Editing 1762: Moving Boxes

{{comic
| number    = 1762
| date      = November 21, 2016
| title     = Moving Boxes
| image     = moving_boxes.png
| titletext = Later, when I remember that I'm calling movers, I frantically scribble over the labels and write 'NORMAL HOUSE STUFF' on all of them, which actually makes things worse.
}}

==Explanation==

[[Randall]] talks about moving boxes and not labeling them until he forgets what's in them. Since he doesn't know what's in them, he writes silly things on the boxes as a joke. Some things are unusual/unlikely (e.g. sand, hydrants, peat) and some are abstract/impossible (e.g. elves, taupe, dark matter). Several of the categories overlap confusingly; for instance, "sand" and "silt" and "dark matter" are all generally considered as "particles"; "membranes", "edges", and "shawls" are all kinds of "manifolds"; "hooves" are part of "bison"; "fog" contains "water"; and "triangles" consist of three "edges". Another way to interpret this comic is that Randall actually has these items (or at least some of them) in the boxes and has simply forgotten which boxes contain what.

According to the title text, when Randall remembers that he is calling movers, he frantically scribbles "Normal House Stuff" on all the boxes. He says this makes the situation worse, possibly because the movers see the scribble and become suspicious. Alternatively, labeling every box with the exact same phrase will make it even harder to figure out what they contain and where they should go in the new dwelling.

===Explanation of boxes===
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
!Label
!Explanation
|-
!Box 1
|-
|Grids|| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/grid Grids] are mathematical drawings; they would be constructed by drawing them, not stored in a box (though {{w|graph paper}} might be). May refer to a classic {{w|snipe hunt}} where a hazing victim is tasked with finding "a box of grid squares".
|-
|Bison||{{w|Bison}}, a relative of the {{w|Bubalina|buffalo}}, are large animals that would probably not fit in the box.{{Citation needed}}
|-
|Checkerboards||The tabletop gaming boards on which one plays {{w|English draughts|Checkers}}. It is also the name of the corresponding pattern and thus can be interpreted as an abstract term like many other "objects" in this comic. Note that a checkerboard ''could'' be considered a grid.
|-
|Fog||{{w|Fog}} is essentially low-lying clouds which, being dispersed in air, are hard to box using only cardboard.{{Citation needed}}
|-
!Box 2
|-
|Beacons||Beacons are devices designed to draw attention to themselves, for various reasons. From the generic term "beacon" this could mean anything from electronic GPS locator beacons to miniature replicas of naval lighthouses. Or, alternatively, it could be like what is referenced in the 7th panel of [[921: Delivery Notification]], which is used to summon elves (which happen to be in the same box). 
|-
|Elves||Elves are a range of fictional and mythological human-like magical creatures. Classical elves would be small enough to fit in a cardboard box, while high-fantasy elves would not.
|-
|Sand||Sand grains are fine particles of rock. While it's not unheard of for people to need to store sand, it's usually not stored along with your personal belongings on moving day.{{Citation needed}}
|-
!Box 3
|-
|Hemoglobin||{{w|Hemoglobin}} is the protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. This may be a solution of hemoglobin protein, but one human generally would not need a full box of it.{{Citation needed}}
|-
!Box 4
|-
|Water||As with sand, it's not unheard of for, say, a laboratory to store water samples for testing. But again, these wouldn't be stored along with your personal belongings on moving day. And if this is meant to be drinking water, it would be a waste of effort; drinking water is accessible practically anywhere one might move to, through plumbing or commercially sold bottled water. A full box of drinking water might last a single person less than a month before requiring a restock.
|-
|Hooves||{{w|Hooves}} are possibly best known as horse and cow 'feet'. This could also be read as a compound word, Water-Hooves akin to water-wings. 
|-
!Box 5
|-
|Shorebirds|| Also known as {{w|Wader|Waders}}, these are an order of birds that commonly wade along shorelines and mudflats. Stuffing them in boxes would be a bad idea.{{Citation needed}}
|-
!Box 6
|-
|Oil|| This could mean anything from cooking oil to petroleum, but either way, transporting a box full of oil bottles is unusual because both are easily commercially available. A full box of cooking oil would be way more than a person typically needs, while a single box of petroleum would only be useful for a few vehicle refuels at most. This amount of petroleum could reasonably power a small back-up generator.
|-
|Vectors||{{w|Vector (mathematics and physics)|Vector}}s are properties with magnitude and direction, such as velocity, momentum, acceleration, etc., but can depend on the context. In any situation, they are not physical objects, so they cannot be put in boxes. Alternatively "vector" could mean a carrier of a disease, such as ticks or mosquitoes, but while more possible to box they would still not be practical to keep with common household goods and the intent of moving them as such would be dubious at best. 
|-
|Silt|| Material between sand and clay size-wise. A sediment. See sand and water above for why this is unusual. Randall has a special place in his heart for rock particles of various sizes; see [https://what-if.xkcd.com/83/ What If #83].
|-
!Box 7
|-
|Membranes||Delicate thin pliable sheet or skin of various kinds. Usually fragile or cut easily. Not something you would expect to be packed with something sharp.
|-
|Shards||Broken pieces of smooth and hard objects, such as ceramic, glass, or crystal. Often sharp: something you would normally expect to be thrown out, rather than packed up for moving house.
|-
!Box 8
|-
|Shawls||{{w|Shawls}} are a simple item of clothing, worn loosely over one's shoulders. Being of rectangular shape, they are supposed to be worn in colder weather.
|-
|Glucose||{{w|Glucose}} is possibly best-known as the sugar plants produce for energy, but can be manufactured.
|-
|Kits||A {{w|kit}} is any set of tools, supplies, and/or instructions for a specific purpose. These could be first aid kits, software development kits, bomb-making kits, sewing kits... It can also refer to juveniles of some mammals, such as foxes or rabbits (it is not very likely that such animals would be packed in a box - though compare [[325: A-Minus-Minus]]). Alternatively, this may be a compound word "Glucose Kits", diabetic assay tools to help the patient regulate their blood sugar.
|-
!Box 9
|-
|Hydrants||{{w|Fire hydrant}}s are likely too big to fit in boxes and are also simply odd objects to be packing into a box.
|-
|Particles||As almost all matter is composed of {{w|particles}}, it is hard to find exceptions. Thus, this is very vague.
|-
|Knots||{{w|Knot}}s are things tied in ropes; they can hold things or just be there. This would be hard to put in a box without rope.{{Citation needed}} Could also refer to knots in a piece of {{w|wood}}, which are hard to put in the box without the rest of the wood. Knots could also refer to the {{w|Knot_(unit)|unit of speed}}, used in maritime and air navigation, as well as meteorology, which would be impossible to box as it is not a physical object.
|-
!Box 10 
|-
|Graphite||{{w|Graphite}} is a crystalline form of carbon, where the atoms are arranged in sheets. It is found in some household products (pencils and lubricant oil), though in either case the name of the end product would be a more likely box label.  Graphite is also a color.
|-
|Taupe|| {{w|Taupe}} is a dark tan color in between brown and gray. It is not an object, and therefore impossible to pack.{{Citation needed}} May be a reference to Gliese 581f (a.k.a. Taupe Mars) from [[1253|xkcd #1253]].
|-
!Box 11
|-
|Field Lines||This could refer to {{w|field line}}s as used to depict electromagnetic fields, or possibly to the lines painted on an athletic field to mark the boundaries of play. The former is a visualization tool rather than physical objects; the latter consists of streaks of paint on grass or artificial turf, and thus neither kind of field line is the kind of physical object that could be packed into a box. 
|-
!Box 12
|-
|Traps||May be a reference to 'My house is full of traps' from [https://what-if.xkcd.com/34// What-If #34], or possibly just generic traps such as {{w|Trapping#Foothold_traps|Bear traps}} and {{w|Booby traps}}.
|-
!Box 13
|-
|Edges||An {{w|Edge_(geometry)|edge}} is a line segment joining two vertices. Even though physical objects do have edges, you cannot store edges themselves as they are just mathematical constructs.
|-
|Tribes||A {{w|tribe}} is a social group of people, and have existed before states were formed. It is impossible to store a group of people in the box, let alone multiple groups.{{Citation needed}} 
|-
|Dough||{{w|Dough}} is a thick, malleable, sometimes elastic, paste made out of any grains, leguminous or chestnut crops. It is used in the process of cooking, but it doesn't make sense to pack it while moving.  "Dough" is also a slang term for money, which makes more sense to pack for moving.
|-
!Box 14
|-
|Dark Matter||{{w|Dark matter}} is what is believed to be a big part of the mass of galaxies, but we have never observed it, so it is not possible to pack it.{{Citation needed}} Alternatively, if all dark matter were permanently packed in boxes like this, it would explain why it has never been observed: According to the {{w|Copenhagen interpretation}} of the uncertainty principle (in other words, the {{w|Schrödinger's Cat}}), dark matter may both be in the box and somewhere else in the universe until somebody opens the box.
|-
!Box 15
|-
|Manifolds||In topology, {{w|Manifold|Manifolds}} are spaces with certain "nice" properties (i.e. they are locally Euclidean). This is yet another mathematical construct that is impossible to pack into a box. Manifold could also refer to a pipe or chamber branching into several openings, for example, an engine exhaust manifold. While physical, it's unlikely that multiple are put in a box for moving.
|-
!Box 16
|-
|Triangles||Within the context of this comic, the reference is likely to the abstract shape. On the other hand, it would not be unusual to pack one or more {{w|Triangle (musical instrument)|triangle}}s into a box.
|-
|Peat|| {{w|Peat}} is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation that forms in wetland bogs, moors, mires, and swamps. Like sand and silt, this would be unpleasant to transport in a cardboard box.
|-
|Crowns|| These may be royal crowns or may be the coin worth five shillings in UK pre-decimal currency.
|-
!Box 17
|-
|Scrolls||A {{w|scroll}} is a roll of papyrus, paper, or parchment that contains writing. It is a common item in fantasy games (as elves and traps).
|}

==Transcript==
:[A bunch of cardboard boxes stacked up, each labeled]
:{| class="wikitable" style="background:white" align=center
| style="visibility:hidden" |
| colspan="2" height="80px" width="80px" style="background:#CFBC92"|
Contents:<br>
Grids<br>
Bison<br>
Checkerboards<br>
Fog
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92"|
Contents:<br>
Beacons<br>
Elves<br>
Sand
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Hemoglobin
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Water<br>
Hooves
| style="visibility:hidden" |
|-|
| style="visibility:hidden" |
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Shorebirds
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Oil<br>
Vectors<br>
Silt 
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Membranes<br>
Shards
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Shawls<br>
Glucose<br>
Kits
| style="visibility:hidden" |
|-|
| style="visibility:hidden" |
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Hydrants<br>
Particles<br>
Knots
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Graphite<br>
Taupe
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Field Lines
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Traps
| style="visibility:hidden" |
|-|
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Edges<br>
Tribes<br>
Dough
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Dark<br>Matter
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Manifolds
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Triangles<br>
Peat<br>
Crowns
| colspan="2" width="80px" height="80px" style="background:#CFBC92" |
Contents:<br>
Scrolls
|}

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I always forget to label my moving boxes until they're sealed up and I've forgotten what's in them.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Cosmology]]
[[Category:Science]]