Difference between revisions of "582: Brakes"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Jump to: navigation, search
(Issues)
m (removing unnecessary drivel, moving links into trivia. don't go crazy for subsections.)
Line 4: Line 4:
 
| title    = Brakes
 
| title    = Brakes
 
| image    = brakes.png
 
| image    = brakes.png
| imagesize =
 
 
| titletext = It was the funniest 6.5 seconds of my life, although as usual like 80% of it was just Tom and Ray's gasping, hacking laughter.
 
| titletext = It was the funniest 6.5 seconds of my life, although as usual like 80% of it was just Tom and Ray's gasping, hacking laughter.
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
{{Incomplete}}
 
 
A driver loses control of his car and plunges over a cliff.
 
A driver loses control of his car and plunges over a cliff.
 
As a response, he calls a live radio phone-in show for help with the failed brakes.
 
As a response, he calls a live radio phone-in show for help with the failed brakes.
  
 
{{w|Car Talk}} is a car advice/comedy radio show often aired on {{w|NPR}} stations.  While there is some actual advice given on the radio show, it is presented as a comedy/entertainment show.  Much of the show does involve the hosts "gasping and hacking" as they ask non-relevant questions of the callers and add their own commentary or relate other personal asides and stories.
 
{{w|Car Talk}} is a car advice/comedy radio show often aired on {{w|NPR}} stations.  While there is some actual advice given on the radio show, it is presented as a comedy/entertainment show.  Much of the show does involve the hosts "gasping and hacking" as they ask non-relevant questions of the callers and add their own commentary or relate other personal asides and stories.
 
To determine the height of the cliff, we can use h= 1/2*g*t^2 or 0.5 * 9.81 * (6.5)^2 = ~207 meters = 679 feet
 
=== Issues ===
 
In reality, '''Car Talk''' starring Tom and Ray, is ''not'' a live show, and the "callers" are called back.
 
See the [http://www.cartalk.com/content/car-talk-faqs-26 Car Talk FAQ].
 
 
The cited 6.5 seconds is barely long enough for one ring cycle.
 
 
=== News ===
 
A custom news entry reads:
 
: "Brakes" is available as a shirt over at Car Talk's [http://www.shamelesscommerce.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=CARTOONT store].
 
The current site is now at [http://shop.npr.org/clothing/car-talk-cartoon-t-shirt/ shop.npr.org].
 
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
Line 32: Line 18:
 
:Voice from car: Hello, you're on Car Talk.
 
:Voice from car: Hello, you're on Car Talk.
  
{{comic discussion}}  
+
== Trivia ==
<!-- Include any categories below this line-->
+
NPR made a shirt out of this comic, it can be seen at [http://shop.npr.org/wear/clothing/car-talk-cartoon-t-shirt shop.npr.org].
 +
 
 +
{{comic discussion}}

Revision as of 23:23, 12 December 2012

Brakes
It was the funniest 6.5 seconds of my life, although as usual like 80% of it was just Tom and Ray's gasping, hacking laughter.
Title text: It was the funniest 6.5 seconds of my life, although as usual like 80% of it was just Tom and Ray's gasping, hacking laughter.

Explanation

A driver loses control of his car and plunges over a cliff. As a response, he calls a live radio phone-in show for help with the failed brakes.

Car Talk is a car advice/comedy radio show often aired on NPR stations. While there is some actual advice given on the radio show, it is presented as a comedy/entertainment show. Much of the show does involve the hosts "gasping and hacking" as they ask non-relevant questions of the callers and add their own commentary or relate other personal asides and stories.

Transcript

Narrator: Of the potential responses to my brakes' failure, I did not choose the best.
[A cliff is visible, with a car flying off it.]
Voice from car: Hello, you're on Car Talk.

Trivia

NPR made a shirt out of this comic, it can be seen at shop.npr.org.


comment.png add a comment! ⋅ comment.png add a topic (use sparingly)! ⋅ Icons-mini-action refresh blue.gif refresh comments!

Discussion

The shirt would have been even better if they would have put the alt-text underneath! -- mwburden 70.91.188.49 20:53, 12 December 2012 (UTC)

Car Talk wasn't a live call-in show! You call them, and they call you back, and it's edited into a show structure! 173.245.54.50 00:48, 23 January 2014 (UTC) True... but the version in the comic has to be a live show for the joke to work, and most listeners, unless they called in, probably didn't realize it wasn't live somewhere.173.245.54.34 03:45, 29 August 2015 (UTC)

The t-shirt link leads to a 404 from NPR's wobsite. -- T 162.158.58.208 22:07, 6 December 2016 (UTC)

The 6.5 seconds could refer to a non-immediate death on impact, solving the conundrum posed by timing of physics and communication in the explanation. -Arkady Darrel 162.158.58.219 03:46, 22 February 2017 (UTC)