Editing 531: Contingency Plan

{{comic
| number    = 531
| date      = January 16, 2009
| title     = Contingency Plan
| image     = contingency_plan.png
| titletext = Kids are genetic experiments. We're just experimenting responsibly!
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] comments that [[Cueball]] is force-feeding their child so many sugary drinks that the child runs the risk of developing {{w|diabetes}}. Cueball responds that that is the plan, since if anything were to go wrong, they'll just have to stop giving her {{w|insulin}}, which will kill her. Cueball then comments that he thus takes the Jurassic Park approach to parenting. [[999|Bad parenting]] is a recurring theme in xkcd.

{{w|Jurassic_Park_(franchise)|Jurassic Park}} is a series of books and films centering on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. In particular, the park scientists give the dinosaurs {{w|lysine}} deficiency as a ''contingency plan'', so that if some dinosaur were to escape, it wouldn't be able to survive in the wild. In practice, lysine can easily be obtained by eating protein-rich foods like red meat, lamb or pork. 

The title text continues the theme, noting that having children is basically one big genetic experiment, and that Cueball is experimenting responsibly, by having a contingency plan, thinking ahead as to the possible consequences of his experiment.

The child interestingly cannot be seen in the crib. It may be that the sides of the crib are solid rather than barred like a traditional crib, or, more likely, [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] simply forgot to draw the child.

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball holding a green bottle are standing beside a crib. Another green bottle is lying on the floor.]
:Megan: More sugary drinks? Are you trying to give her diabetes?
:Cueball: Yeah - then we keep her supplied with insulin unless things go wrong.
[Caption below the frame:]
:I take the ''Jurassic Park'' approach to parenting.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Jurassic Park]]
[[Category:Kids]]