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The first of two [[:Category:Christmas|Christmas comics]] in a row, as it was followed by [[1621: Fixion]].
 
The first of two [[:Category:Christmas|Christmas comics]] in a row, as it was followed by [[1621: Fixion]].
  
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In this comic [[Ponytail]] is showing [[Megan]] around a facility where they are now reaching the "Universe Control Panel", and Ponytail points out the first panel and tells that these dials control {{w|Christmas}}.
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In this comic [[Ponytail]] is showing [[Megan]] around in a facility, where they are now reaching the "Universe Control Panel", and Ponytail points out the first panel and tells that these dials control {{w|Christmas}}.
  
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Presumably the control panel is a set of panels with several dials each to control the entire universe, and anyone having access to a room with these controls would from our point of view be in a Godlike position. If such a room did exist, it would most likely be situated outside our universe. Here it would be easy for [[Randall]] to use the panel to make [[#Universal constants control panel|physics references]], with dials to control the specific size of {{w|Physical constant|fundamental constants}} of the universe such as the {{w|speed of light in vacuum}} or the {{w|Planck constant}}. Instead he chooses a more comedic angle in the spirit of Christmas (as he usually does in [[:Category:Christmas|comics released]] close to said holiday, this one being released on December 23rd).  
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Presumably the control panel is a set of panels with several dials each to control the entire universe, and anyone having access to a room with these controls would from our point of view be in a God like position. If such a room did exist it would most likely be situated outside our universe. Here it would be easy for [[Randall]] to use the panel to make [[#Universal constants control panel|physics references]], with dials to control the specific size of {{w|Physical constant|fundamental constants}} of the universe such as the {{w|speed of light in vacuum}} or the {{w|Planck constant}}. However, instead he chooses a more comedic angle in the spirit of Christmas (as he usually does in [[:Category:Christmas|comics released]] close to said holiday, this one being released on December 23rd).  
  
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We are shown only one of the dials on the Christmas control panel, the one that controls how {{w|Santa Claus}} enters people’s houses. The ''Santa enters houses through''-dial has [[#Options for Santa|ten different possible settings]]. The one it's set to at this point of the comic is the traditional ''chimney''. Among the other nine there is only one even more reasonable option, ''open window'', but surprisingly there is no option called ''door''. The other eight options, however, are increasingly weird or even impossible (though of course not for Santa, who can deliver a billion presents in one night and fly in a sleigh drawn by flying reindeer). These options ranges from the ''feasible'' like ''mail slot'', ''heating vents'' or ''cat flap'', to the impossible/ridiculous (some even disgusting) such as ''kitchen faucet'', ''shower drain'', or ''toilet'', to the truly magical ''bathroom mirror'', to the downright unpleasant ''pores of your skin''. (See [[555: Two Mirrors]] regarding the mirror version.)
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We are only shown one of the dials on the Christmas control panel, the one that controls how {{w|Santa Claus}} enters people’s houses. The ''Santa enters houses through''-dial has [[#Options for Santa|ten different possible settings]]. The one it's set to at this point of the comic is the traditional ''chimney''. Among the other nine there is only one even more logical option the ''open window'', but surprisingly there is no option called ''the door''. The other eight options, however, are increasingly weird or even impossible (though of course not for Santa, who can deliver a billion packets in one night and fly in a sleigh drawn by flying reindeer…). These options ranges from the ”feasible” like ''mail slot'', ''heating vents'' or ''cat flap'' to the impossible/ridiculous (some even disgusting) as ''kitchen faucet'', ''shower drain'' or ''toilet'' over the truly magical ''bathroom mirror '' to the downright unpleasant - ''pores of your skin''. (See [[555: Two Mirrors]] regarding the mirror version).
  
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In a quite unfortunate turn of events, Megan trips and catches herself on the Santa dial, messing it up by clicking it twice (if one click equals changing to the next adjacent option, in any initial direction, then now it must be set either be "kitchen faucet" or "mail slot"). To make matters worse, when Megan asks what it was set to before so as to undo the mishap, Ponytail tells that she has forgotten. So they cannot put it back right.  
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In a quite unfortunate turn of events Megan trips and catches herself on the Santa dial, messing it up by clicking it twice. To make matters worse, when Megan asks what it was set to before so as to undo the mishap, Ponytail tells that she has forgotten. So they cannot put it back right.  
  
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The dial is shown in the comic only for the reader's benefit, because as Megan tripped up before reaching it and never looked at it. As Ponytail is showing her around, it must have been Megan's first visit here. The reason why Ponytail cannot remember to which option the dial was set before is most likely because she is not part of our universe (the control panel is located outside), and also she is probably not the creator of the control panel. She is clearly disturbed when Megan falls on the control panel (she holds up her hand to her mouth), and might not want to have to tell her boss about this mess up. It is possible that by changing the dial, Megan's memories of Santa's entry methods are altered, and so whatever position the dial now rests at would seem normal to her. (This could mean that history has no effect outside the universe, so the single dial controls past, present, and future Santa methods. Perhaps the dial was formerly something more logical than a chimney, like "open window," and indeed ''we'' are the ones who now live in the altered universe.)
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The dial is shown in the comic only for the readers benefit, because as Megan tripped up before reaching it, she thus never looked at it, and as Ponytail is showing her around, it must have been her first visit here. The reason why Ponytail cannot remember to which option the dial was set before is most likely because she is not part of our universe (the control panel is located outside), and also she is probably not the creator of the control panel. She is clearly disturbed when the dial is turned (she holds up her hand to her mouth), and she would probably like not to have to tell her boss about this mess up.
  
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Then, as so often seen with human behaviors (if they are indeed human beings at all?), Megan says she will simply take a wild guess and hope she get it right. As the only thing she really knows is that it is not on the right setting now, there is only 1/9 chance that she will get it right, assuming she will at least change it away from the setting it ended up on.
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Then, as so often seen with human behaviors (if they are indeed human beings at all?), Megan says she will simply take a wild guess and hope she get it right. As the only thing she really knows is that it is not on the right setting now, there is only 1/9 that she will get it right assuming she will at least change it away from the setting she ended up on.
  
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Since the comic was released just before Christmas, here a prank is played on the reader/children who believe in Santa Claus. Now that the dial setting is probably changed, one can expect Santa to enter the house in a different way. So the believer could stay up and try to find out what way it would be.
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As we can see in the comic the dial clicks twice, implying it has moved two positions; Megan has thus most likely changed the dial to either "kitchen faucet" or "mail slot". Or the dial was moved one click away and one click back to the original position. As we do not know which of these she will now change away from, it is impossible to guess from the comic where she end up putting it, all ten options are possible.
  
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The title text continues the idea of a universe control panel by showing another possible dial, ''[[#Options for dogs|Sound dogs make]]'', ranging from normal (barking) to cat sounds (hissing, very embarrassing for a dog), "lightsaber noises", and speech to swearing. This dial would thus give the same option of changing the expected vocal response of the dog away from (our norm of) barking, as with the other dial for the way Santa enters the house. In popular culture, talking dogs are a commonly used trope; in contrast, swearing dogs are few, the most famous being {{w|Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog}}, a puppet created by {{w|Conan O'Brien}} and {{w|Robert Smigel}} and performed by the latter.
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The title text continues the idea of a universe control panel by showing another possible dial: ''[[#Options for dogs|Sound dogs make]]'' ranging from the norm (barking) to cat sounds (hissing, very embarrassing for a dog), "lightsaber noises" and speech to swearing. This is a dial most likely on another control panel for animal sounds (but it could of course specifically be the sound a dog would make in response to Santa's entry, by whatever method?). It would thus give the same option of changing the expected vocal response of the dog away from (our norm of) barking, as with the other dial with the way Santa enters the house. In popular culture, talking dogs are a commonly used trope; in contrast, swearing "dogs" are few, the most famous being {{w|Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog}}, a puppet created by {{w|Conan O'Brien}} and {{w|Robert Smigel}} and performed by the latter.
  
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The comic might also be a joke on real-life controls, physical or virtual, often having no clear "default" value.
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The comic might also be a joke on real-life controls often having no clear "default" value - which, by the way, is sometimes the case for virtual controls as well.
  
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The Universe Control Panel is also referenced in [[1763: Catcalling]].
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==Options for Santa==
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===Options for Santa===
 
 
*Below is a table with the ten possible settings for ''Santa enters houses through...''; starting with the originally chosen standard option and going clockwise through the rest:
 
*Below is a table with the ten possible settings for ''Santa enters houses through...''; starting with the originally chosen standard option and going clockwise through the rest:
 
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
 
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
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|{{w|Mail slot}} || Letters, post cards and small presents delivered by the mailman.
 
|{{w|Mail slot}} || Letters, post cards and small presents delivered by the mailman.
 
|-
 
|-
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|{{w|Duct (flow)|Heating vents}} || Hot air used for {{w|central heating}}, but it is a common trope for the hero of an action film to [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AirVentPassageway climb through such a vent]. Also accidentally predicted the hit game Among Us.
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|{{w|Duct (flow)|Heating vents}} || Hot air used for {{w|central heating}}.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|{{w|Bathroom}} {{w|mirror}} || See {{w|Candyman (film)|Candyman}}, or {{w|Bloody Mary (folklore)|Bloody Mary}} (the latter has been used in [[555: Two Mirrors]]).
 
|{{w|Bathroom}} {{w|mirror}} || See {{w|Candyman (film)|Candyman}}, or {{w|Bloody Mary (folklore)|Bloody Mary}} (the latter has been used in [[555: Two Mirrors]]).
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|{{w|Skin pore|Pores of your skin}} || {{w|Sweat}} leaving the body.
 
|{{w|Skin pore|Pores of your skin}} || {{w|Sweat}} leaving the body.
 
|-
 
|-
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|{{w|Toilet}} || {{w|Human waste}}, {{w|Pickle_Rick|Rick Sanchez}} and {{w|The_Shawshank_Redemption|life-term prisoners}} (at least through the sewer).
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|{{w|Toilet}} || {{w|Human waste}} and {{w|The_Shawshank_Redemption|life-term prisoners}} (at least through the sewer).
 
|-
 
|-
 
|{{w|Cat flap}} || Domesticated cats and dogs.
 
|{{w|Cat flap}} || Domesticated cats and dogs.
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|{{w|Sink|Kitchen faucet}} || Water.
 
|{{w|Sink|Kitchen faucet}} || Water.
 
|-
 
|-
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|{{w|Window|Open window}} || {{w|Burglars}} and other criminals, or anyone in an emergency such as a fire. Also often used as an exit by teenagers in movies and other film media, or by people who have locked themselves out of their own house.
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|{{w|Window|Open window}} || {{w|Burglars}} and other criminals. Also often used as an exit by teenagers in movies and other film media, or by people who have locked themselves out of their own house.
 
|}
 
|}
  
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===Options for dogs===
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==Options for dogs==
 
*Below is a table with the five possible settings for ''Sound dogs make''; starting with the current and continuing with the order in the title text:
 
*Below is a table with the five possible settings for ''Sound dogs make''; starting with the current and continuing with the order in the title text:
 
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
 
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
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|[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hissing Hissing] || Typically a {{w|List of animal sounds|sound attributed }} to {{w|snakes}}, but also sometimes {{w|cats}} are [http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/why-do-cats-hiss/ said to hiss], for instance as a reaction against a barking dog. It would thus be very frustrating for dogs if their noise was changed into that of their arch enemies.
 
|[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hissing Hissing] || Typically a {{w|List of animal sounds|sound attributed }} to {{w|snakes}}, but also sometimes {{w|cats}} are [http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/why-do-cats-hiss/ said to hiss], for instance as a reaction against a barking dog. It would thus be very frustrating for dogs if their noise was changed into that of their arch enemies.
 
|-
 
|-
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|{{w|Lightsaber|Lightsaber noises}} || A lightsaber makes a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kpHK4YIwY4 unique sound], and as they are one of the most known props from the {{w|Star Wars}} universe, it is very relevant as the newest Star Wars movie ''{{w|Star Wars: The Force Awakens}}'' was released a week before this comic. Star Wars was also a major theme a month ago in the comic [[1608: Hoverboard]], the coin collecting game that celebrated [[Randall|Randall's]] new book.
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|{{w|Lightsaber|Lightsaber noises}} || A lightsaber makes a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kpHK4YIwY4 unique sound], and as they are one of the most known props from the {{w|Star Wars}} universe, it is very relevant as the newest Star Wars movie {{w|Star Wars: The Force Awakens}} was released a week before this comic. Star Wars was also the main theme a month ago in the comic [[1608: Hoverboard]], the coin collecting game that celebrated [[Randall|Randall's]] new book.
 
|-
 
|-
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|{{w|Fluency#Speech|Fluent}} {{w|English language|English}} || [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRcUcxtaX-Q Speaking dogs] are a common trope as are {{w|talking animals}} in general. A person who is native to a country where they speak English will usually be fluent in speaking English.
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|{{w|Fluency#Speech|Fluent}} {{w|English language|English}} || [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRcUcxtaX-Q Speaking dogs] are a common trope as are {{w|talking animals}} in general. A person who is native to a country where they speak English will usually be fluent in speaking English. But a person may not usually be described as being fluent in their {{w|Native tongue}}. But a person from a country who does not speak English as their first language, but who speaks it very well would speak fluent English.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|{{w|Profanity|Swearing}} || It would be unpleasant for people who dislike swearing, and a big problems for movies such as {{w|Lassie}} where most of the soundtrack would have to be replaced by {{w|Bleep censor|bleeps}}. Swearing "dogs" are few, the most famous being {{w|Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog}}, a puppet created by {{w|Conan O'Brien}} and {{w|Robert Smigel}} and performed by the latter.
 
|{{w|Profanity|Swearing}} || It would be unpleasant for people who dislike swearing, and a big problems for movies such as {{w|Lassie}} where most of the soundtrack would have to be replaced by {{w|Bleep censor|bleeps}}. Swearing "dogs" are few, the most famous being {{w|Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog}}, a puppet created by {{w|Conan O'Brien}} and {{w|Robert Smigel}} and performed by the latter.
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:[Ponytail is passing by this control panel looking back at Megan who trips and falls towards the console.]
 
:[Ponytail is passing by this control panel looking back at Megan who trips and falls towards the console.]
 
:Megan: Whoops!
 
:Megan: Whoops!
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:Megan's legs: Trip
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:Megans legs: Trip
  
 
:[Megan catches herself on the dial of the control panel and accidentally turns the dial. Ponytail has taken her hands to her mouth.]
 
:[Megan catches herself on the dial of the control panel and accidentally turns the dial. Ponytail has taken her hands to her mouth.]
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:Megan: What was the Santa dial set to before?
 
:Megan: What was the Santa dial set to before?
 
:Ponytail: I forget.
 
:Ponytail: I forget.
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:Megan: I'll just guess.
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:Megan: I'll just guess
  
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
 
*In the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/7/73/20151223160450!christmas_settings.png original version] of the comic Ponytail erroneously said: ''These dials, for example, '''controls''' Christmas.''
 
*In the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/7/73/20151223160450!christmas_settings.png original version] of the comic Ponytail erroneously said: ''These dials, for example, '''controls''' Christmas.''
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**This was soon changed to the current (and grammatically correct) version without the "s" at the end of controls ''These dials, for example, control Christmas.''
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**This was soon changed to the current (and grammatically correct) version with out the "s" at the end of controls ''These dials, for example, control Christmas.''
 
**Thus proving that it was intended that there were more than one dial, we just see the one that Megan later changed by mistake for the sake of the joke of the comic.
 
**Thus proving that it was intended that there were more than one dial, we just see the one that Megan later changed by mistake for the sake of the joke of the comic.
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*The "Universe Control Panel" is later featured in [[1763: Catcalling]], but is referred to as the "Universe Control Console" instead.
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{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
  

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