Difference between revisions of "3198: Double-Pronged Extension Cord"
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This comic begins with [[Cueball]] approaching [[Ponytail]] at her desk, asking to borrow an {{w|extension cord}} with prongs at both ends. Ponytail immediately replies with a horrified "NO!!!" This design of extension cord, often nicknamed as a {{wiktionary|suicide cable}}, has some occasional practical uses but is also [https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/generators/why-suicide-extension-cords-are-so-dangerous-a1189731437/ lethally dangerous], as Ponytail rightly points out, at the very least likely to cause a short circuit and quite possibly a fire when misused, if not a more direct electricution threat to people. | This comic begins with [[Cueball]] approaching [[Ponytail]] at her desk, asking to borrow an {{w|extension cord}} with prongs at both ends. Ponytail immediately replies with a horrified "NO!!!" This design of extension cord, often nicknamed as a {{wiktionary|suicide cable}}, has some occasional practical uses but is also [https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/generators/why-suicide-extension-cords-are-so-dangerous-a1189731437/ lethally dangerous], as Ponytail rightly points out, at the very least likely to cause a short circuit and quite possibly a fire when misused, if not a more direct electricution threat to people. | ||
| − | Ponytail seems to relax when she persuades Cueball to use a regular extension cord instead. But then he elaborates that rather than wanting the cord to carry electricity, he actually intends to use it as some kind of support prop. He thinks the plug prongs at each end are suitable for fixing the cable between two nearby wall-sockets, anchoring the cable as a makeshift tether to support something even more dangerous: {{w|plutonium}}. Based on his description, his setup appears to be a recreation of Louis Slotin's infamous "{{w|demon core}}" or "tickling the dragon's tail" experiment, with the extension cord replacing Slotin's flat-head screwdriver, an experiment {{w|Slotin#Criticality accident|that proved fatal for Slotin}}. Understandably, this horrifies Ponytail even more. | + | Ponytail seems to relax when she persuades Cueball to use a regular extension cord instead. But then he elaborates that rather than wanting the cord to carry electricity, he actually intends to use it as some kind of support prop. He thinks the plug prongs at each end are suitable for fixing the cable between two nearby wall-sockets, anchoring the cable as a makeshift tether to support something even more dangerous: a neutron reflector above a {{w|plutonium}} core. Based on his description, his setup appears to be a recreation of Louis Slotin's infamous "{{w|demon core}}" or "tickling the dragon's tail" experiment, with the extension cord replacing Slotin's flat-head screwdriver, an experiment {{w|Slotin#Criticality accident|that proved fatal for Slotin}}. Understandably, this horrifies Ponytail even more. |
| − | This is the third comic to reference the demon core experiment, after [[1242: Scary Names]] and [[2593: Deviled Eggs]]. | + | This is the third comic to reference the "demon core" experiment, after [[1242: Scary Names]] and [[2593: Deviled Eggs]]. |
The title text innocently mentions other severe hazards… though arguably not as much as the radiation hazard. Loose flour is a well known fire hazard and the key to a {{w|Dust explosion|flour-air explosion}}; 50 bags of it plus some way to get it into the air could blow up a sizable building. Lithium batteries are well known fire hazards when overcharged, which is why the {{w|Transportation Security Administration|TSA}} restricts them from checked luggage, and there have been numerous fires caused by the lithium batteries in "hoverboards" leading them to be oft-banned in cities and airports, and by retailers who might otherwise sell them. A bank of 50 might be overkill, but if charged in parallel (series probably wouldn't work as well), could cause a noticeable explosion or fire once one of them hit its limit. And while vinegar and bleach aren't a particular fire hazard by themselves, when combined they do release chlorine gas, which is lethal. | The title text innocently mentions other severe hazards… though arguably not as much as the radiation hazard. Loose flour is a well known fire hazard and the key to a {{w|Dust explosion|flour-air explosion}}; 50 bags of it plus some way to get it into the air could blow up a sizable building. Lithium batteries are well known fire hazards when overcharged, which is why the {{w|Transportation Security Administration|TSA}} restricts them from checked luggage, and there have been numerous fires caused by the lithium batteries in "hoverboards" leading them to be oft-banned in cities and airports, and by retailers who might otherwise sell them. A bank of 50 might be overkill, but if charged in parallel (series probably wouldn't work as well), could cause a noticeable explosion or fire once one of them hit its limit. And while vinegar and bleach aren't a particular fire hazard by themselves, when combined they do release chlorine gas, which is lethal. | ||
| − | ''Any'' acid will tend to liberate chlorine from bleach, though vinegar is a relatively dilute solution of a weak acid (acetic acid). Other acidic household cleaning products, such as drain cleaners, would be much more dangerous to combine with bleach, but generally come with explicit warnings about avoiding this. In contrast, a bucket of vinegar (while an unusual request, in this particular case) could present the same threat without being commonly associated with that danger. As such, the theme of the title text appears to be "innocuous-appearing supplies which are actually quite hazardous". Ponytail, being both a more knowledgeable person ''and'' intimately familiar with [[:Category:Cueball's computer problems|Cueball's error prone nature]], easily imagines enough of the various unfortunate circumstances that could arise, possibly [[2950: Situation|in combination]]. | + | ''Any'' acid will tend to liberate chlorine from bleach, though vinegar is a relatively dilute solution of a weak acid (acetic acid). Other acidic household cleaning products, such as drain cleaners, would be much more dangerous to combine with bleach, but generally come with explicit warnings about avoiding this. In contrast, a bucket of vinegar (while an unusual request, in this particular case) could present the same kind of threat, albeit at a lower level, without being commonly associated with that danger. As such, the theme of the title text appears to be "innocuous-appearing supplies which are actually quite hazardous". Ponytail, being both a more knowledgeable person ''and'' intimately familiar with [[:Category:Cueball's computer problems|Cueball's error prone nature]], easily imagines enough of the various unfortunate circumstances that could arise, possibly [[2950: Situation|in combination]]. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
Revision as of 04:55, 26 January 2026
| Double-Pronged Extension Cord |
 Title text: 'Oh, and can I borrow 50 sacks of loose flour, a pile of lithium-ion batteries, a bucket of bleach, and a bucket of vinega--' 'NO!!!!!!' |
Explanation
|
This is one of 58 incomplete explanations: This page was created by THE EXTENSION CORD FROM COMIC #509. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
This comic begins with Cueball approaching Ponytail at her desk, asking to borrow an extension cord with prongs at both ends. Ponytail immediately replies with a horrified "NO!!!" This design of extension cord, often nicknamed as a suicide cable, has some occasional practical uses but is also lethally dangerous, as Ponytail rightly points out, at the very least likely to cause a short circuit and quite possibly a fire when misused, if not a more direct electricution threat to people.
Ponytail seems to relax when she persuades Cueball to use a regular extension cord instead. But then he elaborates that rather than wanting the cord to carry electricity, he actually intends to use it as some kind of support prop. He thinks the plug prongs at each end are suitable for fixing the cable between two nearby wall-sockets, anchoring the cable as a makeshift tether to support something even more dangerous: a neutron reflector above a plutonium core. Based on his description, his setup appears to be a recreation of Louis Slotin's infamous "demon core" or "tickling the dragon's tail" experiment, with the extension cord replacing Slotin's flat-head screwdriver, an experiment that proved fatal for Slotin. Understandably, this horrifies Ponytail even more.
This is the third comic to reference the "demon core" experiment, after 1242: Scary Names and 2593: Deviled Eggs.
The title text innocently mentions other severe hazards… though arguably not as much as the radiation hazard. Loose flour is a well known fire hazard and the key to a flour-air explosion; 50 bags of it plus some way to get it into the air could blow up a sizable building. Lithium batteries are well known fire hazards when overcharged, which is why the TSA restricts them from checked luggage, and there have been numerous fires caused by the lithium batteries in "hoverboards" leading them to be oft-banned in cities and airports, and by retailers who might otherwise sell them. A bank of 50 might be overkill, but if charged in parallel (series probably wouldn't work as well), could cause a noticeable explosion or fire once one of them hit its limit. And while vinegar and bleach aren't a particular fire hazard by themselves, when combined they do release chlorine gas, which is lethal.
Any acid will tend to liberate chlorine from bleach, though vinegar is a relatively dilute solution of a weak acid (acetic acid). Other acidic household cleaning products, such as drain cleaners, would be much more dangerous to combine with bleach, but generally come with explicit warnings about avoiding this. In contrast, a bucket of vinegar (while an unusual request, in this particular case) could present the same kind of threat, albeit at a lower level, without being commonly associated with that danger. As such, the theme of the title text appears to be "innocuous-appearing supplies which are actually quite hazardous". Ponytail, being both a more knowledgeable person and intimately familiar with Cueball's error prone nature, easily imagines enough of the various unfortunate circumstances that could arise, possibly in combination.
Transcript
|
This is one of 38 incomplete transcripts: Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
- [Cueball is approaching Ponytail, who is sitting at a desk with a laptop, from off-screen.]
- Cueball: Do you have an extension cord with prongs at both ends? Can I borrow it?
- Ponytail: No!!!
- [Close up of Ponytail raising her arms in an exasperated fashion]
- Ponytail: No one should ever buy or make those!
- Ponytail: They start fires, destroy equipment, and risk electrocuting you or grid workers!
- Cueball: OK, OK, I get it.
- [The view zooms back out, showing Ponytail handing Cueball an extension cord.]
- Cueball: Can I just borrow a regular cord, then?
- Ponytail: Sure. Here.
- Cueball: The prongs aren't important. I just thought they'd help anchor it to the wall.
- Ponytail: Wait, what are you-
- [Cueball is walking away from Ponytail, who sits at her desk with her hands to her head.]
- Cueball: I need it to help hold up the top half of the reflector for this plutonium core that I'm-
- Ponytail: AAAAAAAA!!!!
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F1rSt!1!!1!1!!1!1!1!11!11!1!!!!1!1!Qwertyuiopfromdefly (talk) 02:08, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
curses, im too early on the scene for an explanation of what he's gonna do with the items in the titletext; such are the woes of being one of the people writing the explanations that you have to actually understand the comics - Vaedez (talk) 02:15, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
Same This isn't a good name (talk) 02:17, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
- Same what? 82.13.184.33 09:41, 26 January 2026 (UTC)
This is the third comic to reference the Demon Core experiment, after 1242 and 2593. Soupgirls (talk) 02:21, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
- >"Demon Core experiment": Demon CoreNo, I don't understand either --PRR (talk) 03:26, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
If you're otherwise creating fire hazards, a lithium ion battery is a terrible thing to have, and none of the horror stories you've heard involved a sack of them. Flour is a serious explosion hazard. Vinegar and bleach will release chlorine gas when combined. It sounds like an attempt to have the highest ratio of destruction to materials cost with the least effort. MrMatt (talk) 03:32, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
The title text just sounds like a bunch of flammable/noxious substances. So really, he has good intentions. Tanner07 (talk) 03:57, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
Would someone mind explaining how the suicide cord can kill grid workers? I don't know if this is easier to understand in the US - we work on a ring main system in the UK, and (once it is plugged in and the prongs thus protected) I'm having problems seeing why it would be a problem even to the end-user (I suppose you could theoretically use it to connect a ring main rated for less current and set the walls on fire?) EDIT: Gemini reminded me that these are generally used to connect a generator, to power up internal wiring that is depowered - if the grid worker has done this deliberately to work upstream and you power things back up things get ugly. 92.237.46.83 08:48, 24 January 2026 (UTC) Jon
- The problem is if you don't plug one end in --Darth Vader (talk) 10:52, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
- Electrician here, Suicide cords are used to 'backfeed' a circuit. Homeowners make them when they are too cheap to add a generator outlet. When plugged in, one side has exposed live parts which can shock or kill you. The other danger is backfeeding the grid itself when plugging in a generator (hence lineworker danger) for the exact reason that line interactive inverters for solar arrays need to shut down when the grid is off. Line workers are expecting dead lines when they come down and backfeeding them may make them live on the ground or while the worker is holding them. The proper way to power a house is to have a generator outlet installed and an interlocked panel that disconnects the mains power from your panel (isolating the power lines) and connects the generator power to specific circuits you want. 73.146.168.31 (talk) 11:30, 24 January 2026 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
I added a "Trivia" note that two days before this comic was posted, Randall had put up a YouTube video version of the What If? item about what would happen if someone's DNA all disappeared. It was compared to the effects of receiving a massive dose of ionizing radiation. The connection between this comic and Slotin's accident seemed relevant to me, at least enough for a "Trivia" item, but another editor disagreed and removed it. Opinions? BunsenH (talk) 15:03, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
I've noticed that recently, these explanations start off very short and without the same humor that most explainxkcd explanations have, and almost appear to be written by AI, before being replaced by a longer explanation that seems more in the vein of this website. Could someone explain what's happening here, and if AI is being used? CreatorOfWorlds (talk) 15:32, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
- "Any sufficiently advanced AI is indistinguishable from a lazy unimaginative human" -- Clarke's AI bot's Third Law Ralfoide (talk)
- I'd guess that the initial explanations are often written by people who want very much to be the first to write something, and prioritize that speed over quality. I've felt that urge a couple of times, but fought it down. :-) BunsenH (talk) 19:22, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
- Another common request vector is for people who have strung a line of Christmas lights backwards and don't want to rehang them. 210.185.98.84 21:17, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
Regarding "50 lithium batteries": the comic doesn't specify 50, but a pun has slyly been inserted here: Voltaic pile (there are other, somewhat relevant, types of piles as well!) So a "pile" may weigh in less than 50. But there are myriad dangers with lithium-ion batteries. They have many failure modes. So it may not be helpful to focus in on just one of them. I mean, clearly some kind of mischief is going to be wrought, but we really don't know what shape it will take without a list of accessories that are directly related to the "pile of batteries". Elizium23 (talk) 14:32, 25 January 2026 (UTC)
The correct way to use multiple power sources in case of emergency would be through an appropriate design such as the use of a multi-input UPS with an acid-lead battery for a buffer. This approach could possibly entail the use of "double-pronged" cords in an ill-designed home-made setup. 2001:861:3f07:a020:c61f:2d42:ade8:f326 (talk) 23:24, 25 January 2026 (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- Dear IPv6, welcome to explainXkcd, and please sign your posts with four tildes. Anyway, I am not sure how your comment is relevant to this comic. There is absolutely no "emergency" portrayed here. It seems Cueball isn't in a big rush to get that equipment he wants. Nor is he really preparing to react to an emergency situation. Rather, he seems intent on doing an experiment that will create one, instead. As for batteries and a "multi-input UPS" I suppose that is a fine idea for power outages. Certainly, a "double-pronged AC cord" could be used to "backfeed" the electricity into a home's circuits. But again, I do not see the relevance of your proposed setup to this comic. The title text describes a pile of lithium-ion batteries because it's clearly aimed at creating a disaster by causing them to explode or catch fire in some way. Nobody's getting ready to survive an extended power outage. Elizium23 (talk) 23:41, 25 January 2026 (UTC)i
- dear Eelizstuffandother, I understand your snide and I do apologize for not signing my post. "suicide cords" are the way to feed 'leccy down an electrical circuitry. If fed through a properly-configured UPS, the problem disappears. Such setups usually make use of lead-acid batteries to buffer the load, as the tech is well-proven, reliable, and less prone to unexpected emergencies. For the record my private personal networw relies on 2 lead-acid UPS and while my oven and other appliances have sufferered from power interruptions several times in the past year, my private network never fell. XOXXO 2001:861:3F07:A020:C61F:2D42:ADE8:F326 00:11, 26 January 2026 (UTC)
Cueball isn't planning to support plutonium with the extension cord; the extension cord would hold up a beryllium half-sphere that goes over the plutonium core and reflects just enough neutrons back into it that, along with the similar reflector underneath, the core starts a chain reaction. (At least, it he's recreating the 1946 experiment.) 2A02:8084:2862:4F80:65B7:327D:E614:342F 01:59, 26 January 2026 (UTC)
This is the third comic that references the "demon core". What's the standard here for "enough pages to justify a tag"? BunsenH (talk) 05:02, 26 January 2026 (UTC) Add comment
