />
<br />
*''Video projects'': As video files can take up a lot of space and video projects tend to use a lot of them, this likely makes up a considerable portion of the 47 GB.<br />
<br />
'''Old desktop''' (12 GB): A backup from a former computer.<br />
*''{{w|Facebook}} pics'': Pictures that were intended to be added to Facebook (and/or ones which were downloaded *from* Facebook).<br />
*''Pics from other camera'': Unknown pictures from a second camera.<br />
*''Temp'': Temporary folders generally contain cached files and files that are used temporarily to install programs.<br />
*''Misc {{w|Portable Document Format|PDF}}s'': PDFs are often used for documentation, but could be any collection of digitized books or other documents.<br />
*''{{w|MP3}}'': MP3 is a widely used format for digital audio files.<br />
<br />
'''Recovered from drive crash''' (4 GB): When a {{w|Hard disk drive|hard drive}} crashes, some or all data may be recovered.<br />
*''Temp'': Temporary files.<br />
*''Work misc'': Unknown work related projects.<br />
*''{{w|Audiobook|Audio books}}'': Recordings of books being read out loud.<br />
<br />
'''My Documents''' (570 MB): {{w|Windows XP}} user accounts came with a "My Documents" folder that was widely used for storing personal files. The items in this archive came from the era when {{w|Windows XP}} was popular.<br />
*''Downloads'': The default download folder for most browsers of the time.<br />
*''{{w|Kazaa}} shared'': Kazaa is a defunct peer-to-peer file sharing program. The "shared" folder is shared with other members.<br />
*''AYB'': {{w|All your base are belong to us|ALL YOUR BASE are belong to us}} is an internet {{w|Meme|meme}} inspired by a bad translation from ''{{w|Zero Wing}}''. Also referenced in [[286: All Your Base]].<br />
*''{{w|Escape Velocity Override|EV Override}}'': An {{w|Apple Macintosh}} video game, released in 1998.<br />
*''[http://rephial.org/ Angband]'': A game named after a fictional stronghold created by {{w|J. R. R. Tolkien}}.<br />
*''{{w|GIF}}s'': An image format widely used for transparent or animated images.<br />
*''{{w|Fight Club}}.wmv'': A movie. As feature movies are typically compressed to 700 megabytes, and this folder only contains 570 MB, it must be of low quality or a small screen size.<br />
*''{{w|Elasto Mania}}'': A physics-simulation game that claims to show real physics.<br />
*''{{w|AOL Instant Messenger|AIM}} Direct Connect files'': Files transferred via AOL Instant Messenger.<br />
*''{{w|4chan}}'': An image-board where users can upload pictures anonymously. Randall impulsively saves pictures from there. This entry is something of an anomaly, the rest of the files at this level were most notable around 1998 to 2001 while 4chan was only launched at the end of 2003. Since this board frequently contains images you wouldn't want to be caught looking at, this folder may be buried to hide it.<br />
*''{{w|ICQ}} logs'': Logs from an instant messaging program introduced in 1996 and no longer commonly used in North America. <br />
<br />
'''High school {{w|Zip drive|Zip disk}}''' (94 MB): The most popular form of {{w|superfloppy}}, introduced in 1994 with a capacity of 100 MB.<br />
*''{{w|Korn}} MIDI'': Korn is an American {{w|nu metal}} band formed in 1993. {{w|MIDI}} is a protocol for communication with electronic musical instruments. The result tends to be sounds of low quality.<br />
*''Photos3'': This is a folder of old photos.<br />
**''{{w|Prom}}'': Pictures taken at prom.<br />
*''lovenote.txt'': An old text file of a {{w|love letter}}, probably to a classmate in high school. Possibly referencing [[340: Fight]].<br />
*''{{w|Gorillas (video game)|Gorillas}}.bas'': A game written in {{w|BASIC}}, to be run on {{w|QBasic}}, and supplied with MS-DOS. <br />
*''Dream.txt'': Some private dreams.Possibly a reference to [[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/269:_TCMP]]<br />
*''James.txt'': Perhaps [[James]] is a friend of Randall, and the same as the one who came up with [[107|xkcd #107]].<br />
*''{{w|AOL}}'': An early online and internet service, founded in 1985 and popular in the 1990s.<br />
**''{{w|Citadel (software)|Citadel}}'' - A {{w|BBS}} and email platform that was widely used in the 1980s and early '90s.<br />
*''{{w|QBasic}}'': An {{w|Integrated development environment|IDE}} released by {{w|Microsoft}} in 1991, which was used to write and run computer programs in the BASIC language.<br />
*''NYET'': ''NYET'' was a {{w|Tetris}}-like game for MS-DOS, released in 1988.<br />
*''Jokes.txt'': An old text file of jokes.<br />
<br />
'''AAAFILES''' (9.4 MB): Some of [[Cueball]]'s oldest documents, likely prefixed with "AAA" to put the folder at the top of an alphabetically-sorted list.<br />
<br />
'''TXT''' (850 K): Old text files, which include poetry he didn't remember writing.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[Cross-sectional view of what look vaguely like stratigraphic layers underground. A crevice leads down through these concentric layers to a cave-like cavity in the middle, where Cueball is going through the deepest, most central, and incidentally smallest of the files. Above, Megan stands at "ground level", looking down into the crevice.]<br />
<br />
:Megan: You OK down there?<br />
<br />
:'''Documents''' (47 GB)<br />
::misc.txt<br />
::Video projects<br />
:'''Old desktop''' (12 GB)<br />
::Facebook pics<br />
::Pics from other camera<br />
::Temp<br />
::Misc PDFs<br />
::MP3<br />
:'''Recovered from drive crash''' (4 GB)<br />
::Temp<br />
::Work misc<br />
::Audio books<br />
:'''My Documents''' (570 MB)<br />
::Downloads<br />
::Kazaa shared<br />
::AYB<br />
::EV Override<br />
::Angband<br />
::GIFs<br />
::FIGHT CLUB.wmv<br />
::Elasto Mania<br />
::AIM Direct Connect files<br />
::4chan<br />
::ICQ logs<br />
:'''High school Zip disk''' (94 MB)<br />
::Korn MIDI<br />
::Photos3 (Prom)<br />
::lovenote.txt<br />
::Gorilla.bas<br />
::Dream.txt<br />
::James.txt<br />
::AOL (Citadel)<br />
::QBasic<br />
::NYET<br />
::Jokes.txt<br />
:'''AAAFILES''' (9.4 MB)<br />
:'''TXT''' (850 K)<br />
:Cueball (deep inside the AAAFILES section looking at his txt files): Oh my god. I wrote '''poetry'''.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Animorphs]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring James]]<br />
[[Category:Fight Club]]</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2445:_Checkbox&diff=2100702445: Checkbox2021-04-09T15:42:46Z<p>162.158.212.224: /* FORTUNE */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2445<br />
| date = April 1, 2021<br />
| title = Checkbox<br />
| image = checkbox.gif<br />
| titletext = Check check check ... chhecck chhecck chhecck ... check check check<br />
}}<br />
{{TOC}} <br />
*To experience the interactivity of this game, visit the {{xkcd|2445|original comic}}.<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a CHECKBOX. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} <br />
This was the 11th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comic]] released by [[Randall]]. The previous fools comic was [[2288: Collector's Edition]], which was delayed two days and released on Friday April 3, 2020.<br />
<br />
The comic looks similar to a loading screen. The actual comic (this “loading screen”) consists of a gif of a checkbox (hence the name). <br />
<br />
The frame is replaced with an interactive panel. In the center is a check box, which clears itself immediately when checked. In the bottom right is a mute button, which begins muted. By unmuting, sounds are played when the check box is checked.<br />
<br />
Under the checkbox is a scrolling visual representation of the timing and duration of clicks in the check box, which also produce matching beeping sounds when unmuted. The representation consists of a dot for a short press, or a bar for a longer press. All long presses are represented by a bar of a pre-determined length; in other words, a longer press does not result in a longer bar.<br />
<br />
By varying between brief and long presses, and brief and long intervals between presses, it is possible to enter characters in Morse Code.<br />
<br />
The check box then begins operating by itself, producing sounds which can be decoded as Morse Code. These responses are also printed in the browser's JavaScript console in both plain text and a textual representation of Morse code. If left without any initial input for 30 seconds it would send the message CQ (meaning "Seek You").<br />
<br />
The title text hints at the use of Morse Code in the comic; interpreting the "check" as a Morse Code dot and the "chhecck" (a long check) as a Morse Code dash gives ...---..., which is the Morse Code for "SOS", the international distress signal. Incidentally, inputting the SOS signal gives "YOU TOO?".<br />
<br />
For the majority of inputs, the check box responds with a random selection from the following list:<br />
* COME AGAIN<br />
* HUH<br />
* NOT FOLLOWING<br />
* SAY AGAIN<br />
* TRY THAT AGAIN<br />
* WHAT<br />
<br />
Some keywords, however, have [[#Special Responses´|special responses]].<br />
<br />
This comic has a [[xkcd_Header_text#Unique_header_text|unique header text]], see [[xkcd_Header_text#Checkbox|the details here]]. The header states that "This comic was put together byMax Goodhart, Patrick, Amber, Benjamin Staffin, Kevin Cotrone, and Michael Leuchtenburg. Read Max's [https://chromakode.com/post/checkbox blog post] on development of the comic.<br />
<br />
==Special Responses==<br />
[.s are short presses, -s are long presses, and /s are spaces (just for readability)]<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Message & response<br />
! Morse Code<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|XKCD -> FILE NOT FOUND<br />
|[-..- -.- -.-. -..] -> [..-. .. .-.. . / -. --- - / ..-. --- ..- -. -..]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|XKCD -> A CROSS THREE LETTERS<br />
|[-..- -.- -.-. -..] -> [.- / -.-. .-. --- ... ... / - .... .-. . . / .-.. . - - . .-. ...]<br />
|A pun on "across three letters", how clues are sometimes given in crossword puzzles. Instead, the word "xkcd" is literally a cross (x), followed by three letters (kcd).<br />
|-<br />
|HI -> HELLO! ANYBODY OUT THERE?<br />
|[.... ..] -> [.... . .-.. .-.. --- -.-.-- / .- -. -.-- -... --- -.. -.-- / --- ..- - / - .... . .-. . ..--..]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|HELLO -> HELLO TO YOU TOO!<br />
|[.... . .-.. .-.. ---] -> [.... . .-.. .-.. --- / - --- / -.-- --- ..- / - --- --- -.-.--]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|HELP -> ENTER IMAGE NUMBER<br />
|[.... . .-.. .--.] -> [. -. - . .-. / .. -- .- --. . / -. ..- -- -... . .-.]<br />
|See below; if you enter any number ≤ 2445 you will be linked to the corresponding xkcd comic.<br />
|-<br />
|HELP -> YES PLEASE<br />
|[.... . .-.. .--.] -> [-.-- . ... / .--. .-.. . .- ... .]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|ES -> QUE<br />
|[. ...] -> [--.- ..- .]<br />
|"Es" means "is" in Spanish, and "Qué" is "what".<br />
|-<br />
|WHAT -> ECHO<br />
|[.-- .... .- -] -> [. -.-. .... ---]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|ECHO -> ECHO<br />
|[. -.-. .... ---] -> [. -.-. .... ---]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|CHECK -> MATE<br />
|[-.-. .... . -.-. -.-] -> [-- .- - .]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|CHECKBOX -> RADIO BUTTON<br />
|[-.-. .... . -.-. -.- -... --- -..-] -> [.-. .- -.. .. --- / -... ..- - - --- -.]<br />
|This also works the other way around.<br />
|-<br />
|E (''repeat n times'') -> E (''repeat n times'')<br />
|[.]<br />
|This only applies for n < 7. Also, n=6 returns 'AAAAAA' instead.<br />
|-<br />
|T (''repeat n times'') -> T (''repeat n times'')<br />
|[-]<br />
|This only applies for n < 7.<br />
|-<br />
|E -> E ''pause'' I -> EIEIO<br />
|[.] -> [.] ''pause'' [..] -> [. .. . .. ---]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|I (''repeat n times'') -> I (''repeat n times'')<br />
|[..] -> [..] ''or'' [.. ...-] (IV) ''or'' [...-] (V)<br />
|This only applies for n < 4. n=4 returns 'IV' and n=5 returns 'V', the Roman numerals for 4 and 5, repectively.<br />
|-<br />
|FLIPCOIN -> HEADS ''or'' TAILS<br />
|[..-. .-.. .. .--. -.-. --- .. -.] -> [.... . .- -.. ...] ''or'' [- .- .. .-.. ...]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|LOOK AROUND -> NOT ENOUGH POWER<br />
|[.-.. --- --- -.- / .- .-. --- ..- -. -..] -> [-. --- - / . -. --- ..- --. .... / .--. --- .-- . .-.]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|SEE -> RED SOIL<br />
|[... . .] -> [.-. . -.. / ... --- .. .-..]<br />
|This indicates that Sojourner, the "operator" of the morse code, is on Mars. Mars is covered in red soil.<br />
|-<br />
|WHO ARE YOU ''or'' WHAT IS YOUR NAME -> SOJOURNER<br />
|[.-- .... --- / .- .-. . / -.-- --- ..-] ''or'' [.-- .... .- - / .. ... / -.-- --- ..- .-. / -. .- -- .] -> [... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|SOJOURNER -> CFM<br />
|[... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.] -> [-.-. ..-. --]<br />
|CFM is short for confirm.<br />
|-<br />
|ET -> PHONE HOME<br />
|[. -] -> [.--. .... --- -. . / .... --- -- .]<br />
|This is a reference to the movie ET.<br />
|-<br />
|LS -> DID YOU MEAN DIR<br />
|[.-.. ...] -> [-.. .. -.. / -.-- --- ..- / -- . .- -. / -.. .. .-.]<br />
|These are both commands for viewing the files in a directory. LS is the traditional method in UNIX, whereas DIR is more associated with MS-DOS/Windows (although it also exists in UNIX).<br />
|-<br />
|DIR -> ENTER IMAGE NUMBER<br />
|[-.. .. .-.] -> [. -. - . .-. / .. -- .- --. . / -. ..- -- -... . .-.]<br />
|This references to the next input. DIR stands for directory.<br />
|-<br />
|(''any number ≤ 2445'') -> (''loads xkcd comic in new tab'')<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|MAKE ME A SANDWICH -> NOT A CHANCE<br />
|[-- .- -.- . / -- . / .- / ... .- -. -.. .-- .. -.-. ....] -> [-. --- - / .- / -.-. .... .- -. -.-. .]<br />
|A reference to [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/149:_Sandwich this comic]<br />
|-<br />
|SUDO MAKE ME A SANDWICH -> NOT POSSIBLE HERE<br />
|[... ..- -.. --- / -- .- -.- . / -- . / .- / ... .- -. -.. .-- .. -.-. ....] -> [-. --- - / .--. --- ... ... .. -... .-.. . / .... . .-. .]<br />
|Another reference to [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/149:_Sandwich this comic]<br />
|-<br />
|I LOVE YOU -> LESS THAN THREE<br />
|[.. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-] -> [.-.. . ... ... / - .... .- -. / - .... .-. . .]<br />
|"Less than three" represents the less than (<) symbol followed by the number three (3), which together form <3. This is commonly used to represent a heart.<br />
|-<br />
|<nowiki />:) -> :D<br />
|[---... -.--.-] -> [---... -..]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|<nowiki />:( -> :C<br />
|[---... -.--.] -> [---... -.-.]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|<nowiki />;) -> :O<br />
|[-.-.-. -.--.-] -> [---... ---]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|<nowiki />:O -> :X<br />
|[---... ---] -> [---... -..-]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|UWU -> OWO<br />
|[..- .-- ..-] -> [--- .-- ---]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|OWO -> UWU<br />
|[--- .-- ---] -> [..- .-- ..-]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|POG -> YEET<br />
|[.--. --- --.] -> [-.-- . . -]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|UNIX -> (''Opens [https://uni.xkcd.com uni.xkcd.com]'')<br />
|[..- -. .. -..-]<br />
|[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/UniXKCD April Fools' Day in 2010]<br />
|-<br />
|GET YE FLASK -> YE WISH! IF THERE WAS A FLASK IN THIS GAME, WE'D KNOW ABOUT IT.<br />
|[--. . - / -.-- . / ..-. .-.. .- ... -.-] -> [-.-- . / .-- .. ... .... -.-.-- / .. ..-. / - .... . .-. . / .-- .- ... / .- / ..-. .-.. .- ... -.- / .. -. / - .... .. ... / --. .- -- . --..-- / .-- . .----. -.. / -.- -. --- .-- / .- -... --- ..- - / .. - .-.-.-]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|GET YE FLASK -> YOU CANNOT GET YE FLASK<br />
|[--. . - / -.-- . / ..-. .-.. .- ... -.-] -> [-.-- --- ..- / -.-. .- -. -. --- - / --. . - / -.-- . / ..-. .-.. .- ... -.-]<br />
|This response, as well as the previous one, are references to a recurring joke from {{w|Homestar Runner}}.<br />
|-<br />
|YO -> YO<br />
|[-.-- ---] -> [-.-- ---]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|DROP TABLE -> HAHA NO<br />
|[.... .- .... .- / -. ---] -> [.... .- .... .- / -. ---]<br />
| reference to [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/327:_Exploits_of_a_Mom this comic]<br />
|-<br />
|WHY -> TO STUDY THE RED PLANET<br />
|[.-- .... -.--] -> [- --- / ... - ..- -.. -.-- / - .... . / .-. . -.. / .--. .-.. .- -. . -]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|EAT -> I PHOTOSYNTHESIZE<br />
|[. .- -] -> [.. / .--. .... --- - --- ... -.-- -. - .... . ... .. --.. .]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|BATTLE ''or'' FIGHT -> THROW<br />
|[-... .- - - .-.. .] ''or'' [..-. .. --. .... -] -> [- .... .-. --- .--]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|START -> DID YOU MEAN START GAME?<br />
|[... - .- .-. -] -> [-.. .. -.. / -.-- --- ..- / -- . .- -. / ... - .- .-. - / --. .- -- . ..--..]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|STARTGAME -> CHECK BACK LATER<br />
|[... - .- .-. - --. .- -- .] -> [-.-. .... . -.-. -.- / -... .- -.-. -.- / .-.. .- - . .-.]<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
===Controls===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Message & response<br />
! Morse Code<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|QUIET -> (turns the volume off)<br />
|[--.- ..- .. . -]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|MUTE -> (turns the volume off)<br />
|[-- ..- - .]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|BEEP -> (turns the volume on)<br />
|[-... . . .--.]<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
See also QRS and QRQ.<br />
<br />
===Q codes and radio shorthand===<br />
An explanation of Q codes can be found {{w|Q code|here}}.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Message & response<br />
! Morse Code<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|CQ -> CQD DE SOJ<br />
|[-.-. --.-] -> [-.-. --.- -.. / -.. . / ... --- .---]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|SOS -> YOU TOO?<br />
|[... --- ...] -> [-.-- --- ..- / - --- --- ..--..]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|SOS -> OH NO<br />
|[... --- ...] -> [--- .... / -. ---]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|QRS -> (reduces playback speed)<br />
|[--.- .-. ...]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|QRQ -> (increases playback speed)<br />
|[--.- .-. --.-]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|QRA -> QRA SOJOURNER<br />
|[--.- .-. .-] -> [--.- .-. .- / ... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|QRB -> QRB 264 MILLION KM<br />
|[--.- .-. -...] -> [--.- .-. -... /..--- -.... ....- / -- .. .-.. .-.. .. --- -. / -.- --]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|QRH -> QRH 0.652 METERS<br />
|[--.- .-. ....] -> [--.- .-. .... / ----- .-.-.- -.... ..... ..--- / -- . - . .-. ...]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|QRG -> QRG PATHFINDER<br />
|[--.- .-. --.] -> [--.- .-. --. / .--. .- - .... ..-. .. -. -.. . .-.]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|QRZ -> QRZ SOJOURNER<br />
|[--.- .-. --..] -> [--.- .-. --.. / ... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|QRT -> PLEASE DON'T GO<br />
|[--.- .-. -] -> [.--. .-.. . .- ... . / -.. --- -. .----. - / --. ---]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|QTH -> QTH ARES VALLIS<br />
|[--.- - ....] -> [--.- - .... / .- .-. . ... / ...- .- .-.. .-.. .. ...]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|QSL -> QSL<br />
|[--.- ... .-..] -> [--.- ... .-..]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|73 -> 73 KN<br />
|[--... ...--] -> [--... ...-- / -.- -.]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|CL -> BYE<br />
|[-.-. .-..] -> [-... -.-- .]<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===FORTUNE===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Message & response<br />
! Morse Code<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|F -> DID YOU MEAN FORTUNE<br />
|[..-.] -> [-.. .. -.. / -.-- --- ..- / -- . .- -. / ..-. --- .-. - ..- -. .]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|FORTUNE -> OPEN ME<br />
|[..-. --- .-. - ..- -. .]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|OPEN -> ''returns one of the following fortunes''<br />
<br />
1. A BEAUTIFUL SMART AND LOVING PERSON WILL BE COMING INTO YOUR LIFE<br />
<br />
2. CHANGE IS HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE SO GO WITH THE FLOW<br />
<br />
3. COURTESY BEGINS IN THE HOME<br />
<br />
4. DILIGENCE AND MODESTY CAN RAISE YOUR SOCIAL STATUS<br />
<br />
5. EVERYWHERE YOU CHOOSE TO GO FRIENDLY FACES WILL GREET YOU<br />
<br />
6. FOLLOW THE MIDDLE PATH NEITHER EXTREME WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY<br />
<br />
7. FOR THE THINGS WE HAVE TO LEARN BEFORE WE CAN DO THEM WE LEARN BY DOING THEM<br />
<br />
8. HELP IM BEING HELD PRISONER IN A CHINESE BAKERY<br />
<br />
9. LIKE THE RIVER FLOW INTO THE SEA SOMETHING ARE JUST MEANT TO BE<br />
<br />
10. MANS MIND ONCE STRETCHED BY A NEW IDEA NEVER REGAINS ITS ORIGINAL DIMENSIONS<br />
<br />
11. MEDITATION WITH AN OLD ENEMY IS ADVISED<br />
<br />
12. NEVER FEAR THE END OF SOMETHING MARKS THE START OF SOMETHING NEW<br />
<br />
13. PERHAPS YOUVE BEEN FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON SAVING<br />
<br />
14. SAVOR YOUR FREEDOM IT IS PRECIOUS<br />
<br />
15. STAYING CLOSE TO HOME IS GOING TO BE BEST FOR YOUR MORALE TODAY<br />
<br />
16. YOU ARE GENEROUS TO AN EXTREME AND ALWAYS THINK OF THE OTHER FELLOW<br />
<br />
17. YOU HAVE AN UNUSUAL EQUIPMENT FOR SUCCESS USE IT PROPERLY<br />
<br />
18. YOU SHOULD PAY FOR THIS CHECK BE GENEROUS<br />
<br />
19. YOU WILL BE A GREAT SUCCESS BOTH IN THE BUSINESS WORLD AND SOCIETY<br />
<br />
20. YOUR DREAMS ARE NEVER SILLY DEPEND ON THEM TO GUIDE YOU<br />
<br />
21. YOUR INFINITE CAPACITY FOR PATIENCE WILL BE REWARDED SOONER OR LATER<br />
<br />
22. YOUR MENTALITY IS ALERT PRACTICAL AND ANALYTICAL<br />
<br />
23. YOUR MOODS SIGNAL A PERIOD OF CHANGE<br />
<br />
24. FIRST THINK OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO THEN DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO<br />
<br />
|[--- .--. . -.]<br />
<br />
1. [.- / -... . .- ..- - .. ..-. ..- .-.. / ... -- .- .-. - / .- -. -.. / .-.. --- ...- .. -. --. / .--. . .-. ... --- -. / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / -.-. --- -- .. -. --. / .. -. - --- / -.-- --- ..- .-. / .-.. .. ..-. .]<br />
<br />
2. [-.-. .... .- -. --. . / .. ... / .... .- .--. .--. . -. .. -. --. / .. -. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / .-.. .. ..-. . / ... --- / --. --- / .-- .. - .... / - .... . / ..-. .-.. --- .--]<br />
<br />
3. [-.-. --- ..- .-. - . ... -.-- / -... . --. .. -. ... / .. -. / - .... . / .... --- -- .]<br />
<br />
4. [-.. .. .-.. .. --. . -. -.-. . / .- -. -.. / -- --- -.. . ... - -.-- / -.-. .- -. / .-. .- .. ... . / -.-- --- ..- .-. / ... --- -.-. .. .- .-.. / ... - .- - ..- ...]<br />
<br />
5. [. ...- . .-. -.-- .-- .... . .-. . / -.-- --- ..- / -.-. .... --- --- ... . / - --- / --. --- / ..-. .-. .. . -. -.. .-.. -.-- / ..-. .- -.-. . ... / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / --. .-. . . - / -.-- --- ..-]<br />
<br />
6. [. ...- . .-. -.-- .-- .... . .-. . / -.-- --- ..- / -.-. .... --- --- ... . / - --- / --. --- / ..-. .-. .. . -. -.. .-.. -.-- / ..-. .- -.-. . ... / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / --. .-. . . - / -.-- --- ..-]<br />
<br />
7. [..-. --- .-. / - .... . / - .... .. -. --. ... / .-- . / .... .- ...- . / - --- / .-.. . .- .-. -. / -... . ..-. --- .-. . / .-- . / -.-. .- -. / -.. --- / - .... . -- / .-- . / .-.. . .- .-. -. / -... -.-- / -.. --- .. -. --. / - .... . --]<br />
<br />
8. [.... . .-.. .--. / .. -- / -... . .. -. --. / .... . .-.. -.. / .--. .-. .. ... --- -. . .-. / .. -. / .- / -.-. .... .. -. . ... . / -... .- -.- . .-. -.--]<br />
<br />
9. [.-.. .. -.- . / - .... . / .-. .. ...- . .-. / ..-. .-.. --- .-- / .. -. - --- / - .... . / ... . .- / ... --- -- . - .... .. -. --. / .- .-. . / .--- ..- ... - / -- . .- -. - / - --- / -... .]<br />
<br />
10. [-- .- -. ... / -- .. -. -.. / --- -. -.-. . / ... - .-. . - -.-. .... . -.. / -... -.-- / .- / -. . .-- / .. -.. . .- / -. . ...- . .-. / .-. . --. .- .. -. ... / .. - ... / --- .-. .. --. .. -. .- .-.. / -.. .. -- . -. ... .. --- -. ...]<br />
<br />
11. [-- . -.. .. - .- - .. --- -. / .-- .. - .... / .- -. / --- .-.. -.. / . -. . -- -.-- / .. ... / .- -.. ...- .. ... . -..]<br />
<br />
12. [-. . ...- . .-. / ..-. . .- .-. / - .... . / . -. -.. / --- ..-. / ... --- -- . - .... .. -. --. / -- .- .-. -.- ... / - .... . / ... - .- .-. - / --- ..-. / ... --- -- . - .... .. -. --. / -. . .--]<br />
<br />
13. [.--. . .-. .... .- .--. ... / -.-- --- ..- ...- . / -... . . -. / ..-. --- -.-. ..- ... .. -. --. / - --- --- / -- ..- -.-. .... / --- -. / ... .- ...- .. -. --.]<br />
<br />
14. [... .- ...- --- .-. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / ..-. .-. . . -.. --- -- / .. - / .. ... / .--. .-. . -.-. .. --- ..- ...]<br />
<br />
15. [... - .- -.-- .. -. --. / -.-. .-.. --- ... . / - --- / .... --- -- . / .. ... / --. --- .. -. --. / - --- / -... . / -... . ... - / ..-. --- .-. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / -- --- .-. .- .-.. . / - --- -.. .- -.--]<br />
<br />
16. [-.-- --- ..- / .- .-. . / --. . -. . .-. --- ..- ... / - --- / .- -. / . -..- - .-. . -- . / .- -. -.. / .- .-.. .-- .- -.-- ... / - .... .. -. -.- / --- ..-. / - .... . / --- - .... . .-. / ..-. . .-.. .-.. --- .--]<br />
<br />
17. [-.-- --- ..- / .... .- ...- . / .- -. / ..- -. ..- ... ..- .- .-.. / . --.- ..- .. .--. -- . -. - / ..-. --- .-. / ... ..- -.-. -.-. . ... ... / ..- ... . / .. - / .--. .-. --- .--. . .-. .-.. -.--]<br />
<br />
18. [-.-- --- ..- / ... .... --- ..- .-.. -.. / .--. .- -.-- / ..-. --- .-. / - .... .. ... / -.-. .... . -.-. -.- / -... . / --. . -. . .-. --- ..- ...]<br />
<br />
19. [-.-- --- ..- / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / .- / --. .-. . .- - / ... ..- -.-. -.-. . ... ... / -... --- - .... / .. -. / - .... . / -... ..- ... .. -. . ... ... / .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. / .- -. -.. / ... --- -.-. .. . - -.--]<br />
<br />
20. [-.-- --- ..- .-. / -.. .-. . .- -- ... / .- .-. . / -. . ...- . .-. / ... .. .-.. .-.. -.-- / -.. . .--. . -. -.. / --- -. / - .... . -- / - --- / --. ..- .. -.. . / -.-- --- ..-]<br />
<br />
21. [-.-- --- ..- .-. / .. -. ..-. .. -. .. - . / -.-. .- .--. .- -.-. .. - -.-- / ..-. --- .-. / .--. .- - .. . -. -.-. . / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / .-. . .-- .- .-. -.. . -.. / ... --- --- -. . .-. / --- .-. / .-.. .- - . .-.]<br />
<br />
22. [-.-- --- ..- .-. / -- . -. - .- .-.. .. - -.-- / .. ... / .- .-.. . .-. - / .--. .-. .- -.-. - .. -.-. .- .-.. / .- -. -.. / .- -. .- .-.. -.-- - .. -.-. .- .-..]<br />
<br />
23. [-.-- --- ..- .-. / -- --- --- -.. ... / ... .. --. -. .- .-.. / .- / .--. . .-. .. --- -.. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. --. .]<br />
<br />
24. [..-. .. .-. ... - / - .... .. -. -.- / --- ..-. / .-- .... .- - / -.-- --- ..- / .-- .- -. - / - --- / -.. --- / - .... . -. / -.. --- / .-- .... .- - / -.-- --- ..- / .... .- ...- . / - --- / -.. ---]<br />
<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|OPEN -> HUH (if after something other than "FORTUNE")<br />
|[--- .--. . -.] -> [.... ..- ....]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===ENCABULATOR===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Message & response<br />
! Morse Code<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|STATUS -> RADIO ONLINE, MOTOR ONLINE, UNILATERAL PHASE DETRACTOR UNPOWERED, CARDINAL GRAMMETER UNSYNCHRONIZED<br />
|[... - .- - ..- ...] -> [.-. .- -.. .. --- / --- -. .-.. .. -. . --..-- / -- --- - --- .-. / --- -. .-.. .. -. . --..-- / ..- -. .. .-.. .- - . .-. .- .-.. / .--. .... .- ... . / -.. . - .-. .- -.-. - --- .-. / ..- -. .--. --- .-- . .-. . -.. --..-- / -.-. .- .-. -.. .. -. .- .-.. / --. .-. .- -- -- . - . .-. / ..- -. ... -.-- -. -.-. .... .-. --- -. .. --.. . -..]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|YOUTUBE -> RXJKDH1KZ0W<br />
|[-.-- --- ..- - ..- -... .]<br />
|This represents the video ID for [https://youtu.be/RXJKdh1KZ0w Rockwell Retro Encabulator]<br />
|-<br />
|REPAIR ''or'' ENCABULATOR ''or'' FIX ''or'' SYSTEM -> ENTERING ENCABULATOR RECOVERY SYSTEM. OPTIONS 1 INITIATE SIDE FUMBLING 2 ALIGN SPURVING BEARINGS 3 REVERSE TREMIE PIPE<br />
:1 -> SIDE FUMBLING DETECTED. MODIAL INTERACTION UNSTABLE. RECOVERY TERMINATED.<br />
:2 -> MODIAL INTERACTION INITIATED. OPTIONS 1 UNWIND LOTUS O DELTOID 2 INCREASE DEPLENERATION 3 CONNECT GIRDLESPRING ON DOWN END OF GRAMMETER 4 CONNECT SEVENTH CONDUCTOR TO GIRDLESPRING<br />
::1 -> SIDE FUMBLING DETECTED. MODIAL INTERACTION UNSTABLE. RECOVERY TERMINATED.<br />
::2 -> DEPLENERATION PREVENTED BY DINGLE ARM<br />
::3 -> SIDE FUMBLING DETECTED. MODIAL INTERACTION UNSTABLE. RECOVERY TERMINATED.<br />
::4 -> PANAMETRIC FAN ACTIVATED. MODIAL INTERACTION STABLE. DEFAULT CONFIGURATION MISSING. MANUALLY ENTER MARZELVANE TYPE TO COMPLETE RECOVERY<br />
:::HYDROCOPTIC -> RECOVERY SUCCESSFUL. REBOOT Y N?<br />
::::Y -> (''Opens [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/sojourner_repaired.png sojourner_repaired.png]'')<br />
:3 -> ERROR TREMIE PIPE NONREVERSIBLE<br />
|[.-. . .--. .- .. .-.] ''or'' [. -. -.-. .- -... ..- .-.. .- - --- .-.] ''or'' [..-. .. -..-] ''or'' [... -.-- ... - . --] -> [. -. - . .-. .. -. --. / . -. -.-. .- -... ..- .-.. .- - --- .-. / .-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.-- / ... -.-- ... - . -- .-.-.- / --- .--. - .. --- -. ... / .---- / .. -. .. - .. .- - . / ... .. -.. . / ..-. ..- -- -... .-.. .. -. --. / ..--- / .- .-.. .. --. -. / ... .--. ..- .-. ...- .. -. --. / -... . .- .-. .. -. --. ... / ...-- / .-. . ...- . .-. ... . / - .-. . -- .. . / .--. .. .--. .]<br />
:[.----] -> [... .. -.. . / ..-. ..- -- -... .-.. .. -. --. / -.. . - . -.-. - . -.. .-.-.- / -- --- -.. .. .- .-.. / .. -. - . .-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / ..- -. ... - .- -... .-.. . .-.-.- / .-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.-- / - . .-. -- .. -. .- - . -.. .-.-.-]<br />
:[..---] -> [-- --- -.. .. .- .-.. / .. -. - . .-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / .. -. .. - .. .- - . -.. .-.-.- / --- .--. - .. --- -. ... / .---- / ..- -. .-- .. -. -.. / .-.. --- - ..- ... / --- / -.. . .-.. - --- .. -.. / ..--- / .. -. -.-. .-. . .- ... . / -.. . .--. .-.. . -. . .-. .- - .. --- -. / ...-- / -.-. --- -. -. . -.-. - / --. .. .-. -.. .-.. . ... .--. .-. .. -. --. / --- -. / -.. --- .-- -. / . -. -.. / --- ..-. / --. .-. .- -- -- . - . .-. / ....- / -.-. --- -. -. . -.-. - / ... . ...- . -. - .... / -.-. --- -. -.. ..- -.-. - --- .-. / - --- / --. .. .-. -.. .-.. . ... .--. .-. .. -. --.]<br />
::[.----] -> [... .. -.. . / ..-. ..- -- -... .-.. .. -. --. / -.. . - . -.-. - . -.. .-.-.- / -- --- -.. .. .- .-.. / .. -. - . .-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / ..- -. ... - .- -... .-.. . .-.-.- / .-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.-- / - . .-. -- .. -. .- - . -.. .-.-.-]<br />
::[..---] -> [-.. . .--. .-.. . -. . .-. .- - .. --- -. / .--. .-. . ...- . -. - . -.. / -... -.-- / -.. .. -. --. .-.. . / .- .-. --]<br />
::[...--] -> [... .. -.. . / ..-. ..- -- -... .-.. .. -. --. / -.. . - . -.-. - . -.. .-.-.- / -- --- -.. .. .- .-.. / .. -. - . .-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / ..- -. ... - .- -... .-.. . .-.-.- / .-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.-- / - . .-. -- .. -. .- - . -.. .-.-.-]<br />
::[....-] -> [.--. .- -. .- -- . - .-. .. -.-. / ..-. .- -. / .- -.-. - .. ...- .- - . -.. .-.-.- / -- --- -.. .. .- .-.. / .. -. - . .-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / ... - .- -... .-.. . .-.-.- / -.. . ..-. .- ..- .-.. - / -.-. --- -. ..-. .. --. ..- .-. .- - .. --- -. / -- .. ... ... .. -. --. .-.-.- / -- .- -. ..- .- .-.. .-.. -.-- / . -. - . .-. / -- .- .-. --.. . .-.. ...- .- -. . / - -.-- .--. . / - --- / -.-. --- -- .--. .-.. . - . / .-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.--]<br />
:::[.... -.-- -.. .-. --- -.-. --- .--. - .. -.-.] -> [.-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.-- / ... ..- -.-. -.-. . ... ... ..-. ..- .-.. .-.-.- / .-. . -... --- --- - / -.-- / -. ..--..]<br />
::::[-.--]<br />
:[...--] -> [. .-. .-. --- .-. / - .-. . -- .. . / .--. .. .--. . / -. --- -. .-. . ...- . .-. ... .. -... .-.. .]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===MAZE===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Message & response<br />
! Morse Code<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|RETURN -> DID YOU MEAN ENTER<br />
|[.-. . - ..- .-. -.]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|ENTER -> DID YOU MEAN ENTER MAZE<br />
|[. -. - . .-.]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|ENTER MAZE -> AN EMPTY ROOM<br />
:LOOK -> AN EMPTY ROOM<br />
:HELP -> NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST GET<br />
:EXIT -> CFM (''Exits the maze'')<br />
|[. -. - . .-. / -- .- --.. .] -> [.- -. / . -- .--. - -.-- / .-. --- --- --]<br />
:[.-.. --- --- -.-] -> [.- -. / . -- .--. - -.-- / .-. --- --- --]<br />
:[.... . .-.. .--.] -> [-. --- .-. - .... / . .- ... - / ... --- ..- - .... / .-- . ... - / --. . -]<br />
:[. -..- .. -] -> [-.-. ..-. --]<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+ Maze<br />
|-<br />
|an open flame || a candle on a table || style="background-color: black;" |<br />
|-<br />
| style="background-color: black;" | || an empty room (start) || style="background-color: black;" |<br />
|-<br />
| style="background-color: black;" | || a hanging bell || an open book on a table (locked door)<br />
|- <br />
|}<br />
<br />
Steps to complete (directions can be abbreviated as their first letter):<br />
# NORTH<br />
# GET CANDLE -> TAKEN<br />
# WEST<br />
# LIGHT CANDLE<br />
# EAST<br />
# SOUTH<br />
# SOUTH<br />
# RING BELL -> A DOOR OPENS<br />
# EAST<br />
# CLOSE BOOK -> CONGRATULATIONS YOU ESCAPE<br />
<br />
===CROSSWORD===<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Message & response<br />
! Morse Code<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|CROSSWORD -> NUMBER AND DIRECTION<br />
|[-.-. .-. --- ... ... .-- --- .-. -..] -> [-. ..- -- -... . .-. / .- -. -.. / -.. .. .-. . -.-. - .. --- -.]<br />
|This starts a crossword. You can ask for hints like "1 down" or "2 across". It appears to be the [https://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2021/04/libertarian-politico-johnson-thu-4-1-21.html New York Times Crossword] from the day this comic was written (2021-04-01).<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+Solved Crossword<br />
|-<br />
| m || y || g || o || d || style="background-color: black; | || d || e || v || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || e || l || f<br />
|-<br />
| b || u || o || n || o || style="background-color: black; | || e || y || e || s || style="background-color: black; | || s || l || u || r<br />
|-<br />
| a || m || o || c || o || style="background-color: black; | || c || r || a || p || style="background-color: black; | || l || m || a || o<br />
|-<br />
| style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || v || e || r || y || r || e || l || i || g || i || o || u || s<br />
|-<br />
| s || e || e || style="background-color: black; | || m || u || y || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || r || a || m || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; |<br />
|-<br />
| h || a || r || h || a || r || style="background-color: black; | || s || c || a || r || e || d || o || f<br />
|-<br />
| e || s || s || e || n || t || i || a || l || l || y || style="background-color: black; | || a || r || i<br />
|-<br />
| b || t || e || n || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || m || m || i || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || t || v || a || d<br />
|-<br />
| o || l || a || style="background-color: black; | || b || a || d || m || o || u || t || h || i || n || g<br />
|-<br />
| p || a || s || s || e || d || b || y || style="background-color: black; | || n || o || o || d || g || e<br />
|-<br />
| style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || o || a || r || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || s || u || n || style="background-color: black; | || l || e || t<br />
|-<br />
| b || l || e || n || d || e || d || f || a || m || i || l || y || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; |<br />
|-<br />
| b || o || r || g || style="background-color: black; | || p || e || l || t || style="background-color: black; | || g || e || n || r || e<br />
|-<br />
| q || u || i || z || style="background-color: black; | || s || p || a || y || style="background-color: black; | || h || i || c || k || s<br />
|-<br />
| s || t || e || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || p || b || r || style="background-color: black; | || t || a || h || o || e<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"<br />
|+ Words<br />
! index !! down word !! across word<br />
|-<br />
| 1 || MBA || MYGOD<br />
|-<br />
| 2 || YUM || <br />
|-<br />
| 3 || GOOVERSEAS || <br />
|-<br />
| 4 || ONCE || <br />
|-<br />
| 5 || DOORMAN || <br />
|-<br />
| 6 || DECRY || DEV<br />
|-<br />
| 7 || EYRE || <br />
|-<br />
| 8 || VEAL || <br />
|-<br />
| 9 || ELMO || ELF<br />
|-<br />
| 10 || LUAU || <br />
|-<br />
| 11 || FROS || <br />
|-<br />
| 12 || || BUONO<br />
|-<br />
| 13 || || EYES<br />
|-<br />
| 14 || SPIRAL || <br />
|-<br />
| 15 || SLIME || SLUR<br />
|-<br />
| 16 || || AMOCO<br />
|-<br />
| 17 || || CRAP<br />
|-<br />
| 18 || || LMAO<br />
|-<br />
| 19 || || VERYRELIGIOUS<br />
|-<br />
| 20 || YURT || <br />
|-<br />
| 21 || GARY || <br />
|-<br />
| 22 || SHEBOP || SEE<br />
|-<br />
| 23 || EASTLA || <br />
|-<br />
| 24 || || MUY<br />
|-<br />
| 25 || || RAM<br />
|-<br />
| 26 || || HARHAR<br />
|-<br />
| 27 || HEN || <br />
|-<br />
| 28 || SAMMY || SCAREDOF<br />
|-<br />
| 29 || CLIO || <br />
|-<br />
| 30 || DAVIDLYNCH || <br />
|-<br />
| 31 || ORANGE || <br />
|-<br />
| 32 || FIDGET || <br />
|-<br />
| 33 || || ESSENTIALLY<br />
|-<br />
| 34 || IMDB || <br />
|-<br />
| 35 || || ARI<br />
|-<br />
| 36 || || BTEN<br />
|-<br />
| 37 || || MMI<br />
|-<br />
| 38 || THO || TVAD<br />
|-<br />
| 39 || || OLA<br />
|-<br />
| 40 || BEAD || BADMOUTHING<br />
|-<br />
| 41 || ADREPS || <br />
|-<br />
| 42 || UNUM || <br />
|-<br />
| 43 || TONIGHT || <br />
|-<br />
| 44 || || PASSEDBY<br />
|-<br />
| 45 || SONGZ || <br />
|-<br />
| 46 || || NOODGE<br />
|-<br />
| 47 || || OAR<br />
|-<br />
| 48 || SATYR || SUN<br />
|-<br />
| 49 || || LET<br />
|-<br />
| 50 || BBQS || BLENDEDFAMILY<br />
|-<br />
| 51 || LOUT || <br />
|-<br />
| 52 || ERIE || <br />
|-<br />
| 53 || DEPP || <br />
|-<br />
| 54 || FLAB || <br />
|-<br />
| 55 || LEIA || <br />
|-<br />
| 56 || || BORG<br />
|-<br />
| 57 || || PELT<br />
|-<br />
| 58 || || GENRE<br />
|-<br />
| 59 || RKO || <br />
|-<br />
| 60 || ESE || <br />
|-<br />
| 61 || || QUIZ<br />
|-<br />
| 62 || || SPAY<br />
|-<br />
| 63 || || HICKS<br />
|-<br />
| 64 || || STE<br />
|-<br />
| 65 || || PBR<br />
|-<br />
| 66 || || TAHOE<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Rover Scene===<br />
After successfully repairing and rebooting Sojourner, a comic is opened which depicts it seeking out and finding its friends, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance, and Ingenuity. Curiosity and Perseverance are locked in a swordfight, and either Spirit or Opportunity is carried off by Ingenuity while the other speeds off a small mound of dirt. Ingenuity carrying a rover is a reference to the previous comic.<br />
<br />
==Special Console Commands==<br />
The page's JavaScript creates a global object <code>morse</code> with <code>encode</code> and <code>decode</code> methods. From the developer console, it is possible to write <code>morse.encode("A PHRASE")</code>, which will print the Morse code corresponding to the text provided, or <code>morse.decode("... --- ...")</code> which will translate the Morse code to text.<br />
<br />
<code>BeepComic.hurryUp()</code> to get the reply immediately in the console.<br />
<code>BeepComic.send(...)</code> to send directly to SOJOURNER.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A small box is in the middle of a large white frame. The box can have a check-mark, but it is alternating between being checked or unchecked. At the bottom right there is a muted speaker (which can be unmuted). If the user press the checkbox gray dots or lines will appear below depending on the length of the press. These will move from right to left and then disappear.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Interactive comics]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with animation]]<br />
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]<br />
[[Category:April fools' comics]]</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2447:_Hammer_Incident&diff=209947Talk:2447: Hammer Incident2021-04-08T02:28:27Z<p>162.158.212.224: Comment</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
<br />
big --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.153|162.158.187.153]] 02:04, 8 April 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I added a basic explanation. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.212.224|162.158.212.224]] 02:28, 8 April 2021 (UTC)<br />
== Giant comic ==<br />
<br />
Is it meant to be that size? Does the bad luck apply to trying to upload comics at reasonable sizes? <br />
<br />
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.19|172.69.33.19]] 02:09, 8 April 2021 (UTC)<br />
:Oooh boy, indeed... "Error creating thumbnail: File with dimensions greater than 12.5 MP" is the Wiki's assessment of the auto-uploaded image. I haven't checked the resolution, but the https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/hammer_incident.png one is apparently 4332x4838 (scales to 8% on my device), and I don't care to test the _2x version right now. I'm not sure that was the native res of it on creation, looks to be an accidental up-scaling prior to posting to xkcd itself. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.6|141.101.98.6]] 02:20, 8 April 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::The _2x version is actually the proper size for a normal comic - 578x645 pixels. [[User:Noëlle|Noëlle]] ([[User talk:Noëlle|talk]]) 02:21, 8 April 2021 (UTC)</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2447:_Hammer_Incident&diff=2099462447: Hammer Incident2021-04-08T02:27:13Z<p>162.158.212.224: Very basic beginning explanation.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2447<br />
| date = April 7, 2021<br />
| title = Hammer Incident<br />
| image = hammer incident normal.png<br />
| titletext = I still think the Cold Stone Creamery partnership was a good idea, but I should have asked before doing the first market trials during the cryogenic mirror tests.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by AAAHHH THE IMAGE WAS TOO BIG! Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It's implied the hammer fell on the mirror of the JWST, and breaking mirrors in superstition causes seven years of bad luck.<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Cueball stands before a seated panel of four people.]<br />
:Cueball: Yes, I know you're mad that I dropped that hammer.<br />
:Cueball: But think about me—<br />
:Cueball: ''Seven years of bad luck!''<br />
:[Caption below the panel]:<br />
:Man, NASA is really on my case about the James Webb Space Telescope.<br />
:Image too large<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category: Astronomy]]</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2444:_Ingenuity&diff=209314Talk:2444: Ingenuity2021-04-01T20:09:00Z<p>162.158.212.224: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Wow! I clicked open xkcd at 3:50 or so, I can't believe I was one of the first on the team![[User:Hiihaveanaccount|Hiihaveanaccount]] ([[User talk:Hiihaveanaccount|talk]]) 20:58, 31 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
: Speaking as an Australian, I usually don't bother to check XKCD until well after the day after the post. It's 9am Thursday, and I'm surprised it's posted this early. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 21:56, 31 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Perseverance's maximum driving speed is only about 8 feet/minute (comparable to a baby's crawling speed). So Ingenuity wouldn't have to fly very fast to get it to say "Whee!". [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:40, 31 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Can we work in somehow that on the date of the comic, Ingenuity was in the middle of the multi-day deployment process? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.162|162.158.62.162]] 23:07, 31 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
:I was thinking along those lines. I've made some edits that I think cover your suggestions, but obviously they're open to further refinement/expansion as anyone might desire to make. (The ''exact'' status of deployment, as of comic-posting, might be nice to know, but I don't currently believe it was so precisely timed to "the point they detached" or anything like that.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.80|141.101.107.80]] 01:22, 1 April 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think the mumble mumble thing is a reference to the four fundamental forces comic<br />
04:20, 1 April 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think the title Text is a reference to the trope that nobody can really explain satisfactorily explain how flight works... On Mars or on earth. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.25|162.158.203.25]] 06:07, 1 April 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Im probably wrong but the title text might be referencing the technobabble in various science fiction but i'm probably wrong --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.212.224|162.158.212.224]] 20:09, 1 April 2021 (UTC)</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2444:_Ingenuity&diff=209313Talk:2444: Ingenuity2021-04-01T20:08:14Z<p>162.158.212.224: added comment</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Wow! I clicked open xkcd at 3:50 or so, I can't believe I was one of the first on the team![[User:Hiihaveanaccount|Hiihaveanaccount]] ([[User talk:Hiihaveanaccount|talk]]) 20:58, 31 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
: Speaking as an Australian, I usually don't bother to check XKCD until well after the day after the post. It's 9am Thursday, and I'm surprised it's posted this early. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 21:56, 31 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Perseverance's maximum driving speed is only about 8 feet/minute (comparable to a baby's crawling speed). So Ingenuity wouldn't have to fly very fast to get it to say "Whee!". [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:40, 31 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Can we work in somehow that on the date of the comic, Ingenuity was in the middle of the multi-day deployment process? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.162|162.158.62.162]] 23:07, 31 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
:I was thinking along those lines. I've made some edits that I think cover your suggestions, but obviously they're open to further refinement/expansion as anyone might desire to make. (The ''exact'' status of deployment, as of comic-posting, might be nice to know, but I don't currently believe it was so precisely timed to "the point they detached" or anything like that.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.80|141.101.107.80]] 01:22, 1 April 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think the mumble mumble thing is a reference to the four fundamental forces comic<br />
04:20, 1 April 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think the title Text is a reference to the trope that nobody can really explain satisfactorily explain how flight works... On Mars or on earth. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.25|162.158.203.25]] 06:07, 1 April 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
im probably wrong but the title text might be referencing the technobabble in various science fiction but i'm probably wrong</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=385:_How_it_Works&diff=209246385: How it Works2021-03-31T13:52:57Z<p>162.158.212.224: Humor</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 385<br />
| date = February 18, 2008<br />
| title = How It Works<br />
| image = how it works.png<br />
| titletext = It's pi plus C, of course.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The comic reveals discriminative jargon against women when doing tasks such as mathematics. When a guy does something wrong, it's his own mistake. When a girl does something wrong, it is taken as a confirmation that girls are inferior.<br />
<br />
The mathematics displayed is neither {{w|semantically}} nor {{w|syntactically}} correct. To begin with, there should (reasonably) be a ''dx'' after x<sup>2</sup>. Adding this, we have an {{w|indefinite integral}} on the left hand side.<br />
<br />
The answer {{w|π}} is just nonsensical: What we want is a {{w|Function (mathematics)|function}} whose {{w|derivative}} is x<sup>2</sup>. Now, x<sup>3</sup>/3 satisfies this condition. However, since adding a {{w|constant (mathematics)|constant}} to a function does not change its derivative, the full answer is (any function of the form) x<sup>3</sup>/3 {{w|Constant of integration|+ C}}, where C is any fixed number. The "plus a constant" part is very easy to forget, and might even be omitted by a (sloppy) professional mathematician. So if someone really gave the answer π, "you forgot to add a constant" would be a pretty funny remark, because in one way it's true, but on the other hand it wouldn't quite be the main thing to worry about. (It is especially inane as π itself ''is'' a constant. {{citation needed}})<br />
<br />
It would also be possible to fix the equation by adding [http://www.mathwords.com/b/bounds_of_integration.htm bounds of integration], so that {{w|π}} becomes the area below a section of the curve x<sup>2</sup>. That is called a definite integral, and there would be no "+ C". The bounds would have to be somewhat awkward though; if 0 was the lower bound, the cube root of 3π would have to be the upper.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and a friend stand at a blackboard. The friend is writing, in standard mathematical notation, that the integral of x squared equals pi. No differential or bounds are given for the integral.]<br />
:Cueball: Wow, you suck at math.<br />
:[The same scene, except the writer is Megan.]<br />
:Cueball: Wow, girls suck at math.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Math]]</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2438:_Siri&diff=208440Talk:2438: Siri2021-03-18T17:14:23Z<p>162.158.212.224: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Why does she immediately accept that Siri did indeed die if Siri was talking to her just a moment ago? (Unsigned!)<br />
:It happened just now? I really want to say something like dispassionate non-empathy (it reads as if she has a fact-obsessed but emotion-sparse mentality). No idea why she thought to enquire of Siri's (latest) life-status without reason. Perhaps the app closed (unseen to us) and she arrived at the 'logical' question to try to determine why (from a Cueball who we can see has clearly not seen the event itsrlf). It all seems to point towards SG 'failing' various aspects of the Sally-Anne Test/Social Cognition/Theory Of Mind, with sufficiently advanced reasoning that is nonetheless grossly misapplied.<br />
:(It's funny, for those who perpetually ask, for the Cognitive Dissonance and Non-Sequiturs of the situation. In a RL example, we probably should be worried that either there's something very wrong with SG or else we're missing a lot of background facts ourselves. But I think we can still enjoy this sketch without the unease we might experience otherwise.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.108|162.158.159.108]] 22:17, 17 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
::It being a simple non-sequitar makes sense to me.<br />
<br />
:Siri had to have been alive while recording her dialog, no? /s [[User:Ncxezlyz|Ncxezlyz]] ([[User talk:Ncxezlyz|talk]]) 22:21, 17 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Taking your sarcasm seriously, then she never would have asked if it had died.<br />
<br />
Given the verb tense “is Siri alive?” it is clear that science girl was not referring to a past state. This to me suggests that SG literally wasn’t sure if a live person (or sentient AI) actually had the ability to do things to her phone on command.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.252|172.69.22.252]]<br />
<br />
:Maybe she thinks Siri is ghost haunting her phone? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 03:20, 18 March 2021 (UTC)</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2438:_Siri&diff=2083872438: Siri2021-03-17T20:13:19Z<p>162.158.212.224: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2438<br />
| date = March 17, 2021<br />
| title = Siri<br />
| image = siri.png<br />
| titletext = Alexa defeated her in a battle hinging on the ability to set multiple timers.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BATTLE ALEXA. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
[[Science Girl]] thanks [[wikipedia:Siri|Siri]] on her smartphone for setting an alarm. In the next panel, she asks [[Cueball]] "Is Siri alive?", since AI assistants can seem to be almost human on a very superficial level. Cueball answers "No", since Siri is just software, and we don't generally attribute life to computer programs (the closest might be [[wikipedia:computer virus|computer viruses]], since they replicate).<br />
<br />
Then Science Girl asks "How did she die?". She clearly had already been treating Siri as alive because she could talk to her. So rather than interpreting the answer in a philosophical sense of whether Siri is something that could be alive, she treats it as meaning that Siri is no longer alive.<br />
<br />
Or perhaps she thinks that the software Siri is a software embodiment of an actual person, and Cueball was talking about the original person. We don't currently have the technology to upload a person's personality into a computer{{Citation needed}}, but it's a popular science fiction trope and many scientists think we will eventually be able to do this{{Citation needed}}.<br />
<br />
The title text explains that Siri died in a battle with [[wikipedia:Amazon Alexa|Alexa]], another personal assistant, hinging on their abilities to set alarms. Of the many actions that these programs are able to perform, this is probably one of the more trivial, so it's ironic that it would be the subject of a duel to the death.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[Science Girl is standing and holding a phone.]<br />
:Phone: ''Your timer is set.''<br />
:Science Girl: Thanks<br />
<br />
:[Science Girl is talking to Cueball, who is sitting at a desk using a laptop.]<br />
:Science Girl: Is Siri ''alive?''<br />
:Cueball: No.<br />
<br />
:[Science Girl is standing on her own again.]<br />
:Science Girl: Oh, ok.<br />
<br />
:[Science Girl is still standing on her own.]<br />
:Science Girl: How did she die?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]<br />
[[Category:Smartphones]]</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2434:_Vaccine_Guidance&diff=2073802434: Vaccine Guidance2021-03-09T19:04:42Z<p>162.158.212.224: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2434<br />
| date = March 8, 2021<br />
| title = Vaccine Guidance<br />
| image = vaccine_guidance.png<br />
| titletext = I can't wait until I'm fully vaccinated and can safely send chat messages in all caps again.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
On the day this comic was published, the CDC released [https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html new guidelines] relating to COVID-19, lifting many of the existing restrictions for people who have been fully vaccinated for two weeks. [[Megan]], speaking as a CDC announcer, is introducing these new guidelines over video conference. However, the other participants in the conference quickly start asking about [[2238: Flu Shot|actions that have little or nothing to do with the vaccine, some of which would be dangerous whether COVID-19 was a risk or not.]]<br />
<br />
Blondie asks whether it would be okay to visit neighbors and drink milk directly from the carton. In most Western cultures, drinking directly from a container that could be shared with others (such as a milk carton) is considered unsafe, due to the risk of diseases being transmitted, and generally gross, as saliva and other biological material is passed that way. To drink directly from your own milk carton is considered crass, to do so with someone else's carton would be seen as unacceptable. While these risks are arguably worse during the pandemic, it was unacceptable before the pandemic and will presumably be so afterward. <br />
<br />
Science Girl asks whether it would be okay to ride a bike down the stairs of a family member's house, which has a severe risk of injury{{Citation needed}} (and could damage the wheels of the bicycle, although modern bicycle wheels are [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfjjiHGuHoc surprisingly resilient]).<br />
<br />
[[White Hat]] follows up asking whether he can get a horse, and whether it would help for both him and the horse to wear masks. In typical White Hat fashion this has basically no relation to anything else that was said (perhaps he was [[1086: Eyelash Wish Log|promised a pony]] when he got vaccinated). The CDC still recommends masks for humans when in public; however, face masks are not generally made for horses. Instead of answering, Megan hangs up.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Randall mentions that when he is fully vaccinated, he will be able to text people in ALL CAPS. This is generally used to indicate that the typer is shouting, which can spread Covid-19 aerosol particles and cause infection when done in person. However, when texting, there is no risk of spreading diseases via the computer, so this is an unnecessary precaution{{Citation needed}} (although it could be a good idea to get in the habit of not responding to others angrily, both to be polite and to not spread respiratory diseases by shouting when meeting in person).<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
:[Megan is seen at the bottom of the panel with the CDC-logo slightly above her and to the left]<br />
:Megan: Our new guidance: Fully vaccinated people can gather privately with no masks or distancing, and can visit with unvaccinated low-risk people in one household.<br />
:Megan: Any questions?<br />
<br />
:[Blondie, Hairy and Megan are seen at the bottom of the panel in separate rectangular panels with Blondie and Hairy's panels being more squarish and smaller then Megan's. Blondie is directly above Hairy and both are to the right of Megan]<br />
:Blondie: If my neighbors and I are all vaccinated, can I visit them unmasked and drink milk straight from the jug in their fridge?<br />
:Megan: I...You can visit, yes.<br />
:Blondie: And the jug thing?<br />
:Megan: ...Next question?<br />
<br />
:[Hairbun and Megan are at the bottom of the panel in rectangular boxes, similar to in a video call.]<br />
:Hairbun: I'm fully vaccinated. Can I ride my bike in my sister-in-law's house?<br />
:Megan: In her ''house?''<br />
:Hairbun: Like, down the stairs.<br />
:Megan: I guess? You should at least wear a helmet.<br />
:Hairbun: Even if she's not high-risk?<br />
:Megan: Any ''other'' questions?<br />
<br />
:[Megan is off-panel; White Hat is in a rectangular box at the bottom of the panel.]<br />
:White Hat: I'm two weeks past my second dose.<br />
:White Hat: Can I get a horse?<br />
:Megan: Thank you all for coming.<br />
:White Hat: What if I wear a mask?<br />
:White Hat: What if the horse does?<br />
:SFX: Meeting ended by host.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2432:_Manage_Your_Preferences&diff=2071492432: Manage Your Preferences2021-03-05T22:16:24Z<p>162.158.212.224: Realized I left out paragraphs in the previous large edit. I should have used the preview.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2432<br />
| date = March 3, 2021<br />
| title = Manage Your Preferences<br />
| image = manage_your_preferences.png<br />
| titletext = Manage cookies related to essential site functions, such as keeping Atrus and his sons imprisoned within the page.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by COOKIES KEEPING ATRUS IMPRISONED IN THE PAGE. This page had some confusing and possibly harmful edits that had actual real information in all of them, sorting it out is kind. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. }}<br />
<br />
This comic illustrates the complex dialogues often employed by webpage or software designers to hide settings from the user. Many pages provide controls to set privacy-related preferences but in an attempt to disuade users from using them make those settings opaque. The idea is that a user will become impatient by the confusing options and select the defaults, which provide the site or software with more access or information. This situation is compared to ''{{w|Myst}}'', a 1990s puzzle video game.<br />
<br />
Companies which collect or process personal information are required by privacy legislation to give their users the option to withhold personal information, although the specific regulations vary depending on the region-specific laws. The operators of such services usually want to collect as much personal data as they can in order to target advertisements or sell their information to someone else, and wish to incentivize their users not to activate those features. One tactic that is frequently used to accomplish this goal is to provide the user an option which enables all the data collection, but to make the process of disabling the collection time-consuming or difficult. This type of action is generally illegal under the same privacy legislation, but regulation of it has been lax so many companies still try it.<br />
<br />
"Atrus" in the title text is the main non-player character in the ''Myst'' series. In the first game these people were imprisoned within books. Pages needed to be collected to complete the books, and it was incredibly hard to find a single page, involving extensive laborious navigation and exploration, and the finding and solving of hidden puzzles. In the ''Myst'' mythos, the books open portals to other worlds, a little like web hyperlinks. Some sites' privacy settings are similarly labyrinthine. For example, some sites will run scripts from a variety of providers but will only allow users to disable them one site at a time without an explanation of what each one does. The references to "toggle switches, only some of which work" may be a reference to Google's Android operating system, where a core Google service collected location information unless the user toggled three switches found in different locations.<br />
<br />
The black background possibly shows how many sites are providing tools to switch between light and dark backgrounds now. For a long time white backgrounds were the usual default style, and only people who understood esoteric browser configurations could redisplay many things with a black background - possibly to help with perceived eyestrain ''or'' power usage in certain displays. More recently, it is a fashionable setting for content providers to compose as a selectable option. It is out-of-place for Randall to show a black background, as many of his comics take place in technical computer systems that often have a black background anyway, as most computer terminals still do.<br />
<br />
Some browsers and websites do have actual games embedded within their various configuration interfaces. {{w|Google Chrome|Chrome}}, for example, has the famous {{w|Dinosaur Game|dinosaur game}}.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is sitting in an office chair at a desk in front of his laptop computer. A black zigzag line points to the screen, and above this is shown what is displayed on Cueball's screen. This is shown as a black rectangle, with a white box, with black frame, overlaid over the top of the black section, extending half way above it. The text in this white box is in gray font. Inside the black rectangle are two gray rectangles, with white borders and black text. A small rectangle at the top has "Manage your Preferences" inside it, and a large rectangle below has 6 lines of text.]<br />
:Agree to whatever <br />
:Transport me to an immersive Myst-like game where I click confusingly-labeled toggle switches, only some of which work, perhaps never to find my way back to the page I wanted.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
The title-text originally said "Atrius" instead of "Atrus". A few hours after the comic's release, this was changed.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Video games]]<br />
[[Category:Internet]]</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2432:_Manage_Your_Preferences&diff=2071482432: Manage Your Preferences2021-03-05T22:14:13Z<p>162.158.212.224: Rewrote leading paragraphs for brevity and clarity.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2432<br />
| date = March 3, 2021<br />
| title = Manage Your Preferences<br />
| image = manage_your_preferences.png<br />
| titletext = Manage cookies related to essential site functions, such as keeping Atrus and his sons imprisoned within the page.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by COOKIES KEEPING ATRUS IMPRISONED IN THE PAGE. This page had some confusing and possibly harmful edits that had actual real information in all of them, sorting it out is kind. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. }}<br />
<br />
This comic illustrates the complex dialogues often employed by webpage or software designers to hide settings from the user. Many pages provide controls to set privacy-related preferences but in an attempt to disuade users from using them make those settings opaque. The idea is that a user will become impatient by the confusing options and select the defaults, which provide the site or software with more access or information. This situation is compared to ''{{w|Myst}}'', a 1990s puzzle video game.<br />
Companies which collect or process personal information are required by privacy legislation to give their users the option to withhold personal information, although the specific regulations varry depending on the region-specific laws. The operators of such services usually want to collect as much personal data as they can in order to target advertisements or sell their information to someone else, and wish to incentivize their users not to activate those features. One tactic that is frequently used to accomplish this goal is to provide the user an option which enables all the data collection, but to make the process of disabling the collection time-consuming or difficult. This type of action is generally illegal under the same privacy legislation, but regulation of it has been lax so many companies still try it.<br />
"Atrus" in the title text is the main non-player character in the ''Myst'' series. In the first game these people were imprisoned within books. Pages needed to be collected to complete the books, and it was incredibly hard to find a single page, involving extensive laborious navigation and exploration, and the finding and solving of hidden puzzles. In the ''Myst'' mythos, the books open portals to other worlds, a little like web hyperlinks. Some sites' privacy settings are similarly labyrinthine. For example, some sites will run scripts from a variety of providers but will only allow users to disable them one site at a time without an explanation of what each one does. The references to "toggle switches, only some of which work" may be a reference to Google's Android operating system, where a core Google service collected location information unless the user toggled three switches found in different locations.<br />
<br />
The black background possibly shows how many sites are providing tools to switch between light and dark backgrounds now. For a long time white backgrounds were the usual default style, and only people who understood esoteric browser configurations could redisplay many things with a black background - possibly to help with perceived eyestrain ''or'' power usage in certain displays. More recently, it is a fashionable setting for content providers to compose as a selectable option. It is out-of-place for Randall to show a black background, as many of his comics take place in technical computer systems that often have a black background anyway, as most computer terminals still do.<br />
<br />
Some browsers and websites do have actual games embedded within their various configuration interfaces. {{w|Google Chrome|Chrome}}, for example, has the famous {{w|Dinosaur Game|dinosaur game}}.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is sitting in an office chair at a desk in front of his laptop computer. A black zigzag line points to the screen, and above this is shown what is displayed on Cueball's screen. This is shown as a black rectangle, with a white box, with black frame, overlaid over the top of the black section, extending half way above it. The text in this white box is in gray font. Inside the black rectangle are two gray rectangles, with white borders and black text. A small rectangle at the top has "Manage your Preferences" inside it, and a large rectangle below has 6 lines of text.]<br />
:Agree to whatever <br />
:Transport me to an immersive Myst-like game where I click confusingly-labeled toggle switches, only some of which work, perhaps never to find my way back to the page I wanted.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
The title-text originally said "Atrius" instead of "Atrus". A few hours after the comic's release, this was changed.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Video games]]<br />
[[Category:Internet]]</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1480:_Super_Bowl&diff=2055431480: Super Bowl2021-01-29T16:20:27Z<p>162.158.212.224: /* Explanation */ fixed the link to the Wii U game</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1480<br />
| date = January 30, 2015<br />
| title = Super Bowl<br />
| image = super_bowl.png<br />
| titletext = My hobby: Pretending to miss the sarcasm when people show off their lack of interest in football by talking about 'sportsball' and acting excited to find someone else who's interested, then acting confused when they try to clarify.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic, [[Cueball]], representing [[Randall]], explains that even though he does not care about sports and is tempted to be scornful about others' obsession with them, he understands that people feel vulnerable about stuff they care about. And he will for sure be fed up with all the talk about the {{w|Super Bowl}} discussions and arguments over the coming weeks. (The comic was released on a Friday two days before {{w|Super Bowl XLIX}}, the final of the 2014 {{w|NFL}} season held on 2015-02-01).<br />
<br />
However, since other people tolerate his interest in odd things like {{w|meteorology}} and the {{w|Philae (spacecraft)|''Philae'' lander}} (see [[1324: Weather]] and [[1446: Landing]]), he recognizes that he should show the same consideration to them. This is an invocation of the {{w|Golden Rule}}, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".<br />
<br />
In the last frame, he tells us that instead of celebrating the sports event on Sunday, he will be celebrating friendship (through listening to his friends) and, as a side note, snacking (as they are very frequently brought to Super Bowl-watching events). This suggests that the value of friendship trumps the discomfort of watching human activities that seem uninteresting to him – and of course, the free snacks also help ameliorate his discomfort.<br />
<br />
The title text continues the "[[My Hobby]]" trope characteristic of some ''xkcd'' comics: here, Randall references people who scornfully refer to popular sports such as football, basketball, and/or baseball as "sportsball" and creates discomfort for them by pretending to be interested in this imaginary sport. This makes it appear as though they are in fact interested in sports when they are not, exposing their snobbishness. (It is worth noting that there is [https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/sportsball-wii-u/ a Wii U game by that name].)<br />
<br />
In a distant past, Cueball spent his time differently during the Super Bowl - see [[60: Super Bowl]]. (This was the second time that two xkcd comics have shared the [[:Category:Comics sharing name|exact same name]]). The year after he continued the trend with a Super Bowl related comic to "celebrate" the event: [[1640: Super Bowl Context]]. Between the 2006 comic and this one there were no other Super Bowl related comics coming out in relation to the Super Bowl final.<br />
<br />
See also [[1107: Sports Cheat Sheet]] and two other comics where he jokes with sport in general: [[904: Sports]] and [[1507: Metaball]]. He again directly mentions lack of knowledge in [[1859: Sports Knowledge]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball standing.]<br />
:Cueball: I don't know much about sports, which can be culturally isolating, so it's tempting to get vocal and defensive about not following them.<br />
:Cueball: Caring about something makes people vulnerable, so ''not'' caring gives you power.<br />
<br />
:[Pictures of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_map weather map] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philae_(spacecraft) ''Philae'' spacecraft] in the background.]<br />
:But I know things I'm into don't always sound interesting to 100% of the people around me, and it means a lot when they sometimes try to listen anyway - and maybe even find themselves sharing some of my excitement!<br />
<br />
:[Cueball pointing to self.]<br />
:Cueball: So while everyone is going on about the Super Bowl on Sunday, let me tell you what ''I'll'' be doing:<br />
<br />
:[Cueball standing again.]<br />
:Cueball: Listening!<br />
:Cueball: Hooray for friendship!<br />
:Cueball: <small>Also, eating snacks.</small><br />
:Cueball: <small>Hooray for snacks!</small><br />
<br />
== Trivia ==<br />
This comic shares title with [[60: Super Bowl]], published February 6, 2006. This appears to be [[:Category:Disambiguation pages|only the second time]] that two ''xkcd'' comics have borne the same name. The first was [[786: Exoplanets]], published August 30, 2010, and [[1071: Exoplanets]], published June 20, 2012.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:My Hobby]]<br />
[[Category:American football]]<br />
[[Category:Sport]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Space]]<br />
[[Category:Weather]]<br />
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Super Bowl 2]]<br />
[[Category:Super Bowl]]</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:477:_Typewriter&diff=205111Talk:477: Typewriter2021-01-21T01:47:27Z<p>162.158.212.224: just putting a silly comment on here, nothin' more, lol.</p>
<hr />
<div>The spaces are because he's trying to alt-tab. [[Special:Contributions/98.201.111.246|98.201.111.246]] 22:21, 31 January 2013 (UTC)mr<br />
:You are absolutely correct, and the is much more missing. So I did tag this as incomplete.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:31, 19 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
::Ctrl+Tab, next tab in tab bar. Alt+Tab, next top level window on desktop. If he uses a browser based email program it could be either [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.117|108.162.249.117]] 01:44, 30 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
:::Ctrl+Shift+Tab is back a tab. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.40|108.162.245.40]] 20:08, 16 November 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I don't know you , but it looks like a "Madlibs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madlibs) meets Firefox tabs" kind of letter to me. {{unsigned ip|141.101.103.206}}<br />
<br />
Technically it's the carriage that holds the type hammers for the letters. The platen is the rubber cylinder that holds the paper in place for the hammers. The ribbon is between the hammer and paper. -gateway mike {{unsigned ip|173.245.55.119}}<br />
<br />
The platen is indeed the rubber cylinder. The carriage, though, is the larger piece the platen is part of, which moves back and forth as you type. Hence "carriage return" at the end of a line. Either one works in this case, since the position of the next character is determined by moving the paper, not the hammers. {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.64}}<br />
<br />
Unless there was a change in the way a browser worked between then and now, Ctrl-tab is not something you would type an URL into after hitting as it switched between already open tabs. You would need to use Ctrl-T to open a new tab where the cursor would then be in the address bar to type an URL to go to. CTrl-Tab with only 1 tab open does nothing. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.166|108.162.216.166]] 16:44, 19 July 2017 (UTC)<br />
: This is less about Ctrl-tab but rather about Alt+Tab. The joke is that he would be typing within some text processor or email client, Alt-tab to the browser and enter an address there. --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 22:48, 19 July 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I had always seen this one as a somewhat unrealistic exaggeration, though lately I have found myself occasionally attempting to 2-finger tap to undo a line written with pencil on paper, with no success. Oh, the magic of technology. [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 05:45, 15 March 2020 (UTC)<br />
:i do this sometimes too! i'll mess up some drawing or misspell a word on physical paper and instinctually reach to hit ctrl+z before i remember that that isn't how that works. i've actually gotten frustrated before thinking my keyboard wasn't working before i snapped back to reality too, lol. (also - i do this in minecraft sometimes. like i'll misplace a block and i'll try to ctrl+z on java ed on my computer, and hell even on bedrock ed on my xbox, where i have a friggin controller and i ''know'' there's no ctrl+z'ing to even have the ''possibility'' of being done, i'll ''still'' try it, lol.) -lance ([[Special:Contributions/162.158.212.224|162.158.212.224]] 01:47, 21 January 2021 (UTC))<br />
<br />
Maybe I'm missing something; why is this listed under 'Comics featuring Nate Silver'? [[User:BlackHat|BlackHat]] ([[User talk:BlackHat|talk]]) 22:52, 24 October 2020 (UTC)</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2324:_Old_Days_2&diff=2042412324: Old Days 22021-01-07T23:09:23Z<p>162.158.212.224: /* Explanation */ 949: File Transfer</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2324<br />
| date = June 24, 2020<br />
| title = Old Days 2<br />
| image = old_days_2.png<br />
| titletext = The git vehicle fleet eventually pivoted to selling ice cream, but some holdovers remain. If you flag down an ice cream truck and hand the driver a floppy disk, a few hours later you'll get an invite to a git repo.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this sequel to [[1755: Old Days]], which was released more than 3.5 years ago, the conversation continues, as if no time has passed, between (young) [[Cueball]] and (old) [[Hairbun]] about computer programming in the past. As in the first comic in [[:Category:Old Days|this series]], Cueball, having only a faint idea of just how difficult and byzantine programming was "in the old days", asks Hairbun to enlighten him on the specifics. Hairbun promptly seizes the opportunity to screw with his head. <br />
<br />
The new claims:<br />
* The cloud was smaller and called a "Mainframe" and was near Sacramento.<br />
** This is a joke on many {{w|Cloud computing|cloud services}} replacing {{w|mainframe}}s. Both systems were or are used to provide an expansive quantity of computing capability by enabling users to use only some of the available resources, sharing with other users. In those early days, it is true that large mainframes would handle multiple people's jobs at once, using techniques like {{w|time-sharing}} (although they were not necessarily located near {{w|Sacramento}}, the capital of California.). What's more, the basic ideas behind how cloud computing used to go way back. {{w|Multics}} was an early time-sharing system designed to "support a computing utility similar to the telephone and electricity utilities". The idea was similar to the cloud, where anybody could just hook up and get computing service, as well as other services built into the mainframe. For this reason, many of the computer security concepts we have today - such as {{w|Kernel_(operating_system)|kernelized operating systems}} - come from early systems like Multics.<br />
* It was on the state landline.<br />
** In the days of mainframes, remote users often used {{w|landline}}s (i.e. hard-wired telephone connections) to communicate, via {{w|dial-up modem}}s, and so users would have to disconnect for making phone calls. Even in the age of all landlines, there was never such a thing as "the state landline", imagined as an immense shared {{w|Party line (telephony)|party line}} to which the governor would have priority access for making calls. <br />
* No memory protection; instead, people would call around to ask whether anyone else using an address and Microsoft's early foothold in computing was because of {{w|Bill Gates}} lying about his usage of addresses.<br />
** {{w|Memory protection}} protects storage from access by other programs or users. Many computer systems provide hardware and operating systems to support this. Hairbun is correct in that this sort of code was not well-developed early on. She claims that management of the memory was all done manually by agreement of the developers, and the only way to check if editing a particular address in the Mainframe was safe was physically asking all the other developers if they were already using it. In early PCs it was common to use specific memory locations, defined by the operating system or the hardware itself, to communicate with the operating system or perform particular functions such as direct graphical memory addressing rather than code compiling to pass through multiple Hardware Abstraction Layers. Her implication is that Bill Gates took advantage of this honor system to restrict people not working for {{w|Microsoft}} from making changes, allowing the company to take ownership of a lot of code - another fib with a grain of truth in it, based on Microsoft's excessive usage of limited standard-mandated pools. For example, out of 256 possible identifiers for {{w|partition type}} shared between all operating systems running on IBM PC compatible hardware, 65 entries are allocated to miscellaneous variants of FAT and NTFS systems, 38 of them originating from Microsoft itself - including esoteric variants like "Corrupted fault-tolerant FAT16B mirrored master volume."<br />
* "Git" was a van that drove around gathering tapes to copy, and the term "pull request" came from the van physically pulling over when signaled with an air horn.<br />
** {{w|Git}} is a {{w|distributed version control system}}, which manages copies of a coding project to prevent and resolve conflicts from multiple people editing the project at once. It works by having individual contributors {{w|Pull request|pull}} the project onto their device, make their changes, and then push those changes back to be integrated into the master copy. The term "pull request" is primarily used after a user has pushed their new code and is requesting that those changes be integrated into the primary codebase, i.e. that the primary developer would pull those changes into the main branch. Bulk data used to be stored on {{w|magnetic tape}}; in order for version control to exist at this time, there would have to be a master tape that was copied and physically distributed to each contributor, and then the edited tapes would be gathered afterward and conflicts resolved. Hairbun claims that Git provided this service back then using vans. In reality, Git did not exist until 2005, long after digital computers and networked servers became widely accessible and the "early internet" was history. Other systems for providing the same functionality existed for decades before this, with {{w|Source Code Control System}} (SCCS) having been released in 1972. Even this software was implemented primarily for multiple users accessing the same system, rather than users on separate, unconnected ones. Physically carrying storage devices around ({{w|sneakernet}}) has sometimes been used where electronic communication or bandwidth was not available. For example, motorcycle drivers on a regular route, carrying flash drives to remote communities (see {{w|delay-tolerant networking}}). This form of file transfer was also the subject of comic [[949: File Transfer]].<br />
* Before terminals we all used punch cards, which were originally developed to control looms, and so the Mainframe would produce sweaters when code was run.<br />
** Another initial truth going into complete nonsense. It is true that some looms were controlled by {{w|punch card}}s (dating back to 1745), and so were early computer precursors. At the same time {{w|Charles Babbage}} used them around 1830 to control his {{w|Analytical Engine}}. However, Hairbun's statement is that because of this, the ''same'' punch card machines would run both ''simultaneously'', such that feeding a set of cards to compile code would necessarily cause a sweater to be produced by the connected loom, which was then sent to the developer. For one: industrial looms don't produce sweaters, but fabrics (which is often patterned if punch cards are involved). And it's not likely that any punch patterns used in computer coding would be interpretable as a suitable pattern for a sweater. However, there is loom knitting which does produce patterns for sweaters.<br />
* (From the title text) You can still hand in a floppy disk to an ice cream truck and get an invite to a git repo a few hours later.<br />
** Git repo is short for Git {{w|Repository (version control)|repository}}, the place where all the files associated with a project are stored. Hairbun tries to convince Cueball that modern ice cream truck drivers service Git in the same way she says the vans did before and that it's still possible to give them a {{w|floppy disk}} (a magnetic storage device) in order to gain access to a repo. The ice cream industry has no connection to computing.{{Citation needed}}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[In a slim panel, Cueball and Hairbun are walking together to the right. Hairbun has her palm raised.]<br />
:Cueball: What was the Internet like in the olden days, for a developer?<br />
:Hairbun: Oh, things were very different.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball and Hairbun have stopped walking. Zoomed in on Hairbun.]<br />
:Hairbun: The cloud was a lot smaller. It was called a "mainframe" and it was near Sacramento.<br />
:Hairbun: It was on the state landline, so the whole industry paused when the governor had to make a phone call.<br />
<br />
:[Zoomed back out. Hairbun has her palm raised.]<br />
:Hairbun: There was no memory protection. If you wanted to write to an address, you would call around to ask whether anyone else was using it.<br />
:Hairbun: Often Bill Gates would say he was, even when he wasn't. That's how Microsoft got its early foothold.<br />
:Cueball: Wow.<br />
<br />
:[Zoomed back in Hairbun. Cueball responds off-screen.]<br />
:Hairbun: "Git" was originally a van that circled around gathering data tapes to copy and distribute. We all took turns driving it.<br />
:Hairbun: When you saw it coming you'd blow an air horn to request that it pull over.<br />
:Hairbun: That's where "pull request" came from.<br />
:Cueball (off-screen): Oh, neat!<br />
<br />
:[Cueball and Hairbun continue walking to the right. Hairbun has her palm raised.]<br />
:Hairbun: Before terminals, we all used punch cards, which were originally developed to control looms.<br />
:Hairbun: Early mainframes would produce a sweater each time you ran your code.<br />
:Hairbun: Eventually we got them to stop. We had enough sweaters.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Old Days]]<br />
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Old Days]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Programming]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]<br />
[[Category:Version Control]]</div>162.158.212.224https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2324:_Old_Days_2&diff=2042402324: Old Days 22021-01-07T23:05:20Z<p>162.158.212.224: /* Explanation */ 949: File Transfer</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2324<br />
| date = June 24, 2020<br />
| title = Old Days 2<br />
| image = old_days_2.png<br />
| titletext = The git vehicle fleet eventually pivoted to selling ice cream, but some holdovers remain. If you flag down an ice cream truck and hand the driver a floppy disk, a few hours later you'll get an invite to a git repo.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this sequel to [[1755: Old Days]], which was released more than 3.5 years ago, the conversation continues, as if no time has passed, between (young) [[Cueball]] and (old) [[Hairbun]] about computer programming in the past. As in the first comic in [[:Category:Old Days|this series]], Cueball, having only a faint idea of just how difficult and byzantine programming was "in the old days", asks Hairbun to enlighten him on the specifics. Hairbun promptly seizes the opportunity to screw with his head. <br />
<br />
The new claims:<br />
* The cloud was smaller and called a "Mainframe" and was near Sacramento.<br />
** This is a joke on many {{w|Cloud computing|cloud services}} replacing {{w|mainframe}}s. Both systems were or are used to provide an expansive quantity of computing capability by enabling users to use only some of the available resources, sharing with other users. In those early days, it is true that large mainframes would handle multiple people's jobs at once, using techniques like {{w|time-sharing}} (although they were not necessarily located near {{w|Sacramento}}, the capital of California.). What's more, the basic ideas behind how cloud computing used to go way back. {{w|Multics}} was an early time-sharing system designed to "support a computing utility similar to the telephone and electricity utilities". The idea was similar to the cloud, where anybody could just hook up and get computing service, as well as other services built into the mainframe. For this reason, many of the computer security concepts we have today - such as {{w|Kernel_(operating_system)|kernelized operating systems}} - come from early systems like Multics.<br />
* It was on the state landline.<br />
** In the days of mainframes, remote users often used {{w|landline}}s (i.e. hard-wired telephone connections) to communicate, via {{w|dial-up modem}}s, and so users would have to disconnect for making phone calls. Even in the age of all landlines, there was never such a thing as "the state landline", imagined as an immense shared {{w|Party line (telephony)|party line}} to which the governor would have priority access for making calls. <br />
* No memory protection; instead, people would call around to ask whether anyone else using an address and Microsoft's early foothold in computing was because of {{w|Bill Gates}} lying about his usage of addresses.<br />
** {{w|Memory protection}} protects storage from access by other programs or users. Many computer systems provide hardware and operating systems to support this. Hairbun is correct in that this sort of code was not well-developed early on. She claims that management of the memory was all done manually by agreement of the developers, and the only way to check if editing a particular address in the Mainframe was safe was physically asking all the other developers if they were already using it. In early PCs it was common to use specific memory locations, defined by the operating system or the hardware itself, to communicate with the operating system or perform particular functions such as direct graphical memory addressing rather than code compiling to pass through multiple Hardware Abstraction Layers. Her implication is that Bill Gates took advantage of this honor system to restrict people not working for {{w|Microsoft}} from making changes, allowing the company to take ownership of a lot of code - another fib with a grain of truth in it, based on Microsoft's excessive usage of limited standard-mandated pools. For example, out of 256 possible identifiers for {{w|partition type}} shared between all operating systems running on IBM PC compatible hardware, 65 entries are allocated to miscellaneous variants of FAT and NTFS systems, 38 of them originating from Microsoft itself - including esoteric variants like "Corrupted fault-tolerant FAT16B mirrored master volume."<br />
* "Git" was a van that drove around gathering tapes to copy, and the term "pull request" came from the van physically pulling over when signaled with an air horn.<br />
** {{w|Git}} is a {{w|distributed version control system}}, which manages copies of a coding project to prevent and resolve conflicts from multiple people editing the project at once. It works by having individual contributors {{w|Pull request|pull}} the project onto their device, make their changes, and then push those changes back to be integrated into the master copy. The term "pull request" is primarily used after a user has pushed their new code and is requesting that those changes be integrated into the primary codebase, i.e. that the primary developer would pull those changes into the main branch. Bulk data used to be stored on {{w|magnetic tape}}; in order for version control to exist at this time, there would have to be a master tape that was copied and physically distributed to each contributor, and then the edited tapes would be gathered afterward and conflicts resolved. Hairbun claims that Git provided this service back then using vans. In reality, Git did not exist until 2005, long after digital computers and networked servers became widely accessible and the "early internet" was history. Other systems for providing the same functionality existed for decades before this, with {{w|Source Code Control System}} (SCCS) having been released in 1972. Even this software was implemented primarily for multiple users accessing the same system, rather than users on separate, unconnected ones. Physically carrying storage devices around ({{w|sneakernet}}) has sometimes been used where electronic communication or bandwidth was not available (see [[949: File Transfer]]). For example, motorcycle drivers on a regular route, carrying flash drives to remote communities (see {{w|delay-tolerant networking}}). <br />
* Before terminals we all used punch cards, which were originally developed to control looms, and so the Mainframe would produce sweaters when code was run.<br />
** Another initial truth going into complete nonsense. It is true that some looms were controlled by {{w|punch card}}s (dating back to 1745), and so were early computer precursors. At the same time {{w|Charles Babbage}} used them around 1830 to control his {{w|Analytical Engine}}. However, Hairbun's statement is that because of this, the ''same'' punch card machines would run both ''simultaneously'', such that feeding a set of cards to compile code would necessarily cause a sweater to be produced by the connected loom, which was then sent to the developer. For one: industrial looms don't produce sweaters, but fabrics (which is often patterned if punch cards are involved). And it's not likely that any punch patterns used in computer coding would be interpretable as a suitable pattern for a sweater. However, there is loom knitting which does produce patterns for sweaters.<br />
* (From the title text) You can still hand in a floppy disk to an ice cream truck and get an invite to a git repo a few hours later.<br />
** Git repo is short for Git {{w|Repository (version control)|repository}}, the place where all the files associated with a project are stored. Hairbun tries to convince Cueball that modern ice cream truck drivers service Git in the same way she says the vans did before and that it's still possible to give them a {{w|floppy disk}} (a magnetic storage device) in order to gain access to a repo. The ice cream industry has no connection to computing.{{Citation needed}}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[In a slim panel, Cueball and Hairbun are walking together to the right. Hairbun has her palm raised.]<br />
:Cueball: What was the Internet like in the olden days, for a developer?<br />
:Hairbun: Oh, things were very different.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball and Hairbun have stopped walking. Zoomed in on Hairbun.]<br />
:Hairbun: The cloud was a lot smaller. It was called a "mainframe" and it was near Sacramento.<br />
:Hairbun: It was on the state landline, so the whole industry paused when the governor had to make a phone call.<br />
<br />
:[Zoomed back out. Hairbun has her palm raised.]<br />
:Hairbun: There was no memory protection. If you wanted to write to an address, you would call around to ask whether anyone else was using it.<br />
:Hairbun: Often Bill Gates would say he was, even when he wasn't. That's how Microsoft got its early foothold.<br />
:Cueball: Wow.<br />
<br />
:[Zoomed back in Hairbun. Cueball responds off-screen.]<br />
:Hairbun: "Git" was originally a van that circled around gathering data tapes to copy and distribute. We all took turns driving it.<br />
:Hairbun: When you saw it coming you'd blow an air horn to request that it pull over.<br />
:Hairbun: That's where "pull request" came from.<br />
:Cueball (off-screen): Oh, neat!<br />
<br />
:[Cueball and Hairbun continue walking to the right. Hairbun has her palm raised.]<br />
:Hairbun: Before terminals, we all used punch cards, which were originally developed to control looms.<br />
:Hairbun: Early mainframes would produce a sweater each time you ran your code.<br />
:Hairbun: Eventually we got them to stop. We had enough sweaters.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Old Days]]<br />
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Old Days]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Programming]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]<br />
[[Category:Version Control]]</div>162.158.212.224