Editing Talk:1747: Spider Paleontology

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I think it the first XKCD I don't get :P [[Special:Contributions/162.158.50.34|162.158.50.34]] 13:02, 17 October 2016 (UTC)
* I don't believe you, no-one except Randall Himself is that smart ;-) Anyways, hope the explanation I added helps some [[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.191|162.158.92.191]] 13:40, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

I like how the 6th panel has no borders. To me it signifies the broadening of her horizons, the going beyond her previous limits, as the realisation sinks in. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.191|162.158.92.191]] 14:14, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

I remember reading about a fossil of a spider with its web, but I don't remember where I read about it. I don't suppose anyone else has heard the same? (Ideally someone who remembers the source?) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.45|108.162.238.45]] 15:27, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/6467024/Fossil-hunter-finds-140-million-year-old-spiders-web.html [[User:Mwburden|mwburden]] ([[User talk:Mwburden|talk]]) 16:44, 17 October 2016 (UTC)
:Although, with no prior knowledge of webs, that fossil would not have been much help!  [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 03:42, 18 October 2016 (UTC)

Other fossil spiderwebs:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/08/0807_030807_spiderweb.html
http://www.amnh.org/our-research/science-news/2006/110-million-year-old-spider-web-with-insect-prey-found-preserved-in-amber/

Randall is simply mistaken here.  [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.47|162.158.2.47]] 13:43, 18 October 2016 (UTC)

Actually not all spiders spin webs, Wolf spiders chase their prey. So 'Future Guy' could get equally confused but limited observations of just one type. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 17:45, 17 October 2016 (UTC)
:Lots of spiders do not spin webs, but they do all use silk for something. I'm pretty sure the Sphere would have been equally freaked out by a bolas spider (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolas_spider). [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 03:20, 18 October 2022 (UTC)

Anyone think this is the character from the Steroids comic? Looks fairly similar. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.88|108.162.237.88]] 16:08, 17 October 2016 (UTC)
:It does seem to be the same basic design, but not identical. Of course, the whatever-it-is seen here is not even depicted consistently from panel to panel, so the differences from #1173 don't mean it's a different character, either. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.53|162.158.74.53]] 19:22, 17 October 2016 (UTC)
::No I do not. I have moved ref to other energy spheres into the new series category for these comics: [[:Category:Time traveling Sphere]]. I also went through all series and then made a detailed list of all types of series on the [[:Category:Comic series]] page. All "real" series are listed chronologically there and the type (five in one week/two over long time) are mentioned and specified. There is also know a detailed discussion on how strange this comic series release schedule is. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 23:46, 25 October 2016 (UTC)

Possibly related: Where do Dinosaurs go when it rains? - https://xkcd.com/1434/ [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.134|108.162.242.134]] 17:48, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

Good as a joke, but note that the visitor from future is speaking English. The idea that English will remain but knowledge about webs vanishes ... seriously? Did no one though about spiders used to download parts of world wide web in future? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 13:47, 18 October 2016 (UTC)
:Considering this comic is about time travel, I somehow doubt Randall was setting out to be scientifically accurate [[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.219|162.158.142.219]] 16:17, 18 October 2016 (UTC)
::He's Randall, isn't he? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:42, 18 October 2016 (UTC)

did anyone notice that the time traveller says "your planet's spiders". It's possible that a far distant future human is living on a different planet, but it's odd phrasing. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.124|108.162.241.124]] 20:03, 18 October 2016 (UTC)
:What makes you think the time traveller is human? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:42, 18 October 2016 (UTC)

Within a few weeks before this comic, ''Nature'' published a study claiming that rather than roaring, many dinosaurs may have cooed and/or quacked.  I wonder if this sort of new information inspired Randall to wonder what other facts about dinosaurs we don't yet know. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.64|173.245.48.64]] 21:56, 18 October 2016 (UTC)