https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=172.69.33.37&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T18:08:16ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2664:_Cloud_Swirls&diff=293691Talk:2664: Cloud Swirls2022-08-29T22:41:30Z<p>172.69.33.37: Typo</p>
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<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
3-D video games? HUH??[[Special:Contributions/172.70.131.126|172.70.131.126]] 09:33, 27 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
:It's not how I would have started the Explanation, but I think it'll quickly be rewritten enough that this element is downplayed/subsumed in some more generalised attempt to explain everything from QFD to the CBR. As I'm only just reading this now, just before I have to wander off to do something else, I shall have to defer my own dabbling edits until later, by which time it will have been matured (or at least remixed) into a more thorough text, so no point me worrying upon how to improve the necessary but rarely inviolable initial attempt to Explain. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.5|172.70.85.5]] 11:51, 27 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
:: Maybe in some combination with the {{w|Observer effect (physics)}}, it's an attempt to get at the simulation hypothesis maybe? <br />
::I absolutely do not get whatever it is that the title text is saying, so I'm sitting this one out. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.189|172.70.214.189]] 14:56, 27 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
:::I'd interpret it as them studying fluid dynamics in hope of discovering a way to create the coolest possible cloud. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.50.207|172.68.50.207]] 15:07, 27 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
::::Aye. Given we can't see the 'best clouds' here (because the chances are low that we can) and we can't go and see the absolute best clouds (due to limitations on visiting every likely place out there), by intensely studying the phenomenon that in part dictates how all clouds look one might create (or visually predict the look of) the superior type through rigorous simulation/emulation/etc. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.155|172.70.162.155]] 15:53, 27 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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''Much more computing power could be saved by skimping on the chemistry of the quattuordecillions of atoms in the oceans than the clouds in the sky ... but skimping on oceanic chemistry would make biogenesis much less feasible. However, Earth has life.''<br />
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Wait, what if this is the solution to the Fermi paradox? /jk [[User:Xkcdjerry|Xkcdjerry]] ([[User talk:Xkcdjerry|talk]]) 02:49, 28 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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"Of course, most people do not think that the Universe is a simulation..." feels like a ''genuine'' [citation needed] to me. I can't say with confidence that it's the prevailing theory, but it's been gaining so much traction in this day and age that it feels weird to claim with confidence that the majority of people don't think it.<br />
:Agree. On the other hand, I don't think the Universe simulation cheats to save computing resources. With the scale it works in, it must be massively parallel system which isn't able to reallocate resources from one area to other. Also, if whoever programmed the simulation would be willing to cheat, they would start with not designing the physical laws so complicated. Or alternatively, they would cheat big, changing our memories to make everything seem to work correctly. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:44, 28 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
::Yes. If the universe were like The Matrix—i.e., its main goal were to house beings possessing minds—then simulating only the input to each being’s senses would be the most economical.<br />
:::However, the amount of computation to identify beings and what information constitutes their input might be so hard as to be analogous to the {{w|halting problem}}, or technically undecidable (but subject to likely useful heuristics, depending on the purpose of any such simulation.) This gets into {{w|Compatibilism#Non-naturalism|non-naturalist compatibilism}} on the free will question, but it's not clear whether such a discussion would add anything directly to an explanation of the comic, but is worth considering. Maybe in the "Further considerations" block. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.28|172.69.34.28]] 20:29, 29 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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Am I the only one who feels like the Explanation is lacking its customary explanatoriousness? I propose a table in the form of {{w|Pascal's wager}}, which when projected on the {{w|Mandelbrot set}}, looks like clouds. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.173|162.158.166.173]] 03:12, 29 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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I don't think this is an accurate description or explanation of the title text, so I am moving it here:<br />
: "The response is, more or less, that the second person wants to see “the coolest clouds”. If one devised a system to determine what would qualify as the coolest clouds (an entirely subjective thing), then one could rank planets on how cool their clouds were. Since only one planet would have the best clouds and there is a great number of planets, it is statistically unlikely that Earth - or any of the other planets in our system - will be the winner. Thus, in order to see the coolest clouds, one must either travel to another system or learn fluid dynamics to simulate them. Compared to the vast distances a ship must travel to reach even the nearest star, even rockets seem slow, and it would take a long time to get even a fraction of the way there. Because of this, the latter is chosen." <br />
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.173|162.158.166.173]] 03:59, 29 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
::I was surprised to see that removed. It looked ''exactly'' like the explanation for the TT, to me. The alternative seems to lack so much of the implied rationale. But maybe the simulation of this site provided to my brain is different from the simulation of this site provided to yours (assuming you exist, and you aren't a confounding factor included 8n my whole simulation of what I might or might not be experiencing).... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.78|172.70.91.78]]<br />
:::It assumes that different atmospheric compositions could produce cooler clouds, which is tautological given the subjectivity of the criterion, but questionable from the perspective of mean opinions over a wide population such as the readership. The current two sentence explanation of the title text sidesteps that issue, and is much easier and faster to read. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.183|172.70.214.183]] 20:54, 29 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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I was reminded by this strip of the fact that THIS planet, the only planet in our solar system where the natural satellite has the correct relationship with the sun to occasionally block it out in an extremely cool way (with the 'diamond ring' corona effect), is also the only planet (so far as we know) where such , solar eclipses can be APPRECIATED...<br />
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[[User:MarquisOfCarrabass|MarquisOfCarrabass]] ([[User talk:MarquisOfCarrabass|talk]]) 06:23, 29 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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This is the WORST explainxkcd "Explanation" I have ever seen. There is absolutely NOTHING in the comic that has ANYTHING to do with 3D videogames and any such ideas come COMPLETELY from out of the blue. SHEESH! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.171|172.70.130.171]] 10:40, 29 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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As for the "Further consideration" section, it's a whole big pile of . . . something . . . that belongs somewhere else but not here. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.131.170|172.70.131.170]] 10:46, 29 August 2022 (UTC)</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2657:_Complex_Vowels&diff=2933392657: Complex Vowels2022-08-24T03:07:34Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ mirror axis</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2657<br />
| date = August 10, 2022<br />
| title = Complex Vowels<br />
| image = complex_vowels.png<br />
| titletext = Pronouncing [ṡṡċċḣḣẇẇȧȧ] is easy; you just say it like the 'x' in 'fire'.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a ROUNDED TONGUE. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
[[File:Ipa-chart-vowels.png|thumb|200px|The standard IPA vowel chart.]]<br />
This is another one of Randall's [[:Category:Tips|Tips]], this time a Linguistics Tip. The curly-haired linguist, [[:Category:Comics featuring Gretchen McCulloch|Gretchen McCulloch]], manages to produce a cursed sound using complex vowels, that cannot be comprehended by normal humans like [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]], who both seem to get a headache from listening to the sound. The sound she makes was produced by extending the IPA vowel plane along an imaginary axis to form the complex vowels.<br />
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In phonetics based on the {{w|International Phonetic Alphabet}} (IPA), the space of {{w|vocal tract}} articulators determining {{w|vowel}}s <!-- (as opposed to unvoiced consonants) -- nasals and liquids don't care where the tongue is, in any language {acn} --> is represented as three dimensional, from the position of the tongue and lips. The vertical axis represents vowel height or ''closedness'' (i.e., how close or far the tongue is from the top of the mouth), and the horizontal axis represents front-to-back ''place'' (i.e., how close or far the top of the tongue is from the teeth.) The position of the tongue, along with the frequency of the {{w|vocal cords}} vibrating in the larynx from air being exhaled by the diaphragm, are the primary determinants of the fundamental and second {{w|formant}} frequencies of vowel sounds. A third dimension of vowel sounds is the "roundedness" of the lips, represented on the IPA vowel chart to the right by pairs of vowel phoneme {{w|glyph}}s. Other higher-dimensional vowel representations include {{w|diphthong}}s, which are simply two different sequential vowels slurred together; diphones, which represent the last half of one phoneme followed by the first half of the next; {{w|vowel shift}} mappings delineating different accents[https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/47086396.pdf][https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0095447010000562] and long-term evolution of voiced phone sounds; and {{w|cepstrum|cepstral}} representations such as {{w|Mel-frequency cepstrum|mel-frequency cepstral coefficients}}.<br />
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[[Randall]] suggests increasing the range of vowel sounds available by using complex notation to indicate an additional dimension with an "imaginary" axis. In mathematics, {{w|complex number}}s are numbers including both real numbers and {{w|imaginary number}}s. A complex number can be expressed as, "''a'' + ''b''i," where ''a'' and ''b'' are real numbers, but the latter imaginary part is combined with 'i,' the square root of negative one, as depicted in the central expression in the comic by √<span style="border-top: 1px solid currentColor">-1</span> indicating a further dimension of coordinates. When expanding the one-dimensional number line with an imaginary axis, it becomes two-dimensional with the "''b''i" component {{w|orthogonal}} to the original "real" number line. Linguists never use the {{w|complex plane}} to represent vowel roundedness or any other higher-dimensional features of phonemes, although the properties of complex numbers could conceivably support representing physiological features of the vocal tract, such as prior position of the articulators.{{cn}}<br />
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This comic conflates complex numbers in mathematics with "complex vowels" in linguistics. Such complex vowels are implied to create sounds which cannot be properly processed by the human brain, and represents one with a heavily modified "schwa" {{w|Ə}} diphthong, mirrored vertically and surrounded by multiple {{w|diacritics}} akin to the {{w|Zalgo text}} meme. The sound of this supposedly alien vowel has Cueball and Megan clutching their heads in pain. Overall, Randall's complex vowels bear similarity to the cliché of "black speech" in {{w|Lovecraftian horror}}, a language created by alien beings with different vocal patterns than humans.<br />
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In linguistics, 'ə' is the {{w|schwa}} symbol, referred to in the title text and the depiction of complex phonemes, the most common vowel sound in English polysyllabic words (the 'a' in "comma" or the second 'e' in "letter.") Production of the schwa sound takes place with the tongue, jaw, and lips all in a relaxed, central position. The pronunciation of "[ṡṡċċḣḣẇẇȧȧ]" in the title text is said to sound like the x in the word fire. In fact, there is no x in fire.{{Citation needed}} This is perhaps in line with the idea that complex sounds are incomprehensible to most humans, and likely also impossible to pronounce by anyone other than experts such as [[:Category:Comics featuring Gretchen McCulloch|Gretchen]].<br />
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Another example of weird diacritics is in [[2619: Crêpe]], and with Zalgo text in [[1647: Diacritics]]. The use of typography to create psychological stress is explored in [[859: (]].<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[A diagram shows the extrusion of the trapezoidal IPA vowel chart upwards into three dimensions. A point near the center is labeled with an equation that shows "ə + ½√-1 " as being equivalent to a made-up symbol that looks like two schwas mirroring each other with other markings above and below.]<br />
<br />
:[Below the diagram, a character with shoulder-length dark wavy hair pronounces the new vowel in a speech bubble with unstable lines surrounding it. Two bystanders to her right are bent over slightly, clutching their heads in apparent anguish.]<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Linguistics tip: Extend the IPA vowel plane along the imaginary axis to produce the ''complex vowels'', cursed sounds which the human mind cannot comprehend.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Tips]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Gretchen McCulloch]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2658:_Coffee_Cup_Holes&diff=2933382658: Coffee Cup Holes2022-08-24T03:04:13Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Topologist */ also not parenthetical</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2658<br />
| date = August 12, 2022<br />
| title = Coffee Cup Holes<br />
| image = coffee_cup_holes.png<br />
| titletext = Theoretical physicist: At the Planck length, uncountably many.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a CAFFEINE MOLECULE WITH A HOLE DRILLED IN ITS SIDE. Add something about whether the 161 mg of caffeine is a low or a high amount. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic depicts people in different fields of study answering the question, "How many holes are there in a coffee cup?" and also compares this to what a normal person would say. <br />
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This question has different interpretations, entirely dependent upon the definition of a hole. The type of {{w|coffee cup}} shown in the comic is with a handle (like a {{w|mug}}), but [[Randall]] calls it a cup and there are also cups with handles on the Wikipedia page for coffee cups. Most people would recognize that there is a hole through the handle. <br />
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The comic explores the answer to the question through several peoples’ avenues of thought:<br />
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===Topologist===<br />
[[File:Mug and Torus morph.gif|thumb|200px|The coffee mug and donut shown in this animation both have topological genus one.]]<br />
[[Ponytail]], a {{w|topology|topologist}}, states the coffee cup belongs in the {{w|Genus (mathematics)#Topology|genus}} of one hole. From the topologist's point of view, the coffee cup definitely has one hole, which corresponds to the opening created by the cup handle. A cup without a handle would have zero holes, as it is equivalent to a dinner plate, just an indentation in the surface. See [[2625: Field Topology]] for more information about topology.<br />
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The panel as a whole references an academic joke wherein topologists can't tell the difference between a coffee cup with a handle and a {{w|doughnut}} since they're {{w|Homeomorphism|homeomorphic}} to each other — meaning they have the same genus (i.e one hole).<br />
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===“Normal” person===<br />
[[Hairy]], representing a "normal person," is not sure (the acronym "IDK" stands for "I don't know") and asks for clarification about whether the opening at the top counts as a hole. This shows flaws in the question, which suffers from the mathematically imprecise, ambiguous common usage of the word "hole." Topologists would refer to the opening as a concavity, not a hole, and while they consider such geometrical properties generally outside their field, most practical applications of topology do involve geometric components. By contrast, in everyday usage many concavities are called holes, such as a hole dug into dirt with a shovel. Hairy would say one for the handle, and two if the opening counts as a hole, which he is not certain the one asking the question thinks.<br />
<br />
===Philosopher===<br />
[[Hairbun]], a philosopher, answers the question with an elucidating counter-question, considering a hypothetical scenario. One might expect that drilling a new hole would also increase the number of holes by one. However, as illustrated, some people would consider that the new arrangement has three holes (in addition to the handle, there is a hole at the top where coffee can be poured in, and one at the bottom where it can run out), while others would consider it to have only two (the new hole forming a continuous hole with the original opening at the top, through which coffee can run). Some might in fact say that the coffee cup now has one hole because it is leaky, disregarding the handle topology at this point. In this way she requires her interlocutor to confront the ambiguities and consider what they mean by the word 'hole' in different contexts. An interesting point about Hairbun's response is that she doesn't actually answer the question, a trope often found in philosophical replies.<br />
<br />
[[Image:Point cloud torus.gif|thumb|left|200px|A point cloud of a genus one surface]]<br />
<br />
===Chemist===<br />
[[Cueball]], a chemist, looks at the coffee in the cup on a molecular level. He envisions a {{w|ball-and-stick model}} of the {{w|caffeine}} molecules in the coffee, and estimates a total number of holes of all the coffee molecules. He comes up with a truly massive number: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (10<sup>21</sup> or 1 sextillion) “in the [https://chemapps.stolaf.edu/jmol/jmol.php?model=CN1C%3DNC2%3DC1C%28%3DO%29N%28C%28%3DO%29N2C%29C caffeine] alone.” One molecule of caffeine has two rings of bonds with holes in them, multiplied by 500 quintillion molecules, or 0.00083 {{w|mole (unit)|moles}}. As the molecular mass of caffeine is about 194 grams per mole, [[Randall]] must think that the mass of caffeine in a typical cup of coffee is 161 milligrams. The coffee could have other holes, depending on the type of coffee; for example, espresso contains significant amounts of niacin and riboflavin, which have one and three rings in their chemical structure, respectively.<br />
<br />
This estimation depends on taking the ball-and-stick model of molecules somewhat literally. However, real molecular bonds are not solid sticks, but shared electron clouds between atoms. The "holes" in the middle of a molecule's rings are not completely empty but instead merely have lower electron probability density through the middle than other parts of the bonds. So the point-cloud duality of {{w|Bonding molecular orbital|electron orbitals and bonds}} might not satisfy a topologist's, normal person's, or philosopher's criteria for a connected substrate in which holes may be formed.<br />
<br />
===Theoretical physicist===<br />
[[Image:World lines and world sheet.svg|thumb|200px|{{w|String theory}} describes the {{w|worldline}}s of point-like particles as {{w|worldsheet}}s of "closed strings," forming topological holes; shown here as a genus two surface.]]<br />
In the title text, a theoretical physicist looks even deeper, at the subatomic scale of {{w|Planck units}}. Since fundamental particle interaction is governed by fundamental forces and collision (per the {{w|Pauli exclusion principle}}) instead of tensile or ductile solid connectedness, the theoretical physicist posits that any definition providing for a single hole would also describe a number of holes akin to the factorial of the number of particles in the universe,[https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-02341882/document] or at least within the cup's {{w|light cone}}, which is a number impractical to accurately count, but not uncountable in a mathematical sense.<br />
<br />
=== Practical considerations ===<br />
The main joke is that the number of holes depends on both the scale and perspective from which you are looking at the world. From a topological standpoint, when someone digs into the ground it should go all the way through (or easier, down and up again another place) before it is considered a hole, since a hole is something that some other thing should be able to pass through. But from a common usage perspective, if people dig in the ground the result is called a hole, because functionally it creates a discontinuity in to which, for example, things can be placed or fall. Similarly, the opening in a coffee cup without a handle or a bottle of beer is called a hole, even though they are topologically equivalent to a dinner plate, which normal people would never say had a hole.<br />
<br />
A cavity in a surface could also be considered a physical barrier, preventing movement along the surface in certain scenarios (e.g. a {{w|sinkhole}} opening up in the middle of a road) even though it may be topologically 'flat' in the most general way, and so is very open to context, and such a hole might be considered more a 'thing' than the surface that has been removed to create it. And the 'hole' in a vessel that is functionally useful to hold liquid (or the drilled one that removes that ability) is of a different nature to the holes in various of the molecules that ''are'' the liquid but are neither required nor counter-productive in the general liquid-holding capabilities of the container, as are not the holes in the planck-length model, except insofar as the general physical laws of reality. Conversely, this conceptual confusion over what a hole is or actually means can be seen in the idea of the {{w|portable hole}}, which tends to obey ({{w|Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner|or defy}}!) the owner's particular preconceptions or needs.<br />
<br />
The topological discussion here regarding cups and doughnuts is related to the question of how many holes there are in a human, which is excellently answered in Vsauce's video<br />
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egEraZP9yXQ How Many Holes Does a Human Have?]. This also takes a good look at the topological difference between a paper cup and a mug with handle, and how one could be morphed into a plate and the other into a doughnut.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[The first panel has text only and is phrasing a question:]<br />
:<big>Q:</big><br />
:How many holes are there in a coffee cup?<br />
<br />
:[Each of the next four panels has a caption at the top to indicate the kind of person answering the question. In the first of these Ponytail stands holding a coffee cup in its handle.]<br />
:Caption: Topologist<br />
:Ponytail: One.<br />
<br />
:[In the next panel Hairy stands to the right of Ponytail, holding the coffee cup in its handle at an angle so he can to look into it.]<br />
:Caption: Normal person<br />
:Hairy: IDK, does the opening count as a hole?<br />
<br />
:[In the next panel Hairbun is shown in closeup, holding her hand out palm up to indicate two drawings of coffee cups with handles to her left. The top drawing is larger and shows the cup with coffee inside, and a hole drilled at the bottom part of the side away from the handle. Coffee pours out of this hole. Beneath and further left is a smaller version of the same cup, but now without coffee. Instead two curved arrows goes from above to below through the hole of the handle and the hole now drilled in the bottom part of the cup. Each arrow is labeled with a question-mark.]<br />
:Caption: Philosopher<br />
:Hairbun: To answer that question, consider another: If we drill a hole in the side, how many holes are there now?<br />
:?<br />
:?<br />
<br />
:[Cueball, without any cup, stands with a drawing of a caffeine molecule above and to the right of him. It has two "rings" with 5 and 6 atoms. Those rings are connected along one side. There are 9 "edges" on this, three of those has one atom attached to it and 3 others have four atoms attached to them (one atom with three others attached). The two that are at the end of the edge that belongs to both rings have no atoms attached, and the final of the 9 also has no atom.]<br />
:Caption: Chemist<br />
:Cueball: 10<sup>21</sup> in the caffeine alone<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Food]]<br />
[[Category:Math]]<br />
[[Category:Chemistry]]<br />
[[Category:Philosophy]]<br />
[[Category:Physics]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2657:_Complex_Vowels&diff=292513Talk:2657: Complex Vowels2022-08-11T01:45:35Z<p>172.69.33.37: Trolling?</p>
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<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Spoken symbol bears resemblance to 🜏, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%F0%9F%9C%8F<br />
:Not really, it's closer to 'aG.' [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.25|172.69.33.25]] 01:15, 11 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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sscchhwwaa is easy, say it like the x in "fire" and the silent p in "bath"[[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.13|172.70.85.13]] 21:42, 10 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
:What? There is no 'x' in "fire." [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.25|172.69.33.25]] 01:17, 11 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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Ideas: bellows-, reed-, and lucite-based voiced phone production tracts typical in science museums; {{w|diphone}}s as an alternative to phomemes (a diphone is the second half of one phoneme followed by the first half of the next -- NOT two adjacent phomemes as the Wikipedia article claims. Two adjacent phomemes are a biphone, not a diphone); the relationship of the position of the tongue in two dimensional place &times; closedeness space to the fundamental and second {{w|formant}} frequencies of speech audio; {{w|diphthong}}s; {{w|Mel-frequency cepstrum|cepstral}} representation such as {{w|MFCC|mel-frequency ceptstral coefficients}}; and {{w|Zalgo text}} IPA. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.213|172.70.206.213]] 22:41, 10 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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The vowelspace is depicted in two dimensions for convenience, but it has at least three dimensions. Look at the IPA vowel diagram (already added to this page). The third dimension is roundedness.<br />
:Yes, of the lips; apart from the two dimensions (out: place, and up: closedeness) of the tongue. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.95|172.70.206.95]] 22:59, 10 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
::Does roundedness also involve the tongue and cheeks to any extent? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.199|172.69.33.199]] 23:36, 10 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
[https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/47086396.pdf] just saying. Also [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0095447010000562] by the same author. And [http://jlls.org/index.php/jlls/article/download/3168/947] might work too. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.95|172.70.206.95]] 23:10, 10 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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This linguist character has appeared 3 times now. Will there be a new character page dedicated to Gretchen or "The Linguist"? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.225|172.69.33.225]] 00:21, 11 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
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Can someone please create and paste in a zalgostring for the fancy 'aG' ligature shown twice in the comic? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.134|172.70.211.134]] 01:10, 11 August 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Is this another example of Randall trolling Explainxkcd? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.37|172.69.33.37]] 01:45, 11 August 2022 (UTC)</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2657:_Complex_Vowels&diff=2925122657: Complex Vowels2022-08-11T01:43:46Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ furthermore</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2657<br />
| date = August 10, 2022<br />
| title = Complex Vowels<br />
| image = complex_vowels.png<br />
| titletext = Pronouncing [ṡṡċċḣḣẇẇȧȧ] is easy; you just say it like the 'x' in 'fire'.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a ROUNDED TONGUE. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Ipa-chart-vowels.png|thumb|200px|The IPA vowel chart]]<br />
<br />
In phonetics based on the {{w|International Phonetic Alphabet}} (IPA), the space of {{w|vocal tract}} articulators determining {{w|vowel}}s (as opposed to unvoiced consonants) is represented as two-dimensional, from the position of the tongue. The vertical axis represents vowel height (i.e. how close or far the tongue is from the top of the mouth) and the horizontal axis represents frontness/backness (i.e. how close or far the top of tongue is from the teeth). The position of the tongue, along with the frequency of the {{w|vocal cords}} vibrating in the larynx from air being exhaled by the diaphragm, is the primary determinant of the fundamental and second {{w|formant}}s of vowel sounds. <br />
<br />
A third dimension of vowel sounds is the "roundedness" of the lips, and to a much lesser extent the tongue and cheeks, which is not represented on the IPA vowel chart to the right. [[Randall]] thus suggests using complex notation to indicate such a third dimension. Other higher-dimensional vowel representations include {{w|diphthong}}s, which are simply two different sequential vowels slurred together; diphones, which represent the last half of one phoneme followed by the first half of the next; the {{w|vowel shift}} mappings delineating different accents[https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/47086396.pdf][https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0095447010000562] and long-term evolution of voiced phone sounds; and {{w|cepstrum|ceptstral}} representations such as {{w|Mel-frequency cepstrum|mel-frequency ceptstral coefficients}}.<br />
<br />
In mathematics, {{w|complex number}}s are numbers including both real numbers and {{w|imaginary number}}s. A complex number can be expressed as, "''a'' + ''b''i," where ''a'' and ''b'' are real numbers, but the latter imaginary part is combined with 'i,' the square root of negative one as depicted in the central expression in the comic, presumably indicating the coordinates of the complex vowel. When expanding the one-dimensional number line with an imaginary axis, it becomes two-dimensional with any "''b''i" component being represented perpendicularly away from the original 'real' line. Linguists never use the {{w|complex plane}} to represent vowel roundedness, or any other higher-dimensional features of phonemes.{{cn}}<br />
<br />
This comic conflates complex numbers in mathematics with "complex vowels" in linguistics. Such complex vowels create sounds which cannot be properly processed by the human brain, represented graphically as {{w|Zalgo text}} IPA, similarly to the cliché of "black speech" in {{w|Lovecraftian horror}}, a language created by alien beings with different vocal patterns than humans. In reality, people find Zalgo text amusing, thus the humor of the comic, but not particularly insanity-inducing or even more than mildly confusing.{{cn}} This is also funny because unadorned IPA shares some characteristics with Zalgo text, such as extremely uncommon glyphs.<br />
<br />
In linguistics, 'ə' is the {{w|schwa}} symbol, referred to in the title text as well as the depiction of complex phonemes, the most common vowel sound in English polysyllabic words (the 'a' in "comma" or the second 'e' in "letter"). Production of the schwa sound takes place with the tongue, jaw, and lips all in a relaxed, central position; and certainly sounds nothing like the 'x' in "fire," because it has no 'x.'<br />
<br />
The linguist in the comic appears to be {{w|Gretchen McCulloch}}, as previously depicted in [[2421: Tower of Babel]] and [[2381: The True Name of the Bear]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[A diagram shows the extrusion of the trapezoidal IPA vowel chart upwards into three dimensions. A point near the center is labeled with an equation that shows "ə + 1/2 * sqrt(-1)" as being equivalent to a made-up symbol that looks like two schwas mirroring each other with other markings above and below.]<br />
<br />
:[Below the diagram, a character with shoulder-length dark wavy hair pronounces the new vowel in a speech bubble with unstable lines surrounding it. Two bystanders to her right are bent over slightly, clutching their heads in apparent anguish.]<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Linguistics tip: Extend the IPA vowel plane along the imaginary axis to produce ''complex vowels'', cursed sounds which the human mind cannot comprehend.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Tips]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2386:_Ten_Years&diff=2032512386: Ten Years2020-12-15T01:13:12Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ consistency</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2386<br />
| date = November 16, 2020<br />
| title = Ten Years<br />
| image = ten_years.png<br />
| titletext = The ten-year cancerversary is traditionally the Cursed Artifact Granting Immortality anniversary.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Randall]]'s then-fiancée, now wife was diagnosed with cancer in late 2010. This is a matter he has discussed in the comic [[:Category:Cancer|multiple times before]], with Randall being depicted as Cueball and his wife as Megan. It has been 10 years since her diagnosis and treatments.<br />
<br />
This comic is a continuation of [[1141: Two Years]] and [[1928: Seven Years]], which are shown in the first 16 panels, slightly grayed out.<br />
<br />
The first of the new panels shows Randall and his wife at a "Rabbit Rescue", interacting with buns ([[:Category:Buns|a recurring theme]] of xkcd). The purpose of such events is to get rescued (often surrendered or seized) rabbits or other animals used to interacting with each other and with unfamiliar humans under controlled circumstances, to help them be more suitable as pets and hopefully entice visitors to adopt them. Randall facetiously asks his wife if she thinks the rabbits have socialized enough, even though he and his wife are there for the sake of their own enjoyment (and she indicates that she would like to spend more time patting a bunny on its head).<br />
<br />
In the next panel, Randall is pushing his wife in a handcart, which is presumably stolen. (As evidenced by the off-panel person asking if anybody has seen the handcart.)<br />
<br />
The third new panel shows Randall and his wife exploring a mountain. They appear to have found something interesting, due to Megan pointing her finger towards something off-panel. It appears to be a reference to a similar climbing scene from [[1190: Time]].<br />
<br />
The fourth panel shows Randall and his wife sitting on the edge of a pier, looking at the night sky. This is a typical romantic nighttime activity. The panel is distinguished because there was considerably more effort put into the drawing of this panel than of the other panels, by virtue of it being nighttime. Thus, the reflection of the moonlight on their faces is the center of attention in the drawing.<br />
<br />
The final new panels show Randall and his wife sitting on a hill, talking about how they couldn't believe that Megan would make it to 10 years cancer-free, which according to [[881: Probability]] wasn't all that certain (77% probability -- [[2379: Probability Comparisons|the probability of picking an M&M out of a bag at random and getting one that isn't blue]]). Randall's wife voices a concern that she had seemingly been carrying for awhile, that she was a burden to Randall, and explains that she couldn't understand why he would marry her, except as a show of grace. Randall firmly rejects this notion, stating that it was no mere gesture, but that it was important to him that they enjoy "whatever time we could have".<br />
<br />
Finally, and as with the first comic in the series, the comic takes a light-hearted turn: because the table does not include values for probability of survival more than ten years after treatment, Randall's wife jokingly concludes that she is now immortal, perhaps thanks to a cursed artifact. Many anniversaries are traditionally marked by giving gifts, such as the {{w|silver jubilee}} after twenty-five years of marriage (or of a monarch's reign, or an employee's seniority within a company, or anything else). The tenth anniversary is traditionally associated with a tin gift (tin being a much more precious metal [https://www.bartleby.com/95/22.html in 1922] than it is today), but maybe Randall bought it at [[2376: Curbside|a cursed shop]].<br />
<br />
The title-text expands on this final joke, as it suggests that there is an official name for this giving of cursed artifacts once the ten-year mark has passed. Also, it seems as though Randall has finally found [[1141: Two Years| a less-gross name]] for this anniversary than "biopsy-versary".<br />
<br />
=== Trivia ===<br />
<br />
Cursed artifacts that cannot die were recently mentioned in [[2332: Cursed Chair]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:'''From [[1141: Two Years]]'''<br />
:[Randall (drawn as Cueball) and Randall's fiancée (drawn as Megan) sit on a bed, Randall's fiancée is talking on the phone. The person she is talking to, a doctor holding a clipboard, is shown inset.]<br />
:Randall's fiancée: Oh god.<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée sit together while Randall's fiancée, now bald, is receiving chemotherapy. They are both on their laptops.]<br />
:IV pump: ... Beeep ... Beeep ... Beeep ...<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée (who is wearing a knit cap) are paddling a kayak against a scenic mountain backdrop.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée sit at a table, staring at a cell phone. There is a clock on the wall. Her head is stubbly.]<br />
:Randall's fiancée: How long can it take to read a scan!?<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée are back at the hospital again, Randall's fiancée receiving chemo. They are playing Scrabble.]<br />
:Randall: "Zarg" isn't a word.<br />
:Randall's fiancée: But ''caaaancer.''<br />
:Randall: ...Ok, fine.<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée (wearing a knit cap) are listening to a Cueball-like friend. A large thought bubble is above their heads and it obscures the friends talk. The text below, split in three is the only part there can be no doubt about:]<br />
:Friend: So next year you should come visit us up in the mounta<br />
::a<br />
::and<br />
:Randall and Randall's fiancée (thinking): '''"Next year"'''<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée are getting married, with a heart above their heads. Randall's wife's hair is growing back.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's wife (wearing a knit cap) stand on a beach, watching a whale jump out of water.]<br />
:''Fwoosh''<br />
<br />
<br />
:'''From [[1928: Seven Years]]'''<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's wife (with her hair noticeably longer) are walking through a forest.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall's wife is sitting down, not in the forest anymore.]<br />
:Randall's wife: My toe hurts and I found a report of a case in which toe pain was an early sign of cancer spreading.<br />
:Randall: Wait—didn’t you stub your toe yesterday?<br />
:Randall's wife: Yes, but what if this is unrelated?<br />
<br />
:[Randall and his wife are going spelunking. The guide is gesturing deeper into the cave while Randall and his wife are climbing down.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall's wife stands on a rock above an alligator in a swamp, photographing the alligator. Randall is on a balcony behind safety railings.]<br />
:Randall: When they estimated your survival odds, I think they made some optimistic assumptions about your hobbies.<br />
<br />
:[Randall's wife sits on an examination bed, listening to a doctor holding a clipboard.]<br />
:Doctor: This is probably nothing. <br />
:Doctor: But given your history, we should do a full scan. <br />
:Doctor: We'll call with the results in a few days. Try not to worry about it until then!<br />
<br />
:[Randall and his wife stand above a deep pond full of fish and other objects. Randall's wife is piloting a wired underwater camera with lights.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall and his wife are standing next to each other. Randall's wife has shoulder-length hair covering most of her face.]<br />
:Randall's wife: Hard to believe—six years ago, I was bald. But today, after a long struggle, I finally look like the little girl from ''The Ring''.<br />
:Randall: That's, uhh... good?<br />
:Randall's wife: ''Hissssss''<br />
<br />
:[A line of six people, including Randall and his wife, stand and watch the solar eclipse.]<br />
<br />
'''New to [[2386: Ten Years]]''':<br />
:[Randall and his wife are sitting in a room with five bunnies sitting around and on them. The Poster on the wall reads: Rabbit rescue.]<br />
:Randall: Do you think they're socialized enough?<br />
:Randall's wife: This one might need some more head pats. <br />
<br />
:[Randall is running and pushing his wife on a hand cart.]<br />
:Someone off-panel: Has anyone seen the hand cart?<br />
:Randall's wife: Wheee!<br />
<br />
:[Randall and his wife walks up hill with snowy mountains near by and in the background. his wife is gesturing to something ahead of them.]<br />
<br />
:[A large dark panel, to the right of the previous three, to the left in two rows. Randall and his wife sits, leaning back on their hands looking up, at the end of a pier going into a lake. The end is broader and they sit to each side of the middle of he pier. It is night and behind the lake there is a forest of pine trees. Above the three is a clear starlit night sky with hundreds of stars and the band of the Milky Way clearly visible. The trees and some of the stars are reflected in the water of the lake, distorted by the movements of the water.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall is sitting on a grassy field, a bit higher than his wife who lies on her back looking up.]<br />
:Randall: You did it.<br />
:Randall: Ten years.<br />
:Randall's wife: It doesn't seem real.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on Randall's wife, who is not longer lying down.]<br />
:Randall's wife: When they showed me my 10-year survival chart, I really didn't believe I would make it here.<br />
:Randall's wife: I don't understand why you married me when it looked so bad.<br />
:Randall's wife: But it was very sweet.<br />
<br />
:[In a frame-less panel Randall is standing in front of his wife, who is sitting on the ground, arm leaning on her bent knees.]<br />
:Randall: You make it sound like an act of grace, and not something I desperately wanted to do and was worried I wouldn't get to.<br />
:Randall: You're the coolest person I've ever met. I just wanted whatever time we could have.<br />
<br />
:[Same setting but seen from a distance and in silhouette. Randall's wife has lifted her fist towards the sky, and it seems like Randall has turned away from her looking up.]<br />
:Randall's wife: Well, good news, my hideous and inexplicable existence continues unabated! Take that, Biology!<br />
:Randall's wife: You failed to kill me and now I can never die!<br />
:Randall: Is... that how it works?<br />
:Randall's wife: It was in the fine print on the chart.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:X Years]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Randall Munroe]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Doctor Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Cancer]]<br />
[[Category:Romance]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Total Solar Eclipse 2017]]<br />
[[Category:Buns]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2386:_Ten_Years&diff=2032502386: Ten Years2020-12-15T01:12:10Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2386<br />
| date = November 16, 2020<br />
| title = Ten Years<br />
| image = ten_years.png<br />
| titletext = The ten-year cancerversary is traditionally the Cursed Artifact Granting Immortality anniversary.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Randall]]'s then-fiancée, now wife was diagnosed with cancer in late 2010. This is a matter he has discussed in the comic [[:Category:Cancer|multiple times before]], with Randall being depicted as Cueball and his wife as Megan. It has been 10 years since her diagnosis and treatments.<br />
<br />
This comic is a continuation of [[1141: Two Years]] and [[1928: Seven Years]], which are shown in the first 16 panels, slightly grayed out.<br />
<br />
The first of the new panels shows Randall and his wife at a "Rabbit Rescue", interacting with buns ([[:Category:Buns|a recurring theme]] of xkcd). The purpose of such events is to get rescued (often surrendered or seized) rabbits or other animals used to interacting with each other and with unfamiliar humans under controlled circumstances, to help them be more suitable as pets and hopefully entice visitors to adopt them. Randall facetiously asks his wife if she thinks the rabbits have socialized enough, even though he and his wife are there for the sake of their own enjoyment (and she indicates that she would like to spend more time patting a bunny on its head).<br />
<br />
In the next panel, Cueball is pushing Megan in a handcart, which is presumably stolen. (As evidenced by the off-panel person asking if anybody has seen the handcart.)<br />
<br />
The third new panel shows Cueball and Megan exploring a mountain. They appear to have found something interesting, due to Megan pointing her finger towards something off-panel. It appears to be a reference to a similar climbing scene from [[1190: Time]].<br />
<br />
The fourth panel shows Cueball and Megan sitting on the edge of a pier, looking at the night sky. This is a typical romantic nighttime activity. The panel is distinguished because there was considerably more effort put into the drawing of this panel than of the other panels, by virtue of it being nighttime. Thus, the reflection of the moonlight on their faces is the center of attention in the drawing.<br />
<br />
The final new panels show Cueball and Megan sitting on a hill, talking about how they couldn't believe that Megan would make it to 10 years cancer-free, which according to [[881: Probability]] wasn't all that certain (77% probability -- [[2379: Probability Comparisons|the probability of picking an M&M out of a bag at random and getting one that isn't blue]]). Randall's wife voices a concern that she had seemingly been carrying for awhile, that she was a burden to Randall, and explains that she couldn't understand why he would marry her, except as a show of grace. Randall firmly rejects this notion, stating that it was no mere gesture, but that it was important to him that they enjoy "whatever time we could have".<br />
<br />
Finally, and as with the first comic in the series, the comic takes a light-hearted turn: because the table does not include values for probability of survival more than ten years after treatment, Randall's wife jokingly concludes that she is now immortal, perhaps thanks to a cursed artifact. Many anniversaries are traditionally marked by giving gifts, such as the {{w|silver jubilee}} after twenty-five years of marriage (or of a monarch's reign, or an employee's seniority within a company, or anything else). The tenth anniversary is traditionally associated with a tin gift (tin being a much more precious metal [https://www.bartleby.com/95/22.html in 1922] than it is today), but maybe Randall bought it at [[2376: Curbside|a cursed shop]].<br />
<br />
The title-text expands on this final joke, as it suggests that there is an official name for this giving of cursed artifacts once the ten-year mark has passed. Also, it seems as though Randall has finally found [[1141: Two Years| a less-gross name]] for this anniversary than "biopsy-versary".<br />
<br />
=== Trivia ===<br />
<br />
Cursed artifacts that cannot die were recently mentioned in [[2332: Cursed Chair]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:'''From [[1141: Two Years]]'''<br />
:[Randall (drawn as Cueball) and Randall's fiancée (drawn as Megan) sit on a bed, Randall's fiancée is talking on the phone. The person she is talking to, a doctor holding a clipboard, is shown inset.]<br />
:Randall's fiancée: Oh god.<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée sit together while Randall's fiancée, now bald, is receiving chemotherapy. They are both on their laptops.]<br />
:IV pump: ... Beeep ... Beeep ... Beeep ...<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée (who is wearing a knit cap) are paddling a kayak against a scenic mountain backdrop.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée sit at a table, staring at a cell phone. There is a clock on the wall. Her head is stubbly.]<br />
:Randall's fiancée: How long can it take to read a scan!?<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée are back at the hospital again, Randall's fiancée receiving chemo. They are playing Scrabble.]<br />
:Randall: "Zarg" isn't a word.<br />
:Randall's fiancée: But ''caaaancer.''<br />
:Randall: ...Ok, fine.<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée (wearing a knit cap) are listening to a Cueball-like friend. A large thought bubble is above their heads and it obscures the friends talk. The text below, split in three is the only part there can be no doubt about:]<br />
:Friend: So next year you should come visit us up in the mounta<br />
::a<br />
::and<br />
:Randall and Randall's fiancée (thinking): '''"Next year"'''<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée are getting married, with a heart above their heads. Randall's wife's hair is growing back.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's wife (wearing a knit cap) stand on a beach, watching a whale jump out of water.]<br />
:''Fwoosh''<br />
<br />
<br />
:'''From [[1928: Seven Years]]'''<br />
<br />
:[Randall and Randall's wife (with her hair noticeably longer) are walking through a forest.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall's wife is sitting down, not in the forest anymore.]<br />
:Randall's wife: My toe hurts and I found a report of a case in which toe pain was an early sign of cancer spreading.<br />
:Randall: Wait—didn’t you stub your toe yesterday?<br />
:Randall's wife: Yes, but what if this is unrelated?<br />
<br />
:[Randall and his wife are going spelunking. The guide is gesturing deeper into the cave while Randall and his wife are climbing down.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall's wife stands on a rock above an alligator in a swamp, photographing the alligator. Randall is on a balcony behind safety railings.]<br />
:Randall: When they estimated your survival odds, I think they made some optimistic assumptions about your hobbies.<br />
<br />
:[Randall's wife sits on an examination bed, listening to a doctor holding a clipboard.]<br />
:Doctor: This is probably nothing. <br />
:Doctor: But given your history, we should do a full scan. <br />
:Doctor: We'll call with the results in a few days. Try not to worry about it until then!<br />
<br />
:[Randall and his wife stand above a deep pond full of fish and other objects. Randall's wife is piloting a wired underwater camera with lights.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall and his wife are standing next to each other. Randall's wife has shoulder-length hair covering most of her face.]<br />
:Randall's wife: Hard to believe—six years ago, I was bald. But today, after a long struggle, I finally look like the little girl from ''The Ring''.<br />
:Randall: That's, uhh... good?<br />
:Randall's wife: ''Hissssss''<br />
<br />
:[A line of six people, including Randall and his wife, stand and watch the solar eclipse.]<br />
<br />
'''New to [[2386: Ten Years]]''':<br />
:[Randall and his wife are sitting in a room with five bunnies sitting around and on them. The Poster on the wall reads: Rabbit rescue.]<br />
:Randall: Do you think they're socialized enough?<br />
:Randall's wife: This one might need some more head pats. <br />
<br />
:[Randall is running and pushing his wife on a hand cart.]<br />
:Someone off-panel: Has anyone seen the hand cart?<br />
:Randall's wife: Wheee!<br />
<br />
:[Randall and his wife walks up hill with snowy mountains near by and in the background. his wife is gesturing to something ahead of them.]<br />
<br />
:[A large dark panel, to the right of the previous three, to the left in two rows. Randall and his wife sits, leaning back on their hands looking up, at the end of a pier going into a lake. The end is broader and they sit to each side of the middle of he pier. It is night and behind the lake there is a forest of pine trees. Above the three is a clear starlit night sky with hundreds of stars and the band of the Milky Way clearly visible. The trees and some of the stars are reflected in the water of the lake, distorted by the movements of the water.]<br />
<br />
:[Randall is sitting on a grassy field, a bit higher than his wife who lies on her back looking up.]<br />
:Randall: You did it.<br />
:Randall: Ten years.<br />
:Randall's wife: It doesn't seem real.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on Randall's wife, who is not longer lying down.]<br />
:Randall's wife: When they showed me my 10-year survival chart, I really didn't believe I would make it here.<br />
:Randall's wife: I don't understand why you married me when it looked so bad.<br />
:Randall's wife: But it was very sweet.<br />
<br />
:[In a frame-less panel Randall is standing in front of his wife, who is sitting on the ground, arm leaning on her bent knees.]<br />
:Randall: You make it sound like an act of grace, and not something I desperately wanted to do and was worried I wouldn't get to.<br />
:Randall: You're the coolest person I've ever met. I just wanted whatever time we could have.<br />
<br />
:[Same setting but seen from a distance and in silhouette. Randall's wife has lifted her fist towards the sky, and it seems like Randall has turned away from her looking up.]<br />
:Randall's wife: Well, good news, my hideous and inexplicable existence continues unabated! Take that, Biology!<br />
:Randall's wife: You failed to kill me and now I can never die!<br />
:Randall: Is... that how it works?<br />
:Randall's wife: It was in the fine print on the chart.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:X Years]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Randall Munroe]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Doctor Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Cancer]]<br />
[[Category:Romance]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Total Solar Eclipse 2017]]<br />
[[Category:Buns]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2397:_I_Just_Don%27t_Trust_Them&diff=2030322397: I Just Don't Trust Them2020-12-12T01:22:32Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Transcript */ transcript</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2397<br />
| date = December 11, 2020<br />
| title = I Just Don't Trust Them<br />
| image = i_just_dont_trust_them.png<br />
| titletext = I believe in getting immunity the old-fashioned way: By letting a bat virus take control of my lungs and turn my face into a disgusting plague fountain while my immune system desperately Googles 'how to make spike protein antibodies'.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BAT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
The joke is that whilst anti-vaccine protestors don't like the idea of putting a vaccine in their body, he is unwilling to put something made by bats into his body. <br />
<br />
The Covid19 likely originated in bats, so the act of getting the virus would mean having something developed in bats infect his body.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Cueball, with his arms to his sides, standing next to Megan]<br />
:I just don't trust them, and I don't want to put something they developed into my body.<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel]:<br />
:How I feel about bats<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2396:_Wonder_Woman_1984&diff=2029432396: Wonder Woman 19842020-12-10T01:55:12Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ similar</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2396<br />
| date = December 9, 2020<br />
| title = Wonder Woman 1984<br />
| image = wonder_woman_1984.png<br />
| titletext = 'Wait, why would you think a movie set in 1984 would do drive-ins as a retro promotion?' 'You know, 80s stuff. Drive-in movies. Britney Spears doing the hustle. Elvis going on Ed Sullivan and showing off his pog collection.' 'What year were you born, again?'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by Walter Mondale. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
Ponytail, who was eager to see ''{{w|Wonder Woman 1984}}'', the sequel to the acclaimed 2017 ''{{w|Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman}}'' film, decided to block all news media leading up to the film, to avoid {{w|Spoiler (media)|spoiler}}s. This is a common practice for people who do not wish to be "spoiled" by reading or hearing any plot points of the film, and want to experience it for the "first time" when watching it. Many early reviewers may inadvertently give away key parts of the film, which may "ruin" the experience for some watchers.<br />
<br />
However, there have been many delays for release of the film, in part because of the [[:Category:COVID-19|COVID-19 pandemic]]. The film was originally delayed from November 1, 2019 to June 5, 2020, and then was pushed to August 14, 2020, and October 2, 2020, before it was finally moved to December 25, 2020. The film studio announced a simultaneous release of the film in theaters and also on streaming platform {{w|HBO Max}}.<br />
<br />
Absurdly, Ponytail did not turn off her news site blocker and so has not read any news for the past year. Because of this, she does not know who became the 2020 Democratic nominee, or who won the 2020 United States presidential election (both {{w|Joe Biden}}). It also seems that she does not know about the COVID-19 pandemic, as she seems confused as to why her movie is now being shown at a {{w|drive-in theater}}. Drive-in theaters have been seen as a much safer option than regular movie theaters during the pandemic. <br />
<br />
Cueball tries to warn her about the ongoing pandemic, but in an effort to avoid spoilers, she refuses to listen to him. Cueball then tells her to wear a mask, but she is still confused. Ponytail says that she will dress up in costume as Wonder Woman, who is traditionally shown wearing a {{w|tiara}}, but not a mask (unlike Batman or other comic characters).<br />
<br />
The title text shows Ponytail’s even more remarkable historical imagination. According to Wikipedia, drive-in theaters were in fact in decline in the 80s due to the advent of cable TV, VCRs, and home video, {{w|Britney Spears}} was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, {{w|pogs}} under that name peaked in the mid-1990s, and {{w|Elvis}}'s appearance on the ''{{w|Ed Sullivan Show}}''- one of the pivotal moments of American pop culture- occurred on September 9, 1956. We, who have not the wit of Ponytail, can only dream of a world in which all these wonders were united.<br />
<br />
This comic is similar to [[2280: 2010 and 2020]], which features a time traveler who also is unaware of the COVID-19 pandemic.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Ponytail: Just two weeks until I see ''Wonder Woman 1984'', learn who the Democratic nominee was, and find out how the election went.<br />
:Cueball: Huh?<br />
<br />
:[Close-up on Ponytail]<br />
:Ponytail: To avoid spoilers, I blocked all news sites ahead of the November 2019 release.<br />
:Ponytail: But then they bumped the date on my ticket to June 2020, and now December 25th.<br />
:Ponytail: It also moved to a drive-in theater? Some retro promotion, maybe.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball on his laptop, chatting with Ponytail (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Wait, you haven't seen '''''any''''' news?<br />
:Ponytail: Nope!<br />
:Cueball: So you don't know about -<br />
:Ponytail: '''''No spoilers!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Back to Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Okay. Just...<br />
:Cueball: Bring a mask, in case you need to get out of the car.<br />
:Ponytail: Oh, I'll have a full '''''costume!''''' But it's a tiara, not a mask.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2396:_Wonder_Woman_1984&diff=2029422396: Wonder Woman 19842020-12-10T01:53:33Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ more</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2396<br />
| date = December 9, 2020<br />
| title = Wonder Woman 1984<br />
| image = wonder_woman_1984.png<br />
| titletext = 'Wait, why would you think a movie set in 1984 would do drive-ins as a retro promotion?' 'You know, 80s stuff. Drive-in movies. Britney Spears doing the hustle. Elvis going on Ed Sullivan and showing off his pog collection.' 'What year were you born, again?'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by Walter Mondale. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
Ponytail, who was eager to see ''{{w|Wonder Woman 1984}}'', the sequel to the acclaimed 2017 ''{{w|Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman}}'' film, decided to block all news media leading up to the film, to avoid {{w|Spoiler (media)|spoiler}}s. This is a common practice for people who do not wish to be "spoiled" by reading or hearing any plot points of the film, and want to experience it for the "first time" when watching it. Many early reviewers may inadvertently give away key parts of the film, which may "ruin" the experience for some watchers.<br />
<br />
However, there have been many delays for release of the film, in part because of the [[:Category:COVID-19|COVID-19 pandemic]]. The film was originally delayed from November 1, 2019 to June 5, 2020, and then was pushed to August 14, 2020, and October 2, 2020, before it was finally moved to December 25, 2020. The film studio announced a simultaneous release of the film in theaters and also on streaming platform {{w|HBO Max}}.<br />
<br />
Absurdly, Ponytail did not turn off her news site blocker and so has not read any news for the past year. Because of this, she does not know who became the 2020 Democratic nominee, or who won the 2020 United States presidential election (both {{w|Joe Biden}}). It also seems that she does not know about the COVID-19 pandemic, as she seems confused as to why her movie is now being shown at a {{w|drive-in theater}}. Drive-in theaters have been seen as a much safer option than regular movie theaters during the pandemic. <br />
<br />
Cueball tries to warn her about the ongoing pandemic, but in an effort to avoid spoilers, she refuses to listen to him. Cueball then tells her to wear a mask, but she is still confused. Ponytail says that she will dress up in costume as Wonder Woman, who is traditionally shown wearing a {{w|tiara}}, but not a mask (unlike Batman or other comic characters).<br />
<br />
The title text shows Ponytail’s even more remarkable historical imagination. According to Wikipedia, drive-in theaters were in fact in decline in the 80s due to the advent of cable TV, VCRs, and home video, {{w|Britney Spears}} was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, {{w|pogs}} under that name peaked in the mid-1990s, and {{w|Elvis}}'s appearance on the ''{{w|Ed Sullivan Show}}''- one of the pivotal moments of American pop culture- occurred on September 9, 1956. We, who have not the wit of Ponytail, can only dream of a world in which all these wonders were united.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Ponytail: Just two weeks until I see ''Wonder Woman 1984'', learn who the Democratic nominee was, and find out how the election went.<br />
:Cueball: Huh?<br />
<br />
:[Close-up on Ponytail]<br />
:Ponytail: To avoid spoilers, I blocked all news sites ahead of the November 2019 release.<br />
:Ponytail: But then they bumped the date on my ticket to June 2020, and now December 25th.<br />
:Ponytail: It also moved to a drive-in theater? Some retro promotion, maybe.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball on his laptop, chatting with Ponytail (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Wait, you haven't seen '''''any''''' news?<br />
:Ponytail: Nope!<br />
:Cueball: So you don't know about -<br />
:Ponytail: '''''No spoilers!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Back to Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Okay. Just...<br />
:Cueball: Bring a mask, in case you need to get out of the car.<br />
:Ponytail: Oh, I'll have a full '''''costume!''''' But it's a tiara, not a mask.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2396:_Wonder_Woman_1984&diff=2029412396: Wonder Woman 19842020-12-10T01:49:39Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ more</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2396<br />
| date = December 9, 2020<br />
| title = Wonder Woman 1984<br />
| image = wonder_woman_1984.png<br />
| titletext = 'Wait, why would you think a movie set in 1984 would do drive-ins as a retro promotion?' 'You know, 80s stuff. Drive-in movies. Britney Spears doing the hustle. Elvis going on Ed Sullivan and showing off his pog collection.' 'What year were you born, again?'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by Walter Mondale. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
Ponytail, who was eager to see ''{{w|Wonder Woman 1984}}'', the sequel to the acclaimed 2017 ''{{w|Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman}}'' film, decided to block all news media leading up to the film, to avoid {{w|Spoiler (media)|spoiler}}s. This is a common practice for people who do not wish to be "spoiled" by reading or hearing any plot points of the film, and want to experience it "for the first time" when watching it.<br />
<br />
However, there have been many delays for release of the film, in part because of the [[:Category:COVID-19|COVID-19 pandemic]]. The film was originally delayed from November 1, 2019 to June 5, 2020, and then was pushed to August 14, 2020, and October 2, 2020, before it was finally moved to December 25, 2020. The film studio announced a simultaneous release of the film in theaters and also on streaming platform {{w|HBO Max}}.<br />
<br />
Absurdly, Ponytail did not turn off her news site blocker and so has not read any news for the past year. Because of this, she does not know who became the 2020 Democratic nominee, or who won the 2020 United States presidential election (both {{w|Joe Biden}}). It also seems that she does not know about the COVID-19 pandemic, as she seems confused as to why her movie is now being shown at a {{w|drive-in theater}}. Drive-in theaters have been seen as a much safer option than regular movie theaters during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
The title text shows Ponytail’s even more remarkable historical imagination. According to Wikipedia, drive-in theaters were in fact in decline in the 80s due to the advent of cable TV, VCRs, and home video, {{w|Britney Spears}} was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, {{w|pogs}} under that name peaked in the mid-1990s, and {{w|Elvis}}'s appearance on the ''{{w|Ed Sullivan Show}}''- one of the pivotal moments of American pop culture- occurred on September 9, 1956. We, who have not the wit of Ponytail, can only dream of a world in which all these wonders were united.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Ponytail: Just two weeks until I see ''Wonder Woman 1984'', learn who the Democratic nominee was, and find out how the election went.<br />
:Cueball: Huh?<br />
<br />
:[Close-up on Ponytail]<br />
:Ponytail: To avoid spoilers, I blocked all news sites ahead of the November 2019 release.<br />
:Ponytail: But then they bumped the date on my ticket to June 2020, and now December 25th.<br />
:Ponytail: It also moved to a drive-in theater? Some retro promotion, maybe.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball on his laptop, chatting with Ponytail (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Wait, you haven't seen '''''any''''' news?<br />
:Ponytail: Nope!<br />
:Cueball: So you don't know about -<br />
:Ponytail: '''''No spoilers!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Back to Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Okay. Just...<br />
:Cueball: Bring a mask, in case you need to get out of the car.<br />
:Ponytail: Oh, I'll have a full '''''costume!''''' But it's a tiara, not a mask.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2396:_Wonder_Woman_1984&diff=2029402396: Wonder Woman 19842020-12-10T01:47:54Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ more clearnup</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2396<br />
| date = December 9, 2020<br />
| title = Wonder Woman 1984<br />
| image = wonder_woman_1984.png<br />
| titletext = 'Wait, why would you think a movie set in 1984 would do drive-ins as a retro promotion?' 'You know, 80s stuff. Drive-in movies. Britney Spears doing the hustle. Elvis going on Ed Sullivan and showing off his pog collection.' 'What year were you born, again?'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by Walter Mondale. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
Ponytail, who was eager to see ''{{w|Wonder Woman 1984}}'', the sequel to the acclaimed 2017 ''{{w|Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman}}'' film, decided to block all news media leading up to the film, to avoid {{w|Spoiler (media)|spoiler}}s. This is a common practice for people who do not wish to be "spoiled" by reading or hearing any plot points of the film, and want to experience it "for the first time" when watching it.<br />
<br />
However, there have been many delays for release of the film, in part because of the [[:Category:COVID-19|COVID-19 pandemic]]. The film was originally delayed from November 1, 2019 to June 5, 2020, and then was pushed to August 14, 2020, and October 2, 2020, before it was finally moved to December 25, 2020. <br />
<br />
Absurdly, Ponytail did not turn off her news site blocker and so has not read any news for the past year. Because of this, she does not know who became the 2020 Democratic nominee, or who won the 2020 United States presidential election (both {{w|Joe Biden}}). It also seems that she does not know about the COVID-19 pandemic, as she seems confused as to why her movie is now being shown at a {{w|drive-in theater}}. Drive-in theaters have been seen as a much safer option than regular movie theaters during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
The title text shows Ponytail’s even more remarkable historical imagination. According to Wikipedia, drive-in theaters were in fact in decline in the 80s due to the advent of cable TV, VCRs, and home video, {{w|Britney Spears}} was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, {{w|pogs}} under that name peaked in the mid-1990s, and {{w|Elvis}}'s appearance on the ''{{w|Ed Sullivan Show}}''- one of the pivotal moments of American pop culture- occurred on September 9, 1956. We, who have not the wit of Ponytail, can only dream of a world in which all these wonders were united.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Ponytail: Just two weeks until I see ''Wonder Woman 1984'', learn who the Democratic nominee was, and find out how the election went.<br />
:Cueball: Huh?<br />
<br />
:[Close-up on Ponytail]<br />
:Ponytail: To avoid spoilers, I blocked all news sites ahead of the November 2019 release.<br />
:Ponytail: But then they bumped the date on my ticket to June 2020, and now December 25th.<br />
:Ponytail: It also moved to a drive-in theater? Some retro promotion, maybe.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball on his laptop, chatting with Ponytail (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Wait, you haven't seen '''''any''''' news?<br />
:Ponytail: Nope!<br />
:Cueball: So you don't know about -<br />
:Ponytail: '''''No spoilers!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Back to Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Okay. Just...<br />
:Cueball: Bring a mask, in case you need to get out of the car.<br />
:Ponytail: Oh, I'll have a full '''''costume!''''' But it's a tiara, not a mask.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2396:_Wonder_Woman_1984&diff=2029392396: Wonder Woman 19842020-12-10T01:47:02Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2396<br />
| date = December 9, 2020<br />
| title = Wonder Woman 1984<br />
| image = wonder_woman_1984.png<br />
| titletext = 'Wait, why would you think a movie set in 1984 would do drive-ins as a retro promotion?' 'You know, 80s stuff. Drive-in movies. Britney Spears doing the hustle. Elvis going on Ed Sullivan and showing off his pog collection.' 'What year were you born, again?'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by Walter Mondale. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
Ponytail, who was eager to see ''{{w|Wonder Woman 1984}}'', the sequel to the acclaimed 2017 ''{{w|Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman}}'' film, decided to block all news media leading up to the film, to avoid {{w|Spoiler (media)|spoiler}}s. This is a common practice for people who do not wish to be "spoiled" by reading or hearing any plot points of the film, and want to experience it "for the first time" when watching it.<br />
<br />
However, there have been many delays for release of the film, in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was originally delayed from November 1, 2019 to June 5, 2020, and then was pushed to August 14, 2020, and October 2, 2020, before it was finally moved to December 25, 2020. <br />
<br />
Absurdly, Ponytail did not turn off her news site blocker and so has not read any news for the past year. Because of this, she does not know who became the 2020 Democratic nominee, or who won the 2020 United States presidential election (both Joe Biden). It also seems that she does not know about the COVID-19 pandemic, as she seems confused as to why her movie is now being shown at a {{w|drive-in theater}}. Drive-in theaters have been seen as a much safer option than regular movie theaters during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
The title text shows Ponytail’s even more remarkable historical imagination. According to Wikipedia, drive-in theaters were in fact in decline in the 80s due to the advent of cable TV, VCRs, and home video, {{w|Britney Spears}} was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, {{w|pogs}} under that name peaked in the mid-1990s, and {{w|Elvis}}'s appearance on the ''{{w|Ed Sullivan Show}}''- one of the pivotal moments of American pop culture- occurred on September 9, 1956. We, who have not the wit of Ponytail, can only dream of a world in which all these wonders were united.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Ponytail: Just two weeks until I see ''Wonder Woman 1984'', learn who the Democratic nominee was, and find out how the election went.<br />
:Cueball: Huh?<br />
<br />
:[Close-up on Ponytail]<br />
:Ponytail: To avoid spoilers, I blocked all news sites ahead of the November 2019 release.<br />
:Ponytail: But then they bumped the date on my ticket to June 2020, and now December 25th.<br />
:Ponytail: It also moved to a drive-in theater? Some retro promotion, maybe.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball on his laptop, chatting with Ponytail (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Wait, you haven't seen '''''any''''' news?<br />
:Ponytail: Nope!<br />
:Cueball: So you don't know about -<br />
:Ponytail: '''''No spoilers!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Back to Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Okay. Just...<br />
:Cueball: Bring a mask, in case you need to get out of the car.<br />
:Ponytail: Oh, I'll have a full '''''costume!''''' But it's a tiara, not a mask.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2396:_Wonder_Woman_1984&diff=2029382396: Wonder Woman 19842020-12-10T01:45:27Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ more clear</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2396<br />
| date = December 9, 2020<br />
| title = Wonder Woman 1984<br />
| image = wonder_woman_1984.png<br />
| titletext = 'Wait, why would you think a movie set in 1984 would do drive-ins as a retro promotion?' 'You know, 80s stuff. Drive-in movies. Britney Spears doing the hustle. Elvis going on Ed Sullivan and showing off his pog collection.' 'What year were you born, again?'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by Walter Mondale. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
Ponytail, who was eager to see ''{{w|Wonder Woman 1984}}'', the sequel to the acclaimed 2017 ''{{w|Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman}}'' film, decided to block all news media leading up to the film, to avoid {{w|Spoiler (media)|spoiler}}s. This is a common practice for people who do not wish to be "spoiled" by reading or hearing any plot points of the film, and want to experience it "for the first time" when watching it.<br />
<br />
However, there have been many delays for release of the film due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was delayed from November 1, 2019 to June 5, 2020, and then pushed to August 14, 2020, and October 2, 2020, before it was finally moved to the December 25, 2020. <br />
<br />
Absurdly, Ponytail did not turn off her news site blocker and so has not read any news for the past year. Because of this, she does not know who became the 2020 Democratic nominee, or who won the 2020 United States presidential election (both Joe Biden). It also seems that she does not know about the COVID-19 pandemic, as she seems confused as to why her movie is now being shown at a {{w|drive-in theater}}. Drive-in theaters have been seen as a much safer option than regular movie theaters during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
The title text shows Ponytail’s even more remarkable historical imagination. According to Wikipedia, drive-in theaters were in fact in decline in the 80s due to the advent of cable TV, VCRs, and home video, {{w|Britney Spears}} was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, {{w|pogs}} under that name peaked in the mid-1990s, and {{w|Elvis}}'s appearance on the ''{{w|Ed Sullivan Show}}''- one of the pivotal moments of American pop culture- occurred on September 9, 1956. We, who have not the wit of Ponytail, can only dream of a world in which all these wonders were united.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Ponytail: Just two weeks until I see ''Wonder Woman 1984'', learn who the Democratic nominee was, and find out how the election went.<br />
:Cueball: Huh?<br />
<br />
:[Close-up on Ponytail]<br />
:Ponytail: To avoid spoilers, I blocked all news sites ahead of the November 2019 release.<br />
:Ponytail: But then they bumped the date on my ticket to June 2020, and now December 25th.<br />
:Ponytail: It also moved to a drive-in theater? Some retro promotion, maybe.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball on his laptop, chatting with Ponytail (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Wait, you haven't seen '''''any''''' news?<br />
:Ponytail: Nope!<br />
:Cueball: So you don't know about -<br />
:Ponytail: '''''No spoilers!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Back to Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Okay. Just...<br />
:Cueball: Bring a mask, in case you need to get out of the car.<br />
:Ponytail: Oh, I'll have a full '''''costume!''''' But it's a tiara, not a mask.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2396:_Wonder_Woman_1984&diff=2029352396: Wonder Woman 19842020-12-10T01:33:06Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Transcript */ create</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2396<br />
| date = December 9, 2020<br />
| title = Wonder Woman 1984<br />
| image = wonder_woman_1984.png<br />
| titletext = 'Wait, why would you think a movie set in 1984 would do drive-ins as a retro promotion?' 'You know, 80s stuff. Drive-in movies. Britney Spears doing the hustle. Elvis going on Ed Sullivan and showing off his pog collection.' 'What year were you born, again?'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by Walter Mondale. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The comic is fairly self-explanatory. Ponytail has shut off all news sites for the sake of a movie, and, improbably, has not ventured outside enough to discover that grocery stores, restaurants, and other public establishments are in fact radically altered. <br />
<br />
The title text shows Ponytail’s even more remarkable historical imagination. According to Wikipedia, {{w|drive-in theaters}} were in fact in decline in the 80s due to the advent of cable TV, VCRs, and home video, {{w|Britney Spears}} was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, {{w|pogs}} under that name peaked in the mid-1990s, and Elvis’s appearance on the ''Ed Sullivan Show''- one of the pivotal moments of American pop culture- occurred on September 9, 1956. We, who have not the wit of Ponytail, can only dream of a world in which all these wonders were united.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Ponytail: Just two weeks until I see ''Wonder Woman 1984'', learn who the Democratic nominee was, and find out how the election went.<br />
:Cueball: Huh?<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Ponytail]<br />
:Ponytail: To avoid spoilers, I blocked all news sites ahead of the November 2019 release.<br />
:Ponytail: But then the bumped the date on my ticket to June 2020, and now December 25th.<br />
:Ponytail: It also moved to a drive-in theater? Some retro promotion, maybe.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball on his laptop, chatting with Ponytail (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Wait, you haven't seen '''''any''''' news?<br />
:Ponytail: Nope!<br />
:Cueball: So you don't know about -<br />
:Ponytail: '''''No spoilers!'''''<br />
<br />
:[Back to Ponytail sitting at a desk, chatting with Cueball (off-screen) on a laptop]<br />
:Cueball: Okay. Just...<br />
:Cueball: Bring a mask, in case you need to get out of the car.<br />
:Ponytail: Oh, I'll have a full '''''costume!''''' But it's a tiara, not a mask.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2396:_Wonder_Woman_1984&diff=2029342396: Wonder Woman 19842020-12-10T01:27:30Z<p>172.69.33.37: date; categories</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2396<br />
| date = December 9, 2020<br />
| title = Wonder Woman 1984<br />
| image = wonder_woman_1984.png<br />
| titletext = 'Wait, why would you think a movie set in 1984 would do drive-ins as a retro promotion?' 'You know, 80s stuff. Drive-in movies. Britney Spears doing the hustle. Elvis going on Ed Sullivan and showing off his pog collection.' 'What year were you born, again?'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by Walter Mondale. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The comic is fairly self-explanatory. Ponytail has shut off all news sites for the sake of a movie, and, improbably, has not ventured outside enough to discover that grocery stores, restaurants, and other public establishments are in fact radically altered. <br />
<br />
The title text shows Ponytail’s even more remarkable historical imagination. According to Wikipedia, {{w|drive-in theaters}} were in fact in decline in the 80s due to the advent of cable TV, VCRs, and home video, {{w|Britney Spears}} was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, {{w|pogs}} under that name peaked in the mid-1990s, and Elvis’s appearance on the ''Ed Sullivan Show''- one of the pivotal moments of American pop culture- occurred on September 9, 1956. We, who have not the wit of Ponytail, can only dream of a world in which all these wonders were united.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2395:_Covid_Precaution_Level&diff=2028242395: Covid Precaution Level2020-12-08T01:00:01Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ mroe</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2395<br />
| date = December 7, 2020<br />
| title = Covid Precaution Level<br />
| image = covid_precaution_level.png<br />
| titletext = It's frustrating to calibrate your precautions when there's only one kind of really definitive feedback you can get, you can only get it once, and when you do it's too late.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an INSUFFICIENT PRECAUTION THAT FEELS EXCESSIVE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Shown is a control knob for adjusting the stringency of precautions taken against COVID-19, with less precautions to the left, more to the right. Almost the lower two thirds of the range is labeled "PRECAUTIONS THAT FEEL INSUFFICIENT"; almost the upper two thirds is labeled "PRECAUTIONS THAT FEEL EXCESSIVE". There is a significant overlap between the two, of almost a third of the range. The control is set to somewhat above the top of the "insufficient" subrange.<br />
<br />
This comic seems to represent the problem that precautions that are insufficient feel excessive to many people and vice versa, thus there is such a large overlap between the 2 sections. Additionally, neither range mentions whether the precautions are actually effective, which also can have a level of subjectivity.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2395:_Covid_Precaution_Level&diff=2028232395: Covid Precaution Level2020-12-08T00:57:43Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2395<br />
| date = December 7, 2020<br />
| title = Covid Precaution Level<br />
| image = covid_precaution_level.png<br />
| titletext = It's frustrating to calibrate your precautions when there's only one kind of really definitive feedback you can get, you can only get it once, and when you do it's too late.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an INSUFFICIENT PRECAUTION THAT FEELS EXCESSIVE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Shown is a control knob for adjusting the stringency of precautions taken against COVID-19, with less precautions to the left, more to the right. Almost the lower two thirds of the range is labeled "PRECAUTIONS THAT FEEL INSUFFICIENT"; almost the upper two thirds is labeled "PRECAUTIONS THAT FEEL EXCESSIVE". There is a significant overlap between the two, of almost a third of the range. The control is set to somewhat above the top of the "insufficient" subrange.<br />
<br />
This comic seems to represent the problem that precautions that are insufficient feel excessive to many people and vice versa, thus there is such a large overlap between the 2 sections.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2395:_Covid_Precaution_Level&diff=2028222395: Covid Precaution Level2020-12-08T00:55:59Z<p>172.69.33.37: ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2395<br />
| date = December 7, 2020<br />
| title = Covid Precaution Level<br />
| image = covid_precaution_level.png<br />
| titletext = It's frustrating to calibrate your precautions when there's only one kind of really definitive feedback you can get, you can only get it once, and when you do it's too late.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an INSUFFICIENT PRECAUTION THAT FEELS EXCESSIVE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Shown is a control knob for adjusting the stringency of precautions taken against COVID-19, with less precautions to the left, more to the right. Almost the lower two thirds of the range is labeled "PRECAUTIONS THAT FEEL INSUFFICIENT"; almost the upper two thirds is labeled "PRECAUTIONS THAT FEEL EXCESSIVE". There is a significant overlap between the two, of almost a third of the range. The control is set to somewhat above the top of the "insufficient" subrange.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2394:_Contiguous_41_States&diff=2027202394: Contiguous 41 States2020-12-05T01:46:53Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2394<br />
| date = December 4, 2020<br />
| title = Contiguous 41 States<br />
| image = contiguous_41_states.png<br />
| titletext = Linguists, settling some inscrutable grudge, have been steadily sneaking more backdated synonyms for 'sharing borders' into the dictionary. They've added 'contiguous,' 'coterminous,' 'conterminous,' and next year they're adding 'conterguous.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MISSING STATE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
The United States of America is composed of 50 states, {{w|Contiguous United States|48 of which are contiguous}} - meaning sharing a common border. Two states are separated from the other 48 states, Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska, purchased from Russia in 1867, is separated from the rest of the United States by the country of Canada. Hawaii, annexed in 1898, is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean.<br />
<br />
As these states are not ''contiguous'' to the rest of the 48 states, they may not be included in maps of the United States. Typically, these 2 states are included in maps in inset maps, at the bottom of the map.<br />
<br />
The map in this comic is "Alaska and Hawaii's revenge", with seven additional states removed, mostly by shortening the map along the x axis.<br />
<br />
The seven removed states are North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Randall picks on linguists, who use the similar words ''contiguous'', ''coterminus'', and ''conterminous'' which have the similar meaning of "sharing a common border". He coins a new word "conterguous".<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:The Contiguous 41 States<br />
<br />
:[A map of the United States, missing Delaware, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota, along with Alaska and Hawaii]<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Tired of being left off maps of the US, Alaska and Hawaii begin producing maps with ''other'' states missing, too.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Maps]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2394:_Contiguous_41_States&diff=2027192394: Contiguous 41 States2020-12-05T01:45:35Z<p>172.69.33.37: more</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2394<br />
| date = December 4, 2020<br />
| title = Contiguous 41 States<br />
| image = contiguous_41_states.png<br />
| titletext = Linguists, settling some inscrutable grudge, have been steadily sneaking more backdated synonyms for 'sharing borders' into the dictionary. They've added 'contiguous,' 'coterminous,' 'conterminous,' and next year they're adding 'conterguous.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MISSING STATE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
The United States of America is composed of 50 states, {{w|Contiguous United States|48 of which are contiguous}} - meaning sharing a common border. Two states are separated from the other 48 states, Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska, purchased from Russia in 1867, is separated from the rest of the United States by the country of Canada. Hawaii, annexed in 1898, is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean.<br />
<br />
As these states are not ''contiguous'' to the rest of the 48 states, they may not be included in maps of the United States. Typically, these 2 states are included in maps in inset maps, at the bottom of the map.<br />
<br />
The map in this comic is "Alaska and Hawaii's revenge", with seven states removed, mostly by shortening the map along the x axis.<br />
<br />
The seven removed states are North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Randall picks on linguists, who use the similar words ''contiguous'', ''coterminus'', and ''conterminous'' which have the similar meaning of "sharing a common border". He coins a new word "conterguous".<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:The Contiguous 41 States<br />
<br />
:[A map of the United States, missing Delaware, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota, along with Alaska and Hawaii]<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Tired of being left off maps of the US, Alaska and Hawaii begin producing maps with ''other'' states missing, too.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Maps]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2394:_Contiguous_41_States&diff=2027172394: Contiguous 41 States2020-12-05T01:33:04Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Transcript */ ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2394<br />
| date = December 5, 2020<br />
| title = Contiguous 41 States<br />
| image = contiguous_41_states.png<br />
| titletext = Linguists, settling some inscrutable grudge, have been steadily sneaking more backdated synonyms for 'sharing borders' into the dictionary. They've added 'contiguous,' 'coterminous,' 'conterminous,' and next year they're adding 'conterguous.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MISSING STATE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This map has seven states removed, mostly by shortening the map along the x axis.<br />
<br />
Removed states include North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:The Contiguous 41 States<br />
<br />
:[A map of the United States, missing Delaware, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota, along with Alaska and Hawaii]<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Tired of being left off maps of the US, Alaska and Hawaii begin producing maps with ''other'' states missing, too.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Maps]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2394:_Contiguous_41_States&diff=2027162394: Contiguous 41 States2020-12-05T01:32:44Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Transcript */ category; ce transcript</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2394<br />
| date = December 5, 2020<br />
| title = Contiguous 41 States<br />
| image = contiguous_41_states.png<br />
| titletext = Linguists, settling some inscrutable grudge, have been steadily sneaking more backdated synonyms for 'sharing borders' into the dictionary. They've added 'contiguous,' 'coterminous,' 'conterminous,' and next year they're adding 'conterguous.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MISSING STATE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This map has seven states removed, mostly by shortening the map along the x axis.<br />
<br />
Removed states include North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The Contiguous 41 States<br />
<br />
[A map of the United States, missing Delaware, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota, along with Alaska and Hawaii]<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Tired of being left off maps of the US, Alaska and Hawaii begin producing maps with ''other'' states missing, too.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Maps]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2380:_Election_Impact_Score_Sheet&diff=2010652380: Election Impact Score Sheet2020-11-02T23:48:36Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2380<br />
| date = November 2, 2020<br />
| title = Election Impact Score Sheet<br />
| image = election_impact_score_sheet.png<br />
| titletext = You might think most people you know are reliable voters, or that your nudge won't convince them, and you will usually be right. But some small but significant percentage of the time, you'll be wrong, and that's why this works.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by SOMEONE NOT IN ARIZONA. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This comic was published the day before {{w|Election day in the United States}} (November 3, 2020), which features a contentious presidential election between the incumbent, President {{w|Donald Trump}}, and the challenger, former Vice President {{w|Joe Biden}}. The United States does not elect presidents by popular vote, but instead uses an {{w|United States Electoral College|electoral college}} system, with each state getting a predetermined number of electoral votes, and a majority of electoral votes needed to win an election. The previous presidential election in 2016, which involved Trump and {{w|Hillary Clinton}}, was won by Trump, who lost the popular vote by 2%, but won the electoral vote 304-227 (270 was needed to win the election).<br />
<br />
Electoral college votes are distributed based on the population size of each state, with the most populous state, California, receiving 55 votes, and the least populous states receiving 3 votes. Some states, including some of the ones listed by Randall, are considered "{{w|swing state}}s", as they are competitive to both of the two major parties, the {{w|Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party}} and the {{w|Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party}}.<br />
<br />
As "swing states" are more competitive, Randall in this comic is encouraging his readers to "{{w|get out the vote}}" and encourage voting among their friends and family who live in 18 states which could affect the outcome of the election. The rest of the 32 states are grouped under the "all other states" bucket, presumably as their election outcome is "safely" for Biden or Trump.<br />
<br />
Per many analysts, the state of {{w|Pennsylvania}} is considered a "must-win" for both Biden and Trump, and is weighted the most heavily in Randall's comic.<br />
<br />
As shown in previous comics ([[1756: I'm With Her]] and others), Randall was a supporter of 2016 candidate {{w|Hillary Clinton}} (who ran against Trump), but this assesment should be equally applicable to supporters of either of the two current candidates.<br />
<br />
The text at the bottom says to post your scoresheet with ''#Hashtag''. The "#" symbol is typically pronounced "hashtag", and so this tag for the scoresheet is nonsensical ("HashtagHashtag"), and doesn't describe anything useful. It also refers to Nate Silver's famous election forecast model at {{w|FiveThirtyEight}}. Randall is urging people to contact Nate Silver to tell him to adjust his model to account for the added votes they have caused.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Elections]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Nate Silver]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2380:_Election_Impact_Score_Sheet&diff=2010642380: Election Impact Score Sheet2020-11-02T23:48:16Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ more</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2380<br />
| date = November 2, 2020<br />
| title = Election Impact Score Sheet<br />
| image = election_impact_score_sheet.png<br />
| titletext = You might think most people you know are reliable voters, or that your nudge won't convince them, and you will usually be right. But some small but significant percentage of the time, you'll be wrong, and that's why this works.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by SOMEONE NOT IN ARIZONA. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This comic was published the day before {{w|Election day in the United States}} (November 3, 2020), which features a contentious presidential election between the incumbent, President {{w|Donald Trump}}, and the challenger, former Vice President {{w|Joe Biden}}. The United States does not elect presidents by popular vote, but instead uses an {{w|United States Electoral College|electoral college}} system, with each state getting a predetermined number of electoral votes, and a majority of electoral votes needed to win an election. The previous presidential election in 2016, which involved Trump and {{w|Hillary Clinton}}, was won by Trump, who lost the popular vote by 2%, but won the electoral vote 304-227 (270 was needed to win the election).<br />
<br />
Electoral college votes are distributed based on the population size of each state, with the most populous state, California, receiving 55 votes, and the least populous states receiving 3 votes. Some states, including some of the ones listed by Randall, are considered "{{w|swing state}}s", as they are competitive to both of the two major parties, the {{w|Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party}} and the {{w|Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party}}.<br />
<br />
As "swing states" are more competitive, Randall in this comic is encouraging his readers to "{{w|get out the vote}}" and encourage voting among their friends and family who live in 18 states which could affect the outcome of the election. The rest of the 32 states are grouped under the "all other states" bucket, presumably as their election outcome is "safely" for Biden or Trump.<br />
<br />
Per many analysts, the state of {{w|Pennsylvania}} is considered a "must-win" for both Biden and Trump, and is weighted the most heavily in Randall's comic.<br />
<br />
As shown in previous comics ([[1756: I'm With Her]] and others), Randall was a supporter of 2016 candidate {{w|Hillary Clinton}} (who ran against Trump), but this assesment should be equally applicable to supporters of either of the two current candidates.<br />
<br />
The text at the bottom says to post your scoresheet with #Hashtag. The "#" symbol is typically pronounced "hashtag", and so this tag for the scoresheet is nonsensical ("HashtagHashtag"), and doesn't describe anything useful. It also refers to Nate Silver's famous election forecast model at {{w|FiveThirtyEight}}. Randall is urging people to contact Nate Silver to tell him to adjust his model to account for the added votes they have caused.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Elections]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Nate Silver]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2380:_Election_Impact_Score_Sheet&diff=2010632380: Election Impact Score Sheet2020-11-02T23:47:31Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ more, remove his actual email</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2380<br />
| date = November 2, 2020<br />
| title = Election Impact Score Sheet<br />
| image = election_impact_score_sheet.png<br />
| titletext = You might think most people you know are reliable voters, or that your nudge won't convince them, and you will usually be right. But some small but significant percentage of the time, you'll be wrong, and that's why this works.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by SOMEONE NOT IN ARIZONA. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This comic was published the day before {{w|Election day in the United States}} (November 3, 2020), which features a contentious presidential election between the incumbent, President {{w|Donald Trump}}, and the challenger, former Vice President {{w|Joe Biden}}. The United States does not elect presidents by popular vote, but instead uses an {{w|United States Electoral College|electoral college}} system, with each state getting a predetermined number of electoral votes, and a majority of electoral votes needed to win an election. The previous presidential election in 2016, which involved Trump and {{w|Hillary Clinton}}, was won by Trump, who lost the popular vote by 2%, but won the electoral vote 304-227 (270 was needed to win the election).<br />
<br />
Electoral college votes are distributed based on the population size of each state, with the most populous state, California, receiving 55 votes, and the least populous states receiving 3 votes. Some states, including some of the ones listed by Randall, are considered "{{w|swing state}}s", as they are competitive to both of the two major parties, the {{w|Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party}} and the {{w|Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party}}.<br />
<br />
As "swing states" are more competitive, Randall in this comic is encouraging his readers to "{{w|get out the vote}}" and encourage voting among their friends and family who live in 18 states which could affect the outcome of the election. The rest of the 32 states are grouped under the "all other states" bucket, presumably as their election outcome is "safely" for Biden or Trump.<br />
<br />
Per many analysts, the state of {{w|Pennsylvania}} is considered a "must-win" for both Biden and Trump, and is weighted the most heavily in Randall's comic.<br />
<br />
As shown in previous comics ([[1756: I'm With Her]] and others), Randall was a supporter of 2016 candidate {{w|Hillary Clinton}} (who ran against Trump), but this assesment should be equally applicable to supporters of either of the two current candidates.<br />
<br />
The text at the bottom says to post your scoresheet with #Hashtag. The "#" symbol is typically pronounced "hashtag", and so this tag for the scoresheet is nonsensical (and doesn't describe anything useful).<br />
It also refers to Nate Silver's famous election forecast model at {{w|FiveThirtyEight}}. Randall is urging people to contact Nate Silver to tell him to adjust his model to account for the added votes they have caused.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Elections]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Nate Silver]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2380:_Election_Impact_Score_Sheet&diff=2010622380: Election Impact Score Sheet2020-11-02T23:45:12Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ fix</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2380<br />
| date = November 2, 2020<br />
| title = Election Impact Score Sheet<br />
| image = election_impact_score_sheet.png<br />
| titletext = You might think most people you know are reliable voters, or that your nudge won't convince them, and you will usually be right. But some small but significant percentage of the time, you'll be wrong, and that's why this works.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by SOMEONE NOT IN ARIZONA. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This comic was published the day before {{w|Election day in the United States}} (November 3, 2020), which features a contentious presidential election between the incumbent, President {{w|Donald Trump}}, and the challenger, former Vice President {{w|Joe Biden}}. The United States does not elect presidents by popular vote, but instead uses an {{w|United States Electoral College|electoral college}} system, with each state getting a predetermined number of electoral votes, and a majority of electoral votes needed to win an election. The previous presidential election in 2016, which involved Trump and {{w|Hillary Clinton}}, was won by Trump, who lost the popular vote by 2%, but won the electoral vote 304-227 (270 was needed to win the election).<br />
<br />
Electoral college votes are distributed based on the population size of each state, with the most populous state, California, receiving 55 votes, and the least populous states receiving 3 votes. Some states, including some of the ones listed by Randall, are considered "{{w|swing state}}s", as they are competitive to both of the two major parties, the {{w|Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party}} and the {{w|Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party}}.<br />
<br />
As "swing states" are more competitive, Randall in this comic is encouraging his readers to "{{w|get out the vote}}" and encourage voting among their friends and family who live in 18 states which could affect the outcome of the election. The rest of the 32 states are grouped under the "all other states" bucket, presumably as their election outcome is "safely" for Biden or Trump.<br />
<br />
Per many analysts, the state of {{w|Pennsylvania}} is considered a "must-win" for both Biden and Trump, and is weighted the most heavily in Randall's comic.<br />
<br />
As shown in previous comics ([[1756: I'm With Her]] and others), Randall was a supporter of 2016 candidate {{w|Hillary Clinton}} (who ran against Trump), but this assesment should be equally applicable to supporters of either of the two current candidates.<br />
<br />
The text at the bottom refers to Nate Silver's famous election forecast model. Randall is urging people to contact Nate Silver to tell him to adjust his model to account for the added votes they have caused. For those who want to send Nate Silver their sheet his email is nrsilver@fivethirtyeight.com<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Elections]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Nate Silver]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1772:_Startup_Opportunity&diff=2004801772: Startup Opportunity2020-10-24T00:38:06Z<p>172.69.33.37: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1772<br />
| date = December 14, 2016<br />
| title = Startup Opportunity<br />
| image = startup_opportunity.png<br />
| titletext = While there's no formal regulation, it turns out their industry group is NOT one you want mad at you.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
[[Beret Guy|Beret Guy's]] [[:Category:Beret Guy's Business|company]], first seen in [[1032: Networking]], [[1293: Job Interview]] and [[1493: Meeting]], returns, and its purpose is as vague as ever.<br />
<br />
Analysts, brought in to advise his company, determine that it doesn't actually serve any purpose (a problem which could ironically be attributed to business analysts in general). Beret Guy is dumbfounded, claiming that his company must do ''something'', and takes a line of reasoning that faintly resembles the sort of logic a child might use. A child that visits an office building might conclude that an office does a lot because there are a lot of employees working inside, unaware that what really makes a successful business is how efficiently it uses its employees to deliver goods and services to the consumer.<br/><br />
<br />
Now, if Beret Guy is given the benefit of the doubt, his odd statement could be taken to mean that his company has many administrators (a.k.a. chairmen); as the owner of a sufficiently large business often interacts with the department in charge of overhead, a person in his position runs the risk of becoming myopic, losing touch with the workers that actually make the business function.<br/><br />
<br />
However, this ''is'' Beret Guy we're talking about here. He has demonstrated, [[1467: Email|time]] and [[1569: Magic Tree|time]] and [[1583: NASA Press Conference|time]] again, that he is hopelessly out of touch with reality, and this very strip shows no sign of him having gotten a firmer grasp of Earth logic. Displaying less business acumen than a child ''and'' less grounding in perspective than a CEO, he uses the number of chairs in the workplace as a yardstick for success, with no mention of his actual, human workforce. It may even be a stretch to say that a child would make the same assumption based on the number of chairs.<br />
<br />
The analysts suggest that Beret Guy find an industry to disrupt. The mention of "industry" immediately reminds Beret Guy of {{w|SimCity}}, where Industrial (along with Residential and Commercial) is one of the three main zone types - it allows factories and farms to develop. {{w|Disruptive innovation|Disruption}} means coming up with a product that redefines what the market expects and leaving existing competitors in the dust (for instance, smartphones disrupted mobile, digital photography disrupted film, and air travel disrupted rail and sea travel (and is in turn being disrupted by high-speed rail)) - it's now an industry buzzword and virtually every company claims to be "disruptive".<br />
<br />
When pointed in the right direction, Beret Guy realizes that the main industry he deals with is weird disappearing shops selling cursed goods, such as the WiFi in [[1812: Onboarding]]. This is {{tvtropes|TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday|a common trope}} in fantasy stories (notably Stephen King's novel {{w|Needful Things}}, using this exact premise), and as soon as [[Hairy]] hears about it he wants out of the building, but as his colleagues point out it also bears more than a passing resemblance to many dodgy {{w|startup companies}}. These appear suddenly with a lot of promotion and a marketable idea, looking for {{w|venture capital}} (or, a lot of times in recent times, pre-orders on {{w|Kickstarter}}). However, many startups fail - either because they didn't take into account the difficulties involved in bringing a product to market, or because they were an active scam - and disappear without a trace, leaving customers either empty handed or with a buggy product that falls short of promises. As [[Cueball]] notes, these cursed shops are actually the perfect startup, at least from a moneymaking perspective. This humorously ignores the more obvious larger problem, that such a business would be impossible to create due to not actually having magical items to sell (unless, of course, one is referring to items that are sold by making unrealistic or implausible claims as to their use, which could be considered similar to "magic". This is common enough in the real world, and many such products call themselves "magic" without actually explicitly claiming to use mysterious powers of sorcery. One character could be thinking literally, and the other one figuratively). Apparently, the business may become one, if he does spend most of his money there.<br />
<br />
As with most Beret Guy comics, there are multiple layers of absurdity. For a start, the fact that he-and by extension, the rest of the cast-live in a world including supernatural shops is, while not inconsistent, still supernatural. The assertion that this is where he buys most of his materials and other products is also curious, given the shops' inherent temporary nature, as it implies either something about him causes these shops to appear, or that he is drawn to these shops instinctively. Most absurdly, he apparently purchases his <i>food</i> from these establishments (which may also serve as an explanation for his 'soup outlet' in [[1293: Job Interview]]), despite previously stating everything they sell is cursed, conjures troubling images in the mind of <i>how</i> exactly food would be cursed-and its effects. Perhaps this explains Beret Guy's [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|strange powers]].<br />
<br />
The title text alludes to the fact that irrespective of whether or not there is formal regulation, it is unwise to anger a group of people who have access to cursed magical items. It is easy to imagine numerous ways they could make one's life substantially worse.<br />
<br />
In [[2376:_Curbside]] it is revealed that while the shops seem to require masks, they do not have curbside pickup. <br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[Beret Guy is sitting in a board meeting]<br />
:White Hat: We've discovered that your company doesn't do anything.<br />
:Beret Guy: How is that possible?! We have so many chairs!<br />
<br />
:White Hat: You need to find an industry to disrupt.<br />
:Beret Guy: An...industry?<br />
:Beret Guy: Oh, yeah!<br />
:Beret Guy: The zoning thing from SimCity!<br />
<br />
:White Hat: No, like, a kind of business.<br />
:Beret Guy: How do I find those?<br />
:White Hat: I don't know. What's something you spend a lot of money on?<br />
<br />
[Beat panel]<br />
<br />
:Beret Guy: You know those mysterious shops that sell you magical items, and then it turns out they're cursed, but when you go back later there's no sign the shop was ever there?<br />
:Beret Guy: I get most of my stuff from those.<br />
:Beret Guy: Like groceries.<br />
<br />
:Hairy: We should go.<br />
:Hairbun: Wait. High-value sales, no regulation, and when customers try to complain, they can't find you...<br />
:Cueball: Maybe this ''is'' the perfect startup.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Comics_featuring_Spice_Girls&diff=200379Category:Comics featuring Spice Girls2020-10-22T01:54:35Z<p>172.69.33.37: add navbox</p>
<hr />
<div>After having made no reference to the British pop group {{w|Spice Girls}} in the first 1510 comics, Randall suddenly references the group three times within 50 comics (and two almost identical titles using the group name) featuring especially the nicknames names of the group.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{navbox-characters}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people|Spice Girls]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Comics_featuring_Spice_Girls&diff=200378Category:Comics featuring Spice Girls2020-10-22T01:54:04Z<p>172.69.33.37: better parent</p>
<hr />
<div>After having made no reference to the British pop group {{w|Spice Girls}} in the first 1510 comics, Randall suddenly references the group three times within 50 comics (and two almost identical titles using the group name) featuring especially the nicknames names of the group.<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people|Spice Girls]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Comics_featuring_Spice_Girls&diff=200377Category:Comics featuring Spice Girls2020-10-22T01:53:13Z<p>172.69.33.37: fix</p>
<hr />
<div>After having made no reference to the British pop group {{w|Spice Girls}} in the first 1510 comics, Randall suddenly references the group three times within 50 comics (and two almost identical titles using the group name) featuring especially the nicknames names of the group.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics by topic]]<br />
[[Category:Comics by characters|Spice Girls]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2327:_Oily_House_Index&diff=2003722327: Oily House Index2020-10-22T01:49:26Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2327<br />
| date = July 1, 2020<br />
| title = Oily House Index<br />
| image = oily_house_index.png<br />
| titletext = We're underwater on our mortgage thanks to the low price of water.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In economics, an {{w|index (economics)|index}} is a statistical measure of change in a representative group of individual data points. Common indices include NASDAQ (a measure of a range of stock prices) and a consumer price index (a measure of retail prices)<br />
<br />
This chart demonstrates an invented index, the "Oily House Index", which measures a ratio of oil price to average house prices, over time.<br />
<br />
The numerator is the average price of a new home (presumably in the US), in USD per square foot ($/sqft). It does not specify what kind of home, or where. One available metric is the [https://www.statista.com/statistics/682549/average-price-per-square-foot-in-new-single-family-houses-usa/ average price per square foot of floor space in new single-family houses in the United States] which was $118.91 in 2019. The caption refers to converting the ''mortgage'' of the new house (that is, how much the purchaser borrowed, which could be zero), while the definition simply refers to the ''new home price'' (the total value). It is not clear which of these two is used in the chart. <br />
<br />
The denominator is the price of oil in USD per {{w|barrel (unit)|barrel}} ($/BBL). This is also not well defined, although the chart's caption suggests that it is based on crude oil. There are many different indices for different blends of oil in different locations, such as [https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/wti.asp West Texas Intermediate], which is a crude oil commonly used as a global oil benchmark. (Others include Brent and Dubai Crude). The WTI price fluctuated around $55-60 throughout 2019. A barrel is a standard unit of oil volume, defined as 42 U.S. gallons (roughly 5.615 cubic feet or 0.16 cubic metres).<br />
<br />
The comic then applies {{w|dimensional analysis}} to this index: dividing $/sqft by $/bbl yields a result whose dimension is a linear measurement, which can be called length. 1 barrel is 42 gallons, a gallon is 231 cubic inches, and a cubic foot is 12<sup>3</sup>=728 cubic inches, so a barrel is approximately 5.6146 cubic feet and a cubic foot is approximately 0.1781 barrel. The average price per square foot of a new single-family dwelling in the USA in 2019 was about $119/square foot, while the price of oil in mid 2019 was about $60/BBL or $10.7/cubic foot. Dividing $119/square foot by $10.7/cubic foot gives approximately 11.1 foot. This is slightly lower than the value shown on the chart of around 15.<br />
<br />
The chart's caption then interprets that length as the depth that a new home could be filled with the crude oil that could be purchased with its price. For scale Cueball and Megan has been drawn, and the ceiling height of a typical house has been indicated, showing that only in time with deep crisis will the oil not fill the house. It's also not exactly clear where the extra oil should go after a multi-storey house has been filled; on the top floor, you could just take off the roof and let the oil pile up (perhaps after building some retaining walls), but on the lower floors, there's already oil above the ceiling.<br />
<br />
The index is high when house prices are high and oil prices are low (such as during the 1999 oil glut), and low when house prices are low and oil prices are high (such as during the 1979 energy crisis). See details about the [[#Chart|chart]] below.<br />
<br />
The title text, "We're underwater on our mortgage thanks to the low price of water", is a pun. A mortgage on a property is considered to be [https://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/underwater-mortgage.asp "underwater"] when the value of the mortgage exceeds the value of the property. This is bad for both the owner (who owes more money than the property is worth) and the bank (who now have a loan which is not fully secured against a default: if the property owner defaults, the bank will lose money in selling the property)- though obviously far worse for the owner.<br />
<br />
The title text is hinting at an alternative index based on the ratio of house price to the price of water instead of oil. At the 2019 rate of $118.91/ft² and a rough [https://www.pvwc.com/story_of_water/html/costs.htm average water price of $0.0015/gallon], a house would have to be filled with water to a depth of 1060 ft for the house cost to match the water cost. If the price of water fell or the house cost per square foot rose, then the index would rise, causing the house to be even deeper in water (following the metaphor of the index as filling the house with physical water). This situation could arise even if the property value remained high, although Randall may be humorously suggesting that the increase in the index would literally flood the property with water, which would then damage it, obviously decreasing its value. (If the index continues to be computed on average house prices, then this single event would not materially impact the index as a whole.)<br />
<br />
In {{what if|11|What If #11 "Droppings"}}, Randall commented that "unit cancellation is weird" after making a similar calculation about fuel efficiency -- the European convention of presenting fuel mileage as "liters per 100 kilometers" represents an area (volume/distance), which can be physically interpreted as the cross-sectional area of a tube of gasoline with the total volume of fuel burned stretched out over the length of the journey.<br />
<br />
===Chart===<br />
;{{w|1979 oil crisis|1979 energy crisis}}<br />
:In the wake of the {{w|Iranian Revolution}}, global oil supply reduced by only 4%, but caused widespread panic and a huge increase in oil price.<br />
;{{w|Gulf War}}<br />
:The {{w|Gulf War}} (August 1990 - Feb 1991) was the invasion of Iraq by the US, which decreased oil supplies and caused a spike in prices.<br />
;1999 oil glut<br />
:In early 1999, Iraq increased its oil production, while the Asian Financial Crisis reduced demand. Prices briefly fell to as low as $16.[https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/A-Recent-History-Of-Oil-Prices-History-About-To-Repeat-Itself.html]<br />
;Ceiling height<br />
:Reinforcing the connection with the metaphorical house filled with oil, "ceiling height" here is shown at somewhere just below 10 feet. The standard ceiling height in US homes is 9 feet for ground floor, and 8 feet on higher floors. [https://rethority.com/standard-ceiling-height/]<br />
:Only twice has the height been below ceiling height, during the 1979 energy crisis, and in the beginning of the financial crisis of 2007-2008.<br />
;Oil and housing crashes partly cancel out<br />
:As a result of the {{w|financial crisis of 2007-2008}}, oil prices crashed from $147/BBL in July 2008 to $30 in December 2008. Meanwhile, {{w|United States housing bubble|falling house prices}}, which had partially triggered the financial crisis, continued to slump across the US, with the Case-Shiller home price index reporting its largest ever price drop in December 2008. Since both oil price and house prices were falling, the effect of dividing one by the other means that the index didn't change significantly, remaining around 8-15 feet.<br />
;{{w|2010s oil glut}}<br />
:In 2014-16 there was a serious surplus of {{w|crude oil}}, partially caused by increasing shale oil from the US and Canada, a slowdown in demand from China, and increasing fuel efficiency and use of renewable energy. Prices dropped from $125/BBL from 2012 to below $30 in January 2016. By October 2018, prices had recovered to $85/BBL. ]<br />
;OHI briefly became infinite as oil prices reached zero in 2020<br />
:In April 2020, the {{w|coronavirus pandemic}} dramatically reduced vehicle and air transport, crashing oil demand. [https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/25/scary-visceral-unprecedented-traders-describe-oils-wild-week-and-fall-to-negative-prices.html Oil futures actually went to zero], and even below, several times: oil producers paying consumers to take their oil, to avoid the costs of storing it. Dividing anything by zero officially has no defined result, but in many thought experiments yields infinity, hence the "infinite oily house index". The graph should actually wrap around to the negative axis at this point.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A line graph is shown. Above it is a rectangular frame with formulas inside. Most of the top part of the frame is removed and instead a heading is written over the missing section of the frame. The formula is written in three parts, with the first two parts having a division line with text written above and below.]<br />
:Dimensional economic analysis <br />
:New home price ($/sqft) / Oil price ($/BBL) = $/area / $/volume = Length<br />
<br />
:[The graph has a labeled Y-axis with four ticks, which have values, and also the origin has a value. The X.axis is a time-line without label. There are five labeled ticks.]<br />
:X-axis: 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020<br />
:Y-axis label: OHI (feet)<br />
:Y-axis: 40 30 20 10 0<br />
<br />
:[Above the line graph there is a caption:]<br />
:'''Oily House Index:''' How deep you could fill the average new home if you converted its mortgage to crude oil<br />
<br />
:[The graph begins around 15 before 1980, then dips below 10, rises slowly until about 1988 when it rises sharply. It stays high but has several peaks, and one deep valley until 1999 when there is a very high peak, which then drops fast. A few more peaks, and then a decline to the lowest point in 2008, which is followed by a small peak, and then another drop. From there it stays low until 2015 when it rises quite fast and has one very high peak. It then drops of, until 2020 when there is a really sharp peak. Above the top of the peak is a dotted line extending to the top of the graph (i.e. the top of the Y-axis, not the top of the panel). Then it drops down but not very low as it reaches the present.]<br />
<br />
:[There are six labels with arrows pointing from them to notable peaks and valleys along the graph. They are written both above and below the line. From left to right they are:]<br />
:1979 energy crisis<br />
:Gulf War<br />
:1999 oil glut<br />
:Oil and housing crashes partly cancel out<br />
:2010s oil glut<br />
:OHI briefly became infinite as oil prices reached zero in 2020<br />
<br />
:[From 2005-2010 there is a dotted horizontal line that hits the valley at 2008. This is labeled with an arrow pointing to it:]<br />
:Ceiling height<br />
<br />
:[Below the line is a drawing of Cueball and Megan standing on the X-axis near 1990. Next to them is a label with an arrow pointing to them:]<br />
:People (for scale)<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Line graphs]]<br />
[[Category:Timelines]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Stock Market]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1093:_Forget&diff=2003711093: Forget2020-10-22T01:46:45Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Trivia */ add categories</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 />
==Trivia==<br />
The very popular YouTubed Vsauce put this chart in a video called “This Is Not Yellow”, and it got almost twenty million views. <br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]<br />
[[Category:Volcanoes]] <!-- Eyjafjallajökull --><br />
[[Category:Stock Market]]<br />
[[Category:Star Wars]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1283:_Headlines&diff=2003701283: Headlines2020-10-22T01:45:33Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Transcript */ add category</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1283<br />
| date = October 28, 2013<br />
| title = Headlines<br />
| image = headlines.png<br />
| titletext = 1916: 'PHYSICIST DAD' TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO GRAVITY, AND YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT HE FINDS. [PICS] [NSFW]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic satirizes the sensationalist language used in Internet headlines. Many websites generate ad revenue for getting visitors ("getting more clicks"), so some unscrupulous editors seek to manipulate their readers using tantalizing yet formulaic and crass headlines, designed to attract readers rather than summarize the article's contents. You might recognize this technique from those ridiculous text advertisements — "local mom discovers 1 weird tip to reduce belly fat." The practice is nothing new: {{w|tabloid journalism}} has been doing this for many years (e.g. ''{{w|National Enquirer}}''). The numbers shown at the headline are also often wrong and not covered by the article.<br />
<br />
Signs of a dishonest headline include giving undue weight to trivial topics, or appealing to readers' emotions or needs (fear, outrage, pity, lust, laziness) instead of offering serious information. In severe cases, it may be a {{w|bait-and-switch}}, claiming to offer something it isn't. By failing to give a useful summary of the story, whilst attempting to force the reader to click on every story on the off-chance that it's interesting, they amount to an intentionally deceptive form of spam.<br />
<br />
[[Randall]] parodies the formula in this comic with such trivializing headlines for important historical events:<br />
<br />
*1905 - How a shocking new theory, discovered by a dad, proves scientists are wrong about ''everything!''<br />
:{{w|Albert Einstein}} published his {{w|Annus Mirabilis papers}}, which changed views on space, time, mass, and energy, and laid the groundwork for much of modern physics. They included his papers on {{w|special relativity}} and on {{w|mass–energy equivalence}} ("E = mc<sup>2</sup>"). He had an infant son in 1905 (born May 1904).<br />
:The use of the term "dad" helps readers tune in emotionally. "Proving scientists wrong about everything" is obviously an inflation of Einstein's achievements. Einstein was awarded the {{w|Nobel Prize}} in 1921 for his work on the {{w|photoelectric effect}}; his work on relativity was still not accepted by many physicists at that time.<br />
*1912 - 6 ''Titanic'' survivors who should have died<br />
:{{w|Sinking of the RMS Titanic}}. "should have died" seems to be referring to six passengers whose survival was downright miraculous, though the wording is (deliberately) ambiguous to imply the six passengers ''deserved'' to have died. Possibly referred to here is the survival of {{w|J. Bruce Ismay}}, chairman and managing director of the White Star Line (the company responsible for the Titanic), who was condemned as a coward for leaving the sinking liner.<br />
*1920 - 17 things that will be outlawed now that women can vote<br />
:The {{w|Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution}} was passed, guaranteeing voting rights for women in all US states. The prediction of new prohibitions is a reference to alcohol prohibition under the authority granted to the federal government by the {{w|Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution}}. While the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified before women's suffrage was guaranteed by the Nineteeth, alcohol prohibition was widely seen as an issue driven by women's opinions (hence the suggestion that more things would be prohibited now that women had the vote).<br />
*1928 - This one weird mold kills all germs<br />
:{{w|Penicillin}} was discovered by Alexander Fleming.<br />
*1929 - Most embarrassing reactions to the stock market crash [GIFS]<br />
:This is a reference to the {{w|Wall Street Crash of 1929}}, the most devastating stock market crash in history and the beginning of the Great Depression. The "embarassing reactions" may be a reference to the suicides of people suddenly impoverished by the depression.<br />
:[GIFS] indicates that the post will contain animated GIF images, which are a crude form of short video. Presumably, these GIFs will feature the aforementioned suicides, which would be considered tasteless at best. The {{w|GIF#Animated_GIF|GIF89a specification}} which supports animation was released in 1990, so animated GIFs (or computers for that matter) didn't exist in 1929. <br />
*1945 - These 9 Nazi atrocities will make you lose faith in humanity<br />
:1945 is the year that World War II ended. It's also the year that many war crimes committed by Nazi Germany were discovered or declassified. These events would be cause enough for anyone to re-evaluate their belief in the inherent goodness of the human race. However, the specific phrase "lose faith in humanity" is one often employed on the web by rather over-dramatic people in response to something someone did to exasperate them; and because that particular wording is closely associated with exaggerative tendencies, its usage in relation to Nazi war crimes only downplays their seriousness.<br />
*1948 - 5 insane plans for feeding West Berlin you won't believe are real<br />
:1948 is when the Soviet Union established the {{w|Berlin Blockade}}, preventing food and other critical supplies from reaching occupied Berlin. In response, Western forces organized the {{w|Berlin Airlift}}.<br />
*1955 - Avoid polio with this one weird trick<br />
:The {{w|polio vaccine}} was developed.<br />
:"One weird trick" is a common phrase used in Internet ads: see [http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/07/how_one_weird_trick_conquered_the_internet_what_happens_when_you_click_on.html this article] for more information. It may also refer to the fact that polio viruses were used as the first vaccines.<br />
*1957 - 12 nip slips potentially visible to Sputnik<br />
:The Soviet Union launched {{w|Sputnik 1}}, the world's first artificial satellite. A ''nip slip'' is when a woman unintentionally exposes all or part of one or both of her nipples; in the context of the internet, it generally refers to a photograph capturing such a moment.<br />
:It would of course have to be some really big nips to be visible from space... So click ahead then!<br />
*1968 - This year's assassinations ranked from most to least tragic<br />
:{{w|Martin Luther King Jr.}} and {{w|Robert F. Kennedy}} ({{w|John F. Kennedy's}} younger brother) were both assassinated in 1968 (five years after JFK).<br />
:Assassinations are rare and considered to be always tragic, so "ranking" them trivializes the political and emotional depth of the events.<br />
*1969 - This is the most important photo of an astronaut you'll see all day<br />
:{{w|Apollo 11}} performed the first manned lunar landing. During this historic trip newspapers printed as many pictures of astronauts as they could.<br />
*1986 - This video of a terminally ill child watching the ''Challenger'' launch will break your heart<br />
:Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight. See {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster}} for details. This was the first shuttle mission that included a teacher on board as part of the crew ({{w|Christa McAuliffe}}, ''{{w|Teacher in Space Project}}''), so there were many children -- a New York Times poll put the number at 48% of 9-13 year olds in the US -- watching this particular launch live as teachers around the country had TV sets in their classrooms showing the ill-fated launch in real time. The launch was not shown on most mainstream TV stations; only {{w|CNN}} broadcast it live.<br />
:Since this many children did see it, there would also have been several terminal ill children watching, and likely also some press out at one such place. So they could get this picture. And again toy with our emotions.<br />
*1989 - You won't ''believe'' what these people did to the Berlin wall! [video]<br />
:{{w|Fall of the Berlin Wall}}.<br />
:[video] indicates a link to a video<br />
*Jan 1, 1990 - 500 signs you're a 90s kid<br />
:A 90s kid is someone born in the late 80s or early 90s (and spent most their childhood in the 1990s). Headlines like [http://www.buzzfeed.com/melismashable/25-ways-to-tell-youre-a-kid-of-the-9 this one from BuzzFeed] toy with their readers' sense of nostalgia. The parody headline is funny because it starts precisely on the first day of the 1990s, meaning that the only "90s kids" that it would apply to would be newborns. This is a reference to a common joke about the 90s not having a concrete identity in some ways like the 70s or 80s did in terms of popular culture, and yet those born in that decade always seem to have long lists of things that make you a "90s kid".<br />
*The title text: 1916: 'Physicist dad' turns his attention to gravity, and you won't believe what he finds. [PICS] [NSFW]<br />
:Einstein published his theory of {{w|General relativity}}, which is a vast generalization of the theory of {{w|Special relativity}} from 1905 and provides a model for gravity. In 1916 Einstein had two sons who lived in Zurich while he lived in Berlin.<br />
:[NSFW] is "Not Safe for Work" - a tag to identify explicit images. Here it is used to trick readers hoping to find pornography.<br />
:[PICS] tells the potential viewer that there are images embedded<br />
:If you think of ''Gravity'' as a girl's name, then the reference to porn becomes more obvious.<br />
<br />
This topic is re-used in [[1307: Buzzfeed Christmas]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Caption above the frame:]<br />
:'''20th Century Headlines'''<br />
:Rewritten to get more clicks<br />
<br />
:[The years are always written at the center. The text has a line pointing to the relevant year. The first text is written to the left of the year. Then the texts below is alternately written to the right and to the left, finishing at the right in 1990.]<br />
:1905 - How a shocking new theory, discovered by a dad, proves scientists are wrong about ''everything!''<br />
:1912 - 6 ''Titanic'' survivors who should have died<br />
:1920 - 17 things that will be outlawed now that women can vote<br />
:1928 - This one weird mold kills all germs<br />
:1929 - Most embarrassing reactions to the stock market crash [GIFs]<br />
:1945 - These 9 Nazi atrocities will make you lose faith in humanity<br />
:1948 - 5 insane plans for feeding West Berlin you won't believe are real<br />
:1955 - Avoid Polio with this one weird trick<br />
:1957 - 12 nip slips potentially visible to Sputnik<br />
:1968 - This year's assassinations ranked from most to least tragic<br />
:1969 - This is the most important photo of an astronaut you'll see all day<br />
:1986 - This video of a terminally ill child watching the ''Challenger'' launch will break your heart<br />
:1989 - You won't ''believe'' what these people did to the Berlin wall! [Video]<br />
:Jan 1, 1990 - 500 signs you're a 90s kid<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Clickbait]]<br />
[[Category:Stock Market]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1759:_British_Map&diff=2003691759: British Map2020-10-22T01:41:21Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Transcript */ more categories</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1759<br />
| date = November 14, 2016<br />
| title = British Map<br />
| image = british_map.png<br />
| titletext = West Norsussex is east of East Norwessex, but they're both far north of Middlesex and West Norwex.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
This comic is a joke similar to [https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on#q=how%20americans%20see%20the%20world&safe=active&ssui=on "How Americans see the world"] showing how the average American has opinions on the world, often including jokes such as a lack of {{w|Africa}}, etc. This has been used before in [[850: World According to Americans]]. The map also plays with the joke by noting it has been labeled by [[Randall Monroe|a specific American]] rather than "Americans".<br />
<br />
Many areas of the UK are most familiar to foreigners thanks to their depiction in various fantasy novels and TV series. This map labels some of these, as well as including many silly names that simply sound like real British towns to an American ear. A protractor is shown off the coast of the {{w|Mull of Kintyre}} in reference to the "{{w|Mull of Kintyre test}}" - according to urban legend, the angle of the Mull defines the maximum allowed erectness for a man on films and home video releases in the UK.<br />
<br />
Randall previously posted [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/11/24/a-puzzle-for-the-uk/ a map of the UK] on his blog as part of the promotion for his book ''[[what if|What If?]]''. This map is from a very similar position and appears to have been traced from the same source, although there are some slight differences. Both maps include a sketch of {{w|Lake Windermere}} with boats on it, and both have the locations of London, Oxford and Cambridge labeled (the blog map also shows Edinburgh and Bristol - in this comic, these are labelled Eavestroughs and Minas Tirith). Both also contain references to {{w|Stonehenge}} and {{w|Watership Down}}.<br />
<br />
Note that in British English, the correct spelling of “labeled” is ‘labelled’.<br />
<br />
The title text plays around with the concept of the compass directions and how numerous regions (such as South "Sussex" and West "Wessex") incorporate such literal names in their description. Randall is creating similar sounding names which are nonsense-ish ("Norsussex" would be the region of the Northern-Southern Saxons), and placing them in relation to each other in ways which would be geographically implausible, similar to this [http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/92q3/xx19.html old joke about Boston]. However, in Germany there exists the region called ''Westphalia'' (''Westfalen''), and the eastern part of it is often referred to as ''East-Westphalia'' (''{{w|Ostwestfalen}}''), which sounds somewhat ridiculous. Part of the joke in the title text could be the fact that while three of the locations are fictional, Middlesex does actually exist.<br />
<br />
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable sortable"<br />
!Label on the map !! Explanation !! Actual location !! Notes<br />
|-<br />
| Helcaraxë<br />
|| The "[http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Helcarax%C3%AB Grinding Ice]", an area of {{w|Middle-Earth}}. Like Helcaraxë, northern Scotland is cold, mountainous and in many areas inhospitable.<br />
|| The {{w|Grampian}} region<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Blick<br />
|| Possibly referencing {{w|Wick, Caithness}}, one of the northernmost towns in Great Britain. The real Wick is substantially further north, off the edge of the map.<br />
||Near {{w|Rhynie, Aberdeenshire}}<br />
|| This is the name of a goblin in the movie "Legend" starring Tim Curry. Could also reference the art supply store, Blick Art Materials<br />
|-<br />
| Everdeen<br />
|| {{w|Katniss Everdeen}} is the heroine of ''{{w|The Hunger Games}}'' series of novels and films<br />
|| {{w|Aberdeen}}<br />
|| In colloquial Scots, its pronunciation is very similar to "Everdeen."<br />
|-<br />
| Highlands<br />
|| {{w|Scottish Highlands|No joke}}<br />
|| {{w|Scottish Lowlands}}<br />
|| Maybe deliberate trolling - Scots have strong feelings about where the Highland-Lowland border is<br />
|-<br />
| Norther Sea<br />
|| Pun on the {{w|North Sea}} - i.e. a sea that is further north (or 'norther') than the North Sea.<br />
|| {{w|Sea of the Hebrides}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Loch Lomond<br />
|| {{w|Loch Lomond|No joke}}<br />
|| Loch Lomond<br />
|| Loch Lomond is the largest lake in Great Britain, and the third largest lake in the UK. It is the subject of a well-known {{w|The_Bonnie_Banks_o%27_Loch_Lomond|traditional song}}, and was referenced in the "beaming" (teleporter) bit in the movie Spaceballs by the Scotty expy 'Snotty'. It also houses a distillery producing a whisky appreciated by Captain Haddock in ''{{w|The Adventures of Tintin}}''. Thanks to the {{w|Loch Ness Monster|monster}}, {{w|Loch Ness}} is by far the most famous Scottish loch, so naming the second most famous subverts expectations.<br />
|-<br />
| Fjordham<br />
|| {{w|Fjords}} are glacial valleys. "-ham" is a common English placename suffix from Old English, related to the modern {{w|Hamlet (place)|hamlet}}. There are several villages in England named {{w|Fordham}}.<br />
|| Near {{w|Oban}} on the {{w|Firth of Lorn}}<br />
|| The Scottish word "Firth" is related to "Fjord", although Lorn is not a fjord in the strict scientific sense - it was formed along the {{w|Great Glen Fault}} by tectonics, rather than glaciers<br />
|-<br />
| Glassdoor<br />
|| {{w|Glassdoor}} is a website where employees can review their employers<br />
|| {{w|Stirling}}<br />
|| Although it's shown near Stirling, the reference seems to be to {{w|Glasgow}}<br />
|-<br />
| Eavestrough<br />
|| A dialectal word for {{w|rain gutter}}<br />
|| {{w|Edinburgh}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Seasedge<br />
|| Procan's realm in ''Dungeons & Dragons''. "Sea sedge" is also one of many common names used for ''{{w|Acorus calamus}}'', the calamus or sweet flag.<br />
|| Somewhere near the Scotland-England border<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Chough<br />
|| A {{w|Chough|species of bird in the crow family}}<br />
|| The {{w|Scottish Borders}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Meowth<br />
|| {{w|Meowth}} is a cat-like Pokémon. Name may allude to {{w|Howth}}.<br />
|| {{w|Ayr}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Glutenfree<br />
|| {{w|Gluten-free}} food lacks the protein {{w|gluten}}. This allows {{w|coeliac disease}} sufferers to enjoy it, but has also become a dietary fad in itself. -free Is a common suffix to add to cities.<br />
|| {{w|Cairnryan}}, {{w|Dumfries and Galloway}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Blighton<br />
|| A mashup of {{w|Brighton}} and {{w|Blighty}}<br />
|| The {{w|Scottish Borders}}<br />
|| The real Brighton is much further south, on the south coast.<br />
|-<br />
| North Sea<br />
|| {{w|North Sea|No joke}}<br />
|| North Sea<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Eyemouth<br />
|| {{w|Eyemouth|No joke}} <br />
|| near {{w|Newcastle-upon-Tyne}}<br />
|| The real Eyemouth is further north, where "Seasedge" is marked on the map.<br />
|-<br />
| Earhand<br />
|| A pun on Eyemouth<br />
|| {{w|Carlisle}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Hairskull<br />
|| A pun on Eyemouth<br />
|| {{w|Teesside}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Belfast DeVoe<br />
|| {{w|Belfast}}, capital of Northern Ireland, mashed up with the rock band {{w|Bell Biv DeVoe}}<br />
|| {{w|Belfast}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Lakebottom<br />
|| The {{w|Lake District}}. "-bottom" is a common placename across Northern England, and refers to a town in a valley.<br />
|| {{w|Lake District}}<br />
|| Below Lakebottom is a sketch of a lake with yachts on it. This is illustrative and doesn't correspond to any of the actual lakes which would be barely visible on this map.<br />
|-<br />
| Braintree<br />
|| {{w|Braintree, Essex|Not a joke}}<br />
|| {{w|North Yorkshire}}<br />
|| The real Braintree is much further south, near where "Paulblart" is on the map. Also a possible reference to the [https://www.braintreepayments.com Braintree] online payments platform (widely advertised on podcasts), or a stop at the end of the Red Line in Boston.<br />
|-<br />
| Skinflower<br />
|| A pun on Braintree<br />
|| {{w|Yorkshire Dales}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Bjork<br />
|| {{w|Björk}} is an Icelandic singer<br />
|| {{w|East Riding of Yorkshire}}<br />
|| The reference is presumably to York (historically known as Jórvík), although it's a bit too far east.<br />
|-<br />
| Weedle<br />
|| {{w|Weedle}} is a Pokémon, and also a word meaning "to obtain by trickery or persuasion"<br />
|| {{w|Forest of Bowland}}<br />
|| In the original Pokémon Red and Blue games Weedle is most notably found in '{{w|Viridian Forest}}' which - like the real-life Forest of Bowland - is known for its diverse wildlife.<br />
|-<br />
| Eeugh<br />
|| An expression of disgust<br />
|| {{w|Kingston-upon-Hull}} (generally just "Hull")<br />
|| Pronounced 'ull by locals<br />
|-<br />
| Crewneck<br />
|| A shirt with a {{w|Crewneck|simple round collar}}.<br />
|| {{w|Blackpool}}<br />
|| There is a town called {{w|Crewe}} somewhat further south than shown in Cheshire.<br />
|-<br />
| Paisley<br />
|| {{w|Paisley, Renfrewshire|No joke}}. It sounds funny to Americans because it's associated with {{w|Paisley (design)|paisley}} fabric, a Persian-style print invented in the town. Possibly a pun on {{w|Parsley|parsley}}, a herb.<br />
|| {{w|Burnley}}<br />
|| The real Paisley is in Scotland, near Glasgow.<br />
|-<br />
| Basil<br />
|| Also {{w|Basil|a herb}}, and {{w|Basil Fawlty|one of the most famous British TV characters}}.<br />
|| {{w|Scunthorpe}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Aidenn<br />
|| An apparent pun on the {{w|Scouse}} accent: {{w|h-dropping}} and {{w|th-stopping}} mean the common "hey, then" would be pronounced "ai denn".<br />
|| {{w|Merseyside}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Hillfolk<br />
|| {{w|Hillfolk}} is an RPG. "-hill" (referring to, well, a hill) is common in British placenames, and "-folk" (referring to a tribe or culture) is seen in ''Suffolk'' and ''Norfolk''. Possibly also a reference to {{w|Hobbits}}, a race of little people that live under hills in The Lord of the Rings.<br />
|| {{w|Manchester}}<br />
|| Manchester's name does in fact reference hills: it means "castle on the {{w|breast-shaped hill}}"<br />
|-<br />
| Waterdown<br />
|| To "water something down" is to weaken it. "-down" is common in British placenames and refers to {{w|Downland|chalk hills}}. Possibly a contraction from the book and movie: Watership Down.<br />
|| Near {{w|Grimsby}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Dubstep<br />
|| {{w|Dubstep}} is a genre of electronic music with a heavy bass line.<br />
|| {{w|Dublin}}<br />
|| Dublin is the only non-UK settlement in the map, and one of two on the island of Ireland.<br />
|-<br />
| Borough-upon-Mappe<br />
|| By being recorded here, this is literally a borough upon a map. The "-upon-" is a common element of placenames for towns on rivers, although there's no River Mappe. Possibly referencing the fact that the town is on a "mappe" (map)?<br />
|| {{w|Lincolnshire Wolds}}<br />
||<br />
|-<br />
| Fhqwhgads<br />
|| "[http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/Fhqwhgads Fhqwhgads]" is a joke from the Homestar Runner internet cartoon. In the cartoon, the main character read a fanmail that was signed only with a random keyboard mash of characters, which Strong Bad shortened to "Fhqwhgads," a name that became a running gag on the cartoon.<br />
|| {{w|Wrexham}}<br />
|| This is near the Welsh border; Welsh names often look like a mish-mash of consonants to English speakers ignorant of Welsh orthography; within a few miles of Wrexham are towns like {{w|Yr Wyddgrug}} ("Mold" in English), {{w|Cefn-y-bedd}}, {{w|Gwernymynydd}} and {{w|Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Cadbury<br />
|| {{w|Cadbury}} is a British chocolate company.<br />
|| Near {{w|Boston, Lincolnshire}}<br />
|| Cadbury actually built a town for its workers... but it's called {{w|Bournville}}. There are several towns called {{w|Cadbury_(disambiguation)#Places|Cadbury}} in the UK (where the Cadbury family presumably got its name), but none are near here.<br />
|-<br />
| Cabinetry<br />
|| The art of making {{w|cabinets}}.<br />
|| Near {{w|Oswestry}}<br />
||Several towns in the English Midlands have names ending in -try, including Oswestry. "Cabinetry" could be a pun on {{w|Coventry}}, which lies further to the east.<br />
|-<br />
| The Shire<br />
|| {{w|Shire (Middle-earth)|The Shire}} is home to the {{w|Hobbits}} in {{w|Middle-Earth}}<br />
|| {{w|Midlands}}<br />
|| Tolkien drew inspiration for the Shire from the {{w|West Midlands (region)|West Midlands}}, although Tolkien was from the southern part of the Midlands (roughly where Dampshire is on the map).<br />
An internet posting titled [http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/revocation.asp "A Letter to the U.S" after the 2016 Presidential Election"], falsely attributed to John Cleese, could also have been inspiration for this map. It in particular says: "3. You should learn to distinguish English and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). Scottish dramas such as 'Taggart' will no longer be broadcast with subtitles.You must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is "Devon." If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become "shires" e.g. Texasshire Floridashire, Louisianashire." <br />
|-<br />
| Landmouth<br />
|| Literal description<br />
|| {{w|The Wash}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Brandon<br />
|| {{w|Brandon#United Kingdom|Not a joke}}<br />
|| {{w|The Fens}}<br />
|| There are several Brandons in the UK, the nearest being where "Keebler" is on the map. The area shown is borderline-uninhabitable, as it is marshland and lies mostly below sea-level. Only a few farms and isolated hamlets exist here.<br />
|-<br />
| Hamwich<br />
|| A ham sandwich. Both "-ham" and "-wich" are common generic placenames. The village called simply "Ham" and the other called "Sandwich" are fairly close to each other, with a famous roadsign that points to "Ham Sandwich" between them.<br />
|| {{w|Norwich}}<br />
|| Likely to be coincidence but the "Cheese Hamwich" is a breaded cheese and turkey food product sold by {{w|Bernard_Matthews_Ltd}} whose food processing facility is based not far from this map location.<br />
|-<br />
| West Norsussex<br />
|| Mash-up of {{w|West Sussex}} ("South Saxons") with the obsolete {{w|Wessex}} ("West Saxons") and never extant {{w|Norsex}} ("North Saxons")<br />
|| {{w|Midlands}}<br />
||<br />
|-<br />
| Redsox<br />
|| The {{w|Boston Red Sox}} are a baseball team<br />
|| {{w|The Fens}}<br />
|| The Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. The map location is not far from the British {{w|Boston, Lincolnshire|Boston}} <br />
|-<br />
| Keebler<br />
|| The {{w|Keebler Elves}} advertise cookies in the US<br />
|| {{w|Elveden}}<br />
|| The name of this village in Thetford Forest means "valley of the elves". <br />
|-<br />
| Bloughshire<br />
|| Most British counties have "-shire" in their name. Originally it meant they were administered by a {{w|sheriff}}. However, they are usually no longer known by those names in Wales.<br />
|| {{w|Powys}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Lionsgate<br />
|| {{w|Lionsgate|A film studio}}<br />
|| {{w|Leicester}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Kingsbottom<br />
|| Another "-bottom". A possible reference to {{w|King's Landing}}, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms of {{w|Westeros}} and one of its districts Fleabottom.<br />
|| {{w|Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve|Suffolk Coast}}<br />
|| Possibly named for the town of {{w|King's Lynn}}, also located in East Anglia but close to its north coast.<br />
|-<br />
| Aberforth<br />
|| {{w|Aberforth Dumbledore}} is {{w|Albus Dumbledore}}'s brother in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The name is sometimes translated as "from the river", but without any etymological references. "Aber" is Welsh for a "river mouth" or estuary, and is widespread in Wales, and occasionally found due to Celtic influence in other parts of the UK (such as {{w|Aberdeen}}).<br />
|| {{w|Aberystwyth}}<br />
|| {{w|Aberporth}} ("Mouth [of the] port" - the Welsh equivalent of the English name Portsmouth) is a real town located a little further southwest along the Welsh coast. {{w|Forth}} may be a reference to the {{w|Firth of Forth}} in Scotland, where "Firth" means estuary or fjord, and "Forth" is thought to mean "the open air". Aberforth would literally mean "the mouth of the river Forth", which is the location of {{w|Edinburgh}} in Scotland. Alternatively, "forth" in Welsh could be a soft mutated form of the Welsh name "{{w|Borth}}" (the name of a town - but not a river - a little further north along the coast), which is itself a soft mutated form of the word "porth" meaning port.<br />
|-<br />
| South Norwessex<br />
|| Another mash-up of {{w|Sussex}} ("South Saxons") with the obsolete {{w|Wessex}} ("West Saxons") and never extant {{w|Norsex}} ("North Saxons"). Also southwest of West Norsussex.<br />
|| {{w|Birmingham}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Dryford<br />
|| Would refer to a river crossing without water. "{{w|Ford (crossing)|-ford}}" is a common placename element.<br />
|| {{w|Shropshire Hills}}<br />
||<br />
|-<br />
| Frampton<br />
|| There are many {{w|Frampton}}s in the UK. It means "town on the river Frome" - and there are also several {{w|River Frome}}s. The name is famous thanks to rock musician {{w|Peter Frampton}}<br />
|| {{w|Bury St Edmunds}}<br />
||see also "Southframpton"<br />
|-<br />
| Cambridge<br />
|| {{w|Cambridge|No joke}}<br />
|| {{w|Cambridge}}<br />
|| Cambridge and Oxford, the two most prestigious university towns, are correctly marked. Together, they form {{w|Oxbridge}}<br />
|-<br />
| Kingsfriend<br />
|| Possibly a joke about the royal patronage given to certain towns - for instance, {{w|Bognor Regis}} and {{w|Royal Wootton Bassett}}. Also {{w|Knighton, Powys|Knighton}} (a King's friend?) is very close to this locale, and so is {{w|Kington, Herefordshire|Kington}}.<br />
|| Near the England-Wales border<br />
||<br />
|-<br />
| Cair Paravel<br />
|| {{w|Cair Paravel}} is the castle where the ruler of {{w|Narnia}} lives in the ''Narnia'' series.<br />
|| {{w|Dedham Vale}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Camelot<br />
|| {{w|Camelot}} was (in legend) {{w|King Arthur}}'s court.<br />
|| Near the England-Wales border<br />
|| The King Arthur myth did in fact originate in the Welsh culture. However, most sites associated with Camelot, such as {{w|Winchester}}, {{w|Glastonbury}} and {{w|Cadbury Castle}}, are in England.<br />
|-<br />
| Nothingham<br />
|| A pun on {{w|Nottingham}}, famous for {{w|Sherwood Forest}}, the legendary home of {{w|Robin Hood}}.<br />
|| Near {{w|Northampton}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Cumberbatch<br />
|| A surname, best known as that of actor {{w|Benedict Cumberbatch}}.<br />
|| {{w|Harlow}}<br />
|| The surname of a famous actress is replaced with that of a famous actor<br />
|-<br />
| Dampshire<br />
|| A pun on the county of {{w|Hampshire}}. Generically a joking reference to any county, particularly of the {{w|West Country}}, to imply it is particularly prone to rain.<br />
|| Gloucestershire<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| The CW<br />
|| {{w|The CW|An American TV channel}}.<br />
|| {{w|Pembrokeshire}}<br />
|| Presumably the placement is a reference to Welsh words such as "cwm" which use W as a vowel.<br />
|-<br />
| Whaling<br />
|| The practice of hunting whales. May be a reference to other -ing towns like {{w|Reading, Berkshire|Reading}} (which is actually pronounced "redding", not "reeding"), and also to its location in Wales.<br />
|| {{w|Merthyr Tydfil}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Paulblart<br />
|| ''{{w|Paul Blart: Mall Cop}}'' is a 2009 comedy film starring Kevin James<br />
|| Near {{w|Chelmsford}}<br />
|| Possibly a humorous contrast with Cumberbatch above, a highbrow British classical actor followed by a lowbrow American movie character.<br />
|-<br />
| Oxford<br />
|| {{w|Oxford|No joke}}<br />
|| {{w|Oxford}}<br />
|| See Cambridge. Surprisingly, Randall made no attempt to troll readers by switching the locations of Cambridge and Oxford.<br />
|-<br />
| Moorhen<br />
|| The {{w|moorhen}} is a waterfowl.<br />
|| {{w|Gower Peninsula}}<br />
|| Possibly punning on nearby {{w|Swansea}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Cardigan<br />
|| {{w|Cardigan, Ceredigion|No joke}} - it seems funny to Americans because of the {{w|Cardigan (sweater)|knitted sweater}} popularised by the {{w|James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan|Earl of Cardigan}}<br />
|| {{w|Newport, Wales}}<br />
|| The actual Cardigan is on the west coast. The name may be punning on the city of {{w|Cardiff}}, capital of Wales, which is further south-west.<br />
|-<br />
| BBC Channel 4<br />
|| A composite of {{w|Channel 4}} and the {{w|BBC}} (UK TV operators) confusing the meaning of TV channel with a geographic channel.<br />
|| {{w|Bristol Channel}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| London<br />
|| By virtue of being the capital and largest city, as well as a famous {{w|world city}}, London is one of the few cities in Britain that anyone, no matter how ignorant of British geography, can manage to name correctly.<br />
|| London<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| GMT<br />
|| A reference to {{w|Greenwich Mean Time}}. Shown on the map near the London bourough of Greenwich through which the GMT meridian passes.<br />
|| {{w|Greenwich}} (roughly)<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Corbyn<br />
|| A reference to leader of the UK {{w|Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party}} {{w|Jeremy Corbyn}}.<br />
|| {{w|The Cotswolds}}<br />
|| May be a confusion with the town of {{w|Corby}} although it is not near the location shown.<br />
|-<br />
| Tems-upon-Thames<br />
|| A joke about the counter-intuitive pronunciation of {{w|Thames}}.<br />
|| {{w|Rochester}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Minas Tirith<br />
|| {{w|Minas Tirith}} is the capital of Gondor in ''Lord of the Rings'' and is built on the side of a mountain.<br />
|| {{w|Bristol}}<br />
|| Clifton Village, in Bristol, is built on the side of the Avon Gorge so could be compared to {{w|Minas Tirith}}. Nearby {{w|Cheddar Gorge}} is famous for its steep cliffs that resemble the landscape from Lord of the Rings. <br />
|-<br />
| Hogsmeade<br />
|| {{w|Hogsmeade}} is the nearest village to Hogwarts in the ''Harry Potter'' books.<br />
|| {{w|Dover}}<br />
|| The fictional Hogsmeade was in Scotland. Randall shows the {{w|Channel Tunnel}} running from there, a possible reference to Hogsmeade's secret connections to Hogwarts.<br />
|-<br />
| Tubemap<br />
|| The {{w|Tube Map}} is the map of the {{w|London Underground}}, widely considered a masterpiece of design.<br />
|| {{w|Outer London}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Cambnewton<br />
|| {{w|Cam Newton}} is quarterback for the {{w|Carolina Panthers}}. "Cam-" is common for placenames on any of the several British rivers called "{{w|Cam River|Cam}}", while "Newton" means "new town". Also possibly a pun on Camden Town, a touristic district in North London, although not its actual location on the map.<br />
|| {{w|West Country}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Efrafa<br />
|| Efrafa is a rabbit warren in the story ''{{w|Watership Down}}''.<br />
|| {{w|Chidden}}<br />
|| According to the story, the warren is located roughly here - the real {{w|Watership Down, Hampshire|Watership Down}} is in Hampshire.<br />
|-<br />
| Chansey<br />
|| {{w|Chansey|Another Pokémon}}. "-sey" is a common suffix meaning "island".<br />
|| {{w|Dungeness (headland|Dungeness}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Oughghough<br />
|| Playing on common place name elements, "oughghough" has no clear pronunciation under the rules of English. It could be "Uff-guff", "Oo-gow", "Uh-guh" or any combination of these sounds. The name looks similar to the real {{w|Loughborough}} ("Luff-bruh")<br />
|| {{w|Barnstaple}}<br />
|| Legend has it that Loughborough was once pronounced 'Loogabarooga' by a visiting Australian.<br />
|-<br />
| Sundial<br />
|| A {{w|sundial}} is a clock using a shadow to tell the time.<br />
|| {{w|Wiltshire}}<br />
|| The location roughly corresponds with {{w|Stonehenge}}, an ancient stone circle that was likely used to track the sun (though as a ritual calendar, rather than a clock)<br />
|-<br />
| Dobby<br />
|| {{w|Magical_creatures_in_Harry_Potter#Dobby|Dobby}} is a character in {{w|Harry Potter}}.<br />
|| {{w|Southampton}}<br />
|| Similar to {{w|Derby}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Lower Bottom<br />
|| Another -bottom. Also a redundancy, as the "bottom" is the lowest place by definition.<br />
|| {{w|Devon}}<br />
||<br />
|-<br />
| Southframpton<br />
|| A confusion with {{w|Southampton}} which is nearby the location shown. The use of the postfix "frampton" is a reference to the "Frampton" elsewhere on the map, just as Southampton is distinguished from {{w|Northampton}}.<br />
|| {{w|Milford on Sea}}<br />
|| Frampton happens to be a common surname in the area.<br />
|-<br />
| Blandford<br />
|| {{w|Blandford|No joke}}<br />
|| {{w|Cornwall}}<br />
|| The real Blandford is a bit further east, in Dorset, roughly under the m in 'Southframpton'.<br />
|-<br />
| Menthol<br />
|| {{w|Menthol}} is a chemical with minty taste that produces a cooling sensation, and is used in mints and flavoured cigarettes.<br />
|| {{w|Eastbourne}}<br />
|| Possibly a reference to Methil in Fife (but possibly not).<br />
|-<br />
| West Sea<br />
|| Literal description.<br />
|| {{w|Atlantic Ocean}}<br />
|| Historically, this was the name for the ocean off the UK's west coast. According to the {{w|Shipping Forecast#Region names|list of sea areas}} used in the UK's {{w|Shipping Forecast}}, that region of sea is called "Lundy"<br />
|-<br />
| Tarp<br />
|| Tarp, short for {{w|tarpaulin}}, is a waterproof sheet for storage and weather protection.<br />
|| {{w|Teignmouth}}<br />
|| <br />
|-<br />
| Longbit<br />
|| Literal description.<br />
|| {{w|Cornwall}}<br />
|| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
: [A black-and-white map of Great Britain. The detail on the map is minimal, showing mainly the outlines of the land, upward-pointing angles<!-- is there a better way to describe these? --> representing mountains, and points representing cities. The only other features are a small drawing of a protractor south of one peninsula, and a lake with two small sailboats on the west side of the largest landmass. The caption in the upper-right states in large letters "A BRITISH MAP," then in smaller letters underneath, "LABELED BY AN AMERICAN." Most of the map's area is covered by labels for various features, which are listed below.]<br />
<br />
<nowiki><br />
In Scotland, from north to south<br />
Helcaraxë<br />
Blick<br />
Everdeen<br />
Norther Sea (to the west)<br />
Highlands<br />
Loch Lomond<br />
Fjordham<br />
Glassdoor<br />
Eavestroughs<br />
Seasedge<br />
Meowth<br />
Chough<br />
Blighton<br />
Glutenfree<br />
<br />
In England, from north to south<br />
Eyemouth<br />
Earhand<br />
Hairskull<br />
Lakebottom<br />
Braintree<br />
Skinflower<br />
Weedle<br />
Bjork<br />
Crewneck<br />
Paisley<br />
Eeugh<br />
Aidenn<br />
Basil<br />
Hillfolk<br />
Waterdown<br />
Borough-Upon-Mappe<br />
Cadbury<br />
Landmouth (to the East)<br />
The Shire<br />
West Norsussex<br />
Redsox<br />
Hamwich<br />
Lionsgate<br />
Keebler<br />
South Norwessex<br />
Kingsbottom<br />
Cambridge<br />
Frampton<br />
Nothingham<br />
Cair Paravel<br />
Dampshire<br />
Cumberbatch<br />
Oxford<br />
Paulblart<br />
Corbyn<br />
London<br />
GMT<br />
BBC Channel 4 (to the West)<br />
Minas Tirith<br />
Tems-Upon-Thames<br />
Tubemap<br />
Hogsmeade<br />
Cambnewton<br />
Oughghough<br />
Efrafa<br />
Chansey<br />
Sundial<br />
Lower Bottom<br />
Dobby<br />
Menthol<br />
West Sea (to the West)<br />
Blandford<br />
Southframpton<br />
Tarp<br />
Longbit<br />
<br />
In Whales, from north to south<br />
Fhqwhgads<br />
Cabinetry<br />
Bloughshire<br />
Aberforth<br />
Dryford<br />
Kingsfriend<br />
Camelot<br />
The CW<br />
Whaling<br />
Moorhen<br />
Cardigan<br />
<br />
In Northern Ireland<br />
Belfast Devoe<br />
<br />
In the Republic of Ireland<br />
Dubstep<br />
</nowiki><br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Maps]]<br />
[[Category:Harry Potter]]<br />
[[Category:Chronicles of Narnia]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1663:_Garden&diff=2003681663: Garden2020-10-22T01:40:29Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Helper structures */ add category</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1663<br />
| date = April 4, 2016<br />
| title = Garden<br />
| image = garden.png <!--This is the starting point and should be used here. Other images need to go in the explanation --><br />
| titletext = Relax.<br />
}}<br />
<div class="toclimit-3">{{TOC}}</div><br />
*'''Note:''' this is an interactive comic. Go to {{xkcd|1663|xkcd}} to try it out.<br />
**Also '''note''' that a few weeks after the comic was released a change was made so growth only seems to appear when the gardens is actively running in a browser window! <br />
**(This is opposed to what happened during the first few weeks after release!)<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Fill out the [[#Items in the garden|tables]] with images of all the possible items. General explanations/comment are missing as well as link to screenshots of gardens where each item "grows".}}<br />
<br />
This was the seventh [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comic]] released by [[Randall]]. The previous fools comic was <br />
[[1506: xkcloud]] from Wednesday April 1st 2015. The next [[1818:_Rayleigh_Scattering#No_April_Fools.27_Day_comic_in_2017|did not come out in 2017]], but first in 2018 when [[1975: Right Click]] was released on Sunday April 1st 2018.<br />
<br />
This comics represents the April fools' comic of 2016, and it is [[Randall|Randall's]] celebration of {{w|April Fools' Day}} Friday, April 1, 2016. It represents the third time in a row that user input changes the April Fool's comic. Although in the last two [[1350: Lorenz]] and [[1506: xkcloud]] it was written (or drawn) input that became part of the comics. This time the user input is like a game, as the user actively adds, moves and deletes items, and new items appear based on these actions. In this way it actually more resembles the game comic [[1608: Hoverboard]], than the previous April Fool's comics.<br />
<br />
Due to technical problems (or to make fools of his fans, see more about the [[#April Fool's header text|header text]] below) the comic did not go live until Sunday evening (after midnight, so technically first on Monday April 4th) so there was no Friday release the week before, see [[#Monday 4th of April release|more details below]].<br />
<br />
The comic begins with a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/f/f1/Garden_Loading_collage.png loading screen] with a revolving tree and the text "loading..." This is because the first time a computer loads this dynamic comic it can take a while.<br />
<br />
Once it is loaded it displays "your '''Garden'''", being a barren landscape, with a small pond to the left, some rocks at the far left and right, and a single lamp shining light yellow light on most of the ground. This is what is shown at the top of the explanation here. But if you leave the lights on and wait (or "relax", as the reader is told to do by the title text), then plants and other items will start to appear. <br />
<br />
The reason it is correct to call it "your garden" is that every time this comic is loaded from scratch, a new garden will be created with a unique url-address. By [[#Saving garden with url|saving this link]] (making a bookmark for it), the user will be able to return to their garden again and again. As the garden only develops very slowly this is important. (If users wish to share their garden they can do it in the table on the page for '''[[1663: Garden/Users gardens|Users gardens]]''').<br />
<br />
[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/78/1663_garden_Three_colors_over_everything_not_very_interesting.png Plants appear] one at a time, and sometimes it takes a long time. Only a few of the plants actually grow. For instance there are some large trees that begins as [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/27/1663_garden_Fast_growing_tree_-_leafless.png a large trunk] and from there [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/67/1663_garden_Fast_growing_tree_-_lots_of_leaves.png grows branches and leaves]. This can sometimes happen quite fast. Most other plants just appear, the only other exception being one type of flowers. All plants, except the cactus, clearly sway in the breeze.<br />
<br />
Also [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/5a/1663_garden_Pruned_garden_with_birds_deer_gate_cactus_turtles_snake_gate.png animals] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/de/1663_garden_Three_lamps_two_along_ground_with_pillars_not_in_blue_world_and_symmetric_gates.png building-like structures] such as [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/15/1663_garden_Megan_Monolith_Animals_and_more.png a monolith and birdbaths] appear, together with lots of other items like [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/ad/1663_garden_Office_space_with_star_plant_balloon_with_bird_and_grass_on_Cueball.png office furniture] with [http://xkcd.com/1663/#98dc3452-fcf2-11e5-8010-42010a8e0008 balloons swaying in the wind] or even one of the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/3f/1663_garden_One_color_Between_orange_red_and_red_First_thing_Mars_rover.png Mars rovers] which so [[:Category:Mars rovers|often have been featured]] in xkcd.<br />
<br />
On top of all this, several known characters may appear in different poses including [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] (for instance with a sword, see [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/6b/1663_garden_Megan_with_sword%2C_trees_octopuses_with_Cueball_bunny_ducklings.png here]), [[Ponytail]] (see [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/eb/1663_garden_Ponytail_and_two_Cueballs_cat_pillar_and_trunk_sE.png here]) and [[Beret Guy]] from the torso and up (see [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/9b/1663_garden_Three_colors_more_separate_Beret_Guy_in_shrubbery_and_Octopus_on_office_desk.png here]). Megan and also Cueball can both be seen [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/06/1663_garden_Giant_planter_on_pillars_and_both_Cueball_and_Megan_with_black_hat.png with a black hat], but it is one that "grows" on top of their heads after they first appear. However, Cueball with a black hat automatically turns into [[Black Hat]], so he can also be said to be in this comic. There is also an unknown character, a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/0c/1663_garden_One_color_Between_Light_yellow_and_yellow_First_thing_stilts.png girl on stilts] with black hair in a ponytail who like plants and balloons [http://xkcd.com/1663/#e774b4b8-fcd4-11e5-8001-42010a8e0017 sways in the wind]. A possible origin of this girl could be the What If article [https://whatif.xkcd.com/97/ Burning Pollen]. The article involves a character with seasonal allergies that is trying unsuccessfully to avoid their allergen (pollen) with giant stilts.<br />
<br />
All the [[#Items in the garden|items that can appear]] in the garden are listed below in several tables. During the first week new items kept appearing, but after the eighth day (April 12th), no new items have appeared. Also the growth rate (and thus the fun of this comic) has decreased with time (maybe due to the enormous amount of gardens that the server has to keep track of?) .<br />
<br />
Every so often the image will refresh. You can change the number of lamps, their position, direction, beam width and the color temperature which always begins somewhere between white and yellow, but can change all the way from red to blue (See this [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/b/b8/Garden_Three_Lamp_screen_shot.png example] with one lamp selected and three colors of light). Other colors than those four may appear where two lamps' cones of different colored light overlap.<br />
<br />
The color of light [[#Effect of light|affects the growth]] with a strong correlation for what appears in the garden depending on the [[#Colors of light|color of light]], and this is not only split between red, yellow and blue, but rather [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/4/4a/1663_garden_Numbered_color_scale_1-17.png 10 different colors]. <br />
<br />
Early on it became clear that pure red light results in a desert theme with [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/98/1663_garden_Desert_with_red_light_only.png cacti and turtles] and pure blue light gives an aquatic theme with [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/23/1663_garden_Octopus_garden_with_Cueball_hand_up_and_a_black_hat_octopus.png lots of octopuses] that may also wear a black hat. For the most interesting gardens the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/15/1663_garden_Megan_Monolith_Animals_and_more.png light colors should be mixed]; see more below under [[#Effect of light|Effect of light]].<br />
<br />
If this comic is scientifically accurate, that correlation will be based on {{w|photosynthetically active radiation}}.<br />
<br />
Some users manage to create fantastic gardens (by using lots of time on them, pruning them at the right time and changing the light and lamp position to get what they strive for). Especially one user have created a series of amazing gardens that is posted on another [http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=114415&start=600 xkcd forum]. Here is a collection of screenshots with some of [[1663:_Garden/Screen-shots#Blitz_Girls_amazing_gardens|Blitz Girls amazing gardens]]!<br />
<br />
The title text "Relax" can be debated. Is it to let the users know they should just sit back and relax as the garden grows.? Or should they relax and don't worry so much about how it works (not working here on explain xkcd though!)? Or is he teasing the users by giving them a garden that they need to tend to, and then telling them to relax? And also giving them many more colors than lamps... Given that this comic was supposed to come out on April 1st, there is a good chance that it is, also, to tease the users. There are actually [[#Trivia|two other title texts]] as well.<br />
<br />
===Extra Garden pages===<br />
*Since this comic is so complicated extra pages have been created to include much more information than is wished for on this main page (which is already of considerable size).<br />
*These pages are listed here for convenience, but they are also linked in the relevant sections below:<br />
**[[1663: Garden/Images]]. The images of items that can appear in the comic.<br />
***This page is linked in the section below with table for ''[[#Items in the garden|Items in the garden]]''.<br />
**[[1663: Garden/Screen-shots]]. Since there are no permalink it in order to save a particular moment of a garden a screen shot is needed. These can be posted here. <br />
***This page is linked in the section below about for ''[[#Saving images|Saving images]]''.<br />
**[[1663: Garden/Users gardens]]. A place for users of explain xkcd to post links to their own garden, and also for experimental gardens.!<br />
***This page is linked in the section below about for ''[[#Saving garden with url|Saving garden with url]]''.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[After a '''loading image''' with a rotating tree in the middle and the text "Loading..." with the three dots appearing one at a time, and then disappear when all three have been there the image shown above in the explanation will appear:]<br />
<br />
:['''Description of the image above''': A piece of bare landscape is shown. At the edges there are some rocks or stones raising the level from the general level through the center of the panel. Above the middle, a little more than halfway to the to of the panel, is a light bulb sitting inside a lamp that reminds of the desk lamp from the movie Luxo Jr. The lamp shines a yellow light down on the landscape in a broad cone that jus reaches the first rock to the left, but not those to the right. The lamp just hovers in the air. In the top right corner are two gray icons. The top one has a black frame and shows an image of a lamp, tilted left as opposed to the straight position of the lamp in the image. There is a + sign below in the left corner. The second icon without a frame has a large white cross in the middle.]<br />
<br />
:[This turns out to be a '''web applet''' and using the "+ lamp" icon two more lamps can be added getting up to three. They are all adjustable both regarding position, direction, color of light and beam width. When selecting a lamp a red circle appear around it with a small circle on top that can be used to control the light color from blue to the left to red to the right. In front is a red arrow that can turn the lamp and it can also be used to change the beam width by pulling it away from the lamp or pushing it back. The lamps can be moved by just clicking on it and moving it. The other icon with a X can be used to remove the lamps (and later any object that appear in the garden). When any object is selected there is a red circle around it. When this is done the gray cross icon becomes red and can the be used to delete the selected item. When no item is selected (either because it is deleted, or by clicking in a part of the screen with no items), then the cross icon turns gray again. When all three lamps are on, then the "+ lamp" icon is faded out.]<br />
<br />
:['''If you wait''' (or relax, as in the title text), then a plant will grow or animals, humans and other items may appear. This could be birds, snakes, octopuses or turtles, Megan or Cueball or a birdbath, a monolith or a tall gate just as a few examples. Most of the items appear in one go, but at least the largest trees grow up with a big stem first and then adds parts later with leaves or empty branches. Also one item may appear on top of another item and for instance birds may fly in the air.]<br />
<br />
:[There is but two words in the entire comic, which appears when you grow a sign:]<br />
:Sign: Sale<br />
<br />
==Functionality==<br />
===Saving garden with url===<br />
*There is no [[1350#Permalink|permalink button]] as in the last two years' April Fool's comics.<br />
*The URL is different for every garden that is loaded, but stays the same. It links to a server-side copy of the scene, which then changes depending on what the users does with their gardens.<br />
**Sharing a URL will connect a new browser to the same garden session, but only the original browser will be allowed to edit.<br />
**The user can always return to change the garden with the link, but only from the same browser on the same computer.<br />
**This means that a specific moment in a gardens life has to be [[#Saving images|saved as an image]] for future references.<br />
*The garden itself will thus continue to develop further from the time when the url was copied, and events will happen from now on even though the garden is not opened in any browser.<br />
**If the user doesn't keep it, it will become infested with weeds.<br />
**So most likely the garden is serverside, as all browsers are allowed to see the development of this garden, but users following the url are not allowed to edit anything.<br />
*Here is an example garden [http://www.xkcd.com/1663/#0d11a2c8-fa8f-11e5-8001-42010a8e000e linked by ID] versus the same garden:<br />
**In the original [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7f/1663_garden_tree_turtle_birdbath.png screenshot from April 4th] from when the url was created<br />
**In a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7c/1663_garden_Flying_birds_deer_gate_with_cactus_turtles_snake_etc.png screenshot from April 5th] the day after.<br />
**Here [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/5a/1663_garden_Pruned_garden_with_birds_deer_gate_cactus_turtles_snake_gate.png example] after the user pruned the garden in the examples.<br />
**Other [[1663: Garden/Users gardens|user gardens]] can be found on the link.<br />
*Starting two browser windows or tabs pointing to the same URL will allow you to edit from either window.<br />
**linden.xkcd.com holds all the data; the UUID just corresponds to your access key, held in your browser's local storage.<br />
<br />
====Saving images====<br />
*Since the [[#Saving garden with url|urls are changing]], the only way to save a particular garden is to save an image of the current garden.<br />
**Alternatively, by deleting all lamps (or changing them to laser beams or turning them upwards) then no new growth will occur -- but then the garden will no longer develop.<br />
*In Edge, Firefox and Chrome, the image plus light cones but minus lamps and icons elements, can be saved by right clicking in the image. (Not possible in Internet Explorer)<br />
**They do not always save in the same way as some browsers saves the part of the background without any light cones as white, and other save it as no background, in which case it may render black, basically hiding any black items outside the light.<br />
***For those images it depends on which viewer is used to see the image, if everything can be seen or only that in the light cones.<br />
****See examples of how it looks with black background in these two color maps collections using [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/50/1663_garden_Single_colors.png a single lamp] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/90/1663_garden_Three_colors.png three lamps].<br />
****See more details about how these [[1663:_Garden/Screen-shots#Color_maps|color maps]] have been made.<br />
****See also (at least) two examples of saved images as the are here on explain xkcd [[1663:_Garden/Screen-shots#Saved_image_from_xkcd|here]].<br />
*An image of the whole screen can be captured by pressing the PrtScn (Print Screen) key on the keyboard and then pasting the content into a blank image in an image-editing program.<br />
**An even better solution is to use a tool like {{w|Snipping Tool}} which can take the part of the screen that are relevant. This is how most of the [[1663: Garden/Screen-shots|screen shots]] for this explanation has been acquired.<br />
**In both ways, the lamps and icons can also be displayed, which is not an option with saved images.<br />
<br />
===Lamps===<br />
*Additional lamps, up to a total of three lamps, can be added by clicking the black plus lamp icon along the right of the window.<br />
*Lamps can be removed by clicking to select a lamp, then clicking the red X icon along the right of the window, or pressing the Delete or Backspace key on the keyboard. All lights can be deleted.<br />
*The position of the lamp can be moved by clicking and dragging the lamp within the scene.<br />
*The angle and area of the light cone emitted by the lamp can be changed by [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/09/Garden_Red_Lamp_screen_shot.png clicking to select the lamp and to reveal the red control triangle]. Rotating the control triangle around the lamp will change the aim of the lamp to point in the direction of the triangle, dragging the control triangle towards the lamp will [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/cc/1663_garden_One_color_Light_blue.png widen the beam], and dragging the control triangle towards away from the lamp will [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/5a/1663_garden_Pruned_garden_with_birds_deer_gate_cactus_turtles_snake_gate.png narrow the beam].<br />
*The color emitted by the lamp can be changed by clicking the lamp to reveal the colored control dot, and by rotating the dot around the lamp. The small color control circle changes color to match the color of the lamps beam of light. new lights default to a center position, emitting a pale green. '''rotating the control right''' changes the color to yellow, orange, and finally red, and '''rotating the control left''' changes the color to white, then blue.<br />
<br />
===Colors of light===<br />
*The color control moves in a smooth gradient between colors, along the spectrum without any set positions.<br />
*Small changes in the color can have an effect on the garden, even though there is no clear change in the color. <br />
*[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/50/1663_garden_Single_colors.png As many as nine colors] can be identified from the emitted light of a single lamp, and many more colors are evident when [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/90/1663_garden_Three_colors.png two or three lamps overlap].<br />
*There is reason to believe that even half the change will create different gardens, i.e. there can be at least one more position between those nine settings that will change the effect, giving eight more settings for a total of 17 "different" colors. An experiment with such '''17 settings''' for just [[1663:_Garden/Screen-shots#One_lamp_one_color|One lamp with one color]].<br />
*Several unique elements only seem to appear using the eight half-colors. Both the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/3f/1663_garden_One_color_Between_orange_red_and_red_First_thing_Mars_rover.png Mars rover] and the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/1b/1663_garden_One_color_Between_Light_yellow_and_yellow_First_thing_stilts_right.png Stilts girl] might be missed.<br />
*Colors can thus be indicated from these 17 divisions:<br><br />
**Below is a table with these 17 division shown and what to expect. <br />
**This may change over time, but was as it about a week after release. <br />
***If updating, please make a note that this may have only applied during the first week(s) and add new feature without deleting.<br />
**There has been an [[1663:_Garden/Screen-shots#One_lamp_one_color|experiment made]] with these 17 colors, see that for more details. <br />
***The color names links to these experimental gardens, that will never be changed after the initiation.<br />
***But there are reasons to believe that two gardens made identical may develop quite differently, as it seems some gardens have very limited growth in spite of the same light. Some of these gardens may be of that persuasion.<br />
****This was proven when 34 more gardens using the 17 colors where started in a [[1663:_Garden/Screen-shots#Second_experiment|similar experiment]].<br />
*The debugger reveals that each light has a "temp" property which ranges from 0 (red) to 1 (blue). The default setting is 0.5.<br />
**The RGB color corresponding to "temp" is determined by this function in linden.js:<br />
::<tt>function u(t){return.32>t?[1,.5+.5*t/.32,.5]:.64>t?[1,1,.5+.5*(t-.32)/.32]:[.75+.25*(1-t)/.36,.75+.25*(1-t)/.36,1]}</tt><br />
[[File:1663 garden Numbered color scale 1-17.png]]<br><br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! #<br />
! Color<br />
! Description of items etc<br />
|-<br />
| 1 <br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#f65c4906-fcf1-11e5-8001-42010a8e0016 Blue]<br />
| '''Pure blue'''! Aquatic theme with octopus (some with black hat), Cueball checking for rain with hand up. Less growth after the first week and octopus only over the pond (see [[1663:_Garden/Screen-shots#Growth_speed_vs_blue_light|growth speed vs blue light]]).<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#d5b7fed6-fd94-11e5-8001-42010a8e000a Blue -> light blue]<br />
| Octopus over pond and boats in pond, Cueball hands up and down (the latter possibly with black hat), {{w|Cairn}}s of '''stones''' and {{w|obelisk}}.<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#3afb7988-fcf2-11e5-8001-42010a8e0019 Light blue]<br />
| Cueball hands down (but can be with [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/64/1663_garden_Color_03_8d.png hand up] as well), Cairns of '''stones''', obelisk, wading bird and boats.<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#303c341c-fd95-11e5-8001-42010a8e0016 Light blue -> blue white]<br />
| Obelisk, flower base and stems and balloon string with normal and huge balloons, Cueball hands up (and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/a5/1663_garden_Color_04_2_8d.png also down] with {{w|column}} and wadding bird), fish, shark fins and boats.<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#98dc3452-fcf2-11e5-8010-42010a8e0008 Blue white]<br />
| Office landscape with desks and chairs, table, column, obelisk, pots with star plant or other flowers base and stems, Beret Guy in pond, Cueball hands up and down, balloon string with normal and huge balloons drifting far left and right on their strings in the wind. [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/ac/1663_garden_Color_05_8d.png Also wadding bird], boats and shark fin<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#5a45a1f8-fd95-11e5-8001-42010a8e000e Blue white -> white]<br />
| Both kinds of Cueball, Ponytail, Beret Guy, both types of cats, office desk, table, standing bird, wading bird, heron, owl, shark fin, bunny boat, flowers base and stems, balloon string with normal and huge balloons. Also [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/36/1663_garden_Color_06_2_8d.png fish] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/75/1663_garden_Color_06_8d.png flying fish].<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#ba6b4ac2-fcf2-11e5-8001-42010a8e0019 White]<br />
| Balloon string with normal and huge balloons (here '''three in one garden'''), Megan hand up, cats, bunnies, shark fin, fish, Beret Guy, flowers base and stems and trees. [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/c7/1663_garden_Color_07_8d.png Also] platform in tree, beehive base, Ponytail, water bird and flying fish and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/8/82/1663_garden_Color_07_2_8d.png Heron].<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#8874be6a-fd95-11e5-8001-42010a8e0016 White -> light yellow]<br />
| Megan hands up, {{w|shrub}}s, flowers base stems, '''hilt''' and '''some blooms''', trees, bunnies, fish, shark fin, water bird, owl, bunnies. [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/2a/1663_garden_Color_08_2_8d.png Also] birdbath and stilt girl.<br />
|-<br />
| 9<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#db338968-fcf2-11e5-8001-42010a8e0016 Light yellow]<br />
| '''Starting color'''. Megan hands down and with sword on platform, trees, shrub, flowers base and stems, grass, platform in tree, birdbath, ducks, wading bird, pots, with star plants, tall platform. [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/c3/1663_garden_Color_09_8d.png Also] deer, stilt girl, fish and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/1f/1663_garden_Color_09_2_8d.png shark fin].<br />
|-<br />
| 10<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#b28f8522-fd95-11e5-8001-42010a8e0013 Light yellow -> Yellow]<br />
| Girl on stilts, Megan with swords on platform, trees, flowers base and stems, grass, reeds in pond, platform in trees, tall platforms, deer, snake, pots<br />
|-<br />
| 11<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#efccf292-fcf2-11e5-8010-42010a8e0003 Yellow]<br />
| Sale signs, tall platform, snakes, armadillo, flowers base and stems, reeds in pond. Also [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/ce/1663_garden_Color_11_2_8d.png deer].<br />
|-<br />
| 12<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#de4fd3b0-fd95-11e5-8001-42010a8e0011 Yellow -> Orange]<br />
| Sale signs, snakes, turtles, tulips and wavy plants. Also [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/b/bb/1663_garden_Color_12_2_8d.png tall platform] and armadillo.<br />
|-<br />
| 13<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#0d6bca62-fcf3-11e5-8019-42010a8e0005 Orange]<br />
| Wavy plants, turtles, [[#Linsang_-_cat_like_animal|linsang]], flying birds and flying Megan (and thus also bird risers and their roots). Also [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/98/1663_garden_Color_13_8d.png armadillos].<br />
|-<br />
| 14<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#578b80bc-fd96-11e5-8001-42010a8e000a Orange -> orange red]<br />
| Snakes, turtles, linsang, armadillo, tulips wavy plants, flying birds and flying Megan (and thus also bird risers and their roots).<br />
|-<br />
| 15<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#28b238b0-fcf3-11e5-8001-42010a8e0018 Orange red]<br />
| Desert landscape with turtles, cactus sale, signs, lamp post poles without lamps, platform on cactus resulting in inverted pyramids. Also [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/d4/1663_garden_Color_15_2_8d.png linsang].<br />
|-<br />
| 16<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#ad7ca596-fd96-11e5-8020-42010a8e0006 Orange red -> red]<br />
| Desert landscape with Mars rover, turtles, cactus sale, signs, lamp post poles without lamps but no platforms. Also [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e3/1663_garden_Color_16_2_8d.png linsang].<br />
|-<br />
| 17<br />
| [http://xkcd.com/1663/#46cc4e08-fcf3-11e5-8001-42010a8e0013 Red]<br />
| '''Pure red'''! Desert landscape with turtles and cactus only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Effect of light===<br />
*How much the color affects the growth took some time to find out but already from the stat it was clear that there definitely was a correlation<br />
*For instance areas under lights set to the the outer position or the starting position was very different.<br />
**[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/23/1663_garden_Octopus_garden_with_Cueball_hand_up_and_a_black_hat_octopus.png Pure blue light] (left most) develop into a boring aquatic theme with only lots of octopuses (maybe with a black hat) and the Cueball holding a hand out to check for rain. <br />
***The appearance of pure blue gardens have changed with time so octopuses now only appear over the pond [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/1d/1663_garden_One_color_Blue_9d.png like this].<br />
**[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/70/1663_garden_One_color_red_9d.png Pure red light] (far right) develop into a boring desert theme with only cactus and turtles.<br />
**[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/9c/1663_garden_One_color_Light_yellow_9d.png Light yellow] or [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/2e/1663_garden_Color_09_3d.png starting light] grows lots of plants like trees, grass and scrubs and several animals like ducks, deer, fish and wadding bird and also birdbath, stilt girl and both standing Megan and sword Megan.<br />
*Soon after the release of the comic some research into a single lamp with unchaining light, that covering the whole light range split into 17 divisions was undertaken.<br />
*[[File:1663 garden Numbered color scale 1-17.png]]<br />
**See these gardens [[1663:_Garden/Users_gardens#Locked_gardens_only_for_explanation_use|locked for explanation use only]] and also see more about the 17 split in the color range [[#Colors of light|above]].<br />
*Mixed light seems to be able to do the same, but it is unclear if what grows only depends on the final mixed color, or if it is a mix of what would grow under those two colors.<br />
**There are some indications that it is not a clear mix as pure blue together with pure red, does not seem to produce neither Octopuses or desert theme.<br />
**If there are any items that can only grow under a mix of light this has not been proven. Most objects that can grow directly from the ground, has been observed in the experimental single color gardens mentioned above.<br />
**But there may be items that needs to grow on top of other objects, and these may require a change of color from what the base needs. And thus they will not appear under one color light. Possible examples of these items could be:<br />
***[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/f/f3/Garden_Desk_lamp.png Desk lamp] (needing some kind of platform forming in another color range like the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/ee/Garden_Tall_platform.png tall platform], yellow or the small [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/11/Garden_Platform_1.png platform], orange).<br />
***[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/8/88/Garden_Giant_Planter.png Giant Planter] (needing for instance a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/c4/Garden_PlatformColumn_3.png platform column], light blue light]<br />
***[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e0/Garden_lamp-topper.png Lamp pole tops] (needing [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/8/81/Garden_Lamppost_1.png lamp poles] forming under orange light)<br />
***[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/a4/Garden_Flower_bloom_1.png Flower blooms] (any type) (needing [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/d1/Garden_Flower_segment_1.png flower segments], several colors)<br />
***[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7e/Garden_Actual_flying_fish_1.png Actual flying fish] (needing bird raiser, orange light)<br />
***[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/5d/Garden_Saucer.png Flying saucer] (needing bird raiser, orange light)<br />
*What happens when using only one color (other than the two outer points red and blue and the starting light yellow color) has been explored in great depth in no less than two different [[1663:_Garden/Screen-shots#One_lamp_one_color|One lamp one color]] experiments with [[1663:_Garden/Users_gardens#Locked_gardens_only_for_explanation_use|51 gardens]] created using 17 different color settings.<br />
**[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/27/1663_garden_One_color_Between_blue_and_light_blue_6d.png Blue light] (just right of pure blue) creates a landscape with stones forming cairns, together with monoliths, both kinds of Cueballs (with black hat on the standing one) and still octopuses. <br />
**[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/75/1663_garden_One_color_Light_blue_9d.png Light blue light] (just a little farther from pure blue than above), the octopuses disappear, but the rest remains the same, although boats and wadding bird now appear in the water, and still both [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/a6/1663_garden_Color_03_5d.png Cueballs] can occur. Going just slightly further away [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e4/1663_garden_Color_04_2_5d.png fish and columns] start to appear.<br />
**[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/d1/1663_garden_One_color_White_Blue_12h.png Blue white light] grow a sort of office theme, with desks, balloons and Cueballs. Moving towards white light [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/d0/1663_garden_One_color_Between_Blue_White_and_White_5d.png Ponytail appears] with less office items together with cats (and now no Beret Guys in the pond but [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/df/1663_garden_One_color_Between_Blue_White_and_White_8d.png lots of animals]).<br />
**[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/f/f7/1663_garden_One_color_White_9d.png White light] gives a forest of balloons with Megan holding her hands up.<br />
**[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/3e/1663_garden_One_color_Yellow_2d.png Yellow light] (somewhat right of the starting color) produce sale signs and snakes.<br />
**[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/4/4f/1663_garden_One_color_Between_orange_and_orange_red_8d.png Orange light] produce flying bird and flying Megans and on the ground snakes, turtles, linsangs and armadillos, plus tulips and wavy plants.<br />
**[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/02/1663_garden_One_color_Between_orange_red_and_red_8d.png Orange red light] (just left of red) produce lamp posts (without the top), in addition to the same desert theme as red with cactus and turtles. If it is very close to red the Mars rover appears (as in the example above). If it is a little longer from red, the platforms can form, which can then act as a catalyst for growth and create [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/58/1663_garden_One_color_Orange_red_9d.png large towers] on top of cactus's.<br />
*Nothing seems to be able to grow under several conditions:<br />
**If no lamps are pointing towards the ground for instance because:<br />
***All [http://xkcd.com/1663/#21374f9e-fbbd-11e5-8001-42010a8e0015 lamps are deleted].<br />
***The [http://xkcd.com/1663/#4896b678-fbbe-11e5-8001-42010a8e0011 beam is laser thin.]<br />
***The lamps points towards the sky without [http://www.xkcd.com/1663/#6a6a7be0-fbbe-11e5-800d-42010a8e0008 touching the ground.]<br />
***The lamps are [http://xkcd.com/1663/#c75991f6-fbbe-11e5-8001-42010a8e0011 below the ground pointing down]. (In this case the one over the pond was not far enough down and a single water plant has formed anyway.)<br />
****On the other hand if the lamps are below the ground but pointing up it can result in growth well enough as shown in this [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7c/1663_garden_Different_light_from_below_the_ground.png example] and this [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/3a/1663_garden_Yellow_light_from_below_the_ground.png example].<br />
**It was believed that if the lamps where very close to the ground pointing straight down there would be no growth.<br />
***However this can be because only a very small area is illuminated<br />
****In this [http://www.xkcd.com/1663/#9733dff4-fbbe-11e5-8001-42010a8e0012 example] there are turtles under the red light in the pond, plants under the yellow and octopus, column and Cueball under the blue (from the time that columns could appear under pure blue light).<br />
****Similar in this [http://xkcd.com/1663/#357a48d8-fbbf-11e5-8019-42010a8e0006 example] there are octopus (in the pond), deer/plants and a cactus from even lower lamps.<br />
****Of course the lamp has to be so high as not to be underground as mentioned above.<br />
**Also if lamps point towards the ground there can still only grow something from the ground [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/3e/1663_garden_Two_light_on_small_area_nothing_outside_the_light.png where the light touches]. The growth can move outside the light cones up in the air, but the base has to be within an area with light.<br />
**Similar with items that can grow new things on top of them like tree trunks or platforms, this will only happen if light shines on the relevant places. <br />
***For instance the tall tree trunks can easily grow outside a light cone. Then leaves and branches will [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e9/1663_garden_One_color_Between_Light_yellow_and_yellow_3d.png only grow below] the point where the light hits<br />
****Similar with platform, that [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/3e/1663_garden_One_color_Yellow_2d.png grows partially outside] the light cone. More items will only appear where this lamp still hits the platform.<br />
***One exemption to the rule mentioned here seems to be the bird raisers. The bird raisers are used to hold anything that flies up in the air. And the bird raiser it self needs to grow from either another bird riser or from a bird riser root (which in the end holds all bird raisers). This root has to have light on the ground to grow and thus have light on it self. But from the top of the bird raisers growing from such a root, items are able to grow even if the tip pf the bird raiser is not in the light. <br />
****Thus flying items can appear to grow where there has [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/4/4f/1663_garden_One_color_Between_orange_and_orange_red_8d.png never been light]! <br />
****See much more about this under the description of bird raisers in the [[#Helper_structures|table below]].<br />
**Of course lights can be moved and changed without destroying what has already grown there (or so it seems). So a tended garden cannot be used to determine this.<br />
***This is why some [[1663:_Garden/Users_gardens#Locked_gardens_only_for_explanation_use|locked gardens]] have been set up where there will be no changes ever. <br />
***Examples from above has mainly been taken from screen shots of these locked gardens.<br />
<br />
===Grown items===<br />
*Grown items may be highlighted by clicking on them. Selected grown items will be highlighted with a red circle, and appear slightly lighter then other items.<br />
*Grown items may be "pruned" by the red X icon along the right of the window, or pressing the Delete key on the keyboard.<br />
*Some items (such as the large tree) can be deleted in minor parts by selecting a branch or smaller set of leaves without deleting the entire tree.<br />
*See the images (with links to xkcd) of all 250 items that can appear, here below in the [[#Items_in_the_garden|tables]].<br />
<br />
===Growth development===<br />
*'''After a few weeks''' growth not only seems to appear when the garden is actively running in a browser window (maybe only in the original users browser?)<br />
*There continued to appear new items that was not available on the release day.<br />
**This lasted about a week (maybe 8 days).<br />
**For instance many new items and animals like the columns and the owls started to appear after a few days.<br />
**Also tulips and lightning poles did not appear at first.<br />
***A last burst of new animals occurred about a week after release (either 11th or 12th of April). This burst included the following animals:<br />
***Herons, Wadding birds, Sharks fins, jumping fish and flying fish plus actual flying fish (flying without water), armadillos and no less than 12 different linsangs (see [[1663:_Garden#Linsang_-_cat_like_animal|Linsang - cat like animal]]).<br />
*But it also seems to change what might appear, so that the result of a particular color will change dramatically, not only by adding new, but also by not growing what used to be.<br />
**A clear example of this is that for the first half week pure blue light resulted in lots of octopuses all along the ground and also Cueballs cheeking for rain.<br />
**Later also columns appeared.<br />
***But after a week the growth rate under blue light almost stopped, and it seems that octopuses now only grow over the pond to the left, and much less Cueball and no columns under that color.<br />
**See details here: [[1663:_Garden/Screen-shots#Growth_speed_vs_blue_light|Growth speed vs blue light]].<br />
<br />
===Debug mode===<br />
{{notice|Anyone who can explain what the debug mode is, how it works, why it is there and why there is difference between the linden and the normal xkcd?}}<br />
*By changing the url address it is possible to get into a debug mode.<br />
**This may not work from for internet explorer, but seems to work from Firefox and chrome.<br />
*Normal mode: http://xkcd.com/1663/#ID <br />
**[http://xkcd.com/1663/#98dc3452-fcf2-11e5-8010-42010a8e0008 Normal mode example].<br />
*Debug mode works from this address http://xkcd.com/1663/?debug#ID<br />
*http://linden.xkcd.com/?debug#ID does not work anymore.<br />
**[http://linden.xkcd.com/?debug#98dc3452-fcf2-11e5-8010-42010a8e0008 Linden debug mode].<br />
**In this mode each item can clearly be seen as the image is framed, and thus invisible lifter images for flying things can be seen.<br />
***See this [http://linden.xkcd.com/?debug#d12a0932-faaa-11e5-8012-42010a8e0006 example].<br />
**This last mode can be used to find the names of the [[1663:_Garden/Images#Images|images of each item]] in a garden.<br />
***See this section on [[1663:_Garden/Images#How_to_find_new_links|How to find new links]].<br />
***By preventing the browser from loading specific images (''e.g.'' with an ad blocker), all instances can be pruned temporarily.<br />
*On the forum, [http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=114415&start=600#p3959056 yan provides some jQuery] which can be entered in the javascript console to add an interactive sidebar listing the objects in the garden.<br />
<br />
===Limitations===<br />
*The beam produced by each lamp is normally restricted to spread between 0&deg; (which results in no growth) and 95&deg;. The "create new light" button chooses a random angle between 45&deg; and 90&deg;.<br />
*Attempting to view several gardens simultaneously may cause some to hang on the "loading" image, likely due to the server refusing additional connections. The maximum number which can load successfully is usually six, but may be as low as three.<br />
<br />
===Bugs===<br />
*There have been several bugs mentioned already after the first day. Please include any spotted here:<br />
**Also some problems that may now be fixed.<br />
*May not run on some tablets or smart phones (i.e. touch-screen only devices).<br />
*There are some browser versions of Chrome and Firefox where it doesn't run.<br />
*The lamps may be invisible for a few seconds after loading.<br />
*The whole page used to refresh at random intervals and lose the whole progress.<br />
**It still does on April 5th.<br />
**Sometimes (in some browsers?) the garden is reloaded when refreshing.<br />
***This may though be because of the url which is a [[#Saving garden with url|link to a given garden]].<br />
***See examples of this [[1663: Garden/Users gardens|here]].<br />
***Seems to be dependent on the browser type.<br />
*Some lamps jumped back to their starting position after a few minutes, without the whole page reloading.<br />
*For a few hours after its apparition, the loading didn't seem to stop for some people, making them think that the rotating tree was the whole joke, with people expected to "relax" while looking at it.<br />
*Occasionally invisible objects are added. They can be deleted, and they have bounding boxes in the [[#Debug mode|debugger]]: [http://linden.xkcd.com/?debug#d12a0932-faaa-11e5-8012-42010a8e0006 Example].<br />
*Doesn't work over https, you have to use http instead.<br />
*It is possible to save the image in Chrome and in Firefox, but not in Explorer.<br />
**It is possible to save the visible portion of the image (in any browser) by pressing the Print-Screen key to perform a screen capture.<br />
**But in Chrome the image is black where there is no light.<br />
**In Firefox everything is visible, wth the light cones (in color) shown.<br />
*Appears to have a memory leak at least in some Windows/Firefox versions, as keeping the page open for a long time will cause Windows to kill Firefox for insufficient memory.<br />
**On the forum, Weeks tries to summon davean! [http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=114415&start=320#p3951923]<br />
*Does not work in many Linux versions.<br />
*Tree trunks will sometimes grow endlessly without leaves depending on the lights hitting them.<br />
*If you are dragging a light, the arrow, or the color slider when a refresh happens, the refresh will enter an infinite loop.<br />
**This seems to cause corruption of the garden because refreshing the whole page will result in a loop that never loads the page.<br />
**Clearing your local data for xkcd.com solves the issue but also makes you unable to edit your garden.<br />
*On April 6, gardens viewed from [http://xkcd.com/1663/#7877bdfc-fc03-11e5-8001-42010a8e000c http://xkcd.com/1663/] links began to include double-size objects, while they appeared <s>normally</s> with different objects enlarged when viewed from [http://linden.xkcd.com/#7877bdfc-fc03-11e5-8001-42010a8e000c http://linden.xkcd.com/].<br />
**Apparently some of the server's art files were <s>misdirected to the larger versions</s> replaced with new large images. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160407054439/http://linden.xkcd.com/art/rover.png] [http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-rover.png]<br />
**New giant objects are still placed according to their original sizes. [http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=114415&start=320#p3951908]<br />
**This was suddenly fixed on April 7, possibly inducing browser memory issues at that time. [http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=114415&start=360#p3952207]<br />
***However, some giant images remained cached (where?) for a long time. [http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=114415&start=400#p3952527]<br />
*Although there are six bee images, they have not been reported in any gardens[[File:Garden_Bee_1.png]]<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*There are three different title text in this comic, as there are also one over each of the two icons. <br />
**This is special as with some of the newest "game like comics" there are [[:Category:No title text|no title text]]!<br />
**The normal one "Relax" is mentioned above in the main explanation.<br />
**The other two are explanations for what the two icons in the top right corner does and appear when the cursor hovers over them.<br />
***They are ''Create new light'' explaining that this icon introduces new lamps and<br />
***''Remove selected (delete key)'', which explain that this icon can be used to remove (delete) selected items like lamps, plants or items. It also explains that the delete key can be used instead of the icon.<br />
<br />
===Linsang - cat like animal===<br />
*In the second week of release no less than 12 [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/38/Garden_Linsang_1.png images] of the animal called {{w|linsang}} appeared [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/1d/1663_garden_My_first_linsang_cat_like_creature_in_SC.png in the garden].<br />
**See all of them [[1663:_Garden/Images#Images|here]].<br />
*This animal was referenced in ''[[Thing Explainer]]'' in ''Tree of life'' where the animal is drawn in the ''cat-shaped'' section with the following caption:<br />
::'''Almost cat'''<br />
::This animal looks like a cat with a long neck. It's the closest thing to a cat that's not actually in the cat family.<br />
::*Next to the section another one is drawn in front of Cueball (obvsiously it's Randall).<br />
::*The linsang says "Mrowl?" and Cueball says "I wan't one!"<br />
*Randall has in an interview discussed these [http://www.wsj.com/articles/randall-munroe-creator-of-xkcd-on-google-search-tricks-and-cat-like-creature-videos-1447945313 Cat-Like-Creatures] and in is quoted for saying<br />
::Q: '''An animal I’m obsessed with is:'''<br />
::A: The linsang, which looks almost like a cat but has this weird long neck. I find them both unnerving and adorable. I found some footage of one running; it’s like watching a cat video from a parallel universe.<br />
::*The linsang is related to the animal {{w|Genet (animal)|genet}}, and here are two videos/photos of a genet running:<br />
::**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRdJSVlPrGo Genet on a rhino]<br />
::**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehq3ssg7zwk Genet on other things]<br />
<br />
===Monday 4th of April release===<br />
*Due to technical problems (or to make [[#April Fool's header text|fools of his fans?]]) the comic did not go live until Sunday evening (after midnight, so technically first on '''Monday April 4th''').<br />
**There was thus no Friday release in the week before<br />
**So the Wednesday comic [[1662: Jack and Jill]] got a lot more attention than it would usually have had. <br />
*This comic thus turned in to the Monday release instead, as no other comic was released later that Monday, as this would have taken attention away from this very special comic.<br />
**But it was called the ''April 1st comic'' and later the ''Friday comic'' in the [[#April Fool's header text|header text]] displayed at the top of xkcd to explain why there was no Friday comic. <br />
***A header text continued to stay a the top but changed two more times until the release past midnight Sunday in the US. It was even past midnight {{w|Pacific Time}}, but not yet on Hawaii.<br />
**There were thus only two comics released in the week before this Monday, which may be the first time since xkcd went live on {{xkcd||xkcd.com}} in 2006.<br />
<br />
===April Fool's header text===<br />
*There is some debate as to whether this comic is an April Fool's comic or not.<br />
**Was instead the April fool's joke the text written above the comic in the header of xkcd?<br />
**There is reason to believe this was [[#April Fool's comic|not the case]] based on among other thing these header text.<br />
*Below it a list of the different header text displayed from Friday until the comic was just released.<br />
**The header text continued to change regularly [[#Header text after release|after release]] in regard to this comic at least until next Friday (April 8th).<br />
**Here below is the different header text with info on when it appeared.<br />
***Links are given when possible to a [[1663:_Garden/Screen-shots#Screen-shots_of_header_text|screen shots]] on the word ''message'' and to a webarchive in another link when both are available.<br />
*On Friday, April 1st, 2016, the xkcd website changed to a new [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/8/81/1663_garden_April_1st_comic_is_currently_experiencing_technical_difficulties.png message] where the standard message "XKCD updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday." usually is. (This [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/69/1663_garden_Commercial_header_text_before_April_1st_problems.png message] had, however, up to this point and for a long time been a [http://web.archive.org/web/20160401175527/https://www.xkcd.com/ commercial] for ''[[Thing Explainer]]''). But now it [http://web.archive.org/web/20160401204749/https://xkcd.com/ began displaying] this instead:<br />
::The xkcd April 1st comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties. <br />
::Please stand by!<br />
*Early Saturday April 2nd the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e0/1663_garden_Calendar_systems_in_which_Saturday_is_April_1st.png message] was [http://web.archive.org/web/20160402050932/http://xkcd.com updated]:<br />
::The xkcd April 1st comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties.<br />
::Status update: Please stand by.<br />
::Status update: This is fine. Everything is fine.<br />
::Status update: Everything is on fire.<br />
::Status update: Searching for calendar systems in which Saturday is April 1st.<br />
*Later on Saturday the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/06/1663_garden_Delayed_until_Sunday_night.png message] was again [http://web.archive.org/web/20160402175822/http://www.xkcd.com changed] to:<br />
::The Friday xkcd comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties<br />
::[Editor's note: Everything is on fire] and has been delayed until Sunday night.<br />
*The comic did not come out until past midnight in the entire North America (coming out just before midnight in Hawaii).<br />
*It was finally released very early on Monday April 4th, and the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/53/Garden_Loading_screen_shot.png message] then [http://web.archive.org/web/20160404123555/http://xkcd.com/ returned] to the old standard text for xkcd for a short while:<br />
::XKCD updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.<br />
<br />
===Header text after release===<br />
*During April 4th, after the release the message changed from the old standard to display a [[:Category:Protip|Protip]]:<br />
::'''Protip:''' If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.<br />
*And then later on April 4th, the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/a2/1663_garden_Protip_and_url_hint.png message] was again [http://web.archive.org/web/20160404185353/http://www.xkcd.com/#5dbfbb82-fc20-11e5-8001-42010a8e000d changed] to:<br />
::'''Protip:''' If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.<br />
::You can copy the URL to share your garden. From other browsers, it will be view-only.<br />
*When the next comic came out, the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/61/1663_garden_Note_if_seeing_todays_comic.png message] then [http://web.archive.org/web/20160408105110/http://xkcd.com/1663/#4b04323a-fddc-11e5-8001-42010a8e0016 changed], (also for the [http://web.archive.org/web/20160406194653/http://xkcd.com/1664/ new comic]) to<br />
::'''Protip:''' If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.<br />
::You can copy the URL to share your garden. From other browsers, it will be view-only.<br />
<br><br />
::Note: If you're seeing today's comic in place of your garden, change the URL from xkcd.com/#<your code> to xkcd.com/1663/#<your code>.<br />
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20160408145017/http://xkcd.com/ After] the Friday comic came out on April 8th, the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/c5/1663_garden_Back_to_pro_tips_only_after_Friday_comic.png message] then [http://web.archive.org/web/20160408195958/http://xkcd.com/ changed] back to<br />
::'''Protip:''' If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.<br />
::You can copy the URL to share your garden. From other browsers, it will be view-only.<br />
*The [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/c6/1663_garden_Still_pro_tip_on_Friday_22nd_comic.png message stayed] like the one above at least until Friday April 22th before that Friday's comic [http://web.archive.org/web/20160422102754/http://xkcd.com/ was released]. But either at the time of release or at least on Saturday the day after the release the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/ae/1663_garden_Back_to_normal_text_after_Friday_22nd_comic.png message returned] to [http://web.archive.org/web/20160423103108/http://xkcd.com/ the original].<br />
::XKCD updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.<br />
:*The pro tip, however, remained as [http://web.archive.org/web/20160425022201/https://www.xkcd.com/1663/ the header text] when displaying the {{xkcd|1663|Garden comic}}.<br />
<br />
===April Fool's comic===<br />
*This comic '''was indeed supposed to be''' the Friday 1st of April, April Fool's comic!<br />
**This statement is based on several things, which can can be deduced from the above header text and the subsequent issues with the many [[#Bugs|bugs in this comic]].<br />
*It is clear that this comic did actually come out as promised, at least as promised in the third message about release on Sunday night.<br />
**It is also clear that it is regarded as the Friday comic, even in the last update before the release, which was two days after April 1st.<br />
*It is also clear that this was a very complex comic, and it is realistic that Randall did have problems with making it work. <br />
**On day two there still seemed to be several minor bugs, which seemed to improve over time so Randall was still working on it after release.<br />
***But then new bugs appeared when the next comic was released.<br />
*Both of the last two April Fool's comics, [[1350: Lorenz]] and [[1506: xkcloud]], have had no real meaning or joke in the comic. The jokes appeared from user input, and here it comes from waiting.<br />
**This makes people who spend too much time on these comics ''April Fool's'' (or if they rather wish to be called a ''nerds'' than fools, then they can claim to have been a victim of [[356: Nerd Sniping|nerd sniping]]).<br />
**So, even if Randall ''did'' play a joke on people who [[Talk:1662: Jack and Jill#What happened to Friday's comic|eagerly awaited the comic]], then he did deliver as promised a spectacular comic Sunday night.<br />
*There are several reasons to believe that Randall would have preferred the comic to get out on Friday April 1st.<br />
**Apart from it being a time consuming comic that in it self is April Fool's comic material, then by getting it out Friday this special comic, which he obviously have used a lot of time to prepare, would have had one more day as the first comic.<br />
**Getting it out before a weekend would have let many more users spend time looking at their garden. Now many would not spend enough time to appreciate the comic, as it came out right when the new work week began.<br />
***And it is a very complicated comic that just to get to understand how to really use it could take a days time even for someone with time.<br />
***And this is not talking about how the comic works, but just how to use the program, i.e. the whole [[#Functionality|functionality]] of the comic is way more complex than even a game like [[1608: Hoverboard]].<br />
**And before next weekend two more comics were released taking some of the focus away from this one too soon, and also before the next weekend. <br />
***Of course die hard fans will not forget this one, but many xkcd fans may only come by in the weekend etc. and such a hard to come by comic like this, that demands patience and that you return does not profit from being bumped down to number three as it would be next Friday.<br />
*Randall lives of his fans goodwill and to deliberately make a pun on them like this would probably not seem like a good business proposal, apart from the fact that the comic now gets less attention than by coming out before the weekend.<br />
<br />
==Items in the garden==<br />
*Below in the section are several tables displaying all the known images of items that may grow (appear) in the garden. <br />
**They have been sorted based on type like characters, animals (by type), plants (by type), platforms, others and helper structures.<br />
**In time each item will have a link to a screen shot where they appear.<br />
**Also explanations for each item can be written in these tables<br />
*For colors reference refer (also) to the numbers in this image:<br><br />
*[[File:1663 garden Numbered color scale 1-17.png]]<br />
**The color under which a given item may grow should be noted. <br />
***Particularly if they can grow under just one color if light (maybe a range, but with only one lamp lit as one specific color). <br />
***But almost more important if some items needs more than one color<br />
****Especially if the items base, the base on which they have to grow, needs another color than they do, as seems to be the case with flower blooms and the lamp to go at the top of the lamp poles.<br />
*All the images can be seen without the table here: [[1663: Garden/Images|Images of items]].<br />
===Characters===<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! [[Cueball]]<br>[[File:Garden Man 1a.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-man-1a.png Man 1a]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Man 2a.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-man-2a.png Man 2a]<br />
| <br />
*Here are the two different images of Cueball.<br />
*The first Cueball just stands with his hands down. <br />
**In this position he always looks left.<br />
**Some items can grow on his head, most obviously [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/27/1663_garden_One_color_Between_blue_and_light_blue_6d.png the hat], turning him into [[Black Hat]]. But also animals like the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/92/1663_garden_Blitz_Girls_UFO_and_birds_garden.png water bird], [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/32/1663_garden_One_color_Between_Blue_White_and_White_6d.png standing bird or cats] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/d4/1663_garden_Crazy_cat_peoples_garden.png owls] can perch on his head. <br />
**He never seems to appears in pure blue light, and also only appears when the light is turned left of white.<br />
*The second Cueball has one hand out.<br />
**In this position he always looks right.<br />
**He is the only character that appears under pure blue light (color 1).<br />
**It seems like he cannot wear the hat or anything else on his head.<br />
**In stead he can hold object on his hand, like a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/1e/1663_garden_S_shaped_empty_balloon_string_left.png balloon string] (later [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/0e/1663_garden_Office_space_with_two_herons_in_lake_and_huge_balloon_on_long_string.png with balloon] or the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/c2/1663_garden_Blitz_Girls_strong_Megan_garden.png huge balloon]), the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e5/1663_garden_Blitz_Girls_Armadillo_tower.png small platform] or some of the smaller animals like [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/32/1663_garden_One_color_Between_Blue_White_and_White_6d.png the bird], the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/09/1663_garden_Cueball_holds_a_Turtle_in_front_of_Megan_looking_like_a_cap_on_her.png turtle], or [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/d4/1663_garden_Crazy_cat_peoples_garden.png cat and owls].<br />
| <br />
*Standing Cueball with color [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/92/1663_garden_One_color_Between_blue_and_light_blue_2d.png 2 blue], [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/c9/1663_garden_One_color_Light_blue_12h.png 3 light blue], [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e4/1663_garden_Color_04_2_5d.png 4 light blue] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/b/b2/1663_garden_One_color_Blue_white_2d.png 5 Blue white]<br />
*Hand out Cueball with color [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/b/bf/1663_garden_One_color_Blue_6d.png 1 blue], [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/92/1663_garden_One_color_Between_blue_and_light_blue_2d.png 2 blue], [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/a6/1663_garden_Color_03_5d.png 3 light blue], [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/5e/1663_garden_One_color_Between_light_blue_and_Blue_White_6d.png 4 light blue] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/d1/1663_garden_One_color_White_Blue_12h.png 5 Blue white]<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/c9/1663_garden_One_color_Light_blue_12h.png Standing]<br />
[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e5/1663_garden_One_color_Blue_18h.png Hand out]<br><br />
|-<br />
! [[Megan]]<br>[[File:Garden Woman 1a.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-woman-1a.png Woman 1a]<br>[[File:Garden Handfig 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-handfig-1.png Handfig 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Handfig 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-handfig-2.png Handfig 2]<br>[[File:Garden Sword fig.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-sword-fig.png Sword fig]<br>[[File:Garden Flying fig.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flying-fig.png Flying fig]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of Megan. <br />
**Megan with sword seems to only occur on top of a platform or a piece of furniture. <br />
***She seem to not be willing to pull out the sword when just standing on the ground.<br />
***This means that she can only occur under a one color setting if that setting can also produce a platform. This is the case though see the color column.<br />
| <br />
*Standing (Yellow 9 standard)<br />
*Hands up (L and R) (White 7)<br />
*Sword ([http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/9c/1663_garden_One_color_Light_yellow_9d.png Yellow 9 standard] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/6d/1663_garden_One_color_Between_Light_yellow_and_yellow_2d.png Yellow 10])<br />
*Flying (Orange 15)<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/cb/1663_garden_One_color_Light_yellow_12h.png Standing ]<br><br />
[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/99/1663_garden_One_color_White_12h.png Hands up]<br><br />
[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/6b/1663_garden_Megan_with_sword%2C_trees_octopuses_with_Cueball_bunny_ducklings.png Sword-tree platform]<br> [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/cb/1663_garden_Megan_with_sword_and_owl_on_gate.png Sword-gate]<br> [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/1d/1663_garden_My_first_linsang_cat_like_creature_in_SC.png Sword-desk] <br> <br />
[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/8/87/1663_garden_One_color_Orange_d7.png Flying]<br />
|-<br />
! [[Beret Guy]]<br>[[File:Garden Beret shrub.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-beret-shrub.png Beret shrub]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of Beret Guy.<br />
| White 7 or mix of yellow and blue<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/99/1663_garden_One_color_White_12h.png In lake]<br><br />
[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/24/1663_garden_Shark_finn_and_Beret_Guy_in_same_bird_bath_fish_boat_heron_and_more.png In birdbath]<br><br />
[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/9b/1663_garden_Three_colors_more_separate_Beret_Guy_in_shrubbery_and_Octopus_on_office_desk.png In shrub]<br />
|-<br />
! [[Ponytail]]<br>[[File:Garden Fig 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-fig-1.png Fig 1]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of Ponytail.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/eb/1663_garden_Ponytail_and_two_Cueballs_cat_pillar_and_trunk_sE.png Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Stilt girl<br>[[File:Garden Stilt walker.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-stiltwalker.png Stilt walker]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the girl on stilts.<br />
| Light yellow 10<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/1b/1663_garden_One_color_Between_Light_yellow_and_yellow_First_thing_stilts_right.png Example]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Animals===<br />
====Mammals====<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! Armadillo<br>[[File:Garden Armadillo L.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-armadillo-l.png Armadillo L]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Armadillo R.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-armadillo-r.png Armadillo R]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of Armadillo.<br />
| Color: Combination of 17 and 9<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Cats<br>[[File:Garden Cat Balanced.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cat-balanced.png Cat Balanced]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cat Ground.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cat-ground.png Cat Ground]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of cats.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Deer<br>[[File:Garden Deer 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-deer-1.png Deer 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Deer 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-deer-2.png Deer 2]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of Deer.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Bunny<br>[[File:Garden Important bun.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-important-bun.png Important bun]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the Bunny.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Linsang<br>[[File:Garden Linsang 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-1.png Linsang 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Linsang 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-2.png Linsang 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Linsang 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-3.png Linsang 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Linsang 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-4.png Linsang 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Linsang 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-5.png Linsang 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Linsang 6.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-6.png Linsang 6]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Linsang 7.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-7.png Linsang 7]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Linsang 8.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-8.png Linsang 8]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Linsang 9.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-9.png Linsang 9]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Linsang 10.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-10.png Linsang 10]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Linsang 11.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-11.png Linsang 11]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Linsang 12.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-linsang-12.png Linsang 12]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of linsangs.<br />
**See more about [[#Linsang - cat like animal|Linsang - cat like animal]] in the trivia section.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/68/1663_Garden_Ophiocordyceps_linsang.png Linsang infected by fungus]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Birds====<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! Flying birds<br>[[File:Garden Bird 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bird-1.png Bird 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Bird 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bird-2.png Bird 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Bird 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bird-3.png Bird 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Bird 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bird-4.png Bird 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Bird 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bird-5.png Bird 5]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of flying birds.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Standing bird<br>[[File:Garden Bird standing.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bird-standing.png Bird standing]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of Standing bird.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Duck <br>[[File:Garden Duck 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-duck-1.png Duck 1]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the duck.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Heron<br>[[File:Garden Heron L.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-heron-l.png Heron L]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Heron R.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-heron-r.png Heron R]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of Herons.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Owl<br>[[File:Garden Owl.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-owl.png Owl]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the Owl.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Wading bird<br>[[File:Garden Wading bird L.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-wading-bird-l.png Wading bird L]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Wading bird R.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-wading-bird-r.png Wading bird R]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of wading birds.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Water bird<br>[[File:Garden Water bird 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-waterbird-1.png Water bird 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Water bird 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-waterbird-2.png Water bird 2]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of water bird.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====From the sea====<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! Fish <br>[[File:Garden Fish 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-fish-1.png Fish 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Fish 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-fish-2.png Fish 2]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of Fish.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Flying fish<br>[[File:Flying fish 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flying-fish-1.png Flying fish 1]<br><br />
[[File:Flying fish 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flying-fish-2.png Flying fish 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Actual flying fish 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-actual-flying-fish-1.png Actual flying fish 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Actual flying fish 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-actual-flying-fish-2.png Actual flying fish 2]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of Flying fish.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://forums.xkcd.com/download/file.php?id=51476&mode=view Flying fish in Megan's hair] [http://forums.xkcd.com/download/file.php?id=51543&mode=view Flying fish and UGO]<br />
|-<br />
! Octopus<br>[[File:Garden Octopus.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-octopus.png Octopus]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Octopus hat capable.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-octopus-hat-capable.png Octopus hat capable]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of Octopuses.<br />
| Color: Blue (Only On the Pond)<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Sharks<br>[[File:Garden Shark fin L.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-shark-fin-l.png Shark fin L]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Shark fin R.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-shark-fin-r.png Shark fin R]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the shark fins.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/6e/1663_Garden_Megan_there%27s_a_shark_in_the_water.png Shark in birdbath]<br />
|-<br />
! Tentacle<br>[[File:Garden Tentacle 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-tentacle-1.png Tentacle 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Tentacle 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-tentacle-2.png Tentacle 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Tentacle 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-tentacle-3.png Tentacle 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Tentacle 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-tentacle-4.png Tentacle 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Tentacle 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-tentacle-5.png Tentacle 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Tentacle 6.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-tentacle-6.png Tentacle 6]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of tentacles.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Reptiles====<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! Snake<br>[[File:Garden Snake 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-snake-1.png Snake 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Snake 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-snake-2.png Snake 2]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of snakes.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Turtle<br>[[File:Garden Turtle 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-turtle-1.png Turtle 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Turtle 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-turtle-2.png Turtle 2]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of turtles.<br />
| Color reddish?<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/6c/1663_Garden_octopus_turtle_capable.png Octopus turtle capable]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Insects====<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! Bees<br>[[File:Garden Bee 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bee-1.png Bee 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Bee 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bee-2.png Bee 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Bee 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bee-3.png Bee 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Bee 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bee-4.png Bee 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Bee 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bee-5.png Bee 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Bee 6.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bee-6.png Bee 6]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of bees.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Beehive<br><br />
[[File:Garden Beehive-base.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-beehive-base.png Beehive-base]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Beehive entrance a.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-beehive-entrance-a.png Beehive entrance a]<br><br />
[[File:Beehive section.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-beehive-section.png Beehive section]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images that construct the beehive.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://forums.xkcd.com/download/file.php?id=51487&mode=view BlitzGirl's beehive]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Plants===<br />
====Trees====<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! Tall trunks<br>[[File:Garden Tall trunk 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-talltrunk-1.png Tall trunk 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Tall trunk 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-talltrunk-2.png Tall trunk 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Tall trunk 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-talltrunk-3.png Tall trunk 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Tall trunk 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-talltrunk-4.png Tall trunk 4]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of tall trunks.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Trunks<br>[[File:Garden Trunk 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-trunk-1.png Trunk 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Trunk 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-trunk-2.png Trunk 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Trunk 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-trunk-3.png Trunk 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Trunk 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-trunk-4.png Trunk 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Trunk 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-trunk-5.png Trunk 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Trunk 6.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-trunk-6.png Trunk 6]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Trunk 7.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-trunk-7.png Trunk 7]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Trunk 8.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-trunk-8.png Trunk 8]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of smaller trunks.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Branches<br>[[File:Garden Branch 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-1.png Branch 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-2.png Branch 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-3.png Branch 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-4.png Branch 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-5.png Branch 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 6.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-6.png Branch 6]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 7.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-7.png Branch 7]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 8.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-8.png Branch 8]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 9.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-9.png Branch 9]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 10.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-10.png Branch 10]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 11.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-11.png Branch 11]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 12.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-12.png Branch 12]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 13.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-13.png Branch 13]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 14.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-14.png Branch 14]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 15.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-15.png Branch 15]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 16.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-16.png Branch 16]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 17.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-17.png Branch 17]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 18.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-18.png Branch 18]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 19.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-19.png Branch 19]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 20.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-20.png Branch 20]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 21.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-21.png Branch 21]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 22.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-22.png Branch 22]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 23.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-23.png Branch 23]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Branch 24.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-branch-24.png Branch 24]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of branches.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Leaves<br>[[File:Garden Leaves 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-1.png Leaves 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-2.png Leaves 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-3.png Leaves 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-4.png Leaves 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-5.png Leaves 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 6.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-6.png Leaves 6]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 7.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-7.png Leaves 7]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 8.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-8.png Leaves 8]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 9.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-9.png Leaves 9]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 10.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-10.png Leaves 10]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 11.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-11.png Leaves 11]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 12.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-12.png Leaves 12]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 13.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-13.png Leaves 13]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 14.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-14.png Leaves 14]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 15.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-15.png Leaves 15]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 16.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-16.png Leaves 16]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 17.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-17.png Leaves 17]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 18.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-18.png Leaves 18]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 19.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-19.png Leaves 19]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 20.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-20.png Leaves 20]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 21.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-21.png Leaves 21]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 22.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-22.png Leaves 22]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 23.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-23.png Leaves 23]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 24.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-24.png Leaves 24]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 25.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-25.png Leaves 25]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 26.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-26.png Leaves 26]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 27.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-27.png Leaves 27]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 28.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-28.png Leaves 28]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 29.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-29.png Leaves 29]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Leaves 30.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-leaves-30.png Leaves 30]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of leaves.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Flowers====<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! Blooms<br>[[File:Garden Flower bloom 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-bloom1.png Flower bloom 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Flower bloom 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-bloom2.png Flower bloom 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Flower bloom 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-bloom3.png Flower bloom 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Flower bloom 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-bloom4.png Flower bloom 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Flower bloom 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-bloom5.png Flower bloom 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Flower bloom 6.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-bloom6.png Flower bloom 6]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Flower bloom 7.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-bloom7.png Flower bloom 7]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of blooms.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Hilt<br>[[File:Garden Flower hilt 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-hilt1.png Flower hilt 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Flower hilt 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-hilt2.png Flower hilt 2]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of hilt.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Stem segments<br>[[File:Garden Flower base.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-base.png Flower base]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Flower segment 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment1.png Flower segment 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Flower segment 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment2.png Flower segment 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Flower segment 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment3.png Flower segment 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Flower segment 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment4.png Flower segment 4]<br><br />
[[File:Flower segment 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment5.png Flower segment 5]<br><br />
[[File:Flower segment 6.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment6.png Flower segment 6]<br><br />
[[File:Flower segment 7.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment7.png Flower segment 7]<br><br />
[[File:Flower segment 8.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment8.png Flower segment 8]<br><br />
[[File:Flower segment 9.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment9.png Flower segment 9]<br><br />
[[File:Flower segment 10.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment10.png Flower segment 10]<br><br />
[[File:Flower segment 11.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment11.png Flower segment 11]<br><br />
[[File:Flower segment 12.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-flower-segment12.png Flower segment 12]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the base and segments of the flower stems.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Star plant<br>[[File:Garden Star Plant.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-starplant.png Star Plant]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images the star plant.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Tulips<br>[[File:Garden Tulip 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-tulip-1.png Tulip 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Tulip 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-tulip-2.png Tulip 2]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of Tulips.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/03/1663_Garden_tulip_Megan.png Tulip Megan]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Other plants====<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! Cactus <br>[[File:Garden Cactus 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cactus-1.png Cactus 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cactus 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cactus-2.png Cactus 2]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of cactus.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Grass<br>[[File:Garden Grass 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-grass-1.png Grass 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Grass 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-grass-2.png Grass 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Grass 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-grass-3.png Grass 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Grass 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-grass-4.png Grass 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Grass 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-grass-5.png Grass 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Grass 6.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-grass-6.png Grass 6]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Grass 7.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-grass-7.png Grass 7]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Grass 8.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-grass-8.png Grass 8]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Grass 9.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-grass-9.png Grass 9]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of grass.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Reeds<br>[[File:Garden Reeds 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-1.png Reeds 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Reeds 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-2.png Reeds 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Reeds 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-3.png Reeds 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Reeds 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-4.png Reeds 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Reeds 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-5.png Reeds 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Reeds 6.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-6.png Reeds 6]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Reeds 8.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-8.png Reeds 8]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Reeds 9.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-9.png Reeds 9]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Reeds 10.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-10.png Reeds 10]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Reeds 11.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-11.png Reeds 11]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Reeds 12.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-12.png Reeds 12]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Reeds 13.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-reeds-13.png Reeds 13]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of reeds.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Shrub<br>[[File:Garden Shrub 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-shrub-1.png Shrub 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Shrub 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-shrub-2.png Shrub 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Shrub 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-shrub-3.png Shrub 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Shrub 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-shrub-4.png Shrub 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Shrub 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-shrub-5.png Shrub 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Shrub 6.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-shrub-6.png Shrub 6]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Shrub 7.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-shrub-7.png Shrub 7]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Shrub 8.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-shrub-8.png Shrub 8]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Shrub 9.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-shrub-9.png Shrub 9]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Shrub 10.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-shrub-10.png Shrub 10]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Shrub 11.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-shrub-11.png Shrub 11]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of shrubs.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Wavy plant<br>[[File:Garden Wavy plant 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-wavyplant-1.png Wavy plant 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Wavy plant 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-wavyplant-2.png Wavy plant 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Wavy plant 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-wavyplant-3.png Wavy plant 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Wavy plant 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-wavyplant-4.png Wavy plant 4]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of wavy plants.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Platforms===<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! Tree platform<br>[[File:Garden Left platform.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-left-platform.png Left platform]<br>[[File:Garden Right platform.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-right-platform.png Right platform]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of platforms in trees.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Platform<br>[[File:Garden Platform 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-platform-1.png Platform 1]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the basic platform.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Platform Column<br>[[File:Garden PlatformColumn 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-platform-column-1.png PlatformColumn 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden PlatformColumn 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-platform-column-2.png PlatformColumn 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden PlatformColumn 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-platform-column-3.png PlatformColumn 3]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of platform columns.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Stone Platform<br>[[File:Garden Stone Platform 1 Wide.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-stone-platform-1wide.png Stone Platform 1 Wide]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Stone Platform 3 Wide.png]]&nbsp; [http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-stone-platform-3wide.png Stone Platform 3 Wide]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Stone Platform 5 Wide.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-stone-platform-5wide.png Stone Platform 5 Wide]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of stone platforms.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Tall platform<br>[[File:Garden Tall platform.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-tall-platform.png Tall platform]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the tall platform.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Other items===<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! Balloon<br>[[File:Garden Balloon.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-balloon.png Balloon]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Balloon Huge.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-balloon-huge.png Balloon Huge]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Balloon Segment.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-balloon-segment.png Balloon Segment]<br><br />
[[File:Balloon segment short.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-balloon-segment-short.png Balloon segment short]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of balloons and their strings.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/34/1663_garden_S_shaped_empty_balloon_string_right.png S-shaped balloon string]<br />
|-<br />
! Birdbath<br>[[File:Garden Birdbath.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-birdbath.png Birdbath]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the birdbath.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/a1/1663_garden_Purple_garden_with_Heron.png Birdbath legged deer]<br />
|-<br />
! Boat<br>[[File:Garden Boat 1 L.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-boat-1-l.png Boat 1 L]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Boat 1 R.png]]&nbsp;[http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-boat-1-r.png Boat 1 R]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of boats.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Cairn stones<br>[[File:Garden Cairn Base 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-base-1.png Cairn Base 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Base 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-base-2.png Cairn Base 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Base 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-base-3.png Cairn Base 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Base 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-base-4.png Cairn Base 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Base 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-base-5.png Cairn Base 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Mid 1.png]]&nbsp; [http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-mid-1.png Cairn Mid 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Mid 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-mid-2.png Cairn Mid 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Mid 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-mid-3.png Cairn Mid 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Mid 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-mid-4.png Cairn Mid 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Mid 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-mid-5.png Cairn Mid 5]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Top 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-top-1.png Cairn Top 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Top 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-top-2.png Cairn Top 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Top 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-top-3.png Cairn Top 3]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Top 4.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-top-4.png Cairn Top 4]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Cairn Top 5.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-cairn-top-5.png Cairn Top 5]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the stones used to form cairns.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/23/1663_Garden_An_Engineer_cairns.png Gigantic rock pile]<br />
|-<br />
! Furniture<br>[[File:Garden Desk 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-desk-1.png Desk 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Desk lamp.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-desk-lamp.png Desk lamp]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Table 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-table-1.png Table 1]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of furniture for the office and other places.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Giant Planter<br>[[File:Garden Giant Planter.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-giant-planter.png Giant Planter]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the giant Planter.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/1a/1663_garden_Underground_light_gives_large_tub_on_top_of_pillar_then_filled_with_trees.png Giant planter with trees]<br />
|-<br />
! Hat<br>[[File:Garden Hat 1a.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-hat-1a.png Hat 1a]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the black hat.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Lamppost<br>[[File:Garden Lamp crossbar left.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-lamp-crossbar-left.png Lamp crossbar left]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Lamp crossbar right.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-lamp-crossbar-right.png Lamp crossbar right]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Lamppost 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-lamppost-1.png Lamppost 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden lamp-topper.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-lamp-topper.png lamp-topper]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images that may form the complete lamppost. <br />
*The lamp post looks exactly like the one in [[665: Prudence]], and that is the one from {{w|Narnia}} which actually grew up in the forest when Narnia was created in the chronologically first book {{w|The Magician's Nephew}} when Aslan created Narnia.<br />
<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7a/1663_garden_Blitz_Girls_lamp_posts_and_flowers_garden.png Example with lamp]<br> [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/8/81/1663_garden_Lamp_post_poles_and_mars_rover.png Example with crossbar]<br />
|-<br />
! Obelisk<br>[[File:Garden Obelisk.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-obelisk.png Obelisk]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the obelisk.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Pot<br>[[File:Garden Pot 1.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-pot-1.png Pot 1]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Pot 2.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-pot-2.png Pot 2]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Pot 3.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-pot-3.png Pot 3]<br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of pots.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Rover<br>[[File:Garden Rover.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-rover.png Rover]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the Mars rover.<br />
| Color 16<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/3f/1663_garden_One_color_Between_orange_red_and_red_First_thing_Mars_rover.png Mars rover]<br />
|-<br />
! Sale sign<br>[[File:Garden Sale sign.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-sale-sign.png Sale sign]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the sale sign.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|-<br />
! Saucer<br>[[File:Garden Saucer.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-saucer.png Saucer]<br />
|<br />
*Here is the image of the flying saucer.<br />
| Color?<br />
| [http://forums.xkcd.com/download/file.php?id=51432&mode=view BlitzGirl's UFO garden]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Helper structures===<br />
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |<br />
! To see/hide images click here:<br />
! Description of images<br />
! Relevant colors<br />
! Link to screen-shots<br />
|-<br />
! Bird riser<br>[[File:Garden Bird riser.png]],&nbsp;[[File:Garden Bird riser with background.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-bird-riser.png Bird riser], and with background<br><br />
[[File:Garden Bird riser root.png]]&nbsp;[[File:Garden Bird riser root with frame.png]][http://linden.xkcd.com/art/2x-bird-riser-root.png Bird riser root], and with frame<br><br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of the bird riser and it's root. <br />
**They only seem to appear in the orange color range.<br />
**The riser is invisible (white) and would have to have a background to be seen (both versions are shown to the left). This will never be the case in the garden as the raiser does not show up in front of other black items.<br />
***However, the risers can be seen using the [[#Debug_mode|debug mode]], and this is used as the example to the right.<br />
***Also using the debug mode on this [http://www.xkcd.com/1663/#1e853af8-055f-11e6-8001-42010a8e000f garden] the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e0/1663_garden_Color_13_2_5d_debug_with_count.png number of items can be counted] as shown in the link. <br />
****From this link it is clear that there are three bird risers attached to two of the seven bird riser roots. <br />
****Here only single bird risers are displayed, but they can be connected see below.<br />
**The root can often be seen on the ground, but it can be hidden behind other objects. <br />
***Also the root has the first short part of a bird riser above the root, which is invisible (by any means). The bird riser takes hold at the top of this invisible part. That it is there can best be seen by putting a frame around the image of the root, to see that it is twice as high as the root itself. Such an image is also shown to the left. (But the end can also be seen in the debug mode images).<br />
*The riser are used to make items fly in the air. <br />
**I.e. the five types of flying birds, the saucer, flying Megan and the two "actual flying fish", can attach them selves to the end of a bird riser.<br />
**Whereas the risers need to have a root to begin, then more risers can attach to the end already existing risers, thus getting much higher up in the air than one riser (all the way up!).<br />
**Risers can have any angles to each others, even going further down, which can explain birds and other flying objects touching the ground (even making an object be situated partially beneath the ground, like [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/cf/1663_garden_One_color_Orange_6d.png this flying Megan] from this [http://xkcd.com/1663/#0d6bca62-fcf3-11e5-8019-42010a8e0005 garden] or maybe even outside the frame, see last example below).<br />
**As opposed to anything else the light that creates a bird (or other flying item) does not need to touch the actually bird, but rather the place from where the bird riser is rooted. <br />
***This indicates that the birds etc. can grow from light touching the base of the risers rather than the tip. <br />
****Since many bird risers can grow in layers above the first riser it is clear that the bird riser does not appear with a bird on them in one go! <br />
***There are many examples with [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/4/48/1663_garden_One_color_Orange_9d.png birds] or [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/4/4f/1663_garden_One_color_Between_orange_and_orange_red_8d.png flying Megan] "growing" outside the light, where no light ever was, as seen from some of the [[1663:_Garden/Users_gardens#Locked_gardens_only_for_explanation_use|locked experimental gardens]].<br />
*When selecting a bird riser root all bird risers and all flying things connected to these will also be selected (and deleted if the root is deleted).<br />
**Here are two examples from the same [http://xkcd.com/1663/#578b80bc-fd96-11e5-8001-42010a8e000a garden] where two different roots have been selected:<br />
***In this [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/b/b9/1663_garden_14_Between_orange_and_orange_red_15d_selected_bird_riser_root.png example] the selected root is hidden by the tulip in the red circle. Seven birds are selected both right and left of this root. (Two of them on top of each other).<br />
***In this [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/27/1663_garden_14_Between_orange_and_orange_red_15d_selected_bird_riser_root_Megan.png example] the root in the red circle is completely hidden by turtles etc. It connects to three birds and one flying Megan, showing that it is the bird riser roots that also connect to her.<br />
**In this next example [http://xkcd.com/1663/#59246c86-fcce-11e5-8001-42010a8e0010 garden] the links between a root and four birds are displayed in detail.<br />
***The [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/73/1663_garden_SF_final.png first image] is just the normal garden view screen-shot (lamps deleted). 10 birds can be seen; there are six birds over the lamp post; two near the ground under the high platform; one near the right crown of the tree; and one to the left that looks like it is a part of the linsang. Several bird riser roots (at least five) can be seen on the ground from the middle of the platform and right past the cat (two under it) and then at the sign.<br />
***In the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/8/8d/1663_garden_SF_final_selected.png second image] the root at the foot of the Sale sign has been selected. Four birds have been selected, spread out over the entire section with birds, including the lowest, the highest, the left most and one over the lamp post.<br />
***In the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/73/1663_garden_SF_final_debug.png third image] debug mode has been used. All the long purple lines (of equal length) indicate bird risers.<br />
***In the last [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/35/1663_garden_SF_final_debug_drawing.png fourth image] the links between the root and the four birds have been indicated. A zero (0) has been written under the root. Then 1 indicates the single bird riser that goes to the right bird over the lamp post. Bird riser 2, 3 and 4 connect to each other from the root up to the highest bird right of the crown. Then bird riser 5 goes from that to the bird near the linsang left of the tree, and finally bird riser 6 and 7 goes straight back and down to the lowest bird near the ground. <br />
****Several bird risers seems to go beneath the ground!<br />
**That bird risers can go beneath the ground has already been show with flying Megan partly under ground.<br />
***In this last example it is made clear that birds can then appear either under ground (or under the top of other structures blocking their view) or even totally outside the frame (as indicated above the bird risers seem to be able to sprout items outside the cones of light, as long as they grow in the light them selves).<br />
***The proof for this comes in this [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/16/1663_garden_Color_13_5d_debug_with_count.png example] with the debug version of this [http://www.xkcd.com/1663/#fa1b5c92-055e-11e6-8001-42010a8e000f garden] showing the count:<br />
****At the time of [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/73/1663_garden_Color_13_5d.png these images] there where only 8 visible birds<br />
****But the count lists 20 birds, indicating that no less than 12 birds are hidden from view!<br />
| Color [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/4/48/1663_garden_One_color_Orange_9d.png 13 Orange] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/4/4f/1663_garden_One_color_Between_orange_and_orange_red_8d.png 14 Orange].<br />
| [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e7/1663_garden_Color_13_2_5d_debug_bird_risers.png Bird riser debug]<br><br />
[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/5e/1663_garden_Color_14_3d.png Root]<br />
|-<br />
! Null<br>[[File:Garden Null.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-null.png Null]<br>[[File:Garden Null continue.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-null-continue-air.png Null continue]<br><br />
[[File:Garden Null continue air.png]],&nbsp;[[File:Garden Null continue air with background.png]]&nbsp;[http://xkcd.com/1663/art/2x-null-continue-air.png Null continue air], and with background<br><br />
|<br />
*Here are the images of ''null''. They cannot normally be seen, the air version even have to have a background to be seen (both versions are shown). They are used for ??.<br />
| Color<br />
| [ Example]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:April fools' comics]] <!-- This was delayed but if not directly an April fool's comic then the comments leading up to it was, and this is the only comic to list as April fools' this year --><br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]<br />
[[Category:Interactive comics]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with animation]] <!-- The trees and plants wave in the breeze --><br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] <br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]] <br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]] <br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] <!-- Can appear when a Cueball gets on the Black Hat, but that would thus turn him into Black Hat --><br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Sharks]] <!-- Shark fins appeared after more than a week --><br />
[[Category:Mars rovers]]<br />
[[Category:Protip]]<br />
[[Category:Buns]]<br />
<!-- The tip given in the header of xkcd as a reaction to the comic. Maybe that will not be permanent, but it will be mentioned in the explanation here and should stay--><br />
[[Category:Chronicles of Narnia]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=255:_Subjectivity&diff=200367255: Subjectivity2020-10-22T01:38:52Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Transcript */ category</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 255<br />
| date = April 30, 2007<br />
| title = Subjectivity<br />
| image = subjectivity.png<br />
| titletext = Or maybe the slide is like Aslan, and gets taller as I do (except without the feeling of discomfort when I reach my teens and suddenly get the Christ stuff)<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Parodying the experience of finding that things you saw as a child are much smaller than you'd perceived them to be, [[Cueball]] is convinced that this will be the case with his childhood slide, only to find that it is indeed quite large. (As a child, it's roughly nine times his height; as an adult, it's only about triple.)<br />
<br />
The title text references {{w|Aslan}}, a character from ''{{w|The Chronicles of Narnia}}''. Aslan is often regarded as a Christ figure, but since ''Narnia'' is a children's series, many readers don't realize this until long after they've read the books – another instance of how perspective changes with age, and of the comic's title, "subjectivity."<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A tall slide, seen from the ground.]<br />
:When I was a kid, my school playground had a really tall slide that always made me nervous.<br />
<br />
:[A tall slide, seen from the side.]<br />
:We moved away, but the slide stuck in my memory, becoming a skyscraping monster.<br />
<br />
:[A car and a sign pointing to school zone.]<br />
:Years later, I was passing through my old town and remembered the playground.<br />
:I drove to the school to see the slide that my inner six-year-old thought was so towering.<br />
<br />
:[A huge slide, Cueball beside it.]<br />
:AND IT <u>WAS</u> HUGE!<br />
:I <u>KNEW</u> IT!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Chronicles of Narnia]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2375:_Worst_Ladder&diff=2003632375: Worst Ladder2020-10-22T01:33:08Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2375<br />
| date = October 21, 2020<br />
| title = Worst Ladder<br />
| image = worst_ladder.png<br />
| titletext = [Six months later] "Well, our 'worst ladder' subscription series was a surprisingly lucrative success, but was completely canceled out by the losses from the disastrous Home Depot merchandising tie-in."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a WANNABE WORST LADDER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
An ongoing concern of media industries is consumers shifting tastes or indeed abandoning a medium altogether (such as print newspapers or in-person theaters). This depicts one such scenario prompting a meeting to discuss the problem. The other attendees suspect they are simply shifting to an online platform, but Megan reveals they are instead shifting towards image search results.<br />
<br />
Searching for images is an unorthodox source of entertainment frequently only seen when searching for memes. However, novel combinations of words can provide some unexpected results.<br />
<br />
In the case of "worst ladder", ladders that are ridiculously unsafe appear ([https://drive.google.com/file/d/10xQ63VpvSBmz9e1rmKyUbHDKa5jIYPLK/view?usp=sharing sample results shortly after the comic was posted]).<br />
<br />
It is of note that xkcd comics have a tendency to cause search results to shift.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[Ponytail, Cueball, Hairy and Hairbun are sitting around a boardroom table. Megan is giving a presentation and pointing to a chart behind her.]<br />
:Megan: Our entertainment division is failing. We can't compete with free content.<br />
<br />
:[A frameless panel. Only Megan is shown, with her pointer to her side.]<br />
:Off-panel voice: Where are they going? YouTube? TikTok?<br />
:Megan: No.<br />
<br />
:[Zoomed in on Megan.]<br />
:Megan: The Google Images search results for '''''worst ladder'''''.<br />
:Off-panel voice: Huh?<br />
:Off-panel voice: Let me see ...<br />
<br />
:[Ponytail and Cueball are looking at one laptop, and Hairy and Hairbun are looking at a second. Megan has her arms out in front of her, frustrated.]<br />
:Ponytail: Yikes, look at this one! The stepladder is balanced on --<br />
:Hairy: Wow, they ''tied'' a ladder to --<br />
:Hairbun: Ooh, check out the --<br />
:Megan: ''No!''<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2375:_Worst_Ladder&diff=200362Talk:2375: Worst Ladder2020-10-22T01:31:23Z<p>172.69.33.37: new category?</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Their ladder is obviously placed somewhere where they all have to walk under it to get into the boardroom. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.247|162.158.158.247]] 00:59, 22 October 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
I find it extremely pleasing that within 20 minutes the XKCD itself in on the front page of Google results [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.4|108.162.237.4]] 01:09, 22 October 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Google searches gonna be skyrocketing for "Worst Ladder".<br />
<br />
Can someone create a category for "business"-related comics? There are quite a few (some related to Beret Guy's businesses, but others just general). [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.37|172.69.33.37]] 01:31, 22 October 2020 (UTC)</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2355:_University_COVID_Model&diff=1968602355: University COVID Model2020-09-06T05:29:52Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Transcript */ regular font</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2355<br />
| date = September 4, 2020<br />
| title = University COVID Model<br />
| image = university_covid_model.png<br />
| titletext = I admit this is an exaggeration, since I can think of at least three parties I attended while doing my degree, and I'm probably forgetting several more.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a SET OF BOTS WITH A NON-GAUSSIAN COLLEGE-PARTY-COUNT-DISTRIBUTION HAVING 42 AND 0 AS NOTABLE DATAPOINTS. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Cueball begins telling Megan an anecdote about how a college decided to reopen "based on a COVID model developed by two physicists." (The incident in question is likely a reference to this [https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/202005/challenge.cfm article] and [https://twitter.com/yellingatwind/status/1301588828860235777 tweet] about the University of Illinois, that went viral with similar wording the day before the comic was published). Presumably, the model predicted that the university could allow students to return to campus while still keeping cases of COVID-19 under control, perhaps using some combination of reduced classroom and residence hall density, and by implementing policies against large social gatherings.<br />
<br />
Before he can get further, Megan interrupts him with "Uh oh," perhaps worried that an epidemiological model created by people who aren't epidemiologists could be ineffective (much like how [[1570: Engineer Syllogism|stock-trading bots created by engineers were too good at making money on high-frequency stock markets, causing a flash-crash]]). Cueball then confirms her fears by saying that the model underestimated how many parties the students would hold, and so the actual number of cases on campus has turned out to be greater than even their worst-case prediction. Megan facetiously wonders how a physicist could have failed to know how much college kids party, implying that physicists do not attend many parties. Cueball, representing [[Randall]], a physics major, then retorts that he "was invited to ''multiple'' parties! And attended ''both'' of them!" implying that he was only invited to two parties in all of college (which typically lasts four years), a very low number {{Citation needed}}.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Cueball (or perhaps Randall, no longer in-character) admits to attending at least a third party, and possibly a few more that have been forgotten. This demonstrate as an introverted physics major who [[:Category:Social interactions|struggles with social interactions]] <br />
that they think very little about parties. As many people go to college for the parties rather than the education, we can only imagine how severely his campus epidemiology model would underestimate the number of opportunities for the coronavirus to spread.<br />
<br />
A nontrivial number of colleges followed this trajectory in 2020, such as the aforementioned [https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/09/03/909137658/university-with-model-testing-regime-doubles-down-on-discipline-amid-case-spike University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign].<br />
<br />
A different comic with physicists modeling another field is [[793: Physicists]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Cueball and Megan are talking to each other.]<br />
:Cueball: Apparently some university reopened based on a COVID model developed by two physicists.<br />
:Megan: Uh oh.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball raises an arm slightly.]<br />
:Cueball: But even their worst-case model underestimated the number of student parties and they had to shut down.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball holds up a finger.]<br />
:Megan: Can't understand why someone with a physics degree would be bad at judging how often college students get invited to parties.<br />
:Cueball: Excuse me, I was invited to '''''multiple''''' parties.<br />
:Cueball: And attended ''both'' of them!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Physics]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2337:_Asterisk_Corrections&diff=1950622337: Asterisk Corrections2020-07-25T02:44:15Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2337<br />
| date = July 24, 2020<br />
| title = Asterisk Corrections<br />
| image = asterisk_corrections.png<br />
| titletext = I like trying to make it as hard as possible. "I'd love to meet up, maybe in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty. *witchcraft"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BEACH. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. *BOT}}<br />
In text messages, asterisks are commonly used to denote a correction of some error in an earlier text. The messenger here corrects four such inaccuracies.<br />
The message, if the corrections were to be taken in order, might read "I'm gonna eat 3 AM on the couch at pizza." The typical reader should be sharp enough to know that it should read "I'm gonna eat a pizza on the couch at 3 AM." Randall finds this remarkable.<br />
<br />
Taken one at a time, it appears the reader would have the following sentences in their head:<br />
:I'm gonna ride a horse on the beach at dawn (sounds adventurous and sporty)<br />
:I'm gonna '''eat''' a horse on the beach at dawn (a figure of speech?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a horse on the beach at '''3AM''' (occultish?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a horse on the '''couch''' at 3AM (lazily occultish, or worse?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a '''pizza''' on the couch at 3AM (not too odd, but very slobbish)<br />
<br />
In the title text, Randall says that he likes to make his text recipient have to guess where his correction should be, and uses the following sentence and correction:<br />
:"I'd love to meet up, maybe in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty."<br />
: *witchcraft"<br />
The trick here is trying to figure out which word(s) should be replaced by "witchcraft". Possible solutions suggested in the comments are: <br />
: "I'd love to meet up, maybe in a few days? '''Witchcraft''' week is looking pretty empty."<br />
: "I'd love to '''witchcraft''', maybe in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty."<br />
: "I'd love to meet up, '''witchcraft''' in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty."<br />
: "I'd love to meet up, maybe '''witchcraft''' a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty."<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[A screenshot of a text messaging app.]<br />
:Other user: Do you have any weekend plans?<br />
:User of this device: I'm gonna ride a horse on the beach at dawn<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Eat<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>3AM<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Couch<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pizza<br />
:[Caption below the panel]: <br />
:I like how we can do corrections in text chat by appending words with asterisks and our brains just figure out where they go.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Food]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2337:_Asterisk_Corrections&diff=1950612337: Asterisk Corrections2020-07-25T02:42:40Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Explanation */ title text</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2337<br />
| date = July 24, 2020<br />
| title = Asterisk Corrections<br />
| image = asterisk_corrections.png<br />
| titletext = I like trying to make it as hard as possible. "I'd love to meet up, maybe in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty. *witchcraft"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BEACH. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. *BOT}}<br />
In text messages, asterisks are commonly used to denote a correction of some error in an earlier text. The messenger here corrects four such inaccuracies.<br />
The message, if the corrections were to be taken in order, might read "I'm gonna eat 3 AM on the couch at pizza." The typical reader should be sharp enough to know that it should read "I'm gonna eat a pizza on the couch at 3 AM." Randall finds this remarkable.<br />
<br />
Taken one at a time, it appears the reader would have the following sentences in their head:<br />
:I'm gonna ride a horse on the beach at dawn (sounds adventurous and sporty)<br />
:I'm gonna '''eat''' a horse on the beach at dawn (a figure of speech?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a horse on the beach at '''3AM''' (occultish?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a horse on the '''couch''' at 3AM (lazily occultish, or worse?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a '''pizza''' on the couch at 3AM (not too odd, but very slobbish)<br />
<br />
In the title text, Randall says that he likes to make his text recipient have to guess where his correction should be, and uses the following sentence and correction:<br />
:"I'd love to meet up, maybe in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty."<br />
: *witchcraft"<br />
The trick here is trying to figure out which word(s) should be replaced by "witchcraft". Possible solutions suggested in the comments are: <br />
: "I'd love to meet up, maybe in a few days? '''Witchcraft''' week is looking pretty empty."<br />
: "I'd love to '''witchcraft''', maybe in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty."<br />
: "I'd love to meet up, '''witchcraft''' in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty." : "I'd love to meet up, maybe '''witchcraft''' a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty."<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[A screenshot of a text messaging app.]<br />
:Other user: Do you have any weekend plans?<br />
:User of this device: I'm gonna ride a horse on the beach at dawn<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Eat<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>3AM<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Couch<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pizza<br />
:[Caption below the panel]: <br />
:I like how we can do corrections in text chat by appending words with asterisks and our brains just figure out where they go.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Food]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2337:_Asterisk_Corrections&diff=1950602337: Asterisk Corrections2020-07-25T02:33:49Z<p>172.69.33.37: /* Transcript */ animals</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2337<br />
| date = July 24, 2020<br />
| title = Asterisk Corrections<br />
| image = asterisk_corrections.png<br />
| titletext = I like trying to make it as hard as possible. "I'd love to meet up, maybe in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty. *witchcraft"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BEACH. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. *BOT}}<br />
In text messages, asterisks are commonly used to denote a correction of some error in an earlier text. The messenger here corrects four such inaccuracies.<br />
The message, if the corrections were to be taken in order, might read "I'm gonna eat 3 AM on the couch at pizza." The typical reader should be sharp enough to know that it should read "I'm gonna eat a pizza on the couch at 3 AM." Randall finds this remarkable.<br />
<br />
Taken one at a time, it appears the reader would have the following sentences in their head:<br />
:I'm gonna ride a horse on the beach at dawn (sounds adventurous and sporty)<br />
:I'm gonna '''eat''' a horse on the beach at dawn (a figure of speech?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a horse on the beach at '''3AM''' (occultish?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a horse on the '''couch''' at 3AM (lazily occultish, or worse?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a '''pizza''' on the couch at 3AM (not too odd, but very slobbish)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Title text explanation! Put it here.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[A screenshot of a text messaging app.]<br />
:Other user: Do you have any weekend plans?<br />
:User of this device: I'm gonna ride a horse on the beach at dawn<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Eat<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>3AM<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Couch<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pizza<br />
:[Caption below the panel]: <br />
:I like how we can do corrections in text chat by appending words with asterisks and our brains just figure out where they go.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Food]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2337:_Asterisk_Corrections&diff=1950592337: Asterisk Corrections2020-07-25T02:32:03Z<p>172.69.33.37: More</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2337<br />
| date = July 24, 2020<br />
| title = Asterisk Corrections<br />
| image = asterisk_corrections.png<br />
| titletext = I like trying to make it as hard as possible. "I'd love to meet up, maybe in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty. *witchcraft"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BEACH. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. *BOT}}<br />
In text messages, asterisks are commonly used to denote a correction of some error in an earlier text. The messenger here corrects four such inaccuracies.<br />
The message, if the corrections were to be taken in order, might read "I'm gonna eat 3 AM on the couch at pizza." The typical reader should be sharp enough to know that it should read "I'm gonna eat a pizza on the couch at 3 AM." Randall finds this remarkable.<br />
<br />
Taken one at a time, it appears the reader would have the following sentences in their head:<br />
:I'm gonna ride a horse on the beach at dawn (sounds adventurous and sporty)<br />
:I'm gonna '''eat''' a horse on the beach at dawn (a figure of speech?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a horse on the beach at '''3AM''' (occultish?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a horse on the '''couch''' at 3AM (lazily occultish, or worse?)<br />
:I'm gonna eat a '''pizza''' on the couch at 3AM (not too odd, but very slobbish)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Title text explanation! Put it here.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[A screenshot of a text messaging app.]<br />
:Other user: Do you have any weekend plans?<br />
:User of this device: I'm gonna ride a horse on the beach at dawn<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Eat<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>3AM<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Couch<br />
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pizza<br />
[Caption below the panel]: <br />
:I like how we can do corrections in text chat by appending words with asterisks and our brains just figure out where they go.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Food]]</div>172.69.33.37https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2337:_Asterisk_Corrections&diff=1950432337: Asterisk Corrections2020-07-25T01:11:22Z<p>172.69.33.37: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2337<br />
| date = July 25, 2020<br />
| title = Asterisk Corrections<br />
| image = asterisk_corrections.png<br />
| titletext = I like trying to make it as hard as possible. "I'd love to meet up, maybe in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty. *witchcraft"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BEACH. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. *BOT}}<br />
This is a text messaging interface. Someone asks the current user what his weekend plans are. This person replies that he is riding a horse on the beach at dawn.<br />
Then, he corrects this sentence.<br />
<br />
*EAT: This hints he is going to eat a horse on the beach at dawn, which is inhumane.<br />
*3AM: This says he rides at 3AM, when everyone is asleep, instead of at dawn.<br />
*Couch: This means he rides a couch instead of a horse.<br />
*Pizza: This implies he eats a pizza instead of a couch/horse.<br />
<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
A screenshot of a text messaging app.<br />
Other user: Do you have any weekend plans?<br />
User of this device: I'm gonna ride a horse on the beach at dawn<br />
*Eat<br />
*3AM<br />
*Couch<br />
*Pizza<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>172.69.33.37