https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=172.69.33.23&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T13:45:34ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2338:_Faraday_Tour&diff=1952942338: Faraday Tour2020-07-29T01:40:06Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Explanation */ um what???</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2338<br />
| date = July 28, 2020<br />
| title = Faraday Tour<br />
| image = faraday_tour.png<br />
| titletext = I asked them if it was safe to be running tours during the pandemic. They said, "During the what?"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a FARADAY SUPERFAN. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
[[Hairy]], addressing an unseen camera (possibly the reader's POV) welcomes viewers to a {{w|Live streaming|livecast}} walk through "the world's largest {{w|Faraday cage}}." A Faraday cage blocks {{w|Electromagnetic field|electromagnetic transmission}} into and out of the cage area. Attempting to broadcast a walk through such a cage with any medium that uses radio waves would (theoretically, at least) cause the transmitter's signal to drop out completely, resulting in the loading wheel shown in panels three and four. Faraday cages do not necessarily have to be dark inside, as this one appears to be (they typically block longer wavelengths than those of visible light, which consists of electromagnetic waves). However, the darkness visually aligns with the concept of {{w|communications blackout}}, which is what Hairy's viewers experience while Hairy is in the cage. The darkness could be taken as a metaphor for depending so heavily on electronic connectivity for one's view of the world that anything not directly connected is conceived as unobservable.<br />
<br />
The Faraday cage that Hairy is visiting may also be an {{w|anechoic chamber}} for testing radio equipment, which would be completely lined with {{w|radiation-absorbent material}}, not just an open-air cage, to ensure that the measurements inside are of the highest quality. There's no particular reason that it would have to have the lights off for his tour (in fact, it would be better to have the lights on so that he could see the features inside), but some anechoic chambers have been used for [https://www.zdnet.com/article/quietest-place-on-earth-causes-hallucinations/ sensory deprivation experiments], in which participants are shut inside in total darkness and quiet.<br />
<br />
"Smash that like (or subscribe, etc.) button" is a typical command given by YouTubers to watchers, asking to publicly "like" the video or subscribe to their channel if they enjoyed it, ultimately to boost the creator's popularity. Developers want lots of views, likes, and subscribes because YouTube pays artists (e.g. 1 cent per 1000 views).<br />
<br />
The title text refers to COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The joke is that, as they don't get cell service in the cage, the owners would be unaware of global events. This implies for comedic effect that the owners and workers solely live inside the Faraday cage, continuing the theme of treating connectivity as the only way to acquire information. They would still be able to receive news if they ever step outside to welcome visitors, or have print media delivered, but their choice to unconventionally isolate themselves might reflect their general attitudes to the world outside and it is also implied that Hairy is one of the rare few outsiders they have pre-agreed to allow to visit, or one of the few people who would think to ask for and plan a tour during a pandemic.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Close-up on Hairy]<br />
:Hairy: Hey there superfans, welcome to the livecast!<br />
<br />
:[Hairy walks toward an opening in a large building]<br />
:Hairy: Got a real treat for you today: a tour of the world's largest Faraday cage!<br />
:Hairy: C'mon, let's check it-<br />
<br />
:[Two panels of a "loading" spinner on a black background]<br />
<br />
:[Hairy exits the building]<br />
:Hairy: -was ''so cool!'' Wow!!<br />
:Hairy: Thanks for coming along, and don't forget to smash that like button!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Physics]]</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2338:_Faraday_Tour&diff=1952852338: Faraday Tour2020-07-28T21:33:38Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2338<br />
| date = July 28, 2020<br />
| title = Faraday Tour<br />
| image = faraday_tour.png<br />
| titletext = I asked them if it was safe to be running tours during the pandemic. They said, "During the what?"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a FARADAY SUPERFAN. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
[[Hairy]], addressing an unseen camera (possibly the reader's POV) welcomes viewers to a {{w|Live streaming|livecast}} walk through "the world's largest {{w|Faraday cage}}." A Faraday cage blocks {{w|Electromagnetic field|electromagnetic transmission}} into and out of the cage area. Attempting to broadcast a walk through such a cage with any medium that uses radio waves would (theoretically, at least) cause the transmitter's signal to drop out completely, resulting in the loading wheel shown in panels three and four. Faraday cages do not necessarily have to be dark inside, as this one appears to be (they typically block longer wavelengths than the one of visible light, which is an electromagnetic wave). However, the darkness visually aligns with the concept of {{w|communications blackout}}, which is what Hairy's viewers experience while Hairy is in the cage. The darkness could be taken as a metaphor for depending so heavily on electronic connectivity for one's view of the world that anything not directly connected is conceived as unobservable.<br />
<br />
The Faraday cage that Hairy is visiting may also be an {{w|anechoic chamber}} for testing radio equipment, which would be completely lined with {{w|radiation-absorbent material}}, not just an open-air cage, to ensure that the measurements inside are of the highest quality. There's no particular reason that it would have to have the lights off for his tour (in fact, it would be better to have the lights on so that he could see the features inside), but some anechoic chambers have been used for [https://www.zdnet.com/article/quietest-place-on-earth-causes-hallucinations/ sensory deprivation experiments], in which participants are shut inside in total darkness and quiet.<br />
<br />
"Smash that like (or subscribe, etc.) button" is a typical command given by YouTubers to watchers, asking to publicly "like" the video or subscribe to their channel if they enjoyed it, ultimately to boost the creator's popularity.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The joke is that, as they don't get cell service in the cage, the owners would be unaware of global events. This implies for comedic effect that the owners and workers solely live inside the Faraday cage, continuing the theme of treating connectivity as the only way to acquire information. They would still be able to receive news if they ever step outside to welcome visitors, or have print media delivered, but their choice to unconventionally isolate themselves might reflect their general attitudes to the world outside and it is also implied that Hairy is one of the rare few outsiders they have pre-agreed to allow to visit, or one of the few people who would think to ask for and plan a tour during a pandemic.<br />
<br />
An alternative interpretation of the title text joke is that by blocking EM radiation, the giant Faraday cage also protects its inhabitants from COVID-19, making the pandemic a non-issue for those inside. So the joke is that the conspiracy theorists blaming 5G cell towers for COVID-19 are correct after all.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Close-up on Hairy]<br />
:Hairy: Hey there superfans, welcome to the livecast!<br />
<br />
:[Hairy walks toward an opening in a large building]<br />
:Hairy: Got a real treat for you today: a tour of the world's largest Faraday cage!<br />
:Hairy: C'mon, let's check it-<br />
<br />
:[Two panels of a "loading" spinner on a black background]<br />
<br />
:[Hairy exits the building]<br />
:Hairy: -was ''so cool!'' Wow!!<br />
:Hairy: Thanks for coming along, and don't forget to smash that like button!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Physics]]</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2119:_Video_Orientation&diff=170517Talk:2119: Video Orientation2019-03-05T00:51:12Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Anti-Semitic trolling */</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
[IMG]http://i64.tinypic.com/2co1zio.png[/IMG]<br />
More readable:I think this could be done with text too.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.154.64|172.68.154.64]] 13:41, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Obligatory prior art in this commentary space: [https://vimeo.com/313458699 Glove and Boots: Vertical Video Syndrome] (apparently they decamped from Youtube to Vimeo last month, the original c. 2013 video was Bt9zSfinwFA). [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 14:21, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The title text seems to be a reference to AL, the A.I in ''2001 : A Space Odyssey'' which cause a few problems to the crew and mainly communicate through a round lens. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.226.171|172.69.226.171]] 14:27, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Or 2002 movie The Ring [[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.221|141.101.96.221]] 14:32, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::I presumed it was a reference to summoning circles. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.160|172.69.62.160]] 15:28, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::My first thought was a reference to Matt Parker of standupmaths and his spherical camera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgyI8aPctaI [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.67|162.158.62.67]] 18:17, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::I think the same... Isn't it some Terry Pratchett quote? or may be from other fantasy? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.94.2|162.158.94.2]] 18:32, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:It was HAL, not AL in Space Odyssey. Move the letters forward one, and it's IBM. Deliberate Easter egg. {{unsigned ip|162.158.38.94}}<br />
<br />
A circular screen is great for that retro-look, like a [https://picclick.com/1950s-ZENITH-PORTHOLE-Television-18-Circular-TV-Screen-113317154719.html 1950's Zenith Porthole TV]. I seem to remember seeing circular screens on some really old sci-fi shows as well. As well as one use of a [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/ThisIslandEarth triangular screen]. [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 14:37, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I thought the circular format was a reference to SnapChat's camera glasses and people's mistrust of "surveillance glasses". I am probably wrong. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 18:57, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Fails in the obvious- Horizontal is better because you can send the video in to the TV news for your 15 seconds of fame without looking like a douche who doesn't know how to rotate their phone. And why isn't there a setting for "always landscape" anyway?[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 14:48, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I have to agree... the fact that most non-mobile screens are oriented horizontally being left out was kind of a big miss. A vertical video looks like crap on a TV or Computer Monitor (Ironically unless it's an old 3:4 one, where the difference is a lot more minor.) -Graptor [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.220|172.69.62.220]] 15:34, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
Ironically, when I first read the comic on my phone (portrait), I did not realise there was a third "CONS" column. [[User:ColinHogben|ColinHogben]] ([[User talk:ColinHogben|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Not that good of an explanation, even if I wrote some of it. Actually, especially since I wrote some of it. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 16:54, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Thanks 90.10 [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:08, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I have never had problems holding my smartphone in landscape, or my camera in portrait. I just can't understand the use of portrait to film anything but one for two people's faces just because you hold the device that way to make a phone call (on the v rare occasion they do). Hey but I was born in the 50's [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 18:57, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I don't think the 50x150 view comment is right. I'd suggest removing it or backing it up with a source. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.16|162.158.146.16]] 23:14, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Anti-Semitic trolling ==<br />
Edited to remove the anti-Semitic tag and content. {{unsigned|Elusis}}<br />
:Dealing with the same thing. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:30, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::Maybe we should replace the Google CAPTCHA with an IQ test? That should get rid of the 5-year old troll.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.226.171|172.69.226.171]] 18:33, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::But then they’d say IQ was rigged by the communistic jewish theocracy. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 18:48, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::::This replies aren't helpful. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:00, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Thanks for removing that content, but please do not remove the entire incomplete tag that soon. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:00, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
My advice for now: Just revert that content silently, that unregistered user always has to solve a captcha while a registered user easily can revert it. Without any discussion that IP will get tired sooner or later. Nonetheless many thanks to everybody keeping an eye on this destructive edits. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:00, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Can you do me a favour and stop censoring my edits? If your position has any merit (it doesn't), you could defeat me in debate (you can't). {{unsigned ip|162.158.106.6}}<br />
:There is no censorship here. And please do us a favor and sign your comments. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:19, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::Fuck you, shill. Soon the truth will be revealed, whether you want it to be or not. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.240|162.158.106.240]] 21:32, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
but guys, the stuff he's saying is '''bold and dynamic''' @_@[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.23|172.69.33.23]] 00:51, 5 March 2019 (UTC)</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2119:_Video_Orientation&diff=170516Talk:2119: Video Orientation2019-03-05T00:50:52Z<p>172.69.33.23: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
[IMG]http://i64.tinypic.com/2co1zio.png[/IMG]<br />
More readable:I think this could be done with text too.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.154.64|172.68.154.64]] 13:41, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Obligatory prior art in this commentary space: [https://vimeo.com/313458699 Glove and Boots: Vertical Video Syndrome] (apparently they decamped from Youtube to Vimeo last month, the original c. 2013 video was Bt9zSfinwFA). [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 14:21, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The title text seems to be a reference to AL, the A.I in ''2001 : A Space Odyssey'' which cause a few problems to the crew and mainly communicate through a round lens. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.226.171|172.69.226.171]] 14:27, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Or 2002 movie The Ring [[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.221|141.101.96.221]] 14:32, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::I presumed it was a reference to summoning circles. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.160|172.69.62.160]] 15:28, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::My first thought was a reference to Matt Parker of standupmaths and his spherical camera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgyI8aPctaI [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.67|162.158.62.67]] 18:17, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::I think the same... Isn't it some Terry Pratchett quote? or may be from other fantasy? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.94.2|162.158.94.2]] 18:32, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:It was HAL, not AL in Space Odyssey. Move the letters forward one, and it's IBM. Deliberate Easter egg. {{unsigned ip|162.158.38.94}}<br />
<br />
A circular screen is great for that retro-look, like a [https://picclick.com/1950s-ZENITH-PORTHOLE-Television-18-Circular-TV-Screen-113317154719.html 1950's Zenith Porthole TV]. I seem to remember seeing circular screens on some really old sci-fi shows as well. As well as one use of a [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/ThisIslandEarth triangular screen]. [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 14:37, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I thought the circular format was a reference to SnapChat's camera glasses and people's mistrust of "surveillance glasses". I am probably wrong. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 18:57, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Fails in the obvious- Horizontal is better because you can send the video in to the TV news for your 15 seconds of fame without looking like a douche who doesn't know how to rotate their phone. And why isn't there a setting for "always landscape" anyway?[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 14:48, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I have to agree... the fact that most non-mobile screens are oriented horizontally being left out was kind of a big miss. A vertical video looks like crap on a TV or Computer Monitor (Ironically unless it's an old 3:4 one, where the difference is a lot more minor.) -Graptor [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.220|172.69.62.220]] 15:34, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
Ironically, when I first read the comic on my phone (portrait), I did not realise there was a third "CONS" column. [[User:ColinHogben|ColinHogben]] ([[User talk:ColinHogben|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Not that good of an explanation, even if I wrote some of it. Actually, especially since I wrote some of it. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 16:54, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Thanks 90.10 [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:08, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I have never had problems holding my smartphone in landscape, or my camera in portrait. I just can't understand the use of portrait to film anything but one for two people's faces just because you hold the device that way to make a phone call (on the v rare occasion they do). Hey but I was born in the 50's [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 18:57, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I don't think the 50x150 view comment is right. I'd suggest removing it or backing it up with a source. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.16|162.158.146.16]] 23:14, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Anti-Semitic trolling ==<br />
Edited to remove the anti-Semitic tag and content. {{unsigned|Elusis}}<br />
:Dealing with the same thing. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:30, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::Maybe we should replace the Google CAPTCHA with an IQ test? That should get rid of the 5-year old troll.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.226.171|172.69.226.171]] 18:33, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::But then they’d say IQ was rigged by the communistic jewish theocracy. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 18:48, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::::This replies aren't helpful. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:00, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Thanks for removing that content, but please do not remove the entire incomplete tag that soon. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:00, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
My advice for now: Just revert that content silently, that unregistered user always has to solve a captcha while a registered user easily can revert it. Without any discussion that IP will get tired sooner or later. Nonetheless many thanks to everybody keeping an eye on this destructive edits. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:00, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Can you do me a favour and stop censoring my edits? If your position has any merit (it doesn't), you could defeat me in debate (you can't). {{unsigned ip|162.158.106.6}}<br />
:There is no censorship here. And please do us a favor and sign your comments. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:19, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::Fuck you, shill. Soon the truth will be revealed, whether you want it to be or not. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.240|162.158.106.240]] 21:32, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
but guys, the stuff he's saying is '''bold and dynamic''' @_@[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.23|172.69.33.23]]</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2119:_Video_Orientation&diff=170515Talk:2119: Video Orientation2019-03-05T00:50:31Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Anti-Semitic trolling */</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
[IMG]http://i64.tinypic.com/2co1zio.png[/IMG]<br />
More readable:I think this could be done with text too.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.154.64|172.68.154.64]] 13:41, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Obligatory prior art in this commentary space: [https://vimeo.com/313458699 Glove and Boots: Vertical Video Syndrome] (apparently they decamped from Youtube to Vimeo last month, the original c. 2013 video was Bt9zSfinwFA). [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 14:21, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The title text seems to be a reference to AL, the A.I in ''2001 : A Space Odyssey'' which cause a few problems to the crew and mainly communicate through a round lens. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.226.171|172.69.226.171]] 14:27, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Or 2002 movie The Ring [[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.221|141.101.96.221]] 14:32, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::I presumed it was a reference to summoning circles. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.160|172.69.62.160]] 15:28, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::My first thought was a reference to Matt Parker of standupmaths and his spherical camera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgyI8aPctaI [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.67|162.158.62.67]] 18:17, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::I think the same... Isn't it some Terry Pratchett quote? or may be from other fantasy? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.94.2|162.158.94.2]] 18:32, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:It was HAL, not AL in Space Odyssey. Move the letters forward one, and it's IBM. Deliberate Easter egg. {{unsigned ip|162.158.38.94}}<br />
<br />
A circular screen is great for that retro-look, like a [https://picclick.com/1950s-ZENITH-PORTHOLE-Television-18-Circular-TV-Screen-113317154719.html 1950's Zenith Porthole TV]. I seem to remember seeing circular screens on some really old sci-fi shows as well. As well as one use of a [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/ThisIslandEarth triangular screen]. [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 14:37, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I thought the circular format was a reference to SnapChat's camera glasses and people's mistrust of "surveillance glasses". I am probably wrong. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 18:57, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Fails in the obvious- Horizontal is better because you can send the video in to the TV news for your 15 seconds of fame without looking like a douche who doesn't know how to rotate their phone. And why isn't there a setting for "always landscape" anyway?[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 14:48, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I have to agree... the fact that most non-mobile screens are oriented horizontally being left out was kind of a big miss. A vertical video looks like crap on a TV or Computer Monitor (Ironically unless it's an old 3:4 one, where the difference is a lot more minor.) -Graptor [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.220|172.69.62.220]] 15:34, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
Ironically, when I first read the comic on my phone (portrait), I did not realise there was a third "CONS" column. [[User:ColinHogben|ColinHogben]] ([[User talk:ColinHogben|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Not that good of an explanation, even if I wrote some of it. Actually, especially since I wrote some of it. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 16:54, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Thanks 90.10 [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:08, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I have never had problems holding my smartphone in landscape, or my camera in portrait. I just can't understand the use of portrait to film anything but one for two people's faces just because you hold the device that way to make a phone call (on the v rare occasion they do). Hey but I was born in the 50's [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 18:57, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I don't think the 50x150 view comment is right. I'd suggest removing it or backing it up with a source. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.16|162.158.146.16]] 23:14, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Anti-Semitic trolling ==<br />
Edited to remove the anti-Semitic tag and content. {{unsigned|Elusis}}<br />
:Dealing with the same thing. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:30, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::Maybe we should replace the Google CAPTCHA with an IQ test? That should get rid of the 5-year old troll.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.226.171|172.69.226.171]] 18:33, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::But then they’d say IQ was rigged by the communistic jewish theocracy. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 18:48, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::::This replies aren't helpful. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:00, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Thanks for removing that content, but please do not remove the entire incomplete tag that soon. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:00, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
My advice for now: Just revert that content silently, that unregistered user always has to solve a captcha while a registered user easily can revert it. Without any discussion that IP will get tired sooner or later. Nonetheless many thanks to everybody keeping an eye on this destructive edits. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:00, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Can you do me a favour and stop censoring my edits? If your position has any merit (it doesn't), you could defeat me in debate (you can't). {{unsigned ip|162.158.106.6}}<br />
:There is no censorship here. And please do us a favor and sign your comments. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:19, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::Fuck you, shill. Soon the truth will be revealed, whether you want it to be or not. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.240|162.158.106.240]] 21:32, 4 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::but guys, the stuff he's saying is '''bold and dynamic''' @_@</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2118:_Normal_Distribution&diff=1703792118: Normal Distribution2019-03-02T04:35:24Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2118<br />
| date = March 1, 2019<br />
| title = Normal Distribution<br />
| image = normal_distribution.png<br />
| titletext = It's the NORMAL distribution, not the TANGENT distribution.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by PEOPLE NEW ENOUGH TO STATISTICS TO NOT LEAVE IN ANNOYANCE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
[[File:Empirical_Rule.PNG|thumb|{{w|Normal distribution}}s and the intervals of the standard deviation are a topic commonly seen in introductory statistics. Randall's chart is similar, but his lines are perpendicular.]]<br />
In statistics, a {{w|Probability distribution|distribution}} is a representation that can be understood in terms of how much of a sample is expected to fall into either discrete bins or between particular ranges of values. For example, if you wanted to represent an age distribution using bins of ten years (0-9, 10-19, etc.), you could produce a bar chart, one bar for each bin, where the height of each bar represents a count of the portion of the sample matching that bin. To turn that bar chart into a distribution, you'd get an infinite number of people, put them into age bins that are infinitely narrow, and then divide each bin count by the total count so that the whole thing added up to 1. It is common to ask how much of the distribution lies between two vertical lines; that would correspond to asking what percent of people are expected to fall between two ages.<br />
<br />
Many statistical samplings form a pattern called a "{{w|normal distribution}}". A theoretically perfect normal distribution would have an infinite sample size and infinitely small bins. That would produce a bar chart matching the shape of the curve in the comic.<br />
<br />
The area between two vertical lines of the distribution represents the probability that the value is between the x-values of the lines, and the total area is 1. Randall finds the area between two ''horizontal'' lines instead, which, while correct, is not likely to be used for anything meaningful very frequently. The items in one bin are thought of as being identical; there's no reason to put one above another, and the fact that two items happen to fall at the same height horizontally doesn't mean they have anything in common. The comic explores the humor of annoying people by deliberately misunderstanding their work.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the {{w|Normal (geometry)|normal line}}, which is perpendicular to the {{w|tangent}} line at a given point. Given a shape of interest, a normal line points perpendicularly away from it at a point, making a 90-degree angle with it in all directions, while a tangent line crosses a point on it and is exactly parallel to it at that point. The normal line is not at all related to the normal distribution, as the former is a geometry concept and the latter is probability/statistics one. Saying this to a statistician would only annoy the statistician further. This refers to the fact that the diagram attempts to divide the graph with horizontal lines when such a division would usually be done with perpendicular vertical lines.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[A bell curve of a normal distribution, with the area between two horizontal lines shaded.]<br />
<br />
<br />
:[The center of the chart is marked between the two lines:]<br />
:Midpoint<br />
<br />
:[The distance between the lines is marked to the right of the midpoint, with the label:]<br />
:52.7%<br />
<br />
:[A label on the outside of the graph, describing the distance between the two lines:]<br />
:"Remember, 50% of the distribution falls between these two lines!"<br />
<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:How to annoy a statistician<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Statistics]]</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2118:_Normal_Distribution&diff=1703392118: Normal Distribution2019-03-01T18:05:41Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Transcript */ additional cat</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2118<br />
| date = March 1, 2019<br />
| title = Normal Distribution<br />
| image = normal_distribution.png<br />
| titletext = It's the NORMAL distribution, not the TANGENT distribution.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an ANNOYED STATISTICIAN. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
In statistics, a {{w|Probability distribution|distribution}} is calculated by finding how much of a sample falls into discrete bins. For example, an age distribution would often take bins of ten years (0-9, 10-19, etc.) From this a statistician often produces a bar chart, one bar for each bin, where the height of each bar represents a count of the portion of the sample matching that bin. It is common to mark {{w|standard deviation}}s on a distribution, indicating what proportion of a sample falls into the bins between two points on the x-axis.<br />
<br />
Many statistical samplings form a pattern called a "{{w|normal distribution}}". A theoretically perfect normal distribution would have an infinite sample size and infinitely small bins. That would produce a bar chart matching the shape of the curve in the comic.<br />
<br />
The area between two vertical lines of the distribution represents the probability that the value is between the x-values of the lines, and the total area is 1. Randall finds the area between two ''horizontal'' lines instead, which, while correct, is not meaningful. <br />
<br />
The title text refers to the {{w|Normal (geometry)|normal line}}, which is a related concept to the {{w|tangent}} line but not at all related to the normal distribution.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[A bell curve of a normal distribution.]<br />
<br />
Midpoint - 52.7%<br />
<br />
"Remember, 50% of the distribution falls between these two lines!"<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:How to annoy a statistician<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Statistics]]</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2118:_Normal_Distribution&diff=1703382118: Normal Distribution2019-03-01T18:05:03Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Transcript */ cleanup a little</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2118<br />
| date = March 1, 2019<br />
| title = Normal Distribution<br />
| image = normal_distribution.png<br />
| titletext = It's the NORMAL distribution, not the TANGENT distribution.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an ANNOYED STATISTICIAN. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
In statistics, a {{w|Probability distribution|distribution}} is calculated by finding how much of a sample falls into discrete bins. For example, an age distribution would often take bins of ten years (0-9, 10-19, etc.) From this a statistician often produces a bar chart, one bar for each bin, where the height of each bar represents a count of the portion of the sample matching that bin. It is common to mark {{w|standard deviation}}s on a distribution, indicating what proportion of a sample falls into the bins between two points on the x-axis.<br />
<br />
Many statistical samplings form a pattern called a "{{w|normal distribution}}". A theoretically perfect normal distribution would have an infinite sample size and infinitely small bins. That would produce a bar chart matching the shape of the curve in the comic.<br />
<br />
The area between two vertical lines of the distribution represents the probability that the value is between the x-values of the lines, and the total area is 1. Randall finds the area between two ''horizontal'' lines instead, which, while correct, is not meaningful. <br />
<br />
The title text refers to the {{w|Normal (geometry)|normal line}}, which is a related concept to the {{w|tangent}} line but not at all related to the normal distribution.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[A bell curve of a normal distribution.]<br />
<br />
Midpoint - 52.7%<br />
<br />
"Remember, 50% of the distribution falls between these two lines!"<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:How to annoy a statistician<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Charts]]</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2117:_Differentiation_and_Integration&diff=1703372117: Differentiation and Integration2019-03-01T18:03:48Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Transcript */ add cat</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2117<br />
| date = February 27, 2019<br />
| title = Differentiation and Integration<br />
| image = differentiation_and_integration.png<br />
| titletext = "Symbolic integration" is when you theatrically go through the motions of finding integrals, but the actual result you get doesn't matter because it's purely symbolic.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BESSEL FUNCTION? Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic provides a {{w|flowchart}} purporting to show the process of differentiation, and another for integration.<br />
<br />
{{w|Derivative|Differentiation}} and {{w|Antiderivative|Integration}} are two major components of {{w|calculus}}. As many Calculus 2 students are painfully aware, integration is much more complicated than the differentiation it undoes.<br />
<br />
However, Randall dramatically overstates this point here. After the first step of integration, Randall assumes that any integration can not be solved so simply, and then dives into a step named "????", suggesting that it is unknowable how to proceed. The rest of the flowchart is (we can assume deliberately) even harder to follow, and does not reach a conclusion. This is in contrast to the simple, straightforward flowchart for differentiation. The fact that the arrows in the bottom of the integration part leads to nowhere indicates that "Phone calls to mathematicians", "Oh no" and "Burn the evidence" are not final steps in the difficult journey. The flowchart could be extended by Randall to God-know-where extents.<br />
<br />
It should be noted that Randall slightly undermines his point by providing four different methods, and an "etc", and a "No"-branch for attempting differentiation with no guidelines for selecting between them.<br />
<br />
===Differentiation===<br />
'''{{w|Chain rule}}'''<br />
<br />
For any <math> \frac{d}{dx}f(x)=f'(x)</math> and <math> \frac{d}{dx}g(x)=g'(x) </math>, it follows that <math> \frac{d}{dx}(f(g(x)))=f'(g(x))*g'(x)</math>.<br />
<br />
'''{{w|Power Rule}}'''<br />
<br />
For any <math> f(x)=x^a </math>, it follows that <math> \frac{d}{dx}f(x)=a*x^{a-1} </math>.<br />
<br />
'''{{w|Quotient rule}}'''<br />
<br />
For any <math> \frac{d}{dx}f(x)=f'(x)</math> and <math> \frac{d}{dx}g(x)=g'(x) </math>, it follows that <math> \frac{d}{dx} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=\frac{f'(x)g(x)-f(x)g'(x)}{(g(x))^2}</math> if <math>g(x)\ne 0</math>.<br />
<br />
'''{{w|Product rule}}'''<br />
<br />
For any <math> \frac{d}{dx}f(x)=f'(x)</math> and <math> \frac{d}{dx}g(x)=g'(x) </math>, it follows that <math> \frac{d}{dx}(f(x)*g(x))=f'(x)*g(x)+f(x)*g'(x)</math>.<br />
<br />
===Integration===<br />
'''{{w|Integration by parts}}'''<br />
<br />
The "product rule" run backwards. Since <math>(uv)' = uv' + u'v</math>, it follows that by integrating both sides you get <math> uv = \int u dv + \int v du</math>, which is more commonly written as <math>\int u dv = uv - \int v du</math>. By finding appropriate values for functions <math>u, v</math> such that your problem is in the form <math>\int u dv</math>, your problem ''may'' be simplified. The catch is, there exists no algorithm for determining what functions they might possibly be, so this approach quickly devolves into a guessing game - this has been the topic of an earlier comic, [[1201: Integration by Parts]].<br />
<br />
'''{{w|Integration by substitution|Substitution}}'''<br />
<br />
The "chain rule" run backwards. Since <math> d(f(u)) = (df(u))du</math>, it follows that <math>f(u) = \int df(u) du</math>. By finding appropriate values for functions <math>f, u</math> such that your problem is in the form <math>\int df(u) du</math> your problem ''may'' be simplified.<br />
<br />
'''{{w|Cauchy's integral formula|Cauchy's Formula}}'''<br />
<br />
Cauchy's Integral formula is a result in complex analysis that relates the value of a contour integral in the complex plane to properties of the singularities in the interior of the contour. It is often used to compute integrals on the real line by extending the path of the integral from the real line into the complex plane to apply the formula, then proving that the integral from the parts of the contour not on the real line has value zero. <br />
<br />
'''{{w|Partial_fraction_decomposition#Application_to_symbolic_integration|Partial Fractions}}'''<br />
<br />
Partial fractions is a technique for breaking up a function that comprises one polynomial divided by another into a sum of functions comprising constants over the factors of the original denominator, which can easily be integrated into logarithms.<br />
<br />
'''Install {{w|Mathematica}}'''<br />
<br />
Mathematica is a modern technical computing system spanning most areas. One of its features is to compute mathematical functions. This step in the flowchart is to install and use Mathematica to do the integration for you. Here is a description about the [https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/IntegralsThatCanAndCannotBeDone.html intricacies of integration and how Mathematica handles those] (It would be quicker to try [https://www.wolframalpha.com Wolfram Alpha] instead of installing Mathematica, which uses the same backend for mathematical calculations.)<br />
<br />
'''{{w|Riemann integral|Riemann Integration}}'''<br />
<br />
The Riemann integral is a definition of definite integration. <math>\sum_{i=0}^{n-1} f(t_i) \left(x_{i+1}-x_i\right).</math> Elementary textbooks on calculus sometimes present finding a definite integral as a process of approximating an area by strips of equal width and then taking the limit as the strips become narrower. Riemann integration removes the requirement that the strips have equal width, and so is a more flexible definition. However there are still many functions for which the Riemann integral doesn't converge, and consideration of these functions leads to the {{w|Lebesgue integration|Lebesgue integral}}. Riemann integration is not a method of calculus appropriate for finding the anti-derivative of an elementary function.<br />
<br />
'''{{w|Stokes' Theorem}}'''<br />
<br />
Stokes' theorem is a statement about the integration of differential forms on manifolds. <math>\int_{\partial \Omega}\omega=\int_\Omega d\omega\,.</math> If you're in this deep, there's a good chance that you're just randomly applying any analytical technique you can think of at this point. <br />
<br />
'''{{w|Risch Algorithm}}'''<br />
<br />
The Risch algorithm is a notoriously complex procedure that, given a certain class of symbolic integrand, either finds a symbolic integral or proves that no elementary integral exists. (Technically it is only a semi-algorithm, and cannot produce an answer unless it can determine if a certain symbolic expression is {{w|Constant problem|equal to 0}} or not.) Many computer algebra systems have chosen to implement only the simpler Risch-Norman algorithm, which does not come with the same guarantee. A series of extensions to the Risch algorithm extend the class of allowable functions to include (at least) the error function and the logarithmic integral. A human would have to be pretty desperate to attempt this (presumably) by hand.<br />
<br />
'''{{w|Bessel function}}'''<br />
<br />
Bessel functions are the solution to the differential equation <math> x^2 \frac{dy^2}{dx^2}+x \frac{dy}{dx}+(x^2-n^2)*y=0</math>, where n is the order of Bessel function. Though they do show up in some engineering, physics, and abstract mathematics, in lower levels of calculus they are often a sign that the integration was not set up properly before someone put them into a symbolic algebra solver. <br />
<br />
'''{{w|Symbolic integration}}'''<br />
<br />
Symbolic algebra is the basic process of finding an antiderivative, as opposed to numerically integrating a function. Randall plays off the joke that integration might as well be a symbol, like in a novel, because he can't get any meaningful results from his analysis. <br />
<br />
'''Phone calls to mathematicians'''<br />
<br />
This step would indicate that the flowchart user, desperate from failed attempts to solve the problem, contacts some more skilled mathematicians by phone, and presumably asks them for help. The connected steps of "Oh no" and "Burn the evidence" may suggest the possibility that this interaction might not play out very well and could even get the caller in trouble.<br />
Specialists and renowned experts being bothered - not to their amusement - by strangers, often at highly inconvenient times or locations, is a common comedic trope, also previously utilized by xkcd (for example in [[163: Donald Knuth]]).<br />
<br />
'''Burn the evidence'''<br />
<br />
This phrase parodies a common trope in detective fiction, where characters burn notes, receipts, passports, etc. to maintain secrecy. This may refer to the burning of one's work to avoid the shame of being associated w/ such a badly failed attempt to solve the given integration problem.<br />
<br />
Alternatively, this could be an ironic hint to the fact that in order to find the integral, it may even be necessary to break the law or upset higher powers, so that the negative consequences of a persecution can only be avoided by destroying the evidence.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Two flow charts are shown.]<br />
<br />
:[The first flow chart has four steps in simple order, one with multiple recommendations.]<br />
:DIFFERENTIATION<br />
:Start<br />
:Try applying<br />
::Chain Rule<br />
::Power Rule<br />
::Quotient Rule<br />
::Product Rule<br />
::Etc.<br />
:Done?<br />
::No [Arrow returns to "Try applying" step.]<br />
::Yes<br />
:Done!<br />
<br />
[The second flow chart begins like the first, then descends into chaos.]<br />
:INTEGRATION<br />
:Start<br />
:Try applying<br />
::Integration by Parts<br />
::Substitution<br />
:Done?<br />
:Haha, Nope!<br />
<br />
:[Chaos, Roughly from left to right, top to bottom, direction arrows not included.]<br />
::Cauchy's Formula<br />
::????<br />
::???!?<br />
::???<br />
::???<br />
::?<br />
::Partial Fractions<br />
::??<br />
::?<br />
::Install Mathematica<br />
::?<br />
::Riemann Integration<br />
::Stokes' Theorem<br />
::???<br />
::?<br />
::Risch Algorithm<br />
::???<br />
::[Sad face.]<br />
::?????<br />
::???<br />
::What the heck is a Bessel Function??<br />
::Phone calls to mathematicians<br />
::Oh No<br />
::Burn the Evidence<br />
::[More arrows pointing out of the image to suggest more steps.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Analysis]]<br />
[[Category:Flowcharts]]</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2118:_Normal_Distribution&diff=1703362118: Normal Distribution2019-03-01T18:00:03Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Explanation */ wlink</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2118<br />
| date = March 1, 2019<br />
| title = Normal Distribution<br />
| image = normal_distribution.png<br />
| titletext = It's the NORMAL distribution, not the TANGENT distribution.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an ANNOYED STATISTICIAN. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
In statistics, a {{w|Probability distribution|distribution}} is calculated by finding how much of a sample falls into discrete bins. For example, an age distribution would often take bins of ten years (0-9, 10-19, etc.) From this a statistician often produces a bar chart, one bar for each bin, where the height of each bar represents a count of the portion of the sample matching that bin. It is common to mark {{w|standard deviation}}s on a distribution, indicating what proportion of a sample falls into the bins between two points on the x-axis.<br />
<br />
Many statistical samplings form a pattern called a "{{w|normal distribution}}". A theoretically perfect normal distribution would have an infinite sample size and infinitely small bins. That would produce a bar chart matching the shape of the curve in the comic.<br />
<br />
The area between two vertical lines of the distribution represents the probability that the value is between the x-values of the lines, and the total area is 1. Randall finds the area between two ''horizontal'' lines instead, which, while correct, is not meaningful. <br />
<br />
The title text refers to the {{w|Normal (geometry)|normal line}}, which is a related concept to the {{w|tangent}} line but not at all related to the normal distribution.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Normal Distribution<br />
<br />
Midpoint - 52.7%<br />
<br />
"Remember, 50% of<br />
the distribution<br />
falls between<br />
these two lines!"<br />
<br />
How to Annoy a Statistician<br />
<br />
Title text: It's the NORMAL distribution, not the TANGENT distribution.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2114:_Launch_Conditions&diff=170246Talk:2114: Launch Conditions2019-02-27T22:26:17Z<p>172.69.33.23: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
<br />
Queue a boost in hits for "rocket shaped humidifier" pages. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.59.108|172.68.59.108]] 19:26, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I've already done a search to see if this exists. Shouldn't take long for the internet to come through. [[User:Andyd273|Andyd273]] ([[User talk:Andyd273|talk]]) 19:34, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I've checked but all i can find is the steam coming out of the top, not the bottom [[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.34|162.158.142.34]] 19:39, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
: I'm thinking this would be a little challenging to create, because liquid water falls out of openings that under it. Humidifiers also usually have a larger reservoir of water than that rocket. I'm thinking the simplest approach would be to place a model rocket on top of a normal humidifier. Maybe you could also make a rocket with a mini-humidifier and a tube that goes from the top to the bottom, or that plugs into a faucet rather than having a reservoir. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.220|162.158.78.220]]<br />
:: I looked closer at the comic, and you can see the body of the humidifier under the rocket. It may actually be a model rocket on top of a normal humidifer. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.178|162.158.78.178]] 21:40, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
How disappointing. All of the examples a quick search brought up emit mist from the tip, instead of the exhaust. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.10|172.69.62.10]] 19:38, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Yes! I want one! (A PROPER one, with exhaust.) {{unsigned ip|162.158.89.55}}<br />
: But then the water reservoir might be limited to what fits into the rocket (see the comments above). [[User:Gunterkoenigsmann|Gunterkoenigsmann]] ([[User talk:Gunterkoenigsmann|talk]]) 06:36, 21 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
:: Seems like making the base the humidifier and the rocket just a model on top would get around that problem. [[User:Tarcas|Tarcas]] ([[User talk:Tarcas|talk]]) 14:59, 25 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
What does it mean if a rocket is venting steam from its nose, anyway? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.83|172.68.58.83]] 19:59, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
: You are having a bad problem and you will not go to space today.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.226|162.158.75.226]] 20:18, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Nothing Good [[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.82|162.158.142.82]] 20:02, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
What people need is a "pea soup - micro rocket " fog machine and a model rocket. However that would set you back over 400 GBP or USD and do nothing much to humidify the room, being a type of vape machine. I suppose you could take a vape machine and add a fan to mimic a user inhaling, and exhaust into the model for less. Still not humidifying, but the voice off days "still dry in here" [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 20:45, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Whoops! I updated the Feynman story at the same time as somebody else removed it. It's currently back with changes. Maybe I'd better find a better citation to see how accurate it is. It's notable that it was Feynman who found the o-ring issue mentioned in the comic. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.220|172.69.62.220]] 20:46, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
:The Feynman story is from part II of "What do YOU care what other people think?: Further adventures of a curious character". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.6|162.158.106.6]] 21:24, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
::Thanks. I found it on library genesis ( http://gen.lib.rus.ec/book/index.php?md5=EA0CB0CF9A75A62E9F407CF1EE915F23 ) and my thirdhand telling was indeed rather inaccurate. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.178|162.158.78.178]] 21:38, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
: Removed the story and referenced wikipedia. But Feynman was a badass to stand up to the NASA administration and his silent peers so expressively. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.220|172.69.62.220]] 20:59, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Anyone else notice someone wrote (after the bit explaining how rockets take off) "This is, of course, preposterous, as rockets are a fake child's fantasy created by Jewish NASA employees"?[[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.76|172.68.34.76]] 21:25, 20 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Trolls, they’re gone now. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:44, 21 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
O-Ring seemingly is potentially offensive in another way, too: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=o%20ring [[User:Gunterkoenigsmann|Gunterkoenigsmann]] ([[User talk:Gunterkoenigsmann|talk]]) 06:36, 21 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Oh wow. I'd never think of this one. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.160|162.158.92.160]] 13:22, 21 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hmmm, I have always assumed that the water pumped to the base of the launch pad was intended to cool the exhaust so it won't destroy the concrete of the exhaust trench. But it's there to suppress sound? Well, one learns new things all the time... -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.34|162.158.92.34]] 09:01, 21 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Here's a link! [https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/sound-suppression-system.html NASA Page][[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.201|162.158.74.201]] 18:35, 26 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Doesn't anybody think it looks like the rocket in 2107: Launch Risk? Should this be part of a series with that or what? --<br />
<br />
Is the bit about rockets not being real supposed to be some kind of joke? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.106|162.158.78.106]] 17:32, 21 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
:It’s been removed, and probably not. It’s weird sometimes.[[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:34, 21 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I recommend removing the BDSM comment, even with the "unlikely" disclaimer, unless Randall has at some time in the past made a similar reference. "O-Ring" and "Ring of O" are just not similar enough, and the *likelier* reference to the Challenger disaster is too strong. Why detract? Or is there an actual Randall-BDSM thing? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.34|172.68.34.34]] 21:39, 21 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
:I agree, there is no basis in the comic for that interpretation. The O-Ring as part of a real rocket disaster makes sense, the BDSM similar name is strictly accidental. There would have to be something in the comic, or a recurring theme in the comics, or some related current event in the news for it to be worth a mention. [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 22:16, 21 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
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Would it be worth noting that some rockets use liquid hydrogen as a fuel, producing water as the combustion product. [https://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/hydrogen/hydrogen_fuel_of_choice.html Liquid Hydrogen--the Fuel of Choice for Space Exploration] [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.66|162.158.106.66]] 03:31, 22 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
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At first I thought that in the third panel Ponytail was of gigantic proportions, rather than the rocket being a miniaturized model. This misconception was clarified by the fourth panel, however... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.23|172.69.33.23]] 22:26, 27 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
== Which kind of rocket? ==<br />
<br />
A small rocket, with two or four boosters (so probably not a Proton) which are tapered at a 45 degree angle (which rules out the Angara series) towards the body, but away from the top (which means it's probably not American) and payload (which rules out the Ariane series), and a demarcated section for the payload faring (which seems to point to the Long March 5). Coupled with the fact that nearly everything is made in China, this makes me think this is a sly "everything is made in China" joke.</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=799:_Stephen_Hawking&diff=169267799: Stephen Hawking2019-02-07T02:20:39Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Explanation */ ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 799<br />
| date = September 27, 2010<br />
| title = Stephen Hawking<br />
| image = stephen_hawking.png<br />
| titletext = Guys? The Town is supposed to be good, and I thou--' 'PHYSICIST STEPHEN HAWKING DECLARES NEW FILM BEST IN ALL SPACE AND TIME' 'No, I just heard that--' 'SHOULD SCIENCE PLAY A ROLE IN JUDGING BEN AFFLECK?' 'I don't think--' 'WHAT ABOUT MATT DAMON?'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|Stephen Hawking}} was a renowned theoretical physicist. He was almost completely paralyzed due to {{w|amyotrophic lateral sclerosis}} and communicated with a {{w|Speech-generating device|speech-generating device}}, as shown in the first panel. He died on March 14, 2018 at the age of 76. In this comic, he mentions to [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] maybe they could go to a movie together later, but they take it as a scientific declaration that they '''should''' go see a movie and have it published in a newspaper, which portrays it in hyperbolic tones, vastly exaggerating and misinterpreting his actual intent. In the final panel, Hawking is shown hanging his head in sadness since all he wanted to do was see a movie with his friends.<br />
<br />
This can be taken as a satire of sensationalism of science in popular media, particularly in emphasizing the viewpoints of well-known and popular personalities in science. A similar theme was used in [[1206: Einstein]].<br />
<br />
The title text continues the joke, with innocuous comments by Hawking interpreted as important revelations. <br />
<br />
''{{w|The Town (2010 film)|The Town}}'' is a movie which was released 10 days before this comic's release. Hawking tries to suggest they go see ''The Town'' which should be good, as he may know since it both {{w|The_Town_(2010_film)#Reception|received positive reviews}} and {{w|The_Town_(2010_film)#Box_office|was a box office hit}}. But instead the newspapers again sensationalize his statements and declare The Town to be the best in the universe. <br />
<br />
When Hawking then tries to state that this was just something he had heard, the newspaper asks if science should play a role in judging {{w|Ben Affleck}}. Ben Affleck directed, wrote and starred (top billing) in this movie, so any judgment of this film would reflect on Affleck. The media asks if science should have an opinion on art, in this case Ben Affleck, and thus judge it. It could be argued that it should not as art is not necessarily based on anything scientific, but to thus state that a scientist must now have an opinion on art is a completely different story. Hawking is here defined as Science. If he says so then it is the opinion of the Scientific community and not just his personal opinion.<br />
<br />
Before Hawking even gets close to finishing his next sentence, the media asks what about {{w|Matt Damon}} -- should he judge him as well. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have a long history together and came to prominence together as screenwriters of ''{{w|Good Will Hunting}}'', winning an Oscar for the script. They also co-starred in the movie, with Matt Damon in a main role opposite {{w|Robin Williams}}. Following that, Matt Damon's acting career has been more commercially successful than Affleck's, causing speculation that their friendship could be in trouble over such details. But they have kept working together and are co-owners of the production company {{w|Pearl Street Films}}, so this is probably not the case. <br />
<br />
But still more than ten years after their shared Oscar moment for best script for ''Good Will Hunting'', many people think of Damon when they hear of Affleck and the other way around. This is the reason for the last question by the press.<br />
<br />
Those of you feeling bad for Steven Hawking might feel good to know that he had a healthy social life in reality, and had even dabbled in [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0370071/ a brief acting career (typically as cameo appearances)].<br />
<br />
A drawing of Stephen Hawking also appeared in [[1000: 1000 Comics]]. If you wish to try and find him yourself first then do not read on or click the links below. If you need a bit of help to find him then [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/ac/1000_Comics_-_The_one_in_thousand_without_numbers.png this link] will show you which number of 1000 he is in. Else you can find him fast as he is no. 49 in [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/56/1000_Comics_-_The_one_in_thousand_with_numbers.png this numbered image].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Stephen Hawking with glasses and dark hair is sitting in his special wheelchair with a computer screen in front stuck to the chair and a large black rear wheel with four large white spokes. He is facing Cueball and Megan. His voice appears in a square machine readable font.]<br />
:Stephen Hawking: I thought maybe later we should go see a movie.<br />
:Cueball and Megan: !!!<br />
<br />
:[Cueball and Megan are running right.]<br />
<br />
:[The top half of a front page of a folded newspaper is shown in a frame-less panel. There are wavy plants on either side of the papers name at the top. Below this there is a big headline covering the page width in three rows. Below this is the article that covers the rest of the front page in five columns. The first column is the broadest and it is the beginning of the articles main body of text which is unreadable all the way trough. This columns has text all the way down. The top of the second and third column has a close up picture of Stephen Hawking face, he is sitting in his chair, but it can only be seen down to the top of the screen. The picture sits in the center of the article. Below there is a large caption. The rest of these two columns is more unreadable text. The fourth and fifth column begins with another large sub heading that covers an area of the same size as the picture to the left of it. Above this text there is a line that aligns with the top of the picture, so that it with the picture and the first line of text to the left makes a kind of division line all across the paper below the heading. The rest of these two columns is more unreadable text, except in the fifth column just above the middle where a small heading, with a frame around, raises a question which is just readable.]<br />
:<big>The '''Times'''</big><br />
:<big>Physicist Stephen Hawking suggests we see more films</big><br />
:Caption: Smartest man alive<br />
:Secondary headline: What could he know that we don't?<br />
:Question: <small>Is this a warning?</small><br />
<br />
:[Stephen Hawking is sitting alone in his chair (like in the first image), looking down.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2002:_LeBron_James_and_Stephen_Curry&diff=1687622002: LeBron James and Stephen Curry2019-01-29T18:43:40Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2002<br />
| date = June 4, 2018<br />
| title = LeBron James and Stephen Curry<br />
| image = lebron_james_and_stephen_curry.png<br />
| titletext = The 538TR attempts to capture a player's combined skill at basketball (either real-life or NBA 2K18) and election forecasting.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
At the time of this comic, the {{w|2018 NBA Finals}} were going on, between the {{w|Cleveland Cavaliers}} and the {{w|Golden State Warriors}} with the Warriors leading 2 games to 0 in a best of seven series. At first glance, the comic looks like an in-depth analysis of two of the star players on those teams, {{w|LeBron James}} and {{w|Stephen Curry}}. The joke is that while comprehensive, all the statistics are completely meaningless - many don't show any correlation, and if there is one, it's extremely unlikely there is any causal link in there. <br />
<br />
The first graph includes a nine-digit {{w|Social Security number}} issued for US citizens which is typically not considered a metric related to athletic ability. As Social Security numbers are essentially random numbers ([https://www.ssa.gov/employer/randomization.html until 2011], there was a geographic correspondence for the first three digits), the graph shows only the {{w|free throw}} percentage of a large number of players, artificially spread vertically. Also note that Social Security numbers are not usually made public, barring security leaks.<br />
<br />
The second graph is a graph of 2018 points per game vs teammate's APGAR score. {{w|APGAR score}} is used to quickly summarize the health of newborn children, with scores of 7 and above indicating an infant has generally normal health; its use to rank adult NBA players is odd, if not improper. This graph indicates LeBron's teammates have an average APGAR score of approximately 2.1. Scores of 3 and below are generally regarded as critically low and possibly requiring medical attention. Low APGAR scores can also be associated with increased risk of neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy. The joke appears to be in giving LeBron's less-than-impressive teammates a low APGAR score.<br />
<br />
The shot map shows from what position Curry's shots were scored compared to other NBA players. It shows that he scored several times from outside the playing field, including twice from the {{w|bleacher}}s (which isn't a legal play), and once from the {{w|locker room}} (which is physically impossible due to multiple walls in between). This references Stephen Curry's propensity to take (and make) shots from well beyond the normal distance required for 3 points.[https://thebiglead.com/2016/02/26/stephen-currys-shooting-percentage-from-28-feet-out-is-mind-boggling/]<br />
<br />
Next is a graph of (team) win percentage vs sandwiches eaten during play. Average win percentage seems to go down as number of sandwiches eaten goes up to 3. It does indicate that the Golden State Warriors still have quite high win rate even though they have eaten either 4 sandwiches per game, or 4 sandwiches total during games, over the course of the 2018 season (the graph is unclear on this point). Golden State Warriors seem to be an outlier as their win percentage is much higher than the one of the teams that have eaten 2-3 sandwiches.<br />
<br />
In the "2018 total points" table, the highlighted {{w|Golden State Warriors}} and {{w|Cleveland Cavaliers}} represent the teams of Stephen Curry and LeBron James respectively. {{w|Magnetic north}} is the south pole of the {{w|Earth's magnetic field}}. Certain animals use the magnetic field to navigate and align themselves (including migratory birds, bees, and foxes), but there is no evidence that humans are affected by the earth's magnetic field. This means that there should not be any correlation between orientation of a basketball court and points scored. But Cleveland Cavaliers have a much a higher percentage of goals scored when orientation is towards magnetic North than other teams, probably it is implied that LeBron James and/or his team somehow actually senses magnetic field and uses that to direct shots, but more likely explanation would be that it is just the orientation of the court during their home games.<br />
<br />
The title text is a continuation of the joke in the bottom table. {{w|FiveThirtyEight}}, sometimes referred to as 538, is a website that focuses on opinion poll analysis, politics, economics, and sports blogging. <br />
<br />
The table at the bottom includes more unrelated comparisons:<br />
<br />
;Have You Heard of Him<br />
: Although both players are well known in their native United States, elsewhere basketball is considered a minority sport. Of the 7 billion people in the world it is likely that less than 2% of the total population will have heard of either player.{{Citation needed}} According to Randall, LeBron James is a more well known player than Stephen Curry. <br />
;President During Most Recent Game 7 Loss<br />
: In the NBA, the top 16 teams qualify for a single elimination play-off to determine the season champion, with each series played as a {{w|Playoff_format#Best-of-seven_playoff|best-of-seven}} series (first to win 4 games). After the fourth game, fixtures are only played as required. Most fixtures are therefore resolved before the last game. Lebron James has participated in seven playoff game 7s in his career (winning 5 of 7), and the last time his team lost a game seven was on May 18, 2008 ({{w|George W. Bush}} was still President). This also highlights that James is an older athlete, yet has been fairly dominant through his career. Stephen Curry's last game 7 loss came at the hands of Lebron James in the {{w|2016 NBA Finals}} ({{w|Barack Obama}} was President). It is notable that both the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers won their respective games 7 in their Conference Finals to make it to this year's NBA Finals.<br />
;Pog Collection<br />
: {{w|Milk caps (game)|Pogs}} were a {{w|fad}} in the 1990s. It is unclear why James would have a "staggeringly large" collection of pogs, besides being 4 years older than Curry.<br />
<br />
;Career Average Fed Interest Rate<br />
:The Federal Interest Rate, or {{w|federal funds rate}}, is an interest rate set by the {{w|United States Federal Reserve}}. This rate is increased or decreased periodically based on the health of the U.S. economy. As of the time of publishing, the federal interest rate was targeted at 1.75%. The rate has fluctuated from a high of around 5% to a low of near 0% (during the time of the {{w|Great Recession in the United States|2008 recession}}). James' career average federal interest rate is higher than Curry's, because James began his career before Curry, when interest rates were higher.<br />
;Name Scrabble Score<br />
:Both "lebronjames" and "stephencurry" are worth 22 points in {{w|Scrabble}}, however both being names are not recognized as scorable words and would be worth nothing. <br />
;Best Sport<br />
: It is claimed that their best sport is basketball. However, although they have chosen basketball as a career, this does not mean they were not better at a sport that does not offer a professional career. On the other hand with amount of training they did in basketball, it is extremely likely that basketball is the best sport for both of them at the moment.<br />
;Height<br />
: Both are listed as over 6 feet tall, which is not at all unusual for professional basketball players. Stephen Curry is 6'3" and LeBron James is 6'8", although this chart does not distinguish the exact heights. In most contexts, bucketing humans into broad height-groups would be unsurprising, but in basketball more detail is relevant. Thus, the information is accurate but uninformative --- like the rest of the data in this comic.<br />
;Retirement Year<br />
: In 2027, Stephen Curry will be 39 years old, which is a typical retirement age for NBA players. LeBron James's retirement age is listed as ''Unknown''. <br />
: This may refer to James's high level of play through his mid-30s, when typical players have a decline in their performance.{{Citation needed}}<br />
;FiveThirtyEight Total Rating<br />
: {{w|Nate Silver}} is a political commentator and founder of the website {{w|FiveThirtyEight}}, which uses and promotes statistical approaches in explaining the world. The site's two major areas of focus are in politics (especially on elections - it became famous for correctly predicting for whom 49 of 50 states would vote in the 2008 US presidential election and every US state in the 2012 election, and though it wasn't as accurate in 2016 it had given Donald Trump a larger chance of Electoral College victory than other mainstream media sources) and sports (Silver first got into statistical analysis via baseball). The presence of both sports-related and politics-related topics in the comic, however related they are (or not) with each other, seems to be a nod towards FiveThirtyEight's content.<br />
: Nate Silver has a much higher 538TR than either Curry or James. As explained in the title text, the 538TR combines basketball skill (either real-life or video game basketball) with election forecasting. This could suggest that Silver is proficient at basketball, presumably the video game kind, or else that election forecasting is heavily weighted.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:'''NBA Playoffs ''DataDive'' '''<br />
:'''LeBron James and Stephen Curry'''<br />
:'''What makes these superstars so extraordinary?'''<br />
<br />
:[The comic consists of several plots and tables, listed here from top to bottom, left to right.]<br />
<br />
:'''Scatter plot of Social Security number vs Free throw percentage'''<br />
:The Social Security numbers range from 000-00-0000 to 999-99-9999. No pattern discernable, aside from points being a bit denser in the middle of the plot. Stephen Curry is marked as a point on the right edge of the plot with a high free throw percentage.<br />
<br />
:'''Scatter plot of 2018 points per game vs Average teammate APGAR score'''<br />
:The APGAR scores range from 0 to 10. Pattern suggests a somewhat positive link between the two factors. LeBron James is marked as having a lot of points, but a low teammate APGAR score of approximately 2.1.<br />
<br />
:'''Shot map'''<br />
:Legend: grey dot for all players, black dot for Stephen Curry<br />
:A diagram of a basketball court is shown with dots placed where players have taken shots at the goal. For the all players category the dots generally cluster next to the goal basket and in front of the three point line. Stephen has 3 dots next to the basket (one is behind it), but does cluster next to the three point line. He also has several dots on the other side of the playing field, and outside it, including three in the bleachers and one in the locker room.<br />
<br />
:'''Sandwiches eaten during play vs Win %'''<br />
:A plot that suggests no relation between the factors because practically all dots are in the zero sandwiches column. 2018 Warriors have one dot at around 60 win percentage and 4 sandwiches.<br />
<br />
:'''2018 total points'''<br />
:A table listing teams and their points overall and "When net is within 15° of magnetic north". The rows for the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers are highlighted, the latter shows an abnormally high score in the magnetic north column.<br />
<br />
:{| class = "wikitable"<br />
! 2018 total points<br />
! Overall <br />
! When net is within 15° of magnetic north<br />
|-<br />
|'''Golden State Warriors'''<br />
|'''9304'''<br />
|'''330'''<br />
|-<br />
|Houston Rockets<br />
|9213<br />
|268<br />
|-<br />
|New Orleans Pelicans<br />
|9161<br />
|219<br />
|-<br />
|Toronto Raptors<br />
|9156<br />
|341<br />
|-<br />
|'''Cleveland Cavaliers'''<br />
|'''9091'''<br />
|'''1644'''<br />
|-<br />
|Denver Nuggets<br />
|9020<br />
|280<br />
|}<br />
<br />
:[A table at the bottom:]<br />
<br />
:{| class = "wikitable"<br />
!<br />
! Stephen Curry<br />
! LeBron James<br />
|-<br />
|Have you heard of him<br />
|Probably<br />
|Yes<br />
|-<br />
|President during most recent game 7 loss<br />
|Obama<br />
|Bush<br />
|-<br />
|Pog collection<br />
|Large<br />
|Staggeringly large<br />
|-<br />
|Career average Fed interest rate<br />
|3.42%<br />
|4.41%<br />
|-<br />
|Name Scrabble score<br />
|22<br />
|22<br />
|-<br />
|Best sport<br />
|Basketball<br />
|Basketball<br />
|-<br />
|Height<br />
|Over 6'<br />
|Over 6'<br />
|-<br />
|Retirement year<br />
|2027<br />
|Unknown<br />
!Nate Silver<br />
|-<br />
|FiveThirtyEight total rating<br>(devised by Nate Silver to combine all metrics into a single stat)<br />
|'''37.4'''<br />
|'''31.8'''<br />
|'''86.6'''<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
This comic was posted the day after the second game in the 2018 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry's team) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (LeBron James' team). It is the fourth consecutive time the two teams faced each other at the finals, which is unprecedented in major sports leagues in North America. The Warriors won in 2015 and 2017, the Cavaliers won in 2016. At the time of the comic, the Warriors led the current series 2-0; which they eventually won.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Sport]]<br />
[[Category:Basketball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Nate Silver]]<br />
[[Category:Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Statistics]]</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2104:_Biff_Tannen&diff=168741Talk:2104: Biff Tannen2019-01-29T07:06:24Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Regarding politics */ trump time travel</p>
<hr />
<div>I thought Biff jumped from 2015 to 1955, not 1985...? Young Biff had the Almanac in his pocket at the High School dance and the tower he built was already in place in 1985.<br />
<br />
<!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Collusion with a time traveler would bring a few things into focus. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.25|173.245.54.25]] 15:24, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
:You inspire ''one'' house painter to change careers & suddenly everyone blames you for everything. <br />
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 16:23, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillbilly_Elegy<br />
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.198|172.68.65.198]] 15:39, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
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Do we keep the “cheat at sports betting” wording? I don’t know if this is cheating. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.136|108.162.210.136]] 17:22, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Cheating is generally heald to be using something unavailable to anyone else in the normal course of play to gain an advantage. I'd say using the almanac towards those ends definitely applies. [[User:Mjm87|Mjm87]] ([[User talk:Mjm87|talk]]) 19:07, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
If anyone questions the fact that newspapers in real life did attempt to assert that the rise of Trump was inevitable, various newspaper articles may easily be found as proof with a Google Search for [Donald Trump inevitable], preferably restricted to results before 2017, so as to remove results about things he did later. I don't know how best to incorporate such results as a source in the article, as the number of citations could easily be made too big, and also I don't know if anyone cares. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.136|108.162.210.136]] 17:30, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I am from Europe, and I do not understand the issue. If event X happens while you predicted Y, isn't researching and hypothising a good way to find out why, possibly learning new things in the process? Saying you don't want to debate the issue is like hating politics. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.131|141.101.104.131]] 18:27, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: Many people who understand politics hate it. On behalf of my fellow continenteans, I apologize for 141.101.104.131, who apparently believes that politics overlaps with political science. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.40|162.158.114.40]] 18:51, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Note that ''Hillbilly Elegy'' could not have been intended to explain the Trump election, having been written before it. However, it was interpreted this way. I have attempted to make this clear in the explanation.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.179|108.162.212.179]] 18:53, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
If I'm not mistaken, Biff is based off of Donald Trump, so the Donald Trump analogy may be more likely than not. I can't quite recall where I read this, but there are quite a few similarities between the two. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.138|162.158.186.138]] 19:14, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Added [[Special:Contributions/162.158.122.156|162.158.122.156]] 19:24, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Why does this article go out of its way to avoid mentioning Hillary Clinton by name?[[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.19|162.158.107.19]] 20:25, 28 January 2019 (UTC)KingLeary<br />
: Beats me. Fixed it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.95|108.162.246.95]] 04:47, 29 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
XKCD on XKCD: "The word 'thinkpiece' sounds like a word made up by someone who didn't know about the word 'brain'." [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.233|172.69.33.233]] 01:00, 29 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The explanation should include info on what a "counterfactual" is. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.95|108.162.246.95]] 04:49, 29 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Regarding politics ==<br />
<br />
Wow, all this Trump stuff feels like a real stretch... [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.95|172.68.132.95]] 21:00, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Nah21:42, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Note there is a (joke?) conspiracy theory that Trump is a time traveler, using technology provided by his uncle John Trump...<br />
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.22|162.158.255.22]] 23:06, 28 January 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
That would explain why he was able to do so well in the electoral college despite losing the popular vote. He knew which states would be close, so he could focus his efforts on narrowly winning those instead of narrowing losing them, and not worry about states like CA that would have such wide margins of victory that campaigning wouldn't affect who won them.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.23|172.69.33.23]] 07:06, 29 January 2019 (UTC)</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2103:_Midcontinent_Rift_System&diff=1686042103: Midcontinent Rift System2019-01-25T19:46:44Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2103<br />
| date = January 25, 2019<br />
| title = Midcontinent Rift System<br />
| image = midcontinent_rift_system.png<br />
| titletext = The best wedge issue is an actual wedge.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a Midcontinental Rift. Need an explanation of the title text. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Recently, USA politics has caused polarization of the public.<ref>[https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/215210/partisan-differences-growing-number-issues.aspx Partisan Differences Growing on a Number of Issues]</ref> It is said to be "split" in two camps (liberal and conservative). Here [[Black Hat]] is trying to get elected by promising he will actually split America in two. His presentation suggest he would accomplish this by using a giant crowbar, thus completing the {{w|Midcontinent Rift System|Midcontinent Rift}}, which is a large crack that started to form about 1.1 billion years ago, but failed to completely sever the continent.<br />
<br />
It is unclear why would anyone vote for such a thing, but people directly affected (the Midwest) are likely to vote against [[Black Hat]]. While Black Hat and his campaign advisor [[Ponytail]] speak of weakness in the Midwest, they are talking about two different things: Black Hat refers to the physical weakness of the North American Plate in the Midwest due to the geological rift which might he thinks could be exploited by a large enough crowbar, while Ponytail is referring to a political weakness for Black Hat's campaign in the Midwest due to the likely-unpopular proposal (different regions of the US have different voters and populations who have different priorities and stances, so candidates and their campaigns' platforms will likely be more popular in some regions and less popular in others). In this case a successful or attempted completion of the rift would likely result in the destruction of millions of houses, buildings, and other man-made structures, not to mention the deaths of many humans (if proper evacuation were not fully implemented and enforced) as well as millions of animals that could not be evacuated. The proposal would also cause huge economic impacts; the Midwest produces a significant proportion of America's food supplies and hosts important economic centers, such as Chicago and Cleveland. So the popularity among those directly or even indirectly affected is likely quite low.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[A map of North America shows the Midcontinent Rift System as a red line curving through the Great Lakes and down through the midwestern United States.]<br />
:1.1 billion years ago, the North American continent began to split in half.<br />
<br />
:[Black Hat stands at a lectern with a "Vote 2020" sign on it. He gestures to an image of the globe with a giant crowbar inserted in the rift with an arrow indicating applying pressure to widen the rift.]<br />
:Black Hat: We don't know why it stopped. If elected, I vow to finish the job. Thank youl.<br />
<br />
:[Ponytail, Black Hat, Megan, and Cueball walk to the right away from a set of stairs. Cueball is looking at a phone and Ponytail is looking at a device or paper with writing on it.]<br />
:Ponytail: Great job up there.<br />
:Black Hat: Thanks! How are my polling numbers?<br />
:Ponytail: Well, I'm seeing some weakness in the Midwest.<br />
:Black Hat: So am I. So am I.<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1093:_Forget&diff=1682841093: Forget2019-01-18T01:57:48Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Explanation */ fix</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1093<br />
| date = August 10, 2012<br />
| title = Forget<br />
| image = forget.png<br />
| titletext = 'Baby Got Back' turned 20 this year. My favorite nostalgia show is VH1's 'I Love The Inexorable March of Time Toward the Grave That Awaits Us All.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The median age in {{w|USA}} is currently about 37 years. Assuming that you must be at least five years old to remember a cultural event later, this means that anything that happened more than thirty-two years ago is remembered by a minority of people today. This applies to any event prior to 1980, so here in 2012, the majority of Americans are too young to remember the Seventies. However, according to census estimation the median will raise in the future, so instead of a 32 years gap between event and the moment when most people can't remember it, the gap becomes 35 years (implying a median of some 40 years).<br />
<br />
'''2013: The Carter presidency''' {{w|Jimmy Carter}} was the {{w|President of the United States}} from 1977-1981. He lost all popularity after he was viewed as mishandling several crises during his presidency, including the {{w|Three Mile Island accident}}, the {{w|Iran hostage crisis}}, and the "{{w|stagflation}}" of the late 1970s. According to Wikipedia, his decisions to reinstate registration for the draft and his decision to boycott the {{w|1980 Summer Olympics}} in Moscow (over the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) helped contribute to his defeat in the 1980 Presidential campaign.<br />
<br />
'''2014: The Reagan shooting''' References the 1981 {{w|Reagan assassination attempt|assassination attempt}} on the then American president, {{w|Ronald Reagan}}.<br />
<br />
'''2015: The Falkland Islands War''' This is in reference to the {{w|Falklands War|brief outbreak of hostilities}} between the {{w|UK}} and {{w|Argentina}} over the {{w|Falkland Islands|Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)}} located off the shore of Argentina claimed by both but controlled by the UK. Even to this date, tensions remain high over the ownership of these islands, and while many people alive today weren't alive to witness it, it nevertheless remains present in the collective psyche of both nations.<br />
<br />
'''2016: ''Return of the Jedi'' release''' ''{{w|Return of the Jedi}}'' was the 3rd film in the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, released in 1983.<br />
<br />
'''2017: The first Apple Macintosh''' The {{w|Macintosh}} was a line of computers created by {{w|Apple Inc.|Apple}}, first introduced in 1984, with the {{w|Macintosh 128K}}.<br />
<br />
'''2018: New Coke''' References a public relations blunder that the Coca Cola corporation undertook in attempting to reformulate its cola recipe, the new formula called {{w|New Coke}} popularly. The public backlash so shook the company that they reintroduced the original recipe as {{w|Coca-Cola Classic}} within 3 months. New Coke was eventually rebranded from Coca-Cola to Coke II, and then discontinued. Coca-Cola Classic has quietly been rebranded back to simply Coca-Cola, as it originally was. The "New Coke" introduction is considered one of the biggest PR blunders from a major company ever.<br />
<br />
'''2019: Challenger''' The {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger|Challenger}} was a {{w|NASA}} space shuttle, which was launched in 1986, but {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|exploded}} 72 seconds into its flight, killing everyone aboard, including {{w|Christa McAuliffe}}, a teacher selected to be the first teacher in space.<br />
<br />
'''2020: Chernobyl''' Refers to the 1986 meltdown of a {{w|Chernobyl|nuclear power plant}} in the {{w|Ukranian SSR}} (then a part of the Soviet Union). The meltdown forced the nearby city of {{w|Pripyat}} to be abandoned, and it remains a ghost town today.<br />
<br />
'''2021: Black Monday''' Refers to the 1987 {{w|Black Monday (1987)|day}} of the largest one-day {{w|stock market}} drop in history.<br />
<br />
'''2022: The Reagan presidency''' {{w|Ronald Reagan}} was an American president from 1981 to 1989, and was a generally well received president known for ending the Cold War, oversaw the {{w|Iran–Contra affair}}, {{w|Invasion of Grenada|invading Grenada}}, and issuing forth a number of new {{w|Reaganomics|economic policies}}.<br />
<br />
'''2023: The Berlin Wall''' Refers to the {{w|Berlin Wall|barrier}} surrounding the western-controlled part of {{w|Berlin}}. It was erected by the {{w|East Germany|East German}} Government in 1961 to stop illegal emigration to West Berlin-the western-controlled enclave after the ending of the Second World War. After a friendly revolution in 1989, emigration to West Berlin (and West German in general) was granted suddenly and very surprisingly again on November 9, 1989. The following rush of people to the Wall from East (to cross the border) and from West (to welcome friends and relatives) in that night coined the figurative "Fall of the Wall", preceding the actual reunion of Germany in 1990 and (almost) complete demolition of the Wall.<br />
<br />
'''2024: HammerTime''' Refers to a refrain in {{w|MC Hammer|MC Hammer's}} 1990 hit song {{w|U Can't Touch This}}; [[Randall Munroe]] makes reference to this song elsewhere in his comics, too (specifically [[108: M.C. Hammer Slide]] and [[210: 90's Flowchart]]).<br />
<br />
'''2025: The Soviet Union''' Refers to a country emerging after the end of {{w|World War I}}. It became the cold-war adversary of the United States after the end of {{w|World War II}} and only collapsed in 1991.<br />
<br />
'''2026: The LA Riots''' Refers to the {{w|1992 Los Angeles riots|massive riots}} occurring at the release of the verdict acquitting the officers accused of the {{w|Rodney King}} beatings in 1992.<br />
<br />
'''2027: Lorena Bobbit''' Refers to the {{w|John and Lorena Bobbitt|woman}} who {{w|emasculated}} her husband in 1993.<br />
<br />
'''2028: The Forrest Gump release''' ''{{w|Forrest Gump}}'' was a 1994 drama starring {{w|Tom Hanks}} as a mentally disabled man, telling his spectacular life story. The movie had a highly successful release, and remains one of the greatest films of all time.<br />
<br />
'''2029: The Rwanda Genocide''' Refers to the 1994 {{w|Rwandan genocide}}, where an estimated 800,000 people were killed.<br />
<br />
'''2030: OJ Simpson's Trial''' The {{w|O. J. Simpson murder case|O.J. Simpson trial}} was a famous criminal case during which {{w|O.J. Simpson}}, a professional football player, was {{w|acquitted}} of the murder of {{w|Nicole Simpson}} and {{w|Ronald Goldman}}. He was later arrested and jailed for other crimes, including armed robbery and kidnapping.<br />
<br />
'''2031: Clinton's reelection''' {{w|Bill Clinton}} was the American president from 1993 to 2001. He won his second term in the {{w|United States presidential election, 1996|1996 presidential election}}. During his second term, he faced controversy during an {{w|impeachment}} trial, for which he was acquitted, and a large number of pardons he made on his last day of office. Clinton was a generally favoured president, exiting his presidency with a high approval rate.<br />
<br />
'''2032: Princess Diana''' {{w|Princess Diana}} was a famous {{w|Commonwealth}} princess who made headlines after her 1997 {{w|Death of Diana, Princess of Wales|death}} in a car crash.<br />
<br />
'''2033: Clinton's impeachment''' In 1998, the American {{w|Congress}} voted to {{w|Impeachment of Bill Clinton|impeach}} then-president Clinton, based on allegations that he {{w|Lewinsky scandal|lied}} about relations with a {{w|Monica Lewinsky|White House intern}}. He was later acquitted.<br />
<br />
'''2034: Columbine''' Refers to the 1999 {{w|Columbine High School massacre}}, where 13 people were killed by a {{w|Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold|pair of shooters}}.<br />
<br />
'''2035: Forgot About Dre''' Refers to the {{w|Grammy}} winning 2000 song, "{{w|Forgot About Dre}}," by the rapper {{w|Dr. Dre}}. In it, Dre complains that his accomplishments have been purposefully ignored and forgotten; ironically, at some point in the future Dre's complaints about being forgotten will, themselves, be forgotten.<br />
<br />
'''2036: 9/11''' Refers to the {{w|9/11}} event, in 2001, where terrorists crashed two planes into the {{w|World Trade Center}} towers, in {{w|New York}}. Two other planes crashed that day: one into the {{w|The Pentagon}}, and one in a field outside of {{w|Shanksville, Pennsylvania}} (presumably on its way to crashing into the Capitol Building).<br />
<br />
'''2037: VH1's I love the 80s''' ''{{w|I Love the '80s (U.S. TV series)|I Love the '80s}}'' was a 2002 nostalgia TV series by {{w|VH1}}. This will make the 1980s doubly forgotten; not only will people not remember the decade, they will not remember the famous retrospective of people remembering the decade.<br />
<br />
'''2038: A time before Facebook''' Refers to the online social media site, {{w|Facebook}}, launched in 2004.<br />
<br />
'''2039: VH1's I love the 90s''' ''{{w|I Love the '90s (U.S. TV series)|I Love the '90s}}'' was a TV series airing in 2004.<br />
<br />
'''2040: Hurricane Katrina''' {{w|Hurricane Katrina}} was a devastating 2005 hurricane that hit {{w|New Orleans}}, killing almost 2000 people and causing 81 billion dollars in damage.<br />
<br />
'''2041: The planet Pluto''' {{w|Pluto}} is a {{w|dwarf planet}} in our solar system. Up until 2006, Pluto was considered to be a planet.<br />
<br />
'''2042: The first iPhone''' {{w|Apple}}'s first iPhone was released in 2007.<br />
<br />
'''2043: The Bush presidency''' {{w|George W. Bush}} was the American presidency from 2001 to 2009. He was criticized for the wars on {{w|War in Afghanistan (2001%E2%80%93present)|Afghanistan}} and {{w|Iraq War|Iraq}}, poor handling of Hurricane Katrina, and seeing the United States enter a recession. His approval peaked after the 9/11 attacks, but had fallen to historical lows by the end of his second term, making him one of the least liked US presidents.<br />
<br />
'''2044: Michael Jackson''' Refers to the {{w|Michael Jackson|pop singer}} who died of drug overdose in 2009.<br />
<br />
'''2045: Trying to say Eyjafjallajökull''' Is a reference to a volcano in {{w|Iceland}} that {{w|Eyjafjallajökull#2010 eruptions|erupted}} in 2010. The eruption threw volcanic ash several kilometres up in the atmosphere, which led to air travel disruption in northwest Europe for six days.<br />
<br />
'''2046: The Arab Spring''' Refers to the {{w|Arab Spring|wave of revolutions}} that began in late 2010, where many Arabic nations overthrew leaders and started civil wars, with many nations converting to democracies.<br />
<br />
'''2047: Anything embarrassing you do today''' Refers to the fact that in 35 years, the majority of Americans will not have been around on this date.<br />
<br />
The title text is in reference to the vastly over-saturated programming on VH1 dedicated to the history of the TV universe.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:'''When Will We Forget?'''<br />
:Based on US Census Bureau ''National Population Projections''<br />
:Assuming we don't remember cultural events from before age 5 or 6<br />
<br />
:By this year: The majority of Americans will be too young to remember:<br />
:2012: The seventies<br />
:2013: The Carter presidency<br />
:2014: The Reagan shooting<br />
:2015: The Falkland Islands war<br />
:2016: ''The return of the Jedi'' release<br />
:2017: The first Apple Macintosh<br />
:2018: New Coke<br />
:2019: ''Challenger''<br />
:2020: Chernobyl<br />
:2021: Black Monday<br />
:2022: The Reagan presidency<br />
:2023: The Berlin Wall<br />
:2024: HammerTime<br />
:2025: The Soviet Union<br />
:2026: The LA Riots<br />
:2027: Lorena Bobbit<br />
:2028: The ''Forrest Gump'' release<br />
:2029: The Rwanda Genocide<br />
:2030: OJ Simpson's Trial<br />
:2031: Clinton's reelection<br />
:2032: Princess Diana<br />
:2033: Clinton's impeachment<br />
:2034: Columbine<br />
:2035: ''Forgot About Dre''<br />
:2036: 9/11<br />
:2037: VH1's ''I love the 80s''<br />
:2038: A time before Facebook<br />
:2039: VH1's ''I love the 90s''<br />
:2040: Hurricane Katrina<br />
:2041: The planet Pluto<br />
:2042: The first iPhone<br />
:2043: The Bush presidency<br />
:2044: Michael Jackson<br />
:2045: Trying to say ´´Eyjafjallajökull``<br />
:2046: The Arab Spring<br />
:2047: Anything embarrassing you do today<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1093:_Forget&diff=1682831093: Forget2019-01-18T01:57:21Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* Explanation */ add</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1093<br />
| date = August 10, 2012<br />
| title = Forget<br />
| image = forget.png<br />
| titletext = 'Baby Got Back' turned 20 this year. My favorite nostalgia show is VH1's 'I Love The Inexorable March of Time Toward the Grave That Awaits Us All.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The median age in {{w|USA}} is currently about 37 years. Assuming that you must be at least five years old to remember a cultural event later, this means that anything that happened more than thirty-two years ago is remembered by a minority of people today. This applies to any event prior to 1980, so here in 2012, the majority of Americans are too young to remember the Seventies. However, according to census estimation the median will raise in the future, so instead of a 32 years gap between event and the moment when most people can't remember it, the gap becomes 35 years (implying a median of some 40 years).<br />
<br />
'''2013: The Carter presidency''' {{w|Jimmy Carter}} was the {{w|President of the United States}} from 1977-1981. He lost all popularity after he was viewed as mishandling several crises during his presidency, including the {{w|Three Mile Island accident}}, the {{w|Iran hostage crisis}}, and the "{{w|stagflation}}" of the late 1970s. According to Wikipedia, his decisions to reinstate registration for the draft and his decision to boycott the {{w|1980 Summer Olympics}} in Moscow (over the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) helped contribute to his defeat in the 1980 Presidential campaign.<br />
<br />
'''2014: The Reagan shooting''' References the 1981 {{w|Reagan assassination attempt|assassination attempt}} on the then American president, {{w|Ronald Reagan}}.<br />
<br />
'''2015: The Falkland Islands War''' This is in reference to the {{w|Falklands War|brief outbreak of hostilities}} between the {{w|UK}} and {{w|Argentina}} over the {{w|Falkland Islands|Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)}} located off the shore of Argentina claimed by both but controlled by the UK. Even to this date, tensions remain high over the ownership of these islands, and while many people alive today weren't alive to witness it, it nevertheless remains present in the collective psyche of both nations.<br />
<br />
'''2014: ''Return of the Jedi'' release''' ''{{w|Return of the Jedi}}'' was the 3rd film in the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, released in 1983.<br />
<br />
'''2017: The first Apple Macintosh''' The {{w|Macintosh}} was a line of computers created by {{w|Apple Inc.|Apple}}, first introduced in 1984, with the {{w|Macintosh 128K}}.<br />
<br />
'''2018: New Coke''' References a public relations blunder that the Coca Cola corporation undertook in attempting to reformulate its cola recipe, the new formula called {{w|New Coke}} popularly. The public backlash so shook the company that they reintroduced the original recipe as {{w|Coca-Cola Classic}} within 3 months. New Coke was eventually rebranded from Coca-Cola to Coke II, and then discontinued. Coca-Cola Classic has quietly been rebranded back to simply Coca-Cola, as it originally was. The "New Coke" introduction is considered one of the biggest PR blunders from a major company ever.<br />
<br />
'''2019: Challenger''' The {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger|Challenger}} was a {{w|NASA}} space shuttle, which was launched in 1986, but {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|exploded}} 72 seconds into its flight, killing everyone aboard, including {{w|Christa McAuliffe}}, a teacher selected to be the first teacher in space.<br />
<br />
'''2020: Chernobyl''' Refers to the 1986 meltdown of a {{w|Chernobyl|nuclear power plant}} in the {{w|Ukranian SSR}} (then a part of the Soviet Union). The meltdown forced the nearby city of {{w|Pripyat}} to be abandoned, and it remains a ghost town today.<br />
<br />
'''2021: Black Monday''' Refers to the 1987 {{w|Black Monday (1987)|day}} of the largest one-day {{w|stock market}} drop in history.<br />
<br />
'''2022: The Reagan presidency''' {{w|Ronald Reagan}} was an American president from 1981 to 1989, and was a generally well received president known for ending the Cold War, oversaw the {{w|Iran–Contra affair}}, {{w|Invasion of Grenada|invading Grenada}}, and issuing forth a number of new {{w|Reaganomics|economic policies}}.<br />
<br />
'''2023: The Berlin Wall''' Refers to the {{w|Berlin Wall|barrier}} surrounding the western-controlled part of {{w|Berlin}}. It was erected by the {{w|East Germany|East German}} Government in 1961 to stop illegal emigration to West Berlin-the western-controlled enclave after the ending of the Second World War. After a friendly revolution in 1989, emigration to West Berlin (and West German in general) was granted suddenly and very surprisingly again on November 9, 1989. The following rush of people to the Wall from East (to cross the border) and from West (to welcome friends and relatives) in that night coined the figurative "Fall of the Wall", preceding the actual reunion of Germany in 1990 and (almost) complete demolition of the Wall.<br />
<br />
'''2024: HammerTime''' Refers to a refrain in {{w|MC Hammer|MC Hammer's}} 1990 hit song {{w|U Can't Touch This}}; [[Randall Munroe]] makes reference to this song elsewhere in his comics, too (specifically [[108: M.C. Hammer Slide]] and [[210: 90's Flowchart]]).<br />
<br />
'''2025: The Soviet Union''' Refers to a country emerging after the end of {{w|World War I}}. It became the cold-war adversary of the United States after the end of {{w|World War II}} and only collapsed in 1991.<br />
<br />
'''2026: The LA Riots''' Refers to the {{w|1992 Los Angeles riots|massive riots}} occurring at the release of the verdict acquitting the officers accused of the {{w|Rodney King}} beatings in 1992.<br />
<br />
'''2027: Lorena Bobbit''' Refers to the {{w|John and Lorena Bobbitt|woman}} who {{w|emasculated}} her husband in 1993.<br />
<br />
'''2028: The Forrest Gump release''' ''{{w|Forrest Gump}}'' was a 1994 drama starring {{w|Tom Hanks}} as a mentally disabled man, telling his spectacular life story. The movie had a highly successful release, and remains one of the greatest films of all time.<br />
<br />
'''2029: The Rwanda Genocide''' Refers to the 1994 {{w|Rwandan genocide}}, where an estimated 800,000 people were killed.<br />
<br />
'''2030: OJ Simpson's Trial''' The {{w|O. J. Simpson murder case|O.J. Simpson trial}} was a famous criminal case during which {{w|O.J. Simpson}}, a professional football player, was {{w|acquitted}} of the murder of {{w|Nicole Simpson}} and {{w|Ronald Goldman}}. He was later arrested and jailed for other crimes, including armed robbery and kidnapping.<br />
<br />
'''2031: Clinton's reelection''' {{w|Bill Clinton}} was the American president from 1993 to 2001. He won his second term in the {{w|United States presidential election, 1996|1996 presidential election}}. During his second term, he faced controversy during an {{w|impeachment}} trial, for which he was acquitted, and a large number of pardons he made on his last day of office. Clinton was a generally favoured president, exiting his presidency with a high approval rate.<br />
<br />
'''2032: Princess Diana''' {{w|Princess Diana}} was a famous {{w|Commonwealth}} princess who made headlines after her 1997 {{w|Death of Diana, Princess of Wales|death}} in a car crash.<br />
<br />
'''2033: Clinton's impeachment''' In 1998, the American {{w|Congress}} voted to {{w|Impeachment of Bill Clinton|impeach}} then-president Clinton, based on allegations that he {{w|Lewinsky scandal|lied}} about relations with a {{w|Monica Lewinsky|White House intern}}. He was later acquitted.<br />
<br />
'''2034: Columbine''' Refers to the 1999 {{w|Columbine High School massacre}}, where 13 people were killed by a {{w|Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold|pair of shooters}}.<br />
<br />
'''2035: Forgot About Dre''' Refers to the {{w|Grammy}} winning 2000 song, "{{w|Forgot About Dre}}," by the rapper {{w|Dr. Dre}}. In it, Dre complains that his accomplishments have been purposefully ignored and forgotten; ironically, at some point in the future Dre's complaints about being forgotten will, themselves, be forgotten.<br />
<br />
'''2036: 9/11''' Refers to the {{w|9/11}} event, in 2001, where terrorists crashed two planes into the {{w|World Trade Center}} towers, in {{w|New York}}. Two other planes crashed that day: one into the {{w|The Pentagon}}, and one in a field outside of {{w|Shanksville, Pennsylvania}} (presumably on its way to crashing into the Capitol Building).<br />
<br />
'''2037: VH1's I love the 80s''' ''{{w|I Love the '80s (U.S. TV series)|I Love the '80s}}'' was a 2002 nostalgia TV series by {{w|VH1}}. This will make the 1980s doubly forgotten; not only will people not remember the decade, they will not remember the famous retrospective of people remembering the decade.<br />
<br />
'''2038: A time before Facebook''' Refers to the online social media site, {{w|Facebook}}, launched in 2004.<br />
<br />
'''2039: VH1's I love the 90s''' ''{{w|I Love the '90s (U.S. TV series)|I Love the '90s}}'' was a TV series airing in 2004.<br />
<br />
'''2040: Hurricane Katrina''' {{w|Hurricane Katrina}} was a devastating 2005 hurricane that hit {{w|New Orleans}}, killing almost 2000 people and causing 81 billion dollars in damage.<br />
<br />
'''2041: The planet Pluto''' {{w|Pluto}} is a {{w|dwarf planet}} in our solar system. Up until 2006, Pluto was considered to be a planet.<br />
<br />
'''2042: The first iPhone''' {{w|Apple}}'s first iPhone was released in 2007.<br />
<br />
'''2043: The Bush presidency''' {{w|George W. Bush}} was the American presidency from 2001 to 2009. He was criticized for the wars on {{w|War in Afghanistan (2001%E2%80%93present)|Afghanistan}} and {{w|Iraq War|Iraq}}, poor handling of Hurricane Katrina, and seeing the United States enter a recession. His approval peaked after the 9/11 attacks, but had fallen to historical lows by the end of his second term, making him one of the least liked US presidents.<br />
<br />
'''2044: Michael Jackson''' Refers to the {{w|Michael Jackson|pop singer}} who died of drug overdose in 2009.<br />
<br />
'''2045: Trying to say Eyjafjallajökull''' Is a reference to a volcano in {{w|Iceland}} that {{w|Eyjafjallajökull#2010 eruptions|erupted}} in 2010. The eruption threw volcanic ash several kilometres up in the atmosphere, which led to air travel disruption in northwest Europe for six days.<br />
<br />
'''2046: The Arab Spring''' Refers to the {{w|Arab Spring|wave of revolutions}} that began in late 2010, where many Arabic nations overthrew leaders and started civil wars, with many nations converting to democracies.<br />
<br />
'''2047: Anything embarrassing you do today''' Refers to the fact that in 35 years, the majority of Americans will not have been around on this date.<br />
<br />
The title text is in reference to the vastly over-saturated programming on VH1 dedicated to the history of the TV universe.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:'''When Will We Forget?'''<br />
:Based on US Census Bureau ''National Population Projections''<br />
:Assuming we don't remember cultural events from before age 5 or 6<br />
<br />
:By this year: The majority of Americans will be too young to remember:<br />
:2012: The seventies<br />
:2013: The Carter presidency<br />
:2014: The Reagan shooting<br />
:2015: The Falkland Islands war<br />
:2016: ''The return of the Jedi'' release<br />
:2017: The first Apple Macintosh<br />
:2018: New Coke<br />
:2019: ''Challenger''<br />
:2020: Chernobyl<br />
:2021: Black Monday<br />
:2022: The Reagan presidency<br />
:2023: The Berlin Wall<br />
:2024: HammerTime<br />
:2025: The Soviet Union<br />
:2026: The LA Riots<br />
:2027: Lorena Bobbit<br />
:2028: The ''Forrest Gump'' release<br />
:2029: The Rwanda Genocide<br />
:2030: OJ Simpson's Trial<br />
:2031: Clinton's reelection<br />
:2032: Princess Diana<br />
:2033: Clinton's impeachment<br />
:2034: Columbine<br />
:2035: ''Forgot About Dre''<br />
:2036: 9/11<br />
:2037: VH1's ''I love the 80s''<br />
:2038: A time before Facebook<br />
:2039: VH1's ''I love the 90s''<br />
:2040: Hurricane Katrina<br />
:2041: The planet Pluto<br />
:2042: The first iPhone<br />
:2043: The Bush presidency<br />
:2044: Michael Jackson<br />
:2045: Trying to say ´´Eyjafjallajökull``<br />
:2046: The Arab Spring<br />
:2047: Anything embarrassing you do today<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]</div>172.69.33.23https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2003:_Presidential_Succession&diff=1682812003: Presidential Succession2019-01-18T01:47:59Z<p>172.69.33.23: /* List of specific individuals */ brown was governor as of the publish date</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2003<br />
| date = June 6, 2018<br />
| title = Presidential Succession<br />
| image = presidential_succession.png<br />
| titletext = Ties are broken by whoever was closest to the surface of Europa when they were born.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The {{w|United States presidential line of succession}} is the order of people who serve as president if the current incumbent president is incapacitated, dies, resigns, or is removed from office. <br />
<br />
The {{w|Presidential_Succession_Act#Presidential_Succession_Act_of_1947|Presidential Succession Act of 1947}} was an act by the U.S. Congress that revised the presidential order of succession to its current order. This Act, though never challenged in the courts, may not be constitutional for two reasons. First, it is unclear whether members of Congress can be designated in the line of succession. Secondly, the Act allows for a cabinet officer to be "replaced" as acting President by a new Speaker of the House or a new President Pro Tempore of the Senate.<br />
<br />
An additional concern regarding the Act is that after the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the line of succession list the members of the Cabinet in the order that their department was established with the oldest departments first, irrespective of the Secretary's personal fitness or appropriateness of the office. The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of the security and protection of the United States and its citizens and would probably already be privy to sensitive intelligence and briefings related to national security, but because it is the latest of the Departments to have been established (in 2003), the Secretary of Homeland Security is all the way at the bottom of the current Presidential line of succession at 18th, behind other Secretaries such as that of Agriculture (9th) and Education (16th).<br />
<br />
Another practical concern is that, by including the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate immediately after the Vice President, there is a serious risk that the simultaneous death of the President and Vice President could cause the Presidency to change to the opposing party, which (in the current American political climate) could lead to serious political instability at the precise moment when the country is facing a national crisis, and could even encourage assassinations.<br />
<br />
The full text of the Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission can be found here: <https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/06_continuity_of_government.pdf>. A short, readable summary, including the report's recommended new line of succession, is here: <https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-continuity-of-the-presidency-the-second-report-of-the-continuity-of-government-commission/>. The first 6 members of the commission's list are included in the current line of succession, after which they specificy that 5 new people should be appointed specifically for the purpose of succeeding the presidency if needed. Randall's list begins with these 11 people (stuffing all 5 of the new appointees into #7); afterwards, his list continues with more politicians, actors who have played Presidents, athletes, and others. <br />
<br />
Randall's list omits the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, as well as many other cabinet positions. He is probably simply following the commission's report in this. But perhaps he does not find those people qualified to become President of the United States, or is concerned about the constitutionality of lawmakers becoming President. However, he does not seem to be concerned about constitutionality, because he included the entire line of succession to the British throne, most of whom do not meet the requirement to be a natural-born citizen of the United States.{{Citation needed}} {{w|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_Two_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Clause_5:_Qualifications_for_office|Article Two of the US Constitution}} establishes that the President must be a "{{w|Natural-born-citizen clause|natural-born}}" US citizen at least 35 years of age and had lived in the US for the last 14 years.<br />
<br />
Randall's list includes several other people who also might not be eligible to become President either because they are not natural-born U.S. citizens (e.g., as of the time of the comic's publication, {{w|Serena Williams}} had withdrawn from her last match in the {{w|French Open}} to {{w|Maria Sharapova}}, who is Russian) or they are under 35 years of age ({{w|Russell Westbrook}}, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player at the time of the comic's publication, was only 29 years old). These would mainly be athletes due to the relatively global reach of the four major professional sports leagues in North America and the fact that 35 is quite old for a professional athlete, let alone one who is good enough to win the league MVP. Presumably, those who wouldn't qualify for the office of President would be skipped over like in real life -- at the comic's publication, {{w|Elaine Chao}} was the Secretary of Transportation and would normally be 14th in line, but because she is a naturalized citizen of the US (she was born in Taiwan) she would not qualify for the office if the line came to her.<br />
<br />
The title text mentions whoever was closest to the surface of {{w|Europa}} when they were born. Europa is a moon of Jupiter and one of the most likely locations in the Solar System for {{w|Habitability of natural satellites|potential habitability}}. Nevertheless it's a completely meaningless way of settling a tie. However, depending on the relative positions of Earth and Jupiter when you were born, you could easily have been tens of millions of kilometers closer. Alternatively, Randall could be playing on how Europa sounds like Europe.<br />
<br />
==Order of succession==<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
!#<br />
!Randall's order<br />
!Current order by the 1947 Act<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|1<br />
|President<br />
|President<br />
|Not generally considered part of the line of succession, as incumbents cannot "succeed" to their own post. (This should really be item 0 on the list.)<br />
|-<br />
|2<br />
|Vice president<br />
|Vice president<br />
|No change<br />
|-<br />
|3<br />
|Secretary of State<br />
|Speaker of the House of Representatives<br />
|Moved up from 5th position. This is likely a serious suggestion. Existing rules of succession hand Executive power to the leaders of the Legislative branch if the President and Vice-President are both killed or removed from power. This is troubling for a number of reasons. One is that the Executive and Legislative branches are supposed to act as independent checks on one another's power, and so are supposed to be kept separate. Another issue is that the Executive and Legislative branches are frequently controlled by political rivals from different political parties. In such a case, assassins could effectively reverse the results of Presidential elections if they managed to kill the President and Vice-President in a short period of time (which is used as part of the twist ending in ''{{w|White House Down}}''). Additionally, leaders of the House and Senate aren't as deeply connected to the military and diplomatic missions of the country, and so would have a hard time maintaining continuity, particularly if an attack or disaster killed multiple national leaders at once. These problems could all be addressed by keeping the initial Line of Succession confined to the Executive branch of government. <br />
|-<br />
|4<br />
|Secretary of Defense<br />
|President pro tempore of the Senate<br />
|Moved up from 7th position<br />
|-<br />
|5<br />
|Secretary of Homeland Security<br />
|Secretary of State<br />
|Moved up from 19th position, possibly to highlight the Attorney General's place in the current order<br />
|-<br />
|6<br />
|Attorney General<br />
|Secretary of the Treasury <br />
|Moved up from 8th position<br />
|-<br />
|7<br />
|Five people who do not live in Washington DC, nominated at the start of the President's term and confirmed by the Senate<br />
|Secretary of Defense<br />
|{{w|Washington, D.C.}} is the capital of the United States, and is where the {{w|White House}}, the President's residence, is located. Presumably this provision covers the case where much of the government, including positions 1–6 here, are killed by a natural disaster or attack in Washington, D.C.<br />
<br />
This suggestion establishes no qualifications for these people, but the fact that they'd need to be confirmed by the Senate suggests that they would be chosen to be competent for the role. It is also unclear if an order is determined among these five or if they take up a joint presidency. This suggestion is taken from the Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission as a potential mechanism to ensure members of succession are not in Washington DC during a catastrophic attack.<br />
|-<br />
|8<br />
|{{w|Tom Hanks}}<br />
|Attorney General<br />
|Academy Award-winning American actor. This is the first unambiguously unserious suggestion.{{Citation needed}} Tom Hanks is very popular and considered exceptionally likeable by many Americans, but has never served in public office or displayed any particular affinity for politics. He has also never played a president, though he has received a {{w|Presidential Medal of Freedom}}, and appeared in a {{w|Last Week Tonight with John Oliver}} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyPRssh2rk0 skit], where he rallies five (wax) presidents to action. The implication is that Mr. Hanks would be easily accepted as a leader, based solely on his personal charm. <br />
|-<br />
|9<br />
|State Governors, in descending order of state population at last census<br />
|Secretary of the Interior<br />
|Also taken from Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission. At the time of publication, the last {{w|United States Census}} was the 2010 Census. As California is the most populous state, Gov {{w|Gavin Newsom}} would be first in line. <br />
<br />
See also the {{w|2010_United_States_Census#State_rankings|state population rankings}} and the {{w|list of current United States governors}}. As worded, this criterion would exclude territorial governors (and the Mayor of Washington, D.C.).<br />
|-<br />
|10<br />
|Anyone who won an Oscar for playing a governor<br />
|Secretary of Agriculture<br />
|Oscars, or {{w|Academy Awards}}, are annual film awards awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. At the time of publication, the only Oscar awarded for playing a governor was {{w|Broderick Crawford}}'s 1949 Best Actor award for the fictional Willie Stark in ''{{w|All the King's Men (1949 film)|All the King's Men}}'' (a character based on {{w|Huey Long}}). However, Crawford died in 1986, so would be unable to serve as President.<br />
<br />
May be a reference to the {{w|Political career of Arnold Schwarzenegger}}: a highly-lauded actor who became governor of California, but did not win an Oscar or play a governor before being elected. (As a naturalized citizen, he is also ineligible for the Presidency.)<br />
|-<br />
|11<br />
|Anyone who won a Governor's award for playing someone named Oscar<br />
|Secretary of Commerce <br />
|The {{w|Governors Awards}} are an annual award ceremony hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to present lifetime achievement awards within the film industry. As this award is a lifetime achievement award, it does not seem possible that an actor could win this award for simply playing someone named Oscar. Notwithstanding the nature of the award, at the time of publication, no recipient of a Governors Award has played a character named Oscar.<br />
<br />
Obviously, the joke is that changing the order of the words from the previous proposal produces something that could actually exist.<br />
|-<br />
|12<br />
|{{w|Kate McKinnon}}, if available<br />
|Secretary of Labor<br />
|Comedic actress famous for being a cast member on {{w|Saturday Night Live}}. She is known for her character work and celebrity impressions. She has recently done impersonations of members of the Trump administration including Spokeswoman {{w|Kellyanne Conway}} and Attorney General {{w|Jeff Sessions}}. She also played {{w|Hillary Clinton}} during the 2016 campaign and presumably would have played her when she was President had she won; but since Clinton lost, McKinnon has not actually played a President.<br />
|-<br />
|13<br />
|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Singles artists #1 through #10 (for groups, whoever is credited first in name, liner notes, etc)<br />
|Secretary of Health and Human Services <br />
|The {{w|Billboard Hot 100}} is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for singles, published weekly by Billboard magazine. The weekly data is aggregated into a cumulative {{w|Billboard Year-End}} (based on a "year" that ends the third week of November, in order to meet December publication deadlines). At the time of publication, the most recent such list was the {{w|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2018}}.<br />
<br />
Based on that list, the artists considered for the presidential succession would be: {{w|Drake}}, {{w|Ed Sheeran}}, {{w|Bebe Rexha}}, {{w|Camila Cabello}}, {{w|Post Malone}}, {{w|Cardi B}}, {{w|Zedd}} (Anton Zaslavi), and {{w|Adam Levine}} of {{w|Maroon 5}}. There are only eight names instead of ten because Drake and Post Malone each had two of the top 10 singles in 2018. Of these, only Adam Levine (39 years old) is legally eligible for the office. Everyone else is too young and several (Drake [Canada], Sheeran [UK], Camila Cabello [Cuba], and Zedd [Russia]) are not natural born citizens.<br />
|-<br />
|14<br />
|The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time<br />
|Secretary of Housing and Urban Development <br />
|Astronauts are highly respected and rigorously selected, but most have little involvement in politics. According to [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-station-astronaut-record-holders NASA], the top 5 US astronauts by cumulative space time are: {{w|Peggy Whitson}}, {{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}}, {{W|Scott Kelly (astronaut)|Scott Kelly}}, {{w|Mike Fincke}}, and {{w|Mike Foale}}. However, it isn't clear whether Foale would qualify as a natural-born citizen as he was born in the UK and his father is British but his mother is American.<br />
|-<br />
|15<br />
|{{w|Serena Williams}} (or, if she lost her most recent match, whoever beat her)<br />
|Secretary of Transportation<br />
|As of the time of publication, Serena Williams was a top female tennis player. She is arguably the greatest female tennis player of all-time, winning 39 {{w|Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam}} titles, including 23 women's singles titles. At the time of publication Serena Williams did win her most recent match (2018 French Open, third round, on June 2nd), although she withdrew from her next match against Maria Sharapova (which perhaps should count as a loss, especially if she withdrew in order to preserve her place in the line of succession and led the terrorist attack that killed everybody in place ahead of her).<br />
<br />
If her most recent defeat was to a non-US player, presumably she would be skipped over in line although this is not explicitly stated (the current succession list skips over anyone who would not normally qualify for not being a natural-born US citizen).<br />
|-<br />
|16<br />
|The most recent season NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL MVPs<br />
|Secretary of Energy<br />
|MVP stands for {{w|Most Valuable Player}}. The 4 listed leagues are the major sports leagues in the United States, the {{w|National Basketball Association}} (NBA), the {{w|National Football League}} (NFL), {{w|Major League Baseball}} (MLB), and the {{w|National Hockey League}} (NHL). We're assuming that Randall meant the regular season MVPs of each league, as each league also awards MVPs for their respective championships (or in the case of the NHL's {{w|Conn Smythe Trophy}}, their entire playoffs).<br />
<br />
As of the time of publication, the most recent MVPs for the listed sports were {{w|Russell Westbrook}} (NBA), {{w|Tom Brady}} (NFL), {{w|José Altuve}} and {{w|Giancarlo Stanton}} (MLB has two, one for the American League and one for the National League), and {{w|Connor McDavid}} (NHL). Of these, only Brady would qualify for the list - Altuve and McDavid are not US citizens (the former is from Venezuela and the latter from Canada), and Westbrook (29) and Stanton (28) are too young.<br />
|-<br />
|17<br />
|{{w|Bill Pullman}} and his descendants by absolute primogeniture<br />
|Secretary of Education <br />
|American actor, known for playing President Thomas J. Whitmore in the 1996 film ''{{w|Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day}}''. <br />
<br />
Absolute primogeniture is a form of succession where the oldest direct descendant regardless of gender receives the title. This is contrasted to {{w|Male-preference primogeniture}}, in which males come before females in the order of the throne, whether the males were born first or not. This may be a reference to the British law {{w|Succession to the Crown Act 2013}}, which changed the order of the throne from male-preference primogeniture to absolute primogeniture. This act allows {{w|Princess Charlotte of Cambridge|Princess Charlotte}} to retain her place in line before {{w|Prince Louis of Cambridge|Prince Louis}}. <br />
<br />
As of the present, Pullman's immediate descendants consist of three children, with Maesa Pullman being the oldest at age 29, so all are currently too young for the presidency.<br />
|-<br />
|18<br />
|The entire line of succession to the British throne<br />
|Secretary of Veterans Affairs <br />
|According to the Constitution, only a natural-born citizen of the United States can become President, which means that at least most of the line of succession to the British throne is ineligible. However, it is possible that someone in the line of succession to the British throne either is a dual citizen (especially one who is a U.S. citizen based on place of birth and a British citizen based on having a parent who was a British citizen descended from {{w|Sophia of Hanover}}) or is not British (a person from outside of Britain can become King; for example, some, including George I, were from what is now Germany).<br />
<br />
The first 57 names on the list are {{w|Succession_to_the_British_throne#Current_line_of_succession|here}}, as of the time of publication. [https://lineofsuccession.co.uk/?date=2018-06-06 British Line of Succession on 6 June 2018] shows the list as it was at the comic's publication. American citizens [http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-11/news/vw-42233_1_royal-house have, at times] been on the list, but no natural-born Americans are currently in the top 100. In theory, however, the full British succession list includes [http://www.wargs.com/essays/succession/2011.html several thousand people] (living descendants of {{w|Sophia of Hanover}} who are not Roman Catholic or otherwise disqualified), and it is possible that one or more such people would also be eligible to be President of the United States.<br />
<br />
The humor here derives from the fact that the United States was established by declaring independence from the United Kingdom, with rejection of the British monarchy being a basic founding principle, and a core principle of US governance. To appoint the British monarchy to the American presidency would contradict the basic goals of American independence. Alternatively, it may reference the recent wedding of {{w|Prince Harry}} to {{w|Meghan Markle}}, although she is not in the order of succession to the British throne (and she is planning to give up her U.S. citizenship in favour of British citizenship, so her children (who would come immediately after Harry in the British line of succession) would not be born U.S. citizens either). A similar sequence of events was the plotline of the comedy film ''{{w|King Ralph}}'', which saw an American become the British monarch after the death of the royal family.<br />
|-<br />
|19<br />
|The current champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest<br />
|Secretary of Homeland Security<br />
|The {{w|Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest}} is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition sponsored by {{w|Nathan's Famous}} held on July 4th. As of the time of publication, the most recent men's winner is {{w|Joey Chestnut}} and the women's winner is {{w|Miki Sudo}}. At the time of publication, neither was old enough to assume the office, but Chestnut has since turned 35 and is now eligible.<br />
<br />
The comic does not specify whether the men's or women's winner should take office, creating a tie that would be broken by distance from Europa at birth.<br />
|-<br />
|20<br />
|All other US citizens, chosen by a 29-round single-elimination Jousting tournament<br />
|''None''<br />
|Effective for a population up to 536,870,912 individuals (2^29) which would be enough to cover the entire US population (estimated at around 325 million at time of publication), although additional rounds can be added should the population grow further.<br />
<br />
This is probably a reference to the {{w|Matter of Britain}} (e.g., {{w|The Sword in the Stone (film)|The Sword in the Stone}}), where, after the death of Uther Pendragon, with no known successor to the throne of England for years, it is decided that the winner of a jousting tournament shall be crowned. However, Arthur, the Wart, pulls the Sword from the Stone.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===List of specific individuals===<br />
Based on the comic's defined criteria for the order of succession, these are the specific individuals in that order, including only people who are otherwise eligible to be the President of United States (35 year old and natural born US citizens who lived in US for last 14 years) '''as of the date the comic was published'''. <br />
# {{w|Donald Trump}} ({{w|President of the United States}})<br />
#{{w|Mike Pence}} ({{w|Vice President of the United States}})<br />
#{{w|Mike Pompeo}} ({{w|United States Secretary of State}})<br />
#{{w|Jim Mattis}} ({{w|United States Secretary of Defense}})<br />
#{{w|Kirstjen Nielsen}} ({{w|United States Secretary of Homeland Security}})<br />
#{{w|Matthew Whitaker}} ({{w|Acting United States Attorney General}})<br />
#{{w|Tom Hanks}} (Tom Hanks) <br> As Donald Trump did not appoint anyone to fill position #7 on Randall's line of succession, Hanks immediately follows after Sessions.<br />
#{{w|Jerry Brown}} (Governor of California)<br />
#{{w|Greg Abbott}} (Governor of Texas)<br />
#{{w|Andrew Cuomo}} (Governor of New York)<br />
#{{w|Ron Desantis}} (Governor of Florida)<br />
#{{w|J. B. Pritzker}} (Governor of Illinois)<br />
#{{w|Tom Wolf}} (Governor of Pennsylvania)<br />
#{{w|Mike DeWine}} (Governor of Ohio)<br />
#{{w|Gretchen Whitmer}} (Governor of Michigan)<br />
#{{w|Brian Kemp}} (Governor of Georgia)<br />
#{{w|Roy Cooper}} (Governor of North Carolina)<br />
#{{w|Phil Murphy}} (Governor of New Jersey)<br />
#{{w|Ralph Northam}} (Governor of Virginia)<br />
#{{w|Jay Inslee}} (Governor of Washington)<br />
#{{w|Charlie Baker}} (Governor of Massachusetts)<br />
#{{w|Eric Holcomb}} (Governor of Indiana)<br />
#{{w|Doug Ducey}} (Governor of Arizona)<br />
#{{w|Bill Lee (Tennessee politician|Bill Lee}} (Governor of Tennessee)<br />
#{{w|Mike Parson}} (Governor of Missouri)<br />
#{{w|Larry Hogan}} (Governor of Maryland)<br />
#{{w|Tony Evers}} (Governor of Wisconsin)<br />
#{{w|Tim Walz}} (Governor of Minnesota)<br />
#{{w|Jared Polis}} (Governor of Colorado)<br />
#{{w|Kay Ivey}} (Governor of Alabama)<br />
#{{w|Henry McMaster}} (Governor of South Carolina)<br />
#{{w|John Bel Edwards}} (Governor of Louisiana)<br />
#{{w|Matt Bevin}} (Governor of Kentucky)<br />
#{{w|Kate Brown}} (Governor of Oregon) <br> Born in Spain to a member of the US Air Force, should be considered a natural-born citizen until proven otherwise.<br />
#{{w|Kevin Stitt}} (Governor of Oklahoma)<br />
#{{w|Ned Lamont}} (Governor of Connecticut)<br />
#{{w|Kim Reynolds}} (Governor of Iowa)<br />
#{{w|Phil Bryant}} (Governor of Mississippi)<br />
#{{w|Asa Hutchinson}} (Governor of Arkansas)<br />
#{{w|Laura Kelly}} (Governor of Kansas)<br />
#{{w|Gary Herbert}} (Governor of Utah)<br />
#{{w|Steve Sisolak}} (Governor of Nevada)<br />
#{{w|Michelle Lujan Grisham}} (Governor of New Mexico)<br />
#{{w|Jim Justice}} (Governor of West Virginia)<br />
#{{w|Pete Ricketts}} (Governor of Nebraska)<br />
#{{w|Brad Little}} (Governor of Idaho)<br />
#{{w|David Ige}} (Governor of Hawaii)<br />
#{{w|Janet Mills}} (Governor of Maine)<br />
#{{w|Chris Sununu}} (Governor of New Hampshire)<br />
#{{w|Gina Raimondo}} (Governor of Rhode Island)<br />
#{{w|Steve Bullock (American politician)|Steve Bullock}} (Governor of Montana)<br />
#{{w|John Carney (politician)|John Carney}} (Governor of Delaware)<br />
#{{w|Kristi Noem}} (Governor of South Dakota)<br />
#{{w|Mike Dunleavy (politician)|Mike Dunleavy}} (Governor of Alaska)<br />
#{{w|Doug Burgum}} (Governor of North Dakota)<br />
#{{w|Phil Scott (politician)|Phil Scott}} (Governor of Vermont)<br />
#{{w|Mark Gordon}} (Governor of Wyoming)<br />
#{{w|Kate McKinnon}} (Kate McKinnon) <br> If she is available. Entries 10 and 11 on Randall's list have no eligible living members.<br />
#{{w|Adam Levine}} (Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2018, #10 artist) <br> Levine is the only eligible individual under the Billboard criterion.<br />
#{{w|Peggy Whitson}} (Astronaut, 665 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}} (Astronaut, 534 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Scott Kelly}} (Astronaut, 520 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Mike Fincke}} (Astronaut, 382 days in space)<br />
#{{w|Mike Foale}} (Astronaut, 374 days in space) <br> Foale was born in the UK but his mother is an American, and he holds dual citizenship with both countries. It isn't clear legally whether this situation would qualify him as being a "natural-born" citizen as US courts have never definitively ruled on what the term means, so similar to Governor Kate Brown his name is included in the list until further notice.<br />
#{{w|Serena Williams}} (Serena Williams or the most recent opponent to defeat her)<br />
#{{w|Bill Pullman}} (Bill Pullman) <br> As none of the major sports MVP's are yet 35, Bill Pullman is next on the list. None of his children were old enough to become President at the time.<br />
#''line of succession to the British throne''<br />
#''everyone else'' (Jousting tournament) <br> Assumes that no eligible member of the British order of succession exists due to citizenship issues. The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating champions were too young to hold the office. Further assumes that the number of eligible US Citizens does not exceed 536,870,912.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
: A proposal for a new presidential line of succession<br />
: Current politics aside, most experts agree the existing process is flawed. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 is probably unconstitutional on several counts, and there are many practical issues with the system as well.<br />
: <span style="color:gray">(For more, see the surprisingly gripping ''Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission'', June 2009.)</span><br />
: Proposed line of succession:<br />
:# President<br />
:# Vice president<br />
:# Secretary of State<br />
:# Secretary of Defense<br />
:# Secretary of Homeland Security<br />
:# Attorney General<br />
:# Five people who do not live in Washington DC, nominated at the start of the president's term and confirmed by the Senate<br />
:# Tom Hanks<br />
:# State Governors, in descending order of state population at last census<br />
:# Anyone who won an Oscar for playing a governor<br />
:# Anyone who won a Governor's award for playing someone named Oscar<br />
:# Kate McKinnon, if available<br />
:# Billboard year-end Hot 100 singles artists #1 through #10 (for groups, whoever is credited first in name, liner notes, etc)<br />
:# The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time<br />
:# Serena Williams (or, if she lost her most recent match, whoever beat her)<br />
:# The most recent season NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL MVPs<br />
:# Bull Pullman and his descendants by absolute primogeniture<br />
:# The entire line of succession to the British throne<br />
:# The current champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest<br />
:# All other US citizens, chosen by a 29-round single-elimination Jousting tournament<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
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[[Category:Politics]]</div>172.69.33.23