https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=108.162.216.102&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T21:45:06ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2890:_Relationship_Advice&diff=3345132890: Relationship Advice2024-02-08T01:37:31Z<p>108.162.216.102: Source plox.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2890<br />
| date = February 5, 2024<br />
| title = Relationship Advice<br />
| image = relationship_advice_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 740x241px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Good to be a little wary of advice that sounds too much like a self pep talk.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a RELATIONSHIP WITH A JOB IN THE FINE ARTS - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
In this comic, [[White Hat]], [[Cueball]], and [[Ponytail]] can be seen having a conversation about relationships. White Hat expresses the opinion that "relationships aren't easy". The others accept this advice, which is generally accepted as a reasonable view: two people are always going to have at least some difference in opinions, desires and needs that need to be communicated, negotiated and worked out. This requires mutual effort and some level of compromise in any healthy and successful relationship. <br />
<br />
In the subsequent frames, however, White Hat continues to push the matter, describing relationships in increasingly unpleasant terms, starting with calling them "constant work" and ultimately calling it a "crushing burden". Cueball and Ponytail correspondingly agree with him less, and instead {{w|The lady doth protest too much, methinks|begin to worry about him}}. <br />
<br />
White Hat's views on what is necessary and appropriate in relationships appear to go to unhealthy extremes. While his initial comments about relationships requiring efforts are reasonable, the notion that relationships consist of endless, overwhelming effort is not, for most people{{cn}}, though for some people who experience significant asociality this can be how most relationships feel. However, Cueball and Ponytail appear to suspect that White Hat may be describing a relationship that he's currently in or that has severed, and trying to rationalize an unhealthy situation by telling himself that "this is normal". <br />
<br />
When someone is in an abusive relationship, they may struggle to see that the relationship is abusive, often confusing genuinely destructive behavior with normal relationship troubles. There are various reasons this may occur. Some people experience {{w|traumatic bonding}}, some have spent so much time in or around unhealthy relationships that they've come to seem 'normal', and some experience various forms of {{w|Codependency|codependence}}. For people in such situations, help from friends and/or professional counselors is often necessary to allow them to even identify the situation they're in, and particularly to separate themselves from the situation.<br />
<br />
Seeing Randall’s often negative thoughts on [[223: Valentine's Day|Valentine’s Day]] and the [[1016: Valentine Dilemma|problems it produces]], it may not be a coincidence that this comic was released only nine days before the event. <br />
<br />
The title text explains that advice which focuses on remaining upbeat in a bad situation (like a "pep talk"), should give others pause. There's a good chance that the person giving such advice is trying to {{w|Reaction formation|convince themselves that their situation is alright}}, rather than providing useful guidance for others. In this comic, this sentiment is seemingly applied to White Hat, whose "relationship advice" may be much more personal than such advice should reasonably be, and the reader is thus warned to take advice like this with a grain of salt. This is similar to [[449: Things Fall Apart]] where Cueball tells Megan "I love you" repeatedly and Megan points out he's only saying it to reassure ''himself'' rather than express it to her.<br />
<br />
This comic's title is reminiscent of [[Randall|Randall's]] [[:Category:Tips|Tips]] comics. Here, though, there turns out to be no actual advice or tip, and thus not part of the tip category.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[White Hat, Cueball and Ponytail are walking. White Hat has his palm out.]<br />
:White Hat: What you have to remember is, relationships aren't easy.<br />
:Ponytail: Yeah, fair.<br />
<br />
:[Close-up of White Hat with his finger raised.] <br />
:White Hat: They're hard. They require constant work.<br />
:White Hat: A relationship is a job.<br />
:Off-panel voice: I guess...<br />
<br />
:[White Hat has stopped walking and is facing Cueball and Ponytail standing a bit further away.]<br />
:White Hat: It's a challenge that feels overwhelming. It's a crushing burden.<br />
:Cueball: Umm.<br />
<br />
:[White Hat has his arms raised while still facing Cueball and Ponytail.]<br />
:White Hat: A relationship is a grueling ordeal.<br />
:Cueball: ...Who are you trying to convince, exactly?<br />
:Ponytail: Yeah, are '''''you''''' okay?<br />
:White Hat: I'm '''''fine!''''' This is '''''normal!'''''<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Social interactions]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1772:_Startup_Opportunity&diff=1325421772: Startup Opportunity2016-12-15T05:47:27Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1772<br />
| date = December 14, 2016<br />
| title = Startup Opportunity<br />
| image = startup_opportunity.png<br />
| titletext = While there's no formal regulation, it turns out their industry group is NOT one you want mad at you.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Draft.}}<br />
[[Beret Guy|Beret Guy's]] [[:Category:Beret Guy's Business|company]], first seen in [[1032: Networking]], [[1293: Job Interview]] and [[1493: Meeting]], returns, and its purpose is as vague as ever.<br />
<br />
Analysts, brought in to advise his company, determine that it doesn't actually serve any purpose. Ironically, many analysts also don't actually serve any purpose. Beret Guy is dumbfounded, claiming that his company must do ''something'', and takes a line of reasoning that faintly resembles the sort of logic a child might use. A child that visits an office building might conclude that an office does a lot because there are a lot of employees working inside, unaware that what really makes a successful business is how efficiently it uses its employees to deliver goods and services to the consumer. But most children, to their credit, would never even consider that the chairs in the office are somehow key to the business' success.{{Citation needed}} Beret Guy, demonstrating yet again that he has even less sense for business than your average child, uses the amount of chairs in the workplace as a yardstick for success, with no mention of his actual, human workforce.<br />
<br />
The analysts suggest that Beret Guy find an industry to disrupt. The mention of "industry" immediately reminds Beret Guy of {{w|SimCity}}, where Industrial (along with Residential and Commercial) is one of the three main zone types - it allows factories and farms to develop. {{w|Disruptive innovation|Disruption}} means coming up with a product that redefines what the market expects and leaving existing competitors in the dust (for instance, smartphones disrupted mobile, digital photography disrupted film, and air travel disrupted rail and sea travel (and is in turn being disrupted by high-speed rail)) - it's now an industry buzzword and virtually every company claims to be "disruptive".<br />
<br />
When pointed in the right direction, Beret Guy realizes that the main industry he deals with is weird disappearing shops selling cursed goods. This is [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday a common trope] in horror stories, and as soon as [[Hairy]] hears about it he wants out of the building, but as his colleagues point out it also bears more than a passing resemblance to many dodgy {{w|startup companies}}. These appear suddenly with a lot of promotion and a marketable idea, looking for {{w|venture capital}} (or, a lot of times in recent times, pre-orders on {{w|Kickstarter}}). However, many startups fail - either because they didn't take into account the difficulties involved in bringing a product to market, or because they were an active scam - and disappear without a trace, leaving customers either empty handed or with a buggy product that falls short of promises. As [[Cueball]] notes, these cursed shops are actually the perfect startup, at least from a moneymaking perspective. This humorously ignores the more obvious larger problem, that such a business would be impossible to create due to not actually having magical items to sell. Apparently, the business may become one, if he does spend most of his money there.<br />
<br />
Disappearing shops selling cursed goods which only work under specific astrological conditions (such as a television set that only works for a single cycle of the moon) may also be found in the real world. These are usually unlicensed and only seem to appear when there is an abundance of heroes desperate for such items (eg. people with a limited budget immediately before the start of the FIFA World Cup).<br />
<br />
As with most Beret Guy comics, there are multiple layers of absurdity. For a start, the fact that he-and by extension, the rest of the cast-live in a world including supernatural shops is, while not inconsistent, still supernatural. The assertion that this is where he buys most of his materials and other products is also curious, given the shops' inherent temporary nature, as it implies either something about him causes these shops to appear, or that he is drawn to these shops instinctively. Most absurdly, he apparently purchases his FOOD from these establishments (which may also serve as an explanation for his 'soup outlet' in [[1293: Job Interview]]), despite previously stating everything they sell is cursed, conjures troubling images in the mind of HOW exactly food would be cursed-and its effects. Perhaps this explains Beret Guy's [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|strange powers]].<br />
<br />
The title text alludes to the fact that irrespective of whether or not there is formal regulation, it is unwise to anger a group of people who have access to cursed magical items. It is easy to imagine numerous ways they could make one's life substantially worse.<sup>&#91;[[285|''citation needed'']]&#93;</sup><noinclude><br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[Beret Guy is sitting in a board meeting]<br />
:White Hat: We've discovered that your company doesn't do anything.<br />
:Beret Guy: How is that possible?! We have so many chairs!<br />
<br />
:White Hat: You need to find an industry to disrupt.<br />
:Beret Guy: An...industry?<br />
:Beret Guy: Oh, yeah!<br />
:Beret Guy: The zoning thing from SimCity!<br />
<br />
:White Hat: No, like, a kind of business.<br />
:Beret Guy: How do I find those?<br />
:White Hat: I don't know. What's something you spend a lot of money on?<br />
<br />
[Beat panel]<br />
<br />
:Beret Guy: You know those mysterious shops that sell you magical items, and then it turns out they're cursed, but when you go back later there's no sign the shop was ever there?<br />
:Beret Guy: I get most of my stuff from those.<br />
:Beret Guy: Like groceries.<br />
<br />
:Hairy: We should go.<br />
:Hairbun: Wait. High-value sales, no regulation, and when customers try to complain, they can't find you...<br />
:Cueball: Maybe this ''is'' the perfect startup.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1772:_Startup_Opportunity&diff=1325061772: Startup Opportunity2016-12-14T16:13:06Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1772<br />
| date = December 14, 2016<br />
| title = Startup Opportunity<br />
| image = startup_opportunity.png<br />
| titletext = While there's no formal regulation, it turns out their industry group is NOT one you want mad at you.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Draft.}}<br />
[[Beret Guy]]'s company, first seen in [[1032: Networking]], [[1293: Job Interview]] and [[1493: Meeting]], returns, and its purpose is as vague as ever.<br />
<br />
Analysts, brought in to advise his company, can't work out what industry it serves. The mention of "industry" immediately reminds Beret Guy of {{w|SimCity}}, where Industrial (along with Residential and Commercial) is one of the three main zone types - it allows factories and farms to develop. {{w|Disruptive innovation|Disruption}} means coming up with a product that redefines what the market expects and leaving existing competitors in the dust (for instance, smartphones disrupted mobile, digital photography disrupted film, and air travel disrupted rail and sea travel (and is in turn being disrupted by high-speed rail)) - it's now an industry buzzword and virtually every company claims to be "disruptive".<br />
<br />
When pointed in the right direction, Beret Guy realizes that the main industry he deals with is weird disappearing shops selling cursed goods. This is [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday a common trope] in horror stories, but it also bears more than a passing resemblance to many dodgy {{w|startup companies}}. These appear suddenly with a lot of promotion and a marketable idea, looking for {{w|venutre capital}} (or, in the modern world, pre-orders on {{w|Kickstarter}}). However, many startups fail - either because they didn't take into account the difficulties involved in bringing a product to market, or because they were an active scam - and disappear without a trace, leaving customers either empty handed or with a buggy product that falls short of promises. As Cueball notes, these cursed shops are actually the perfect startup, at least from a moneymaking perspective.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[Beret Guy is sitting in a board meeting]<br />
:White Hat: We've discovered that your company doesn't do anything.<br />
:Beret Guy: How is that possible?! We have so many chairs!<br />
<br />
:White Hat: You need to find an industry to disrupt.<br />
:Beret Guy: An...industry?<br />
:Beret Guy: Oh, yeah!<br />
:Beret Guy: The zoning thing from SimCity!<br />
<br />
:White Hat: No, like, a kind of business.<br />
:Beret Guy: How do I find those?<br />
:White Hat: I don't know. What's something you spend a lot of money on?<br />
<br />
[Beat panel]<br />
<br />
:Beret Guy: You know those mysterious shops that sell you magical items, and then it turns out they're cursed, but when you go back later there's no sign the shop was ever there?<br />
:Beret Guy: I get most of my stuff from those.<br />
:Beret Guy: Like groceries.<br />
<br />
:Hairy: We should go.<br />
:Hairbun: Wait. High-value sales, no regulation, and when customers try to complain, they can't find you...<br />
:Cueball: Maybe this ''is'' the perfect startup.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1715:_Household_Tips&diff=1246501715: Household Tips2016-08-03T17:39:18Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1715<br />
| date = August 3, 2016<br />
| title = Household Tips<br />
| image = household_tips.png<br />
| titletext = To make your shoes feel more comfortable, smell better, and last longer, try taking them off before you shower.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic shows a person explaining many things one should already know and are likely already doing without needing to be told. This is a continuation of [[1567: Kitchen Tips]].<br />
<br />
Below is a table:<br />
<br />
'''To conserve water try turning off your shower before leaving home''': Implies that the shower would "normally" be on at all times, which would be very wasteful, since any excess water (or if the bath tub plug is not in place or in a shower stall, all water) would be drained away. The [[what if?]] article "{{what if|91|Faucet Power}}" illustrates similar wasteful and destructive water use.<br />
<br />
'''Sick of changing those smoke detector batteries? Eliminate any fires in your home and the batteries can last for months or years!''': A smoke detector on standby consumes much less power than one constantly ringing, since standing by only requires that a detection circuit (which draws little current) be on and and an LED (which also consumes little power) flashes, while a buzzer used to sound the alarm uses much energy by comparison. Of course, keeping one's house fire-free at (mostly) all times is usually done because of other benefits than just saving on batteries, such as preventing fire damage to valuable property, infrastructure, and human bodies.<br />
<br />
'''Tired of clogged toilets? Try leaving the lid on the upper chamber and use only the lower bowl!''': The upper chamber, or water bowl, delivers plain water to the lower bowl at speed to flush the latter. As such, the pipes that direct the water down are not wide enough for waste to pass. There is typically a lid on the upper bowl because it isn't intended to be used, but access is occasionally needed to fix or replace the flushing mechanisms. The lower bowl, on the other hand, is the only one intended to receive solid waste or defecation and is connected to the plumbing by pipes wide enough for this purpose.<br />
<br />
'''Fresh air doesn't have to be expensive. Many windows can be slid up to create a temporary hole without the usual cost and cleanup!''': This suggests that the people he appeals to typically smash a window or smash holes in their walls to get fresh air, hence the expensive clean up. Alternatively this may refer to air fresheners sold in stores, which would cost money compared to opening a window and letting in fresh air from outdoors. <br />
<br />
The title text talks about shoes lasting longer and being more comfortable when they are not worn into a shower. People typically remove all their clothing, including and/or especially shoes (except perhaps for some lightweight sandals to protect the feet in public showers), when showering, so while it is certainly true that removing ones shoes before showering will allow them to last longer and stink less (since getting them wet without methods of getting them fully dry would produce malodorous molds), this is not in any way a novel idea.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1714:_Volcano_Types&diff=1245421714: Volcano Types2016-08-01T17:06:41Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Joke volcanoes */ Fixed typo.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1714<br />
| date = August 1, 2016<br />
| title = Volcano Types<br />
| image = volcano_types.png<br />
| titletext = It's hard living somewhere with antlions, because every time you find one of their traps, you feel compelled to spend all day constructing a tiny model of Jabba's sail barge next to it.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic presents a table of 12 different types of volcano. Split into 3 rows, the first 4 are authentic types of volcano; while the remaining 8 are parodies.<br />
<br />
===Real volcanoes===<br />
* {{w|Cinder cone}}: small, steep-sided volcano formed of {{w|scoria}} and ash.<br />
* {{w|Shield volcano}}: wide, rounded volcano formed of solidified lava flow.<br />
* {{w|Stratovolcano}}: large volcano formed of layers (strata) from multiple eruptions.<br />
* {{w|Somma volcano}}: new volcanic cone in the middle of an old collapsed volcanic crater.<br />
<br />
===Joke volcanoes===<br />
* Metasomma volcano: nested layers of new volcanoes formed inside of old ones. "Meta" is a prefix that often denotes recursion.<br />
* Waffle cone: type of pastry that ice cream is served in, wholly unrelated to volcano cones.<br />
* Science fair cone: common elementary science experiment that is often used as a project for science fairs. A structure is built to resemble a model volcano and is filled with a mix of baking soda, vinegar, and sometimes food coloring. The reaction between baking soda and vinegar quickly produces a large amount of carbon dioxide, creating a foam that overflows and mimics a volcanic eruption. This is also the subject of [[1611: Baking Soda and Vinegar]].<br />
* Doot cone: This refers to an internet meme involving a skull playing a trumpet. "Doot" represents the sound made by the trumpet. See http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/skull-trumpet<br />
* {{w|Antlion}}: burrowing insect that digs a conical hole to catch prey at the larval stage<br />
* Inverse Volcano: as the name implies, a regular volcano but reversed. A real volcano consists of solid rock on the outside, magma on the inside and spewing lava from the top.<br />
* Ghost Vent: cone with ghosts coming out of it. It may be a reference to {{w|Scientology}}, where part of the faith states that the souls of aliens were stored in a volcano from which they later escaped. The ghosts could also refer to the {{w|Pac-Man}} video game.<br />
* Pedant's Bane: the joke is that people sometimes confuse magma and lava, which are different names for the same heated liquid rock. Magma becomes lava when it emerges from a volcano. Pedant's Bane is therefore impossible by definition but if it were possible, then a pedant correcting someone's description of it would be wrong. Alternatively, the illustration itself could be Pedant's Bane because a pedant would be lured into pointing out how wrong it is.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to a famous scene in ''{{w|Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi}}'' where [[wikia:c:starwars:Jabba the Hutt|Jabba the Hutt]] intends to feed [[wikia:c:starwars:Luke Skywalker|Luke Skywalker]] to the [[wikia:c:starwars:sarlacc|sarlaac]], an underground creature that builds a huge funnel trap similar to that of an antlion. [[wikia:c:starwars:Khetanna|Jabba's distinctive sail barge]] features prominently in that scene.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[Twelve drawings of different volcano types, some real and some nonsense]<br />
:- Cinder Cone<br />
:- Shield Volcano<br />
:- StratoVolcano<br />
:- Somma Volcano<br />
:- MetaSomma Volcano<br />
:- Waffle Cone<br />
:- Science Fair Cone<br />
:- Doot Cone<br />
:- Antlion<br />
:- Inverse Volcano<br />
:- Ghost Vent<br />
:- Pedant's Bane<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Star Wars]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1707:_xkcd_Phone_4&diff=1234071707: xkcd Phone 42016-07-15T18:32:04Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1707<br />
| date = July 15, 2016<br />
| title = xkcd Phone 4<br />
| image = xkcd_phone_4.png<br />
| titletext = The SpaceX system carefully guides falling phones down to the surface, a process which the phones increasingly often survive without exploding.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Not everything explained}}<br />
<br />
<br />
This is another entry in the xkcd Phone series (see [[1363: xkcd Phone]], [[1465: xkcd Phone 2]] and [[1549: XKCD Phone 3]]), and once again, the comic plays with many standard tech buzzwords to create a phone that sounds impressive but would actually be very impractical.<br />
<br />
From the top, going clockwise:<br />
* '''18,000 μAh (micro-Ampere hours) nickel-lithium-iron battery (non-rechargeable)''' Phone battery capacity is measured in {{w|ampere-hour}}s (which thanks to the magic of {{w|dimensional analysis}}, is just an unusual way of denoting electric charge, which equals 3600 Coulombs). Usually, the capacity is quoted in milliampere-hours (one-thousandth, or 10^-3, of an ampere hour); however, this one is quoted in ''micro''ampere-hours (one-millionth, or 10^-6, of an ampere-hour), presumably as a marketing ploy to give a more impressive-looking number. Quoted in more standard terms, this phone's battery capacity is 18 mAh. In comparison, an iPhone 6+ has a battery capacity of 2,750 mAh. This phone's battery is dreadful (under a typical current draw of 0.1A, it would power the phone for about 11 minutes). There is no such thing as a nickel-lithium-iron battery - rather, it's a garbled version of the experimental {{w|nickel–lithium battery}} and the common {{w|lithium ion battery}} (which does not contain any iron) or the lithium-iron-phosphate battery, often called lithium-iron, but more often called the LiFePO battery. The {{w|nickel–iron battery}} does exist, but it's ''terrible'' for most applications. Worse, this battery is non-rechargeable, meaning that it would have to be replaced to use the phone again after it is exhausted (every 11 minutes, at that!).<br />
* '''Subwoofer''' - A {{w|subwoofer}} is a large bass speaker, which this is not. Some phones do have high-quality speakers for playing music, but these are not placed right next to the earpiece - this would be a surefire way to deafen your users. When put next to Dog Whistle, this is probably a pun, since both relate to dogs; the sound a dog makes, at least in English is "Woof".<br />
* '''"Dog whistle"''' - A {{w|dog whistle}} is a high-pitched whistle that humans cannot hear, but dogs can. In speaker terminology, a bass speaker is called a {{w|woofer}} because it could reproduce the low pitch of a dog bark. A treble speaker is a {{w|tweeter}}; if this "whistle" is actually a speaker, it might be termed a ''supertweeter''. This might also be a reference to the idea of making racily charged statements to appeal to racist voters while not being overtly racist. The scare quotes around the term add to the idea that whatever it is called is not what it really is.<br />
* '''Non-porous, washable''' - On the one hand, it's rare for a phone to be made of porous materials. On the other, there are legitimately waterproof phones that seal the speakers and ports with rubber.<br />
* '''''WebMD'' partnership: cough-activated feature reads aloud a random diagnosis for "coughing"''' - {{w|WebMD}} is a website to help people diagnose themselves. For the vast majority of people, a cough just means an irritated throat or maybe a cold, but selecting randomly from all WebMD diagnoses gives some much more ominous - if very unlikely - ones, including {{w|ricin}} poisoning, {{w|plague}}, {{w|lung cancer}} and {{w|radiation poisoning}}.<br />
* '''Wings''' - These wings resemble the ones found on {{w|sanitary towel}}s (sometimes called "pads", making this a possible iPad pun) which attach the pad to the {{w|gusset}} and keep it in place between the woman's legs during her period.<br />
* '''Beveled bezel''' - The ''bezel'' is the ring around the edge of watches and screens. This one's {{w|bevel}}ed, which means it's cut at an angle.<br />
* '''Bezeled bevel''' - Punning on the above. Doesn't make much sense, but could mean that it features a beveled edge which is surrounded by a bezel.<br />
* '''Seedless''' - Fruit such as grapes can be "seedless", which means that they're grown from a special {{w|cultivar}} that doesn't grow seeds in the normal way. Making a phone seedless probably won't do anything, but {{w|Random seed|it might hurt}} its {{w|random number generator}}.<br />
* '''Water resistant down to 30 meters and below 50''' - {{w|Water resistance}} is often measured in terms of how deep an object can be submerged, since pressure increases with depth. In this case, the phone can be submerged to almost any depth, but there's an odd lacuna between 30 meters and 50 meters.<br />
* '''Turing-complete''' - A computer is {{w|Turing completeness|Turing complete}} if it can perform all the operations needed to simulate a {{w|Turing machine}}. All modern computers are usually described as Turing complete, which would make this not very impressive, but no computer can ever be Turing complete in the truest sense (since they can only ever have a finite amount of memory) - if the xkcd Phone 4 is truly a universal computer, it's ''very'' impressive indeed.<br />
* '''Gregorian/Julian calendar date switch''' - The {{w|Julian calendar}} is the predecessor to the modern {{w|Gregorian calendar}} - the difference is that the two calendars calculate leap years differently. The Julian calendar is still used occasionally - mainly by Eastern Orthodox Christians - but it's not something so vital that it needs a hardwired switch on the front of the phone.<br />
* '''''SpaceX'' impact protection: when dropped, phone lands on barge''' - The rocket company {{w|SpaceX}} recently trialed a {{w|SpaceX reusable launch system development program|reusable rocket stage}} which after separating from the launch vehicle, lands on a {{w|Autonomous spaceport drone ship|drone barge}} to be reused. The alt-text pokes fun at the number of SpaceX rockets that [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3wZRdg-Tmo crashed and exploded] before they got the landing gear right.<br />
* '''Parallel port''' - A {{w|parallel port}} is a type of interface which transfers high-volume simultaneous data. It was often used to connect printers and other devices to computers, but was generally considered obsolete by the time smartphones began to appear on the market, and would be very bulky and slow compared to the USB ports generally used in phones. It was commonly found together with {{w|serial port}}s, which are used for low-volume sequential data such as [[485: Depth|mouse]] [[1110: Click and Drag|movements]]. Here it is paired with a serial interface for analog data with parallel outputs for several people.<br />
* '''12 headphone jacks''' - Phones often include a single headphone jack to allow the user to privately listen to a call, play music, etc. Twelve of them would be pointless overkill, especially given the difficulty of getting twelve people close enough to all use their headphones. Presumably joking about the [http://www.businessinsider.com.au/apple-headphone-jack-iphone-side-effects-2016-7#/#smaller-headphone-makers-would-be-at-a-disadvantage-4 constant rumours] that Apple's next iPhone will not have any headphone jacks, and the weird vents on the bottom of the phone.<br />
* '''Onboard cloud''' - The "cloud" is a catch-all term for the use of remote computers to store data, providing a backup if all local copies are lost and allowing the data to be accessed from a broad network. An "onboard cloud" would thus be a contradiction in terms, and appears to be a marketing ploy to use the "cloud" buzzword to describe the device's onboard storage capacity.<br />
* '''New BrightGlo<sup>TM</sup> display incorporates genetically spliced jellyfish protein (should have used the glowing genes, not the stinging ones)''' - {{w|Aequorea victoria}} jellyfish contain a protein called {{w|green fluorescent protein}}, the gene for which has been isolated and can be used in many ways. Unfortunately, they took the wrong gene, and ended up getting [http://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12864-015-1568-3 one of the hundreds of proteins from jellyfish venom], which will presumably mean that touching the screen becomes a painful experience.<br />
* '''✓ Certified''' - Not certified for anything in particular.<br />
* '''Software-defined''' {{w|Software-defined radio}}s are quite popular in some areas, meaning the radio hardware is quite universal and can be adapted to different radio protocols just by changing software. SDR would actually be quite a nice feature for a cellphone. Of course it doesn't specify if it's the radio that is software defined.<br />
* '''Exposed ductwork''' - A phone shouldn't even have ductwork, unless it has a very sophisticated cooling system, but this could supply air to the dog whistle. Exposed ductwork is a trademark of {{w|Bowellism|Bowellist}} architecture such as the {{w|Lloyd's Building}} in London and the {{w|Pompidou Centre}} in Paris. Exposed ductwork is also considered a crucial flaw in a death star. May also refer to a transparent window in the side of the phone allowing the user to see the circuitry inside, similar to computer cases with transparent side panels popular among DIY computing enthusiasts.<br />
* '''Voice interaction: {{w|Siri (software)|Siri}}, {{w|Cortana (software)|Cortana}}, {{w|Google Now}} and {{w|Amazon Echo|Alexa}} respond simultaneously''' - These are all {{w|intelligent personal assistant software}} (from Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon respectively) and all do the same thing: control your phone and answer questions using speech recognition. Having all four talk at once would mean you'd have a total cacophony while gaining nothing.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Smartphones]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1706:_Genetic_Testing&diff=1233101706: Genetic Testing2016-07-14T04:23:17Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1706<br />
| date = July 13, 2016<br />
| title = Genetic Testing<br />
| image = genetic_testing.png<br />
| titletext = Plus, now I know that I have risk factors for elbow dysplasia, heartworm, parvo, and mange.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Cueball]] has sent his DNA to a {{w|genetic genealogy}} company. Unfortunately, he apparently sent it to a {{w|purebred dog|dog pedigree}} company, meaning that the results show what dog his DNA matches. [[Megan]] thusly comments that he sent it to the wrong company. Only [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/12/1207_051207_dog_genome.html 5% of DNA] is shared between humans and dogs, so we are genetically very different. That the DNA test was able to return such a precise prediction worries Cueball, and leads him to believe that he may be more canine than human. He decides to abstain from eating chocolate, because he figures he is probably highly susceptible to {{w|theobromine poisoning|poisoning from theobromine}}, a compound found in chocolates which causes seizures and heart failure in dogs (and many other creatures). Basically, if Cueball really is a dog, then eating chocolate could kill him.<br />
<br />
One would hope both human and canine DNA analyzing services would be able to tell if the sample they received was not from the species they were set up to analyze. In this comic, either the dog pedigree company couldn't determine the error, or Cueball is actually a dog with excellent human impersonation skills.<br />
<br />
===Title Text===<br />
The title text refers to the fact that certain dog breeds are more or less susceptible to disease. The diseases he mentions, {{w|elbow dysplasia}}, {{w|Dirofilaria immitis|heartworm}}, {{w|parvovirus|parvo virus}} and {{w|mange}} are several diseases that can end up killing, disfiguring or disabling dogs. While the information is useful for dog owners, as it tells them what diseases they should keep an eye out for, it is unnecessary for humans, as we can express illnesses to other people, and are largely unaffected by these diseases. However, knowing your ancestors (as Cueball was trying to do) is important for figuring out your family's family history. Had he received legitimate results, he could then look for diseases his ancestors had (or died of) and thus, he would be aware of the risk factors, exactly like he ended up with, albeit irrelevant for him.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
:[Cueball and Megan are talking to each other]<br />
:Cueball: I sent a DNA sample to one of those "Trace your ancestry" projects.<br />
:Megan: How legit are those?<br />
:Cueball: No idea. I just figured it'd be fun.<br />
<br />
:Six weeks later...<br />
:[Cueball walks towards Megan with a letter in his hand]<br />
:Cueball: Sweet, got my results back.<br />
:Megan: Ooh, share!<br />
<br />
:Ancestry Report<br />
::48% Labrador Retriever<br />
::35% Beagle<br />
::12% Cocker Spaniel<br />
::5% Other<br />
<br />
:[Megan is holding the report]<br />
:Megan: I think you sent your sample to the wrong service.<br />
:Cueball: Just in case, I should probably start avoiding chocolate.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1704:_Gnome_Ann&diff=1230761704: Gnome Ann2016-07-08T17:24:32Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Table of quotes */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1704<br />
| date = July 8, 2016<br />
| title = Gnome Ann<br />
| image = gnome_ann.png<br />
| titletext = In the words of Andrew Johnson, if I am to be shot at, I want Gnome Ann to be in the way of the bullet.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Include a [[#Table of quotes|table]] with individual explanations for each quote.}}<br />
This comic presents a series of images depicting a female {{w|gnome}} who is known as "Gnome Ann". The humor derives from the fact that the name "Gnome Ann" and the compound noun "no man" are {{w|homophone}}s, meaning they sound alike but have different meanings and spellings.<br />
(Users of the {{w|GNOME|Gnome desktop system}} may have difficulties understanding this since they pronounce Gnome with a hard "g", reflecting its {{w|GNU}} ties.)<br />
<br />
[[Randall]] presents the reader with six images (and a title text) captioned with quotations from a wide range of sources, each featuring an instance of the compound noun "no man" being replaced by "Gnome Ann" (and featuring a drawing that reflects this change). There is one proverb, two Biblical quotations, two literary quotations (the {{w|Miguel de Cervantes|Cervantes}} quote is from ''{{w|Don Quixote}}'', the other one is from {{w|Lord of the Rings}}, the line {{w|Éowyn}} said to the {{w|Witch-king_of_Angmar|Witch-king of Angmar}} before killing him), one quotation from the opening of a television show (''{{w|Star Trek: The Original Series}}''), and a quotation from a piece of historical rhetoric in the title text.<br />
<br />
The process by which "no man" becomes "nom an" (and hence Gnome Ann) is known as {{w|false splitting}}, and is a familiar process of word formation in English and other languages; examples include {{w|Vipera_berus#Etymologies|"an adder" from "a nadder"}} and "lone" from "(all) one".<br />
<br />
===Table of quotes===<br />
{{Notice|Table needs to be filled in.}}<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
|-<br />
! Quote<br />
! Reference<br />
! Explanation<br />
|- <br />
| quote 1 || reference 1 || explanation 1<br />
|-<br />
| quote 2 || reference 2 || explanation 2<br />
|-<br />
| quote 3 || reference 3 || explanation 3<br />
|-<br />
| quote 4 || reference 4 || explanation 4<br />
|-<br />
| quote 5 || reference 5 || explanation 5<br />
|-<br />
| quote 6 || reference 6 || explanation 6<br />
|-<br />
| quote 7 || reference 7 || explanation 7<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Caption above the panels.]<br />
:The <big>Legend</big> of <big>Gnome Ann</big><br />
<br />
:[At the beach, between a clock hanging in the air, showing 10 past 10 and the shoreline, Gnome Ann, a woman with curly hair and a black triangular hat, stands with her arms outstretched towards the clock and the sea. For each of the first five panels a text is written within a frame above the drawings.]<br />
:Time and tide wait for Gnome Ann.<br />
<br />
:[Gnome Ann running in from the left frame with her arms out chases three Cueball like men running from her towards right. The one closest to her looks over his shoulder at her, the next runs forward "normally" and the last in front throws up his arms in the air.]<br />
:The wicked flee when Gnome Ann pursueth. <br />
:-<small>Proverbs 28:1</small><br />
<br />
:[Gnome Ann takes the groom's place in a wedding, shoving him to the side. The groom, Hairy with a bow tie, falls while throwing his arms out. The bride stands to the left, in full wedding dress, showing no reaction.]<br />
:What therefore God hath joined together, let Gnome Ann put asunder.<br />
:-<small>Mark 10:9</small><br />
<br />
:[Gnome Ann sits in a yoga position meditating on a big rock in a desolate area with small rocks on the ground around the big rock.]<br />
:Time ripens all things; Gnome Ann is born wise. <br />
:-<small>Miguel De Cervantes</small><br />
<br />
:[The starship Enterprise from Star Trek is seen from behind as it flies to the right, chasing a smaller craft. In this panel the frame with text is shown to emanate from Enterprise with a zig zag arrow pointing to the starship.]<br />
:Enterprise: Our Mission: To boldly go where Gnome Ann has gone before.<br />
<br />
:[The Witch-king of Angmar, Lord of the Nazgûl, from the Lord of the Rings sits on his knees (below the frame) to the left of Gnome Ann, who is preparing to stab him with a sword pointing at his head. She is also holding her other arm out towards him. The Witch-king has a black cloak covering his head and body with a kind of crown with six small spikes shown around his head and one large spike in front. It also goes down on each side of his head showing a gaping hole instead of a face. In this panel the text is spoken by the two characters.]<br />
:Witch-king: Fool! No man can kill me.<br />
:Gnome Ann: '''''I Am Gnome Ann!'''''<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]] <br />
[[Category:Time]]<br />
[[Category:Star Trek]]<br />
[[Category:LOTR]]<br />
[[Category:Philosophy]]<br />
[[Category:Religion]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1701:_Speed_and_Danger&diff=122640Talk:1701: Speed and Danger2016-07-01T14:28:50Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~--><br />
I think this might be a strong contender for worst comic on xkcd. Although [[1384: Krypton]] definitely makes for stiff competition. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.102|108.162.216.102]] 14:28, 1 July 2016 (UTC)</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1701:_Speed_and_Danger&diff=1226391701: Speed and Danger2016-07-01T14:25:56Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1701<br />
| date = July 1, 2016<br />
| title = Speed and Danger<br />
| image = speed_and_danger.png<br />
| titletext = NASCAR removed the passenger seats because drivers hated how astronauts kept riding along with them and loudly announcing "Ahh, what a nice and relaxing drive."<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Very early explanation. Please elaborate further.}}<br />
<br />
Here, Randall makes the truly astounding observation that the danger of a crash is directly proportional to its speed.<br />
<br />
This comic is notable for containing the fewest samples of any plot-point graph featured on xkcd.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=355:_Couple&diff=122602355: Couple2016-06-30T15:50:23Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 355<br />
| date = December 10, 2007<br />
| title = Couple<br />
| image = couple.png<br />
| titletext = Facebook defines relationships. 'Yeah, we would have broken up last night, but the net connection was down.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
It's hard to know when you are in a relationship in modern times. In olden days you might fancy a girl, and then ask her father if you might court her, and if he granted his permission you would be a couple. Today, that kind of structure and formality is terrifyingly antiquated; as a result we don't have any of the straightforward cues.<br />
<br />
This comic suggests that "making it Facebook official", which means asserting the existence of a romantic relationship on Facebook by setting one's status to "In a relationship", has recently become a way to define when you are a couple. [[Cueball]] would like to do it, probably after having sex for the first time with his love interest, to get confidence in his relationship and/or show it off to his friends. Because his love interest isn't so sure about that relationship, or doesn't like to formalize it and prefers to enjoy without thinking too much about it, he suggests a compromise: using the "It's complicated" status instead. And he does so with a phrasing very reminiscent of a formal way to propose to marry someone ("Will you be my wife?").<br />
<br />
The title text takes it a step further, suggesting that {{w|Facebook}} has become the only reliable way to know about relationships — even so, without access to Facebook, relationships can't evolve.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and Megan in bed.]<br />
:Cueball: So is this it? Are we a couple now?<br />
<br />
:Megan: I just don't know. I like this. I just... don't know.<br />
<br />
:[Silence.]<br />
<br />
:Cueball: Well will you be my "it's complicated" on Facebook?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Romance]]<br />
[[Category:Social networking]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=225:_Open_Source&diff=122591225: Open Source2016-06-29T22:39:03Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 225<br />
| date = February 19, 2007<br />
| title = Open Source<br />
| image = open source.png<br />
| titletext = Later we'll dress up like Big Oil thugs and jump Ralph Nader.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|Richard Stallman}}, or ''rms'' after his handle, is an old-school hacker known these days primarily for establishing the {{w|Free Software Foundation}} and initiating the {{w|GNU Project}} in the early 1980s, which produced major portions of what would later be the {{w|Linux|GNU/Linux}} operating system. In this capacity, he's also known for being one of the most ardent and outspoken proponents of {{w|free software}}, sometimes called {{w|open source software}}. In fact, his advocacy is so emphatic and polemical that he has garnered active dislike from traditionalists who believe that software {{w|source code}} should be retained as a trade secret by its developer(s). Stallman has expressed that he did not even wish to be in a comic using the word '''Open Source''', see the [[#Trivia|trivia]] section.<br />
<br />
While this dislike may not rise to the level of hiring {{w|ninja}} assassins to remove him from the world, it is strong. The joke of the comic, as it also turns out, is that the two ninjas were just out to have a fun time teasing Stallman, and they seemed to know that Stallmans paranoia about {{w|Microsoft}} makes him sleep with no less than two {{w|katana}} swords near his bed. This type of swords were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords that were used by the {{w|samurai}} of feudal Japan. A ninja was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. Their covert methods of waging irregular warfare were deemed "dishonorable" and "beneath" the samurai-caste, who observed strict rules about honor and combat. So this makes sense in this comic with Stallman the samurai and the ninjas the lackeys of the oppressing Microsoft (at least in his mind). It also turns out that they specifically chooses a target for their raids that have reason to be paranoid of come larger companies that might send someone after them, and thus sleeps with weapons near their bed. Stallman has received a Katana due to this comic, see the [[#Trivia|trivia]] section.<br />
<br />
{{w|GPL}} refers to the 'GNU General Public License', which is a copyright license written by the FSF that covers much GNU software and plenty of other free software besides. It stipulates that software so copyrighted must always be provided along with full source code, and that everyone in possession of such software is free to use, study, modify, and redistribute it for any purpose whatsoever (including sale or resale) provided they give due credit to any other contributing developers, also provide access to the complete source code, and retain all copyright notices.<br />
<br />
Legally, this gives all users of such software exactly the same rights under copyright as the developer(s), and prevents any developers from ever taking away those rights from users, which is the defining feature of '{{w|Free software#Definition|free-as-in-libre}}' software. It also has the effect of making all software ''derived'' from GPL software thereby also GPL, even if 'derived' merely means 'borrowed a few lines of code from'. Some (e.g. Microsoft's {{w|Steve Ballmer}}) have therefore argued that this makes GPL software behave as a kind of {{w|viral license|'license virus'}}, which spreads GPL-guaranteed freedoms to any software used in close conjunction with GPL'd software during development, such that businesses should actively avoid adopting {{w|FOSS|free and open source software}}, so as not to jeopardize software developers' legal standing with regard to {{w|proprietary software|proprietary IP copyright}}s.<br />
<br />
During the attack Richard Stallman begins to speak like he quotes an old play. For instance the wording "For a GNU dawn!" is pronounced "For a g'new dawn!", following the pronunciation of {{w|GNU}}, so it is a version of ''New Dawn'', a sentence used often in fiction. He even gets annoyed when it turns out the ninjas just run away, he had clearly waited a long time to, even looking forward to, defending him self with his katanas.<br />
<br />
Because as it turned out that the two "ninjas" made a prank with him, and they realized that they had so much fun out of Stallman that they plan to do more of these nightly raids even mentioning two other possible future targets on their way out of the window:<br />
<br />
{{w|Eric S. Raymond}} is a famous {{w|Hacker (programmer subculture)|hacker}} who wrote {{w|The Cathedral and the Bazaar}} and has been something of an unofficial spokesperson for open source as a {{w|Open-source software development|software development methodology}}. The plan to prank Eric Raymond could be a bad one since he is an experienced martial artist, swordsman, and firearm enthusiast. However, this seems to be the attraction of these two "ninjas" as can be seen by what they seems to know about their other possible target:<br />
<br />
{{w|Linus Torvalds}} is the creator of the {{w|Linux kernel}}, an free/open source operating system kernel inspired by the {{w|Unix}} kernel, which proved to be the final component that, combined with then pre-existing GNU system functions and {{w|userland}} components, produced the first fully free operating system, {{w|Linux}}. The plan to prank Torvalds would at first sound more boring as the mild-mannered Finn, while known to be strongly, abrasively opinionated, is otherwise mostly harmless. However, one of the ninjas seems to know otherwise since it is rumored that Linus sleeps with {{w|nunchaku|nunchucks}} in the same way that Stallman sleeps with two katana swords. The ''nunchaku'' is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks connected at one end by a short chain or rope.<br />
<br />
A third possible target of this prank is mentioned in the title text. {{w|Ralph Nader}} is a famous consumer rights advocate, most famous for the 1965 book {{w|Unsafe at Any Speed}} and for running for US President in 2000. Nader was an environmentalist, a member of the Green Party, and supported clean energy, thus he should naturally be opposed to the Big Oil companies.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[The first panel has the second panel inside it. It also has a slightly light gray background color. Just above the inlaid second panel is Richard Stallman lying in his bead sleeping, the bottom part at the foot of the bed is hidden behind the second panel below. Below his bed under his head lies a katana sword in it's sheath, and another one hangs in it's sheath behind the end of the bed. Two ninjas with black cloth around their heads and swords jump through the skylight smashing it so glass scatters around them. Each of them is hanging one handed from the same rope coming down from the skylight. The rope ends just above the inlaid frame below. The two ninjas shouts at Richard Stallman, from four speech bubbles which have pointy ends to indicate how the two alternately speaks. (These bubbles are white not gray).]<br />
:Richard Stallman: ''Zzzz''<br />
:Top Ninja: Richard Stallman! Your viral open source licenses have grown too powerful.<br />
:Bottom Ninja: The GPL must be stopped.<br />
:Top Ninja: At the source.<br />
:Bottom Ninja: You.<br />
<br />
:[In the second inlaid panel (with normal white background) Richard Stallman wakes up immediately, and while sitting up in bed he pulls out both his katana swords from their sheaths leaving the sheaths under and behind the bed. One hand is up in the air with the sword from behind the bed, and the other is still pointing down with the swords from below the bed. Lines indicate the fast movement of the swords. His three speech bubbles are like those of the ninjas, the last two even breaking the panel entering into the large first panel.]<br />
:Katana swords: Shing! Shing!<br />
:Richard Stallman: Hah! Microsoft lackeys! So it has come to this!<br />
:Richard Stallman: A night of blood I've long awaited. But be this my death or yours, free software will carry on! For a GNU dawn! For freedom!<br />
:Richard Stallman: ...Hey, where are you going?<br />
<br />
:[An outside scene at night with black sky. Richard Stallmans gray house can be seen with the broken white skylight on the roof. The ninjas are jumping out of a window at ground height while taking of their ninja cloth around their heads, holding them in their hand, thus revealing they both looks like Cueball. The first one is already on the grassy ground beneath the window his sword pointing down and left, the other just jumps from the window pane his sword pointing up and right. Again they have speech bubbles like before. It is not possible to tell which of the two ninjas from before is first out the window.]<br />
:Ninja in window: Man, you're right, that never gets old.<br />
:Ninja on the grass: Let's do Eric S. Raymond next.<br />
:Ninja in window: Or Linus Torvalds. I hear he sleeps with nunchucks.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*The phrase "So it has come to this" is the title of [[1022: So It Has Come To This]].<br />
*In [[1624: 2016]] [[Cueball]] smashes through the ceiling, also hanging on a rope, to wake a person in a bed. Not as a threat though, but still a very similar situation.<br />
*Because of this comic Stallman has [http://blog.xkcd.com/2007/04/19/life-imitates-xkcd-part-ii-richard-stallman/ been given a katana] by fans of xkcd. <br />
*At his [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHp_Vh9TESU#t=1645 talk at JCCC3] (as well as in a note in ''[http://store-xkcd-com.myshopify.com/products/xkcd-volume-0 xkcd: Volume Zero]''), [[Randall]] mentioned that the comic he originally published had the assassins say "free software" and Richard Stallman says "open source software". He swapped the two terms after complaints that Richard Stallman was [https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html opposed to the phrase "open source"]. Even after this change he got an e-mail from Stallman himself saying that he didn't even want to be portrayed in the same comic as the words "open source".<br />
*Stallman's well-known opposition to the term "open source" stems from the fact that "open source" refers specifically to a methodology for software development involving allowing customers to actively participate in development and testing of software products by giving them access to in-development source code and soliciting feedback; as such, the term was first adopted as a means to promote free software ideas to business interests. In contrast, Stallman and the FSF view free software as a political issue concerning the basic freedoms that should belong to all computer users, and thus 'open source' as an appeal to software businesses misses the point of getting individuals to think about their rights as users.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Richard Stallman]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1700:_New_Bug&diff=1225701700: New Bug2016-06-29T17:25:50Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1700<br />
| date = June 29, 2016<br />
| title = New Bug<br />
| image = new_bug.png<br />
| titletext = There's also a unicode-handling bug in the URL request library, and we're storing the passwords unsalted ... so if we salt them with emoji, we can close three issues at once!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|How does salting with emoji fix the unicode-handling bug in the URL request library? Does it really? Additionally, this explanation requires a thorough grammar and spelling fix from the fourth paragraph onward.}}<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]] asks if an off-panel character can look at his bug report. The person asks if it's a "normal one" and not a "horrifying" one which "proves that the whole project is broken beyond repair and should be burnt to the ground". This implies that there have been reports of the "horrifying" variety in the past. <br />
<br />
Cueball promises that it is a normal one but it turns out that the server crashes when a user's password is a resolvable URL, which implies that the server is in some way attempting to resolve passwords as if they were URLs. A resolvable URL is one that is syntactically correct and refers to a find-able and accessible resource on the internet (i.e. does not return a {{w|HTTP_404|404 error}} or equivalent when resolved). This can be because it contains a {{w|Fully_qualified_domain_name|fully qualified domain name}} or a valid ip address, and optionally (in either case) a resource that exists on the destination server.<br />
<br />
Also, Cueball specifically states that the server is crashing, rather than his application. While this could be an example of misused terminology on the part of Cueball or Randall, given Cueball's history his choice of terms is probably accurate. In the context of web services the server refers to either the computer itself or the program that responds to web requests and executes the user's (i.e. Cueball's) application. Cueball would be in charge of building the application. The importance of this distinction is that a typical system has safe guards in place at many levels to prevent a misbehaving application from crashing anything other than itself. So for his application to crash the server (either the computer itself or the server software hosting his application) would require his application to be operating in a way far outside of the norm. Alternatively, the project might include its own server software without the safeguards. <br />
<br />
While there appears to be little reason for the code that processes passwords to attempt to resolve the input string as a URL, then a common function in password programs is the functionality of assessing the strength of a password, using a combinations of heuristic testing for uniqueness, length, good use of mixed characters and dictionary lookups for common words -- this password function have extended the dictionary lookups to using {{w|DNS}} names and URLs, so people choosing a password like "XKCD.com" would be given a low strength score, even that no part of it is a dictionary word and it contain both upper, lower case and special characters. However, accessing the internet in any security function like password creation open up, not only possibility of new bugs like the one mentioned, but also a completely new set of security issues which is not what you want from a critical function handling passwords. Realizing the wealth of new security issues, the off-panel person resigns and decides that burning the project to the ground is the only solution, telling Cueball ''I'll get the {{w|Butane|lighter fluid}}''. <br />
<br />
In the title text another two issues with Cueballs program are mentioned together with a possible solution that would fix all three problems at once. The second problem is unicode-handling bug in the URL request library, and the third is that the passwords are stored unsalted. {{w|Salt (cryptography)|Salting}} passwords increases security in the event that the database is compromised by ensuring that users with the same password will not have the same password hash. This makes some attacks used to decipher hash databases, such as {{w|Rainbow table|rainbow tables}}, effectively impossible.<br />
<br />
The proposed solution is to salt the passwords with {{w|emoji}}, which is claimed to solve all three issues at once.<br />
<br />
When the passwords are salted with emoji, the URL request library will fail to resolve any (salted) passwords because emoji are not valid characters in URLs. Since the server only crashes on ''resolvable'' URLs, this should mean the server won't crash anymore. In addition, the passwords will now be salted.<br />
<br />
Given that this comic comes only five comics after [[1695: Code Quality 2]] is seems likely that the off-panel person is [[Ponytail]] and as could be seen in the first of those two comics, [[1513: Code Quality]], the perpetrator is indeed Cueball. In the title text of this first one, using emoji in variable names is mentioned.<br />
<br />
In [[1349: Shouldn't Be Hard]] Cueball is also programming and finding it very difficult in-spite that he thinks is should be easy. An off-panel person suggest burning the computer down with a blowtorch much like the off-panel person in this one suggest burning the whole project (including the computer) to the ground with lighter fluid. In the very next comic, the multi storyline [[1350: Lorenz]], one [http://xkcd.com/1350/#p:2ed958de-badf-11e3-8001-002590d77bdd story line] results in a computer being [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/a6/lorenz_-_laptop_9.png burned with a blow torch].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball sits at his desk in front of his computer leaning back and turning away from it to speak to a person off-panel.]<br />
:Cueball: Can you take a look at the bug I just opened?<br />
:Off-panel voice: Uh oh.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom out and pan to show only Cueball sitting on his chair facing away from the computer, which is now off-panel. The person speaking to him is still of panel even though this panel is much broader.]<br />
:Off-panel voice: Is this a '''normal''' bug, or one of those horrifying ones that prove your whole project is broken beyond repair and should be burned to the ground?<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on Cueballs head and upper torso.]<br />
:Cueball: It's a normal one this time, I promise.<br />
:Off-panel voice: OK, what's the bug?<br />
<br />
:[Back to a view similar to the first panel where Cueball has turned towards the computer and points at the screen with one hand.]<br />
:Cueball: The server crashes if a user's password is a resolvable URL.<br />
:Off-panel voice: I'll get the lighter fluid.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]<br />
[[Category:Programming]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1699:_Local_News&diff=122440Talk:1699: Local News2016-06-27T17:22:46Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div>The title text is not saying that a tachyonic antitelephone will be the *achievement* of all time - it is saying that the term 'tachyonic antitelephone' is the greatest *term* of all time.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.37|141.101.104.37]] 17:15, 27 June 2016 (UTC)Jesper<br />
: I'd say it's more ominous than that. The invention of the tachyonic antitelephone causes a total collapse in human society, ending all forward progress in the sciences. And thus, the term "tachyonic antitelephone" is never surpassed, because it heralds the end of humanity. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.102|108.162.216.102]] 17:22, 27 June 2016 (UTC)</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1697:_Intervocalic_Fortition&diff=122294Talk:1697: Intervocalic Fortition2016-06-23T02:49:33Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~--><br />
If they can't see through such transparent trickery, they must not be very cunning linguists. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.102|108.162.216.102]] 02:49, 23 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The idea, stated in the alt-text, that "meh" was created by writers of "The Simpsons", is incorrect. "The Simpsons", however, was responsible for widely popularizing it. See [http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2013/09/06/meh_etymology_tracing_the_yiddish_word_from_leo_rosten_to_auden_to_the_simpsons.html] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meh] [[User:Dubaaron|Dubaaron]] ([[User talk:Dubaaron|talk]]) 04:31, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Is it really saying that ''The Simpsons'' created the word? All it says is that it introduced the word, which does not seem to imply that it didn't exist before. If I introduce a friend of mine to another person, I most likely did not just create that other person, and there is no reason to believe that it should be any different for words.[[User:Mulan15262|Mulan15262]] ([[User talk:Mulan15262|talk]]) 13:24, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
::I don't think that "writers on The Simpsons decided to mess with future linguists" means "writers of The Simpsons introduced the word". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.13|108.162.221.13]] 14:25, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"The" ends in a lax vowel, and it's the most ubiquitous word in the language, so that rule is wrong. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.10|108.162.221.10]] 04:45, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: I've always seen "lax vowel" referring to full (unreduced) vowels. When unstressed, the vowel in "the" is reduced (/ðə/), and when stressed it's tense (/ði:/). [[Special:Contributions/188.114.109.66|188.114.109.66]] 05:08, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: Furthermore, the lax vowel is only used if 'the' is followed by another syllable, and so the utterance will not be lax-vowel-final. {{unsigned ip|162.158.2.219}}<br />
<br />
::: How does that matter? The rule as stated was about the ending of words, not of utterances. [[User:Huttarl|Huttarl]] ([[User talk:Huttarl|talk]]) 19:21, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::Rules exists in reality, not as statements made by mathematicians or Randall. The actual rule is '' English doesn't allow utterances to end in a lax vowel''. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.13|108.162.221.13]] 22:55, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::What the? That can't be right... {{unsigned ip|162.158.83.102}}<br />
<br />
Questions. Is this happening in (American) English? is "adverb" becoming /adferb/. Any other examples?[[User:Zeimusu|Zeimusu]] ([[User talk:Zeimusu|talk]]) 05:55, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
: I scanned some 'v' words and didn't see much. A plural of [http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000293.html dwarf] discussion; similarly wharf splits into both wharfs and wharves. 'Halving' might benefit in the sense that the 'l' is silent so it sounds like 'having' and might be more clear as 'halfing'. I've also noticed a smattering of YouTubers writing "could of/should of" instead of contracting 'have', i.e, "could've/should've". [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 06:50, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
::The pronunciation of both ''of'' and ''&rsquo;ve'' is /əv/. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.13|108.162.221.13]] 13:35, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:No, I don't think this is really happening. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.77|141.101.98.77]] 11:22, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:"Adverb" doesn't have an intervocalic "v". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.13|108.162.221.13]] 14:21, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
::No, but the prank as stated in the comic "V's in the middle of words" applies to "adverb". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.178|108.162.237.178]] 15:34, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Yes, [[1677|absolutely]]. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.220|108.162.237.220]] 19:38, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It's quite surprising to see Randall misusing apostrophes to form plurals (i.e. V's and F's instead of the correct Vs and Fs).&nbsp; &ndash; [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.41|141.101.98.41]] 19:36, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:That's one of those gray/grey areas where the "rules" for apostrophes aren't firmly in place. Typographically, the apostrophe is (often) used to form plurals of lower case letters ("i's" and "m's" for clarity over "is" and "ms") and this exception tends to get carried over to capital letters, numbers, and symbols though the need for insuring clarity is reduced. It becomes a matter for style manuals rather than grammar manuals: do you follow the exception -- or the exception to the exception?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.98|108.162.221.98]] 21:07, 22 June 2016 (UTC)</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1697:_Intervocalic_Fortition&diff=122293Talk:1697: Intervocalic Fortition2016-06-23T02:49:01Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~--><br />
If they can't see through such transparent trickery, they must not be very cunning linguists. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.102|108.162.216.102]] 02:49, 23 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
The idea, stated in the alt-text, that "meh" was created by writers of "The Simpsons", is incorrect. "The Simpsons", however, was responsible for widely popularizing it. See [http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2013/09/06/meh_etymology_tracing_the_yiddish_word_from_leo_rosten_to_auden_to_the_simpsons.html] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meh] [[User:Dubaaron|Dubaaron]] ([[User talk:Dubaaron|talk]]) 04:31, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Is it really saying that ''The Simpsons'' created the word? All it says is that it introduced the word, which does not seem to imply that it didn't exist before. If I introduce a friend of mine to another person, I most likely did not just create that other person, and there is no reason to believe that it should be any different for words.[[User:Mulan15262|Mulan15262]] ([[User talk:Mulan15262|talk]]) 13:24, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
::I don't think that "writers on The Simpsons decided to mess with future linguists" means "writers of The Simpsons introduced the word". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.13|108.162.221.13]] 14:25, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"The" ends in a lax vowel, and it's the most ubiquitous word in the language, so that rule is wrong. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.10|108.162.221.10]] 04:45, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: I've always seen "lax vowel" referring to full (unreduced) vowels. When unstressed, the vowel in "the" is reduced (/ðə/), and when stressed it's tense (/ði:/). [[Special:Contributions/188.114.109.66|188.114.109.66]] 05:08, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: Furthermore, the lax vowel is only used if 'the' is followed by another syllable, and so the utterance will not be lax-vowel-final. {{unsigned ip|162.158.2.219}}<br />
<br />
::: How does that matter? The rule as stated was about the ending of words, not of utterances. [[User:Huttarl|Huttarl]] ([[User talk:Huttarl|talk]]) 19:21, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::Rules exists in reality, not as statements made by mathematicians or Randall. The actual rule is '' English doesn't allow utterances to end in a lax vowel''. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.13|108.162.221.13]] 22:55, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::What the? That can't be right... {{unsigned ip|162.158.83.102}}<br />
<br />
Questions. Is this happening in (American) English? is "adverb" becoming /adferb/. Any other examples?[[User:Zeimusu|Zeimusu]] ([[User talk:Zeimusu|talk]]) 05:55, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
: I scanned some 'v' words and didn't see much. A plural of [http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000293.html dwarf] discussion; similarly wharf splits into both wharfs and wharves. 'Halving' might benefit in the sense that the 'l' is silent so it sounds like 'having' and might be more clear as 'halfing'. I've also noticed a smattering of YouTubers writing "could of/should of" instead of contracting 'have', i.e, "could've/should've". [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 06:50, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
::The pronunciation of both ''of'' and ''&rsquo;ve'' is /əv/. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.13|108.162.221.13]] 13:35, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:No, I don't think this is really happening. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.77|141.101.98.77]] 11:22, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:"Adverb" doesn't have an intervocalic "v". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.13|108.162.221.13]] 14:21, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
::No, but the prank as stated in the comic "V's in the middle of words" applies to "adverb". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.178|108.162.237.178]] 15:34, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Yes, [[1677|absolutely]]. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.220|108.162.237.220]] 19:38, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It's quite surprising to see Randall misusing apostrophes to form plurals (i.e. V's and F's instead of the correct Vs and Fs).&nbsp; &ndash; [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.41|141.101.98.41]] 19:36, 22 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:That's one of those gray/grey areas where the "rules" for apostrophes aren't firmly in place. Typographically, the apostrophe is (often) used to form plurals of lower case letters ("i's" and "m's" for clarity over "is" and "ms") and this exception tends to get carried over to capital letters, numbers, and symbols though the need for insuring clarity is reduced. It becomes a matter for style manuals rather than grammar manuals: do you follow the exception -- or the exception to the exception?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.98|108.162.221.98]] 21:07, 22 June 2016 (UTC)</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1696:_AI_Research&diff=1221821696: AI Research2016-06-20T18:43:14Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1696<br />
| date = June 20, 2016<br />
| title = AI Research<br />
| image = ai_research.png<br />
| titletext = Lambda calculus? More like SHAMbda calculus, amirite?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Extremely basic summary. Fact-checking and serious cleanup needed.}}<br />
Developing {{w|Artificial Intelligence|Artificial Intelligence}} (AI) has been a challenge for a long time. Even to develop one with the intelligence of a six-year-old child would be a great milestone, and presumably a stepping stone on the path to making one with the intelligence of an adult human. As I understand it AI technology at the time of writing can at best produce something with the intelligence akin to a mouse, maybe less. In other words beings without much developed higher-order reasoning like that of humans or even some primates [citation needed]. <br />
<br />
In this comic, Randall jokingly suggests that in order to accomplish this goal, one can give him an AI that's already as smart as an adult, and let him teach it childish and stupid things. He is shown teaching it dumb jokes, much like the ones a sassy six-year-old would make. The humour in that he is essentially taking the AI, which is already at full human intelligence, and making it dumber, just by talking to it. This is not unlike the old joke, "The easiest way to make a small fortune on Wall Street [or similar] is to start with a large one."<br />
<br />
The specific situation may also be a reference to {{w|Tay (bot)|Tay}}, a Microsoft chatbot that was taught to {{w|internet troll|troll}} within hours of its exposure to the public.<br />
<br />
"Updog" refers to a light-hearted {{w|practical joke}} in which the perpetrator casually uses the neologism 'updog' in a sentence ("Hey, I'm going to get some updog, you want any?"). The unsuspecting listener is expected to be curious about the meaning of the neologism and ask the perpetrator its meaning, specifically in the format "What's 'updog'?", inadvertently invoking the highly casual greeting of "What's up, dawg?". The perpetrator then draws attention to this by replying along the lines of "Not much, you?", causing the target to realize the foolish thing they just said. Other neologisms used in the context of this joke include 'updoc', 'snoo', and 'samatta' ("What's up, doc?", "What's new?", and "What's the matter?", respectively).<br />
[Updog maybe just in America? Not other English-speaking countries? Please confirm. U.K. Confirmed as not common but has Variants.]<br />
<br />
{{w|Lambda calculus}} is an area of mathematical logic and theoretical computer science. It is a formal language which can express computation and evaluation. It is Turing Complete, which means it can do any computation which can be executed by a computer. However, it is very simple, consisting only of two primitive notions: ''abstraction'', which is forming a function and ''application'' which is applying a function to an input value. For example, a function which squares a given number can be written λx.x². Here the ''λ'' indicates an abstraction (hence the name ''lambda calculus''), the ''x'' is the input value and the output is ''x²''. As an example of application, if we apply this function to 5, we get (λx.x²)(5) = 5² = 25.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball (Or Randall) is standing in front of a computer with AI, he is attempting to teach the computer to say things.]<br />
:Cueball: Then you say "More like FARTificial intelligence!"<br />
:Computer: Understood.<br />
:Cueball: Great! Now let me teach you about "updog".<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:AI Tip: To develop a computer with the intelligence of a six-year-old child, start with one as smart as an adult and let me teach it stuff.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1696:_AI_Research&diff=1221811696: AI Research2016-06-20T18:35:29Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1696<br />
| date = June 20, 2016<br />
| title = AI Research<br />
| image = ai_research.png<br />
| titletext = Lambda calculus? More like SHAMbda calculus, amirite?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Extremely basic summary. Fact-checking and serious cleanup needed.}}<br />
Developing {{w|Artificial Intelligence|Artificial Intelligence}} (AI) has been a challenge for a long time. Even to develop one with the intelligence of a six-year-old child would be a great milestone, and presumably a stepping stone on the path to making one with the intelligence of an adult human. As I understand it AI technology at the time of writing can at best produce something with the intelligence akin to a mouse, maybe less. In other words beings without much developed higher-order reasoning like that of humans or even some primates [citation needed]. <br />
<br />
In this comic, Randall jokingly suggests that in order to accomplish this goal, one can give him an AI that's already as smart as an adult, and let him teach it childish and stupid things. He is shown teaching it dumb jokes, much like the ones a sassy six-year-old would make. The humour in that he is essentially taking the AI, which is already at full human intelligence, and making it dumber, just by talking to it. This is not unlike the old joke, "The easiest way to make a small fortune on Wall Street [or similar] is to start with a large one."<br />
<br />
The specific situation may also be a reference to {{w|Tay (bot)|Tay}}, a Microsoft chatbot that was taught to {{w|internet troll|troll}} within hours of its exposure to the public.<br />
<br />
"Updog" refers to a practical joke in which the perpetrator casually uses the neologism 'updog' in a sentence ("Hey, I'm going to get some updog, you want any?"). The unsuspecting listener is expected to be curious about the meaning of the neologism and ask the perpetrator its meaning, specifically in the format "What's 'updog'?", inadvertently invoking the highly casual greeting of "What's up, dawg?". The perpetrator then draws attention to this by replying along the lines of "Not much, you?", causing the target to realize the foolish thing they just said.<br />
[Updog maybe just in America? Not other English-speaking countries? Please confirm. U.K. Confirmed as not common but has Variants.]<br />
<br />
{{w|Lambda calculus}} is an area of mathematical logic and theoretical computer science. It is a formal language which can express computation and evaluation. It is Turing Complete, which means it can do any computation which can be executed by a computer. However, it is very simple, consisting only of two primitive notions: ''abstraction'', which is forming a function and ''application'' which is applying a function to an input value. For example, a function which squares a given number can be written λx.x². Here the ''λ'' indicates an abstraction (hence the name ''lambda calculus''), the ''x'' is the input value and the output is ''x²''. As an example of application, if we apply this function to 5, we get (λx.x²)(5) = 5² = 25.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball (Or Randall) is standing in front of a computer with AI, he is attempting to teach the computer to say things.]<br />
:Cueball: Then you say "More like FARTificial intelligence!"<br />
:Computer: Understood.<br />
:Cueball: Great! Now let me teach you about "updog".<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:AI Tip: To develop a computer with the intelligence of a six-year-old child, start with one as smart as an adult and let me teach it stuff.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1513:_Code_Quality&diff=1220761513: Code Quality2016-06-17T14:46:13Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1513<br />
| date = April 17, 2015<br />
| title = Code Quality<br />
| image = code quality.png<br />
| titletext = I honestly didn't think you could even USE emoji in variable names. Or that there were so many different crying ones.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is about the apprehension of asking for help from an expert who is a friend. Often we fear that we will be judged and they will think less of us, which is what occurs in this comic.<br />
<br />
[[Ponytail]] is about to look at some {{w|source code}} [[Cueball]] has written, and he is warning her that he is self-taught so his code probably won't be written the way she is used to.<br />
<br />
In spite of Ponytail's initial (polite) optimism, she comments in three increasingly harsh similes. <br />
<br />
First, she suggests that reading his code is like being in a house built by a child, using a small axe to put together what he thought was a house based on a picture. She is saying that the code shows a lack of command of the language being programmed. This is like the common expression "if the only tool you have is a hammer, you'll treat everything as if it were a nail". New programmers make use the same techniques repeatedly, making them fit for situations that they are not intended for.<br />
<br />
Second, she suggests that it looks like a salad recipe, written by a corporate lawyer on a phone with autocorrect that only corrected things to formulas from Microsoft Excel. She is saying that the code is verbose and the corrections that were done are illogical. This presumably relates to the developer not being an expert in their craft, and fixing the problems as they come up instead of reexamining the problem and solving it in a better way.<br />
<br />
Third, she describes it as a transcript of a couple arguing at {{w|IKEA}}, which was then randomly edited until the computer compiled it with no errors. She is saying that the intent of the code is unclear due to the seemingly random use of the language. This is very similar to an infinite amount of monkeys bashing away on typewriters for an infinite amount of time eventually producing the complete works of Shakespeare. (A couple's argument may be even less coherent at Ikea than at the average store, since Ikea products have idiosyncratic names that are difficult to pronounce or transcribe for anyone who doesn't speak Swedish.) This might happen if the code was written so bad that it does not compile, and people edited the code until it compiles so they can see what the code accomplishes. That Cueball's code is in this bad a shape indicates he really hasn't learned the programming language; he just happens to have a program that works in some shape or fashion. <br />
<br />
Finally, Cueball makes the rather weak assurance that he will read "a style guide", which articulates the intended use of the language. It seems clear from Ponytail's commentary that his {{w|Software quality|code quality}} would benefit from far more training in computer programming.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to {{w|emoji}}. Ponytail's comment implies that some of Cueball's variables contained emoji, perhaps in an effort to capture the emotional content of the arguments which show through the requirements document.<br />
<br />
The comic has a sequel in [[1695: Code Quality 2]].<br />
<br />
===emoji===<br />
Many crying-face emoji are possible if variables can include full Unicode (e.g., 😢,😭,😂,😪,😥,😰,😿,😹). In some programming languages it would be impossible to use them in variable names, as the symbols would break the language's syntax rules. Exceptions to this include {{w|Go (programming language)|Go}}, {{w|Swift (programming language)|Swift}}, and {{w|Java (programming language)|Java}} ([http://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se7/html/jls-3.html#jls-3.8], [http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/lang/Character.html#isUnicodeIdentifierPart%28int%29]), but most languages with compilers that support Unicode characters can include this kind of emoji, even for languages that predate Unicode like {{w|C++}} and {{w|Lisp_(programming_language)|Lisp}}<br />
<br />
===Programming Style===<br />
Although few programming languages require a perfectly rigid style, so long as the code is syntactically accurate, most programmers follow some sort of {{w|Programming style|style}} to make the code easier to read. This includes indenting lines to show levels and using descriptive variable identifiers with special capitalization, (e.g., {{w|camelCase}}, capitalizing each word except for the first in a sentence, or {{w|snake_case}}, separating lowercase words with underscores).<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball showing Ponytail his laptop.]<br />
:Cueball: Keep in mind that I'm self-taught, so my code may be a little messy.<br />
:Ponytail: Lemme see - I'm sure it's fine.<br />
<br />
:[Ponytail sits at desk, Cueball stand behind her.]<br />
:Ponytail: ...Wow. This is like being in a house built by a child using nothing but a hatchet and a picture of a house.<br />
<br />
:[Ponytail sits at desk, Cueball stand behind her.]<br />
:Ponytail: It's like a salad recipe written by a corporate lawyer using a phone autocorrect that only knew Excel formulas.<br />
<br />
:[Ponytail sits at desk, Cueball stand behind her.]<br />
:Ponytail: It's like someone took a transcript of a couple arguing at IKEA and made random edits until it compiled without errors.<br />
:Cueball: '''''Okay,''''' I'll read a style guide.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*Emoji can be simulated using {{w|ASCII}} characters, and have roots in ASCII {{w|emoticon}}s. Most languages will allow variable names to include underscores, so some sad face ASCII emoticon will be legal variable names, such as <code>T_T</code>, <code>p_q</code>, <code>ioi</code> etc., but such things rarely show up in software variables. Many more can be made possible using [http://hexascii.com/sad-emoticons/ UTF-8 characters].<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Programming]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1688:_Map_Age_Guide&diff=1218971688: Map Age Guide2016-06-13T17:12:45Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1688<br />
| date = June 1, 2016<br />
| title = Map Age Guide<br />
| image = map_age_guide.png<br />
| titletext = Does the screeching chill your blood and herald death? If yes, banshee. If no, seagull.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
*A [http://xkcd.com/1688/large/ larger version] of this image can be found by clicking the image at xkcd.com - the comic's page can also be accessed by clicking on the comic number above.<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
The comic consists of a flowchart depicting various ways to tell what era a map is from based on present country borders and land forms. (Except in the Not a Political Map Branch (from "Can you see the familiar continents?" downwards), the comic applies to a political map.) While many of the options are very serious, a few bizarre options reference to fictional maps ({{w|Discworld}}, {{w|Narnia}} and Tolkien's {{w|Middle-earth}}), or consider that seagulls, staplers, tubas or breadboxes could be mistaken for a map. Randall also mentions US President {{w|Jimmy Carter}} being attacked by a giant swimming rabbit, an event previously referenced as one we must never forget in [[204: America]].<br />
<br />
The flowchart, although probably effective in eventually identifying the production year of certain maps, is designed in a rather inefficient way as some early distinctions are already on a very detailed level before some really important distinctions (fictional or non-political map) are made. This, of course, adds to the humorous tone of the comic. It is also hampered by several smaller or larger error (see [[#Trivia|trivia]]), the biggest a whole section on I-25 that gives year in the range 1948-1952, before the I-25 was built and coming from a question that fixed the year range to 1960-1961.<br />
<br />
Additionally, (possible) future maps including a "Radioactive Exclusion Zone" in the place of Colorado are mentioned. It predicts that some kind of nuclear incident will occur in Colorado (possibly at Rulison or Rio Blanco nuclear testing sites) in 2022. It also predicts that the area will be infested by radioactive spiders one year later.<br />
<br />
The title text continues the path where the user has confused a seagull for a map by inquiring if the (presumed) seagull might be a banshee based on the effect of its screams.<br />
<br />
===Table===<br />
*Going through the flowchart, taking the leftmost path first, recursively. (Note there is no recursive loop). See also {{w|Depth-first search}}. <br />
**"Prior Date Range" is the range determined immediately before the question, carried over from the previous question.<br />
**"Question Date Range" is the range each answer choice implies. <br />
**"New Date Range" is the intersection of the Prior Date Range and the Question Date Range for each choice, and is the range determined by all questions hitherto answered.<br />
<br />
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"<br />
! # !! Question !! Explanation !! Prior Date Range !! Question Date Range !! New Date Range<br />
|-<br />
! 1<br />
| '''Istanbul or Constantinople'''<br />
| The largest city in Turkey is famous for having different names at different times or to different people. Variations on both names go back at least 1,000 years. Other names have also been used at various points. {{w|Istanbul}} has been the official name since the 1920's, although Western maps often referred to it as Constantinople as late as the 1960's; on the flowchart, the choice of name appears to go with the 1920's date. The name changes are the subject of a [http://mentalfloss.com/article/60314/original-istanbul-not-constantinople song], originally by the Four Lads, but now mainly known for the They Might Be Giants recording.<br />
| '''Start here'''<br />
|<br />
* Constantinople: 330 - 1928 <br />
* Neither: inconclusive<br />
* Istanbul: 1928+<br />
|<br />
* Constantinople: 330 - 1928 (Go to 2)<br />
* Neither: inconclusive (Go to 19)<br />
* Istanbul: 1928+ (Go to 52)<br />
|-<br />
| colspan="6" | '''Note:''' the chart splits here into three divisions, each from a choice in question 1. The Neither Division will attempt to use other indicators to sort maps into one of the other two divisions or branches thereof, or, after 5 failures to find a country, conclude that the "map" in question is not a political map and proceed to find out what it is (the Not a Political Map Branch). The Constantinople and Istanbul Divisions are linear except where the Neither Division joins them as stated above.<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | Constantinople Division<br />
|-<br />
! 2<br />
| '''Do any of these exist?'''<br />
* '''Independent Canada'''<br />
* '''US Territory of Alaska'''<br />
* '''Tokyo'''<br />
| All these seem to specify a date cut-off of 1867/8, but there are caveats attached to each:<br />
* Canada gained its independence gradually, but it would appear as its own country on maps some time between the {{w|Constitution Act, 1867}} (which created Canada as a British dominion) and the {{w|Statute of Westminster 1931}} (which made Canada largely self-governing).<br />
* The {{w|Territory of Alaska}} existed between 1912 (previously, it was a US district) and 1959 (when it became a state). The US has owned Alaska since the 1867 {{w|Alaska Purchase}}, but it was not a territory then.<br />
* {{w|Tokyo}} was once called Edo. It was renamed Tokyo (which means "Eastern Capital") when it became the capital in 1868. [https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Tokyo%2CTokei&year_start=1870&year_end=1880&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2CTokyo%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2CTokei%3B%2Cc0 Most English books around then] would actually have called it "Tokei", the Chinese reading. The name Tokyo didn't take off until {{w|Hepburn romanization}} was popularized in the 1880s.<br />
| 330 - 1928 (from 1)<br />
1299 - 1922 (from 19 in the Neither Division)<br />
(from 24 in the Neither Division)<br />
|<br />
* No: 1867-<br />
* Yes: 1868+<br />
|<br />
* No: 330 - 1867 (Go to 3)<br />
* Yes: 1868 - 1928 (Go to 11)<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | Holy Roman Empire Branch<br />
|-<br />
! 3<br />
| '''The Holy Roman Empire?'''<br />
| The predecessor to modern Germany, the {{w|Holy Roman Empire}} was a union of hundreds of small states in Central Europe. Nationalism and the concept of the {{w|nation state}} hadn't taken off yet, so countries as we know them didn't really exist. There were just small lands, often with keenly contested borders, owned by minor aristocracy who pledged allegiance to one of the big powers. The HRE was dissolved in 1806 after it was invaded by Napoleon, arguably the first leader to realise the potential of making a nation salute a flag.<br />
| 330 - 1867<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 899 - 1806<br />
* No: 899- or 1806+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 899 - 1806 (Stated in comic as "1805 or earlier", since modern map-making was fuzzy as a concept prior) ('''Stop''')<br />
* No: 330 - 899 or 1806-67 (Go to 4)<br />
|-<br />
! 4<br />
| '''The United States?'''<br />
| The original 13 colonies declared independence in 1776. A map that does not include ''either'' the HRE ''or'' the USA must be older than the HRE which would put the map some time prior to 1000 AD, when there really were no countries, and English wasn't used yet, hence Randall's comment.<br />
| 330 - 899 or 1806-67<br />
|<br />
* No: 1776-<br />
* Yes: 1776+<br />
|<br />
* No: 330 - 899 (Not stated in comic, since a map in this period is probably not in English, which violates a proviso of the comic) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 1806-67 (Go to 5)<br />
|-<br />
! 5<br />
| '''Texas is...<br/>Part of Mexico?<br/>Independent?<br/>Part of the US?'''<br />
| Mexico occupied the area modern day Texas from around 1718 ({{w|Spanish Texas|when the first permanent Spanish settlements were founded}}) to the {{w|Texas Declaration of Independence}} in 1836 (the comic apparently cited 1834 as the date) - the land called "Texas" was only a small part of the modern day state. The {{w|Republic of Texas}} only lasted a decade, and joined the US in 1846.<br />
| 1806-67<br />
|<br />
* Part of Mexico: 1718 - 1836<br />
* Independent: 1836-46<br />
* Part of the US: 1846+<br />
|<br />
* Part of Mexico: 1806-36 (Go to 6)<br />
* Independent: 1836-46 (stated in comic as 1834-45 - a discrepancy) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Part of the US: 1846-67 (Go to 9)<br />
|-<br />
! 6<br />
| '''Florida is part of...<br/>Spain?<br/>The US?'''<br />
| Spain occupied {{w|Florida}} (as East Florida and West Florida) but frankly they didn't actually want it - it was expensive to send people to settle it, and there wasn't much economic value in it. So they gave it to the US for free in the 1819 {{w|Adams–Onís Treaty}} (which took effect in 1821) in exchange for the US giving up parts of Mexico and paying off angry Spanish settlers. (For some reason, the comic treats Florida as part of the US in 1818; see questions 7 and 8.)<br />
| 1806-36<br />
|<br />
* Spain: 1565 - 1763 or 1783 - 1821<br />
* The US: 1821+<br />
|<br />
* Spain: 1806-21 (Go to 7)<br />
* The US: 1821-36 (Go to 8)<br />
|-<br />
! 7<br />
| '''{{w|Paraguay}}?'''<br />
| Declared independence from Spain in 1811 (although it might appear on older maps as the Spanish Province of Paraguay).<br />
| 1806-21<br />
|<br />
* No: 1811-<br />
* Yes: 1811+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1806-11 (stated in comic as 1806-10) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 1811-21 (stated in comic as 1811-17 - a discrepancy (see question 6)) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 8<br />
| '''{{w|Venezuela}} and/or {{w|Ecuador?}}'''<br />
| Both declared independence from {{w|Gran Colombia}} (Greater Colombia) in 1830.<br />
| 1821-36<br />
|<br />
* No: 1830-<br />
* Yes: 1830+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1821-30 (stated in comic as 1818-29 - a discrepancy (see question 6)) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 1830-36 (stated in comic as 1830-33 - a discrepancy (see question 5)) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 9<br />
| '''Does Russia border the Sea of Japan?'''<br />
| The 1858 {{w|Treaty of Aigun}} brought the Russian border to the Sea of Japan.<br />
| 1846-67<br />
|<br />
* No: 1858-<br />
* Yes: 1858+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1846-58 (Go to 10)<br />
* Yes: 1858-67 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 10<br />
| '''The US's southern border looks...'''<br />
| The last southward expansion of the US is the 1854 {{w|Gadsden Purchase}}, where the US bought a chunk of what is now Arizona and New Mexico so they could build a railway that avoided unfavourable terrain. The southern border looks "weird" before that because we are accustomed to the current border shape.<br />
| 1846-58<br />
|<br />
* Weird: 1854-<br />
* Normal: 1854+<br />
|<br />
* Weird: 1846-54 (stated in comic as 1846-53) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Normal: 1854-58 (stated in comic as 1854-56 - a discrepancy (where is 1857?)) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | South Africa Branch<br />
|-<br />
! 11<br />
| '''{{w|South Africa}}?'''<br />
| The Union of South Africa was created in 1910, although South Africa was then not yet fully independent from the United Kingdom (which would not happen until 1931).<br />
| 1868 - 1928<br />
|<br />
* No: 1910-<br />
* Yes: 1910+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1868 - 1910 (Go to 12)<br />
* Yes: 1910-28 (Go to 16)<br />
|-<br />
! 12<br />
| '''Rhodesia?'''<br />
| The region was named {{w|Rhodesia_(region)|"Rhodesia"}} by the British South Africa Company in 1895. An {{w|Rhodesia|unrecognised state}} (1965-79) and a {{w|Southern_Rhodesia|colony}} (1923-80 on-and-off) also born this name, but they are both outside the Prior Date Range.<br />
| 1868 - 1910<br />
|<br />
* No: 1895-<br />
* Yes: 1895+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1868-95 (Go to 13)<br />
* Yes: 1895 - 1910 (Go to 15)<br />
|-<br />
! 13<br />
| '''Is Bolivia landlocked?'''<br />
| {{w|Bolivia}} lost its coastal territory to Chile in the {{w|War of the Pacific}}, ceding Antofagasta in the {{w|Treaty of Valparaiso}} in 1884.<br />
| 1868-95<br />
|<br />
* No: 1825-84<br />
* Yes: 1884+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1868-84 (Go to 14)<br />
* Yes: 1884-95 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 14<br />
| '''"Buda" and "Pest" or "Budapest"?'''<br />
| In 1873, the cities of {{w|Buda}} and {{w|Pest,_Hungary|Pest}} joined together to form the city of {{w|Budapest}}.<br />
| 1868-84<br />
|<br />
* Buda and Pest: 1247 - 1873<br />
* Budapest: 1873+<br />
|<br />
* Buda and Pest: 1868-73 (stated in comic as 1868-72) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Budapest: 1873-84 (stated in comic as 1873-83) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 15<br />
| '''Is Norway part of Sweden?'''<br />
| {{w|Norway}} was ceded to Sweden in 1814, from which it separated in 1905.<br />
| 1895 - 1910<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1814 - 1905<br />
* No: 1814- or 1905+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1895-1905 (Stated in comic as 1896-1905) ('''Stop''')<br />
* No: 1905-10 (Stated in comic as 1906-09) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 16<br />
| '''Austria-Hungary?'''<br />
| {{w|Austria-Hungary}} formed in 1867 and dissolved in 1918. (However, during that time period, it was frequently called simply "Austria"; it is more consistently called "Austria-Hungary" in historical maps created later, for example, in history textbooks illustrating the alliances of World War One.)<br />
| 1910-28<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1867-1918<br />
* No: 1918+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1910-18 (Go to 17)<br />
* No: 1918-28 (Go to 18)<br />
|-<br />
! 17<br />
| '''Albania?'''<br />
| {{w|Albania}} declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912.<br />
| 1910-18 <br />
|<br />
* No: 1912-<br />
* Yes: 1912+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1910-12 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 1912-18 (stated in comic as 1913-18) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 18<br />
| '''Leningrad?'''<br />
| {{w|Saint Petersburg}} was known as Leningrad between 1924 and 1991. The city was founded in 1703 as Saint Petersburg (specific spellings vary); in August 1914, due to major anti-German sentiment related to WWI, it was renamed Petrograd (essentially the Russian translation of Petersburg). On January 26, 1924, five days after the death of Vladimir Lenin (the main revolutionary leader), the new Communist government (hostile to both the the Orthodox Saint the city was named after and the Czar Peter the Great who named it) renamed the city Leningrad in his honor. After the decline of the Soviet government in 1991, the name became unpopular, and a referendum in June 1991 (concurrently with the first Russian presidential election) restored the name Saint-Petersburg for the city (officially in September 1991), which it holds to this day.<br />
| 1918-28<br />
|<br />
* No: 1924- or 1991+<br />
* Yes: 1924-91<br />
|<br />
* No: 1918-24 (stated in comic as 1919-23) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 1924-28 (stated in comic as 1924-29) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | Neither Division<br />
|-<br />
! 19<br />
| '''Does the Ottoman Empire exist?'''<br />
| The {{w|Ottoman Empire}} was founded in 1299, and defeated and dissolved on November 1, 1922 when the sultanate was abolished.<br />
| Inconclusive<br />
| <br />
* Yes: 1299-1922<br />
* No: 1299- or 1922+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1299-1922 (Go to 2 in the Constantinople Division)<br />
* No: 1299- or 1922+ (Go to 20)<br />
|-<br />
! 20<br />
| '''The Soviet Union?'''<br />
| The {{w|Soviet Union}} is one of the largest countries ever to exist consisting of Russia and large portions of eastern Europe and central Asia. It was a major political force from December 28, 1922, when several allied Soviet republics united, to 1991, when it broke up.<br />
''Note:'' This question is the same as question 52 in the Istanbul Division, but because there a Prior Date Range of 1928+ has already been established by the presence of Istanbul, we need one more question to determine whether we are within the range of 1928+.<br />
| 1299- or 1922+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1922-91<br />
* No: 1922- or 1991+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1922-91 (Go to 21)<br />
* No: 1299- or 1922 (November 1 - December 28) or 1991+ (Go to 22)<br />
|-<br />
! 21<br />
| '''Saudi Arabia?'''<br />
| The kingdom of {{w|Saudi Arabia}} was founded in 1932. It is the first modern state to exert control over the area it claims, which previously were controlled by various tribal leaders. Most maps before 1932 will not mark the area as belonging to a nation at all, will attempt to mark the various shifting chieftains, or will attribute the land to the ottoman empire, which claimed the land but did not effectively control it.<br />
| 1922-91<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1932+<br />
* No: 1932-<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1932-91 (Go to 53 in the Istanbul Division)<br />
* No: 1922-32 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 22<br />
| '''North Korea?'''<br />
| The Korean Peninsula was divided into two regions, the north of which would be known as {{w|North Korea}}, at the end of World War II in 1945.<br />
| 1299- or 1922 (November 1 - December 28) or 1991+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1945+<br />
* No: 1945-<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1991+ (Go to 69 in the Istanbul Division)<br />
* No: 1299- or 1922 (November 1 - December 28) (Go to 23)<br />
|-<br />
! 23<br />
| '''Saint Trimble's Island'''<br />
| Since [[Randall]] just made up this place, it is impossible that a map would include it.<br />
| 1299- or 1922 (November 1 - December 28)<br />
|<br />
* No: inconclusive<br />
* Yes: impossible<br />
|<br />
* No: 1299- or 1922 (November 1 - December 28) (Go to 24)<br />
* Yes: impossible ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 24<br />
| '''Is Jan Mayen part of the kingdom of Norway?'''<br />
| Jurisdiction over the island of {{w|Jan Mayen}} was given to Norway around 1920, and it officially joined in 1930.<br/><br/>'''Note:''' Strictly speaking, it should be almost impossible to answer "Yes" to this question - the Ottoman Empire existed until 1922, the Soviet Union existed from 1922 to 1991, and North Korea from 1945 onwards, so by answering "No" to the previous three questions, the user has ruled out the entire period during which Norway has officially owned Jan Mayen, and almost the entire period it controlled it bar an extremely slim sliver of time between November 1, 1922 to December 28, 1922. The following questions ignore the previous ones (East Germany only existed at the same time as the USSR, and Pakistan was founded later than North Korea, so both should have already been excluded) - essentially, the Jan Mayen question reboots the test.<br />
| 1299- or 1922 (November 1 - December 28)<br />
|<br />
* Not yet: prior to 1930<br />
* What?: Not a political map<br />
* Yes: 1930+<br />
|<br />
* Not yet: (Go to 2 in the Constantinople Division)<br />
* What?: (Go to 25)<br />
* Yes: (Go to 54 in the Istanbul Division)<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | Not a Political Map Branch<br />
|-<br />
! 26<br />
| '''Can you see the familiar continents?'''<br />
| At this point it is clear that the map in question is not a political map from any time. Therefore the comic tries to determine whether it is a map of the Earth at all by asking if the continents are there.<br />
|<br />
|<br />
* Yes: map of the Earth<br />
* No: not a map of the Earth<br />
|<br />
* Yes: map of the Earth (Go to 27)<br />
* No: not a map of the Earth (Go to 33)<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | Topographical Map / Satellite Image Subbranch<br />
|-<br />
! 27<br />
| '''This sounds like a physical map or satellite photo.'''<br />
| A map of the Earth that does not label political regions must be a topological map; or, it can be a satellite image of the Earth.<br />
| Map of the Earth<br />
|<br />
* Yes, that's it: topographical map or satellite image of the Earth<br />
|<br />
* Yes, that's it: topographical map or satellite image of the Earth (Go to 28)<br />
|-<br />
! 28<br />
| '''Is Lake Chad missing?'''<br />
| {{w|Lake Chad}} lost 3/4 of its area in the 1970s, becoming too small to be included in a map or picture of the Earth.<br />
| Topographical map or satellite image of the Earth<br />
|<br />
* No: 1970s-<br />
* Yes: 1970s+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1970s- (Go to 29)<br />
* Yes: 1970s+ (Go to 32)<br />
|-<br />
! 29<br />
| '''How far east do the American prairies reach?'''<br />
| As settlers made their way west, the prairie land in the {{w|Great Plains}} region was steadily replaced by farmland and ranches. By the 1920s, most of the land had been converted to agricultural use, and the last of the prairie was largely obliterated by the {{w|Dust Bowl}}s in the 1930s. The dividing lines correspond roughly to the three types of prairie: {{w|tallgrass prairie}} grew between the Mississippi and Indiana, {{w|mixed grass prairie}} covered Nebraska and other states on the {{w|100th meridian west}}, and {{w|shortgrass prairie}} covered the remaining area east of the Rocky Mountains. There's some overlap in the dates, since it's fairly arbitrary at what you point you say the prairies stopped existing. There are still patches of prairie (covering about 1% of their former reach), but these are probably not visible in a satellite image.<br />
<br />
| 1970s-<br />
|<br />
* Indiana: Before 1830<br />
* The Mississippi: 1830 - 1880s<br />
* Nebraska: 1860s - 1910s<br />
* What prairies?: 1920s+<br />
|<br />
* Indiana: Before 1830 ('''Stop''')<br />
* The Mississippi: 1830 - 80s ('''Stop''')<br />
* Nebraska: 1860s - 1910s (Go to 30)<br />
* What prairies?: 1920s - 1970s (Go to 31)<br />
|-<br />
! 30<br />
| '''Is there a big lake in the middle of Southern California? (created by mistake)'''<br />
| This is {{w|Salton Sea}}, a previously dry lake bed accidentally flooded in 1905 while attempting to increase irrigation to the area from the Colorado River<br />
| 1860s - 1910s<br />
|<br />
* No: before 1905<br />
* Yes: 1905+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1860s - 1900s ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 1910s ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 31<br />
| '''Is there a big lake in the middle of Ghana? (created on purpose)'''<br />
| {{w|Lake Volta}}, formed by the {{w|Akosombo Dam}} which was built in the 1960s<br />
| 1920s - 1970s<br />
|<br />
* No: before 1960s<br />
* Yes: 1960s+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1920s - 50s ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 1960s - 70s ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 32<br />
| '''Is the Aral Sea missing?'''<br />
| Shrinking since the 1930s, the {{w|Aral Sea}} would be too small to be on maps or images of the Earth by the 2000s.<br />
| 1970s+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1990s-<br />
* Yes: 2000s+<br />
|<br />
* No: 1970s-90s ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 2000s+ ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | ''Topograpical Map / Satellite Image Subbranch ends''<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | Fictional Map / Non-Map Subbranch<br />
|-<br />
! 33<br />
| '''Rivers "Sirion" or "Anduin"?'''<br />
| The rivers {{w|List_of_Middle-earth_rivers#Sirion|Sirion}} and {{w|Anduin}} are part of {{w|Middle-earth|Middle-earth}}, the fictional setting of J.R.R. Tolkien's ''Lord of the Rings'' books.<br />
| Not a map of the Earth<br />
|<br />
* Yes: map of Middle-earth<br />
* No: inconclusive<br />
|<br />
* Yes: map of Middle-earth (Go to 34)<br />
* No: not a map of the Earth (Go to 38)<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | Middle-earth Subbranch<br />
|-<br />
! 34<br />
| '''Mordor?'''<br />
| {{w|Mordor}} is the base of operations of {{w|Sauron}}, who settled there c. 1000 in the {{w|Second Age}} (which lasted for 3,441 years).<br />
| Map of Middle-earth<br />
|<br />
* No: S.A. c. 1000-<br />
* Yes: S.A. c. 1000+<br />
|<br />
* No: S.A. c. 1000- (Go to 35)<br />
* Yes: S.A. c. 1000+ (Go to 36)<br />
|-<br />
! 35<br />
| '''Beleriand?'''<br />
| {{w|Beleriand}} was broken in the {{w|War of Wrath}} in the year 583 in the {{w|Years of the Sun}} in the {{w|First Age}} The First Age itself ran for 450 Valian Years and 590 Years of the Sun, adding up to between 5,023 and 65,390 Years of the Sun, depending on the conversion factor used ({{w|J. R. R. Tolkien}} has given several during the years). Note that Randall has apparently ignored the time before the First Age (4,550 Valian Years).<br />
| S.A. c. 1000-<br />
|<br />
* Yes: Y.S. 583 First Age-<br />
* No: Y.S. 583 First Age+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: Y.S. 583 First Age- (stated in comic as First Age) ('''Stop''')<br />
* No: Y.S. 583 First Age - S.A. c. 1000 (stated in comic as early Second Age) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 36<br />
| '''Númenor?'''<br />
| The island of {{w|Númenor}} was raised from the sea at the start of the Second Age. It sank back into the sea in 3319 in the Second Age, as the formerly flat Earth was made into a globe.<br />
| S.A. c. 1000+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: S.A. 1 - 3319<br />
* No: First Age- or S.A. 3319+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: S.A. c. 1000 - 3319 (stated in comic as late Second Age) ('''Stop''')<br />
* No: S.A. 3319+ (Go to 37)<br />
|-<br />
! 37<br />
| '''The forest east of the Misty Mountains is...'''<br />
| The forest {{w|Mirkwood}} was called Greenwood the Great from its discovery by the Elves c. V.Y. 4620 in the First Age to 1050 in the {{w|Third Age}} when the shadow of Sauron fell upon it and it was renamed. It was cleansed on 'March' 28, 3019 in the Third Age (which ran for 3,021 years), after which it is called the Wood of Greenleaves. Note that Randall ignores the Fifth Age and onwards; although Tolkien said that the present day is about the end of the Sixth Age or the beginning of the Seventh, nothing is written about these later Ages.<br />
| S.A. 3319+<br />
|<br />
* Greenwood the Great: c. V.Y. 4620 - T.A. 1050<br />
* Mirkwood: T.A. 1050 - 3019-03-28<br />
* The Wood of Greenleaves: T.A. 3019-03-28+<br />
|<br />
* Greenwood the Great: S.A. 3319 - T.A. 1050 (stated in comic as early Third Age) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Mirkwood: T.A. 1050 - 3019-03-28 (stated in comic as Late Third Age) ('''Stop''')<br />
* The Wood of Greenleaves: T.A. 3019-03-28+ (stated in comic as Fourth Age) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | ''Middle-earth Subbranch ends''<br />
|-<br />
! 38<br />
| '''Cair Paravel?'''<br />
| {{w|Cair Paravel}} is the fictional castle where the Kings and Queens of Narnia rule in ''{{w|The Chronicles of Narnia}}''.<br />
| Not a map of the Earth<br />
|<br />
* Yes: map of Narnia<br />
* No: inconclusive<br />
|<br />
* Yes: map of Narnia (Go to 39)<br />
* No: not a map of the Earth (Go to 43)<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | Narnia Subbranch<br />
|-<br />
| colspan="6" | '''Note:''' This series contains seven books, whose original publication order does not match their chronological order. Specifically, ''The Magician's Nephew'' is earlier than ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'', and ''The Horse and His Boy'' is between ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' and ''Prince Caspian''. Questions in this subbranch concern whether the place referenced can be found in the map contained in each book, not in which books' time the place exists. Therefore, places that exist in a book published later but is chronologically earlier than another book will not appear in the latter book, even if canonically they still exist in its time. Here are the seven books in their original publication order, which they will be referred to as.<br />
<br />
# ''{{w|The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe}}''<br />
# ''{{w|Prince Caspian}}''<br />
# ''{{w|The Voyage of the Dawn Treader}}''<br />
# ''{{w|The Silver Chair}}''<br />
# ''{{w|The Horse and His Boy}}''<br />
# ''{{w|The Magician's Nephew}}''<br />
# ''{{w|The Last Battle}}''<br />
|-<br />
! 39<br />
| '''Calormen?'''<br />
| {{w|Calormen}} is a foreign empire in ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. While it was indirectly referenced in the first three books, it was not included in maps until the later books in the series.<br />
| Map of Narnia<br />
|<br />
* No: 3-<br />
* Yes: 4+<br />
|<br />
* No: 3- (Go to 40)<br />
* Yes: 4+ (Go to 42)<br />
|-<br />
! 40<br />
| '''Lotta islands?'''<br />
| Refers to [http://www.charliewstarr.com/_Media/mapdawntreader.gif this map] from ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', which focused on a ship voyage from Cair Paravel to the eastern edge of the world and back.<br />
| 3-<br />
|<br />
* No: not 3<br />
* Yes: 3<br />
|<br />
* No: 2- (Go to 41)<br />
* Yes: 3 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 41<br />
| '''Beruna'''<br />
| Refers to [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-54_2TDRUbHY/TpJHzFBzmiI/AAAAAAAALOA/q3RnPSvfdJ0/s1600/IMG.jpg the map] of Narnia originally published in Prince Caspian. During the time of ''The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'', the people of Beruna crossed the Great River via a ford, but it had been replaced by a bridge at the beginning of ''Prince Caspian''.<br />
| 2-<br />
|<br />
* Ford: 1<br />
* Bridge: 2<br />
|<br />
* Ford: 1 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Bridge: 2 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 42<br />
| '''Weird recursive heaven?'''<br />
| Refers to ''The Last Battle'', where the protagonists find themselves in {{w|Aslan's Country}}, a glorious afterlife of which Narnia (along with Earth and presumably every other world) is only a shadowy reflection.<br />
| 4+<br />
|<br />
* No: 6-<br />
* Yes: 7<br />
|<br />
* No: 4 - 6 (stated in comic as one of the random later books) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 7 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | ''Narnia Subbranch ends''<br />
|-<br />
! 43<br />
| '''Mossflower?'''<br />
| A forest from the ''{{w|Redwall}}'' book series.<br />
| Not a map of the Earth<br />
|<br />
* Yes: ''Redwall''<br />
* No: inconclusive<br />
|<br />
* Yes: ''Redwall'' ('''Stop''')<br />
* No: not a map of the Earth (Go to 44)<br />
|-<br />
! 44<br />
| '''Is the world on the back of a turtle?'''<br />
| The comic fantasy book series ''{{w|Discworld}}'' is set on the fictional Discworld, a flat disc balanced on the backs of four elephants which in turn stand on the back of a giant turtle.<br />
| Not a map of the Earth<br />
|<br />
* Yes: ''Discworld''<br />
* No: inconclusive<br />
|<br />
* Yes: ''Discworld'' ('''Stop''')<br />
* No: not a map of the Earth (Go to 45)<br />
|-<br />
! 45<br />
| '''Are you ''sure'' this is a map?'''<br />
| After incorrectly guessing several popular fictional world, it is fair to doubt whether the subject being identified here is a map at all.<br />
| Not a map of the Earth<br />
|<br />
* Yes: a map ''for sure'', just not of the Earth<br />
* No: not a map<br />
|<br />
* Yes: a map ''for sure'', just not of the Earth (Go to 46)<br />
* No: not a map (Go to 48)<br />
|-<br />
! 46<br />
| '''Did you make it yourself?'''<br />
| At this point, the map can only be a homemade map of some other fictional world.<br />
| A map ''for sure'', just not of the Earth<br />
|<br />
* Yes: a homemade map<br />
|<br />
* Yes: a homemade map (Go to 47)<br />
|-<br />
! 47<br />
| '''It's very nice.'''<br />
| A stock response to "[It's] Very nice" is "Thanks, I made it myself". Since we have already done the "made it myself" part, we need to do the other parts too, albeit out of sequence.<br />
| A homemade map<br />
|<br />
* Thank you!: something "very nice"<br />
|<br />
* Thank you!: a "very nice" homemade map ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | Not a Map Subbranch<br />
|-<br />
! 48<br />
| '''Is it trying to bite you?'''<br />
| Now we are trying to guess something that is not a map. Makes sense to ask if it's something that bites, right? Right?<br />
| Not a map<br />
|<br />
* No: doesn't bite<br />
* Yes: bites<br />
|<br />
* No: doesn't bite and not a map (Go to 49)<br />
* Yes: bites (Go to 50)<br />
|-<br />
! 49<br />
| '''Is it larger than a breadbox?'''<br />
| The most common reference to breadboxes is the phrase "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" when trying to guess what some surprise object may be in the game {{w|Twenty_Questions|Twenty Questions}}. However, instead of asking further questions to narrow down the choices, the comic just gives a guess for each response. The comic guesses a breadbox itself as something about the same size as a breadbox. <br />
| Doesn't bite and not a map<br />
|<br />
* Yes: larger than a breadbox<br />
* No: smaller than a breadbox<br />
* About the same: about the same size as a breadbox<br />
|<br />
* Yes: larger than a breadbox, doesn't bite, and not a map (comic guesses a tuba) ('''Stop''')<br />
* No: smaller than a breadbox, doesn't bite, and not a map (comic guesses a stapler) ('''Stop''')<br />
* About the same: about the same size as a breadbox, doesn't bite, and not a map (comic guesses a breadbox) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 50<br />
| '''If you let it go, what does it do?'''<br />
|<br />
| Bites<br />
|<br />
* Hisses and runs away: hisses and runs away if let go<br />
* Screeches and flaps around the room breaking things: screeches and flaps around the room breaking things if let go<br />
|<br />
* Hisses and runs away: bites, and hisses and runs away if let go (comic guesses a cat) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Screeches and flaps around the room breaking things: bites, and screeches and flaps around the room breaking things if let go (comic guesses a seagull) ('''Stop''' (however, see 51))<br />
|-<br />
! 51<br />
| '''Does the screeching chill your blood and herald death?'''<br />
| ''Note: Title text question.''<br />
| Bites, and screeches and flaps around the room breaking things if let go<br />
|<br />
* Yes: Screeching chills your blood and heralds death<br />
* No: Screeching does not chill your blood and herald death; or does not screech<br />
|<br />
* Yes: bites; screeches and flaps around the room breaking things if let go; screeching chills your blood and heralds death (title text guesses a banshee) ('''Stop''')<br />
* No: bites; screeches and flaps around the room breaking things if let go; screeching does not chill your blood and herald death (title text guesses a seagull) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | Istanbul Division<br />
|-<br />
! 52<br />
| '''Does the Soviet Union exist?'''<br />
| The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, existed from 1922 - 1991. After 1991, the Soviet Union split up into Russia and 15 other post-Soviet states.<br />
|1928+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1928 - 1991 <br />
* No: 1991+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1928 - 1991 (Go to 53)<br />
* No: 1991+ (Go to 70)<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | West Africa branch<br />
|-<br />
! 53<br />
| '''Is most of West Africa a giant French blob?'''<br />
| Before 1960, most of West Africa consisted of a number of French colonies united under {{w|French_West_Africa|French West Africa}}.<br />
|1928 - 1991<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1928 - 1960 <br />
* No: 1960 - 1991<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1928 - 1960 (Go to 54)<br />
* No: 1960 - 1991 (Go to 61)<br />
|-<br />
! 54<br />
| '''Pakistan?'''<br />
| Pakistan was officially recognized as its own country in 1947, when British India was granted independence and partitioned into two nations. Pakistan was created at the request of Muslims who wished for a Muslim majority state.<br />
|1928 - 1960<br />
|<br />
* No: 1928 - 1947<br />
* Yes: 1947 - 1960 <br />
|<br />
* No: 1928 - 1947 (Go to 55)<br />
* Yes: 1948 - 1960 (Go to 57)<br />
|-<br />
! 55<br />
| '''How many Germanys are there?'''<br />
| During WWII, the Nazi Party invaded a large swath of Europe, which would make Nazi Germany huge on the map during that period. After the war, it split up into two countries — West Germany which was part of NATO, and East Germany which was part of the Warsaw Pact. Note that by modern standards, pre-WWII Germany was also quite huge, since at that point Germany included {{w|Prussia}} which contained much of modern Poland as well as Russian {{w|Kaliningrad}}, and in 1938 Germany took control of Austria in the {{w|Anschluss}} and the {{w|Sudetenland}} in {{w|Czechoslovakia}} following the {{w|Munich Agreement}}. Not all maps produced during WWII used the Nazi borders, since the Allies refused to recognize German occupation and supported the {{w|government-in-exile|governments-in-exile}}.<br />
|1928 - 1947 <br />
|<br />
* One: 1928 - 1940 <br />
* One, but it's ''huge'': 1941 - 1945<br />
* Two: 1946 - 1947<br />
|<br />
* One: 1928 - 1940 (Go to 56) <br />
* One, but it's ''huge'': 1941 - 1945 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Two: 1946 - 1947 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 56<br />
| '''Persia or Iran?'''<br />
| In 1935 the Iranian Government requested that westerners call it by the name its own people had used for hundreds of years, rather than after a tribe within it that gained prominence 2500 years earlier. The interval from 1928 - 1930 is dropped from this branch, but it would fall under Persia.<br />
|1928 - 1940 <br />
|<br />
* Persia: 1930 - 1934<br />
* Iran: 1935 - 1940<br />
|<br />
* Persia: 1930 - 1934 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Iran: 1935 - 1940 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 57<br />
| '''Cambodia?'''<br />
| Cambodia (or Kampuchea) declared independence from France in 1953.<br />
|1948 - 1960 <br />
|<br />
* No: 1948 - 1953<br />
* Yes: 1953 - 1960<br />
|<br />
* No: 1948 - 1953 (Go to 58)<br />
* Yes: 1953 - 1960 (Go to 60)<br />
|-<br />
! 58<br />
| '''Eritrea is a part of...'''<br />
| Eritrea declared independence from Italy in 1952, joining Ethiopia to create the {{w|Federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea}}.<br />
|1947 - 1953<br />
|<br />
* Italy: 1948 - 1952<br />
* Ethiopia: 1952 - 1953<br />
|<br />
* Italy: 1948 - 1952 (Go to 59)<br />
* Ethiopia: 1952 - 1953 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 59<br />
| '''Canada is...'''<br />
| In 1949, the {{w|Dominion of Newfoundland}} became a part of Canada. Before that, it was marked as its own region on the map, so maps from 1948 and before would have Canada "missing a piece" on its east coast as compared to how it looks today.<br />
|1947 - 1952 <br />
|<br />
* Missing a piece: 1948<br />
* Fine: 1949 - 1952<br />
|<br />
* Missing a piece: 1948 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Fine: 1949 - 1952 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 60<br />
| '''The United Arab Republic?'''<br />
| The {{w|The United Arab Republic}} was a short-lived political union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961.<br />
This had been forgotten (and two placed had been pointed wrong)<br />
|1953 - 1960<br />
|<br />
* No: 1953-1958<br />
* Yes: 1958-1960<br />
|<br />
* No: 1953-58 (stated in comic as 1954-57 - a discrepancy) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 1958-60 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 61<br />
| '''How many Vietnams are there?'''<br />
| On April 30, 1975, forces from North Vietnam captured Saigon, and reunified the country, in an event known as {{w|Reunification Day}}, which marked the end of the Vietnam War. Maps before this date would have "North Vietnam" and "South Vietnam" on them rather than a single "Vietnam".<br />
|1960 - 1991<br />
|<br />
* Two: 1960 - 1975<br />
* One: 1975 - 1991<br />
|<br />
* Two: 1960 - 1975 (Go to 62)<br />
* One: 1975 - 1991 (Go to 65)<br />
|-<br />
! 62<br />
| '''Bangladesh?'''<br />
| Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan in 1972, as they had different languages, cultures, and the Bengalis felt their country was being run from 'West Pakistan' without their input. The resulting war lasted just over 8 months and ended in Indian intervention. <br />
|1960 - 1975<br />
|<br />
* No: 1960 - 1972<br />
* Yes: 1972 - 1975<br />
|<br />
* No: 1960 - 1972 (Go to 63)<br />
* Yes: 1972 - 1975 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 63<br />
| '''Is the area south of Lake Victoria...'''<br />
| The area south of {{w|Lake Victoria}} was called {{w|Tanganyika}}, and it declared independence from Britain to form its own country in 1961, and unified with {{w|Zanzibar}} to create {{w|Tanzania}} in 1964.<br />
|1960 - 1972 <br />
|<br />
* British: 1960 - 1961<br />
* Tanganyika: 1961 - 1964<br />
* Tanzania: 1965 - 1971<br />
|<br />
* British: 1960 - 1961 (Go to 64)<br />
* Tanganyika: 1961 - 1964 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Tanzania: 1965 - 1972 (stated in comic as 1964-1971 - a discrepancy) ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 64<br />
| '''The town on I-25 between Albuquerque and El Paso is... '''<br />
| {{w|Interstate 25 in New Mexico|I-25}} didn't exist for any of the years listed for this item, since the Interstate Highway System wasn't launched until 1956. The highway designation on maps printed during the years listed was {{w|U.S._Route_85#New_Mexico|U.S. 85}}, and it was first replaced by the I-25 in 1970-1990. The town changed it name from Hot Springs to "{{w|Truth or Consequences, New Mexico|Truth or Consequences}}" in 1950, although locals say that it provides more of the latter than of the former. Still the question would have made sense (although it should have been US 85) had it not been for the fact that the whole question is for the wrong time period, as the search tree leading to a British Tanganyika is only the period from 1960-1961. Actually this item seems like it should actually follow from the "Fine" option of "Canada is.." from 1949-1952 as it is in the same time period.<br />
|1960 - 1961<br />
|<br />
* Hot Springs: 1916-49<br />
* Truth or Consequences: 1950+<br />
|<br />
* Hot Springs: 1948-49 ('''Stop''') (a discrepancy as this is for a period from 1960-61)<br />
* Truth or Consequences: 1950-52 ('''Stop''') (a discrepancy as this is for a period from 1960-61)<br />
|-<br />
! 65<br />
| '''Jimmy Carter is...'''<br />
| On April 20, 1979, Jimmy Carter was "{{w|Jimmy Carter rabbit incident|attacked}}" by a swamp rabbit, a fact referenced in [[204|204: America]]. This fact would not normally be referenced on a map, however, and is simply a joke entry that leads to the next question.<br />
|1975 - 1991<br />
|<br />
* Being attacked by a giant swimming rabbit: April 20, 1979<br />
* Fine: 1975 - 1991<br />
|<br />
* Being attacked by a giant swimming rabbit: April 20, 1979 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Fine: 1975 - 1991 (Go to 66)<br />
|-<br />
! 66<br />
| '''The Sinai is part of what country?'''<br />
| In 1979, Israel signed a peace treaty in which it would gradually retreat from the entire Sinai Peninsula, handing that area to Egypt. This happened over a period of three years, completing in 1982.<br />
|1975 - 1991<br />
|<br />
* Israel: 1976 - 1979<br />
* Mostly Israel: 1980<br />
* Mostly Egypt: 1981<br />
* Egypt: 1982 - 1991<br />
|<br />
* Israel: 1976 - 1979 (missing 1975?) ('''Stop''')<br />
* Mostly Israel: 1980 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Mostly Egypt: 1981 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Egypt: 1982 - 1991 (Go to 67)<br />
|-<br />
! 67<br />
| '''What's the capital of Micronesia?'''<br />
| The {{w| Federated States of Micronesia}} are a group of small islands in the Pacific Ocean. Their capital was Kolonia until 1989, when it changed to Palikir, on the same island.<br />
|1982 - 1991<br />
|<br />
* Kolonia: 1982 - 1988<br />
* Palikir: 1989 - 1991<br />
|<br />
* Kolonia: 1982 - 1988 (Go to 68)<br />
* Palikir: 1989 - 1991 (Go to 69)<br />
|-<br />
! 68<br />
| '''Republic of the Upper Volta or Burkina Faso?'''<br />
| Burkina Faso was named the Republic of the Upper Volta until 1984, when the president Thomas Sankara decided to rename it to promote a sense of unity in the nation and in an anti-colonial statement. <br />
|1982 - 1988<br />
|<br />
* Upper Volta: 1982 - 1984<br />
* Burkina Faso: 1985 - 1988<br />
|<br />
* Upper Volta: 1982 - 1984 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Burkina Faso: 1985 - 1988 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 69<br />
| '''(Number of Yemens) + (Number of Germanys) = ?'''<br />
| In 1990, two unification events took place: the {{w| Yemeni unification}} on May 22, and the {{w|German_reunification}} on October 3. Before these events, in early 1990, there would have been four Yemens and Germanys total. In mid-1990, when only the Yemeni unification had taken place, there would be one Yemen and two Germanys, for a total of three. and in late 1990, after both events took place, there would be one of each for a total of two.<br />
|1989 - 1991<br />
|<br />
* Four: 1989 - early 1990<br />
* Three: mid-1990<br />
* Two: late 1990-1991<br />
|<br />
* Four: 1989 - early 1990 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Three: mid-1990 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Two: late 1990-1991 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | Post-Soviet branch<br />
|-<br />
! 70<br />
| '''Zaire? or: "Hong Kong (UK)"''' <br />
| Zaire was one of a series of names for what is today called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1996 a (successful) revolt began to oust the reigning government from power. As part of this revolution, the country was renamed. The original name change away from 'Congo' was part of an 'Africanisation' naming campaign, although 'Congo' is in origin an authentic African name for the river that set the boundaries of the nation. <br />
<br />
{{w|Hong Kong}} was taken by the British in 1843 at the end of the {{w|First Opium War}}, and an additional area (the New Territories) were leased from China in 1898 on a 99-year lease. When the lease expired in 1997, {{w|Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong|the whole of Hong Kong was returned to China}}.<br />
|1991+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1992 - 1996<br />
* No: 1996+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 1992 - 1996 ('''Stop''')<br />
* No: 1996+ (Go to 71)<br />
|-<br />
! 71<br />
| '''Serbia and Montenegro are...'''<br />
| Serbia and Montenegro were a remnant of Yugoslavia. Montenegro voted to become its own country in 2006.<br/><br/>'''Note:''' For much of the prior date range, "Serbia and Montenegro" did not appear on maps - the states still went by the name Yugoslavia. {{w|Serbia and Montenegro#State union|Serbia and Montenegro only came into existence in 2003}}.<br />
|1996+<br />
|<br />
* One country: 1996 - 2006<br />
* Two countries: 2007+<br />
|<br />
* One country: 1996 - 2006 (Go to 72)<br />
* Two countries: 2007+ (Go to 73)<br />
|-<br />
! 72<br />
| '''East Timor?'''<br />
| East Timor is a nation north of Australia and south east of Indonesia. During the dutch colonization of Indonesia east Timor remained in Portuguese hands. While occupied and annexed by Indonesia since 1976, east Timor retained its own culture and voted for independence, then had a nasty militia action that required UN peacekeeping action, and finally become independent in 2002.<br />
|1996 - 2006<br />
|<br />
* No: 1997 - 2001<br />
* Yes: 2002 - 2006<br />
|<br />
* No: 1997 - 2001 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 2002 - 2006 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 73<br />
| '''How many Sudans are there?'''<br />
| In 2011, after a long history of violence between the two portions of the country (which can be characterized as Islamic vs. Christian and Traditional Religions), South Sudan became independent from its northern neighbor.<br />
|2006+<br />
|<br />
* One: 2007 - 2011<br />
* Two: 2011+<br />
|<br />
* One: 2007 - 2011 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Two: 2011+ (Go to 74)<br />
|-<br />
! 74<br />
| '''Is Crimea disputed?'''<br />
| In 2014, a revolution ousted the current Ukrainian president. Crimea had its own civil unrest, and Russian troops exploited the unrest to launch an invasion. A referendum, where many nations, including all member states of the EU, the USA, and Canada, disputed the democratic legitimacy of the referendum, was held during this and ostensibly decided in favor of Russian annexation. Depending on where you get your maps, Crimea might not be marked as disputed - [http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/12/302337754/google-maps-displays-crimean-border-differently-in-russia-u-s Google Maps Ukraine shows it as solely Ukrainian while Google Maps Russia shows it as Russian].<br />
|2011+<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 2014+<br />
* No: 2012 - 2013<br />
|<br />
* Yes: 2014+ (Go to 75)<br />
* No: 2012 - 2013 ('''Stop''')<br />
|-<br />
! 75<br />
| '''"Colorado" or "Danger—Radioactive Exclusion Zone—Avoid"?'''<br />
| This entry and the one below it are now referring to hypothetical future events: specifically, a huge radioactivity event in Colorado that takes place some time in 2022. Colorado has a previous history of radioactive contamination - it was home to uranium mines, nuclear tests (including {{w|Project Rulison}}, an attempt to use nuclear bombs to drill for natural gas that ended up making the gas radioactive) and the controversial {{w|Rocky Flats Plant}}, a nuclear weapons manufacturing facility that suffered {{w|Radioactive contamination from the Rocky Flats Plant|several fires and leaks}} and was ultimately raided and shut down by the FBI. None of these has yet caused spiders to mutate.{{Citation needed}}<br />
|2014+<br />
|<br />
* Colorado: 2014 - 2021<br />
* Danger: 2022+<br />
|<br />
* Colorado: 2014 - 2021 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Danger: 2022+ (Go to 76)<br />
|-<br />
! 76<br />
| '''Does the warning mention the spiders?'''<br />
| Presumably some time in 2023, the radioactive exclusion zone also becomes infested with mutant spiders.<br />
|2022+<br />
|<br />
* No: 2022<br />
* Yes: 2023 or later<br />
|<br />
* No: 2022 ('''Stop''')<br />
* Yes: 2023 or later ('''Stop''')<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A very complicated flow chart, which can only be read in detail using the larger image now shown at the top of this page. This transcript uses the large version, where there is no problem reading all entries.]<br />
<br />
:[At the top of the chart there is a large caption, with a smaller caption below:]<br />
:<big>Guide to figuring out the age of an undated world map</big><br />
:<small>(Assuming it's complete, labeled in english, and detailed enough)</small><br />
<br />
:[Below the starting bracket in the small caption is a start box. It has rounded corners and it is gray with white text. From this box there is a gray line to a box consisting of a black frame with rounded corners. In these kind of boxes there are questions regarding the map in black text. Below this box there are three gray boxes like the start box, superimposed over the bottom frame. In these boxes are the possible answers to the question in the frame above. From each of these options there is a gray line going to similar black framed boxes with other questions either below, or to either side. There can either be two, three or four gray boxes, two the most common. Only at the very bottom of the central branch where it turns out it was a home made map, are there two frames with only one gray question box each. This trend continues over this entire large image. When reaching the end of a branch in the flow chart, there is no line away from one, more or all of the gray boxes for a black frame. When this happens a year range or a guess at what the map shows, or what it is (if it turns out to not be a map) is written below the gray box in gray text. Of the text in the gray boxes are Yes/No, but not always. There are 74 boxes with black frames with 158 gray boxes and 78 endpoints with text below the gray box and one end point without text below (the one with the home made map).]<br />
<br />
:Start<br />
::Istanbul or Constantinople?<br />
:::Constantinople<br />
::::<span id="canada-alaska-tokyo"><u>Do any of these exist</u>? </span><br />
::::*Independent Canada<br />
::::*US Territory of Alaska<br />
::::*Tokyo<br />
:::::No<br />
::::::The Holy Roman Empire?<br />
:::::::Yes<br />
::::::::1805 or earlier (before this point, the modern idea of a complete political map of the world gets hard to apply.)<br />
:::::::No<br />
::::::::The United States?<br />
:::::::::No<br />
::::::::::How sure are you that this map is in english?<br />
:::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::Texas is...<br />
:::::::::::Part of Mexico<br />
::::::::::::Florida is part of...<br />
:::::::::::::Spain<br />
::::::::::::::Paraguay?<br />
:::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">1806-10</font><br />
:::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1811-17</font><br />
:::::::::::::The US<br />
::::::::::::::Venezuela and/or ecuador?<br />
:::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">1818-29</font><br />
:::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1830-33</font><br />
:::::::::::Independent <font color="gray">1834-45</font><br />
:::::::::::Part of the US<br />
::::::::::::Does Russia border the Sea of Japan?<br />
:::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::The US's southern border looks...<br />
:::::::::::::::Weird <font color="gray">1846-53</font><br />
:::::::::::::::Normal <font color="gray">1854-56</font><br />
:::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1858-67</font><br />
:::::Yes<br />
::::::South Africa?<br />
:::::::No<br />
::::::::Rhodesia?<br />
:::::::::No<br />
::::::::::Is Bolivia landlocked?<br />
:::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::"Buda" and "Pest" or "Budapest"?<br />
:::::::::::::Buda and Pest <font color="gray">1868-72</font><br />
:::::::::::::Budapest <font color="gray">1873-83</font><br />
:::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1884-95</font><br />
:::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::Is Norway part of Sweden?<br />
:::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1896-1905</font><br />
:::::::::::No <font color="gray">1906-09</font><br />
:::::::Yes<br />
::::::::Austria-Hungary?<br />
:::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::Albania?<br />
:::::::::::No <font color="gray">1910-12</font><br />
:::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1913-18</font><br />
:::::::::No<br />
::::::::::Leningrad?<br />
:::::::::::No <font color="gray">1919-23</font><br />
:::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1924-29</font><br />
:::Neither<br />
::::Does the Ottoman Empire exist?<br />
:::::Yes <font color="gray">[[#canada-alaska-tokyo]]</font><br />
:::::No<br />
::::::The Soviet Union?<br />
:::::::Yes<br />
::::::::Saudi Arabia?<br />
:::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::<span id="west-africa-french-blob">Is most of West Africa a giant french blob?</span><br />
:::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::<span id="bangladesh">Bangladesh?</span><br />
:::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::Is the area south of Lake Victoria...<br />
:::::::::::::::British<br />
::::::::::::::::The town on I-25 between Albuquerque and El Paso is...<br />
:::::::::::::::::Hot Springs <font color="gray">1948-49</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::Truth or Consequences <font color="gray">1950-52</font><br />
:::::::::::::::Tanganyika <font color="gray">1961-64</font><br />
:::::::::::::::Tanzania <font color="gray">1965-71</font><br />
:::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1972-75</font><br />
:::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::How many Vietnams are there?<br />
:::::::::::::Two<br />
::::::::::::::[[#bangladesh]]<br />
:::::::::::::One<br />
::::::::::::::Jimmy Carter is...<br />
:::::::::::::::Being attacked by a giant swimming rabbit <font color="gray">April 20, 1979</font><br />
:::::::::::::::Fine<br />
::::::::::::::::The Sinai is part of what country?<br />
:::::::::::::::::Israel <font color="gray">1976-79</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::Mostly Israel <font color="gray">1980</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::Mostly Egypt <font color="gray">1981</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::Egypt<br />
::::::::::::::::::What's the capital of Micronesia?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::Kolonia<br />
::::::::::::::::::::Republic of the Upper Volta or Burkina Faso?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Upper Volta <font color="gray">1982-84</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Burkina Faso <font color="gray">1985-88</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::Palikir<br />
::::::::::::::::::::(number of Yemens) + (number of Germanys) = ?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Four <font color="gray">1989-early 1990</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Three <font color="gray">mid-1990</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Two <font color="gray">late 1990-1991</font><br />
:::::::::No <font color="gray">1922-1932</font><br />
:::::::No<br />
::::::::North Korea?<br />
:::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::<span id="zaire">Zaire? or: "Hong Kong (UK)"</span><br />
:::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1992-96</font><br />
:::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::Serbia/Montenegro are...<br />
:::::::::::::One country<br />
::::::::::::::East Timor?<br />
:::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">1997-2001</font><br />
:::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">2002-06</font><br />
:::::::::::::Two countries<br />
::::::::::::::How many Sudans are there?<br />
:::::::::::::::One <font color="gray">2007-11</font><br />
:::::::::::::::Two<br />
::::::::::::::::Is Crimea disputed?<br />
:::::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::::"Colorado" or "Danger—Radioactive Exclusion Zone—Avoid"?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::Colorado <font color="gray">2014-21</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::Danger<br />
::::::::::::::::::::Does the warning mention the spiders?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">2022</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">2023 or later</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">2012-13</font><br />
:::::::::No<br />
::::::::::Saint Trimble's Island<br />
:::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::Is Jan Mayen part of the Kingdom of Norway?<br />
:::::::::::::Not yet<br />
::::::::::::::[[#canada-alaska-tokyo]]<br />
:::::::::::::What?<br />
::::::::::::::Can you see the familiar continents?<br />
:::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::This sounds like a physical map or satellite photo.<br />
:::::::::::::::::Yes, that's it<br />
::::::::::::::::::Is Lake Chad missing?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::::How far east do the American Prairies reach?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Indiana <font color="gray">before 1830</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::The Mississippi <font color="gray">1830s-80s</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Nebraska<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::Is there a big lake in the middle of Southern California? (created by mistake)<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">1860s-1900s</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1910s</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::What prairies?<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::Is there a big lake in the middle of Ghana? (created on purpose)<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">1920s-50s</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1960s-70s</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::::::Is the Aral Sea missing?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">1970s-90s</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">2000s+</font><br />
:::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::Rivers "Sirion" or "Anduin"?<br />
:::::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::::Mordor?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::::Beleriand?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">First Age</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">Early Second Age</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::::::Númenor?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">Late Second Age</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::The forest east of the Misty Mountains is...<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::Greenwood <font color="gray">Early Third Age</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::Mirkwood <font color="gray">Late Third Age</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::The Wood of Greenleaves <font color="gray">Fourth Age</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::Cair Paravel?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::::::Calormen?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::Lotta Islands?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::::Beruna<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::Ford <font color="gray">The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::Bridge <font color="gray">Prince Caspian</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">Dawn Treader</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::Weird recursive heaven?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">One of the random later books</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">The Last Battle</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::::Mossflower?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::Redwall<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::Is the world on the back of a turtle?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">Discworld</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::::Are you ''sure'' this is a map?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::::::Did you make it yourself?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::It's very nice.<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Thank you!<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::::::Is it trying to bite you?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Is it larger than a breadbox?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">tuba</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">stapler</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::About the same <font color="gray">breadbox</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::If you let it go, what does it do?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Hisses and runs away <font color="gray">cat</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Screeches and flaps around the room breaking things <font color="gray">seagull</font><br />
:::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::Pakistan?<br />
:::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::How many Germanys are there?<br />
:::::::::::::::::One<br />
::::::::::::::::::Persia or Iran?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::Persia <font color="gray">1930-34</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::Iran <font color="gray">1935-40</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::One, but it's ''huge'' <font color="gray">1941-45</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::Two <font color="gray">1946-47</font><br />
:::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::Cambodia?<br />
:::::::::::::::::No<br />
::::::::::::::::::Eritrea is part of...<br />
:::::::::::::::::::Italy<br />
::::::::::::::::::::Canada is...<br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Missing a piece <font color="gray">1948</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::::Fine <font color="gray">1949-52</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::Ethiopia <font color="gray">1952-53</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::Yes<br />
::::::::::::::::::The United Arab Republic?<br />
:::::::::::::::::::No <font color="gray">1954-57</font><br />
:::::::::::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">1958-60</font><br />
:::::::::::Yes <font color="gray">No, I made that one up.</font><br />
:::Istanbul<br />
::::Does the Soviet Union exist?<br />
:::::Yes<br />
::::::[[#west-africa-french-blob]]<br />
:::::No<br />
::::::[[#zaire]]<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*There are some errors and several discrepancies in the comic regarding how year ranges is given.<br />
**The largest error seem to be a real mistake, rather than just not being precise.<br />
***It regards the entry ''The town on I-25 between Albuquerque and El Paso is...'' which gives a year range from 1948-1952, but to get to this entry the previous answer ''British'' fixes the time to 1960-1961. Also the I-25 was built in 1970-1990 through New Mexico, see the [[#Table|table]] above for more info.<br />
**Here other errors or discrepancies can be listed...<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Large drawings]]<br />
[[Category:Flowcharts]]<br />
[[Category:Maps]]<br />
[[Category:Time]]<br />
[[Category:Geography]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]] <!-- Jimmy Carter --><br />
[[Category:Animals]] <!-- Cat and seagull --><br />
[[Category:LOTR]]<br />
[[Category:Fiction]]<br />
[[Category:Spiders]] <!-- Does the map mention them? --></div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1692:_Man_Page&diff=1217361692: Man Page2016-06-10T16:10:40Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Table of flags */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1692<br />
| date = June 10, 2016<br />
| title = Man Page<br />
| image = man_page.png<br />
| titletext = For even more info, see blarbl(2)(3) and birb(3ahhaha I'm kidding, just Google it like a normal person.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|The two synopsis lines has not been explained, including the fact that there seems to be missing ending "]" and "}" in both lines (although taken together as one line they actually have the correct amount of brackets, but that would not make sense - I guess?) Someone seems to think the explanation for the copyright is lacking and has left a [text in square bracket] above that explanation. Please improve of delete that text if explanation now OK. Needs fact-checking of the table etc. and needs explanation of symbolic link}}<br />
<br />
This comic shows a {{w|Unix}} manual page, i.e. a ''{{w|man page}}'' (hence the title), for a fictional program called "blerp". It details the command line options for this program, many of which are strange, annoying, or even impossible. These options are in alphabetical order (putting lower case before upper case and with an em-dash inserted between b and c the only exception to this order).<br />
<br />
Unix man pages are meant to provide a brief reference on the usage of a command, not verbose and well-written explanations as you may find in manuals which is another common type of documentation. This fictional man page seems to exaggerate its crypticness, thus making fun of a common trait that many man pages have.<br />
<br />
{{w|Command-line_interface#Command-line_option|Command-line options}}, also known as flags, are typed following a program name to change how the program runs. The following is an example usage.<br />
<br />
<code>blerp -a -d -t -p "AVIGNON"</code><br />
<br />
This would run blerp in attack mode, outputting to DEBUG.EXE, with tumble dry, and with POPE set to AVIGNON. In most cases, any number of flags can be used in any order, and applicable flags can be followed by arguments (such as "AVIGNON" in this example).<br />
<br />
For a walk through of all possible flags see the [[#Table of flags|table]] below. <br />
<br />
Below the flags there are a ''see also'' list with other stupid program names. Apart from two more blerbs there is also blirb, blarb and blorb, with chapter references. The last blorp(501)(c)(3) is not a valid chapter reference for a man page, it is however a slightly covert reference to {{w|501(c)_organization|501(c)(3)}} which is an organization that is tax-exempt.<br />
<br />
Then follows a bug report site. inaturalist.org is a site working to extend biological research, and http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/47744-Hemiptera points to the same page as http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/Hemiptera. {{w|Hemiptera}} is the order classifying True Bugs, making it the perfect place to report any new bug you have discovered...<br />
<br />
[Copyright is a mishmash, "or best offer" is humorous, needs better explanation of individual parts.]<br />
<br />
Finally there is a "{{w|copyright}}" line which references several variously open-source content licenses which is also a recurring theme on xkcd (see [[225: Open Source]]). For instance GPL references {{w|GNU General Public License}} and the (2) and (3+) refers to {{w|GNU_General_Public_License#Version_2|GPL 2}} and {{w|GNU_General_Public_License#Version_3|GPL 3 or higher}}. ''CC'' refers to {{w|creative commons}} where ''BY'' is the {{w|Creative_Commons_license#Types_of_licenses|type of license}}, ''5.0'' refers to the attribution and ''RV 41.0'' refers to revision 41.0. However there were no higher attribution than [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode 4.0] at the time of this comics release. xkcd is released under [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ CC BY-NC 2.5] as can be seen at the bottom of the {{xkcd}} homepage. A few comics have been released under the [[:Category:CC-BY-SA comics|CC-BY-SA license]] or [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ 3.0]. BSD refers to {{w|BSD licenses}} a [[:Category:BSD|recurring theme]] in xkcd . "LIKE GECKO" is a reference to a web browser user-agent string; modern user-agent strings include a lot of text designed{{Citation needed}} to let the browser pretend to be several different browsers/renderers, and "(like Gecko)" is the standard text for a browser that wants to be treated as if it were {{w|Gecko (software)|Gecko}} while admitting, if you look closely, that it isn't really Gecko. This copyright line, which includes a lot of mashed-together text that might appear to match any of several different licenses, resembles a user-agent string.<br />
<br />
"OR BEST OFFER" is a reference to an auction where the person who bids the highest gets to buy the item. In context, it suggest the person who has the highest offer for blerp will be sold the rights to the program. Since the other licenses mentioned would allow for free usage without paying royalties, it would usually be pointless to buy the rights to the program.<br />
<br />
In the title text there is a list with even more info, again with crazy names like blarbl and birb. Again there are page references, but for the last the person writing this stops writing the reference and begins to laugh at who ever still reads this man page and telling them that he is kidding and suggest that they ''just Google it like a normal person''. Seems like [[Randall]] does not believe much in man pages anymore... The writer of this text thus also stops finishing the brackets as the ending ")" for the last chapter is missing.<br />
<br />
Man pages were part of the subject of [[293: RTFM]] and were mentioned in [[456: Cautionary]].<br />
<br />
===Table of flags===<br />
*There are 28 flags.<br />
**Only these five letters are not used: l, m, w, x, z.<br />
**j and k are used together as jk.<br />
**The following seven capital letters are used: D, I, O, R, S, U, V.<br />
***That makes it one capital letter for every lower case letter that is not used by itself.<br />
**Finally the em dash "—" is used as the only non-letter character. Also the only that breaks the strict adiabatically sorting of the list, with lower case before upper case letters.<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!Flag!!Description!!Explanation<br />
|-<br />
| -a||ATTACK MODE||This sounds like a command for a robot or something similar. Strange for a command line program. Possibly this is designed to break something?<br />
|-<br />
| -b||SUPPRESS BEES||Nonsensical option. This is a word play, meaning either to suppress {{w|Bee|Bees}} (the insects) or the letter '''B'''. This is also a possible {{w|Discworld}} reference, as the ''{{W|Hex_(Discworld)#Structure_and_technology|long-term storage}}'' of the only recurring computer in the series, ''{{w|Hex (Discworld)|Hex}}'', is composed of a beehive. (Note that the actual computer runs on ants.)<br />
|-<br />
| -—||FLAGS USE EM DASHES||Command line options (flags) typically use {{w|Hyphen|hyphens}} (short horizontal lines largely used within words). {{w|Dash#Em_dash|Em dashes}} (longer, with the same length as the letter "m") can't easily be typed into a command line interface, so switching flags from hyphens to em dashes is excessively difficult and nonsensical.<br />
<br />
This may be a play on how a lot of commands accept both single-dash options, like -h for help, as well as double-dash options like --help also for help. In word processors, a double-dash (--) is often replaced with the longer em dash (—), making them kind of synonymous.<br />
<br />
Also implies a paradox where if flags were to use em dashes, this flag itself would be invalid.<br />
|-<br />
| -c||COUNT NUMBER OF ARGUMENTS||Most likely not useful.<br />
|-<br />
| -d||PIPES OUTPUT TO DEBUG.EXE||{{w|DEBUG.EXE}} is the old 16-bit debugger that came with MS-DOS. On a Unix system it is much more likely that one would use the {{w|GNU Debugger}} (GDB). A debugger is usually called by calling the debugger with the program (or script) to be debugged as parameter.<br />
{{w|Pipeline (Unix)|Piping}} in Unix means that the output of one program serves as input for another program.<br />
|-<br />
| -D||DEPRECATED||Many programs contain legacy options to avoid breaking scripts that use them. While the option should still work, the documentation is changed to say "deprecated" to discourage further use. Eventually such options usually get removed. (However, given the nature of this comic, it's likely that -D has always stood for "deprecated".)<br />
|-<br />
| -e||EXECUTE SOMETHING||Vague. Also a possible pun on a kill-switch.<br />
|-<br />
| -f||FUN MODE||Strange and slightly ominous, given some of the other options. See under -O.<br />
|-<br />
| -g||USE GOOGLE||As an actual program flag, a bit hackjob-ish, but it is possible it is telling the user to use Google to find out what this tag does.<br />
|-<br />
| -h||CHECK WHETHER INPUT HALTS||Completely impossible, by the {{w|Halting problem}} which is the problem of determining, from a description of an arbitrary computer program and an input, whether the program will finish running or continue to run forever. {{w|Alan Turing}} proved in 1936 that a general algorithm to solve the halting problem for all possible program-input pairs cannot exist. <br />
<br />
Note that most commands reserve -h for help, so using it for a different function is non-standard. Such is common for many Unix and Linux commands.<br />
|-<br />
| -i||IGNORE CASE (LOWER)||Usually, ignoring case means that a program will run without differentiating between upper- and lowercase. This flag suggests that blerp will run ignoring all the lowercase characters completely, or ignoring all the uppercase characters with the next flag "-I". Note that using this may make it ignore the difference for flags like -i and -I...<br />
|-<br />
| -I||IGNORE CASE (UPPER)||See above. Also possible that all text is converted to upper case, or that upper-case requirements only are ignored<br />
|-<br />
| -jk||KIDDING||A common acronym for [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jk Just Kidding], not a program flag. Also note that standard behavior of Unix command line options is that a single "-" can be followed by multiple one-letter options, making -jk equivalent to -j -k.<br />
|-<br />
| -n||BEHAVIOR NOT DEFINED||Possibly mathematically ominous? Otherwise useless.(Possible debug/unstable feature flag)<br />
|-<br />
| -o||OVERWRITE||Standard program flag, usually meaning that the program will overwrite a file rather than make a new one when data is output.May work strangely with -d.<br />
|-<br />
| -O||OPPOSITE DAY||Strange flag, possibly means that all other flags (or maybe even including this one!) have the opposite effects - if so, a lot of strange things would happen. (Especially with -b, -e, -f, -jk, -O...) Possible reference to the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zEGjlHZMiM Cyanide and Happiness Short: Opposite Day]<br />
|-<br />
| -p||SET TRUE POPE; ACCEPTS "ROME" OR "AVIGNON"||This refers to a {{w|Western_Schism|historical schism}} in the {{w|Catholic Church}}. In the 14th century, the Pope briefly ruled from Avignon, France, instead of Rome. After the Papacy was returned to Rome in 1377, the Church split (the so-called Western Schism) as not everyone accepted the move and the Pope who ordered it. This flag apparently allows the user to select a preferred Pope. There is actually a possible feature request here, as "PISA", a third Pope, should also be an option. It is the second time this week that Popes have been mentioned, last time was two comics before in [[1690: Time-Tracking Software]] regarding the Popes sexual activity.<br />
|-<br />
| -q||QUIET MODE; OUTPUT IS PRINTED TO STDOUT INSTEAD OF BEING SPOKEN ALOUD||In most cases, a program will output basic information to the console, and running it in quiet mode will make it run without outputting anything. Blerp, on the other hand, outputs information through audio, and the quiet flag causes it to run like a normal program. "STDOUT" is short for "standard output".<br />
|-<br />
| -r||RANDOMIZE ARGUMENTS||Pointless and possibly damaging.<br />
|-<br />
| -R||RUN RECURSIVELY ON <nowiki>http://*</nowiki>||The star (*) symbol is often used as a wildcard to match any string of characters. "<nowiki>http://*</nowiki>" suggests that blerp will be run on every (unsecured) webpage on the internet, or on each page recursively. What it might do in order to make this valid is also ominous.<br />
|-<br />
| -s||FOLLOW SYMBOLIC LINKS SYMBOLICALLY||[Needs explanation of symbolic links] Many commands offer an option to follow filesystem links, this option however seems to suggest that it will only politely pretend to do so.<br />
|-<br />
| -S||STEALTH MODE||Similar to -a, in that it sounds more like an option for some kind of robot.<br />
|-<br />
| -t||TUMBLE DRY||Perhaps useful for a program that runs on a clothes dryer. Refers to [https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5254504/il_570xN.184726893.jpg directions like these]. Many clothing items are marked "do not tumble dry" in the care instructions, but this would be extremely difficult to make relevant to a program. Given the other flags, this may be less nonsensical than it would first appear..<br />
|-<br />
| -u||UTF-8 MODE; OTHERWISE DEFAULTS TO ANSEL||{{w|ANSEL}} is an old and obscure character encoding that predates ASCII. Using ANSEL as a default would be strange and largely incompatible with most modern systems. On the other hand, UTF-8 is rather standard. Similar in this regard to -q, blerp does something non-standard by default. The problem with using different modes (where the original was also UTF-8) is shown in the title text of [[1683: Digital Data]].<br />
|-<br />
| -U||UPDATE (DEFAULT: FACEBOOK)||Update usually refers to replacing an old software with a newer version. The default here suggests posting a status update to Facebook, sourcing an update form Facebook, or updating Facebook itself.<br />
|-<br />
| -v||VERBOSE; ALIAS TO find / -exec cat {}||Almost standard flag, in ordinary programs the opposite of -q - instead of silencing output, it makes it more specific, usually to help with debugging. Instead, this flag gets replaced with a command that prints the contents of all files in the filesystem tree. However, it will never complete, as certain device files never end (/dev/urandom contains random bytes). Note that the "find" command is missing <code>\;</code> and will not run, instead complaining <code>find: missing argument to `-exec'</code> .<br />
|-<br />
| -V||SET VERSION NUMBER||Many programs will have a flag to view the version number. This flag changes the version number instead.<br />
|-<br />
| -y||YIKES||[[wiktionary:yikes|yikes]] is an interjection which can express fear or empathy with unpleasant or undesirable circumstances. It is unclear how this would influence the program.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A terminal screen; the background is black and the text is white.]<br />
:{| class="wikitable"<br />
|style="background-color:black;"|<font color="white"><br />
;NAME<br />
:blerp<br />
<br />
;SYNOPSIS<br />
:blerp {[ OPTION | ARGS ]...[ ARGS ... -f [FLAGS] ...}<br />
:blerp {... DIRECTORY ... URL | BLERP} OPTIONS ] -{}<br />
<br />
;DESCRIPTION<br />
:blerp FILTERS LOCAL OR REMOTE FILES OR RESOURCES USING PATTERNS DEFINED BY ARGUMENTS AND ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES. THIS BEHAVIOR CAN BE ALTERED BY VARIOUS FLAGS.<br />
<br />
;OPTIONS<br />
:{|<br />
! scope="row" | -a<br />
| ATTACK MODE<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -b<br />
| SUPPRESS BEES<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -—<br />
| FLAGS USE EM DASHES<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -c<br />
| COUNT NUMBER OF ARGUMENTS<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -d<br />
| PIPES OUTPUT TO DEBUG.EXE<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -D<br />
| DEPRECATED<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -e<br />
| EXECUTE SOMETHING<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -f<br />
| FUN MODE<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -g<br />
| USE GOOGLE<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -h<br />
| CHECK WHETHER INPUT HALTS<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -i<br />
| IGNORE CASE (LOWER)<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -I<br />
| IGNORE CASE (UPPER)<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -jk<br />
| KIDDING<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -n<br />
| BEHAVIOR NOT DEFINED<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -o<br />
| OVERWRITE<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -O<br />
| OPPOSITE DAY<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -p<br />
| SET TRUE POPE; ACCEPTS "ROME" OR "AVIGNON"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -q<br />
| QUIET MODE; OUTPUT IS PRINTED TO STDOUT INSTEAD OF BEING SPOKEN ALOUD<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -r<br />
| RANDOMIZE ARGUMENTS<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -R<br />
| RUN RECURSIVELY ON <nowiki>http://*</nowiki><br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -s<br />
| FOLLOW SYMBOLIC LINKS SYMBOLICALLY<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -S<br />
| STEALTH MODE<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -t<br />
| TUMBLE DRY<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -u<br />
| UTF-8 MODE; OTHERWISE DEFAULTS TO ANSEL<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -U<br />
| UPDATE (DEFAULT: FACEBOOK)<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -v<br />
| VERBOSE; ALIAS TO find / -exec cat {}<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -V<br />
| SET VERSION NUMBER<br />
|-<br />
! scope="row" | -y<br />
| YIKES<br />
|}<br />
<br />
;SEE ALSO<br />
:blerp(1), blerp(3), blirb(8), blarb(51) blorp(501)(c)(3)<br />
<br />
;BUG REPORTS<br />
:<nowiki>http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/47744-Hemiptera</nowiki><br />
<br />
;COPYRIGHT<br />
:GPL(2)(3+) CC-BY/5.0 RV 41.0 LIKE GECKO/BSD 4(2) OR BEST OFFER<br />
</font><br />
|}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Programming]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]<br />
[[Category:BSD]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]] <!--Bees--></div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1690:_Time-Tracking_Software&diff=121572Talk:1690: Time-Tracking Software2016-06-08T20:14:12Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~--><br />
I don't know how to interpret the "This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it." on the List of sexually active popes wiki page.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.224|141.101.104.224]] 10:19, 6 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:They're asking you to become a pope, and be sexually active. Then you can get arrested, and do a helicopter prison escape to start the 'List of helicopter prison escapes involving sexually active popes.' {{unsigned ip|162.158.26.140}}<br />
:It's because we can't know for sure if every single pope is secretly sexually active or if it's just limited to the ones caught red-handed. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.5|141.101.98.5]] 11:35, 6 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Another interpretation: seduce the pope. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.85.99|162.158.85.99]] 15:39, 6 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Those ''estimated'' percentages have a strangely high degree of precision, I'd think limiting them to whole number percentages would do. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.58|141.101.98.58]] 11:48, 6 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Replacing lightsabers in Star Wars movies may be a reference to this amusing video of the sword fight in The Princess Bride where swords are replaced with light sabers.<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYVQooRSlzg {{unsigned ip|173.245.52.69}}<br />
<br />
The Jack and Diane remix with one line repeated may be a reference to svantana's brilliant re-do of a Human League number: http://svantana.bandcamp.com/track/you-were-workin-as-a-waitress-in-a-cocktail-bar [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.109|108.162.245.109]] 13:31, 6 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
**This is the greatest thing in the history of all remixes. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.49|173.245.54.49]] 03:01, 7 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
**That was the stupidest thing that I have ever exposed my ears to, and I loved every second of it.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.102|108.162.216.102]] 20:14, 8 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Look what {{w|List of helicopter prison escapes involving sexually active popes|some loser tried to actually make}}, to no one's surprise..... [[User:Schiffy|<font color="000999">Schiffy</font>]] ([[User_talk:Schiffy|<font color="FF6600">Speak to me</font>]]|[[Special:Contributions/Schiffy|<font color="FF0000">What I've done</font>]]) 17:07, 6 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Anyone took a copy before the page was deleted? {{unsigned ip|108.162.229.49}}<br />
::I just took a look on the Wayback Machine, and unfortunately the first and only archive is after the deletion. If anyone knows of any other archive websites....-[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.69|108.162.215.69]] 05:30, 7 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
::From Google cache - [https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NIJDh4TsExwJ:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_helicopter_prison_escapes_involving_sexually_active_popes+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us List of helicopter prison escapes involving sexually active popes]--[[User:Attempt15|Attempt15]] ([[User talk:Attempt15|talk]]) 18:22, 7 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
Notice that the last successful helicopter prison escape was exactly two years ago.. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.86.35|162.158.86.35]] 06:49, 7 June 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
One thing that this comic brings to the table is that the managing effort to increase productivity usually has a significant (and many times negative) impact on productivity itself. In this graphic, the installation took him nearly 25% of his time. He'd be significantly more productive if he wasn't using any time tracking software at all.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.115|141.101.98.115]] 14:58, 8 June 2016 (UTC) duartix</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1690:_Time-Tracking_Software&diff=1215261690: Time-Tracking Software2016-06-07T17:21:19Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1690<br />
| date = June 6, 2016<br />
| title = Time-Tracking Software<br />
| image = time_tracking_software.png<br />
| titletext = 'List of helicopter prison escapes' and 'List of sexually active popes' are both entertainingly long, but sadly there's no 'List of helicopter prison escapes involving sexually active popes.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic, [[Randall]] uses {{w|time-tracking software}}, which is intended to increase productivity by identifying how you are spending time, that reveals that he is doing frivolous and pointless things that take up large amounts of his time. He makes remixes, edits {{w|Star Wars}} footage, reads strange (albeit entertaining) Wikipedia articles (see [[214: The Problem with Wikipedia]]), and even spends a large amount of time adjusting this software, all without getting anything useful done. Thus, he is embarrassed at this revelation. This time waste is a common subject on xkcd, as shown for instance in the comic mentioned above.<br />
<br />
The visual appearance of {{w|Lightsaber|lightsabers}} in the Star Wars movies of the {{w|Star_Wars#Original_trilogy|original trilogy}} has been {{w|List_of_changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases|digitally changed}} twice during the re-releases for the 2004 DVD and 2011 Blu-ray releases. There are several Star Wars fans that feel the need to alter the movies (mainly to revert the changes made in the re-release), but so far nobody felt the need to replace lightsabers with metal swords.<br />
<br />
{{w|Jack & Diane}} is a rock song written in 1982 by {{w|John Mellencamp}}. "[https://youtu.be/h04CH9YZcpI?t=56 Suckin' on a chili dog outside the tastee freeze]" is the first line of the second verse of the song (see the [http://www.metrolyrics.com/jack-and-diane-lyrics-john-mellencamp.html lyrics here]). A remix made using just this line would probably sound a bit repetitive (listen for instance to [http://svantana.bandcamp.com/track/you-were-workin-as-a-waitress-in-a-cocktail-bar this re-mix] of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPudE8nDog0 Don't You Want Me], that almost only uses the first line of the song).<br />
<br />
Two Wikipedia lists are mentioned in the comic and title text; {{w|List of helicopter prison escapes}} and {{w|List of sexually active popes}}. Given that the Pope is supposed to be {{w|Clerical celibacy|celibate}} (at least after 1139), the mere fact that more than ten popes have been involved in sexual activity, even after 1139, is both amusing and intriguing. There are more than forty entries in the helicopter escape list for real-life attempts (plus 16 in fiction); not all of them succeeded, but several did!<br />
<br />
In the title text, Randall mentions his disappointment with the lack of a Wikipedia list stemming from the intersection of the two; that is, a helicopter prison escape involving a sexually active pope. With the last sexually active pope being Pope Leo XII in the 1820s, and helicopter predecessors only taking flight in 1907, and mass production of helicopters not occurring until World War II, such an event has probably never happened.<br />
<br />
The Wikipedia list of sexually active popes has been mentioned before in the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|109|Into the Blue}}'' on infinitely powerful lasers, and after noting that such a thing cannot exist, the list is offered as an replacement for entertainment.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[This comic shows a pie chart with 5 slices, each with a label and a line pointing to these five different sized slices. There is a caption above the chart:]<br />
:<u>Your activity report</u><br />
<br />
:[The labels on each slice is given in clockwise order starting top left. The percentages are estimated from the image and are noted in the square brackets before the transcript:]<br />
<br />
:[38%]: Going through the Star Wars movies and digitally replacing all the lightsabers with regular metal swords<br />
:[16%]: Reading every entry in the Wikipedia article ''List of helicopter prison escapes''<br />
:[23%]: Installing and configuring time-tracking software<br />
:[02%]: Actual productive work<br />
:[21%]: Making a remix of that ''Jack and Diane'' song where every line is just "Suckin' on a chili dog outside the tastee-freez" over and over<br />
<br />
:[Below the frame there is a caption:]<br />
:Time-tracking software shines an uncomfortably harsh light on my daily life.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Pie charts]]<br />
[[Category:Star Wars]]<br />
[[Category:Songs]]<br />
[[Category:Wikipedia]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1690:_Time-Tracking_Software&diff=1215251690: Time-Tracking Software2016-06-07T17:20:31Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1690<br />
| date = June 6, 2016<br />
| title = Time-Tracking Software<br />
| image = time_tracking_software.png<br />
| titletext = 'List of helicopter prison escapes' and 'List of sexually active popes' are both entertainingly long, but sadly there's no 'List of helicopter prison escapes involving sexually active popes.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic, [[Randall]] uses {{w|time-tracking software}}, which is intended to increase productivity by identifying how you are spending time, that reveals that he is doing frivolous and pointless things that take up large amounts of his time. He makes remixes, edits {{w|Star Wars}} footage, reads strange (albeit entertaining) Wikipedia articles (see [[214: The Problem with Wikipedia]]), and even spends a large amount of time adjusting this software, all without getting anything useful done. Thus, he is embarrassed at this revelation. This time waste is a common subject on xkcd, as shown for instance in the comic mentioned above.<br />
<br />
The visual appearance of {{w|Lightsaber|lightsabers}} in the Star Wars movies of the {{w|Star_Wars#Original_trilogy|original trilogy}} has been {{w|List_of_changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases|digitally changed}} twice during the re-releases for the 2004 DVD and 2011 Blu-ray releases. There are several Star Wars fans that feel the need to alter the movies (mainly to revert the changes made in the re-release), but so far nobody felt the need to replace lightsabers with metal swords.<br />
<br />
{{w|Jack & Diane}} is a rock song written in 1982 by {{w|John Mellencamp}}. "[https://youtu.be/h04CH9YZcpI?t=56 Suckin' on a chili dog outside the tastee freeze]" is the first line of the second verse of the song (see the [http://www.metrolyrics.com/jack-and-diane-lyrics-john-mellencamp.html lyrics here]). A remix made using just this line would probably sound a bit repetitive (listen for instance to [http://svantana.bandcamp.com/track/you-were-workin-as-a-waitress-in-a-cocktail-bar this re-mix] of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPudE8nDog0 Don't You Want Me], that almost only uses the first line of the song).<br />
<br />
Two Wikipedia lists are mentioned in the comic and title text; {{w|List of helicopter prison escapes}} and {{w|List of sexually active popes}}. Given that the Pope is supposed to be {{w|Clerical celibacy|celibate}} (at least after 1139), the mere fact that more than ten popes have been involved in sexual activity, even after 1139, is both amusing and intriguing. There are more than forty entries in the helicopter escape list for real-life attempts (plus 16 in fiction). Not all of them succeeded, but several did!<br />
<br />
In the title text, Randall mentions his disappointment with the lack of a Wikipedia list stemming from the intersection of the two; that is, a helicopter prison escape involving a sexually active pope. With the last sexually active pope being Pope Leo XII in the 1820s, and helicopter predecessors only taking flight in 1907, and mass production of helicopters not occurring until World War II, such an event has probably never happened.<br />
<br />
The Wikipedia list of sexually active popes has been mentioned before in the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|109|Into the Blue}}'' on infinitely powerful lasers, and after noting that such a thing cannot exist, the list is offered as an replacement for entertainment.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[This comic shows a pie chart with 5 slices, each with a label and a line pointing to these five different sized slices. There is a caption above the chart:]<br />
:<u>Your activity report</u><br />
<br />
:[The labels on each slice is given in clockwise order starting top left. The percentages are estimated from the image and are noted in the square brackets before the transcript:]<br />
<br />
:[38%]: Going through the Star Wars movies and digitally replacing all the lightsabers with regular metal swords<br />
:[16%]: Reading every entry in the Wikipedia article ''List of helicopter prison escapes''<br />
:[23%]: Installing and configuring time-tracking software<br />
:[02%]: Actual productive work<br />
:[21%]: Making a remix of that ''Jack and Diane'' song where every line is just "Suckin' on a chili dog outside the tastee-freez" over and over<br />
<br />
:[Below the frame there is a caption:]<br />
:Time-tracking software shines an uncomfortably harsh light on my daily life.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Pie charts]]<br />
[[Category:Star Wars]]<br />
[[Category:Songs]]<br />
[[Category:Wikipedia]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1690:_Time-Tracking_Software&diff=1215241690: Time-Tracking Software2016-06-07T17:19:25Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1690<br />
| date = June 6, 2016<br />
| title = Time-Tracking Software<br />
| image = time_tracking_software.png<br />
| titletext = 'List of helicopter prison escapes' and 'List of sexually active popes' are both entertainingly long, but sadly there's no 'List of helicopter prison escapes involving sexually active popes.'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
In this comic, [[Randall]] uses {{w|time-tracking software}}, which is intended to increase productivity by identifying how you are spending time, that reveals that he is doing frivolous and pointless things that take up large amounts of his time. He makes remixes, edits {{w|Star Wars}} footage, reads strange (albeit entertaining) Wikipedia articles (see [[214: The Problem with Wikipedia]]), and even spends a large amount of time adjusting this software, all without getting anything useful done. Thus, he is embarrassed at this revelation. This time waste is a common subject on xkcd, as shown for instance in the comic mentioned above.<br />
<br />
The visual appearance of {{w|Lightsaber|lightsabers}} in the Star Wars movies of the {{w|Star_Wars#Original_trilogy|original trilogy}} has been {{w|List_of_changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases|digitally changed}} twice during the re-releases for the 2004 DVD and 2011 Blu-ray releases. There are several Star Wars fans that feel the need to alter the movies (mainly to revert the changes made in the re-release), but so far nobody felt the need to replace lightsabers with metal swords.<br />
<br />
{{w|Jack & Diane}} is a rock song written in 1982 by {{w|John Mellencamp}}. "[https://youtu.be/h04CH9YZcpI?t=56 Suckin' on a chili dog outside the tastee freeze]" is the first line of the second verse of the song (see the [http://www.metrolyrics.com/jack-and-diane-lyrics-john-mellencamp.html lyrics here]). A remix made using just this line would probably sound a bit repetitive (listen for instance to [http://svantana.bandcamp.com/track/you-were-workin-as-a-waitress-in-a-cocktail-bar this re-mix] of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPudE8nDog0 Don't You Want Me], that almost only uses the first line of the song).<br />
<br />
Two Wikipedia lists are mentioned in the comic and title text; {{w|List of helicopter prison escapes}} and {{w|List of sexually active popes}}. Given that the Pope is supposed to be {{w|Clerical celibacy|celibate}} (at least after 1139), the mere fact that more than ten popes have been involved in sexual activity, even after 1139, is both amusing and intriguing. There are more than forty entries in the helicopter escape list (for real attempts, and 16 in fiction). Not all of them succeeded, but several did!<br />
<br />
In the title text, Randall mentions his disappointment with the lack of a Wikipedia list stemming from the intersection of the two; that is, a helicopter prison escape involving a sexually active pope. With the last sexually active pope being Pope Leo XII in the 1820s, and helicopter predecessors only taking flight in 1907, and mass production of helicopters not occurring until World War II, such an event has probably never happened.<br />
<br />
The Wikipedia list of sexually active popes has been mentioned before in the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|109|Into the Blue}}'' on infinitely powerful lasers, and after noting that such a thing cannot exist, the list is offered as an replacement for entertainment.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[This comic shows a pie chart with 5 slices, each with a label and a line pointing to these five different sized slices. There is a caption above the chart:]<br />
:<u>Your activity report</u><br />
<br />
:[The labels on each slice is given in clockwise order starting top left. The percentages are estimated from the image and are noted in the square brackets before the transcript:]<br />
<br />
:[38%]: Going through the Star Wars movies and digitally replacing all the lightsabers with regular metal swords<br />
:[16%]: Reading every entry in the Wikipedia article ''List of helicopter prison escapes''<br />
:[23%]: Installing and configuring time-tracking software<br />
:[02%]: Actual productive work<br />
:[21%]: Making a remix of that ''Jack and Diane'' song where every line is just "Suckin' on a chili dog outside the tastee-freez" over and over<br />
<br />
:[Below the frame there is a caption:]<br />
:Time-tracking software shines an uncomfortably harsh light on my daily life.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Pie charts]]<br />
[[Category:Star Wars]]<br />
[[Category:Songs]]<br />
[[Category:Wikipedia]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1687:_World_War_III%2B&diff=1209901687: World War III+2016-05-30T04:59:25Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1687<br />
| date = May 30, 2016<br />
| title = World War III+<br />
| image = world_war_iii.png<br />
| titletext = I hate how the media only ever uses the first part of this quote, stripping it of its important context.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}<br />
<br />
This comic takes a famous quote attributed to Albert Einstein, and expands upon it to absurd levels.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1625:_Substitutions_2&diff=1198941625: Substitutions 22016-05-11T16:20:48Z<p>108.162.216.102: Undoing my own revision.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1625<br />
| date = January 4, 2016<br />
| title = Substitutions 2<br />
| image = substitutions_2.png<br />
| titletext = Within a few minutes, our roads will be full of uncontrollably-swerving cars and our skies full of Amazon delivery dogs.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This is a sequel to [[1288: Substitutions]], but there have been several [[:Category:Substitutions|comics using substitutions]] both before and after that comic.<br />
<br />
In this table, [[Randall]] suggests substituting several common phrases in generic news with similar or related phrases that mean something different for comical effect. Some of the replacements are {{w|synonyms}}, some are {{w|antonyms}}, and some are plain different concepts; and, even though they would (most of the time) make a grammatically correct sentence, the resulting idea would, however, often sound absurd or bizarre.<br />
<br />
Some of the examples might, also, mock the fact that many news contradict the actual facts or obvious results of a situation. For example, "[influential person] vows to do good to the world" would be replaced with a more usual fact "[influential person] probably won't do good to the world" - see [[#Example of sentences|example]] below with North Korean leader.<br />
<br />
The title text is an example of how the closing sentence of a given article or report might sound after using the substitutions in the comic.<br />
:Before substitutions: Within a few '''years''', our roads will be full of '''self-driving''' cars and our skies full of Amazon delivery '''drones'''.<br />
:After substitutions: Within a few '''minutes''', our roads will be full of '''uncontrollably-swerving''' cars and our skies full of Amazon delivery '''dogs'''.<br />
The flying dogs could be a reference to [[1614: Kites]]. Was the first of two in a row where Amazon is mentioned in the title text (next [[1626: Judgment Day]]).<br />
<br />
===Table of substitutions===<br />
*In this table the difference between the original and the substituted word (and the change to the sentences) will be explained.<br />
**[[#Example of sentences|Example of sentences]] are given below.<br />
:{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Original<br />
! Substitution<br />
! Explanation <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Debate}}<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dance-off Dance-off]<br />
| A 'debate' is often used between political candidates, to give the voters a chance to decide who they will vote for. One of the candidates <!-- ''Airbenders'' (*note correct spelling*, if this was intentional and needs restoring)--> is often called the winner of such a debate by some degree or other of consensus. Randall is indicating that they could just as well have performed a 'dance-off' where they would dance until one of them danced better than the other, as adjudged by the viewing crowd or a panel of judges. Such a dance-off is often seen in [http://gameshows.wikia.com/wiki/Family_Dance_Off TV-shows] or [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3024964/combined films] etc.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Autonomous car|Self driving}}<br />
| Uncontrollably [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/swerving swerving]<br />
| 'Self driving' cars were also mentioned in [[1623: 2016 Conversation Guide]] where it was stated that they would come surprisingly soon (within a few minutes according to the substitutions suggested here). But until they are safe it might be better to mention them as uncontrollably swerving cars?<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Poll}}<br />
| {{w|Psychic reading}}<br />
| A 'poll', especially regarding political issues, refers to {{w|opinion poll|opinion}} or {{w|exit poll|exit}} polls. These tend to ask a carefully selected sample (for either balance or an intended ''inbalance'', depending on the poll's neutrality) their opinions in order to extrapolate the global consensus, e.g. the future result of an {{w|election}}. This substitution is Randall's way of saying that they could just as well have used a {{w|psychic}} person to predict the result. A true psychic (if that they are) would reveal an accurate result, whilst a false one (skilled at 'cold reading' an audience) would likely wish to provide the answer that pleases those asking the question (the actual purpose of some polls), or else attempt to provide their actual 'best guess' as to future outcomes in order to improve their own legend.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Candidate}}<br />
| {{w|Airbender}}<br />
| A 'candidate' usually refers to a political person who represents a certain political party in an election. He would then be that party's candidate, for instance for a presidential election. 'Airbender' refers to the show {{w|Avatar: The Last Airbender}}, where there are waterbenders, earthbenders, firebenders and (at this point) a single surviving airbender, the airbender in question being a pivotal character upon whose actions the future fate of world relies.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Unmanned aerial vehicle|Drone}}<br />
| {{w|Dog}}<br />
| Drones can be many things, for instance a {{w|Drone (bee)|male bee}}, but as used in the title text it refers to unmanned aerial vehicles. {{w|Amazon.com|Amazon}} is about to use small drones to deliver parcels, and Randall has referred to these before (see [[1523: Microdrones]]). However, until just before the recent trend of becoming popularised as a 'toy' or professional camera platform, the term became closely associated with ''military'' drones that have been used to observe (and, more recently, fire upon) enemy forces without risking any military personnel.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Vows}} to<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/probably Probably] won't<br />
| Vowing to do something means that you really promise to do this. But when politicians vow something, for instance, it seems to often end up becoming a forgotten promise. Hence the antonym substitution which means the opposite. From ''really will'' to ''probably won't''.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fugitive#Terminology|At large}} (or {{w|At-large}})<br />
| Very [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/large large]<br />
| A criminal that is on the run is said to be at large. But At-large is a political designation for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body, rather than a subset of that membership.<br />
|-<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/successfully Successfully]<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/suddenly Suddenly]<br />
| The two words have nothing much to do with each other except that they both begin with ''su''.<br />
|-<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/expand Expands]<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/physical Physically] expands<br />
| 'Expands' often refers to a physical expansion, or inflation. But it is also possible to expand on an explanation, as is done for this comic. So that would become: This explanation is being physically expanded beyond all measures.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|First degree|First }} /{{w|second degree|second }} /{{w|third degree|third-degree}}<br />
| [http://da.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Friggin Friggin'] awful<br />
| First, second and third-degree can be used in many context. It is common to think about {{w|Burn|burns}}, which can {{w|Burn#Signs_and_symptoms|range from first to fourth degree}}, where higher is worse. Also {{w|murder}} charges can range in from first to third degree in for instance the US. Here first degree murder is the worst. But it can be used for other things, like an {{w|undergraduate degree}} or {{w|postgraduate education}} for first and second degree respectively. But the substitution fits best with murder or burn, as Friggin(g) is a "softer" swear word than for instance other more commonly used four letter words. It often replaces ''fuck''. Its original meaning was a coarse word for female masturbation (see [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/frigging#English frigging]).<br />
|-<br />
| An [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unknown unknown] number<br />
| Like {{w|100 (number)|hundreds}}<br />
| In the news, an unknown number mostly means 'probably not zero.' It is often used in phrases like "an unknown number of assailants broke into a house in Munroe Heights," or "an unknown number of people are missing" after a calamity of some sort. "Like hundreds" does give a different flavor.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Front-runner |Front runner}}<br />
| {{w|Blade Runner}}<br />
| In American politics, a 'front-runner' is a leader in an electoral race. It can also mean the front-runner in athletic events (the namesake of the political concept). Here it is generally clear who the front-runner is, whilst the political front-runner is sometimes less clear or a more subjective viewpoint. A 'blade runner' is a person who retires (kills) rogue cyborgs in the movie Blade Runner, where {{w|Harrison Ford}} plays the lead Blade Runner.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Globe|Global}}<br />
| {{w|Spherical}}<br />
| Global comes from globe, but means so much more today. It is often used in contexts such as {{w|global warming}} or {{w|World war|global warfare}}. But since a globe is spherical, this substitution makes more sense than most, although talking about ''the effect of spherical warming'' would probably not get {{w|Greenpeace}} into action.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Years}}<br />
| {{w|Minute|Minutes}}<br />
| It will often make a sentence lose its meaning when changing the units drastically from years to minutes (there are 525600 minutes in the usual 365 days present in a year). For instance it would be unusual that a prisoner convicted for murder would get 20 minutes in jail, rather than 20 years.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Minute|Minutes}}<br />
| {{w|Years}}<br />
| Same as above but reversed. For instance a car might make a trip around a race track in just 7 years! One lesson at school lasted 45 years.<br />
|-<br />
| No {{w|Indication| indication}}<br />
| Lots of {{w|Sign (disambiguation)|signs}}<br />
| Scientifically, the fact that there is 'no indication' that a theorem is correct does not positively prove the theorem wrong, it merely does not support it (assuming there are no actual counter-indications, which is often the case with the more esoteric ideas). This is often seized upon by those trying to promote a pseudoscience, in that their chosen idea "has not been proven to be wrong" (and yet, conversely, "it's just a theory" is incorrectly used to refute something that has valid scientific backing). Moreover, hearsay and bad experimental practices are often cited as 'proof'. A crackpot idea may thus be unsupported by valid science (there is 'no indication' of its truth) and yet its supporters insist upon there being 'lots of signs' that it is true, selectively using only ambiguous results that (to them, at least) lend credence to it being a fact. The substitution of 'no indication' with 'lots of signs' thus automatically converts the expected conservative and cautious stance on some disputed issue or other into the weasel-words phrasing that the issue's supporters may start using in their own propaganda.<br />
|-<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/urge Urged]{{w|Self-control|restraint}} by<br />
| {{w|Alcohol intoxication|Drunkenly}} [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/egg_on egged on]<br />
| If someone urges someone else to restrain themselves, then they are trying to make them exercise self-control, and discourage them from starting or continuing a possibly foolish act. In this substitution we have the exact opposite, as to egg someone on to do something is actively encourage an act to happen, or continue.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Horsepower}}<br />
| {{w|Ton|Tons}} of {{w|horsemeat}}<br />
| Cars power is measured in horsepower (hp), a typical family car having like hundred hp, being derived from the nominal amount of power that a suitably-harnessed horse could have provided. In cars, this has nothing to do with horse meat, of any quantity, but here a mechanical (or electrical) engine is envisaged as a literally horse-powered device.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Example of sentences===<br />
*Here follows some real examples with links to the news/text:<br />
**Words from the list, and the replacement words are highlighted with '''bold''' font.<br />
**All words are included at least once, and the list is sort of sorted after the order the words appear in the comic, but most sentences have more than one word from the list, on purpose!<br />
<br />
*[http://observer.com/2015/12/fifth-republican-debate-where-each-candidate-excelled-and-faltered/ Original sentence]: Fifth Republican '''debate''': where each '''candidate''' excelled and faltered<br />
:Modified sentence: Fifth Republican '''dance-off''': where each '''airbender''' excelled and faltered<br />
<br />
*[http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1101667_1000-horsepower-self-driving-electric-faraday-future-concept-leaked Original sentence]: 1,000-'''Horsepower''' '''Self-Driving''' Electric Faraday Future Concept Leaked?<br />
:Modified sentence: 1,000-'''Tons of Horsemeat''' '''Uncontrollably Swerving''' Electric Faraday Future Concept Leaked?<br />
<br />
*[http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/18/poll-donald-trump-remains-clear-gop-frontrunner-cnn-debate/ Original sentence]: A new Morning Consult '''poll''' shows real estate mogul Donald Trump remains on top as the GOP '''frontrunner''' following Tuesday’s '''debate'''.<br />
:Modified sentence: A new Morning Consult '''psychic reading''' shows real estate mogul Donald Trump remains on top as the GOP '''blade runner''' following Tuesday’s '''dance-off'''.<br />
<br />
*[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/01/01/asia-pacific/new-years-address-north-koreas-kim-vows-raise-living-standards/#.VouQZvnhBlZ Original sentence]: North Korea’s Kim '''vows to''' raise living standards<br />
:Modified sentence: North Korea’s Kim '''probably won't''' raise living standards<br />
<br />
*[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3180163/Murderers-rapists-1-153-criminals-large-recalled-prison-30-years.html Original sentence]: Murderers and rapists among 1,153 criminals still '''at large''' after being recalled to prison over the last 30 '''years'''<br />
:Modified sentence: Murderers and rapists among 1,153 criminals still '''very large''' after being recalled to prison over the last 30 '''minutes'''<br />
<br />
*[http://www.dawn.com/news/1169341 Original sentence]: Pakistan '''successfully''' tests first indigenous armed '''drone'''<br />
:Modified sentence: Pakistan '''suddenly''' tests first indigenous armed '''dog'''<br />
<br />
*[http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-expands-gun-controls-in-executive-moves-1452012973 Original sentence]: Obama '''Expands''' Gun Controls in Executive Moves<br />
:Modified sentence: Obama '''Physically Expands''' Gun Controls in Executive Moves<br />
<br />
*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3578054/ Original sentence]: There was '''no indication''' of '''first degree''' familial relationships in the analyzed dataset.<br />
:Modified sentence: There was '''lots of signs''' of '''friggin' awful''' familial relationships in the analyzed dataset<br />
*[http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/2003/06/22/stories/2003062202101200.htm Original sentence]: …rescue crews continued to collect bodies and interview survivors, including '''an unknown number''' of wounded languishing in homes and hospitals with '''third degree''' burns<br />
:Modified sentence: …rescue crews continued to collect bodies and interview survivors, including '''like hundreds''' of wounded languishing in homes and hospitals with '''friggin' awful''' burns<br />
<br />
*[http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/09/politics/azealia-banks-donald-trump-idiot/ Original sentence]: The Republican presidential '''front-runner''' faces a '''global''' firestorm<br />
:Modified sentence: The Republican presidential '''blade runner''' faces a '''spherical''' firestorm<br />
<br />
*[http://www.reuters.com/article/us-georgia-ossetia-obama-idUSWBT00953020080808 Original sentence]: U.S. presidential '''candidate''' Barack Obama on Friday '''urged restraint by''' both Russia and Georgia in the conflict over the breakaway region of South Ossetia in Georgia.<br />
:Modified sentence: U.S. presidential '''airbender''' Barack Obama on Friday '''drunkenly egged on''' both Russia and Georgia in the conflict over the breakaway region of South Ossetia in Georgia.<br />
<br />
*[http://phors.locost7.info/phors06.htm Original sentence]: Video: 52-'''Horsepower''' Citroen AX Laps Nurburgring In Under 10 '''Minutes'''<br />
:Modified sentence: Video: 52-'''Tons of horsemeat''' Citroen AX Laps Nurburgring In Under 10 '''Years'''<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Caption above the panel:]<br />
:More <br />
:'''Substitutions'''<br />
:That make reading the news more fun<br />
<br />
:[A table of words/sentences on the left that change in to those on the left. Between each set of words there is a gray arrow pointing from right.]<br />
:{|<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Debate<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Dance-off<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Self driving<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Uncontrollably swerving<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Poll<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Psychic reading<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Candidate<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Airbender<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Drone<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Dog<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Vows to<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Probably won't<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | At large<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Very large<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Successfully<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Suddenly<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Expands<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Physically expands<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | First/second/third-degree<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Friggin' awful<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | An unknown number<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Like hundreds<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Front runner<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Blade runner<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Global<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Spherical<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Years<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Minutes<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Minutes<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Years<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | No indication<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Lots of signs<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Urged restraint by<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Drunkenly egged on<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Horsepower<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Tons of horsemeat<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Substitutions]]<br />
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Substitutions]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1625:_Substitutions_2&diff=1198931625: Substitutions 22016-05-11T16:19:24Z<p>108.162.216.102: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1625<br />
| date = January 4, 2016<br />
| title = Substitutions 2<br />
| image = substitutions_2.png<br />
| titletext = Within a few minutes, our roads will be full of uncontrollably-swerving cars and our skies full of Amazon delivery dogs.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This is a sequel to [[1288: Substitutions]], but there have been several [[:Category:Substitutions|comics using substitutions]] both before and after that comic.<br />
<br />
In this table, [[Randall]] suggests substituting several common phrases in generic news with similar or related phrases that mean something different for comical effect. Some of the replacements are {{w|synonyms}}, some are {{w|antonyms}}, and some are plain different concepts; and, even though they would (most of the time) make a grammatically correct sentence, the resulting idea would, however, often sound absurd or bizarre.<br />
<br />
Some of the examples might, also, mock the fact that many news contradict the actual facts or obvious results of a situation. For example, "[influential person] vows to do good to the world" would be replaced with a more usual fact "[influential person] probably won't do good to the world" - see [[#Example of sentences|example]] below with North Korean leader.<br />
<br />
The title text is an example of how the closing sentence of a given article or report might sound after using the substitutions in the comic.<br />
:Before substitutions: Within a few '''years''', our roads will be full of '''self-driving''' cars and our skies full of Amazon delivery '''drones'''.<br />
:After substitutions: Within a few '''minutes''', our roads will be full of '''uncontrollably-swerving''' cars and our skies full of Amazon delivery '''dogs'''.<br />
The flying dogs could be a reference to [[1614: Kites]]. Was the first of two in a row where Amazon is mentioned in the title text (next [[1626: Judgment Day]]).<br />
<br />
===Table of substitutions===<br />
*In this table the difference between the original and the substituted word (and the change to the sentences) will be explained.<br />
**[[#Example of sentences|Example of sentences]] are given below.<br />
:{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Original<br />
! Substitution<br />
! Explanation <br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Debate}}<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dance-off Dance-off]<br />
| A 'debate' is often used between political candidates, to give the voters a chance to decide who they will vote for. One of the candidates <!-- ''Airbenders'' (*note correct spelling*, if this was intentional and needs restoring)--> is often called the winner of such a debate by some degree or other of consensus. Randall is indicating that they could just as well have performed a 'dance-off' where they would dance until one of them danced better than the other, as adjudged by the viewing crowd or a panel of judges. Such a dance-off is often seen in [http://gameshows.wikia.com/wiki/Family_Dance_Off TV-shows] or [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3024964/combined films] etc.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Autonomous car|Self driving}}<br />
| Uncontrollably [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/swerving swerving]<br />
| 'Self driving' cars were also mentioned in [[1623: 2016 Conversation Guide]] where it was stated that they would come surprisingly soon (within a few minutes according to the substitutions suggested here). But until they are safe it might be better to mention them as uncontrollably swerving cars?<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Poll}}<br />
| {{w|Psychic reading}}<br />
| A 'poll', especially regarding political issues, refers to {{w|opinion poll|opinion}} or {{w|exit poll|exit}} polls. These tend to ask a carefully selected sample (for either balance or an intended ''inbalance'', depending on the poll's neutrality) their opinions in order to extrapolate the global consensus, e.g. the future result of an {{w|election}}. This substitution is Randall's way of saying that they could just as well have used a {{w|psychic}} person to predict the result. A true psychic (if that they are) would reveal an accurate result, whilst a false one (skilled at 'cold reading' an audience) would likely wish to provide the answer that pleases those asking the question (the actual purpose of some polls), or else attempt to provide their actual 'best guess' as to future outcomes in order to improve their own legend.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Candidate}}<br />
| {{w|Airbender}}<br />
| A 'candidate' usually refers to a political person who represents a certain political party in an election. He would then be that party's candidate, for instance for a presidential election. 'Airbender' refers to the show {{w|Avatar: The Last Airbender}}, where there are waterbenders, earthbenders, firebenders and (at this point) a single surviving airbender, the airbender in question being a pivotal character upon whose actions the future fate of world relies.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Unmanned aerial vehicle|Drone}}<br />
| {{w|Dog}}<br />
| Drones can be many things, for instance a {{w|Drone (bee)|male bee}}, but as used in the title text it refers to unmanned aerial vehicles. {{w|Amazon.com|Amazon}} is about to use small drones to deliver parcels, and Randall has referred to these before (see [[1523: Microdrones]]). However, until just before the recent trend of becoming popularised as a 'toy' or professional camera platform, the term became closely associated with ''military'' drones that have been used to observe (and, more recently, fire upon) enemy forces without risking any military personnel.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Vows}} to<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/probably Probably] won't<br />
| Vowing to do something means that you really promise to do this. But when politicians vow something, for instance, it seems to often end up becoming a forgotten promise. Hence the antonym substitution which means the opposite. From ''really will'' to ''probably won't''.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Fugitive#Terminology|At large}} (or {{w|At-large}})<br />
| Very [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/large large]<br />
| A criminal that is on the run is said to be at large. But At-large is a political designation for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body, rather than a subset of that membership.<br />
|-<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/successfully Successfully]<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/suddenly Suddenly]<br />
| The two words have nothing much to do with each other except that they both begin with ''su''.<br />
|-<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/expand Expands]<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/physical Physically] expands<br />
| 'Expands' often refers to a physical expansion, or inflation. But it is also possible to expand on an explanation, as is done for this comic. So that would become: This explanation is being physically expanded beyond all measures.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|First degree|First }} /{{w|second degree|second }} /{{w|third degree|third-degree}}<br />
| [http://da.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Friggin Friggin'] awful<br />
| First, second and third-degree can be used in many context. It is common to think about {{w|Burn|burns}}, which can {{w|Burn#Signs_and_symptoms|range from first to fourth degree}}, where higher is worse. Also {{w|murder}} charges can range in from first to third degree in for instance the US. Here first degree murder is the worst. But it can be used for other things, like an {{w|undergraduate degree}} or {{w|postgraduate education}} for first and second degree respectively. But the substitution fits best with murder or burn, as Friggin(g) is a "softer" swear word than for instance other more commonly used four letter words. It often replaces ''fuck''. Its original meaning was a coarse word for female masturbation (see [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/frigging#English frigging]).<br />
|-<br />
| An [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unknown unknown] number<br />
| Like {{w|100 (number)|hundreds}}<br />
| In the news, an unknown number mostly means 'probably not zero.' It is often used in phrases like "an unknown number of assailants broke into a house in Munroe Heights," or "an unknown number of people are missing" after a calamity of some sort. "Like hundreds" does give a different flavor.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Front-runner |Front runner}}<br />
| {{w|Blade Runner}}<br />
| In American politics, a 'front-runner' is a leader in an electoral race. It can also mean the front-runner in athletic events (the namesake of the political concept). Here it is generally clear who the front-runner is, whilst the political front-runner is sometimes less clear or a more subjective viewpoint. A 'blade runner' is a person who retires (kills) rogue cyborgs in the movie Blade Runner, where {{w|Harrison Ford}} plays the lead Blade Runner.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Globe|Global}}<br />
| {{w|Spherical}}<br />
| Global comes from globe, but means so much more today. It is often used in contexts such as {{w|global warming}} or {{w|World war|global warfare}}. But since a globe is spherical, this substitution makes more sense than most, although talking about ''the effect of spherical warming'' would probably not get {{w|Greenpeace}} into action.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Years}}<br />
| {{w|Minute|Minutes}}<br />
| It will often make a sentence lose its meaning when changing the units drastically from years to minutes (there are nearly 525600 minutes in the usual 365 days present in a year). For instance it would be unusual that a prisoner convicted for murder would get 20 minutes in jail, rather than 20 years.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Minute|Minutes}}<br />
| {{w|Years}}<br />
| Same as above but reversed. For instance a car might make a trip around a race track in just 7 years! One lesson at school lasted 45 years.<br />
|-<br />
| No {{w|Indication| indication}}<br />
| Lots of {{w|Sign (disambiguation)|signs}}<br />
| Scientifically, the fact that there is 'no indication' that a theorem is correct does not positively prove the theorem wrong, it merely does not support it (assuming there are no actual counter-indications, which is often the case with the more esoteric ideas). This is often seized upon by those trying to promote a pseudoscience, in that their chosen idea "has not been proven to be wrong" (and yet, conversely, "it's just a theory" is incorrectly used to refute something that has valid scientific backing). Moreover, hearsay and bad experimental practices are often cited as 'proof'. A crackpot idea may thus be unsupported by valid science (there is 'no indication' of its truth) and yet its supporters insist upon there being 'lots of signs' that it is true, selectively using only ambiguous results that (to them, at least) lend credence to it being a fact. The substitution of 'no indication' with 'lots of signs' thus automatically converts the expected conservative and cautious stance on some disputed issue or other into the weasel-words phrasing that the issue's supporters may start using in their own propaganda.<br />
|-<br />
| [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/urge Urged]{{w|Self-control|restraint}} by<br />
| {{w|Alcohol intoxication|Drunkenly}} [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/egg_on egged on]<br />
| If someone urges someone else to restrain themselves, then they are trying to make them exercise self-control, and discourage them from starting or continuing a possibly foolish act. In this substitution we have the exact opposite, as to egg someone on to do something is actively encourage an act to happen, or continue.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Horsepower}}<br />
| {{w|Ton|Tons}} of {{w|horsemeat}}<br />
| Cars power is measured in horsepower (hp), a typical family car having like hundred hp, being derived from the nominal amount of power that a suitably-harnessed horse could have provided. In cars, this has nothing to do with horse meat, of any quantity, but here a mechanical (or electrical) engine is envisaged as a literally horse-powered device.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Example of sentences===<br />
*Here follows some real examples with links to the news/text:<br />
**Words from the list, and the replacement words are highlighted with '''bold''' font.<br />
**All words are included at least once, and the list is sort of sorted after the order the words appear in the comic, but most sentences have more than one word from the list, on purpose!<br />
<br />
*[http://observer.com/2015/12/fifth-republican-debate-where-each-candidate-excelled-and-faltered/ Original sentence]: Fifth Republican '''debate''': where each '''candidate''' excelled and faltered<br />
:Modified sentence: Fifth Republican '''dance-off''': where each '''airbender''' excelled and faltered<br />
<br />
*[http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1101667_1000-horsepower-self-driving-electric-faraday-future-concept-leaked Original sentence]: 1,000-'''Horsepower''' '''Self-Driving''' Electric Faraday Future Concept Leaked?<br />
:Modified sentence: 1,000-'''Tons of Horsemeat''' '''Uncontrollably Swerving''' Electric Faraday Future Concept Leaked?<br />
<br />
*[http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/18/poll-donald-trump-remains-clear-gop-frontrunner-cnn-debate/ Original sentence]: A new Morning Consult '''poll''' shows real estate mogul Donald Trump remains on top as the GOP '''frontrunner''' following Tuesday’s '''debate'''.<br />
:Modified sentence: A new Morning Consult '''psychic reading''' shows real estate mogul Donald Trump remains on top as the GOP '''blade runner''' following Tuesday’s '''dance-off'''.<br />
<br />
*[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/01/01/asia-pacific/new-years-address-north-koreas-kim-vows-raise-living-standards/#.VouQZvnhBlZ Original sentence]: North Korea’s Kim '''vows to''' raise living standards<br />
:Modified sentence: North Korea’s Kim '''probably won't''' raise living standards<br />
<br />
*[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3180163/Murderers-rapists-1-153-criminals-large-recalled-prison-30-years.html Original sentence]: Murderers and rapists among 1,153 criminals still '''at large''' after being recalled to prison over the last 30 '''years'''<br />
:Modified sentence: Murderers and rapists among 1,153 criminals still '''very large''' after being recalled to prison over the last 30 '''minutes'''<br />
<br />
*[http://www.dawn.com/news/1169341 Original sentence]: Pakistan '''successfully''' tests first indigenous armed '''drone'''<br />
:Modified sentence: Pakistan '''suddenly''' tests first indigenous armed '''dog'''<br />
<br />
*[http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-expands-gun-controls-in-executive-moves-1452012973 Original sentence]: Obama '''Expands''' Gun Controls in Executive Moves<br />
:Modified sentence: Obama '''Physically Expands''' Gun Controls in Executive Moves<br />
<br />
*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3578054/ Original sentence]: There was '''no indication''' of '''first degree''' familial relationships in the analyzed dataset.<br />
:Modified sentence: There was '''lots of signs''' of '''friggin' awful''' familial relationships in the analyzed dataset<br />
*[http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/2003/06/22/stories/2003062202101200.htm Original sentence]: …rescue crews continued to collect bodies and interview survivors, including '''an unknown number''' of wounded languishing in homes and hospitals with '''third degree''' burns<br />
:Modified sentence: …rescue crews continued to collect bodies and interview survivors, including '''like hundreds''' of wounded languishing in homes and hospitals with '''friggin' awful''' burns<br />
<br />
*[http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/09/politics/azealia-banks-donald-trump-idiot/ Original sentence]: The Republican presidential '''front-runner''' faces a '''global''' firestorm<br />
:Modified sentence: The Republican presidential '''blade runner''' faces a '''spherical''' firestorm<br />
<br />
*[http://www.reuters.com/article/us-georgia-ossetia-obama-idUSWBT00953020080808 Original sentence]: U.S. presidential '''candidate''' Barack Obama on Friday '''urged restraint by''' both Russia and Georgia in the conflict over the breakaway region of South Ossetia in Georgia.<br />
:Modified sentence: U.S. presidential '''airbender''' Barack Obama on Friday '''drunkenly egged on''' both Russia and Georgia in the conflict over the breakaway region of South Ossetia in Georgia.<br />
<br />
*[http://phors.locost7.info/phors06.htm Original sentence]: Video: 52-'''Horsepower''' Citroen AX Laps Nurburgring In Under 10 '''Minutes'''<br />
:Modified sentence: Video: 52-'''Tons of horsemeat''' Citroen AX Laps Nurburgring In Under 10 '''Years'''<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Caption above the panel:]<br />
:More <br />
:'''Substitutions'''<br />
:That make reading the news more fun<br />
<br />
:[A table of words/sentences on the left that change in to those on the left. Between each set of words there is a gray arrow pointing from right.]<br />
:{|<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Debate<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Dance-off<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Self driving<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Uncontrollably swerving<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Poll<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Psychic reading<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Candidate<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Airbender<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Drone<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Dog<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Vows to<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Probably won't<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | At large<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Very large<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Successfully<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Suddenly<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Expands<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Physically expands<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | First/second/third-degree<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Friggin' awful<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | An unknown number<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Like hundreds<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Front runner<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Blade runner<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Global<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Spherical<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Years<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Minutes<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Minutes<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Years<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | No indication<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Lots of signs<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Urged restraint by<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Drunkenly egged on<br />
|-<br />
| style="text-align:right;" | Horsepower<br />
| <font color="gray">➜</font><br />
| Tons of horsemeat<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Substitutions]]<br />
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Substitutions]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=696:_Strip_Games&diff=119516696: Strip Games2016-05-09T03:17:00Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 696<br />
| date = February 1, 2010<br />
| title = Strip Games<br />
| image = strip_games.png<br />
| titletext = HOW ABOUT A NICE GAME OF STRIP GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR?<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The frequency of strip versions of various games is measured by means of Google search results. Strip versions of popular games are a common activity at parties, especially when alcohol is involved. The obligation to remove pieces of clothing is supposed to add an extra zest to the game. A very widespread variant is {{w|Strip Poker}}, followed by strip versions of regular party games like {{w|Truth or Dare}} or {{w|Spin the Bottle}}.<br />
<br />
However, the comic also suggests playing other games in a way that involves stripping. In reality, playing such games as "Strip {{w|Tennis}}" or "Strip {{w|Agricola (board game)|Agricola}}" is rather unusual.<br />
<br />
The last column features games of which strip versions are (according to Google) nonexistent. While the other columns named sports or board games where a strip variant would be at least conceivable, the last one includes the {{w|zero-player game|zero-player}} {{w|Conway's Game of Life|Game of Life}} and the {{w|Prisoner's Dilemma|Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma}}, which is a theoretical example in {{w|game theory}}. It is therefore left to the reader to imagine how a strip version of these pseudo-games would appear.<br />
<br />
{{w|Poohsticks}} is a children's sport mentioned in the {{w|Winnie-the-Pooh|Winnie-the-Pooh books}} played by dropping sticks into a river and watching them reappear on the other side of a bridge. Despite the kid-friendly origins, and unlike the other games below it, a "strip" version of Poohsticks is actually viable.<br />
<br />
[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Podracing Podracing] appears in the {{w|Star Wars}} films as a racing competition held with hovering vehicles. How a "strip" version would work between two racers is unclear, but a determined set of spectators "wagering" their clothes on the races could probably hammer out a system.<br />
<br />
{{w|Chess by mail}} could conceivably work if the players include increasingly-nude photographs of themselves in their correspondences. The problem is, a game by e-mail can take days to finish, and a game by snail-mail can take upwards of ''several months''. The titillation factor is far too spread out to satisfy the desires of anyone who would elect to play a game of strip chess in the first place.<br />
<br />
"Global Thermonuclear War" in the title text is a reference to the film "{{w|WarGames}}", where a young hacker accesses a US military supercomputer and starts a nuclear war simulation, believing it to be only a computer game. The film ends with showing the computer that nuclear war is "a strange game" in which "the only winning move is not to play", and proposes "a nice game of chess".<br />
<br />
Strip global thermonuclear war is a patently absurd idea; while it is a common trope for people to engage in one last moment of intimate pleasure before certain doom, foreplay (including strip games of any type) is a time-consuming practice, and time is something you don't have much of considering that the bomb could drop on your place of residence at any moment. Besides all that, the act of betting on which city is going to go up next in a nuclear inferno tends not to be an effective aphrodisiac for most people.{{Citation needed}}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:Frequency of Strip Versions of Various Games<br />
<br />
:n = google hits for "strip <game name>" / google hits for "<game name>"<br />
:(at the time of this writing)<br />
<br />
:Frequent<br />
:(n > 1%)<br />
:-Poker<br />
:-Spin the Bottle<br />
:-Beer Pong<br />
:-Never Have I Ever<br />
:-Truth or Dare<br />
<br />
:Rare<br />
:(1% >= n > 0.01%)<br />
:-Chess<br />
:-Blackjack<br />
:-Tennis<br />
:-Settlers of Catan<br />
:-Pictionary<br />
<br />
:Extremely Rare<br />
:(0.01% >= n > 0)<br />
:-Cricket<br />
:-Magic: the Gathering<br />
:-Stickball<br />
:-Agricola<br />
:-Jumanji<br />
<br />
:Nonexistent<br />
:(n = 0)<br />
:-Poohsticks<br />
:-Podracing<br />
:-Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma<br />
:-Chess by Mail<br />
:-Conway's Game of Life<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Sport]]<br />
[[Category:Chess]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1644:_Stargazing&diff=1195151644: Stargazing2016-05-09T02:48:57Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1644<br />
| date = February 17, 2016<br />
| title = Stargazing<br />
| image = stargazing.png<br />
| titletext = Some of you may be thinking, 'But wait, isn't the brightest star in our sky the Sun?' I think that's a great question and you should totally ask it. On the infinite tree of possible conversations spread out before us, I think that's definitely the most promising branch.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
A male television host (looking like [[Megan]] but it is a "he" as well as a television host according to the official transcript on xkcd – see the [[#Trivia|trivia section]]) is hosting a group of people who attend as audience of this '''{{w|stargazing}}''' [[#Relevant TV-shows|TV-show]]. He is supposed to be a doctor (or whatever) in {{w|astronomy}}, but it is already clear in the first panel (from his last comment) that he is only acting, and he is clearly not very concerned that his remarks don't feel like solid astronomy, although he is enthusiastically interested in the objects that can be seen in the night sky, i.e. out in {{w|Outer space|space}}.<br />
<br />
The host is thus certainly not an astronomer, and seems to only know superficial stuff about the subject, putting the stated facts into strange/peculiar context, as ''the star in charge'' or ''too big to think about'', making it feel more popular than scientific, as is to be expected on a TV show.<br />
<br />
The comic is very likely a reference to BBC's ''{{w|Stargazing Live}}'', which has {{w|Brian Cox (physicist)|Brian Cox}} as one of the main presenters. His hair is long and he looks like he should be drawn like Megan in xkcd style, thus the host here is likely representing Brian Cox. See more details below under [[#Relevant TV-shows|Relevant TV-shows]].<br />
<br />
Below is a list and explanations of [[#The host's observations| The host's observations]].<br />
<br />
The facts being correct, however, is not enough for his audience, who feel they have been led to believe he is a doctor in astronomy, and wish to be guided by a real doctor (PhD). The host points out that the word astronomer is just that, something to look up in a boring dictionary, and when they continue he tries to avoid this by shouting ''Space'' to get their focus back on the wonders of the universe, instead of focusing on his educational level. Why care who tells you about interesting stuff in the universe? (See [[1053: Ten Thousand]]).<br />
<br />
Because it turns out that the host has been excited about telling about interesting objects in space before, but often ends up in a situation where it becomes clear to other people that he may not be an astronomer, although he behaves like he might be (and clearly seems to know a lot about space). So he has often been asked if he was sure if he was an astronomer. In the end he claims that he had to look up the definition of [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/astronomer "astronomer" in a dictionary], (or more likely he pretends that he had to) commenting on how boring a book that was. Since you are not meant to read a dictionary, but only look up individual words this would suggests that the host never used one of these before, but again more likely he pretends to not know.<br />
<br />
The title text mentions a typical comment (joke) that often comes up in discussions about which star is the brightest when seen from Earth. It is almost always clear from the context that the subject are stars in the night sky. But the joker is of course right as technically {{w|Sirius}} is not the brightest star in our sky, since the {{w|Sun}} is also a {{w|star}}. The host/[[Randall]] is being sarcastic here, pointing out that being pedantic about this is a waste of everyone's time, considering all the other things they could talk about. He references the infinite tree of possible conversations they could have had, and "applauds" the joker for choosing this promising branch, which will lead nowhere. Alternatively, he might not be sarcastic, but applauding the joker for lateral thinking.<br />
<br />
The infinite tree and branches could be a reference to the {{w|Tree (set theory)|tree}} in {{w|set theory}}. Infinite tree theory and an infinite branch is mentioned on {{w|Tree_(set_theory)#Properties|the wiki page}}. Another reference may be to the {{w|many-worlds interpretation}} (one of many {{w|multiverse}} hypotheses). In lay terms, the hypothesis states there is a very large — perhaps infinite — number of universes, and everything that could possibly happen, but did not, happens in some other universe or universes. And of all the possible conversation topics regarding this awesome universe, the speaker chooses the discussion branch (in this universe) to be the one with a lame joke about the Sun being brighter than Sirius.<br />
<br />
See also [[1371: Brightness]] and [[1342: Ancient Stars]].<br />
<br />
===The host's observations===<br />
Here is a list of the host's observations:<br />
*Most {{w|Bright Star Catalogue|visible stars}} are still very faint, and just becomes background to the bright {{w|stars}} that form the named {{w|constellations}}.<br />
**The host correctly states that they are just dots. (This is also true for the bright stars, but at least they are clearly distinguishable).<br />
*{{w|Sirius}} is the {{w|Apparent magnitude|brightest}} star in our {{w|List of brightest stars|night sky}}. But it is not the brightest object in the night sky, as several of the planets, especially {{w|Venus}} and {{w|Jupiter}}, and of course the {{w|Moon}} are much brighter. It is also far from being one of the most {{w|Absolute magnitude|luminous star}} in the {{w|Milky Way}}, but its proximity to Earth makes it the brightest in the night sky. There are {{w|List_of_most_luminous_stars#Data|twenty visible stars}} that are more luminous than Sirius, {{w|List of most luminous stars|none of which}} come even close to being in the top 100 of the most luminous stars observed today.<br />
**The host thus names Sirius as the star in charge since it outshines all the others as seen from the {{w|Earth}}.<br />
*Sirius is actually a star system consisting of two stars as it is a {{w|binary star}} system. But where Sirius A is twice the size of the {{w|Sun}} and much brighter, then Sirius B is now just a dim {{w|white dwarf}}, the remains from a much larger star that became a {{w|red giant}} before shedding its outer layers and collapsing into its current state around 120 million years ago. So now Sirius A completely outshines Sirius B, which actually is now a dead star with no further fusion going on inside its core.<br />
**This is construed by the host as it is barely even trying, as it is now only radiating away the rest of the heat from the now exposed core.<br />
*{{w|Andromeda Galaxy|Andromeda}} is a {{w|spiral galaxy}}, like the Milky Way, and it is the largest galaxy in the {{w|Local Group}} where our own galaxy the Milky Way is the second largest. It is one of a few visible objects that are located outside the Milky Way. It is "only" 2.5 million light-years from the Sun and it is heading our way (or vice versa), and will {{w|Andromeda–Milky Way collision|collide with the Milky way}} in about 4 billion years (before the Sun goes into {{w|Sun#After_core_hydrogen_exhaustion|its red giant phase}}). Being 220,000 light years across and consisting of a trillion stars, it is somewhere between 1.2-2.2 times wider than the Milky Way and has 2.5-10 times as many stars. (The local group was also mentioned two comics ago, in [[1642: Gravitational Waves]], together with the much less well known third largest galaxy in the group the {{w|Triangulum Galaxy}}).<br />
**It is therefore true when the host says that it is too big to try to understand, and thinking about it will make your head spin, so he suggests we do not think about it.<br />
*{{w|Betelgeuse}} is a clearly visible (9th brightest) {{w|Red_supergiant|red supergiant}} {{w|Semiregular_variable_star|variable star}} located in the {{w|Orion (constellation)|constellation of Orion}}. It is one of the largest and most luminous observable stars (12th) and one of the few where it is clear that the light is not white. Most people can see that it is slightly red, whereas most other stars are so faint that they look white despite having different colors (when seeing Orion's two brightest stars, to remember which is which between Rigel and Betelgeuse, its diagonal opposite, just remember: Rigel is "R" like blue, and Betelgeuse is "B" like red). It is expected that Betelgeuse, being at a late stage of its {{w|Stellar_evolution|evolution}}, {{w|Betelgeuse#Approaching_supernova|will go supernova}} within the next million years as a {{w|type II supernova}}. The exact time when it will become a {{w|Supernova}} is so uncertain that it could [http://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/betelgeuse-will-explode-someday#explode just as likely happen tomorrow] as in a million years. When it happens it will not be dangerous to anyone on Earth, but it will likely be visible even during the day, as it may even become as bright as the full Moon.<br />
**When it does go nova, it will be a fantastic spectacle for everyone, but especially for anyone who likes the ''good stuff'' in space like the host, who cannot wait for the star to explode. Clearly he hopes it will be in his lifetime, and, although this is unlikely, there is a small chance that it might just happen.<br />
*A {{w|meteor}} (also known as {{w|shooting star}}), is debris from space that rains down on Earth, and burns up in the atmosphere. This happens all the time, but you need to be either lucky, patient, or know the right time for one of the {{w|meteor showers}} to see one. Often they are visible for so short a time period, that it is difficult to share the experience with anyone, as it will be gone by the time they turn their head to look where you are pointing.<br />
**The host becomes very excited when he spots such a meteor, especially because it is likely that his audience got to share the experience with him, as they were already looking in the same direction as he. But still he asks if they saw it, because it is so short lived.<br />
*{{w|Outer space}} is the void that exists between {{w|Astronomical object|celestial bodies}}, including the Earth. There is by definition nothing there but {{w|vacuum}}, and the interesting part of space is thus not the space but the astronomical objects found out there.<br />
**The host says that ''space is cool'', which is a very un-astronomical comment, as explained above. Also his excitement for a simple shooting star is cause for the suspicion that is raised after his space comment.<br />
<br />
===Relevant TV-shows===<br />
The comic is almost certainly a reference to BBC's ''{{w|Stargazing Live}}'', which has {{w|Brian Cox (physicist)|Brian Cox}} as one of the main presenters. His hair is long enough that he would be drawn in xkcd style so he would look like Megan, thus the host is likely representing Brian Cox. He does have a PhD, not in astronomy, however, but in high-energy {{w|particle physics}}, which could explain the doctor or whatever comment. The show has been airing since 2011, and the newest season aired during January 2016 just a month before this comic's release. Brian Cox has also been the presenter of several other science programs, especially the Wonders of... series (as in Wonders of the {{w|Wonders of the Solar System|Solar System}}, {{w|Wonders of the Universe|Universe}} and {{w|Wonders of Life (TV series)|Life}}).<br />
<br />
As the other main presenter of ''Stargazing Live'' is comedian and amateur astronomer {{w|Dara Ó Briain}} this could even further make a connection with someone presenting astronomy without any hard core scientific background in that field (although he does have a [http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/sep/15/dara-obriain-interview degree in mathematics and theoretical physics]), but just general interest, and ability to make it funny and interesting, thus spreading the word also to those who are not normally interested in science. This is most definitely something Randall would approve of. It is also likely that Randall would know about such a program even though it is not American.<br />
<br />
A less likely reference could be to {{w|Jack Horkheimer}}'s PBS shows ''Star Hustler'' and ''{{w|Star Gazers}}''. Horkheimer, however, does not at all look like Megan, and he died 6 years ago. But like the host in this comic he was no doctor in astronomy, only getting into it when he started volunteering at the Miami Museum of Science's planetarium. He ended up writing shows for the planetarium and the PBS series developed from there. Like the host, he rarely covered facts about the night sky that couldn't be found in any basic reference (possibly because the show was aimed at children and non-astronomy buffs), although he did get more in-depth about current astronomical events such as {{W|Comet Hale–Bopp}}.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A thin panel where a male TV-host (with hair like Megan, but male according to official transcript), holding his hands up, is drawn in white on a black background. Behind him is an audience drawn in faint gray lines consisting of Hairy (to the left) and two Cueball-like guys and Ponytail (seen in a rare full face position) to the right of the host. One of the Cueball-like guys is partly hidden behind the host.]<br />
:Host: Welcome to stargazing, with your host, me.<br />
:Host: I'm a doctor or whatever.<br />
<br />
:[Same scene as before but in a broader panel, and the host is now holding only one hand up with a finger pointing up. The audience is the same four people, but now Hairy has moved further to the left in the panel to make room for Megan also to the left of the host.]<br />
:Host: I'm not gonna waste your time on the shitty stars.<br />
:Host: Just the good stuff.<br />
:Host: Honestly half of 'em just look like dots.<br />
<br />
:[A frame-less drawing with a zoom out showing the group of six people in black silhouette on a white background. Part of the ground beneath them is shown as a black pool. The host is pointing up with one hand. The people have been rearranged, so left of the host is now a Cueball-like guy and Megan, and to the right is the other Cueball-like guy, then Ponytail (seen from the side as usual) and Hairy. All are looking up following the host's directions.]<br />
:Host: This is Sirius. It's the brightest star in our sky so it's in charge.<br />
:Host: It's really two stars but one of them is barely even trying.<br />
:Host: This is Andromeda, it's too big to think about, so let's not.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in of the host's upper body, again drawn in white on a black background. She is looking right gesturing with one arm raised, and the other still pointing up with a finger stretched out. Her audience is no longer shown.]<br />
:Host: That red stars is Betelgeuse. It's gonna explode someday.<br />
:Host: Can't happen soon enough, as far as I'm concerned. I-<br />
:Host: ''Holy shit did you see that meteor!?!''<br />
:Host: Space is ''awesome!''<br />
<br />
:[Same scene as the previous panel, but the host has turned towards left looking at someone in the audience (not shown) who speaks off-screen. She has taken both her hands down for the first time.]<br />
:Off-screen voice: Are you ''sure'' you're an astronomer?<br />
:Host: People keep asking that, so I finally tried to look that word up in a dictionary, and ''wow'' is that book ever boring. No thank you.<br />
:Off-screen voice: But-<br />
:Host: ''Space!''<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*Randall changed the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/4/48/20160221022727!stargazing.png original] posted version of the comic.<br />
**The only thing that changed was in the third panel where '''''That's''' Andromeda'' was changed to the current version: '''''This is''' Andromeda''<br />
*From the official transcript it is clear that it is a male television host, and thus definitely not Megan. <br />
**The official transcript seems to have been messed up on xkcd at the time being.<br />
***The [http://xkcd.com/1644/info.0.json transcript for 1644] is thus at the moment a mix of that comics main info (top and bottom) which results in the correct title and title text, but the entire description in this transcript is describing the comic from two releases before no. [[1642]].<br />
***This seems to be a general problem for recent comics... <br />
***Thus the description of this comic, was first released when comic no. [[1646]] came out (today when this was written).<br />
***This probably will be corrected later? But at this moment the official transcript for 1644 can be found together with the [http://xkcd.com/1646/info.0.json data for comic 1646].<br />
**The transcript is included here below due to the issues with xkcd's transcript at the current time (correcting a typo with a missing "s" in "stuff" and formatting to look like our normal transcripts):<br />
::[A television host in the foreground, speaking toward the reader. A group of other people are in the background behind them.]<br />
::Host: Welcome to Stargazing, with your host, me. I'm a doctor or whatever.<br />
::[He continues to talk.]]<br />
::Host: I'm not gonna waste your time on the shitty stars. Just the good stuff. Honestly half of 'em just look like dots.<br />
::[Normal color panel - black on white. A shot from far away of the host standing in the center of the group of people watching him, he points to the sky.]<br />
::Host: This is Sirius. It's the brightest star in our sky so it's in charge. It's really two stars, but one of them is barely even trying. This is Andromeda. It's too big to think about, so let's not.<br />
::[Inverse color panel. Close-up on the host gesturing toward the sky behind him.]<br />
::Host: That red star is Betelgeuse. It's gonna explode someday. Can't happen soon enough, as far as I'm concerned. I-- ''HOLY SHIT DID YOU SEE THAT METEOR?!?!'' Space is ''awesome''!<br />
::[The host speaks to someone out of panel.]<br />
::Other: Are you ''sure'' you're an astronomer?<br />
::Host: People keep asking that, so I finally tried to look that word up in a dictionary, and ''wow'' is that book ever boring. No ''thank'' you.<br />
::Other: But--<br />
::Host: ''SPACE!''<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] <!-- Although the host is not Megan, she is still in the comic, as one of the audience in the 2nd frame! --><br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Space]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1677:_Contrails&diff=1194211677: Contrails2016-05-07T16:52:38Z<p>108.162.216.102: Separating purely speculative information from rest of explanation.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1677<br />
| date = May 6, 2016<br />
| title = Contrails<br />
| image = contrails.png<br />
| titletext = Astronomy (or "astrology" in British English) is the study of ...<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|Contrail}}s (short for "condensation trails") are trails of vapor produced by aircraft exhaust, trailing the airplane. They are formed from water condensing on jet fuel exhaust particles, some impurities of which provide bases for ice crystals to accumulate on. Some can dissipate in minutes, but others can last for hours or even longer, depending on the temperature and wind conditions at that particular altitude. The {{w|chemtrail conspiracy theory}} claims that contrails lasting unusually long are actually chemical or biological agents sprayed into the air for sinister purposes. There is no evidence such a thing is happening.<br />
<br />
Here, [[White Hat]], presumably speaking with a British accent, notices that there are a lot of contrails in the air. [[Cueball]] corrects him, saying that in {{w|American English}}, contrails are called chemtrails, which is, of course, incorrect.<br />
<br />
This is a comic in the [[:Category:My Hobby|My Hobby]] series. Some of these comics involve [[Cueball]] giving misleading information about pedantic terms, such as [[1405: Meteor]]. Another of these comics, [[966: Jet Fuel]], even mentions chemtrails, saying that they are made of mind-control agents carried on board the planes that make them.<br />
<br />
The title text implies that {{w|astronomy}} and {{w|astrology}} are synonymous, with astrology being the term used in British English. However, this is incorrect. Though both involve studying celestial objects, astrology is the pseudoscience that interprets positions of celestial objects as having influence on human affairs, while astronomy is the scientific study of celestial objects on a universal scale.<br />
<br />
The joke is that {{w|British English}} and American English often call the same object with different terms, and one can often learn new words for a simple thing. This, however is not the case in this comic; contrail and chemtrail do not refer to the same thing, the latter being only a subtype of the former. And it being xkcd, we can assume that chemtrail is a term that is frowned upon. Thus the comic states it as misinformation.<br />
<br />
The title text includes a similar situation: Astronomy is the scientific study of things in outer space, like stars, planets, and galaxies. Astrology, however, is a system that infers a persons personalities and characteristics from zodiacs on the persons birth date. the zodiac being the constellation assigned to that period of time in a year. The same system can also derive predictions about future, especially that of a relationship. Some would argue that astrology shows statistical values, but it is hardly science by the standards of scientific study.<br />
<br />
==Speculation==<br />
Given that the "American English" version is the conspiracy theory one for contrails/chemtrails, while who confuses astronomy and astrology is not fully clear, it is possible that the rest of the explanation of the astronomy vs astrology text would describe astrology. In that case, this could be a comment on the educational status in the US vs the UK, where conspiracy theories and superstition (astrology) are much more prominent in the US than in the UK (or Europe in general).<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and a White Hat are walking. White Hat is looking up to the sky while Cueball, walking in front holds out one arm towards him.]<br />
:White Hat: Lots of contrails today.<br />
:Cueball: Oh, you must be from the UK. In American English it's "Chemtrail".<br />
<br />
:[Caption under the panel]<br />
:My hobby: Spreading linguistic misinformation<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:My Hobby]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=56:_The_Cure&diff=8205656: The Cure2015-01-06T02:24:12Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 56<br />
| date = January 30, 2006<br />
| title = The Cure<br />
| image = the_cure.jpg<br />
| titletext = My first try at drawing a real face in years.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The "real face" is depicting {{w|Robert Smith}}, singer of the 80's band {{w|The Cure}}, famous for songs like "A Forest" and "Friday I'm in Love". The joke is therefore very simple: When Robert would sing the above lines of Coldplay's "Clocks", anyone would know the answer: he's part of The Cure.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A charcoal drawing of Robert Smith's head and face, with a caption underneath.]<br />
:Robert Smith should do a cover of Coldplay's ''Clocks,'' so when he sings "Am I part of the cure or am I part of the disease?" we can say, "Ooh, we know this one!"<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Music]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1031:_s/keyboard/leopard/&diff=809041031: s/keyboard/leopard/2014-12-17T06:12:22Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1031<br />
| date = March 19, 2012<br />
| title = S/KEYBOARD/LEOPARD/<br />
| image = s keyboard leopard.png<br />
| titletext = Problem Exists Between Leopard And Chair<br />
}}<br />
Clicking on the image takes you to this [http://wiki.xkcd.com/irc/Leopard link]<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Randall's browser looks like Google Chrome and he has installed at least four extensions on it, which explains the little symbols to the right of the address bar. Extensions are small programs that install into your internet browser and change the webpages as you view them. Some make pages easier to read, some remove ads (the third extension is [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/adblock/gighmmpiobklfepjocnamgkkbiglidom AdBlock]) and so on. For the joke in this one, an extension accidentally replaces the word "keyboard" with "leopard" in a regex or {{w|regular expression}}. In computing, a regular expression provides a concise and flexible means to "match" (specify and recognize) strings of text, such as particular characters, words, or patterns of characters. The command to substitute/replace a string is "s", e.g. "s/old/new/" replaces any occurrence of "old" with "new". Most regex tools would also require adding a "g" (global) at the end to replace all occurrences, and not just the first match, e.g. "s/old/new/g". The title therefore contains the command to change "keyboard" into "leopard."<br />
<br />
The title text references the common IT phrase "Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair" or {{w|PEBKAC}}, which means that the problem is caused by the user, not by any failure of the computer.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[There are two browser windows open on a computer screen]<br />
:[The first browser window has a wikipedia article open. The title of the page can be seen on the active tab]<br />
:Computer leopards - wikip...<br />
:[Next to the address bar are four add-ons and the toolbar icon. One of the add-ons is a letter:]<br />
:R<br />
:[To the left on the page are standard menus, with lots of unreadable text, except these words:]<br />
:[Help] <br />
:[Go] [Search]<br />
:[The page is not at the top of the article, so the text begins mid sentence]<br />
:which range from pocket-sized leopards to large desktop leopards, the leopard remains the most common user input device. In addition to text entry, specialized leopards are used for computer gaming. <br />
:While many computer interfaces rely on mice or touchscreens, UNIX-style command-line interfaces require users to interact with a leopard.<br />
:[Below is the contents list - the text in the brackets can not be read. And only the very top of the 2.3 line can be seen]<br />
:Contents ( )<br />
:1. History<br />
:2. Leopard types<br />
::2.1 Standard<br />
::2.2 Laptop-sized<br />
:[To the right there is a picture of a keyboard. The picture text written below:]<br />
:IBM Model M Leopard<br />
:[The second browser window overlapping the first is a message board. The title of the page can be seen on the active tab]<br />
:Discuss-leopard issu...<br />
:[Next to the address bar are four add-ons and the toolbar icon. One of the add-ons is a letter:]<br />
:R<br />
:[In the window there is a list of topics next to icons of those starting the topic.]<br />
:Weird, my leopard just switched to Chinese.<br />
::3 days ago<br />
:I work with one leopard on my desk and another in the leopard tray.<br />
::3 days ago<br />
:Ever cleaned a leopard? They're ''filthy''.<br />
::2 days ago<br />
:The iPhone virtual leopard is the fastest IMO.<br />
::19 hours ago<br />
:I rarely email from my phone-I'm so slow when I'm not on a leopard.<br />
::11 hours ago<br />
:My leopard died when I spilled tea on it :(<br />
::2 hours ago<br />
:[Below the main panel of the comic is the following text.]<br />
:The Internet got 100 times better when, thanks to an extension with a typo'd regex, my browser started replacing the word "keyboard" with "leopard".<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*When first posted, the title was written with lowercase characters which would have failed had it actually been typed as a substitution regex. This was later changed to small caps.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Regex]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1440:_Geese&diff=780691440: Geese2014-10-30T22:19:47Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1440<br />
| date = October 29, 2014<br />
| title = Geese<br />
| image = geese.png<br />
| titletext = Anyway, that's a common misconception. Geese live for a long time; all the ones we can see will probably keep flying around for billions of years before they explode.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Megan]] is commenting on a flock of geese passing overhead and says the light from the geese reaching their eyes now could have come from hundreds of years ago. This is a fact for the light from stars. [[Cueball]] points out the absurdity of Megan's statement by pointing out that the geese are only a few hundred yards away rather than a few hundred light years. She continues along the same lines when she implies to Cueball that he is observing a past version of her, despite them being only a few feet apart. (Technically he ''is'' viewing a past version of her, but not one from "long ago"; if someone is two feet away from you, you are seeing them as they were roughly [http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=light+travel+time+for+2+feet 2 nanoseconds] ago.)<br />
<br />
In the title-text Megan continues to treat the geese as if they were stars, which "live" for a few billion years before exploding. Most stars visible with naked eye are within a thousand light-years of Earth, (as discussed in [[1342: Ancient Stars]]), and it's unlikely that any star Megan currently sees actually exploded within the relatively short span of last few thousand years.<br />
<br />
Megan's statement "You're hearing how they once sounded." is somewhat more justified -- sound from "a few hundred yards away" would take about [http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=sound+speed+travel+time+for+400+yards one second] to be heard (depending on the exact distance and the prevailing atmospheric conditions (which affect the speed of sound)). That said, the sound of a goose isn't likely to change enough over the course of a second or two to make this distinction particularly significant.<br />
<br />
The strip may also take inspiration from Gamow's "Mr. Tompkins" stories which were designed to help laymen understand some of the consequences of relativity and quantum mechanics. In one of the stories Mr Tompkins visits a town where the speed of light is 30 miles per hour. For the light to have taken hundreds of years to go from the geese to Megan and Cueball, the speed of light in this strip would have to be much slower than in Gamow's story.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Geese fly in V-formation. Megan and Cueball are lying on the ground, watching them.]<br />
:Megan: To think... we're seeing light that left those geese centuries ago.<br />
:Megan: By now, they could be long dead.<br />
:Cueball: ... What? They're a few hundred yards away. I hear them honking.<br />
:Megan: Ah, yes. You're hearing how they once sounded.<br />
:Cueball: You're very weird.<br />
:Megan: Or I was, long ago...<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1435:_Presidential_Alert&diff=774631435: Presidential Alert2014-10-18T02:03:49Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1435<br />
| date = October 17, 2014<br />
| title = Presidential Alert<br />
| image = presidential_alert.png<br />
| titletext = When putting his kids to bed, after saying 'Goodnight', Obama has to stop himself from saying 'God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.'<br />
}}<br />
[[File:Eas_new.svg|thumb|upright=1.5| Current EAS logo. (from Wikimedia Commons)]]<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Second draft}}<br />
The {{w|Emergency Alert System}} allows the U.S. President to address the country in the event of a national emergency, by broadcasting a message over all television and radio channels. Despite the system's having existed in various forms for over 60 years, no president has ever used it, even during the {{w|September 11 attacks}}.<br />
<br />
In this comic, the US President accidentally activates the system by pressing a button, apparently located on the {{w|Resolute Desk|''Resolute'' Desk}} in the {{w|Oval Office}}. Surprised by being on television, he tries to think of something important to say on the spot, but cannot think of anything other than a piece of generic dental-hygiene advice&mdash;a rather non-urgent message.<br />
<br />
The concept of the President mistakenly hitting an important button has long been a source for jokes, often somewhat morbidly involving the {{w|nuclear football}}.<br />
<br />
The title text references the typical conclusion to presidential speeches: "Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America," or some variation thereof. As "goodnight" is the typical conclusion to a day, the title text jokes that {{w|Barack Obama|President Obama}} must sometimes confuse the two statements.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
:[Television beeping.]<br />
:Screen reads: "E.A.S Incoming Presidential Alert"<br />
<br />
:[Person in an office is on the television.]<br />
:My fellow Americans. I, uhhh. Wow.<br />
<br />
:Frankly, I didn't realize what this button did. I was just... I mean... I appear before you tonight to, um.<br />
<br />
:Look, uhh...<br />
:Remember to floss regularly. Oral hygiene is important. Thank you.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1418:_Horse&diff=755191418: Horse2014-09-09T03:35:14Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1418<br />
| date = September 8, 2014<br />
| title = Horse<br />
| image = horse.png<br />
| titletext = Officer suspended from horse.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Need context on headlines. Links to similar comics. Categories}}<br />
[[Cueball]] has set his browser to auto-replace the word 'Force' with the word 'Horse'. Some of the humorous resulting news headlines are shown.<br />
<br />
*Ukranian town threatened by pro-Russian horses - At the time this comic was published, there is civil unrest in the Ukraine, mostly framed as pro-European vs pro-Russian.<br />
*Governor appoints task horse - A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Task_force task force] is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity, which makes it quite comical to picture a horse instead of a unit. <br />
*Iraqi Air Horse growing - The Air ''Force'' of Iraq may indeed be being up-armed, especially in light of the threat, at this time, of ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State forces across swathes of both Iraq and Syria.<br />
*Quarks, which are bound together by the strong nuclear horse - [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark Quarks] are elementary particles. They form bound states like e.g. the proton mediated by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong_interaction strong force], similarly as atoms are bound states of electrons and the nucleus hold together by the electric force.<br />
*Officer suspended from horse (title text) - Being suspended from a police force (i.e. usually being forced upon mandatory leave pending resolution of the issue at hand; paid, part-paid or unpaid) is a common practice where culpable wrongdoing of sufficiently serious nature is suspected by the individual concernd.<br />
<br />
This is probably a parody of the Cloud to Butt Chrome Extension [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cloud-to-butt-plus/apmlngnhgbnjpajelfkmabhkfapgnoai?hl=en] (since it says ''new'' favorite browser text replacement).<br />
<br />
This comic plays on the same premise (and perhaps is a sequel to one or more of) previous strips: [[1004: Batman]], [[1031: s/keyboard/leopard/]] and [[1288: Substitutions]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Headlines above the main frame of the comic:]<br />
:New favorite browser text replacement:<br />
:'''Force → Horse'''<br />
<br />
:[In the comic frame Cueball is sitting in front of his PC reading the following headlines that are written above him in separate frames:]<br />
:Ukranian towns threatened by pro-Russian horses<br />
:Governor appoints task horse<br />
:Iraqi air horse growing<br />
:Quarks, which are bound together by the strong nuclear horse...<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1418:_Horse&diff=755181418: Horse2014-09-09T03:33:09Z<p>108.162.216.102: /* Explanation */ governors don't appoint task forces for NATO</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1418<br />
| date = September 8, 2014<br />
| title = Horse<br />
| image = horse.png<br />
| titletext = Officer suspended from horse.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Need context on headlines. Links to similar comics. Categories}}<br />
[[Cueball]] has set his browser to auto-replace the word 'Force' with the word 'Horse'. Some of the humorous resulting news headlines are shown.<br />
<br />
*Ukranian town threatened by pro-Russian horses - At the time this comic was published, there is civil unrest in the Ukraine, mostly framed as pro-European vs pro-Russian.<br />
*Governor appoints task horse - A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Task_force task force] is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity, which makes it quite comical to picture a horse instead of a unit. <br />
*Iraqi Air Horse growing - The Air ''Force'' of Iraq may indeed be being up-armed, especially in light of the threat, at this time, of ISIS/ISOL/Islamic State forces across swathes of both Iraq and Syria.<br />
*Quarks, which are bound together by the strong nuclear horse - [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark Quarks] are elementary particles. They form bound states like e.g. the proton mediated by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong_interaction strong force], similarly as atoms are bound states of electrons and the nucleus hold together by the electric force.<br />
*Officer suspended from horse (title text) - Being suspended from a police force (i.e. usually being forced upon mandatory leave pending resolution of the issue at hand; paid, part-paid or unpaid) is a common practice where culpable wrongdoing of sufficiently serious nature is suspected by the individual concernd.<br />
<br />
This is probably a parody of the Cloud to Butt Chrome Extension [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cloud-to-butt-plus/apmlngnhgbnjpajelfkmabhkfapgnoai?hl=en] (since it says ''new'' favorite browser text replacement).<br />
<br />
This comic plays on the same premise (and perhaps is a sequel to one or more of) previous strips: [[1004: Batman]], [[1031: s/keyboard/leopard/]] and [[1288: Substitutions]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Headlines above the main frame of the comic:]<br />
:New favorite browser text replacement:<br />
:'''Force → Horse'''<br />
<br />
:[In the comic frame Cueball is sitting in front of his PC reading the following headlines that are written above him in separate frames:]<br />
:Ukranian towns threatened by pro-Russian horses<br />
:Governor appoints task horse<br />
:Iraqi air horse growing<br />
:Quarks, which are bound together by the strong nuclear horse...<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>108.162.216.102https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1402:_Harpoons&diff=72896Talk:1402: Harpoons2014-08-04T14:02:22Z<p>108.162.216.102: Reference to Oceanus Procellarum</p>
<hr />
<div>I took the sentient space craft joke to be a reference to the movie "Dark Star".{{unsigned ip|199.27.128.123}}<br />
<br />
Harpoon is a brand of rum. Did a bottle make it into space? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.196|108.162.219.196]] 12:55, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: I tried to find who makes it but wasn't able to find a definitive source. I added http://www.harpoon-rum.eu/ for now but it would be nice to have the link to the canonical source. Any pointers? --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 17:24, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: It's only headcannon. (ref to xkcd #1401) A headcannon which fires a harpoon. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.80|108.162.216.80]] 17:52, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Did this comic upload quite late in the day for anyone else? Is anyone else experiencing or did anyone else experience that "Latest Comic" is still going to 1401 as ix XKCD.com and XKCD.com/# {{unsigned ip|141.101.99.216}}<br />
<br />
"This is obviously a joke, as sentient spacecraft cannot be created with current technology." Yeah, will need a citation on that... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.148|108.162.229.148]] 13:23, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Definitely a joke. Appolo 12’s call sign was Yankee Clipper, and a clipper ship would not carry any harpoons.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.129|108.162.216.129]] 14:04, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
: I'd believe someone might have smuggled some Harpoon (or even any brand of) rum up there, then brought it back down with them, ingested or otherwise (thus the drop right after the mission). Alternately, "incident" could be something more along the lines of losing an empty bottle of rum during a spacewalk (farfetched as it may be) and it reentering the atmosphere(?) - probably no more than stories, though - nothing official probably exists about anything like that going up or down in any manner.{{unsigned|Brettpeirce}}<br />
<br />
<br />
Moby Dick is, let's say, extremely far-fetched. It was not the ship that was hunting the whale and harpooning it by itself. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.143|141.101.104.143]] 17:27, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Could the Apollo 12 bump possibly be a reference to Futurama? "We're whalers on the moon, we carry a harpoon" [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.246|199.27.130.246]] 15:51, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Maybe it is a reference to a print ad by Bacardi-Martini, mentioned briefly in Buzz Aldrins book Magnificent Desolation. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.82|141.101.104.82]] 22:10, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
While it is more likely that a harpoon (or bottle of harpoon rum) went to space and returned with the Apollo 11 mission, the caption makes it sound like the harpoon was only in space for the duration of the incident. Might it have been created and destroyed there?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.171|108.162.219.171]] 22:54, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The graph explicitly asserts the Apollo 12 incident caused a "harpoon" to be in space, but only for a short time. Therefore, the harpoon was destroyed in space or returned to earth. Perhaps harpoon rum ascended with the astronauts; then was consumed on the moon, burned up in earth's atmosphere, or returned with the astronauts. (DP) [[User:D peterson|D peterson]] ([[User talk:D peterson|talk]]) 14:49, 2 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Whale killing<br />
Saying "sailors would throw harpoons at a whale until it died" betrays a limited understanding of the process. Harpoons were barbed, and were meant to stick in the whale while it sounded (went deep.) A length of (about half-inch) rope kept the harpoon connected to the whaleboat. After the whale was exhausted (from towing the whaleboat while trying to shake off the harpoon? idk) the whaleboat could approach it, and the boatswain (''not'' the harpooner) would kill it with an unbarbed lance. Holling Clancy Holling's ''Seabird'' shows how it was done, with pictures and all. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.153|173.245.54.153]] 19:00, 1 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Svend Foyn<br />
Norwegian whaler Svend Foyn revolutionarized whaling by inventing explosive harpoon to hunt whales. He made whaling much easier and quicker. This method saved Norway from the famine thread in 19th century.{{unsigned|Multimotyl}}<br />
<br />
<br />
;[Citation needed] joke.<br />
I thought the sentence "of course, Rosetta is not sapient[Citation needed]", was sort of funny. It implied "of course, Rosetta is not sapient[or is it?]", adding a bit of humour and mystery to the explanation. {{unsigned ip|108.162.222.77}}<br />
: i think it should be added back in, until somebody can cite a source showing that it is not sentient. [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 02:24, 3 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
;Suggestions for apollo 12 rum incident explanations<br />
The Apollo Rum Incident is probably related to [http://www.arentfox.com/sites/default/files/pdf/ArentFox-Stories-01-Aiming-High.pdf Bacardi's advertising campaign] which altered the image of Buzz Aldrin (apparently from Apollo 11, not 12) to show him in shorts with a rum. I mean, unless it wasn't altered ... [[User:Arothfusz|Arothfusz]] ([[User talk:Arothfusz|talk]]) 16:44, 2 August 2014 (UTC) A. Rothfusz<br />
<br />
Apollo 12 Preliminary Science Report NASA SP-235<br />
<br />
"The Apollo 12 core-tube bit is far from optimal in design, but results in a smaller range of uncertainty. On the other hand, hammering a core into the soil is known to cause more disturbance to the sample than if the core is PUSHED into the soil at a HIGH, CONSTANT SPEED." ... (/rum horizontal)<br />
<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.207|108.162.246.207]] 16:47, 3 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
'''Some Coincidences'''<br />
<br />
1. A daily rum ration was provided in British navy until 1970: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum_ration<br />
<br />
2. Harpoon cocktail was updated in 1970 to include option of gin as base: http://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2178/harpoon-cocktail<br />
<br />
3. Apollo 12 actually flew in November 1969: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_12<br />
<br />
4. HMS Apollo Rum incident: http://idle-idle.blogspot.com/2008/02/hms-apollo-incident_15.html<br />
<br />
5. There is a variety of hops called Apollo: http://beerlegends.com/apollo-hops<br />
<br />
6. Harpoon is slang for harmonica, but there's no evidence a harmonica was on board.<br />
<br />
7. The memorial 'Fallen Astronaut' was placed on the moon on August 1,1971 by Apollo 15 (the backup crew for Apollo 12): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Astronaut<br />
<br />
8. August 1, 1971 has been called the "greatest day of scientific exploration that we've ever seen in the space programme - possibly of all time.": http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/1/newsid_4101000/4101579.stm<br />
<br />
9. To harpoon, is to strike with a pointed instrument. Apollo 12 was struck by lightning (twice) upon takeoff. John Aaron's command "SCE to Aux" restored flight telemetry causing him to be labelled a "steely-eyed missile man": http://www.universetoday.com/98484/this-day-in-space-history-apollo-12-and-sce-to-aux/<br />
<br />
10. Such an unusual event is called a "rum go": https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/rum_go<br />
<br />
11. The Apollo 12 landing area was, ironically, 'Ocean of Storms'. It landed 600 feet from Surveyor 3, making this the "only human artifact ever encountered in lunar exploration". Conrad intended on taking a self-portrait with Bean at Surveyor 3, but couldn't find the self-timer he had smuggled on board. When he later found it, he threw it as hard as he could out onto the moon (motivated like a harpooner).<br />
<br />
12. All Apollo 12 astronauts were from US Navy.<br />
<br />
13. Episode 2 of 'Futurama' centers on a visit to an Apollo landing site & includes a song about whalers on the moon, carrying harpoons: http://futurama.wikia.com/wiki/Whalers_on_the_Moon<br />
Fry uses a harpoon to derail a 'moon buggy' from an amusement ride so he can use it to visit the landing site. Fry says "yee-haw!" driving the buggy over a crater.<br />
<br />
14. The 'Apollo 13' cocktail is based on rum: http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink8506.html<br />
<br />
[[User:Nathan Hillery|Nathan Hillery]] ([[User talk:Nathan Hillery|talk]]) 21:35, 3 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
Harpoon Rum did go up with Apollo 12. Some miniatures were taken for Thanksgiving, but Charles Conrad order his crew-mates not to drink them. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.207|141.101.98.207]] 10:36, 4 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Apollo 12's landing site was also known as Oceanus Procellarum. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc_20091104_apollo12.html#.U9-P-xD5eM0</div>108.162.216.102