Editing 1590: The Source
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|The plain white rooms and 'the source' seem like references to the Matrix. Would someone more knowledgeable confirm, deny, or explain this?)}} | |
− | Sometimes not everyone can hear | + | This comic is about experiencing a high pitched hum in your house. Sometimes not everyone can hear it; however, those who can hear it usually find it immensely annoying. And if you do hear the noise, you would like to locate '''The Source''' – hence the title of the comic. Hopefully when you do (if you do) find the source you can do something about it, or at least be at ease knowing what caused the noise, and that it was not you who had a hearing problem like {{w|tinnitus}}. Similarly, this comic also gives the sense of an outside observer who doesn't hear the hum but is watching someone who can hear it. Because the sound isn't written out in text, the comic reader at first is confused by Cueball's inexplicable searching. |
− | + | In the first two frames of the comic we see [[Cueball]] trying to locate the direction of the sound, by standing in the middle of the room, turning his head from one to the other side. Finally he walks down a flight of stairs (probably to the basement) and here he locates the source: A machine whose only function is to generate a high pitched hum. Luckily it was thus easy for Cueball to get rid of this sound at the source. | |
− | + | But in the title text he also asks why on Earth they had such a machine in the first place, which is somewhat harder to explain. But in real life most electronics generate hums and cannot reasonably be turned off without losing functionality. For instance fluorescent lights, phone chargers and computer modems are common culprits, refrigerators and washing machines less commonly. It could also come from outside the house, in which case it will be much harder either to locate the source or to do anything about it. Power lines and transformers are common outside sources. | |
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There do, however, exist devices that are meant to create a high pitched hum, that people might wish to install in their house. These will be humming in the {{w|ultrasound|ultrasonic}} regions, although cheap versions can often be heard by young people. They are typically used for {{w|Electronic_pest_control#Ultrasonic|electronic pest control}}, while slightly lower frequencies which can typically be heard only by young people are sometimes used to {{w|The Mosquito|repel children}}. It is possible that someone tried to get rid of Cueball. | There do, however, exist devices that are meant to create a high pitched hum, that people might wish to install in their house. These will be humming in the {{w|ultrasound|ultrasonic}} regions, although cheap versions can often be heard by young people. They are typically used for {{w|Electronic_pest_control#Ultrasonic|electronic pest control}}, while slightly lower frequencies which can typically be heard only by young people are sometimes used to {{w|The Mosquito|repel children}}. It is possible that someone tried to get rid of Cueball. | ||
− | There do exist {{w|white noise}} generators (which make equal volume noise on every frequency) and {{w|pink noise}} generators (which make noise that | + | There do exist {{w|white noise}} generators (which make equal volume noise on every frequency) and {{w|pink noise}} generators (which make noise that sounds equally loud to the human ear at every frequency) which are used to test recording studios to see if they have good sound quality. Perhaps the device is one of these, though it does seem to be only for high pitches. It may also be a brown noise generator, although there is no evidence that Cueball has evacuated his bowels. |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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:High pitched hum generator | :High pitched hum generator | ||
− | + | {{comic discussion}} | |
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] |