Editing 2338: Faraday Tour

{{comic
| number    = 2338
| date      = July 27, 2020
| title     = Faraday Tour
| image     = faraday_tour.png
| titletext = I asked them if it was safe to be running tours during the pandemic. They said, "During the what?"
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is another in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] related to the {{w|2019–20 coronavirus outbreak|2020 pandemic}} of the {{w|coronavirus}} {{w|SARS-CoV-2}}, which causes {{w|COVID-19}}. 

[[Hairy]], addressing an unseen camera (possibly the reader's POV) welcomes viewers to a {{w|Live streaming|livestream}} broadcast - that he calls/brands as a 'Livecast' - walking through "the world's largest {{w|Faraday cage}}." A Faraday cage blocks {{w|Electromagnetic field|electromagnetic transmission}} into and out of the cage area. Attempting to broadcast a walk through such a cage with any medium that uses radio waves would (theoretically, at least) cause the transmitter's signal to drop out completely, resulting in the loading wheel shown in panels three and four. Faraday cages do not necessarily have to be dark inside, as this one appears to be (they typically block longer wavelengths than those of visible light, which consists of electromagnetic waves). However, the darkness visually aligns with the concept of {{w|communications blackout}}, which is what Hairy's viewers experience while Hairy is in the cage.  The darkness could be taken as a metaphor for depending so heavily on electronic connectivity for one's view of the world that anything not directly connected is conceived as unobservable. (Alternatively, the light switch could be inside the cage.)

The Faraday cage that Hairy is visiting may also be an {{w|anechoic chamber}} for testing radio equipment, which would be completely lined with {{w|radiation-absorbent material}}, not just an open-air cage, to ensure that the measurements inside are of the highest quality.  There's no particular reason that it would have to have the lights off for his tour (in fact, it would be better to have the lights on so that he could see the features inside),{{Citation needed}} but some anechoic chambers have been used for [https://www.zdnet.com/article/quietest-place-on-earth-causes-hallucinations/ sensory deprivation experiments], in which participants are shut inside in total darkness and quiet.

"Smash that like (or subscribe, etc.) button" is a typical command given by YouTubers to watchers, asking to publicly "like" the video or subscribe to their channel if they enjoyed it, ultimately to boost the creator's popularity. Developers want lots of views, likes, and subscribes because YouTube pays artists (e.g. $1 per 1000 views).

The title text refers to COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The joke is that, as they don't get cell service in the cage, the owners would be unaware of global events. This implies for comedic effect that the owners and workers solely live inside the Faraday cage, continuing the theme of treating connectivity as the only way to acquire information.  They would still be able to receive news if they ever step outside to welcome visitors, have print media delivered or have a wired internet connection (perhaps even optical) fed through its walls. But their choice to unconventionally isolate themselves might reflect their general attitudes to the world outside, and it is also implied that Hairy is one of the rare few outsiders they have pre-agreed to allow to visit. Or one of the few people who would think to ask for and plan a tour during a pandemic.

Randall has referenced Faraday cages for comedic effect in the past. See [[1142: Coverage]].

==Transcript==
:[Close-up on Hairy]
:Hairy: Hey there superfans, welcome to the livecast!

:[Hairy walks toward an opening in a large building]
:Hairy: Got a real treat for you today: a tour of the world's largest Faraday cage!
:Hairy: C'mon, let's check it-

:[Two panels of a "loading" spinner on a black background]

:[Hairy exits the building]
:Hairy: -was ''so cool!'' Wow!!
:Hairy: Thanks for coming along, and don't forget to smash that like button!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Physics]]