Editing 1501: Mysteries

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Some of these mysteries have already been explored in xkcd. See [[950: Mystery Solved]] where Randall "solves" Amelia Earhart, Lost Roanoke Colony, Jimmy Hoffa; [[593: Voynich Manuscript]]; and [[1400: D.B. Cooper]].
 
Some of these mysteries have already been explored in xkcd. See [[950: Mystery Solved]] where Randall "solves" Amelia Earhart, Lost Roanoke Colony, Jimmy Hoffa; [[593: Voynich Manuscript]]; and [[1400: D.B. Cooper]].
  
Note that Randall uses similar diagrams in both [[388: Fuck Grapefruit]], [[1242: Scary Names]] and [[2466: In Your Classroom]], which also contain different items. The first two also have an extra point, and the last two extra points mentioned in the title text. But all these points are in the title text because they are far off the chart, whereas in this comic it's the description of the point that is too long to fit on the chart. Extra info outside the chart is also used in the title text of [[1785: Wifi]], but this is a line graph.
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Note that [[Randall]] uses similar diagrams in both [[388: Fuck Grapefruit]] and [[1242: Scary Names]] which also contain different items. Both of these also have an extra point mentioned in the title text, but these points are in the title text because they are far off the chart, whereas in this comic it's the description of the point that is too long to fit on the chart. Extra info outside the chart is also used in the title text of [[1785: Wifi]], but this is a line graph.
  
 
==Table==
 
==Table==
The X axis in the graph indicates weirdness. The table assumes that the item to the far left is 0% (not that weird) and the item to the far right is 100% (weird as hell). The Y axis indicates if Randall has an explanation. The table assumes that the item at the bottom is 100% (Randall has a clear explanation) and the item at the top is 0% (Randall has no explanation).
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*The X axis in the graph indicates weirdness.
 +
**The table assumes that the item to the far left is 0% (not that weird) and the item to the far right is 100% (weird as hell).
 +
*The Y axis indicates if Randall has an explanation.
 +
**The table assumes that the item at the bottom is 100% (Randall has a clear explanation) and the item at the top is 0% (Randall has no explanation).
  
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
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|100%
 
|100%
 
|0% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = -100% -->
 
|0% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = -100% -->
|On 8 March 2014, {{w|Malaysia Airlines Flight 370}} cut off radio contact and diverted from its flight path with 227 passengers aboard, eventually heading over open ocean, eventually crashing in a remote part of the Indian Ocean. The disappearance remains without explanation, although parts were found on Reunion Island in July 2015. Since the publication of this comic, [https://www.vice.com/en/article/zm8vy8/experts-now-believe-mh370s-pilot-was-on-a-suicide-murder-mission evidence] has emerged to support a mass murder-suicide explanation, which posits that the pilot intentionally depressurized the cabin after locking his copilot out of the cockpit, and then continued to fly the plane after everyone else on board had died from hypoxia by using the cockpit oxygen supply, which lasts much longer than the oxygen masks in the cabin. Under this theory, either the pilot continued flying until the aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean, or intentionally crashed the airplane where the wreckage would sink into a deep ocean trench. However, the mystery is [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-missing-flight-mh370.html far from settled].
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|On 8 March 2014, {{w|Malaysia Airlines Flight 370}} cut off radio contact and diverted from its flight path with 227 passengers aboard, eventually heading over open ocean, eventually crashing in a remote part of the Indian Ocean. The disappearance remains without explanation, although parts were found on Reunion Island in July 2015.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Lead masks case
 
|Lead masks case
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|76%
 
|76%
 
|20% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = -56% -->
 
|20% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = -56% -->
|[[D. B. Cooper]] was an airplane hijacker who jumped from a plane after successfully extorting a large ransom in 1971. The man's whereabouts remain unknown to this day, though [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2401312/Parachute-used-hijacker-DB-Cooper-escape-stealing-200-000-goes-display.html some of the ransom money has been recovered]. Previously referenced in [[1400: D.B. Cooper]], which compares Cooper to film director {{w|Tommy Wiseau}}, and later referenced in [[2452: Aviation Firsts]]. Note that this "Mysteries" comic was published shortly after [http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2zdzik/tommy_wiseau_creator_of_the_room_and_the_new_tv/ Tommy Wiseau did a Reddit AMA.]
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|{{w|D. B. Cooper}} was an airplane hijacker who jumped from a plane after successfully extorting a large ransom in 1971. The man's whereabouts remain unknown to this day, though [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2401312/Parachute-used-hijacker-DB-Cooper-escape-stealing-200-000-goes-display.html some of the ransom money has been recovered]. Previously referenced in [[1400: D.B. Cooper]] which compares Cooper to film director {{w|Tommy Wiseau}}. Note that this "Mysteries" comic was published shortly after [http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2zdzik/tommy_wiseau_creator_of_the_room_and_the_new_tv/ Tommy Wiseau did a Reddit AMA.]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|The WOW signal
 
|The WOW signal
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|70%
 
|70%
 
|43% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = -27% -->
 
|43% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = -27% -->
|The ''{{w|Mary Celeste}}'' was a sailing ship found adrift off the {{w|Azores Islands}}, mysteriously abandoned yet otherwise undisturbed, in 1872. Most likely the crew abandoned ship, wrongly believing it was in danger. Its name has become a watchword for mysteriously abandoned ships. Previously referenced in [[516: Wood Chips]], where Cueball attempts to involve the shipwreck in his elaborate hoax.
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|The ''{{w|Mary Celeste}}'' was a sailing ship found adrift off the {{w|Azores Islands}}, mysteriously abandoned yet otherwise undisturbed, in 1872. Most likely the crew abandoned ship, wrongly believing it was in danger. Its name has become a watchword for mysteriously abandoned ships.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|UVB-76
 
|UVB-76
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|9%
 
|9%
 
|4% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = -05% -->
 
|4% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = -05% -->
|The ironically self-referential lyrics of the 1972 song include "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you." There has been {{w|You%27re_So_Vain#Subject_of_the_song|much speculation}} regarding the person or persons to whom Simon was referring. Quoting Wikipedia: Simon [has stated] that the song refers to three men, only one of whom she has named publicly, actor Warren Beatty.
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|The ironically self-referential lyrics of the 1972 song include "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you." There has been {{w|You%27re_So_Vain#Subject_of_the_song|much speculation}} regarding the person or persons to whom Simon was referring.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Zodiac letters
 
|Zodiac letters
 
|62%
 
|62%
 
|62% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = +00% -->
 
|62% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = +00% -->
|A set of letters were written by the so-called {{w|Zodiac Killer}}, a serial killer who was active in California in the 1960s and 1970s. The letters are publicly available from multiple places, [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author:Zodiac_Killer#Letters including Wikisource]. Some of the letters are encoded, only some of which have been deciphered. The killings remain unsolved.
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|A set of letters were written by the so-called {{w|Zodiac Killer}}, a serial killer who was active in California in the 1960s and 1970s. The letters are [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Zodiac_Killer_letters available at Wikisource.] Some of the letters are encoded, only some of which have been deciphered. The killings remain unsolved.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Dyatlov Pass incident
 
|Dyatlov Pass incident
 
|93%
 
|93%
 
|96% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = +03% -->
 
|96% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = +03% -->
|On 2 February 1959, nine skiers in the northern Ural Mountains apparently {{w|Dyatlov Pass Incident|fled their tents naked}}. They were found dead, some with physical injuries. Considering his skepticism towards paranormal, conspiracies, or UFO-related phenomena, it is likely that Randall subscribes to the theory that the unusual physical injuries were the result of a {{w|Avalanche#Slab_avalanches|slab avalanche}} or the natural result of decomposition, and that the nudity of the hikers was due to 'paradoxical undressing' - which occurs in some cases with hypothermia. A very interesting YouTube video on the subject is available [https://youtu.be/Y8RigxxiilI?si=fDwub2Lvr_DXo2Ai here].
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|On 2 February 1959, nine skiers in the northern Ural Mountains apparently {{w|Dyatlov Pass Incident|fled their tents naked}}. They were found dead, some with physical injuries. Considering his skepticism towards paranormal, conspiracies, or UFO-related phenomena, it is likely that Randall subscribes to the theory that the unusual physical injuries are the natural result of decomposition, and that the nudity of the hikers was due to 'paradoxical undressing' - which occurs in some cases with hypothermia.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Kentucky meat shower
 
|Kentucky meat shower
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|38%
 
|38%
 
|86% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = +48% -->
 
|86% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = +48% -->
|The 1963 {{w|Assassination of John F. Kennedy|assassination of President John F. Kennedy}} has inspired many conspiracy theories, beginning almost immediately after the event. The subsequent murder of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald added fuel to the fire by encouraging speculation that he was silenced to cover up the true story. Many of the details that were initially considered weird - for instance, {{w|Single-bullet theory|the path of the bullet}}, which early analysis showed had flown in a strange curve, audio recordings of multiple shots, and discrepancies in Lee Harvey Oswald's life story - have been found to be erroneous. In particular, careful analysis of the positions of Kennedy and Governor John Connally, who was riding in the car with Kennedy and was also struck by the bullet, show that a single bullet could have caused all the wounds suffered by the two men.  
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|The 1963 {{w|Assassination of John F. Kennedy|assassination of President John F. Kennedy}} has inspired many conspiracy theories, beginning almost immediately after the event. The subsequent murder of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald added fuel to the fire by encouraging speculation that he was silenced to cover up the true story. Many of the details that were initially considered weird - for instance, {{w|Single-bullet theory|the path of the bullet}}, which early analysis showed had flown in a strange curve, audio recordings off multiple shots, and discrepancies in Lee Harvey Oswald's life story - have been found to be erroneous. In particular, careful analysis of the positions of Kennedy and Governor John Connally, who was riding in the car with Kennedy and was also struck by the bullet, show that a single bullet could have caused all the wounds suffered by the two men.  
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Oak Island money pit
 
|Oak Island money pit
 
|32%
 
|32%
 
|98% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = +66% -->
 
|98% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = +66% -->
|An indentation in the ground on {{w|Oak Island}} (off the east coast of Nova Scotia, Canada), led to over 200 years of treasure hunting, with the excavations repeatedly hampered by flooding pit collapses. A few flagstones, and periodic layers of logs are all that have been found. Rumors abound as to what it conceals: Marie Antoinette's jewels, pirate treasure and Shakespeare's manuscripts have all been suggested. It is called The Money Pit, because of all the money that has been wasted in trying to solve the mystery.
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|An indentation in the ground on {{w|Oak Island}} (off the east coast of Nova Scotia, Canada), led to over 200 years of treasure hunting, with the excavations repeatedly hampered by flooding pit collapses. A few flagstones, and periodic layers of logs are all that have been found. Rumours abound as to what it conceals: Marie Antoinnette's jewels, pirate treasure and Shakespeare's manuscripts have all been suggested. It is called The Money Pit, because of all the money that has been wasted in trying to solve the mystery.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Why I keep putting ice cream back in the fridge instead of the freezer
 
|Why I keep putting ice cream back in the fridge instead of the freezer
 
|0%
 
|0%
 
|96% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = +96% -->
 
|96% <!-- explainable minus weirdness = +96% -->
|Apparently, Randall absent-mindedly puts his ice cream container into the refrigerator rather than into the freezer. These two appliances are very similar and perhaps easily confused. Refrigerators tend to see more use than freezers, overall.
+
|Apparently, Randall absent-mindedly puts his ice cream container into the refrigerator rather than into the freezer.
 
|}
 
|}
  
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[[Category:Wikipedia]]
 
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
 
[[Category:Paranormal]]
 
[[Category:Paranormal]]
[[Category:Comics featuring D. B. Cooper]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Amelia Earhart]]
 

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