https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=162.158.74.165&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T13:32:41ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2220:_Imagine_Going_Back_in_Time&diff=1915682220: Imagine Going Back in Time2020-05-04T16:43:47Z<p>162.158.74.165: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2220<br />
| date = October 25, 2019<br />
| title = Imagine Going Back in Time<br />
| image = imagine_going_back_in_time.png<br />
| titletext = I wonder what the trendy adults in 2019 who are too cool for Pokemon will be into. Probably Digimon!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Cueball]] is checking his ''{{w|Pokemon Go}}'' app to check on the status of a Pokémon he had previously left in a gym (to defend it against the other two teams in the game). In the gym he sees that another player named "Reelect Trump 2020" has left a frog Pokémon, which is now standing next to his. Cueball, evidently not a fan of President Trump or his supporters, finds it distasteful to be indirectly associated with someone whose political views he finds unpleasant. (Alternatively, it may simply be that Cueball doesn't want politics injected into a game that he plays for fun.)<br />
<br />
When he remarks on this to [[Megan]], she observes out how strange that remark would sound if he said it to his younger self from 20 years ago. Normally when people say "imagine going back in time", they are merely constructing a hypothetical scenario to illustrate how rapidly society has changed over the years. Megan is likely pointing out that the idea of Donald Trump becoming the President of the United States (let alone coming up for re-election) would have seemed very farfetched just 20 years ago.<br />
<br />
However, it turns out that Cueball somehow actually does ''have'' the time-travel technology required to pull this off, and so he takes Megan's suggestion literally and goes back in time 20 years to do exactly what she suggested: he repeats the statement to his younger self to see what his reaction will be.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, past Cueball (in the year 1999) chooses to focus on a completely different aspect of the statement: the fact that ''Pokémon'' - a children's game - will still somehow be popular in 20 years, and that his adult self is still playing it. These observations make Cueball feel uncomfortable, as they highlight the fact that he is spending time on frivolous, childish pursuits. He gets defensive and starts to argue with his younger self.<br />
<br />
{{w|Pokemon}} is a media franchise that debuted in 1996 in Japan as both a video game and a trading card game. It was originally designed for and marketed to younger children (the tie-in cartoon series constantly emphasizes its main characters are ten years old), with a design, aesthetic and gameplay that were optimized for a younger audience. Since then, and up to 2019, there have been a total of eight generations of video games on consoles. As the franchise continued to thrive and evolve, it's gone through multiple generations, including ''Pokemon Go'', an augmented reality game for smartphones. These latest versions, in particular, have become popular with adults, some of whom grew up playing the earlier generations. <br />
<br />
In 1999 in North America, only the first generation of Pokemon video games had been released, consisting of {{w|Pokémon Red and Blue|Pokemon Blue and Pokemon Red}} for the Nintendo Gameboy. The second generation of Pokemon video games would not even be announced in Japan until {{w|Pokémon Gold and Silver#Release|November 1999}}, and advertising for the North American release would begin in December of 1999. A person living in 1999, who has only seen the first generation, with no official confirmation that a second generation was even being considered, and unable to predict the nostalgia market that would appear later, would quite plausibly wonder about its popularity 20 years later.<br />
<br />
{{w|Donald J. Trump}} is the president of the United States at the time of publishing, elected in 2016. Even during his campaign, the idea of his election was considered absurd in many circles, as he had never held any kind of public office, and had no background that would lend itself to expertise in government or public policy. Prior to his election, he was primarily known as a New York real estate mogul and host of the 2003 reality television show ''The Apprentice''. While he'd been teasing the idea of a presidential run since the 1980s, and indeed {{w|Donald Trump 2000 presidential campaign|was seeking the Reform Party candidacy in 1999}} (at the advice of then-Governor of Minnesota {{w|Jesse Ventura}}, another actor-turned-politician), most people did not take the idea seriously, and the concept of him actually being President of the United States would have been hugely unexpected to most Americans in an earlier era.<br />
<br />
Randall released a comic about Pokémon Go less than a week after its release back in July 2016: [[1705: Pokémon Go]]. But Pokémon in general has been a [[:Category:Pokémon|recurring theme]] in xkcd long before Pokémon Go was released.<br />
<br />
[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pepe-the-frog Pepe the Frog] is an internet meme that has become associated with Donald Trump after his use of it during his presidential campaign. The use of a frog Pokémon, therefore, is a callback to this internet phenomenon. <br />
<br />
The Pokémon left in the gym is most likely [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Politoed_(Pok%C3%A9mon) Politoed], the only official frog Pokémon released in the game at the time of publication. It comes from the tadpole series with [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Poliwag_(Pok%C3%A9mon) Poliwag] that evolves into [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Poliwhirl_(Pok%C3%A9mon) Poliwhirl] which by using a [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/King%27s_Rock kings rock] can be evolved to Politoed (instead of to [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Poliwrath_(Pok%C3%A9mon) Poliwrath]). There are other frog like Pokémon in the game which are scheduled to be added to Pokémon Go, but where people who dislike Trump might have chosen [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Toxicroak_(Pok%C3%A9mon) Toxicroak], it seems an unlikely choice by a fan that hopes Trump is reelected!<br />
<br />
This comic's joke is similar to one used in the 1985 science-fiction film ''{{w|Back to the Future}}'', in which Doc Brown (of 1955) is shocked to learn that {{w|Ronald Reagan}} would be the President of the United States in thirty years' time, when in 1955 Reagan was a TV actor.<br />
<br />
{{w|Digimon}}, as mentioned in the title text, is another media franchise which is similar to Pokemon in some ways, though it is sometimes perceived as more "cool" and "adult" oriented. Its popularity in North America rose around 1999 with the airing of its anime series, but [https://www.geekinsider.com/digimon-vs-pokemon-retrospective-monster-marketing/ never became as popular as Pokemon].<br />
<br />
This was the first of two time travel comics in less than a week, as the one two comics after this one, [[2222: Terminator: Dark Fate]], also had future Cueballs travel back to visit their past self.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball talks to Megan while looking at his smart phone.]<br />
:Cueball: Ugh. A player named "Reelect Trump 2020" put a frog Pokemon in the gym next to mine.<br />
<br />
:[Megan puts her hand to her face. Cueball is holding a device in his hand with an antenna. He uses the other hand to move a stick on the device.]<br />
:Megan: Imagine going back in time and saying that to yourself 20 years ago.<br />
:Cueball: Oh, I have a time machine! I'll try that.<br />
<br />
:[A sound effect between panels, likely the sound of Cueball's time machine.]<br />
:Bzzzzt<br />
<br />
:[Two Cueballs standing, facing each other. The one on the right is holding the handheld device, and is thus Cueball from 2019. He is apparently repeating his statement to the other Cueball from 1999, with only the last 3 words shown. He gestures towards the left Cueball. Above the left Cueball there is a frame with a caption:]<br />
:1999<br />
:Cueball from 2019: ...next to mine.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball from 1999 is shown, with Cueball from 2019 speaking off panel.]<br />
:Cueball from 1999: I see. <br />
:Cueball from 1999: Pokemon is still popular in 2019?<br />
:Cueball from 2019: Yeah.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball from 2019 is holding a finger up in front of Cueball from 1999.]<br />
:Cueball from 1999: And it's cool for people your age to play it?<br />
:Cueball from 2019: OK, I did not come here to be mocked.<br />
:Cueball from 1999: This is a sobering cautionary tale.<br />
:Cueball from 2019: '''''Listen, self...'''''<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
* The idea of people extending their childhood hobbies into adulthood was explored in a more positive light in [[219: Blanket Fort]] and [[150: Grownups]]. The blurred line between childhood and adulthood is a recurring theme on xkcd. <br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]]<br />
<!-- NOT a [[Category:Multiple Cueballs]] since it is actually just a younger version of Cueball when they are two --><br />
[[Category:Video games]]<br />
[[Category:Pokémon]]<br />
[[Category:Time travel]]<br />
[[Category:Politics]]</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1070:_Words_for_Small_Sets&diff=1723671070: Words for Small Sets2019-04-06T12:30:25Z<p>162.158.74.165: /* Explanation */ changed correct in parentheses to incorrect</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1070<br />
| date = June 18, 2012<br />
| title = Words for Small Sets<br />
| image = words_for_small_sets.png<br />
| titletext = If things are too quiet, try asking a couple of friends whether "a couple" should always mean "two". As with the question of how many spaces should go after a period, it can turn acrimonious surprisingly fast unless all three of them agree.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The noun "couple" can mean "exactly two items of the same kind," or it can be used interchangeably with words like "few" or "several", which in this context mean "comparatively small but definitely greater than one". But some people insist that "couple" can only mean two, by (incorrect) analogy with the specific use of the word "couple" to refer to exactly one pair of people who are in a romantic relationship. <br />
<br />
This comic also alludes to similar arguments about the relative meaning of phrases like "few" and "several" (some people will argue that "several" should mean more than "few", while others will argue the opposite or that it doesn't matter), making this comic [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=troll+bait troll bait]. [[Randall]] is attempting to "troll" (intentionally provoke) the people who claim "couple" must mean exactly two by taking the other (incorrect) side of the argument. <br />
<br />
The title text similarly alludes to the argument. Randall says "Try asking a couple of friends [...] unless all three of them agree," which jokingly refers to the same group of people first by the vague term "couple," which can include three, and then specifies the exact number, resulting in a jarring effect as if a "couple" meant exactly three. The title text also mentions the {{w|Sentence spacing|sentence spacing}} issue as an example of another topic known to ignite energetic arguments among pedantic types without ever leading to consensus. Sentence spacing is later seen in [[1285: Third Way]]. The sentence spacing arguments are about whether one or two space characters must be used after the period character at the end of the sentence.<br />
<br />
The title text also points out an unusual situation where troll baiting may not work: namely, intending to spark an argument is most effective if there is a disagreement on the matter. If all of the inquired friends have the same opinion on the matter (be it the definition of 'couple' or the number of spaces after a period), then an argument may not spark, and the trolling attempt may fail.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:Just to clear things up:<br />
:[A chart with four rows and two columns is shown.]<br />
:;A few<br />
::Anywhere from 2 to 5<br />
<br />
:;A handful<br />
::Anywhere from 2 to 5<br />
<br />
:;Several<br />
::Anywhere from 2 to 5<br />
<br />
:;A couple<br />
::2 (but sometimes up to 5)<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Compromise]]</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2122:_Size_Venn_Diagram&diff=1711282122: Size Venn Diagram2019-03-13T17:25:53Z<p>162.158.74.165: F-Zero reference?</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2122<br />
| date = March 11, 2019<br />
| title = Size Venn Diagram<br />
| image = size_venn_diagram.png<br />
| titletext = Terms I'm going to start using: The Large Dipper, great potatoes, the Big Hadron Collider, and Large Orphan Annie.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a Large Terror. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
[[File:Symmetrical_5-set_Venn_diagram.svg|thumb|upright=0.5|{{w|Branko Grünbaum}}'s multi-set Venn diagram strategy from 1975, less symmetric than Randall's.]]<br />
This comic is a {{w|Venn diagram}} illustrating the complete set of possible intersections of five different size adjectives: "little", "large", "small", "great" and “big”. Each unique intersection contains a short list of nouns that can be preceded by each of its intersecting adjectives.<br />
<br />
For example, "flying fox" (a type of bat) appears at the intersection of "large", "small", and "great", because the species {{w|large flying fox}}, {{w|small flying fox}}, and {{w|great flying fox}} all exist, but there is no such species as a "big flying fox" or a "little flying fox". Similarly, humans have organs named the {{w|small intestine}} and {{w|large intestine}}, but no "little intestine", "great intestine", or "big intestine".<br />
<br />
Some descriptors are applied in combination to their noun, rather than individually; for example, "planet" is placed in both the "little" and "big" groups in reference to the 2008 video game ''{{w|Little Big Planet}}''.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Randall declares that he will start intentionally using term combinations that don't appear in the above diagram, presumably to entertain himself while confusing people.<br />
<br />
A similar concept can be seen in [[181: Interblag]], but in a tabular form rather than a Venn diagram.<br />
<br />
===List of items in the diagram===<br />
The following table lists all size/noun combinations that the Venn diagram can generate, with a description of each.<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
!Item<br />
!Big !! Great !! Large !! Little !! Small<br />
|-<br />
|width=10%|'''Aunt'''<br />
|width=18%|<br />
|width=18%| [[wiktionary:great-aunt|sister of one's grandparent]]<br />
|width=18%|<br />
|width=18%|<br />
|width=18%|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Bang Theory'''<br />
|currently-accepted {{w|Big Bang|scientific theory}} that explains the origin of the universe; also a {{w|The Big Bang Theory|TV sitcom}}|| || || ||<br />
|-<br />
|'''Barrier Reef'''<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Great Barrier Reef|world's largest coral reef system}}, off the coast of Australia<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Bear Lake'''<br />
|a {{w|Big Bear Lake, California|lake and surrounding community in California}}, in the mountains<br />
|a {{w|Great Bear Lake|lake in Canada}}, in the Northwest Territories -- the largest lake entirely in Canada, and the fourth-largest in North America<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Bend'''<br />
| {{w|Big Bend|several geographic locations}}, including a {{w|Big Bend National Park|US National Park}} in Texas<br />
| {{w|Great Bend (disambiguation)|several geographic locations}}, including a {{w|Great Bend, Kansas|city in Kansas}} and the description of the S-shaped curving of the {{w|Nile River}} in Egypt and Sudan<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Billed Seed Finch'''<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Great-billed seed finch|species of finch}}, described in 1851<br />
|{{w|Large-billed seed finch|species of finch}}, described in 1789<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Blue'''<br />
|nickname for [https://www.ibm.com IBM] and the {{w|New York Giants}}, also [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095250 a movie] and a stage in {{w|F-Zero}} and borrowed into Mario Kart<br />
|<br />
|{{w|large blue|various different butterflies}}<br />
|<br />
|{{w|small blue|butterfly}}, smallest found in the UK<br />
|-<br />
|'''Blue Heron'''<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Great Blue Heron|species of heron}} that measures 91–137 cm (36–54 in) long<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Little Blue Heron|species of heron}} that measures about 60 cm (24 in) long<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Board'''<br />
| nickname for the {{w|New York Stock Exchange}} || || || ||<br />
|-<br />
|'''Cardiac Vein'''<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Great cardiac vein|left coronary vein}}<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Small cardiac vein|heart vein on the right side}}<br />
|-<br />
|'''Circle'''<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Great circle|largest possible circle}} that can be drawn on a sphere; the {{w|equator}} is an example of one on the Earth<br />
|<br />
|The {{w|Little_Circle|Little Circle}}, a group of political reformists based in Manchester, UK in the early 1800s<br />
|{{w|Circle_of_a_sphere|a circle that lies on a sphere}} without passing through its center (which would make it a great circle)<br />
|-<br />
|'''Claims Court'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Small claims court|judicial court}} that handles cases involving only relatively small amounts of money<br />
|-<br />
|'''enchilada'''<br />
|[[wiktionary:big enchilada|important person]] || || || ||<br />
|-<br />
|'''Depression'''<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Great Depression|period of prolonged economic downturn}} that affected the world economy in the 1930's<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Dipper'''<br />
|{{w|Big Dipper|subset collection of stars}} in the constellation {{w|Ursa Major}}<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|name for the constellation {{w|Ursa Minor}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Emerald'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Large_emerald|Geometra papilionaria}}, a bright green moth of the family {{w|Geometer_moth|Geometridae}}<br />
|{{w|Jodis_lactearia|Jodis lactearia}}, a light green or white moth of the family {{w|Geometer_moth|Geometridae}}<br />
|{{w|Hemistola_chrysoprasaria|Hemistola chrysoprasaria}}, a light green or yellow-white moth of the family {{w|Geometer_moth|Geometridae}}<br />
|-<br />
|'''End'''<br />
|The {{w|Crankpin|bearing}} connecting a connecting rod to the crank shaft of a reciprocating engine.<br />
| {{w|Great End|Mountain in England}}<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|The {{w|Crankpin|bearing}} connecting a connecting rod to the gudgeon pin and hence the piston in a reciprocating engine.<br />
|-<br />
|'''Eyed Conger'''<br />
|{{w|Sea conger|type of eel}}, found in the western Pacific Ocean<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Large-eye conger|type of eel}}, found in the northwestern and eastern central Pacific Ocean<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Smalleye conger|type of eel}}, found in the eastern Indian Ocean<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flying Fox'''<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Great flying fox}}<br />
|{{w|Large flying fox}}<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Small flying fox}}<br />
|-<br />
|'''Foot'''<br />
|The well known folk-lore monster ''{{w|Bigfoot}}''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|List_of_The_Land_Before_Time_characters#Littlefoot|Main character}} in the ''{{w|Land Before Time}}'' film series<br />
|''{{w|Smallfoot (film)|Smallfoot}}'' is an animated film that inverts the Bigfoot legend, focusing on a group of yetis that tell stories about humans.<br />
|-<br />
|'''Forest Bat'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|A common {{w|Large forest bat|bat}} found in Southeastern Australia<br />
|A related {{w|Little forest bat|bat}} also found in Southeastern Australia<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Format'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Large format|anything larger than 4x5 inches in photography}}<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Foundation'''<br />
|The BIG Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit charity<br />
|May be a reference to Asimov’s Greater Foundation<br />
|?<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Frog'''<br />
|Refers to someone who is important but only in a small group (Big frog in a small pond)<br />
|<br />
|?<br />
|children's book [https://smile.amazon.com/Little-Frog-Crista-R-Stewart/dp/1616638702/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g5171374337?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&ie=UTF8 "The Little Frog"] by Crista R. Stewart<br />
|{{w|Small frog|An Australian frog species}}<br />
|-<br />
|'''Game'''<br />
|Large animals hunted for sport or food, usually referring to the African {{w|big five game}} (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, cape buffalo); can also refer to the NFL's {{w|Super Bowl}} <br />
|{{w|Great Game|19th Century geopolitical competition}} between the British and Russian Empires over control of Afghanistan<br />
|{{w|Game (hunting)|Large animals}} hunted for sport or food, such as bears or moose<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Game (hunting)|Small animals}} hunted for sport or food, such as rabbits or ducks<br />
|-<br />
|'''Hadron Collider'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Large Hadron Collider|particle accelerator}}<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Hearted'''<br />
|[[wiktionary:bighearted|kind, generous, selfless, noble]]<br />
|[[wiktionary:greathearted|generous, selfless, noble]]<br />
|[[wiktionary:largehearted|generous, benevolent, noble]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''House on the Prairie'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Little House on the Prairie|novel}} (later made into a TV show)<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Intestine'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|The {{w|Large Intestine}} or colon is the last part of the digestive system.<br />
|<br />
|The {{w|Small Intestine}} is the part of the gastrointestinal tract (gut) immediately after the stomach, where most absorption of nutrients takes place<br />
|-<br />
|'''Island'''<br />
|{{w|Hawaii (island)|largest island in Hawaii}}, or numerous other islands: {{w|Big Island}}<br />
|{{w|Great Island|in Cork Harbour, Ireland}}<br />
|{{w|Large Island|island in the Antilles, owned by Grenada}}<br />
|{{w|Little Island|several islands named such}}, plus a song in ''{{w|Randy Newman's Faust}}''<br />
|{{w|Small Island (novel)|novel which was made into a movie}}<br />
|-<br />
|'''League'''<br />
|Nickname for top-level competition<br />
|One of the leagues in Pokemon Go<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Little League Baseball|Youth baseball organization}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Lies'''<br />
|''{{w|Big Little Lies (TV series)|Big Little Lies}}'', a novel made into a TV series; also a [[wiktionary:big lie|form of propaganda]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|''{{w|Big Little Lies (TV series)|Big Little Lies}}'', a novel made into a TV series; also a {{w|Little Lies|Fleetwood Mac song}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Magellanic Cloud'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|A {{w|Large Magellanic Cloud|satellite galaxy}} of the Milky Way<br />
|<br />
|Another {{w|Small Magellanic Cloud|satellite galaxy}} of the Milky Way<br />
|-<br />
|'''Millimeter Telescope'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Large Millimeter Telescope|radio telescope}}<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''One'''<br />
|Nickname for any large natural disaster that is expected to happen in the future, such as a tsunami or an earthquake in California<br />
|Nickname for {{w|Wayne Gretzky}}, considered by many to be the greatest ice hockey player of all time, also comedian {{w|Jackie Gleason}} and many other people ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_One Wikipedia disambiguation page]).<br />
|<br />
|affectionate term for a small person<br />
|{{w|The Small One|A Disney animated short directed by Don Bluth}}<br />
|-<br />
|'''Orphan Annie'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Little Orphan Annie|comic strip}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Planet'''<br />
|Part of the video game ''{{w|Little Big Planet}}''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|Part of the video game ''{{w|Little Big Planet}}''<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Potatoes'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|[[wiktionary:small potatoes|something relatively unimportant]]<br />
|-<br />
|'''Pox'''<br />
|<br />
|an old name for {{w|syphilis}}<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|smallpox|a deadly disease}} which was effectively eradicated by 1977<br />
|-<br />
|'''Professor'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Large Professor|rap artist}}<br />
|{{w|Little Professor|educational math toy}} (also "Little Professor Syndrome", an informal name for autism)<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Richard'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Little Richard|musician}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Room'''<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Great room|a McMansion's signature space}}<br />
|<br />
|{{w|White_Blood_Cells_(album)#Track_listing|Track 6}} on "White Blood Cells," the third album by {{w|The_White_Stripes|The White Stripes}}<br />
|{{w|May Sarton|"The Small Room", a novel by May Sarton}}, also various songs: {{w|Small Room}}<br />
|-<br />
|'''Screen'''<br />
|[[wiktionary:big screen|another name for movies]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|[[wiktionary:small screen|another name for TV]]<br />
|-<br />
|'''Sister'''<br />
|[[wiktionary:big sister|older female sibling]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|[[wiktionary:little sister|younger female sibling]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Soldiers'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Little Soldiers|1996 Telugu drama film}}<br />
|{{w|Small Soldiers|1998 movie}} about sentient animated toys at war<br />
|-<br />
|'''Sur'''<br />
|{{w|Big Sur|coastal region of California}} famed for its mountain scenery <br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Terror'''<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Great Terror|One of two periods of violent political repression}}; one during {{w|Reign of Terror|the French Revolution}} between 1793 and 1794, the other in {{w|Great Purge|the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin}} between 1936 and 1938<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Time'''<br />
|[[wiktionary:big time|major]], the highest level of a field<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|[[wiktionary:small time|minor]], or modest, level of achievement<br />
|-<br />
|'''Toothed Aspen'''<br />
|A {{w|Populus grandidentata|tree}} native to North America<br />
|<br />
|Another name for the same tree<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Wall of China'''<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Great Wall of China|Series of fortifications}} over 13,000 miles long that served to protect various Chinese empires from raids and invasion from their north<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''White'''<br />
|{{w|Big White Ski Resort|ski resort in British Columbia}}<br />
|{{w|Great white shark|species of shark}} or a {{w|Great White|rock band}}<br />
|{{w|Pieris brassicae|a butterfly}} or {{w|Large White pig|a common breed of pig}}<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Dixeia|multiple species}} of {{w|Pieris rapae|butterflies}} are known as small whites<br />
|-<br />
|'''Wonder'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|{{w|Little Wonder|"Little Wonder" is a song and single by David Bowie, from the 1997 album Earthling.}}<br />
|{{w|Small Wonder (TV series)|American sitcom}}<br />
|-<br />
|'''World'''<br />
|Australian company {{w|BigWorld|BigWorld}} which develops development tools for MMOs; also {{w|Big_World|a 1986 live album by Joe Jackson}}.<br />
|Reference to either {{w|Great World City|Great World City}} or {{w|Great World Amusement Park|Great World Amusement Park}}, a Chinese shopping mall or amusement park, respectively<br />
|<br />
|A {{w|Little World|2013 Catalan documentary film}}<br />
|{{w|Small_World_(board_game)|Board game by Days of Wonder}}, {{w|It's a Small World|ride at Disney parks}}, type of {{w|Small-world_network|mathematical graph.}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<!-- Ordered clockwise, starting from Big. --><br />
<br />
:Big: Bang Theory, Enchilada, Board, Sur<br />
:Little: Orphan Annie, House on the Prairie, Richard<br />
:Large: format, Millimeter Telescope, Hadron Collider<br />
:Small: claims court, potatoes<br />
:Great: Barrier Reef, Wall of China, Depression, Terror, aunt<br />
<br />
:Big/Great: Bend, Bear Lake<br />
:Big/Small: time, screen<br />
:Big/Little: Dipper, Planet, lies, sister<br />
:Little/Great: Blue Heron<br />
:Little/Large: Professor, Forest Bat<br />
:Big/Large: Toothed Aspen<br />
:Large/Small: intestine, Magellanic Cloud<br />
:Little/Small: wonder, soldiers<br />
:Small/Great: pox, cardiac vein<br />
:Large/Great: Billed Seed Finch<br />
<br />
<br />
:Big/Large/Great: hearted<br />
:Big/Small/Great: end<br />
:Big/Little/Small: foot<br />
:Big/Little/Great: league<br />
:Little/Large/Great: (none)<br />
:Big/Little/Large: foundation<br />
:Big/Large/Small: Eyed Conger, Blue<br />
:Little/Large/Small: emerald<br />
:Little/Small/Great: circle, room<br />
:Large/Small/Great: flying fox<br />
<br />
:Big/Large/Small/Great: game, white<br />
:Big/Little/Small/Great : world, one<br />
:Big/Little/Large/Great : (none)<br />
:Big/Little/Large/Small : frog<br />
:Little/Large/Small/Great : (none)<br />
<br />
:Big/Little/Large/Small/Great: Island<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Venn diagrams]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2115:_Plutonium&diff=1702312115: Plutonium2019-02-27T19:31:15Z<p>162.158.74.165: /* Explanation */ Add missing word and correct another word.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2115<br />
| date = February 22, 2019<br />
| title = Plutonium<br />
| image = plutonium.png<br />
| titletext = It's like someone briefly joined the team running the universe, introduced their idea for a cool mechanic, then left, and now everyone is stuck pretending that this wildly unbalanced dynamic makes sense.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a POWER ORB. The title text has multiple explanations, use them all. Also, the game one has some inconsistencies. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic pokes fun at the properties of {{w|plutonium}}, claiming that it is so unrealistically powerful that it may as well be random science fiction jargon. Indeed, the ability for a metal to radiate energy sounds impossible (this comic leaves out the inherent dangers of highly radioactive material). This is reflected by Megan and Hairy treating Cueball's idea as a joke.<br />
<br />
There are devices that need substantial electrical power over long time &ndash; in the order of decades &ndash; but local sources of energy are insufficient or unavailable, yet constructing a power line or resupplying them with some power source (like fuel, fresh chemical batteries etc.) is either impossible or overly costly. Such devices include maritime beacons and buoys, automatic weather and science stations located in remote areas, and &ndash; most importantly &ndash; deep space probes and some planetary probes or science packs. Probes sent beyond Jupiter cannot effectively rely on photovoltaic panels for energy, because the great distance to the Sun means that the amount of solar radiation per unit of area is very low, requiring impractically large (and thus heavy) panels to provide enough energy. Carrying a lot of fuel adds mass to the probe, making them more expensive to launch.<br />
<br />
Instead, such devices usually use {{W|radioisotope thermoelectric generator}}s (RTGs). In an RTG the natural radioactive decay of some unstable isotope (such as {{w|plutonium-238}} or {{w|strontium-90}}) produces a lot of heat, which is then used to generate energy using {{W|thermopile}}s, which generate electricity directly from temperature differences using the {{W|thermoelectric effect}}. The key element of an RTG, a pellet of radioactive material such as plutonium dioxide, could be facetiously described as a "power orb" &ndash; a lump of a substance that gives out heat apparently out of nothing.<br />
<br />
Plutonium-238 must be produced from uranium in a nuclear reactor. Unlike plutonium-239, the {{W|Alpha decay|alpha radiation}} emitted by plutonium-238 is relatively harmless, as it is quickly absorbed by surrounding material and turned to heat &ndash; but plutonium is still incredibly dangerous if it gets inside a human body unprotected. In pure form it produces a little more than half a watt of heat per gram, which slowly drops as the material decays to lead, emitting a quarter watt per gram after 100 years.<br />
<br />
The title text references development of computer games. In this context, the word ''mechanics'' is a metaphor referring to the set of rules and interactions that govern the imaginary world of the game. The ''mechanics'' of a game determines the development of stories and/or characters during the game, outcomes of actions commanded by the players and so on. This metaphor refers to the {{W|mechanics}} science, and how it describes behavior of physical objects in the real world. However, contrary to the real-world mechanics which "just happens" and we only try to describe how things work, in {{W|game mechanics}} every single rule or interaction has to be explicitly programmed. The game program simulates (to a given extent) an actual world. Programmed rules do not need to mimic the real world closely and often don't for many reasons. This results in (intended or otherwise) inconsistencies, unexpected behavior or imbalance. Gamers complain about “imbalance” when a particular rule, interaction or artifact present in the game (such as an extremely powerful magical item) gives a player exploiting it a great and unjustified advantage over others. Such a feature is often called a ''mechanic'', meant as one particular rule (singular) out of the overall set of rules (game mechanic''s''). These inconsistencies and possible imbalances can lead to code being untouched, even after the creator of those mechanics and code eventually leave.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
:[Megan, Hairy, Cueball, and Ponytail are talking.]<br />
:Megan: How will we keep the spacecraft supplied with heat and electricity?<br />
:Cueball: We could use a power orb. They give off thousands of watts 24/7.<br />
:Megan: Huh? How do you recharge it?<br />
:Cueball: You don't. It's just made of a metal that emits energy. <br />
:Megan: OK, come on.<br />
:Hairy: Can we please be serious here?<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:For something that's real, plutonium is so unrealistic.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Space]]</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2096:_Mattresses&diff=1679772096: Mattresses2019-01-11T14:52:58Z<p>162.158.74.165: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2096<br />
| date = January 9, 2019<br />
| title = Mattresses<br />
| image = mattresses.png<br />
| titletext = After reading that "The War To Sell You A Mattress Is An Internet Nightmare" article, I've decided it's safer and less complicated to just sleep on the floor. DISCLOSURE: THE AUTHOR OF THIS MOUSEOVER TEXT RECEIVED FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FROM THE FLOOR INDUSTRY FOR THIS MESSAGE.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a Podcast Host. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Cueball is talking to Ponytail about his mattress, in what appears to be just a casual conversation. Cueball suddenly offers to take any questions from listeners, as though the conversation were part of a podcast; this confuses Ponytail. The subtitle explains that Randall has heard so many advertisements for certain products on podcasts that he assumes any mention of those products is part of a podcast. <br />
<br />
{{w|Podcast}}s are typically audio-only programs available online, which frequently generate income through advertisements. Ads are often read by the podcast host. Hosts will often include segues or personal anecdotes to further reduce the "topical whiplash" caused by abruptly switching subjects from that of the podcast to an unrelated brand plug, and back.<br />
<br />
In 2018, many podcasts (or at least many podcasts that Randall listens to) contained ads by {{w|Casper Sleep|Casper}} or {{w|Helix Sleep|Helix Sleep}} (both mattress brands), MeUndies or Tommy John (both underwear brands), and {{w|Stamps.com}} (an internet-based mailing/shipping service).<br />
<br />
The title text refers to [https://www.fastcompany.com/3065928/sleepopolis-casper-bloggers-lawsuits-underside-of-the-mattress-wars "The War To Sell You A Mattress Is An Internet Nightmare"], about the pressures companies put on reviewers, and the legal battle between a mattress review site, that makes money through affiliate sales, and a mattress company, which was unhappy with a review. Since saying anything unfavorable about mattresses might open one to legal action, the title text author opted to avoid them entirely. However, that could be seen as an endorsement of sleeping on the floor, thus requiring a disclaimer. It also references the way that podcast hosts will often note when they intentionally or unintentionally endorse a product sponsor in an attempt to remain transparent about their financial supporters.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
:[Cueball and Ponytail are talking to each other]<br />
:Cueball: ...It's firmer than my old mattress, which I thought I wouldn't like, but it's actually really nice.<br />
:Ponytail: Cool, maybe I should get one.<br />
:Cueball: Now let's take some listener questions!<br />
:Ponytail: What?<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:I can't talk about mattresses, underwear, or the Post Office anymore without feeling the urge to segue back into a podcast.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
The image was originally posted as an indexed image with only a 3-color map (white, black, and grey), leading to graphical artifacts in place of a smooth blur between black and white. Most of Randall's comic images are indexed images with over 200 different grayscale colors. The original image can be seen [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/8/84/20190109163710%21mattresses.png here].<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2096:_Mattresses&diff=1679362096: Mattresses2019-01-09T16:45:55Z<p>162.158.74.165: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2096<br />
| date = January 9, 2019<br />
| title = Mattresses<br />
| image = matresses-fixed.png<br />
| titletext = After reading that "The War To Sell You A Mattress Is An Internet Nightmare" article, I've decided it's safer and less complicated to just sleep on the floor. DISCLOSURE: THE AUTHOR OF THIS MOUSEOVER TEXT RECEIVED FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FROM THE FLOOR INDUSTRY FOR THIS MESSAGE.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a Podcast Host. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Podcasts, typically audio-only programs which are available online either through RSS feeds or on specific websites, are often funded by ads. In 2018, many podcasts (or at least, many podcasts that Randall listens to) contained ads by Casper (a mattress brand), MeUndies (an underwear brand), and Postmates (a delivery service). The latter of these is of note in this comic, because while a typical ad is designed to influence listeners to purchase the sponsor's product, Postmates ads make Randal think about the US postal service.<br />
<br />
In addition, to reduce the chances that their listeners will skip or fast-forward through ads, ads are often read out by the podcast hosts. They will often include segues and personal anecdotes to further reduce the "topical whiplash" caused by abruptly switching subjects from that of the podcast to an unrelated brand plug and back.<br />
<br />
The alt text references [https://www.fastcompany.com/3065928/sleepopolis-casper-bloggers-lawsuits-underside-of-the-mattress-wars this article] on a mattress review site that makes money through affiliate sales, and its legal battle with a mattress company. It also references the way that podcast hosts will often note when they unintentionally endorse a product sponsor in an attempt to remain transparent about their financial supporters.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
:[Cueball and Ponytail are talking to each other]<br />
:Cueball: ...It's firmer than my old mattress, which I thought I wouldn't like, but it's actually really nice.<br />
:Ponytail: Cool, maybe I should get one.<br />
:Cueball: Now let's take some listener questions!<br />
:Ponytail: What?<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:I can't talk about mattresses, underwear, or the Post Office anymore without feeling the urge to segue back into a podcast.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
The image was originally posted without a smooth blur between black and white, leading to graphical artifacts. The original image can be seen [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/8/84/20190109163710%21mattresses.png here].<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1693:_Oxidation&diff=1671581693: Oxidation2018-12-19T20:50:20Z<p>162.158.74.165: Pluralized "these often feared animal" (animal -> animals)</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1693<br />
| date = June 13, 2016<br />
| title = Oxidation<br />
| image = oxidation.png<br />
| titletext = Calm down--there were lots of arthropods living on your skin already. These ones are just bigger.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic [[Ponytail]] has set [[Megan]]'s car on fire, possibly by crashing it.<br />
<br />
{{w|Oxidation}} refers to a whole class of chemical reactions. Any chemical reaction that involves the loss of electrons is called "oxidation" (since a lot of these involve oxygen). One oxidation reaction is {{w|rusting}}, the reaction of iron atoms in the steel of the car with oxygen and moisture to produce iron oxide hydrate. Rusting is extremely difficult to prevent, and all cars are rusting slowly. {{w|Oxidation}} was also mentioned in the title text of [[1426: Reduce Your Payments]], where the main joke was about the opposite reaction i.e. reduction.<br />
<br />
Another oxidation reaction is {{w|combustion}}, an exothermic reaction, such as the violently rapid reaction of flammable parts of the car with oxygen to produce a whole load of nasty gases and particulates, as well as a lot of heat. {{w|Vehicle fire|Vehicle fires}} can burn very quickly and destroy a vehicle within minutes.<br />
<br />
From the most detached viewpoint, these are both oxidation reactions (although they occur in different places: rusting normally happens to the car chassis while fires are usually isolated to the engine) and Ponytail argues that as all cars oxidize, the fire that she has caused has only accelerated the inevitable destruction of the vehicle.<br />
<br />
This idea was already explored in the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|97|Burning Pollen}}'', where the second image shows a burning car and the text above mentions the difference between rusting and burning cars: Lots of materials oxidize when exposed to air. Bananas go bad, copper turns green, iron rusts. Fire is another kind of oxidation reaction. In other words, our cars are always oxidizing; we just try to keep it from happening suddenly. The title text of the image even mentions the fact that it is different parts that burns than those that rust: ''Although the parts that oxidize during a car fire and the parts that rust aren’t usually the same.''<br />
<br />
The comic by extension mocks arguments that ignore or trivialize quantitative differences. Such arguments are commonly employed to attack climate change: the Earth has been warming since the glacial period ten thousand years ago, it's just happening faster since the introduction of large quantities of greenhouse gases.<br />
<br />
In the title text the small {{w|arthropods}} (invertebrates that have jointed bodies and exoskeletons) are referencing microscopic {{w|mites}} – tiny creatures that can live on the human body without normally causing any harm (you probably have {{w|eyelash mite}}s, for instance).<br />
<br />
Presumably as a form of revenge, Megan has caused Ponytail to become covered in much larger arthropods - most probably {{w|spiders}}, judging by [[Randall|Randall's]] [[:Category:Spiders|fixation with them]], but it could be any combination of these often feared animals: spiders, {{w|scorpions}}, {{w|insects}}, {{w|crabs}}, {{w|centipedes}}, {{w|millipedes}} etc. As contrasted with the harmless mites mentioned above, other parasitic arthropods (such as the {{w|Crab louse}}, an insect known in slang as "crabs") are notorious as a {{w|sexually transmitted infection}}, and Megan could have been referring to these as those Ponytail already had as a further means of degrading her after the car fire incidence.<br />
<br />
Megan's car also caught fire in [[1014: Car Problems]], but there she did not at first know for sure who did it. Not a direct relation, but Megan seems to be unlucky with her cars.<br />
<br />
This comic was referenced in the title text of [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]]<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Ponytail is holding a finger up in front of Megan while gray smoke and heat waves pours in to the frame from off-panel left.]<br />
:Ponytail: In my defense, your car has been oxidizing since you got it.<br />
:Ponytail: It's just happening a lot faster now.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]] <!-- Arthropods --><br />
[[Category:Chemistry]]</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2074:_Airplanes_and_Spaceships&diff=1661932074: Airplanes and Spaceships2018-11-20T02:34:50Z<p>162.158.74.165: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2074<br />
| date = November 19, 2018<br />
| title = Airplanes and Spaceships<br />
| image = airplanes_and_spaceships.png<br />
| titletext = Despite having now taken three months longer than the airplane people, we're making disappointingly little progress toward the obvious next stage of vehicle: The Unobtanium-hulled tunneling ship from the 2003 film 'The Core.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a TUNNELING AIRPLANE-SPACESHIP. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This comic is pointing out that more time has elapsed since the first spaceship flight, than previously elapsed between the first airplane flight and the first spaceship flight.<br />
<br />
Airplanes and spaceships are often considered to be related vehicles, under the term aerospace, with degrees in aerospace fields often having aeronautics (airplanes) or astronautics (spaceships) tracks. The jump in technology and performance between the first airplane and the first spaceship was enormous: the {{w|Wright Flyer}} had a max speed of 30 mph, and the first flights reached only about 30 feet above ground, with distances of only 120 to 850 feet. In comparison the {{w|Vostok 1}} mission of Yuri Gagarin reached orbital velocity of 17,500 mph, a minimum altitude of 91 miles (480,480 feet), and traveled once around the earth (about 25,000 miles). This represents an increase in performance of between about 600 and 150,000 times.<br />
<br />
By contrast, an equal amount of time has passed between the first spaceflight and the publish date of this comic, but aeronautical performance has not improved much at all. Although the Apollo mission broke speed and altitude records, and later space missions extended the distance traveled in a single flight by sustaining Earth orbit for longer, the overall technology and performance is not much different that that used during the first space mission.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the 2003 film ''{{w|The Core}}''. In this film, there is a instability in the Earth's magnetic field, so a team of scientists attempt to drill to the center of the Earth and set off nuclear explosions to restart the rotation of the Earth's core. To do this, they travel in a vehicle made of "Unobtainium" that can withstand the heat and pressure within the Earth's crust. Randall is sad to report that there is little progress being made on creating this vehicle. Incidentally, ''The Core'' is a film which represents science and engineering wrong in many, many aspects. There is [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298814/goofs?ref_=tt_ql_trv_2 a long list] of flaws - for example, how do they build the vehicle's hull from unobtaininum if that material is resistant to heat and pressure?<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A timeline is shown with three dots on it. Each dot has a label beneath the dot, and the two intervals between the dots are also labeled, with lines indicating which dots are belonging to that label.]<br />
<br />
:Dot 1: <br />
::December 17, 1903 <br />
::First human airplane flight<br />
<br />
:Dot 2: <br />
::April 12, 1961<br />
::First human spaceflight<br />
<br />
:Dot 3: <br />
::Today<br />
<br />
:Interval 1-2: 57 years 4 months<br />
:Interval 2-3: 57 years 7 months<br />
<br />
:[Caption beneath the frame:]<br />
:Spaceships are now older than airplanes were when we flew our first spaceships.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Timelines]]<br />
[[Category:Space]]<br />
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2016:_OEIS_Submissions&diff=163480Talk:2016: OEIS Submissions2018-10-01T01:48:43Z<p>162.158.74.165: </p>
<hr />
<div>There's an old Numberphile video about Sub[43]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDYzSzDaHuM --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 13:24, 15 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
"All integers which do not appear in the example terms of another OEIS sequence" there is no paradox: it's pecified *another* sequence<br />
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.133|162.158.154.133]] 17:52, 6 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I am so sorry that this comment is not related to the strip, but is the scaling for the explanation way off? Previously the scaling of the whole website was stretched, but now it is a bit too cramped for me. It happens to the previous strips too.Boeing-787lover 18:10, 6 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Is it too much of a stretch to mention that Chris Hemsworth stars in the movie ''Blackhat'', which is also a nickname for an XKCD character? [[User:John at work|John at work]] ([[User talk:John at work|talk]]) 19:31, 6 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The Sub 59 one is also a paradox, it specifies that it should include all of the author's accepted submissions, so it would have to be on it's own list itself in order to be accurate? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.233|172.68.58.233]] 19:47, 6 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
:No, it would not be paradoxical. If it is accepted, then the sequence contains its identification number. If it is not accepted, that number is not in the sequence. The sequence changes depending on its own status, but there is no contradiction. This is different from e.g. the set of sets that don't contain themselves. If that set contained itself, it shouldn't contain itself, and if it didn't contain itself, it should contain itself. Both alternatives are logically impossible, so the set itself is impossible. There is nothing impossible about submission 59. [[User:Howtonotwin|Howtonotwin]] ([[User talk:Howtonotwin|talk]]) 20:15, 6 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
:If OEIS would bend their own rule and allow a sequence of one number, they could accept SUB[59] , and it will never be out of date as long as they never accept another RM submittal.[[User:GODZILLA|GODZILLA]] ([[User talk:GODZILLA|talk]]) 00:49, 8 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Do the OEIS rules specify that a finite set of numbers can not be expanded later? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.50.112|172.68.50.112]] 14:42, 9 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
::Finite sequences are permitted. ''&mdash; [[User:Tbc|tbc]] ([[User talk:Tbc|talk]]) 15:26, 10 July 2018 (UTC)''<br />
:::But would they need to be complete at the time of submission/approval or can they be modified at a later stage? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.50.112|172.68.50.112]] 09:23, 11 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The Westside IRT stops sequence is a wonderful piece of trivia. I found [https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/27/science/in-a-random-world-he-collects-patterns.html the NYT article], which gives as its reason that at that time only infinite sequences were included. I have failed to find the necessary third-party reference to the inclusion of the sequence in OEIS (this, being an open wiki, is unacceptable) to include the point in {{w|IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line|the Wikipedia article on the West Side IRT}}. Can anybody supply one? [[User:Yngvadottir|Yngvadottir]] ([[User talk:Yngvadottir|talk]]) 20:35, 6 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
: http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/pdf/t1cur.pdf Scroll down to page 3, which has a chart showing all the stops on the 1 line. [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]]) 16:27, 11 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
: The Manhattan stops of the IRT line (specifically they normal use the #2 express rather than the #1 local) are a classic "What is the next number in this sequence?" puzzle : 14, 34, 42, 72 .... [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]]) 16:27, 11 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm wondering about the comment "In UTF-16, a 9 takes up 2 bytes," about the 2 TB of 9s. Does OEIS store numbers in UTF-16 format? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.94|172.68.174.94]] 21:01, 6 July 2018 (UTC) nprz<br />
: It seems unrelated to me, the comic says 2 terabytes of 9s not 2 terabytes of 9s in a string (UTF-16 or otherwise). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.33|162.158.158.33]] 12:49, 9 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Helvetica seems to be one of the fonts where all digits have the same width (so that columns of numbers line up). Strangely, there seems to be a kerning pair for "11" that some Software uses. "Helvetica Neue" does not seem to have that kerning pair. (Tested using the simple HTML page in https://gist.github.com/hn3000/bec217afe666b0ee0a0430e976df4d22#file-numbers-by-width-in-font-html ).<br />
[[User:Hn3000|Hn3000]] ([[User talk:Hn3000|talk]]) 11:04, 7 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Such a coincidence! I've been working on my first submission all week and wrote an Emacs Lisp program that discovered the third integer pair the day this came out! You get to see it now that I have a number allocated ([https://oeis.org/draft/A316587 A316587]): 12, 34, 56, 78, 6162, 7879. Can you find the next number in the sequence? Hint: my sequence is a proper subset of A001704. Still editing before I submit for approval. ''&mdash; [[User:Tbc|tbc]] ([[User talk:Tbc|talk]]) 18:11, 7 July 2018 (UTC)''<br />
: I withdrew my sequence. I learned from the OEIS editors that my sequence is "the juxtaposition of terms from [https://oeis.org/A116163 A116163] and [https://oeis.org/A116294 A116294]." The next pair after 6162, 7879 is 6547965480, 8091980920. ''&mdash; [[User:Tbc|tbc]] ([[User talk:Tbc|talk]]) 15:26, 10 July 2018 (UTC)''<br />
<br />
Digits do not have the same width in Helvetica, at least not in the version of Helvetica I have. Using the PHP function [http://php.net/imagettfbbox imagettfbbox] (part of the GD library), here is the bounding box width of single digits in 12pt size:<br />
5 points: '1'. 8 points: '4', '7'. 9 points: '0', '2', '3', '5', '6', '8', '9'.<br />
With a very large size (480pt) the differences ar more notable:<br />
166 points: '1'. 302 points: '9'. 307 points: '6'. 308 points: '2', '8'. 309 points: '0', '5'. 311 points: '7'. 313 points: '3'. 318 points: '4'.<br />
<br />
For 2-digit numbers in 480pt size I find: 522 points: '11'. 559 points: '61', '71'. 560 points: '91'. 562 points: '21'. 563 points: '51', '81'. 566 points: '41'. 568 points: '31'. 620 points: '19'. 623 points: '13'. 624 points: '10', '15', '18'. 625 points: '12'. 626 points: '16'. 629 points: '14', '17'. The rest range from 657 to 675 points.<br />
<br />
In short, sub[44] makes sense, with all the caveats mentioned in the explanation. The phrases `1 to 9 in no particular order, 11, 10 and 12 to 19 in no particular order and so on' are exaggerated IMHO, the order within these subsets is not completely arbitrary.<br />
Zetfr 10:22, 8 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think that all nines sequence can be reference to Dilbert strip about random number generator which always returns 9 http://dilbert.com/strip/2001-10-25<br />
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.77|141.101.104.77]] 19:41, 8 July 2018 (UTC)qbolec<br />
: Okay, it is an overwrought cliché but that joke is actually a lot funnier in 'the original German'. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.156|141.101.105.156]] 12:56, 15 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I thought the all nines sequence was a reference to Revolution 9 from the White Album by the Beatles. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.50.34|172.69.50.34]] 12:04, 13 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Two of these are real:<br />
<br />
* [https://oeis.org/A316600 A316600 Integers in increasing order of width when printed in Helvetica.]<br />
* [https://oeis.org/A010734 A010734 All the 9's.]<br />
<br />
- PonyToast ([[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.165|162.158.74.165]] 01:48, 1 October 2018 (UTC))</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:875:_2009_Called&diff=163289Talk:875: 2009 Called2018-09-25T22:28:06Z<p>162.158.74.165: no trump hate!</p>
<hr />
<div>I was too busy trading fashion tips, and they hung up before I could tell them. '''[[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 00:38, 11 January 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The '90s called. They wanted my pogs back. But, due to inflation, they couldn't offer me enough money for me to be willing to sell. I told them my friend, Oscar, has some Pokémon stuff, but the '90s had no interest in that crap. I made the right choice to choose pogs over Pokémon. Society made the wrong one. But, I digress. The '90s are doing rather well, and they miss us.[[Special:Contributions/76.29.225.28|76.29.225.28]] 18:20, 14 July 2013 (UTC)<br />
:The only Pokémon stuff I ever had was a bunch of pogs, so... --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.10.172|172.68.10.172]] 18:26, 31 December 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
2017 called, but I couldn't understand what they were saying over all the screams.<br />
<br />
I bet it was something about them being attacked by 4 Replicants. [[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 23:49, 23 January 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Well, that title text is feeling pretty prophetic now...[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.185|141.101.98.185]] 00:08, 12 November 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
'''Hello it's 2017, please send help.''' [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.202|108.162.237.202]] 21:23, 7 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
:This is 2018 calling in, you'll be alright on your own. At least for the time being. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.130|108.162.241.130]] 05:05, 14 January 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
This now stands as a piece of horrifying foreshadowing. Seriously, we're barely in april and things alredy look terrifying. I blame Randall for everything. {{unsigned|Comment Police}}<br />
<br />
The screaming in 2017 was just an echo of everybody's collective screams from 2016 when almost everybody's favorite musician or celebrity died. We now refer to it as 'The Year Who's Number Shall Not be Spoken' [[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.225|172.69.68.225]] 05:59, 15 February 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The explanation mentioned Trump, but it doesn't actually attack him too much. Good. We don't need all the Trump hate here. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.165|162.158.74.165]] 22:28, 25 September 2018 (UTC)</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2019:_An_Apple_for_a_Dollar&diff=160103Talk:2019: An Apple for a Dollar2018-07-16T08:54:39Z<p>162.158.74.165: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Is this a reference to how shops in America don't include VAT in price labels?<br />
(It's my first time trying to contribute to this so sorry if I get some format stuff wrong){{unsigned ip|141.101.107.132}}<br />
<br />
:Yeah, Randall would love it in Europe! (you should sign your posts with <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> though) --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.22|172.68.51.22]] 15:53, 13 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:It is a commentary on overly complex taxes and fees on things that really shouldn't have fees applied (I can think of hardly anything that really should have a fee applied, or be taxed really, but that's a political-philosophical discussion for another space-time coordinate) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.239|172.69.70.239]] 16:18, 13 July 2018 (UTC) Sam<br />
<br />
:We call it sales tax, and it doesn't have the chaining-effect on every stage of production that VAT does, but yeah. It's rarely calculated into the sticker price. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.246|162.158.106.246]] 16:27, 13 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Is food taxed where Randall lives? It's not where I live and I was under the impression that it's not in most of the US. It's not uncommon for me to go to a store after working out and buying a protein bar for exactly $1. {{unsigned ip|162.158.63.22}}<br />
<br />
:Living smack-dab in the center of the US and I can tell you that pretty much everything has a sales tax. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.239|172.69.70.239]] 16:18, 13 July 2018 (UTC) Sam<br />
::Groceries, such as apples, should not be taxed, but I believe that processed foods are taxed. Actually, nevermind, this is state dependent: [https://blog.taxjar.com/states-grocery-items-tax-exempt/] [[Special:Contributions/172.68.46.137|172.68.46.137]] 16:27, 13 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:In my experience food is indeed taxed like everything else, but businesses will sometimes set the actual price of the item slightly below $1, such that the tax makes it cost exactly $1. The example that comes to mind is the soft-serve ice cream at IKEA. [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 16:31, 13 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
::That has been my experience as well, although it varies by region. — AfroThundr <sup>([[User:AfroThundr3007730|u]] · [[User talk:AfroThundr3007730|t]] · [[Special:Contributions/AfroThundr3007730|c]])</sup> 16:37, 13 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
: In Germany we have two types of VAT. General rule of thumb 7% for food and print media and 19% for more or less everything else. It's a rule of thumb, because there are exemptions to the 7% stuff which suddenly are taxed 19%. But in either case it's included on the price tag. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:45, 16 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The closest thing this can relate to a for a European is buying dinners or hotel rooms if you come from a corrupt East or Southern European country where "tourists tax" is a real thing and added out of nowhere on top of the regular price, because the regular price only have to include regular taxes.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.58|162.158.202.58]] 16:39, 13 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm thinking on the analysis I tentatively added to the explanation above. I assumed Megan was an engineer, but re-reading the comic ("Should I solve for something ??") I think it's more possible she no longer has to do math in her career, and is being portrayed as having a flashback to school again when she encounters a similar situation to her education. The examples are common in math and physics in grade school. It's hard for me to figure out in my head how to combine all the different interpretations, or which ones are likely wrong; it would be great if somebody could clean it up. If not, it's just a tiny wiki on the internet. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.160|172.68.54.160]] 18:25, 13 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Is this really a grocery store? I thought of it more as a coffee shop. Minimalist decor and whatnot. It's also one of those places where you would explain introductorily that you want just the apple. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.130|108.162.237.130]] 18:15, 14 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The exact fraction of an apple needed to spend exactly $1.00 is 0.46082949308. [[User:meunstercheese|MuensterCheese]] misspelled their username. [[User_talk:Meunstercheese|Chat \o]] 19:23, 14 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"it seems the cashier is unable to figure out how to handle it" for me it feels like the cashier gets the customers "needs" very fast and responds in a very clever and symbiotic way that benefits both parties.<br />
<br />
One could also interpret this as an analogy of Randall's first experiences with cryptocurrencies (to avoid naming any specific one), which makes transactions as simple as possible without any tricks. The title text then suggests that it's possible in this scenario to send fractions of a unit in cryptocurrencies. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.142|108.162.241.142]] 20:09, 14 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"I'd like 0.4608 apples, please" - "Thank you, that will be $0.999936" [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.165|162.158.74.165]] 08:54, 16 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== The real joke I think is over paying for an apple ==<br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure $1 is over priced for an apple... $2.17 criminally so<br />
<br />
:Maybe it's big and heavy apple? ... but the issue might be more that apples are almost always sold by weight, and the weight multiplied by unit price is very unlikely to produce round number for price unless you are VERY lucky. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:00, 15 July 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Depends on where she's buying them. If it's a grocery store, where apples are usually sold in bulk, then $1 per apple is high. If it's a mini mart (like 7/11) or a coffee shop/fast food place, where apples are sold individually as a side, then $1 per apple is pretty reasonable.</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2002:_LeBron_James_and_Stephen_Curry&diff=158293Talk:2002: LeBron James and Stephen Curry2018-06-04T21:37:19Z<p>162.158.74.165: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
I have no idea what this is about, but wondered if Stephen Curry was related to the Curry twins Tom and Ben, who are both over 6' - or to Tim, who isn't except in heels.<br />
[[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 07:53, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
: Both LeBron James and Stephen Curry are famous NBA players. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.190.4|172.69.190.4]] 08:46, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
::How would you not know that? And even if you don't know who they are, you must have at least heard about them before, right? [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 09:21, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
::: Not everyone is from USA. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.190.4|172.69.190.4]] 09:41, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:::: That excuse could work, except your IP address is based in the USA :) [[User:Zachweix|Zachweix]] ([[User talk:Zachweix|talk]]) 12:01, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
::::: So is mine right now, but that doesn't mean I'm '''from''' here, and they didn't make us memorise every NBA player on the plane. (Hey cool, this IP has edited here before too) -[[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.60|162.158.186.60]] 15:36, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: I like Curry. You know, the dish. And the actor. Tim, that is. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 11:58, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
Not everyone in the USA follows sports. I've heard of LeBron James, but only in passing. The only Curry I know of is a fictional one from some old movie. {{unsigned ip|162.158.74.147}}<br />
;Nate Silver<br />
<br />
Nate Silver is famous for his numerical approach and extensive use of statistics and simulations.<br />
He foresaw a probability of 28.6% for Donald to win the electoral college just before the election. That is a greater chance than most political commentators would have granted Donald. Typical betting sites saw Hillary 5:1 ahead at the evening of the election.<br />
So I would not at all say that he got everything wrong in 2016. He predicted that Hillary would be a formidable number of votes ahead as most probable outcome, but also that many states would be very tight.<br />
[[https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/]]. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.106|172.68.110.106]] 09:21, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Definitions needed <br />
Hi! Could definitions be added for some of the terms used, such as "bleachers"? Thanks! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.200|162.158.155.200]] 11:30, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Magnetic North<br />
I would have liked the "magnetic north" thing to be due to the geographical orientation of the teams home courts (if the Cavaliers are the only team to have a court that happens to be roughly north-south oriented, it would explain the higher points value). Looking at the Stupid Name Arena, however, it appears that the court inside is probably about NW-SE. Too bad. [[User:Chrullrich|Chrullrich]] ([[User talk:Chrullrich|talk]]) 14:15, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I was thinking that might be a reference to the Cleveland Cavaliers playing their home games at a slightly high latitude than the (San Fransico-based) Golden State Warriors. (However, they are nearly at the same latitude, and neither is anywhere near 75 degrees North) [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]]) 19:24, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;SSN to Free Throw%<br />
Would it be too much of a stretch to add in the fact that Stephen Curry's point is highlighted on the chart, as a nod to the fact that (the majority of) one's SSN can actually be determined if one knows details about personal information such as where one was born? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.130|108.162.219.130]] 16:08, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Not anymore. My three kids were all born in the same hospital -- same wing; rooms only meters apart -- but have TOTALLY different SSN's. (No, I'm not sharing them as proof!) We even asked the local SS office what happened and they said they're starting to reuse numbers at random. I think it's not "reuse" as much as "reallocate", but either way the strict geographical basis is no longer valid. --'''BigMal''' // [[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.209|172.69.70.209]] 16:31, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Originally, the first three digits indicated the office where the person requested an SSN. It didn't really signify anything. It was just that each office was given on a block of numbers to assign, and that block all started with the same three digits. Since in the early days of Social Security, a person got theirs, not at birth, but when they first got a job, it was more of an indication of where they happened to be living then, rather than where they were born. By the 60s, SSN assignment had been centralized, but they still tried to maintain the regional number, based on the zip code of the person requesting an SSN. Apparently, they have more recently realized that's just a waste of time and just started issuing them sequentially. [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]]) 19:17, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
::New method started in 2011, so until around 2029 we'll be able to use the "SSN to FT% in NBA" metric, and have it tie to location at time of SSN generation.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.165|162.158.74.165]] 21:37, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Does anyone know what the "sandwiches" graph is a reference to? I don't believe I have heard anything about the Warriors and a love for sandwiches. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.46.101|172.68.46.101]] 17:03, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Maybe this? [[https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2015/04/10/warriors-stephen-curry-45-point-game-sandwich]] [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.39|162.158.62.39]] 17:23, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;More on SSN to Free Throw%<br />
I did a quick digitization of the SSN /FT% graph, and the Steph Curry point is at about FT% = 92.5% and SSN ~ 300-XX-XXXX, which corresponds to his 2018 ft% of 92.1% (from wikipedia) and his birthplace of Ohio having a SSN in the range of 268-302 https://www.ssofficelocation.com/social-security-number-prefix . Even if SSN prefixes are random now, they probably weren't when he was born 30 years ago, so it is probably safe to conclude that the location of the point is deliberate. [[User:Acflip|Acflip]] ([[User talk:Acflip|talk]]) 19:01, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:They changed in 2011 to random generation. I doubt there's any 7 year old NBA players, so until 2029 we'll be able to use this -ahem- metric.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.165|162.158.74.165]] 21:34, 4 June 2018 (UTC)</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2002:_LeBron_James_and_Stephen_Curry&diff=158292Talk:2002: LeBron James and Stephen Curry2018-06-04T21:34:25Z<p>162.158.74.165: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
I have no idea what this is about, but wondered if Stephen Curry was related to the Curry twins Tom and Ben, who are both over 6' - or to Tim, who isn't except in heels.<br />
[[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 07:53, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
: Both LeBron James and Stephen Curry are famous NBA players. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.190.4|172.69.190.4]] 08:46, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
::How would you not know that? And even if you don't know who they are, you must have at least heard about them before, right? [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 09:21, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
::: Not everyone is from USA. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.190.4|172.69.190.4]] 09:41, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:::: That excuse could work, except your IP address is based in the USA :) [[User:Zachweix|Zachweix]] ([[User talk:Zachweix|talk]]) 12:01, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
::::: So is mine right now, but that doesn't mean I'm '''from''' here, and they didn't make us memorise every NBA player on the plane. (Hey cool, this IP has edited here before too) -[[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.60|162.158.186.60]] 15:36, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: I like Curry. You know, the dish. And the actor. Tim, that is. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 11:58, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
Not everyone in the USA follows sports. I've heard of LeBron James, but only in passing. The only Curry I know of is a fictional one from some old movie. {{unsigned ip|162.158.74.147}}<br />
;Nate Silver<br />
<br />
Nate Silver is famous for his numerical approach and extensive use of statistics and simulations.<br />
He foresaw a probability of 28.6% for Donald to win the electoral college just before the election. That is a greater chance than most political commentators would have granted Donald. Typical betting sites saw Hillary 5:1 ahead at the evening of the election.<br />
So I would not at all say that he got everything wrong in 2016. He predicted that Hillary would be a formidable number of votes ahead as most probable outcome, but also that many states would be very tight.<br />
[[https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/]]. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.106|172.68.110.106]] 09:21, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Definitions needed <br />
Hi! Could definitions be added for some of the terms used, such as "bleachers"? Thanks! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.200|162.158.155.200]] 11:30, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Magnetic North<br />
I would have liked the "magnetic north" thing to be due to the geographical orientation of the teams home courts (if the Cavaliers are the only team to have a court that happens to be roughly north-south oriented, it would explain the higher points value). Looking at the Stupid Name Arena, however, it appears that the court inside is probably about NW-SE. Too bad. [[User:Chrullrich|Chrullrich]] ([[User talk:Chrullrich|talk]]) 14:15, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I was thinking that might be a reference to the Cleveland Cavaliers playing their home games at a slightly high latitude than the (San Fransico-based) Golden State Warriors. (However, they are nearly at the same latitude, and neither is anywhere near 75 degrees North) [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]]) 19:24, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;SSN to Free Throw%<br />
Would it be too much of a stretch to add in the fact that Stephen Curry's point is highlighted on the chart, as a nod to the fact that (the majority of) one's SSN can actually be determined if one knows details about personal information such as where one was born? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.130|108.162.219.130]] 16:08, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Not anymore. My three kids were all born in the same hospital -- same wing; rooms only meters apart -- but have TOTALLY different SSN's. (No, I'm not sharing them as proof!) We even asked the local SS office what happened and they said they're starting to reuse numbers at random. I think it's not "reuse" as much as "reallocate", but either way the strict geographical basis is no longer valid. --'''BigMal''' // [[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.209|172.69.70.209]] 16:31, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Originally, the first three digits indicated the office where the person requested an SSN. It didn't really signify anything. It was just that each office was given on a block of numbers to assign, and that block all started with the same three digits. Since in the early days of Social Security, a person got theirs, not at birth, but when they first got a job, it was more of an indication of where they happened to be living then, rather than where they were born. By the 60s, SSN assignment had been centralized, but they still tried to maintain the regional number, based on the zip code of the person requesting an SSN. Apparently, they have more recently realized that's just a waste of time and just started issuing them sequentially. [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]]) 19:17, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Does anyone know what the "sandwiches" graph is a reference to? I don't believe I have heard anything about the Warriors and a love for sandwiches. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.46.101|172.68.46.101]] 17:03, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Maybe this? [[https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2015/04/10/warriors-stephen-curry-45-point-game-sandwich]] [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.39|162.158.62.39]] 17:23, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;More on SSN to Free Throw%<br />
I did a quick digitization of the SSN /FT% graph, and the Steph Curry point is at about FT% = 92.5% and SSN ~ 300-XX-XXXX, which corresponds to his 2018 ft% of 92.1% (from wikipedia) and his birthplace of Ohio having a SSN in the range of 268-302 https://www.ssofficelocation.com/social-security-number-prefix . Even if SSN prefixes are random now, they probably weren't when he was born 30 years ago, so it is probably safe to conclude that the location of the point is deliberate. [[User:Acflip|Acflip]] ([[User talk:Acflip|talk]]) 19:01, 4 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:They changed in 2011 to random generation. I doubt there's any 7 year old NBA players, so until 2029 we'll be able to use this -ahem- metric.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.165|162.158.74.165]] 21:34, 4 June 2018 (UTC)</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2000:_xkcd_Phone_2000&diff=157991Talk:2000: xkcd Phone 20002018-05-30T18:38:53Z<p>162.158.74.165: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
<br />
Huh, it's not a milestone comic like 1000 was. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.191|172.68.58.191]] 16:16, 30 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Yeah, I'm slightly disappointed honestly [[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.46|172.68.54.46]] 16:22, 30 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Gotta wait for an actual round number, like 0b100000000000 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.127|162.158.111.127]] 16:38, 30 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Well it is the phone 2000 and he does mention in passing asking if 2000 is a good number to choose [[User:Zachweix|Zachweix]] ([[User talk:Zachweix|talk]]) 16:39, 30 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:What am I waiting for more: 2018 or 2048? [[User:SilverMagpie|SilverMagpie]] ([[User talk:SilverMagpie|talk]]) 16:53, 30 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Waiting for 2018 personally. A comic that has looked at the calendar so many times should be able to see the comic number match the year. [[User:Lukeskylicker|Lukeskylicker]] ([[User talk:Lukeskylicker|talk]]) 17:36, 30 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: I think it is pretty clearly a milestone comic. Previous xkcd Phones were timed near iPhone releases. This is very specifically for the 2000th comic. I think it no coincidence that the xkcd Phone 2000 was released for the 2000th one, and think it should be mentioned. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.28|162.158.63.28]] 18:04, 30 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It might be worth noting, that mouse cursors were a thing on BlackBerry smartphones. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.100|162.158.202.100]] 17:00, 30 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Those had the weird double-screens, where you could lightly drag your finger around and the cursor would follow, and if you pushed hard it would click. Most people found it to be annoying at best, IIRC. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.165|162.158.74.165]] 18:38, 30 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
They actually still work on Android if you pair a mouse with the phone (at least, last I tried it). This was actually annoying - my Apple Magic Mouse prefers to pair to my Android Phone than to my Macbook Pro! [[User:Fluppeteer|Fluppeteer]] ([[User talk:Fluppeteer|talk]]) 17:59, 30 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I would buy it just to be able to plug a keyboard into the type A port. I hate the USB host-peripheral thing... My phone is more than capable of handling external devices. [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]])<br />
<br />
Don't you like USB OTG or type C adaptors? Bluetooth keyboards should actually work with many Android (or Windows Mobile) devices. [[User:Fluppeteer|Fluppeteer]] ([[User talk:Fluppeteer|talk]]) 17:59, 30 May 2018 (UTC)</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=929:_Speculation&diff=152334929: Speculation2018-02-12T17:02:06Z<p>162.158.74.165: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 929<br />
| date = July 25, 2011<br />
| title = Speculation<br />
| image = speculation.png<br />
| titletext = 'I was pretty good at skeet shooting, but was eventually kicked off the range for catching the clay pigeons in a net and dispatching them execution-style.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
During a {{w|basketball}} game, the players discuss the nature of universal conformity. {{w|Facebook}} and {{w|Google+}} are competing {{w|social networks}}, at the time of this comic many people were switching to Plus over Facebook leading many to speculate that Facebook was in decline and that Plus would soon be the dominant social network. (Incidentally, as of 2018, it seems that Facebook has successfully held its position as the Default Social Network™, while Plus has largely become known as "that thing YouTube tried to make us all sign up for once".)<br />
<br />
The two players seem to have a disagreement over this. One player states that it would be ridiculous to expect everyone to move to Plus. The other player denies the notion that they have to, valuing his personal preference over conformity. He supports this by saying that his mother still uses {{w|AOL}} and other people continue using {{w|IRC}}, if each time a new dominant social network emerged and everyone switched to it neither of these things would stick around.<br />
<br />
They are interrupted when they pass the ball to [[Black Hat]] who immediately shoots it with a crossbow bolt. Their arguments and rather intelligent discussion are derailed by the absurdity of Black Hat's reaction which is both humorous and puts the issue in stark contrast.<br />
<br />
Black Hat neither joins in the discussion nor does he participate in the game and it seems that any offer to participate in either is met with a blunt and clear denial. He is simply not a conformist.<br />
<br />
In the title text Black Hat continues to provide an example of his tendency to play by his own rules. A clay pigeon is a clay disc that is thrown into the air and serves as a target on a {{w|skeet shooting}} range. Participants are expected to shoot the pigeons with a shotgun but Black Hat would rather capture the clay pigeons and shoot them from a very close range. This is made even more humorous by the excellent crossbow skills he shows in the comic. This practice eventually got him expelled from the shooting range.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Two Cueball-like guys are playing basketball. The right guy (Cueball) attempts to throw the basketball through the hoop, but it bounces off down to his friend. To the right Black Hat has his back to the other two while he is looking at his phone.]<br />
:Friend: Do you seriously think ''everyone'' will move to Plus? It was hard enough getting them on Facebook.<br />
<br />
:[The friend has caught the rebound and now passes the basketball back to Cueball. Black Hat is not shown.]<br />
:Cueball: Do they have to?<br />
:Cueball: My mom still uses AOL—it doesn't mean my social life has to happen there.<br />
<br />
:[Only Cueball is shown. He passes the basketball to the right towards the off-pannel Black Hat.]<br />
:Cueball: Universal adoption isn't everything. I mean, IRC is still—<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on the basketball as an arrow pierces the ball.]<br />
:''Thunk''<br />
<br />
:[Cueball looks to Black Hat who has a crossbow in one hand, he is still looking at the phone in his other hand. The ball with the arrow lies between them.]<br />
:Cueball: You're not really the "catch" type, are you?<br />
:Black Hat: I am not.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Social networking]]<br />
[[Category:Basketball]]<br />
[[Category:Crossbows]]<br />
[[Category:Sport]] <!-- The other sport mentioned being skeet shooting --></div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1572:_xkcd_Survey&diff=1508021572: xkcd Survey2018-01-11T01:00:56Z<p>162.158.74.165: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1572<br />
| date = September 2, 2015<br />
| title = xkcd Survey<br />
| image = xkcd_survey.png<br />
| titletext = The xkcd Survey: Big Data for a Big Planet<br />
}}<br />
*The entire comic is a link to [http://goo.gl/forms/B5RaBeZ6nw The xkcd survey] on Google.<br />
**The survey has long since been closed.<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
As the comic image states, it links to a survey created with [https://www.google.com/forms/about/ Google Forms], containing a series of questions. The questions range from mundane typical survey questions such as “Do you have any food allergies?”, to rather strange, such as “Fill this text box with random letters by randomly mashing keys on your leopard.” (See [[1530: Keyboard Mash]]).<br />
<br />
The stated goal of the survey is to “create an interesting and unusual data set for people to play with”. A strange data set is a ripe opportunity for a sampling of readers. It's also supposed to be “a search for weird correlations” – presumably the goal is to be able to say things like “people who have been skydiving are (more/less) likely than average to dislike cilantro”. (See also [[882: Significant]] about finding presumably-spurious correlations between unrelated data.)<br />
<br />
This explanation will undoubtedly expand when the data comes in.<br />
<br />
{{w|Image_map#Client-side_image_map|HTML image maps}} is a technique for marking up areas of an image on a web page, such that each area can be a link without the whole image being a link. [[Randall]] could have used this type of image map to make only the “Click here to take the survey” button be a link, and none of the rest of the image. But he cannot get the hang of it (or knowing his skills, does not wish to take the time to learn it). Not getting the hang of HTML image maps was also referenced on [http://imgs.xkcd.com/store/tour-news.png the banner for his book tour] from [http://web.archive.org/web/20140901023821/http://xkcd.com/ September 2014]<br />
<br />
The title text is a joke off of {{w|Big Data}}, which is a name for analysis of a set of data that includes a huge amount of information. He also says "for a big planet" because the Earth is big.{{Citation needed}}<br />
<br />
The survey is closed, and the questions replaced with the text: "The xkcd survey is now closed. Thank you for all your answers! Response data is being collected and will be posted soon." As of January 2018, the same caption is still there, with no indication of exactly how soon the data is intended to be posted. (Apparently, Randall crashed google forms, so the data is taking a long time to be retrieved [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/40mhve/what_ever_happened_to_the_survey_we_took/ (see this reddit thread)] - much like his breaking of [http://what-if.xkcd.com/imgs/a/62/balloon_wolfram.png Wolfram Alpha]] during answering a reader's question on [[what if?]])<br />
<br />
==The Survey==<br />
The Survey started off with the following statement:<br />
<br />
<nowiki>This is an anonymous survey. After it's done, a database of everyone's responses will be posted.<br />
There's no specific reason for any of the questions. The goal is to create an interesting and unusual data set for people to play with. This is obviously not going to be a real random sample of people, but in the interest of getting cooler data, if you're sharing this with friends, try sending it to some people who wouldn't normally see this kind of thing!<br />
<br />
WARNING: This survey is anonymous, but your answers WILL BE MADE PUBLIC. Depending what you write, it's possible that someone may be able to identify you by looking at your responses. None of these questions should ask about anything too private, but don't write anything that you don't want people to see. If you're not comfortable answering a question, just skip it.</nowiki><br />
<br />
'''Note:''' The order of the possible answers (the list of possibilities) was random, and changed every time the page is reloaded. So do not try to fix the order here below...<br />
<br />
===Plane===<br />
*Have you ever been in a plane?<br />
**No<br />
**Yes<br />
<br />
===Skydiving===<br />
*Have you ever been {{w|Parachuting|skydiving}}?<br />
**No, but I might someday<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
<br />
===The Dress===<br />
*When you first saw {{w|The dress (viral phenomenon)|The Dress}}, what color was it? — (Also see [[1492: Dress Color]] and the [[Blag]] ENTRY [http://blog.xkcd.com/2010/05/03/color-survey-results/ Color Survey Results]).<br />
**White and gold<br />
**A color combination not listed here<br />
**I don't remember<br />
**Blue and black<br />
**What dress?<br />
<br />
===Popular food===<br />
*What's a really popular food that you don't like?<br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Floaters===<br />
*When you look at a blue sky, do you see those swirly {{w|floater|floaters}} in your vision?<br />
**Yes, constantly<br />
**I'm not sure what things you mean<br />
**Yes, occasionally<br />
**No<br />
<br />
===Running out of gas===<br />
*Have you ever had a car run out of gas while you were driving it?<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
<br />
===Animals===<br />
*Name the first five animals you can think of<br />
**''Multi line text box''<br />
<br />
===Weather===<br />
*What's the weather like where you are right now?<br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Activities===<br />
*Which of these can you do reasonably well?<br />
*(Check all that apply)<br />
**{{w|slam dunk|Dunk}} a basketball &mdash; A "slam dunk" or simply "dunk" is the act of jumping up and putting the ball through the net with a lot of force<br />
**Tie a {{w|sheet bend}} or {{w|bowline}} &mdash; A sheet bend is a knot that joins two ropes together; A bowline is a knot used to form a fixed loop at the end of a rope. Although tied differently, the resulting knots are identical.{{Citation needed}}<br />
**Roller skate<br />
**[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/high-heel-race/ Run in high heels]<br />
**Drive a stick shift — See {{w|Manual transmission}} of a car<br />
**Solve a {{w|Rubik's cube}}<br />
**Dive headfirst off a diving board &mdash; See {{w|Springboard}} and {{w|Diving platform}}<br />
**Ice skate<br />
**{{w|Skateboarding|Skateboard}}<br />
**Walk on {{w|stilts}} — Stilts are poles, posts or pillars used to allow a person to walk at a height above the ground<br />
**Ski<br />
**Cut vegetables with a knife<br />
**Swim<br />
**Ride a horse<br />
**{{w|Unicycle}}<br />
**Change the oil on a car<br />
**Do a back {{w|Handspring (gymnastics)|handspring}} &mdash; A handspring is an exercise in gymnastics in which you jump through the air landing on your hands, then again landing on your feet<br />
**Juggle — {{w|Toss juggling}} (the most recognizable form of juggling) consists in throwing objects into the air and catching them.<br />
<br />
===Spelling===<br />
*What word can you never seem to spell on the first try?<br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Condiments===<br />
*Do you eat {{w|condiments}} directly out of the fridge as a snack?<br />
**No <br />
**Yes<br />
<br />
===Thermostat===<br />
*When you adjust a thermostat that was set by someone else, it's usually because you want the room to be...<br />
**Cooler<br />
**Warmer<br />
<br />
===Clothing===<br />
*What color is the shirt/dress/upper-body-clothing you're wearing right now, if any?<br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Colds===<br />
*Do you get {{w|Common cold|colds}} often?<br />
**No<br />
**Yes<br />
<br />
===Number===<br />
*Pick a number from 1 to 100<br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Spelling===<br />
*On a scale of 1 to 10, how good at spelling are you? (Note that the question does not specify which end of the scale is good or bad.)<br />
**''Tick off list with numbers from 1 to 10.''<br />
<br />
===Myers-Briggs===<br />
*Do you know your {{w|Myers–Briggs_Type_Indicator|Myers-Briggs type}}?<br />
**No<br />
**Yes<br />
<br />
===Astrology===<br />
*Do you know your {{w|astrological sign}}?<br />
**No<br />
**Yes<br />
<br />
===Siblings===<br />
*How many older siblings do you have?<br />
**''Text box''<br />
*How many younger siblings do you have?<br />
**''Text box''<br />
*How many twin/etc siblings do you have?<br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Sleepiness===<br />
*Do you feel sleepy a lot?<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
<br />
===Movie star===<br />
*Name a movie star<br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Time in sun===<br />
*Do you spend a lot of time in the sun?<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
<br />
===Broccoli===<br />
*Does {{w|broccoli}} taste bitter to you?<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
**I've never had it<br />
<br />
===Wakefulness===<br />
*Do you regularly stay awake much later than you meant to?<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
<br />
===Keyboard mashing===<br />
*Fill this text box with gibberish by mashing random keyboard keys (See [[1530: Keyboard Mash]]).<br />
**''Broad multi-line text box''<br />
<br />
===Driving===<br />
*On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is terrible and 3 is average, how good a driver do you think you are?<br />
**''Tick off list with numbers from 1 to 5.''<br />
<br />
===Allergies===<br />
*Do you have any food allergies?<br />
**No<br />
**Yes <br />
<br />
===Thunder===<br />
*Have you heard thunder or seen lightning in the past year? — (The title-text of [[831: Weather Radar]] mentions the belief that thunderstorms seemed more common when one was a kid. Since the survey also asks for age this question is likely a test of that belief.)<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
<br />
===Flavor preference===<br />
*Which do you prefer? (It seems to be missing the ''neither'' option...)<br />
**Chocolate<br />
**Vanilla<br />
<br />
===Number (reprise)===<br />
*Pick another number from 1 to 100 (Supposedly should not be the same as in the first pick a number box).<br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Internet===<br />
*When you think about stuff on the internet, where do you picture it being physically located? Even if you know it's not really how things work, is there a place you imagine websites and social media posts sitting before you look at them? If so, where is it?<br />
**''Broad multi-line text box''<br />
<br />
===Roll tongue===<br />
*Can you {{w|Tongue rolling|roll your tongue}}?<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
**What?<br />
<br />
===Toes===<br />
*Can you pick things up with your toes?<br />
**No<br />
**Yes<br />
<br />
===Age===<br />
*How old are you?<br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Walls===<br />
*What color are the walls around you right now?<br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Cell phone===<br />
*What kind of cell phone do you have?<br />
**{{w|iPhone}}<br />
**{{w|Android (operating system)|Android}}<br />
**Other smartphone<br />
**Non-smartphone<br />
**I don't have a cell phone<br />
<br />
===Eating===<br />
*What's the last thing you ate?<br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Difficult words===<br />
*Which of these words do you know the meaning of?<br />
*Some of these words don’t appear in any of the following dictionaries: the Oxford English Dictionary, the New Oxford American Dictionary, Wiktionary, or Dictionary.com. With one exception, however, reviewers on this site have found verifiable examples of use for the words in question.<br />
*[http://dictionary.reference.com/ Dictionary.com] has an index of difficulty (measured in pixels, with class name <code>difficulty-indicator</code>). We add it at the right of the words that have it. N/A means that a word isn't present in Dictionary.com, or that it doesn't have an index.<br />
**Slickle – Not in any standard dictionary. However, it [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Slickle is in] the crowd-sourced in Urban Dictionary, as well as a suggested planet name in [[1253: Exoplanet Names]]<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rife Rife] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rife 117]<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/soliloquy Soliloquy] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/soliloquy 150]<br />
**Fination – not in any dictionary. Appears infrequently in Victorian texts (e.g., [http://books.google.com/books?id=ghNOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA245&dq=Fination 1889], [http://books.google.com/books?id=nwlCAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA214&dq=Fination 1839])<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stipple Stipple] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stipple 144]<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/peristeronic Peristeronic] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/peristeronic N/A]. Randall used it and defined it for readers in [[798: Adjectives]].<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/modicum Modicum] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/modicum 120]<br />
**Trephony – Not available in reference dictionaries. An obsolete spelling of "{{w|Trephine}}" (especially when used as a verb for the process of {{w|Trepanning|trephination}}). Initially a transliteration of Greek [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=tru/panon τρυπάω] for the same.<br />
**Tribution – A regular construction from [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tribute#Verb Tribute (verb)] using "-tion" to transform into a noun. Using this regular formation, the term would mean the act of tribute, but no examples of actual use are available. It is worth noting that the use of "tribute" as a verb is generally considered obsolete and the few forms that persist in use relate primarily to the tributary and distributary river systems<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/phoropter Phoropter] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/phoropter N/A] 1.An instrument used in eye examinations to determine an individual's prescription, the patient looking through various lenses at a chart on the other side.<br />
**Unitory – Not available in reference dictionaries. An obsolete spelling of "Unitary," chiefly British. While long obsolete in normal usage, it persisted longer in mathematics that it did elsewhere (particularly for "Unitory Method" and "Unitory Matrices"). Example of use: [https://books.google.com/books?id=Wl1BAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA5-PA27&lpg=RA5-PA27&dq=unitory+method&source=bl&ots=rfRKJXAJqV&sig=Wsr_gV7xG6Airah9Lx1M0hi-7Zc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBmoVChMInd_R9qTbxwIVChU-Ch36IAh_#v=onepage&q=unitory%20method&f=false (1)]<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/amiable Amiable] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/amiable 123]<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/salient Salient] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/salient 69]<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/regolith Regolith] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/regolith 162]<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lithe Lithe] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lithe 105]<br />
**Revergent – technical word from {{w|fern}} biology, referring to the edges of fern leaves which curl back on themselves (see [http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00985044 Schölch, 2000])<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hubris Hubris] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hubris 117]<br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fleek Fleek] – [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fleek N/A]<br />
**Cadine – A rare loan-word for [https://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/cadine a sultan's wife or a noble ottoman woman] which comes to English through the French. Examples of Use: [https://books.google.com/books?id=4yz-Y-_OOO0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=cadine&f=false (1)]. Also the name of an [https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadine italian city]. <br />
**[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/apricity Apricity] – Not available in reference dictionaries. An obsolete word for the sun's heat in winter (e.g., [http://books.google.com/books?id=CFBGAAAAYAAJ&pg=PT76&dq=apricity Bailey 1775]). According to the What If? book (page 80), this is Randall's single favourite word in the English language.<br />
<br />
===cat===<br />
*Please type "cat" here: <br />
**''Text box''<br />
<br />
===Dreams===<br />
*Do you usually remember your dreams?<br />
**No<br />
**Yes<br />
<br />
===Text editors===<br />
*Do you have strong opinions about text editors? (See {{w|Editor war}})<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
<br />
===Emoji===<br />
*How do you feel about {{w|emoji}}?<br />
**Negative 😠 (Unicode 1f620 - Angry face)<br />
**Positive 😊 (Unicode 263a - Smiling face)<br />
**Neutral 😐 (Unicode 1F610 - Neutral face)<br />
<br />
===Snow===<br />
*Does it ever snow where you live?<br />
**No<br />
**Yes<br />
<br />
===Taste of food===<br />
*Do you strongly dislike the taste or texture of any of these things?<br />
**Eggs<br />
**Chocolate ice cream<br />
**Beer<br />
**White wine<br />
**{{w|Carbonation}} (or Fizz)<br />
**Red wine<br />
**{{w|Cilantro}}<br />
**Coffee<br />
**Tomatoes<br />
**Yogurt<br />
<br />
===Beverages===<br />
*Which of these do you regularly drink?<br />
**Caffeinated soda (e.g. Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper)<br />
**Noncaffeinated soda<br />
**Coffee<br />
**Fruit juice<br />
**Milk<br />
**Beer<br />
**Wine<br />
**Tea<br />
**{{w|Maple syrup}}<br />
**Water<br />
<br />
===Random words===<br />
*Type five random words<br />
**''Broad multi-line text box''<br />
<br />
===Flying===<br />
*Are you nervous about flying?<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
**A little<br />
<br />
===Favorite number===<br />
*On a scale of 1 to 5, which number is your favorite?<br />
**''Tick off list with numbers from 1 to 5.''<br />
<br />
===Sandwich===<br />
*Which of these would you consider a {{w|sandwich}}?<br />
*(Check all that apply)<br />
**{{w|Taco}}<br />
**{{w|Quesadilla}}<br />
**{{w|Submarine sandwich|Sub/Hoagie}}<br />
**{{w|Cheesesteak}}<br />
**{{w|Hamburger}}<br />
**{{w|Open-faced sandwich}}<br />
**{{w|Calzone}}<br />
<br />
===Animal affinity===<br />
*Which of these describes you?<br />
*(Check all that apply)<br />
**Dog person<br />
**Cat person<br />
**Half-cat half-person<br />
**Part of a subterranean race of dog people<br />
**Literally named "Catherine Person"<br />
<br />
===Sense of direction===<br />
*Would you say you have a good sense of direction?<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
<br />
===Socks or underwear===<br />
*Have you ever thrown out all your different pairs of socks/underwear, bought a bunch of replacements that were all one kind, and then told all your friends how great it was and how they should do it too?<br />
**Yes<br />
**No<br />
**I did the throwing out thing, but didn't talk to everyone about it<br />
**No, but I'm totally doing that now<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A simple comic with text only. The ''click here'' part is inside a black frame.]<br />
:Introducing <br />
:'''The xkcd Survey'''<br />
:A search for weird correlations<br />
:Note: This survey is anonymous, but<br />
:<font color="red"> all responses will be posted publicly </font><br />
:so people can play with the data.<br />
:'''Click here to'''<br />
:'''take the survey'''<br />
:Or click here, or here.<br />
:The whole comic is a link,<br />
:because I still haven't gotten<br />
:the hang of HTML imagemaps.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1872:_Backup_Batteries&diff=1438811872: Backup Batteries2017-08-09T15:45:14Z<p>162.158.74.165: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1872<br />
| date = August 4, 2017<br />
| title = Backup Batteries<br />
| image = backup_batteries.png<br />
| titletext = If it falls below 20% full, my bag turns red and I start to panic.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Most {{w|smartphone|smartphones}} (except {{w|IPhone#Battery|iPhones}} and a few others) use replaceable batteries. So it's often possible to buy additional batteries and use them as a backup in case there is no external power source available to recharge the phone. Otherwise it's possible to buy a charging device (also with batteries) that could be connected via cable to the phone to recharge the internal battery. Since there is no cable in the comic picture [[Cueball]] probably shows a battery that could replace an empty one in the phone.<br />
<br />
Cueball gets stressed when his phone is at low battery because the device may run out at any moment, interrupting his activities. In an effort to prevent stress, Cueball decides to carry a backup battery so he can just replace the current battery when it runs low. Cueball realizes that the backup battery itself is prone to depletion, and so he carries a second. He then comes to the same realization for the second backup battery, and indeed every subsequent battery he can carry. Finally this would lead to an unending series of backup batteries, hence his speech is cut off, becoming unending as well.<br />
<br />
What Cueball never grasps is that his irrational need to hoard a supply of batteries tending to the infinite is the real cause of his stress. In reality, he only needs to consider the maximum amount of time that he spends between recharging his phone, and divide that by the average lifespan of a phone battery, and round up that figure to get the minimum number of batteries required to avoid a power outage (multiplied by 1.5 if the mere state of running low causes stress). If he charges up his phone and backup batteries every night, he would only need 2 to 3 backup batteries, tops.<br />
<br />
The title text says that Cueball's backpack will turn red if it is below 20 % of its energy capacity, similar to the battery indicator on a smartphone when at low battery to warn the user. Cueball probably gets similarly stressed when that happens, perhaps requiring a backup backup-battery backpack.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
:[Cueball is talking to White Hat. He is wearing a large backpack and holding a phone battery.]<br />
:Cueball: I get stressed out when my phone battery is low, so I carry this backup battery.<br />
:Cueball: But then I worry about the backup running low, so I carry this second backup.<br />
:Cueball: Then I worry—<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the frame:]<br />
:My bag is 90% backup batteries.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Smartphones]]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.74.165https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1872:_Backup_Batteries&diff=1438791872: Backup Batteries2017-08-09T15:44:13Z<p>162.158.74.165: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1872<br />
| date = August 4, 2017<br />
| title = Backup Batteries<br />
| image = backup_batteries.png<br />
| titletext = If it falls below 20% full, my bag turns red and I start to panic.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Most {{w|smartphone|smartphones}} (except {{w|IPhone#Battery|iPhones}} and a few others) use replaceable batteries. (Even for those that don't, external battery packs are available, into which the device's charger can be plugged.) So it's often possible to buy additional batteries and use them as a backup in case there is no external power source available to recharge the phone. Otherwise it's possible to buy a charging device (also with batteries) that could be connected via cable to the phone to recharge the internal battery. Since there is no cable in the comic picture [[Cueball]] probably shows a battery that could replace an empty one in the phone.<br />
<br />
Cueball gets stressed when his phone is at low battery because the device may run out at any moment, interrupting his activities. In an effort to prevent stress, Cueball decides to carry a backup battery so he can just replace the current battery when it runs low. Cueball realizes that the backup battery itself is prone to depletion, and so he carries a second. He then comes to the same realization for the second backup battery, and indeed every subsequent battery he can carry. Finally this would lead to an unending series of backup batteries, hence his speech is cut off, becoming unending as well.<br />
<br />
What Cueball never grasps is that his irrational need to hoard a supply of batteries tending to the infinite is the real cause of his stress. In reality, he only needs to consider the maximum amount of time that he spends between recharging his phone, and divide that by the average lifespan of a phone battery, and round up that figure to get the minimum number of batteries required to avoid a power outage (multiplied by 1.5 if the mere state of running low causes stress). If he charges up his phone and backup batteries every night, he would only need 2 to 3 backup batteries, tops.<br />
<br />
The title text says that Cueball's backpack will turn red if it is below 20 % of its energy capacity, similar to the battery indicator on a smartphone when at low battery to warn the user. Cueball probably gets similarly stressed when that happens, perhaps requiring a backup backup-battery backpack.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
:[Cueball is talking to White Hat. He is wearing a large backpack and holding a phone battery.]<br />
:Cueball: I get stressed out when my phone battery is low, so I carry this backup battery.<br />
:Cueball: But then I worry about the backup running low, so I carry this second backup.<br />
:Cueball: Then I worry—<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the frame:]<br />
:My bag is 90% backup batteries.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Smartphones]]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.74.165