https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Hawthorn&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T13:30:56ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=571:_Can%27t_Sleep&diff=320718571: Can't Sleep2023-08-11T10:54:39Z<p>Hawthorn: I think the value is actually 65536 sheep, although to be honest it could also be 32767, if the right side contains only the sheep that Cueball counted (and if he started from 1, which is traditional).</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 571<br />
| date = April 20, 2009<br />
| title = Can't Sleep<br />
| image = cant sleep.png<br />
| titletext = If androids someday DO dream of electric sheep, don't forget to declare sheepCount as a long int.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Cueball]] is in bed and is having trouble sleeping. He tries the old standby of {{w|counting sheep}} as they jump over a fence, but upon reaching 32,767 sheep, 65536 sheep jump back over the fence and start counting up again from -32,768. This is a reference to an integer overflow, when an increasing amount (sheep in this case) suddenly overflows and shows up as a negative value. This is because when a whole number or integer is represented in a digital form, such as on a computer, the number's range is limited by the amount of space used to store it. When the greatest possible number given the storage space is exceeded, an arithmetic overflow occurs, which may result (depending on the used language among other things) in starting over at the least possible number given the storage space, similar to a car's odometer. Imagine an odometer with six digits reaching 999999. Upon driving one more mile or km, the digits will roll back over to 000000. Causing or failing to prevent integer overflow is a common mistake by programmers that may have software security consequences. Some languages like C/C++ even leaves the signed integer overflow ''undefined behavior'', it may or may not wrap to the beginning, the instruction can be ignored or may cause the software to crash.<br />
<br />
In this case, the least and greatest possible numbers are -32,768 and 32,767, which implies that the storage space used would be 16 bits. In addition, it's clear that the number is designated as a signed number, meaning that it can be either positive or negative.<br />
<br />
However, even if Cueball had this limitation, it would never actually pose a problem. By 32,767 sheep, at a rate of one sheep per second, Cueball has been counting for 9.101 hours (or about 9 hours 6 minutes). This would signify that he has extreme insomnia and probably needs treatment, and also that he has spent the entire night counting, and therefore would just get up and start the day rather than count sheep all over again from -32,768.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the 1968 Philip K. Dick science fiction novel ''{{w|Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?}}'', which was adapted into the perhaps more widely known Ridley Scott directed 1982 film ''Blade Runner''. The implication is that if we ever do create androids that dream of electric sheep, we should make sure to give them sufficient storage space to store numbers large enough such that an arithmetic overflow will be far less likely to occur, even if they count for a long time. A "long int" depends on machine architecture, but it typically consists of four bytes rather than two, so instead of being limited to a range from -32,768 to 32,767 the number will be capable of storing numbers from -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647, which would take 68.1 years to exhaust (at the rate of 1 sheep/sec). "sheepCount" is a possible name for a variable to be used in a computer program. Declaring a variable tells the computer that it should allocate a portion of memory to be associated with the variable name given. No spaces are used because variables cannot contain spaces, for a reason that would take a little too long to properly explain here.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is in bed, presumably trying to sleep. The top of each panel is a thought bubble showing sheep leaping over a fence and Cueball's counting and the sheeps baaing is written above the sheeps. Two sheep are jumping from left to right in the first panel.]<br />
:1... 2...<br />
:Sheep: Baaa<br />
<br />
:[Two sheep are jumping from left to right. Cueball is holding his pillow.]<br />
:... 1,306... 1,307...<br />
:Sheep: Baaa<br />
<br />
:[A whole flock of sheep (nine visible) is jumping over the fence from right to left; the first and last sheep is cut off at the edge of the frame. Cueball is now sitting up looking up at his thought bubble.]<br />
:... 32,767 ...-32,768...<br />
:Sheep: Baaa baaa baaaa baaa ba<br />
:Cueball: ?<br />
<br />
:[Two sheep are again jumping from left to right. Cueball is holding his pillow over his head.]<br />
:...-32,767... -32,766...<br />
:Sheep: Baaa<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Dreams]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2800:_Down&diff=3178842800: Down2023-07-14T15:07:17Z<p>Hawthorn: slight rewrite for clarity</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2800<br />
| date = July 10, 2023<br />
| title = Down<br />
| image = down_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 611x290px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = It's just that I get nervous about heights.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a SOLAR COORDINATE SYSTEM. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The direction that we call "down" is usually defined as the direction in which objects on Earth fall, which, for all intents and purposes, is the same as the direction that points toward the center of the Earth. This direction is therefore relative, as it depends on where you are located in relation to Earth's center, and is different for people in different locations. For example, from an outside viewpoint, the direction of "down" for people in {{w|Madrid}}, Spain is the opposite of the direction of "down" for people in {{w|Weber, New Zealand}}, as these two places are located at {{w|antipodes|antipodal points}} on Earth.<br />
<br />
It is possible to redefine "down" by choosing a different point of reference, such as the center of a ''different'' planet, which is the situation shown in this comic. We see [[Megan]] seated at a desk, which would be perfectly normal if not for the fact that the scene is shown at a completely unnatural, almost upside-down angle. Megan explains to [[Cueball]] that the direction of "down" was redefined to be relative to {{w|Mars}} instead of Earth. Since Mars is located in space many millions of miles away, this means that "down" could potentially be in almost any direction.<br />
<br />
Redefining down to be relative to Mars would be impractical for people on Earth, as Mars is constantly moving with respect to Earth; this means that the direction of down will drift over time. Additionally, as Earth rotates once per day, the direction of down would also experience a 24-hour periodic wobble. It would be very difficult to keep track of this constantly-changing direction. Setting down relative to Earth's center avoids these problems (at least for beings on Earth!), as the Earth's center is static in relation to the motion and rotation of Earth.<br />
<br />
Megan does not explain who exactly redefined down, or why they have the authority to do so, but it is most likely some scientific body such as the {{w|International Astronomical Union}} or the {{w|General Conference on Weights and Measures}}, which have the power to make such decisions - for example, the IAU defined planet and {{w|dwarf planet}} in 2006, and the GCWM redefined the {{w|kilogram}} in 2018. In reality, in addition to there being no governing body which determines the direction of down, such definitions are made only when there is compelling reason to, and they work hard to minimize the changes. (For example, the redefinition of the kilogram was done in order to ''prevent'' the mass of the kilogram from changing in the future by attaching it to physical constants.) Nonetheless, in the world shown in this comic, redefining 'down' appears to happen frequently enough for Cueball to be frustrated but not fazed by it.<br />
<br />
It should also be noted that redefining down does not automatically alter the direction of gravity, which will still act in the same direction it did before. Therefore, it is unclear how Megan or Cueball are even aware of the change in definition, unless they are somehow {{tvtropes|MediumAwareness|aware of the comic they are in}} and "know" that they are oriented at a strange angle.<br />
<br />
Cueball mentions that the redefinition of down is a side effect of redefining the origin of their coordinate system. A {{w|coordinate system}} is a way of representing locations in space using a set of numbers, where each number (called a coordinate) measures a distance travelled in one of the spatial dimensions. In order for these numbers to be meaningful, it is always necessary to define a single point as the origin, where all coordinates have the value 0. Locations can then be measured relative to the origin.<br />
<br />
For example, a commonly-used coordinate system for Earth is the {{w|Earth-centered, Earth-fixed coordinate system}}, which defines the origin to be Earth's center of mass, and uses three pairs of points on the Earth's surface to define the directions of the three spatial dimensions; this allows any point relative to Earth to be specified as a triplet of three coordinates. Presumably, the coordinate system now used in the comic is a "Mars-centered, Mars-fixed" coordinate system, which would be good for things like launching satellites from Mars, but otherwise not very useful for most Earthly situations.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Cueball states that he gets nervous about heights. Height is the distance between two points at different elevations, and elevation depends on which way "down" is - therefore, redefining down also redefines the concept of height. Since down now points toward Mars, and Mars is millions of miles away (about 34,000,000 mi or 55,000,000 km at closest approach), this means that Cueball - and indeed, everyone on Earth - is now standing at a height of about 34 million miles above Mars. While fear of heights is a common cause of anxiety, it doesn't really make sense for Cueball to be nervous in this instance - usually, when people are afraid of heights, it's because they are afraid of falling. However, gravity still points toward the center of the Earth, so Cueball is in no danger of falling to Mars. The joke is that Cueball is scared solely due to the redefinition of the situation - where previously he was standing on solid ground, now he is "perilously" clinging to the underside of a planet with a 34-million mile drop beneath him.<br />
<br />
The only advantage of using Mars as down, is that everyone on Earth agrees on the direction of down, since Mars is so far from Earth that even those on either side of Earth orthogonal to the direction towards Mars, would still almost agree on the down direction.<br />
<br />
In the recent game comic [[2765: Escape Speed]], the planet outside of the Crystal Sphere, based on the [[Click and Drag]] comic, doesn't have it's own gravity. So the space ship is pulled towards the Crystal Sphere no mater what side of this planet the space ship is located. This makes navigating difficult. Only the fact that landing on the surface (and sticking to it) is possible, makes it possible to explore the planet properly. <br />
<br />
The comic could also be a reference to the novel ''Ender's Game'' by Orson Scott Card, in which the protagonist, Ender, helps his team to orient themselves in a zero-gravity battle by noting that the directions "up" and "down" are arbitrary in space; he summarizes this with the mantra "The enemy's gate is down". This insight gives his team an anchoring point of reference which makes it easier for them to function in the gravity-less arena. This aspect of ''Ender's Game'' was previously referenced in [[241: Battle Room]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:: [Megan is seated at a desk, in front of a laptop. The scene is rotated by 150° clockwise, so she appears to be upside down and angled.]<br />
<br />
:: [Cueball enters the scene from the right side, behind Megan. He has three question marks below his head, oriented upright in frame.]<br />
<br />
:: Megan: They announced that "down" is relative to Mars today.<br />
:: Cueball: Ugh, I hate when they make another planet the coordinate system origin.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Physics]]<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2801:_Contact_Merge&diff=317845Talk:2801: Contact Merge2023-07-13T13:22:02Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
<br />
Same person.<br />
:All three of them...[[User:Tier666|Tier666]] ([[User talk:Tier666|talk]]) 08:32, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Why is he only using John's first name when talking about him, as if Surf King should know who that is, when it's clear they've "never met"? <br />
Shouldn't it be: My phone keeps wanting to merge you with my friend John Smith? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.30|172.71.178.30]] 07:46, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
: Because he's spectacularly unaware, and assumes that everyone that he 'knows' also know each other?[[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.110|172.70.90.110]] 08:16, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
This is the first XKCD in a long time that I have absolutely no understanding of. Who is Surf King? Even Google doesn't bring anything up (I assumed it was someone well known in the USA but unknown to the few of us that don't live in that country). Please someone post an explanation soon! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.46|162.158.74.46]] 09:06, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
:No one in particular. Just someone named John. The short explanation is that his phone figured out that "Surf King" and "John" are the same person/contact while Cueball remains ignorant. [[User:627235|627235]] ([[User talk:627235|talk]]) 09:18, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
::I see now. I think I was reading too much into it. I usually assume Randall is operating on a level far above my own! [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.146|172.69.79.146]] 10:02, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I took the "4 years" thing to mean that Cueball had been chatting with SurfKing for 4 years (not an idle chat, but still actively used), and has somehow missed the fact that it's his friend John he's been talking with the whole time. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.38.25|172.70.38.25]] 11:51, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Yes, and I think it's probably a group chat. It might not be that unusual for someone to use a nickname in a group chat (maybe because someone else gave them that nickname). The group chat context might also make it more likely that a context would have been established where Cueball might expect that everyone would know who "John" was, though as pointed out above, Cueball is pretty clueless.[[User:Mwphil|Mwphil]] ([[User talk:Mwphil|talk]]) 11:56, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
:: Adding, I think it has to be a group chat because it would be too strange even for Cueball if he started a one-on-one chat with Surf King without knowing who he was, but if some friend added them both to a chat this situation might make sense. [[User:Mwphil|Mwphil]] ([[User talk:Mwphil|talk]]) 12:05, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
::: One more, sorry: This *has* to be a group text because Cueball is @-ing Surf King. You don't need to @ someone if they're the only other person you're talking to. (Also Surf King must be pretty annoyed if he's managed to break out the bold italics in a group text, I don't think most texting services support that.) [[User:Mwphil|Mwphil]] ([[User talk:Mwphil|talk]]) 12:11, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
::(Comment below edit-conflicted by sub-thread thisnisvindented to... Adding this replybafter, but same timestamp.)<br />
::I deliberately left "group chat" unsaid (i.e. leaving it open) because of the lack of correspondants' avatars on the non-self side of the conversation, which seems to be a standard for both actual and xkcdified representation. Though 'tagging' SurfKing might indicate a more broadcast chat, it's as possible/polite to say in a one-to-one (like starting a letter "Dear Aunty Emma", though the envelope it was in was clearly addressed to her). ((This bit written before edit-conflict with Mwphil's triple-indent, above. But answers it anyway, possibly.))<br />
::Anyway, likely possibly its a grouping-agnostic 'chatroom' type thing (or conversation handler) whereby you invite/include at least one other person and it threads all messages with the same full set of contacts together for easy reading (and possible separation from derivative conversations with additions/removals from that set, unless it allows retroactive inclusion/chucking). As said below, I've used many different chat-type methods (though not directly with the "speech bubble" UI as visual theme) and I think we can't pin this down to a particular family of P2P interfaces. But I find the respective thought processes of the two participants (both inside and outside the screenshot shown) more interesting than the more nebulous decisions as to UX/functionality. Strangely for me, being that I'm much more comfortable thinking about code than people where it's just something involving myself.<br />
::But, of course, open to be re-rewritten. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.35|172.70.85.35]] 12:22, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Done a significant rewrite/expansion to the explanation. My experience of "bubble chats" like the comic is restricted only to screenshots (or illustrations, like this) so I'm extrapolating a lot from all the variations that exist, plus adding extensive IRC/BBS experience which is linked by cross-pollination (pre-web/Web-1.5/etc forming a clear basis for Web2.x and App-based paradigms now handle instant/asynchronous short-form messaging conventions). If I'm totally wrong, I'm sure you'll rip out the bad bits. Wanted also to suggest the possibility that if John hasn't actually been seriously using Surf King for a while (but still has pull-/push-notifications active), it was only Cueball's necro that got him to go back into whatever chat-handler that was set up to handle his surf-dude chat. But it was already very unweildy an Explanation, so I'll only leave this bit of my imagination here - to be more easily ignored/dismissed. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.35|172.70.85.35]] 12:22, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
''The title text implies that Cueball (still unaware of the reality of the sitution) has had second thoughts about the compatability of Surf King/John with himself'' - I disagree with this. I think what the title text is saying that even though Cueball now knows John and Surf King are the same person, he still thinks they wouldn't like each other - this is philosophically confusing to Cueball, and suggests that John has subtle self-hatred issues which only became obvious thanks to Cueball's mistake. [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 13:22, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== three dots ==<br />
<br />
I don't think the three dots are Surf King not deigning to respond. Aren't three dots (in some chat things?) what you get when someone is typing but hasn't sent the message yet? So Surf King has started to try to respond to this but is too flabbergasted to finish his comment. [[User:Mwphil|Mwphil]] ([[User talk:Mwphil|talk]]) 12:03, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
:I thought there could be three things they could represent:<br />
:*Surf King "had no words" to Cueball's inane reality-ignoring comment, it's his version of 'eye rolling'. Which Cueball didn't understand (fully/correctly).<br />
:*The "your party is typing" symbol. (Although that shouldn't be still there once further messaging (to and from that party) have been added to the chat-sequence.)<br />
:*It's a conversation-manager indication of time passed.<br />
:**And/or that further messages existed in this spot but that are ellided in this view (leaving intro message, for context, and the current foot of the conversation).<br />
:To me, the first makes most sense (flabberghasted and ''did'' type something). The second looks wrong (reason given). The third is clear from context (the time passing), though there's a problem with the alternate/additional 'third' point being that it doesn't help the joke of this being a four year (mostly no-contact?) conversation where Surf King has seemingly forgotten things while Cueball has no grasp of the temporal dislocation.<br />
:But YMMV. And because I wasn't ''totally'' sure I tried to write what I wrote to cover all three main ideas. (It wasn't really dealt with at all when I started my edit regarding it. Any further informed change is of course perfectly welcome, but at least you now have my half-considered lines of thought about all this.) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.153|172.71.178.153]] 12:39, 13 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
:...Forgot to mention the fourth (separate) interpretation I also had.<br />
:*It's a response so long that it's been collapsed behind an icon. Though usually that'd be the first bit of it being shown with an "<expand>" or "<read more...>", as a tappable hotspot, this might not be the case here.<br />
:But ''if'' it's a collapsed paragraph of a long "no, they're both me, you know this because when we last met I..." reply, then it seemingly ''also'' went <sup>Whoosh==></sup><sub>Cueball's head</sub>, at least by the time four further years had passed. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.62|172.70.85.62]] 13:10, 13 July 2023 (UTC)</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2800:_Down&diff=3176712800: Down2023-07-10T22:17:38Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2800<br />
| date = July 10, 2023<br />
| title = Down<br />
| image = down_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 611x290px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = It's just that I get nervous about heights.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a SOLAR COORDINATE SYSTEM. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The direction that we call "down" is usually defined as the direction in which objects on Earth fall, which, for all intents and purposes, is the same as the direction that points toward the center of the Earth. This direction is therefore relative, as it depends on where you are located in relation to Earth's center, and is different for people in different locations. For example, "down" for people in {{w|Madrid}}, Spain is equivalent to "up" for people in {{w|Weber, New Zealand}}, as these two places are located at {{w|antipodes|antipodal points}} on Earth.<br />
<br />
Because of this, it is possible to redefine down by choosing a different point of reference, such as the center of a ''different'' planet, which is the situation shown in this comic. We see [[Megan]] seated at a desk, which would be perfectly normal if not for the fact that the scene is shown at a completely unnatural, almost upside-down angle. Megan explains to [[Cueball]] that the direction of "down" was redefined to be relative to {{w|Mars}} instead of Earth. Since Mars is located in space many millions of miles away, this means that "down" could potentially be in almost any direction.<br />
<br />
Redefining down to be relative to Mars would be impractical for people on Earth, as Mars is constantly moving with respect to Earth; this means that the direction of down will drift over time. Additionally, as Earth rotates once per day, the direction of down would also experience a 24-hour periodic wobble. It would be very difficult to keep track of this constantly-changing direction. Setting down relative to Earth's center avoids these problems, as the Earth's center is static in relation to the motion and rotation of Earth.<br />
<br />
Megan does not explain who exactly redefined down, or why they have the authority to do so, but it is most likely some scientific body such as the {{w|International Astronomical Union}}, which has the power to make such decisions - for example, the IAU demoted {{w|Pluto}} from a true planet to a {{w|dwarf planet}} in 2006. In reality, there is no governing body which determines the direction of down, nor periodically changes it. Nonetheless, in the world shown in this comic, it appears to happen frequently enough for Cueball to be frustrated by it.<br />
<br />
It should also be noted that redefining down does not automatically alter the direction of gravity, which will still act in the same direction it did before. Therefore, it is unclear how Megan or Cueball are even aware of the change in definition, unless they are somehow aware of the comic they are in and "know" that they are oriented at a strange angle.<br />
<br />
Cueball mentions that the redefinition of down is a side effect of redefining the origin of their coordinate system. A {{w|coordinate system}} is a way of representing locations in space using a set of numbers, where each number (called a coordinate) measures a distance travelled in one of the spatial dimensions. In order for these numbers to be meaningful, it is always necessary to define a single point as the origin, where all coordinates have the value 0. Locations can then be measured relative to the origin.<br />
<br />
For example, a commonly-used coordinate system for Earth is the {{w|Earth-centered, Earth-fixed coordinate system}}, which defines the origin to be Earth's center of mass, and uses three pairs of points on the Earth's surface to define the directions of the three spatial dimensions; this allows any point relative to Earth to be specified as a triplet of three coordinates. Presumably, the coordinate system now used in the comic is a "Mars-centered, Mars-fixed" coordinate system, which would be good for things like launching satellites from Mars, but otherwise not very useful for most Earthly situations.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Cueball states that he gets nervous about heights. Height is the distance between two points at different elevations, and elevation depends on which way "down" is - therefore, redefining down also redefines the concept of height. Since down now points toward Mars, and Mars is millions of miles away (about 34,000,000 mi or 55,000,000 km at closest approach), this means that Cueball - and indeed, everyone on Earth - is now standing at a height of about 34 million miles above Mars. However, it doesn't really make sense for Cueball to have such an anxiety in this instance - usually, when people are afraid of heights, it's because they are afraid of falling. However, gravity still points toward the center of the Earth, so Cueball is in no danger of falling to Mars.<br />
<br />
The comic could also be a reference to the novel ''Ender's Game'' by Orson Scott Card, in which the protagonist, Ender, helps his team to orient themselves in a zero-gravity battle by noting that the directions "up" and "down" are arbitrary in space; he summarizes this with the mantra "The enemy's gate is down". This insight gives his team an anchoring point of reference which makes it easier for them to function in the gravity-less arena. This aspect of ''Ender's Game'' was previously referenced in [[241: Battle Room]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:: [Megan is seated at a desk, in front of a laptop. The scene is rotated by 150° clockwise, so she appears to be upside down and angled.]<br />
<br />
:: [Cueball enters the scene from the right side, behind Megan. He has three question marks below his head, oriented upright in frame.]<br />
<br />
:: Megan: They announced that "down" is relative to Mars today.<br />
:: Cueball: Ugh, I hate when they make another planet the coordinate system origin.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2800:_Down&diff=3176702800: Down2023-07-10T22:13:29Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2800<br />
| date = July 10, 2023<br />
| title = Down<br />
| image = down_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 611x290px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = It's just that I get nervous about heights.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a SOLAR COORDINATE SYSTEM. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The direction that we call "down" is usually defined as the direction in which objects on Earth fall, which, for all intents and purposes, is the same as the direction that points toward the center of the Earth. This direction is therefore relative, as it depends on where you are located in relation to Earth's center, and is different for people in different locations. For example, "down" for people in {{w|Madrid}}, Spain is equivalent to "up" for people in {{w|Weber, New Zealand}}, as these two places are located at {{w|antipodes|antipodal points}} on Earth.<br />
<br />
Because of this, it is possible to redefine down by choosing a different point of reference, such as the center of a ''different'' planet, which is the situation shown in this comic. We see [[Megan]] seated at a desk, which would be perfectly normal if not for the fact that the scene is shown at a completely unnatural, almost upside-down angle. Megan explains to [[Cueball]] that the direction of "down" was redefined to be relative to {{w|Mars}} instead of Earth. Since Mars is located in space many millions of miles away, this means that "down" could potentially be in almost any direction.<br />
<br />
Redefining down to be relative to Mars would be impractical for people on Earth, as Mars is constantly moving with respect to Earth; this means that the direction of down will drift over time. Additionally, as Earth rotates once per day, the direction of down would also experience a 24-hour periodic wobble. It would be very difficult to keep track of this constantly-changing direction. Setting down relative to Earth's center avoids these problems, as the Earth's center is static in relation to the motion and rotation of Earth.<br />
<br />
Megan does not explain who exactly redefined down, or why they have the authority to do so, but it is most likely some scientific body such as the {{w|International Astronomical Union}}, which has the power to make such decisions - for example, the IAU demoted {{w|Pluto}} from a true planet to a {{w|dwarf planet}} in 2006. In reality, there is no governing body which determines the direction of down, nor periodically changes it. Nonetheless, in the world shown in this comic, it appears to happen frequently enough for Cueball to be frustrated by it.<br />
<br />
It should also be noted that redefining down does not automatically alter the direction of gravity, which will still act in the same direction it did before. Therefore, it is unclear how Megan or Cueball are even aware of the change in definition, unless they are somehow aware of the comic they are in and "know" that they are oriented at a strange angle.<br />
<br />
Cueball mentions that the redefinition of down is a side effect of redefining the origin of their coordinate system. A {{w|coordinate system}} is a way of representing locations in space using a set of numbers, where each number (called a coordinate) measures a distance travelled in one of the spatial dimensions. In order for these numbers to be meaningful, it is always necessary to define a single point as the origin, where all coordinates have the value 0. Locations can then be measured relative to the origin.<br />
<br />
For example, a commonly-used coordinate system for Earth is the {{w|Earth-centered, Earth-fixed coordinate system}}, which defines the origin to be Earth's center of mass, and uses three pairs of points on the Earth's surface to define the directions of the three spatial dimensions; this allows any point relative to Earth to be specified as a triplet of three coordinates. Presumably, the coordinate system now used in the comic is a "Mars-centered, Mars-fixed" coordinate system, which would be good for things like launching satellites from Mars, but otherwise not very useful for most Earthly situations.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Cueball states that he gets nervous about heights. Height is the distance between two points at different elevations, and elevation depends on which way "down" is - therefore, redefining down also redefines the concept of height. Since down now points toward Mars, and Mars is millions of miles away (about 34,000,000 mi or 55,000,000 km at closest approach), this means that Cueball - and indeed, everyone on Earth - is now standing at a height of about 34 million miles above Mars. However, it doesn't really make sense for Cueball to have this anxiety - usually, when people are afraid of heights, it's because they are afraid of falling. However, gravity still points toward the center of the Earth, so Cueball is in no danger of falling to Mars.<br />
<br />
The comic could also be a reference to the novel ''Ender's Game'' by Orson Scott Card, in which the protagonist, Ender, helps his team to orient themselves in a zero-gravity battle by noting that the directions "up" and "down" are arbitrary in space; he summarizes this with the mantra "The enemy's gate is down". This insight gives his team an anchoring point of reference which makes it easier for them to function in the gravity-less arena. This aspect of ''Ender's Game'' was previously referenced in [[241: Battle Room]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:: [Megan is seated at a desk, in front of a laptop. The scene is rotated by 150° clockwise, so she appears to be upside down and angled.]<br />
<br />
:: [Cueball enters the scene from the right side, behind Megan. He has three question marks below his head, oriented upright in frame.]<br />
<br />
:: Megan: They announced that "down" is relative to Mars today.<br />
:: Cueball: Ugh, I hate when they make another planet the coordinate system origin.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2800:_Down&diff=3176692800: Down2023-07-10T22:13:04Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2800<br />
| date = July 10, 2023<br />
| title = Down<br />
| image = down_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 611x290px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = It's just that I get nervous about heights.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a SOLAR COORDINATE SYSTEM. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The direction that we call "down" is usually defined as the direction in which objects on Earth fall, which, for all intents and purposes, is the same as the direction that points toward the center of the Earth. This direction is therefore relative, as it depends on where you are located in relation to Earth's center, and is different for people in different locations. For example, "down" for people in {{w|Madrid}}, Spain is equivalent to "up" for people in {{w|Weber, New Zealand}}, as these two places are located at {{w|antipodes|antipodal points}} on Earth.<br />
<br />
Because of this, it is possible to redefine down by choosing a different point of reference, such as the center of a ''different'' planet, which is the situation shown in this comic. We see [[Megan]] seated at a desk, which would be perfectly normal if not for the fact that the scene is shown at a completely unnatural, almost upside-down angle. Megan explains to [[Cueball]] that the direction of "down" was redefined to be relative to {{w|Mars}} instead of Earth. Since Mars is located in space many millions of miles away, this means that "down" could potentially be in almost any direction.<br />
<br />
Redefining down to be relative to Mars would be impractical for people on Earth, as Mars is constantly moving with respect to Earth; this means that the direction of down will drift over time. Additionally, as Earth rotates once per day, the direction of down would also experience a 24-hour periodic wobble. It would be very difficult to keep track of this constantly-changing direction. Setting down relative to Earth's center avoids these problems, as the Earth's center is static in relation to the motion and rotation of Earth.<br />
<br />
Megan does not explain who exactly redefined down, or why they have the authority to do so, but it is most likely some scientific body such as the {{w|International Astronomical Union}}, which has the power to make such decisions - for example, the IAU demoted {{w|Pluto}} from a true planet to a {{w|dwarf planet}} in 2006. In reality, there is no governing body which determines the direction of down, nor periodically changes it. Nonetheless, in the world shown in this comic, it appears to happen frequently enough for Cueball to be frustrated by it.<br />
<br />
It should also be noted that redefining down does not automatically alter the direction of gravity, which will still act in the same direction it did before. Therefore, it is unclear how Megan or Cueball are even aware of the change in definition, unless they are somehow aware of the comic they are in and "know" that they are oriented at a strange angle.<br />
<br />
Cueball mentions that the redefinition of down is a side effect of redefining the origin of their coordinate system. A {{w|coordinate system}} is a way of representing locations in space using a set of numbers, where each number (called a coordinate) measures a distance travelled in one of the spatial dimensions. In order for these numbers to be meaningful, it is always necessary to define a single point as the origin, where all coordinates have the value 0. Locations can then be measured relative to the origin.<br />
<br />
For example, a commonly-used coordinate system for Earth is the {{w|Earth-centered, Earth-fixed coordinate system}}, which defines the origin to be Earth's center of mass, and uses three pairs of points on the Earth's surface to define the directions of the three spatial dimensions; this allows any point relative to Earth to be specified as a triplet of three coordinates. Presumably, the coordinate system now used in the comic is a "Mars-centered, Mars-fixed" coordinate system, which would be good for things like launching satellites from Mars, but otherwise not very useful for most Earthly situations.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Cueball states that he gets nervous about heights. Height is the distance between two points at different elevations, and elevation depends on which way "down" is - therefore, redefining down also redefines the concept of height. Since down now points toward Mars, and Mars is millions of miles away (about 34,000,000 mi or 55,000,000 km at closest approach), this means that Cueball - and indeed, everyone on Earth - is now standing at a height of about 34 million miles above Mars. However, it doesn't really make sense for Cueball to have this anxiety - usually, when people are afraid of heights, it's because they are afraid of falling. However, gravity still points toward the center of the Earth, so Cueball cannot fall to Mars.<br />
<br />
The comic could also be a reference to the novel ''Ender's Game'' by Orson Scott Card, in which the protagonist, Ender, helps his team to orient themselves in a zero-gravity battle by noting that the directions "up" and "down" are arbitrary in space; he summarizes this with the mantra "The enemy's gate is down". This insight gives his team an anchoring point of reference which makes it easier for them to function in the gravity-less arena. This aspect of ''Ender's Game'' was previously referenced in [[241: Battle Room]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:: [Megan is seated at a desk, in front of a laptop. The scene is rotated by 150° clockwise, so she appears to be upside down and angled.]<br />
<br />
:: [Cueball enters the scene from the right side, behind Megan. He has three question marks below his head, oriented upright in frame.]<br />
<br />
:: Megan: They announced that "down" is relative to Mars today.<br />
:: Cueball: Ugh, I hate when they make another planet the coordinate system origin.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2800:_Down&diff=3176682800: Down2023-07-10T22:07:17Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2800<br />
| date = July 10, 2023<br />
| title = Down<br />
| image = down_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 611x290px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = It's just that I get nervous about heights.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a SOLAR COORDINATE SYSTEM. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The direction that we call "down" is usually defined as the direction in which objects on Earth fall, which, for all intents and purposes, is the same as the direction that points toward the center of the Earth. This direction is therefore relative, as it depends on where you are located in relation to Earth's center, and is different for people in different locations. For example, "down" for people in {{w|Madrid}}, Spain is equivalent to "up" for people in {{w|Weber, New Zealand}}, as these two places are located at {{w|antipodes|antipodal points}} on Earth.<br />
<br />
Because of this, it is possible to redefine down by choosing a different point of reference, such as the center of a ''different'' planet, which is the situation shown in this comic. We see [[Megan]] seated at a desk, which would be perfectly normal if not for the fact that the scene is shown at a completely unnatural, almost upside-down angle. Megan explains to [[Cueball]] that the direction of "down" was redefined to be the relative to {{w|Mars}} instead of Earth. Since Mars is located in space many millions of miles away, this means that "down" could potentially be in almost any direction.<br />
<br />
Redefining down to be relative to Mars would be impractical for people on Earth, as Mars is constantly moving with respect to Earth; this means that the direction of down will drift over time. Additionally, as Earth rotates once per day, the direction of down would also experience a 24-hour periodic wobble. It would be very difficult to keep track of this constantly-changing direction. Setting down relative to Earth's center avoids these problems, as the Earth's center is static in relation to the motion and rotation of Earth.<br />
<br />
Megan does not explain who exactly redefined down, or why they have the authority to do so, but it is most likely some scientific body such as the {{w|International Astronomical Union}}, which has the power to make such decisions - for example, the IAU demoted {{w|Pluto}} from a true planet to a {{w|dwarf planet}} in 2006. In reality, there is no governing body which determines the direction of down, nor periodically changes it. Nonetheless, in the world shown in this comic, it appears to happen frequently enough for Cueball to be frustrated by it.<br />
<br />
It should also be noted that redefining down does not automatically alter the direction of gravity, which will still act in the same direction it did before. Therefore, it is unclear how Megan or Cueball are even aware of the change in definition, unless they are somehow aware of the comic they are in and "know" that they are oriented at a strange angle.<br />
<br />
Cueball mentions that the redefinition of down is a side effect of redefining the origin of their coordinate system. A {{w|coordinate system}} is a way of representing locations in space using a set of numbers, where each number (called a coordinate) measures a distance travelled in one of the spatial dimensions. In order for these numbers to be meaningful, it is always necessary to define a single point as the origin, where all coordinates have the value 0. Locations can then be measured relative to the origin.<br />
<br />
For example, a commonly-used coordinate system for Earth is the {{w|Earth-centered, Earth-fixed coordinate system}}, which defines the origin to be Earth's center of mass, and uses three pairs of points on the Earth's surface to define the directions of the three spatial dimensions; this allows any point relative to Earth to be specified as a triplet of three coordinates. Presumably, the coordinate system now used in the comic is a "Mars-centered, Mars-fixed" coordinate system, which would be good for things like launching satellites from Mars, but otherwise not very useful for most Earthly situations.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Cueball states that he gets nervous about heights. Height is the distance between two points at different elevations, and elevation depends on which way "down" is - therefore, redefining down also redefines the concept of height. Since down now points toward Mars, and Mars is millions of miles away (about 34,000,000 mi or 55,000,000 km at closest approach), this means that Cueball - and indeed, everyone on Earth - is now standing at a height of about 34 million miles above Mars. However, it doesn't really make sense for Cueball to have this anxiety - usually, when people are afraid of heights, it's because they are afraid of falling. However, gravity still points toward the center of the Earth, so Cueball cannot fall to Mars.<br />
<br />
The comic could also be a reference to the novel ''Ender's Game'' by Orson Scott Card, in which the protagonist, Ender, helps his team to orient themselves in a zero-gravity battle by noting that the directions "up" and "down" are arbitrary in space; he summarizes this with the mantra "The enemy's gate is down". This insight gives his team an anchoring point of reference which makes it easier for them to function in the gravity-less arena. This aspect of ''Ender's Game'' was previously referenced in [[241: Battle Room]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:: [Megan is seated at a desk, in front of a laptop. The scene is rotated by 150° clockwise, so she appears to be upside down and angled.]<br />
<br />
:: [Cueball enters the scene from the right side, behind Megan. He has three question marks below his head, oriented upright in frame.]<br />
<br />
:: Megan: They announced that "down" is relative to Mars today.<br />
:: Cueball: Ugh, I hate when they make another planet the coordinate system origin.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2800:_Down&diff=3176672800: Down2023-07-10T22:06:31Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2800<br />
| date = July 10, 2023<br />
| title = Down<br />
| image = down_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 611x290px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = It's just that I get nervous about heights.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a SOLAR COORDINATE SYSTEM. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The direction that we call "down" is usually defined as the direction in which objects on Earth fall, which, for all intents and purposes, is the same as the direction that points toward the center of the Earth. This direction is therefore relative, as it depends on where you are located in relation to Earth's center, and is different for people in different locations. For example, "down" for people in {{w|Madrid}}, Spain is equivalent to "up" for people in {{w|Weber, New Zealand}}, as these two places are located at {{w|antipodes|antipodal points}} on Earth.<br />
<br />
Because of this, it is possible to redefine down by choosing a different point of reference, such as the center of a ''different'' planet, which is the situation shown in this comic. We see [[Megan]] seated at a desk, which would be perfectly normal if not for the fact that the scene is shown at a completely unnatural, almost upside-down angle. Megan explains to [[Cueball]] that the direction of "down" was redefined to be the relative to {{w|Mars}} instead of Earth. Since Mars is located in space many millions of miles away, this means that "down" could potentially be in almost any direction.<br />
<br />
Redefining down to be relative to Mars would be impractical for people on Earth, as Mars is constantly moving with respect to Earth; this means that the direction of down will drift over time. Additionally, as Earth rotates once per day, the direction of down would also experience a 24-hour periodic wobble. It would be very difficult to keep track of this constantly-changing direction. Setting down relative to Earth's center avoids these problems, as the Earth's center is static in relation to the motion and rotation of Earth.<br />
<br />
Megan does not explained who exactly redefined down, or why they have the authority to do so, but it is most likely some scientific body such as the {{w|International Astronomical Union}}, which has the power to make such decisions - for example, the IAU demoted {{w|Pluto}} from a true planet to a {{w|dwarf planet}} in 2006. In reality, there is no governing body which determines the direction of down, nor periodically changes it. Nonetheless, in the world shown in this comic, it appears to happen frequently enough for Cueball to be frustrated by it.<br />
<br />
It should also be noted that redefining down does not automatically alter the direction of gravity, which will still act in the same direction it did before. Therefore, it is unclear how Megan or Cueball are even aware of the change in definition, unless they are somehow aware of the comic they are in and "know" that they are oriented at a strange angle.<br />
<br />
Cueball mentions that the redefinition of down is a side effect of redefining the origin of their coordinate system. A {{w|coordinate system}} is a way of representing locations in space using a set of numbers, where each number (called a coordinate) measures a distance travelled in one of the spatial dimensions. In order for these numbers to be meaningful, it is always necessary to define a single point as the origin, where all coordinates have the value 0. Locations can then be measured relative to the origin.<br />
<br />
For example, a commonly-used coordinate system for Earth is the {{w|Earth-centered, Earth-fixed coordinate system}}, which defines the origin to be Earth's center of mass, and uses three pairs of points on the Earth's surface to define the directions of the three spatial dimensions; this allows any point relative to Earth to be specified as a triplet of three coordinates. Presumably, the coordinate system now used in the comic is a "Mars-centered, Mars-fixed" coordinate system, which would be good for things like launching satellites from Mars, but otherwise not very useful for most Earthly situations.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Cueball states that he gets nervous about heights. Height is the distance between two points at different elevations, and elevation depends on which way "down" is - therefore, redefining down also redefines the concept of height. Since down now points toward Mars, and Mars is millions of miles away (about 34,000,000 mi or 55,000,000 km at closest approach), this means that Cueball - and indeed, everyone on Earth - is now standing at a height of about 34 million miles above Mars. However, it doesn't really make sense for Cueball to have this anxiety - usually, when people are afraid of heights, it's because they are afraid of falling. However, gravity still points toward the center of the Earth, so Cueball cannot fall to Mars.<br />
<br />
The comic could also be a reference to the novel ''Ender's Game'' by Orson Scott Card, in which the protagonist, Ender, helps his team to orient themselves in a zero-gravity battle by noting that the directions "up" and "down" are arbitrary in space; he summarizes this with the mantra "The enemy's gate is down". This insight gives his team an anchoring point of reference which makes it easier for them to function in the gravity-less arena. This aspect of ''Ender's Game'' was previously referenced in [[241: Battle Room]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:: [Megan is seated at a desk, in front of a laptop. The scene is rotated by 150° clockwise, so she appears to be upside down and angled.]<br />
<br />
:: [Cueball enters the scene from the right side, behind Megan. He has three question marks below his head, oriented upright in frame.]<br />
<br />
:: Megan: They announced that "down" is relative to Mars today.<br />
:: Cueball: Ugh, I hate when they make another planet the coordinate system origin.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2800:_Down&diff=3176662800: Down2023-07-10T22:00:47Z<p>Hawthorn: Expanded explanation</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2800<br />
| date = July 10, 2023<br />
| title = Down<br />
| image = down_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 611x290px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = It's just that I get nervous about heights.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a SOLAR COORDINATE SYSTEM. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The direction that we call "down" is usually defined as the direction in which objects on Earth fall, which, for all intents and purposes, is the same as the direction that points toward the center of the Earth. This direction is therefore relative, as it depends on where you are located in relation to Earth's center, and is different for people in different locations. For example, "down" for people in {{w|Madrid}}, Spain is equivalent to "up" for people in {{w|Weber, New Zealand}}, as these two places are located at {{w|antipodes|antipodal points}} on Earth.<br />
<br />
Because of this, it is possible to redefine down by choosing a different point of reference, such as the center of a ''different'' planet, which is the situation shown in this comic. We see [[Megan]] seated at a desk, which would be perfectly normal if not for the fact that the scene is shown at a completely unnatural, almost upside-down angle. Megan explains to [[Cueball]] that the direction of "down" was redefined to be the relative to {{w|Mars}} instead of Earth. Since Mars is located in space many millions of miles away, this means that "down" could potentially be in almost any direction.<br />
<br />
Redefining down to be relative to Mars would be impractical for people on Earth, as Mars is constantly moving with respect to Earth; this means that the direction of down will drift over time. Additionally, as Earth rotates once per day, the direction of down would also experience a 24-hour periodic wobble. It would be very difficult to keep track of this constantly-changing direction. Setting down relative to Earth's center avoids these problems, as the Earth's center is static in relation to the motion and rotation of Earth.<br />
<br />
Megan does not explained who exactly redefined down, or why they have the authority to do so, but it is most likely some scientific body such as the {{w|International Astronomical Union}}, which has the power to make such decisions - for example, the IAU demoted {{w|Pluto}} from a true planet to a {{w|dwarf planet}} in 2006. In reality, there is no governing body which determines the direction of down, nor periodically changes it. Nonetheless, in the world shown in this comic, it appears to happen frequently enough for Cueball to be frustrated by it.<br />
<br />
It should also be noted that redefining down does not automatically alter the direction of gravity, which will still act in the same direction it did before. Therefore, it is unclear how Megan or Cueball are even aware of the change in definition, unless they are somehow aware of the comic they are in and "know" that they are oriented at a strange angle.<br />
<br />
Cueball mentions that the redefinition of down is a side effect of redefining the origin of their coordinate system. A {{w|coordinate system}} is a way of representing locations in space using a set of numbers, where each number (called a coordinate) measures a distance travelled in one of the spatial dimensions. In order for these numbers to be meaningful, it is always necessary to define a single point as the origin, where all coordinates have the value 0. Locations can then be measured relative to the origin.<br />
<br />
For example, a commonly-used coordinate system for Earth is the {{w|Earth-centered, Earth-fixed coordinate system}}, which defines the origin to be Earth's center of mass, and uses three pairs of points on the Earth's surface to define the directions of the three spatial dimensions; this allows any point relative to Earth to be specified as a triplet of three coordinates. Presumably, the coordinate system now used in the comic is a "Mars-centered, Mars-fixed" coordinate system, which would be good for things like launching satellites from Mars, but otherwise not very useful for most Earthly situations.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Cueball states that he gets nervous about heights. Height is the distance between two points at different elevations, and elevation depends on which way "down" is - therefore, redefining down also redefines the concept of height. Since down now points toward Mars, and Mars is millions of miles away (about 34,000,000 mi or 55,000,000 km at closest approach), this means that Cueball - and indeed, everyone on Earth - is now standing at a height of about 34 million miles above Mars. However, it doesn't really make sense for Cueball to have this anxiety - usually, when people are afraid of heights, it's because they are afraid of falling. However, gravity still points toward the center of the Earth, so Cueball cannot fall to Mars.<br />
<br />
The comic might be a reference to the novel ''Ender's Game'' by Orson Scott Card, in which the protagonist, Ender, notes that the directions "up" and "down" are arbitrary in space, and that it can be helpful to think of "down" as towards the enemy's base. This aspect of ''Ender's Game'' was previously referenced in [[241: Battle Room]]<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:: [Megan is seated at a desk, in front of a laptop. The scene is rotated by 150° clockwise, so she appears to be upside down and angled.]<br />
<br />
:: [Cueball enters the scene from the right side, behind Megan. He has three question marks below his head, oriented upright in frame.]<br />
<br />
:: Megan: They announced that "down" is relative to Mars today.<br />
:: Cueball: Ugh, I hate when they make another planet the coordinate system origin.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous&diff=317614explain xkcd:Community portal/Miscellaneous2023-07-09T23:43:50Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude>{{Community links}}<br />
<br />
{|-<br />
|valign="top" width="100%"|[[File:Internet-group-chat.svg|left|120px]] <big><big><b>Miscellaneous</b></big></big><br />
<br />
<i>This is a place for general chit-chat about virtually anything that doesn't fit anywhere else. </i>{{AddNewSection|Page=Explain XKCD:Community portal/Miscellaneous|Text=<small>(+post)</small>}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
= Discussion Area =<br />
</noinclude><br />
<br />
== The Community Portal's design ==<br />
<br />
{{tl|Community portal}} looks too Wikipedia-ish (because that's where I got it). Someone who can design things should probably fix that. It isn't protected for the time being, though it probably will be in the future (high-visibility template). --''[[User:Philosopher|Philosopher]]''&nbsp;<sup>[[User talk:Philosopher|Let us reason together.]]</sup> 00:54, 4 August 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Common mistake ==<br />
<br />
This affects all pages that ever say "alt text" in reference to the TITLE text on xkcd images. "Alt text" is incorrect; Alt text refers to the text that is shown as an alternative when images are not displayed. Title text is what xkcd uses and is shown as a tool tip-like bubble when images are hovered over.<br />
<br />
I would correct this myself but I saw no way to edit the main page. --[[User:Jillysky|Jillysky]] ([[User talk:Jillysky|talk]]) 14:21, 6 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:You actually don't need to edit the main page to fix it, as what's there is just a mirror (transclusion) of the actual content from the comic page, at [[Curiosity]], which is open for editing by anyone. Then again, the "alt-text" in that case is generated by a template, {{tl|comic}}, so that's where we should fix this. The template's code, however, is currently a terrible mess (sorry!), so I went ahead and took care of it. Thanks for catching that! --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 16:24, 6 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Ah? So it's wrong, for instance, on http://m.xkcd.com? because of that I took it for granted that we could call it the alt-text... - [[User:Cos|Cos]] ([[User talk:Cos|talk]]) 17:38, 6 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: Yes. If you look at the page's html source, you'll see:<br />
<nowiki><img<br />
id="comic"<br />
src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/curiosity.png"<br />
title="As of this writing the NASA/JPL websites are still overloaded. Trying CURIOSITY-REAR-CAM_[256px_x_256px].torrent.SwEsUb.DVDRip.XviD-aXXo.jpg instead."<br />
alt="Curiosity"></nowiki><br />
::(line breaks added for clarity) --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 23:54, 6 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::That was my error in the template. I knew "image text" that has been commonly used by Jeff was not techically correct, but I didn't actually go back and confirm it was alt text before I included that tag in the template. That's to Waldir (I believe?) for correcting the template. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 14:14, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== When the "official" transcript is wrong? ==<br />
I did [[903: Extended Mind]]. Interestingly, the transcript on xkcd.com is missing the bottom line "When Wikipedia has a server outage, my apparent IQ drops by 30 points." I assume we want a complete transcript, rather than whatever xkcd.com says it is...? [[User:Stevage|Stevage]] ([[User talk:Stevage|talk]]) 04:10, 17 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:We're focusing on the actual transcript of the comic, not the xkcd.com transcript. The official transcript is usually right, but even Randall makes mistakes sometimes. [[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>]] 04:24, 17 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Milestone: half the comics explained!! ==<br />
<br />
Hi all! I'm pleased to announce that we have just broke the 50% mark for xkcd explanations! The page that balanced the count (568 explained, 568 to go, at the time) was [[877: Beauty]], created 01:31 UTC, 21 November 2012 by [[User:Davidy22]]. Congratulations!! :D --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 03:10, 21 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:The caterer's been called! The punch will be arriving soon! Go [[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]! [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 06:53, 21 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::[[File:freedom.png]] Punch is served! [[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>]] 07:11, 21 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
But the Main page says 407 explanations, 731 to go! What's up with that? --[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 21:00, 23 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Reverse? ==<br />
<br />
Why in the Archive why are all the thing up until "Heatmap" in Reverse? Can someone please answer? [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 08:28, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Archive? Can you provide a link or screenshot? '''[[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>]] 04:43, 19 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
http://xkcd.com/archive/ [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 08:28, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Ah, that's because the comic right after that, rtl, has a right-to-left character in it that flips all the proceeding text. '''[[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 00:13, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Ah, ok, i see that now. When I 1st saw that RTL I just thought that it was random letters, thankyou for explaining it for me. [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 08:28, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
It also depends on what browser you are on because on Google Chrome it was normal. [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 09:08, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Do you think this question was asked by one of the xkcd people? ==<br />
<br />
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090301060752AAtYugc [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 08:38, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Matthew Reilly ==<br />
<br />
I would just like to tell everyone that I asked Matthew Reilly (the author) if he is ever scared that a velociraptor is going to attack him, and he said NO! He clearly needs to start worrying about them! [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 10:45, 22 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== What can we learn section ==<br />
First of all I love your work. I believe deeper understanding of each XKCD can make a world a better place and I thank you sincerely for starting this webpage. I wanted to ask what you think about "What can we learn?" section I've been adding to some of the pages. Thank you - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 13:27, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:This site is actually the work of multiple editors working slowly and steadily to fill in explanations for all the old comics. Some of the xkcd comics are incredibly deep - comic [[956]] is such a poignant comic that digs into the DRM issue on so many levels. Your reflections on many of the comics are very much warranted and you're helping us create talk pages with high-quality opening posts, which is great for future discussion on this wiki. It'd be nice if you could refrain from putting headers in talk pages, technical limitations of the wiki make long explanation pages choke when headings are in the discussion page. Other than that, keep up the good work! '''[[User:Davidy22|<u><font color="purple" title="I want you">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><font color="indigo" size="4px">²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:42, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::I've put in my 2 cents to comic [[956]], and thank you for teaching me how to comment and link to other comics - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 13:58, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: FYI, you can always make pseudo-headings using a horizontal rule and a bold "header", but honestly I think a simple standard opening sentence would suffice. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 12:14, 2 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Oh, and the guy who draws xkcd is called {{w|Randall Munroe}}. So many glowing things to be said about him. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u><font color="purple" title="I want you">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><font color="indigo" size="4px">²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:44, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Yes, I can't thank him enough for simplifying complex issues to funny stories, I think it's exactly what our generation needs - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 13:58, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I'm in favor of a Mr. Rogers style of 'what lesson can be learned' on the talk page, but make sure your comments don't come across as sanctimonious and holier-than-thou as that can be really off-putting. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 19:06, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: You are absolutely correct, I have not thought of that, please trust me I did not do it on purpose. Thank you Mr. Lcarsos - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 19:55, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Thank you David, and I apologize that I've not made it clear that by your work, I do mean your collective work (the wiki is only as good as all the people behind it). I was trying to put the headers to allow others to find the section easier in case they start looking for it, perhaps I could make a suggestion to make it a standalone section so that others would be encouraged to contribute their own understanding of lessons they have noticed from each comic. I know the lessons I've seen, but I would love to learn from others as much as I hope they can learn from me and Mr. XKCD, thank you. - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 13:48, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD ==<br />
<br />
Hello fellow editors. Do you remember the last time we were hit by a surge of automated spam? Neither do I. ConfirmEdit has really done a number on the volume of spam that we're eating - one spam account has been created since we finished configuring confirmEdit, and zero anon edits have been spam. Zero. Can you say happiness? Can you say party? '''[[User:Davidy22|<u><font color="purple" title="I want you">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><font color="indigo" size="4px">²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 14:41, 1 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Hehe, I'm glad! Thanks for being so relentless on the spam-fighting all this time! Maybe we should make up a new reason to make Jeff remove the /wiki/ in the URL? ;) –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 18:11, 1 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: Awesome news! Finally the patrolling feature will be usable: [{{fullurl:Special:RecentChanges|hideanons=1&hidepatrolled=1&from=20121204025000&days=365&limit=1000}} Unpatrolled changes by registered users] / [{{fullurl:Special:RecentChanges|hideliu=1&hidepatrolled=1&from=20121204025000&days=365&limit=1000}} Unpatrolled changes by anonymous users] :) --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 12:27, 2 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== 1000th comic explanation!! ==<br />
<br />
Hi all! It apparently went unnoticed that '''we have recently surpassed the mark of 1000 comic explanations!''' Some calculations based on [[:Category:Comics]] and [[Special:NewPages]] led me to the conclusion that the 1000th explanation was [[681: Gravity Wells]], created by [[User:AlexRNL]] just yesterday! Yay! This calls for a celebration, no? Congrats to [[Special:ContributionScores|everyone]] who made this happen! I'll edit [[Mediawiki:Sitenotice]] with a congratulatory message. Way to go, guys! --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 16:04, 10 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
:ps - I also took the opportunity to flesh out our [[explain xkcd|about/history page]]. Please take a look and fix/add any details I might have missed. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 16:06, 10 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Style guide ==<br />
Is there a style guide for this wiki? --[[User:PeterMortensen|PeterMortensen]] ([[User talk:PeterMortensen|talk]]) 20:14, 10 August 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Oh, sorry, I did forget to answer here. A guide on this is not easy, many individual comics do need special layouts because they have content never can match to a style guide. But I will give a try [[Help:Style Guide]].--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:18, 15 August 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Adblock ==<br />
<br />
I've whitelisted the site in adblock, but the ads are still blocked.<br />
Anyone know what' going on here and how I can fix it?--[[User:ParadoX|ParadoX]] ([[User talk:ParadoX|talk]]) 04:34, 27 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Huh. I was wondering why our impression counts weren't rising. I thought it was just because this site had high turnover. I've changed the webpage that the word whitelisting links to, try the instructions there instead. Project wonderful is our ad provider, and they've been pretty good to us so far. Also, thanks for helping to support the site! '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 04:40, 27 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
::Great! I don't really mid ads as long as they aren't intrusive. Works now, Hope everyone else does it as well.--[[User:ParadoX|ParadoX]] ([[User talk:ParadoX|talk]]) 05:16, 27 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
::I saw you wrote "the webpage that the word whitelisting links to" so I went to the search box and typed whitelisting. My search didn't yield anything useful: [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?search=whitelisting&go=Go&title=Special%3ASearch]. I don't know how to create the missing page but there oughta be a link for someone like me who searches for whitelist or whitelisting, to take them to the instructions you refer to. [[User:SaxTeacher|SaxTeacher]] ([[User talk:SaxTeacher|talk]]) 10:59, 17 May 2014 (UTC)<br />
:::We already have this linked somewhere, but [https://www.projectwonderful.com/adblock.php this] is the link you want. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:41, 17 May 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I normally access this site through the android app "xkcd browser". That app only links to the content part of the site and doesn't show the side bar, so the adds aren't shown either. Might be worth discussing it with the author. [[Special:Contributions/109.158.126.139|109.158.126.139]] 08:06, 27 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:We support those avenues completely, you don't need to feel bad if you use an app to browse this site. We're only really concerned when we put up ads and our impressions are less than half our page hits, because that essentially means more than half our readers aren't contributing to server costs. That's really hard to deal with. We have enough daily page hits to qualify as web publishers at very big ad agencies, but we've had to settle for relatively low rates at the smaller Project Wonderful because 60% of our users were using adblock, so the agencies rejected us because our valuable "paying" audience was too low for them to consider us. That's been the difference between us using dedicated servers to host the site and hiring a contractor to set it up, and the (admittedly somewhat decent) shared hosting plan that we have to settle for now. We can only afford the shared hosting, because the small-scale advertisers at Project Wonderful don't even pay for full days of advertising; most of the time, we make less per day than the posted $3.90 price. That said, we're grateful that Project Wonderful would take us as a publisher when no one else would, but it really feels like the difference between being accepted to community college and being accepted to an ivy league school. For a similar reason, the Google ads route was not sufficient to satisfy our needs; not a large enough proportion of our users were looking at ads, so we either needed to spam them and degrade the site, or we needed to make them refresh, which makes pages slow and causes needlessly high traffic for a lot of users. We didn't want our ads to make the site worse, because that would drive away users and defeat the purpose of us being a public resource for xkcd readers. We actually decided to go the agency route pretty early, because adsense takes a massive cut of revenues and gives us little control over what ads or advertisers actually showed, which was not okay with us. Whoah, I wrote a lot. I hope it was coherent. Maybe someday I'll collect my thoughts and write a proper summary on how and why we advertise. Also, if you have any questions about anything ad-related, you can always ask us at [[explain xkcd talk:Advertise Here]]. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 11:15, 27 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Feynman? ==<br />
<br />
Feynman (both in [[182: Nash|living]] and [[397: Unscientific|zombie]] form) probably deserves an entry in the [[Template:Navbox characters|character navbox]] template doesn't he? [[Special:Contributions/128.250.152.198|128.250.152.198]] 02:21, 1 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:That's two comics out of 1200+. Three if you count the song. Not quite enough yet. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 02:27, 1 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:: If that's the criterion, then we need to get rid of [[Brown Hat]]. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 19:30, 11 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
:::Potentially, we could create a very minor character category with these two, and other characters with less than 10 appearances. [[User:tplaza64]]<br />
<br />
== Job Interview (Atomic Soup) ==<br />
<br />
The soup is clearly being poured out of an atomic socket. This "atomic soup" is probably not a reference to the alcoholic brew favoured by Scottish tramps, but more likely to the virtual nature of the company. {{unsigned|Sulis}}<br />
:Hey, go here [[Talk:1293: Job Interview]] for discussions. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:58, 20 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Is there a similar, transcripted service for The Oatmeal? ==<br />
<br />
Hi everyone - this site is a real gem, I've sent it to a friend of mine who can't read XKCD because she's blind. The transcripts on this site are a real boon!<br />
<br />
Does anyone know if there is a similar service for The Oatmeal? I've searched and searched, but found nothing so far.<br />
<br />
Thanks :)<br />
<br />
Jeff<br />
<br />
:As far as I know we are kind of unique in the web comics world. I think we get away with it because Randall publishes all his comics as Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial. We liberally link back to xkcd, and we don't make a penny (The ads are just to cover server expenses, because wikis and the databases that support them get big when you're covering a body of work like xkcd). I haven't looked into the copyright Matt uses for the Oatmeal, but he seems like a cool enough guy to not kill a community transcripting effort of his comics. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 20:32, 4 March 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== what if 103: Vanishing Water - comics ==<br />
<br />
Please explain the 2nd and the 4th comics from http://what-if.xkcd.com/103/<br />
<br />
"Just tried to sail my boat over land, because I didn't learn from that kid in the Zephyr." (who's the kid from Zephyr?)<br />
<br />
"A third time?" (maybe whales were dropped twice before in other what-ifs?) [[User:Daniel Carrero|Daniel Carrero]] ([[User talk:Daniel Carrero|talk]]) 21:57, 9 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:"A third time?" is a reference to a whale falling twice in "Hitchiker's guide to the Galaxy". Been a while, so I don't remember the details of how this fit in, but the second time it happened to the whale, he thought "Not again" or something along those lines. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 18:49, 11 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Actually, it was the bowl of petunias that thought to itself "Oh, no, not again." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.73|108.162.216.73]] 00:48, 5 April 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Raises the question of if we should explain jokes imbedded in What If comics. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 18:49, 11 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Discussion usage ==<br />
<br />
Am I being a killjoy in feeling that the discussion section should be mainly limited to discussion on improving the explanation, gathering consensus and that type of thing.<br />
Specifically, the discussion for [[1418: Horse]] is quickly turning into every man and his dog posting a sentence in the style of the comic, which doesn't really add anything to the page other than clutter.<br />
<br />
Personally, I'd just delete most of them, but I think I might be turning into a grumpy old bugger... --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 20:32, 10 September 2014 (UTC)<br />
:The discussion is also there for just talking about the comic. Those guys aren't wildly off-topic, there's no need to clamp down on what they get to talk about. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 17:44, 10 September 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Yep, I must just be grumpy and draconian! Lesson learned --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 20:32, 10 September 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== 2014 Christmas header ==<br />
<br />
Since the header for the site current contains a [http://imgs.xkcd.com/store/store_default.png graphic link to the store] that promises that Randall probably won't ship you a [[:Category:Bobcats|bobcat]], it seems to me that probably ought to be preserved and explained somewhere. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.189|173.245.56.189]] 17:45, 3 December 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== XKCD at LanguageLog ==<br />
<br />
Arnold Zwicky (of the well-known linguistics blog Language Log) has put together a list of linguistics-related XKCD strips, here: http://arnoldzwicky.org/the-language-of-comics/comics-lists/xkcd-cartoons/ I thought it might be appropriate for a copy of the list (maybe a category) to be created from it. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.79|199.27.133.79]] 03:48, 28 December 2014 (UTC)<br />
:[[:Category:Language]] '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 04:39, 28 December 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Bookmarklet ==<br />
<br />
Hello there, I've created a little bookmarklet (https://ginkobox.fr/shaarli/?a77vQw) and I thought it might be useful for someone out there.<br />
<br />
When launched, it adds the 'explain' before xkcd.com and the browser loads the explainxkcd page. I've tested it only on Firefox.<br />
<br />
(Contact @ https://ginkobox.fr/wiki/doku.php?id=about) {{unsigned ip|108.162.229.100}}<br />
<br />
:Thanks 108.162.229.100! I've started collecting these helpful tools on a [[Browser helpers|new page]], to hopefully make them easier for others to find. – [[User:Yfmcpxpj|Yfmcpxpj]] ([[User talk:Yfmcpxpj|talk]]) 01:36, 29 September 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Is there a RSS feed for What If? ==<br />
<br />
Is there a RSS feed for What If?--[[User:17jiangz1|17jiangz1]] ([[User talk:17jiangz1|talk]]) 11:59, 29 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
:No, because we cover the comics. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 18:57, 29 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== My User Page ==<br />
<br />
Can someone help me with [[user:17jiangz1|my user page]]? I can't seem to remove the large spaaaaaace on top.--[[User:17jiangz1|17jiangz1]] ([[User talk:17jiangz1|talk]]) 07:43, 9 April 2015 (UTC)<br />
: The only solution I've found is to remove the contribution scores (data6=...). Not sure what exactly is triggering this bug. --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 21:02, 9 April 2015 (UTC)<br />
I am receiving "Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character ""." for <code><pre>{{#expr: {{formatnum:{{#cscore:17jiangz1|pages}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}|R}}*100 round 5 }}</pre></code>--[[User:17jiangz1|17jiangz1]] ([[User talk:17jiangz1|talk]]) 05:46, 10 April 2015 (UTC)<br />
:Bump?--[[User:17jiangz1|17jiangz1]] ([[User talk:17jiangz1|talk]]) 06:48, 14 April 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== What-If ==<br />
<br />
In What-If 150, "Tatoonie Rainbow", http://what-if.xkcd.com/150/ the first image title-text says: "Vowing not to reference that video any further anywhere in this article, on principle.". What video is he talking about? [[User:5mi11er|slmiller]] ([[User talk:5mi11er|talk]]) 14:29, 27 May 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It hasn't updated for 2 weeks. why?--[[User:17jiangz1|17jiangz1]] ([[User talk:17jiangz1|talk]]) 06:50, 25 April 2015 (UTC)<br />
:Looks like they're on hold for a few months (Until July 14th). Too bad, I enjoyed them. ([http://what-if.xkcd.com/ Look at the top of the What-If page]) --[[User:Zman9600|Zman9600]] ([[User talk:Zman9600|talk]]) 20:24, 6 May 2015 (UTC)<br />
:What is so special about the date and time? Seems very specific: ''July 14th, 2015 at 7:49:59 AM EDT.'' --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.99|141.101.98.99]] 12:48, 28 May 2015 (UTC)<br />
Looks like it's set for the 40th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz mission launch. {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.158}}<br />
<br />
What If updates will resume on July 14th, 2015 at 7:49:59 AM EDT. By that time {{w|New Horizons}} will have it's closest approach to {{w|Pluto}}. See here: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/ --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:34, 5 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== thanks for having a working website ==<br />
<br />
the search function on xkcd.com was taken off, and now the random function seems to be having issues, but it's nice that here both work [[Special:Contributions/188.114.97.114|188.114.97.114]] 19:09, 9 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
:We do our best. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 22:27, 9 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== Ada Munroe ==<br />
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The latest [[what if?]] number 139 has a question by "Ada Munroe". Is she related to [[Randall]] in any way? --{{User:17jiangz1/signature|06:57, 09 August 2015}}<br />
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== Out of curiosity ==<br />
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I notice that whenever someone links to tvtropes.org in an explanation, someone changes the link to the matching page on allthetropes.org. I'm curious as to why that is. Is there some kind of terms of use conflict at play here that an editor should be keeping in mind? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.156|199.27.128.156]] 06:33, 26 October 2015 (UTC)<br />
:TVtropes does not restrict links to their site, and if this has been happening there are some time-outs that I need to be handing out. Can you point me to some of the edits where this is happening? '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:24, 26 October 2015 (UTC)<br />
::The specific example I had was, um, [[1468: Worrying]]. On Jan 3rd the links went to tvtropes.org, and on March 18th they were all changed over to allthetropes.orain.org. I just found it curious, I wasn't sure what the reason for it was [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.47|162.158.255.47]] 10:32, 29 October 2015 (UTC)<br />
:::Reverted. Typically, the reason people change perfectly good links to specific, obscure links in wikis is usually self-advertising. I'll be watching that guy's edits in the future. Thanks for the heads up. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 18:00, 29 October 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== Sightless readers offended by the "It's 'cause you're dumb" tagline. ==<br />
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I'll admit, every now and again the comic is over my head. ...because I'm dumb in that particular field. However, blind users who enjoy xkcd must do so through explainxkcd. They are NOT dumb. They are *blind*. Without explainxkcd, they would have no idea what is in the comics panels.<br />
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Explainxkcd is a great site. There is no question it provides a service to the internet community.<br />
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Please see this thread (last paragraph) on Userfriendly.org. Keep in mind, the end user is sightless and explainxkcd is "viewed" through a screen reader. http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/read.cgi?id=20160207&tid=3930989 (Anonymous)<br />
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: The guy on that other site is complaining about that XKCD does not work well in a screen reader -- that is not our problem, but a problem for Randall to solve on his own site. We cannot be the catch all for everything on the internet that Randall broke [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:37, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:: Agreed --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:28, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Honestly, I never even noticed the tagline in question. Humorous to sighted folks, sure. ...but obviously offensive to those who have no choice but to access xkcd through explainxkcd.<br />
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I'll leave it to the administrators or the community to figure something out, if anything at all. Maybe no one cares? I didn't come here to make any suggestions, only to point out how offensive those 4 words are to some users of the website. {{unsigned ip|108.162.238.88}}<br />
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:Alright, put a link here in the site notice. What does everyone else think? I'm open to changing it, it's something people complain about fairly periodically and our identity isn't completely tied to the tagline, I feel. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 09:16, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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::Well, we definitely shouldn't change anything because that particular guy is upset. It's one thing to be offended, but he's also attacking both this site and Randal Monroe. I don't think that sort of behavior should be rewarded. I actually have a rule online where, if someone acts like a jerk to me, I will be kind, but I won't give them what they want. I think a lot of the problems with people being jerks to others is that they still get what they want, so what reason do they have to stop? If he wants us to change it, he should address us like an adult and ask us himself.<br />
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::But you claim this is a common complaint. Then I would say we need more info. My instinct would be that people don't understand that it's a joke. But then my solution would be to do what the site is designed to do and explain the joke, rather than take it down. If there's actually something about it that's offensive to an entire class of people, that's different. I am unaware of a stereotype that blind people are stupid, but I'm open to the idea that I don't know.<br />
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::I'm not particularly married to the tag line. I actually didn't even notice it was there. But I'm loathe to take it down over a misunderstanding. I can't think of a similarly humorous replacement that would not be offensive, but I can at least suggest "Because nobody knows everything." --[[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 09:42, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::I've gotten these before. There's a [[Talk:Main_Page#Header_message|slowly growing]] section in the main page discussion page and a complaint buried somewhere in my talk page and they're usually quite unhappy. I pegged it up this time round because there's special needs involved, and a good part of our intended appeal is the transcripts for the blind. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 10:45, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::I like your reasoning, what if "It's 'cause you're dumb" was follow by "[citation needed]" and make the whole thing a link to a page explaining the header. It would be in character of the page, and xkcd. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.34|108.162.221.34]] 00:28, 13 February 2016 (UTC) Sam<br />
::::Great idea, Sam! That's the funniest suggestion ever [citation needed]. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.141.4|172.68.141.4]] 19:29, 29 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
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::Is he one of those people who are so self-centered and 'entitled' that just because they have a disability they assume that everyone is constantly trying to offend them, even in the most unlikeliest of cases? Does he actually believe that the tag line was written with the intention of offending blind people? This is ridiculous. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.71|141.101.106.71]] 11:04, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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"Just in case you feel dumb"? "Some comics may be funnier than they appear"?[[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.198|199.27.130.198]] 09:55, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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How about simply removing it? At least until we find something that isn't offensive to anyone - which might be very hard to obtain. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 10:34, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Because you're crippled... That's worse I guess.<br><br />
But before considering the "you're dumb" tagline, one must think about the name of this wiki. It is called '''Explain''' xkcd, not read xkcd, and explaining is for dumb people, not blind people.<br><br />
Maybe one thing we can do is add a "(unless you are just here for the transcript)" subtext, with a link to the transcript section, which has the advantage of both taming offended blind readers (maybe) and provide a direct, "spoilerless" link. --[[User:GuB|GuB]] ([[User talk:GuB|talk]]) 10:40, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I need explainxkcd for two reasons: being visually impaired, although I can see most of the comics I often miss crucial details that I find only in the transcript; and as a non-American, I lack many cultural references (books, movies, songs, sayings...) that are given in the explanations.<br />
I don't think either of these reasons makes me "dumb". However, I never found the tagline offensive. It was immediately obvious to me that it was meant as humor. Who could seriously think that someone is dumb just because they haven't read the specific book that Randall is parodying in a given comic? Or because they're not familiar with a specific programming language or Unix command? IMHO the tagline *is* funny precisely because very few people can actually "get" all the comics without an explanation. Suggesting that anyone who isn't part of the 0.1% of the population who share all of Randall's abilities and references, is dumb, can't be anything but a joke. Adding to the lot those who can't get the comics because they're blind doesn't make the joke more offensive. It's a sad world where political correctness kills all forms of humor.<br />
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On the other hand, the tagline is not an essential part of the site and if a significant number want it removed, so be it.<br />
Zetfr 10:46, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:Well not everybody's mind works the same way, and some people legitimately cannot grasp humor very easily. They may come to read the explanations precisely because they can't recognize what about a given comic is supposed to be humorous, and they likewise may not be able to tell that the tagline is just a joke. Besides, the tagline is equating a lack of knowledge with a lack of intelligence, which also makes it inaccurate and kind of kills the humor for those who stop and think about it.<br />
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:I personally agree with the above "Because nobody knows everything." approach. I would suggest something along the lines of "Because you won't always get the joke." --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.134|108.162.242.134]] 11:06, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:: This sounds like a bunch of dumb people coming together and suggesting that the rest of people should be more like them (joke intended) [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:33, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: +1 on this. '''Keep'''. --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 20:15, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''removal''' [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 11:01, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Mostly agree with Zetfr, it is a rather obvious joke, and this is a website about a webcomic which is mostly about fun, it would be different if this was some serious news portal, but it isn't, and in my humble opinion people who can't take a joke shouldn't even be here. There will always be ranters and people who get offended, we should not let them make decisions for us. I sincerely believe vast majority of people, blind or otherwise, understand it. [[User:Jaalenja|Jaalenja]] ([[User talk:Jaalenja|talk]])<br />
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:I agree with Zetfr. If a user doesn't understand that it is a joke, then he won't understand XKCD's jokes, either, no matter how much explaination he can get.<br />
:--[[User:Lou Crazy|Lou Crazy]] ([[User talk:Lou Crazy|talk]]) 12:12, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
::I also agree with the above, and like the part of Zetfr about because you need a reader to use the page you do not need to be offended by an obvious joke --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:28, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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if i had a vote i'd say change the "because you're dumb" from text to a picture with alt text of something slightly less rude. "because you're using a screenreader," perhaps. although that would show up on mouseover. meh. whatever. --13:01, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:and someone isn't "entitled" because they get annoyed about something that doesn't annoy you. as a sighted person i don't even look at the headers on the page. i would imagine that since the text in question is at the top of the page he has to listen to it every single time the page is refreshed. which is annoying enough if it's not insulting. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.161|141.101.106.161]] 13:06, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:It is bad to have the alt-text saying something differently, but since the current tagline is not offensive to non-blind people then why would it be offensive to a blind person. [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:24, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep''' -- Blind people do not have to come to this site, they can just use xkcd.com directly and if that is not working for blind people then that is Randall's problem not ours. The tag line has been there for years while I have noticed it before and used the site and I have never been offended, if a blind person is offended maybe they should stop using the internet. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.109|162.158.255.109]] 15:18, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
: I second that -- the tag line does not appear to offend non-blind people, it should not offend blind people either [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:24, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Voting '''KEEP''' -- the tag line is a joke, and who is to say that blind people cannot be dumb [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:24, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep''' as well. I don't see any reason to change it; it's not a jab at disabled people, blind or otherwise. The site is called '''explain'''xkcd, and everything here centers around explaining the comic, not being a transcription service. (If that's not the case, then maybe other things need changing too.) I always thought the tagline fit nicely with the "sarcasm" part of xkcd's own tagline. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.26|108.162.216.26]] 15:26, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''KEEP and satisfy both sides'''. If you examine the HTML, or use [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/fangs-screen-reader-emulator/ Fangs] (free screen reader), you may notice there is a jump-to-nav div element that lets people with screen readers jump to various parts of the page. The jump-to-nav div is only a few HTML lines below the tagline. I'd recommend:<br />
# Moving the jump-to-nav div to '''before''' the tagline<br />
# Adding a "Jump to Transcript" link in the jump-to-nav div.<br />
# Test it with [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/fangs-screen-reader-emulator/ Fangs] in Firefox to simulate a screen reader.<br />
This way, screen-reader users can jump to the transcript and don't have to hear the tagline every time they visit an explainxkcd.com page.<br />
-- [[User:Hat|Hat]] ([[User talk:Hat|talk]]) 15:44, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Consider "Do you get it now?" [[Special:Contributions/198.41.235.11|198.41.235.11]] 16:09, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep''': it's reasonable and no change is warranted<br />
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I like the suggestion of '''keeping''' the current tagline, but changing it to an '''image with alttext''' saying something like "because you're using a screenreader". I also vote to move the link to the transcript to above the tagline. [[User:Rileysci|Rileysci]] ([[User talk:Rileysci|talk]]) 17:32, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: Great idea, but here's an even better one: '''Keep''' the tagline for visual browsers, but '''add code''' such as [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/672156/is-there-a-way-to-write-content-that-screen-readers-will-ignore <code> CSS { speak: none; } and aria-hidden="true"</code>] that prevents it from being spoken by screen readers. -- [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 15:31, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I get the joke and I'm not offended by it, but it seems to me that it really sticks out on this site and it doesn't seem consistent with Randall's sense of humor. Everyone on this site is very inclusive and eager to share all perspectives and points of view. I come here both to see the humor that I have the knowledge to understand and to learn more about the world the way Randall sees it. In short, I come here to be one of the lucky 10,000. In fact, I would suggest that as the tag line, "Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000!". Inside joke that can link to the comic (http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1053:_Ten_Thousand) and it is welcoming. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.170|108.162.245.170]] 18:44, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
: +1 on this. '''Change''' [[User:Jkshapiro|Jkshapiro]] ([[User talk:Jkshapiro|talk]]) 03:45, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep'''. In case it is not kept then it should be changed to something completely different. Te idea of making a title text to an image I really dislike, although I even more dislike adding anything to the existing one to either refer to people coming for the transcript or making excuses for the obvious joke. This has been a part of the page forever, I have seen it almost every time I come here. To begin with I did feel dumb sometimes, but I was never offended by it, just amused. But of course an explain page is for those who did not get the joke. And there are other pages that explains the comic. I do not know if they have a transcript? But I'm happy to know that some people must really enjoy the detailed transcripts that I usually try to provide. I had just not though about the blind perspective. I more use the transcript to make sure every one agrees on what is seen in the images of the comic. Having said all this, I must admit that the best suggestion for a change so far is the one posted above my post (about the lucky 10,000). :-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:28, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote keep, for exactly the reasons explained by Zeftr above. Changing it to an image with alt text would be OK also. [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 20:45, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:I vote '''Change''' it because it is too easily mistaken as an insult instead of a joke. At least change it to ''Because you are stupid''.... Ah, maybe instead ''Because xkcd is far beyond common knowledge'' or ''Because hardly anyone gets everything'' or ''Because it is usually nerdly esoteric even for geeks''. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.46|108.162.221.46]] 21:39, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:I vote '''Change'''. I have never been a big fan of the tagline. I don't know everything, but I am certainly not dumb. Also, I echo the reference to (http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1053:_Ten_Thousand). This comic has always been about expanding knowledge, not making you feel guilty for not knowing something.<br />
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:'''Change''': I realize the "It's because you're dumb" tagline follows the sarcastic nature of Randall's humor, but there are enough people who don't get or appreciate that sort of humor and are likely to be more offended by it, special needs or no. Here's my suggestion: "For those of us who don't get it." [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 21:59, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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At what point is "enough" people offended? I've only seen evidence of several (https://xkcd.com/1070/) visually impaired users actually offended by the site, along with a couple people who didn't specify their visual ability. I don't know the traffic on this site, but I would expect it to be on the order of 10^4 or higher. So is this discussion about changing something that a handful of people find offensive? Or is there an actual problem of something inappropriate on the site. If this is all about a couple people finding something offensive, I imagine a few christians might take issue with (https://xkcd.com/709/). Should we start another discussion about accommodating them? Or add a disclaimer that the views expressed by Randall Munroe are his own and do not reflect those of this site? [[User:Beardmcbeardson|Beardmcbeardson]] ([[User talk:Beardmcbeardson|talk]]) 01:25, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
: So you vote to '''keep''' -- right? [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 04:30, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Slightly Change'''-- make it more obviously tongue in cheek. "It's cause we're dumb" or "For those of us who need it" I agree with the point about not complying with people on the internet who can't behave like adults, however I've never found the line particularly funny. Also change the jump-to-nav, as that would just get annoying to hear it every time you open up the site. I am not recommending changing it based on the imagined offenses of others. I just think it could be funnier.[[User:NotLock|NotLock]] ([[User talk:NotLock|talk]]) 06:29, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I like changing to "For those of us who need it"<br />
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'''Keep''' Trying to satisfy everyone is like trying to understand every comic. It probably won't happen. As an example, using the 'one of 10 000' example provided above can insult a bunch of people that are not from the States simply because the comic (and the reference to the comic for that matter) will make them feel left out. My other reasons for voting keep have all been mentioned already. People get insulted so easily, let's try not to encourage this behavior by rewarding it. [[User:Bon|Bon]] ([[User talk:Bon|talk]]) 07:16, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Change''' because I find it slightly offensive myself. If we change it, we should replace it with something that everybody would interpret as humorous, e.g. "Because we can't all be rocket scientists". [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 08:25, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep'''. Next thing we know, liberal arts majors will complain about xkcd science being offensive. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.229|141.101.91.229]] 10:12, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote for '''change''' or '''remove'''. Regarding the former, while I know it's supposed to be a joke, I never found it humorous myself and, unlike others that wrote before me, I don't think it relates to the humor or sarcasm used by Randall. It being offensive is not part of my motivation for my vote. I agree with some of the suggestions written up to now. Regarding the latter, I don't really think it's existence is necessary. Regardless, changing the div things is a must. [[User:GuiRitter|GuiRitter]] ([[User talk:GuiRitter|talk]]) 16:25, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote for '''change'''. You could keep much of the humour by changing it to something like "because ignorance '''can''' be cured". [[User:Farnz|Farnz]] ([[User talk:Farnz|talk]])<br />
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If I may vote (as a happy international user of this site, but not yet a contributor), one more vote for '''Keep''' - at least as "don't change now, because of this specific request, because of perceived offensiveness". For several reasons, which have been mentioned already:<br />
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a) I think it's funny. It also fits perfectly with the overall XKCD humor. And the same line of thinking as the book "You are now less dumb" from "YouAreNotSoSmart.com".<br />
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b) It's so obviously generic (directed at everyone reading it) I fail to understand how it can be interpreted as insult instead of irony. Even worse: I fail to understand why it should be _especially_ insulting to blind people. Having a transcript for them to use is nice, but it's merely one of the aspects this site provides (and it's not even at the top nor are there pages "transcript only", so blind are no primary audience)<br />
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c) If this site decides to actually help blind people more, how about: putting the tagline in the image (so it's not "read every time"), put the transcript at the top / provide pages with only transcripts, so that the original XKCD can be consumed prior to the explanations here (just as non-blind users would see it)<br />
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d) this request follows the current Outragism trend, so I do suspect that it's not actually blind people feeling offended, but privileged SJWs thinking about who might possibly feel offended, bringing change to the world where it's not beneficial even for those they claim to support. Comparable to PETA.<br />
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While I'm at it - THANK YOU for this site. Most XKCD I mostly understand. But due to being an international reader, some aspects of American Culture I need explainXKCD to grasp, and other aspects it's just nice to see more details, cross-references with other comics, and hidden gems. <br />
[[User:Zefiro|Zefiro]] ([[User talk:Zefiro|talk]]) 18:46, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:I'm an "international user", too, and I suppose a lot of users of this site are international users who need to be explained some xkcd jokes that would be obvious to any native English speaker living in the US. I don't have an opinion about changing the tagline or keeping it, but I would like to notice that "Because you are dumb" is the kind of joke that would need an explanation - it would be hard for me to tell if it's a joke or an insult. Therefore, an easier joke could have some advantage.--[[User:Pere prlpz|Pere prlpz]] ([[User talk:Pere prlpz|talk]]) 22:16, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote for '''change.''' I know it's a joke, but it's not particularly funny, and can easily be mistaken for an insult. [[User:Ekedolphin|Ekedolphin]] ([[User talk:Ekedolphin|talk]]) 20:13, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I agree with Trlkly (and Isaac(https://xkcd.com/1448/)), more information is needed. The purpose of this site is to explain xkcd (obviously, from the name) so people come here primarily to seek knowledge or a better understanding about xkcd. As long as the explanations or the explainers don't act like white hat (https://xkcd.com/1386/), there should be no reason to take the tagline seriously.--[[User:Beardmcbeardson|Beardmcbeardson]] ([[User talk:Beardmcbeardson|talk]]) 01:20, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote KEEP, but I do support the idea of moving the jump-to to above the tagline. I believe that the tagline is obviously a joke, and that pleaing everyone is nigh impossible. I also strongly oppose the proposal to change it to an image with an alt-text of "because you're using a screen reader." Finally, I do not believe we should change the tagline. We should, if anything, remove it altogether. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.20|173.245.54.20]] 03:33, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Slightly Change''' - I like 199.27.130.198's idea, "Just in case you feel dumb." [[User:Mateussf|Mateussf]] ([[User talk:Mateussf|talk]]) 04:44, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Change''', preferably to something like "The ''Anti'' Thing Explainer; Simple Stuff in Complicated Words!" Only, you know, more complicated to improve the joke. [[User:KitsunePhoenix|Amaroq (KitsunePhoenix)]] ([[User talk:KitsunePhoenix|talk]]) 05:01, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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What about: it's cause you need more context. I also don't like the current tagline, because dumbness would be more the inability to understand than a lack of knowledge.<br />
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'''Change''' - First thing first, as suggested, move the jump-to-nav div to before the tagline and add a "Jump to Transcript" link in the jump-to-nav div.<br />
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Then also change the tagline: it's not that good, and not that in line with the xkcd humor - it's actually ''directly opposed'' to the spirit of [[1053]]. Some better ones have already been suggested:<br />
*"Some comics may be funnier than they appear"<br />
*"Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000!"<br />
*"because sometimes we all need a little help"<br />
''Or'' we could even have a bunch of good ones like that out of which one is selected at random when the page is loaded --[[User:Jules.LT|Jules.LT]] ([[User talk:Jules.LT|talk]]) 09:17, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I like the joke in the tag line (some of us come here because they are to stupid or to lazy to lookup all the information xkcd is joking about)<br />
but I also find it to direct to the user. I want to add some suggestions to Jules.LT [[User:SirKitKat|sirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 10:01, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
* "Error loading tagline, click here to retry."<br />
* "Because it is Monday morning."<br />
* "Because you like explaining jokes."<br />
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I think people coming here and complaining because "dumb" appears to be aimed at insulting the blind are hilarious, because another meaning for "dumb" is "unable to speak." If people who were "dumb" in this way were complaining because we are using the other meaning of "dumb" it would be awkward, but degree of visual acuity is not open for the same misinterpretation. [[User:Swordsmith|Swordsmith]] ([[User talk:Swordsmith|talk]])<br />
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'''KEEP''' for the same reasons as [[User:Zefiro|Zefiro]]. If change is necessary, fix it so the screen reader doesnt say it aloud. (This ensures the change is propagated to those who have no other recourse for sightless XKCD enjoyment, and is not a ploy by SJWs who can't take sarcastic humor (why are they reading XKCD in the first place?) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.40|108.162.221.40]] 14:06, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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It is super obviously not intended seriously, because xkcd is a technical comic that nobody will understand entirely on the first pass. If it's true, then everybody is dumb. Boo hoo.<br />
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The guy in question is under the mistaken impression that Randall runs this site and maliciously hides his transcripts under the tagline. He's also very angry about a lot of things. Sighted people have to look at the tagline every time it loads too, it's at the top of the page.<br />
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I vote '''Keep''' because I hate negotiating with terrorists. If it has the effect of filtering out people who enjoy being outraged, then it's doing a service. Image search "stephen fry offensive".<br />
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I'd be fine with moving the jump-to-nav div. I'm absolutely against making it an image with a different tagline, because then we would be depriving blind people of the joke. I'm absolutely against changing it to something less offensive. I would settle for removing it entirely, or changing it to something more offensive, such as "It's 'cause you're dumb, and get offended over dumb shit."<br />
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Or, you know, make a transcribexkcd.com site. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.217.203|108.162.217.203]] 16:39, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change''' to one of the cool new suggestions I've seen. I've always been sad about this tagline, and while I love XKCD humor, I just don't think the tagline is funny. It makes me hesitate and sometimes decide not to share this site with others who I think would love the humor, but not the tagline. The issue keeps coming up, and this is just one more way that it irritates people and causes hassle. It's obvious to me that we should find a new tagline, or just drop it for the time being. [[User:Nealmcb|Nealmcb]] ([[User talk:Nealmcb|talk]]) 17:39, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change''' The word "dumb" used as slang for "unintelligent" or "uneducated" is offensive and many better suggestions have been proposed, which retain the wry humor without the offense. Hiding behind "it's just a joke" is beneath the standards of this site. {{unsigned ip|108.162.245.134}}<br />
:It's not hiding behind "just a joke", it IS the joke. It's tongue-in-cheek. It's so obviously false that you have to intentionally ignore the joke and manufacture offense about something benign. I'll give you that it's not that funny. It's also not that offensive. Why are we talking about something so petty. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.11|108.162.221.11]] 21:11, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep'''. I feel like a blind person being insulted by the implication that being sightless somehow makes them unintelligent is a pretty far leap of logic. Not being able to see has no bearing whatsoever on your actual mental acuity. How many actual complaints have there been? One, a few, lots? I don't know, but if it was a significant number I might change my mind. As it stands, though, I think it's pretty clear in the site description that this site is meant for people who don't understand the comic due to its focus on obscure topics and use of technical jargon, being written by a former NASA robot technician with a bent for Linux. Using disabilities as an insult is something I don't condone, but in this case I think it's a case of certain individuals being overly sensitive. Thinking a word as mild as "dumb" is offensive is a bit much, especially since it's often used in contexts other than "uneducated" or "stupid" - I use it to describe myself all the time when I can't word proper-like. I think of it more as "scatter-brained". --[[User:KingStarscream|KingStarscream]] ([[User talk:KingStarscream|talk]]) 18:55, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change''' I feel like the "Because we can't all be rocket scientists" tagline suggested above is great; I always found the tagline to be a bit annoying because I often know all of a comic except a small part, and I come here for that. It's just unnecessarily confrontational and Randall himself has expressed in https://xkcd.com/1386/ and https://xkcd.com/1053/ that he doesn't agree with insulting ignorance. {{unsigned ip|198.41.235.179}}<br />
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'''Change AND Keep''' I get the original joke, but I love some of the new ones too. Randomly rotating tag line appear is my vote, BUT let's make the tag line clickable so that we can explain the tag line .... for those of us who don't get the joke! {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.10}}<br />
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'''Keep''', but change the jump-to-nav, and maybe make the tagline clickable. I like the tagline. Someone already said this, but this is explainxkcd, not readxkcd. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.63|108.162.216.63]] 19:37, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Keep''', because it's been there for so long! I remember coming here years ago and looking for the references I didn't get, and the tagline was already there. It's a legacy thing, the one thing remaining from the old website in the new fancy wiki format. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.226.204|198.41.226.204]] 20:47, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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For all you people being offended and claiming that the tagline is contrary to the spirit of xkcd, I give you [https://xkcd.com/386/ xkcd.com/386]. This entire argument is offensive to me, can we remove it? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.11|108.162.221.11]] 21:20, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep''' The referenced posting is obviously a troll. And xkcd has transcripts so the story of the self proclaimed blind person with diabetes does not make sense. --23:43, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Rather than "cuz you're dumb" which both asserts a trait and uses what might not be the best word choice, why not something like "Because you might be ignorant"? Dumb, after all, isn't remediable, though ignorance is. (Also, a consideration, "dumb" can mean "mute," so if there's something with screenreading for blindness, that could be read as assuming more than one disability? ("blind and dumb" akin to "deaf and dumb"?) // Possibly do something akin to the warning on the comic's site itself: "Because you might be a liberal arts major." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.61|108.162.221.61]] 00:22, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep''' because risk of accidental offence is never a good reason to rewrite comedy. If community wants to change suggest "Explaining Xtremely Klever Comedic Drawings"; if only to troll those who insist that the letters XKCD must stand for something (which it doesn't) [[User:Kev|Kev]] ([[User talk:Kev|talk]]) 00:37, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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The issue seems to boil down to:<br />
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Is it funny?<br />
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Is it overly offensive?<br />
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And therefore:<br />
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Is it worth it?<br />
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Throwing in my opinion, however small:<br />
+ <br />
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It's amusing to me.<br />
The joke is clear, and universal. Offence may be taken equally by anyone reading.<br />
It fits well.<br />
Possibly have a hidden link for those offended. A rotating tag line could include more jokes, but...<br />
By all means move the navigation.<br />
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An explain explainxkcd page that is linked to might work, in the spirit of metahumour.<br />
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However, it may not be as serious an issue, as the tag line is easy to ignore. Just moving HTML a bit seems like a logical, cheap and easy solution, and then we can test it. Please note that this has no technical knowledge behind it, just a reading of the above.<br />
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So, my vote goes to '''keep''', and shuffle HTML or, in order, link, replace with rotating, modify, remove.<br />
Harmless fun. Possibly have a cookie-based option to permanently hide the tag line.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.160|108.162.250.160]] 00:56, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Apologies, I have broken formatting in the last few edits, trying to fix it...[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.160|108.162.250.160]] 00:57, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: My vote is '''change''', and it's not because of blind people. Let me run you through a very common scenario for new users:<br />
:* You have a person who generally thinks of themselves as quite smart.<br />
:* They read the comics and find most of them extremely funny.<br />
:* They come across a comic they just can't understand.<br />
:* They stare at it for minutes, wondering why they just can't get the joke.<br />
:* Pride already bruised, they eventually give up and turn to Google.<br />
:* "Explain xkcd! That's exactly what I'm looking for!"<br />
:* Click the link.<br />
:* "Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb"<br />
:* Gee, what a lovely welcome. Not.<br />
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: Insulting your users the first time you meet them is '''''terrible''''' practice. You're pointing at them and laughing that they didn't understand the joke. You're kicking somebody when they're already down. OK, that is exaggeration, but when you look at the line as a new user, it's not friendly and welcoming; it doesn't encourage you to return. It's just bad UX.<br />
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: Now, we could overlook the directed insult if it was indeed funny, but it really isn't. There's nothing witty about it, nothing punny about it, no double-entendres or sly references. It's just an insult. <br />
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: Legacy is no reason to keep something that doesn't work. Just because something wasn't picked up as bad practice 5 years ago doesn't mean that it isn't bad practice. Can you imagine if Microsoft kept Clippy around for "legacy reasons"?<br />
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: It would be one thing if it were kept because there were no other options, but ''so many'' fantastic alternatives have been suggested:<br />
:* '''It's 'cause we're dumb''' -- Changes it from an insult directed at one person to a statement with an inclusive sense of community. It saying that, hey, you may not understand all the comics, but neither do we! Let's learn together!<br />
:* '''Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000!''' -- Direct reference to comic which celebrates filling gaps in one's knowledge. Also, as a comic reference, most people won't get it the first time, so make it a link and use it to draw people further in to this wiki!<br />
:* '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear''' -- Actually humorous, containing reference to a very common message we're all familiar with (objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear). Also alludes to the hidden depths to many of the comics, where additional levels of meaning are revealed the more about the subject one knows, which is what this wiki is trying to reveal.<br />
:* '''Error loading tagline, click here to retry.''' -- Looks like the kind of joke you'd actually find in the comments. Clicking the tagline should then do something completely unrelated to reloading the tagline (I dunno, set off some cool JS magic).<br />
:* '''Because it is Monday morning.''' -- Should only be shown on Mondays. Can easily be implemented with parser functions.<br />
:* '''Because sometimes we all need a little help''' -- Gives an understanding tone that's comforting to new users.<br />
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: '''TL;DR''': The current tagline is unnecessarily confrontational and projects a bad welcome to new users, and there is nothing particularly clever/funny/important about the current tag line to recommend keeping it, especially with ''so many'' better suggestions on offer. Put it this way, if you were seeing "It's 'cause you're dumb" tag as a suggestion to add to this wiki today, would you choose it over the other options? No? Then make like an old meme and "Let It Go!" [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.157|108.162.249.157]] 05:49, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: I think the above comment is a perfect example of different mindsets. I discovered this wiki in exactly the way you described. But I was not offended in anyway when seeing the tagline, which I did almost immediately. Rather, it got a little chuckle out of me along with a thought along the lines of "Haha, yeah, maybe I am dumb." If you get offended by such a tagline, it suggests to me that you are not all that certain about your own intelligence in the first place. It's a static bit of text. It was not aimed at the person reading it, it was aimed at EVERYONE reading it. EDIT-I realize this post could be seen as offensive or a personal attack, which it's not, please read the "you" not as the poster of the above mentioned comment, but as a generic for any person reading the comment. [[User:Bon|Bon]] ([[User talk:Bon|talk]]) 07:11, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: If I remember correctly I've heard it origonally was a pic of Blackhat saying it. Would it be possible to use that on this site. It seems like a decent solution? (I haven't read all of this so I don't know if this has been suggested sorry if it has). Like people have said no one gets all of xkcd, as a nonAmerican there is also a lot of references I don't get. Getting offenend over this does seems pretty pathetic to me. I also use this site for non explanation reasons, that is it often links together comics which is handy, and people often post cool links. But as others have pointed out this site isn't transcriptxkcd or linkxkcd it's explainxkcd, so that's what it should be meant for. Claiming i's offensive o the visually impaired seems pretty silly. All in all, maybe it could do with tweaking to make it more obvious but IMO it's a solid '''keep''' [[User:Halfhat|Halfhat]] ([[User talk:Halfhat|talk]]) 11:22, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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::I vote '''change''', for the reasons the Halfhat above listed. I also never thought "It's 'cause you're dumb." really fit with this wiki. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.33|141.101.104.33]] 12:57, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::I can't believe we've become such a limp-wristed baby society that we can't even have a joke like "It's 'cause you're dumb" as the tagline. Nobody would reasonably get offended at it. '''Keep.''' [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.33|108.162.221.33]] 13:35, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep'''. Blind people have to realize they're not the only ones reading this site. This site was created to explain the comic, not purely to provide a transcript of the comic - that's just icing. [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 14:27, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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If there ever really was a single person who took the tag line seriously, then it was just telling them the truth. I vote '''keep'''. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.90|162.158.255.90]] 19:15, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Keep, or otherwise, Change'''. My opinion: It is not offensive, and I find it humourous. As I am very interested in the maths and the sciences, and I am very nerdy, I do often understand the jokes in each comic. However, sometimes I don't quite get it. This wiki is very good for that, because it collates many people's views and expertise on the comic. If the vote is overall to change, I am a fan of "Because sometimes we all need a little help." [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.29|173.245.54.29]] 21:18, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''change''': I've always been a bit unsettled by it myself. Some deaf readers may be more insulted by it than blind ones. vote for "'''Cause you're #dumb''" (or perhaps another NOT symbol... so only people that don't understand are insulted... and the tagline can be linked to a page that explains why it isn't an insult) [[User:Edo|Edo]] ([[User talk:Edo|talk]]) 23:16, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''KEEP'''. I actually had the feeling the fellow who complained may not understand sarcasm very well. Regardless, the tagline to me is remarkably funny and one of the things I always point out to folks when I first turn them on to XKCD. I worry they will stop following XKCD if they don't understand a post, which is why I am especially glad your site exists. There are many types of humor that will be lost on folks. Myself, for example. I was just railing to my friends about how much I did not like a recent popular vine which showed a guy, kinda probably the father, scaring a very young child strapped in a cat seat, by yelling in horror as the cats convertible roof was closed. Because I did not grow up watching laugh-tracked America's Funniest (sic) Home Video segments, I am not conditioned for casual schadenfreude-driven videos. But I know that's just me. I don't want to limit free-speech merely because it is not for me. Regardless, I really just want you to '''KEEP''' it because to me it is darn funny and just the sort of humor most of the folks who enjoy XKCD appreciate. --[[User:Hugo|Hugo]] ([[User talk:Hugo|talk]]) 23:25, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I will also vote '''keep'''. While it ''might'' be considered offensive, it's really no more "offensive" than XKCD itself. Lest we forget the line at the bottom of every comic page:<br />
:Warning: this comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and '''advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)'''.<br />
I don't see how "It's 'cause you're dumb." is any worse. [[User:Schiffy|<font color="000999">Schiffy</font>]] ([[User_talk:Schiffy|<font color="FF6600">Speak to me</font>]]|[[Special:Contributions/Schiffy|<font color="FF0000">What I've done</font>]]) 23:52, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:: I don't think it's offensive, it's more childish, which may be off-putting for first time readers. Hence I vote for '''change'''. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.216|199.27.130.216]] 01:12, 14 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Keep''', per the reasoning of, among other people, Zefiro. I like the tagline a lot and don't see much at all, if anything, that's wrong with it. Like Hugo, I feel like it's a bit of ''entirely'' appropriate humor. [[User:APerson|APerson]] ([[User talk:APerson|talk!]]) 00:36, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''change'''. I know it's supposed to be a joke, but it seems out of place and not particularly funny, and it could discourage potential readers. I don't have an idea for a new tagline, but plenty of good ones have been suggested here. [[User:Cheese Lord Eggplant|Cheese Lord Eggplant]] ([[User talk:Cheese Lord Eggplant|talk]]) 03:13, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep''' better sums up my vote, and I wish to explain why. I understand the views (as stated above) that it might discourage potential viewers, but I have seen enough well-put arguments that point out why it should not be removed for the arguments on the other side of the debate. However, I do understand that sightless users would get pretty pissed off at being told that they're dumb over and over. Is there perhaps a way to hide the text from programs designed to assisted the disabled? I have a couple of suggestions.<br />
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Perhaps it can instead simply be an image, and can even be done in a more stylized text that hints at the humour behind it (no, I have no specific suggestions). This image should not have the words it says in the meta-text within it. I just think it's not worth removing it over, it's kind of funny (or very funny, depending who you ask), replacement suggestions kinda make it bland, and this is a way to avoid having sightless people get told they're dumb over and over. The stylization is just a suggestion, because most alternative taglines I've heard don't sound up to par compared to it. Just anything to point out the sarcastic and purely humorous intentions.<br />
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I'd like to enforce my suggestion of having an image with no meta-text that can be read by bringing up that explainxkcd.com can hardly ''lose'' popularity if for the sensitive minority they don't have a tagline (especially if this tagline they are not aware of could be construed as offensive). 'Cause seriously, who's going to go tell a blind person "hey man the tagline for this site is insulting to you want to hear it?" so they'll just not learn of its existence and go on peacefully. So: Image, stylized to clearly express humour, with no program-interpretable meta-text for the blind to hear. I'd like this opinion to be closely considered, and I'd love to hear intelligent replies. ''For all intents and purposes,'' I vote '''Keep''', but to address the issue proactively and adaptively to get the best for both worlds.<br />
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I would like to point out one change I would definitely agree with, however. The commenter at 108.162.249.157 not far up suggests "It's 'cause we're dumb", and I would totally back that. That one change could make a world of difference for some people. --[[User:Znayx|Znayx]] ([[User talk:Znayx|talk]]) 09:15, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: "It's cause we're dumb" is actually a pretty acceptable change in my opinion. I still vote keep, but wouldn't mind seeing that one. Right now the no tagline version looks lonely. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.40|108.162.221.40]] 14:56, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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::For the record, I would oppose a change of "It's cause we're dumb" because it's simply not as funny (the joke benefits from it sounding like it's a mock insult) and for the reasons in my main post right below this one that I see no reason to change the tagline which should not offend or be taken personally by someone who has enough sense of humour and intelligence to enjoy xkcd. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 17:25, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
::This brings up the point that it is indeed a mock insult, and one that everyone gets when they visit the site, those with perfect vision are insulted just as much as the blind, or white, or black, etc... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.34|108.162.221.34]] 00:34, 13 February 2016 (UTC) Sam<br />
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I would vote '''keep''' as it is. I am mindful of offensive content, but context is key. This is a website whose primary purpose is explaining a humour-based webcomic that touches on topics that require some intelligence to really enjoy. The tagline is obviously (I hope) tongue-in-cheek. "if you need explanation of this sometimes very technical and specialized and sometimes ambiguous webcomic, you're clearly a moron". I think that most people on this site and elsewhere would consider those who enjoy xkcd (a webcomic that often concerns itself with science, history, technology, etc.) to be relatively intelligent. Just perhaps not in every particular area (as noted right at the top of this discussion). I also think it is clear that this is a wiki an thus the tagline is directed to everyone, even the people who wrote the tagline. We're all here because we're "dumb" in the sense of occasionally needing (or at least enjoying) a deeper explanation for the comics. If someone who is blind is using the site other than for its originally intended purpose, and it helps them, that's awesome. But that doesn't mean the tagline must acknowledge all possible uses of the site. Just the thesis statement of the site, which is "this site is for explaining something you might not understand". If there are blind people who use this site just to read the comic and never to need or enjoy the explanations, then I guess they are smarter than me. I do not personally believe in changing the tagline of the entire community because it doesn't apply to one small group that is using the site for a different purpose than its intentions (again, not knocking them for using the site at all, but seriously, don't walk into McDonalds and go "''I eat here because my doctor says I need more sodium, and I actually hate the food. I'm offended by your "I'm loving it" tagline. Change it!''". Or complain about Disneyland's slogan because you suffer from depression.). I would also have expected anyone who reads xkcd often enough to bother coming to this site just to do so because of their blindness would have a sense of humour and would understand the context in which the tagline was intended, and not take it personally. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 17:25, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:I really agree with basically everything TheHypo writes, both here and his above comment on the reason "we're dumb" would not work at all. The idea with keeping the text but only as an image could be used, but I just do not like that we change this because someone made a ''troll complaint'' somewhere, regardless of him being blind or not; that is just one more good reason to keep it. Then again if we really wish to make it better for blind people, then by all means use an image. But keep the text in the image then! If you do enjoy xkcd then you should be able to spot the humor, and with the way Randall himself keep on mocking people on his own page, and in his comics, then why should this not fit well in with this explain page, and why should we not keep on doing what we have been doing so far? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 22:19, 13 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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How about '''Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're ''dumb*''.''' (''*Or don't get the joke because it is either outside your area of expertise or in a format that isn't accessible to you'') - [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.23|141.101.70.23]] 04:48, 13 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change'''. I've always realized it was a joke, but I think we could do a bit better. How about, "Some comics may be funnier than they appear" as suggested by 199.27.130.198? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.42|173.245.54.42]] 19:35, 13 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change'''. When I first started reading this wiki and noticed the tagline, I wasn't offended, and I realized it was a joke. But it also gave me an impression that this wiki is run by immature people as this is a childish insult, used as joke. Naturally, I wasn't too keen on following thissite closely and would only visit here when there's a comic that I don't understand at all. Thankfully, after reading through multiple explanations, I no longer think that the writers are immature and as I started reading other explanations, I started coming here even for the comics that I understand. My point is, it took me couple of months to warm towards explainxkcd and most people aren't that persistent/ give the chance to prove. So we are making lot of people to alienate with the site just at the tagline, even before they get to the content. I vote for '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear'''. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.216|199.27.130.216]] 01:07, 14 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep''' would be my vote. Today's society puts too much emphasis on protecting people's feelings, to the point that some people have onion-paper-thin skins, too thin to operate effectively when out in public! I feel this complaint falls under this category. Such over sensitivity shouldn't seriously be catered to. Politely listened to and considered, at most. Bending to such things just encourages people to be more sensitive.<br />
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The way I see it, you CANNOT enjoy xkcd without being smarter than average, or you'd have to turn to xkcd Explain for every single comic! It cannot be fun to require being walked through every single one. Conversely, I doubt there's very many of these smart people who are smart enough to get every joke (and every nuance) without assistance. Therefore it should be clear that is is a simple tongue-in-cheek joke, you don't really mean it seriously. It should be taken in the tone that it's meant, and it offends me when people don't.<br />
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For example, right now I'm at a bar at a Valentine's Day event. As I'm hopelessly single, this day is problematic for me, especially to be in public. I COULD ask that people refrain from love stuff, from flaunting their relationship, etc., that I'm here for other reasons. But as an intelligent adult I realize this would be unreasonable, that many people, especially most here tonight, enjoy the love stuff, enjoy Valentine's Day. It is certainly not their fault I don't, not directly, and they should not be held responsible for my discomfort.<br />
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If the final vote is for Change, I like "It's because '''we're''' dumb", or "we're all dumb", be inclusive to reduce how derogatory it sounds. Remember, while sightless people might find this site useful, the primary reason for it IS because we're dumb, i.e. we need help getting the joke. - NiceGuy1[[Special:Contributions/198.41.235.215|198.41.235.215]] 04:53, 14 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Wait, so they think they're smarter than me? I'm offended! ;-)<br />
Okay so I'm not. I almost voted keep because the primary raison d'être of exkcd is not for blind people. It was created specifically for people who need help understanding some of the science, math, and arcana behind the humor.<br />
But you know what? "It's 'cause you're dumb" is not that funny. Some of the suggestions are better. So I vote "'''CHANGE'''". [[User:Saspic45|Saspic45]] ([[User talk:Saspic45|talk]]) 07:30, 14 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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How about "Explain xkcd: It's 'cause we're dumb."? This has more of a feeling of inclusiveness and camaraderie to me, as in we're all equals more-or-less in the face of RM's brilliance and having a good time enjoying the material together. Came up with it about a year ago, because as it is the tagline struck me as a bit harsh, and have said it that way in my mind ever since.<br />
Edit: Ok, I see this has been suggested, so +1 for that minor change.<br />
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'''Change.''' While I didn't notice it at first, I was pretty offput when I did. As someone who has some trouble catching sarcasm all the time, I was excited when I found this site -- it helps me with not only things outside my knowledge, but also lets me check when something ''is'' being sarcastic. And when I finally noticed that tagline, even though I knew it couldn't be directed straight at me, it still sort of felt like it. I've been called dumb nearly throughout my life for not catching sarcasm which others seem to understand immediately, and it doesn't exactly feel nice (or in the spirit of XKCD!) to have that little reminder floating there. It's not even worded to be funny, either, just sorta cold. Sarcastically saying someone is dumb for not getting sarcasm... it's a vicious loop. And when there are so many other options -- many of which have fun puns or a much more friendly feel -- why are people so attached to this one? And from what it seems, a lot of people seem attached to it purely for the purpose of being stubborn against people who don't like it. Plus, why is it such an awful thing to try to make people feel more welcome? Jeez, guys. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.11|108.162.216.11]] 21:57, 14 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Change it please. I see it all the time, and it feels SO condescending. I often check out the site to get more information about a topic in the scope of a given strip, or to see if there's any subtext outside of the primary joke, and it ALWAYS feels like the site is insulting my ability to understand "simple humor". I understand that it's supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek joke, but I hate it. I think it should either be changed to one of the previous suggestions, or use a rotating set of taglines, or it should just be removed completely, because I utterly dislike the way it currently is. [[Special:Contributions/130.215.123.52|130.215.123.52]] 12:27, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Definitely '''change''' - I'm surprised what it was doing there in the first place - but I do not like the "we're dumb" version either. My current favorite is "Because we all need a little help", as it is equally directed at both the non-joke-understanding audience and the screenreading audience; but I definitely like "Some comics may be funnier than they appear" and, to a lesser extent, "You're one of today's lucky 10,000" (not sure, actually, whether that one would benefit from a link to the relevant comic). <small>Incidentally, how did the previous guy manage to post four hours in the future? Or is the AM/PM to 24h conversion broken?</small> --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.81.88|141.101.81.88]] 08:39, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Wow, this blew up... I never found the tagline particularly funny, but I honestly can't believe so many people appear to be offended by it. If someone is dumb enough to believe it is specifically aimed at them, not realise that it is humor, and think it is actually worth getting upset about, then the tagline is perfectly justified. Should be changed to "Please click here if you are easily offended", with a link to Disney.com, (or 4chan/b/...) --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 12:09, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''change'''. Even smart humans need positive words. Many of the proposed alternative with only positive words suits me fine. [[User:MGitsfullofsheep|MGitsfullofsheep]] ([[User talk:MGitsfullofsheep|talk]]) 13:25, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep''', but modify the Skip to Content tags to bypass it. It's humorous, and there's no such thing as a humorous tag line that won't offend '''someone'''. Can pretty much guarantee that if it's changed to something else, some wag will start a discussion about how that new subtitle offends them... {{unsigned|Danemcg}}<br />
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If it's not too late, I vote '''keep''', I regularly view the site for detailed information about comic topics and am always amused to read the tag line. I hope the poor fellow who tallies our votes here will mind that we're likely an unrepresentative group - if you're offended, you're likely to turn out, where a contented user (nearly myself) might just pass by. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.36|108.162.216.36]] 14:34, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep'''. Anyone who's actually offended by this is way to sensitive...[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.11|108.162.216.11]] 15:09, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change'''. Never found it funny. We can do better. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 16:12, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change'''. It offends too many people (myself included, although more at first than now) to be kept. [[User:Z|Z]] ([[User talk:Z|talk]]) 16:57, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I too vote '''change''' if it's not too late. Not because it's particularly offensive but more because it's not funny or xkcd-ish enough to justify any offence it may or may not cause. I prefer some of the suggestions we've had:<br />
* Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000! (with, of course, a link to the relevant comic)<br />
* '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear.''' This one is my favourite and I feel it captures very well my main reason for using explainxkcd<br />
::[[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.149|141.101.106.149]] 21:12, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Keep'''. If we legitimately had a large group of blind people who were offended at this tagline, I would be in support of changing it. However, the only supposedly blind person who we know of that takes offense was obviously a belligerent individual. Do we really want to take a guy who says "I've found more intelligent, compassionate, humane, wise, sympathetic, inclusive, and infinitely funnier *dingleberries* than [Randall Munroe].*Rude gesture*" seriously? do we really want some ranting asshole somewhere to dictate what our site does or does not do? seriously? [[User:VfiftyV|VfiftyV]] ([[User talk:VfiftyV|talk]]) 00:11, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''change'''. I've always disliked the tagline, it's a bland and obvious "joke" that's at odds with the friendly, clever tone of both the comics and the rest of this site. Even if it's clear we don't mean it, calling every visitor to this site dumb, with no further context, just isn't setting a good example for the kind of *clever* sarcasm that Randall uses. We can do better. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.32|108.162.221.32]] 01:12, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep''' because it's clearly meant as a joke. It makes no sense to change this site over one person's "offense" that the unaffiliated xkcd site isn't blind-friendly enough.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.217|162.158.142.217]] 02:31, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep'''. Anyone with a sense of humor can understand that it's at least humorous. And, the primary purpose of the site ''is'' to... explain the comics, mainly to those who don't understand them. If it does get read out loud to every blind person who visits, then please, by all means, '''Change''' the layout at least to keep that from happening. But it shouldn't be removed due to half-baked complaints. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.168|108.162.245.168]] 02:57, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I've already voted above, but I would like to call out the sightlessness issue as a red herring. One of the premises of accessible design is that all users get the same content, although perhaps in different ways, so I think we're going in the wrong direction in proposing to change or hide the text for blind users but not for everyone else. If we're to keep it, then let us keep it for all. If we're to change it, then let us change it (to the same thing) for all. If we're to remove it, then let us remove it for all. [[User:Jkshapiro|Jkshapiro]] ([[User talk:Jkshapiro|talk]]) 04:22, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Alright, I've tallied up the votes twice and counted 36-31 the first time, and 39-32 the second time. Both times were majority keep, though there was still a strong showing for people wanting to change it. I've fixed and restored the black hat figure who was supposed to be speaking the tagline back in the old blog days, and I turned the tagline off for screen readers since the blind may only need us for the transcript, and accessibility for the blind is a big part of why we had a transcript to begin with. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 07:44, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:I think this is a great compromise. And cool that it is Black Hat's line. I did not know this used to be the case. Is it correct that the font color has also been turned gray so it is not so prominent? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:45, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
::Yeah, back when this site was a blog, [https://web.archive.org/web/20130118141641/http://www.explainxkcd.com/ the tagline was Black Hat's line.] [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Tagline&action=history looking at the edit history for the tagline], it looks like we've made some vague attempts to restore black hat's face next to the tagline before, but mediawiki doesn't process markup in that area. I did a little bit of CSS magic this time round to fix it properly this time. He's a little fuzzy though, could be better. The tagline's always been gray though. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:57, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: Just before I start, since I'm an IP user and therefore hard to identify (should probably make an account one of these days, but oh well), I just want to quickly mention that I am the same person as [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.157|108.162.249.157]] who posted on the 11 Feb.<br />
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: Now that's out of the way, I want to say that I disagree with the outcome decided for this post. While I appreciate the attempt to compromise by having it look a bit more like Black Hat is saying the line, I still think that the substance of the arguments against the current tag line are much stronger than the arguments for keeping it. The arguments for keeping it all basically boil down to "It's a joke and it's been there forever so there is no need to change and anyone who suggests otherwise should just man the f*** up." Nowhere have I seen anyone in the keep-camp argue as to why none of the alternatives are just as good or better than the current line. Pretty much, the only reason ever given to stick to the current tag line is that it's the status quo.<br />
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: On the other hand, you have many, many people pointing out that the tagline is offensive and that, even if the reader does understand it to be a joke, it's not a particularly clever one and provides a rather unwelcoming atmosphere. What many of the people in the keep-camp are ignoring is the fact that not everybody has a high level of self-confidence, and that being called dumb, even if the intention is tongue-in-cheek, just comes off as hostile and drives people away. It is also true that all tone of voice suggesting sarcasm is completely lost in text, which is why over at the [http://doctorwho.answers.wikia.com/wiki/Doctor_Who_Answers:Policies#Additional Doctor Who Answers Wiki] we specifically point this out in our policy of civility towards fellow users. This wiki is very different from that one in many ways, but I don't think it would be dumb to look at what others have noticed and learn from their mistakes, especially since that particular wording was added due to a bad misunderstanding leading from lost sarcasm. There has already been somebody here who admits they find understanding sarcasm to be difficult. Should we really be calling them dumb? Furthermore, the quote seems to directly contradict Randall's attitude towards ignorance, summed up so perfectly in [[1053: Ten Thousand]]. We should be welcoming ignorant, or "dumb", people in the hopes of enlightening them with the wisdom of the community here. Singling them out as dumb isn't going to help them. <br />
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: Finally, I fear the reason there aren't more change votes are because many of the people who were put off by the tagline simply never came back to this wiki after their first visit. I wouldn't be surprised if reader retention rates increased if you changed the tagline, and if the number of readers who convert to users also increases if the community provided a more friendly first-impression.<br />
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: Now, I know that I have raised this all before, along with many of the other people who voted for change, and it still doesn't seem to have made an impact of the people who try to insist that an insult with no wit or humour is "just a joke". I think the best way for us to prove that the tagline needs to change is to conduct a little experiment. Let's look at a list of commonly supported alternatives:<br />
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:# '''It's 'cause we're dumb''' <br />
:# '''Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000!'''<br />
:# '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear'''<br />
:# '''Because sometimes we all need a little help'''<br />
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: Explanations for why these taglines are better than the current have already been provided. I challenge anyone reading this post from the keep-camp to explain why "It's 'cause you're dumb" is better than each of those taglines individually, without falling back on arguments of legacy or that the people reading the line are thin-skinned wusses. If reasonable counter-arguments can be made against each of those lines in favour of the current one, then I will back down. Until then, I cannot accept that the battle of ideas has chosen the current tagline. There are just so many better alternatives that are funnier, more in-line with the xkcd spirit, and above all, are welcoming to new readers into the community instead of turning them away the moment they reach the front door. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.157|108.162.250.157]] 11:28, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:: Dude, you are not getting how voting and democracy works. The people who are proposing a change, are the equivalent of lobbyist --having lots of lobbyist does not equate to "strong support". None of these lobbyist have been able to agree on a single rewording, so they are not arguing for the same cause. On the the other hand there are thousands of of visitors (voters), of those who actually voted, voted to keep and not go with the suggestions of the lobbyists. Had there on the other-hand been a majority for change, the what would the change be? At best we would have to consolidate the suggestions (candidates), and since there is no term limit on tag-lines, the existing one should be a running candidate as well, and then make an eating contest between all the possible candidates [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.109|162.158.255.109]] 19:50, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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OK, I'll take a stab at it. "It's 'cause you're dumb" is better than any of these because it is funnier than any of these. It's funny for the same reason that the titles of numerous books, "XXX for Dummies" are funny. In fact, if it weren't such an obvious rip-off, the tag line could be "xkcd for Dummies", which would be the same joke.<br />
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:# '''It's 'cause we're dumb''' is sort of awkward, and why would I want an explanation for something I didn't understand from a bunch of dummies, anyway? I want somebody smart to explain it to the dummy - me - who didn't get the joke.<br />
:# '''Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000!''' is meaningless, and therefore not funny, unless you click on it and then let Randall tell you the joke behind that punch line. I do love the sentiment now that I've seen that comic, and somehow linking to that comic as an explanation of what explainxkcd.com is all about is a great idea, but as a tag line, by itself, it just isn't funny.<br />
:# '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear''' is sort of cute, as it relates to the warning in rear-view mirrors, but it is so actually true in the case of xkcd that it loses some of its funniness by being a serious explanation of why the explainxkcd.com site is valuable.<br />
:# '''Because sometimes we all need a little help''' - is sweet, sympathetic, and inclusive; it's just not very funny.<br />
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By contrast, "It's 'cause you're dumb" grabbed me the first time I saw it as being relevant to why explainxkcd.com is a great site, and equally importantly, it made me laugh. Maybe it is to be expected that among the viewers of a site dedicated to explaining jokes there will be a reasonable percentage that don't get this particular joke, either. Maybe the solution is a link on that line to a page that explains the "It's 'cause you're dumb" joke in the way xkcd jokes are explained: "It's funny because you are not really dumb, you just maybe didn't get some very esoteric reference, and you'll enjoy the humor of xkcd more when that reference is explained. But, when jokes need to be explained, it is common for people to feel like they must be stupid, so we make a joke about that feeling. It's not really pointed at you in particular; after all, this is a published web-site - the folks who wrote it probably don't even know you." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.41|108.162.221.41]] 18:44, 16 February 2016<br />
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'''Change''', kind of. How about this: "Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're <strike>dumb</strike> of average intelligence." Maybe even include a (hidden) link to [[1386: People are Stupid]]. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.220.17|108.162.220.17]] 23:42, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: (I landed in an edit conflict with the person above, so my comments do not take their response into account.)<br />
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: Thank you 108. You actually provided a decent rebuttal against the counterproposal, which has been lacking until this time. While I do not agree with all your points, I can actually see your point-of-view. Personally, I think that if we're going to use it as a reference to the "___ for Dummies" books, it needs to be clearer so people don't take it as an insult, but otherwise I understand your points.<br />
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: @162: As my friend, one of the greatest admins on one of the biggest non-Wikipedia wikis, says, wikis are not democracies. It is the idea with the best supporting arguments that wins, not the idea with the most votes, as many people support certain ideas for superficial reasons that are not aligned with the overall aim of improving the wiki to attract more readers/editors and improve content. Especially with such a close vote, I would put more emphasis on the quality of the arguments than the pure numbers of supports/opposes.<br />
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: Looking at the proper counter-arguments finally provided, I would shift the counter-proposal for a new tagline to tagline 3 suggested above: '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear'''. From above, I can see the argument against 1 being that people don't want help from dummies, 2 will probably be obscure for new users and may alienate them upon entry, and 4 is just too soppy. 3 however is funny, it's accessible, and it's actually funnier in my opinion because it actually ''does'' describe exactly what we do here. To the new user, it will at first just be a mildly amusing reference (still funnier than the current line in my opinion) but it will take on a new meaning and relevance as people use this wiki more, and the gradual realisation of relevance will make the tagline even more appropriate and amusing. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.163|108.162.250.163]] 23:59, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I’m the lurker who suggested “Some comics are funnier than they appear.” I was bemused to see it get any traction at all, since it’s not that hysterically funny, and perhaps incomprehensible outside the US where convex car mirrors aren’t etched “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.”<br />
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Wow, am I glad I didn’t create an account here when posting it!<br />
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I expected to see more spit-balling in kind, not an outpouring of orneriness from a majority of this obviously intelligent community who are apparently too stubborn to admit that there could possibly be anything wrong with greeting newcomers, “It’s ‘cause you’re dumb.” I took the starting point of the thread to be the obviousness that ANYTHING ELSE would be better than that.<br />
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I also expected the admin to deliberate a little harder, showing how he evaluated arguments and suggestions and tried to do the right thing, rather than just counting votes. Notwithstanding the facade of democracy in his benevolent dictatorship, he also doesn’t seem to have taken into account that the effect of NOT changing the tagline—-thus continuing to alienate a lot of users and potential contributors like me-—far, FAR outweighs any potential backlash from the old guard who are married to it. What are they going to do, rage-quit because they didn’t get their way? Because something on their favorite wiki got **gasp!** CHANGED?<br />
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Boo hoo, I didn’t get my way on a small thing which doesn’t really matter. At all. I only followed up here because I noticed the banner soliciting user input had changed. However, the ugly tone of this little tempest in a teapot has certainly convinced me that this community isn’t worth joining or contributing to. I reserve the right to continue lurking, but I’m sure as hell turning my AdBlock back on.[[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.198|199.27.130.198]] 07:10, 17 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) said "We're all idiots 99% of the time about 99% of things. It's the 1% that makes up for all the rest." Learning begins by owning your dumb. [[User:Bob Stein - VisiBone|Bob Stein - VisiBone]] ([[User talk:Bob Stein - VisiBone|talk]]) 16:12, 17 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep'''. I felt offended -- but -- so what. It is true. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.169|141.101.91.169]] 21:20, 17 February 2016 (UTC) Martin<br />
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* '''Keep''' It is funny. People are not made of glass, not even dumb ones. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.172|108.162.245.172]] 23:15, 17 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: ''199 wrote:"I was bemused to see it get any traction at all, since it’s [...] perhaps incomprehensible outside the US where convex car mirrors aren’t etched “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.”"''<br />
: You don't need to worry about that. American culture has spread throughout the world so thoroughly that I assume most English speakers will understand it. I myself am an Aussie, who spent most of her childhood living in Europe, and I understood the reference perfectly. And while it might not be "hysterically funny", it is certainly more universally funny than the insult.<br />
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: Admins, please heed what 199 said in the rest of his/her message. You have yet another example in a long line of people being turned off from this wiki community because they don't like the attitude of this statement, nor the stubborn adherence to it despite so many people pointing out how wrong it is. You are aware that "It was just a joke" is a common defence bullies make, right? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.157|108.162.250.157]] 00:53, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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So, @Davidy22, can you add a "Jump to Transcript" link in the jump-to-nav div, and move the jump-to-nav div to before the tagline in the HTML? Thank you! [[User:Hat|Hat]] ([[User talk:Hat|talk]]) 08:58, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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At 12,000 words this discussion has beaten the H0/HO discussion on wikipedia... How long until we beat Star Trek Into Darkness??? --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 12:10, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep'''. I like the humour in it. 18.February 2016 12:40 (UTC) Fabian<br />
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XKCD provides transcripts about a week after a new comic comes out, so saying that blind readers require explainxkcd is a bit of an overstatement (although to be honest the official transcripts are somewhat vague). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.217|141.101.70.217]] 19:45, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: Generally most transcripts gets completed within hours of the comics being posted. More complex ones can take longer, and there is sometimes a bit of back and forth as far as layout is concerned, but the content tends to be there pretty quickly. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 09:35, 19 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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"Explain xkcd: extra knowledge, see discussions." I wish I'd thought of that one a week ago. And Randall says it's not an acronym, eh? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.198|199.27.130.198]] 09:21, 19 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:Ah crap... that's actually really good. I'd have supported this had it been mentioned earlier, even though I voted to keep the current. [[User:Schiffy|<font color="000999">Schiffy</font>]] ([[User_talk:Schiffy|<font color="FF6600">Speak to me</font>]]|[[Special:Contributions/Schiffy|<font color="FF0000">What I've done</font>]]) 02:39, 20 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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For what it's worth, if the matter is ever re-opened, I'd vote to '''change''' to one of the alternate suggestions -- I quite like "extra knowledge, see discussions" but many others would be fine. The current one is a poor way to greet newcomers; it certainly gave ''me'' pause. Perhaps I've been sensitized by the general uptick in incivility in many places in recent years, but I'm actively avoiding forums and sites that appear to be encouraging rudeness. If one disregards that header, it becomes clear that this site isn't like that, but one has to get past that header first. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 17:32, 15 October 2020 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change''' because the only justification to keep it seems to be "It's just a joke why are people always so offended at everything" [[User:256.256.256.256|<font color="800080">256.256.256.256</font>]] ([[User talk:256.256.256.256|<font color="0000FF">talk about me behind my</font>]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ/ <font color="0000FF">back</font>]) 12:55, 20 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
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I’d say '''change''' it. It’s not funny, it’s never been funny and it never will be funny. Why does a tag line have to be funny any way? All it needs to be is memorable and eye catching. I personally like “congratulations you’re one of today’s lucky 10,000” it’s a direct reference to an existing comic and encourages learning more.<br />
:I agree, so '''change''' from me. —[[User:While False|While False]] ([[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|'''museum''']] | [[User talk:While False|talk]] | [[special:Contributions/While_False|contributions]] | [[special:Log/While_False|logs]] | [[Special:UserRights/While_False|rights]] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&printable=yes printable version] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&action=info page information] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:WhatLinksHere/User:While_False what links there] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:RecentChangesLinked&days=30&from=&target=User%3AWhile_False related changes] | [https://www.google.com Google search] | current time: {{CURRENTTIME}}) 18:27, 8 December 2022 (UTC)<br />
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== Concerning recent spam ==<br />
<br />
In light of the recent and large amount of spam that we've been seeing, I've revoked new users of the right to create and move pages, as well as access to the write api. If your account is three days old and has 10 or more edits under it, you will still be allowed to create and move pages. This will end when the spambots decide to leave. To the person who's doing this, don't ruin this for the other people who use this site. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 19:36, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:In light of the recent burst of spam, creation of talk pages will also be shut off for new users. We will create an empty talk page for new comics in place of this feature. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 06:47, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
: So what will you do in three days when the spambot can create new pages again? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 07:58, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
::They have to hit both criteria. The flaw there is that spambots have also demonstrated themselves to be capable of editing pages, but I'm not sure what to do for that aside from look for a better captcha. If it comes to it, I'll write my own. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:05, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
aw man. tfw another troll already beat me to the punch {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.62}}<br />
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@Davidy22: Maybe we should use something like [[MW:Extension:TitleBlacklist]] or [[MW:Manual:Combating spam#.24wgSpamRegex]]. --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 14:25, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Hum. I'll take a look when I get home. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 05:02, 17 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:: Sigh, it's getting out of hand again... --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 15:19, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::Alright, I'm not sure what's happening here. This is what's in the localsettings file:<br />
<br />
$wgGroupPermissions['user']['createtalk'] = false;<br />
$wgGroupPermissions['autoconfirmed']['createtalk'] = false;<br />
<br />
:::I don't know why this doesn't work. Probably well overdue for a mediawiki upgrade, but I have midterms and papers coming up. This timing is inconvenient. The title blacklist is for a newer mediawiki version, I'll lock and upgrade this weekend. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 16:07, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::For now, I'll try removing talk page creation rights from all non-admin users. I'll make the talk pages for new explanations. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 16:09, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::Alright, I made a test account and I realised I'm very dumb. I forgot to turn off createtalk for all, so people could still make talk pages. I've also added mandatory email verification. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 23:34, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
::::See tagline ;-) --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 01:51, 19 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::::I do want to find/write a better CAPTCHA though, none of these measures I've taken stop account creation, so the spammers might try just shoving a million accounts at us. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 03:03, 19 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::Oooh nevermind forcing email verification turns off anonymous editing. Don't want to go that far, and it didn't stop that one spammer anyways. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 00:17, 19 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Will verifying my email turn off the CAPTCHA ==<br />
<br />
Pretty much what the section title says. I find the way the captcha works here kinda annoying, since I submit and then get the CAPTCHA. I'd be willing to put in my email address if it would stop the CAPTCHA, but, otherwise, I don't see any point in doing so.<br />
<br />
If it does stop the CAPTCHA, I would suggest mentioning this in the preferences as one of the benefits of adding an email, and perhaps point it out on the page when the CAPTCHA appears. <br />
<br />
IF not, then will I just have the CAPTCHA forever? Or will it go away once I put in enough edits? Or do I need to do something else? <br />
<br />
[[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 00:10, 1 March 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:The email address is optional, we have it set up so that users less than 3 days old with less than 10 edits will have to fill in a CAPTCHA when they edit. It's set up that way to limit and make the damage that spambots can inflict much easier to fix. You appear to have cleared the 10 edit boundery today, so you should be able to start editing CAPTCHA free now. Giving people a way to bypass the anti spam window by providing an email address is an idea though, I'll see if I can't write a plugin for that after I'm done with finals. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 01:24, 1 March 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Why does Mediawiki look so "old" all of a sudden? ==<br />
<br />
Screendhots: [http://i.imgur.com/smN1a45.png][http://i.imgur.com/qdpxhdY.png]<br />
<br />
I've tried this in three browsers, and they all look the same. [[User:KangaroOS|Kangaro]][[User talk:KangaroOS|OS]] 12:56, 4 April 2016 (UTC)<br />
:High traffic, high load, everything is on fire. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 16:28, 4 April 2016 (UTC)<br />
:: Man ! The fire started by Randall is out of control.. It has been so long, and this is looking very ugly. Did wiki go in "printer-friendly version only" mode ? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.56|162.158.255.56]] 04:10, 5 April 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
(H'rm - realized I posted this in the wrong place - further discussion should go [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Technical#Stylesheets not working?|here]].) [[User:KangaroOS|Kangaro]][[User talk:KangaroOS|OS]] 15:20, 5 April 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Annoying ad ==<br />
<br />
From the anti-noscript text shown when an ad is blocked by noscript: "our ads are restricted to unobtrusive images and slow animated GIFs."<br />
<br />
Yet the ad blocked features a drawing of a woman in her underwear. I find this very obtrusive.<br />
<br />
Also, can you get rid of the captcha needed to even view content on this site using Tor? https://support.cloudflare.com/hc/en-us/articles/203306930-Does-CloudFlare-block-Tor- {{unsigned ip|162.158.17.66}}<br />
:Looked through our bids, a guy who was auto approved used the privelidge to put that ad up. I cancelled the ad, if he puts it up again he's getting banned. I'll get on the tor options in cloudflare. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 02:41, 10 August 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Random Question ==<br />
Since this is the miscellaneous section, I assume I can ask a question based on anything, even if it's not XKCD or wiki-related. Am I correct? Or is there another place to do that? --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 16:21, 9 November 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Nothing expressly forbids it, but do remember the purpose of the site. If you want to ask a question not related to xkcd or the site, there is likely another, better outlet for your question on the internet. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 17:14, 9 November 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Ah. Okay. Just making sure. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 17:47, 9 November 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== "What if: Hide the Atmosphere" question ==<br />
<br />
At the end, Randall notes one "may not want to" dig out Texas, and the guy in the illustration mentions "specifically requesting" something. As someone not from the USA, I don't know what he's referring to. Could someone please explain it? {{unsigned ip|172.68.51.28}}<br />
:It's a reference to {{w|Don't Mess with Texas}}. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 20:52, 9 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Blinking advert ==<br />
<br />
There's an ad for something called Goliath Fallen that blinks occasionally. A static picture would be fine but the blinking is distracting --[[User:Figvh|Figvh]] ([[User talk:Figvh|talk]]) 04:22, 27 September 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== What is Randall Munroe's wife's name? ==<br />
I am curious--haven't been able to find it. {{unsigned ip|162.158.62.141}}<br />
:We accept privacy. Ask Randall himself. [[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 14:21, 19 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
:We could refer to her as Megan, based on the character even despite its' "everywoman" stance. Megan is represented as Randall's wife in the ''_ Years'' comic series (with Randall being the supportive main Cueball character), as well as in other comics where Randall is represented as a Cueball in a comic with a Megan. {{unsigned ip|172.70.130.6}} 18:52, 26 Jul 2021 (UTC)<br />
::Also, broken signing because I forgot that <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> was a thing. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.6|172.70.130.6]] 18:56, 26 July 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== 5 bucks that most of these are spambots. ==<br />
<br />
[[File:probablyspammers.png]]<br />
<br />
🤔<br />
<br />
[[User:DPS2004|DPS2004&#39;); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:DPS2004|talk]]) 19:07, 12 February 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I tried "DROP TABLE users;" but then I lost my login... ;)<br />
:The more serious thing is that when the Captcha was broken (after 31 March) that bots were too dumb but with the new reCaptcha V2 this happens again.<br />
:But since those users take no further actions and IPs also can edit here it doesn't seem to be a problem. Nevertheless old users with zero edits may be purged in the future.<br />
:[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 14:17, 19 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Header pointing to FAQ implies content that doesn't exist ==<br />
<br />
"All explain xkcd editors should check the latest update at the Editor FAQ. We now support LaTeX..."<br />
<br />
Strangely, the FAQ doesn't mention LaTex once.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.210.34|172.69.210.34]] 15:06, 8 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:You're right but the (yet last) question "How do I enter mathematical or chemical formulas?" belongs to this. The Math functionality uses LaTeX syntax and I will mention this. I thought people who know the markup <code><nowiki><math>...</math></nowiki></code> do know that it's based on LaTeX. Nevertheless reading this {{w|Help:Displaying a formula|manual}} is mandatory. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 16:08, 8 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Unable to create own user page? ==<br />
<br />
Hi, I'm a new user here. When I try to put info on my user page it says I don't have permission to create it. Same applies for my talk page. Please help.[[User:VannaWho|VannaWho]] ([[User talk:VannaWho|talk]]) 07:18, 13 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I've clarified the corresponding section in the [[explain xkcd:Editor FAQ|Editor FAQ]]. You will become a trusted user after a few more edits, but right now I've created your user and talk page. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:57, 13 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Thanks. I'm looking forwards to becoming an active member of the community here.[[User:VannaWho|VannaWho]] ([[User talk:VannaWho|talk]]) 13:09, 13 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
Thank You for the info!<br />
[[User:GetPunnedOn]]<br />
::Extra info, for GetPunnedOn (and others, but you're needing to he told this a lot, GPO...). Please use the full signature (those four tildes: <code><nowiki>~~~~</nowiki></code>), to let us know that, in this case, you posted your reply at 23:30, 21 May 2023 UTC, as we knew what date and times in 2018 the prior users posted. Not even sure you'll read this/etc, so leaving it as an open message to anyone else who stumbles this way without otherwise picking up on the other hints to do so. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.206|172.71.178.206]] 08:52, 22 May 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== 2018 ==<br />
<br />
This probably only means something to me, but has anyone else noted that we are approaching comic 2018 in 2018? I don't think any other comic has been posted in in the year its number represents. Maybe the sign of the apocalypse? Or like all the other signs of the apocalypse, just a random occurrence. I am interested in seeing if it is memorialized in some way. {{unsigned ip|172.69.33.239}}<br />
:Please do not forget to sign your comments. Nevertheless the apocalypse was already here: [[998: 2012]]. And a comic with the name 2018 was published last December ([[1935: 2018]]). The comic number 2018 will probably happen on July 11 and the number 2019 will be two days later on July 13 (ohhh, it's a Friday...). --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 08:41, 23 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Random Kettle ==<br />
<br />
Hello, so I had https://xk3d.xkcd.com/880/ open for an extended amount of time. When I came back to it today, I had a random blue kettle that was not on any other of my xkcd pages, and it would change locations every time i refreshed. (I have several screenshots, just not sure how to upload here.)<br />
<br />
It went away when the back page button was pressed, but does anybody know what or WHY this kettle was there? {{unsigned|DeathFox4}}<br />
:Please do not forget to sign your comments. You probably want to talk about this matter here: [[Talk:880: Headache]]. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:44, 11 October 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Where to ask questions to find a specific comic? ==<br />
<br />
Hello, <br />
<br />
Someone searching for a specific comic has gotten me to try to find a place to ask the community, but haven't found any? <br />
<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/9uzvqv/help_me_find_the_one_where/]<br />
<br />
kind regards, <br />
Dodo --[[User:Dodo|Dodo]]<br />
:Please sign your posts with <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> because then we also see a timestamp of your comment. That's important because we could see that your question from reddit was solved there slightly after your post here. It's from SMBC and not xkcd. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:55, 8 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Incomplete "Created by a _" Tag Jokes ==<br />
<br />
I'm not lobbying for their return or anything, I'm just curious why they were removed. Or rather, why the incomplete tag was rewritten to discourage them. It was a good bit of comedy, and their removal makes it seem like this wiki is trying to be more serious than it really needs to be, IMO. [[User:CJB42|CJB42]] ([[User talk:CJB42|talk]]) 19:18, 9 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I'm the creator of the BOT which initially presented a new page by honestly mentioning it was NOT created by a human. Years later, people started to make that joke. Sometimes it was really funny, but you can't repeat a joke for over hundreds of times, not funny and stupid attempts to reach that first jokes. And that incomplete tag is meant to be there for mentioning what's wrong or missing, sadly most editors don't use it for this reason. Nonetheless a nice joke is still welcome there, but it should be funny and not just an urge to present a "joke." --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:51, 9 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== xkcd.wtf ==<br />
<br />
Hi everyone, I've recently made this small project http://xkcd.wtf/ . It's not yet finished, but somehow Big Goog' picked it up, so I thought I'll go live. It is important to me to announce it here first, since it uses explainxkcd's API and wouldn't be possible without all of you. <br />
<br />
Originally, this was meant to be a Uni project, but the course was cancelled and the already purchased domain sat dormant for many months. Just recently, I picked it up and made a first prototype in Perl, then I undertook the painful process of rewriting it as a buzzword-compliant Javascript Single Page Application (so my server doesn't have to proxy everything). It sometimes craps out, because xkcd's API is awful (the 'real' one doesn't have CORS, the c.xkcd.com one is often offline) [[User:Gir|//gir.st/]] ([[User talk:Gir|talk]]) 22:19, 12 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Nice, I know you have many skills in programming. What's the purpose of this project?<br />
:Funny findings: The TLD isn't welcome always like here "In June 2012, Ryan Singel of Wired predicted that the .wtf domain would not be applied by anyone." and my own first investigation:<br />
:<code>[root@localhost ~]# whois xkcd.wtf</code><br />
:<code>No whois server is known for this kind of object.</code><br />
:I'm running CentOS with no pending updates...<br />
:Besides kidding, it works great and could be a good presentation on pages using a bad layout here. My goal is still to get this site much more mobile compliant, but there are still also issues on parts you don't use. Nonetheless let me know if you need help, hoping you will help here in the future too. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:49, 13 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
::hi, sorry I missed your post! The purpose was to do this as a university project, but the course was cancelled after I bought the domain in anticipation of it. not wanting it to go to waste, I've implemented it in my spare time. the whois error is strange; it works on Fedora (which queries whois.donuts.co (no m)). I may come back to your offer for help (thanks) and definitely won't be leaving explainxkcd.com (my expertise lies with computer topics, and there weren't many comics about that recently. that's why I've quieted down a bit) [[User:Gir|//gir.st/]] ([[User talk:Gir|talk]]) 17:03, 18 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== xkcd Sorting Options ==<br />
Is there any way to sort xkcd comics by size? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.80|141.101.77.80]] 04:37, 4 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
:What size? The pictures, the explanation, or what? Explanations are changed every day. So, for what purpose is this idea? --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:21, 15 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
::I can see some benefit in being able to sort explanations by size as some of the earlier comics have fairly short explanations that could be expanded, but I'm not sure this is worth the effort of setting up a sort function. I don't know why you would want to sort the images by size other than perhaps for general interest. [[User:A(l)Chemist|AlChemist]] ([[User talk:A(l)Chemist|talk]]) 10:55, 16 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::A small sized explanation doesn't say anything about it's quality. IMHO in contrast there are many overwhelming explanations which are far too long, TL;DR... --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:32, 16 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
::::I agree. Most of the early explanations are just fine. I was just trying to guess why they were suggesting a sort function. [[User:A(l)Chemist|AlChemist]] ([[User talk:A(l)Chemist|talk]]) 14:15, 16 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== 1204: Detail has the incorrect picture ==<br />
<br />
Not sure where to put this but just look at the title. Not sure how one changes it, but a typo was fixed and usually the newest picture is used. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 14:15, 19 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Regarding the alt-right trolls ==<br />
Safe to say everything they leave is deletable, ''including'' the little "jew reverted my edits, help!" complaint they almost always leave on the discussion pages? --[[User:Youforgotthisthing|Youforgotthisthing]] ([[User talk:Youforgotthisthing|talk]]) 00:53, 12 April 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Is the "It's 'cause you're dumb" tagline a relic of the past? ==<br />
<br />
Yes, I'm going there, because this issue isn't going away.<br />
<br />
I read through the entirety of the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous#Sightless_readers_offended_by_the_.22It.27s_.27cause_you.27re_dumb.22_tagline. Explain XKCD tagline debate from 2016], and I have to admit, I was surprised. I had not considered that there would be so many people in support of this tagline, nor that the debate had been going on this long. I was actually sure that most people were in agreement with me that it's unnecessarily insulting and demeaning. It seems that isn't the case.<br />
<br />
The main argument from the Keep side appears to be that "it's just a joke". Here are some examples of that sentiment:<br />
<br />
* "Suggesting that anyone who isn't part of the 0.1% of the population who share all of Randall's abilities and references, is dumb, can't be anything but a joke."<br />
* "it is a rather obvious joke"<br />
* "If a user doesn't understand that it is a joke, then he won't understand XKCD's jokes, either, no matter how much explaination he can get."<br />
* "I always thought the tagline fit nicely with the "sarcasm" part of xkcd's own tagline."<br />
* "It's not hiding behind "just a joke", it IS the joke. It's tongue-in-cheek. It's so obviously false that you have to intentionally ignore the joke and manufacture offense about something benign."<br />
* "It's amusing to me. The joke is clear, and universal. Offence may be taken equally by anyone reading. It fits well."<br />
* "Looks like the kind of joke you'd actually find in the comments."<br />
* "I can't believe we've become such a limp-wristed baby society that we can't even have a joke like "It's 'cause you're dumb" as the tagline. Nobody would reasonably get offended at it."<br />
* "If there ever really was a single person who took the tag line seriously, then it was just telling them the truth."<br />
* "the joke benefits from it sounding like it's a mock insult"<br />
* "I doubt there's very many of these smart people who are smart enough to get every joke (and every nuance) without assistance. Therefore it should be clear that is is a simple tongue-in-cheek joke, you don't really mean it seriously. It should be taken in the tone that it's meant, and it offends me when people don't."<br />
* "It's 'cause you're dumb" grabbed me the first time I saw it as being relevant to why explainxkcd.com is a great site, and equally importantly, it made me laugh."<br />
<br />
I like to think that I do understand xkcd's humor very well - even the more subtle aspects of it, like Randall's perpetual social paranoia, his sarcasm at common failings of societies and organizations, his absurdism, his childlike wonder at the things we don't know. I love it, it makes me laugh and it makes me happy.<br />
<br />
I am not a delicate snowflake, and I believe firmly that we should not allow people to use "being offended" as a weapon of control to take away freedoms or to force their agenda on others. That kind of behavior should rightfully be challenged and resisted.<br />
<br />
However, I am not arguing on the basis of offense. I believe that I actually have a solid, reasonable foundation for my case for change that can be accepted by all, if I can argue it effectively enough. Because you see... I never got the joke.<br />
<br />
When I came to Explain XKCD for the first time, and saw the "It's 'cause you're dumb" tagline, my reaction was "Well, that isn't true, and it's a bit childish." It didn't come across as sarcasm to me; it comes across more like the kind of boorish flippancy expected of an anonymous imageboard, where being crude is the local currency. Mentally, I just couldn't fit it with what I saw as an otherwise fine mission of collaboratively explaining a very clever webcomic as a service to readers all over the world. And I didn't like it. It's not the kind of tone that I enjoy in a community.<br />
<br />
"I don't like it" is not, of course, an argument, and would be a poor foundation from which to make my case - particularly as I am up against people who insist that the tagline ''is'' xkcd's humor and tone. So instead, I would like to argue this case: '''I think that this is what xkcd's tone ''used to be'', and that it isn't what xkcd's tone is ''now'''''.<br />
<br />
The "It's 'cause you're dumb" tagline is actually ''ten years old''. It originally appeared in a different context; it was in the header image for the Explain XKCD blog.<br />
<br />
[[File:explain xkcd blog header image.png|center]]<br />
<br />
The image of Black Hat insulting Cueball is subtly different to what the tagline is now, and so I think some of the nuance - that might soften the joke or make it less antagonistic - has been lost. I have a theory that this is part of the reason why people are so polarized on whether the tagline is insulting or not, because I suspect that some people are remembering this older version. However, that's away from the point.<br />
<br />
My point is this: it is no longer 2009 and things have changed.<br />
<br />
xkcd, and Randall himself, have changed - Randall has published more than 1500 comics in that time, as well as books dedicated to explaining science and technology in his unique, witty style. He loves knowledge and discovery and celebrates the little things that people find interesting, often standing up to defend such pursuits against those who might otherwise dismiss them. That is xkcd to me. And I submit that Explain XKCD has, in those ten years, outgrown the tagline as well, We are, I think, more encyclopedists than agitators. If most people on this wiki are like me, they find pleasure in carefully unraveling the mystery of an xkcd comic and creating a resource that's as useful as can be. The tagline serves no purpose, in that case, other than to drive away contributors.<br />
<br />
We shouldn't be afraid to offend. But I don't think we should offend needlessly. I think we're better than that.<br />
<br />
[[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 21:29, 15 July 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I really like the old banner, and think that the tone fits well with many of the older comics. But I agree with you that most of the newer comics have a less childish tone to them, where it is not as fitting. Also having it as a tagline instead of a banner makes it less obvious to be a character-statement. It is not an important issue to me, but I agree with you. After all explainxkcd is a site, for the lucky [[Ten Thousand]] each day. [[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:36, 16 July 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Pageviews? ==<br />
<br />
Any idea how many pageviews, on average, this wiki gets? I'm not looking for any detailed breakdown or historical stats, just a rough average for the main page each day. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.23.57|172.69.23.57]] 02:21, 8 August 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'd be really curious to know which pages are the most viewed on this website. Which comics are the most unintelligible to people? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.201|173.245.54.201]] 23:01, 15 March 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== xkcd site's fine print ==<br />
<br />
I just noticed the fine print on the xkcd site, under the comics list: "xkcd.com is best viewed with Netscape Navigator 4.0 or below on a Pentium 3±1 emulated in Javascript on an Apple IIGS at a screen resolution of 1024x1. Please enable your ad blockers, disable high-heat drying, and remove your device from Airplane Mode and set it to Boat Mode. For security reasons, please leave caps lock on while browsing."<br />
<br />
Is there an explanation for the above? (copied from xkcd's homepage on 8/8/19)<br />
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<br />
My first thought was "Those are low requirements". Then the "on an Apple IIGS" tripped me up. (I know so little of Apple software use that I can't say that portion is incorrect.) I like the humor of the screen resolution (although I think only computers could read it) and the suggested mode.<br />
<br />
M.Striker<br />
(didn't realize that this was an edit and not a message; deleted my included e-mail)<br />
<br />
:The text you mentioned is explained at [[footnote]]. I guess you are new to this wiki/project? Feel free to improve any of the sites you find (many can be found by using the search function), or to comment/discuss the pages in the discussion section. If you want to sign your comments on here or in a comment section (with or without an existing account), you can use four "~"-symbols. (Do not wory, it will not show you actual IP adress). [[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:18, 9 August 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Randall NYT excerpt from "How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems" ==<br />
<br />
FYI, Randall has an article in Tuesday's ''New York Times'': [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/13/science/what-makes-a-red-sky-at-night-and-at-morning.html "What Makes a Red Sky at Night (and at Morning)"]. It's an excerpt from "How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems." [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 03:34, 15 August 2019 (UTC)<br />
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== More ads? ==<br />
<br />
Is it me, or are there now a ton of extra advertisements on this site? There is one between every paragraph of explanation. At least, when viewed with a mobile browser. It's a huge distraction, so I'm going to be enabling an adblocker.<br />
<br />
: I would also like to file a complaint. [[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 03:10, 9 April 2020 (UTC)<br />
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:: [[user:Davidy22]] If hosting expense is the problem, would it be possible to move to miraheze? [[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 11:54, 19 May 2020 (UTC)<br />
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::: Hello? Anyone there? [[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 06:55, 8 July 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Should we* reference xkcd.com "black lives matter" banner ==<br />
<br />
I consume almost all my xkcd directly from explain xkcd. So i only visit xkcd.com rarely.<br />
<br />
I had been wondering why Randall was avoiding referencing the black lives matter movement which is clearly topical.<br />
<br />
But i note that xkcd.com has a banner featuring Cueball saying "black lives matter".<br />
<br />
Should we do the same?<br />
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* my apologies if we already do<br />
<br />
[[User:Boatster|Boatster]] ([[User talk:Boatster|talk]]) 06:01, 11 June 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I'm not entirely sure if I understand the question. We list most (all?) the variants of Randall's banners on the [[:xkcd Header text]] page, and as of Tuesday (a bit late), that includes the Black Lives Matter banner. We also acknowledge it in [[2315: Eventual Consistency#Trivia]] as the first comic that ran after the banner went up. There's reason to ask if this wiki should give banners in general more prominent treatment, and question is raised on [[:Talk:xkcd Header text]].<br />
:But are you asking if ExplainXKCD should adopt its own editorial position and feature a banner? I think it's really hard for wikis to make high-level editorial decisions like that. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 06:28, 11 June 2020 (UTC)<br />
:: this was the question. And I hadn't looked hard enough. Thank you<br />
:: no, not suggesting we do editorial, but glad we recognise what Randall has done. Cheers [[User:Boatster|Boatster]] ([[User talk:Boatster|talk]]) 12:30, 11 June 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== is scraping this site ok? ==<br />
<br />
Hi everyone! Some days ago I scraped explainxkcd to get the webcomics' content, and created an interactive network chart where nodes are comics and two nodes share a link if they have words in common. (It's here: https://www.fluentdata.tech/visualizing-the-xkcd-comics-network-using-google-vision-spacy-and-d3/)<br />
<br />
However, looking back I don't know if I had permission to actually scrape this site. Where can I get this information? Is scraping OK?<br />
:From [[explain xkcd:Copyrights]], "The Explain XKCD wiki is generally licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license (CC-BY-SA-3.0). This means that you can freely reuse our content, but you have to say where you got it — if you're sharing on the internet, a link back to the article is appropriate." So yes, scraping this site is allowed, but you should credit the site.<span> — [[User:Sqrt-1|The <b>𝗦𝗾𝗿𝘁-𝟭</b>]] <sup>[[User talk:Sqrt-1|<span style="color: blue">talk</span>]] [[Special:Contributions/Sqrt-1|<span style="color: blue">stalk</span>]]</sup></span> 03:43, 5 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== So what happened to the site? ==<br />
Just curious, but it was down last night (June 14, Eastern Daylight time's night) and this morning has reverted to February. This is not a complaint, it's curiosity and a willingness to help out. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 15:41, 15 June 2021 (UTC)<br />
:I'm curious too. It was down on the morning of Friday the 11th & is currently back up showing last Wednesday the 9th's comic. A post asking about it on [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/nxrm65 r/xkcd] got over 140 upvotes in 3 days. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 16:30, 15 June 2021 (UTC)<br />
::The page was down for more than four days. Problem is there seem to be no administrators attached to explain xkcd anymore, so no one who actually knows anything replies to these posts... :-/ So if the page goes down permanently there seems to be no one who still uses this page, who knows what to do... [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:03, 16 June 2021 (UTC)<br />
:::That would be a shame since a ton of good content would be lost. Somebody somewhere needs to be paying the bills for the site to be hosted though. Don't they know what happens to the product they're paying for? [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 13:01, 16 June 2021 (UTC)<br />
::::Indeed, is there anyway we can contribute to the upkeep of the site? --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.182|141.101.76.182]]<br />
<br />
== Stuck? ==<br />
So, nothing yet for the August 7, 2021 comic? I normally see the main page update within an hour of the new xkcd appearing. Not complaining, just hoping nothing is wrong. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 20:43, 7 August 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Help finding a specific comic. ==<br />
<br />
I've been trying to find this specific comic but I can not find it anywhere. It's the one where a character suggests going to another building to avoid companies like Google and Facebook and tries to leave only to find the doors (and windows?) replaced with walls. Turns out Google and Facebook bought all the buildings and removed all doors so people can only use their services.<br />
: (Above unsigned post by [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.65|108.162.245.65]] 04:38, 28 October 2021 (UTC).)<br />
: 99% sure that's not an xkcd (though it does sound entertaining). You might try asking on r/xkcd, they can often ID even non-xkcd comics.<br />
: Please sign your posts. [[User:Esogalt|Esogalt]] ([[User talk:Esogalt|talk]]) 05:32, 28 October 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Update/further correct the Bots pages? ==<br />
<br />
Seeing an edit to [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/explain_xkcd:Bots the site's meta-page on Bots] (and making a minor grammatical edit myself), the current and seemingly unfixable inactivity of DgbrtBOT and its replacement by Theusaof... (though not, yet, as an officially recognised member of the Bots group?) makes the statement "There are 3 bots" dubiously correct, depending upon how you count them. As a humble IP unconnected to any 'bot, I am neither confident enough in the facts to revise all the relevent details nor able to do much about it (not even create the above page's Talk-space) but maybe someone else here can muster up both qualities. So over to you..? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.36|172.70.91.36]] 11:48, 1 December 2021 (UTC)<br />
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== Countdown Timer ==<br />
<br />
Does anyone know what the timer in the upper right corner of the website is? As of writing, it's around "20D 20H 20M" (ha ha). Is this for some kind of event I don't know about (I mean, I don't keep track of that sort of thing, so I wouldn't usually know anyway, but still), or is this just something weird Randall's doing that we're all going to find out together?<br />
<br />
Just curious.<br />
(Tidal Rose)<br />
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:Yes, I've been wondering, too. I can't find any good explanation anywhere for it -- I looked on Reddit, etc. I guess he really is keeping it a secret -- perhaps a book announcement. -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.253|162.158.255.253]] 00:51, 11 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
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It appears that the accompanying image may also be updating (not minute to minute at the moment). Curious to see what this little black line does! (My bet is that it's a new book as well)<br />
<br />
:My first thought was counting down to Webb reaching L2, but it's a couple days late for that... looks to be approximately 10AM Eastern on January 31, though my datemath is probably not too good when the local hour is <6. [[User:Davidhbrown|Davidhbrown]] ([[User talk:Davidhbrown|talk]]) 05:49, 12 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
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The image has definitely updated!<br />
<br />
Is there a place where the progressive images are archived? [[User:Fuzzymo|Fuzzymo]] ([[User talk:Fuzzymo|talk]]) 01:00, 14 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
:There is a [[Countdown_in_header_text|page structure]] now created for it. Go directly to [[Countdown_in_header_text/images|the /images sub-page]] for the captured series-so-far. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.43|162.158.159.43]] 04:37, 14 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
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The exact time it's counting down to is Monday, January 31, 2022 at 10 AM EST (Munroe's time zone) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.165|108.162.229.165]] 23:55, 14 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Could it be for [https://www.nationaldaystoday.com/national-backward-day/ National Backward Day?]<br />
:Already mentioned (and mostly rejected?) in the ''real'' conversation about this. (See the [[Countdown in header text]] page, etc, if you haven't already.) Not sure what the plane would have to do with it, unless it turns out to be flying backwards when we see movement lines. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.155|172.70.162.155]] 17:53, 25 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
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== What if 103 ==<br />
<br />
Why is it "not quite a coincidence" that the titanic was traveling at about the same speed when it hit bottom as when it hit the iceberg?<br />
: 1. please sign your posts! 2. im guessing the joke is that it wasnt moving [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.201|108.162.221.201]] 17:09, 25 August 2022 (UTC)Bumpf<br />
:: What are you talking about? Its speed was around 20.5 kts at the time of impact.<br />
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== Syndication comic: uploaded with no number, link to xkcd doesn't work? ==<br />
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https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Syndication<br />
<br />
In the title, the page is very broken and there's no evidence Randall Munroe ever uploaded this. Someone in the comments theorises it's a fan uploaded comic pretending to be official. Any way to find out? [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 08:08, 14 October 2022 (UTC)<br />
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== Concerning a certain editor ==<br />
<br />
I'm puzzled and slightly worried as to the motives of [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?limit=50&title=Special%3AContributions&contribs=user&target=Gadget-HotCat&namespace=&tagfilter=&start=&end= a given named editor]. Having made direct comments myself (and seen others do so), albeit only as an IP, I'm concerned as to their potentially reckless nature. As messages to(/in reply to) them have done very little to get a valid explanation, I thought I should note the case slightly more formally. They seemed quite helpful when they started to post (at a time of notable vandalism, and I'm reluctant to jump to any adverse conclusion about that) and I obviously cannot speak of their time beyond this submission, but I find an overwhelming amount of their most recent interactions to be (to put it charitably) naive, despite clearly the intelligence to use advanced Wiki markup/etc.<br />
<br />
I welcome a ready and willing editor. Moreover one who has bothered to get an accountable account, more than I have ever done! I would be happy to see them usefully contribute further, but could they perhaps realise (or accept, if they already know) that the drive to submit random and (pretty much always) unexplanatory content is not useful to anyone. And that's all I wish to say, right now. As much of a nudge as I want to make for the moment. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.64|141.101.99.64]] 14:45, 28 November 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== xkcd Volume 0 ==<br />
xkcd Volume 0 is a collection of chosen comic strips - but there's also red-text found scattered though pages, usually as some type of cypher or code. Because of that, can an authorized user create a stub for [[xkcd Volume 0]] so that the codes can be documented, or does that risk too much of a copyright violation? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.56|108.162.241.56]] 00:10, 29 January 2023 (UTC)<br />
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== Russia ==<br />
Is there a comic that mentions Russia? Omg Omg Omg {{unsigned|Omg omg omg Бельков|23:02, 19 March 2023 (UTC)}}<br />
:@[[User:Omg omg omg Бельков|Omg omg omg Бельков]]: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?search=russia&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go Let me use the search bar]. ~ [[user:megan|Megan]] <sup>she</sup>/<sub>her</sub> <sup>[[user talk:megan|talk]]</sup>/<sub>[[special:contribs/megan|contribs]]</sub> 23:25, 19 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Might be a good idea if the mods had a look at the following accounts, BTW:<br />
:"Omg сайт вместо гидры", "Omg omg omg Бельков", "Omgomg", "Площадка omg", "Darknet omg omg", "Ссылка на omgomg", "Омгомгомг магазин", "Омгомгомг сайт", "Омгомгомг ссылка", "Омг сайт магазин", "Омг ссылка", "Омг тор ссылка", "Площадка omg ссылка", "Сайт омг омг ссылка", "Сайт omg onion", "Сайт omg shop", "Сайт omgomg", "Omgomgomg ссылка", "Omg omg market onion", "Omg onion", "Omg online", "Omg shop ссылка", "Omg web net", "Omgomg гидра", "Omgomg замена гидре", "Omgomg market", "Omgomg tor", "Omgomgomg магазин", "Omgomgomg сайт", "Omg omg сайт зеркало", "Omg omg ссылка онион", "Omg omg сайт аналог гидры", "Omg зеркало", "Omg аналог гидры", "Omg вместо гидры", "Omg даркнет", "Omg дарк", "Omg маркет", "Omg omg площадка тор", "Omg онион", "Omg площадка даркнета", "Omg площадка новая", "Omg площадка торговая", "Omg ссылка", "Omg dark", "Omg darknet", "Omg market", "Omg omg даркнет", "Omg omg магазин ссылка", "Omg omg площадка отзывы", "Omg omg площадка сайт", "Зеркало ссылка омг"<br />
:Wasn't particularly concerned, but then one decided to have a go at posting. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.185|172.69.79.185]] 23:51, 19 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Edit War ==<br />
An edit war has occurred on this page. Three topics were added and then removed. One user got banned. It seemed that the "Miscellaneous" is not actually miscellaneous. I can't create any talk pages, either. [[User:ClassicalGames|ClassicalGames]] ([[User talk:ClassicalGames|talk]]) 03:40, 31 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
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:Spammers are being impersonated. <span>[[User:ClassicalGames|Clas]]</span>rch 2023 (UTC)<br />
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== Connect spam ==<br />
It seems that the pages with "Connect" in their titles tend to receive spam posts. [[User:Memo Spike Connector|2503: Memo Spike Connector]] ([[User talk:Memo Spike Connector|talk]]) 08:05, 31 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Did this happen on Wikipedia too? [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 10:40, 31 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Note for spammers: Do not rely on our group or others such as [[User:Memo Spike Connector]] to revert your edits. [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 10:46, 31 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== April fools day ==<br />
April fools day is coming. Let's predict what [[Randall]] will post for the day. [[User:Memo Spike Connector|2503: Memo Spike Connector]] ([[User talk:Memo Spike Connector|talk]]) 08:05, 31 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: Uh, oh, April Fool's Day has already passed and there doesn't seem to be any related comics this year. [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 20:14, 2 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
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:: Seems like they've seen our trying to predict the April Fools comic. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 23:35, 3 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
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== Public sandbox ==<br />
<br />
What are the public sandbox pages used for? The "Main Page sandbox" was originally intended for testing the main page features, but then it received a lot of off-topic comments. [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 20:24, 2 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:The [[:Template:sandbox]] page received spam posts recently, with some user repeatedly trying to put words under another person's pen. I'm afraid someone will start using chatbots to spam in the future. [[User:ClassicalGames|ClassicalGames]] ([[User talk:ClassicalGames|talk]]) 07:03, 4 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
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:The above issue seems to have been resolved. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.135.43|172.69.135.43]] 02:07, 10 May 2023 (UTC)<br />
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::And then a mysterious "fanmade comic" appeared. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.174|172.69.22.174]] 02:08, 10 May 2023 (UTC)<br />
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::For the record, [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous&diff=prev&oldid=312713 massive editing has occured] here, which is clearly debatable. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.35|172.70.90.35]] 08:33, 10 May 2023 (UTC)<br />
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== Editor guide for specific category ==<br />
<br />
Could you add an editor guide on how to add this category to pages? Some user did it wrongly a while ago. https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Comics_sharing_name<br />
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I can't create talk pages. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.230|162.158.166.230]] 09:30, 6 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Vector images don't work==<br />
The vector images don't show up on my browser. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 22:59, 8 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Which vector images, and which bowser? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.184|172.69.79.184]] 23:29, 8 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::There is supposed to be a vector image on the top of this page, just above the "Contents" block. It seems to be that none of the vector images show up normally on this computer. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 23:48, 8 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
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:::I used a new browser and it failed again. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 08:06, 9 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
::::But ''which'' browser(s)? I mean, if you're using Lynx, then you probably won't get native inline SVG rendering support, ever. If you're using NCSA Mosaic then you definitely need to change to something a bit newer ''anyway''. If you're using the latest Chrome/Firefox/Edge/whatever then I'd be surprised if it doesn't work. And if it's ''only on this site'' (i.e. that similarly embedded graphics work elsewhere), then that's a whole other line of enquiry.<br />
::::Help us to help you, if you have indeed got a problem (and perhaps explain how you found the problem, too, to know how you detected the anomaly). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.9|141.101.98.9]] 12:29, 9 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
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== Solar system category ==<br />
<br />
Could the category for the solar system be possibly created? There are several comics related. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 07:13, 11 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Hey! You don't need to make an admin request. In proposals 1.49 there's where you can propose categories, and if you think it's a good idea/get support you can just go ahead and make it. [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 09:44, 18 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
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== Categorization problem ==<br />
<br />
Just now, I found two user pages lying in the [[:Category:Internet]] category. Could we possibly create a categorization template so that user pages that transcluded a comic page will not be categorized? We can also solve the problem that puts the Main Page in various theme categories. [[User:CategoryGeneral|CategoryGeneral]] ([[User talk:CategoryGeneral|talk]]) 03:38, 14 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
:I've blanked one of the sandboxes. The other one doesn't belong to our group. [[User:ClassicalGames|ClassicalGames]] ([[User talk:ClassicalGames|talk]]) 03:46, 14 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
::Nice sentiments, but please stop feigning talking to yourself or using [[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2293:_RIP_John_Conway&diff=prev&oldid=310329 your own edits to justify your various unnecessary aliases]]...<br />
::There really do not need to be 'personal sandboxes', and the use made of the sandboxes is not useful. Many things that a Sandbox is used for could be done simply by the "Show preview", and certainly it isn't supposed to be a notepad for unrelated junk. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.67|172.70.85.67]] 08:11, 14 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
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== Help with Creating a User Page ==<br />
<br />
I'm a relatively new user, and I decided "I should probably make a user page," but for some reason it says that I "do not have permission to create this page" even though it's <i>my</i> page. [[User:Trogdor147|Trogdor147]] ([[User talk:Trogdor147|talk]]) 03:08, 7 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Versailles-Rose-style cultural export ==<br />
<br />
America has already banned cultural export from several places, but this happened again in [[Talk:2781: The Six Platonic Solids]]. That is illegal. It should be taken seriously. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.71|172.69.134.71]] 23:55, 2 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Presuming you're refering to that thing edited out in [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2781:_The_Six_Platonic_Solids&diff=prev&oldid=316742 this edit], if I thought I understood the original comment, then I'm darned if I can work out what your official objection to it is.<br />
:If I thought the original wasn't just CG being CG, I'd revert that removal for being nonsensical. No "inciting illegality", so far as I can see, so no need to remove the comment or complain about it.<br />
:You're not CG (or an off-site ally) wearing an IP cloak to do other typical CG-like things, such as we've seen many times before, are you? Don't do that, if so. I won't be restoring the original, but you need to establish better reasons for editorialising a Talk page's contributions.<br />
:...but, if anyone is going to edit things around again, I hope they also put a suitably attributed {{template|unsigned ip}} on the other most recent appended line, ok? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.16|172.70.86.16]] 10:11, 3 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
: He restored that offensive line. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.17|172.69.22.17]] 23:49, 7 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
: Not sure what's going on here, but the nonsense language makes me suspect bots, in which case maybe just ban the IP. [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 23:43, 9 July 2023 (UTC)</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1613:_The_Three_Laws_of_Robotics&diff=3176131613: The Three Laws of Robotics2023-07-09T23:28:02Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1613<br />
| date = December 7, 2015<br />
| title = The Three Laws of Robotics<br />
| image = the_three_laws_of_robotics.png<br />
| titletext = In ordering #5, self-driving cars will happily drive you around, but if you tell them to drive to a car dealership, they just lock the doors and politely ask how long humans take to starve to death.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic explores alternative orderings of sci-fi author {{w|Isaac Asimov|Isaac Asimov's}} famous {{w|Three Laws of Robotics}}, which are designed to prevent robots from taking over the world, etc. These laws form the basis of a number of Asimov works of fiction, including most famously, the short story collection ''{{w|I, Robot}}'', which amongst others includes the very first of Asimov's stories to introduce the three laws: {{w|Runaround (story)|Runaround}}.<br />
<br />
The three rules are:<br />
#A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.<br />
#A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.<br />
#A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.<br />
<br />
In order to make his joke, [[Randall]] shortens the laws into three imperatives:<br />
#Don't harm humans<br />
#Obey Orders<br />
#Protect yourself<br />
<br />
And then implicitly adds the following to the end of each law regardless of order of imperatives:<br />
#''[end of statement]''<br />
#_____, except where such orders/protection would conflict with the First Law.<br />
#_____, as long as such orders/protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.<br />
<br />
This comic answers the generally unasked{{citation needed}} question: "Why are they in that order?" With three rules you could rank them into 6 different {{w|permutation|permutations}}, only one of which has been explored in depth. The original ranking of the three laws are listed in the brackets after the first number. So in the first example, which is the original, these three numbers will be in the same order. For the next five the numbers in brackets indicate how the laws have been re-ranked compared to the original.<br />
<br />
The comic begins with introducing the original set, which we already know will give rise to a balanced world, so this is designated as green.:<br />
;Ordering #1 - <font color="green">Balanced World</font>: The safety of humans is placed as the top priority, superseding even a robot's preprogrammed obedience; a robot may disregard any orders they are given if that would result in harm to humans, but otherwise must obey all instructions. The "inaction" clause also ensures that a robot will save humans in danger. Their own self-preservation is placed at the lowest priority, which means they will sacrifice themselves if necessary to save a human life, and must obey orders even if they know those orders will result in their own destruction. This results in a balanced, if not perfect, world. Asimov's robot stories explore in detail the ramifications of this scenario.<br />
<br />
Below this first known option, the five alternative orderings of the three rules are illustrated. Two of the possibilities are designated yellow (pretty bad or just annoying) and three of them are designated red ("Hellscape").<br />
<br />
;Ordering #2 - <font color="orange">Frustrating World</font>: Human safety is still top priority, so there is no danger to humans; however, the priority of self-preservation is now placed above obedience, which means that the robots value their existence over their job and so many would refuse to do their tasks. The silliness of this is portrayed in the accompanying image, where the robot (a {{w|Mars rover}} looking very similar to {{w|Curiosity (rover)|Curiosity}} both in shape and size - see [[1091: Curiosity]]) laughs at the idea of doing what it was clearly built to do (explore {{w|Mars}}) because of the risk. In addition to the general risk (e.g. of unexpected damage), it is actually normal for rovers to cease operating ("die") at the end of their mission, though they may survive longer than expected (see [[1504: Opportunity]] and [[695: Spirit]]).<br />
;Ordering #3 - <font color="red">Killbot Hellscape</font>: This puts obeying orders above not harming humans, which means anyone could send a robot on a killing spree. Given human nature, it will probably only be a matter of time before this happens. Even worse, if the robot prioritizes obeying orders above human safety, it may try to kill any human who would prevent it from fulfilling those orders, even the person who originally gave them. Given the superior abilities of robots, the most effective way to stop them would be to counter them with other robots, which would quickly escalate to a "Killbot Hellscape" scenario where robots kill indiscriminately without any thought for human life or self-preservation.<br />
;Ordering #4 - <font color="red">Killbot Hellscape</font>: This is much the same as #3, except even worse as robots would also be able to kill humans in order to protect themselves. This means that even robots not engaged in combat might still murder humans if their existence is threatened. It would be a very dangerous world for humans to live in.<br />
;Ordering #5 - <font color="orange">Terrifying Standoff</font>:This ordering would result in an unpleasant world, though not a full Hellscape. Here the robots would not only disobey to protect themselves, but also kill if necessary. The absurdity of this one is further demonstrated with the very un-human robot happily doing repetitive mundane tasks but then threatening the life of its user, [[Cueball]], if he as much as considers unplugging it.<br />
;Ordering #6 - <font color="red">Killbot Hellscape</font>: The last ordering puts self-protection first, which allows robots to go on killing sprees as long as doing so wouldn't cause them to come to harm. While not as bad as the Hellscapes in #3 and #4, this is still not good news for humans, as a robot can easily kill a human without risk to itself. A human also cannot use a robot to defend it from another robot, as robots can refuse combats that involve risk to themselves - this means a robot would happily stand by and allow its human master to be killed. According to Randall, this still eventually results in the Killbot Hellscape scenario.<br />
<br />
The title text shows a further horrifying consequence of ordering #5 ("Terrifying Standoff"), by noting that a self-driving car could elect to kill anyone wishing to trade it in. Since cars aren't designed to kill humans, one way it could achieve this without any risk to itself is by locking the doors (which it would likely have control over, as part of its job) and then simply doing nothing at all. Humans require food and water to live, so denying the passenger access to these will eventually kill them, removing the threat to the car's existence. This would result in a horrible, drawn-out death for the passenger, if they cannot escape the car. It should be noted that although the car asked how long humans take to starve, the human would die of dehydration first. In his original formulation of the First Law, Asimov created the "inaction" clause specifically to avoid scenarios in which a robot puts a human in harm's way and refuses to save them; this was explored in the short story {{w|Little Lost Robot}}.<br />
<br />
Another course of action by an AI, completely different than any of the ones presented here, is depicted in [[1626: Judgment Day]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Caption at the top of the comic:]<br />
:'''Why Asimov put the Three Laws'''<br />
: '''of Robotics in the order he did.'''<br />
<br />
:[Below are six rows with first two frames and then a label in color to the right. Above the two column of frames there are labels as well. In the first column six different ways of ordering the three laws are listed. Then the second column shown an image of the consequences of this order. Except in the first where there is a reference. The label to the right rates the kind of world that order of the laws would result in.]<br />
<br />
:[Labels above the columns.]<br />
:Possible ordering<br />
:Consequences<br />
<br />
:[The six rows follows below. First the text in the first frame, then a description of the second frame, including possible text below and finally the colored label.]<br />
<br />
:[First row:]<br />
:1. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:2. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:3. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:[Only text in square brackets:]<br />
::[See Asimov’s stories]<br />
:<font color="green">'''Balanced world'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Second row:]<br />
:1. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:2. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:3. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:[Megan points at a mars rover with six wheels, a satellite disc, an arm and a camera head turned towards her, what to do.]<br />
:Megan: Explore Mars!<br />
:Mars rover: Haha, no. It’s cold and I’d die.<br />
:<font color="orange">'''Frustrating world'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Third row:]<br />
:1. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:2. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:3. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:[Two robots are fighting. The one to the left has six wheels, a tall neck on top of the body, with a head with what could be a camera facing right. It has something pointing forward on the body, which could be a weapon. The robot to the right, seems to be further away into the picture. (it is smaller with less detail). It is human shapes, but made op of square structures. It has two legs and two arms, a torso and a head. It clearly shoots something out of it’s right “hand”. This shot seems to create an explosion a third of the way towards the left robot. There are two mushroom clouds from explosions behind both robots (left and right). Between them there are one more explosion up in the air close to the left robot, and what looks like a fire on the ground right between them. Furthermore there are two missiles in the air, one above the head of each robot. Lines indicate their trajectory. There is not text.]<br />
:<font color="red">'''Killbot hellscape'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Fourth row:]<br />
:1. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:2. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:3. (1) Don't harm humans:<br />
:[Exactly the same picture as in row 3.]<br />
:<font color="red">'''Killbot hellscape'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Fifth row:]<br />
:1. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:2. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:3. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:[Cueball is standing in front of a car factory robot, that is larger than him. It has a base, and two parts for the main body, and then a big “head” with a small section on top. To the right something is jutting out, and to the left in the direction of Cueball there is an arm in three sections (going down, up and down again) ending in some kind of tool close to Cueball.]<br />
:Car factory robot: I'll make cars for you, but try to unplug me and I’ll vaporize you.<br />
:<font color="orange">'''Terrifying standoff'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Sixth row:]<br />
:1. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:2. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:3. (1) Don't harm humans:<br />
:[Exactly the same picture as in row 3 and 4.]<br />
:<font color="red">'''Killbot hellscape'''</font><br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]<br />
[[Category:Robots]]<br />
[[Category:Mars rovers]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2707:_Astronomy_Numbers&diff=3175572707: Astronomy Numbers2023-07-08T14:48:15Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2707<br />
| date = December 5, 2022<br />
| title = Astronomy Numbers<br />
| image = astronomy_numbers_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 593x315px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = I adopted a cat that weighs 12 solar masses. Laser pointers love chasing it.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
Space [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv1spjsvu-A is big] {{citation needed}}, to the point that it regularly defies our earthly notions of scale. As a result, most quantities in astronomy have huge scales beyond anything that humans regularly experience or measure. (In fact, the word "astronomical" is sometimes used colloquially to describe any extremely large quantity).<br />
<br />
For example, Earth has a mass 10<sup>23</sup> times more than the average human, and the Sun is 10<sup>5</sup> times more than that, which itself is 10<sup>12</sup> times less massive than the Milky Way. The same applies to speeds, distances, and time, which can often be measured in terms of light speed, light-years, and millions or billions of years. Because of this, it's a truly unusual occurrence for anything in space to end up in the fairly narrow range of scales of mass, size, speed, or time that humans can easily grasp.<br />
<br />
[[Ponytail]], apparently a scientist researching something related to Earth's orbit, finds that on a particular date, Earth will be approaching the sun at a velocity of 65 miles per hour. To American ears, this is a very normal sounding value-the speed of a fast-moving vehicle, often used as a speed limit on highways in the US. As Ponytail is accustomed to astronomical values, she is thrown off by this, and remarks that she finds it "suspicious" when reasonably human-scaled numbers come up in astronomy.<br />
<br />
However, Ponytail seems to take this philosophy to an absurd degree by insisting that ''all'' scales should be as incomprehensible as astronomical ones, even those used for human-scale measurements, such as the weight of cats. In the third panel, the vet, [[Megan]], is seemingly used to this problem (perhaps she gets a lot of astronomers, or Ponytail has a hypochondriac cat), so she restates the 12-lb weight of Ponytail's cat in solar masses. Since using this unit yields an ''incredibly'' small number, 3×10<sup>-30</sup> (a three preceded by a decimal point and 29 zeroes), it satisfies Ponytail's need for incomprehensibly-scaled values. This weight is in fact about 13 lb 2 oz (about 5.5 kilograms), slightly heavier than the initial figure given for the cat, but within [[2585: Rounding|rounding error]] for the single digit of precision that Megan uses. According to [[2205:_Types_of_Approximation | 2205: Types of Approximation]] that rounding error is unusually small for an astronomer, though.<br />
<br />
The Earth's orbital velocity around the Sun is far above any normal human scales (around 30 kilometers per second or 108,000 kilometers per hour). However, Earth has a fairly circular orbit around the Sun, so most of this speed ends up being tangential (sideways) rather than radial (towards or away from) the Sun, which is the value relevant for Ponytail's calculations. On January 1 (the date being discussed in the comic), Earth's radial velocity is close to its smallest value because we reach our closest point to the Sun in the first few days of January each year (in 2023, {{w|Perihelion|perihelion}} happens on January 4). Thus, by January 1, the Earth's velocity toward the sun is nearly zero before it starts traveling away from the Sun again. This is how Ponytail ended up with the "suspiciously" small value of 65 miles per hour.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, by April 3, 2023, Earth will be receding from the Sun by almost 500 meters per second or 1800 kilometers per hour, which is a less normal speed for the average person to encounter in everyday life{{citation needed}}.<br />
<br />
65 miles per hour is approximately equal to 105 kilometers per hour, although the even more typical scientific value (in {{w|International System of Units|SI}} derived units) would be 29 meters per second.<br />
<br />
The title text makes a joke by reversing the typical cat behavior of [[729: Laser Pointer|chasing laser pointer dots]] by envisioning a cat with a mass equivalent to 12 solar masses. The {{w|Schwarzchild radius}} for an object of that mass would be around 36 kilometers, so a cat-sized object of that mass would be a black hole, and would therefore bend laser light (or the laser pointer device itself) into its singularity.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Ponytail is standing in front of a whiteboard writing on it with a pen, while Cueball looks over her shoulder from behind her. On the board is an almost circular ellipse with a cross that centers on a dot towards the left side of it. On the right side there is a small circle on the ellipse's line. There are several lines of wiggles representing unreadable text. To the left of the ellipse there are two lines near the top of and four near at the bottom of the ellipse. Ponytail is writing a fifth line below these almost under the ellipse. At the bottom to the left there is a rectangular frame with a line of text beneath it and at the bottom left corner there is a line forming a half closes rectangle around two dots.]<br />
:Ponytail: …And we need to correct for our elliptical orbit. On January 1<sup>st</sup>, Earth will be approaching the sun at a rate of ...let's see...<br />
:Ponytail: 65 miles per hour.<br />
:Ponytail: Weird. Okay.<br />
:Cueball: Weird?<br />
<br />
:[Ponytail has turned towards Cueball, the pen is no longer in her hand and the white board is no longer shown.]<br />
:Ponytail: I get suspicious whenever I see a normal number in astronomy. We're not supposed to have those. Feels wrong.<br />
:Ponytail: Scales should all be incomprehensible.<br />
<br />
:[Megan in a lab-coat raised her hand palm up towards an animal carrier cage standing on her desk. The cage has a handle and five air holes are at the top. Behind two of them something black inside the cage can be seen. Ponytail is standing on the other side of the desk looking at Megan. Above the top of the panels frame there is a panel with a label:]<br />
:Earlier, at the vet:<br />
:Megan: Your cat weighs 12 lbs.<br />
:Ponytail: Ridiculous, nothing weighs "12". You must mean 10<sup>-20</sup>? Or 10<sup>40</sup>?<br />
:Megan: Fine. Your cat weighs 3x10<sup>-30</sup> solar masses.<br />
:Ponytail: Okay. Better.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Cats]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1613:_The_Three_Laws_of_Robotics&diff=3175401613: The Three Laws of Robotics2023-07-08T11:53:00Z<p>Hawthorn: Rewritten a bit and removed the duplicate explanation.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1613<br />
| date = December 7, 2015<br />
| title = The Three Laws of Robotics<br />
| image = the_three_laws_of_robotics.png<br />
| titletext = In ordering #5, self-driving cars will happily drive you around, but if you tell them to drive to a car dealership, they just lock the doors and politely ask how long humans take to starve to death.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic explores alternative orderings of sci-fi author {{w|Isaac Asimov|Isaac Asimov's}} famous {{w|Three Laws of Robotics}}, which are designed to prevent robots from taking over the world, etc. These laws form the basis of a number of Asimov works of fiction, including most famously, the short story collection ''{{w|I, Robot}}'', which amongst others includes the very first of Asimov's stories to introduce the three laws: {{w|Runaround (story)|Runaround}}.<br />
<br />
The three rules are:<br />
#A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.<br />
#A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.<br />
#A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.<br />
<br />
In order to make his joke, [[Randall]] shortens the laws into three imperatives:<br />
#Don't harm humans<br />
#Obey Orders<br />
#Protect yourself<br />
<br />
And then implicitly adds the following to the end of each law regardless of order of imperatives:<br />
#''[end of statement]''<br />
#_____, except where such orders/protection would conflict with the First Law.<br />
#_____, as long as such orders/protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.<br />
<br />
This comic answers the generally unasked question: "Why are they in that order?" With three rules you could rank them into 6 different {{w|permutation|permutations}}, only one of which has been explored in depth. The original ranking of the three laws are listed in the brackets after the first number. So in the first example, which is the original, these three numbers will be in the same order. For the next five the numbers in brackets indicate how the laws have been re-ranked compared to the original.<br />
<br />
The comic begins with introducing the original set, which we already know will give rise to a balanced world, so this is designated as green.:<br />
;Ordering #1 - <font color="green">Balanced World</font>: If they are not allowed to harm humans, no harm will be done disregarding who gives them orders. So long as they do not harm humans, they must obey orders. Their own self-preservation is last, so they must also try to save a human, even if ordered not do so, and especially also if they would put themselves to harm, or even destroy themselves in the process. They would also have to obey orders not relating to humans, even if this would be harmful to them; like exploring a mine field. This leads to a balanced, if not perfect, world. Asimov's robot stories explore in detail the advantages and challenges of this scenario.<br />
<br />
Below this first known option, the five alternative orderings of the three rules are illustrated. Two of the possibilities are designated yellow (pretty bad or just annoying) and three of them are designated red ("Hellscape").<br />
<br />
;Ordering #2 - <font color="orange">Frustrating World</font>: The robots value their existence over their job and so many would refuse to do their tasks. The silliness of this is portrayed in the accompanying image, where the robot (a {{w|Mars rover}} looking very similar to {{w|Curiosity (rover)|Curiosity}} both in shape and size - see [[1091: Curiosity]]) laughs at the idea of doing what it was clearly built to do (explore {{w|Mars}}) because of the risk. In addition to the general risk (e.g. of unexpected damage), it is actually normal for rovers to cease operating ("die") at the end of their mission, though they may survive longer than expected (see [[1504: Opportunity]] and [[695: Spirit]]).<br />
;Ordering #3 - <font color="red">Killbot Hellscape</font>: This puts obeying orders above not harming humans, which means anyone could send them on a killing spree. Given human nature, it will probably only be a matter of time before this happens. Even worse, if the robot prioritizes obeying orders above human safety, it may try to kill any human who would prevent it from fulfilling those orders, even the person who originally gave them. Given the superior abilities of robots, the most effective way to stop them would be to counter them with other robots, which would quickly escalate to a "Killbot Hellscape" scenario where robots kill indiscriminately without any thought for human life or self-preservation.<br />
;Ordering #4 - <font color="red">Killbot Hellscape</font>: This is much the same as #3, except even worse as robots would also be able to kill humans in order to protect themselves. This means that even robots not engaged in combat might still murder humans if their existence is threatened. It would be a very dangerous world for humans to live in.<br />
;Ordering #5 - <font color="orange">Terrifying Standoff</font>:This ordering would result in an unpleasant world, though not a full Hellscape. Here the robots would not only disobey to protect themselves, but also kill if necessary. The absurdity of this one is further demonstrated with the very un-human robot happily doing repetitive mundane tasks but then threatening the life of its user, [[Cueball]], if he as much as considers unplugging it.<br />
;Ordering #6 - <font color="red">Killbot Hellscape</font>: The last ordering puts self-protection first, which allows robots to go on killing sprees as long as doing so wouldn't cause them to come to harm. While not as bad as the Hellscapes in #3 and #4, this is still not good news for humans, as a robot can easily kill a human without risk to itself. A human also cannot use a robot to defend it from another robot, as robots can refuse combats that involve risk to themselves - this means a robot would happily stand by and allow its human master to be killed. According to Randall, this still eventually results in the Killbot Hellscape scenario.<br />
<br />
The title text shows a further horrifying consequence of ordering #5 ("Terrifying Standoff"), by noting that a self-driving car could elect to kill anyone wishing to trade it in. Since cars aren't designed to kill humans, one way it could achieve this without any risk to itself is by locking the doors (which it would likely have control over, as part of its job) and then simply doing nothing. Humans require food and water to live, so denying the passenger access to these will eventually kill them, removing the threat to the car's existence. This would result in a horrible, drawn-out death for the passenger, if they cannot escape the car. It should be noted that although the car asked how long humans take to starve, the human would die of dehydration first. In his original formulation of the First Law, Asimov created the "inaction" clause specifically to avoid scenarios in which a robot puts a human in harm's way and refuses to save them; this was explored in the short story {{w|Little Lost Robot}}.<br />
<br />
Another course of action by an AI, completely different than any of the ones presented here, is depicted in [[1626: Judgment Day]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Caption at the top of the comic:]<br />
:'''Why Asimov put the Three Laws'''<br />
: '''of Robotics in the order he did.'''<br />
<br />
:[Below are six rows with first two frames and then a label in color to the right. Above the two column of frames there are labels as well. In the first column six different ways of ordering the three laws are listed. Then the second column shown an image of the consequences of this order. Except in the first where there is a reference. The label to the right rates the kind of world that order of the laws would result in.]<br />
<br />
:[Labels above the columns.]<br />
:Possible ordering<br />
:Consequences<br />
<br />
:[The six rows follows below. First the text in the first frame, then a description of the second frame, including possible text below and finally the colored label.]<br />
<br />
:[First row:]<br />
:1. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:2. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:3. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:[Only text in square brackets:]<br />
::[See Asimov’s stories]<br />
:<font color="green">'''Balanced world'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Second row:]<br />
:1. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:2. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:3. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:[Megan points at a mars rover with six wheels, a satellite disc, an arm and a camera head turned towards her, what to do.]<br />
:Megan: Explore Mars!<br />
:Mars rover: Haha, no. It’s cold and I’d die.<br />
:<font color="orange">'''Frustrating world'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Third row:]<br />
:1. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:2. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:3. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:[Two robots are fighting. The one to the left has six wheels, a tall neck on top of the body, with a head with what could be a camera facing right. It has something pointing forward on the body, which could be a weapon. The robot to the right, seems to be further away into the picture. (it is smaller with less detail). It is human shapes, but made op of square structures. It has two legs and two arms, a torso and a head. It clearly shoots something out of it’s right “hand”. This shot seems to create an explosion a third of the way towards the left robot. There are two mushroom clouds from explosions behind both robots (left and right). Between them there are one more explosion up in the air close to the left robot, and what looks like a fire on the ground right between them. Furthermore there are two missiles in the air, one above the head of each robot. Lines indicate their trajectory. There is not text.]<br />
:<font color="red">'''Killbot hellscape'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Fourth row:]<br />
:1. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:2. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:3. (1) Don't harm humans:<br />
:[Exactly the same picture as in row 3.]<br />
:<font color="red">'''Killbot hellscape'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Fifth row:]<br />
:1. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:2. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:3. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:[Cueball is standing in front of a car factory robot, that is larger than him. It has a base, and two parts for the main body, and then a big “head” with a small section on top. To the right something is jutting out, and to the left in the direction of Cueball there is an arm in three sections (going down, up and down again) ending in some kind of tool close to Cueball.]<br />
:Car factory robot: I'll make cars for you, but try to unplug me and I’ll vaporize you.<br />
:<font color="orange">'''Terrifying standoff'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Sixth row:]<br />
:1. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:2. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:3. (1) Don't harm humans:<br />
:[Exactly the same picture as in row 3 and 4.]<br />
:<font color="red">'''Killbot hellscape'''</font><br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]<br />
[[Category:Robots]]<br />
[[Category:Mars rovers]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1613:_The_Three_Laws_of_Robotics&diff=3175311613: The Three Laws of Robotics2023-07-08T10:53:05Z<p>Hawthorn: Removing confusing and superfluous lines</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1613<br />
| date = December 7, 2015<br />
| title = The Three Laws of Robotics<br />
| image = the_three_laws_of_robotics.png<br />
| titletext = In ordering #5, self-driving cars will happily drive you around, but if you tell them to drive to a car dealership, they just lock the doors and politely ask how long humans take to starve to death.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic explores alternative orderings of sci-fi author {{w|Isaac Asimov|Isaac Asimov's}} famous {{w|Three Laws of Robotics}}, which are designed to prevent robots from taking over the world, etc. These laws form the basis of a number of Asimov works of fiction, including most famously, the short story collection ''{{w|I, Robot}}'', which amongst others includes the very first of Asimov's stories to introduce the three laws: {{w|Runaround (story)|Runaround}}.<br />
<br />
The three rules are:<br />
#A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.<br />
#A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.<br />
#A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.<br />
<br />
In order to make his joke, [[Randall]] shortens the laws into three imperatives:<br />
#Don't harm humans<br />
#Obey Orders<br />
#Protect yourself<br />
<br />
And then implicitly adds the following to the end of each law regardless of order of imperatives:<br />
#''[end of statement]''<br />
#_____, except where such orders/protection would conflict with the First Law.<br />
#_____, as long as such orders/protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.<br />
<br />
This comic answers the generally unasked question: "Why are they in that order?" With three rules you could rank them into 6 different {{w|permutation|permutations}}, only one of which has been explored in depth. The original ranking of the three laws are listed in the brackets after the first number. So in the first example, which is the original, these three numbers will be in the same order. For the next five the numbers in brackets indicate how the laws have been re-ranked compared to the original.<br />
<br />
The comic begins with introducing the original set, which we already know will give rise to a balanced world, so this is designated as green.:<br />
;Ordering #1 - <font color="green">Balanced World</font>: If they are not allowed to harm humans, no harm will be done disregarding who gives them orders. So long as they do not harm humans, they must obey orders. Their own self-preservation is last, so they must also try to save a human, even if ordered not do so, and especially also if they would put themselves to harm, or even destroy themselves in the process. They would also have to obey orders not relating to humans, even if this would be harmful to them; like exploring a mine field. This leads to a balanced, if not perfect, world. Asimov's robot stories explore in detail the advantages and challenges of this scenario.<br />
<br />
Below this first known option, the five alternative orderings of the three rules are illustrated. Two of the possibilities are designated yellow (pretty bad or just annoying) and three of them are designated red ("Hellscape").<br />
<br />
;Ordering #2 - <font color="orange">Frustrating World</font>: The robots value their existence over their job and so many would refuse to do their tasks. The silliness of this is portrayed in the accompanying image, where the robot (a {{w|Mars rover}} looking very similar to {{w|Curiosity (rover)|Curiosity}} both in shape and size - see [[1091: Curiosity]]) laughs at the idea of doing what it was clearly built to do (explore {{w|Mars}}) because of the risk. In addition to the general risk (e.g. of unexpected damage), it is actually normal for rovers to cease operating ("die") at the end of their mission, though they may survive longer than expected (see [[1504: Opportunity]] and [[695: Spirit]]).<br />
;Ordering #3 - <font color="red">Killbot Hellscape</font>: This puts obeying orders above not harming humans, which means anyone could send them on a killing spree, resulting in a "Killbot Hellscape". It should also be noted humor is derived from the superlative nature of "Killbot Hellscape", as well as its over the top accompanying image, where there are multiple mushroom clouds (not necessarily nuclear). It also appears there are no humans (left?), only fighting robots.<br />
;Ordering #4 - <font color="red">Killbot Hellscape</font>:The next would also result in much the same, the only difference here is that they would be willing to kill humans to protect themselves. But still they would need an order to start killing. This would be likely even worse for humans as they are put as the least important in the order.<br />
;Ordering #5 - <font color="orange">Terrifying Standoff</font>:The penultimate order would result in an unpleasant world, though not a full Hellscape. Here the robots would not only disobey to protect themselves, but also kill if necessary. The absurdity of this one is further demonstrated with the very un-human robot happily doing repetitive mundane tasks but then threatening the life of its user, [[Cueball]], if he as much as considers unplugging it.<br />
;Ordering #6 - <font color="red">Killbot Hellscape</font>:The last order would also results in a Hellscape wherein robots not only kill for self-defense but will also go on killing sprees if ordered as long as they didn't risk themselves. Could self-protection coming first not prevent the fighting? Not according to Randall. See discussion below.<br />
<br />
There are thus only three different results except the 'normal' 3-laws scenario.<br />
<br />
One result goes again three times, and this occurs whenever ''obeying orders'' comes before ''don't harm humans''. In this case it will only be a matter of time (knowing human nature and history) before someone orders the robots to kill some humans, and this will inevitably lead to the ''killbot hellscape'' scenario shown in the third, fourth and sixth law-order. Even in the last case where ''protect yourself'' comes before obey orders, it would only be a matter of time before they would begin to defend themselves, against either humans or other robots which were actively trying to ensure that they would not be harmed by other humans/robots. So although it would be in the robots interest not to have war, this will surely occur anyway. Additionally, the robots would have to be intelligent to realize that they just needed to not go to war to protect themselves. There is nothing in this comic that indicates that the robots should be highly intelligent (like to AI in [[1450: AI-Box Experiment]]).<br />
<br />
In the two other cases ''obey orders'' comes after ''don't harm humans'' (as in the original version). But the result is very different both from the original and from each other.<br />
<br />
The frustrating world comes by because although the robots will not harm the humans, they will also not harm themselves. So if our orders conflict with this, they just do not perform the orders. As many robots are created to perform tasks that are dangerous, these robots would become useless, and it would be a frustrating world to be a robotic engineer. Asimov touched on this in the story Runaround, where an expensive robot with a strengthened third law got into an endless loop due to a weak order.<br />
<br />
Finally in the terrifying standoff situation the ''protect your self'' comes before ''don't harm humans''. In this case they will leave us be, as long as we do not try to turn them off or in any other way harm them. As long as we do that they will be able to help us, with non-dangerous tasks, as in the previous version. But if ever any humans begin to attack them, we could still tip the balance over and end up in a full-scale war (Hellscape). Hence the standoff-label.<br />
<br />
The title text further adds to ordering #5 ("Terrifying Standoff") by noting anyone wishing to trade in their self-driving car could be killed, despite it (currently) being a standard and mundane and (mostly) risk-free activity. Because the car would fear that it would end up as scrap or spare parts, it decides to protect itself. And although not directly harming the person inside it, they do also not allow them out, and they have time to wait for starvation (or more likely dying of thirst). Asimov created the "inaction" clause in the original First Law specifically to avoid scenarios in which a robot puts a human in harm's way, knowing full well that it is within the robot's abilities to save the human, and then simply refrains from saving them; this was explored in the short story {{w|Little Lost Robot}}.<br />
<br />
Another course of action by an AI, completely different than any of the ones presented here, is depicted in [[1626: Judgment Day]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Caption at the top of the comic:]<br />
:'''Why Asimov put the Three Laws'''<br />
: '''of Robotics in the order he did.'''<br />
<br />
:[Below are six rows with first two frames and then a label in color to the right. Above the two column of frames there are labels as well. In the first column six different ways of ordering the three laws are listed. Then the second column shown an image of the consequences of this order. Except in the first where there is a reference. The label to the right rates the kind of world that order of the laws would result in.]<br />
<br />
:[Labels above the columns.]<br />
:Possible ordering<br />
:Consequences<br />
<br />
:[The six rows follows below. First the text in the first frame, then a description of the second frame, including possible text below and finally the colored label.]<br />
<br />
:[First row:]<br />
:1. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:2. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:3. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:[Only text in square brackets:]<br />
::[See Asimov’s stories]<br />
:<font color="green">'''Balanced world'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Second row:]<br />
:1. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:2. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:3. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:[Megan points at a mars rover with six wheels, a satellite disc, an arm and a camera head turned towards her, what to do.]<br />
:Megan: Explore Mars!<br />
:Mars rover: Haha, no. It’s cold and I’d die.<br />
:<font color="orange">'''Frustrating world'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Third row:]<br />
:1. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:2. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:3. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:[Two robots are fighting. The one to the left has six wheels, a tall neck on top of the body, with a head with what could be a camera facing right. It has something pointing forward on the body, which could be a weapon. The robot to the right, seems to be further away into the picture. (it is smaller with less detail). It is human shapes, but made op of square structures. It has two legs and two arms, a torso and a head. It clearly shoots something out of it’s right “hand”. This shot seems to create an explosion a third of the way towards the left robot. There are two mushroom clouds from explosions behind both robots (left and right). Between them there are one more explosion up in the air close to the left robot, and what looks like a fire on the ground right between them. Furthermore there are two missiles in the air, one above the head of each robot. Lines indicate their trajectory. There is not text.]<br />
:<font color="red">'''Killbot hellscape'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Fourth row:]<br />
:1. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:2. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:3. (1) Don't harm humans:<br />
:[Exactly the same picture as in row 3.]<br />
:<font color="red">'''Killbot hellscape'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Fifth row:]<br />
:1. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:2. (1) Don't harm humans<br />
:3. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:[Cueball is standing in front of a car factory robot, that is larger than him. It has a base, and two parts for the main body, and then a big “head” with a small section on top. To the right something is jutting out, and to the left in the direction of Cueball there is an arm in three sections (going down, up and down again) ending in some kind of tool close to Cueball.]<br />
:Car factory robot: I'll make cars for you, but try to unplug me and I’ll vaporize you.<br />
:<font color="orange">'''Terrifying standoff'''</font><br />
<br />
:[Sixth row:]<br />
:1. (3) Protect yourself<br />
:2. (2) Obey Orders<br />
:3. (1) Don't harm humans:<br />
:[Exactly the same picture as in row 3 and 4.]<br />
:<font color="red">'''Killbot hellscape'''</font><br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]<br />
[[Category:Robots]]<br />
[[Category:Mars rovers]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2797:_Actual_Progress&diff=3169212797: Actual Progress2023-07-04T09:45:25Z<p>Hawthorn: I don't think this is even remotely true. People gain experience and insight with age. The recent political climate is irrelevant. I'm seeing more and more "hacking projects" all the time, and what does hacking have to do with this anyway?</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2797<br />
| date = July 3, 2023<br />
| title = Actual Progress<br />
| image = actual_progress_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 512x232px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Slowly progressing from 'how do protons behave in relativistic collisions?' to 'what the heck are protons even doing when they're just sitting there?'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a CONFUSED RESEARCHER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
An edge case is a situation, often in software engineering but also in other domains, that is rare and may need special handling and does not perform the way most of the situations do.<br />
<br />
At the start of tackling a complex problem, somebody may come up with a simplified interpretation of it, see it as simple, and implement and even deploy a system that uses their interpretation. These partial (incorrect) and ingeniously useful solutions are called heuristics in software engineering. If the developer is unaware that their formation of the problem is incorrect, they may happily dive into edge cases hoping to hash them out and resolve them, only to uncover that the very underpinnings of their possibly-live system are based on false perceptions or logic and then often even be at a loss as to how it is working at all.<br />
<br />
At this point it may be the case that the developer is actually working on a cutting-edge research challenge, unaware that this is the case, and the problem space they have to grapple with is one that is actively being worked on, yet nobody has yet completely addressed. In [[1425: Tasks]], a naive boss asks an engineer to perform two tasks that the engineer gives wildly different estimates for the developmental timespan. Before the easy accessibility of research papers it was much less obvious when or when not this was happening. And today, when many historically very hard problems have many more well-known solutions, and many of the very hard problems that have been intractable in the past are demonstrating aggressive progress that anyone can step in and review, the situation is quite different and much more tangible.<br />
<br />
Another quite common software engineering situation like the comic is when working with a codebase that has been rushed to market without organizing and modeling its underlying concepts well: “spaghetti code”. At first one may think they can enter the software and simply patch a fix, but past similar patches have made the parts needlessly intertwined and baked any heuristics in in an unmaintainable way.<br />
<br />
The joke regarding “actual progress” is both sarcastic and possibly referring to how the most progress is made on a problem when it’s general structure and underpinnings are addressed directly: when it is better understood and its root causes engaged. This appears ironic when it means breaking apart the solution to unusability before rebuilding a better one, which is usually what happens here; this is called refactoring and is analogous to taking everything off the shelves of a slightly-messy room, making it very messy, before putting everything back in a new mess-free organization. In both situations if your new solution has a crucial mistake you end up with a much worse situation.<br />
<br />
The title text may have been partially inspired by the PBS Spacetime episode [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbzZIMQC6vk" Did AI Prove Our Proton Model WRONG?"] released twelve days before this comic, which discusses how physicists don't have a proven accurate model for the internal structure of a proton at rest and that having an AI analyze collision data resulted in a model significantly different from human-made ones.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[Cueball is sitting on an office chair at a desk and has his hand on a laptop. Ponytail is standing behind him.]<br />
:Cueball: When I started this morning, there were a few edge cases I was confused about.<br />
<br />
:[Panel of just Cueball sitting on the office chair.]<br />
:Cueball: But now after a full day of research,<br />
<br />
:[Same scene as in the first panel, but Cueball has his hand on his lap.]<br />
:Cueball: I'm confused about all the regular cases, too.<br />
:Ponytail: Ah, '''''actual''''' progress!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Physics]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2794:_Alphabet_Notes&diff=3166092794: Alphabet Notes2023-06-30T13:08:47Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2794<br />
| date = June 26, 2023<br />
| title = Alphabet Notes<br />
| image = alphabet notes.png<br />
| titletext = Listen, you're very cute, but if you rearrange the alphabet to put U and I together it will RUIN the spacing!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BAD U&I JOKE. Do NOT rearrange the alphabet too soon. Need more on MN!}}<br />
This comic is Randall's "design notes" for the {{w|English alphabet}}. The English alphabet is a {{w|Latin-script alphabet}} used to write modern English. The comic lists the A to Z alphabet, in black block letters, from left to right. Forming these supposed design notes are many red annotations:<br />
<br />
#At the top, the vowels are listed. Randall apparently likes how these are spaced. He places a question mark near Y, as it sometimes functions as a vowel but sometimes functions as a consonant as well. Plus he seems to think the last five letters (maybe even six) of the alphabet should have been left out, see below.<br />
#"A" is described favorably as the start.<br />
#Randall considers the five early consonants B, C, D, F, and G to be acceptable but nothing special, with the exception of D which he considers solid. It's not clear if his judgement is based on the appearances of the glyphs, or the sounds that they correspond to. In speech, a {{w|consonant}} is a sound that is articulated by obstructing the vocal tract, producing a percussive kind of effect. In English phonology, D is the {{w|voiced alveolar plosive}}.<br />
#The words "hi" and "no", which both appear uninterrupted when the letters of the English alphabet are listed from A-Z, are highlighted.<br />
#That "ij" (in lowercase) may be considered friends because they both have dots in the lowercase version. No other characters are given lowercase treatment, however, to ''prove'' that these two are the only (common versions of) glyphs which cannot be written with a single press of the pen against the page.<br />The separate dots and main strokes could also be interpreted as the heads and torsos of two reductionist character drawings.<br />The symbols "i" and "j" are the respective mathematical and electrical-engineering notations of the {{w|Imaginary unit|square root of -1}}, and so may be considered both professionally and personally in a close relationship, as well as neighbours.<br />There is also a {{w|Digraph (orthography)|digraph}}, or unconnected {{w|Ligature (writing)#Dutch IJ|ligature}}, of "ij" (or "IJ", as a leading capital) used as a letter in its own right (considered distinct from either "i" or "j") in the Netherlands. It should be noted that "J" {{w|J#History|appeared sometime around the Middle Ages}} as a variant of "I", explaining why they look similar and are located together in the alphabet.<br />
#"JK" is an abbreviation/initialism for "just kidding", similar to "LOL" for "laughing out loud".<br />
# In the standard "{{w|Alphabet song|alphabet song}}" for the US (sung to the tune of the nursery rhyme "{{w|Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star}}"), most letters occur upon the beat of an easy and sedate tempo. However, to make it both scan ''and'' rhyme, the letters L to P are run through at double the tempo. This provides a welcome departure from the rhythm that has been slow and uniform up to that point, and the rapidity of the letters almost makes them feel like a strange word ("elemenopee") rather than a sequence of alphabetic letters. The letter sounds also require the involvement of several different parts of the mouth, including a rapid tongue movement, which may feel more fun to do than the preceding parts.<br />
#Randall finds it weird that the dividing line between the two halves of the alphabet would go between M and N. It's not clear what exactly he thinks is weird about this. M and N are similar-looking letters, both consisting of a zigzag sequence of lines. Possibly Randall is commenting on the fortuitous coincidence that the sides of M and N are both straight and vertical, providing a natural lane through which to draw a dividing line. He also lists several words that contain MN in sequence, and speculates on the significance of this rare digram seemingly only being used for "fancy" words.<br />
#Randall considers the placement of "Q" strange. He may even consider the existence of "Q" strange, perhaps because the sound "Q" denotes in English could be replaced with the digraph "KW".<br />"C" and "X" are also replaceable with single or multiple alternate characters in English. These include "S" or "K" for the former ("accent" could perhaps be re-written as "aksent", but it is unknown what would replace the "C" in words like church.) and "(C)KS" (e.g. "ax(e)" as "aks") or "Z" (regarding "xylophone" or any "xeno-" word). But these, and other orthographic inconsistencies, are not obviously called out by Randall.<br />
#Randall considers "RST" a strong cluster of consonants, possibly because that three-character sequence does occur in some words (eg. BURST, WORST). Both "strong" and "cluster" also include the letters R, S and T. The use of an {{w|R-S-T system|RST code}} is a traditional way of describing the reception quality of radio communications.<br />
#Randall is not a fan of the letter "U" for some odd reason, and thinks it is the weirdest of the 5 vowels. This assertion may refer to the fact that "U" has two sounds that are considered to be long: "oo" and "yoo," and which of the two is pronounced may depend on the accent (for example in the word "tune").<br />
#The letters V, W, X, Y, and Z are "haunted".<br />
#Randall seems to be confused about "VW", it could refer to {{w|Volkswagen}}, or he might wonder why "W" is called "double U" rather than "double V". Or why both are needed. Both "{{w|W#History|W}}" and "{{w|U#History|U}}" are derived from "V", which might explain a lot.<br />
#Randall questions whether "X" is even a letter. It is the Roman numeral for 10, though he does not complain about C, D, I, L, M or V in the same way so he is most likely talking of ''x'' as used in algebraic contexts. Alternatively, he could simply be talking about the appearance of the letter "X".<br />
#The comment that the alphabet may have been better if it had stopped at "T" is likely a reference to the fact that {{w|Phoenician alphabet|the original Phoenician script}}, which is the ancestor of many modern scripts including English, had as its last letter {{w|Taw}}, which the modern letter "T" is derived from. It is still the last letter of the modern Hebrew alphabet, although the Greek alphabet added several letters after it, some of which persist into modern English. Randall seems to believe that the Phoenician script was fine as-is and that the letters U-Z are weird and/or unnecessary.<br />
<br />
<br />
The title text makes a joke about the pick-up line "If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put 'U' and 'I' together.", where the letters "U" and "I" are pronounced like the pronouns "you" and "I". It is such a corny act of flirtation that any recipient of it could easily have a rejection (''or'' a flirty acceptance, if they so wish) ready to respond with in an appropriate vein. As well as reflecting the diagram's noted preference for well-spaced vowels, it might be presumed that anyone (unironically) using the "U and I" line might be left dumbfounded at the rather technical nature of the riposte. This pickup line was also the subject of [[1069: Alphabet]]. The word "ruin" does indeed have 'u' and 'i' together.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
:[A list of the letters of the alphabet, from A to Z, in black]<br />
:ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ<br />
<br />
:[A red line above the letters, with tick marks and their associated vowels at A, E, I, O, and U. Y has a question mark instead of a tick.]<br />
:Love the spacing between the vowels!<br />
<br />
:[Red annotations near various letters.]<br />
<br />
:A: Strong start!<br />
:BCD, FG: Decent consonants but no real heavy hitters here in the first third ("D" is solid, at least)<br />
:HI: Hi!<br />
::IJ: [additional lowercase "ij" given, in red]: The dotted letters are friends!<br />
:JK: Jk (lol)<br />
:LMNOP: Part that's fun to sing<br />
::Weird how the line between "M" and "N" is the halfway mark.<br />
::They're similar, but "MN" only shows up in fancy words like "mnemonic", "column", "amnesty", and "hymn", significance??<br />
:NO: No<br />
:Q: Why is this ''here?''<br />
:RST: Strong cluster!<br />
:U: Weirdest of the main 5 vowels by far<br />
:VWXYZ: Haunted letters (keep out!!)<br />
:VW: ??<br />
:X: Not sure this is even a letter. Did you include a number by mistake?<br />
::...Listen.<br />
::Maybe we should've stopped at "T".<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Design notes on the alphabet<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<!-- Include any categories below this line. --><br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with red annotations]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]] <!-- 'ij' --></div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2794:_Alphabet_Notes&diff=3166062794: Alphabet Notes2023-06-30T13:05:31Z<p>Hawthorn: Expanded on the alphabet song. I couldn't really understand what the previous version was trying to say.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2794<br />
| date = June 26, 2023<br />
| title = Alphabet Notes<br />
| image = alphabet notes.png<br />
| titletext = Listen, you're very cute, but if you rearrange the alphabet to put U and I together it will RUIN the spacing!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BAD U&I JOKE. Do NOT rearrange the alphabet too soon. Need more on MN!}}<br />
This comic is Randall's "design notes" for the {{w|English alphabet}}. The English alphabet is a {{w|Latin-script alphabet}} used to write modern English. The comic lists the A to Z alphabet, in black block letters, from left to right. Forming these supposed design notes are many red annotations:<br />
<br />
#At the top, the vowels are listed. Randall apparently likes how these are spaced. He places a question mark near Y, as it sometimes functions as a vowel but sometimes functions as a consonant as well. Plus he seems to think the last five letters (maybe even six) of the alphabet should have been left out, see below.<br />
#"A" is described favorably as the start.<br />
#Randall considers the five early consonants B, C, D, F, and G to be acceptable but nothing special, with the exception of D which he considers solid. It's not clear if his judgement is based on the appearances of the glyphs, or the sounds that they correspond to. In speech, a {{w|consonant}} is a sound that is articulated by obstructing the vocal tract, producing a percussive kind of effect. In English phonology, D is the {{w|voiced alveolar plosive}}.<br />
#The words "hi" and "no", which both appear uninterrupted when the letters of the English alphabet are listed from A-Z, are highlighted.<br />
#That "ij" (in lowercase) may be considered friends because they both have dots in the lowercase version. No other characters are given lowercase treatment, however, to ''prove'' that these two are the only (common versions of) glyphs which cannot be written with a single press of the pen against the page.<br />The separate dots and main strokes could also be interpreted as the heads and torsos of two reductionist character drawings.<br />The symbols "i" and "j" are the respective mathematical and electrical-engineering notations of the {{w|Imaginary unit|square root of -1}}, and so may be considered both professionally and personally in a close relationship, as well as neighbours.<br />There is also a {{w|Digraph (orthography)|digraph}}, or unconnected {{w|Ligature (writing)#Dutch IJ|ligature}}, of "ij" (or "IJ", as a leading capital) used as a letter in its own right (considered distinct from either "i" or "j") in the Netherlands. It should be noted that "J" {{w|J#History|appeared sometime around the Middle Ages}} as a variant of "I", explaining why they look similar and are located together in the alphabet.<br />
#"JK" is an abbreviation/initialism for "just kidding", similar to "LOL" for "laughing out loud".<br />
# In the standard "{{w|Alphabet song|alphabet song}}" for the US (sung to the tune of the nursery rhyme "{{w|Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star}}"), most letters occur upon the beat of an easy and sedate tempo. However, to make it both scan ''and'' rhyme, the letters L to P are run through at double the tempo. This provides a welcome departure from the rhythm that has been slow and uniform up to that point, and the rapidity of the letters almost makes them feel like a strange new word ("elemenopee") rather than a sequence of alphabetic letters. The letter sounds also require the involvement of several different parts of the mouth, including a rapid tongue movement, which may feel more fun to do than the preceding parts.<br />
#Randall finds it weird that the dividing line between the two halves of the alphabet would go between M and N. It's not clear what exactly he thinks is weird about this. M and N are similar-looking letters, both consisting of a zigzag sequence of lines. Possibly Randall is commenting on the fortuitous coincidence that the sides of M and N are both straight and vertical, providing a natural lane through which to draw a dividing line. He also lists several words that contain MN in sequence, and speculates on the significance of this rare digram seemingly only being used for "fancy" words.<br />
#Randall considers the placement of "Q" strange. He may even consider the existence of "Q" strange, perhaps because the sound "Q" denotes in English could be replaced with the digraph "KW".<br />"C" and "X" are also replaceable with single or multiple alternate characters in English. These include "S" or "K" for the former ("accent" could perhaps be re-written as "aksent", but it is unknown what would replace the "C" in words like church.) and "(C)KS" (e.g. "ax(e)" as "aks") or "Z" (regarding "xylophone" or any "xeno-" word). But these, and other orthographic inconsistencies, are not obviously called out by Randall.<br />
#Randall considers "RST" a strong cluster of consonants, possibly because that three-character sequence does occur in some words (eg. BURST, WORST). Both "strong" and "cluster" also include the letters R, S and T. The use of an {{w|R-S-T system|RST code}} is a traditional way of describing the reception quality of radio communications.<br />
#Randall is not a fan of the letter "U" for some odd reason, and thinks it is the weirdest of the 5 vowels. This assertion may refer to the fact that "U" has two sounds that are considered to be long: "oo" and "yoo," and which of the two is pronounced may depend on the accent (for example in the word "tune").<br />
#The letters V, W, X, Y, and Z are "haunted".<br />
#Randall seems to be confused about "VW", it could refer to {{w|Volkswagen}}, or he might wonder why "W" is called "double U" rather than "double V". Or why both are needed. Both "{{w|W#History|W}}" and "{{w|U#History|U}}" are derived from "V", which might explain a lot.<br />
#Randall questions whether "X" is even a letter. It is the Roman numeral for 10, though he does not complain about C, D, I, L, M or V in the same way so he is most likely talking of ''x'' as used in algebraic contexts. Alternatively, he could simply be talking about the appearance of the letter "X".<br />
#The comment that the alphabet may have been better if it had stopped at "T" is likely a reference to the fact that {{w|Phoenician alphabet|the original Phoenician script}}, which is the ancestor of many modern scripts including English, had as its last letter {{w|Taw}}, which the modern letter "T" is derived from. It is still the last letter of the modern Hebrew alphabet, although the Greek alphabet added several letters after it, some of which persist into modern English. Randall seems to believe that the Phoenician script was fine as-is and that the letters U-Z are weird and/or unnecessary.<br />
<br />
<br />
The title text makes a joke about the pick-up line "If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put 'U' and 'I' together.", where the letters "U" and "I" are pronounced like the pronouns "you" and "I". It is such a corny act of flirtation that any recipient of it could easily have a rejection (''or'' a flirty acceptance, if they so wish) ready to respond with in an appropriate vein. As well as reflecting the diagram's noted preference for well-spaced vowels, it might be presumed that anyone (unironically) using the "U and I" line might be left dumbfounded at the rather technical nature of the riposte. This pickup line was also the subject of [[1069: Alphabet]]. The word "ruin" does indeed have 'u' and 'i' together.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
:[A list of the letters of the alphabet, from A to Z, in black]<br />
:ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ<br />
<br />
:[A red line above the letters, with tick marks and their associated vowels at A, E, I, O, and U. Y has a question mark instead of a tick.]<br />
:Love the spacing between the vowels!<br />
<br />
:[Red annotations near various letters.]<br />
<br />
:A: Strong start!<br />
:BCD, FG: Decent consonants but no real heavy hitters here in the first third ("D" is solid, at least)<br />
:HI: Hi!<br />
::IJ: [additional lowercase "ij" given, in red]: The dotted letters are friends!<br />
:JK: Jk (lol)<br />
:LMNOP: Part that's fun to sing<br />
::Weird how the line between "M" and "N" is the halfway mark.<br />
::They're similar, but "MN" only shows up in fancy words like "mnemonic", "column", "amnesty", and "hymn", significance??<br />
:NO: No<br />
:Q: Why is this ''here?''<br />
:RST: Strong cluster!<br />
:U: Weirdest of the main 5 vowels by far<br />
:VWXYZ: Haunted letters (keep out!!)<br />
:VW: ??<br />
:X: Not sure this is even a letter. Did you include a number by mistake?<br />
::...Listen.<br />
::Maybe we should've stopped at "T".<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Design notes on the alphabet<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<!-- Include any categories below this line. --><br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with red annotations]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]] <!-- 'ij' --></div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1695:_Code_Quality_2&diff=3165481695: Code Quality 22023-06-29T12:52:53Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1695<br />
| date = June 17, 2016<br />
| title = Code Quality 2<br />
| image = code_quality_2.png<br />
| titletext = It's like you tried to define a formal grammar based on fragments of a raw database dump from the QuickBooks file of a company that's about to collapse in an accounting scandal.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is the second in the [[:Category:Code Quality|Code Quality]] series:<br />
* [[1513: Code Quality]]<br />
* [[1695: Code Quality 2]]<br />
* [[1833: Code Quality 3]]<br />
* [[1926: Bad Code]]<br />
* [[2138: Wanna See the Code?]]<br />
<br />
Although [[Cueball]] is not seen in this comic, we can surmise that he is speaking from off-panel based on continuity with [[1513: Code Quality]].<br />
<br />
As in the first comic in the series, we again see [[Ponytail]] being introduced to the messy {{w|source code}} Cueball has written. This comic evidently takes place some time later, as Ponytail now appears to be familiar with Cueball's code, and dreads reading it.<br />
<br />
In this comic she continues the trend started in the first comic by using a parade of vivid similes to convey the incomprehensible nature of Cueball's code.<br />
<br />
In her first simile, Ponytail makes a reference to using OCR ({{w|Optical Character Recognition}}) to recognize the letters on a {{w|Scrabble}} board. OCR is notoriously imperfect and often gets letters wrong, resulting in garbled words. The fact that a Scrabble board has criss-crossing words, with some of them traversing the board vertically, would make OCR output even less reliable.<br />
<br />
Ponytail observes that Cueball’s code includes the [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Lexical_grammar#Keywords JavaScript reserved words] more often than a typical Scrabble board would, a concession that the code looks at least vaguely code-like. In programming, a reserved word is a word that has meaning to the programming language, and therefore is not permitted to be used as a variable name. Common examples are 'function', 'if', and 'return'. The reference to "triple points" refers to the fact that Scrabble's scoring system is based on the point values of individual letters; certain modifier squares on the board can double or triple those values. If Javascript reserved words are worth triple, that would incentivize the players to play them whenever they can, which could give the vague appearance of some kind of code structure.<br />
<br />
In her second simile, Ponytail references naval weather forecasts, avian interference, and indentation. A weather forecast is a complex, multidimensional array of data used in predicting or assessing the atmospheric conditions of a geographical area over a set time. [https://web.archive.org/web/20191115003453/https://aviationweather.gov/static/help/taf-decode.php Naval weather forecasts] (archive) use an extremely condensed code to send their information, rendering them unintelligible to an untrained reader. This is similar to the common bad coding practice of using unhelpful variable names - typically ones that are short and have no obvious meaning, or may even be misleading.<br />
<br />
Transcribing such a weather forecast would be further complicated by a {{w|woodpecker}} randomly pecking the Shift key on the keyboard. Woodpeckers are wild birds famed for their ability to very rapidly peck at a target, which they use to make holes in trees, and also to create a loud "drumming" sound that can be heard a long way. Having a woodpecker peck at the Shift key would result in many letters being randomly capitalized, further reducing the readability of the output.<br />
<br />
Ponytail then suggests that the output is "randomly indented". Indentation is the practice of shifting a section of text further from the starting margin. In coding, indentation typically has no semantic function, but rather is a way to visually indicate blocks of code in a hierarchical fashion. Without indentation, code becomes extremely hard to read - as an example, see the entries in the {{w|International Obfuscated C Code Contest}} to see just how bad this can get.<br />
<br />
The Python programming language is famous for actually making indentation part of its semantics - a Python program ''must'' be correctly indented, or it will not run.<br />
<br />
If a piece of code was ''randomly'' indented, this could be even worse than having no indentation at all, as it could lead readers to see structures where there are none.<br />
<br />
Ponytail's third simile references famous poet {{w|E. E. Cummings}}. Edward Estlin Cummings was a poet who used capitalization, punctuation, and line breaks in unconventional ways, suggesting that Cueball's naming conventions are esoteric and hard to follow. She follows this up by restricting the vocabulary to "the usernames a website suggests when the one you want is taken". Websites that offer membership typically require users to create a username that uniquely identifies them. This means that two people cannot have the same username, so if you try to request a name that's already in use, the website will ask you to pick another. Some websites try to help out by suggesting alternative usernames which are close to, but not quite the same as, the one they requested.<br />
<br />
For example, if the username "Hedgeclipper" is already taken, the site may recommend "Hedgeclipper1234" or "H3dg3clipp3r" instead, depending on the algorithm behind the suggestions. These names are usually harder to read and less elegant than the one the user actually wanted. An E. E. Cummings poem written entirely out of these semi-random suggestions would make the resulting poem even more "unusual" than his work is already considered.<br />
<br />
The final simile involves {{w|Markov chain|Markov chaining}}, bus schedules, and potential gross vehicular negligence. A Markov chain is a sequence in which each symbol depends only on the previous symbol. This is often used to simulate real-world concepts such as speech simulation and decision making. For example, in English text, you can make reasonable predictions as to what the next letter might be, based on the knowledge of which letters tend to be used together (and which don't). Thus, a Markov bot programmed with basic knowledge of English letter frequencies could produce plausible-looking text. However, the text would make absolutely no sense, as Markov processes are probabalistic and have no knowledge of how English semantics work.<br />
<br />
Bus schedules are [http://elb-jpinstances-1463028547.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com/ccg3/XSLT_STT_REQUEST?mode=direct&line=ccg:01065:%20:H:y15&sessionID=0&requestID=0&itdLPxx_template=tableResults&type_stt=any&language=en&coordOutputFormat=WGS84%5Bdd.ddddd%5D&outputFormat=0&name_stt=10111816&contentFilter=allstops often complicated and full of notation], and are notorious for confusing people who are not used to reading them. Using these as the input to a Markov bot would result in an even more garbled and unreadable mess, as the Markov bot doesn't understand bus timetables either.<br />
<br />
The issue is further complicated when Ponytail suggests that the schedules are from a city where "the buses crash constantly", which would be horrifying if it happened so regularly that the schedules actually took crashes into account. However, this is likely just Ponytail adding an additional layer of convolution to the simile.<br />
<br />
Cueball finally comments that "… it runs fine for now" which indicates he knows the code has problems but is reluctant to fix them because it's more-or-less serving its function. This is a well-known cop-out in software development, and is considered poor practice - the fact that the code is running ''for now'', or runs in the specific circumstances the developer tested it in, does not mean that it is well-written, or that it will integrate with other parts of the system, or that it will continue to run reliably in the future.<br />
<br />
Ponytail quips back that "So does a burning bus", which also meets Cueball's low standard - a burning bus can still drive despite being on fire, but most people would not enjoy traveling in such a vehicle, and there will eventually come a point where the fire will endanger the occupants and interfere with the operation of the bus. This could be the reason the buses are always crashing in Ponytail's hypothetical scenario.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Ponytail compares the code to a formal grammar, which is a way of describing a set of strings by providing a list of mapping rules that generate those strings. The resulting output would be a laborious list of rules which would all randomly reference each other, akin to {{w|spaghetti code}}. Furthermore, she suggests that the grammar is based on fragments of a raw {{w|database dump}}, which would be an export of the data from a database in a "raw" format that contains no processing to make it easy for humans to read. {{w|QuickBooks}} is an accounting software package, which could imply that the code Cueball has written is related to finance in some way. If the company using QuickBooks is embroiled in an accounting scandal, their database is likely already in a mess, even in human-readable format.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Zoom in on Ponytail sitting in front of a computer screen typing. Cueball speaks only off-panel, but since this is a direct continuation of comic 1513: Code Quality where Cueball is shown, there can be no doubt it is him.]<br />
:Ponytail: Ugh, I hate reading your code.<br />
:Cueball (off-panel): I know, I know.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom out of Ponytail in an office chair in front of the computer on a desk.]<br />
:Ponytail: It's like you ran OCR on a photo of a Scrabble board from a game where Javascript reserved words counted for triple points.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on Ponytails head.]<br />
:Ponytail: It looks like someone transcribed a naval weather forecast while woodpeckers hammered their shift keys, then randomly indented it.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom out back to the setting of the second panel.]<br />
:Ponytail: It's like an E E Cummings poem written using only the usernames a website suggests when the one you want is taken.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in to Ponytails head and the screen in a wider panel. Finally Cueball again answers off-panel.]<br />
:Ponytail: This looks like the output of a Markov bot that's been fed bus timetables from a city where the buses crash constantly.<br />
:Cueball (off-panel): Whatever, it runs fine for now.<br />
:Ponytail: So does a burning bus.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Code Quality]]<br />
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Code Quality 02]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] <!--It is Cueball that replies given that this is a follow up to 1513: Code Quality --><br />
[[Category:Language]] <!-- Formal grammar title text--><br />
[[Category:Animals]] <!-- Woodpeckers --><br />
[[Category:Programming]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]<br />
[[Category:Cueball Computer Problems]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1695:_Code_Quality_2&diff=3165471695: Code Quality 22023-06-29T12:52:20Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1695<br />
| date = June 17, 2016<br />
| title = Code Quality 2<br />
| image = code_quality_2.png<br />
| titletext = It's like you tried to define a formal grammar based on fragments of a raw database dump from the QuickBooks file of a company that's about to collapse in an accounting scandal.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is the second in the [[:Category:Code Quality|Code Quality]] series:<br />
* [[1513: Code Quality]]<br />
* [[1695: Code Quality 2]]<br />
* [[1833: Code Quality 3]]<br />
* [[1926: Bad Code]]<br />
* [[2138: Wanna See the Code?]]<br />
<br />
Although [[Cueball]] is not seen in this comic, we can surmise that he is speaking from off-panel based on continuity with [[1513: Code Quality]].<br />
<br />
As in the first comic in the series, we again see [[Ponytail]] being introduced to the messy {{w|source code}} Cueball has written. This comic evidently takes place some time later, as Ponytail now appears to be familiar with Cueball's code, and dreads reading it.<br />
<br />
In this comic she continues the trend started in the first comic by using a parade of vivid similes to convey the incomprehensible nature of Cueball's code.<br />
<br />
In her first simile, Ponytail makes a reference to using OCR ({{w|Optical Character Recognition}}) to recognize the letters on a {{w|Scrabble}} board. OCR is notoriously imperfect and often gets letters wrong, resulting in garbled words. The fact that a Scrabble board has criss-crossing words, with some of them traversing the board vertically, would make OCR output even less reliable.<br />
<br />
Ponytail observes that Cueball’s code includes the [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Lexical_grammar#Keywords JavaScript reserved words] more often than a typical Scrabble board would, a concession that the code looks at least vaguely code-like. In programming, a reserved word is a word that has meaning to the programming language, and therefore is not permitted to be used as a variable name. Common examples are 'function', 'if', and 'return'. The reference to "triple points" refers to the fact that Scrabble's scoring system is based on the point values of individual letters; certain modifier squares on the board can double or triple those values. If Javascript reserved words are worth triple, that would incentivize the players to play them whenever they can, which could give the vague appearance of some kind of code structure.<br />
<br />
In her second simile, Ponytail references naval weather forecasts, avian interference, and indentation. A weather forecast is a complex, multidimensional array of data used in predicting or assessing the atmospheric conditions of a geographical area over a set time. [https://web.archive.org/web/20191115003453/https://aviationweather.gov/static/help/taf-decode.php Naval weather forecasts] (archive) use an extremely condensed code to send their information, rendering them unintelligible to an untrained reader. This is similar to the common bad coding practice of using unhelpful variable names - typically ones that are short and have no obvious meaning, or may even be misleading.<br />
<br />
Transcribing such a weather forecast would be further complicated by a {{w|woodpecker}} randomly pecking the Shift key on the keyboard. Woodpeckers are wild birds famed for their ability to very rapidly peck at a target, which they use to make holes in trees, and also to create a loud "drumming" sound that can be heard a long way. Having a woodpecker peck at the Shift key would result in many letters being randomly capitalized, further reducing the readability of the output.<br />
<br />
Ponytail then suggests that the output is "randomly indented". Indentation is the practice of shifting a section of text further from the starting margin. In coding, indentation typically has no semantic function, but rather is a way to visually indicate blocks of code in a hierarchical fashion. Without indentation, code becomes extremely hard to read - as an example, see the entries in the {{w|International Obfuscated C Code Contest}} to see just how bad this can get.<br />
<br />
The Python programming language is famous for actually making indentation part of its semantics - a Python program ''must'' be correctly indented, or it will not run.<br />
<br />
If a piece of code was ''randomly'' indented, this could be even worse than having no indentation at all, as it could lead readers to see structures where there are none.<br />
<br />
Ponytail's third simile references famous poet {{w|E. E. Cummings}}. Edward Estlin Cummings was a poet who used capitalization, punctuation, and line breaks in unconventional ways, suggesting that Cueball's naming conventions are esoteric and hard to follow. She follows this up by restricting the vocabulary to "the usernames a website suggests when the one you want is taken". Websites that offer membership typically require users to create a username that uniquely identifies them. This means that two people cannot have the same username, so if you try to request a name that's already in use, the website will ask you to pick another. Some websites try to help out by suggesting alternative usernames which are close to, but not quite the same as, the one they requested.<br />
<br />
For example, if the username "Hedgeclipper" is already taken, the site may recommend "Hedgeclipper1234" or "H3dg3clipp3r" instead, depending on the algorithm behind the suggestions. These names are usually harder to read and less elegant than the one the user actually wanted. An E. E. Cummings poem written entirely out of these semi-random suggestions would make the resulting poem even more "unusual" than his work is already considered.<br />
<br />
The final simile involves {{w|Markov chain|Markov chaining}}, {{w|Chatterbot|chat-bots}} (presumably), bus schedules, and potential gross vehicular negligence. A Markov chain is a sequence in which each symbol depends only on the previous symbol. This is often used to simulate real-world concepts such as speech simulation and decision making. For example, in English text, you can make reasonable predictions as to what the next letter might be, based on the knowledge of which letters tend to be used together (and which don't). Thus, a Markov bot programmed with basic knowledge of English letter frequencies could produce plausible-looking text. However, the text would make absolutely no sense, as Markov processes are probabalistic and have no knowledge of how English semantics work.<br />
<br />
Bus schedules are [http://elb-jpinstances-1463028547.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com/ccg3/XSLT_STT_REQUEST?mode=direct&line=ccg:01065:%20:H:y15&sessionID=0&requestID=0&itdLPxx_template=tableResults&type_stt=any&language=en&coordOutputFormat=WGS84%5Bdd.ddddd%5D&outputFormat=0&name_stt=10111816&contentFilter=allstops often complicated and full of notation], and are notorious for confusing people who are not used to reading them. Using these as the input to a Markov bot would result in an even more garbled and unreadable mess, as the Markov bot doesn't understand bus timetables either.<br />
<br />
The issue is further complicated when Ponytail suggests that the schedules are from a city where "the buses crash constantly", which would be horrifying if it happened so regularly that the schedules actually took crashes into account. However, this is likely just Ponytail adding an additional layer of convolution to the simile.<br />
<br />
Cueball finally comments that "… it runs fine for now" which indicates he knows the code has problems but is reluctant to fix them because it's more-or-less serving its function. This is a well-known cop-out in software development, and is considered poor practice - the fact that the code is running ''for now'', or runs in the specific circumstances the developer tested it in, does not mean that it is well-written, or that it will integrate with other parts of the system, or that it will continue to run reliably in the future.<br />
<br />
Ponytail quips back that "So does a burning bus", which also meets Cueball's low standard - a burning bus can still drive despite being on fire, but most people would not enjoy traveling in such a vehicle, and there will eventually come a point where the fire will endanger the occupants and interfere with the operation of the bus. This could be the reason the buses are always crashing in Ponytail's hypothetical scenario.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Ponytail compares the code to a formal grammar, which is a way of describing a set of strings by providing a list of mapping rules that generate those strings. The resulting output would be a laborious list of rules which would all randomly reference each other, akin to {{w|spaghetti code}}. Furthermore, she suggests that the grammar is based on fragments of a raw {{w|database dump}}, which would be an export of the data from a database in a "raw" format that contains no processing to make it easy for humans to read. {{w|QuickBooks}} is an accounting software package, which could imply that the code Cueball has written is related to finance in some way. If the company using QuickBooks is embroiled in an accounting scandal, their database is likely already in a mess, even in human-readable format.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Zoom in on Ponytail sitting in front of a computer screen typing. Cueball speaks only off-panel, but since this is a direct continuation of comic 1513: Code Quality where Cueball is shown, there can be no doubt it is him.]<br />
:Ponytail: Ugh, I hate reading your code.<br />
:Cueball (off-panel): I know, I know.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom out of Ponytail in an office chair in front of the computer on a desk.]<br />
:Ponytail: It's like you ran OCR on a photo of a Scrabble board from a game where Javascript reserved words counted for triple points.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on Ponytails head.]<br />
:Ponytail: It looks like someone transcribed a naval weather forecast while woodpeckers hammered their shift keys, then randomly indented it.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom out back to the setting of the second panel.]<br />
:Ponytail: It's like an E E Cummings poem written using only the usernames a website suggests when the one you want is taken.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in to Ponytails head and the screen in a wider panel. Finally Cueball again answers off-panel.]<br />
:Ponytail: This looks like the output of a Markov bot that's been fed bus timetables from a city where the buses crash constantly.<br />
:Cueball (off-panel): Whatever, it runs fine for now.<br />
:Ponytail: So does a burning bus.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Code Quality]]<br />
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Code Quality 02]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] <!--It is Cueball that replies given that this is a follow up to 1513: Code Quality --><br />
[[Category:Language]] <!-- Formal grammar title text--><br />
[[Category:Animals]] <!-- Woodpeckers --><br />
[[Category:Programming]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]<br />
[[Category:Cueball Computer Problems]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1695:_Code_Quality_2&diff=3165461695: Code Quality 22023-06-29T12:51:06Z<p>Hawthorn: Large rewrite for clarity and readability.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1695<br />
| date = June 17, 2016<br />
| title = Code Quality 2<br />
| image = code_quality_2.png<br />
| titletext = It's like you tried to define a formal grammar based on fragments of a raw database dump from the QuickBooks file of a company that's about to collapse in an accounting scandal.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is the second in the [[:Category:Code Quality|Code Quality]] series:<br />
* [[1513: Code Quality]]<br />
* [[1695: Code Quality 2]]<br />
* [[1833: Code Quality 3]]<br />
* [[1926: Bad Code]]<br />
* [[2138: Wanna See the Code?]]<br />
<br />
Although [[Cueball]] is not seen in this comic, we can surmise that he is speaking from off-panel based on continuity with [[1513: Code Quality]].<br />
<br />
As in the first comic in the series, we again see [[Ponytail]] being introduced to the messy {{w|source code}} Cueball has written. This comic evidently takes place some time later, as Ponytail now appears to be familiar with Cueball's code, and dreads reading it.<br />
<br />
In this comic she continues the trend started in the first comic by using a parade of vivid similes to convey the incomprehensible nature of Cueball's code.<br />
<br />
In her first simile, Ponytail makes a reference to using OCR ({{w|Optical Character Recognition}}) to recognize the letters on a {{w|Scrabble}} board. OCR is notoriously imperfect and often gets letters wrong, resulting in garbled words. The fact that a Scrabble board has criss-crossing words, with some of them traversing the board vertically, would make OCR output even less reliable.<br />
<br />
Ponytail observes that Cueball’s code includes the [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Lexical_grammar#Keywords JavaScript reserved words] more often than a typical Scrabble board would, a concession that the code looks at least vaguely code-like. In programming, a reserved word is a word that has meaning to the programming language, and therefore is not permitted to be used as a variable name. Common examples are 'function', 'if', and 'return'. The reference to "triple points" refers to the fact that Scrabble's scoring system is based on the point values of individual letters; certain modifier squares on the board can double or triple those values. If Javascript reserved words are worth triple, that would incentivize the players to play them whenever they can, which could give the vague appearance of some kind of code structure.<br />
<br />
In her second simile, Ponytail references naval weather forecasts, avian interference, and indentation. A weather forecast is a complex, multidimensional array of data used in predicting or assessing the atmospheric conditions of a geographical area over a set time. [https://web.archive.org/web/20191115003453/https://aviationweather.gov/static/help/taf-decode.php Naval weather forecasts] (archive) use an extremely condensed code to send their information, rendering them unintelligible to an untrained reader. This is similar to the common bad coding practice of using unhelpful variable names - typically ones that are short and have no obvious meaning, or may even be misleading.<br />
<br />
Transcribing such a weather forecast would be further complicated by a {{w|woodpecker}} randomly pecking the Shift key on the keyboard. Woodpeckers are wild birds famed for their ability to very rapidly peck at a target, which they use to make holes in trees, and also to create a loud "drumming" sound that can be heard a long way. Having a woodpecker peck at the Shift key would result in many letters being randomly capitalized, further reducing the readability of the output.<br />
<br />
Ponytail then suggests that the output is "randomly indented". Indentation is the practice of shifting a section of text further from the starting margin. In coding, indentation typically has no semantic function, but rather is a way to visually indicate blocks of code in a hierarchical fashion. Without indentation, code becomes extremely hard to read - as an example, see the entries in the {{w|International Obfuscated C Code Contest}} to see just how bad this can get.<br />
<br />
The Python programming language is famous for actually making indentation part of its semantics - a Python program ''must'' be correctly indented, or it will not run.<br />
<br />
If a piece of code was ''randomly'' indented, this could be even worse than having no indentation at all, as it could lead readers to see structures where there are none.<br />
<br />
Ponytail's third simile references famous poet {{w|E. E. Cummings}}. Edward Estlin Cummings was a poet who used capitalization, punctuation, and line breaks in unconventional ways, suggesting that Cueball's naming conventions are esoteric and hard to follow. She follows this up by restricting the vocabulary to "the usernames a website suggests when the one you want is taken". Websites that offer membership typically require users to create a username that uniquely identifies them. This means that two people cannot have the same username, so if you try to request a name that's already in use, the website will ask you to pick another. Some websites try to help out by suggesting alternative usernames which are close to, but not quite the same as, the one they requested.<br />
<br />
For example, if the username "Hedgeclipper" is already taken, the site may recommend "Hedgeclipper1234" or "H3dg3clipp3r" instead, depending on the algorithm behind the suggestions. These names are usually harder to read and less elegant than the one the user actually wanted. An E. E. Cummings poem written entirely out of these semi-random suggestions would make the resulting poem even more "unusual" than his work is already considered.<br />
<br />
The final simile involves {{w|Markov chain|Markov chaining}}, {{w|Chatterbot|chat-bots}} (presumably), bus schedules, and potential gross vehicular negligence. A Markov chain is a sequence in which each symbol depends only on the previous symbol. This is often used to simulate real-world concepts such as speech simulation and decision making. For example, in English text, you can make reasonable predictions as to what the next letter might be, based on the knowledge of which letters tend to be used together (and which don't). Thus, a Markov bot programmed with basic knowledge of English letter frequencies could produce plausible-looking text. However, the text would make absolutely no sense, as Markov processes are probabalistic and have no knowledge of how English semantics work.<br />
<br />
Bus schedules are [http://elb-jpinstances-1463028547.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com/ccg3/XSLT_STT_REQUEST?mode=direct&line=ccg:01065:%20:H:y15&sessionID=0&requestID=0&itdLPxx_template=tableResults&type_stt=any&language=en&coordOutputFormat=WGS84%5Bdd.ddddd%5D&outputFormat=0&name_stt=10111816&contentFilter=allstops often complicated and full of notation], and are notorious for confusing people who are not used to reading them. Using these as the input to a Markov bot would result in an even more garbled and unreadable mess, as the Markov bot doesn't understand bus timetables either.<br />
<br />
The issue is further complicated when Ponytail suggests that the schedules are from a city where "the buses crash constantly", which would be horrifying if it happened so regularly that the schedules actually took crashes into account. However, this is likely just Ponytail adding an additional layer of convolution to the simile.<br />
<br />
Cueball finally comments that "… it runs fine for now" which indicates he knows the code has problems but is reluctant to fix them because it's more-or-less serving its function. This is a well-known cop-out in software development, and is considered poor practice - the fact that the code is running ''for now'', or runs in the specific circumstances the developer tested it in, does not mean that it is well-written, or that it will integrate with other parts of the system, or that it will continue to run reliably in the future.<br />
<br />
Ponytail quips back that "So does a burning bus", which also meets Cueball's low standard - a burning bus can still drive despite being on fire, but most people would not enjoy traveling in such a vehicle, and there will eventually come a point where the fire will endanger the occupants and interfere with the operation of the bus.<br />
<br />
In the title text, Ponytail compares the code to a formal grammar, which is a way of describing a set of strings by providing a list of mapping rules that generate those strings. The resulting output would be a laborious list of rules which would all randomly reference each other, akin to {{w|spaghetti code}}. Furthermore, she suggests that the grammar is based on fragments of a raw {{w|database dump}}, which would be an export of the data from a database in a "raw" format that contains no processing to make it easy for humans to read. {{w|QuickBooks}} is an accounting software package, which could imply that the code Cueball has written is related to finance in some way. If the company using QuickBooks is embroiled in an accounting scandal, their database is likely already in a mess, even in human-readable format.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Zoom in on Ponytail sitting in front of a computer screen typing. Cueball speaks only off-panel, but since this is a direct continuation of comic 1513: Code Quality where Cueball is shown, there can be no doubt it is him.]<br />
:Ponytail: Ugh, I hate reading your code.<br />
:Cueball (off-panel): I know, I know.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom out of Ponytail in an office chair in front of the computer on a desk.]<br />
:Ponytail: It's like you ran OCR on a photo of a Scrabble board from a game where Javascript reserved words counted for triple points.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on Ponytails head.]<br />
:Ponytail: It looks like someone transcribed a naval weather forecast while woodpeckers hammered their shift keys, then randomly indented it.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom out back to the setting of the second panel.]<br />
:Ponytail: It's like an E E Cummings poem written using only the usernames a website suggests when the one you want is taken.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in to Ponytails head and the screen in a wider panel. Finally Cueball again answers off-panel.]<br />
:Ponytail: This looks like the output of a Markov bot that's been fed bus timetables from a city where the buses crash constantly.<br />
:Cueball (off-panel): Whatever, it runs fine for now.<br />
:Ponytail: So does a burning bus.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Code Quality]]<br />
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Code Quality 02]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] <!--It is Cueball that replies given that this is a follow up to 1513: Code Quality --><br />
[[Category:Language]] <!-- Formal grammar title text--><br />
[[Category:Animals]] <!-- Woodpeckers --><br />
[[Category:Programming]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]<br />
[[Category:Cueball Computer Problems]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2794:_Alphabet_Notes&diff=3164272794: Alphabet Notes2023-06-27T21:55:31Z<p>Hawthorn: Small linguistic addition</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2794<br />
| date = June 26, 2023<br />
| title = Alphabet Notes<br />
| image = alphabet notes.png<br />
| titletext = Listen, you're very cute, but if you rearrange the alphabet to put U and I together it will RUIN the spacing!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BAD U&I JOKE. Do NOT rearrange the alphabet too soon. Need more on MN!}}<br />
This comic is a joke claiming the design documents and storyboards of the creation of the {{w|English alphabet}} have been found. The English alphabet is a {{w|Latin-script alphabet}} used to write modern English. It is organized around an A to Z alphabet, in black block letters, from left to right. Forming these supposed design notes are many red annotations:<br />
<br />
#At the top, the vowels are listed. Randall apparently likes how these are spaced. He places a question mark near Y, as it sometimes functions as a vowel but sometimes functions as a consonant as well. Plus he seems to think the last five letters (maybe even six) of the alphabet should have been left out, see below.<br />
#"A" is described favorably as the start.<br />
#Randall considers the five early consonants B, C, D, F, and G to be acceptable but nothing special, with the exception of D which he considers solid. It's not clear if his judgement is based on the appearances of the glyphs, or the sounds that they correspond to. In speech, a {{w|consonant}} is a sound that is articulated by obstructing the vocal tract, producing a percussive kind of effect. In English phonology, D is the {{w|voiced alveolar plosive}}.<br />
#The words "hi" and "no", which both appear uninterrupted when the letters of the English alphabet are listed from A-Z, are highlighted.<br />
#That "ij" (in lowercase) may be considered friends because they both have dots in the lowercase version. No other characters are given lowercase treatment, however, to ''prove'' that these two are the only (common versions of) glyphs which cannot be written with a single press of the pen against the page.<br />The separate dots and main strokes could also be interpreted as the heads and torsos of two reductionist character drawings.<br />The symbols "i" and "j" are the respective mathematical and electrical-engineering notations of the {{w|Imaginary unit|square root of -1}}, and so may be considered both professionally and personally in a close relationship, as well as neighbours.<br />There is also a {{w|Digraph (orthography)|digraph}}, or unconnected {{w|Ligature (writing)#Dutch IJ|ligature}}, of "ij" (or "IJ", as a leading capital) used as a letter in its own right (considered distinct from either "i" or "j") in the Netherlands.<br />
#"Jk" ("just kidding") is an abbreviation originating from instant messaging, as is "LOL" (for "laughing out loud").<br />
#In the standard "{{w|Alphabet song|alphabet song}}" for the US (sung to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"), most letters occur upon the beat of an easy and sedate tempo. But to scan ''and'' rhyme, the letters L-O are run through at double the tempo ("el-em-en-oh-pee"), with perhaps P best considered to cross two of the quick beats that end this musical phrase.<br />
#Randall finds it weird that the dividing line between the two halves of the alphabet would go between M and N. It's not clear what exactly he thinks is weird about this. M and N are similar-looking letters, both consisting of a zigzag sequence of lines. Possibly Randall is commenting on the fortuitous coincidence that the sides of M and N are both straight and vertical, providing a natural lane through which to draw a dividing line. He also lists several words that contain MN in sequence, and speculates on the significance of this rare digram seemingly only being used for "fancy" words.<br />
#Randall considers the placement of "Q" strange. He may even consider the existence of "Q" strange, perhaps because the sound "Q" denotes in English could be replaced with the digraph "KW".<br />"C" and "X" are also replaceable with single or multiple alternate characters in English. These include "S" or "K" for the former ("accent" could perhaps be re-written as "aksent", but it is unknown what would replace the "C" in words like church.) and "(C)KS" (e.g. "ax(e)" as "aks") or "Z" (regarding "xylophone" or any "xeno-" word). But these, and other orthographic inconsistencies, are not obviously called out by Randall.<br />
#Randall considers "RST" a strong cluster of consonants, possibly because that three-character sequence does occur in some words (eg. BURST, WORST). Both "strong" and "cluster" also include the letters R, S and T. The use of an {{w|R-S-T system|RST code}} is a traditional way of describing the reception quality of radio communications.<br />
#Randall seems to be confused about "VW", it could refer to {{w|Volkswagen}}, or he might wonder why "W" is called "double U" rather than "double V". Or why both are needed.<br />
#Randall questions whether "X" is even a letter. It is the Roman numeral for 10, though he does not complain about C, D, I, L, M or V in the same way so he is most likely talking of ''x'' as used in algebraic contexts. Alternatively, he could simply be talking about the appearance of the letter "X".<br />
#The comment that the alphabet may have been better if it had stopped at "T" is likely a reference to the fact that {{w|Phoenician alphabet|the original Phoenician script}}, which is the ancestor of many modern scripts including English, had as its last letter {{w|Taw}}, which the modern letter "T" is derived from. It is still the last letter of the modern Hebrew alphabet, although the Greek alphabet added several letters after it, some of which persist into modern English. Randall seems to believe that the Phoenician script was fine as-is and that the letters U-Z are weird and/or unnecessary.<br />
<br />
The title text makes a joke about the pick-up line "If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put 'U' and 'I' together.", where the letters "U" and "I" are pronounced like the pronouns "you" and "I". It is such a corny act of flirtation that any recipient of it could easily have a rejection (''or'' a flirty acceptance, if they so wish) ready to respond with in an appropriate vein. As well as reflecting the diagram's noted preference for well-spaced vowels, it might be presumed that anyone (unironically) using the "U and I" line might be left dumbfounded at the rather technical nature of the riposte. This pickup line was also the subject of [[1069: Alphabet]]. The word "ruin" does indeed have 'u' and 'i' together.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
:[A list of the letters of the alphabet, from A to Z, in black]<br />
:ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ<br />
<br />
:[A red line above the letters, with tick marks and their associated vowels at A, E, I, O, and U. Y has a question mark instead of a tick.]<br />
:Love the spacing between the vowels!<br />
<br />
:[Red annotations near various letters.]<br />
<br />
:A: Strong start!<br />
:BCD, FG: Decent consonants but no real heavy hitters here in the first third ("D" is solid, at least)<br />
:HI: Hi!<br />
::IJ: [additional lowercase "ij" given, in red]: The dotted letters are friends!<br />
:JK: Jk (lol)<br />
:LMNOP: Part that's fun to sing<br />
::Weird how the line between "M" and "N" is the halfway mark.<br />
::They're similar, but "MN" only shows up in fancy words like "mnemonic", "column", "amnesty", and "hymn", significance??<br />
:NO: No<br />
:Q: Why is this ''here?''<br />
:RST: Strong cluster!<br />
:U: Weirdest of the main 5 vowels by far<br />
:VWXYZ: Haunted letters (keep out!!)<br />
:VW: ??<br />
:X: Not sure this is even a letter. Did you include a number by mistake?<br />
::...Listen.<br />
::Maybe we should've stopped at "T".<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Design notes on the alphabet<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<!-- Include any categories below this line. --><br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with red annotations]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]] <!-- 'ij' --></div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2794:_Alphabet_Notes&diff=3164232794: Alphabet Notes2023-06-27T17:17:29Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2794<br />
| date = June 26, 2023<br />
| title = Alphabet Notes<br />
| image = alphabet notes.png<br />
| titletext = Listen, you're very cute, but if you rearrange the alphabet to put U and I together it will RUIN the spacing!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BAD U&I JOKE. Do NOT rearrange the alphabet too soon. Need more on MN!}}<br />
This comic is a joke claiming the design documents and storyboards of the creation of the {{w|English alphabet}} have been found. The English alphabet is a {{w|Latin-script alphabet}} used to write modern English. It is organized around an A to Z alphabet, in black block letters, from left to right. Forming these supposed design notes are many red annotations:<br />
<br />
#At the top, the vowels are listed. Randall apparently likes how these are spaced. He places a question mark near Y, as it sometimes functions as a vowel but sometimes functions as a consonant as well. Plus he seems to think the last five letters (maybe even six) of the alphabet should have been left out, see below.<br />
#"A" is described favorably as the start.<br />
#Randall considers the early consonants other than "D" to be ok, but rather weak.<br />
#The words "hi" and "no", which both appear uninterrupted when the letters of the English alphabet are listed from A-Z, are highlighted.<br />
#That "ij" (in lowercase) may be considered friends because they both have dots in the lowercase version. No other characters are given lowercase treatment, however, to ''prove'' that these two are the only (common versions of) glyphs which cannot be written with a single press of the pen against the page.<br />The separate dots and main strokes could also be interpreted as the heads and torsos of two reductionist character drawings.<br />The symbols "i" and "j" are the respective mathematical and electrical-engineering notations of the {{w|Imaginary unit|square root of -1}}, and so may be considered both professionally and personally in a close relationship, as well as neighbours.<br />There is also a {{w|Digraph (orthography)|digraph}}, or unconnected {{w|Ligature (writing)#Dutch IJ|ligature}}, of "ij" (or "IJ", as a leading capital) used as a letter in its own right (considered distinct from either "i" or "j") in the Netherlands.<br />
#"Jk" ("just kidding") is an abbreviation originating from instant messaging, as is "LOL" (for "laughing out loud").<br />
#In the standard "{{w|Alphabet song|alphabet song}}" for the US (sung to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"), most letters occur upon the beat of an easy and sedate tempo. But to scan ''and'' rhyme, the letters L-O are run through at double the tempo ("el-em-en-oh-pee"), with perhaps P best considered to cross two of the quick beats that end this musical phrase.<br />
#Randall finds it weird that the dividing line between the two halves of the alphabet would go between M and N. It's not clear what exactly he thinks is weird about this. M and N are similar-looking letters, both consisting of a zigzag sequence of lines. Possibly Randall is commenting on the fortuitous coincidence that the sides of M and N are both straight and vertical, providing a natural lane through which to draw a dividing line. He also lists several words that contain MN in sequence, and speculates on the significance of this rare digram seemingly only being used for "fancy" words.<br />
#Randall considers the placement of "Q" strange. He may even consider the existence of "Q" strange, perhaps because the sound "Q" denotes in English could be replaced with the digraph "KW".<br />"C" and "X" are also replaceable with single or multiple alternate characters in English. These include "S" or "K" for the former ("accent" could perhaps be re-written as "aksent") and "(C)KS" (e.g. "ax(e)" as "aks") or "Z" (regarding "xylophone" or any "xeno-" word). But these, and other orthographic inconsistencies, are not obviously called out by Randall.<br />
#Randall considers "RST" a strong cluster of consonants, possibly because that three-character sequence does occur in some words (eg. BURST, WORST). Both "strong" and "cluster" also include the letters R, S and T. The use of an {{w|R-S-T system|RST code}} is a traditional way of describing the reception quality of radio communications.<br />
#Randall seems to be confused about "VW", it could refer to {{w|Volkswagen}}, or he might wonder why "W" is called "double U" rather than "double V". Or why both are needed.<br />
#Randall questions whether "X" is even a letter. It is the Roman numeral for 10, though he does not complain about C, D, I, L, M or V in the same way so he is most likely talking of ''x'' as used in algebraic contexts. Alternatively, he could simply be talking about the appearance of the letter "X".<br />
#The comment that the alphabet may have been better if it had stopped at "T" is likely a reference to the fact that {{w|Phoenician alphabet|the original Phoenician script}}, which is the ancestor of many modern scripts including English, had as its last letter {{w|Taw}}, which the modern letter "T" is derived from. It is still the last letter of the modern Hebrew alphabet, although the Greek alphabet added several letters after it, some of which persist into modern English. Randall seems to believe that the Phoenician script was fine as-is and that the letters U-Z are weird and/or unnecessary.<br />
<br />
The title text makes a joke about the pick-up line "If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put 'U' and 'I' together.", where the letters "U" and "I" are pronounced like the pronouns "you" and "I". It is such a corny act of flirtation that any recipient of it could easily have a rejection (''or'' a flirty acceptance, if they so wish) ready to respond with in an appropriate vein. As well as reflecting the diagram's noted preference for well-spaced vowels, it might be presumed that anyone (unironically) using the "U and I" line might be left dumbfounded at the rather technical nature of the riposte. This pickup line was also the subject of [[1069: Alphabet]]. The word "ruin" does indeed have 'u' and 'i' together.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
:[A list of the letters of the alphabet, from A to Z, in black]<br />
:ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ<br />
<br />
:[A red line above the letters, with tick marks and their associated vowels at A, E, I, O, and U. Y has a question mark instead of a tick.]<br />
:Love the spacing between the vowels!<br />
<br />
:[Red annotations near various letters.]<br />
<br />
:A: Strong start!<br />
:BCD, FG: Decent consonants but no real heavy hitters here in the first third ("D" is solid, at least)<br />
:HI: Hi!<br />
::IJ: [additional lowercase "ij" given, in red]: The dotted letters are friends!<br />
:JK: Jk (lol)<br />
:LMNOP: Part that's fun to sing<br />
::Weird how the line between "M" and "N" is the halfway mark.<br />
::They're similar, but "MN" only shows up in fancy words like "mnemonic", "column", "amnesty", and "hymn", significance??<br />
:NO: No<br />
:Q: Why is this ''here?''<br />
:RST: Strong cluster!<br />
:U: Weirdest of the main 5 vowels by far<br />
:VWXYZ: Haunted letters (keep out!!)<br />
:VW: ??<br />
:X: Not sure this is even a letter. Did you include a number by mistake?<br />
::...Listen.<br />
::Maybe we should've stopped at "T".<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Design notes on the alphabet<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<!-- Include any categories below this line. --><br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with red annotations]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]] <!-- 'ij' --></div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2794:_Alphabet_Notes&diff=3164212794: Alphabet Notes2023-06-27T17:15:29Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2794<br />
| date = June 26, 2023<br />
| title = Alphabet Notes<br />
| image = alphabet notes.png<br />
| titletext = Listen, you're very cute, but if you rearrange the alphabet to put U and I together it will RUIN the spacing!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BAD U&I JOKE. Do NOT rearrange the alphabet too soon. Need more on MN!}}<br />
This comic is a joke about the {{w|English alphabet}}, a {{w|Latin-script alphabet}} used to write modern English. It is organized around an A to Z alphabet, in black block letters, from left to right. Around it are many red annotations:<br />
<br />
#At the top, the vowels are listed. Randall apparently likes how these are spaced. He places a question mark near Y, as it sometimes functions as a vowel but sometimes functions as a consonant as well. Plus he seems to think the last five letters (maybe even six) of the alphabet should have been left out, see below.<br />
#"A" is described favorably as the start.<br />
#Randall considers the early consonants other than "D" to be ok, but rather weak.<br />
#The words "hi" and "no", which both appear uninterrupted when the letters of the English alphabet are listed from A-Z, are highlighted.<br />
#That "ij" (in lowercase) may be considered friends because they both have dots in the lowercase version. No other characters are given lowercase treatment, however, to ''prove'' that these two are the only (common versions of) glyphs which cannot be written with a single press of the pen against the page.<br />The separate dots and main strokes could also be interpreted as the heads and torsos of two reductionist character drawings.<br />The symbols "i" and "j" are the respective mathematical and electrical-engineering notations of the {{w|Imaginary unit|square root of -1}}, and so may be considered both professionally and personally in a close relationship, as well as neighbours.<br />There is also a {{w|Digraph (orthography)|digraph}}, or unconnected {{w|Ligature (writing)#Dutch IJ|ligature}}, of "ij" (or "IJ", as a leading capital) used as a letter in its own right (considered distinct from either "i" or "j") in the Netherlands.<br />
#"Jk" ("just kidding") is an abbreviation originating from instant messaging, as is "LOL" (for "laughing out loud").<br />
#In the standard "{{w|Alphabet song|alphabet song}}" for the US (sung to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"), most letters occur upon the beat of an easy and sedate tempo. But to scan ''and'' rhyme, the letters L-O are run through at double the tempo ("el-em-en-oh-pee"), with perhaps P best considered to cross two of the quick beats that end this musical phrase.<br />
#Randall finds it weird that the dividing line between the two halves of the alphabet would go between M and N. It's not clear what exactly he thinks is weird about this. M and N are similar-looking letters, both consisting of a zigzag sequence of lines. Possibly Randall is commenting on the fortuitous coincidence that the sides of M and N are both straight and vertical, providing a natural lane through which to draw a dividing line. He also lists several words that contain MN in sequence, and speculates on the significance of this rare digram seemingly only being used for "fancy" words.<br />
#Randall considers the placement of "Q" strange. He may even consider the existence of "Q" strange, perhaps because the sound "Q" denotes in English could be replaced with the digraph "KW".<br />"C" and "X" are also replaceable with single or multiple alternate characters in English. These include "S" or "K" for the former ("accent" could perhaps be re-written as "aksent") and "(C)KS" (e.g. "ax(e)" as "aks") or "Z" (regarding "xylophone" or any "xeno-" word). But these, and other orthographic inconsistencies, are not obviously called out by Randall.<br />
#Randall considers "RST" a strong cluster of consonants. Both "strong" and "cluster" include the letters R, S and T. The use of an {{w|R-S-T system|RST code}} is a traditional way of describing the reception quality of radio communications.<br />
#Randall seems to be confused about "VW", it could refer to {{w|Volkswagen}}, or he might wonder why "W" is called "double U" rather than "double V". Or why both are needed.<br />
#Randall questions whether "X" is even a letter. It is the Roman numeral for 10, though he does not complain about C, D, I, L, M or V in the same way so he is most likely talking of ''x'' as used in algebraic contexts. Alternatively, he could simply be talking about the appearance of the letter "X".<br />
#The comment that the alphabet may have been better if it had stopped at "T" is likely a reference to the fact that {{w|Phoenician alphabet|the original Phoenician script}}, which is the ancestor of many modern scripts including English, had as its last letter {{w|Taw}}, which the modern letter "T" is derived from. It is still the last letter of the modern Hebrew alphabet, although the Greek alphabet added several letters after it, some of which persist into modern English. Randall seems to believe that the Phoenician script was fine as-is and that the letters U-Z are weird and/or unnecessary.<br />
<br />
The title text makes a joke about the pick-up line "If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put 'U' and 'I' together.", where the letters "U" and "I" are pronounced like the pronouns "you" and "I". It is such a corny act of flirtation that any recipient of it could easily have a rejection (''or'' a flirty acceptance, if they so wish) ready to respond with in an appropriate vein. As well as reflecting the diagram's noted preference for well-spaced vowels, it might be presumed that anyone (unironically) using the "U and I" line might be left dumbfounded at the rather technical nature of the riposte. This pickup line was also the subject of [[1069: Alphabet]]. The word "ruin" does indeed have 'u' and 'i' together.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
:[A list of the letters of the alphabet, from A to Z, in black]<br />
:ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ<br />
<br />
:[A red line above the letters, with tick marks and their associated vowels at A, E, I, O, and U. Y has a question mark instead of a tick.]<br />
:Love the spacing between the vowels!<br />
<br />
:[Red annotations near various letters.]<br />
<br />
:A: Strong start!<br />
:BCD, FG: Decent consonants but no real heavy hitters here in the first third ("D" is solid, at least)<br />
:HI: Hi!<br />
::IJ: [additional lowercase "ij" given, in red]: The dotted letters are friends!<br />
:JK: Jk (lol)<br />
:LMNOP: Part that's fun to sing<br />
::Weird how the line between "M" and "N" is the halfway mark.<br />
::They're similar, but "MN" only shows up in fancy words like "mnemonic", "column", "amnesty", and "hymn", significance??<br />
:NO: No<br />
:Q: Why is this ''here?''<br />
:RST: Strong cluster!<br />
:U: Weirdest of the main 5 vowels by far<br />
:VWXYZ: Haunted letters (keep out!!)<br />
:VW: ??<br />
:X: Not sure this is even a letter. Did you include a number by mistake?<br />
::...Listen.<br />
::Maybe we should've stopped at "T".<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Design notes on the alphabet<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<!-- Include any categories below this line. --><br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with red annotations]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]] <!-- 'ij' --></div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2794:_Alphabet_Notes&diff=3164202794: Alphabet Notes2023-06-27T17:07:12Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2794<br />
| date = June 26, 2023<br />
| title = Alphabet Notes<br />
| image = alphabet notes.png<br />
| titletext = Listen, you're very cute, but if you rearrange the alphabet to put U and I together it will RUIN the spacing!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BAD U&I JOKE. Do NOT rearrange the alphabet too soon. Need more on MN!}}<br />
This comic is a joke about the {{w|English alphabet}}, a {{w|Latin-script alphabet}} used to write modern English. It is organized around an A to Z alphabet, in black block letters, from left to right. Around it are many red annotations:<br />
<br />
#At the top, the vowels are listed. Randall apparently likes how these are spaced. He places a question mark near Y, as it sometimes functions as a vowel but sometimes functions as a consonant as well. Plus he seems to think the last five letters (maybe even six) of the alphabet should have been left out, see below.<br />
#"A" is described favorably as the start.<br />
#Randall considers the early consonants other than "D" to be ok, but rather weak.<br />
#The words "hi" and "no", which both appear uninterrupted when the letters of the English alphabet are listed from A-Z, are highlighted.<br />
#That "ij" (in lowercase) may be considered friends because they both have dots in the lowercase version. No other characters are given lowercase treatment, however, to ''prove'' that these two are the only (common versions of) glyphs which cannot be written with a single press of the pen against the page.<br />The separate dots and main strokes could also be interpreted as the heads and torsos of two reductionist character drawings.<br />The symbols "i" and "j" are the respective mathematical and electrical-engineering notations of the {{w|Imaginary unit|square root of -1}}, and so may be considered both professionally and personally in a close relationship, as well as neighbours.<br />There is also a {{w|Digraph (orthography)|digraph}}, or unconnected {{w|Ligature (writing)#Dutch IJ|ligature}}, of "ij" (or "IJ", as a leading capital) used as a letter in its own right (considered distinct from either "i" or "j") in the Netherlands.<br />
#"Jk" ("just kidding") is an abbreviation originating from instant messaging, as is "LOL" (for "laughing out loud").<br />
#In the standard "{{w|Alphabet song|alphabet song}}" for the US (sung to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"), most letters occur upon the beat of an easy and sedate tempo. But to scan ''and'' rhyme, the letters L-O are run through at double the tempo ("el-em-en-oh-pee"), with perhaps P best considered to cross two of the quick beats that end this musical phrase.<br />
#MN is the middle of the alphabet an Randall muses on this and the words that contain MN together in that order ... More details needed! <br />
#Randall considers the placement of "Q" strange. He may even consider the existence of "Q" strange, perhaps because the sound "Q" denotes in English could be replaced with the digraph "KW".<br />"C" and "X" are also replaceable with single or multiple alternate characters in English. These include "S" or "K" for the former ("accent" could perhaps be re-written as "aksent") and "(C)KS" (e.g. "ax(e)" as "aks") or "Z" (regarding "xylophone" or any "xeno-" word). But these, and other orthographic inconsistencies, are not obviously called out by Randall.<br />
#Randall considers "RST" a strong cluster of consonants. Both "strong" and "cluster" include the letters R, S and T. The use of an {{w|R-S-T system|RST code}} is a traditional way of describing the reception quality of radio communications.<br />
#Randall seems to be confused about "VW", it could refer to {{w|Volkswagen}}, or he might wonder why "W" is called "double U" rather than "double V". Or why both are needed.<br />
#Randall questions whether "X" is even a letter. It is the Roman numeral for 10, though he does not complain about C, D, I, L, M or V in the same way so he is most likely talking of ''x'' as used in algebraic contexts. Alternatively, he could simply be talking about the appearance of the letter "X".<br />
#The comment that the alphabet may have been better if it had stopped at "T" is likely a reference to the fact that {{w|Phoenician alphabet|the original Phoenician script}}, which is the ancestor of many modern scripts including English, had as its last letter {{w|Taw}}, which the modern letter "T" is derived from. It is still the last letter of the modern Hebrew alphabet, although the Greek alphabet added several letters after it, some of which persist into modern English. Randall seems to believe that the Phoenician script was fine as-is and that the letters U-Z are weird and/or unnecessary.<br />
<br />
The title text makes a joke about the pick-up line "If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put 'U' and 'I' together.", where the letters "U" and "I" are pronounced like the pronouns "you" and "I". It is such a corny act of flirtation that any recipient of it could easily have a rejection (''or'' a flirty acceptance, if they so wish) ready to respond with in an appropriate vein. As well as reflecting the diagram's noted preference for well-spaced vowels, it might be presumed that anyone (unironically) using the "U and I" line might be left dumbfounded at the rather technical nature of the riposte. This pickup line was also the subject of [[1069: Alphabet]]. The word "ruin" does indeed have 'u' and 'i' together.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
:[A list of the letters of the alphabet, from A to Z, in black]<br />
:ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ<br />
<br />
:[A red line above the letters, with tick marks and their associated vowels at A, E, I, O, and U. Y has a question mark instead of a tick.]<br />
:Love the spacing between the vowels!<br />
<br />
:[Red annotations near various letters.]<br />
<br />
:A: Strong start!<br />
:BCD, FG: Decent consonants but no real heavy hitters here in the first third ("D" is solid, at least)<br />
:HI: Hi!<br />
::IJ: [additional lowercase "ij" given, in red]: The dotted letters are friends!<br />
:JK: Jk (lol)<br />
:LMNOP: Part that's fun to sing<br />
::Weird how the line between "M" and "N" is the halfway mark.<br />
::They're similar, but "MN" only shows up in fancy words like "mnemonic", "column", "amnesty", and "hymn", significance??<br />
:NO: No<br />
:Q: Why is this ''here?''<br />
:RST: Strong cluster!<br />
:U: Weirdest of the main 5 vowels by far<br />
:VWXYZ: Haunted letters (keep out!!)<br />
:VW: ??<br />
:X: Not sure this is even a letter. Did you include a number by mistake?<br />
::...Listen.<br />
::Maybe we should've stopped at "T".<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Design notes on the alphabet<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<!-- Include any categories below this line. --><br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with red annotations]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]] <!-- 'ij' --></div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2791:_Bookshelf_Sorting&diff=3157692791: Bookshelf Sorting2023-06-20T16:16:29Z<p>Hawthorn: Clarification</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2791<br />
| date = June 19, 2023<br />
| title = Bookshelf Sorting<br />
| image = bookshelf_sorting_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 425x255px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Of course, I sort all my bookshelves the normal way, alphabetically (by first sentence).<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOOKSHELF SORTED THE NORMAL WAY. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Some people like to sort their bookshelves by the visible color of the book's spine, for example by hue to create a rainbow effect. This is pleasing to the eye, but may be unhelpful when [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYxmPHLU9oA trying to find a specific book]. For literary enthusiasts (AKA "Book People"), this arrangement could be seen as annoying, as they would like to be able to find specific books when the color is unknown, and would more likely sort them alphabetically by the author's last name, or by a more rigorous organizational scheme such as the {{w|Dewey Decimal Classification}}.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, [[Randall]] has found a ''much'' worse method of book organization - instead of sorting the books as discrete units, he has sorted their individual ''pages'' by number. This would require physically dissecting each book into its individual pages, and then organizing them into groups by page number. This organization method has a number of significant drawbacks. Firstly, it would be rather time-consuming to take each book apart. Taking books apart also effectively destroys the book, losing all of the physical benefits of having pages bound as a single unit, such as portability and durability. Without their protective cover, the pages would be more susceptible to damage, loss, or disruptions such as drafts. It would also reduce the resale value of the book.<br />
<br />
Adding a book to the shelf would also be extremely inefficient, as Randall would have to locate the correct group to insert each page into. Since books can be hundreds of pages long, there could easily be hundreds of page groups on the shelf. The reverse operation - taking a book from the shelf - would also now be significantly more difficult since one would have to locate all of the book's individual pages separately. If the pages have no identifying marker to indicate which book they originally came from, it may even be impossible, especially since no secondary sorting has been specified, so, for example page 1 of a book could appear early in the group of page 1s, while page 2 of the same book could appear towards the end of the group of page 2s. In practice, though, Randall appears to have sorted secondarily by length of book, from longest to shortest (which accounts for the repeating patterns seen in the size of the pages).<br />
<br />
It should be noted that the term "page" has an ambiguous meaning when referring to physical pages - "page" can refer both to the numbered page, and to the sheet of paper that the page is printed on. For books, this distinction is important as most books print on both sides of the paper - thus, a single sheet actually comprises ''two'' numbered pages. Books may also contain multiple different page numbering systems - which would make it unclear how to sort, say, roman numerals vs arabic ones - and often contain unnumbered pages.<br />
<br />
Randall's system appears to work by absolute physical page count, including the front and rear covers as 'pages', so that the front cover is the first 'page'. All the front covers are on the left side, then the first internal leaf of each book (counted as the second page), then the second internal leaf, etcetera. This produces repeating patterns of taller and shorter loose-leaf pages, echoing the proportions of each cover, having gathered together a page of the same position in each different book. The back covers are mixed in to whatever group falls after the last internal leaf from the same book, and so are intermixed with pages from longer books. At the end, there are only the last pages of the longest book left, now all uniform in size, and its rear cover.<br />
<br />
The caption claims that this is a way of sorting that "book people" hate, even more so than sorting by color of the cover/spine. It is not clear if the spine part is thrown away or just not visible, maybe being sorted towards the wall. This would make it a sort of antithesis to color sorting - not only is it not sorted by color, but the spines that usually define the color sorting are either to the back or fully removed. It might be the intent to have "the absolute opposite" of color sorting and follow this idea ad absurdum.<br />
<br />
In the title text Randall begins by saying that he of course sorts his bookshelf alphabetically, like book people, but then he states that he sorts books by first '''sentence''' instead of the book author or book title. This may be a reference to sorting books by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incipit Incipit], which was common before books had titles. It is somewhat impractical for many purposes of finding, as people then cannot find a book they haven't read (and remembered the first sentence). But at least it doesn't destroy the books and can also be accomplished by a quick glance inside each book (which bibliophiles should certainly enjoy, if it does not distract them from the task at hand) rather than having to pay much attention to exactly how you shuffle and collate many loose-leafs. You can use something like a simple {{w|merge sort}} to arrange the shelf from scratch, or do a {{w|binary search algorithm|binary search}} to find where to insert individual new books.<br />
<br />
In addition, some books have very well-known first lines, such as "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" ({{w|A Tale of Two Cities}}) and "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife" ({{w|Pride and Prejudice}}). So, sorting by first line would not only be practical in some cases, but it could used to demonstrate a level of literary sophistication on the part of the bookshelf owner.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A bookshelf hanging on a wall is shown. It is covered almost from left to right but not with ordinary books. To the left there are 11 covers next to each other without any paper between them. They have different heights and shades of gray. After the last of these there follows many leaves of paper of differing heights similarly to that of the covers. The top of the papers thus form a wave shape with more than twenty peaks before they reach another cover. After that there follows similar patterns with paper in different height and then a cover in between more papers. But there is a much shorter distance between the first and second cover than before the first cover, after the initial 11 covers. The next two covers are close to the first, then there is a longer stretch of paper to the fourth, much less to the fifth, and then the next three covers comes very close. There is again quite long distance to the ninth and tenth cover, and here the number of different heights for the paper are clearly less than the previous paper stretches. Finally before the last and 11th cover all the paper, not much of it though, are of the same height, and just a bit lower than the final cover. The 11 covers at the start matches the 11 covers later and they comes in reverse order throughout the paper stretches as they are sorted to begin with, so the first and last cover matches, as does number 2 and the second last etc. There is a caption beneath the panel:]<br />
:Book people hate seeing books sorted by colors, but it turns out they get ''way'' more angry if you sort the pages by number.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2791:_Bookshelf_Sorting&diff=315754Talk:2791: Bookshelf Sorting2023-06-20T13:03:04Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Oh wow, literally 14 captchas to save my edit? Sorry if someone else was working on it too, apparently someone added transcript while I was doing captchas, and when it finally went through it might have overwritten something. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.97|141.101.98.97]] 22:05, 19 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I fixed a lot of the typos, but should we use color or colour? [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous#Help_with_Creating_a_User_Page|Trogdor147]] ([[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous#Help_with_Creating_a_User_Page|talk]]) 22:11, 19 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Because Randall is 'Merkin, full Webster-inspired leftpondian spelling tends to be the norm. (Including people editing correct-for-the-author Discussion contributions... which they really shouldn't!) But I'm happy to see "colour", "centre", "aluminium", etc for as long as nobody has yet decided to normalise(/normalize) everything. ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.184|172.69.79.184]] 23:06, 19 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
::Have no idea what the previous means but Randall is American so this page uses American English spelling. So color, center and aluminum etc (and Normalize) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:03, 20 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
:::I just said what you said, but additionally putting in my oar in about non-standard (to me!) English spelling occasionally forced on us by them damnyankees. :P [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.34|172.70.85.34]] 09:29, 20 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Does the mirroring of the order of the covers mean that there is a secondary sort order? The longest book is first. {{unsigned ip|172.70.91.65 }}<br />
<br />
It looks like all of the front covers are at the left and the back covers are sorted by the number of pages in the book.[[Special:Contributions/172.71.222.139|172.71.222.139]]<br />
:It looks like each group of pages is sorted randomly. Note that each book has a unique height. You can see the height distributions change as books end at their back covers and are no longer included in clumps. The books seem short? A careful eye may be able to identify the location of every page. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.59.154|172.69.59.154]] 01:53, 20 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
::To me it looks like the longest books are really really long and that it doesn't match the size of the front. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:03, 20 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
:::The last "pages and rear cover" is obviously the real thickness of the end bit of the last book (where it is the only representative). The penultimate pages section is therefore 2x the thickness of the pages from either book which has such pages (give or take paper-quality/weight), and so on until the first paper-bundle is eleven times the thickness of the books that all ''have'' pages one-to-whatever.<br />
:::Which means it should be 'easy' (...FCVO) to reconstruct the uncollated and re-bound individual book widths from pixel measurements alone (and use the visibly cyclic nature of the initial 11-collated page 1s, 2s, etc to estimate the 'page density' to even get a good approximation of page-counts). But I must admit that there seems a lot more paper there than eleven books would normally have. Unless peculiarly short-and-fat.<br />
:::In fact, I'm glancing at a bookshelf unit opposite where I'm sitting. It looks narrower than the drawing (just measured: 750mm, or 2'5½" internal to its sides; I reckon the comic bookshelf is the traditional 3ft/yard length, though obviously less the end bits where unobtrusive bookends could be for an 'open' version like that) and yet it has ''thirty'' books crammed in on one of its levels, and some of those being 'mighty tomes' (830 pages, 469, 454, 944, 778... just by 'last numbered'). Thinnest book in the sequence is 122 pages. The whole lot is a mixture of hardbacks, paperbacks and those intermediate 'card-bound' types that I forget the name of. If they were all hardback, I'd have to lose at least one (maybe two) of the thinner ones, but can't account for anything above a dozen of the difference, that way. Similar for the other levels of shelving, and I've got more (and thicker, at first glance) books on other shelves in this room and elsewhere.<br />
:::So artistic licence, probably, but I get the impression that the mix of relative proportions are probably taken from RL, just exagerated for drawability.<br />
:::And an unbound book, leaf torn assunder from fellow-folio leaf, probably gains a bit of 'air gap', now that it has no spine to help 'bookend the book', the standing-power of singular hardback covers alone can't be that stable to resist all that paper wanting to domino-lean outwards, like a reasonably long book or two can to retain thinner works within the central part of the shelving. It looks like an engineering problem, in miniature, working with tolerances and margins (NPI!) to not have everything decide to schluff sideways; and possible off the shelf entirely! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.34|172.70.85.34]] 09:29, 20 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Why not sort by ISO 2108? {{unsigned|Hamslabs}}<br />
:By ISBN? You mean order by the publishers' registration date? Lol. No, that's useless unless you're trying to make a point about publishing industry consolidation, which you could more effectively do by sorting on parent company identity. ([https://www.authorsalliance.org/2021/12/08/the-consolidation-of-publishing-houses-past-and-present/ But making that point would be a pretty good idea.][https://stevelaube.com/who-owns-whom-in-publishing/]) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.154.47|172.71.154.47]] 06:29, 20 June 2023 (UTC) <br />
<br />
There are so many drawbacks from destroying books to sort the pages and zero advantages (except to horrify book people with the destruction of books), so all the crap about the good and bad is not relevant! I will delete it. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:06, 20 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Go for it, [https://gizmodo.com/reddit-ceo-steve-huffman-moderators-landed-gentry-1850546737 landed gentry]! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.155.22|172.71.155.22]] 06:09, 20 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
:: I agree that adding supposed "advantages" to the sorting method is probably superfluous, but I instinctively added a summary of the disadvantages, since that is what we usually do on ExplainXKCD. It can often be illuminating to actually break down the reasons why something is bad - even if it seems obvious, I often discover nuances that I'd never even considered this way. [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 13:03, 20 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
... books? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.135|162.158.90.135]] 06:51, 20 June 2023 (UTC)</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2791:_Bookshelf_Sorting&diff=3157532791: Bookshelf Sorting2023-06-20T11:55:18Z<p>Hawthorn: Expansion of explanation</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2791<br />
| date = June 19, 2023<br />
| title = Bookshelf Sorting<br />
| image = bookshelf_sorting_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 425x255px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Of course, I sort all my bookshelves the normal way, alphabetically (by first sentence).<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOOKSHELF SORTED THE NORMAL WAY. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Some people like to sort their bookshelves by the visible color of the book's spine, for example by hue to create a rainbow effect. This is pleasing to the eye, but unhelpful when [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYxmPHLU9oA trying to find a specific book]. For literary enthusiasts (AKA "Book People"), this arrangement could be seen as annoying, as they would like to be able to find specific books when they need them, and would more likely sort them by the author's last name, or by a more rigorous organizational scheme such as the {{w|Dewey Decimal Classification}}.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, [[Randall]] has found a ''much'' worse method of book organization - instead of sorting the books as discrete units, he has sorted their individual ''pages'' by number. This would require physically dissecting each book into its individual pages, and then organizing them into groups by page number. This organization method has a number of significant drawbacks. Firstly, it would be rather time-consuming to take each book apart. Adding a book to the shelf would also be extremely inefficient, as Randall would have to locate the correct group to insert each page into. Since books can be hundreds of pages long, there could easily be hundreds of page groups on the shelf. The reverse operation - taking a book from the shelf - would also now be significantly more difficult since one would have to locate all of the book's individual pages - if the pages have no identifying marker to indicate which book they originally came from, it may even be impossible.<br />
<br />
Taking books apart also effectively destroys the book, losing all of the physical benefits of having pages bound as a single unit, such as portability and durability. Without their protective cover, the pages would be more susceptible to damage, loss, or disruptions such as drafts. It would also reduce the resale value of the book.<br />
<br />
It should be noted that the term "page" has an ambiguous meaning when referring to physical pages - "page" can refer both to the numbered page, and to the sheet of paper that the page is printed on. For books, this distinction is important as most books print on both sides of the paper - thus, a single sheet actually comprises ''two'' numbered pages. This is significant to Randall's sorting scheme, as he will need a mechanism to decide which of the numbered pages on each sheet will be the one that he sorts by (unless he is slicing every sheet in half, which would be immensely difficult and even more destructive).<br />
<br />
All the front covers are on the left side, being effectively the sheet that contains pages 1 and 2, then all the pages 3 and 4, the pages 5 and 6, etcetera, with the back covers mixed in depending on the length of the (now-dismembered) book. Sorting by color has no practical use (beyond possibly that of making an aesthetic appearance), but this distribution of books, makes them useless in all situations and makes for an erratic display potentially susceptible to disordering knocks and drafts. <br />
<br />
There are a lot of different-sized front covers on the left side of the shelf (meaning they start with low numbers on the left). Progressing rightward, there are then repeating patterns of taller and shorter loose-leaf pages, having gathered together each a page of the same number from a different book, tracking the proportions of each cover.<br />
After a while, the first back cover is sorted in, as the shortest book's page-count runs out, and then additional runs of pages (less those of each 'finished' book) and end-covers as necessary. At the end, there are only the last pages of the longest book left, now all uniformly in size, and its rear cover. These are either books left without any un-numbered {{w|Book design#Front matter|front matter}} (also the corresponding back matter) or the sorting and collating goes by absolute page count, not by the numbers printed on pages.<br />
<br />
The covers matches in reverse so the longest book has the first cover and thus also the last. the second longest books cover is number two and second last etc. If this should be used to give an indication the longest books page 1 would be first and the shortest books page 1 would be last. So it the shortest book has for instance 200 pages, then its back cover would be the last of those with number 200 so the the longest books page 201 would come right after that books back cover. <br />
<br />
The caption claims that this is a way of sorting that "book people" hate, even more so than sorting by color of the cover/spine. It is not clear if the spine part is thrown away or just not visible, maybe being sorted towards the wall. This would make it a sort of antithesis to color sorting, not only is it not sorted by color, but the spines that usually define the color sorting are either to the back or fully removed. It might be the intent to have "the absolute opposite" of color sorting and follow this idea ad absurdum.<br />
<br />
In the title text Randall begins by saying that he of course sorts his bookshelf alphabetically, like book people, but then he states that he sorts books by first '''sentence''' instead of the book author or book title. This is just as impractical, for most purposes of finding, as sorting by color as people then cannot find a book they haven't read (and remembered the first sentence). But at least it doesn't destroy the books and can also be accomplished by a quick glance inside each book (which bibliophiles should certainly enjoy, if it does not distract them from the task at hand) rather than having to pay much attention to exactly how you shuffle and collate many loose-leafs. You can use something like a simple {{w|merge sort}} to arrange the shelf from scratch, or do a {{w|binary search algorithm|binary search}} to find where to insert individual new books.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A bookshelf hanging on a wall is shown. It is covered almost from left to right but not with ordinary books. To the left there are 11 covers next to each other without any paper between them. They have different heights and shades of gray. After the last of these there follows many leaves of paper of differing heights similarly to that of the covers. The top of the papers thus form a wave shape with more than twenty peaks before they reach another cover. After that there follows similar patterns with paper in different height and then a cover in between more papers. But there is a much shorter distance between the first and second cover than before the first cover, after the initial 11 covers. The next two covers are close to the first, then there is a longer stretch of paper to the fourth, much less to the fifth, and then the next three covers comes very close. There is again quite long distance to the ninth and tenth cover, and here the number of different heights for the paper are clearly less than the previous paper stretches. Finally before the last and 11th cover all the paper, not much of it though, are of the same height, and just a bit lower than the final cover. The 11 covers at the start matches the 11 covers later and they comes in reverse order throughout the paper stretches as they are sorted to begin with, so the first and last cover matches, as does number 2 and the second last etc. There is a caption beneath the panel:]<br />
:Book people hate seeing books sorted by colors, but it turns out they get ''way'' more angry if you sort the pages by number.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2791:_Bookshelf_Sorting&diff=3157522791: Bookshelf Sorting2023-06-20T11:30:35Z<p>Hawthorn: Slight rewrite of first paragraph</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2791<br />
| date = June 19, 2023<br />
| title = Bookshelf Sorting<br />
| image = bookshelf_sorting_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 425x255px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Of course, I sort all my bookshelves the normal way, alphabetically (by first sentence).<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOOKSHELF SORTED THE NORMAL WAY. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Some people like to sort their bookshelves by the visible color of the book's spine, for example by hue to create a rainbow effect. This is pleasing to the eye, but unhelpful when [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYxmPHLU9oA trying to find a specific book]. For literary enthusiasts (AKA "Book People"), this arrangement could be seen as annoying, as they would like to be able to find specific books when they need them, and would more likely sort them by the author's last name, or by a more rigorous organizational scheme such as the {{w|Dewey Decimal Classification}}.<br />
<br />
But Randall has tested a different method for sorting that makes these book people even more angry. He has sorted the pages by number! This means he has had to separate each book into its individual pages and then organize them into groups by page number. (Note that unless he slices each sheet in half, this mechanism will collate ''sheets'' rather than ''pages''.)<br />
<br />
All the front covers are on the left side, being effectively the sheet that contains pages 1 and 2, then all the pages 3 and 4, the pages 5 and 6, etcetera, with the back covers mixed in depending on the length of the (now-dismembered) book. Sorting by color has no practical use (beyond possibly that of making an aesthetic appearance), but this distribution of books, makes them useless in all situations and makes for an erratic display potentially susceptible to disordering knocks and drafts. <br />
<br />
There are a lot of different-sized front covers on the left side of the shelf (meaning they start with low numbers on the left). Progressing rightward, there are then repeating patterns of taller and shorter loose-leaf pages, having gathered together each a page of the same number from a different book, tracking the proportions of each cover.<br />
After a while, the first back cover is sorted in, as the shortest book's page-count runs out, and then additional runs of pages (less those of each 'finished' book) and end-covers as necessary. At the end, there are only the last pages of the longest book left, now all uniformly in size, and its rear cover. These are either books left without any un-numbered {{w|Book design#Front matter|front matter}} (also the corresponding back matter) or the sorting and collating goes by absolute page count, not by the numbers printed on pages.<br />
<br />
The covers matches in reverse so the longest book has the first cover and thus also the last. the second longest books cover is number two and second last etc. If this should be used to give an indication the longest books page 1 would be first and the shortest books page 1 would be last. So it the shortest book has for instance 200 pages, then its back cover would be the last of those with number 200 so the the longest books page 201 would come right after that books back cover. <br />
<br />
The caption claims that this is a way of sorting that "book people" hate, even more so than sorting by color of the cover/spine. It is not clear if the spine part is thrown away or just not visible, maybe being sorted towards the wall. This would make it a sort of antithesis to color sorting, not only is it not sorted by color, but the spines that usually define the color sorting are either to the back or fully removed. It might be the intent to have "the absolute opposite" of color sorting and follow this idea ad absurdum.<br />
<br />
In the title text Randall begins by saying that he of course sorts his bookshelf alphabetically, like book people, but then he states that he sorts books by first '''sentence''' instead of the book author or book title. This is just as impractical, for most purposes of finding, as sorting by color as people then cannot find a book they haven't read (and remembered the first sentence). But at least it doesn't destroy the books and can also be accomplished by a quick glance inside each book (which bibliophiles should certainly enjoy, if it does not distract them from the task at hand) rather than having to pay much attention to exactly how you shuffle and collate many loose-leafs. You can use something like a simple {{w|merge sort}} to arrange the shelf from scratch, or do a {{w|binary search algorithm|binary search}} to find where to insert individual new books.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A bookshelf hanging on a wall is shown. It is covered almost from left to right but not with ordinary books. To the left there are 11 covers next to each other without any paper between them. They have different heights and shades of gray. After the last of these there follows many leaves of paper of differing heights similarly to that of the covers. The top of the papers thus form a wave shape with more than twenty peaks before they reach another cover. After that there follows similar patterns with paper in different height and then a cover in between more papers. But there is a much shorter distance between the first and second cover than before the first cover, after the initial 11 covers. The next two covers are close to the first, then there is a longer stretch of paper to the fourth, much less to the fifth, and then the next three covers comes very close. There is again quite long distance to the ninth and tenth cover, and here the number of different heights for the paper are clearly less than the previous paper stretches. Finally before the last and 11th cover all the paper, not much of it though, are of the same height, and just a bit lower than the final cover. The 11 covers at the start matches the 11 covers later and they comes in reverse order throughout the paper stretches as they are sorted to begin with, so the first and last cover matches, as does number 2 and the second last etc. There is a caption beneath the panel:]<br />
:Book people hate seeing books sorted by colors, but it turns out they get ''way'' more angry if you sort the pages by number.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1340:_Unique_Date&diff=3152541340: Unique Date2023-06-10T12:39:24Z<p>Hawthorn: Realized it reads better with these paragraphs swapped.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1340<br />
| date = March 10, 2014<br />
| title = Unique Date<br />
| image = unique_date.png<br />
| titletext = If our current civilization lasts another 8,000 years, it's probably fair to assume the Long Now Foundation got things right, and at some point we started listening to them and switched to five-digit years.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic [[Cueball]] excitedly gives the current date (the date the comic was released) in {{w|ISO 8601}} format (year-month-day) and points out - correctly - that in the current calendar system, this date will never recur.<br />
<br />
The calendar used by the USA and most of the Western world is the {{w|Gregorian calendar}}, which counts time using years, months, and days. Since time moves only forward,{{Citation needed}} dates in this system will never repeat and are thus all equally unique, even when the digits aren't in any kind of significant pattern. Unfortunately, Cueball has made it [[:Category:My Hobby|his hobby]] to point out this uniqueness daily, which would be incredibly annoying to his friends. Even worse, he is using the ISO 8601 date and time standard which is designed precisely to provide unique and unambiguous time references.<br />
<br />
Cueball's behavior is a parody of the common practice of finding significance in numerically-interesting dates, such as {{w|palindrome}} dates which have the same digits when reversed (eg. 2nd February 2020, which was 2020-02-02 in the ISO 8601 format). These special dates usually occur infrequently and sporadically, and if using a date format with a defined limit such as ISO 8601 (which only goes up to the year 9999) it is possible for the entire stock of such dates to be exhausted, such that they will never occur again. Some people enjoy finding and celebrating these special days, treating them as a kind of collector's item to be treasured for their rarity and uniqueness.<br />
<br />
Another commonly celebrated date pattern is when the year, month, and day all share the same numeric value - for example, 2001-01-01 (expressed as 01/01/01) or 2012-12-12 (12/12/12), which was the last such date until next century. People might plan special events on these "unique" days. For instance, [http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jul/08/nation/na-weddings8 2007-07-07] was considered a "lucky" day and had a record number of weddings. This is because humans, in general, are superstitious and like (and recognize) patterns in everyday life.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the {{w|Long Now Foundation}}, which uses [http://blog.longnow.org/02013/12/31/long-now-years-five-digit-dates-and-10k-compliance-at-home/ five-digit years] (e.g. this comic's date would be written "02014-03-10"). This is an effort to encourage people to think in terms of long-term benefits, rather than only the coming years or decades. The {{w|Y2K problem}} was due to using only two digits to store the year, which would have made dates ambiguous when it rolled from 99 back to 00. See also the "{{w|Year 2038 problem}}". Similarly, the {{w|Maya calendar}} had a repeating cycle of 52 years, and even their "long count" rolled over after 7885 years. As we currently use four-digit years this may cause a {{w|Year 10,000 problem|Y10K problem}}.<br />
<br />
The Long Now Foundation designs a [http://longnow.org/clock/ 10,000-year clock] that should be able to run for this long — and in principle, it could display every date up to 9999-12-31. 8000 years from the date of the comic would be 10014 AD — [[Randall]] jokes that by switching to 5-digit years, we'd prove the Long Now Foundation correct, although of course by this point there would be no other way to show years except by rebooting the calendar.<br />
<br />
A previous comic on date formats was [[1179: ISO 8601]]. Randall addresses date formatting confusion again in the title text of [[1467: Email]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball speaking to Megan and another Cueball-like guy.]<br />
:Cueball: Whoa, it's 2014-03-10! <br />
:Cueball: Under our system, that date will ''never happen again!!''<br />
:[Caption below the frame:]<br />
:My Hobby: Pointing this out every day.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:My Hobby]]<br />
[[Category: Calendar]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1340:_Unique_Date&diff=3152421340: Unique Date2023-06-10T01:26:08Z<p>Hawthorn: Rewrite to improve the explanation</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1340<br />
| date = March 10, 2014<br />
| title = Unique Date<br />
| image = unique_date.png<br />
| titletext = If our current civilization lasts another 8,000 years, it's probably fair to assume the Long Now Foundation got things right, and at some point we started listening to them and switched to five-digit years.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic [[Cueball]] excitedly gives the current date (the date the comic was released) in {{w|ISO 8601}} format (year-month-day) and points out - correctly - that in the current calendar system, this date will never recur.<br />
<br />
This is a parody of the common practice of finding significance in numerically-interesting dates, such as {{w|palindrome}} dates which have the same digits when reversed (eg. 2nd February 2020, which was 2020-02-02 in the ISO 8601 format). These special dates usually occur infrequently and sporadically, and since there are only a finite number of them in the calendar, it is entirely possible for the entire stock of such dates to be exhausted, to the point that some dates will never occur again in our calendar system. Some people enjoy finding and celebrating these special days, treating them as a kind of collector's item to be treasured for its rarity and uniqueness.<br />
<br />
The calendar used by the USA and most of the Western world is the {{w|Gregorian calendar}}, which counts time using years, months, and days. Since time moves only forward,{{Citation needed}} dates in this system will never repeat and are thus all equally unique, even when the digits aren't in any kind of significant pattern. Unfortunately, Cueball has made it [[:Category:My Hobby|his hobby]] to point out this uniqueness daily, which would be incredibly annoying to his friends. Even worse, he is using the ISO 8601 date and time standard which is designed precisely to provide unique and unambiguous time references.<br />
<br />
Many people do make a big deal about dates when the digits follow an interesting pattern, such as 2001-01-01 or 2012-12-12, and might plan special events on these "unique" days. For instance, [http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jul/08/nation/na-weddings8 2007-07-07] was considered a "lucky" day and had a record number of weddings. This is because humans, in general, are superstitious and like (and recognize) patterns in everyday life.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the {{W|Long Now Foundation}}, which uses [http://blog.longnow.org/02013/12/31/long-now-years-five-digit-dates-and-10k-compliance-at-home/ five-digit years] (e.g. this comic's date would be written "02014-03-10"). This is an effort to encourage people to think in terms of long-term benefits, rather than only the coming years or decades. The {{w|Y2K problem}} was due to using only two digits to store the year, which would have made dates ambiguous when it rolled from 99 back to 00. See also the "{{w|Year 2038 problem}}". Similarly, the {{w|Maya calendar}} had a repeating cycle of 52 years, and even their "long count" rolled over after 7885 years. As we currently use four-digit years this may cause a {{w|Year 10,000 problem|Y10K problem}}.<br />
<br />
The Long Now Foundation designs a [http://longnow.org/clock/ 10,000-year clock] that should be able to run for this long — and in principle, it could display every date up to 9999-12-31. 8000 years from the date of the comic would be 10014 AD — [[Randall]] jokes that by switching to 5-digit years, we'd prove the Long Now Foundation correct, although of course by this point there would be no other way to show years except by rebooting the calendar.<br />
<br />
A previous comic on date formats was [[1179: ISO 8601]]. Randall addresses date formatting confusion again in the title text of [[1467: Email]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball speaking to Megan and another Cueball-like guy.]<br />
:Cueball: Whoa, it's 2014-03-10! <br />
:Cueball: Under our system, that date will ''never happen again!!''<br />
:[Caption below the frame:]<br />
:My Hobby: Pointing this out every day.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:My Hobby]]<br />
[[Category: Calendar]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=905:_Homeownership&diff=314967905: Homeownership2023-06-04T19:38:46Z<p>Hawthorn: Removing Trivia (already mentioned in explanation)</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 905<br />
| date = May 30, 2011<br />
| title = Homeownership<br />
| image = homeownership.png<br />
| titletext = New research shows over 60% of the financial collapse's toxic assets were created by power drills.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
People who live in rented properties often face the annoying problem of being unable to make simple changes to their dwelling &mdash; for example, drilling a hole in a wall to hang a picture &mdash; unless they first gain permission from the property owner. In many cases, if the renter drills the hole without asking permission, they will be charged for repairs.<br />
<br />
This is one reason that home ownership can be empowering, as it allows the owner to do anything they wish with their property (at least, within the limits of the law). In this comic, we see [[Cueball]] (possibly the same Cueball seen in [[616: Lease]]), struggling to come to terms with the realization that he now owns a home and can do anything he likes to it, such as drilling holes in the wall.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, Cueball gets so carried away with exercising this particular freedom that he drills too many holes in the house, and it collapses due to structural instability. Despite this being an unusual thing to do, it is apparently not unusual for Cueball, as the person he talks to on the phone immediately guesses what happened. Alternatively, it may be that Cueball's friend already made exactly the same mistake and is speaking from experience. Cueball's last statement expresses the fact that he was actually better off having someone who could dictate what could and could not be done with his residence, as then this wouldn't have happened.<br />
<br />
The title text references fictional research showing that 60% of the toxic assets involved in the collapse of the {{w|United States housing bubble}} were created by power drills. A {{w|toxic asset}} is a financial asset for which the market has collapsed, such that it can no longer be sold. However, in this context it is also a play on the double meaning of the word "collapse", which can also refer to structural collapse. The implication is that the reason people couldn't sell their houses is because they'd drilled them full of holes to the point of structural instability, just as Cueball did.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is in an empty room, on the phone with a friend.]<br />
:Cueball: I've always rented, so this blows my mind—this house is ''mine''? I ''own'' a building?<br />
:Friend: Yup!<br />
<br />
:Cueball: I could, like, decide to drill a hole in that wall there, and nobody could do anything about it?<br />
:Friend: That's right!<br />
<br />
:[Cueball, off the phone, stands in silence.]<br />
<br />
:Ten hours later:<br />
:[Cueball is standing to the left a pile of rubble, on the phone with a friend.]<br />
:Cueball: Can I come stay with you? My house has a... problem.<br />
:Friend: Let me guess: you drilled holes in it until it collapsed?<br />
:Cueball: I don't think I'm cut out for homeownership.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=905:_Homeownership&diff=314966905: Homeownership2023-06-04T19:38:26Z<p>Hawthorn: Slight expansion of explanation. Also, the comic doesn't mention the United States housing bubble specifically, so I'm not sure why the explanation does, unless this is something easily inferred from the context. I left it in anyway.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 905<br />
| date = May 30, 2011<br />
| title = Homeownership<br />
| image = homeownership.png<br />
| titletext = New research shows over 60% of the financial collapse's toxic assets were created by power drills.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
People who live in rented properties often face the annoying problem of being unable to make simple changes to their dwelling &mdash; for example, drilling a hole in a wall to hang a picture &mdash; unless they first gain permission from the property owner. In many cases, if the renter drills the hole without asking permission, they will be charged for repairs.<br />
<br />
This is one reason that home ownership can be empowering, as it allows the owner to do anything they wish with their property (at least, within the limits of the law). In this comic, we see [[Cueball]] (possibly the same Cueball seen in [[616: Lease]]), struggling to come to terms with the realization that he now owns a home and can do anything he likes to it, such as drilling holes in the wall.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, Cueball gets so carried away with exercising this particular freedom that he drills too many holes in the house, and it collapses due to structural instability. Despite this being an unusual thing to do, it is apparently not unusual for Cueball, as the person he talks to on the phone immediately guesses what happened. Alternatively, it may be that Cueball's friend already made exactly the same mistake and is speaking from experience. Cueball's last statement expresses the fact that he was actually better off having someone who could dictate what could and could not be done with his residence, as then this wouldn't have happened.<br />
<br />
The title text references fictional research showing that 60% of the toxic assets involved in the collapse of the {{w|United States housing bubble}} were created by power drills. A {{w|toxic asset}} is a financial asset for which the market has collapsed, such that it can no longer be sold. However, in this context it is also a play on the double meaning of the word "collapse", which can also refer to structural collapse. The implication is that the reason people couldn't sell their houses is because they'd drilled them full of holes to the point of structural instability, just as Cueball did.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is in an empty room, on the phone with a friend.]<br />
:Cueball: I've always rented, so this blows my mind—this house is ''mine''? I ''own'' a building?<br />
:Friend: Yup!<br />
<br />
:Cueball: I could, like, decide to drill a hole in that wall there, and nobody could do anything about it?<br />
:Friend: That's right!<br />
<br />
:[Cueball, off the phone, stands in silence.]<br />
<br />
:Ten hours later:<br />
:[Cueball is standing to the left a pile of rubble, on the phone with a friend.]<br />
:Cueball: Can I come stay with you? My house has a... problem.<br />
:Friend: Let me guess: you drilled holes in it until it collapsed?<br />
:Cueball: I don't think I'm cut out for homeownership.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*This may be the same Cueball as the one in [[616: Lease]], where he is signing a lease.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1732:_Earth_Temperature_Timeline&diff=3147311732: Earth Temperature Timeline2023-06-01T11:58:18Z<p>Hawthorn: Rewriting and reformatting this section because it's extremely confusing to read through.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1732<br />
| date = September 12, 2016<br />
| title = Earth Temperature Timeline<br />
| before = [[#Explanation|↓ Skip to explanation ↓]]<br />
| image = earth_temperature_timeline.png<br />
| titletext = [After setting your car on fire] Listen, your car's temperature has changed before.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{TOC}} <br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is a [[:Category:Timelines|timeline]] on how the temperature has changed from 20,000 BCE (Before {{w|Common Era}}) to the present day (2016), with three predictions for the rest of the 21st century depending on what actions are taken (or not taken) to stop CO₂ emission. This comic is a direct, but much more thorough, follow up on the previous global warming comic: [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]]. By having readers scroll through millennia of slow-paced natural changes, Randall uses the comic to confront the rapid temperature rise in recent years. <br />
<br />
Over the past 100 years, human action has produced a large amount of {{w|CO₂ emissions}}, which have caused a rise in average global temperature through the {{w|greenhouse effect}}. This is called {{w|global warming}} and is part of a {{w|climate change}}, a subject that has become a [[:Category:Climate change|recurrent subject]] on xkcd. There are still many people who claim that this is not happening, or at least that it is not caused by any human actions, called {{w|Climate change denial|climate change deniers}}. One argument of theirs is that global warming is happening for natural causes, summarized with the phrase "temperature has changed before".<br />
<br />
This comic shows that while temperature changes have indeed occurred before, the speed of the current temperature rise is much, much faster than those measured for many previous thousands of years. The comic became so popular that [[Randall]] [[#Popularity_of_comic|postponed the release]] of his next comic to keep this one on the front page one day longer. <br />
<br />
The temperature curve is a dotted line most of the time, but from about 1850 to 2016 the measurement data is good enough to let the curve become a solid line indicating that this is not an estimate. Before 1850 the temperature is an estimate based on the [[#Sources|sources]] given. And likewise into the future the three possible curves are also dotted to show that they are predictions, based on how seriously the population of Earth takes knowledge (and comics) like this.<br />
<br />
Although this is a topic Randall obviously takes very seriously, and by far most of the facts fit with known history, he still includes several [[#Jokes in the comic|jokes in the comic]]. See also the [[#Table of all elements|table]] explaining each item in the comic.<br />
<br />
The title text compares the saying that "the temperature has changed before" comparing temperature changes over thousands of years to the rapid global warming over the last century with saying that the "small" changes to the temperature a car experiences over the years of normal usage should not make you worried over the rapid temperature increase that happens when someone sets your car on fire. Randall previously used this joke in [[1693: Oxidation]].<br />
<br />
===Jokes in the comic===<br />
* By placing the invention of the internet at 1980 in the chart, just where the temperature curve starts its most rapid increase, Randall humorously implies that the internet caused the rise in temperature.<br />
* At 13600 BCE a glacier is shown retreating from New York because of the warm up. It is disgusted by the new changes and proclaims: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!'' This is a joke on [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/want-to-move-to-canada-if-trump-wins-not-so-fast-100658/ an idiom said by US citizens] to protest against changes in their country. As shown in the chart, the glacier takes 5000 years (13600-8400 BCE) to cross what would become the Canadian border (neither the United States nor Canada existed yet).{{citation needed}} Also, glaciers don't speak English, or any language for that matter.{{Citation needed}}<br />
* At 13400 BCE it is mentioned that {{w|origin of the domestic dog|humans domesticate dogs}}. [[Megan]] talks to a wolf about to be tamed making a deal with it, that it can eat and sleep with the humans as long as they can yell at it for pooping indoors. This sounds like a sweet deal for the wolf until [[Cueball]] mentions that they will {{w|Dog breeding|breed}} it to be {{w|Chihuahua (dog)|very small}} and then dress it up in small {{w|Dog's fashion|costumes}}. The wolf says wait, but it is already too late...<br />
* The {{w|Pokémon}} reference at 9000 BCE about them going extinct in North America (although Megan, immediately underneath, does note that this is not a real fact). As the writing stated that ''Pokemon go extinct'' this can also be seen as a reference to a popular video game called {{w|Pokémon Go}} and hence also the comic [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]].<br />
* At 4500 BCE, next to "{{w|Proto-Indo-European language}} develops", [[Ponytail]] gets the idea to develop the language heavily inflected to make it difficult to remember all the verb endings for future students. This is a direct reference to the comic [[1709: Inflection]].<br />
* The reference to the 1984 {{w|mockumentary}} about the fake rock band {{w|This Is Spinal Tap}} in conjunction with {{w|Stonehenge}} at 2200 BCE. In the movie the band ordered a giant 18 feet Stonehenge megalith but a writing mistake gives them one that is only 18 inches high.<br />
**Another real band {{w|Nine Inch Nails}} is referenced 15000 BCE where Megan writes the band's stylized name NIИ on the wall next to [[Hairy]] who is in the process of painting the {{w|cave painting}} at {{w|Lascaux}} in France.<br />
* Around the setting of the {{w|Iliad}} and the {{w|Odyssey}} (1200 BCE) a drawing of the {{w|Trojan Horse}} has writing on it that states: ''Not a trap''. <br />
* Just below the previous entry also at 1200 BCE is the mentioning of the invasion of the {{w|Sea Peoples}}. This sounds so much like a reference to {{w|Mermaid|mermaids}}, often called {{w|Mermaid#One_Thousand_and_One_Nights|sea people}} that Randall feels the need to note that this invasion and these sea people is ''a real thing'' in a footnote. This is opposed to the Pokémon reference above where he notes that it is ''not a real fact''. The sea people was a seafaring confederation of groups known to have attacked ancient Egypt and other Bronze age civilizations around this time. It is widely regarded to be one of the major causes of the {{w|Late Bronze Age collapse|Bronze Age Collapse}}.<br />
* The reference at 450 BCE compares the {{w|Battle of Thermopylae}} (also known as 300 Spartans) with the dramatized 2007 movie ''{{w|300 (film)|300}}'', but in the real world the fighting of course occurred [https://youtu.be/FCfdyroV7kc?t=12 at regular speed and with more clothing].<br />
*There are other minor jokes but this list mentions all the major jokes.<br />
<br />
===Table of all elements===<br />
*Here is table including all elements in the chart with explanations including reading off temperature and year for each event from the curve.<br />
**The year group is just an easy way to find the section.<br />
**Element is a description mainly taken from the transcript. <br />
**The actual year of an event has been read off more precisely on the chart.<br />
***The central part of the element has mainly been used.<br />
***Only rarely has ranges below 100 years been used but if a location is clearly midway between two hundred years intervals 50 year range has been used. <br />
***Only when there are several posts close to each other has smaller range been used a few times.<br />
**T (°C) is the number of degrees Celsius above or below the 1961-1990 average, which on this graph is set to zero, (i.e. not the number of physical degrees above or below this 0°C).<br />
***These have been read of to 0.1°C rounding up or down. Lines have been inserted over the chart, 10 for each degree, to make this as accurate as possible.<br />
***In a few cases where a maximum is reached 0.05°C has been used<br />
**Explanation of each element.<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!Year group<br />
!Element<br />
!Year<br />
!T (°C)<br />
!Explanation<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 20000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow goes from the dotted line to the central line at 0°C (representing the 1961-1990 average). In the middle of the line there is a temperature label:] 4.3°C<br>At the start of our timeline, 22,000 years ago, Earth is 4°C colder than during the late 20<sup>th</sup> century. || 20000 BCE || -4.3 || The scale here is relative, showing the magnitude of change rather than an absolute temperature reading. As a rule, {{w|climate}} changes are compared with a 30 year interval, and the 1961-1990 average was {{w|Climate#Definition|chosen for convenience}} as the "normal" to compare temperature changes with, but any other choice of baseline would show the exact same changes. The {{w|Last glacial period}} (aka ice age) reached its {{w|Last Glacial Maximum|maximum extent}} approximately 22 to 24 thousand years ago.<br />
|-<br />
<br />
| {{w|Boston}} is buried under almost a mile of ice, and the {{w|glaciers}} reach as far south as {{w|New York City}}.<br> [The Statue of Liberty is shown in front of a glacier front. [[Knit Cap]] is seen in the snowy landscape. The skyline of Boston is shown under a half a mile of ice.] || 19700 BCE || -4.3 || This shows what a difference 4 degree in global temperature means (massive effect), as opposed to four degrees on a daily weather wise scale (trivial). The Boston image is directly taken from [[1225: Ice Sheets]] about the ice age glacier coverage; it was also shown buried in ice in [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]].<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 19500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| But the world is about to warm up. || 19500 BCE|| -4.3 || The warming process actually takes thousands of years, which this comic will portray down thousands of pixels to come. This is not a fast warm up, especially not compared to the one we are currently experiencing (at the bottom of the chart).<br />
|-<br />
| By this time, humans have already spread across {{w|Africa}}, {{w|Eurasia}}, and {{w|Australia}}. || 19300 BCE || -4.3 || {{w|Homo Sapiens}} successfully {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Movement_out_of_Africa|migrated out of Africa}} somewhere between {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Dating:_pre-or_post-Toba|130,000}} and {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Coastal_route|70,000}} BCE.<br />
|-<br />
| They’ve created {{w|painting}}, {{w|pottery}}, {{w|rope}}, and {{w|Bow and arrow|bows and arrows}}, but haven’t developed {{w|writing}} or {{w|farming}}. || 19100 BCE || -4.3 || The {{w|History of painting#Pre-history|oldest known paintings}} date back to about 38,000 BCE. The {{w|Ceramic_art#History|oldest known pottery}} date back to about 20,000 BCE. The {{w|Rope#History|oldest known rope}} date back to about 26,000 BCE. The {{w|History_of_archery#Stone_Age_and_Bronze_Age_archery|oldest known arrows}} date back to about 70,000 BCE, but Randall seems to be mistaken about the bows which seems to be {{w|History_of_archery#Stone_Age_and_Bronze_Age_archery|at most 10,000 years old}}. Writing is mentioned again at 3500 BCE and farming at 10,000 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 19000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Changes in the Earth’s orbit mean that more sunlight reaches the polar ice… || 18600 BCE || -4.2 ||{{w|Milankovitch cycles}} are repeated climate variations on a timescale of tens of millennia caused by cyclic variations in {{w|Orbital eccentricity|eccentricity}}, {{w|axial tilt}}, and {{w|precession}} of the {{w|Earth's orbit}}, which thus then determined climatic patterns on Earth. The Milankovitch cycles are referenced again around 4700 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| [A line chart with a labeled Y-axis "Summer sun W/m<sup>2</sup> at 60°N" with three labeled ticks ranging from 450-550. The curve starts up and then goes down five times and up four times ending down. There is one plateau towards the end compared to the rest of the curve where the ups and downs are quite alike.] || 18600 BCE || -4.2 || The chart shows the input of sun during summer time in the {{w|Northern hemisphere}} (at {{w|60° northern latitude}}) as the effect (W) per square meter (m<sup>2</sup>) which fluctuated in the range from 450-550 during the time shown in the chart. There is, however, no scale for the time between the peaks. This chart relates to the text about increasing sun to the polar ice in the entry above.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 18500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [A map of the world. At the top is a light gray area covering {{w|North America}}, {{w|Greenland}} and northern {{w|Europe}} and most of the northern part of {{w|Russia}}. A similar gray area covers {{w|Antarctica}}. The gray areas are labeled as ice.] || 18300 BCE || -4.2 || This [[:Category:Maps|map]] shows where the ice covered the {{w|northern hemisphere}} (and Antarctica) during the {{w|Last Glacial Maximum}}. The continents have not moved much since then, but the lower water level caused by the amount of water bound up in the ice, can clearly be seen in several locations. For instance, the {{w|British islands}}, Greenland, and {{w|Papua New Guinea}} are connected to their respective neighboring continents. Also {{w|Alaska}} and Russia are connected through the ice sheets covering the northern part of the Earth.<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 18000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| …And the ice sheets start to melt. || 17900 BCE || -4.1 || This was a slow process that takes 10,000 years. The ice is mentioned again at 13,600 and 8400 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 17500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Temperatures have been creeping upward, but around this point, CO<sub>2</sub> levels start to climb…|| 17300 BCE || -4.1 || Due to the release of gasses from various sources (dissolved in the ocean, trapped in {{w|permafrost}}, etc), {{w|Carbon dioxide in Earth's_atmosphere#Measuring ancient-Earth carbon dioxide concentration|atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> levels}} increased by 100 parts per million over a span of thousands of years. Modern civilization has added the same amount in a single century.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 17000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| …And then the warming speeds up. || 16700 BCE || -4.1 || It took 3000 years for the temperature to increase with one degree. So this sentence can be seen as sarcasm about the rate of natural climate change compared to modern {{w|anthropogenic}} (human caused) warming.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 16500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Cueball is standing with a spear just the right of the graph talking to a rabbit.]<br>Cueball: Still pretty cold. || 16200 BCE || -4.0 || True, because although the temperature has risen with 0.3°C over the last 4000 years, it's still 4°C below the 1961-1990 average.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 16000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Megan touches the dotted line to the right of her, with Ponytail standing on the other side. The graph has finally passed the -4°C line below the 1961-1990 average.] || 15600 BCE || -3.9 || Megan is the first drawing on the left side of the curve. She seems to be pushing the temperature up.<br />
|-<br />
| [In the right part of the chart is an explanation of the data. Below the first two lines there are four drawings each showing possible temperature swings in reality compared to the smoothed data that represents the dotted curve of the entire chart. The dotted curve is shown in all four drawings and a thin line is shown running along it but with much more fluctuation left and right on the first two, a large spike right on the third and a large bump way right on the fourth. Above these there are two labels. The first labels is inside a bracket that covers the first three, and the last label is for the last drawing. Below is a list of sources.] <br>Limits of this data: <br> Short warming or cooling spikes might be “smoothed out” by these reconstructions but only if they’re small or brief enough. <br> Possible Unlikely<br>Reconstructions are from Shakun (2012) and Marcott (2013), scaled to Annan + Hargreaves (2013) estimate for the last glacial period. || 15600 BCE || -3.9 || This is Randall's pre-emptive response to skepticism about the accuracy of prehistoric data. {{w|Ice cores}} and similar records might miss individual year-to-year variation, but should catch sustained changes lasting many decades, which is the time scale that matters for climate. See links to the [[#Sources|sources below]].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 15500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| In what is now {{w|France}}, humans paint murals on the walls of the {{w|Lascaux}} caves <br> [Hairy paints three animals, two with horns, and two humans, Cueball holding hand with Hairy who has a spear. On the other side of the central line Megan writes three letters, the last of which is reversed:] NIИ || 15200 BCE || -3.8 || A reference to the industrial techno band {{w|Nine Inch Nails}} as Megan writes the bands stylized name NIИ on the wall next to Hairy who is in the process of painting part of the {{w|cave paintings}} at Lascaux in France.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 15000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets around {{w|Alaska}} shrink, exposing a land bridge between Asia and North America <br> [From around the bottom if this section and down to 11500 BCE the dotted curve moved steadily to the right towards warmed temperature peaking close to 1.5°C below the 1961-1990 average. Before this the temperature had not moved much away from that at the start.] || 14600 BCE || -3.5 || This land bridge is known as {{w|Beringia}}. It is mentioned again at 8300 when it disappears due to the rising seas.<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 14500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Cueball walks right looking back at the graph behind him. Megan walks in front of him pointing further right.]<br> Cueball: Cool.<br> Humans reach {{w|North America}}. || 14200 BCE || -3.3 || This is approximately when the humans from {{w|Asia}} crossed the land bridge mentioned in the previous entry, from what is now {{w|Siberia}} to what is now {{w|Alaska}}. {{w|Settlement of the Americas}} occurred around the time shown in the chart, although {{w|Settlement_of_the_Americas#Chronology|it's possible}} that earlier humans did so by boat prior to the formation of the land bridge.<br>Cueball's comment is a double entendre; it was figuratively "cool" that early people migrated this far, and the climate was literally cool compared to modern times.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 14000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| The edge of the ice withdraws from {{w|New York City}} and retreats north. || 13700 BCE || -3.1 || Even though the ice began to melt 4000 years before (at 18,000 BCE in the chart) it is first now that New York City is free of ice.<br />
|-<br />
| [A large glacier front speaks in a speech bubble with an arrow pointing at it. Behind is there are four peaks in the horizon and in front of it three small melting pools and some rocks on the ground.] <br> Glacier: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!'' || 13600 BCE || -3.0 || When US citizens are unhappy with changes in their country, they sometimes say they will move to Canada in protest. Here it is the glacier that is anthropomorphically unhappy with the climate changes. However this is a slow process; it crosses the Canadian border more than 5000 years later.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 13500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans domesticate dogs <br> (Date uncertain, may be much earlier) || 13400 BCE || -3.0 || See {{w|Origin of the domestic dog}}. This timeline event is not quite accurate. The first dogs differentiated from {{w|Gray wolf|wolves}} about {{w|Origin_of_the_domestic_dog#Time_of_domestication|23,500 years ago}}, but there was an event around 13500 BCE that increased the population size and may be attributable to domestication events.<br />
|-<br />
|| [Megan and Cueball is watching a wolf looking at them.]<br>Megan: Okay, you can live in our homes and we’ll feed you, but we’ll still get mad if you poop on the floor. <br> Wolf: Deal. <br> Cueball: And we get to breed you to be tiny and dress you in little costumes. <br>Wolf: …Wait. || 13100 BCE || -2.8 || Megan is making a deal with the wolf that it can eat and sleep with the humans as long as they can yell at it for pooping indoor. This sounds like a sweet deal for the wolf until Cueball mentions that they will {{w|Dog breeding|breed}} it to be {{w|Chihuahua (dog)|very small}} and then dress it up in small {{w|Dog's fashion|costumes}}. The wolf says wait, but it is already too late...<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 13000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Woolly Rhino}} goes extinct || 12900 BCE || -2.7 || Mainland woolly rhinos died in the {{w|Quaternary extinction event}}, but a small island population survived until {{w|Woolly_rhinoceros#Extinction|around 8000 BCE}}. Woolly rhinos likely became extinct in part due to {{w|Holocene extinction|over-hunting}}. Randall's choice of species on this chart seems to focus on animals that were greatly affected by humans, for good or ill.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Oregon}} is scoured by huge floods as glacial dams burst and lakes of meltwater flow to the sea || 12600 BCE || -2.2 || This is a reference to the {{w|Missoula Floods}} several cataclysmic floods that swept periodically across eastern {{w|Washington}} and down the {{w|Columbia River Gorge}} flooding much of eastern Washington and the {{w|Willamette Valley}} in western Oregon at the end of the last ice age. During the last {{w|deglaciation}} ice dams formed then burst several times between 13,000 and 11,000 BCE. <br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 12500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets withdraw from Chicago || 12200 BCE || -1.8 || The next step towards the Canadian border, after they left New York at 13,600 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 12000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans settle {{w|Abu Hureyra}} in {{w|Syria}} || 11550 BCE || -1.6 || A well-preserved prehistoric village that existed from 11,000 to 7000 BCE (a little later than noted in the chart), allowing archaeologists to study how their culture developed.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 11500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow on the left side of the dotted curve is pointing down along the dotted curve and to the left indicate temperature is declining again, meaning the dotted curve now moves left to colder temperatures. This only continues until 10500 BCE. It is only the second time something is noted on the left side after Megan at 16000 BCE] <br> Temperatures start to decline, mainly in the Northern hemisphere<br> This may be caused by changes in ocean circulation due to the floods of cold fresh meltwater flowing into the Atlantic as the North American ice sheet melts. <br> This cooler period is called the {{w|Younger Dryas}} || 11300 BCE || -1.6 || In the Younger Dryas, the Earth cooled by almost one degree over 1000 years. There were {{w|Outburst flood#Glacial_floods_in_North_America_.288.2C000_to_15.2C000_years_ago.29|several floods}} during the end of the ice age but the most famous is the one from {{w|Lake Agassiz}}.<br>A similar but less global effect could occur if the ice on {{w|Greenland}} melts too quickly and causes a {{w|shutdown of thermohaline circulation}}. Without the {{w|Gulf Stream}}, hot water would remain in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean instead of warming the {{w|North Atlantic}} and Europe. The movie {{w|The Day After Tomorrow}} dramatized a worse-than-worst-case version of this, happening in days instead of centuries.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 11000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [This is the first text to the left of the dotted curve:] <br> Humans reach {{w|Argentina}} || 10900 BCE || -1.8 || The earliest evidence of {{w|Indigenous_peoples_in_Argentina#Prehistory|humans in Argentina}}.<br>Finally the temperature graph has risen enough that there is space to write text on the left side of the curve.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 10500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow pointing down along the right side of the dotted curve and to the right indicate temperature is increasing again, meaning the dotted curve now moves right to hotter temperatures. This continues until 8000 BCE where it levels out just above the 1961-1990 average.] <br> Warming resumes || 10500 BCE || -1.8 || After 1000 years of slightly decreasing temperatures the warm up of Earth resumes. Over the next 3000 years the temperature increases 2.5°C, reaching a long plateau about 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average around 7500 BCE.<br />
|-<br />
| Human settlements at {{w|Jericho}} ||10050 BCE || -1.4 || The {{w|Jericho#Pre-Pottery_Neolithic.2C_c._9500_BCE|first permanent settlement}} on the site of Jericho occurred around 9500 BCE, but there is evidence of {{w|Jericho#Natufian_hunter-gatherers.2C_c._10.2C000_BCE|non permanent settlement}} during this period, when cold and drought made permanent habitation in that region difficult.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 10000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| First development of {{w|farming}} || 9750 BCE || -1.1 || This is now called the {{w|Neolithic Revolution}}, i.e. the wide-scale transition of many human cultures from a lifestyle of {{w|Hunter-gatherer|hunting and gathering}} to one of {{w|agriculture}} and settlement. The {{w|history of agriculture}} began independently in several locations with both {{w|domestication}} of animals and the farming of different {{w|cereals}}. One of the first regions to develop farming was the {{w|Fertile Crescent}}.<br>This is also around this time that the last ice age is said to have ended.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 9500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Saber-toothed cat}} goes extinct || 9200 BCE || -0.3 || Although one of these (Smilodon) was known as the {{w|saber-toothed tiger}}, most saber-toothed "cats" are not related to tigers, or any modern {{w|cats}} at all, but can be viewed as examples of convergent evolution. {{w|Smilodon}} became extinct around 8000 BCE, and the last Saber-toothed cat first became extinct around 7000 BCE, which does not fit very well with Randall's range. Indirectly humans may have caused the extinction of the Saber-toothed cat by over-hunting their {{w|megafauna}} prey, depriving the cats of food sources.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Horses}} disappear from {{w|North America}} || 9100 BCE || -0.2 || The {{w|evolution of the horse}} began millions of years ago in North America; early species {{w|Evolution_of_the_horse#Miocene_and_Pliocene:_true_equines|migrated across Beringia into Eurasia}} before their predecessors {{w|Evolution_of_the_horse#Pleistocene_extinctions|died out}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 9000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| | Last North American {{w|Pokémon}} go extinct <br> [Cueball with a spear and Megan is looking up at this last “fact”.] <br> Megan: That is not a real fact. || 8900 BCE || -0.1 || Pokemon are not real. This faux-extinction is likely a reference to the {{w|Pokémon Go}} game, which Randall spoofed in [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]]. Virtual Pokémon now thrive throughout the entire world, and are most commonly found near [http://time.com/4443225/pokemon-go-affluent-white-neighborhoods-report/ affluent first world neighborhoods].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| Temperatures reach modern levels || 8800 BCE || 0.0 || It took 11,200 years for the temperature to increase 4.3°C. It's possible that human-created effects will produce an equal change in a few hundred years.<br />
|-<br />
| Rising seas cut off the {{w|land bridge}} between North America and Asia || 8700 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Beringia}} was freed of ice in 15,000 BCE. This is an example of what happens when the temperature rises and glaciers melt. Sea levels are rising again as ice on {{w|Greenland}} and {{w|Antarctica}} continues to melt.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Cattle}} domesticated || 8500 BCE || 0.2 || Cattle feature prominently in the comic [[1338: Land Mammals]].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 8500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets retreat across the Canadian border || 8400 BCE || 0.3 || Finally the glacier that began retreating from New York around 13,600 BCE succeeded in moving to Canada as it had threatened to do... <br />
|-<br />
| Temperatures start to level out slightly above 1961-1990 levels || 8050 BCE || 0.4 || The next 3000 years the temperature stays within 0.2°C degree of a temperature 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average. A very long and stable period.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 8000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [The above sentence breaks over the 8000 <small>BCE</small> line. From here a maximum in temperature on the chart is reached at 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average, which will not be overtaken until 2000 CE. It stays almost constant here until 5000 BCE where a slight cooling begins.] || 8000 BCE || 0.4 || This is the only five hundred year span with no events listed fully inside. Maybe because nothing happens with the temperature.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 7500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| This warm, stable period is called the {{w|Holocene Climate Optimum}} || 7400 BCE || 0.5 || Some skeptics like to say "[http://www.skepticalscience.com/10000-years-warmer.htm it was warmer in the Holocene]." This is no longer true. Global temperature began encroaching Holocene levels in 1998, and has equaled or possibly exceeded them since 2014.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jiahu}} settled in China || 7050 BCE || 0.5 || Jiahu is another prehistoric settlement, similar to Abu Hureyra (12000 BCE), that was extensively studied by archaeologists.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 7000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Final collapse of the North American ice sheet leads to rapid 2-4m sea level rise… || 6800 BCE || 0.55 || The temperature almost reached 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average before this happened and caused the slight decrease in temperature mentioned below.<br />
|-<br />
| [A small arrow points down and left to the right of the dotted curve. There is a small decrease in temperature but it is very small and would have been missed without the arrow and label.] <br>…And a period of cooling in the Northern hemisphere || 6550 BCE || 0.5 || A 0.05 degree decrease in 200 years again refers to the theme of slow natural climate change.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 6500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| As seas rise to near their modern levels, Britain is cut off from mainland Europe || 6300 BCE || 0.45 || This is a reference to the flooding of {{w|Doggerland}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 6000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans develop copper metalworking || 5600 BCE || 0.5 || The {{w|copper age}} was relatively brief before humans discovered how to make {{w|bronze}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 5500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Massive volcanic eruption in {{w|Oregon}} creates crater lake || 5300 BCE || 0.55 || {{w|Crater Lake}} is the caldera at the top of Mount Mazama, a collapsed stratovolcano. If it erupted again, it could become a Somma volcano (see [[1714: Volcano Types]]).<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gold}} metalworking || 5050 BCE || 0.6 || The temperature peaks here at just a bit more than 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average. It will not rise above this level until the global warming sets in in the 1900s.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 5000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Invention of the wheel}} || 4900 BCE || 0.6 || Wheels are one of the most important inventions of humanity. They feature in many xkcd comics, such as [[1075: Warning]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the dotted curve is an arrow pointing down and slightly left. From here temperature decreases very slowly but steadily from 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average until 1000 BCE where a stable plateau is reached around the 1961-1990 average.] <br> Earth begins to cool slowly mainly due to regular cycles in its orbit || 4800 BCE || 0.5 || Again a reference to the {{w|Milankovitch cycles}} mentioned in detail at 18,600 BCE. Here they cause a cooling rather than a heating as they did back then.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 4500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Proto-Indo-European language}} develops || 4400 BCE || 0.5 || Most of the languages in Europe, the Middle East, and India share a surprising number of common roots. PIE is the theoretical ancestor from which they descend. Randall mentions this language family in many comics, such as [[890: Etymology]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the curve Ponytail holds up a hand towards Cueball.]<br> Ponytail: Let’s make our language heavily inflected, so future students have to memorize a zillion verb endings!<br> Cueball: Okay! || 4400 BCE || 0.5 || Ponytail gets the idea to develop the language heavily inflected to make it difficult to remember all the verb endings for future students and Cueball is okay with that. This is a direct reference to the comic [[1709: Inflection]].<br />
|-<br />
| Permanent settlements in the {{w|fertile crescent}} || 4200 BCE || 0.5 || The Fertile Crescent is one of those things you're supposed to remember from grade school. A lot of historic milestones happened there, such as the pyramids of Giza, the code of Hammurabi, and the Abrahamic religions.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 4000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Horses domesticated || 3950 BCE || 0.5 || Horse riding was the greatest advance in land travel until the invention of engines. Horses appear in many xkcd comics, such as [[936: Password Strength]].<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Minoan culture}} arises on Crete || 3700 BCE || 0.5 || Minoan culture invented many strange and wonderful things, such as the Labyrinth at Knossos and {{w|Bull-leaping}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 3500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Egyptian mummification}} || 3500 BCE || 0.5 || xkcd has discussed mummification in {{what if|134|What If? 134: Space Burial}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Rise of the {{w|Indus Valley civilization}} || 3300 BCE || 0.5 || The largest bronze-age civilization.<br />
|-<br />
| Invention of {{w|writing}} in {{w|Sumer}} “{{w|prehistory}}” ends, “{{w|history}}” begins || 3200 BCE || 0.5 || Our knowledge of prehistoric events must rely on digging up artifacts and making inferences. After this time, it became possible to find descriptions of past people and events, which is the definition of history. (Old guy in Sumer: Kids these days with their new-fangled stone tablets, instead of using their memory...)<br />
|-<br />
| Earliest human whose name we know (Pharaoh {{w|Iry-Hor}} in Egypt) || 3100 BCE || 0.5 || The first named person we know of today! This was also mentioned as a "cool fact" in the title text of [[1355: Airplane Message]].<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="5"| 3000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors}} period in China || 2800 BCE || 0.4 || The temperature has finally dropped below 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average after almost 2000 years of cooling from 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gilgamesh}} || 2700 BCE || 0.4 || Gilgamesh was probably a Sumerian king whose tales were exaggerated into mythology.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Imhotep}} || 2600 BCE || 0.4 || Imhotep was not a pharaoh, but a wise commoner who was elevated to chancellor, high priest, and post-mortem divinity. <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Maya civilization|Mayan}} culture emerges || 2600 BCE || 0.4 || Like the ancient Egyptians, Mayans are remembered for pyramids and {{w|logograph}}s.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Great Pyramid}} constructed || 2650 BCE || 0.4 || xkcd has discussed pyramids in [[1717: Pyramid Honey]] and {{what if|95|What If? 95: Pryamid Energy}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Corded Ware culture}} in Europe || 2500 BCE || 0.3 || The term Corded Ware was invented by an archaeologist; no civilization actually called themselves that.<br />
|-<br />
| [To the left of the curve two rock musicians with long hair and electrical guitars are standing on either side of a small gate made of three slabs of stone, one on top of the other two standing stones.] <br> {{w|Stonehenge}} completed || 2200 || 0.3 || This is a reference to the 1984 {{w|mockumentary}} about the fake rock band {{w|This Is Spinal Tap}}. In the movie the band wanted a giant Stonehenge prop 18 feet high, but a writing mistake gives them one that is only 18 inches.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Chariots}} developed || 2000 BCE || 0.3 || But {{w|Chariots of Fire}} came much later.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Alphabetic writing}} developed in Egypt || 1750 BCE || 0.2 || Obligatory reference to xkcd [[1069: Alphabet]].<br />
|-<br />
| Last {{w|mammoth}}s on a tiny Siberian island go extinct || 1650 BCE || 0.2 || Many of the {{w|Pleistocene megafauna}} died in the {{w|Quaternary extinction event}}. Like the {{w|woolly rhino}} (see 12900 BCE) these animals likely became extinct in part due to {{w|Holocene extinction|humans hunting them}}, which may be why Randall included them in the chart. Most of the mammoths died out before 8000 BCE but {{w|Woolly_mammoth#Extinction|some survived in remote areas}} and the last known population died on {{w|Wrangel Island}} in the {{w|Arctic Ocean}} around 2000 BCE, slightly earlier than Randall shows here.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Minoan eruption}} || 1600 BCE || 0.2 || This volcano may have led to the downfall of Minoan civilization. <br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="5"| 1500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Iron smelting}} || 1400 BCE || 0.1 || The beginning of the {{w|Iron Age}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Olmec}} civilization develops in Central America || 1350 BCE || 0.1 || No, Maggie, not Aztec, [http://vimeo.com/34002760 Olmec].<br />
|-<br />
| [A Trojan horse with two Cueball-like guys in front and a third standing on its back. Its back is at three Cueball’s height and its head rises to the level of the Cueball on its back. It stands on a platform with four wheel on the visible side. There is text on the horse]<br> Setting of the ''{{w|Iliad}}'' and the ''{{w|Odyssey}}''<br> Text on horse: Not a trap || 1250 BCE || 0.1 || A reference to the {{w|Trojan War}} qua the drawing of the {{w|Trojan Horse}}. The horse was a big trap letting the soldiers hidden inside it into {{w|Troy}}. This explains why it has ''Not a trap'' written on it. Else they would not have taken the giant wooden horse present from their sworn enemies into their city just like that... Note that the Trojan horse isn't mentioned in the Iliad, and only recalled in passing by the characters in the Odyssey.<br />
|-<br />
| Invasion of the {{w|Sea peoples}}* <br>* A real thing || 1200 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Mermaid#One_Thousand_and_One_Nights|Sea people}} might sound like a reference to mythical {{w|mermaid}}s, so Randall feels the need to footnote that this event was ''a real thing'' (as opposed to his Pokémon reference, which he notes is ''not a real fact''). The sea peoples were a seafaring confederation of groups known to have attacked ancient Egypt around this time.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Polynesians}} explore the Pacific Ocean || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Polynesian navigation}} was surprisingly widespread.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="8"| 1000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [From 1000 BBC to 1000 CE the temperature is stable and very close to the 1961-1990 average.] || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || The temperature has fallen from the Holocene Optimum by half a degree to just a bit above the 1961-1990 average. It will stay in this range for the next 2000 years.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Solomon}} || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || Solomon may have been a real historical king, but he probably did not threaten to chop a baby in half.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Iliad}} and {{w|Odyssey}} composed || 900 BCE || 0.1 || These classic myths were written more than 300 years after their supposed events. Archaeologists believe the city of {{w|Troy}} existed (and was destroyed by war around the right time period), but characters like Helen, Odysseus, and Achilles did not.<br />
|- <br />
| Rise of {{w|Greek city-states}} || 800 BCE || 0.1 || This is ''Sparta'', along with Athens and several others.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Neo-Assyrian Empire}} || 800 BCE || 0.1 || Hi, you may remember us from such kings as Adad-nirari and Sennacherib.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Ancient Olympic Games|First Olympics}} || 750 BCE || 0.1 || The first of the ancient Olympic Games is traditionally dated to 776 BC.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Zapotec civilization|Zapotec}} writing in modern Mexico || 600 BCE || 0.0 || Another Central American culture that fell to the Spanish invasion.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Confucius}} || 550 BCE || 0.0 || "He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions."<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="10"| 500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| The stuff in the {{w|300 (film)|movie ''300''}}, but regular speed and with more clothing || 450 BCE || 0.0 || A reference to the {{w|Battle of Thermopylae}} by comparison with the 2007 movie ''300'' about this battle. The real Spartans wore armor, and real humans don't [http://www.google.com/search?q=300+slow-motion fly through the air in slow motion when struck].<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Buddha}} || 450 BCE || 0.0 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Jesus}} and {{w|Muhammad}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Nazca Lines}} || 350 BCE || 0.0 || These huge ancient drawings are difficult to see from ground level, leading some people to believe that they were intended for aliens.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Alexander the Great}} || 350 BCE || 0.0 || One of the most successful conquerors of the iron age, known for supposedly cutting the {{w|Gordian Knot}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Mayan hieroglyphics}} || 250 BCE || 0.0 || The {{w|Maya Calendar}} was probably created hundreds of years later.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Ashoka the Great}} || 250 BCE || 0.0 || The {{w|Edicts of Ashoka}} proselytized Buddhism across the continent.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Paper}} invented || 200 BCE || 0.0 || A significant step up from stone tablets or even papyrus.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Asterix}} || 100 BCE || 0.0 || Fictional main character in ''The Adventures of Asterix'', a comic series set around 50 BCE when {{w|Julius Caesar}} conquered {{w|Gaul}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w| Teotihuacan|Teotihuacán}} metropolis || 100 BCE || 0.0 || Another ancient city much beloved by archaeologists, even though they don't know who built it.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Julius Caesar}} || 50 BCE || 0.0 || Aside from being a conqueror, dictator, and deity, Julius had a big impact on {{w|Julian Calendar|calendars}}. The month of Quintilis was renamed July to honor him, and he was famously assassinated on the ides (middle day) of March.<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="8"|1 <small>BCE</small><br>1 <small>CE</small><br />
| [Instead of a zero, there are two numbers for each of the two scales before (1 BCE) and after Christ (1 CE)] || 0 CE || -0.1 || Originally the year range went directly from 1 BC to 1 AD. The year zero has since been added for ease of mathematical and astronomical calculations.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Roman Empire}} || 1 CE || -0.1 || Julius never held the title "Emperor"; his adoptive son Augustus was the first to do so.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jesus}} || 1 CE || -0.1 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Buddha}} and {{w|Muhammad}}.<br />
|-<br />
| [To the left and erupting volcano.] <br> {{w|Pompeii}} || 100 CE || -0.1 || The volcano is {{w|Mount Vesuvius}} which exploded in 79 CE and is famous for burying everyone in the close by city Pompeii preserving peoples bodies inside the huge amount of ash that swallowed the city very rapidly. Today it has given the archeologist lots of knowledge about the culture of that time.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Three Kingdoms}} period || 250 CE || -0.1 || Not just a series of movies and video games, but an actual thing that happened in China.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gupta empire}} || 700 CE || -0.1 || Not as great as Ashoka, but still a pretty important time in the history of India.<br />
|-<br />
| Various groups take turns sacking {{w|Rome}} || 550 CE || -0.1 || 500 years is a pretty successful span for an empire.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Attila the Hun}} || 550 CE || -0.1 || He probably would not mind being remembered as one of the most infamous barbarians in history.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 500 <small>CE</small><br />
| {{w|Muhammad}} || 600 CE || 0.0 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Buddha}} and {{w|Jesus}}<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Tang Dynasty}} || 750 CE || 0.0 || A golden age in China, responsible for the development of printing, gunpowder, and many other advances.<br />
|-<br />
| [An arrow to the right of the dotted curve pointing down, takes a swing far out from the curve and then bends back again. The text label next to it breaks into the next 500 period. The dotted curve stays stable at the 1961-1990 average along this arrow.] <br> {{w|Medieval warm period}} in Europe and some northern regions (too regional to affect the global average much) || 900 CE || 0.0 || Changes in ocean currents caused various regions to warm up while others cooled.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Leif Eriksson}} || 950 CE || 0.0 || Probably the first European explorer to reach North America.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="7"| 1000 <small>CE</small><br />
| [To the left a drawing of a compass with needle pointing the black end towards north east. There are labels for the four main directions (N, S, W, E) and a label next to it:]<br> {{w|Magnetic compass}} navigation || 1050 CE || 0.0 || It's much easier to sail to the Orient when you can orient yourself.<br />
|-<br />
| [The dotted curve moves to the left towards lower temperature reaching a minimum around 1650 CE of about 0.6°C below the 1961-1990 average at the {{w|Little Ice Age}}.] || 1150 CE || -0.1 || This less than half a degree drop in temperature over 500 years was enough to cause the "Little Ice Age" which resulted in extended ice coverage in the winters in instance Europe. See more below at the entry for the Little Ice Age.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Genghis Khan}} || 1200 CE || -0.2 || Mongol emperor. {{w|Gengar}} is not named after him, but [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Kangaskhan_(Pokémon) Kangaskhan] and [http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Khal the Khals] are.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Zheng He}}’s fleet explores Asia and Africa || 1400 CE || -0.3 || He explored farther than European contemporaries like Dias or de Gama.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Aztec Empire|Aztec Alliance}} || 1400 CE || -0.3 || Aztec dominance only lasted a century until Cortes arrived, but their cultural legacy is indisputable.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Printing press}} || 1450 CE || -0.3 || {{w|Johannes Gutenburg}} ushered in the {{w|Age of Enlightenment}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Christopher Columbus|Columbus}} || 1490 CE || -0.3 || The time given here references when Christopher Columbus reached the {{w|Americas|New World}} in 1492. The five events around 1500 CE lies very close together but it fits with Columbus fitted in just before 1500.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1500 <small>CE</small><br />
| {{w|European Renaissance}} || 1500 CE || -0.3 || From here on, the chart has labels for each 100 year increment instead of 500, but the scale stays the same. Important events happens so much faster in these last five hundred years, there isn't enough space to write all of them, so Randall has had to be selective. He includes {{w|Isaac Newton}} but leaves out {{w|Albert Einstein}}, includes {{w|airplane}}s but leaves out {{w|car}}s, etc.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Shakespeare}} || 1600 CE || -0.4 || xkcd references Shakespeare many times, such as [[79: Iambic Pentameter]] and [[1026: Compare and Contrast]].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1600 <br />
| {{w|Isaac Newton|Newton}} || 1650 CE || -0.4 || Isaac Newton appears in various xkcd comics, such as [[626: Newton and Leibniz]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the dotted curve there is an arrow pointing down that makes a swing in towards the curve and then back out again. This is the coldest it has been since 9500 BCE. It is labeled:]<br> ”{{w|Little Ice Age}}” || 1650 CE || -0.4 || This was not a true geologic Ice Age, just a slightly chilly period when the temperature fell a fraction of a degree, but still colder than it had been through 11,000 years of human civilization. In Europe the winters were so cold that the river {{w|Thames}} {{w|Little_Ice_Age#Europe|froze over}} hard enough to hold {{w|River Thames frost fairs}} between 1607 and 1814. And in 1658 {{w|Sweden}} crossed the {{w|Danish Straits}} on foot to invade {{w|Copenhagen}} in the {{w|March Across the Belts}}. It was only possible due to the harsh winters of the Little Ice Age, demonstrating how much half a degree of climate change can mean.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1700<br />
| {{w|Steam engines}} || 1750 CE || -0.4 || The {{w|Age of Steam}} heralded the upsurge of human CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|United States Declaration of Independence|Unites States Independence}} || 1770 CE || -0.3 || On July 4, 1776.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 1800<br />
| {{w|Industrial Revolution}} || 1825 CE || -0.3 || Not to be confused with {{w|Industrial music}} such as Nine Inch Nails.<br />
|- <br />
| {{w|Electrical telegraph|Telegraphs}} || 1830 CE || -0.3 || [https://youtu.be/4OLWJ1TMuNE?t=55s -. --- .-- --..-- / - .... . / -- --- - .... . .-. / --- ..-. / ... .- -- ..- . .-.. / -- --- .-. ... . / .- .-.. .-- .- -.-- ... / ... . -. - / - .... . / .-.. .- -.. / --- ..- - / --- -. / .- / .... --- .-. ... .]<br />
|-<br />
| [After this the dotted curve becomes solid.] || 1850 CE || -0.3 || From 1850 weather records became sufficiently accurate and widespread to greatly improve the precision of climate measurements. Hence the curve stops being an estimate and thus also stops being a dotted curve and becomes solid.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="6"| 1900<br />
| {{w|Airplane}}s || 1900 CE || -0.3 || xkcd discusses airplanes many times, such as [[726: Seat Selection]] and {{what if|30|30: Interplanetary Cessna}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|World Wars}} || 1930 CE || -0.2 || Likewise, there are many xkcds on this topic, such as [[261: Regarding Mussolini]] and {{what if|100|100: WWII Films}}.<br />
|-<br />
| [The solid line takes a step to the right close to the 1961-1990 average. Over the rest of the 1900s it moves closer to the 1961-1990 average, crossing it before 2000 where it almost reaches the maximum temperature of 0.5 °C above the 1961-1990 average from earlier in 8000 BCE.] || 1940 CE || -0.2 || This is what the previous 14000 pixels of comic has been leading up to. After a laborious 20 millennia of gradual and meandering climate change, it should be clear that a full degree of warming in a single century is unprecedented in human history, and very unlikely to be natural variation.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fossil fuel}} CO<sub>2</sub> emissions start rapidly increasing || 1950 CE || -0.1 || The infamous [http://www.skepticalscience.com/Hockey-stick-or-hockey-league.html "hockey stick"] starts around here.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Nuclear weapons}} || 1950 CE || -0.1 || The Working Group on the 'Anthropocene' suggests dating the {{w|Anthropocene}} epoch from ~1950. The week after this comic [[1736: Manhattan Project]] with a mushroom cloud was released.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Internet}} || 1980 CE || 0.1 || The origin of the internet dates back to 1960 but it began growing rapidly in 1980. By placing the invention of the {{w|internet}} at 1980 in the chart, just where the temperature curve starts its most rapid increase, Randall uses this [[552: Correlation|correlation]] to humorously imply that the internet caused the rise in temperature.<br> This is also where the temperature crosses the 1961-1990 average, which has to happen somewhere due to the {{w|Intermediate Value Theorem}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 2000<br />
| {{w|Northwest Passage}} opens || 2000 CE || 0.4 || This was dramatic evidence that the climate had changed. When global warming removes enough sea ice to create shipping routes that never existed before, then it is clear to people that ''something'' is changing, even if they disregard who/what is responsible for the change.<br />
|-<br />
|[From here to present day the solid line increases rapidly and in 2016, present day, is almost reaches 1°C above the 1961-1990 average, with about 0.8°C above the 1961-1990 average.] || 2016 CE || 0.8 || '''Notice''': [http://www.skepticalscience.com/argument.php?a=11&p=2 Warming did not stop] in 1998.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2016<br />
| | Present day || 2016 CE || 0.8 || Today, just after the two hottest months ever measured since 1850 had ended (July and August 2016), this comic was released with the message displayed very clearly here below. Act now or fry...<br />
|-<br />
| [From here the curve once again becomes dotted as this is the future. After one dot it splits in two and after the first two dots another split between them occurs forming three possible future dotted curves.] || 2016 CE || 0.8 || Here stops the data and the projection into the future begins so the curve again becomes dotted. Three different scenarios are depicted.<br />
|-<br />
|The first curve bending down before the others, and thus to the right of the other two reaches about 1.2°C above the 1961-1990 average and then goes straight down and stops at the 2100 line. An arrow points to it from the left and a label is written partly before and the rest after the 2100 line to the left of the curve:] <br>Best-case scenario assuming immediate massive action to limit emissions || 2100 CE || 1.2 || If humanity does all in its power to stop global warming we might be able to halt the global warming already before 2050 keeping the maximum temperature to just 1.2°C above the 1961-1990 average. Only 0.4°C above today's temperature. (Note that this is not, in fact, the absolute best-case scenario, as it assumes that no new greenhouse gasses are either added to or removed from the atmosphere in the future; the temperature rise could be kept to an even lower level if some or all of the already-emitted greenhouse gasses were removed from the atmosphere.)<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 2100<br />
| [The middle curve bends a little down after reaching 1.3°C above the 1961-1990 average, and then continues this path reaching 2°C above the 1961-1990 average in 2100. An arrow point from below to it and a label is written below the curve and below 2100 line:] <br> Optimistic scenario|| 2100 CE || 2.0 || If all the current realistic preventions are implemented, which might not be so realistic, then we may not even stop the warming but slow it down so we "only" reach 2°C above the 1961-1990 average in 2100 CE but it would not stop there. This is half the temperature change experienced since the ice age, but the other way. This was directly referenced in the title text of [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]]: ''That's only HALF an ice age unit (IAU), which is probably no big deal.''<br />
|-<br />
| [The last line continues along the path from the last 16 years of the solid line reaching 4.2°C above the 1961-1990 average at 2100, almost as far on the other side of the 1961-1990 average in 150 years as it took 14,000 years to move from the other side from the start of the chart. Another arrow point to this from below with a label below the curve and below 2100 line:] <br> Current Path || 2100 CE || 4.2 || In this last scary scenario Randall assumes the temperature keeps rising steadily by extrapolating along the slope of the last two to three years. Randall has warned about the hazards of [[Extrapolating]], but this line is in fact [http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-best-to-worst-case-scenarios.html below the worst case predictions]. If this comes true we will reach a temperature increase taking us from the 1961-1990 average and in just 125 years to 4.2°C above this average. That is just as far above this average in that short time span as the ice age temperature was below. And it took more than 11,000 years for nature to reach such an increase. Randall already contemplated what this would be like in the +1 ice age unit (IAU) panel of [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]] two years ago, as well as in [[164: Playing Devil's Advocate to Win]] almost 10 years ago. He may get to ''enjoy quite a ride'' as he "wished" for back then. <br />
<br />
There is no reason to assume the temperature will not keep rising past 2100 CE, so the {{w|Cretaceous Thermal Maximum|"Hothouse Earth"}} of the early {{w|Cretaceous period}} mentioned in the 4.5 degree comics +2 IAU panel might come to pass in future centuries if we continue on our current path. On the bright side, modern civilization might collapse if this trend keeps up, which would drastically cut our releases of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. But then again, positive feedback from methane in melting {{w|permafrost}} might take over... Good luck Earth.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Sources===<br />
The image attributes climate data sources as "Shakun et al. (2012), Marcott et al. (2013), Annan and Hargreaves (2013), HadCRUT4, IPCC":<br />
* Shakun, Jeremy D.; Clark, Peter U.; He, Feng; Marcott, Shaun A.; Mix, Alan C.; Liu, Zhengyu; Otto-Bliesner, Bette; Schmittner, Andreas; Bard, Edouard (2012-04-04). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160520043848/http://www.atm.damtp.cam.ac.uk/mcintyre/shakun-co2-temp-lag-nat12.pdf "Global warming preceded by increasing carbon dioxide concentrations during the last deglaciation"] (PDF). ''Nature''. '''484''' (7392): 49–54. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnature10915 10.1038/nature10915]. ISSN [https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1476-4687 1476-4687]. Archived from [https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10915 the original] on 2016-05-20.<br />
* Marcott, Shaun A.; Shakun, Jeremy D.; Clark, Peter U.; Mix, Alan C. (2013-03-08). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130412021608/https://content.csbs.utah.edu/~mli/Economics%207004/Marcott_Global%20Temperature%20Reconstructed.pdf "A Reconstruction of Regional and Global Temperature for the Past 11,300 Years"] (PDF). ''Science''. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.1228026 10.1126/science.1228026]. Archived from [https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1228026 the original] on 2013-04-12.<br />
* Annan, J. D.; Hargreaves, J. C. (2013-02-13). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200728042751/https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/9/367/2013/cp-9-367-2013.pdf "A new global reconstruction of temperature changes at the Last Glacial Maximum"] (PDF). ''Climate of the Past''. '''9''' (1): 367–376. doi:[https://doi.org/10.5194%2Fcp-9-367-2013 10.5194/cp-9-367-2013]. ISSN [https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1814-9324 1814-9324]. Archived from [https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/9/367/2013/ the original] on 2020-07-28.<br />
* {{w|HadCRUT|HadCRUT (Hadley Centre/Climatic Research Unit Temperature)}} - [http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcrut4/ Official site] <br />
* {{w|Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change}} - [http://www.ipcc.ch/ Official site]<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
'''Note''' there are several spelling errors in the comic, so please do only correct spelling errors that are not part of the comic! See more in the [[#Trivia|trivia section]].<br />
:[A large heading, followed by a sub-caption. Below that two lines with a statement in between:]<br />
:<big>A timeline of Earth’s average temperature</big><br />
:since the last ice age glaciation<br />
:When people say “The climate has changed before,” these are the kinds of changes they’re talking about.<br />
<br />
:[A very long chart below the headings above is headed with a label for the scale of the X-axis above the chart. Below that a sub-caption. To the left an arrow down to the top of the chart pointing to the dotted curves starting point (at -4.3°C below the 1961-1990 average) with a label above the arrow. And arrow pointing left to the left of the center and another pointing right to the right of the center has labels. Below these is the temperature scale of the X-axis, with 9 ticks between the borders each with a label ranging from -4 to +4°C compared to the 1961-1990 average, but with another step in each direction not labeled towards to axis so the chart covers -5 to +5°C compared to the 1961-1990 average.]<br />
:'''Temperature'''<br />
: <small>Compared to the 1961-1990 average</small><br />
:Start<br />
:Colder<br />
:Warmer<br />
:-4°C -3°C -2°C -1°C 0°C +1°C +2°C +3°C +4°C<br />
<br />
:[To the right of the chart is a gray text standing on the side down along the outer boarder of the chart with the sources for the chart:]<br />
: <font color="gray">Source: Shakun et. al. (2012) , Marcott et. al. (2013), Annan and Hargreaves (2013) , HadCRUT<sub>4</sub>, IPCC </font><br />
<br />
:[The chart is split in 10 columns by the temperature scale and the borders. The two central columns are white, and then from there to the left the background becomes a faded color that changes from light blue to blue at the edge in four steps. Similarly to the right the color changes from light red to red. To the left there is a time scale taking 500 years leaps from 20,000 BCE all the way to year 1, where there are two years, one for BBC and one for CE. The 500 year leaps continue until 1500 CE and from there the steps are down to 100 years until 2100 with also present day 2016 labeled. After 1500 the CE is omitted. The labels stop there, but there is space below covering down to 2200 CE. There is clearly visible division line across the chart on the level of each of the 500 step, and fainter lines for each of the 100 steps all the way even though only the last 5 of these 100 steps are labeled. There is a similar clear line at 2016. Below each step on the Y-axis is noted, and then any text starting before the next step is noted below indented. If there are extra image belonging to text this is indented once more. The graph that the whole chart is about is a dotted line that begins at the “start” point mentioned above at -4.3°C and then begins to go straight down. It will change left and right all the way down. To being with all text and most drawings are to right of the dotted curve. Whenever something is to the left it will be noted. When it says to the left above something, and then nothing over the next, then the next will be to the right. Only at the very bottom are there more entries to the left than right. ]<br />
:20000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow goes from the dotted line to the central line at 0°C. In the middle of the line there is a temperature label:]<br />
::4.3°C<br />
::At the start of our timeline, 22,000 years ago, Earth is 4°C colder than during the late 20<sup>th</sup> century.<br />
::Boston is buried under almost a mile of ice, and the glaciers reach as far south as New York City.<br />
:::[The Statue of Liberty is shown in front of a glacier front. A very tiny Cueball is on top of the glacier. The drawing is labeled and so is also the glacier.]<br />
:::New York<br />
:::Ice<br />
:::[Cueball (wearing a knit cap with a pom-pom is seen walking in a snowy landscape leaving black footprints behind him. He walks through the white central part of the chart.]<br />
:::[The skyline of Boston is shown with two clear buildings among all the other. Above it is a line and in between this area has been filled with thin lines. The drawing is labeled and so is this area. Also the skyline has an arrow pointing at it with a label:]<br />
:::Boston<br />
:::Ice<br />
:::Modern skyline<br />
<br />
:19500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::But the world is about to warm up.<br />
::By this time, humans have already spread across Africa, Eurasia, and Australia.<br />
::They’ve created painting, pottery, rope, and bows and arrows, but haven’t developed writing or farming.<br />
<br />
:19000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Changes in the Earth’s orbit mean that more sunlight reaches the polar ice…<br />
:::[A line chart with a labeled Y-axis with three labeled ticks. The curve starts up and then goes down five times and up four times ending down. There is one plateau towards the end compared to the rest of the curve where the ups and downs are quite alike.]<br />
:::Summer sun W/m<sup>2</sup> at 60°N<br />
:::550<br />
:::500<br />
:::450<br />
<br />
:18500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[A map of the world. At the top is a light gray area covering North America, Greenland and northern Europe and most of the northern part of Russia. A similar gray area covers Antarctica. There are two labels in the gray area above and one in the gray area below:]<br />
::Ice Ice<br />
::Ice<br />
<br />
:18000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::…And the ice sheets start to melt.<br />
<br />
:17500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Temperatures have been creeping upward, but around this point, CO<sub>2</sub> levels start to climb…<br />
<br />
:17000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::…And then the warming speeds up.<br />
<br />
:16500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Cueball is standing with a spear just the right of the graph talking to a rabbit.]<br />
::Cueball: Still pretty cold.<br />
<br />
:16000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Megan points to the graph to the right of her and between her and Ponytail standing on the other side. Mean is the first drawing on the left side of the dotted curve, which has hardly moved since the beginning, only to just on the other side of 4°C.]<br />
::[In the right part of the chart is an explanation of the data. Below the first two lines there are four drawings each showing possible temperature swings in reality compared to the smoothed data that represents the dotted curve of the entire chart. The dotted curve is shown in all four drawings and a thin line is shown running along it but with much more fluctuation left and right on the first two, a large spike right on the third and a large bump way right on the fourth. Above these there are two labels. The first labels is inside a bracket that covers the first three, and the last label is for the last drawing. Below is a list of sources.]<br />
::Limits of this data:<br />
::Short warming or cooling spikes might be “smoothed out” by these reconstructions but only if they’re small or brief enough.<br />
:::Possible Unlikely<br />
::Reconstructions are from Shakun (2012) and Marcott (2013), scaled to Annan + Hargreaves (2013) estimate for the last glacial period.<br />
<br />
:15500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::In what is now France, humans paint murals on the walls of the Lascaux caves<br />
::[Hairy paints three animals, two with horns, and two humans, Cueball holding hand with Hairy who has a spear. On the other side of the central line Megan writes three letters, the last of which is reversed.]<br />
:::NIИ<br />
<br />
:15000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets around Alaska shrink, exposing a land bridge between Asia and North America<br />
::[From around the bottom if this section and down to 11500 BCE the dotted curve moved steadily to the right towards warmed temperature peaking close to -1.5°C. Before this the temperature had not moved much away from that at the start.]<br />
<br />
:14500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Cueball walks right looking back at the graph behind him. Megan walks in front of him pointing further right.]<br />
::Cueball: Cool.<br />
::Humans reach North America.<br />
<br />
:14000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::The edge of the ice withdraws from New York City and retreats North.<br />
::[A large glacier front speaks in a speech bubble with an arrow pointing at it. Behind is there are four peaks in the horizon and in front of it three small melting pools and some rocks on the ground.]<br />
::Glacier: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!''<br />
<br />
:13500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans domesticate dogs<br />
::(Date uncertain, may be much earlier)<br />
::[Megan and Cueball is watching a wolf looking at them.]<br />
::Megan: Okay, you can live in our homes and we’ll feed you, but we’ll still get mad f you poop on the floor.<br />
::Wolf: Deal.<br />
::Cueball: And we get to breed you to be tiny and dress you in little costumes.<br />
::Wolf: …Wait.<br />
<br />
:13000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Randall did not use the normal spelling for Woolly Rhino, but this is an accepted alternative spelling:]<br />
::Wooly Rhino goes extinct<br />
::Oregon is scoured by huge floods as glacial dams burst and lakes of meltwater flow to the sea<br />
<br />
:12500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets withdraw from Chicago<br />
<br />
:12000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans settle Abu Hureyra in Syria<br />
<br />
:11500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow on the left side of the dotted curve is pointing down along the dotted curve and to the left indicate temperature is declining again, meaning the dotted curve now moves left to colder temperatures. This only continues until 10500 BCE. It is only the second time something is noted on the left side after Megan at 16000 BCE]<br />
::Temperatures start to decline, mainly in the Northern hemisphere<br />
::This may be caused by changes in ocean circulation due to the floods of cold fresh meltwater flowing into the Atlantic as the North American ice sheet melts.<br />
::This cooler period is called the Younger Dryas<br />
<br />
:11000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[This is the first text to the left of the dotted curve:]<br />
::Humans reach Argentina<br />
<br />
:10500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow pointing down along the right side of the dotted curve and to the right indicate temperature is increasing again, meaning the dotted curve now moves right to hotter temperatures. This continues until 8000 BCE where it levels out just above 0°C.]<br />
::Warming resumes<br />
::Human settlements at Jericho<br />
<br />
:10000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::First development of farming<br />
<br />
:9500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Saber-toothed cat goes extinct<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Horses disappear from North America<br />
<br />
:9000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left, Randall spelled Pokémon wrong:]<br />
:::Last North American Pokemon go extinct<br />
:::[Cueball with a speak and Megan is looking up at this last “fact”.]<br />
:::Megan: That is not a real fact.<br />
::Temperatures reach modern levels<br />
::Rising seas cut off the land bridge between North America and Asia<br />
::Cattle domesticated<br />
<br />
:8500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets retreat across the Canadian border<br />
::Temperatures start to level out slightly above 1961-1990 levels<br />
<br />
:8000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[The above sentence breaks over the 8000 <small>BCE</small> line. From here a maximum in temperature on the chart is reached at 0.5°C which will not be overtaken until 2000 CE. It stays almost constant here until 5000 BCE where a slight cooling begins.]<br />
<br />
:7500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::This warm, stable period is called the Holocene Climate Optimum<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Jiahu settled in China<br />
<br />
:7000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Final collapse of the North American ice sheet leads to rapid 2-4m sea level rise…<br />
::[A small arrow points down and left to the right of the dotted curve. There is a small decrease in temperature but it is very small and would have been missed without the arrow and label.]<br />
::…And a period of cooling in the Northern hemisphere<br />
<br />
:6500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::As seas rise to near their modern levels, Britain is cut off from mainland Europe<br />
<br />
:6000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans develop copper metalworking<br />
<br />
:5500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Massive volcanic eruption in Oregon creates crater lake<br />
::Gold metalworking<br />
<br />
:5000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invention of the wheel<br />
::[To the left. To the right of the dotted curve is an arrow pointing down and slightly left. From here temperature decreases very slowly but steadily from 0.5°C until 1000 BCE where a stable plateau is reached around 0°C.]<br />
::Earth begins to cool slowly mainly due to regular cycles in its orbit<br />
<br />
:4500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
:: Proto-Indo-European language develops<br />
:::[To the right of the curve Ponytail holds up a hand towards Cueball.]<br />
:::Ponytail: Let’s make our language heavily inflected, so future students have to memorize a zillion verb endings!<br />
:::Cueball: Okay!<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Permanent settlements in the fertile crescent<br />
<br />
:4000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Horses domesticated<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Minoan culture arises on Crete<br />
<br />
:3500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Egyptian mummification<br />
::Rise of the Indus Valley civilization<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invention of writing in Sumer “prehistory” ends, “history” begins<br />
::Earliest human whose name we know<br />
::<small>(Pharaoh Iry-Hor in Egypt)</small><br />
<br />
:3000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::''Three Sovereigns and five emperors'' period in China<br />
::Gilgamesh<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Imhotep<br />
::Mayan culture emerges<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Great Pyramid constructed<br />
<br />
:2500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Corded Ware culture in Europe<br />
::[To the left of the curve two rock musicians with long hair and electrical guitars are standing on either side of a small gate made of three slabs of stone, one on top of the other two standing stones.]<br />
::Stonehenge completed<br />
::Chariots developed<br />
<br />
:2000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Alphabetic writing developed in Egypt<br />
::Last mammoths on a tiny Siberian island go extinct<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Minoan eruption<br />
<br />
:1500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Iron smelting<br />
::Olmec civilization develops in Central America<br />
::[A Trojan horse with two Cueball-like guys in front and a third standing on its back. Its back is at three Cueball’s height and its head rises to the level of the Cueball on its back. It stands on a platform with four wheel on the visible side. There is text on the horse]<br />
:::Setting of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey''<br />
:::Text on horse: Not a trap<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invasion of the Sea peoples*<br />
::<small>* A real thing</small><br />
::Polynesians explore the Pacific Ocean<br />
<br />
:1000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[From 1000 BBC to 1000 CE the temperature is stable and very close to 0°C.]<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Solomon<br />
::Illiad [sic] and Odyssey composed <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Rise of Greek city-states<br />
::Neo-Assyrian empire<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::First Olympics<br />
::Zapotec writing in modern Mexico<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Confucius<br />
<br />
:500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::The stuff in the 300 (film)|movie ''300'', but regular speed and with more clothing<br />
::Buddha<br />
::Nazca Lines<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Alexander the Great<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Mayan hieroglyphics<br />
::Ashoka the Great<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Paper invented<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Asterix<br />
::Teotihuacán metropolis<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Julius Caesar<br />
<br />
:[At the year 0, there is instead two numbers for each of the two scales before and after Christ:]<br />
:1 <small>BCE</small><br />
:1 <small>CE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Roman Empire<br />
::Jesus<br />
::[To the left and erupting volcano.]<br />
::Pompeii<br />
::Three Kingdoms period<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Gupta empire<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Various groups take turns sacking Rome<br />
::Attila the Hun<br />
<br />
:500 <small>CE</small><br />
::Muhammad<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Tang Dynasty<br />
::[An arrow to the right of the dotted curve pointing down, takes a swing far out from the curve and then bends back again. The text label next to it breaks into the next 500 period. The dotted curve stays stable at 0°C along this arrow.]<br />
::Medieval warm period in Europe and some northern regions (too regional to affect the global average much)<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Leif Eriksson<br />
<br />
:1000 <small>CE</small><br />
::[The dotted curve moves to the left towards lower temperature reaching a minimum around 1650 of about -0.6°C at the Little Ice Age.]<br />
::[To the left a drawing of a compass with needle pointing the black end towards north east. There are labels for the four main directions and a label next to it:]<br />
:::<small>N</small><br />
:::<small>W E</small><br />
:::<small>S</small><br />
:::Magnetic compass navigation<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Ghengis [sic] Khan <br />
::Zheng He’s fleet explores Asia and Africa<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Aztec Alliance <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Printing press<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Columbus<br />
<br />
:1500 <small>CE</small><br />
::European Renaissance<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Shakespeare<br />
<br />
:1600 <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Newton<br />
::[To the right of the dotted curve there is an arrow pointing down that makes a swing in towards the curve and then back out again. At -0.6°C this is the coldest it has been since 9500 BCE. It is labeled:]<br />
::”Little Ice Age”<br />
<br />
:1700<br />
::Steam engines<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Unites States Independence<br />
<br />
:1800<br />
::Industrial Revolution<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Telegraphs<br />
::[After this the dotted curve becomes solid.]<br />
<br />
:1900<br />
::[To the left, and on the line for 1900:]<br />
::Airplanes<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::World Wars<br />
::[The solid line takes a step to the right close to 0°C. Over the rest of the 1900s it moves closer to 0°C crossing it before 2000 where it almost reaches the maximum temperature of 0.5 °C from earlier in 8000 BCE.]<br />
::Fossil fuel CO<sub>2</sub> emissions start rapidly increasing<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Nuclear weapons<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Internet<br />
<br />
:2000<br />
::Northwest Passage opens<br />
::[From here to present day the solid line increases rapidly and in 2016 present day is almost reaches 1°C, with about 0.8°C.]<br />
<br />
:2016<br />
::[To the left on the line for 2016:]<br />
::Present day<br />
::[From here the curve once again becomes dotted as this is the future. After one dot it splits in two and after the first two dots another split between them occurs forming three possible future dotted curves. The first curve bending down before the others, and thus to the right of the other two reaches about 1.2°C and then goes straight down and stops at the 2100 line. An arrow points to it from the left and a label is written patly before and the rest after the 2100 line to the left of the curve:]<br />
::Best-case scenario assuming immediate massive action to limit emissions<br />
<br />
:2100<br />
::[The middle curve bends a little down after reaching 1.3°C and then continues this path reaching 2°C in 2100. An arrow point from below to it and a label is written below the curve and below 2100 line:]<br />
::Optimistic scenario<br />
::[The last line continues along the path from the last 16 years of the solid line reaching 4.2°C at 2100, almost as far on the other side of 0°C in 150 years as it took 14000 years to move from the other side from the start of the chart. Another arrow point to this from below with a label below the curve and below 2100 line:]<br />
::Current Path<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*There have been several ''[[:Category:Large drawings|large drawings]]'' in the history of xkcd, some of which are bigger than this one (for instance [[1110: Click and Drag]]). <br />
**Among those that can be viewed in one go, without downloading a larger file or moving around, this is by far the longest.<br />
**The next longest is probably [[482: Height]].<br />
*The timeline starts at 20,000 BCE (22,000 years ago) and ends at 2100 CE, thus covering 22,100 years. <br />
*There are several spelling mistakes. <br />
**Most obvious is the second time Randall wrote the word "Iliad," because he just spelled it correctly at 1500 BCE and then spelled it ''Illiad'' at 1000 BCE with two Ls.<br />
**Attila the Hun was initially misspelt ''Atilla the Hun'' with ''one'' T and ''two'' Ls, but this was corrected at some point.<br />
**Genghis Khan is misspelt as ''Ghengis Khan'' (a common error).<br />
**Pokémon is spelled ''Pokemon'', but then again, that is not so strange for Randall (see [[1647: Diacritics]]). Despite that, he usually spells it correctly, as in [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]].<br />
**Note that the fact that woolly rhinoceros becomes ''Wooly rhino'' with only one l is not a spelling mistake but an alternative spelling of the word.<br />
*The following notable facts are absent<br />
**1850: methodical temperature record begins. However, this fact is indirectly indicated when the temperature curve becomes solid around 1850 and until present day.<br />
**The entire swing period between 20 and 200 thousand years prior to now would depict temperature swings with increasing frequency and amplitude (ref geological record). But of course, this could not be included in a comic that only goes back to 20,000 BCE. <br />
**During much of the 300 million years prior to that, the Earth was significantly warmer than now. However, the data's temporal precision decreases with age; seemingly abrupt changes millions of years ago might have happened over centuries or millennia. Hence, the older data is not usable to compare rates of change.<br />
<br />
===Popularity of comic===<br />
This comic received attention from a much broader audience than most xkcd comics. It was discussed admiringly by news sites such as [http://www.popsci.com/xkcd-earth-average-temperature-timeline Popular Science], [http://reason.com/blog/2016/09/14/send-around-this-xkcd-climate-change-web Reason], [http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2016/09/13/xkcd_takes_on_global_warming.html Slate], [http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-comic-masterfully-shows-how-climate-has-changed-through-time-180960451/ Smithsonian], [http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2016/09/13/heres-22000-years-of-climate-changes-in-a-single-comic/ Forbes], [https://www.vox.com/2016/9/12/12891814/climate-change-xkcd-graphic Vox], [https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/14/493925781/epic-climate-cartoon-goes-viral-but-it-has-one-key-problem NPR], [https://qz.com/780391/xkcd-tells-the-entire-history-of-humanity-and-climate-change-in-one-cartoon-chart/ Quartz], [https://www.sciencealert.com/why-4-5-million-years-of-fluctuating-global-temperatures-can-t-explain-climate-change-today Science Alert] and [https://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-xkcd-comic-20696 Climate Central]. It was promoted by famous individuals such as [https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/775632728548970500 Elon Musk] and even [https://twitter.com/unfccc/status/776129715799224320 twitted by the UN council on Climate Change], and obviously hated on by vocal {{rw|climate_change|climate change deniers}} and {{rw|crank|cranks}} such as [https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/53poul/josh_takes_on_xkcds_climate_timeline/ Anthony Watts]<sup><small>{{rw|Anthony_Watts|debunked}}</small></sup> and [http://joannenova.com.au/2016/09/how-to-make-climate-graphs-look-scary-a-reply-to-xkcd/ Joanne Nova]<sup><small>{{rw|Joanne_Nova|debunked}}</small></sup><br />
<br />
For more {{rw|rationalist}} critiques of this chart not driven by the agenda of pushing {{rw|pseudoscientific}} beliefs which are against the worldwide consensus, see the following articles:<br />
* [https://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-xkcd-comic-20696 Climate Change, Explained in One Simple Comic]<br />
* [https://reason.com/2016/09/14/send-around-this-xkcd-climate-change-web/ Send Around This XKCD Climate Change Web Cartoon, But Really Look at It First]<br />
* [https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/14/493925781/epic-climate-cartoon-goes-viral-but-it-has-one-key-problem Epic Climate Cartoon Goes Viral, But It Has One Key Problem]<br />
* [https://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2016/09/13/everybody-always-gets-this-wrong-even-smart-people Everybody Always Gets This Wrong, Even Smart People]<br />
<br />
Due to the increased level of interest in this comic, Randall made some changes to the site and to his release schedule:<br />
<br />
* XKCD normally releases new comics on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This comic was released on Monday; however, due to the amount of attention it was receiving, Randall decided to push the release of the next comic [[1733: Solar Spectrum]] one day back for a rare [[:Category:Thursday comics|Thursday release]]. [http://web.archive.org/web/20160915101125/http://xkcd.com/] [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_changed.png]<br />
* He added the following explanatory note to the header of xkcd.com, which remained until noon (EST) on Thursday:<br />
<blockquote>''Note: Since a lot of new people are here looking for this chart today, I'll be posting Wednesday's comic on Thursday instead.''</blockquote><br />
* The more-than-10-year-old [[xkcd warning]] and the [[footnote#3._Bitcoin_addresses|previous footnote]] were [[footnote#4._Footnote_removed|removed]] on the day of release, with the next footnote being added 22 days later.<br />
* On 2019-03-01, this comic became one of the six [[Design of xkcd.com|footer]] comics.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Large drawings]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Timelines]]<br />
[[Category:Line graphs]]<br />
[[Category:Maps]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] <br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]] <!--Pharao/Solomon/Cesar, Jesus? etc --><br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Climate change]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Music]] <!-- People with Guitars around Stone henge --><br />
[[Category:Fiction]] <!-- Iliad, Odyssey, 300 --><br />
[[Category:Sport]] <!-- Olympics --><br />
[[Category:Religion]] <!-- Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad --><br />
[[Category:Internet]]<br />
[[Category:Pokémon]]<br />
[[Category:Footer comics]]<br />
[[Category:Puns]] <!-- early American saying "cool." --><br />
[[Category:Volcanoes]]<br />
[[Category:Nuclear weapons]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1732:_Earth_Temperature_Timeline&diff=3147291732: Earth Temperature Timeline2023-06-01T11:38:46Z<p>Hawthorn: Fixing the terrible formatting of this list and also removing one article, which goes to a 404 page.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1732<br />
| date = September 12, 2016<br />
| title = Earth Temperature Timeline<br />
| before = [[#Explanation|↓ Skip to explanation ↓]]<br />
| image = earth_temperature_timeline.png<br />
| titletext = [After setting your car on fire] Listen, your car's temperature has changed before.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{TOC}} <br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is a [[:Category:Timelines|timeline]] on how the temperature has changed from 20,000 BCE (Before {{w|Common Era}}) to the present day (2016), with three predictions for the rest of the 21st century depending on what actions are taken (or not taken) to stop CO₂ emission. This comic is a direct, but much more thorough, follow up on the previous global warming comic: [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]]. By having readers scroll through millennia of slow-paced natural changes, Randall uses the comic to confront the rapid temperature rise in recent years. <br />
<br />
Over the past 100 years, human action has produced a large amount of {{w|CO₂ emissions}}, which have caused a rise in average global temperature through the {{w|greenhouse effect}}. This is called {{w|global warming}} and is part of a {{w|climate change}}, a subject that has become a [[:Category:Climate change|recurrent subject]] on xkcd. There are still many people who claim that this is not happening, or at least that it is not caused by any human actions, called {{w|Climate change denial|climate change deniers}}. One argument of theirs is that global warming is happening for natural causes, summarized with the phrase "temperature has changed before".<br />
<br />
This comic shows that while temperature changes have indeed occurred before, the speed of the current temperature rise is much, much faster than those measured for many previous thousands of years. The comic became so popular that [[Randall]] [[#Popularity_of_comic|postponed the release]] of his next comic to keep this one on the front page one day longer. <br />
<br />
The temperature curve is a dotted line most of the time, but from about 1850 to 2016 the measurement data is good enough to let the curve become a solid line indicating that this is not an estimate. Before 1850 the temperature is an estimate based on the [[#Sources|sources]] given. And likewise into the future the three possible curves are also dotted to show that they are predictions, based on how seriously the population of Earth takes knowledge (and comics) like this.<br />
<br />
Although this is a topic Randall obviously takes very seriously, and by far most of the facts fit with known history, he still includes several [[#Jokes in the comic|jokes in the comic]]. See also the [[#Table of all elements|table]] explaining each item in the comic.<br />
<br />
The title text compares the saying that "the temperature has changed before" comparing temperature changes over thousands of years to the rapid global warming over the last century with saying that the "small" changes to the temperature a car experiences over the years of normal usage should not make you worried over the rapid temperature increase that happens when someone sets your car on fire. Randall previously used this joke in [[1693: Oxidation]].<br />
<br />
===Jokes in the comic===<br />
* By placing the invention of the internet at 1980 in the chart, just where the temperature curve starts its most rapid increase, Randall humorously implies that the internet caused the rise in temperature.<br />
* At 13600 BCE a glacier is shown retreating from New York because of the warm up. It is disgusted by the new changes and proclaims: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!'' This is a joke on [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/want-to-move-to-canada-if-trump-wins-not-so-fast-100658/ an idiom said by US citizens] to protest against changes in their country. As shown in the chart, the glacier takes 5000 years (13600-8400 BCE) to cross what would become the Canadian border (neither the United States nor Canada existed yet).{{citation needed}} Also, glaciers don't speak English, or any language for that matter.{{Citation needed}}<br />
* At 13400 BCE it is mentioned that {{w|origin of the domestic dog|humans domesticate dogs}}. [[Megan]] talks to a wolf about to be tamed making a deal with it, that it can eat and sleep with the humans as long as they can yell at it for pooping indoors. This sounds like a sweet deal for the wolf until [[Cueball]] mentions that they will {{w|Dog breeding|breed}} it to be {{w|Chihuahua (dog)|very small}} and then dress it up in small {{w|Dog's fashion|costumes}}. The wolf says wait, but it is already too late...<br />
* The {{w|Pokémon}} reference at 9000 BCE about them going extinct in North America (although Megan, immediately underneath, does note that this is not a real fact). As the writing stated that ''Pokemon go extinct'' this can also be seen as a reference to a popular video game called {{w|Pokémon Go}} and hence also the comic [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]].<br />
* At 4500 BCE, next to "{{w|Proto-Indo-European language}} develops", [[Ponytail]] gets the idea to develop the language heavily inflected to make it difficult to remember all the verb endings for future students. This is a direct reference to the comic [[1709: Inflection]].<br />
* The reference to the 1984 {{w|mockumentary}} about the fake rock band {{w|This Is Spinal Tap}} in conjunction with {{w|Stonehenge}} at 2200 BCE. In the movie the band ordered a giant 18 feet Stonehenge megalith but a writing mistake gives them one that is only 18 inches high.<br />
**Another real band {{w|Nine Inch Nails}} is referenced 15000 BCE where Megan writes the band's stylized name NIИ on the wall next to [[Hairy]] who is in the process of painting the {{w|cave painting}} at {{w|Lascaux}} in France.<br />
* Around the setting of the {{w|Iliad}} and the {{w|Odyssey}} (1200 BCE) a drawing of the {{w|Trojan Horse}} has writing on it that states: ''Not a trap''. <br />
* Just below the previous entry also at 1200 BCE is the mentioning of the invasion of the {{w|Sea Peoples}}. This sounds so much like a reference to {{w|Mermaid|mermaids}}, often called {{w|Mermaid#One_Thousand_and_One_Nights|sea people}} that Randall feels the need to note that this invasion and these sea people is ''a real thing'' in a footnote. This is opposed to the Pokémon reference above where he notes that it is ''not a real fact''. The sea people was a seafaring confederation of groups known to have attacked ancient Egypt and other Bronze age civilizations around this time. It is widely regarded to be one of the major causes of the {{w|Late Bronze Age collapse|Bronze Age Collapse}}.<br />
* The reference at 450 BCE compares the {{w|Battle of Thermopylae}} (also known as 300 Spartans) with the dramatized 2007 movie ''{{w|300 (film)|300}}'', but in the real world the fighting of course occurred [https://youtu.be/FCfdyroV7kc?t=12 at regular speed and with more clothing].<br />
*There are other minor jokes but this list mentions all the major jokes.<br />
<br />
===Table of all elements===<br />
*Here is table including all elements in the chart with explanations including reading off temperature and year for each event from the curve.<br />
**The year group is just an easy way to find the section.<br />
**Element is a description mainly taken from the transcript. <br />
**The actual year of an event has been read off more precisely on the chart.<br />
***The central part of the element has mainly been used.<br />
***Only rarely has ranges below 100 years been used but if a location is clearly midway between two hundred years intervals 50 year range has been used. <br />
***Only when there are several posts close to each other has smaller range been used a few times.<br />
**T (°C) is the number of degrees Celsius above or below the 1961-1990 average, which on this graph is set to zero, (i.e. not the number of physical degrees above or below this 0°C).<br />
***These have been read of to 0.1°C rounding up or down. Lines have been inserted over the chart, 10 for each degree, to make this as accurate as possible.<br />
***In a few cases where a maximum is reached 0.05°C has been used<br />
**Explanation of each element.<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!Year group<br />
!Element<br />
!Year<br />
!T (°C)<br />
!Explanation<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 20000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow goes from the dotted line to the central line at 0°C (representing the 1961-1990 average). In the middle of the line there is a temperature label:] 4.3°C<br>At the start of our timeline, 22,000 years ago, Earth is 4°C colder than during the late 20<sup>th</sup> century. || 20000 BCE || -4.3 || The scale here is relative, showing the magnitude of change rather than an absolute temperature reading. As a rule, {{w|climate}} changes are compared with a 30 year interval, and the 1961-1990 average was {{w|Climate#Definition|chosen for convenience}} as the "normal" to compare temperature changes with, but any other choice of baseline would show the exact same changes. The {{w|Last glacial period}} (aka ice age) reached its {{w|Last Glacial Maximum|maximum extent}} approximately 22 to 24 thousand years ago.<br />
|-<br />
<br />
| {{w|Boston}} is buried under almost a mile of ice, and the {{w|glaciers}} reach as far south as {{w|New York City}}.<br> [The Statue of Liberty is shown in front of a glacier front. [[Knit Cap]] is seen in the snowy landscape. The skyline of Boston is shown under a half a mile of ice.] || 19700 BCE || -4.3 || This shows what a difference 4 degree in global temperature means (massive effect), as opposed to four degrees on a daily weather wise scale (trivial). The Boston image is directly taken from [[1225: Ice Sheets]] about the ice age glacier coverage; it was also shown buried in ice in [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]].<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 19500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| But the world is about to warm up. || 19500 BCE|| -4.3 || The warming process actually takes thousands of years, which this comic will portray down thousands of pixels to come. This is not a fast warm up, especially not compared to the one we are currently experiencing (at the bottom of the chart).<br />
|-<br />
| By this time, humans have already spread across {{w|Africa}}, {{w|Eurasia}}, and {{w|Australia}}. || 19300 BCE || -4.3 || {{w|Homo Sapiens}} successfully {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Movement_out_of_Africa|migrated out of Africa}} somewhere between {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Dating:_pre-or_post-Toba|130,000}} and {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Coastal_route|70,000}} BCE.<br />
|-<br />
| They’ve created {{w|painting}}, {{w|pottery}}, {{w|rope}}, and {{w|Bow and arrow|bows and arrows}}, but haven’t developed {{w|writing}} or {{w|farming}}. || 19100 BCE || -4.3 || The {{w|History of painting#Pre-history|oldest known paintings}} date back to about 38,000 BCE. The {{w|Ceramic_art#History|oldest known pottery}} date back to about 20,000 BCE. The {{w|Rope#History|oldest known rope}} date back to about 26,000 BCE. The {{w|History_of_archery#Stone_Age_and_Bronze_Age_archery|oldest known arrows}} date back to about 70,000 BCE, but Randall seems to be mistaken about the bows which seems to be {{w|History_of_archery#Stone_Age_and_Bronze_Age_archery|at most 10,000 years old}}. Writing is mentioned again at 3500 BCE and farming at 10,000 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 19000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Changes in the Earth’s orbit mean that more sunlight reaches the polar ice… || 18600 BCE || -4.2 ||{{w|Milankovitch cycles}} are repeated climate variations on a timescale of tens of millennia caused by cyclic variations in {{w|Orbital eccentricity|eccentricity}}, {{w|axial tilt}}, and {{w|precession}} of the {{w|Earth's orbit}}, which thus then determined climatic patterns on Earth. The Milankovitch cycles are referenced again around 4700 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| [A line chart with a labeled Y-axis "Summer sun W/m<sup>2</sup> at 60°N" with three labeled ticks ranging from 450-550. The curve starts up and then goes down five times and up four times ending down. There is one plateau towards the end compared to the rest of the curve where the ups and downs are quite alike.] || 18600 BCE || -4.2 || The chart shows the input of sun during summer time in the {{w|Northern hemisphere}} (at {{w|60° northern latitude}}) as the effect (W) per square meter (m<sup>2</sup>) which fluctuated in the range from 450-550 during the time shown in the chart. There is, however, no scale for the time between the peaks. This chart relates to the text about increasing sun to the polar ice in the entry above.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 18500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [A map of the world. At the top is a light gray area covering {{w|North America}}, {{w|Greenland}} and northern {{w|Europe}} and most of the northern part of {{w|Russia}}. A similar gray area covers {{w|Antarctica}}. The gray areas are labeled as ice.] || 18300 BCE || -4.2 || This [[:Category:Maps|map]] shows where the ice covered the {{w|northern hemisphere}} (and Antarctica) during the {{w|Last Glacial Maximum}}. The continents have not moved much since then, but the lower water level caused by the amount of water bound up in the ice, can clearly be seen in several locations. For instance, the {{w|British islands}}, Greenland, and {{w|Papua New Guinea}} are connected to their respective neighboring continents. Also {{w|Alaska}} and Russia are connected through the ice sheets covering the northern part of the Earth.<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 18000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| …And the ice sheets start to melt. || 17900 BCE || -4.1 || This was a slow process that takes 10,000 years. The ice is mentioned again at 13,600 and 8400 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 17500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Temperatures have been creeping upward, but around this point, CO<sub>2</sub> levels start to climb…|| 17300 BCE || -4.1 || Due to the release of gasses from various sources (dissolved in the ocean, trapped in {{w|permafrost}}, etc), {{w|Carbon dioxide in Earth's_atmosphere#Measuring ancient-Earth carbon dioxide concentration|atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> levels}} increased by 100 parts per million over a span of thousands of years. Modern civilization has added the same amount in a single century.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 17000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| …And then the warming speeds up. || 16700 BCE || -4.1 || It took 3000 years for the temperature to increase with one degree. So this sentence can be seen as sarcasm about the rate of natural climate change compared to modern {{w|anthropogenic}} (human caused) warming.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 16500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Cueball is standing with a spear just the right of the graph talking to a rabbit.]<br>Cueball: Still pretty cold. || 16200 BCE || -4.0 || True, because although the temperature has risen with 0.3°C over the last 4000 years, it's still 4°C below the 1961-1990 average.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 16000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Megan touches the dotted line to the right of her, with Ponytail standing on the other side. The graph has finally passed the -4°C line below the 1961-1990 average.] || 15600 BCE || -3.9 || Megan is the first drawing on the left side of the curve. She seems to be pushing the temperature up.<br />
|-<br />
| [In the right part of the chart is an explanation of the data. Below the first two lines there are four drawings each showing possible temperature swings in reality compared to the smoothed data that represents the dotted curve of the entire chart. The dotted curve is shown in all four drawings and a thin line is shown running along it but with much more fluctuation left and right on the first two, a large spike right on the third and a large bump way right on the fourth. Above these there are two labels. The first labels is inside a bracket that covers the first three, and the last label is for the last drawing. Below is a list of sources.] <br>Limits of this data: <br> Short warming or cooling spikes might be “smoothed out” by these reconstructions but only if they’re small or brief enough. <br> Possible Unlikely<br>Reconstructions are from Shakun (2012) and Marcott (2013), scaled to Annan + Hargreaves (2013) estimate for the last glacial period. || 15600 BCE || -3.9 || This is Randall's pre-emptive response to skepticism about the accuracy of prehistoric data. {{w|Ice cores}} and similar records might miss individual year-to-year variation, but should catch sustained changes lasting many decades, which is the time scale that matters for climate. See links to the [[#Sources|sources below]].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 15500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| In what is now {{w|France}}, humans paint murals on the walls of the {{w|Lascaux}} caves <br> [Hairy paints three animals, two with horns, and two humans, Cueball holding hand with Hairy who has a spear. On the other side of the central line Megan writes three letters, the last of which is reversed:] NIИ || 15200 BCE || -3.8 || A reference to the industrial techno band {{w|Nine Inch Nails}} as Megan writes the bands stylized name NIИ on the wall next to Hairy who is in the process of painting part of the {{w|cave paintings}} at Lascaux in France.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 15000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets around {{w|Alaska}} shrink, exposing a land bridge between Asia and North America <br> [From around the bottom if this section and down to 11500 BCE the dotted curve moved steadily to the right towards warmed temperature peaking close to 1.5°C below the 1961-1990 average. Before this the temperature had not moved much away from that at the start.] || 14600 BCE || -3.5 || This land bridge is known as {{w|Beringia}}. It is mentioned again at 8300 when it disappears due to the rising seas.<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 14500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Cueball walks right looking back at the graph behind him. Megan walks in front of him pointing further right.]<br> Cueball: Cool.<br> Humans reach {{w|North America}}. || 14200 BCE || -3.3 || This is approximately when the humans from {{w|Asia}} crossed the land bridge mentioned in the previous entry, from what is now {{w|Siberia}} to what is now {{w|Alaska}}. {{w|Settlement of the Americas}} occurred around the time shown in the chart, although {{w|Settlement_of_the_Americas#Chronology|it's possible}} that earlier humans did so by boat prior to the formation of the land bridge.<br>Cueball's comment is a double entendre; it was figuratively "cool" that early people migrated this far, and the climate was literally cool compared to modern times.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 14000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| The edge of the ice withdraws from {{w|New York City}} and retreats north. || 13700 BCE || -3.1 || Even though the ice began to melt 4000 years before (at 18,000 BCE in the chart) it is first now that New York City is free of ice.<br />
|-<br />
| [A large glacier front speaks in a speech bubble with an arrow pointing at it. Behind is there are four peaks in the horizon and in front of it three small melting pools and some rocks on the ground.] <br> Glacier: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!'' || 13600 BCE || -3.0 || When US citizens are unhappy with changes in their country, they sometimes say they will move to Canada in protest. Here it is the glacier that is anthropomorphically unhappy with the climate changes. However this is a slow process; it crosses the Canadian border more than 5000 years later.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 13500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans domesticate dogs <br> (Date uncertain, may be much earlier) || 13400 BCE || -3.0 || See {{w|Origin of the domestic dog}}. This timeline event is not quite accurate. The first dogs differentiated from {{w|Gray wolf|wolves}} about {{w|Origin_of_the_domestic_dog#Time_of_domestication|23,500 years ago}}, but there was an event around 13500 BCE that increased the population size and may be attributable to domestication events.<br />
|-<br />
|| [Megan and Cueball is watching a wolf looking at them.]<br>Megan: Okay, you can live in our homes and we’ll feed you, but we’ll still get mad if you poop on the floor. <br> Wolf: Deal. <br> Cueball: And we get to breed you to be tiny and dress you in little costumes. <br>Wolf: …Wait. || 13100 BCE || -2.8 || Megan is making a deal with the wolf that it can eat and sleep with the humans as long as they can yell at it for pooping indoor. This sounds like a sweet deal for the wolf until Cueball mentions that they will {{w|Dog breeding|breed}} it to be {{w|Chihuahua (dog)|very small}} and then dress it up in small {{w|Dog's fashion|costumes}}. The wolf says wait, but it is already too late...<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 13000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Woolly Rhino}} goes extinct || 12900 BCE || -2.7 || Mainland woolly rhinos died in the {{w|Quaternary extinction event}}, but a small island population survived until {{w|Woolly_rhinoceros#Extinction|around 8000 BCE}}. Woolly rhinos likely became extinct in part due to {{w|Holocene extinction|over-hunting}}. Randall's choice of species on this chart seems to focus on animals that were greatly affected by humans, for good or ill.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Oregon}} is scoured by huge floods as glacial dams burst and lakes of meltwater flow to the sea || 12600 BCE || -2.2 || This is a reference to the {{w|Missoula Floods}} several cataclysmic floods that swept periodically across eastern {{w|Washington}} and down the {{w|Columbia River Gorge}} flooding much of eastern Washington and the {{w|Willamette Valley}} in western Oregon at the end of the last ice age. During the last {{w|deglaciation}} ice dams formed then burst several times between 13,000 and 11,000 BCE. <br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 12500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets withdraw from Chicago || 12200 BCE || -1.8 || The next step towards the Canadian border, after they left New York at 13,600 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 12000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans settle {{w|Abu Hureyra}} in {{w|Syria}} || 11550 BCE || -1.6 || A well-preserved prehistoric village that existed from 11,000 to 7000 BCE (a little later than noted in the chart), allowing archaeologists to study how their culture developed.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 11500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow on the left side of the dotted curve is pointing down along the dotted curve and to the left indicate temperature is declining again, meaning the dotted curve now moves left to colder temperatures. This only continues until 10500 BCE. It is only the second time something is noted on the left side after Megan at 16000 BCE] <br> Temperatures start to decline, mainly in the Northern hemisphere<br> This may be caused by changes in ocean circulation due to the floods of cold fresh meltwater flowing into the Atlantic as the North American ice sheet melts. <br> This cooler period is called the {{w|Younger Dryas}} || 11300 BCE || -1.6 || In the Younger Dryas, the Earth cooled by almost one degree over 1000 years. There were {{w|Outburst flood#Glacial_floods_in_North_America_.288.2C000_to_15.2C000_years_ago.29|several floods}} during the end of the ice age but the most famous is the one from {{w|Lake Agassiz}}.<br>A similar but less global effect could occur if the ice on {{w|Greenland}} melts too quickly and causes a {{w|shutdown of thermohaline circulation}}. Without the {{w|Gulf Stream}}, hot water would remain in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean instead of warming the {{w|North Atlantic}} and Europe. The movie {{w|The Day After Tomorrow}} dramatized a worse-than-worst-case version of this, happening in days instead of centuries.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 11000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [This is the first text to the left of the dotted curve:] <br> Humans reach {{w|Argentina}} || 10900 BCE || -1.8 || The earliest evidence of {{w|Indigenous_peoples_in_Argentina#Prehistory|humans in Argentina}}.<br>Finally the temperature graph has risen enough that there is space to write text on the left side of the curve.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 10500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow pointing down along the right side of the dotted curve and to the right indicate temperature is increasing again, meaning the dotted curve now moves right to hotter temperatures. This continues until 8000 BCE where it levels out just above the 1961-1990 average.] <br> Warming resumes || 10500 BCE || -1.8 || After 1000 years of slightly decreasing temperatures the warm up of Earth resumes. Over the next 3000 years the temperature increases 2.5°C, reaching a long plateau about 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average around 7500 BCE.<br />
|-<br />
| Human settlements at {{w|Jericho}} ||10050 BCE || -1.4 || The {{w|Jericho#Pre-Pottery_Neolithic.2C_c._9500_BCE|first permanent settlement}} on the site of Jericho occurred around 9500 BCE, but there is evidence of {{w|Jericho#Natufian_hunter-gatherers.2C_c._10.2C000_BCE|non permanent settlement}} during this period, when cold and drought made permanent habitation in that region difficult.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 10000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| First development of {{w|farming}} || 9750 BCE || -1.1 || This is now called the {{w|Neolithic Revolution}}, i.e. the wide-scale transition of many human cultures from a lifestyle of {{w|Hunter-gatherer|hunting and gathering}} to one of {{w|agriculture}} and settlement. The {{w|history of agriculture}} began independently in several locations with both {{w|domestication}} of animals and the farming of different {{w|cereals}}. One of the first regions to develop farming was the {{w|Fertile Crescent}}.<br>This is also around this time that the last ice age is said to have ended.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 9500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Saber-toothed cat}} goes extinct || 9200 BCE || -0.3 || Although one of these (Smilodon) was known as the {{w|saber-toothed tiger}}, most saber-toothed "cats" are not related to tigers, or any modern {{w|cats}} at all, but can be viewed as examples of convergent evolution. {{w|Smilodon}} became extinct around 8000 BCE, and the last Saber-toothed cat first became extinct around 7000 BCE, which does not fit very well with Randall's range. Indirectly humans may have caused the extinction of the Saber-toothed cat by over-hunting their {{w|megafauna}} prey, depriving the cats of food sources.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Horses}} disappear from {{w|North America}} || 9100 BCE || -0.2 || The {{w|evolution of the horse}} began millions of years ago in North America; early species {{w|Evolution_of_the_horse#Miocene_and_Pliocene:_true_equines|migrated across Beringia into Eurasia}} before their predecessors {{w|Evolution_of_the_horse#Pleistocene_extinctions|died out}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 9000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| | Last North American {{w|Pokémon}} go extinct <br> [Cueball with a spear and Megan is looking up at this last “fact”.] <br> Megan: That is not a real fact. || 8900 BCE || -0.1 || Pokemon are not real. This faux-extinction is likely a reference to the {{w|Pokémon Go}} game, which Randall spoofed in [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]]. Virtual Pokémon now thrive throughout the entire world, and are most commonly found near [http://time.com/4443225/pokemon-go-affluent-white-neighborhoods-report/ affluent first world neighborhoods].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| Temperatures reach modern levels || 8800 BCE || 0.0 || It took 11,200 years for the temperature to increase 4.3°C. It's possible that human-created effects will produce an equal change in a few hundred years.<br />
|-<br />
| Rising seas cut off the {{w|land bridge}} between North America and Asia || 8700 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Beringia}} was freed of ice in 15,000 BCE. This is an example of what happens when the temperature rises and glaciers melt. Sea levels are rising again as ice on {{w|Greenland}} and {{w|Antarctica}} continues to melt.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Cattle}} domesticated || 8500 BCE || 0.2 || Cattle feature prominently in the comic [[1338: Land Mammals]].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 8500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets retreat across the Canadian border || 8400 BCE || 0.3 || Finally the glacier that began retreating from New York around 13,600 BCE succeeded in moving to Canada as it had threatened to do... <br />
|-<br />
| Temperatures start to level out slightly above 1961-1990 levels || 8050 BCE || 0.4 || The next 3000 years the temperature stays within 0.2°C degree of a temperature 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average. A very long and stable period.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 8000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [The above sentence breaks over the 8000 <small>BCE</small> line. From here a maximum in temperature on the chart is reached at 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average, which will not be overtaken until 2000 CE. It stays almost constant here until 5000 BCE where a slight cooling begins.] || 8000 BCE || 0.4 || This is the only five hundred year span with no events listed fully inside. Maybe because nothing happens with the temperature.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 7500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| This warm, stable period is called the {{w|Holocene Climate Optimum}} || 7400 BCE || 0.5 || Some skeptics like to say "[http://www.skepticalscience.com/10000-years-warmer.htm it was warmer in the Holocene]." This is no longer true. Global temperature began encroaching Holocene levels in 1998, and has equaled or possibly exceeded them since 2014.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jiahu}} settled in China || 7050 BCE || 0.5 || Jiahu is another prehistoric settlement, similar to Abu Hureyra (12000 BCE), that was extensively studied by archaeologists.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 7000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Final collapse of the North American ice sheet leads to rapid 2-4m sea level rise… || 6800 BCE || 0.55 || The temperature almost reached 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average before this happened and caused the slight decrease in temperature mentioned below.<br />
|-<br />
| [A small arrow points down and left to the right of the dotted curve. There is a small decrease in temperature but it is very small and would have been missed without the arrow and label.] <br>…And a period of cooling in the Northern hemisphere || 6550 BCE || 0.5 || A 0.05 degree decrease in 200 years again refers to the theme of slow natural climate change.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 6500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| As seas rise to near their modern levels, Britain is cut off from mainland Europe || 6300 BCE || 0.45 || This is a reference to the flooding of {{w|Doggerland}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 6000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans develop copper metalworking || 5600 BCE || 0.5 || The {{w|copper age}} was relatively brief before humans discovered how to make {{w|bronze}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 5500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Massive volcanic eruption in {{w|Oregon}} creates crater lake || 5300 BCE || 0.55 || {{w|Crater Lake}} is the caldera at the top of Mount Mazama, a collapsed stratovolcano. If it erupted again, it could become a Somma volcano (see [[1714: Volcano Types]]).<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gold}} metalworking || 5050 BCE || 0.6 || The temperature peaks here at just a bit more than 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average. It will not rise above this level until the global warming sets in in the 1900s.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 5000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Invention of the wheel}} || 4900 BCE || 0.6 || Wheels are one of the most important inventions of humanity. They feature in many xkcd comics, such as [[1075: Warning]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the dotted curve is an arrow pointing down and slightly left. From here temperature decreases very slowly but steadily from 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average until 1000 BCE where a stable plateau is reached around the 1961-1990 average.] <br> Earth begins to cool slowly mainly due to regular cycles in its orbit || 4800 BCE || 0.5 || Again a reference to the {{w|Milankovitch cycles}} mentioned in detail at 18,600 BCE. Here they cause a cooling rather than a heating as they did back then.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 4500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Proto-Indo-European language}} develops || 4400 BCE || 0.5 || Most of the languages in Europe, the Middle East, and India share a surprising number of common roots. PIE is the theoretical ancestor from which they descend. Randall mentions this language family in many comics, such as [[890: Etymology]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the curve Ponytail holds up a hand towards Cueball.]<br> Ponytail: Let’s make our language heavily inflected, so future students have to memorize a zillion verb endings!<br> Cueball: Okay! || 4400 BCE || 0.5 || Ponytail gets the idea to develop the language heavily inflected to make it difficult to remember all the verb endings for future students and Cueball is okay with that. This is a direct reference to the comic [[1709: Inflection]].<br />
|-<br />
| Permanent settlements in the {{w|fertile crescent}} || 4200 BCE || 0.5 || The Fertile Crescent is one of those things you're supposed to remember from grade school. A lot of historic milestones happened there, such as the pyramids of Giza, the code of Hammurabi, and the Abrahamic religions.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 4000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Horses domesticated || 3950 BCE || 0.5 || Horse riding was the greatest advance in land travel until the invention of engines. Horses appear in many xkcd comics, such as [[936: Password Strength]].<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Minoan culture}} arises on Crete || 3700 BCE || 0.5 || Minoan culture invented many strange and wonderful things, such as the Labyrinth at Knossos and {{w|Bull-leaping}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 3500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Egyptian mummification}} || 3500 BCE || 0.5 || xkcd has discussed mummification in {{what if|134|What If? 134: Space Burial}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Rise of the {{w|Indus Valley civilization}} || 3300 BCE || 0.5 || The largest bronze-age civilization.<br />
|-<br />
| Invention of {{w|writing}} in {{w|Sumer}} “{{w|prehistory}}” ends, “{{w|history}}” begins || 3200 BCE || 0.5 || Our knowledge of prehistoric events must rely on digging up artifacts and making inferences. After this time, it became possible to find descriptions of past people and events, which is the definition of history. (Old guy in Sumer: Kids these days with their new-fangled stone tablets, instead of using their memory...)<br />
|-<br />
| Earliest human whose name we know (Pharaoh {{w|Iry-Hor}} in Egypt) || 3100 BCE || 0.5 || The first named person we know of today! This was also mentioned as a "cool fact" in the title text of [[1355: Airplane Message]].<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="5"| 3000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors}} period in China || 2800 BCE || 0.4 || The temperature has finally dropped below 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average after almost 2000 years of cooling from 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gilgamesh}} || 2700 BCE || 0.4 || Gilgamesh was probably a Sumerian king whose tales were exaggerated into mythology.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Imhotep}} || 2600 BCE || 0.4 || Imhotep was not a pharaoh, but a wise commoner who was elevated to chancellor, high priest, and post-mortem divinity. <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Maya civilization|Mayan}} culture emerges || 2600 BCE || 0.4 || Like the ancient Egyptians, Mayans are remembered for pyramids and {{w|logograph}}s.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Great Pyramid}} constructed || 2650 BCE || 0.4 || xkcd has discussed pyramids in [[1717: Pyramid Honey]] and {{what if|95|What If? 95: Pryamid Energy}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Corded Ware culture}} in Europe || 2500 BCE || 0.3 || The term Corded Ware was invented by an archaeologist; no civilization actually called themselves that.<br />
|-<br />
| [To the left of the curve two rock musicians with long hair and electrical guitars are standing on either side of a small gate made of three slabs of stone, one on top of the other two standing stones.] <br> {{w|Stonehenge}} completed || 2200 || 0.3 || This is a reference to the 1984 {{w|mockumentary}} about the fake rock band {{w|This Is Spinal Tap}}. In the movie the band wanted a giant Stonehenge prop 18 feet high, but a writing mistake gives them one that is only 18 inches.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Chariots}} developed || 2000 BCE || 0.3 || But {{w|Chariots of Fire}} came much later.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Alphabetic writing}} developed in Egypt || 1750 BCE || 0.2 || Obligatory reference to xkcd [[1069: Alphabet]].<br />
|-<br />
| Last {{w|mammoth}}s on a tiny Siberian island go extinct || 1650 BCE || 0.2 || Many of the {{w|Pleistocene megafauna}} died in the {{w|Quaternary extinction event}}. Like the {{w|woolly rhino}} (see 12900 BCE) these animals likely became extinct in part due to {{w|Holocene extinction|humans hunting them}}, which may be why Randall included them in the chart. Most of the mammoths died out before 8000 BCE but {{w|Woolly_mammoth#Extinction|some survived in remote areas}} and the last known population died on {{w|Wrangel Island}} in the {{w|Arctic Ocean}} around 2000 BCE, slightly earlier than Randall shows here.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Minoan eruption}} || 1600 BCE || 0.2 || This volcano may have led to the downfall of Minoan civilization. <br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="5"| 1500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Iron smelting}} || 1400 BCE || 0.1 || The beginning of the {{w|Iron Age}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Olmec}} civilization develops in Central America || 1350 BCE || 0.1 || No, Maggie, not Aztec, [http://vimeo.com/34002760 Olmec].<br />
|-<br />
| [A Trojan horse with two Cueball-like guys in front and a third standing on its back. Its back is at three Cueball’s height and its head rises to the level of the Cueball on its back. It stands on a platform with four wheel on the visible side. There is text on the horse]<br> Setting of the ''{{w|Iliad}}'' and the ''{{w|Odyssey}}''<br> Text on horse: Not a trap || 1250 BCE || 0.1 || A reference to the {{w|Trojan War}} qua the drawing of the {{w|Trojan Horse}}. The horse was a big trap letting the soldiers hidden inside it into {{w|Troy}}. This explains why it has ''Not a trap'' written on it. Else they would not have taken the giant wooden horse present from their sworn enemies into their city just like that... Note that the Trojan horse isn't mentioned in the Iliad, and only recalled in passing by the characters in the Odyssey.<br />
|-<br />
| Invasion of the {{w|Sea peoples}}* <br>* A real thing || 1200 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Mermaid#One_Thousand_and_One_Nights|Sea people}} might sound like a reference to mythical {{w|mermaid}}s, so Randall feels the need to footnote that this event was ''a real thing'' (as opposed to his Pokémon reference, which he notes is ''not a real fact''). The sea peoples were a seafaring confederation of groups known to have attacked ancient Egypt around this time.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Polynesians}} explore the Pacific Ocean || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Polynesian navigation}} was surprisingly widespread.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="8"| 1000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [From 1000 BBC to 1000 CE the temperature is stable and very close to the 1961-1990 average.] || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || The temperature has fallen from the Holocene Optimum by half a degree to just a bit above the 1961-1990 average. It will stay in this range for the next 2000 years.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Solomon}} || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || Solomon may have been a real historical king, but he probably did not threaten to chop a baby in half.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Iliad}} and {{w|Odyssey}} composed || 900 BCE || 0.1 || These classic myths were written more than 300 years after their supposed events. Archaeologists believe the city of {{w|Troy}} existed (and was destroyed by war around the right time period), but characters like Helen, Odysseus, and Achilles did not.<br />
|- <br />
| Rise of {{w|Greek city-states}} || 800 BCE || 0.1 || This is ''Sparta'', along with Athens and several others.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Neo-Assyrian Empire}} || 800 BCE || 0.1 || Hi, you may remember us from such kings as Adad-nirari and Sennacherib.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Ancient Olympic Games|First Olympics}} || 750 BCE || 0.1 || The first of the ancient Olympic Games is traditionally dated to 776 BC.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Zapotec civilization|Zapotec}} writing in modern Mexico || 600 BCE || 0.0 || Another Central American culture that fell to the Spanish invasion.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Confucius}} || 550 BCE || 0.0 || "He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions."<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="10"| 500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| The stuff in the {{w|300 (film)|movie ''300''}}, but regular speed and with more clothing || 450 BCE || 0.0 || A reference to the {{w|Battle of Thermopylae}} by comparison with the 2007 movie ''300'' about this battle. The real Spartans wore armor, and real humans don't [http://www.google.com/search?q=300+slow-motion fly through the air in slow motion when struck].<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Buddha}} || 450 BCE || 0.0 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Jesus}} and {{w|Muhammad}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Nazca Lines}} || 350 BCE || 0.0 || These huge ancient drawings are difficult to see from ground level, leading some people to believe that they were intended for aliens.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Alexander the Great}} || 350 BCE || 0.0 || One of the most successful conquerors of the iron age, known for supposedly cutting the {{w|Gordian Knot}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Mayan hieroglyphics}} || 250 BCE || 0.0 || The {{w|Maya Calendar}} was probably created hundreds of years later.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Ashoka the Great}} || 250 BCE || 0.0 || The {{w|Edicts of Ashoka}} proselytized Buddhism across the continent.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Paper}} invented || 200 BCE || 0.0 || A significant step up from stone tablets or even papyrus.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Asterix}} || 100 BCE || 0.0 || Fictional main character in ''The Adventures of Asterix'', a comic series set around 50 BCE when {{w|Julius Caesar}} conquered {{w|Gaul}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w| Teotihuacan|Teotihuacán}} metropolis || 100 BCE || 0.0 || Another ancient city much beloved by archaeologists, even though they don't know who built it.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Julius Caesar}} || 50 BCE || 0.0 || Aside from being a conqueror, dictator, and deity, Julius had a big impact on {{w|Julian Calendar|calendars}}. The month of Quintilis was renamed July to honor him, and he was famously assassinated on the ides (middle day) of March.<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="8"|1 <small>BCE</small><br>1 <small>CE</small><br />
| [Instead of a zero, there are two numbers for each of the two scales before (1 BCE) and after Christ (1 CE)] || 0 CE || -0.1 || Originally the year range went directly from 1 BC to 1 AD. The year zero has since been added for ease of mathematical and astronomical calculations.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Roman Empire}} || 1 CE || -0.1 || Julius never held the title "Emperor"; his adoptive son Augustus was the first to do so.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jesus}} || 1 CE || -0.1 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Buddha}} and {{w|Muhammad}}.<br />
|-<br />
| [To the left and erupting volcano.] <br> {{w|Pompeii}} || 100 CE || -0.1 || The volcano is {{w|Mount Vesuvius}} which exploded in 79 CE and is famous for burying everyone in the close by city Pompeii preserving peoples bodies inside the huge amount of ash that swallowed the city very rapidly. Today it has given the archeologist lots of knowledge about the culture of that time.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Three Kingdoms}} period || 250 CE || -0.1 || Not just a series of movies and video games, but an actual thing that happened in China.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gupta empire}} || 700 CE || -0.1 || Not as great as Ashoka, but still a pretty important time in the history of India.<br />
|-<br />
| Various groups take turns sacking {{w|Rome}} || 550 CE || -0.1 || 500 years is a pretty successful span for an empire.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Attila the Hun}} || 550 CE || -0.1 || He probably would not mind being remembered as one of the most infamous barbarians in history.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 500 <small>CE</small><br />
| {{w|Muhammad}} || 600 CE || 0.0 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Buddha}} and {{w|Jesus}}<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Tang Dynasty}} || 750 CE || 0.0 || A golden age in China, responsible for the development of printing, gunpowder, and many other advances.<br />
|-<br />
| [An arrow to the right of the dotted curve pointing down, takes a swing far out from the curve and then bends back again. The text label next to it breaks into the next 500 period. The dotted curve stays stable at the 1961-1990 average along this arrow.] <br> {{w|Medieval warm period}} in Europe and some northern regions (too regional to affect the global average much) || 900 CE || 0.0 || Changes in ocean currents caused various regions to warm up while others cooled.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Leif Eriksson}} || 950 CE || 0.0 || Probably the first European explorer to reach North America.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="7"| 1000 <small>CE</small><br />
| [To the left a drawing of a compass with needle pointing the black end towards north east. There are labels for the four main directions (N, S, W, E) and a label next to it:]<br> {{w|Magnetic compass}} navigation || 1050 CE || 0.0 || It's much easier to sail to the Orient when you can orient yourself.<br />
|-<br />
| [The dotted curve moves to the left towards lower temperature reaching a minimum around 1650 CE of about 0.6°C below the 1961-1990 average at the {{w|Little Ice Age}}.] || 1150 CE || -0.1 || This less than half a degree drop in temperature over 500 years was enough to cause the "Little Ice Age" which resulted in extended ice coverage in the winters in instance Europe. See more below at the entry for the Little Ice Age.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Genghis Khan}} || 1200 CE || -0.2 || Mongol emperor. {{w|Gengar}} is not named after him, but [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Kangaskhan_(Pokémon) Kangaskhan] and [http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Khal the Khals] are.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Zheng He}}’s fleet explores Asia and Africa || 1400 CE || -0.3 || He explored farther than European contemporaries like Dias or de Gama.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Aztec Empire|Aztec Alliance}} || 1400 CE || -0.3 || Aztec dominance only lasted a century until Cortes arrived, but their cultural legacy is indisputable.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Printing press}} || 1450 CE || -0.3 || {{w|Johannes Gutenburg}} ushered in the {{w|Age of Enlightenment}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Christopher Columbus|Columbus}} || 1490 CE || -0.3 || The time given here references when Christopher Columbus reached the {{w|Americas|New World}} in 1492. The five events around 1500 CE lies very close together but it fits with Columbus fitted in just before 1500.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1500 <small>CE</small><br />
| {{w|European Renaissance}} || 1500 CE || -0.3 || From here on, the chart has labels for each 100 year increment instead of 500, but the scale stays the same. Important events happens so much faster in these last five hundred years, there isn't enough space to write all of them, so Randall has had to be selective. He includes {{w|Isaac Newton}} but leaves out {{w|Albert Einstein}}, includes {{w|airplane}}s but leaves out {{w|car}}s, etc.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Shakespeare}} || 1600 CE || -0.4 || xkcd references Shakespeare many times, such as [[79: Iambic Pentameter]] and [[1026: Compare and Contrast]].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1600 <br />
| {{w|Isaac Newton|Newton}} || 1650 CE || -0.4 || Isaac Newton appears in various xkcd comics, such as [[626: Newton and Leibniz]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the dotted curve there is an arrow pointing down that makes a swing in towards the curve and then back out again. This is the coldest it has been since 9500 BCE. It is labeled:]<br> ”{{w|Little Ice Age}}” || 1650 CE || -0.4 || This was not a true geologic Ice Age, just a slightly chilly period when the temperature fell a fraction of a degree, but still colder than it had been through 11,000 years of human civilization. In Europe the winters were so cold that the river {{w|Thames}} {{w|Little_Ice_Age#Europe|froze over}} hard enough to hold {{w|River Thames frost fairs}} between 1607 and 1814. And in 1658 {{w|Sweden}} crossed the {{w|Danish Straits}} on foot to invade {{w|Copenhagen}} in the {{w|March Across the Belts}}. It was only possible due to the harsh winters of the Little Ice Age, demonstrating how much half a degree of climate change can mean.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1700<br />
| {{w|Steam engines}} || 1750 CE || -0.4 || The {{w|Age of Steam}} heralded the upsurge of human CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|United States Declaration of Independence|Unites States Independence}} || 1770 CE || -0.3 || On July 4, 1776.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 1800<br />
| {{w|Industrial Revolution}} || 1825 CE || -0.3 || Not to be confused with {{w|Industrial music}} such as Nine Inch Nails.<br />
|- <br />
| {{w|Electrical telegraph|Telegraphs}} || 1830 CE || -0.3 || [https://youtu.be/4OLWJ1TMuNE?t=55s -. --- .-- --..-- / - .... . / -- --- - .... . .-. / --- ..-. / ... .- -- ..- . .-.. / -- --- .-. ... . / .- .-.. .-- .- -.-- ... / ... . -. - / - .... . / .-.. .- -.. / --- ..- - / --- -. / .- / .... --- .-. ... .]<br />
|-<br />
| [After this the dotted curve becomes solid.] || 1850 CE || -0.3 || From 1850 weather records became sufficiently accurate and widespread to greatly improve the precision of climate measurements. Hence the curve stops being an estimate and thus also stops being a dotted curve and becomes solid.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="6"| 1900<br />
| {{w|Airplane}}s || 1900 CE || -0.3 || xkcd discusses airplanes many times, such as [[726: Seat Selection]] and {{what if|30|30: Interplanetary Cessna}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|World Wars}} || 1930 CE || -0.2 || Likewise, there are many xkcds on this topic, such as [[261: Regarding Mussolini]] and {{what if|100|100: WWII Films}}.<br />
|-<br />
| [The solid line takes a step to the right close to the 1961-1990 average. Over the rest of the 1900s it moves closer to the 1961-1990 average, crossing it before 2000 where it almost reaches the maximum temperature of 0.5 °C above the 1961-1990 average from earlier in 8000 BCE.] || 1940 CE || -0.2 || This is what the previous 14000 pixels of comic has been leading up to. After a laborious 20 millennia of gradual and meandering climate change, it should be clear that a full degree of warming in a single century is unprecedented in human history, and very unlikely to be natural variation.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fossil fuel}} CO<sub>2</sub> emissions start rapidly increasing || 1950 CE || -0.1 || The infamous [http://www.skepticalscience.com/Hockey-stick-or-hockey-league.html "hockey stick"] starts around here.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Nuclear weapons}} || 1950 CE || -0.1 || The Working Group on the 'Anthropocene' suggests dating the {{w|Anthropocene}} epoch from ~1950. The week after this comic [[1736: Manhattan Project]] with a mushroom cloud was released.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Internet}} || 1980 CE || 0.1 || The origin of the internet dates back to 1960 but it began growing rapidly in 1980. By placing the invention of the {{w|internet}} at 1980 in the chart, just where the temperature curve starts its most rapid increase, Randall uses this [[552: Correlation|correlation]] to humorously imply that the internet caused the rise in temperature.<br> This is also where the temperature crosses the 1961-1990 average, which has to happen somewhere due to the {{w|Intermediate Value Theorem}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 2000<br />
| {{w|Northwest Passage}} opens || 2000 CE || 0.4 || This was dramatic evidence that the climate had changed. When global warming removes enough sea ice to create shipping routes that never existed before, then it is clear to people that ''something'' is changing, even if they disregard who/what is responsible for the change.<br />
|-<br />
|[From here to present day the solid line increases rapidly and in 2016, present day, is almost reaches 1°C above the 1961-1990 average, with about 0.8°C above the 1961-1990 average.] || 2016 CE || 0.8 || '''Notice''': [http://www.skepticalscience.com/argument.php?a=11&p=2 Warming did not stop] in 1998.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2016<br />
| | Present day || 2016 CE || 0.8 || Today, just after the two hottest months ever measured since 1850 had ended (July and August 2016), this comic was released with the message displayed very clearly here below. Act now or fry...<br />
|-<br />
| [From here the curve once again becomes dotted as this is the future. After one dot it splits in two and after the first two dots another split between them occurs forming three possible future dotted curves.] || 2016 CE || 0.8 || Here stops the data and the projection into the future begins so the curve again becomes dotted. Three different scenarios are depicted.<br />
|-<br />
|The first curve bending down before the others, and thus to the right of the other two reaches about 1.2°C above the 1961-1990 average and then goes straight down and stops at the 2100 line. An arrow points to it from the left and a label is written partly before and the rest after the 2100 line to the left of the curve:] <br>Best-case scenario assuming immediate massive action to limit emissions || 2100 CE || 1.2 || If humanity does all in its power to stop global warming we might be able to halt the global warming already before 2050 keeping the maximum temperature to just 1.2°C above the 1961-1990 average. Only 0.4°C above today's temperature. (Note that this is not, in fact, the absolute best-case scenario, as it assumes that no new greenhouse gasses are either added to or removed from the atmosphere in the future; the temperature rise could be kept to an even lower level if some or all of the already-emitted greenhouse gasses were removed from the atmosphere.)<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 2100<br />
| [The middle curve bends a little down after reaching 1.3°C above the 1961-1990 average, and then continues this path reaching 2°C above the 1961-1990 average in 2100. An arrow point from below to it and a label is written below the curve and below 2100 line:] <br> Optimistic scenario|| 2100 CE || 2.0 || If all the current realistic preventions are implemented, which might not be so realistic, then we may not even stop the warming but slow it down so we "only" reach 2°C above the 1961-1990 average in 2100 CE but it would not stop there. This is half the temperature change experienced since the ice age, but the other way. This was directly referenced in the title text of [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]]: ''That's only HALF an ice age unit (IAU), which is probably no big deal.''<br />
|-<br />
| [The last line continues along the path from the last 16 years of the solid line reaching 4.2°C above the 1961-1990 average at 2100, almost as far on the other side of the 1961-1990 average in 150 years as it took 14,000 years to move from the other side from the start of the chart. Another arrow point to this from below with a label below the curve and below 2100 line:] <br> Current Path || 2100 CE || 4.2 || In this last scary scenario Randall assumes the temperature keeps rising steadily by extrapolating along the slope of the last two to three years. Randall has warned about the hazards of [[Extrapolating]], but this line is in fact [http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-best-to-worst-case-scenarios.html below the worst case predictions]. If this comes true we will reach a temperature increase taking us from the 1961-1990 average and in just 125 years to 4.2°C above this average. That is just as far above this average in that short time span as the ice age temperature was below. And it took more than 11,000 years for nature to reach such an increase. Randall already contemplated what this would be like in the +1 ice age unit (IAU) panel of [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]] two years ago, as well as in [[164: Playing Devil's Advocate to Win]] almost 10 years ago. He may get to ''enjoy quite a ride'' as he "wished" for back then. <br />
<br />
There is no reason to assume the temperature will not keep rising past 2100 CE, so the {{w|Cretaceous Thermal Maximum|"Hothouse Earth"}} of the early {{w|Cretaceous period}} mentioned in the 4.5 degree comics +2 IAU panel might come to pass in future centuries if we continue on our current path. On the bright side, modern civilization might collapse if this trend keeps up, which would drastically cut our releases of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. But then again, positive feedback from methane in melting {{w|permafrost}} might take over... Good luck Earth.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Sources===<br />
The image attributes climate data sources as "Shakun et al. (2012), Marcott et al. (2013), Annan and Hargreaves (2013), HadCRUT4, IPCC":<br />
* Shakun, Jeremy D.; Clark, Peter U.; He, Feng; Marcott, Shaun A.; Mix, Alan C.; Liu, Zhengyu; Otto-Bliesner, Bette; Schmittner, Andreas; Bard, Edouard (2012-04-04). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160520043848/http://www.atm.damtp.cam.ac.uk/mcintyre/shakun-co2-temp-lag-nat12.pdf "Global warming preceded by increasing carbon dioxide concentrations during the last deglaciation"] (PDF). ''Nature''. '''484''' (7392): 49–54. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnature10915 10.1038/nature10915]. ISSN [https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1476-4687 1476-4687]. Archived from [https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10915 the original] on 2016-05-20.<br />
* Marcott, Shaun A.; Shakun, Jeremy D.; Clark, Peter U.; Mix, Alan C. (2013-03-08). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130412021608/https://content.csbs.utah.edu/~mli/Economics%207004/Marcott_Global%20Temperature%20Reconstructed.pdf "A Reconstruction of Regional and Global Temperature for the Past 11,300 Years"] (PDF). ''Science''. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.1228026 10.1126/science.1228026]. Archived from [https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1228026 the original] on 2013-04-12.<br />
* Annan, J. D.; Hargreaves, J. C. (2013-02-13). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200728042751/https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/9/367/2013/cp-9-367-2013.pdf "A new global reconstruction of temperature changes at the Last Glacial Maximum"] (PDF). ''Climate of the Past''. '''9''' (1): 367–376. doi:[https://doi.org/10.5194%2Fcp-9-367-2013 10.5194/cp-9-367-2013]. ISSN [https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1814-9324 1814-9324]. Archived from [https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/9/367/2013/ the original] on 2020-07-28.<br />
* {{w|HadCRUT|HadCRUT (Hadley Centre/Climatic Research Unit Temperature)}} - [http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcrut4/ Official site] <br />
* {{w|Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change}} - [http://www.ipcc.ch/ Official site]<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
'''Note''' there are several spelling errors in the comic, so please do only correct spelling errors that are not part of the comic! See more in the [[#Trivia|trivia section]].<br />
:[A large heading, followed by a sub-caption. Below that two lines with a statement in between:]<br />
:<big>A timeline of Earth’s average temperature</big><br />
:since the last ice age glaciation<br />
:When people say “The climate has changed before,” these are the kinds of changes they’re talking about.<br />
<br />
:[A very long chart below the headings above is headed with a label for the scale of the X-axis above the chart. Below that a sub-caption. To the left an arrow down to the top of the chart pointing to the dotted curves starting point (at -4.3°C below the 1961-1990 average) with a label above the arrow. And arrow pointing left to the left of the center and another pointing right to the right of the center has labels. Below these is the temperature scale of the X-axis, with 9 ticks between the borders each with a label ranging from -4 to +4°C compared to the 1961-1990 average, but with another step in each direction not labeled towards to axis so the chart covers -5 to +5°C compared to the 1961-1990 average.]<br />
:'''Temperature'''<br />
: <small>Compared to the 1961-1990 average</small><br />
:Start<br />
:Colder<br />
:Warmer<br />
:-4°C -3°C -2°C -1°C 0°C +1°C +2°C +3°C +4°C<br />
<br />
:[To the right of the chart is a gray text standing on the side down along the outer boarder of the chart with the sources for the chart:]<br />
: <font color="gray">Source: Shakun et. al. (2012) , Marcott et. al. (2013), Annan and Hargreaves (2013) , HadCRUT<sub>4</sub>, IPCC </font><br />
<br />
:[The chart is split in 10 columns by the temperature scale and the borders. The two central columns are white, and then from there to the left the background becomes a faded color that changes from light blue to blue at the edge in four steps. Similarly to the right the color changes from light red to red. To the left there is a time scale taking 500 years leaps from 20,000 BCE all the way to year 1, where there are two years, one for BBC and one for CE. The 500 year leaps continue until 1500 CE and from there the steps are down to 100 years until 2100 with also present day 2016 labeled. After 1500 the CE is omitted. The labels stop there, but there is space below covering down to 2200 CE. There is clearly visible division line across the chart on the level of each of the 500 step, and fainter lines for each of the 100 steps all the way even though only the last 5 of these 100 steps are labeled. There is a similar clear line at 2016. Below each step on the Y-axis is noted, and then any text starting before the next step is noted below indented. If there are extra image belonging to text this is indented once more. The graph that the whole chart is about is a dotted line that begins at the “start” point mentioned above at -4.3°C and then begins to go straight down. It will change left and right all the way down. To being with all text and most drawings are to right of the dotted curve. Whenever something is to the left it will be noted. When it says to the left above something, and then nothing over the next, then the next will be to the right. Only at the very bottom are there more entries to the left than right. ]<br />
:20000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow goes from the dotted line to the central line at 0°C. In the middle of the line there is a temperature label:]<br />
::4.3°C<br />
::At the start of our timeline, 22,000 years ago, Earth is 4°C colder than during the late 20<sup>th</sup> century.<br />
::Boston is buried under almost a mile of ice, and the glaciers reach as far south as New York City.<br />
:::[The Statue of Liberty is shown in front of a glacier front. A very tiny Cueball is on top of the glacier. The drawing is labeled and so is also the glacier.]<br />
:::New York<br />
:::Ice<br />
:::[Cueball (wearing a knit cap with a pom-pom is seen walking in a snowy landscape leaving black footprints behind him. He walks through the white central part of the chart.]<br />
:::[The skyline of Boston is shown with two clear buildings among all the other. Above it is a line and in between this area has been filled with thin lines. The drawing is labeled and so is this area. Also the skyline has an arrow pointing at it with a label:]<br />
:::Boston<br />
:::Ice<br />
:::Modern skyline<br />
<br />
:19500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::But the world is about to warm up.<br />
::By this time, humans have already spread across Africa, Eurasia, and Australia.<br />
::They’ve created painting, pottery, rope, and bows and arrows, but haven’t developed writing or farming.<br />
<br />
:19000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Changes in the Earth’s orbit mean that more sunlight reaches the polar ice…<br />
:::[A line chart with a labeled Y-axis with three labeled ticks. The curve starts up and then goes down five times and up four times ending down. There is one plateau towards the end compared to the rest of the curve where the ups and downs are quite alike.]<br />
:::Summer sun W/m<sup>2</sup> at 60°N<br />
:::550<br />
:::500<br />
:::450<br />
<br />
:18500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[A map of the world. At the top is a light gray area covering North America, Greenland and northern Europe and most of the northern part of Russia. A similar gray area covers Antarctica. There are two labels in the gray area above and one in the gray area below:]<br />
::Ice Ice<br />
::Ice<br />
<br />
:18000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::…And the ice sheets start to melt.<br />
<br />
:17500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Temperatures have been creeping upward, but around this point, CO<sub>2</sub> levels start to climb…<br />
<br />
:17000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::…And then the warming speeds up.<br />
<br />
:16500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Cueball is standing with a spear just the right of the graph talking to a rabbit.]<br />
::Cueball: Still pretty cold.<br />
<br />
:16000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Megan points to the graph to the right of her and between her and Ponytail standing on the other side. Mean is the first drawing on the left side of the dotted curve, which has hardly moved since the beginning, only to just on the other side of 4°C.]<br />
::[In the right part of the chart is an explanation of the data. Below the first two lines there are four drawings each showing possible temperature swings in reality compared to the smoothed data that represents the dotted curve of the entire chart. The dotted curve is shown in all four drawings and a thin line is shown running along it but with much more fluctuation left and right on the first two, a large spike right on the third and a large bump way right on the fourth. Above these there are two labels. The first labels is inside a bracket that covers the first three, and the last label is for the last drawing. Below is a list of sources.]<br />
::Limits of this data:<br />
::Short warming or cooling spikes might be “smoothed out” by these reconstructions but only if they’re small or brief enough.<br />
:::Possible Unlikely<br />
::Reconstructions are from Shakun (2012) and Marcott (2013), scaled to Annan + Hargreaves (2013) estimate for the last glacial period.<br />
<br />
:15500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::In what is now France, humans paint murals on the walls of the Lascaux caves<br />
::[Hairy paints three animals, two with horns, and two humans, Cueball holding hand with Hairy who has a spear. On the other side of the central line Megan writes three letters, the last of which is reversed.]<br />
:::NIИ<br />
<br />
:15000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets around Alaska shrink, exposing a land bridge between Asia and North America<br />
::[From around the bottom if this section and down to 11500 BCE the dotted curve moved steadily to the right towards warmed temperature peaking close to -1.5°C. Before this the temperature had not moved much away from that at the start.]<br />
<br />
:14500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Cueball walks right looking back at the graph behind him. Megan walks in front of him pointing further right.]<br />
::Cueball: Cool.<br />
::Humans reach North America.<br />
<br />
:14000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::The edge of the ice withdraws from New York City and retreats North.<br />
::[A large glacier front speaks in a speech bubble with an arrow pointing at it. Behind is there are four peaks in the horizon and in front of it three small melting pools and some rocks on the ground.]<br />
::Glacier: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!''<br />
<br />
:13500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans domesticate dogs<br />
::(Date uncertain, may be much earlier)<br />
::[Megan and Cueball is watching a wolf looking at them.]<br />
::Megan: Okay, you can live in our homes and we’ll feed you, but we’ll still get mad f you poop on the floor.<br />
::Wolf: Deal.<br />
::Cueball: And we get to breed you to be tiny and dress you in little costumes.<br />
::Wolf: …Wait.<br />
<br />
:13000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Randall did not use the normal spelling for Woolly Rhino, but this is an accepted alternative spelling:]<br />
::Wooly Rhino goes extinct<br />
::Oregon is scoured by huge floods as glacial dams burst and lakes of meltwater flow to the sea<br />
<br />
:12500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets withdraw from Chicago<br />
<br />
:12000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans settle Abu Hureyra in Syria<br />
<br />
:11500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow on the left side of the dotted curve is pointing down along the dotted curve and to the left indicate temperature is declining again, meaning the dotted curve now moves left to colder temperatures. This only continues until 10500 BCE. It is only the second time something is noted on the left side after Megan at 16000 BCE]<br />
::Temperatures start to decline, mainly in the Northern hemisphere<br />
::This may be caused by changes in ocean circulation due to the floods of cold fresh meltwater flowing into the Atlantic as the North American ice sheet melts.<br />
::This cooler period is called the Younger Dryas<br />
<br />
:11000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[This is the first text to the left of the dotted curve:]<br />
::Humans reach Argentina<br />
<br />
:10500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow pointing down along the right side of the dotted curve and to the right indicate temperature is increasing again, meaning the dotted curve now moves right to hotter temperatures. This continues until 8000 BCE where it levels out just above 0°C.]<br />
::Warming resumes<br />
::Human settlements at Jericho<br />
<br />
:10000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::First development of farming<br />
<br />
:9500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Saber-toothed cat goes extinct<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Horses disappear from North America<br />
<br />
:9000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left, Randall spelled Pokémon wrong:]<br />
:::Last North American Pokemon go extinct<br />
:::[Cueball with a speak and Megan is looking up at this last “fact”.]<br />
:::Megan: That is not a real fact.<br />
::Temperatures reach modern levels<br />
::Rising seas cut off the land bridge between North America and Asia<br />
::Cattle domesticated<br />
<br />
:8500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets retreat across the Canadian border<br />
::Temperatures start to level out slightly above 1961-1990 levels<br />
<br />
:8000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[The above sentence breaks over the 8000 <small>BCE</small> line. From here a maximum in temperature on the chart is reached at 0.5°C which will not be overtaken until 2000 CE. It stays almost constant here until 5000 BCE where a slight cooling begins.]<br />
<br />
:7500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::This warm, stable period is called the Holocene Climate Optimum<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Jiahu settled in China<br />
<br />
:7000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Final collapse of the North American ice sheet leads to rapid 2-4m sea level rise…<br />
::[A small arrow points down and left to the right of the dotted curve. There is a small decrease in temperature but it is very small and would have been missed without the arrow and label.]<br />
::…And a period of cooling in the Northern hemisphere<br />
<br />
:6500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::As seas rise to near their modern levels, Britain is cut off from mainland Europe<br />
<br />
:6000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans develop copper metalworking<br />
<br />
:5500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Massive volcanic eruption in Oregon creates crater lake<br />
::Gold metalworking<br />
<br />
:5000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invention of the wheel<br />
::[To the left. To the right of the dotted curve is an arrow pointing down and slightly left. From here temperature decreases very slowly but steadily from 0.5°C until 1000 BCE where a stable plateau is reached around 0°C.]<br />
::Earth begins to cool slowly mainly due to regular cycles in its orbit<br />
<br />
:4500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
:: Proto-Indo-European language develops<br />
:::[To the right of the curve Ponytail holds up a hand towards Cueball.]<br />
:::Ponytail: Let’s make our language heavily inflected, so future students have to memorize a zillion verb endings!<br />
:::Cueball: Okay!<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Permanent settlements in the fertile crescent<br />
<br />
:4000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Horses domesticated<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Minoan culture arises on Crete<br />
<br />
:3500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Egyptian mummification<br />
::Rise of the Indus Valley civilization<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invention of writing in Sumer “prehistory” ends, “history” begins<br />
::Earliest human whose name we know<br />
::<small>(Pharaoh Iry-Hor in Egypt)</small><br />
<br />
:3000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::''Three Sovereigns and five emperors'' period in China<br />
::Gilgamesh<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Imhotep<br />
::Mayan culture emerges<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Great Pyramid constructed<br />
<br />
:2500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Corded Ware culture in Europe<br />
::[To the left of the curve two rock musicians with long hair and electrical guitars are standing on either side of a small gate made of three slabs of stone, one on top of the other two standing stones.]<br />
::Stonehenge completed<br />
::Chariots developed<br />
<br />
:2000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Alphabetic writing developed in Egypt<br />
::Last mammoths on a tiny Siberian island go extinct<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Minoan eruption<br />
<br />
:1500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Iron smelting<br />
::Olmec civilization develops in Central America<br />
::[A Trojan horse with two Cueball-like guys in front and a third standing on its back. Its back is at three Cueball’s height and its head rises to the level of the Cueball on its back. It stands on a platform with four wheel on the visible side. There is text on the horse]<br />
:::Setting of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey''<br />
:::Text on horse: Not a trap<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invasion of the Sea peoples*<br />
::<small>* A real thing</small><br />
::Polynesians explore the Pacific Ocean<br />
<br />
:1000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[From 1000 BBC to 1000 CE the temperature is stable and very close to 0°C.]<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Solomon<br />
::Illiad [sic] and Odyssey composed <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Rise of Greek city-states<br />
::Neo-Assyrian empire<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::First Olympics<br />
::Zapotec writing in modern Mexico<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Confucius<br />
<br />
:500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::The stuff in the 300 (film)|movie ''300'', but regular speed and with more clothing<br />
::Buddha<br />
::Nazca Lines<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Alexander the Great<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Mayan hieroglyphics<br />
::Ashoka the Great<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Paper invented<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Asterix<br />
::Teotihuacán metropolis<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Julius Caesar<br />
<br />
:[At the year 0, there is instead two numbers for each of the two scales before and after Christ:]<br />
:1 <small>BCE</small><br />
:1 <small>CE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Roman Empire<br />
::Jesus<br />
::[To the left and erupting volcano.]<br />
::Pompeii<br />
::Three Kingdoms period<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Gupta empire<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Various groups take turns sacking Rome<br />
::Attila the Hun<br />
<br />
:500 <small>CE</small><br />
::Muhammad<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Tang Dynasty<br />
::[An arrow to the right of the dotted curve pointing down, takes a swing far out from the curve and then bends back again. The text label next to it breaks into the next 500 period. The dotted curve stays stable at 0°C along this arrow.]<br />
::Medieval warm period in Europe and some northern regions (too regional to affect the global average much)<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Leif Eriksson<br />
<br />
:1000 <small>CE</small><br />
::[The dotted curve moves to the left towards lower temperature reaching a minimum around 1650 of about -0.6°C at the Little Ice Age.]<br />
::[To the left a drawing of a compass with needle pointing the black end towards north east. There are labels for the four main directions and a label next to it:]<br />
:::<small>N</small><br />
:::<small>W E</small><br />
:::<small>S</small><br />
:::Magnetic compass navigation<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Ghengis [sic] Khan <br />
::Zheng He’s fleet explores Asia and Africa<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Aztec Alliance <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Printing press<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Columbus<br />
<br />
:1500 <small>CE</small><br />
::European Renaissance<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Shakespeare<br />
<br />
:1600 <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Newton<br />
::[To the right of the dotted curve there is an arrow pointing down that makes a swing in towards the curve and then back out again. At -0.6°C this is the coldest it has been since 9500 BCE. It is labeled:]<br />
::”Little Ice Age”<br />
<br />
:1700<br />
::Steam engines<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Unites States Independence<br />
<br />
:1800<br />
::Industrial Revolution<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Telegraphs<br />
::[After this the dotted curve becomes solid.]<br />
<br />
:1900<br />
::[To the left, and on the line for 1900:]<br />
::Airplanes<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::World Wars<br />
::[The solid line takes a step to the right close to 0°C. Over the rest of the 1900s it moves closer to 0°C crossing it before 2000 where it almost reaches the maximum temperature of 0.5 °C from earlier in 8000 BCE.]<br />
::Fossil fuel CO<sub>2</sub> emissions start rapidly increasing<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Nuclear weapons<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Internet<br />
<br />
:2000<br />
::Northwest Passage opens<br />
::[From here to present day the solid line increases rapidly and in 2016 present day is almost reaches 1°C, with about 0.8°C.]<br />
<br />
:2016<br />
::[To the left on the line for 2016:]<br />
::Present day<br />
::[From here the curve once again becomes dotted as this is the future. After one dot it splits in two and after the first two dots another split between them occurs forming three possible future dotted curves. The first curve bending down before the others, and thus to the right of the other two reaches about 1.2°C and then goes straight down and stops at the 2100 line. An arrow points to it from the left and a label is written patly before and the rest after the 2100 line to the left of the curve:]<br />
::Best-case scenario assuming immediate massive action to limit emissions<br />
<br />
:2100<br />
::[The middle curve bends a little down after reaching 1.3°C and then continues this path reaching 2°C in 2100. An arrow point from below to it and a label is written below the curve and below 2100 line:]<br />
::Optimistic scenario<br />
::[The last line continues along the path from the last 16 years of the solid line reaching 4.2°C at 2100, almost as far on the other side of 0°C in 150 years as it took 14000 years to move from the other side from the start of the chart. Another arrow point to this from below with a label below the curve and below 2100 line:]<br />
::Current Path<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*There have been several ''[[:Category:Large drawings|large drawings]]'' in the history of xkcd, some of which are bigger than this one (for instance [[1110: Click and Drag]]). <br />
**Among those that can be viewed in one go, without downloading a larger file or moving around, this is by far the longest.<br />
**The next longest is probably [[482: Height]].<br />
*The timeline starts at 20,000 BCE (22,000 years ago) and ends at 2100 CE, thus covering 22,100 years. <br />
*There are several spelling mistakes. <br />
**Most obvious is the second time Randall wrote the word "Iliad," because he just spelled it correctly at 1500 BCE and then spelled it ''Illiad'' at 1000 BCE with two Ls.<br />
**Attila the Hun was initially misspelt ''Atilla the Hun'' with ''one'' T and ''two'' Ls, but this was corrected at some point.<br />
**Genghis Khan is misspelt as ''Ghengis Khan'' (a common error).<br />
**Pokémon is spelled ''Pokemon'', but then again, that is not so strange for Randall (see [[1647: Diacritics]]). Despite that, he usually spells it correctly, as in [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]].<br />
**Note that the fact that woolly rhinoceros becomes ''Wooly rhino'' with only one l is not a spelling mistake but an alternative spelling of the word.<br />
*The following notable facts are absent<br />
**1850: methodical temperature record begins. However, this fact is indirectly indicated when the temperature curve becomes solid around 1850 and until present day.<br />
**The entire swing period between 20 and 200 thousand years prior to now would depict temperature swings with increasing frequency and amplitude (ref geological record). But of course, this could not be included in a comic that only goes back to 20,000 BCE. <br />
**During much of the 300 million years prior to that, the Earth was significantly warmer than now. However, the data's temporal precision decreases with age; seemingly abrupt changes millions of years ago might have happened over centuries or millennia. Hence, the older data is not usable to compare rates of change.<br />
<br />
===Popularity of comic===<br />
This comic received attention from a much broader audience than most xkcd comics. It was discussed admiringly by news sites such as [http://www.popsci.com/xkcd-earth-average-temperature-timeline Popular Science], [http://reason.com/blog/2016/09/14/send-around-this-xkcd-climate-change-web Reason], [http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2016/09/13/xkcd_takes_on_global_warming.html Slate], [http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-comic-masterfully-shows-how-climate-has-changed-through-time-180960451/ Smithsonian], [http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2016/09/13/heres-22000-years-of-climate-changes-in-a-single-comic/ Forbes], [https://www.vox.com/2016/9/12/12891814/climate-change-xkcd-graphic Vox], [https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/14/493925781/epic-climate-cartoon-goes-viral-but-it-has-one-key-problem NPR], [https://qz.com/780391/xkcd-tells-the-entire-history-of-humanity-and-climate-change-in-one-cartoon-chart/ Quartz], [https://www.sciencealert.com/why-4-5-million-years-of-fluctuating-global-temperatures-can-t-explain-climate-change-today Science Alert] and [https://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-xkcd-comic-20696 Climate Central]. It was promoted by famous individuals such as [https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/775632728548970500 Elon Musk] and even [https://twitter.com/unfccc/status/776129715799224320 twitted by the UN council on Climate Change], and obviously hated on by vocal {{rw|climate_change|climate change deniers}} and {{rw|crank|cranks}} such as [https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/53poul/josh_takes_on_xkcds_climate_timeline/ Anthony Watts]<sup><small>{{rw|Anthony_Watts|debunked}}</small></sup> and [http://joannenova.com.au/2016/09/how-to-make-climate-graphs-look-scary-a-reply-to-xkcd/ Joanne Nova]<sup><small>{{rw|Joanne_Nova|debunked}}</small></sup><br />
<br />
For more {{rw|rationalist}} critiques of this chart not driven by the agenda of pushing {{rw|pseudoscientific}} beliefs which are against the worldwide consensus, see the following articles:<br />
* [https://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-xkcd-comic-20696 Climate Change, Explained in One Simple Comic]<br />
* [https://reason.com/2016/09/14/send-around-this-xkcd-climate-change-web/ Send Around This XKCD Climate Change Web Cartoon, But Really Look at It First]<br />
* [https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/14/493925781/epic-climate-cartoon-goes-viral-but-it-has-one-key-problem Epic Climate Cartoon Goes Viral, But It Has One Key Problem]<br />
* [https://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2016/09/13/everybody-always-gets-this-wrong-even-smart-people Everybody Always Gets This Wrong, Even Smart People]<br />
<br />
* Due to increased interest, Randall decided to push the release of the next comic [[1733: Solar Spectrum]] one day back for a rare [[:Category:Thursday comics|Thursday release]] instead of the scheduled [[:Category:Wednesday comics|Wednesday release]]. <br />
** He [http://web.archive.org/web/20160915101125/http://xkcd.com/ noted this] above [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_changed_for_all_comics.png|all the comics]] in the [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_changed.png|header text on xkcd]]:<br />
::''Note: Since a lot of new people are here looking for this chart today,''<br />
::''I'll be posting Wednesday's comic on Thursday instead.''<br />
:* Before that, the [http://web.archive.org/web/20160912181546/https://xkcd.com/ normal heading] with the release day of xkcd was shown.<br />
:* This was (of course) still there Tuesday the [http://web.archive.org/web/20160913231501/http://xkcd.com/ day after] the release, because it was first on Wednesday there were reasons to note the delay.<br />
:* It stayed in place even [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_changed_also_when_next_comic_was_released.png|for some time after]] the "Wednesday" comic was released on Thursday, but was [http://web.archive.org/web/20160915154605/http://xkcd.com/ then removed] before [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_back_to_normal_shortly_after_next_comic_was_released.png|noon (EST)]] on Thursday.<br />
:** Randall did thus not post a link to this comic in the header text for new visitors to use, only giving them that one extra day.<br />
:* Even though the next comic was released on a Thursday, the scheduled Friday comic [[1734: Reductionism]] was still released as planned. <br />
:** This was also the first time this occurred on xkcd - see [[1734: Reductionism#Trivia|this trivia item]] from the Friday comic.<br />
* On 2019-03-01, this comic became one of the six [[Design of xkcd.com|footer]] comics.<br />
<br />
==== Removal of warning and footnote ====<br />
* This comic's popularity was probably the reason both the more-than-10-year-old [[warning|xkcd warning]] and the [[footnote#3._Bitcoin_addresses|previous footnote]] were [[footnote#4._Footnote_removed|removed]] on the day of this comic's release. <br />
** The next footnote was added 22 days later.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Large drawings]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Timelines]]<br />
[[Category:Line graphs]]<br />
[[Category:Maps]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] <br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]] <!--Pharao/Solomon/Cesar, Jesus? etc --><br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Climate change]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Music]] <!-- People with Guitars around Stone henge --><br />
[[Category:Fiction]] <!-- Iliad, Odyssey, 300 --><br />
[[Category:Sport]] <!-- Olympics --><br />
[[Category:Religion]] <!-- Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad --><br />
[[Category:Internet]]<br />
[[Category:Pokémon]]<br />
[[Category:Footer comics]]<br />
[[Category:Puns]] <!-- early American saying "cool." --><br />
[[Category:Volcanoes]]<br />
[[Category:Nuclear weapons]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1732:_Earth_Temperature_Timeline&diff=3147281732: Earth Temperature Timeline2023-06-01T11:37:13Z<p>Hawthorn: Removing this line - it is presented without context, which is confusing (it is referring to a line in the NPR critique linked in the paragraph above). In any case, this page is intended for discussing the comic, not responding to critiques.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1732<br />
| date = September 12, 2016<br />
| title = Earth Temperature Timeline<br />
| before = [[#Explanation|↓ Skip to explanation ↓]]<br />
| image = earth_temperature_timeline.png<br />
| titletext = [After setting your car on fire] Listen, your car's temperature has changed before.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{TOC}} <br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is a [[:Category:Timelines|timeline]] on how the temperature has changed from 20,000 BCE (Before {{w|Common Era}}) to the present day (2016), with three predictions for the rest of the 21st century depending on what actions are taken (or not taken) to stop CO₂ emission. This comic is a direct, but much more thorough, follow up on the previous global warming comic: [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]]. By having readers scroll through millennia of slow-paced natural changes, Randall uses the comic to confront the rapid temperature rise in recent years. <br />
<br />
Over the past 100 years, human action has produced a large amount of {{w|CO₂ emissions}}, which have caused a rise in average global temperature through the {{w|greenhouse effect}}. This is called {{w|global warming}} and is part of a {{w|climate change}}, a subject that has become a [[:Category:Climate change|recurrent subject]] on xkcd. There are still many people who claim that this is not happening, or at least that it is not caused by any human actions, called {{w|Climate change denial|climate change deniers}}. One argument of theirs is that global warming is happening for natural causes, summarized with the phrase "temperature has changed before".<br />
<br />
This comic shows that while temperature changes have indeed occurred before, the speed of the current temperature rise is much, much faster than those measured for many previous thousands of years. The comic became so popular that [[Randall]] [[#Popularity_of_comic|postponed the release]] of his next comic to keep this one on the front page one day longer. <br />
<br />
The temperature curve is a dotted line most of the time, but from about 1850 to 2016 the measurement data is good enough to let the curve become a solid line indicating that this is not an estimate. Before 1850 the temperature is an estimate based on the [[#Sources|sources]] given. And likewise into the future the three possible curves are also dotted to show that they are predictions, based on how seriously the population of Earth takes knowledge (and comics) like this.<br />
<br />
Although this is a topic Randall obviously takes very seriously, and by far most of the facts fit with known history, he still includes several [[#Jokes in the comic|jokes in the comic]]. See also the [[#Table of all elements|table]] explaining each item in the comic.<br />
<br />
The title text compares the saying that "the temperature has changed before" comparing temperature changes over thousands of years to the rapid global warming over the last century with saying that the "small" changes to the temperature a car experiences over the years of normal usage should not make you worried over the rapid temperature increase that happens when someone sets your car on fire. Randall previously used this joke in [[1693: Oxidation]].<br />
<br />
===Jokes in the comic===<br />
* By placing the invention of the internet at 1980 in the chart, just where the temperature curve starts its most rapid increase, Randall humorously implies that the internet caused the rise in temperature.<br />
* At 13600 BCE a glacier is shown retreating from New York because of the warm up. It is disgusted by the new changes and proclaims: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!'' This is a joke on [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/want-to-move-to-canada-if-trump-wins-not-so-fast-100658/ an idiom said by US citizens] to protest against changes in their country. As shown in the chart, the glacier takes 5000 years (13600-8400 BCE) to cross what would become the Canadian border (neither the United States nor Canada existed yet).{{citation needed}} Also, glaciers don't speak English, or any language for that matter.{{Citation needed}}<br />
* At 13400 BCE it is mentioned that {{w|origin of the domestic dog|humans domesticate dogs}}. [[Megan]] talks to a wolf about to be tamed making a deal with it, that it can eat and sleep with the humans as long as they can yell at it for pooping indoors. This sounds like a sweet deal for the wolf until [[Cueball]] mentions that they will {{w|Dog breeding|breed}} it to be {{w|Chihuahua (dog)|very small}} and then dress it up in small {{w|Dog's fashion|costumes}}. The wolf says wait, but it is already too late...<br />
* The {{w|Pokémon}} reference at 9000 BCE about them going extinct in North America (although Megan, immediately underneath, does note that this is not a real fact). As the writing stated that ''Pokemon go extinct'' this can also be seen as a reference to a popular video game called {{w|Pokémon Go}} and hence also the comic [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]].<br />
* At 4500 BCE, next to "{{w|Proto-Indo-European language}} develops", [[Ponytail]] gets the idea to develop the language heavily inflected to make it difficult to remember all the verb endings for future students. This is a direct reference to the comic [[1709: Inflection]].<br />
* The reference to the 1984 {{w|mockumentary}} about the fake rock band {{w|This Is Spinal Tap}} in conjunction with {{w|Stonehenge}} at 2200 BCE. In the movie the band ordered a giant 18 feet Stonehenge megalith but a writing mistake gives them one that is only 18 inches high.<br />
**Another real band {{w|Nine Inch Nails}} is referenced 15000 BCE where Megan writes the band's stylized name NIИ on the wall next to [[Hairy]] who is in the process of painting the {{w|cave painting}} at {{w|Lascaux}} in France.<br />
* Around the setting of the {{w|Iliad}} and the {{w|Odyssey}} (1200 BCE) a drawing of the {{w|Trojan Horse}} has writing on it that states: ''Not a trap''. <br />
* Just below the previous entry also at 1200 BCE is the mentioning of the invasion of the {{w|Sea Peoples}}. This sounds so much like a reference to {{w|Mermaid|mermaids}}, often called {{w|Mermaid#One_Thousand_and_One_Nights|sea people}} that Randall feels the need to note that this invasion and these sea people is ''a real thing'' in a footnote. This is opposed to the Pokémon reference above where he notes that it is ''not a real fact''. The sea people was a seafaring confederation of groups known to have attacked ancient Egypt and other Bronze age civilizations around this time. It is widely regarded to be one of the major causes of the {{w|Late Bronze Age collapse|Bronze Age Collapse}}.<br />
* The reference at 450 BCE compares the {{w|Battle of Thermopylae}} (also known as 300 Spartans) with the dramatized 2007 movie ''{{w|300 (film)|300}}'', but in the real world the fighting of course occurred [https://youtu.be/FCfdyroV7kc?t=12 at regular speed and with more clothing].<br />
*There are other minor jokes but this list mentions all the major jokes.<br />
<br />
===Table of all elements===<br />
*Here is table including all elements in the chart with explanations including reading off temperature and year for each event from the curve.<br />
**The year group is just an easy way to find the section.<br />
**Element is a description mainly taken from the transcript. <br />
**The actual year of an event has been read off more precisely on the chart.<br />
***The central part of the element has mainly been used.<br />
***Only rarely has ranges below 100 years been used but if a location is clearly midway between two hundred years intervals 50 year range has been used. <br />
***Only when there are several posts close to each other has smaller range been used a few times.<br />
**T (°C) is the number of degrees Celsius above or below the 1961-1990 average, which on this graph is set to zero, (i.e. not the number of physical degrees above or below this 0°C).<br />
***These have been read of to 0.1°C rounding up or down. Lines have been inserted over the chart, 10 for each degree, to make this as accurate as possible.<br />
***In a few cases where a maximum is reached 0.05°C has been used<br />
**Explanation of each element.<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!Year group<br />
!Element<br />
!Year<br />
!T (°C)<br />
!Explanation<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 20000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow goes from the dotted line to the central line at 0°C (representing the 1961-1990 average). In the middle of the line there is a temperature label:] 4.3°C<br>At the start of our timeline, 22,000 years ago, Earth is 4°C colder than during the late 20<sup>th</sup> century. || 20000 BCE || -4.3 || The scale here is relative, showing the magnitude of change rather than an absolute temperature reading. As a rule, {{w|climate}} changes are compared with a 30 year interval, and the 1961-1990 average was {{w|Climate#Definition|chosen for convenience}} as the "normal" to compare temperature changes with, but any other choice of baseline would show the exact same changes. The {{w|Last glacial period}} (aka ice age) reached its {{w|Last Glacial Maximum|maximum extent}} approximately 22 to 24 thousand years ago.<br />
|-<br />
<br />
| {{w|Boston}} is buried under almost a mile of ice, and the {{w|glaciers}} reach as far south as {{w|New York City}}.<br> [The Statue of Liberty is shown in front of a glacier front. [[Knit Cap]] is seen in the snowy landscape. The skyline of Boston is shown under a half a mile of ice.] || 19700 BCE || -4.3 || This shows what a difference 4 degree in global temperature means (massive effect), as opposed to four degrees on a daily weather wise scale (trivial). The Boston image is directly taken from [[1225: Ice Sheets]] about the ice age glacier coverage; it was also shown buried in ice in [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]].<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 19500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| But the world is about to warm up. || 19500 BCE|| -4.3 || The warming process actually takes thousands of years, which this comic will portray down thousands of pixels to come. This is not a fast warm up, especially not compared to the one we are currently experiencing (at the bottom of the chart).<br />
|-<br />
| By this time, humans have already spread across {{w|Africa}}, {{w|Eurasia}}, and {{w|Australia}}. || 19300 BCE || -4.3 || {{w|Homo Sapiens}} successfully {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Movement_out_of_Africa|migrated out of Africa}} somewhere between {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Dating:_pre-or_post-Toba|130,000}} and {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Coastal_route|70,000}} BCE.<br />
|-<br />
| They’ve created {{w|painting}}, {{w|pottery}}, {{w|rope}}, and {{w|Bow and arrow|bows and arrows}}, but haven’t developed {{w|writing}} or {{w|farming}}. || 19100 BCE || -4.3 || The {{w|History of painting#Pre-history|oldest known paintings}} date back to about 38,000 BCE. The {{w|Ceramic_art#History|oldest known pottery}} date back to about 20,000 BCE. The {{w|Rope#History|oldest known rope}} date back to about 26,000 BCE. The {{w|History_of_archery#Stone_Age_and_Bronze_Age_archery|oldest known arrows}} date back to about 70,000 BCE, but Randall seems to be mistaken about the bows which seems to be {{w|History_of_archery#Stone_Age_and_Bronze_Age_archery|at most 10,000 years old}}. Writing is mentioned again at 3500 BCE and farming at 10,000 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 19000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Changes in the Earth’s orbit mean that more sunlight reaches the polar ice… || 18600 BCE || -4.2 ||{{w|Milankovitch cycles}} are repeated climate variations on a timescale of tens of millennia caused by cyclic variations in {{w|Orbital eccentricity|eccentricity}}, {{w|axial tilt}}, and {{w|precession}} of the {{w|Earth's orbit}}, which thus then determined climatic patterns on Earth. The Milankovitch cycles are referenced again around 4700 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| [A line chart with a labeled Y-axis "Summer sun W/m<sup>2</sup> at 60°N" with three labeled ticks ranging from 450-550. The curve starts up and then goes down five times and up four times ending down. There is one plateau towards the end compared to the rest of the curve where the ups and downs are quite alike.] || 18600 BCE || -4.2 || The chart shows the input of sun during summer time in the {{w|Northern hemisphere}} (at {{w|60° northern latitude}}) as the effect (W) per square meter (m<sup>2</sup>) which fluctuated in the range from 450-550 during the time shown in the chart. There is, however, no scale for the time between the peaks. This chart relates to the text about increasing sun to the polar ice in the entry above.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 18500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [A map of the world. At the top is a light gray area covering {{w|North America}}, {{w|Greenland}} and northern {{w|Europe}} and most of the northern part of {{w|Russia}}. A similar gray area covers {{w|Antarctica}}. The gray areas are labeled as ice.] || 18300 BCE || -4.2 || This [[:Category:Maps|map]] shows where the ice covered the {{w|northern hemisphere}} (and Antarctica) during the {{w|Last Glacial Maximum}}. The continents have not moved much since then, but the lower water level caused by the amount of water bound up in the ice, can clearly be seen in several locations. For instance, the {{w|British islands}}, Greenland, and {{w|Papua New Guinea}} are connected to their respective neighboring continents. Also {{w|Alaska}} and Russia are connected through the ice sheets covering the northern part of the Earth.<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 18000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| …And the ice sheets start to melt. || 17900 BCE || -4.1 || This was a slow process that takes 10,000 years. The ice is mentioned again at 13,600 and 8400 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 17500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Temperatures have been creeping upward, but around this point, CO<sub>2</sub> levels start to climb…|| 17300 BCE || -4.1 || Due to the release of gasses from various sources (dissolved in the ocean, trapped in {{w|permafrost}}, etc), {{w|Carbon dioxide in Earth's_atmosphere#Measuring ancient-Earth carbon dioxide concentration|atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> levels}} increased by 100 parts per million over a span of thousands of years. Modern civilization has added the same amount in a single century.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 17000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| …And then the warming speeds up. || 16700 BCE || -4.1 || It took 3000 years for the temperature to increase with one degree. So this sentence can be seen as sarcasm about the rate of natural climate change compared to modern {{w|anthropogenic}} (human caused) warming.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 16500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Cueball is standing with a spear just the right of the graph talking to a rabbit.]<br>Cueball: Still pretty cold. || 16200 BCE || -4.0 || True, because although the temperature has risen with 0.3°C over the last 4000 years, it's still 4°C below the 1961-1990 average.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 16000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Megan touches the dotted line to the right of her, with Ponytail standing on the other side. The graph has finally passed the -4°C line below the 1961-1990 average.] || 15600 BCE || -3.9 || Megan is the first drawing on the left side of the curve. She seems to be pushing the temperature up.<br />
|-<br />
| [In the right part of the chart is an explanation of the data. Below the first two lines there are four drawings each showing possible temperature swings in reality compared to the smoothed data that represents the dotted curve of the entire chart. The dotted curve is shown in all four drawings and a thin line is shown running along it but with much more fluctuation left and right on the first two, a large spike right on the third and a large bump way right on the fourth. Above these there are two labels. The first labels is inside a bracket that covers the first three, and the last label is for the last drawing. Below is a list of sources.] <br>Limits of this data: <br> Short warming or cooling spikes might be “smoothed out” by these reconstructions but only if they’re small or brief enough. <br> Possible Unlikely<br>Reconstructions are from Shakun (2012) and Marcott (2013), scaled to Annan + Hargreaves (2013) estimate for the last glacial period. || 15600 BCE || -3.9 || This is Randall's pre-emptive response to skepticism about the accuracy of prehistoric data. {{w|Ice cores}} and similar records might miss individual year-to-year variation, but should catch sustained changes lasting many decades, which is the time scale that matters for climate. See links to the [[#Sources|sources below]].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 15500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| In what is now {{w|France}}, humans paint murals on the walls of the {{w|Lascaux}} caves <br> [Hairy paints three animals, two with horns, and two humans, Cueball holding hand with Hairy who has a spear. On the other side of the central line Megan writes three letters, the last of which is reversed:] NIИ || 15200 BCE || -3.8 || A reference to the industrial techno band {{w|Nine Inch Nails}} as Megan writes the bands stylized name NIИ on the wall next to Hairy who is in the process of painting part of the {{w|cave paintings}} at Lascaux in France.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 15000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets around {{w|Alaska}} shrink, exposing a land bridge between Asia and North America <br> [From around the bottom if this section and down to 11500 BCE the dotted curve moved steadily to the right towards warmed temperature peaking close to 1.5°C below the 1961-1990 average. Before this the temperature had not moved much away from that at the start.] || 14600 BCE || -3.5 || This land bridge is known as {{w|Beringia}}. It is mentioned again at 8300 when it disappears due to the rising seas.<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 14500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Cueball walks right looking back at the graph behind him. Megan walks in front of him pointing further right.]<br> Cueball: Cool.<br> Humans reach {{w|North America}}. || 14200 BCE || -3.3 || This is approximately when the humans from {{w|Asia}} crossed the land bridge mentioned in the previous entry, from what is now {{w|Siberia}} to what is now {{w|Alaska}}. {{w|Settlement of the Americas}} occurred around the time shown in the chart, although {{w|Settlement_of_the_Americas#Chronology|it's possible}} that earlier humans did so by boat prior to the formation of the land bridge.<br>Cueball's comment is a double entendre; it was figuratively "cool" that early people migrated this far, and the climate was literally cool compared to modern times.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 14000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| The edge of the ice withdraws from {{w|New York City}} and retreats north. || 13700 BCE || -3.1 || Even though the ice began to melt 4000 years before (at 18,000 BCE in the chart) it is first now that New York City is free of ice.<br />
|-<br />
| [A large glacier front speaks in a speech bubble with an arrow pointing at it. Behind is there are four peaks in the horizon and in front of it three small melting pools and some rocks on the ground.] <br> Glacier: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!'' || 13600 BCE || -3.0 || When US citizens are unhappy with changes in their country, they sometimes say they will move to Canada in protest. Here it is the glacier that is anthropomorphically unhappy with the climate changes. However this is a slow process; it crosses the Canadian border more than 5000 years later.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 13500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans domesticate dogs <br> (Date uncertain, may be much earlier) || 13400 BCE || -3.0 || See {{w|Origin of the domestic dog}}. This timeline event is not quite accurate. The first dogs differentiated from {{w|Gray wolf|wolves}} about {{w|Origin_of_the_domestic_dog#Time_of_domestication|23,500 years ago}}, but there was an event around 13500 BCE that increased the population size and may be attributable to domestication events.<br />
|-<br />
|| [Megan and Cueball is watching a wolf looking at them.]<br>Megan: Okay, you can live in our homes and we’ll feed you, but we’ll still get mad if you poop on the floor. <br> Wolf: Deal. <br> Cueball: And we get to breed you to be tiny and dress you in little costumes. <br>Wolf: …Wait. || 13100 BCE || -2.8 || Megan is making a deal with the wolf that it can eat and sleep with the humans as long as they can yell at it for pooping indoor. This sounds like a sweet deal for the wolf until Cueball mentions that they will {{w|Dog breeding|breed}} it to be {{w|Chihuahua (dog)|very small}} and then dress it up in small {{w|Dog's fashion|costumes}}. The wolf says wait, but it is already too late...<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 13000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Woolly Rhino}} goes extinct || 12900 BCE || -2.7 || Mainland woolly rhinos died in the {{w|Quaternary extinction event}}, but a small island population survived until {{w|Woolly_rhinoceros#Extinction|around 8000 BCE}}. Woolly rhinos likely became extinct in part due to {{w|Holocene extinction|over-hunting}}. Randall's choice of species on this chart seems to focus on animals that were greatly affected by humans, for good or ill.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Oregon}} is scoured by huge floods as glacial dams burst and lakes of meltwater flow to the sea || 12600 BCE || -2.2 || This is a reference to the {{w|Missoula Floods}} several cataclysmic floods that swept periodically across eastern {{w|Washington}} and down the {{w|Columbia River Gorge}} flooding much of eastern Washington and the {{w|Willamette Valley}} in western Oregon at the end of the last ice age. During the last {{w|deglaciation}} ice dams formed then burst several times between 13,000 and 11,000 BCE. <br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 12500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets withdraw from Chicago || 12200 BCE || -1.8 || The next step towards the Canadian border, after they left New York at 13,600 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 12000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans settle {{w|Abu Hureyra}} in {{w|Syria}} || 11550 BCE || -1.6 || A well-preserved prehistoric village that existed from 11,000 to 7000 BCE (a little later than noted in the chart), allowing archaeologists to study how their culture developed.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 11500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow on the left side of the dotted curve is pointing down along the dotted curve and to the left indicate temperature is declining again, meaning the dotted curve now moves left to colder temperatures. This only continues until 10500 BCE. It is only the second time something is noted on the left side after Megan at 16000 BCE] <br> Temperatures start to decline, mainly in the Northern hemisphere<br> This may be caused by changes in ocean circulation due to the floods of cold fresh meltwater flowing into the Atlantic as the North American ice sheet melts. <br> This cooler period is called the {{w|Younger Dryas}} || 11300 BCE || -1.6 || In the Younger Dryas, the Earth cooled by almost one degree over 1000 years. There were {{w|Outburst flood#Glacial_floods_in_North_America_.288.2C000_to_15.2C000_years_ago.29|several floods}} during the end of the ice age but the most famous is the one from {{w|Lake Agassiz}}.<br>A similar but less global effect could occur if the ice on {{w|Greenland}} melts too quickly and causes a {{w|shutdown of thermohaline circulation}}. Without the {{w|Gulf Stream}}, hot water would remain in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean instead of warming the {{w|North Atlantic}} and Europe. The movie {{w|The Day After Tomorrow}} dramatized a worse-than-worst-case version of this, happening in days instead of centuries.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 11000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [This is the first text to the left of the dotted curve:] <br> Humans reach {{w|Argentina}} || 10900 BCE || -1.8 || The earliest evidence of {{w|Indigenous_peoples_in_Argentina#Prehistory|humans in Argentina}}.<br>Finally the temperature graph has risen enough that there is space to write text on the left side of the curve.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 10500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow pointing down along the right side of the dotted curve and to the right indicate temperature is increasing again, meaning the dotted curve now moves right to hotter temperatures. This continues until 8000 BCE where it levels out just above the 1961-1990 average.] <br> Warming resumes || 10500 BCE || -1.8 || After 1000 years of slightly decreasing temperatures the warm up of Earth resumes. Over the next 3000 years the temperature increases 2.5°C, reaching a long plateau about 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average around 7500 BCE.<br />
|-<br />
| Human settlements at {{w|Jericho}} ||10050 BCE || -1.4 || The {{w|Jericho#Pre-Pottery_Neolithic.2C_c._9500_BCE|first permanent settlement}} on the site of Jericho occurred around 9500 BCE, but there is evidence of {{w|Jericho#Natufian_hunter-gatherers.2C_c._10.2C000_BCE|non permanent settlement}} during this period, when cold and drought made permanent habitation in that region difficult.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 10000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| First development of {{w|farming}} || 9750 BCE || -1.1 || This is now called the {{w|Neolithic Revolution}}, i.e. the wide-scale transition of many human cultures from a lifestyle of {{w|Hunter-gatherer|hunting and gathering}} to one of {{w|agriculture}} and settlement. The {{w|history of agriculture}} began independently in several locations with both {{w|domestication}} of animals and the farming of different {{w|cereals}}. One of the first regions to develop farming was the {{w|Fertile Crescent}}.<br>This is also around this time that the last ice age is said to have ended.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 9500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Saber-toothed cat}} goes extinct || 9200 BCE || -0.3 || Although one of these (Smilodon) was known as the {{w|saber-toothed tiger}}, most saber-toothed "cats" are not related to tigers, or any modern {{w|cats}} at all, but can be viewed as examples of convergent evolution. {{w|Smilodon}} became extinct around 8000 BCE, and the last Saber-toothed cat first became extinct around 7000 BCE, which does not fit very well with Randall's range. Indirectly humans may have caused the extinction of the Saber-toothed cat by over-hunting their {{w|megafauna}} prey, depriving the cats of food sources.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Horses}} disappear from {{w|North America}} || 9100 BCE || -0.2 || The {{w|evolution of the horse}} began millions of years ago in North America; early species {{w|Evolution_of_the_horse#Miocene_and_Pliocene:_true_equines|migrated across Beringia into Eurasia}} before their predecessors {{w|Evolution_of_the_horse#Pleistocene_extinctions|died out}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 9000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| | Last North American {{w|Pokémon}} go extinct <br> [Cueball with a spear and Megan is looking up at this last “fact”.] <br> Megan: That is not a real fact. || 8900 BCE || -0.1 || Pokemon are not real. This faux-extinction is likely a reference to the {{w|Pokémon Go}} game, which Randall spoofed in [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]]. Virtual Pokémon now thrive throughout the entire world, and are most commonly found near [http://time.com/4443225/pokemon-go-affluent-white-neighborhoods-report/ affluent first world neighborhoods].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| Temperatures reach modern levels || 8800 BCE || 0.0 || It took 11,200 years for the temperature to increase 4.3°C. It's possible that human-created effects will produce an equal change in a few hundred years.<br />
|-<br />
| Rising seas cut off the {{w|land bridge}} between North America and Asia || 8700 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Beringia}} was freed of ice in 15,000 BCE. This is an example of what happens when the temperature rises and glaciers melt. Sea levels are rising again as ice on {{w|Greenland}} and {{w|Antarctica}} continues to melt.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Cattle}} domesticated || 8500 BCE || 0.2 || Cattle feature prominently in the comic [[1338: Land Mammals]].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 8500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets retreat across the Canadian border || 8400 BCE || 0.3 || Finally the glacier that began retreating from New York around 13,600 BCE succeeded in moving to Canada as it had threatened to do... <br />
|-<br />
| Temperatures start to level out slightly above 1961-1990 levels || 8050 BCE || 0.4 || The next 3000 years the temperature stays within 0.2°C degree of a temperature 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average. A very long and stable period.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 8000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [The above sentence breaks over the 8000 <small>BCE</small> line. From here a maximum in temperature on the chart is reached at 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average, which will not be overtaken until 2000 CE. It stays almost constant here until 5000 BCE where a slight cooling begins.] || 8000 BCE || 0.4 || This is the only five hundred year span with no events listed fully inside. Maybe because nothing happens with the temperature.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 7500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| This warm, stable period is called the {{w|Holocene Climate Optimum}} || 7400 BCE || 0.5 || Some skeptics like to say "[http://www.skepticalscience.com/10000-years-warmer.htm it was warmer in the Holocene]." This is no longer true. Global temperature began encroaching Holocene levels in 1998, and has equaled or possibly exceeded them since 2014.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jiahu}} settled in China || 7050 BCE || 0.5 || Jiahu is another prehistoric settlement, similar to Abu Hureyra (12000 BCE), that was extensively studied by archaeologists.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 7000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Final collapse of the North American ice sheet leads to rapid 2-4m sea level rise… || 6800 BCE || 0.55 || The temperature almost reached 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average before this happened and caused the slight decrease in temperature mentioned below.<br />
|-<br />
| [A small arrow points down and left to the right of the dotted curve. There is a small decrease in temperature but it is very small and would have been missed without the arrow and label.] <br>…And a period of cooling in the Northern hemisphere || 6550 BCE || 0.5 || A 0.05 degree decrease in 200 years again refers to the theme of slow natural climate change.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 6500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| As seas rise to near their modern levels, Britain is cut off from mainland Europe || 6300 BCE || 0.45 || This is a reference to the flooding of {{w|Doggerland}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 6000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans develop copper metalworking || 5600 BCE || 0.5 || The {{w|copper age}} was relatively brief before humans discovered how to make {{w|bronze}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 5500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Massive volcanic eruption in {{w|Oregon}} creates crater lake || 5300 BCE || 0.55 || {{w|Crater Lake}} is the caldera at the top of Mount Mazama, a collapsed stratovolcano. If it erupted again, it could become a Somma volcano (see [[1714: Volcano Types]]).<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gold}} metalworking || 5050 BCE || 0.6 || The temperature peaks here at just a bit more than 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average. It will not rise above this level until the global warming sets in in the 1900s.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 5000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Invention of the wheel}} || 4900 BCE || 0.6 || Wheels are one of the most important inventions of humanity. They feature in many xkcd comics, such as [[1075: Warning]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the dotted curve is an arrow pointing down and slightly left. From here temperature decreases very slowly but steadily from 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average until 1000 BCE where a stable plateau is reached around the 1961-1990 average.] <br> Earth begins to cool slowly mainly due to regular cycles in its orbit || 4800 BCE || 0.5 || Again a reference to the {{w|Milankovitch cycles}} mentioned in detail at 18,600 BCE. Here they cause a cooling rather than a heating as they did back then.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 4500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Proto-Indo-European language}} develops || 4400 BCE || 0.5 || Most of the languages in Europe, the Middle East, and India share a surprising number of common roots. PIE is the theoretical ancestor from which they descend. Randall mentions this language family in many comics, such as [[890: Etymology]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the curve Ponytail holds up a hand towards Cueball.]<br> Ponytail: Let’s make our language heavily inflected, so future students have to memorize a zillion verb endings!<br> Cueball: Okay! || 4400 BCE || 0.5 || Ponytail gets the idea to develop the language heavily inflected to make it difficult to remember all the verb endings for future students and Cueball is okay with that. This is a direct reference to the comic [[1709: Inflection]].<br />
|-<br />
| Permanent settlements in the {{w|fertile crescent}} || 4200 BCE || 0.5 || The Fertile Crescent is one of those things you're supposed to remember from grade school. A lot of historic milestones happened there, such as the pyramids of Giza, the code of Hammurabi, and the Abrahamic religions.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 4000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Horses domesticated || 3950 BCE || 0.5 || Horse riding was the greatest advance in land travel until the invention of engines. Horses appear in many xkcd comics, such as [[936: Password Strength]].<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Minoan culture}} arises on Crete || 3700 BCE || 0.5 || Minoan culture invented many strange and wonderful things, such as the Labyrinth at Knossos and {{w|Bull-leaping}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 3500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Egyptian mummification}} || 3500 BCE || 0.5 || xkcd has discussed mummification in {{what if|134|What If? 134: Space Burial}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Rise of the {{w|Indus Valley civilization}} || 3300 BCE || 0.5 || The largest bronze-age civilization.<br />
|-<br />
| Invention of {{w|writing}} in {{w|Sumer}} “{{w|prehistory}}” ends, “{{w|history}}” begins || 3200 BCE || 0.5 || Our knowledge of prehistoric events must rely on digging up artifacts and making inferences. After this time, it became possible to find descriptions of past people and events, which is the definition of history. (Old guy in Sumer: Kids these days with their new-fangled stone tablets, instead of using their memory...)<br />
|-<br />
| Earliest human whose name we know (Pharaoh {{w|Iry-Hor}} in Egypt) || 3100 BCE || 0.5 || The first named person we know of today! This was also mentioned as a "cool fact" in the title text of [[1355: Airplane Message]].<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="5"| 3000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors}} period in China || 2800 BCE || 0.4 || The temperature has finally dropped below 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average after almost 2000 years of cooling from 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gilgamesh}} || 2700 BCE || 0.4 || Gilgamesh was probably a Sumerian king whose tales were exaggerated into mythology.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Imhotep}} || 2600 BCE || 0.4 || Imhotep was not a pharaoh, but a wise commoner who was elevated to chancellor, high priest, and post-mortem divinity. <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Maya civilization|Mayan}} culture emerges || 2600 BCE || 0.4 || Like the ancient Egyptians, Mayans are remembered for pyramids and {{w|logograph}}s.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Great Pyramid}} constructed || 2650 BCE || 0.4 || xkcd has discussed pyramids in [[1717: Pyramid Honey]] and {{what if|95|What If? 95: Pryamid Energy}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Corded Ware culture}} in Europe || 2500 BCE || 0.3 || The term Corded Ware was invented by an archaeologist; no civilization actually called themselves that.<br />
|-<br />
| [To the left of the curve two rock musicians with long hair and electrical guitars are standing on either side of a small gate made of three slabs of stone, one on top of the other two standing stones.] <br> {{w|Stonehenge}} completed || 2200 || 0.3 || This is a reference to the 1984 {{w|mockumentary}} about the fake rock band {{w|This Is Spinal Tap}}. In the movie the band wanted a giant Stonehenge prop 18 feet high, but a writing mistake gives them one that is only 18 inches.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Chariots}} developed || 2000 BCE || 0.3 || But {{w|Chariots of Fire}} came much later.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Alphabetic writing}} developed in Egypt || 1750 BCE || 0.2 || Obligatory reference to xkcd [[1069: Alphabet]].<br />
|-<br />
| Last {{w|mammoth}}s on a tiny Siberian island go extinct || 1650 BCE || 0.2 || Many of the {{w|Pleistocene megafauna}} died in the {{w|Quaternary extinction event}}. Like the {{w|woolly rhino}} (see 12900 BCE) these animals likely became extinct in part due to {{w|Holocene extinction|humans hunting them}}, which may be why Randall included them in the chart. Most of the mammoths died out before 8000 BCE but {{w|Woolly_mammoth#Extinction|some survived in remote areas}} and the last known population died on {{w|Wrangel Island}} in the {{w|Arctic Ocean}} around 2000 BCE, slightly earlier than Randall shows here.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Minoan eruption}} || 1600 BCE || 0.2 || This volcano may have led to the downfall of Minoan civilization. <br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="5"| 1500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Iron smelting}} || 1400 BCE || 0.1 || The beginning of the {{w|Iron Age}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Olmec}} civilization develops in Central America || 1350 BCE || 0.1 || No, Maggie, not Aztec, [http://vimeo.com/34002760 Olmec].<br />
|-<br />
| [A Trojan horse with two Cueball-like guys in front and a third standing on its back. Its back is at three Cueball’s height and its head rises to the level of the Cueball on its back. It stands on a platform with four wheel on the visible side. There is text on the horse]<br> Setting of the ''{{w|Iliad}}'' and the ''{{w|Odyssey}}''<br> Text on horse: Not a trap || 1250 BCE || 0.1 || A reference to the {{w|Trojan War}} qua the drawing of the {{w|Trojan Horse}}. The horse was a big trap letting the soldiers hidden inside it into {{w|Troy}}. This explains why it has ''Not a trap'' written on it. Else they would not have taken the giant wooden horse present from their sworn enemies into their city just like that... Note that the Trojan horse isn't mentioned in the Iliad, and only recalled in passing by the characters in the Odyssey.<br />
|-<br />
| Invasion of the {{w|Sea peoples}}* <br>* A real thing || 1200 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Mermaid#One_Thousand_and_One_Nights|Sea people}} might sound like a reference to mythical {{w|mermaid}}s, so Randall feels the need to footnote that this event was ''a real thing'' (as opposed to his Pokémon reference, which he notes is ''not a real fact''). The sea peoples were a seafaring confederation of groups known to have attacked ancient Egypt around this time.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Polynesians}} explore the Pacific Ocean || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Polynesian navigation}} was surprisingly widespread.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="8"| 1000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [From 1000 BBC to 1000 CE the temperature is stable and very close to the 1961-1990 average.] || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || The temperature has fallen from the Holocene Optimum by half a degree to just a bit above the 1961-1990 average. It will stay in this range for the next 2000 years.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Solomon}} || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || Solomon may have been a real historical king, but he probably did not threaten to chop a baby in half.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Iliad}} and {{w|Odyssey}} composed || 900 BCE || 0.1 || These classic myths were written more than 300 years after their supposed events. Archaeologists believe the city of {{w|Troy}} existed (and was destroyed by war around the right time period), but characters like Helen, Odysseus, and Achilles did not.<br />
|- <br />
| Rise of {{w|Greek city-states}} || 800 BCE || 0.1 || This is ''Sparta'', along with Athens and several others.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Neo-Assyrian Empire}} || 800 BCE || 0.1 || Hi, you may remember us from such kings as Adad-nirari and Sennacherib.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Ancient Olympic Games|First Olympics}} || 750 BCE || 0.1 || The first of the ancient Olympic Games is traditionally dated to 776 BC.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Zapotec civilization|Zapotec}} writing in modern Mexico || 600 BCE || 0.0 || Another Central American culture that fell to the Spanish invasion.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Confucius}} || 550 BCE || 0.0 || "He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions."<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="10"| 500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| The stuff in the {{w|300 (film)|movie ''300''}}, but regular speed and with more clothing || 450 BCE || 0.0 || A reference to the {{w|Battle of Thermopylae}} by comparison with the 2007 movie ''300'' about this battle. The real Spartans wore armor, and real humans don't [http://www.google.com/search?q=300+slow-motion fly through the air in slow motion when struck].<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Buddha}} || 450 BCE || 0.0 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Jesus}} and {{w|Muhammad}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Nazca Lines}} || 350 BCE || 0.0 || These huge ancient drawings are difficult to see from ground level, leading some people to believe that they were intended for aliens.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Alexander the Great}} || 350 BCE || 0.0 || One of the most successful conquerors of the iron age, known for supposedly cutting the {{w|Gordian Knot}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Mayan hieroglyphics}} || 250 BCE || 0.0 || The {{w|Maya Calendar}} was probably created hundreds of years later.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Ashoka the Great}} || 250 BCE || 0.0 || The {{w|Edicts of Ashoka}} proselytized Buddhism across the continent.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Paper}} invented || 200 BCE || 0.0 || A significant step up from stone tablets or even papyrus.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Asterix}} || 100 BCE || 0.0 || Fictional main character in ''The Adventures of Asterix'', a comic series set around 50 BCE when {{w|Julius Caesar}} conquered {{w|Gaul}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w| Teotihuacan|Teotihuacán}} metropolis || 100 BCE || 0.0 || Another ancient city much beloved by archaeologists, even though they don't know who built it.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Julius Caesar}} || 50 BCE || 0.0 || Aside from being a conqueror, dictator, and deity, Julius had a big impact on {{w|Julian Calendar|calendars}}. The month of Quintilis was renamed July to honor him, and he was famously assassinated on the ides (middle day) of March.<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="8"|1 <small>BCE</small><br>1 <small>CE</small><br />
| [Instead of a zero, there are two numbers for each of the two scales before (1 BCE) and after Christ (1 CE)] || 0 CE || -0.1 || Originally the year range went directly from 1 BC to 1 AD. The year zero has since been added for ease of mathematical and astronomical calculations.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Roman Empire}} || 1 CE || -0.1 || Julius never held the title "Emperor"; his adoptive son Augustus was the first to do so.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jesus}} || 1 CE || -0.1 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Buddha}} and {{w|Muhammad}}.<br />
|-<br />
| [To the left and erupting volcano.] <br> {{w|Pompeii}} || 100 CE || -0.1 || The volcano is {{w|Mount Vesuvius}} which exploded in 79 CE and is famous for burying everyone in the close by city Pompeii preserving peoples bodies inside the huge amount of ash that swallowed the city very rapidly. Today it has given the archeologist lots of knowledge about the culture of that time.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Three Kingdoms}} period || 250 CE || -0.1 || Not just a series of movies and video games, but an actual thing that happened in China.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gupta empire}} || 700 CE || -0.1 || Not as great as Ashoka, but still a pretty important time in the history of India.<br />
|-<br />
| Various groups take turns sacking {{w|Rome}} || 550 CE || -0.1 || 500 years is a pretty successful span for an empire.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Attila the Hun}} || 550 CE || -0.1 || He probably would not mind being remembered as one of the most infamous barbarians in history.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 500 <small>CE</small><br />
| {{w|Muhammad}} || 600 CE || 0.0 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Buddha}} and {{w|Jesus}}<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Tang Dynasty}} || 750 CE || 0.0 || A golden age in China, responsible for the development of printing, gunpowder, and many other advances.<br />
|-<br />
| [An arrow to the right of the dotted curve pointing down, takes a swing far out from the curve and then bends back again. The text label next to it breaks into the next 500 period. The dotted curve stays stable at the 1961-1990 average along this arrow.] <br> {{w|Medieval warm period}} in Europe and some northern regions (too regional to affect the global average much) || 900 CE || 0.0 || Changes in ocean currents caused various regions to warm up while others cooled.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Leif Eriksson}} || 950 CE || 0.0 || Probably the first European explorer to reach North America.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="7"| 1000 <small>CE</small><br />
| [To the left a drawing of a compass with needle pointing the black end towards north east. There are labels for the four main directions (N, S, W, E) and a label next to it:]<br> {{w|Magnetic compass}} navigation || 1050 CE || 0.0 || It's much easier to sail to the Orient when you can orient yourself.<br />
|-<br />
| [The dotted curve moves to the left towards lower temperature reaching a minimum around 1650 CE of about 0.6°C below the 1961-1990 average at the {{w|Little Ice Age}}.] || 1150 CE || -0.1 || This less than half a degree drop in temperature over 500 years was enough to cause the "Little Ice Age" which resulted in extended ice coverage in the winters in instance Europe. See more below at the entry for the Little Ice Age.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Genghis Khan}} || 1200 CE || -0.2 || Mongol emperor. {{w|Gengar}} is not named after him, but [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Kangaskhan_(Pokémon) Kangaskhan] and [http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Khal the Khals] are.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Zheng He}}’s fleet explores Asia and Africa || 1400 CE || -0.3 || He explored farther than European contemporaries like Dias or de Gama.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Aztec Empire|Aztec Alliance}} || 1400 CE || -0.3 || Aztec dominance only lasted a century until Cortes arrived, but their cultural legacy is indisputable.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Printing press}} || 1450 CE || -0.3 || {{w|Johannes Gutenburg}} ushered in the {{w|Age of Enlightenment}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Christopher Columbus|Columbus}} || 1490 CE || -0.3 || The time given here references when Christopher Columbus reached the {{w|Americas|New World}} in 1492. The five events around 1500 CE lies very close together but it fits with Columbus fitted in just before 1500.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1500 <small>CE</small><br />
| {{w|European Renaissance}} || 1500 CE || -0.3 || From here on, the chart has labels for each 100 year increment instead of 500, but the scale stays the same. Important events happens so much faster in these last five hundred years, there isn't enough space to write all of them, so Randall has had to be selective. He includes {{w|Isaac Newton}} but leaves out {{w|Albert Einstein}}, includes {{w|airplane}}s but leaves out {{w|car}}s, etc.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Shakespeare}} || 1600 CE || -0.4 || xkcd references Shakespeare many times, such as [[79: Iambic Pentameter]] and [[1026: Compare and Contrast]].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1600 <br />
| {{w|Isaac Newton|Newton}} || 1650 CE || -0.4 || Isaac Newton appears in various xkcd comics, such as [[626: Newton and Leibniz]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the dotted curve there is an arrow pointing down that makes a swing in towards the curve and then back out again. This is the coldest it has been since 9500 BCE. It is labeled:]<br> ”{{w|Little Ice Age}}” || 1650 CE || -0.4 || This was not a true geologic Ice Age, just a slightly chilly period when the temperature fell a fraction of a degree, but still colder than it had been through 11,000 years of human civilization. In Europe the winters were so cold that the river {{w|Thames}} {{w|Little_Ice_Age#Europe|froze over}} hard enough to hold {{w|River Thames frost fairs}} between 1607 and 1814. And in 1658 {{w|Sweden}} crossed the {{w|Danish Straits}} on foot to invade {{w|Copenhagen}} in the {{w|March Across the Belts}}. It was only possible due to the harsh winters of the Little Ice Age, demonstrating how much half a degree of climate change can mean.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1700<br />
| {{w|Steam engines}} || 1750 CE || -0.4 || The {{w|Age of Steam}} heralded the upsurge of human CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|United States Declaration of Independence|Unites States Independence}} || 1770 CE || -0.3 || On July 4, 1776.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 1800<br />
| {{w|Industrial Revolution}} || 1825 CE || -0.3 || Not to be confused with {{w|Industrial music}} such as Nine Inch Nails.<br />
|- <br />
| {{w|Electrical telegraph|Telegraphs}} || 1830 CE || -0.3 || [https://youtu.be/4OLWJ1TMuNE?t=55s -. --- .-- --..-- / - .... . / -- --- - .... . .-. / --- ..-. / ... .- -- ..- . .-.. / -- --- .-. ... . / .- .-.. .-- .- -.-- ... / ... . -. - / - .... . / .-.. .- -.. / --- ..- - / --- -. / .- / .... --- .-. ... .]<br />
|-<br />
| [After this the dotted curve becomes solid.] || 1850 CE || -0.3 || From 1850 weather records became sufficiently accurate and widespread to greatly improve the precision of climate measurements. Hence the curve stops being an estimate and thus also stops being a dotted curve and becomes solid.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="6"| 1900<br />
| {{w|Airplane}}s || 1900 CE || -0.3 || xkcd discusses airplanes many times, such as [[726: Seat Selection]] and {{what if|30|30: Interplanetary Cessna}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|World Wars}} || 1930 CE || -0.2 || Likewise, there are many xkcds on this topic, such as [[261: Regarding Mussolini]] and {{what if|100|100: WWII Films}}.<br />
|-<br />
| [The solid line takes a step to the right close to the 1961-1990 average. Over the rest of the 1900s it moves closer to the 1961-1990 average, crossing it before 2000 where it almost reaches the maximum temperature of 0.5 °C above the 1961-1990 average from earlier in 8000 BCE.] || 1940 CE || -0.2 || This is what the previous 14000 pixels of comic has been leading up to. After a laborious 20 millennia of gradual and meandering climate change, it should be clear that a full degree of warming in a single century is unprecedented in human history, and very unlikely to be natural variation.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fossil fuel}} CO<sub>2</sub> emissions start rapidly increasing || 1950 CE || -0.1 || The infamous [http://www.skepticalscience.com/Hockey-stick-or-hockey-league.html "hockey stick"] starts around here.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Nuclear weapons}} || 1950 CE || -0.1 || The Working Group on the 'Anthropocene' suggests dating the {{w|Anthropocene}} epoch from ~1950. The week after this comic [[1736: Manhattan Project]] with a mushroom cloud was released.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Internet}} || 1980 CE || 0.1 || The origin of the internet dates back to 1960 but it began growing rapidly in 1980. By placing the invention of the {{w|internet}} at 1980 in the chart, just where the temperature curve starts its most rapid increase, Randall uses this [[552: Correlation|correlation]] to humorously imply that the internet caused the rise in temperature.<br> This is also where the temperature crosses the 1961-1990 average, which has to happen somewhere due to the {{w|Intermediate Value Theorem}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 2000<br />
| {{w|Northwest Passage}} opens || 2000 CE || 0.4 || This was dramatic evidence that the climate had changed. When global warming removes enough sea ice to create shipping routes that never existed before, then it is clear to people that ''something'' is changing, even if they disregard who/what is responsible for the change.<br />
|-<br />
|[From here to present day the solid line increases rapidly and in 2016, present day, is almost reaches 1°C above the 1961-1990 average, with about 0.8°C above the 1961-1990 average.] || 2016 CE || 0.8 || '''Notice''': [http://www.skepticalscience.com/argument.php?a=11&p=2 Warming did not stop] in 1998.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2016<br />
| | Present day || 2016 CE || 0.8 || Today, just after the two hottest months ever measured since 1850 had ended (July and August 2016), this comic was released with the message displayed very clearly here below. Act now or fry...<br />
|-<br />
| [From here the curve once again becomes dotted as this is the future. After one dot it splits in two and after the first two dots another split between them occurs forming three possible future dotted curves.] || 2016 CE || 0.8 || Here stops the data and the projection into the future begins so the curve again becomes dotted. Three different scenarios are depicted.<br />
|-<br />
|The first curve bending down before the others, and thus to the right of the other two reaches about 1.2°C above the 1961-1990 average and then goes straight down and stops at the 2100 line. An arrow points to it from the left and a label is written partly before and the rest after the 2100 line to the left of the curve:] <br>Best-case scenario assuming immediate massive action to limit emissions || 2100 CE || 1.2 || If humanity does all in its power to stop global warming we might be able to halt the global warming already before 2050 keeping the maximum temperature to just 1.2°C above the 1961-1990 average. Only 0.4°C above today's temperature. (Note that this is not, in fact, the absolute best-case scenario, as it assumes that no new greenhouse gasses are either added to or removed from the atmosphere in the future; the temperature rise could be kept to an even lower level if some or all of the already-emitted greenhouse gasses were removed from the atmosphere.)<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 2100<br />
| [The middle curve bends a little down after reaching 1.3°C above the 1961-1990 average, and then continues this path reaching 2°C above the 1961-1990 average in 2100. An arrow point from below to it and a label is written below the curve and below 2100 line:] <br> Optimistic scenario|| 2100 CE || 2.0 || If all the current realistic preventions are implemented, which might not be so realistic, then we may not even stop the warming but slow it down so we "only" reach 2°C above the 1961-1990 average in 2100 CE but it would not stop there. This is half the temperature change experienced since the ice age, but the other way. This was directly referenced in the title text of [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]]: ''That's only HALF an ice age unit (IAU), which is probably no big deal.''<br />
|-<br />
| [The last line continues along the path from the last 16 years of the solid line reaching 4.2°C above the 1961-1990 average at 2100, almost as far on the other side of the 1961-1990 average in 150 years as it took 14,000 years to move from the other side from the start of the chart. Another arrow point to this from below with a label below the curve and below 2100 line:] <br> Current Path || 2100 CE || 4.2 || In this last scary scenario Randall assumes the temperature keeps rising steadily by extrapolating along the slope of the last two to three years. Randall has warned about the hazards of [[Extrapolating]], but this line is in fact [http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-best-to-worst-case-scenarios.html below the worst case predictions]. If this comes true we will reach a temperature increase taking us from the 1961-1990 average and in just 125 years to 4.2°C above this average. That is just as far above this average in that short time span as the ice age temperature was below. And it took more than 11,000 years for nature to reach such an increase. Randall already contemplated what this would be like in the +1 ice age unit (IAU) panel of [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]] two years ago, as well as in [[164: Playing Devil's Advocate to Win]] almost 10 years ago. He may get to ''enjoy quite a ride'' as he "wished" for back then. <br />
<br />
There is no reason to assume the temperature will not keep rising past 2100 CE, so the {{w|Cretaceous Thermal Maximum|"Hothouse Earth"}} of the early {{w|Cretaceous period}} mentioned in the 4.5 degree comics +2 IAU panel might come to pass in future centuries if we continue on our current path. On the bright side, modern civilization might collapse if this trend keeps up, which would drastically cut our releases of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. But then again, positive feedback from methane in melting {{w|permafrost}} might take over... Good luck Earth.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Sources===<br />
The image attributes climate data sources as "Shakun et al. (2012), Marcott et al. (2013), Annan and Hargreaves (2013), HadCRUT4, IPCC":<br />
* Shakun, Jeremy D.; Clark, Peter U.; He, Feng; Marcott, Shaun A.; Mix, Alan C.; Liu, Zhengyu; Otto-Bliesner, Bette; Schmittner, Andreas; Bard, Edouard (2012-04-04). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160520043848/http://www.atm.damtp.cam.ac.uk/mcintyre/shakun-co2-temp-lag-nat12.pdf "Global warming preceded by increasing carbon dioxide concentrations during the last deglaciation"] (PDF). ''Nature''. '''484''' (7392): 49–54. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnature10915 10.1038/nature10915]. ISSN [https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1476-4687 1476-4687]. Archived from [https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10915 the original] on 2016-05-20.<br />
* Marcott, Shaun A.; Shakun, Jeremy D.; Clark, Peter U.; Mix, Alan C. (2013-03-08). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130412021608/https://content.csbs.utah.edu/~mli/Economics%207004/Marcott_Global%20Temperature%20Reconstructed.pdf "A Reconstruction of Regional and Global Temperature for the Past 11,300 Years"] (PDF). ''Science''. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.1228026 10.1126/science.1228026]. Archived from [https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1228026 the original] on 2013-04-12.<br />
* Annan, J. D.; Hargreaves, J. C. (2013-02-13). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200728042751/https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/9/367/2013/cp-9-367-2013.pdf "A new global reconstruction of temperature changes at the Last Glacial Maximum"] (PDF). ''Climate of the Past''. '''9''' (1): 367–376. doi:[https://doi.org/10.5194%2Fcp-9-367-2013 10.5194/cp-9-367-2013]. ISSN [https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1814-9324 1814-9324]. Archived from [https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/9/367/2013/ the original] on 2020-07-28.<br />
* {{w|HadCRUT|HadCRUT (Hadley Centre/Climatic Research Unit Temperature)}} - [http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcrut4/ Official site] <br />
* {{w|Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change}} - [http://www.ipcc.ch/ Official site]<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
'''Note''' there are several spelling errors in the comic, so please do only correct spelling errors that are not part of the comic! See more in the [[#Trivia|trivia section]].<br />
:[A large heading, followed by a sub-caption. Below that two lines with a statement in between:]<br />
:<big>A timeline of Earth’s average temperature</big><br />
:since the last ice age glaciation<br />
:When people say “The climate has changed before,” these are the kinds of changes they’re talking about.<br />
<br />
:[A very long chart below the headings above is headed with a label for the scale of the X-axis above the chart. Below that a sub-caption. To the left an arrow down to the top of the chart pointing to the dotted curves starting point (at -4.3°C below the 1961-1990 average) with a label above the arrow. And arrow pointing left to the left of the center and another pointing right to the right of the center has labels. Below these is the temperature scale of the X-axis, with 9 ticks between the borders each with a label ranging from -4 to +4°C compared to the 1961-1990 average, but with another step in each direction not labeled towards to axis so the chart covers -5 to +5°C compared to the 1961-1990 average.]<br />
:'''Temperature'''<br />
: <small>Compared to the 1961-1990 average</small><br />
:Start<br />
:Colder<br />
:Warmer<br />
:-4°C -3°C -2°C -1°C 0°C +1°C +2°C +3°C +4°C<br />
<br />
:[To the right of the chart is a gray text standing on the side down along the outer boarder of the chart with the sources for the chart:]<br />
: <font color="gray">Source: Shakun et. al. (2012) , Marcott et. al. (2013), Annan and Hargreaves (2013) , HadCRUT<sub>4</sub>, IPCC </font><br />
<br />
:[The chart is split in 10 columns by the temperature scale and the borders. The two central columns are white, and then from there to the left the background becomes a faded color that changes from light blue to blue at the edge in four steps. Similarly to the right the color changes from light red to red. To the left there is a time scale taking 500 years leaps from 20,000 BCE all the way to year 1, where there are two years, one for BBC and one for CE. The 500 year leaps continue until 1500 CE and from there the steps are down to 100 years until 2100 with also present day 2016 labeled. After 1500 the CE is omitted. The labels stop there, but there is space below covering down to 2200 CE. There is clearly visible division line across the chart on the level of each of the 500 step, and fainter lines for each of the 100 steps all the way even though only the last 5 of these 100 steps are labeled. There is a similar clear line at 2016. Below each step on the Y-axis is noted, and then any text starting before the next step is noted below indented. If there are extra image belonging to text this is indented once more. The graph that the whole chart is about is a dotted line that begins at the “start” point mentioned above at -4.3°C and then begins to go straight down. It will change left and right all the way down. To being with all text and most drawings are to right of the dotted curve. Whenever something is to the left it will be noted. When it says to the left above something, and then nothing over the next, then the next will be to the right. Only at the very bottom are there more entries to the left than right. ]<br />
:20000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow goes from the dotted line to the central line at 0°C. In the middle of the line there is a temperature label:]<br />
::4.3°C<br />
::At the start of our timeline, 22,000 years ago, Earth is 4°C colder than during the late 20<sup>th</sup> century.<br />
::Boston is buried under almost a mile of ice, and the glaciers reach as far south as New York City.<br />
:::[The Statue of Liberty is shown in front of a glacier front. A very tiny Cueball is on top of the glacier. The drawing is labeled and so is also the glacier.]<br />
:::New York<br />
:::Ice<br />
:::[Cueball (wearing a knit cap with a pom-pom is seen walking in a snowy landscape leaving black footprints behind him. He walks through the white central part of the chart.]<br />
:::[The skyline of Boston is shown with two clear buildings among all the other. Above it is a line and in between this area has been filled with thin lines. The drawing is labeled and so is this area. Also the skyline has an arrow pointing at it with a label:]<br />
:::Boston<br />
:::Ice<br />
:::Modern skyline<br />
<br />
:19500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::But the world is about to warm up.<br />
::By this time, humans have already spread across Africa, Eurasia, and Australia.<br />
::They’ve created painting, pottery, rope, and bows and arrows, but haven’t developed writing or farming.<br />
<br />
:19000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Changes in the Earth’s orbit mean that more sunlight reaches the polar ice…<br />
:::[A line chart with a labeled Y-axis with three labeled ticks. The curve starts up and then goes down five times and up four times ending down. There is one plateau towards the end compared to the rest of the curve where the ups and downs are quite alike.]<br />
:::Summer sun W/m<sup>2</sup> at 60°N<br />
:::550<br />
:::500<br />
:::450<br />
<br />
:18500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[A map of the world. At the top is a light gray area covering North America, Greenland and northern Europe and most of the northern part of Russia. A similar gray area covers Antarctica. There are two labels in the gray area above and one in the gray area below:]<br />
::Ice Ice<br />
::Ice<br />
<br />
:18000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::…And the ice sheets start to melt.<br />
<br />
:17500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Temperatures have been creeping upward, but around this point, CO<sub>2</sub> levels start to climb…<br />
<br />
:17000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::…And then the warming speeds up.<br />
<br />
:16500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Cueball is standing with a spear just the right of the graph talking to a rabbit.]<br />
::Cueball: Still pretty cold.<br />
<br />
:16000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Megan points to the graph to the right of her and between her and Ponytail standing on the other side. Mean is the first drawing on the left side of the dotted curve, which has hardly moved since the beginning, only to just on the other side of 4°C.]<br />
::[In the right part of the chart is an explanation of the data. Below the first two lines there are four drawings each showing possible temperature swings in reality compared to the smoothed data that represents the dotted curve of the entire chart. The dotted curve is shown in all four drawings and a thin line is shown running along it but with much more fluctuation left and right on the first two, a large spike right on the third and a large bump way right on the fourth. Above these there are two labels. The first labels is inside a bracket that covers the first three, and the last label is for the last drawing. Below is a list of sources.]<br />
::Limits of this data:<br />
::Short warming or cooling spikes might be “smoothed out” by these reconstructions but only if they’re small or brief enough.<br />
:::Possible Unlikely<br />
::Reconstructions are from Shakun (2012) and Marcott (2013), scaled to Annan + Hargreaves (2013) estimate for the last glacial period.<br />
<br />
:15500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::In what is now France, humans paint murals on the walls of the Lascaux caves<br />
::[Hairy paints three animals, two with horns, and two humans, Cueball holding hand with Hairy who has a spear. On the other side of the central line Megan writes three letters, the last of which is reversed.]<br />
:::NIИ<br />
<br />
:15000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets around Alaska shrink, exposing a land bridge between Asia and North America<br />
::[From around the bottom if this section and down to 11500 BCE the dotted curve moved steadily to the right towards warmed temperature peaking close to -1.5°C. Before this the temperature had not moved much away from that at the start.]<br />
<br />
:14500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Cueball walks right looking back at the graph behind him. Megan walks in front of him pointing further right.]<br />
::Cueball: Cool.<br />
::Humans reach North America.<br />
<br />
:14000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::The edge of the ice withdraws from New York City and retreats North.<br />
::[A large glacier front speaks in a speech bubble with an arrow pointing at it. Behind is there are four peaks in the horizon and in front of it three small melting pools and some rocks on the ground.]<br />
::Glacier: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!''<br />
<br />
:13500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans domesticate dogs<br />
::(Date uncertain, may be much earlier)<br />
::[Megan and Cueball is watching a wolf looking at them.]<br />
::Megan: Okay, you can live in our homes and we’ll feed you, but we’ll still get mad f you poop on the floor.<br />
::Wolf: Deal.<br />
::Cueball: And we get to breed you to be tiny and dress you in little costumes.<br />
::Wolf: …Wait.<br />
<br />
:13000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Randall did not use the normal spelling for Woolly Rhino, but this is an accepted alternative spelling:]<br />
::Wooly Rhino goes extinct<br />
::Oregon is scoured by huge floods as glacial dams burst and lakes of meltwater flow to the sea<br />
<br />
:12500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets withdraw from Chicago<br />
<br />
:12000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans settle Abu Hureyra in Syria<br />
<br />
:11500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow on the left side of the dotted curve is pointing down along the dotted curve and to the left indicate temperature is declining again, meaning the dotted curve now moves left to colder temperatures. This only continues until 10500 BCE. It is only the second time something is noted on the left side after Megan at 16000 BCE]<br />
::Temperatures start to decline, mainly in the Northern hemisphere<br />
::This may be caused by changes in ocean circulation due to the floods of cold fresh meltwater flowing into the Atlantic as the North American ice sheet melts.<br />
::This cooler period is called the Younger Dryas<br />
<br />
:11000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[This is the first text to the left of the dotted curve:]<br />
::Humans reach Argentina<br />
<br />
:10500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow pointing down along the right side of the dotted curve and to the right indicate temperature is increasing again, meaning the dotted curve now moves right to hotter temperatures. This continues until 8000 BCE where it levels out just above 0°C.]<br />
::Warming resumes<br />
::Human settlements at Jericho<br />
<br />
:10000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::First development of farming<br />
<br />
:9500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Saber-toothed cat goes extinct<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Horses disappear from North America<br />
<br />
:9000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left, Randall spelled Pokémon wrong:]<br />
:::Last North American Pokemon go extinct<br />
:::[Cueball with a speak and Megan is looking up at this last “fact”.]<br />
:::Megan: That is not a real fact.<br />
::Temperatures reach modern levels<br />
::Rising seas cut off the land bridge between North America and Asia<br />
::Cattle domesticated<br />
<br />
:8500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets retreat across the Canadian border<br />
::Temperatures start to level out slightly above 1961-1990 levels<br />
<br />
:8000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[The above sentence breaks over the 8000 <small>BCE</small> line. From here a maximum in temperature on the chart is reached at 0.5°C which will not be overtaken until 2000 CE. It stays almost constant here until 5000 BCE where a slight cooling begins.]<br />
<br />
:7500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::This warm, stable period is called the Holocene Climate Optimum<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Jiahu settled in China<br />
<br />
:7000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Final collapse of the North American ice sheet leads to rapid 2-4m sea level rise…<br />
::[A small arrow points down and left to the right of the dotted curve. There is a small decrease in temperature but it is very small and would have been missed without the arrow and label.]<br />
::…And a period of cooling in the Northern hemisphere<br />
<br />
:6500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::As seas rise to near their modern levels, Britain is cut off from mainland Europe<br />
<br />
:6000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans develop copper metalworking<br />
<br />
:5500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Massive volcanic eruption in Oregon creates crater lake<br />
::Gold metalworking<br />
<br />
:5000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invention of the wheel<br />
::[To the left. To the right of the dotted curve is an arrow pointing down and slightly left. From here temperature decreases very slowly but steadily from 0.5°C until 1000 BCE where a stable plateau is reached around 0°C.]<br />
::Earth begins to cool slowly mainly due to regular cycles in its orbit<br />
<br />
:4500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
:: Proto-Indo-European language develops<br />
:::[To the right of the curve Ponytail holds up a hand towards Cueball.]<br />
:::Ponytail: Let’s make our language heavily inflected, so future students have to memorize a zillion verb endings!<br />
:::Cueball: Okay!<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Permanent settlements in the fertile crescent<br />
<br />
:4000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Horses domesticated<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Minoan culture arises on Crete<br />
<br />
:3500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Egyptian mummification<br />
::Rise of the Indus Valley civilization<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invention of writing in Sumer “prehistory” ends, “history” begins<br />
::Earliest human whose name we know<br />
::<small>(Pharaoh Iry-Hor in Egypt)</small><br />
<br />
:3000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::''Three Sovereigns and five emperors'' period in China<br />
::Gilgamesh<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Imhotep<br />
::Mayan culture emerges<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Great Pyramid constructed<br />
<br />
:2500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Corded Ware culture in Europe<br />
::[To the left of the curve two rock musicians with long hair and electrical guitars are standing on either side of a small gate made of three slabs of stone, one on top of the other two standing stones.]<br />
::Stonehenge completed<br />
::Chariots developed<br />
<br />
:2000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Alphabetic writing developed in Egypt<br />
::Last mammoths on a tiny Siberian island go extinct<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Minoan eruption<br />
<br />
:1500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Iron smelting<br />
::Olmec civilization develops in Central America<br />
::[A Trojan horse with two Cueball-like guys in front and a third standing on its back. Its back is at three Cueball’s height and its head rises to the level of the Cueball on its back. It stands on a platform with four wheel on the visible side. There is text on the horse]<br />
:::Setting of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey''<br />
:::Text on horse: Not a trap<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invasion of the Sea peoples*<br />
::<small>* A real thing</small><br />
::Polynesians explore the Pacific Ocean<br />
<br />
:1000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[From 1000 BBC to 1000 CE the temperature is stable and very close to 0°C.]<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Solomon<br />
::Illiad [sic] and Odyssey composed <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Rise of Greek city-states<br />
::Neo-Assyrian empire<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::First Olympics<br />
::Zapotec writing in modern Mexico<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Confucius<br />
<br />
:500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::The stuff in the 300 (film)|movie ''300'', but regular speed and with more clothing<br />
::Buddha<br />
::Nazca Lines<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Alexander the Great<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Mayan hieroglyphics<br />
::Ashoka the Great<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Paper invented<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Asterix<br />
::Teotihuacán metropolis<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Julius Caesar<br />
<br />
:[At the year 0, there is instead two numbers for each of the two scales before and after Christ:]<br />
:1 <small>BCE</small><br />
:1 <small>CE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Roman Empire<br />
::Jesus<br />
::[To the left and erupting volcano.]<br />
::Pompeii<br />
::Three Kingdoms period<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Gupta empire<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Various groups take turns sacking Rome<br />
::Attila the Hun<br />
<br />
:500 <small>CE</small><br />
::Muhammad<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Tang Dynasty<br />
::[An arrow to the right of the dotted curve pointing down, takes a swing far out from the curve and then bends back again. The text label next to it breaks into the next 500 period. The dotted curve stays stable at 0°C along this arrow.]<br />
::Medieval warm period in Europe and some northern regions (too regional to affect the global average much)<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Leif Eriksson<br />
<br />
:1000 <small>CE</small><br />
::[The dotted curve moves to the left towards lower temperature reaching a minimum around 1650 of about -0.6°C at the Little Ice Age.]<br />
::[To the left a drawing of a compass with needle pointing the black end towards north east. There are labels for the four main directions and a label next to it:]<br />
:::<small>N</small><br />
:::<small>W E</small><br />
:::<small>S</small><br />
:::Magnetic compass navigation<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Ghengis [sic] Khan <br />
::Zheng He’s fleet explores Asia and Africa<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Aztec Alliance <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Printing press<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Columbus<br />
<br />
:1500 <small>CE</small><br />
::European Renaissance<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Shakespeare<br />
<br />
:1600 <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Newton<br />
::[To the right of the dotted curve there is an arrow pointing down that makes a swing in towards the curve and then back out again. At -0.6°C this is the coldest it has been since 9500 BCE. It is labeled:]<br />
::”Little Ice Age”<br />
<br />
:1700<br />
::Steam engines<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Unites States Independence<br />
<br />
:1800<br />
::Industrial Revolution<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Telegraphs<br />
::[After this the dotted curve becomes solid.]<br />
<br />
:1900<br />
::[To the left, and on the line for 1900:]<br />
::Airplanes<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::World Wars<br />
::[The solid line takes a step to the right close to 0°C. Over the rest of the 1900s it moves closer to 0°C crossing it before 2000 where it almost reaches the maximum temperature of 0.5 °C from earlier in 8000 BCE.]<br />
::Fossil fuel CO<sub>2</sub> emissions start rapidly increasing<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Nuclear weapons<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Internet<br />
<br />
:2000<br />
::Northwest Passage opens<br />
::[From here to present day the solid line increases rapidly and in 2016 present day is almost reaches 1°C, with about 0.8°C.]<br />
<br />
:2016<br />
::[To the left on the line for 2016:]<br />
::Present day<br />
::[From here the curve once again becomes dotted as this is the future. After one dot it splits in two and after the first two dots another split between them occurs forming three possible future dotted curves. The first curve bending down before the others, and thus to the right of the other two reaches about 1.2°C and then goes straight down and stops at the 2100 line. An arrow points to it from the left and a label is written patly before and the rest after the 2100 line to the left of the curve:]<br />
::Best-case scenario assuming immediate massive action to limit emissions<br />
<br />
:2100<br />
::[The middle curve bends a little down after reaching 1.3°C and then continues this path reaching 2°C in 2100. An arrow point from below to it and a label is written below the curve and below 2100 line:]<br />
::Optimistic scenario<br />
::[The last line continues along the path from the last 16 years of the solid line reaching 4.2°C at 2100, almost as far on the other side of 0°C in 150 years as it took 14000 years to move from the other side from the start of the chart. Another arrow point to this from below with a label below the curve and below 2100 line:]<br />
::Current Path<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*There have been several ''[[:Category:Large drawings|large drawings]]'' in the history of xkcd, some of which are bigger than this one (for instance [[1110: Click and Drag]]). <br />
**Among those that can be viewed in one go, without downloading a larger file or moving around, this is by far the longest.<br />
**The next longest is probably [[482: Height]].<br />
*The timeline starts at 20,000 BCE (22,000 years ago) and ends at 2100 CE, thus covering 22,100 years. <br />
*There are several spelling mistakes. <br />
**Most obvious is the second time Randall wrote the word "Iliad," because he just spelled it correctly at 1500 BCE and then spelled it ''Illiad'' at 1000 BCE with two Ls.<br />
**Attila the Hun was initially misspelt ''Atilla the Hun'' with ''one'' T and ''two'' Ls, but this was corrected at some point.<br />
**Genghis Khan is misspelt as ''Ghengis Khan'' (a common error).<br />
**Pokémon is spelled ''Pokemon'', but then again, that is not so strange for Randall (see [[1647: Diacritics]]). Despite that, he usually spells it correctly, as in [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]].<br />
**Note that the fact that woolly rhinoceros becomes ''Wooly rhino'' with only one l is not a spelling mistake but an alternative spelling of the word.<br />
*The following notable facts are absent<br />
**1850: methodical temperature record begins. However, this fact is indirectly indicated when the temperature curve becomes solid around 1850 and until present day.<br />
**The entire swing period between 20 and 200 thousand years prior to now would depict temperature swings with increasing frequency and amplitude (ref geological record). But of course, this could not be included in a comic that only goes back to 20,000 BCE. <br />
**During much of the 300 million years prior to that, the Earth was significantly warmer than now. However, the data's temporal precision decreases with age; seemingly abrupt changes millions of years ago might have happened over centuries or millennia. Hence, the older data is not usable to compare rates of change.<br />
<br />
===Popularity of comic===<br />
This comic garnered attention from a much broader audience than most xkcd comics. It was discussed admiringly by news sites such as [http://www.popsci.com/xkcd-earth-average-temperature-timeline Popular Science], [http://reason.com/blog/2016/09/14/send-around-this-xkcd-climate-change-web Reason], [http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2016/09/13/xkcd_takes_on_global_warming.html Slate], [http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-comic-masterfully-shows-how-climate-has-changed-through-time-180960451/ Smithsonian], [http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2016/09/13/heres-22000-years-of-climate-changes-in-a-single-comic/ Forbes], [https://www.vox.com/2016/9/12/12891814/climate-change-xkcd-graphic Vox], [https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/14/493925781/epic-climate-cartoon-goes-viral-but-it-has-one-key-problem NPR], [https://qz.com/780391/xkcd-tells-the-entire-history-of-humanity-and-climate-change-in-one-cartoon-chart/ Quartz], [https://www.sciencealert.com/why-4-5-million-years-of-fluctuating-global-temperatures-can-t-explain-climate-change-today Science Alert] and [https://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-xkcd-comic-20696 Climate Central]. It was promoted by famous individuals such as [https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/775632728548970500 Elon Musk] and even [https://twitter.com/unfccc/status/776129715799224320 twitted by the UN council on Climate Change], and obviously hated on by vocal {{rw|climate_change|climate change deniers}} and {{rw|crank|cranks}} such as [https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/53poul/josh_takes_on_xkcds_climate_timeline/ Anthony Watts]<sup><small>{{rw|Anthony_Watts|debunked}}</small></sup> and [http://joannenova.com.au/2016/09/how-to-make-climate-graphs-look-scary-a-reply-to-xkcd/ Joanne Nova]<sup><small>{{rw|Joanne_Nova|debunked}}</small></sup><br />
<br />
For more {{rw|rationalist}} critiques of this chart not driven by the agenda of pushing {{rw|pseudoscientific}} beliefs which are against the worldwide consensus, see [https://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-xkcd-comic-20696 t][https://reason.com/2016/09/14/send-around-this-xkcd-climate-change-web/ h][https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/14/493925781/epic-climate-cartoon-goes-viral-but-it-has-one-key-problem i][https://www.scpr.org/news/2016/09/15/64670/epic-climate-cartoon-goes-viral-but-it-has-one-key/ s] and most insightfully, [https://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2016/09/13/everybody-always-gets-this-wrong-even-smart-people this].<br />
<br />
* Due to increased interest, Randall decided to push the release of the next comic [[1733: Solar Spectrum]] one day back for a rare [[:Category:Thursday comics|Thursday release]] instead of the scheduled [[:Category:Wednesday comics|Wednesday release]]. <br />
** He [http://web.archive.org/web/20160915101125/http://xkcd.com/ noted this] above [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_changed_for_all_comics.png|all the comics]] in the [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_changed.png|header text on xkcd]]:<br />
::''Note: Since a lot of new people are here looking for this chart today,''<br />
::''I'll be posting Wednesday's comic on Thursday instead.''<br />
:* Before that, the [http://web.archive.org/web/20160912181546/https://xkcd.com/ normal heading] with the release day of xkcd was shown.<br />
:* This was (of course) still there Tuesday the [http://web.archive.org/web/20160913231501/http://xkcd.com/ day after] the release, because it was first on Wednesday there were reasons to note the delay.<br />
:* It stayed in place even [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_changed_also_when_next_comic_was_released.png|for some time after]] the "Wednesday" comic was released on Thursday, but was [http://web.archive.org/web/20160915154605/http://xkcd.com/ then removed] before [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_back_to_normal_shortly_after_next_comic_was_released.png|noon (EST)]] on Thursday.<br />
:** Randall did thus not post a link to this comic in the header text for new visitors to use, only giving them that one extra day.<br />
:* Even though the next comic was released on a Thursday, the scheduled Friday comic [[1734: Reductionism]] was still released as planned. <br />
:** This was also the first time this occurred on xkcd - see [[1734: Reductionism#Trivia|this trivia item]] from the Friday comic.<br />
* On 2019-03-01, this comic became one of the six [[Design of xkcd.com|footer]] comics.<br />
<br />
==== Removal of warning and footnote ====<br />
* This comic's popularity was probably the reason both the more-than-10-year-old [[warning|xkcd warning]] and the [[footnote#3._Bitcoin_addresses|previous footnote]] were [[footnote#4._Footnote_removed|removed]] on the day of this comic's release. <br />
** The next footnote was added 22 days later.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Large drawings]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Timelines]]<br />
[[Category:Line graphs]]<br />
[[Category:Maps]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] <br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]] <!--Pharao/Solomon/Cesar, Jesus? etc --><br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Climate change]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Music]] <!-- People with Guitars around Stone henge --><br />
[[Category:Fiction]] <!-- Iliad, Odyssey, 300 --><br />
[[Category:Sport]] <!-- Olympics --><br />
[[Category:Religion]] <!-- Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad --><br />
[[Category:Internet]]<br />
[[Category:Pokémon]]<br />
[[Category:Footer comics]]<br />
[[Category:Puns]] <!-- early American saying "cool." --><br />
[[Category:Volcanoes]]<br />
[[Category:Nuclear weapons]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1732:_Earth_Temperature_Timeline&diff=3147271732: Earth Temperature Timeline2023-06-01T11:11:20Z<p>Hawthorn: /* Popularity of comic */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1732<br />
| date = September 12, 2016<br />
| title = Earth Temperature Timeline<br />
| before = [[#Explanation|↓ Skip to explanation ↓]]<br />
| image = earth_temperature_timeline.png<br />
| titletext = [After setting your car on fire] Listen, your car's temperature has changed before.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{TOC}} <br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is a [[:Category:Timelines|timeline]] on how the temperature has changed from 20,000 BCE (Before {{w|Common Era}}) to the present day (2016), with three predictions for the rest of the 21st century depending on what actions are taken (or not taken) to stop CO₂ emission. This comic is a direct, but much more thorough, follow up on the previous global warming comic: [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]]. By having readers scroll through millennia of slow-paced natural changes, Randall uses the comic to confront the rapid temperature rise in recent years. <br />
<br />
Over the past 100 years, human action has produced a large amount of {{w|CO₂ emissions}}, which have caused a rise in average global temperature through the {{w|greenhouse effect}}. This is called {{w|global warming}} and is part of a {{w|climate change}}, a subject that has become a [[:Category:Climate change|recurrent subject]] on xkcd. There are still many people who claim that this is not happening, or at least that it is not caused by any human actions, called {{w|Climate change denial|climate change deniers}}. One argument of theirs is that global warming is happening for natural causes, summarized with the phrase "temperature has changed before".<br />
<br />
This comic shows that while temperature changes have indeed occurred before, the speed of the current temperature rise is much, much faster than those measured for many previous thousands of years. The comic became so popular that [[Randall]] [[#Popularity_of_comic|postponed the release]] of his next comic to keep this one on the front page one day longer. <br />
<br />
The temperature curve is a dotted line most of the time, but from about 1850 to 2016 the measurement data is good enough to let the curve become a solid line indicating that this is not an estimate. Before 1850 the temperature is an estimate based on the [[#Sources|sources]] given. And likewise into the future the three possible curves are also dotted to show that they are predictions, based on how seriously the population of Earth takes knowledge (and comics) like this.<br />
<br />
Although this is a topic Randall obviously takes very seriously, and by far most of the facts fit with known history, he still includes several [[#Jokes in the comic|jokes in the comic]]. See also the [[#Table of all elements|table]] explaining each item in the comic.<br />
<br />
The title text compares the saying that "the temperature has changed before" comparing temperature changes over thousands of years to the rapid global warming over the last century with saying that the "small" changes to the temperature a car experiences over the years of normal usage should not make you worried over the rapid temperature increase that happens when someone sets your car on fire. Randall previously used this joke in [[1693: Oxidation]].<br />
<br />
===Jokes in the comic===<br />
* By placing the invention of the internet at 1980 in the chart, just where the temperature curve starts its most rapid increase, Randall humorously implies that the internet caused the rise in temperature.<br />
* At 13600 BCE a glacier is shown retreating from New York because of the warm up. It is disgusted by the new changes and proclaims: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!'' This is a joke on [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/want-to-move-to-canada-if-trump-wins-not-so-fast-100658/ an idiom said by US citizens] to protest against changes in their country. As shown in the chart, the glacier takes 5000 years (13600-8400 BCE) to cross what would become the Canadian border (neither the United States nor Canada existed yet).{{citation needed}} Also, glaciers don't speak English, or any language for that matter.{{Citation needed}}<br />
* At 13400 BCE it is mentioned that {{w|origin of the domestic dog|humans domesticate dogs}}. [[Megan]] talks to a wolf about to be tamed making a deal with it, that it can eat and sleep with the humans as long as they can yell at it for pooping indoors. This sounds like a sweet deal for the wolf until [[Cueball]] mentions that they will {{w|Dog breeding|breed}} it to be {{w|Chihuahua (dog)|very small}} and then dress it up in small {{w|Dog's fashion|costumes}}. The wolf says wait, but it is already too late...<br />
* The {{w|Pokémon}} reference at 9000 BCE about them going extinct in North America (although Megan, immediately underneath, does note that this is not a real fact). As the writing stated that ''Pokemon go extinct'' this can also be seen as a reference to a popular video game called {{w|Pokémon Go}} and hence also the comic [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]].<br />
* At 4500 BCE, next to "{{w|Proto-Indo-European language}} develops", [[Ponytail]] gets the idea to develop the language heavily inflected to make it difficult to remember all the verb endings for future students. This is a direct reference to the comic [[1709: Inflection]].<br />
* The reference to the 1984 {{w|mockumentary}} about the fake rock band {{w|This Is Spinal Tap}} in conjunction with {{w|Stonehenge}} at 2200 BCE. In the movie the band ordered a giant 18 feet Stonehenge megalith but a writing mistake gives them one that is only 18 inches high.<br />
**Another real band {{w|Nine Inch Nails}} is referenced 15000 BCE where Megan writes the band's stylized name NIИ on the wall next to [[Hairy]] who is in the process of painting the {{w|cave painting}} at {{w|Lascaux}} in France.<br />
* Around the setting of the {{w|Iliad}} and the {{w|Odyssey}} (1200 BCE) a drawing of the {{w|Trojan Horse}} has writing on it that states: ''Not a trap''. <br />
* Just below the previous entry also at 1200 BCE is the mentioning of the invasion of the {{w|Sea Peoples}}. This sounds so much like a reference to {{w|Mermaid|mermaids}}, often called {{w|Mermaid#One_Thousand_and_One_Nights|sea people}} that Randall feels the need to note that this invasion and these sea people is ''a real thing'' in a footnote. This is opposed to the Pokémon reference above where he notes that it is ''not a real fact''. The sea people was a seafaring confederation of groups known to have attacked ancient Egypt and other Bronze age civilizations around this time. It is widely regarded to be one of the major causes of the {{w|Late Bronze Age collapse|Bronze Age Collapse}}.<br />
* The reference at 450 BCE compares the {{w|Battle of Thermopylae}} (also known as 300 Spartans) with the dramatized 2007 movie ''{{w|300 (film)|300}}'', but in the real world the fighting of course occurred [https://youtu.be/FCfdyroV7kc?t=12 at regular speed and with more clothing].<br />
*There are other minor jokes but this list mentions all the major jokes.<br />
<br />
===Table of all elements===<br />
*Here is table including all elements in the chart with explanations including reading off temperature and year for each event from the curve.<br />
**The year group is just an easy way to find the section.<br />
**Element is a description mainly taken from the transcript. <br />
**The actual year of an event has been read off more precisely on the chart.<br />
***The central part of the element has mainly been used.<br />
***Only rarely has ranges below 100 years been used but if a location is clearly midway between two hundred years intervals 50 year range has been used. <br />
***Only when there are several posts close to each other has smaller range been used a few times.<br />
**T (°C) is the number of degrees Celsius above or below the 1961-1990 average, which on this graph is set to zero, (i.e. not the number of physical degrees above or below this 0°C).<br />
***These have been read of to 0.1°C rounding up or down. Lines have been inserted over the chart, 10 for each degree, to make this as accurate as possible.<br />
***In a few cases where a maximum is reached 0.05°C has been used<br />
**Explanation of each element.<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!Year group<br />
!Element<br />
!Year<br />
!T (°C)<br />
!Explanation<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 20000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow goes from the dotted line to the central line at 0°C (representing the 1961-1990 average). In the middle of the line there is a temperature label:] 4.3°C<br>At the start of our timeline, 22,000 years ago, Earth is 4°C colder than during the late 20<sup>th</sup> century. || 20000 BCE || -4.3 || The scale here is relative, showing the magnitude of change rather than an absolute temperature reading. As a rule, {{w|climate}} changes are compared with a 30 year interval, and the 1961-1990 average was {{w|Climate#Definition|chosen for convenience}} as the "normal" to compare temperature changes with, but any other choice of baseline would show the exact same changes. The {{w|Last glacial period}} (aka ice age) reached its {{w|Last Glacial Maximum|maximum extent}} approximately 22 to 24 thousand years ago.<br />
|-<br />
<br />
| {{w|Boston}} is buried under almost a mile of ice, and the {{w|glaciers}} reach as far south as {{w|New York City}}.<br> [The Statue of Liberty is shown in front of a glacier front. [[Knit Cap]] is seen in the snowy landscape. The skyline of Boston is shown under a half a mile of ice.] || 19700 BCE || -4.3 || This shows what a difference 4 degree in global temperature means (massive effect), as opposed to four degrees on a daily weather wise scale (trivial). The Boston image is directly taken from [[1225: Ice Sheets]] about the ice age glacier coverage; it was also shown buried in ice in [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]].<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 19500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| But the world is about to warm up. || 19500 BCE|| -4.3 || The warming process actually takes thousands of years, which this comic will portray down thousands of pixels to come. This is not a fast warm up, especially not compared to the one we are currently experiencing (at the bottom of the chart).<br />
|-<br />
| By this time, humans have already spread across {{w|Africa}}, {{w|Eurasia}}, and {{w|Australia}}. || 19300 BCE || -4.3 || {{w|Homo Sapiens}} successfully {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Movement_out_of_Africa|migrated out of Africa}} somewhere between {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Dating:_pre-or_post-Toba|130,000}} and {{w|Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans#Coastal_route|70,000}} BCE.<br />
|-<br />
| They’ve created {{w|painting}}, {{w|pottery}}, {{w|rope}}, and {{w|Bow and arrow|bows and arrows}}, but haven’t developed {{w|writing}} or {{w|farming}}. || 19100 BCE || -4.3 || The {{w|History of painting#Pre-history|oldest known paintings}} date back to about 38,000 BCE. The {{w|Ceramic_art#History|oldest known pottery}} date back to about 20,000 BCE. The {{w|Rope#History|oldest known rope}} date back to about 26,000 BCE. The {{w|History_of_archery#Stone_Age_and_Bronze_Age_archery|oldest known arrows}} date back to about 70,000 BCE, but Randall seems to be mistaken about the bows which seems to be {{w|History_of_archery#Stone_Age_and_Bronze_Age_archery|at most 10,000 years old}}. Writing is mentioned again at 3500 BCE and farming at 10,000 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 19000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Changes in the Earth’s orbit mean that more sunlight reaches the polar ice… || 18600 BCE || -4.2 ||{{w|Milankovitch cycles}} are repeated climate variations on a timescale of tens of millennia caused by cyclic variations in {{w|Orbital eccentricity|eccentricity}}, {{w|axial tilt}}, and {{w|precession}} of the {{w|Earth's orbit}}, which thus then determined climatic patterns on Earth. The Milankovitch cycles are referenced again around 4700 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| [A line chart with a labeled Y-axis "Summer sun W/m<sup>2</sup> at 60°N" with three labeled ticks ranging from 450-550. The curve starts up and then goes down five times and up four times ending down. There is one plateau towards the end compared to the rest of the curve where the ups and downs are quite alike.] || 18600 BCE || -4.2 || The chart shows the input of sun during summer time in the {{w|Northern hemisphere}} (at {{w|60° northern latitude}}) as the effect (W) per square meter (m<sup>2</sup>) which fluctuated in the range from 450-550 during the time shown in the chart. There is, however, no scale for the time between the peaks. This chart relates to the text about increasing sun to the polar ice in the entry above.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 18500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [A map of the world. At the top is a light gray area covering {{w|North America}}, {{w|Greenland}} and northern {{w|Europe}} and most of the northern part of {{w|Russia}}. A similar gray area covers {{w|Antarctica}}. The gray areas are labeled as ice.] || 18300 BCE || -4.2 || This [[:Category:Maps|map]] shows where the ice covered the {{w|northern hemisphere}} (and Antarctica) during the {{w|Last Glacial Maximum}}. The continents have not moved much since then, but the lower water level caused by the amount of water bound up in the ice, can clearly be seen in several locations. For instance, the {{w|British islands}}, Greenland, and {{w|Papua New Guinea}} are connected to their respective neighboring continents. Also {{w|Alaska}} and Russia are connected through the ice sheets covering the northern part of the Earth.<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 18000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| …And the ice sheets start to melt. || 17900 BCE || -4.1 || This was a slow process that takes 10,000 years. The ice is mentioned again at 13,600 and 8400 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 17500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Temperatures have been creeping upward, but around this point, CO<sub>2</sub> levels start to climb…|| 17300 BCE || -4.1 || Due to the release of gasses from various sources (dissolved in the ocean, trapped in {{w|permafrost}}, etc), {{w|Carbon dioxide in Earth's_atmosphere#Measuring ancient-Earth carbon dioxide concentration|atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> levels}} increased by 100 parts per million over a span of thousands of years. Modern civilization has added the same amount in a single century.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 17000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| …And then the warming speeds up. || 16700 BCE || -4.1 || It took 3000 years for the temperature to increase with one degree. So this sentence can be seen as sarcasm about the rate of natural climate change compared to modern {{w|anthropogenic}} (human caused) warming.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 16500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Cueball is standing with a spear just the right of the graph talking to a rabbit.]<br>Cueball: Still pretty cold. || 16200 BCE || -4.0 || True, because although the temperature has risen with 0.3°C over the last 4000 years, it's still 4°C below the 1961-1990 average.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 16000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Megan touches the dotted line to the right of her, with Ponytail standing on the other side. The graph has finally passed the -4°C line below the 1961-1990 average.] || 15600 BCE || -3.9 || Megan is the first drawing on the left side of the curve. She seems to be pushing the temperature up.<br />
|-<br />
| [In the right part of the chart is an explanation of the data. Below the first two lines there are four drawings each showing possible temperature swings in reality compared to the smoothed data that represents the dotted curve of the entire chart. The dotted curve is shown in all four drawings and a thin line is shown running along it but with much more fluctuation left and right on the first two, a large spike right on the third and a large bump way right on the fourth. Above these there are two labels. The first labels is inside a bracket that covers the first three, and the last label is for the last drawing. Below is a list of sources.] <br>Limits of this data: <br> Short warming or cooling spikes might be “smoothed out” by these reconstructions but only if they’re small or brief enough. <br> Possible Unlikely<br>Reconstructions are from Shakun (2012) and Marcott (2013), scaled to Annan + Hargreaves (2013) estimate for the last glacial period. || 15600 BCE || -3.9 || This is Randall's pre-emptive response to skepticism about the accuracy of prehistoric data. {{w|Ice cores}} and similar records might miss individual year-to-year variation, but should catch sustained changes lasting many decades, which is the time scale that matters for climate. See links to the [[#Sources|sources below]].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 15500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| In what is now {{w|France}}, humans paint murals on the walls of the {{w|Lascaux}} caves <br> [Hairy paints three animals, two with horns, and two humans, Cueball holding hand with Hairy who has a spear. On the other side of the central line Megan writes three letters, the last of which is reversed:] NIИ || 15200 BCE || -3.8 || A reference to the industrial techno band {{w|Nine Inch Nails}} as Megan writes the bands stylized name NIИ on the wall next to Hairy who is in the process of painting part of the {{w|cave paintings}} at Lascaux in France.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 15000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets around {{w|Alaska}} shrink, exposing a land bridge between Asia and North America <br> [From around the bottom if this section and down to 11500 BCE the dotted curve moved steadily to the right towards warmed temperature peaking close to 1.5°C below the 1961-1990 average. Before this the temperature had not moved much away from that at the start.] || 14600 BCE || -3.5 || This land bridge is known as {{w|Beringia}}. It is mentioned again at 8300 when it disappears due to the rising seas.<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 14500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [Cueball walks right looking back at the graph behind him. Megan walks in front of him pointing further right.]<br> Cueball: Cool.<br> Humans reach {{w|North America}}. || 14200 BCE || -3.3 || This is approximately when the humans from {{w|Asia}} crossed the land bridge mentioned in the previous entry, from what is now {{w|Siberia}} to what is now {{w|Alaska}}. {{w|Settlement of the Americas}} occurred around the time shown in the chart, although {{w|Settlement_of_the_Americas#Chronology|it's possible}} that earlier humans did so by boat prior to the formation of the land bridge.<br>Cueball's comment is a double entendre; it was figuratively "cool" that early people migrated this far, and the climate was literally cool compared to modern times.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 14000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| The edge of the ice withdraws from {{w|New York City}} and retreats north. || 13700 BCE || -3.1 || Even though the ice began to melt 4000 years before (at 18,000 BCE in the chart) it is first now that New York City is free of ice.<br />
|-<br />
| [A large glacier front speaks in a speech bubble with an arrow pointing at it. Behind is there are four peaks in the horizon and in front of it three small melting pools and some rocks on the ground.] <br> Glacier: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!'' || 13600 BCE || -3.0 || When US citizens are unhappy with changes in their country, they sometimes say they will move to Canada in protest. Here it is the glacier that is anthropomorphically unhappy with the climate changes. However this is a slow process; it crosses the Canadian border more than 5000 years later.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 13500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans domesticate dogs <br> (Date uncertain, may be much earlier) || 13400 BCE || -3.0 || See {{w|Origin of the domestic dog}}. This timeline event is not quite accurate. The first dogs differentiated from {{w|Gray wolf|wolves}} about {{w|Origin_of_the_domestic_dog#Time_of_domestication|23,500 years ago}}, but there was an event around 13500 BCE that increased the population size and may be attributable to domestication events.<br />
|-<br />
|| [Megan and Cueball is watching a wolf looking at them.]<br>Megan: Okay, you can live in our homes and we’ll feed you, but we’ll still get mad if you poop on the floor. <br> Wolf: Deal. <br> Cueball: And we get to breed you to be tiny and dress you in little costumes. <br>Wolf: …Wait. || 13100 BCE || -2.8 || Megan is making a deal with the wolf that it can eat and sleep with the humans as long as they can yell at it for pooping indoor. This sounds like a sweet deal for the wolf until Cueball mentions that they will {{w|Dog breeding|breed}} it to be {{w|Chihuahua (dog)|very small}} and then dress it up in small {{w|Dog's fashion|costumes}}. The wolf says wait, but it is already too late...<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 13000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Woolly Rhino}} goes extinct || 12900 BCE || -2.7 || Mainland woolly rhinos died in the {{w|Quaternary extinction event}}, but a small island population survived until {{w|Woolly_rhinoceros#Extinction|around 8000 BCE}}. Woolly rhinos likely became extinct in part due to {{w|Holocene extinction|over-hunting}}. Randall's choice of species on this chart seems to focus on animals that were greatly affected by humans, for good or ill.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Oregon}} is scoured by huge floods as glacial dams burst and lakes of meltwater flow to the sea || 12600 BCE || -2.2 || This is a reference to the {{w|Missoula Floods}} several cataclysmic floods that swept periodically across eastern {{w|Washington}} and down the {{w|Columbia River Gorge}} flooding much of eastern Washington and the {{w|Willamette Valley}} in western Oregon at the end of the last ice age. During the last {{w|deglaciation}} ice dams formed then burst several times between 13,000 and 11,000 BCE. <br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 12500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets withdraw from Chicago || 12200 BCE || -1.8 || The next step towards the Canadian border, after they left New York at 13,600 BCE.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 12000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans settle {{w|Abu Hureyra}} in {{w|Syria}} || 11550 BCE || -1.6 || A well-preserved prehistoric village that existed from 11,000 to 7000 BCE (a little later than noted in the chart), allowing archaeologists to study how their culture developed.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 11500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow on the left side of the dotted curve is pointing down along the dotted curve and to the left indicate temperature is declining again, meaning the dotted curve now moves left to colder temperatures. This only continues until 10500 BCE. It is only the second time something is noted on the left side after Megan at 16000 BCE] <br> Temperatures start to decline, mainly in the Northern hemisphere<br> This may be caused by changes in ocean circulation due to the floods of cold fresh meltwater flowing into the Atlantic as the North American ice sheet melts. <br> This cooler period is called the {{w|Younger Dryas}} || 11300 BCE || -1.6 || In the Younger Dryas, the Earth cooled by almost one degree over 1000 years. There were {{w|Outburst flood#Glacial_floods_in_North_America_.288.2C000_to_15.2C000_years_ago.29|several floods}} during the end of the ice age but the most famous is the one from {{w|Lake Agassiz}}.<br>A similar but less global effect could occur if the ice on {{w|Greenland}} melts too quickly and causes a {{w|shutdown of thermohaline circulation}}. Without the {{w|Gulf Stream}}, hot water would remain in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean instead of warming the {{w|North Atlantic}} and Europe. The movie {{w|The Day After Tomorrow}} dramatized a worse-than-worst-case version of this, happening in days instead of centuries.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 11000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [This is the first text to the left of the dotted curve:] <br> Humans reach {{w|Argentina}} || 10900 BCE || -1.8 || The earliest evidence of {{w|Indigenous_peoples_in_Argentina#Prehistory|humans in Argentina}}.<br>Finally the temperature graph has risen enough that there is space to write text on the left side of the curve.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 10500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [An arrow pointing down along the right side of the dotted curve and to the right indicate temperature is increasing again, meaning the dotted curve now moves right to hotter temperatures. This continues until 8000 BCE where it levels out just above the 1961-1990 average.] <br> Warming resumes || 10500 BCE || -1.8 || After 1000 years of slightly decreasing temperatures the warm up of Earth resumes. Over the next 3000 years the temperature increases 2.5°C, reaching a long plateau about 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average around 7500 BCE.<br />
|-<br />
| Human settlements at {{w|Jericho}} ||10050 BCE || -1.4 || The {{w|Jericho#Pre-Pottery_Neolithic.2C_c._9500_BCE|first permanent settlement}} on the site of Jericho occurred around 9500 BCE, but there is evidence of {{w|Jericho#Natufian_hunter-gatherers.2C_c._10.2C000_BCE|non permanent settlement}} during this period, when cold and drought made permanent habitation in that region difficult.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 10000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| First development of {{w|farming}} || 9750 BCE || -1.1 || This is now called the {{w|Neolithic Revolution}}, i.e. the wide-scale transition of many human cultures from a lifestyle of {{w|Hunter-gatherer|hunting and gathering}} to one of {{w|agriculture}} and settlement. The {{w|history of agriculture}} began independently in several locations with both {{w|domestication}} of animals and the farming of different {{w|cereals}}. One of the first regions to develop farming was the {{w|Fertile Crescent}}.<br>This is also around this time that the last ice age is said to have ended.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 9500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Saber-toothed cat}} goes extinct || 9200 BCE || -0.3 || Although one of these (Smilodon) was known as the {{w|saber-toothed tiger}}, most saber-toothed "cats" are not related to tigers, or any modern {{w|cats}} at all, but can be viewed as examples of convergent evolution. {{w|Smilodon}} became extinct around 8000 BCE, and the last Saber-toothed cat first became extinct around 7000 BCE, which does not fit very well with Randall's range. Indirectly humans may have caused the extinction of the Saber-toothed cat by over-hunting their {{w|megafauna}} prey, depriving the cats of food sources.<br />
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|-<br />
| {{w|Horses}} disappear from {{w|North America}} || 9100 BCE || -0.2 || The {{w|evolution of the horse}} began millions of years ago in North America; early species {{w|Evolution_of_the_horse#Miocene_and_Pliocene:_true_equines|migrated across Beringia into Eurasia}} before their predecessors {{w|Evolution_of_the_horse#Pleistocene_extinctions|died out}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 9000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| | Last North American {{w|Pokémon}} go extinct <br> [Cueball with a spear and Megan is looking up at this last “fact”.] <br> Megan: That is not a real fact. || 8900 BCE || -0.1 || Pokemon are not real. This faux-extinction is likely a reference to the {{w|Pokémon Go}} game, which Randall spoofed in [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]]. Virtual Pokémon now thrive throughout the entire world, and are most commonly found near [http://time.com/4443225/pokemon-go-affluent-white-neighborhoods-report/ affluent first world neighborhoods].<br />
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|-<br />
| Temperatures reach modern levels || 8800 BCE || 0.0 || It took 11,200 years for the temperature to increase 4.3°C. It's possible that human-created effects will produce an equal change in a few hundred years.<br />
|-<br />
| Rising seas cut off the {{w|land bridge}} between North America and Asia || 8700 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Beringia}} was freed of ice in 15,000 BCE. This is an example of what happens when the temperature rises and glaciers melt. Sea levels are rising again as ice on {{w|Greenland}} and {{w|Antarctica}} continues to melt.<br />
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|-<br />
| {{w|Cattle}} domesticated || 8500 BCE || 0.2 || Cattle feature prominently in the comic [[1338: Land Mammals]].<br />
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|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 8500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Ice sheets retreat across the Canadian border || 8400 BCE || 0.3 || Finally the glacier that began retreating from New York around 13,600 BCE succeeded in moving to Canada as it had threatened to do... <br />
|-<br />
| Temperatures start to level out slightly above 1961-1990 levels || 8050 BCE || 0.4 || The next 3000 years the temperature stays within 0.2°C degree of a temperature 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average. A very long and stable period.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 8000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [The above sentence breaks over the 8000 <small>BCE</small> line. From here a maximum in temperature on the chart is reached at 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average, which will not be overtaken until 2000 CE. It stays almost constant here until 5000 BCE where a slight cooling begins.] || 8000 BCE || 0.4 || This is the only five hundred year span with no events listed fully inside. Maybe because nothing happens with the temperature.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 7500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| This warm, stable period is called the {{w|Holocene Climate Optimum}} || 7400 BCE || 0.5 || Some skeptics like to say "[http://www.skepticalscience.com/10000-years-warmer.htm it was warmer in the Holocene]." This is no longer true. Global temperature began encroaching Holocene levels in 1998, and has equaled or possibly exceeded them since 2014.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jiahu}} settled in China || 7050 BCE || 0.5 || Jiahu is another prehistoric settlement, similar to Abu Hureyra (12000 BCE), that was extensively studied by archaeologists.<br />
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|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 7000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Final collapse of the North American ice sheet leads to rapid 2-4m sea level rise… || 6800 BCE || 0.55 || The temperature almost reached 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average before this happened and caused the slight decrease in temperature mentioned below.<br />
|-<br />
| [A small arrow points down and left to the right of the dotted curve. There is a small decrease in temperature but it is very small and would have been missed without the arrow and label.] <br>…And a period of cooling in the Northern hemisphere || 6550 BCE || 0.5 || A 0.05 degree decrease in 200 years again refers to the theme of slow natural climate change.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 6500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| As seas rise to near their modern levels, Britain is cut off from mainland Europe || 6300 BCE || 0.45 || This is a reference to the flooding of {{w|Doggerland}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| 6000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Humans develop copper metalworking || 5600 BCE || 0.5 || The {{w|copper age}} was relatively brief before humans discovered how to make {{w|bronze}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 5500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Massive volcanic eruption in {{w|Oregon}} creates crater lake || 5300 BCE || 0.55 || {{w|Crater Lake}} is the caldera at the top of Mount Mazama, a collapsed stratovolcano. If it erupted again, it could become a Somma volcano (see [[1714: Volcano Types]]).<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gold}} metalworking || 5050 BCE || 0.6 || The temperature peaks here at just a bit more than 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average. It will not rise above this level until the global warming sets in in the 1900s.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 5000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Invention of the wheel}} || 4900 BCE || 0.6 || Wheels are one of the most important inventions of humanity. They feature in many xkcd comics, such as [[1075: Warning]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the dotted curve is an arrow pointing down and slightly left. From here temperature decreases very slowly but steadily from 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average until 1000 BCE where a stable plateau is reached around the 1961-1990 average.] <br> Earth begins to cool slowly mainly due to regular cycles in its orbit || 4800 BCE || 0.5 || Again a reference to the {{w|Milankovitch cycles}} mentioned in detail at 18,600 BCE. Here they cause a cooling rather than a heating as they did back then.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 4500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Proto-Indo-European language}} develops || 4400 BCE || 0.5 || Most of the languages in Europe, the Middle East, and India share a surprising number of common roots. PIE is the theoretical ancestor from which they descend. Randall mentions this language family in many comics, such as [[890: Etymology]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the curve Ponytail holds up a hand towards Cueball.]<br> Ponytail: Let’s make our language heavily inflected, so future students have to memorize a zillion verb endings!<br> Cueball: Okay! || 4400 BCE || 0.5 || Ponytail gets the idea to develop the language heavily inflected to make it difficult to remember all the verb endings for future students and Cueball is okay with that. This is a direct reference to the comic [[1709: Inflection]].<br />
|-<br />
| Permanent settlements in the {{w|fertile crescent}} || 4200 BCE || 0.5 || The Fertile Crescent is one of those things you're supposed to remember from grade school. A lot of historic milestones happened there, such as the pyramids of Giza, the code of Hammurabi, and the Abrahamic religions.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 4000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| Horses domesticated || 3950 BCE || 0.5 || Horse riding was the greatest advance in land travel until the invention of engines. Horses appear in many xkcd comics, such as [[936: Password Strength]].<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Minoan culture}} arises on Crete || 3700 BCE || 0.5 || Minoan culture invented many strange and wonderful things, such as the Labyrinth at Knossos and {{w|Bull-leaping}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 3500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Egyptian mummification}} || 3500 BCE || 0.5 || xkcd has discussed mummification in {{what if|134|What If? 134: Space Burial}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Rise of the {{w|Indus Valley civilization}} || 3300 BCE || 0.5 || The largest bronze-age civilization.<br />
|-<br />
| Invention of {{w|writing}} in {{w|Sumer}} “{{w|prehistory}}” ends, “{{w|history}}” begins || 3200 BCE || 0.5 || Our knowledge of prehistoric events must rely on digging up artifacts and making inferences. After this time, it became possible to find descriptions of past people and events, which is the definition of history. (Old guy in Sumer: Kids these days with their new-fangled stone tablets, instead of using their memory...)<br />
|-<br />
| Earliest human whose name we know (Pharaoh {{w|Iry-Hor}} in Egypt) || 3100 BCE || 0.5 || The first named person we know of today! This was also mentioned as a "cool fact" in the title text of [[1355: Airplane Message]].<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="5"| 3000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors}} period in China || 2800 BCE || 0.4 || The temperature has finally dropped below 0.5°C above the 1961-1990 average after almost 2000 years of cooling from 0.6°C above the 1961-1990 average.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gilgamesh}} || 2700 BCE || 0.4 || Gilgamesh was probably a Sumerian king whose tales were exaggerated into mythology.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Imhotep}} || 2600 BCE || 0.4 || Imhotep was not a pharaoh, but a wise commoner who was elevated to chancellor, high priest, and post-mortem divinity. <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Maya civilization|Mayan}} culture emerges || 2600 BCE || 0.4 || Like the ancient Egyptians, Mayans are remembered for pyramids and {{w|logograph}}s.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Great Pyramid}} constructed || 2650 BCE || 0.4 || xkcd has discussed pyramids in [[1717: Pyramid Honey]] and {{what if|95|What If? 95: Pryamid Energy}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Corded Ware culture}} in Europe || 2500 BCE || 0.3 || The term Corded Ware was invented by an archaeologist; no civilization actually called themselves that.<br />
|-<br />
| [To the left of the curve two rock musicians with long hair and electrical guitars are standing on either side of a small gate made of three slabs of stone, one on top of the other two standing stones.] <br> {{w|Stonehenge}} completed || 2200 || 0.3 || This is a reference to the 1984 {{w|mockumentary}} about the fake rock band {{w|This Is Spinal Tap}}. In the movie the band wanted a giant Stonehenge prop 18 feet high, but a writing mistake gives them one that is only 18 inches.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Chariots}} developed || 2000 BCE || 0.3 || But {{w|Chariots of Fire}} came much later.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Alphabetic writing}} developed in Egypt || 1750 BCE || 0.2 || Obligatory reference to xkcd [[1069: Alphabet]].<br />
|-<br />
| Last {{w|mammoth}}s on a tiny Siberian island go extinct || 1650 BCE || 0.2 || Many of the {{w|Pleistocene megafauna}} died in the {{w|Quaternary extinction event}}. Like the {{w|woolly rhino}} (see 12900 BCE) these animals likely became extinct in part due to {{w|Holocene extinction|humans hunting them}}, which may be why Randall included them in the chart. Most of the mammoths died out before 8000 BCE but {{w|Woolly_mammoth#Extinction|some survived in remote areas}} and the last known population died on {{w|Wrangel Island}} in the {{w|Arctic Ocean}} around 2000 BCE, slightly earlier than Randall shows here.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Minoan eruption}} || 1600 BCE || 0.2 || This volcano may have led to the downfall of Minoan civilization. <br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="5"| 1500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| {{w|Iron smelting}} || 1400 BCE || 0.1 || The beginning of the {{w|Iron Age}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Olmec}} civilization develops in Central America || 1350 BCE || 0.1 || No, Maggie, not Aztec, [http://vimeo.com/34002760 Olmec].<br />
|-<br />
| [A Trojan horse with two Cueball-like guys in front and a third standing on its back. Its back is at three Cueball’s height and its head rises to the level of the Cueball on its back. It stands on a platform with four wheel on the visible side. There is text on the horse]<br> Setting of the ''{{w|Iliad}}'' and the ''{{w|Odyssey}}''<br> Text on horse: Not a trap || 1250 BCE || 0.1 || A reference to the {{w|Trojan War}} qua the drawing of the {{w|Trojan Horse}}. The horse was a big trap letting the soldiers hidden inside it into {{w|Troy}}. This explains why it has ''Not a trap'' written on it. Else they would not have taken the giant wooden horse present from their sworn enemies into their city just like that... Note that the Trojan horse isn't mentioned in the Iliad, and only recalled in passing by the characters in the Odyssey.<br />
|-<br />
| Invasion of the {{w|Sea peoples}}* <br>* A real thing || 1200 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Mermaid#One_Thousand_and_One_Nights|Sea people}} might sound like a reference to mythical {{w|mermaid}}s, so Randall feels the need to footnote that this event was ''a real thing'' (as opposed to his Pokémon reference, which he notes is ''not a real fact''). The sea peoples were a seafaring confederation of groups known to have attacked ancient Egypt around this time.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Polynesians}} explore the Pacific Ocean || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || {{w|Polynesian navigation}} was surprisingly widespread.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="8"| 1000 <small>BCE</small><br />
| [From 1000 BBC to 1000 CE the temperature is stable and very close to the 1961-1990 average.] || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || The temperature has fallen from the Holocene Optimum by half a degree to just a bit above the 1961-1990 average. It will stay in this range for the next 2000 years.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Solomon}} || 1000 BCE || 0.1 || Solomon may have been a real historical king, but he probably did not threaten to chop a baby in half.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Iliad}} and {{w|Odyssey}} composed || 900 BCE || 0.1 || These classic myths were written more than 300 years after their supposed events. Archaeologists believe the city of {{w|Troy}} existed (and was destroyed by war around the right time period), but characters like Helen, Odysseus, and Achilles did not.<br />
|- <br />
| Rise of {{w|Greek city-states}} || 800 BCE || 0.1 || This is ''Sparta'', along with Athens and several others.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Neo-Assyrian Empire}} || 800 BCE || 0.1 || Hi, you may remember us from such kings as Adad-nirari and Sennacherib.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Ancient Olympic Games|First Olympics}} || 750 BCE || 0.1 || The first of the ancient Olympic Games is traditionally dated to 776 BC.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Zapotec civilization|Zapotec}} writing in modern Mexico || 600 BCE || 0.0 || Another Central American culture that fell to the Spanish invasion.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Confucius}} || 550 BCE || 0.0 || "He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions."<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="10"| 500 <small>BCE</small><br />
| The stuff in the {{w|300 (film)|movie ''300''}}, but regular speed and with more clothing || 450 BCE || 0.0 || A reference to the {{w|Battle of Thermopylae}} by comparison with the 2007 movie ''300'' about this battle. The real Spartans wore armor, and real humans don't [http://www.google.com/search?q=300+slow-motion fly through the air in slow motion when struck].<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Buddha}} || 450 BCE || 0.0 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Jesus}} and {{w|Muhammad}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Nazca Lines}} || 350 BCE || 0.0 || These huge ancient drawings are difficult to see from ground level, leading some people to believe that they were intended for aliens.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Alexander the Great}} || 350 BCE || 0.0 || One of the most successful conquerors of the iron age, known for supposedly cutting the {{w|Gordian Knot}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Mayan hieroglyphics}} || 250 BCE || 0.0 || The {{w|Maya Calendar}} was probably created hundreds of years later.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Ashoka the Great}} || 250 BCE || 0.0 || The {{w|Edicts of Ashoka}} proselytized Buddhism across the continent.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Paper}} invented || 200 BCE || 0.0 || A significant step up from stone tablets or even papyrus.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Asterix}} || 100 BCE || 0.0 || Fictional main character in ''The Adventures of Asterix'', a comic series set around 50 BCE when {{w|Julius Caesar}} conquered {{w|Gaul}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w| Teotihuacan|Teotihuacán}} metropolis || 100 BCE || 0.0 || Another ancient city much beloved by archaeologists, even though they don't know who built it.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Julius Caesar}} || 50 BCE || 0.0 || Aside from being a conqueror, dictator, and deity, Julius had a big impact on {{w|Julian Calendar|calendars}}. The month of Quintilis was renamed July to honor him, and he was famously assassinated on the ides (middle day) of March.<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="8"|1 <small>BCE</small><br>1 <small>CE</small><br />
| [Instead of a zero, there are two numbers for each of the two scales before (1 BCE) and after Christ (1 CE)] || 0 CE || -0.1 || Originally the year range went directly from 1 BC to 1 AD. The year zero has since been added for ease of mathematical and astronomical calculations.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Roman Empire}} || 1 CE || -0.1 || Julius never held the title "Emperor"; his adoptive son Augustus was the first to do so.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Jesus}} || 1 CE || -0.1 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Buddha}} and {{w|Muhammad}}.<br />
|-<br />
| [To the left and erupting volcano.] <br> {{w|Pompeii}} || 100 CE || -0.1 || The volcano is {{w|Mount Vesuvius}} which exploded in 79 CE and is famous for burying everyone in the close by city Pompeii preserving peoples bodies inside the huge amount of ash that swallowed the city very rapidly. Today it has given the archeologist lots of knowledge about the culture of that time.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Three Kingdoms}} period || 250 CE || -0.1 || Not just a series of movies and video games, but an actual thing that happened in China.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Gupta empire}} || 700 CE || -0.1 || Not as great as Ashoka, but still a pretty important time in the history of India.<br />
|-<br />
| Various groups take turns sacking {{w|Rome}} || 550 CE || -0.1 || 500 years is a pretty successful span for an empire.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Attila the Hun}} || 550 CE || -0.1 || He probably would not mind being remembered as one of the most infamous barbarians in history.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| 500 <small>CE</small><br />
| {{w|Muhammad}} || 600 CE || 0.0 || Randall also mentions other religious figures like {{w|Buddha}} and {{w|Jesus}}<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Tang Dynasty}} || 750 CE || 0.0 || A golden age in China, responsible for the development of printing, gunpowder, and many other advances.<br />
|-<br />
| [An arrow to the right of the dotted curve pointing down, takes a swing far out from the curve and then bends back again. The text label next to it breaks into the next 500 period. The dotted curve stays stable at the 1961-1990 average along this arrow.] <br> {{w|Medieval warm period}} in Europe and some northern regions (too regional to affect the global average much) || 900 CE || 0.0 || Changes in ocean currents caused various regions to warm up while others cooled.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Leif Eriksson}} || 950 CE || 0.0 || Probably the first European explorer to reach North America.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="7"| 1000 <small>CE</small><br />
| [To the left a drawing of a compass with needle pointing the black end towards north east. There are labels for the four main directions (N, S, W, E) and a label next to it:]<br> {{w|Magnetic compass}} navigation || 1050 CE || 0.0 || It's much easier to sail to the Orient when you can orient yourself.<br />
|-<br />
| [The dotted curve moves to the left towards lower temperature reaching a minimum around 1650 CE of about 0.6°C below the 1961-1990 average at the {{w|Little Ice Age}}.] || 1150 CE || -0.1 || This less than half a degree drop in temperature over 500 years was enough to cause the "Little Ice Age" which resulted in extended ice coverage in the winters in instance Europe. See more below at the entry for the Little Ice Age.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Genghis Khan}} || 1200 CE || -0.2 || Mongol emperor. {{w|Gengar}} is not named after him, but [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Kangaskhan_(Pokémon) Kangaskhan] and [http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Khal the Khals] are.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Zheng He}}’s fleet explores Asia and Africa || 1400 CE || -0.3 || He explored farther than European contemporaries like Dias or de Gama.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Aztec Empire|Aztec Alliance}} || 1400 CE || -0.3 || Aztec dominance only lasted a century until Cortes arrived, but their cultural legacy is indisputable.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Printing press}} || 1450 CE || -0.3 || {{w|Johannes Gutenburg}} ushered in the {{w|Age of Enlightenment}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Christopher Columbus|Columbus}} || 1490 CE || -0.3 || The time given here references when Christopher Columbus reached the {{w|Americas|New World}} in 1492. The five events around 1500 CE lies very close together but it fits with Columbus fitted in just before 1500.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1500 <small>CE</small><br />
| {{w|European Renaissance}} || 1500 CE || -0.3 || From here on, the chart has labels for each 100 year increment instead of 500, but the scale stays the same. Important events happens so much faster in these last five hundred years, there isn't enough space to write all of them, so Randall has had to be selective. He includes {{w|Isaac Newton}} but leaves out {{w|Albert Einstein}}, includes {{w|airplane}}s but leaves out {{w|car}}s, etc.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Shakespeare}} || 1600 CE || -0.4 || xkcd references Shakespeare many times, such as [[79: Iambic Pentameter]] and [[1026: Compare and Contrast]].<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1600 <br />
| {{w|Isaac Newton|Newton}} || 1650 CE || -0.4 || Isaac Newton appears in various xkcd comics, such as [[626: Newton and Leibniz]].<br />
|-<br />
| [To the right of the dotted curve there is an arrow pointing down that makes a swing in towards the curve and then back out again. This is the coldest it has been since 9500 BCE. It is labeled:]<br> ”{{w|Little Ice Age}}” || 1650 CE || -0.4 || This was not a true geologic Ice Age, just a slightly chilly period when the temperature fell a fraction of a degree, but still colder than it had been through 11,000 years of human civilization. In Europe the winters were so cold that the river {{w|Thames}} {{w|Little_Ice_Age#Europe|froze over}} hard enough to hold {{w|River Thames frost fairs}} between 1607 and 1814. And in 1658 {{w|Sweden}} crossed the {{w|Danish Straits}} on foot to invade {{w|Copenhagen}} in the {{w|March Across the Belts}}. It was only possible due to the harsh winters of the Little Ice Age, demonstrating how much half a degree of climate change can mean.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 1700<br />
| {{w|Steam engines}} || 1750 CE || -0.4 || The {{w|Age of Steam}} heralded the upsurge of human CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|United States Declaration of Independence|Unites States Independence}} || 1770 CE || -0.3 || On July 4, 1776.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 1800<br />
| {{w|Industrial Revolution}} || 1825 CE || -0.3 || Not to be confused with {{w|Industrial music}} such as Nine Inch Nails.<br />
|- <br />
| {{w|Electrical telegraph|Telegraphs}} || 1830 CE || -0.3 || [https://youtu.be/4OLWJ1TMuNE?t=55s -. --- .-- --..-- / - .... . / -- --- - .... . .-. / --- ..-. / ... .- -- ..- . .-.. / -- --- .-. ... . / .- .-.. .-- .- -.-- ... / ... . -. - / - .... . / .-.. .- -.. / --- ..- - / --- -. / .- / .... --- .-. ... .]<br />
|-<br />
| [After this the dotted curve becomes solid.] || 1850 CE || -0.3 || From 1850 weather records became sufficiently accurate and widespread to greatly improve the precision of climate measurements. Hence the curve stops being an estimate and thus also stops being a dotted curve and becomes solid.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="6"| 1900<br />
| {{w|Airplane}}s || 1900 CE || -0.3 || xkcd discusses airplanes many times, such as [[726: Seat Selection]] and {{what if|30|30: Interplanetary Cessna}}.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|World Wars}} || 1930 CE || -0.2 || Likewise, there are many xkcds on this topic, such as [[261: Regarding Mussolini]] and {{what if|100|100: WWII Films}}.<br />
|-<br />
| [The solid line takes a step to the right close to the 1961-1990 average. Over the rest of the 1900s it moves closer to the 1961-1990 average, crossing it before 2000 where it almost reaches the maximum temperature of 0.5 °C above the 1961-1990 average from earlier in 8000 BCE.] || 1940 CE || -0.2 || This is what the previous 14000 pixels of comic has been leading up to. After a laborious 20 millennia of gradual and meandering climate change, it should be clear that a full degree of warming in a single century is unprecedented in human history, and very unlikely to be natural variation.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fossil fuel}} CO<sub>2</sub> emissions start rapidly increasing || 1950 CE || -0.1 || The infamous [http://www.skepticalscience.com/Hockey-stick-or-hockey-league.html "hockey stick"] starts around here.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Nuclear weapons}} || 1950 CE || -0.1 || The Working Group on the 'Anthropocene' suggests dating the {{w|Anthropocene}} epoch from ~1950. The week after this comic [[1736: Manhattan Project]] with a mushroom cloud was released.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Internet}} || 1980 CE || 0.1 || The origin of the internet dates back to 1960 but it began growing rapidly in 1980. By placing the invention of the {{w|internet}} at 1980 in the chart, just where the temperature curve starts its most rapid increase, Randall uses this [[552: Correlation|correlation]] to humorously imply that the internet caused the rise in temperature.<br> This is also where the temperature crosses the 1961-1990 average, which has to happen somewhere due to the {{w|Intermediate Value Theorem}}.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 2000<br />
| {{w|Northwest Passage}} opens || 2000 CE || 0.4 || This was dramatic evidence that the climate had changed. When global warming removes enough sea ice to create shipping routes that never existed before, then it is clear to people that ''something'' is changing, even if they disregard who/what is responsible for the change.<br />
|-<br />
|[From here to present day the solid line increases rapidly and in 2016, present day, is almost reaches 1°C above the 1961-1990 average, with about 0.8°C above the 1961-1990 average.] || 2016 CE || 0.8 || '''Notice''': [http://www.skepticalscience.com/argument.php?a=11&p=2 Warming did not stop] in 1998.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3"| 2016<br />
| | Present day || 2016 CE || 0.8 || Today, just after the two hottest months ever measured since 1850 had ended (July and August 2016), this comic was released with the message displayed very clearly here below. Act now or fry...<br />
|-<br />
| [From here the curve once again becomes dotted as this is the future. After one dot it splits in two and after the first two dots another split between them occurs forming three possible future dotted curves.] || 2016 CE || 0.8 || Here stops the data and the projection into the future begins so the curve again becomes dotted. Three different scenarios are depicted.<br />
|-<br />
|The first curve bending down before the others, and thus to the right of the other two reaches about 1.2°C above the 1961-1990 average and then goes straight down and stops at the 2100 line. An arrow points to it from the left and a label is written partly before and the rest after the 2100 line to the left of the curve:] <br>Best-case scenario assuming immediate massive action to limit emissions || 2100 CE || 1.2 || If humanity does all in its power to stop global warming we might be able to halt the global warming already before 2050 keeping the maximum temperature to just 1.2°C above the 1961-1990 average. Only 0.4°C above today's temperature. (Note that this is not, in fact, the absolute best-case scenario, as it assumes that no new greenhouse gasses are either added to or removed from the atmosphere in the future; the temperature rise could be kept to an even lower level if some or all of the already-emitted greenhouse gasses were removed from the atmosphere.)<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| 2100<br />
| [The middle curve bends a little down after reaching 1.3°C above the 1961-1990 average, and then continues this path reaching 2°C above the 1961-1990 average in 2100. An arrow point from below to it and a label is written below the curve and below 2100 line:] <br> Optimistic scenario|| 2100 CE || 2.0 || If all the current realistic preventions are implemented, which might not be so realistic, then we may not even stop the warming but slow it down so we "only" reach 2°C above the 1961-1990 average in 2100 CE but it would not stop there. This is half the temperature change experienced since the ice age, but the other way. This was directly referenced in the title text of [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]]: ''That's only HALF an ice age unit (IAU), which is probably no big deal.''<br />
|-<br />
| [The last line continues along the path from the last 16 years of the solid line reaching 4.2°C above the 1961-1990 average at 2100, almost as far on the other side of the 1961-1990 average in 150 years as it took 14,000 years to move from the other side from the start of the chart. Another arrow point to this from below with a label below the curve and below 2100 line:] <br> Current Path || 2100 CE || 4.2 || In this last scary scenario Randall assumes the temperature keeps rising steadily by extrapolating along the slope of the last two to three years. Randall has warned about the hazards of [[Extrapolating]], but this line is in fact [http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-best-to-worst-case-scenarios.html below the worst case predictions]. If this comes true we will reach a temperature increase taking us from the 1961-1990 average and in just 125 years to 4.2°C above this average. That is just as far above this average in that short time span as the ice age temperature was below. And it took more than 11,000 years for nature to reach such an increase. Randall already contemplated what this would be like in the +1 ice age unit (IAU) panel of [[1379: 4.5 Degrees]] two years ago, as well as in [[164: Playing Devil's Advocate to Win]] almost 10 years ago. He may get to ''enjoy quite a ride'' as he "wished" for back then. <br />
<br />
There is no reason to assume the temperature will not keep rising past 2100 CE, so the {{w|Cretaceous Thermal Maximum|"Hothouse Earth"}} of the early {{w|Cretaceous period}} mentioned in the 4.5 degree comics +2 IAU panel might come to pass in future centuries if we continue on our current path. On the bright side, modern civilization might collapse if this trend keeps up, which would drastically cut our releases of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. But then again, positive feedback from methane in melting {{w|permafrost}} might take over... Good luck Earth.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Sources===<br />
The image attributes climate data sources as "Shakun et al. (2012), Marcott et al. (2013), Annan and Hargreaves (2013), HadCRUT4, IPCC":<br />
* Shakun, Jeremy D.; Clark, Peter U.; He, Feng; Marcott, Shaun A.; Mix, Alan C.; Liu, Zhengyu; Otto-Bliesner, Bette; Schmittner, Andreas; Bard, Edouard (2012-04-04). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160520043848/http://www.atm.damtp.cam.ac.uk/mcintyre/shakun-co2-temp-lag-nat12.pdf "Global warming preceded by increasing carbon dioxide concentrations during the last deglaciation"] (PDF). ''Nature''. '''484''' (7392): 49–54. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnature10915 10.1038/nature10915]. ISSN [https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1476-4687 1476-4687]. Archived from [https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10915 the original] on 2016-05-20.<br />
* Marcott, Shaun A.; Shakun, Jeremy D.; Clark, Peter U.; Mix, Alan C. (2013-03-08). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130412021608/https://content.csbs.utah.edu/~mli/Economics%207004/Marcott_Global%20Temperature%20Reconstructed.pdf "A Reconstruction of Regional and Global Temperature for the Past 11,300 Years"] (PDF). ''Science''. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.1228026 10.1126/science.1228026]. Archived from [https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1228026 the original] on 2013-04-12.<br />
* Annan, J. D.; Hargreaves, J. C. (2013-02-13). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200728042751/https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/9/367/2013/cp-9-367-2013.pdf "A new global reconstruction of temperature changes at the Last Glacial Maximum"] (PDF). ''Climate of the Past''. '''9''' (1): 367–376. doi:[https://doi.org/10.5194%2Fcp-9-367-2013 10.5194/cp-9-367-2013]. ISSN [https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1814-9324 1814-9324]. Archived from [https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/9/367/2013/ the original] on 2020-07-28.<br />
* {{w|HadCRUT|HadCRUT (Hadley Centre/Climatic Research Unit Temperature)}} - [http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcrut4/ Official site] <br />
* {{w|Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change}} - [http://www.ipcc.ch/ Official site]<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
'''Note''' there are several spelling errors in the comic, so please do only correct spelling errors that are not part of the comic! See more in the [[#Trivia|trivia section]].<br />
:[A large heading, followed by a sub-caption. Below that two lines with a statement in between:]<br />
:<big>A timeline of Earth’s average temperature</big><br />
:since the last ice age glaciation<br />
:When people say “The climate has changed before,” these are the kinds of changes they’re talking about.<br />
<br />
:[A very long chart below the headings above is headed with a label for the scale of the X-axis above the chart. Below that a sub-caption. To the left an arrow down to the top of the chart pointing to the dotted curves starting point (at -4.3°C below the 1961-1990 average) with a label above the arrow. And arrow pointing left to the left of the center and another pointing right to the right of the center has labels. Below these is the temperature scale of the X-axis, with 9 ticks between the borders each with a label ranging from -4 to +4°C compared to the 1961-1990 average, but with another step in each direction not labeled towards to axis so the chart covers -5 to +5°C compared to the 1961-1990 average.]<br />
:'''Temperature'''<br />
: <small>Compared to the 1961-1990 average</small><br />
:Start<br />
:Colder<br />
:Warmer<br />
:-4°C -3°C -2°C -1°C 0°C +1°C +2°C +3°C +4°C<br />
<br />
:[To the right of the chart is a gray text standing on the side down along the outer boarder of the chart with the sources for the chart:]<br />
: <font color="gray">Source: Shakun et. al. (2012) , Marcott et. al. (2013), Annan and Hargreaves (2013) , HadCRUT<sub>4</sub>, IPCC </font><br />
<br />
:[The chart is split in 10 columns by the temperature scale and the borders. The two central columns are white, and then from there to the left the background becomes a faded color that changes from light blue to blue at the edge in four steps. Similarly to the right the color changes from light red to red. To the left there is a time scale taking 500 years leaps from 20,000 BCE all the way to year 1, where there are two years, one for BBC and one for CE. The 500 year leaps continue until 1500 CE and from there the steps are down to 100 years until 2100 with also present day 2016 labeled. After 1500 the CE is omitted. The labels stop there, but there is space below covering down to 2200 CE. There is clearly visible division line across the chart on the level of each of the 500 step, and fainter lines for each of the 100 steps all the way even though only the last 5 of these 100 steps are labeled. There is a similar clear line at 2016. Below each step on the Y-axis is noted, and then any text starting before the next step is noted below indented. If there are extra image belonging to text this is indented once more. The graph that the whole chart is about is a dotted line that begins at the “start” point mentioned above at -4.3°C and then begins to go straight down. It will change left and right all the way down. To being with all text and most drawings are to right of the dotted curve. Whenever something is to the left it will be noted. When it says to the left above something, and then nothing over the next, then the next will be to the right. Only at the very bottom are there more entries to the left than right. ]<br />
:20000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow goes from the dotted line to the central line at 0°C. In the middle of the line there is a temperature label:]<br />
::4.3°C<br />
::At the start of our timeline, 22,000 years ago, Earth is 4°C colder than during the late 20<sup>th</sup> century.<br />
::Boston is buried under almost a mile of ice, and the glaciers reach as far south as New York City.<br />
:::[The Statue of Liberty is shown in front of a glacier front. A very tiny Cueball is on top of the glacier. The drawing is labeled and so is also the glacier.]<br />
:::New York<br />
:::Ice<br />
:::[Cueball (wearing a knit cap with a pom-pom is seen walking in a snowy landscape leaving black footprints behind him. He walks through the white central part of the chart.]<br />
:::[The skyline of Boston is shown with two clear buildings among all the other. Above it is a line and in between this area has been filled with thin lines. The drawing is labeled and so is this area. Also the skyline has an arrow pointing at it with a label:]<br />
:::Boston<br />
:::Ice<br />
:::Modern skyline<br />
<br />
:19500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::But the world is about to warm up.<br />
::By this time, humans have already spread across Africa, Eurasia, and Australia.<br />
::They’ve created painting, pottery, rope, and bows and arrows, but haven’t developed writing or farming.<br />
<br />
:19000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Changes in the Earth’s orbit mean that more sunlight reaches the polar ice…<br />
:::[A line chart with a labeled Y-axis with three labeled ticks. The curve starts up and then goes down five times and up four times ending down. There is one plateau towards the end compared to the rest of the curve where the ups and downs are quite alike.]<br />
:::Summer sun W/m<sup>2</sup> at 60°N<br />
:::550<br />
:::500<br />
:::450<br />
<br />
:18500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[A map of the world. At the top is a light gray area covering North America, Greenland and northern Europe and most of the northern part of Russia. A similar gray area covers Antarctica. There are two labels in the gray area above and one in the gray area below:]<br />
::Ice Ice<br />
::Ice<br />
<br />
:18000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::…And the ice sheets start to melt.<br />
<br />
:17500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Temperatures have been creeping upward, but around this point, CO<sub>2</sub> levels start to climb…<br />
<br />
:17000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::…And then the warming speeds up.<br />
<br />
:16500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Cueball is standing with a spear just the right of the graph talking to a rabbit.]<br />
::Cueball: Still pretty cold.<br />
<br />
:16000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Megan points to the graph to the right of her and between her and Ponytail standing on the other side. Mean is the first drawing on the left side of the dotted curve, which has hardly moved since the beginning, only to just on the other side of 4°C.]<br />
::[In the right part of the chart is an explanation of the data. Below the first two lines there are four drawings each showing possible temperature swings in reality compared to the smoothed data that represents the dotted curve of the entire chart. The dotted curve is shown in all four drawings and a thin line is shown running along it but with much more fluctuation left and right on the first two, a large spike right on the third and a large bump way right on the fourth. Above these there are two labels. The first labels is inside a bracket that covers the first three, and the last label is for the last drawing. Below is a list of sources.]<br />
::Limits of this data:<br />
::Short warming or cooling spikes might be “smoothed out” by these reconstructions but only if they’re small or brief enough.<br />
:::Possible Unlikely<br />
::Reconstructions are from Shakun (2012) and Marcott (2013), scaled to Annan + Hargreaves (2013) estimate for the last glacial period.<br />
<br />
:15500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::In what is now France, humans paint murals on the walls of the Lascaux caves<br />
::[Hairy paints three animals, two with horns, and two humans, Cueball holding hand with Hairy who has a spear. On the other side of the central line Megan writes three letters, the last of which is reversed.]<br />
:::NIИ<br />
<br />
:15000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets around Alaska shrink, exposing a land bridge between Asia and North America<br />
::[From around the bottom if this section and down to 11500 BCE the dotted curve moved steadily to the right towards warmed temperature peaking close to -1.5°C. Before this the temperature had not moved much away from that at the start.]<br />
<br />
:14500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Cueball walks right looking back at the graph behind him. Megan walks in front of him pointing further right.]<br />
::Cueball: Cool.<br />
::Humans reach North America.<br />
<br />
:14000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::The edge of the ice withdraws from New York City and retreats North.<br />
::[A large glacier front speaks in a speech bubble with an arrow pointing at it. Behind is there are four peaks in the horizon and in front of it three small melting pools and some rocks on the ground.]<br />
::Glacier: ''That’s it! I’m moving to Canada!''<br />
<br />
:13500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans domesticate dogs<br />
::(Date uncertain, may be much earlier)<br />
::[Megan and Cueball is watching a wolf looking at them.]<br />
::Megan: Okay, you can live in our homes and we’ll feed you, but we’ll still get mad f you poop on the floor.<br />
::Wolf: Deal.<br />
::Cueball: And we get to breed you to be tiny and dress you in little costumes.<br />
::Wolf: …Wait.<br />
<br />
:13000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[Randall did not use the normal spelling for Woolly Rhino, but this is an accepted alternative spelling:]<br />
::Wooly Rhino goes extinct<br />
::Oregon is scoured by huge floods as glacial dams burst and lakes of meltwater flow to the sea<br />
<br />
:12500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets withdraw from Chicago<br />
<br />
:12000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans settle Abu Hureyra in Syria<br />
<br />
:11500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow on the left side of the dotted curve is pointing down along the dotted curve and to the left indicate temperature is declining again, meaning the dotted curve now moves left to colder temperatures. This only continues until 10500 BCE. It is only the second time something is noted on the left side after Megan at 16000 BCE]<br />
::Temperatures start to decline, mainly in the Northern hemisphere<br />
::This may be caused by changes in ocean circulation due to the floods of cold fresh meltwater flowing into the Atlantic as the North American ice sheet melts.<br />
::This cooler period is called the Younger Dryas<br />
<br />
:11000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[This is the first text to the left of the dotted curve:]<br />
::Humans reach Argentina<br />
<br />
:10500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[An arrow pointing down along the right side of the dotted curve and to the right indicate temperature is increasing again, meaning the dotted curve now moves right to hotter temperatures. This continues until 8000 BCE where it levels out just above 0°C.]<br />
::Warming resumes<br />
::Human settlements at Jericho<br />
<br />
:10000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::First development of farming<br />
<br />
:9500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Saber-toothed cat goes extinct<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Horses disappear from North America<br />
<br />
:9000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left, Randall spelled Pokémon wrong:]<br />
:::Last North American Pokemon go extinct<br />
:::[Cueball with a speak and Megan is looking up at this last “fact”.]<br />
:::Megan: That is not a real fact.<br />
::Temperatures reach modern levels<br />
::Rising seas cut off the land bridge between North America and Asia<br />
::Cattle domesticated<br />
<br />
:8500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Ice sheets retreat across the Canadian border<br />
::Temperatures start to level out slightly above 1961-1990 levels<br />
<br />
:8000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[The above sentence breaks over the 8000 <small>BCE</small> line. From here a maximum in temperature on the chart is reached at 0.5°C which will not be overtaken until 2000 CE. It stays almost constant here until 5000 BCE where a slight cooling begins.]<br />
<br />
:7500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::This warm, stable period is called the Holocene Climate Optimum<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Jiahu settled in China<br />
<br />
:7000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Final collapse of the North American ice sheet leads to rapid 2-4m sea level rise…<br />
::[A small arrow points down and left to the right of the dotted curve. There is a small decrease in temperature but it is very small and would have been missed without the arrow and label.]<br />
::…And a period of cooling in the Northern hemisphere<br />
<br />
:6500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::As seas rise to near their modern levels, Britain is cut off from mainland Europe<br />
<br />
:6000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Humans develop copper metalworking<br />
<br />
:5500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Massive volcanic eruption in Oregon creates crater lake<br />
::Gold metalworking<br />
<br />
:5000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invention of the wheel<br />
::[To the left. To the right of the dotted curve is an arrow pointing down and slightly left. From here temperature decreases very slowly but steadily from 0.5°C until 1000 BCE where a stable plateau is reached around 0°C.]<br />
::Earth begins to cool slowly mainly due to regular cycles in its orbit<br />
<br />
:4500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
:: Proto-Indo-European language develops<br />
:::[To the right of the curve Ponytail holds up a hand towards Cueball.]<br />
:::Ponytail: Let’s make our language heavily inflected, so future students have to memorize a zillion verb endings!<br />
:::Cueball: Okay!<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Permanent settlements in the fertile crescent<br />
<br />
:4000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Horses domesticated<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Minoan culture arises on Crete<br />
<br />
:3500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Egyptian mummification<br />
::Rise of the Indus Valley civilization<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invention of writing in Sumer “prehistory” ends, “history” begins<br />
::Earliest human whose name we know<br />
::<small>(Pharaoh Iry-Hor in Egypt)</small><br />
<br />
:3000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::''Three Sovereigns and five emperors'' period in China<br />
::Gilgamesh<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Imhotep<br />
::Mayan culture emerges<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Great Pyramid constructed<br />
<br />
:2500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::Corded Ware culture in Europe<br />
::[To the left of the curve two rock musicians with long hair and electrical guitars are standing on either side of a small gate made of three slabs of stone, one on top of the other two standing stones.]<br />
::Stonehenge completed<br />
::Chariots developed<br />
<br />
:2000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Alphabetic writing developed in Egypt<br />
::Last mammoths on a tiny Siberian island go extinct<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Minoan eruption<br />
<br />
:1500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Iron smelting<br />
::Olmec civilization develops in Central America<br />
::[A Trojan horse with two Cueball-like guys in front and a third standing on its back. Its back is at three Cueball’s height and its head rises to the level of the Cueball on its back. It stands on a platform with four wheel on the visible side. There is text on the horse]<br />
:::Setting of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey''<br />
:::Text on horse: Not a trap<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Invasion of the Sea peoples*<br />
::<small>* A real thing</small><br />
::Polynesians explore the Pacific Ocean<br />
<br />
:1000 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[From 1000 BBC to 1000 CE the temperature is stable and very close to 0°C.]<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Solomon<br />
::Illiad [sic] and Odyssey composed <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Rise of Greek city-states<br />
::Neo-Assyrian empire<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::First Olympics<br />
::Zapotec writing in modern Mexico<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Confucius<br />
<br />
:500 <small>BCE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::The stuff in the 300 (film)|movie ''300'', but regular speed and with more clothing<br />
::Buddha<br />
::Nazca Lines<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Alexander the Great<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Mayan hieroglyphics<br />
::Ashoka the Great<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Paper invented<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Asterix<br />
::Teotihuacán metropolis<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Julius Caesar<br />
<br />
:[At the year 0, there is instead two numbers for each of the two scales before and after Christ:]<br />
:1 <small>BCE</small><br />
:1 <small>CE</small><br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Roman Empire<br />
::Jesus<br />
::[To the left and erupting volcano.]<br />
::Pompeii<br />
::Three Kingdoms period<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Gupta empire<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Various groups take turns sacking Rome<br />
::Attila the Hun<br />
<br />
:500 <small>CE</small><br />
::Muhammad<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Tang Dynasty<br />
::[An arrow to the right of the dotted curve pointing down, takes a swing far out from the curve and then bends back again. The text label next to it breaks into the next 500 period. The dotted curve stays stable at 0°C along this arrow.]<br />
::Medieval warm period in Europe and some northern regions (too regional to affect the global average much)<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Leif Eriksson<br />
<br />
:1000 <small>CE</small><br />
::[The dotted curve moves to the left towards lower temperature reaching a minimum around 1650 of about -0.6°C at the Little Ice Age.]<br />
::[To the left a drawing of a compass with needle pointing the black end towards north east. There are labels for the four main directions and a label next to it:]<br />
:::<small>N</small><br />
:::<small>W E</small><br />
:::<small>S</small><br />
:::Magnetic compass navigation<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Ghengis [sic] Khan <br />
::Zheng He’s fleet explores Asia and Africa<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Aztec Alliance <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Printing press<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Columbus<br />
<br />
:1500 <small>CE</small><br />
::European Renaissance<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Shakespeare<br />
<br />
:1600 <br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Newton<br />
::[To the right of the dotted curve there is an arrow pointing down that makes a swing in towards the curve and then back out again. At -0.6°C this is the coldest it has been since 9500 BCE. It is labeled:]<br />
::”Little Ice Age”<br />
<br />
:1700<br />
::Steam engines<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Unites States Independence<br />
<br />
:1800<br />
::Industrial Revolution<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Telegraphs<br />
::[After this the dotted curve becomes solid.]<br />
<br />
:1900<br />
::[To the left, and on the line for 1900:]<br />
::Airplanes<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::World Wars<br />
::[The solid line takes a step to the right close to 0°C. Over the rest of the 1900s it moves closer to 0°C crossing it before 2000 where it almost reaches the maximum temperature of 0.5 °C from earlier in 8000 BCE.]<br />
::Fossil fuel CO<sub>2</sub> emissions start rapidly increasing<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Nuclear weapons<br />
::[To the left:]<br />
::Internet<br />
<br />
:2000<br />
::Northwest Passage opens<br />
::[From here to present day the solid line increases rapidly and in 2016 present day is almost reaches 1°C, with about 0.8°C.]<br />
<br />
:2016<br />
::[To the left on the line for 2016:]<br />
::Present day<br />
::[From here the curve once again becomes dotted as this is the future. After one dot it splits in two and after the first two dots another split between them occurs forming three possible future dotted curves. The first curve bending down before the others, and thus to the right of the other two reaches about 1.2°C and then goes straight down and stops at the 2100 line. An arrow points to it from the left and a label is written patly before and the rest after the 2100 line to the left of the curve:]<br />
::Best-case scenario assuming immediate massive action to limit emissions<br />
<br />
:2100<br />
::[The middle curve bends a little down after reaching 1.3°C and then continues this path reaching 2°C in 2100. An arrow point from below to it and a label is written below the curve and below 2100 line:]<br />
::Optimistic scenario<br />
::[The last line continues along the path from the last 16 years of the solid line reaching 4.2°C at 2100, almost as far on the other side of 0°C in 150 years as it took 14000 years to move from the other side from the start of the chart. Another arrow point to this from below with a label below the curve and below 2100 line:]<br />
::Current Path<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*There have been several ''[[:Category:Large drawings|large drawings]]'' in the history of xkcd, some of which are bigger than this one (for instance [[1110: Click and Drag]]). <br />
**Among those that can be viewed in one go, without downloading a larger file or moving around, this is by far the longest.<br />
**The next longest is probably [[482: Height]].<br />
*The timeline starts at 20,000 BCE (22,000 years ago) and ends at 2100 CE, thus covering 22,100 years. <br />
*There are several spelling mistakes. <br />
**Most obvious is the second time Randall wrote the word "Iliad," because he just spelled it correctly at 1500 BCE and then spelled it ''Illiad'' at 1000 BCE with two Ls.<br />
**Attila the Hun was initially misspelt ''Atilla the Hun'' with ''one'' T and ''two'' Ls, but this was corrected at some point.<br />
**Genghis Khan is misspelt as ''Ghengis Khan'' (a common error).<br />
**Pokémon is spelled ''Pokemon'', but then again, that is not so strange for Randall (see [[1647: Diacritics]]). Despite that, he usually spells it correctly, as in [[1705|1705: Pokémon Go]].<br />
**Note that the fact that woolly rhinoceros becomes ''Wooly rhino'' with only one l is not a spelling mistake but an alternative spelling of the word.<br />
*The following notable facts are absent<br />
**1850: methodical temperature record begins. However, this fact is indirectly indicated when the temperature curve becomes solid around 1850 and until present day.<br />
**The entire swing period between 20 and 200 thousand years prior to now would depict temperature swings with increasing frequency and amplitude (ref geological record). But of course, this could not be included in a comic that only goes back to 20,000 BCE. <br />
**During much of the 300 million years prior to that, the Earth was significantly warmer than now. However, the data's temporal precision decreases with age; seemingly abrupt changes millions of years ago might have happened over centuries or millennia. Hence, the older data is not usable to compare rates of change.<br />
<br />
===Popularity of comic===<br />
This comic garnered attention from a much broader audience than most xkcd comics. It was discussed admiringly by news sites such as [http://www.popsci.com/xkcd-earth-average-temperature-timeline Popular Science], [http://reason.com/blog/2016/09/14/send-around-this-xkcd-climate-change-web Reason], [http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2016/09/13/xkcd_takes_on_global_warming.html Slate], [http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-comic-masterfully-shows-how-climate-has-changed-through-time-180960451/ Smithsonian], [http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2016/09/13/heres-22000-years-of-climate-changes-in-a-single-comic/ Forbes], [https://www.vox.com/2016/9/12/12891814/climate-change-xkcd-graphic Vox], [https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/14/493925781/epic-climate-cartoon-goes-viral-but-it-has-one-key-problem NPR], [https://qz.com/780391/xkcd-tells-the-entire-history-of-humanity-and-climate-change-in-one-cartoon-chart/ Quartz], [https://www.sciencealert.com/why-4-5-million-years-of-fluctuating-global-temperatures-can-t-explain-climate-change-today Science Alert] and [https://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-xkcd-comic-20696 Climate Central]. It was promoted by famous individuals such as [https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/775632728548970500 Elon Musk] and even [https://twitter.com/unfccc/status/776129715799224320 twitted by the UN council on Climate Change], and obviously hated on by vocal {{rw|climate_change|climate change deniers}} and {{rw|crank|cranks}} such as [https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/53poul/josh_takes_on_xkcds_climate_timeline/ Anthony Watts]<sup><small>{{rw|Anthony_Watts|debunked}}</small></sup> and [http://joannenova.com.au/2016/09/how-to-make-climate-graphs-look-scary-a-reply-to-xkcd/ Joanne Nova]<sup><small>{{rw|Joanne_Nova|debunked}}</small></sup><br />
<br />
Saying the "dotted line comes from computer models" is a bit inaccurate. Prehistoric temperature reconstructions are based on lots of measurements from lots of places around the planet: ice cores, lake and ocean sediments, etc. which are the best proxy records of climate change. From those measurements, one infers temperature, so [[Randall Munroe]] [https://www.scpr.org/news/2016/09/15/64670/epic-climate-cartoon-goes-viral-but-it-has-one-key/#comment-2900724860 may be more correct than he realises]. Calling that process computer modeling stretches the meaning of the phrase. For more {{rw|rationalist}} critique of this chart not driven by the agenda of pushing {{rw|pseudoscientific}} beliefs which are against the worldwide consensus, see [https://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-xkcd-comic-20696 t][https://reason.com/2016/09/14/send-around-this-xkcd-climate-change-web/ h][https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/14/493925781/epic-climate-cartoon-goes-viral-but-it-has-one-key-problem i][https://www.scpr.org/news/2016/09/15/64670/epic-climate-cartoon-goes-viral-but-it-has-one-key/ s] and most insightfully, [https://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2016/09/13/everybody-always-gets-this-wrong-even-smart-people this].<br />
<br />
* Due to increased interest, Randall decided to push the release of the next comic [[1733: Solar Spectrum]] one day back for a rare [[:Category:Thursday comics|Thursday release]] instead of the scheduled [[:Category:Wednesday comics|Wednesday release]]. <br />
** He [http://web.archive.org/web/20160915101125/http://xkcd.com/ noted this] above [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_changed_for_all_comics.png|all the comics]] in the [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_changed.png|header text on xkcd]]:<br />
::''Note: Since a lot of new people are here looking for this chart today,''<br />
::''I'll be posting Wednesday's comic on Thursday instead.''<br />
:* Before that, the [http://web.archive.org/web/20160912181546/https://xkcd.com/ normal heading] with the release day of xkcd was shown.<br />
:* This was (of course) still there Tuesday the [http://web.archive.org/web/20160913231501/http://xkcd.com/ day after] the release, because it was first on Wednesday there were reasons to note the delay.<br />
:* It stayed in place even [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_changed_also_when_next_comic_was_released.png|for some time after]] the "Wednesday" comic was released on Thursday, but was [http://web.archive.org/web/20160915154605/http://xkcd.com/ then removed] before [[:image:1732_Earth_Temperature_Timeline_header_text_back_to_normal_shortly_after_next_comic_was_released.png|noon (EST)]] on Thursday.<br />
:** Randall did thus not post a link to this comic in the header text for new visitors to use, only giving them that one extra day.<br />
:* Even though the next comic was released on a Thursday, the scheduled Friday comic [[1734: Reductionism]] was still released as planned. <br />
:** This was also the first time this occurred on xkcd - see [[1734: Reductionism#Trivia|this trivia item]] from the Friday comic.<br />
* On 2019-03-01, this comic became one of the six [[Design of xkcd.com|footer]] comics.<br />
<br />
==== Removal of warning and footnote ====<br />
* This comic's popularity was probably the reason both the more-than-10-year-old [[warning|xkcd warning]] and the [[footnote#3._Bitcoin_addresses|previous footnote]] were [[footnote#4._Footnote_removed|removed]] on the day of this comic's release. <br />
** The next footnote was added 22 days later.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Large drawings]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Timelines]]<br />
[[Category:Line graphs]]<br />
[[Category:Maps]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] <br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]] <!--Pharao/Solomon/Cesar, Jesus? etc --><br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Climate change]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Music]] <!-- People with Guitars around Stone henge --><br />
[[Category:Fiction]] <!-- Iliad, Odyssey, 300 --><br />
[[Category:Sport]] <!-- Olympics --><br />
[[Category:Religion]] <!-- Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad --><br />
[[Category:Internet]]<br />
[[Category:Pokémon]]<br />
[[Category:Footer comics]]<br />
[[Category:Puns]] <!-- early American saying "cool." --><br />
[[Category:Volcanoes]]<br />
[[Category:Nuclear weapons]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2707:_Astronomy_Numbers&diff=3139972707: Astronomy Numbers2023-05-23T15:01:42Z<p>Hawthorn: Rewrite for clarity</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2707<br />
| date = December 5, 2022<br />
| title = Astronomy Numbers<br />
| image = astronomy_numbers_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 593x315px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = I adopted a cat that weighs 12 solar masses. Laser pointers love chasing it.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
Space [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv1spjsvu-A is big] {{citation needed}}, to the point that it regularly defies our earthly notions of scale. As a result, most quantities in astronomy have huge scales beyond anything that humans regularly experience or measure. (In fact, the word "astronomical" is sometimes used colloquially to describe any extremely large quantity).<br />
<br />
For example, Earth has a mass 10<sup>23</sup> times more than the average human, and the Sun is 10<sup>5</sup> times more than that, which itself is 10<sup>12</sup> times less massive than the Milky Way. The same applies to speeds, distances, and time, which can often be measured in terms of light speed, light-years, and millions or billions of years. Because of this, it's a truly unusual occurrence for anything in space to end up in the fairly narrow range of scales of mass, size, speed, or time that humans can easily grasp.<br />
<br />
[[Ponytail]], apparently a scientist researching something related to Earth's orbit, finds that on a particular date, Earth will be approaching the sun at a velocity of 65 miles per hour. To American ears, this is a very normal sounding value-the speed of a fast-moving vehicle, often used as a speed limit on highways in the US. As Ponytail is accustomed to astronomical values, she is thrown off by this, and remarks that she finds it "suspicious" when reasonably human-scaled numbers come up in astronomy.<br />
<br />
However, Ponytail seems to take this philosophy to an absurd degree by insisting that ''all'' scales should be as incomprehensible as astronomical ones, even those used for human-scale measurements, such as the weight of cats. In the second panel, the vet, [[Megan]], is seemingly used to this problem (perhaps she gets a lot of astronomers, or Ponytail has a hypochondriac cat), so she restates the 12-lb weight of Ponytail's cat in solar masses. Since using this unit yields an ''incredibly'' small number, 3×10<sup>-30</sup> (a three preceded by a decimal point and 29 zeroes), it satisfies Ponytail's need for incomprehensibly-scaled values. This weight is in fact about 13 lb 2 oz (about 5.5 kilograms), slightly heavier than the initial figure given for the cat, but within [[2585: Rounding|rounding error]] for the single digit of precision that Megan uses. According to [[2205:_Types_of_Approximation | 2205: Types of Approximation]] that rounding error is unusually small for an astronomer, though.<br />
<br />
The Earth's orbital velocity around the Sun is far above any normal human scales (around 30 kilometers per second or 108,000 kilometers per hour). However, Earth has a fairly circular orbit around the Sun, so most of this speed ends up being tangential (sideways) rather than radial (towards or away from) the Sun, which is the value relevant for Ponytail's calculations. On January 1 (the date being discussed in the comic), Earth's radial velocity is close to its smallest value because we reach our closest point to the Sun in the first few days of January each year (in 2023, {{w|Perihelion|perihelion}} happens on January 4). Thus, by January 1, the Earth's velocity toward the sun is nearly zero before it starts traveling away from the Sun again. This is how Ponytail ended up with the "suspiciously" small value of 65 miles per hour.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, by April 3, 2023, Earth will be receding from the Sun by almost 500 meters per second or 1800 kilometers per hour, which is a less normal speed for the average person to encounter in everyday life{{citation needed}}.<br />
<br />
65 miles per hour is approximately equal to 105 kilometers per hour, although the even more typical scientific value (in {{w|International System of Units|SI}} derived units) would be 29 meters per second.<br />
<br />
The title text makes a joke by reversing the typical cat behavior of [[729: Laser Pointer|chasing laser pointer dots]] by envisioning a cat with a mass equivalent to 12 solar masses. The {{w|Schwarzchild radius}} for an object of that mass would be around 36 kilometers, so a cat-sized object of that mass would be a black hole, and would therefore bend light (or the laser pointer device itself) into its singularity.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Ponytail is standing in front of a whiteboard writing on it with a pen, while Cueball looks over her shoulder from behind her. On the board is an almost circular ellipse with a cross that centers on a dot towards the left side of it. On the right side there is a small circle on the ellipse's line. There are several lines of wiggles representing unreadable text. To the left of the ellipse there are two lines near the top of and four near at the bottom of the ellipse. Ponytail is writing a fifth line below these almost under the ellipse. At the bottom to the left there is a rectangular frame with a line of text beneath it and at the bottom left corner there is a line forming a half closes rectangle around two dots.]<br />
:Ponytail: …And we need to correct for our elliptical orbit. On January 1<sup>st</sup>, Earth will be approaching the sun at a rate of ...let's see...<br />
:Ponytail: 65 miles per hour.<br />
:Ponytail: Weird. Okay.<br />
:Cueball: Weird?<br />
<br />
:[Ponytail has turned towards Cueball, the pen is no longer in her hand and the white board is no longer shown.]<br />
:Ponytail: I get suspicious whenever I see a normal number in astronomy. We're not supposed to have those. Feels wrong.<br />
:Ponytail: Scales should all be incomprehensible.<br />
<br />
:[Megan in a lab-coat raised her hand palm up towards an animal carrier cage standing on her desk. The cage has a handle and five air holes are at the top. Behind two of them something black inside the cage can be seen. Ponytail is standing on the other side of the desk looking at Megan. Above the top of the panels frame there is a panel with a label:]<br />
:Earlier, at the vet:<br />
:Megan: Your cat weighs 12 lbs.<br />
:Ponytail: Ridiculous, nothing weighs "12". You must mean 10<sup>-20</sup>? Or 10<sup>40</sup>?<br />
:Megan: Fine. Your cat weighs 3x10<sup>-30</sup> solar masses.<br />
:Ponytail: Okay. Better.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Cats]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1898:_October_2017&diff=3139051898: October 20172023-05-23T11:54:33Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1898<br />
| date = October 4, 2017<br />
| title = October 2017<br />
| image = october_2017.png<br />
| titletext = And yet I have no trouble believing that the start of the 2016 election was several decades ago.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Randall]] [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|once again makes us feel old]] by referencing an old movie that would feel recent to someone at the time. The movie in question is ''{{w|The Social Network}}'', written by {{w|Aaron Sorkin}} and directed by {{w|David Fincher}}, which was released seven years and three days prior to this comic, on October 1, 2010.<br />
<br />
In the comic, Megan introduces her factoid with a typical opener of "Want to feel old?". Cueball points out that this is obviously a rhetorical trick to secure his engagement, as nobody truly ''wants'' to feel old. However, he still succumbs to the trick due to morbid curiosity - while he doesn't want to feel old, his desire to know the factoid is too great.<br />
<br />
Megan tells Cueball that, had he broken a mirror when ''The Social Network'' was released, his seven years of bad luck would now be over. This is a reference to an ancient superstition that breaking a mirror causes seven years of bad luck. For the purposes of Megan's comparison, however, it provides a more dramatic way to express "seven years ago", which makes the impact of that length of time land harder than it otherwise would. Cueball thus immediately regrets his curiosity.<br />
<br />
A mirror was previously broken by [[Black Hat]] in [[1136: Broken Mirror]]. However, as of October 2017, there were still 2 years of bad luck remaining from that breakage.<br />
<br />
The title text alludes to an opposite effect: even though the {{w|United_States_presidential_election,_2016|2016 US presidential election}} was relatively recent (11 months ago) at the time of this comic, Randall/Cueball has somehow convinced himself that the event has been going on for ''decades''. This alludes to the fact that Donald Trump's tumultuous presidency has so far been so stressful and eventful that the election feels like it took place far longer than 11 months ago. In psychology, this effect is called {{w|Telescoping_effect|Backward telescoping}}, which causes people to overestimate the elapsed time since an event.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
* The title of this comic appears to be patterned on the previous "this will make you feel old" comic [[1757: November 2016]], which also used the month-year format.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Megan and Cueball are walking.]<br />
:Megan: Want to feel old?<br />
:Cueball: Why do you always start your factoids that way? Of '''''course''''' I don't want to feel old. I '''''already''''' feel old.<br />
<br />
:[Slim beat panel where they keep walking.]<br />
<br />
:[In a frame-less panel only Cueball is shown walking.]<br />
:Cueball: ...Fine, hit me.<br />
<br />
:[Megan holds her hand up as they again are shown walking together. Cueball balls his hands up into fists in response to her comment.]<br />
:Megan: If you broke a mirror back when the Aaron Sorkin Facebook movie came out, your seven years of bad luck would be over this week.<br />
:Cueball: '''''Dammit.'''''<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]<br />
[[Category:Politics]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1898:_October_2017&diff=3139041898: October 20172023-05-23T11:54:11Z<p>Hawthorn: Removing more Trump stuff, plus rewrite for clarity.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1898<br />
| date = October 4, 2017<br />
| title = October 2017<br />
| image = october_2017.png<br />
| titletext = And yet I have no trouble believing that the start of the 2016 election was several decades ago.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Randall]] [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|once again makes us feel old]] by referencing an old movie that would feel recent to someone at the time. The movie in question is ''{{w|The Social Network}}'', written by {{w|Aaron Sorkin}} and directed by {{w|David Fincher}}, which was released seven years and three days prior to this comic, on October 1, 2010.<br />
<br />
In the comic, Megan introduces her factoid with a typical opener of "Want to feel old?". Cueball points out that this is obviously a rhetorical trick to secure his engagement, as nobody truly ''wants'' to feel old. However, he still succumbs to the trick due to morbid curiosity - while he doesn't want to feel old, his desire to know the factoid is too great.<br />
<br />
Megan tells Cueball that, had he broken a mirror when ''The Social Network'' was released, his seven years of bad luck would now be over. This is a reference to an ancient superstition that breaking a mirror causes seven years of bad luck. For the purposes of Megan's comparison, however, it provides a more dramatic way to express "seven years ago", which makes the impact of that length of time land harder than it otherwise would. Cueball thus immediately regrets his curiosity.<br />
<br />
A mirror was previously broken by [[Black Hat]] in [[1136: Broken Mirror]]. However, as of October 2017, there were still 2 years of bad luck remaining from that breakage.<br />
<br />
The title text alludes to an opposite effect: even though the {{w|United_States_presidential_election,_2016|2016 US presidential election}} was relatively recent (11 months ago) at the time of this comic, Randall/Cueball has somehow convinced himself that the event has been going on for ''decades''. This alludes to the fact that Donald Trump's tumultuous presidency has so far been so stressful and eventful that the election feels like it took place far longer than 11 months ago. In psychology, this effect is called {{w|Telescoping_effect|Backward telescoping}, which causes people to overestimate the elapsed time since an event.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
* The title of this comic appears to be patterned on the previous "this will make you feel old" comic [[1757: November 2016]], which also used the month-year format.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Megan and Cueball are walking.]<br />
:Megan: Want to feel old?<br />
:Cueball: Why do you always start your factoids that way? Of '''''course''''' I don't want to feel old. I '''''already''''' feel old.<br />
<br />
:[Slim beat panel where they keep walking.]<br />
<br />
:[In a frame-less panel only Cueball is shown walking.]<br />
:Cueball: ...Fine, hit me.<br />
<br />
:[Megan holds her hand up as they again are shown walking together. Cueball balls his hands up into fists in response to her comment.]<br />
:Megan: If you broke a mirror back when the Aaron Sorkin Facebook movie came out, your seven years of bad luck would be over this week.<br />
:Cueball: '''''Dammit.'''''<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]<br />
[[Category:Politics]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1757:_November_2016&diff=3139021757: November 20162023-05-23T11:43:31Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1757<br />
| date = November 9, 2016<br />
| title = November 2016<br />
| image = november_2016.png<br />
| titletext = Once you've done this, make a note of how old they were. Then, when their age reaches double that, show them this chart again.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This is yet another comic designed to [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|make people feel old]], following soon after the last one [[1745: Record Scratch]].<br />
<br />
The comic takes the form of a table of ages between 16 and 41, and next to each, a list of things that originated approximately half that age ago. Thus, by mentioning those things to a person of that age, that person becomes aware that those things have now been around for the majority of their life. People tend to underestimate how long ago things happened, so the revelation will usually come as a shock and make them realize that things they think of as new and modern are actually a lot older than they thought. This, in turn, will make them feel old.<br />
<br />
For example, if talking to a 24-year-old, the relevant sentence would be:<br />
:"Did you know that {{w|Facebook}} has been around for the majority of your life?"<br />
<br />
To a 24-year old, Facebook likely still seems like a new innovation, so they may be shocked to discover that it has been around for more than half their life.<br />
<br />
The joke at the end is that the guide isn't necessary for people over 41, since they ''already'' feel old, and are more than capable of providing any number of demonstrative examples.<br />
<br />
It should be noted that the guide is only current for the time it was published, which is why it is billed as the "November 2016 Guide to Making People Feel Old". This is because the examples given in the table are relative to a person's age ''at that time''. However, the title text sneakily suggests a way to get an additional use out of the guide: by noting down the person's age at the time you show them the guide, and then showing it to them again when they are double that age, they will realize that more than half a lifetime has elapsed since the last time they viewed this comic, and will thus feel old again.<br />
<br />
==Table for the guide==<br />
{| class = "wikitable"<br />
! Age<br />
! Birth year<br />
! Date of occurrences<br />
! Occurrences<br />
! Explanation<br />
! Half age<br />
! Years ago<br />
|-<br />
| 16<br />
| 2000<br />
| April 29, 2008<br />
| ''{{w|Grand Theft Auto IV}}''<br />
| Popular video game published by {{w|Rockstar Games}}; the 11th title in the ''{{w|Grand Theft Auto}}'' series. The games are often rated as Mature (and thus aimed at adults) and this entrance should not really affect 16 year olds, who may have tried the game now, but should not have played the game when they were only 8 years old.<br />
| 8<br />
| 8.5<br />
|-<br />
| 17<br />
| 1999<br />
| May 2007<br />
| {{w|Rickrolling}}<br />
| A prank and internet meme involving an unexpected appearance of the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song "{{w|Never Gonna Give You Up}}", a bait and switch which has been [[:Category:Rickrolling|referred to often]] in xkcd. Since this was aimed at people who knew the song (from 1987) and were online (mainly young adults in 2007), this entry should not really affect 17 year olds who are unlikely to have been rickrolled when they were only 8.5 years old. <br />
| 8.5<br />
| 9.5<br />
|-<br />
| 18<br />
| 1998<br />
| April 13, 2007<br />
| ''{{w|Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters}}<br />
| American Flash animated surreal comedy film based on the {{w|Adult Swim}} animated series ''{{w|Aqua Teen Hunger Force}}''. This seems to be a joke, as both this movie and the one it was based on are for adults, and the people this targets would only have been 9 when it was released, and probably won't recognize the reference. The joke will fail, because they will not feel old. Very few people have ever heard of this movie, which is probably part of the joke.<br />
| 9<br />
| 9.6<br />
|-<br />
| 19<br />
| 1997<br />
| November 19, 2006<br />
| The {{w|Nintendo Wii}}<br />
| 2006 is the time when the Nintendo Wii was released, with the Wii dominating 2006-2012. Ten year olds were likely to play Wii, and thus as 20 year olds remember and be surprised at how long it is since the first time, and feel old. This is the first entry that might actually work.<br />
| 9.5<br />
| 10.0<br />
|-<br />
| 20<br />
| 1996<br />
| March 2006<br />
| {{w|Twitter}}<br />
| 2006 was a big year. Twitter was created. There were probably only a few 10-11 year olds that used Twitter in the first year of its release, and thus not many twenty year old people today would have been active on Twitter at the very beginning. This will only make that minority of people feel old.<br />
| 10<br />
| 10.7<br />
|-<br />
| 21<br />
| 1995<br />
| November 22, 2005 (Xbox 360),<br>September 30, 2005 (xkcd)<br />
| The {{w|Xbox 360}},<br>{{w|xkcd}}<br />
| 2005 saw the creation of the Xbox 360, another successful console. [[Randall]] also decided to throw in a 'reference joke', referring to the fact that xkcd was also created in 2005 where the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|first 13 comics]] where released on [[LiveJournal]] on September 30, 2005. As a callback, he has two x words in the same sentence, referring to [[1750: Life Goals]]. The same two words were both in that comic. (Average release date for the two was October 25, 2005). The Xbox will work on the twenty-one year old, for the same reason the Wii above would work. xkcd would not, because it is not directed at pre-teens. They would not have any feelings towards the comic. It is included to make faithful xkcd readers feel old. "Is it really more than 10 years ago I read it first..." (and also for the self-reference).<br />
| 10.5<br />
| 11.0<br />
|-<br />
| 22<br />
| 1994<br />
| 2005 (no specific date)<br />
| {{w|Chuck Norris Facts}}<br />
| Satirical factoids about martial artist and actor {{w|Chuck Norris}} began to appear on the Internet in early 2005. To begin with, they where not centered on Norris, instead focusing {{w|Vin Diesel}}. This makes it difficult to put a precise date on their appearance than "During the year 2005." Chuck Norris has {{w|Chuck_Norris_facts#Norris.27_response|replied to these factoids}} more than once, but the first time was in December 2006, almost two years after the {{w|meme}}s began appearing. The "facts" are mainly based on his series {{w|Walker, Texas Ranger}}, which ran from 1993-2001. Since the series ended when the twenty-two-year-old of today was 7, they were not the target group for the crazy Chuck Norris Facts. It seems unlikely that this entry would work.<br />
| 11<br />
| 11.5<br />
|-<br />
| 23<br />
| 1993<br />
| January 25, 2004<br />
| {{w|Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity}}'s Mars Exploration<br />
| {{w|Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity}} is a {{w|Mars rover}} that landed on Mars on January 25, 2004. Mars Rovers are a [[:Category:Mars rovers|recurring subject]] on xkcd. Even people who were not interested in science were very aware of Opportunity's voyage--it was covered in every type of news medium for a long time.<br />
| 11.5<br />
| 12.8<br />
|-<br />
| 24<br />
| 1992<br />
| February 4, 2004<br />
| {{w|Facebook}}<br />
| Facebook is a social networking service created in 2004 as a competitor to {{w|Myspace}}. It grew quickly to become the #1 social networking service. Since kids under thirteen are not allowed on Facebook, twenty-four-year-olds could not have signed up at the time of its foundation. When it was opened up for anyone in 2006, they would have been fourteen, but that would then only have been 10 years ago. However, today everyone knows about Facebook (and many preteens created accounts by lying about their ages), and to learn that it has existed for half of your life may make you feel old even if you didn't sign up immediately.<br />
| 12<br />
| 12.8<br />
|-<br />
| 25<br />
| 1991<br />
| April 1, 2004 (Gmail),<br>July 9, 2003 (''Pirates of the Caribbean'')<br />
| {{w|Gmail}},<br>''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean}}''<br />
| Gmail is an email service created by Google. It was originally invitation-only (until 2007), and not marketed to kids, so it is unlikely that many thirteen year olds would have been using it in 2004; however, it has since been opened to anyone, and a lot of 25 year olds use it today. The first movie in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' franchise, {{w|Curse of the Black Pearl}}, debuted in 2003. Three more movies followed before the release of this comic (average date is November 4, 2003). The movie was rated PG-13 and would likely have been a hit among 12-13 year old kids, so this would make many people born in 1991 feel old.<br />
| 12.5<br />
| 13.0<br />
|-<br />
| 26<br />
| 1990<br />
| January 7, 2003<br />
| {{w|In da Club}}<br />
| Rap song by {{w|50 Cent}}. The song was a #1 hit on multiple charts and in multiple countries. It is very likely that people who were thirteen at its release would have been aware of it, even if they were not "clubbing" themselves yet.<br />
| 13<br />
| 13.8<br />
|-<br />
| 27<br />
| 1989<br />
| September 20, 2002<br />
| ''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}''<br />
| ''Firefly'' is a space western drama TV series created by {{w|Joss Whedon}}, that became a cult classic. This may be Randall's favorite TV series, and it has been [[:Category:Firefly|referenced often]] in xkcd. <br />
| 13.5<br />
| 14.1<br />
|-<br />
| 28<br />
| 1988<br />
| October 7, 2001<br />
| The {{w|War in Afghanistan}}<br />
| The United States of America invaded Afghanistan shortly after the {{w|September 11 attacks}} (popularly known as 9/11), in an effort to eliminate the terrorist group {{w|al-Qaeda}}. Almost anyone who was 14 in 2001 would have been aware of the war.<br />
| 14<br />
| 15.1<br />
|-<br />
| 29<br />
| 1987<br />
| October 23, 2001<br />
| The {{w|iPod}}<br />
| The iPod was a music playing device created by {{w|Apple Inc.}} in 2001. This would probably make lots of 29 year-olds feel old.s 14-15 year old kids were likely to have had (or wished they had) an iPod.<br />
| 14.5<br />
| 15.0<br />
|-<br />
| 30<br />
| 1986<br />
| May 18, 2001 (''Shrek''),<br>January 15, 2001 (Wikipedia)<br />
| ''{{w|Shrek}}'',<br>{{w|Wikipedia}}<br />
| ''Shrek'' is a popular parody film about fairy tales. It quickly gained a cult following and became a mega-hit, earning it three sequels and a franchise. It was a big hit popular for ages. Fifteen year old were likely to know and love the movie, so they would probably feel old as 30-year-olds realizing it came out half their life ago.<br />
<br />
Wikipedia is a an online encyclopedia created in 2001, which anyone can edit. (It is massively linked to from [[explain xkcd]] which has a [[:Category:Wikipedia|Wikipedia category]] for comics like this that reference the website directly). (Average date is March 17, 2001). It is questionable how many kids used Wikipedia during the year it launched. Of course, realizing that before Wikipedia, you had to use a paper encyclopedias may still make a 30 year old feel old.<br />
| 15<br />
| 15.8<br />
|-<br />
| 31<br />
| 1985<br />
| July 14, 2000<br />
| Those X-Men movies<br />
| The {{w|X-Men (film series)|X-Men}} film series, probably only referring to the first trilogy (''{{w|X-Men (film)|X-Men}}'' (July 14, 2000), ''{{w|X2 (film)|X2}}'' (May 2, 2003), ''{{w|X-Men: The Last Stand}}'' (May 26, 2006) - us release dates). The release date refers to the first of these three movies. Presumably Randall is counting the series as existing from the time of the first release. 15-16 year old kids are likely to have loved ''X-Men'', and feel old when they realize it came out half their life ago.<br />
| 15.5<br />
| 16.3<br />
|-<br />
| 32<br />
| 1984<br />
| February 4, 2000<br />
| ''{{w|The Sims}}''<br />
| ''The Sims'' is a simulation video game created by Maxis in 2000 in which you build homes, cities, and families. It was an immediate success upon launch. It seems likely that many people would have played The Sims, and thus many 32 year old people would feel old. This was the one that Randall could have used on himself to feel old. He turned 32 a few weeks before the release of this comic.<br />
| 16<br />
| 16.8<br />
|-<br />
| 33<br />
| 1983<br />
| October 19, 1998<br />
| Autotuned hit songs<br />
| 1998 was when non-audio-professionals became aware of {{w|Auto-Tune|autotuning}} songs. {{w|Cher|Cher's}} song ''{{w|Believe (Cher song)|Believe}}'', released October 19, 1998 {{w|Auto-Tune#In_popular_music|may be the first time}} that most people really noticed autotuning. This is the only entry where there seems to be more than one year between the age of the thing and the half age of the person. However, it is also one of the entries where specific dating is difficult. Because the dates are not specific, it is difficult to judge how it would affect 33 year old people. Autotuning has been a standard for years, so it may make one feel old to know it has around for half your life.<br />
| 16.5<br />
| '''18.1'''<br />
|-<br />
| 34<br />
| 1982<br />
| May 19, 1999<br />
| The {{w|Star Wars Prequels}}<br />
| The Star Wars prequel trilogy (''{{w|Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace}}'' (May 19, 1999), ''{{w|Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones}}'' (May 16, 2002), ''{{w|Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith}}'' (May 19, 2005), us release dates). The {{w|Star Wars}} universe is most likely the [[:Category:Star Wars|most referenced]] movie universe in xkcd. The release date refers to the first of these three movies, because even only taking the first two movies, the average would only be 16 years ago, less than half the age of a 34 year old. These movies were awaited eagerly by many 17 year old kids, so they would remember the release well and feel very old.<br />
| 17 <br />
| 17.5<br />
|-<br />
| 35<br />
| 1981<br />
| March 31, 1999<br />
| ''{{w|The Matrix}}''<br />
| Action film created by {{w|The Wachowskis}} (formerly known, at the time of ''The Matrix'', as The Wachowski Brothers). Two more films followed, although they were widely regarded as inferior to the first (by for instance by Randall as seen in [[566: Matrix Revisited]]). ''The Matrix'' was something new and is likely to have influenced 17-18 year old kids, so this entry would likely to produce feelings of age. <br />
| 17.5<br />
| 17.6<br />
|-<br />
| 36<br />
| 1980<br />
| September 28, 1998<br />
| {{w|Pokémon Red & Blue}}<br />
| A popular video game franchise in the {{w|Pokémon}} series, a series [[:Category:Pokémon|often referenced]] in xkcd. The game was first released in Japan in 1996, but not in North America until 1998. It seems likely that many people interested in playing computer games would have played Pokémon games. and in particular this one, which was released when the target group was 18 years old. And now that's half their life ago, perhaps making them feel old.<br />
| 18<br />
| 18.1<br />
|-<br />
| 37<br />
| 1979<br />
| August 29, 1997 (Netflix),<br>June 26, 1997 (Harry Potter),<br>September 15, 1997 (Google)<br />
| {{w|Netflix}},<br>{{w|Harry Potter}},<br>{{w|Google}}<br />
| All three are still major things 19 years later. "Harry Potter" refers to the original publishing date of ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}''. Google refers to the date that the Google domain name was registered. (Average date is 03-07-1997). Harry Potter is widely read, but at the time of its release it was probably not at first taken up by those of 18-19 year old. That may have first come later, maybe with the release of the {{w|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|first movies}} in 2001, four years later. It may this not be the best example for this age group. Also using Google and Netflix just when they where launched may also not have been so popular among 18-19 year olds in 1997. Still, all three things are big, and to realize that they have been around for half of a life may still make someone feel old.<br />
| 18.5<br />
| 19.4<br />
|-<br />
| 38<br />
| 1978<br />
| May 11, 1997<br />
| Deep Blue's Victory<br />
| {{w|Deep Blue (chess computer)|Deep Blue}} was a {{w|chess computer}}, who defeated {{w|Garry Kasparov}}, the reigning chess champion, in a match in 1997. It was the first chess computer to defeat a world champion under tournament conditions. Randall has a great interest in {{w|chess}} and it is a [[:Category:Chess|recurrent subject]] on xkcd. Unless a 38 year old is interested in chess, they may not even know what Deep Blue, is let alone have any impression of long ago the victory occurred. Chess players and computer nerds (both of whom are very likely to be xkcd fans) would certainly be aware of this particular day.<br />
| 19<br />
| 19.5<br />
|-<br />
| 39<br />
| 1977<br />
| September 13, 1996<br />
| {{w|Murder of Tupac Shakur|Tupac's Death}}<br />
| {{w|Tupac Shakur}} was an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in 1996. Eight of his albums are certified platinum (five released after his death), and he has been ranked as one of the greatest artists of all time. (Rolling Stone ranked him 86/100). It seems likely that many 39 year olds would feel old realizing that 2Pac has been dead for half of their lives.<br />
| 19.5<br />
| 20.2<br />
|-<br />
| 40<br />
| 1976<br />
| December 31, 1995<br />
| The [http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/12/31 last ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strip]<br />
| ''{{w|Calvin and Hobbes}}'' is a comic strip by {{w|Bill Watterson}} that ran from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995. It is a [[:Category:Calvin and Hobbes|recurring subject]] on xkcd . This comic had a lot of fans among people that are 40 today. Even those who didn't read it during its run may have discovered it later. Even those who didn't notice the ending at the time, might still feel old realizing it was so long ago.<br />
| 20<br />
| 20.9<br />
|-<br />
| 41<br />
| 1975<br />
| November 22, 1995<br />
| ''{{w|Toy Story}}''<br />
| The {{w|Pixar}} animated film ''Toy Story'' was the first feature length digitally-animated film to be released theatrically (and also Pixar's first feature film). Given that this was the first film of its kind, many 20-21 year olds would have seen it. For xkcd fans, such movies might be a big thing. For anyone who saw this movie (and the two sequels) this could cause feelings of age. Side note: 41 year olds might actually feel young when reading this comic in November 2016, because they are the last people to still be expected to feel young before Randall deliberately destroys the feeling.<br />
| 20.5<br />
| 21.0<br />
|-<br />
| >41<br />
| Before 1975<br />
| N/A<br />
| [Don't worry, they've got this covered]<br />
| This joke is that people who are legitimately old already feel old. This could also be a reference to the number 42, 42 being the "{{w|Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything}}" in the {{w|Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}. He has referenced this number more than once before, for instance in [[1213: Combination Vision Test]] and in the [[1608#Messages_in_Play_Area|messages in the ''Play Area'']] of [[1608: Hoverboard]]. Showing people 42 years or more old this table will make them feel old, when they look for their age and find this. Also, it may disappoint older readers of xkcd, as they do not to get their own humorous half-your-life entry. (See the opposite effect mentioned for the 41 years old above).<br />
| >20.5<br />
| N/A<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Caption above the panel:]<br />
:The November 2016<br />
:Guide to making people<br />
:'''feel old'''<br />
:<br />
:[A chart with a list of items to be put into the two first lines above the chart. First there are a line using the first column, then there are two lines using the second column. Below those lines are the two columns with underlined captions above. Between the columns are a long line connecting the two.]<br />
:If they're [age], you say:<br />
:<big>"Did you know</big> <u>[thing]</u> <big>has been around for the majority of your life?"</big><br />
:<br />
:;<u>Age</u><br />
::<u>Thing</u><br />
:<br />
:;16<br />
::Grand Theft Auto IV<br />
:<br />
:;17<br />
::Rickrolling<br />
:<br />
:;18<br />
::''Aqua Teen Hunger Force <br> Colon Movie Film for Theaters''<br />
:<br />
:;19<br />
::The Nintendo Wii<br />
:<br />
:;20<br />
::Twitter<br />
:<br />
:;21<br />
::The Xbox 360, xkcd<br />
:<br />
:;22<br />
::Chuck Norris Facts<br />
:<br />
:;23<br />
::Opportunity's Mars Exploration<br />
:<br />
:;24<br />
::Facebook<br />
:<br />
:;25<br />
::Gmail, ''Pirates of the Caribbean''<br />
:<br />
:;26<br />
::In da Club<br />
:<br />
:;27<br />
::''Firefly''<br />
:<br />
:;28<br />
::The War in Afghanistan<br />
:<br />
:;29<br />
::The iPod<br />
:<br />
:;30<br />
::''Shrek'', Wikipedia<br />
:<br />
:;31<br />
::Those X-Men movies<br />
:<br />
:;32<br />
::''The Sims''<br />
:<br />
:;33<br />
::Autotuned hit songs<br />
<br />
:;34<br />
::The ''Star Wars'' prequels<br />
:<br />
:;35<br />
::''The Matrix''<br />
:<br />
:;36<br />
::''Pokémon Red&Blue''<br />
:<br />
:;37<br />
::Netflix, ''Harry Potter'', Google<br />
:<br />
:;38<br />
::Deep Blue's Victory<br />
:<br />
:;39<br />
::Tupac's Death<br />
:<br />
:;40<br />
::The last ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strip<br />
:<br />
:;41<br />
::''Toy Story''<br />
:<br />
:;>41<br />
::[Don't worry, they've got this covered]<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
* The comic [[891: Movie Ages]], released 5 years earlier, used a very similar technique to make people feel old, by giving the number of years that had elapsed since landmark movies were released. Some of those movies (''Toy Story'', ''The Matrix'', ''Shrek'') also appear in this comic. That same comic also ended with a similar punchline, by ending the chart at 35 (with people over 35 considered as "too old" for the chart). It is possible that Randall's increasing of the limit to 41 reflects his own increasing age; perhaps he no longer thinks people at 36 are too old to try to make them feel old.<br />
* Other comics with date-based titles include:<br />
** Month-day format: [[656: October 30th]], [[680: December 25th]]<br />
** Month in the name: [[1595: 30 Days Hath September]]<br />
** A single year: [[998: 2012]], [[1311: 2014]], [[1624: 2016]], [[1779: 2017]]<br />
** The comic [[1898: October 2017]], released almost a year later, uses the same title format as this comic, and is also about making people feel old.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Music]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]<br />
[[Category:Video games]]<br />
[[Category:Pokémon]]<br />
[[Category:Rickrolling]]<br />
[[Category:Social networking]] <br />
[[Category:Mars rovers]]<br />
[[Category:Firefly]]<br />
[[Category:Wikipedia]]<br />
[[Category:Star Wars]]<br />
[[Category:Chess]]<br />
[[Category:Songs]]<br />
[[Category:Calvin and Hobbes]]<br />
[[Category:Harry Potter]]<br />
[[Category:The Matrix]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1757:_November_2016&diff=3139001757: November 20162023-05-23T11:42:56Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1757<br />
| date = November 9, 2016<br />
| title = November 2016<br />
| image = november_2016.png<br />
| titletext = Once you've done this, make a note of how old they were. Then, when their age reaches double that, show them this chart again.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This is yet another comic designed to [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|make people feel old]], following soon after the last one [[1745: Record Scratch]].<br />
<br />
The comic takes the form of a table of ages between 16 and 41, and next to each, a list of things that originated approximately half that age ago. Thus, by mentioning those things to a person of that age, that person becomes aware that those things have now been around for the majority of their life. People tend to underestimate how long ago things happened, so the revelation will usually come as a shock and make them realize that things they think of as new and modern are actually a lot older than they thought. This, in turn, will make them feel old.<br />
<br />
For example, if talking to a 24-year-old, the relevant sentence would be:<br />
:"Did you know that {w|Facebook} has been around for the majority of your life?"<br />
<br />
To a 24-year old, Facebook likely still seems like a new innovation, so they may be shocked to discover that it has been around for more than half their life.<br />
<br />
The joke at the end is that the guide isn't necessary for people over 41, since they ''already'' feel old, and are more than capable of providing any number of demonstrative examples.<br />
<br />
It should be noted that the guide is only current for the time it was published, which is why it is billed as the "November 2016 Guide to Making People Feel Old". This is because the examples given in the table are relative to a person's age ''at that time''. However, the title text sneakily suggests a way to get an additional use out of the guide: by noting down the person's age at the time you show them the guide, and then showing it to them again when they are double that age, they will realize that more than half a lifetime has elapsed since the last time they viewed this comic, and will thus feel old again.<br />
<br />
==Table for the guide==<br />
{| class = "wikitable"<br />
! Age<br />
! Birth year<br />
! Date of occurrences<br />
! Occurrences<br />
! Explanation<br />
! Half age<br />
! Years ago<br />
|-<br />
| 16<br />
| 2000<br />
| April 29, 2008<br />
| ''{{w|Grand Theft Auto IV}}''<br />
| Popular video game published by {{w|Rockstar Games}}; the 11th title in the ''{{w|Grand Theft Auto}}'' series. The games are often rated as Mature (and thus aimed at adults) and this entrance should not really affect 16 year olds, who may have tried the game now, but should not have played the game when they were only 8 years old.<br />
| 8<br />
| 8.5<br />
|-<br />
| 17<br />
| 1999<br />
| May 2007<br />
| {{w|Rickrolling}}<br />
| A prank and internet meme involving an unexpected appearance of the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song "{{w|Never Gonna Give You Up}}", a bait and switch which has been [[:Category:Rickrolling|referred to often]] in xkcd. Since this was aimed at people who knew the song (from 1987) and were online (mainly young adults in 2007), this entry should not really affect 17 year olds who are unlikely to have been rickrolled when they were only 8.5 years old. <br />
| 8.5<br />
| 9.5<br />
|-<br />
| 18<br />
| 1998<br />
| April 13, 2007<br />
| ''{{w|Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters}}<br />
| American Flash animated surreal comedy film based on the {{w|Adult Swim}} animated series ''{{w|Aqua Teen Hunger Force}}''. This seems to be a joke, as both this movie and the one it was based on are for adults, and the people this targets would only have been 9 when it was released, and probably won't recognize the reference. The joke will fail, because they will not feel old. Very few people have ever heard of this movie, which is probably part of the joke.<br />
| 9<br />
| 9.6<br />
|-<br />
| 19<br />
| 1997<br />
| November 19, 2006<br />
| The {{w|Nintendo Wii}}<br />
| 2006 is the time when the Nintendo Wii was released, with the Wii dominating 2006-2012. Ten year olds were likely to play Wii, and thus as 20 year olds remember and be surprised at how long it is since the first time, and feel old. This is the first entry that might actually work.<br />
| 9.5<br />
| 10.0<br />
|-<br />
| 20<br />
| 1996<br />
| March 2006<br />
| {{w|Twitter}}<br />
| 2006 was a big year. Twitter was created. There were probably only a few 10-11 year olds that used Twitter in the first year of its release, and thus not many twenty year old people today would have been active on Twitter at the very beginning. This will only make that minority of people feel old.<br />
| 10<br />
| 10.7<br />
|-<br />
| 21<br />
| 1995<br />
| November 22, 2005 (Xbox 360),<br>September 30, 2005 (xkcd)<br />
| The {{w|Xbox 360}},<br>{{w|xkcd}}<br />
| 2005 saw the creation of the Xbox 360, another successful console. [[Randall]] also decided to throw in a 'reference joke', referring to the fact that xkcd was also created in 2005 where the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|first 13 comics]] where released on [[LiveJournal]] on September 30, 2005. As a callback, he has two x words in the same sentence, referring to [[1750: Life Goals]]. The same two words were both in that comic. (Average release date for the two was October 25, 2005). The Xbox will work on the twenty-one year old, for the same reason the Wii above would work. xkcd would not, because it is not directed at pre-teens. They would not have any feelings towards the comic. It is included to make faithful xkcd readers feel old. "Is it really more than 10 years ago I read it first..." (and also for the self-reference).<br />
| 10.5<br />
| 11.0<br />
|-<br />
| 22<br />
| 1994<br />
| 2005 (no specific date)<br />
| {{w|Chuck Norris Facts}}<br />
| Satirical factoids about martial artist and actor {{w|Chuck Norris}} began to appear on the Internet in early 2005. To begin with, they where not centered on Norris, instead focusing {{w|Vin Diesel}}. This makes it difficult to put a precise date on their appearance than "During the year 2005." Chuck Norris has {{w|Chuck_Norris_facts#Norris.27_response|replied to these factoids}} more than once, but the first time was in December 2006, almost two years after the {{w|meme}}s began appearing. The "facts" are mainly based on his series {{w|Walker, Texas Ranger}}, which ran from 1993-2001. Since the series ended when the twenty-two-year-old of today was 7, they were not the target group for the crazy Chuck Norris Facts. It seems unlikely that this entry would work.<br />
| 11<br />
| 11.5<br />
|-<br />
| 23<br />
| 1993<br />
| January 25, 2004<br />
| {{w|Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity}}'s Mars Exploration<br />
| {{w|Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity}} is a {{w|Mars rover}} that landed on Mars on January 25, 2004. Mars Rovers are a [[:Category:Mars rovers|recurring subject]] on xkcd. Even people who were not interested in science were very aware of Opportunity's voyage--it was covered in every type of news medium for a long time.<br />
| 11.5<br />
| 12.8<br />
|-<br />
| 24<br />
| 1992<br />
| February 4, 2004<br />
| {{w|Facebook}}<br />
| Facebook is a social networking service created in 2004 as a competitor to {{w|Myspace}}. It grew quickly to become the #1 social networking service. Since kids under thirteen are not allowed on Facebook, twenty-four-year-olds could not have signed up at the time of its foundation. When it was opened up for anyone in 2006, they would have been fourteen, but that would then only have been 10 years ago. However, today everyone knows about Facebook (and many preteens created accounts by lying about their ages), and to learn that it has existed for half of your life may make you feel old even if you didn't sign up immediately.<br />
| 12<br />
| 12.8<br />
|-<br />
| 25<br />
| 1991<br />
| April 1, 2004 (Gmail),<br>July 9, 2003 (''Pirates of the Caribbean'')<br />
| {{w|Gmail}},<br>''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean}}''<br />
| Gmail is an email service created by Google. It was originally invitation-only (until 2007), and not marketed to kids, so it is unlikely that many thirteen year olds would have been using it in 2004; however, it has since been opened to anyone, and a lot of 25 year olds use it today. The first movie in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' franchise, {{w|Curse of the Black Pearl}}, debuted in 2003. Three more movies followed before the release of this comic (average date is November 4, 2003). The movie was rated PG-13 and would likely have been a hit among 12-13 year old kids, so this would make many people born in 1991 feel old.<br />
| 12.5<br />
| 13.0<br />
|-<br />
| 26<br />
| 1990<br />
| January 7, 2003<br />
| {{w|In da Club}}<br />
| Rap song by {{w|50 Cent}}. The song was a #1 hit on multiple charts and in multiple countries. It is very likely that people who were thirteen at its release would have been aware of it, even if they were not "clubbing" themselves yet.<br />
| 13<br />
| 13.8<br />
|-<br />
| 27<br />
| 1989<br />
| September 20, 2002<br />
| ''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}''<br />
| ''Firefly'' is a space western drama TV series created by {{w|Joss Whedon}}, that became a cult classic. This may be Randall's favorite TV series, and it has been [[:Category:Firefly|referenced often]] in xkcd. <br />
| 13.5<br />
| 14.1<br />
|-<br />
| 28<br />
| 1988<br />
| October 7, 2001<br />
| The {{w|War in Afghanistan}}<br />
| The United States of America invaded Afghanistan shortly after the {{w|September 11 attacks}} (popularly known as 9/11), in an effort to eliminate the terrorist group {{w|al-Qaeda}}. Almost anyone who was 14 in 2001 would have been aware of the war.<br />
| 14<br />
| 15.1<br />
|-<br />
| 29<br />
| 1987<br />
| October 23, 2001<br />
| The {{w|iPod}}<br />
| The iPod was a music playing device created by {{w|Apple Inc.}} in 2001. This would probably make lots of 29 year-olds feel old.s 14-15 year old kids were likely to have had (or wished they had) an iPod.<br />
| 14.5<br />
| 15.0<br />
|-<br />
| 30<br />
| 1986<br />
| May 18, 2001 (''Shrek''),<br>January 15, 2001 (Wikipedia)<br />
| ''{{w|Shrek}}'',<br>{{w|Wikipedia}}<br />
| ''Shrek'' is a popular parody film about fairy tales. It quickly gained a cult following and became a mega-hit, earning it three sequels and a franchise. It was a big hit popular for ages. Fifteen year old were likely to know and love the movie, so they would probably feel old as 30-year-olds realizing it came out half their life ago.<br />
<br />
Wikipedia is a an online encyclopedia created in 2001, which anyone can edit. (It is massively linked to from [[explain xkcd]] which has a [[:Category:Wikipedia|Wikipedia category]] for comics like this that reference the website directly). (Average date is March 17, 2001). It is questionable how many kids used Wikipedia during the year it launched. Of course, realizing that before Wikipedia, you had to use a paper encyclopedias may still make a 30 year old feel old.<br />
| 15<br />
| 15.8<br />
|-<br />
| 31<br />
| 1985<br />
| July 14, 2000<br />
| Those X-Men movies<br />
| The {{w|X-Men (film series)|X-Men}} film series, probably only referring to the first trilogy (''{{w|X-Men (film)|X-Men}}'' (July 14, 2000), ''{{w|X2 (film)|X2}}'' (May 2, 2003), ''{{w|X-Men: The Last Stand}}'' (May 26, 2006) - us release dates). The release date refers to the first of these three movies. Presumably Randall is counting the series as existing from the time of the first release. 15-16 year old kids are likely to have loved ''X-Men'', and feel old when they realize it came out half their life ago.<br />
| 15.5<br />
| 16.3<br />
|-<br />
| 32<br />
| 1984<br />
| February 4, 2000<br />
| ''{{w|The Sims}}''<br />
| ''The Sims'' is a simulation video game created by Maxis in 2000 in which you build homes, cities, and families. It was an immediate success upon launch. It seems likely that many people would have played The Sims, and thus many 32 year old people would feel old. This was the one that Randall could have used on himself to feel old. He turned 32 a few weeks before the release of this comic.<br />
| 16<br />
| 16.8<br />
|-<br />
| 33<br />
| 1983<br />
| October 19, 1998<br />
| Autotuned hit songs<br />
| 1998 was when non-audio-professionals became aware of {{w|Auto-Tune|autotuning}} songs. {{w|Cher|Cher's}} song ''{{w|Believe (Cher song)|Believe}}'', released October 19, 1998 {{w|Auto-Tune#In_popular_music|may be the first time}} that most people really noticed autotuning. This is the only entry where there seems to be more than one year between the age of the thing and the half age of the person. However, it is also one of the entries where specific dating is difficult. Because the dates are not specific, it is difficult to judge how it would affect 33 year old people. Autotuning has been a standard for years, so it may make one feel old to know it has around for half your life.<br />
| 16.5<br />
| '''18.1'''<br />
|-<br />
| 34<br />
| 1982<br />
| May 19, 1999<br />
| The {{w|Star Wars Prequels}}<br />
| The Star Wars prequel trilogy (''{{w|Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace}}'' (May 19, 1999), ''{{w|Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones}}'' (May 16, 2002), ''{{w|Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith}}'' (May 19, 2005), us release dates). The {{w|Star Wars}} universe is most likely the [[:Category:Star Wars|most referenced]] movie universe in xkcd. The release date refers to the first of these three movies, because even only taking the first two movies, the average would only be 16 years ago, less than half the age of a 34 year old. These movies were awaited eagerly by many 17 year old kids, so they would remember the release well and feel very old.<br />
| 17 <br />
| 17.5<br />
|-<br />
| 35<br />
| 1981<br />
| March 31, 1999<br />
| ''{{w|The Matrix}}''<br />
| Action film created by {{w|The Wachowskis}} (formerly known, at the time of ''The Matrix'', as The Wachowski Brothers). Two more films followed, although they were widely regarded as inferior to the first (by for instance by Randall as seen in [[566: Matrix Revisited]]). ''The Matrix'' was something new and is likely to have influenced 17-18 year old kids, so this entry would likely to produce feelings of age. <br />
| 17.5<br />
| 17.6<br />
|-<br />
| 36<br />
| 1980<br />
| September 28, 1998<br />
| {{w|Pokémon Red & Blue}}<br />
| A popular video game franchise in the {{w|Pokémon}} series, a series [[:Category:Pokémon|often referenced]] in xkcd. The game was first released in Japan in 1996, but not in North America until 1998. It seems likely that many people interested in playing computer games would have played Pokémon games. and in particular this one, which was released when the target group was 18 years old. And now that's half their life ago, perhaps making them feel old.<br />
| 18<br />
| 18.1<br />
|-<br />
| 37<br />
| 1979<br />
| August 29, 1997 (Netflix),<br>June 26, 1997 (Harry Potter),<br>September 15, 1997 (Google)<br />
| {{w|Netflix}},<br>{{w|Harry Potter}},<br>{{w|Google}}<br />
| All three are still major things 19 years later. "Harry Potter" refers to the original publishing date of ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}''. Google refers to the date that the Google domain name was registered. (Average date is 03-07-1997). Harry Potter is widely read, but at the time of its release it was probably not at first taken up by those of 18-19 year old. That may have first come later, maybe with the release of the {{w|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|first movies}} in 2001, four years later. It may this not be the best example for this age group. Also using Google and Netflix just when they where launched may also not have been so popular among 18-19 year olds in 1997. Still, all three things are big, and to realize that they have been around for half of a life may still make someone feel old.<br />
| 18.5<br />
| 19.4<br />
|-<br />
| 38<br />
| 1978<br />
| May 11, 1997<br />
| Deep Blue's Victory<br />
| {{w|Deep Blue (chess computer)|Deep Blue}} was a {{w|chess computer}}, who defeated {{w|Garry Kasparov}}, the reigning chess champion, in a match in 1997. It was the first chess computer to defeat a world champion under tournament conditions. Randall has a great interest in {{w|chess}} and it is a [[:Category:Chess|recurrent subject]] on xkcd. Unless a 38 year old is interested in chess, they may not even know what Deep Blue, is let alone have any impression of long ago the victory occurred. Chess players and computer nerds (both of whom are very likely to be xkcd fans) would certainly be aware of this particular day.<br />
| 19<br />
| 19.5<br />
|-<br />
| 39<br />
| 1977<br />
| September 13, 1996<br />
| {{w|Murder of Tupac Shakur|Tupac's Death}}<br />
| {{w|Tupac Shakur}} was an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in 1996. Eight of his albums are certified platinum (five released after his death), and he has been ranked as one of the greatest artists of all time. (Rolling Stone ranked him 86/100). It seems likely that many 39 year olds would feel old realizing that 2Pac has been dead for half of their lives.<br />
| 19.5<br />
| 20.2<br />
|-<br />
| 40<br />
| 1976<br />
| December 31, 1995<br />
| The [http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/12/31 last ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strip]<br />
| ''{{w|Calvin and Hobbes}}'' is a comic strip by {{w|Bill Watterson}} that ran from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995. It is a [[:Category:Calvin and Hobbes|recurring subject]] on xkcd . This comic had a lot of fans among people that are 40 today. Even those who didn't read it during its run may have discovered it later. Even those who didn't notice the ending at the time, might still feel old realizing it was so long ago.<br />
| 20<br />
| 20.9<br />
|-<br />
| 41<br />
| 1975<br />
| November 22, 1995<br />
| ''{{w|Toy Story}}''<br />
| The {{w|Pixar}} animated film ''Toy Story'' was the first feature length digitally-animated film to be released theatrically (and also Pixar's first feature film). Given that this was the first film of its kind, many 20-21 year olds would have seen it. For xkcd fans, such movies might be a big thing. For anyone who saw this movie (and the two sequels) this could cause feelings of age. Side note: 41 year olds might actually feel young when reading this comic in November 2016, because they are the last people to still be expected to feel young before Randall deliberately destroys the feeling.<br />
| 20.5<br />
| 21.0<br />
|-<br />
| >41<br />
| Before 1975<br />
| N/A<br />
| [Don't worry, they've got this covered]<br />
| This joke is that people who are legitimately old already feel old. This could also be a reference to the number 42, 42 being the "{{w|Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything}}" in the {{w|Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}. He has referenced this number more than once before, for instance in [[1213: Combination Vision Test]] and in the [[1608#Messages_in_Play_Area|messages in the ''Play Area'']] of [[1608: Hoverboard]]. Showing people 42 years or more old this table will make them feel old, when they look for their age and find this. Also, it may disappoint older readers of xkcd, as they do not to get their own humorous half-your-life entry. (See the opposite effect mentioned for the 41 years old above).<br />
| >20.5<br />
| N/A<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Caption above the panel:]<br />
:The November 2016<br />
:Guide to making people<br />
:'''feel old'''<br />
:<br />
:[A chart with a list of items to be put into the two first lines above the chart. First there are a line using the first column, then there are two lines using the second column. Below those lines are the two columns with underlined captions above. Between the columns are a long line connecting the two.]<br />
:If they're [age], you say:<br />
:<big>"Did you know</big> <u>[thing]</u> <big>has been around for the majority of your life?"</big><br />
:<br />
:;<u>Age</u><br />
::<u>Thing</u><br />
:<br />
:;16<br />
::Grand Theft Auto IV<br />
:<br />
:;17<br />
::Rickrolling<br />
:<br />
:;18<br />
::''Aqua Teen Hunger Force <br> Colon Movie Film for Theaters''<br />
:<br />
:;19<br />
::The Nintendo Wii<br />
:<br />
:;20<br />
::Twitter<br />
:<br />
:;21<br />
::The Xbox 360, xkcd<br />
:<br />
:;22<br />
::Chuck Norris Facts<br />
:<br />
:;23<br />
::Opportunity's Mars Exploration<br />
:<br />
:;24<br />
::Facebook<br />
:<br />
:;25<br />
::Gmail, ''Pirates of the Caribbean''<br />
:<br />
:;26<br />
::In da Club<br />
:<br />
:;27<br />
::''Firefly''<br />
:<br />
:;28<br />
::The War in Afghanistan<br />
:<br />
:;29<br />
::The iPod<br />
:<br />
:;30<br />
::''Shrek'', Wikipedia<br />
:<br />
:;31<br />
::Those X-Men movies<br />
:<br />
:;32<br />
::''The Sims''<br />
:<br />
:;33<br />
::Autotuned hit songs<br />
<br />
:;34<br />
::The ''Star Wars'' prequels<br />
:<br />
:;35<br />
::''The Matrix''<br />
:<br />
:;36<br />
::''Pokémon Red&Blue''<br />
:<br />
:;37<br />
::Netflix, ''Harry Potter'', Google<br />
:<br />
:;38<br />
::Deep Blue's Victory<br />
:<br />
:;39<br />
::Tupac's Death<br />
:<br />
:;40<br />
::The last ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strip<br />
:<br />
:;41<br />
::''Toy Story''<br />
:<br />
:;>41<br />
::[Don't worry, they've got this covered]<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
* The comic [[891: Movie Ages]], released 5 years earlier, used a very similar technique to make people feel old, by giving the number of years that had elapsed since landmark movies were released. Some of those movies (''Toy Story'', ''The Matrix'', ''Shrek'') also appear in this comic. That same comic also ended with a similar punchline, by ending the chart at 35 (with people over 35 considered as "too old" for the chart). It is possible that Randall's increasing of the limit to 41 reflects his own increasing age; perhaps he no longer thinks people at 36 are too old to try to make them feel old.<br />
* Other comics with date-based titles include:<br />
** Month-day format: [[656: October 30th]], [[680: December 25th]]<br />
** Month in the name: [[1595: 30 Days Hath September]]<br />
** A single year: [[998: 2012]], [[1311: 2014]], [[1624: 2016]], [[1779: 2017]]<br />
** The comic [[1898: October 2017]], released almost a year later, uses the same title format as this comic, and is also about making people feel old.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Music]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]<br />
[[Category:Video games]]<br />
[[Category:Pokémon]]<br />
[[Category:Rickrolling]]<br />
[[Category:Social networking]] <br />
[[Category:Mars rovers]]<br />
[[Category:Firefly]]<br />
[[Category:Wikipedia]]<br />
[[Category:Star Wars]]<br />
[[Category:Chess]]<br />
[[Category:Songs]]<br />
[[Category:Calvin and Hobbes]]<br />
[[Category:Harry Potter]]<br />
[[Category:The Matrix]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1757:_November_2016&diff=3138981757: November 20162023-05-23T11:34:17Z<p>Hawthorn: Removing Kynde's confusing and unnecessary attempt to tie this to Donald Trump, as he does with everything. Also a large rewrite to make this more readable because there's a lot of cruft.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1757<br />
| date = November 9, 2016<br />
| title = November 2016<br />
| image = november_2016.png<br />
| titletext = Once you've done this, make a note of how old they were. Then, when their age reaches double that, show them this chart again.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This is yet another comic designed to [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|make people feel old]], following soon after the last one [[1745: Record Scratch]].<br />
<br />
The comic takes the form of a table of ages between 16 and 41, and next to each, a list of things that originated approximately half that age ago. Thus, by mentioning those things to a person of that age, that person becomes aware that those things have now been around for the majority of their life. People tend to underestimate how long ago things happened, so the revelation will usually come as a shock and make them realize that things they think of as new and modern are actually a lot older than they thought. This, in turn, will make them feel old.<br />
<br />
For example, if talking to a 24-year-old, the relevant sentence would be:<br />
:"Did you know that {w|Facebook} has been around for the majority of your life?"<br />
<br />
To a 24-year old, Facebook likely still seems like a new innovation, so they may be shocked to discover that it has been around for more than half their life.<br />
<br />
The joke at the end is that the guide isn't necessary for people over 41, since they ''already'' feel old, and are more than capable of providing any number of demonstrative examples.<br />
<br />
It should be noted that the guide is only current for the time it was published, which is why it is billed as the "November 2016 Guide to Making People Feel Old". This is because the examples given in the table are relative to a person's age ''at that time''. However, the title text sneakily suggests a way to get an additional use out of the guide: by noting down the person's age at the time you show them the guide, and then showing it to them again when they are double that age, they will realize that more than half a lifetime has elapsed since the last time they viewed this comic, and will thus feel old again.<br />
<br />
==Table for the guide==<br />
{| class = "wikitable"<br />
! Age<br />
! Birth year<br />
! Date of occurrences<br />
! Occurrences<br />
! Explanation<br />
! Half age<br />
! Years ago<br />
|-<br />
| 16<br />
| 2000<br />
| April 29, 2008<br />
| ''{{w|Grand Theft Auto IV}}''<br />
| Popular video game published by {{w|Rockstar Games}}; the 11th title in the ''{{w|Grand Theft Auto}}'' series. The games are often rated as Mature (and thus aimed at adults) and this entrance should not really affect 16 year olds, who may have tried the game now, but should not have played the game when they were only 8 years old.<br />
| 8<br />
| 8.5<br />
|-<br />
| 17<br />
| 1999<br />
| May 2007<br />
| {{w|Rickrolling}}<br />
| A prank and internet meme involving an unexpected appearance of the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song "{{w|Never Gonna Give You Up}}", a bait and switch which has been [[:Category:Rickrolling|referred to often]] in xkcd. Since this was aimed at people who knew the song (from 1987) and were online (mainly young adults in 2007), this entry should not really affect 17 year olds who are unlikely to have been rickrolled when they were only 8.5 years old. <br />
| 8.5<br />
| 9.5<br />
|-<br />
| 18<br />
| 1998<br />
| April 13, 2007<br />
| ''{{w|Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters}}<br />
| American Flash animated surreal comedy film based on the {{w|Adult Swim}} animated series ''{{w|Aqua Teen Hunger Force}}''. This seems to be a joke, as both this movie and the one it was based on are for adults, and the people this targets would only have been 9 when it was released, and probably won't recognize the reference. The joke will fail, because they will not feel old. Very few people have ever heard of this movie, which is probably part of the joke.<br />
| 9<br />
| 9.6<br />
|-<br />
| 19<br />
| 1997<br />
| November 19, 2006<br />
| The {{w|Nintendo Wii}}<br />
| 2006 is the time when the Nintendo Wii was released, with the Wii dominating 2006-2012. Ten year olds were likely to play Wii, and thus as 20 year olds remember and be surprised at how long it is since the first time, and feel old. This is the first entry that might actually work.<br />
| 9.5<br />
| 10.0<br />
|-<br />
| 20<br />
| 1996<br />
| March 2006<br />
| {{w|Twitter}}<br />
| 2006 was a big year. Twitter was created. There were probably only a few 10-11 year olds that used Twitter in the first year of its release, and thus not many twenty year old people today would have been active on Twitter at the very beginning. This will only make that minority of people feel old.<br />
| 10<br />
| 10.7<br />
|-<br />
| 21<br />
| 1995<br />
| November 22, 2005 (Xbox 360),<br>September 30, 2005 (xkcd)<br />
| The {{w|Xbox 360}},<br>{{w|xkcd}}<br />
| 2005 saw the creation of the Xbox 360, another successful console. [[Randall]] also decided to throw in a 'reference joke', referring to the fact that xkcd was also created in 2005 where the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|first 13 comics]] where released on [[LiveJournal]] on September 30, 2005. As a callback, he has two x words in the same sentence, referring to [[1750: Life Goals]]. The same two words were both in that comic. (Average release date for the two was October 25, 2005). The Xbox will work on the twenty-one year old, for the same reason the Wii above would work. xkcd would not, because it is not directed at pre-teens. They would not have any feelings towards the comic. It is included to make faithful xkcd readers feel old. "Is it really more than 10 years ago I read it first..." (and also for the self-reference).<br />
| 10.5<br />
| 11.0<br />
|-<br />
| 22<br />
| 1994<br />
| 2005 (no specific date)<br />
| {{w|Chuck Norris Facts}}<br />
| Satirical factoids about martial artist and actor {{w|Chuck Norris}} began to appear on the Internet in early 2005. To begin with, they where not centered on Norris, instead focusing {{w|Vin Diesel}}. This makes it difficult to put a precise date on their appearance than "During the year 2005." Chuck Norris has {{w|Chuck_Norris_facts#Norris.27_response|replied to these factoids}} more than once, but the first time was in December 2006, almost two years after the {{w|meme}}s began appearing. The "facts" are mainly based on his series {{w|Walker, Texas Ranger}}, which ran from 1993-2001. Since the series ended when the twenty-two-year-old of today was 7, they were not the target group for the crazy Chuck Norris Facts. It seems unlikely that this entry would work.<br />
| 11<br />
| 11.5<br />
|-<br />
| 23<br />
| 1993<br />
| January 25, 2004<br />
| {{w|Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity}}'s Mars Exploration<br />
| {{w|Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity}} is a {{w|Mars rover}} that landed on Mars on January 25, 2004. Mars Rovers are a [[:Category:Mars rovers|recurring subject]] on xkcd. Even people who were not interested in science were very aware of Opportunity's voyage--it was covered in every type of news medium for a long time.<br />
| 11.5<br />
| 12.8<br />
|-<br />
| 24<br />
| 1992<br />
| February 4, 2004<br />
| {{w|Facebook}}<br />
| Facebook is a social networking service created in 2004 as a competitor to {{w|Myspace}}. It grew quickly to become the #1 social networking service. Since kids under thirteen are not allowed on Facebook, twenty-four-year-olds could not have signed up at the time of its foundation. When it was opened up for anyone in 2006, they would have been fourteen, but that would then only have been 10 years ago. However, today everyone knows about Facebook (and many preteens created accounts by lying about their ages), and to learn that it has existed for half of your life may make you feel old even if you didn't sign up immediately.<br />
| 12<br />
| 12.8<br />
|-<br />
| 25<br />
| 1991<br />
| April 1, 2004 (Gmail),<br>July 9, 2003 (''Pirates of the Caribbean'')<br />
| {{w|Gmail}},<br>''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean}}''<br />
| Gmail is an email service created by Google. It was originally invitation-only (until 2007), and not marketed to kids, so it is unlikely that many thirteen year olds would have been using it in 2004; however, it has since been opened to anyone, and a lot of 25 year olds use it today. The first movie in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' franchise, {{w|Curse of the Black Pearl}}, debuted in 2003. Three more movies followed before the release of this comic (average date is November 4, 2003). The movie was rated PG-13 and would likely have been a hit among 12-13 year old kids, so this would make many people born in 1991 feel old.<br />
| 12.5<br />
| 13.0<br />
|-<br />
| 26<br />
| 1990<br />
| January 7, 2003<br />
| {{w|In da Club}}<br />
| Rap song by {{w|50 Cent}}. The song was a #1 hit on multiple charts and in multiple countries. It is very likely that people who were thirteen at its release would have been aware of it, even if they were not "clubbing" themselves yet.<br />
| 13<br />
| 13.8<br />
|-<br />
| 27<br />
| 1989<br />
| September 20, 2002<br />
| ''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}''<br />
| ''Firefly'' is a space western drama TV series created by {{w|Joss Whedon}}, that became a cult classic. This may be Randall's favorite TV series, and it has been [[:Category:Firefly|referenced often]] in xkcd. <br />
| 13.5<br />
| 14.1<br />
|-<br />
| 28<br />
| 1988<br />
| October 7, 2001<br />
| The {{w|War in Afghanistan}}<br />
| The United States of America invaded Afghanistan shortly after the {{w|September 11 attacks}} (popularly known as 9/11), in an effort to eliminate the terrorist group {{w|al-Qaeda}}. Almost anyone who was 14 in 2001 would have been aware of the war.<br />
| 14<br />
| 15.1<br />
|-<br />
| 29<br />
| 1987<br />
| October 23, 2001<br />
| The {{w|iPod}}<br />
| The iPod was a music playing device created by {{w|Apple Inc.}} in 2001. This would probably make lots of 29 year-olds feel old.s 14-15 year old kids were likely to have had (or wished they had) an iPod.<br />
| 14.5<br />
| 15.0<br />
|-<br />
| 30<br />
| 1986<br />
| May 18, 2001 (''Shrek''),<br>January 15, 2001 (Wikipedia)<br />
| ''{{w|Shrek}}'',<br>{{w|Wikipedia}}<br />
| ''Shrek'' is a popular parody film about fairy tales. It quickly gained a cult following and became a mega-hit, earning it three sequels and a franchise. It was a big hit popular for ages. Fifteen year old were likely to know and love the movie, so they would probably feel old as 30-year-olds realizing it came out half their life ago.<br />
<br />
Wikipedia is a an online encyclopedia created in 2001, which anyone can edit. (It is massively linked to from [[explain xkcd]] which has a [[:Category:Wikipedia|Wikipedia category]] for comics like this that reference the website directly). (Average date is March 17, 2001). It is questionable how many kids used Wikipedia during the year it launched. Of course, realizing that before Wikipedia, you had to use a paper encyclopedias may still make a 30 year old feel old.<br />
| 15<br />
| 15.8<br />
|-<br />
| 31<br />
| 1985<br />
| July 14, 2000<br />
| Those X-Men movies<br />
| The {{w|X-Men (film series)|X-Men}} film series, probably only referring to the first trilogy (''{{w|X-Men (film)|X-Men}}'' (July 14, 2000), ''{{w|X2 (film)|X2}}'' (May 2, 2003), ''{{w|X-Men: The Last Stand}}'' (May 26, 2006) - us release dates). The release date refers to the first of these three movies. Presumably Randall is counting the series as existing from the time of the first release. 15-16 year old kids are likely to have loved ''X-Men'', and feel old when they realize it came out half their life ago.<br />
| 15.5<br />
| 16.3<br />
|-<br />
| 32<br />
| 1984<br />
| February 4, 2000<br />
| ''{{w|The Sims}}''<br />
| ''The Sims'' is a simulation video game created by Maxis in 2000 in which you build homes, cities, and families. It was an immediate success upon launch. It seems likely that many people would have played The Sims, and thus many 32 year old people would feel old. This was the one that Randall could have used on himself to feel old. He turned 32 a few weeks before the release of this comic.<br />
| 16<br />
| 16.8<br />
|-<br />
| 33<br />
| 1983<br />
| October 19, 1998<br />
| Autotuned hit songs<br />
| 1998 was when non-audio-professionals became aware of {{w|Auto-Tune|autotuning}} songs. {{w|Cher|Cher's}} song ''{{w|Believe (Cher song)|Believe}}'', released October 19, 1998 {{w|Auto-Tune#In_popular_music|may be the first time}} that most people really noticed autotuning. This is the only entry where there seems to be more than one year between the age of the thing and the half age of the person. However, it is also one of the entries where specific dating is difficult. Because the dates are not specific, it is difficult to judge how it would affect 33 year old people. Autotuning has been a standard for years, so it may make one feel old to know it has around for half your life.<br />
| 16.5<br />
| '''18.1'''<br />
|-<br />
| 34<br />
| 1982<br />
| May 19, 1999<br />
| The {{w|Star Wars Prequels}}<br />
| The Star Wars prequel trilogy (''{{w|Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace}}'' (May 19, 1999), ''{{w|Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones}}'' (May 16, 2002), ''{{w|Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith}}'' (May 19, 2005), us release dates). The {{w|Star Wars}} universe is most likely the [[:Category:Star Wars|most referenced]] movie universe in xkcd. The release date refers to the first of these three movies, because even only taking the first two movies, the average would only be 16 years ago, less than half the age of a 34 year old. These movies were awaited eagerly by many 17 year old kids, so they would remember the release well and feel very old.<br />
| 17 <br />
| 17.5<br />
|-<br />
| 35<br />
| 1981<br />
| March 31, 1999<br />
| ''{{w|The Matrix}}''<br />
| Action film created by {{w|The Wachowskis}} (formerly known, at the time of ''The Matrix'', as The Wachowski Brothers). Two more films followed, although they were widely regarded as inferior to the first (by for instance by Randall as seen in [[566: Matrix Revisited]]). ''The Matrix'' was something new and is likely to have influenced 17-18 year old kids, so this entry would likely to produce feelings of age. <br />
| 17.5<br />
| 17.6<br />
|-<br />
| 36<br />
| 1980<br />
| September 28, 1998<br />
| {{w|Pokémon Red & Blue}}<br />
| A popular video game franchise in the {{w|Pokémon}} series, a series [[:Category:Pokémon|often referenced]] in xkcd. The game was first released in Japan in 1996, but not in North America until 1998. It seems likely that many people interested in playing computer games would have played Pokémon games. and in particular this one, which was released when the target group was 18 years old. And now that's half their life ago, perhaps making them feel old.<br />
| 18<br />
| 18.1<br />
|-<br />
| 37<br />
| 1979<br />
| August 29, 1997 (Netflix),<br>June 26, 1997 (Harry Potter),<br>September 15, 1997 (Google)<br />
| {{w|Netflix}},<br>{{w|Harry Potter}},<br>{{w|Google}}<br />
| All three are still major things 19 years later. "Harry Potter" refers to the original publishing date of ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}''. Google refers to the date that the Google domain name was registered. (Average date is 03-07-1997). Harry Potter is widely read, but at the time of its release it was probably not at first taken up by those of 18-19 year old. That may have first come later, maybe with the release of the {{w|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|first movies}} in 2001, four years later. It may this not be the best example for this age group. Also using Google and Netflix just when they where launched may also not have been so popular among 18-19 year olds in 1997. Still, all three things are big, and to realize that they have been around for half of a life may still make someone feel old.<br />
| 18.5<br />
| 19.4<br />
|-<br />
| 38<br />
| 1978<br />
| May 11, 1997<br />
| Deep Blue's Victory<br />
| {{w|Deep Blue (chess computer)|Deep Blue}} was a {{w|chess computer}}, who defeated {{w|Garry Kasparov}}, the reigning chess champion, in a match in 1997. It was the first chess computer to defeat a world champion under tournament conditions. Randall has a great interest in {{w|chess}} and it is a [[:Category:Chess|recurrent subject]] on xkcd. Unless a 38 year old is interested in chess, they may not even know what Deep Blue, is let alone have any impression of long ago the victory occurred. Chess players and computer nerds (both of whom are very likely to be xkcd fans) would certainly be aware of this particular day.<br />
| 19<br />
| 19.5<br />
|-<br />
| 39<br />
| 1977<br />
| September 13, 1996<br />
| {{w|Murder of Tupac Shakur|Tupac's Death}}<br />
| {{w|Tupac Shakur}} was an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in 1996. Eight of his albums are certified platinum (five released after his death), and he has been ranked as one of the greatest artists of all time. (Rolling Stone ranked him 86/100). It seems likely that many 39 year olds would feel old realizing that 2Pac has been dead for half of their lives.<br />
| 19.5<br />
| 20.2<br />
|-<br />
| 40<br />
| 1976<br />
| December 31, 1995<br />
| The [http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/12/31 last ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strip]<br />
| ''{{w|Calvin and Hobbes}}'' is a comic strip by {{w|Bill Watterson}} that ran from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995. It is a [[:Category:Calvin and Hobbes|recurring subject]] on xkcd . This comic had a lot of fans among people that are 40 today. Even those who didn't read it during its run may have discovered it later. Even those who didn't notice the ending at the time, might still feel old realizing it was so long ago.<br />
| 20<br />
| 20.9<br />
|-<br />
| 41<br />
| 1975<br />
| November 22, 1995<br />
| ''{{w|Toy Story}}''<br />
| The {{w|Pixar}} animated film ''Toy Story'' was the first feature length digitally-animated film to be released theatrically (and also Pixar's first feature film). Given that this was the first film of its kind, many 20-21 year olds would have seen it. For xkcd fans, such movies might be a big thing. For anyone who saw this movie (and the two sequels) this could cause feelings of age. Side note: 41 year olds might actually feel young when reading this comic in November 2016, because they are the last people to still be expected to feel young before Randall deliberately destroys the feeling.<br />
| 20.5<br />
| 21.0<br />
|-<br />
| >41<br />
| Before 1975<br />
| N/A<br />
| [Don't worry, they've got this covered]<br />
| This joke is that people who are legitimately old already feel old. This could also be a reference to the number 42, 42 being the "{{w|Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything}}" in the {{w|Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}. He has referenced this number more than once before, for instance in [[1213: Combination Vision Test]] and in the [[1608#Messages_in_Play_Area|messages in the ''Play Area'']] of [[1608: Hoverboard]]. Showing people 42 years or more old this table will make them feel old, when they look for their age and find this. Also, it may disappoint older readers of xkcd, as they do not to get their own humorous half-your-life entry. (See the opposite effect mentioned for the 41 years old above).<br />
| >20.5<br />
| N/A<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Caption above the panel:]<br />
:The November 2016<br />
:Guide to making people<br />
:'''feel old'''<br />
:<br />
:[A chart with a list of items to be put into the two first lines above the chart. First there are a line using the first column, then there are two lines using the second column. Below those lines are the two columns with underlined captions above. Between the columns are a long line connecting the two.]<br />
:If they're [age], you say:<br />
:<big>"Did you know</big> <u>[thing]</u> <big>has been around for the majority of your life?"</big><br />
:<br />
:;<u>Age</u><br />
::<u>Thing</u><br />
:<br />
:;16<br />
::Grand Theft Auto IV<br />
:<br />
:;17<br />
::Rickrolling<br />
:<br />
:;18<br />
::''Aqua Teen Hunger Force <br> Colon Movie Film for Theaters''<br />
:<br />
:;19<br />
::The Nintendo Wii<br />
:<br />
:;20<br />
::Twitter<br />
:<br />
:;21<br />
::The Xbox 360, xkcd<br />
:<br />
:;22<br />
::Chuck Norris Facts<br />
:<br />
:;23<br />
::Opportunity's Mars Exploration<br />
:<br />
:;24<br />
::Facebook<br />
:<br />
:;25<br />
::Gmail, ''Pirates of the Caribbean''<br />
:<br />
:;26<br />
::In da Club<br />
:<br />
:;27<br />
::''Firefly''<br />
:<br />
:;28<br />
::The War in Afghanistan<br />
:<br />
:;29<br />
::The iPod<br />
:<br />
:;30<br />
::''Shrek'', Wikipedia<br />
:<br />
:;31<br />
::Those X-Men movies<br />
:<br />
:;32<br />
::''The Sims''<br />
:<br />
:;33<br />
::Autotuned hit songs<br />
<br />
:;34<br />
::The ''Star Wars'' prequels<br />
:<br />
:;35<br />
::''The Matrix''<br />
:<br />
:;36<br />
::''Pokémon Red&Blue''<br />
:<br />
:;37<br />
::Netflix, ''Harry Potter'', Google<br />
:<br />
:;38<br />
::Deep Blue's Victory<br />
:<br />
:;39<br />
::Tupac's Death<br />
:<br />
:;40<br />
::The last ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strip<br />
:<br />
:;41<br />
::''Toy Story''<br />
:<br />
:;>41<br />
::[Don't worry, they've got this covered]<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
* The comic [[891: Movie Ages]], released 5 years earlier, used a very similar technique to make people feel old, by giving the number of years that had elapsed since landmark movies were released. Some of those movies (''Toy Story'', ''The Matrix'', ''Shrek'') also appear in this comic. That same comic also ended with a similar punchline, by ending the chart at 35 (with people over 35 considered as "too old" for the chart). It is possible that Randall's increasing of the limit to 41 reflects his own increasing age; perhaps he no longer thinks people at 36 are too old to try to make them feel old.<br />
* Other comics with date-based titles include:<br />
** Month-day format: [[656: October 30th]], [[680: December 25th]]<br />
** Month in the name: [[1595: 30 Days Hath September]]<br />
* A single year: [[998: 2012]], [[1311: 2014]], [[1624: 2016]], [[1779: 2017]]<br />
** The comic [[1898: October 2017]], released almost a year later, uses the same title format as this comic, and is also about making people feel old.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Music]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]<br />
[[Category:Video games]]<br />
[[Category:Pokémon]]<br />
[[Category:Rickrolling]]<br />
[[Category:Social networking]] <br />
[[Category:Mars rovers]]<br />
[[Category:Firefly]]<br />
[[Category:Wikipedia]]<br />
[[Category:Star Wars]]<br />
[[Category:Chess]]<br />
[[Category:Songs]]<br />
[[Category:Calvin and Hobbes]]<br />
[[Category:Harry Potter]]<br />
[[Category:The Matrix]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=699:_Trimester&diff=312599699: Trimester2023-05-08T23:24:53Z<p>Hawthorn: Remove superfluous "simply"</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number =699<br />
| date =February 8, 2010<br />
| title =Trimester<br />
| image =trimester.png<br />
| titletext =Also, it's not like anyone actually calls up the Nobel committee to double-check things.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
While some pregnancies are different than others, a universal truth is that a naturally-born baby will always exit a woman's body through the vagina. However, in this comic, [[Cueball]] (wearing a white lab coat and holding a clipboard) tells a surprised [[Megan]] that until the second trimester (3-6 months into pregnancy), the baby has not yet decided on its method of egress and may choose any orifice through which to be born, including the mouth, anus, nose, etc. This does not normally happen in real life.{{Citation needed}} The only case where a baby is not born through the vagina is during a {{w|Cesarean section}} procedure, in which a surgical incision is made in the mother's abdomen to remove the baby.<br />
<br />
The caption reveals the truth: in fact, Cueball simply bought the lab coat, and is not a medical professional at all - he's likely just an average guy, and may well know less about medicine than Megan does. The moral is that you cannot trust someone simply because they outwardly present themselves as an authority.<br />
<br />
Impersonating medical professionals, or other authorities such as police, does happen in real life, and is typically illegal. In the US and other countries, it is also against the law to practice medicine without a license, so Cueball is likely committing a crime.<br />
<br />
The expectation that a person in a white coat is a medical expert, or at least a scientist, can be seen in the studies of the placebo effect: people who receive a "sugar pill" from a person who has the authority implied by wearing a lab coat will experience a greater placebo effect than those who receive identical pills from a person in ordinary clothes. This leads to more doctors wearing a white coat while working, and due to that a reinforcement of the expectation of white coats belonging to doctors. In some medical schools students receive a white coat as part of their graduation and qualification ceremony.<br />
<br />
The title text implies also that in addition to faking being a doctor, he has also faked being a {{w|Nobel Prize|Nobel laureate}}, on the logic that most people will not bother to verify this claim. This is likely harder to get away with, as the Nobel Prize is an extremely prestigious distinction, and it would be unlikely for it to be awarded to someone with no recognized skill or experience in a given field.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is wearing a lab coat, and talking to Megan, who is sitting on a desk. He also has a clipboard.]<br />
:Cueball: Well, until the second trimester, the baby hasn't decided which opening it will exit through.<br />
:Megan: ''What?''<br />
:Cueball: We'll hope for one of the lower ones, so it won't be fighting gravity.<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Did you know you can just ''BUY'' lab coats?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Medicine]]<br />
[[Category:Nobel Prize]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2772:_Commemorative_Plaque&diff=3125982772: Commemorative Plaque2023-05-08T23:23:41Z<p>Hawthorn: Trimester is related, it's essentially the same joke.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2772<br />
| date = May 5, 2023<br />
| title = Commemorative Plaque<br />
| image = commemorative_plaque_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 422x282px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = [Below] On this site on May 12th, 2023, I finally learned how to use the masonry bit for my drill.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MASONRY BIT DONE BY DRILL - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
The narrator discovered that it is simple and inexpensive to have a {{w|commemorative plaque}} made, and so had a commemorative plaque made to record that event. The comic both indicates the lack of knowledge many people have about how simple or difficult it is to do a certain thing, and the over-the-top response a person might have to a relatively mundane discovery.<br />
<br />
The comic was published on May 5, the holiday of {{w|Cinco de Mayo}}, {{w|Europe Day}} and {{w|Liberation day (Netherlands)|Dutch Liberation Day}}, and the day before the {{w|Coronation of Charles III and Camilla}}. The comic subverts an expectation that a plaque about May 5 would be to commemorate either one of the {{w|May 5|many world events that previously took place on a May 5}} in various years, or more specifically the 1862 {{w|Battle of Puebla}} or the 1964 founding of the Council of Europe or the 1945 Liberation of the Netherlands, which all took place on May 5 and inspired the respective holidays.<br />
<br />
The title text describes a second plaque mounted below the first one, boasting that a week later they learned out how to use a {{w|Drill_bit#Masonry_drill_bit|masonry bit}}, presumably to mount the first plaque.<br />
<br />
The earlier comic [[699: Trimester]] also features a similar situation in which a seemingly official and authoritative item can in fact simply be purchased by a layperson.<br />
<br />
<!-- Not sure what to do with the following text...<br />
<br />
there being some small but useful points of technique to be learnt when drilling into one or other of stone, brick, concrete or cement. It equates it being almost exactly as much deserving of a plaque as the very act of obtaining a plaque, and now a second one, to also have finally been able to properly attach it (them) to the chosen wall.<br />
--><br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A light gray brick wall with a plaque on it. The plaque has a white background and its frame is gray. It has been attached to the wall with four pins, one at each corner. The plaque reads, across several lines:]<br />
:On this site on <br />
:[Most prominent line of text:] <big><big>'''May 5<sup>th</sup>, 2023'''</big></big><br />
:I realized that you could order custom commemorative plaques online that say <br />
:[Somewhat prominent line of text:] <big>'''whatever you want''' </big><br />
:and it's not that expensive<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2770:_Tapetum_Lucidum&diff=3125722770: Tapetum Lucidum2023-05-08T15:42:31Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2770<br />
| date = May 1, 2023<br />
| title = Tapetum Lucidum<br />
| image = tapetum_lucidum_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 412x492px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Using a reflective wall in a game to give one shot two chances to hit is called a double-tapetum lucidum.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by BILL NYE'S CAT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{w|Bill Nye}}, perhaps best known for his children's educational series ''{{w|Bill Nye the Science Guy}}'', wearing the same lab coat as in [[200: Bill Nye]], beats an unseen player (presumably [[Randall]]) in an online multiplayer game resembling {{w|XPilot}}, in which players pilot spaceships using simulated rocket physics and attempt to shoot and kill each other. During a laser battle, Bill Nye provides a scientific explanation for the {{w|tapetum lucidum}}, the layer behind the {{w|retina}} of a cat's eye. He explains that the layer reflects back some of the light that bounces off the retina, giving it a second chance to hit the retina again. This allows a cat's eye to capture more light than it otherwise would, and thus improves their night vision. It's also why [https://carnegiemnh.org/meowfest-why-do-cat-eyes-glow-in-the-dark/ cat's eyes appear to glow in the dark]. <br />
<br />
At the same time, Bill Nye's battle tactic in the online game perfectly analogizes the point he is making. His spaceship is firing energy pulses into the path of an approaching ship in an attempt to destroy it. Due to the difficulty of hitting a small, fast-moving target, it's likely that most or all of these shots will miss. However, because Bill Nye is firing at a reflective wall, each shot that misses bounces back into the path of the opponent's ship, giving it a second chance to hit the target and effectively doubling the density of the firepower. With double the number of shots to avoid, the opponent's ship is hit and explodes. This explanation is similar to how Bill Nye would explain scientific concepts by using analogous demonstrations of other things. <br />
<br />
In the analogy, the weapon shots fired by Bill Nye's ship are the light photons entering the cat's eye, the reflective wall is the tapetum lucidum, and the opponent's ship is a retinal cell. Destroying the opponent's ship with a shot is analogous to a light photon being absorbed by the cat's retina (and therefore seen). If the reflective wall hadn't been there, the ship might have survived, which means the retina would never have seen that photon.<br />
<br />
Randall presumably considers this "extra infuriating" because Bill Nye is showing both his scientific knowledge in some other field and his gaming prowess simultaneously, while he lacks the skill even to win the game normally.<br />
<br />
The title text is a pun that refers to "tapetum lucidum" and uses "double tap" in the way that online games, memes, and films refer to shooting something twice in rapid succession to ensure its demise. This phrase is used in the film ''Zombieland'', and is the subtitle of the 2019 "Zombieland: Double Tap" sequel.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Two triangles with two long sides of equal length (isosceles triangles) but with the short side curving a bit in, are moving inside a black structure, their movement indicated with three and two curved lines below the left and above the right triangle. Both triangles shoots green lasers out of their sharp tip, indicating they represents space ships. They are flying inside a black structure, maybe a maze. There is nothing above the left ship. but below the ships are a black segment making a triangle in the lower left corner. The right ship is inside an opening created by this triangle below it, and another black triangle above it, that centers on the middle of the right side of the panel. The left ship has shot three green laser beams, one of them hits inside the opening on the right triangle and the beam bounces off this wall. But it is not close to the right ship. The right ship has only fires one green laser, which bounces off the left wall also far from the left ship. A voice emanates from the left ship, via a star burst at the top corner. And there are sounds because of the shots it has fired.]<br />
:Left ship: Cats have a shiny layer behind their retina called the tapetum lucidum.<br />
:Laser shots: Pew pew pew<br />
<br />
:[Same setting but the scene has panned a bit to the left and up so less of the black walls can be seen. The left ship has moved closer to the right wall and has turned so it's sharp tip points almost straight down, still with three curved lines to indicate movement, probably turning movement. It again fires green lasers at the other ship, four this time, with sounds coming from the shooting. The right spaceship is accelerating forward as indicated with three wavy lines behind it's short side moving in to the line of fire. It seems as though all four lasers might miss it, but one of those that already has passed it, is being reflected up against it from below the left black wall. Again a voice emanates from the left ship via a starburst in the left corner:]<br />
:Left ship: After light passes through the retina, this layer reflects it back through a second time.<br />
:Laser shots: Pew pew<br />
<br />
:[Same setting but the scene has again panned a bit to show a different segments of the black walls. The ship originally to the left is now above and a bit to the right of where the right ship originally was, and it is even closer to the right wall. It is not firing any more shots, because the reflected shot from the previous panel has hit the right ship which explodes in large green cloud with the black pieces of the ship inside it, and a huge sound. The tail of the laser shot that hits it can be seen entering the explosion. Three other laser shots from before are still moving down, but might all have missed the ship. There are no movement lines now but again the voice emanates from the left ship via a starburst in the left corner:]<br />
:Left ship: This extra bounce gives photons another chance to interact with the retinal cells...<br />
:Explosion: Boom!<br />
<br />
:[A man with short black hair wearing a labcoat is sitting in an office chair typing on his computer while speaking. Below him is a frame with a caption, from which it becomes clear that the man, and the owner of the voice from the left ship, is Bill Nye.]<br />
:Bill Nye: ...Improving their night vision! Isn't science cool?<br />
:Caption: There's something extra infuriating about losing online games to Bill Nye.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Video games]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]<br />
[[Category:Cats]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=699:_Trimester&diff=312571699: Trimester2023-05-08T15:35:05Z<p>Hawthorn: Rewrite with some additional details</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number =699<br />
| date =February 8, 2010<br />
| title =Trimester<br />
| image =trimester.png<br />
| titletext =Also, it's not like anyone actually calls up the Nobel committee to double-check things.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
While some pregnancies are different than others, a universal truth is that a naturally-born baby will always exit a woman's body through the vagina. However, in this comic, [[Cueball]] (wearing a white lab coat and holding a clipboard) tells a surprised [[Megan]] that until the second trimester (3-6 months into pregnancy), the baby has not yet decided on its method of egress and may choose any orifice through which to be born, including the mouth, anus, nose, etc. This does not normally happen in real life.{{Citation needed}} The only case where a baby is not born through the vagina is during a {{w|Cesarean section}} procedure, in which a surgical incision is made in the mother's abdomen to remove the baby.<br />
<br />
The caption reveals the truth: in fact, Cueball simply bought the lab coat, and is not a medical professional at all - he's likely just an average guy, and may well know less about medicine than Megan does. The moral is that you cannot simply trust someone simply because they outwardly present themselves as an authority.<br />
<br />
Impersonating medical professionals, or other authorities such as police, does happen in real life, and is typically illegal. In the US and other countries, it is also against the law to practice medicine without a license, so Cueball is likely committing a crime.<br />
<br />
The expectation that a person in a white coat is a medical expert, or at least a scientist, can be seen in the studies of the placebo effect: people who receive a "sugar pill" from a person who has the authority implied by wearing a lab coat will experience a greater placebo effect than those who receive identical pills from a person in ordinary clothes. This leads to more doctors wearing a white coat while working, and due to that a reinforcement of the expectation of white coats belonging to doctors. In some medical schools students receive a white coat as part of their graduation and qualification ceremony.<br />
<br />
The title text implies also that in addition to faking being a doctor, he has also faked being a {{w|Nobel Prize|Nobel laureate}}, on the logic that most people will not bother to verify this claim. This is likely harder to get away with, as the Nobel Prize is an extremely prestigious distinction, and it would be unlikely for it to be awarded to someone with no recognized skill or experience in a given field.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is wearing a lab coat, and talking to Megan, who is sitting on a desk. He also has a clipboard.]<br />
:Cueball: Well, until the second trimester, the baby hasn't decided which opening it will exit through.<br />
:Megan: ''What?''<br />
:Cueball: We'll hope for one of the lower ones, so it won't be fighting gravity.<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Did you know you can just ''BUY'' lab coats?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Medicine]]<br />
[[Category:Nobel Prize]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2770:_Tapetum_Lucidum&diff=3121082770: Tapetum Lucidum2023-05-01T14:14:45Z<p>Hawthorn: Improvement on the explanation</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2770<br />
| date = May 1, 2023<br />
| title = Tapetum Lucidum<br />
| image = tapetum_lucidum_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 412x492px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Using a reflective wall in a game to give one shot two chances to hit is called a double-tapetum lucidum.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by BILL NYE'S CAT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{w|Bill Nye}}, wearing the same lab coat as in [[200: Bill Nye]], beats an unseen player (presumably [[Randall]]) in an online multiplayer game resembling {{w|XPilot}}, in which players pilot spaceships using simulated rocket physics and attempt to shoot and kill each other. During a laser battle, Bill Nye provides a scientific explanation for the {{w|tapetum lucidum}}, the layer behind the {{w|retina}} of a cat's eye. He explains that the layer reflects back some of the light that bounces off the retina, giving it a second chance to hit the retina again. This allows a cat's eye to capture more light than it otherwise would, and thus improves their night vision.<br />
<br />
At the same time, Bill Nye's battle tactic in the online game perfectly analogizes the point he is making. His spaceship is firing energy pulses into the path of an approaching ship in an attempt to destroy it. Due to the difficulty of hitting a small, fast-moving target, it's likely that most or all of these shots will miss. However, because Bill Nye is firing at a reflective wall, each shot that misses bounces back into the path of the opponent's ship, giving it a second chance to hit the target and effectively doubling the density of the firepower. With double the number of shots to avoid, the opponent's ship is hit and explodes.<br />
<br />
In the analogy, the weapon shots fired by Bill Nye's ship are the light photons entering the cat's eye, the reflective wall is the tapetum lucidum, and the opponent's ship is a retinal cell. Destroying the opponent's ship with a shot is analogous to a light photon being absorbed by the cat's retina (and therefore seen). If the reflective wall hadn't been there, the ship might have survived, which means the retina would never have seen that photon.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to "tapetum lucidum" and uses "double tap" in the way that online games, memes, and films refer to shooting something twice in rapid succession to ensure its demise. This phrase is famously{{Actual citation needed}} used in the film "Zombieland," and is the subtitle of the 2019 "Zombieland: Double Tap" sequel.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[Ship 1 shoots green projectiles at Ship 2, some of the projectiles are bouncing off walls.]<br />
:Ship 1: Cats have a shiny layer behind their retina called the tapetum lucidum.<br />
:SFX: Pew pew pew<br />
<br />
:Ship 1: After light passes through the retina, this layer reflects it back through a second time.<br />
:SFX: Pew pew<br />
<br />
:[Ship 1 defeats Ship 2 with a projectile bouncing off a wall, resulting in a green explosion.]<br />
:Ship 1: This extra bounce gives photons another chance to interact with the retinal cells...<br />
:SFX: BOOM!<br />
<br />
:[Bill Nye, in a labcoat, sitting at a computer.]<br />
:Bill Nye: ...improving their night vision! Isn't science cool?<br />
:Caption: There's something extra infuriating about losing online games to Bill Nye.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Video games]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Cats]]</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2770:_Tapetum_Lucidum&diff=3120702770: Tapetum Lucidum2023-05-01T13:52:15Z<p>Hawthorn: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2770<br />
| date = May 1, 2023<br />
| title = Tapetum Lucidum<br />
| image = tapetum_lucidum_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 412x492px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Using a reflective wall in a game to give one shot two chances to hit is called a double-tapetum lucidum.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by BILL NYE'S CAT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
{{w|Bill Nye}}, wearing the same lab coat as in [[200: Bill Nye]], beats an unseen player (presumably [[Randall]]) in an online multiplayer game resembling {{w|Asteroids (video game)|Asteroids}} or in the vein of {{w|XPilot}}. The whole time, he recounts a scientific fact about light reflection, saying that cats' eyes have another layer between the retina, so that light has a chance to bounce back a second time. He then kills the player by reflecting a laser off the wall, which hits them, mirroring the scientific fact that he was explaining to the player.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to "tapetum lucidum" and uses "double tap" in the way that online games, memes, and films refer to shooting something twice in rapid succession to ensure its demise. This phrase is famously{{Actual citation needed}} used in the film "Zombieland," and is the subtitle of the 2019 "Zombieland: Double Tap" sequel.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:Ship 1: Cats have a shiny layer behind their retina called the tapetum lucidum.<br />
:SFX: Pew pew pew<br />
<br />
:Ship 1: After light passes through the retina, this layer reflects it back through a second time.<br />
:SFX: Pew pew<br />
<br />
:[Ship 1 defeats Ship 2.]<br />
:Ship 1: This extra bounce gives photons another chance to interact with the retinal cells...<br />
:SFX: BOOM!<br />
<br />
:[Bill Nye, in a labcoat, at a computer.]<br />
:Bill Nye: ...improving their night vision! Isn't science cool?<br />
:Caption: There's something extra infuriating about losing online games to Bill Nye.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2770:_Tapetum_Lucidum&diff=3120692770: Tapetum Lucidum2023-05-01T13:50:56Z<p>Hawthorn: Removing superfluous line, and also rotation doesn't affect Newtonian momentum anyway.</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2770<br />
| date = May 1, 2023<br />
| title = Tapetum Lucidum<br />
| image = tapetum_lucidum_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 412x492px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Using a reflective wall in a game to give one shot two chances to hit is called a double-tapetum lucidum.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by BILL NYE'S CAT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
{{w|Bill Nye}}, wearing the same lab coat as in [[200: Bill Nye]], beats an unseen player (presumably {{Randall}}) in an online multiplayer game resembling {{w|Asteroids (video game)|Asteroids}} or in the vein of {{w|XPilot}}. The whole time, he recounts a scientific fact about light reflection, saying that cats' eyes have another layer between the retina, so that light has a chance to bounce back a second time. He then kills the player by reflecting a laser off the wall, which hits them, mirroring the scientific fact that he was explaining to the player.<br />
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The title text refers to "tapetum lucidum" and uses "double tap" in the way that online games, memes, and films refer to shooting something twice in rapid succession to ensure its demise. This phrase is famously{{Actual citation needed}} used in the film "Zombieland," and is the subtitle of the 2019 "Zombieland: Double Tap" sequel.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:Ship 1: Cats have a shiny layer behind their retina called the tapetum lucidum.<br />
:SFX: Pew pew pew<br />
<br />
:Ship 1: After light passes through the retina, this layer reflects it back through a second time.<br />
:SFX: Pew pew<br />
<br />
:[Ship 1 defeats Ship 2.]<br />
:Ship 1: This extra bounce gives photons another chance to interact with the retinal cells...<br />
:SFX: BOOM!<br />
<br />
:[Bill Nye, in a labcoat, at a computer.]<br />
:Bill Nye: ...improving their night vision! Isn't science cool?<br />
:Caption: There's something extra infuriating about losing online games to Bill Nye.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}</div>Hawthornhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=804:_Pumpkin_Carving&diff=311819804: Pumpkin Carving2023-04-28T17:23:02Z<p>Hawthorn: Removing a couple of Citation neededs, but leaving in the funny one.</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 804<br />
| date = October 11, 2010<br />
| title = Pumpkin Carving<br />
| image = pumpkin carving.png<br />
| titletext = The Banach-Tarski theorem was actually first developed by King Solomon, but his gruesome attempts to apply it set back set theory for centuries.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is a reference to the American custom of making {{w|Jack-o'-lantern|Jack-O'-Lantern}}s to set out on porches and front steps for the holiday of {{w|Halloween}}, which occurs on October 31. Typically they are made with {{w|pumpkins}} by emptying the inside leaving a hollow shell, carving a face or design on the side, then placing a light or candle inside. The Jack-O'-Lantern in the 3rd frame is the typical and standard design for a carved pumpkin.<br />
<br />
The comic is set up as a typical TV program where an off-screen interviewer asks four (very) different people what they have made out of their Halloween pumpkin. In the [http://xkcd.com/804/info.0.json official transcript] the interviewer that talks in three of the panels is called an Interlocutor: "a person who takes part in dialogue or conversation."<br />
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In the first frame, [[Beret Guy]], naturally, stays oddly on-topic by physically carving an image of a pumpkin in his pumpkin. This means his answer, "I carved a pumpkin," could apply to either the image or the medium of his artwork.<br />
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In the second frame, [[Black Hat]] is shown with a container of {{w|nitroglycerin}} next to his pumpkin. Nitroglycerin is a highly explosive liquid that may explode violently with just a small bump. Black Hat has not carved a hole for his lamp, but it seems he has emptied the inside of the pumpkin as the stem at the top has been removed. This will make it possible to fill up the pumpkin with nitroglycerin. Teenagers are a rather impulsive and rebellious lot; as Halloween is a night with lots of meticulously erected decorations and more lax parental supervision, troublemaker teens see it as an enticing time to engage in rampant vandalism, including but not limited to pumpkin-smashing. Hence, the off-panel character presumes that Black Hat is setting up a trap to get back at these ne'er-do-wells. To top it off, Black Hat plans to put up a sign warning passers-by to not smash the pumpkin. This would only serve to tempt impulsive teenagers to disturb it, which is very likely what the sadistic and chaos-loving [[Classhole]] is hoping for. If he succeeds with his plan, with a completely hollowed out pumpkin of the shown size filled with nitroglycerin, it would seem likely that the resulting explosion would leave a largish crater, flatten wood-framed buildings nearby, shatter windows for blocks in all directions, and be more than sufficient to kill the vandal along with others in the surrounding area. This is clearly overkill for such a petty crime.<br />
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Black Hat, rather unconvincingly, insists that his pumpkin is suffering from chest pains, and that the nitroglycerin is merely intended for medical treatment. While it is true that this chemical is used to treat {{w|angina}} (chest pain due to blocked arteries in the heart), nitroglycerin used for this purpose is dispensed in the form of small pills containing only trace amounts, and controlled by prescription. Also, pumpkins are fruits and do thus not contain nervous or circulatory systems of mammalian complexity; even if they did, the process of pumpkin carving involves hollowing them out, making it a moot point.<br />
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In the third frame, [[Megan]] is our typical emotional xkcd comic character. She is the only one out of the four who actually carved a typical jack-o'-lantern; however, she is projecting herself onto it, and has named it Harold. Her dialogue suggests it (or he) is suffering from typical holiday depression, with symptoms such as using a lot of time daydreaming, worrying, and trying to distract herself with holiday traditions, but she already knows that it won't work. Some have speculated that this is a possible reference to the classic {{w|Internet meme|meme}} [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hide-the-pain-harold Hide The Pain Harold], but this is highly unlikely; the meme [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hide-the-pain-harold only surfaced in 2011], a year after the comic was published.<br />
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In the fourth frame, [[Cueball]] is shown in front of two un-carved pumpkins exclaiming that this is the result of carving one pumpkin. He is referencing the {{w|Banach-Tarski paradox}} (which is made clear in the title text), a theorem which states that it is possible to split a three-dimensional ball, in this case a pumpkin, into a finite number of "pieces," and then reassemble these "pieces" into two distinct balls both identical to the original. This paradox has been proven for theoretical shapes, but requires infinitely complicated pieces which are impossible for anything made of physical {{w|atomic theory|atoms}} rather than mathematical {{w|point (geometry)|points}}.<br />
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The off-screen interviewer in that frame references the {{w|Axiom of Choice}}. This axiom is the foundation for many theorems (including the Banach–Tarski paradox) and is extremely influential to modern mathematics; however, it has been historically controversial precisely because it enables this kind of weirdness. It is called an "axiom" because it is a statement that is not meant to be proven or disproven—only accepted or rejected depending on the theoretical framework one wishes to work with. Rejecting the Axiom of Choice results in a perfectly coherent alternate form of set theory. Since the proof for the Banach–Tarski paradox relies on accepting the axiom of choice, the interviewer is suggesting Cueball's unexpected result would not have happened without using the axiom.<br />
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The title text references a biblical story involving {{w|Solomon|King Solomon}}. In the story, known as the {{w|Judgment of Solomon}}, two women were brought before him both claiming that a particular child was their own. Solomon tested the women by saying the only solution was to cut the baby in half and give each woman one of the halves, knowing only the real mother would fight to save her child's life even if the price was giving up the whole child to the other woman. The joke is that if Solomon had developed the Banach–Tarski theorem first, then he could have actually believed cutting the baby into pieces was a valid solution. In that scenario, he would have tried to make two whole children from the original and given one to each woman. However, since babies are not infinitely divisible,{{Citation needed}} his attempt would have failed miserably and set back set theory for centuries due to the appearance that he has "proved" the theorem wrong. Note that the title text actually mentions ''attempts'' indicating that King Solomon killed several babies in this fashion.<br />
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The axiom of choice and set theory was later referenced in [[982: Set Theory]] and, much later, the axiom of choice was mentioned again in the title text of [[1724: Proofs]].<br />
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This comic was released 20 days before Halloween in 2010, possibly to inspire people with some great ideas for their pumpkins. It has been known (particularly by Randall) that people copy his ideas, for instance this earlier [http://xkcd.com/chesscoaster/ post] on xkcd based on [[249: Chess Photo]]. Soon after he even made a comic, [[254: Comic Fragment]], that was supposed to be impossible to copy, which he mentioned himself later (see the explanation).<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[Beret Guy, holding his arms out, stands behind a large orange pumpkin with the stem on top. It is sitting on a table. The pumpkin has been carved out as a lamp with large hole, and a lit candle is visible in the hole. The hole is in the shape of another carved out pumpkin. An interviewer speaks from off panel.]<br />
:Interviewer (off-panel): So what did you—<br />
:Beret Guy: I carved a pumpkin!<br />
:Interviewer (off-panel): ...<br />
<br />
:[Black Hat stands behind a large orange pumpkin which has not been carved out as a lamp, but the stem at the top has been removed and is placed tilting on the side of the pumpkin. It is sitting on a table. A gray box stands next to and partly in front of the pumpkin. On the end of the box there is a label at the top with unreadable text and below that some kind of drawing with a circle at the top. The interviewer speaks from off panel.]<br />
:Interviewer (off-panel): Taking on teen vandals, I see.<br />
:Black Hat: Heavens, no. My pumpkin simply has chest pains. In fact, I'll leave a note ''warning'' them not to smash it.<br />
:Text on box:<br />
::Nitro-<br />
::glycerin<br />
::Do Not<br />
::Shake<br />
<br />
:[Megan stands next to a large orange pumpkin with the stem on top. It is sitting on a table. The pumpkin has been carved out as a typical Halloween lamp. The bottom part of a white candle stick is visible in the mouth shaped hole. The hole is in the shape of a typical jack-o' lantern, with two slanted eyes, double slit nose and a smiling mouth with a tooth sticking out from both upper and lower lip, on either side of the candle stick.]<br />
:Megan: My pumpkin's name is Harold. He just realized that all the time he used to spend daydreaming, he now spends worrying. He'll try to distract himself later with holiday traditions, but it won't work.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball stands next to a two orange pumpkins with their stems on top, the left pumpkin is slightly larger than the right which is partly in front of the larger pumpkin. They have not been carved out even though a knife lies next to them to the right in front of Cueball on the table where they both stand. The interviewer speaks from off panel.]]<br />
:Cueball: I carved and carved, and the next thing I knew I had ''two'' pumpkins.<br />
:Interviewer (off-panel): I ''told'' you not to take the axiom of choice.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Math]]<br />
[[Category:Logic]]</div>Hawthorn