Difference between revisions of "1039: RuBisCO"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
{{w|Safeword|Safe words}} are designated words for sexual play which are meant to be called if one partner is uncomfortable with the way things are proceeding. Calling the pre-choosen "safe word" would be a sign to stop. To prevent accidental usage, people generally pick words that they wouldn't normally use. In the case of this comic, the characters are chemists, and the uncommon word they happen to have chosen is {{w|RuBisCO|Ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase}}, also known as RuBisCO (which actually isn't a very uncommon word, as it's the most abundant {{w|protein}} on earth, but it would be uncommon to use the full word). However, the length of the word makes it impractical for a safe word, as it would take too long to say.
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{{w|Safeword|Safe words}} are designated words for sexual play which are meant to be called if one partner is uncomfortable with the way things are proceeding. Calling the pre-chosen "safe word" would be a sign to stop. To prevent accidental usage, people generally pick words that they wouldn't normally use. In the case of this comic, the characters are chemists, and the uncommon word they happen to have chosen is {{w|RuBisCO|Ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase}}, also known as RuBisCO (which actually isn't a very uncommon word, as it's the most abundant {{w|protein}} on earth, but it would be uncommon to use the full word). However, the length of the word makes it impractical for a safe word, as it would take too long to say.
  
 
In the image text, {{w|Bruce Schneier}} is a computer security professional, and public keys are the publicly known half of {{w|public-key cryptography}}, which uses two mathematically linked keys to decrypt information.
 
In the image text, {{w|Bruce Schneier}} is a computer security professional, and public keys are the publicly known half of {{w|public-key cryptography}}, which uses two mathematically linked keys to decrypt information.

Revision as of 16:54, 9 November 2012

RuBisCO
Bruce Schneier believes safewords are fundamentally insecure and recommends that you ask your partner to stop via public key signature.
Title text: Bruce Schneier believes safewords are fundamentally insecure and recommends that you ask your partner to stop via public key signature.

Explanation

Safe words are designated words for sexual play which are meant to be called if one partner is uncomfortable with the way things are proceeding. Calling the pre-chosen "safe word" would be a sign to stop. To prevent accidental usage, people generally pick words that they wouldn't normally use. In the case of this comic, the characters are chemists, and the uncommon word they happen to have chosen is Ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase, also known as RuBisCO (which actually isn't a very uncommon word, as it's the most abundant protein on earth, but it would be uncommon to use the full word). However, the length of the word makes it impractical for a safe word, as it would take too long to say.

In the image text, Bruce Schneier is a computer security professional, and public keys are the publicly known half of public-key cryptography, which uses two mathematically linked keys to decrypt information.

Transcript

(Person in background (out-of-frame) screams out this word over all 3 panels)

Sub: RIBULOSEBISPH..

Sub: ...OSPHATECARBOXYL...

Sub: ...ASEOXYGENASE!

Dom: Oh, Sorry!

Person: Man, chemists pick the worst safewords.


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Discussion

I'd laugh if a sex product called rubisco was made shortly after this comic was released. Davidy22[talk] 08:37, 21 January 2013 (UTC)

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

PLEASE STOP!!!
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184.66.160.91 (talk)  (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

I didn't sign my post because it was PGP signed. ;) 184.66.160.91 18:52, 24 August 2013 (UTC)

Do I miss the joke or just the PGP key to understand???--Dgbrt (talk) 20:08, 24 August 2013 (UTC)
1181:_PGP This explains it. Mulan15262 (talk) 14:15, 1 June 2014 (UTC) Mulan15262

I'm planning on having really rough kinky BDSM sex tomorrow, as the sub. Told my partner "no means yes, rubisco means no." Need to tell him "rubisco" means slow down and "ribulosebiphosphatecarboxyloxygenase" means stop. I have waited two years to do this. When I first saw this, my first thought was "That's gonna be my safe word." XD International Space Station (talk) 08:36, 23 January 2016 (UTC)

my neighbor, a chemist, literally used "ribulosebiphosphatecarboxyloxygenase" as a safeword. i heard him through the wall xd An user who has no account yet (talk) 16:40, 10 September 2023 (UTC)