1490: Atoms - Revision history

Chronotix: /* Explanation */

2026-02-23T22:51:33Z

‎Explanation

Chronotix: /* Trivia */

2025-06-24T08:59:53Z

‎Trivia

FaviFake: /* Trivia */

2025-03-08T12:37:42Z

‎Trivia

FaviFake at 09:14, 2 March 2025

2025-03-02T09:14:34Z

FaviFake: added Category:Comics edited after their publication using HotCat

2025-03-02T09:14:26Z

added Category:Comics edited after their publication using HotCat

FaviFake: /* Trivia */

2025-03-02T09:14:09Z

‎Trivia

172.70.179.107: /* Explanation */ dead link -> wayback

2025-02-14T09:51:07Z

‎Explanation: dead link -> wayback

Kynde: Comic sharing names added

2025-02-13T22:08:27Z

Comic sharing names added

Firestar233: these comics have similar names

2025-02-13T03:49:19Z

these comics have similar names

BunsenH: /* Explanation */ natural synthesis; Archie Pu

2025-02-12T18:35:59Z

‎Explanation: natural synthesis; Archie Pu

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ==Explanation==
-This comic shows another quirky and fantastical ability of [[Beret Guy]]. In this comic, [[Megan]] is preparing a sample of what appears to be some mineral for {{w|elemental analysis}}. It seems to be some kind of {{w|silicate}} containing a small amount of {{w|iron}} (a common example of this would be {{w|red sandstone}}), and she is running a test to see if it contains {{w|beryllium}} (a rarer element whose best-known natural form is as a component of {{w|emerald}}).  Such analyses typically involve many instruments and steps to prepare the sample.  However, Beret Guy seems to be able to identify all the elements the substance is composed of just by eyeballing it, making him perhaps the perfect elemental analysis instrument.
+This comic shows another quirky and fantastical ability of [[Beret Guy]]. In the comic, [[Megan]] is preparing a sample of what appears to be some mineral for {{w|elemental analysis}}. It seems to be some kind of {{w|silicate}} containing a small amount of {{w|iron}} (a common example of this would be {{w|red sandstone}}), and she is running a test to see if it contains {{w|beryllium}} (a rarer element whose best-known natural form is as a component of {{w|emerald}}).  Such analyses typically involve many instruments and steps to prepare the sample.  However, Beret Guy seems to be able to identify all the elements the substance is composed of just by eyeballing it, making him perhaps the perfect elemental analysis instrument.
 To confirm this, Megan asks Beret Guy what he sees when he looks at her face, expecting that a normal person would describe the arrangement of colors and features that they see. Since Beret Guy sees the atoms Megan is composed of (mostly {{w|Composition_of_the_human_body|oxygen, carbon and hydrogen}}) he only notices the unusual atoms. In this case he sees the metal atoms her {{w|Dental_restoration#Materials_used|dental fillings}} are composed of. This shows his "atomic vision" extends beyond the surface of the substances. Megan finds this bizarre and asks Beret Guy what is wrong with him. He states that he has always suspected he contains too much {{w|zinc}}, which he believes makes people think he is weird, thus missing Megan's point: what is weird is not Beret Guy's elemental content, but his ability to apparently see everything as atoms sorted by element. He even describes himself as having "too ''many zincs''" rather than "too ''much zinc''", i.e. he's thinking of it in terms of discrete atoms.

@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 ==Trivia==
-In the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150223192206/http://www.xkcd.com/ original version of the comic], there was a typo in the title text. It said "form" instead of "from"
+In the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150223192206/http://www.xkcd.com/ original version of the comic], there was a typo in the title text. It said "form" instead of "from".
 :When I was little I had trouble telling my dad apart form the dog. I always recognized my mom because she had a bunch of extra plutoniums in her middle. I never did ask her why...

@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 ==Trivia==
 In the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150223192206/http://www.xkcd.com/ original version of the comic], there was a typo in the title text. It said "form" instead of "from"
-{{Quote|When I was little I had trouble telling my dad apart form the dog. I always recognized my mom because she had a bunch of extra plutoniums in her middle. I never did ask her why...}}
+:When I was little I had trouble telling my dad apart form the dog. I always recognized my mom because she had a bunch of extra plutoniums in her middle. I never did ask her why...
 {{comic discussion}}

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ==Explanation==
-This comic shows another quirky and fantastical ability of [[Beret Guy]].
+This comic shows another quirky and fantastical ability of [[Beret Guy]]. In this comic, [[Megan]] is preparing a sample of what appears to be some mineral for {{w|elemental analysis}}. It seems to be some kind of {{w|silicate}} containing a small amount of {{w|iron}} (a common example of this would be {{w|red sandstone}}), and she is running a test to see if it contains {{w|beryllium}} (a rarer element whose best-known natural form is as a component of {{w|emerald}}).  Such analyses typically involve many instruments and steps to prepare the sample.  However, Beret Guy seems to be able to identify all the elements the substance is composed of just by eyeballing it, making him perhaps the perfect elemental analysis instrument.
 To confirm this, Megan asks Beret Guy what he sees when he looks at her face, expecting that a normal person would describe the arrangement of colors and features that they see. Since Beret Guy sees the atoms Megan is composed of (mostly {{w|Composition_of_the_human_body|oxygen, carbon and hydrogen}}) he only notices the unusual atoms. In this case he sees the metal atoms her {{w|Dental_restoration#Materials_used|dental fillings}} are composed of. This shows his "atomic vision" extends beyond the surface of the substances. Megan finds this bizarre and asks Beret Guy what is wrong with him. He states that he has always suspected he contains too much {{w|zinc}}, which he believes makes people think he is weird, thus missing Megan's point: what is weird is not Beret Guy's elemental content, but his ability to apparently see everything as atoms sorted by element. He even describes himself as having "too ''many zincs''" rather than "too ''much zinc''", i.e. he's thinking of it in terms of discrete atoms.

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:14, 2 March 2025
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	[[Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy]]		[[Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy]]
	[[Category:Comics sharing name\|Atom01]]		[[Category:Comics sharing name\|Atom01]]
		+	[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]]

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 In the title text, the concept is taken even further: Beret Guy found his dad indistinguishable from a dog.  This is likely because all mammals are essentially made of the same basic elements.  Absent a distinguishing element from either his dad or the dog, they would appear to be the same.  He could, however, apparently distinguish his mother because she contained {{w|plutonium}}.  This is a very unusual occurrence; a human body should not contain more than a few atoms of plutonium, based on its natural synthesis, and those should be roughly the same in all bodies. Some possible explanations are:
 #She had an {{w|Radioisotope thermoelectric generator|RTG}}-powered pacemaker (a few hundred were made in the 1970s).
-#She lived near Los Alamos during the second world war and was a member of the [http://warisboring.com/articles/the-scientists-who-pee-plutonium/ UPPU club (translated as “You pee Pu!”)].  Alternatively, she could have been exposed to another source such as {{w|radioactive contamination from the Rocky Flats Plant}}.
+#She lived near Los Alamos during the second world war and was a member of the [https://web.archive.org/web/20241211130823/https://warisboring.com/the-scientists-who-pee-plutonium/ UPPU club (translated as “You pee Pu!”)].  Alternatively, she could have been exposed to another source such as {{w|radioactive contamination from the Rocky Flats Plant}}.
 #She was one of {{w|The Stepford Wives}} robots.
 #She was the victim of some unidentified, unethical medical experimentation. Such as {{w|Albert Stevens}}.

@@ Line 62: / Line 62: @@
 {{comic discussion}}
 [[Category:Chemistry]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 [[Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:49, 13 February 2025
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		+	{{distinguish\|3050: Atom}}
	{{comic		{{comic
	\| number = 1490		\| number = 1490