Analogies
by Jeff
Image text: I just call all of them 'synecdoche'.
Let's recap middle school English class, link style!
Metaphors are the comparison of one thing to another without the use of like or as : “A man is but a weak reed”; “The road was a ribbon of moonlight.”
Similies are a common figure of speech that explicitly compares two things usually considered different. Most similes are introduced by like or as : “The realization hit me like a bucket of cold water.”
A synecdoche is a figure of speech in which the one of the following (or its reverse) is expressed:
* A part stands for a whole
* An individual stands for a class
* A material stands for a thing
DFS
by Jeff
Image text: A breadth-first search makes a lot of sense for dating in general, actually; it suggests dating a bunch of people casually before getting serious, rather than having a series of five-year relationships one after the other.
This comic has to do with two different types of search algorithms in computer science. Depth-first search or DFS as the title implies. In this algorithm, the search agent will go through the first option as deep as it goes before moving onto the next item or option. In the comic, the character searches 50 deep into the Medical Emergency -> Snakebite option and didn't have enough time to get ready for the date.
In a breath-first search, the search agent will check each item in each level first before moving to the next one, just as the image text suggests.
Whoops, looks like LD50 is median lethal dose, not a computer science term. Thanks to commenter TCs for the link.
Moria
by Jeff
Image text: Someone should really bring them a ladder and remind them to build the Endless Stair *first* next time.
This is a Lord of the Rings reference and the character with the beard and hat is Gandalf. The four shorter characters are the hobbits that were also members of the Fellowship of the Ring. The comic is making a joke on the fact that if the dwarves dug too deeply, then they just were unable to get out.
3×9
by Jeff
Image text: Handy exam trick: when you know the answer but not the correct derivation, derive blindly forward from the givens and backward from the answer, and join the chains once the equations start looking similar. Sometimes the graders don't notice the seam.
Alright, this math equation only works because 9 is the square of 3, but this is fun none the less.
3 x 9 = 3 x the square root of 81 (the square root of 81 is 9).
That also equals 81 divided by 3 and then he solves the division by hand to get 27.
This is obviously not the way you solve the problem, but he uses handy math tricks like turning a square root into a division symbol to attempt to trick the math grader as he mentions in the image text.
Raptor Fences
by Jeff
Image text: If at least one person has a nightmare about being swarmed by hundreds of mouse-sized dromaeosaurids, my work will have been done.
This is a reference to the movie Jurassic Park. In this scene, the power goes out and so do the electric fences that keep the raptors in their cages. This obviously puts the characters in extreme danger... unless of course like this comic, they are mini dinosaurs.
Toot
by Jeff
Image text: This is also one of only five identified situations in which a vuvuzela is actually appropriate.
For our international readers, "Toot my own horn" is an expression (possibly only used in America) that means to brag about ones self.
Vuvuzela is a noise maker that is native to South Africa and is featured heavily in any World Cup game. Many vuvuzelas blown (played?) at the same time make a noise similar to that of a thousand bees.
Public Opinion
by Jeff
Image text: News networks giving a greater voice to viewers because the social web is so popular are like a chef on the Titanic who, seeing the looming iceberg and fleeing customers, figures ice is the future and starts making snow cones.
I completely agree. Those "voices on the street" segments are probably the most awkward segments ever as well. Must. Change. Channel.
Interdisciplinary
by Jeff
Image text: Replace the pendulums with history students and you'll qualify for a grant!
This is another theme in xkcd. The ripping of psychology, history and english majors is very common in various comics.
Dependencies
by Jeff
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Image text: The prereqs for CPSC 357, the class on package management, are CPCS 432, CPSC 357, and glibc2.5 or later.
This is a computer science joke with a possible homage to Fight Club.
The meaning here is roughly "A dependency class depends on a dependency class" as a prerequisite.
The same thing follows in the image text as 357 is required for 357.
Southern Half
by Jeff
Image text: Also, if you read his speech at Rice, all his arguments for going to the moon work equally well as arguments for blowing up the moon, sending cloned dinosaurs into space, or constructing a towering penis-shaped obelisk on Mars.
Not much to explain here.
Here's the full text of the speech to Rice.
Here's the full text of the 1961 speech to Congress.