Exoplanets
by Jeff
Image text: I'm just worried that we'll all leave and you won't get to come along!
In this comic, our friend Beret run to wake up Cueball with his potentially middle of the night revelation that Humankind is discovering "Exoplanets" or planets that exist outside of our solar system. The indication is that these planets are habitable enough for humans, even if just for a visit.
Then Beret takes it a bit further thinking that one of the countries on Earth could restart Project Orion. As Beret suggests, Project Orion was an early study that pushed for nuclear powered rockets for space travel. However, the one major downside of Project Orion was the fallout zone that the nuclear launch would present on Earth. But a nuclear launch in space on an asteroid or space station would not present those same problems. Then Beret references Stargate:Atlantis when he mentions "City-Ships" as the city-ship Atlantis was the basis for the show. The city-ships on Stargate:Atlantis are about the size of Manhattan.
So, to sum up the comic. Beret is very excited that we can see (with the Hubble telescope and other earth-bound telescopes) and find exoplanets. Then with some advances in space technology we can create nuclear propulsion in space to reach these planets. Have to admit, it is very exciting.
And Cueball would just rather snooze.
The Staple Madness
by submission
Image Text: Staple guns: because duct tape can't make that 'kaCHUNK' noise.
This explanation is written by Harm. Harm is a reader of xkcd and explainxkcd. Harm writes explanations. Harm wrote that sentence mentioning that he writes explanations. Harm didn't write the previous sentence.
This comic is a pure slapstick adventure as Beret finds a staple gun and uses it on everything in sight (including trying to install Debian software onto a laptop). When Megan comes home and asks if he's been using her gun, he denies it. Someone possibly stapled to the ceiling says that he has.
In the source of the comic, the transcript offers an alternate interpretation of the final panal.
God: [[outside of scene, as voice from above]] YES!
The image text makes a reference to duct tape being used for anything and everything, and implies that staple guns can be used as a funner substitute.