Difference between revisions of "explain xkcd:Sandbox"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Jump to: navigation, search
m
 
(432 intermediate revisions by 80 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
__NOINDEX__
+
__NOTOC__{{DISPLAYTITLE:explain xkcd}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:explain XKCD:sAnDBoX}}
+
<center>
Make changes, try things out, or just have fun with the wiki here! Just leave everything above the line alone, please.
+
<font size=5px>''Welcome to the '''explain [[xkcd]]''' wiki!''</font><br>
[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Sandbox&action=edit&oldid=91667 clear sandbox]
+
<span style="font size:210%;">We have an explanation for all [[List of all comics (full)|'''{{#expr:{{PAGESINCAT:All comics|R}}}}''' xkcd comics]], and only {{PAGESINCAT:Incomplete explanations|R}} ({{#expr: {{PAGESINCAT:Incomplete explanations|R}} / {{LATESTCOMIC}} * 100 round 1}}%) are incomplete. [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|Help us finish them!]]</span><!-- Note: the -1 in the calculation above has been removed (it was there to discount "comic" 404, but we've categorized it to be a comic and so has Randall.) -->
------
+
</center>
xkcd [[1957]] WIP:
+
<!-- Go to this explanation button --><span style="position: absolute; right:0; padding-top:1.4em; font-size: 100%;"><span class="no-link-underline">[[{{LATESTCOMIC}}|&nbsp;</span>'''Go to this explanation''']]</span>
{| class="wikitable"
+
 
! style="width: 30%;" | Vulnerability
+
=Latest comic=
! style="width: 70%;" | Explanation
+
<div style="border:1px solid grey; background:#f6f6f6; padding:1.5em;">
|-
+
{{:{{LATESTCOMIC}}}}
|Apple products crash when displaying certain Telugu or Bengali letter combinations.
+
----
|[Insert explanation here.]
+
 
|-
+
<span style="position: absolute; left:0; padding-top:1.35em; font-size: 105%;"><span class="no-link-underline">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[File:new topic.png|21x21px|link={{LATESTCOMIC}}#Discussion]][[{{LATESTCOMIC}}#Discussion|&nbsp; </span>'''View comic discussion''']]</span><br><br></div>
|An attacker can use a timing attack to extploit[sic] a race condition in garbage collection to extract a limited number of bits from the Wikipedia article on Claude Shannon.
+
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
+
== New here? ==
|-
+
<div style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em">{{Special:ContributionScores/10/30/nosort,notools}}<div style="font-size:0.85em; width:28em; font-style:italic">[[Special:ContributionScores|Lots of people]] contribute to make this wiki a success. Many of the recent contributors above have [{{fullurl:Special:Contributions|contribs=newbie}} just joined]. You can do it too! Create your account [[Special:UserLogin/signup|here]].</div></div>
|At the cafe on third street, the post-it note with the wifi password is visible from the sidewalk.
+
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
+
You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at [[explain xkcd]]. Feel free to [[Special:UserLogin/signup|create an account]] and contribute to the wiki! We need explanations for xkcd [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|comics]], [[:Category:Characters|characters]], [[What If? chapters|''What If?'' articles]], and [[:Category:xkcd|everything in between]]. If it is referenced in an [[xkcd]] comic, it should be here.
|-
+
 
|A remote attacker can inject arbitrary text into public-facing pages via the comments box.
+
* If you're new to wiki editing, see the [[explain xkcd:Editor FAQ]] for a specific guidance to this wiki and the more general help on [[mw:Help:Editing pages|how to edit wiki pages]]. There's also a handy {{w|Help:Cheatsheet|wikicode cheatsheet}}.
|[Insert explanation here.]
+
 
|-
+
* Discussion about the wiki itself happens at the [[explain xkcd:Community portal|Community portal]].
|MySQL server 55.45 secretly runs two parallel databases for people who say "S-Q-L" and "sequel."
+
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
+
* You can browse the comics from the [[List of all comics (full)|list of all comics]] or by navigating the category tree at [[:Category:Comics]].
|-
+
 
|A flaw in some x86 CPUs could allow a root user to de-escalate to normal account privileges.
+
* The incomplete explanations are listed [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|here]]. Feel free to help out by expanding them!
|[Insert explanation here.]
+
 
|-
+
== Rules ==
|Apple products catch fire when displaying emoji with diacritics.
+
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
+
Don't be a jerk!
|-
+
 
|An oversight in the rules allows a dog to join a basketball team.
+
There are a lot of comics that don't have set-in-stone explanations; feel free to put multiple interpretations in the wiki page for each comic.
|[Insert explanation here.]
+
 
|-
+
If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page.
|Haskell isn't side-effect-free after all; the effects are all just concentrated in this one. Computer in Missouri that no one's checked on in a while.
+
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
+
Please only submit material directly related to xkcd and, of course, only submit material that can legally be posted and freely edited. Off-topic or other inappropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked.
|-
+
 
|Nobody really knows how hypervisors work.
+
If you need assistance from an [[explain xkcd:Administrators|admin]], post a message to the [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Admin requests|Admin requests]] board.
|[Insert explanation here.]
+
 
|-
+
[[Category:Root category]]
|CRITICAL: Under Linux 3.14.8 on System/390 in a UTC+14 time zone, a local user could potentially use a buffer overflow to change another user's default system clock from 12-hour to 24-hour.
+
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
+
Recent comments: {{Special:RecentChanges|namespace=1}}
|-
 
|x86 has way too many instructions.
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
 
|-
 
|Numpy 1.8.0 can factor primes in O(log n) time and must be quietly deprecated before anyone notices.
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
 
|-
 
|Apple products grant remote access if you send them words that break the "I before E" rule.
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
 
|-
 
|Skylake x86 chips can be pried from their sockets using certain flathead screwdrivers.
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
 
|-
 
|Apparently Linus Torvalds can be bribed pretty easily.
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
 
|-
 
|An attacker can execute malicious code on their own machine and no one can stop them.
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
 
|-
 
|Apple products execute any code printed over a photo of a dog with a saddle and a baby riding it.
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
 
|-
 
|Under rare circumstances, a flaw in some versions of Windows could allow Flash to be installed.
 
|[[Insert explanation here.]
 
|-
 
|Turns out the cloud is just other people's computers.
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
 
|-
 
|A flaw in Mitre's CVE database allows arbitrary code insertion.[~~CLICK HERE FOR CHEAP VIAGRA~~]
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
 
|-
 
|Title text: It turns out Bruce Schneier is just two mischevious kids in a trenchcoat.
 
|[Insert explanation here.]
 
|}
 

Latest revision as of 06:19, 3 January 2026

Welcome to the explain xkcd wiki!
We have an explanation for all 3222 xkcd comics, and only 70 (2.2%) are incomplete. Help us finish them!

 Go to this explanation

Latest comic[edit]

Dental Formulas
I mean, half of these are undefined. And your multiplication dots are too low; they look like decimal points.
Title text: I mean, half of these are undefined. And your multiplication dots are too low; they look like decimal points.

Explanation[edit]

Ambox warning blue construction.png This is incomplete:
This page was created by your new dentist, who has a pure math background. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!

A dental formula specifies the number of teeth of each type on each side of the jaw for a given species, with dots separating the numbers. There are two rows, representing the upper and lower jaw, separated by a horizontal line. The number of incisors is indicated first, canines second, premolars third, and finally molars, so the formula in the comic would represent 3 incisors, 1 canine, 3 premolars, and 1 molar on each side of the upper jaw, and equal numbers in the lower jaw except only 2 premolars. This is the dental formula for the cat family. The adult human dental formula is 2.1.2.3 for both the upper and lower jaw.

Cueball is (wrongly) treating a dental formula as an arithmetic expression, with the line indicating division and the dots indicating multiplication. In the title text his statement that half the formulae are undefined refers to animals that lack one of the four types of teeth in the lower jaw, leading to a zero in the "denominator" of the dental formula and an undefined division expression. He also notes that the "dots are too low", as in fact the dots in a dental formula are period characters and aren't meant to imply multiplication, which uses middle dot characters.

The word 'mammologist' is an alternate spelling of 'mammalogist', for one who studies mammals. Or, in some cases, specifically studying the mammaries (i.e. breasts) which mark out mammals in general. The specific study of teeth might be termed 'odontology', so we should assume that the experts who Cueball is referencing are not specifically tooth-focused, merely using this particular specialism to help with their own particular, arguably far wider, brief that is not so entirely fixated solely upon any particular body parts.

Transcript[edit]

Ambox warning green construction.png This is one of 46 incomplete transcripts:
Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!
[Cueball and Megan are standing in front of a whiteboard, on which is written
3.1.3.1
3.1.2.1
along with a drawing of a tooth and some other scribbles.]
Cueball: Do mammologists think these are hard?
Cueball: I mean this one just evaluates to 3/2.
[Caption below the panel:]
Mathematicians encounter dental formulas

comment.png  Add comment      new topic.png  Create topic (use sparingly)     refresh discuss.png  Refresh 

Discussion

Make changes, try things out, or just have fun with the wiki here! Just leave everything above the line alone, please.


This is a test. PoolloverNathan[stalk the blue seas] 20:48, 16 March 2021 (UTC)

This is not. —While False (museum | talk | contributions | logs | rights | printable version | page information | what links there | related changes | Google search | current time: 10:23) 18:38, 17 November 2022 (UTC)
A foreign student asked me to help fight against his math teacher. That was unusual. He was in that class for just a couple of weeks. The teacher's phone number was sent to me. The student asked me to spam-call the teacher. 172.71.155.55 22:58, 18 September 2023 (UTC)

here i'm just messing around in html, ignore this

furhhfghure guyrburgryhuyvfr "rvhru"

interesting way of writing quotations xd

hmmm this one of putting "<p>" in a line break will come in handy for when i want it to start at the same place than the first line

Please beware that <p> on mediawiki also disables automatic paragraph breaks, so you need a closing </p> or you'll break automatic paragraph formatting for the rest of the page. Zmatt (talk) 22:06, 31 July 2024 (UTC)

edit: da hek did that "</div>" come from An user who has no account yet (talk) 14:14, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

hi uh its hard to get here. is this a reference to undocumented feature??? hmm... this is interesting.
108.162.241.216 02:05, 23 November 2023 (UTC)

Tomato soup.jpg Soup


Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup


yum yum [citation needed]

Hiuiedeixgeyceiyedhcdiedcve {{trout}}

This is the leaderboard:

Last 7 days (Top 50)

<a href=" [AT THE JULY 28TH MEETING][tab] "Cancel the meeting! Our cover is blown."> More testing: hello ​ does​this​work (yes​it​does) This isn't a good name (talk) 22:44, 28 January 2026 (UTC)

‮hi 164.58.172.158 14:21, 23 February 2026 (UTC)‭
      comment.png  Add comment

      new topic.png  View comic discussion

New here?[edit]

Last 30 days (Top 10)

Lots of people contribute to make this wiki a success. Many of the recent contributors above have just joined. You can do it too! Create your account here.

You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at explain xkcd. Feel free to create an account and contribute to the wiki! We need explanations for xkcd comics, characters, What If? articles, and everything in between. If it is referenced in an xkcd comic, it should be here.

  • The incomplete explanations are listed here. Feel free to help out by expanding them!

Rules[edit]

Don't be a jerk!

There are a lot of comics that don't have set-in-stone explanations; feel free to put multiple interpretations in the wiki page for each comic.

If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page.

Please only submit material directly related to xkcd and, of course, only submit material that can legally be posted and freely edited. Off-topic or other inappropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked.

If you need assistance from an admin, post a message to the Admin requests board.

Recent comments:

1 March 2026

     01:41 

Talk:3201: Proof Without Content‎‎ (2 changes | history) . . (+134). . [81.179.199.253‎; 206.176.159.8‎]

     

01:41

(cur | prev) . . (+46). . 81.179.199.253 (talk) ([proof needed] instead of [citation needed]: 'Unsign'ing it. Also deheadering it.)

     

01:09

(cur | prev) . . (+88). . 206.176.159.8 (talk) ([proof needed] instead of [citation needed]: new section)

28 February 2026

     19:24 

Talk:135: Substitute‎‎ (3 changes | history) . . (+12). . [42.book.addict‎; 81.179.199.253‎; 219.77.246.222‎]

     

19:24

(cur | prev) . . (+12). . 42.book.addict (talk | contribs)

     

01:54

(cur | prev) . . (-1). . 81.179.199.253 (talk) (Undo revision 407381 by 219.77.246.222 (talk) No reason to move it achronologically to the start...)

     

01:51

(cur | prev) . . (+1). . 219.77.246.222 (talk)

     12:55 

Talk:3211: Amperage‎‎ (4 changes | history) . . (+3,431). . [Yorkshire Pudding‎; 2600:6c54:4e00:99c:67b7:d578:30ed:2471‎; 82.132.239.97‎ (2×)]

     

12:55

(cur | prev) . . (+31). . 82.132.239.97 (talk)

     

12:53

(cur | prev) . . (+2,215). . 82.132.239.97 (talk)

     

06:07

(cur | prev) . . (+435). . 2600:6c54:4e00:99c:67b7:d578:30ed:2471 (talk) (The NEMA 5-15 outlets would melt, even if the other wiring inside the wall was upgraded.)

     

00:16

(cur | prev) . . (+750). . Yorkshire Pudding (talk | contribs)

     12:14 

Talk:992: Mnemonics‎‎ (2 changes | history) . . (+118). . [82.132.239.97‎; 47.28.76.207‎]

     

12:14

(cur | prev) . . (-1). . 82.132.239.97 (talk) (Change to proper 'reply indent', rather than fixed-width block.)

     

06:01

(cur | prev) . . (+119). . 47.28.76.207 (talk)

     09:36 

Talk:3213: Dental Formulas‎‎ (3 changes | history) . . (+1,481). . [EebstertheGreat‎; 70.40.90.209‎; 2a00:23cc:d248:8901:30f4:4052:a4f7:386e‎]

     

09:36

(cur | prev) . . (+308). . 2a00:23cc:d248:8901:30f4:4052:a4f7:386e (talk)

     

04:36

(cur | prev) . . (+908). . EebstertheGreat (talk | contribs)

     

02:29

(cur | prev) . . (+265). . 70.40.90.209 (talk)

27 February 2026

N    22:52 

Talk:3213: Dental Formulas‎‎ (7 changes | history) . . (+1,371). . [Xkdvd‎; AmethystSky14‎; TheusafBOT‎; 97.116.61.145‎; 2a00:23ee:10c8:110f:d992:d45:1c7a:df02‎; 64.201.132.210‎ (2×)]

     

22:52

(cur | prev) . . (+405). . 97.116.61.145 (talk)

     

22:22

(cur | prev) . . (+1). . 64.201.132.210 (talk) (typo)

     

22:21

(cur | prev) . . (+218). . 64.201.132.210 (talk) (It's 'cause you're dumb.)

     

22:11

(cur | prev) . . (+414). . 2a00:23ee:10c8:110f:d992:d45:1c7a:df02 (talk)

     

22:04

(cur | prev) . . (+112). . Xkdvd (talk | contribs)

 m   

21:43

(cur | prev) . . (+108). . AmethystSky14 (talk | contribs)

N    

21:33

(cur | prev) . . (+113). . TheusafBOT (talk | contribs) (Created by theusafBOT: talk page for 3213)

     21:05 

Talk:900: Religions‎‎ (3 changes | history) . . (+413). . [42.book.addict‎; 2a0a:a54c:d0f4:0:449b:3e79:cb50:c3a7‎ (2×)]

     

21:05

(cur | prev) . . (+83). . 42.book.addict (talk | contribs) (/64 blocks, amirite)

     

20:42

(cur | prev) . . (0). . 2a0a:a54c:d0f4:0:449b:3e79:cb50:c3a7 (talk)

     

20:40

(cur | prev) . . (+330). . 2a0a:a54c:d0f4:0:449b:3e79:cb50:c3a7 (talk)

     19:38 

Talk:3212: Little Red Dots‎‎ (4 changes | history) . . (+997). . [Xkdvd‎; 82.13.184.33‎; 2600:8807:2180:4b00:b947:5804:53d5:72e2‎; 160.39.41.199‎]

     

19:38

(cur | prev) . . (+113). . Xkdvd (talk | contribs)

     

18:27

(cur | prev) . . (+341). . 160.39.41.199 (talk)

     

10:03

(cur | prev) . . (+308). . 82.13.184.33 (talk)

     

00:09

(cur | prev) . . (+235). . 2600:8807:2180:4b00:b947:5804:53d5:72e2 (talk) (Noting the mis-spelling of vermilion)

     18:31 

Talk:3037: Radon‎‎ (2 changes | history) . . (+375). . [Rexon Mobile‎; 42.book.addict‎]

     

18:31

(cur | prev) . . (+9). . 42.book.addict (talk | contribs)

     

11:47

(cur | prev) . . (+366). . Rexon Mobile (talk | contribs) (Outcome of Wikipedia error found through this comic)

     18:28 

Talk:3182: Telescope Types‎‎ (2 changes | history) . . (+323). . [42.book.addict‎; 2600:4040:52f8:b00:5117:b704:654e:6887‎]

     

18:28

(cur | prev) . . (+90). . 42.book.addict (talk | contribs)

     

15:31

(cur | prev) . . (+233). . 2600:4040:52f8:b00:5117:b704:654e:6887 (talk)

     10:09 

Talk:3211: Amperage‎‎ (2 changes | history) . . (+633). . [82.13.184.33‎; 81.179.199.253‎]

     

10:09

(cur | prev) . . (-2). . 82.13.184.33 (talk)

     

00:19

(cur | prev) . . (+635). . 81.179.199.253 (talk)

     06:23  Talk:3185: Sauropods‎ (diff | hist) . . (+90). . 42.book.addict (talk | contribs)

26 February 2026

     23:59 

Talk:3211: Amperage‎‎ (7 changes | history) . . (+1,359). . [Yorkshire Pudding‎; 81.179.199.253‎; BaddDadd‎ (5×)]

     

23:59

(cur | prev) . . (+258). . 81.179.199.253 (talk)

     

22:27

(cur | prev) . . (+1). . BaddDadd (talk | contribs)

     

22:26

(cur | prev) . . (-2). . BaddDadd (talk | contribs)

     

22:26

(cur | prev) . . (+343). . BaddDadd (talk | contribs)

     

22:22

(cur | prev) . . (+285). . BaddDadd (talk | contribs)

     

22:19

(cur | prev) . . (+273). . BaddDadd (talk | contribs)

     

21:53

(cur | prev) . . (+201). . Yorkshire Pudding (talk | contribs)

     20:49 

Talk:3212: Little Red Dots‎‎ (8 changes | history) . . (+5,471). . [DollarStoreBa'al‎; 81.179.199.253‎; 136.226.55.1‎; 82.132.236.204‎ (5×)]

     

20:49

(cur | prev) . . (+108). . 136.226.55.1 (talk) (added "nits or haemovore ticks" comment)

     

19:22

(cur | prev) . . (+305). . 81.179.199.253 (talk)

     

18:54

(cur | prev) . . (-1). . 82.132.236.204 (talk)

     

18:52

(cur | prev) . . (+3,097). . 82.132.236.204 (talk)

     

18:11

(cur | prev) . . (+311). . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs)

     

17:49

(cur | prev) . . (+96). . 82.132.236.204 (talk)

     

17:47

(cur | prev) . . (+1). . 82.132.236.204 (talk) (My error. ;))

     

17:46

(cur | prev) . . (+1,554). . 82.132.236.204 (talk)