https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=173.245.54.175&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T11:54:37ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1509:_Scenery_Cheat_Sheet&diff=890421509: Scenery Cheat Sheet2015-04-08T11:58:40Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Map */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1509<br />
| date = April 8, 2015<br />
| title = Scenery Cheat Sheet<br />
| image = scenery cheat sheet.png<br />
| titletext = At the boundary between each zone, stories blend together. Somewhere in the New Mexico desert, the Roadrunner is pursued by a tireless Anton Chigurh.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{Incomplete|Only just started page.}}<br />
<br />
{{w|GeoGuessr}} is a game using {{w|Google Street View|StreetView}} images that drops the player in a random location and challenges them to work out where they are. It is also referenced in [[1214: Geoguessr]].<br />
<br />
The [[title text]] references ''{{w|Anton Chigurh}}'', who is the main antagonist of the film ''{{w|No Country For Old Men}}''.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
===Title===<br />
:A '''cheat sheet''' for<br />
:figuring out where in the US you are<br />
:by recognizing the background from movies<br />
:(for use by GeoGuessr players and crash-landed astronauts)<br />
<br />
===Map===<br />
[From top left, left to right, top to bottom]<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Movie title<br />
! Area(s) covered<br />
! Filming Location(s)<br />
! Notes<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Twilight (film)| Twilight}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fifty Shades of Grey (film)|50 Shades of Grey}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Dances with Wolves}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fargo (film)|Fargo}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Wild Wild West|Wild Wild West}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Sandlot|The Sandlot}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Napoleon Dynamite|Napoleon Dynamite}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Brokeback Mountain|Brokeback Mountain}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Oregon Trail<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Interstellar (film)|Interstellar}}<br />
| rowspan="3"|<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Star Trek (film)|Star Trek (2009)}}<br />
| <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Field of Dreams|Field of Dreams}}<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Music Man (1962 film)|The Music Man}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Blues Brothers (film)|Blues Brothers}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|A Christmas Story|A Christmas Story}}<br />
| rowspan="2" |<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jack & Diane|That Song about Jack and Diane}}<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|8 Mile (film)|8 Mile}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Groundhog Day (film)|Groundhog Day}}<br />
| Western Pennsylvania and New York<br />
| Woodstock, IL<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|My Side of the Mountain|My Side of the Mountain (book)}}<br />
| Adriondack Mountains, NY<br />
| Catskill mountains, near Delhi, NY<br />
| The area shown on the map is actually the Adirondack mountains, not the Catskills. I suspect this is an error.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Super Troopers|Super Troopers}}<br />
| Vermont, NY ("Somewhere near the border")<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Pet Semetary|Pet Semetary}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|What About Bob?|What about Bob}}<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Departed|The Departed}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Signs & the Village<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|War of the Worlds (2005 film)|War of the Worlds (2005)}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jaws (film)|Jaws}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Rock (film)|The Rock}}<br />
| {{w|Alcatraz Island}}<br />
| {{W|Alcatraz Island}}<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[https://geoguessr.com/ GeoGuessr's official website]<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Maps]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1509:_Scenery_Cheat_Sheet&diff=890401509: Scenery Cheat Sheet2015-04-08T11:55:55Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Map */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1509<br />
| date = April 8, 2015<br />
| title = Scenery Cheat Sheet<br />
| image = scenery cheat sheet.png<br />
| titletext = At the boundary between each zone, stories blend together. Somewhere in the New Mexico desert, the Roadrunner is pursued by a tireless Anton Chigurh.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{Incomplete|Only just started page.}}<br />
<br />
{{w|GeoGuessr}} is a game using {{w|Google Street View|StreetView}} images that drops the player in a random location and challenges them to work out where they are. It is also referenced in [[1214: Geoguessr]].<br />
<br />
The [[title text]] references ''{{w|Anton Chigurh}}'', who is the main antagonist of the film ''{{w|No Country For Old Men}}''.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
===Title===<br />
:A '''cheat sheet''' for<br />
:figuring out where in the US you are<br />
:by recognizing the background from movies<br />
:(for use by GeoGuessr players and crash-landed astronauts)<br />
<br />
===Map===<br />
[From top left, left to right, top to bottom]<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Movie title<br />
! Area(s) covered<br />
! Filming Location(s)<br />
! Notes<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Twilight (film)| Twilight}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fifty Shades of Grey (film)|50 Shades of Grey}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Dances with Wolves}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fargo (film)|Fargo}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Wild Wild West|Wild Wild West}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Sandlot|The Sandlot}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Napoleon Dynamite|Napoleon Dynamite}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Brokeback Mountain|Brokeback Mountain}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Oregon Trail<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Interstellar (film)|Interstellar}}<br />
| rowspan="3"|<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Star Trek (film)|Star Trek (2009)}}<br />
| <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Field of Dreams|Field of Dreams}}<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Music Man (1962 film)|The Music Man}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Blues Brothers (film)|Blues Brothers}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|A Christmas Story|A Christmas Story}}<br />
| rowspan="2" |<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jack & Diane|That Song about Jack and Diane}}<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|8 Mile (film)|8 Mile}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Groundhog Day (film)|Groundhog Day}}<br />
| Western Pennsylvania and New York<br />
| Woodstock, IL<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|My Side of the Mountain|My Side of the Mountain (book)}}<br />
| Catskill Mountains, NY<br />
| N/A<br />
| The area shown on the map is actually the Adirondack mountains, not the Catskills. I suspect this is an error.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Super Troopers|Super Troopers}}<br />
| Vermont, NY ("Somewhere near the border")<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Pet Semetary|Pet Semetary}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|What About Bob?|What about Bob}}<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Departed|The Departed}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Rock (film)|The Rock}}<br />
| {{w|Alcatraz Island}}<br />
| {{W|Alcatraz Island}}<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[https://geoguessr.com/ GeoGuessr's official website]<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Maps]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1509:_Scenery_Cheat_Sheet&diff=890391509: Scenery Cheat Sheet2015-04-08T11:54:06Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Map */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1509<br />
| date = April 8, 2015<br />
| title = Scenery Cheat Sheet<br />
| image = scenery cheat sheet.png<br />
| titletext = At the boundary between each zone, stories blend together. Somewhere in the New Mexico desert, the Roadrunner is pursued by a tireless Anton Chigurh.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{Incomplete|Only just started page.}}<br />
<br />
{{w|GeoGuessr}} is a game using {{w|Google Street View|StreetView}} images that drops the player in a random location and challenges them to work out where they are. It is also referenced in [[1214: Geoguessr]].<br />
<br />
The [[title text]] references ''{{w|Anton Chigurh}}'', who is the main antagonist of the film ''{{w|No Country For Old Men}}''.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
===Title===<br />
:A '''cheat sheet''' for<br />
:figuring out where in the US you are<br />
:by recognizing the background from movies<br />
:(for use by GeoGuessr players and crash-landed astronauts)<br />
<br />
===Map===<br />
[From top left, left to right, top to bottom]<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Movie title<br />
! Area(s) covered<br />
! Filming Location(s)<br />
! Notes<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Twilight (film)| Twilight}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fifty Shades of Grey (film)|50 Shades of Grey}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Dances with Wolves}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fargo (film)|Fargo}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Wild Wild West|Wild Wild West}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Sandlot|The Sandlot}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Napoleon Dynamite|Napoleon Dynamite}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Brokeback Mountain|Brokeback Mountain}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Oregon Trail<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Interstellar (film)|Interstellar}}<br />
| rowspan="3"|<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Star Trek (film)|Star Trek (2009)}}<br />
| <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Field of Dreams|Field of Dreams}}<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Music Man (1962 film)|The Music Man}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Blues Brothers (film)|Blues Brothers}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|A Christmas Story|A Christmas Story}}<br />
| rowspan="2" |<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jack & Diane|That Song about Jack and Diane}}<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|8 Mile (film)|8 Mile}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Groundhog Day (film)|Groundhog Day}}<br />
| Western Pennsylvania and New York<br />
| Woodstock, IL<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|My Side of the Mountain|My Side of the Mountain (book)}}<br />
| Catskill Mountains, NY<br />
| N/A<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Super Troopers|Super Troopers}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Pet Semetary|Pet Semetary}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|What About Bob?|What about Bob}}<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Departed|The Departed}}<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|The Rock (film)|The Rock}}<br />
| {{w|Alcatraz Island}}<br />
| {{W|Alcatraz Island}}<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[https://geoguessr.com/ GeoGuessr's official website]<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Maps]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1504:_Opportunity&diff=873031504: Opportunity2015-03-29T04:37:36Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Transcript */ caps</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1504<br />
| date = March 27, 2015<br />
| title = Opportunity<br />
| image = opportunity.png<br />
| titletext = We all remember those famous first words spoken by an astronaut on the surface of Mars: "That's one small step fo- HOLY SHIT LOOK OUT IT'S GOT SOME KIND OF DRILL! Get back to the ... [unintelligible] ... [signal lost]"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Needs citations.}}<br />
<br />
This comic is talking about the robotic science platform {{w|Opportunity (rover)|''Opportunity''}}. On January 25, 2004, the ''Opportunity'' rover landed on the surface of {{w|Mars}} for the purpose of gathering data about the surface of Mars.<br />
<br />
Also sent to Mars on the same date was another Martian rover, {{w|Spirit (rover)|''Spirit''}}. Unfortunately, this became stuck and a sand storm covered its solar panels. On March 22, 2010, it was thought that ''Spirit'''s batteries finally ran out, marking the end of its mission. This was memorably covered in [[695: Spirit]], in which the ''Spirit'' rover is portrayed with an anthropomorphic personality.<br />
<br />
As of the release date of this comic in 2015, the Opportunity rover {{w|Opportunity mission timeline|is still alive and moving}}. The comic depicts the scientists at ground control being amazed at this.<br />
<br />
However, in 2023, Opportunity has apparently become so powerful that it has become dangerous, presumably cannibalizing or destroying the {{w|Mars 2020|rover sent in 2020}}. Cueball and Megan note it even continues to operate without its original battery, suggesting it has developed a new power source. This evolution is similar to the stories of {{w|HAL 9000}} (from {{w|2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|''2001: A Space Odyssey''}}) and {{w|List of Star Trek characters (T–Z)#V'Ger|V'Ger}} (from ''{{w|Star Trek: The Motion Picture}}''), both of which became dangerous to human beings.<br />
<br />
By 2450, humans have colonised and terraformed Mars. “Everything the light touches” is a reference to what {{w|List of The Lion King characters#Mufasa|Mufasa}} says in ''{{w|The Lion King}}''. (Mufasa's son Simba then asks "What about that shadowy place?" and Mufasa tells him “That is beyond our borders. You must never go there”.) What this all implies is the ''Opportunity'' has dominated half of the planet — and clearly has devised a new power source for itself, given that its power originally came from solar panels, which obviously do not function in the darkness.<br />
<br />
Mars rotates just as Earth does (the day length is about {{w|Timekeeping on Mars|40 minutes longer}}). This means the light and dark zones constantly move, just as they do on Earth. But perhaps the time of this explanation is chosen to correspond to the agreed zones.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the first words of the first astronauts on the surface of Mars. At first, the astronaut copies the first words of Neil Armstrong on the Moon ("That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind") but it is interrupted by the ''Opportunity'' rover. Onboard the rover uses a drill for sampling rocks, but here it is heavily suggested that it uses the drill to attack the astronaut.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
:2010:<br />
:[Ponytail and Hair Bun sitting at a computer, facing left.]<br />
:Ponytail: After six years, ''Spirit'' is down, but ''Opportunity'' is still going strong.<br />
:Hair Bun: Tough little rover!<br />
<br />
:2015:<br />
:[Opportunity traveling on Mars.]<br />
:Offscreen: Eleven years, wow.<br />
:Offscreen 2: Wasn't the original mission 90 days?<br />
:Offscreen: This is starting to get weird.<br />
<br />
:2023:<br />
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at a computer, facing right.]<br />
:Cueball: The battery is totally disconnected. How can it still be moving??<br />
:Megan: Given what it did to the Mars 2020 rover, we may never know.<br />
<br />
:2450, terraformed Mars, Martian imperial capital:<br />
:[Some martian inhabits looking like Cueball and Megan pointing towards a dark, mountainous region]<br />
:Cueball-Martian: Everything the light touches is our kingdom.<br />
:Megan-Martian: What's that dark area?<br />
:Cueball-Martian: That is ''Opportunity's'' half of the planet. We must never go there.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<!-- Include any categories below this line. --><br />
[[Category:Robots]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1504:_Opportunity&diff=873021504: Opportunity2015-03-29T04:36:16Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Explanation */ explain that light/dark zones are not actually fixed like this</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1504<br />
| date = March 27, 2015<br />
| title = Opportunity<br />
| image = opportunity.png<br />
| titletext = We all remember those famous first words spoken by an astronaut on the surface of Mars: "That's one small step fo- HOLY SHIT LOOK OUT IT'S GOT SOME KIND OF DRILL! Get back to the ... [unintelligible] ... [signal lost]"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Needs citations.}}<br />
<br />
This comic is talking about the robotic science platform {{w|Opportunity (rover)|''Opportunity''}}. On January 25, 2004, the ''Opportunity'' rover landed on the surface of {{w|Mars}} for the purpose of gathering data about the surface of Mars.<br />
<br />
Also sent to Mars on the same date was another Martian rover, {{w|Spirit (rover)|''Spirit''}}. Unfortunately, this became stuck and a sand storm covered its solar panels. On March 22, 2010, it was thought that ''Spirit'''s batteries finally ran out, marking the end of its mission. This was memorably covered in [[695: Spirit]], in which the ''Spirit'' rover is portrayed with an anthropomorphic personality.<br />
<br />
As of the release date of this comic in 2015, the Opportunity rover {{w|Opportunity mission timeline|is still alive and moving}}. The comic depicts the scientists at ground control being amazed at this.<br />
<br />
However, in 2023, Opportunity has apparently become so powerful that it has become dangerous, presumably cannibalizing or destroying the {{w|Mars 2020|rover sent in 2020}}. Cueball and Megan note it even continues to operate without its original battery, suggesting it has developed a new power source. This evolution is similar to the stories of {{w|HAL 9000}} (from {{w|2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|''2001: A Space Odyssey''}}) and {{w|List of Star Trek characters (T–Z)#V'Ger|V'Ger}} (from ''{{w|Star Trek: The Motion Picture}}''), both of which became dangerous to human beings.<br />
<br />
By 2450, humans have colonised and terraformed Mars. “Everything the light touches” is a reference to what {{w|List of The Lion King characters#Mufasa|Mufasa}} says in ''{{w|The Lion King}}''. (Mufasa's son Simba then asks "What about that shadowy place?" and Mufasa tells him “That is beyond our borders. You must never go there”.) What this all implies is the ''Opportunity'' has dominated half of the planet — and clearly has devised a new power source for itself, given that its power originally came from solar panels, which obviously do not function in the darkness.<br />
<br />
Mars rotates just as Earth does (the day length is about {{w|Timekeeping on Mars|40 minutes longer}}). This means the light and dark zones constantly move, just as they do on Earth. But perhaps the time of this explanation is chosen to correspond to the agreed zones.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the first words of the first astronauts on the surface of Mars. At first, the astronaut copies the first words of Neil Armstrong on the Moon ("That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind") but it is interrupted by the ''Opportunity'' rover. Onboard the rover uses a drill for sampling rocks, but here it is heavily suggested that it uses the drill to attack the astronaut.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
:2010:<br />
:[Ponytail and Hair Bun sitting at a computer, facing left.]<br />
:Ponytail: After six years, ''Spirit'' is down, but ''Opportunity'' is still going strong.<br />
:Hair Bun: Tough little rover!<br />
<br />
:2015:<br />
:[Opportunity traveling on Mars.]<br />
:Offscreen: Eleven years, wow.<br />
:Offscreen 2: Wasn't the original mission 90 days?<br />
:Offscreen: This is starting to get weird.<br />
<br />
:2023:<br />
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at a computer, facing right.]<br />
:Cueball: The battery is totally disconnected. How can it still be moving??<br />
:Megan: Given what it did to the Mars 2020 rover, we may never know.<br />
<br />
:2450, terraformed Mars, martian imperial capital:<br />
:[Some martian inhabits looking like Cueball and Megan pointing towards a dark, mountainous region]<br />
:Cueball-Martian: Everything the light touches is our kingdom.<br />
:Megan-Martian: What's that dark area?<br />
:Cueball-Martian: That is ''Opportunity's'' half of the planet. We must never go there.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<!-- Include any categories below this line. --><br />
[[Category:Robots]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=635:_Locke_and_Demosthenes&diff=87137635: Locke and Demosthenes2015-03-27T06:55:44Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Explanation */ spl</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 635<br />
| date = September 11, 2009<br />
| title = Locke and Demosthenes<br />
| image = locke_and_demosthenes.png<br />
| titletext = Dear Peter Wiggin: This letter is to inform you that you have received enough up votes on your reddit comments to become president of the world. Please be at the UN tomorrow at 8:00 sharp.}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic reimagines a scene from {{w|Ender's Game}}, by {{w|Orson Scott Card}}. In the book, Ender is an above-average-intelligence boy who is selected to become a potential leader of Earth's "Defense" Forces in the event of another {{w|Formics|Bugger}} invasion (later re-titled the Formic invasions). Meanwhile, Ender's two older siblings, Peter and Valentine decide to save the world from itself. They do this by asserting themselves as wise demagogues who comment on political events on what are known as the "free nets" which are nets open to comment by anyone in the world. They choose pseudonyms to write under, as no one would take the words of children seriously, they choose Locke (Peter's pseudonym), and Demosthenes (Valentine's) and begin work. Eventually they gain enough respect to be invited to participate in moderated political debates in the higher class nets. By the end of the book, Peter has become the leader of the world, as Valentine runs away with Ender to a planet formerly inhabited by Buggers to live out their lives in peace.<br />
<br />
The whole thing is eerily reminiscent of what blogging has become, without the becoming-the-head-of-government outcome, obviously. [[Randall]] is suggesting that if the book was set with today's technology, Locke and Demosthenes would be getting extremely low exposure with their wordpress blogs as evidenced by the 0 comments on each post; the title text sarcastically invites Peter to be head of the UN. Also note that the sarcastic note is addressed to "Peter" rather than "Locke"; Peter's attempt to remain anonymous has failed miserably.<br />
<br />
If you happen to be wondering about the squirrel, Peter Wiggin is portrayed as a sadistic sociopath. There is a scene in the book where Valentine stumbles across a skinned squirrel still twitching in pain.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Valentine is laying on her back on the ground. Peter is feeding a squirrel.]<br />
:Valentine: Ender's up there saving the world, but down here it's falling apart politically. What can we do?<br />
<br />
:Peter: I know — we get on the nets and anonymously post political opinions. People reading our articles will see our intelligence, recognize how clear and logical our arguments are, and insist that we be put in charge, so we can fix everything!<br />
:Valentine: Brilliant!<br />
:[The squirrel is eating Peter's food.]<br />
<br />
:[A blog.]<br />
:LOCKE<br />
:Powered by Wordpress<br />
<br />
:[Articles, partly scrolled down.]<br />
:[...] which is why we must reach out to the Russian leadership.<br />
::Posted at 3:15AM by Locke<br />
::Comments (0)<br />
<br />
:[In a larger font]<br />
:The Problem with China<br />
:In recent months much has been made of [...]<br />
<br />
:[In a sidebar]<br />
:Recent posts:<br />
:>> A few thoughts on...<br />
::Comments (0)<br />
:>> Russian Aggression...<br />
::Comments (1)<br />
:>> Trade policy and the...<br />
::Comments (0)<br />
:>> And one more thing...<br />
::Comments (0)<br />
:>> Everyone's wrong about...<br />
::Comments (1)<br />
<br />
:[A list of links to other websites.]<br />
:Blogroll:<br />
:>> Demosthenes<br />
:>> FiveThirtyEight<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Ender's Game]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1471:_Gut_Fauna&diff=824491471: Gut Fauna2015-01-12T00:05:50Z<p>173.245.54.175: Minor</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1471<br />
| date = January 9, 2015<br />
| title = Gut Fauna<br />
| image = gut_fauna.png<br />
| titletext = I know it seems unpleasant, but of the two ways we typically transfer them, I promise this is the one you want.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|More discussion of macrobiome and wolf reintroduction in Yosemite, role in ecosystem needed}}<br />
<br />
The {{w|microbiome}} is the collection of bacteria that reside in the human digestive tract. The bacteria perform several vital digestive and immune-support functions. Different compositions of bacteria, collectively referred to as {{w|gut flora}}, can be linked to risk of some diseases, while other compositions are linked to a decreased risk of some diseases and are therefore called "good bacteria". The title "Gut fauna" is a play on words. ''Fauna'' means animal life in Latin, and ''flora'' means vegetable life. However, in this context ''flora'' means bacterial life because, when microscopes we invented, microbial life was considered to be non-animal and therefore classified as "flora". For a good description of the microbiome see [http://youtu.be/5DTrENdWvvM The Invisible Universe Of The Human Microbiome].<br />
<br />
In this comic, [[Cueball]] is visiting a doctor ([[Ponytail]]) for some unknown problem. The doctor informs him that his gut macrobiome is out of balance, which Cueball responds to with confusion over whether or not she meant the microbiome or macrobiome. A macrobiome, instead of being composed of small organisms such as bacteria, would be composed of larger organisms such as mammals. The phrase "gut fauna" would refer to any animals living inside a gut (as the word fauna refers to animals living in an ecosystem). <br />
<br />
Cueball is right to be worried by the doctor's reference to his macrobiome, as normal humans shouldn't have large animals living inside them. (With the exception of some parasites such as {{w|Helminths}}, animals are never found in the human digestive system; all known cases of animals in a human digestive system are causes of disease.) This fear is compounded when the doctor prescribes one wolf for Cueball to swallow, which is normally impossible for humans and would, at the very least, result in major interior damage when the wolf resists being swallowed. The choice of a wolf echoes the reintroduction of the animals into the macrobiome of {{w|Yellowstone National Park}} in the United States, where they have improved the balance by, in part, preying on elk and reducing the damage caused by their grazing.<br />
<br />
The dialog between the characters ends with the doctor asking the patient whether he needs a glass of water, a typical question asked by health professionals (water can help patients swallow oral medication). This last phrase further extends the humorous nature of the proposition to swallow the wolf by displaying a confidence of the doctor in her choice of the treatment modality. In reality, of course, drinking a glass of water while attempting to swallow a wolf would make the latter procedure neither easier, nor more feasible.<br />
<br />
The title text suggests that swallowing the wolf is not the worst situation that could have occurred, as the doctor refers to "another way" that the wolf could be administered. One typical way that microbiomes are restored is through {{w|fecal bacteriotherapy}}, most easily described as a "poop transfer". The worse "other way" that the doctor is referring to is thus likely the rectal route, which is less preferable than attempting to swallow a live wolf. However, either way would prove both physically impossible and potentially lethal.<br />
<br />
If we are to take the doctor at her word and there is indeed some sort of macrobiome inside Cueball's gut, then perhaps she has some kind of matter compression ability that would make [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_Was_an_Old_Lady_Who_Swallowed_a_Fly introducing a live wolf a legitimate therapeutic option].<br />
<br />
Randall has referenced wolf reintroduction programs before, in comic [[819: Five-Minute Comics: Part 1]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[Cueball on an examining table; Ponytail wearing a doctor's coat holding some test results.]<br />
:Doctor: I see the problem. Your gut macrobiome is out of balance. One moment.<br />
[Ponytail leaves.]<br />
:Cueball: I think you mean ''micro''biome... Right?<br />
[Ponytail returns, slightly disheveled, carrying a momentarily docile live wolf.]<br />
:Doctor: No. Here, swallow this.<br />
:Cueball: That's a wolf.<br />
:Doctor: Do you need a glass of water?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=482:_Height&diff=81947482: Height2015-01-03T05:46:05Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Objects */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 482<br />
| date = September 29, 2008<br />
| title = Height<br />
| before = [[#Explanation|↓ Skip to explanation ↓]]<br />
| image = height.png<br />
| titletext = Interestingly, on a true vertical log plot, I think the Eiffel Tower's sides would really be straight lines.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{Incomplete|Review object descriptions for grammar: Independently review heights: Include why the object is noteworthy in the object description}}<br />
The comic is a companion piece to [[485: Depth]]. Where ''Depth'' which uses a {{w|logarithmic scale}} to view the earth, from Earth's atmosphere to the interior of a single proton, ''Height'' uses a logarithmic scale to view the universe from earths perspective, from the end of the observable universe to the grass beneath our feet.<br />
<br />
The comic starts, at the bottom, with people walking in grass, and ends with [[Black Hat]] kicking a cat off the edge of the observable universe. Black Hat may be testing if cats always land on their feet, or may just be being a jerk, per his usual character. The top of the observable universe is the distance from which the oldest rays of light reach Earth. The {{w|Observable universe}} extends about 46 billion {{w|light years}} from earth, as shown on the top of the image.<br />
<br />
In this cartoon most objects that are grounded in the earth are scaled logarithmically on the vertical axes and linearly on the horizontal axes, while others are scaled linearly on both axes. Displaying height logarithmically, while displaying width linearly, noticeably distorts the shapes of these terrestrial objects. The title text notes that this distortion might to convert the Eifel Tower's famous silhouette into an isosceles triangle. In other places, such as the planets, the objects appear as linearly scaled objects that are placed at their appropriate locations. If, for example, the depth of the sun where scaled logarithmically instead of linearly it would appear more egg shaped, with the flatter side facing upward.<br />
<br />
===Objects===<br />
All objects are sorted from bottom to top by their maximum distance from earth for objects in a solar orbit, and their current distance for others.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
! Distance<br />
! Object<br />
! Description<br />
|-<br />
| 435&nbsp;×10<sup>24</sup>m<br />
| Black Hat and cat<br />
| Black Hat kicking a cat off the top of the comic, presumably to determine whether it will land on its feet.<br />
|-<br />
| 435&nbsp;×10<sup>24</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | Top of observable universe<br />
|-<br />
| 11.3&nbsp;×10<sup>24</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Hubble Deep Field}} objects<br />
| Objects of extremely distant galaxies found in a long-exposure photograph by of the Hubble telescope, 12 billion light-years away.<br />
|-<br />
| 9.46&nbsp;×10<sup>24</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | One billion light years<br />
|-<br />
| 2.36&nbsp;×10<sup>24</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Great Attractor}}<br />
| An unusual concentration of intergalactic mass.<br />
|-<br />
| 425&nbsp;×10<sup>21</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Antennae Galaxies}} (colliding)<br />
| A pair of colliding galaxies.<br />
|-<br />
| 23.6&nbsp;×10<sup>21</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Andromeda Galaxy}}<br />
| A sibling to our Milky Way. It is the nearest spiral galaxy to ours.<br />
|-<br />
| 9.46&nbsp;×10<sup>21</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | One million light years<br />
|-<br />
| 2.38&nbsp;×10<sup>21</sup>m<br />
| [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cat-on-a-keyboard-in-space Cat on a keyboard in space]<br />
| An internet meme featuring a picture of a cat sitting on a musical keyboard, superimposed on an image of space.<br />
|-<br />
| 1.56&nbsp;×10<sup>21</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Magellanic Clouds}}<br />
| These clouds are a pair of nearby dwarf galaxies.<br />
|-<br />
| 263&nbsp;×10<sup>18</sup>m<br />
| Edge of Galaxy<br />
| The edge of the {{w|Milky Way}} galaxy, the galaxy in which we reside.<br />
|-<br />
| 245&nbsp;×10<sup>18</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Galactic Center}}<br />
| The center of the Milky Way galaxy.<br />
|-<br />
| 61.5&nbsp;×10<sup>18</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Crab Nebula}}<br />
| Nebula are supernova remnants<br />
|-<br />
| 14.2&nbsp;×10<sup>18</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Horsehead Nebula}}<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 12.7&nbsp;×10<sup>18</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Orion Nebula}}<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 8.14&nbsp;×10<sup>18</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Rigel}}<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 6.08&nbsp;×10<sup>18</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Betelgeuse}}<br />
| The star Betelgeuse is displayed along with the location of {{w|Ford_Prefect (character)|Ford Prefect}} on his home planet which orbits Betelgeuse. Ford Prefect is a fictional character from the science fiction parody {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}.<br />
|-<br />
| 4.20&nbsp;×10<sup>18</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Pleiades}}<br />
| The Pleiades also have a derogatory remark, as per [[66: Abusive Astronomy]]<br />
|-<br />
| 2.90&nbsp;×10<sup>18</sup>m<br />
| The [http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Romulan_Neutral_Zone Romulan Neutral Zone]<br />
| This marks the edge of the {{w|Star Trek}} Federation.<br />
|-<br />
| 931&nbsp;×10<sup>15</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | The first radio broadcast was in January 1910. Since radio waves travel at the speed of light, and this was published in September of 2008 this the radio waves traveled about 98.5 light years. See {{w|Contact (1997 film)}} for a depiction of this. This is also referenced in [[1212: Interstellar Memes]].<br />
|-<br />
| 350&nbsp;×10<sup>15</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Arcturus}}<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 320&nbsp;×10<sup>15</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Pollux}}<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 242&nbsp;×10<sup>15</sup>m<br />
| The edge of {{w|Federation Sector 0-0-1}}<br />
| The sector of space assigned to Earth in {{w|Star Trek}}.<br />
|-<br />
| 224&nbsp;×10<sup>15</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Iraq and weapons of mass destruction|"missing WMDs"}}<br />
| A reference to the alleged weapons of mass destruction that where used as a pretence to mobilize the world population against Iraq, and start the Iraq war.<br />
|-<br />
| 81.3&nbsp;×10<sup>15</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Sirius}}<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 56.6&nbsp;×10<sup>15</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Barnard's Star}}<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 41.3&nbsp;×10<sup>15</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Alpha Centauri}}<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 30.9&nbsp;×10<sup>15</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | One parsec.<br />
|-<br />
| 9.46&nbsp;×10<sup>15</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | One light-year.<br />
|-<br />
| 15.0&nbsp;×10<sup>15</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Oort cloud}}<br />
| A halo of ice balls surrounding our solar system, but missing the {{w|Kupier belt}} between Neptune and the Oort cloud.<br />
|-<br />
| 350&nbsp;×10<sup>12</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Bupkis}}<br />
| Yiddish for "nothing". Only a handful of objects are known to orbit between the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud.<br />
|-<br />
| 55.0&nbsp;×10<sup>12</sup>m<br />
| A comet which will destroy earth in late 2063 <br />
| To coincide with the latest biblicaly based prophesy for the [http://www.askelm.com/prophecy/p971105.htm end of the world].<br />
|-<br />
| 19.5&nbsp;×10<sup>12</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Voyager 1}}<br />
| An early space probe. Distance correct as of 20th Nov 2014, click [http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/where/ here] to see NASA's live distance counter.<br />
|-<br />
| 16.7&nbsp;×10<sup>12</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Pioneer 10}}<br />
| Listed distance is an estimate based on {{w|Pioneer_10#Current_status|this information}}.<br />
|-<br />
| 17.7&nbsp;×10<sup>12</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Pioneer 11}}<br />
| By the similarity in appearance to Pioneer 10 this unlabeled probe must be Pioneer 11. Listed distance is an estimate based on {{w|Pioneer_11#Current_status|this information}}.<br />
|-<br />
| 14.5&nbsp;×10<sup>12</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Eris (dwarf planet)|Eris}}<br />
| One of a pair of {{w|Trans-Neptunian object}}s now classified as {{w|dwarf planet}}s. The "All hail Discordia!" after Eris is a reference to {{w|Discordianism}}, a somewhat tongue-in-cheek religion based around the goddess Eris. The distance is the maximum distance from earth.<br />
|-<br />
| 7.50&nbsp;×10<sup>12</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Pluto}}<br />
| One of a pair of {{w|Trans-Neptunian object}}s now classified as {{w|dwarf planet}}s. Pluto was originally classified as the 9th planet of the Solar system. Many people was appalled when it was suddenly degraded to dwarf planet. Obviously Randall does not think much of these people thus the comment: ''Not a planet. Neener neener''. The distance is the maximum distance of Pluto from Earth.<br />
|-<br />
| 4.70&nbsp;×10<sup>12</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Neptune}} <br />
| Neptune is displayed here with its moons. Neptune is the eighth and final planet in our solar system.<br />
|-<br />
| 3.20&nbsp;×10<sup>12</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Uranus}} <br />
| Uranus is dispayed here with its moons. Uranus is the seventh planet in our solar system.<br />
|-<br />
| 1.67&nbsp;×10<sup>12</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Saturn}} <br />
| Saturn is displayed along with its moons. One of Saturn's moons, most likely Titan, is labeled as a potential location to find life. Titan is the only known moon to have an atmosphere and oceans. The oceans cannot be filled with liquid water, as it is far too cold, but are instead filled with liquid methane and ethane. Some hypothisize that life could have formed in such oceans.<br />
|-<br />
| 928&nbsp;×10<sup>9</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Jupiter}} <br />
| Jupiter is displayed along with its moons. One of Jupiter's moons, most likely Europa, is labeled as a potential location to find life. Europa may be covered by a deep ocean of water found under a layer of ice many kilometers thick. Some hypothisize that life could have formed in such oceans.<br />
|-<br />
| 222&nbsp;×10<sup>9</sup>m<br />
| Asteroids<br />
| The {{w|Asteroid|Asteroid belt}} contains a spaceship from {{w|Asteroids (video game)}}<br />
|-<br />
| 133&nbsp;×10<sup>9</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Mars}}<br />
| Note the path, reflecting the fact that their distances from Earth vary as the planets move in their orbits with a maximum distance of 261 million km and a minimum of 54.6 million km.<br />
|-<br />
| 114&nbsp;×10<sup>9</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Venus}}<br />
| Note the path, reflecting the fact that their distances from Earth vary as the planets move in their orbits with a maximum distance of 401 million km and a minimum of 37.7 million km.<br />
|-<br />
| 138&nbsp;×10<sup>9</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Mercury}}<br />
| Mercury is the first planet in out solar system. The distance shown is the maximum distance from Earth.<br />
|-<br />
| 149&nbsp;×10<sup>9</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Sun}}<br />
| The Sun is the star at the center of our solar system, around which the Earth orbits.<br />
|-<br />
| 16.3&nbsp;×10<sup>9</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Discovery One}}<br />
| The Discovery One from {{w|2001: A Space Odyssey}}, referring to the quote "open the pod bay door, HAL." Also may be a reference to [[375: Pod Bay Doors]].<br />
|-<br />
| 9.43&nbsp;×10<sup>9</sup>m<br />
| Planet Express<br />
| The spaceplane is most likely the Planet Express from {{w|Futurama}}, where Fry once discussed "a big heaping bowl of salt." <br />
|-<br />
| 400&nbsp;×10<sup>6</sup>m<br />
| Human Altitude Record <br />
| Achieved by the team of {{w|Apollo 13}} approximately 100km higher than the remaining Apollo missions.<br />
|-<br />
| 384&nbsp;×10<sup>6</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Moon}} <br />
| The Moon is the Earth's only natural satellite.<br />
|-<br />
| 90.4&nbsp;×10<sup>6</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Snoop Dogg}}<br />
| A toung in cheek reffrence to a rapper notorious for smoking marijuana, is shown as having the second-highest altitude record. Someone who is taking drugs is said to be getting high.<br />
|-<br />
| 60.5&nbsp;×10<sup>6</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Space elevator}}<br />
| A proposed method of transporting cargo or people into orbit, consisting of a large mass beyond geosynchronous orbit, a station at the geosynchronous point, a cable connecting it to the Earth, and a climber that can scale the cable. Space elevators are also seen in [[697: Tensile vs. Shear Strength]] and [[536: Space Elevators]].<br />
|-<br />
| 42.1&nbsp;×10<sup>6</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | {{w|Geosynchronous orbit|Geosynchronous Orbit}}<br />
|-<br />
| 20.2&nbsp;×10<sup>6</sup>m<br />
| {{w|GPS (satellite)|GPS Satellites}}<br />
| GPS satellites are used for global positioning.<br />
|-<br />
| 3.94&nbsp;×10<sup>6</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Lunar Lander}} <br />
| The quote is a reference to {{w|Contact (1997 film)}} where the main character Ellie Arroway after witnessing a celestial light show up close says "Poetry! They should've sent a poet.".<br />
|-<br />
| 800&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Space debris|Space Junk}}<br />
| There is a large quantity of defunct objects in orbit around the earth. Amongst other things, this includes old satellites, rocket stages and fragments from collisions or disintegration. Space junk is also referenced in [[1242: Scary Names]] under the title {{w|Kessler syndrome}}<br />
|-<br />
| 422.5&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| {{w|International Space Station}}<br />
| The ISS (International Space Station) is a multinational effort to put a research vessel in space. It is currently the largest artifical object in Earth's orbit, as well as the location of the longest continuous human presence in space.<br />
|-<br />
| 100&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | The {{w|Edge of space|official edge of space}} as defined by the {{w|Kármán line}}<br />
|-<br />
| 76.0&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Meteors}}<br />
| Meteors are chunks of rock (usually asteroids) that burn up in the atmosphere, producing the bright light associated with them. If the are large enough to hit the ground, they become meterorites, which is why Munroe labeled them only in the upper atmosphere.<br />
|-<br />
| 25.0&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| {{w|High-altitude balloon|High-altitude balloons}}<br />
| Unmanned balloons, typically filled with helium or hydrogen. The current altitude record was set in 2002 by a balloon named BU60-1 which reached 53,000m.<br />
|-<br />
| 16.1&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | 1/10 ATM = 0.1 {{w|Atmospheric pressure|atmosphere of pressure}}<br />
|-<br />
| 12.0&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Airliner|Airliners}}<br />
| This is a typical cruising altitude of jet aircraft, equating to roughly 40,000 feet. (Aircraft altitude tends to be specified in feet rather than metres (yay!) ) <br />
|-<br />
| 8.84&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Mount Everest}} <br />
| The Earths highest mountain, located in the {{w|Himalayas|Himalayan mountain range}} in South Asia.<br />
|-<br />
| 8.00&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Cory Doctorow}} <br />
| Cory Doctorow in a balloon, a reference to comic [[239: Blagofaire]].<br />
|-<br />
| 6.34&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Space Shuttle Columbia disaster}} <br />
| The {{w|Space Shuttle Columbia}} and its seven crew were lost when it disintegrated at [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6v16AgAAQBAJ&lpg=PA7&ots=LDKQ3nsNHs&dq=shuttle%20columbia%20altitude&pg=PA7#v=onepage&q=shuttle%20columbia%20altitude&f=false approximately 63,400m] in 2003. This number is inconsistent with the height of the graph by a factor of 10 probably a mistype by Randall.<br />
|-<br />
| 6.00&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Helicopter}} <br />
| Though the record for helicopter altitude (without payload) is 12,442m, normal flying is usually performed much lower. In the US, 6000m is into {{w|Class A airspace}}, which is restricted and requires flight under {{w|Instrument Flight Rules}}.<br />
|-<br />
| 6.00&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Cloud}} <br />
| Though not actually labelled there are a couple of clouds shown. While different cloud types vary in height, 6000m is roughly in the middle of the height range for clouds in temperate regions [http://weatherfaqs.org.uk/node/21]<br />
|-<br />
| 5.49&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | 1/2 ATM = 0.5 {{w|Atmospheric pressure|atmosphere of pressure}}<br />
|-<br />
| 1.78&nbsp;×10<sup>3</sup>m<br />
| [[Cueball]] <br />
| Apparently still using Python as shown in comic [[353: Python]].<br />
|-<br />
| 800&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | 800 meters<br />
|-<br />
| 800&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Burj Khalifa|Burj Dubai}} <br />
| Now known as the Burj Khalifa, is the tallest building in the world.<br />
|-<br />
| 500&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | 500 meters<br />
|-<br />
| 400&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | 400 meters<br />
|-<br />
| 325&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Eiffel Tower}} <br />
| A famous landmark in Paris, France.<br />
|-<br />
| 300&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | 300 meters<br />
|-<br />
| 200&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | 200 meters<br />
|-<br />
| 150&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| Kite <br />
| Kite string is commonly sold in large spools; a nice thick spool will probably hold 150 meters.<br />
|-<br />
| 140&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Great Pyramid of Giza}} <br />
| One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is located in Egypt.<br />
|-<br />
| 120&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Baseball|Pop Fly}} <br />
| In Baseball a 'Pop Fly' is when the batter mis-hits the baseball, which then follows a tall arc deep into the infield where it's easy picking for the other team to catch on its way down. The highest recorded pop fly, not including those that landed in foul territory, was 172 meters.<br />
|-<br />
| 115&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Redwood Tree|Redwood trees}} <br />
| The tallest trees in the world. At 115.61m (379.3ft) {{w|Hyperion (tree)|Hyperion}}, a Coast Redwood, holds the record for the tallest tree in the world.<br />
|-<br />
| 100&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #ffdead;" | 100 meters<br />
|-<br />
| 20.0&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Oak}} <br />
| While oaks may grow to be in excess of 40m in height, heights of around 20m are more typical. The person in the tree saying, "Hey, squirrels!" is a reference to [[167: Nihilism]].<br />
|-<br />
| 16.4&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| Tallest stilts <br />
| The tallest {{w|stilts}} recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records (as of November 2006) were 16.4 meters, or nearly 54 feet.<br />
|-<br />
| 13.0&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Brachiosaurus|Brachiosaur}}<br />
| A large genus of dinosaur.<br />
|-<br />
| 8.00&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Giraffe}} <br />
| The the tallest living terrestrial animal, with fully grown adults reaching in excess of 5m. While labelled 8m in the comic, the [http://www.big-animals.com/the-giraffe-the-worlds-tallest-animal/ record] for height is reported at 5.8m.<br />
|-<br />
| 1.70&nbsp;×10<sup>0</sup>m<br />
| {{w|Human height|Folks}}<br />
| Determining an average height of the world population is fraught with complications, but as a ballpark figure 1.7m is fairly accurate.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:'''Top of observable universe'''<br />
:[Black Hat is standing on top, throwing a black kitty down.]<br />
:Black Cat: Mrowl!<br />
:[Map of the universe from observable universe to Earth. Each area of item is labeled. Labels left to right, up to down:]<br />
:(46 billion light years up)<br />
::Hubble Deep Field Objects<br />
:-One billion light years-<br />
::Great Attractor<br />
::Antennae Galaxies (colliding)<br />
::Andromeda<br />
::Holy crap lots of space<br />
:-One million light years-<br />
::Magellanic Clouds<br />
::Edge of galaxy<br />
::Galactic center<br />
::Crab Nebula<br />
::Orion Nebula<br />
::Horsehead Nebula<br />
::Romulan neutral zone<br />
::The Pleiades, duh!<br />
::Rigel<br />
::Betelgeuse<br />
::Ford Prefect<br />
:[Three arrows are pointing up above three lines with the following label:]<br />
:-Expanding shell of radio transmissions-<br />
::[Above a dotted line:]<br />
::Edge of federation sector 0-0-1<br />
::Pollux<br />
::Arcturus<br />
::Missing WMDs<br />
::Sirius<br />
::Barnard's Star<br />
::Alpha Centauri<br />
:-One parsec-<br />
:-One light year-<br />
::Oort Cloud (?)<br />
::Bupkis<br />
::Comet which will destroy Earth in late 2063<br />
::Pioneer 10<br />
::Voyager I<br />
::Eris (All hail Discordia!)<br />
::Pluto (Not a planet. Neener neener.)<br />
::Neptune<br />
::Uranus<br />
::Saturn<br />
::[Two arrows point to two moons, one next to each of the planets aboe and below.]<br />
::<-- Life --><br />
::Jupiter<br />
::Asteroids<br />
::Mars<br />
::Venus<br />
::Sun<br />
::Mercury<br />
::Spaceship Planet Express: Hey, a heaping bowl of salt!<br />
::Spaceship Discovery One: Open the fridge door, Hal.<br />
::Moon<br />
::Human altitude record (Apollo 13)<br />
::2nd place: Snoop Dogg<br />
::Space elevator - One of these days, promise!<br />
::Geosynchronous Orbit<br />
::GPS satellites<br />
::Lunar lander: In retrospect, they <u>shouldn't</u> have sent a poet. I have no idea how to land.<br />
::International Space Station<br />
::Space junk<br />
:-Official edge of space (100 km)-<br />
::Meteors<br />
:-1/10 ATM-<br />
::High altitude balloons<br />
::Airliners<br />
::Shuttle Columbia lost<br />
:-1/2 ATM-<br />
::Cory Doctrow<br />
::Everest<br />
::Helicopters (6000 m)<br />
::Cueball: Woo Python!<br />
::[A vertical scale is drawn along the right side of the picture, starting at 1 km and getting progressivly smaller and smaller.]<br />
:1 km<br />
:-800 m-<br />
::Burj Dubai (~800 m)<br />
:500<br />
:400<br />
::Eiffel Tower (325 m)<br />
:200<br />
::Kites<br />
::Great Pyramid (140 m)<br />
::Pop fly<br />
::Redwood (115 m)<br />
:100m<br />
::Oak (20 m)<br />
::A person in the oak: Hey squirrels!<br />
::Tallest stilts<br />
::Brachiosaur (13 m)<br />
::Giraffe (8 m)<br />
::[Megan and Cueball holding the kite are labeled:] <br />
::Folks<br />
:'''The observable universe, from top to bottom''''<br />
::~On a log scale~<br />
::Sizes are not to scale, but heights above the Earth's surface are accurate on a log scale (that is, each step up is double the height.)<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Large drawings]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=434:_xkcd_Goes_to_the_Airport&diff=81939434: xkcd Goes to the Airport2015-01-02T23:26:48Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 434<br />
| date = June 9, 2008<br />
| title = xkcd Goes to the Airport<br />
| image = xkcd_goes_to_the_airport.png<br />
| titletext = Under three ounces, but it stains panties.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The various characters of xkcd cause problems at the airport due to their various quirks.<br />
<br />
Panel 1: [[Beret Guy]] and [[Megan]] are lost, following each other in a loop. Beret Guy displays his obsession with baked goods as he also does in later comics: [[442: xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel]] and [[452: Mission]].<br />
<br />
Panel 2: [[Cueball]] tries to carry a {{w|Lock picking|lockpick set}} (a tool able to unlock doors without the original key) through security because of "this hacker girl" (spoofing the incidents where someone has been manipulated into carrying drugs or other contraband by a romantic interest they met on the Internet). The security guard tells Cueball to come with him but Cueball continues rambling on about the girl. It could be a reference to the Homeless Hacker from [[343: 1337: Part 3]] or another guy Elaine met during this period of her life.<br />
<br />
Panel 3: On the plane, Cueball has been instructed to disable the wireless transmission functionality of his device. Many airports will disable {{w|Mobile phones on aircraft}} as well as devices that transmit information because they may disrupt communication to cellular towers on the ground. However, his laptop is running Linux and he doesn't know how to change the wireless settings; he's reading the {{w|Man page|manual}} for the program that controls the wireless radio. However, this is probably not the ideal situation, as the airplane is pressed to take off. Man page was also referenced in [[293: RTFM]]. Much later a plane was again linked to a man page in [[912: Manual Override]].<br />
<br />
Panel 4: [[Black Hat]] tries to carry a container of liquid through security. According to US law, the maximum amount of liquid in a container is three ounces, a security measure taken to prevent terrorists from taking explosives onto planes. When the guard has doubts about the amount of liquid in the vial, Black Hat reveals that the liquid is actually blood from a churchmouse, a fictional mouse created by Lewis Carroll. The guard is visibly uncomfortable and clearly does not want to deal with the issue any further.<br />
<br />
The title text continues off the final panel, saying that there are less than three ounces of blood in a churchmouse, but it "stains panties", an undesirable scenario. However, this undesirable scenario is paralleled by the implied undesirable scenario of a terrorist attack due to explosive liquids, the possibility of which caused the law. The title text seems to parody the prospect of an explosion with the relatively insignificant staining of panties, a term for women's underwear. This may also be a menstruation joke.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Standing outside the Airport. There is a sign saying "Airport" and a plane in the background.]<br />
:Megan: Okay, what airline?<br />
:Beret Guy: I'm following you.<br />
:Megan: ...I'm following <u>you</u>.<br />
:Beret Guy: I assumed we were walking to the bakery.<br />
:Megan: You always assume that!<br />
<br />
:[Presumably the security checkpoint.]<br />
:Security Guy: Lockpicks? These are... illegal, actually. Where did you get them?<br />
:Cueball: Oh man, it all started with this hacker girl.<br />
:Security Guy: You need to come with-<br />
:Cueball: Sure, sure. But man, let me tell you about her!<br />
<br />
:[On a plane.]<br />
:Announcement: If your device has a "Transmit" function, please disable it.<br />
:Cueball: Okay - hang on, I'm half way through the iwconfig man page.<br />
<br />
:[Security checkpoint.]<br />
:Security guy: Sir, is this container under three ounces?<br />
:Black Hat: Not sure, how much blood is there in a churchmouse?<br />
:Security guy: . . .Why don't you just go.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Linux]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=496:_Secretary:_Part_3&diff=81932496: Secretary: Part 32015-01-02T20:17:05Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 496<br />
| date = October 29, 2008<br />
| title = Secretary: Part 3<br />
| image = secretary part 3.png<br />
| titletext = He actually installed each piece in a different car in the lot, then built a new car in the spot from the displaced pieces. It's a confusing maneuver known as the auto-troll shuffle.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
When a person has been appointed to a position by the {{w|POTUS|President}}, they must first go through a confirmation hearing in front of the {{w|United States Senate|Senate}}, the upper house of {{w|United States Congress|Congress}} where they find if the person is qualified to be in the position they have been appointed to. Of course, [[Black Hat]] is not the cleanest of characters, so Congress has a lot of reservations about his {{w|résumé}}.<br />
<br />
*{{w|Starbucks}} is an American coffee shop chain.<br />
**He hasn't yet, but in [[562: Parking]], Black Hat will cut someone's car in half to make it fit in a single space. Not quite as dramatic as completely disassembling a car and, as the title text says, putting a single piece in another car parked in the lot, and building a car out of the displaced parts, which could almost be considered subtle; but, it is quite dramatic.<br />
**Taking all the parts from different cars to build in a new car in the same spot parallels the idea in philosophy of the {{w|Ship of Theseus}} in which a question arises of whether a ship is the same ship if it is replaced piece by piece by identical pieces.<br />
*{{w|Charles M. Schulz}} drew a comic called {{w|Peanuts}}. One of the recurring characters was {{w|Snoopy}} who would often use his doghouse as an imaginary {{w|Sopwith Camel}} in many battles with {{w|Manfred von Richthofen|The Red Baron}} who piloted a {{w|Fokker Dr.I|Red Fokker}} {{w|Triplane}}.<br />
**The {{w|Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade}} is a parade that happens on {{w|Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving Day}} in the US. There are many giant balloons of pop-culture icons. Snoopy has made many appearances.<br />
*{{w|9/11 Truth movement|9/11 Truthers}} believe that the terrorist attack on the {{w|World Trade Center}} towers on September 11, 2001 (thus 9/11) was a conspiracy purported by the US Government as a cover up. In the comic, Black Hat appears to be mixing 9/11 truthers with {{w|Moon landing conspiracy theories|Moon landing conspiracy theorists}} who believe that {{w|NASA}} never put a {{w|Apollo program|man on the moon}}.<br />
**Black Hat uses a common refrain [[:Category:Sheeple|Wake up, Sheeple]].<br />
*{{w|RadioShack}} is a chain of consumer electronics shops that sold parts to build electronics with: resistors, transistors, etc. Apparently Black Hat managed to build a death ray from the parts there and accidentally vaporized a customer. His line "Figures that'd be the one day that there'd be a customer in the aisle" refers to the fact that RadioShack stores have been in steady decline over the years, largely propped up by momentum. <br />
*{{w|Microsoft}} is the company that makes {{w|Microsoft Windows|Windows}}, and {{w|Steve Ballmer}} is its {{w|Chief executive officer|CEO}}. {{w|Windows Vista}} is an {{w|operating system}} released in 2007; it was widely panned by software critics.<br />
*{{w|Ruth Bader Ginsburg}} is the second female justice on the {{w|Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court}}, appointed by President Clinton. The relevance here is that during her own confirmation hearings, she refused to answer many questions about her personal views, frustrating many Senators (nevertheless, she was confirmed, 96-3). {{w|John Roberts}}, the current Chief Justice, was similarly evasive in his hearings, citing the "Ginsburg Precedent."<br />
*Black Hat stole a nuclear submarine in xkcd [[405: Journal 3]] to get his hat back from [[Danish]].<br />
*"Pleading the fifth" is to invoke the {{w|Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fifth Amendment}} of the {{w|United States Bill of Rights}}. Specifically, when someone pleads the fifth, they mean that they cannot be compelled to give testimony against themselves. That is, they do not have to say anything that could be taken as an admission of guilt. The {{w|Third Amendment to the United States Constitution|third amendment}} states that no homeowner has to keep troops of the United States Army in their house against their will in peacetime. Either Black Hat<br />
**Doesn't understand the 3rd Amendment,<br />
**Just chooses this amendment over the 5th to confuse the committee which seems to forget the question,<br />
**Believes the nuclear submarine to be his property, and rather than stealing it he was simply expelling U.S. military personnel who were "quartered" in his nuclear sub without his permission,<br />
**Or he may have rented the submarine in response to a posting in comic [[886: Craigslist Apartments]] of an home that "is a submarine", which warned that "Previous tenants [the military personnel] may resist entry." <br />
<br />
The final panels show Ron Paul's blimp finally approaching Washington DC. The balloon spotted on their radar is presumably piloted by blogger {{w|Cory Doctorow}}. <br />
<br />
All comics in the [[:Category:Secretary|Secretary]] series:<br />
*[[494: Secretary: Part 1]]<br />
*[[495: Secretary: Part 2]]<br />
*496: Secretary: Part 3 (this one)<br />
*[[497: Secretary: Part 4]]<br />
*[[498: Secretary: Part 5]]<br />
<br />
This series was released on 5 consecutive days (Monday-Friday) and not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[The confirmation hearings begin.]<br />
:Senator: It appears you have quite an arrest record.<br />
<br />
:Senator: Is it true you completely disassembled someone's car outside a Starbucks?<br />
:Black Hat: It was parked across two spaces.<br />
<br />
:Senator: You stole a red Fokker triplane and strafed the snoopy float at the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade?<br />
<br />
:Black Hat: Got three mimes, too.<br />
<br />
:Senator: You disrupted a 9/11 truth meeting, insisting the Twin Towers never actually collapsed?<br />
:Black Hat: I have evidence! Don't trust the media! Wake up, sheeple!<br />
<br />
:Senator: You were fired from Radio Shack after you built a death ray and vaporized a customer?<br />
<br />
:Black Hat: I was just testing it! Figures that'd be the one day there was a shopper in the aisle.<br />
<br />
:Senator: And you were thrown out of Microsoft headquarters for... trying to feed a squirrel through a fax machine?<br />
<br />
:Black Hat: I forgot about that! it was part of an argument with Steve Ballmer about Vista.<br />
::Which I won, by the way.<br />
<br />
:[Senators look down at their notes.]<br />
<br />
:Senator: This is the worst history of vandalism, gleeful mayhem, and general recalcitrance we've seen in a nominee since Ruth Bader Ginsburg. <br />
<br />
:Senator: And this-you stole a nuclear submarine?<br />
:Black Hat: I plead the third.<br />
<br />
:Senator: You mean the fifth?<br />
:Black Hat: No, the third.<br />
<br />
:Senator: You refuse to quarter troops in your house?<br />
:Black Hat: I have few principles, but I stick to them.<br />
<br />
:Meanwhile...<br />
:[Aboard Ron Paul's blimp.]<br />
:Ponytail: We're nearing Washington, sir.<br />
::Wait... There's something ahead on the sensors.<br />
<br />
:Ponytail: It's a balloon.<br />
:Ron Paul: ...Oh, no.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ron Paul]]<br />
[[Category:Sheeple]]<br />
[[Category:Secretary|03]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=496:_Secretary:_Part_3&diff=81931496: Secretary: Part 32015-01-02T20:16:31Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 496<br />
| date = October 29, 2008<br />
| title = Secretary: Part 3<br />
| image = secretary part 3.png<br />
| titletext = He actually installed each piece in a different car in the lot, then built a new car in the spot from the displaced pieces. It's a confusing maneuver known as the auto-troll shuffle.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
When a person has been appointed to a position by the {{w|POTUS|President}}, they must first go through a confirmation hearing in front of the {{w|United States Senate|Senate}}, the upper house of {{w|United States Congress|Congress}} where they find if the person is qualified to be in the position they have been appointed to. Of course, [[Black Hat]] is not the cleanest of characters, so Congress has a lot of reservations about his {{w|résumé}}.<br />
<br />
*{{w|Starbucks}} is an American coffee shop chain.<br />
**He hasn't yet, but in [[562: Parking]], Black Hat will cut someone's car in half to make it fit in a single space. Not quite as dramatic as completely disassembling a car and, as the title text says, putting a single piece in another car parked in the lot, and building a car out of the displaced parts, which could almost be considered subtle; but, it is quite dramatic.<br />
**Taking all the parts from different cars to build in a new car in the same spot parallels the idea in philosophy of the {{w|Ship of Theseus}} in which a question arises of whether a ship is the same ship if it is replaced piece by piece by identical pieces.<br />
*{{w|Charles M. Schulz}} drew a comic called {{w|Peanuts}}. One of the recurring characters was {{w|Snoopy}} who would often use his doghouse as an imaginary {{w|Sopwith Camel}} in many battles with {{w|Manfred von Richthofen|The Red Baron}} who piloted a {{w|Fokker Dr.I|Red Fokker}} {{w|Triplane}}.<br />
**The {{w|Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade}} is a parade that happens on {{w|Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving Day}} in the US. There are many giant balloons of pop-culture icons. Snoopy has made many appearances.<br />
*{{w|9/11 Truth movement|9/11 Truthers}} believe that the terrorist attack on the {{w|World Trade Center}} towers on September 11, 2001 (thus 9/11) was a conspiracy purported by the US Government as a cover up. In the comic, Black Hat appears to be mixing 9/11 truthers with {{w|Moon landing conspiracy theories|Moon landing conspiracy theorists}} who believe that {{w|NASA}} never put a {{w|Apollo program|man on the moon}}.<br />
**Black Hat uses a common refrain [[:Category:Sheeple|Wake up, Sheeple]].<br />
*{{w|RadioShack}} is a chain of consumer electronics shops that sold parts to build electronics with: resistors, transistors, etc. Apparently Black Hat managed to build a death ray from the parts there and accidentally vaporized a customer. His line "Figures that'd be the one day that there'd be a customer in the aisle" refers to the fact that RadioShack stores have been in steady decline over the years, largely propped up by momentum. <br />
*{{w|Microsoft}} is the company that makes {{w|Microsoft Windows|Windows}}, and {{w|Steve Ballmer}} is its {{w|Chief executive officer|CEO}}. {{w|Windows Vista}} is an {{w|operating system}} released in 2007; it was widely panned by software critics.<br />
*{{w|Ruth Bader Ginsburg}} is the second female justice on the {{w|Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court}}, appointed by President Clinton. The relevance here is that during her own confirmation hearings, she refused to answer many questions about her personal views, frustrating many Senators (nevertheless, she was confirmed, 96-3). {{w|John Roberts}}, the current Chief Justice, was similarly evasive in his hearings, citing the "Ginsburg Precedent."<br />
*Black Hat stole a nuclear submarine in xkcd [[405: Journal 3]] to get his hat back from [[Danish]].<br />
*"Pleading the fifth" is to invoke the {{w|Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fifth Amendment}} of the {{w|United States Bill of Rights}}. Specifically, when someone pleads the fifth, they mean that they cannot be compelled to give testimony against themselves. That is, they do not have to say anything that could be taken as an admission of guilt. The {{w|Third Amendment to the United States Constitution|third amendment}} states that no homeowner has to keep troops of the United States Army in their house against their will in peacetime. Either Black Hat<br />
**Doesn't understand the 3rd Amendment,<br />
**Just chooses this amendment over the 5th to confuse the committee which seems to forget the question,<br />
**Believes the nuclear submarine to be his property, and rather than stealing it he was simply expelling U.S. military personnel who were "quartered" in his nuclear sub without his permission.<br />
**Or he may have rented the submarine in response to a posting in comic [[886: Craigslist Apartments]] of an home that "is a submarine", which warned that "Previous tenants [the military personnel] may resist entry." <br />
<br />
The final panels show Ron Paul's blimp finally approaching Washington DC. The balloon spotted on their radar is presumably piloted by blogger {{w|Cory Doctorow}}. <br />
<br />
All comics in the [[:Category:Secretary|Secretary]] series:<br />
*[[494: Secretary: Part 1]]<br />
*[[495: Secretary: Part 2]]<br />
*496: Secretary: Part 3 (this one)<br />
*[[497: Secretary: Part 4]]<br />
*[[498: Secretary: Part 5]]<br />
<br />
This series was released on 5 consecutive days (Monday-Friday) and not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[The confirmation hearings begin.]<br />
:Senator: It appears you have quite an arrest record.<br />
<br />
:Senator: Is it true you completely disassembled someone's car outside a Starbucks?<br />
:Black Hat: It was parked across two spaces.<br />
<br />
:Senator: You stole a red Fokker triplane and strafed the snoopy float at the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade?<br />
<br />
:Black Hat: Got three mimes, too.<br />
<br />
:Senator: You disrupted a 9/11 truth meeting, insisting the Twin Towers never actually collapsed?<br />
:Black Hat: I have evidence! Don't trust the media! Wake up, sheeple!<br />
<br />
:Senator: You were fired from Radio Shack after you built a death ray and vaporized a customer?<br />
<br />
:Black Hat: I was just testing it! Figures that'd be the one day there was a shopper in the aisle.<br />
<br />
:Senator: And you were thrown out of Microsoft headquarters for... trying to feed a squirrel through a fax machine?<br />
<br />
:Black Hat: I forgot about that! it was part of an argument with Steve Ballmer about Vista.<br />
::Which I won, by the way.<br />
<br />
:[Senators look down at their notes.]<br />
<br />
:Senator: This is the worst history of vandalism, gleeful mayhem, and general recalcitrance we've seen in a nominee since Ruth Bader Ginsburg. <br />
<br />
:Senator: And this-you stole a nuclear submarine?<br />
:Black Hat: I plead the third.<br />
<br />
:Senator: You mean the fifth?<br />
:Black Hat: No, the third.<br />
<br />
:Senator: You refuse to quarter troops in your house?<br />
:Black Hat: I have few principles, but I stick to them.<br />
<br />
:Meanwhile...<br />
:[Aboard Ron Paul's blimp.]<br />
:Ponytail: We're nearing Washington, sir.<br />
::Wait... There's something ahead on the sensors.<br />
<br />
:Ponytail: It's a balloon.<br />
:Ron Paul: ...Oh, no.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ron Paul]]<br />
[[Category:Sheeple]]<br />
[[Category:Secretary|03]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1465:_xkcd_Phone_2&diff=814801465: xkcd Phone 22014-12-26T07:00:53Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Explanation */ note about bug drawer</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1465<br />
| date = December 26, 2014<br />
| title = xkcd Phone 2<br />
| image = xkcd_phone_2.png<br />
| titletext = Washable, though only once.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This is a followup to https://xkcd.com/1363/, which debuted the original xkcd Phone. Like [[xkcd Phone]] 1, this comic continues to parody modern smartphone advertisement by imitating a promotional image for a fictional phone. Like the previous XKCD Phone, the comic touts a variety of features which are either pointless, misleading, or physically impossible.<br />
<br />
Going clockwise from the bottom left:<br />
*'''Auto-Rotating Case: Phones often feature an auto-rotating display (to treat the phone as portrait or landscape), but this is useless.<br />
*'''OS by Stackoverflow®:''' [http://stackoverflow.com/ Stackoverflow.com] is a public question/answer forum for programmers, indicating that the operating system of the XKCD Phone 2 was developed by anonymous internet volunteers rather than by a professional development team.<br />
*'''3D Materials:''' As all real materials are 3-dimensional, which is a given.<br />
*'''Scroll lock:''' A computer key invented by [http://explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/978:_Citogenesis/ Steven Chu], its use is unknown to all.<br />
*'''Coin slot:''' In most phones, this would be the charging port. Payphones have coin slots.<br />
*'''Bug drawer:''' This is most likely the cover for other ports, though looks like a small drawer, capable of only holding bug-sized items. Possibly a joke on software bugs, which would, being virtual rather than physical, easily fit inside this area. May also be a reference to "Phone may attract/trap insects; this is normal" from the original ''xkcd Phone'' comic.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1363:_xkcd_Phone&diff=814791363: xkcd Phone2014-12-26T06:57:54Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Explanation */ speculate re candles</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1363<br />
| date = May 2, 2014<br />
| title = xkcd Phone<br />
| image = xkcd_phone.png<br />
| titletext = Presented in partnership with Qualcomm, Craigslist, Whirlpool, Hostess, LifeStyles, and the US Chamber of Commerce. Manufactured on equipment which also processes peanuts. Price includes 2-year Knicks contract. Phone may extinguish nearby birthday candles. If phone ships with Siri, return immediately; do not speak to her and ignore any instructions she gives. Do not remove lead casing. Phone may attract/trap insects; this is normal. Volume adjustable (requires root). If you experience sudden tingling, nausea, or vomiting, perform a factory reset immediately. Do not submerge in water; phone will drown. Exterior may be frictionless. Prolonged use can cause mood swings, short-term memory loss, and seizures. Avert eyes while replacing battery. Under certain circumstances, wireless transmitter may control God.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is a parody of a multitude of mobile-technology related issues that, when brought together, create a general satire of smartphone advertising. The advertised features here either make previously useful capabilities useless or add features nobody wants. Except for "your mobile world (going) digital", which is old news. To market something as "going digital" implies that the corporation has found a way to integrate computers and/or the internet into a market that previously existed without them; the market for mobile phones has ''always'' involved computers, making the xkcd phone's marketing feel dated and clueless.<br />
<br />
From bottom left, going clockwise:<br />
<br />
*'''FlightAware partnership:''' This is a reference to the [http://www.flightaware.com/ FlightAware] flight tracking service. This FlightAware partnership results in the phone playing airplane engine noise whenever a flight passes over the phone's current location, an annoying and arbitrary feature. It may also be superfluous, as such noise may be heard from the plane itself, depending on altitude.<br />
*'''Realistic case:''' possibly a joke on various audiovisual devices like gaming consoles that advertise realistic sound, graphics, etc. Of course, applying "realistic" to an actual physical case is ridiculous. Either the case is actually real, or it doesn't actually function as a case. Possible reference to [[331: Photoshops]], where [[Cueball]] finds a physical object to not look realistic.<br />
*'''Clear screen:''' This is a pointless descriptor from the perspective of the consumer. Of course the screen is clear. This joke works in tandem with the previous joke, as a play on "clear case, realistic screen," which are both hypothetically viable selling points.<br />
*'''Side Facing Camera:''' There was a recent controversy surrounding an [https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/spy-cam-peek-i Indiegogo for a surreptitious, side-mounted camera device] for smartphones due to the advertisement of the device as a good way to take creep shots, which are illegal in many places. Widespread dissemination of these devices as a built-in feature would likely result in a sharp increase in delinquency of this nature. May also be an ''ad absurdum'' extension of devices with both forward and backward facing cameras.<br />
*'''Custom blend OS:''' iOS and Android are offered by different conglomerates and run on different kernels. A "custom blend" would probably be a nightmare to work with. <br />
*'''Simulates alternative speed of light:''' This renders the clock useless as a means of telling time. The {{w|speed of light}} is 299,792,458 meters per second; relativistic effects, such as {{w|time dilation}}, are only noticeable at significant fractions of the speed of light. Since the phone is simulating a much slower speed of light, driving at even highway speeds will cause a significant amount of time dilation. For example, driving at 90 mph (90% of the default simulated speed of light) will give a time dilation factor of about 2.29, causing the clock to advance only 26 minutes for each hour; driving at exactly 100 mph makes the dilation factor infinite and will stop the clock entirely. Driving beyond 100 mph would make the clock start advancing through imaginary/complex time rather than real time.<br />
*'''Wireless:''' as in cordless phone. This is the bare minimum a phone has to have in order to be a mobile phone, so advertising it as a feature feels dated by decades.<br />
*'''Accelerometer screams in free fall:''' A humorous function. Rather than having some sort of feature to prevent breakage or cracking when a drop is detected, the phone just makes you more aware of its potential imminent doom.<br />
*'''When exposed to light, phone says "hi":''' Bait and switch, and also a build from the previous joke. The implied feature is that the screen or camera will automatically adjust, but instead the phone is weirdly anthropomorphized.<br />
<br />
The ominous warnings and disclaimers in the title text are probably a reference to the ''Saturday Night Live'' parody ad for {{w|Happy Fun Ball}} ([http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/pictures/50-greatest-saturday-night-live-sketches-of-all-time-20140203/happy-fun-ball-0459912 original video hosted on rollingstone.com]).<br />
<br />
*'''Presented in partnership with {{w|Qualcomm}}, {{w|Craigslist}}, Whirlpool, {{w|Hostess}}, LifeStyles, and the US Chamber of Commerce.''' Qualcomm is a semiconductor company that designs and produces chips for mobile phones. {{w|Whirlpool Corporation}} is a large American multinational manufacturer and marketer of home appliances, while {{w|Whirlpool (website)|Whirlpool}} is a prominent Australian tech forum website, originally created for discussion of Australian broadband providers but now extending to cover general tech topics, including mobile phones. The other companies and lobbying organizations mentioned here have no association with mobile phones, though there is a long history of unrelated companies attempting to leverage their respective brands to help promote each other.<br />
*'''Manufactured on equipment which also processes peanuts.''' A warning often seen on candy and other foods for people with a peanut allergy. It is highly unlikely that equipment used to produce mobile phones would also process food.<br />
*'''Price includes 2-year Knicks contract.''' Mobile phones are often sold by phone companies in combination with a cell phone contract. The {{w|New York Knicks|Knicks}}, a team with a history of questionable personnel decisions, might in fact be willing to offer 2-year contracts (worth at least $1,100,000) to cellular phone purchasers regardless of their skill at basketball, though the vast majority of customers wouldn't be interested.<br />
*'''Phone may extinguish nearby birthday candles.''' A rather oddly specific capability, which might also be annoying for anyone attempting to host a birthday party. As to how it would do this, a very powerful directional speaker would be able to blow out a nearby candle, but the speakers in mobile phones aren't going to be that big. It is also difficult to work out how the phone would detect and identify birthday candles. Perhaps when the phone senses light from candles, it says "hi" (see above) so loudly that they blow out.<br />
*'''If phone ships with {{w|Siri}}, return immediately; do not speak to her and ignore any instructions she gives.''' {{w|Siri}} is a virtual personal assistant application for Apple devices. Not speaking to it and not following its instructions would defeat its purpose. It may suggest that a malevolent "Siri AI" has sneaked itself onto some devices, at the manufacturing stage, for some diabolical purpose. May be a reference to the Companion Cube in the game Portal, in which the player is instructed to disregard its advice if the cube appears to be animate.<br />
*'''Do not remove lead casing.''' A mobile phone encased in lead would not function because it could not transmit or receive data. Devices that emit high levels of ionizing radiation are often encased in lead, but a phone that would emit that level of radiation would be unhealthy to carry around. If encased in sufficient lead to mitigate the danger, it would be uncomfortably heavy. This might be reference to [https://xkcd.com/925/ xkcd comic no 925: Cell phones] where Randall makes fun of the WHO claiming that cell phones might cause cancer despite huge studies showing the opposite. This could also mean the device is an actual bananaphone as regular phones emit no ionizing radiation ([http://xkcd.com/radiation xkcd Radiation Dose Chart]). Regrettably, the lead casing would render the phone inedible, although this somewhat mitigates the issues with having been manufactured on equipment that also processes peanuts.<br />
*'''Phone may attract/trap insects; this is normal.''' Some plants, like the {{w|Venus flytrap}}, attract and trap insects, but mobile phones are not known to exhibit this behaviour. May be a reference to {{w|Rasberry crazy ant}}s which are attracted to electronics.<br />
*'''Volume adjustable (requires root).''' {{w|Android rooting|Rooting}} is the method to gain privileged access on Android phones. Adjusting the volume should be available to any user and sould not be restricted to root access only.<br />
*'''If you experience sudden tingling, nausea, or vomiting, perform a factory reset immediately.''' These symptoms are usually associated with chemical or radiation poisoning, or Cialis commercials. It is unclear why these would be cured by a {{w|factory reset}}, though software apps could plausibly be used to display nauseating visual effects.<br />
*'''Do not submerge in water; phone will drown.''' Most phones are not waterproof and will probably short-circuit when submerged. Drowning however, would imply that the phone breathes air (which actually would be possible if it had a {{w|Lithium–air battery|Li-air battery}}).<br />
*'''Exterior may be frictionless.''' The front of a smartphone is usually made of glass and should have a surface with very low friction. The back of a phone is usually made from a material that has higher friction to make it pleasant to hold and to make sure it doesn't slide off objects it is placed on. A [[669: Experiment|completely frictionless surface]] would make it almost impossible to hold and would make it very susceptible to drops (at which point the phone will scream).<br />
*'''Prolonged use can cause mood swings, short-term memory loss, and seizures.''' These are all side effects that are associated with certain kinds of medication or radiation treatment of the brain and would not be acceptable for mobile phones.<br />
*'''Avert eyes while replacing battery.''' Actions that would warrant averting your eyes are usually associated with high-intensity light capable of causing eye damage. Depending on the specific energy source, this may be accompanied by high levels of other types of radiation (e.g. making an {{w|X-ray}} photo). This may hint that the phone might be powered by a radionuclide battery which would explain the lead casing and the possible radiation side effects. A phone that emits X-ray radiation would not be healthy to be around. Alternately, this may be a reference to the {{w|Ark Of The Covenant}}, implying that gazing upon the battery or the compartment wall behind it is forbidden on pain of severe punishment. Or merely that with its back removed the phone would be naked, and the user should avert their eyes to preserve the phone's modesty.<br />
*'''Under certain circumstances, wireless transmitter may control God.''' In the monotheistic religions, God is the omnipotent creator of the universe; the very notion that He could be controlled is both heretical and, under the definition of omnipotent, impossible.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:Runs custom blend on Android and iOS<br />
:Side-facing camera<br />
:Simulates alternate speeds of light (default: 100 miles per hour) and adjusts clock as phone accelerates<br />
:Clear screen<br />
:Realistic case<br />
:Wireless<br />
:Accelerometer detects when phone is in free fall and makes it scream<br />
:Flightaware partnership: Makes airplane noise when flights pass overhead<br />
:When exposed to light, phone says "hi!"<br />
<br />
:''Introducing''<br />
:'''The xkcd phone'''<br />
:Your mobile world just went digital® <br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Smartphones]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1461:_Payloads&diff=809171461: Payloads2014-12-17T08:46:24Z<p>173.245.54.175: link</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1461<br />
| date = December 17, 2014<br />
| title = Payloads<br />
| image = payloads.png<br />
| titletext = With a space elevator, a backyard full of solar panels could launch about 500 horses per year, and a large power plant could launch 10 horses per minute.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
A larger version of the image can be found [http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/payloads_large.png here].<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Still probably incomplete, but I don't know why. I just removed the "CREATED BY A BOT" message, because since then, it has been edited by a human.}}<br />
This comic lists the payload capacity of several launch vehicles, and the mass of several spacecraft, in number of horses. This could be related to Randall's hobby of abusing dimensional analysis, as horses/ship is technically a perfectly acceptable derived unit, provided the size of a horse is standard (in this comic the average horse weight is defined as about 500kg).<br />
<br />
The overall comic is an allusion to {{w|horsepower}}, a similar-sounding but completely different concept. Horsepower is a measurement of {{w|power (physics)|power}} ({{w|work (physics)|work}} per unit time). Another commonly referenced unit for power is the {{w|watt}}. 1 horsepower is meant to be approximately the amount of power a horse can deliver. In contrast, Randall uses the horse to measure {{w|mass}} (of spacecraft themselves, and of the payload they carry).<br />
<br />
The top pane of the comic shows the mass of various spacecraft, while the bottom shows the amount of pass they can deliver to {{w|low earth orbit}}. There are also several joke insertions. In the top, one is T-Rex. In the bottom, another is Pegasus (the payload capacity given as one Pegasus); this is a reference to both Pegasus {{w|Pegasus (rocket)|the rocket}} and Pegasus the {{w|Pegasus|mythical flying stallion}}. The bottom also gives the 1981 {{w|Oldsmobile}} as 4 horses; presumably, this is actually the number of horses the Oldsmobile could tow, rather than launch into low earth orbit.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1461:_Payloads&diff=80914Talk:1461: Payloads2014-12-17T08:32:01Z<p>173.245.54.175: reply</p>
<hr />
<div>It's possible he's talking about [http://poorlydrawnlines.com/comic/earth-and-moon/ this comic].<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.203|108.162.249.203]] 07:20, 17 December 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think he used horses as a reference to the unit of work, horse power, but in this case instead of being the 550 foot pounds per second, it is the force required to put a horse at that altitude<br />
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.195|199.27.128.195]] 08:10, 17 December 2014 (UTC)<br />
:The top one clearly says "Spacecraft mass" and the bottom says "Capacity" (which is normally either the mass or volume something can hold), so I don't think either refers to force. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.175|173.245.54.175]] 08:32, 17 December 2014 (UTC)</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1461:_Payloads&diff=809131461: Payloads2014-12-17T08:29:40Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Explanation */ copy-edit; also, not all satellites, or all in LEO (e.g. Curiosity is a rover, Voyager 2 is not in LEO)</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1461<br />
| date = December 17, 2014<br />
| title = Payloads<br />
| image = payloads.png<br />
| titletext = With a space elevator, a backyard full of solar panels could launch about 500 horses per year, and a large power plant could launch 10 horses per minute.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Still probably incomplete, but I don't know why. I just removed the "CREATED BY A BOT" message, because since then, it has been edited by a human.}}<br />
This comic lists the payload capacity of several launch vehicles, and the mass of several spacecraft, in number of horses. This could be related to Randall's hobby of abusing dimensional analysis, as horses/ship is technically a perfectly acceptable derived unit, provided the size of a horse is standard (in this comic the average horse weight is defined as about 500kg).<br />
<br />
The overall comic is an allusion to {{w|horsepower}}, a similar-sounding but completely different concept. Horsepower is a measurement of {{w|power (physics)|power}} ({{w|work (physics)|work}} per unit time). Another commonly referenced unit for power is the {{w|watt}}. 1 horsepower is meant to be approximately the amount of power a horse can deliver. In contrast, Randall uses the horse to measure {{w|mass}} (of spacecraft themselves, and of the payload they carry).<br />
<br />
The top pane of the comic shows the mass of various spacecraft, while the bottom shows the amount of pass they can deliver to {{w|low earth orbit}}. There are also several joke insertions. In the top, one is T-Rex. In the bottom, another is Pegasus (the payload capacity given as one Pegasus); this is a reference to both Pegasus {{w|Pegasus (rocket)|the rocket}} and Pegasus the {{w|Pegasus|mythical flying stallion}}. The bottom also gives the 1981 Oldsmobile as 4 horses; presumably, this is actually the number of horses the Oldsmobile could tow, rather than launch into low earth orbit.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1461:_Payloads&diff=809121461: Payloads2014-12-17T08:26:42Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Explanation */ explain further</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1461<br />
| date = December 17, 2014<br />
| title = Payloads<br />
| image = payloads.png<br />
| titletext = With a space elevator, a backyard full of solar panels could launch about 500 horses per year, and a large power plant could launch 10 horses per minute.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Still probably incomplete, but I don't know why. I just removed the "CREATED BY A BOT" message, because since then, it has been edited by a human.}}<br />
This comic lists the payload capacity of several launch vehicles and the mass of several satellites in low earth orbit in number of horses. This could be related to Randall's hobby of abusing dimensional analysis, as horses/ship is technically a perfectly acceptable derived unit, provided the size of a horse is standard (in this comic the average horse weight is defined as about 500kg).<br />
<br />
The overall comic is an allusion to {{w|horsepower}}, a similar-sounding but completely different concept. Horsepower is a measurement of {{w|power (physics)|power}} ({{w|work (physics)|work}} per unit time). Another commonly referenced unit for power is the {{w|watt}}. 1 horsepower is meant to be approximately the amount of power a horse can deliver. In contrast, Randall uses the horse to measure {{w|mass}} (of spacecraft themselves, and of the payload they carry).<br />
<br />
The top pane of the comic shows the mass of various spacecraft, while the bottom shows the amount of pass they can deliver to {{w|low earth orbit}}. There are also several joke insertions. In the top, one is T-Rex. In the bottom, another is Pegasus (the payload capacity given as one Pegasus); this is a reference to both Pegasus {{w|Pegasus (rocket)|the rocket}} and Pegasus the {{w|Pegasus|mythical flying stallion}}. The bottom also gives the 1981 Oldsmobile as 4 horses; presumably, this is actually the number of horses the Oldsmobile could tow, rather than launch into low earth orbit.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1461:_Payloads&diff=809101461: Payloads2014-12-17T08:15:19Z<p>173.245.54.175: /* Explanation */ explain horsepower</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1461<br />
| date = December 17, 2014<br />
| title = Payloads<br />
| image = payloads.png<br />
| titletext = With a space elevator, a backyard full of solar panels could launch about 500 horses per year, and a large power plant could launch 10 horses per minute.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Still probably incomplete, but I don't know why. I just removed the "CREATED BY A BOT" message, because since then, it has been edited by a human.}}<br />
This comic lists the payload capacity of several launch vehicles and the mass of several satellites in low earth orbit in number of horses. This could be related to Randall's hobby of abusing dimensional analysis, as horses/ship is technically a perfectly acceptable derived unit, provided the size of a horse is standard (in this comic the average horse weight is defined as about 500kg).<br />
<br />
The overall comic is an allusion to {{w|horsepower}}, a similar-sounding but completely different concept. Horsepower is a measurement of {{w|power (physics)|power}} ({{w|work (physics|work}}) per unit time). Another commonly referenced unit for power is the {{w|watt}}. 1 horsepower is meant to be approximately the amount of power a horse can deliver. In contrast, Randall uses the horse to measure {{w|mass}} (of spacecraft themselves, and of the payload they carry).<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:93:_Jeremy_Irons&diff=76395Talk:93: Jeremy Irons2014-09-28T01:14:36Z<p>173.245.54.175: Requested a removal of bold from the transcript</p>
<hr />
<div>I don't think the words that are bolded in the transcript are meant to be that way. In earlier comics, such as this, the writing wasn't as neat. I think the bold should be taken off. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.175|173.245.54.175]] 01:14, 28 September 2014 (UTC)</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1049:_Bookshelf&diff=73385Talk:1049: Bookshelf2014-08-10T23:36:48Z<p>173.245.54.175: Comment about aforementioned inaccuracies</p>
<hr />
<div>Rig this up to the entire twilight section. Problem solved. '''[[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:57, 8 January 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Does ''Atlas Shrugged'' have any particular relevance to the strip? [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 02:14, 3 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
::Ayn Rand is pretty controversial, and a lot of people dismiss her books outright. Some of them are an interesting read, though. {{unsigned|217.28.5.48}}<br />
<br />
There is a factual inaccuracy in the explanation here — her philosophy is libertarian, not conservative. Please fix that. [[Special:Contributions/46.150.103.149|46.150.103.149]] 14:47, 8 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"far-right" ??? This very subjective and insulting. But I guess it's the aim of such assertion. [[Special:Contributions/109.255.215.93|109.255.215.93]] 07:47, 14 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Another inaccuracy: Rand herself found the Libertarians, like any political party, to be counterintuitive to her philosophy of Objectivism. Though I think "libertarian" should be changed to "objectivism," I'll leave it and just make a side-note, because one could say that Atlas Shrugged is to Libertarians as the Bible is to Christians. [[User:Jinx|Jinx]] 20:55, 11 April 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I have to agree, Objectivism is a philosophy, Libertarianism is a political movement. Although the two have a few overlaps, they are very different things. Rand was adamantly opposed the Libertarian Party and and wrote quite a bit about her objections. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.175|173.245.54.175]] 23:36, 10 August 2014 (UTC)</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1401:_New&diff=72521Talk:1401: New2014-07-30T05:35:48Z<p>173.245.54.175: </p>
<hr />
<div>Why are there three ''n'''s in ''headcannnon'' in the title text?<br />
[[User:Keavon|Keavon]] ([[User talk:Keavon|talk]])<br />
<br />
I think it's as simple as 1 n in canon (what the pun is based on), 2 n's in cannon (in the comic), and just to keep the pattern going, 3 n's in cannnon (in the title text).--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.175|173.245.54.175]] 05:35, 30 July 2014 (UTC)</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1391:_Darkness&diff=711051391: Darkness2014-07-07T15:26:27Z<p>173.245.54.175: I related this comic to comic 152</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1391<br />
| date = July 7, 2014<br />
| title = Darkness<br />
| image = darkness.png<br />
| titletext = This was actually wish #406. Wish #2 was for him to lose the ability to remember that each new wish wasn't my first.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In the comic the news anchor [[Ponytail]] describes the {{w|sunset}} as though it were an unprecedented, newsworthy event, rather than [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MundaneMadeAwesome something mundane] that happens every day. They even have a reporter ([[Cueball]]) on the spot reporting from where the ''darkness'' has spread so far.<br />
<br />
We regard the sunset as a common event, but {{w|Isaac Asimov}} based his short story {{w|Nightfall_(Asimov_short_story_and_novel)|Nightfall}} on a fictional civilization that doesn't know darkness because the planet is always illuminated by the six stars surrounding it. It describes how people would react when, due to a specific constellation, the suns set for the first time.<br />
<br />
Describing mundane occurrences in unusual detail, to show off how odd they really are, is something [[Randall]] has done before (for instance about dreaming in [[203: Hallucinations]]). But the caption below the main panel adds another twist to the joke by showing that the news report wasn't a mere imagine spot, but something actually happening due to the interference of Randall's final wish to his {{w|genie}}, which caused all news reporters to forget the day-night cycle.<br />
<br />
The caption references the fact that there is a limit to the number of wishes. It is a common rule, often used in fiction, that you get [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThreeWishes three wishes] from a genie in a bottle. There usually is an added stipulation that no wish may be used to acquire more wishes. In the title text, however, it is stated that Randall has managed to bypass the three wish limit rule. This was accomplished by using his second (#2) wish to simply make the genie unable to remember granting the speaker any wishes. He have thus used the same trick on the genie as he used here on the media. The media wish turns out '''not''' to have been his last (i.e. #3), but rather #406. This shows just how far, "make someone forget something", can go by applying it to the genie.<br />
<br />
It is interesting that it was his second wish that gave him unlimited wishes. What did he wish for on wish #1? Maybe he wasted the first wish, because he did not believe the genie was able to grant wishes - a common error. Perhaps this is the same genie from comic 152, and his very first out of 300+ wishes was for a human-sized hamster ball. On the other hand, he may have used the first wish to learn a way where his second wish could circumvent the three rule limit. He did not wish for more wishes (a clear rule), but since the genie now always think the next wish is his first, it is not Randall who asks for more wishes, but the genie that forgets to stop at the limit...<br />
<br />
The concept of having unlimited wishes has previously been explored in [[1086: Eyelash Wish Log]] - one of the wishes is also related to news anchors.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Ponytail is a news anchor at a media desk and she reports:]<br />
:Ponytail: ...getting reports that the darkness has spread as far west as Texas. Let's go live to our reporter in Houston.<br />
:[From a breaking news window in the bottom right corner of the panel, a Cueball as a newscaster stands in darkness with two people walking behind him:]<br />
:Cueball: It's been thirty minutes since the sun vanished...<br />
:[There is a caption below the panel]: <br />
:Caption: ”Genie, for my last wish, make everyone in the media forget about the day-night cycle.“<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1390:_Research_Ethics&diff=709221390: Research Ethics2014-07-04T04:25:56Z<p>173.245.54.175: Edited transcript</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1390<br />
| date = July 4, 2014<br />
| title = Research Ethics<br />
| image = research_ethics.png<br />
| titletext = I mean, it's not like we could just demand to see the code that's governing our lives. What right do we have to poke around in Facebook's private affairs like that?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}<br />
<br />
Randall made a typo here, where he wrote "what" twice. This was either an accident, or perhaps it was unethical psychological research...<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
[Megan is facing Cueball and Ponytail]<br />
<br />
Megan: Facebook shouldn't choose what what stuff they show us to conduct unethical psychological research. <br />
<br />
They should ''only'' make those decisions based on, uh...<br />
<br />
However they were doing it before. <br />
<br />
Which was probably ethical, right?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1390:_Research_Ethics&diff=709201390: Research Ethics2014-07-04T04:20:55Z<p>173.245.54.175: Created first draft of transcript.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1390<br />
| date = July 4, 2014<br />
| title = Research Ethics<br />
| image = research_ethics.png<br />
| titletext = I mean, it's not like we could just demand to see the code that's governing our lives. What right do we have to poke around in Facebook's private affairs like that?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
INCOMPLETE: Italics must be added!<br />
<br />
[Megan is facing Cueball and Ponytail]<br />
Megan: Facebook shouldn't choose what what stuff they show us to conduct unethical psychological research. <br />
They should only make those decisions based on, uh...<br />
However they were doing it before. <br />
Which was probably ethical, right?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>173.245.54.175https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=756:_Public_Opinion&diff=70554756: Public Opinion2014-06-29T20:12:56Z<p>173.245.54.175: Linked to comic 1386, which relates to the comment on viewers being of average intelligence.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 756<br />
| date = June 21, 2010<br />
| title = Public Opinion<br />
| image = public_opinion.png<br />
| titletext = News networks giving a greater voice to viewers because the social web is so popular are like a chef on the Titanic who, seeing the looming iceberg and fleeing customers, figures ice is the future and starts making snow cones.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The comic is mocking the "old media" (television, radio, newspapers) for their move to opinions as an information source. Such change came with development of the internet and "new media" as source of information (websites, blogs, social networks), which pushed "old media" back and diminished their significance. In their attempt to return to relevance, "old media" tried to copy the opinion part of the news, taking what could be considered a bad thing from them. The humor of the comic comes from news anchor cutting to an opinion piece from people on the street, thus proving the politician's point.<br />
<br />
The title text illustrates what Randall sees as the problem with this approach. The new media, for the large part, consists of uninformed opinions from people of [[1386: People are Stupid|average intelligence]] and abilities. However, the sheer volume and immediacy of information is threatening to destroy old media, much as the iceberg destroyed the Titanic. You don't join with the iceberg or try to emulate its methods; the iceberg does not care, is too big and will destroy you anyway. The way to survive is to steer away and find your own path. Old media must present us with something better than new media (for example: informed, analytical, intelligent), otherwise we have no need of them.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A news anchor reads from a paper. There is a picture on the left side of screen of a man speaking at a podium. In the bottom right-hand corner, a logo reads "News24".]<br />
:News anchor: A leading politician today charged that the media, rather than informing people, now merely report on public ignorance. Do our viewers agree? Let's hear from some voices on the street...<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>173.245.54.175