https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=173.245.54.167&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-19T03:55:00ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1529:_Bracket&diff=942521529: Bracket2015-05-26T20:33:26Z<p>173.245.54.167: /* Explanation */ Sample depiction of a "segue" via a rowspan across two groupings</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1529<br />
| date = May 25, 2015<br />
| title = Bracket<br />
| image = bracket.png<br />
| titletext = I'm staring at the "doctor" section, and I can't help but feel like I've forgotten someone.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Explain the specific groupings, add probability and also add information to movies maybe}}<br />
A {{w|Bracket (tournament)|tournament bracket}} shows the planned series of matchups in a tournament. In this comic Randall has shown a plan for a tournament between a wide range of cultural icons, both real and fictional, based mostly on similarities in their names. Various Internet groups have speculated on who would win in a fight between characters from different films. It may be relevant that the film {{w|Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice}} is soon to be released where the two eponymous {{w|superheroes}}, {{w|Batman}} and {{w|Superman}}, fight against each other.<br />
<br />
The individual starting pairings are generally based on common or similar given or surnames. Some adjacent brackets are "segued" by someone like Jeff Daniels who segues from a bracket of "Jeff"s into a bracket of "Daniels"es. The bracket itself is fairly arbitrary. Most initial matchups are pairs, although several are trios and there's a quadruplet in the Russels group, while a single entry, Beyoncé, is given a first- and second-round {{w|bye (sports)|bye}}. Most of the participants in the tournament are people with a few exceptions. {{w|Shallots}} (small onions), {{w|scallops}} (bivalve mollusks), and {{w|scallions}} (green onions) are similar sounding foods, therefore may be confusing for some individuals (perhaps including [[Randall]]). The final grouping on the lower right of the bracket features a several retail stores and a film. <br />
<br />
The [[title text]] may be referring to {{w|Dr. Dre}}, particularly as a reference to his 2001 song "{{w|Forgot About Dre}}" or it could be a reference to the {{w|Doctor Who}} episode {{w|Asylum of the Daleks}} where the Dalek's memory of The Doctor is wiped, implying that Randall is a {{w|Dalek}}. Alternatively, the title text could simply be a reference to the large number of pop culture personas that include the word "Doctor", such as {{w|Gregory House|Doctor House}}, {{w|Mehmet Oz|Dr. Oz}}, {{w|Phil McGraw|Dr. Phil}}, {{w|Dr. Watson}}, {{w|Emmett Brown|"Doc" Brown}}, {{w|Dr. Seuss}}, {{w|Dr Pepper}}, {{w|Doctor Doom}}, and {{w|List of fictional doctors|many others}} (or, in fact, [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/futurama-zoidberg-why-not-zoidberg why not Dr. Zoidberg]?). Another possibility is that the [[title text]] is supposed to make the readers ask themselves "{{w|Doctor Who|Doctor who}}?" Though "The Doctor" is already listed, this could refer to either {{w|The Doctor (Doctor Who)|the Doctor from ''Doctor Who''}} or {{w|Doctor (Star Trek: Voyager)|the ''Star Trek: Voyager'' character}}, whom the Voyager crew was always forgetting to deactivate (and sometimes evacuate from the vessel). Notably, while the Doctor in "Doctor Who" is technically one character, the Doctor has currently been played on screen by 13 different actors. The mythos of the Doctor Who even includes individual incarnations of the Doctor interacting with each other; knowing they are the same person, yet often expressing annoyance when grouped together. So perhaps Randall is implying that to just include the Doctor as one individual is not an accurate representation of this character.<br />
<br />
The names and other entries in the bracket are:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
!Grouping<br />
!Person/Entry<br />
!Known as<br />
!Winning probability<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Armstrong<br />
|{{w|Louis Armstrong}}<br />
|Jazz-musician<br />
| rowspan="4" |1/32<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Neil Armstrong}}<br />
|First human on the moon<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Lance Armstrong}}<br />
|Cyclist<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Stretch Armstrong}}<br />
|Action figure<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|Jeff *<br />
|Jeff Gordan (Probably {{w|Jeff Gordon}})<br />
|Race car driver<br />
| rowspan="9" |1/64<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Jeff Bridges}}<br />
|Actor in ''King Kong'', ''The Big Lebowski'', ''Iron Man'', ''Tron: Legacy''<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Jeff Daniels}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|Actor in ''Dumb and Dumber''<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|J* Daniels<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Jack Daniels}}<br />
|Alcoholic beverages<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Well*s<br />
|{{w|Orson Welles}}<br />
|Director of ''{{w|Citizen Kane'' and known for his {{w|The War of the Worlds (radio drama)|radio-play}} of {{w|H. G. Wells}}' ''{{w|The War of the Worlds}}''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|H.G. Wells}}<br />
|Author, known for ''The War of the Worlds'' and ''{{w|The Time Machine}}''<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>well*<br />
|{{w|George Orwell}}<br />
|Author of ''{{w|Nineteen Eighty-Four}}'' and ''{{w|Animal Farm}}''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Wells Fargo}}<br />
|Bank and stage coach company<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Russell *<br />
|{{w|Kurt Russell}}<br />
|Actor in ''The Thing'', ''Fast & Furious 7''<br />
| rowspan="4" |1/128<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Russell Brand}}<br />
|Comedian<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Russell Crowe}}<br />
|Actor in ''Gladiator'', ''A Beautiful Mind'', ''Les Misérables'', ''Noah''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Russell Simmons}}<br />
|Rapper<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Simmons<br />
|{{w|Richard Simmons}}<br />
|Host of exercise program<br />
| rowspan="2" |1/64<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Gene Simmons}}<br />
|Musician, known from ''KISS''<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>ckman<br />
|{{w|Gene Hackman}}<br />
|Actor<br />
| rowspan="3" |1/96<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Hugh Jackman}}<br />
|Actor in the ''{{w|X-Men}}'' franchise as {{w|Wolverine (character)|Wolverine}}<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Alan Rickman}}<br />
|Actor in ''Die Hard'', ''Harry Potter'' franchise, ''The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy''<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|Alan Par*<br />
|{{w|Alan Parsons}}<br />
|Musician<br />
| rowspan="6" |1/64<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Alan Partridge}}<br />
|Fictional radio character<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> McCarthy/Eugene *<br />
|{{w|Jenny McCarthy}}<br />
|Anti-vaccination activist<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Joseph McCarthy}}<br />
|Senator known for anti-communist witchhunt<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Eugene McCarthy}}<br />
|Senator and Presidential candidate<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Eugene V. Debs}}<br />
|Labor leader<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wilde*<br />
|{{w|Gene Wilder}}<br />
|Actor in ''Bonnie and Clyde'', ''Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory''<br />
| rowspan="3" |1/96<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Olivia Wilde}}<br />
|Actress in ''Tron: Legacy'', ''Her''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Oscar Wilde}}<br />
|Writer<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|Oscar De La *<br />
|{{w|Oscar De La Renta}}<br />
|Fashion Designer<br />
| rowspan="2" |1/32<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Oscar De La Hoya}}<br />
|Boxer<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|Jack Nic*<br />
|{{w|Jack Nicklaus}}<br />
|Golf player<br />
| rowspan="8" |1/32<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Jack Nicholson}}<br />
|Actor in ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'', ''The Shining'', ''The Bucketlist''<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>ickle* / *ickel*<br />
|{{w|Phil Mickelson}}<br />
|Golf player<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Nicholas Nickelby}}<br />
|Novel by Charles Dickens and name of main character<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>ryan Adams<br />
|{{w|Ryan Adams}}<br />
|Singer<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Bryan Adams}}<br />
|Singer<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Singers with Stage Names Referencing Weight/Games<br />
|{{w|Chubby Checker}}<br />
|Singer famous for "The Twist"<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Fats Domino}}<br />
|Rock and Roll Singer<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Colin F*<br />
|{{w|Colin Firth}}<br />
|Actor, ''Pride and Prejudice'', ''Love Actually''<br />
| rowspan="4" |1/64<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Colin Farrell}}<br />
|Actor in ''Daredevil'', ''In Bruges'', ''Total Recall''<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|F*rell*<br />
|{{w|Will Ferrell}}<br />
|Comic actor, ''Anchorman'' and ''The Other Guys''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|The Farrelly Brothers}}<br />
|Comedy film-makers<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>evitt/*ewitt<br />
|{{w|Joseph Gordon-Levitt}}<br />
|Actor<br />
| rowspan="2" |1/32<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Jennifer Love Hewitt}}<br />
|Actress in ''Garfield: The Movie'' <!-- Nothing else really --><br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|D* Glover<br />
|{{w|Danny Glover}} <br />
|Actor, ''Lethal Weapon'' series<br />
| rowspan="4" |1/64<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Donald Glover}}<br />
|Actor, ''Community''<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wahlberg<br />
|{{w|Donnie Wahlberg}}<br />
|Singer, ''{{w|New Kids on the Block}}''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Mark Wahlberg}}<br />
|Actor in ''The Departed'', ''The Other Guys''<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Mark *<br />
|{{w|Mark Ruffalo}}<br />
|Actor, known for his role as {{w|Hulk (comics)|the Hulk}} in the film ''{{w|The Avengers (2012 film)|The Avengers}}''<br />
| rowspan="2" |1/32<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Mark Shuttleworth}}<br />
|Entrepreneur, founder of {{w|Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu}}<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Pullman/Bill P*<br />
|{{w|Philip Pullman}}<br />
|Author<br />
|rowspan="3"|1/48<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Bill Pullman}}<br />
|Actor in ''Spaceballs'', and ''Independence Day''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Bill Paxton}}<br />
|Actor in ''Apollo 13'', ''Aliens''<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Ghostbusters<br />
|{{w|Bill Murray}}<br />
|Actor in ''Ghostbusters'', ''Groundhog Day''<br />
|rowspan="2"|1/32<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Dan Aykroyd}}<br />
|Actor in ''Ghostbusters'', ''The Blues Brothers''<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Rogers<br />
|{{w|Ginger Rogers}}<br />
|Actress known for dancing with {{w|Fred Astaire}}<br />
|rowspan="2"|1/64<br />
|-<br />
|Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers<br />
|Confusing reference to {{w|Fred Rogers}} (host of children's show, popularly known as "Mister Rogers") and to {{w|Fred Astaire}} (Dancer, actor, and singer)<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Spock/Doctor *<br />
|{{w|Mister Spock}}<br />
|Character on ''Star Trek'' portrayed by {{w|Leonard Nimoy}}<br />
|rowspan="9"|1/96<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Doctor Spock}}<br />
|Author of book on childcare<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Doctor Octopus}}<br />
|Villain in Spider-Man comic books<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="3"|Doctors<br />
|{{w|Doctor Manhattan}}<br />
|Character in Alan Moore's Watchmen<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Doctor Strangelove}}<br />
|Character in a movie about nuclear war by {{w|Stanley Kubrick}}<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Doctor Strange}}<br />
|Sorceror Supreme in Marvel Comics<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="3"|More doctors<br />
|{{w|Julius No|Dr. No}}<br />
|Main villain in the {{w|Dr. No (film)|first James Bond movie}}<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|The Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor}}<br />
|Main protagonist of the science fiction series ''{{w|Doctor Who}}''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Cory Doctorow}}<br />
|Real person - [[:Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow| who has been in a number of xkcd comics]]<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Jerry * Lewis<br />
|{{w|Jerry Lee Lewis}}<br />
|Rock and Roll singer<br />
|rowspan="8"|1/32<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Jerry Lewis}}<br />
|Comedian and former chairman of charitable organization<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Sounds like Jenny *<br />
|{{w|Jenny Lewis}}<br />
|Indie singer-songwriter<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Xeni Jardin}}<br />
|Digital commentator, Boing Boing co-editor<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Chris *<br />
|{{w|Chris Evans}}<br />
|Actor, ''Captain America''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Chris Hemsworth}}<br />
|Actor, ''Thor''<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Chris P*<br />
|{{w|Chris Pine}}<br />
|Actor, ''Star Trek''<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Chris Pratt}}<br />
|Actor, ''Guardians of the Galaxy''<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="3"|Homophones of Shallots<br />
|{{w|Shallots}}<br />
|Small onions<br />
|rowspan="3"|1/96<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Scallops}}<br />
|Bivalve mollusks<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Scallions}}<br />
|Green onions<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Suz* (Similar phonetics)<br />
|{{w|Siouxie Sioux}}<br />
|Rock singer<br />
|rowspan="2"|1/64<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Suzanne Vega}}<br />
|Folk rock singer-songwriter<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Arnold */A* Palmer<br />
|{{w|Tom Arnold}}<br />
|Ex-husband of Roseanne Barr<br />
|rowspan="3"|1/48<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Arnold Palmer}}<br />
|Golf player<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Amanda Palmer}}<br />
|Singer/songwriter<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Wes *<br />
|{{w|Wes Craven}}<br />
|Film maker<br />
|rowspan="8"|1/64<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Wes Anderson}}<br />
|Movie Director<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|P* Anderson<br />
|{{w|Paul Thomas Anderson}}<br />
|Film maker<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Poul Anderson}}<br />
|Science fiction author<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Sir Walter *<br />
|{{w|Sir Walter Scott}}<br />
|Scottish poet and writer<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Sir Walter Raleigh}}<br />
|British explorer of Virginia<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|F* Drake<br />
|{{w|Sir Francis Drake}}<br />
|British explorer, 2nd to circumnavigate the Earth<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Frank Drake}}<br />
|Astrophysicist, SETI pioneer<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="3"|Van *<br />
|{{w|Van Halen}}<br />
|Rock band<br />
|rowspan="3"|1/96<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Van Morrison}}<br />
|Singer/songwriter<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Van Wilder}}<br />
|Comedy film<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|R* Van Winkle<br />
|{{w|Robert Van Winkle}}<br />
|AKA Vanilla Ice, rapper<br />
|rowspan="2"|1/64<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Rip Van Winkle}}<br />
|Fictional character<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Rip/Torn<br />
|{{w|Rip Torn}}<br />
|Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, actor on ''Cross Creek'', ''Larry Sanders Show''<br />
|rowspan="2"|1/32<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Natalie Imbruglia}}<br />
|Singer of "Torn"<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="2"|Businesses with the word "Body" in their name<br />
|{{w|The Body Shop}}<br />
|Shop<br />
|rowspan="4"|1/64<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Bath and Body Works}}<br />
|Shop<br />
|-<br />
<br />
|rowspan="3"|Beyon*<br />
|{{w|Bed Bath and Beyond}}<br />
|Shop<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Beyond Thunderdome}}<br />
|Motion picture<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Beyoncé}}<br />
|Singer<br />
|1/16<br />
<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Neaten the format to make it more comprehensible.}}<br />
<br />
:[A tournament bracket. The matchups are the following, on left-hand side and right-hand side:]<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"<br />
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|<br />
<br/>(1) Louis Armstrong and Neil Armstrong<br />
<br/>(2) Lance Armstrong and Stretch Armstrong<br />
<br />
<br/>(3) Jeff Gordan and Jeff Bridges<br />
<br/>(4) Jeff Daniels and Jack Daniels<br />
<br />
<br/>(5) Orson Welles and H.G. Wells<br />
<br/>(6) George Orwell and Wells Fargo<br />
<br />
<br/>(7) Kurt Russell, Russell Brand, Russell Crowe and Russell Simmons<br />
<br/>(8) Richard Simmons and Gene Simmons<br />
<br/>(9) Gene Hackman, Hugh Jackman and Alan Rickman<br />
<br/>(10) Alan Parsons and Alan Partridge<br />
<br />
<br/>(11) Jenny McCarthy, Joseph McCarthy, Eugene McCarthy and Eugene V. Debs<br />
<br/>(12) Gene Wilder, Olivia Wilde and Oscar Wilde<br />
<br/>(13) Oscar De La Renta and Oscar De La Hoya<br />
<br />
<br/>(14) Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicholson<br />
<br/>(15) Phil Mickelson and Nicholas Nickelby<br />
<br />
<br/>(16) Ryan Adams and Bryan Adams<br />
<br />
<br/>(17) Chubby Checker and Fats Domino<br />
<br />
<br/>(18) Colin Firth and Colin Farrell<br />
<br/>(19) Will Ferrell and The Farrelly Brothers<br />
<br />
<br/>(20) Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jennifer Love Hewitt<br />
<br />
<br/>(21) Danny Glover and Donald Glover<br />
<br/>(22) Donnie Wahlberg and Mark Wahlberg<br />
<br/>(23) Mark Ruffalo and Mark Shuttleworth<br />
<br />
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|<br />
<br/>(24) Philip Pullman, Bill Pullman and Bill Paxton<br />
<br/>(25) Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd<br />
<br />
<br/>(26) Ginger Rogers and Fred Rogers|Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers<br />
<br/>(27) Mister Spock, Doctor Spock and Doctor Octopus<br />
<br/>(28) Doctor Manhattan, Doctor Strangelove and Doctor Strange<br />
<br/>(29) Dr. No, The Doctor and Cory Doctorow<br />
<br />
<br/>(30) Jerry Lee Lewis and Jerry Lewis<br />
<br/>(31) Jenny Lewis and Xeni Jardin<br />
<br />
<br/>(32) Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth<br />
<br/>(33) Chris Pine and Chris Pratt<br />
<br />
<br/>(34) Shallots, Scallops and Scallions<br />
<br />
<br/>(35) Siouxie Sioux and Suzanne Vega<br />
<br />
<br/>(36) Tom Arnold, Arnold Palmer and Amanda Palmer<br />
<br />
<br/>(37) Wes Craven and Wes Anderson<br />
<br/>(38) Paul Thomas Anderson and Poul Anderson<br />
<br />
<br/>(39) Sir Walter Scott and Sir Walter Raleigh<br />
<br/>(40) Sir Francis Drake and Frank Drake<br />
<br />
<br/>(41) Van Halen, Van Morrison and Van Wilder<br />
<br/>(42) Robert Van Winkle and Rip Van Winkle<br />
<br/>(43) Rip Torn and Natalie Imbruglia<br />
<br />
<br/>(44) The Body Shop and Bath and Body Works<br />
<br/>(45) Bed Bath and Beyond and Beyond Thunderdome<br />
<br/>(46) Winner of 44 and winner of 45<br />
<br/>(47) Winner of 46 and Beyoncé<br />
|}<br />
<br />
[Those are later interconnected:]<br />
<br />
<div style="column-count:4;-moz-column-count:4;-webkit-column-count:4"><br />
<br />
<br/>(48) Winner of 1 and winner of 2<br />
<br/>(49) Winner of 3 and winner of 4<br />
<br/>(50) Winner of 5 and winner of 6<br />
<br/>(51) Winner of 7 and winner of 8<br />
<br/>(52) Winner of 9 and winner of 10<br />
<br/>(53) Winner of 12 and winner of 13<br />
<br/>(54) Winner of 14 and winner of 15<br />
<br/>(55) Winner of 16 and winner of 17<br />
<br/>(56) Winner of 18 and winner of 19<br />
<br/>(57) Winner of 21 and winner of 22<br />
<br />
<br/>(58) Winner of 24 and winner of 25<br />
<br/>(59) Winner of 26 and winner of 27<br />
<br/>(60) Winner of 28 and winner of 29<br />
<br/>(61) Winner of 30 and winner of 31<br />
<br/>(62) Winner of 32 and winner of 33<br />
<br/>(63) Winner of 34 and winner of 35<br />
<br/>(64) Winner of 37 and winner of 38<br />
<br/>(65) Winner of 39 and winner of 40<br />
<br/>(66) Winner of 41 and winner of 42<br />
<br />
<br/>(67) Winner of 49 and winner of 50<br />
<br/>(68) Winner of 51 and winner of 52<br />
<br/>(69) Winner of 11 and winner of 53<br />
<br/>(70) Winner of 54 and winner of 55<br />
<br/>(71) Winner of 56 and winner of 20<br />
<br/>(72) Winner of 57 and winner of 23<br />
<br />
<br/>(73) Winner of 59 and winner of 60<br />
<br/>(74) Winner of 61 and winner of 62<br />
<br/>(75) Winner of 63 and winner of 36<br />
<br/>(76) Winner of 64 and winner of 65<br />
<br/>(77) Winner of 66 and winner of 43<br />
<br />
<br/>(78) Winner of 48 and winner of 67<br />
<br/>(79) Winner of 68 and winner of 69<br />
<br/>(80) Winner of 71 and winner of 72<br />
<br />
<br/>(81) Winner of 58 and winner of 73<br />
<br/>(82) Winner of 75 and winner of 76<br />
<br/>(83) Winner of 77 and winner of 47<br />
<br />
<br/>(84) Winner of 78 and winner of 79<br />
<br/>(85) Winner of 70 and winner of 80<br />
<br />
<br/>(86) Winner of 81 and winner of 74<br />
<br/>(87) Winner of 82 and winner of 83<br />
<br />
<br/>(88) Winner of 84 and winner of 85<br />
<br />
<br/>(89) Winner of 86 and winner of 87<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br/><br/><br />
<br />
:[The two sides finally join up in:]<br />
<br />
:(90) Winner of 88 and winner of 89<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]<br />
[[Category:Doctor Who]]</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:886:_Craigslist_Apartments&diff=91128Talk:886: Craigslist Apartments2015-04-25T13:48:25Z<p>173.245.54.167: </p>
<hr />
<div>The house with a house inside may be a reference to the tesseracted, 4D house from Robert Heinlein's "-And He Built A Crooked House." {{unsigned ip|173.225.52.131}}<br />
<br />
<br />
I would have thought the klein stairs with the intense heat in short bursts may be a reference to a research fusion reactor. 'Net searches seem to suggest there may be connections between plasma behaviour and klein bottle mathematics. {{unsigned ip|108.162.250.5}}<br />
<br />
The Minotaur sounds like a reference to Doctor Who The God Complex. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.201|173.245.52.201]] 05:05, 1 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The closet full of board games which play themselves could be a reference to the movie Jumanji.<br />
Can't remember a tub full of blood from that movie, though, however surely pets won't survive long. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.180|173.245.53.180]] 21:13, 12 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I explained the third one, but I have no idea about the lack of floor. Because of this and others, I added an 'Incomplete' tag with the appropriate reason. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.206|108.162.212.206]] 03:32, 17 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I believe that the "616" "$1616" is a reference to the number of the beast. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.90|173.245.54.90]] 18:53, 10 March 2014 (UTC)<br />
:The number of the beast is 666. Not 616. [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 01:54, 18 April 2014 (UTC)<br />
::It sounds like you must have some good information to make that statement so plainly - maybe you should correct the appropriate section on Wikipedia ({{w|Number_of_the_beast#616}}) and add your references/citations. It would seem several sources (including the oldest known ''"version"'' of the text) indicates '616' as a "variant" [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 12:59, 18 April 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"including the oldest known ''"version"'' of the text"<br />
<br />
Have you read that article?<br />
<br />
[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 23:20, 23 January 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I motion to close/complete this one. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.65|199.27.128.65]] 17:57, 17 April 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Regarding the house near Pripyat explanation, "the glass facade references radioactive glassy minerals created by the explosion" seems to be conflating the Corium produced at Chernobyl with the Trinitite produced by nuclear explosion at Alamogordo. There was a steam explosion at Chernobyl, but the Corium was produced by the heat of the subsequent meltdown, not by the force of the explosion. The current explanation also includes, "It may also be the nuclear facility itself, depending on interpretation; ...". It seems clear to me that the apartment for rent is the nuclear facility itself, and not some house in Pripyat, which is "5-min drive" away; why else the "Three floors w/pool, rooftop garden, beautiful glass facade". -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.43|108.162.219.43]] 12:03, 18 April 2014 (UTC)<br />
:Agreed. I have edited to reflect the same, and have also noted the likelihood that the "pool" referenced is probably temporary containment for spent nuclear fuel. Not so sure about the "3-level" thing, though. My knowledge of nuclear power plant design is extremely limited. [[User:Orazor|Orazor]] ([[User talk:Orazor|talk]]) 12:20, 22 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I just reread this and I think that the the pool in question may be the glass walled three story swimming pool azure in pripyat. The same one as was in modern warfare. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.167|173.245.54.167]] 13:48, 25 April 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
Any idea what 1386153 means? Lucas often 'hid' 1138 everywhere, so could this be part of it? Other thoughts:<br />
* [http://www.colorhexa.com/8a0699 RGB (138,6,153) is purple]. <br />
* It isn't prime<br />
* It isn't [https://oeis.org/A082897 totient]<br />
&mdash; [[User:Fluffy Buzzard|Fluffy Buzzard]] ([[User talk:Fluffy Buzzard|talk]]) 15:26, 18 April 2014 (UTC)</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1254:_Preferred_Chat_System&diff=869061254: Preferred Chat System2015-03-23T16:22:09Z<p>173.245.54.167: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1254<br />
| date = August 21, 2013<br />
| title = Preferred Chat System<br />
| image = preferred chat system.png<br />
| titletext = If you call my regular number, it just goes to my pager.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
As more options become available for communication, it becomes more difficult to determine the social etiquette of how to communicate with others. It is customary (or at least rarely incorrect) to return a communication from someone using the same medium as the initial contact. For example, a voicemail is generally returned with a phone call (perhaps resulting in another voicemail), and an email with an email, etc. However, sometimes people respond through a different channel, such as texting a response to a voicemail or emailing a reply to a text. This can create confusion that [[Randall]] is pointing out, because the recipient may be unsure whether to go back to their original communication method, or if the response was a signal that the recipient prefers the new method. Similarly, it becomes important for people to know what type of communication is preferred by a recipient, or most likely to reach the recipient quickly and generate the most useful response.<br />
<br />
Randall portrays the difficulty [[Cueball]] is facing when communicating with a seemingly irrational recipient. Today's multitude of social networks and communication systems amplifies the problem. After several misses, Cueball is leaving a voicemail for his intended recipient to clarify the best way to reach them. He initially tried texting the recipient, to which they made one reply on the instant-messaging service {{w|Google Talk}} (commonly called GChat). This is unusual because instant messaging services are usually used to engage in longer conversations than one message. Cueball further is confused because the recipient, although silent on Google Talk, continues responding on {{W|Internet Relay Chat|IRC}}. Cueball then attempted to communicate by email, but the response came on {{w|Skype}}, another instant messaging service that features voice and video chat along with text. The recipient mentions that the email "''woke [them] up''", implying that he or she has e-mail configured to make an audible alert, possibly by being forwarded to a cell phone.<br />
<br />
Cueball clarifies that he appreciates that the recipient is very quick to respond, but his confusion stems from his inability to determine the proper medium to use. As he finishes his voicemail, an owl flies towards him carrying a written message. This appears to be a reference to [http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Owl_post owl post], which is a form of communication in the {{w|Harry Potter}} lore which itself is presumably based on the real-world usage of {{w|Carrier pigeon|carrier pigeons}}. The owl post message indicates that the voicemail was received, and suggests using {{w|Google Voice}} next time, which is yet another form of voice and text communication, one that bypasses the standard telecom companies and gives the user a range of controls such as which device is called depending on who is calling or what time of day it is, or to simply ignore the call altogether.<br />
<br />
Randall seems to have an interest in bird-related communications; [http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1149 RFC 1149 - IP over Avian Carriers] has been mentioned in previous comics.<br />
<br />
The title text mentions a {{w|pager}}, a low-tech, low-cost wireless telecommunications device that beeps or vibrates when it receives a message. Simpler pagers can display numbers, usually the caller's phone number, while more sophisticated ones can receives text messages. The usual intent of a page is for the recipient to call the number back or, today, to tell you that your table is ready. Having your own cellphone forward messages to your pager makes almost no sense.<br />
<br />
Pager use peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, but declined thereafter as cellular phones became ubiquitous. There can be absolutely no need for this hyper-connected individual to use a pager. A possible suggestion is that they are intentionally using such an abundance of communications options to, perversely, make it harder to have a conversation with them. So far, it seems to be working.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball stands, talking on his cell phone.]<br />
:Cueball: Sorry for the voicemail, but I'm confused about how to reach you.<br />
:Cueball: When I text you, you reply once on GChat, then go quiet, yet answer IRC right away. I emailed you, and you replied on Skype and mentioned that the email "woke you up".<br />
:Cueball: You're very responsive - I just have no sense of how you use technology.<br />
:[An owl flies into the panel.]<br />
:Cueball: ?!?<br />
:[The owl perches on Cueballs's head. It has delivered a note to Cueball.]<br />
:Note: did you try to call me? use my google voice number next time.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=675:_Revolutionary&diff=84309675: Revolutionary2015-02-10T17:02:25Z<p>173.245.54.167: /* Explanation */ Corrected wikipedia link.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 675<br />
| date = December 14, 2009<br />
| title = Revolutionary<br />
| image = revolutionary.png<br />
| titletext = I mean, what's more likely -- that I have uncovered fundamental flaws in this field that no one in it has ever thought about, or that I need to read a little more? Hint: it's the one that involves less work.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The comic contrasts brilliant revolutionary scientific thought with the simplistic arrogance of assuming one understands the current scientific theory enough to correct it. The character with the goatee has a degree in {{w|philosophy}}, and perhaps has certain ideas of his own about how the world should fundamentally be described by physics. He has studied Einstein's {{w|theory of special relativity}} for less than an hour and thinks it is wrong, and that he has a better theory. When confronted about this, he considers the objection as based in {{w|dogma}}, and remains so confident that he wants to email the "president of physics". His ignorance of the field is emphasized by thinking that the entire field of physics has a president - although certain important organizations such as the {{w|American Physical Society}} do have presidents.<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]] concedes that it is possible for such a revolutionary idea to come from a relative outsider. One example is {{w|Albert Einstein}}'s own formulation of {{w|special relativity}}, which came while he was working at a patent office in Switzerland, although he did already have a Ph.D in physics. A {{w|thought experiment}} considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences.<br />
<br />
The "racecar on a train" idea alludes to thought experiments involving {{w|Frame_of_reference#Simple_example|frames of reference}}, which are important in relativity.<br />
<br />
The title text compares two possible scenarios: <br />
*That decades of work by numerous physicists is fundamentally incorrect, and I found the flaw immediately<br />
*That I need to read a little more<br />
<br />
[[Randall]] hints that reading a little more is much less work than having to develop entirely new foundations of physics.<br />
<br />
Usually, when someone with little understanding of the subject thinks that they have found a flaw, it takes only a little bit more reading to discover that the flaw is in fact completely explained already.<br />
<br />
As an example, lets say a high school student happens to do sqrt(5-6). His calculator tells him 'Error', and he thinks he has uncovered a function which has no answer. In fact, with a little more reading, he would discover that mathematicians have a whole area devoted to this type of mathematics, namely {{w|Imaginary numbers|imaginary numbers}}.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:Cueball: Yes, science is an open process in which a good idea can come from anybody.<br />
<br />
:Cueball: Yes, widely-believed theories are on occasion overturned by simple thought experiments.<br />
<br />
:Cueball: And yes, your philosophy degree equips you to ask interesting questions sometimes.<br />
<br />
:[Cueball is talking to a philosopher with a goatee, who is sitting at a computer.]<br />
:Cueball: But you did not just overturn special relativity, a subject you learned about an hour ago, with your "racecar on a train" idea.<br />
:Philosopher: You just don't like that I'm turning a rational eye to your dogma. Hey, what's the email for the president of physics?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Philosophy]]<br />
[[Category:Physics]]</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1468:_Worrying&diff=819501468: Worrying2015-01-03T12:34:58Z<p>173.245.54.167: How worried people "tend to be" is not "should be." "Should be" means how likely the event will cause them harm that they should worry about, while "tend to be" is how worried they actually are about it. The graph is not comparing "tend to be."</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1468<br />
| date = January 2, 2015<br />
| title = Worrying<br />
| image = worrying.png<br />
| titletext = If the breaking news is about an event at a hospital or a lab, move it all the way over to the right.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This chart is a visual representation of how worried people should be by various events in real life compared to the same events in movies, based on the the likelihood of the event causing serious harm. In effect it's poking fun at various cliches and the emphasis on dramatic flair, regardless of realism. The chart's Y-axis indicates how worrying an event is in real life (from "not very worried" to "very worried"), while its X-axis shows how worrying the event is in movies. Nine events are shown in the chart, all of them cliches in the medium of film:<br />
<br />
* '''Spilling a drink on your shirt''': In both real life and in movies, this just causes a stain and maybe a little embarrassment.<br />
* '''Nosebleed''': Nosebleeds are common in real life and almost never are serious... almost. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeadlyNosebleed Nosebleeds in movies] are almost always a sign that something ''is'' seriously wrong -- the common, mundane nosebleeds never come up. (Note: this applies to random nosebleeds with no specific cause. Characters may walk out of fistfights with completely inconsequential nosebleeds, for instance.) <br />
* '''Breaking news''': People in real life commonly don't pay much attention to the news at all, so many breaking stories go unnoticed until much later. Most breaking news stories are also about non-threatening events (eg. presidential addresses) or events that are far removed from the viewer. However, in movies, seeing the news station switch to a "breaking news" broadcast is universally a means to introduce a significant plot element that the characters find worrying, and large numbers of people are often shown watching and being emotionally affected by the news while it's breaking. XKCD has referenced [[1387|news reports as foreshadowing before]].<br />
* '''Parking ticket''': Tickets in movies are almost always ignored, but in real life they are moderately worrying because they cost money and can tarnish your driving record.<br />
* '''Persistent cough''': In real life, coughing fits can be a sign of serious illness, but usually aren't. (If you have a persistent cough, you should check with a doctor.) In movies, just like with nosebleeds, a person with a [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IncurableCoughOfDeath persistent cough] is almost always extremely ill or infectious.<br />
* '''"We need to talk"''': This phrase is a common, stereotypical lead-in to a serious conversation, usually about a couple's relationship status, that often causes a high level of worry in the recipient. According to this chart, this phrase is equally worrisome both in movies and in real life.<br />
* '''Getting knocked out by a punch''': In movies, a character who is [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TapOnTheHead knocked out by a punch] always wakes up sometime later with no lasting effects. In real life, however, a person knocked out by a punch can suffer serious brain injuries or even die from the punch itself, or can sustain further injuries from their head hitting the ground.<br />
* '''Chest wounds''': The chart mentions wounds on both your right and left sides. In real life, a chest wound to either side is extremely worrying. But in movies, getting wounded on the right side of the chest will rarely deal lasting damage to the hero or primary villain, to show how badass they are. Wounds on the ''left'' side of the chest signify swift death. This can be explained by the common misconception that the heart is on the left side of the chest. (It is actually in the centre, with a slight tendency to the left.) However, even left-side chest wounds are apparently still less worrisome than nosebleeds. It must also be noted that the term "chest wound" is more broad than what the author of the comic appears to mean. A more narrow terms of "thoracic gunshot wound", "gunshot chest wound", "thoracic ballistic trauma" or "penetrating chest wound" (the latter is slightly broader and includes the damage inflicted by blades and other impaled objects) would be more appropriate, because just a "chest wound" includes such insignificant events as minor skin cuts in the chest area.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to "breaking news" reports in movies - whenever the news story covers an event at a hospital (usually an outbreak of some major disease) or a laboratory (a monster escaping, a toxic gas released, an explosion, etc.), these events are universally much more worrisome than any other type of news story since they are guaranteed to be important for the protagonists in short order.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
[A chart is presented with the title "How Worried Should You Be When Various Things Happen To You:". The vertical axis is titled "...In Real Life", and the horizontal axis is titled "...In Movies". Both axes start at "Not very worried" and move outward toward "Very worried".]<br />
<br />
[Events, moving from bottom to top of the "In Real Life" scale:]<br />
<br />
{| class=wikitable<br />
! In real life !! In movies !! Event description<br />
|-<br />
| Not very worried || Not very worried || Spilling a drink on your shirt<br />
|-<br />
| Not very worried || Extremely worried || Nosebleed<br />
|-<br />
| Slightly worried || Mostly worried || Breaking news<br />
|-<br />
| Slightly more worried || Not at all worried || Parking ticket<br />
|-<br />
| Moderately worried || Very worried || Persistent cough<br />
|-<br />
| Mostly worried || Mostly worried || "We need to talk"<br />
|-<br />
| Mostly worried (slightly more) || Not at all worried || Getting knocked out by a punch<br />
|-<br />
| Very worried || Slightly worried || (Chest wound) ...on your right side<br />
|-<br />
| Very worried || Very worried || (Chest wound) ...on your left side<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Charts]]</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1401:_New&diff=72641Talk:1401: New2014-07-31T21:23:41Z<p>173.245.54.167: </p>
<hr />
<div>Why are there three ''n'''s in ''headcannnon'' in the title text?<br />
[[User:Keavon|Keavon]] ([[User talk:Keavon|talk]])<br />
<br />
:Or as n increases the effort to convince others that the existence/correctness of headca(n)+on decreases? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.26|108.162.216.26]] 20:31, 30 July 2014 (UTC)arcturius<br />
<br />
:I think it's as simple as 1 n in canon (what the pun is based on), 2 n's in cannon (in the comic), and just to keep the pattern going, 3 n's in cannnon (in the title text).--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.175|173.245.54.175]] 05:35, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
That reminds me on Neil Stephensons - The Diamond Age: or A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer... Very nerdy! {{unsigned ip|108.162.254.21}}<br />
<br />
Another very common usage of headcanon is when you REMOVE something from your headcanon - that is, pretend that it never happened, despite it being canon. Often it's case of not-really-good sequels. Or later edits: see {{w|Han shot first}}. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:35, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
:I thought that headcanon was everything fans imagined, not just what contradicts canon. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.204|141.101.105.204]] 16:32, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Anyone note that the computer is completely undamaged (from the cannonfire at least, no telling about when it strikes the floor), despite the desk being demolished? [[User:Zowayix|Zowayix]] ([[User talk:Zowayix|talk]]) 13:14, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Worth mentioning the alternate term "fanon", at all? (Currently third but unlinking item {{w|Fanon|Wikipedia link}}, or the more dangerous (in the [[214|Comic 214]] sense) [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Fanon TVTropes link]... <!-- And remind me again why there are so many different wiki formats for embedding different forms of link?!? -->) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.7|141.101.99.7]] 13:22, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I'd say no, fanon is headcanon that is accepted in huge parts of the fandom. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.204|141.101.105.204]] 16:32, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
New headcanon: Black Hat Guy always has a headcannon under his hat, and in this comic he is simply showing Cueball that he got a new one. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.73|108.162.216.73]] 14:12, 30 July 2014 (UTC)Matthew<br />
:Not true. In other comics where he hasn't had his hat, he did not have a cannon on his head. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 15:40, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Canon (in Greek: Kanon, Arabic: Qanon, Hebrew: Kaneh) means reed, or straight. Thus trustworthy. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_law#Etymology] [[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 14:38, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Black Hat is shown to have short dark hair. That's new xkcd canon. As far as I know, he'd always been shown wearing a hat completely covering his hair until now. --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 15:33, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
: Not new. http://xkcd.com/377/ [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 15:40, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
:I always assumed black hat and white hat(perhaps all the cast) were aspects of Cueball,s psyc, a jungian zoo.<br />
<br />
Ra-Ra-Rasputin {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.170}}<br />
<br />
"The title text is a pun on the homophones *canon* and *cannon*" ... uh, the whole entire COMIC is a pun on the homophones *canon* and *cannon*. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.149|173.245.56.149]] 18:16, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Kudos to the author(s) of the example using Quark. One of the best-written explanations on this wiki. [[User:Jameslucas|jameslucas]] <small>([[User talk:Jameslucas|" "]] / [[Special:Contributions/Jameslucas|+]])</small> 22:42, 30 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
''"Fans might wonder why, on a station that has "replicators" (devices that can create any food or drink out of energy on demand), anyone would patronize a bar"'' - perhaps because they might want to, you know, socialise with other people? Call me old-fashioned... --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.37|141.101.99.37]] 14:23, 31 July 2014 (UTC)</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:243:_Appropriate_Term&diff=71869Talk:243: Appropriate Term2014-07-18T03:04:36Z<p>173.245.54.167: </p>
<hr />
<div>"Nub" tending towards "Nipple", in my part of the world. Also various alternatives based on it looking and feeling like a pencil eraser (also 'rubber', in local vernacular, normally without the non-local 'prophylactic' association to that word, thus going towards the SFW end of the scale).<br />
<br />
I liked them too. Touchpads are too prone to being tapped or brushed when typing on the keyboard, potentially changing the window focus or active mouse position at awkward times mid-composition. Which is why a lot of people get them disabled and get a USB mouse, perhaps travel-sized, for using with their laptops. Or at least disable the "tap equals button-click" behaviour and rely on the (marginally less accidentally pressed) actual left/right(/centre) buttons for that purpose. I use whatever's there (see below about preference to keyboard, though), due to temporarily working with many different people's devices. I can get on with just about anything that isn't touchscreen-only (and may ''eventually'' get used to that, also).<br />
<br />
However, you all remember the awkward self-centering nature of the 'nub', right? The firmware treats an extended period of the 'nub' at rest as being at true centre and thus nullifying any previous motion. Applying a steady pressure to (say) move a scroll-bar gradually sideways or up/down, to review a table or graphic being edited would soon result in the mouse movement stopping as it assumes the offset position is centre. You naturally automatically compensate by applying more offset to keep it moving (perhaps to repeat). You then either hit the maximum deflection limit and have to stop trying or else finish your scrolling and let go of it (and the left-button/whatever that you're also holding down). Now the cursor is rapidly retreating in the opposite direction as its position at the mechanical centre is being treated as movement in the other direction.<br />
<br />
You can fight it for a temporary stillness (although you never make the situation better, just can temporarily hold the cursor still when that's important) but eventually you have to let the nub sit there and wait, often with the mouse cursor representation moving towards an the edge (or corner) of the screen, and often hitting it. If there's now no perpendicular edge-wise motion to it (or is 'cornered') you're never ''quite'' sure when it stops being a mouse forced against the edge by the presumption of movement and becomes a mouse cursor ''resting'' against the edge, for lack of input to take it anywhere else, so you may wait a bit longer than you need before trying the 'nub' again to elicit movement onto the next bit of the screen that truly needs the mouse-cursor's presence.<br />
<br />
Rather then 'very informal,' perhaps we move the tone to 'erotic?'<br />
<br />
(Personally, I've always been a big fan of keyboard shortcuts for as many things as I can do to replace a mouse. But now we're onto the realms of software that ''has'' tabbing between active controls, but in a really bad non-sequential order. Active KillDisk is one perpetrator, with some of the tickboxes on a given dialogue being mis-arranged in the internal tab-order list. A couple of shift-tabs sometimes needed to reverse-traverse the focus onto the next bit you want to 'click' on, even though it is visually the next item down... But I digress.) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.31.27|178.98.31.27]] 04:20, 21 June 2013 (UTC)</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:242:_The_Difference&diff=71868Talk:242: The Difference2014-07-18T02:59:35Z<p>173.245.54.167: </p>
<hr />
<div>After reading this, I was just waiting for Hatguy to lure various animals over to the lever in order to test it without being harmed in the process... [[Special:Contributions/115.70.105.180|115.70.105.180]] 11:06, 2 July 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Causality?<br />
"Cueball pulls a lever. The lever causes a bolt of lightning to come down and strike him." I doubt that. "Cueball pulls a lever. A bolt of lightning comes down and strikes him." is correct. It may be coincidence, we cannot know that without testing. [[User:Undee|Undee]] ([[User talk:Undee|talk]]) 10:32, 18 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
: Agreed. And fixed. -- [[Special:Contributions/173.245.51.210|173.245.51.210]] 07:59, 8 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
This makes me think that scientists are, in essence... insane... because isn't that the definition of insanity... pulling the lever again... and expecting different results? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.210|108.162.249.210]] 02:46, 11 June 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
What makes you think the result is expected to change? The scientist path isn't pulling the lever again because he's expecting a different result. He's pulling it again to see what happens. Learning more about lightning machines is worth the pain. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.47}<br />
<br />
Timothy Wilson, UVa, tested if people (or rather college sophmores, i imagine) perfer sitting queitly or getting shocked. For males, it played out as shown.</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1392:_Dominant_Players&diff=712591392: Dominant Players2014-07-09T14:43:35Z<p>173.245.54.167: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1392<br />
| date = July 9, 2014<br />
| title = Dominant Players<br />
| image = dominant_players.png<br />
| titletext = When Vera Menchik entered a 1929 tournament, a male competitor mocked her by suggesting that a special 'Vera Menchik Club' would be created for any player who lost to her. When the tournament began, he promptly became the first member of said club, and over the years it accumulated a large and illustrious roster.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
A large version of this comic is available [http://xkcd.com/1392/large here].<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Probably needs more detail.}}<br />
The comic shows the rise and fall of players' strengths in two games, {{w|basketball}} and {{w|chess}}. For chess, there is an overall chart, and a women's chart.<br />
<br />
For basketball, it uses a player efficiency rating.<br />
<br />
For chess, it uses the {{w|Elo rating}}. It explains that since Elo is relatively new, the rating is extrapolated backwards in time.<br />
<br />
There are several references. Some are intended to provide context (such as "Loses to Deep Blue"), while others are tangents or jokes, including:<br />
<br />
* Jerry West - The Guy in The NBA logo<br />
* Kareem Abdul Jabbar - {{w|Airplane (film)|Airplane}} (a comedy film he had a role in)<br />
* Michael Jordan - {{w|Space Jam}} (a comedy starring Jordan)<br />
* Lebron James - The Decision (a reference to a heavily hyped decision as to which team he would play for)<br />
* Kira Zvorykina - It says "Continued playing in tournaments into the 20th century". Wikipedia says, "she still plays chess in rated tournaments", though it does not give the last rated tournament she played in. The 20th century is the 1900's, so this is either a joke or a mistake. <br />
<br />
The starbursts are references to a player appearing or disappearing in unusual circumstances:<br />
<br />
* Alexander Alekhine- Died under disputed circumstances in Portugal<br />
* Bobby Fischer - Text says "Vanished...". He did not actually vanish, but he did stop playing competitively for about 20 years starting in 1972. This is also probably a reference to the film {{w|Searching for Bobby Fischer}}, which is not actually about Fischer, but about a player who partly models his career on Fischer's. The name "Searching for Bobby Fischer" may lead people to believe Fischer literally vanished, but that is not the case.<br />
* Bobby Fischer "Reappeared then vanished again" is another reference to Fischer, who resumed playing competitively in 1992 for a brief time. "He had problems" is a simplistic description of issues and controversies in Fischer's later life, including an arrest warrant (because he violated a U.S. embargo against Yugoslavia), unpaid taxes, controversy about his statements (including anti-semitism). The U.S. eventually revoked his passport, and he was jailed for eight months in Japan. He then received Icelandic citizenship, and lived out the rest of his life there.<br />
* Vera Menchik - She died in an attack by an early guided missile (a {{w|V-1 flying bomb}}) launched by the Germans in World War II.<br />
<br />
Judit Polgar, the strongest woman chess player ever, is shown rising from the gender-defined ranks of women's chess and breaking into the top 10 in the world FIDA ratings. She ranked eighth in the world in 2005.<br />
<br />
Chess players Vladimir Kramnik and Levon Aronian, who have faced each other on multiple occasions in the 2010s, are shown as having their career paths entwined.<br />
<br />
It is unknown why some NBA players were excluded from the NBA chart in favor of players with lower career and yearly efficiency ratings. Example: Tim Duncan, Charles Barkley, Oscar Robinson, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Paul should all arguably be included.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
[[Category:Large drawings]]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:405:_Journal_3&diff=70443Talk:405: Journal 32014-06-26T18:27:27Z<p>173.245.54.167: </p>
<hr />
<div>In this comic, the Black Hat guy retrieves his hat from the girl he tried (unsuccessfully) to seduce in Journal 2. He does this by stealing a Russian submarine (according to the alt-text) and breaking through the ice the girl and her friend are skating on. This is the third and middle part of the Journal story arc. {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.209}}<br />
<br />
I might be mistaken, but I believe that the last title text is a reference to ''The Hunt of Red October'', and specifically the line "And I - was never here" (which is famous enough to have [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IWasNeverHere have named a trope]). [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.183|173.245.53.183]] 22:30, 18 February 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think comic 496 refers to this one. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.135|173.245.53.135]] 13:11, 27 May 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The sub through the ice, i think, is "Ice Station Zebra," on WMATA's silver line.</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:402:_1,000_Miles_North&diff=70442Talk:402: 1,000 Miles North2014-06-26T18:22:24Z<p>173.245.54.167: </p>
<hr />
<div>+1 for 'a tornado that likes to chase people'<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.8|108.162.216.8]] 14:16, 24 January 2014 (UTC) marvis<br />
<br />
. . . Years before sharknado!</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:400:_Important_Life_Lesson&diff=70441Talk:400: Important Life Lesson2014-06-26T18:14:52Z<p>173.245.54.167: Created page with "Not intended? We can't be sure . . ."</p>
<hr />
<div>Not intended? We can't be sure . . .</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:368:_Bass&diff=70439Talk:368: Bass2014-06-26T17:57:29Z<p>173.245.54.167: </p>
<hr />
<div>Okay, I have to ask this, and this as good a place as any. Am I the only one who reads Black Hat (and Danish) with an affected English accent? Anonymous 21:04, 3 December 2013 (UTC) {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.91}}<br />
:Talk to someone in Scotland, and then some Australian, South African and finally compare Texas with LA and NY, or the London suburbs. English is still not easy, especially for non native speakers. But Black Hat and Danish are quite sure talking at some American English slangs. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 23:25, 3 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Firstly, is this destructive resonance thing actually possible for car speakers? (note: don't worry, I'm not going to try this myself, just wondering)... secondly, I hadn't thought about accents before. I'm English but all the characters have my own internal voice... maybe I should put some effort in and give them all different accents (wouldn't know which accents but the aforementioned affected-english for Black Hat doesn't work in my head, as good as that suggestion was). [[User:Squirreltape|Squirreltape]] ([[User talk:Squirreltape|talk]]) 14:38, 14 February 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
Maybe I should clarify: I am American and, in my part at least, British accents are considered "snooty" and "superior", a trope Black Hat would gladly take advantage of, as would Danish, for they do consider themselves vastly superior the "commoners" and "plebs" around them (why else would they be so casually sadistic?) YMMV on the stereotypes, but that is the one I am familiar with and the one I assume they use. That said I, personally, do not think the British themselves are "snooty", but am guilty of affecting such an accent when feeling snootily sarcastic. Anonymous 08:02, 26 March 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I didnt have an accent in my head for these stick figures, but now i have them talking like the people from "i love lucy," with black sounding like fred mertz.<br />
<br />
Okej, he says to throw the switch labelled "Macarina", but it doesn't say that that's actually what it does. This is Black Hat we're talking about. I wouldn't trust his labeling if I were you.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.9|108.162.221.9]] 00:59, 8 June 2014 (UTC)</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:994:_Advent_Calendar&diff=69901Talk:994: Advent Calendar2014-06-19T01:49:39Z<p>173.245.54.167: </p>
<hr />
<div>To me this is a lesson in moderation, too much chocolate is not only a problem on x-mas, but also on Halloween. If we don't learn moderation, we will wake up on 25th with huge belly and type-1 diabetes. Enjoy responsibly (which is true for every good thing and state altering drugs). - e-inspired [[Special:Contributions/98.211.199.84|98.211.199.84]] 15:42, 27 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'll have you know that type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with sugar overdose, since it's mostly an autoimmune disease. Type 2 diabetes is the fatty's version, whose only connection to type 1 is the symptoms (and sometimes the treatment)<br />
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.212|141.101.98.212]] 05:42, 20 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm glad that isn't what this is for me. [[Special:Contributions/81.135.136.159|81.135.136.159]] 10:42, 9 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think the humor is too about the way most people find difficult to wait for the next day before eating the chocolate...--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.203|141.101.89.203]] 14:49, 7 April 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Advent then is the opposite of lent, when one gives up, say, chocolate</div>173.245.54.167https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:995:_Coinstar&diff=69899Talk:995: Coinstar2014-06-19T01:45:26Z<p>173.245.54.167: </p>
<hr />
<div>To me as electrical engineer it's a lesson that no technology is perfect, but we are working on it. Chocolate coin proof coin-star machines are just around the corner. - e-inspired [[Special:Contributions/98.211.199.84|98.211.199.84]] 15:36, 27 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Candies do have monetary value. You buy them. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.85|108.162.222.85]] 09:25, 22 May 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Could enough coins be exchaged for a bunny?</div>173.245.54.167