Difference between revisions of "explain xkcd:Sandbox"
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| − | + | __NOTOC__{{DISPLAYTITLE:explain xkcd}} | |
| − | + | <center> | |
| − | [ | + | <font size=5px>''Welcome to the '''explain [[xkcd]]''' wiki!''</font><br> |
| − | ------ | + | <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> | |
| − | + | <!-- Go to this explanation button --><span style="position: absolute; right:0; padding-top:1.4em; font-size: 100%;"><span class="no-link-underline">[[{{LATESTCOMIC}}| </span>'''Go to this explanation''']]</span> | |
| − | < | + | =Latest comic= |
| + | <div style="border:1px solid grey; background:#f6f6f6; padding:1.5em;"> | ||
| + | {{:{{LATESTCOMIC}}}} | ||
| + | ---- | ||
| − | {{ | + | <span style="position: absolute; left:0; padding-top:1.35em; font-size: 105%;"><span class="no-link-underline"> [[File:new topic.png|21x21px|link={{LATESTCOMIC}}#Discussion]][[{{LATESTCOMIC}}#Discussion| </span>'''View comic discussion''']]</span><br><br></div> |
| − | + | == 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> |
| + | |||
| + | 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. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * 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}}. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Discussion about the wiki itself happens at the [[explain xkcd:Community portal|Community portal]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * 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]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The incomplete explanations are listed [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|here]]. Feel free to help out by expanding them! | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Rules == | ||
| + | |||
| + | 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. | ||
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| + | If you need assistance from an [[explain xkcd:Administrators|admin]], post a message to the [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Admin requests|Admin requests]] board. | ||
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| + | [[Category:Root category]] | ||
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| + | Recent comments: {{Special:RecentChanges|namespace=1}} | ||
Latest revision as of 06:19, 3 January 2026
Welcome to the explain xkcd wiki!
We have an explanation for all 3203 xkcd comics, and only 61 (1.9%) are incomplete. Help us finish them!
Latest comic[edit]
| 16 Part Epoxy |
Title text: Some surfaces may seem difficult to glue. But if you research the materials, find tables of what adhesives work on them, and prepare your surfaces carefully, you can fail to glue them in a fun NEW way that fills your house with dangerous vapors. |
Explanation[edit]
| This is incomplete: This page was created by a bot covered in various types of glue. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
This comic refers to epoxy, a substance used for attaching other materials. Many types of epoxy are multi-part, where the components, such as resin and a hardener, are stored separately. They are mixed on use, so that the epoxy cures into a solid, binding to whatever surfaces on which it was applied. This comic presents a fictitious 16-part epoxy, with many components that are implausible or make fun of common problems people have when using epoxy in real life.
The title text references how not all epoxies and glues work on every material, and that applying them on some can require special techniques or products. Some industrial or industrial-grade adhesives contain solvents (e.g., tetrachloroethylene, which is used in E6000 glue) that release harmful vapors as they cure. If used improperly, this can result in the release of chemical vapors in an enclosed space along other dangerous side effects, while also not working as a glue as intended.
| Type | Real? | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Resin | Yes | A liquid which turns into a polymer when mixed with a hardener. |
| Hardener | Yes | A thick liquid which is mixed with resin to create a durable polymer which is commonly used as a glue. |
| Filler | Yes | An optional addition to the hardener and resin which changes the properties of the polymer. |
| Softener | Yes | A substance which is added to polymer to soften the polymer and increase its impact resistance. |
| Rosin | Yes | While this looks like a joke entry, this is actually an alternative to resin which is extracted naturally rather than synthesized from other chemicals. Rosin is frequently applied to the bows of string instruments like violins or fiddles to improve the sound, as immortalized in the famous song "The Devil Flew Down to Georgia". |
| Stuff that bonds permanently to skin and nothing else | No | One key annoyance with sticky substances is the difficulty of removing it when it bonds to skin. In this case, the polymer bonds solely to skin instead of anything else, making it more useful for a practical joke. Some epoxies are specifically designed for gluing skin, usually for medical purposes, but none are known to bond to skin exclusively.[actual citation needed] The most common kinds are moisture-activated, which means they will not easily bond to fully dried surfaces, where often most non-skin surfaces are dry. |
| Stuff that will crack and turn white over a few days, for decorative appearance | Not effective as epoxy | 'Crackle effect' is a real thing for crafters, and can be created by mixing paint and glue, but is not recommended if you want two surfaces to adhere, since most paint is made to be non-adherent in order to be durable [actual citation needed]. |
| Placebo | Not in this field | The placebo effect happens when somebody is told that something has a certain effect, when in reality there is no effect. This is commonly used in medical studies to determine whether a medication actually does something as opposed to simply having a psychosomatic effect, but Randall is using this term to describe the type of polymer. This makes no sense, because the polymer would need to make someone believe it is gluing things together without actually doing anything, which is highly unlikely. Alternatively, this could refer to a component or filler that claims to serve a specific purpose while having no true benefit, causing the perception of benefit to the consumer (presumably causing better reviews). |
| Minced duct tape | No | Randall is pretending that having very small pieces of sticky duct tape would make a good adhesive. In fact, cutting duct tape into small pieces would weaken it and make it less effective at sticking things together. In the UK, the word 'minced' can also mean 'made worthless', which would also not augur well for the adhesive. |
| Acetone fragrance | No | The fragrance of acetone is very similar to that of nail polish remover and comes from a natural solvent within it. Most people consider this scent incredibly unpleasant. This would also be worthless in an epoxy set, as the fragrance would have no effect on adhesiveness while making it smell worse. |
| Powdered bar magnets | No | While this would still work, as each tiny piece of magnet would still become a magnet in its own right, it would be much worse than a normal bar magnet due to the random orientation of each piece. |
| Polyethylvinylesteracetate | No | This seems like it would combine the effects of hardener and softener, which would not work.[citation needed] |
| 2-Polyethylvinylesteracetate | No | This would be exactly the same as the normal one. |
| Salt and pepper to taste | Not in this field | Salt and pepper are two incredibly popular condiments which are used to enhance a dish's flavor. Using this would have no effect on the polymer. |
| Blood sample from the Gorilla Glue gorillas | No | Gorilla Glue is a popular brand of superglue which uses gorillas as its mascot. In this case, the blood of the gorillas would be extracted and placed in the polymer, which would have no effect because they're depicted as just regular gorillas that happen to carry glue everywhere. |
| Stuff that bonds to every known material except yours | No | Another common annoyance when using a polymer is that some types do not form an adhesive bond with certain materials. In this case, the polymer would bond with every material except for the one you were using, causing great distress. |
Transcript[edit]
| 40x40px | This is one of 37 incomplete transcripts: Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
Standard 16-Part Epoxy
[An epoxy applicator with a single push bar and sixteen differently-colored chambers, each labeled]
Resin
Hardener
Filler
Softener
Rosin
Stuff that bonds permanently to skin and nothing else
Stuff that will turn white and crack over a few days, for decorative appearance
Placebo
Minced duct tape
Acetone Fragrance
Powdered bar magnets
Polyethylvinylesteracetate
2-Polyethylvinylesteracetate
Salt and pepper to taste
Blood sample from the Gorilla Glue gorillas
Stuff that bonds to every known material except yours
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: 23:49) 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
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)
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yum yum [citation needed]
Hiuiedeixgeyceiyedhcdiedcve {{trout}}
This is the leaderboard:Last 7 days (Top 50) |
New here?[edit]
Last 30 days (Top 10) |
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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.
- 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 how to edit wiki pages. There's also a handy wikicode cheatsheet.
- Discussion about the wiki itself happens at the Community portal.
- You can browse the comics from the list of all comics or by navigating the category tree at Category:Comics.
- 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:14 January 2026
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Talk:3194: 16 Part Epoxy (10 changes | history) . . (+2,021) . . [Willintendo; Lycheefoxpup; TheusafBOT; 64.201.132.210; 142.165.161.48; 2001:1998:3500:42c::534 (2×); DollarStoreBa'al (3×)] |
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(cur | prev) . . (+141) . . 64.201.132.210 (talk) (Nothing humorous to see here, the picture is true description of most epoxies I've used) |
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(cur | prev) . . (+113) . . TheusafBOT (talk | contribs) (Created by theusafBOT: talk page for 3194) |
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21:43 |
Talk:3193: Sailing Rigs (25 changes | history) . . (+14,169) . . [98.110.175.81; Kynde (2×); 92.23.2.208 (2×); 82.132.238.61 (3×); JohnHawkinson (5×); DollarStoreBa'al (6×); 82.13.184.33 (6×)] |
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(cur | prev) . . (+622) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (It's long now. You happy?) |
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Talk:3192: Planetary Alignment (3 changes | history) . . (+475) . . [82.132.238.61; 82.13.184.33 (2×)] |
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| 09:46 | Talk:78: Garfield (diff | hist) . . (+303) . . 2a05:6e02:1113:d510:d826:b6f4:564c:9add (talk) (Added direct link to paywalled material) |
| 09:12 | Talk:3191: Superstition (diff | hist) . . (-25) . . 82.13.184.33 (talk) |
13 January 2026
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Talk:3193: Sailing Rigs (9 changes | history) . . (+4,200) . . [2001:861:3f07:a020:d17c:74a0:94ef:9dad; 64.201.132.210 (2×); JohnHawkinson (2×); Martin (4×)] |
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(cur | prev) . . (+85) . . 64.201.132.210 (talk) (sign, as of the date of this edit) |
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(cur | prev) . . (+204) . . 64.201.132.210 (talk) ("Real: No" should be "Real: Not as of the date of this comic") |
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(cur | prev) . . (+1,218) . . JohnHawkinson (talk | contribs) (→Cropped images: r^2 and some template thoughts. also fix a missing elipsis from my 1529 remark.) |
| 20:10 | Talk:578: The Race: Part 2 (diff | hist) . . (+416) . . 92.23.2.208 (talk) |
