https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=162.158.58.129&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T13:10:10ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2222:_Terminator:_Dark_Fate&diff=1820672222: Terminator: Dark Fate2019-10-31T19:58:49Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Transcript */ copyedit</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2222<br />
| date = October 30, 2019<br />
| title = Terminator: Dark Fate<br />
| image = terminator_dark_fate.png<br />
| titletext = I was sent here to stop the robot that was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to destroy the robot that was sent here to vacuum the floor.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a SKYNET ROOMBA. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]] is on his way to see the new [[:Category:Terminator|Terminator]] movie; ''{{w|Terminator: Dark Fate}}'', when Cueball's future self comes back to stop him, trying to convince him that as always he will be disappointing by sequels. (This was for instance the main joke in the last part of [[566: Matrix Revisited]]). <br />
<br />
Future Cueball, Cueball-2, almost succeed in spite of good reviews and the fact that the original star {{w|Linda Hamilton}} is back after several movies without her after the two first movies. This movie actually negates any movie that came after those two. That is what time travel can do and also what the rest of the comics joke is about. Because then more future Cueballs arrive, from the different timelines created by the first, Cueball-2, traveling back (and then the later time travelers creating new timelines as they come along). The next, Cueball-3, complains that in his timeline he still wished he had went to see it. Making Cueball exclaim that they should all go see it together. But from then on it explodes, two Cueballs come at once, meaning they must have met in the future so one of them travels back twice... And finally five more comes back, making a total of 10 Cueballs, only one from the present. The last five having more and more silly reasons to come back, the final one just coming back to buy a ticket for the movie, before all the time travlers join each other and buy them all.<br />
<br />
It is a common trope in science fiction to go into the past to stop events from ever happening as explored in the {{w|Terminator (franchise)|Terminator series}}. This comic plays this trope to the extreme.<br />
<br />
The final pane also invokes the "killing Hitler" trope. {{w|Adolf Hitler}} was the leader of Nazi Germany during World War II, and it has been a common trope to "go back in time to kill Hitler" such as in [[1063: Kill Hitler]]. However, this Cueball is over 70 years too late to kill Hitler, as Hitler himself committed suicide in 1945, shortly before the end of WWII.<br />
<br />
The ''Terminator'' film series is famous for this time travel trope. The initial 3 films feature a time traveling robot sent from the dystopian future to kill a particular human, with the future resistance in turn sending a protector to ensure the human's survival. However, the series has never been consistent on even the most broad rules of how time travel affects the timeline, with each movie exploring different possibilities. This is another point of spoof for the comic, featuring multiple recursive time loops until it becomes a jumbled mess. And the new movie only refers to the first two, ignoring any later movies.<br />
<br />
The title text is what is said by the next Cueball-11 (the 10th time-traveler), with each link in the chain relating to the Terminator movies. Except at the end where the initial "dangerous robot" turns out to being a robot send to vacuum the floor. Robotic vacuum. Robotic vacuums, such as the Roomba, are a [[:Category:Roomba|recurring theme]] on xkcd.<br />
<br />
The title text split up: <br />
#A Roomba like robot was sent to clean the floor.<br />
#A human was sent to destroy the robot (this happens in {{w|The Terminator}}) <br />
#A human was sent to protect the previous human (This does not happen like this, but in The Terminator, the human sent back should also protect a human)<br />
#A robot was sent to protect the previous human (this happens in {{w|Terminator 2: Judgment Day}})<br />
#Cueball-11 was sent to stop the previous robot<br />
Thus Cueball-11 tries to stop the person that needs to destroy the roomba by stopping his protector's protector.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is walking to the right. Another Cueball, Cueball-2, appears behind him in a bubble of energy that appears with a loud sound. The bubble floats in the air behind the walking Cueball, with Cueball-2 inside holding his arms out to the side and having his legs bend.] <br />
:''Zap!''<br />
<br />
:[Cueball-2 from the sphere is standing to the left of Cueball, pointing at him. Cueball has stopped and is looking back over his shoulder]<br />
:Cueball-2: I've traveled back in time to stop you from seeing ''Terminator: Dark Fate''!<br />
<br />
:[Cueball-2 is looking at Cueball who has turned around and holds his arm a bit out to the sides.]<br />
:Cueball: But it looks so good! Reviews are actually decent! Mackenzie Davis! '''''Linda Hamilton is back!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Cueball-2 is holding both arms up, hands held down as Cueball stands normally.]<br />
:Cueball-2: I know, but you always think this, and you're always disappointed.<br />
:Cueball: I ''guess''...<br />
<br />
:[Zoom out as another Cueball, Cueball-3, appears to the left in a similar bubble of energy and noise as in the first panel, his arms are out to the sides and his legs are bent. Cueball-2 is holding a hand in front of his mouth, while Cueball throws his arms out to the side.]<br />
:''Zap!''<br />
:Cueball-3: Hi, I'm from the future where you didn't watch it and I realize I still kind of want to see it.<br />
:Cueball: Let's go together!<br />
<br />
:[Another bubble appears from the right of the three Cueballs, the one in the middle (Cueball-2) holding his arms out. This new bubble contains two Cueballs. The first, Cueball-4, throws up his arms over his head, while Cueball-5 has one arm out in front of him. Both have their legs bent..]<br />
:Cueball-4: No! We're both of you from the future! We're here to stop you!<br />
<br />
:[In a large panel five more individually energy bubbles with five Cueballs appear. Two of the bubbles float over the now five Cueballs on the ground. The other three are a bit lower and in a line to the right. Cueball-6 to 10 are in different poses, all with their legs bent, all the way to sitting on the knees in one case and most of them throw their arms out to the side. All look down at the five regardless of their bubble's position. Their text is alternating between being up and down, so the text goes over or below the other text, making it hard to decide which comes first. This may be intentional. But here they are in the order of Cueballs as they come from left to right:]<br />
:Cueball-6: I'm here to stop '''''you!'''''<br />
:Cueball-7: I'm here to stop the robot sent to stop you!<br />
:Cueball-8: I'm here to protect you from...you? I lost track.<br />
:Cueball-9: I'm here to kill Hitler. Did I get the right year?<br />
:Cueball-10: I'm here to get tickets because in like 20 minutes you people buy them all.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
<!-- Not a [[Category:Multiple Cueballs]] since this is the same Cueball from different future time lines. There is thus not different persons looking like Cueball! --><br />
[[Category:Terminator]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]<br />
[[Category:Roomba]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hitler]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1768:_Settling&diff=1820221768: Settling2019-10-31T07:52:19Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Explanation */ Mention</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1768<br />
| date = December 5, 2016<br />
| title = Settling<br />
| image = settling.png<br />
| titletext = Of course, "Number of times I've gotten to make a decision twice to know for sure how it would have turned out" is still at 0.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
This is a chart showing the outcomes when [[Randall]] was confronted with situations he wasn't happy with. It counts 13 situations which he realizes, in retrospect, he should have left sooner than he did, and only 2 situations where he should have stayed. The implication is that, in his experience, it's generally better to leave a situation you don't like, rather than stick with it in the hope that it will improve. <br />
<br />
People often stick with situations they are not happy with (a broken relationship, an unfulfilling career, a stale piece of cake) because they think sticking with the situation is better than throwing it away, and fear that they won't find something better if they leave. This is sometimes referred to as "settling", thus the title of the comic. This risk aversion can lead to people sticking with something a lot longer than they ought to if they want to be happiest. Humans' aversion to loss is common; you, being at the necessary reading level for this wiki, can surely easily recall many times when you feared to lose access to something or someone you valued.<br />
<br />
Economists and behavioral scientists refer to this behavior as the "sunk cost fallacy", more formally known as {{w|Escalation of commitment}}. Colloquially, this is a situation where resistance to change is justified by the amount of effort or time already expended. A proverb recognizing the error in this thinking is [http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/186789/etymology-of-throw-good-money-after-bad "Throwing good money after bad"], while a competing proverb seemingly justifying the behavior is [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/in_for_a_penny,_in_for_a_pound "In for a penny, in for a pound"]. The popular book {{w|Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow|"Thinking, Fast and Slow"}} by Daniel Kahneman details many "errors" in human decision-making, like our aversions to losses, the sunk cost fallacy, and others. <br />
<br />
The title text references a common thread in human regret, which is wondering whether we should have turned the other way when making a choice ("I would have...", "I could have...", "I should have...", et al). Randall points out that it is literally impossible to know how it would have turned out, perhaps urging readers not to regret their decisions, and to live in the moment. It also points out that the previous "scorecard" cannot be regarded as certain, since a person is not given the luxury of knowing what ''would'' have happened if they had made a different choice. Thus, one can think that they made the wrong choice and would have been better off if they had left sooner, but in actuality, it may have turned out even worse. It is impossible to know, and therefore he can't be positive that he didn't actually make the right choice in the situations where he "should have left" .<br />
<br />
Although knowing individual outcomes is impossible, and although it is difficult to separate correlation from causation when analyzing large numbers of decisions, rigorous attempts have been made. Notably, a paper titled [http://www.nber.org/papers/w22487 "Heads or Tails: The Impact of a Coin Toss on Major Life Decisions and Subsequent Happiness"]. The paper confirmed that "For important decisions (e.g. quitting a job or ending a relationship), those who make a change (regardless of the outcome of the coin toss) report being substantially happier two months and six months later."<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
'''Life Scorecard'''<br />
<br />
Times when I thought...<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
|"I'm not really happy here, but maybe this is the best I can expect and I'll regret giving it up."<br />
|}<br />
<br />
...It turned out I...<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
|Should have stayed||Should have left sooner<br />
|-<br />
| &#124;&#124; || <strike>&#124;&#124;&#124;&#124;</strike> <strike>&#124;&#124;&#124;&#124;</strike> &#124;&#124;&#124;<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2222:_Terminator:_Dark_Fate&diff=1820062222: Terminator: Dark Fate2019-10-30T23:42:56Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Explanation */ explain hitler mention</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2222<br />
| date = October 30, 2019<br />
| title = Terminator: Dark Fate<br />
| image = terminator_dark_fate.png<br />
| titletext = I was sent here to stop the robot that was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to destroy the robot that was sent here to vacuum the floor.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by JOHN CONNOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common trope in science fiction to go into the past to stop events from ever happening (this is seen in the ''{{w|Terminator (franchise)|Terminator}}'' series). This comic plays this trope to the extreme by having Cueball's future self come to stop him from watching ''{{w|Terminator: Dark Fate}}'', which leads to a Cueball from that timeline to come tell him to watch it, and then two more of himself come back in order to stop him from watching it, so on so forth, making the time travelling Cueballs go up by an exponential rate.<br />
<br />
The final pane also invokes the "killing Hitler" trope. {{w|Adolph Hiter}} was the leader of Nazi Germany during World War II, and it has been a common trope to "go back in time to kill Hitler". However, this Cueball is over 70 years too late to kill Hitler, as Hitler himself committed suicide in 1945, shortly before the end of WWII.<br />
<br />
The ''Terminator'' film series is famous for this time travel trope. The initial 3 films feature a time traveling robot sent from the dystopian future to kill a particular human, with the future resistance in turn sending a protector to ensure the human's survival.<br />
<br />
The title text continues the exponential time travel eventually ending with the initial "dangerous robot" being a robotic vacuum. [[:Category:Roomba|Robotic vacuums]], such as the Roomba, are a common theme on xkcd.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[One Cueball is walking to the right. Another Cueball floats behind him from the left in a bubble which emits a burst of energy.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball, and pointing at him.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I've traveled back in time to stop you from seeing ''Terminator: Dark Fate''!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Present): But it looks so good! Reviews are actually decent! Mackenzie Davis! '''''Linda Hamilton is back!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I know, but you always think this, and you're always disappointed.<br />
:Cueball (Present): I ''guess''...<br />
<br />
:[Another Cueball appears in a bubble in the same way as the first, scaring Future Cueball 1, who is standing next to Cueball.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
:Cueball (Future 2): Hi, I'm from the future where you didn't watch it and I realize I still kind of want to see it.<br />
:Cueball (Present): Let's go together!<br />
<br />
:[Another bubble appears from the right of the 3 Cueballs, this time containing two Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 3): No! We're both of you from the future! We're here to stop you!<br />
<br />
:[Five more individually-wrapped Cueballs appear, surrounding the other 5 Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 5): I'm here to stop '''''you!'''''<br />
:Cueball (Future 6): I'm here to stop the robot sent to stop you!<br />
:Cueball (Future 7): I'm here to protect you from...you? I lost track.<br />
:Cueball (Future 8): I'm here to kill Hitler. Did I get the right year?<br />
:Cueball (Future 9): I'm here to get tickets because in like 20 minutes you people buy them all.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]<br />
[[Category:Roomba]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2222:_Terminator:_Dark_Fate&diff=1820052222: Terminator: Dark Fate2019-10-30T23:39:24Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Explanation */ More</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2222<br />
| date = October 30, 2019<br />
| title = Terminator: Dark Fate<br />
| image = terminator_dark_fate.png<br />
| titletext = I was sent here to stop the robot that was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to destroy the robot that was sent here to vacuum the floor.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by JOHN CONNOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common trope in science fiction to go into the past to stop events from ever happening (this is seen in the ''{{w|Terminator (franchise)|Terminator}}'' series). This comic plays this trope to the extreme by having Cueball's future self come to stop him from watching ''{{w|Terminator: Dark Fate}}'', which leads to a Cueball from that timeline to come tell him to watch it, and then two more of himself come back in order to stop him from watching it, so on so forth, making the time travelling Cueballs go up by an exponential rate.<br />
<br />
The ''Terminator'' film series is famous for this time travel trope. The initial 3 films feature a time traveling robot sent from the dystopian future to kill a particular human, with the future resistance in turn sending a protector to ensure the human's survival.<br />
<br />
The title text continues the exponential time travel eventually ending with the initial "dangerous robot" being a robotic vacuum. [[:Category:Roomba|Robotic vacuums]], such as the Roomba, are a common theme on xkcd.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[One Cueball is walking to the right. Another Cueball floats behind him from the left in a bubble which emits a burst of energy.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball, and pointing at him.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I've traveled back in time to stop you from seeing ''Terminator: Dark Fate''!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Present): But it looks so good! Reviews are actually decent! Mackenzie Davis! '''''Linda Hamilton is back!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I know, but you always think this, and you're always disappointed.<br />
:Cueball (Present): I ''guess''...<br />
<br />
:[Another Cueball appears in a bubble in the same way as the first, scaring Future Cueball 1, who is standing next to Cueball.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
:Cueball (Future 2): Hi, I'm from the future where you didn't watch it and I realize I still kind of want to see it.<br />
:Cueball (Present): Let's go together!<br />
<br />
:[Another bubble appears from the right of the 3 Cueballs, this time containing two Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 3): No! We're both of you from the future! We're here to stop you!<br />
<br />
:[Five more individually-wrapped Cueballs appear, surrounding the other 5 Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 5): I'm here to stop '''''you!'''''<br />
:Cueball (Future 6): I'm here to stop the robot sent to stop you!<br />
:Cueball (Future 7): I'm here to protect you from...you? I lost track.<br />
:Cueball (Future 8): I'm here to kill Hitler. Did I get the right year?<br />
:Cueball (Future 9): I'm here to get tickets because in like 20 minutes you people buy them all.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]<br />
[[Category:Roomba]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2222:_Terminator:_Dark_Fate&diff=1820042222: Terminator: Dark Fate2019-10-30T23:33:09Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Transcript */ Add category</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2222<br />
| date = October 30, 2019<br />
| title = Terminator: Dark Fate<br />
| image = terminator_dark_fate.png<br />
| titletext = I was sent here to stop the robot that was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to destroy the robot that was sent here to vacuum the floor.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by JOHN CONNOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common trope in science fiction to go into the past to stop events from ever happening (this is seen in the ''{{w|Terminator (franchise)|Terminator}}'' series). This comic plays this trope to the extreme by having Cueball's future self come to stop him from watching ''{{w|Terminator: Dark Fate}}'', which leads to a Cueball from that timeline to come tell him to watch it, and then two more of himself come back in order to stop him from watching it, so on so forth, making the time travelling Cueballs go up by an exponential rate.<br />
<br />
The title text continues this, eventually ending with the "dangerous robot" being a robotic vacuum. [[:Category:Roomba|Robotic vacuums]], such as the Roomba, are a common theme on xkcd.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[One Cueball is walking to the right. Another Cueball floats behind him from the left in a bubble which emits a burst of energy.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball, and pointing at him.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I've traveled back in time to stop you from seeing ''Terminator: Dark Fate''!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Present): But it looks so good! Reviews are actually decent! Mackenzie Davis! '''''Linda Hamilton is back!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I know, but you always think this, and you're always disappointed.<br />
:Cueball (Present): I ''guess''...<br />
<br />
:[Another Cueball appears in a bubble in the same way as the first, scaring Future Cueball 1, who is standing next to Cueball.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
:Cueball (Future 2): Hi, I'm from the future where you didn't watch it and I realize I still kind of want to see it.<br />
:Cueball (Present): Let's go together!<br />
<br />
:[Another bubble appears from the right of the 3 Cueballs, this time containing two Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 3): No! We're both of you from the future! We're here to stop you!<br />
<br />
:[Five more individually-wrapped Cueballs appear, surrounding the other 5 Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 5): I'm here to stop '''''you!'''''<br />
:Cueball (Future 6): I'm here to stop the robot sent to stop you!<br />
:Cueball (Future 7): I'm here to protect you from...you? I lost track.<br />
:Cueball (Future 8): I'm here to kill Hitler. Did I get the right year?<br />
:Cueball (Future 9): I'm here to get tickets because in like 20 minutes you people buy them all.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]<br />
[[Category:Roomba]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2222:_Terminator:_Dark_Fate&diff=1820032222: Terminator: Dark Fate2019-10-30T23:32:12Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Explanation */ Ugh fix</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2222<br />
| date = October 30, 2019<br />
| title = Terminator: Dark Fate<br />
| image = terminator_dark_fate.png<br />
| titletext = I was sent here to stop the robot that was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to destroy the robot that was sent here to vacuum the floor.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by JOHN CONNOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common trope in science fiction to go into the past to stop events from ever happening (this is seen in the ''{{w|Terminator (franchise)|Terminator}}'' series). This comic plays this trope to the extreme by having Cueball's future self come to stop him from watching ''{{w|Terminator: Dark Fate}}'', which leads to a Cueball from that timeline to come tell him to watch it, and then two more of himself come back in order to stop him from watching it, so on so forth, making the time travelling Cueballs go up by an exponential rate.<br />
<br />
The title text continues this, eventually ending with the "dangerous robot" being a robotic vacuum. [[:Category:Roomba|Robotic vacuums]], such as the Roomba, are a common theme on xkcd.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[One Cueball is walking to the right. Another Cueball floats behind him from the left in a bubble which emits a burst of energy.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball, and pointing at him.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I've traveled back in time to stop you from seeing ''Terminator: Dark Fate''!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Present): But it looks so good! Reviews are actually decent! Mackenzie Davis! '''''Linda Hamilton is back!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I know, but you always think this, and you're always disappointed.<br />
:Cueball (Present): I ''guess''...<br />
<br />
:[Another Cueball appears in a bubble in the same way as the first, scaring Future Cueball 1, who is standing next to Cueball.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
:Cueball (Future 2): Hi, I'm from the future where you didn't watch it and I realize I still kind of want to see it.<br />
:Cueball (Present): Let's go together!<br />
<br />
:[Another bubble appears from the right of the 3 Cueballs, this time containing two Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 3): No! We're both of you from the future! We're here to stop you!<br />
<br />
:[Five more individually-wrapped Cueballs appear, surrounding the other 5 Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 5): I'm here to stop '''''you!'''''<br />
:Cueball (Future 6): I'm here to stop the robot sent to stop you!<br />
:Cueball (Future 7): I'm here to protect you from...you? I lost track.<br />
:Cueball (Future 8): I'm here to kill Hitler. Did I get the right year?<br />
:Cueball (Future 9): I'm here to get tickets because in like 20 minutes you people buy them all.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2222:_Terminator:_Dark_Fate&diff=1820022222: Terminator: Dark Fate2019-10-30T23:31:48Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Explanation */ Ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2222<br />
| date = October 30, 2019<br />
| title = Terminator: Dark Fate<br />
| image = terminator_dark_fate.png<br />
| titletext = I was sent here to stop the robot that was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to destroy the robot that was sent here to vacuum the floor.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by JOHN CONNOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common trope in science fiction to go into the past to stop events from ever happening (this is seen in the ''{{w|Terminator (franchise)|Terminator}}'' series). This comic plays this trope to the extreme by having Cueball's future self come to stop him from watching ''{{w|Terminator: Dark Fate}}'', which leads to a Cueball from that timeline to come tell him to watch it, and then two more of himself come back in order to stop him from watching it, so on so forth, making the time travelling Cueballs go up by an exponential rate.<br />
<br />
The title text continues this, eventually ending with the "dangerous robot" being a robotic vacuum. [[:Category:Roomba|Robotic vacuums], such as the Roomba, are a common theme on xkcd.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[One Cueball is walking to the right. Another Cueball floats behind him from the left in a bubble which emits a burst of energy.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball, and pointing at him.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I've traveled back in time to stop you from seeing ''Terminator: Dark Fate''!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Present): But it looks so good! Reviews are actually decent! Mackenzie Davis! '''''Linda Hamilton is back!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I know, but you always think this, and you're always disappointed.<br />
:Cueball (Present): I ''guess''...<br />
<br />
:[Another Cueball appears in a bubble in the same way as the first, scaring Future Cueball 1, who is standing next to Cueball.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
:Cueball (Future 2): Hi, I'm from the future where you didn't watch it and I realize I still kind of want to see it.<br />
:Cueball (Present): Let's go together!<br />
<br />
:[Another bubble appears from the right of the 3 Cueballs, this time containing two Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 3): No! We're both of you from the future! We're here to stop you!<br />
<br />
:[Five more individually-wrapped Cueballs appear, surrounding the other 5 Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 5): I'm here to stop '''''you!'''''<br />
:Cueball (Future 6): I'm here to stop the robot sent to stop you!<br />
:Cueball (Future 7): I'm here to protect you from...you? I lost track.<br />
:Cueball (Future 8): I'm here to kill Hitler. Did I get the right year?<br />
:Cueball (Future 9): I'm here to get tickets because in like 20 minutes you people buy them all.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2222:_Terminator:_Dark_Fate&diff=1820012222: Terminator: Dark Fate2019-10-30T23:30:29Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Explanation */ ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2222<br />
| date = October 30, 2019<br />
| title = Terminator: Dark Fate<br />
| image = terminator_dark_fate.png<br />
| titletext = I was sent here to stop the robot that was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to destroy the robot that was sent here to vacuum the floor.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by JOHN CONNOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common trope in science fiction to go into the past to stop events from ever happening (this is seen in the ''{{w|Terminator}}'' series). This comic plays this trope to the extreme by having Cueball's future self come to stop him from watching ''{{w|Terminator: Dark Fate}}'', which leads to a Cueball from that timeline to come tell him to watch it, and then two more of himself come back in order to stop him from watching it, so on so forth, making the time travelling Cueballs go up by an exponential rate.<br />
<br />
The title text continues this, eventually ending with the "dangerous robot" being a robotic vacuum. [[:Category:Roomba|Robotic vacuums]],such as the Roomba, are a common theme on xkcd.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[One Cueball is walking to the right. Another Cueball floats behind him from the left in a bubble which emits a burst of energy.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball, and pointing at him.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I've traveled back in time to stop you from seeing ''Terminator: Dark Fate''!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Present): But it looks so good! Reviews are actually decent! Mackenzie Davis! '''''Linda Hamilton is back!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I know, but you always think this, and you're always disappointed.<br />
:Cueball (Present): I ''guess''...<br />
<br />
:[Another Cueball appears in a bubble in the same way as the first, scaring Future Cueball 1, who is standing next to Cueball.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
:Cueball (Future 2): Hi, I'm from the future where you didn't watch it and I realize I still kind of want to see it.<br />
:Cueball (Present): Let's go together!<br />
<br />
:[Another bubble appears from the right of the 3 Cueballs, this time containing two Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 3): No! We're both of you from the future! We're here to stop you!<br />
<br />
:[Five more individually-wrapped Cueballs appear, surrounding the other 5 Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 5): I'm here to stop '''''you!'''''<br />
:Cueball (Future 6): I'm here to stop the robot sent to stop you!<br />
:Cueball (Future 7): I'm here to protect you from...you? I lost track.<br />
:Cueball (Future 8): I'm here to kill Hitler. Did I get the right year?<br />
:Cueball (Future 9): I'm here to get tickets because in like 20 minutes you people buy them all.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2222:_Terminator:_Dark_Fate&diff=1820002222: Terminator: Dark Fate2019-10-30T23:29:51Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Explanation */ Correct link</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2222<br />
| date = October 30, 2019<br />
| title = Terminator: Dark Fate<br />
| image = terminator_dark_fate.png<br />
| titletext = I was sent here to stop the robot that was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to destroy the robot that was sent here to vacuum the floor.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by JOHN CONNOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common trope in science fiction to go into the past to stop events from ever happening (this is seen in the ''{{w|Terminator}}'" series). This comic plays this trope to the extreme by having Cueball's future self come to stop him from watching ''{{w|Terminator: Dark Fate}}'', which leads to a Cueball from that timeline to come tell him to watch it, and then two more of himself come back in order to stop him from watching it, so on so forth, making the time travelling Cueballs go up by an exponential rate.<br />
<br />
The title text continues this, eventually ending with the "robot" being a robotic vacuum. [[:Category:Roomba|Robotic vacuums]],such as the Roomba, are a common theme on xkcd.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[One Cueball is walking to the right. Another Cueball floats behind him from the left in a bubble which emits a burst of energy.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball, and pointing at him.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I've traveled back in time to stop you from seeing ''Terminator: Dark Fate''!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Present): But it looks so good! Reviews are actually decent! Mackenzie Davis! '''''Linda Hamilton is back!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I know, but you always think this, and you're always disappointed.<br />
:Cueball (Present): I ''guess''...<br />
<br />
:[Another Cueball appears in a bubble in the same way as the first, scaring Future Cueball 1, who is standing next to Cueball.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
:Cueball (Future 2): Hi, I'm from the future where you didn't watch it and I realize I still kind of want to see it.<br />
:Cueball (Present): Let's go together!<br />
<br />
:[Another bubble appears from the right of the 3 Cueballs, this time containing two Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 3): No! We're both of you from the future! We're here to stop you!<br />
<br />
:[Five more individually-wrapped Cueballs appear, surrounding the other 5 Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 5): I'm here to stop '''''you!'''''<br />
:Cueball (Future 6): I'm here to stop the robot sent to stop you!<br />
:Cueball (Future 7): I'm here to protect you from...you? I lost track.<br />
:Cueball (Future 8): I'm here to kill Hitler. Did I get the right year?<br />
:Cueball (Future 9): I'm here to get tickets because in like 20 minutes you people buy them all.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2222:_Terminator:_Dark_Fate&diff=1819992222: Terminator: Dark Fate2019-10-30T23:27:09Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Explanation */ more</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2222<br />
| date = October 30, 2019<br />
| title = Terminator: Dark Fate<br />
| image = terminator_dark_fate.png<br />
| titletext = I was sent here to stop the robot that was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to destroy the robot that was sent here to vacuum the floor.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by JOHN CONNOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common trope in science fiction to go into the past to stop events from ever happening (this is seen in the ''{{w|Terminator}}'" series). This comic plays this trope to the extreme by having Cueball's future self come to stop him from watching ''{{w|Terminator: Dark Fate}}'', which leads to a Cueball from that timeline to come tell him to watch it, and then two more of himself come back in order to stop him from watching it, so on so forth, making the time travelling Cueballs go up by an exponential rate.<br />
<br />
The title text continues this, eventually ending with the "robot" being a robotic vacuum. Robotic vacuums were previously mentioned in [[Roomba]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[One Cueball is walking to the right. Another Cueball floats behind him from the left in a bubble which emits a burst of energy.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball, and pointing at him.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I've traveled back in time to stop you from seeing ''Terminator: Dark Fate''!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Present): But it looks so good! Reviews are actually decent! Mackenzie Davis! '''''Linda Hamilton is back!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I know, but you always think this, and you're always disappointed.<br />
:Cueball (Present): I ''guess''...<br />
<br />
:[Another Cueball appears in a bubble in the same way as the first, scaring Future Cueball 1, who is standing next to Cueball.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
:Cueball (Future 2): Hi, I'm from the future where you didn't watch it and I realize I still kind of want to see it.<br />
:Cueball (Present): Let's go together!<br />
<br />
:[Another bubble appears from the right of the 3 Cueballs, this time containing two Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 3): No! We're both of you from the future! We're here to stop you!<br />
<br />
:[Five more individually-wrapped Cueballs appear, surrounding the other 5 Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 5): I'm here to stop '''''you!'''''<br />
:Cueball (Future 6): I'm here to stop the robot sent to stop you!<br />
:Cueball (Future 7): I'm here to protect you from...you? I lost track.<br />
:Cueball (Future 8): I'm here to kill Hitler. Did I get the right year?<br />
:Cueball (Future 9): I'm here to get tickets because in like 20 minutes you people buy them all.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2222:_Terminator:_Dark_Fate&diff=1819982222: Terminator: Dark Fate2019-10-30T23:22:58Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Transcript */ Clarify</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2222<br />
| date = October 30, 2019<br />
| title = Terminator: Dark Fate<br />
| image = terminator_dark_fate.png<br />
| titletext = I was sent here to stop the robot that was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to destroy the robot that was sent here to vacuum the floor.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by JOHN CONNOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common trope in science fiction to go into the past to stop events from ever happening (this is seen in the Terminator series). This comic plays this trope to the extreme by having Cueball's future self come to stop him from watching Terminator: Dark Fate, which leads to a Cueball from that timeline to come tell him to watch it, and then two more of himself come back in order to stop him from watching it, so on so forth, making the time travelling Cueballs go up by an exponential rate.<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[One Cueball is walking to the right. Another Cueball floats behind him from the left in a bubble which emits a burst of energy.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball, and pointing at him.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I've traveled back in time to stop you from seeing ''Terminator: Dark Fate''!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Present): But it looks so good! Reviews are actually decent! Mackenzie Davis! '''''Linda Hamilton is back!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I know, but you always think this, and you're always disappointed.<br />
:Cueball (Present): I ''guess''...<br />
<br />
:[Another Cueball appears in a bubble in the same way as the first, scaring Future Cueball 1, who is standing next to Cueball.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
:Cueball (Future 2): Hi, I'm from the future where you didn't watch it and I realize I still kind of want to see it.<br />
:Cueball (Present): Let's go together!<br />
<br />
:[Another bubble appears from the right of the 3 Cueballs, this time containing two Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 3): No! We're both of you from the future! We're here to stop you!<br />
<br />
:[Five more individually-wrapped Cueballs appear, surrounding the other 5 Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 5): I'm here to stop '''''you!'''''<br />
:Cueball (Future 6): I'm here to stop the robot sent to stop you!<br />
:Cueball (Future 7): I'm here to protect you from...you? I lost track.<br />
:Cueball (Future 8): I'm here to kill Hitler. Did I get the right year?<br />
:Cueball (Future 9): I'm here to get tickets because in like 20 minutes you people buy them all.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2222:_Terminator:_Dark_Fate&diff=1819972222: Terminator: Dark Fate2019-10-30T23:22:09Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Transcript */ panel descriptions</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2222<br />
| date = October 30, 2019<br />
| title = Terminator: Dark Fate<br />
| image = terminator_dark_fate.png<br />
| titletext = I was sent here to stop the robot that was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to protect the human who was sent here to destroy the robot that was sent here to vacuum the floor.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by JOHN CONNOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
It is a common trope in science fiction to go into the past to stop events from ever happening (this is seen in the Terminator series). This comic plays this trope to the extreme by having Cueball's future self come to stop him from watching Terminator: Dark Fate, which leads to a Cueball from that timeline to come tell him to watch it, and then two more of himself come back in order to stop him from watching it, so on so forth, making the time travelling Cueballs go up by an exponential rate.<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[One Cueball is walking to the right. Another Cueball floats in a bubble which emits a burst of energy.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball, and pointing at him.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I've traveled back in time to stop you from seeing ''Terminator: Dark Fate''!<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Present): But it looks so good! Reviews are actually decent! Mackenzie Davis! '''''Linda Hamilton is back!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Future Cueball standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Cueball (Future 1): I know, but you always think this, and you're always disappointed.<br />
:Cueball (Present): I ''guess''...<br />
<br />
:[Another Cueball appears in a bubble in the same way as the first, scaring Future Cueball 1, who is standing next to Cueball.]<br />
:ZAP!<br />
:Cueball (Future 2): Hi, I'm from the future where you didn't watch it and I realize I still kind of want to see it.<br />
:Cueball (Present): Let's go together!<br />
<br />
:[Another bubble appears from the right of the 3 Cueballs, this time containing two Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 3): No! We're both of you from the future! We're here to stop you!<br />
<br />
:[Five more individually-wrapped Cueballs appear, surrounding the other 5 Cueballs.]<br />
:Cueball (Future 5): I'm here to stop '''''you!'''''<br />
:Cueball (Future 6): I'm here to stop the robot sent to stop you!<br />
:Cueball (Future 7): I'm here to protect you from...you? I lost track.<br />
:Cueball (Future 8): I'm here to kill Hitler. Did I get the right year?<br />
:Cueball (Future 9): I'm here to get tickets because in like 20 minutes you people buy them all.<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2219:_Earthquake_Early_Warnings&diff=1816672219: Earthquake Early Warnings2019-10-23T21:43:54Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Transcript */ hmm maybe not "weather" per se</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2219<br />
| date = October 23, 2019<br />
| title = Earthquake Early Warnings<br />
| image = earthquake_early_warnings.png<br />
| titletext = I was fired by the National Weather Service five minutes after they hired me for going into their code base and renaming all the tornado warnings to "tornado spoiler alerts."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a SPOILED EARTHQUAKE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
A week before this comic, on October 17th, California introduced an {{w|earthquake warning system}} in the form of an [https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-16/california-to-launch-statewide-earthquake-early-warning-system app for smartphones called MyShake].<br />
The system works through a network of sensors across the state that can detect {{w|P-waves}} from an {{w|earthquake}}, {{w|P-wave#As_an_earthquake_warning|which move faster}} than the {{w|S-waves}}, which cause most of the damage. Because of this difference in speed, the network can send warnings through the app about 5-20 seconds before major shaking occurs, enough time for people to take cover under tables, run outside, etc. The farther you are away from the earthquake, the more warning time you have.<br />
<br />
In the comic [[Megan]] talks about the app, suggesting how cool it is, but [[Cueball]] is upset. He seems to think that prediction of the earthquake coming is like a spoiler that ruins the experience of how an earthquake should be experienced. Apparently he tries to recognize the P-waves before the S-waves hit; this is a challenge, as people cannot feel the P-waves as easily as the S-waves.<br />
<br />
He also personifies the {{w|tectonic plates}} (whose shifting positions causes the quake), saying that we should all feel the shaking the way the tectonic plate intended.<br />
<br />
Earthquake warnings, on a smartphone but not as an app, were the topic of [[723: Seismic Waves]], and shortly before that a protip for an alternative seismograph was mentioned in [[711: Seismograph]].<br />
<br />
In the title text Cueball mentions that he was fired from the {{w|National Weather Service}} five minutes after they hired him because the first thing he did was to rename {{w|tornado warnings}} as {{w|tornado}} spoiler alerts. A {{w|Spoiler (media)|spoiler alert}} is something used, for instance, when talking about a plot twist of a new movie, so that people who haven't seen the movie can avoid learning important details that would spoil the experience of seeing the movie. Cueball seems to genuinely wish to be surprised by these potentially lethal phenomena for which just minutes of warning may make the difference between life and death.<br />
<br />
An app for warning about tornadoes was the topic of [[937: TornadoGuard]]. Warnings in general by the NWS were the subject in [[2179: NWS Warnings]]. Tornadoes was mentioned here, as was volcanoes and Tsunamis, the later often caused by Earthquakes, but quakes were not mentioned.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Megan is looking at her phone while standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Megan: Ooh, California has a new earthquake early warning app.<br />
:Cueball: Yeah, I'm so mad about it.<br />
<br />
:[Megan puts her phone down and looks at Cueball who throws his arms up in the air.]<br />
:Megan: What, why?<br />
:Cueball: It ruins the experience of trying to recognize the p-waves before the obvious main waves hit.<br />
<br />
:[Megan still looks at Cueball who has taken his arms down.]<br />
:Megan: So you're mad about earthquake ''spoilers?''<br />
:Cueball: I just want to experience the shaking the way the tectonic plate ''intended!''<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Tornadoes]]<br />
[[Category:Smartphones]]<br />
[[Category:Geology]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2219:_Earthquake_Early_Warnings&diff=1816662219: Earthquake Early Warnings2019-10-23T21:43:06Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Transcript */ weather category</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2219<br />
| date = October 23, 2019<br />
| title = Earthquake Early Warnings<br />
| image = earthquake_early_warnings.png<br />
| titletext = I was fired by the National Weather Service five minutes after they hired me for going into their code base and renaming all the tornado warnings to "tornado spoiler alerts."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a SPOILED EARTHQUAKE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
A week before this comic, on October 17th, California introduced an {{w|earthquake warning system}} in the form of an [https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-16/california-to-launch-statewide-earthquake-early-warning-system app for smartphones called MyShake].<br />
The system works through a network of sensors across the state that can detect {{w|P-waves}} from an {{w|earthquake}}, {{w|P-wave#As_an_earthquake_warning|which move faster}} than the {{w|S-waves}}, which cause most of the damage. Because of this difference in speed, the network can send warnings through the app about 5-20 seconds before major shaking occurs, enough time for people to take cover under tables, run outside, etc. The farther you are away from the earthquake, the more warning time you have.<br />
<br />
In the comic [[Megan]] talks about the app, suggesting how cool it is, but [[Cueball]] is upset. He seems to think that prediction of the earthquake coming is like a spoiler that ruins the experience of how an earthquake should be experienced. Apparently he tries to recognize the P-waves before the S-waves hit; this is a challenge, as people cannot feel the P-waves as easily as the S-waves.<br />
<br />
He also personifies the {{w|tectonic plates}} (whose shifting positions causes the quake), saying that we should all feel the shaking the way the tectonic plate intended.<br />
<br />
Earthquake warnings, on a smartphone but not as an app, were the topic of [[723: Seismic Waves]], and shortly before that a protip for an alternative seismograph was mentioned in [[711: Seismograph]].<br />
<br />
In the title text Cueball mentions that he was fired from the {{w|National Weather Service}} five minutes after they hired him because the first thing he did was to rename {{w|tornado warnings}} as {{w|tornado}} spoiler alerts. A {{w|Spoiler (media)|spoiler alert}} is something used, for instance, when talking about a plot twist of a new movie, so that people who haven't seen the movie can avoid learning important details that would spoil the experience of seeing the movie. Cueball seems to genuinely wish to be surprised by these potentially lethal phenomena for which just minutes of warning may make the difference between life and death.<br />
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An app for warning about tornadoes was the topic of [[937: TornadoGuard]]. Warnings in general by the NWS were the subject in [[2179: NWS Warnings]]. Tornadoes was mentioned here, as was volcanoes and Tsunamis, the later often caused by Earthquakes, but quakes were not mentioned.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[Megan is looking at her phone while standing next to Cueball]<br />
:Megan: Ooh, California has a new earthquake early warning app.<br />
:Cueball: Yeah, I'm so mad about it.<br />
<br />
:[Megan puts her phone down and looks at Cueball who throws his arms up in the air.]<br />
:Megan: What, why?<br />
:Cueball: It ruins the experience of trying to recognize the p-waves before the obvious main waves hit.<br />
<br />
:[Megan still looks at Cueball who has taken his arms down.]<br />
:Megan: So you're mad about earthquake ''spoilers?''<br />
:Cueball: I just want to experience the shaking the way the tectonic plate ''intended!''<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Weather]]<br />
[[Category:Tornadoes]]<br />
[[Category:Smartphones]]<br />
[[Category:Geology]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=510:_Egg_Drop_Failure&diff=181653510: Egg Drop Failure2019-10-23T20:57:30Z<p>162.158.58.129: /* Explanation */ redundancy</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 510<br />
| date = November 28, 2008<br />
| title = Egg Drop Failure<br />
| image = egg_drop_failure.png<br />
| titletext = I hear my brother Ricky won his school's egg drop by leaving the egg inside the hen.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
A common competition for school-age children (e.g. in science fairs or summer camps) is the 'egg drop': each team is given an uncooked egg and an assortment of materials, e.g. newspaper, Popsicle sticks, string, tape, etc.. The challenge is to use the provided materials to build a contraption that will allow the egg to be dropped from some specified height onto a hard floor without breaking. Scoring varies wildly - common elements are speed of assembly, an accurately targetable landing, and mass of the contraption - but one near-universal requirement is that you are disqualified if the egg is broken.<br />
<br />
In the comic, the student pictured fails, not because of any flaw in his design, but because the egg he was given hatches during the fall! (Of course, this is exaggerated to ludicrous extents; the hatching process takes longer than the few seconds the fall would last, and the newborn chick cannot fly immediately.) However, if it were to magically happen, then the student would be disqualified because the egg technically broke.<br />
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The title text suggests an alternate strategy, one Randall hears was successful in real life: select for your egg one that has not yet been laid. The hen provides both active lift with her wings and significant padding, thus nearly guaranteeing that the egg will survive the fall. Of course, this would not be permitted in most contests, as a chicken is not one of the provided materials. And even if it were allowed, a chicken is much heavier than the usual contraptions of newspaper and string.{{Citation needed}}<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[Boy tosses contraption off of building with egg in it.]<br />
:[Egg cracks and little chick flies out while people look quizzically at the hatched egg.]<br />
:''Crack''<br />
:''Chirp, chirp''<br />
:[Device with cracked egg lands on ground.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]</div>162.158.58.129https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1790:_Sad&diff=134175Talk:1790: Sad2017-01-25T17:31:13Z<p>162.158.58.129: </p>
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<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~--><br />
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My first instinct is that Ponytail is feeling despondent about politics. I am reading too much of myself into it? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.72|172.68.65.72]] 17:25, 25 January 2017 (UTC)<br />
The title ("Sad" - a common interjection in Trump's tweets) strengthens this argument.</div>162.158.58.129